The fair was still going strong as the sun began to dip lower in the sky, promising even more fun before the day was through. For the first time in a long while, Finnick felt like he truly belonged—diaper and all—right in the middle of his loud, loving, chaotic new family.
The afternoon sun was still bright when Nick, Judy, and Finnick wandered over to a charming little pie stand near the main walkway. A hand-painted sign read “Gideon’s Fresh Baked Pies.”
“Judy Hopps?!” Gideon Grey exclaimed, leaning over the counter with a huge grin. “Well butter my biscuits, if it ain’t little Judy from back in the day!”
“Gideon!” Judy laughed warmly. They quickly fell into catching up while Nick and Finnick stood nearby. “It’s so good to see you! This is my boyfriend, Nick Wilde, and this is our…Little one, Finnick.”
Gideon’s eyes widened. “Little one? Well I’ll be! Nice to meet you both.” He shook Nick’s paw enthusiastically and gave Finnick a friendly nod. “You’ve got yourself a real fine family there, Judy.”
The adults chatted away. Gideon proudly explained how he built the pie stand from almost nothing. “Started with just my grandma’s old recipes and a beat-up truck. Baked everything myself in a tiny rented kitchen. Took forever to get steady customers, but these last few months? I’m finally turning a real profit! The blueberry-caramel pie is sellin’ like crazy.”
Judy beamed. “That’s amazing, Gideon! I’m so happy for you.”
“Yeah, sounds like you really turned things around,” Nick added, genuinely impressed. “Takes a lot of work to build something like this.”
Finnick, however, quickly grew bored. He kicked at the dirt, sighing loudly. His eyes wandered… and then locked onto Gideon’s open cash box. A thick wad of bills was sticking out temptingly. Finnick’s heart raced as old instincts flared.
*Don’t do it. You’re supposed to be good now… But he’s doing well. He won’t even miss it…*
After a tense internal battle, temptation won. In one swift motion, Finnick snatched the wad of cash and stuffed it deep into the back of his diaper, hiding it under the thick padding.
Judy and Gideon didn’t notice a thing. But Nick caught the quick, sneaky movement.
A minute later, Finnick began shifting restlessly, guilt starting to creep in.
Nick’s expression changed. “Hey, Carrots, Gideon—mind if Finnick and I step away for a quick diaper check? We’ll be right back.”
Judy blinked. “Already? We just changed him earlier…” She shrugged. “Alright, don’t take too long.”
Nick scooped Finnick up under one arm and walked briskly toward the family restroom, ignoring the fennec’s squirming protests.
