FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

DANGEROUS GAMES

by Shryke

A humid mist hung in the air, as the sun slowly crept upwards from the horizon. The fox jogged along the sidewalk as the morning commuters buzzed by in their cars. It was early June, and Jack Archer had just graduated from high school. It was an achievement he was particularly proud of, as it fulfilled a promise he had made to many people, not the least of whom was himself.

Just three years prior, nobody would have thought it likely that he would ever walk across that stage to get his diploma. Jack was what was usually termed a "problem cub" during his early teenage years. A lack of any serious discipline at home, combined with what little enforcement there was being both inconsistent and ineffective, eventually led Jack to be a spoiled and irresponsible kit by the time he was ten. It took some sudden and abrupt changes at home to turn him around.

He smiled to himself with a small sense of pride as he continued his morning jog. In addition to the "tough love" from his parents, a certain amount of his own willpower had brought him to where he now was: a fresh high school graduate. He had proven that he was responsible and disciplined enough to turn both his academic and personal lives around, and that little sheet of parchment was a vindication of everything he had been through.

Jack had moved out of his house the day after graduation. This was not due to any particular desire to leave, and certainly not due to any conflict or animosity over the roughness of the last few years. As he explained to his parents, he had one more thing to prove to them and to himself: that he was responsible enough to survive on his own, without the safety net that was always there at home. Even while he paid for his own meals from the paychecks from his part-time job, there was still the implicit safety of living at home to catch him if he fell. Living in the real world, however, came with no such guarantees.

The apartment complex he moved to was not particularly far from home: close enough that he could visit often, but far enough, ten or fifteen miles, to instill a sense of independence in the young vulpine. His parents insisted that they pay his first month's rent, despite of his objections over his fledgling independence. He finally accepted it as a graduation gift; it did give him time to settle into his new surroundings and find a new job, after all.

Jack continued his jog. He was an average 18-year old red fox, with markings typical of his species: his main fur coloration was a rusty reddish-brown, with black "gloves" on his paws and feet. White fur covered his his front side, running from his cheeks and chin, down his neck and abdomen, ending on the insides of his legs just below where they met his trunk. A small patch of white also graced the end of his tail.

His head was topped with darker fur, nearly brown, which he kept combed straight back and somewhat short. Black fur lined the front edges of his ears and covered the backs of them. His eyes were a very dark brown, looking almost black in low light.

Not particularly tall or muscular in the upper-body, he was gifted with good running speed and agility, which had served him well on his high school football team. That was his father's idea as well: Jack was pressed to try out for the team to teach him to accept failure with grace. To everyone's surprise he did make the team, which further helped him grow emotionally. Having teammates rely on him, as well as his needing to rely on them, taught him much about what it meant to be a responsible fox.

The back entrance to the apartment complex came into view as Jack rounded a corner. These were garden-style apartments: groups of small separated buildings, each housing 8 individual apartment units. Between the buildings were open areas of grass and trees, all tied together by the parking lot which snaked around the dozen buildings that made up the complex. Jack's building was towards the back of the complex, set well back from the main road.

Jack turned into the complex on the final leg of his morning ritual. He waved to some furs in a car as they drove by him on the way to wherever they happened to be going. He had been here only a week, and had not yet met anyone, beyond occasional waves such as this. All in time, he told himself. He hoped this would be true, at least. It was difficult for him to make friends in high school, beyond those furs in his classes or on the team with whom he seemed to get along well. In fact he considered himself to be rather outgoing. Despite this, however, he had very few of what would be considered "best friends".

The building which housed Jack's apartment came into view, and he began to slow up in preparation for his cool-down stretches. A shadow of concern crossed his face as he approached his apartment, bringing him back to the little problems of everyday life, as he observed his car parked right outside.

He had bought this car from a member of the football team for 50 dollars at the start of the term. It was an old car, 30 years or more, with a big V-8 engine, vinyl bench seats, and all the problems one would expect with a car that old. This was fine with Jack, as he was fairly knowledgeable in car repairs, having hung out with the hot-rodders for a time during his troubled phase. That was part of the reason he had bought this particular car, in spite of its problems: cars this old were much easier to work on than modern ones with everything computer controlled.

Jack began his cool-down routine as he contemplated the car's current problem, which loomed like the sword of Damocles over his head. It was showing classic signs of an engine head gasket about to blow: running hot and the constant sweet smell of burning anti-freeze. Jack knew it was just a matter of time before it blew completely, at which point the car would, of course, be dead where it sat, whether that was in a convenient parking lot, or in the fast lane of the freeway.

Repairing the head gasket on this car was a fairly straightforward procedure, albeit a messy and time-consuming one. Jack had already bought the parts and fluids needed for the job, and had printed out the step-by-step procedure from the Internet. What he was lacking, however, were the tools to actually do the job. While the parts themselves had cost him 75 dollars, a set of automotive sockets and the related tools required were well out of his reach.

This put Jack in a dilemma. He had originally planned to not drive the car except when necessary, such as for work, until he could afford the tools to effect the repairs. The noises the car made only the previous evening, though, told him that the failure was coming sooner rather than later. With a dead car, and no job yet, the only way out appeared to be his parents.

_No!_Thought the teen fox. He had moved out specifically to prove that he could make it on his own. If he had to go back to his parents for money, after a mere week had elapsed, then he hadn't really proved anything. No, he would figure something out. He had to.

It seemed clear to him that the solution was to find a job close by, no matter how bad it was. Unfortunately, Jack knew, this probably meant a food-service job: long hours, minimum wage, and either standing over a hot stove cooking, or standing over a hot sink washing dishes. But restaurants were usually hiring for such positions, and there were plenty of them nearby.

Jack recalled seeing a pizza shop around the corner while on his jog. Perhaps that was worth a try, he thought. He had worked as a pizza chef during his junior year, which actually wasn't all that bad, he remembered. One of the perks was free pizza while on the job, which also meant he could save money on meals to put towards the car tools he would need. It seemed like the perfect solution. No getting out of this one, he thought to himself with a resigned sigh as he headed into his apartment.

The apartment itself was a small one-bedroom unit on one end of the building. Jack had specifically wanted an end unit to cut down on the potential noise from neighboring units. The door opened into a moderately sized living room: enough room for a sofa and easy-chair, plus a television and stereo system, though Jack had not yet connected the TV. He would wait for steady income before adding another bill to his financial situation.

The kitchen area was behind the living room, separated by a low wall which doubled as a bookcase. It was as wide as the living room but featured vinyl tiling instead of the shag carpet that the rest of the unit had. In the left-hand wall of the kitchen was a door to a small storage room, which also had hookups for a washer-dryer set, if the tenants wished to provide their own appliances. Jack did not, of course, and so used the public laundry room that the apartment complex provided.

Off the middle of the right-side wall in the living room was a hallway that led to the unit's single bedroom. Prior to the bedroom were two doors in the hallway. The left side door led to the bathroom, while the right-side door opened into a fairly good-sized walk-in closet. It was a good 6x10-foot room all to itself, with an overhead light and a vent from the air conditioning system, and with shelves and hangers liberally installed in the walls.

Jack stopped at the bathroom and turned the shower on, to let the water get hot and allow a cloud of steam to build up. He liked a good hot shower, a habit which he picked up during his time on the football team to soothe aching and battered muscles after a rough game. Jack closed the door to let the steam build up and headed into the bedroom, stripping off his sweaty shirt as he did.

The bedroom was a fairly good size for a single-bedroom apartment. It probably looked bigger than it was, with just his double-bed sitting against the wall and no other furniture, except for a kitchen chair next to the bed which served as a night-table. He set his wallet and keys down on the chair and removed the rest of his clothes before carrying them back to the walk-in closet where the dirty-laundry hamper was. Depositing his jogging attire within, the red fox again opened the bathroom door and walked into the now steam-filled room.

---

After a nice long shower, Jack put on some presentable clothes to go job hunting. He reckoned nobody would expect him to dress in a suit to apply for a pizza chef position, so he chose a lightly-colored sport shirt and some dark slacks.

Jack grabbed the folder he had prepared, containing all the paperwork that a prospective employer should need: employment history, identity documents, references, and the like, and went out to the car. He stared at it apprehensively. Even though the pizza place he had in mind was within walking distance, he still figured it was wise to drive there for the interview, so as to avoid building up a sweaty smell on the walk over.

Rush hour would be winding down by this time, so if the car did choose to die en-route, he at least wouldn't cause a giant backup. He got in and started the car. It sprung to life quickly, and with no complaints. So far, so good, Jack thought, backing the car out of the parking spot and steering towards the exit of the complex.

As he turned on to the main road, and the engine revved up a little higher, Jack heard the familiar telltale knocking coming from the engine, which indicated trouble on the way. The temperature gauge was still fairly low, though, which gave him some hope to at least make this trip safely. He tried to hurry towards the little strip mall where the pizza shop was, without taxing the car too much.

The traffic light went red ahead, at the intersection of a larger cross street. The strip mall would be one or two lights further down. As he pulled to a stop, he smelled the sweet smell of burning anti-freeze, and saw the temperature gauge creep past the official end of the "normal" range. Not good. The light turned green and he gingerly coaxed the vehicle onward.

As luck would have it, he made it through the remaining lights without having to stop, as the car's temperature was now approaching the red zone of the gauge, and the knocking from the engine was now punctuated by what sounded to Jack like someone sitting on the engine and whacking it with a sledgehammer every 30 seconds. A nice white steam was also flowing from the car's left exhaust pipe.

He pulled into the strip mall and parked the car in the first open spot he saw. It was on the other end of the lot from the pizza place, but the short walk should not cause any sweat or appearance problems, he figured. The car was complaining loudly when he shut it down; the resulting silence almost sounded like the car had sighed with relief. Jack sat there for a few minutes contemplating. Regardless of how it went in the interview, he was going to be here a while, until the motor cooled down enough to risk the return trip. He grabbed his folder, got out of the car, and started towards the pizza shop at the far end.

---

Jack walked calmly out of the restaurant, with a wave to the manager inside, and walked back in the direction of the car. When he was out of sight of the shop, he gritted his teeth and shouted "FUCK!" through them. The interview had gone well enough, until the manager asked the question which made Jack's heart sink: "Do you have reliable transportation?"

Apparently part of the job involved food deliveries on a rotating basis with the other employees. So despite Jack's insistence that he would be at work regardless of rain or snow, the car requirement ruled him out as a candidate. "Fix your car and I'd love to have you," the manager had said encouragingly, though. That, at least, was something.

As he made his way back to the car, he walked by every business in the little shopping center, checking for "help wanted" signs, but none of the shops appeared to be hiring. Jack contemplated the catch-22 he was in. He needed a car to get a job, but needed a job to be able to fix the car. A quick feeling of despair began to well up in his stomach, but he quickly forced it away.

Returning to the car, Jack tossed in the folder of job info, as well as a newspaper he had bought, which might yield some useful job leads. He got in the car, and waited until the traffic light for the shopping center went green in his direction before starting it back up. He needed to conserve every possible second of engine time now.

The car started up quickly once again, and Jack immediately put it in gear and drove out of the strip-mall and turned towards home. The engine had not cooled all that much during his interview; it was still above the "normal" range on the temperature gauge.

As he approached the final traffic light before his apartment, he saw it turn yellow. By now the engine was clanging and knocking fairly impressively, and Jack didn't know if it would survive if he had to stop. Using up what he considered the last of the car's reserve life, he hit the gas for 2 or 3 seconds to build up enough speed to make it through the light, then put the car in neutral and coasted through it.

That momentary burst of speed seemed to be enough to get him to the entrance of his apartment complex, at least. However, it also took its toll on the wounded motor, which made its displeasure known with a series of knocks, followed by a veritable could of white steam billowing from the exhaust pipe.

"C'mon... c'mon," he pleaded with the car, as his apartment complex came into view. "Little further..." he said, putting it back in gear and navigating into his complex. A few more seconds, and he was back in front of his door, and immediately shut the car down.

Jack took a mental assessment of the car's condition. The temperature gauge was pegged at maximum, the oil warning light was on, and it looked like a fire extinguisher was firing out of the left-hand tailpipe. Barring a lot of knocks, though, the engine was running when he shut it down, and had not seized up, which was his greatest fear. That would have meant the engine was beyond his ability to repair. With any luck, repairing the blown gasket would restore it to life.

Fighting back the urge to cry, the young fox leaned forward and rested his head against the steering wheel, and let out a deep sigh. The sweet smell of anti-freeze steam quickly became nauseating, so he got out of the car, popping the hood-release latch as he did.

Jack raised the hood and was surprised by the wave of heat which hit him. Leaving the hood up to aid in cooling the engine, he went inside his apartment and changed into some more appropriate clothes for greasy engine work. He would have to let the engine cool down completely before getting into it, but he could at least get a start on pulling the battery and other accessories to get them out of the way.

Returning outside, Jack approached the car, then stopped. There was no point in rushing, he told himself, as he still had no tools to do the work and no likely way to get them, short of running back to his parents with tail firmly between legs. He was not at that point, though. Not yet anyway. Beg, borrow, or steal, he'd figure something out.

Well, maybe not steal, he thought with a smile. However, there was an idea there. Surely someone in his complex would have some tools he could borrow. The idea of going door-to-door knocking did not appeal to him at all, but perhaps he could speak to the apartment manager who may know of someone, or just walk around looking for a hot-rod and talk to its owner.

Jack went to the car and closed the hood again. No rush, he reminded himself. As the hood went down, the apartment building directly across the parking lot from his came into view. As if fate had read his mind, he saw not 50 feet away, an old clunker of a car parked in front of the unit on the end of the building across from his.

This car screamed owner-mechanic, Jack thought hopefully. It was a large car, probably as old as his own was: the kind of car sometimes referred to as a "land yacht". It featured big wide tires in the rear, and evidence of hand-done body repairs all over the sheet-metal. Not the kind of car you owned without being used to working on it, Jack thought.

The fox walked across the lot to this car and stood by it, examining the end-unit apartment, to which the car seemed to belong. The blinds and drapes were closed, and there was nothing outside on the patio to suggest that anyone even lived there. Jack figured it was worth a shot, that maybe he would get lucky on the first try. If not, there were now at least other options.

Jack walked up to the door and knocked. Silence. He waited a few seconds then knocked again. This time, he heard the click of the deadbolt lock opening. The door opened about a foot. A grey-furred fox boy of about ten or eleven peered through the opening and regarded Jack for a moment.

"Yeah?" asked the kit.

"Hi," said the older fox cheerfully, with a wave. "Your mom or dad home?"

The little fox looked slightly annoyed. "Need something?" he asked flatly.

Charming, thought Jack. "Well," he began, "I'm your new neighbor across the way there," he pointed to his building, and the boy arched his neck to follow Jack's indication. "I'm, uh... having a bit of car trouble, as you can see," he said, pointing to the car which was still visibly steaming from the tailpipe.

"Oooh, ouch!" the kit said, with a slight smile.

"Yeah, so I was wondering if your dad had any tools I could borrow for a few days, to try and fix it," Jack said.

"Oh, okay, yeah!" came the reply from the cub, now suddenly cheerful. He threw open the door. "C'mon in, I'll show you what we got." Jack followed the boy inside.

The apartment was the same model as his, but a mirror image. The hallway to the bedroom was off to the left of the main room, while the laundry and storage room was to the right of the kitchen. The living room was fairly sparse, with a sofa and a large TV that didn't appear to be connected up to anything. Boxes served as end tables and footrests, and there were no pictures on the wall. The room was fairly cluttered with boxes stacked here and there.

Jack followed the younger fox into the storage room. There were more boxes piled higher in here, as one might expect from a storage room. But there was a work table against one wall, and Jack noticed the logo of Click-On Tools on a red metal box underneath the table. That's promising, he thought to himself as the kit rummaged through some of the open boxes.

"So you live here?" said Jack, making small talk, and immediately realizing how dumb the question sounded.

"Nope, just came to rob the place, but I liked the carpet, so I stayed," the cub replied without missing a beat. He looked back to Jack and grinned.

The boy was averagely-built, perhaps a touch on the thin side. He wore a black T-shirt and faded blue jeans above well-worn sneakers. His fur was medium-grey for the most part, except for his chin and neck fur and the tip of his tail which were a much lighter, almost white shade of grey. The top of his head sported darker, charcoal-grey headfur, as did the edges and backs of his ears. Jack noticed he wore 3 gold earrings in his left ear towards the base, and what looked like a black diamond stud near the point of the ear. Bright blue eyes gazed out from the surrounding grey of his face.

"Here, I think this came with the car," the kit said, sliding the red case from under the work table. "See if any of these work for ya'."

Jack opened the case. The tools within were well used, some still displaying oily fingerprints, while others had a fine layer of rust. There was, however, a set of sockets that looked to be complete! In addition there were heavy duty pliers, screwdrivers, and myriad others. Jack smiled broadly with relief.

"Perfect," he said, "This is exactly what I need. You sure it's ok for me to borrow these?"

"Yeah no problem," said the younger fox. He regarded Jack briefly before continuing. "So, you're good with old cars, huh?"

"I know my way around them, sure," replied Jack, closing the toolbox back up. The kit nodded at this. "Hey, thanks a million for this," Jack continued, "You're a lifesaver. There's no way I could afford these myself. I'll bring them back soon as I'm done, don't worry."

"Cool, cool," the boy replied. "I know where you live, so I'm not worried," he added with a smile. He led Jack back out into the living room.

Jack looked down the hallway towards the bedroom as he followed the little fox. The bedroom door was open, and Jack could see it was free of the ubiquitous clutter that spanned the rest of the apartment. He caught a glimpse of several pieces of dark wood furniture within, before walking out of view of the room.

The boy sat down heavily on the couch and picked up a book which had been left open there. He waved to Jack. "Seeya later. Good luck with the car!"

"Heh, thanks," Jack replied, returning the wave. Apparently he was to let himself out, which he did, pausing briefly after he closed the door, then started back towards his own dwelling. As he got 20 feet or so from the kit's apartment, he heard the clicks of the locks being thrown back into their secure position. He smiled to himself and went back to his own apartment, the precious tools in-hand.

By mid-afternoon, Jack had much of the motor dismantled and laying in organized groups of parts, spread out on newspaper on the ground. He had finally gotten the left cylinder head removed, exposing the troublesome gasket, which clearly displayed its failed areas. So far, all the removed parts appeared to be in good condition, despite the motor's rough handling over the past weeks. There was some anti-freeze pooled inside the engine from the leak, which Jack set about mopping up.

"Howdy!" a voice called out from behind the car. Jack looked up from under the hood. A well-dressed ferret was walking towards him from the apartment building across the parking lot where he had borrowed the tools. The little grey-furred fox boy followed behind him. Jack waved as they came near, hoping there was not a problem with his use of the tools.

The ferret looked to be in his 30's. He had mostly chocolate-brown fur, except for his face which was white, but with a brown mask around the eyes, typical of sable ferrets. His black headfur was slicked back, probably with a gel of some kind as it looked perpetually wet. He wore a black button-front shirt and dark pants in spite of the June heat. Jack thought he looked like the kind of guy you'd expect to see in an upscale nightclub on a Saturday night.

"Afternoon," said Jack as the pair came to the front of Jack's car. The little fox poked his head under the hood to examine the state of the engine. "Hope you don't mind me borrowing your tools."

"No no no, absolutely not," the ferret replied reassuringly. "Victor Morrison," he said extending a paw.

"Jack Archer," Jack replied with a smile and held up his paw, which was covered in oil and grime, visible even over the blackness of his paw-fur.

Victor withdrew his paw with a laugh, then continued. "Angelo here tells me you're good with old cars," he began, indicating to the younger fox who had now walked back to where the ferret was standing. "You sure got this one pretty well broken up," he said, noting the parts on the ground.

"Yep," said Jack, "I'm just about ready to start putting it all back together, actually."

The ferret nodded approvingly. "Ah, yes, that's the key, isn't it," he said with a wink. "Anyone can take one apart, right?"

Jack smiled back, not sure how to take that comment. "Yeah, I suppose. I'll have it running tonight, though, don't you worry," he said, trying not to sound confrontational, but still defending his ability.

"Hey, I'm just messing with ya," Victor replied, as if picking up on the subtleties in Jack's tone. "Actually, I wonder if you'd like a little side job along these lines, since you do seem to have a knack for it," he said. "I'd pay you for your time, of course."

Jack's ears perked up at this. "Sure, if it's something I can do, I'd be glad to help. It's the least I can do for you lending me the tools."

"Great, great," replied Victor. "My other car there has a pretty bad leak in the gas tank," he said, indicating the old car that had first caught Jack's eye earlier in the day. Jack noticed that a fairly new-looking black coupe was now parked next to the older car. "I can get a tank from the junkyard, if you can swap it out. That sound doable?"

"Sure, that shouldn't be too hard," Jack said. He had never done such a replacement, but knew there wasn't much to it.

"That's what I want to hear," said Victor. "I'll see about getting one tomorrow, and I'll leave it with Angelo here. How does an even hundred sound for your time?"

Jack was momentarily stunned. A hundred? Dollars? "Uh... yeah... yes definitely!" he stammered.

Victor chucked. "Alright then. I'll leave you to your engine for now. No big hurry on the gas tank; it's been sitting there a while, so an extra day won't matter a whole lot." He waved and started back towards his apartment.

The young grey-furred fox known as Angelo lingered by the car as Victor departed, and poked his head under the hood again. "You're really going to have all this back together today?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure, why not," said Jack. "It's just bolts, really. Just putting them back in the right order."

"Mmm-hmm," Angelo said, still looking over the dismantled engine. "All right, good luck!" he said brightly, then started after the ferret towards his apartment. When he got halfway across the parking lot, he stopped. "Nice to meet you, Jack!" he said with a wave.

"Nice to meet you, Angelo," Jack called back, returning the wave with his oily paw. The kit turned and dashed back to his apartment door and was quickly inside.

---

The sun had just crossed the top of the trees on its way down as Jack re-connected the battery cables to the car battery: the last step in the repair process. Things had gone well during the re-assembly of the motor, just as he had planned and hoped. With a chuckle, he noted that there were no extra parts left over, which was not always the case when he was first learning this sort of work.

Jack grabbed the car-wash hose that was provided at one end of each building, and topped off the car's radiator. He attempted to clean the grease and oil from his paws with the hose as well, but quickly gave up, realizing that it would take some strong detergent and much scrubbing to get clean. Instead he pulled his ratty T-shirt off and used it as a rag to wipe as much off as he could. He desperately wanted to know whether his endeavors had paid off before the sun disappeared completely. A proper cleanup could wait until afterwards, though he also didn't want to track too much grime into the car.

Once he felt sufficiently clean, the fox sat in the driver's seat and put the key in the ignition, and holding his breath, turned it one click. The dashboard lights and bells came on as normal. "Ok, here goes nothing," Jack said out loud and turned the key to the start position.

The engine cranked for five seconds or so, then began to sputter and finally roared to life. Jack could not help himself and threw back his head and cackled joyously as the car idled happily. The fox leaned forward and rested his head against the steering wheel, this time in relief. He gave the car a few test revs, to which the engine responded normally, and with none of the racket it had previously given.

Jack got out of the car, engine still running, to inspect the motor itself for any problems. As he stepped out of the car he heard a whistle followed by enthusiastic clapping from behind. He turned and saw the young fox Angelo on his doorstep cheering his accomplishment. The boy threw a thumbs-up to the older fox. Jack bowed theatrically, which made the kit laugh.

The engine all appeared good, at least externally, to Jack's inspection. The only remaining milestone would be for the temperature to rise to the "normal" range and hold there. Jack returned to the driver's seat to watch the gauges, giving the engine some more revs here and there to coax it along. Angelo had already vanished back into his apartment, Jack noticed.

Much to Jack's relief, the temperature did just as he hoped, with the gauge parked firmly right in the middle of the "normal" range. After he was sure it wasn't going to start to overheat, he finally shut down the engine and got out to clean up the tools and assorted bits that were scattered around the car.

_Now_he could go back to that pizza shop and land a steady job, he thought to himself. Well, not right away, he corrected. First he would take the ferret up on his hundred-dollar gas-tank repair. Not only for the quick cash, but also in gratitude for the use of the tools. Plus, just because he said he would, he reminded himself.

The tools and parking space cleaned up, Jack contemplated another hot shower to clean up as well as relax his muscles from all the bolt-torquing he had done. Stopping at his door, he looked once more to his car, then to Victor's car across the lot, finally landing his eyes on the apartment where Victor and Angelo lived. Something in the back of his head was bugging him as he regarded the closed up curtains, but he couldn't quite put a finger on it.

In any case, that shower was waiting, Jack thought, and retired into his apartment.

---

The next morning, Jack allowed himself the luxury of sleeping in, rather than be out jogging at sunrise as was his usual. As the morning sun thoroughly illuminated his bedroom window, he finally sat up in bed. 9:30 in the morning. Stretching deeply, he got out of bed and tended to his morning routine. He had just showered the night before, of course, so skipped that portion for now. Besides, if he was going to work on Victor's car today, he'd just end up grimy again quickly.

Jack was still feeling good about his own car repair, and decided to go out for a hearty breakfast. This was partially a small celebration, but would also give him an excuse to test drive the car more vigorously, just to make sure all was truly well with it.

The car performed like a brand new vehicle, Jack thought, as he drove it down the main roads. He started out gingerly, then got more aggressive with it, testing out all the normal ranges of driving. The big car gave no hints that it ever had the problems of the last few weeks.

After breakfast he drove back to his apartment. Pulling in, he saw that the promised junkyard fuel-tank was now sitting next to Victor's old car, along with two large red 5-gallon fuel cans. He had been gone over an hour, between the breakfast itself and the test drive. It was just after eleven in the morning.

Jack figured he might as well set to work on the tank replacement. The sooner he started, the sooner he'd have an extra hundred in his pocket, and might even have time to resume his job search. He retrieved the tools from inside his apartment, and brought them over to Victor's car. He crawled underneath it, and surveyed what would be required to do the job, and in what order.

"Hiya Jack," came a young voice, as Jack lay under the car making mental notes. Jack poked his head out from underneath, and saw Angelo had come outside with a folding chair.

"Morning," Jack called back with a smile.

"I'm just gonna watch," declared the little grey-furred fox. He unfolded the chair near the back of the car and sat down, a soda bottle in his paw. Despite the hot June day, Jack noticed, the kit had on a denim jacket over his T-shirt and faded jeans.

"Ok with me," Jack said, "I'd love the company." The kit smiled warmly.

Jack pulled the tool box under the car, and set about loosening the various bolts and straps holding the tank in place. The hole in the tank was blatantly visible, easily half an inch wide, and did not look like it came from rust or even a rock strike. It looked to Jack like someone had rammed a metal rod or something similar into it, as the hole was uniformly round and dented inwards.

"Good work on your car yesterday. I didn't think it was gonna work after seeing all those parts thrown everywhere," Angelo remarked.

Jack laughed. "I told you guys I'd have it working, didn't I?"

"Yep, you sure did," Angelo replied. "This should be a piece of cake then, right?"

"Should be, yes," the teen said, as he worked on loosening fasteners. "So," he continued, "Is that your dad?" he asked, referring to Victor. They two were obviously not blood relatives, but perhaps he was the boy's adoptive father. He felt slightly guilty for prying, but something still seemed off about the two of them.

"Vic? Nah, I just live there," the little fox replied. Jack waited to see if he would expound on that point, but the kit did not elaborate. This did not help ease Jack's nagging feeling.

"So he's your guardian then?" Jack asked, probing a little more, but trying not to _look_like he was probing.

"Guardian," the younger fox said, as if testing the word. "Yeah, I guess you could say he's my guardian." That answer sounded almost deliberately evasive, Jack thought, but decided against pushing the point further for now.

In fairly short order, the old tank was free of the car, and Jack dragged it out from underneath the vehicle. He lifted it up by the filler tube and held it up like it was a record-setting fish he had just caught. There was a rattling sound from inside the tank as he did so, as if there was a loose bolt within. Angelo knelt down and inspected the tank and the hole in the bottom.

"Watch yourself," Jack cautioned, and upended the tank to try to shake the loose object out the filler tube. After a few vigorous shakes and knocking the filler tube against the ground, what looked like a small reddish rock fell out. Angelo picked it up and studied it briefly.

Jack placed the tank back on the ground. "What is it?" he asked the kit, stepping closer to inspect the object. The little fox held out his paw to Jack, who picked the thing up. It was rather D-shaped, though with the rounded side smashed in slightly. The reddish color came from the metal the thing was made of, which Jack figured to be copper, as it was the same tint as a brand new penny. Then it hit him.

It was a bullet.

Jack looked to Angelo, who was watching his eyes, his face expressionless. "Do you know what this is?" Jack asked.

"Looks like a bullet," the boy replied matter-of-factly, his face still not showing any concern or indeed any emotion at all.

"Yeah, a bullet, how did it get in there?" Jack asked, though the "how" was fairly obvious.

"Beats me," Angelo answered calmly. "I guess Vic drove through a bad neighborhood."

Jack was still somewhat disturbed by the finding, but again dropped the subject for now. There was no use getting worked up at Angelo, as he clearly would not have been driving the car wherever it was that someone took a shot at it.

"I suppose so, but still... jeez," he said, hoping to diffuse the situation. "Anyway, lemme get this new tank on so we can get 'er back on the road."

Angelo nodded with a smile and returned to his chair as Jack set about installing the new tank. Neither spoke during the time it took him to do so, though Jack's mind was working, trying to put all the pieces together into some kind of meaningful picture.

He figured Angelo was probably a runaway. He certainly didn't seem to be here against his will, as he was clearly free to come and go while Victor was away. The boy clearly knew more than he was letting on about the bullet, though. As for Victor, he seemed to have money, based on his dress and demeanor, although he lived in these budget apartments. He had a nice new car that he drove during the day, yet kept this old car that someone was shooting at for some reason.

There were still pieces missing from this picture, Jack concluded. There was _something_that would tie all this together, he just hadn't come across it yet. Jack resolved to have a longer talk with Victor when he presented him with the repaired car, along with the bullet that caused the problem.

---

It was mid-afternoon when Jack saw Victor's black car pull up to his parking space. Jack watched from inside his own apartment as the ferret looked over the old car, then went inside. It would be fairly clear that the repair had taken place, the fox thought, and Angelo would certainly brief him on the events of the day, including the bullet and Jack's reaction to it.

Jack sat back in his chair, sipping a soda. He would give Victor a few minutes, then he would head over. The teen fox made a mental note to avoid sounding confrontational on any of the things he wanted to discuss. He still could not shake the feeling in his guts that something unusual was afoot, but if he came across as accusatory, or even just overly nosy, they would likely just shut him out.

After some minutes had passed, Jack got up and picked up Victor's tool box to return to the ferret, and went outside. He was surprised to see Victor and Angelo walking towards his place across the parking lot. They stopped when they saw him emerge, Victor waving in a friendly greeting.

Jack carried the tools over to the pair. "Hi guys," he said when he was close enough to not have to shout.

"Heya Jacky," the ferret said amicably. "I see you got the old beast patched up," he said, indicating the car they were now standing by.

"Yep, she's all good," Jack replied. "And please: just Jack." He had never liked being called Jacky, or Johnny, J.J., or any other variant on John Archer Jr. for that matter.

Victor chuckled. "Fine, sorry," he said with a smile. He reached into his pocket and produced a hundred-dollar bill. "Here you go, as promised," he said, proffering the bill to Jack.

"My pleasure, and thanks," said Jack. "Thanks for the tools as well," he added, placing the box on the ground.

"Any time, any time," Victor said, picking the box up. "And now, I suspect you've got a few other things on your mind. Am I right?"

Jack paused. Yes, Angelo had definitely filled in the ferret on the day's events. "Well... yeah, kind of," was all he could think to say.

"Mmmm," Victor replied, nodding. "Kinda figured you would. But let's go inside to talk about that, shall we?" He started towards his door. Angelo lingered until Jack began to follow Victor, then fell in behind him.

Victor opened the door and placed the toolbox on the floor just inside, then beckoned Jack inside. Angelo followed, and closed and locked the door behind the three.

"So... what's on your mind?" the ferret asked.

Jack thought this was rather disingenuous, as he obviously knew what Jack wanted to talk about. He looked to Angelo, who was leaning against the door. "Would you, umm..." he began. He wanted to talk privately to the ferret, but being a guest in their home, didn't know quite how to say that.

Angelo dropped one ear halfway, a frown crossing his face. "Oh please," he said indignantly, "I know exactly what you're going to talk about." He raised his paw to his chest and extended three fingers.

"It's cool, Jack," said Victor, "Fire away."

"Well, ok," he began, looking over to Angelo again, who was now smiling pleasantly, three fingers still extended. Jack reached into his pocket and pulled the bullet out. "First of all, as you probably already know, someone took a shot at your car, which is why you had that hole in your tank." He handed the bullet to Victor who took it and looked at it. Jack looked back to Angelo, who had dropped one finger, leaving 2 still extended. The little fox winked at him.

"Mmmm yeah, sure looks that way, doesn't it?" replied Victor vaguely. "What else do you got?" he then asked.

"Well, I was kinda' wondering why you've got an old car that people are shooting at, when you've got that nice new black car as well," Jack replied frankly, again hoping not to sound overly intrusive. Angelo dropped another finger, leaving just one.

Victor nodded silently, as if choosing his next words carefully. "Well, the thing is, I use that old car when I'm... eh... doing business, shall we say, in some of the shadier areas around town. I'll fill you in more on that in a minute, 'cause I've got one or two things I'd like to discuss with you too. Next?"

Jack looked back to the little grey-furred fox. "Ok, smarty, you tell me!" he said.

Angelo chuckled, and lowering his last finger, said, "Who the heck am I?" Jack nodded and looked back to Victor.

"Ah yes," the ferret began. "You want to tell him, or me?" he asked the younger fox.

"Go for it," Angelo replied. "You can give him the Reader's Digest version. Maybe later on I'll fill him in."

"Alright," Victor began, "Well, Angelo here... lost his parents. Father a long time ago, and his mother... more recently. I told him he could crash here, and he helps me out with my business."

"I see," Jack said, ruminating on what Victor had said. "So its all... you know... official?" he asked awkwardly.

"Meaning did I clear it with Cub Protective Services?" Victor asked. "Hell no! They'd have hauled his tail off to one of their orphanage prisons a long time ago. I grew up in one of those CPS hell-holes myself. No way I'd do that to a fellow orphan," he said, with a nod to Angelo who gave him a thumbs-up in response.

Jack nodded apprehensively. Victor, noticing this, continued, "Hey look, I'm not forcing him to stay here, don't worry. Ain't that right, Angelo?"

"Yep!" said the kit enthusiastically. Jack looked at him, concern evident on the older fox's face. "Really, Jack, it's cool," said Angelo, with a smile.

Jack nodded. It wasn't your usual family setup, of course, but who was he to judge, he thought. It did explain why the little fox was living with Victor, and he sure seemed happy enough with his arrangements. "Ok," said Jack, "I'm sorry to pry, it just struck me as kinda weird, is all. It's pretty cool of you, actually, to do that for him. I knew some guys a few years ago who got put in State custody, and I know how much they hated it, so I can understand."

"Glad to hear it, Jack," Victor replied. "I can also understand why you might have been suspicious. Good to see that _you're_looking out for the kid too." he said with a disarming smile.

"I feel so loved," Angelo said sarcastically, then laughed. Jack laughed as well.

"Now then," Victor continued after a moment, "About my little side business, and a little proposition I have for you, Jack."

"Proposition?" Jack asked uneasily. If this proposition involved being shot at, Jack thought, then this conversation would be over before it started.

"Yeah, if you're interested, that is," the ferret replied. "Lemme tell you a little about what we do here, and if you think you might want some easy side cash, then you're in." Victor looked intensely into Jack's eyes as he spoke the next part. "If you _don't_want in, of course, I'd hope you would do us the courtesy of keeping quiet about the whole thing."

Jack met his gaze, somewhat intimidated by the black eyes peering at him from within the brown mask of fur. Jack stared back, unsure how to answer that. If it was murder they were talking about, he wasn't sure he could keep quiet about something like that, but to say so would itself be dangerous.

Victor read the hesitation in the fox's eyes. "Don't worry," he said, the intense look relaxing into a more friendly countenance, "that sounds worse than it really is. Here's the scoop: I run a little independent import business out of the apartment here. I buy certain exotic foreign commodities and luxuries that, for whatever reason, your average fur doesn't have access to, then provide them to customers who will appreciate my service."

Flowery speech, thought Jack, but at least it didn't sound like there was murder involved. At the same time, though, Victor's poetic description wasn't telling the whole story. He figured he might as well be blunt. "These... commodities. Would they be considered... illegal?"

Angelo's eyes darted to look at Victor. The ferret made some circular hand gestures as he replied. "Well, there's 'illegal', and then there's 'illegal'," he began, putting extra emphasis on the second word. "Lemme give you an example: You know about Cuban cigars?" he asked.

"A little," Jack said. He had heard of their somewhat mythical status around friends of his who smoked cigars.

"Well, then you know that they're technically illegal in this country. If you've ever had one, you also know that they're the best on Earth. Now, just because some politicians here fifty years ago didn't like some politicians there, that means we have to go without those little jewels? No! That's where I come in." He motioned Jack over to one of the numerous boxes stacked against the walls.

Jack went to the box Victor indicated, and looked inside. There were many small boxes within, all with various Spanish-sounding names printed on them, some with exotic pictures on them. Cigar boxes, quite obviously.

Victor continued as Jack looked in the box. "Doctors... lawyers... rich professionals of all kinds. They'll pay hundreds for _one_box of these. A couple in here are worth _a grand_a piece. Illegal? Technically. But these folks want 'em, and I can provide them. There's nobody getting hurt here, and everyone goes home happy."

Jack listened to the ferret's explanation as he regarded the cigars, then looked up at Victor as he finished. "So that's it? Just cigars?" he inquired.

"That's just one example. But rest assured, everything I sell is by-request. I don't force anything on anybody. But we can get into that later on. For now, I imagine you're wondering where you fit into all this."

"The thought had occurred to me," Jack said.

"Of course," Victor replied. "Well, for the longest time, Angelo here has handled the deliveries for me." Jack looked to Angelo who nodded with a slight smile. "Problem is, business is getting so good now, that he can't keep up with them on his bike. Plus, I'm getting orders now from all over the area: too far for a bike ride even if he had the time. And if all goes well with some of my... sources, business will really be taking off here soon. So what I need now is a driver."

"You need me to make deliveries for you?" Jack asked.

"Well, not exactly," Victor said. "Angelo will still handle the deliveries and the payments and all that. You just need to drive the car. Drive him around to the various customers, and he'll handle all the rest. You can even use my car: the one you fixed today. Easy-squeezy. Plus with you there, folks might be less inclined to try and steal my product without paying. What do you think?"

"Sounds... interesting," said Jack.

"I left out the most interesting part," Victor said. "I'll pay you a hundred per day, flat rate. Not too bad for a few hours driving, right?"

"Wow," said Jack, reflexively. He did some quick mental arithmetic and figured he could have his rent paid off by just over a week's work at that rate, leaving the rest of the month as pure profit. He did feel a twinge of uneasiness still at the thought of what was, essentially, transporting illegal contraband, but had to concede Victor's point about the cigar buyers. If there ever was such a thing as a "victimless crime", he thought, selling cigars to rich clients fit that definition perfectly.

"So..." Jack continued, "About the other stuff you sell?"

Victor raised a paw. "Later. For now, how about you help me move these cigars? That will probably take a couple days," he said, indicating a row of similarly-sized large boxes as the one Jack had inspected. "You don't have any problem doing them, do you?"

Jack shook his head. "No, I guess not," he said. Angelo smiled a sort of half-smile at this.

"Great," said Victor. "Do this for a few days to clear out my living room, then we can talk later about other products. Like I said, I don't force anyone to do anything. That goes for my customers as well as my business partners. Deal?"

"Deal," Jack replied, extending his paw.

Victor took the paw and shook it. "Excellent. Be here at 8:00 or so tomorrow morning. I'll get you guys started before I have to leave for my day job. Nothing nearly as fun as this is, nor as profitable, unfortunately," he said with a wry smile.

"Sounds good, I'll see you tomorrow," Jack said, starting for the front door.

"Bye Jack," Angelo said to Jack, opening the door.

"Night guys!" Jack replied, stepping outside and closing the door behind him. He paused for a moment then started towards his apartment, thinking as he walked. He had certainly resolved the concerns he had from earlier, even if the explanations were somewhat unusual.

He had already decided that delivering contraband cigars to rich fat-cats did not send up any moral red-flags with him. The "other products" did have him leery, though. He suspected that they would ultimately end up being drugs of some sort. Even so, Jack wasn't sure how he would react to that, or how he would feel about delivering them.

If it was true that all of Victor's customers were buying of their own free will, then who was he to judge, Jack thought. If it turned out to be marijuana especially, then given his own past, he felt it would be rather hypocritical of him to make a morality call on that.

In any case, it appeared as though he could still collect several hundred dollars just from delivering the cigars. If afterwards, he did not want to continue due to the nature of the unknown products, Victor had assured him he could just walk away, as long as he kept quiet. Jack didn't quite know why, but felt he could take the ferret at his word on that.

---

Jack slept well that night: a further indication, he felt, that he was fine on a moral level with working for Victor, at least in the short term. For the second day in a row, he slept in and elected to skip his morning run. He did not skip his shower this time, though, as he anticipated that he would be in some fairly well-to-do environments today.

Shortly before 8:00 in the morning, he knocked on Victor's door. The ferret opened the door and greeted him heartily. "Hey, you're early," he said. "I like your enthusiasm! You'll go far if you keep that up."

"I like to make a good impression," Jack replied.

"Consider it made, my boy," Victor responded, beckoning him inside.

A fair amount of preparation had clearly gone on after he had left, Jack observed. The numerous shipping boxes had been opened and their contents split into individual parcels, each now bagged in a brown paper grocery sack. Jack assumed they had been split up into the individual orders. Each bag was folded closed and stapled shut, a paper tag with various notes also stapled to each.

"Angelo!" Victor yelled towards the hallway, "Get your ass up!" He looked at Jack and smirked, "Kits."

Jack chucked. "Want me to try? I've got a kid sister about that age." Indeed, when he was still in high school, part of Jack's morning responsibility was to rouse his sister out of bed before he left. As his school started an hour before hers, the timing worked out well.

Victor gestured towards the hallway. "Be my guest," he said. "First door on the left."

Jack smiled and started that way, then stopped in his tracks. The first door on the left? If the layout was the same as his own, that would be the large walk-in closet in the hall. He thought for a moment, then continued on into the hall.

Sure enough, the first door was the large walk-in closet. The door was open already, and the overhead light was on. Jack stood in the doorway and looked. There was a standard twin-size mattress in one corner on the floor, with a disorderly pile of blankets on it, and a pillow at the far end. Jack smiled as he observed a small nose on a grey muzzle poking out of the tangle of blankets at the pillow end.

There was maybe two feet of floor space surrounding the two remaining sides of the mattress. Various small boxes, books, and piles of clothes occupied that space, while more clothes were properly folded or hung from the closet shelving midway up the walls.

Jack had once thought that the walk-in closet in his own apartment could serve as a guest room if ever needed, but seeing it now used for that purpose made him question that. Even so, he thought, it seemed to be a serviceable kit-sized bedroom, good for sleeping if nothing else.

"Come on, sleepy-fox, wake up!" Jack sang out cheerfully. No response, just as would be the case with his sister on the first wake-up attempt. He flashed the light. "Time to get up and face the world!" he said, still in a cheerful sing-song tone.

"Mmmrf," said the nose poking from the blankets.

"Now now, don't make me get a bucket of ice water," Jack said with a smile. That was always the threat back home. "We got stogies to deliver! Up and at 'em!"

Jack reached down and grabbed the blankets and pulled them off of the sleeping form. The little grey-furred fox lay curled up on his side, naked, with his knees drawn up to his chest, tail tucked underneath concealing his nether regions.

"Whoops!" Jack said, genuinely embarrassed. He threw the blankets back down over Angelo's waist. One eye opened on the small fox and looked at Jack, a smile on the small muzzle. "Sorry about that," Jack said. "Come on and get up, though, seriously."

"Ok, ok," said Angelo. The kit sat up on the mattress, propped up on one arm, the blankets still over his lower body, and scratched at his chest fluff.

"All right then," Jack said with a smile. "I'll be out here." He walked back out into the main living room.

Victor was sitting on the couch, sipping coffee and reading over what appeared to be the master list for the days deliveries. "Any luck?" the ferret asked.

"Yep, he's up," Jack replied. "So... he sleeps in the closet, eh?"

Victor looked up from his paper. "Well, better than in my room, right? It is a single-bedroom place, after all."

"Yeah, I guess so," Jack said. He heard the bathroom door shut in the hallway, as Angelo got himself out of bed.

"You can start loading up the car if you'd like, or just grab some coffee," Victor said.

"How about both?" Jack asked amicably.

Victor chuckled. "Of course," he said, indicating the coffee pot.

Jack poured himself a cup and walked to where the little bags were staged for the day's deliveries.

"Ok, here's how it works," Victor began. "The short version anyway. The kit'll fill you in on the details once you're out there. Basically, this is the master list. It's got everyone who we need to deliver to, and what they get." Victor looked up at Jack and emphasized the next words. "This doesn't leave the house, understood?"

"Gotcha, no problem," Jack said.

Victor nodded and continued. "Each bag has a little tag on it with the address and your contact. What you do is grab 6 or 7 orders at a time, and take care of them. Never have more than that in the car at any given moment. Just in case."

"In case..." Jack repeated.

"Just... in case," Victor replied vaguely. "Use your imagination. Who knows what could happen out there? It's a dangerous and unpredictable world, after all. I don't want to risk any more than I have to, you know?"

Jack nodded. "I think I get it," he said.

"Good," said Victor, turning back to the document. "So, you do six or seven deliveries, then come back here and re-stock. Do that until they're all done. Once they're all gone and the money matches the paperwork, we burn all the documentation until next time."

"Yep, I'm with you," Jack said. From the hallway, the sound of the shower coming on emanated from the bathroom. "Six at a time, though. That could take a while."

"Yep," said the ferret, "It'll probably take you two, three days to do 'em all. Just go until traffic starts to get annoying in the afternoon, then call it quits."

"Perfect," Jack replied, somewhat relieved. He had feared that he was expected to deliver all the pre-bagged cigars that same day.

"Well, have at it," said Victor. "The bags are kinda' grouped by area so you don't have to drive too far between them. Oh, and you'll want this." The ferret handed Jack a large map-book of the city and surrounding area. "I don't have a GPS yet, least not in the delivery car," he said.

"Ah, perfect, that was my next question, actually," Jack said.

"Good, good," said Victor. "So go ahead and grab the first batch, and load 'em in the trunk. Pull the tags off of each and give them to Angelo, and he'll tell you where you're going." Victor handed Jack the keys to the big car outside.

Jack nodded and grabbed a couple of the bags and took them out to the car. As he was loading them, he inspected them more closely. Each had a three-digit number written on the bag. Stapled to the bag was the paper tag which had the same three-digit number, but also included the names and addresses of the buyers, along with details such as who to ask for, or what entrance to use.

Returning to the apartment, he grabbed a few more bags. Victor was coming down the hall from his bedroom, having donned his button-front shirt, and was tucking it into his pants. "Soon as Angelo's out," he said, "I'll be taking off. I'll see you back here this evening for your pay."

"Not a problem, I trust you," Jack said disarmingly. As he said this, he noticed the ferret froze for a second, then smiled broadly.

"Good to know, Jack," he said, "Good to know indeed."

Jack loaded the last of the first run's bags into the car and went back inside. Angelo was now sitting on the sofa with just his boxers on, brushing out his fur which was fairly fluffed up from being towel-dried. His chest fur was the same almost-white grey color as his neck.

"All right, I'm gone," said Victor, headed for the door. "Later furs!"

"Seeya, Vic!" Angelo replied.

"Ok, so I got the first batch loaded," Jack said after Victor had gone.

"Tags?" inquired the grey-furred fox. Jack held up the tags he had pulled off the bags as he loaded them. Angelo nodded. "I guess Vic gave you the rundown then?"

"The general gist of it, yeah," said Jack. "He said you'd fill me in on the details."

"Yep, this stuff is pretty straight-forward, though," said the kit, finishing up his brushing. "Right back," he said, heading back towards his "bedroom".

Jack sat down and sipped his coffee. Out of curiosity he picked up the master list and looked down the names to see if he recognized any. That could make for some humorous yet awkward encounters, he thought with a laugh. As it happened, he did not recognize any of Victor's clients, at least not the cigar-buying ones.

"Ok, lets do this," said Angelo, returning to the living room. He was now dressed as Jack had seen him previously: a black t-shirt over faded jeans and sneakers, and a denim jacket with what appeared to be a demon painted on the back. For his own part, Jack had chosen a golf shirt and casual khaki pants, specifically in anticipation of the upscale clientele that he expected to be visiting. He now suddenly felt over-dressed, if the customers were used to seeing Angelo dressed as he was.

Jack walked out to the car. Angelo followed, locking up the apartment as he left, before climbing in the passenger side of the car.

---

The delivery procedure was fairly straight-forward. Jack drove to the first client's location, in this case a doctor's office. The two foxes went inside and Angelo told the receptionist he was there to see Dr. So-and-so, and that it was not work-related. After five minutes or so, a raccoon gentleman who appeared to be the doctor in question came out of the door leading to the exam rooms, and ushered the boy inside. Jack waited for no more than 2 minutes before Angelo came back out of the door and headed to the exit.

Jack, who had just taken a seat in the waiting room, followed the kit out. "Easy enough, right?" inquired Jack.

"Easy fifteen-hundred," replied Angelo, then paused. "Something not right about a doctor who smokes that much," he said with a chuckle.

The next few deliveries went similarly smoothly. Angelo would read out the address, and sometimes mention a word or two about the client in question. Beyond that, the little grey-furred fox did not speak much during the trips.

Jack wanted to ask him about Victor, about what happened to his parents, and about how he came to be where he was in his young life. The moment never seemed right to the older fox, though. Granted, he didn't really know the boy all that well, though he seemed friendly enough back at the apartments.

---

Approaching half-past ten in the morning, they were down to the last two deliveries of the first batch, which happened to be in the same professional office building, but on different floors. Angelo read off the address, then made an irritated puffing sound as he read the client details.

"What's up?" asked Jack.

"This next guy," Angelo began. "He's a plastic surgeon. He's also a... creep. I don't know why Vic doesn't just drop him. He's only good for a hundred bucks at a time."

"What's so bad about him?"

Angelo chuckled. "I think he's got the hots for me," he said with a shrug. "Last time he asked if he could take some naked pictures."

"Whoa," said Jack, taken aback by that.

"Yeah," said the younger fox. "Creep."

"You know," said Jack, "Why don't I stay with you this time?" Angelo looked over at Jack. "Just in case," said Jack, echoing Victor's caution from the morning.

"Yeah, good idea," said the little fox with a smile.

They pulled into the parking lot of the office building and took the elevator to the plastic surgeon's office suite. Jack carried the bag for the second delivery in the building, while Angelo carried the bag for this doctor. As before, Angelo asked for the doctor at the receptionist.

"He said you should wait for him in room two, in the back," the receptionist responded. "Just go through the door, and it's the first door on the right."

Jack opened the door to the back. The receptionist spoke up at this. "He didn't say anything about you, sir."

Jack looked back at her. "We're together. The doc will understand, trust me," he said, starting through the door, then stopped. "We'll both be glad to leave if he's got a problem with me, don't worry," he added. While he was leery of this doctor, he did not want to alarm the receptionist, who might decide to bring the police into the situation if he was _too_argumentative with her.

The two went into the designated room. Jack left the door open and stood just inside, while Angelo curiously thumbed through a book of nose-job specimens for prospective clients.

Presently a middle-aged badger came into the room hurriedly. "Hi cutie," he said as he entered, then abruptly stopped as he saw Jack.

"Hi yourself," replied Jack, courteously yet somewhat sarcastically. He motioned to Angelo to proceed.

"Ok, I got your box here," said the kit. "That's an even hundred." Straight to the point, no small talk.

"All right, all right," the doctor said, still appearing slightly frazzled from Jack's unexpected presence. He reached into his pocket with one hand, and turned to Jack. "Say, I don't believe I've had the pleasure..." he started, extending his paw for a handshake.

Jack folded his arms. "No. No you haven't," was all he said.

"Right..." said the doctor uneasily. Turning back to the grey-furred fox, he continued. "Here you go, one hundred." He paused briefly, then said, quieter, "Thought about my offer any?"

Angelo took the money and stared the doctor in the face. "Not gonna happen, doc. And... I think you better drop it for good." He started to walk out of the room.

The doctor stepped aside. "Ok, ok, it's just..."

Jack, following the boy out of the room stopped abruptly and glared in the badger's face, their muzzles mere inches apart. "Drop. It." he said deliberately and flatly, then followed Angelo back to the reception area. The doctor stood where he was briefly, then turned back down the hall.

"He was cool with it," Jack said to the receptionist as they passed on the way out. "Thanks for your time, have a nice day!"

The two foxes walked to the elevator. When the doors closed, Angelo broke out laughing. "Oh my god that was great!" he exclaimed, holding his paw out for a high-five. "You're pretty good at the tough guy bit!"

"Thank you, thank you," the older fox said with mock humility, slapping his paw against the kit's.

Angelo giggled. "Something tells me he won't be placing any more orders after that little encounter, though."

The elevator door opened on the floor for the last customer of this run.

"Ok," said Angelo, now back into business mode. "This guy's great. He's a lawyer who loves to party it up. You won't need to mess with him like the last guy."

"Gotcha," acknowledged Jack. "I'll still go in with you though." Angelo nodded, again with a slight smile that almost seemed to Jack to be one of appreciation.

The secretary at the lawyer's office directed the two to a large glass conference room adjacent to the lobby of the suite, then picked up her phone to let him know they had arrived.

An extremely well-dressed otter in a silk suit quickly bounded into the conference room from down the hallway past the secretary.

"Hey, there's my man!" he said in a friendly tone, shaking Angelo's paw. "And his friend!" he exclaimed, shaking Jack's paw vigorously with one hand while simultaneously handing him a business card with the other. "Perfect timing, perfect timing," he said. He was very animated, yet didn't seem agitated or nervous.

"Yep, all here, Max," confirmed Angelo. "Big order this time!" He placed the bag on the conference table.

"Yeah, yeah," said the animated otter. "Two grand, right?" Angelo nodded. The otter pulled a wad of bills out of his pocket and counted out twenty hundred-dollar bills.

"There we go," said the otter, handing them to Angelo. "Worth every dime. And..." he paused, reaching into his suit jacket pocket. "Here's a little something extra for you. A tip, if you will. In case you want to see what all the fuss is about, you know?" He leaned in said something else to Angelo which Jack could not make out, and handed the little fox a small brownish object which the kit promptly stowed into his own jacket pocket.

The otter clapped his hands together once loudly. "Well, I got to get going. My best to Victor, and I'll catch you next time, Ange."

"Ok, seeya, Max," Angelo said, though the otter had already grabbed the bag and started walking back to his office at a fairly brisk pace before the kit had even started speaking. "See, I told you," Angelo continued after the otter had departed. "The guy's a trip!"

"Yeah, I see what you mean," replied Jack, bemused at what had just transpired.

The two foxes returned to the elevator and took it back down to the parking deck. By Jack's calculations from the bag tickets, Angelo had close to six thousand dollars in his jacket. Clearly Victor had positioned himself in a desirable and profitable business, Jack thought admiringly. That it was illegal was still just a technicality in Jack's mind.

Returning to the car, Jack recalled something from the lawyer's office. "So, what did the lawyer give you back there?" he inquired as he sat down in the car and shut his door.

"Well, lets see," replied Angelo as he shut his door. He reached into his jacket and pulled out the item. It was a small brown vial made out of glass or plastic. Jack could see a small quantity of powder inside.

"Is that coke?" Jack asked incredulously. Though perhaps cocaine did explain the otter's over-animated behavior in the conference room.

Angelo held the vial up to his eye. "Yeah, that's what he said it was," The little fox popped it open and poured the contents out onto the back of his paw in a small mound. "I dunno, what do you think?" he asked.

"Definitely," said Jack.

Angelo raised his paw close to his eyes and studied the little white pile momentarily. Without warning he lowered it to his nose and swiftly inhaled the mound of powder from the back of his paw.

"Hey!" exclaimed Jack, reflexively lashing out his arm and batting Angelo's paw away from his face. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Hey, Relax!" Angelo snapped back. He then took a deep breath through his nose and held it, before letting it out slowly. "Whoa," he said looking up at Jack with a slight look of surprise, his eyes wide.

"Dammit, what the hell did you do that for?" Jack barked at Angelo. "That shit will kill you, you know."

Angelo didn't respond, but just took another deep nasal breath and held it, his chin tucked into his chest, before letting the breath go in a long sigh.

"Fuck," Jack exclaimed again as he backed the car out of the parking space and headed out of the garage.

"Relax, Jack," said Angelo when the car was back on the road. "Its just a little coke. A 'kit-sized' dose, he said. What's the big deal?"

"The 'big deal' is, you shouldn't be doing coke at your age! The last thing you want is to get hooked on that shit."

Angelo folded his arms defensively. "I'm not going to get hooked on it! And any case, what do you care?" he said, with raised voice.

"I do care," Jack replied loudly, almost argumentatively. "I don't want to see your life get fucked up..." He stopped abruptly. He had been about to add 'any more than it already is' but realized how cruel that would sound. Angelo didn't appear to pick up on it though. He just stared out the front window, arms still folded, though Jack noticed his knee was now nervously bouncing.

"What do you care..." the kit said again, though quieter.

Jack put his paw out and gently placed it on Angelo's knee. The kit jumped at the contact, clearly startled, though how much of that was due to the stimulant he had just taken, Jack couldn't tell.

"Sorry, sorry," Jack said, pulling his paw back.

The car drove past a road sign indicating the interstate highway was two miles ahead. There were a couple of stop lights and one railroad crossing to get past, then they'd be on the freeway for home, and the next batch of deliveries.

As the light ahead turned red, Jack noticed a police car turn out of one of the shopping centers and fall in behind his car. He pulled to a stop at the light, and the police car stopped behind him. Jack hoped this old car wasn't visibly smoking, or doing anything else that might justify a traffic stop.

Granted, the contraband was all gone, and there would be no reason to search a cub, so they wouldn't find the money even if the car had a burnt tail light or leaky exhaust. Jack still maintained a certain paranoia when it came to the police, though, which stemmed from his earlier teen years.

The light turned green and Jack eased the car forward down the road, making sure to stay under the posted speed limit. The police car was several car lengths back and seemed to be not taking any particular interest in the big old car.

"Cop," Jack said to Angelo who abruptly perked his ears.

"Shit," he said, sinking low into the bucket seat as if to avoid being seen.

"Be cool, be cool," Jack said reassuringly.

"Shit shit shit," Angelo just whispered.

The light ahead turned red. Jack had hoped to be able to just barely make it through, causing the police car to get caught at it, but that now wasn't going to happen.

Just prior to the intersection that this light controlled were the railroad tracks which ran parallel to the cross-street. The intersection itself was just past the tracks, though the traffic light was placed before them, apparently to prevent people from being stopped on the tracks when they had to stop for the red light.

Jack shot a quick glance into his rear view mirror. The police car was still behind him, and the officer appeared to be on the radio. Jack began to drum his fingers nervously on the wheel. The light was still red, though there didn't seem to be any cross-traffic. His heart sank. This could only mean one thing.

As if on cue, the red lights on the railroad crossing gate lit up and the gates lowered to the fully down position in front of the car. Jack looked to his right and saw the bright headlight of a train locomotive moving up the tracks. It appeared to be at the head of large freight train, judging from what he could see past the engine.Oh well, he thought, this would give the police officer behind him plenty of time now to find fault with his car.

The train was a hundred yards or so away still, when it sounded a warning blast of its horn. Angelo jumped again at that. "Shit shit shit..." he kept muttering.

"Be cool, bro," Jack said, as much to himself as to Angelo.

"Jack..." the kit said nervously.

At that moment the blue lights on the police car came on. _That didn't take long,_Jack thought. "Better hand me the registration," he said to Angelo.

"Jack!" the kit exclaimed through clenched teeth. Jack looked over at him, questioningly. "The car's stolen," the little fox said, his ears flattening back.

Jack's head snapped forward. "WHAT?" he half-shouted. He looked in his mirror again. The officer had gotten out of his car, but was standing behind the open door, with the radio mic in hand. Jack had seen enough reality cop shows on TV to recognize that the officer was probably calling for backup, now that he had Jack trapped at the railroad crossing.

The officer spoke into the microphone he was holding, and his voice broadcast over a loudspeaker from the patrol car. "Driver, shut the car down and throw the keys out the window. Do it now!" Jack also recognized this routine as being the start of a "felony stop", which confirmed that the officer knew about the car. He must have called in the tag number.

Jack did a quick mental survey of his situation. He was driving a stolen car and had a coked-up cub in the car with him, who just happened to have thousands of dollars in cash and a used vial of cocaine in his jacket. _'Officer, this isn't what it looks like'_was not going to work here. He would likely be arrested for drug trafficking, kidnapping, car theft, or any number of other crimes, and Victor would probably not stick his neck out to rescue him.

A second blast of the approaching train's horn shocked Jack back into the moment. The train was bearing down on the intersection and would soon cross in front of the car, trapping them with the police car. Jack looked through the intersection, past the tracks, then back to the train rolling towards them, horn blaring. _No, that would be insane..._He saw Angelo out of the corner of his eye brace against the dashboard.

"Driver, shut down..." the officer began again over the loudspeaker. Jack looked back to the intersection again.

"PUNCH IT!" Angelo shouted. He had clearly been thinking the same thing.

With a feral scream, Jack stomped on the car's accelerator pedal.

Part 2

The car's engine roared, and with a surge the vehicle smashed through the railroad crossing arm and flew across the tracks, missing being broadsided by the oncoming train by less than fifty feet. The sound of the train's horn blaring still rang in Jack's ears as he raced down the road. The police officer who had been behind them was taken by surprise and had not been able to get back into his car before the train had thoroughly blocked the street. It would probably be five minutes before the whole thing had passed through and re-opened the road.

"Yeeeeessss!" Angelo screamed, punching the car's roof, as they sped clear of the tracks.

"Holy shit..." Jack panted. He was nearly hyperventilating at the adrenaline rush. "Holy SHIT, we made it!" he shouted, watching the train slowly rolling in his rear view mirror. Looking ahead, he could see the road signs indicating the freeway was less than a mile ahead. "We actually made it!"

"Not yet! Turn there past that gas station," Angelo ordered, rapid-fire. "There! There!" he said, pointing excitedly.

"What?" Jack inquired. The interstate on-ramp was nearly in view.

"DO IT," the younger fox commanded loudly, "Turn right! There!"

Jack hesitated for a moment, then hit the brakes hard and nearly spun the car turning it onto the commanded side-street. As soon as the car was stable again he sped back up and headed down the side street. This was a small two-lane road with many turns and curves.

"The freeway was right there," Jack barked accusingly, "What the hell are we doing here, we need to get away from that cop before the train passes."

"No!" Angelo barked back. "That's where the rest of them will be waiting for you. Turn left right there!" he said, pointing to another smaller side-street. "We need to get this car hidden fast, before they get a helicopter up."

Jack pondered this, and it did make sense. He had seen the officer on the radio, so doubtless there were dozens of police now looking for them.

"Also, slow down," Angelo said, quieter now. "Nobody's following us, so its time to look normal now."

Jack nodded and slowed the car down to an inconspicuous speed. He kept nervously checking his mirrors, but there was nobody behind him within sight. "So where are we going?"

"I used to live up this way, before... well, before," he replied. "There's a good spot where I used to hang out sometimes. It's an old abandoned mine entrance. We should be able to ditch the car there. Just watch for cops. And helicopters. Turn right at that stop sign."

Jack noted that the little grey-furred fox was still rather agitated, which was apparent from his clipped speech and jumpiness. The combination of the coke he had inhaled at the last drop-off, and the adrenaline from playing chicken with a freight train, must have had him ready to jump out of his skin, Jack thought.

The road curved around to the right some, and Jack figured they were now heading back in the general direction of the train tracks, though a mile or so off of the main road they had been on. He had his window rolled down now, to listen for sirens or a helicopter, but so far at least, they were still in the clear.

"Left turn here," Angelo said, his head checking all directions as well.

Jack turned the car accordingly. This road was nearly a one-lane service road, with no houses or cars in sight. To the left was a forest, and to the right was a hill that followed the road, as if it had been built to separate the road from whatever was on the other side. The continued down the road for a minute or so.

"Turn right, there at that little driveway-looking thing, then stop," Angelo said, pointing to a point ahead where the hill dropped to almost street level, as if a driveway were there, though it appeared to be just more grass. As they got closer, Jack could see an overgrown dirt road that went up through the low point in the hill. There were two concrete posts with a chain across them to block access. He slowed the car and turned up the dirt road, again checking for any vehicles in sight, then stopped at the chain.

Angelo hopped out of the car and ran up to the chain and un-hooked it from one of the posts. With a wave he beckoned Jack to drive the car through the opening, then ran around behind and re-hooked the chain before climbing back into the car.

"Ok, go slow now, this is all dirt. Don't want to kick up too much dust," the young fox instructed. "Follow it all the way around 'till you have to drive up on the tracks," he concluded nonchalantly.

"Drive... on the railroad tracks?" Jack asked incredulously.

Angelo laughed. "Don't worry, it's not the main tracks. It's an old side-track that led to this old mine."

Jack followed the dirt road slowly along. The car was now hidden from view between the hill on the left and a smaller one of similar construction on the right. Jack figured the main tracks were now just over the hill to the right.

After a minute or so of driving on the little dirt road, it sloped up to the level of the right-side hill, and the railroad siding came into view. They were heavily rusted, in striking contrast to the active main tracks a few yards further away.

"Ok now, time to get blenderized," Angelo said with a grin. "Go left on the tracks 'till you get to the mine."

Jack turned onto the rusted old tracks and slowly bounced the car along them as they curved to the left, heading away from the main tracks. Several times the car's underside scraped against the rails or the ties with a violent crash. Jack wasn't concerned, as he knew they would likely not need to preserve this car much longer. He chuckled at the irony, as he had just gotten the car fixed the previous day, and had only gotten half of one day's use out of it.

Ahead, as the track continued to curve, Jack could see old piles of garbage, debris, and old rails and ties begin to come into view. An old rusting metal canopy stood over a fifty-foot section of the track, with what looked to be the mine entrance just beyond it. The place looked like it had been abandoned for decades.

Jack needed no prodding to pull the car under the protection of the metal canopy. It would be well hidden from view from the air. He bounced the car the last few feet along until they were safely under the middle of it, and shut the car off.

Angelo opened his door and listened for a moment before stepping out onto the gravel of the rail bed. Jack put his head back against the seat back and took several deep breaths, the adrenaline rush only just beginning to fade as they were now relatively safe. He closed his eyes and chuckled, almost giggled to himself, partly in relief and partly at the near absurdity of the situation he was in.

"Jack?" he heard Angelo ask. The boy had now come around to the driver's side and had obviously noticed the older fox's odd behavior. Jack opened his eyes and looked at the little grey-furred fox standing by the door.

"Yup," he said, "I'm good." Jack took the hem of his shirt and began to wipe the steering wheel with it, trying to remove any paw-prints from it. He knew this would be a fruitless exercise, as his prints were all over the car, inside and out, from the work he had done on the gas tank. No doubt they were firmly enshrined in grease on the bottom of the car.

"C'mon," Angelo said, tugging at Jacks shirt. "Don't worry about that, I'll fix all this later. Right now we have to get away from here."

"Right," replied Jack, not sure how the younger fox intended to "fix" this, but following along anyway. He got out of the car, and tossed the key on the seat, again wiping it off first. "I'll leave the key. Maybe we'll get lucky and someone will steal our stolen car," he said with an ironic tone.

Angelo laughed. "Yep, who knows," he said with a grin. "Lets head for the woods. We'll wait there for a bit 'till the heat dies down some." He indicated the dense forest that started immediately behind the entrance to the old mine, and seemed to go on for miles. Jack nodded, and Angelo took off running towards the forest.

Jack followed at a jog, keeping the little fox ahead in sight but not trying to keep up with him as they traveled into the woods. It was a fairly dense forest, probably the result of hundreds of years of uninterrupted growth, if not more. In the height of summertime, the canopy overhead would make any aerial view impossible, so it was a good place to hide out.

Angelo kept running, stopping and turning every so often to make sure Jack was still behind him, before taking off again. The two ran deeper into the woods for almost five minutes before Angelo slowed and stopped against a large tree, panting heavily. Jack caught up to him, winded himself in spite of the gentler pace he had taken.

"Ok..." Angelo panted, "I think... we can stop here..." He bent at the waist, breathing heavily with his hands on his knees.

Jack looked around. There was no sign of civilization in any direction. He took a mental bearing on the direction they had come from--he did not want to get lost here. "Do you know where we are?" he asked the boy.

"Yeah, sure," Angelo replied. He had now caught his breath and sat down on the ground. "I used to live in an apartment up thataway," he said, pointing off in another direction, "It backed up to this same forest, and I'd ride my bike here all the time. I used to hang out at that mine and watch the trains. That was back..." he trailed off.

Jack took note of this. It had clearly brought back memories of the kit's past. Jack changed the subject to the more pressing matter. "So how long do we need to wait here?"

"Half hour," Angelo replied quietly. "Maybe an hour. Depends on if we hear sirens or choppers or anything." He leaned forward and idly drew circles in the dirt.

Jack paced slowly, again taking mental inventory of his situation. "Half hour," he said aloud, then laughed. Angelo looked up at him questioningly. "Jeez, I'm eighteen and I'm on the run from the cops. Not how I envisioned my summer going, I gotta be honest."

The kit stood up and brushed the dirt from his pants. "Well, its not like this is where _I_thought I'd be in my life either," he said with a wry smile. "But the job's not always like this, I promise!"

Jack chuckled. "You're what... ten? Eleven?" he asked.

"Eleven," the kit replied. "And a half!"

"Oh, "and a half", well, excuse me!" Jack said with a grin. Those six months were always so important to kits, he mused. His little sister was about the same age, and said the same thing. Angelo shrugged matter-of-factly. Jack reached a hand out to pat his head, but the kit instinctively backed away from the contact as if startled, before catching himself with a slightly embarrassed smile. He did not, however, go back into petting range.

"So," Jack began after a moment, "How _did_you come to be where you are, then?" he asked, once again trying not to sound like he was prying. There was a backstory to this kid, Jack thought, and he felt he needed to know how Angelo's life had unfolded so as to bring him to this spot in the woods.

"How?" Angelo asked, head-tilting slightly.

"Yeah," Jack replied. "Victor gave me the Reader's Digest version, remember? And you were going to fill in the rest?" he said, referring back to the conversation in Victor's apartment.

"Heh, I did say that, didn't I?" the kit replied. "It's kind of a... complex story, I guess. You sure you want to hear it?"

"Well, we got plenty of time, right?" Jack said. "Are you sure that..._you_want to talk about it though?" he asked, remembering the sad tone in the boy's voice as he mentioned riding down to the mine in his past.

Angelo chucked. "It's not _that_bad," he said. "Where you want me to start?"

"Well... Victor said your dad died a long time ago?" Jack figured that this would be easier to talk about, given the time passed, and the fact that Angelo would have been very young.

The kit nodded. "Yeah. He left us when I was five or six. Got himself knifed in a bar fight a couple years later. Killed over a pitcher of beer. Nice guy, huh?"

"He left you?" Jack inquired.

"Yep, left my mom and me. She wanted to get a job to get some extra money coming in, and he wouldn't let her. She did anyway, so he took off."

"Whoa," Jack said, shocked by this. "Just because she wanted a job?"

"Mmm-hmm," said the little fox. "They never had a lot of money, and when I was born it just made it worse. I guess he took it personally. Like her wanting to help meant he wasn't doing his job or something." He shrugged, no trace of emotion in his face.

"Wow, that sucks," was all Jack could think to say.

"Yeah, but whatever," Angelo replied with another shrug. "I was "an accident" apparently, and he didn't have a problem reminding me of that fact. Often. We were better off without him. At least then we could get some state money to help."

The kit still showed no emotion as he spoke, but began to pace about again. Jack couldn't think of anything to say to that. He wanted to comfort the younger fox, but restrained himself, recalling his previous attempt at friendly contact.

"So then your mom," Jack continued, "How'd she die? You don't have to answer if..."

"How?" Angelo interrupted, his voice slightly louder. "Ripped apart by some big horse-guy's cock, hopefully." His voice had a tinge of anger to it now, as he continued to pace.

Jack was taken aback by this outburst. It seemed a glaring non-sequitur when taken with everything Jack knew, or thought he knew at least, about this young kit.

"Wait, wait," Jack said, almost stammering, "You mean... she's not dead?"

Angelo stopped his pacing and looked at Jack, his face again expressionless. "Today? I don't know. Don't care either." He turned away and resumed pacing, slower than before.

"No, no, wait," Jack said, still trying to wrap his brain around this new revelation. "So... you _did_run away! But I thought... Victor said..."

"You don't know how it was, Jack," Angelo said, turning back towards the red fox.

"Don't be so sure," Jack replied, thinking back to his early teenage years when he similarly tried to escape his home-life. "I ran away a couple times when I was about your age," he began.

"Jack!" Angelo interrupted again, stepping closer, "I like you, Jack. I do. But you don't know what you're talking about here."

"I'm telling you, I've been there!" Jack retorted. "I know what it's like to want to get away from your parents. I know that you might think that running away is going to make things better, but..."

"NO!" Angelo shouted, cutting off Jack in his tracks. "You don't GET it!_I'M_not the one who ran away!" he yelled angrily, pointing at his chest with his thumb for emphasis. He turned and walked several paces away, angrily kicking a rock as he did so.

Jack stared for a moment, stunned by the revelation. He couldn't think of anything to say; indeed there was nothing that could be said. He just sat down where he stood, cross-legged, and stared at the ground at Angelo's feet.

The grey-furred kit still had his back to Jack, and his paws were balled up into fists. After a moment, the fists relaxed and the kit half turned to look back at Jack. The older fox looked up from where he sat, his ears flat against his head with guilt. He wanted to say that he was sorry for forcing the issue, but still said nothing.

Angelo turned fully back towards Jack, then slowly walked back over to where he sat, and sat down across from him. There was a faint hint of sadness to his face now. Neither spoke for several seconds.

"You remember that bad fox-flu that was going around a few years ago?" Angelo finally said. His tone was casual and conversational--the way one would ask about the weather. So much so that Jack initially thought he was changing the subject abruptly.

"Yeah," Jack replied softly, still feeling bad, "I remember that."

Angelo nodded. "Well, I had a bad case of that. Really bad. I was puking every ten minutes, couldn't eat or drink anything... not fun."

"When was this?" Jack asked.

The little fox thought for a moment. "Oh, right about when I turned ten, so... a year and a half ago?"

Jack nodded. He now realized that Angelo was telling the story about his mother.

The kit continued. "I had to go to the hospital, 'cause even a sip of water would make me puke. They hooked me up to all these IV bags of stuff. One full of saline, one with... potassium I think it was, and one that was nutrients. Liquid lunch, yummy. They said I would probably be there for a week. Maybe longer." He paused for a moment, then continued. "Remember, we didn't have much money. We definitely didn't have any insurance. Me lying there being pumped full of saline for a week was going to cost a ton of money that we didn't have. You know what saline really is?"

"It's like salt?" Jack offered.

"Yeah, salt water," Angelo said with audible annoyance. "How much were they going to charge us for ten bucks worth of salt water? Anyway," he continued, his voice losing the annoyed tone, "she was there for the first couple of days, then said she had to go home to take care of some things, but would be back. You can guess what happened next."

"She never came back..." Jack said softly.

"You got it. At first I figured it was because of a snowstorm that hit that day. But I called our number... no answer. Two days go by... three... still nothing. No answer on the phone and no sign of her at the hospital. Called her work number, and they said she hadn't been there since before I got sick."

"Did they ever find her?" Jack inquired, though he already knew the answer.

"Cops went by the apartment looking for her. They got the manager to let them in. Everything was normal inside, except that a lot of her clothes were gone. Dresser drawers hanging open, empty. Closet mostly empty. She skipped town on me." Angelo spoke this last part with a tinge of anger. "She skipped town while I'm lying there alone with needles and tubes in me."

"Jeez, Ange..." Jack began.

The little fox resumed, before Jack could get any more out. "When the snow melted, they found her car at the downtown bus station. So she took off right after leaving the hospital."

"Maybe she just panicked?" Jack suggested. "Because of the hospital expenses?"

"Oh she panicked all right," Angelo replied. "Cops said they'd seen it before, and that the mother usually comes back in a few days, after getting her head straight. So once I was better, they put me in this short-term orphanage to wait and see if she came back."

"And she never did," Jack said, finishing Angelo's sentence.

"Nope," the kit said. "You remember Vic called orphanages "prisons"? Well that's what this one felt like. One big room with twenty or so beds lined up against the wall. One big shower room that everyone used together. One big cafeteria where we all ate. And the staff that didn't care as long as the count of kits was right at the end of the day. I met this one lion there. He was sixteen, and had been in orphanages as long as he could remember. He gave me the scoop on what the system was all about. No way I was going to stay there for long after talking to him.

"Anyway, after a month, the cops came back and said there was no sign of my mom anywhere, even checking with other states. So they officially listed her as "missing" and me as "abandoned" and said I would be moved to a permanent house soon. So I bailed. Ran away during the after-lunch recess."

"Wow," Jack said, "That's..."

"Fucked up?" Angelo said, now finishing Jack's sentence. "I agree, but there it is."

"So, how does Victor fit into all this?" Jack asked.

"Victor, yes," Angelo replied. "Well he lived in the same apartment complex as we did. The one past these woods. He got to know my mom. They would talk a lot, sometimes he'd come over for dinner. I think he probably just wanted to bone her, but whatever. Anyway, one time when he was over, he told stories about _his_time in orphanages, so I thought of him when I ran away. He had given her and me his cell phone number once, in case we ever needed anything. I remembered it because it spells out a word on the phone keys. So I called him and told him what was up. He came and got me and, well, you know the rest."

He fell silent and just looked at Jack. Jack found it hard to make eye contact as he dug for words--something, anything to soften the punch of Angelo's story. He just let out a sigh as he stared at the ground.

"Your turn!" Angelo said brightly, breaking the silence after a moment.

Jack looked up into the kit's blue eyes. "My turn?" he repeated.

"Yep," the young fox replied, "You heard _my_life story, so now it's your turn!"

"Well," Jack said, slowly. He suddenly felt self-conscious about talking about himself. "I really don't know where to begin. There's not much to tell really."

"Uh-huh," Angelo replied, with an over-exaggerated tone of skepticism. "Well, how 'bout this: you said you ran away from home when you were my age. What was that all about?"

"Hmm, right," Jack said, nodding. "That's a bit of a long story too, I guess."

"I knew it!" the little fox replied enthusiastically, with a smile. "Go for it!"

"Ok," Jack began, again feeling tinges of self-consciousness creeping in. In retrospect, he mused, this story was rather embarrassing. Even now he could hardly believe that he had ever truly acted this way. "Well, I was what you might call... a spoiled brat when I was a kit."

Angelo giggled at this. "Oh really?" he asked, ears perking slightly.

"Yeah," Jack replied. "I was. My parents call themselves "new age hippies", or at least they used to. They told themselves early on that when they had kids, they wouldn't ever use any kind of real discipline, but rather use "time-outs" and stern tones of voice when they needed to. That worked until I was maybe... four. I learned pretty quick that they were never going to do any more than that, so I pretty much did whatever I wanted to. So by the time I was your age..."

"You were a brat," Angelo said, completing the thought for Jack. "As in... really bad?"

"Oh yes," Jack confirmed with a nod. "I would...". He trailed off. This part was particularly humiliating. "I would throw screaming tantrums all the time when I didn't get my way." He chuckled slightly as he saw Angelo recoil slightly and tilt his head in surprise. "Yeah, I feel the same way about it now too," Jack continued. "Didn't matter where, didn't matter why. If my breakfast cereal was even slightly mushy I'd go off."

"Wow..." said the younger fox, his voice a mixed tone of disbelief with a touch of disapproval. "And your folks did nothing?"

"Nothing," replied Jack, no longer making eye contact with the kit. "It got to the point where they'd just give in to my demands, and do whatever I wanted, just to avoid the inevitable temper tantrum. So I did just that. Whatever I wanted, I mean. They thought it was a phase, and I'd grow out of it."

"A six year phase?" the little grey-furred fox said sarcastically. "I assume that didn't happen, of course."

"Oh hell no," said Jack. "By the time I was... oh, thirteen or so, I was hanging out with the pot-heads, skipping classes, and forget about homework. I had no concept of responsibility. None. One time...", he paused with a laugh. "Once I left the front door wide open when I left for school. Just walked out and didn't even think to close it." He laughed again, remembering. "Fortunately the neighbor across the street saw the door hanging open, otherwise that could have been a bad scene."

"But you still did go to school, then?" asked the kit.

"Yeah, I did," said Jack, "But only ever enough to just squeak by so I wouldn't fail. And the only reason I did that was so my friends wouldn't give me crap for getting held back. That was the _only_reason. I couldn't care less how it would affect my life beyond that."

Angelo nodded. "And your parents still didn't see the problem with this?" he asked.

Jack shook his head. "I think at this point they'd given up on me," he said with a touch of sadness. "By that time, my little sister was six or so, and they focused on her. I guess they wanted to try it all again on her. Meanwhile... I pretty much ran wild."

"That when you ran away?" inquired the little fox.

"Nah," said Jack, "I was king of my own world at that point. Why would I want to leave? No, what happened was that two years go by, and now my sister starts acting like I had when I was her age."

"Uh-oh," said Angelo with a half-smile.

"You got it," Jack replied with a nod. "My folks finally got the message that their cub-rearing philosophy wasn't making it. So my dad turns to _his_dad for help."

"His dad?"

"Yep, my granddad," replied Jack. "He was pretty strict on _my_dad growing up. So much so that I think it was the reason that my dad decided to not be strict on us. But he knew first-hand how it was, and that he would never have been allowed to act the way I was... the way my sister was starting to as well."

"So, what happened?", inquired the cub.

"What happened," Jack replied, "was change. Sudden, abrupt change. TV, Internet, video games... gone. They became rewards rather than rights. Curfews got imposed, under penalty of being grounded. And the "time outs"? They got replaced by being grabbed by the scruff of the neck and bodily thrown into my room." He paused, another embarrassing part coming up. "I'd been getting my way for years, no questions asked. So naturally this all came as a bit of a shock."

"Heh, I bet," said Angelo with a chuckle. "How'd you take it?"

"I took it by..." he paused with an embarrassed chuckle again. "By... crying myself to sleep for a week."

"No!" exclaimed the younger fox with a shocked laugh, jumping to his feet. "You didn't!"

Jack's ears went flat against his head. "Yeah... I really did. I threw some violent screaming tantrums, but this time... nothing. So I basically threw a fit till I passed out from exhaustion. I was like fourteen." He stared at the ground as he spoke, too humiliated to look at his companion.

"Holy schmoley," said Angelo, with amazement in his voice. "So this is when you ran away?"

"Yep pretty much," Jack replied. "I figured that my friends would let me hang with them, so I grabbed some things and left." He chuckled again, remembering. "Turns out, they all had their own rules that they had to live by too, and none of them were going to let me just move into their basements. So... I went back home. I realized then that I really had no idea how the real world worked"

"What happened when you got home?"

Jack laughed out loud at this. "I got grounded for missing my curfew! I didn't even make it one night away from home!" He looked up at Angelo and laughed again. "Man, I was a brat!"

The older fox stood up and brushed the dirt off his pants. "So anyway," he continued, "I finally resigned myself to this new way of life, and had to play by their rules. By which I mean: I had to grow the hell up and stop being such a baby." He mused for a moment. "I don't know when it happened, but at some point I finally "got it". I got that my folks weren't doing this to be cruel, and that they really did love us. And I got what a little bastard I'd been all my life."

Angelo giggled at this. Jack noted that he had resumed nervously pacing slightly, and shuffling his feet when he stood still.

Jack went on. "So, then came high school, and I actually got decent grades, got on the football team, got a job... the whole nine yards. Those restrictions at home got eased off as my sister and I started acting like regular furs instead of assholes. And this June, I graduated, which nobody would have seen coming four years ago. Then I moved out the next day."

This last sentence caught the younger fox off-guard. His ears perked and he tilted his head slightly. "Huh? The next day?"

"Yep," confirmed Jack. "Not because of anything that happened at home though. It's just that... after all that spoiled kit routine, I just... needed to prove that I _was_responsible now. That I _could_survive on my own without having to have them bail me out of trouble. I dunno... it's kind of hard to explain, really."

"I think I understand," said Angelo soberly. "Your folks taught you to be a responsible fox, but the only way you could really show them how successful they were was by leaving them."

Jack looked the little grey fox in his blue eyes for a moment, then nodded. "That's it exactly. You're pretty smart."

Angelo grinned. "Vic says I'm too smart for my own good!" He laughed as he said this. Jack again resisted the urge to fuzzle the little fox's headfur, and just smiled back.

"Jack?" said the kit after a pause. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the car being stolen."

Jack nodded with a smile. "That's ok. Just please be honest with me in the future? For both our sakes?"

"Deal!" the little fox replied. "I promise I won't lie to you." He held out his paw for a handshake, which Jack accepted. "Technically though," the kit continued with a grin, "I never said the car_wasn't_stolen!"

Jack laughed, and this time he did reach out and fuzzle Angelo's head. The young fox made no move to avoid it.

---

"Let's head back towards the mine," Angelo said after a moment. "Slowly, though."

"You think it's safe?" Jack asked, nervously.

"Should be," came the reply. "We'll get close and see if there's anything going on. We'll be coming from the other direction, so if they have found the car, they're not going to be expecting the driver to come back. If anyone asks, we're brothers out for a stroll to watch the trains."

"Ok, little bro, lead the way," said Jack. He found he liked the way it sounded; indeed, he did always want a brother growing up. Angelo too, looked back and smiled for a second or so longer than expected, as if he was pondering speaking.

In the end, though, all he said was "C'mon," and started back in the direction of the mine.

Jack walked next to the young fox, noting that he was walking at a brisker pace than his instructions of "Slowly though" would imply. He was also repeatedly balling up one fist, then shaking it out like a baseball pitcher limbering up. "You ok, bud?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, yeah," the boy replied rapidly. "I guess it's that stuff I snorted. Giving me the shakes now."

"But it was "just a little coke", I thought," Jack replied in a friendly jibe. He hoped the kit took it that way.

Angelo looked over at him with a smirk, but said nothing. He looked back towards the ground in front of him. "So..." he began quietly, a hint of nervousness creeping into his voice, "How long... does this stuff take to wear off?" He looked back up at Jack.

Jack thought back to the anti-drug classes he had in school. "Well, usually it's a few hours or more." Angelo's ears dropped at this. "He supposedly gave you a smaller dose, so maybe less than that, but you're smaller too, so hell, I dunno."

Angelo grumbled an incomprehensible something. Jack patted his shoulder, which caused the little fox to startle again, but he didn't pull away. He was clearly not used to friendly contact like this.

"It will wear off though," said Jack, as reassuringly as he could be. "Then, you'll be real tired, and you won't want to do anything. Maybe get depressed or sad too. That's where the addiction comes from: people will take another snort to get rid of the down feeling and to get back that high they had."

"Yeah, well no thanks," said the boy. "That first rush was kind of cool, but the rest of this is just... annoying."

"Good to hear," said Jack. Angelo looked at him with a brow cocked. "Good that you're not going to do it again, I mean. Not good that it's annoying!" he said, hurriedly and with a grin.

After a few minutes, the hill separating the woods from the railroad tracks could be seen. There had been no sound of a helicopter, nor any sirens at all, since their initial encounter back at the rail crossing. The two vulpines continued closer. As they got within fifty yards, Angelo motioned to stop.

"Ok, you wait here, I'll check out the mine," the young fox said, "A lone kid showing up won't be suspicious. I'll wave from the hill when it's ok to come over. If you see me wave to someone at the mine... then it's not so safe!" He grinned as he spoke the last sentence.

Jack nodded and the little fox dashed off ahead, towards the hill. As he began to approach the top, he slowed and, with every step, looked ahead over that part of the mine which came into view. At the top he stopped, then disappeared down the other side. Jack began to slowly walk towards the hill, all the while watching the crest for Angelo to return to view.

After a minute, he did just that, and waved vigorously for Jack to approach. The red fox broke into a run to join his grey-furred compatriot at the top of the hill. At the crest, Jack looked down at the scene. It was as eerily vacant as it had been when they left some few minutes previously. Even the car parked under the old rusting metal canopy fit the scene perfectly, looking like it had been there for years when the last of civilization abandoned this small corner of the world.

"Ok, now to cover our tracks," Angelo said, and rand down the hill towards the car. Jack, still unsure of exactly what he had in mind, followed at a jog.

As Jack reached the car, Angelo was leaning in the driver's door. He stood up, keys in paw. "Make sure you've got everything out," the kit instructed, then walked to the back of the car.

"Already done," replied Jack, as he walked to the rear as well. "What do you have in mind? We can't take it back on the roads now." By which he meant that he _wouldn't_take it back on the roads, if that was the boy's plan.

"Nope, don't need to," said Angelo. "I've got something else in mind." He turned the key in the trunk lock. "Something a little... extreme!" At this he opened the trunk lid and looked at Jack with a smile.

Jack looked into the trunk, and didn't see it at first. It was the same trunk he saw just the prior day when working on the car. A wide, rusty, and mostly empty space. Just the usual spare tire, and the two... 5-gallon gasoline cans that he had used to fill the new fuel tank. He looked back to Angelo, his own eyes now wide. "No..." was all Jack could say.

"Yep!" confirmed Angelo with a broad grin. "Gimme a hand here." He grabbed one of the cans' handles and began tugging it towards the trunk's opening. The obvious weight of the thing told Jack it was full; Victor must have re-filled them after Jack had returned the car to him.

Jack grabbed the first can and lifted it out of the trunk, then repeated with the second. Both Jerrycans were full. "Are you serious?" he asked Angelo as he placed the second one on the ground.

"It's the only way to get rid of the evidence," Angelo said solemnly. "There's lots of paw-prints all over it, not to mention little bits of our fur. Got a better idea?"

Jack thought for only a second before he realized that he didn't. This was indeed an extreme move, but it made sense. "No," said Jack with a sigh. "What's Victor going to say?"

"Vic? Oh, he'll be ten different kinds of mad!" replied Angelo with a laugh. Then, more somberly, "But this is the right thing to do, so I'm making the call myself."

Jack just nodded. Angelo motioned for him to pick up one of the cans. "Take that one and pour it all over the inside. Especially where we were sitting. It's ok if it runs out onto the ground."

The older fox took the can and began to douse the insides of the car with gasoline. Angelo, meanwhile, took his can and knocked it over on the ground under the car's gas tank, letting fuel pour out and pool beneath the tank. When a decent amount had flowed out, he righted the can and took it to the front of the car, repeating the process under the engine.

Jack had thoroughly soaked the car's interior, front and back seats, with fuel, such that it pooled on the floorboards and seats. The fumes within began to get overpowering, so he stepped outside to get some fresh air, coughing as he did.

Angelo stood up at the front of the car and brought his can over to Jack. Both cans were nearly empty. He began to pour the remainder of the gas onto the ground, leading away from the car in a trail. When his can ran out, he tossed it back under the car and continued to pour the fuse-trail from Jack's can. It too quickly ran out and joined its companion under the car. The trail was thirty or so feet long, Jack reckoned. The smell of gasoline was everywhere.

The two foxes stood at the clear end of the gasoline trail that led back to the car. They stood there regarding the scene for a few seconds. "Ange," Jack began, "Are you sure about this?"

Angelo smiled at him, then produced a lighter from his jacket pocket. He winked at Jack, then lit the lighter and touched it to the gas trail on the ground. "Very sure," he said, standing back up.

The flame moved down the trail of gasoline somewhat slowly. In fact, Jack thought it would burn out before it reached the car at the rate it was going. Angelo must have been thinking the same, as he stood there watching it with paw on hip.

After what seemed like minutes, but was in reality less than thirty seconds, the ground around the car erupted into flame. Neither fox had seen the fuse-trail actually meet the main pools, but it clearly had. Flames leaped high from the car, reaching to the metal canopy and surrounding it, as the gas inside the car ignited as well. In seconds, it was a raging inferno.

"Let's go!" shouted Angelo, and took off running back towards the hill, in the direction of the forest from which they had just come. Jack followed, this time not at a leisurely jog as before, but more like he was trying out for the football team all over again.

As he crested the hill, he looked back one last time at the car. The flames were now reaching twenty feet in the air, and seemed to swirl around the car like a vortex. The car itself was almost completely obscured from view by flame and the thick billowing clouds of black smoke which rose high into the sky. There would be no hiding the car now, Jack thought as he ran down the other side of the hill into the relative safety of the forest.

---

The two foxes continued their run through the woods, slowing slightly when they began to get winded, but never fully stopping. Jack kept looking behind him, but the column of smoke from the burning car was soon obscured by the hill and the trees. At some point, he knew, the car's gas tank was going to explode, and he waited for that sound.

They ran in a slightly different direction than they had the first time, and Jack was once again completely lost. He just followed the young grey-furred fox ahead of him, who seemed to know where he was going.

After several more minutes, they came upon a narrow trail in the woods. It seemed to be no more than a bike path, but plainly stood out from the underbrush and flora of the ground surrounding it. Angelo stopped at the path, panting heavily, his face-fur matted with sweat. Jack stopped running as well, and bent forward to catch his breath.

"Ok," Angelo said after his panting slowed somewhat, "We should be ok here. This path..." He took a deep breath. "This goes to a shopping center. Lots of people ride bikes and jog here, so we won't be suspicious. We can call Vic when we get there."

"You should have a cell phone," Jack suggested.

"Yeah, tell me about it," the kit replied. "Vic doesn't want me to have one for some reason. Maybe this will change his mind." He started down one direction of the bike path, Jack walking next to him.

The two walked in silence for a minute, before Jack struck up conversation again. "So, what's it like living with Victor?" he asked.

Angelo looked over at him for a moment, then returned his gaze to the path in front of them. "It's ok... I guess. I don't really have much choice, you know?"

"I mean, does he... you know, care for you and stuff?" Jack still found the idea of the boy sleeping in a closet, even a large one, to be concerning.

"Well, sure. He gives me money for clothes and stuff when I need it." He flicked at the three earrings in his left ear as he said this, as if indicating them as yet another thing Victor had paid for. "We eat the same food for dinner... you know... he doesn't go out to a fancy restaurant and leave me with frozen pizza. When he does eat out, I go with him. That the kind of thing you mean?"

"Kind of," Jack replied. He wasn't sure himself what he was really asking. "I mean, you live in a closet, right? That's a bit weird, isn't it?"

Angelo shrugged. "I used to sleep on his couch when I first moved in. At least the closet is sort of like my room. Got a door I can close when I want. Those apartments aren't really made for... families."

Jack caught the pause in the kit's speech when he spoke of families. "Are you two... a family?" he asked.

The young fox looked back at Jack, eyes narrowed slightly. "What are you really asking here Jack? Does he... love me?" he asked. Jack just looked back at the kit but didn't respond. Angelo sighed. "Look. Vic's not my dad, and he doesn't try to be. But he doesn't treat me like garbage either. We're... friends. Friends and business partners."

"Hey, it's cool bro'," Jack said. "I don't mean anything by it, I'm just... trying to understand you guys, is all. You have to admit, you're not the average American family."

"No, we're definitely not that," replied Angelo with a slight smile.

---

After a few more minutes walking the path, and occasionally dodging joggers and bicycles that passed them, the two vulpines emerged from the woods behind a shopping center. As they walked around to the storefront side, Jack looked for landmarks that he could recognize, but found none. Even the name of the shopping center was alien to him.

The pair turned the corner around the end store in the row: a pizzeria. "You wait in here," Angelo said, "I'll go down a few stores and see if they'll let me use their phone."

"Don't say too much over the phone," Jack suggested, slightly uneasily.

"Heh, no problem there," replied the kit. "We have a code for this kind of thing. I just say that my bike's been stolen, and where I'm at. He'll come get us when he can."

"Ok," acknowledged the older fox. "Might as well get some lunch while we're here."

"Get like... a pitcher of root beer too," added the little fox, making a "big" gesture with his paws. "I'm dying here," he said, wiping the sweat from his face.

Jack nodded. Angelo turned and started down the row of shops, while Jack entered the restaurant. The waitress seated him in a booth, and Jack ordered the requested drinks. He looked out the window at the traffic in the street. He had not heard any sirens during their run, or the explosion he was expecting, for that matter. Everything in the mall and out in the street was normal.

Barely three minutes later, Angelo came into the restaurant, located Jack in his booth, and sat down across from him. He eyed the pitcher of soda with a broad smile and immediately poured himself a glass, then drank it down in one long pour. Sighing happily, he began to refill his glass.

"Whew, I needed that!" said the kit as he poured. His facial fur was still matted with sweat around the forehead and sides.

"You should take off that jacket," Jack said. He noted that the boy had been wearing it since they left Victor's apartment that morning. "It's got to be 90 degrees out!"

"Mmm-mmm," replied Angelo, through the cup as he drank, and shaking his head "no". Then after he finished, "Too dangerous."

---

It was nearly an hour before Victor's black car pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant. The two foxes got up from the booth they had been occupying and headed for the door. Jack had already paid the check in anticipation of Victor's arrival, figuring he would probably not be in a mood to be kept waiting.

Angelo opened the passenger side door and flipped the seat forward to provide access to the car's back seat. Rather than climb back, however, he stood back up and motioned for Jack to get into the back.

"Really?" Jack asked, half-sarcastically. The car was a sporty coupe, and the back seat looked horribly cramped. Jack had assumed that the boy would naturally take that spot. Then again, Jack was the outsider here still.

Angelo shrugged with a half smile, then motioned again towards the back seat. Jack sighed and stooped forward to climb in. As he bent down, Angelo whispered in his ear, "Trust me...". Jack stopped for a moment and looked at him.

"Come on, guys!" Victor said, irritation evident in his voice. Jack quickly climbed into the back seat, and Angelo got in the front. The ferret threw the car in gear and pulled away rapidly from the restaurant's curb.

"So what the fuck happened?" Victor asked almost immediately.

Jack was about to answer when Angelo cut him off. "Cops made the car as stolen," the young fox said.

"What? How do _you_know that they knew?" the ferret replied, putting emphasis on "you". It sounded almost accusatory to Jack.

"Oh gee, let me think," Angelo replied back sarcastically. "Driver, throw the keys out the window? That ain't gonna be a ticket for a busted light!"

"Classic Felony Stop," chimed in Jack from the back.

Victor looked at him intently in the rear-view mirror for a second, before returning his attention to the younger fox. "So they pulled you over? What, were you driving like an asshole or something?" He again looked at Jack in the mirror, the accusation plain in the ferrets black eyes.

"No, nothing like that," the kit replied. "He was driving real careful. We got to a train crossing coming down, and I guess the cop was bored or something. Must have called in the plates."

"Fuck," Victor said plainly, then fell silent for a minute. "How many deliveries did you make?"

"Got all of the first run done. We were just heading home for the next batch," Angelo replied, slightly uneasily, Jack thought. The bombshell was still to be dropped.

"Ok," Victor said calmly, ruminating. Then abruptly, "Wait... wait a fucking second here. If you got pulled over, and the cops knew about the car, then how come you're here and the car's not?" The agitation was back in his voice.

Angelo giggled slightly, prompting an angry look from the ferret. "Oh, you'll love this part!" he said. "You want to tell him Jack?"

"Tell me what?" Victor asked, now sounding curious.

Jack sat forward in the seat. "Well," he began, "he stopped us at the train crossing right as the gate came down. So I kinda... blasted through the gates right before the train came through." It sounded unbelievable to Jack to say the words even now.

Victor's mood changed abruptly. "NO! No you didn't!" he said excitedly. Jack nodded. The ferret looked to Angelo who also nodded. "Holy shit, I knew it! Didn't I tell you he had it in him?" he asked, elbowing the grey fox kit's arm.

"Yep, you sure did!"

Victor looked back at Jack in the mirror. "Damn, boy, I knew you were cut out for this business! I could tell!" Jack just smiled and said nothing. Victor continued. "Raced a train. Fuck me! Left that cop with his dick in his hand, didn't you?"

Angelo giggled again at that. "You betcha! He didn't know what the fuck just happened!" he said brightly.

Victor laughed then fell silent again. Jack sat back in the seat nervously. Still that bombshell coming.

"Hey, you know what?" Victor said, again elbowing Angelo's arm. "How about tomorrow you do one of your school runs? Give ol' Jack here a little taste of that side of the business?"

"Sure thing, Vic!" the boy replied.

"So..." the ferret continued conversationally, "Where's the car?"

Angelo said nothing this time. Victor looked at him, then at Jack in the mirror. "Umm, the car?" he asked them again. Jack cleared his throat.

"Yeah," began Angelo, again cutting off Jack. "Well, you remember that old mine by the railroad tracks, up by where we used to live?"

"Uh-huh..."

"Yep, we stashed it there."

"Nice," Victor replied approvingly. "Good spot to hide it till the heat blows over."

"Yeah," Angelo said uneasily. "Yeah... I torched it."

Silence.

The ferret's paws tightened on the steering wheel. "What..." he said in a low icy voice, almost a growl. "Torched... the car..."

"It was the right thing to do, Vic," the little fox said.

"You torched the car?" Victor asked again, his voice louder now, and tinged with disbelief.

"Our paw prints and fur were all over it. Yours too," Angelo explained.

"He torched the car!" Victor said incredulously, to nobody in particular.

"It was the right thing to do," Angelo repeated, louder this time.

Victor exploded. "The FUCK do you know?" he shouted at the boy. "It ain't for YOU to say what's right in MY business! How many FUCKING TIMES do I have to say this?"

"It WAS right!" Angelo shouted back. "And you KNOW it was! We had to ditch the car, and couldn't ever use it again, so..."

"That's NOT YOUR CALL!" Victor screamed now, cutting the young fox off in mid-sentence. "GRRAAAGGGHHHH!!!" the ferret screamed wordlessly, shaking the wheel as if trying to rip it off of the steering column.

"He's right, Victor," Jack said, trying to back up the little fox who was getting the brunt of this tirade.

"Jack!" Victor interjected abruptly. "Shut the fuck up. This doesn't concern you."

"Vic," Angelo started, before being cut off by the ferret again.

"No!" he said, still shouting but not the screaming of moments before. "Not here! We'll talk about this back at the apartment."

Jack leaned forward again. Victor's eyes caught the motion and his whole head turned slightly to stare down the red fox in the mirror. Jack caught his reflected gaze which unmistakably said "Don't say a fucking word". He sat back heavily in the seat, resigned.

The rest of the trip was silence. Victor would periodically grip the wheel tightly, and Jack could hear his breathing get worked up into an enraged panting before settling back into a more normal rhythm. Jack could tell the ferret was seething over their actions, probably having his discussion with Angelo in his mind before they got home.

Jack's eyes moved to the young fox in the passenger seat. Angelo was staring out the side window, as if avoiding eye contact with Victor. His ears were set firmly forward though, in an aggressive rather than a guilty or submissive posture.

A tinge of nervousness went through the older fox's belly. He started to feel worried for the kit, unsure of what was going to transpire when they got back to the apartments, and feeling a need to stand with him in solidarity. _Or in protection?_Victor's temper was clear, both in its intensity and unpredictability. If he were to take out his anger on the boy physically...

Then what, Jack thought. Was he prepared to get into a physical altercation with this ferret? What would that lead to? For some reason, Jack expected Victor to carry a gun. If he tried to interfere with Victor's business, which he was clearly very protective of... then what? Jack's mind was racing, playing forward five scenarios at once, ranging from him calming Victor down to the ferret shooting him for interfering. Each scenario ending with the same thought: Then what?

---

The car sped into the parking lot of the apartments, its driver paying no attention to any posted speed limits, or common sense. Victor whipped the car into the parking space in front of his house and shut it down. Angelo immediately opened his door and got out.

Victor looked at him angrily as he did so, and opened his own door and stood abruptly. "You!" he snapped at the young grey-furred kit. "Inside."

The little fox started towards the door then stopped when Victor turned back towards Jack as he climbed out.

"Jack," Victor began, tersely but not angrily. "Tomorrow. Same routine. I wont be here." He reached out and grabbed the red fox's paw and pressed a folded hundred-dollar bill into it, then paused for a second, thinking. "Can you use your car for a while? Gas will be on me."

"Yeah, sure," Jack replied, "Look, I think I owe you a refund for the gas tank..." he began, offering the hundred back to the ferret.

"Nope," Victor replied, pushing Jack's paw back towards his chest. "You did the work, you take the fucking money."

"Vic..." Jack said, trying to find an opening to intervene on Angelo's behalf. The ferret cut him off again, his expression starting to go back towards the intensely withering gaze he had loosed in the car.

"Jack. Tomorrow." He nodded at Jack. The fox looked to Angelo. Victor caught his eyes and turned back towards the younger fox. "Inside!" he barked.

Jack looked helplessly at Angelo. The boy gave him a wan smile and a small reassuring nod before turning back towards the apartment.

Victor looked back to Jack. "Tomorrow," he said dismissively, and stared at the red fox. Jack nodded and started back towards his own apartment. He looked back and saw Victor's apartment door wide open. Angelo had already unlocked it and gone inside. Victor walked purposefully inside after him and slammed the door.

The parking lot seemed eerily silent to Jack, as he walked back to his own door. He stopped on the stoop and looked back towards the ferret's door for a moment before going into his apartment.

Once inside, the teen fox opened the curtains on his window and stared across the parking lot at the closed curtains of Victor's and Angelo's place. Jack didn't know what he expected to happen, or what he would do if something did happen. But he stood there staring for a good five minutes, the air from the window air conditioner blowing onto his chest.

The adrenaline from the days activities finally left him completely, now that he was safe in his own house, and a profound sense of tiredness suddenly crept over his frame.

He turned away from the window and sat down heavily in his recliner. Thinking for a moment, the fox got up and pulled the chair forward and turned it towards his window, then fell back heavily into it.

Jack sat there for some time staring across the parking lot before the fatigue got the better of him and he fell asleep.

Part 3

When Jack awoke from his nap a couple hours later, the first thought to go through his mind as the sleep-haze slowly lifted was "Jeez, what a dream that was!"

As the grogginess left him though, the memories of that morning's adventure came flooding back stronger, rather than fading into obscurity as dream-memories often do. His easy-chair was still out in the center of the room where he had dragged it, and as he sat up in it, he had a clear view across the parking lot of Victor and Angelo's apartment. Victor's black coupe was still parked out front, and the old delivery car was not. Nope, not a dream, he thought to himself.

"Fuck!" the red fox exclaimed, jumping to his feet as he remembered just why he had positioned his chair to observe his neighbor's door. He went to the window and stood there, staring out towards Victor's place. It was as inscrutable as it had always been.

Jack wanted to run across the parking lot and check on Angelo. Though they had only met scant days ago, Jack immediately felt protective of the young fox. Hearing his story earlier that morning, followed by Victor's tirade at him on the drive home, only served to reinforce that feeling. The ferret's cold stare when he told Jack to return tomorrow, though, left no doubt that he did not want to see the teenage fox again today.

Resignedly, Jack sat back down in his chair. He hated this helpless feeling: the same feeling that came over him as he watched Victor order the young kit inside their house, knowing that he was specifically excluded from whatever argument they were about to have.

Angelo had known it was coming though, Jack thought. When he had shuffled the 18-year-old into the cramped back seat of Victor's car, while the small kit took the spacious front for himself, he had whispered, "Trust me" into Jack's ear. In retrospect, this clearly meant, "Trust me, you don't want to be sitting next to him when he goes off."

Jack leaned back in his chair, and the helpless feeling abated somewhat as he pondered. He could still not figure out those two's relationship. Angelo was obviously used to Victor's temper, and at least on the surface seemed happy living there. Even as he was marshaled inside by the angry ferret, he had thrown Jack a smile and a thumbs-up.

Granted, he didn't have a whole lot of choice, Jack reminded himself. Angelo's family was gone, and he was apparently unwilling to go back into State custody. Perhaps his attitude towards Victor was just his way of making the best out of his only real option. The helpless feeling began to creep back into Jack's mind.

Jack stood back up, and tried to put it out of his mind. So the ferret had a hot temper, he thought. He'd had friends in school whose parents would lose their tempers as well, and they too usually took it inside. You're still the outsider, Jack reminded himself. Victor likely just wanted to keep their dirty laundry behind closed doors.

The young fox chuckled, chiding himself for letting his mind running away with this situation. Victor had made it clear that the deliveries would resume tomorrow, and that Victor himself would not be there. It would be pretty obvious when he met the kit in the morning if anything more than an argument had ensued today, Jack thought. He would make a point to mention it, of course.

The red fox paused at this thought as another occurred to him: Suppose the boy is completely happy where he is, and Jack's constant inquiries were unwelcome, at best, or even irritating. Perhaps his protective feelings were not appreciated by the younger fox. He had, after all, recoiled defensively several times when Jack tried to pat his shoulder or fuzzle his hair.

No, that just doesn't... feel right, Jack thought, remembering. Angelo had smiled appreciatively when Jack insisted on accompanying him to meet the creepy plastic surgeon, as well as when the older fox called him "little bro", though that was just for cover purposes. His mind began racing again.

"Enough," he told himself out loud, as he walked towards his front door, keys in-hand. He would go get some dinner, and try to take his mind off of all these unknowns and "what-if's".

Jack walked out to his car and looked across the parking lot again briefly before getting in the car. He started it up, and revved the engine a few times to warm it up. In the back of his mind, he hoped that the sound of his car would be audible inside Victor's apartment, just... in case. With a chuckle that lived somewhere between worry and self-annoyance, he bonked his forehead on the steering wheel; this was not going to help clear his mind. Nevertheless, he kept his eyes glued to the rear-view mirror which was pointed squarely at the ferret's apartment. Nothing. Not even a rustle of the curtains was seen.

With a resigned sigh, Jack backed his car out of the parking spot and drove towards the apartment's exit. One thing he knew for sure, though. Regardless of appearances, Angelo was in a rather shitty situation, and whether appreciated or not, Jack was not going to change his protective feelings towards him.

---

The next morning, Jack walked across the parking lot towards Angelo's door. He was dressed somewhat more casually than the previous day, in just a T-shirt and jeans, which seemed to fit the level of formality, or the lack thereof, in Angelo's attire. Victor's car was indeed absent as expected, Jack noted. He knocked on the door.

After a minute with no answer, he knocked again somewhat louder, then waited. As another minute passed in silence, the fur on the back of Jack's neck began to tingle. He knocked yet again, nearly pounding on the door this time.

"Yeah?" came Angelo's voice quietly from inside the apartment.

"It's Jack," the red fox replied, closing his eyes with a sigh of relief.

After a few seconds, the lock clicked and the door opened halfway. Angelo was walking away from the door as Jack pushed it open, wrapped head to toe in the heavy blanket from his bed. Jack followed the boy inside and closed the door behind him.

"Hey Jack," the kit said groggily before sitting down heavily on the couch, still cocooned in the blanket. He looked out from the tangle of cloth at Jack and smiled wanly. He had clearly just awakened.

"Hey, Ange," Jack said, still standing by the door. The apartment looked much the same as it had the previous morning, with the delivery bags lined up in the middle of the living room floor, and the same larger boxes against the walls, in varying states of openness. He walked towards the young fox on the couch. "You... ok?" he asked. It was a rather vaguely phrased concern, but would do for now, Jack thought.

"Yeah, sure," Angelo replied. "Just... really tired. Fell asleep real early yesterday too. I guess its the coke wearing off, like you said, huh?"

Jack nodded. "Yep. Just get up and get moving and you'll be ok." He was glad to see that the "kit-sized" dose of cocaine that the boy took yesterday had left him. Hopefully the cub would remember the downside of the drug in future, and forget the initial high which might entice him back for a repeat try at it.

Angelo yawned deeply. "Don't wanna get up," he said, then curled up on the couch, his face mostly disappearing into the blanket folds.

Jack smiled at this, then walked over and sat down on the free end of the couch, near the kit's head. Angelo craned his head upwards to look at the older fox, his grey muzzle just visible within the blankets.

"Want me to go get breakfast?" Jack inquired. "Some food and sugary soda to get you moving?" he suggested with a smile.

Angelo sat back upright and pulled the blanket off of his head and down to his bare shoulders. Another yawn. "Yeah, that sounds good," he said. "I need to get a shower anyway."

"Ok, consider it done!" said Jack, standing back up. "Be back in fifteen, twenty minutes." Angelo nodded but didn't move. Jack didn't move either, and just stood there smiling, with a sort of expectant look on his face.

The kit cocked his head slightly. "Wha... what?" he asked with a slight chuckle.

"I ain't moving 'till you get up," Jack responded with a wink. He knew from experience with his kit sister that actions always overrode words when it came to getting up in the morning.

The young grey-furred fox smiled. "Ok, ok," he said quietly, half-laughing, as he got to his feet and slowly shuffled towards the hallway and his makeshift bedroom, his blanket-wrapping hindering his motion somewhat. Turning around at the hallway, he said, "You can go. I gotta lock the door after you leave, and..." he looked down at his blanket-garb then back up at Jack.

"Right," the teenage fox said, remembering that Angelo didn't wear anything to bed. "Back soon," he said, opening the door, then stepped outside, closing it behind him. As he walked back to his car, he heard the lock click on the door behind him.

---

As Jack pulled back in, twenty or so minutes later, he parked his car in front of Angelo's apartment rather than his own, to facilitate loading in of the deliveries. He headed to the apartment door with a Burger Joint take-out bag and two large sodas, one of which he had already started upon during his drive.

Angelo opened the door immediately upon Jack's knock this time. He was now wearing just a pair of jeans, and was brushing out his grey-furred tail, post-shower. Jack put the food down on one of the ubiquitous boxes that seemed to serve as furniture.

"Breakfast is served," he said cheerfully, and sat down on the couch as Angelo finished up his tail and gave his white chest fluff a final pass with the brush. Jack took a bite from a breakfast biscuit as he watched, noting with some sense of satisfaction that Angelo did not appear to be under-nourished - he did not have visible ribs jutting out, and his belly-button was an "innie" with perhaps a residual touch of baby-fat around it, which made Jack smile for some reason.

"Smells good!" came the enthusiastic reply from the little fox. He grabbed a biscuit from the bag and held it in his teeth as he scooped up the bath towel and fur brush with his paws. "Right back," he said around the biscuit as he carried the bundle back towards the bathroom.

"Take your time," Jack said, sitting back in the couch and sipping from his soda. He suddenly felt a lot better about Angelo's relationship with Victor, and again mentally chided himself for playing out the worst-case scenarios in his mind the previous evening. The boy did not have a broken arm or anything, and the incidental glance revealed that he was not a starving emaciated cub kept under the thumb of a modern-day Fagin. The red fox laughed again and shook his head at his own behavior.

"What?" came Angelo's voice from behind the couch. The kit had re-emerged from his room, now sporting a black T-shirt, similar to yesterday's garb, and had obviously heard Jack's laugh. Jack tilted his head back over the rear of the couch and regarded the boy upside-down. "What's so funny?" Angelo asked again.

"Nah, nothing," Jack said with a smile. "Just thinking of stuff, is all."

"Mmm," the younger fox vocalized, then sat down on the couch next to Jack. In between bites of biscuit, he would lean down to tie his shoes, holding the food in his teeth as he did so.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" Jack asked.

Angelo held up a finger as he swallowed the food he'd been chewing. "Well," he began when it was down, "pretty much the same as yesterday. I figure we'll do a cigar batch or two in the morning, then after lunch, maybe something a little different."

"Yeah, Victor said something about that in the car. Something about one of your "school trips" or something?" Jack could only imagine what that might entail. Somehow, though, he knew it didn't mean a field-trip to a local cultural center.

"Yep, that's the plan!" replied the kit, but as he had before, he did not elaborate.

"So..." said Jack, trying to gently force the issue, since it would directly concern him, "What are those about?"

"Ehh... later. Lets focus on the cigars for now," said the younger fox, with what Jack thought was a touch of nervousness in his voice. "Go ahead and load up the first six bags from the sheet here. They're all lined up, starting in the corner over there." He put the master list on the table-box next to the now empty food bag.

Jack sighed and stood up to get the bags in question. Oh well, he thought. He would find out what these "school trips" were in due time. He had a feeling that he already knew, though, and in a way was apprehensive to find out, much as Angelo seemed to be apprehensive about telling him.

The teenage fox carried the bags out to his car, and put them in the trunk, tearing off the identification tags as he had done before. When he did this very task yesterday, he could not have imagined how the day would unfold. As he repeated it now, he couldn't help but wonder where he would be at day's end.

As Jack walked back into the apartment, Angelo was coming out of his bedroom, and was putting on his denim jacket, despite forecasts for another sweltering summer day ahead. He grabbed a backpack from the corner and slung it over one shoulder. "Ready?" he asked Jack, almost cheerfully.

"Yeah, sure," Jack replied. Angelo motioned for him to lead on, then followed Jack out of the apartment and locked the door.

---

"So, where to first?" Jack asked as he pulled the car out of the parking lot and onto the street.

"Well, first," Angelo replied, "You know where the public library is?"

"The one right around the corner?" Jack asked. The kit nodded. "Isn't that a little close to home for this kind of thing?"

"Nope, not in this case," came the reply from the younger fox.

Jack shrugged. "Ok, you're the boss," he said, steering the car in the appropriate direction. Angelo picked the backpack up off of the floor and held it on his lap.

They were quickly to the library, it being literally just around the corner from the apartment complex. As they pulled in, Jack steered towards the parking lot, but Angelo stopped him.

"Don't park," the boy said, pointing to the side of the building. "Pull up to that big orange metal thing."

"The book return?" Jack asked, now confused. He looked over to Angelo. "But then how..." he began, as the younger fox just gazed back pleasantly at him. Jack shook his head. "Never mind, never mind," he said, which precipitated a giggle from the little kit.

Jack steered the car to the book return, a large metal box set up at the curbside. It was reachable from cars that may pull up to it, to allow ease of use without drivers having to get out of the car. "Ok, now what?" Jack asked, rolling down his window to drop off whatever Angelo had in mind.

"Now," the kit began, almost dramatically, "Drop this in. It's due today!" He pulled a hardback book from the backpack and held it out to Jack. His eyes had almost a twinkle to them as he smiled.

Jack stared back for a second, then laughed out loud. He had been gotten. "You little..." he said with a grin, which prompted another giggle from the grey-furred vulpine. Taking the book from the kit, Jack looked it over. A Tale of Two Cities, by D. Chickens. He looked back to Angelo. "You read this?"

"Yep!," came an enthusiastic reply.

"Wow," Jack said as he reached out to drop the book into the receptacle, "I didn't read this 'till 11th Grade! How was it?"

"It was good," Angelo replied. "Kinda' heavy, though."

"Yeah, I'll say," said the red fox. "I mean the hero gets his head chopped off, that's not exactly grammar-school reading!"

Angelo nodded with a slight shrug. "Yeah, maybe," he said. "But he only did it because of Lucie, right? I mean, he loved her so much that he traded himself for her boyfriend so the two of them could get away and live. That's kind of a good ending... in a way, you know?" He shrugged again.

"True, true," Jack said, conceding the point. "They do say that giving up your life to save someone else is the best thing a person can do."

Angelo nodded, ruminating on that. "I wonder if I'll ever feel that way about someone," he mused. "To do something like that, I mean."

"Well, hopefully it won't ever come to something that extreme," Jack said with a smile as he pulled away from the curb and back onto the street. "And there's plenty of time to find the right someone, don't you worry."

Angelo nodded again. "I guess," he said, sounding slightly unconvinced.

---

The morning's deliveries went without a hitch this time - no creepy customers, no police chases, and no blazing infernos. The pair stopped off at a Taco Bueno for some lunch, and returned to the apartments to prepare the afternoon's activities. Angelo had not hinted at what this would entail, and remembering his earlier reticence, Jack did not bring it up.

Angelo tossed his jacket in the corner as they entered the apartment, and fluffed out his shirt a few times, letting the cool air of the room under his clothes. It was already pretty hot outside as midday passed, yet he had kept the jacket on the whole morning.

Jack came in and closed the door, still sipping on the large soda he bought at lunch. "So, what's next?" he asked, as he sat down on the couch. He had formed a guess or two as to what they would be doing next, and now was the time for Angelo to lay it on the line.

"Ok. Well..." began the kit, with a hint of reluctance in his voice. It was as if he felt that Jack wasn't going to like what was coming. "Ok," he said again.

"Ange," Jack interrupted, "It's cool, you can tell me."

The kit dropped his ears halfway, looking slightly embarrassed. "Ok," he repeated with a smile. "So what we do is go to a high school around here. They should be having Summer sports camps and probably tryouts for the Fall too. So there should be lots of furs around. And we just hang out and, umm... sell stuff to 'em. If they want, that is."

"Stuff," Jack said plainly, provoking a confirming nod from the kit. "What sort of "stuff" would we be selling?"

"Well," Angelo began, drawing out the word, "First off there's these." He went into the kitchen and picked up something from the floor. Returning to the living room, he placed it on the couch next to the teenage fox. A standard 12-pack of soda.

Jack was rather surprised. "Really?" he asked, almost happily. "Sodas?"

"Ah, well not exactly," Angelo replied. "See, what I did here was open up the end flap and take the sodas out, then re-fill the carton with beers! Then I glue it shut again, and nobody knows what's really in 'em!" He sounded proud as he described the process.

"Wow," Jack said, impressed. "Did you think of that?"

"Yep!" came the reply, a big smile crossing the cub's face.

Jack looked back to the "soda" carton. "One flaw in your scheme though," he said with a mock-chiding tone.

"I bet there isn't!" Angelo replied confidently, mimicking the same tone, and grinning broadly.

"Well, see the problem here is," Jack went on, reaching a finger into the split in the cardboard that served as the carry handle for the carton, "you can still look into this hole and..." he stopped. Two soda cans were plainly visible through the small slit.

Angelo giggled, and looked innocently at Jack for a moment. Then: "Nope, I thought of that too!" he said brightly. "Have to leave 2 soda cans in there for that. So it's really a 10-pack!"

Jack nodded approvingly. He stared at the carton on the couch with some relief. _This wasn't so bad,_he thought. In fact, he could have used a service like this when he was in his more "wild" stage a few years back. "Very clever," he said.

"I thought so too, yes!" Angelo replied cheerfully. "I get fifty bucks a box for these. That pisses off some people who have other ways to get beer, but the ones that don't are more than happy to pay it!"

"Kind of cumbersome though," Jack commented. "And won't it seem weird carrying a bunch of soda boxes to a school?"

"Nah, people bring big coolers and buckets of ice and such to these," the kit replied. "But yeah, I can only bring one box with me when I'm on my bike. Victor thinks it's not worth the trouble because of that. He lets me keep all the money I make from them though," he said with another grin.

"Nice," Jack said. There still had to be more, he thought. "You said 'first off' there were these. So what else are we selling there?" He noted the boy's ears dropped slightly again when he asked this.

"Ok," Angelo said again, then took a breath. He looked at Jack for a moment without speaking, then finally blurted it out. "Pot," he said plainly.

Jack looked down as he heard this. _That's_what he had been expecting: drugs. "Pot... as in dope, right? Weed?" he asked, more to fill the silence than anything else.

"Jack..." Angelo said, as he knelt down next to the couch, then waited for Jack to look back at him. "The people come to me. I don't force it on anyone who doesn't want it."

The red fox nodded, recalling one specific Friday night several years previous, when he and his friends went driving through some shady neighborhoods looking to buy some marijuana themselves. He had first-hand knowledge of the demand that existed for this - everyone he knew seemed to always have a joint or two with them. So now he was going to be on the supply-side, it seemed.

He wasn't sure how he felt about that change in positioning. On the one paw, he recalled the awe with which he and his cohorts viewed the dealers they encountered. To be in that position now appealed to the rebel in Jack - a part of him which he had suppressed the last few years. It had led him to some bad, dark places in his life, but at the same time had been no end of fun. He also recalled, however, that the sellers always fared worse than the buyers if caught by the police.

"Jack?" Angelo asked, breaking the older fox's reverie. "Are you ok with this?" he asked nervously. "I promise this is the hardest stuff Vic and me deal with. Right now, anyway. So you're not gonna get a new surprise every day..."

Jack looked back into the kit's blue eyes and smiled. "Sure," he said as his rebel-side won out. "Lets just not get caught, huh?"

The boy smiled, relief visible in his young face. "That's always my number one plan!"

"Alright, then," Jack said with a smile, "let's do this."

Angelo jumped to his feet at this. "Let's go!" he said enthusiastically. "There's a few more beer boxes in the kitchen." He picked up his denim jacket and rummaged through the pockets, removing the cash from the morning's run, and took it along with the delivery sheets down the hall towards Victor's bedroom.

Jack stood up as well, and went into the kitchen for the "soda" cartons. Angelo had prepared four of the containers: 40 cans in total - all that could be built from two cases of beer. He took two of the cartons in his paws and headed for the door.

Angelo returned from the hallway putting his jacket on, then swung his backpack around his shoulder before picking up the other two cartons. Following the older fox out, he put one down briefly in order to lock the apartment door, then caught up with Jack at the car, and loaded their cargo into the trunk.

As the two got into the car, Angelo surprised Jack with his next comment: "You got any weapons Jack?"

"Huh, what?" Jack replied, thoroughly caught off-guard by the question. "You mean like, on me?"

"Or in your place," the kit replied. "You should, umm... probably have one." At this, the little grey-furred fox held the left flap of his jacket wide open for Jack to see. The hilt of a decently-sized hunting-style knife stuck out of the inner pocket, its sheath crudely sewn into the inside fabric of the jacket.

"Whoa," Jack said, never having noticed that there was anything unusual in the boy's jacket. "Is that why you wear that thing, even though it's 95 degrees outside?"

"Yep," Angelo replied, closing the jacket again. "With all the cash and... stuff... I'm carrying, gotta be careful."

Jack nodded. "Well, I don't have anything like that in my apartment. I have an old Army fighting knife that I used to carry around, but that's back at home." He had, in fact, carried that knife for rather similar reasons, Jack recalled.

"Can we go get it?" Angelo asked.

"You really think I'll need it?" Jack asked back, slightly uneasily.

"Hope not," came the reply from the little fox. "But if we do need it..."

"Right," Jack said, not needing the kit to finish the thought. "Ok, we'll go get it," he declared, and put the car into gear.

---

Jack's family house was only about 15 minutes drive away - one exit down the Interstate. Since he had moved away, it was just his parents and kit-sister living there now. He hoped that nobody would be home, as it might be awkward to explain his passenger's presence. His parents_should_both be at work, but there was no telling if one had decided to take a day off, or even a long lunch at home.

Angelo didn't speak much on this leg of the trip. He spent most of it looking out the window, but not in a day-dreamy sort of way. Rather, he seemed to be taking special note of the various landmarks as they drove, keeping track of exactly where they were.

As they got near the house, Jack finally broke the silence. "Ok, listen." Angelo ear-perked and looked to Jack. "You can't... actually come in the house," he said awkwardly, provoking an offended-looking head-tilt from the younger fox.

"Huh?" Angelo simply said, brow furrowed.

"Sorry, house rules," Jack explained. "Remember when I told you about all the rules and whatnot that happened after I was... such a brat back when?" Angelo nodded, the offended look fading as he seemed to get the point. "Well, this is Rule Number Seven: No friends allowed inside until both parents have met them and approved," Jack recited. He'd had to memorize all of the various rules when they were first instituted.

"Oh, ok," Angelo replied cordially. "Nice neighborhood you live in, by the way."

Jack chuckled at this. "Yeah, I guess," he said. It was an upper-middle-class sort of neighborhood. The houses were fairly large "Colonial style" houses on good size lots with ample yards. At least one car was present in most driveways, even then, in the middle of the work day.

An awkward feeling suddenly came over Jack as he realized what was at the root of Angelo's comment. By his own telling, his family had never had much money, even when they were all together. After his mother abandoned him, he moved in with Victor in their current apartments - the ones Jack had picked when he moved out precisely because they were low-rent and small. These houses they drove past must be worlds apart from what the younger fox had ever lived in.

Jack pulled up to his house, and was relieved to see that no cars were present in the driveway. Though there was a two-car garage on the house, Jack's parents typically did not use it during the day, and indeed often left the cars outside even overnights.

Angelo whistled, impressed, as Jack pulled the car up to the house and parked it in the driveway. "Damn, nice house you got, rich-boy!" he said with a teasing smile.

"Easy now," Jack shot back, slightly embarrassed. "I'll be right back." He opened the door to get out.

"Get a jacket too, or a long shirt," Angelo called out to him as he stood up. "Something to cover it up."

"Right-o!" Jack said, throwing a thumbs-up sign, then turned and walked up the short stone path that led from the driveway to the front door, sorting his keys in his paw as he walked, to find the one for this door.

The teenage fox unlocked the door to his home and went inside. All was quiet, which again prompted a sigh of relief. It was short-lived however.

"Who's there?" called a young female voice from upstairs.

"Burglar!" Jack called back.

"Jaaaaaaaack!" the voice squealed out, and a young red fox girl appeared at the top of the stairs. This was Jessica Archer, eleven years old, Jack's kit sister. Like her brother, she had typical Red Fox markings and coloration, though her fur was more of a golden-brown compared to Jack's rusty-red, as were her eyes, which were a lighter shade of golden brown that she called "hazel". Her dark-red headfur was long and pulled back into a ponytail.

And, like her brother, she had once been an out-of-control menace at only six years of age, due to their parents' failed kit-rearing philosophies. In fact, it was when she began to emulate her brother's behavior that the house rules had changed so dramatically. Now, five years later, she excelled in school and was very active in several after-school sports. Jack had actually been hoping she would have been at one of her practices, and not home at this time.

"Hiya Squirt!" Jack said with a wave from the entrance. Jessica bolted down the stairs 3-at-a-time and nearly tackled her brother with a hug. Jack sheepishly realized that apart from the trips he had made while moving, this was the first time he had been back to his house since graduation, over 3 weeks prior. "Missed you," he said, patting her back.

"Me too!" she replied energetically, before breaking the hug a few moments later.

"Mom or Dad home?" Jack inquired.

"Nope, still at work," the young fox said. "You should'a come later."

"That's cool, I just stopped by to pick up a few things, actually. Since I was in the area." Not entirely true, but mostly so.

"Oh, ok," she said, with a twinge of disappointment. "You need to come by for a weekend!"

Jack smiled at her and fuzzled her headfur. "I will, don't you worry."

"Want a soda?" the young girl asked, quickly removing Jack's paw from her head and walking towards the kitchen.

"Nope, I'm fine, thanks," Jack replied, and started up the stairs to his bedroom. It was the same as he had left it, down to the half-made bed and half-filled suitcase still open on the bed. He had taken enough to get by, and literally left in mid-pack.

He went to his closet and opened up the toy chest that he'd had since he was just a pup. Rummaging around briefly, he located his target and extracted a decently sized leather-sheathed knife, over half of which was blade. Jack had carried this knife in the back belt-loops of his pants when he was in his younger, wilder days. It made him feel tough to have it, though he never did anything more than show it off to his friends. He gazed at it now wistfully, wondering if he would indeed have to use it now that he was venturing into this new territory.

Standing back up, Jack grabbed a few long flannel shirts from their hangers in the closet, and wrapped the knife up in them. He stopped off at his dresser and took a few more items of clothing, just to make it look like he really did stop by to pick up more than just the knife.

As he returned to the stairs to head back down, Jessica was standing at the bottom, sipping her soda and gazing out the still-open front door. Jack stopped in his tracks. Angelo must have gotten out of the hot car, and the girl spotted him.

"Jack?" Jessica said, looking up the stairs to him. "Who's that outside?"

"Who?" Jack asked, feigning innocence. He knew, however, that this was not going to buy him more than a second."

"That kid," she said, pointing out the door. Jack descended the stairs and looked outside. Angelo was by the car, slowly walking up and down beside it, hands in pockets.

"Oh him," Jack said, thinking that he probably sounded insincere, or at least evasive. "That's just a kit from my apartment. I'm giving him a ride to school." Again, not 100% accurate, but close enough.

"Oh," the girl replied, apparently accepting this explanation. "He's kinda cute," she added.

"I'll tell him you said so," the older fox said teasingly.

"Don't you dare!" his sister said, giving him a playful backhand to his arm. Then, looking back outside, "What's his name?"

"Angelo," Jack said.

"Angelo?" Jessica responded, her face changing abruptly, like she had just bitten into a raw lemon.

"Yeah, Angelo," Jack said, now slightly confused, but more alarmed. "You know him?" he asked. If she did... and given where they were now headed...

"No," she said, to her brother's relief. "But there's a punk kid named Angelo who hangs around Cherry Hill sometimes when we have practice. He's like... a drug dealer or something. The girls told me about him. One of the punks who hang out under the stadium."

Cherry Hill was the name of one of the public high schools nearby. It had a larger than normal athletic field, and many municipal sports leagues made use of their facilities. Jack had not attended there as a student, but many times had played scrimmage games when he was on the high school football team.

"I'm sure it's not the same Angelo," Jack said, now feeling concerned again.

"I dunno," Jessica said, unconvinced. "They said he was a grey colored fox, or maybe a 'yote. Wears earrings... jeans-jacket..." She squinted as she stared out the door at the boy.

"Nah, he's just a kit," Jack said, trying to reassure the girl, though her description so far was spot-on. If nothing else, he wanted to prevent her from telling their parents about this. She continued to squint out the door at him, and did not immediately respond.

"It_is_him, isn't it?" She said, recoiling and looking concernedly at her brother. "Jack!" she said in a worried half-whimper. "He's a thug, a punk! I heard he even killed someone in a bad drug deal!"

"What?" Jack asked, with a sarcastic tone that he now only half felt. "Come on, he's eleven, same as you. He couldn't kill anyone!" The girl thought for a second, then looked back out the door. "Now don't go telling these stories to Mom and Dad," Jack continued. "You're just going to make them all paranoid over nothing!" Again, he only half felt what he was saying, but had to make sure. "Besides, they might not like that there are so many punks and druggies where you practice!" This much _was_true, and had circumstances been different, Jack would probably have been more concerned about that fact than he was presently.

"I_did_think he was older, actually," Jessica said, calmer now, as she continued looking outside.

"Yeah, see? Don't worry, there's nothing to be worried about," Jack said reassuringly. "So you won't go telling stories and getting them all worked up?"

"Ok," his sister replied happily. She seemed to have worked it out in her mind. "But you still be careful, ok?"

"Deal," he replied, bumping fists with her, which was their sibling way of sealing a promise. "I'll be back soon, don't you worry. You be good 'till then!" His response to that charge was another firm hug from the little fox. Jack went to the door. "I'll lock up, Bye Jessica!"

"Bye Jack!" she said cheerfully with a wave.

As Jack exited the house and locked the door, Angelo stood up from where he had been leaning against the car, arms crossed. Jack briskly, but not hurriedly, walked back towards the car, not sure if Jessica was watching from inside. "Get in," he called to the kit when he was close enough to not have to shout. It sounded more like a command than he had intended. Angelo, startled by the tone, complied quickly.

Jack got in, tossing his bundle of clothes in the back seat, then backed the car down the driveway, again trying to look casual for his sister, if she was watching.

"What happened?" Angelo asked, no doubt due to Jack's tone.

"Huh?" Jack asked, finally realizing. "Oh, nothing, I umm.... just wanted to get going, is all."

"Oh, ok." Angelo replied. "You get the knife?"

"Yep, its in the pile there," said Jack. "My sister was home, so I had to make it look like I was moving more of my stuff."

"Ooh, lemme see it!" Angelo said excitedly before half-climbing over the seat into the back to retrieve the knife from the bundle. He returned to his seat with the prize and unsheathed it. "Niiiice!" he exclaimed, turning it this way and that.

"Yeah, and see those clips on the sheath?" Jack pointed. "I can clip it sideways into my belt-loops for easy pulling!"

"That'll work," Angelo said, re-sheathing the knife. "Sister was home, huh?"

"Yep," Jack confirmed, not sure how much he wanted to reveal just now. There was one thing though, which might make for a harmless tease on the boy. "She thinks you're cute."

Angelo's ears perked up for a second. "Oh yeah?" he asked. "Your younger sister, I take it?"

"Yeah, she's about your age. She turned eleven in April."

"Nice!" the cub replied, drawing out the word. "And she wants a piece of The Grey, does she?"

"HEY!!" Jack barked, with a touch of genuine annoyance.

"Easy, Jack," the kit said, now in a much lower tone. "I'm just messing with ya."

Jack closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. "I know, I know. It's just... that's my sister."

"Cool, cool, I'm sorry."

The older fox nodded back, with a slight smile, then turned his attention back to the road. The conversation he'd had with Jessica had his mind racing. It had to be the same Angelo she spoke of, especially given their current destination. Angelo sold drugs at a high school, yes. But the rest of what she had said was unnerving in that context, especially given that he had come by the house specifically to pick up a weapon. He looked back to the eleven-year-old fox, who was still preoccupied with inspecting Jack's knife.

"So," Jack began. Angelo looked up at him. "Where to?"

"Well, we can go to a bunch of different places," the kit replied. "High schools mostly, though."

"Right," said Jack. "Ever go to... umm... Cherry Hill?" he asked, hoping he didn't sound as uneasy as he was.

"Oh sure," Angelo said. "That's one of my main places, actually. There's a bike path right by Vic's place that goes by there, so it's easy for me to get to on my bike!" he said with some enthusiasm. Jack just nodded, which elicited a head-tilt from the boy. "What, is that where you went to school?"

"No, no, just curious," Jack said. A logical question, as he would probably be less anonymous at his old school, which would not be good in this case.

"Ok, cool, let's go there then," said Angelo. "That place is huge, so it'll be full of furs on a day like today!"

Jack just nodded again, mentally checking off another match to Jessica's story. Then, as Angelo tossed the knife into the back seat and onto the pile of clothes, Jack asked, "You, umm.... ever have to use that? Your knife, I mean?"

"Oh sure," Angelo said casually. "I'm just eleven, after all. Some people think that means they can rip me off. High schoollers especially. So I have to... teach them not to. Make them afraid to even try."

"So," Jack said, fishing, "You've had to.... cut someone?"

After a long pause, Angelo said only, "Yep," his voice soft.

"You ever have to... do... worse?" Jack asked, not sure how to phrase it. Angelo just stared at his feet and did not respond. "Come on, Ange," Jack said gently, "You promised to tell me the truth, remember?"

Angelo slowly looked up from his feet, but still did not look at the older fox. "I know," he said finally. "And... I'm telling the truth when I say that..." He paused again, then looked to Jack. "That... it's better if I don't answer that."

Jack looked back into the boy's bright blue eyes. The kit's face had a slightly pained expression, and he looked away after a moment, back to his feet. Jack looked back to the road ahead. "Fuck," he said softly.

"Well, we're talking about illegal stuff," Angelo said. "Sometimes it's harmless stuff like cigars. Or even joints for high-schoolers. Other times, it's... not so harmless."

"But...," Jack said, then trailed off, not sure what exactly he wanted to say.

After a minute in silence, Angelo spoke again, this time slower, and with a touch of sadness in his voice. "It's a dangerous world we're in, Jack. And... we're all playing a dangerous game." The cub still stared at his feet as he continued. "Me... Vic... his suppliers... our customers... even the kids at Cherry Hill... everyone knows the risks, and we keep playing the game. And... we all just want to make it home when we're done. Usually we do. But... sometimes..." he trailed off into silence.

"Sometimes... it doesn't work out that way...," Jack said, finishing the thought after a moment. Angelo didn't respond. "Fuck," Jack said again, almost under his breath.

---

It only took another couple minutes to get to Cherry Hill High School. Angelo had quickly returned his attention from his feet to outside the car, and seemed to dismiss the previous conversation. For his part, Jack wasn't sure he believed all of Jessica's story, Angelo's intimations notwithstanding. Now was not going to be the time to think much about that, though. He would certainly have a better idea after this trip concluded.

As they approached the school, Angelo became more animated, looking towards the various groups of furs out on the athletic fields, as well as the cars in and around the parking lot. Jack slowed down, preparing to turn into the large main lot.

"Nope, not here," Angelo said, pointing further down the road. "There's a neighborhood just past the trees. Park on the street right before that."

"Ok, sure," Jack replied. The area pointed out by the kit appeared to be at the extreme edge of the school's property. It would be a longer walk, and up a hill, to get back to the fields from there. It would also afford much more privacy, as there would not be the constant movement of cars coming and going in the parking lot.

Jack drove to the designated spot and pulled onto the side street and parked. There were several other cars parked there that did not seem to belong to the residents of the street, as they were parked well before any houses. Jack reached into the back seat and retrieved his knife and a flannel shirt. Sitting up, he clipped the knife's sheath into his back belt-loops, then put on the flannel shirt, letting the long shirt-tail cover the weapon.

The two vulpines exited the car and went around to the trunk. "How does it look?" Jack asked, turning around to let the younger fox inspect his handiwork.

"Perfect," came the reply, "I'd never know anything was there!"

"Alright, let's do this," Jack said with a combination of eagerness and apprehension. He opened the trunk and the two foxes retrieved the cargo - Angelo carrying two "soda" cartons and wearing his backpack, and Jack carrying the other two cartons.

As they started up the hill, Angelo cleared his throat dramatically. "Ok," he began, "Here's how this works. I'm everybody's friend - that's my game. That is, until I'm... not their friend. You'll know when that is, 'cause I'll cross my arms. If you see me do that, it means I think some shit's about to go down, and I'm kinda secretly reaching for my knife too. Be ready for... anything then."

"Got it," said Jack.

"Your job," the grey-furred kit continued, "You're the guy who's always cool and calm, but you have this look like you're ready to start something at the drop of a hat. You don't really talk, and you keep an eye on everybody, like you're sizing them up, always keeping track of where everybody is, all the time."

"I can do that!" Jack replied. This talk was actually starting to get him enthusiastic about what they were doing.

"Now," Angelo said, "If any of the school staff spot us actually doing our thing, I'm gonna run. If they try to stop me, you say something like "I'll get him!" and take off after me. That way we're both out of there, and with nobody on our tails!"

"Nice!" Jack said, approvingly.

"If they're just wandering too close, we casually move on down the field. Of course, if I say "run", we both run, no bullshit games," Angelo concluded with a smile.

The pair were now nearing the fields. It was essentially a large, open tract of ground, that had been separated into smaller individual playing fields by the installation of goals, bases, corner markers, and painted lines on the grass. Various groups had also installed temporary goals and such for their various sports on the smaller fields, for purposes of their particular practice sessions.

One edge of the larger land area was bordered by the parking lot, another by the school itself, and a third by the back side of the stadium. It was to this framework of iron girders supporting the stadium seats that Angelo steered the two.

Jack looked around at the various groups holding their practices, tryouts, or whatever happened to bring them there that day. Ages seemed to range from elementary age through high-school age. There was football, baseball, lacrosse, what looked like cheerleaders practicing, and even a small cluster of marching band members drilling.

"You smoke, Jack?" Angelo asked, interrupting the red fox's thoughts.

"Huh? Me, no," Jack replied to this out-of-left-field question, "Not for a few years, no."

"Mmm," said the younger fox, acknowledging. "Well... don't panic then."

Jack looked to the boy and saw him pop a cigarette into the corner of his muzzle. For some reason, that sight made him sad, and his ears drooped slightly.

"Don't worry," the kit said, clearly picking up on this, "This is only for looks," he said, lighting the cigarette. "These things taste like shit, to be honest," he continued, throwing Jack a wink as he finished.

"Ok, then," the teenage fox said with a laugh.

"Right, game faces," Angelo said, suddenly serious as they neared the back of the stadium. He slowed his pace to more of a confident stroll or saunter. Jack nodded at the instruction, and set his face as expressionless as he could, jaw firmly set, and fell in one pace behind and to the left of the boy.

There were several small groups of furs at various points under the stadium's steel skeleton, and some other larger groups gathered nearby, in the protection of the giant structure's shadow. The pair walked along the back edge, surveying the scene and looking for a relatively clear place to stop. More than once as they walked, a random fur would call out "Hey, Angelo," or a similar greeting, which was returned with a cordial wave by the little fox.

They finally found a spot just past the halfway point of the stadium - a fairly unpopulated stretch of space beneath it, decently lit by the sun shining in through gaps in the seating above. Most importantly, Jack noted, there was a rather unobstructed view of the surroundings, in the event a quick escape was required.

Angelo stopped by one of the concrete-supported girders, and set his cartons down. "Ok, we hang here for a bit. See who's interested," he said, leaning back against the girder with hands in his jacket pockets.

It did not take very long before the first furs wandered by. The smuggled beers were the first to go - all gone within ten minutes before anyone even inquired about the drugs. A quick $200, Jack noted. Technically $190, as Angelo had given one young teen cat a discount, as he said he only had $40 on him.

Once the beers had gone, a couple groups of older teens had stopped by, a few minutes apart. The first group was looking for a bag of joints to split among them, while the second group had two members who each wanted a larger amount, an ounce, as Jack heard them request.

With both groups serviced, and a few more hundred dollars in their possession, things then quieted down, as far as customers went. Angelo explained it as the first customers being the ones who saw them arrive. Business would naturally trail off after them, until word-of-mouth got around. "Now's the time to keep an eye out for administrators and security, in case they overhear stuff that they're not supposed to," he stated.

"Yeah, I'm actually surprised that nobody has asked us what we're doing here," Jack said.

"Nah," said the little fox, "These people have no idea what's going on right under their noses!"

Over the next hour or so, several more furs stopped by to make a buy. Some in groups, some by themselves. Others inquired about other drugs, such as cocaine or "dust", but Angelo dismissed them cordially, with a "not today".

As the latest buyer departed, the young fox took a quick inventory of his backpack. "Only a couple baggies left," he remarked. "We can start heading back to the car, slowly, and see if there are any last-minute takers."

"Sounds good to me!" Jack said with no small enthusiasm. Even in the shade of the stadium, it was hot, and the humid air hung thickly. The flannel shirt he wore didn't help in that department. He could only imagine what the younger kit felt like in his heavy denim jacket.

They walked slowly towards the direction they had come, looking out towards the playing fields and the various activities which were still going on. Those groups would not be wrapping up any time soon, by the looks of the equipment that they had deployed.

As they pair moved further down the back edge of the stadium, Jack noticed a pair of teenage bunny girls - cheerleaders, by their outfits - ahead of them, sitting on the grass chatting. As the foxes got closer, one of the girls saw them, and both sprang to their feet and waved.

"A-ha," Angelo said, as if he had been expecting to meet the 2 girls.

"Heya Angelo!" one of them said, when they were close enough.

"Hiya Tish," Angelo responded, "You got my 200 bucks?"

The bunny called Tish looked to her friend briefly then walked up to the boy and put an arm around his shoulder. "Actually, I don't," she said happily, which Jack found oddly out-of-place. "In fact, we're going to the beach next week, so I need you to advance me another bag!"

The grey-furred kit shook his head. "No can do, Tish. Credit's bad for business."

This did not seem to deter the bunny girl, and she put her other arm across the boy's other shoulder, bending her knees slightly to bring her to his eye level. "Aww, come on, Ange! My boyfriend's coming, and we got a full house! We're gonna party!" She drew out the last word, almost singing it. "You wouldn't leave me with nothing, would ya?"

"I got to buy the stuff too, Tish," Angelo said, hands still in pockets. "I keep giving away product, and it's gonna come out of my cut!"

"Hmm," replied Tish, lowering her voice somewhat. Then apparently deciding on a different tack, "You know," she said, her voice deeper and more sultry sounding, "I'd do... anything, for another bag." She closed her arms around Angelo's neck, drawing him in closer to her face. He smiled slightly at this, which was met by a slow peck on the nose."

"Anything, huh?" the younger fox replied, his voice also lowering.

Tish nuzzled the side of his face once, then moved lower to his neck. "Mmm-hmm," she simply intoned, her nose now nuzzling the neckline of his shirt. "Aaanything!"

Jack watched this silently, though screaming in his mind to the boy to not fall for it. The other bunny girl also watched, with an amused toothy grin on her face.

Angelo swallowed visibly. "Well," he started slowly, "I guess if you... really want it..."

"Mmm-hmm?" Tish vocalized back, in a slow, sultry tone.

Angelo looked up to Jack for an instant, his eyes instantly losing the half-closed state they had acquired since Tish started her ministrations, then back at Tish's head. "THEN GET ME MY 200 BUCKS!" he screamed directly into the bunny's now perfectly-positioned ear.

Tish recoiled instantly, one paw clamped to her ear, as Angelo laughed cruelly. She looked back at him with hatred. "You little SHIT!" she shouted. "You're not getting a dime from me!"

"Hey, now," he replied, his voice now expressionless. "You don't want to go there, rabbit girl."

"Fuck you!" Tish shouted back venomously, her friend now holding her shoulder, as she seemed to want to charge at the young fox. "You get nothing from me! And I mean NOTHING!"

"You know," Angelo said, almost conversationally now, "You're going to look weird trying to do cheers with two broken knees." His voice became icy as said the last part, and he stared coldly at her.

Tish still looked at the boy with wide-eyed hatred, but her friend now grabbed the bunny's other shoulder as she heard the threat, and began leading her away. "Fuck you!" Tish called back one more time before turning and letting her friend guide her away.

Angelo watched the two depart, not breaking his gaze until they were well away. "Pffft," he finally said, disgustedly, and turned back towards the direction of the car and resumed walking. He didn't even look back to Jack. The older fox quickly followed the kit, and heard him mutter "...bitch..." as he fell in beside him.

The two vulpines walked in silence for a few moments, then Jack spoke up. "You're gonna break her knees?" he asked, not really believing it.

Angelo looked to the teenage fox. "Well, actually that's kinda what you're here for," he said, his face blank. Jack stared back, his eyes widening slightly. Angelo's face quickly broke into a smile at this. "Nah, not really," he said, giggling slightly as Jack made an over-the-top expression of relief. "The thing is, you don't actually have to do it," Angelo explained, "You just have to make them _think_you're going to do it. Reputation is everything!"

Jack nodded, thinking on this. That might explain, or more importantly, dismiss some things, he thought. Then, back to the matter at hand, "You should'a let her keep going for a bit, though!" he said with a salacious smile, and a quick elbow to the boy's arm.

Anglo chuckled. "Heh, why do you think I gave her the stuff on credit to begin with?" he said with a grin.

Jack laughed out loud at this. Then, leaning in conspiratorially, "What'd she do?"

Angelo's ears flattened back slightly as a grin crossed his face. "Well," he said slowly, "First one, she... umm... went down my pants, and... umm..." he trailed off and just made a rocking motion with his fist - the universal jack-off sign.

Jack's ears shot up straight. "Nice!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah," Angelo said, still grinning. "She only did it for like a minute, then stopped. But it was long enough for me to... um... figure it out for myself. When I got home, I mean." He sounded embarrassed to be talking about this. "That was... educational," he concluded with a smile.

"Ha, I bet!" Jack said with a laugh. The understatement of the century, he thought. "You never knew it could do that, did you?"

"No..." the kit replied, looking down now, and smiling widely. "So, yeah, that was worth a hundred," he said, now looking back to the older fox.

"Definitely," replied Jack. "And the next time?"

"Well," Angelo began, again slowly and with a tinge of embarrassment, "Next time, she tried to do it again, and I told her to give me something new, so she... umm..." He paused, ears flat back now. "She, ummm, sucked... it..."

"No!" Jack blurted out, prompting a vigorous nod from the younger fox. "You got blown by a cheerleader?"

"Yeah," the kit replied sheepishly, still with a slightly embarrassed grin on his face. "I guess..."

"How long she do it for?" the red fox inquired, still amazed by this development.

"Oh, long enough, that time!" came the enthusiastic reply.

Jack laughed out loud again. "Nice!" was all he could say.

"Mmm-hmm," Angelo just said. "So that was another hundred."

"Wow," said Jack, impressed. "So I guess this time, she'd have to go all the way with you, huh?"

"Pfft," the young fox replied. "She's a slut."

"Exactly!" Jack said with a laugh. "Should'a done it, I don't mind waiting!" he said teasingly. Whether that could have actually taken place with all the crowds around, he did not bother to consider.

"Oh hell no," Angelo said back. "She really is a slut! I'm not going to have someone like that for my fir..." He stopped abruptly, mid-word.

Jack looked over to the boy, conscious of the sudden change. Angelo looked to the ground as he walked, jaw and fists both clenched. He had clearly not intended to say that last part. It was easy for Jack to interpret where he had been going.

"For your... first time?" he asked gently. Angelo just took a deep breath through his nose, still looking angry with himself. He patted the young fox's shoulder which startled him, causing him to nearly stumble mid-stride. "Come on," Jack continued, "you're eleven. You're not supposed to have a giant resume of girls at that age. Hell, just the shit you _have_done is more than most!"

Angelo still looked at the ground as he walked, but his expression softened somewhat as the other fox spoke. Finally, the kit said, "Why are you so... damn easy to talk to?" He looked back to Jack and smiled.

"It's a curse," Jack said with a smile. He wanted to put an arm around the kit, but given his apparent skittishness at being touched, combined with the fact that they were still under the stadium, and so still "on the job", he declined.

The duo reached the end of the stadium and continued through the field towards the car. After a minute or two of silence, Angelo spoke up again. "How old were you?" he asked casually.

Jack looked straight head. "Me?" he asked, stalling for time that he knew would not be there.

"Yeah," Angelo confirmed. "Your first time, I mean."

"My first time," Jack repeated. Angelo nodded and looked expectantly at him. "Well," Jack began, slightly embarrassed himself now, "Well... when it happens, I'll be sure to let you know."

Angelo stared back at the teenage fox, almost in awe at this revelation. "Really?" he asked, his voice hushed, as if he didn't want anyone else to hear.

"Really," Jack said with a nod.

"But... but you were on the football team, right?"

Jack laughed at this. "Yeah, I was," he said, still laughing. "That don't mean anything though!"

"But," Angelo repeated, now sounding confused. He obviously had a preconceived notion of what being on the football team entailed. "The cheerleaders?" was all he could ask.

"Yep, we had cheerleaders," Jack confirmed. "There were even a few sluts among them. Most of them were just normal girls though."

"And even with them, you never..."

"Nope, never," Jack said. "See what I mean, that you don't have to worry if you haven't either?"

Angelo seemed to ponder this turn of events for a few moments. "No BJ?" he finally asked. Jack shook his head silently. Angelo then asked, "Not even..." and again made the rocking fist gesture.

"Nope, nothing. Nobody's been down there but me."

"Huh," Angelo said, sounding confused and impressed at the same time. He thought for a few moments as they continued to walk. Then: "Are you gay?"

There it was, Jack thought to himself. It was certainly a logical question, in the context of their conversation. And the boy had not asked it with any hint of malice or teasing, but in a purely innocent conversational tone.

That didn't make it any easier, though, Jack thought. And given all that Angelo had shared of his intimate encounters with Tish, Jack felt that his question at least deserved an answer, and an honest one at that, regardless of the embarrassment. There was just one problem though...

Angelo looked at Jack expectantly after his inquiry. Jack did not make eye contact, but kept looking straight ahead. After a moment in silence, the younger fox said, "Never mind... don't answer that," a hint of concern in his voice as his eyes searched the red fox's face.

Jack smiled at this. "Would it matter?" he asked, finally making eye contact with the kit.

Angelo shrugged. "Not to me," he said plainly. "Does to some, but not me. You gotta love who you love."

Jack smiled again, resisting the urge to fuzzle the boy's headfur. "That's a nice sentiment," Jack said.

"Well," the little grey-furred fox continued, "If I've learned anything doing this, it's that life is... unpredictable. You could die tomorrow. You, me, Vic, any of us... today even. With all that to worry about, seems stupid to worry about something basic like who you love."

"You're very wise," Jack said.

"Eh, I read a lot of restaurant place-mats," the kit replied with a grin.

Jack laughed at this, while inside thinking of what the boy had said. It truly was wise, especially considering the life he led, and now Jack along with him. There was still that one problem though...

"Well, the truth is," Jack began, not sure how to say it, "that I... don't know what I am, actually." This prompted a confused head-tilt from his grey-furred companion. "What I mean is... I don't look at every girl I pass, and imagine... having sex with her, or what she looks like naked. But there was one girl in my 11th-grade chemistry class." He smiled, remembering. "She was... a goddess. And smart too. Great sense of humor. Oh the hot sex we had."

"Huh?" Angelo asked, thoroughly confused by that last line, after what had just been discussed.

Jack tapped his forehead. "In here, I mean. The fantasies I had about her..." he shook his whole head like he was trying to shake off water. "Wow, just... wow. Of course in real life, I was way too shy to ever say anything like that to her." Angelo nodded, understanding.

"Then," Jack continued, "on the flip-side, I don't look at guys and lust after them, or anything, but there was one guy on the football team." Jack could hardly believe he was saying all this. "He was my practice partner. He'd try to catch the ball and I'd try to stop him, so we practiced a lot together. Afterwards, in the locker room... and then the shower room..." he paused. "He was... beautiful. And then later on, in my head at night..." Angelo now just stared, listening intently.

"I knew I could never even _think_about saying anything to him about it," Jack went on, now talking as much to himself as to the kit. "I'd have gotten my head stomped in. So yeah... most girls do nothing for me, and guys are sweaty and gross for the most part, but I've been... in love... with one of each. So... I don't know what I am."

"That's good!" Angelo now said happily. It was Jack's turn now to look confused. The kit continued, "You just love a person. And what they are doesn't matter."

Jack stared back. He had literally never looked at it like this. He was always trying to fit himself into the commonly defined categories of "straight", "gay", and "bi", none of which he could honestly say he fit completely. What Angelo was describing, regardless of what it might be called, seemed to fit him perfectly.

Angelo went on. "Screw what's "normal" or what anyone says is "right" or "wrong". If you love someone, whoever it is, go for it! That's a pretty good way to be, I think."

Jack chuckled nervously, which was a habit of his when he finally figured out something that he'd been trying to set straight in his mind. "Who they are... not _what_they are," he said slowly.

"You got it!" replied Angelo happily.

They were now clear of the athletic field and were approaching the car. Jack was still going over this in his mind, and it all made sense to him. He would look back to Angelo every few moments, chuckling nervously as his mind accepted the notion fully. The kit would return his look with a smile or a thumbs-up.

As they reached the car and opened the trunk, Jack had to resist the urge to outright hug the small fox out of joy and relief.

---

The ride back to the apartments was fairly quick and uneventful. Angelo occupied himself with counting and sorting the cash they had made from the day, making sure to separate his soda-beer proceeds from the stack that would go to Victor.

Jack, for his part, just sat back and relaxed as he drove, an overall feeling of happiness still permeating his mind over his recent self-discovery. He had not really thought about it since graduation, as there were neither males nor females of his age in his life since moving to his apartment. Nevertheless, this recent awakening lifted a heavy weight from his mind - he could now just be himself and not worry about what he was "supposed" to do when it came to finding a partner.

As they pulled into the apartment parking lot, Jack noticed that Victor's car was still not there. He pulled his own car into a parking spot in front of his unit, as there was nothing remaining to unload from the trunk, except for Angelo's backpack.

"Vic's not back yet?" Jack asked as the two foxes got out of the car, and Jack opened the trunk for the boy.

"Nah, he won't be back tonight," Angelo confirmed. "Maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day."

"What the hell?" Jack asked, surprised by this. "Where is he? He just left you alone for a few days?"

"Yep," the little fox said, retrieving his backpack from the trunk. "He's in New York, seeing his main supplier. Vic calls him 'The Russian.' He's the one who got us all the cig's and... other stuff." The kit head-tilted towards his backpack as he said that, indicating this Russian as the source for their drugs as well.

"And he just left you here? Alone?"

"Yup," the grey-furred fox replied. "He does this every week or 2, actually. He's trying to work out some big new deal. Vic says it will take us to 'the next level', whatever that means."

Jack nodded, as the two vulpines stood by his car. He was still surprised that Victor had left the kit alone for two days, after having just said how he looked after the boy. There was little doubt that the kit could take care of himself, though, and Victor would have to have seen that. Still, it had to suck to be left alone in these small apartments, Jack thought.

"You wanna come over or something?" he asked the younger fox.

"Over?" Angelo answered with a head-tilt.

"Yeah, to my place. We could grab a pizza or something and hang out. Beats being cooped up alone, right?"

Angelo smiled wanly, then said, "Nah, that's ok. I don't mind it really. Gives me time to read, plus I have to get the bags ready for tomorrow anyway."

Jack's ears drooped at this. "Well, you know where I live if you change your mind," he said. Angelo just nodded with a faint smile. Jack echoed his nod, smiling back at the young fox, who suddenly looked small to the teen. He had to again resist the urge to hug the kit. Awkwardly, he merely said, "Well... see you tomorrow then," before turning towards his door.

"Jack?" Angelo called out after he had taken only a couple of steps. The red fox turned to his grey-furred compatriot, who quickly walked back to him. "Umm... forgot this," the kit said, handing Jack a wad of cash - his pay for the day, in Victor's absence.

"Thanks Angelo!" Jack replied with a smile, which was returned by the little fox, who held his gaze for more than a few seconds before turning back towards his and Victor's apartment. Jack turned and slowly walked back towards his door.

"Jack?" he heard Angelo call out again as he reached his door. Turning, he saw the boy in the middle of the parking lot, hands in his jacket pocket. He seemed to search for words for a moment. "Did...." he continued after a pause. "Did you have fun today?"

"I did," Jack called back. "Lots of fun actually!"

Angelo smiled and nodded, tail wagging slightly. "Me too!" he said, before turning again back towards his apartment.

Jack stood on his own doorstep and watched the little grey-furred fox, who this time continued all the way to his door, and went inside without looking back. His ears flattening slightly, Jack unlocked his own door and went inside.

Part 4

It took the rest of the week, and the better part of the next, to finally get all the cigars delivered. During that time some additional, though smaller, shipments had arrived at Victor's place, and Jack and Angelo interspersed those deliveries with the remaining cigar deliveries.

Strangely enough to Jack, most of the new shipments seemed to be perfectly legal this time: ornately cut crystal bottles of liquor, boxes of Dom Perignon champagne, tins of food with Russian-looking names, and similar items. Angelo didn't know for sure, but dismissively suggested that these were probably all stolen goods, as opposed to contraband imported goods as the Cuban cigars were.

Working for Victor these few weeks, Jack had made enough money to cover his apartment's rent for July, with enough left over to have cable television service installed, and its accompanying Internet access, both of which he had missed terribly. Since moving in, his only source of entertainment had been watching DVDs on the small laptop he had used in high school. While Angelo may have enjoyed reading, and spent much of his free time so doing, Jack did not share in that interest.

Victor was in and out of town on a fairly regular basis - he'd be out for 2 to 3 days at a time, then back for 4 or 5 days, then he'd be gone again. He told Jack that he was close to making a large deal with his New York supplier, whom he referred to only as "The Russian", and that deal would catapult their operation to "the next level", but he never elaborated beyond that. Even Angelo was oblivious as to what this new deal might entail.

Jack still wasn't completely sure how he felt about Victor. The ferret seemed very friendly, if somewhat anxious over the pending deal, but his demonstrated capacity for violent outbursts never fully left the teen fox's mind. Jack saw Victor's overall demeanor as being responsible for this uncertainty: he was a mix of contradictions coupled with an obviously unstable personality, making him extremely difficult to understand.

While essentially a small-time smuggler, Jack noted that Victor comported himself like the head of an international crime syndicate, despite living in these tiny apartments. He wore silk suits that belied his day job as a manager at a local office supply store (a job that Victor was embarrassed to even discuss). He would take the two foxes to a lavish dinner one night, then would feast on microwave pizza the next.

Yet though he had been true to his promises without exception so far, Jack still had a nagging feeling that he could not trust Victor. His loyalties were clearly to himself, but Jack wondered how far out those allegiances extended, if at all. He especially did not like that the ferret left Angelo alone for days on end while he went to see The Russian.

As for Angelo, Jack was growing increasingly fond of the little grey-furred fox kit. He was the ready-made little brother that Jack always wanted - clever and witty, and just generally fun to be around. The little fox at first tried to hold himself somewhat aloof, but the more time the two vulpes spent together, the more the 11-year-old opened up. Up to a point, at least: he still would not talk of his mother who had abandoned him, beyond what he had said on their first day working together.

So Jack had taken it upon himself to do his own investigation. One of the first things he did when his Internet was installed, was to search news records and crime reports from around the time Angelo said it had all happened. The timing of the facts all lined up: the fox-flu outbreak, and the major snowstorm that occurred on the day his mother vanished. But there was nothing about a fox kit abandoned in the hospital.

Jack even went forward several weeks, and there was nothing about a missing person whose car was discovered in the bus station parking lot after the snow had melted, or of a cub who had run away from the State run home for orphans that he was boarded in after leaving the hospital. It was most frustrating - this either did not qualify as news, or things had not unfolded as he had been led to believe.

The most likely explanation, Jack figured, was that he simply did not have enough information. The fox tended not to believe that the kit had made up the story; Angelo had promised after the stolen car debacle to never lie to him, and Jack did feel that he could trust the boy. He was a good kit, just in a bad overall situation, which made him have to do things that he probably would not have done otherwise.

Yet as much as Angelo protested that he was perfectly content with his living and working arrangements, Jack picked up on subtle clues that this might not be the case. The older fox knew that the kit was lonely, even if he wouldn't admit it. Several times when they had finished up and were parting company for the day, Angelo seemed to linger on the goodbye for longer than might be expected, and brought up trivial points at the last minute, as if to prolong their parting for just a little longer.

Additionally, Jack noted, Angelo lived very much in the moment, as all kits did to a certain degree, but he took it to the point of practically dismissing the future. Even when talking about things like what he wanted to be when he grew up, or where he might want to go on a vacation, he would just say something like, "Let's worry about making it home today first," and certainly didn't seem to consider what a life after Victor might be like.

Jack had made it a mental goal to try to get the kit out of the life he was in, though admittedly he had no idea how to even begin to do so, or where Angelo might go if he did get away. For better or worse, his arrangements with Victor provided at least short-term stability for the kit.

He ultimately decided not to force the issue. For now he would be Angelo's friend and would watch out for the boy, whether the kit felt he needed it or not. The teen's only concern was whether such behavior was welcomed or even noticed by the younger fox. Jack felt that he did on some level, yet also felt it would be egotistic to bring it up looking for validation. But as he learned from his own father, when one is looking out for the well-being of a cub, it doesn't matter if the cub appreciates or even realizes it.

---

June rolled into July. The cigars were all delivered, and most of the food items now had been as well. Victor had finally admitted that the fine liquors and caviar, as it turned out was in the tins, were in fact stolen from a foreign freighter in the Port of Philadelphia. The theft of these goods was orchestrated by the mysterious "Russian" in New York, and Victor was handling the disbursal of the goods as a favor to him - no doubt to improve his standing on whatever the deal was that Victor was working.

Jack was now standing in the shade of a stadium, looking out at the groups of furs practicing their various sports. Angelo was next to him, leaning casually against one of the support girders. The two were at another high school, once again selling marijuana to whomever might be interested. They had been doing this more frequently since the cigar deliveries stopped and they suddenly found themselves with much more free time as a result.

Angelo seemed to enjoy these outings much more than the scheduled deliveries, Jack noted. He certainly liked his role as the dealer: "everybody's friend", he had called it. He would play it cool and composed with the friendly customers, and coldly angry with the troublesome ones. Through it all, Jack played his own part - the mute thug who was ready to jump in and quickly handle whatever Angelo felt needed to be handled.

Fortunately he had not had to do anything more than stand there looking intimidating, at least so far. Angelo had spoken of several incidents in his past where he had been physically attacked while out at one of the schools. It was probably due to his age and size, Jack figured, but whatever the cause, the potential for things to turn ugly was ever present.

Of greater immediate concern to the 18-year-old was their choice of schools to visit on a given day, or more specifically what school _not_to visit. Jack's kit sister, Jessica, was a member of several sports leagues, and their practices and matches were not always at the same schools; at this time of the year there were so many leagues and teams competing for space that teams often took whatever venue they could schedule.

It would be bad, to say the least, if Jessica were to see Jack and Angelo engaged in selling pot, especially after Jack had assured her that this boy was not the same drug dealer "Angelo" she had heard of from girls on her team. So Jack found himself calling home more often now, which his family certainly appreciated, but with the primary hidden objective of finding out where the young girl would be practicing in the coming few days.

In fact, Jessica's schedule had forced Angelo and Jack to change their school for this day. They were now at Barksdale High, which was the chief rival of Jack's school when he was on the football team. He had mentioned this to Angelo as a concern, since he had actually played in the stadium which the two now stood under. The younger fox was willing to make another change, but Jack felt it would still be safe to come here. Nevertheless, he kept a sharp lookout for any faces that seemed even remotely familiar.

It had not been a particularly good sales day. Perhaps it was the stifling July heat, but the two foxes had only a handful of customers, and none interested in larger amounts. They even had one of Angelo's camouflaged beer cartons left unsold, which were usually the first to sell.

Jack continued to watch the various passers-by. Beside him, Angelo stood up from where he had been leaning and stretched. He had been watching a girls lacrosse scrimmage in the nearby field with some interest. Jack looked to his grey-furred companion who smiled back pleasantly at him, which made the older fox grin. Despite everything else, the little cub in Angelo showed his face every so often, whether or not he intended it to.

"So, what do you want to do?" Jack asked, implicitly referring to the lack of meaningful business they had done so far

"I dunno," the kit responded with a shrug. "We can hang out a bit longer. Unless you've got someplace to be?" Angelo smiled again at that last statement. It had become a minor running-joke between the two, as both of the foxes' full-time job was to do Victor's work.

Jack chuckled. "Nope, sure don't," he said. "It is damn hot though." He flapped the fabric of his outer shirt to try to ventilate his body somewhat. Since he had begun wearing a long shirt to cover the knife in his belt, he had felt the heat more acutely than he was used to.

"Yep," Angelo simply said. He was wearing his ever-present denim jacket, which he never removed when he was outside his own apartment. "We can go in a little bit," he said, as the game he was watching resumed play. Jack nodded and went back to watching faces as people moved by. Abruptly he spun on his heels to face back under the stadium, looking to the ground as if he'd dropped something.

"What?" Angelo said, looking around rapidly.

"I think I saw my old gym teacher for a second. He looked right at me," Jack said nervously.

"Mmm," Angelo said, acknowledging. He slowly walked to the other side of Jack, now looking again towards the lacrosse game that he had been watching. "Ok, no problem," he said quietly after a moment. "If it's him, you're not with me. You're just hanging around after your sister's practice was over. To check out the girls, you know?"

"Right," Jack said, with a nervous sigh. Angelo walked a few more paces away, towards the lacrosse game. It should now seem from the distance that the two were not in fact together, Jack hoped. He turned back towards the fields and pretended to watch another game, while scanning the passing furs to find the one he thought he had recognized. Angelo walked further away, meanwhile.

Finally Jack located the face he had seen: a cat who resembled his gym teacher, but now that he was closer appeared to be college-age. The cat made eye contact with the fox again, and just nodded in passing. Jack returned the nod and looked away, letting out a covert sight of relief. He walked back towards Angelo.

"Wasn't him," Jack said when he caught up to the little grey-furred fox.

"Kay," Angelo said, then turned back towards the shade of the stadium's shadow. "This'll be the way we handle that sort of thing from now on, ok?"

"Yep," Jack replied. "As long as it's not my sister, who I think knows us both, we should be safe." Jack had explained to the kit what his sister had said about him - Angelo had found it amusing rather than alarming, which irritated Jack slightly, though he didn't share that fact with the cub.

"Exactly," confirmed Angelo. "I'm just a random guy who's just in the same place. Should work for most people. Unless they actually see us talking... or selling."

Jack nodded. "Same go for your schoolmates?" he asked. "I mean some of them could be on summer teams too, right?" Angelo chuckled, which made Jack head-tilt.

Angelo smiled at him. "That ain't gonna happen," he said, his smile fading. "I can pretty much guarantee that."

"Why so?" Jack asked, his mind thinking over what the kit had said. There was only one explanation, he realized. Angelo looked away abruptly as he saw Jack's ears droop and a look of sadness cross the teen's face. "You... don't go to school, do you?" Jack asked slowly.

Angelo looked at the ground and took a deep breath, before quickly looking back into Jack's eyes. "No," he said, matter-of-factly. "Not since... it all happened, no."

"Oh, Ange," Jack said sadly. Angelo continued to look at him, his face expressionless, as if he didn't see this as any kind of problem. "So that's, what, 2 years?"

"Well," Angelo replied, "It was the middle of 4thgrade, and this past year would'a been 5th. So, a year and a half maybe?"

"Ange," Jack said, his voice sounding a little pained. "You need to go to school."

"Why?" the kit replied. "I can read and do math, and Vic teaches me what I need to know to make it out here. So who cares if I don't know what year the Magna Carta was?"

"That's not the point," Jack said emphatically. "And besides, what can that... what can Victor possibly teach you?"

Angelo chuckled again at Jack's mid-sentence stumble. Then: "Well... how to fight. How to take a punch and not go down." Jack frowned as the boy continued. "And how to not get in a fight in the first place, by getting in people's heads and fucking with their minds!" He seemed almost proud at this last part.

Jack shook his head, unsure what to say next. There was no point arguing it at for the moment; it was already done, and school was out for the summer, so it couldn't be fixed quickly at any rate. Sadly, he added this to the growing list of reasons to get this boy away from Victor and out of this life. The red fox just sighed and leaned back against the wall.

Angelo looked at him as if searching the older fox's face for clues. Finally he said, "It's really not that bad, Jack."

Jack looked into Angelo's blue eyes, then gave a non-committal head shrug. He couldn't do anything about this for now, so he changed the subject slightly. "He taught you how to fight, huh?" he asked. The ferret did look like he knew a thing or two about fighting, Jack thought.

"Yep!" the little grey-furred fox replied with some enthusiasm. "Mostly for people like we'd meet here," he said, indicating the game fields, "high-schoolers and them. They're the ones who usually try to get away with something, especially since I'm littler than them."

The older fox nodded. "How do you fight them? If you had to, I mean," Jack was genuinely curious now: it would reflect Victor's ideas about how to deal with such situations.

"Well," the kit began, "with kids that age, they think they can hit you once hard, and you'll go down crying, or at least run away scared. So the thing to do is not to fall down. It's hard to do at first 'cause that's what your first instinct is. You gotta take that punch and not go down, or cry or yell, or even flinch if you can. That'll usually surprise the hell out of them. Then you can really get in their heads!"

"Yeah, but you still get punched," Jack said. "How can you "just take it" if you don't know how hard they're going to hit?"

"Boxers do it all the time," the younger fox said simply.

"Well, yeah, but they practice," Jack said, trying to understand. "They have people pound on them to get used to taking punches."

"Practice makes perfect," Angelo said matter-of-factly. "Only one way to know what a punch is gonna feel like. Vic taught me, back when..."

"Victor!" Jack interrupted. "He... punched you?" The teen fox was suddenly enraged.

"Well, trained me, yeah," the kit replied. "He wasn't beating me up or anything. We started out really soft and, well, just got a little harder and a little harder so I'd know what it felt like."

"Son of a bitch..." Jack said angrily.

"Jack," Angelo said gently, "it's not how you think. It was only for a few days, a little at a time, and never really that hard. I never bled or anything, and if I wanted to stop, he stopped. And it saved me a couple of times out here when someone really did lay into me... and a lot harder than Vic ever did."

"I think I need to have a little chat with our Mister Morrison," Jack said angrily.

Angelo shook his head. "Jack... don't," he said. "Really. Getting in his face is a good way to get shot." This had not occurred to Jack, but given the ferret's other habits, it made sense that he would carry a gun. Angelo stepped closer to the older fox. "I... I don't want you to get shot, Jack," he said softly.

Jack looked to his little companion. "Me neither, buddy," he said with another resigned sigh, and patted the kit's headfur, noting with some small sense of happiness that the boy did not pull away in surprise as he usually did. "But I think I'm liking Victor less and less each day."

"Well... you wouldn't be the first," Angelo remarked cryptically.

The teen red fox waited for some elaboration, which didn't come. Again not wanting to force the issue, he moved on. "So... now they've punched you and you're... "in their heads"?"

Angelo smiled, seeming glad to be moving on from the previous topic. "Yep, I'll show you. Punch me in the snoot!" He closed his eyes and stuck his muzzle out, smiling.

Jack folded his arms, surprised by this, but also amused at the kit's exaggerated pose. After a few seconds, one of Angelo's blue eyes half-opened. "I'm not gonna hit you Ange," Jack said, beeping the kit's nose.

With a laugh, the little fox resumed a normal posture. "Ok," he said cheerfully, "So anyway, you just punched me in the nose, and thought I would drop to the ground crying and you could just grab my backpack and run. But... I don't even flinch, which now makes _you_surprised! Then, I get a look on my face like you just did me the biggest favor in the world, because now it's my turn to go after you!"

Angelo tilted his head down slightly and looked upward with his eyes at Jack as a creepy smile slowly worked its way onto his muzzle. Jack had to admit to himself that it was a little unnerving, and in the context of what Angelo was describing, it would likely have had the desired effect in high-school aged furs.

The kit again resumed his normal posture and grinned at Jack's reaction. "See?" he said proudly. Most of the time that look gets in their heads enough and they run. Sometimes I'll chase after them a few steps. If it doesn't do the trick, then I'll go for my knife," he patted the left flap of his jacket. "That's always done the trick so far."

Jack cocked an eyebrow at this last statement, which seemed to contradict something the boy had said, or at least hinted at, earlier. He just smiled at his friend, who smiled back happily. "What do you say we get out of here?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, it's pretty dead here, and I'm dying of thirst!" Angelo confirmed, and the pair started towards the direction of the car.

---

Victor was just getting out of his car when Jack pulled into the apartment's parking lot and parked in front of his own unit. As the two foxes got out of the car and Angelo started towards Victor, the ferret waved Jack over as well, then headed for his door. Jack knew this meant it would be more than a social call, as Victor never discussed business outside.

Jack followed Angelo across the parking lot to Victor's door, which the kit held open for him, and went inside. Angelo closed the door behind them, and immediately doffed his jacket and stood next to the air conditioner vent, sighing contentedly.

The apartment was much barer now, with most of the boxes that had been piled everywhere slowly disappearing over the weeks as their contents were delivered. A few still remained in use as ad-hoc tables for stacks of papers and mail, though there were a few small unopened boxes that must have been recent arrivals.

Victor emerged from the hallway that led to the bedroom, shirtless but with a folded garment in his paw, which he unfolded and donned as he spoke. "Heya Jack!" he said, "How was business today?"

"Pretty crappy," replied Angelo with a furrowed brow, staring intently at Victor. The ferret looked over at the boy briefly, then back to Jack.

"Oh yeah?" Victor asked, again to Jack directly.

"Well, yeah," Jack said, unsure of this new dynamic that was in play. "It's like Angelo said," he continued, gesturing to the kit who looked to Jack then back to the ferret, or at least to the back of his head.

"Hmm," Victor said nonplussed. "Eh, it'll pick up again. Always does. Hey, listen," he said, changing the subject abruptly now that the social formalities, such as they were, were dispensed with. "I'm out again tomorrow. Probably be back the day after though, assuming the storm doesn't shut everything down."

"Jeez, you just got back, Vic," Angelo said from behind the ferret.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Victor replied, still facing only Jack. "But the Russian emailed me, saying next time I'm in town to stop by. 'Next time', eh? Ok fucker, I'll be there tomorrow!" He let out a hearty laugh and slapped Jack's shoulder with one paw.

Jack smiled at this behavior, still not sure what was happening between Angelo and Victor. The boy looked equally confused, suggesting that this was indeed a brand new development unfolding before both of them. "Ok..." was all Jack could muster.

"I'm close, Jack! Real close!" Victor said excitedly, now grabbing both of the red fox's shoulders in his paws and shaking them slightly. "I can feel it! This is what we've been working for all these years!" The ferret finally looked back at Angelo when he spoke this last sentence. The boy just stared at him with an expressionless face. "So anyway," Victor continued, somewhat more calmly, "I got one big job for you tomorrow. For you guys," he clarified, now stepping back slightly so he could face both foxes.

"Big?" Jack inquired plainly.

"Big," Victor confirmed. "Really big. One job worth more than all of this week's combined. I'm gonna need this payoff when my deal with the Russian happens, so..." he trailed off, with a leading tone to the last word.

"So don't fuck it up?" Jack asked, which was the obvious conclusion to the ferret's sentence. He made sure to set his tone to sound amused as opposed to offended by the intimation. Victor just smiled and pointed at Jack with a "gun" finger and a wink. "What's the job, if I may ask?" Jack asked, slightly concerned by the possible meanings of that finger gesture.

"It's a delivery, so nothing new. Just an important one," Victor said, evasively. "And it's even easier... a dead-drop." Jack saw Angelo's countenance fall at this, as Victor continued. "You drop off the bag in a prearranged location, then come back in an hour or two and pick up the money from the same spot. You never even need to meet the buyers."

"Sounds easy enough," Jack said, looking at Angelo who had now sat down on the carpet. He looked back at Jack with his face more neutral than it had been seconds ago, though his ears were both drooped.

"Yep, we've done these before, ain't we?" the ferret asked Angelo.

"Yeah, sure," the little grey-furred kit answered softly.

"Mmm-hmm," Victor said, looking back to Jack. "Come over a little later than usual, around ten or so. Got an e-mail address, Jack?"

"Nope, not yet," Jack said. It was a lie of course, but the teenage fox somehow knew instinctively that he did not want Victor to have any more personal information about him than was absolutely necessary. He especially did not want to be discussing any of their business anywhere other than in person, where things like e-mail could potentially be tracked or permanently stored out of his control.

"Mmph," Victor said with a tinge of annoyance. "Was hoping you could let me know when it was done and you had the cash in hand. Oh well. I don't see it really being a problem anyway." The ferret held out a wad of folded cash to Jack. "Here's for today," he said, "as usual. Tomorrow pays double if it goes ok. I'll see you when I get back."

Jack took the cash, and could tell from Victor's tone that he was now dismissed. "Ok, see you," he said to Victor. "Seeya Angelo!" he said to the boy, who looked up from where he sat.

"Bye, Jack," he simply said, managing a slight smile. Jack smiled back and nodded, then turned back towards the door and left the apartment.

As Jack walked back towards his apartment, a feeling of anger welled up in him. Something had changed suddenly in Victor's relationship with Angelo, which clearly surprised the younger fox as well. That, combined with the dead-drop delivery, the mere mention of which had visibly distressed the boy, had Jack now more confused than ever with regards to Victor; it was this ever-increasing failure to figure out the ferret that stirred the anger in the teen fox.

---

The next morning, Jack pulled on his outer shirt as he stepped from his apartment. Victor's car was absent, which was certainly expected, but Jack nonetheless felt the familiar twinge of irritation at the ferret. He had pondered the previous day's encounter with Victor deeply, and could only come to the conclusion that he was being groomed for some larger role within the ferret's operation.

Right or wrong, the theory at least explained why Victor would address Jack so directly: as if he was speaking to a partner and not to a foot-soldier. Until such a discussion actually took place, of course, Jack was not going to bring it up or behave any differently. But if it were to be brought up... how would he respond? That possibility had Jack lying awake in bed longer than was normal for him, until he arrived at the obvious answer.

Jack looked skyward as he walked across the lot towards Angelo's apartment. The forecast had called for heavy rain and storms today, though the sky was currently clear. The fox hoped it would hold off long enough for this important delivery to conclude. While Victor insisted it was "simple", Angelo's reaction had Jack feeling uneasy about what it entailed, and so did not want any complications, even from something as mundane as the weather.

The teenage fox reached the apartment's door and he knocked. The lock clicked and the door opened a crack. "C'mon in, Jack," he heard Angelo say through the opening. Jack pushed the door open and went inside. Angelo was walking towards the couch as Jack entered. The kit was wearing his usual t-shirt and jeans.

"Heya, Ange," Jack said as he closed the door behind him.

Angelo flopped down on the couch. "Hi Jack," he said simply, stretching. "Ready for this?"

Jack sat down on the arm of the couch and regarded the little grey-furred fox kit. "I hope so," he said. "Victor says it should be no problem, but you didn't seem too happy about it yesterday."

The little fox chuckled. "Oh hell no," he said. "These suck! They're no sweat for Vic 'cause he doesn't have to do them!"

Jack felt the fur on his neck start to stand. "Wh... why..." he asked, nearly stammering as a wave of nervousness crept up on him. "What do we..." He trailed off.

Angelo looked up at Jack. "It's for a gang, Jack." The older fox just stared nervously back as the kit continued. "Vic say's it's easy 'cause there's no one around. But there'll be plenty of furs around... we just won't see them. And they all have guns."

"What are we delivering?" Jack inquired.

Angelo pointed to a gym bag in the corner. "More pot," he said. "A lot more."

Jack rose and went to the gym bag. It was fully packed, with no hint of slack in its fabric. He picked it up and was surprised by the weight. "Wow," was all he could say.

"Mmm-hmm," Angelo replied. "Like 30 pounds or something. Still packed like it was on the boat."

The red fox now understood the younger fox's anxiety. A large drug delivery for one of the area gangs meant a lot of cash was at stake. The gang would be taking no chances with someone interfering, or worse, double-crossing them. Jack's mind raced: what if the gang's rival caught wind of the delivery? Would they be ambushed? Could they be double-crossed by the gang itself? What if Victor's abrupt change in attitude towards both foxes was indicative of a plan the ferret had just put together? A set-up?

Jack stared at Angelo as a hundred thoughts and scenarios played out over the span of seconds. "Oh fuck," he said softly.

"Yep," the younger fox replied.

Jack sat back down on the arm of the couch. "So... when do we have to do this?"

"We have to do the drop between 11:00 and 11:30," the kit said. "We better go soon, so we don't get stuck in traffic or anything."

"Right..." Jack said. He was nervous and unsure about all this, but was nonetheless committed. As he stood up, he looked at Angelo's face and saw the same combination of feelings. The boy smiled wanly, as if he was seeing the same thing himself.

Jack retrieved the gym bag and hefted it over his shoulder as Angelo got up from the couch and donned his ever-present denim jacket. "After you," the kit said, indicating the door. The older fox exited the apartment, and Angelo locked up behind them.

As they walked to the car and loaded the bag into the trunk, Jack could only think about what the next hour would hold, and where he would be at the end of it. Relieved to be done with it? Arrested? Caught up in a gang war? Face down in an alley? He nervously fumbled with the key, and took more than one try to successfully unlock the car door.

"Stay cool, Jack," Angelo said as Jack again fumbled with the key in the ignition. "That's the most important thing. Whatever happens... is gonna happen." The boy smiled pleasantly as Jack looked into his blue eyes.

"Yeah," he said, closing his own dark brown eyes and taking a deep breath. "Yeah," he said again.

---

The ride was mostly in silence, with Angelo giving turn directions but otherwise not saying much. Jack tried to stay focused on his driving, as much to keep his mind occupied as it was to ensure he didn't break any traffic laws which might get them pulled over. The cargo in the trunk would certainly amount to a felony, he reckoned.

The areas they drove through got increasingly poorer looking as they continued. Jack was glad that his car was as old as it was, as a newer flashier-looking car would definitely have attracted attention: a detriment for this particular job.

"Pull over here somewhere, and pop the trunk," Angelo said after they had driven for a time. Jack found an open spot along the curb and pulled over. They were now in a part of town that Jack would never have otherwise visited, or even driven through if he could avoid it. The kit got out of the car once they were parked

Jack got out as well and, as calmly as he could, walked to the rear of the car and opened the trunk. Angelo picked the bag out and carried it back to his side of the car. Jack shut the trunk and returned to his side. The two drew a couple of looks from passing furs, but nothing that seemed aggressive. Jack was glad to get back in and shut the doors.

Angelo put the bag on the floor at his feet. "Ok, drive around the block a couple times. We still have a few minutes," he said. Jack pulled back out into traffic. Angelo sighed deeply, then continued. "Here's how this has to go. There's an alley behind an apartment building. I'll show you where it is. You drive down that alley, real slow, 'till we reach this open area where all the trash cans are for the building. Drive past there till we reach a red door on my side of the car. Then I get out and take the bag back to one of the trash cans."

"I'm coming with you," Jack said. "In fact, you stay put and let me drop off the bag."

"Jack," Angelo said, almost plaintively, "You can't. It has to be me... only me. You have to stay in the car, and actually don't even look around - 'cause if you see anything... that they don't think you should...." the little fox trailed off.

"Fuck," Jack said, almost a whisper.

"I know," Angelo said. "But remember what I said about the guns. There will... probably be a few pointed at us the whole time, from who-knows-where. So when you drive down the alley, just look straight ahead." He took another deep breath. "When it's done, drive straight out slowly again, and turn right when you get to the road."

Jack steered the car around the block as the drop time approached. He had been planning to watch everything he could during this time before the drop, to get a feel for anything that seemed off, such as groups of furs lingering near they designated alleyway. But after Angelo's instructions, he now nervously stared at the car in front of them as he drove. Overhead, a high overcast was setting in.

"Ok," Angelo said after another trip around the block. "Keep going straight now for a few blocks. You're looking for an abandoned gas station on the left."

Jack just nodded, and continued to drive. After a few moments, the gas station in question came into view. It featured a boarded-up building and stripped concrete islands out front where the gas pumps used to be. The dilapidated appearance of the place seemed to fit Jack's mood perfectly.

"Slow," Angelo said, his breathing audibly quicker, Jack noticed. "Right past the gas station, see that red brick building on the left?"

"Yeah," Jack said abruptly.

"You'll see the alleyway between it and the next building down. That's the one." Angelo leaned forward and removed his jacket, leaving it bunched up on the seat behind him. It was the first time Jack had seen the kit without it outside of his apartment. The symbolism of this only further heightened the fox's nervousness.

Jack slowed the car as the designated alley became visible. It looked just wide enough for one car to fit though. Taking a deep breath, Jack turned his car into it.

"Straight ahead," Angelo said quietly, as if he feared being heard from outside. "And slow." He was staring at the floor, Jack could see out of the corner of his eye. For his part, Jack looked straight ahead as instructed, though he found that he would have had to do so anyway to avoid hitting the various piles of debris that lined the narrow passageway.

The alley began to widen, and Jack could see an opening to the right, which appeared to be the trash can area that Angelo had spoken of. He could see numerous cans out of his peripheral vision, but could not glean any more detail of the area, nor did he really try.

"Slow," Angelo said as they passed the open area. "Slow... and... stop." Jack stopped the car on cue, but left it in gear with his footpaw on the brake. Angelo reached down to grab the bag, then got out of the car without further word, leaving the door open.

Jack stared at the wheel, and tried to keep his ears from rotating as he listened intently for any sounds from behind him. Over the rumble of the car, he heard only traffic from the street, with an occasional unidentifiable sound from behind, as if of someone stepping on a discarded box, or a bottle rolling on the ground. He listened specifically for the sound of a trash can lid, but did not hear anything resembling it.

After what seemed like 5 minutes, but was probably less than one, a shadow appeared in Jack's peripheral vision outside the passenger door. He clenched his teeth and gripped the steering wheel tighter.

"Go," Angelo's voice said, as the kit got back in the car and closed the door. "Slow." His voice was shaking, Jack noticed.

Maintaining his forward view, Jack let off the brake and let the car roll forward towards the exit of the alley. He could hear Angelo breathing heavily, trembling evident even in his breathing. It pained the older fox that he could not even look at his friend yet. His fingers began to ache from the grip he held on the steering wheel as the car emerged from the alley and turned back into traffic.

After he had driven a couple of blocks away from the alley, Jack finally looked at Angelo. The boy had his chin tucked into his chest, with his arms crossed. His chest rose and fell as he breathed deeply.

"Are you..." Jack began, then stopped abruptly. His own voice was shaking, and it surprised him when he spoke.

Angelo looked over and smiled, almost giggling. "I'm ok, are you?" he said, his voice steadier now, though with a certain giddiness likely brought on by relief.

Jack laughed, then cleared his throat dramatically, as much to buy some time to calm down, as to make light of his embarrassment. "Yeah, I'm ok." He smiled back at Angelo. "So what now?"

"Now?" Angelo said. "Now we go get lunch, then we get to come back in an hour and do it all over again."

"Huh, what?" Jack said, surprised.

"Well, the gang picks up the stuff and checks it out, then they put the cash in the bag and put it back in the can. We have to go pick it up, same as how we dropped it off."

It had not occurred to Jack that the pickup of the payment would be in the same place. After a moment's thought it was obvious, he reckoned, but with the tension of the drop-off he had not bothered to consider the next step in the plan.

"Ah fuck!" he exclaimed with a sort of resigned annoyance, which prompted a giggle from the little grey-furred fox kit.

---

Jack drove well out of that part of town before stopping for lunch. He didn't want to feel elitist or prejudiced, but it was an area rife with gangs, and after the tension of the drop-off, he instinctively wanted to get as far from there as he could. Only the fact that they had to return in an hour for the pickup kept him from driving all the way back to his apartment.

The two stopped off at a family-style restaurant for lunch. Jack had suggested fast-food burgers, but the younger fox insisted on someplace nicer: somewhere he could get, as he put it, "a giant ice-cream sundae". The sky continued to slowly darken as the two foxes went inside and were seated.

As they waited for their food order, Jack regarded his young friend. The little grey-furred fox sat in his side of the booth, drinking soda through a straw. He looked very much a small cub in that position - one would never have thought by looking at him that he had just come from performing a large drug delivery.

Jack watched him with sadness. He now more than ever wanted to get the boy out of the life he was in, and far away from Victor. It still troubled the older fox that he was very short on ideas of how to do that. So far, anonymously reporting Victor to the police was the only idea he could come up with. That would certainly result in Angelo being returned to state custody, though, and Jack was fearful of what might happen then, as the kit had already stated he would never go back there.

There were furs seated in the booths on both sides of the two foxes so Jack refrained from discussing business, which he found exceptionally hard to do under the present circumstances. He desperately wanted to ask about the upcoming pickup, as well as Victor's sudden change in behavior the previous evening, but had to defer to his own discretion, lest nearby ears hear something they should not.

Angelo picked up on this as well, so the two made small talk about the upcoming storm, and other mundanities of life. When the food arrived, they ate quickly, and mostly in silence as the specter of the upcoming pickup loomed over them still - less than 30 minutes before they would have to be back at the alley. This did not stop Angelo from ordering his giant ice-cream sundae, however.

The meal finished, the two vulpines returned to the car, and started back towards the pickup location. Jack had been pondering Victor's previous behavior through much of the meal, and once they were back in the car, he decided he had to bring it up. At least a conversation would take both their minds off of the coming job, he figured.

"So Ange," Jack began, prompting an inquisitive look from the little fox. "I gotta ask: what was up with Victor last night?"

Angelo sat back hard in his seat and looked at the roof. "I don't know!" he exclaimed loudly, with a tone of pure frustration which surprised Jack in this context: he must have been racking his brain trying to figure it out as well. The kit looked over to Jack with a look that almost suggested worry. "It's like he's got... you now," he said with some uneasiness, "so he doesn't need to talk to me about the business anymore. He's been talking about you more and more lately."

Jack nodded. "I got the same vibe," he said. "Do you think he wants to make me his partner or something?"

"I thought _I_was his partner!" the kit exclaimed, though not angrily. "I thought that's what the last year's been... all about." His voice trailed off as he finished.

"You still are, the way I see it," Jack said, trying to reassure the boy. "Maybe he just wants to bring me in with the two of you?"

"Maybe," Angelo replied quietly. "I guess we'll find out here in a few minutes..."

"What?" Jack asked, alarmed by that cryptic comment.

Angelo just shook his head, looking out the front window. "Nothing..." was all he said.

Jack drove on for a few minutes, thinking on this. Then, as they got closer to the neighborhood, he spoke up again, changing the subject, but at the same time not really changing it. "So, what happens now?"

"Well," the young fox replied, "now the gang will pay up, depending on... what was in the bag when they opened it."

"What do you mean?" Jack asked. "I thought it was dope in the bag, right?"

"Yep, there was," Angelo said. "They'll look it over, weigh it and all that, and if its exactly what they wanted they should pay whatever they agreed on with Vic. If it was less, then they'll probably pay less. Unless it's _really_not what they ordered and they're mad about it." He looked over to Jack.

From Angelo's look, Jack did not need him to explain further. "Right..." was all he could say. He drove on, closing in on the alleyway where they would need to turn.

"Same deal as last time," Angelo said as the twin red brick buildings came into view down the street. "Go slow, don't look around." He sounded more sad now than nervous, Jack noticed.

Jack slowed the car as the alley between the buildings became visible. Taking a deep breath he turned the car back into the narrow passage. To his relief, he did not see any furs lingering nearby the entrance, nor were there any vehicles in the alley itself. He let the car creep forward slowly, staring straight ahead as before.

"If you hear guns," Angelo said, his voice very low, "just haul tail out of here. Don't wait for me, 'cause I'm probably..." the little fox trailed off again, with what sounded like a truncated whimper. "Just... you get away," he said after a brief pause.

Jack stared straight ahead still, his pulse quickening, and an unexpected tear welling up in one eye when Angelo said that. The older fox did not respond though. The car reached the open area where the pickup was to occur. Out of his peripheral vision, he could make out the row of trash cans, with still no sign of anybody.

"Slow," Angelo whispered as Jack saw the target red door approaching. "Stop," the kit said. Jack did so, again leaving the car in gear with his footpaw on the brake, in case a quick exit was required. Angelo opened the door and got out as Jack watched his steering wheel as before.

The red fox listened intently for any sounds that were different from the drop-off. He heard Angelo's paw-steps on the paper and debris in the alley as he walked back behind the car towards the trashcans, then silence apart from traffic sounds coming from the main roads, and a radio coming from one of the windows above.

It seemed to Jack to be taking longer than it had for the drop-off. Admittedly, he thought, it was hard to accurately judge the drop time due to his nervousness, and given Angelo's strange statement, he was even more on edge. He heard no voices or other sounds to suggest any other person was there, and he certainly heard no gunfire.

After another few seconds, the 18-year-old again heard paw-steps on the alley trash, heading towards him, and somewhat quicker than before, though still unhurried. Jack looked slightly downward, and shifted his eyes towards the open passenger door, waiting for Angelo's familiar form.

Presently the little grey-furred fox appeared at the door and heaved the gym bag onto the floor, then nearly leaped into the seat and closed the door. "Go," he said, his voice trembling, nearly choked.

Jack guided the car ahead through the alley, trying not to look like he was in a hurry yet at the same time wanting to get out of there as quickly as possible. He managed a tolerable compromise between the two as the car reached the exit of the alleyway, and he turned it back onto the main road.

Once they were clear of the alley and its constituent buildings, Angelo put his head back against the seat and giggled quietly to himself, eyes closed. It was the nervous giggle of relief, Jack knew, of the release of nervous energy that had built up over the last hour.

"You all right there, buddy?" Jack asked his young friend.

Angelo mouthed the word "Yeah", breathing deeply to try to calm himself. After a moment, he opened his eyes and looked to Jack. "See why I love these so much?" he said with a wry sort of smile.

"Yeah," Jack said, sharing the sentiment. "Let's not do another one of these for a long time, ok?"

"Works for me, but tell that to Vic," Angelo replied, leaning his head back on the seat again. "Maybe he'll actually listen to you," he added, quieter.

Jack looked at the boy sadly, catching his meaning. Angelo had again closed his eyes, and his breathing appeared to be returning to normal. Jack decided to change the subject to one that was actually rather pertinent. "How much is in there?" he asked.

Angelo opened his eyes abruptly, as if being roused from a light sleep. "I dunno, lets see," he said. Leaning forward, he unzipped the gym bag on the floor and pulled the flaps open. Inside, Jack could see the bag was filled with bundles of twenty-dollar bills. Angelo rooted around in the bag and sifted through the bundles like he was looking for something else in the bag. "Well.... there's..." he said as he dug.

Finally he withdrew his paws and pulled the bag's flaps back together. Sitting back up, he looked to Jack. "A lot!" he said with a sort of triumphant flair in his voice.

"Very nice," Jack said appreciatively, as Angelo zipped the bag back up and again sat back in his seat. The red fox continued, somewhat more soberly, "What did you really think was going to happen back there?" Jack was still puzzled and concerned by the kit's strange comment prior to them entering the alley. He seemed to have been connecting Victor's change in attitude towards him with what was about to unfold in the alley.

Angelo put his head back against the seat and closed his eyes again. "Maybe Vic's right about one thing," he said. "Maybe I do think too much." A weak smile crossed his face.

"Oh yeah?" Jack asked, trying to prod the little fox to continue, but the kit merely nodded and did not reply.

A light rain had begin to fall, and the sky continued its ominous darkening. Jack could see even darker clouds in the distance, undoubtedly heading their way as the weathermen were all predicting. The 18-year-old fox drove the car towards home in silence.

Angelo sat back in his seat with arms crossed and closed eyes; he almost looked asleep, though every couple of moments he would look around outside the window before resuming his motionless posture. Jack didn't doubt that the kit was tired now that the adrenaline had worn off from the pickup. He was feeling it as well, and in fact had already mentally committed to a quick afternoon nap once the two were back home.

As they neared their apartments, Angelo roused from his restful position and leaned forward to tend to the gym bag, hoisting it onto his lap and crossing his arms over it as if protecting it.

"So," Jack said, breaking the silence of the last ten minutes, "What do you have planned for the day?" It was still rather early in the afternoon, and having no further jobs or deliveries was an infrequent treat.

"I'm gonna try and sleep some," Angelo said, confirming Jack's thought. "I didn't get a whole lot last night," he added.

"Why not?" Jack inquired. "Because of all this?"

The young kit nodded. "Yup, I do that a lot - thinking about the next jobs, and what can go wrong." He yawned deeply. "I just hope my stupid brain will let me sleep now," he said, half over the yawn.

"Well, nothing went wrong today, so get some sleep," Jack said, encouragingly.

"Gonna try," Angelo said. "I think too much though, remember?" he added with a smile.

Jack smiled back at the young fox. "What then?" he asked. "Victor's not going to be there, so you just gonna sit around alone 'till tomorrow?"

The kit shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. That's all I really can do."

"You're more than welcome to come over if you want," Jack said, suddenly feeling self-conscious, like he was intruding. Angelo looked at him silently, his eyes searching Jack's. "Yeah, come on over to my place," the older fox confirmed. "We can grab dinner and watch a movie or something." With the storm coming and the deliveries done for the day, Angelo could look forward to 20 or more hours alone in Victor's apartment otherwise.

Angelo held his gaze for a few moments, then looked away. "I dunno..." he said.

Jack could read the loneliness in Angelo's face as he spoke, but didn't want to force the issue. At the same time, though, he wanted to leave the door as open as possible for the kit so _he_would not feel like he was intruding on Jack. Outside the car, the rain fell heavier.

"Well," Jack said cheerfully, you can come by any time you want. I ain't gonna pull any funny stuff," he added, partly for humor value, but partly to assuage any concerns the kit may have had. Jack hoped that Angelo knew him well enough by now to not have to say that, but given the number of creeps and shady characters he dealt with on a daily basis, Jack felt it still should be said, for the record.

Angelo chuckled at that comment, but still did not look back at Jack. "Yeah, I know," he said. Then after a pause, "I dunno, maybe..."

Jack turned the car into the apartment's parking lot and pulled into Victor's parking spot, so Angelo would not have to walk far in the rain. "Here we go, curbside delivery!" Jack said, sounding like a commercial.

Angelo smiled as he gathered the bag up and opened the car door slightly. He looked at Jack for a few seconds without speaking, then finally with a small smile, he quietly said, "Thanks Jack."

Jack smiled at the young kit, who looked back happily for a few more seconds, before turning and stepping out of the car. He looked back with a mock expression of shock as the raindrops hit him, then made a bit of a show of frantically running up to his door and unlocking it. Now under the safety of the awning, he turned back to Jack with a grin and waved, before disappearing into his apartment.

Jack returned the kit's wave until the door closed behind him, then he sadly dropped his paw back to the wheel. With a sigh he backed the car out of Victor's spot and guided the car to his own apartment, and made his own dash to the door through the rain.

---

Hours later, Jack sat on his couch idly flicking through the television channels. The rain had gotten much heavier during the afternoon, but was now easing off somewhat. This was only a temporary respite, the forecasters had said on the news - the main body of the storm was just to the west, and would hit the area with renewed vigor soon, and would remain so overnight.

Jack had made preparations for the possibility of losing power in the storm: he had candles and flashlights at the ready, and had turned both his refrigerator and his air-conditioner to their coldest settings, to at least keep things reasonably cool over a prolonged outage.

The clock on the TV's guide page showed it nearing 8:00. The teenage fox had not yet had dinner, as he was holding out hope than Angelo might take him up on his offer. Once the storm picked back up in earnest, he told himself, he would give up and find something to eat. Until then, he sat staring at the TV, not really paying attention to what was on, his mind wandering.

A brisk knocking at his door roused Jack from his reverie. He nearly sprinted to the door and opened it rapidly. A brown-colored avian stood on the stoop, and recoiled slightly at the speed with which the door opened. He wore a red and green uniform and carried a large vinyl bag emblazoned with the logo of the pizza shop around the corner - the same one Jack had applied at in June when he was desperate for money.

"Evening," the bird said, opening the bag and easing out a large pizza box. "Here we are."

Jack looked at him confusedly. "Umm..." he began, then saw over the bird's shoulder that Angelo was hurrying across the parking lot, jacket pulled over his head in the rain, and a large plastic bag in one paw. "One second," Jack told the bird as Angelo drew nearer. The avian noticed Jack looking over his shoulder and turned towards the parking lot quickly, as if he expected to be jumped.

"Hey Rog," Angelo said, "I got this."

"Oh, hey Angelo," the avian said. "It's $14.72."

Angelo handed him a folded bill. "Here you go, keep the change of course."

"Thanks bud!" the bird said, handing the pizza box to Jack before dashing back to his car to avoid getting more wet.

Angelo was now on the stoop outside Jack's door. "Shall we?" he said, indicating Jack's door.

The older fox smiled happily at his friend. "Absolutely," Jack said, stepping back into his apartment with the pizza so the kit could enter with his own bundle.

Angelo followed Jack inside and shut the door with a footpaw and looked around. The apartment was furnished like a college student's dorm room, and for good reason. Jack's parents had given him several pieces of their old furniture, as an excuse to buy themselves new replacements.

As such, he had a reasonably comfortable couch, a rather beat-up coffee table, and a pair of mismatched end-tables which had come from different rooms back in his parents' house, but in the confined space of the apartment they now were forced to exist together.

Jack placed the pizza box on the coffee table, centered with respect to the couch. He indicated the table to the younger fox, who set his bag down on it. The unmistakable sound of aluminum cans told Jack that the kit had brought the beverages.

"Take off your coat and stay a while!" Jack said, indicating the kit's denim jacket. Angelo smiled self-consciously and removed his wet jacket. Jack noticed that the knife the boy carried was still in its sheath in the jacket. "Won't need that here, I swear!" Jack said, indicating the knife.

"I know," Angelo said with a smile as he shook off the jacket and laid it down on the carpet to dry. "Just.... force of habit, y'know?" He wagged his tail vigorously to shake the water off of it, his back to the door so as not to get water on Jack's carpet or furniture.

Jack sat down at one end of the couch. "Mmmm, smells good!" he said as the pizza's scent permeated the apartment's air.

"Carnivore Special," said Angelo with a grin as he walked to the couch and sat down at the opposite end from Jack. Food service shops had to cater to all kinds of furs, including avians and reptilians, and even Insectoids, so the available menus tended to be very large. The Carnivore Special would likely be heavily meat based. There would be similar recipes for Herbivores, Omnivores, and even Insectivores.

"Nice," Jack said, reaching over to open the pizza box. A puff of steam accompanied the box opening, as Jack regarded the food within.

"Yep!" said Angelo, leaning forward to grab a slice as soon as the box was open. Despite the pizza's smell wafting up, Jack noticed a familiar scent on the kit's breath as their muzzles came close.

"Ummm," Jack began, indicating the bag of cans that Angelo had brought. "What do we have to drink?"

The kit just smiled and upended the bag on the coffee table. Cans of beer rolled around the surface, some falling off onto the carpet. "Ta-Da!" he said with a smile.

Jack's ears drooped. "Ange..." he said plaintively, "You shouldn't be drinking beer at your age."

Angelo shrugged. "Well," he said, grabbing a slice of pizza. Sitting back, he added, "I shouldn't be selling pot at schools either! But there we are."

Jack cocked his head slightly, not sure how to respond to this candor. "Well... touche!" was all he could think to say.

Angelo laughed out loud at this. "I like you, Jack!" he said with a smile when he stopped laughing. He reached for a beer can and popped the top as he spoke, though.

Jack smiled to himself. "I like you too, Angelo," he said, eliciting a happy smile from his friend. "But you really shouldn't be drinking beer at your age."

Angelo sat back in the couch, a beer can in one paw and a slice of pizza in the other. "Come on," he said, still friendly, "you can't tell me that after today you don't want one too!"

"Maybe," Jack said, partly agreeing with the point. Only partly, though. "But I'm still not going to have any. I made a promise," he said, trying not to sound preachy.

The grey-furred kit shrugged again. "That's cool," he said. "Vic doesn't care, though." He took a sip from his can and chomped on his pizza slice.

"_Exactly,"_Jack thought to himself. That statement alone spoke volumes to the older fox. Angelo had not made the connection beyond the most literal level, apparently. Victor _doesn't_care...

"Well, Angelo," Jack said gently, leaning forward on the couch. Angelo stopped in mid chew and looked at Jack. He seemed slightly taken off-guard by the older fox's tone. "I... do care. About you." Angelo resumed chewing, eyes still locked on Jack's. "So... please don't... drink anymore?" He made sure to have his tone come across as a request and not a demand.

Angelo continued chewing slowly, his eyes searching Jack's face. He swallowed his mouthful and instinctively began to raise his paw with the beer can in it, before stopping abruptly. The little fox looked at the can wistfully for a second, then back to his older friend. "Ok, Jack," he said, with an almost happy tone. "After this one, no more. Promise!"

Jack smiled broadly. "Fair enough," he said. The smile that came in return made the red fox feel even better; he felt like he had made his point on multiple levels, and they were all received. Jack reached over and grabbed a slice of the pizza, then stood up. "I got plenty of root beer," he said cheerfully as he walked to his refrigerator to retrieve some.

He placed a few cans by the pizza box as he returned, then sat back in his spot at the end of the sofa. "So, what do you want to watch?" he asked, reaching for the TV remote and un-muting the audio.

"Beats me," Angelo replied. "I don't really watch TV. Vic never connected his. So I don't know what's even on these days." He looked towards the screen. The current program was a documentary on The Educational Channel about the inner-workings of modern naval vessels. "This looks kinda' interesting," he commented.

"Yeah, I like this channel," Jack said. He sat back in the couch, a slice of pizza in his paw, half-watching the TV as he ate. For a few minutes the two foxes sat watching in silence. Several more slices were consumed as the program drew to a close. Angelo had finished his beer and opened a root beer can with much bravado, as if he wanted to make sure Jack knew he was doing it. The older fox for his part applauded, eliciting another happy laugh from the kit.

"So Angelo," Jack said as a commercial came on the TV. "Can I ask you something?"

Angelo cocked his head slightly for a second. "You can always ask, sure!" he replied with a mischievous smile. His speech was slightly slurred, Jack noticed, obviously from the beer he'd imbibed both here and before coming over.

Jack smiled lightly back. He wasn't sure how to broach this subject comfortably, and felt a little like he was taking advantage of the kit's current state. "You're Angelo..." he said, immediately realizing how dumb it sounded.

Angelo spread his arms and looked them over, then down at his chest. "Yyy......yep!" he said, looking back up to Jack with a grin.

Jack chuckled for a second before continuing. "Ummm... Angelo Who?" he said nonchalantly, hoping his voice did not betray his unease.

The little fox's demeanor changed instantly, though. He dropped his arms back down to his side, and his smile quickly faded to a more serious countenance. His eyes searched Jack's again for a moment, then he raised his root beer can to his muzzle and took a sip. "Why you wanna know that?" he asked softly, looking now at the top of the can which was still to his lips.

"I mean..." Jack began, the younger fox's reaction not helping to quell his nervousness. "I mean, we've been friends now for a while, and..." he cleared his throat, "and, I realized that I still don't know. That's all."

Angelo looked back up to Jack. "Well... it's 'Morrison', right?" he said plainly. If he was joking now, he didn't let on any.

"Seriously?" Jack shot back instantly, sarcasm evident in his voice. "You'd really want... _his_name?" He had not meant to be so blunt about it, but his response was purely instinct at that moment.

Angelo seemed to ponder that for a second, then his face brightened again. "Ok, I can be Angelo Jackson! Get it? 'Jack's Son'? Heh heh?" He chuckled with exaggerated nervousness, like he'd told a bad joke, but his face had an air of expectancy to it.

"That could be nice," Jack said pleasantly. A million scenarios flashed through his mind in an instant, but he dismissed them. _Not now,_he thought. "But seriously though," he said, letting the sentence hang in the air.

The kit sat back in his seat across from Jack again. He took a deep breath before speaking. "You want to try to find... her... don't you?" he asked, again softly. It was more of a statement than a question.

Jack sat up in his seat. Was it that obvious?"No... no!" he protested. "It's just that..." he trailed off as Angelo let loose a thoroughly amused stream of giggles, which completely derailed Jack's train of thought. "Wha... what?" he asked.

Angelo smiled at him and just wiggled his black-edged ears for a few seconds, the earrings in his left one tinkling as he did. Jack took mental inventory of his own ears: they were flat against his head, pointed rearwards. With an embarrassed laugh, he reached up and touched one, prompting another giggle from his little friend.

Jack just sat back in his seat. He was caught; there was nothing he could really say about it. He sipped from his drink can and looked back at Angelo sheepishly. The young kit was still watching him with a curious smile.

"Don't you... sort of want to find her, though?" Jack asked, since the subject had been broached. "Just a little?"

Angelo sneered slightly at this. "Why?" he asked bitterly. "Why would I possibly want to ever see her again?"

"Well," Jack began, trying to maintain a calm and friendly tone. The last thing he wanted was to sour the mood. "Wouldn't you want to ask her... 'Why'?"

"Why?" the boy replied. "She didn't want me, Jack! 'Why' doesn't matter anymore!"

"I dunno," Jack said, still keeping his voice even and calm, "There might have been reasons for..."

"She didn't want me!" the kit said, cutting Jack off. He now spoke a little louder than before. "My so-called father never wanted me since the day he knocked her up! Then years later, _she_decided he was right! And NOW it looks like fucking Vic doesn't want me either!" Anger was beginning to creep into his voice now.

Jack looked into the kit's blue eyes as they stared back at him. "Ange, look," he said sadly, "I'm sorry. Sorry that I brought it up. Let's just... forget about it, ok?"

Angelo stared at the older fox for a few seconds, then looked down at his soda can and set it on the table. "I gotta pee," he declared flatly.

"You know where it is," Jack responded, pointing towards the hallway behind them. The little fox got up and disappeared down the hall.

When Jack heard the door close, he gritted his teeth and smacked himself in the head with a paw. "The fuck are you doing?" he muttered to himself angrily. The kit was correct that Jack wanted to look for Angelo's mother, which Jack still felt was the right thing to do. He did not want to get into an argument over it, though, on what was supposed to be a fun evening.

A minute or so later, the bathroom door opened and Angelo returned to the couch. Jack watched him silently and was dismayed that the kit did not look at him as he sat back down, but kept his gaze on the TV.

"Ange," Jack said, almost plaintively. "I'm sorry, bud. Really." He smiled as his young friend finally made eye contact, the kit returning the smile with a smile of his own and a nod.

"It's s'ok Jack," Angelo finally said, his speech slurring slightly, then reached for the half-slice of pizza he had placed in the box. After swallowing it down, he continued. "Maybe... someday I'll try to find her. Maybe even someday soon. Just... not now, y'know?" Any anger was gone from his voice, and he seemed happy to talk about it again.

Jack nodded. "Fair enough," he said sadly.

"Besides," Angelo picked back up, "That was my First Life, anyway. I'm in my Second now, so my name is whatever I want it to be. I don't really even exist. Archer maybe!" he said happily, but with lines of thought clearly overlapping now.

"Second one, eh?" Jack said conversationally.

"Yep!" came the enthusiastic reply. "I came into the first one with nothing, naked and crying in the hospital, right? Well, same with the second one after... _she_left me there. Hospital. Just a paper gown-thing on, and all my stuff gone. Cry... crying my eyes out," he said, either getting choked up on the last part, or stumbling on his words due to the beer.

"Gone?" Jack asked.

"Yup," the kit replied, softer now. "Cops took everything in the place... for evis... evidence." Angelo furrowed his brow. "Ev-i-dence," he pronounced slowly, then grinned at Jack.

"You're drunk!" Jack said teasingly.

"I'm... good," the young fox replied happily. He picked up the empty beer can and wiggled it. "Last one, remember?"

Jack nodded and grabbed another can of root beer. Pizza always made him thirsty, and the two vulpes had torn through much of this one. Angelo had turned his gaze back towards the TV. A new program had come on - this one dealing with the construction of skyscrapers in the early 20thcentury.

After a few minutes of watching the program, Angelo said, out of the blue, "You don't like Vic, do you?"

Jack, who had been only half-watching the program, was caught off-guard. He thought for a moment how to respond as Angelo watched him expectantly. Finally he said, "I really don't know. I'm trying to figure him out, but he keeps... doing things that screw that up, you know?"

Angelo nodded with a half-smile. "Yeah," he said. "Things like yesterday, right?"

"Exactly," Jack replied. "I don't know what the heck he's up to. I mean, he seems like an ok guy, for the most part. I wish he wouldn't be such a dick to you, though."

The little grey-furred fox smiled at this. "He's not _that_bad. I guess. I don't..." he trailed off for a second, then resumed. "I dunno. I keep trying... to..." He shrugged with a smile. "I guess maybe I still don't got him figured out either!"

Jack nodded, with a reassuring smile. He kept thinking of what Angelo had said, likely unintentionally, about feeling that Victor no longer wanted him around. The ferret's abrupt change in attitude was probably the cause for those feelings, he thought, combined with today's nerve-wracking delivery, of course.

"So what _did_you think was going to happen today?" Jack asked his young friend.

Angelo smiled an embarrassed little smile. "Well," he began slowly, "you know how Vic was acting yesterday, right?" Jack nodded. "Talking like I wasn't even there, and talking to you about the stuff that he usually gives to me...then giving us that gang delivery to do. Well, I... thought he was going to get the gang to... kill me." He looked at Jack matter-of-factly.

"What..." Jack said, shocked. He knew there was something bothering Angelo during the delivery, but assumed that the kit was concealing some of the danger, so as not to panic or concern the older fox. That he was expecting to die the whole time had not entered into Jack's thoughts.

Even as he spoke now, though, Angelo seemed indifferent to that possibility, at least outwardly. "Like I said, sometimes I think too much!" the kit said with a smile.

"But why would Victor do that?" Jack asked.

"I guess he wouldn't, right?" Angelo replied, still smiling. "But it kinda made sense to me, laying there in the dark all night. Vic's got you now, so maybe he doesn't need me."

"But I'm not..." Jack began, but Angelo raised a paw to stop him.

"I'm just saying... that's what I was thinking last night. Suddenly he's giving you all the instructions and orders. If he wanted to get rid of me, the easy way for him to do it is to deliver this giant bag of pot to the gang, with a note inside: 'Kill the kid, let the other one go, you keep the pot as payment'. They kill me, you haul tail out of there and tell Vic... he pretends to be sad about it... you two go on from there." Angelo's voice began to quiver slightly as he concluded.

"Holy shit, Ange" Jack said, wanting to hug the boy and never let him go back to Victor.

"Didn't happen though," the kit said calmly. "Just my stupid mind running away with me."

"Do you think Victor would even think of something like that?"

Angelo shrugged. "He always did say that the only way out once you're working for him, is..." He made a finger gun-to-the-head gesture. "Pow! I dunno if that's true, but I sure know enough to put him away for a long time. So if he ever wanted to get rid of me..."

"All right," Jack interrupted, "Like you said, that didn't happen. So no point in thinking about everything else that might not ever happen."

"Yeah," came the reply, now with a hint of sadness. "I probably will anyway, though. I think about all that kind of stuff at night... what happened that day, what's going on tomorrow... Planning it all out, and thinking about what might go wrong so I can head it off. Usually takes me a couple hours to fall asleep 'cause I'm thinking too much." He shrugged.

The TV suddenly flicked off and the lights dimmed for a couple of seconds, then returned to normal. Outside, the wind was blowing harder than before, and the rain was coming down with more intensity, both elements clearly audible in the apartment in the absence of the television's audio. The two foxes looked upwards as the rain could be heard pounding down on the roof.

"You... think you should go home?" Jack asked.

"Nah, I like hanging out here," the boy replied with a smile. "Besides, there's still half a pizza left!"

Jack smiled. "Ok but it's only going to get worse. Not supposed to stop 'till morning."

"It's only water!" Angelo said cheerfully. Jack nodded and used the remote to switch the television back on. The pair watched in silence for a few minutes more. At the next commercial break, Angelo got up to use the restroom again.

"So..." Jack said when he returned, by way of starting a conversation while the commercials were still on, "you lost all your stuff, huh?"

"Yeah," the little fox confirmed. "Never really had much anyway, so it's not like I lost a whole lot." He shrugged with a smile, not seeming to mind discussing this.

"Anything you do miss?" Jack asked. "A toy or... anything?"

The grey-furred kit seemed to almost blush, a slight grin crossing his face. "Well," he started, slowly, then more normally, "I did have a penguin."

"A penguin?" Jack asked, surprised.

"Plush penguin, silly!" came the reply with a grin. "He was about so high," Angelo said, holding his paws about a foot apart vertically. "He had like a cargo vest on, with a bunch of pockets... So I called him..." he seemed to blush again, then with an embarrassed smile, "I called him... Pockets."

Jack grinned. "That's adorable!" he said teasingly, though only halfway so in his own mind.

"Hey!" the kit said, taking the chunk of pizza crust he had been nibbling on and tossing at the older fox, who tried to duck as the bread hit him in the side of the muzzle. Angelo giggled playfully.

"Easy now," Jack said, picking the piece of crust off of his lap where it had bounced. "I'm just saying!"

"Yeah, yeah," Angelo said with mock dismissiveness, turning his attention back to the TV which had returned to the program. "That's pup shit anyway," he said after a moment.

Jack sat, only half watching the TV. He was thinking about Victor again, and how Angelo seemed to instinctively know how the older fox felt about the ferret; Jack hoped he was not giving off any vibes that Victor himself might pick up on. As he sat thinking, he absently nibbled on the pizza crust Angelo had thrown at him, which was cold and still slightly damp from where the kit had been doing the same.

Outside the rain came down heavier with each passing moment, and the wind was driving it relentlessly against the windows and roof of the apartment.

---

After a few more TV shows had come and gone, accompanied by several more momentary power hits, Jack rose from the couch and declared that he was going to go to bed.

Angelo got up as well. "Yeah, I guess I should go home too," he said.

Jack carried the pizza to the refrigerator, still in the box. It was mostly gone, but enough for a snack tomorrow. "This was fun," he said, hoping the boy felt the same.

"Definitely!" came the answer, cheerfully. Angelo went towards the door and picked his jacket up, shaking it out as he did. "Now for the mad dash across the parking lot!" he said, putting the jacket on.

"It's only water!" Jack said, echoing the kit's own words from earlier. Angelo smiled and nodded as Jack came to the door to see him off.

The wind nearly blew the door into his face as he opened it. Outside, the rain was falling in torrents, blasted by the wind into a 45-degree angle of water and wind-blown mist. The light-post at the edge of the parking lot was just a glow behind the rain. Indeed, Jack could not even see his car from the doorway.

"Yeah..." Angelo said slowly, his upper lip curled up slightly in an expression of trepidation. He made a hesitant move to step out onto the doorstep, but stopped himself still inside the apartment and looked up at Jack, as if asking what he should do.

"Wow," Jack said, impressed by the severity of the storm. He looked down into Angelo's expectant blue eyes, then took a step back and closed the door again. "So what do you want to do?" he asked the boy.

Angelo clutched his jacket closed in front of him. "I... I dunno, what..." he said hesitantly.

"I mean," Jack continued, "you're perfectly welcome to stay here tonight if you want. The couch is plenty comfy!"

Angelo nodded, looking back at the couch. "You... don't mind?" he asked.

"Not at all, I told you that you're always welcome here!" Jack declared, prompting an appreciative smile from his young friend. "What if Victor calls, though?" Jack asked him.

"Pfft," the younger fox said sarcastically, as he removed his jacket once again and set it down in its previous spot by the door. "He won't. He never does."

"Figures," Jack said instinctively, as he went to the couch and swept leftover pizza crumbs from the cushions. "Here we go, fit for a king!"

"If I see one, I'll be sure to tell him," said Angelo cheerfully. He sat down in the center of the couch and lightly bounced on the cushion. "Got a pillow, or a blanket or something?"

Jack stood up abruptly. "Oh shit!" he said, then looking down at his young charge, "No... I haven't brought any extra blankets over yet! Just the ones on my bed... crap!" He walked quickly towards the hallway, then turned back, his mind searching for alternatives. "Maybe... maybe I could..."

Angelo held a paw up. "It's cool, Jack. I don't really need em."

"I could turn the air conditioner to warmer, maybe..." Jack suggested, now feeling bad about this situation.

"Nah, don't do that, I like it cold!" Angelo replied.

"Yeah, but you also usually have those giant comforters!" Jack protested.

"Don't worry, Jack," Angelo said, insistently. "I'll just..."

"Towels!" Jack interrupted. "I do have a couple spare towels!" He turned and dashed to the bathroom closet. Retrieving what few towels he had, he returned to the living room to one amused little grey-furred fox.

"Thanks," said the kit with a chuckle.

Jack paused, now realizing how manic he must appear. Allowing himself a laugh, he placed the towels on the cushion next to Angelo. "Sorry," he said with a smile. "You're my first house-guest, and it ain't starting off too well!"

"I'll be fine," the young fox insisted. "Thanks!"

Jack nodded. "Ok," he said standing back up. "Well, you know where everything is." Angelo nodded. "If you need anything, I'm right in there," he said, pointing down the hallway.

"Good night, Jack," said Angelo with a pleasant smile.

Jack resisted the urge to fuzzle the kit's headfur. "Good night to you too!" he simply replied, then with a wave, turned down the hallway to his bedroom, to give the kit privacy to undress as much as he might want.

Entering his bedroom, Jack left the door open a ways instead of fully closing it as was his custom. He turned off the light and went to his bed to undress, leaving his clothes by the side of the bed in case he needed to venture out of his room in the night, for whatever reason.

The red fox sat on his bed in just his boxers. The light from the living room still shone through the opening in the bedroom door. After a minute or two more, it flicked off. Jack lay down on his bed and pulled his covers over himself with a silent sight. He felt guilty doing that while outside, Angelo had only a couple of thin towels to cover himself.

Jack knew that the alternatives were to send the kit home in the storm, where Jack could not even see him make it to his apartment safely, or to offer the kit a place in his bed, which he was afraid would send the wrong message to the boy. Jack's sister would often sneak into his bed when he lived back at home, so it was no big deal to the older fox, but he didn't want to risk crossing a line with Angelo, intentionally or otherwise.

He laid his head back on his pillow and listened to the music of the rain whipping against the building until he fell asleep.

---

In the morning, Jack awoke to the sun brightly lighting the blinds in his window. The storm had by now completely departed the area. The red fox blinked his eyes a few times then looked over at his clock radio. It was blinking 12:00 - the power had gone out during the night for some length of time. He slowly sat up in bed, realizing that he didn't know what time it was, other than "morning".

He reached over to the radio and turned it on, hitting the preset button for the news-talk channel, which gave the time every few minutes. The DJs were discussing the storm and reading off lists of areas with power still out, then segued into road hazards such as downed trees and power lines. Finally they announced the time as they broke for commercial: 7:27.

Not bad, Jack thought. His alarm was set for 7am, so he woke up naturally after a slight overage. He re-set his clock and grabbed his clothes from where they lay at the side of the bed and hastily dressed. They were yesterday's clothes, but would suffice until he saw Angelo off and could shower.

Jack walked into his living room to wake the young fox. Angelo was curled up in a tight ball on the couch. He was fully clothed, and had even put his jacket on, followed by the few towels that Jack could provide. Jack frowned - the boy was obviously too cold in the night, and this knowledge didn't sit well with the older fox.

"Hey buddy," Jack said gently, hoping to rouse the kit. When he got no response, he repeated it slightly louder. Still nothing. "Angelo," Jack half-sung, and poked him in the shoulder softly. The little fox's eyes snapped open at the contact, then he blinked and took a deep breath, long and slow.

"Hey Jack," Angelo said tiredly, looking up at his host. He began to slowly uncurl and stretch.

"Good morning!" Jack said. Then after a pause, "Were you cold last night?"

"Meh," Angelo replied. "I'm ok, don't worry." He was fully uncurled and laying flat on the couch now.

"I'm sorry bud," Jack said sadly. "Next time I'll make sure to be better stocked."

"Mmm," the young fox simply intoned as he sat up and scratched the back of his head. He stopped, then looked at Jack quizzically for a moment. "Next time?" he asked.

"Sure," Jack said, "If you want a "next time," that is..."

"Yeah," Angelo replied with a smile. "I had fun, even with the storm!"

"Well ok then," the red fox declared.

Angelo rubbed his eyes and scratched his cheek-fluff as he sat on the couch. "So," he began slowly, "I guess... I should go, huh?"

"You can hang out if you'd like," Jack said, though he needed to use the bathroom, and wanted a shower as well. "Want to go get some breakfast?" he suggested.

"Yeah, that sounds good!" Angelo replied enthusiastically. "Lemme go home and... clean up and stuff, then we can go, ok?"

"Perfect!" Jack said, walking to the door as Angelo rose from the couch and again stretched.

Jack opened the door and surveyed the scene. Small chunks of tree were everywhere: tiny sections of branch, with three or four leaves each, dotted the parking lot. Larger chunks of branch were occasionally seen, especially near the trees themselves. There didn't seem to be any truly big limbs down though, and no real damage to any of the buildings they could see.

"Wow," Angelo said, arriving at Jack's side. "Good storm we had!" Jack just nodded, still looking over the storm's leftovers. "See you in a bit Jack!" he said cheerfully.

"Ok, be careful out there," Jack said, instinctively patting the kit's shoulder, which Angelo didn't react to, "It's probably really slippery with all those wet leaves."

"I will!" he replied, and started down the walkway, turning back to wave cheerfully. Jack waved back with a genuine smile, then shut the door.

---

"He said yes!" Victor exclaimed, grabbing both of Jack's shoulders and shaking them.

"Congratulations," Jack said sarcastically, "When's the wedding?" Victor laughed out loud and slapped one of the fox's shoulders.

"Ha! You know what I mean!" Victor said cheerfully, and threw some mock shadow-boxing punches Jack's way.

Jack and Angelo had gone for breakfast as planned following their storm-induced sleepover, then on a whim went to one of the local electronics stores to have a look at mobile phones - Jack figured he could afford one of his own now. The one he had used in high school was under his parents name and, like most else had been terminated upon his moving out, though he still had his old phone number on reserve. He ended up not buying anything for now, though.

Their impromptu visit to the store then turned into a longer visit, as they looked over laptops, video game consoles, and assorted other items in the store. When they finally returned to the apartment, it was closing in on noon. The pair were in the process of walking around the apartment complex, looking over the storm's aftermath in more detail when they saw Victor's car pull up.

He clearly saw the two foxes as well, and briefly stopped the car, before continuing down to his parking space. With a silent exchange of looks, Jack and Angelo both decided that they should stop what they were doing and meet up with the ferret.

Victor had opened his front door and placed his suitcase inside by the time the foxes made it back to the apartment. With the door still open, he practically bounded down the walkway when he saw them, before grabbing the teen's shoulders excitedly and making his pronouncement.

"This is it, Jack! This is where it all turns around," Victor continued.

"Hi Vic," Angelo said, deliberately and dryly, obviously pointing out that the ferret had not even acknowledged the younger fox's presence yet.

"Angelo," Victor said with a happy nod to the little fox. Then putting one arm around each, said "My two favorite people. We're going places, gents!"

"So I assume this is about..." Jack started to say. Victor stopped him with a raised finger.

"Ah-ah... not here," he cautioned. Jack nodded. "Tonight!" Victor declared.

"Tonight?" Jack asked.

"Dinner, on me," Victor replied, arms still around both foxes. "In there, unfortunately," he said, with a nod towards the apartment, "Gotta be able to talk, you know? You like Italian?"

"Yeah, sure," the red fox responded.

"Great, I know the best place. You come by around 7:00, when you see my car. Take the rest of the day off - got nothing due that can't wait a day now! Bad enough you have a 7am delivery tomorrow... so take a day for yourself!" He let go of the two vulpes, then balled his fists up in front of him and shook them with a wide grin. Jack thought he looked very much like a small cub who has been promised a trip to his favorite vacation spot.

"I'll be there," Jack replied with a slight smile of amusement.

"See you then," the ferret replied, then turned abruptly towards the apartment again, and with a nod to Angelo, started towards his door without a glance back. As they walked, Jack heard Victor say to the little fox, "Everything go good with yesterday?"

Jack didn't hear the younger fox's reply as they walked, but assumed he was updating Victor on the delivery. He was slightly surprised that Victor did not bring it up right away, given the amount of money involved. Similarly, Jack noticed that despite his initial ignoring of Angelo's presence, that Victor then chose to ask him about the delivery and not Jack.

As the fox and ferret disappeared behind their door, Jack turned towards his own abode, shaking his head with a chuckle. Just when he thought he might have Victor figured, the ferret flips the tables on him again.

---

Jack sat on his couch with his laptop, idly browsing various Internet sites, waiting for 7:00 to come. He was glad to have been given the day off, especially with an early morning to follow, but was still anxious regarding Victor's forthcoming announcement. Something inside told him that he was probably not going to like it.

With ten minutes to go to 7:00, he heard a car horn beep twice from outside. He got up and went to the window. Pulling the curtain aside, he saw Victor and Angelo standing by Victor's car, unloading several plastic bags from the back seat. _Dinner is served,_he thought to himself, then grabbed his keys and went outside to meet them.

As he reached Victor's car, Angelo came back out of the apartment to retrieve the remaining bags. Victor had not skimped on the dinner order - there had to have been at least 5 full bags.

"Hey, Jack," Angelo said cheerfully. "Only one left, I got it." He ducked into the back seat of the car and emerged with the bag. Jack noticed an enticing smell wafting from it as he closed the car door behind the kit.

"Smells good," Jack said, following Angelo up the walkway to the apartment.

"Yeah, I love this place," came the enthusiastic reply.

Inside, Victor had pulled the round table that usually occupied the corner of the room into the center, pushing aside the few remaining boxes and sliding the couch back a ways. Three places were set, evenly spaced around it.

Victor was in the kitchen, unloading the food bags onto the counter. Angelo brought the last bag around to him, then stood next to the ferret as he opened the containers. Jack noticed that he also had a glass of wine on the counter that he had nearly emptied already.

"Jack, welcome to Casa Morrison!" Victor said from the kitchen. "Grab a seat, we'll be right with you." Then, in a lower voice to Angelo, he said, "Take this... and this."

Jack sat in one of the chairs. Victor had tried for an elegant appearance despite the spartan surroundings. His place was set with full silverware service, water and wine glasses, and a cloth napkin.

Angelo came out from the kitchen with a bread basket in one paw and a pasta bowl in the other. He placed them in the center of the table then sat down in his own spot and smiled to Jack. Victor came out a moment later with a water pitcher and a gallon jug of wine, nearly half empty. He placed them down in the center of the table as well.

"Dig in, I'm not gonna serve you!" Victor said with a grin, then went immediately for the wine bottle and filled his own glass. "Jack?" he asked, holding the bottle out to the fox.

"No, thanks," Jack said, feeling slightly self-conscious that he had to decline his host's first offer. "I don't really drink." Even if he did, he thought, he had to get up early tomorrow for another delivery apparently, so would not risk imbibing much.

Victor seemed to take it in stride, however. "Suit yourself," he said, then reached over and put the bottle down next to Angelo. "More for us," he said.

Angelo looked to Jack, who met his glance for a second then looked away, reaching for the bread basket. "I'll... I'll pass, Vic," the little fox said.

"Bullshit," Victor said cheerfully, and grabbing the bottle, filled Angelo's wine glass, spilling more than a few splashes as he did so. He then returned to the kitchen to retrieve more of the meal. With a slightly guilty expression, Angelo again looked at Jack, who merely shrugged.

Victor quickly returned to the table with several steaming bowls and a large platter of what looked to be chicken Parmesan. Jack's mouth immediately started to water in earnest as Victor placed them on the table then took his seat.

"A toast!" Victor exclaimed, raising his wine glass. "To the next level of my humble operation!"

Jack raised his water glass, and after a slight hesitation, Angelo raised his wine glass. The three clinked the glasses together over the center of the table then drank. Jack was pleased to see that Angelo raised his glass to his muzzle, but did not appear to actually drink from it.

Victor handed Jack the large serving fork. "Go for it," he told the fox.

Jack was more than happy to oblige, and went straight for the chicken parm platter. "So," he said while serving himself, "what is this big deal that you've been working on?"

"Ehh," Victor intoned, "I don't want to jinx it just yet, but let's just say that soon you won't be delivering cigars anymore. We'll be moving up to something a bit more profitable." He took a long drink from his wine glass then re-filled it.

Jack laughed. "So you're not going to tell me yet?" He handed the serving fork to Angelo.

Victor laughed as well. "I will, I will," he said, "Just... I want to wait 'till I have product in-paw. You never know when shit's going to go wrong, y'know?" After a slight pause, he laughed again.

Victor had clearly started into the wine well before Jack arrived, the fox reckoned. Which probably meant he had driven to the restaurant, with Angelo in the car, if not actually drunk then surely under the influence.

"So far, the deal is a go, though," Victor continued as he loaded his plate. "Cost me damn near all I got, but it'll be worth it."

"Ok," Jack said, "so when _will_this deal actually happen then?"

"A fair question!" Victor said loudly, gesturing with his wine glass and again splashing a bit on the table. "I need to get all the cash converted into something a little more... portable. That cash from yesterday, I mean. Traveling with a sack full of bills tends to raise suspicion! Probably take me a few days for that, so I don't get stuck with all that government reporting shit."

Jack furrowed his brow at that cryptic response. He figured it was a reference to money-laundering, but briefly wondered why that would even be necessary - it all came from a gang, so would already be untraceable.

"Don't worry, Jacky," Victor said, clearly noticing the concerned look that had crossed the fox's face, "Just leave it to me, right? Besides, that's not the whole reason for this little soiree."

"Oh yeah?" Jack asked, ignoring the hated over-familiarization of his name, which he attributed to the wine.

"Nope," Victor said, looking to Jack, then to Angelo who now looked slightly confused, then back to Jack. "I said I was taking my enterprise to the next level. The new product line is only part of that - it's time to make other things official too." He paused dramatically. Angelo looked to Jack with an uneasy expression.

"Jack." Victor declared. "You've done a hell of a job as my driver. Shit, that stunt with the train should have been enough to prove that! So: I want you... now... to be my official business partner!" He finished with a flourish of his hand as if he was announcing a winner on a game show, then took a bite of the chicken.

The silence in the room was palpable. Victor sat back and sipped from his wine glass, as if letting his offer sink in. Jack looked the ferret in the eyes for a few seconds, then to Angelo, whose eyes were looking from Jack to Victor, and back. The look on the kit's face now was unmistakable: betrayal.

Jack sat back as well, his mind racing. He couldn't look at Angelo after seeing the boy's expression. "Victor, I... wow," he said, hoping to buy some time.

"I know, it's something, right?" Victor said.

"Yeah..." Jack said. "But..." he began, not sure how to say it, "Don't you... already _have_a partner?"

Victor looked genuinely confused at this. "Huh?" he asked, then realizing, "Oh, him?" he said, indicating Angelo. That he didn't use the kit's name was most telling to Jack. "Well, uh..." the ferret stammered. "I mean, he does good work for me and all, but... you're my field agent, right?" he said, turning to Angelo. "You're my fox-on-the-scene... you go where I can't, right?"

"Yeah, sure Vic..." Angelo said flatly.

"Yeah," Victor echoed. "You're more like the legs of my operation, you know?" If he was trying to sound encouraging, it wasn't working, Jack thought. Victor continued, "I need a _real_partner. Another brain next to mine to go through all the higher-level stuff!"

"Yeah," Angelo said, much quieter now, and the room again fell silent.

After a few seconds, Jack spoke up. "So, what would this job have me doing?" he asked. "You're still going to need a driver, right?"

"Well... true," Victor said, as if he'd not thought it through completely. "Yeah, you'd still be doing the driving," he said, then hurriedly added, "for now!"

Jack nodded slowly, chewing his food. He glanced to Angelo, but the kit was staring at the platter on the table, his face now expressionless.

"But," Victor continued, "after those deliveries, instead of going home for the day, we'd get together and make plans, you know? Think about all kinds of new ways to make money, new things we can do, new markets to delve into!"

"Vic!" Angelo exclaimed, sounding exasperated. "I've had lots of ideas for making money! But you don't want to hear them!"

"What, your little beer smuggling scheme?" Victor said, the enthusiasm in his voice giving way to irritation. "That's small-time crap. I mean_real_money-making ideas."

"That's pure profit and you know it!" Angelo shot back immediately.

"Yeah, for you!" Victor said, anger creeping into his voice. Jack was surprised at how quickly the ferret's attitude was changing before his eyes. "I buy the shit, and you keep all the money!" He looked to Jack as he continued, "That's a hell of a deal he's got going, huh?"

"Come on, Vic," the grey-furred fox continued, apparently unwilling to give in on this point. "It costs what, ten bucks to fill one up? And I get fifty back for it? Even if you kept it all, that's still pretty good money!"

"Pfft, that's still small-time shit," Victor retorted. Both furs' voices were getting louder as they sparred. "Don't waste my time unless you have some _real_ideas!"

"I got tons of ideas, but you won't listen!" Angelo said angrily, then calming slightly, continued, "Now, take the summer sports camps: hundreds of furs, and it's hot as hell, right? Well, I figure we can..."

"ENOUGH!" Victor shouted and slammed a fist down on the table, knocking his wine glass over and causing everyone's silverware to jump. Jack nearly jumped as well at this sudden outburst. Angelo immediately fell silent.

Victor held both palms out at shoulder level and closed his eyes, as if trying to regain his composure. The room stayed silent, with only the trickle of spilled wine from the table to the carpet audible. After a brief second, he opened his eyes and calmly righted his glass. He threw his napkin roughly onto the spilled wine.

"All right," he said, his voice calmer, but with anger still apparent. "You want to talk about how _you_can make me money? Ok, we'll talk about it. Let's see: I can get five hundred bucks from one guy for recording you in the bathroom. How's that for a start? Then I've got offers for your tail-hole... I'll let you try to figure out from who. Some want it for an hour, some for all night. I can get ten grand for that! Of course, they probably aren't going to want you to just walk away afterwards, so there's that."

"Victor..." Jack said, trying to calm the ferret. He was stunned by this turn. Granted, he did know of one customer that Angelo had already said wanted nude pictures of him, so that would hardly be surprising to the kit. For Victor to come out and say it so bluntly, though...

"What? We're just talking here, right?" Victor said to Jack, then turned his gaze back to the smaller fox, his voice slowly rising in both volume and venom. "Of course, if you want to make me some real money, there's the sentient-trafficking rings in New York - the Russian's talked about them. I could probably get fifty... maybe seventy-five grand for you at your age. Then little Ash can spend the rest of his life as a fuck toy for horny foreign businessmen, and permanently drugged when not having your tail-hole reamed out!

"Until you're not cute enough anymore, of course" the ferret went on, his voice quieting down some, but more filled with spite and cruelty than ever. "Then... a bullet to the head, a splash in the ocean, and nobody on Earth will know you ever existed." He spoke this last sentence slowly, with an icy tone, staring straight into the little kit's blue eyes.

Angelo did not look away, and his face showed little emotion, which seemed to annoy Victor. He reached over and picked up the wine bottle and refilled his glass. Then taking a long draw from it, he calmly said, "So... do you _still_want to talk about ways you can make me money? Or do you want to shut the fuck up and let me run the business?" He stared back intently at Angelo as he said this.

Angelo, his jaw tight, continued to hold Victor's gaze for a moment until it became obvious that the ferret was not going to break it first, at which time the young fox gave in and looked down at his plate.

With a smirk, Victor simply said, "Good," and sat back in his chair sipping his wine. The room fell silent again for a half-minute, after which Victor calmly picked up his silverware and resumed eating. "So... where was I?" he said after a couple of mouthfuls.

Jack made a non-committal gesture, and looked at Angelo. The little fox was still staring at his plate, both arms at his side under the table.

"Your job," Victor said, reminding himself where he had left off. "The way I see it, you can give me feedback from the customers, how they're liking the products, how fast it's selling, that kind of thing. You know supply-and-demand?"

Jack just nodded, watching the ferret closely now. The fox no longer felt like eating, but forced himself to do so. For now, he figured, he had to at least play along with Victor until he could figure out what to do.

"Good," Victor continued. "So you'd use that to make the call: is the stuff selling too fast, so we should jack the price up? Ha-ha, get it? 'Jack' the price up? Anyway: or is it not moving so we should cut the price or move to a better area? And that's only part of what I have in mind for you! In addition..."

Victor went on, but Jack was only half-listening now. He kept glancing to his young friend who was absently picking at his food with a fork. He'd only had time for a bite or two before Victor exploded on him, and had now clearly lost his appetite as well.

After a couple more minutes, and during a pause in Victor's monologue, Angelo abruptly pushed back his chair. "I'm gonna go read," he said flatly, then got up from the table and turned towards the hall.

"Hey!" Victor called out, "Put your shit away."

Angelo turned back and grabbed his plate roughly and carried it towards the kitchen. Jack could see that his jaw was clenched again, though he displayed no other outward emotion. Having put his plate away, he went immediately to his room, without a further glance towards the table. Jack heard his door close - neither an angry slam nor a meek click.

Victor silently watched Angelo the whole time, with a smug smirk on his face, until the kit disappeared down the hall. He then returned his attention to his plate, and ate in silence again for a minute or two.

"So Jack," the ferret said after a few more mouthfuls and yet another wine refill, "I've been doing all the talking here. You gotta have questions... concerns? Hit me with 'em!"

Jack forced himself to swallow the food he'd been chewing, trying to maintain a detached demeanor. "Well, sure I do, Victor," he said. "It is kind of hard to have an opinion, though, 'till I know what this Mystery Product is going to be."

"A fair point," Victor conceded, "and I don't need an answer from you today. For now we'll keep things as they are, until we get ramped up on the new line. Give me a week, tops. Sound good?"

"Sounds good," Jack replied, hoping he sounded more enthusiastic than he felt.

"Good," Victor said. "What else is on your mind?"

"Well," the fox started, slowly. He might as well say it, he figured. "Was all that really necessary?"

"Was what?" Victor answered, through a mouthful of food.

This apparent lack of empathy now annoyed Jack. "Was... that!" he said, indicating Angelo's vacant chair.

"Oh him, pfft," Victor replied. "Don't worry about that. He's been coming up with crackpot ideas for a while now. Trying to worm his way into my affairs. He just needs to be reminded of his place every once in a while."

"His place..." Jack repeated.

"Yeah, he's just the delivery boy. Nothing more," said Victor. "Keeps forgetting that fact. He also forgets the fact that I basically made him, and I can just as easily replace him."

"That's kind of cold, don't you think?" Jack asked, still maintaining a neutral tone, one of an outsider trying to understand, and not to judge.

"Cold, but true," Victor said. "There's plenty more where he came from: homeless pups who'd kill for the life I've given Angelo. Doing what you're told is a small price to pay. Ungrateful, if you ask me." He seemed to ruminate for a moment, then said, "Next time I'll be sure to get a stupid one."

Jack had to chuckle at that backhanded compliment. "Still," he said, "don't you think that was rather harsh to talk to a kit like that?"

"He knows me," Victor replied with a faint hint of annoyance, "He should have known better than to start on that again. Look, Jack, it's good that you two get along. Makes the job go easier than with someone you can't stand, right? But take my advice: don't get too attached."

"Oh?" Jack asked. This was leading somewhere, he thought.

"Yeah," Victor said, his gaze a little unsteady from the wine. "Why do you think I'm using an orphan who dropped out of the system? I mean, he's an ok kit and all, but if the shit hits the fan... if it really comes down to it... he is expendable."

Jack stared at Victor, trying to mask what he was feeling. This now explained a great deal about Victor, and his relationship with the little grey-furred fox. He now knew that he had to get the kit away from this ferret, any way possible. Until he could figure a way to do so, though, he had to stay on Victor's good side.

"What about me?" Jack asked, now playing along with the ferret. "Am I expendable too?"

Victor smiled broadly at this. "You? Nah," he said with a laugh. "Nope, you're going to be my partner. We'll keep the expendable ones doing the dirty work while we reap the rewards, don't you worry."

Jack nodded. "Well, for now though, don't you think you should ease up on the kid? You don't want him feeling like he's not welcome around here, right?" If he could get Victor to lighten up, at least Angelo might have a better time while he was stuck here, Jack reckoned.

Victor stared at Jack for a few seconds, then bellowed over his shoulder, "Angelo!" Jack heard Angelo's door open, and a few seconds later the kit emerged from the hallway. He was shirtless, and carried a book in one paw, closed over one finger.

"Yeah Vic?" Angelo asked, eyes darting between Jack and Victor.

Victor turned around in his chair to face the kit. "Listen, all that stuff earlier... just forget about all that, yeah? You and me... we built this place from nothing, right? I move up, you move up. So don't worry about any of that. Ok?"

"Yeah, sure Vic," Angelo said, sounding slightly confused.

"Ok then," Victor said with a slight smile and an almost dismissive nod then turned back around. Angelo nodded back, then looked to Jack as he began to turn back towards the hallway. The kit's confused look evaporated in that split second, and his eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly as he looked at the older fox. Then he was gone back down the hall.

Victor smiled and shot a glance to Jack, as if saying "Well?"

"You're a saint," Jack said dryly, wondering what that look on Angelo's face meant.

The ferret laughed at Jack's comment, then seemed to study his face. After a moment, he said, "I like you Jack. I knew you were going to work out the day I met you."

"Well thanks," Jack said evasively, wondering where this was going now.

"You know, I don't like banks," Victor said, which caught Jack completely off-guard. "When you deal in as much cash as I do, they tend to get all... report-y on me. Government, I mean. Government doesn't like too much unreported cash flowing in and out. So I keep clear of them, and don't use cash."

"Don't use... then what do you use?" Jack asked, now genuinely curious.

Victor smiled and rose from the table. Jack made a move to get up, but Victor held up a paw for him to stay, then went to the kitchen and opened a lower cabinet. He returned to the table and set down a can of kitchen cleanser powder. The can thudded heavily on the table.

Jack looked at the can, then at Victor who was grinning. "I don't get it," Jack said.

"Pick it up," Victor said. Jack did and found the can was deceptively heavy. "Gold," Victor said, sitting back down. "Gold coins. I buy them at coin shops soon as I have enough for one. No reporting!"

"Gold," Jack said, impressed, as he hefted the can and examined it. It had a locking mechanism on the bottom, and was clearly a covert safe of some sort, disguised as a can of common cleaning product.

"Yep," Victor confirmed. "I can carry fifty grand in a can that size, and it's perfectly legit. Anyone finds it, I can say I'm taking it to a bank to open a safety deposit box... or going to a dealer to sell my dear grandmothers coin collection. You get caught with fifty G's cash in your pocket, and you're going to be talking with all sorts of cops, feds, customs, whatever."

"So," Jack said, connecting the dots from a comment made earlier, "When you said you had to convert that bag of cash into something more portable..."

"I gotta visit some coin stores, exactly!" Victor said proudly.

"And you're telling me this, because..." Jack said, placing the can back down.

"I'm going to be paying the Russian in gold. I'll have a few grand in cash left in my room. And this," Victor said, indicating the can, "is the rest of my money. I want you to keep it safe for me."

Jack's eyes went wide at this. "Keep it safe?"

"Yeah," Victor replied. "Just stash it under your sink and forget about it. That way, if I ever get raided, or whatever, I'll have some cash stashed somewhere else."

"Wow," Jack said, "How much is in here?"

"Never mind that," the ferret responded. "I know how much, and that's all that matters. Just... stash it away, and forget about it. Deal?"

"Deal," the fox replied. "I appreciate your trust." He reached for the can again, and Victor's paw slammed down on his.

"Just... don't try to fuck me," Victor said coldly, his gaze shaky. "That can is mine. If I go away for twenty years, it had better fucking be waiting for me when I come back. As long as both of us are breathing on this Earth... you remember that it's mine."

Jack met Victor's gaze. "I can promise you that, Victor, don't you worry."

Victor stared at the fox for a few seconds, then his expression softened into a grin again. "I like you, Jack!" He patted the paw that he had covered, then released it and sat back down. "We're going to go far, my boy!"

Jack sat back and sipped from his water glass. Victor started into another monologue about the great things that were coming for them, and began to digress into his thoughts about the Russian's operation and how he felt it could be improved.

But Jack was barely listening now. He was trying to digest all that had happened this evening, and all that had come to light. He was worried about Angelo after the altercation with Victor, and the look he had shot Jack which now seemed almost accusatory to the older fox.

If there could be said to be a positive that came out of the dinner, it was that Jack no longer had any doubt how he felt about Victor.

He hated him.

Part 5

The next morning was Sunday. Even though he had set his alarm for 5:30am, due to having a 7am scheduled delivery, Jack still awoke automatically just after 5am. Indeed, "awoke" was probably a generous term: his sleep had been fitful and restless as he replayed the events of the previous evening over and over in his mind, and this carried through into the morning hours. He finally gave up trying to stay asleep as 5:00 ticked over on the clock, and got up to prepare himself for what was coming.

Jack dressed quickly and went out to his car to pull it around to Angelo's apartment. He was still angry at Victor's treatment of Angelo at dinner, and wanted to make sure the kit was ok. As he pulled his car up to the parking spot in front of the apartment, but before he could even shut the motor off, the door opened and Angelo walked out, carrying his backpack as always. Jack got out of the car to open the trunk.

"Hey.... are you ok?" Jack asked the grey-furred fox kit as he came around to deposit the morning's deliveries into the trunk. Angelo looked him in the eyes and smiled faintly.

"Yeah, sure," he replied, tossing the bag inside. Jack shut the lid. Angelo lingered for a moment at the rear of the vehicle. "Hey, can we go to Burger Joint and get some food first?" he asked, quieter than before.

"Sure buddy, anything you want," said Jack reassuringly. Following the dinner scene last night, he figured the kit probably did not eat anything afterwards. They got in the car and drove out of the complex.

The ride was silent for several minutes. Jack desperately wanted to bring up the previous evening's incident but wasn't sure how to start. Angelo, for his part, looked over at Jack more than once and seemed to be about to say something, before looking back down at his feet as if in resignation. The silence was palpable.

Finally it was Angelo who broke it. Still looking at his feet, with his voice barely above a whisper he said "Vic......". Jack looked over. The eleven-year-old looked up and met his gaze. Louder this time, he continued. "Vic..... Vic doesn't care about me...... at all..... does he?" Jack looked away, back to the road ahead.

"Well," he began, knowing what he wanted to say, but still not quite sure just how to say it. "It's like he said, right? You're kind of the legs of his organization, and he relies on you to get the stuff delivered? I mean he'd be pretty screwed without you, you know?" This was not where Jack wanted to go with this, and he certainly did not want to spew the same drivel that Victor had dished out.

"Yeah" replied the fox kit, looking out the side window momentarily. He then looked back at Jack until the older fox again met his eyes. "That's not what I asked though."

Jack again looked away, unable to look him in the eyes. For a good half minute he said nothing, until he finally replied, his own voice now barely above a whisper. "No..... no he doesn't," he said, looking back into Angelo's blue eyes.

Angelo just nodded and looked back to the floor. "I did a lot of thinking last night," he said. "I don't think he ever really did. I shoulda' seen it before now, I s'pose. I guess..." He took a deep breath. "I guess I figured that if I stayed with him long enough and did my thing.... you know, the "loyal soldier" bit he talked about... that maybe, someday, he might actually..." He trailed off.

Jack put his paw on the small fox's knee, and happily noted that the boy didn't instinctively recoil as he often did. "Ange," he began, "I've known that guy for only, what, a few weeks now? From what I've seen of him, I don't think he cares about anybody but himself. I don't think he could ever could."

Angelo put both paws down on top of Jack's and squeezed. "Yeah that's what I figured too." He looked back up to Jack. "So... why do you?" he asked.

"Why do I?" repeated Jack, taken off-guard by the question.

"Yeah," replied the little fox, the flash of a playful grin now crossing his face. "Is it my tail-hole?" he asked, wiggling his behind in the seat a little. "Vic said there's quite a demand for it, after all!"

Jack laughed and gave Angelo a friendly shove on the shoulder. "Pssshhh, cut that out!" he said. Angelo smiled warmly back.

The car pulled off the main road into a strip-mall, the kind that dotted this part of town. Among the rows of stores not yet open were several fast-food restaurants, strangely busy for the early hour on a Sunday. The teen fox saw some cars had but a single occupant, while others were packed with families apparently getting an early start on whatever vacation they were beginning.

Jack steered the car into the drive-through line. When it was their turn, he ordered some breakfast sandwiches and drinks for the two of them, and pulled the car around to a parking space to eat. He shut the car off, and the two dug into their breakfasts.

After a half a sausage biscuit, Jack, who had also been mentally chewing on the last part of their conversation, broke the silence. He didn't want to take Angelo back to that dark area, but felt it was important for him to hear it.

"Seriously though, about... that," he began. Angelo's head turned slowly and regarded Jack, his mouth full of biscuit and momentarily frozen half open, an eyebrow cocked questioningly. Jack immediately realized how his comment must have sounded. "NO NO NO!" he said with a laugh, "I don't mean that!"

Angelo laughed around his mouthful of food as he tried to swallow it down. Finally when his mouth was empty, he said with a giggle, "Ummm, ok?"

Jack continued, with a more somber tone, "Seriously though, that was the most fucked up thing I've ever heard someone say", said Jack, referring to Victor's threats.

"Yeah, well..." Angelo replied with a shrug, the smile gone from his face as well. "Not the first time he's said it, actually. I mean, it was first time he said it like that, but he said stuff like that a couple times before. Usually when he was drunk. You know... 'Damn I should sell that ass' one time when I was coming out of the shower... that kinda thing. I never thought, though, that he really..." He trailed off again. Jack thought he detected a quiver in the boy's voice. "I guess I really am alone," he said, his voice barely a whisper.

"You're NOT alone," Jack said emphatically, fuzzling the young fox's headfur, then dropping his hand to the kit's shoulder. The little fox put his paw on top of the older fox's, and smiled a faint smile. "You're _my_little brother now, and I'll never let any of that that happen." Jack hadn't intended to use the word; he just said it automatically. It did reflect exactly how he felt, though. "And I don't care who I'd have to kill," Jack continued.

Angelo smiled tightly with a nod, his jaw quivering a bit, his ears down. "Jack..." he said quietly, the tremor now plainly noticeable in his voice. Jack looked back at his blue eyes, shining like two diamonds in a storm of grey face-fur. "Can I... have..." he continued, before his voice cracked with emotion. He moved one arm slightly toward Jack as he spoke, before letting it fall to the seat.

Jack reached his arm out around Angelo's shoulder and pulled the little fox over, tight up against his side, and wrapped his other arm around him. It was a slightly awkward position for a hug, Jack thought, but it would do. He knew now that nobody had hugged this boy in a very long time.

Angelo threw his arms around Jack and buried his muzzle in the older fox's side. For a moment it was quiet, then he began to cry, softly at first, then louder as he squeezed Jack tightly, holding on as if for dear life. He had dropped the last of his defenses, Jack noted, and allowed himself to be helpless and vulnerable, if only for a scant few seconds. The trust implicit in such an action was not lost on him.

Jack held his embrace and let the kit release some of the emotion that he had forced himself to keep bottled up inside for who-knows-how-long. He gently nuzzled the black headfur with his muzzle as the boy cried, Jack's own tears now welling up in his eyes, silently resolving to never let that trust be lost.

After a minute or so, the grey-furred fox's weeping moderated to subdued sobs and sniffles. He was still trembling slightly in Jack's arms, but looked up into the older fox's face, his eyes now reddened, the fur around them matted and wet. "I..." he began, but didn't continue.

Jack brushed the wet fur around the kit's eyes with a finger. He didn't say anything either, but just smiled and nodded back reassuringly. The small fox smiled back and laid his head against Jack's shoulder, taking deep breaths to help banish the last of his sobs.

Angelo finally broke the embrace after another minute. "I guess we should get going, huh," he said with a sniffle, as well as a smile.

"No rush," replied Jack, "You still have a whole other biscuit to get through!"

"Oh yeah," said Angelo with a subdued laugh, "Forgot all about it." He tore open the remaining sandwich and took a huge exaggerated chomp out of it, as if trying to lighten the mood in the car. Jack chuckled as he sucked on the straw in his drink. He had only gotten one biscuit for himself, not being as hungry as he knew Angelo was.

Jack started the car back up as Angelo made short work of his remaining breakfast. "So, where are we going so early," he asked as he backed the car out of the parking space.

Angelo pulled a scrap of paper out of his jacket pocket. "Only two today, both wanted early-early delivery. First, we are going to Harrison High School. Back behind the visitors' bleachers in the stadium. There's a neighborhood street right behind it where we can park, that's off the actual grounds." He looked at the instructions on the paper for a few more seconds, frowning.

"Right-o," Jack replied, steering the car in the appropriate direction. Angelo seemed to have fully recovered himself and was looking all-business again. There was still much to be said, Jack knew, but that could wait. Most of it anyway; there was still one thing from the previous evening's incident with Victor that had the older fox genuinely curious. He had meant to bring it up before Angelo's catharsis had put a damper on small-talk. Perhaps now that he was back to himself again, Jack reckoned, that this would be a good way to pass the time, as Harrison was a good fifteen minutes away.

"So Ange," he began, "I got a question for you, if you don't mind."

"It's not about..." said the little fox, looking down at his lap, then back up to Jack with a wicked grin.

"NO, you knucklehead!" Jack replied with a laugh, which Angelo echoed. He gave the small fox another tussle to his headfur. "Last night at dinner," he continued, "Victor called you Ash?"

"Ah yes," replied the grey-furred kit, looking out the front window with a slight smile that seemed to Jack to be almost embarrassment. "I didn't think you caught that. Yeah he did."

"What was that about," inquired Jack. "Is it because of your fur color, or..."

"Nah," the kit replied. "Ash is sort of a baby name I used to have." He smiled and looked back at Jack again. "Victor calls me Ash when he wants to remind me that he's the one in charge, and is the only thing keeping me out of an orphanage," Angelo continued, his smile fading. "Soon as he's not pissed at me, he calls me Angelo again."

"Wow, what a jerk," was all Jack could think to say, though it seemed to also be the most appropriate.

Angelo giggled at that. "Yeah, I was just thinking that too!" Then after a moment's pause, he continued. "You're right about the name though. Ash is because of my fur. My parents were both red like you, but I came out grey... like ashes. Something to do with DNA and genes... that sort of thing. I read about it once."

"Or it means that Mrs. Angelo was, you know... fooling around!" Jack said with a sly grin, teasing the little fox.

"Ha!" laughed Angelo, "You laugh, but my father thought the same thing! He was there when I was born, and soon as I popped out all grey, he just stormed out of the delivery room. He refused to bring me home from the hospital, or even officially name me. Since they had to call me something, the nurses put "Ash" on the little bracelet thing that pups wear, and it kinda' stuck."

Jack nodded with a smile as Angelo continued. "They finally had to run tests to prove to him that he was my real dad before he agreed to name me, or "let me" have his last name," he said, emphasizing the sarcasm on the last part. Another short pause. "He was a jerk too. I'm glad I never really knew him," Angelo said, without a trace of sadness.

"Oh, and get this," Angelo continued, now more animated, "He wanted to name me Bruno! Or Rocky!" He laughed aloud as he said this. "He thought that because of my grey fur, that I'd get picked on, so he wanted to give me a tough name, but my mom wouldn't agree to Bruno! They finally settled on Angelo: there was some boxer my dad knew called Angelo, and my mom agreed because it..." he paused for a second, as if he didn't intend to go down this road now, "because it has... 'angel' in it."

The car fell silent for a minute, before Angelo quietly said, "Cole."

"Huh, what, you're cold?" Jack asked, not hearing the kit correctly.

"Cole," Angelo said louder, pointing at himself with his thumb. "Angelo Cole." He smiled slightly as he shared another secret about himself.

Jack grinned and extended a paw. "Jack Archer, pleased to meet you!"

Angelo shook the offered paw vigorously with a happy smile. Then as the paw-shake and his smile both faded, he said, "Jack... Please promise me you won't try to find... her. At least not till I'm ready."

Jack made eye contact with the kit, but did not answer.

"_Please_Jack? Promise," Angelo entreated. "Someday, yes, but... not now. Ok?"

The red fox smiled back at the grey-furred kit. Jack had wanted to find out his full name precisely so that he _could_search out the boy's mother. But Angelo had just demonstrated another layer of trust in Jack, by revealing his name first, and only then asking for the eighteen-year-old to not to look for her.

Jack still felt that finding the kit's mother was the best possible outcome for this whole situation, and something in the back of his head was telling him that things were going to come to a boil with Victor sooner than later. Nevertheless, Angelo was trusting him, and that was enough for now.

"Ok bud," he said, patting the kit's knee again, "I promise I won't try to find her 'till you're ready."

Angelo smiled back, and seemed about to say something, then just nodded and looked back out the window, as the car fell silent again.

They were still a few minutes from the high school. From past deliveries made with his backpack, Jack knew that this was likely a drug sale. He looked over at the young fox staring out the side window. He shouldn't even know what drugs are at this age, Jack thought sadly.

As if noticing Jack's gaze, Angelo looked back over at him, his face showing a tinge of sadness. "Jack..." he began. Jack nodded with a slight smile as Angelo went on. "I never actually killed anyone. Really. That's just a story people tell. There's a lot of those: Vic said that if I pumped up the stories about me, then furs would be less likely to try anything." He closed his eyes and put his head back against the seat. "I only ever held a gun once, and that was at Vic's place. Not even loaded. Its all just bullshit... bullshit stories about a made-up punk."

Jack smiled and patted the fox's knee. "Glad to hear that," he said. "You know, the more I get to know you, the more I kinda knew that was the case. You're not a killer, Ange." The kit smiled, his eyes still closed. "What about all that other stuff," Jack inquired, "Other fights, and Victor punch-training you, and all that?"

"Yeah, that's all real," the fox kit replied, opening his eyes again. "I kinda wish it wasn't sometimes, but it is. Maybe its good I guess: I probably would have been killed by now if I didn't know how to fight. Maybe someday... I won't need it and can just forget it all." Jack just nodded sadly. Suddenly Angelo sat up straight in his seat. "Which reminds me," he said, "You got your knife with you?"

Jack reached back to his waistband and felt the hunting knife concealed in his belt loops. "Yep, got 'er right here," he replied.

Angelo nodded and opened the left flap of his jacket, revealing his knife in its scabbard, sewn into the inside pocket. "We may need them for this one. This guy already tried to rip me off once before. Busted my lip open bad, but then ran away when I laughed and jumped at him. I guess Vic is good for something," he said with a chuckle, thinking on that point. "He was sure right about how to mess with people's minds at least!

"So anyway," the little fox continued, "this guy deals dope around the school. I supply him... well, Vic does I guess, and he breaks it up into joints or whatever for his customers. Today we got five hundred bucks worth. He's on thin ice after last time, so who knows what he might try."

"Thin ice after punching you across the face? Seems like that would be a one-strike kind of thing," said Jack incredulously.

"Vic wants the money," replied the kit frankly. He didn't need to say anything more than that.

"Right..." said Jack.

"Like always," Angelo concluded, "hang back and keep your eyes open. One hand on the knife might be good too. Even if you don't pull it, it will _look like_you're ready to, and that might be all it takes to stop him from trying anything. Head games, you know?"

---

Jack pulled the car up against the curb and shut it off. They were in a side-street on the other side of a tall hedgerow from the Harrison High School bleachers. Jack had circled the area twice to make sure everything looked normal. The bleachers and field were deserted, as was the street where they now parked. Quite normal for a Sunday morning when school was out for the summer.

Angelo grabbed his backpack from the trunk of the car, and led Jack though a sparse area of growth in the hedge and onto the school grounds. The rear of the visitors' bleachers faced them across a patch of open grass. A morning haze hung in the air, obscuring the school beyond the bleachers. As they drew closer, they could see the silhouettes of two or three people leaning up against the truss-work that supported the stands. Their posture and demeanor suggested they had not yet seen the two foxes.

"This way," Angelo said, tugging Jack's arm, leading him not towards the bleachers, but parallel to them. "Lets swing around so we come up behind 'em," he said, tapping his temple with a finger and a wink.

The furs under the bleachers were soon obscured from view by the truss-work, and the pair of vulpes then turned back towards them, following the edge of the structure. When they approached the last girders that kept them hidden, they stopped. Angelo looked Jack in the eye for a moment, then nodded. Jack nodded back and Angelo stepped out from behind the girder into the grass, now in full view of the previously shadowed figures.

There were indeed three of them: two male tigers and a lizard. The lizard appeared to be around sixteen years old, and the tigers, who seemed to be brothers, maybe sixteen and fourteen. Two were leaning back against the girders with their backs to the approaching foxes, but one of the tigers was leaning against the opposite beam, and saw the young grey-furred fox step out of the shadows. He clicked his tongue to his compatriots, then nodded in Angelo's direction.

The lizard turned around and called out to Angelo good-naturedly, "Hey, there he is!" The two tigers stayed behind him, but spread out from where they were standing. Jack made sure to make eye contact with each of them, to let them know he was watching. They each met his stare unflinchingly, and just nodded back at him.

"Hiya Gazz," Angelo called back with a smile. They were about twenty feet apart at this point, slowly walking towards each other as they continued their banter.

"So.... got it all, yeah?" asked the lizard known as Gazz.

Angelo patted the backpack strap on his shoulder. "Yep, all here, as requested." The two tigers moved closer until they were standing on either side of the lizard.

"I see you brought a friend," said Gazz pleasantly, motioning to Jack.

"I see you brought two," replied Angelo, the friendliness gone from his voice, but not sounding hostile or challenging either.

"Yeah," Gazz replied with a laugh. They were now five feet apart. The older tiger took up position to Gazz's right. Jack, who was his normal two paces behind Angelo, took in the scene. The small fox looked even smaller standing in front of the three high-schoolers. The tigers kept inching away from the lizard and moving forward, as if slowly trying to surround the kit.

Jack was getting an uneasy feeling about the situation. He had done a couple of these kinds of deliveries now, but the behavior of those three set his senses on edge. Ears cocked fully forward, he abandoned his background position and moved up just behind Angelo, and to his left, matching the position the larger tiger was taking. His right hand was behind his back, firmly gripping the knife handle, but trying to maintain a look of being at ease.

With his free hand, Jack motioned the tiger to move back towards Gazz. _At least he knows that I see what he's trying,_the fox thought. The tiger showed both his hands and nodded in response, moving back next to the lizard. The two groups stared at each other briefly.

"So, we gonna do this or what?" Angelo said, with his tone still emotionless. "Its five hundred for the stuff."

"Five hundred," the lizard replied quietly, then turned to each of his tiger companions in turn and took a step forward. "Yeah, well the thing is this," he began.

Angelo nonchalantly crossed his arms, his prearranged signal to Jack that he expected trouble. In addition to being a convenient signal, it also allowed his right hand to surreptitiously slip into his jacket and grasp the hilt of his knife, while at the same time leaving the backpack's straps wound tightly around his folded arms.

"There a problem Gazz?" he asked innocently, though his eyes were darting from tiger to lizard, to tiger, and back. Jack picked up the crossed-arms signal and he too was now watching their every move.

"Well ya see, school is out for the summer, right," the lizard continued. "Well that's where my money all comes from. Summer's a slow time, you know that."

"So you don't want the stuff then?" Angelo said. It was as much a statement as a question.

"Oh, I want it all right," Gazz replied with a laugh.

In a flash the older tiger lashed out and grabbed the strap of the backpack and pulled it, trying to free it from Angelo's folded arm. Gazz then lunged forward and grabbed the lapels of Angelo's jacket with his left hand. With his right he swung a hooking punch that caught the young fox squarely on the side of his muzzle. The blow staggered the boy, and the backpack was pulled from his arms as they uncrossed.

As this happened, Angelo pulled the knife from his jacket and swung it in a slashing arc towards the lizard, who still had the fox's jacket in his grasp. The lizard's shirt split in a foot-long gash as the knife passed over his chest. It was not a very deep cut, but it quickly began to bleed nonetheless. Gazz howled and released the small fox.

The suddenness of the attack caught Jack off guard. Nevertheless, he quickly ascertained what was happening, and pulling his own knife, launched himself at the tiger who had ripped the backpack free. It was a take-down worthy of a professional fighter. The tiger ended up on his back, still clutching the pack, with Jack straddling his chest, the knife point to his throat, barely touching it, but poking into the fur enough for the tiger to have no doubts as to where it was. Jack looked for the younger tiger, and saw him backing well away from the fray, his arms outstretched as if to show he was not a threat.

Gazz stumbled back several steps, clutching his chest and looking down at it with wide eyes. As his paws became wet with his own blood, he looked back up at Angelo who was standing in a half-crouch in front of him, the knife clearly displayed and pointing at him. The young fox smiled evilly, a growing splotch of red tainting the grey fur on the side of his face. With his free hand made a "come here" gesture to Gazz. The lizard took another step back, his face full of confused fear, and shock over his wound.

Angelo, never breaking eye-contact, took an aggressive step forward. Gazz nearly tripped over his own feet trying to back up and turn around at the same time. Once he got his footing, he took off in a staggering run across the field towards the school, clutching his wounded chest with both hands. The younger tiger followed him for a distance, then stopped and looked back to where his brother was still pinned.

"The bag," growled the grey-furred kit to Jack, still watching Gazz's retreat. Jack ripped the bag from the tiger's grasp with his free paw, the knife still poised to deliver a killing blow. The tiger was frozen staring up at Jack, and did not resist. Angelo walked over and made a head motion for Jack to get up. The tiger remained on the ground whimpering, stunned and terrified, looking at the 2 vulpes.

Angelo worked his fingers open and closed around the handle of his knife a couple of times, staring down at the frightened feline. "On your feet!" he finally said, slowly and commandingly, his voice still an angry growl.

The tiger was visibly shaking as he struggled to get to his feet. "I'm sorry... I'm s... sorry about all this," he stammered. The younger tiger was still watching from halfway across the field.

The grey-furred fox stared at the trembling cat for a few seconds as the tiger's eyes darted between the two foxes and the knives they both held. The kit then said softly, "Get lost." His voice was no longer the growl it had been with Gazz, and contained a hint of sadness.

The tiger stumbled backwards and muttered something that sounded like "thanks", then ran off towards the younger tiger on rather shaky legs. The two tigers then followed in the direction that Gazz went, into the mist towards the school, and were quickly out of sight.

Angelo looked to Jack, and nodded grimly. The bleachers were once again deserted and it was eerily quiet. "I think we should get out of here. Fast," Angelo said. Jack nodded, slung the pack over his shoulder, and the two foxes ran back towards the hedgerow fence, Angelo pressing the back of his hand against the bloody spot on his muzzle to try and stem the bleeding.

When they reached the fence, Angelo pulled Jack to a stop. "Ok, act normal from here out," he said, returning his knife to his jacket pocket. "Nothing strange going on at all."

The two emerged from the other side of the hedges and calmly walked back to the car. If anyone had been there to observe, it would have seemed like they had just gone up to the school for an early morning round of basketball, and were now headed home. Jack opened the trunk and deposited the backpack within, then got into the car and started it up. Angelo got in on his side and closed the door.

"You ok?" Jack immediately asked, noting that the blood on the side of Angelo's muzzle was now fairly well spread out from his rubbing it. It probably looked worse than it was, Jack reckoned, which would not have been hard in this case as it looked pretty nasty.

"Drive," came the reply quickly, "Get away from here, but don't look suspicious. Don't go that way either." He indicated back towards the school.

"Gotcha," Jack said. He understood the urgency: Either Gazz was going to come back to the bleachers, with more friends, a weapon, or even just a car to try and run them down, or he or one of the tigers was going to call an ambulance for the lizard's wounds. Either way, Jack reckoned, they wanted to be long gone before then. "_Are_you ok though?" he asked again gently, as he put the car in gear and drove away from the school.

"Yeah," Angelo said with a smile, "Just a cut, I've had worse." When the car was clear of the residential area, he pulled the car's sun visor down and regarded his muzzle in the vanity mirror, spreading the fur around the wound for a better look.

"Here use these," said Jack, offering some napkins from their breakfast. The kit took them, but just held them in his hand as he put his head back against the seat and closed his eyes, taking several deep breaths.

"DAMMIT!" he shouted after a moment's silence.

The outburst startled Jack, though at this point the adrenaline from the encounter was wearing off, and his hands were already starting to shake somewhat. This was the first time he had ever been in such a physical altercation that didn't involve sports, and certainly not one that involved weapons and bloodshed. "I hear ya, buddy," was all he could think to say, as his mind raced, replaying the scene at the bleachers over and over, and how it could have gone differently very easily.

Angelo heard the shakiness in Jack's voice and looked over. "How are _you_doing?" he asked.

"I'm ok... I guess," he replied. "Just... never done something like that before."

"How ya feel?" inquired the smaller fox.

"I kinda feel... like I'm gonna puke," Jack replied honestly.

Angelo nodded and patted Jack's arm. "Yeah, that'll pass in a minute. The rush is wearing off." He put his head back against the headrest again, and took a few more deep breaths, now holding a napkin to his bloodied face, his eyes closed.

Jack followed his example, and took several deep breaths as well, which seemed to help. One thought was crystallizing in his mind as he continued to replay the encounter, however: he did not want to do this for a living.

They drove on in silence for a while, still heading well out of their way to get clear of the high school area. When they finally reached a main highway, Jack got on it in the direction of home.

---

Despite the bad turn at the high school, there was still one more delivery to be made on the morning run. This one was easy though, as it was a cash payment to a nearby nightclub owner to whom Victor had apparently lost a bet.

When they arrived at the nightclub, there were some employees outside smoking, probably still there from Saturday night. Jack pulled around to the service entrance where some cars were parked, as that would be the only door open at that hour.

Jack shut the car off, opened his door, and started to get out. Angelo just sat there dabbing at his muzzle wound with a napkin dipped in melted ice from their morning drinks. He looked over to Jack.

"C'mon buddy," Jack said, "This is a quickie, right?"

The grey-furred kit looked down at the floor again. "Can you do this one?" he asked softly, "I just wanna..."

Jack sat back in the seat. "Yeah sure, no problem."

Angelo smiled and handed Jack a sealed envelope. "Just ask for Sam and tell him its from Vic Morrison. Make sure he says that they're squared up now. Don't give it to anyone else." Jack patted the young fox's shoulder and got out of the car, making sure to lock it behind him.

The payoff went smoothly. The club owner, Sam, was happy to get his money, and agreed that he and Victor were all settled up. Jack was back at the car in minutes. "Home, Jeeves," said Angelo, still with eyes closed. Jack laughed and drove out of the club's parking lot.

"How you doing, Ange?" Jack asked, when they were back on the highway.

The little fox took one long deep breath and let it out. Then, quietly yet nervously, he said, "I cut Gazz pretty bad, huh."

"Well, it wasn't that bad really. He'll need some stitches but he'll be ok." Jack looked over at Angelo, who was staring straight ahead. "Besides, he attacked you first. You didn't go in there _wanting_to cut him," Jack reasoned.

"I know," said Angelo. "But there's something else that's... bugging me." He looked over to Jack, uneasiness creeping into his expression. Jack noticed this and took the kit's paw in support.

"That tiger," the cub continued, "For a second there... I really _wanted_to carve him up. I wanted to rip a gash in that face so he'd... remember." A look of anguish now crossed his face. "He was lying there... helpless and scared... and he didn't even _do_anything! But after I saw that cut on Gazz... I just wanted to get that tiger too..." He tightened his jaw and closed his eyes, the anguished expression fading.

Jack squeezed the small paw. "It just was the rush, like you said. Adrenaline rush from getting attacked like that."

"Maybe," the kit replied softly.

"No maybes," said Jack. "I told you already, you're not a killer. You're a good kid. You're just caught up in a bad situation, and its forcing you to do things you don't want to. Things you _have_to do in order to survive, but things you'd _never_do if you didn't have to, right?" He looked into the glistening blue eyes again. "You asked me earlier why I care? Well that's exactly why. You're _not_this character that you have to play because of Victor. And whatever happens, don't you ever forget that."

The little fox smiled at this, a lone tear streaking down from one eye. He remained silent, and appeared to be ruminating on what Jack had said as he watched the world fly by outside the car. A smile crossed his bloodied face several times, Jack noticed, accompanied one time by a soft giggle. By the time they got back to the apartment, Angelo was smiling happily again.

---

The two foxes entered Victor's apartment after Jack had parked the car. Victor was sitting on the couch, reading over a notepad he was holding, a pen in the other paw.

The ferret looked up from his pad as the foxes entered, and squinted as he looked over Angelo. "What the hell happened to you?" he asked as Angelo threw down his backpack heavily, with a touch of anger, Jack thought.

"The fucker tried to rob me! Again!" Angelo barked back, pointing to his still-bloody muzzle. The blood had ceased to flow, but what had already come out was still soaked in his fur, and was beginning to dry to a dark rusty red. Jack wondered if he had deliberately refrained from cleaning it during the car ride, so as to punctuate the point with Victor.

Victor frowned, looking from Angelo to Jack and back. "Well," he said, "you got the money? Or the dope?" Then after a pause, "You better have one of the two."

"We still have the dope," Jack said, indicating the backpack against the wall where the kit had thrown it.

"Mmm," Victor said with a nod, then returned his gaze to his notepad.

"I'm fine by the way," Angelo said sarcastically as he walked towards the hallway that led to the bathroom and his bedroom.

Victor looked up from his pad towards Angelo as the boy walked. "I can see that," he said, somewhat dismissively before looking back to his notes. Then after a few more seconds he looked back towards the hallway. "You pay off the badger?" he called out. His only answer was the sound of the bathroom faucet coming on.

"Yeah, that's taken care of," Jack said as he noticed a sneer starting on Victors muzzle. "He said you two are squared up."

Victor looked at Jack intently for a second, then nodded and looked back at his notes yet again. "Good," he said quietly.

Jack stood there, feeling increasingly conspicuous and uncomfortable until Angelo returned from the bathroom,. His muzzle fur was wet and matted, but most of the blood was gone. The water had likely re-opened the wound and let some more out, but that would be gone the next time he rinsed it.

"I'm going back to bed," the younger fox said, sounding disgusted. "I'll see you around, Jack." Whatever happiness he had displayed in the car had left him, no doubt due to Victor's overall attitude, Jack thought.

"Yeah I think I'll do the same," the red fox said. It was still mid-morning after all, and the adrenaline had long since faded, leaving him rather tired himself. He noted that both Angelo's statement, and his own reply had been aimed directly to the other, with Victor not an intended recipient.

The ferret seemed to pick up on this as he put his pad down once again. "Yeah, you do that," he said, though it was unclear if he was speaking to Jack or Angelo, or both. "Jack?" he continued, holding out a folded bill to the older fox: his payment for the day. As Jack accepted the money, Victor went on: "Take the rest of the day off. Angelo and I have some shit to discuss this afternoon. Come back tomorrow, around noon. You," he said, now looking at the little grey-furred kit, "go get some rest for a bit."

As the ferret returned his attention to his pad, Jack knew he was dismissed. He was both amused and annoyed at how Victor had just spun things around so that he had the appearance of being in total control, as always. Angelo had already turned back towards the hall and was out of sight as Jack nodded and headed for the door and out into the parking lot.

Jack got into his car outside of Victor's door for the short trip to his own parking spot. As seemed to always happen with Victor, Jack was left puzzling over the ferret's statement that he had "some shit" to discuss with Angelo in private during the remainder of the day. Perhaps the ferret was going to apologize for, or at least acknowledge, his atrocious behavior towards the kit over the last couple of days.

The fox dismissed this thought quickly, though. While he did not have Victor entirely figured out yet, there were some character traits that he had no doubt about, and apologizing was certainly not in his nature.

---

The next morning, Jack went for the morning jog that had once been his routine. He had awoke fairly early again, and with instructions from Victor not to show up before noon, the teen fox found himself with time to kill, and a certain nervous energy. A nice long jog would be just the thing for both.

Victor's car was in its usual parking spot, he noted, as he began his run. It had been gone the previous afternoon for many hours - the same time Victor had said he needed to "discuss" things with Angelo. Jack had not seen them return, and his imagination was in its now-usual state of overdrive, imagining every possible horrific scenario.

As he jogged, his mind drifted back to Angelo in the car after the attack at the stadium. The smile and giggle from the kit made the older fox happy that he had gotten through to the boy. Jack recognized the giggle, as he himself would also do that once he had thought something through completely and had realized an answer that he liked.

Now if he could just convince the youngster that searching for his mother was in his best interest, Jack thought sadly. He _had_to get the kit away from Victor - that much he had no doubt about. It was either send him back to State custody, though, or get him back with his only family.

Angelo had originally said he would never go back to an orphan's home, although they had not spoken about that in a long time. Jack hoped that perhaps his opinion had changed as he realized the truth about Victor.

Obviously, the best outcome would be that his mother regretted abandoning him, and had returned to look for him shortly after the kit had fled the orphanage. It would hopefully be a simple matter to find her and reunite the two.

A twinge of sadness crept into Jack's head as he realized how much he would miss the boy in that case. He would make sure to make himself available as the older brother, a role that he was already playing, and hoped to continue as long as Angelo wanted.

Jack had not actually commenced the search for Angelo's mother, though. He had sat in front of his laptop the previous day, open to the search engine page, and stared at it for a long time, but had not gone any further. Like it or not, he had promised the cub that he would not do so without Angelo's permission, and following the kit's display of absolute trust in Jack, he was not about to break his word.

He could not shake the feeling that Victor's "next big thing" was going to force the issue, though.

---

At 11:30, Jack knocked on Victor's door. The ferret had told him to come by "around noon", but the fox could wait no longer. Angelo opened the door, which immediately loosed a feeling of relief in the older fox.

"Hey Jack," Angelo said flatly, throwing the door open wide for Jack.

"Jacky!" Victor exclaimed cheerfully as Jack walked in and closed the door. Jack gritted his teeth at the unwelcome familiarization of his name, but did not issue the usual correction that he would have otherwise.

"Victor," Jack just said with a nod. The ferret was seated on the couch, and Jack noted with some surprise that Angelo sat down next to him, though the kit began reading the newspaper and did not appear to have been in conversation with him. "So what's up?" Jack asked, as there did not seem to be any deliveries lined up.

"I'm glad you asked!" Victor said cheerfully, standing up. He approached Jack and put a paw on each of the fox's shoulders. Angelo looked up from his reading, one eyebrow raised as he watched. "You umm..." Victor continued, "think about my proposal any?"

_His proposal,_Jack thought, recalling. That Jack become Victor's official partner in his business, apparently displacing Angelo, who had certainly considered himself to be the ferret's partner, at least until that Saturday dinner. Following that event though, Jack knew for sure what his answer was: he would have to play along with Victor until he could get both Angelo and himself away from this psychopath.

"Well Victor," Jack began, gently removing the ferret's paws from his shoulders, "I kinda want to know about this new business we're getting into first, you know?"

Victor chuckled as Jack dislodged his paws, but as the fox finished, he said, "A fair point! I tell you what: as soon as my money is in the Russian's paws, I'll fill you in. Fair enough?"

"I guess," Jack replied. "When will that be?"

"Tomorrow, the next day... whenever he says to come to New York. I'm all ready, just waiting on him!"

Jack nodded. "Ok. You fill me in and I'll let you know on your offer." Jack was deliberately being evasive, and indeed hoped it was obvious in this case.

Victor chuckled again and nodded. "In the meantime, errr..," he said, sounding now a little embarrassed, "could you maybe do me a favor?"

Jack's ears perked up at this. Victor seemed uncharacteristically humble here. "Sure," Jack said, "what's up?"

"Well," the ferret began, nervously, "I got some girls coming over today. Sort of a celebration, you know? Well, ummm..." he said, scratching the back of his head and lowering his voice. Angelo cocked his head, trying to listen. "I was wondering, would you mind letting Angelo stay over at your place tonight? So me and the girls don't have to worry about... you know..." Angelo's ears perked up as he overheard this, a grin immediately coming to his face.

Jack looked from Victor's embarrassed face to Angelo's overjoyed visage. "Well, sure Victor. He's welcome any time." Victor looked surprised as Jack said this, a change in expression that Jack was not expecting.

"Seriously? Thanks! Here, take this." He handed jack a folded bundle of bills, the outside one being a hundred. "Just, ummm... would you mind taking him now? They're gonna be here soon!"

"Damn," Jack said, actually impressed, which provoked a grin from Victor. "All day, huh?" Jack asked. "But isn't that jinxing the deal too? I mean you don't want to tell me what it is, but..."

"Nah!" Victor interrupted. "These are my luck pieces of tail! They've been here before every big deal I've cut, and its always worked out. But yeah, the next 24 hours, bro," he said, patting Jack's arm with a grin, "gonna be epic!"

Jack smiled, still impressed, before turning to the matter at hand. "So Angelo," he began, "you wanna stay over at my place tonight?" He asked it in such a way as not to betray the fact that he had already done just that in Victor's absence.

"You betcha!" Angelo said enthusiastically. He got up and dashed down the hallway. "Be right back!"

Victor patted Jack's shoulder as they waited for Angelo to return. "Thanks a ton, Jack," the ferret said. "I owe you big."

"Nah, don't worry," Jack replied, "I don't mind him staying over at all."

"Really?" Victor said with some incredulity. "I wish you'd told me that a month ago!" he said with a laugh.

Jack nodded. "All day, huh?" he repeated with an impressed smile.

"And all night!" Victor said boastfully. "They're good. And I'm good. What can I say? And now I've got all that weed you didn't sell today!"

The fox chuckled as Angelo returned, though the kit didn't seem to be carrying anything. "Ready bro?" Jack asked.

"Yep!" came the enthusiastic response.

"Ok, lets go," Jack said, then with a nod back to Victor, "Be good!"

"Not today!" Victor replied with a grin as the two foxes walked out the door.

Walking across the parking lot towards Jack's apartment, Angelo was again displaying the happy countenance that he had worn the previous day, an abrupt change from his demeanor inside the apartment.

"So," Jack said as they reached his car, "Want to go get some lunch?"

"Yeah!" Angelo replied enthusiastically. "We got all day to kill!"

Jack nodded and pondered. A thought occurred to him as he opened his car door and felt the blast of heat escape from within. "We could go to the pool. You can swim, right?"

"Yeah sure," Angelo said. "I don't have any trunks though."

"Me neither," Jack said, "but we can stop by the store and pick some up." He flashed the wad of money Victor had given him. "Courtesy of our Mr. Morrison."

---

Lunch consisted of a return to the Burger Joint where they had bought breakfast the day before. They ate light, as Jack pointed out that swimming on a full stomach was dangerous, for unspecified reasons, and relayed the old caution he had heard all his life: that one must wait an hour after eating before swimming.

Fortunately, that would not be a problem, as they still had to go get some swimwear. Jack drove to the Giganto-Mart store which seemed to sell everything. Sure enough, it had an apparel section which included swim trunks designed for a wide variety of species. The two foxes each picked out a pair that they liked, then headed back to Jack's apartment.

Along the way, Jack decided that they would use the local municipal pool, and not the smaller one contained in the apartment complex. While the latter one was free, and the municipal one had an entry fee, Jack reckoned that using the apartment's pool might be risky since Angelo did not officially live there, so his presence might raise some questions.

As they pulled into Jack's parking space, Angelo noted that there were now 2 additional cars parked next to Victor's, and the light outside his door was turned on.

"I guess his girls are here," Jack said, as the pair exited the car.

"Yeah," Angelo said dryly. "I bet he screws on my bed, at least once."

"Seriously?" Jack asked with a twinge of disgust.

"I wouldn't put it past him. He'd probably do it just to be a dick."

Jack opened his apartment door and the blast of cool air hit both foxes as they entered. Angelo removed the trunks they had just bought from the bag and tossed Jack his, before biting the nylon string that held the price tag on his own.

"Where can I change?" the kit asked when he had all of the tags and stickers removed from the trunks.

"Anywhere you want," Jack replied. "I'll be in my room."

"''Kay," Angelo said as Jack went down to his room and closed the door. After a moment, he heard the bathroom door close, as the kit went inside. The teen fox quickly changed into his trunks, and retrieved two towels from his closet, then put his shirt and shoes back on for the drive over.

Emerging from his room, he passed the bathroom just as Angelo opened the door. The cub had on just his trunks, with the rest of his clothes in a bundle in his arms. He smiled at Jack with what seemed to the older fox to be almost giddiness, as if they were about to embark on some grand adventure, which given Angelo's normal living arrangements, was probably not far from true.

"Just put that anywhere," Jack said, indicating the bundle in Angelo's arms. "You're going to be putting them back on anyway." The kit complied with a smile, dropping the pile right where he stood in the hallway. He made a motion to reach for his jacket, then caught himself.

"Heh," he said sheepishly. "Not used to going outside without my jacket."

Jack patted his bare shoulder. "Don't worry, you're safe," he said, trying to sound comforting.

"Yeah, I know. It just... feels weird."

The older fox nodded, then with a cheerful tone said, "Ready?"

"Yep," came the equally cheerful response. "Let's go!"

---

The foxes spent hours at the pool, splashing, playing, and swimming. They would alternate between splash-fights, underwater hide-and-seek, and racing each other from one end of the pool to the other. Jack picked up the cub and threw him more times than he could count. It was the most fun he'd had in a while, he realized.

Angelo, too, was having the time of his life. Jack had never seen him so purely happy in all the time he had known the kit. Even during the mandatory breaks, where all cubs had to leave the pool, he laid out on the concrete smiling and soaking up the sun, as Jack stood in the pool next to the boy at the edge, his arms over the side.

As the sun sank lower in the sky, neither wanted to leave the pool but practicalities demanded it. At the very least, they were both ravenously hungry after the hours of constant motion. When another cub break was called by the lifeguards, the foxes made eye contact and silently agreed that it was time to go.

On the ride back to the apartment, they spoke enthusiastically about the fun they'd had, and decided that they'd be back at the pool at the first opportunity. Jack knew this probably meant when Victor was next out of town. He pondered whether his new role with Victor would allow him to just stop in and announce to the ferret that he was taking Angelo to the pool, or to the mall, or wherever.

Another prime topic of discussion on the drive back was the subject of dinner. Angelo initially suggested a pizza delivery, since they were both tired out. Jack noted that he still had $230 from the money Victor had given him, and suggested they go to a real restaurant and have a proper dinner, keeping in mind that Angelo's attire of jeans and t-shirt put an upper limit on the type of place they could go to.

They finally decided on a Chinese restaurant nearby which seemed nice. After stopping back at Jack's apartment to change out of their swimwear, they were off to the restaurant, where they took in the full meal experience, starting with soup and appetizers, a shared main course, and dessert. This was much more than Jack had ever done with Chinese food; his usual experience was eating just a single dish right out of the paper carton.

---

Some time later, the two well-fed foxes arrived back at Jack's apartment. The sun had gone down while they were in the restaurant; as they pulled into the parking lot, both vulpes looked to Victor's apartment where all windows were brightly lit up from within.

"What do you think is going on over there?" Jack asked as he unlocked his door and swung it wide open.

Angelo entered the room and sat down heavily on one end of the couch with a satisfied sigh. "Probably a lot of booze and weed," he said after a moment, "and sex. Maybe some coke too. No clothes to be found anywhere... that sort of thing."

"Thanks for that mental image," Jack said, locking the door behind them before he also sat heavily on the couch, his belly full and his motivation to do anything fading.

The two sat back on the couch in silence for a moment, before Jack spoke up again. "So what did Victor want you for yesterday? He apologize for being such a dick on Saturday?"

Angelo chuckled, his head still thrown back against the back of the couch. "Heh, no, Vic doesn't apologize," he said. "We went to see a few different people about this next big thing." He looked up at Jack. "I got a bad feeling about what's coming though," he said.

"How's that?"

"Well," the kit continued, "one of the places we went, he bought a couple of little leather pouches. I looked through one." He paused, nervously looking into the older fox's eyes now. "It had a needle in it."

"Needle?" Jack asked, the fur on his neck beginning to stand up.

"Yeah, like a syringe," Angelo replied. "With some little glass things and a rubber rope. He asked me if I thought I could inject myself..." He trailed off and laid his head back against the back of the couch. "I think this next big thing might be some really hard drugs."

Jack nodded slowly. He had expected Victor's expansion would be into harder drugs than pot, but hadn't really given thought to what it might be. "He got... a couple of those?"

Angelo nodded. "One for me, one for you maybe?" he said sadly. "What kind of drugs do you inject like that anyway?"

Jack though back to his high school health class. "I dunno, maybe meth... heroin... coke maybe too?"

"I've tried pot," Angelo said, "and booze too. I don't think I want to inject anything though."

"Right there with you, bud," Jack said. "If we have to deliver it, that's one thing, but I don't plan to get hooked on anything, that's for sure." He didn't bring up the possibility of selling harder drugs at the schools like they did with pot, but that would certainly also be off the table, he thought. This is where things would likely get ugly with Victor, if indeed it was going to happen at all.

As if echoing his thoughts, Angelo said, "Something's gonna break here... and it's going to happen soon."

"Don't worry bro," Jack replied, moving to the center of the couch next to the kit. "We'll get through it together." Angelo smiled, but did not reply. He seemed to be thinking this over in his head.

Jack turned the TV on, as much to provide a filler for the silence as anything else. Angelo brought his head back from staring at the ceiling to watch, as it was tuned to the news channel. There was a story playing about events in some far war-torn country that Jack had barely heard of. He barely registered what was playing, though, as his mind was back to the ever-present problem of how to get Angelo, and now himself, away from Victor for good.

"Does Victor ever..." he said awkwardly after a couple minutes of silence. Angelo perked up as he spoke. "You know... try to molest you or anything?" It was an odd question to ask out of the blue, but Jack's mind was trying to find anything that could be used against the ferret, even in something like an anonymous phone call to the police.

Angelo noticed this as well, as he looked at Jack with wide eyes, one brow dipped. "Ummm, no," he said, unsure.

Jack nodded. "I'm just thinking from what he said on Saturday," Jack said by way of explanation. Then after a pause, "Did anyone else ever try?"

The little grey-furred fox searched Jack's eyes, before smiling and saying, "Well, Tish molested me pretty good!" This provoked a laugh from the older fox and a shake of the head. Angelo continued before he could speak though: "Nah, nobody really. There's that doctor I told you about, who wanted to take naked pictures of me. No doubt he'd do something if he had the chance. But no, I'd cut anyone who actually tried." He patted his left abdomen, where his knife was located in his jacket, ear-perking briefly as he apparently reacted to its absence.

"Kay," Jack said, still thinking.

"Jack," Angelo said. "What... why do you ask?"

Jack sighed deeply, looking into Angelo's blue eyes. "It's just," he began hesitantly, "I'm trying to find some way to..." he trailed off and looked away. He'd not admitted to the boy what his main goal was, but now seemed to be as good a time as any. "Some way to get you away from Victor. For good. Him trying to molest you would be a first-class ticket to jail for him." He was staring at the couch cushions now.

"And a first class ticket back to the orphanage for me," Angelo said bluntly. Jack kept his gaze firmly focused on the couch patterns, until he felt a warm paw on his arm. "Jack," Angelo said, softer now. Jack looked back up into those expressive eyes. "I've thought the same thing. A lot. And... there's no way out that doesn't land me back in the orphanage."

Jack covered the little grey paw with his own. "Ange," he began, not sure how to phrase it, "there's... well, there is one way."

Angelo looked into Jack's eyes for a moment, as he picked up on what Jack was trying to say. His jaw tightened slightly and he sat back in the couch, removing his paw from his friend's arm. "Her," he said coldly.

"It's the best of all the bad..." Jack began.

"Jack," Angelo said sharply, interrupting him. Jack fell silent, and it was another moment before the kit continued. "I've... thought about it some too. Say you did find her. In Philly or New York or somewhere. She'd be arrested as soon as the cops put two and two together. Then guess where that puts me."

"You don't know that," Jack began, yet at the same time conceding the kit's point in his head.

"You abandon your cubs, that's a crime," Angelo said flatly.

"What if," Jack said, grasping for straws, "what if she realized her mistake and came looking for you right after you skipped out on the orphanage?"

Angelo stared into Jack's eyes for a moment, pondering this. "That's a hell of an 'if'," he said finally.

"It's still the best outcome for all of this," Jack said.

Angelo sat back heavily against the couch and closed his eyes. "Why can't I just live with you?" he asked.

Jack sighed deeply. He had asked himself the same thing repeatedly over the last week, with the answer always the same. "They'd never let you live with me," he said sadly. "Believe me, that's been my Plan-B from day one, but..."

"Why not? They don't need to know..." Angelo asked, not looking at Jack, as he apparently felt the same unease.

"You need to go to school," Jack said. "You need to... get regular doctor checkups, that kind of thing. Can't do that unless you're living in the open. And they'd never give you to me..." He trailed off to avoid Angelo hearing his voice crack with emotion.

Of all the scenarios, this was the one he had tried the most to investigate, and it always ended up the same. He was two months out of high school, and barely able to sustain himself without Victor's illegal income. There was simply no way he'd be allowed to take care of a cub. No, the ideal scenario was that Angelo returned to his wayward mother, with Jack there to fill in as the boy's big brother.

Angelo had laid his head back against the couch and was staring at the ceiling once more. Jack watched him with a sad sort of smile. Regardless of the future, they at least had this day, with all the fun that it had contained.

A momentary chill hit Jack as the apartment's air conditioning continued to pump frosty air into the room. The cold suddenly sparked a memory in Jack, and he sat up straight. "Oh shit!" he exclaimed.

"What?" Angelo said, also sitting up straight, surprised by the sudden outburst.

"I forgot to get blankets!" Jack said, then smacked his forehead with a paw. The last time Angelo had stayed over, Jack had no spare blanket to give him as he slept on the couch, forcing the kit to use his jacket and one of the couch cushions in place of one. Jack had intended to buy a spare for such occasions, but the suddenness of Victor's request had left him without time to do so.

"Oh," Angelo said. "That's ok."

Jack truly did not feel like getting up to go out and buy a blanket at this time of day, especially on the full stomach he still had, but it would not be fair to the cub to subject him again to an uncomfortable night. "No, it's not," Jack said, getting up. "Let's go get one. The Giganto-Mart should have something."

"No, Jack," Angelo replied. "I mean... if it's ok, maybe I can..." he paused, looking at Jack's feet. "I mean, maybe I can sleep in your bed?" He looked up into Jack's eyes. "If it wouldn't be weird, I mean."

Jack regarded the little grey-furred fox cub. "It's ok with me bud, if you're ok," he said, sitting back down. Jack's sister, about the same age as Angelo, would often climb into his bed at night, especially if there was a thunderstorm which scared her.

"Yeah," Angelo replied, though slightly hesitantly. "You're not going to molest me, are you?" he asked with a mischievous grin.

Jack laughed. "No, Ange... not going to molest you," he replied with a smile, eliciting a giggle from his young friend. "So when do you want to turn in?" Jack asked. It was still only in the 9PM hour, but between the full belly and the day's activity at the pool, the red fox was fairly tired. Back when he was on the football team, he would often go to bed at this hour after a day of similar energy expenditure.

"Whenever you want," Angelo replied. "I'll be awake for a couple hours after, no matter what time we do."

"I'm kind of feeling it now, actually," Jack said. "I'm practically falling asleep on the couch as it is!"

"Ok," the eleven-year-old said, standing up from the couch. "I'll just lay there, and elbow you if you snore," he said with a friendly smile.

Jack chuckled. "I'm actually not sure if I do or not," he mused. "I guess I'll find out, though!" He got up and checked the lock on the front door, before turning off the television and indicating the hallway to Angelo with a paw, as if saying "after you". He shut the lights off in the living room as the little fox started down the hallway, then followed him into the bedroom.

Angelo had turned on the bedroom light as soon as he reached the door. When Jack entered, he saw the kit prodding the mattress with a paw. "Its not the Ritz, but its better than the couch, I bet," Jack said, walking to the far side of the bed where he usually slept, in view of the alarm clock on the chair next to it.

"There's probably something else I should tell you," Angelo said, as he slowly kicked off his shoes.

"Oh no, you wet the bed?" Jack asked, teasingly.

"No, I... NO!" Angelo said, initially missing the jibe, then swinging a mock backhand at Jack, who was well out of range. "Its just that... I have bad dreams. A lot. I don't _think_I wake up screaming or anything weird like that, but they do wake me up a lot." He shrugged sheepishly. "So if you see that happen... you'll know why, that's all."

Jack smiled sadly at the boy, and nodded. "I hear you, bud. Don't worry, you're safe here."

"Safe," Angelo repeated softly, as he loosened his belt and unbuttoned his jeans, before pausing.

Noticing this, Jack turned away and theatrically put a paw over his eyes, prompting another giggle from the cub. "You can look, I don't care," he said cheerfully. It likely was a little strange for the kit to be sharing a bed with anyone, Jack thought, if only because it was a new experience, and thus an unfamiliar one.

Jack turned around as Angelo stepped out of his jeans, and pulled his socks off, standing there now in only a t-shirt and boxers. "I'm gonna sleep like this, if that's ok," the kit said.

"No prob, bro," Jack replied, pulling off his own shirt. Though he knew that Angelo usually slept naked, he was sort of glad that the cub stopped where he did, as it might be slightly awkward for both of them.

Angelo sat down on the edge of the bed and bounced a few times. "Comfy," he said.

"Dive in," Jack said, walking back to the door to turn out the room's light. Walking back to the bed, now illuminated only from the outside light through the blinds in the window, he shucked off his own jeans and got into his side of the bed, clad only in his boxers. "How is it?" he asked, when Angelo had gotten in under the covers.

"Its nice," the kit replied. He was laying on his back, with arms folded over his abdomen. "Night Jack!"

"Night bud," Jack replied, settling in under his covers.

"Jack?" Angelo said quietly after a moment.

"Hmm?" Jack answered back.

"You're the best!"

Jack looked over and met the gaze of his young friend in the dim light. "Nuh-uh," he said. "_You're_the best, so how can I be?" Angelo grinned at this and looked back towards the ceiling smiling.

Jack lay there in the darkness for a few minutes, thinking. That last comment from Angelo had him smiling broadly - the perfect end to the day. He hoped that the kit would not have any nightmares tonight, if only so as not to spoil the day in the younger fox's memory.

While he was not an expert on the meaning of dreams, Jack had read a book about that subject in high school. Supposedly the content of Angelo's bad dreams would provide clues to suggest how he really felt about things.

Jack hated to add anything to the day after the heartwarming comment, but likewise felt slightly awkward leaving the kit to lie awake for hours working through his own demons while Jack dozed. "Umm," he began quietly, "What sort of dreams?"

But Angelo was already asleep.

---

The sun coming through the window blinds roused Jack from his sleep. He looked over to the clock: 7:38am. He looked back to the ceiling, a general sense of happiness in his mind, which was a sharp contrast to the uneasiness he had felt these last couple of days courtesy of Victor and his unpredictable attitude.

Angelo was curled up on his side, his muzzle tucked down into his chest, with his forehead almost touching Jack's left arm. He was still sleeping peacefully, and as far as Jack knew had not had a nightmare in the night, at least not one that abruptly woke him. Jack instinctively put an arm around the sleeping kit, who stirred slightly but did not awaken.

Jack lay there for several minutes, feeling the motion of Angelo's breathing, before necessities of nature forced him to arise and visit the bathroom. When he returned, Angelo was awake, laying on his back with his arms behind his head.

"Good morning, Ange," Jack said brightly. "Slept well, I hope?"

Angelo grinned as he saw Jack. "Yeah, I did! Your bed is really comfy."

Compared to an old mattress on the floor, Jack had no doubt of that. "I'll say," Jack said. "You went out like a light! I thought you said it took you a long time to fall asleep."

Angelo had sat up, and was leaning back on his arms. He froze briefly as Jack said this, staring straight ahead, as if he was surprised. "Yeah," he said after a moment, "I did, didn't I?" The surprise in his face was echoed in his voice. He swung his grey-furred legs over the side of the bed and reached for his socks on the floor.

Jack walked to the window and parted the blinds with a finger. Looking across the parking lot, he noticed that Victor's car, as well as the two girls' cars, were still out front of the ferret's apartment. "Looks like ol' Victor is still at it," Jack said. "What say we go get some breakfast?"

"Erf," Angelo said with a twinge of annoyance. "Can I... use your bathroom first, then?" he asked.

"My house is your house," Jack said with a smile. "You know where its at." Angelo stretched and yawned deeply before standing up and slowly walking towards the hallway, scratching the back of his neck.

Jack got dressed in fresh clothes, then went out into the living room to wait for Angelo. He opened the front door and stood in the doorway, looking out over the apartment complex. Several furs drove by, no doubt on their way to work on this Tuesday morning.

The teen fox idly stared at Victor's apartment door as his mind mulled over the present situation. Since the Saturday dinner with Victor, it had been the central thing occupying his thoughts. He would find an answer, he kept telling himself.

He noted the girls' cars as he stared, and his mind took a voyeuristic turn. As much as he despised the ferret, a part of him wanted to hear all the details about his overnight tryst. If nothing else, Jack thought, such enthusiasm might serve to keep him in good standing with Victor - that much he needed while trying to free the Angelo from him.

"Still there, huh?" Angelo said presently. He was still wearing just his shirt and boxers.

"Yep," Jack replied, closing the door. "Can't wait to hear about it," he said, the genuine enthusiasm bordering on lust creeping into his voice.

"Feh," Angelo spat out. "Let's let him air the place out first, or it'll reek of ass."

"Thanks," Jack said with mock sarcasm, "That's just what I needed before breakfast."

Angelo giggled. "My pleasure," he said. "So, where are we going?"

"Wherever," Jack said. "I kinda want pancakes though."

The grey-furred kit made a "yummy" sound. "Let's go!" he exclaimed, running back towards the bedroom to get dressed.

---

The two foxes had a long pancake breakfast at the local Pancake Joint pancake house, complete with all the juices and syrups that came with them. They deliberately took as much time as possible without making a conspicuous nuisance of themselves with the restaurant staff, in order to hopefully return home after Victor's "guests" had departed.

Indeed, after a 90 minute breakfast, and a slow leisurely meandering drive back, it was after 10:00am when they arrived back at the apartments. Victor's car stood alone in the spaces outside his door, though the apartment itself was still as buttoned up as it had been since the previous day.

"Should we knock?" Jack asked as he parked the car and got out.

Angelo got out from his side and stood, arms crossed, regarding the ferret's door. "Hell, I got a key," he said.

"Yeah, but do you want to just barge in there?"

The younger fox contemplated that. "Probably not," he said. "I'm usually stuck in my room when he does this. At least then I can hear what he's up to after they finally leave."

"He does this with you there?" Jack was incredulous.

"Oh yeah," Angelo responded. "All those times he said about them being his lucky tail? Well, this is the first time he's gotten me out of the house to do it."

"Jeez," said Jack. "I can only imagine..."

"He turns music up loud to try and drown out the sounds," Angelo said. "Didn't always work, especially between songs." He shrugged. "I would just try to focus on the girls when I had to, or just cover my ears with pillows... you know."

"Damn," Jack said, adding another mental X against Victor. The pair continued to stare over to the apartment door for a moment. "Well, shall we?" Jack finally asked.

"Might as well," the cub replied and started across the parking lot.

Reaching the door, Angelo knocked loudly in a specific pattern. Jack assumed this to be an agreed-upon code to identify himself, as Victor had said that he rarely answered the door due to his business. After a moment with no response, Angelo took out his key and unlocked the door.

As they stepped inside, Jack could hear the shower running from behind a closed door: Victor no doubt. While not smelling of "ass" as Angelo had predicted, there was a certain earthy, feral scent in the air, mixed with a much stronger scent of stale smoke and beer. The room seemed normal to Jack - there were not clothes strewn everywhere, socks hanging from lamps, nor any of the other cliches he imagined would follow an "orgy", if this even qualified as such.

"Let's see if he fucked on my bed," Angelo said dryly, walking towards the hallway and his room. Jack followed the kit to his door, which was closed. The boy ran a finger gently down the space where the door met the doorjamb, below the doorknob at about his waist-height. He smiled and stood backup. "Feel there, but softly," he instructed, pointing to a specific spot.

Jack gently ran a finger down the door as Angelo had done. His finger stopped as it ran up against something in the way. He stooped down to look: it was a piece of hair stuck to the door in such a way that the single piece touched both the door and the jamb. It was held firmly in place by some sort of adhesive.

"I stuck a piece of my fur there, and glued it in with hairspray," Angelo explained proudly. "Long as the door stays closed, its stuck there tight, but..." he opened the door, then closed it again. "Now check it."

Jack repeated the finger search, though this time the piece of fur was glued to only one side - the other still touched the door, but moved freely now. "Clever," Jack said.

"Yep," the kit replied, pride still evident in his voice. "So now I don't have to burn my sheets!"

The shower noise stopped abruptly, startling Jack. Angelo immediately called out, "Hey Victor, we're here!"

"Ok, be right out," Victor called back.

"Let's wait out here," Angelo said with a grin, leading Jack back into the living room. "I don't want to see that."

Victor quickly emerged from the bathroom, and went straight to his bedroom without stopping to greet the foxes standing awkwardly in the living room. Angelo was leaning against the entry door, and though the couch looked perfectly normal with no obvious remnants of the night's activities, Jack nonetheless did not want to sit on it after some of the things he'd imagined.

"Victor!" Jack said with some enthusiasm as the ferret finally made his appearance in the room. He was dressed in his suit pants with a black t-shirt on, with his headfur slicked back as always. "You look... exhausted!"

"Jacky! Angelo!" Victor exclaimed with outstretched arms. "I feel... good!" he said happily. "Though damn, I need some steak and a bottle of Vitamin-B! Remind me to tell you all about it sometime. I'm sure a young lad like yourself would appreciate some pointers!" He punctuated this with a belly laugh.

Jack laughed, half genuinely, and half politely. "Sure Victor," he said amicably.

"Ok, now that the fucking's done," Victor said, moving close to Jack, a pleasant smile on his face. "I'm off to New York!"

"Wow, already?" Jack asked.

"Yep," the ferret said enthusiastically. "The Russian wants me to come pay him, so that's what I'm going to do. In gold. After that, our deal is set and its all on him. Didn't I tell you those girls were lucky?" He laughed vigorously and slapped Jack's arm.

"You gone all day Vic?" Angelo asked. He smiled to Jack as Victor turned to face the kit. Jack smiled too as he realized that Angelo was looking forward to a repeat of the previous day.

"Yep, gone 'till tomorrow," Victor said to Angelo. "I'm leaving around noon actually, so I'm glad you guys showed up." He turned back to Jack. "Umm, no deliveries left, so you two... I dunno, go sell dope or something. Hell, whatever you want to do, and I'll see you tomorrow," he said to the teen fox, dismissing him. "Angelo, got some stuff to go over with you," he said to the kit.

"Ok, good luck," Jack said, prompting a nod from the ferret. "Umm, Angelo, just come get me when you're ready to go sell," he said, having no intention of actually selling anything that day.

"Sure thing, Jack," Angelo said cheerfully.

As Jack left the apartment, he suddenly had a revelation about Victor's habit of dismissing him abruptly, as he had just done. The ferret had made him an offer to be his partner, and until Jack accepted, Victor would make it abundantly clear that he would not go into much detail with him, but rather would only talk with Angelo.

The kit had essentially confirmed this when he described the last time Victor had wanted to talk with him alone: that he really didn't have much to say, but only dragged the cub along as he went to talk with his business cohorts. Since Jack had given a non-committal answer today, he was promptly excluded from any further business related discussions.

"Head games," Jack said with a chuckle. Victor was indeed a master at them.

---

Shortly after 1:00, Jack saw Victor's car pull away from its parking spot. This was quickly followed by Angelo emerging from the apartment and practically running across the lot towards Jack's door. The older fox jumped up from his chair and threw his own door open as he watched the little grey-furred kit approach. Angelo waved cheerfully as he drew near.

"Hey Ange," Jack said when the cub was within a reasonable range to hear him without shouting.

"I'm starved!" Angelo exclaimed as he reached the stoop. "Let's go get sammiches!" He sounded very childlike as he said this.

"We just ate," Jack said with a smile and some mock protest in his voice. It was after his normal lunch time, though the large breakfast they'd had still sat in his stomach.

"That was..." he paused as if counting, then giving up, "this morning!" Another big grin that made Jack want to hug him.

"Fine, fine," Jack said, this time with mock defeatism is his voice before throwing a wink to Angelo who smirked back at him.

Angelo, who had only just walked into Jack's apartment, turned back around and dashed outside again as Jack grabbed his keys and started for the door.

They drove to a sub shop in a nearby strip-mall where the two foxes had a quick lunch. Jack was still not particularly hungry, but managed to put away a small-size sub. Angelo, who was apparently much hungrier, made short work of a medium-size one, with a side of chips and several refills from the soda fountain.

While there, the pair discussed plans for the rest of the day. Jack intentionally refrained from bringing up anything about Victor or the coming change to their business model, and indeed to their lives. Angelo suggested revisiting the local pool, which Jack was amenable to, though he recalled from his own childhood that he would quickly bore of the same thing day after day, even where those things were nominally fun.

Since the kit plainly wanted to go back, Jack agreed, and they returned to the apartment once lunch was done to change into their swimwear. Angelo's trunks were still there, as he had not taken them back to his own apartment that morning; Jack wondered if he did not want the ferret to see that he even had them. The red fox quickly dismissed that thought - not because it was or wasn't true, but because he didn't want to pollute the day with thoughts of Victor.

Once changed into their swimwear, the two headed back outside to the car. Angelo seemed much more at ease leaving the house without his ever-present jacket than he had been the previous day, Jack noted with some satisfaction.

---

The clock was nearing 8:00 when the two worn-out foxes stepped back into Jack's apartment. They had spent five hours or so at the pool this time. Contrary to his concern going in, Jack did not find himself bored. If anything, Angelo saw to that. The cub was a little grey ball of boundless energy, which Jack found unsurprising given the meals he had already consumed that day.

Just as in the previous day they played numerous pool games, most of which involved splashing each other, with Jack settling matters by picking up the boy and flinging him, which he seemed to love.

When their energy began to finally fade, Jack checked the pool's clock and was surprised at how long they had been there. He suggested stopping on the way home and picking up a pizza or two. If Angelo had any lingering desire to remain at the pool, the mention of dinner immediately removed it.

Returning now, two large pizzas in paw, the pair sat down heavily on Jack's couch, still clad only in their swim trunks, and dug in. Angelo grabbed a slice and sat back in the couch to eat. He was sitting in the center of the couch this time, and when he sat back, he leaned slightly against Jack.

As Jack ate, his thoughts began to drift again towards Victor and the "coming storm" as he had begun to call it in his own mind. Victor had bought several syringe kits, Angelo had said. Was this related to what was coming? It didn't make sense though: if they were to be dealing in harder drugs, why would Victor want to get his own people hooked on it? That would just be inviting theft, dirty side-deals, and the like.

Perhaps Victor himself had chosen to dabble in more expensive drugs for his own consumption, given the purported income that would be coming in, and had simply bought the kits for himself, or even to sell. Perhaps his asking Angelo if the cub thought he could inject himself was simply rhetorical. Jack sighed audibly: too many "perhaps" and "what-ifs". Whatever was going to happen, he'd at least know tomorrow. There was some small comfort in that notion.

As if sensing the older fox's thoughts, Angelo said, "Tomorrow. It all hits the fan tomorrow, huh?"

"Yeah, buddy," Jack said, slightly startled by the younger fox breaking his reverie. "So if it's not hard drugs, what do you think it would be?"

Angelo took a deep breath after swallowing down his food. "Well," he said at length, "guns maybe. Victor always said he wanted to be a gun runner. He said there was something romantic about it."

Jack pondered this. "That might not be so bad," he mused aloud.

"What?" Angelo said, his ears perking up. "You don't think selling guns to gangs would be bad?"

This had not occurred to the older fox. He had envisioned it like in movies, where he'd take a briefcase full of guns to a client in a hotel room, who would then pick out the ones he wanted. The dead-drop of drugs to the gang had been harrowing enough. If they were repeating that with a load of guns, the stakes would only be higher. "Crap," he said, playing that scenario out in his head.

"Yeah," Angelo said, slightly agitated, as if he was doing the same. "Even if its not a gang, you're meeting a guy who doesn't have a gun, then giving him one. What's to stop him from popping you and taking his money back?"

Jack put his head back against the couch. He found it strangely amusing to think that he now almost hoped it would be drugs. At least then, the customers not only wanted the product, but wanted the continued availability of it. Thus they were theoretically less likely to try anything against the dealer. Competitors were another story, of course, but they had stayed out of that path, Jack thought. Unless that too was about to change. More "what-ifs"... he let out an exasperated growl.

"Don't worry, Jack," Angelo said around a mouthful of pizza, before swallowing and continuing. "If you think too much, you'll just end up keeping yourself up all night. Trust me!"

Jack nodded. Angelo had said several times that he rarely fell asleep quickly, due to his mind running away like this. But not last night, he remembered. "You mean like you, Mister Fall Asleep In 5 Minutes Fox?"

Angelo smiled meekly. "Well, yeah," he said softly, sounding almost embarrassed. "I usually don't do that. But... I think I know why I did yesterday" He only half-looked at Jack.

"Pray tell," Jack said, starting out intending to tease, but quickly abandoning that as he noted the younger fox's demeanor..

"Well," Angelo began slowly, "it's because... I felt..." He looked fully into Jack's eyes. "I felt... safe. With you." He looked away with a sheepish smile. "I haven't felt like that since... well, a long time."

Jack had to fight down the urge to flat-out hug the kit, and instead just put an arm around his bare shoulder and patted. Angelo put a paw over Jack's and squeezed, leaning in to his older friend. Neither seemed to know what to say at this moment.

"Well anyway," Angelo said after a moment, breaking the embrace by leaning forward to grab another slice of pizza, "we'll find out tomorrow, one way or another, right?"

"Yep," Jack said, sitting back against the couch before reaching for more food himself.

One large pizza quickly disappeared under the vulpine assault. They started into the second, though with much reduced zeal, each only taking a single slice. Jack had deliberately over-ordered, as he had grown to enjoy cold pizza for lunch the following day, and this presented the perfect opportunity.

Now thoroughly filled, Jack and Angelo sat back lazily as the sounds of the TV filled the room. As usual, it was tuned to the education channel, though some "half-reality" show was currently playing. Jack was only partially watching as his mind wandered, though not with the intensity it had earlier. He had decided not to dwell on what would come tomorrow, until tomorrow came and he was fully informed.

Angelo too seemed to be only half-watching. He sat with arms behind his head, facing the general direction of the TV, but Jack noticed his eyes would periodically be directed somewhere above it for brief periods, before returning back to the program. After a while, as his food settled, he put his head back against the couch back and looked towards the ceiling.

Jack was feeling rather worn out as well, between the energy spent at the pool and the pizza filling his belly. "Tired bud?"

"Yeah," Angelo said softly, still looking at the ceiling.

"Well, just say when," Jack replied. It was after 9:00, and the sun had set outside.

"Yeah," the kit said again quietly, then sat up. "Now is good, I guess," he said, sounding more awake.

Jack picked up the remote control for the TV and switched it off. "After you," he said cordially. As Anglo stood up and walked down the hallway, Jack did a quick once-over on the apartment - making sure the door was locked, all the appliances were off, and so on. He switched off the living room light as he headed to his bedroom, where Angelo sat on the edge of the bed, still clad in his swimwear.

"You gonna sleep in that?" Jack asked.

"Nah, just waiting for you, in case you had to hit the bathroom or anything," Angelo said. Jack shook his head with a smile. "Ok," Angelo replied. "Well I do, so be right back!"

Jack undressed down to his boxers and walked to the doorway, so he could turn out the light after Angelo got in bed. The kit's clothes were still in a small pile on the floor by the door, where he had left them after getting changed into his swim trunks that morning.

Angelo returned after a moment, and sat down again on the edge of the bed, still wearing his trunks. He bounced a few times while looking down at the floor.

"You can sleep in those if you want," Jack said, sensing some uncomfortability on the cub's part. He was already wearing less than what he had slept in the previous night.

"No... no," Angelo said slowly. He then stood up and with tail wagging, pulled the trunks off in one fluid motion, then lay down on the bed and pulled the covers over himself.

Jack's ears perked as he watched. "Ummm... why?" he asked, as he shut off the light and walked over to his side of the bed.

"It's comfy!" came the enthusiastic reply. "You should try it!"

Jack chuckled as he got into bed, and thought about it for a second. He had a quick vision of a fire in the apartment during the night, and of them having to run outside naked, as the fire trucks arrived. "I'll pass, thanks," he said.

"Ok," Angelo simply said, with a tone of "you don't know what you're missing." He lay silent as Jack got under the covers and folded his arms over his chest. Then he said quietly, "You gonna molest me?"

Jack looked over at his friend with some incredulity. "What? No! Of course not!" he said emphatically.

Angelo pursed his lips and nodded a slight nod. "You sure?" he asked after another brief pause. "It's supposedly in high demand, remember?" There was no irony or sarcasm in his voice, unlike the day after Victor's tirade.

Jack turned on his side to look directly at the little fox. "Ange," he said seriously, "I'm not going to molest you. That's a promise."

Angelo smiled broadly. "I know," he said. "That's why I love you." He flipped onto his stomach as he said this, tugging on the blanket to keep it from uncovering his shoulders.

"Heh, because I won't molest you?" Jack asked, the weight of what the kit had just said suddenly hitting him. Now it made sense: a test of sorts which he had passed, his prize being total, absolute trust from this boy, and now his love. He felt a lump in his throat.

"Yep," Angelo said. "Because you don't want anything from me. But you still..." he paused, as if looking for the right word, "well, you_seem_to like me, anyway."

"Oh, I 'seem to like you', do I?" Jack asked, still absorbing what had just happened.

"Well, I don't want to put words in your mouth," Angelo said. He looked over to Jack, almost expectantly for a few moments, then smiled and nuzzled his face into his pillow and closed his eyes.

"Well, don't you worry about that," he said tenderly after a moment. Angelo's eyes opened. "You... you know I love you too, Angelo." The kit smiled happily as Jack leaned over and patted his head, brushing the headfur from his eyes.

Jack then lay back and stared at the ceiling in the darkness, smiling even as the tears flowed freely from his eyes.

---

The next morning, Jack awoke as Angelo was sitting on the bedside, finishing up getting dressed. It was likely the kit's movement on the bed which had roused him, Jack thought, as he was used to sleeping alone.

"Hey bud, 'morning!" Jack said, shaking off the cobwebs of sleep.

Angelo looked over his shoulder and smiled. "Hi Jack," he said cheerfully as he pulled on his t-shirt, which was several days old by now, Jack realized. "We gonna do breakfast?"

"We still have half a cold pizza," Jack reminded him, as he sat up in bed and swung his footpaws to the floor. "I was just going to chow on that."

"Kay," the young fox replied. "I'll grab a slice on the way out. I need to go home and shower and stuff."

"What time does Victor get back?"

"No idea," Angelo said. "He doesn't tell me shit anymore."

"Huh, me either," said Jack.

"He probably knows how much we're waiting to see this "new thing" so he's deliberately going to screw with us," Angelo said sarcastically.

Jack nodded with a wry smile. "Well, I'll come over around lunch time, and we can go grab something. Sooner if I see his car pull up."

"I guess we shouldn't try hitting the pool today, huh?" Angelo asked with a touch of disappointment, as he clearly knew the answer already.

"Not unless we want to screw with his head!" Jack said conspiratorially, which prompted a laugh from the kit. Then, more seriously, Jack continued, "I'd love to, but I think we need to meet this head-on, 'cause things..." he trailed off.

"Things are all about to change," Angelo said gravely, finishing Jack's thought.

Jack nodded somberly. "We'll get through it, bud, you and me."

Angelo came around the bed and gave Jack a quick yet firm hug. Jack hated to think that their last normal days might have passed, and that things would be inexorably different in a few short hours, but that was the thought that had entered his head as he spoke, causing him to stumble upon his words.

---

Several hours later, Jack walked across the parking lot to Angelo's door. There was still no sign of Victor's car. As he reached the door and began knocking, Angelo opened it swiftly. The kit looked almost sick to his stomach: his ears were flat against his head, eyebrows knit upwards, and a sort of snarl-frown on his muzzle. He looked like he was about to vomit.

Jack's ears immediately perked up. "What?" he asked. "What happened?"

Angelo handed him a folded newspaper. "Gazz is dead," he said, turning back inside and flopping down on the couch.

"Gazz?" Jack said. "That lizard who tried to rob us? The one you..." He stopped abruptly. The one that Angelo had cut. "Oh no," Jack said, "Not because of..." He stopped again, unable to bring himself to say it.

Angelo shook his head. "No, not from me. Read it there."

Jack looked at the paper Angelo had given him. It was folded in such a way as to present the intended story immediately. The fox read.

"TEEN DIES IN DRUG DEAL GONE BAD

"Local teenager Melvin Gazzinskiy, 16, was killed Wednesday in what police are calling a failed robbery attempt during a drug deal. Witnesses say Gazzinskiy, a rising junior at Oak Park High School, met with an unknown drug dealer under the pretense of purchasing cocaine, but at some point in the process he tried to rob the dealer and was shot 3 times in the chest, killing him instantly.

"A friend who asked not to be named, said that Gazzinskiy had recently started using heroin and that his behavior had rapidly changed. He reportedly had begun stealing from friends and family, and was often seen trying to sell small items to those he associated with. The friend went on to say that Gazzinskiy had, just days before, received 18 stitches in his chest resulting from a similar attempt to rob another drug dealer."

Jack looked up at Angelo who had been watching him intently. The younger fox just nodded slightly. Jack returned his gaze to the paper.

"Experts say heroin is one of the most addictive substances there is, and that once addicted, users will often resort to theft to finance their continuing addiction, usually at the expense of their family, friends, and career. Police are asking anyone with information to..."

Jack lowered the paper and sat down on the couch next to Angelo. "Wow," he said softly. "Heroin. Well I guess that explains a lot, huh?"

"He tried to rob me to pay for more heroin," Angelo said sadly. Jack patted his knee as he continued. "I mean, that doesn't mean I should have let him... but maybe if I did he wouldn't have been shot?"

"Maybe not this time," Jack said, trying to reassure him. "He obviously saw robbery as an option, so the next time the money ran out he'd have done it again probably."

"I know," the cub said. "But... maybe if I'd known, then... maybe... I could have done something... I don't know..."

"Hey hey," Jack said softly, turning the kit's muzzle toward him with the edge of his finger. "That wasn't your fault. There's nothing you could have done, and no way to have known. Don't kill yourself over this."

Angelo sat back against the couch and looked at the ceiling. He sighed deeply. "Yeah, I know. I guess I just feel bad for... what I did to him. Now that I know what was going on in his head, you know?"

"Yep, I know exactly." Jack patted the kit's knee and stood up.

"Remember what you said to me after the whole Gazz thing went down on Sunday?" Angelo asked looking back from the ceiling. "About how I'm not this character I play?"

"Sure bud," Jack said gently.

"Well, I've thought a lot about that since then," the kit said. "I do know why I've had to do some of the stuff that I've done, like you said, but..." he paused for a moment. Jack sat back down next to him as he went on. "But I can't pretend it _wasn't_me who did those things. I can't... blame it on someone else, some character. I'm the one who cut Gazz. I'm the one who choked a guy out with a girl's jump-rope. I'm the one who... did all that."

Jack patted his knee again. He hadn't heard about the jump-rope incident, but felt this was not the time to inquire further. "Ange," he started to say.

"No, it's ok," Angelo interrupted. "What I mean is, I think I understand myself a little better now. Sure, I know what I did, and I know why I did it. And... I'm ok with it. Does that... make any sense?"

"Absolutely, bro," Jack said reassuringly.

Angelo nodded, his face still serious. "I just wanted to say that, is all." He turned his head back to gaze at the ceiling once more.

Jack nodded as well, but didn't say anything. He thought about what Angelo had just said and was happy the kit had made such a self-discovery. He looked back to the newspaper still in his paw. "TEEN DIES..." A thought randomly entered his mind: something Angelo had said when they first met, about the nature of the business they were in. "Dangerous games," Jack said quietly, echoing the thought in his head.

Angelo looked back from the ceiling. His ears drooping, he said softly, "I don't want to play anymore."

---

Jack and Angelo had run out to the sandwich shop to grab a quick lunch to-go, and were just finishing their food in Angelo's living room when they heard a car door slam shut outside. The two foxes looked at each other silently as they waited to see if it was indeed Victor returning.

Sure enough, less than a minute later the sound of a key in the door's lock left no doubt. Jack stood up nervously, as the door swung open and Victor stepped inside. He looked quite pleased, though the sight of Jack standing there in his living room seemed to catch him off guard, as he stopped abruptly for an instant, then greeted the fox cheerfully.

"Jack!" he said. Then, almost as an afterthought, "And Angelo. Well gents, it's all done." He clapped his paws together once and held them. "I paid off the Russian and it will be here tomorrow. You'll go pick it up," he said, pointing to Jack alone. "Probably be around lunchtime."

"Just me?" Jack asked, surprised.

"Just you," the ferret repeated. "It's better that way. So... you guys ready for the big time?"

"Are you finally going to tell us what "the big time" is?" Jack asked, trying to sound like a friend, while at the same time trying to mask his irritation at having to ask that question for what seemed like the hundredth time.

Victor grinned and nodded for a disturbingly long stretch of seconds. It seemed like he wanted to shout it out, yet was still afraid to say it out loud. Finally he stopped nodding and just grinned, looking from Jack to Angelo and back.

"Heroin!" he declared proudly.

Part 6

"Heroin," Jack repeated slowly, staring at Victor, trying to keep his face neutral. _It would have to be heroin,_he thought to himself. He had just read the news about Gazz, the lizard who had tried to rob Angelo and Jack, getting shot when he tried to rob someone else to pay for his heroin habit. Now Victor finally announces what he'd been working towards all this time: and it was heroin. If it wasn't so tragic, it would be funny, Jack mused ironically.

Victor just nodded, a wide grin still splitting his face as he kept his eyes locked on Jack's. "Yeah, it's something, huh," he said, mistaking Jack's blank stare for awe.

Jack looked to Angelo, who was looking in the general direction of the fox and ferret, though not making eye contact with either. His face, too, was expressionless, and Jack could only imagine what was running through the younger fox's mind, as he had been somewhat distressed when he read the news about Gazz. "Yeah, umm... wow," Jack said, looking back to Victor.

"Big time, boys, big time!" Victor announced proudly, still reveling in his accomplishment. "I dropped a hundred-and-fifty G's on it, and I bet I turn it into half a million by the end of the year!" Jack involuntarily raised his eyebrows at this, which only made Victor seem even happier. "What do you think of the old weasel now, eh?" he said, slapping Jack's shoulder.

"Wow," Jack could only repeat, now with some sincerity. He knew heroin was a profitable drug, but when he heard "million" from Victor, it hit him just how profitable it was. This thought was further reinforced as Victor continued.

"So I take that 500 grand," the ferret said, "and give or take a Ferrari, I sink it into another batch, and before you know it, we've got millions rolling in!" He stepped closer and put one paw on Jack's arm, the other on Angelo's.

"Damn, Vic," Jack said, using the familiar form of the ferret's name for the first time, he abruptly noted, the realization suddenly not sitting well with him. "But let's not get ahead of ourselves," he said, dismissing the awe that he felt mere seconds ago.

"Quite right," Victor said, letting go of the two foxes and taking his suit jacket off.

"So," Jack began, slowly, "how is this going to work? Picking it up, I mean."

"Quite simple," Victor said as he walked to the kitchen and grabbed a wine bottle, pausing to pull the cork with his teeth. "Well, actually, not all that simple when I think about it." He took a long drink directly from the bottle as he walked back into the living room.

"The Russian's delivery guy will put the stuff into the trunk of a car," Victor continued. "He's going to drive it down here tonight and park it in the mall, somewhere in that big parking garage. They're also Express-Delivery mailing me the spare key. It arrives in the morning sometime.

"When it does, you," Victor said with emphasis, pointing at Jack, "you take your car to the mall and park it, find the Russian's car, and bring it back here. We'll go get yours later on, after we all regroup here."

Jack nodded. It was certainly an interesting and efficient way to make a delivery. One thought had immediately jumped into his mind, however. "This isn't a stolen car, is it?" he asked. The last thing the teen fox wanted was a repeat of the last stolen car incident. Jack saw Angelo smile slightly as he undoubtedly remembered the same event. The little grey-furred fox had otherwise been noticeably silent since Victor had arrived, the older fox also observed.

Victor laughed, as he likely was recalling the incident as well. "No, not stolen, don't worry," Victor said. "The car was bought from a used-car lot up there, for just this purpose. Untraceable to the Russian, and we end up with a car at the end of it all."

"I'm going with him," Angelo said, breaking his silence.

"No." Victor said sharply, "Just Jack. I don't want to risk a fuck-up."

Angelo turned to Victor with a snarl visibly forming on his muzzle. "When have I ever fucked up anything?" he shouted. "You wouldn't even be where you are now if it wasn't for me not-fucking things up!" The 11-year-old looked genuinely enraged, Jack thought, which was uncharacteristic for him even in the presence of Victor's usual personality swings and verbal attacks.

"Just Jack!" Victor yelled back at the boy, who maintained angry eye contact with the ferret until Victor turned back to Jack, rolling his eyes.

"So tomorrow," the ferret went on, "when you hear the Express Delivery truck roll up, come on over. I'll be there to sign for it, then I'll head to work for the day: plausible deniability, you know? Angelo?" Victor looked to the little fox who had turned away in disgust from the conversation. "You'll hold things down here while Jack's making the pickup." Angelo just muttered something, unenthusiastically, in response.

"Well," said Jack, watching Angelo, "you know, Vic, it would look less suspicious if I brought him with me. You know... 2 brothers just going to the mall, nothing susp-".

"Fine!" Victor said, interrupting with an exasperated sigh. "Fine, whatever. Just... don't fuck it up," he said to Jack. "This is my life's work we're talking about." He looked down for a moment. "Where the fuck was I? Oh right: you," Victor continued, looking back at Jack, "bring the shit back here, and the two of you guard it 'till I get home at 6."

"And then?" Jack asked.

"And then?" Victor echoed. "Then... we all jack-off over the stuff and have dinner," he said sarcastically. "What do you mean "and then"?"

"I mean, once we have it, how do we... you know... sell it?" Jack said carefully, now curious about his role in the forthcoming distribution. He more specifically want to know if he and Angelo would be selling it directly as they did with marijuana at schoolyards.

The ferret nodded. "I got that plan going, don't you worry," he said reassuringly. "I got some feelers out, some customers lined up, just waiting for it all to coalesce."

Jack just nodded, Victor having missed the crux of his question. No matter, he thought, he would certainly find out soon enough. As was increasingly typical for him, his mind began to flood with scenarios and "what-ifs". He quickly cleared them: now was not the time for that.

"Ok then," Victor concluded, acknowledging Jack's thoughtful nodding as ending the conversation. "So I'll see you here tomorrow when the truck arrives. By nightfall we'll be on the way to riches!" he said as his enthusiasm seemed to be on the rise again.

The teen fox just nodded again and forced a weak smile.

---

Jack lay in his bed, clad only in his boxers, staring at the ceiling. He had spent most of the day since returning from Victor's apartment sitting in his living-room chair pondering the events to come, and as always, letting his mind run away with the unknowns.

Angelo had tried to get Victor to let him spend this day with Jack, but the ferret was insistent that the little fox remain inside. Jack reckoned that because Victor had already made one concession to the kit, that of letting him accompany Jack on the forthcoming pick-up, he therefore was not going to make another by letting him spend more time with Jack.

A completely pointless assertion of control, Jack thought, but it did speak volumes about Victor's personality. Angelo would probably spend the rest of the day in his closet-bedroom reading and, like Jack, thinking over the events to come.

The 18-year-old had fallen asleep in his chair for a bit, and upon awakening, found he had no appetite, so skipped dinner and just went right to his bed to continue his reverie.

_Heroin._They were certainly stepping across a line from harmless vices such as cigars and caviar, into real life-changing stuff, he kept thinking. A police chase and a knife fight aside, what they had been doing up to now was fairly harmless in Jack's mind.

It did not take him long to get to the root of things: addiction. They were crossing over into addiction territory, where the users of their products would not longer be rich doctors and lawyers buying contraband cigars, or high-schoolers looking for a bag of pot for the beach. Their buyers would be people who were buying because they physically had no choice, and would do anything to get it.

The lizard Gazz's face entered his mind many times as he brooded. He had tried to rob Jack and Angelo on a delivery, and had gotten his chest sliced open as a result, albeit superficially. _He_had recently become addicted, Jack noted, and was already resorting to violence to get his next high. Attacking Angelo had cost the lizard some stitches. Attacking an armed cocaine dealer days later had cost him his life.

Beyond his regret over Gazz came the related realization that every one of their future customers could easily be another Gazz: someone so desperate to get their next high that they would attack the two foxes to get it. Gazz had used his fists, but what if it had been a knife or a gun? Would they be walking into an ambush on every delivery?

Jack growled angrily, as he was sure that Victor had not thought out the details to this level, especially not on the delivery side. He had been working towards this for years, the ferret constantly reminded him, yet now that it was here he still did not have a solid plan ready: he still "had feelers out", and deals "coalescing". As much as Jack was not looking forward to this next phase of the business, he was at the same time angry with Victor for not having all the details figured out by this point.

Another Gazz, Jack mused. How many more of him would Jack be personally responsible for creating? How many high-schoolers would steal from their families and friends to afford their next dose, which Jack would helpfully provide, and who would end up dead when they tried to rob the wrong person? Would Jack be the one to snuff out their life to protect his own? Would Angelo?

_But what can I do?_Jack thought in despair. There were only a few options open to him to put an end to all of this, but they all resulted in him losing Angelo once the state and the law got involved. He was being selfish of course, he realized, but the younger fox was now everything to him: his own brother, or even more. Would he have the strength to do the right thing, when the time came? Would he even know what the right thing would be?

These were the thoughts that had been swarming through Jack's mind all day. It was surprisingly tiring, he thought with some amusement as he now lay in his bed. With some sadness he realized that he was laying over on the right side of the bed, rather than in the center as he had done all his life. He looked to the empty space on the left side, where Angelo had slept last night, where he had been mere hours ago.

Jack closed his eyes and sighed deeply. There was certainly nothing he could do right now, he admitted, and anguishing over it would be useless, since he would be in the same place in the morning regardless. He looked over at his clock: 9:43pm. He decided at once to just extinguish the lights and try to get some sleep.

The teen fox hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his boxers, then paused. He had been pondering trying out sleeping in the nude, as Angelo did. The younger fox testified to its comfort every time it came up, but Jack had never actually done so - especially not when the kit was sleeping in Jack's bed.

But here he was alone now, and by wearing just his boxers he was already less dressed than he normally was when he slept. He pulled the boxers down an inch or two then stopped again as he felt a slight arousal begin in his groin. This surprised him, as he had never been squeamish about his own nudity, and had never considered the mere act of undressing to be even remotely sexual. Yet for some reason, this time as he slid his boxers to his knees, the familiar feeling washed over his lower body, its effects becoming plainly visible.

As Jack looked, still curiously surprised, a sudden knock at the front door startled him. It wasn't just that there was a knock, but that the knock was in a specific pattern: a pattern he recognized as the one that Angelo had used when knocking on Victor's door back when the ferret had had his "lady friends" over.

Jack bolted from his bed and ran to the front door, pulling his boxers back up as he ran, but not bothering to grab his shirt from where he had discarded it on the floor. The knock repeated as Jack reached the door and flung it open, without even looking through the peephole.

Angelo stood on his doorstep with a small bundle of clothes in his paws. He smiled at Jack as the door opened. "Hi Jack," he said cheerfully, grinning as he saw Jack's state of dress.

"Ange!" Jack said with a surprised tone, even though he had known from the knock who it was at his door. The bundle of clothes the kit carried only added to his surprise. "What's... what's going on?"

"Victor says I can stay over tonight," the little fox responded as Jack stepped back to allow him inside.

"Oh nice!" Jack said, his sullen mood instantly evaporating at the sight of the cheerful young fox. "What's with that stuff though?" he asked as he shut the door, indicating the bundle which Angelo proceeded to drop on the couch. The cub was not wearing his usual jacket, though, which made Jack even happier: it meant that Angelo felt safe here.

"Clothes for tomorrow," the kit explained as he sat down heavily on the couch next to the bundle, bouncing slightly as he did. "If you don't mind me using your shower tomorrow, that is."

"My place is your place," Jack said with a happy smile as he sat on the arm of the couch next to his friend. "I thought Victor didn't want you coming over though."

Angelo smiled. "I can be persuasive when I want to be," he said.

"Meaning you bugged the hell out of him?"

"All day!" the kit confirmed with a happy grin. His face became more serious again as he continued after a pause. "He did say that if you weren't home or didn't want me staying over, that he wouldn't let me back in tonight. Oh, and if the delivery truck shows up tomorrow and I'm not already over there, he's going to cut the tip of my ear off." He looked flatly at Jack as he said this.

Jack rolled his eyes, his deep-seated hatred for Victor bubbling up again. "Fucker," he muttered instinctively. Angelo giggled at this, though Jack had not intended him to hear it.

The two sat in silence for a moment, Victor's comments sitting heavily on Jacks mind. He didn't doubt for a second that they were sincere threats, which only made the red fox's anger boil even more. But a glance to Angelo was returned with a happy smile from the little grey-furred kit, and that was enough to squelch those thoughts.

"We need to do something about our Mr. Morrison," Jack said rhetorically, leaning back on one arm. Angelo reached out and put a paw on Jack's paw. Jack grinned happily and put his other paw on the kit's and patted. His anger now thoroughly dispelled, the older fox stood up and stretched.

"I've been thinking a lot today... about tomorrow," Jack said, knowing it would be on Angelo's mind as well. "About what we're going to do-"

Angelo held up a paw to Jack, interrupting the teen. "Not tonight," he declared. "We'll worry about all that tomorrow. I think that... I know what we have to do tomorrow. I've got it figured out... I think," he said, a touch of sadness creeping into his voice. Then with a happier tone, he continued, "But! That's all for tomorrow. Tonight we're not going to even think about that. Or him. Tonight it's just me and you!"

Jack smiled. This was more than fine by him, though one invasive thought briefly crept into his mind: For_o_ne last time.

"I was actually about to go to bed," Jack said, indicating his undressed condition.

Angelo seemed to ponder this for a moment, then stood up abruptly from the couch. "That... is a good idea!" he declared with a smile.

---

Jack wiped the condensation from the bathroom mirror with a paw and began to comb his head-fur. The residual shower steam had been cleared from the bathroom by the open door, so the swath he had cleared on the mirror was dry in short order. It was mid-morning, approaching the expected delivery time of the delivery truck, and the car's key.

The teen fox stood at the mirror, clad only in jeans as he attended to his hair. He quickly had it combed back the way he liked it, yet kept going over it with the comb. It was more of an automatic action, as he wasn't even looking at his hair in the mirror at this point - he was staring studiously at his own reflection.

Jack watched the face in the mirror, examining every feature before settling his gaze on the eyes. They were darkly tinted, set amidst the red face-fur. They seemed to be staring back at him like those of a stranger who was wondering why Jack was looking at him.

In fact, the more he stared at his reflection, the more he felt like this was_a stranger he was looking at. The face stared back at him, inspecting Jack's face, even as he did the same to the reflection. _Who are you, Jack wondered. Do I even know you?

A deep rumble from outside jarred Jack back to reality. It was the Express Delivery truck announcing its presence as it did every morning, with the rumbling roar of its engines and the squeal of its brakes. From the direction of the sound, it had stopped a few buildings up to deliver something to one of those residents.

"That sounds like it," Jack shouted out the bathroom door. He put the comb down and walked out into the living room. Angelo, also shirtless, was on one knee tying his shoes, a towel draped over his head, his tail lazily swooshing. "You probably have a minute or two," Jack told him. Angelo looked up from his shoes and smiled broadly upon seeing Jack.

"Ok," he said cheerfully, springing to his feet. "Don't want to lose my ear!" He pulled the towel off of his head, balled it up, and tossed it to Jack like a baseball before grabbing his shirt from the couch.

Jack smiled as he caught the towel. "I'll be over in a couple minutes," Jack said.

Angelo nodded with a smile after pulling his shirt down over his head. He headed for the door, leaving his head-fur in its usual random state.

Jack watched the kit open the door and dash outside, closing it behind him. The fox stood alone in his living room, still holding the towel that Angelo had thrown him. He looked at it wistfully.

---

Angelo was sitting on the stoop outside the apartment he shared with Victor when Jack emerged from his own residence. The kit waved to him from across the parking lot. Apparently, the delivery truck still had some more business for other tenants, as it had not yet swung down to this part of the complex.

_Good,_Jack thought. He didn't want Victor to have any excuse to get angry with Angelo for not being there in time. He would not put it past the ferret to split hairs over what constituted "on-time"; both of them being at Victor's door when the truck arrived should prevent that possibility.

As he neared Victor's door, the delivery truck could be heard rumbling in their direction. Angelo stood and knocked his special knock pattern on the door as Jack arrived on the stoop.

"You're up," the kit said into the door. Jack assumed that Victor would have to sign for the package.

The door opened. Victor stood inside and regarded the two foxes momentarily. Angelo shot him a smug sort of look that seemed to say "Yeah, that's right, I'm here on time." Victor's eyes narrowed slightly but his face maintained a neutral expression.

"All right, inside," he said as the rumble of the truck announced its imminent arrival. Jack and Angelo went inside and pulled the door nearly closed as the truck pulled up outside. Jack could hear Victor outside exchange pleasantries with the driver as he signed for the package. In a moment, the ferret opened the door and unhurriedly stepped inside before closing the door.

Once inside, his demeanor changed instantly. Victor let out a cackling laugh and held the envelope up to Jack before pulling the tear-away strip to open it. He reached a paw inside and extracted a single key and held it up like it was a championship trophy.

"Game on!" Victor announced with a flourish of his other arm. Jack could only chuckle, despite his growing sense of unease - perhaps because of it.

"Whoopee," Angelo said in a flat sarcastic tone.

Victor just chuckled. "So, you guys ready?" he asked.

"I'm gonna get my jacket," Angelo said, turning towards the hallway and his closet-bedroom.

Victor watched him leave, then turned to Jack with a serious expression, another instant change of demeanor which unsettled the red fox.

"So Jack," the ferret began, his voice almost a whisper, "listen, one thing we need to do early is get him hooked on this shit, you know?" He motioned down the hallway with his head as he said this.

Jack was horrified. "Wha... what?" was all he could muster.

"I know, I know," Victor responded, nodding solemnly, "but trust me. The sooner he's hooked, the easier he'll be to control. I'm sick of him acting like he's smarter than me, and I'm sure you are too."

"Right," Jack said slowly. Play the game, he told himself. He had to act like he agreed with the ferret, like he was right on board with his notions. It actually surprised him, though, how wrong Victor was in reading him. "That could be... dangerous though," he said cryptically.

Victor just stared into Jack face, seemingly digesting what the fox had said. "I think I get what you're saying," he said. "So we'll take it slow. It'd be just like him to fuck me by OD'ing."

Jack stared back, trying to suppress the raw hatred he felt for this... creature. "Very slow," he said, then cleared his throat loudly as he saw Angelo in the hallway, trying to make it look like he was giving Victor the "not now" signal with the noise.

Victor, taking the clue, turned to Angelo and clapped his hands together one time. "Ok, now you're ready," he said. Jack detected a tone in the ferret's voice of having been caught.

"Yeah," the cub responded slowly: he seemed to detect the tone as well. He was clad now in his usual denim jacket, and no doubt was carrying his knife in the pocket. Jack instinctively reached back and patted the back belt-line of his own jeans where he kept his knife, taking some comfort in the feel of the weapon concealed there.

"Ok," Victor said again, his tone now serious. "All bullshit aside. Go get the car, drive it back here, and bring the shit inside." He handed Jack the key before continuing. "The car is..." he pulled a slip of paper from the envelope that contained the key, "a 4-door sedan, looks like an older model, dark maroon colored. License plate is on here." He handed Jack the slip of paper with the car's description on it. Jack chuckled as he read one line from it: "Bumper sticker says 'My other car is up on blocks.'"

The ferret chuckled as Jack did, obviously having read the same thing. "At least you'll know it when you see it!" Victor turned to Angelo who had moved to the door with his hands in his jacket pocket. "Angelo: you know my gun drawer?"

"Yeah, sure," Angelo responded, an ear cocked slightly.

"Ok," Victor said. "Well, I'm going to leave that unlocked today, just in case. There's a .357 in there." He looked to Jack intensely. "Use it if you have to." Jack nodded, finding the ferrets gaze disturbing. Turning back to Angelo, he added, "But otherwise don't touch it." Angelo responded only by furrowing his brow slightly.

"I'll be back the usual time," he said, then paused, thinking for a moment. Finally: "This is everything I've worked for all these years. If you fuck it up..." He stopped briefly, then resumed with a surprisingly gentle tone. "Well... just don't fuck it up."

Jack nodded as Victor again gazed intently at him. The ferret turned the same stare to the younger fox, who met it with an impassive face, and did not nod or otherwise respond to what he had said. "Go," Victor ordered calmly, then without a further glance, walked down the hall towards his bedroom.

---

Jack eased his car out of the apartment's parking lot onto the main road. He and Angelo had not said a word since Victor dismissed them and they headed outside to Jack's car. There was no more time to put off what was about to happen, and neither fox seemed to want to break the silence to discuss what they were going to do.

The mall was about a 20-minute drive from the apartments. That time, plus however long it took to locate the delivery car in the fairly large parking garage, was all the time that remained until this next phase officially began.

The 18-year-old was mulling over what Victor had said about getting Angelo hooked on heroin. The thought enraged him more than anything the ferret had done so far. There was, of course, no way Jack was going to allow this to happen. He would gladly slit the weasel's throat and go to prison for it, rather than allow the boy to become an addict simply so Victor could suppress and control him.

Jack looked over to Angelo, who was staring out his window stolidly. He put a paw on the young fox's knee and patted, then grinned as he saw the kit's reflection in the window break into a smile. Angelo looked back to Jack and put his own paw on top of Jack's. It was time, Jack decided.

"So," he began, "what's our plan?" Jack had his own ideas, but wanted to hear Angelo's before making any decisions that would affect both of their lives so dramatically.

Angelo looked out the front window and sighed deeply. "We can't give this stuff to Victor," he said slowly and softly. "Whatever else happens, we... just can't." He looked over to Jack sadly.

Jack looked into the kit's shining blue eyes for a moment, before necessity forced his attention back to the road ahead. He could tell by the look in the little fox's face that he was fully aware of the implications of what he had just said. Jack had reached the same conclusion the day before - indeed the only conclusion that was possible, despite the personal consequences.

"You know what that means, buddy, right?"

"I could..." Angelo said, in a smaller voice than Jack had ever heard him use, "I... could probably live with you still. When it's all over?"

Jack put a paw on the boy's knee again. "Ange," he began, his own voice audibly pained, "I can't hide you for the next 7 years." He looked into the kit's eyes again. "You have to go to school... to the doctors, that kind of thing. Which means you have to be... "official" again." Jack struggled for the right word to indicate Angelo getting back into the system again.

"Yeah," Angelo replied, as if he had known this all along.

"We have to find your mother," Jack said. "At least then you won't get put in an orphanage again." Jack hated to bring up the kit's mother, as it was quite a sore subject with him, and justifiably so: she had abandoned him when he was in the hospital and disappeared, taking a hasty carload of her possessions with her.

Jack honestly believed that she had just panicked over the hospital's bills and left town, not knowing what to do. The limited research he had done into this sort of thing told him that such mothers usually return after getting their emotions sorted out, but in this case Angelo had run away from state custody before this happened. Jack hoped that this would mean that the police would easily locate her once informed of the situation.

Angelo closed his eyes solemnly and nodded. He took another deep breath before continuing. "That's all later though," he said, looking back out the front window. "We're going to have enough problems today."

"Oh yeah," Jack replied. "You said you had a plan though?"

The grey-furred fox nodded again. "Well for starters," he said, "we'll have to hide out at your parents' house for a bit."

Jack cocked an ear, surprised. "Why?"

"If we don't show up with Victor's stuff, he's going to start looking for us," Angelo said. "And the first place he looks will be your apartment. He'll break into it tonight to look for clues."

"Crap," Jack exclaimed. He had not thought of this, though in hindsight it was perfectly logical. "So I lose all my stuff, just like that?"

"Nah, we have till Victor gets home," the kit replied. "We'll deal with this car, then head back there and grab as much stuff as we can from both our places."

Jack nodded, following along. "Then we head to my folks' house?"

"Yeah, for now," Angelo said. "He doesn't know where you live, so we should be safe there 'till we figure out what to do next."

"We're not in the book," Jack said, referring to his parents' being unlisted in the phone directory. "I'll have to tell them what's going on though," he warned. "They _will_call the police."

"I know," Angelo said, "They'll have to. But maybe we can stay there long enough to... figure things out," he said evasively. Then with a deep sigh, he said what he had apparently been trying to avoid: "To find... her."

Jack looked at his friend sadly. "It is the best of a whole lot of bad, though."

"Yeah, I guess," the cub said, sounding unconvinced still. "Her name is Joanne," he said quietly.

The older fox looked over at him with surprise as he shared this, even though it would have been a necessity eventually. "Joanne," Jack repeated back.

"She might be going by Peterson," Angelo continued. "That's her maiden name."

"Got it," Jack replied. Then in a more grave tone, he said, "Angelo." The younger fox looked abruptly to him, his ears perked at Jacks somber tone. "Ange," Jack said again, "I want you to promise me that... whatever happens with all of this... that you won't run away again. Ok? Even if they s-split us up." Jack stumbled on the word: one little word that encompassed all his fears about the path they were taking. "I'll try to find you, and if I can't, you've got my e-mail address. Just tell me where you are and I'll come."

Angelo seemed to bite his lip slightly, his eyes glistening even more as he just nodded wordlessly.

After a moment, Jack broke the thickly emotional silence, as much to keep himself from breaking down as it was to address the imminent practicality. "So what do we do about the car today? Call the cops and tell them about Victor?"

Angelo shook his head. "We have to give them the car, yeah," he said. "But we can't tell them about Victor yet, or our apartments become swamped with cops. No, we clear our stuff out first, get to our safe-house, then we can give them the whole story."

Again, perfectly logical, Jack thought. "What about the Russian?" he asked, the thought suddenly entering his mind. Ratting out Victor was one thing, but crossing a Russian crime boss could really turn out badly.

"He won't care," Angelo said. "The drugs are paid for, so whatever happens to them, he's got his money already. Besides, I get the impression from the way Victor talks, that the Russian doesn't really like him anyway." The kit chuckled. "Maybe he'll do us a favor for getting rid of Victor for him!"

Jack laughed out loud, mostly from nervous tension. Then, putting his paw on Angelo's knee again, "We're really going to do this, aren't we?"

Angelo put his paw under Jack's so that the two were now holding hands. "We have to," he said. It's either the two of us, or however-many hundreds... thousands... of people who will be hurt by that stuff."

Jack felt his lip tremble slightly as the younger fox plainly summarized what Jack had been anguishing in his mind over for the last day. There was never any other answer, he finally realized. He didn't say anything, but gave the little paw a loving squeeze.

---

The teenage red fox steered his care around another corner in the mall's parking garage. He kept the car moving at a fairly slow crawl, which was common for mall patrons looking for an open parking space. Jack looked along one row of parked cars, while Angelo looked out his window at the other. Whenever a faster-moving car would come up behind them, Jack would pull to the side of the lane and wave them around, pretending like he was looking for something in his car.

They were on the 4thlevel of the garage now, with two or three levels remaining above them. Jack was looking for the color first, a dark maroon, followed by the bumper sticker that would be the positive identification.

"Stop," Angelo said as the car turned another corner. Jack did so and looked out the right side window as Angelo discreetly pointed. Sure enough, there sat the car, as described.

Jack double-checked the license plate against the slip of paper, and it was a match. He sighed, as he had been hoping that, somehow, the car would not have been there.

"Keep going," Angelo said. "Now that we know where it is."

Jack let off the brake and steered the car around another corner, now no longer giving the pretense of searching for a spot. "I'm going to park it on the other side," he said, now steering towards the downward ramp that led back to ground level.

"Yeah," the younger fox concurred. "We'll walk through the mall to get back here. Don't want to waste too much time though."

"Should we just call the cops now?" Jack asked. "Tell them where it is and be done with it?"

"Nah," the kit said. "We'll put it someplace obvious. Like a handicapped spot, where they're sure to find it quick. Then we find a phone and call them."

"That will be fun," Jack said, somewhat sarcastically. He was dreading the call to the authorities, in a way, mostly because he was afraid he might panic and reveal too much, and partly because that was indeed the point of no return. Once the call was made, the two were committed to whatever happened going forward.

"I've actually thought about that too," Angelo said as the car exited the parking garage and turned out into the exterior road that circled the mall. "Disguise your voice, definitely. And give them a code-word of some kind. So that if we need to call them again, they'll know you're the same one."

"I hope we wouldn't have to call again," Jack said.

"Well," Angelo said with a faint smile, "This also lets us prove that we're the ones who called it in. You know, afterward... when it might be good to have that up our sleeves."

Jack looked to his friend and smiled. "Good thought," he said appreciatively. For all the anguishing Jack had done, it seemed that Angelo's musings had been better directed towards plans and their consequences.

They had driven around a third of the way around the perimeter of the mall, when Jack spotted a conveniently close parking spot open up, and steered his car into it. "Ok," Jack said as he shut down the engine, "Let's do this." Angelo smiled and nodded.

The pair walked into the nearest mall entrance and proceeded in the direction of the parking garage. Jack was trying to look inconspicuous, which he had to laugh at when he caught himself - they were just two foxes walking in a fairly crowded mall: there was certainly nothing to arouse anyone's suspicion. Security would be watching the cameras looking for shoplifters or unruly groups causing trouble, not for what looked like a teenager and his kit brother walking along.

For his part, Angelo walked beside Jack in silence, his paws in his jacket pockets, looking towards the floor in front of them. Jack looked his way several times, but the little fox didn't appear to notice.

After a few minutes, they reached the mall's exit to the parking garage. Just outside the door was the elevator to the various floors, which the two entered with several other furs and rode to the 4thfloor. They briefly paused upon exiting to allow those that got off on the same floor to disperse towards their own vehicles before starting towards the delivery car.

Jack fumbled nervously with the key in his pocket as the two foxes approached it. Both walked to the rear of the car and stopped, rather than moving to their respective doors. Jack could see in Angelo's face the same thing he himself felt: I want to see this... I _need_to see it. He inserted the key and popped the trunk open.

Inside was a black nylon gym bag, zippered shut. Jack stared at it - there could have been anything else in the trunk along with it, and he would not have seen it, such was the intensity that he focused on the bag. He wanted to will it into non-existence.

After a moment, a small paw entered his field of view. Angelo had reached in and unzipped the bag slightly and pulled apart the open flap. Jack stared within for a moment. Inside the small opening he could see a white substance wrapped tightly in what looked like plastic cling-wrap, the kind used to wrap up leftover dinner.

Jack looked to Angelo who looked back at him matter-of-factly. There it is, the young blue eyes seemed to say. The older fox turned back to the trunk and, reaching in, lifted the bag by its handles. There was certainly some weight to the bag. It was likely full of those cellophane-wrapped blocks. He put the bag back down in the trunk and stared again.

"That's a lot of Gazzes in there," Angelo said sadly. Jack had been thinking the exact same, as he had been for the last day.

Jack looked his young companion in the eyes and smiled, despite the circumstances. He was glad the little fox felt the same way he did. "That's a lot of Gazzes who will get to live," Jack said. "We're going to make sure of that right now." He closed the trunk lid firmly.

---

Jack drove the car out of the parking garage, and followed the same path he had just taken with his own car around the mall. He passed the spot where he had parked his car, and kept driving: he wanted to get to the opposite end of the mall, where the food-court was located.

Angelo occupied himself with exploring the car as much as he could from his seat, which mostly involved inspecting the glove compartment and playing with the electric seat controls.

"Don't get your paw-prints on too much," Jack cautioned. The police would undoubtedly inspect every piece of the car once in their possession.

"Hey, we're the good guys, remember," Angelo said. "If they find our prints, that just helps prove that we were the ones who left it for them. Just be sure to give them a code of some sort when you call."

The older fox had been pondering this since Angelo had brought it up earlier: to give the police some code word or phrase so that in future he could use it to prove he was the caller. He had heard about serial killers doing this sort of thing in letters they sent to the press - a strange sort of authentication.

Jack finally decided on using the last 4 digits of his driver's license number, but reversed. This would positively tie him to the call, but with enough obscurity so as not to involve him if he chose never to reveal himself.

"Yep," Jack agreed. "The code will be 5-4-4-0."

"5-4-4-0," Angelo repeated.

The car approached the food-court entrance where Jack intended to park. He drove past the entrance and noted the handicapped-parking spaces were vacant. He was about to pull into one, then at the last moment jerked the wheel straight again and kept driving. Angelo looked at him quizzically.

"Just... gimme a minute," Jack said as he started another circuit around the food-court parking section. It was time to do this, he well knew, but was still hesitant. Angelo nodded as if understanding, though he said nothing.

After a moment, they were again around to the entrance, with the target parking spot in view. This time Jack decisively pulled the car into the parking space and shut off the engine. He looked to his young friend and nodded firmly. This was met by a corresponding nod from the little grey-furred fox.

The pair exited the car, trying to look inconspicuous. They were, after all, parking in a handicapped space, and the last thing they needed was for a random passer-by to take issue with this fact.

"Lock it, leave the key," Angelo said quietly, as he came around to Jack's side of the car.

Jack nodded and tossed the key onto the driver's seat, then manually locked the door and closed it. Yet another step that there was no turning back from. "We're committed now," he said, starting to walk towards the mall entrance.

"Almost," Angelo agreed. "One more thing left."

The two foxes walked side-by-side to the mall entrance and went inside. This was the food-court section of the mall, with numerous small fast-food sellers distributed around the periphery, with a large open eating area in the center, filled with numerous tables and chairs. What they were looking for now was a phone. Pay phones were becoming increasingly hard to find, but there was normally at least one in large public venues such as this.

Jack saw the symbol for a telephone handset against one wall where there was not a food vendor. He tapped Angelo's arm, who was looking over a different wall for the same thing, and the two started towards the phone kiosk. There was nobody else near it, which Jack was glad about, as he didn't want anyone listening in on the call he was about to make.

The teenage fox's heart was racing as he and Angelo reached the phone. Jack picked up the handset and held it halfway to his ear, looking at his young friend.

Angelo smiled at him. "We can do this, Jack," he said encouragingly.

Jack nodded, and with a deep breath, punched the phone's keypad: 9-1-1.

Almost instantly a voice came on the line. "911, what is your emergency?" It was a female voice on the line.

Jack cleared his throat. When he spoke, it was with a heavy accent and an artificial deepening of his voice. "Yes," he began, "I am at mall, at food-court entrance. I think you should know that there is dark-red car parked in handicap space that has much heroin in trunk."

"Heroin?" the voice asked. "Sir, how do you know this?"

"I know, believe me," Jack said, still maintaining the accent. "I think you should send police to come get this. Owners will not be coming for it. Shall we say... something happened to them?"

"Ok," the operator said. There was an uncomfortable moment of silence on the line. Jack could hear her typing. "You said a red car? Is there a license number?"

"Is only dark red car parked in handicap space by food court," Jack said, looking into Angelo's eyes now.

"Ok." More typing. "And you say it's in the trunk?"

"Yes, in trunk." Jack was starting to think that they were deliberately holding him on the line so the police could find him.

"Ok, and what is your name?"

"My name is "person telling you about big drug shipment". I give name later perhaps. For now, here is code number for you: 5-4-4-0. When I call back I give number and you know it is me, yes?"

"Ok, sir, but I really would like you to stay on the phone until someone arrives," the operator said.

"I go now," Jack said. "You remember code, yes? 5-4-4-0. Come get drugs." He hung up the phone without listening further.

"Nice accent," Angelo said with a grin.

"What means accent?" Jack said, still speaking in it. "This is real voice!" The two shared a brief laugh before Jack looked seriously at his little friend. "We're committed now," he said solemnly, in his normal voice.

"Yep," Angelo agreed. "Let's get out of here." "Want to grab lunch?" Jack asked. They were still in the food-court, after all, and Jack had missed several meals already.

The younger fox shook his head. "No time," he said. "I wanna get as far from Victor as we can first."

"Yeah," Jack said, thinking. "You're right, lets go." The two started towards the middle of the mall.

Jack's car was almost exactly on the other side of the mall from where they were, so the quickest path was directly through. It was air-conditioned as well, in stark contrast to the oppressive July heat outside. Besides, Jack reasoned, the drug car was within view of the near door, and who knew what the police would do when they discovered it: they may want to question anyone who was parked nearby, or happened to pass closely.

They walked briskly, but unhurriedly. As before, neither fox spoke as they walked, though Jack noted that Angelo was repeatedly nibbling on his lower lip, an unusual outward sign of anxiety from the 11-year-old.

Presently, they arrived at the mall exit nearest to where Jack had parked. The older fox slowed as he approached the door, trying to look well beyond it through the glass. Though it had been less than 15 minutes since the call, he was concerned that there might be an overwhelming police response that would lock-down the mall.

In his head, he knew that even when the drugs were found, it would be extraordinarily impractical to lock down the place and question every patron. Indeed, as the two vulpes exited through the doors, there was only the normal mall traffic to be seen. There was nothing to indicate that the car had even been discovered yet, as far away as they still were from it.

Jack's car was parked close to the exit, and they quickly reached it. As they got in and Jack started the car, the two friends again made unspoken eye contact. "You want to go see, don't you?" Jack asked with an accusing smile after a moment.

Angelo's face widened into a grin. "You do too I bet!"

Jack just smiled back and pulled the car out of the parking spot. He drove the car slowly along, again as if they were new arrivals searching out a convenient open spot, though 2 pairs of vulpine eyes were locked on the portions of the building ahead that were just coming into view.

The car approached the entrance where they had left the drug car. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, so Jack turned off of the road and into the parking lanes, trying to get closer without looking suspicious. He heard Angelo make a noise as he saw it himself at the same time.

The car was parked where they had left it. 2 police cars were parked in the open spaces behind and next to it. Several officers and one police dog had their attention focused on the trunk. The dog would be a drug-sniffer, Jack assumed. Hopefully the heroin was not so well-wrapped as to be undetectable by a dog, he thought.

Jack stopped the car and pretended to gawk at the police, which seemed to him to be the least suspicious thing he could do, then turned the car down the next lane of parking spots, as if still looking. Fortunately, there were no open spots readily visible, as passing them by would have dispelled the ruse he was trying to portray.

"Let's give them a couple more minutes," Jack said quietly. "They're... close."

"Mmm-hmm," Angelo responded. "Would suck if they don't open it, huh?" He punctuated this with a laugh, as if he found the notion suddenly very funny.

Jack did not reply. He was now wondering what they would do if the police did not in fact open the car. They could not drive it again, as the keys had been locked inside. If it sat there overnight, it would likely be towed, or possibly broken into. If the latter happened, their goal of keeping that bag off the streets would be thwarted.

As he turned the car down the next row of parking spaces, which happened to lead back towards the drug car, he breathed a sigh of relief: it appeared from his distant vantage point that the trunk was now open. Jack had to fight every instinct so as not to race his car closer, but rather maintained his slow crawl.

There were now 3 officers at the rear of the drug car, and as Jack inched the car closer, it soon became apparent that the trunk was indeed open. The drug dog was sitting well away with his handler, while another officer nearer the car was talking energetically into his radio, while the others had their attention locked on the interior of the trunk.

Jack did not linger to gawk this time, but again turned his car down the next row of parked cars before letting out a deep sigh; it suddenly occurred to him that he had been holding his breath.

"Well, that's it," the 18-year-old said, his voice audibly shaking.

"Yeah," Angelo said, his voice barely above a whisper. Then with some enthusiasm, he continued. "Whatever happens next, at least that crap is off the streets."

Jack found that notion comforting, and felt a certain feeling of selfless accomplishment at having done this. Now remained the practicality of getting both of them well away from Victor, and then the fallout from what would happen once the ferret realized he had been double-crossed.

Once clear of the parking rows, Jack turned the car back onto the road and nonchalantly headed for the mall's exit. When they reached the exit and were back on the main roads, this pretense of remaining inconspicuous was quickly dropped as Jack sped the car in the direction of their apartments.

"Ok, how are we gonna do this?" Jack said, referring to the next part of the plan.

"Well, first don't get us killed with your driving," Angelo said with a smile. Jack laughed and backed the car's speed down to a more reasonable level. The little fox continued: "Then, when we get home, you go to your place and grab as much stuff as you can - anything important or valuable, 'cause you might not get to go back for a while. I'll do the same for my stuff."

"No," Jack said, shaking his head. "I'll go in with you first. I don't want to leave you alone in there." Even though Victor wouldn't be home for hours, Jack did not want to let the boy out of his sight now.

Angelo nodded appreciatively. "Ok," he said, "I don't have a lot anyway, so it will be quick. I'll just pile it all in one trash bag. Then we'll get as much of your stuff as we can fit in here."

"No more than an hour, tops," Jack said. "Whatever is left after an hour... well... it can wait. I want the rest of the day to get the hell away." Then after a pause he mused, "That will be the easy part."

"What's the hard part then?" Angelo said, half-laughing.

"The hard part is telling my parents," Jack replied. He had been putting off thinking out that part of the plan, as it had been "first things first" up until now. As fewer and fewer steps remained, he now had to give serious consideration to how they were going to react.

"If I just bring you home and don't tell them anything," Jack continued, now talking out the plan in real-time with Angelo, "they'll... well, they'll call the cops. If I tell them_everything_... they'll _still_call the cops. If I only tell them a little, then they'll make me tell them everything, and we're back with the cops."

"Yeah," Angelo agreed somewhat sadly. "I'm pretty much expecting that we'll be talking to the cops tonight. Tomorrow morning at the latest." He looked to Jack with a playful smile. "We'll just leave out the part about me selling pot at schools."

"Ok," Jack said with a chuckle. "I'll leave that out if you leave out me running from the cops in a stolen car!"

"And racing a train?" Angelo said, now with a laugh. "Ok, I'll leave that out if you leave out me lighting that car on fire!"

"Deal," said Jack, laughing along with the younger fox despite the subject matter. He figured it was due to pent-up nervous energy that needed to be released. Then after his laughter quieted down, he said, "The way I see it, we were just the delivery guys, right? I mean, who knows for sure what was in those bags?"

"Exactly," replied the kit, even though he had assembled most of them. "We blame it all on Victor. He didn't want us knowing what was in them anyway!"

Jack looked to his friend somberly. "So, we're going to rat out Victor, huh?"

Angelo sighed and did not immediately respond. Then: "Yeah, I think we have to. Unless he shoots himself in despair, he _will_come after us. Somehow."

"Right," Jack said looking back to the road. He certainly had no loyalty to the ferret, in fact he still downright despised him, so had no qualms about putting him away. He likewise agreed with the younger fox that Victor would pursue them relentlessly if he discovered that they had double-crossed him. In any case, this was just another step in the plan that had now been solidified.

They were now approaching their apartment complex, and both foxes fell silent. As Jack steered the car into the complex, he was glad that there were few cars about. The residents of this complex tended to keep to themselves, but the last thing Jack wanted was for a neighbor to strike up a conversation about them hauling items out of two separate apartments.

As they got close to their own buildings towards the back of the complex, it appeared even more devoid of cars. Jack pulled into the space right in front of Angelo's door, in the spot Victor usually used. No sooner had the car come to a halt than Angelo opened his door and hopped out. Jack shut off the car and followed the kit up to his door.

Angelo unlocked the door and the pair went inside. The apartment was silent and the lights were off. Jack pushed the door closed behind him, but did not latch it shut. Angelo slowly, almost hesitantly, walked to the middle of the room and stopped. Something was clearly on his mind, Jack thought.

"Should we..." The kit began, turning back towards Jack, "you know... grab anything else while we're here?" His ears were halfway drooped as he said this.

Jack pondered this for a moment, then chuckled. It would surely be justice, of a sort, to get some payback from Victor. The ferret had often spoken about how he did not use banks, so even with the recent drug purchase, there should be some cash around, or even some of the gold coins that he used for longer-term storage.

This reminded Jack that Victor had given him a small cache of gold coins to hide away in his own apartment, for safe-keeping away from the ferret's own residence. He would make sure to grab those with the other items he wanted to recover. After a moment's more thought, Jack shook his head. "Nah, let's get out of here clean. I mean, it would suck if Victor tried to get us_arrested for stealing from _him, right?"

Angelo laughed out loud. "Yeah, the fucker would definitely do that too!"

Jack smiled. "Go get your stuff, I'll wait here."

"Be right back!" Angelo said brightly and dashed around the corner and down the hallway.

Jack walked towards the center of the living room where Angelo had been standing. He looked down towards the hallway, where the light was now switched on, and listened in silence to the boy rummaging around in his closet-bedroom.

Behind Jack, the apartment's door flung open heavily. Jack spun around and was face-to-face with Victor. The ferret had a surprised look on his face. "Victor!" Jack said loudly, hoping Angelo would hear.

"Jack," Victor replied, sounding unsure. "What... what's going on? I see your car outside, but not the Russian's. What happened... was the car there?"

"Victor," Jack repeated nervously. "I... I thought you were at work."

"I was," Victor replied, kicking the door closed behind him and walking past Jack to the kitchen. "Then I figured, why stay there all day when my life's work was coming together? So you got the car, right? So where is it... where is Angelo?" He looked down the hallway and bellowed "Angelo!" He turned back to Jack and walked back into the living room. "What happened?"

Jack instinctively backed up a few paces as Victor encroached upon him. "Calm down Victor," Jack said.

"Calm down? What the fuck do you mean "calm down"? Where's the fucking car?" His voice was starting to get an audible tremble to it, Jack noted. "Did you get my H or didn't you?"

"Yeah, sure," Jack stammered, his eyes shifting between looking at Victor and looking towards the hallway where Angelo still had not emerged. "It's... it's just that..."

"Wha... what?" Victor said, now with a nervous sort of laugh in his voice. Jack knew from experience that the ferret was close to exploding with rage. "Where's my shit, Jack?" Then turning back towards the hallway he again shouted, "Angelo!"

"Come on, Vic," Jack said, his own voice audibly trembling nervously now. "Just sit down and we'll..."

"Sit down?" Victor repeated, a hint of panic now creeping into his tone, which Jack had never heard from him before. "Jack, just tell me what the fuck is going on! This is my life here!" He began pacing rapidly in front of Jack as he continued, his voice getting more animated as he went on. "You got the car, right, so why not bring it back here? There's no cops around, so what?"

Jack took another step back from Victor, to where he almost had his back to the door. The ferret was looking alternately at the floor and at Jack as he went on.

"Something's going on, just tell me," he said loudly, as if arguing with himself. "I mean I'm sitting there at work thinking everything's going to plan, meanwhile you're back here in the middle of the day..."

Victor stopped abruptly, paw in mid-gesture, pointing at the ceiling. He slowly turned to face Jack and lowered his paw to point at the fox. Jack's eyes went wide, his ears perked fully.

"You..." Victor said, his voice now conversational again, but with a tone that suggested he had come to a realization. "You didn't expect me to be here. You thought... I'd be at work!" In a flash, the ferret reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a small pistol which he pointed right at Jack's head. "Where the fuck is my car?" he yelled.

Jack froze, staring at the gun. A random thought entered his mind as he looked into the dark opening in its front, and a rather out-of-place thought given the circumstances: it looked like the kind that you would see a movie spy carry.

"Hey Vic, now... easy," was all Jack could muster. His heart was pounding now as the gun's muzzle loomed in his sight.

"Where the fuck is my car?" Victor shouted again, though a little less frantically. "Don't think I won't blow your head into my front yard."

"Come on," Jack said, "Put the gun down and we can talk."

"Talk?" Victor said incredulously. "What... what's there to talk about? Are you... you holding out on me? You want a bigger share? What?"

"No Vic," Jack replied, trying to sound soothing in hopes it would calm Victor down. "It's nothing like that..."

"Then what is it?" Victor said, his voice edging into hysteria. "I already made you a full partner, what more do you want?" Once more he turned to the hallway off to his right and yelled, "Angelo!"

Jack was about to say something when Victor again froze after calling out Angelo's name. He turned back towards Jack with a manic smile.

"Angelo," Victor said to Jack, chuckling, "You just had to take him with you, didn't you. He'll tell me where it is. If you're counting on me needing to keep you alive, well you're wrong!" The ferret's voice was escalating to a near scream now. "Angelo will tell me! He'll tell me if I have to use a fucking _blowtorch_on him!"

"Put the gun down, Victor," Angelo said. Victor and Jack both turned their heads towards the hallway, where Angelo stood, pointing a pistol at Victor - the gun that Victor had left unlocked "just in case".

The three stood in sort of a triangle: Victor in the middle, pointing his gun at Jack ten feet or so in front of him, and Angelo standing off to Victor's right side, slightly closer but still out of arm's reach. The 11-year-old held Victor's revolver in both paws, straight out.

Victor coolly turned his head to Angelo, though he left his gun trained on the older fox by the front door. "Well well," he said conversationally, "Look who finally shows up. And you're gonna threaten me with my own gun?"

"Yeah," Angelo said flatly. "Now put that gun down."

"You ungrateful little shit," Victor said, equally monotone, as if he was chiding the young fox. "After all I've done for you, you're gonna point a gun at me."

"After all you've done for me?" Angelo said, anger now creeping into the little fox's voice. "I should kill you _because_of 'all you've done for me'."

"Look at you!" Victor said, and it was almost a command. "You would never have even touched a gun before me. And before Jack, I used to drive you to those schoolyards, remember? I've seen you walking like King Shit around there, guys there afraid to cross you, and girls hanging off of you. Remember? That's all 'cause of me: I made you what you are!" Angelo said nothing, but worked his lower jaw slightly.

Jack, watching the two, pulled up on his shirt slightly to allow free access to the knife in the back of his pants. Victor must have seen this movement out of the corner of his eye, because his head turned back to Jack and he flexed the arm that held his gun, while shaking his head at the red fox: a warning not to move.

"No," warned Angelo as Victor did this. The ferret turned his head back to the kit. "Just... put the gun down," Angelo repeated.

"No, I don't think so," Victor said, wagging his gun slightly in defiance. "What are you going to do with that thing, pup?"

"Don't think for a second that I won't kill you," Angelo replied. "That will be one more thing you taught me, huh?" His tone was the cold, flat tone he used on deliveries with troublesome customers, Jack noted.

Victor chuckled, and turned his attention back to Jack. "Where's my heroin, Jack?" he asked calmly, then turned back to Angelo. "Where's my heroin?"

"You put that gun down and we'll talk," the grey-furred fox kit said. "But I'm not going to let you hurt him."

Victor's eyebrows raised at this, stretching the brown fur of his facial mask. "You're not gonna let..." He turned to Jack with a sudden look of realization again. "Hurt him?" The ferret laughed heartily, which unsettled Jack.

"Now I get it!" Victor said happily, looking between Jack and Angelo. "You two!" He turned back to Jack, gun still leveled at the fox's face. "So Jack, tell me: how does his cock taste? Is it as good as that doctor fantasizes it is?"

"What?" Jack exclaimed loudly, then looked to Angelo who still had his attention on the ferret.

"You really are a piece of shit, Vic, you know that?" Angelo said angrily.

"You ungrateful fuck!" Victor yelled, switching extremes of emotion yet again. "I made you! You'd be nothing without me!" The ferret looked back and forth between the 2 foxes again, visibly fuming, before a thought seemed to come to him that he found amusing and he calmed down somewhat. "In fact," he continued, "you'd still be at home with your mommy, living your boring suburban life, without me."

"What?" Jack and Angelo both said, almost simultaneously. Jack looked to Angelo who was now looking back at him, brow furrowed slightly in confusion.

Victor laughed again at their reaction. Then, in mocking pantomime, he put his free paw to his mouth like a small cub who had said the wrong thing. "Whoops," he said, "Did I just say that?"

Jack and Angelo again exchanged glances, Angelo also making sure to keep his gun trained on Victor. The ferret watched this silent conversation with amusement.

"What," said Victor, now with derision in his voice, "I thought you were supposed to be smart, Angelo. You haven't figured it out by now?"

Jack watched Angelo carefully. The young kit's blue eyes were searching Victor's face, while his own betrayed that same hint of confusion. Despite the gun to his face, Victor was trying to assert control of the situation, as he always did.

Worst of all, Jack noted, Angelo's arms were starting to wobble a bit, as the constant weight of the gun was beginning to wear on him. He still held the gun trained on the ferret, but it was probably pointed to his neck or shoulders by now.

After a few seconds of silence following his last jab, Victor continued, starting off with a disappointed sigh. "Ok then," he said, turning his head back to Jack, "does this help: 'What's that Mrs. Cole? You don't want to drive in this blizzard? Ok, I'll take you to the hospital to see your boy. I'm not afraid of driving in snow!'" He turned back to Angelo slowly, making eye contact out of the corner of his eye well before his head had fully turned. "Only she never made it, did she?"

"What... what are you..." Angelo said nervously, the gun in his paws now pointed towards Victor's chest.

Victor laughed a ridiculing cackle. "You dumb fuck!" he shouted. "She didn't abandon you: I killed her!" Angelo's eyes went wide with disbelief, which Victor laughed at again, before moderating his tone once more.

"Not right away, of course," the ferret said, now looking back to Jack. "First we went and had some fun, if you know what I mean. Oh, she wasn't into it at first. But it's amazing what a gun to the head does for a vixen's motivation." He punctuated this with another cackling laugh.

Victor continued, now in a conversational tone, like he was giving driving directions. "So... 2 pops to the head... a quick dump in Lake Royal... and back to her place to make it look like she skipped town. Pretty simple really."

"Why?" Jack asked, his voice almost a whisper.

"I needed a delivery monkey," Victor said calmly, before turning back to Angelo. "And I knew if I fed you enough of that orphanage bullshit, that you'd come running to old Uncle Vic; rather than spend your life in such a 'horrible horrible place'. Well, you didn't disappoint."

Angelo's face still had an expression of shocked disbelief, and the gun in his paws was now slowly moving left-right in his grip. Victor nodded at the boy. "It was that very gun, too. How does _that_feel?" The ferret looked between Jack and Angelo again, now looking more with his eyes than with head movement.

What happened next seemed to move in slow motion: Angelo looked from Victor to the gun in his young paws for an instant, then back to the ferret. His expression changed from shock to hatred as his arms found renewed strength and he raised the pistol back up.

Victor, seeing Angelo's momentary distraction, abruptly turned on one heel until his gun was pointed squarely at Angelo.

For a brief instant, fox and ferret locked eyes over the guns they held: the young fox's blue eyes filled with hatred, the ferret's black eyes filled with mocking amusement.

The moment passed.

A single gunshot tore through the apartment like a bolt of lightning.

Part 7

The muzzle of Victor's gun erupted in a flash, accompanied by a near-deafening bang. Angelo's upper body pivoted sharply to the left as he was stuck, then he crumpled hard to the floor like a marionette whose strings had been suddenly cut.

Jack had been ready to charge at the ferret as soon as the gun was no longer pointed at him, but the suddenness of Victor's movement caught him off-guard. The report from the gun was a shock to him as well: it wasn't like he always saw in the movies, where guns sounded like dynamite going off yet nobody seemed to be bothered by the noise. It was actually quite the opposite on both points: this was essentially just a very loud "pop", and it left Jack's ears ringing and feeling like they were stuffed with cotton.

The teenage fox quickly regained his focus. In one motion he reached back with his right paw to the hunting knife in the back of his belt, while simultaneously throwing his weight forward to rush at Victor the way he would have when he played football. He was only two or three running paces from the ferret.

Victor's arm was bent at the elbow, the gun pointed at the ceiling as he regarded the young fox lying in a heap. A cruel smile formed on his black-masked face. He lowered the gun back towards the inert grey-furred form, but must have detected Jack closing in on him. With a striking look of surprise, Victor started to turn the gun towards the charging fox, but Jack launched himself at the ferret before he was able to bring the gun to bear.

It was a take-down worthy of a professional wrestler: Victor fell backwards to the floor with Jack straddling his chest. It was very reminiscent of when Jack had attacked the tiger friend of Gazz's who had ambushed Jack and Angelo - indeed it was the same basic tackle, pulled from his mental football inventory. But whereas that time he had only brought his knife to the tiger's throat and held it there threateningly, this time Jack did not stop.

With a primal scream, intensified by the view of Angelo lying motionless out of his peripheral vision, Jack summoned all his upper-body strength and plunged his knife into the side of Victor's neck, aiming it upwards towards the center of his head.

Victor arched his back and let loose a guttural sound Jack had never heard a living being make. It was not so much a scream as it was a prolonged "ack" sound. His paw loosened on the gun he still held, causing it to loop upside down around his finger before it dropped to the floor. Victor stared into Jack's eyes with shock, his own eyes wide open.

The adrenaline was still raging through the 18-year-old fox as he held onto the knife in Victor's neck. It was still only a matter of seconds since the gunshot, and the implications were only just penetrating through the raw instinct and into Jack's rational mind:_Victor shot Angelo... Victor killed my boy._With another scream of rage, Jack pulled the knife handle sharply sideways, pivoting it in the ferret's neck, then pushed it back downwards with all his weight, cutting from side to side.

The fountain of blood spraying from the wound was quite impressive, and once again, nothing like Jack had seen in movies. Victor's eyes seemed to focus now on nothing in particular as he continued to emit that croaking shout while his body twisted and convulsed beneath Jack. For a second Jack thought he could see the blade of his knife in the back of Victor's throat, before blood obscured it as it pooled in the ferret's maw.

Jack sat on Victor's chest, keeping him pinned to the floor as he kicked randomly and squirmed, all the while staring into the ferrets face and maintaining a tight grip on the knife as spraying blood soaked his paw-fur. The kicking and squirming stopped after a few more seconds. Victor lay motionless under Jack with his mouth open and filled to the edges with blood, eyes rolled back in his head. The spray of blood slowed to a trickle and stopped. Victor Morrison was quite dead.

It took a moment for Jack to realize this. His ears were beginning to clear from the concussion of the gunshot, and the loudest sound he heard was his own heart pounding. He continued to stare down at Victor, half expecting him to continue fighting back as they always did in the movies, but then released his grip on the knife and let his paw drop limply to his side.

From his left he heard a sharp whimpering cry which instantly cleared his head. _Angelo!_He looked to where the boy lay and his heart leaped as he saw the grey-furred tail twitching, and one foot-paw moving. Jack jumped up from Victor's chest and practically flew to the little fox's side.

"Ange?" Jack said, touching the cub's shoulder. Angelo was lying on his left side with his legs awkwardly crossed and drawn up against his body. His head was tucked down into his chest, teeth visibly gritting, but his eyes were open and tear-streaked. "Ange," Jack said again, nearly crying at the sight, both in despair for his condition, and joy that he was still alive.

Jack pulled backwards on Angelo's shoulder to turn him onto his back, but stopped halfway as the boy let out a shrieking yelp, which only seemed to get worse when Jack stopped. "Sorry," Jack exclaimed, pulling his paws clear and holding them up.

Angelo was half-turned onto his back, and with another yelp and a kick of his foot, he rolled the rest of the way and lay flat, though his legs were still crossed and setting off at an angle from his torso. His blue denim jacket was stained crimson on the upper-left portion of his chest by the pocket. He let out a prolonged wail which turned into sobs through his gritted teeth.

Jack moved to Angelo's right side, away from the wound, and took the kit's paw in his own. Angelo looked at him and managed a weak smile. His sobs quieted to heavy panting, but he didn't say anything. Still breathing hard, he looked towards the ceiling and closed his eyes.

"Stay with me, bro," Jack said anxiously, touching the side of the kit's muzzle with his unbloodied paw.

Angelo opened his eyes and looked back to Jack. "Uh-huh," was all he said.

"Shit," Jack muttered to himself, unsure what to do. His head swiveled, taking a quick inventory of his surroundings, when he saw the telephone on the wall. "I'll be right back," he said, jumping to his feet and sprinting to the phone. It slipped somewhat in his paw from the blood that still coated it, but he managed to keep his grip on it, and with a very shaky finger tapped out 9-1-1.

"911, is this about the gunshot?" a voice said on the line before Jack even heard it ring.

"Gun... gunshot... yes!" Jack said, wondering how they knew that.

"Ok," said the voice, "we've gotten calls about that already. The police are on the way. Are you in the apartment where it happened?"

"Huh? Yes... yes we are," Jack stammered, looking back at Angelo. "I need an ambulance too, and fast: there's a cub here that's been shot!"

"Ok, did you say a cub? How old?"

"Yeah," Jack said, "he's shot in the chest. He's eleven"

"Did you shoot him?" the voice asked.

"What? No!" Jack shouted angrily.

"Stay calm, sir," the voice said patronizingly, "I'm just gathering information. Who did shoot him?"

"This... this other guy," Jack said, still agitated. "He's dead though."

"How did he die?"

"Look," Jack said, increasingly frustrated, "just get me an ambulance please? I'll explain everything to the police."

"Yes sir, the ambulance is on the way. We know the address from your phone number," the operator explained. "Are there still guns in there?"

"What? Uh... yes," Jack said. "There's two guns and one knife. I'll throw them to the other side of the room, if that's what you're worried about." "Jack," Angelo called weakly.

"I gotta go," Jack said hurriedly into the phone.

"I need you to stay on the line," the operator said.

"Angelo needs me," Jack said, not thinking or caring that they didn't know his name.

"Sir, I..." the operator began to protest before Jack hung up the phone. He stooped down to where Victor had dropped his gun and picked it up by the muzzle. He looked at it hatefully for a second before tossing it to the far side of the room and returning to Angelo's side.

"I'm here, buddy," he said, taking the kit's paw again. He reached over to pick up the gun that Angelo had dropped, and sent it after its fellow to the far side of the room.

Angelo was not panting anymore, but was taking long deep breaths which he exhaled rapidly. "You killed Victor," the cub said, looking at the ferret's body a few feet away.

"Yeah," Jack said flatly. He did not want to think about that right now, though. There was something far more important. "How are you doing?" he asked gently.

Angelo smiled slightly at the question, which Jack realized must have sounded comically absurd under the circumstances. "I'm dyin', Jack," he finally said, sadly.

"Shh, no," Jack said, smoothing back the cub's head-fur. "Don't talk like that. The ambulance is on the way. They'll fix you right up." Jack was trying to reassure himself as much as he was Angelo.

"No," Angelo said, "I am. I can feel it coming... every breath..." he breathed in deeply again, and did seem to be having trouble doing so. "Every breath is..." Another deep breath. "Harder than before. Pretty soon..."

"No..." Jack said, almost a whimper as he felt a sense of despair and panic welling up. "No, don't..." he trailed off, not knowing what to say.

Angelo squeezed Jack's paw. "It's ok," he said weakly. "I'm not afraid, and... and it doesn't hurt much if I don't move. I'm just glad... glad that we..." Speaking seemed to be getting difficult for him.

"Shh," Jack said, tears now freely flowing. "Save your breath," he said gently, then looking towards the door, shouted, "Where the fuck are they?" He noted that the front door was still unlocked from when Victor came in, so the rescue crew should have no issue getting in once they arrived.

"Just promise," Angelo said in between labored breaths, "promise you won't... won't forget me?"

Jack could not hold in his sobs at that. "I swear," he whispered, squeezing the little paw with both of his own and touching his lips to the dark paw-fur. The wail of a siren could be heard in the distance. Jack lifted his head and cocked his ears straight up to listen more intently as it grew louder.

"Here they come," he said through excited sobs. "Just keep on breathing for me, and they'll be here before you know it!" Angelo smiled slightly.

In fact Jack could now hear several sirens, at least two, of different tones approaching. Police and ambulance, he figured. Police. Things were about to get interesting for him, he thought, looking back over at Victor's body with Jack's knife still protruding from his neck.

The sirens got very loud as they pulled up outside the apartment, then stopped. Jack could hear car doors opening and closing. He wanted to get up and run outside to meet them, but besides not wanting to leave Angelo's side, he figured a blood-soaked stranger running out of an apartment where a shooting was reported would probably not be the smartest thing to do.

Jack remained where he was, squeezing the younger fox's paw and maintaining eye contact. Angelo didn't seem to be getting any worse, though he was still taking labored breaths. Jack heard voices just outside the apartment door.

"Get the hell in here!" Jack shouted towards the door. Voices on the other side continued for a moment, then the knob turned and the door was pushed open slightly. "Get in here," Jack yelled again, now certain that they could hear him.

"C'mon," a voice said from outside.

"Wait," said another, "wait until we secure the scene."

"I got a cub dying in here!" Jack screamed, nearly hysterical at the back-and-forth he was hearing from what he assumed were the police and the paramedics.

"Ah, fuck it," the first voice said, and the door burst open fully, pushed by a cat carrying a large medical bag with a Red Cross emblazoned on it. He hurried into the room, and rushed to where Angelo lay, kneeling down at his left side near the wound.

"What happened?" the cat asked, opening the bag and pulling out some gear.

"That guy," Jack replied, indicating Victor, "shot him. He was gonna shoot both of us, so I..." He just trailed off. The rest wasn't important right now.

"Fuck," a voice from behind him muttered. Jack turned to see a rabbit carrying another medical bag and wearing the same uniform as the cat: obviously the paramedic's partner. He was standing in the doorway taking in the scene, then quickly knelt down next to Jack on Angelo's right side.

"What's your name?" the cat asked Angelo, as he pulled a pair of scissors from his belt and began to cut Angelo's jacket off, starting from the cuff and running up the sleeve.

"Angelo," Jack hurriedly replied. The cat glanced at him sideways before turning back to the cub.

"Angelo," the medic said, "I'm Rick. How're you doing?"

Angelo was still struggling to breathe, but let out a chuckle. "Oh just fine Rick," he said, "though I have... this weird pain in my shoulder." Another laugh.

The medic laughed as well before continuing. "Well, that's why we're here. I mean, though, are you cold? Thirsty? Anything like that?"

"He's shot!" Jack exclaimed. "What kind of questions are..." He stopped as the cat shot him another look, which was both stern and compassionate. A look which said "I'm trying to help here".

"Cold means shock," the rabbit paramedic said softly from where he knelt next to Jack; he had started cutting Angelo's jacket off from that side. Jack looked at him stupidly. "And thirst means blood loss," he continued. "They're just quick checks to see what we've got. A lot quicker than any of this." He indicated the stethoscope and blood-pressure cuff that he had deployed from the bag.

"I..." Jack said, then sighed. "Sorry," he said softly which was answered by a supportive pat on the shoulder from the rabbit medic.

"A little cold," Angelo said. "Not thirsty." Both sleeves of his jacket had now been cut lengthwise up to the collar and laid open. The knife which Angelo always carried was plainly visible, sheathed in the left side of his jacket. The medic Rick then proceeded to cut the boy's t-shirt off as well. Angelo's white chest-fur was cruelly stained crimson on his upper-left side.

"He is having trouble breathing," Jack said, his tone now more helpful and calm. "He said every breath is harder than the last."

"Mmm-hmm," the cat acknowledged as he moved his stethoscope over Angelo's chest, listening intently as the boy struggled to breathe. After a moment, the cat leaned back and pulled the stethoscope from his ears. "Left tension pneumothorax, compound fracture left clavicle," he said to his partner. "Get vitals, start an IV Ringer's, and prep a Bolin seal." The cat opened his bag and dug into it, pulling out several items in plastic bags.

"Pardon me, sir," the rabbit medic said to Jack, as he leaned in to wrap a blood-pressure cuff around Angelo's arm. Jack was still holding the boy's paw with both of his own. Jack just leaned back to give the medic room, never loosening his grip on the young paw.

"Sir, can we have a word with you?" said a voice from behind Jack. The fox looked up over his shoulder to see a tiger policeman standing immediately behind him. Behind the tiger were two other officers closer to the door.

"Umm," Jack stammered. He looked back to Angelo who was looking back at him helplessly. Jack turned back towards the tiger. "Please," he said, a lump welling in his throat, "not... not right now? I promise I'm not going anywhere."

The tiger looked at him for a moment, then his countenance softened. He just nodded and stepped back, though still watching.

"BP 135-over-90, pulse one-twenty, O-2 at 93, dropping," the rabbit said rapid-fire, bringing Jack's attention back to the matter at hand.

"Yeah," Rick said, "we gotta do this. Hold off on the IV." He leaned in towards Angelo, who was still focused on Jack. "Angelo," the cat said gently.

Angelo's gaze lingered on Jack for a second, then he looked at the cat, but didn't say anything. Jack noticed the medic now had an array of needles and tubes laid out on a mat in front of him.

"Angelo," the cat repeated, "that bullet hole is what's making it hard to breathe." He looked up to Jack for a second; he was explaining to both foxes as he continued. "See, when you try to take a breath, some air goes in your mouth and some goes in through that hole where it does no good. We need to get that extra air out, then you'll be able to breathe just fine."

"Uh-huh," was all Angelo said. He seemed to have noticed the equipment that the medics had opened, and looked between the mat and the medic's face.

"Now," Rick continued, "it's gonna hurt, I won't lie to you. I've never been shot, so I can't say if it will hurt more than that did, but... it's gonna hurt."

Angelo nodded nervously, his gaze shooting between Jack and Rick. He pursed his lips and squeezed Jack's paw, then nodded. "Kay..." he said.

"I'll give you a countdown: 3-2-1-go," the medic said, as one paw felt along Angelo's side, fingers probing for a precise spot. "When I say 2, take as deep a breath as you can and hold, ok?"

Angelo just nodded, and turned his gaze back to Jack. His eyes were watering as he squeezed the older fox's paw. His jaw chattered a bit as if he had the chills.

After a moment, the medic found the spot he was looking for on Angelo's side. Jack could not see the exact spot from where he sat, but he saw the cat pick up a large needle and bring it to that general area before it too was out of Jack's line of sight. He also noticed that the rabbit had moved over to the cat's right, above Angelo's head, and was holding the cub's left forearm to the floor, gently but enough to hold it down.

"Keep watching me, buddy," Jack said as gently as he could, knowing what was about to come.

"Ready Angelo?" Rick asked. Angelo nodded to both of them, then locked his eyes on Jack's.

"3," Rick said, both of his paws as well as his attention now concentrating on Angelo's side. The rabbit, still holding the cub's arm down, watched intently from his vantage point.

"2." Angelo took a slow deep breath. Jack thought he heard a squish sound come from the cub's wound.

"1." The boy seemed to shudder for a second then he shut his eyes hard, teeth clenched.

"Go." Rick's paws seemed to move only a small amount as he pushed the needle into Angelo's side.

Angelo's reaction wasn't nearly as subtle. His eyes sprung wide open, staring at the ceiling. His back arched and his mouth opened in a silent scream. One leg lifted his lower body up slightly as the other kicked at the air. His tail thrashed between his legs and his ears twitched, the gold earrings he wore making soft tinkling sounds from the motion.

"Watch me, look at me," Jack said insistently, trying to get his attention. He didn't know what good it would do, but from where their relationship was, he hoped he could bring some small amount of comfort. After a few twitches, the cub complied and focused on Jack. His eyes were still wide and his jaw worked open and closed as a high-pitched squeal came from his throat.

"You're doing good," Rick said encouragingly as he worked his paws on the needle, still out of Jack's sight. After a second, Jack heard a hiss come from Angelo's side, and a smile formed on the medic's face. "Perfect," the cat said, his attention on the needle.

The high squeal that Angelo was making changed to a lower but louder cry: a long drawn-out "oww" or "ahh" punctuated by a sob. He was quickly running out of breath, Jack noted, and hoped the medic's smile meant that the cub would find it easier to take his next one.

Angelo's leg, which had been lifting him off the floor slightly, also lost its energy and his whole body seemed to slump heavily. Even the boy's grip on Jack's paw slackened, which panicked Jack on an instinctive level.

The older fox gave the young paw a tight squeeze as he bent over him to try and fill his field of view. Angelo's eyes were darting around randomly, but did lock on Jack's when he leaned forward. Jack wondered if Angelo had felt the same thing Victor had, their reactions were so similar. He leaned back to his sitting position and was overjoyed that the cub's eyes followed him.

"And done," Rick said. "Take a deep breath for me, Angelo." He put his stethoscope back in his ears and placed the end over the cub's chest.

Angelo took a deep breath, which seemed to come very easy, and let it out. His face brightened with surprise, as if he had not expected it to work. Cautiously, he took another long deep breath, and exhaled, punctuating it with an almost giddy laugh. "I can breathe," he said excitedly, and with a grin took yet another.

"That's what I want to hear," said Rick, patting the cub's belly. "You were a trooper too!" Then turning to his partner, he said, "Ok, go get the stretcher, I'll close up here. We'll IV and seal en-route." The rabbit nodded and quickly headed for the door.

"Where are you taking him?" Jack asked, realizing that they were going to take him on the ambulance, while Jack would now have to talk to the police and likely be arrested.

"General," the cat said, referring to the hospital, "it's the closest one to here". He was stuffing the used items, gloves, and equipment into a red plastic bag, while the unused items went back into his medical bag.

After a moment the rabbit rushed back inside with a stretcher, its legs closed up under it like an ironing board. "You... need to move," he said gently to Jack, who after a pause, let go his grip on Angelo's paw for the first time and moved aside. The rabbit laid the stretcher down directly to Angelo's right side.

The medic Rick gently ran his paws under Angelo from his left side, taking great care to try and avoid moving the kit's left arm. The rabbit put one paw under Angelo's knees and held the edge of the stretcher with his other.

"On 3," Rick said. "1... 2... 3." On the count of 3 Rick lifted the cub up and held him a foot or so off the floor. Angelo yelped at the motion and the compression of his arm. The rabbit likewise lifted, and with his knees and free arm he pushed the stretcher underneath the boy before both of them gently lowered him to the soft material.

"Alright," Rick said. "Let's go." The two medics lifted the stretcher, one from each end, and began to carry it towards the door.

"Jack!" Angelo called out. Jack rushed to his side from where he had been left standing. "Come with me," the kit said.

"I gotta stay here now, buddy," Jack said sadly. "I'll be along as soon as I can. I gotta talk to the police now."

Angelo gazed at him for a second, then nodded. "I love you, Jack!"

"I love you too, buddy," Jack replied, nearly choking on the words. He stepped back and the medics continued to carry the stretcher out the door. Once outside, the legs of the stretcher clanged into place, and Rick wheeled it down towards the waiting ambulance. A crowd had gathered in the parking lot, and were being kept back by another pair of police officers.

The rabbit medic came back into the room and picked up the remaining bags before dashing back out without a word. A cacophony of sounds filled Jack's ears. He could hear the clanging of the stretcher's mechanism as its legs were collapsed again for loading into the ambulance. There was police chatter audible from the radios they carried. He heard the ambulance doors slam shut, followed by the sound of its large diesel engine as it pulled away. Its siren began to blare once it left the parking lot, then faded into the distance.

One of the police officers closed the door. To Jack the world went eerily silent, as it was just him and 2 officers in the apartment's living room. Jack looked to where Victor lay: a once-white sheet covered his body, now soaked through with blood. The handle of the knife, still in the ferret's neck, was easily discernible through the sheet.

Jack turned his attention to where Angelo had been. His jacket and t-shirt were still on the floor where they had been cut open. It reminded Jack of a lobster tail at a seafood restaurant once the meat had been extracted.

The silence was deafening. Jack looked between Angelo's jacket, Victor's corpse, and the 2 police officers. He felt a sour burning in his throat and, dropping to his paws and knees, vomited on the carpet.

---

Jack sat in a detective's office at the police station, sipping cola from a can. He was not under arrest - following a brief interrogation in Victor's apartment, the police officers assured him that they considered it self-defense. When Jack had explained the reason why Victor wanted to kill the two foxes in the first place, because they had turned his heroin delivery over to the police, that sealed it in the investigators' minds.

The heroin "find" had been all the talk that morning at the police station, and when Jack positively proved it was him who made the 911 call, by reciting the code number he had left with the operator in the same accent, the narcotics detective who was working the case asked to meet Jack down at the station. This was well received, as Jack and the two police at the apartment wanted nothing more than to get out of that room.

Jack didn't think blood had a smell, but the amount that was soaking the wall and carpet gave off a metallic smell that nearly made him vomit again, so he willingly offered to come down to the station to meet the detective and give his official statement. The officers at the apartment told him that he was not under arrest. In fact, they pointed out that turning in the heroin like he did was the best thing he could have done to prove that he was one of the "good guys".

The teen fox sat in the narcotics detective's office, along with a homicide detective, and one of the two police officers, the tiger, from the apartment. He had shed his blood-soaked outer shirt back at Victor's, and wore just a t-shirt. He had tried to wash the blood from his arm-fur in the police bathroom, with only moderate success.

The narcotics detective was talking, taking notes as Jack responded, as was the homicide detective. "So he was just a petty smuggler," the narcotics detective, a white lion, said.

"Yeah," Jack said, "something like that. 'Contraband luxury items' he called it: Cuban cigars, expensive booze. Caviar, I think there was one time."

"Drugs?"

Jack thought for a moment how to respond. He and Angelo had jokingly discussed how they would tell their story to the police, and now it was time. "Well," Jack said, slowly at first, "we did do one drop-off down in a... well, a bad part of town. That might have been drugs, pot maybe. It was a gym bag, soft and heavy. But I was ordered not to touch it or open it. Didn't matter to me anyway, so I didn't really think about it." He hoped he sounded convincing. "In general, though, I don't think Victor could afford to buy drugs to sell very often. That's why he was so excited over this heroin buy." That much was true, at least, he thought.

The lion nodded as he wrote. "It didn't bother you that you were moving illegal merchandise?" he asked. "Regardless of what it was, it was still illegal, right?"

Jack took a deep breath. This was where he could still get into trouble. Blame Victor, he thought. "It did, sorta. The way he talked, though, it was harmless stuff. He wasn't forcing it on anyone or feeding any addictions. Still, though..." he trailed off with a nod. "But," he said with renewed purpose, "if it wasn't for Angelo being there, I know I would have quit right away."

"The cub kept you there?"

"Yep," Jack said before realizing that explanation was required. "What I mean is: I got to know him really quick, and I knew I had to find a way to get him away from there. So I just played along with Victor 'till I could find a way to get him safely out, then he and I would have both been miles away."

"Why not just call the police?" the homicide detective chimed in.

"I would have," Jack replied honestly. "But Angelo said that he would just run away if I tried to do that. And if I did it without telling him, he would run away from wherever they put him at the first chance he got. My plan was to find his mother, when I thought she had just abandoned him. That was... that was before Victor said... what he said." He looked sadly at the detectives. "Did you... find anything about her?" He had explained back at the apartment about Victor's claim that he had killed Angelo's mother.

"No," the homicide detective, a malamute, said, looking through papers on a clipboard. "Nothing from the morgue or from missing-persons." He looked up. "Maybe he lied."

"I hope so," Jack said. "That would be the best possible outcome right now." There was a moment of awkward silence in the room.

"So," the lion said, breaking the silence, "getting back to Victor's operation..."

---

The interview seemed to go on for an hour or more. Jack explained everything he knew about Victor's business, which was admittedly not much. Beyond the items being sold, and his direct interaction with the ferret, there was not much else he could say with any certainty. The detectives were interested in contacts and suppliers, as well as customers and how they contacted him to place orders or how Victor reached out to them.

Jack could only say that Victor kept referring to "The Russian", but who he was, or even if he was in fact Russian, he could not say. Likewise, he was never involved with the customer lists or the order-taking process. It was probably done through e-mail, he suggested, but was quick to also point out that he had intentionally never given his own e-mail address to Victor as he wanted no part of it.

Jack explained how he met Victor and Angelo, how he had gotten started working for the ferret and how the deliveries progressed, what a typical day was like, everything he could recall Victor saying about the "next big thing" which turned out to be the heroin purchase, and especially the minute-by-minute of that morning.

He had left out the drug sales at the local schools, of course. He and Angelo had agreed to omit that back when they had discussed it. He also left out details of the personal time the pair had spent together, other than to say they had become close friends which had only made Jack all the more determined to save him from Victor - even to the point where the kit had finally agreed to let Jack search for his mother.

Jack hoped that the combination of his determination to save Angelo, along with the fact that they had turned in all that heroin, would work in his favor and keep him from being arrested. Even if he was arrested though, he had accomplished his main goal as best as he could: Angelo was free from Victor. He asked several times about the boy's condition as they talked, but the police could not get any information.

The interview was wrapping up. They had asked him some questions several times over, each worded in a different way. Making sure he was telling a consistent story, he figured. Nevertheless, they seemed pleased with what he told them.

"We'll get this all typed out," the homicide detective was saying, "then we'll give you a call to come down and sign it. That will be your statement on this whole thing."

"So," Jack began, cautiously, "I'm not under arrest?"

The two detectives exchanged glances. "This looks like obvious self-defense to me," the malamute said, which was echoed by a nod from the lion.

"What about the other... stuff?" Jack asked.

The lion thought for a moment, then replied, "Nothing specific on you," he said. "We'll add all this to our organized crime file, and see if it fills in any gaps. Other than that..." he paused for a moment, then looked directly at Jack, "That's assuming you're not lying about what you knew."

"No, I swear," Jack said. "I told you everything I know about Victor."

The lion nodded with a smile as the homicide detective spoke, "We'll run this by the D.A., he has the final say about how he wants to proceed. In my opinion this was self-defense, though. One way or another, you'll know in a few days. You may want to see a lawyer anyway, though."

Jack nodded. He'd have to do that straight away, he thought, as well as the worst part: telling his parents. He didn't even want to start thinking about how that was going to go: "Mom, Dad? I killed a guy..."

The detectives stood up from where they sat, one in a chair and the other on the side of the desk. "Well, that's it I think. You're free to go, but please don't leave town for the next week or so."

"What about Angelo?" he asked again. "Have you heard anything about him?"

"Let me check," the uniformed officer said, turning to leave the room.

"I'm going to head down there," Jack said, referring to the hospital.

"That might not be a good idea," the lion said. "They probably won't let you into the Cub Ward if you're not a relative."

"But," Jack stammered, "I'm the only family he has!"

"You need to either be a relative, or be on the Allowed List," the malamute offered.

"How do I get on that list?"

"The cub's... parents," the detective said, pausing as he realized the conundrum, "have to add you." He looked at the lion then back to Jack. "We'll figure something out. For now, just go home, get cleaned up."

"I have to see him," Jack protested.

"You need to do it the right way," the malamute said. "They won't hesitate to have you arrested otherwise. That's one area they don't mess around." Jack whimpered in frustration at the bureaucracy in play, then just sighed.

"No news," the uniformed tiger said as he re-entered the office. "I wouldn't read too much into that," he said, trying to sound reassuring. "When they're swamped, the paperwork is the last thing they worry about." Jack was far from reassured though. In his mind that explanation just meant that the bad news was tied up in paperwork.

"Come on," the tiger said, "I'll give you a ride back." Jack had ridden down in the back of one of the squad cars that had responded to the apartment, so had no ready means of transportation available.

Jack leaned forward in his seat, paws on his face, then slid them up and through his hair, arching his back as he did. "Yeah," he said resignedly, "yeah ok. Thanks."

---

Officer MacAllister, the tiger police officer, was rather chatty on the ride back to Jack's apartment. Perhaps he was trying to keep Jack's mind off of Angelo, or maybe that's just how he was. Jack asked about how his case would proceed, about which the tiger expounded in great detail:

After Jack signed his statement, and the officers finished their investigation and reports, it would all be sent to the District Attorney to review. The D.A. would probably talk with the various police who were involved for their opinions. If he felt that Jack had indeed acted in self-defense, he would likely prepare a statement to that effect, and barring any new evidence the case would be closed.

If the D.A. felt that Jack acted criminally, or if he felt more investigation was required, he would submit all the reports and statements to the Grand Jury who could then indict Jack for a crime, or dismiss the case themselves. An indictment, of course, would mean a trial with all of its possible consequences. The officer didn't think that would happen, though he admitted that there were many intangibles; it could even come down to what kind of day the D.A. was having when he reviewed the evidence.

The tiger was also very sympathetic to Jack. As a father himself, he could understand why Jack would go along with Victor for that long, if his only goal was to get Angelo away from him. The look on Jack's face back in the apartment, when he asked the officers to wait until Angelo was stabilized, affected him particularly strongly. "When I saw the pained look on your face," he had said, "I knew you were telling the truth."

The patrol car pulled into the apartment complex. As they approached Jack's building, he could see there were still several police vehicles in front of Victor's, along with a handful of residents watching from outside the cordon of yellow tape that had been set up. As the car pulled up in next to Jack's car, several of them turned to look, talking among themselves. It was nearly three in the afternoon.

"Ok, here you go, Jack," the tiger said, shutting the engine off. "I'll check up on the cri... on the team in the apartment."

Crime scene, he was going to say, Jack figured. "Ok," Jack said. "I just want to..." He trailed off. He didn't know exactly what he wanted to do other than run to the hospital which was out of the question.Curl up on the floor, perhaps, he thought to himself.

The officer nodded, as if he understood perfectly. "I hear you," he said, as he got out of the car and opened Jack's door. "Get cleaned up, get something to eat. I'll be in touch. Here." He offered Jack a yellow piece of paper. "This is a list of lawyers that work our district, in case you don't have one, or can't afford one. They do pro-bono work... free, that is, though you may have to call a few of them to find one that's available now. Still better than the Public Defender, but don't tell anyone I said that!" He winked as he said the last part.

Jack took the paper and chuckled. "Thanks," he said, getting out of the car. He looked over to the gaggle of residents, some of which were still watching him.

"Go on inside, Jack," MacAllister said. "Don't worry about them, and actually it's best if you don't talk to them, or to any press that might show up."

Jack agreed completely. The last thing he wanted to do was relive this day yet again through another description of the events. He nodded to the officer, who patted his shoulder. Without another glance towards Victor's door or the crowd, he walked to his door and went inside, quickly locking it behind him.

For the second time that day, Jack found the sudden silence overpowering. He coughed loudly and took a deep breath, just to make some sound to fill the room, before grabbing the TV remote and turning it on. He tossed the remote back on the couch, not even caring what was on the television, as long as it made noise.

Jack briefly considered flopping down on the couch, but one look at his blood-spattered clothes dissuaded him from that. He pulled his shirt off and balled it up in his paws, pondering what to do with it. Should he just launder it with the rest of his clothes? The blood would leave stains that would probably never completely vanish, he figured. A lot of this day would never completely vanish, he mused.

Suddenly angry, he went to the kitchen and threw the shirt into the trash can. He did not want to be reminded of this, of Victor, every time he wore this shirt. He regarded his jeans and came to the same conclusion, stripping them off and depositing them in the trash as well. For good measure, he removed his boxers and socks, sending them off after the others, then tied the trash bag closed.

Jack stood nude in his kitchen, arms at his side, staring at nothing in particular and feeling helpless and alone. He acutely felt Angelo's absence, and hoped it was not some sort of cosmic knowledge of the cub's fate.

Shaking off the feeling he went towards his bedroom. There was still one more bit of blood to take care of, that being what was still caked in his arm and neck fur. A long hot shower would take care of that as well as relax him so that he might be able to sleep, though the prospects for that seemed dim at the moment.

Jack stopped abruptly as he reached his bedroom door. There on the floor were Angelo's clothes from the night before, where he had shed them before bed. A lump welled in Jack's throat as he looked at the little bundle. Angelo had left his clothes there, expecting to simply come get them after picking up the drug car. That seemed like ages past now, though it had been only a matter of hours.

The teen fox turned and went into the bathroom. The towel Angelo had used for his shower that morning was hung on the towel bar next to Jack's, and the shower stall itself still had not yet dried completely from the morning's use. Jack stared vacantly at the shower stall, as a flood of thoughts began to rush in. Shaking them off, he reached in and turned the water on as hot as he could stand it.

---

Jack sat on his couch, wearing only his boxers after his shower. He had run all the hot water out - the second time that day, he mused with a smile - but had managed to get all of the dried blood out of his fur as far as he could see. The TV was still on, though Jack had lowered the volume significantly, no longer disturbed by the relative quiet of his apartment.

He sat with a notepad, writing out things that he needed to do, hoping to be able to better sequence them. "See Angelo" was written at the top, underlined heavily. "Tell family" was one that he had not figured out where to put on the list. Part of him wanted to get closure from the police first: they would either decide to prosecute him or they wouldn't, and he would then tell his parents once the immediate course was known.

That would mean he could not avail himself of his parents' lawyer ahead of time, though. "Get a lawyer," he wrote on the sheet, then set the pad aside and picked up the yellow sheet the tiger had given him. There were many names and phone numbers of lawyers on the sheet, most with their areas of specialization listed: DUI/DWI, personal injury, domestic violence, and the like.

Jack perused the sheet, looking over the ones that had no specialization listed, or had "criminal defense" listed. His eyes stopped on a name which seemed to jump out at him: Maxwell Cartwright. He stared at the name, certain he had seen it before somewhere.

Suddenly he jumped up and ran to the kitchen, to where he had left his wallet when he discarded his jeans. He opened the wallet and fumbled through one pocket, then extracted a card. He stared at the card: Maxwell Cartwright, Attorney at Law. This was the card given to him by the otter lawyer that he and Angelo had delivered a sizable load of Cuban cigars to on the first day they worked together.

This was the same lawyer that had given Angelo a "cub-sized" dose of cocaine, Jack recalled with some displeasure. But he was the logical choice for Jack to call: he knew Angelo and Victor, and had met Jack during the delivery, so there was some semblance of a connection. The card also had his personal cell phone hand-written on it, making a more likely channel than the main business line given on the card and the police yellow sheet.

Jack picked up his cordless phone and sat back down on the couch. He took a deep breath and dialed the cell number written on the card.

"Cartwright," a voice said.

"Hi," Jack started awkwardly, "Umm, hi Mr. Cartwright. My name is Jack Archer, I'm a friend of Angelo? You remember Angelo right?"

"Oh yeah," the otter said, suddenly with energy. "Angelo's my guy! I remember you: red fox right? You guys brought me some presents?"

Jack chuckled, remembering the animated nature of the otter and how much it had amused Angelo. "Yep, that's me," he said.

The otter laughed cheerfully. "I thought so! So what can I do for you, Jack?"

---

Jack hung up the phone. His ear was warm and sweaty from the length of the call: over an hour. He had told Max - the otter insisted that Jack call him that - everything, re-telling his story one more time. Max was furious at him for having spoken to the police without a lawyer, and he told Jack that from that moment forward only he would speak to them on Jack's behalf. Jack would need to sign his statement still, but the otter said he would review it and discuss it with the police first.

For his part, Jack made it clear that he was willing to take whatever consequences came; he did what he had to do to save Angelo from Victor, so his conscience was clear. The otter was initially dismissive of this attitude, saying the prisons were full of people who were in-the-right in their own minds. His attitude moderated somewhat as Jack related the depths of his story.

Max felt pretty good about the self-defense case, though he echoed the message from earlier, that it would all come down to how much the D.A. felt like investigating. Even though Jack's killing of Victor was obviously self-defense, all of the other criminal activities that Jack had admitted to participating in while working for Victor could come under scrutiny. And while Max felt that such an investigation would probably dry up for lack of witnesses, it could still hang over him for a very long time.

Jack sat back in his couch and laid his head back against the cushion, staring at the ceiling. It was nearing dinner time yet he had no appetite, despite not having eaten anything since the night before. His mind was trying to sort out all that Max had told him about what was going to happen, and what still could happen. Nothing has happened yet, he kept telling himself, trying to stop before he let his imagination run away with possibilities once again.

He stood up to clear his head, and walked to the front door and looked through the peephole. He could see activity over at Victor's apartment still, though the crowd of spectators had dwindled since he returned home. He was particularly glad that nobody had knocked on his door, whether from the press or just a curious resident.

Jack walked back to his bedroom, pausing for a moment yet again at the sight of Angelo's clothes pile, before dropping heavily on his bed. He lay on one side of the bed, and regarded the other side where Angelo had slept the previous night. He could picture the little grey-furred fox laying there, smiling over at him.

He dismissed the vision with a shake of his head, and threw an arm over his eyes to shut out the light that bled in through the window blinds. "Angelo," he said sadly, then sighed. A moment later his abdomen began to shake as silent sobs beset the teenage fox.

---

The ring of the telephone roused Jack in an instant. He sat up abruptly, and noticed it was now dark outside. As he reached over to grab the phone next to the bed he saw the clock: 10:43.

"H- hello," Jack said into the phone, his head still groggy from the sudden awakening.

"Oh, sorry, did I wake you up?" a cheerful voice said. It was Max, the otter lawyer.

"Yeah," Jack grunted, then inhaled deeply and gave his head a quick shake.

"Well, pardon me," Max said still cheerfully, "but while you've been getting your beauty rest, some of us have been getting things done!"

"Max," Jack said, finding the otters demeanor somewhat irritating, given the circumstances, "I've had a rough day."

There was silence on the phone for a moment. Then, "I know, sorry," Max said in a more subdued tone. "But I figured you'd want to hear about Angelo," he said, slightly more animated, but not nearly what he had been.

"Angelo!" Jack exclaimed, now wide awake. "What about him? Is he..." He couldn't bring himself to continue.

"He's fine," Max said quickly, as if he sensed Jack's state of mind. "He's got a broken collar bone, but the doctors say he'll be 100% before you know it. He's got a private room at the hospital!" The otter laughed at this comment. "As soon as they heard the State was picking up the bill, they put him in the most expensive room they had!" Another laugh. There was silence for a few seconds. "Jack?" the otter asked. "Still there?"

"Yeah," Jack said, his voice audibly choked as a stream of tears ran unchecked down his face. He took a deep breath through his sobs. "Yeah, I'm here." He laughed and cried at the same time into the phone, not caring who heard it.

"I figured you'd want to know as soon as possible," Max said gently after letting Jack release for a few seconds. He continued, "I called the officer running your case to introduce myself, and asked him to call over to the hospital. So yeah, he's fine and resting comfortably."

"Thank you," Jack said, finally able to find his voice. He also felt suddenly very hungry, as a wave of anxiety left him.

"It gets better," Max said, starting to perk up his tone again. "You... are now on the Allowed List to go see him!"

"Wha... how?" Jack said excitedly. "I though only family..."

"Well," said Max, now sounding proud of himself, "I'm your lawyer, right? So, now I'm his too! And since there's an active investigation going on, all 3 of us need to be able to meet. Bing-bang-boom: Allowed List!"

"Can I go now?" Jack blurted out, looking again at the clock.

"No," max said with a laugh. "Only family can be there overnight. But 9am tomorrow visiting hours open."

Jack audibly laughed another relieved laugh into the phone. "Max, wow," he said, "that's... thank you!"

"Hey, I'm on your team now," he said. "I do what I can. So get your red butt over there first thing." "You better believe it!" Jack said happily, now wondering how he was going to get any sleep that night.

There was a long pause on the phone, then Max said, "There's... just one more thing."

---

Jack got off the elevator on the Cub Ward floor. It was just before 9:00 in the morning. A line of visitors was formed in front of a glass window, behind which sat a nurse taking IDs from people and passing them forms through a tray at the bottom.

The teenage fox clicked his tongue in nervous irritation. Max had told him that visiting hours opened at 9:00, but he didn't think to expect a line, though in retrospect he felt slightly selfish for thinking he was the only one with a loved one inside. _Loved one..._the thought made him smile openly. He waited in line patiently, and in five minutes or so it was his turn at the window.

"ID," said the nurse flatly, a rabbit lady who had probably gone through this routine thousands of times. Jack slid his driver's license under the window. The nurse took it and typed on her keyboard. "Patient name," she inquired.

"Angelo Cole," Jack said, still nervous, though Max assured him he was on the list.

"Fill this out and sign, please," she said, passing a form under the window. She continued typing as Jack filled out the form which was basically just his name and address, and several paragraphs of text saying what the rules were. A section at the end was for him to sign, stating he would abide by the rules.

Jack signed the form and slid it back through the slot in the window. The nurse was typing away still, looking at his drivers license every so often. She stopped and looked at her computer screen, brow furrowing slightly, which made Jack suddenly nervous again that something was wrong. Finally she hit one button on the keyboard and a white paper sticker, about paw-sized, printed out from a little cube next to her monitor.

"Room 135," the nurse said, tearing off the sticker and handing it through the window slot. It was a visitor badge, with Jack's name and what room he was allowed in, printed in large enough type for anyone to easily see. "Through the doors, down the hall, second left, and it will be down on your right."

"Thanks," Jack said, affixing the badge to his shirt and turning from the window. The doors directly adjacent to the window buzzed loudly and clicked unlocked. Jack pushed them open and went through. He heard the door buzz and click locked behind him.

The hallway inside the door went fairly far ahead, with intersecting hallways evenly spaced. Doorways to patients' rooms appeared regularly on each side of the hall, broken up only by the occasional workspace containing a computer terminal and various cabinets. Lining the hallway in any available space was an assortment of empty beds, wheelchairs, mop buckets, and other hospital equipment.

Jack walked down the hall and noted his target, the second left intersecting hallway ahead. As he passed room doorways, he took a quick glance inside. Most opened into double-rooms, with a cub visible in a bed and family members standing or sitting nearby. A curtain drawn halfway through the room obscured the other side, though Jack did see an occasional fur visible past it.

Every once in a while, Jack saw a cub in the bed with nobody else in the room. He almost wanted to go in and talk to the youngster, but his badge clearly had "--135--" in large letters printed on it, and he wondered what would happen if he tried to go elsewhere. The sight of a uniformed police officer standing at a nurse's station up ahead left him little doubt.

Jack reached the specified intersection, and turned down the adjoining corridor. It stretched ahead similarly to the last one, though not nearly as long. A larger nurse's station was placed halfway down the hall, and the hall itself had the same array of equipment in open-storage as the main hallway.

Every nurse, orderly, and janitor he passed took a glance at Jack's badge to make sure he was in the right place. Jack counted off the room numbers as he proceeded down the hall. 129, 131, 133... 135. He stopped and took a deep breath, his heart pounding, as he read the label on the wall next to the door: "Cole, Angelo J.," followed by his date of birth, and some two-letter codes hand-written below that. A clipboard hung on a hook by the door.

Jack stepped into the doorway and looked within. Angelo lay in a bed with the head end propped up to a 45-degree angle, putting him in a reclined sitting position. He wore no gown that Jack could see, though the sheets and blankets on the bed, adorned with teddy-bears and paw-prints, were pulled up to his mid-chest level. His left arm was in a sling, and his left shoulder sported what looked like football padding over white bandages. The television was on, set to some cub cartoon, but Angelo was staring straight ahead, his face neutral as if lost in thought.

"May I come in?" Jack asked. Angelo's demeanor immediately changed as Jack's voice got his attention.

"Jack!" the little fox exclaimed, his ears perking up and a huge smile splitting his muzzle as he held out his right arm towards the door.

Jack nearly sprinted the short distance to the bed. He wanted to scoop the boy up and swing him around, but settled for crouching to Angelo's level and wrapping one arm around his neck, being very careful not to touch his shoulder, or to squeeze very hard. "Angelo," Jack said softly, the tears flowing again.

Angelo hugged Jack with one arm as hard as he could, and pressed his face against the older fox's muzzle. "You came," he said, sounding as happy as Jack had ever heard him.

"Of course," Jack said through his sobs. "I promised!" The two held the awkwardly-formed hug for what seemed like several minutes.

Finally Jack broke the hug and stood up. "How are you?" he asked, taking in his young friend.

"Better now," Angelo said happily.

Jack laughed the lingering sobs away, then continued, "No, seriously though, how are you feeling?"

"I'm ok," the boy said. "A lot better than yesterday. Kinda' sore," he said looking at his shoulder, "but it's not bad if I don't move it."

"Good, good," Jack said, smiling at the eleven-year-old. "I was... worried," he said. He regarded his young friend, taking in every detail of him like he had not seen him for years. "You know, this might be the first time I've seen you without your earrings!"

Angelo wiggled his left ear with a smile. The three small gold rings he wore at the base of the ear, and the black diamond stud he wore at the tip, were conspicuous in their absence. The kit had worn them in the shower, in bed, at the pool, everywhere.

"Yeah," he said, "they took 'em out when I got here. They're around, somewhere. I don't care though... I don't want 'em anymore, since..._he..._paid for them." He pondered for a moment, then his tone becoming a little more serious, he said, "So how are _you_doing?"

Jack took his meaning immediately, and was moved by the kit's concern. Jack had, after all, killed someone - even if done for all the right reasons, that plain fact was still there. "I'm..." Jack began. He had not spent a lot of time thinking about it, having spent his time between the police and worrying about Angelo. "Ok too. I guess. I don't really..."

Angelo nodded again as Jack trailed off. "I... tried," he said. "I really was going to shoot the bastard. But..." A slight smile crossed his face. "I guess he got the drop on me."

Jack patted Angelo's head-fur. "I'm glad you didn't," he said somberly. "I don't want you to have that on your conscience."

"It would have been justice," the cub replied softly. He looked away for a moment, then back at Jack with an unsure expression. "Do you think," he started slowly, "that... he was... lying?" He looked fully into Jack's dark eyes, his own blue eyes so full of expression.

The older fox crouched down to his level again and stroked the side of his face with the back of one finger. This was what Max had thrown in at the end of their conversation the previous night. "Ange," Jack said, not sure how to phrase it. "Well... he wasn't." Angelo's expression didn't change much, but Jack could read a world of emotions roll through those bright eyes.

"The police..." he continued. "they had found a... murder victim last year in Lake Royal. A fox lady. She had been..." Jack paused, though he knew Angelo had already heard the details from Victor, and he was just re-stating them. "She'd been shot in the head twice. The date matches up, her age matches up, and..." He stopped as Angelo slowly turned his face away to look out the large window in the room. Jack could only pat his shoulder in support.

"And," Angelo said softly after a moment's silence.

Jack sighed. The boy wanted to hear it. "And," he went on, "the bullets were the same kind that were in Victor's gun yesterday. They're doing a full DNA test against you, but the preliminary one they ran said that she was definitely a close female relative."

"I only had one," Angelo said quietly, still turned away from Jack. He did not appear to be crying, or even trying to stop himself from crying. He was just staring. Finally with a deep sigh he turned back to Jack.

"I... hated her," he said sadly. "For a long time. Because of what Victor told me. And now... that it wasn't true..."

"I know, bud," Jack said. "It's not your fault."

"You don't understand," he said. "I mean, I _hated_her." He looked away again, and closed his eyes. "I don't..." Another deep sigh. "This is gonna take... I... I dunno."

"I'm here for you bro, you can count on that," Jack said, completely unsure of what, if anything, he could say to help. Angelo clearly knew he was going to have to work through this in his own mind. He put a paw on Angelo's good shoulder again, and the little fox reached up with his own and squeezed as another silent moment passed.

"How's my patient?" a cheery female voice said from the doorway. Jack and Angelo both turned their heads towards the door. An ocelot lady in a white lab coat stood there, smiling, with a clipboard in paw - the one that had been hanging on the door to the room, Jack figured.

"I'm ok," Angelo responded fairly brightly, a swift change from his mood a moment prior.

"That's good," the ocelot said walking into the room. "I'm Dr. Finnegan," she said, extending a paw to Jack. "Everyone calls me Dr. Finn."

"Nice to meet you, Dr. Finn," Jack said taking the paw. "Is he really ok though?"

"Oh sure," she said, walking over to the other side of the bed where she could better access Angelo's wound. "The bullet hit right on the collar bone. You couldn't have aimed better if you tried!"

"And that's... good?" Jack asked, not following.

"Most definitely," the doctor said, putting her stethoscope in her ears and applying the other end to Angelo's chest. "The bone absorbed just about all of the bullet's energy," she explained as she moved the stethoscope about. "It broke the bone into three pieces, but didn't tear up any blood vessels or nerve bundles as a result. And it was a small caliber, which helped too."

"I see," Jack said. "What about the air in his chest that the medics talked about?"

"Pneumothorax," she replied. "Also called a collapsed lung. Any time you puncture the chest wall you can get that, because the air has another way in. Fortunately those are easy to fix, as you probably saw."

Jack nodded. "So, he's really going to be ok?" He had to fight down the urge to break out smiling at the thought.

"Oh yes," Dr. Finn said cheerfully. "Kits this age are healing-machines!" She smiled to Angelo as she gently lifted the padding from his shoulder and looked under it. Jack could see a swath of pink skin from where they had shaved the fur around his wound. "I want to keep him here in bed for a couple of days so the bone sets properly, but after that there's to reason to keep him here."

She addressed Angelo as she continued. "You'll be in a sling for a few weeks, with that pad on so you don't bump it into things. Then just take it easy for a few more weeks. By Halloween you'd never know anything had happened!"

"Wow," Jack said, overjoyed and surprised at the same time.

"All good," she said with a smile as she re-positioned the pad back over the wound.

"I... I can't thank you enough," Jack said earnestly.

"My pleasure," she said, curtsying slightly. "Just don't go getting shot again," she said in mock warning.

"Right there with you," Angelo replied happily.

"If you need anything, just hit the button," the ocelot said, then left the room with a wave.

"Nice," Jack said, patting Angelo's good shoulder. He didn't want to go back to the conversation before the doctor arrived, and fumbled in his mind for a topic. "So," he said after a moment, "how's hospital life?"

"Ugh," the cub groaned, "I hate it! The food tastes like cardboard. They take blood samples every few hours, even at night. They won't even let me stand up!"

"How do you... you know," Jack said, then pantomimed standing at a urinal.

Angelo's ears flattened back somewhat. "Oh, you don't want to know, trust me."

"What, a diaper?"

"They wanted to!" Angelo said incredulously. "No way in Hell I was doing that!"

"So what then?" Jack asked.

Angelo stared for a moment, paw flexing on the top edge of the bedclothes. Finally he pulled the blanket down below his waist. He was naked in the bed, and Jack saw a thin plastic tube protruding from the end of his penis, disappearing under the sheets.

"Whoa," Jack said before quickly looking away. Angelo pulled the bedclothes back up to chest level. Jack made a face of disgust which made the kit laugh. "So that's number-one, what about... you know, number-two?"

"That's pretty gross too," Angelo replied. "I have to pull my legs up and they stick a metal bowl under my butt, and... fire away!"

"Holy crap," Jack said, missing his own pun, though Angelo giggled. "Hospital life sucks!"

"Yep," the little fox replied. "At least last time I could walk around." His face took on a wistful look as he pondered something. "This is my third life now, I guess."

Jack's ears perked. "How do you mean?"

"Well, the first one was when I was born," the boy said. "In a hospital, right? I lived my life for a while, then went back into a hospital. Everything changed and I was in a new life when I left."

"Oh wow," Jack said, catching his meaning. "And here you are again."

"Yep," Angelo said, "Naked in a hospital again. And I'll be in a completely new life again when I leave." He thought for another moment. "I want to live with you," he said, slightly hesitantly.

"Ange," Jack said gently, as he brushed the fox's white cheek fluff, "There's nothing I want more." His response was a broad grin from his young friend.

The telephone next to the bed rang, startling the two foxes despite the low volume of the ringer. Jack cocked an eyebrow at it as it rang; he couldn't imagine who would know that Angelo was here. He was going to pick it up, but Angelo reached over and grabbed it before he could.

"Hello," the kit said, himself looking unsure about the caller. He listened for a moment, then his ears perked up somewhat. "Oh hi, Max," he said with a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. I didn't think you'd be calling me. How did you know..." He listened some more, then his eyes looked to Jack and he smiled again. "I gotcha'. Yep he's here, want to talk to him?" After another moment he held the phone out to Jack. "Your lawyer," he said with a grin.

"Yours too," Jack said, fuzzling the fox's dark head-fur before taking the phone. "Hey Max," he said.

"Everything cool there?"

"Yep, everything's good," Jack replied.

"Good, good," the otter said. "Listen, I heard from the police on your case. Your statement is ready for you to sign. They sent me a fax of it - it doesn't look too bad."

"Ok," Jack said. "Do I come to your office then?"

"Nope, this is just a copy. You have to sign the original at the station," Max replied. "They reiterated that you would not be arrested when you come down."

Jack was relieved every time he heard that said. "When should I go?"

"I would do it today," Max said, "as soon as you can. You definitely should get it in before the weekend, and the more workday we can give them to process it, the better."

"'Kay," Jack said, understanding the need to get this done before the week ended, but he didn't want to leave Angelo's side now that he was there. "This afternoon maybe..." he said evasively.

"They're going to throw you out at noon for a couple hours anyway," Max told him. "That'll be the perfect time. You should be back there before the afternoon visiting hours open back up."

An odd sense of admiration for the otter on the phone flashed in Jack's mind. Max had divined the precise reason for his evasive attitude towards when to leave, though Jack had not said anything, not consciously at least. Perhaps one develops that kind of insight when training to be a lawyer, he mused.

"Ok perfect," Jack said, "I'll go then." "Great, I'll meet you down there," Max said. "Give Angelo a fist-bump for me."

Jack laughed. "Will do", he said, and handed the phone back to Angelo. The cub listened into it for a second then hung it up.

"Max is a good guy," Angelo said.

"He is that," the older fox agreed. "I gotta go down to the police station and sign my 'official statement'," Jack continued, making quotes in the air with his fingers.

Angelo cocked one ear. "What did you tell 'em?"

"The truth," Jack said. "I gave them everything I knew about his operation. Told them about how you and me got to be friends," he continued, which was met by a grin from Angelo, "how we hung out, that I played along 'till I could find a way to get you out of there, that sort of thing."

"You left a few things out, I hope," the kit said with a smile.

Jack laughed. "Let's see, there was a train if I recall, a schoolyard or two, and a fire. And a couple other things that are nobody else's business."

Angelo nodded happily. "They're going to want to talk to me too, I bet."

Jack nodded along. "Probably," he said.

The little fox giggled. "I wonder how many times they'll ask who molested me!" The older fox cocked an eyebrow. "That seems to be everyone's biggest concern here," Angelo continued by way of explanation. "Doctors, nurses, social workers, everyone: did Victor rape me, did you rape me, did customers rape me... Like that was everyone's motivation for everything they did. Doctors even checked my tail-hole out to make sure." The cub grimaced slightly as he said this.

"I hope you set them straight," Jack said.

"I told them the truth," Angelo said plainly. "Anyone who would have tried to force me to do anything I didn't want would have gotten my knife in their chest." He instinctively reached to pat his left abdomen, where his knife would have been under his jacket, then stopped with a sheepish look. "I guess I won't be getting the knife back, huh?"

Jack shook his head. "Mine either," he said, picturing it jutting from Victor's neck before dismissing the thought and getting back to the topic at hand. "Did you tell them about that doctor who wanted... you know..."

"Nah, not specifically," Angelo said. "I told them that Victor had offers for... me... from some clients. I didn't get down to names. I still might though. That doctor never actually did anything to me, but... he might try it with someone else."

"That's my Ange," Jack said proudly, "Saving the world!"

The young fox grinned cheerfully at this.

---

Jack stayed with Angelo as long as he could. The boy was not exaggerating when he said how often they took blood samples, as they were interrupted once by a nurse coming in for just that purpose. "Save me a little, would you?" Angelo had requested with a friendly smile.

At noon the morning visiting hours ended, and all non-family visitors had to leave. The afternoon hours were from 2:00 to 6:00, which gave Jack a window to meet Max at the police station, sign his statement, and hopefully grab a bite of lunch before returning to the hospital in time for the afternoon hours.

Jack rode the parking garage elevator to the basement level where he had parked. Despite the noon hour, very little sunlight made it to that level of the garage, which was lit instead by overhead lights.

As the fox walked to his car he noticed that many of the lights were burned out, giving the garage a twilight feel. A darkness which, for once in the last few days, did not match his mood. Angelo would be fine and would be out of the hospital soon, to begin as the cub had put it, his third life which Jack hoped to share as much as he could.

A voice from a darkened section of parking spaces interrupted Jack's thoughts as he walked. "The little fox, he will live?" The male voice was deep and thickly accented, and sounded like every Russian spy or army officer he saw in movies.

Russian. Jack stopped abruptly and slowly turned towards the voice. He could see several figures in the shadows of a darkened parking space, partially obscured by a large concrete pillar. One of them had a lit cigarette in his mouth, and from his position seemed to be the speaker. "Yes," Jack said weakly, then cleared his throat and repeated, "Yes, he'll be fine."

The lit tip of the cigarette seemed to bob, as if the fur smoking it was nodding. "Mmm," the voice said, before a shadowy paw raised to the face and removed the cigarette. "Is good. This shooting of cubs is nasty business."

"Yes it is," Jack said plainly. He saw the ember of the cigarette return to the shadowy fur's mouth. This had to be Victor's "Russian", or at least a representative. They obviously knew what had transpired, and were here to... what? Jack's heart suddenly raced at the logical conclusion. After a moment he said, "So you're... here about Victor?"

The form seemed to chuckle. "You are nervous perhaps?"

Jack took a deep breath and pictured Angelo's smiling face. If Jack was to be shot here in a parking garage basement, he wanted the boy to be his last thought. "I am," he said softly, with audible sadness.

A nod of the cigarette tip again. "Do not be," the voice said. "Victor.... he was headed for this, one way or other. If not you, I know ten others wanting to." Audible chuckles came from the furs accompanying the speaker. "Where he was, he should be happy, but he want too much, too fast. Ten years, it should have taken before latest product. He want it in two." The ember moved from side to side, as if the speaker shook his head. "Not cut out for this life."

Jack breathed a sigh of relief. "So," he began slowly, not wanting to push his luck, "why are you..."

The speaker laughed audibly, though quietly. Then: "I come to see face of fox who did this. Victor talk about you: he said you dodge train, nerves of steel." Jack nodded, intending to confirm what had been said, but didn't want to talk openly about that since he had omitted it from his police statement.

"I want to see if perhaps you want job," the voice continued. "Job with proper employer who knows right way to run business? Right way to treat his people."

Jack took a deep breath. They were offering him a position in their organization, most likely to replace Victor in this territory. The 18 year-old knew his answer immediately, but took a moment to make sure he delivered it properly.

"I," he began slowly, "don't think I want to be part of that world anymore..." He trailed off. He was considering adding an expression of thanks and respect, but the shadow responded immediately.

"Is not for everyone," the voice said. "And... you are smart enough to see this." The form took a drag from his cigarette then continued. "You and little fox go live good long life."

"That's my hope, sir," Jack said.

The form nodded again. "And now," the voice said, "I think we never see each other again, yes?"

"Yes," Jack said, understanding the deeper implications of the statement. "Thank you."

The shadowy form nodded again and stepped back further into the shadows, as did the surrounding shadowy forms. Jack took this as his cue to leave, and turning back in the direction he was originally headed, walked briskly but not hurriedly towards his car, making a point not to look back.

---

Jack sat in a very comfortable leather chair in Max's office. He had met the otter at the police station, where Jack's official statement had been printed out and was awaiting his signature. Max read over the statement carefully, as did Jack. The otter did not find anything unexpected, as he had been faxed a preliminary copy, but he said he wanted to make sure they didn't sneak anything new into it.

Once both were satisfied that this was what Jack's official testimony would be, the teen fox signed the form, which was promptly notarized by one of the officers in attendance. Officer MacAllister was there, and once the paperwork was done, the tiger made a request of Jack.

"We would appreciate it," he said, "if you don't go back to the hospital today."

Jack was surprised and concerned by this. "Wha... why?" he asked. He desperately wanted to return to Angelo's side.

"Well," the tiger said, holding up Jack's statement, "we need to talk to the boy, and get his statement too. He's probably got a lot more information about Victor Morrison, and we need that to complete the investigation."

"I'll need to be there too then," Max interjected. "I'm representing both of them."

"No," the tiger said, "actually you're not. Cub Protective Services is involved now, and since he has no family, their attorney has set himself as the attorney of record."

Max nodded, visibly irritated. "Fine," he said, and turned from the room.

"We just need to get his account of what happened, and as much dirt on that ferret as we can," MacAllister said to Jack, sounding apologetic. "It will probably take a few hours, and by then visiting hours will be over anyway. You can come back tomorrow morning, Jack."

Jack took a deep breath and sighed. "Yeah, ok," he said. He knew that this was just another piece in the bureaucracy, and that officer MacAllister was just doing his job, but he still found it annoying. He left the station and found Max outside, who suggested they return to his office to discuss the case in more detail.

He now sat across the desk from the otter. They had gone over the time-line in Jack's statement again, and this time Jack told him of some of the things he had omitted from the statement, such as the stolen car and how he and Angelo had disposed of it. Jack also hinted at selling pot, but didn't go into all of those details.

"I kind of figured there was more," Max said. "Just put that in the back of your mind and never think about it again. At least until this is all years in the past."

"Is that something they could... get me for?"

Max shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. But if they find out about it, and that you knowingly left it out, that will basically kill any good-will you had in their minds."

"Right," said Jack. He felt good talking about it though, if just to get it off of his chest. "What about my parents?"

"Don't tell them about that either," Max said.

"No," Jack said, "I mean... I haven't told them _anything_yet. Unless my name's in the papers, they don't know any of this has happened."

Max gave a soft whistle in surprise. "Well," he said, sitting back, "it's up to you if you don't want to tell them. I don't know what kind of relationship you have with them."

Jack laughed. "No, we're fine. Just... when do you think I should tell them? Right away, or wait 'till this police situation is resolved?" "Look at it this way," Max said, pulling a plastic lunch container out of a small refrigerator next to his desk, "If it goes badly, the first call you make to them might be from jail." Then after a pause, "You mind if I eat while we talk?"

"No, no," Jack said, "Go right ahead." He pondered what Max had said. _If_the police decided to arrest him, they would almost certainly not give him any notice, just in case they thought he might try to run. So his first indication would be them showing up at his apartment, or the hospital, or wherever he might happen to be at the time.

Perhaps it _would_be better if he told his parents right away, he thought. If it all blew over then it wouldn't matter, and if it did go badly they would already know what was going on when he called them to come bail him out.

Jack's thoughts were interrupted by a sour smell hitting his nostrils. He looked up at Max who had opened the plastic container, which looked to be full of oysters, still in the shell. The otter picked up a metal egg-shaped paperweight, gold-colored, from his desk and was about to use it to crack open one of the shells. "Are those... oysters?"

"Yep," Max replied cheerfully, smashing the gold egg into one of the shells with a loud crack. "Want one?"

Jack's stomach turned. "Ugh, no," he said.

"Suit yourself," the otter said, before sucking the contents from one through the hole he had made. "Food of the gods!" he exclaimed after swallowing it.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Jack said, only half-jokingly.

---

Jack walked down the hospital corridor in the Cub Ward, slowly and slightly nervously. It was the next day, Saturday, and visiting hours had just opened. The fox was doubly nervous as he arrived. Firstly, since Max was apparently no longer Angelo's attorney, Jack feared he might have been removed from the Allowed List and would be turned away at the reception desk. As it turned out, he was still on the list and was let into the ward with no difficulties.

As he walked down the final corridor towards Angelo's room, he tried to keep a calm and neutral facial expression, despite the contraband he carried in his pocket. As before, everyone he passed in the corridor took a glance at his badge to make sure he was allowed there. Every time they did so, Jack was sure they knew that he was up to something, though nobody stopped him. He finally reached Angelo's room, and went inside.

"Jack!" Angelo said happily as soon as the older fox crossed the threshold. The little grey-furred fox grinned a happy grin as Jack went to his side and put one arm around his friend.

"How's my boy?" Jack asked.

"Can't wait to get out of here," the kit said. "Doc says any time now."

"All healed up?"

"As much as I need to be to get out, I guess," Angelo replied. "I can't wait! I don't think I can take much more of the food here!"

"Oh really," Jack said innocently, yet conspiratorially. "I might just have a fix for that." He turned his body so his right side pocket was right next to Angelo's head, with Jack's body obscuring it from outside view. The red fox slid a paw into his pocket and pulled out a still-wrapped, though somewhat flattened chicken biscuit from Burger Joint.

Angelo let out a muffled cry of delight as he saw the wrapper. "You rule!" he said, grabbing it with his good paw.

"Eat it quick," Jack said, turning and angling his body so as to keep Angelo's head hidden from outside view as the little fox tore into the biscuit, making short work of it.

"Mmm, that was good," he said as he finished the biscuit and licked his fingers. "I really needed that!"

"My pleasure," Jack said, taking the wrapper and returning it to his pocket to leave no evidence, though a slight smell of the food lingered in the air. "So, the cops talked to you yesterday, I hear," he continued, pulling up a chair next to the bed.

"Yep," Angelo confirmed, having cleaned his fingers and had begun picking the tiny crumbs from where they may have fallen on his chest-fur or the blanket.

"What did you tell them?"

"I gave them all the dirt on Victor that I had," he replied. "Told them about you and how we... he... hired you on, and what we did for him."

"Everything?" Jack was slightly uneasy. He hoped he knew Angelo well enough by now to know what he would and would not have said, but there was still a constant underlying anxiety which flared up at times like this.

"Almost," Angelo said. "You know, like we talked about yesterday. I told them about how you and me hung out, too. Not a whole lot about that though, you know? I wanted to let them know that you were on my side."

"Did they..." Jack began cautiously, "did they give you any ideas on whether..."

"Whether they were gonna arrest you?"

Jack sighed. "Yeah," he said.

"They didn't really say," Angelo said sadly. "I kind of got the feeling that they agree with what you did."

"So," Jack said, trying to lighten the mood, "how many times _did_they ask who molested you?"

The little cub laughed. "A bunch! There were two cops and a social worker. The cops asked about Vic... Victor that is, and the social worker asked about you."

"Jeez," Jack said. "I wonder when they'll believe you."

"I guess they want to make sure I'm not hiding anything, and maybe they'll catch me in a lie or something if they keep asking." The kit pondered for a moment. "Or maybe they just see how sexy I am, and figure that everyone wants a piece of me!"

Jack chuckled and fuzzled the little fox's head-fur. "Goofball," he said, as Angelo giggled.

---

As had happened the previous day, the staff made Jack leave at noon when the morning visiting hours closed. This time he had nowhere to be, so went down to the hospital's cafeteria for lunch.

It was quite crowded, as apparently this is where many other furs went when the staff kicked them out. The cafeteria was buffet-style: furs lined up to take a tray and proceeded down the buffet, picking out what they wanted to eat, and paying a cashier at the far end.

Jack stood in the long line, waiting his turn. He was normally annoyed by long lines, but was in no particular hurry, as he had two hours to essentially waste until he could get back upstairs to Angelo.

"This isn't the same food they serve upstairs is it?" he jokingly asked one of the attendants when he finally got to the buffet.

"No sir," the server, a canine lady, responded dryly and with a forced smile. She must have heard the same comment dozens of times each day, Jack reckoned, which made him feel slightly embarrassed.

Jack paid for his food and sat down at an empty 4-place table. As he ate, he surveyed the patrons of the cafeteria. Some were by themselves as he was, while occasionally there would be a dozen or more family members all huddled around a table that was too small to accommodate them all. Some furs, very often by themselves, looked emotionally exhausted and Jack could only sadly wonder what they were dealing with upstairs.

The food was surprisingly good, Jack noted with some surprise. He wondered why the same food was not generally available to patients, though after a moment's thought he figured the bacon-cheeseburger on his plate would not be considered healthy, and that the hospital would not serve that kind of thing to patients.

Jack did wonder how their breakfast food was, and perhaps he could sneak something up to Angelo the next morning. He smiled, remembering the sheer joy that his illegal biscuit had brought to the young fox.

The teen fox took his time with his lunch, taking most of an hour to finish it, including going back for drink refills several times. With an hour to go still, he went out to the main lobby of the hospital and into the gift shop, which was little more than a newsstand with snacks, books, and gift trinkets in addition to a fairly comprehensive newspaper and magazine selection.

Jack thumbed through some magazines for a while, before heading back out into the lobby and idly walking about, inspecting the floor-plan map of the facility, and generally just killing time. With 15 minutes to go until the afternoon visiting hours opened, he took the elevator back to the Cub Ward floor, and got in line behind the rest of the returning visitors.

At 2:00, the receptionist returned to her seat in the booth and began taking IDs from the visitors. Anyone who had already been cleared that morning only had to show their ID again and were given back their original badge, so the line moved quickly. Within 2 minutes, Jack was back at the booth.

"Angelo Cole, 135," Jack said handing his ID through the slot in the window.

"Yes sir," the receptionist said, glancing at the computer before picking Jack's badge from where it had been stored for lunch. "He's being released," she said, handing him his badge and ID.

"What, right now?"

"That's what it says here," she said looking back to the computer monitor.

"Well heck," Jack replied, "Nice of them to tell me." The door buzzed open next to him. "Thanks," he said to the receptionist and walked through the door.

He walked quickly down the corridor, unsure what was going on. Angelo had said that his doctor was ready to release him - "any time now" he had said. But Jack had thought that they would have coordinated with him before doing so, unless...

He turned down the second corridor that led to Angelo's room. Up ahead he could see several furs crowded around Angelo's door. Jack broke into a near run, adrenaline pumping. Something was wrong here.

"Mac," he heard a voice ahead of him say. A fur facing away from Jack turned around: it was officer MacAllister, and the voice who spoke was his partner. The tiger put up both paws as Jack rapidly approached.

"Hold up, Jack," he said, blocking the entry to the room with his arm.

"What... what's going on?" Jack could see inside the room. Angelo was sitting in a wheelchair, dressed in a blue sweatshirt and sweatpants. Beside him were Dr. Finnegan, an orderly, and 2 stern looking cat ladies in business suits carrying clipboards. They reminded him of some of his school teachers, the ones he didn't like.

"Jack," officer MacAllister said again, trying to restrain Jack from entering the room.

"No," Jack said loudly, which caught the attention of those in the room. "What's going on here?" Angelo waved to Jack with a sad expression, his ears drooped.

"He's being released to state custody," the officer said gently. "Cub Protective Services."

"What? No, you can't do that," Jack exclaimed.

"We can, and we are," one of the cat ladies said, smugly. "And you_will_be arrested if you try to interfere."

"Where are you taking him?"

"That's none of your concern," the other cat opined.

"No," Jack said, his voice quieting somewhat and with an audible tremor forming. "After... after all this, you can't... just take..."

"Officer," the first cat lady said with an expectant tone.

"Come on, Jack," the tiger said, leading Jack away from the door.

"Please..." Jack said, his voice a whimper, ears flat against his head. "Not after..."

"It's the law, Jack," MacAllister responded, as he and the other officer moved Jack clear from the door, and stood between it and him. One of the cat ladies nodded to the orderly who pushed Angelo's wheelchair out the door. The young fox locked eyes with Jack but didn't say anything. Jack could read in his watering blue eyes what he was thinking though.

The orderly pushed the wheelchair down the hall, with the doctor and the CPS ladies following. Angelo turned as much as he could to keep his eyes on Jack, who had to bite his lip to keep from screaming. As they approached the next hallway, Jack could see Angelo mouth "Bye, Jack," before the orderly made the turn and he was gone from sight.

Jack broke down in sobs as the remainder of the party disappeared around the corner. Officer MacAllister released his restraining grip on the fox, but gave his shoulder a supportive pat. After a moment, Jack composed himself to where he could speak.

"After... after all that," he said, his voice choked up, "they just can take him away? After all we've been through..."

"It's the law," the tiger repeated delicately.

"Then the law's fucked up!" Jack didn't care how that sentiment would be received.

"Jack," the tiger replied gently, "it's hard for me to disagree with your right now."

This was not the response Jack had expected, though he remembered that the officer had a family, and could identify with Jack's relationship with the eleven-year-old. "Then why..."

"Because it is the law," MacAllister repeated yet again. "We may not always agree with it, but we don't get to pick and choose which ones we obey."

"So that's it then?" The urge to cry had subsided, and Jack now only felt a hole in his soul, like part of him had been ripped out.

"For now," the other officer said. "Whatever you do, though, it has to be within the law." Jack nodded gravely and went into the now-vacant room. He sat down heavily on the bed, which was still slightly warm. He stared at the floor.

"You going to be ok?"

"Yeah," Jack said back to the tiger, his voice emotionless. The tiger patted his shoulder again, then he and his partner withdrew from the room and slowly made their way down the corridor.

Jack sat staring at the floor, his mind numb. He stared for several minutes until his eyes began to lose focus on the floor and it became an abstract shape in his vision. His mind was too stunned to even think about what he would do next; indeed nothing mattered to him now.

_Within the law._The phrase echoed in his mind, Suddenly his ears perked and he bolted upright. He reached for the phone next to the bed and dialed the number that he had by now memorized.

"Cartwright."

"Max," Jack said gravely.

"Holy shit, what happened," the otter said on the phone. He could obviously tell by Jack's voice that something was wrong.

"A.. Angelo," was all Jack could say.

"Oh... oh no," Max said with audible emotion.

"No, no nothing like that," Jack said, stabilizing his voice.

"Whew, ok. So what then?"

Jack said the words before he even realized he was speaking. "How do I adopt him?"

Part 8

Jack sat in the conference room in Max's office. This was the same room, he recalled, where the lawyer had met them to pick up his order of cigars that Jack and Angelo brought. That seemed like a hundred years ago now, the fox thought, after the events of the past week.

It was Sunday - the day after Angelo had been taken from the hospital by Cub Protective Services. After nearly sliding into a depressive despair at the hospital, he had called Max to inquire about adopting the eleven-year-old fox. There was loud music playing in the background of the phone call, and the otter said he couldn't discuss such matters at that time and suggested they meet the following day.

The teen fox had to bite his lip to keep his anger in check at that comment; how dare anyone have fun while Jack's world crumbled around him! He quickly calmed down after a moment's reflection, and agreed to meet in the morning. As was the case the day Angelo was shot, Jack went home and flopped down hard on his bed not expecting to get any sleep, and lay there until morning. He wasn't sure if he ever did manage to doze off, or for how long.

"So there's 3 ways you can do this," Max was saying in regards to Jack's options. The otter sat across the conference table from Jack, and unlike every other time they had met, he was not wearing an expensive suit, but just a golf shirt and jeans. "There's straight-up adoption, foster care, or legal guardianship."

"What's the difference?" Jack was hoping not to get caught up in too much legal talk.

"Well, with adoption he becomes your kid," Max said. "Same as if he was your biological son. I don't think we should try that way."

"What? Why not? That's... that's what I want," Jack said.

"I know," Max said, "and we'll get there eventually. But that takes a long time, and there's all kinds of investigations, visits with social workers, classes you have to go to, and that kind of thing. And that's if they decide that you're someone they'll allow to adopt!"

"That's... nuts," Jack replied derisively.

"I know, right? Anyone can screw a girl and have a pup and nobody makes them do all that," the otter said with a laugh. "But, that's how it works, so that's how we have to play."

Jack sighed heavily. "Ok, what about the other ones?"

"Ok," Max echoed, "Foster Care. That's where he lives with you, and you provide for all his day-to-day needs, but the State 'owns' him." Max made air-quotes as he spoke certain phrases, Jack noticed as the otter continued. "The state makes all his life decisions, and they keep close tabs on you to make sure you don't screw up. And if you do... pffft!" He jerked his thumb over his shoulder, making the "you're out of here" sign.

"Screw that," Jack said, reacting to the last part of Max's speech. "How's that any good?"

"He does live with you," Max said. "And if you _don't_screw up, you've got nothing to worry about. Plus they pay you an allowance to spend on him, and the whole process is fairly quick. You have to get trained and certified, but like I say... it's quick."

"Hmm," Jack said, pondering and unsure.

"The only catch, if you can call it that," Max continued, "is that there's such a lack of good foster homes around, that once you get certified they might want to place additional kits with you."

Jack looked down and sighed again. That made sense, of course. "I..." he began slowly, "I don't want to save the world. Just... one little grey piece of it." He thought of those cubs in the hospital who were lying there with nobody visiting, and how he had the urge to go in and sit with them for a while. How would he react if CPS offered him someone like that?

"I know," Max said with empathy. "I'm just letting you know what to expect. You never _have_to take a cub that they offer, though. But statistically, most adoptions happen from within the foster care system. You can start all that paperwork while he's already living with you!"

"So," Jack said after a long silence, "you think I should do that? Become a foster parent and then what... request Angelo?"

"Actually," the otter said, "there's the third option which I think is our best bet: legal guardianship."

"What's that?"

"Kind of like foster care," Max explained. "He lives with you and you provide for his daily needs, but: you also make all his life decisions. The state will still keep tabs on you, and will still yank him if you screw up, but otherwise its the closest to actual adoption. This route is often used by parents in their wills, where if they die then a close friend agrees to raise their kits. I think I can make it work here though. Then all the court has to do is decide if you're suitable for that."

"Court?" The word brought a fresh wave of anxiety to the 18-year-old.

"Yeah, I know," Max said, divining his thoughts. "We'll need to get that situation sorted first of course," he said, meaning the pending investigation into Jack's killing of Victor. "But that goes for any of the three options."

"So," Jack began, slowly again, trying to wrap his mind around all of this, "we try to get me as his legal guardian." Max nodded. "And if that falls through, I try for foster care." Another nod. "And if that falls through..." Max just stared this time, his silence answering Jack's question. "Right," Jack said resignedly. "Ok then, what do I need to do?"

"Well," Max said with some reservation, which made Jack cock one ear. "You will have to change some things. You're 18, right? And two months out of high school with no job?"

Jack stared blankly. He had not thought about his circumstances in such a raw fashion. "Yeah," was all he could say.

"So first, you need a good job," the otter said. "Any leads?"

Jack had not thought of finding a job since Victor offered him $100 per day to drive for Angelo. Prior to that, he had only interviewed at one place since leaving home. He sighed. "No. I guess I'll be making pizzas."

Max sat back in his chair and thought for a moment. "Well," he finally said, "I might have something better for you, actually."

"You? But... I mean... how..."

Max laughed at Jack's tongue-tied state. "No, actually I was about to post a job for a Legal Assistant. You know what that is?"

Jack stared. He again felt a strange admiration for Max. The otter genuinely seemed to want to help him at a personal level, which flew in the face of all the lawyer stereotypes he had heard growing up. Even when he discussed Jack's goal of adopting Angelo, Max used "we": "we'll get there eventually", "the way we need to proceed" and so on.

Now it seemed that the otter was offering him a job, though he had no idea what being a Legal Assistant entailed. "Not a clue," he said flatly.

"It's basically doing all the lawyer work that you don't need a law degree to do. Mostly it's a lot of case research and sorting through the thousands of documents that might be part of a case. There might be some building of exhibits, posters and that kind of thing. Pretty much anything I need you to do."

"I've... got no experience in that kind of thing," Jack said. He felt embarrassed to say so, which he found silly since he would not be expected to have any such experience.

"Yeah," Max replied, "and I was kind of looking for an LA that did have experience, but hey, they all started somewhere. It'll just take a bit longer to get you up to speed, that's all."

Jack pondered this, at the same time asking himself why he wasn't jumping at the chance. What the otter said next made his mind up for him.

"So, I figure I can bill you out at 70 or 80 bucks an hour to the client. That means I could pay you, oh... 35 an hour?" "35," Jack said, stunned.

"Yeah, for starters," Max replied. "You work 40 hours a week, that's about 70 grand a year. And once things get going, you'll be working_at least_40 hours a week. Not bad for right out of high school!"

"Wow, Max," Jack said. "I'm..." he searched for the right word...

"Surprised?" Max offered.

"I was going to say 'grateful', actually," the fox replied. "That you would do something like that for me, who you barely..." he trailed off as he felt his throat tighten.

"My pleasure," Max said with a slight bow. "I always liked Angelo, and I want to help him out after all that's happened. And I like you too, Jack. You're good people." Jack smiled, feeling himself blush under his fur. "And trust me," Max continued, "having a 70k job will look really good to the family court."

Jack nodded in agreement. "So what else do I need to do before we go... filing papers or whatever?"

Max looked pensive, which is not what Jack was expecting when he made the lighthearted comment. "Well," the otter said, "this is where it gets a little more interesting. You need to move out of that shit-hole you're living in."

"To, like, a better apartment?" He would be able to afford one now, he reckoned.

"Well, no," Max said evasively. "Angelo needs to be in what they call a 'nurturing environment'. Meaning a home where he can 'grow and flourish'. Those are the terms the court will be using. A house with a big back yard, maybe pets, access to good schools. Definitely a loving family, which I don't doubt you will be, but... something even more, so the court has no reason to deny you."

Jack understood now where Max was going. There was only one place he knew of that fit that description. "Back home," he said almost sadly.

"Bingo," Max said quietly.

Jack sighed again deeply, then with an ironic chuckle, he said, "Heh, I move out to show that I can make it on my own. Not 3 months later I come crawling back. Some big fox I am, huh?"

"Jack," Max said gently, almost lovingly, "you're not on your own anymore."

Jack looked into the otter's dark eyes and smiled. "I'm not, am I?"

Max smiled back. "And knowing when you need help from others is one sign of maturity," he said.

Jack sat back, ruminating on what the otter had said. Max just watched him, without further comment. Jack finally broke the silence. "It's a lot to ask. Of my folks I mean. They're definitely not expecting this to drop on them."

"I know," Max said. "And all you can do is ask. But like I said: you're good people. And good people come from other good people."

"I guess I should go have a chat with them, huh?" Jack had still not told them about Victor, or indeed anything in his life since leaving home in June. He had a standing invitation to Sunday dinner - a tradition in his house - and it seemed like the perfect opportunity. It would definitely not be a Sunday dinner to forget, he thought.

---

Jack sat at his usual place at the family dinner table, in the same seat he had sat for every meal as long as he could remember. The others around the table, his father, mother, and eleven-year-old sister, stared at him in stunned silence. His mother dabbed the corners of her eyes with her napkin.

He had shown up unexpectedly for Sunday dinner, much to the delight of the family. As the meal progressed, though, they could tell that something was bothering him: he barely spoke, and gave short answers when he did. Finally as the meal was wrapping up, his father came out and asked him directly what was wrong.

Jack told him. "I killed a guy," he said blankly. He had given a tremendous amount of thought to how he would say that, and the blunt delivery was always the joke in his mind. Yet when it came down to it, that was the only way to say it. The reaction was immediate: everyone froze in what they were doing, even with fork half-lifted to mouth.

From there he progressed to tell the story yet again, as he had to the police and to Max. He omitted very little with the family though, making sure to let them know what he didn't tell the police. He still kept the deeply personal things to himself, but spoke of his and Angelo's drug sales and running from the police in a stolen car.

When he mentioned the drug sales, Jessica, his little sister, gave him a shocked look. He had lied to her face about that, back on the first day he and Angelo had visited a schoolyard. She had heard Angelo's name and the exaggerated stories about him from her peers; when he and Jack stopped by the house to retrieve Jack's hunting knife, Jack had dismissed her concerns by saying that this was not the same Angelo as she had heard of.

Now that the truth was out, the little red fox listened to the rest of his story, her face a mix of sadness, anger, and betrayal that Jack could not look at for more than a moment. His parents' faces were mostly filled with concern and sadness as he continued.

He recounted everything, not dwelling on the particulars of Victor's death as he had to with the police, and through to the hospital and Angelo's removal by CPS. He did see Jessica shed a tear when he told of this last part, though she tried to hide it.

The shocked faces turned to surprise as he finished up with what he planned for Angelo. "So," he said in conclusion, "that's what I'd... like to do, if you're... if you're ok with it." He found it very hard to ask them for this, realizing that they would be committing to another cub in the house, with all the attendant responsibilities that would bring.

There was a long silence. Jack sat there motionless, moving only his eyes between the three others at the table. His mother was dabbing tears and biting her lip as if she was about to cry. Jessica had her shoulders hunched forward and was staring down at her plate. Jack's father sat back in his chair and was looking intently at Jack, his face not betraying his thoughts.

Jack found the silence disconcerting, and nervously said, "I'll pay for everything, of course. I'll even... pay rent... if you want me to."

His father nodded. "That goes without saying," he finally said. "But," he continued slowly, as if considering each word deliberately, "I want to make sure that you know what you're signing up for." He looked at Jack intently as he spoke. "This isn't like getting a dog. You will be responsible for every moment of his life... to the exclusion of your own. Every waking minute, every_sleeping_minute for that matter, will be dedicated to him first, and yourself last. For at least the next 7 years."

"I know," Jack said earnestly. In his mind he was already looking at life that way. "I'm willing to do that - to sacrifice everything in my life to give that boy a proper life of his own."

"Sacrifice," his father repeated. "Good word." He paused, letting the weight of the words sink in to everyone at the table. "We won't decide anything tonight, of course, as you know."

Jack nodded. That was one of the customs he had become used to over the years. No decision of any significance was made in the heat of the moment. You always discussed on one day, and decided another, often having multiple rounds of discussion. "I know," he said, "I just wanted to let you know what was happening."

"We need to meet him," Jack's mother said, having regained her full composure. Jack noticed Jessica take on a nervous countenance at that statement.

"I," Jack said slowly, "I... don't even know where they took him. I'll try to see... if that's even possible. Maybe Max... I dunno." He sounded lost, even to himself.

"You'll also need to get a lot of other details sorted," his father said. "A will, life insurance, a trust of some sort. What school would you send him to?"

"I was thinking Greenleaf," Jack said. Greenleaf Academy was the private primary school that Jessica now attended. The girl's face looked even more concerned when Jack said this. The older fox reckoned he knew what was bothering her.

"Expensive," Jack's father said. "How will you pay for that? Even if this lawyer hires you, tuition is due prior to the start of the year, and they want it all at once."

Jack sighed. He was hoping that his parents would offer to loan him the tuition against his salary, but his father, as he always did, was taking him at his word that he would pay for everything. And tuition was expensive at this school. He'd need a pot of...

"Gold," Jack said out loud, not realizing he said it.

"Gold?"

"Umm, yeah," he said quickly. "What I mean is: Victor didn't use banks. He didn't want to have to explain where he got his money from. So he kept it in his house, and for long-term storage he bought gold coins." He looked at his father with a sudden awareness. "He gave me a bunch of them to hold on to, in case his place was robbed or raided."

"And you've still got them," his father said. "Yes! What better payback than to use Victor's money to pay for Angelo's education!" He laughed out loud with relief.

His father smiled at the sentiment, appearing to appreciate the irony of it. "I assume the police don't know about that either?"

"No, they don't," Jack confirmed. The unspoken request accompanied his words: and please don't tell them.

"Well," his father said after a moment, "We'll have a family meeting later on about this, and do some talking over. You understand that this decision will have to be unanimous, right? If any one of us is not 100% behind it, then it's a no-go."

Jack bowed his head. "I know." He looked to Jessica who still seemed concerned.

Another long silence followed, finally broken by Jack's mother. "Ok, who wants pie?"

---

Jack hugged his parents goodbye and gave a fist-bump to Jessica. "I'll call you soon as I know what's up," he said, opening the door to go outside. "Hey Jessica, c'mon out with me?"

The little fox girl did not hesitate and went outside with her brother. Jack waved to his parents behind the screen door, who waved back and closed the inside door.

Jack put an arm around his sister as he walked towards his car. "Jess," he began.

The younger Archer kit threw his arm off of her and shoved him. "You lied to me!"

"I know," Jack replied. There was no use arguing that fact. "I had to, though. I didn't want you to worry."

"Worry," she said incredulously. "Worry? And now you want to bring that... that thug into our house? Send him to school with me? What's the matter with you?" She had heard the stories from around the municipal fields where her teams practiced and played: Angelo was a violent drug dealer who had killed someone over a bad drug deal.

Angelo had heard these same stories; Victor had told him to encourage the spread of them in order to inflate his reputation, so school-aged furs would be less inclined to mess with him. It did work to an extent, but this was now the downside.

Jack turned and put both paws on her shoulders. "I swear he's not the guy you think he is. All those stories are fake. Made-up so people would be afraid of him."

"Well, mission accomplished," she said sarcastically. "All I know is what I've heard, and I've heard a lot! From a lot of furs!"

"Yeah," Jack said, trying to be as gentle as he could, "but you never heard from anyone who actually saw... anything. It's always a friend of a friend of a friend heard about this." The girl seemed to stop to consider this. "That's because none of it actually happened," Jack said. "Please, trust me on this."

"I... I dunno."

"Ok," Jack said. "At least promise me you won't make up your mind until you meet him? I swear, he's the nicest kit you'd ever want to meet."

Jessica pondered this for a moment. "Ok," she said. "I won't make up my mind 'till then."

"That's all I can ask for," he said, giving the kit a hug.

---

The next morning, Monday, Jack went to Max's law office for several reasons. Firstly, it was something to do to take his mind off of Angelo, as well as off of Jack's own uncertain situation with the law.

Additionally, Max had him come down to start the paperwork he would need to file to start the process to obtain legal guardianship of Angelo. Max's secretary printed out a template and asked Jack to fill out all parts of it that he could, after which she would type it up as a proper legal filing.

It would not actually be filed, Max said, until Jack's legal situation was resolved. The court would insist on that, he said, besides which it would not be fair to Angelo to get his hopes up only to have them shot down if Jack were to be indicted. Even if the investigation dragged on, as was always a possibility, they would have to wait until it was resolved one way or another before filing the guardianship papers.

The third reason Jack was there was so that he could see what being a Legal Assistant actually entailed. He had not been officially hired, though Max assured him that the job was his for the asking. He did want to see what the work was, though part of him also knew that he would be crazy not to take the job.

He spent an hour or so filling out the filing template. It asked for all of his personal and financial information, which didn't take long, as well as detailed information about the home he was proposing Angelo would live in. They wanted the address, the names and ages of all residents, their employment and income status, rental or mortgage status, and on and on.

He finished up the template, as best he could, by mid-morning. Max had been behind closed doors in his office since arriving, and Jack asked his secretary, a red panda lady, what he should do next. Apparently Max was on a call with an important client, and Jack had already completed two of the three reasons he was there, so was looking for something to do.

The secretary told him to wait in the conference room, which made his ears flatten against his head. Out of curiosity he asked if the Police had called, and mentioned that he was waiting to hear from them. She checked the small bundle of phone messages she had taken, but none were regarding his case.

Dejected, he went to the conference room and sat in one of the overstuffed leather chairs. A quarter of an hour or so later, Max emerged from his office and joined Jack in the conference room. The otter was his normal animated self.

"Jack!" he said, shaking the fox's paw vigorously. "Thanks for coming out. Mags taking care of you?" Mags was Maggie, his secretary.

"Yeah," Jack said. "She gave me the forms and all. I filled them out, as much as I could. There's some things I didn't know, like my parents' annual income, and..."

"No problem," Max said, interrupting. "If they need that during the investigation, they'll get it."

"Nothing from the PD either," Jack added, meaning the Police.

"Hopefully soon," the otter said. "Meantime, come with me to the workroom and I'll show you what a typical task for you would be." Without waiting for acquiescence, he turned from the room and headed towards the hallway that he had just appeared from. Jack chuckled at his behavior, recalling how it amused Angelo as well. He got up from his seat and followed.

Max's office was at the end of the hallway. Along the way there were doors to a copy room, a small kitchen, and a large workroom with long tables set up and dozens of stacked white boxes against the walls, each with a code written on them in marker.

"So here's one of the more common tasks a Legal Assistant does," Max said, indicating the boxes. "This is all evidence from the other side in a bunch of open cases. Documents, emails, company memos sometimes, receipts. Pretty much anything I think we could use to win for the client."

"What, they just give you their evidence?"

"Yep, they have to," Max said. "It's called 'discovery'. We give them all our stuff, they give us all their stuff. By the time the trial comes, both sides pretty much know what the other will do. That whole "surprise evidence" that you see on TV is a load of crap!"

"Ok," Jack said, following him. "So my job would be... to sort through all this?"

"Basically, yeah," he replied. "For instance, the case for today is an injury lawsuit. Our client..." He paused, thinking for a moment, then walked to the phone on the wall and hit a button.

"Hello," Maggie, the secretary, said on the speaker phone. "Hi Mags," Max said, "can you whip up an NDA for Jack here?"

"Will do," she replied. "Archer, right?"

"Yes ma'am," the otter said.

"Be right there," she said and hung up the phone.

"You don't work for me yet," Max explained. "Not officially anyway. So I need you to sign something that says you'll protect the information you see here." "An NDA," Jack said.

"Non-disclosure agreement," Max replied, then continued. "So our client broke his ankle at a restaurant. A paving stone on the walkway broke loose as he stepped on it. Got plenty of witnesses for that."

"So seems like a no-brainer," Jack said.

"Well, not exactly," Max replied. "Accidents happen, as they say. We need to show that the restaurant knew about that loose stone ahead of time, and didn't fix it. Now, my witnesses are ready to state that they had felt the stone moving in past visits, and told the owner about it. So I need you do pour through all of... this." He indicated 6 boxes on the table packed full of papers. "See if you find anything in there that says they knew, like a report from one of the other customers who complained about it."

"Seems easy enough," Jack said.

"Oh, it is easy," the otter said, "but mind-numbingly tedious. I'll go through a pile with you, so you know what kind of things are worthwhile."

---

Max and Jack worked for an hour or so on the first box, sorting through the seemingly endless array of documents. There was every conceivable paper that a restaurant would keep: mostly receipts from food suppliers, but also budgetary files, employee files, permit and inspection notices, and the like. They talked as they sorted, and Jack got to know Max a little better.

The river otter was 29 and single, just 2 years out of Yale Law School. He did _not_graduate with honors, so was not immediately recruited into one of the large multinational law firms as he was expecting, so he opened his own private practice. He expressed some ironic frustration that a Yale Law degree wasn't "good enough."

His hope was to make a name for himself as a solo attorney, and then get recruited into a larger firm, and keep working his way up that path. He did a lot of _pro bono_work, as Jack knew from the sheet the police had given him. While that work was generally altruistic, Max's related hope was that he could establish a name with the public, which would then become a possible path to running for public office, such as a state or congressional representative.

For his part, Jack told Max his own story, from his troubled adolescence through his recent graduation, and moving out to his own apartment. He recounted the specific string of events that led him to knock on Victor's door that day where he met Angelo and caught Victor's attention with his car repair abilities. He restrained himself from concluding with "And the rest, as they say..."

After an hour, Max had to leave for another conference call with a client, and left Jack to his sorting. The main task here was what Max called "short listing", meaning: culling the huge pile of documents down to ones that might bear further scrutiny. So Jack was told that if he was at all unsure on whether a piece was important, he should assume that it was and set it aside. It would be much easier to review a smaller pile, even if most of them turned out not to be actually useful.

The fox sat at the table, sorting through endless pages looking carefully at each for any mention of loose stones, injured customers, or the like. At one point he found a customer complaint that they had tripped in the parking lot, but reading further showed the complainant to be not only far from the paving stones for this case, but also very drunk. He set the page aside for review anyway.

Every time he saw the main line ring on the telephone, he stopped and stared at it on the wall. The secretary knew he was anxiously awaiting a call from the Police, and she said she would let him know the instant it came in. He watched the phone until the call dropped and the button went dark before resuming his sorting.

Just after noon, when Jack was starting to think about getting some lunch, Max returned to the workroom with 2 pizza boxes and a plastic bag full of soda bottles. "Lunch!" he declared.

"Oh wow, thanks," Jack said. "You read my mind!"

"You'll find I'm one hell of an employer," the otter said with exaggerated pride. "Seriously though, I usually buy lunch when we go heads-down on a discovery like this." He put the 2 boxes on the table and opened them: one Carnivore Special loaded with meat and one Aquatic Delight, which had chunks of various fish and shrimp - no raw oysters, Jack noted with a smile.

Jack grabbed a bottle of soda and a piece of the Carnivore pizza and bit in. "So, nothing from the Police, I take it," he said as he chewed.

"No, nothing yet," Max said, taking a bite of his own piece. "Grand Jury meets today though, so maybe we'll hear by 5."

That did not help Jack's anxiety. "Gee, thanks," he said dryly.

"No, I'm serious. D.A. might have wanted more opinions and sent it their way; they could easily decline to indict." An awkward silence followed. Max must have sensed that Jack didn't want to think about that, as he abruptly changed the subject. "So, anything good in here?"

"Nothing that jumps out at me," Jack said, indeed glad for the change of mental direction. "There's something in here about a drunk patron tripping in the parking lot, but from the diagram it looks far away from the loose stone." He slid the short stack that he had accumulated thus far over to Max, who sat on the corner of the table.

"Mmm-hmm," the otter said around a mouthful of pizza, looking down at the document on the table, his paws too messy with pizza to touch it. "Yeah," he said after reading it, "probably nothing, but we'll keep it handy, in case there turns out to be a pattern of people getting hurt here." He used his soda bottle to slide the paper off of the stack, then looked at the one underneath it. "What else we got here," he said as he read.

Jack finished his slice and grabbed one of the Aquatic pizza, to see what that was like. Being a fox he was generally open to any kind of meat or fish, a notable exception being those raw oysters that Max had brought out the prior week. The fish pizza was remarkably good, he noted.

Max continued to slide papers using his soda bottle and reading the papers Jack had set aside, though from his lack of reaction, nothing particularly useful was found.

Jack put away a few more pieces, and was starting to feel full, when Maggie, the secretary, came in. "Fax from the PD, for you," she said. Jack's ears perked up fully.

"Thanks, Mags," Max said, taking the page. He looked at it for a second, which seemed like an hour to Jack, before saying, "Not what we're waiting for."

"Shit," said Jack, sitting back heavily in his chair, his heart pounding from the adrenaline buildup.

Max read the fax further then said, "This is actually the autopsy report on Victor."

"Autopsy? Wasn't it obvious?"

Max chuckled. "Yeah, but its a law: anytime a non-natural death occurs, they have to do one." He read further, biting into a piece of pizza held in his other paw, which Jack found morbid. "This is interesting," the otter said. "Cause of death."

"My knife," Jack said quietly, not wanting to re-live that.

"Wrong!" Max exclaimed like a game-show host, eliciting a confused cock of the head from Jack. "According to this: 'Although the carotid defect was not survivable, the immediate cause of death was pulmonary aspiration of liberated blood'."

The fox stared blankly for a moment, his lip curling slightly in confusion. "Huh?"

"Basically, he drowned in his own blood," Max said plainly, and continued reading.

Jack stared at Max, his eyes wide. In his mind he could see Victor's face struggling below him, twisted and surprised. His mouth was open, and the blood pooled within...

"Whoa, whoa," Jack heard Max call out, and felt the otters paws gripping his shoulders. "You ok Jack?"

"Y... yeah," Jack said, shaking off the vision. He looked to Max, who had run around the table and grabbed Jack's shoulders, as if to steady him. He found the otters grip somewhat comforting. "Yeah, I'm ok."

"You looked like you were gonna faint," Max said, letting go of him, but staying next to the teen.

"No, no," Jack said, "It's just..." He fought for the right words, but could not find any that didn't sound accusatory. "Why would you tell me that? Why the hell... would you think that I wanted to know that?"

Max stood up, looking surprised, his small otter ears flattening against his head. "Jack," he said, "Shit man, I'm sorry. I just thought... No, I _didn't_think, actually." He looked genuinely upset. "Sorry," he repeated. "You know he had it coming, though. It was going to be either him... or you and Angelo."

Jack sighed and nodded. "Just... I've never... k-killed anyone, y'know? And it's bad enough... that..." he trailed off as his voice got choked.

Max put an arm around the sitting fox, who grabbed it with both of his paws. "I know, man," the otter said again, "and I'm really sorry for doing that."

Jack gave the otter's arm a squeeze, trying not to cry. He took a deep breath and let go of Max. "I'm ok, really," he said unconvincingly, wondering which of them he was trying to convince.

Max patted Jack's side, his arm still around the fox, then let go himself and went back to the corner of the table where he was sitting. He picked back up the fax and looked through the subsequent pages, looking over to Jack every few seconds, as if checking up on him.

"Oh, here's a good one," the otter said after turning to another page of the fax.

"Max, please..." Jack said sadly.

"No, this is good," Max said. "Remember how you said that Victor claimed he was an orphan?"

"Yeah," Jack said. No doubt he had only said that to instill a false camaraderie with Angelo. "Lemme guess, he wasn't."

"Well, yes and no," Max replied. "Says here that the day after his 25thbirthday, his parents were killed when their house burned down. The fire was called 'suspicious', but nobody was ever charged. Victor... was the sole beneficiary of their life insurance, which would be placed in a trust until he turned..." He paused dramatically, then: "25!"

"That..." Jack said, suddenly finding a renewed hatred for the ferret. It would have been bad enough if he had just lied, but to hear that made Jack angry.

"Exactly," Max said. "Don't shed any tears for that piece of shit, Jack. You didn't just save yourself and Angelo: you gave some cosmic justice to a couple of ferrets somewhere."

Jack thought about that, and the notion of justice made him feel better somehow.

---

Jack was nearly through with the first box of documents as 5:00 approached. Max had been absent for several hours following lunch but was now back in the room, not really doing much besides drinking from a soda bottle and occasionally chatting with Jack. The fox wondered with amusement how much he was billing clients to do that.

As happened many times that day, the main phone line rang. Jack looked to the phone on the wall for a moment, then back to his work without lingering on the lit line.

The intercom beeped. "Max, Officer MacAllister on line one."

Jack's heart rate instantly doubled and Max himself jumped up from where he sat. "I'll take it in my office," he said, then turned to Jack. "Let's go!"

Max practically ran out of the room and down the short hallway to his office, Jack right on his heels. The fox closed the office door as Max went around to his desk and picked up the phone. For his part, Jack did not sit in the chair across the desk, but rather went around and stood next to Max's chair.

"Cartwright," Max said into the phone handset. Jack wondered why the otter did not put the call on speaker, and watched the brown lutrine face for clues.

"Hi, officer," he said, then listened. "Fine, fine, thanks." He moved his free paw in a circular gesture, as if saying "come on, come on" which made Jack smile nervously. Max continued, "Right... right... ok... I see." He looked to Jack, but his face gave nothing away. A long pause while the officer spoke. Max wrote down a few words on a notepad as he listened, but Jack could not read them from the angle he stood. "Ok... can you fax that to me?" He looked again to Jack and wiggled his eyebrows. "Great, thanks... will do... bye."

Jack agonized for a second, then nearly shouted, "What?"

Max sat back in his chair. "Can you say Nolle Prosequi?" A thin smile crossed his muzzle.

The fox almost whimpered in frustration. "Do I want to? Wha... what does that..."

"No charges!" Max jumped up and said with a flourish.

Jack's eyes went wide, and a huge grin split his face. "Really?"

"Really," Max said. "D.A. says it was clear self defense, and the other stuff you did was understandable for what you were trying to accomplish with Angelo. He even knows you probably did other illegal stuff that you didn't admit to, but that was, in his words 'excusable in context'."

"Max, that's... I mean..." Words failed the teen fox. He was so relieved, and at the same time had so much built-up anxiety that he felt he could scream. With a giant grin he grabbed Max in a bear-hug.

"Hey now," the otter said cheerfully, and patted the fox's back.

"Sorry," Jack said, composing himself and stepping back. "So that's it then? No more cops?"

"Nope, unless any new evidence crops up," Max said. "But they're not going to be looking, so you're in the clear."

Jack looked to Max in relief and awe. "Wow," was all he could say.

---

The first order of business the next morning was to file Jack's guardianship petition with the court. Maggie had it ready to go in a package and was waiting for the courier to arrive when Jack showed up.

The fox had slept better Monday night than he had in almost a week. The anxiety that was lifted from the police closing his case, coupled with the optimistic anticipation of getting custody of Angelo, had lifted his mood to where he would actually call himself "happy".

He had called his parents as soon as he had gotten home on Monday, and told them the news. They were understandably relieved of course, and the conversation quickly turned to Angelo. They were just about to have another family meeting after dinner to talk about what Jack had proposed on Sunday.

The preliminary feeling among the Archers was that none of them were going to veto it yet, and wanted to meet the boy before deciding further. Max had told Jack that it would be impossible for that to happen until the guardianship paperwork was filed, so this was one more box checked off in the to-do list.

The third thing that had Jack feeling good was that he could officially be hired by Max, now that his criminal case was settled. That process was sure to kick off that morning, he thought. Sure enough, when he arrived Maggie showed him the packet destined for the court, and another packet containing all the job forms and information that he would need.

Max was in the conference room, meeting with a small group - clients, Jack figured. The otter waved at him when he arrived, then returned his attention to the business at hand. Jack took the job packet into the workroom and spread its contents out on the table, separating the forms he needed to fill out from the informational sheets.

He laughed out loud when he read the "About the Firm" document: paper-clipped to it was an 8x10 photograph of Max, the sort one would find in a professional directory. Jack looked at the photograph with a smile. The more time he spent with the otter, the more he liked him on a personal level. Granted he was helping Jack out on more simultaneous issues than he wanted to consider, but beyond that there was the feeling that Jack would enjoy just hanging out with him.

Jack filled out all the tax forms and benefits forms; he was not expecting the latter, which included health and life insurance. He filled them out as well, but set them aside to ask Maggie about them further. His father had mentioned getting life insurance when Angelo came to live with him, and Jack was now not sure what to do about that, since that process had just gotten started.

After all the forms were completed and all the informational documents read over, Jack returned his focus to the boxes of evidence that he worked on the previous day. He had just gotten started again when Max came into the workroom.

"Morning, employee," the otter said cheerfully.

"Morning, employer," Jack replied with a smile.

"Well, your paperwork is all filed," Max said. Jack knew he was not referring to the employment paperwork.

"Great," Jack said. "What happens next?"

"Next," Max said. "The court will enter the petition into the system, assign it a docket number, and notify the other parties. That's CPS in this case."

"Why them?" Jack asked, his ears drooping.

Max nodded, understanding. "They're his legal guardians right now," he said. "Now: they're going to probably object vigorously to you taking Angelo. So just be prepared for that."

"Why would they object?"

"Well," Max said, clearly trying to sound delicate, "it's like I said yesterday: you're 18 and barely out of school. They'll probably try to use that to show you're incapable of taking care of a cub. Our job is to show them that you can!"

There he went again, Jack thought. '_Our job...'_He smiled at Max. "So how long will it take before things happen... whatever that might be?"

"Filing and entry should be done today," Max said. "CPS will probably get notified today too. After that, it's all about how crowded the docket is in this district's family court. I don't do a lot of work there, so I really don't know."

"Days? Weeks?"

"Ehh, yes?" Max said with a grin. "Could be either. Or longer." Jack slumped visibly in his seat. "It could also be this week," Max said, trying to reassure the fox. "Let's just see what we get back from the court, ok?"

"Ok," Jack said. As always, his mind started to wander into worst-case scenarios.

"Anything new in the box?" Max indicated the evidence boxes.

"Nothing so far," Jack said, "I was just getting started." He scooped out a pawful of paper from one of the boxes.

---

The day flew by from Jack's perspective. Max was in meetings or on calls most of the day, so Jack rarely saw him. He did bring lunch in again, however, and the two chatted briefly before the otter had to leave for a lunchtime call.

Jack went through the evidence boxes at a fairly good rate. He finished the first box that he had started the day before, and was just finishing off the second when Max returned to the room, shortly before 5:00.

"Quitting time," he said cheerfully. "Any good stuff in there?"

Jack handed him the short stack that he had developed. "There's one in there that might be pretty good," he said. "From a construction contractor. About 3 or 4 pages down."

"Oh yeah?" Max pawed through the sheets, looking for the one Jack mentioned.

"Yep," the fox replied, "Like an estimate to repair their walkway."

Max looked at him, wide-eyed. "No shit?" he rifled through the stack, and finally located the sheet. As he studied it, he began to giggle. "Holy crap, Jack," he finally said with a grin. "You know what this says?"

"Well, yeah," Jack responded. He had been the one to review it, after all. "They called in a contractor to give them an estimate for some repairs. Looks like the paving stones were part of that, and..."

"No no," Max interrupted. "I mean: what it says. It says they knew!" He laughed out loud. "Look at the date here. It's a month before our guy hurt himself. They knew for a month and didn't fix it!" He laughed again, loudly, almost maniacally, then settled down. "You just made me fifty grand, my dear fox!"

Jack had figured the sheet was important, but had not considered the full implications of what it meant. He would have given it to Max immediately, had he known, or at least keep it on top of the short stack. He smiled meekly. "Not bad for my first day, huh?"

"I'll say," Max replied, patting the fox's shoulder. "You do this every day and we'll make a hell of a team!" The otter thought for a moment. "Speaking of which, you have plans for dinner?"

Jack's ears perked up. His only plans were as usual for him: fast food on the way back to the apartment, or ordering a pizza once there. "Uhh... no," he said, "nothing planned."

"Well," Max said, "it's the least I can do after... this." He waved the contractor sheet. "What do you say we go get something good? I'll take you to a nice high-class place!"

Jack considered this unexpected invitation, mentally weighing it against the pizza while factoring in the otter's happy smile. "Yeah, sure," he said after the briefest of moments. "Love to!"

---

The next day, Wednesday, Jack showed up for work early. He was in a good mood, following a very nice dinner and a good night's sleep. He and Max had gone to a French restaurant - a fairly nice one, but not one that required a coat and tie. Max derisively referred to those as being for poseurs. "You pay a fortune for the meal, get incredibly shitty service, and a meal that you down in 2 bites," he had said.

The place they had gone to was not like that, however. Jack was admittedly ignorant of French cuisine, so asked Max to recommend things. The otter did not hold back, either: he started by ordering a bottle of Dom Perignon and several appetizers, including escargot and some sort of pastry balls with spiced meat within, which Jack found delicious.

Jack reminded Max that he was below the drinking age, but the otter seemed to intentionally not hear him until after the champagne bottle was uncorked.

"Try it, at least," Max said, pouring a little of the champagne into an available water glass. "You can tell everyone you've tried three hundred dollar champagne!"

Jack's ears perked at the price. "Jeez, Max," he said, "don't spend that on my account."

"Nonsense!" Max said with a flourish. Then as Jack sniffed the glass, "A toast: to loose paving stones, and my eagle-eyed Legal Assistant who found them!"

Jack clinked his glass to Max's and sipped the champagne. It was unlike the "sparkling" champagne-substitutes he always had on New Year's Eve, and certainly unlike any carbonated soda. Rather, it had a very subtle taste, and the bubbles within felt extraordinarily small, as if there were thousands on his tongue.

"Just doing my job," Jack said after finishing the small amount in his glass. "By the way, I never actually thanked you for doing that." He looked earnestly into the otter's dark eyes. "So: thank you for being there for me. This... saves me in so many ways, I can't count them all."

Max smiled a warm friendly smile. "It was my pleasure, my friend." There was a moment of silence as the two regarded each other, then Max said, "C'mon, have some more. Nobody's looking, and you might have to drive me home otherwise!"

Jack reluctantly had another half-glass but would take no more, as _he_needed to drive home as well. The rest of the meal was had, including a very rich dessert with all sorts of cream and pastries and such. Jack wanted to know what the final bill was, but Max shooed him away from the folio when it came, and gave a platinum card to the waiter.

All in all, his first time at a French restaurant was enjoyable, even the snails, which he initially turned his nose up at until Max persuaded him to at least try them. The food was very rich, which likely contributed to the soundness of his later sleep.

It was in stark contrast to the fast-food chicken biscuit he had just finished on the drive into work on Wednesday. As he came into the office, Maggie was at the desk as usual and the conference room was empty.

"Good morning," he said to the red panda. "The boss here?" He smiled as he said that, the thrill of meaningful employment still fresh.

"Good morning, Jack," she replied. "Nope, he's not here yet. Haven't heard anything."

Jack nodded. It was just after 8:15, and he didn't know when Max normally got there. He hoped that he did not have any problems on the drive home after consuming most of a bottle of champagne. "Ok, I'll be in the workroom," he said, and headed down the hallway.

The array of evidence boxes were still stacked by the table. Even though he had clearly found a "smoking gun" for the injury case, he grabbed the third box and set to sorting through its contents. It would only help the case further if he found more, he reckoned. Besides, he had no other tasks given to him yet. Presently he heard Max arrive, give a quick hello to Maggie and rush down the hall.

"Morning, Jack," Max said rapidly, continuing down the hall without waiting for a response. Jack heard his office door close, followed closely by Max's phone line lighting up on the phone in the workroom.

"Hi," Jack replied for his own amusement after the otter's door closed. Max must have been late for a client call, he figured, which was probably attributable to the champagne causing him to sleep later than expected.

After another half hour, Max's door opened and he came to the workroom with a pawful of papers. "Morning, Jack," he said again.

"Morning," Jack replied. "You make it home ok?"

Max laughed. "Oh yeah, don't worry about that." He paused for a moment, then his face got more serious. "So... we've got a bit of a situation."

Jack's ears perked. That did not sound good. "Uh-oh," he just said.

Max waved the papers in his paw. "CPS has counter-filed on our petition. They've asked for a summary dismissal with prejudice."

The fox cocked his head, not understanding much besides 'dismissal'. "Umm, what does that mean?" His voice was audibly nervous.

Max sat down on the edge of the table. "Remember how I said they would object? Well they're not only objecting, they're saying that you don't even deserve serious consideration, and they've asked the judge to dismiss your request 'summarily', which means without even listening to our side, and 'with prejudice', which means you could never re-file it."

Jack slumped in his seat. Why was the world making it so difficult for him to do the right thing, he wondered. "Would that keep me from trying the other things? Foster care and all?"

Max's face answered his question even before he spoke. "It would... not be good," the otter said.

Jack leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling. "Fuck," he said, then rubbed his face with his paws. "When will I know what happens now?"

"Well, fortunately I know this judge's clerk," Max said.

"Oh yeah?" Jack asked, not understanding.

"Yep," Max said, "that's who I was on the phone with this morning. He's put us on the docket for Friday morning."

"He can just shuffle cases around like that?"

"Oh, sure," Max said conspiratorially. "He and I go back 200 years!" Jack stared, his face displaying his now total confusion, which made Max laugh. "You ever heard of Paws & Claws?" the otter asked.

"Ummm, its one of those secret societies, I think," Jack said. He had heard the name before somewhere in that context.

"Yep," Max confirmed. "A 200 year-old club, if you will, from college. He and I were both in it, so I asked him for a... favor. Fringe benefit, if you get my meaning."

Jack did not completely get his meaning, but had heard that members often ended up in positions of power, so likely exchanged favors with their fellows. "I see," Jack said. "And you're both vampires or something?" The thought had come to him when Max said 200 years, and he found it too funny to keep to himself, even in the current situation.

Max ruffled the fox's headfur. "The _club_is 200 you doofus," he said with a laugh. "We say it like that because it doesn't matter if two Pawsmen were in at the same time. To us, everyone who's ever been in it, going back 200 years, was in at the same time. So we look out for each other."

Jack nodded, his laughter fading as the reality of the situation returned. "So Friday morning, huh? Do I get to be there, or is this another time where decisions are made off in a room somewhere?"

"No," Max said, "you definitely get to be there. And I'll be there with you."

"Will Angelo be there?"

"Probably," Max said. "This concerns him intimately. Even if the CPS lawyers are representing 'his best interests', I think he'll still be there."

"Friday," Jack said. Now he just had to make it through two more days of uncertainty. At least he now had some work to occupy his mind, and a friend in Max to talk to. It was still going to be a rough couple of days though.

---

Friday morning, Jack stood in the lobby of the courthouse. He was wearing a suit and tie at Max's instruction, and stood waiting for the otter to show up. It was approaching 10:15, and their hearing was scheduled for 10:30. The last thing he wanted was to show up late for this.

"Jack!" The voice from behind him startled the fox, who turned to see Max approaching, dressed in what looked like a very expensive suit, carrying an attache case.

"Hey," Jack said nervously with a wave.

Max put his case down and straightened Jack's collar. "You have breakfast like I said? With OJ and no coffee?" "Yep," Jack replied. "I only hope I don't puke it all on the judge's bench." "You won't," Max said with a laugh. "Besides, we'll be in the judge's chambers for this."

"Ok, so I'll puke on the judge then," Jack said with a slight grin, trying to calm himself.

"Nah," Max said reassuringly, "you'll be fine. I'll probably do most of the talking, but the judge is probably going to ask you some very direct questions. Don't read too much into them, but answer truthfully. Any lie or half-truth will come back to haunt you, believe me."

"Right," Jack said, taking a deep breath.

"Come on," Max said, walking towards the elevator. "I already found where we're supposed to go." "Will Angelo be here?" Jack asked as they walked.

"He is supposed to," Max said.

That was something, at least, Jack thought. He desperately wanted to see the boy again, to talk to him about how things were going, and just to give him a hug.

The pair reached the elevator, and Max pressed the button for the 3rdfloor. Other furs filed in with them, pressing several other floors. Jack closed his eyes as the elevator rose, breathing deeply to calm his nerves. He felt a supportive squeeze on his arm, and patted the paw with his own. The elevator opened on the 3rdfloor, and they exited with one or two others.

"Ok, 327," Max said, looking at the sign in the elevator lobby. "Thataway," he said, pointing down one hallway. "Let's go!"

Jack counted the office numbers as they walked. Ahead he saw a single lady seated on a bench outside one office, reading on a tablet computer. As they got closer he recognized her as one of the ones who took Angelo away at the hospital. "That'll be 327," he muttered angrily to Max.

"Steady," Max muttered back, then as they neared her, he said "Good morning ma'am."

"Good morning," she replied, rising to shake Max's paw before sitting back down and turning her attention back to her tablet. She was a middle-aged cat lady with light grey fur, dressed very professionally in a suit, and with her hair worn tightly up. She glanced at Jack for a second, then returned to her reading without comment or gesture.

Jack instantly disliked her, even beyond the fact that she stood between Angelo and him. His ears perked at the thought: Angelo? The cub was not there, nor was there any indication that anyone else had accompanied the cat. He turned to Max, who read his face and just put up a calming paw, nodding slightly.

They only waited a minute or so before the door opened and a clerk appeared. "Please come in," he said, holding the door open for the cat lady. Max and Jack followed, the otter giving a strange handshake to the clerk.

There was an outer waiting room of sorts, with a desk for the clerk and some chairs and a sofa. The clerk led them to another door, with a brass plaque on it bearing the judge's name: Walter Sorensen. He opened the door and motioned the group to go in.

Jack followed Max and the cat inside to the judge's office. It looked exactly as Jack pictured a judge's chambers would look: wood paneling, numerous bookshelves filled with legal-sounding books, and a large ornate wooden desk and a matching conference table.

The judge, a brown bear in his fifties, was seated at the table in his robes, along with a young mouse girl who appeared to be the stenographer, from all the equipment in front of her. The judge had a manila folder in front of him, which Jack assumed contained the petition and related documents.

"Thank you for coming folks," the judge said. "Please sit down and we'll get started. Is everybody here?"

"The mistress from Dole is coming - she's stuck in traffic," the cat lady said. "She has the minor cub with her. I would like to get started though: there may be some things the cub should not hear."

Like hell, Jack thought. He would tell Angelo everything, the first chance he got.

"I agree," Max said, "I have one question that the boy might find distressing." Jack smiled to himself at the difference in how Max and the CPS lady referred to Angelo: "the minor cub" and "the boy." He hoped the judge took notice of this as well.

"Very well," the judge said. "Please be aware that everything you say from here on is on-the-record." He nodded to the stenographer. "This is in regards to the petition for summary dismissal of a filing for guardianship of the minor cub Angelo Cole by John Archer Jr. If everyone would identify themselves for the record. Petitioner?"

"Agnes Somerset, attorney for Cub Protective Services," the cat lady said.

"Respondents?"

Max elbowed Jack softly. "Umm," Jack said nervously, then cleared his throat. "Jack... I mean, John Archer Jr."

"Maxwell Cartwright, attorney for Mr. Archer," Max said.

"Your firm is eponymous?" the judge asked.

"Yes your honor," Max replied. Jack had no idea what that meant, and started to get nervous again that he was lost so quickly.

"Thank you," the judge said. "I'm Judge Sorensen, I'll be handling this immediate petition, as well as Mr. Archer's request, pending today's outcome. Now then, Mr. Archer, you have requested permanent guardianship of Angelo Cole."

"Yes sir," Jack said. "Your honor," he added, correcting himself.

The judge opened the manila folder and put on a pair of reading glasses. "I've read your file, as well as the related police report, so I understand how you've arrived at this point. And where is the cub housed currently?"

"Dole House, CPS," the cat responded.

"Very well," Judge Sorensen said. Then after a moment's silence he continued. "Ms. Somerset, you've filed a petition for summary dismissal of Mr. Archer's request. Why is that?"

"Well, your honor," she began with a certain smugness that Jack recalled from the hospital, "we feel that Mr. Archer is not fit to raise a cub, being barely out of high school, and recently under police investigation."

"That was _nolle prossed_and you know it," Max said with irritation. "I know you have a copy of the writ."

The cat looked to the judge, who said nothing. "Well, yes," she acknowledged when the rebuke she seemed to be asking for did not come.

"So," Max said plainly, "that case is irrelevant to his request." He now looked to the judge who met his gaze.

"I would tend to agree," the bear said. There was a knock at the chamber door. The judge looked towards the door, then back to Max. "You said you had a question that should be asked out of the cub's presence, Mr. Cartwright?"

"Yes, your honor, thank you," Max replied. "Based on the current CPS backlog, Ms. Somerset, what would you estimate the chances of placing the boy in a permanent home are?"

There was a long period of silence as the cat lady ruminated on the question. "There is always a chance," she said. "We find the right foster home..."

"With all due respect," Max said, "there is a chance I'll win the lottery this week. Just a really really bad chance. I mean this as a serious question, as I feel it directly impacts my client's request. You have an eleven-year-old that you've labeled as "troubled" for some reason, and in all seriousness, what do you personally think the odds will be of placing him?"

There was another long silence while Max and the cat locked eyes. Finally the judge rose, and said, "I believe our cub has arrived. Come in," he shouted to the door. Jack jumped up from his chair and faced the door, which clicked open.

Part 9

Jack jumped up from his seat as the door was opened by the clerk. Angelo stepped into the doorway, looking nervous yet curious. He wore the same type of blue sweats that he had in the hospital, and his arm was still in a sling, a large padded shoulder protector strapped over his left shoulder.

It only took seconds before he and Jack locked eyes. The cub's face lit up. "Jack!" he cried and ran to the older fox who put both arms around him and hugged him tightly, taking care to avoid his wounded shoulder.

"Ange," Jack said, his voice choking and eyes watering. "I've missed you so much, buddy." He nuzzled the boy's charcoal headfur, which he saw had been cut much shorter than he previously kept it.

"Me too," Angelo whispered, his face pressed hard against Jack's chest as he hugged with his good arm. The two stayed like this for several moments. Jack heard the cat lady clear her throat, but he ignored her and stayed locked in the hug with his friend, eyes closed, swaying ever so slightly.

After another few moments, the judge gently said, "Please take your seats, gentlemen."

Jack opened his eyes to see Angelo looking up at him. "Better go," Jack whispered, running a thumb over the top of his grey-furred muzzle. Angelo nodded and the pair slowly separated, holding paws until the last possible second.

A rabbit lady who had accompanied Angelo guided him to the other side of the table, next to Ms. Somerset, the cat lady from Cub Protective Services, and sat next to both of them. She was younger than the cat was, and wore her hair long. She looked much more friendly than Ms. Somerset as well, Jack thought. He dabbed the remaining tears from his eyes, wanting everyone to see him do so.

They were now all at the table, Max and Jack on one side, Angelo and the CPS furs on the other, with the judge and the stenographer at the head end. The judge spoke up once everyone was seated. "Ok, resuming the consideration of the CPS motion for summary dismissal. Will our new arrivals state their names and affiliations for the record?"

"Marie Baker, headmistress of Dole House, Cub Protective Services," the rabbit lady said.

"Angelo Justin Cole," Angelo said nervously. "Umm... orphan I guess?" Jack smiled openly at this.

The judge chuckled as well. "Very well, thank you," he said. "Angelo, do you understand why you're here today?"

"Yes," the fox said, his eyes looking from person to person as he spoke. "Jack wants to be my guardian, and have me come live with him. But she," he said, indicating the CPS cat, "doesn't think he's good enough, and would rather keep me locked up 'till I'm 18." He looked to the judge with a smile as he finished. Jack knew that the kit had picked his words very deliberately, and forced himself to suppress a smile of his own.

"Somewhat subjective, but you're essentially correct," the bear said. "So now we're just talking it over to see why that is." Angelo nodded. "Mr. Cartwright, I believe your previous question has been answered?"

"It has, your honor," Max said, throwing a wink to Angelo who smiled back at the otter.

"Very well. Continue Ms. Somerset."

"Thank you, your honor," she began. "As I was saying, despite the nolle pross, Mr. Archer is still barely out of high school. He's not demonstrated any meaningful responsibility - he doesn't even have a job."

"I have a job," Jack interrupted. The cat lady looked annoyed at the interruption, and the judge put up a paw towards Jack to silence him.

"He's far too young to be raising a cub," Somerset continued, "even under normal circumstances, let alone special case we have here." Another moment of silence followed.

"Oh yeah, that's right," Angelo chimed in, breaking the silence. "They've got me listed as... what was it again? Not "disturbed".... what was it?"

"Troubled?" the cat said slowly, eyeing Jack accusingly. "Who told you about that?"

"You did," Angelo said plainly. "Just now." The cat looked irritated as she realized what Angelo had done. "Why do you think I'm troubled, miss?" Angelo asked pleasantly.

"Well, you've been through a very traumatic experience," she said, sounding surprisingly gentle.

"So have I," Jack said.

"Yes, you killed someone," she said, still gently and almost sadly. "And how many nightmares have _you_had since then?" Jack just stared back, his drooping ears answering her question. "Exactly," she said. "Now imagine you're eleven."

"But how does that make Jack a bad guardian?" Angelo asked.

"He doesn't have any cub-raising experience," she said, "and our studies have shown that cubs who go through traumatic events like this will have... special problems."

"Like what?" Angelo asked. Jack couldn't tell if he was genuinely curious, or if he was trying to set her up as he had already done once.

"Well," she said, clearly not wanting to be in this position, but the expectant looks from Jack, Max, and even the judge, meant she had to explain to the group. "Things like trust issues with authority figures," she said.

"I trust Jack," Angelo retorted, his voice still pleasant and conversational. "I trust him with my life. What else?"

"We've seen them have difficulties forming relationships..."

"I've formed one," Angelo interrupted, looking at Jack with a smile. "In fact, the only fur I have a problem with... isn't a problem anymore. And if I'm really "troubled" like you think, how is it better to stuff me in with 50 other kits rather than letting me be part of a real family?"

The cat was visibly flustered by this. "Let me reiterate," she said, now looking at the judge rather than Angelo, who took note of this with an irritated smirk. "Mr. Archer has no cub rearing experience. He is barely out of high school and knows nothing about how to raise a cub. There is nothing to even suggest that he knows what he is doing."

"I know Angelo," Jack said, his anger rising as he tried to keep a calm voice. "I know him better than you or your so-called studies do."

"Pfft," the cat lady scoffed.

"What's his greatest fear?" Jack asked confrontationally. "His greatest joy?" He saw Angelo furrow his brow at the question.

The cat stared for a moment at him. "Do enlighten us," she said, condescendingly.

Jack was watching Angelo's face. The kit seemed uneasy; Jack knew why and wasn't going to betray the boy's confidence. "Well," he began slowly, "if he hasn't told you, then... it's none of your business." Angelo smiled at Jack, seeming appreciative of his evasiveness.

Ms. Somerset scoffed again. "Hardly a convincing argument."

Jack leaned forward, locking eyes with the cat. "Ok then," he said, audible irritation creeping into his voice. "When's his birthday?" he asked pointedly. The rabbit looked down to an open file. Jack answered before either could speak: "February 5th. What's his favorite drink?" A slight pause before he continued, his voice becoming louder and more intense. "Root beer! What's his favorite TV show? He doesn't have one! Favorite toy as a pup? Eye color? Lefty or righty? Boxers or briefs?"

Jack was half standing out of his chair, and Max had to put a paw on his arm to hold him from rising further. He sat back down meekly, noting all the eyes on him. He only looked at Angelo who nodded approvingly back at him.

"Maturity," the cat lady muttered to the judge. "I understand your emotions," she continued to Jack condescendingly once more, "but I assure you he will be well cared for."

"And that's the difference between us," Jack said. "You'll care for him. I'll care _about_him."

"Your honor," the cat said, seeming now to dismiss Jack. "The state has standards, as you well know. These standards are based in fact and precedent, not emotion. While we fully understand the emotion that pervades this case, the facts remain that Mr. Archer does not rise to the minimum standards we feel are appropriate." "You haven't even given me a ch..." Jack began to say, which was met again by the judge holding up a paw to silence him.

"We therefore respectfully request summary dismissal of his request, and remanding of the minor cub to CPS custody," the cat lady said, sounding rehearsed and overly legal.

A long silence followed, after which the judge said, "Unless anyone has anything further, I'm ready to rule on CPS's petition."

Jack looked at the judge expectantly, but just whimpered once softly.

"Can I ask a question?" Angelo asked quietly.

"Of course," the judge said.

The cub cleared his throat. "Let's say Jack got a girl pregnant and she had a pup. And he comes in here trying to get out of supporting it. "I'm too young," he says. "I've got no experience, I'm right out of high school." He says all that trying to dodge taking care of the pup. Would you agree that he's right and let him out of it? Or would you say "too bad, you're an adult now and have to take responsibility"?"

The judge sat back in his chair and regarded the young fox.

"So..." Angelo continued softly, "here he is, wanting to take on a responsibility when he doesn't have to. Isn't that the kind of person you _want_taking care of me?" There was a long pause. Jack's eyes began to water at Angelo's earnest statement.

"This is... diff..." the cat lady started to say, then trailed off.

"Well," the judge said after a brief pause. "I've found over the years when dealing with issues as important as this, that further discussion can only help. Right now the boy is already in CPS custody, so there is little harm in letting that discussion happen. Request for dismissal is denied - Mr. Archer's request may proceed."

Jack's heart leaped, and he saw Angelo's reaction mirroring his own. Max gave his paw a tight squeeze in support. "Thank you sir," he said, adding "your honor, I mean." The cat lady looked angry, Jack noticed, but the rabbit looked almost happy with the ruling.

"I'm going to fast-track this," the judge said. "Being as young as you are, which I won't hold against you, it shouldn't take too long to put together your proposal."

"Proposal?" Jack asked.

"Yes," the judge replied. "You're asking to take care of this boy, so show me how you plan to do it: everything you think I need to know. I'll set a hearing for a week from today. If you need more time, your counsel will know what to do."

"Thank you your honor," Jack said again. "Can I... that is, will I be able to... take Angelo... to..."

"What he means, your honor," Max interrupted as Jack stammered, "is that part of what we will be proposing will require young Master Cole's presence." He winked at the kit again. "Specifically housing and school arrangements. So we are inquiring how to accommodate these needs."

"I believe there is a protocol for day visits from Dole House, Miss Baker?" the bear asked.

"There is, your honor," the rabbit lady replied. "We support the Big Brother/Big Sister program, as well as several after-school events. I'll be glad to work with Mr. Archer on this." She slid a business card across the table to Jack and Max.

"You're won't do anything stupid, will you Mr. Archer?" the judge asked. "Like getting on a plane to Rio?"

"No sir... your honor," Jack said. "We both promised we would do this the right way, and we will," he added, locking eyes with Angelo, who gave him a thumbs-up in response.

"Very well," the judge said, "this hearing is adjourned."

Everyone stood up, and Angelo ran back to Jack and embraced him again as the CPS ladies gathered their things. "I'll see you soon, buddy," Jack whispered, nuzzling one of his black-furred ears.

"Catch you later, Ange," Max said, holding a fist out to the kit who bumped it with his own in response.

"Seeya, Max," Angelo said, breaking the hug as the CPS team loomed over him. "I love you, Jack," he added.

"I love you too, Angelo," Jack said, kissing the grey-furred forehead.

"Mister Cole," the judge said as Angelo was about to be shooed out the door by the CPS entourage. The cub looked back to the bear. "You're a very insightful young fox," the judge said.

---

Jack met with Miss Baker as they were leaving the judge's office. He was going to call her once he got back to work, but as they were both already there he figured he'd see what he could arrange. She called to her office and had them fax the forms over to the courthouse; Judge Sorensen's clerk offered his fax number for that purpose.

Jack filled out the forms, which asked for much of his life history: jobs held, schools attended, even addresses where he'd lived. The final form was an authorization for them to do a financial and criminal background check on him, which explained the amount of detail they requested.

When all that was completed, Miss Baker faxed them back to the office, and made copies for herself, Jack, and Max. The rabbit told him she would call him at work once all the checks were done. If there were no snags, she said, he could pick up Angelo the next morning, Saturday.

By the time he and Max got back to the office, there was a message from Dole House saying he was clear for Saturday morning. The teen fox found it difficult to concentrate on his work following that. Max seemed to understand, and spent much of his time chatting with Jack in the workroom.

"Man, I love how Angelo trapped that CPS loudmouth," Max had said, laughing.

"Yeah," Jack agreed with a fond smile. "He's such a smart kid. Do you think he pulled us out of the fire there at the end?"

"Meh," Max said, "I don't know. I got the feeling that the judge was going to rule exactly how he did all along. That's why he didn't let you talk. He was there solely to see if their request to cut us off had any merit. As you saw, this judge likes to talk these things through, so..."

"Oh, ok," Jack said. It did make sense when the otter put it that way, and did make him feel better that the system was not automatically aligned against him.

"That's not to take away anything from Angelo," Max said, possibly misunderstanding Jack's subdued response. "That bit at the end was pure genius! And if it didn't change the judge's mind, it sure-as-shit shut down CPS's only real argument!"

Jack contemplated this for a moment. Then: "So, what about this plan he wants to see?"

"Easy," Max replied, walking to the whiteboard in the workroom. "What does it take to raise a cub?" Jack stared blankly at the otter, who laughed and uncapped a marker. "Ok, what did it take to raise you? Start with the obvious."

"Parents?"

"Of course," Max said. "And that's you. What else?"

"Umm... a house? Food, clothes?"

"Yep," the otter said, writing those on the board. "Next?"

Jack sighed. "I dunno... a car? Money?"

"Of course," Max said, writing. "Money. From a paycheck, but what if something happens to you?"

A light lit up in Jack's mind. "Insurance!"

"Right! What else?"

---

When he got home that evening, he immediately called his parents to let them know that they could meet Angelo the next day. Whether or not they would be able to on short notice, Jack was still going to pick him up, if only to spend time with him.

Fortunately, his parents were free and looking forward to meeting Angelo. They had not made their minds up still, as per their promise, and would not say which way they were leaning. His mother, however, did express a concern.

"You need to remember," she said on the phone, "that there's a young girl in the house. Bringing in a new boy could lead to... things happening."

"What do you mean?" Jack asked.

"I mean," she said, sounding hesitant, "that I don't want him... taking advantage of her."

Jack was shocked. "You mean, you think he'd try to rape her?"

"Well... no, not when you put it like that," she said. "But two kits, a boy and girl... they're not related and they're on the cusp of adolescence... cubs get curious, is all I'm saying. I don't want him satisfying his curiosity on her."

"Playing games, that sort of thing?"

"Yes, but more than that," she replied. "Things like peeping on her when she's getting changed, or in the tub, or who knows if she ever tries to climb into his bed when she's scared. You know how she is with storms."

Jessica, his sister, was eleven but still very scared of thunderstorms. Very often she would climb into her parents' bed when a storm passed through during the night. She had crawled into Jack's bed a few times as well for the same reasons.

"I seriously doubt he would ever do something like that,"Jack said. "And you can always tell Jessica that his room is off-limits."

"I plan to do that, yes," his mother replied. "But we can't be around all the time."

"Well, I can let him know how serious of an issue this is, if you want," Jack suggested.

"No, not yet," she said. "Let's meet him first. I just wanted you to know where I'm coming from."

"That sounds good," Jack said. "I will tell you something though: Like you said, cubs get curious. And if Jessica's curiosity kicks in, I would much rather she play "show me yours" with Angelo, and not some random boy in the woods somewhere... or on some Internet site." His mother said nothing. After a moment Jack added, "Once you get to know him, you'll see what I mean. He really is a great kit, and I don't think you have anything to worry about."

"Ok then," she said. "We'll see you tomorrow."

After hanging up, Jack ruminated on that last discourse. His mother was likely to always think of Jessica as a helpless innocent, but in truth her curiosity had already moved her to ask Jack to show himself to her, having never seen "boy parts" as she put it. Jack had obliged her for a brief view, eyes only of course, which seemed to quell her curiosity for the time being.

Furthermore, he had seen how she acted and talked when their parents were not around. She possessed an impressive lexicon of profanity and sexual terminology for her age, even if she didn't understand much of it. He cringed to think that his plans with Angelo might be derailed due to his mother's view of the girl as a perfect little princess that needed protection from a horny new interloper.

---

Jack pulled up in front of Dole House just before 10:00 on Saturday. He walked through the front door and to the reception desk. "I'm Jack Archer," he said to the receptionist, handing over his driver's license. "I'm here to pick up...oof!"

He was interrupted by Angelo who appeared from behind and hugged him around the waist with his good arm. "Hi Jack," the kit said innocently.

"Him," Jack said to the receptionist with a laugh. "Heya buddy," he said, putting an arm around Angelo. He wore a similar dark blue shirt and pants as before, the uniform of CPS apparently, though these were shorts more suitable for being outside in late July.

"Sign here," the receptionist said. "Back by 5:00 please."

"Will do," Jack said, handing the sheet back to her, and that was it. It was like checking out a library book, he mused.

Once outside, Angelo ran to the car - as best as he could with his left shoulder still padded and his arm in a sling - and waited by his door, tail wagging furiously. Jack unlocked his door and walked around to get in the driver's side.

As soon as he had shut his door, Angelo slid over on the bench seat, right up against Jack, and leaned into him. He couldn't hug with his left arm, so he reached his right paw over his head and scritched at Jack's face fur.

Jack put his arm around the cub and leaned his head down onto the boy's. Instinctively he licked at one of the black-furred ears. It was a deeply paternal act, unplanned and intimate. Angelo seemed to take note of this and smiled broadly, closing his eyes.

"Come on, put your seat belt on," Jack said after a moment's embrace.

"N... no," Angelo said, "not yet." He nuzzled his face deeper into Jack's side contentedly.

Jack held the hug, gently scritching at the little fox's chest as he did. He checked his mirrors, and saw several cars now lined up behind him. "We gotta go, buddy," he said, lifting his arm. "We're holding up traffic!"

"Ok," Angelo said, reluctantly but cheerfully. He slid back to his side of the seat and buckled in.

"Let's go meet the parents," Jack said as he pulled onto the street. "Nervous?"

"Kinda," Angelo said.

"Just be yourself," Jack said. "Don't try to say what you think they want to hear. Be the Angelo that they're going to see every day." He paused for a minute, letting it sink in. He didn't want to scare him, but at the same time didn't want to understate the significance of what was hopefully going to happen. "This is a big deal for all of us," he continued. "They just want to get to know you, to make sure you're not a nut or something."

"But I am a nut," Angelo said playfully.

Jack laughed. "Goofball," he said as he fuzzled the boy's head. "Got a cut, I see," he said, referring to his once longer and unkempt charcoal-colored headfur which was now cut and neatly combed.

"Yeah," the cub replied with irritation. "I look like a schnook now!"

"It grows back, don't worry," Jack said with a smile. "So how's life in the orphanage? You sleeping ok?"

Angelo sighed. "Not really," he said. "I keep seeing... him."

Jack sighed as well. "Yeah," he said. "Me too." He had relived the killing of Victor many times in his dreams. Sometimes it was just like it had been, other times it was much more brutal than reality. Occasionally, the turnout was completely different, with Victor actually killing both of them and Jack bolting upright in bed.

"The orphanage is ok I guess," Angelo continued. "Not as bad as I thought it was going to be. But like you said to the CPS lady: They're caring _for_me, but there's just too many of them... of us... for them to actually care _about_each kid."

"A lot of you, huh?"

"Yeah," Angelo said, thinking. "There's probably 50 all together. There's six boys in my room: there's me, two little kits, then two who're like 13 or 14, and one who's 16. That's Mike, he's in charge of the room - he makes sure the little kits do what they're supposed to, makes sure the lights go out when they're supposed to, that kind of thing."

"16, wow," Jack said.

"Yep, he's been there for a long time," Angelo said. "He said that he wouldn't leave now, even if they found a family to take him, 'cause the cubs there are his only family." "Sounds like a good guy," Jack said with some admiration.

"Yeah, he is, I guess." Angelo thought for a minute. "I really don't want to live there 'till I'm 18, though."

Jack patted his knee. "That's what we're trying to fix now, bro. Max says we've got a bunch of options, even if this doesn't work out. And if _none_of them work out... well, I'll be signing you out every day they let me!"

---

Jack pulled his car into the driveway of his parents' house, the house he grew up in. He no longer called it "his house" since moving out, though if this worked out that would soon change. Shutting the engine off, he looked to Angelo, sitting in the passenger seat as he had so often done in the last few months. "Ready bud?" Jack asked.

Angelo peered through the windshield and gazed at the house. He had not said much as they got nearer to the house, but otherwise if he was nervous he did not show it. The kit studied the house for a few more moments in silence. He had been here once before, back when their deliveries took a more dangerous turn; he had come by on Angelo's advice to pick up his hunting knife. That knife was now in an evidence locker most likely, Jack mused.

"C'mon," Jack said finally when no reply was forthcoming from his young friend. "They don't bite, I promise!"

"Yeah," Angelo finally said, sitting back in his seat and disconnecting the seat belt. Then with sudden enthusiasm, "Let's do this!"

The pair opened their doors simultaneously and got out of the car. Jack, on the left side, was closer to the house's door, so he waited for Angelo to come around the car before walking side-by-side to the front door, his paw on the cub's shoulder.

The door opened from within as they got near. A fox lady, Jack's mother, stood in the doorway. She was somewhat small of frame and shorter than Jack. Her fur was a golden color, and her dark brown headfur was long, below her shoulders. She smiled pleasantly at the two as they approached.

"Welcome, Angelo," she said, extending a paw.

"Thanks," the younger fox replied, shaking the paw.

"I'm Mary, Jack's mom." She hugged Jack in greeting. "But you probably figured that out already!" "Yeah," the kit replied with a laugh.

"Come on in and meet the gang," she said, stepping back and motioning the two inside. "This is my husband John."

"Angelo," Jack's father said, shaking the young paw, "pleased to meet you." He was around Jack's height, around 5 and a half feet, with similar rusty-red fur as Jack. He was dressed like he was either about to go play golf, or had just returned.

"And this is Jessica," Jack's mother continued, indicating the young fox girl who stood well back from her parents by the stairs. Jack could tell she was nervous, coupled with some of her natural shyness.

Jessica was shorter than Angelo, with fur that wasn't as golden as he mother's, yet not as red as her father's. Her headfur was dark red though, the color of bricks, and was pulled back into a ponytail which reached halfway down her back. She waved shyly at Angelo. Jack noted with some concern that she did not smile.

"Hello," Angelo said pleasantly, smiling at all three.

Jack's mother gently laid a paw on Angelo's wounded shoulder. "How is your shoulder doing?" She worked as a physical therapist, and Jack suddenly put 2 and 2 together that she could help with the boy's recovery.

"It's ok," Angelo replied. "Still sore though."

"Yes, it will be for a while still," Mary said, then turning to the group, continued, "Let's sit down in the dining room, shall we?" She beckoned for them all to follow, and walked into the dining room. It was wood paneled, with polished hardwood floors. The dining room table was an elaborate wooden table, reminiscent of the judge's desk from the Friday hearing. Several clocks hung on the wall, and a grandfather clock occupied a conspicuous spot. Jack could see Angelo's eyes widen as he took in the room.

The Archer family was fairly well-off: upper-middle class, his father called them. His father worked as a real estate broker, and between the two parents their combined income afforded them the ability to live like they did. If Angelo was impressed by the dining room, Jack thought, he would be stunned by some of the other amenities.

Jack took a seat at the table - the same seat he always used at dinner for as long as he could remember. Angelo sat in the seat next to him. The elder John Archer sat at the head of the table, while Jack's mother and sister sat directly across from Angelo and Jack.

"So," Jack's father began, "we all know why we're here, so no sense in rehashing things. We've talked it over a few times, and we'll do it again a few times after today." He stopped, as if letting that sink in. Jack had already told Angelo that no decision would be made right there, to reassure him when no answer was forthcoming. "I'll let Mary take it from here."

All eyes turned to Jack's mother. "Well," she said, "we just want to get to know you a little bit. Find out some things about you, and let you know what you can expect if you live here." Angelo nodded, his eyes locked on her.

"So," she said, pausing briefly, as if not sure how to transition, but then just doing so. "Jack says you used to sell drugs." She looked at the young grey-furred fox expectantly.

"Yes," Angelo said immediately. He looked between the two Archer vixens; Jack had told him that Jessica knew of all the schoolyard stories about him.

"Yes? That's it, just 'yes'?" Jack's mother asked, her tone still conversational.

"Well," Angelo said, brow furrowing slightly, "yeah, I sold drugs. That was part of what I had to do, living with Victor."

"What sort of drugs?"

"Pot, mainly," the kit replied. "Marijuana, that is. Beer too. Sometimes coke... cocaine, but I didn't really sell that, I just delivered it. Ecstasy a couple of times."

"Ever try any of them?" she asked.

"Yes," Angelo said quietly after a brief hesitation.

"Yes," Mary repeated. "So... all of them?"

Angelo shuffled in his seat. "Yeah, all," he said plainly, ears drooping slightly. Jack looked sadly at his friend.

"Did you like them?"

Angelo took a deep breath. "Pot just made me hungry and stupid," he said, at which both of Jack's parents smiled. "Coke... the first minute was good, but the rest of the day I thought my heart was going to explode. Not a fan of that. I did like beer though." He looked plainly at Mrs. Archer.

"Did Jack try any of those?" she asked. Jack's eyes narrowed at the question.

"You'll have to ask him," Angelo replied. This too got a smile out of Jack's parents.

"Well," Jack's mother said, "I suppose it goes without saying that it's not ok with us going forward. We will expect you not to touch drugs or alcohol, whether it's here or anywhere else. Is that understood?"

"Yep," Angelo replied, surprisingly cheerfully, "I already promised Jack that a while ago!"

"You did?" Her eyes looked to Jack.

"Yep," the little fox repeated. "It wasn't ok with him either."

Jack's mother stared at her son, then smiled approvingly. "Ok," she said after a moment. "What about sex?"

Jack looked at Angelo, slightly nervously. He had told him to be himself, but now would not be the time for a flippant answer. He thought he saw that gleam in the young blue eyes, and Angelo looked about to say something, then pursed his lips for a moment.

"What about it?" he finally asked softly.

"Well," Mary said, "have you?"

Angelo took another deep breath before answering. "That's... personal," he said. "I'd rather not talk about that."

Mrs. Archer nodded slowly. "So... that's a 'yes' then," she said.

Angelo cocked his head slightly. "No," he said, "that's an I-don't-want-to-answer-that."

"You're, what, eleven?"

"And a half," Angelo said with a smile.

"Ok," Mary replied, also smiling. "So if the answer was no, you'd just say no, right? But if you thought I might not like the answer..."

"No," Angelo said, still pleasantly, "look at it like this. Let's say the answer is no... today. You ask me tomorrow, and it's still no. You ask me next year, still no. You ask me in five years... and then I don't want to answer. That's when I've answered the question by not answering." He paused, as Jack's mother nodded. "I would just rather keep some things private, you know?"

There was a moment of silence. Finally Jack's mother spoke. "We do take privacy seriously here, Angelo," she said. "And you are certainly entitled to yours." Angelo smiled. "Along both of those lines, though, there is something I have to say. We have a young girl in the house."

"Yes, I know, she's right there," Angelo said, smiling happily to Jessica, who only fidgeted in her seat in response, not making eye contact.

"My point is," Mary said, raising her voice ever so slightly before returning to normal, "that whatever your... experience may be, I don't want it being brought into this house. Everyone is entitled to privacy here, and that includes privacy against, shall we say... unwelcome advances."

"What... what are you..." Angelo said with obvious surprise. He looked at Mrs. Archer who just returned his gaze as if saying "you know what I mean". The kit looked to Jessica, who was staring at her mother with a look of embarrassed shock and irritation.

Angelo closed his eyes and took a couple of breaths. "When I was delivering for Victor," he began, eyes still closed, "there was this one customer: a doctor. He would order tiny amounts of whatever, so I would have to show up there a lot." The cub opened his eyes. "He offered me 500 dollars if I let him take naked pictures of me." Mary's eyes widened, and Jessica looked horrified.

"He always asked if I needed to use the bathroom, too... probably had cameras set up in there. After a while, 500 became a thousand," Angelo continued. "I wouldn't let him, of course, and the last time there, Jack got all up in his face - it was beautiful!"

Everyone looked at Jack who smiled proudly as Angelo went on, his tone becoming more somber. "Then one time, Victor got mad at me for... something, and told me that this guy had offered him ten thousand dollars to have... me... for a night. And that he couldn't just let me walk away after that."

Everyone was looking down at this point, which surprised Jack, who has always found his parents to be unflappable. Angelo looked between all of them before concluding. "So... I know what an unwelcome advance feels like, believe me. And I would never even think of doing anything like that to someone else. Just the thought..." he trailed off.

"Fair enough," Jack's mother said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you for sharing that, Angelo," she said, her voice back to normal. "I know that wasn't easy for you." Angelo just nodded solemnly. "John?" she said, looking to her husband.

"I'm curious," Jack's father said. "What was it like living where you did?"

"It was... lonely," Angelo said frankly. Jack took one of his paws and gave it a squeeze. "I didn't go to school, so I couldn't go outside when school was in; furs would want to know why I wasn't there myself. And Victor didn't have the TV hooked up either. So I did a lot of reading. And you remember last Winter, how snowy it was?"

"Oh sure," Jack's father said.

Angelo nodded. "Well, then I couldn't ride my bike because of all the ice, so even after school let out I _still_couldn't go anywhere. No kids lived in the complex, so nothing to do there, and making snowfoxes from dirty slush in the parking lot gets old fast."

Angelo's voice was getting quieter as he went on. "Victor left me alone a lot over the winter too. For days... I mean five, six days in a row. Fucker was probably in Florida too." Jack heard Jessica gasp at the profanity, but kept his eyes on Angelo who was looking at the center of the table as he spoke. "It got real bad there, for a while," he said softly. "Dull grey days... snow and ice.... delivery pizza for the fifth day in a row, breakfast lunch and dinner. More than once I thought..." He stopped for a moment, then cleared his throat. "Sorry," he said sheepishly, looking around the table.

"Thought?" Jack's mother prodded gently.

"Well," the cub replied, "what I meant was: I saw that as my life. That's what it was, that's all it was ever going to be. And... I didn't like what I saw." He looked up at Jack's parents. "Let's just say, Jack saved me in more ways than one." He smiled slightly, and had a look on his face that suggested he was done talking about that.

As close as they were, Jack had never heard him talk like this. He always talked of how it was living _with_Victor, and mentioned almost as an aside that Victor would leave him alone for a day or two when he was meeting with the Russian. To think that Victor would leave him alone in the middle of Winter for extended periods only made him hate the ferret even more. And if he was indeed in Florida or some other warm place...

"Well," Jack's father said, sounding as if he wished he had not asked the question. "How about you: do you have questions for us?"

Angelo nodded with a smile. "Sure. What's it like living here?"

"I think you'll find it much better than you just described," Jack's father said with a smile.

"Jack said there's a lot of rules."

John Sr laughed at this. "Yes," he said, "we have a set of house rules. A lot of common sense and common courtesy mostly, but anyone living here has to follow them." He thought for a moment. "Jessica, would you go grab them off the fridge?"

"Yep!" the girl said, and dashed out of the room.

"It will be sort of a strange situation for you," John continued. "Jack would be responsible for you, and you would have to do what he says of course." Angelo looked at Jack and grinned as Jack's father continued. "And since both of you are living here, you both have to follow the house rules. So you, Angelo, would have a few people in charge of you."

"Here they are," Jessica said, running back into the room and putting a laminated sheet of paper on the table.

"Thank you, dear," Jack's father said. "Here, have a look." He slid the paper to Angelo.

The kit looked over the rules: 25 of them. They were indeed heavily made up of common courtesies, as Jack's father said: "Never open a closed door without knocking and being invited into the room", "If you receive a cell phone call in a room with others, leave the room", and so on. There were also some that were restrictions on personal behavior: "Internet use is a privilege that can be suspended". "Chores and homework must be complete before TV or non-homework Internet use".

"No friends allowed inside the house unless they've met the parents first". Angelo remembered that one from the only other time he had been to Jack's house.

The list included the expected prohibitions on cursing, lying, talking back, and so on. Yet there were also personal rights among them: "All house members have the right to be heard and their opinions given proper consideration".

One rule made Angelo's ears perk: "No use of the pool without an adult present."

"Pool?" the cub said incredulously. Both parents laughed.

"Yes, we have a pool," said Mr. Archer.

"Wow," Angelo said under his breath. "Yeah, this looks like common sense stuff though."

"I'm glad you think so," Mr. Archer replied, taking the sheet back. "We won't dump all that on you on day-one... we'll give you a reasonable grace period."

"Thanks," Angelo said pleasantly.

"Well," Mr. Archer said after a brief silence. "Anything else?"

"Nope," Angelo said. "Not now anyway. Jack's told me a lot about living here. I probably will have questions later on, but not right now."

"Ok. Mary, anything? Jessica?" Both shook their heads. "Ok then. Angelo, would you mind waiting outside? We need to discuss some things among ourselves."

Angelo nodded and stood up. He paused for a moment behind Jack's chair, then said. "I do have one thing I'd like to say." All eyes focused on the grey-furred kit. "You guys did a great job raising Jack." He put his paw on the older fox's shoulders. "I know what he's giving up to take care of me, and... well, you guys should be proud." He smiled as Jack put his own paw on Angelo's. Jack's parents smiled broadly as well.

"Jessica," Mrs. Archer said, "Will you show our guest the door please, then go play so we can talk?"

Jessica looked slightly annoyed. Jack knew this was because she was being dismissed from the "grown up" conversation. Nevertheless, she rose and wordlessly led Angelo out of the room. Jack heard the front door open then close, and Jessica's footfalls on the stairs.

"Jessica," Jack shouted. "C'mere." The young girl came back down the stairs and stood in the doorway of the dining room. "Jessica, honey," Jack said, "go out and talk to him."

The girl made a soft whimper in protest. "I swear," Jack said, "he's not who you think he is. I promise... I JJ-Swear!" A JJ-Swear was a Jack-Jessica-Swear: their inter-sibling personal vow from growing up. It was always inviolate, sacred, and confidential.

The kit whimpered slightly again, then said, "Ok," and turned from the room. Again Jack heard the front door open and close.

"Who does she think he is?" Mrs. Archer asked.

Jack sighed. "When he was... selling in the schoolyard, these stories cropped up about him: he was violent, he killed someone in a bad drug deal, he'd break your legs if you owed him money, that kind of thing. It wasn't just about him, either. These sorts of stories cropped up for a lot of the other sellers and punks. Angelo said he encouraged those stories to grow, because it would make people less likely to try to double-cross him."

"But they're not true?"

"100% absolutely not true," Jack said emphatically. "Even Victor talked about how he told Ange to plant those stories. And it makes sense too: when I was with him, you could see that people respected him. Otherwise, you have an eleven-year-old with drugs and cash on him, and someone's going to pound him into the ground and take it."

"Ok," Jack's father said, "I can see that. As long as you're sure."

"I'll put my life on it," Jack said. He intentionally omitted the fact that Angelo actually had fought and hurt some people, figuring it was self-defense and not representative of the cub's normal personality. "I've seen him firsthand when he's playing that part and when he's not. He's really as far from that character as... I am!"

"I do get that impression," Mrs. Archer said. "He seems very nice." She looked to Jack's father, who took a deep breath.

"Well, Jack," he began. "Let me say that I _am_very proud of you for what you're trying to do. He seems like a nice boy, and he obviously really likes you."

"But..." Jack said, sensing there was another shoe to drop.

Jack's parents exchanged glances for a moment, then Jack's father leaned back in his seat. "I don't know that there is a "but"," he said. "But," he added with a laugh at his own contradiction, "you're his friend, right?"

"At least that, yes," Jack said emphatically.

"My point," said his father, "is that you _are_his friend. But are you prepared to be his parent and _not_his friend when the time calls for it?" Jack stared silently as the elder Archer went on. "You know as well as anyone that a parent will have to do what's best for the cub, even if the cub doesn't realize it. And that will lead to... hurt. Tears. Even hate."

Jack's ears drooped. His father was using Jack's own adolescent behavior as an example of what he might expect. It was _how_he phrased it that hit Jack the hardest, though. "There was... never any hate," he said meekly. "I was just..."

"I know," his father replied as Jack trailed off. "And I knew then. But after being friends with this little cub for so long, I will say that it still hurt."

Jack's ears now went flat against the side of his head. That one sentence stung more than any rebuke he had gotten as a teenager. "I'm..." he started to say.

"I'm not trying to dredge up the past," his father continued after a moment's silence. "I just want you to think about what might come in the future, so you're thinking about how _you_might handle a similar situation. When you have to play Parent and not Friend to him."

Jack nodded silently, trying to still his quaking throat before he spoke. "Well," he finally said, "I do have a very good role model in that area." His father smiled. "Besides," Jack continued, "Ange grew up different than me. He's not used to always getting his way or getting what he demanded like I was. In fact, he had to grow up a lot sooner than I did; he's probably more grown-up at 11 than I was at 16." Indeed, Jack could not picture Angelo crying hysterically because he couldn't go to a movie or a concert, the way Jack had.

"True, though that may present its own unique challenges," his father said, sitting back in his chair and letting the silence take over for a moment. "We'll need to talk it over of course, as this is a drastic change for all of us. You're sacrificing a lot: the next seven to ten years of your life are basically on-hold. But you're also asking us to join in to an extent."

"I am," Jack said somberly after a moment's reflection.

"We're already raising one cub," Mrs. Archer said. "We'll help out where we can, but _you_are the one who will be raising him. That means things like getting up extra early to make his lunch in the mornings. Sitting up all night with him when he's sick, and still going to work the next day."

Jack's father continued her thought. "Doing his laundry, helping him with homework... living your life completely for him, and settling for the smallest of windows for anything else that you wanted to do for yourself, or forgoing it altogether in favor of him."

Jack sighed at the tag-teaming, although they were completely correct. "Yes," he said, "I've had a ton of time this past week to think about nothing else. And I'll tell you... thinking about all of those little details, makes me respect what you two did for me even more."

"Now you understand," his father said gently. "So... on to more specific details, like: where will you two sleep?"

"I was thinking my room for now," he replied. "He can have my bed, and I'll get a cot or a mattress on the floor for now."

"For now," his father repeated. "Then what?"

"Well, maybe I can build out a little room in the basement?"

"You would pay for that, of course?"

"Definitely," Jack said. "I plan to pay for everything."

"Ok, what about insurance?"

"I get medical, dental, and life insurance through work now," Jack replied. "I'll max out the life benefits."

"You'll probably want to build a trust fund too," said John. "My accountant can work with you on that. Better for taxes than just paying benefits."

Jack nodded. "Max says I should take a cub CPR course too."

"I would encourage that," his mother said. "If you do, maybe we can let the kits swim in the pool with just you there."

"You'll want to draft a will too," Jack's father said. "So there will be no question of what would happen to him."

"Yes," Jack said. "Max sort of mentioned that too. I can name... someone... to take over as his guardian. Would that... be..."

Mr. Archer nodded solemnly. "If we do bring him into our house, we would accept that contingency as well."

Jack nodded appreciatively. "Anything else you can think of right now?" he asked his parents. "The judge wants to see a proposal of everything I plan to do for Ange. I figure the more stuff I can add now, the better it will look."

"Indeed," Mr. Archer said. "I can't think of anything right now, but I'll be sure to call you. When do you need to give this to him?"

"The hearing is Friday," Jack said. "Max says I should file it on Wednesday at the latest, so he has time to look it over."

"Good, good," his father said. "Well, I think that's all I have for today. Mary?" Jack's mother shook her head. "Ok then," he said and stood up.

Jack stood as well. "I want to give Angelo and Jessica some time, if that's ok."

"Sure," Jack's mother replied. "Assuming they're actually talking."

"I really hope so," Jack said, walking towards the kitchen. He would be able to see most of the front yard from the kitchen window, and hoped to get a covert view of the young foxes. The kitchen window blinds were open, and Jack slowly approached them so as not to present too visible of a silhouette to the foxes outside.

Angelo was sitting on the fender of Jack's car, his right arm supporting him as he leaned back slightly. Jessica stood in front of him, and the two did seem to be talking. Angelo would make occasional gestures, as did the girl from time to time.

"How are they doing?" Jack mother said, standing next to her son.

"They seem to be ok," he replied. "I just want to give them as much time as I can. I want her to be absolutely comfortable with this."

"We all have to be," his mother replied. "If not, then... well, we can't do it."

Jack sighed. She didn't need to keep reminding him of this. "I know, I know," he said.

The two stood watching through the window for a few minutes. Jack soon became aware that his mother was watching him more than she was the kits outside. He looked back to her and smiled.

"Look at you," she said proudly. "Five years ago I would never have thought that you could care about someone else like this!" She looked back out the window at the conversing pair. "He does seem nice," she said simply.

"Yeah," Jack said softly. "He's... he's my little angel." He brushed a tear away as he watched Angelo, who seemed to be happily telling a story.

After another long moment, Jack's mother said, "So tell me about your new job!"

---

After another fifteen minutes or so, Jack finally opened the front door. Angelo and Jessica looked like they were running out of things to talk about, as both fell silent for longer and longer periods of time. Jack noticed the girl's tail wagging, which encouraged him greatly.

"Come on back inside, Jessica," Jack's mother called to the young girl. She said another brief word to Angelo, then turned towards the house and took a step or two, then paused. To Jack's surprise and delight, she went back to Angelo and gave him a hug, then ran back to the front door. She held a tiny manila envelope in her paws.

"You two seemed to get along," Jack said happily.

"He's great," Jessica said. "I hope he can come live with us!"

Jack looked to his mother who raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What do you have there, dear?" she asked the girl about the little packet she carried.

"Angelo gave it to me!" She opened the envelope and poured the contents into her paw: 3 gold earrings and a black diamond stud. "Aren't they beautiful?"

"Well, that's very..." Mrs. Archer said, seemingly unsure what to make of it, or perhaps uncomfortable with the gift, which Jack knew to be worth hundreds of dollars."

"And you know what this means, Jack?" she asked with a grin. "It means that he's given up that life for good!"

"I told you," Jack said, audibly moved by Angelo's gesture. He smiled at his mother, who smiled back, now seemingly understanding. "Ok, we're gonna go," he said. "I've got him 'till 5, so we're going to go do stuff, while... while we can."

"We'll let you know as soon as we can," his mother said, giving him a hug.

"You be good, squirt," Jack said to Jessica, hugging her as well. Then with a wave, he started towards his car. Angelo was still sitting on the fender of Jack's car watching the group at the front door. When Jack started towards him, he hopped off the fender and waved to the Archers then went around to his door and got in.

"Ready, bud?" Jack asked as he opened his door. Angelo nodded but didn't say anything. Jack got in and backed the car out of the driveway, waving once more to his family before driving away.

"That was a very nice thing to do, Ange," Jack said. "Giving Jessica your earrings," "Hmm?" Angelo asked, sounding distracted. "Oh... yeah, I figure she could use them. I sure as hell won't." Jack smiled and patted the kit's head. "She's... nice," Angelo added. He sounded sad.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked.

The kit sighed. "Your mother doesn't want me there," he said. "She's afraid I'll molest your sister or something." He threw his head back and shouted, "Why is everyone so concerned about my sex life?"

Jack chuckled and put his paw on the grey-furred knee. "You're such a stud," he said, giving the leg a squeeze.

Angelo smirked and covered Jack's paw with his own. "No, I'm serious," he said. "What are we gonna do? She doesn't want me there, and you said they all have to agree."

"I think she does want you there," Jack said. Angelo looked at him, surprised. "She said that you said all the right things," Jack said. "Even when you didn't answer - she said that it might not have been the answer she was wanting, but it was still the right answer." "Really?" Angelo asked with a hopeful smile.

"Yep," Jack confirmed. "Though she didn't appreciate you dropping the F-bomb at the table."

"I know!" Angelo threw his head back again. "Jess said I did that too!" He sighed.

Jack laughed. "But if I can still read my dad, I think he's on board with you too. To be honest, I was most worried about Jessica, but she definitely wants you to live there now." "Yeah, she told me that too," Angelo said.

"I'm... well, I'm amazed, quite frankly," Jack said. "She didn't even want to go outside to talk to you. But you turned her around nicely."

Angelo nodded. "I just told her the truth," he said. "First thing I said to her was, "Jack says you've heard of me," and she told me about the stories she'd heard. I explained why I let them grow like that, and she understood... especially when I told her about the early times when I got beaten up before those stories got me some respect."

Jack nodded. "I've tried to tell her that a bunch of times," he said. "I guess she had to hear it first-paw though."

"Mmm-hmm," the kit said. "Then she asked me what the worst thing I _did_do was."

"Gazz?" Jack asked.

"I did mention Gazz, yes," Angelo said, "but that wasn't the worst thing. It was way back when. Right after I got beat up one time, actually, and my bag got stolen. I called Victor and he yelled at me to do something about it, like he had been trying to get me to do for a while.

"So..." the boy continued, with an embarrassed sort of smile. "I grabbed a girl's jump-rope, found the guy who hit me, and..." he chuckled, remembering, "came up behind him and looped the rope around his neck. Pulled it tight, and... held it." "Whoa," Jack said.

"I held it 'till he passed out," Angelo said. "Everyone who was with him scattered. I think that's where the "Angelo killed a guy" story came from, actually. I took my bag back, and left. He woke up a minute later." He pondered wistfully. "He was a good buyer after that, actually. He never did mess with me again."

"So it worked," Jack said.

"I guess," said Angelo. "I only had to do something like that a couple times, then people stopped trying to screw with me."

"Until Gazz," Jack said, mentioning the lizard that tried to rob Angelo and Jack.

"Yeah," Angelo said sadly. "I told Jessica about him too. Of all the bad things I did, he's the one that I... still see his face in my mind." He looked ahead for a moment. "But, I told her how him getting killed was kind of the thing that got us to get away from Victor. She said that "even bad things can have good results." I kinda like her," he concluded with a smile.

"I saw that, yes," Jack replied. "Nice hug you got, too!"

The kit smiled. "Yeah," he said shyly, then as if to shift the mood he added, "She wants me!"

"Hey now," Jack said, a cautioning yet friendly tone in his voice.

"What? I'm just saying," Angelo replied. "She wants my..."

"Hey!" Jack exclaimed. "Seriously, knock that off!"

"I'm just messing around, Jack," he said, somewhat contritely.

Jack sighed. "I know, I know." He wanted to bring this matter up with the cub, and this seemed to present a likely opportunity. "It's just... well, you already know that my mom is a little concerned about... that." Angelo nodded. "You know I'm not going to molest your sister, Jack," he said.

"Of course not," Jack replied, "but... don't even joke about it. Seriously. If she even thinks it's in your mind, she'd... I don't even know what!"

"Ok, ok, I got it," Angelo said with another nod. He looked down at his feet for a moment, which made Jack feel bad; he had not intended it to be a rebuke.

Angelo looked back up at him, with a twinkle in his young blue eyes. "So can I at least pee on her?"

"WHAT?" Jack exclaimed loudly, which elicited a giggle from his friend. "No! No you can't!"

"Ok," Angelo said innocently. "Just making sure." He paused for a moment as Jack looked at him incredulously. "Grab her butt?"

Jack could only laugh. "No, no butt grabbing."

"No butt grabbing," Angelo repeated. "Got it." Another pause, then: "Ooh! I know: what about..."

"No!" Jack said, cutting him off with faked outrage that made Angelo grin. "And let me help you out: What about.... No! There you go, What About Anything... No!" The boy nodded, pursing his lips. Jack knew something was coming, and he wasn't disappointed.

"Ok, what if I just want to try on her underwear?"

Jack groaned in exaggerated despair and banged his forehead on the steering wheel, bringing forth another happy giggle from the kit, who fell silent for a few moments.

"Jack," Angelo finally said. "Can I ask a serious question?"

"I don't know, can you?" Jack replied, still with staged outrage.

The younger fox smiled at this, then with a more serious yet gentle tone said, "What if she comes to me and wants to see... something?"

Jack sighed again, staring at the road ahead as he drove. He knew that this scenario was probably the most likely one to occur between them. He could see Angelo watching him expectantly out of the corner of his eye. He put a paw on the younger fox's grey-furred knee.

"Ange," he said gently, "I think you know the kind of thing that my mother doesn't want any of. So, knowing that, just... just use your best judgment. I trust you."

Angelo put his paw over Jack's and gave a squeeze. He didn't say anything at first. "When we were talking, I promised her that I wouldn't ever do anything to hurt her," he finally said. "And that includes anything that would hurt her if she found out about it later. And I won't."

"That's good enough for me," Jack said, giving the furry knee a pat. "So where are we going, anyway?" Jack had been driving for a few minutes but had no real destination in mind.

"I dunno," Angelo said, "back to your place for now?"

"You sure? Isn't it a little... close?" The crime scene tape was still on Victor's door when Jack had left this morning.

The little fox huffed. "I guess," he said, unsure. "Maybe. But I can remember the fun we had at your place and still forget what happened at Victor's."

"Do you think you can go in the pool with that brace on?"

"No," the kit replied sadly. "The doctors made a point to tell me not to go in the pool yet. That would have been really fun though. I do kinda' want to take a shower though." He smiled at Jack expectantly.

"A shower?"

"Yeah," Angelo replied. "Haven't had a real shower since... well, since that morning. At your place, actually!"

"They don't have showers where you are?"

"They do," Angelo explained, "but they suck! Really small sort of stalls, and they have a push-button that only gives water for a minute or so, then you have to push it again. Plus, the doctors told me not to twist or bend or anything, so I can't really reach everywhere on me. All I can do is rinse."

Jack pondered this with mixed feelings. The decision, though, was obvious. "Bud," he said gently, "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Well," the older fox said, "we've got this hearing coming up, and I don't want to risk... anything. If I bring you back smelling like Doctor Todd's #7 Fox Wash, they might wonder why you're taking showers when you're out with me."

Angelo seemed to accept this, as his face sank a little, but he nodded and just said, "I guess."

"Well, we can go back to my place for now and hang out, then figure out what we want to do," Jack said. "See a movie, maybe go have a nice lunch, maybe other stuff."

"Yeah," agreed the younger fox. "Anything will be fun!"

"Done and done," Jack said. Indeed anything the two did that day would be enjoyable, he figured. He just wanted to spend time with the boy, especially given the uncertainty of the situation. He did have one more less-fun topic he needed to bring up from the discussion at his parents' house, and decided to get it out of the way so that nothing more would interfere with the day.

"You know," he began after a brief silence, "once you move in with me, it won't be like it was back in the apartment." Angelo gave him a questioning look. "You aren't going to have all the freedom that you did, is what I mean. You'll have to go to bed at a certain time, do homework and chores... you can't come and go as you please without letting someone know. You're gonna be told "no" a lot, even by me, and it won't always make sense why. And it... might make you mad. At me."

Angelo thought about this for a moment. "Well," he said, "if it means I can wake up in the morning and not have to wonder if I'll still be alive at bedtime, I think I can handle playing by the rules."

"Touche," Jack said. Then after a moment, he changed the subject. "So what else did you and Jessica talk about?"

"We talked about school," the kit replied. "How I haven't been in a couple of years, and what it's like where she goes."

"Oh yeah? I'm actually trying to get you in the same school," Jack said. "What did she say about it?"

"She was mainly talking about the class bullies," Angelo said. "You think I'll go to the same school?"

"That's what I hope," Jack said. "It's a good school, so it'll look good to the judge, and plus you and Jessica can work on homework together."

"Cool," Angelo replied enthusiastically. "Now I kinda' want to meet these bullies too!"

---

As Jack pulled the car up to his apartment building, both he and Angelo looked across the parking lot to Victor's place. There were now two police cars parked in front of it, and the door was open. Jack had seen this several times in the last week as the police continued their investigation.

Jack pulled his car into his parking space and shut it off. He looked to Angelo whose demeanor had sunken somewhat upon gazing into his former residence.

He patted the kit's knee. "Come on, buddy," he said reassuringly, "he can't hurt you or me or anyone anymore."

"Yeah," was all Angelo replied. Jack opened his door and got out. As he did, a familiar form emerged from Victor's door.

"Hey, Jack!" Officer MacAllister called out, and started a slow jog towards the car.

Jack waved to the approaching policeman as Angelo opened his door and also got out. The little fox shot Jack a nervous glance. Jack nodded and held up a paw to the cub, trying to convey that it was ok as Angelo walked around the car to stand next to him.

"Hi Jack," the officer said as he stopped his jog and walked up to the pair. "And... Angelo," he added with audible surprise.

"Hi," Jack replied.

The tiger looked at Angelo for a moment, then back to Jack with a curious expression. "So," he said at length, "what's... umm... what's up with you?" He looked back to Angelo again.

Jack figured he knew why the tiger was behaving as he did, especially having not seen Angelo when he first called out to Jack. "It's ok," Jack said, grabbing the CPS paperwork from his back pocket, "I've got him signed out from CPS for the day." He showed the document to the officer who took it and quickly glanced over it.

"Perfect," the tiger said, handing the paper back to Jack. "Like I said, there's a lot you can do if you just do it legally."

Jack nodded. "I'm applying for his guardianship," he said, fuzzling the kit's headfur. "Hearing is next Friday."

"Very nice," Officer MacAllister said. "Good luck to both of you." Jack nodded appreciatively as the tiger continued. "Well, since you're both here, I just thought I'd let you know: the investigation is pretty much done. We're still looking at leads we have on his contacts and suppliers, but your case anyway is closed. I know what it's like to have that hanging over your head, so... it's closed and done. Go on with your life!"

"Thanks," Jack said. "I really appreciate it."

The tiger nodded. "And since you're here," he said to Angelo, "I got something for you too. The detectives are done in there," he pointed back over his shoulder with his thumb towards Victor's apartment. "The landlord will be gutting the place and rebuilding it, so if you want anything of yours from inside, just let the landlord know."

Angelo nodded slowly, his eyes squinting slightly. He did not seem at ease with that suggestion.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Jack said.

The cub nodded again. "Maybe," he said after a moment. "I... I dunno."

"I hear you," the tiger said. "You've got a few days, probably. They'll be ripping up the living room first, which will take a while."

Jack nodded. The tiger didn't need to explain that one. Jack pictured the lake of blood on the carpet and the spray on the walls before closing his eyes tightly and shaking his head. "Yeah," he finally said. "We'll figure something out," he said to the tiger.

"Sounds good," Officer MacAllister said. "I'll let the landlord know that you might be coming to see him, and that you're allowed to take anything that belongs to the boy." He seemed to hesitate for a moment. "There is one other thing," he said, sounding uncomfortable.

"Oh yeah?" Jack's ears perked hearing the tone of the tiger's voice.

"Yeah," he replied sadly. "The DNA tests all came back on our Jane Doe," he said, meaning Angelo's mother, "and it's a perfect match. Even had the recessive gene that gave you your grey fur." He put a paw on Angelo's good shoulder. Angelo's face sank slightly. Even though he had accepted that Victor did indeed kill his mother, bringing that thought back into his mind, and indeed confirming it, must have been unexpected, Jack figured.

"So," Angelo said somberly, "where... where is she?"

"I'll find out and let your lawyer know," the officer said. "If there is a bright side," he added, "it does make the way clear for you to go live with Jack." Angelo just nodded again. "Sorry to bring the news this way," the officer said, seeing how the boy reacted. "I just... figured you'd want closure on that."

"Yeah," Angelo said flatly. "I guess so."

"I should go," Officer MacAllister said.

"Thanks for everything," Jack said, offering his paw.

"Jack," the tiger replied, shaking the paw vigorously, "it was good knowing you. Different circumstances would have been better, but you handled this better than some I've seen twice your age. In case I don't see you again, be good!" He winked at Angelo as he said this.

"You too," Jack replied, the pawshake turning into a wave as the tiger turned and walked back towards his patrol car. Jack watched him walk for a moment in silence, then turned back towards his own apartment. "After you," he said to Angelo with a bow and a theatrical swing of his arm towards the apartment door, then followed the cub inside.

---

Jack pulled his car away from the Cub Protective Services home, not having to choke back tears as he was expecting, but with a renewed sense of hope and optimism for the forthcoming hearing that week.

He and Angelo had hung around at his place for nearly an hour before leaving to get lunch. Jack drove them to the mall and they ate at a pizza shop in the food court. Afterward, they walked the mall for a little bit until they came across the theater which was showing the summer's latest comic-book superhero movie. Angelo commented that he had not been to a movie in years, so they decided on a whim to see it. What had been a summer blockbuster months ago had nearly played itself out, apparently, as there were few furs in the theater, so the two foxes had their pick of seating.

Jack alternated his attention between the screen and the younger fox seated next to him. Angelo did seem to be enjoying it, as his attention stayed locked on the screen for the most part. Every so often he would look to Jack and smile happily, which got him an affectionate head fuzzle in return.

As they left the theater at the conclusion of the film, Jack saw a photo booth kiosk ahead. It suddenly struck him that he had no photographs of his friend. Whatever the uncertain week ahead would bring, this much he could certainly do something about. He nudged Angelo and pointed to the booth.

"C'mon," Jack said, "Let's get a picture."

Angelo regarded the booth strangely for a moment, then said, "Yeah!" and practically ran to it, tail wagging happily.

It seemed expensive to Jack as he fed cash into the money receiver slot, but quickly realized it would be worth it. The booth offered 4 photos for the money, and would email copies for an extra couple of dollars.

Angelo clowned for the first couple photographs, lifting his shirt to "flash" the camera for the first one, then he and Jack made silly faces for the second. As the countdown to the third ticked down, Jack put his face right next to the boy's and smiled pleasantly. For the final photo, he stood behind Angelo so their heads lined up vertically, arms around the little fox.

When the strip printed out, Jack was pleased to see that Angelo did not fool around for the last 2 pictures, but presented the cheerful smile that Jack had come to know over the summer.

"Aww, look at you," Jack said teasingly, "sooo cuuute!"

"Hey," Angelo replied with a grin, "cute is my middle name!"

By then, time was getting short, so the pair left the mall and returned to Jack's apartment. Once inside, Angelo sat down on the couch, bouncing once or twice with a smile. Jack sat down next to him, and for a few moments, neither spoke.

"So," Jack said finally, unsure what to say, "Do you want to get your stuff from... the apartment?"

"I dunno," Angelo said quietly, leaning into Jack. "Just clothes there, really."

"Well," Jack replied, "that will save me from having to buy them all over again." This was true, and a pragmatic reason to visit Angelo's former residence. Angelo looked at Jack with a happy smile, as Jack realized the optimism of what he had just said: there was no "if" about it.

"Yeah," the grey-furred kit said. "And bed stuff, my clock... all that kind of stuff you won't need to buy!"

"Great," Jack said. "We'll do it then!" He checked the clock. "I don't think we have time today before I have to get you back, but we'll get it tomorrow."

But the kit shook his head. "I have to go to the hospital tomorrow," he said sadly. "They need to check my shoulder. And since its not an emergency, they say I'll be there 4 or 5 hours. So..."

"Oh," was all Jack could muster, the word barely a whisper.

Angelo stood up and faced the older fox. "This might be our last chance..."

"Hey now," Jack said, leaning forward in the couch. "Don't even think like that. Less than a week and we'll be together forever." Angelo smiled faintly and nodded. "Don't think you're getting out of cutting the grass _that_easily," Jack added with a grin which was met by one from the kit.

Angelo stood in front of Jack silently, smiling faintly. Jack just looked back, soaking in every moment like he was trying to burn the cub's image into his brain. After a moment, Angelo moved to sit back down again.

"No," Jack said gently, "don't move. I just... want to look at you." It sounded awkward to say, Jack noted.

The eleven-year-old stood there, and the change to his face told Jack that he had realized what the older fox was doing. Despite what he had said, Jack was indeed faced with the possibility that these could indeed be their last moments together, at least for several months if what Max said about Foster Care training was correct.

"Here," Angelo said, reaching into his pocket, his voice barely above a mutter. He held his closed paw out to Jack.

"What?" Jack asked, curious yet concerned. He held his paw under Angelo's and the boy dropped a small metal object into it.

"My last worldly possession," the kit declared solemnly. "Now that your sister has my earrings."

Jack looked at the little object: a copper-colored lump of metal, slightly deformed. He looked back to the little fox, understanding. "Is this the bullet that hit you?"

Angelo nodded. "You hang onto it, so it doesn't get lost when... whatever... happens."

The red fox stood up without a word, and hugged his small friend. They held the hug for several minutes until the alarm clock that Jack had set went off, indicating that the time had arrived to return Angelo to the CPS house.

The two parted the hug slowly as the alarm beeped. Jack's face was streaked with tears as he gazed into the blue eyes of the younger fox who looked more tired than sad. Reluctantly, but with the understanding that returning late to CPS would be very bad, the two exited the apartment and got in Jack's car.

On the trip back to CPS, they discussed the coming week. Angelo asked Jack to be honest and estimate what the odds were that the judge would rule in their favor. Jack, who for days had been mentally compiling the items he was planning to present to the judge, proceeded to list them all off for the boy.

When Jack finished his dissertation, both foxes were left with a positive feeling about the whole thing. As a contingency, though, Jack made sure Angelo had his email address, so if it did go badly this time, they could stay in touch while Max and Jack worked out their "Plan B".

Their actual parting when they reached CPS was difficult, though. The two embraced in the car as they waited their turn in line at the drop-off point. Apparently signing kits out for the day was a common thing for people to do, which gave Jack further contingency ideas.

When it was their turn, Angelo didn't want to let go of Jack, as the CPS attendant came around to the driver's window to sign the paperwork confirming that Jack had returned Angelo on time. The thought hit him again that it was very much like returning a library book.

Eventually, though, Angelo had to leave the car with the attendant. He had not cried that day, but his eyes were visibly wet as he looked back to Jack. "I love you," he exclaimed as he was led back towards the building.

A CPS attendant who was directing the flow of cars motioned insistently for Jack to depart, as he was holding up the line. He reluctantly put his car in gear. "I love you too, buddy," he whispered with a hopeful smile, as he drove away.

---

The next morning, Sunday, Jack slept late. For the first time in a week he had nowhere to be, and had nothing pressing or planned to look forward to. He lay in bed staring at the ceiling for nearly an hour after awakening, thinking of the week to come and mentally sorting things out. Eventually the morning call of nature forced him to get out of bed, after which he took a long, lazy shower.

Following his shower, he dressed and decided to go out and get breakfast, so he grabbed his wallet and keys and headed for the door. When he opened it, he saw Victor's apartment door was open, and there were some furs visible within.

Jack left his own apartment and walked slowly towards his car, watching the far door as he did. Shortly, the apartment manager walked out from inside and lit a cigarette. Jack closed the car door he had just opened, and walked towards the manager, who waved a paw in recognition as Jack got closer.

"Good morning," the manager, a lynx, said.

"Hi," replied Jack nervously. "The, umm... the police said they talked to you about me getting the stuff that belonged to Ang... to the cub that lived here?" He was nervous because a thought had been brewing in his mind since Officer MacAllister told him he could clear out Angelo's possessions.

"Yep," said the lynx, drawing on his cigarette. He looked at Jack curiously. "So," he continued slowly, "you did... all that in there?" He pointed back through the doorway with his thumb.

Jack sighed. "Yeah... yeah I did. I really don't want to talk about it though."

The cat exhaled smoke strongly through his nose. "Sure, fine. Yeah they said you can take anything that was the kid's. Nothing else though, and I get the bedroom furniture."

"That's perfectly fine with me," Jack said, trying to maintain a calm face.

The lynx nodded, then stamped out his cigarette and turned towards the open door. "C'mon," he said. "There are bags you can use to carry it all."

Jack walked back into the apartment for the first time since he had killed Victor. The carpet had mostly been removed from the living room and the walls had been sanded down to the drywall. Over where Victor had bled, the drywall and built-in bookcase had been completely removed, exposing the wooden sub-floor and the wall supports. Plastic tarps covered the floor in several layers, and sheets of plastic covered the carpet going down the hallway towards Victor's bedroom and Angelo's closet.

The fox exhaled heavily as he took in the view of the room. His paws began to shake as memories of that day tried to creep back in, but he clenched them together and focused his mind on the tasks at hand.

"Rough, I bet," the manager said, noticing Jack's trembling.

"Yeah," Jack said, his voice unsteady. "Just give me a sec."

"Take your time," the lynx replied. "There's big trash bags over in the kitchen next to all the tools."

Jack walked into the kitchen, which necessitated him walking over the spot where he had tackled Victor and ended his life. It took all of Jack's willpower not to look down as he stepped over that spot and on into the kitchen. He immediately saw the tool pile and the roll of black plastic trash bags. He looked back towards the living room to see the manager dialing his cell phone.

The teenage fox felt a surge of adrenaline as he watched the manager. When he was sure the lynx was suitably distracted, he knelt down and opened the cabinet under the kitchen sink. Inside were several bottles of various cleaning products, spare soap, and the other typical things one would expect to find there. Jack carefully picked up each bottle briefly to see if they were indeed just bottles of cleanser - they all were, much to his dismay.

"No, over there," the manager said, which startled Jack as he finished surveying the cabinet. Jack looked up to see the manager looking at him from the living room, and pointing towards the tool pile. The cat was still on the phone.

"Ok," Jack said innocently: trash bags were often found under the sink, after all, Jack thought to himself. He stood up and pulled 2 trash bags off the roll and returned to the living room. "I'll just go..." he said, pointing down the hall towards the hall closet that had served as Angelo's bedroom.

The lynx nodded, still talking on his phone, and followed Jack into the hall. When they reached Angelo's closet, Jack went inside, and the lynx continued down the hall to Victor's room. Jack chuckled under his breath that the manager was so concerned about the bedroom furniture, and hoped that would keep him distracted until his plan was complete.

He stood in the doorway of Angelo's former bedroom, still in the state it was on the day he and Angelo were last there. The mattress on the floor had a large pile of clothes on it, where the cub had begun to clear out his room that morning, before Victor's unexpected appearance changed everything forever.

Once again, Jack shook the returning memories out of his head before they got bad. He knelt down and unceremoniously scooped the clothing pile into the first of the bags he carried. They were of the large plastic type used for lawn debris, so they were quite spacious.

When the pile on the bed was bagged, Jack stood up and began pulling down some of the clothes on hangers, while at the same time moving close to the door and listening to the lynx on the phone. The manager seemed to be having a discussion with one of the contractors gutting this apartment, and the conversation was getting somewhat heated.

Figuring this was the best opportunity, Jack picked up the half-filled bag and went into the bathroom that was immediately across from the closet he was in. Leaving the light off, he knelt down and opened the cabinet under the bathroom sink, and repeated his check of the various bottles within.

His heart-rate nearly doubled as he lifted one bottle of spray cleaner, only to find it weighed many times what it should have. Jack quickly removed it from the cabinet and looked at the bottom. There was a key lock built into the underside of the bottle: another of Victor's safes.

Jack stood up abruptly and put the safe into the bag, hiding it under several layers of Angelo's clothes. At the same time, he heard the manager finish his call, followed by a swear at whomever he had been talking to. Jack immediately turned on the light as the lynx walked out of the bedroom.

"How's it going?" He didn't seem to be suspicious at all.

"Good," Jack replied, "Just checking if there's anything in here." he feigned looking around the bathroom. "Not really, I guess," he concluded, and flipped the light back off. He hefted the clothes bag and spun the opening shut. "Back to it in here."

The manager nodded with a grunt and went back into Victor's bedroom. Jack felt like he was going to hyperventilate, so took a deep breath and went back into Angelo's room. He opened the bag back up, and for good measure threw in several more layers of clothes on top, then tied the bag shut.

He then opened the second bag and loaded the rest of Angelo's meager belongings into it. The remainder of the clothes went in first, followed by the bedclothes, pillow, clock-radio, and the like. He inspected a small pile of books on the floor, to find they were stamped by the local library, so he picked them up as well. He might as well be a good citizen and return them, he figured.

"I'm done," Jack called out to the manager, as he hefted the bags and walked back out towards the living room.

"Ok," the lynx shouted from the bedroom, then emerged and walked to where Jack was. "Got all you need?" He kicked gently at one of the bags, as if checking for what might be inside. His toe only hit the softness of cloth within, though.

"Yep," Jack confirmed, trying to calm his nervousness. "I think I'm all done in here." He meant that in more ways than one: he truly was done in this apartment and never wanted to set foot inside again.

"Right then," the manager said, "I'll let the crews know they can tear up anything they need to. I think I'm just going to gut the whole place. Maybe make a game room, or a laundry room or something. I wouldn't want anyone to live here after... you know."

Jack nodded. "Sounds like a good idea," he said honestly. He thought he could still smell blood, and wondered how it could ever be completely removed. Shaking off the imminent memory again, he thanked the manager and headed out through the still-open door, carrying a bag in each paw.

When he reached the parking lot in front of the apartment, he began to chuckle giddily to himself at having found Victor's other safe, and walked back towards his own apartment trying not to burst out laughing.

---

Monday morning Jack returned to work at Max's office. As he had the previous Monday, he wondered how he was going to get through this week without focusing his entire attention on the coming Friday and the hearing with the judge.

Fortunately, either due to Max anticipating the need for distraction, or just from a quirk of scheduling, there were going to be several people meeting with Jack over the course of the day. Max had arranged for them in order to check off another box on the list of things they would present the judge.

The first meeting was with Max's banker and accountant. They were there to help Jack set up a trust for Angelo, as well as a savings plan for his college, and to establish a credit card in Jack's name. All of this mostly entailed a lot of paperwork since it was all pretty straight-forward. Jack asked, despite his vow to stay positive this week, about how this could all be canceled if things didn't go well. He was assured that this would not be a problem, as it would take longer than the week to have it all processed.

Following on the heels of the bankers was a representative from the insurance company that served Max's firm. They went through the paperwork to set up a million-dollar life policy for Jack, to be payable to the trust he had just set up. At Jack's age, the premium was less than the price of a large pizza one time a month.

It was then lunch time, but Max was not done yet. He had a tray of gourmet sandwiches delivered, at the same time as his mobile phone vendor stopped in.

"Eighteen and without a mobile phone," Max said with mock disgust. "We'll fix that right now!"

The otter arranged for 2 of the latest smart-phones, in an account entirely in Jack's name. Since the fox had no credit yet, the vendor required a sizable deposit, which Max cheerfully paid himself.

"They're all yours," he told Jack. "As long as you pay the bills on time, I'll get the deposit back in a year or so." The otter seemed unconcerned about that. "Just promise one thing: no dick pics!"

Jack laughed out loud at this. "Not a problem," he replied.

"I'm serious," Max said. "Since you've never had one before, you need to know that those kinds of things _will_get leaked onto the Internet, and will never go away."

"Personal experience?" Jack asked with a friendly wink.

"Ha, no," Max said, "but I know too many people who it did happen to! All it takes is an angry girlfriend, or a bunch of drunk friends off-cam while you think you're having a private chat, that kind of thing. Just treat everything you do on the phone as if it was in public, and you'll be fine." He paused, then indicated the second phone box, still sealed. "Make sure Ange knows that too."

"Definitely," Jack said. He would make sure the point was well understood.

After lunch, and the parade of professionals had passed, Jack and Max sat in the conference room with a laptop, going to various sites and registering for things like Cub CPR, Swimming Survival, and the like. The otter also brought up a boilerplate Last Will and Testament, which he and Jack filled out.

Max had apparently set the entire day aside for Jack, and the fox tried more than once to express his genuine thanks, but was always quickly yet politely interrupted. It was as if Max was embarrassed on some level to be appreciated. Towards the end of the day, the two just sat back in their chairs and talked.

---

Tuesday was the day that Max wanted to put everything together into a sort of Executive Summary to submit to the court, with copies of all the supporting paperwork. The goal was to have it filed by the end of the day, so the judge and CPS would have time to evaluate it before the hearing. Jack did not care to give Cub Protective Services any advance notice of their filing, but Max insisted.

"The court will send them a copy anyway," he said, "and this way it shows our good-faith and gives them time to check out your home."

"Check out... wait, what?"

"Yeah," Max confirmed, "they'll want to go visit your parents and check out the house we're proposing. You might want to let them know it's coming, actually. But I know that neighborhood, and once they see the place, I'm sure it will just shut down another of their objections."

Jack still was reluctant, until Max convinced him: "And," the otter said, "since an evaluation is pretty much required, by telling them now we won't get delayed any more on Friday." That settled it in Jack's mind. Eliminating delays was quite high on his priority list.

He and Max again sat in the conference room and laid out all of their documents on the table. Max's secretary was also present, taking notes and organizing things, since she would be the one to type up and submit the filing.

They laid out everything they had, and formatted it in a logical sequence. When it was all laid bare like that, it made Jack even more optimistic that he had a real chance on Friday. The order they settled on was:

• The description of the home he and Angelo would reside in.

• Jack's will, naming his parents as guardians.

• The trust fund set up for Angelo.

• Jack's life insurance, payable to the trust fund.

• Angelo's college savings account.

• Jack's establishment of a credit history.

• Enrollment in the CPR course.

• A note about Jack's plans for Angelo's schooling.

This last part was cause for some consternation in the fox. He wanted to have Angelo attend Greenleaf Academy, the private school that his sister Jessica attended. However, they were closed for the summer, and would not start considering applications for another couple of weeks. His filing made note of this, with the implied default of the local public school system as a fall-back.

"What do you think?" Jack asked, looking up from the pile of documents.

"I think we've got this," Max said enthusiastically. "They'd be fools not to see how great you are!"

Jack chucked as Maggie, Max's secretary, gathered the papers up in a folder. "I'll get the pleading whipped up," she said, "and attach copies of all these. Should be filed first thing tomorrow."

"You're the best, Mags," Max said, as she exited the conference room.

---

True to her word, Maggie had the whole proposal filed the next morning. After that, there was truly nothing left for Jack to do until the hearing on Friday, so he dove back into the ever-present task of document sorting for one of Max's clients.

The otter was busy most of the day, unlike the previous week, so Jack was alone in the workroom, and had to get his own lunch. He didn't mind, of course, though he had grown somewhat accustomed to random lengthy conversations with Max: something about the way he talked set the teen fox's mind at ease.

When the end of the workday arrived, Max did stop in to the workroom on his way out. He apologized for his absence, but predicted that he would be equally occupied for the rest of the week until Jack's Friday hearing. Jack felt somewhat guilty for this, figuring that all the time the lawyer had spent with him on his filing had cause Max to otherwise neglect his other client duties.

Wednesday went much the same for the fox. As predicted, Max was on phone calls or meeting with clients all day, while Jack tried to lose himself in his work to keep his mind from obsessing over the coming hearing.

In the afternoon, though, his new cell phone rang, which surprised him as he was still not accustomed to carrying one. He recognized the calling number as his parents.

"Hello," he said cheerfully into the phone.

"Hi Jack, it's Mom," his mother said.

"Hey," he replied, "what's up?"

"We just had a visit from Social Services," she replied.

Jack's ears spiked up straight. He had forgotten to warn them that this was coming. "Oh, crap," he said, "I meant to tell you about that."

"That's ok," she said, "I think they like the fact that it was a surprise, though I did have laundry all over the couch."

"Sorry," Jack said again with a chuckle. "But, umm... how did it... I mean, what did they..."

"They wanted to see the house," his mother explained. "We showed them around, showed them the yard and your bedroom where he would be staying." She paused briefly, then: "I did say I would make you clean it up before letting him live there!"

Jack laughed. "Of course," he promised.

"Then they talked to us and explained the whole process," she continued. "It was pretty much how you said it would be. They asked all of us to confirm that we were agreeing to this freely."

"All?"

"Yes," his mother replied with a laugh, "Jessica was very vocal on the subject." A long silence followed.

"And..." Jack said after what seemed like a minute.

Another laugh from the phone. "Don't worry, she made it perfectly clear that she wants him to live here." Jack let out a breath that he didn't know how long he had been holding, as his mother went on. "She said that his story was tragic and he was too nice for that to happen to. She got quite emotional, I'm actually impressed."

"Nice," Jack said softly, practically a whisper. Then, more conversationally, "So did they say what they thought of... everything?"

"No," came the reply. "They thanked us for the tour and for our input, and said they would take it all into consideration." Another silence followed, though Jack did not think he was being toyed with this time. His mother spoke after a moment. "I think that's typical though. I expect they'll write a report up and someone else will actually make the recommendation. So I wouldn't read too much into it."

"Yeah," Jack said, somewhat dejected. "My paperwork is in," he said, trying to bolster his mood. "Max says I've got a real shot at this, from all the stuff we gave them."

"We'll keep up good thoughts," she said on the phone.

"Yeah," Jack said, again softly. "Me too..."

---

Friday finally came. Jack was up before the sun, and found it impossible to go back to sleep. He paced nervously in his apartment, now and again fiddling with the two safes, unsuccessfully trying to open them.

When the sun did rise, he went outside and washed his car twice to help burn off his growing nervous energy. That task completed, he returned inside and took a long shower before dressing in his suit and driving to the courthouse.

He was required to leave his phone in the car, which cost him a walk back to the parking lot as he was not aware of this. That was fine, he told himself, he was over an hour early and needed something to keep him occupied.

Jack now stood in the main lobby of the courthouse where he had agreed to meet Max. He watched the passers-by and quickly realized that he could easily tell the court staff from those who were there as plaintiffs or defendants. The former walked casually, laughing and chatting with their co-workers, while the latter behaved more like Jack felt: nervous, looking around a lot, and just generally not wanting to be there.

After what seemed like hours, Jack finally saw Max come through the security checkpoint, a cup of coffee in paw. He strolled casually like the rest of the courthouse regulars Jack had been watching. The otter walked slowly over to him.

"Good morning, Jack," he said amicably. "Ready to take someone into your life?"

Jack smiled at Max's choice of words. "Yeah," he said, "I just hope it happens."

Max patted him on the shoulder, at the same time turning him in the direction they needed to go. "Happy thoughts," he said. "Have faith in the ol' ruddertail. I feel good about this." He slapped his thick tail against Jack's leg as he said this.

Jack chuckled, still nervous. "So what happens now?"

"Well," Max said as they walked, "the judge should have looked over our filing by now. He may have questions about that. And likewise, CPS will have filed their report on your family, so he'll probably discuss that. After that..." the otter paused, which made Jack stare intently at him. "Well, after that," Max continued, "he'll most likely rule on our request."

"Most likely?"

"Yeah," Max replied, "there's a small chance he may want more detail on something, or a follow-up social worker visit, interview, or that kind of thing. If you hear him use the word "continuance" that means he does, and this all gets put on hold until he has what he needs."

Jack's heart sank. "Crap," he muttered. A delay was the last thing he wanted, although he understood that a delay was better than an outright denial. "So what other legalese will he use? I'm not sure I'll know what is going on."

Max laughed. "I hear you," he said cheerfully. "I think he'll try to keep it understandable, but the final rulings are usually spoken using specific legal terms." He cleared his throat. "Ok, you are "petitioner", and I am "petitioner's counsel". Angelo is "minor cub" or maybe just "subject". CPS will be "respondent" or just "state". If he says "awarded", that's good. "Remanded" is not so good."

Jack sighed loudly. "Just... tell me if we win?"

Max nodded and patted the fox's shoulder again. "I tell you what, hold my paw and I'll squeeze it if... WHEN... we win, ok?" Jack nodded with a faint smile towards the otter.

The pair got on the elevator with several others, and silently rode to their floor. Getting out, they made their way to the hallway where the judge's office was. There was nobody waiting outside the office this time, though the door was open.

Jack and Max approached the door, when Jack stopped. Max turned and gave him a supportive smile. Jack took a deep breath and continued through the door into the judge's outer office.

Max and the judge's clerk exchanged some sort of complex handshake before the clerk led them towards the door to the judge's actual chambers. The door was closed, and the clerk knocked twice, listening inside. Jack didn't hear anything, but the clerk opened the door wide and motioned them to go inside.

Jack walked into the office and stopped just inside the doorway, doing a quick survey. The judge was not actually present but the stenographer sat at her spot next to his seat. Angelo sat next to Miss Baker, and Jack saw that the cat he disliked, Ms. Somerset, was not present either.

Angelo jumped up from his seat as Jack entered and ran to the doorway, wrapping his good arm around the older fox. Jack returned the hug, taking care as always to avoid the cub's left shoulder. Angelo did not wear the heavy plastic padding over his shoulder anymore, Jack noticed, though his arm was still in a sling.

"Jack..." Angelo said happily. Jack just nuzzled his cheek in response.

"Seats please, gentlemen," the clerk said gently from just outside the door.

Jack and Angelo reluctantly parted, each moving to their respective side of the table. Max sat next to Jack and offered his paw, which Jack took nervously.

"All rise," the clerk said. Everyone stood. Jack found it quite amusing that the clerk wanted them to take their seats only to immediately tell them to rise. "This hearing is now in session, the honorable judge Walter Sorensen presiding."

A door opened in the other side of the room and the judge stepped through. The bear paused for a moment, noting all present, then went to his chair and sat down. "Be seated," he said.

"Now then," the judge continued after all had re-taken their seats. "let's get right to it. This hearing is to rule on the petition for permanent guardianship of Angelo Cole by John Archer, Jr. Are all concerned present?"

Jack just nodded, feeling foolish, but didn't know what to say, if anything. He still noted the absence of the CPS cat, but wasn't sure if he should bring it up due to her opposition. But, he thought, if that was somehow a technicality that could come back to bite them...

"Miss Baker," the judge said, interrupting Jack's thoughts. "Will CPS counsel be joining us?"

"No your honor," the rabbit lady said. "I've been advised that she has nothing to add."

The judge furrowed his brow for a moment. "I see," he said flatly.

Jack felt Max give his paw 2 quick squeezes, as if telling him that this was a good turn of events.

"Well then," the judge said, opening a manila folder and removing several stacks of papers. "Mr. Archer," he said, looking to Jack.

"Yes sir," Jack said before catching himself, "your honor, I mean."

The judge chuckled at Jack's continuing inability to say the words. "Sir is fine." He held up a stack of papers which Jack recognized as his filing. "I've read through your proposal."

"Yes sir," Jack said, his throat feeling very dry all of a sudden.

"I must say I'm impressed," the judge said. "I can see that you're taking this very seriously."

"Yes, sir," Jack repeated, barely feeling Max's paw-squeeze.

The judge seemed to wait a moment before asking, "Do you have any final comments?"

Jack cleared his throat. "Yes sir," he said once again. "My folks and I talked about this a lot over the weekend. They helped me understand what I'm signing up for, and... helped me appreciate what they went through to raise me." He looked to Angelo. "And... I'm ready to make those same sacrifices to give Angelo the same chances that I had." He looked back to the judge. "I... I know I'm not perfect, and I'm sure I'll make mistakes, but with... the support I've got, I know I can do it." He stopped as his voice started to choke up.

The judge nodded, smiling slightly. "On that note," he said, turning to the CPS rabbit, "Miss Baker, you visited Mr. Archer's home. I've read your report, but can you summarize your findings?"

"Yes, your honor," she began. "I and a colleague visited the home in question and interviewed the family members. They were unanimous in their support for Mr. Archer. We found nothing to indicate that the environment there would be detrimental." Another paw-squeeze from Max.

"Very well," the judge said. "I must say, the documents I have seen paint a pretty clear picture, and I've heard from almost all concerned parties." Jack was confused by that statement, as he just acknowledged that everyone had been interviewed.

"Master Cole," the judge said.

Angelo's ears perked up. "Yes, your honor?"

"I don't believe we've officially heard from you. Is it your wish to live with Mr. Archer under his guardianship?"

The cub's face lit up. "Yes it is!" He grinned at Jack from across the table.

"Very well," the judge said again, as he placed the paperwork back in the folder and closed it. "The law gives us much latitude to determine suitability of potential parents - and all terminology aside, that is what is at the crux of this.

"However," the bear continued, the word weighing heavily on Jack's stomach, "the law is very specific with its goal, and poses one overarching test: is it in the best interests of the cub to be placed into Mr. Archer's custody? Or is it in his best interests to remain under the care of the state, pending further developments or advancements?" His eyes went around the room, making eye contact with each fur for a moment before moving on to the next.

He sat back in his chair and removed his glasses. "It is the opinion of this court," he said, his voice taking on the legalese that Jack knew meant a ruling, "that Angelo's interests are best served by the former."

A moment of silence followed which further confused Jack, who didn't hear anything sounding like a ruling. After a moment though, he felt an ache in his paw from Max squeezing it so tightly. He looked to Max who had a happy smile on his face, then to the judge who must have noticed the confused look on his face.

"Therefore," the judge said, "petitioner John Archer Jr is awarded permanent guardianship of the minor cub Angelo Justin Cole subject to the laws and statutes of this state. It is so ordered."

Jack wasn't sure when he had last breathed, but he exhaled deeply upon hearing this. Angelo jumped up from his seat and seemed like he was going to dive across the table. He just stood there, though, with one paw on the table and his tail wagging.

"Well," said the judge to Angelo, "what are you waiting for?"

Angelo grinned and dashed around the table. Jack slid his chair back and turned to face the little fox who was practically charging at him. Jack tried to avoid impacting his shoulder as they collided into a tight hug.

Jack closed his eyes tightly as he hugged Angelo. He felt Max pat him on the back robustly, but kept his eyes closed as he rocked slightly with the younger fox.

After a moment, he heard the judge speaking, much softer than he had before. "You know, Mr. Archer," the bear was saying, "the law typically uses very precise words in its rulings, and today is no exception. The ruling states that you have been "awarded" custody, and that word is most accurate." Jack opened his eyes and looked at the judge as he continued speaking. "You've been given something precious here today, and I hope you will act accordingly."

Jack nodded to the judge. "You can bet your life on that," he said softly as he continued to hug Angelo.

---

After the hearing in the judge's chambers adjourned, everyone rose with the judge. Jack turned to give Max a great bear-hug, which surprised and seemed to frazzle the otter. At the same time, Angelo gave a hug to Miss Baker. "Thank you for taking care of me," he said to the rabbit who seemed extremely pleased with the outcome of the hearing.

"It was my pleasure," she said. "You go and have a great life!"

"There is some paperwork you need to fill out," the judge said to Jack and Angelo. "A lot of it, actually. You both will be getting documents sent to you in a couple of weeks: ID cards and the like, to prove that you're now legal and all." He handed Jack a business card. "In the meantime, if anyone questions your status, have them call me directly."

Jack took the card with a sense of respect and awe. "Th- thank you sir," he said to the judge, who extended his paw for Jack to shake. "I mean it," Jack said, "thank you. Thank you for everything."

Angelo was slightly less formal, hugging the judge when he had released Jack's paw. The bear chuckled and patted the boy's black head-fur.

"Now, I don't want to ever see you in my courtroom," the bear said to Angelo, who grinned.

"Oh, don't worry about that," the little fox said cheerfully.

As the group left the judge's chambers, the clerk motioned Jack to his desk, where the promised stack of papers awaited. As he filled them out, the clerk led Angelo to a bare part of the wall and took a photo of him for the identity card that was among the documents in front of Jack.

Max and the clerk chatted about college days and their shared society membership as Jack filled out the paperwork, while Miss Baker excused herself and left. The judge, likewise, retired to his chambers and closed the door.

Eventually the paperwork was complete. Jack was given copies: most were to be filed away while one he was to keep with him for the time being until the official identity documents arrived. Max took the for-file documents, telling jack he would file them for safe keeping.

Their business concluded, the three took their leave of the clerk and returned to the hallways of the courthouse. Jack walked with his arm around Angelo, who seemed as cheerful as Jack had ever seen him. Max walked on the Jack's other side, and didn't say anything, as if he didn't want to ruin the moment.

They approached the elevator to the parking garage. "Here's where I get off," Max said. Jack was parked in the surface lot out front, so had a ways to walk still.

"Max," Jack said, the gratitude obvious in his voice, "Thank you so much."

"Any time," the otter replied, still seeming uncomfortable being thanked this much. "We can discuss my fees on Monday."

Jack stared dumbfounded. "Wha... fees?"

Max laughed. "Kidding, you dope!" Jack laughed with him. "Seriously though," Max said, "you guys have a great weekend, and I'll see you, Jack, on Monday. Angelo." He held his fist out to the cub, and was again surprised at being hugged by the little fox rather than the expected fist-bump. "Ok, ok," Max said, laughing. "Take it easy you two," he said as the elevator opened and he stepped inside with a wave.

The pair continued on towards the main entrance, passing through the security checkpoint. Once outside, a sense of victory finally hit Jack. It was as if he thought that the court could still change its mind before he got out of the building. Jack stopped and laughed out loud, weeks of anxiety flowing out of him in a long happy catharsis.

Angelo laughed as well, spurred on by Jack. The little grey-furred fox hugged his now-guardian. "We did it Jack!"

"We did it, buddy," Jack said, hugging the small fox again, nuzzling his face against the kit's.

"So," Angelo said, "do I call you "dad" now?"

The word hit Jack unexpectedly, and made him grin. "Well, I don't really know," he replied. "I mean, I'm not..."

"Just one time?" There was some small emotion in the cub's voice.

"Sure," Jack said, staring earnestly into Angelo's blue eyes.

"Dad..."

Jack felt overwhelmed, and just hugged the boy again. He felt like he was going to cry, but this was a happy occasion, he thought. "Let's get going," he said with choked voice, as the pair resumed their walk to his car.

"Are we going to the house now?"

"Well, not yet," Jack replied. "We need to go by my place first. I've got all your stuff waiting there, and I guess I need to pack _my_stuff as well."

"Good!" the kit replied. "I'd love to take a real shower again, and then put on real clothes!"

"Not a problem," Jack said with a laugh. "But first: I don't know about you but I'm suddenly starving!"

"Yes!" Angelo explained. "They had breakfast this morning but I was too nervous to eat any of it."

They arrived at Jack's car and climbed in. Jack started the car up, then immediately grabbed his new phone from the console and called home.

"Oh, check you out!" Angelo said teasingly as he saw the shiny new phone.

"You ain't seen nothing yet," Jack said cryptically as he listened to the ringing.

"Hello," a voice answered on the phone.

"Hi Dad," Jack said.

"So how'd it go?"

Jack took a deep breath. "We won!"

---

They stopped by a pizza parlor for lunch on the way to Jack's apartment. Angelo was now an excited bundle of questions about his new life, and Jack tried his best to answer them all. There were still some aspects of their living arrangements that Jack was still uncertain about, so as he spoke he was also trying to work them out in his own mind.

Mom and Dad would be the final word for anything relating to living in the house. This would include all the amenities the house had to offer, such as the pool, the video game system, Internet use, and the like. But it also would include things such as meal times, curfew and bedtime to an extent, and chores. They would also control what friends Angelo, and Jack for that matter, would be allowed to have over.

Jack, on the other paw, would be the final word for things regarding Angelo himself. This would include things like making sure he did his homework, giving permission for him to go various places like concerts and sporting events, and discipline when required. Jack playfully punched his fist into his open palm as he described this part, which made Angelo giggle.

The confusing part for both foxes was when these areas overlapped. Jack reckoned they would both figure it out as it happened. He did let Angelo know that when he wasn't around for whatever reason, that his parents would be allowed to make basic decisions that would normally be Jack's. He cautioned the boy not to "shop around" between Jack and his parents looking for one to overrule the other.

Jack had a lingering concern about how Angelo would adapt to this sudden change in how he was accustomed to living. Whereas before he had come and gone as he pleased, essentially without restrictions, now he was moving into a household that had a long-standing set of very specific rules and restrictions. Angelo seemed to be fine with these however.

After lunch, the pair drove to Jack's apartment. No sooner were they inside than Angelo shucked off the blue CPS sweatpants he had been wearing, and asked Jack to help him remove his shirt, which was not as straight-forward as it was for an uninjured fur.

The cub explained the range of motion his wounded shoulder allowed, and how to put on and remove shirts without hurting it: essentially the shirt was pulled up from his waist and over his head, with his good arm being pulled inside at the same time. This left the shirt looped around his left shoulder, at which point he would detach the sling and gently slide the shirt down his arm.

Jack paid close attention, as he knew he would be assisting in several areas like this until the boy's arm was healed. As Angelo had noted, it wasn't until you were unable to perform a basic motion that you realized how often you needed it.

When he had his shirt successfully removed, he started towards the bathroom, tugging down on his boxers with his good paw as he walked. "Need... shower..." he said with a grin, beckoning for Jack to follow him.

---

Jack sat on the edge of his bed with Angelo standing in front of him. He was finishing up drying the cub off with a towel. He sat shirtless, his own having been soaked very quickly in the shower process. The older fox tossed the towel towards the doorway then picked up the fur-brush and began to brush Angelo's fur out.

"Feel better now?"

Angelo sighed contentedly. "Oh yeah," he said, "I totally needed that." He smiled at Jack as the red fox continued to brush the grey-furred fox. "I can't wait for this thing to heal!"

"A couple more weeks, right?"

"Yeah, that's what they say," Angelo replied, looking at his bare shoulder, the fur only just starting to grow back in where the hospital had shaved it. "It's still sore, so I dunno."

"We'll get through it," Jack said, reassuringly. He realized that it was now incumbent on him to take Angelo to the doctor for all the future follow-ups on his shoulder, and indeed everything else.

Jack finished up his brushing with the cub's legs, then sat back and regarded the young fox. "There we go, all de-floofed!" Angelo grinned as Jack stood up and walked to the bags in the corner that contained all of the boy's belongings from Victor's place. He rooted through the bag as Angelo sat down on the bed, holding his left arm immobile as he had not yet put the sling back on.

Jack came back over and dropped down a fresh outfit for him, to include a shirt, jeans, boxers, and socks. He knelt down in front of the kit and slid the boxers up his legs, followed by the jeans, before working the socks onto his foot-paws.

Angelo stood up and Jack tugged the waistband of the boxers and jeans to seat them snugly, then fastened the tail-flap buttons in the back. Finally, he reversed the shirt-removal process and pulled the t-shirt down over the cub's head.

"It's a lot faster when I have help," Angelo noted happily as he was dressed. He looked to the bags in the corner. "So, what'd ya bring back?"

"Pretty much everything that was in your room," Jack said, walking over to them. "And one thing that wasn't," he added cryptically, digging in the clothes bag. He looked back at Angelo, who had a puzzled yet cheerful smile on his face. Jack grinned back and revealed the can of "cleanser" that he had retrieved from under the sink.

Angelo's eyes went wide, his smile expanding to a grin. "Is that..."

Jack just smiled and shook the can, letting the sound of the gold coins within answer for him. Angelo made an excited giggle.

"You know how much is in there?"

"A lot," Jack said, handing the can to the kit. "It's pretty heavy."

"Oh yeah," Angelo said, hefting it with his good paw. "He... said that after buying that heroin, he was down to his last fifty or sixty grand. So if it's all in here... plus the one he gave you to keep..."

"Then there's a little bit of payback for... some of what he took from you." Jack didn't want to downplay the loss of the boy's mother.

"Mmm," Angelo said, nodding. "I'll take a Mercedes!"

Jack laughed. "Some day," he said with a smile. "For now, this is going to help me raise you." Angelo nodded again, but didn't respond. "Don't worry though," Jack added, seeing this, "there's definitely money for fun stuff in here!"

"It's the least he owes me," Angelo declared, not sadly but with a more hopeful tone.

"Oh, and speaking of fun stuff," Jack said, walking now to his dresser and opening the top drawer, "got you this, to start things off right!" He pulled out a smallish white box and handed it to Angelo.

The kit seemed to recognize the box, as his eyes went wide again. "Is... is this a PhoxPhone?"

"The very same," Jack said triumphantly, picking his own phone off of the dresser and holding it up.

"Wow! Thanks," the kit said happily, taking the box and immediately opening it.

"I got it all set up and charged and ready to go," Jack said as Angelo picked up the phone and held it gingerly. "That's your number," Jack said, indicating the service form in the box. "And that's mine. One number down from you!"

"Wow," Angelo said again, pushing the button on the device which brought it to glowing life.

"One thing," Jack said. Angelo looked up at him. "Just so you know... there is parental-control software on there." Angelo's eyes narrowed slightly. "But," Jack went on, "I didn't turn it on. I trust you." Angelo smiled happily as Jack continued, "I know you're pretty new to the whole Internet thing, so please: ask me before installing stuff, or doing video chat, or anything like that. You know you can always ask me anything."

Angelo nodded appreciatively. "I will, Jack, I promise!"

"That's my boy," Jack said with a smile, then sat down next to the little fox. "Here, let me show you some stuff."

---

They hung around Jack's apartment for a couple of hours: playing with the features on their new phones, trying unsuccessfully to hammer open one of the can-safes from Victor, and just generally spending time and enjoying each other's company.

Pretty soon, Jack figured they should be starting towards his parents' house - indeed his own house once again. His parents would be getting home from work, as would Jessica from whatever after-school activity she had that day. He grabbed the suitcase from the closet that had contained all his clothes those short few months ago when he had left from home, and began to pack it full again for the return trip.

Angelo helped a little, with things like Jack's alarm clock and other small sundry items, but mostly he just videoed Jack with his phone, having already mastered that aspect of the device. Jack chuckled as the kit narrated his recording in the style of a wildlife photographer recording dangerous animals.

Once packed, he carted his suitcase and the bags containing Angelo's possessions out to Jack's car. They made sure to bring the two safes as well; their hammering had not been fruitful, but there was a hacksaw and a grinder back at the house, which should make short work of the containers.

Jack then walked back to the apartment and shut down all the lights and locked up. There was still a fair amount of furniture in there, but he didn't know when he'd be back. Most likely it would be after he built his room in the basement, he reckoned, as then he would need these furnishings. He felt a twinge of sadness as he closed and locked the door - a feeling which turned to joy quickly as he approached the car and saw Angelo's eager face within.

The red fox got in the driver's seat and slammed the door with a purpose. "You ready, bud?"

"Yeah," Angelo replied with enthusiasm. "Let's do this!"

"Your wish is my command," Jack said, starting up the car and backing away from his parking place.

---

The drive to the house was filled with a sort of electricity, Jack noted. Angelo was quite animated and asked dozens more questions about how things worked over there, as far as rules, chores, and other procedures went.

Jack went over the list of house rules that he had memorized. Angelo had seen those once before, though him actually moving in must have seemed in the distant and unimaginable future. Now that it was a reality, he had Jack go over them again to brush up.

As they got nearer to the house, Angelo seemed to settle down, and was watching the streets go by. As Jack made each turn, the little fox looked for the street name, as if he was mentally noting the route to the house.

They eventually turned into the neighborhood itself. Angelo seemed to recognize the proximity, as he began to perk up again and look from one window to another, taking in the scenery.

"Almost there, bud," Jack said as he saw the younger fox's fidgeting. "Nervous?"

"Maybe a little," the little grey-furred fox replied. "This is... big."

Jack agreed, but didn't want it to be overwhelming. "Yeah, but you'll feel right at home in no time!" Angelo nodded with a smile, still watching the street signs as Jack navigated the neighborhood.

Finally, they made the last turn onto the street, and slowed down as the car approached the driveway. He had always had to park on the street when he lived there, but now saw that the driveway was empty, with both parent's cars visible in the garage through its open door.

This was unusual, as normally the garage was too filled with items to allow both cars to fit, and typically Jack's parents would leave both cars in the driveway. They had clearly made an effort to fit the cars in, presenting a welcoming spot for Jack to park, even if only for one time.

Jack pulled into the driveway and up to the edge of the garage and shut down the car. The garage door began to close even before the two foxes could unbuckle. Jack reckoned that his parents just wanted to let him know they were home, which an empty driveway would normally belie.

"Home sweet home," Jack said to Angelo, who smiled nervously, then taking a deep breath, opened his door and got out.

The pair walked up the walkway to the front door, which opened from within as they approached. Inside the doorway, Jack's parents and Jessica stood close together, smiling broadly. A colorful "Welcome Home" banner hung above them in the doorway.

Jack and Angelo stopped just short of the entryway, and for a silent moment all stood there and took in what they were witnessing. Finally, Angelo walked to the stoop.

"Welcome home, Angelo," Jack's father said, stepping back to let the little fox enter. "You too, Jack," his father said as Jack followed his young friend inside.

"Thanks," Jack said as the door shut behind him. There was another silent moment before Jack's mother hugged him wordlessly, her eyes visibly watering.

"Thank you all," Jack heard Angelo say. "Thank you for doing... all this... and for someone that you..." He trailed off as Jack's father patted the young fox on the head.

"You're both very welcome," the elder Archer said.

"Welcome, new brother," Jessica said to Angelo, which made Jack's ears perk up. He chuckled to himself as he saw the same reaction from the boy.

"Umm, thanks... new sister?" Angelo said. Then he smiled broadly at the girl. "Hey, they look beautiful on you!"

Jack noticed that Jessica was wearing one of Angelo's earrings in each ear. She giggled at the complement and wiggled her ears slightly to make the rings move.

"Well don't just stand there," Jack's mother said cheerfully after a moment. "You're home now, so come on in!"

"C'mon," Jack said. "I'll show you around."

"Me too!" Jessica exclaimed excitedly.

Jack proceeded to show Angelo around the house, both inside and out, with Jessica close behind. They started with Jack's bedroom, which the two would share until Jack fixed up his own space in the basement.

Angelo seemed a little overwhelmed by the furnishings in the home. The rooms were large as a rule, and well apportioned. The back yard was quite large, with a decent-sized swimming pool as the centerpiece, yet still plenty of room to play an impromptu game of football or lacrosse, for which purpose a goal net was currently deployed.

The upstairs hall bathroom, which the kits normally used, was also a good size, and sported a large oval bathtub, easily double the volume of the ones in Jack's apartment. The master bath, off of Jack's parents' room, was quite large, and featured a "rain forest" type of shower, as Jack called it: it did not have the typical shower head, but rather numerous small spray heads in the ceiling and walls which gave a rainfall effect when activated. This fascinated Angelo as much as anything else he had seen in the house.

The tour over, delivery pizza was ordered. Jack's mother had her Friday bridge game to go to, but promised everyone a proper Welcome-meal that weekend, as well as a bacon breakfast to start the morning. The remaining Archers decided to watch a movie and just relax that evening.

After dinner, Jack and Angelo went out to unload their gear from the car. Jack made sure to not let Angelo over-exert his wounded arm, so brought the kit's clothes in first and carried them to his room. Angelo sat on the bed and began sorting through the contents as Jack returned to the car. He ended up making three trips to fully unload everything.

"I'm gonna see what we got that can open these," Jack said, removing the two small safes from the bag when the car unloading was complete.

"Kay," Angelo said, continuing his sorting of his clothes from the bag. Several piles were forming on the bed.

Jack went down to the family room with one of the safes in paw. His father was sitting in his usual easy-chair reading the newspaper. "Hey Dad," Jack said as he entered the room.

"Hello," the elder Archer said, looking over the top of his paper. He cocked an eyebrow as he saw the thing Jack carried. "What'cha got there?"

"Well," Jack began slowly, "I, umm... I need to get this open. Any ideas?" He handed the "can" to the older fox who seemed surprised at its weight. He rattled it gently.

"This the cache of... things... you mentioned?" He seemed like he was trying to avoid knowledge of what was inside, even though Jack had told him. Perhaps this was still technically illegal, Jack pondered.

"Yep," Jack said. "I tried a hammer, but I think I just made it worse." The end of the can where the key-lock was had been smashed somewhat flat, making it unlikely that the lock mechanism would ever work again.

Jack's father rattled the can again gently and rolled it end-over-end. "Sounds like they're smaller than the can is, and there seems to be a bit of space at the ends..." He looked intently at the metal and seams of the can. "I think we could grind the end off - slowly, so we don't damage anything inside." He handed the can back to Jack. "Let's give it a try tomorrow, ok?"

"Sounds good," said Jack. "I have... umm... two of them."

His father cocked an eyebrow again. "Two... Do you know how much you have?"

"Nope," Jack said honestly. "Not a clue. Hell, they could be silver dollars for all I know."

"Not weighing that, they're not," Mr. Archer replied. He looked at Jack with what the younger fox felt was sadness.

Again Jack wondered if this was still illegal. "It's all for Angelo," he hurriedly explained. "After everything that got taken from him, you know... it's only..." He trailed off.

"I know, I know," his father said softly. "Let's just... not bring it up to anyone else. Fair or not, this is still... questionable money. The less anyone talks about it, the better." Jack nodded as his father continued, "Have you worked out how you're going to convert these?"

Jack had not, but said, "I think Max can help. I mean he's a lawyer, so..."

"So he knows the most criminals?" His father laughed loudly as he spoke.

Jack laughed as well, and found it felt good to laugh after everything. "Jeez," he said, still laughing, "when you put it like that!"

The two laughed for a few more moments. Jessica enter the room as Jack's father spoke. "We'll figure something out." Then to Jessica, "Hi babe, want to pick out a movie?"

"Ok," the cub said with enthusiasm, dashing to the DVD cabinet by the television set.

"Don't pick something girly," Jack said with friendly taunting. A stuck-out tongue from the girl was his response, which made him laugh again. "I'll go see if Angelo wants to watch."

Jack went up the two flights of stairs to the bedroom level. As he turned the corner, he saw his mother standing at his bedroom door, looking inside with a motherly smile. She saw him approach and put a finger to her lips.

"Shh," she cautioned, still smiling. Jack looked into his bedroom.

Angelo sat on the bed cross-ways with his back against the wall. He was asleep and surrounded by piles of his clothes. The half-empty clothes-bag was in his lap, and his paws were crossed over it. His head was down but rose and fell slightly with his breathing. Jack smiled widely at the scene.

"I'm so proud of you," his mother whispered, kissing his forehead. Jack smiled and went into the room. His mother watched for a moment then left for her game.

The older fox went to the bed quietly and picked up the piles of clothes, placing them in an open dresser drawer, then placed Angelo's pillow that he had brought in the other bag at the head of the bed.

Jack then carefully lifted the kit's paws off of the bag, making sure that the left arm was returned to its correct position in the sling. Angelo stirred at this, and opened his eyes slightly, and seeing Jack he smiled before closing them again.

"Tired, buddy?"

"Mmm-hmm," came the wordless reply.

"We were gonna watch a movie," Jack said quietly, not trying to pressure the boy. He put one arm behind Angelo's back, and one under his knees and gently lifted and turned him to be properly aligned with the bed. "You don't have to, though," he said, setting the cub back down and stretching his legs flat, positioning his tail between them.

"Mmm," Angelo muttered with what sounded like contentedness.

Jack smiled again, and unbuttoned the cub's jeans and the tail-flap in back, then tugged at the cuffs to slide them down his legs. Angelo roused again at this, and assisted Jack slightly by wiggling his legs and feet as the jeans worked their way down.

"I just..." Angelo started to say, then put an arm over his eyes. Jack patted his bare leg affectionately. "I just wanna sleep for a week," he finally said, tiredly.

"I don't blame you," Jack said. "I could probably do the same." He looked at the still-unassembled army cot on the floor next to the bed, which would be his own berth for the immediate future. It did not look comfortable. "Maybe..."

"Jack!" Jessica shouted from downstairs. "Angelo! Movie time!" Angelo looked to Jack tiredly, yet smiled happily. Perhaps it was the sense of family, Jack reckoned.

"You want me to come?"

Jack shook his head. "Don't worry 'bout it," he said moving close and brushing the cub's head-fur back. "Next time." Angelo nodded. "I'll be up in a little while," Jack added, giving the grey-furred forehead a kiss.

"You can sleep here if you want," Angelo said, indicating the double bed which would easily fit them both.

"I dunno," Jack said, considering his new situation. "I mean..." he paused as Angelo smiled at him. "Maybe." As tired as Jack was, he didn't look forward to building his bed that evening.

"Kay," Angelo said as Jack started towards the doorway. "Jack," Angelo said, stopping the older fox, who turned back towards him. Angelo looked back at him for a long silent moment, just smiling at Jack, with his bright blue eyes shining. "Thank you," he finally said.

Jack could only nod back and smile. His own eyes were watering and his throat was choked up such that he didn't think he could speak properly. Angelo smiled again and shut his eyes sleepily as Jack switched the light off and pulled the door closed.

A happy smile decorated Jack's face as he went downstairs to the family room where his father and sister were waiting to start the movie. The elder archer was sitting on the couch, while Jessica lay on the floor watching the television. Jack sat on the couch next to his father.

"Mary says he's sleeping," Jack's father said.

"Pfft," Jessica said over her shoulder. "It's too early to sleep: the sun is still out!"

"Yeah," Jack replied. "These last few weeks have been... exhausting. For both of us. I'll probably be back up there pretty soon myself." He looked at his father wistfully. "It's a good sign though - him falling asleep like that. It means he feels... safe here." He smiled again as he felt his throat tighten up again.

"I'm glad to hear it," John Sr. replied. He patted his son's knee. "You'll be a fine parent."

"Guardian, technically," Jack said.

"Heh," his father replied, "Whatever it says on the paperwork, I have news for you: you're now a parent."

"Parent," Jack repeated. A smile crept across his face as he pondered the word and all it implied, until he let out a happy laugh.

"Can I start it now?" The girl sounded impatient, as kits that age are wont to be. _Most kits that age anyway,_Jack thought to himself.

"Sure," Jack's father said with a chuckle. Jessica hit the button on the remote control and the DVD started. It was an animated film about talking feral polar bears that Jack had already seen dozens of times.

Jack's face stared at the screen, but his mind was light-years away as a multitude of images flashed in his mind. He saw himself knocking on a stranger's door, his smoking car behind him, and seeing a small grey-furred face crack the door open. He saw that same cub smiling innocently at him, holding a lit cigarette lighter while a different, gasoline-soaked car sat well behind them.

He saw himself and Angelo walking through the ball field at a local school, as Victor had put it, walking like "King Shit" with a backpack full of drugs. Then at a similar school field, swinging his arm in a broad arc inflicting a large slash to Gazz's chest.

He saw the fear on Angelo's face as they drove through an alleyway in gang-land, then a happier vision of the two of them playing at the local swimming pool, followed by Angelo sleeping over at Jack's apartment.

Jack saw Victor unleashing a tirade against the small form, whose face reflected the shock and surprise that this caused. Then the next day, holding the boy as he sobbed, a catharsis showing the extent to which he had kept himself hidden, accompanied by a gesture of pure trust in Jack.

Then there was the fear and pain in the young face as he lay bleeding on the floor... the sadness as he was wheeled away from Jack by the state... and the sheer joy as the judge ruled in their favor that morning.

These visions flashed quickly through Jack's mind, but the one that lingered in his mind was the happily snoozing boy upstairs. Whatever happened in the past, he reckoned, had all led them to be here, and that was the only important thing now.

Jack kept picturing the sleeping cub in his mind, watching over him even from another room. His smile was obvious, as were the tears that fell unchecked from his eyes as he stared in the general direction of the TV without actually watching it.

He felt a finger on his face, which brought him back to reality. He looked to his father, who had brushed Jack's tear away with his finger.

"You'll do fine," he said to his son.

Jack nodded and again turned his face generally towards the TV, but summoned the happy visions back into his mind, smiling with a level of happiness he had never felt before.

THE END