Disclaimer: Zootopia and all Canon characters are owned by Disney. All other characters, product names, trademarks, and copyrights belong to their respective owners.
…..
Judy walked back from the showers and into her room wrapped in a pair of towels, one for her ears and the other for the rest of her.
Finishing drying herself and putting on her underwear and her normal workout bra, she padded over to the closet to grab her uniform. And check on her fox.
"Nick, are you ready yet?"
No answer from the other side of the secret door.
On her knees now, Judy called out again, "Don't tell me you went back to sleep. You know Mom's blueberry pancakes are on the menu for breakfast."
Still nothing.
Too bad there wasn't a buzzer she could ring from her side of the secret door to get her fox's attention. Maybe she'd talk to Mom about adding one… "Yeah, right," said Judy to herself. "I'm sure Mom wouldn't lose her mind if she found out her nearly naked daughter was making a habit out of sneaking into her boyfriend's room at night. And in the morning, and the afternoon, and," looking over at her undisturbed bed, "most all the other times too.
'Good thing Mom doesn't know what Uncle Lewis did,' thought Judy, crawling back into Nick's room.
Although, it is strange that Mom and Dad used these rooms before they were mated and never figured out the secret door.
Except, you dumb bunny, Uncle Lewis wouldn't have added a secret door for them to find before Mom moved into her room because the Hopps family only knew him as the town baker, not future family.
'Yeah,' thought Judy, standing up in the dark room, 'except why would Uncle Lewis, out of the blue, add a secret door between her parents' old rooms?'
No idea because that makes no sense at all.
Besides, Mom and Dad didn't need any help getting together, their first litter was born pretty soon after their mating ceremony.
Pausing now, Judy's math brain started to do some calculations based on dates and rabbit multiplication tables, when, about to wander down a path her parents would rather not talk about, Judy's thought investigation was derailed by her eyesight adjusting to the dark well enough for her to make out a lump in Nick's bed.
Her thoughts shifted to the best way to wake up a lazy fox that was going to make her late for work.
Her first thought was to get some water and show her fox the best way to get a lazy mammal up in the morning, but not having taken Steven up on his offer of a water balloon and not wanting to traipse through the halls in her underwear, Judy decided on an alternate plan.
Tiptoeing to the bed, Judy lifted the blanket and, putting her muzzle just where her fox's would be on the pillow, she whispered, "Time to wake up," and rooted around with her lips to kiss her boyfriend awake.
Except he wasn't there. She'd kissed a goose-down pillow and came away with a feather stuck to her muzzle.
Brushing away the feather, Judy went over to the door and turned on the room light.
And saw a note taped to the door.
'Carrots - Tried to wait, but today is blueberry pancake day. I'll save you a seat. Nick'
Judy rolled her eyes. She should have known.
Taking down the note and turning off Nick's light, Judy hurried to get ready. It was blueberry pancake day, after all.
-/-/-
"Hey Jude, about time," said Janae. "Nick's already on his second helping of pancakes."
"Me too," said Steven.
Judy harrumphed, "I decided to get dressed for work before breakfast this morning, unlike some fox I know who's still in shorts and whatever kind of striped shirt that is."
"And a good morning to you too, Carrots. Did you sleep well? The bed wasn't too lumpy or anything?"
Ears blushing, Judy said, "It was fine. A few rumbly noises, but some gentle scritching quieted things down."
"Good, good," replied Nick, coughing into his fist. "Then you're ready for our special work assignment today."
"Absolutely," said Judy, going to attention and saluting. "Deputy Hopps ready for duty."
Everyone clapped except for Sunni, who shook her head.
"What's wrong," asked Judy.
"You're wearing the wrong uniform," huffed Sunni.
"Nuh-uh," retorted Judy in her very adult-like manner. "This is my new Deputy uniform."
"Yah-huh! The Sheriff said you and Mr. Nick are refereeing at the soccer tournament today. So, you're supposed to be wearing your referee clothes like I told Mr. Nick about last night."
"What referee clothes?"
"Remember Carrots," Nick said, handing her a pair of black shorts and a striped shirt. "Better than a day planner."
"Yeah, as long as someone tells me."
"Oops," said Nick, smiling.
Sitting down next to her fox, who would suffer some punishment the next time they were alone, Judy looked at Sunni and said, "From now on, please include me in any fox-related schedule notifications."
Sunni nodded once and saluted her big sister.
"And you," whispered Judy to Nick, "owe me big."
"Uh-huh," said Nick with a smile as his tail wrapped itself around his uniformed bunny, and he started in on thirds.
-/-/-
"Ooof"
"Sorry," said Janae, moving the van to the center of the road to avoid another pothole. "We're almost there."
"Uh-huh," said Nick, looking back at twenty kits of varying ages between seven and twelve, all decked out in their soccer gear.
"Lots of different uniforms, how many different teams are there in this van?"
"Eight," replied Janae, "we stopped fielding full teams a while back. Mom got tired of being the only team parent on the sidelines, and the only one who had to bring halftime snacks."
Judy chuckled, "Don't listen to Janae. Mom loves making snacks. The family stopped fielding full teams because with all the chores we had to do together, we learned about teamwork early on and got so good at it that no one wanted to play against us.
"Yeah, and if there's more parents, you get different kinds of snacks," added Sunni from behind Nick.
Holding out his fist, Nick said, "I knew there was a reason I liked you, kit."
Tapping Nick's paw with hers, Sunni went back to reading the comic book Nick had brought her from his stash back in the City.
"How many fields big is this park?"
"Big," said Judy, "Conclave Park has twenty full-sized fields and a dozen smaller ones for the little kit teams."
"Conclave park? That's kind of a weird name for a soccer park."
"It's named that because it's where everyone from Bunnyburrow used to gather together for town meetings back in ancient times," said Janae.
"Yeah," said Kristy, "Charlie and I did research on it as part of our service project. Whenever the whole town needed to vote on something big or the Mayor needed to make an important announcement, they'd call a Conclave, and everyone would meet at the park and decide."
"Email's easier," said Ronni.
"Nuh-uh, Muzzlebook polls work best," added a buck a few seats back.
"I don't think they had Muzzlebook, or phones back in the olden days," said Nick.
"Did so, old people phones have those wires on them. Grandma Grazer showed me a picture of one."
"Really old days, like before electricity and running water and stuff like that," said Judy.
"Oh," said the buck. "Then what did little kits play with during long, boring car rides?"
"I get it," said Nick, "It's like a huge outdoor bullpen without the glaring buffalo."
"Conclaves were also where they'd decide arguments," said Timothy. "I heard they used to have sword fights and duels there too."
"Did anyone get their head cut off?" asked Steven.
"Ruthie told me this is the place where her antsetters and Mr. Sarge's started their food," called out Sunni, still reading her comic book.
"Was there lots of blood?" asked Steven.
"I think Sunni meant to say feud," replied Janae over her shoulder, "and feuds only happened in the olden days, people don't do sword fights anymore."
"But, I heard—" started Timothy.
"How about we talk about soccer some more?" broke in Judy. "No one wants to hear about body parts getting chopped off."
"I do," said Steven,
"Yeah, me too."
Nick started to raise his paw but let it fall once he heard a growl from his partner.
-/-/-
"Dad, this is stupid. Why are we wasting our time pretending to look around for a location to have a mating ceremony? Especially today. You know I don't like soccer, and I for sure don't like being around a bunch of sweaty, smelly kits covered in cookie crumbs, juice, and who knows what else. And their uniforms are all so cheesy. I mean, seriously, where do they shop?"
Hayes shook his head, "Enough, Courtney, kits are a blessing. After you've had a few litters, you'll understand."
"Ewww, I don't think so. I'm never having kits," said Courtney, making a face at a Mom and the half-dozen kits following her.
Pulling Courtney over near a tree away from the concession stand, Hayes waved a finger as he growled at his daughter, "Remember our deal, you act all in on reeling in that Edwards boy, understand? Big eyes, shake your tail, holding paws, boxing him, and promising him lots and lots of big litters. Got it?"
"He's a creep, and I hate thinking about having to touch him, even if I am faking it."
"I don't care what you think of him," spat Hayes. "I just need you to fake it until Carrot days, then you'll be mated, and I'll have a signed contract."
"You mean, you'll have your signed contract, and then I can dump him at the altar," said Courtney.
"Yeah, sure, that's what I meant. And for you to dump him at the altar, we need to have an altar reserved for you to dump him at. That's why we're here. I need to let the Mayor know that I want to reserve the amphitheater, and I heard she's here letting predators into the park today. Something to do with a Venture Scout service project and a couple of the Hopps kits."
Courtney shook her head and said, "The Mayor isn't letting predators into the park, she's invited them all to a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new basketball court. I heard Kristy Hopps and some ferret friend of hers are Venture scouts, and they raised enough money for basketball courts here and in Predville. And loser-girl Janae Hopps is right over there watching one of her thousands of siblings play soccer. She and Dalton have been helping the Scouts too. Dalton's been able to get recreational equipment at wholesale to help the fundraising effort.
"Except for hanging out with Janae, Dalton's pretty smart, don't you think?"
"No, I don't think. And how do you know so much about what some kits and that vile hare are up to?" growled Hayes.
"I don't know, maybe if Janae didn't have her claws dug so deep into Dalton's fur, I'd—"
"You'd what?" whisper-shouted Hayes.
"Nothing."
"That's right, nothing because you've got a job to do. And you will do it."
"Fine, can we go now?"
"No, not yet," grumbled Hayes, seeing his worst nightmares come true right before his eyes. Pred and prey kits playing together. Uniformed kits of all sorts of species were hanging out in groups, some getting ready for a game, others resting under shared tents, but all of them were smiling, laughing, sharing snacks, and carrying on as if nothing terrible weren't happening right under their noses.
And the parents! They weren't acting any better than the kits. They didn't seem to care at all about species. Regardless of a kit being pred or prey, parents were on their knees helping the kits with uniform checks for shin guards and mouthguards, while others were checking for full water bottles and healthy rations of snacks.
No dignity whatsoever. It was disgusting, and it needed to stop right now.
"Wait here. I need to find the Mayor, and after I reserve the amphitheater, I'm going to have a long talk with her about all of this depravity and what drove her to allow a basketball court to be built and blight one of Bunnyburrow's most sacred places with a game that rabbits have no interest in."
-/-/-
"Whew," said Nick, wiping his brow. "Who knew a kit's soccer game could be that intense."
Judy rolled her eyes as she passed a water bottle to her referee partner. "You know those were six-year-olds, right?"
"Oh yeah?"
"Uh-huh, on a one-third sized field."
"Lots of scoring though."
"No goalies at this age."
"The snacks were pretty good," said Nick, handing the water bottle back to Judy. "How about we sign up to referee one of the teen games."
Judy stopped and, turning to her fox, asked, "Do you know how offsides works in soccer?"
Nick nodded, "Sure. If a kit has any part of their body across the blue line before the ball crosses, the play comes back to at least the neutral zone."
"Nope," said Judy, shaking her head. "Wrong sport, that's hockey. How about I sign us up for a U11 game next? Offsides isn't called until U12."
"Well… okay," nodded Nick, taking Judy's paw in his. "But how about we take a short break and head over to whatever space that is cut into the hillside, and you explain, in great detail, how offsides works in soccer."
Judy smirked as she squeezed Nick's paw and said, "I've already signed us up, we've got a 30-minute break until our next game starts."
"Well then, we better hurry," and turning to run, added, "last one there owes me a back rub."
…..
"Mmmmhhhmmm, that feels so good."
"Uh-huh," said Nick, giving Judy a peck on the cheek. "I'm glad, but there's a bunny family headed this way, and if they see me turning you into bunny goo, they might freak out."
"Raincheck?" said Judy.
"Yup, and since this fox is now an expert in soccer offsides, how about you tell me what's going on here with whatever is going on here."
Standing now on a slab of stone about a third of the way up the hillside, Nick made a three-quarter turn as he waved his paw around what looked like an ancient amphitheater. The hillside was cut out in a half circle, and there were almost 60 rows of paw worked flat stone going up the hill, all centered on a large circular stone dais or stage.
"This is more of your ancient ancestor's handiwork, isn't it?"
"Yup, said Judy, standing up. "This was built when Bunnyburrow was first settled. Like the kits said in the van, the founders wanted a place big enough for the whole town to meet and decide on things. It can easily hold over thirteen thousand rabbits, and the acoustics are so good that no matter where anyone is sitting, top row, sides, even in the aisles, they'd be able to hear a pin drop."
"Uh-huh," Nick said, lifting one of Judy's ears and waggling it a bit.
Judy smiled, "Okay, for rabbits, a pin. For someone like Clawhauser, the balled-up wrapper from one of his Zoodoo doughnuts.".
Nodding, Nick went silent as he took another slow look around.
"What are you thinking about?" asked Judy.
"What the kits were talking about in the van. You know, the ancient duels and feuds that used to happen between rabbits. I was wondering if any of that happened here."
"Duels and feuds between rabbit families?" asked Judy, nudging Nick. "Seriously?"
"Actually, yeah. That part Sunni mentioned in the van about the Gardiners and the Edwards families feuding is true. That day we met up with Sarge and Abby in Predville, Sarge filled me in on the current state of Border Warren politics while you were helping Gunny Mulcaty in the kitchen.
"So, it's not just the Edwards and the Hayes that hate each other, the Gardiners and the Edwards are feuding too?"
"Yeah, the part of the William J. story you didn't hear was that William J. killed Silas Edwards in a duel right after Bunnyburrow joined the Commonwealth. The warrens have been quietly feuding ever since."
Judy scratched her head, "So where does that leave Sarge with the Hayes? Enemy of my enemy is my friend? I don't get the feeling Sarge likes Emmett Hayes much."
"No, you're right about that. Sarge is worried that Hayes is going to make a play for the Edwards place and use that as leverage to push his speciest agenda on the town.
"And…" said Nick, looking Judy in the eyes, "you need to keep what I just said under your ears. Sarge is worried your dad might find out he's keeping an eye out on Hayes and step in. Sarge doesn't want your dad involved because he's not sure which way he'll go when Hayes makes his move."
Judy groaned, "Great, and I thought all the politics I had to deal with were going to be about us."
"Nope, this town is a hotbed of intrigue and drama, way crazier than that Game of Crowns show we binge-watched."
"Do you remember how many people died in that show?" asked Judy.
"Yup. Let's hope Bunnyburrow doesn't go that medieval on itself, especially since we promised the Sheriff we'd keep things calm and quiet."
"Speaking of," said Judy, "our break is up. Time to go keep a bunch of ten-year-olds in line."
"Without dragons?"
Chuckling, Judy took Nick's paw and, pulling him toward the fields, said, "That's right, no dragons, no army of the dead, no unsullied, just us."
"Doom…"
-/-/-
Sitting down next to a tree not too far from the concession building, Janae dialed a number, tapped the videocall button, and waited.
"Hey, good looking," came a smiling voice from her phone.
"Dalton, stop it," said Janae, blushing.
"What? It's true."
"Someone might hear."
"Let 'em, I don't care. I only care about you."
Janae rolled her eyes, "And doing your inventory. Otherwise, you'd be here helping me corral all these little kits."
Chuckling, Dalton said, "Yeah, sure, that's what I meant."
"You're going to miss the Mayor giving her speech about how wonderful it was that predator and prey kits from all over town pulled together and fundraised enough to build two basketball courts."
And then, nibbling her lip cutely, Janae added, "Maybe you could take a short break and come over here so the Mayor could shake your paw and thank you and your family for all the discounted equipment you helped the kits buy."
"Just to shake paws with the Mayor?"
Janae shrugged, "I might want to thank you too."
Dalton laughed.
Janae pouted.
"I'm going to be stuck here until late, eleven at least. How about you come over to my house tomorrow morning, and I cook you breakfast? I promoted one of the register clerks to Interim Assistant Store Opener so I could sleep in."
"You're so lazy."
"Not if someone comes by around ten-thirty to wake me up."
"You mean eight-thirty."
"I think I heard ten."
"See you at nine-thirty."
"Yes, ma'am. Nine-thirty it is."
Breaking the connection, Janae hummed to herself as she—
"Ahem," said a young voice that had somehow snuck up on her.
"Ahem," came another young voice standing next to the first.
Looking between the two voices, Janae snapped back to reality and said, "Hi."
Holding a junior-sized soccer ball, Sunni said, "We won."
Janae stood and, taking her siblings' paws in hers, replied, "Me too. Let's go get some ice cream before the Mayor does her speech."
…..
Courtney pressed herself against the tree she'd been sitting under, and then, hearing Janae and her siblings coming around to her side, she tried to squeeze inside a crook of exposed buttress roots.
'Dalton has to work late tonight. Until at least eleven.'
Courtney smiled, 'That gave her plenty of time to cook some of her mom's crème filled carrot cupcakes and get back into town in time to be the last customer in the store when it closed at eight.'
'Dalton may not like the help Janae could give him, worthless doe that she was, but she knew how to inventory supplies at the motel, and if her counting turned into multiplication practice, that was okay with her.'
"Oops."
A soccer ball squirted out from Sunni's one-armed hold and rolled back toward the tree.
Right to where Courtney was trying to be invisible.
Courtney used her foot to push the ball out toward Sunni, who quickly scooped it up and said, "Thank you!"
"Courtney," said Janae, with her nose twitching as if she were talking to a patch of stinkweed.
Ears up and vibrating, Courtney gulped and—
—pulled an earbud out of her ear, plastered her best fake smile on her muzzle, and said, "Uh, hi Janae."
Janae stared at the earbud in Courtney's paw for a three-count, looked down at the phone in her other paw, and huffed. "Come on, Sunni, Steven, let's get going before the line gets too long."
-/-/-
Mayor Ackerbunn smiled and waved until the clapping and cheers subsided enough for her to say, "…Thank you again to Charlie Duncan and Kristy Hopps, the brain trust behind this fantastic idea, Scoutmasters Mac Burns and Derek Stoan for bringing the Burrow's Venture and Bunny Scout troops together to fundraise beyond anything this town has ever seen, and finally to Dalton Diggar and his family for using their wholesale connections to get everything these kits needed at cost, or below."
"And to help get Bunnyburrow's first basketball league up and running, Burrow Meister Wilde has convinced the Pred-Prey Equal Rights Alliance to increase their charitable donations to the Burrow by 10%, in addition to matching, dollar for dollar, the donations of anyone who gives to the new youth league, up to a total of TWO thousand dollars."
"Woo-Hoo, go team Kristy and Charlie!" yelled Janae, pumping her fist and clapping.
Kristy and Charlie high-foured each other as the mixed species crowd of predators and prey mammals all followed suit with clapping, cheers, whistles, high and low hoof slaps, and some pretty amazing bouncing bunny backflips.
Handing the ceremonial scissors to Charlie and Kristy, Mayor Ackerbunn led them to a colorful ribbon tied between one of the basketball hoop poles and a pawheld flagpole flying the Burrow colors.
Paws together on the oversized scissors, Charlie and Kristy did the honors, cut the ribbon, and then jumped as Nick blew his ref's whistle and yelled, "Let's Play ball!"
"I think we need to get back to reffing our next soccer game," said Judy as Charlie and a teen raccoon from Predville started picking teams for the first official town pickup game.
"Come on, Carrots, I know basketball isn't a thing for rabbits, but one game won't hurt. We'll be done before you know it."
"You want me to play? I don't think so."
"Yay, Deputy Hopps!" yelled a groundhog sow clapping.
"See, the town wants you. Besides, I've spent all day learning the details of soccer offsides, which means it's your turn to learn a new game.
"Unless you're afraid that losing to a fox would be too embarrassing of a tale to tell in the bullpen when we get back to the Big City."
Judy groaned, "Fine."
"That's my girl. Now, basketball is a game of skill, accuracy, teamwork, and quick moves. Everyone plays offense and defense depending on where the ball is on the court."
"Okay, how does all that work with those pole-thingys on each side of the court," asked Judy.
"Those are the baskets, you dribble the ball as you make your way to the basket, and then you shoot the ball into the basket to score."
"I didn't bring my gun, so how am I supposed to shoot anything?"
Nick shook his head, "No, no, shooting is what it's called when you stand in front of the basket and throw it into the net, except you use a more precise motion than actually throwing the ball."
"But you just said I was supposed to drool with the ball, not just stand there, before throwing it at the basket."
"No drooling, it's called dribbling. For every step you take, you have to bounce the ball, or you get called for traveling."
"But we still have to work this afternoon, so why would I be traveling anywhere?"
"Travelling is a foul, so that's why you don't do it. Otherwise, the other team gets a throw-in from the sideline."
Putting her paws on her hips, Judy huffed, "So this game involves birds too, and if I travel with one, the other team throws up on the sideline. I'm thinking this game is gross, and that's why bunnies don't play it."
"Are you two ready to play?" asked Charlie, walking up with a ball in his paws.
"I don't think so, Charlie. My partner here has no idea what she's doing, and I don't want her to drag down the game."
"I'm not a drag. I can drool and travel just as well as you can, fox. So, bring it off, I'm ready."
Nick shook his head as he said, "On, it's bring it on."
"Whatever. I'll figure it out."
"She can be on my team," offered Charlie.
"I'll take Deputy Wilde," added the raccoon Nick remembered from his foot patrol through Predville with Buckstein.
"Yay, Judy," yelled Kristy from a bench on the sideline.
"I don't know, a bunny doe, and you've never played before. That doesn't sound fair," said Nick.
"Well, if you're so worried about this beginner doe beating you, how about we play for foot rubs tonight."
Nick chuckled, "A foot rub, no way. I'm going to want a back rub, too, as a reward for having to play against a total noob."
Spitting in her paw, Judy stuck it out and said, "Deal."
"Done," growled Nick, shaking Judy's paw. "You have no idea what's about to happen to you."
"Actually, I do. And I've got the oils and fur brushes you'll need to do it to me."
Both teams took their positions on the court, with Nick and Judy in the center and another kit holding the ball.
"You're playing center?" chuckled Nick, "This should be good."
"Yup," said Judy, nodding toward the young ref who threw the ball between Nick and Judy.
Nick jumped up in the air and, with his large paw, slapped where the ball was going to be to pass it to his raccoon teammate to the left.
Except all Nick slapped was air.
Judy sprung straight up and slapped the ball toward Charlie, hard.
Doing a follow-through backflip away from Nick, Judy landed running fast enough to catch the ball passed back to her, dribble around two slow-moving mammals and jump up under the hoop, turn around in mid-air, and dunk it backwards into the basket.
Nick hadn't moved from the center circle.
Walking from the basket toward her fox, Judy touched fists with Charlie, who was laughing now, and said, "Basketball isn't really a thing in Bunnyburrow, but I might have played a game or two in college."
Nick nodded. He'd been right and truly hustled, "So, does that mean we're playing for a full-body massage then?"
"Bring it, fox. You're going down."
-/-/-
"Damned, filthy pelt," mumbled Hayes to no one as the crowd around him broke up from the Mayor's ribbon-cutting ceremony and headed back to their soccer games.
'He should be run out of town along with all the filthy preds and their prey supporters,' thought Hayes as he glared at the basketball court's first official use and Stu's demented daughter squaring off against the one animal in town he wanted to see gone more than any other.'
Walking back toward the concession stand, Hayes continued to mentally grumble, 'How is it Stu puts up with his own flesh and blood thinking being a cop is better than being mated off to a willing buck, if such a mammal even exists, and bearing her duty of litters?'
"Speaking of a doe's proper duty."
Hayes looked down at his daughter sitting where he'd left her, eyes closed, humming along with whatever she was listening to on her phone.
"Courtney."
Nothing.
Hayes nudged her with his toe.
Eyes popped open as Courtney squeaked in surprise.
"We're leaving. The Mayor refuses to listen to me. She is absolutely blind to the horrors I'm seeing happen to this town. She's so blind to it that she made a special point in her speech to thank that mangey fox and that hare who's costing me money at the motel.
"Thank the gods that he wasn't here. That's all I don't need is to see him prancing around making a mockery of the decent rabbits living in this town and our glorious way of life. As a matter of fact, someone needs to have a talk with that hare about his deviant behavior, a very special talk."
Courtney perked up, "I can talk to him if you want. He's not here because his parents are out of town, and he has to spend all day and night working on their store inventory. I heard he'll be alone at the store working until at least eleven tonight."
Hayes growled.
Standing, Courtney kept talking. "I was thinking I could go over to his store just before closing time and talk to him then. Maybe help him count stuff and maybe…"
Hayes added a glare to his growl.
"Uh…," Courtney's ears rotated toward the danger signal they'd detected.
"I'll, uh, let him know he'd better be careful. I guess."
"Go wait for me in the car."
Courtney, ears drooping, tail sagging, mumbled a very compliant, "Okay," and then shuffled off to the parking lot.
Waiting until Courtney was out of earshot, Hayes pulled out his phone and made a call.
"Mason, Emmett here. Remember that favor I talked to you about? I've got a name for you."
-/-/-
"Who goes there?"
"Your mother."
"You may pass."
"Thank you, dear. You're doing a very good job as Hall monitor."
"Mom, I'm PAW patrol, not just a hall monitor. We're vigilant, dedicated, not afraid of the dark, and the last line of defense from total teen anarchy."
"Of course dear. That's why I came by to tell you that I left a plate of your favorite cookies in the teen media room and that you should hurry down and get some before your brothers and sisters eat them all."
"Sugar cookies? Big and soft, with cinnamon?" asked Zach.
"Yes, your most favorite. A whole platter full."
Zach licked his lips, "I don't know. I've been watching out for violations from Judy and her fox friend. They're tricky. Every now and then, they'll peek out of their doors like they're planning on sneaking around."
"But they haven't, have they?"
"No ma'am. As a matter of fact, it's not even curfew yet, and I think they're both sound asleep."
"Very good. So how about I take over and stand your watch for a bit while you take a break and get some cookies and milk."
"You'd do that? I mean, thank you, ma'am," replied Zach, giving his mom a textbook salute.
And receiving one in return.
"Yum, I'll be right back."
"Take your time," replied Bonnie, chuckling as she crept up on Judy's bedroom door.
Lifting an ear to the door, Bonnie listened carefully for almost a minute. Nothing.
Wrinkling her nose, she moved next door to Nick's room. Yes, these rooms were heavily insulated, but—
"Mmmmhhhh," came a faint female voice.
"Your fur is so soft," replied a louder male voice.
"Shhhhhh, someone might hear us."
"Yes, yes they might," cooed Bonnie. Now for what to do about Stu when he finds out.
-/-/-
"Excuse me."
Brown lifted his hooves off his keyboard mid-thought and slowly said, "I'm busy. What do you want?"
"What happened to all the old formula? I need one to dose that pred I showed you."
Looking up now, Brown prayed for competent help, and unwilling to allow the intruder to break his train of thought more than he already had, focused on his monitor and said, "I disposed of it."
"But I need some, now."
A huff. Usually, that's all it took, but this creature was slow to take the hint.
"The formula you had here was first generation. What I'm creating now is much more advanced. I found a flaw in the original buffer we designed, and through arduous recalculation and reformulation, I now have a formula that can overcome the chemical mix that substitutes for emotion in pred physiology. The formula I'm preparing a test manufacturing run of is a masterpiece of engineering and the final step toward reshaping society into a utopia of such beauty and harmony that your limited brain cannot comprehend its wonderfulness."
"So, your new formula works better than the old one, but the rebound effect lasts a lot longer and is much worse than the old formula."
Brown slowly turned around to glare at this iteration of Blue-son.
"That's what your notes on the whiteboard over there say. I still need some formula."
Brown looked over at his whiteboard notes and then back. "Fine, I dumped it all in the burn bag next to the equipment storage shelves, you may have one for your pet pred, but that's all. And no more disturbances. None. At. All. Understand."
"Yes, sir," said Blue-son as he grabbed a dart ball out of the disposal bag at the same time he stealthily palmed a couple of tranq darts from the equipment shelves.
And scampered away.
Turning back to his work, Brown groaned, "First, the preds, and then maybe we take a look at what we should be doing with some of the more useless prey species."
-/-/-
*sqeeeeeeak*
"Girl, what are you doing with those leftover carrot cupcakes?"
Paw still on the front door handle, Courtney sagged, "Nothing, Dad."