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Hey there, dear readers! I'm happy to bring you the next chapter of The Keyhole! Once more, this chapter was proofread by the wonderful and amazing Trismegistus Shandy!

"Alright. I'm going to just come right out and say it," Honey Badger said in a hushed voice to the armadillo beside her in the van that they had procured. "We might need to think about a different subject to procure."

Edwin was watching a certain family of otters and their adopted daughter as they enjoyed a picnic in the local park. The brown-skinned little human girl was delighted as her new daddy helped her to start flying a kite while her mother filmed them. The two younger otters giggled as they wrestled next to the picnic blanket, almost knocking over the lunch basket.

"I, unfortunately, agree," Doctor Shellison said with a sigh. "Perhaps we should set our sights on the supposed baby girl? That one wouldn't put up much of a fight."

Honey shook her head. "No. That wolf and tiger cop couple are adopting it."

"A pity," Edwin said, his left eye twitching, "I suppose some couples out there are just so desperate to be parents. Although that's probably what these things posing as children are counting on. Perhaps we should target one of the adults then?" Edwin said, looking at his watch. Its face he had long since smashed with a hammer, while he had still been wearing it, due to its ticking noise.

"Actually, I was thinking that your original target was the correct option," Honey said with a smirk. Edwin froze just as he was about to take a sip of his coffee.

"You mean the one called Eli," the armadillo asked, his eye twitching even more.

"The one and the same. I've been making some observations that have revealed some new data. And from this data, I am already formulating a plan." Honey smiled wickedly at the shocked look on Edwin's face. He quickly recovered, his muzzle forming a smile.

"Do tell, do tell," he said, excited.

"Soon, Doctor Shellison," Honey said as she made her way into the driver's seat. "I'll tell you first what the data has informed me, and then my plan on our way."

"On our way where?" Edwin asked as he scrambled into the passenger seat.

"We're going to need a few specific supplies, and then we'll be all set for our 'human-trap'," Honey said, making air-quotes, just before starting the engine.

FINALLY! I'll finally be able to examine the Eli creature up close! I will learn all of its secrets! Edwin thought with glee.

Meanwhile...

It had been a week since Eli had received his neckerchief from his grandma and grandpa. The very next day at school, after having double checked that he had his mom and dad's permission via quick texts, the human boy informed his mouse friend, Big Mike, that he wanted to join his Ranger Scout Troop. The mouse had been ecstatic, and promised Eli that he was going to love it. He had even handed Eli a pamphlet; unfortunately, forgetting that Eli was a significantly larger species of mammal, he had handed him a mouse-sized one.

After getting a larger pamphlet, the week had progressed normally, with Judy dragging Nick along, literally using his neck tie, to get Eli's new scout uniform. The fox had seemed reluctant to do so initially, not that that ever stopped his bunny. All too soon, the night of Eli's swearing in was upon them. Eli looked nervously at his reflection in the mirror, standing there in his uniform, adjusting his hat. A pair of russet paws reached from around Eli's back to secure his red neckerchief. Eli turned his head to see Nick sitting on the desk behind him, smiling his casual smile.

"There we go, buddy," Nick said, feeling an odd wave of nostalgia. He remembered how nervous and excited he had been as a kit. He hid his frown as the memories of that night briefly resurfaced. "You're looking good, Eli."

"Th-Thanks... Dad," Eli said with a blush. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted something. Eli turned to see his bedroom door barely cracked open with a grey-furred arm holding up a phone.

"Mom?" Eli asked as Nick rolled his eyes.

"Your mother wants to record us bonding," Nick explained, his tail giving a little wag.

They could both hear an audible sniffle. "Just act like I'm not here and," there was another sniffle, "continue making a beautiful memory to cherish."

Nick leaned up close to his kit's ear. "This whole thing has been making her act pretty emotional, in case you haven't noticed."

"It has not!" Judy's slightly muffled voice said indignantly.

Eli held back a chuckle, having noticed the bunny that was his adopted mother becoming emotional during the past week. More than once, Nick had explained to him that bunnies were naturally emotional.

"Now, get back to bonding, you two!" Judy ordered from behind the door.

"Yes, ma'am," Nick chuckled. Once Eli's final scout uniform inspection was completed, the three packed into the car, Nick insisting on driving, and made their way to Eli's swearing-in ceremony. It was taking place in a small auditorium at a local community center. Nick had been a little uneasy about the idea of Eli joining the Ranger Scouts, but he had done some additional research to find that so far, there had been no complaints of specism or anything like that. Another surprising thing he had learned was that parents were encouraged, and sometimes required, to be more paws-on with their children's participation. Such as swearing-in ceremonies becoming a little social gathering for said parents.

"Oh! Judy! Nick!" The three turned their heads in the direction of a small mouse woman who was waving them over after they had entered.

"Isabella," Judy said with a warm smile as she greeted Big Mike's mother. The little mouse dragged her husband by the arm towards the three.

"Hello there, Eli sweetheart," Isabella said as she smiled up at the boy.

"Hi, Mrs. Musculus, Mr. Musculus," Eli said back.

"Mikey is right over there, with the other members and the Scoutmaster," Isabella pointed over towards the stage, where several young mammals in the green scout uniform, identical to Eli's, were talking with an adult deer buck wearing a similar uniform, a green wide-brimmed hat nestled on his head just in between his antlers. Eli thanked Isabella and, after looking back to receive a nod from his own mother, made his way over to the group, doing his best to avoid the stares he could feel coming from some of the parents.

"He's just so excited! Since Eli decided to join, so did Isaac. And now they're all going to be in the same troop together," Isabella said.

"I'm just so happy that he's made friends," Judy said, giving a sniff. Nick chuckled and rolled his eyes, while pulling the emotional bunny into a hug.

"Uhm, e-excuse me?" Surprised, Nick and Judy turned to the speaker who had addressed them. It was an uncomfortable-looking zebra.

"Yes?" Nick answered.

"A-Are you, uhm, officer Nicholas Wilde?" he asked.

"That's what everyone tells me," Nick said with a smirk.

"My name is Aiden Equus and, uhm... c-could I have a moment with you?" Aiden asked. Nick looked him up and down. He was wearing a navy sweater vest with a white dress shirt underneath and a pair of khaki slacks. Nick gave Judy one last squeeze before following as Aiden led the way. The zebra stopped, looking even more uncomfortable, once they were separated from the rest of the parents.

"Alright, now what's this about?" Nick said, ditching his usual snark to get right to it. He wanted to finish this as quickly as possible and not risk missing a moment of Eli taking his oath.

"I... well... I..." Aiden let out a sigh, "I wanted to apologize to you."

"For?" Nick asked, confused.

Aiden looked down guiltily before looking back into the fox's eyes.

"Many years ago, I was in the Junior Ranger Scouts, in Pack 914." As the zebra spoke, Nick's eyes went wide. He studied the mammal before him, and started to notice some similarities with a certain zebra boy who had been in that troop on that horrible night.

"The same troop that I had wanted to join, had gotten my mother to scrape together enough money to buy the uniform, had been so excited to join... and then been held down and muzzled by," Nick said, his voice flat.

Aiden winced as Nick recounted what had happened, and nodded.

"Yes... I was... I was one of those boys who did that to you..." Aiden admitted.

"I heard that the Junior Ranger Scouts disbanded," Nick said, keeping his voice even.

"Yeah... we... uh... we weren't the only troop who had done something like that... and you... you weren't the only predator kid we had done that to either... parents started to complain and... then there was the Scoutmasters getting caught saying some pretty specist things and... well..."

"So... there were other predators that you guys bullied," Nick said, a slight edge creeping into his voice. Aiden flinched, as though having been physically struck, and then nodded his black and white striped head.

"Yeah... there were... when my parents found out that I had been doing stuff like that... they were furious. I wasn't allowed to be a part of the scouts anymore after that," Aiden said. "I... I'm so sorry, Mr. Wilde, for what I did."

Nick stood there and stared hard at the zebra before him for a few heartbeats before letting out a breath.

"That moment," Nick started, "was the single worst moment of my life. It was after that day that I started to view the world in a very harsh light, and my trust in others was virtually shattered."

Aiden looked miserable, but didn't know what else to say.

"It wasn't until a very special mammal came into my life, five years ago, that I started to learn to trust again." Nick held up a paw to forestall the zebra when he seemed about to speak.

"And it was with great hesitation that I gave my okay to let our kit join the newer, supposedly much better, scout group. My mate and my son may not have realized it, but I did hesitate, worried that because he's different, that he would go through something similar to what I did." Nick let out a sigh.

"It's hard... to let go of the pain... and for the most part I have. I will admit, though, that this has made some of that pain flare up," Nick said, "but I'm done clinging to it." Nick left it at that neither saying he accepted nor rejected the zebra's apology. Aiden, still looking guilty, nodded. The two started to make their way back to the main group of parents, who were now starting to take their seats. He could see Eli standing on the stage, next to a familiar-looking coyote boy whose tail was a blur of excitement, a cougar, a white tiger, and a zebra.

"I take it," Nick said, gesturing casually to the zebra child as he addressed Aiden, "that that one's yours?"

"Yes... that's my daughter, Lyla," Aiden said, smiling a little; "which one's yours?"

"My kit's the one in the center chair, Eli," Nick said as he spotted two grey ears with black tips. He looked up at Aiden and gave him a nod before taking his seat next to Judy, giving the paw not holding her phone up a squeeze. She looked over at him, surprised, before leaning over to give him a kiss. Nick reciprocated, and the two turned their eyes towards the stage.

Eli was blushing a little. He had been surprised to find Lyla, who was now standing to his left, had decided to join the same troop as him, Troop 608. Isaac had decided to join because he didn't want to feel left out, and was now practically bouncing with excitement as he stood to Eli's right. Scoutmaster Greene had introduced all of the new scouts. To the right of Isaac was Kimi, the young white tigress who kept trying to catch Eli's eye and giggled whenever she did, making Eli blush a little. Directly to Lyla's left was a cougar boy by the name of Chuck, who seemed just as nervous as Eli was. Behind them stood Mike and the four other current members of Troop 608, an elephant boy, two black bear twins, and a chinchilla.

"Alright, scouts," Scoutmaster Greene said, clapping his hooves together to get their attention. "It's showtime. Mike," he said, pointing a hoof at the mouse boy, who stood at attention, "you're up, Troop Leader."

Mike nodded before quickly scampering his way over to the podium. He hopped onto the offered hoof of the scoutmaster, who safely deposited him next to the microphone.

"Welcome, parents of scouts new and old!" Mike said, with no hesitation. He looked back at Eli and Isaac and gave them both a thumbs up before he continued.

"Today we are gathered to witness the swearing in of Troop 608's newest members." Mike started with Chuck, asking him to step forward, raise his right paw, and recite the oath. Eli felt nervous, worried that he was going to slip up and forget what to say. He then felt a reassuring hoof hold his hand and give it a squeeze. Lyla giggled at Eli's blush, neither one of them catching the smirk from the white tigress, whose tail was swishing playfully.

"Welcome to Troop 608," Mike said as the scoutmaster handed the cougar a deep green sash, for sewing on merit badges. Lyla let go of Eli's hand as it was her turn to take the oath. After she had finished and lowered her right hoof, she too was given her sash. Then it was Eli's turn. He was so nervous, he barely heard his friend ask him to raise his right hand, which he did. Eli took a deep breath, and recited the oath.

"I, Eli Hopps, promise to be brave, loyal, helpful, and trustworthy." A simple sentence, and he didn't slip up on a single word. Mike beamed at him as Eli was given his own sash, and he took his place next to Lyla. He looked up to see the white tiger girl, Kimi, looking at him and smiling. He felt Lyla take his hand in her hoof again, and missed seeing Kimi roll her eyes with a large grin on her face. In the audience, Nick noticed, and chuckled when he immediately deduced what was happening.

"Guess I'm going to have to give Eli a talk about girls," he quietly said before he was punched, lightly, in his arm.

"He's too young for that, Nick," Judy whispered. Nick opened his mouth to argue the point, but the look she gave him silenced the tod. He simply nodded, smiling as he caught a shared look between the zebra and the tigress. He recognized the competitive look they briefly shared for what it was, and saw how oblivious Eli was to it.

Poor guy, Nick thought with another chuckle as he stood to clap along with the rest of the parents, once Isaac and Kimi had taken their oaths and sashes, he has no idea what's coming.

Later That Night...

Ralph crept into the nursery, his tail swishing excited behind him. He smiled when he saw his mate sitting in the white rocking chair, their daughter in her arms. Nadine's ears twitched, and the tigress looked up to see her wolf entering. He was in his pj's while she was wearing her favorite red silk nightgown, having gotten up in the night to check in on her cub, who had been awake and wanting attention. She looked down at little Rosalie, the name that they had picked in honor of Nadine's late aunt, the human infant smiling up at her, making gurgling noises.

Ralph said nothing, holding the bottle he had warmed up for his little girl, which Nadine took. Continuing to cradle Rosalie, she guided the bottle to the baby's mouth. Rosalie accepted and began to drink from the bottle, kicking her little legs. She was wearing a simple fleece onesie.

"Can you believe it?" Nadine asked her mate in a soft voice, not once looking up from her baby. "We have a daughter now."

"I know, it almost seems like a dream," the timber wolf said, his tail still swishing.

"Then I hope neither of us ever wake up," Nadine said before she started rocking back and forth in the chair, humming a lullaby. Ralph watched, feeling like the luckiest mammal in the world.

And there you have it, dear readers! I hope that you enjoyed the newest chapter!