Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hey all, DLW here with a new story! A sidestory to that AU that I swore I would never do "In Our Dreams"Thank you to all my readers, follows, fav's and reviews and for your feedback it makes writing all the more fun. Disclaimer: Zootopia and its characters are copyright Disney.

Coverart coming soon thanks to credens-vita (Deviant Art) also known as msitubeatz (tumblr)

Jailbreak

Tundratown's chilly air nipped at the whispy bristles of the vixen's fur. Beneath the sliver of waning moonlight, the clatter of metal was nothing more than a symphony of beautiful music to her swiveling ears as she finished the last touches to her latest, and hopefully greatest work yet: her ticket out of here.

Okay, the gears are in place and the pedals are... Giving the refurbished bike pedals a quick spin, she saw that they did, in fact, work as she had hoped. Great! Now just to attach the last piece.

She didn't know how long she had been there working, or how much time she had left before she was discovered, but time was of the essence and it was almost complete.

Attaching the last part that she so hastily acquired, she took a step back and smiled brightly.

The contraption, a mix of an old bike frame and wheels, refurbished banana seat, varying chains and gears, a small ceiling fan, and a recently obtained umbrella, was a thing of utter beauty to her sparkling sapphire eyes. It was almost like what she had seen in a movie once and would ensure her escape.

And while she wished she could have built a fully functioning engine for the thing, gasoline was a scarcity, and one too many run-ins with high voltage electricity made manual power a more suitable option.

She pocketed her little multitool, triumphantly raising her paws in cheer and bouncing on the icy rooftop. She had outdone herself, outdone all odds despite her being told that it wasn't possible to flee.

Her paws smoothed over the metal in glee, noticing a small place where the umbrella didn't exactly fit and she had to use a mixture of rubber bands, chewing gum and sloth tape; she couldn't find her industrial strength duct tape as that had been confiscated.

Should I have welded this? She questioned, tapping on it and figuring that it was possible. She quickly scoured the area for her welding tools but her ears drooped when she remembered that she had to leave them behind. The less noise and suspicion she made while hauling the tools, the less she was likely to be noticed.

Soon, her gaze fell upon her only witness, her sole partner in crime. A single ear of a once stuffed doll popped out of her comically overstuffed backpack. She brought all of her essentials - food, a toothbrush, and a change of clothes - and had just enough room to fit her cherished toy in there with it.

As she peered into the bag and caught the glimmer of its eye, she shook her head. "It's not that bad, Mushy. I had to improvise!"

'Mushy', or so she called it, only stared back. What little stuffing it had left made it slump over when a chilling breeze passed by them. It made her shiver due to her lack of bringing a suitable coat with her, but with her thick fur, favourite shirt, and sweatpants, it didn't matter.

Reverently picking up the decrepit thing, she held it close. What should have been a squeaking sound from it and a plush squeeze came out as a weak whistle and her nearly hugging herself.

She sighed, taking in the panoramic view of the rooftops. "Don't you worry, Mushy. When we get to Bunnyburrow, I'll get you a bunch of wool to stuff you back, and a new squeaker." Excited by the sheer prospect, she giggled, holding it out at arms length. "We'll get to see grandma, and I'll be going to school with Nicky again!"

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

Startled, the vixen turned to the sharp rapping at the rooftop access door behind her. The cold shimmer of the metal door handle twisting would have been more horrifying had she not had the added defense of a chair propped under it. So try as they might, the mammal behind the barrier would have to try harder.

She smiled.

"SKYE!" A male voice bellowed, followed by the sound of paws attempting to break down the door. "I know you're there! Open this door, right now!"

As the mammal beckoned, Skye shuffled backward. She knew that the folding chair wouldn't hold for too long, not when-

*BAM*

-they took a running start to ram it open...

At least it's not her, yet. she mused, already racing towards her bag with Mushy under her arms. The little preparation she made by barricading the only way up was coming in handy. It allowed her to quickly shoulder her bag and wheel the contraption to the edge of the rooftop where a small plywood board would be used as a ramp to help get out of there.

She grinned nervously, feeling the wind nip at her muzzle and the cold sting of metal that would be frozen overnight. With the warmth of her paws still there, she sat on the seat - nearly falling off as it was too big for her - and lined up the 'bike' to take off.

*BAM*

Checking off her list as it was something of a takeoff. "Rudder," looking behind her at the tacked on piece of cardboard, she was satisfied. "Check. Propeller," One glance ahead to the fan that was geared to the pedals was enough to get her to nod. "Check. Wings!" Before she could even look up, what sounded like a wrecking ball hitting a porcelain factory made its way to her ears.

Mentally, she checked off the last safety precaution as a stunned wolf stumbled forward, rubbing his sore shoulder and darting his head to find his query.

"Here we go, Mushy!" Clamping her teeth on the doll and pedaling as fast as her legs would allow, Skye felt the makeshift escape mechanism move. It couldn't have worked any sooner as the recovering canine hobbled at her, his good paw outstretched in an attempt to grab her.

Just as the bike made it over the ramp, she switched a gear that opened the umbrella and began turning the fan. There was a brush at her tail that told her she just barely managed to escape her capture once again. As the vehicle careened over the edge, her pedaling got the mechanism to work, halting her downward motion and allowing the fan to propel her upward.

Her face was awash with delight as she didn't instantly hit the pavement. It worked! she thought, astounded and looking back with a smug grin.

Skye was flying!

The wolf huffed heavily, freezing mist bellowed with each breath. "Get back here! You're already in trouble!"

His words fell on selectively hearing ears. Despite the warning and the green glow alighting her wrist, there was no way that his query would turn back.

Floating away, she grinned back at the dumbfounded wolf; sparkly white teeth glimmering with the silver night sky. Offering the wave of her paw and sticking out her tongue to further her point, she continued pedaling, climbing further into the air and farther away from the building.

With her tail whipping in the freezing air and her paws steadily keeping the pedals in motion, she felt safe enough to give him one last goodbye, giggling through the leftover stuffing of the doll. Plastering a silly grin on her muzzle, she stuck out her tongue to taunt him... only for karma to give her swift retribution when the doll slipped out.

"MUSHY!" Carelessly, she reached over, both paws grabbing it mid-fall and stopping her motions altogether.

What should have been her pedaling across the street, ended up as her barely making it ten feet before it all fell apart. Without her keeping the thing steady, she couldn't pedal and turn the fan. Without the fan, the umbrella had no updraft. With no updraft, there wasn't any hovering. And with her not hovering, she was her plans to escape were over.

Skye was falling!

A sharp bark of regret left her in panic as she tumbled off the machine and towards the ground below; her belongings falling with her in tandem with the flightless bike.

There was a moment of utter terror as the ground came closer into view with wide, blue eyes. There was a trash can in a nearby alleyway that was open as if it was a mouth to welcome her into oblivion. She shut her eyes, clutching the doll for dear life as they both plummeted as quickly as a puffy fox could down the side of the three storey building.

There was a loud thud that hit the trash bin, sealing its lid shut no more than a second later; a mixed collage of twisted metal and a bent umbrella stuck out of the mouth of the garbage collector. However, a much softer crunch of snow came as Skye fell into one of the many uncleared, sidewalk snowbanks that the town was famous for.

Embraced and cushioned by the pillow of snow, Skye took a moment to breathe. She was at ground level, covered in frost, lost her belongings and had nothing but Mushy left. That could have gone worse. She thought, remembering her various other activities and how they ended. But, all that aside, she was safe.

A smile quickly crept on her muzzle as she looked at the bright side. She had a running start to get out of there - at least three flights of stairs worth - and not even the wolf was fast enough, or crazy enough to catch her. He wasn't the type to go jumping headlong into a pile of snow; she was in the clear.

Sitting up and wiping herself off, she looked around and thought of where she could go from there. Running down the street was too obvious, back up wasn't an option, and down the alleyway was far too tedious with that fence blocking the way.

Maybe I can just-

"SKYE!"

Her ears flattened immediately. This voice, far more imposing than the last, meant only one thing: she was there.

That little note told her that she had no way of escape should she try it. There was no way she could get away fast enough, but there was one thing her mind told her that she could do, a skill she had put to use so many times in tough situations. She clutched Mushy in her jaws and turned to the pile of snow.

Dig!

And so she did. She was kind of an expert at it. No matter the amount of snow - or dirt, anything really - that was in her way, she always broke through it. Practically her own drill, she tore through the frozen crystals, flinging the debris behind her in record time. Already through a foot of snow in the first second, the vixen hoped to delve further, boring through the darkened, frozen tunnel she made to aid her escape.

Each inch made her already frozen paws a bit colder, and little ice crystals nearly made it unbearable to her teeth. She wouldn't chatter, though, Mushy depended on it; she depended on it! No more than five seconds had passed when she was three feet down, already hoping to tunnel away and fool her pursuer.

However, an inch or two later, paws stopped, scraping on a surface that she knew she couldn't get through without her power tools: ordinary concrete. Her eyes went wide. Right... Maybe she won't-

Her thoughts were halted as she felt a rough pawpad grab her by the ankle.

NOOOOOOOOO!

She tried, tried to dig further, but it was to no avail as she was pulled back by a tremendous, yet, gentle force.

Before she knew it, the world had spun upside down and she was dragged out of the impromptu tunnel. A frowning orange muzzle - somehow below a blue collared shirt - came to meet hers. Only when she blinked did she recognize that it was a smile from the way she was dangling.

Grabbing Mushy in her paws, and trying her best to wave while spun upsidedown, Skye greeted the snow-dusted feline. "Hi, Ms. Fangmeyer."

Giving the fox a deep chuckle of her own and taking a second to grab her by the collar of her shirt and allow her to see the world right side up, shook her head. "Don't you 'Hi Ms. Fangmeyer' me, kiddo."

The tigress, noticing both the foxes guilty grin and mangled contraption of a bicycle in the trash bin behind her, raised a brow. "Always getting into trouble, aren't you?" she asked, making her way to the remains of the crash and picking it up.

Slackjawed, Skye folded her arms and pointed her snout away. "Me? Never!"

There was light tapping on her wrist. She looked down to see Fangmeyer's claw on a little green band, one she knew full well from her hearing. She shot the feline a glance, but the officer was undeterred.

"Sure you don't, Skye..."

Silenced and sighing, the vixen resigned herself to her fate. She'd been captured, and there was nowhere to run. Not when she was now in the tigresses paws. Not when the wolf would be popping up. Not when she had no reliable means to abscond. And certainly not when she'd have to answer to-

She hugged Mushy a bit tighter than usual as their condo came into view. Fangmeyer had picked up all of Skye's belongings and stood at the top of the stairs to their home on West Taiga Street. Before the orange feline could even knock, the embellished wooden door flung open. Two foxes in matching business suits and a wolf in his police uniform all greeted her. Three muzzles - only one smiling - stared at the little fox who tried to hide behind her forced laugh.

Knowing where this was all going, Fangmeyer set Skye down in front of the two other foxes, and a furious wolf. "I think this belongs to you."

Meeting her parent's eye to eye, Skye thought of what excuse she could come up with this time. She had already used a plethora of them including: "it was sunny out", "but Mushy wanted to", "but you said mom did that too", "it wasn't that dangerous", "someone had to", "Goppa said I could", "statistically", "I already asked dad", "they said it couldn't be done so I had to", "Fin started it", and her favourite, "Nicky did too".

Before she could start, the other blue-eyed fox, her father, Glen, answered with a singsong voice. "Skye, sweetie. Mr. Wolfard would like his umbrella back."

She looked up to the furious wolf. He had been rubbing his shoulder and staring at her the whole time. Turning to Fangmeyer, she was handed the broken remains of what was an umbrella before she realized how bad this looked. Having snuck away with wolf's umbrella when he and his partner got to their house, Skye had used it to make the finishing touch to her flying bike. Now, in her paws, it was a twisted piece of metal with torn fibers for a canopy.

With trepidation, she carried the oversized umbrella to the eye twitching wolf. From the way she landed - crashed rather, even by her own standard - the handle had been bent and the release mechanism had shattered upon impact. The second it reached his paws, it further snapped, the metal frame zig-zagging and fabric collapsing in on itself.

He looked down at it and gave her a series of slow, accusing blinks.

Skye smiled. "Um... I'll have your umbrella fixed by tomorrow?"

As the wolf went to open his muzzle, the tigress stepped by and wrapped her broad paws around his shoulders, silencing him in an eager side-hug.

"Nah, that's alright, kiddo. Wolfie here needed a new umbrella anyways. We'll share mine for now.." she acknowledged, giving the family of foxes a few curt nods. "You folks have a lovely night because me and my partner," giving him a squeeze to prevent him from barking out any words that she knew he'd regret, Fangmeyer started making her way down the stairs, refusing to let him go. "have a long day at work and have to start bright and early."

With her leading him down the sidewalk, the foxes said their goodbyes before they disappeared from view. Only then did the door close and Skye was left with her parents again. Only Serenity looked furious when she met her daughter's eyes.

"How many times must I tell you 'no roof parachuting'?"

Serenity folded her arms, recalling how their daughter had: attempted to float off a building with nothing more than an umbrella, tried to use a kite in the same manner, attempted to purchase an actual hang glider earlier in the year, and once thought her semi-delinquent friend, Finnick, could fly if he flapped his ears hard enough.

They at least had a trampoline back then.

"I wasn't!" protested Skye, "I was roof 'Parabiking. Completely different."

Through the eye twitching of his spouse, Glen chimed in, "No more 'Para' anything, Skye. You're grounded."

Ears falling with her tail, and her father's words becoming like sharp sheet metal cutting her heart, the vixen shook.

"But daaaaaaaaddddddd! I'm boooooreddddddd."

While he didn't like doling out punishments from knowing how his own spouse was when she was younger, it was better than any alternative and would keep their daughter safe. "I know, sweetie. I know. But your mother's furious."

On cue, Serenity replied, "You're right I am! Do you know how dangerous that was?"

Skye knew, alright. She truly (kinda) did. But, the sheer boredom of everyday life without siblings or Nick made things unbearable as of late. Adventure trumped safety concerns. Her shoulders slumped.

Noticing his daughters stance, Glen wrapped his arm around the angered vixen. "Relax, dear."

"Re-RELAX?!" his mate barked. "Are you seriously not seeing how bad this is?"

He chuckled back, patting Skye on her shoulder and signaling that he had more to share about Serenity's old antics. "Honey, your mother did what to stop your escapades?"

"She didn't let me jump off a roof!"

"There's a difference between not letting you, and not being able to stop you," Glen informed, much to his mate's dismay. Their daughter chuckled, though, so that was a start. "She couldn't stop you from doing a lot of things."

While Serenity pondered this, Glen unwrapped his paw from around her and paced away from the foyer. He stopped in front of the grandfather clock that he had won in an auction, loosening his tie in the reflection of its shimmering glass surface.

"Didn't your mother find you on the powerlines once or twice?"

His mate went slackjawed. She had forgotten all about that and the memory bubbling up made her realize how much their daughter was like her in that fashion. I only did that for free cable, though. Hopefully she won't try that stunt. she thought, attempting to shield her frustration with a paw covering her muzzle.

"Then, there was poor equine, Mr. Corona."

Serenity shot him a glare. "I did nothing wrong there."

He refused to stop, sighing and taking his vest off from a long day at work. "I wonder if he ever went to therapy. He was a good deputy at the time. Sad story for Maximus and the sleigh rides..." Practically hearing a growl from Serenity this time, he went for the one thing he knew he could say - aside from 'Honey, you know I love you' - that would get him out of a tight spot. "OH! And the time you almost blew up the burrows?"

The room fell silent, not a swish of a tail, or even the chime of the clock could be heard. Serenity was caught and she knew it. Even Skye tilted her head quizzically, she hadn't heard of a story like this one before.

Catching her breath, and walking past her grinning husband, the vixen brushed past him, ensuring that the tip of her tail trailed by his hips. He shuddered. "Okay, for starters, honey. Youhelped me with that one. I didn't get all the fireworks myself." she corrected, careful not to give out too much information to their daughter should she attempt to try the same thing in a few months. "And, to top it off, it was just a hole in the ground, not a fault line."

"Anywho," said Glen with a hike in his voice and stutter to his step as he made his way further into their abode. He caught the telltale twinkle of mischief in Serenity's eyes before he cleared his throat. "Marian's stopping by in a few minutes before her shift to pick up some dinner. Goppa sent us some shrimp gumbo."

Before another word was uttered, the swift, familiar rhythm of excitement caught Serenity's ears. She turned to see their daughter swiftly swishing her tail, unceremoniously hitting it against the banister leading upstairs as her eyes were as wide as the dinner plates they had.

She chuckled, walking over to her and embracing her in a hug. "Alright, kiddo. Wash your paws before dinner, and let's get Mushy in the washing machine."

No second opinion or protest, Skye passed off her prized doll to her mother and raced upstairs. If Goppa sent them anything, then it was bound to be delicious. Not to mention the fact that shrimp was her favourite as far as seafood went. She could eat it in buckets.

It didn't take her long, never did. A ravenous eater from birth, Skye, when food was promised, was there in record time. In a matter of seconds, she had opened and shut the door, leaving with clean, unfrozen paws and making her way to the dining room. Practically leaping down the last few stairs and thankfully not hitting the front door this time, she dashed to the dinner table and took her seat.

Polished, padded wooden chair secured, she wore an impressive smile as her father brought out a large pot and set it in the center of the table. A small ladle stuck out and she reached for a bowl, already beginning to scrape for as many shrimp and delicious broth she could as her parents took their seat.

Almost overfilling the bowl, Skye brought it up to her muzzle, licking her chops in ecstasy. She was about to simply dive in when there was a cough next to her.

"Skye!" her mother warned, glaring. "Spoon!"

Tooth on a bit of shrimp already and nose submerged into the food, the vixen set down the bowl and licked her muzzle. There was a spot of red tomato sauce staining her white fur. She reached for her spoon as her mother sighed at her lack of table manners, though her father gave her a light-hearted chuckle.

About a minute into Skye shoveling spoonful after spoonful of delicious food into her gullet, there was a knock at the door. Serenity excused herself to answer and was greeted by a slightly taller red vixen.

"Hello, Marian." she greeted, ushering the other into their home.

Dressed in her long, deep purple skirt and a lighter purple vest, Marian Wilde casually walked in, nodding to both older foxes.

"Serenity," she answered, offering the vixen a simple hug rather than attempting to be embraced by a bone-crushing one. "Glen."

As the tod waved from the dinner table, Marian gave their daughter a laugh, noticing the spotted stains around her mouth. "Hello, Skye."

Attempting to use the ladel as the spoon was inefficient to sate her hunger, Skye mumbled back, mouth full of food. "Mmh, mmh whmmwm."

Barely able to see over the food she was engorging herself on, she could clearly hear two distinct laughs and one disappointed sigh.

It wasn't until her third bowl of the gumbo that Skye had begun to slow down. No longer attempting to down it all at once.

Her mother and father had already finished and Marian had only been there to pick up dinner before heading to work at a nearby hospital. They said that they would accompany the vixen as Tundra Town wasn't the safest place at night.

While Skye was busying herself with the last bit of food she had, she overheard Marian talking in the kitchen. And from the way she spoke and the name she heard, it excited her. Marian was speaking to her only child - and Skye's childhood best friend - Nick.

When Skye looked back to where she was talking to her son, Marian caught a glimpse of the vixen and cheerfully held the phone aloft. "Would you like to speak to Nicky while I'm here?"

Awash with glee, Skye nodded and Marian handed off the phone after saying a curt goodbye.

With her best friend on the phone, she swallowed a bit of shrimp. "NICKY!"

Hearing him shriek was worth the wait. It was one of her favorite past times. "How's Bunnyburrow today? Have you seen any ghosts? Like... any at all?"

As she talked about ghosts, she reminded herself that she had the means and knowhow to contain one. "If you do, I've got a glass jar and some plans to catch one when I get there!"

She kicked her feet idly, thinking of what to say and do when her family got to the old house. There was supposed to be plenty of space and she had room to build new things... and maybe hide a few things in the forest. "Speaking of plans... how big is the roof? I went Parabiking earlier."

With that little experiment of hers, she already made plans for a much more sustainable bike. This time, if she could get the parts, then maybe she could build a fully motorized one. She bit into the last bit of her dinner, chewing quickly and mumbling her words until she remembered the last part of her mother's history.

"Oh!, and tell me if you know anywhere to get fireworks!"

The conversation went for a few minutes longer before they had to part ways. Marian had to go to work, her parents would be escorting her, and Skye herself had to wake up for school the next day.

Being the responsible vixen she was, she resigned herself to stay at the house and ready herself for sleep.

Having brushed her teeth thoroughly and all, she went to her room to silently reflect on her day.

Plastered with posters of different vehicles, desserts, comic characters, and anime, Skye's room was a mix and mash of things. The tools she was allowed to keep were haphazardly (to her neatly) placed on dressers and her desk while various schematics were strewn everywhere. The recessed lights had a few scratches on them from her early experimentation with electric currents. And even the sole mirrored bureau had a few scratches from measurements and her drawings.

The whole thing worked - or so she thought - with a deep, raspberry red colour. Thought her parents kept the ceiling white so they didn't go crazy themselves.

She galloped around the hardwood, narrowly avoiding her most recently refurbished drill and turned on the little radio set she had rebuilt years ago. Some random radio station was playing music she loved to hear in the background while she thought.

Tracing over a few of her drawings, Skye picked one off the pile that was a near exact model of the bike she made earlier. Figuring out flaws as she went, she figured that she could make adjustments.

Looking down at the haphazardly scrawled blueprints, she smiled. It was even better for the schematics! Glancing just past that to the pile of paper of other things she tried making, the vixen shrugged. That cannon would've worked if mom let me use the heating coil from the stove.

Changing into her nightclothes which was a simple shirt matching her favourite one that bore the 'Cosmos Corsac' logo, the vixen looked around and was content. Everything was in relative order, but the twinkle of green on her wrist caught her eye.

She stuck out her tongue. Well.. almost everything.

There was that little fact that she'd have to go to court in a few weeks. Wait... something's missing... scanning her room once more, she came to one conclusion about everything. And Mushy's still being washed. GREAT!

Instead of lingering around like she normally did and trying to find something of interest on her phone, she flopped on her bed. It was about the only thing in her entire room that was, by all standards, tidy.

The ivory white sheets welcomed her and she rolled around in their comfort, staring at the ceiling in a mix of boredom and hope. She wanted more than this, these boring nights. Rarely any time went by where she could see all her friends and it bothered her.

However, amidst all of this, one little bit of hope lingered.

Rolling over to her nightstand where she kept some of her notes and her multitool, she carefully picked up the one item that she cherished as an absolute treasure aside from Mushy: a little laser spy-pen.

She had gotten it years ago from a bunny. Hare? She didn't remember too much back then. And since, it had become her sole writing tool. Not only that, but when the time came for her to write letters to her penpal in Bunnyburrow, it was the one thing she used and it helped her obtain her prized multitool; the only tool she could truly rely on in any situation.

The pen gleamed under the little bit of moonlight that cascaded in her sole window and she clicked on the laser pointer.

She had lost track of how many times she disassembled it, changed the battery and light colour, but it always made her feel happy, even after how the march of time had faded its original shimmer.

Every night, before she went to sleep, she'd stay up a few minutes longer just to trace lines with the blue light. In every line, she'd reflect on her dreams.

Dreams... huh?

It was a word that wasn't foreign to her at all. Her parents had told her all about the garden in Paragon's Grove and how students could plant flowers and grow their dreams both symbolically and literally.

On this train of thought, she breathed deep and mulled over the dream of hers, constantly. A day never went by where she didn't find herself looking up and longing for more. For adventure, for someone to be there.

She continued tracing lines.

Skye wanted to be free, to learn, to grow, make friends and be a mechanic. Thought it was simple and not far out there like what either of her parents did - she didn't really know what they did but she had her speculations - it was her dream.

Until she could escape, be free to her heart's content in Bunnyburrow, all Skye could think of was how amazing it would be to have her dream realized.

Yawning, she placed the pen back on the nightstand, silently wishing her penpal goodnight as well. When pulling back her arm, the green green wristband silently shed its light.

It annoyed her that it was something that kept her from realizing her dream, but a warm smile crept its way across her muzzle as she closed her eyes, focused on the pen.

'Sky's the limit', as many put it.

And she, for one, knew it was true.

Chapter Text

Breakfast Break-in Club

The hum of an aging heating unit crept and cackled its way to the sleep struck ears of a pair of foxes.

Nestled in each other's warm embrace, they dozed soundly; the whole world around them was a blur of this and that while the only music that they heard was the beat of the other's heart.

Though, of the two, one was a far lighter sleeper. He breathed deeply as he felt his mate stir, a warm smile crept on his muzzle when the fur of her ear flickered under his chin.

As was the case whenever she did this unaware, the todd gently nuzzled the offending fluff, causing her to stir in her sleep. It amused him - though he'd never tell her - how she tried in vain to swivel and bat him away with her reflexes alone. He'd often make a game of it until she woke and tried to convince him that it was the worst thing in the world.

She never did win, though.

Now nearing the third or fourth round and on the verge of either nipping or kissing her ear - he hadn't figured out which route would earn him a pillow to his muzzle, yet - Glen was stopped only by the ominous sound of thumping outside of their bedroom door.

There was both a sigh and a laugh in anticipation, he knew what that meant this early in the morning. And with that sound came the stir and low, groggy grumble of his mate that knew what was up as well.

"Honey it'sssss your turn..." Serenity slurred, rolling her head to nestle herself in his cheek fur and yawn. "She'ssss... your daughter at five in the morning."

Knowing that she was both tired and not a morning mammal like him - something that he was surprised that their daughter had inherited as she was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed long before most others started hissing at the bright orb in the sky - Glen lifted himself just enough to peer over her to the adorning alarm clock on their nightstand.

Grinning and tapping her on her shoulder only to hear her whine in protest, he corrected her miscalculation. "It's four fifty-four, honey. She's all yours."

There was a slight pause as the vixen cringed. It wasn't that she minded, or that he was probably right about the time, or even that it was her turn, but it was so warm... so comfortable... their shared scent (mostly his) was so soothing.

She had to think fast. Her paws managed to grab the hem of the blanket and cover herself completely with them. And to complete her 'disappearing act', she groaned.

Glen chuckled at her protest, watching the snowbank that was his mate shift in what little morning light cascaded through the window. "Whining? This early? Or should I say this late?"

She breathed deeply, her voice was muffled by her pillow and blanket. "'S your fault."

As the todd waited patiently, drinking in the moment and mentally listing off what he was tasked to do for the day, he swished his tail. With the inevitable waiting for them just beyond the door, his teasing, it would seem, would be short-lived. At least we'll have the house to ourselves this weekend, he mused.

With yet another clambering noise that caused him to flinch this time and wonder what was going on, he sighed.

The mass of pillow and blanket spoke again, "C'n you go and stop her, hon?"

He was about to, honestly. There was no telling what she was up to... most of the time. Early morning meant only one, repeatable thing. Still, Glen smirked. "You wanted her first~" he singsonged, lightly patting where his mate's nose comically became a mountainous peak of their bedding.

In an instant, the vixen threw the protective sheet off. Her vibrant blue eyes cascaded over her mate. She propped herself up, playfully mimicking his posture. "Are you saying that you didn't want our daughter?"

Feining a pout and already knowing the answer, she always found it heartwarming to hear how he adored their 'little heir to the throne of mischief'. She expected such an answer.

However... due to the smirk that he still had, she surmised that this wasn't going to be one of those times he answered correctly. Her paw was already grasping a pillow, just in case.

"I'm saying that you started the process by which she was made," he answered confidently.

Taken aback, her grip on the pillow tightened. "I did not!"

"Mhm," Mulling over the memory and leaning over, he prepared himself for the worst. "I remember watching my favourite hockey team and you - sans clothes, of course - jumped on me and well-"

Sure enough, just as he opened his big mouth, a pillow was shoved in it. The act, done with lightning speed and incredible precision caught him off guard as the vixen swiftly crawled across him to distance herself from the storm of possible fire that awaited them just outside.

Satisfied as she watched his surprise gag die down, she nestled herself in his pillow. "Well, you're closer to the door," she informed, giggling, "Stop whatever scheme she has this time."

Laughing at his mate's antics, the todd shook his head and slowly ambled out of bed. While warmth that he felt slowly melted away from the sting of slightly cold floors, he was used to it. Living in Tundra Town, you had to be.

Yawning, stretching, and straightening out his pajamas on his way to the door, he chanced one last glance back at his love; she had already curled up in a ball to enjoy her last few minutes of sleep for the day. He stifled a laugh, "See you downstairs for our morning cup."

Barely hearing her muffled response, he clicked the door closed as silently as he could. If he was going to figure out what their daughter's ploy was this time, he had to be quiet and ready for anything.

Not only that, but had to hurry before anything could potentially ruin their morning breakfast routine. When he last glanced at the clock, it was only three minutes to five; Skye, of course, knew what that meant, much to her parent's dismay.

Shaking off the eerie feeling that she may just reach her goal for once, Glen tip-toed down the stairs. He knew full well how to sneak down each step without causing any sort of creaking sound - an incredible feat to be held by any mammal in such a cold district. He prided himself on his silent walk, but was horrified to know that somehow Skye picked it up as well.

The little vixen picked up on a lot of strange habits; some hereditary, others out of the clear blue. He even listed them off at times.

Sugar addiction: Serenity. Leaning towards diurnal: Glen. Incredibly fluffy coat: Serenity. High energy: Serenity. Inability to be at fault: Serenity. Has to be watched constantly or something will blow up: Serenity. Has an anarchists cookbook hidden behind a poster in her room that her mother knew about and didn't confiscate but will bring it up: Serenity.

Despite her being 'daddy's girl', she was absolutely the copy of her mother.

Still, there were things that neither he nor Serenity could have imagined from her. I still have no clue where she got the mechanical mastermind mentality from. he wondered.

Shrugging it off as he reached the landing in front of their foyer, he scanned the room. With how dark it was and the only noise that could be heard was the heater, he figured she was already on the move; neither hair nor antic of her was seen.

He gulped.

It was troubling, to say the least, when they didn't hear anything from Skye's room or hear her downstairs somewhere in the general vicinity. The usual bubbly vixen was hard at work causing mischief in some manner. Just like yesterday when they didn't hear her for a while and then Wolford noticed his umbrella was missing, they put two and two together and spread out to find her.

Glen had known that she was up to something on the roof as she had a record of building things up there. But with the door barred, he would have had to make other plans in a pinch. Thankfully, all ended well.

The tod heaved a light-hearted sigh. That's our daughter, as cunning and as adventurous as her mother. While outwardly he was beaming with joy that she was safe and sound, inwardly he was terrified of what kind of future she very well may have.

Even if not for her court date approaching, both Glen and Serenity worried constantly about their child. She was as reckless as they come, yet, she was incredibly smart. Cheerful even in the worst of times, yet often left without many friends as of late. They could only hope that leaving the city would allow her to spread her wings and find her place in life.

The todd shook off those thoughts, they could wait until after breakfast. For now, he'd have to settle for stopping her from the most dangerous thing he could think of: drinking coffee. Their coffee specifically.

Padding his way through the dining room and sniffing the area, he picked up on little trace amounts of her scent. She was still in the house as she should be, but the growing fear that she was near their coffee maker was eating at him.

With a deep breath, he dashed the rest of the way to the kitchen, barely making a sound and stopping at the threshold of the door to peering inside. The silver ambient glow of early morning light reflected off of the various appliances and kitchenware. Just near the fridge, where they had kept their automatic coffee maker safe inside of a time-sensitive, wall-mounted unit for both convenience and to keep Skye at bay, was a small plunger laid out on the floor. The slow aroma of the brew starting at 4:58 wafted his way as he inspected it.

A plunger? he questioned, Why of all things would she leave a plunger here?

Arms akimbo and ready for the grand reveal, he searched the room for the mischevious vixen. With every sniff, he could smell her close by. Since that was the case, he surmised, she was planning something big.

Over the years, nearly every day, Skye had, to some degree, attempted to acquire the coffee for herself. Her methods varied, and they had to evolve their way of keeping it out of range.

Try to wake up and make a cup herself? Lock the unit in a container and make sure it can't be tampered with. Beg Goppa for some when she stayed over the weekend with his family? That never worked. Disguise yourself as a potted plant? Have Serenity water it and grow a little vixen. Fake an I.D. and go to a local coffee shop? Almost worked, but they already told everyone in Tundra Town to never allow her caffeine. Attempt to use one of the many welding torches she either found or made? Get a sensor that goes off in extreme heat. Try to ninja the coffee? Swap it for camomile tea.

He chuckled. Even he got a kick out of that one, she was out for hours.

With no trace of Skye and the cups nearly on their way to being dispensed, Glen thought for a moment. If Skye was really attempting to swoop in this morning for her continued coffee crusade, then she was doing an exemplary job at it.

She wasn't in the fridge, under the cabinets, or - his favourite - had brought in a pile of snow to act as a barrier. He was an excellent digger, that never worked.

Satisfied that she wasn't there, but feeling that she was trying something new with the odd object in his paws, Glen walked out of the kitchen. He had only about a minute left before her next big attack, and he couldn't afford to lose his morning cup of coffee, it was a crucial part of his morning routine.

He tapped his foot on the hardwood floor, mulling over how she'd make her move this time. There was nothing out of the ordinary, but she was somewhere very well hidden. It was times like this that he had to attempt to think like her. Start with the oddest solution to a problem and then blow it out of proportion.

Idly, he scratched his head. This is why she's not allowed to build that cannon... potato or otherwise. Wait, was her schematic to size? That thing could launch watermelons!

With all possibilities hinging on what she could do, he began to trace everywhere he could imagine. Only then, when he happened to glance up at the ceiling and see little circular marks in the ceiling, did he finally get the sign that he was looking for.

Flicking his ear in wonder, he noticed how they lead from the foyer straight into the kitchen.

Eyes flitting from the plunger to the ceiling marks, he put two and two together. NO... she couldn't have, keeping this thought to himself, he dashed back inside, keeping his eyes glued to the ceiling.

Just as he focused on what looked to be a second, moving chandelier with a little green light attached, he relaxed and let out a restrained laugh, "I thought you only hung out after school."

Paws gripped on her remaining plunger and tilting her head down towards her father from her vantage point, the vixen cheerfully smiled; her cherished stuffed mammal held in her teeth. "Hagh, dgaad."

Dangling precariously from her failed attempt to grab the coffee before anyone noticed her, Skye was in a bit of a pickle; even with her distaste of the sandwich topper. She had tried - and subsequently failed, much to her current situation - to sneak downstairs, using only the two plungers she had modified to stick to the ceiling.

It worked up until she had to cross the threshold leading into the kitchen. In her search for the perfect angle to anchor herself and wait until the coffee-maker opened - 'cause her parents wouldn't let her have any coffee, but she was gonna get a sip of it if it was the last thing she did - she had made a mistake and one plunger plummeted to the ground.

And while she could have gotten down easily, her father stepping into the kitchen a minute ago halted her advance to the caffeinated goodness that was her prize.

Foiled again, she was a little upset. But... with her father smiling up at her, it was the start of a good day.

"Sorry, what was that? I couldn't hear what you said." Glen called back, tilting his ear towards her with a knowing grin. He padded around with his arms to the side, just in case.

Immediately, Skye did what he thought she would do. She used her free paw to secure Mushy, began to speak, and, of course, was met with the force of gravity.

And, just as always, "GOTCHA!" her father was there to catch her.

Getting her bearings straight as yet another miscalculation helped put her in her father's arms, Skye grinned and greeted him. "Hi dad!"

The older tod shook his head, helping her ease herself to the ground once more. "Good morning to you too, sweetie," he cooed, wrapping his arm around her and ushering her outside of the kitchen and away from the coffee maker that finally opened. "Now, what may I ask were you attempting?"

A loss for words, she quickly found an excuse. "Um... Mushy was dry?"

"Of course," He softly chuckled. "And..."

Grin ever nervous and tail wagging in hopeful anticipation - though she already knew the answer... but mom wasn't there and she could maybe get away with it - Skye decided to come clean and tell her father what was on her mind.

She started by blinking a few times, slowing the wag of her tail, and quivering her muzzle. "Dad..."

Glen had to turn away, mentally scolding himself for not being better prepared. Not those eyes... PLEASE, not those puppy eyes.

I got him this time! she believed. "Can I have some-"

"Noooo," The sudden interruption of a groggy voice caught her off-guard. Her visage dropped in an instant as her mother ambled into view. "You may not have coffee," she yawned, scratching her puffy fur and shuffled towards the kitchen where her coveted 'one thing that gets me out of bed and my daughter is forbidden to have' drink awaited her.

"Awwwwww..." the young vixen bellowed in disgust. A moment more and she would have had her fill of caffeine! Then again, there were other methods. "But... Mushy wanted to try some?"

Both parents passing her and already taking their respective cups in their paws, they savoured the first sip of a long day; the aroma of fresh almond roast filled the air before their conversation.

"Nice try, sweetie," said Serenity, her claws clicking on the side of her mug reading "First I drink the coffee, and then I do the things".

Skye's tail flicked. She took a step forward. "Can I just-"

"Nope." Glen answered, leaning back to the refrigerator and swishing his mug that read "Roasted bean-water makes the world a safer place".

Between the ambient silence and the hum of the heating, Skye attempted again. "Just a sip?"

"Nu-uh-" Serenity mumbled.

"...Can I smell it?!"

Glen chuckled, "You've got a good enough nose to smell raspberry cheesecake from a kilometer away. So I'm sure you can smell it just fine from where you are."

She had to try something. "Just a drop? Pleeeeaaaasssseeeee?"

Standing their ground and done with the perfect first drink of the day, they walked over to the sink to rinse out whatever was left - also ensuring that she wouldn't attempt to lick any remnant from the sink. "Nope," they answered in unison over the sound of rushing water.

Huffing and clutching Mushy as only the doll knew her plight, she wasn't about to let this go so easily. "But why not? Nicky can drink coffee!"

The moment she mentioned his nickname, the room grew silent. From memories to hopeful futures, and even worries, none of the foxes spoke. To say that Nick was a part of their lives - even far away - was an understatement. He was like a son to Glen and Serenity, always helping whenever they were around. He kept Skye from copious amounts of trouble and always had her back, even if she made a few mistakes.

Serenity was the first to respond. She trailed her way to her daughter, placing a paw on her shoulder in reassurance. "It's because you'd explode," she informed, smirking and swishing her tail in glee.

Skye, mouth agape, wasn't having any of that. "I-i would not!" she huffed, stomping her foot pad and clicking on the floor; the sound resonating with a mix of laughter.

"It's hereditary," Glen laughed, wiping a tear from his eye. "Comes from your mother's side of the family."

The second he spoke, he felt the sting of Serenity's eyes on him and the curious gaze from Skye as well. The older vixen's ruffled tail and clenched teeth told him a solid "no" while the younger's tilted head spelled "go on".

Before he could correct himself, Skye questioned, looking between the two. "Wait... how's that possible?"

Though many thought her to be a naive and destructive fox, she was by no means blind. Having seen the family photos taken with grandma before they moved from Bunnyburrow, she was pretty sure that this being 'hereditary' was out of the question.

Both foxes at a loss of words blinked in tandem at one another. An answer had to be given, even at the early hours of the morning.

It was Glen who, sighing and watching his mate freeze, finally decided to tell her exactly why. She's old enough to know. He rolled his shoulders and straightened his posture. "Alright, sweetie. The thing is... Well, your grandmother-"

"Told me that it might happen unless I was a full grown adult." Serenity interrupted, confidently smiling and winking at Glen. "Right hon?"

Catching on quickly and clearing his throat, he nodded in agreement. "Well, yes. Of course."

Knitting her brow at the odd behaviour of her parents and shouldering her doll, Skye thought aloud, "That's still not possible."

Another beat of silence swept through the fox family until finally, blessedly, the phone on the kitchen wall rang. Serenity made haste to answer it, knowing who it was. "Good morning. Yes, we're all awake now... Uh-huh. Oh no, that's just fine, we'll be ready by then. Take care."

Hanging up and watching both her awaiting husband and eager daughter, she smiled. "That was Goppa. He sends his love," she informed, Skye's tail wagging while Glen waited for the rest of the news. "Our ride will be here in an hour or so. They're running a bit late so he won't be able to join us today."

"Awww..." Skye groaned, disappointed.

Knowing that it couldn't be helped, Glen shrugged and clapped his paws together. The day was bright, and work had to be done. He walked over to the stove range and pulled out a small griddle from the cabinet below and, with a wink, twirled it around. "Skye, you get ready for school and I'll make us all some pancakes." Her cheerful demeanor and wagging tail was all that he needed to ensure that she was alright. "Raspberry ones... assuming you haven't eaten all of them," he added, just as she disappeared from the room entirely, the click of her claws on the stairs was all that could be heard.

With her out of the kitchen and now left only with his mate, he glanced over at her. Though her fur was ruffled and she was only truly starting to wake up, he adored the way her stunning eyes shone. Yet, deeper still, he lost himself in her eyes; comforting, soothing, and full of mystery.

He had a lot to talk to her about but waited instead for her to speak first. From her posture, he could tell that she knew what was on his mind.

She held his gaze for a moment before she shook her head and placed a paw on her temple. "It's too early in the morning to tell her, hon."

Cracking a smile in understanding, he hummed, "I know, honey... I know," He busied himself by rummaging through the refrigerator, getting supplies and was surprised to find a pawful of raspberries for their meal. Placing everything on the counter, he drummed his paw on the granite countertop. "It may be difficult, but she will need to know someday."

It didn't take long - and to his joy, never did - for Serenity's paws to wrap themselves around his waist. To feel the hum of the other's heart as they breathed in the others sent was soothing.

She spoke in a muffled whisper, her voice carrying through the fur on his neck. "Better that she see grandma again, first."