Chapter 15 - Meet the Parents

Stan was anxious as he looked at the blueprints of the facility in question. Stan was intelligent and clever, so he had no issues with what The Boss had wanted him to do. It was the time limit that he'd been given in which to do it. But he was The Boss's Lieutenant, and the only one capable of doing it. Stan hadn't always meant to be a criminal.

When he was younger, he'd wanted to be an architect. He wanted to design beautiful buildings that other mammals would admire. His parents had worked low-income jobs all their lives, trying to provide the best life they could for their kit. Stan had always thought that it was because they had never gone to college. It wasn't until years later that he realized that it was due to the prejudice against his species. Foxes were clever criminals; foxes can't be trusted.

Stan ran into that same prejudice when he applied to college to learn architecture. Even though he'd received top marks while in primary and secondary schools, he was denied. This infuriated Stan. He'd tried to follow the rules. The problem was those same rules were bent almost unrecognizable when it came to foxes. So, if they wanted him to be a criminal, then a criminal he would be. He would make himself a name that would put fear into the hearts of the populace. Be careful of what you wish for he'd think to himself you just might get it.

He'd started with small time crimes, using his cleverness to maximum effect. He caught the notice of Mr. Big and worked for him before this offer from The Boss. Stan believed in what The Boss was doing, especially since it would benefit Stan and his parents to a great extent. Then Nick Wilde came into the picture. Stan hated that mammal for all that he was worth. How did he get so lucky? Judy Hopps was how. Somehow, he had convinced that bunny that he was a good mammal. Now he was a cop and had actually married the bunny! Stan would never stoop so low, not for any con!

Stan looked back down at the plans when he noticed something. Flipping a few pages, he spotted it. Stan's grin split his face That's it! This will work! Now, to get the pieces in position.

oooOOOooo

Dylan had dialed Nicks phone. He really needed Nicks advice and help on several matters. The phone kept ringing and he was about to hang up when it was answered. "Nick's phone, Judy speaking." She sounded a little out of breath. Suspicious Dylan asked "I was trying to reach Nick; I need his help. Are you okay?" "Oh yeah, I'm... ohhh... really okay. Nick can't... talk... at the moment." Alarms went off in Dylan's head as he realized what was happening. He speedily said "HaveNickcallmebackbye." and then hung up the phone. Why would they answer the phone when they were doing those things?

oooOOOooo

Dylan walked through the little office that he and Rick had started renting for Prism and into the office that Rick had converted into his little lab. Opening the door after entering the code in the electronic keypad he and Rick had developed, Dylan started inside saying "Rick? I have to..." He paused as he looked in and saw Rick, leaning forward on his stool with his arms on the bench and his head laying on his arms, fast asleep. The soldering iron that Rick had been using was lying on the work bench dangerously close to his right arm, the tip burning into the bench top causing smoke to waft up toward the ceiling.

Dylan moved the iron onto its stand and turned it off. Then he gently started shaking his friend trying to wake him up. "Rick, dude, wake up!" Nothing. Dylan tried a little harder and a little louder. Still nothing. Dylan didn't want to splash his friend with water, not with all the electronic parts laying around, especially the ones that were still plugged into the outlets. So, Dylan gently picked his friend up and carried him into the bathroom. Placing him in the sink, he turned the cold water on full blast and stepped back. Rick exploded out of the sink sputtering and coughing, his wet fur dripping onto the sink and the floor. He looked around and spotted a chuckling Dylan standing there with his arms folded. Most of his fur was soaked, but what made Dylan's heart sink was the bloodshot eyes and the heavy bags underneath them. Rick's body was shaking from more than just cold water.

"Argh! Dylan! Why'd you do that?"

"Well, it's not in revenge for all the times you've scared the crap out of me. Oh, wait, maybe it is..."

"Seriously?"

"No. I walked in, and you were passed out on the bench with a hot soldering iron a little too close to your arm. How long were you awake before you decided to take an impromptu nap?"

"Um, what time is it?"

"A little after 8 am."

"Uh, what day is it?"

Amused Dylan answered "Wednesday."

Rick looked sheepish as he cringed a little "I remember entering the lab on Saturday."

Dylan closed his eyes and sighed heavily. His friend was ruining his health. "Have you eaten or drank anything lately?"

"I remember drinking some water, but I can't tell when."

"Okay buddy, that's it. You are now locked out of the lab until you've had some food, water, and rest."

"Dylan No!" Ricks face took on an awed expression. One that wouldn't be out of place on an acolyte hearing his god calling for him. "The tech! Hephaestus bless me, the tech in your phone is years ahead of the SOTA here in Zootopia! I've had to reverse engineer whole components! We could corner the market on mobile phones in the next few years if we wanted to!"

"Rick, you need your rest! You're burning yourself out and I love you too much to see you do that to yourself. I don't know how much class work you've missed but you need to keep up with your studies! I'll make a deal with you. If you promise to work no more than eight hours a day, five days a week, I'll let you do the same thing to my laptop."

Rick's bleary eyes widened, and he started shaking, thinking about getting his paws on Dylan's laptop. Dylan had planned on doing it eventually, but Rick's self-destructive pursuit of advanced tech made him move his plans up a little.

"Alright buddy. You dry off and straighten yourself up a little. I'll take you by your apartment so that you can shower and get changed. Then you and I will go out and get lunch. From now until Monday you are to rest and regain some of your health, you understand?"

Rick nodded. While Rick was busy with that, Dylan programmed a new entry code into the keypad so that Rick couldn't get in without his permission.

Dylan had been happily telling Rick about Zoe and their first date together. When he got to the part about the body spray, Rick had started roaring with laughter, even his tiny voice reaching throughout the diner they were eating in. Noticing the other diners looking at his friend, Dylan felt his face burning. Setting his spicy chicken sandwich back onto his plate, Dylan said "I knew I shouldn't have said anything to you about it. A true friend wouldn't be laughing this long about his friend's misfortune."

"I... I'm... bwah hahahaha!"

Dylan snorted and leaned back in his seat. He loved his little friend, but he was still a little irritated with him. It wasn't really all that funny, was it?

"I'm... hahaha... sorry Dylan... hrmmmm.. whoo... okay, I think that I... hahahaha."

Stone faced, Dylan mumbled "I'm going to drop kick you."

"Hrmmmm, okay" Rick took a deep breath "okay, so how'd she take it?"

"She was amused. She even hinted that she wouldn't mind it if I used it a little further along in our relationship."

Rick sobered up a great deal at that revelation.

"So you think she's the one?"

"Without a doubt my friend."

"Well then, I'm happy for you. Let me know when you'll be getting married, and I'll be there!"

Dylan grinned. "Thank you my friend!"

oooOOOooo

"Hello? Mom?"

"Zoe! How are you Sweetie?"

"I'm doing great mom. I need to ask you something."

"What can I do for you little one?"

Zoe took a deep breath and said "I'd like to bring my boyfriend home to meet the family. I was thinking this Sunday? We could have dinner, and everyone could get to know him. And I mean 'get to know him', not interrogate him!"

"Is this that Randall mammal you've been dating?"

"No mom, I broke up with Randall when he called me a slut and said I was twisted. This is the mammal that rescued me from that gang."

"The one that is supposed to have come from another world? I don't know Sweetheart. We don't know anything about his species at all."

"Please mom! Give him a chance. He's a great guy, I promise! He didn't have to save me, but he did. He's still in college, and he makes perfect grades! Plus, he's the leader of a band and he has his own business."

"Hmmmm, his own business you say? What does he do?"

"He has a computer and programming business called Prism. He's making pretty good money at it."

"Oh yes! Your father and I have heard of Prism. Our stocks in Zootopia Telecom rose significantly when Horizon lost their court case against them. Very well Zoe, bring your young mammal over."

Zoe's relief was readily detectable in her voice as she answered. "I will mom, thank you!"

After hanging up, Zoe's mom walked over to an ornately carved door and knocked before entering. She saw her husband sitting at his home office desk, plinking away at his computer. When his wife entered, he stopped and leaned back in his office chair.

"Hello Cynthia, my Darling! To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"We're going to have company for family dinner this Sunday Robert."

"Oh? And whom are we expecting?"

"Zoe and her boyfriend."

"Randall? Haven't we been trying to get her to bring him over for the last year or so?"

"No Love, it seems she broke up with him for insulting her. No, she has a new boyfriend, the one who rescued her several months back."

Robert's jaw dropped open "You mean that she's voluntarily bringing her boyfriend over for Family Dinner?"

Cynthia nodded with a smile on her face.

"Other than having a set of brass balls big enough to make a cape buffalo envious, what's prompted her to bring him over so soon? They could only have been together for what? A month? We were trying to get her to bring that Randall person over for six months straight, but she kept making excuses not to do it."

"The girls in love Robert. I could tell from the sound of her voice even over the phone."

"Well, that's a positive my Sweet."

"Oh, and Robert? It seems he's the owner of Prism."

Roberts ears perked up as his eyebrows rose "Is he selling stock?"

oooOOOooo

Dylan picked up his phone and checked the caller ID. Seeing that it was his friend Nick calling, he held the phone away from his ear and cautiously answered.

"Dylan! Dylan?"

Dylan held the phone closer to his ear and said "Speaking. Dude, you and Judy really need to not answer your phones when you're doing that."

"Sorry Dylan. In our defense, we're not allowed to turn our phones off since we're members of the ZPD. Plus, Judy wasn't in her right mind just then."

"I could tell." Dylan said drily.

"We'll make sure the phones are further away from now on. So, what did you call about?"

"I need your help, on several fronts. Zoe's supposed to take me to meet her parents soon and I don't want to mess up, It's too important to her."

"Well, customs can differ from district to district as well as from class to class. Where do her parents live?"

"The Nocturnal Ranges."

Nick was quiet for several seconds, which started to worry Dylan. Dylan was about to prompt Nick when Nick started talking again. "Loper. Zoe's last name is Loper. How could I have missed it?"

A bit scared now Dylan asked "What? What did you miss?"

"Loper, as in 'Loper's Luxury Automobiles'. They're the largest distributer of luxury vehicles in Zootopia. He also owns several car lots, both new and used, located in all the districts. It's rumored that he even makes Mr. Big's limos."

His girlfriend was rich. It didn't change how he felt about her, but now he was under an even greater pressure to try and impress her parents.

"Oh gods" Dylan stated sadly.

"Don't worry Dylan, you're in good paws. Here's what you need to do..."

oooOOOooo

Dylan and his band were riding a wave of positive emotions. Their first gig at Clodhoppers couldn't have gone better. They had arrived to find the place full and promptly raised the roof with their songs. Beth shone during her turn to sing, and Dylan was positive she could go solo successfully. Every dance floor was full, leaving mammals dancing between the tables. And the applause was deafening after each song.

The reaction to Dylan and his banjo was amazing. They played a classic, the Foggy Mountain Breakdown and it was an instant hit.

At the end of the night the manager, a rather enthusiastic wombat named Charles, insisted on signing them up to play again the next Friday and Saturday as well. Every band member went home with a nice chunk of change in their pockets.

Saturday was even better. Whereas the place was full the night before, it was completely packed this time. There wasn't even room on the dance floors for everyone and, if they got up to dance, they would either bump into a table or someone else trying to do the same thing. After their second, highly successful performance, the band was riding high. Everyone was extremely excited about the band's future. Dylan had forgotten how much he missed not just making music, but watching others enjoy it. The only sad thing was that Zoey missed both nights. Being one of the new residents, she had to take the weekend night shifts. Fortunately, the performances were recorded so that she could enjoy them with him later.

oooOOOooo

Dylan was exceptionally nervous. He was standing on the doorstep of a very nice, very large house on the outskirts of the Nocturnal Ranges. Zoe had said that she preferred to call the area they were in the Twilight Ranges, and he could see why. He would have been more at ease if Zoe were with him, but her mother had picked her up earlier to help get the dinner ready.

Following Nicks advice, he had gotten a couple of gifts for his girlfriend's parents. He just hoped that they were acceptable. To be honest, he hoped that they would find him acceptable.

Dylan rang the doorbell and waited patiently. After a minute or so the door opened to reveal a good looking older she wolf, most likely her mother. The wolf had grey fur with a darker patch between her ears and a darker strip down her back. Her eyes were a light blue color and Dylan guessed that Zoe owed her eyes to her mother.

"Hello! Mrs. Loper? I'm Dylan, Zoe's boyfriend."

The she wolf grinned causing her eyes to crinkle at the corners and said "Nice to meet you Dylan! I'm Cynthia, Zoe's mother. Zoe has been telling us all about you. Which is unusual because she's usually very tight lipped about who she's seeing. You are actually the first mammal she's ever brought over for Family Dinner."

Dylan's eyes rose at that. He was surprised, but also immensely gratified. Dylan saw Cynthia's eyes glance downward and reminded him about the gift. His cheeks flamed at forgetting about it. He blamed his nerves.

"Oh! I'm sorry! This is for you!" he said as he handed the potted plant out to her. It was a Pleione orchid, Dylan got it because he really liked the purple petals on it. "Zoe said you liked orchids."

Cynthia smiled broadly

"Thank you, Dylan! It's very lovely! Please come in! Zoe is helping to set the table."

She moved aside and let Dylan in. While still a little strange in appearance, she couldn't fault his manners. So far, she was guardedly optimistic about this one.

Cynthia sat the plant on a small side table near the entrance to the dining room. Dylan was looking around at the interior. The house was decorated tastefully with understated elegance.

"I really like your house Mrs. Loper, it's very beautiful!"

Cynthia beamed "Thank you Dylan, it was my career when I was younger."

"You must have been very successful then!"

Oh, Cynthia thought this one is a charmer. And he even means it!

They walked unnoticed into the dining room and Dylan saw Zoe laying out the silverware by each plate.

"Zoe, your young mammal is here."

Cynthia stated and then stepped back to watch their interaction.

Zoe looked up and spied Dylan. Moving automatically, she placed the remaining silverware on the table in a pile as she walked around the table heading for Dylan. For his part, he had a hard lock on Zoe and moved as if he could see nothing else. They stopped when they were about a foot away from each other and simply stared into each other's faces as if they hadn't seen each other in weeks or months instead of earlier that morning. Finally, they stepped forward at the same time, almost as if they'd rehearsed the move. Arms going around each other, they rubbed their cheeks together as they enjoyed the others presence.

Cynthia felt an arm wrap around her waist, and she glanced sideways at her husband.

"Well, I believe your assumption about her being in love is correct my dear. And he seems to return the feeling in equal measure." He said.

Cynthia nodded. She wondered if her parents felt that bittersweet feeling when she had brought Robert home to meet them.

"I believe we need to part them, or we'll never get to eat." Robert said before loudly clearing his throat. That snapped the two lovers out of their love infused fog, both turning to look at Zoe's father. Robert noticed that they both blushed almost identically.

Dylan released Zoe as he stepped up to her father. Her father had brown eyes and his fur was such a dark grey that it seemed almost black. Dylan stuck his hand out and, when Robert reciprocated, shook his paw. "Mr. Loper! A great pleasure to meet you Sir!"

Finally getting to play the part of the disapproving father, Robert didn't let go of the young mammal's hand. Instead, he stepped forward, invading Dylan's personal space and looked him in the eye. Dylan was slightly taller than Robert, but it didn't matter, he could see the hesitation in Dylan's eyes. Time for the question.

"What are your intentions towards my daughter?"

Both heard Zoe's sudden gasp. Cynthia noticed Zoe's eyes shifting rapidly back and forth between her boyfriend and her father. Her posture was tense, and it looked like she had forgotten to breathe.

Robert saw the look in Dylan's eyes change to determination.

"I intend to marry your daughter and take care of her to the best of my ability sir!"

Robert held Dylan's eyes for several long moments before shaking Dylan's hand harder and barking out with laughter. "Hah! What did I say Cynthia? Brass ones! Big brass ones! I like him! Call me Robert!"

Cynthia watched her daughter sag in relief as tension ran out of her body. Yes, time to start planning a wedding.

As the handshake ended, Dylan kicked himself for forgetting the gift he had again.

"Robert, Zoe told me that you like to collect rare and unusual automobile memorabilia."

"Oh indeed! I'll show you my collection if you're interested."

Dylan nodded then added "Well, I've already given your wonderful wife a gift and I have one for you as well."

Robert's eyebrows rose in a questioning manner.

Dylan pulled out a small, thick book and handed it over. "It's the owner's manual for my Jeep Wrangler, the vehicle I was in when I entered Zootopia. I can guarantee that there is nothing like this anywhere else."

Robert was shocked. A one-of-a-kind item and it was now in his possession! He was greatly moved by the rather personal gift. He cleared his throat and said "Yes, well, I'll just go put this in my office." He patted Dylan on the arm and walked away.

"I need to discuss something with my husband, so if you two would excuse me." Cynthia said as she followed her husband.

Dylan moved back to stand in front of his girlfriend. She grabbed his arm and hugged it close to her "They like you! By the gods, they like you!"

She was lightly bouncing on the pads of her paws she was so excited.

"I'm glad. I was really worried there for a bit."

Zoe laid her head on his shoulder and said "So, marriage huh?"

"Well? We've talked about it haven't we? I can't call you my fiancé yet because I haven't formally asked you, but I will in the not-too-distant future. I have to admit, knowing the answer really takes the stress out of asking the question though."

Zoe smacked him on the arm before giggling and saying, "Are you so certain that I'll say 'yes'?"

Completely serious, Dylan replied "Yeah, I am."

Her heart skipped a beat at his reply. She laid her paw on his chest and said, "You know that they're already planning our wedding."

"Baby, I don't care who plans it as long as we get married."

Breaking away from his girlfriend he said "Let's get the table set. I'll help you."

Zoe smiled and handed half the silverware to him. They finished setting the table up fairly quickly. Dylan noticed that there were places set for 6.

"Who else is showing up?" he asked.

"My older brother, Arthur, he's twenty-seven and pretty much runs the dealership since dad is semi-retired. And my younger sister, Tara, she's fourteen."

"You never mentioned you had any siblings."

Zoe smirked and said, "It never came up in conversation."

Dylan grinned and wagged his finger at her, amused that she had turned his words back on him from when she first met the Wildes.

oooOOOooo

Robert was sitting down holding Dylan's gift in his paws when Cynthia let herself into his office. He looked up at his wife when she entered and said "I can't believe the gift he gave me. It's not extravagant but so very thoughtful. Cynthia? Does this mammal seem too good to be true?"

Cynthia looked at her husband and said "You seemed to be too good to be true at the time Robert. It made my parents very nervous."

"Are you worried about how short their courtship seems to have been?"

"Dear, it was only six months between our meeting and our wedding. It happens like that sometimes. You've seen how in love they look."

"What about grandchildren? Can they reproduce?"

"Does it matter? If they can't, they may adopt. In any case, we have two other children."

Robert nodded. "Well, I guess the only other thing to do is start planning a wedding."

oooOOOooo

Zoe's siblings showed up as they were placing the food on the table. The meal was heavily slanted to the carnivorous end of the spectrum with several roast chickens as the main course. There was also a side dish featuring beetle poppers that he was eager to try. Needless to say, the meal smelt heavenly.

Dylan met Arthur who carried a serious air about him and warned Dylan against hurting his younger sister. Tara had frozen in surprise when she first saw Dylan but, after being prompted, became a normal teenager. Tara had a uniform light grey coat with brown eyes.

The conversation during dinner focused mainly on asking Dylan questions about his life, both before and after coming to Zootopia. Zoe's father and brother tended to ask him questions about his business and his skills as a computer programmer.

Tara mentioned that one of her friends' older sisters had gone to Clodhoppers to watch his band play and had raved about the music. That brought the discussion to different types of music and the kind Dylan favored. Tara kept asking Dylan personal questions, mainly about his dating Fabienne and Zoe, including hints about how intimate they had become. She only desisted after her mother pointed out that such questions were not appropriate dinner conversation. Dylan noticed that Cynthia didn't say it wasn't appropriate at all, just not during dinner. A point that he'd need to ask Zoe about later on.

One other thing that made Dylan a little concerned was how Tara kept staring at him during the meal. The three older Loper's were pleasantly surprised when Dylan ate some of everything and ate with good manners as well. He also complimented Cynthia on her cooking. He even accepted a second helping, thirds on the beetle poppers.

After the meal Robert showed Dylan his collection, showing each piece and giving the history behind it. Dylan found himself interested where he'd only wanted to be polite before. While Dylan was being given the tour, Zoe was helping to put the leftovers in containers and getting the dishes ready to be washed. Snapping the lid closed on a container of beetle poppers, Zoe looked up when Arthur entered her line of sight. He looked at her in his usual serious manner and asked, "Is he treating you good?"

Zoe smiled. Her older brother had always been protective of her. "Better than good Arthur. When I slipped into depression several weeks ago, my roommates called him, and he dropped everything to come over and take care of me. He got me back on my feet and interested in doing things again. Unlike Randall, he never pushes me. He will bring me little gifts for no reason other than trying to make me feel good."

Then she pointed her finger at him and said "Don't think I didn't hear you threaten him either! I'm not happy about that!"

Arthur just shrugged and said "Brotherly prerogative. I have to watch out for my sisters."

"Well, I don't think you have anything to worry about with Dylan."

Arthur nodded "No, I don't think I do."

Then he kissed her on her forehead and left.

Almost as if waiting for him to leave, Tara suddenly appeared "So, have you two done it yet?"

"What kind of question is that to ask your older sister?"

"The curious kind! C'mon already, tell me? What was it like? Was he any good?"

"I'm not answering those questions for you Tara."

"Why not? I'm almost an adult!"

"Sis, two more years does not make you almost an adult. And I thought you were seeing that one guy, what was his name? Will?"

"Bill. And he wouldn't do anything! Arthur and Dad scared him too much."

"Don't be in a hurry Tara, it'll happen. Until then, what do you plan on doing? College?"

"I don't know. I thought that maybe I could start a singing career like Gazelle. Maybe Dylan would let me start singing in his band?"

"Maybe. You'd have to ask him though."

Tara's face lit up and exclaimed "I will!"

Tara looked at her sister again and asked "So, are you gonna marry him?"

Zoe had a small grin on her face. Acknowledging that her and Dylan would be getting married made her feel all warm inside. So, of course, she had to say it "Yes, he just hasn't asked me yet." Zoe watched her sisters face fall a little before she quickly covered it up.

Fortunately, their mother picked that time to walk into the kitchen. "Tara, it's a school night and you need to go upstairs and finish your homework before tomorrow."

"But I did finish it!"

"No, you didn't."

"Okay, fiiinnnneeee, I'll go finish it!" she whined as she turned and headed upstairs to her room.

There were a few moments of silence before Zoe started sealing leftovers. "So, what's the verdict? Does he pass?" she asked a little nervously. She had seen her parents' reaction to Dylan but she still wasn't positive.

"You know he did. When has your father ever reacted like that to a mammal you've ever dated, all three of them?"

Zoe smirked "Dad and Arthur scared them off. They wouldn't even sit next to me in school and would turn and walk in the opposite direction when they saw me in the halls."

Cynthia just smiled, placed her paw on her daughters' shoulders and said "They weren't worthy of you Sweetheart! And, to answer your initial question, your father and I approve of Dylan. Not that our approval would have mattered, would it? You would have married him without our approval."

Zoe was shocked "How'd you know that?"

"Zoe, you're our daughter and we know you. We watched you two tonight and could see how in love with each other you really were. We'll have to keep in closer contact since we'll have to start planning your wedding. I assume that you would like to be married as soon as possible?"

At Zoe's shocked nod, Cynthia continued "Then I'll get started and call you in a few days to come over and help me plan your wedding. Has he asked you yet?"

Still shocked at how everything seemed to be going felicitously, Zoe just shook her head.

"Well, that won't do. He needs to get off his tail and ask you." Cynthia paused, looked confused for a second and then asked, "Does he even have a tail?"

The question startled Zoe and she answered honestly "I don't know. All we've done is kissing and some caresses, nothing too intimate."

"Ah." Cynthia said noncommittally. "Well, take some of the chicken and beetle poppers home. Your young mammal seemed to enjoy them quite a bit. You may want to take him on a walk through the garden before you leave." She kissed her daughter on the cheek as she went in search of her husband.

Zoe set aside some container for her and Dylan to take home and then went to find her boyfriend/future fiancé. She found him standing in the parlor with Arthur, both of them holding brandy glasses and talking by one of the windows. Their conversation stopped when she walked in, and they both turned to face her. She walked up to her boyfriend and slipped her arm around his before addressing her brother.

"Arthur, please excuse us. Mother suggested I show Dylan the garden before we leave."

"If mother suggested it, then I would advise you two follow it lest you displease her. Dylan, you take care of my sister."

"Always" Dylan said as he sat his brandy glass down and shook Arthur's paw. Arthur turned to Zoe, leaned forward, and kissed her on the cheek. "Sis, take care. Seems like you caught a good one here."

"Thank you!" Zoe said with a smile, kissing him back.

Zoe guided Dylan to the gardens, her mother's pride.

Orchids were present in abundance given her love of them, but there were also several other varieties as well, and the smell was tantalizing. Both mammals felt elated as they strolled silently through the expansive area, neither feeling the need for conversation, simply feeling how romantic it was. Near the center of the gardens was a large fountain with benches placed around it at intervals.

Guiding Dylan to sit down, they leaned against each other before Zoe began to speak.

"You should know that both my parents approve of you, so that's a load off my mind."

"Mine too!" Dylan admitted.

"So, mom said we'll start planning the wedding soon, but you need to get off of your tail and ask me."

"Already in the works Love. I know how and when I want to do it, it's just making it happen."

They were quiet for a moment, then Zoe asked "Do you have a tail? My mom was curious."

Dylan chuckled "No, I do have a residual tail bone though."

Feeling emboldened, Zoe continued "I don't know if I told you or not, but I've never been as intimate with any other mammal as I have with you. I just want to let you know that, if you want to, you know, do it, then I'm okay with it. I only ask that we go slow when we do."

Dylan was confused for a few seconds before all the dot's connected. Zoe was still a virgin, and she was telling him it was okay if they started having sex. He could feel himself stiffening at the prospect, but he could also hear the trepidation in her voice.

Hugging her close, he said "We said we'd take it as it came. How about this? If I start something, I'll continue until you feel uncomfortable and you tell me to stop, Okay?"

Zoe nodded her head against his chest. She rather liked that idea. She knew that she was submissive, and Dylan was the first mammal she had ever felt she could trust enough to let herself go.

He dipped his head down and kissed the top of her head and then along her one ear. He felt her sigh more than he heard her. He planted more kisses on her head and ear before she lifted her head and pressed her lips against his. Less than a second later their mouths opened, and their tongues entwined with one another. Their breathing became heavy as they began to make out. Their paws roamed over each other, and it wasn't until Dylan's hand slid slowly upwards and touched the bottom of her breast that Zoe suddenly remembered where they were. Pulling back, she gasped as she tried to catch her breath, her paw inside Dylan's shirt.

Dylan froze where he was, staying true to his word, which disappointed Zoe somewhat.

"Not here" She gasped, still catching her breath. "Let's go home and go to bed."

Dylan had to admit to a slight feeling of disappointment when she pulled away, but when Zoe said she wanted to go home he knew that tonight wasn't over yet.

Dylan helped Zoe up and said, "We'll have to say goodbye to your parents first, so we'll have to wait until, you know." Zoe understood, especially when he gestured to the large bulge in his pants.

Zoe snickered and, in an uncharacteristic move, walked up and pressed herself against him. She could feel him pressing against her thigh and a tiny rush of pleasure went through her. That feeling multiplied when she heard him moan in desire at the contact.

"Not helping" he moaned before pressing his lips against hers. Zoe giggled through their kiss and Dylan knew that she'd been teasing him. They broke their kiss once more and slowly began heading back to the house.

"You know my sister has a crush on you right?" Dylan tilted his head back and cried out "Oh gods!" Zoe had to laugh. By the time they got to the door, Dylan's visible manifestation of his love, well, lust as well, for Zoe had disappeared.

They said their goodbyes to her folks and, while Zoe was gathering their leftovers, he checked his phone for the first time that night.

Dylan was alarmed when he saw he'd missed over thirty phone calls from Nick and almost twenty from Judy. Hitting the button for Nick's number, he had only a few seconds before the fox picked up. "Dylan! Listen, there's been a massive jail break at the Zootopia prison! We still don't know how many prisoners have escaped but it looks like most of the Happy Slayers are missing. Every officer is on the streets right now. Be on your guard!" Then the line went dead.

A/N: I had a great deal of fun writing this chapter. Writing the interactions between the different characters, what's said and how the characters respond makes me smile as I write.

I'll be looking into publishing my works on AO3 tomorrow. If I can get them on there, there will be some changes. For this story, the major changed will be mainly the next chapter (You'll see when you get there)

Again, if you have any suggestions, please let me know. Also, please 'follow' and 'favorite'. And, as always, feel free to leave a review!