Finnick silently stared at his friend for a few seconds, trying to process what he had just heard. The fennec then started chuckling, shaking his head in disbelief. "Get the fuck outta here…"
"Hey-"
"Seriously, you expected me to believe that?" Finnick interrupted, now laughing. "Really?"
"You really think I'd make something like this up?"
Finnick shrugged, still laughing. "I mean, credit where it's due, this isn't the craziest thing you've said-"
He was cut off when the larger mammal suddenly reached out and put the fennec in a headlock. "You little fucker!"
"Hey!" Finnick cried out. "I was just kidding, you psychotic-"
"Um…"
The interruption caused both Finnick and Honey to turn and see Nick standing there, bag slung over his shoulder and looking confused. "Do I even want to know?"
Honey quickly let go of the smaller mammal in her grip. "It's nothing, don't worry about it."
"Are you-"
"Don't. Worry. About it," the badger grounded out, though Nick thought he could hear hurt in her voice.
He then looked at Finnick. 'What did you do?' went the unasked question. The smaller fox just shrugged, though it was clear that he was hiding something. The red fox shook his head; he could ask them about it later. "No Flash today?" he asked, changing subjects.
Honey shook her head. "Said he was busy, but he might try next time."
"Gotcha." Nick took a seat next to Finnick behind the stand. It fell silent until the other fox took a breath.
"So," Finnick started, "how was your week?"
"Eh," Nick said, shrugging and not looking at his friend.
Honey leaned forward on the half wall. "Oh, yeah?" she questioned, sounding suspicious.
Nick turned and looked at the badger. "Yes," he said. "Why do you ask?"
"Because we haven't seen or heard from you in a week," Finnick answered. "You've never flaked on us before."
"Especially not like this," Honey added.
Nick looked between the two of them and shrugged. "Something came up, and I've been dealing with it."
"What happened?"
"Just some…family stuff going on."
"Like what?"
"Look, does it really matter?!" Nick asked heatedly, surprising his friends. "I'm here now, so who cares?"
It grew quiet for a second before Honey said, "We do."
"Yeah," Finnick agreed. "So, talk to us. What's going on?"
Nick sighed; there was a part of him that was touched that they were concerned about him, but there was another part that was annoyed that they were not going to let this go. He eventually bit the bullet and said, "Mom's sick."
"…OK?" Finnick questioned, not understanding. "So what? It'll pass soon."
The red fox groaned, trying (and failing) to not get any more irritated. "Not that kind of 'sick'," he grounded out.
This only confused the shorter fox more, but luckily, Honey seemed to understand what Nick was saying. "Oh, fuck…" she breathed out quietly.
"What?" Finnick asked.
The badger turned to him. "She's not 'sick,' she's sick," she emphasized.
Finnick stared at her blankly. "You just said the same thing-"
"Oh, for Dog's sake!" Nick said, exasperated. "She has cancer, Finn!"
It got quiet as soon as he said it, with the smaller fox's ears dropping behind his head. "Oh…" Finnick said in a small voice. He quickly looked between Honey and Nick before focusing on the red fox. "Shit, Wilde, are you serious?"
Nick nodded. "Yeah," he said, his voice sounding strained. "Leukemia, to be specific." He started from the beginning with how his mother had cut her finger on the Bunnyburrow trip to them receiving the letter the previous weekend.
It fell quiet among the three of them as Honey sat down, placing her head in her paws. "Woah…"
"Do we know if…" Finnick trailed off, though the rest of the question was implied.
Nick shook his head. "The letter we got said that it was really bad, but when Mom went to the doctor earlier this week, they said it was still treatable." He then scoffed. "Not like it matters, though."
"What do you mean?" Honey asked. "Isn't she going to do chemo?"
Nick shook his head. "Nope; can't afford it."
"What about insurance? Wouldn't that help?"
"Yeah, if they deemed it 'medically necessary,' which they didn't. They probably saw it as a waste of resources." Finnick opened his mouth to say something, but Nick cut him off. "Look, guys, I appreciate the concern, but I really don't want to think about it right now. I just want to sit here and sell popsicles, OK?"
Finnick and Honey both glanced at each other. "OK, sure," the badger responded.
"We can do that," the fennec added, nodding his head.
So that was what the trio did for the next hour: selling popsicles, occasionally making a comment or telling the odd joke here and there. Nick mostly stayed quiet unless talking to a customer. They didn't have any officers approach them this time, which the todd took as a small blessing. Eventually, though, the number of customers started to trickle down with each passing minute. Honey then looked at her watch and swore under her breath.
"Damn, I've gotta go," she said, rising to her feet.
"Already?" Nick asked, surprised.
The badger nodded. "Yeah, I…have plans tonight." Nick thought he imagined it, but he swore that she said that to Finnick specifically, her expression unreadable. When she got no response, she said, "I'll see you guys later."
"OK. See ya," Nick said. Finnick didn't answer, only looking away. Once Honey was out of earshot, the red fox turned to the fennec next to him. "She has 'plans'?"
Finnick nodded. "Yep. Apparently, she has a date tonight."
Nick's ears perked up. "Really?" The smaller fox nodded again. "Huh. Good for her."
The two of them sat in silence for a moment before Finnick asked, "How's Skye holding up?"
"Finn, I said-"
"I ain't asking about your mother," Finnick interrupted. "I'm asking about your sister."
Nick didn't say anything for a few seconds before he sighed. "About as well as you'd expect," he said. "When we lost Dad, she had trouble sleeping. Now, with this…"
"Damn," the smaller fox breathed out. "This whole thing is insane." He paused before adding, "Look, if you need anything, I'm here for you guys. Honey, too."
"Thanks, bud." Neither one said anything until Nick decided to ask the one question on his mind since he arrived. "So, do you want to explain to me what happened between you and Honey earlier?"
"It's nothing, don't worry about it," the fennec quickly said, waving his paw dismissively. Nick gave an unconvinced look and just crossed his arms. Finnick rolled his eyes and said, "Seriously. She's just overreacting."
"I don't know," Nick countered. "She looked pretty hurt. What did you do?"
"Nothing-"
"Finn."
Finnick paused before saying, "When she told me that she had a date tonight, I…may have laughed at her and called her a liar."
The red fox shook his head and groaned. "You've got to be fucking kidding me, Finn…"
"Hey, you have to admit, it sounds ridiculous coming from her," the fennec tried to justify, though even he seemed to realize it was a weak excuse.
"But to laugh at her?" Nick argued. "That's a dick move, dude."
"But-"
"Dick. Move."
"Maybe, but i-it doesn't make any sense!"
"What do you mean?"
Nick wasn't used to seeing Finnick struggle for words, but eventually he said, "Who'd be crazy enough to want to date her?" The fennec then looked away, trying to look nonchalant and failing. Nick was confused by his friend's behavior when he suddenly remembered a previous conversation with Skye:
'They like each other.'
'Oooh, yeah.'
Nick's eyebrows rose as it dawned on him: Finnick was jealous. Suddenly, their behavior towards each other earlier made a lot more sense; Honey was hurt by the fennec, and Finnick failed to see that she liked him.
How did he forget about that?
'Well, I've had other things on my mind,' Nick thought to himself. He never thought he'd have to play matchmaker for his friends, but here he was. "You want my honest opinion?" he asked.
Finnick glanced at the todd. "Sure?"
"She's not doing it because she likes the other guy," Nick explained. "She's doing it because she wanted to see how you'd respond to the news."
The fennec looked confused. "'How I'd respond'?"
Nick nodded. "She likes you, dude. Like, REALLY likes you."
Finnick stared at him and scoffed. "No, she doesn't."
"Why not?"
"'Why not?' Seriously?" Nick waited for the fennec to elaborate, which he did shortly. "We always fight with each other, we don't get along, and," Finnick paused before quietly saying, "I'm always mean to her."
"And yet, she's still friends with you," Nick said. "She still chooses to hang out and talk to you. If you're always so mean to her, then how come you feel bad about what you had said earlier?"
The smaller fox looked like he wanted to argue, but instead said, "OK, fine," he said. "But if she likes me, then why doesn't she just tell me? Why go through all the trouble of going on a date with somebody else?"
"She's trying to make you jealous, and I'd say she's succeeding."
"'Jealous'?!" Finnick said disbelievingly. "Why would-" He stopped, realizing what the red fox was implying and rapidly shaking his head. "Woah, woah, woah, wait a minute, I'm not jealous…"
"Sure," Nick drew out, not believing him for a second.
"Really, I'm not! W-Why would…I mean, you seriously…" Finnick stammered uncharacteristically before trying a new tactic. "Yeah, well, you like Bunny Girl!"
"Yeah."
"And-" Finnick stopped, surprised at the red fox's honesty. "Wait, what?"
"Yeah," Nick repeated. "I like Carrots."
He wasn't entirely sure when it had happened; if it was the night they got his mother's diagnosis, the last weekend before he started school, or sometime before that, but at some point, Nick came to a realization:
He liked Judy Hopps. A LOT.
Finnick just stared at his friend. "Oh. Does she know?" he eventually asked.
Nick shrugged. "I have no clue; probably?"
"'Cause she clearly likes you back."
"I know."
The smaller fox just stared at him like he was trying to figure out a math equation. "So, wait, you like her…"
"Yes," Nick confirmed, nodding his head.
"…and you know that she likes you back…"
Another nod. "That is also correct."
"…so why haven't you asked her out yet?" Finnick finished.
Nick was silent for a few seconds before shrugging and saying, "It's complicated."
Finnick let out an exasperated sigh. "Then how about you stop trying to speak in riddles and simplify it, you moron."
Nick sighed. "Well, first off, there's the whole 'we live about two hours away from each other' thing, and as a result, we only see each other once a month, which makes it difficult, and…" The todd trailed off, suddenly looking a little uncertain.
"'And'?" The smaller fox prompted.
Nick closed his eyes and drew in a breath. "Last year, Skye and I went in for a checkup and they ran a few tests; turns out, I'm one of the few foxes still out there who have trouble fully repressing some of their primal instincts."
"Really?" Finnick asked, now looking curious.
"Yep," the red todd answered. "I mean, it's not like I'm going to become uncivilized, but for some things, I'm missing that particular gene. Mom said Dad was like that, too; must've gotten it from him."
"OK, so what does-" The smaller fox suddenly stopped when it finally dawned on him. "Oh, wait, so you…"
"Yeah," Nick said. "It's kinda hard to take initiative when every fiber of your being is telling you to let HER make the first move, y'know?"
Finnick sighed again, though this time it was more sympathetic. "Fucking instincts, bro…"
"Tell me about it," Nick agreed.
It fell silent between the two of them before Finnick softly asked, "Do you really think she likes me that way?" Nick nodded. "You swear?"
"Every damn day."
The smaller fox quietly processed that as he looked in the direction Honey had gone, contemplating what his friend had said. Nick then said, "Why don't you go and talk to her? I can watch the stand all by myself for today."
Finnick looked back at his friend, a little surprised. "You really think it's a good idea to tell her how I feel right now?"
"You don't need to declare or anything; for now, just tell her that you're sorry."
Finnick mulled over this for a moment. "OK," he eventually said. "You're sure you're fine by yourself?"
The red fox nodded. "Get outta here, you animal."
That got a small smile from his friend as he stood and started to go after the honey badger. He paused briefly, though, to look back and say, "Hey, um…thanks."
Nick shrugged, smirking a little. "No problem."
"And, uh, be sure to tell me if your mom gets any better," Finnick added. "Or…if she doesn't."
"…Can do," Nick said, his smirk falling a little. With that, the fennec fox left, leaving the red fox alone at the stand. Ten minutes and a few more customers later, he was starting to get bored; he didn't realize how much he depended on both the fennec and the badger to get him through the monotony of it all. The todd was debating whether to pack up early when he felt his phone start ringing. Nick pulled it out and couldn't hold back his smile, answering the request for MuzzleTime.
"Hey, Carrots."
Judy smiled back. ["Hey, Slick. Whatcha up to?"]
Nick shrugged. "I'm at the stand right now, though business is slow today, so I might pack it up soon."
["No Finnick today?"]
"He was here earlier, but he…had to leave early."
Judy looked a little confused but didn't say anything. ["OK. How've you and Skye been?"]
Nick didn't answer immediately. "A little better, I guess. I'd rather not talk about it right now, though."
Judy nodded. ["OK. Does Skye have a lesson tonight?"]
"Nah," Nick answered, shaking his head. "Apparently her teacher called out tonight, and they didn't have anyone else to fill in, so they canceled. I think she's with some of her friends right now." Judy hummed at that. "Alright, enough about us; how're things at the burrow?"
The doe chuckled. ["Same as always."]
The two of them talked for the next half hour, occasionally pausing when a customer came. Eventually, Nick stretched his arms behind his head. "OK, I think I'm going to start putting things away.
["Alright, I'll let you go then. See you guys next time?"]
"Yeah," Nick confirmed. "It's our turn to visit you guys."
["OK. Bye, Slick!"]
"See ya, Carrots." With that, Judy ended the call. Nick stared at the darkened screen before he sighed.
"Love you."
Karma, what he'd give to just to be able to come out and say that to her.
Nick shook his head and started packing up the stand. Halfway through, though, he felt his phone buzz. Pulling it out, he saw it was text from Finnick:
['We're all good. Thanks.']
Nick smiled slightly as he typed back:
['No problem.']
As soon as he hit send, Skye's contact popped up on the screen, calling him. His head tilted in confusion as he answered:
"Hello?"
["Nick, it's me; where are you right now?!"]
The frantic tone in her voice put the todd on edge. "I'm at the stand, packing up; why?"
["Meet me at the apartment. I'm headed there now."]
"What? Why? What's going on?"
He could hear his sister take a breath before she answered:
["You're not going to believe this…"]
A HALF HOUR EARLIER…
"And let me tell you, when he walked me back home, I could not stop smiling!" Fru Fru said excitedly.
"So, you had a great time?" Kris asked, smirking a little.
"What do you think? Of course I did! He was so sweet and dreamy and…" the shrew trailed off before finishing with, "he's perfect!"
"I'll say!" the otter said, nodding her head in approval. She nudged the white vixen next to her. "Don't you agree?"
Skye nodded noncommittedly as she walked down the sidewalk with her friends, Kris by her side and Fru Fru riding along on her shoulder and telling them all about her new boyfriend. She wasn't fully listening, however, as her thoughts were on one thing.
It was the same one thing for the past week…
Skye then felt a sharp tug on her ear, snapping her out of her thoughts. "OW! Hey!" She stopped and glared at Fru Fru. "What?!"
The shrew visibly recoiled from that but quickly recovered. "I said your name, like, five times. Did you even listen to what I said?"
Skye nodded. "Yeah, uh, totally."
Both Fru Fru and Kris glanced at each other, unconvinced, before looking back to the vixen. "Oh, really?"
"…Yeah?"
Fru Fru stared blankly at her. "What's my boyfriend's name?"
'…Shit.'
Skye quickly racked her brain for his name; surely, the shrew had mentioned it at some point, right?! Both Kris and Fru Fru were looking at her, waiting for an answer. Eventually, the vixen quietly said, "…Joey…?"
"Christopher."
"That's what I meant," came the quick response, though the fox knew that she was found out at this point.
"You weren't listening at all, were you?" Fru Fru accused. Skye didn't answer, only looking away from her friend. That proved ineffective, though, as the tiny mammal scampered over to her other shoulder. "Were you?"
"Fru, I'm sorry, OK? I've just-" Skye stopped abruptly before adding, "It's just been a bad week, alright?"
"What happened? Is everything OK? Do you feel sick?" Kris asked. She then gasped. "It was from biology, wasn't it? I felt nauseous, too; I KNEW it was a bad idea for them to show that clip of-"
"Kris, you get nauseous when you see a paper cut! At this rate, I think it's just a you thing!" Skye snapped back, feeling irritated. It fell quiet among the three of them, Fru Fru looking surprised at the outburst while Kris had a hurt expression. The vixen immediately felt bad and said, "Crap, I-I'm sorry, that was uncalled for." She then felt another tug on her ear, though this one was a lot gentler. She looked down to see Fru Fru gesture to a nearby bench. The trio went over and sat down, the shrew jumping down from the fox's shoulder.
"OK, spill: what's wrong?" Fru Fru asked.
Skye brought knees up to her chest, hugging them tightly. "We got some really awful news last Saturday."
Kris tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"
The vixen closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Mom has cancer." She heard Kris inhale sharply while Fru Fru stared at her, eyes big. "From what we saw, it's pretty bad, and…" Skye trailed off.
"What?" Fru Fru prompted.
"…We can't afford treatment," the vixen finished.
Kris immediately went over and gave her a hug. "Oh, Skye…" Fru Fru, on the other paw, stayed where she was, looking like she was thinking about something. Skye didn't notice this, however, and returned the otter's hug. A few moments later, the shrew spoke up, a small plan forming.
"What time do you need to be back home?" she asked.
Skye shrugged. "I dunno; maybe an hour?"
"Then that's plenty of time to do some retail therapy. My treat," Fru Fru said.
The vixen shook her head. "Fru, you don't-"
"Nope, my mind is already made up," the smaller mammal said. "Don't even try to change it. So, where do you want to go?"
Skye gave it some thought before a small smile appeared. A few minutes later, the trio found themselves outside a familiar record shop. "You guys ever been here before?"
The shrew shook her head. "Nope."
"I don't even have a turntable," Kris admitted.
Skye giggled. "I wonder if Rick's here." They entered the shop, and despite there being a few customers, there was no sign of the grizzly bear. The vixen just shrugged; he was probably in the back. She turned to her friends. "Meet up in a few minutes?"
Fru Fru nodded, jumping off the fox's shoulder onto a nearby ledge. "Sure." Kris nodded as well, looking all around her immediate area. The three split up, with Skye heading to the new releases. After looking through and nothing catching her eye, she moved on to a few more sections until one record stood out to her. Curious, she pulled it out and read the title:
A Eulogy for Those Still Here by Counterbarks.
'Don't think I know these guys,' Skye thought to herself. She shrugged and put the record under her arm. 'Looks intriguing, though.'
"That record has been selling out fast; just had it restocked," came a familiar voice from behind her. Skye smiled and turned around to see Rick standing behind her, wearing a warm smile. "Hello, Skylar."
"Hi, Rick," the fox said, giving him a hug. "How've you been?"
The grizzly bear gently patted her back. "I've been fine; you?"
"…Could be better," Skye admitted, breaking off the hug. At his questioning look, she told him about her mother and her sickness. "We don't know what to do," she finished.
Rick sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, sweetie." He gently squeezed her shoulder. "But don't give up hope yet. Your mother is a strong vixen; if anyone can get through this, she can."
"Thanks."
The door to the shop opened, and Rick sighed and rose. "Listen, if you need anything, just holler. And I don't just mean about records."
Skye smiled softly. "Sure, can do." With that, the larger mammal went to greet potential customers. She sighed, looking around for her friends. She saw Fru Fru in the small mammal aisle on her phone, locked in conversation. Out of the corner of her eye, Skye saw Kris, looking at a section, looking a little lost. The vixen headed on over to her, standing by her side.
"Hey, Kris," Skye said quietly.
"Hey," came the otter's subdued response as she looked through records. "Any recommendations?"
"I thought you said you didn't have a turntable?"
"So?"
Skye paused for a moment before looking through the 'G' section. She stopped when she saw a Goo Goo Dogs record, pulling it out shortly after. "I think you might like this one," she said, passing it over.
Kris took it and read the title. "Dizzy Up The Girl?"
Skye nodded. "It's one of my favorites." She paused before taking a breath. "Look, I'm sorry about earlier."
The mustelid shrugged. "It's OK."
"No, it's not," Skye insisted. "It was uncalled for, and you're my friend, and…if I were you-"
"Then it's a good thing you aren't me," Kris interrupted, facing the fox. "Skye, your mom has CANCER; I get it." The vixen looked like she wanted to argue but the otter then asked, "So, what else would you recommend? After all, it's on Fru."
Skye noticed her little smirk, and just shook her head in disbelief, giving a smirk of her own. "OK, um…"
They spent a few more minutes browsing records before heading to check out, Fru Fru already there, this time with a polar bear entourage. Skye wasn't sure what the deal with them was, but she also knew her friend came from money; bodyguards, maybe? After paying, the group headed outside the shop, Kris departing shortly after, saying she needed to get home. Skye turned to leave as well until she heard Fru Fru call out behind her.
"Skye?"
The white fox turned back to her friend. "Yeah, Fru?" The tiny mammal passed her a piece of paper, though it was tiny in the vixen's paw. Skye squinted and could barely make out a name and phone number. "What's this?"
"I told Daddy about what you told me," Fru Fru explained. "That's the number for one of his doctors; he said he'd cover the expenses."
Skye nearly dropped her bag in shock. "I- What?" She looked between her friend and polar bears, trying to see if it was a joke. "Are you serious?!"
Fru Fru nodded her head. "Daddy said he'd worry about the money; all he wants is for your mom to get better."
"Really?"
"Something about 'repaying an old debt'."
That didn't make any sense to the white fox, but she didn't focus on it, instead looking at the tiny piece of paper. She quickly enveloped the shrew in a quick hug. "Tell him thank you for us!"
"Will do," Fru Fru said, smiling a little. With that, they broke off the hug and the polar bear entourage left, leaving Skye in front of the store. She took another quick look at it before pocketing it and making her way home. Along the way, the vixen pulled out her phone and dialed her brother. A moment later:
["Hello?"]
"Nick, it's me; where are you right now?!" Skye asked, weaving in between pedestrians.
["I'm at the stand, packing up; why?"]
Sure enough, she could hear him place something down, sounding worried. Skye approached the crosswalk, pushing the button to go. "Meet me at the apartment. I'm headed there now."
["What? Why? What's going on?"]
Skye couldn't hold back her smile. "You're not going to believe this…"
LATER THAT EVENING…
Vivian put her car in park and rested her head on the steering wheel, taking in a deep breath. She had just finished up at the restaurant a half hour prior, and she was exhausted. Sam was not kidding about the high school reservation; it had seemed like EVERYBODY who went to that school had shown up. Despite that, she managed to get through her shift, though it took a lot out of her physically.
The vixen snorted as she sat up and left the vehicle. 'Well, cancer does that to ya, doesn't it?'
Vivian hadn't told anyone else about the diagnosis yet, though she knew she would have to tell her bosses about it soon. If there was one silver lining in all of this, it was that she finally had an explanation for why she felt like crap for the last month or so.
'Some 'silver lining'.'
Vivian shook her head as she entered the apartment building, waving to the mammal behind the front desk. Making her way up to the apartment, she entered, about to call out to her kits when she heard them in the living room:
"-ou serious?"
"Like a heart attack," Vivian heard Skye confirm. The vixen walked down the entry way, finding them in the living room sitting on the couch, locked in a conversation and not noticing her. She noticed her daughter showing her son something on a small piece of paper, looking excited.
'What is that?' Vivian thought.
"Do you think Mom will go for it?" Nick asked, sounding apprehensive but also hopeful.
"Go for what?" Vivian asked. Both foxes jumped and turned to see their mother standing in front of them, arms crossed and looking at them, suspicious.
"Mom! Hi! What're you doing here?!" Skye yelped out.
"…I live here?" That brought a nervous chuckle from her kits. "What is that?" she asked, pointing to the slip of paper.
Nick and Skye quickly looked at each other before the former said, "We may have found a doctor."
Vivian's ears perked up in surprise, but also in confusion and even a little doubt. "What?"
Skye nodded her head, holding out the paper. "My friend's dad recommended one for us. We looked them up already; it seems legit!"
"And he offered to help pay for us," Nick added.
Vivian reached out and took the paper, reading the smaller print. She didn't recognize the number or the name of the doctor, but underneath that she saw:
Make sure to mention Lorenzo Big when you call.
The vixen's tail dropped to the floor. "Who gave this to you?" she asked Skye.
The younger fox was caught off guard by the serious tone in her mother's voice, but she answered, "Uh, my friend, Fru Fru."
"She wouldn't happen to be a shrew, would she?" Skye nodded her head. 'Son of a bitch…' Vivian immediately turned and quickly made her way down the hallway to her bedroom, making her miss her kits' confused expressions.
"Mom, what're-"
"I'll be right back; I need to make a call," Vivian said over her shoulder as she entered her bedroom, closing it hard behind her. Nick and Skye looked at each other, concerned. They had expected their mother's reaction to be more on the relieved side, with it being reluctant at worst.
Here, she sounded furious.
Meanwhile, Vivian paced back and forth in her bedroom, taking a few breaths to calm herself down. Composing herself, she pulled out her phone and dialed a number. Not the one Skye was given; instead, it was one that she knew by heart.
One that, despite her best efforts, she'd never forget.
A few rings later, the other end picked up. ["Hello? Who is this?"]
"Put your boss on the line," Vivian answered instead.
She could hear the grow in the polar bear's voice as he responded. ["This is a private number; who do you think-"]
"Tell him Vivian Wilde needs to speak with him."
There was silence, and after a beat, she could hear some shuffling around as her request was made. A few moments later, a different voice spoke:
["Hello?']
Vivian huffed. "Hello, Lorenzo."
The vixen could hear the smile in the shrew's gravelly voice. ["Vivian, what a surprise. How may I help you?"]
"What are you playing at, Big?"
["…I beg your pardon?"]
Vivian ignored the dangerous edge to his voice and scoffed. "Jon helps your ass out, and I don't hear from you for years. Now, all of a sudden, out of the blue, you decide to reach out to us when I'm at my lowest. Where were you when Jon died? You could've reached out then!"
The fox heard the smaller mammal take a breath. ["Because of our previous history, Vivian, I will allow this disrespect. Regarding Jonathan, who do you think…convinced his killer to turn himself in?"]
"…That was you?" Vivian quietly asked.
["It was."] There was a pause before he continued. ["You did not call to talk about that, though. You called to talk about my offer."]
"You mean the one you used my kit to deliver?" Vivian growled out, her anger returning. "You stay the hell away from them; don't bring them into your world. And why are you doing this? What do you get out of this?"
["Can you entertain the notion that I am doing this because you are a friend of the family and I want to help you?"]
"I can entertain the notion that you're doing this for multiple reasons," came the vixen's retort.
There was silence on the other end for a long time before he spoke again. ["…I was heartbroken when I found out about what happened to Jonathan."]
Vivian felt her hackles raise up. "You little-"
["I did not repay my debt to him. I was unable to help him. My debt to him is now my debt to you, and I intend to see it paid."]
Vivian paused, and a few moments later, took a deep breath to calm herself down. "OK, fine. Let's say I believe you and that you really want to help; the answer is still no. Use that money to help someone else; they could use it more."
That got a small chuckle from him, though it sounded exasperated. ["Your selflessness is your biggest attribute, Vivian…"]
The vixen snorted derisively. "I'm sensing a 'but' coming up."
["…but it is also your biggest flaw."] At her silence, he continued. ["Vivian, no one will think any less of you for asking for help one time."]
Vivian tightly clenched her paw into a fist before letting it go, the fight leaving her body. She sat down on the edge of her bed, sighing heavily. "…I know," she said quietly. "I just…I hate how I feel like I don't get a say in this."
The shrew didn't answer for some time. ["Yes, after what you went through, I imagine you would hate that."] He sighed. ["Listen, despite what I might say, the decision is ultimately up to you. And whether or not you decide to go through with it, you have mammals that will support you."]
Vivian didn't answer, dropping her phone to the side and thinking about what the old shrew said. On the one paw, she hated the offer. She wasn't some invalid mammal, she wasn't a little girl; she was a grown vixen, and she could take care of herself! She took care of herself and raised her two kits for fifteen years now, she doesn't need any help.
'But you didn't have cancer then. And you weren't by yourself, you had Jon with you.'
Vivian shook her head at that intrusive thought. 'Yeah, b-but-'
'What'll happen to Nick and Skye? Who'll take care of them then?'
That thought snapped her out of her silent anger. Her kits…
Almost instinctively, Vivian looked at the photo on her nightstand of her children. She knew that Kii would take them in, bless her, but the vixen knew that the cheetah had no children of her own; she doesn't know how to be a parent, she doesn't have the experience. At the end of the day, Nick and Skye were all that mattered. The thought of leaving them…
["Vivian? Are you still there?"]
The question brought her out of her thoughts, and she made up her mind right there. Even though she hated it, despised it even, she knew that it was the best option she and the kits had at the moment. Vivian brought her phone back up to her ear, speaking softly.
"When do we start?"