The cold outside

'I'm cold Rosie.'
'Me too, but we have to wait. Wait for him.'
The vixen could feel the mouse moving inside her muffler, trying to find some residual warmth.
It was unusually cold today. It reminded her of that day Stan brought them to Tundratown. Only that, then, the sky was clear and the Sun's rays warmed her fur. Here a vicious wind was howling down the street instead, seeping under the fur, freezing the skin beneath. Even the newly grown coat was helpless against that.
The cloudy sky above was rapidly shifting back and forth from a milky white to a dark grey, covering the whole Zootopia.
Certainly not the weather for a pleasant walk. And without mammals to hustle there is no money. And, without money, you can't buy anything to satisfy the most basic necessities. No food, no water, no warmth.
The fox continued walking, snow crunching under her paws. Finally she spotted a lone mammal walking along the street.
'Melody! Quick! I found someone!'
'Mmmh?'
'There, other side of the road. The usual?'
'The usual.'


Finnick was not enjoying this day in the least. He was a goddamn fennec, a desert mammal. And now he was trying to carve a path in snow that reached to his hips. What a shitty day.
'Excuse me, sir.'
The hell? He looked at the mammal that dared to speak to him.
She was a red fox, a little taller than him. Her winter coat was barely contained by the tattered, brown clothes she worn.
'What do you want?'
Rosie was taken aback by the rudeness of her interlocutor. This was not going to be easy. Luckily (or unluckily, depending from the point of view) she had enough experience under her belt to deal with anyone.
'Can you spare some money for a fellow fox? This weather...'
'Don't wanna.' he cut her short, making her ears droop.
'And' the fennec added, putting a paw in his pocket 'if you want to ask someone a couple of bucks you shouldn't pickpocket him at the same time.' Saying this Finnick removed the mouse that intruded his pockets and launched her toward the vixen.
'Rosie!'
Rosie jumped into the snow, catching the flying rodent. Covered in white, she cried to the already departing fennec:
'Please! We'll freeze to death!'
'Not my problem.'
'We will do anything! Anything you want!'
Finnick stopped walking.
'These are dangerous words, girl. Something you should never say.'
'Will you help us?' said the red fox, a smile appearing on her face.
'No.' and, said that, the fennec disappeared in the blizzard.


Rosie laid her back against the nearest wall and collapsed. Her rear hit the now soft pavement, lifting white clouds of ice.
After that fox, the only other mammals that they encountered were just a couple of bunnies. They gave them some money, and they were also able to steal some blueberries. With it the fox and the mouse bought a satisfying and warm lunch.
But that was hours ago.
Now, the sun setting and the snow stopping its fall, they felt the hunger, the cold and the fatigue taking control of their bodies. Melody moved in the vixen's lap.
'I can't walk anymore.'
'I know Rosie, I'm also so tired. I want to take a nap...'
'No! Remember what he said!'
'I know, but I'm so sleepy...'
'We need to endure only a little bit more. I'm sure he will be here soon.'
'Are you really sure?'
'Yes, he should be here very, very soon. And we will wait here, right Melody? Melody?'
But she got no answer.
'Melody? No! Don't sleep...'
Rosie could not keep her eyes open. Slowly darkness filled her vision, dragging her in a dreamless sleep.
A wisp of wind lifted some snow, silently covering the two mammals like a blanket.


'Fuck, you are heavy'


'-sie!'
What was that? Where was she?
'Rosie!'
Was that Melody's voice? Melody!
The red fox jumped to her feet. A metallic sound and a sharp pain to the head quickly followed. What was that? Where was she?
Warmth.
The first thing she noted was a warm air around her, so different from the one she felt before. Yes, before she was freezing, she was sitting in the snow and then? Melody was sleeping... Melody.
She looked where the voice was previously calling her: there she was, her mouse friend, looking at her with apprehension.
'Melody!' she cried, hugging her tightly.
'Oof! Okay, Rosie. It is all okay.'
'What happened?'
'I don't know, I woke up a couple of minutes ago.'
She looked around. They were in a confined space, metallic walls all around her. On the ground a simple blanket and a couple of cushions.
Rosie remembered a lesson Stan told them long ago. He told them about something like this. About some bad mammals that kidnapped homeless mammals to bring them in faraway countries, where they will be treated as slaves. They had to get out now.
'Melody! We have to go! Now!'
'But it is so warm...'
'Don't you remember what he said?'
'Do you think they are...?'
'Exactly! Let's get out of here!'
She turned was seemed like a plastic handle. The door shot open, a cold wind thrashing everything and everyone in the confined space.
'Close the door! Close the door!'
Using all her forces the vixen managed to close the metallic door.
'The hell are you doing back there?'
What spoke a very deep voice, a voice they have heard before. As to confirm their suspicions a pair of comically oversized ears appeared behind what, now that they were a little more calm, were recognizable as car's seats.
'Outside is cold as balls! Why the hell are you opening the trunk?'
'What do you want from us?'
'Eh? If you want to go back, go outside. But close the door.'
'And if we don't want?'
'Then shut up and eat your soup.'
It was then that Rosie noticed a fragrant smell in the air. And a slurping sound. She saw her friend, muzzle in a cup, greedily devouring whatever was inside.
'Melody!'
'But it is shooooo gooooood!'


Finnick looked at the two finish their soup with ravishing hunger. Were they really so hungry?
After the meal the two became much more collaborative.
'...and you see, we were waiting for Stan.'
'Who is Stan?'
'He's a grey wolf. He always looks after us. You can say he is almost... a father for us.'
'And where is he?'
'I don't know! He said he was going to Sahara Square and come b-'
A raucous laugh interrupted her.
'Sahara Square? Everyone is trying to get in there! There is some residual warmth, the number of mammals trying to enter is immense, they had to make blockades! I understand why he's not able to come back!'
Amidst his laughs he looked at the duo. They didn't find the situation funny in the least. Finnick cleared his throat.
'But don't worry, I'm sure he will be back soon, when this fucking blizzard ends. For now you should sleep.'
He threw them the blanket and took a cushion with him, positioning himself on the other side of the van.
Damn those girls.
He looked after them for the whole afternoon, after he treated them so roughly. He saw her work with that couple of bunnies, for being so young they were skilled. He saw them walking aimlessly the whole day, finally collapsing in the middle of the street. He hoped that that patrol car that passed by would pick them up, find them a place to sleep. But it hadn't happened.


Rosie was slowly closing her eyes, finally drifting in a comfortable sleep. Sleep...
Sleep.
Her eyes shot straight open, now she remembered. They were freezing to death. The fennec saved them.
In the darkness she looked at the other side. The van was warm, but some cold seeped in. And for a mammal without winter coat this could be troublesome.


Finnick was shivering.
He gave them the only blanket he had.
Trying to stifle the chattering teeth he closed his eyes, hoping to catch some sleep.
That's when he felt a warm sensation around his body.
Without a single noise the two had surrounded him and covered him with the blanket. The heat from both their bodies, now close to his, removed the cold sensation, the cover protecting them like a shield from any breeze that managed to enter the van.
Clinging strongly at his arms the vixen and the mouse fell fast asleep.
Trapped in this cocoon of warmth Finnick slowly closed his eyes again.
And, as the sleepiness began overtaking him, only a thought filled his head:
'Maybe today was not such a bad day.'