Chapter 5: Learning the Hard Way

So it looks like smooth sailing ahead for our lovely vixen! Yeah, I've got that bad feeling in the pit of my stomach too because we all know that things just aren't that simple for Candy! But first let's start this off with a little WildexHopps fluff.

Last chapter ya'll and thanks for the feedback so far, Candy will soon be back next Friday in another short five chapter story to finish her series.

The morning came too early for the fox as he stood in the middle of the apartment and stared at the bizarre jumble of pipes and metal rods that they had partly assembled during the late hours of the night. His fur was still damp from the shower that he had shared with the bunny. "Carrots I think we did this wrong," he sarcastically called out to his companion. "It looks more like a torture device than a bed frame."

His attention immediately shifted from the metal mess on the floor to the sexy grey bunny as she walked into the kitchen, the long night shirt was wearing barely covered her tail. "We'll take it apart tonight and try again," she replied as she poured herself a glass of cherry juice and rummaged around for something to eat. "I would like to get my bed back, yours is kind of hard."

"I didn't hear any complaints last night," he chuckled as he began to walk towards her, his tail was swishing happily behind him and he couldn't help but to smile at the way she was blushing.

The bunny's amethyst eyes sparkled as she looked over at the approaching red fox. Nick was almost twice as tall as she was and sinewy in his frame. His reddish orange fur ran down to darker brown fur along his arms and legs, also at the tip of his long fluffy tail. His chest fur was creamy white and run from below his muzzle to under the tacky pair of green boxer shorts he now wore. The male who stood before her could be the most infuriating creature every created, but also the most lovable, and she knew it wasn't just a fox that she had fallen in love with, it was Nick. Nick Wilde the reformed street hustler, the sarcastic and former cynic, the fox who had become her best friend and was now her lover.

"Earth to Fluff," he called out and his smile widened as she blinked in surprise. "I know you like what you see, I mean what female wouldn't, but we need to get dressed for work. Bogo will have my hide, if I'm late again for roll call."

He reached to pull her into his embrace, but she stepped back. "No Slick, I'm clean and I don't want to have your scent on me when I arrive at work," she objected. "It's hard enough to keep our new relationship from Ben and the others, what would happen if Bogo found out?"

Nick shrugged as he smiled. "I don't think we are really fooling anyone Carrots," he sighed as she passed him and went into her room to change. "Wolford dropped a few hints yesterday, you know how good a wolf's sniffer can be and so thank goodness for old fashion canid loyalty! He and the other K-9 Team members might tease me in private, but they will never reveal what they smell."

"You're still fixing my bed tonight, otherwise you sleep alone Slick!" she called out and then peeking out of the door, she couldn't help but giggle at the frown the fox now wore in place of his smile.

Candy was excited when she arrived at the shop, she had taken the bus to within a few blocks of where the wolves lived and walked the remainder of the way so she could arrive first thing that morning. "But I have to work today!" Al protested when she told him that he was going to give her a driving lesson.

The look the vixen gave the tall black muscular wolf was heartbreaking to say the least and the sight of the sad mopping fox even managed to work on Old Jeb's heartstrings. "Go on pup and let her do some driving, it's a light work load today and you can take the morning off," the Alpha wolf finally ordered.

She ran across the road and into the barn, past a lanky grey furred wolf named Gober who jumped out of the vixen's way, almost dropping the can of brake fluid he was carrying.

By the time Al caught up with Candy she was already sitting in the car's driver's seat with her paws wrapped around the steering wheel in anticipation. "Come on slow poke, let's go!" she called out.

"Not yet!" Al said. "First you need to make sure everything is in working order. Let's do this by the book."

They began to go through the standard checks. Brake lights were okay, headlights okay, blinkers working, down the list the fox and wolf continued. "Windshield wipers," Al called out.

Candy just couldn't help herself as the wolf leaned over the front windshield, she pressed the washer button and the wiper fluid sprayed Al, who jumped back and shook himself off.

"Grrrr!" he teasingly snarled as he opened the passenger's side door and she giggled as he climbed into the seat. "Well everything seems to be in order, so let's head down the road." She had just put the car into drive and was slowly begun to pull out of the barn, when he quickly added, "Just remember the P is for parking and not passing." It was the vixen's turn to growl, but hers was much more seductive.

Neither one of them saw the trail of fluid which dripped from under the car as it went down the driveway.

The dust hadn't settled back onto the gravel when two teenage wolves entered into the barn. "Saturday cartoons are the best!" one of the boys called out to the other.

"Hey Jerry, where's the car?" the other asked. "Billy was teaching up how to bleed the brakes and change the fluid last night, he said that we can finish this morning."

"The can of fluid is gone and so is the car, so I guess he changed his mind and finished it up himself," the wolf named Jerry answered with a shrug. "So let's go play some video games since we don't have to work."

"I hope he finished tightening the fitting," the wolf said and hesitated as he looked around.

"Guys, the Power Raccoons are on!" a younger pup yelled from the back porch and the two teenagers put all questions aside as they ran from the barn towards the house to watch television.

Candy was comfortable being behind the wheel again and although she gripped the wheel a tad too tight, she soon was back into the grove with driving. "You're doing great babe!" the wolf said before he yawned. "Pull down Ratzinger Street and let's head down towards the old factories, you can practice parallel parking in the empty parking lots."

She frowned as they came to a stop at the intersection. "Hey Al, there's a little play on these brakes," she commented. "Is that because this car is such a hunk of junk?"

"Ha…ha…you're a comedian now," the wolf chuckled. "I'll give them a look over when we get to the parking lot. You should know that if I was the guy giving you your road exam, I would have failed you by now?"

"What did I do?" she quickly objected. Her ears drooped with concern as she glanced over at the wolf and saw that he was leering at her, causing her to blush. "I've been trying to do everything by the book."

"Distracting other drivers by looking so fine today has got to be against the law," he laughed. "Maybe we can check out the backseat when we get to the parking lot?"

"Al, you promised you'd teach me how to drive," she objected as they turned onto Ratzinger Street. At the bottom of a long hill were some railroad tracks and the abandoned wool mills were beyond. She could see some recently harvested fields to the left of the street and a deep lazy flowing river. Before they reached the railroad tracks was the busy intersection of Herd Street. "I already know how to do what you are thinking in that dirty mind of yours."

"Practice makes perfect," he huskily suggested with a grin. She giggled in reply as they began their descent down the hill towards the intersection and his paw wandered to her knee.

"Al stop…" she began and then frowned as she pressed on the brakes and they gave way.

The car picked up speed as they began their way down the hill. "Slow down babe!" Al yelped as the car began to careen on its downward trek. His ears twitched as he suddenly heard a thunk and the vixen curse.

"I'm trying, but the damn brakes have given out!" Candy screamed as she desperately pumped her foot on the useless brake petal. She saw as Al reached over and the wolf gave a powerful pull on the emergency brake, but it snapped off in his paw.

The vixen gave a panicked glance at the rapidly approaching intersection and then saw that the light was red! In front of them was a line of small mouse sized cars, she knew that there was no way they were going to miss crushing them and their tiny occupants. Desperately Candy turned the wheel to the right towards the brick wall that ran along the roadway and the tires hit the curb just as it was rising in a triangular shaped ridge before it scrapped slightly against the wall, causing the car to tip onto its two driver's side tires. Riding along the tire's edges, Candy fought to keep the car from coming down on top of the little cars or rolling over on its roof and into the way of the oncoming traffic.

At the intersection, a black and white police cruiser was waiting for the light to change. "So Slick, what about lunch?" Judy asked. Before the fox could answer, they both were shocked to see a car running through the intersection on only two wheels. With disbelieving eyes, they watched as the car landed back on all four of its wheels as it continued down the hillside. The rabbit slammed down her foot on the gas petal and peeled out with the lights flashing and the sirens blazing as they raced after the car which was not slowing down.

"Carrots it's heading towards the railroad tracks!" Nick yelled as he saw that a slow moving train that was blocking the crossing ahead. "Why are they not slowing down?"

Inside the runaway car, Al gripped the dashboard in panic, his claws cutting into the plastic. "We're so dead!" he howled.

Candy grimly looked ahead at the wall of train cars and then saw a dirt road that veered off slightly to the left and twisted the steering wheel causing the car to skid sideways before she stomped down on the gas to straighten out as it shot down the dirt road.

Judy gasped as she saw the car in front of them skid and slightly fishtail before straightening out as it threw gravel everywhere.

"That must be a professional stunt driver to do that…" Nick began to comment, before the rabbit attempted to pull the same maneuver in the larger police cruiser. The heavier vehicle drifted too far to the right and smashed into the ditch, causing it to roll over and slide upside down into the meadow beyond.

As the car came to a stop, the fox's eyes were wide in surprise as he patted himself in several spots while they hung upside down by their seat belts. "We're still alive Fluff!" Nick said with wonder.

The rabbit winced as the airbags finally deployed. "Only alive until Bogo gets his hoofs on us!" she added as she squirmed to get free of the seat belt and squeeze out of the window.

The airbag next to her suddenly began to deflate with a hiss. "Claws do come in handy," the fox commented as he unbucked himself and slipped out of the wreck.

Ahead of them, the runaway car was still barreling down the dirt road. "Kill the engine babe! Kill the engine!" Al whimpered when he saw the river ahead of them. Candy growled and instead turned the wheel sharply to the right, the car shot up a pile of old gravel and flew into the air, only to land hood first into a large haystack in the field beyond. "I think I wet my pants!" the wolf weakly stuttered out before he fainted.

Nick and Judy approached the car which was sitting firmly perched on top of the hay stack. "That has to be the craziest driving I've ever seen!" the fox commented as he drew his tranquilizer pistol.

"Careful Nick, we have no idea who was behind the wheel and why they were running from us," Judy cautioned her partner as she drew her own gun. The fox nodded in agreement as he followed her toward the hay stack.

"POLICE!" Judy yelled in a commanding voice. "Get out of the car with your paws or hoofs up!"

Both officers stared in disbelief as Candy climbed out of the car's window and sat on its trunk. "Hi ya Thumper!" she nonchalantly called out as she waved down to the astonished rabbit. "Could you bring a ladder? I think I scared my wolf."

Nick quickly reached over and gently put his paw on his partner's gun before she fired.

The big black wolf still trembled after he was finally helped down off the haystack by members of his pack once they arrived in a couple tow trucks. Old Jeb scratched his ear in wonder as he looked up at the car which was firmly wedged into the top of the haystack. "So when did you learn to do all that fancy driving?" the older wolf asked the vixen. "I thought you couldn't drive?"

"I don't know, it just sort of happened?" Candy said as she sat down on the bumper of the truck. Despite what she had just gone through, she still seemed rather calm.

Nick's mouth dropped open when he heard what she had said. "Candy are you telling us that all that was just dumb luck?" he said to her in an incredulous voice.

Judy however had returned from the overturned police cruiser and was angrily tapping her left foot as she began to scribble in a black pad. Finishing, she tore out the citations and slapped them into the vixen's paws as she read them out loud.

Rip…"Speeding!

Ripp…"Reckless driving!"

Rippp…"Failure to stop at a red light!"

Ripppp…"Negligent Driving!"

Rippppp…"Mechanical Violation!"

Ripppppp…" Refusing to stop for police!"

Rippppppp…"Leaving the scene of an accident!"

Candy groaned as she was handed each one of the tickets. "Hey wait a minute! I did not leave the scene of an accident, I was in the accident!" she protested. The smaller big eared cop just pointed towards the wrecked police car with her carrot shaped pen.

By that afternoon poor Candy's learner's permit was revoked.

If you enjoyed this story, you might enjoy one of my other stories. The following is an excerpt from Zootopia Short Stories: Clawhauser is on the Case? - Someone is breaking into and trashing Zootopia's coffee shops and bakeries. Our favorite flabby feline steps out from behind his desk and investigates. Is there something more sinister going on than just doughnuts and muffins? (Completed - Rated K)

Back at the station, the now frazzled fox finally hit the right button and answered the incoming phone call, "Hello?"

"Who is this!" a gruff voice snarled.

"The police station," Nick sarcastically replied. "Don't tell you were trying to call…"

"Wilde is that you!" the voice cut him off, much to his displeasure.

"Captain Huntersnout, it's a pleasure to hear your friendly barking today," the fox snickered.

"Where's Clawhauser?" the wolf snarled. "And why are you answering the phone instead of doing parking duty or something you're capable of doing fox?"

"Benji's on a case," the fox replied. "So Bogo stuck me at the reception desk."

"Is he crazy?" the commander of the K-9 Unit laughed. It was a deep laugh, almost as if he was told a funny joke. "He put a fox up front!"

"Hey what's so funny?" Nick snapped back. "That's no way to treat a fellow member of the canid family, we're practically cousins."

"No you're a fox and I'm a wolf," the captain chuckled. "We wolves have class and integrity."

"Just keep telling yourself that chompers," Nick dryly replied. "I bet you can't even spell integrity."

"I can and its spelled N.O.T.A.F.O.X," the wolf replied.

"Hey, that wasn't funny," Nick tried to protest, but he was laughing too much. "So what does the head sniffer want with a cat?"