Loves Bond
Chapter 27 - Haunting Propositions
An ominous chill filled the dark air. It was not the coldest night of the year, but every mammal in the city could feel something in their bones. It was a chill that caused warm blooded animals to shiver and made their tails itch. The thermostat said that it was warm for a late October night, but most mammals would disagree.
Tonight was known as Spirits Eve. It was this night when many mammals believed that the land of the dead came closest to the world of the living. Some even said that at the stroke of midnight, you could simply reach out and commune with long lost loved ones and relatives. Others would dress up as ghouls and goblins to keep the deceased from crossing over. The rest of the city saw this night as one huge, collective costume party.
Kits of all ages, dressed up as everything from pirates to princesses, trolled the streets. They would rush from door to door begging for pawfuls of candy while their parents stood by and watched. Many residential streets were filled with tiny ghosts and monsters, each hauling cute or goulish bags and buckets filled with their sugary bounty. Despite the evening chill, this night was filled with the joyous celebration of young mammals.
Most adults had other plans and met with friends or attended company parties to celebrate the autumn holiday. Two costumed mammals were deliberately avoiding the festivities by going out on a quiet and very private date. The smaller of the two adults was not in a mood to be around her coworkers tonight and only wanted to spend the evening with her mate and the father of the kit growing inside her belly.
Thoughts of the unborn kit caused Judy to once again rub her swollen belly. Even through her Spirit's Eve costume, the baby bump was still quite obvious. She wore a single piece suit of burnt orange cloth with a rugged zipper down the back. On top of the orange hood, that covered her head, were a pair of fake, triangular ears. A long fluffy tail was also sewn into the back side of the costume giving the rabbit the appearance of a small, red fox.
Sitting beside the foxy rabbit, in the back of the Zuber cab, was Judy's date for the evening. Her best friend, and mate, was dressed in a very revealing maid's outfit. Nick's costume was complete with a tight and ruffled top and a very skimpy skirt that did little to hide the fox's unmentionables. He also wore a pair of long, fishnet stockings that ended just short of the hem of the skirt.
Judy could not control the giggles every time she saw her fox's outfit. She was more than certain that he had chosen it for that exact reason. The rabbit had been in a dark mood this week after having been put on desk duty by her boss, and Nick had been trying to cheer her up. Seeing Nick try on the sexy and very feminine costume had put the rabbit into such a fit of giggles that she had fallen to the floor in laughter. After that, Nick would parade around their apartment wearing the costume, just to see his bunny smile.
Tonight she only shook her head and had to look away from the incorrigible fox sitting next to her. It had been about a week since they had returned to a full dating status, but she could not remember why she had ever left him in the first place. The whole incident had been a huge misunderstanding and she regretted every moment they had been apart.
Sighing away the dark thoughts, she turned her short muzzle towards the scantily clad fox. Placing one orange and black paw on his arm, she asked, "I thought the restaurant was downtown, Dear."
Looking up from his phone, Nick turned to the rabbit dressed up as a fox. "What's that dear?"
Rubbing her orange covered paw along his white, lacey arm, she chided, "Nick!"
Shrugging, he leaned towards his date while slowly glancing back at his phone. A stream of words and numbers scrolled across the screen while his thumb swept across it in an upward motion.
Judy lifted her other paw off of her round belly and gently placed both of them along the sides of Nick's long snout. She pulled his muzzle closer to her own until their eyes met. Lightning ran up her body whenever those green emeralds met her purple amethyst. This time the feeling made her long ears tingle.
"Nick," she said again softly. "You promised to take me out to dinner tonight."
Nodding as best he could with his girlfriend's paws wrapped around his muzzle, Nick replied in the affirmative, "Yes. We are going out." The words came out as little more than a mumble. Instead of opening his mouth to be heard better, he leaned forward and pressed his large black nose against her tiny pink one. "And there will be dinner," he paused to take a slow breath before adding, "for two."
Pulling back, Judy released his muzzle and rubbed her gloved paws across her twitching nose. "Ok, but isn't the restaurant in the other direction?" Then she turned and pointed back the way the Zuber had come. "Last time I checked, Le Beau's was downtown.
Without looking up from his phone, the fox replied, "We are taking the scenic route."
A loud snort escaped from the costumed rabbit's tiny pink nose. "You call this the scenic route?" She waved a paw out the cab's large window, towards a small group of medium sized cubs. The half dozen cubs, and their parents, were dressed up as hideous monsters or ghosts, with one small, fairytale princess leading the group with her flashing wand. Nodding towards the ghoulish decorations that covered each house they passed, Judy added, "How is this supposed to be scenic."
Setting the phone down on the edge of his lacy skirt, Nick looked out the opposite window at the pale lights and gravestones that seemed to inhabit every yard. He turned back to his partner with a smirk. His reply sounded distracted yet cheerful, "I thought you would like to see all the decorated homes before we head back downtown."
She turned her muzzle back towards the fox with a curious tilt to her head. Her faux ears flopped to one side as she began to glare at the fox.
Despite the look his mate gave him, he continued, "It's only once a year that you get to see the city decorated like this, Carrots. We should enjoy it while we can."
Judy scoffed and rolled her eyes at him. "Fangmeyer and I have been driving back and forth through neighborhoods like this for days." She gently patted her cloth covered paw on the bare part of his arm. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up, but I have had my fill of Spirits Eve decorations for one year."
"Not during the night," he reminded her. "With all the kits and cubs in their costumes running around the streets." At that moment, the Zuber cab came to a sudden stop as a small group of fawns jumped in front of the car as they crossed to the other side. Following the young mammals, a pair of adult antelope also stepped in front of the stopped vehicle and waved shyly.
"I guess," she sighed. Leaning against his ruffled shoulder, she took several slow, deep breaths. "I know that I have wanted to spend Spirits Eve out with you. Go dancing at the club, or a costume party with our friends."
Staring into the distance, she played with the lacy ruffles on his shirt. "But this year I am feeling worn out, and haven't been able to get excited about the costumes or decorations. I just want to spend a quiet evening with my fox."
Nick leaned into his rabbit and patted her head. "I think I understand. You're usually so energetic, but it's good to slow down sometimes."
Sitting up quickly, Judy looked the fox up and down before gently tapping him on the shoulder with her fist. "I've still got more than enough energy to keep up with you, Slow Fox."
"I don't doubt it," he replied with a smirk before booping a manicured claw on the end of her tiny pink nose.
The light hearted banter continued for several more blocks before they pulled over to the curb and stopped in front of a house built for medium or large mammals. In the front yard was a very believable graveyard, complete with creepy, artificial fog. A skeleton was hanging from a tree by a thick rope around his neck. Several lights flashed and sputtered eerily around the graves enhancing the spooky atmosphere.
In a large front window was a giant spider web that looked very realistic compared to others of its kind they had seen that night. The web's owner was not present, but something thoroughly wrapped in the sticky webs wiggled near one of the corners. Beyond the large web, all of the lights in the house were turned off, giving the building an ominous feel.
As the small cab came to a stop, Nick quickly typed something on his phone and hit the send button. Before he could return the device to his pocket, he cheerfully cried, "We're here." If anyone had been closely watching the window as the cab's front wheel gently touched the curb, they would have seen the heavy, dark curtains rustle back and forth more than once.
"What is this place?" The costumed rabbit asked. Both of her orange covered paws tapped on the door's pawrest as she stared wide eyed at the authentic looking decorations. Her question, however, went unheard as her traveling companion had already leapt through the door on his side of the cab.
Judy slowly turned her head and realized that the fox maid had vanished with only a slamming door to mark his absence. "Nick. What?" She called to the empty seat beside her. With a soft growl, she turned back towards her own door and reached for the handle, but it suddenly swept away from her paw.
In the door's place stood a red fox. Bowing low, Nick waved a lace covered arm towards the sidewalk as he held the door for his rabbit. "M'lady," was the only word that escaped his lips before offering her a helping paw.
Taken aback, Judy hesitated slightly at her boyfriend's antics. She could never guess when the fox would randomly become a gentlemammal and hold the door for her, but it always warmed her heart. Grasping his outstretched paw, she scooted to the edge of her seat and carefully climbed onto the sidewalk. This residential block was built for larger mammal vehicles, so stepping up to the tall curb from the shorter car was slightly awkward for the small rabbit.
When she once again stood on the side of the street and had straightened her fake tail, she looked her fox up and down. Waving her free paw in the direction of the realistic gravestones that littered the yard, she once again asked, "So, what is this place, Slick?"
Still holding her paw in his, the foxy maid never took his eyes off of the orange costumed rabbit. "I thought we could have a little Spirit's Eve fun before dinner."
Glancing around, she spotted a skeletal paw rise up from the ground near one of the grave stones, while a hidden speaker gave off a poor quality groaning noise. Her eyes lit up as she slowly began to realize where they were.
"This is a haunted house," she cried gleefully and began to hop in place.
"Um, yes," Nick nodded cautiously. "The house is probably haunted, but …" He never finished his sentence before the excited rabbit pulled him towards the front door. Paw in paw he quickly followed after his strong date.
Her glum mood seemed to vanish in an instant as she hauled the fox up to the large, creepy door. Now that both mammals were close, they could see the cheap plastic decorations that gave the door a spooky appearance. Some cobwebs hung from the top of the door, but a very intimidating knocker sat in the center of the door about eye level for most medium mammals. The knocker looked like a cheap imitation of a deer skull. As the couple approached the skull's eyes lit up with an eerie red glow.
Neither of the small mammals could reach the black ring that hung from the jaws of the plastic skull, but Nick lifted his partner onto his shoulder. They had practiced this move many times in the past during traffic stops so Judy was able to easily balance while standing on the taller fox.
The skull's eyes seemed to glow brighter as she reached up to the knocker. Stretching, she finally grasped the ring and began to swing it back and forth. A speaker inside the skull made a hollow booming noise as a knob at the base of the ring struck the wooden door.
After three knocks, the skull began to cackle in a creepy tone and its eyes flashed. The voice sounded like something you would hear in a scary movie, "Hahahahaha. Enter…" As the word, "Enter," echoed across the decorated lawn, the door slowly swung open.
Still standing on Nick's shoulders, Judy's long ears could hear an artificial creaking noise coming from a spot directly above and to the left of the door. Clapping her paws in delight, she exclaimed, "This is going to be so exciting. I love haunted houses."
Lifting the pregnant rabbit off his shoulders, Nick replied, "Well, then we should find out what is waiting for us inside."
"Yes, of course," Judy said with a nod and hopped out of his arms. As her hind paws passed over the threshold, she continued to chatter happily. "I haven't been to one of these in so many years."
Following closely behind, Nick held onto his girlfriend's paw as they both entered the completely dark house. His nose sniffed at the warm air inside and detected the scent of many mammals who had passed by recently and fresh baked pastries.
"I used to love exploring these places and finding all the little tricks they used to make it seem more scary." Judy continued to describe her childhood adventures as the door slowly creaked close behind them.
Once the door was completely shut, both small mammals were left in complete darkness. While the rabbit was totally blind, the fox could make out several large shapes shifting in the distance.
Unphased by the sudden darkness, Judy continued her excited chatter, "At one point I was banned from the local haunted house when I accidently knocked out my uncle after he jumped out of a coffin in a zombie costume. That's why I haven't been to one of these in many years."
Squeezing his paw, Judy looked up at her date to say, "Thank you so much for bringing me here." When she finally noticed that the room was pitch black, her ears tried to stand erect under her costume's hood and her twitchy nose shifted into overdrive.
"Something is wrong," she said, barely loud enough for the fox to hear.
In the past, Judy remembered that all of the haunted houses she had ever been in were made from narrow passages that led you from one creepy scene to the next. There were always flashing and sputtering lights along with eerie music and lots of screaming.
Stepping past the short entrance, Judy could hear that she stood in a large room with a high ceiling. She could not see anything as her eyes slowly adjusted to the dark, but she could hear something large shuffling in the distance directly ahead. There were also several hushed whispers from smaller creatures scattered around the big room.
Releasing her paw, Nick stepped away from his date. He was gone for only a second, but in that short time, Judy suddenly felt lost in the dark. She reached out for his paw, but there was nothing behind her.
A hush fell across the room, as if the entire house was holding its breath. Nothing moved or breathed in the cloaking darkness.
Judy was about to call out for her partner when suddenly all of the lights came on in the room at once.
More than a dozen costumed mammals leapt from behind the large furniture and screamed in unison, "Surprise!"
One large, glitter covered creature, in the center of the mass of monsters, tuskball mascots and superheros, seemed to charge towards the small bunny. Judy never heard the squeal of glee as her fighting instincts instantly reacted.
"So cuteeeeeeee!" The large, round creature cried.
Despite the extra weight she was carrying in her belly, the rabbit leapt into the air with a single thrust of her strong legs. With a quick twist, she turned her entire body so that she was flying across the room hind paws first.
The shallow arc the rabbit took ended directly in the middle of the topless, chubby, glitter monster's muzzle. As her hind paws collided between the large creature's eyes, she kicked out with both legs for maximum impact force.
A loud crack echoed around the room as the rabbit smashed into her target. After the sudden impact, she flipped backwards through the air and landed skillfully on the plushly carpeted floor. The flight of the rabbit dressed up as a red fox, ended abruptly in a three pawed stance, ready to spring back into action at any moment.
The cheerful squeal coming from the sparkly monster turned into a groan as the chubby cheetah slowly fell back to the floor. Clawhauser fell to his living room floor with a slow motion thud and a multicolored cloud of glitter.
Stepping away from the lightswitch, Nick walked up to his excitable girlfriend and placed his paw on her shoulder. He grabbed the one paw she held in the air behind her head and lifted her into a standing position.
"I thought we agreed to leave your Super Bun costume at home, Dear."
It only took a second for Judy to realize what she had done. Ignoring the fox's comment, she rushed forward to stand beside the fallen cheetah. "I am so sorry, Clawhauser. Are you alright?"
Laying on the floor of his own living room, Clawhauser wore a tight fitting pair of green, sparkly spandex shorts. His fur was also covered in stripes of green and blue glitter. Even his long whiskers sparkled in the lamp light.
"Clawhauser, Clawhauser," Judy cried as she tried to shake the plump mammal. The other costumed guests started to crowd around their fallen host as the shock slowly wore off. After several seconds, the big feline raised one paw to his forehead and groaned.
Before the other guests had a chance to reply, an older cheetah walked into the large room. She was wearing a frilly and well used apron while carrying a baking tray lined with fresh holiday cookies.
"Why are you laying on the floor, son?" The new animal asked as she walked over and placed the cookie tray on the large coffee table. Looking down at her son, she chidded and shook her head, "This sure is a strange holiday game."
Groaning, Ben rubbed a stout paw across his muzzle while mumbling, "That's the first time I have ever been knocked out by cuteness." Everyone in the room chuckled at the fallen cheetah's comment, even the rabbits.
When Clawhauser finally sat up and began to push the onlookers aside, Judy looked around the guests for the first time. She recognized several of the costumed mammals as her fellow ZPD officers.
Chief Bogo was dressed up as a large, horned demon. His fur was painted red and he had a long, spiked tail attached to his rump. Fangmeyer and Wolfard were dressed in matching funerary attire that reminded Judy of a couple from an old black and white television show. Delgato had painted his fur green and wore an old country squire outfit. Other members of the ZPD Karaoke Club were dressed as various superheroes or villains.
As Nick stepped up to the well rounded feline and offered him a helping paw, Judy spotted several smaller mammals in the costumed crowd. Finnick was dressed as an old fashioned gangster, complete with a miniature tommy gun. Holding the small fox's paw was a middle aged rabbit wearing a skimpy outfit that had been in fashion almost one hundred years ago. Sharleen also waved around a plastic machine gun while she tilted the black beret on top of her head.
The third rabbit in the room with large muscles bulging from her arms and legs, was dressed in a sleeveless black shirt with a belt of plastic bullets slung over her shoulder and a red headband tied across her brow. Jo, stepped out of the crowd paw in paw with another small fox. Tabby was small for a fox, but she was still a bit taller than Judy. She was dressed in a frilly red, two piece outfit like the one Gazelle had worn last year. Her popstar costume came complete with plastic horns and a working karaoke microphone.
Sitting on the huge couch was an otter couple dressed up as cave mammals. He wore a single piece of orange cloth splotched with black triangles. A single, very wide, blue tie hung from his neck. She wore a tasteful white dress that had been paw cut near the bottom. Around her neck was a string of rounded river rocks tied together with twine. Judy thought their costumes reminded her of a popular television show, but she could not remember the name.
"I see the guest of honor has finally arrived," a familiar voice said warmly.
Vivian wore a poofy black dress with large, red polka dots and a tall, pointy witch's hat with her ears sticking up through the wide brim. "And by guest of honor, I mean the little one of course." She then cautiously reached out and patted Judy's growing baby bump.
"Guest, guest of honor?" The orange costumed rabbit stammered.
Taking a second look around the room, Judy noticed that not all of the decorations covering the room were from the Spirit's Eve holiday. Yes, there were several black and orange cutouts hanging here and there along with the occasional jack-o-lantern, but most of what hung around the large room were soft pastel pinks and blues.
In one corner she spotted a small pile of gift wrapped packages. Next to them was a stack of wooden blocks that spelled the word, "BABY" Several bright balloons also floated around the room cheerily. Hanging above the packages was a banner that read, "It's A Boy!"
"What is all this," Judy cried softly. A tear nearly slid across her cheek before her paws tightened into a pair of steel balls. Turning on her date, she pointed a sharp claw at his frilly chest. "I, I didn't want any of this."
Brushing off his green and sparkly pants, Clawhauser stood up and cooed softly. "Aww, Judy. We have been trying to throw you a shower for weeks. Ever since we heard the good news."
"I know, Ben," she sniffled up at the larger feline. "But, I never wanted any of you to go through all this for me." She wiped an orange covered paw across her nose. "Especially since the doctor said that a mixed child like ours may not survive." The tears began to flow freely now.
With a gentle shove, Vivian quickly cut in before Judy's emotions could run wild. "That's enough of the pity party, dear. Nothing is certain. Every mother knows this." She wiped at the rabbit's damp cheeks. "You can drop that melancholy attitude right now and enjoy the company of all your friends."
"And talk about the baby!" Fangmeyer yelled from behind the large couch.
"Yeah, we want to hear about the baby," Sharleen added.
"Is it a fox or a rabbit kit?"
"Have you picked out any names yet?"
"How many kits are you expecting?"
Many of the guests started talking at once as they crowded around the expecting mother.
As the tears quickly dried up and Judy's nose began to twitch at the unexpected attention, the call of nature turned into a shout. Crossing her legs quickly, she placed her paws over her extended belly. "Cheese and crackers. All this excitement has woken my bladder." In seconds she was hopping up and down as she looked around the room for a sign marking the direction of the ladies room.
Noticing the small rabbit's distress, Clawhauser pointed to the far side of the room. "Bathroom down the hall on the left."
All eyes in the room followed the pregnant rabbit as she slipped past the crowd of large hooves and paws. Once she had disappeared down the hall, casual conversation in the room returned to normal.
Nick pulled his mother close in a long hug. "Thanks for setting all of this up, Mom."
"Aww, your welcome, dear. But I couldn't have done this without you and Ben's help."
Pulling off his gangster's hat, Finnick stepped between Vivian and her son. "Hey now. I worked very hard to make this whole thing possible."
"Yes, you helped a lot, Finnick." Vivian said with a nod as she patted the smaller fox on the head. Waving her paw around the room, she added, "You all did a great job. Now that everyone is here, we still have a party to throw."
A cheer rolled across the crowd of mixed mammals. As the happy cries died down they were replaced by a scream of frustration from the bathroom. The pregnant rabbit's voice could be heard echoing down the hallway. Several un-rabbit-like words could be heard along with the word, "Zipper."
With a soft sigh, Nick swished his tail and began to head in the direction of the anguished cries.
Sharleen immediately stepped in the taller fox's way. She held up her paw and exclaimed in her own impression of a gangster's accent, "Hold it right there, Daddio. I got this." Turning to head down the hall, she passed her toy gun to Finnick who held both guns in his paws and began to make noises like he was showering the room in a rain of deadly bullets.
The baby shower, costume party combo returned to normal after that. Vivian had done a great job coming up with several Spirit's Eve and Baby related games that everyone, even stuffy old Bogo could enjoy. They bobbed for pacifiers, changed diapers on pumpkins, and tried to guess the due date. Clawhauser volunteered to keep track of everyone's guesses. Prizes were both creepy and baby related, like candy spiders wrapped in marshmallow diapers, or baby zombie toys.
When it came time to open the gifts for the expecting parents, there was nothing sinister or creepy involved. There was a fox sized stroller, several articles of clothing, many packs of diapers, bottles, baby food and toys that an infant could safely chew on. Since no one, not even the parents, knew if the kit would be a carnivore or vegetarian, the chew toys came in an odd mix. Some were suitable for either the sharp teeth of a fox, or the flat stubby teeth that lagomorphs are typically born with.
Despite the exciting start to the evening, the party went fairly well. Judy and the other ladies spent almost the entire time on the large couch discussing baby related topics. Even Clawhausers mother joined in the conversations and provided her own personal experience.
While the ladies occupied the main room, the males found a table in the backyard where they broke open a fresh pack of cards. They did not stick to one single style of game, but rotated through various games of skill and chance.
After one fairly heated round, Nick took a break from the table. He collected his candy winnings into a small, plastic pumpkin shaped bucket and headed towards the kitchen in search of some liquid refreshment.
Cracking open a soda he found in the fridge, the fox took a second to glance at how the ladies were getting along. Sipping at the freshly opened can, he spotted Fangmeyer with her great paw resting very gently across Judy's belly. After a second the huge tiger squealed in delight and the other ladies clapped and cheered before begging for their own turn to feel the baby kicking.
When he turned around, Nick spotted Wolfard pull a cold bottle of beer from the fridge. Quietly he stepped past the large wolf without saying a word.
Cracking open the bottle with a recently clipped claw, Wolfard said, "Some night huh, Nick?" He then put the open end of the bottle to his lips and turned towards the fox.
"Yeah, sure is." The frilly costumed fox replied as he strolled by the larger predator. Without another word, he quickly slid towards the door leading back outside.
After taking a short swig of his beer, the wolf spoke towards the escaping fox's back, "I'm sorry."
Stopping short, Nick stared hard at the back door. He took a long pull on his soda before letting out a sharp sigh. Several more moments passed before he replied, "For what?"
"If I had only known," the wolf returned, holding his large, grey paw towards the motionless fox.
Nick raised his paw in the air in an attempt to cease the larger mammal's words. "It was a misunderstanding. It was all one big misunderstanding. And you were trying to help."
"No," Wolfard cried. "I only made things worse." He took a cautious step towards his friend. "All the clues were there. I was just too blind, no, too stupid." He lowered his paw and his head.
As the wolf spoke, Nick first looked over his shoulder, then slowly turned around. He then took a short step towards the taller mammal.
Head down, tail limp against the floor, Wolfard continued. "I could not believe that anything like this could ever happen. I refused to believe the evidence in front of my own nose." Lifting his large paw, he rubbed the end of his black nose. "And I gave you some very bad advice. For that I apologize."
A warm smile spread across the fox's muzzle and his eyes lit up. He stretched out his paw in friendship towards the wolf. "I don't blame you at all, buddy. We're still friends, right?"
Lifting his chin from his chest, and his tail off the floor, Wolfard shook Nick's paw with fervor. "Of course, we're friends. I never doubted it for a minute." His grin broadened until his fangs showed beneath his long lips. "I am so glad you understand. Buddy." He then clapped the fox on the shoulder with his other paw which still grasped the open bottle of beer.
Nick also grabbed the wolf's shoulder in friendship. He winked and added, "Now let's go relieve Bogo and Finnick of all their sugary loot."
"You got it, pal," Wolfard cheered as the pair of canids hustled through the kitchen's back door.
"Hopps-Wilde, party of two," a toneless voice called from across the busy lobby. The voice boomed forth from a very tall moose with a completely bored expression painted across his long muzzle. He wore a formal butler's suit complete with black bow tie, but his fur was painted a pale grey giving him a deathly visage.
At the base of the moose's neck were two, large, rusty bolts that barely moved as he spoke. Also circling the base of his neck were several dark hash marks that gave the impression of stitching. It almost looked like his head and neck had been crudely sewn on top of his shoulders. Held tightly under one arm were a pair of laminated menus.
When the costumed fox and rabbit stood at the sound of their names, the giant maitre'd barely looked down at them before slowly speaking two words, "Follow me." The words were very hollow and sounded more like a groan. The last syllable was even drug out to uncomfortable limits.
Quickly passing the other waiting guests, the small fox and rabbit raced after the undead moose as he slowly lurched down a set of stairs. Passing the host's podium, Judy spotted a standing sign that read, "Costumes Required." In its place the sign would have normally read, "Formal Attire Required," but this evening was special. All of the guests and restaurant staff wore creepy or fantastical costumes in honor of the holiday.
The moose slowly trudged through the dining hall like his legs were made of stiff wood. All the other staff and guests stepped aside as he lurched along with the two smaller mammals in tow. He eventually came to a pair of glass doors and with his free hoof he slowly pushed them open.
Holding the doors wide open, he bowed his head and groaned in an imitation of a zombie sloth, "Right. This. Way." Beyond the double doors, the maitre'd lead them out onto the balcony dining section. From the second floor balcony, the tables in this section could look down on the main lobby of the tall office building. This late in the evening, all of the offices were closed and the numerous employees had gone home to their families long ago.
Lurching up to the only free table, the tall moose placed a pair of menus in front of each seat and then nodded for the couple to be seated. "Water?" He groaned once the costumed fox and rabbit were comfortable in their chairs.
"Oh, yes, please," Judy replied with a nod as she lifted the gold embossed and laminated menu in front of her.
"Please wait," the moose once again groaned as he turned and lurched back in the direction he had come.
"That was some pretty good acting," Nick commented across the small, round table.
Looking up from her menu, Judy gasped back at the fox, "That was acting?"
Glancing down at his own menu, the fox replied with a smirk, "I seriously think he should quit this day job and try out for the Stalking Dead."
Judy shook her head at his comment before returning to the dinner menu. "They really don't have much of a prey selection."
Running his finger down the short list of items, Nick chucked his agreement. "This is a pretty exclusive bistro, with a one of a kind menu. With these ghoulish names, I am guessing the chef prepared everything specifically for today."
"I think you are right. But who goes to all the trouble to print this fancy menu for only one day?"
Nick read off the short list of items near the bottom of the page that were exclusively designed for vegetarian guests, "Looks like you have a choice of Tear Soaked Grave Clippings or the Discarded Funerary Bouquet."
"Wait, I didn't know you spoke French?"
"I don't, but I do know a few words, especially when it comes to food."
"Ok, smart guy, but I think you got Pietinees wrong," Judy pointed out as she rolled the strange word around on her tiny, pink tongue. "It should be stepped on, or maybe crushed to death."
Waving his paw in the air like he was swatting at a fly, he set down the menu. "That's besides the point. It looks like they are both salads. One is very heavy on grains and grasses."
"While the other seems like it would be more colorful with its mix of fresh veggies," the rabbit, dressed in a one piece fox costume said, finishing his sentence for him.
"Right," the real fox nodded. "I think I will go with the Tartines aux sauterelles de chevre avarie."
"Sounds truly divine dear." She slid her claw up the list until she saw the name he mentioned. "Hey, that's not creepy or ghoulish at all."
"I think they are implying that the cheese is spoiled or the goats are evil or something."
The friendly banter abruptly ended when the waitress arrived. She was an impala dressed in a very ornate funerary gown with far too many spikes radiating from her shoulders. Her black dress also had several lines of silver thread crisscrossing her body like thorny vines. The long lock of fur on her head was also dyed black with a single streak of white running along the left side.
"Hello," she greeted the mixed couple. "My name is Chartreuse and I will be your server for the evening."
"Hello, Chartreuse," Judy greeted warmly in return.
"Is there anything I can get started for you two tonight? An appetizer or something?" Her dark dress made a clear rustling sound whenever she moved.
"I think we are ready to order, actually," Nick spoke up as he scooted forward in his chair.
Lifting her notepad and pen, Chartreuse prepared to take their order. "Alright, what can I get you?"
"Let the lady go first," the fox maid offered as he motioned in the orange covered rabbit's direction.
"Alright," the waitress turned slightly towards Judy as her dress rustled over the din of the hushed conversations.
Pausing for several seconds, Judy scanned the short menu for the fifth time that evening. When she finally spoke, her voice was clear yet firm while she struggled to pronounce the unfamiliar words. "I would like to try the Salade de tripes mortes. I hope I said that right."
Smiling warmly, Chartreuse replied, "That is quite alright. It's always a struggle when a new menu comes out." She jotted down Judys order and then paused for several seconds before turning back to the bunny. "Are you sure you want to try this item? It is made with shrimp."
Under her costume, no one noticed the bright red blush that crept up Judys nose or her long ears. "Yes, ma'am," she replied. "It is Spirits Eve and I would like to try something new tonight."
"Of course," the impala chucked. "It is the perfect evening to try new things." She then quickly turned to Nick who was ready with his own order.
Nick had been practicing the words in his head as Judy ordered so he did not falter as he boldly mispronounced the name of his meal. He held his head high and proud like a gentlemammal with not a single care to his frilly, maids costume or the nonsensical words that flowed from his mouth.
"Very well done, Dear," Judy encouraged with a serious nod.
Chartreuse did not even comment on Fox's attempt to pronounce the unfamiliar words. She simply jotted down a few letters on her notepad before replying, "Alright, is there anything else I can get for you two this evening?" After both heads shook, she excited the balcony with a walk that looked like she was floating across the floor in her thick black dress.
Once the waitress had left, Judy looked over the ledge and down at the water fountain built into the center of the main lobby. It was a square pool with a marble trim where jets of water danced across the surface in hypnotic patterns. Lights below the surface gave each dancing jet their own unique color.
Silently lost in thought, she watched the display of color and motion. The longer she watched the more the patterns between light and water shifted. Sometimes the dance would increase into a rhythmic chaos, before the jets would return to their simple, ordered pulses.
Her mind wandered as she watched the aquatic performance going on below. She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she did not hear her mate call her name. Nick finally had to toss a few chunks of crushed ice from his glass at her muzzle to get her attention.
"Judy," Nick called again softly.
Flashing her eyes at him, Judy rested her chin in an open paw before asking, "Yes? What is it, my pawsome boyfriend?" Once her eyes fell across his silly costume, she could not say the word, "pawsome," without giggling at least twice before finishing her question.
Gazing at her pretty, purple eyes, Nick began to fidget with the silverware placed on the table in front of him. He pulled the wooden ring off the folded napkin and placed the stylish white cloth in his lap. After several seconds he looked back at his date and asked, "Have you thought much about the future?"
Lifting her head from her paw, she blinked twice and looked straight at the fox. "What do you mean?" A few seconds passed before she added, "Do you mean like what we are going to have for lunch tomorrow?" She let out a deep sigh before continuing, "I am going to be stuck behind my desk for who knows how long. Bogo won't even let me ride along with Fangmeyer since the bathroom incident the other day."
"I was thinking a little more long term, Judy."
"L, long term?" Judy stuttered.
"Yes," Nick replied. "I have been thinking about us, and our kit.
With each word that flew out of the fox's long muzzle, Judy slowly turned away. Her gaze fell on the tall glass filled with both liquid and frozen water. One of her long, black claws began to tap gently at the ice floating there.
Sighing, she spoke sadly, "I have not put much thought into it. Our future I mean."
"Why not?"
Another slow sigh flew from her small lips. "Well." She plucked a chunk of ice from her glass and flicked it at the fox. Her voice rose and took on a tone of confidence, "All my life I have focused on my career."
"I know," Nick nodded.
She licked the splash of water from her fingertips and continued, "I have never thought about what would happen after I became a police officer. There is of course the next promotion, but a kit never thinks about moving up in the ranks. I know that I have to wait another year before I can apply for a detective's position."
"Yes, but what about us?"
Judy took several slow sips from her water glass before responding. When she finally did, her eyes fell across the fox with determination. "I never thought about it too much. In my dreams, my goals, there was never a buck or kits running at my paws. I always assumed that it would just happen, you know, naturally. Once I had my career in paw, everything else would just fall into place." She held out her paws, palm up, like she was holding her entire life with those fluffy fingers.
"At least you had a plan," the fox noted, sipping his own glass of water. "This has all been too sudden for me." Seeing Judy's glare he added, "A pleasant surprise of course, Dear."
"Me too," she sighed again.
"We are living together now." His green eyes bore into the rabbit's purple pools. "Do you think we will be able to raise a kit in such a tiny place?"
"But your apartment is huge!" Looking around the diner at the quiet conversations that surrounded them, Judy covered her muzzle with her paws before her voice returned to a whisper, "I mean it is so much bigger than my old one." Her paws spread wide to emphasize the grandness of his pad.
"But is it large enough for us and a kit?" He avoided using the plural form of the word since the doctor had stressed to them that they may not be able to have any more. "They would need their own room, wouldn't they?"
"Not at first," Judy answered, subconsciously rubbing at her extended belly. "We will want to keep the crib close. For rabbit's the kits move to their own room after six months. There is just no room to keep a pawful of cribs in the parents room. But I don't know about foxes."
"I honestly was too young to remember," he said with a shrug.
Sitting up straighter, her ears rose and pointed towards her date. "We should ask your mom."
"I thought the two of you had a long conversation at the party already."
"We did talk a lot about fox babies, but the conversation about when they need their own room never came up."
"Ok," Nick leaned back in his chair and rubbed at his chin. "What about a nice yard to play in?"
"Yeah," the rabbit nodded. "I had so much open land to run and play in when growing up. You saw most of it when we were there last month."
"Yes. It was actually kind of scary. All that open space."
"Oh, no," Judy cried while trying to keep her voice low and hushed. "I just realized that there isn't a lot of open space here in the city. We could take the kit to the park every once in a while."
Shaking his head, the fox replied, "I don't think that will be good enough for a kit of Super Bun."
Her head tilted slightly to the left and her ears flopped to the side. "What are you getting at?"
"I think our family is going to need an actual house instead of an apartment."
"A house? An actual house?"
"Yes, dear. An actual house. With a yard and more than one bedroom and a garage."
Her eyes began to sparkle for a second before she frowned again. "Where are we going to find one of those? It is a big city, but there is hardly any open space. Yes, I know there is a lot of space in the Meadowlands, but it is just too far of a drive for work."
Thoughtful, the fox added, "The western edge of the savanna has several nice neighborhoods. Some are even suited for small mammals like us."
"Or the Fishers." Judy snapped her fingers in glee.
At that moment the food arrived and the couple switched to enjoying their meals. The rabbit dug into her shrimp salad like it was her last meal. On the other paw, the fox slowly nibbled at his open mouthed, bug sandwich, smothered in a lumpy cheese sauce.
Judy paused in her meal and held up her fork with one shrimp and a couple of lettuce leaves dripping in dressing. "How are we ever going to afford an entire house on our salaries?"
Swirling his food around on his plate, Nick looked up at his date. "I am sure we will come up with something." Taking a bite he chewed, swallowed and then added, "But a promotion would surely help."
Rubbing her belly, Judy sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Yes, mommy is going to have to work extra hard and get that promotion so baby can have a nice back yard."
Nick tapped his long nose before countering. "I was talking about my own promotion, Dear."
"Oh, right," she giggled. Then, taking another bite full of shrimp and lettuce she chided, "A girl can still dream can't she?"
Black shadows crept up the sides of giant, rain soaked trees like a hideous disease. They stretched like long, chubby fingers reaching out to crush the bark they clung too. The choking shadows seemed to cover every surface as the night grew ever darker.
During the day, the thick moss was bright and green, but in the middle of the night, it was darker than the trees it grew on, and had an unsettling appearance. Some passers-by would have said that on that night they could see the black moss boil and churn like an angry brew from a witch's cauldron.
A sense of dread hung in the moist air. It waited patiently for any weary travelers to wander through the dark forest and stumble into its grasp. From there it would close tightly around any mammal's heart until it had crushed out all hope. Tonight, few mammals walked the narrow paths and walkways of the Rainforest District after midnight. No holiday decorations, or lights could be found along this stretch of the forest, and a huge, leafy canopy blocked out the moon and stars, plugging the forest into a deeper darkness.
The street was almost completely black, and the recent rainfall left it wet and looking like a river running silently between the enormous trees. Large bushes lined each side of the road and vines hung down from overhead branches to snare unwary travelers. A lone Zuber cab was not phased by the darkness or the wet roads as it drove through the giant forest.
One long curve in the road reminded Judy of a movie she saw as a child. In the movie, some teen drivers had hit a hapless mammal on a road exactly like this one. They thought they had killed the older mammal so they dumped the body in the bushes in order to hide the evidence. A year later, the mammal they had hit came back and hunted down all the kits seeking revenge.
Was that shadow on the road ahead just a bump in the road or a large mammal trying to cross in the dark? With scary movies on her mind, the costumed rabbit began to see monsters in every dark patch and bush they passed. Were those two bright spots behind a large leaf the eyes of a vicious predator, or something unnatural, risen from its shallow grave?
"I know what you did last migration," the fox sitting next to her mumbled.
Broken from her uneasy and fearful reverie, Judy turned away from the dark window to glance at the fox. "What was that?" She asked nervously.
Nick was still dressed in a scant and frilly maid's outfit from the costume shower earlier in the evening. He tapped a claw on his phone before replying, "That's the name of the movie you were just describing, Carrots."
Swiping the claw down and across the phone's screen he turned it towards the rabbit. "See." On the screen was a post from the world famous film database, listing the movie he had mentioned.
Swatting the phone away, she chided the fox, "I know what it's called, but why did you have to say it in such a creepy tone?"
"What creepy tone?" He asked, lowering his voice dramatically.
"Ugh. Now you're just being silly."
Leaning across the car, he pressed his long, black nose against her tiny pink one. "So says the bunny dressed up as a fox."
A small, pink tongue suddenly leapt through the dark that filled the car and swiped across the fox's black nose. Following the swift lick was a soft and teasing chuckle.
The rabbit opened her jaws and leaned closer to bite at the long nose, but an even longer tongue swiped sloppily across her own muzzle. Wild giggles filled the back seat of the car as the fox pressed the attack and proceeded to lap every inch of his girlfriend's short snout.
Pressing her small, orange covered paws against the fox's cheeks, the rabbit tried to escape the impromptu bath. "Stawp. Nick!" Her giggles and laughter would not let her say anything other than those two words, again and again. She swatted at the fox repeatedly, but he would not cease his sloppy licking.
When he finally did stop, she was panting heavily like she had been running for many kilometers. Before she was able to catch her breath, he pressed his lips heavily against her own. Breathless, the costumed rabbit melted into his arms.
In two heartbeats she was firmly pulling the fur on his cheeks, trying desperately to get closer to the mammal she loved and desired. Her tongue forced open his much larger jaws and began to lap at his sharp canines while the rest of her body purred in contentment.
Her paws ran across the fox's frilly outfit, desperately searching for the strings that would cause the cloth to fall to the floor. She wanted him, no, she needed him, all of him, right now and his costume was not going to get in her way. Remembering that she now had very sharp, fox-like claws, she began to scratch at the lacy cloth with a wild fervor.
The car rocked and shook as it began to slow down causing the rabbit to return to her senses. Pulling away from her lover, she still panted desperately. "No. We can't." She patted his chest where her claws had ripped the delicate fabric. "Not in the back of a cab."
"We are here," the driver called out as he stopped the car, completely oblivious to the intimate activities going on in the back seat. With a crunch of gravel, the car came to a complete stop along a nearly empty and very dark road.
Thick foliage surrounded the small vehicle on one side and the enormous trunk of a giant tree defined the edge of the road on the other. A single lamp hung from the tree marking the start of a long, curvy trail. The leaves of the huge tree were as large as the car and vines dropped from above like they were about to tangle and crush the small vehicle.
Twisting at the waist, the badger in the driver seat looked back at the frilly fox and his costumed companion. "This is the place. Lamp post between seventeen twentyseven Vine Street and seventeen thirtyone."
"What's here, Nick?" The rabbit gasped, her blood still boiling as the passion began to fade.
Without any reply, the fox puckered his lips and placed them gently on the end of his date's muzzle. As he pressed firmly into the kiss, the rabbit's heart rate quickened. After two quick breaths, he pulled away, tugging on her paw. Silently he backed out of the car with his bunnyfriend in tow.
Once the pair was free of the car, they stood paw in paw on the side of the road and the fox finally replied to her question, "This is just a quiet place I know where a couple can enjoy the evening together and watch the stars."
"Is that right, Slick?" Judy scoffed. Putting her free paw on her hip, she looked around at the thick canopy covering the sky. "And how are we supposed to see the stars from here?"
Without a wave or a friendly honk, the Zuber drove off and left the couple standing alone under the only lamp that could be seen on this stretch of road. Nick was not bothered by the cab's quick retreat as he turned away from the road.
He waved a paw towards the well worn trail that was half hidden by huge leaves. "We climb," he said. Pushing aside one of the leaves it was obvious that the trail was cut into the side of an enormous tree, like a huge set of stairs. The stairs were worn smooth and filled with soil till they almost disappeared. A recent rainfall had washed small rivulets in the trail and wiped away any of the tracks from previous hikers.
Following the fox up the trail, Judy noticed that it was wide enough for a buffalo or even a hippo to pass through easily. Pushing aside large leaves and vines, something familiar began to scratch at the back of her mind. Holding her boyfriend's larger paw, she silently followed him, but the sense that she had been here before kept growing.
Off in the distance, she heard a steading creaking noise and something else whistled in the breeze. To her left, she spotted a hollow log that she thought had long claw marks across its length. High above, she also spotted a long rope bridge, connecting this tree to the next.
When the trail abruptly stopped climbing and became flat, the costumed rabbit gasped, "I know where we are."
Nick looked back at his date and smiled. "You should. It's only been a year."
He pushed aside a pair of wet leaves and led her onto a large wooden platform, hanging high above the forest floor. A small, thatch hut sat next to the platform with a single, dry bench waiting inside. Yellow stripes were painted across the platform in a cautionary pattern. On the edges of the platform were two street lamps to illuminate the area.
"This is the Tujunga Station!" She cried gleefully. Letting go of her fox's paw, she ran out to the middle of the platform with a happy skip in her steps. Turning around in a complete circle, she took in the scene with her ears erect and nose twitching. "It's exactly as I remember it."
Walking up, Nick pointed out some scratches on one of the street lamps. "Here is where you chained Manchas' paw to this post."
Scampering up to the side of the platform, Judy pointed at a line of bamboo sticks providing a sturdy safety rail. "It looks like they fixed the fence where I broke it last year."
"And that is where you saved my life, Carrots," Nick declared, pointing into the darkness.
"Can you actually see those vines," Judy asked. "It's completely black over there for me."
"Yep, one hundred percent," the fox maid nodded. "They are still hanging right where we landed."
Puzzled, Judy looked up at her date. "I thought they broke under us, causing us to fall through those leaves."
Nick stepped up to the fence and placed a paw on the bamboo railing. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly creating a cloud of mist in the cold air. "Not all the vines broke. A few of the thicker ones remain."
Reaching out, she grabbed her fox's paw. For several seconds she looked at his distant eyes before turning to follow his gaze. Minutes passed as they shared a silent moment staring into the dark with only a faint hint of the city that surrounded them peaking through the thick leaves.
"We sure have had a lot of adventures in the last year, Slick." Judy broke the silence first.
Squeezing her paw gently, he replied. "We sure have, Sweetheart."
"Jumbeaux's Cafe, the Mystic Springs Oasis, Cliffside and the Natural History Museum."
"The Police Academy, Bunny Burrow and meeting your family."
"Yep," Judy nodded, squeezing his paw in return. "Since you became a cop and we have been chasing bad guys together." She paused and let out a slow breath. "It has been one great adventure."
"Chasing skunks and savage tigers through garbage filled alleys," Nick continued to list more of their recent exploits. A smirk crossed his muzzle, and in the dark, the rabbit never saw it. "And you're driving."
An orange and black gloved paw struck the fox's white and frilly shoulder with a loud crack that echoed through the giant trees. Nick did not flinch or reply to the rabbit's assault, instead he pulled out his phone, tapped the screen several times, and then returned it to his pocket. A warm smile crept up his muzzle as he turned towards the smaller mammal by his side. Squatting down, he looked her directly in the eyes, those deep purple eyes. The sight of her beautiful muzzle caused his heart to skip and he had to sigh and catch his breath.
He reached out a paw and placed it on her extended belly where their kit continued to grow. "We are about to start a brand new adventure." Pausing he felt like he was falling into her eyes. "Together."
"Yes," she replied shyly, taking his paw in both of hers. "We are going to start a family." Lifting his paw, she squeezed it and pressed it against her chest. She stared back into his green eyes with a happy determination. "Together," she repeated his words.
Turning his head, he looked into the distance for a second before returning to the lovely, pregnant rabbit still dressed in her fox costume. "We really have been through a lot together, but the road forward is not going to be easy."
"Nick," the rabbit sighed. "We will always have each other. As long as we stick together, we can do anything." Her ears stood up and she squeezed his paw even tighter.
"I know, Carrots." Leaning forward, he tenderly kissed her nose. "But I worry about the future. I worry about our kit."
"Do you mean giving them their own room and a yard to play in?"
Standing up, Nick took another quick look over his shoulder. "Yes, of course. I want our kit to have everything that I never had."
Judy began to pet the fox's arm while she continued to clutch at his paw. "I remember that you showed me the apartment where you grew up. It looked like such a tiny place."
"That was just the playground carrots."
"But those apartments on the edge of the savanna were smaller than my own building, so I can only guess how small they were inside."
Shaking his head, he replied, "For my mom and me, it wasn't too bad. We had our own beds, and a nice kitchen. I can still remember watching morning cartoons while mom cooked breakfast."
Raising up on the tips of her toes, she planted a warm kiss on the end of his muzzle. "We are going to make a whole bunch of new memories together, Dear." She rubbed her belly with her free paw before adding, "Just the three of us."
His smile broadened to engulf his entire muzzle and his tail swished through the air. The happiness that washed over the fox caused the sharp fans to peek from between his lips and he was no longer afraid to show them to his girlfriend.
Before she could reach out and touch the pearly white points, a bell chimed behind the fox. His smile grew even wider and his tail positively lashed excitedly.
Turning around he saw the tram car pulling into the station at the end of the platform. "Shall we?" He asked the rabbit, who still clutched one of his paws.
"Why not." She cheered, before hopping and skipping up to the open air car. "We rode one of these the last time that we were here?"
Quickly following behind his rabbit, Nick took an extra step before she reached the gondola and opened the door. Bowing low, he waved his free paw through the air with a wide flourish. "After you m'lady."
Giggling, she nodded to the gentlefox before stepping into the car. She pulled him along behind her and he quickly closed the door as the car softly lurched forward.
Looking around, Judy spotted something resting on the seat in the back of the car. "What is this? Someone left behind a fresh bouquet of roses."
The bouquet was wrapped in delicate orange paper with a large red bow tying everything together into a pretty bundle. It rested carefully on the medium sized seat while the gondola swayed back and forth.
Picking up the bundle, she sniffed at the dark red flowers. "Hey, there is a note inside." She deftly pulled the folded card from between the thornless stems. It was also bright orange with black tipped corners.
"What does it say?" The fox asked curiously. He watched the rabbit with his elbow resting on the steel railing and a warm smile plastered across his muzzle. The swishing of his tail seemed to increase in speed with each second that passed.
Carefully unfolding the card, Judy took a second to read the words scrawled inside. She nearly dropped the flowers as her paw suddenly covered her muzzle in a loud gasp.
In a single quick jump, Nick grabbed the bouquet before they hit the metal floor. Once again he urged, "What does the card say?"
She cleared her throat before responding. "It says 'For Judy, with all my Love'." Flipping the card over to examine both sides, she added, "That is super sweet. I wonder who would leave such a pretty bouquet like this laying around in the open for anyone to find." As she was examining the gift card, she never saw Nick palm something small, shiney and black from the center of the bundle.
Stepping forward, Nick passed the bundle back to his rabbit. When he spoke, his voice was soft yet very clear. "Carrots, Judy. When we were here last, you saved my life."
"And you saved my job," she replied, poking him in the chest.
He did not turn away from the smaller mammal as a hint of light began to glow on the horizon. "At the time, I did not know how important you would become to me."
Judy watched as her best friend and mate, slowly fell to one knee in front of her while he poured out his heart. She looked at the dozen roses in her paws, then the note with a name similar to her own, then back at the bouquet. "No," she gasped. Stepping forward, she put a tender paw on the fox's shoulder.
"Nick, what are you doing?"
Looking into his rabbit's eye, the costumed fox continued, "You saved my life, in more ways than one. You have become more than my friend and partner. You have shown me that I can be a good mammal. I want to be the best mammal I can be, for you."
While one of his paws held onto hers, she noticed that his other paw was hidden behind his back. His tail had also stopped swishing but was held straight up in the air.
From behind his back, his paw slowly moved forward while he spoke. "Ever since you found me in that hospital, I have been thinking. Thinking about us and what we could be. You complete me, and I never want to be apart again."
In his paw, he held a black velvet box. It appeared so small in his large palm and he had to use the tips of his claws to carefully open the lid. Even in the early dawn, a glint of light sparkled from inside the dark box.
"Judy Hopps, will you marry me?"
The fox's words and the glittering diamond ring, glowing in the morning light, left her speechless. She raised both paws to cover her muzzle and tears filled her deep purple eyes. Her ears slowly fell behind her head and the pink, heart shaped nose, had never stood so still.
Both the flowers and the card crashed to the metal floor with a soft rustle that neither mammal heard. Judy had an enormous lump stuck in her throat while Nick waited patiently for her reply.
Time passed at a snail's pace as a bright sun ray crested the horizon in slow motion. It first passed over the distant mountains before reaching the rainforest leaves that still surrounded the Skytram car. The light then refracted off the gemstone ring held in the fox's paw and into the purple eyes of the stunned rabbit.
Still unable to speak, Judy pulled a paw free from her costume. Her other paw still covered her muzzle so she had to squirm and shake the arm to escape the long, orange cloth. Once free, she presented it to the fox while gasping for air and wiping at the tears flowing down her cheeks.
Clasping the tiny gold band between his large fingers, Nick carefully slipped it onto her finger. The ring was a perfect fit and once it slid past her knuckles, Judy found her voice again.
The rabbit lifted her paw to better examine the expensive rock mounted delicately on top of the gold ring. Turning towards the dawn, she let the diamond catch the light. She twisted her paw from side to side admiring how it sparkled and glittered while the fox remained on one knee.
Finally lowering her paw, she looked back at the waiting fox. Her expression shifted through a dozen emotions as her other paw reached out to brush the fur on his cheek.
"Will I marry you?" She asked with a wide smirk.
Leaning forward, she pulled on his cheek until her lips connected with the fur covering his inner ear.
In a soft, tender whisper, she said, "Yes. Yes I will."
At her words, the fox leapt into action. He lifted the rabbit into the air and spun her around in the open air gondola.
Cradled in her fox's arms, Judy pulled his muzzle close until their lips met for one long kiss. Their lips remained connected until the car finally came to a stop at the station downtown.
The card and flowers left forgotten on the gondola floor, continued on to the next stop where a morning commuter found them and wondered how someone could leave such a delicious snack laying around.
[A/N] I wonder if anyone can guess where I got the name Spirits Eve from?
The whole book has been leading up to this moment. I was debating which scene from the movie would be the best place for Nick to propose. My choices where between the ice cream shop, the museum, the bridge where they made up and got back on the night howler case, or the skytram station. With some suggestions from my beta readers, I chose the skytram. I hope you liked the last scene in this chapter. Can anyone guess how the flowers got into the car in the first place?
This is the end of the romance arc for Loves Bond, the climax to the mystery will be next to hold onto your seats, it is going to be a pretty wild ride.
I am also curious to know what everyone thought of the baby shower and costume party? It felt like something that Clawhauser would do to invite as many friends over as possible. Is anyone able to name all of the celebrity costumes in this chapter? Many of them are the typical costumes you would find in any store in the US. I will give you one hint since its not very common. Nick's mom was dressed up as a Minnie Mouse Witch with the polkadots color reversed. Instead of a red dress with black dots it was a black dress with red dots.
The next chapter will be out in three weeks.