Heyo! Been awhile since I updated this story! (And a few others... .) Anyways, I'm super excited for this latest chapter. Now, granted, I know that the theme is a little late... but still, it was fun to write! And I hope it's just as fun for you all to read!
The Key (Chapter 5)
by
Elite Shade
"BOOM! Sent ya flying without your glider to help ya, Loop!" Isaac let out a happy yip as he bounced where he was sitting on the side of Eli's bed. Big Mike, sitting on Eli's shoulder, simply rolled his eyes and whispered into the human boy's ear.
"I forgot to mention that Isaac gets pretty competitive when it comes to the Uber Crash Bros games..."
Eli started to laugh, which quickly turned into a coughing fit. He made sure to turn away from Mike and cough into a tissue, having to blow his nose afterwards.
"You okay?"
Eli nodded and sniffed. He was wearing his gray pajama shirt and shorts, the left side of his brown hair stuck up in the latest bedhead fashion.
"Yeah, I just wish this stupid cold coulda waited until after Howlentine's Day."
"Eh, you didn't miss much in school today."
"Except for Mira giving YOU a special howlentine today..." Isaac said, his elbow nudging Mike in the side, almost knocking the mouse off of Eli's shoulder.
"I told you, those chocolates were just because we're friends!"
"Suuuuuuuure they were, Mike." Isaac gave a wink as Mike huffed, and Eli fought not to laugh or cough. Before the bickering could start up again, there was a light knock at his bedroom door. It opened as Judy entered, giving a warm smile to the boys.
"Sorry to interrupt your game, but two more friends are here to see you, sweetie."
"Okay, th-thanks Mom!" Eli coughed again. Judy walked over and gave him a hug, feeling his forehead as she did so, and feeling a bit of relief that it was definitely not as warm as it had felt earlier. Hurrying back out, there were the sounds of running paws and hooves clambering to the door. It flew open again to reveal a certain tigress and zebra, partially entangled, both trying to get through the doorway at the same time. Eventually, the two popped out and fell in a heap onto one another.
"Hello Lyla, Hello Kimi," Mike said as casually as could be while the girls both got back up.
"Hiiii Eli... and Mike and Isaac." Kimi purred as she stepped forward, giving a little twirl in her bright pink and white dress. "Like my dress? I wore it special for today."
The coyote and the mouse both shot each other a sideways glance, but said nothing. Eli briefly looked up from the game and smiled at the two, briefly taking in Kimi and her sundress, and Lyla, in her jean shorts and simple red tank top.
"Hey guys. Nice outfits!" He turned back to the screen, his tongue partially sticking out as he concentrated on getting his Yowlshi to finish off Isaac's Grrby. Lyla just rolled her eyes while Kimi huffed.
"We wanted to stop by and see how you were feeling, Eli," Lyla said, taking a seat next to the human boy.
"I'm fine, it's just a cold. But thanks, it's really nice that you all showed up just for me." Eli blushed as he looked at his friends.
"Awww, of course we did, buddy!" Isaac said, hunching over to rapidly hit buttons on his controller.
"Yeah!" Kimi chimed in, putting her arms behind her back. "But also... you know what today is, riiight?"
"OH COME ON!" Isaac yipped angrily as he was finally eliminated. Kimi bit back a growl.
"It's Howlentine's Day!" She pulled out from behind her back a red and white striped box, opening it to reveal twelve sugar cookies with pink sugar sprinkles coating them. "I baked these special for today."
Eli's eyes went wide as he stood up and accepted the box from her.
"Oh wow! Kimi... that's so nice!"
Kimi smiled and purred.
"Thank you for sharing these cookies with us!" Eli excitedly took one, passing the box to the others, while Kimi stopped beaming and started to stammer.
"B-but, I baked th-those-"
Eli turned away from everyone and started coughing, keeping his mouth covered as he did so.
"Hold on, that reminded me. I got you all something for today too!" Eli got up and hurried out the room, Mike holding on tight to the boy's shoulder.
Kimi crossed her arms and glared at Isaac as he happily munched on a cookie, getting plenty of the pink sugar crystals around his muzzle. The coyote boy, mouth still full, stopped and looked up at the tigress with an innocent look on his face.
"What?" His voice was muffled.
Eli was soon back in his room, holding up a small stack of paper bags. Each one with their names on them.
"I baked these after getting instructions from my grandmas, right before I got sick. I tried to make them personal for everyone in the Troop!" Eli's smile brightened the whole room as he passed out the bags to his present friends, getting Isaac and Mike to agree to pass out the others to the rest of their troop at school tomorrow.
Kimi looked down at her bag, with her name written on it in blue ink. Feeling curious, she quickly opened hers and pulled out a pawful of sugar cookies, with black and white stripes, all in the shapes of hearts. The tigress felt a blush reach her cheeks as she broke out into an excited smile.
"I wanted to make them personal for each of you."
"WOAH! Mine look like flying saucers!" Isaac's tail was a blur as he started showing off his silvery cookies.
"Dang! Mine look like actual badges!" Mike snickered, holding up a cookie half his height. As he had said, it looked like an actual ranger scout badge, except it had a human hand making a thumbs up with writing on it reading Best Troop Leader. Lyla looked in her bag and blushed. She looked up and made eye contact with Eli, who was also blushing. She picked up one of the little red-dyed rose-shaped cookies, marveling at the detail for each petal, feeling a little self-conscious about the card and the little box of chocolates she got for him. Their eyes met again, and Eli started to rub the back of his neck, still smiling at her.
"OH ELI, THANK YOU!" Kimi practically squealed, before tackling him in a hug.
Downstairs...
"Hey, Fluff." Judy's ears perked up as she stopped absentmindedly looking out the window and turned towards the source of the fox's voice. Hopping down from the kitchen counter, she entered the living room to find her mate standing there in his favorite green pawaiian shirt and khaki slacks, a casual smirk on his muzzle. She was already raising an inquisitive eyebrow at whatever scheme he was up to now. Before she could ask him anything, he spread his arms wide, revealing a golden rope hanging down from a series of pulleys up near the ceiling.
"Nick?"
"Happy Howlentine's Day, Carrots!" He gave a yank to the rope, and a large number of red, white, and pink heart-shaped balloons slowly rained down from above.
"Nick-"
Just then, Judy found her arms being loaded with a big red heart-shaped box and a bouquet of violets.
"Nick, this is really sweet but-"
Just was then interrupted by a series of squeaks as more wheels and pulleys moved, allowing another surprise to descend from above. The bunny found herself speechless as she gazed upon the sight of a very annoyed-looking Finnick held aloft by a rope tied around his middle, only wearing a pair of plastic white wings and a cloth diaper, holding a bow with a notched plunger arrow that he fired in her direction, missing and knocking something over that smashed to the floor.
"Happy Howlentine's Day for one very, I can't believe you're making me say this, foxy bunny." He sighed and a confetti cannon fired with a loud POP, causing glittery heart-shaped confetti to rain onto Judy. "And for the record, I wanted nothing to do with this plan, but Nicky called in a favor, which has been paid in full!" Finnick growled and started trying to untie himself. Nick stood next to Judy, his tail wagging slowly as he looked down at his mate.
"Nick," Judy started, trying to maintain a serious composure, but a smile at the corner of her lips cracked the facade. It started with a giggle, before soon she was doubled-over with laughter, all while Nick had a smug look on his muzzle.
"There it is. With all that worrying you've been doing lately, Fluff, I was starting to forget how bright it always gets whenever I get to see that smile of yours." He leaned down and his lips quickly found hers. Judy could feel her temperature rising already and had to force herself to stop and physically separate the two of them, which was not easy as Nick's tail, as per usual when they were being 'intimate' was wrapped securely around the small of her back.
"Easy, Slick. Don't forget we've got our kit and his friends in the house, any one of which could come down at any minute."
"We could always take this to the squad car... like the last two times..." His voice had a husky edge to it that made her feel even warmer and brought a red blush to her cheeks.
"Are you crazy?! We almost got caught both times!" She squeaked out, her paw playing with his necktie, all while his tail squeezed them just a little closer together.
"But I am crazy, Carrots. I'm crazy in love with you." Nick kissed her deeply and passionately again, excited to feel her reciprocate. When they broke apart, they were both panting a little.
"N-Nick!" Judy pushed away a little more forcefully, but while biting her lower lip, wanting nothing more than to tackle her fox instead. "There's something we need to talk about!"
Nick sighed but nodded. Of course, still being Nick, he smirked and dropped to sit cross-legged, pulling Judy onto his lap. She blushed some more, and briefly wanted to scold the fox... instead, she leaned in and rested her head on his chest. She smiled a little when his chin settled atop her head and his big fluffy tail once more wrapped around her.
"Is this about the cameras?"
He could feel Judy nod.
"Yeah... well, at least partly that, but there's something else."
"Am I correct in guessing that you're scared for our kit?"
"How could I not be?!" Judy sat up and grabbed Nick's cheeks to lower his face so she could look him in the eyes. "Our son was targeted not once, but twice by a lunatic. First with some Nighthowler serum, and then, when a second lunatic joined in, he was drugged and kitnapped and locked in a cage! Now we find out that there's, at the very least, some third lunatic out there, who put secret cameras in not our home, but in the homes of so many other humans?" Her ears dropped to rest behind her back as she dejectedly looked down.
"I just love Eli so much, and I want him to be safe and happy. But sometimes... it feels like the world itself is trying to keep that from happening..."
A kiss to her cheek drew her attention to Nick, who smiled back.
"I feel the exact same way, Judy." He leaned back and looked up at the ceiling, but his gaze being elsewhere. "Sometimes it really can feel like the whole world is against you, that everywhere you turn is just another unfriendly face glaring down at you. It chips away at you, makes you feel so small... worthless... alone and... unwanted."
"Oh, Nick..."
His gaze snapped back to her, his smirk returning.
"But our kit isn't alone. He's got two butt-kicking parents and a ridiculously gigantic family and has made so many friends, I doubt he's ever going to feel alone, even when he may want to!"
Judy chuckled, knowing that between all her nieces and nephews and little cousins and how much they loved visiting Eli, that Nick wasn't far from the truth there.
"Now, has my silly and over the top Howlentine's surprise helped you out of your cute little funk?"
Judy frowned at the use of the c-word, but opted to let it go.
"Mostly..."
"Mostly? I must be losing my touch."
The doe let out a snort.
"Actually, I just had one more thing I've been meaning to talk to you about, slick."
"Oh? What is this secondary weight of the world you seem so determined to carry on your little cute shoulders."
Once again, she let the c-word go.
"Nick... remember how I went to the doctor last week because of how nauseous I've been lately?"
"Yeah?" Judy's ears perked at the slight edge of worry she could hear creeping into his voice.
"Well, I got a call from the doctor a little bit ago. I need to... go in for another test, just to confirm the findings..."
"Test? Findings?" Nick's heartbeat was speeding up, something else her ears were able to pick up on.
"Yeah... according to her though... it looks like I might be... pregnant."
She only took a little satisfaction in the silence that pervaded after the bombshell she had just dropped. Why, she could swear she heard Nick's heart skip a beat.
THUD!
"Nick?" Judy turned to see that her mate was laying on his back, out cold.
"Oh you... dumb fox!" Judy sighed, but smiled, gently setting her violets and box of candies down while climbing out of her mate's lap. She checked to make sure he was alright, freezing when she heard, from right above them, a deep voice clear their throat.
"Hey, Judy, congrats and all that. But unless you wanna have to change a diaper before your new kit's even gotten here, I suggest you help me down ASAP!"
Meanwhile...
Bogo tapped away at his phone, chuckling as he imagined how surprised his wife was going to be to find a giant stuffed teddy bear sitting in front of their front door. Just as he finished typing in the delivery instructions and sending them off, his phone started to buzz in his hooves. Tapping at the screen, he brought it up to speak into.
"Bogo here." He stopped and listened, grabbing his computer mouse and clicking on a few things.
"And where was the signal being transmitted to?"
He leaned forward in his chair while listening to the mammal on the other end speaking.
"I'll send in all available units to the location at once, and have a S.W.A.T. team brought in as well."
The voice on the other end spoke some more, and Bogo found himself shaking his head.
"Negative. Officers Wilde-Hopps and Wolford-Fangmeyer are too close to this. They're excellent officers otherwise."
He listened for a few more seconds and gave a single 'Affirmative' before terminating the call. He let out a long sigh and removed his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose.
"At least I was able to get the order shipped out in time, before the day ends." He then sat up straighter and reached for the office phone. He still had a job to do, and it was high time to strike while the iron was hot.
Elsewhere...
"Camila, I just can't thank you enough for putting us up here all of a sudden."
The older female jaguar waved her paws at Lily, giving a hearty laugh as she guided the human into the kitchen.
"Think nothing of it, Lily! The way I see it, we can chalk this up to a surprise visit, and one where I get to spend more time with my son's special lady."
"Mama, please try not to embarrass me in front of Lily," Renato called out, wincing as he passed by, holding additional table leaves.
"Oh, hush now! It is the privilege of every good parent to embarrass their cubs with funny stories from their youth, baby pictures, and maybe a family secret or two!"
"MAMA!"
Lily smiled, loving how warm and welcoming Renato's family had been. They certainly made her feel safe, coming over every inch of the tree-top household to search for any hidden cameras, turning up nothing. As Camila walked ily on how to cook the chicken on the stove, a thought struck her.
"Hmm... now that I have mentioned it, there are truly some adorable baby pictures of my sweet little Renny. You keep an eye on dinner, dear, while I go and look for the family scrapbook."
"Mama, I heard that!" Renato's voice carried over from the other room.
Lily smiled quietly as she manned the skillet. This certainly wasn't the Howlentine's Day she had imagined, but deep down, she knew, this would be her favorite.
At that moment...
Russell lay in his bed, still wearing his gray hoodie and black shorts, staring up at the deep blue ceiling of his room. Life had seemed so simple before the hidden cameras had been found. Mr. and Mrs. Spitz had been shocked when the police had come by to warn of someone using hidden cameras to spy on humans. That shock had quickly morphed into terror when, after agreeing to let them do a sweep, the police had found thirteen hidden cameras on the property. The two huskies hadn't blamed their human charge, even going out of their way to make sure he was alright. That didn't stop the teenaged boy from feeling guilt about the attention from some weird psycho he'd brought upon them all. He sighed and turned on his side, wondering what was going to happen next.
TING!
Sitting upright, Russell got his answer as he looked out his window to see a familiar jackal boy, dressed in his red and yellow lettermammal jacket with a white undershirt on underneath and his stylish torn jeans, tapping at the pane of glass.
"Jackson?!"
Russell smoothed his hair down and tried to nonchalantly hop out of bed. Unfortunately for him, Russell's foot became entangled in the sheet and he tumbled to the floor. Jackson winced but had to wait as Russell untangled himself and rushed to open the window, letting the other boy inside. He saw now that Jackson was carrying a heart-shaped card, clearly paw-made.
"Hey, good-lookin'," Jackson said with a swish of his tail. Russell went a little pink in the cheeks.
"Hey... sorry I forgot about Val... I mean Howlentine's Day. I just... got a lot going on right now..."
"I know, that thing with the cameras is creepy." The canid saw Russell start to shrink in on himself and took his hand in his paw. "That doesn't change the fact that today's the day for letting that special someone know how you feel... and you're my special someone so... here."
"But... wait, why come through the window? Mr. Sp- uhg, D-Dad said you're welcome here anytime?"
Jackson just grinned and shrugged.
"Climbing up to your window seemed more fun and romantic."
Russell felt butterflies fluttering in his stomach as he accepted the card. Opening it, he saw a poem.
Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
You're the greatest boyfriend ever,
Deep down, I hope you know it's true.
"J-Jacksom, I'm so sor-" Russell was cut off as his boyfriend's lips found his. His eyes closed as he lost himself in the moment.
In an undisclosed location...
A scratchy voice shuddered and was breathing quickly.
"Got... reckless..." The hooded and masked figure choked out as they rapidly packed all sorts of documents and charts into a briefcase. Looking around, computer monitors were displaying a few different stages of having their hard drives wiped.
"No... matter..." They said, tipping over a red barrel, liquid gushing out of the opened hole and spreading across the ground. The figure in the black gas mask grabbed the last few remaining documents, and looked around again to see that the drive wipes had completed, all while stepping around the ever growing puddle.
"So... close... not... done... yet..." In their dark gloved hand, they produced a single match. Striking it against the edge of a desk, it flaired to life. Without any hesitation, they flicked the burning match over to the liquid, which instantly caught fire and spread all around where the puddle spread. They calmly walked out of a doorway, the blazing inferno quickly spreading. In the distance, sirens were already blaring, growing in volume, as the figure disappeared into the shadows.
That seems ominous! What could possibly come of this?! Tune in next time to find out!