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Hello there, readers! I'm so happy to bring to you the newest chapter of The Keyhole! Once again, this chapter has been proofread by the awesome Trismegistus Shandy! I genuinely hope that you enjoy the new chapter!

"So..." Baily said as he looked down at his mug, which was steaming in the crisp air of Tundra Town, as he sat across from Sophia at a cafe. The two had been awkward around one another ever since what they both simply referred to as The Incident.

"So..." the lioness said as she stared at her own coffee, before she let out a sigh. "It was a very awkward situation." Sophia decided on being direct, which Baily was internally grateful for as it did manage to shatter the tension.

"Very... but at least your grandpa likes me," Baily said.

"That was the, I wanna say third, biggest surprise of that day. Usually, after my grandpa meets a new... friend of mine and starts to get to know them, he doesn't seem to usually like them."

"Maybe that's just him being protective," Baily offered, smiling a little.

"He's very protective of me. When I started high school, he insisted I take some martial arts classes, for when I started dat--uhm, making friends." Sophia blushed and looked away. Baily didn't say anything, content to sit there and smile before taking a sip from his mug.

"A-Anyways, there's going to be a big family get-together, a barbecue," Sophia said, taking a quick and nervous drag from her cup.

"That sounds like fun," Baily said, his mind drifting back to his own family. He felt a twinge of heartache from all of the pain that they had caused him, minus his own grandfather, but it quickly settled back into the faint and very dull pain he had grown accustomed to.

"And my grandpa wanted me to invite you." Sophia's voice snapped Baily back to attention.

"Wait, what?" Baily asked.

"He," Sophia blushed some more but she was determined to press on anyways, "said that because of how often we've been seeing each other, and how close he feels we are, it was only appropriate that you be invited as well."

Baily took a moment to process this new information before a slow, yet cautious, smile grew on his lips. "Does that mean that we're... uh, friends?"

Sophia was inwardly nervous and excited. "I... I'd like us to be... if you wanted to, of course!"

"I'd like that," Baily said, reaching over to rest his hand on Sophia's paw. The lioness smiled at the human and let out a faint purr.

Meanwhile...

Mr. Otterton hummed to himself as he made his rounds in his shop. "The orchids are definitely feeling better," he said to himself. The otter's ear picked up the sound of giggling, and he followed it to the source. There stood his adopted daughter, Sarah, as she looked around with wide eyes at all of the flowers, before the little human's eyes found her father. In her left hand was a piece of paper, and in her other arm was her plush otter, Gracie.

"Hi, Daddy!" Sarah said with glee as she ran right up to the otter and gave him a hug.

"Omph! Hello there, Princess, did Mommy spring you from daycare a little earlier than expected?" Emmitt asked, adjusting his glasses, which had become a little askew.

"I sure did," Mrs. Otterton said in a sing-song voice as she entered, followed by their two boys, Elliot and Oscar. Elliot, the oldest, was wearing a yellow soccer uniform, having just come from practice, while Oscar was just wearing a green shirt and shorts.

"Hi, Dad!" they both said, amused at their little sister's antics.

"Elliot's practice had to end early, so I thought that maybe we could all go out for a surprise picnic in the park," Mrs. Otterton said, motioning towards a picnic basket she was holding. "Plus, I knew Sarah would want to show you her art project."

"Look, Daddy!" Sarah excitedly said as she held up the paper that was in her left hand. Emmitt took it and looked at the picture. It took him a second to determine that it was a picture of their family. Sarah had drawn, in crayon, four brown ovals that he figured were otters, two of which were bigger than the other two, and a stick figure with what looked like Sarah's pigtails. The family was surrounded by what Emmitt guessed were flowers.

"Well, this is beautiful, Princess," he said, smiling up at his little girl, "I think that we'll hang this up on the fridge when we get home."

"YAY!" Sarah cheered, hugging her father again.

"OOMPH! But first, I'll need to close up the shop real quick."

Back in Bunnyburrow...

"And there's yer change. And thanks again fer stoppin' by Gideon Grey's Real Good Baked Stuff, Mrs. Vermili," Gideon said as he handed the boxed pies and the change to the older anteater. She gave the chubby fox a warm smile before she left. Gideon hummed as he wiped down the counter before heading into the back. He crept quietly, as little Jeremiah was in his bassinet, snoring. His muzzle broke into a grin as he watched the human baby. He was snapped out of his thoughts by the jingling of his shop's front door. He crept back out and turned to address the newest customer.

"Welcome to Gideon Gre--oh, hey there, Darlin'," the fox addressed Sharla, the black sheep standing in front of the counter, leaning over the counter and resting her closely trimmed black-wooled head in her hooves. She regarded her fiance with a playful expression. After having just come home from the base, the ewe was still in her uniform.

"How's our little Snickerdoodle?" Sharla asked, using the nickname that Gideon had first coined when he was trying to calm the crying infant down.

"He's fast asleep, Darlin', which is a nice change from him crawlin' all over creation," Gideon said as he approached the counter, making Sharla chuckle. The two shared a kiss, both quickly reminiscing about their alone time a few nights ago. They had since, in the chaos of suddenly having a baby of a previously unknown species to take care of, developed a system. It allowed them to make time for romance in between caring for Jeremy.

"He's a little explorer, after all," Sharla said after they broke off their kiss. "I'm just happy at how much healthier he is. I think back to how he was when we first found him, and it just makes me shudder."

"I know how you feel, Darlin'," Gideon said as he took her hooves in his paws, looking down into her eyes.

"And I think that we're doing the right thing, Gid," Sharla continued; "we're giving him a home and a family that's gunna love and take care of him from now on."

"I ain't gunna lie, Darlin'," Gideon said, looking down; "I didn't think that this was a good idea. But... I was wrong... and I ain't ashamed to admit it." Sharla's smile lit up the room, as it always did in Gideon's eyes.

"I think that you're making for a wonderful dad." Sharla stood up straighter.

"And it certainly don't hurt that I've got an amazing mom in my corner." Gideon, suddenly feeling the urge to, stepped around the counter and scooped Sharla into his arms, spinning them around. Sharla's hooves shot to her mouth to block the squeal of surprise and delight that almost escaped her lips, not wanting to wake the baby.

"Then I guess it's a good thing that we got a letter from Child Services. They're gunna be coming out to do an in-home inspection in a week," Sharla said as she rested her head against Gideon's chest, suddenly feeling him tense up.

"What? W-We gotta get the house ready then! I gotta finish paintin' the nursery," Gideon said, starting to fret.

"Gid."

"Y-Yeah, Darlin'?"

"Please don't worry," Sharla said, reaching up to cup Gideon's cheeks in her hooves, "we'll have the house all ready in time fer them." Gideon quickly began to calm down, instinctively nuzzling Sharla's hooves.

"It's just scary ta think about, Darlin'," Gideon said after a moment.

"I know, Sugar Tail, and there ain't nuthin' wrong with that. But workin' ourselves up ain't gunna help anything, least of all Jeremy." Sharla slipped back into her accent, which, with the help of her pet name for him, of course helped to bring a smile to Gideon's muzzle.

"Yer absolutely right, Darlin'," Gideon said, giving his ewe a squeeze before setting her back down. Sharla reached up to plant a kiss on his cheek, giggling a little at the blush he still got underneath his fur. Just then, they both turned towards the sound of Jeremiah starting to fuss.

"Looks like someone's awake," Sharla said, giving Gideon another reassuring hug before heading into the back to see to the baby. Gideon watched Sharla dote over Jeremy and start to calm him down, the sight making his heart flutter much like it did on their first date. His tail matched his mood as it started to wag before the door jingled again, and Gideon had to resume running his shop.

"Welcome to Gideon Grey's Real Good Baked Stuff, how may I help ya?" he addressed the family of bunnies.

Elsewhere...

"Oh come on, Buddy," Nick said as he reached up to nudge Eli as they stood next to Judy at the front of the line at Jumbeaux's Cafe. Ever since earning his badge, Nick, usually accompanied by Judy, had chosen the cafe to be a regular stop for him each week in uniform, much to the elephant owner's dismay. Nick tended to take a little satisfaction at the specist owner's annoyance. "The buttery beetle chocolate pecan crunch is something I'm sure you'll love."

"Nick, don't pressure him into doing something he isn't comfortable with," Judy lightly admonished her mate.

"Yes, dear," was Nick's slightly sarcastic response, instigating another eye roll from the bunny. Jerry Jumbeaux looked from the two to the human standing next to them, and shook his head in confusion, but wisely chose to say nothing.

"Whatever flavor you want, sweetie," Judy said, reaching up to give Eli's hand a squeeze. Her human kit smiled and looked up at the elephant.

"One small scoop of rocky road in a waffle cone, please," he said politely. The elephant muttered darkly under his breath as he put on a plastic trunk sleeve, and scooped a ball of ice cream just smaller than Eli's head onto a cone, handing it over. Eli had to use both hands to hold it, and looked at his frozen treat in surprise.

"A triple scoop of the buttery beetle chocolate pecan crunch for me, also small and also in a waffle cone," Nick said, pulling out his wallet.

"I'll take a triple x small broccoli frozen yogurt in a cup," Judy said, rolling her eyes as Nick was handed the towering ice cream cone, somehow managing to look casual as he carried it and set the money on the counter, while Judy was passed a cup with a green-swirled frozen treat, sized much more appropriately for someone Eli's size.

"Keep the change, Jerry," Nick said, giving the cowling elephant a wink, before turning towards the door and, using his shoulder, holding it open for his mate and his kit.

"Is this really all for me?" Eli asked, looking at his ice cream in amazement.

"It sure is, buddy, but ya might wanna eat it quick before it all melts," Nick said.

"We have a cooler with ice and some empty ice cream containers in the car. What you don't finish, we'll keep for desert," Judy said, just before enjoying a spoonful of her frozen yogurt.

"For the next six months, apparently," Nick snickered. The three took seats in the new outside section of the cafe, underneath one of the umbrellas with the smaller tables and chairs. They had just taken a seat before Judy's ears perked up, hearing a voice calling her name.

"Judy!" The bunny cop turned in the direction she heard the voice, and saw a large polar bear in a black suit and tie striding towards them, a tiny little shrew standing on one of his massive paws.

"Hi there, Fru Fru!" Judy smiled at her friend as she was held up to Judy's eye level. The bunny then nodded politely to the polar bear. "Hello to you too, Koslov." The polar bear looked down at Judy, but retained his stoic facial expression.

"And hello to you too, Nicky," the arctic shrew said to Nick who smiled awkwardly, still feeling a little nervous around the daughter of Mr. Big.

"Nice to meet you again, as always," Nick said, formally, making Judy and Fru Fru roll their eyes simultaneously.

"How's little Judy doing?" Judy asked about her goddaughter.

"Wonderfully, her daddy took her to her first ballet lesson today. I would have gone myself, but there were a few important errands I needed to see to."

"Awwww," Judy cooed, having adored the shrew named after her. Judy then noticed Fru Fru looking at Eli and decided to introduce him. "OH! Fru? I would like you to meet the newest addition to the Hopps-Wilde family, Eli."

"H-hello Mrs. Fru Fru," Eli said, remembering his manners, "it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Fru Fru giggled as she smiled at the human. "My, my, he's quite the little gentlemammal. I can see your parents have been raising you right." Fru Fru motioned to Nick and Judy as Eli blushed. "You weren't kidding when you said he was shy," Fru Fru whispered to Judy, just below Eli's hearing ability. Judy reached over and rested her paw on Eli's hand, the one not holding his ice cream cone.

"That he is, but he's also a total sweetheart, and there isn't a day that goes by that I'm not proud of him, as well as how far out of his shell he's come already," Judy said, making Eli blush and look away, but smile nonetheless.

"Aww, I gotta say, I was a little scared when these humans first started showing up. But now, Daddy's hired one!"

"Really?" Judy asked, surprised.

"Uh-huh! Little Judy was about to fall in the river nearest the house, and this human wanders by, looking really confused and scared, and sees what's happening. Without thinking, he caught her just as he himself fell into the ice water. Koslov fished him out while Kevin carried him back to the house to warm up and meet Daddy. He was covered in scars and burns, but seemed really sweet despite that. He told Daddy about how one minute he was at home, with his wife berating and hitting him as she usually did, and after she pushed him out the back door, he suddenly found himself in Tundratown. It was especially shocking to him, because he was living in a desert in someplace called Arizonia."

While the two were chatting, Nick took Eli and their only partially eaten ice creams to the car, to put them in the containers in the trunk. They returned just as Fru Fru was finishing up.

"That's amazing!" Judy said, now worried about little Judy.

"I know! Raymond is currently training him on becoming a bodyguard."

"Huh... I didn't see that one coming," Nick said after taking his seat.

"Normally Daddy prefers our... ahem, bodyguards, to be polar bears. But this human is just so BIG that he might as well be one!"

"What's his name?" Nick asked, interested, never before having heard of the Big family hiring any other kind of mammal for their bodyguards.

"Robin," Fru Fru said.

"What, like the bird?" Nick asked.

"Sure. Or like the legendary fox who would steal--"

"From the rich and give to the poor," Nick finished. "I used to love those stories as a kit, but as I got older, I started to prefer the legends of Taurro."

"The masked bull?" Judy asked, giggling a little at the idea of a young Nick running around with a toy bow and arrow before trading it in for a fake fencing sword and a black cape.

"Yup. The one who would carve a T with his sword wherever he struck, and who was suave with the ladies," Nick flashed Judy a wink. Judy giggled while Eli looked embarrassed, which Nick noticed. "Hey now, bud, I will have you know that as your father, I reserve the right to embarrass you in public from time to time. Especially by flirting with your mother, like so."

"Dad!" Eli complained, but chuckling. Judy thumped Nick on his chest, her ears turning a bright shade of pink on the inside. Fru Fru watched the three and cooed.

At that moment...

"I love coming here, Henry," Bogo heard his wife, Beth, say as she rested her head against his shoulder. He smiled down at the cape buffalo cow whom he had known almost all of his life, and rested his chin on top of her head, in between her curled horns, as the two gazed out at the water from where they were standing on Lion's Gate Island. This being the spot that the police chief had gotten down on one knee and proposed to her, much to her shock and joy.

"As do I, dearest," Bogo's voice rumbled contentedly as the two stood there, watching all of the different boats drifting lazily about. The Chief had left early today, always looking to make time for his wife. His job meant that he wasn't always successful, but Beth was a very understanding and patient female. Of course, running her own company meant that she was kept fairly busy as well. Bogo opened his mouth to speak when suddenly he noticed that all of the nearby outdoor lamps turned on, shining almost blindingly for a moment, with some burning out with loud pops.

The cape buffaloes blinked as their vision started to clear, to see a boat heading right towards the rocky shore of the island. The boat had several patchwork sails billowing in the breeze, which matched the overall patchwork look to the vessel itself. Before the two could react, the ship ran aground right below the railing where they were standing. Reacting, Bogo passed his wife his phone, already having a number dialed and ready to go, as he climbed over the railing and dropped down onto the deck. Beth, while worried, knew to get back as she informed Clawhauser of the situation.

"Hello? Is anyone on board?" The Chief called out. He already had a pretty good idea about the answer to that question, and his ears soon picked up the sound of coughing. There was a makeshift cabin, fabricated from pieces of tarp. Cautiously, Bogo opened the flap. His nostrils were assaulted by a sour, sickening smell. He looked inside to see a human struggling to his feet.

As his eyes adjusted, he could see that the human was not in good shape. His facial fur had grown out and was matted, much like his hair. His left eye looked around with an almost wild look in it, sunken in his skull. There was a fresh cut that ran across his right eye. The human was shirtless, and his flesh a deathly pale. All across his body were what Bogo recognized as cigarette burns, a sign that the human male before him had been tortured. Looking down at the man's legs, covered in a very tattered and torn pair of jeans, he saw that the human's left leg was broken, and very discolored.

He's been tortured, and that leg is clearly infected, Bogo thought to himself.

"Hello there," he said in a calm and clear voice after the human stared at him in shock for a few moments, his breathing seeming to be labored as he swayed unsteadily on his good leg, "my name is Henry Bogo. I know that you probably have a lot of questions, and I promise to answer them to the best of my abilities. But first, I think we need to get you to a hospital."

The human seemed to take a minute to process what had been said before he responded.

"Sounds good to me." His voice came out in a very dry rasp.

"An ambulance is on its way, care to tell me your name?"

"My name is Alex Harcourt, I'm twenty-seven years old, and I officially hate my father," was what the human said before a coughing fit started. He looked ready to collapse onto a pile of tarps that Bogo realized he must have been using as a bed. Amazingly, though, he remained standing, looking Bogo right in the eye.

And there you have it, readers! I hope that you enjoyed the newest chapter! Feel free to let me know what you thought of it!