{"sf1_id":2023439,"sf2_id":"znJbKykn","title":"Chapter 21: Reconciliation","author":"HeatherOBunn","words":16577,"posted_at":"2023-07-13T14:48:00.000Z","tags":["Attraction","Bobcat","Breakfast","Buck","Cat","Chapter","Doe","Fear","Fox","Lesbian","Love","Novel","Plan","Police","Predator/Prey","Queen","Rabbit","Reconciliation","Relationships","Romance","Thriller","Vixen","defense","failure","forgiveness","guilt","mentor","resistance","tom","tunnels"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2023439-chapter-21-reconciliation","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/znJbKykn","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/d2/a6/d2a654fd-7052-4378-aa02-ad03b0c90e9c","description":"#21 of The Murderess of Maplesburg: Reign of Terror\n\nEllie and Katya go to convince Lily to tell her story to the King.","content":"Chapter 21: Reconciliation  \nEllie woke early the next morning to the sensation of Jason's warm, rough tongue  \nlapping the base of her left ear. She sighed contentedly, remaining still to allow the cat to finish  \nthe affectionate task. Tingles shot down the left side of her body as the damp tongue reached  \ninside her sensitive ear, and Ellie twitched slightly at the familiar, yet odd, sensation. She smiled  \nsoftly as the grooming continued; many of Jason's feline quirks that had disturbed her early on  \nwere now a source of endearment. She recalled his reaction to her mentioning their grooming  \nrituals to his parents and smiled a little more. Even if she didn't always fully understand the  \nsignificance of his actions, she could understand the deep affection behind them because that  \nwas a feeling they shared.  \nJason finished washing her ears then murmured softly, \"I think it's time for you to get up,  \nSweetie. Katya will be here before too long. Promise me you'll be careful and try to avoid any  \nfights with Lily.\"  \nEllie pushed herself up on his chest and gazed down at him fondly, \"I promise to be  \ncareful. With Katya there, I think Lily will come without too much persuasion. However,\" she  \nintonated determinedly. \"She's coming with us whether she likes it or not!\"  \nJason lifted his head and touched his nose to hers, \"I know you'll convince her, Ellie.\"  \nEllie slipped off of the cat and proceeded to the bathroom. After she peed, she went to  \nthe kitchen and threw together a quick but nutritious breakfast of grass and clover. She was  \nmunching the greens at the table while Jason watched when she heard a knock at the door.  \nJason hopped up, \"I'll get it.\"  \nHe strode from the room, and a few moments later, he returned with Katya. The ginger  \ncat was wearing a half-sleeve dark blue top with a V-neck. Ellie glanced at the clock on the  \nmicrowave: 6:46.  \n\"I'm a little early,\" Katya meowed apologetically. \"Please finish your breakfast.\" She eyed  \nthe bowl of grass and clover, which must have looked indistinguishable from lawn clippings to  \nthe cat. \"That looks healthy,\" she commented politely.  \n\"Want some?\" Ellie offered cheerfully.  \n\"Er, no thanks,\" Katya murmured embarrassedly.  \nEllie finished her breakfast with both of the cats watching her attentively. She felt a little  \nawkward about their nearly unblinking gazes and considered suggesting Jason make his own  \nbreakfast, but she knew he was waiting until she was done so that she wouldn't have to smell  \nthe frying meat.  \n\"I like when the long strands don't quite make it all the way in her mouth, and she  \nmunches them down,\" Jason divulged to Katya as Ellie was eating the last bite. \"It's adorable.\"  \nKatya glanced at him embarrassedly, and Ellie rolled her eyes. She stood and took her  \nbowl to the sink.  \n\"I'm going to brush my teeth and put on a shirt,\" she declared. \"Try not to get too excited  \ntelling Katya how cute I am, Jason,\" she added dryly.  \nAfter brushing her teeth with the turnip-flavored toothpaste she'd brought from her  \nparents' house, she dug out of their bag a black denim jacket embroidered with pink and white  \ndaisies that her mother had bought her when the Willowdale mornings began to turn chilly. She  \nassumed it would be cool underground too. She grabbed her blue satchel and opened the flap  \njust to make sure her gun was inside. She was heading back to the dining room when Pete  \nrushed down the stairs with Flora behind him.  \n\"Sorry! I forgot to set the alarm!\" Flora called.  \nPete bounded into the kitchen with Flora following. Ellie leisurely hopped back into the  \nroom. Flora and Pete were darting between cabinets and refrigerator as they hurried to find  \nPete breakfast.  \n\"I-it's okay,\" Katya meowed embarrassedly. \"We can wait.\"  \n\"Go get dressed, Honey. I'll get your breakfast,\" Flora instructed.  \nPete dashed back toward the stairs, and Flora began to chop carrot and radish, which  \nshe threw together with kale, clover, and dressing. She set the bowl at the near end of the table  \nas Pete bounded back into the room wearing a green vest and green and white, checkered  \nbowtie. Ellie thought he was overdressed for the occasion. He leapt into the chair, and Ellie  \nwatched in semi-amazement as he bolted down the salad. She wasn't sure how he possibly  \ncould have chewed it all. When he was done, he shot out of the chair and back up the stairs,  \nreturning breathlessly a few minutes later.  \n\"Ready!\" he gasped.  \nKatya nodded awkwardly.  \nFlora swooped across the room and caught Pete in a hug. She nuzzled him between the  \nears murmuring tenderly, \"You'll be safe with Ellie and Katya. I'll be waiting when you get  \nhome.\"  \nPete hugged her back though he couldn't quite reach his arms around the pregnant fox.  \nHe pressed his nose into her white chest fur. \"I promise I'll come home. I won't let anything take  \nme from you and our kits.\"  \nEllie didn't think what they were doing was likely to be much of a risk, but she still  \nappreciated the tender moment.  \n\"I promise to bring you home safely,\" Katya meowed sincerely.  \nEllie could tell she was also touched by the love between the vixen and buck.  \nFlora released Pete, and he turned toward Katya and Ellie with nervous determination,  \n\"Let's go.\"  \nPete directed Katya to a highrise several blocks away. Ellie had to squeeze into the back  \nof the green sports car, but fortunately, the back seats, which would have been cramped for a  \ncat, were amply large for her. Katya parked in a visitor spot in the highrise's lot, and they all  \nproceeded to the door. Ellie noticed Katya had slung a lime green backpack over her shoulder.  \nPete called up to someone with the last name Archibald.  \nAfter a few rings a sleepy voice answered, \"Hello?\"  \n\"H-hi, we need to get in the tunnels. Can you let us in?\" Pete explained.  \nThere was a pause, and then the voice asked sharply, \"Who is this?\"  \n\"Police,\" Katya meowed gruffly. \"Officer Letova and company. We're tracking a fugitive.\"  \n\"Y-yes, Officer!\" the voice squeaked. The door clicked unlocked, and Katya pulled it  \nopen.  \n\"Thank you. Sorry if we woke you up.\"  \nThe other line hung up without comment.  \nEllie regarded Pete curiously, \"How did you know to call them?\"  \n\"That's who Chief Schulz called,\" he explained.  \n\"You don't have to call her that,\" Katya growled. \"She's not even a police officer  \nanymore.\"  \nPete looked at her trepidatiously, \"O-okay\" he squeaked.  \nThe tip of Katya's tip flicked, and she murmured embarrassedly, \"Sorry, you can call her  \nwhatever you like.\"  \nPete led them to the elevator and then to the laundry room in the basement. He pointed  \nat a large grate on the back wall, \"It's back there.\"  \nKatya pulled the grate off of the wall, and Pete climbed inside and lifted a panel on the  \nbottom of the ventilation shaft to reveal a metal ladder descending into pitch darkness.  \n\"Are there lights?\" Ellie asked.  \nPete shook his head.  \nKatya slipped her bag off of her shoulder and crouched to remove a heavy-duty blue  \nflashlight with a handle. She also removed a belt, where her gun and a taser were holstered,  \nand looped it around her hips.  \n\"You go first,\" she told Pete. \"I'll light your way.\"  \nPete nodded apprehensively and started down the ladder. Katya slung the backpack  \nover her shoulders then climbed into the shaft to point the bright, white light down the hole.  \nWhen Pete had disappeared, she put the handle of the flashlight between her teeth and climbed  \ndown after him. Ellie followed them, but she was halted by the stench rising out of the hole:  \ncutting harshly through the undertone of musty Earth was the acrid stench of fear, the bitter odor  \nof the terror of dozens of species of prey. It's only a smell. Ellie mentally fortified herself then  \ndescended into the dark, rank hole.  \nPete and Katya were waiting uneasily at the bottom. Ellie could tell the smell was getting  \nto them too. The dirt floor of the tunnel was covered with pawprints, and it was as if the terror of  \nthose retreating prey had been embedded in the soil along with their footprints.  \n\"It stinks in here,\" Ellie quipped to lighten the mood.  \nKatya and Pete stared at her stonily, which only made her more uncomfortable.  \n\"Let's find Lily and get out of this Tartarus pit!\" Ellie piped with as much determination as  \nshe could muster.  \nKatya smiled slightly and nodded. She pointed the light down the tunnel. \"Show us the  \nway, Pete,\" she murmured.  \nThey walked in tense silence for what seemed like an hour but was probably much less.  \nFinally, Ellie couldn't bear silently plodding through the tunnel of terror anymore.  \n\"I'm glad I wasn't in Maplesburg during the attack,\" she stated. \"You must have been  \nterrified, Pete.\"  \nPete nodded anxiously. He hopped a little faster. Katya picked up the pace to keep up  \nas did Ellie. Pete glanced back and took a few quick hops forward, putting more distance  \nbetween him and them. Katya tried to make up the difference, but he hopped faster. Soon they  \nwere practically jogging through the tunnel, Ellie and Katya loping along behind Pete.  \n\"You know where you're going, don't you, Pete?\" Katya meowed.  \n\"Yes,\" Pete answered tersely. He didn't slow.  \n\"Don't get too far ahead,\" Katya meowed a little more urgently. \"We don't know who all is  \ndown here. Lily and her followers are, but we don't know for sure if we ever caught all of the  \nterrorists.\"  \nPete froze in his tracks. Slowly, he turned his head toward the approaching cat. His blue  \neyes were wide with terror, his features stark in the harsh white light.  \nEllie's heart leapt into her throat, \"Katya! He's going to bolt!\" she hissed under her  \nbreath.  \nKatya thrust the flashlight at her, and Ellie just managed not to drop it. As she did, Pete  \nturned his head. After that, everything was a blur. In the same instant, Pete bolted, his feet  \nthrowing dirt back at them, and Katya leapt, flying through the air like a streak of ginger  \nlightning. The rabbit squealed in abject terror as the cat collided with him and snatched him up  \nunder his arms. Katya stumbled forward a few steps with the rabbit, somehow managing not to  \nfall on top of him before lowering him to his feet with her strong arms still squeezing him to her  \nchest. Ellie's heart pounded as she crept toward them. Whimpering, Pete squirmed, trying to  \nslip away, but Katya held him tightly.  \n\"L-let me go!\" he squeaked. \"P-please, I-I-\"  \n\"Shh,\" Katya tried to soothe. \"Shh, you're okay. I've got you.\"  \n\"N-no!\" Pete whimpered. \"Please don't! Please-\"  \n\"I'm not going to hurt you,\" Katya murmured. \"Shh, don't be scared.\"  \n\"I think maybe you should let him go,\" Ellie murmured anxiously. She didn't think being  \nheld captive by the cat was calming Pete down.  \nKatya regarded her worriedly, \"I can't. He'll run away.\"  \n\"Please!\" Pete squeaked again.  \nKatya turned back to the rabbit she held tight to her chest. \"Shh, think about something  \nnice. Think about your beautiful wife and kits. I promised I'd bring you home safe to them.  \nFlora's waiting for you. I promise you'll make it back to her. Don't be afraid.\"  \nPete held still, and gradually, his breathing slowed. Katya tucked her head over his, and  \nthey stood together silently until he murmured, \"I-I'm alright now.\"  \n\"Are you sure?\" Katya meowed hesitantly.  \n\"Y-yes.\"  \nKatya let him go, and he slowly turned to face her, \"S-sorry,\" Pete mumbled.  \nKatya smiled kindly, \"It's okay. Are you alright now? Do you want to hold my hand?\"  \nPete hesitated then nodded shyly. Katya took his right hand in her left and motioned for  \nEllie.  \n\"You can give me the light,\" she meowed.  \nEllie almost didn't register what she'd said because she was so shocked by the outcome  \nof the incident. Not only had Katya calmed the timid rabbit down, he'd accepted her comfort.  \nEllie doubted there were many predators who would make Pete more comfortable by holding  \nonto him. With a distracted nod, she stepped toward the pair and handed the flashlight to Katya.  \nThey continued onward, Pete still leading but with Katya next to him, their hands securely  \nclasped. Ellie considered them puzzledly from a few steps behind.  \nThey were rounding a corner when another light appeared. Katya quickly thrust the  \nflashlight into Ellie's arms and grabbed her handgun.  \n\"Who's there?!\" a high-pitched voice yelled. \"We're armed! Come out with your hands on  \nyour head!\"  \nKatya hesitated a moment before calling back, \"Zeta? Is that you?\"  \nThere was a pause and then, \"Who is that?!\"  \n\"It's Katya Letova!\" Katya called back.  \n\"Katya!\" the voice squeaked. \"I recognize your voice!\" More quietly, 'Zeta' instructed their  \ncomrades, \"It's alright. I know them. Put your guns away.\"  \nKatya put her own gun back in its holster. \"We're coming toward you, okay?\"  \n\"Alight, come on!\"  \nStill holding Pete's hand, Katya led them around the corner and down the tunnel. The  \nother group was hard to make out because of their bright light shining into her eyes, but Ellie  \ncounted at least five.  \n\"Katya!\" a white and black splotched rabbit in a blue uniform top piped happily, stepping  \nforward from the group. Ellie could tell from their voice this was 'Zeta'. \"I didn't think you were  \ngoing to join us! Did something happen?\"  \nEllie surveyed the rest of the group: a black squirrel, a light brown and white splotched  \nrabbit, and a marmot also in police uniform tops, a hare in a faux leather moto jacket, and a  \nflying squirrel in a pink knit poncho. All of them were armed, the hare with a crossbow and the  \nothers with handguns.  \n\"We need to speak with Lily,\" Katya responded evasively.  \nZeta's brown eyes fell on Pete, and they widened, \"Hey, I know you! Aren't you the  \nrabbit who's married to the fox? She's okay, isn't she?\"  \nPete nodded shyly, \"Flora's fine. She stayed at home. Our kits are due in a few days.\"  \nZeta blinked quizzically at the last statement but didn't ask for clarification. \"I'm glad  \nshe's well.\" She craned her neck to peer around the front pair, and her mouth fell open as she  \ngot a good look at Ellie. \"Y-you're the rabbit from that video!\" she yelped in surprise.  \nEllie shuffled her feet in the dirt, \"Er, yeah,\" she replied nervously. Did that mean she  \nthought Ellie was a nutter?  \nZeta quickly stepped around Katya and Pete, and Ellie tensed. She had no idea of this  \nrabbit's intentions!  \nZeta grinned widely, showing off her large incisors, and thrust her hand at Ellie. \"I'm  \nZeta! What you did was so brave! I can't believe I'm actually meeting you!\"  \nEllie smiled in relief, letting out a breath she'd been holding. She shook the other doe's  \nhand. \"I'm Ellie. It's nice to meet you too. It seems like most people thought we were lying. The  \ncomments on the video were horrible.\"  \n\"You can't go by what anonymous assholes on the Internet say,\" Zeta comforted. \"What  \nyou went through was horrific, and you're incredibly brave for making it public. I just wish we'd  \nrealized what that fiend is really like sooner.\"  \nEllie nodded in agreement. \"That's why we're here. We need Lily's help to get rid of that  \nwitch.\"  \nZeta blinked at her puzzledly, \"Oh? I assumed you were here to join us.\"  \n\"We're here to speak to Lily,\" Katya repeated tersely.  \nEllie nodded, \"I think what you're doing here is good, but there might be a way to remove  \nher without violence, a way that can't be spun as an unprovoked revolt. If we fail, then I'll join  \nyou, and I'll put a bullet in that witch's head myself!\"  \n\"We're hoping it won't come to that either,\" Zeta replied. \"We're keeping a close eye on  \nher, but so far, she's only a nuisance. Lily is hoping she'll leave Maplesburg on her own. If she  \nstarts killing prey though, we're not standing by any longer!\"  \nEllie felt a twinge of discomfort having the vixen's claim of innocence for the recent  \ndisappearances corroborated again. Maybe that horrible cat really was entirely to blame. \"I  \nunderstand, but there might be a way to get justice for those she's already killed. We-\"  \n\"We want to talk to Lily,\" Katya cut Ellie off pointedly.  \nEllie looked at Katya disconcertedly. Didn't she trust Zeta? Ellie had just met her, but she  \nalready liked the black and white doe. Katya shook her head slightly.  \n\"We need to discuss it with Lily,\" Ellie concluded awkwardly.  \n\"Do you know Chief Schulz?\" Zeta queried curiously.  \nEllie nodded. \"We've met,\" she replied vaguely. She didn't want to go into her real  \nthoughts of the nasty bobcat in front of Lily's loyal followers.  \nZeta looked from Ellie to Katya with a puzzled expression before stating simply, \"We'll  \nshow you to her.\"  \nZeta led them through the tunnels with Ellie, Katya, and Pete between her and the rest  \nof her group. We're being escorted; they don't completely trust us either. Clearly, Zeta and  \nKatya knew each other, and apparently, they both had been police officers. Ellie didn't know for  \ncertain that Zeta had been one of those to resign after the vixen had accused Lily, but she  \nassumed so. She was here after all. As far as she knew, Katya hadn't resigned, but she sensed  \nfrom the guarded way Katya watched Zeta as they walked, that wasn't the only source of  \ntension between the cat and rabbit. Even so, Zeta had seemed happy to see Katya; Ellie didn't  \nthink there was enmity between them, but they also didn't seem to be friends.  \nAfter another twenty minutes or so of walking, they exited the tunnel and looked down a  \nmoderately graded slope into a mammoth chamber. At the center, some sort of train with three  \ngigantic cars rested on a set of tracks. Fluorescent lights inside the cars and a headlight  \nilluminated the tenebrous chamber and cast shadows sprawling across the floor and walls as  \nother animals meandered about the subterranean camp. Ellie estimated around forty animals  \namong the tents and haphazardly arranged rings of stones. From what she could see, they were  \nalmost all prey though she thought she saw a raccoon. She didn't see the bobcat anywhere.  \n\"Where is she?\" Katya asked warily.  \n\"She might be patrolling,\" Zeta explained cheerfully. \"Let's go sit down. She'll be back  \nbefore long.\" Zeta led them down to a ring of rocks with a single-burner, portable gas stove at  \nthe center and motioned for them to sit. \"Can I get you anything? Do you need to use the  \nlatrine?\"  \nEllie wrinkled her nose. Even if she'd had to go, she would have attempted to hold it until  \nthey were someplace with plumbing!  \nAfter a couple seconds of silence, Zeta went on, \"I'm afraid we need to take any  \nweapons you might be carrying. It's just a precaution until we know why you're here.\"  \nKatya hesitated a moment then unbuckled her belt and handed it to Zeta, \"We just want  \nto talk.\"  \nThe black squirrel stepped up to Ellie, \"Miss, can I check your bag?\"  \nReluctantly, Ellie handed him the satchel. He removed the gun, giving her a suspicious  \nlook, and dug around for a few more seconds before handing it back to her.  \n\"Zeta, can you pat her down?\" he requested.  \nThe black and white doe hopped over to Ellie and gave her denim jacket a quick pat-  \ndown. When she was done, she smiled at Ellie amicably, \"I'm sure there's really nothing to  \nworry about. We're on the same side after all!\"  \nEllie nodded, but she felt less comfortable now that Lily's followers were armed and they  \nweren't. She, Katya, and Pete sat on three adjacent stones on one side of the ring, and Zeta sat  \non the other side.  \n\"I'll attend to our guests,\" she piped cheerfully. \"The rest of you go on and finish the  \npatrol.\"  \n\"Are you sure?\" the black squirrel asked cautiously. \"I can stay with you.\"  \nZeta waved him away, smiling confidently, \"Go on, Flint. It's only Katya and her friends. I  \nmet the buck before, and Ellie practically started this whole thing!\"  \nThe squirrel gave Ellie another quick glance before turning and leading the group back  \nup the slope to the tunnel.  \n\"So,\" Zeta piped in a genial tone. \"How did you three meet? You said you were leaving  \nMaplesburg; how did Katya find you?\"  \nIt took Ellie a second to realize she was talking to her. \"Er, well,\" she answered hastily.  \n\"We already knew Katya before we were captured. She, uh,\" she paused. She didn't know what  \nshe could say that wouldn't give the rabbit more information than Katya wanted her to have, so  \nshe concluded, \"And Pete's wife, Flora, was one of my high school friends.\"  \nZeta frowned slightly. She turned to Katya, \"Did you know where she was the whole time  \nand not say anything?!\" she asked with dismay.  \n\"No,\" Katya answered snippily. \"But even if I did, I wouldn't have told you. It was for their  \nown safety that they left. It was a decision I supported and still do.\"  \n\"She would have been safer with us!\" Zeta argued.  \n\"Lily and I aren't exactly on the best of terms,\" Ellie admitted sourly. She didn't like them  \narguing about her like she wasn't even there! \"Jason and I made our own choice. Lily was still  \nworking with that creep when we left. We didn't know about your group until Flora told me.\"  \n\"Katya might have told you if you were in contact!\" Zeta returned.  \n\"Lily left them for dead!\" Katya snapped. \"She sacrificed them to that monster like all of  \nthe prey before them! If they want to join Lily's private army now, it's not my right to stop them,  \nbut it's not Lily's right to ask them, for anything!\"  \nZeta's uneasy frown darkened, \"Lily's told us what she did. That fiend forced her! You  \nsaw what happened the very first time she stopped that beast from murdering someone. She  \nhad to go into hiding! Without us, she'd be hunted down and killed! What would that  \naccomplish?! She would have thrown her life away, and that fiend wouldn't have stopped!\" she  \nargued passionately.  \n\"The great hero, savior of one prey,\" Katya rejoined sarcastically.  \n\"She's saved many more than that, and you know it!\" Zeta shot back angrily. \"I don't  \nknow why you have such a grudge against her, Katya! You used to be loyal!\"  \nKatya looked away irritatedly. \"I don't understand how you still can be,\" she grumbled  \ndarkly.  \nEllie attempted to diffuse the growing animosity by cutting in with a diplomatic, \"I'm glad  \nshe's doing what she is now, and I think she can help us discredit the Duchess permanently.\"  \n\"High praise from Jason's pet,\" an all too familiar growl came from behind her.  \nEllie jerked her head around to see Lily appearing through the gloom of the poorly lit  \ncavern with another group of armed prey. Reflexively, Ellie scowled in disgust. The last time  \nshe'd seen this cat, she'd left her and Jason to be butchered.  \n\"I'll take it from here, Zeta,\" Lily drawled unpleasantly. \"I can't wait to hear how I can help  \nnow that I finally have Miss Bennett's approval.\" Her voice dripped sarcasm.  \n\"I'd like to stay if that's alright, Chief,\" Zeta offered concernedly.  \nLily shook her head, \"I'll be fine, Zeta. You don't need to get involved.\"  \nThe white and black doe hesitated but then stood. \"I support you, Chief. Whatever they  \nsay, remember we support you.\"  \nShe hurried away, and Lily sat where she'd been. Lily eyed Katya, and Ellie noticed her  \nsnide sneer falter uncomfortably for just a moment.  \n\"We've come to ask for your help, Lily,\" Katya meowed coolly.  \nLily regarded her silently for a moment then glanced to Pete and then to Ellie. \"Where's  \nJason?\" she asked. Ellie thought she let a tiny bit of concern slip into her meow.  \n\"He's fine,\" Ellie answered tersely. \"He's waiting for us.\"  \n\"I'm surprised his leash is that long, or did you tie it to a post?\" Lily mocked.  \n\"That's none of your business,\" Ellie responded, keeping her cool. She wouldn't let the  \nbobcat provoke her.  \n\"Don't tell me he decided your feet weren't that tasty after all!\" Lily gasped with  \ncounterfeit shock.  \n\"He prefers other parts,\" Ellie replied smugly. \"We live together now.\"  \nLily scoffed, \"Good for you. I assume you didn't come here to attempt to make me  \njealous about my ex. You're welcome to him.\"  \n\"You brought him up,\" Katya pointed out irritatedly. \"Let's get to the point. We spoke with  \nthe King on Friday. I showed him the evidence you'd hidden. It wasn't enough, but he said he  \nmight listen to your testimony.\"  \nLily stared at the ginger cat blankly for a moment and then asked incredulously, \"And  \nwhat?! You think now I'm going to give myself up?! Turn myself in so that the King will believe  \nthere's a problem?! Don't tell me you're still naive enough to think he'll do something!\"  \n\"Maybe you will be arrested!\" Katya snapped. \"You're an accomplice to murder! The  \nKing seemed ready to do something when we first told him! He only said the evidence wasn't  \nenough!\"  \n\"So you'd like to see me executed so long as the Duchess gets a slap on the wrist,\" Lily  \ngrowled.  \n\"That's not what I want, but it's better than you getting all of these people killed to save  \nyour skin!\" Katya rebuked. \"You know that if you killed the Duchess, the authorities would hunt  \ndown and execute your entire militia! They'd say you were no better than the terrorists! So what  \nare you really doing here?!\"  \n\"We're preparing for whatever has to be done,\" Lily answered coolly. \"Playing tattletale  \nto the King got you nowhere. What's going to happen here if I go get myself arrested?\"  \n\"I'm sure the others will handle it,\" Katya argued. \"Zeta or Flint will take over here. Only  \nyou can give your testimony on how you helped the Duchess.\"  \n\"You might be arrested too,\" Lily rejoined. \"It's not only my life you're sacrificing here.  \nEvery one of us could be killed to cover this up.\"  \n\"I'm willing to take that risk!\" Katya declared. \"I used to think you were willing to give your  \nlife to protect others too! I see this militia really is nothing more than a desperate attempt to save  \nyourself! That's the only person you've ever cared about!\"  \nLily gave Katya a wounded look, \"I'm sorry I disappointed you, Katya,\" she muttered  \nbitterly. \"I tried to protect you from what I knew. Vulpineva's rotten; there's nothing we can do to  \nchange that.\"  \n\"We can try!\" Katya urged. \"The King isn't the Duchess! I'm not saying there will be  \njustice, but if he censures her, she'll be discredited. She won't have the power she does now!  \nPlease, Lily! Please be the person I believed you were and help us bring her down!\"  \nLily regarded Katya conflictedly and then turned a sharp eye to Ellie, \"I'm sure you'd be  \ndelighted to see me hanged, rabbit.\"  \n\"I wouldn't be,\" Ellie averred. \"If you do this, I might even forgive you for leaving Jason  \nand me to die.\"  \nLily scoffed, \"'Might.' How generous. How can I refuse an offer like that?\"  \n\"I'll forgive you,\" Katya meowed earnestly. \"And I'll do whatever I can to convince the  \nKing you were forced to do what you did. Like Zeta said, the first time you stopped her from  \nkilling someone, she was ready to kill you. He'll have to take that into account!\"  \nLily sniffed contemptuously. \"He doesn't have to do anything.\"  \n\"I'll do what I can too!\" Ellie proclaimed. \"I'll tell him how you put your life at risk to save  \nprey during the evacuation.\"  \n\"You weren't there,\" Lily replied pointedly.  \n\"Zeta could tell him,\" Katya stated. \"I'm sure she'd do anything she could.\"  \n\"I would, Chief!\" Zeta's voice piped.  \nLily turned her head sharply toward the sound, \"I thought I told you to leave!\"  \nZeta poked her head out from behind a nearby tent and quickly bounded over beside  \nLily, placing a hand on her shoulder, \"Let me help, Chief. I know you've always wanted to help  \npeople! That fiend didn't give you a choice!\"  \nLily regarded the white and black rabbit conflictedly, \"You think I should do it then? You  \nrealize we might all be killed to protect that bitch.\"  \n\"We won't be!\" Zeta piped determinedly. \"We'll make the King understand! He could  \nhave arrested Katya and Ellie the first time, but he let them go, knowing they might not come  \nback! Katya wouldn't be here if she didn't think there was hope!\"  \nKatya gave Zeta a grateful look, \"That's right. We're trying to prevent further bloodshed,  \nnot get you or ourselves killed.\"  \n\"We can do it, Chief!\" Zeta declared. \"We'll all have your back!\"  \nLily turned to regard Ellie dubiously, \"Even Jason's pet?\"  \nEllie rolled her eyes at the bobcat's incessant insults. \"Yes, and if we're successful, I'll  \neven give you that hug you've been wanting.\"  \n\"I suppose with rewards like that in store, I can hardly say no,\" Lily meowed dryly.  \n\"You'll come?!\" Katya gasped in surprise.  \nLily nodded.  \nKatya blinked at Ellie in astonishment, \"I can't believe it! You were right, Ellie!\"  \nEllie smiled awkwardly, \"I'm not sure she would have agreed without Zeta.\" Ellie gave  \nthe other doe a grateful smile, \"Thank you, Zeta.\"  \n\"I said what I said because I know it's who the Chief really is,\" Zeta retorted. \"She's not  \nthe callous person you think she is!\"  \nEllie could still remember Lily telling her she deserved to be killed by the murderous fox,  \nbut she held her tongue. This rabbit clearly had a very different experience with the bobcat, and  \nperhaps Lily had made progress. Perhaps Katya's cynical interpretation of Lily's actions was  \nwrong, and she wasn't merely trying to save herself. If she really came with them and confessed  \nher involvement in the Duchess' crimes, Ellie would have to admit that was the case.  \n\"It's going to be cramped in Jason's car with five of us,\" Katya remarked with mild  \nconcern.  \n\"I assume mine's been impounded,\" Lily remarked dryly.  \nKatya shrugged, \"I don't know. I don't think Officer O'Connor has been doing much to try  \nto find you. He doesn't like the Duchess either, he's just cooperating to save his own skin.\"  \n\"It should hold six comfortably if one of the rabbits sits in the back,\" Lily informed them.  \nShe glanced at Zeta, \"Go find James.\"  \nZeta hurried away.  \n\"The idea was for me to drive,\" Katya explained. \"So that I could pretend to be arresting  \nyou if we were caught.\"  \n\"As long as it's not Jason's pet behind the wheel,\" Lily replied dryly. \"She might try to  \nwrap me around a tree.\"  \nEllie sighed wearily. She was already tired of the bobcat's company. After a minute, Zeta  \nreturned with a chipmunk.  \n\"Do you remember where we left my vehicle, James?\" Lily meowed.  \n\"I think I can find it!\" he returned cheerfully. \"Are you going somewhere?\"  \n\"Wolfsbane, evidently. If we don't come back, you and Flint need to follow this through.  \nZeta's coming with us.\"  \nThe chipmunk nodded solemnly, \"We will.\"  \nLily stood, \"Let's go.\"  \n\"Right now!?\" Zeta yelped.  \n\"Unless our guests are staying overnight, we should get going. It's a four hour drive to  \nWolfsbane, and we have to pick up Jason, wherever he is.\"  \n\"He's at Pete's house,\" Katya informed her. \"We need to drop Pete off too.\"  \nLily glanced at the black and white buck pensively, as if trying to place him.  \n\"His wife is the gray fox,\" Zeta told her. \"We met them during the evacuation.\"  \nLily nodded. \"How's your wife?\"  \n\"F-Flora's fine,\" Pete squeaked.  \n\"How about the kits?\"  \n\"Th-they're due in a few days.\"  \n\"I thought you said she's a fox,\" the chipmunk squeaked in confusion.  \nLily gave him a withering look, \"You've never heard of a sperm bank, huh?\"  \n\"Oh, er, right,\" the chipmunk squeaked embarrassedly.  \n\"I'm glad for the clarification too,\" Zeta murmured to him sympathetically.  \nLily looked at Katya, Ellie, and Pete impatiently, \"Well, are we going or not?\"  \nKatya and Pete leapt up from their rocks. Ellie made a point of standing slowly,  \nstretching languidly to irk the obnoxious cat.  \n\"You need me to carry you or something, Bennett?\" Lily growled.  \nEllie finished stretching and smirked, \"Nope, I'm ready.\"  \nThe chipmunk led them to a tunnel on the opposite end of the tunnel from the one they'd  \nentered on. As they entered the tunnel, Zeta fell into step beside Ellie.  \n\"You never told me how you and Katya met,\" she piped genially.  \n\"She pounced on me,\" Ellie stated lightly.  \nZeta's brown eyes widened, \"She did?!\"  \n\"It was a misunderstanding,\" Katya stated embarrassedly from behind them where she  \nwas walking close beside Pete, ready to offer a hand if he became too anxious.  \n\"We were investigating the murder of Daniel Planter,\" Ellie clarified. \"I was trying to get in  \nto talk to Lily.\" She eyed the bobcat's back spitefully, \"That was before she got us thrown off the  \ncase.\"  \nLily halted and turned toward her angrily, \"If you'd kept your nose out of things, you  \nwouldn't have put me in the position you did! I tried to protect you and Jason. You didn't let me,  \nbut now you want to blame me for what happened!\"  \n\"You could say sorry!\" Ellie retorted. \"I know you didn't trust us enough to tell us what  \nwas really going on, but if you'd told us that witch was responsible, things might have ended  \ndifferently!\"  \n\"I'm sure. You would have been the hero and brought the evil fox to justice,\" Lily rejoined  \nsarcastically.  \n\"I would have put a bullet in her head when we got there!\" Ellie snapped.  \nLily rolled her amber eyes and turned on the pad of her foot, tromping after the  \nchipmunk, who had stopped a few yards ahead to look back nervously.  \n\"Things aren't that easy, Ellie,\" Zeta murmured sympathetically as they followed. \"I know  \nyou would have been justified, given what that fiend did to you, but if you'd ever succeeded in  \nkilling her, you would have been executed.\"  \n\"I know,\" Ellie grumbled. \"Jason says the same thing.\"  \n\"I think if you gave the Chief a chance, the two of you could get along,\" Zeta replied  \nsoftly. \"She's a good person. She's angry because she's frustrated by how bad things are.\"  \n\"She's never liked me. I'm not the one who's never tried.\"  \nWithout looking back, Lily growled, \"The first time we met it was so you could scream at  \nme for doing my job wrong.\"  \n\"You were nothing but hostile from the moment we arrived!\" Ellie shot back.  \n\"Zeus blast me! Both of you need to grow up!\" Zeta snapped.  \nEllie was stung by the friendly rabbit's rebuke, and they walked in silence the rest of the  \nway.  \nAfter another three-quarters of an hour, they arrived at what appeared to be a dead-end,  \na slab of stone filling the tunnel in front of them. After some poking and scratching, the  \nchipmunk triggered some mechanism, and with the grating sound of stone grinding stone, a  \npanel slid a few inches in and then to the right to reveal an opening. The other side turned out to  \nbe a temple of some sort. Ellie thought she recognized it as a temple to Gaia, but it had been a  \nwhile since she'd bothered brushing up on her religious trivia. As might have been expected, the  \ntemple was empty. No one Ellie knew gave the gods much thought except on special holidays,  \nand she was fairly certain it was all fantasy anyway.  \nFortunately, after having made the lengthy journey, they found Lily's crimson SUV  \nparked in the back. Lily unlocked the mid-size SUV and retrieved her uniform top and cell phone  \nfrom the driver's seat.  \n\"Phone's dead of course,\" the bobcat remarked. She handed the keys to Katya, \"Guess  \nyou're driving; better make sure it starts before we get too excited.\"  \nKatya climbed in, adjusted the seat so that she could reach the pedals and put the key in  \nthe ignition. The vehicle started without issue.  \n\"I guess you're good then,\" the chipmunk stated. \"I'll see you when you get back.\"  \n\"Yeah, see you,\" Lily replied.  \nZeta hopped over to the tiny, striped rodent and swept him up to hug him to her chest,  \n\"Bye, James! We'll see you in a few days!\"  \nShe set him down, and he bobbed his head embarrassedly, \"Bye, Zeta.\"  \nHe turned and ambled back toward the temple with a goofy grin plastered across his  \nface. Ellie thought his steps were a bit giddy.  \nZeta smirked after him and then gave Ellie a knowing grin. \"So, which of us is taking the  \nback?\"  \nLily ended up in the front passenger's seat with Ellie and Zeta in the two middle seats  \nwith a cup holder between them and Pete with the bench seat in the back to himself. Katya put  \nFlora's address into her phone and started back across town to the fox and rabbit's domicile.  \n\\* \\* \\*  \nFlora smiled at Jason as the front door closed, \"It's just us then. What would you like for  \nbreakfast?\"  \n\"I'll make us breakfast if you want,\" Jason offered awkwardly.  \n\"I can manage,\" Flora replied cheerfully.  \n\"I, uh, just feel like I should do something since I'm eating your food.\"  \n\"You can wash up afterward,\" Flora chirped. \"Does steak and eggs sound good?\"  \nJason nodded, \"Yeah, thanks.\"  \nJason sat at the table whilst Flora got the beef filets and eggs out of the fridge.  \n\"How would you like your eggs?\" she queried.  \n\"Uh, however,\" he murmured.  \nThe gray fox gave him an amused look, \"I'm not going to bite. Does over-easy sound  \ngood?\"  \nJason nodded embarrassedly.  \nFlora got to cooking, putting two cast iron skillets on the gas burners and spooning  \ncoffee grounds into the cold drip machine. Jason tried not to watch her too closely, carefully  \nstudying the backyard through the window; he didn't want her to think he was staring.  \nOccasionally, he glanced toward the kitchen and saw her bushy gray, black, and light brown tail  \nsweeping behind her as she busily checked the eggs and steaks. Jason thought she was very  \npretty and felt a little guilty for the observation. Ellie would agree, he tried to reassure himself.  \nBefore long, Flora brought him a mug of coffee and utensils, also placing a carton of  \ncream and a jar of sugar on the table. Jason added a little cream to his coffee. A minute later  \nshe set a plate with an egg, a steak, and a piece of whole wheat toast in front of him. She then  \nsat across from him with her own plate, silverware, and mug. Jason noticed she had two eggs,  \nand her steak was also fifty percent larger than his. She added cream and sugar to her coffee,  \ngave it a stir with her spoon, and took a sip.  \n\"It's nice that we're getting to spend a little time together,\" she commented sunnily. \"We  \nhaven't gotten to talk, just the two of us, and I know Ellie can be a little aggressive about getting  \nin her say. Why don't you tell me a little about yourself? Where did you grow up?\"  \n\"Maplesburg. My parents' house is in East Maplesburg as well, actually.\"  \n\"So you've been here your whole life, hmm?\" She sliced off a piece of steak and popped  \nit in her mouth, chewing as she regarded him interestedly.  \n\"That's right.\" Taking her cue to eat as they talked, he cut off a piece of egg and  \ntransferred it to his mouth.  \n\"And you were going to be a police officer, isn't that right? I think Ellie mentioned that.\"  \n\"Er, yeah, I guess I'm glad I didn't now.\"  \n\"I think many do their best despite circumstances,\" Flora rejoined. \"But I understand why  \nyou feel it was the right decision.\" She smiled, \"You met Ellie, so clearly, you picked the right  \npath.\"  \nJason felt his ears getting warm, \"I guess so,\" he murmured.  \nFlora tore off a corner of toast crust, dipped it in her egg yolk, and ate it before asking,  \n\"Did you ever think you'd be with a rabbit?\"  \nJason shook his head embarrassedly. \"I never imagined it until I realized I had feelings  \nfor Ellie.\" He ate a piece of steak.  \n\"Funnily enough, I never thought I would be either. My closest friends were all prey, but I  \nguess I assumed I'd find a nice tod someday.\" She sliced off a piece of egg and speared it on  \nher fork but paused before putting it in her mouth. \"Not that there aren't plenty of nice tods out  \nthere. Foxes get a bad rap, but we're like anyone else. To be honest, I didn't really try to find a  \ntod.\" She ate the egg.  \n\"You must have realized more quickly than I did,\" Jason noted. \"Ellie and I worked  \ntogether for years before I realized.\"  \nFlora nodded. She gulped down a piece of steak then asked, \"Do you think you were in  \nlove all that time or that your feelings developed over time?\"  \n\"Uh, the latter, I guess.\"  \nFlora nodded and sipped her coffee. \"It might have taken me longer if Pete hadn't been  \nso obviously smitten with me. I'm pretty sure he fell in love the first time he saw me,\" she  \nchirped jovially. She grinned toothily, \"Although, he didn't understand it at first because he  \nassumed any predator that got him alone would gobble him up. He probably thought it was a  \nnew flavor of fear.\"  \n\"I don't think I could have gotten together with a rabbit who was afraid of me,\" Jason  \nmurmured embarrassedly. \"If I couldn't reassure someone that I didn't want to hurt them, I'd  \nprobably try to avoid them.\"  \n\"I'm sure that's what most people would do,\" Flora replied understandingly. \"No one  \nwants to be treated with suspicion, but I felt that Pete needed my help. I knew his fear was  \nunjustified, and I wanted to help him through it. I suppose that if he hadn't needed me as much  \nas he did, I might not have fallen in love with him.\" She smiled pleasantly, \"It's completely  \ndifferent between you and Ellie, I'm sure.\"  \nJason nodded, \"Ellie would be furious if I thought I was her keeper. If anything, she  \nthinks the opposite.\"  \n\"I wouldn't say I'm Pete's keeper either,\" Flora returned patiently. \"He can handle  \nhimself, and he does his part. What he needs is a sense of security, and that's what I give him.  \nPete's hyper-aware of his vulnerability, so he feels better knowing someone's looking out for  \nhim.\" She took a bite of toast.  \nJason bobbed his head in acknowledgement and transferred the last of his egg to his  \nmouth.  \n\"I'm sure you look out for Ellie as well,\" Flora suggested. \"I know she doesn't need and  \nwouldn't appreciate how far I go with Pete, but I'm sure you'd do whatever you could to keep her  \nsafe.\"  \nJason nodded, \"And she'd do the same for me. We look out for each other.\"  \n\"I'm glad to hear it,\" Flora chirped cheerfully.  \nThey finished their breakfast, and then Jason washed up. He washed the dishes then  \nused the soapy water to wipe the grease off of the stove. Afterward he returned to the table  \nwhere Flora was still seated, scrolling through the news on her phone.  \n\"Is there anything else you'd like me to do?\" he offered.  \nFlora looked up at him and blinked her green eyes curiously, \"Are you always this eager  \nto do housework?\"  \nJason flipped his tail embarrassedly. \"I don't mind,\" he murmured.  \n\"I'm sure Ellie appreciates that, but I don't feel comfortable asking you to do more. Have  \na seat if you'd like.\"  \nJason sat.  \nFlora flipped her cell phone over and gave him a pensive look, \"I'd like to ask you  \nsomething, but if it makes you uncomfortable, you don't have to answer. Is that alright?\"  \nJason nodded nervously, wondering what it would be.  \n\"How do you think this will all turn out? With the Duchess, I mean. Do you think she'll  \never give up trying to catch you?\"  \n\"I don't know,\" he answered honestly. \"I hope so.\"  \n\"What if she doesn't? What if you're both captured again?\" she pressed.  \n\"We'll try to get away.\"  \n\"What if you knew you'd never get away? What would you do then?\"  \nJason frowned uncomfortably, \"I, uh, I guess-\"  \n\"I'm sorry! You don't have to answer!\" Flora apologized hastily.  \nJason shook his head, \"It's fine.\" He took a deep breath. \"I guess we, we'd try to make  \nthe best of it. At least we'd still be together.\"  \nFlora looked relieved, \"You don't have any sort of suicide pact then.\"  \nShocked, Jason yowled, \"What?! O-of course not!\"  \n\"I'm glad. I know how much Ellie hates the Duchess, so I was concerned about what she  \nmight do in that situation.\"  \n\"Ellie wouldn't ever give up,\" Jason declared passionately. \"And I wouldn't leave her.\"  \nFlora smiled warmly, \"I can tell you really admire her. Ellie's lucky to have met you. It  \nmakes me feel good to see my friends happy, and that means both of you now.\"  \nJason dipped his head embarrassedly and smiled, \"I'm luckier to have met her.\"  \nFlora grinned toothily, \"Oh, I don't know. I'm sure you're both very lucky, but I suspect  \nEllie's assertiveness would rub many carnivores the wrong way. If I'm not mistaken, you like it.\"  \nJason blushed. \"Is it that obvious?\" he murmured.  \nFlora smiled warmly, \"Maybe, but I'm sure Ellie appreciates that too.\"  \nJason knew that she did, and thinking about it gave him a warm feeling of pleasure.  \n\"I really hope everything turns out alright, and the four of us can be friends,\" Flora  \ndeclared. \"I would be sad to lose Ellie again, but I think I'd feel a little better knowing you were  \nwith her, wherever the two of you go.\"  \n\"I hope we can all be friends too,\" Jason agreed warmly. While Jason still felt somewhat  \nuncomfortable around her timid husband, he had no reservations about the friendly fox. He  \nhoped he could get along as well with Ellie's other friends when they met.  \n\\* \\* \\*  \nThey arrived outside of the forest green domicile a few minutes after 10:00 AM. Lily  \nthought she vaguely recognized it though the prey evacuation seemed like ages ago with  \neverything that had happened. She turned her head to eye the timid black and white rabbit in  \nthe back.  \n\"Tell Jason to get out here,\" she instructed him.  \n\"I think we should all go in for a minute so that we can say hi to Flora,\" Zeta piped  \ncheerfully. \"Also, I'd like to use a proper bathroom before we leave.\"  \nLily supposed it would be a good idea to properly wash her hands if nothing else. There  \nhadn't been water to waste on such things in the tunnels, and she'd been using hand sanitizer  \nafter she'd used the latrine.  \n\"I'm sure Flora wouldn't mind if you wanted to take a shower,\" Ellie offered. \"It's not that  \nlate. I think there's time.\"  \nLily sighed, but Zeta gazed at her hopefully, \"Can I, Chief?\"  \nLily nodded resignedly, \"I suppose there's time,\" she muttered.  \n\"Drag Lily in with you!\" Ellie jeered. \"It's probably been years since she washed  \nproperly!\"  \nLily shot the obnoxious rabbit a dirty look.  \nZeta's ears pinkened, and she stammered flusteredly, \"Er, I, uh, I don't, um-\"  \n\"I'm not taking a shower with or without you, Zeta. Calm down,\" Lily growled irritatedly.  \n\"Er, right, sorry, Chief,\" Zeta murmured.  \nThey climbed out of her SUV, and Lily let the others go before her as they climbed up  \nonto the tanish gray porch to reach the gray front door. The buck unlocked it, and they filed  \ninside. They found Jason Brown and the gray vixen in the combined kitchen-dining room at the  \nsix-seat dining table. Jason eyed Lily nervously, but the vixen hopped up. Like the buck had  \nsaid, her kits were obviously due soon.  \n\"Lily, it's good to see you!\" she bounded across the room and offered her hand.  \nLily shook the fox's hand politely.  \n\"Hi, Flora!\" Zeta piped happily.  \n\"Zeta! I wasn't expecting you!\" the vixen chirped in joyful surprise. She offered Zeta her  \nhand with a beaming grin.  \nZeta shook her hand as well. \"You might want to wash that now,\" Zeta jested. \"We've  \nbeen washing with hand sanitizer for weeks.\"  \nThe vixen looked a bit disturbed at this revelation.  \n\"Actually, besides saying hi, the reason we came in was to ask whether it's okay if we  \nuse your bathroom,\" Zeta went on. \"I'd like to take a quick shower if you don't mind.\"  \n\"Not at all, have a nice long soak if you want,\" the vixen offered cheerfully. \"Is there  \nanything else I can get you?\"  \nZeta looked at Lily questioningly.  \n\"We're fine,\" Lily answered. \"Once Zeta's washed, we need to head to Wolfsbane.\" She  \nglanced at Jason and glanced away. \"We're taking my vehicle,\" she told no one in particular.  \n\"Thank you for coming, Lily,\" Jason murmured uncomfortably.  \nLily glared at the tabby, \"I didn't come for you,\" she growled.  \nJason winced.  \nZeta hopped over to the seated cat. She stopped and clasped her hands behind her  \nback, shyly tilting backward and forward on her long, furry feet. \"Hi, I'm Zeta. You must be Ellie's  \npartner, yes?\"  \nJason nodded embarrassedly, \"Yeah, I'm Jason.\"  \nZeta smiled cordially, \"I just wanted to tell you that I think what you did was very brave,  \nnot just the video but when you were captured especially. That fiend starved you, but you didn't  \ngive in. You must really care about your friend.\"  \nJason nodded, his eyes downcast and tail trashing behind him. \"I couldn't hurt Ellie,\" he  \nmurmured awkwardly.  \nZeta smiled a bit uncomfortably, \"I guess we can talk during the ride. I'm going to shower  \nso that we can go.\" With that, Zeta quickly bounded out of the room.  \nThe vixen hurried after her, \"I'll show you where the bathroom is,\" she called after the  \nretreating doe.  \nLily sighed wearily and followed them.  \nIt turned out that the guest bathroom was in the basement. Lily followed the vixen and  \ndoe down the stairs.  \n\"Towels are in the cabinet under the sink,\" the vixen was explaining. \"Should I get you  \nthe blow drier?\"  \n\"Yes, please.\"  \nThe pregnant fox rushed past Lily, and Lily stepped up to the bathroom door.  \n\"Do you mind if I use it before you do?\" Lily requested.  \nZeta stepped out of the way, \"Go ahead, Chief.\"  \nLily peed, gave her hands a good scrub, and used a damp washcloth to wipe down her  \nhead and neck, which she couldn't reach with her tongue. When she came out, Zeta was  \nwaiting with the blow drier.  \n\"Done, Chief?\"  \nLily nodded. She pushed past the white and black splotched rabbit, but Zeta called to  \nher before she could head upstairs.  \n\"Is there something I should know about your history with Ellie's partner?\"  \nLily turned around grumpily, \"It's personal,\" she growled.  \nUnperturbed, Zeta went on, \"I understand, but as much as you've butted heads with  \nEllie, you seemed even more uncomfortable when we saw him.\"  \nLily sighed wearily; Zeta worried too much. \"It's nothing. We used to date a long time  \nago. I just find it annoying what a sycophant he's become to that rabbit.\"  \nZeta frowned worriedly, \"In what way? You don't mean because he didn't eat her, do  \nyou, Chief?\"  \nLily scoffed, \"Of course not. You'll understand when you watch them longer. You were  \nembarrassed by how Pete acted when we first met him. It's basically the same thing but  \nflipped.\"  \nZeta cocked a long white and black ear in confusion, \"Are they more than partners  \nthen?\"  \nLily rolled her eyes, \"I thought you were eavesdropping. They're fucking now,  \napparently.\"  \nZeta's brown eyes went wide, \"Wha? How do you know that?\"  \nLily frowned, \"Really, Zeta? She practically gloated about having had his tongue inside  \nher. I don't see how you were confused. You like to be coy about why you need to get home to  \nPetunia, but we all know you're having sex.\"  \nThe flesh of Zeta's ears turned pink, \"Well, yeah, but we're both rabbits. It's easier to  \nguess.\"  \n\"The married couple whose house we're currently in are a rabbit and fox,\" Lily drawled.  \n\"Maybe they hold support groups for predator-prey couples.\"  \n\"If they don't, it's a heck of a coincidence!\" Zeta declared. \"I'm starting to wonder if I'm  \nmissing out!\"  \nLily smirked, \"Maybe you are. Take your shower. I'll see you upstairs.\"  \nZeta stepped into the bathroom and closed the door, and Lily headed back to the first  \nfloor. Upstairs, she found that the other five mammals had moved to the living room. The vixen  \nand her husband were on the pale green loveseat, and the other three were on the matching  \ncouch. The rabbit was between the two cat's and the only space was on Jason's left. Lily  \nplopped down next to the brown tabby but looked the other direction.  \n\"I think what you're doing is very noble, Lily,\" the vixen spoke after a few seconds. \"I'm  \nsure it's a terrible risk to have to admit your role in the Duchess' murders, but your courage  \nmeans there might finally be some justice for those she killed.\"  \nLily stared at the fox uncomfortably a moment before stating, \"There's nothing noble in  \nthis at all. She wants to kill me now. I'm better off with the mercy of the King than her revenge.\"  \n\"I don't think you're being fair to yourself,\" the vixen rejoined. \"The reason she wants to  \nkill you is that you saved a life, and during the evacuation, you put your life on the line to save  \neven more lives. Your actions show it's about more than self-interest.\"  \n\"Tell that to the prey she killed before, to the bodies I burned to hide her crimes. You  \nmight think it started recently, but it didn't. It's been going on for years.\"  \n\"How many prey?\" Ellie asked harshly.  \nLily eyed the white and dark brown rabbit uncomfortably, \"I didn't keep track.\"  \n\"Too many for you to remember then!\" Ellie shot back.  \nLily sighed wearily.  \n\"The point is what she's doing now,\" the vixen responded pointedly. \"We all agree  \nhelping the Duchess was wrong, but we also need to consider what choice she had. I'm sure it  \nwould have been difficult or even dangerous to deny someone in her position.\"  \n\"We're going to do what we can to convince the King that was the case,\" Katya told the  \nvixen. \"It should help that, as you said, saving someone from the Duchess was what got Lily a  \nwarrant for her arrest.\"  \n\"I'll defend her to the King, but that's as far as this goes,\" Ellie averred. She glared at  \nLily, \"I don't care to see you hanged when we know that witch will get off with a slap on the  \nwrist, but if you think I'll ever forgive you for all you've done, think again!\"  \nLily smirked sardonically, \"As usual, your magnanimity astounds me, rabbit. Fortunately,  \nyou're neither my judge nor my jury. When all this is over, perhaps I'll open a shop. I've had  \nenough of conspiracy and death.\"  \n\"Maybe you could run for City Council,\" the vixen suggested. \"Most people still consider  \nyou a hero, and since you know the truth about the Duchess, you could help Maplesburg hold  \nher at arm's length.\"  \nLily looked at her skeptically.  \n\"If you don't do that, I think you could find some other way to help people,\" Katya  \nsuggested. \"I've been thinking about going back to school.\"  \nLily eyed the ginger tabby curiously, \"For what?\"  \n\"Law maybe or social work.\"  \n\"You can probably do social work with your degree from the Police Academy,\" Lily  \nsuggested.  \n\"I'll look into it, thanks,\" Katya meowed.  \n\"Maybe I should run for Mayor,\" Ellie piped. \"Once everyone knows what that witch has  \ndone, they'll understand that we tried to warn them!\"  \n\"You're going to quit our practice?\" Jason mewled worriedly. \"I don't know if I can do it  \non my own.\"  \n\"You could be my secretary,\" Ellie quipped.  \nLily rolled her eyes; she certainly wouldn't be voting for Ellie Bennett.  \nAfter about forty minutes, Zeta came back upstairs, sans her dirty uniform top, with her  \nwhite and black fur all fluffed up. She eyed the full couch hesitantly.  \n\"You can have my spot, Zeta,\" Ellie offered. \"I'll sit on Jason's lap.\"  \n\"It's time to go,\" Lily countered. \"We want to get there tonight.\"  \n\"There's still time!\" Ellie shot back. \"It's only a four hour drive!\"  \n\"The idea was to leave after I'd showered,\" Zeta replied self-consciously.  \n\"I need to use the bathroom quick before we leave,\" Jason stated. He hopped up from  \nthe couch and quickly left the room.  \nZeta glanced after him embarrassedly, \"Maybe I should have been faster.\"  \n\"He could have gone upstairs if it was an emergency,\" Ellie stated matter-of-factly.  \nIt was more discussion about Jason using the bathroom than Lily thought was  \nnecessary. He's probably taking a dump.  \nZeta sat between Ellie and Lily.  \n\"Earlier, we were discussing what careers we might pursue when this was over,\" Ellie  \ninformed Zeta. \"Are you going to return to the police force or try something else?\"  \n\"I was thinking about running for Mayor,\" Zeta declared. \"We need someone in office  \nwho knows what that fiend really is!\" She glanced at Lily, \"Unless you were going to run, Chief.\"  \nLily shook her head, \"I'm not taking any position where I have to talk to that bitch ever  \nagain. Flora suggested City Council, but that might be too close to her too. I'll support you if you  \nrun though.\"  \n\"Dang, there go my chances,\" Ellie quipped.  \nZeta looked at her awkwardly, \"Were you planning to run?\"  \nEllie smiled, \"Probably not. Jason needs me at our practice. I suggested it earlier, but I'll  \nfeel comfortable knowing you're in charge.\"  \nZeta smiled shyly, \"Coming from you, that means a lot, Ellie. Thank you.\" She turned to  \nLily, \"And from you, Chief. I hope I can live up to your expectations.\"  \nLily smiled softly, \"I'm sure you will.\"  \nZeta gazed up at her warmly a moment longer before looking down at her long feet with  \na shy smile. Lily wanted to put her hand on her shoulder or knee, but she knew Zeta was in a  \nrelationship and didn't. A second later, she wondered why she had considered such a public  \ndisplay of affection at all.  \nJason returned, and the four of them stood from the couch. The vixen and buck stood as  \nwell.  \n\"Have a safe trip!\" the vixen chirped. She gave Ellie a hug then offered her hand in turn  \nto Katya, Zeta, and Lily. \"It was good to meet you, Katya, and it was good to see the two of you  \nagain.\"  \nJason stepped toward the vixen to offer his hand, but after a moment's consideration,  \nshe hugged him instead.  \n\"Thanks for keeping me company this morning, Jason. We'll see you and Ellie soon.\"  \nStanding close to his wife, the buck also shook hands with their departing guests, but  \nwhen he got to Katya, he stepped forward and hugged her around the middle.  \n\"Thanks for keeping me safe back there,\" he squeaked sincerely.  \nKatya smiled and hugged him back, \"I'm glad I could help.\"  \nWhen they broke apart, they noticed the others gawking at them, and their expressions  \nshifted to embarrassment.  \n\"Did something happen?!\" the vixen squawked. \"Why am I only hearing about this  \nnow?!\"  \nKatya smiled nervously, \"It was nothing serious. Pete can tell you about it.\"  \nThe buck hugged his wife, \"I'll tell you after they leave,\" he murmured.  \nThe vixen looked worried, but she nodded. With final goodbyes, the three cats and two  \nrabbits made their way out to Lily's red SUV.  \nLily took the front passenger's seat once again whilst Zeta took the back. Jason and Ellie  \nsat behind Katya and Lily, respectively. With Katya driving, they started on their way.  \nThey had been driving down the southbound freeway for about twenty minutes when Lily  \ndecided to try to talk to Katya. The ginger cat knew everything now. Or close enough. Maybe  \nnow, Lily could try to tell her how she felt.  \n\"You may not want to hear this, but I see a lot of myself in you, Katya,\" she murmured.  \nKatya sat up stiffly, her hands gripping the wheel tighter. She didn't look at Lily, keeping  \nher eyes fixed on the road.  \n\"I mean before everything went to Tartarus,\" Lily clarified. \"I know you said you used to  \nlook up to me, but you're more the person I wish I'd been than I'll ever be. If it means anything,  \nI'm proud of you.\"  \nKatya rapidly blinked her eyes, and tears dropped into her lap. She sniffed wetly.  \n\"I'm sorry!\" Lily apologized hurriedly. \"I get that-\"  \n\"Shut up,\" Katya growled.  \nLily snapped her mouth shut and looked down miserably at her lap.  \nAfter a minute, Katya went on, \"Not that long ago, I would have done anything to hear  \nyou say that, that you were proud of me. I don't want to hear it now. I'm going to try to forgive  \nyou when this is done, but you'll never be the mentor I needed.\"  \nLily continued to stare miserably at her lap for a few moments before murmuring sadly,  \n\"I'm sorry, Katya. I wish I could have been who you thought I was.\"  \n\"Maybe you're what I deserve,\" Katya replied bitterly. \"No one I care for stays with me.  \nJames was murdered. You helped that monster. Bree found a new girlfriend in a different city.\"  \nLily looked up at the ginger cat. \"You deserve better,\" Lily stated firmly. \"I'm sorry I tried  \nto stop you from being friends with Jason and Ellie before. I was trying to protect you, but I see I  \nonly hurt you more.\"  \nKatya sniffed again. Lily didn't know what else to say. She looked out her window and  \nwatched the passing countryside.  \nLily was startled from her morose reverie some minutes later by a muffled squeak of  \nanger.  \n\"Hey! Sit down and get your tail out of my face!\"  \nShe felt a hand on her arm and turned to see Jason out of his seat and crouching  \nbetween his and Ellie's. His sea green eyes gazed up at her sympathetically.  \n\"I'm sorry, Lily,\" he murmured. \"I'm sorry you had to go through all of this.\"  \nLily pulled her arm away, \"Sit down and put your seatbelt on.\"  \nJason obeyed, but he kept looking at her sadly.  \n\"I don't need your pity, Jason,\" Lily growled.  \nJason shifted nervously in his seat but didn't look away, \"I just feel like I'm partially  \nresponsible. I should have been there for you. I shouldn't have let so much animosity come  \nbetween us. If you'd had a friend to confide in, then maybe this wouldn't have happened.\"  \n\"I pushed you away for a reason, Jason,\" Lily growled. \"You still don't understand! It  \ndidn't matter whether you were right. You were supposed to choose me! It wasn't about the  \ntruth! I hated you because you didn't love me enough to let it go!\"  \nJason looked down at his lap uncomfortably, \"I'm sorry, Lily,\" he murmured weakly.  \nLily snorted contemptuously and turned back toward her window, \"We weren't right for  \neach other,\" she muttered angrily. \"You've found someone you really love now. It's better we  \ndidn't try to have something that wasn't real.\"  \nLily spent the remainder of the drive moodily staring out the window. Her anger burned  \naway to a dull ache and then snuffed out completely, leaving her hollowed out emotionally. She  \nknew why she hated Jason, and it wasn't anything to do with his proclivities or fondness for  \nrabbits. She hated him because he'd betrayed her. She hated him because she'd loved him only  \nto find out he didn't really love her. He's such an idiot. She eyed the reflection of Jason's pet  \nrabbit in the window behind hers sullenly. Lily wanted to hate the rabbit for taking him from her,  \nto have someone else to blame rather than the feeling that she hadn't been good enough. Lily  \nhadn't wasted her time watching their video herself, but enough people had told her about it.  \nApparently, Jason had found someone he was willing to sacrifice everything for. Lily wanted to  \nblame her, but she knew that was absurd. She didn't like the rabbit, but Ellie hadn't hurt her the  \nway Jason had.  \nFinally, they arrived at the hotel. Katya and Zeta went in to book their rooms while the  \nfugitives waited in the SUV. When they returned, Katya handed Ellie a pair of key cards.  \n\"I got you a room with a cat-sized queen,\" she stated. \"It's room 1208.\"  \n\"Thanks!\" the rabbit piped. She handed one card to Jason.  \n\"They didn't have an available room with three beds,\" Zeta stated apologetically. \"I told  \nthem one in our party was a bobcat, so hopefully the two will be big enough. Katya and I can  \nsleep together if you want, Chief.\"  \nLily nodded in acknowledgement.  \nRather than go in all together, Lily, Katya, and Zeta went first while Jason and Ellie  \nwaited by the car to go in after a few minutes. Katya let Ellie know their room number as well in  \ncase she and Jason needed them, and then the three of them headed into the enormous hotel.  \nLily glanced at the name as they walked under the balcony: The Pearl Inn. Lily found the lobby  \nunderwhelming, given the implied luxury of the name, and the room was clean but  \nunremarkable. Fortunately, there were indeed two bobcat-sized queens along with a dark wood  \nwriting desk with a magenta mesh office chair, a television on a dresser matching the desk, and  \na white nightstand with a digital alarm clock between the beds.  \nLily peeled the copper-colored bedspread off of the bed farther from the door and  \nplopped down. \"Now what?\"  \n\"We'll go to see the King tomorrow,\" Katya answered. \"I don't think he even holds court  \non Sunday.\"  \n\"Am I supposed to air this all in the middle of the throne room?\" Lily asked dubiously.  \nKatya shook her head, \"Last time, he sent us to wait in another room when we told him  \nwhy we were there.\"  \nLily was relieved to hear it. She didn't want to be dragged away by an angry mob.  \nZeta hopped up next to her and put her hand on Lily's, \"Everything will turn out alright,  \nChief,\" she piped optimistically.  \nLily smiled at the white and black rabbit softly, \"Thanks, Zeta.\"  \nZeta clasped her hand around the side of Lily's--her hands were too small to reach  \naround very far--and gazed up at her fondly, \"No matter what happens, Chief, I'll always be on  \nyour side. I'll believe in you even if I'm the only one.\"  \nLily smiled back at her, but she looked up as she heard the door to the room close.  \n\"Where did Katya go?\" she asked worriedly.  \nZeta squeezed her hand, \"I think she just wanted to give us some privacy, Chief.\"  \nLily looked back at the rabbit curiously, \"Privacy for what?\"  \nZeta looked up at her silently a moment before asking softly, \"Chief, Lily, how long has it  \nbeen since you and Jason broke up?\"  \nLily frowned. She didn't want to discuss her feelings about Jason. \"Five years.\"  \nZeta placed her other hand on top of the one she was holding, \"And in all that time,  \nyou've never been with someone else, have you?\"  \nLily scowled, \"Get to the point, Menten.\"  \nZeta leaned closer, \"Please don't push me away, Lily. I know it still hurts. I could hear  \nthat during the drive. I want you to know you don't have to be alone. I like you. I really like you.\"  \nLily frowned in confusion, \"Don't you already have a girlfriend? I thought you and Petunia  \nwere together.\"  \nZeta smiled softly, \"We are, but we've been considering bringing a third into our  \nrelationship. I was texting Petunia during the drive, and when I mentioned you, she was very  \nenthusiastic. I know that you've probably never been with a rabbit before, and maybe you've  \nnever been in a polyamorous relationship or even with a girl but-\"  \n\"I've been with girls,\" Lily interrupted. \"Not with a rabbit or in a 'poly' whatever you called  \nit, but I mostly dated girls before I met Jason.\"  \nZeta's smile brightened, \"I really like you, Lily, and I know Petunia would like you too. I  \nwasn't so sure about being with a carnivore, but after thinking about it and seeing how happy  \nJason, Ellie, Pete, and Flora are, I'm willing to try it. I want to try it with you.\"  \nLily considered Zeta pensively. She did like her, but did she like her that way? Besides,  \nshe would look quite the hypocrite if she got with a pair of rabbits after she'd given Jason so  \nmuch grief over his relationship. Who cares what he thinks?! Maybe Zeta was right to bring up  \nhow long it had been since she'd broken up with Jason. Lily had known he wasn't coming back.  \nShe definitely knew that now! Yet she hadn't really allowed herself to move on. She'd pushed  \nherself in other areas but clung to her bitter feelings toward the tom. It was time to stop letting  \nJason Brown ruin her life! Lily met Zeta's affectionate gaze, and she gave herself permission to  \nopen herself up to that affection. As Lily stared into the rabbit's dark brown eyes, she felt  \nwarmth begin to fill her chest. It spread throughout her body, and Lily felt cold, disused parts of  \nher awakened as if by the warm sunlight of Spring after a long Winter. She felt her own smile  \nwiden into a happy grin.  \n\"I like you too, Zeta,\" she murmured. \"And I liked Petunia for the brief time I knew her. If  \nyou're willing to try it, then I want to too.\"  \nZeta threw her arms around Lily's middle and hugged her tightly. \"I'm so happy, Chief! I  \nwant us to be happy together!\" she squeaked joyfully.  \nLily took Zeta under the arms and gently pulled the rabbit off of her to hold her in front of  \nher face. Lily smiled at the rabbit warmly, \"You don't have to call me 'Chief', you know. I haven't  \nbeen your chief of police for weeks.\"  \nZeta reached her arms around Lily's neck, and Lily allowed her to pull them together  \nuntil their noses were touching. \"I know that, Lily,\" she murmured affectionately. \"But I'll always  \nhave faith in you like I did when you were.\"  \n\"Even if you're the Mayor, and I work in a shop?\" Lily asked amusedly.  \n\"Yes,\" Zeta breathed.  \nCarefully, Lily lay back on the bed, lying Zeta on top of her chest. The much smaller  \nrabbit, who was two-thirds Lily's height and one-fifth her weight, pushed herself up on her  \nforearms and gazed down at Lily fondly.  \n\"I don't know how long Katya's going to be, but it'd be a bit awkward if she walked in on  \nus,\" Zeta breathed. \"Still, I'd like to sleep in the same bed with you tonight if that's okay. I'll ask  \nPetunia if it's alright too, but I think she'll just be thrilled to know you said yes.\"  \n\"That's fine with me. I only hope Katya won't be jealous. She's been through an awful lot  \nrecently. Her girlfriend even broke up with her.\"  \n\"I heard, but I don't think she'll begrudge us our happiness. Katya will find someone who  \nloves her. She's a sweet girl.\"  \n\"Do you like her then?\" Lily queried.  \nZeta shook her head, \"Not like I like you.\"  \nLily stroked her hand over Zeta's long ears and down her back, and Zeta flattened  \nherself out on Lily's chest with a contented sigh. Lily continued to stroke her soft fur, and the  \nfeeling of Zeta's warmth and closeness filled her with joy. It had been so long since she'd felt  \nlike this! She was used to suppressing her warmer feelings because she'd learned what they  \ncould cause her: heartbreak after heartbreak. First, it had been Jason and then Chief White. It  \nwas another way she related to Katya: Lily had also been hurt by people who couldn't be there  \nfor her or who didn't love her the way they should. And maybe, with what she'd allowed the  \nDuchess to force her to do, Lily had also begun to believe she didn't deserve to feel this way.  \nBut now, she was going to atone; she was going to help put an end to the vile vixen's  \nmurderous games. Maybe she did deserve to be happy. If I don't, Zeta does, and this makes  \nher happy too. Perhaps Zeta's good karma would bleed over just enough to help Lily out too.  \nA few minutes later, there was a knock at the door. \"Can I come in?\" Katya's muffled  \nmeow sounded through the door.  \nZeta rolled off of Lily's chest, landing softly on the bed beside her, and they both sat up.  \n\"Come in!\" Zeta called.  \nThe lock clicked, and Katya pushed the door inward. Hesitantly, she wandered back into  \nthe room. She quickly glanced at the two of them and then away. \"I guess she said yes,\" Katya  \nmurmured embarrassedly.  \nLily turned to regard Zeta curiously, \"You told her?\"  \nZeta looked up at Lily with an amused smile, \"When we were booking the rooms. Katya's  \nnot a psychic, you know.\"  \nLily looked at the ginger cat embarrassedly. She hoped Zeta was right that Katya  \nwouldn't be upset to see her happy when Lily was largely responsible for Katya's own  \nunhappiness.  \nKatya turned back toward them and smiled shyly, \"I'm happy for you. I know how much  \nyou respect her, Zeta, and I think that,\" her kelly-green eyes focused on Lily for a split second.  \n\"Lily can really benefit from being with someone as kind as you.\"  \nLily recognized that Katya's statement was hardly a compliment to her, but she nodded  \nin agreement, nevertheless. \"I suspect that I can,\" she replied sincerely.  \nZeta took Lily's hand in both of hers and held it in her lap. \"You have a lot of good  \nqualities, Chief. You're brave and determined, and you really care about those you lead. I've  \nnever once doubted that you would look out for me.\"  \nLily looked down at the rabbit affectionately, \"I'll always look out for you. I'll try to be the  \nperson you think I am and more. I know that I've been cruel, and I want to be better. Katya's  \nright that I could learn from your kindness.\"  \nZeta gazed up at her fondly, \"I believe in you, Lily. If you want to change, then I know  \nyou can, and I'll be here to help you.\"  \nKatya coughed softly, and they looked back at her.  \n\"Sorry,\" she apologized hastily. \"I looked into when the King's court is tomorrow. It's at  \nfour PM like usual. I'll go get our food when you decide you want dinner, but if you'd like some  \nprivacy, I'll go hang out with Ellie and Jason until then.\"  \n\"I think we're finished with our discussion,\" Zeta answered. \"I need to talk to Petunia  \nmore, and I think she'll want to meet Lily again before anything goes much further. If she says  \nit's alright, do you mind if I sleep with Lily tonight? We won't be doing anything, just sleeping.\"  \n\"That's fine,\" Katya replied. \"I'm sure you'd rather sleep with her than me.\"  \nZeta smiled warmly, \"Thanks, Katya.\"  \nKatya went on, \"There's not a lot to do until tomorrow afternoon, I'm afraid. I wouldn't risk  \nLily wandering the capital. Potentially, you and I could go somewhere, Zeta, but I don't think that  \nwould be fair to the others.\"  \nZeta nodded, \"I agree. We'll just hang out until it's time to leave tomorrow.\"  \n\"Alright, then, do you mind if I hang out with Ellie and Jason?\"  \n\"Hang out with whomever you want to,\" Zeta answered cheerfully. \"You don't need to  \nworry about hurting our feelings.\"  \n\"Thanks, I'll see you later then,\" Katya replied briskly. She turned on the pad of her foot  \nand marched back out of the room.  \n\"Maybe she was a little upset,\" Zeta spoke worriedly when Katya had gone.  \n\"I think she felt more awkward than upset,\" Lily responded. \"Anyway, she seems to be  \ngetting along better with them than us, or at least better with them than me.\"  \n\"As long as she's okay,\" Zeta replied worriedly.  \n\"If she's upset, I'm sure Ellie and Jason will be happy to commiserate with her,\" Lily  \nresponded dryly. \"They can argue about which of them hates me more.\" She paused as  \nrealization dawned on her. \"I suppose this means they'll know about us,\" she concluded  \nawkwardly.  \n\"Does that bother you?\" Zeta asked, concerned.  \nLily hesitated a moment to consider. Why should she let what either of the private  \ninspectors thought about her bother her? She didn't like them; they didn't like her. That was all  \nthere was to it. If they wanted to deride or scorn her over something new, what difference did it  \nreally make? \"No, it doesn't bother me,\" Lily answered firmly.  \nZeta leaned her head against Lily's arm, \"You know, I don't think they really hate you,  \nLily,\" she murmured.  \nLily gave the rabbit a dubious look.  \nZeta looked up at her and smiled softly, \"I think you should try apologizing. I know you  \nwere forced to do what you did and you tried your best to keep them out of it, but it doesn't hurt  \nto say you're sorry. What they went through was truly terrible.\"  \n\"It'll only embolden Bennett,\" Lily replied darkly. \"If I admit it was my fault, she'll hold it  \nover my head forever. She'll be even more unbearable to deal with.\"  \n\"I guess I don't know her that well, but she seems nice to me,\" Zeta returned. \"What  \nmakes you think she'd hold a grudge like that if you apologized? I'd think she'd be more likely to  \nhold onto it if you didn't.\"  \n\"She likes to have power over predators,\" Lily growled. \"Look at poor Jason; it's what  \ngets her off.\"  \nZeta snorted back a laugh, \"I think you're a little obsessed with those two. Does it matter  \nwhat their relationship is like if they're happy with it?\"  \n\"You were uncomfortable about Pete!\" Lily returned defensively.  \n\"Jason isn't terrified of prey,\" Zeta replied simply. \"Pete has issues he needs to work  \nthrough. Besides, I think I was wrong about that; they seemed happy. I think he was particularly  \nafraid when we met him because of the prey-devouring terrorists. I was afraid too; everyone  \nwas.\"  \n\"I'll think about it,\" Lily compromised. \"If you get to know her better and decide you like  \nher, I'll try to make things alright between us.\"  \nZeta hugged Lily's arm, \"Thanks, Lily.\"  \nI'm lucky to have a friend as nice as her, Lily considered. Lily was grateful that, despite  \nknowing what she'd done, Zeta still liked her, still wanted to be in a relationship with her! Zeta  \nthought better of Lily than she thought of herself. Lily understood Katya's reaction much better. I  \nhope Jason and Ellie will be less of a disappointment to her.  \n\"I'm going to text Petunia now,\" Zeta told her. She hopped up to nab her cell phone from  \nthe nightstand where she'd left it and was soon tapping away with her thumbs.  \nLily didn't want to be looking over her shoulder, so she got up and went to stand by the  \nwindow. Their room looked down on the hotel's outdoor swimming pool. While Wolfsbane was  \ncloser to the Equator and thus warmer than Maplesburg, it was the second week of October,  \nand no one was in the pool.  \nLily let her mind wander, and it went to the most pressing concern. What would actually  \nhappen to her tomorrow? Zeta, Katya, and even Ellie had all promised to defend her, but what if  \nthe King wasn't convinced? Would she be arrested? Would she be sentenced to death?! Lily  \nhad known that was a possibility when she'd agreed to come, but she'd also hadn't had much to  \nlive for. Either she would live on the run until the Duchess captured and killed her, or she would  \nkill the Duchess and be executed. With those as her other options, throwing herself on the  \nmercy of the King had seemed like her best choice. She hadn't really thought about what would  \ncome after that, but suddenly, she could see a future for herself, a future with Zeta and Petunia  \nwhere she might even find happiness. It gave her something to live for; it also gave her  \nsomething to lose. A sickening ache began to grow in Lily's stomach. If she were executed or  \nspent the rest of her life in prison, she would never have that life, but if she didn't risk her life  \ntomorrow, she wouldn't have it either. Even if Zeta could accept her decision, Lily's two options  \nwith the Duchess would reassert themselves, and she would probably never have the goodwill  \nof Katya or, at the very least, Ellie ever again. She had to do this, but now, she truly felt the  \nweight of her situation. Her meeting with the King tomorrow would determine how she lived the  \nrest of her life.  \n\"Petunia says we can share a bed!\" Zeta piped happily from across the room.  \nLily started then turned toward the white and black rabbit, trying to smile, \"That's good,\"  \nshe meowed.  \n\"She's excited to get to know you better!\" Zeta continued. \"But she was concerned about  \nthe size of our flat if we all decided to live together.\"  \nLily looked at Zeta blankly for a moment, her stomach still churning with worry over her  \ngravely important interview. \"I'm excited to get to know her better too,\" she offered  \nunconvincingly. \"And, uh, if we decide to live together, we, uh, we can live at my house.\"  \nZeta frowned worriedly, \"What's the matter, Lily? Are you having second thoughts?\"  \nLily shook her head, \"No, I just,\" she felt the burning sensation of tears beginning in the  \ncorners of her eyes and turned away. \"I want to be with you and Petunia, but what if, what if I  \ncan't? We don't know what the King's going to decide.\"  \nLily felt a touch on her right arm and turned to see Zeta looking up at her in concern.  \n\"I promise, no matter what happens, I won't give up trying to get you free. Tomorrow,  \nwe're all going to do our best to convince the King to pardon you. You were forced to help that  \nfiend, and I won't let you be punished for her crimes!\"  \nLily felt a pair of fat tears drip down her cheeks, \"I know you won't give up,\" she  \nmurmured thickly. \"I don't deserve a friend like you, Zeta.\"  \nZeta stepped between Lily and the window and wrapped her arms around Lily's middle  \ntightly, \"Well you've got me anyway!\" she replied fiercely.  \nZeta held her tightly, and after a moment, Lily gently hugged her back, her left arm  \nacross Zeta's back and her right hand on the back of Zeta's head. They stood like that for  \nseveral seconds until Zeta looked up with her mouth spread in a smile and tears glistening in  \nher brown eyes.  \n\"I promise I'll do everything I can, Lily,\" she vowed.  \nOn an impulse of affection, Lily picked Zeta up under the arms and hugged the rabbit  \ntightly to her chest. Zeta wrapped her arms around Lily's neck, tucking her head under Lily's  \njaw. She pressed her nose against Lily's neck, and Lily felt her hot breath through her fur.  \nAfter a few seconds, Zeta murmured softly, \"I'm here for you, Lily. You're not alone  \nanymore. You don't have to bear this on your own. We'll bear this together, and we'll get  \nthrough it.\"  \nLily felt more tears welling in her eyes, and she blinked them away. She squeezed the  \nrabbit a little tighter, and Zeta nuzzled her neck. Eventually, Lily began to feel embarrassed by  \nher outburst, and she set Zeta down.  \nZeta smiled up at her, \"Why don't we go sit back down. We can talk about what we're  \ngoing to tell the King tomorrow if you want. That might set your mind at ease.\"  \nThey returned to the bed and discussed the facts about how the Duchess had taken  \nadvantage of and coerced Lily as well as which examples of Lily's actions were most important  \nto demonstrate her character to the King. Lily wasn't sure whether the example of when she had  \nshot the bobcat cultist to save Zeta and the rats and mice was a good one as she felt guilty  \nabout hesitating as well as about killing a member of her own species. However, Zeta felt the  \nentire story of Lily's actions during the evacuation was essential. They talked until they were  \ninterrupted by a knock at the door.  \nKatya's meow sounded through the door again, \"Can I come in?\"  \n\"Yes, come in!\" Zeta called.  \nKatya pushed through the door and regarded them awkwardly before speaking, \"Ellie  \nand Jason have decided to order dinner from a Caribbean restaurant a few blocks away. Did  \nyou want to look at their menu too? We can order together, and I can pick up the food when it's  \nready.\"  \n\"That sounds good to me,\" Zeta piped. She looked up at Lily, \"Lily?\"  \nLily nodded, \"If that's what everyone else wants it's fine with me.\"  \nZeta pulled up the restaurant's menu on her phone, and she and Lily looked it over.  \nWhen they had decided, Katya called to place the orders. Lily noticed that all three cats had  \nordered the jerk chicken while Zeta ordered a salad with mango dressing and fried plantains,  \nand the final order--Ellie's by process of elimination--was vegetable gumbo.  \n\"They said it would be about twenty minutes,\" Katya concluded.  \n\"I'll go with you to split the bill,\" Zeta offered.  \nKatya nodded, \"Thanks, Zeta.\"  \nDeciding to walk, the two of them left soon after, leaving Lily alone. Lily used the  \nbathroom and poked around the hotel room, examining the minifridge and opening the drawers  \non the dresser and nightstand. Someone had left a copy of the Bhagavad Gita translated into  \nVulpinevan in the nightstand. Otherwise, there was nothing more interesting than bottled water  \nto be found. Lily turned on the television and flipped through channels until she heard the door  \nunlock. She turned off the television and stood. Zeta pushed through the door carrying a plastic  \nbag with three paperboard to-go boxes.  \n\"Katya took the rest to Ellie and Jason,\" she stated as she turned around to step into the  \nroom, the door closing behind her with a soft thud. \"I think she intended to eat with them as well.  \nIf you want, we could join them and all eat together.\"  \n\"Do you want to?\" Lily asked hesitantly.  \n\"Only if you feel comfortable,\" Zeta answered.  \n\"Ellie and I would probably just get into an argument,\" Lily replied awkwardly.  \n\"We don't have to if you don't want to,\" Zeta concluded. She set the boxes on the desk  \nand took the two smaller ones from the top. \"The other is yours.\"  \nLily took the box. \"You can have the desk if you want it,\" she offered. She took a  \nbiodegradable plastic fork and a napkin from the bag and sat on the end of the bed.  \nZeta sat in the mesh magenta office chair with her boxes on the dark wooden desk.  \nThey ate in silence for a couple minutes.  \n\"Is yours good?\" Zeta asked.  \n\"Mmhm,\" Lily mumbled around a bite of chicken.  \n\"You can have one of my plantains if you want,\" Zeta offered.  \n\"Thanks.\" Setting her box to the side, Lily stood and stabbed one of the banana-like  \nslices with her fork. She took a tentative bite: it was inoffensive enough, so she ate the rest.  \n\"How was it?\" Zeta asked.  \n\"Okay.\"  \n\"Do you want another?\"  \n\"No thanks.\"  \nThey finished their meals and tossed the empty boxes in the trash.  \n\"Is there anything you want to do?\" Zeta queried. \"We could see if there's anything on  \ntv.\"  \nLily nodded, \"I need to groom myself, but you can see if there's anything you want to  \nwatch.\"  \nLily went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wiped her head and neck down with a  \ndamp washcloth. After running the furry side of her hand over the damp areas to dry them  \nsomewhat, she returned to the bed and began grooming herself with her tongue, starting with  \nher right arm. She soon became aware of Zeta watching her curiously, and she felt a little shot  \nof embarrassment, licking a bit faster.  \n\"Are you going to lick your whole body?\" Zeta asked interestedly after a few minutes.  \nLily paused from washing her creamy white chest fur and pulled her tongue back into her  \nmouth before looking up, \"Yeah.\"  \n\"Even your butt!?\" Zeta squawked in shock.  \n\"I've washed myself in front of you before, haven't I?\" Lily returned in confusion.  \n\"I didn't think it was polite to watch,\" Zeta returned matter-of-factly.  \n\"You're watching now,\" Lily replied embarrassedly.  \nZeta looked away, \"Sorry, I won't if you don't want me to.\"  \n\"I don't care,\" Lily murmured.  \nShe went back to washing and soon felt Zeta's eyes on her again. Lily felt another tingle  \nof embarrassment, but she ignored it. Zeta wasn't seeing anything she couldn't normally see.  \nLily had gotten her top back when she had retrieved her SUV, but she felt uncomfortable  \nwearing her police uniform. And since they'd left their weapons in the back of the SUV before  \ngoing into the vixen and rabbit's house, Lily hadn't even been wearing her belt nor had Zeta  \nbeen wearing anything since her shower. However, as she approached her rear, she began to  \nfeel too uncomfortable with the rabbit watching her and paused again.  \nLily mumbled embarrassedly without raising her gaze, \"Could, um, could you-\"  \n\"Sorry! I won't watch!\" Zeta apologized hurriedly. She hopped up from the chair and  \nhurried to the bathroom.  \nLily finished her bath more comfortably. When she was done, she switched places with  \nZeta to brush her teeth again.  \n\"I'm sorry, Lily,\" Zeta spoke contritely when Lily exited the bathroom. \"I should have  \noffered to go somewhere else at the start.\"  \n\"It's okay,\" Lily murmured embarrassedly. \"If, uh, we're going to live together then I  \nguess we'll get used to stuff like that.\"  \nZeta grinned, \"I hope so! I guess since we're going to be in a relationship, I can say this:  \nI think you're stunning, Lily; you're absolutely gorgeous.\"  \nLily's cheeks flushed with heat, and she suddenly felt shy, like she was a schoolgirl  \nagain, though Lily wasn't sure she'd been shy then either: it was a foreign emotion. She turned  \nher head away bashfully, \"You think so?\"  \n\"Of course I do! Your pretty back spots, your fluffy white belly, your beautiful golden  \neyes, your big fluffy cheeks, and the cute little black tufts on the tips of your ears, what's not to  \nlove?\"  \nLily turned back to her with a small smile, \"I think you're pretty too.\"  \nZeta grinned wider, \"Really? What's my most winning feature?\"  \n\"Your smile,\" Lily answered immediately. \"You have a beautiful smile.\"  \nZeta obviously hadn't been expecting this answer and her playful grin softened, \"Really?  \nEven with my big goofy incisors?\"  \n\"Especially with those,\" Lily answered sincerely. \"And your big brown eyes and your  \npretty splotches, and your overall bunny cuteness: great big ears and feet and little fuzzy tail.\"  \n\"If you like rabbits so much, how come you've never been with one?\" Zeta teased.  \nLily blushed again, \"I don't know. I don't think I've ever felt this way about those things  \nbefore. Maybe I love them because they're part of you, Zeta.\"  \nZeta's teasing smile shifted to a warm one, \"I think it's the same for me, Lily. I've never  \nreally thought about being with a carnivore before, but with you, it seems right.\"  \nThey held each other in their affectionate gazes a few seconds before Lily spoke, \"You  \nnever did find something to watch on tv. You were too enthralled watching me wash.\"  \nZeta smiled embarrassedly, \"We'll look together.\"  \nLily propped one of the puffy pillows against the dark wood headboard and sat back in  \nthe soft bed. It had been weeks since she'd had a soft bed to sleep in, she realized. Zeta  \ncollected the remote and crawled across the bed, stopping beside Lily to prop up another pillow.  \nZeta sat down and leaned herself close against Lily. She turned on the tv and went to the  \nschedule. Lily watched her scrolling through the different channels for a few seconds before she  \nturned her gaze toward the rabbit instead. After a moment, Zeta quit clicking the remote and  \nlooked up, apparently aware of Lily's gaze. Zeta stared back at her for a second then glanced  \nback to the remote and hit the power button. She tossed it onto Katya's bed then pressed her  \nnose against Lily's side.  \n\"Hold me again like earlier, Lily,\" she breathed.  \nLily twisted herself to pick Zeta up and brought their noses together.  \nZeta wrapped her arms around Lily's neck loosely, \"Let's lay down, like before Katya  \ninterrupted us.\"  \nLily turned ninety degrees and lay back, her legs stretching over the side of the bed as  \nshe lowered Zeta onto her chest.  \n\"She's just going to interrupt again,\" Lily pointed out with gentle amusement. \"She can't  \nstay with Ellie and Jason all night.\"  \nPropped on her forearms, Zeta gazed down affectionately. \"Even a few seconds is worth  \nit.\"  \nLily stroked her hand from Zeta's head down to her scut, and Zeta relaxed on top of her,  \nnuzzling her nose into Lily's fluffy white chest fur.  \n\"You smell okay for licking yourself clean,\" Zeta commented amusedly.  \nLily lifted her head to touch her nose between Zeta's long ears: she smelled of warm  \nsage and sweet peaches. \"You smell nice too,\" Lily breathed.  \nZeta rolled over onto her back and took Lily's left wrist in her hand, placing Lily's hand on  \nher soft belly. Zeta stroked one hand over the furry top of Lily's and delicately ran her fingers  \nover Lily's retracted claws.  \n\"Do they bother you?\" Lily asked curiously.  \n\"No,\" Zeta murmured. \"I know what they could do, but I know they won't. I trust you.  \nThere's something freeing in that. There's something arousing.\"  \nLily felt her ears get warm, \"You like them then,\" she murmured.  \nZeta stroked Lily's hand again, \"They're part of you; you're who I like.\"  \nLily ran a finger of her right hand down Zeta's forehead to her nose, \"You're who I like  \ntoo.\"  \nTheir tender caresses weren't interrupted until some time later. Lily had lost track of  \ntime, but when she looked at the clock following Katya's knock, the backlit digital display read  \n7:32.  \nZeta rolled off of her and sat up, and Lily sat up as well.  \n\"Come in!\" Zeta called.  \nKatya entered the room. Briefly glancing their direction, she proceeded to the bathroom.  \nWhen she came out, she dug around in her lime green luggage bag and removed a paperback  \nbook. She turned on the rounded conical, stainless-steel lamp that was directed toward her bed  \nfrom over the nightstand, propped a pillow against the headboard, sat back, and opened her  \nbook.  \nKatya glanced in their direction again, \"Just let me know when you want to go to sleep,\"  \nshe murmured self-consciously. She started to read, but after a minute she looked back, \"Did  \nyou figure out where you're sleeping, Zeta?\"  \n\"Petunia said it's okay if I sleep with Lily,\" Zeta answered.  \nKatya nodded and went back to reading. Lily was unsure what to do. She didn't want to  \nmake Katya uncomfortable by cuddling with Zeta, and she didn't want to disturb her reading by  \nturning on the tv.  \n\"I'm going to go see if the front desk has something for me to use tonight so that I don't  \nhave to use the ice bucket,\" Zeta stated matter-of-factly. She hopped off of the bed and out of  \nthe room.  \nLily was well aware of what Zeta meant. She'd helped Zeta and other rabbits find  \nsuitable receptacles for their caecotrophs multiple times during night shifts on the force, while  \nshe'd been camped out in the tunnels, and during the evacuation. The idea of her using the ice  \nbucket, however, was somewhat disturbing since Lily had no idea whether the hotel cleaned it  \nor not, and she decided to go without ice, regardless.  \nLily turned to sit back against her pillow. Several minutes later, Zeta returned with an  \naluminum pan, which she left in the bathroom. Then Zeta collected her phone and sat beside  \nLily on the bed. Lily's phone was still dead in her SUV as she didn't have her charger with her.  \nWith nothing else to do, she watched Zeta browse the news and social media until Katya  \ndecided it was time to go to bed. After Katya had turned off the overhead light, she shut off her  \nlamp and slid under the white bedclothes.  \nZeta handed her phone to Lily, \"Can you put this on the nightstand?\"  \nLily complied, and then she and the rabbit slid down under their blankets as well, Lily on  \nher back with Zeta on her left.  \n\"Lily,\" Zeta whispered.  \nLily turned her head toward her, and in the cool moonlight, she could see Zeta's dark,  \nglimmering eyes looking back at her.  \n\"I'd like it if you'd hold me,\" Zeta murmured under her breath.  \nLily hesitated only a moment then nodded. She turned over on her side and opened her  \narms to let Zeta in. Zeta rolled onto her side, facing Lily, and scooted across the linen sheet until  \nher nose was pressed into Lily's fluffy chest fur. Lily adjusted her left arm under Zeta's head and  \ngently wrapped her right arm over the rabbit with her palm against the back of Zeta's head. Zeta  \nsighed contentedly and tucked her legs up against Lily's belly, snuggling herself closer against  \nLily's torso. Lily tucked her own legs up under the rabbit, nestling Zeta between her torso, jaw,  \narm and thighs. She could feel the warmth of Zeta's breath and the gentle rise and fall of her  \nchest.  \nLily felt Zeta's warm body nestled against her own, and she kept her eyes open in the  \npale light, unwilling to slip into unconsciousness just yet. This was a precious moment, and she  \ndidn't want to let it go so easily. Perhaps, she'd have many more such moments with Zeta and  \nwith Petunia too, but that wasn't guaranteed. If this was the only night she got to sleep with Zeta  \nin her arms, then she wanted to remember it, so she stayed awake until, finally, the weight of  \nher eyelids and the exhaustion from the flurry of emotions she'd experienced in the past twelve  \nhours won, dragging her into a world of agitating dreams.  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"The Murderess of Maplesburg: Reign of Terror","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2022796-chapter-20-wolfsbane.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2023989-chapter-22-judgment.json"}}