A stoat laid across the section of sidewalk in the park, huddled up in his worn jacket as he tried hard to stay warm in the colder temperatures. He thanked his lucky stars for the kindhearted mammal that stopped when they were walking by the other day and happily handed over what he was wearing now. With how suddenly chilly the weather had gotten in the district over a period of a few days, he wasn't exactly sure how he would have managed to stay warm had it not been for that.

He reached for his wallet and pulled it out, flipping it open and looking at the small photograph that he kept inside of it. Letting out a heavy sigh after staring at it for a short time, he carefully placed it back into his pocket. He then picked up the jar that laid to his left, half-full from the few dollar bills and coins that mammals with generosity in their hearts had given him from time to time.

Although it was quite hard to given that he was on the streets, he just tried to stay as positive as he possibly could. A negative attitude, he knew quite well, wasn't going to make circumstances any better for anyone. He held onto his belief that he would somehow come up with the last bit of cash he needed to see who he was missing so very much.

Until then, though, he figured that it was time for him to shut his eyes and get some rest for a short while. He turned over onto his other side and reached for the cardboard sign, propping it up so it could be seen by whoever happened to come by.

The holiday lights that adorned the light poles and the fronts of stores started to blink on all around him, brightening up the nighttime surroundings. He started to shiver once again in the cold before sliding his paws into the pockets of his jacket and curling back up in the most comfortable position he could.

It was right before he was going to close his eyes then that he started to see two figures coming his way, one short with long ears and another taller than the other. He started to see that it was a fennec fox and a red fox as they walked underneath the glow of streetlights bear them, and the two seemed to be walking up to where he was.

"Excuse me, sir," the fennec fox, who was several steps in front of who the stoat assumed was his friend, said to him. His voice was surprisingly deep for a mammal that was as short as he was. He reached into his pocket and pulled out several dollar bills that he had been carrying then, holding them out to him in his paw.

The stoat reached out and slowly took the money being given to him. As he looked at what he held onto, he found himself breaking into tears that he was unable to hold back. "Are you serious?" He slipped them into his jar, the coins at tue bottom of it jingling as he picked it up. He put his paws together as he looked back at the kind stranger. "Thank you so much, sir."

"I know this isn't a whole lot," the long-eared fox replied, "but I hope I can be of some help."

"I haven't seen my son in some time," the stoat answered before sniffling back his tears. "And what you gave me was just what I needed to get on a bus to go see him. Bless you."

The fennec fox smiled back. "Merry Christmas."

The mustelid nodded his head and said, "Merry Christmas."

With that, the fennec fox continued to walk along down the street. The other vulpine that had been behind him stopped a quick moment and gave him some change as well to fill his jar with before rejoining with his friend, the two continuing to walk around and observe the festive lights of the city.

"You know," Nick said, "I never seen you be this generous before."

After a short pause between the two of them, Finnick, who was standing next to him, asked, "Didn't they say somewhere that the mammal that got two things oughta give one to someone who needs it?"

"You paid for that older lady's groceries at the shop the other day, and you said that you gave all those clothes to the charity that's gonna help those families over the holidays. Not to mention you saying you were helping out at the soup kitchen and all that other stuff throughout the last two months. That's actually really kind of you to do, Fin."

"And I ain't just stopping at that, Wilde," Finnick remarked with seriousness in his voice. "You know that once I'm on a roll doin' somethin', I ain't the kind that stops. Felt like doin' some givin' this season, you know what I mean?"

Nick nodded in agreement, but he was still quite surprised by the generosity that was flowing from his friend. "Yeah," he replied. "I just never really saw you out and about doing good deeds for mammals like you've been doing. Normally you're not this big of a fan of the holidays."

Finnick scoffed and responded, "I ain't some scrooge, Wilde. Don't make me out t' be like that."

It was then that the tod asked his good friend a question that came to mind. "Was there any particular reason you started doing all this for mammals?"

The fennec fox shrugged before sliding his paws into his pockets. "Just the feelin' of Christmas in the air, I guess. I dunno."

"I know that's a bluff," replied Nick, sensing the lie being told to him from the look in his friend's eyes. Being on the force now for awhile, he learned that the amount of times one blinked their eyes and such indicated when someone wasn't telling the full truth when asked a question. "There's gotta be more to it then just thought. You can tell me, Finnick. You know I'd never judge."

Finnick sighed and sagged his head before looking back at him. "Follow me and I'll tell you."

The walk the two friends were taking led them to a small cafe that finally occupied a building that had been for lease in the area for some time now. To the right of it was an open space where a series of clean tables had been placed, an archway of holiday lights in front of it that served as a walkway into where guests would sit outside and enjoy what they had ordered.

Finnick stopped and looked at the place for a moment in silence, just as the vulpine to his left started to wonder just why he had been brought here. "You remember when the two of us first became friends, back when you were runnin' your pawpsicle scheme and all that?"

"Yeah." Nick nodded, remembering those days of him being a former con artist quite distinctly. "Of course."

"Then ya remember when you shared me your struggles from when you was growin' up," the fennec fox continued, "'bout how you was always picked on 'cause you were a fox and everything. After ya shared all that with me, you remember when I told ya that things weren't always pretty for me growin' up either?"

"Mm-hmm," answered the fox, listening attentively as his friend continued on with what he wanted to tell him.

"Well..." Finnick looked back at the spot outside the cafe they both stood at while recounting the memory that wasn't the brightest kind for him to recall. "When I said it wasn't always pretty, I didn't really say too much and just left it that. I left out a lot of details."

Now Nick started to become curious as to what he meant by that. "What details?"

Finnick pointed out to where the tables on the opposite side of the street had been placed at the local business. "You see where them chairs and stuff are and how it looks all fancy now? Well, what if I told ya, Wilde, that that spot's where I ended up havin' to spend most of the holiday season at one point?" He cleared his throat for a brief moment before he continued on. "I was pretty young when the streets ended up being my new home."

Nick turned his head and looked back at his friend, shock and sadness hitting him like a blow to the chest. He completely had no idea that Finnick once had to spend the holidays, a time for joy and excitement, on the streets, somewhere nobody should have to spend that time of the year on.

Finnick continued, "Nothin' was in either of them buildings back then, so that over there was an empty space. I'd just sit there sometimes and watch them lights come on 'round the city. Since I didn't have a home to go back to where there was lights or a tree or any of that, I found 'em nice t' look at, but it was still not the same as what others were used to. I remember like it was yesterday that I was just sittin' there and thinkin'..." A tear started to course down his cheek while recounting his experience, which he quickly wiped away.

"Finnick..." Nick said, unable to get a little emotional when he heard this himself.

"I was just thinkin' how it'd be the first time I'd have t' spend the holidays alone," the fennec fox carried on. He sniffled once again and rubbed the tear from his eye. "But it got better one day. Christmas Eve, t' be exact. There was this lion that came walkin' down the street, and I dunno why but he stopped what he was doin' and looked at me. He asked me what was wrong since I was upset and all, and I just started cryin' to him, said I'd be spending Christmas alone out 'ere. But then he offered t' bring me in his home so I could celebrate with his family. I said no at first and that it'd be too much, but he said that he'd be more than happy to have me there. So that guy welcomed me into his home, and I sat at the table and ate dinner with his family like I was a friend of his. Didn't matter that I was a fox t' him or not. But the point is... there was somethin' that he told me that stuck with me since the day he helped me out."

"What was that?"

"He looked at me right after I thanked him for being so kind t' me and he said that I seemed like a smart kit. He then told me to promise that someday whenever there comes a time where I have a chance t' help someone who's in need, I do it. To be honest, I hadn't thought 'bout his words in forever, not 'til earlier in the month. I'd completely forgotten t' fulfill that promise I made, and so I figured now's the best time t' do everything I can to help mammals out. You know?"

The red fox at his side shook his head. "I had no idea."

"Well," Finnick replied, "I guess I shoulda told ya this story a while back. Those days are just somethin' I try not to think back on a whole bunch. I try t' think instead 'bout how I found good friends, how you joining the force inspired me t' get back into a legit line of work, and how much I've changed for the better since then. It's this time of year I'm reminded how thankful I am t' have you and Judy as friends that'd be there t' help if I ever needed anythin'. So, thanks for always being there for me. Both of ya."

Nick looked over at him and smiled back. "Merry Christmas," he said.

With a nod of his head, Finnick returned, "Merry Christmas, Wilde."

"Now then, what do you say we head back up the street and see if that bakery's still open? Been wanting to try some of that cinnamon swirl bread they make there for awhile now, and maybe I could bring some home for Judy too."

Finnick grinned in response, unable to resist an offer to enjoy a sweet treat that came along with the season. "I say that sounds like a plan."

Author's Note: This was one of those story ideas that had been sitting around with some of the others that I got around to finishing up. I know this one had more of a serious tone to it, but I hope that it was still enjoyable.