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The Fire Triangle


Part Two:

Oxidizer


Chapter 2—Finding Conor
(Concluded…Part 5)

"Hut-two-three-four! Hut-two-three-four!"

It's one of the more basic adjuncts of Murphy's Law; just as there never seems to be a cop around when you need one, there always seems to be a pack of smart-mouthed kids around when you don't need them.

"Abouuuut FACE! Hut-two-three-four!"

There were three of them in total, all of them middle schoolers, a gopher and two chipmunks, sipping from thimble-sized cans of energy drink and watching the doe-bunny pace the Number 2 platform in Savanna Central Station. Their wee, high-pitched voices only served to make their makeshift cadence-call that much more annoying.

"Hut-two-three-four! Hut-two-three-four!"

It wasn't as if Judy Hopps was a bunny without recourse; a quick show of her badge and these kids would scatter like cockroaches. At the moment, however, she had so much else on her mind she was barely conscious of the little, budding comedians.

Erin would be here shortly, arriving on the 8:00 train, in15…no, 14 minutes.

"Abouuuut FACE…!"

It wasn't the imminent appearance of her sister that had Judy so disconcerted; her parents were coming, too. And this would be her first face-to-face meeting with them since the issue of the 'Fox and bunny-cop, behaving badly' videos had reared its ugly head.

"Hut-two-three-four! Hut-two-three-four!"

And that wasn't all; if her Police Academy graduation had been anything to go by, they'd be bringing half the family with them. Would that include her eldest brother, Stu Jr.? Judy hadn't spoken with him directly since that whole mess had started, not even once —but she'd heard about him. According to Erin, no one in the family had been more outraged by her 'misbehavior' with Nick Wilde than Junior—and for the simplest of all reasons. "He's just plain nuts about Rock Hardesty Jude," the younger bunny had told her, "Got pictures all over the wall of his hutch. I swear, he's almost like a groupie or something."

"Abouuuut FACE! Hut-two-three-four!"

It had shaken Judy almost to the core when she'd heard. Before then, she'd have sworn under oath that her eldest brother didn't have a speciest bone in his body.

But then, that was what she would have said about herself—right up until her disastrous press conference.

Erin, bless that young, white-furred bunny, had been 100% sympathetic to her sister's predicament. "Hey Jude," She'd said, "You're talking to the girl that put one upside a fox's head for making jokes about kissing her…and before that, I'd have gone totally mental if anyone called ME speciest."

Erin…

At first Judy had been foursquare against the idea of her folks bringing so many family members to her kid sister's audition performance; she'd be under enough pressure as is. But then the younger bunny had set the record straight.

"That's the general idea, sis. They want to put us under as much pressure as possible; it's why the ZAPA auditions are open to the public." The plan, as she went on to explain, was to make the experience as close to a real, live, professional gig as possible. "They wanna weed out the kids who can't handle the stress before they let them into the school," she said.

"Mmm, I don't know, sis." Judy had mused, still not happy with the idea, "sounds kind of brutal to me."

"What can I say, that's show biz," Erin had replied, grinning wanly over the cliché. She knew, as did her elder sister, what had happened the first time she'd performed before an audience of strangers; it had ended with her fleeing the stage and nearly destroying her bass.

"Hut-two-three-four! Hut-two-three-four!"

Okay-y-y, now that pack of rodent-kids was beginning to get under her fur. Turning to look at them, Judy was immediately brought up short. Sometime in the last few minutes a new comrade had joined their ranks, a spotted skunk wearing one of those V-For-I-Fought-The-Law T shirts.

She turned and resumed her pacing.

Erin had told her about the pledge Conor had made; that he'd be there for her audition. Maybe so, but he'd made that promise before his arrest. Would he stick to his word—would he, even now, try to keep it?

"I would," Judy thought to herself, "because I DID." She too had promised Erin that she'd make it to the younger bunny's audition performance—and look at all the hoops she'd had to jump through to be able to attend.

But then something else occurred to her. "Hold it, Judy. You're not looking at a one-way trip to the slam if you show up for Erin's audition." Yes, that was true, and it brought up another, more difficult question. Knowing the risk, would that fugitive young silver fox still try to catch her sister's performance?

Judy's ears went back and her pacing became a forced march. Well, that bushytailed little jerk, Lieutenant Albert Tufts sure seemed to think so. Sweet cheez n' crackers, did he seriously believe she wouldn't figure it out? It was as obvious as bloodstains on tile. He had requisitioned a SWAT team for Saturday and—get this—he was also trying to obtain the use of a helicopter! And was there anything ELSE on his plate besides the Lewis case? What, are you kidding me? Either that smug, snarky Kaibab squirrel really did think she was a dumb bunny…or else he was playing some kind of game. Whatever, she didn't like it one bit.

And again, that brought her back to Conor. Did he have any idea of the trap that ZPD Cybercrimes was setting for him? Tufts had tried to keep it a secret from her, but she knew; and so was he aware of what was going down tomorrow?

"Well if he is," she decided, unable to suppress a wicked smile, "then Lieutenant Bushytail might as well call the whole thing off. No way—No! Way!—will that fox kid get within a hundred miles of the Performing Arts Academy if he knows what's waiting for him." Her smile stretched suddenly backwards, becoming a taut grimace. "And then Bogo will chew Tufts to bits for wasting so many police resources on a wild goose chase—and then guess who HE'LL take it out on? Ohhhh, is it too late for me to go back to…hrm?"

Judy stopped her pacing, feeling her ears go up. It wasn't something she heard, it was something she wasn't hearing. When she looked, she saw that the gang of kids had disappeared. Her change of expression and body language had apparently been enough to convince them that they needed to be somewhere else right now.

Just then, the PA crackled and a voice spoke. "Attention, attention please; Silver Wolf Special, now arriving on Track Number 2—from Bunnyburrow, Anaheim, Azoosa and Zoo-ca-MON-ga."

Judy let out a breath and took in another one; that was her sister's train.

Almost immediately, the tracks beside her began to shiver and whine. A moment later, a shiny, sharp-nosed engine came rolling into view, decelerating smoothly as it eased its way over the pond encompassing the back side of the station. It was pulling a total of six cars, all of them double-deckers. Oh great; spotting a familiar face in a train that size would be like trying to pick out a single carrot from an entire crop. And so Judy opted for the only sensible compromise, going to the center of the platform and waiting there for the doors to open. This way Erin and her family would be half a train length away at most when they disembarked.

With a hum of steel against steel, the Silver Wolf Special glided into its berth and slowed to a halt. A pop and hiss of air brakes followed, accompanied by the fading hum of the turbo-diesels powering down. For a long moment, the train just sat there, as if trying to make up its mind. And then, with another hiss, the doors slid open.

Almost at once, a familiar voice called out. "Judy? Judy, we're over here!"

Turning to look, the doe-bunny saw that her decision to wait near the middle of the train had been a wise one. She was off by only a single car; there were her mother and dad, waving as they stepped off the train, two doors behind her. Oh yes, it was her folks all right; she couldn't possibly have mistaken them for anyone else. Her mother was wearing that same sleeveless pink shirt she'd had on for the Police Academy graduation ceremony. As for her dad...did he ever wear ANYTHING besides overalls?

No, Judy decided, and she wouldn't want him any…other…way...

That was when her waterworks turned on. Her throat was full and her eyes were burning as she rushed for her parents with her arms wide open. There seemed to be a hundred miles between her and her folks…and yet she covered the distance in all of half a second.

And then she was throwing her arms around her parents' necks, hugging them tight and giving them each a quick kiss, unashamed tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Oh Mom…Dad." It was all she could manage; although she knew there was so much more to tell them. A part of her wanted to say she was sorry for all the trouble between her and…her former partner.

She couldn't do it; that was the one threshold she couldn't cross. As much as it would have helped to heal whatever breach remained between her and her family, Judy simply couldn't bring herself to make an apology. How could she—when deep in her heart of hearts she still believed she hadn't done anything wrong.

But now she felt her father taking her by the shoulders. Uh-oh, here it comes.

When he stepped back however, his expression was beaming.

"Detective Judy Hopps," he said, trying unsuccessfully not to let his voice crack, "Oh Jude, I've never been so proud."

Her voice was cracking, too.

"Oh Dad…Mom, I-I want to make you proud. I…"

"Hello Judy."

The new voice was as flat as a stone tablet, possibly half as energetic, and only a little less cold—and the effect was like dumping a gallon of slush on a small campfire. At once the burning ceased in Judy's eyes and throat.

"Hello Stu," she said, declining to address her older brother by the more familiar Junior; served him right for spoiling the moment with her parents.

"Congratulations, little sister," he said, sticking out his paw. There was warmth in his voice, but it was obviously forced. And 'little sister'; he hadn't called her that since she was twelve!

"Thanks," she said, letting it slide for now; this was not the time and/or the place for a confrontation.

"Welcome," he said, looking around the platform instead of at her; she didn't have to guess what for.

"Give it a rest, Stu. He's not here; he's…"

"Who's not here? What are you talking about?" A chip the size of a railroad-tie seemed to have materialized on her eldest brother's shoulder.

Before Judy could respond, her mother got quickly between them.

"All right that'll be enough…from both of you."

That shut her kids up in hurry; it was the voice she used when one more word would have you pulling weeds for a week.

Their silence didn't last for long; if bunnies could bristle, the fur on Judy and Stu Hopps' back would have been standing up like porcupine quills.

"She started…"

"He started…"

And then both of them were laughing, the ice between them broken at last.

But even as Judy hugged and made up with her eldest brother, she knew the issue between them had not been resolved, only tabled. There would be another…

"Judy! Judy! Judeeeeee!"

It was a sound for sore ears, the voice of little Cotton Hopps. Turning in the direction of the noise, Judy had just enough time to drop to one knee and catch the little bunny as she leapt into her favorite aunt's arms. Ohhh, now here was someone she was glad her folks had brought along.

"Hi Cotton," Judy said, giving the little bunny's nose a 'boop.'

"Hi Judeeee," Cotton hugged her and then started glancing this way and that. "Where's Nick?"

Hmmm, maybe bringing her here hadn't been such a good idea after all. Ohhh, just when she and Stu Jr. had begun to tone it down…And she had no idea what to say to her little niece. Luckily, her mother was there.

"Now Cotton, we talked about this on the train ride," she said, motioning for Judy to put the little bunny-girl down again. "Mr. Wilde is a police detective, just like your aunt, and he has police things to do today."

"That's right," Judy nodded, picking up the thread, "Honestly, I'm lucky I was able to make it here this morning."

"Ohhh-kay I guess." Cotton scuffed at the ground in disappointment. Her issue wasn't settled yet, either.

Hopps bunnies were coming off the train in a steady stream now, at least as many as had shown up for Judy's police academy graduation…

Wait a minute…academy? Wha…where the heck was…?

"Wha…? Where the heck...where's Erin?"

"Lugging her bass and gear off the train, probably," It was Stu Junior speaking.

Judy's ears shot back and her foot began to thump.

"Huh…? Why aren't you…why isn't anyone helping her?"

Junior raised his paws defensively, but before he could speak, Stu Senior intervened.

"We tried; she won't let anyone touch those things but her."

"Oh," Judy answered, feeling very small for a moment. Yes, of course; that was Erin all over the place.

And speak of the young, white-furred bunny-girl, lo and behold, there she was—practically stumbling off the train with a guitar case in her paw, and a gear bag slung over her back that looked about the size of a 100-gallon ice chest.

"Holy carrot sticks; what the heck has she GOT in that thing?" the doe-bunny marveled, and then swiftly raised a finger. "Erin, come on, let me help you with that."

"I'm…fine sis," the younger bunny asserted—in a voice not unlike that of Sisyphus, right before the boulder gets away from him again.

"The heck you are. Hold up already," Judy called through cupped paws as she hurried in her younger sister's direction.

"I said I got this." Erin grunted, thumping her foot.

Her elder sister was having none of it. "The only thing you're going to get is a hernia if you don't let someone help you. Now, c'mon…put those things down."

Remarkably Erin listened, and set her burden on the platform. But before Judy could even try to decide how to tackle this load, they had their arms wrapped around each other in the tightest embrace of the morning so far. Neither one of them said a word—they didn't need to.

This was the first time Judy had seen her younger sister since the Carrot Days Festival. And yet during their time apart the two of them had grown closer than they'd have ever thought possible. It had been Erin who'd first alerted her that Rock Hardesty was having a field day with that video of her and Nick kissing. And during the tumultuous time that followed, she'd been her big sister's one and only pipeline into the Hopps family warren. Eventually, she'd graduated from conduit to confidante—and never once had she judged or questioned Judy's actions or motives. Through thick and thin, she'd been the one member of the Hopps family the older doe-bunny had known she could count on.

Ohhh, Erin just had to make it into the Performing Arts Academy, she deserved it!

After Stu performed a quick head-count and Bonnie made sure that everyone had all of their bags—and after Judy persuaded Erin to finally let someone help her—the Hopps bunnies trooped out to the train-station's east side lot, where their transportation was waiting. This being the height of summer, getting hold of a pair of school buses for the weekend had been a slam dunk. That was especially true for a city employee…such as, say, a police detective, which was why Judy's folks had agreed to let her handle it. Whoa, she was glad now she'd decided to requisition that second bus; they were going to need it,

When the family exited the station, everyone stopped dead in their tracks, as if they'd walked into an invisible rubber wall. Erin nearly dropped her guitar case, and then put her paw over her face, giggling uncontrollably. In short order she was joined by a chorus of sniggering bunnies.

Both of the buses Judy had procured had the same lettering on the side, "Zootopia Academy of the Performing Arts."

"Oh Judy!" Erin set down her case and threw her arms around the older bunny's neck, nuzzling at her face, "Ohhhh, I love you, big sis!"

"What can I say; I couldn't resist." Judy grinned and then then nuzzled her back, "Oh and by the way, Erin…I love you too."

Finding someone capable of driving the buses was another problem easily solved. The Hopps's were a farm family after all—and as such, no stranger to operating larger vehicles; at least four of them had the correct license for a bus this size. A more difficult problem had been lodging; their usual preference was not an option this time. Erin would need to warm up in preparation for her audition performance, and that simply wouldn't be possible in a hotel—not unless her parents wanted to field a zillion complaints from the management and the other guests.

Fortunately, Judy had a solution. Instead of staying in a hotel, she suggested, why not rent a place for the weekend from Hare BNB? "They have all kinds of different residences available," she had told her folks excitedly, "I'm sure I can find one where Erin can practice without bothering anybody."

She hadn't expected her parents to agree to her proposal, at least not right away; they were old fashioned country rabbits, after all.

…And sure enough…

"I-I-I don't think I like the idea of spending the weekend in some stranger's home," her mother had said. Eventually, with their other options dwindling—and prompted by some vigorous lobbying on the part of Erin—they had grudgingly agreed to the idea.

In the lead bus, Judy's father drove while she took the navigator's position. When she told him their destination, he was not especially thrilled.

"Riverside; isn't that in Sahara Square?"

"Not the best place to spend a weekend in the summertime," her mother chided from a row back, only a little bit less dissatisfied than her husband. Judy had to move quickly to allay their doubts.

"Yes but it's right on the borderline with Savanna Central, so it's not nearly as warm as some of the other parts of the district. And the house is nice and cool; believe me, I checked—and it was a lot hotter then than it is today." She turned to look in Erin's direction. "And it's almost completely underground, with rock walls; you can crank your bass up all the way and nobody, even two rooms over, will be able to hear you." This news was greeted by a smile and a thumbs-up from the younger bunny. Judy smiled back, returned the gesture, and then resumed speaking to her parents. "But the main thing is, it's an easy drive from the Performing Arts Academy. Oh, and there's lots of good places to eat nearby—or, if you'd rather do your own cooking, there's a Hole Foods only a block away. And besides that," she said, laying down her Ace, "the price is right." She said this while looking at her mother, whose paws were already raised in surrender.

"All right, all right; you win, Judy."

Their destination turned out to be a hamada, a beehive-shaped rock formation, repurposed as a residence. Within three seconds of passing through the front door, the last shred of her parents' skepticism was gone.

"Sweet cheez n' crackers," Bonnie set down her bags and looked about the living room with wide unblinking eyes, "Judy, why didn't you tell us you rented a rabbit-warren?"

"Because I didn't," the doe bunny answered, offering her mother a grin that would have made Nick Wilde proud, "This is a meerkat colony…or, it is when the owners are in residence. They're over in South Afurica all this month; family reunion."

"Ohhh, I see."

While the hamada was an excellent choice for a weekend stay, it wasn't 100% perfect; meerkats are a slightly smaller species than rabbits and have much more slender bodies. To pass each other in the hallways, one Hopps family member was obliged to flatten him or herself against the wall until the other had gone by, a particularly intricate move when one of them was Judy's father. But that was okay; the place was quiet, it was private and, best of all, it was cool inside, just as Judy had promised. There were also more than enough rooms to go around, the meerkats who resided here came from a family at least as big as theirs and not all of the Hopps clan was here today. As a result, nobody was obliged to double up; everyone had their own hutch, even little Cotton. And if the beds were a tad cramped, they were all blissfully comfortable. Before everyone had even finished getting settled in, Judy's parents were hugging her and thanking her for a job well done; even Stu Jr. was willing to give her some credit.

Accepting their praise, she was tempted then to tell them something. The animals who owned this place had been trying to rent it out since April—with no takers. Week by week they'd been reducing their price until they'd ultimately slashed it to the bone. That was the reason the price had been right. Judy could have told that to her folks, but why ruin a good thing? There wasn't anything wrong with the place; there had simply been either too much space or too little elbow room for any species but a family of meerkats—or a family of bunnies.

…And this WAS Sahara Square in the summertime after all

Of course, the main reason they were here was for Erin's sake. And following a momentary disappearance, she practically bounced back into the living room, declaring to all and sundry that she'd found a 'totally awesome' place to set up her practice gear.

It was one of the few rooms Judy hadn't visited on her inspection tour; an underground parking garage. Currently empty of cars, it had plenty of space, no shortage of electrical outlets, and after snapping her fingers several times, Erin pronounced the acoustics inside to be 'just primo.' And now, once more, she allowed the other family members to help her, although she still insisted that no one touch her guitar case.

When Violet unzipped the white-furred bunny's gear bag however, Judy caught herself stepping back in surprise. So, that was why it had been such a struggle for her younger sister to carry. But, how the heck…?

"What the…? A karaoke machine?"

Yes, it was and not one of your Toys-R-US 'slumber party' models, with plastic casing, cheesy lights and microphone cords that break if you look at them crossways. Nooo, this was the real deal; a full-on 4000 watt professional set-up, complete with speakers and a mixing board, something straight out of an upscale nightclub.

"Where the heck did you GET this?" Judy asked, staring first at the machine and then at Erin.

It was Stu Sr. who answered her.

"From the Burrow County Grange, they're going to start having karaoke nights on Thursdays; Jed Forepaugh said we could borrow it as long as we bring it back in one piece. Now c'mon, let's help Erin get set up."

With most of the family pitching in, the deed was accomplished in almost no time flat…although Judy still remained dubious.

"You know sis," she cautioned, watching the younger bunny plug in the microphone jack, "there's no way they're going to let you bring this contraption into the ZAPA auditions."

"Oh, I know that Jude," Erin answered breezily, "But that's not 'till tomorrow and I need to keep sharp 'til then." She turned and flicked a finger against the microphone and was rewarded with a resounding thump. "Oh-kayyyy, I think we're good to go."

"Great!' Judy clapped her paws, and looked around the room. Nope, this wouldn't quite do, they needed something first; several of them actually. She raised a finger, but her mother was already there.

"Stu, do you think you and Junior can go find us some chairs?

"Be right back, Bonn."

They returned with a motley collection of seating, most of it a little small for a bunny, but all of it still workable.

Settling into a folding director's chair that Stu Jr. had found, Judy focused on her kid sister, who was currently occupied with tuning her bass guitar.

"Sooo, are we going to get a preview of your audition performance?" she teased.

The younger bunny looked up from her work with a slightly shocked expression.

"What, seriously? No way sis; do you want me to JINX myself?"

In the seat behind Judy, her sister Violet leaned forward. "Don't waste your time, Jude; she won't even tell us what she's going to play tomorrow."

"Couldn't pry it out of her with a crowbar, I don't think," Stu Junior posited from three seats over, and there were general murmurs of consensus all around the garage. Erin seemed to take it as a compliment.

"Okay, okay," Judy raised her paws in submission. Let the younger bunny have her superstition, if it would help to put her at ease. Heaven only knew, she was going to need all the peace of mind she could get when tomorrow came.

Something touched her knee, and when she looked down, a pair of winsome green eyes was gazing up at her, asking an unspoken question. "Sure, Cotton," she said, reaching down to help the little bunny up and onto her lap.

"Besides, Judy," Erin was saying, "Now that I finally got my audition tune down, I need to back off on it a little. You know, you can rehearse a song too many times."

"Right, or you'll get burned out on it." The older bunny nodded. She felt a sudden shift of weight, and looked down again. "Cotton, will you please quit squirming."

"Where's Nick?" the little bunny asked again, looking up with a pouty expression; this time it was almost a demand.

"Erin's face turned girl-bunny impish.

"Oh I think you'll know this one, Zoe." She turned and pressed the play button on the karaoke console, and then lit into the opening bassline of the old Furvana tune.

"Come…as you are.
As you were…
As I wannnnt you to be…"

She sang and played it brilliantly, so much so that when she finished, Stu Junior suggested she play it for her audition tune. Erin immediately shook her head.

"Ahhh no, I don't think so big bro'. Great song, but it won't let me strut my voice, if you know what I mean."

"Oh yeah, I got it," her older brother nodded, not about to argue the point. If Erin hoped to make it into ZAPA, she absolutely wanted to sing something that would show off her vocal range.

But then, to Judy's utter astonishment, she turned and pressed another button on the karaoke console. At once the lights all winked into monochrome.

"What, only one song, Erin? Aren't you going to play anything else?" It was her mother.

The response she got was delivered in a slightly exasperated voice. "Mommm, I just said I don't want to overdo it," She set her bass back on its stand, and then, as if their exchange just now had never happened, "Is there any juice in the fridge, did you see?"

Returning to the living room, Judy fell into step behind her mother, unable to keep from shaking her head in wonder. "Okay, let me see if I got this straight. Erin lugs a karaoke machine the size of a tram-car all the way from Bunnyburrow to Zootopia. She won't let anyone help her with it—which not only increases the chances of her hurting herself, but also of her breaking it—and then after she gets it set up, she plays one song and walks away. Honestly Mom, how the heck do you put up with it?"

"Wellll, it's nothing I haven't seen before," her mother replied…looking over her shoulder with a raised eyebrow. It took the younger bunny a moment or two to catch onto the signal, but when she did, she immediately threw up her paws.

"Ohhhh no…no way Mom, I was never that random when I was her age."

"No dear," her mother agreed, smiling almost beatifically, "you were at least ten times worse."

"Ohhh-kay," Judy wisely chose to drop the subject. Besides, she had something more important on her agenda. "Did you see which way Stu Junior went?"

Bonnie stopped in her tracks, turning and taking hold of her daughter's shoulder.

"If you're planning…what I think you're planning, I-I don't know if now is a good time."

Judy sighed and puffed out her cheeks. "Honestly Mom. I don't much like the idea myself, but Junior and I are going to have to clear the air sometime." Putting her paws in her pockets, she began to rock back and forth on her heels, "And I'd rather make it now; you saw how touchy he was when he got off the train. We need to have this talk before Erin's audition, and the sooner the better.

"Yessss, I suppose," her mother replied, nodding in tentative agreement, "But before you see Junior, there's something you ought to know. He and your father got into a big argument last night."

"What, now?" Judy's ears were standing up and pointing at the ceiling. If that was true it would mark the first time that her father and elder brother ever had words—at least that she knew of. "What the heck were they quarrelling over?"

Bonnie's nose began to twitch and she sucked at a corner of her mouth. "About…one of, erm, those videos Rock Hardesty broadcast on his show. Mmmm, the one that turned out to be…Mmmmm, what did you call it again? Oh, yes a 'deep fake.'

Judy felt her own nose starting to twitch…but then her eyes went wide and her paws flew up to her face, barely in time to stifle a gasp.

"Ohhh no; don't tell me Junior still believes that thing was real."

"No, no…nothing like that," Her mother was waving her paws as if trying to ward off an evil spirit, "But he does think that putting it on the air was a perfectly honest mistake on Mr. Hardesty's part."

"Like HECK it was," Judy thought but didn't say. What she did say, cautiously, was, "But Dad…doesn't think so?"

"No, he doesn't," her mother replied. And from the look on her face, and the way her paws had gone to her hips, it was obvious that she felt the same way as her husband. From there, she proceeded to recount how the disagreement between Stu and Stu Jr. had unfolded.

Junior: "Anyone could have made that mistake, Dad."

Stu; "Except Rock Hardesty isn't just anybody, son. He's a big time radio and cable TV host. He has the resources to have checked out that video before he put it on the air, no two ways about it. So, either he didn't have it checked out or whoever he gave it to did a sloppy job. In any case, that's unacceptable."

Junior: "Oh, come on Dad. That video fooled you completely the first time you saw it."

Stu: "I'M not an expert on video technology, Junior…and by the way, neither are you."

Junior: "And neither is Rock Hardesty."

Stu: "No, but he has mammals working FOR him who are—and if he doesn't, then he should."

Junior: "All right, but don't forget he's the one who broke the news that video was a fake—before anyone else found out; no one made him do it. And then he apologized for having shown it."

Stu: "Yes he did…right before a commercial break at the very end of his show. And you know what that apology of his sounded like to me? 'Okay Dad, I'm SORRY already; now can I go hang out with my friends?'"

And that was when the real argument had started, coming this close to a shouting match before Bonnie had intervened.

"They only started speaking again after they boarded the train," she was saying. "That's why I don't know if you and Junior having a talk right now is such a wise idea."

Judy drew in a breath and let out a rough-cut sigh.

"Mom, I hear what you're saying, but if we don't clear this up now, it's going to be hanging over our heads like a vulture all day tomorrow. That's the last thing I want…and the last thing Erin needs. I-I hope you understand."

"I…I do, dear." Her mother replied, offering the most reluctant nod that Judy had ever seen. "Just please…please don't make it worse, all right?"

"I won't, mom," Judy answered, raising her paw in a bunny scout salute—not certain at all if she'd be able to deliver on that assurance.

Bonnie nodded, sighed, and pointed up the hallway. "He's probably outside. I think I heard him saying something about going to pick up some provisions."

Uh-oh…

"Thanks Mom," Judy gave her mother a quick peck on the cheek and took off at a fast bound. Moving quickly in such a narrow space was no mean feat, but it was that or find her brother gone when she made it outside.

She barely pulled it off; catching up with Stu Jr. just as he was cranking the engine of bus number two and preparing to depart. She rapped on the door; he didn't seem to hear her. She rapped again, harder, pounding with the flat of her pawlm.

The door opened and he looked at her.

"What is it, Judy? I'm kind of busy right now."

"So, take a break," she said, and hopped up the steps.

"All right, what is it?" He queried, laying an arm across the steering wheel and waiting.

Before answering Judy checked to make sure they were alone.

"I just want to ask you something Junior," she said, brushing at an ear and immediately wishing that she hadn't. She did that sometimes when she was nervous—and Stu Jr. knew that she did.

"And that would be…?" he asked, rolling his fingers in the air.

Judy folded her arms. Okay-y-y that was something he did when he was on edge; they were at least meeting on equal terms.

"Just this," she said, "What else do you want from me?"

"Huh?" Junior's nose was twitching and his right ear was pointed at the roof of the bus. "What the heck are you talking about, Jude?"

"I mean," she said, "By mutual agreement Detective Wilde and I have formally ended our partnership. We haven't spoken or communicated once since then…not even by text message. Bottom line; we have nothing to do with each other right now. It's over between us." She felt her face hardening and tried to fight it, "So my question to you, Stuart Hopps Junior, is…what more do I have to do to get you to stop treating me like knotweed?"

Now he was the one folding his arms.

"Yes little sister, you broke up with that fox…but you haven't let go of him; there's a big difference."

"I…" Judy started to raise a finger but her brother wasn't finished yet.

"And don't try to tell me it was just police business, because I know better. I saw you Jude; I saw you holding paws with him when we were sitting around the Carrot Days bonfire. And I saw the way you were looking at each other, too. I didn't say anything about it at the time…but if I'd known then what I know now, you better believe I'd have spoken up. Okay, maybe you never acted on them, but you DO have feelings for that fox. And even I know you can't just make those kinds of feelings go away. That takes time…and even then, it doesn't always happen." His mouth had pinched inward, and he looked for a second as if he was going to spit on the floor. "And that's just wrong Judy. Predator and prey species don't belong together; it's unhealthy, it's unnatural, and there's only one way it's going…"

That was as far as he got before her angry foot-thump cut him off at the pass. Oooo, she had promised herself that she wouldn't bring up he-who-should-not-be-named—but this was going too far.

"Don't you DARE quote Rock Hardesty at me, Mr. Stuart Francis Hopps!"

His ears turned instantly backwards. "Rock Hardesty is a great mammal, little sister. He speaks the truth, and if you can't handle it…well, I feel sorry for you."

Judy almost went off on him then; she came that close to saying something she couldn't take back. Luckily, the better angels of her nature came to her rescue.

"Hold it, bunny; you PROMISED your mother you wouldn't make it worse. Just take a deep breath and calm down."

Judy did, but it wasn't easy; the air in her lungs felt as thick as molasses—and it wasn't because of the heat either; Stu Jr. had the A/C going.

"'Kay, I'm not going to get into an argument with you about that hyrax, big brother…but I will say this. If it hadn't been for the fox you want me to stay away from…oh, heck, I'll say it, if it hadn't been for Nick Wilde, you'd be bald as an egg right now and probably have health issues for the rest of your life—and so would half of Bunnyburrow. Think about that for a minute before you brand me with a Scarlet Letter—over whatever feelings I may or may not have for him."

Stu Jr. only gestured over her shoulder towards the door. "Do you mind? I need to get moving." But this time there was a quaver in his voice and he was unable to meet her gaze. She had gotten to him; their issue was by no means settled, but she had gotten to him. It was a start, and it would do for now. One other thing that Judy knew about her eldest brother was that he was a good rabbit at heart. He'd come around; it might take a while, but he'd come around eventually.

And the issue was not going to come up again tomorrow.

She watched as he drove off and hurried back into the hamada.

No sooner had she entered the dwelling than she felt her ears shooting upwards. Out of one crisis and into another one; somewhere, someone was crying their eyes out, a little girl bunny. Judy didn't have to guess who it was—or why she was so upset.

By the time she got to the living room, little Cotton's sobs had subsided into blubbering against her grandmother's shoulder.

"Oh dear," Judy sighed and then looked at Bonnie, "Let me guess, she found out Nick's not coming?"

She was answered by a tight-lipped nod from her mother and a whimper from her little niece, "not fair!"

Judy held out her arms. "Give her here, Mom."

A short moment later, she was seated in a recliner with Cotton propped on her knee, drying the little bunny's face with a tissue.

"Awww Sweetie, I know you were looking forward to seeing Nick again, but he's a police fox, remember? He has a case to crack right now."

"Can't he come and see me when he's done?" the little bunny sniffled hopefully.

Judy sighed and shook her head. Eventually someone was going to have to explain to her niece that she and Nick had gone their separate ways.

But not right now.

"Ahhh, I'm afraid not Cotton; he has to fly all the way to Zoo York City to investigate that case. He's probably on his way there right now.

The little bunny sniffled and whimpered again, "not fair..."

At that moment Nick Wilde would have heartily agreed with her; he was going exactly nowhere, stuck in a line of mammals that seemed to stretch away up the concourse to infinity and beyond. It reminded him of a scene in an old silent movie, the Gold Rush with Charlie Catlin, the endless parade of prospectors snaking through the snow, all the way up to the summit of Chinchillakoot Pass.

Aggggh, grrrr, dang it all! Even though it had been years since his last airline flight, he had known the drill and been a good little fox; he'd gotten packed the night before and risen early in order to make sure he'd have time to shower before leaving his flat—and also have time for breakfast. The food at ZTP Airport was actually pretty good but, as with all airports everywhere, you had to practically qualify for escrow to afford it. In the end it had been a worthy effort; he'd arrived at the baggage check-in clean, fed, and with at least two hours to spare.

And…a fat lot of good it had done him! Here he was, suspended like a bug trapped in amber, waiting to pass through the MSA checkpoint. Those extra two hours he'd saved now seemed pitifully inadequate. With every passing second, he was feeling more and more tempted to go to the head of the line and flash his badge at whoever was in charge.

The only problem was, that might work...or it might not. Migration Safety Administration animals were known to be a law unto themselves. And if his detective's shield failed to impress whoever was running the checkpoint, he'd be sent all the way back to the end of the line. And that line was now twice as long as it had been when he'd first arrived. Should he roll the dice or stand pat?

Just then, the procession of animals moved, perhaps three steps forward before it stopped again. Ohhhh, what the heck was the hold-up? At this rate, by the time he got to Zoo York City, the suspect he was looking for would be confined to a wheelchair in a retirement home.

From somewhere up ahead, he heard a low, lupine growl.

"What the heck is taking so long up there?"

"Hey, what do you expect, with sloths running the show?" Another voice answered, bitterly. "I swear, this is worse than the DMV."

At once, Nick felt his ears prick up; sloths…DMV? Noooo…no way; he could never get that lucky…could he? What were the odds? Well, what did he have to lose by trying? Raising his muzzle, he inhaled deeply through his nostrils, scenting the air and searching for a familiar odor. No…nope…YES! Holy foxtrot, it was him; he was HERE!

With a yip of delight, Nick grabbed his carryon and got out of line, hurrying towards the front and either ignoring the cries of protest from the others or flashing his badge at them. Coming around the bend he saw the checkpoint up ahead; metal detectors, conveyor belt, and a new addition, what appeared to be a...revolving door? No wait, that was an X-Ray scanner; he'd read about them on his morning newsfeed. And yep, the animals in charge were sloths all right. Only where was…? Dangit, Nick had smelled him; he had to be here somewhere. Wait, yes, there he was at the head of the conveyor…currently in the process of making certain that a beaver couple had completely emptied the contents of their pockets into the ubiquitous gray tub. As always, he was moving with all the blinding speed of a brain-surgeon on tranquilizers. But who cared, he was stationed outside the perimeter; Nick wouldn't need to ask to see him, he could just walk right up and start talking.

He was smart enough to wait until the sloth had completed his task before making his move, and then he was rushing forward and waving a paw.

"Flash, Flash….hundred-yard-dash! Heyyyy, looking good, old buddy; long time no see, huh?" Just to give himself a little insurance, he pulled out his badge and held it up for the other animal to see.

For an agonizing second, Flash didn't seem to recognize him; and then his eyes widened slightly, and a smile of recognition split his face.

"Niiiiiick."

"Yep, it's me." the red fox winked and cocked a pair of fingers. "Listen, Flash…"

"You…"

Nick went instantly mute; if he didn't know how to converse with a sloth by now, he never would. And so he waited.

"Had…Me…"

Without warning, Flash stopped talking and fell silent—or maybe that was just a sloth being a sloth. In any case, even Nick had his limits; he winked again and pointed with a pair of fingers.

"Had you fooled for a second eh, buddy? Yeah, I get that a lot…ME as a police detective. Hey listen though, can you do an old friend a favor and get me through this…?"

"…Fired…"

"Huh?" Nick's pitch halted in its tracks.

"…From…"

"N-Now wait a minute, Flash," Nick raised his paws in a hurried, placating gesture. Ohhh, foxtrot...he could see where this was going.

"…My job…"

"Hold on a second!" The fox tried to protest; something heavy and sour had dropped into the pit of his stomach.

"…At…"

"Wait, I had nothing to do with that!"

"…The …D…"

"Dangit Flash you were caught street racing; dismissal was mandatory!" Nick was beginning to raise his voice; he couldn't help it.

"…M…V…"

"Listen, you couldn't expect to keep working there after pulling a stunt like that!" Several animals were staring now, but the fox didn't care.

Flash said nothing to this; only drew an item from his pocket, something silver and shiny and…wait, was that a…police whistle?

"Aw. C'mon buddy." Nick was nervously backing away with a pair of raised paws, "You wouldn't do that to your old pal."

Flash pegged the whistle in his mouth. For a long moment it just sat there, while the fox grinned helplessly.

"Ha ha…Okay, good one, amigo. You really had me going there for a…"

That was all he managed before Flash blew the whistle…hard, loud, and piercing. At once another pair of animals appeared on either side of Nick—not sloths, but sloth bears.

Flash meanwhile was leveling a clawed finger at him.

"This…fox…"

"Awww, come on Flash, don't do this."

"…just…tried…"

"Dangit I'm a Police Detective!" Nick almost screamed,. He was speaking to the bears, not to Flash—who didn't seem to have heard him anyway.

"…to…hustle…"

The bears only rolled their eyes at each other. Nick could almost hear their thoughts. 'Fox-cop…yeah, riiiiight.'

"…me."

"Flash please no, come on." Nick fell to his knees, clasping his paws like a kit. "You want me to beg? Look, see…I'm begging."

"We'll take care of it," the larger of the two sloth bears nodded, and then reached down and hauled Nick to his feet. "Come on, it's the secondary search area for you."

"Wait, stop!" Nick struggled out of their grip, pulling out his badge again, and brandishing it like a cross against a demon, "Look, Look…see? Here's my badge."

It was immediately snatched out of his grip.

"Yeah, surrrrrrre." The smaller bear rumbled in what might have almost passed for a feline purr. "Which Dollar Cave store did you buy this from?"

And with that, Nick was once again seized by the arms, just in time to stop him from face pawlming himself. "5 zillion MSA agents…and I have to deal with the only two that didn't get the memo about ZPD hiring a fox."

Hoisting him upwards by the armpits, the bears half-carried, half dragged the hapless Nick in the direction of a set of double doors. He squirmed in their grip, trying to point behind him.

"Wait, I left my carryon…"

"Come on, keep moving."

When they reached the door, the larger bear held him, while the other one knocked. After a second or two it opened and Nick instantly resumed his struggles. No sloths here; the secondary search area was crewed by…

"No please, not porcupines, not porcupines, not….!"

His words were cut off as the door slammed behind him. The smaller bear grabbed him and spun him around.

…And gave him back his badge. "All right Detective Wilde-thing, you can go."

Nick grabbed at the badge as if it were a lifeline.

But then…hey-y-y! His ears shot backwards as if fired from a slingshot

"Wai-i-it a minute, how do you know that nickname?"

Both bears assumed smug expressions, and then the smaller one reached up and undid the top three buttons of his uniform shirt. Underneath was a T-shirt with a faded, indiscernible design. The words above were still visible though. They read 'Fast Animal Automobile Club.'

"How do you think we know, pal?" he winked.

It took a long time for the light-bulb to come on over Nick's head; he might almost have been a sloth himself. But when it did he was almost apoplectic.

"Why that sneaky, sluggish, back-stabbing…! He HUSTLED me!"

"That's right bub," the larger bear was cocking a finger, "He's had this in the works ever since he started here."

"And YOU played right into his paws, when you tried to cut to the front of the line," his companion added, showing a toothy grin, "so much for the clever fox."

Nick jammed the badge back in his pocket.

"Yeah, yeah…just let me out of here, okay?"

The smaller bear pointed at the door.

"You can pick up your carry-on at the checkpoint," he said.

"And THEN you go back to the end of the line," the larger one growled, "And don't try to take cuts again. Unless it's an emergency, everyone waits their turn out there, cops included."

Nick glared at the sloth-bears for a second and stormed out the door.

When he returned to the MSA checkpoint, Flash was wearing what had to be the most perfectly innocent expression ever created. Snatching up his carry-on, the furious fox laid back his ears and snarled over ill-concealed fangs.

"Har hardy-har, really funny there Captain Slowpoke; just wait 'til the next time you get pulled over for speeding, just wait!"

He turned and stalked away, muttering oaths to himself.

For a long moment—although probably not that long for a sloth—Flash just stared wordlessly after him.

And then, with deliberate slowness, his long arms wrapped around his midsection and he doubled over…even more slowly.

"Ha…

…Ha…

…Ha…

…HA!"


…And the moral of this story, dear readers, is that revenge is a dish best served in a Provençale manner, with shallots and aubergines, garnished with truffle pâté and brandy and with a fried egg on top and SPAM!