V-Day

V-Day

Chapter One

Zipper was happily settling into his new life in Zootopia. He was amazed by its welcoming culture. Hannah was at the top of that list—after all, it had been her idea to take him in. She was a wonderful hostess, always making sure he had everything he needed, and doing her best to give him everything he asked for. She also fussed over him every chance she got—with anyone else, he’d object mightily to any coddling, but her genuine affection warmed his heart—he’d never turn it down.

Zipper’s new home was a two-story doll cottage that sat on a table in the corner of Hannah’s bedroom. He had a kitchen and a bedroom of his own, but the open-floor plan meant that two rooms could stretch to four if the fly was expecting company. Downstairs, the kitchen table could seat four, but he kept the spare chair and long bench in his bedroom. On the bench were tiny framed pictures—digital negatives of photos that Hannah took—of herself, Lory, Judy and Nick. On the walls were snapshots of Chip and Dale, Gadget and Monty that he’d brought with him. On sunny days—like today—he enjoyed sitting in his chair as he watched the sunlight stream through the windows and play on the walls.

“Hey, Zip-Zip, let’s go! We’re meeting Lory at the park today, remember?”Hannah was looking forward to a romantic, fun-filled Valentine’s Day. She smiled when she spotted Zipper through his balcony window. “There’s my buttered popcorn jellybean! Soakin’ up some sun, aren’t you?” she cooed.

“Mm-hmm!” he hummed appreciatively.

“C’mon, Zip-Zip, hop in!” she held up a light-blue Tea Party tumbler, complete with the Mad Hatter, March Hare, and Alice, and topped with a lid. It was empty, sans straw, for a very specific reason...Every time they went out, Zipper would ride in it; he could see the sights safely, without worrying about getting lost or hurt on the way. Hannah set it in her newly-installed cup holder, and they were off.

Chapter Two

When they arrived, Hannah realized she’d neglected to take into account one very important fact—Lory was always late. While they waited, they watched a group of cubs eagerly test out skateboarding tricks. Smiling, Hannah muttered to herself. “Crazy critters!” The word ‘critters’ reminded Zipper of a sci-fi movie he watched back in his Rangers days, and he told Hannah all about it. She shuddered.

“Ugh! Zip-Zip, how can you stand to watch stuff like that?!”

“It was Dale’s favorite!” he protested, and that’s when she understood...after all, Zipper would do anything for a friend. That was one of many things they had in common.

A sudden flapping sound, followed by a hearty, “Greetings, my good mammals!” alerted them that Lory had arrived...and he’d brought Hans Condor with him, at least for the moment. After recovering from her startle reflex, Hannah sighed and smiled.

“Hi, Lory-Love.”

“Hello!” Zipper chimed in cheerfully. As Hannah was about to hug her feathered beau, Zipper inserted himself between them, ensuring he got some cuddles, too. Lory obliged him for a minute, then…

“Out o’ me way, ye lil’ landlubber!” He bellowed, sending both Zipper and Hannah scurrying backward.

“Oh, beggin’ yer pardon!...I warn’t talkin’ to ye, darlin’” He spoke softly now, drawing Hannah closer, gently smoothing the fur that he’d caused to stand on end. Weary of his noisy antics, Hannah hugged him, kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear.

“Next time you feel the need to give someone a dressing-down, try me. I know a better way...”

“Um...Oh, well...Was I bothering you? I didn’t mean to…!” Relieved—and more than a little aroused—by his earnest, flustered contrition, she smiled.

“I know.”

Chapter Three

“What about me?!” The plaintive interjection came from Zipper, who looked forlorn as he watched them with wide, hopeful eyes.

“We seem to have a problem here...” Lory observed. “Given that it’s unseasonably warm, I’d like to propose a solution. Zipper, I challenge you to a duel.” Before a stunned Hannah could reply, Lory pulled two water guns from a tote bag by his feet; one was considerably smaller than the other, probably meant for a young mouse. “Do you accept?”

“You’re on!” Zipper declared, pumping his fist in the air.

As though in a trance, Hannah backed away, parking next to a nearby bench. Considering that she couldn’t take her eyes off the scene unfolding in front of her, she was lucky to have made it that far. Zipper wasted no time in retrieving his water gun, never once taking his eyes off Lory as he recited the rules. “We’ll retreat three paces and fire when I call three. Whoever runs out of water first loses. Are we clear, soldier?!” The latter was spoken like a general preparing for battle.

“Yes, sir!” Fly saluted bird, and the countdown began.

“One...”

Those seemed like impossible odds, but if there was one thing Hannah knew about Zipper, it was his expertise at beating odds and using his size to his advantage. “Two...”

“Three!” Lory launched a stream of water straight at his opponent, who dodged it immediately, seeming to dart between the droplets, thereby evading defeat. In turn, an unsuspecting Lory endured a squirt in the eye.

Then, he aimed another shot square at Zipper, who was knocked backward by a mist, but missed the brunt of the impact. The fly then circled his target, zeroing in on an ear. Caught off guard, Lory fumbled with his gun, but soon regained his grip. Again he aimed at Zipper, who zoomed upward just in time.

Once he was well out of sight, the wee water warrior dove, swerved, and served Lory an ice-cold swallow of water when he wasn’t looking. Startled, the bird took aim at the empty sky.

At that point, the fly could’ve laid low and let Lory’s own paranoia finish him off. But, no...he was determined to get one more shot…

He saw a weary Lory lower his gun; this was his chance. He trained his instrument on the implement, keen to knock it out of Lory’s wing. But as the last drops departed, Lory looked up, stared him down, and fired.

Zipper was so intent on victory that this move caught him unawares. His wings wet, he tumbled toward the grass--but not before Hannah held out his cup and caught him in it.

“Well, that was fun!” Lory smiled as he shook out his feathers, sending droplets of water sliding down Zipper’s cup. He sauntered over and spoke into it, in a voice that made him sound like a wizened wizard. “You are a skilled and worthy opponent, little one. One day, you may triumph. But on this day, it is I who have won the fair maiden.”

“Hold that thought.” Now it was Hannah’s turn to interrupt. “I gotta take care of my Zip-Zip first. He’s soaking wet! Meet us back here in half an hour.” Securing the cup, Hannah took off for home.

Chapter Four

“Aw, poor Zip-Zip…!” As he changed clothes, Hannah waited outside his house. She put his sopping shirt to dry on the windowsill and his cup on the dish rack. “You were really good out there. I’m proud of you.”

“Aww…!” He reappeared, blushing.

“C’mere, lemme give you snuggles. Lory doesn’t have to know...”

Soon, they were ready to head back into the city. “I have an idea!” Hannah said. “Let’s surprise Lory and take my flying machine.” Zipper and Gadget had gifted her with a custom-built one when she’d mentioned wanting to fly. Hannah had been so excited, but she hadn’t had the time or energy to try it out since.

Hurrying to her closet, Hannah hauled out the sled-like gizmo and very gingerly climbed in. Fastening her seat belt, she started it up. “C’mon, Zip-Zip!” she called. “I’ll race you to the front door!”

“Are you sure?” asked her concerned companion, eyeing the machine warily.

“It’s not far!” she assured him. “On your mark, get set...Go!” Zipper won, because she was playing it safe...and, besides, after today, he’d earned it.

Out on the sidewalk, Hannah hovered over the heads of myriad meandering mammals as she tested her new mode of transport. There was no traffic at this height, so Hannah decided to see what it could do.

She revved it up, racing down blocks and around corners. She careened into the park, coming close to colliding with Lory mid-flight. As she leaned over and pulled on the brake, the tension in her muscles caused her to lose her balance and topple out of the cockpit.

Chapter Five

“Mayday!” Zipper shouted as he took hold of the controls. Lory swooped in to catch Hannah as she fell, then headed for solid ground. Zipper managed to land the machine safely, but not without a few dents.

Crisis averted, the two gathered around Hannah as she sat, shaken, on a bench. “You okay?” Lory asked gently.

“Yeah…!” she managed, though she could barely speak. Lory wrapped her in his wing, and she gladly leaned into his embrace. After a minute, she summoned the strength to say, “I’m sorry I put you guys in that position. Thank you for saving me.” She smiled a little.

“It’s always a pleasure to put a smile on your face,” Lory told her with a smile of his own. “But let’s try not to do anything quite so dramatic next time.” Suddenly, the inadvertently hypocritical nature of that statement dawned on them, and they both laughed.

Then, Hannah felt a tap on her shoulder. It was Zipper, waiting his turn with a patient smile. “You’re welcome,” he said, then added, by way of explanation, “We love you.”

“I second that,” Lory chimed in. Hannah was overwhelmed with relief, joy, and affection.

“Well, you’re my heroes. I treasure both of you, and you’ve made this the greatest Valentine’s Day ever.” This time, neither Lory nor Zipper objected to a group hug, because they knew Hannah had more than enough love to go around.