Junior Ranger Fundraiser

Junior Ranger Fundraiser

PART ONE

Chapter 1

“ACT LIKE

AUDREY

DRESS LIKE

JACKIE

PARTY LIKE

CATSBY”

Samantha Lapin had always idolized Audrey Hepbird and Jacqueline Hennedy-Onassis for their class and flair for fashion. But she also took the “party like Catsby” thing with a grain of salt. Luckily for her, her husband, the Fitzbearald-obsessed Herb H. Horse, did, too; he could appreciate that kind of excitement, for sure, but he didn’t set store by it.

That suited Sam just fine—she’d much rather be a creator than a consumer. “I love the colors you used, Molly—they really pop! That’s a great pattern, Meghan; keep it up!” Sam was sitting with the two kitten girls—and the rest of Junior Ranger Scout Troop 213—as they all experimented with the art of marble painting.

If asked about the method a week ago, Sam would’ve said, ‘My canvas is scone, not stone!’ or something equally witty, when in fact she’d only realized the method existed yesterday. She’d volunteered to do Arts & Crafts with the troop because she thought it would be fun, and because she could always use inspiration for her edible masterpieces.

But she was so busy with the bakery that it had been awhile since she’d given any thought to what kind of art children like to do. So, she’d paid the price—she’d stayed up late with Ewetube last night, on the lookout for just the right project. Once she’d stumbled across one video, she refined her search to ‘painting with marbles’ and she was hooked. Herb had watched his wife’s face light up, her glee accentuated by the glow of the screen. Then he’d given her a goodnight kiss, wished her luck, and gone to bed. Now, as Sam glanced around the table at all the happy, prideful faces marveling at their marble paintings, she was glad she’d pulled an all-nighter.

“Sam, that was some craft circle you had going—nice!” An hour later, she and Nick Wilde were eating lunch in the Scoutmasters’ Quarters (a glorified break room if Nick ever saw one). “Y’know, Sammy—you didn’t hear it from me, but JRS is in need of some serious dough. We could use a bunny with big ideas behind us.” Sam smiled.

“I’d be more than happy to help, Nick. But don’t you already have one of those? A bunny with big ideas, that is.” Nick waved off the comment with a smirk.

“Oh—her? Yeah, she wants to help, but ever since I took her with me to JRS camp--Pardon me, Camp Wi-Hop—good ol’ Buffalo Butt won’t let her get away with too much recreation. Plus, now that she’s knocked up, he wants to put her to work while he can.” The look on the fox’s face suggested there was no love lost between him and Bogo.

Sam gave him a sympathetic smile. “Judy will find a way to pitch in, I’m sure of it. In the meantime, if we really want to get some kind of fundraiser going, we should ask the others: Hannah, Johnny, Phinn, Olivia and Emmitt, and of course...”

“The horse,” Nick finished for her. “Right. I’ll ask Clawhauser, too...Sure, he’s in the same boat as Carrots and me, but you’d be surprised at that guy’s ability to put a bug in Bogo’s ear. Mostly because Claw bugs Buffalo Butt until he wants to cut off an ear,” grinned the tod.

Sam shook her head, smiling fondly at him. “Well, what are we waiting for?! Let’s do this! We’ve got a fundraiser to plan.”

Chapter 2

Never one to waste time, Sam pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, her tone full of purpose as she spoke to Nick. “Remember Robyn?”

“Who? Oh, the anthro-whattheheckwasshecalled!”

“Anthropologist,” Sam supplied. “She left us her number in case we ever needed anything, and it seems to me that a youth organization fundraiser is a pretty good reason to give her a call. Don’t you think?” Nick shrugged.

“Sure—why not? I bet she’ll get a kick out of it.” He paused, looking puzzled. “But riddle me this: How the heck are you going to reach her when she’s...” Nick waved his paws about in a mystic manner, as though he were conjuring the cosmos. Sam laughed. “What?! It’s a fair question.”

“It certainly is,” Sam agreed. “But you’re funny.” Nick grinned, smug.

“I’ll give you that.”

“When she visited last, Robyn mentioned she has a phone she uses to call other dimensions. She built it herself.” Nick gave a low whistle. “Enterprising, isn’t it? Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a phone call to make.” Nick made a playful shooing gesture.

“Don’t mind me. Carry on, Ms. Lapin.” He pronounced her last name the French way, so that his statement rhymed.

“Hi, Robyn? It’s Samantha Lapin.” A pause. “From Zootopia...” Another pause. “Herb’s wife.” From the other end of the line, Nick caught Robyn’s voice with surprising clarity.

“Oh, yes, I remember Herb! Forgive me, Samantha—how are you?”

“No problem. I’m fine, thanks—call me Sam.”

“Sam it is. What can I do for you?” The genuine curiosity in her tone made Nick smile, even as he rolled his eyes. ‘Anthro—whatsits sure are dedicated,’ he thought.

“Well, Robyn, I’m interested in putting together a fundraiser for one of our local youth groups, and I was wondering if you know anyone who could help out?”

“Yes!” Robyn’s excitement was palpable, even from what must have been millions of miles away.

“I have a friend, Jaime—perhaps you remember her?--whose husband is a musician. I could absolutely ask them.” Nick’s smile widened as he interjected,

“We never forget a member of the Mayor’s fan club. Isn’t that right, Sam?” The rabbit laughed, while Robyn put in,

“Nick, is that you?”

“You bet your pretty tail it is, Ms. Reynard.” Amused by the fact that he’d called her out—all in good fun, of course—Robyn laughed, too.

“I deserve that.” Then, “Are you part of this project as well, Nick?”

“Yep.”

“What do you think...shall I ask George?”

“The more the merrier.” Sam smiled at him before adding,

“Sure. What style does he play?”

“Rock ‘n’ roll. He likes—oh, this probably won’t make much sense to you, but—the Beatles?”

“Are they anything like the Beagles?” asked Nick, and he started singing “Drive My Car” at the top of his lungs. Robyn burst out laughing. “Yes, they are, actually.” Nick seemed pleased with himself.

“You know, ladies, we could really put the ‘FUN’ in ‘fundraiser’...You know what, Robyn? Just give me Jaime and George’s number, and Carrots and I will negotiate ourselves. I’m sure you and Sam have a lot to do—not to mention I’ll bet they’ll get a kick out of hearing from us.”

“That would be great, Nick,” Robyn was obviously smiling as she spoke, “But my phone is permanently installed here in my lab. Hmm...I suppose I could bring them over; I told Jaime she couldn’t use my equipment without me, so we’ll have to be here going over safety procedures, anyway.”

“There, see?” smiled the fox. “It all works out. Whatddya say, Sam?”

“Sounds good to me!”

That afternoon, Jaime received a phone call from Robyn. “Jaime, could you come to my lab tomorrow afternoon—and bring George, if you can? There’s something you guys should see...”

“Ooh! Sure! Can Don come, too?” Robyn hesitated, but then Nick’s words came back to her, a sentiment worth repeating:

“The more the merrier.”

Chapter 3

The Wildes spent their days off convincing their friends to RSVP to the ‘Junior Ranger Fundraiser’. Each pitch passed with flying colors, and soon all of the Zootopian crew was onboard; no matter the time or place, they’d be there. That left only one carefully coordinated call…

~

At 4:30 P.M. local time, the CRT (or Cross-Dimensional Telephone), rang, echoing through Robyn’s New York City lab. Robyn herself answered it, aware that Jaime, George, and Don were right behind her, listening intently. Laughing at something the caller said, she answered, “Yes, I’ll accept the charges.” She paused. “Really? Is that so?” Looking up to meet her friends’ curious expressions, she smiled and held out the phone. “Jaime, it’s for you.”

Bewildered, she took the proffered phone. “Jaime Patterson speaking.”

“That’s no way to greet your pals!” Jaime’s face lit up with wonder.

“Nick?”

“ ‘Wilde’ as ever. And...”

“Wilde-Hopps, reporting for duty.”

“Judy? You guys got...married?!”

“Yeah, so?” She heard Nick whimper, which meant Judy must’ve punched him in the arm.

“...And didn’t invite us?” she finished, laughing.

“Hmmm...Jaime, question for you. If you had come to our wedding—you know, in case we renew our vows someday, which is a definite possibility—who would’ve been your plus-one?”

“My husband George.”

“Uh-huh. And who is this ‘us’ of which you speak?”

“George is here now, and Don, too.”

“Ah—Professor Goodtimes.” Jaime smiled at that.

“He sure is.”

“Listen...would you mind if we borrowed your hubby for a bit?”

“Ugh!” Judy interrupted. “Get to the point, Slick! She doesn’t have all day!” With a sigh, Judy commandeered the call.

“We’re having a fundraiser for the Junior Ranger Scouts. Could George come and play some music for us? Robyn recommended him.” Jaime’s smile was tentative.

“I think he would; you can ask him yourself in a minute. But first I have to ask something. Not to be rude, but...You trust the Scouts now?” Jaime could hear the compassion in Judy’s voice as she said,

“I’ll let you take this one, Nick.”

“Oh, yeah. They did a total 360; it’s nothing like when I was a kit. It’s like a whole new outfit. I’m a Scoutmaster now, and Carrots volunteers when she can.” He paused. “Even...the Mayor and First Lady have been known to help out—and, as a matter of fact, they’ll be attending our little shindig…!”

“Cheese and crackers, Nick! This is a charity function, not a hustle!”

“That was not a hustle, darling wife—it was a convenient placement of truth.” From their voices alone, it was clear that Judy realized he was right and relented, making Nick extremely self-satisfied.

“So, Jaime, are you ready to make the world a better place?”

“Ah, Fluff—you know what’s worse than a ‘convenient placement of truth?’ An outright guilt trip.”

“Guys, it’s okay. If George is up for it, he’s all yours. I just have one more question...”

“Go for it,” Nick told her.

“Can Don and I come, too?” Judy smiled.

“What Slick said.”

After saying goodbye to the bunny and fox, Jaime handed the phone to George. “Your turn,” she grinned.

“Hello?”

“George Patterson, I presume,” Nick greeted him.

“That’s me,” he answered, bemused.

“Nice to meet you, George. I’m Judy, and that’s Nick.”

“So I hear.” He smiled. “Gotta say—I love your work.”

“Thank you, my good fellow,” Nick told him.

“Consider yourself lucky, George—he isn’t this polite to everyone,” Judy put in. George laughed, and she added, “So...we were telling Jaime that we’re having a fundraiser for the Junior Ranger Scouts…”

“Whose noses are now squeaky-clean,” Nick assured him.

“Would you come and play some music for us? Judy finished.

“Whoa! That would be awesome!” George grinned. “I don’t think I can bring m’band, but I can shred a guitar solo.”

“Great!” Judy exclaimed. “Thanks!”

“Nah—thank you.”

“See you there, WildeHopps!” Don, who had been uncharacteristically silent throughout the whole exchange, called out to them. Robyn took the phone from a beaming George and put it on speaker.

“Did you catch that, guys?” In response, Nick shouted,

“Hey-hey, Professor Goodtimes!” And so it was that one fox, one bunny, three humans and a ghost all discussed their schedules and came to a consensus.

“See you soon!” Judy said at length. “’Bye!”

“Catch you later,” Nick added. “Ciao.”

PART TWO

Chapter 4

As told by Jaime

“We’re going to Zootopia, we’re going to Zootopia, We’re going to…!” George interrupted my gushfest.

“Save some enthusiasm for the gig, love!” he smiled. Don laughed.

“I couldn’t have said it better myself, George. But you, of all people, ought to know she never runs out.”

“Enough tomfoolery, boys,” Robyn said in a mocking haughty tone. Then she added, “now, we’ve gone over all the safety precautions, so is everyone ready?”

“Most certainly,” said Don.

“Yes, ma’am, said George.

“Ooh, Robyn! YES!” I gave her a (light) punch on the arm, alluding to the fact that I’d just paraphrased the scene where Judy gets excited after Nick rescues the nighthowler gun and serum from the runaway train. She smiled at me--and so did Don, because I guess I’d just proved his point.

“Alright, then.” She pressed a button. (Last time I’d tried this, I didn’t know my way around the machine, but I’d since learned that powered it on.) Then she tapped something on a keyboard. (This time, I followed her fingers-- ‘Z-O-O-T-O-P-I-A’) The portal lit up, and she inched closer to it.

“Let’s try this again, shall we?” Her teasing grin was directed at me and Don. “I’m going last so I can make sure you all get through. When you arrive, please stay put until I catch up.” Her tone was gentle, but I could tell she meant it. We all nodded. “Jaime, you go first.”

“Okay, Robyn.” I approached the dazzling swirl of bright colors and stepped into it.

~

I showed up on some side street, just like before. When George came next, he grabbed my hand to steady himself—and, I think, because he was glad to see me. “Welcome to Zootopia, George,” I said softly. He just gripped my hand tighter and said,

“Well, I’ll be!” Robyn’s machine can be a little disorienting for, say, people who aren’t used to any kind of otherworldly travel—such as that alongside a ghost—on a regular basis. Speaking of, Don had suddenly appeared next to us.

“It’s sublime, isn’t it?” he asked George, who just nodded. Don had been here before, but you wouldn’t know it from the look on his face—they were both like kids inspecting the Christmas tree on that special morning.

“Let’s go, guys!” Robyn appeared and snapped us all out of it—already she was five steps ahead of us. “Remember, Judy and Nick told the Mayor we’d be there at noon, so we can’t be late.” My face when Robyn mentioned the Mayor was kind of like Flash reacting to Nick’s joke in the movie...surprise in slow-motion. Don had followed Robyn and was a fair way ahead of us, but I saw him look back. He laughed at my reaction, and it echoed above the city buzz. The nerve of that guy…!

Speaking of nerves, I kept Don and Robyn in sight while I stayed in step beside George. “Um...George?”

“Yeah, love?”

“There’s something I never told you about my first Zootopia trip. The mayor...”

“Oy! Please tell me he’s a mite better than th’ other two.” I thought that was so sweet of George to be concerned for the welfare of Zootopians, which made me feel even guiltier for what I was about to say.

“Oh, yeah, he’s waaaaaaaaaaay better,” I told him; I couldn’t help it. “In fact, I sort of...” I squeezed his hand a little tighter, hoping to assuage some of my guilt. “...have a crush on him.”

George laughed—a sound I love, and felt I didn’t deserve to hear in that moment. “Did Nick secretly run for office? ‘Cuz he seems like he’d really be a flirt with the ladies.” He was absolutely right, and for a split second I wished that was the answer. I smiled a little.

“No, it’s not Nick, but you’ll like him. He’s really nice.” George smiled back.

“I’m lookin’ forward to it love. But mightya be...y’know—exaggeratin’ a little?” I shook my head, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

“Nope.” Crush or no crush, that’s the truth.

Chapter 5

As told by Don

It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood (pardon my Mr. Rogers reference, but it seems fitting) when we strolled into Zootopia Municipal Park. The festivities were already in full swing; the event appeared to be not unlike a New England county fair. (I’ve never had the pleasure of going to one, but Jaime’s been and told me everything.) Here, too, there were games, rides, food, and jaunty music drifting through the air.

There was so much I wanted to see and do, but we were on a mission. “Where are we headed, Robyn?” I asked.

“Judy and Nick said to meet them over by the dunk tank,” she reminded me.

“Ah, yes, the dunk tank.” I scanned the sights for such a spot...and scowled when I found it. “Oh, dear…!” A group of mammals were having a rather noisy row; I recognized the Wildes among them.

“No, no, no, not happening. I won’t allow it!” The somewhat high-pitched shout came from a female leporine; for a moment I couldn’t place her, but then I remembered her as Hannah, a friend of the First Couple.

“That’s what it says here on the agenda,” Emmitt Otterton spoke to Hannah as he reviewed the contents of a clipboard.

“Agenda aschmenda. There is no way we’re going through with this!” Mrs. Otterton gently placed a paw on Hannah’s shoulder.

“It’s too late to get anyone else, honey. It won’t be so bad.” The First Lady herself—Sam was her name—made her way through the crowd.

“I’m sorry you feel this way, Hannah, but he agreed to do it.”

“You know what?!” Hannah huffed, “I’ll do it.” She paused—presumably for dramatic effect, but it also appeared that she needed to catch her breath. “And you know what else? I. Can’t. Swim. Does that tell you what I’m willing to do to stop this?!” The group fell silent.

“Chief Bogo, ZPD, coming through!” The buffalo blustered his way into the fray. Hannah stood her ground (well, sat it) and stared him down (or up, as he’s several feet taller than she is). “Arrest me if you want, Chief,” she said, her voice quavering with emotion. “It will have been well worth it.”

“I’m not going to arrest you, Hare...” He stood there glowering at her. “...Though I suggest you shut your chops. I’m here to volunteer myself for the dunk tank. If I do, will you quit mouthing off?” Hannah spoke solemnly.

“Yes, Sir.” But anyone could see she was trying not to smile.

“Show’s over, move along.” At Bogo’s order, the small crowd that surrounded the embattled group dispersed, and the buffalo himself stormed away. We were free to make our move. “Nick! Judy! There you are!” (Hats off to Robyn for choosing not to comment on the verbal scuffle.) Waving, WildeHopps met us halfway.

“Ms. Reynard, lovely to see you.” Nick made a show of kissing her hand, and she blushed.

“Robyn!” Judy gave her a gracious hug. “It’s so good to see you!”

“Likewise,” she smiled. “You remember Jaime and Don?”

“How could we forget ‘em?!” grinned Nick, hugging Jaime and giving me a once-over. “Professor Goodtimes! How do you do?” The slight awkwardness in his expression suggested he wasn’t sure how to greet me.

“Happens all the time,” I said. “In my neck of the woods, we just...” I saluted him.

“Oh, easy,” he answered, the relief evident in his voice, “I can do that in my sleep.” He returned the gesture, as did Judy.

We spent a few minutes getting reacquainted with the Wildes and Sam, and were introduced to Emmitt and his wife, Olivia. It turned out that the Ottertons had become Second Couple since our last visit. Congratulations were offered, George was introduced, and then Jaime asked,

“Where’s Hannah? I want to say ‘hi’ to her.” Indeed, it appeared as though the doe had fled the scene. “She’s probably over that way listening to Johnny,” Sam offered, waving a paw toward the stage. “Give her a minute or two to cool off; I’ll introduce you guys to Johnny, and then we’ll see what she’s up to.” The day was beginning to look quite promising.

Chapter 6

As told by Hannah

I made an entire lap around the grounds before I felt somewhat like myself again. Then I decided to go to all the food stalls and sample every delicious treat I’d been eyeing and/or sniffing for most of the day; I’d saved my appetite for this stuff...I was starved!

First, I went to grab a slice of paw-tossed pizza topped with cashew milk mozzarella and basil. (FYI, Zootopians are either vegetarian or vegan, and we have plant-based equivalents for dairy and eggs.) Then I got some fried dough, a churro, (both cooked in vegetable oil) and finally headed back around to the L&P stand, which Mrs. Otterton was helping us run that day. I bought myself a box with one of everything and washed it all down with the rest of the fruit smoothie I’d been nursing.

After that, I went to watch Johnny play another set. I sat in the front row—and with the sun on my face, a belly full of goodies, and my darlin’s sweet voice in my ears, I almost fell asleep.

“Are you awake, my friend?” My eyes flew open at the sound of my other favorite voice, making me realize that maybe I had dozed off. “It’s almost time for the dunk tank.” Sir Horse gave me a self-deprecating grin. That’s when I realized that the day had been so busy, the crowds so vast, that I hadn’t seen him all day...and had yet to tell him what happened.

“Uh, yeah, um—funny story—You’re out, Bogo’s in.”

“Chief Bogo? Why?” I was about to tell him when I saw that gleam in his eye that signals something wacky is coming. I made a split second decision that I wanted to hear it first, ‘cause I could use a good laugh to fortify me for what might come next. “I realize that he’s somewhat more ripped than me, but”--he paused to flex his muscles-- “I can hold my own.” I laughed myself silly, exacerbating the stomachache that had snuck up on me.

“Darn right you can! But they switched because...of me.” Sir Horse looked puzzled.

“Can you elaborate…?”

“The thought of you going in there makes me nervous. I don’t like it; It doesn’t seem right. I don’t really want to talk about it, either. Whatever Sam and the others tell you is true, but Bogo stays. I’ve overheard some stuff, and...it sounds like he has it coming to him.” I smirked.

“If you say so,” Sir Horse said, adding, “I’m not sure if you’re aware of this, Hannah, but you’re very strong-willed.” I smiled, shrugged, and gave in to another laughing fit.

Chapter 7

As told by Nick

I finally found Lil’ Snowshoe busting a gut with Hoss. (Shocking, I know.) “Target sighted!” I called to the others, then ran up to her and went, “Boo!” She jumped, and I heard a voice say,

“Nicholas...” But here’s the kicker; it wasn’t Hoss. “I’ll have you know that exclamation is highly offensive where I come from, and no doubt a burden to anyone down here who’s on the receiving end of it.” Yep, only Don could’ve given that spiel.

“My bad.” I looked over at Hannah. “Sorry, pal.”

“S’ okay,” she sighed, but she didn’t seem too happy. (So much for me grabbing her arm and going, ‘Suspect apprehended!’ She would not appreciate my humor at the moment, no matter how great it may be...Read: EPIC.)

Luckily, I knew what would cheer her up. “Hey, Hannah, look who’s here!” I waved Don and Jaime over, and—sure enough—her face lit up.

“Hi, guys!” She gave Jaime a hug, saluted Don, and the second Jaime said,

“This is my husband George. He’s a rock star,” she was all over it.

“Really?! You have to meet Johnny! He rocks, too! I mean, he plays the music, but he’s also the greatest! He’ll be so excited! C’mon!” Hannah raced up to the stage and zipped behind the curtain, leaving Jaime and George in the dust. Poor George looked a little overwhelmed. I can’t say I blame him; that hare’s mouth can go as fast as her wheels when she wants it to.

Then—just like that—she was back. She looked a little moony, like Johnny had loved on her a little. “I knew I forgot something! Crazy memory!” She went to sit beside Hoss again. “George, this is my friend, Sir Horse.” As she beamed up at him, he offered George his hoof.

“Nice to meet you, George. My name is Herbert Hogden Horse, IV. My mother is a mare, and my father is a boar. You can call me Herb.”

“Not only is Sir Horse one of my bestest friends in the whole world, he is also Mayor of Zootopia!” She spread her arms out wide—like a leveret might—and looked a lot like Carrots had when she did her school play, which is to say: adorable as all-get-out.

“Ooh! By the way, Johnny is waiting for you guys backstage.” She spoke to Don, Jaime, Robyn and George without moving so much as a whisker.

“Aren’t you going to join them?” Hoss asked her.

“I sure am!” Meanwhile, she still hadn’t moved her arms. “But first, I figure that since my arms are like this, it’s time for a hug!” Ugh—she is such a cornball...But she does give some of the best hugs around.

After the lovefest with Hoss, for a minute she looked kinda moony again, then disappeared backstage. She’s in awe of both him and Johnny, and it’s—you guessed it—adorable as all-get-out.

Chapter 8

As told by Judy

Nick and I decided to take a look around the grounds. Even though we weren’t on duty that day (Clawhauser and Wolford were), we’d been going nonstop—setting up, running damage control (poor Hannah), and then showing our guests around. I like keeping busy just as much as anyone (more so, Slick would say), but it was nice to take in the sights and sounds for a little while. Watching all the families have fun, I felt a little nostalgic for the Carrot Days festival. Those were good times, if you don’t count Gideon, and even that doesn’t matter anymore.

I’ve had some rough patches in my life, too—everyone does—and what matters most is learning from them. All things considered, I like the way my life’s turned out. I’m proud of the things I’ve accomplished, the mammals I’ve met, and the bunny I’ve become.

“You okay, Fluff?” Nick’s voice brought me out of my reverie, and I smiled at him.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“ ‘Fine’?!’ That word is a classic evasion tactic. Been using it since I was a kit. But I know what you mean—being here makes me think about my mom and the fun stuff we did together.” That’s my Slick—I’d only said two words to him, and he still knew what I was thinking. He took my paw and held it, at the same time reaching over to softly brush away a tear I didn’t realize I’d cried.

I found my thoughts drifting from the past to the future, when we—me and this weird, wild, wonderful fox I married—would be parents. It was a scary thought, but exciting, too, because...while on the Nighthowler case, we’d seen the worst that mammalkind has to offer—but we’d also seen some of the best: families, friends, and neighbors working together to rebuild a city they love. And we’d found each other. I’m proud to be part of the proof that there’s goodness—even greatness—in this city and the mammals who live here.

We’d wandered over to a long table creaking under the weight of craft supplies—boxes and boxes of them. Construction paper, paint, glitter, stickers...You name it, it was there. “Well, would you look at that?” Nick noticed a clipboard containing a sign-up sheet for a crafting contest set to begin within the hour. It looked promising…

“Can we sign up? It’ll be fun!”

“If you want, Fluff—sign away.” Nick looked less than impressed, so I tried the surefire method to get him pumped—smack talk.

“What? Are you afraid I’ll kick your tail at this? Would that hurt your feewings?!” I grinned.

“Alright, Carrots—you’re on. Just don’t be surprised when I beat you.”

“Yes!” I was glad that he went for it, but… “In your dreams, Wilde! I’m gonna win.” I grabbed the pen next to the clipboard, signed my name, and…

“What’re you doing?”

“Forging your signature,” I smirked. “You owe me from camp.” Nick smirked back.

“Well played, Hopps, well played.”

“Hi, guys, what’s up?” Jaime came over with George, Don and Robyn and was eyeing the pile of craft stuff.

“There’s a crafting contest starting soon; Nick and I are competing.”

“Against each other,” Nick added, “So sign up...If you dare.” Jaime beamed.

“Ooh, I love crafts!” She signed her name.

“What are you thinking?” Don was watching her—and now that he mentioned it, she did have a determined look on her face, kind of like the one Nick says I get.

“Professor, you and I are pretty competitive, are we not?”

“We are, my dear Jaime, we are,” Don answered, looking pensive. “But I wonder how fair it would be, given that I have certain—tricks at my disposal.”

“He does,” Jaime agreed, smiling. “He can get the mail by just snapping his fingers, and it floats over.”

“Whoa!” We were impressed.

“And this one time, he built a replica of a London clocktower by making the blocks into a mini-hurricane, and then—whoosh!--they all fell into place!”

“Wow!” said Hannah, who’d come up next to us. Don turned to her.

“Excuse me, Miss Hare, but do you happen to know who’s in charge of this competition?”

“Yes, I do,” she grinned, and was off. About a minute later, she came back with… “Sir Horse! Ta-da!”

“Thank you—again--for the sparkling introduction, Hannah.” From the look on her face, I was sure she’d laugh or say something sweet; she surprised all of us when she smiled and said, “I give nothing that isn’t earned.” I’d have to disagree with that idea, but I gotta say, I love her spunk!

“Sam will be judging the contest, and she has appointed me as ‘Keeper of the Rules’”; he gestured to a clipboard he was holding.

“Keepers are super-important,” Jaime said, making Don smile.

“You had a question about your eligibility, Professor?” Herb asked him.

“Indeed. But the question really is, ‘am I eligible at all?’”

“Well, since we have nothing so specific in our little set of rules, I’d say that, since it would be wrong to discriminate on the basis of differing ability, it’s the end result that matters rather than the methods used to arrive at said result.” Don smiled.

“Thank you, kind sir.”

“Certainly.” Hannah looked from Herb to Don and back again. “You know what?” she asked, her leveret voice back again, “I play, too.”

~

And play we did. According to Herb’s announcement at the outset of the game, we had, “90 minutes to build the biggest, brightest, and boldest piece of art you possibly can.” Even though I wanted to kick Nick’s tail at this, I couldn’t keep my mind from wandering. The array of colors and shapes had me thinking about decorating a nursery, so I decided that whatever I made today would have a place of pride in our kit’s room.

I smiled at the thought, opting not to use it as a distraction tactic against Nick. Instead, I turned to Jaime. “Do you have kids?”

“Mm-hmm.” She answered without looking up, then finished the section she was working on and looked at me, grinning ear-to-ear. “Martha’s five, and Donny’s 6 months.”

“Aww, a new one! Congratulations!” I told her. “I’m having my first soon.” Her eyes went wide, and she squealed, kinda like Clawhauser does, so I knew what was coming next.

“You and Nick! Awww, that’s...Awesome!”

“Thanks,” I smiled.

“Same,” she smiled back.

Hannah was concentrating intently on her piece. She went to grab a pawful of sequins from the bowl, and suddenly… “Ah, ah...CHOO!” She sneezed, knocking over the sequins and scattering them everywhere. Before any of us could react, Don snapped his fingers, sending the sequins swirling into the sky, shimmering in the sunlight, then cascading down again, where they landed neatly back in the bowl, now right-side-up again.

“Wow!” Hannah breathed. All of us applauded.

“That is what happened with the blocks!” Jaime exclaimed. “But this time was even better!”

None of us won. Nick was bummed, but when I told him my idea about putting our pieces in the kit’s room, he cheered up. Jaime and Don decided to give theirs to Martha and Donny, and Hannah said,

“Hey, WildeHopps—since I still haven’t picked out a baby gift, you guys can have my piece.” Nick smiled.

“Thanks, ‘lil snowshoe.” I gave her a hug.

“Splendid efforts, one and all,” Don observed. “Say, where’s George? I know Robyn went off to record observations in her notes, but where did he get off to?”

“I know where he went,” Hannah grinned. “Last I saw him, he was rehearsing a set with Johnny.”

“Cool!” Jaime exclaimed. “So, Hannah, are you and Johnny…?!” She raised her eyebrows, wiggling them for effect. Hannah laughed.

“Um, well...We used to, but now we’re friends, because...It’s complicated.”

“I know how that feels,” she said, exchanging glances with Don. “Professor Harper here was the one who counseled me on how to get out of the friend zone with George.” Don smiled.

“And Jaime here...oh, never mind! In the word of a wise hare,’ it’s complicated’.” We all laughed.

Johnny and George’s set was amazing. They opened with “Drive My Car”, and Slick sang along for all he was worth. Jaime, Hannah, and I had a dance party. I caught the two of them high-fiving a few times; they were proud of their guys.

Everyone was on their feet (well, except Hannah, who made up for it with her moves). I saw the Ottertons twirling, Clawhauser shaking, and Chief Bogo boogeying (though I suspect he was doing it to dry off). I even spotted Herb spinning Sam around the dance floor, and it looked like practicing his Latin moves for so long still paid off!

We had the best day, and raised a ton of money for the Scouts. Before they left, Jaime, George, Don and Robyn promised to make visits a regular thing. And, don’t tell anyone—cops pride themselves on keeping conversations confidential--but I heard this exchange between Jaime and George just before they boarded for home:

“You were right about the Mayor, love—He really is as sweet as they come!”

“See? I told you! I’m glad you’re not mad at me.”

“How could I be, when you were tellin’ the truth?”

“Well, ‘cause of my crush, and...”

“He’s one in a million—whaddaya expect?”

“Really?”

“What’s that Hannah said? ‘I give nothin’ that isn’t earned’.”

“Are you sure you’re not mad at me?”

“I’m only mad for you, love. Every day with you’s a new adventure.”

Nick reached for my paw; I grasped his. It’s safe to say we agree.