AN: I'm hoping this repost has finally fixed the posting errors. FF has glitched for two weeks and hasn't allowed my last two chapter to remain visible, only showing up to chapter 4. I have no idea why this site is so buggy, but I may have to abandon this platform for AO3, altogether if these problems continue.

Superpowers: Part 2

Like last week, the hour would go by in what felt like a flurry.

However, it would be very different this time as his mother would not be in the meeting,

"I have to run a few errands for the house, but I'll only be across the street at the market, Nicky."

As the vixen leaned down to nuzzle the top of his head, he couldn't help but grab onto her arm for a second before letting her go at realizing his actions.

He understood that she wasn't supposed to stay in for his appointments from now on, he knew that was how it was supposed to be. Still, that didn't make hearing those words or looking back down the hall at his staring mother easy as he timidly followed the rabbit to her office.

Distressed, his tail curled between his legs as they reached the door. Nick still wasn't sure what to expect from these times, really. He understood that Mrs. Ruth was supposed to help him with his problems and feelings, and he remembered how last week her voice and the way she smiled at him had made him feel… good. Still, even though he did want to see the older rabbit again, without his mom it would be a fearful start to their second meeting for the fox. It would just be him and the prey doctor, and he was worried about how things might be now that his mom wasn't here.

What if she changes…. His brain thought worriedly. He had seen prey firsthand smile at him, treat him as his friend, and then change because…

… You're a fox... His brain finished for him.

And though he never figured out why that mattered, he knew it certainly did to the Ranger Scouts, and even to other prey like the unfriendly antelope officer that met them at Zootopia Clinic, and to the nurses that had treated him and his mom so harshly.

He jumped slightly as the door shut behind him, pulling him away from his brooding thoughts and towards the back of the rabbit who was now humming as she walked to the other side of the room.

Nick warily watched as she reached her desk, the bunny doctor was either unbothered or unaware of his jumpiness and the fact that he hadn't moved an inch from the entryway closer to her. He hadn't yet built the courage to take a step forward, let alone to sit in the chair across from the desk yet. Nick didn't want to look at the rabbit eye to eye yet, he would squirm if she stared. Nor was he ready for her to start asking him questions about what happened, or for her to be disappointed or angry when he couldn't find his words. His stomach tied in knots as his brain thought about all the things that could go wrong. He didn't want the rabbit to get frustrated with him or look at his scars or claws and realize he was broken and bad, and he didn't want to be-

Don't hate me… Please don't hate me…

-Hurt. Nick didn't want to be hurt again for things he couldn't understand.

That was the heart of the matter.

He was scared, and despite wanting to see the rabbit again, reality reminded him that she was still a prey and that he was alone with her, and she may not like him because of his claws and teeth, and he was ugly from his scar and- and- and-

Nick sniveled slightly before covering his trembling mouth with his paws trying to snuff out the little cry. His worry was eating at him, and anxiously green eyes followed the rabbit's figure as she walked behind the workspace where he could only see her ears peeking over the top of the table.

However, instead of rising in the seat to where he could see the rest of her and where they would surely sit across from each other, there was the sound of crinkling, tearing papers, a spill of a liquid and an "Oh carrotsticks!"

Mystified, cautious greens were absorbed in the moving pair of ears at the top of the desk, as his own pointed ones lifted in attention at the sound of shuffling.

Captivatedly, Nick watched the long gray appendages of the rabbit turn around as Mrs. Ruth came back into view, thoughts immediately halted at the strange sight. The rabbit's paws were brimming with what Nick could only describe as papers and brushes and cloths and, well, junk as she struggled to a corner of the room that Nick only now realized had a bright yellow lamp lighting a cleared out space. It was a surreal moment for the fox kit, as if the magnifying glass that he believed was constantly over his head, suddenly was removed as he realized the rabbit wasn't focused on him in the slightest.

"Sometimes I like to get artsy…" The rabbit started offpawedly as she practically crashed with the supplies onto the carpet, causing Nick to wince a little as he watched her rub at her legs for a second.

Though the bunny had all but fell, she didn't seem bothered by it for long. She was too busy moving on to whatever she was talking about now,

"I don't mind if you spill any of the water or get the paint on the carpet, Nicholas. it'll come out! Comes outta clothes pretty easily too, and- Oh! Hey catch!"

And now, as a rabbit-sized apron was thrown to his chest from the carpet, the session clearly wasn't anything like Nick thought it would be. His confusion did nothing to deter the rabbit, though.

"I was just hoping we could paint something you like. Oh- oh- It can be from the show if you want!" Mrs. Ruth gestured at the Silver Hare Ranger that he had brought with him from the waiting room and was squeezing tightly to his chest.

The doctor seemed unaware of the perplexed feelings she was creating inside of the little fox. She was too focused on wiping up some of the milky-white 'water' that had sloshed onto the carpet from perhaps the dirtiest coffee mug in all of the Burrows. She wasn't watching how Nick's ears were perked alertly or how his tail was stiff. She didn't see how his eyes watched her with dazed uncertainty, like she was some sort of madmammal. She didn't see his inner council at war over what any of her actions meant or what she might be trying to really do.

But unbeknownst to the little fox, she was listening.

She could hear the way his breathing hitched nervously. She could hear his claws lightly scratch against the fabric of the apron as he clenched his paws. She could even hear the slightest bit of his subvocals whine apprehensively. She heard everything, which is why she was behaving so silly in the first place,

The rabbit dialed up her humming tune and her smile to 11 as she thought about her goal for this session today,

I know this is a big step… but I'm going to pull you out of your shell, don't you worry.

Ironically, even while not realizing that the doctor was listening to him, Nick's eyes had been locked onto those same ears.

His gaze had first followed her quick and confident paws, smoothing out the papers, before being pulled to the sound of her lightly thumping foot as she hummed, and then ultimately settling on her most prominent feature, her long grey ears.

He took a deep, strained breath, watching as the rabbit's ears twitched at the near silent noise. He was still thinking about the words his mom had spoken about the rabbit doctor on their walk this morning and whether or not that what his mom said was true. He tightened his grip on the Silver Hare in his paws as he wondered about magic and supermammals and the various ideas of special abilities he'd seen on tv.

It was then, as he stared at her ears, that Mrs. Ruth finally looked up and smiled at him, patting the floor with her paw. He blinked his eyes closed and let his legs finally move, worry present, but accompanied with a silent whisper,

Superpowers…

He still didn't know if she had them… but he did know that for whatever reason, he was now wearing the little paint-stained apron and holding a damp brush in his paws.

"You might not have ever painted before, Nicholas, but I think it's something every mammal should try at least once!" There was an encouraging smile as her eyes met his. "It's your choice, but it's really fun!"

From there, the older rabbit spent the next several minutes talking about how to mix the right amount of water and how to hold the brush and how each line was destined to go wherever it went even if you didn't mean for it to go there.

She chittered about this and that, talking for most of the time about anything and everything, and especially about 'happy little accidents' anytime a strayed brush stroke caused him to frown a little.

It was mesmerizing in a way, not because of anything that was amazingly said or the powers his mom talked about or anything. It was because of how normal things felt. He was too focused to think about what he looked like with his scars or that his mom wasn't there, or that they had moved, or that Mrs. Ruth was a prey, or that he was a fox. He was just coloring and learning and listening to the soft voice of the older mammal's moments of chatter.

As Nick had sat with her on the floor, he hadn't even thought about how her paws guided his on those occasional harder, shaky paint-strokes. Nor did he think about how he'd begun coloring with grays and silvers and blacks and blues more than anything.

Before he had even really focused on what he had finished doodling, an excited voice came from right over his shoulder.

"My niece loves Merrick Barkson!"

Without close friends, Nick hadn't had much of a chance to talk to others his age about many of the things he liked. Fewer still were fans of the misunderstood Lunar Wolf Ranger. His tail swished ever so slightly in amazement that she knew who he was drawing and even the name of the ranger.

"He's her second favorite character, next to Jack Silver, actually."

By the end of the meeting, there was a little fox and an older rabbit both staring at the image that he had created.

"Yep," Mrs. Ruth paused while admiring the work in the red paws of the fox kit, "I believe this is good enough for a frame, Nicholas! I love it."

Mrs. Ruth's enduring smile returned as she felt his tail fwap against her side before she giggled at his reaction to her praise.

He's a tenderheart alright. Just like someone else I know.

The smile subdued just a fraction as long ears collapsed slightly, You've just been hurt because of that. But I will help you, that's a Hopps' promise.

As the doctor contemplated, her ears perked and turned towards the door. Her eyes flicked to the hands of the clock realizing they were in the last fifteen minutes of their time that she designated for discussing short and long-term goals with Mrs. Wilde. Simultaneously as she looked back to the entry, a light but pressing series of knocks rapped against the door.

Mrs. Wilde sure is prompt for our post conference. The rabbit doctor noted, though she expected nothing less from the protective fox mother. She must be worried.

The doctor was wholly correct.

On the other side of the office door, the vixen shifted from foot to foot. For Vivan Wilde, she'd been cautious about leaving the building in the first place. Had it not been for the dire needs of their new abode and her unwillingness to leave Nicky alone and stewing in his thoughts at home too long, she couldn't afford to not take advantage of the time.

As much as she hated the idea of leaving Nick at the counseling office without her waiting in the wings, she placed her faith in Dr. Hopps' instructions.

She had managed to get groceries to their house and make it back in time, and this was the better alternative than leaving him at home unattended or forcing him to tag along to places he wasn't quite ready to go to yet.

Still, it left the vixen anxious the entire hour.

Thankfully, when the door opened, relief swiftly swept over Vivan.

She was greeted by the rabbit's gentle visage and soft voice at the entrance welcoming her. But of course, it was what was behind the doctor that eased her fretting thoughts.

"Nicky…"

Her kit, her wonderful kit, was sheepishly holding near his chest a thick paper with a mixture of colors, with his tail swaying lightly behind him.

And… the fox mother's heart swelled. Not so much that her worry subsided entirely. Not so much that she would stop herself from marking the top of his skull when she padded over there to hug him.

But it certainly felt full then.

For Nick, he had watched when Mrs Ruth's ears had turned to the door.

He had not heard his mother coming down the hall, but as if by secret knowledge or power he watched her take the step toward the door before the first knock. And, as if by summoning, his mother had come in, and instantly he felt a little shy as he held Jack Silver between one of his arms and his chest and the little painting in his paws.

And, for the first time in a long time, his own heart leapt a little as he watched her focus on his artwork. For once in what felt like ages, there was a rush of pride when he saw her smile at the paper.

He didn't even mind or feel embarrassed when she kissed the top of his head in front of Mrs. Ruth. All he could do was look past the loving muzzle of the older vixen and to the gray ears of the bunny who was watching the two of them.

"Mrs. Wilde, did you remember to tell Nicholas what we talked about on the phone this week?"

There was a second that Nick saw his mother smile brightly before she turned picking him up in her arms to where they would both be facing towards Mrs. Ruth unobstructed. "I did, doc- Mrs. Ruth."

He watched as the rabbit smiled that blazingly bright smile as she focused her eyes on him. Her ears seemed to perk ever so slightly higher as if to emphasize what she was about to say. He felt a bit shy all of a sudden as she watched him, but he couldn't seem to turn away.

"Nicholas, "Did you know a picture is worth a thousand words?"

The little fox shyly shook his head no. He'd not heard of that before.

"It might sound weird, but it's true, pictures say a lot of things, and…" The doctor looked to the patch of drying greys and blues in his paws, "Even if you don't feel ready to say anything, it's still easy to listen and to hear you whether you're ready to speak or not… afterall, I'm all ears."

And, as Nick flipped his painting over to view what he had made, a drawing of a wolf and a hare in special uniforms flying in a rocketship and holding paws and smiling, her words sunk in… He knew it was true then.

Superpowers.

AN: This chapter has a little more light than a lot of them. I'm hoping that you, reader, enjoyed it.

I'm happy to be writing more again, I can't believe its been so difficult to write. I love this community and I'm glad I'm able to contribute to it. I hope my writing is something that people are able to enjoy, despite my little rant about ff and its issues.