All characters copyrighted to the writer
Please DO NOT steal them or use this story without my prior permission

 The stars illuminated the night sky as the town of Pinewood slowly sank into the darkness.  The moon shone a thin blanket of moonlight over the town as the minutes slowly passed by.  The streets were empty and as silent as the dead itself.  Rudolph stood nearby the window and sighed as he stood in his usual clothing attire, waiting anxiously for 8:30 to come.  He gazed over at the clock and groaned.
 "8:17...great....8:30 will never come at this rate."
 Rudolph sighed heavily as he collapsed into his bed.  Staring into the ceiling, thoughts ran through his memory.  He closed his eyes a little and let them illuminate his vision.  He stood in a field of grass, the sky blue, the sun hanging lazily over the area.  As he stepped forward, a young girl, a fennec, stood in front of him, in a flowing purple dress, a small smile on her face.  She leaned forward and gave him a soft kiss on his muzzle, at which he closed his eyes and smiled.  Their hands locked and they began to take part in a slow dance, a soft music seeming to fill the air.  They twirled and spun around to the beat.  It was as if time had stood still, while they were in each other's arms.  Then, as sudden as their dance had begun, a loud crash sounded.  Everything surrounded in darkness, the girl vanishing from his arms.  The field dried out and faded.  Even the sun had vanished into the surrounding darkness.  The fox stood alone in the darkness, unable to move or get out.  He shut his eyes to the blackness and cried out in fury.  When he reopened his eyes, everything had vanished.  He found himself staring at the ceiling once more.  He sighed out in boredom once more.
 "Great....just a dream....and it was getting good too...wait a sec....what time is it?"
 Rudolph stared off to his side and groaned out once more.  The clock seemed to flash out with a mocking light.
 "8:47?!  Crap...I'm late..."
 Rushing out of the room and down the hall, Rudolph could feel his breath catch in his throat.  Will stood near the doorway, tapping his foot wearily as he stared at his watch.  Noticing Rudolph coming down the steps, he gave a small smile.
 "Boy, it sure took you a long time to dress," Will said slyly.  Rudolph gave a small growl.
 "Lay off.  I fell asleep."
 "I know."
 Rudolph put a paw to his head and ran it through his hair.  His long red-brown threads seemed to catch on his fingers as he continued on to the band that kept it in a ponytail down to his waist.
 "Why didn't you wake me up, then?"
 Will's smile grew even more mischievous as he stared at Rudolph.
 "Dunno...I kinda liked hearing you say "Oh, Rose..." in your sleep..."
 Rudolph felt himself glowing red under his already deep-red fur.
 "Oh, shut up!  We're late enough as it is!"
 "I know....don't worry, I'm sure she won't mind."
 Rudolph gave a small cough as Will mentioned 'her'.  He could still remember what happened as if it were yesterday.  Heck, it was yesterday.  The girl of his dreams...she had actually asked him to go out tonight, even after what happened on their first date.  He actually had a second chance to make it work out.  He clenched his paws into fists and nodded fiercely.  He would make this work out.  There were no questions about it.

 Meanwhile...

 Desert Rose sat facing the mirror in her room, struggling ot get her hair style the way she wanted it.  Dressed in her normal casual clothing, she sighed as she placed the brush in her paw away.  Giving herself a once-over, she smiled and walked over to the door, opening it slightly.  She suddenly shot back as her father, a large male fennec, standing behind the door, who opened the door the rest of the way and walked inside.  His eyes stared over Rose with a cold glare.  Rose averted her attention to the floor, hoping that he wouldn't ask what she expected.  Her hopes were soon dashed.
 "So...you're going back out with...him, aren't you?" he said, a snarl placed on his muzzle.
 "Yes, Dad.  I owe him the date, after the last one...."
 "But...he upset you.  You should be glad I never saw him afterwards..."
 Rose suddenly stamped her foot in anger.
 "Dad!  I told you yesterday, we apoligized!  Everything's fine!"
 He merely kept silent, his face facing the ground.  Rose walked over and placed her paw onto his shoulder.
 "Come on, Dad.  I know you can't accept him for what he is...but I do.  Please...just until the end of tonight....can you treat him nice?  That's all I want...."
 His shoulders drooping from his sides, Rose's father merely shook his head and growled softly.
 "I can't...you know I can't accept him...not until he proves himself...."
 Giving a small stare to his daughter, he noticed that her eyes gave a reflection of pain and hurt.  A small smile crossed his normally plain muzzle and he ran his fingers through her hair.
 "But...I'll do it for you.  Just for tonight.  Now, you just be careful.  And if anything goes wrong, call me.  Understand?"
 Smiling, Rose jumped into her father's arms and hugged tightly.  His smile slowly increased as she hugged tighter.
 (I keep forgetting how grown you are...I just hope you'll be okay...)
 A small rapping on the door startled them back to reality.
 "That must be him."  Rose leapt out of her father's arms and rushed down the stairs to the front doorway.  Rose's father slowly walked over to her bed and sat down slowly.  Looking over her desk, he noticed a picture of his wife in a golden frame.  The picture displayed a small fennec, her face lined with weariness, a smile on her muzzle.  Her hands were folded neatly on her lap as she sat, her beauty aligned in the portrait.  Placing the frame into his large hands, he tried his hardest not to cry out with pain.  Caressing his fingers on the frame, he closed his brown eyes and smiled.  A small whisper escaped from his lips.
 "Our daughter's growing up...how I wish you could have been there to see it...."
 He brought the frame up to him and gave it a small kiss before replacing it back on the desk where it formally stood.  With that, he slowly stood up and walked over to the doorway, looking into the room once more and letting a small tear streak itself down his face.  He quickly wiped it away and turned out the light, closing the door.

 "Hello, Rudy.  How are you?"  Rose said, smiling calmly as Rudolph stood in the doorway, a nervous curl on his lips.
 "Oh...okay...so...you ready?" Rudolph said, his voice quavering a little, his eyes darting past her to the staircase.  Her father stood there, his usual cold stare and occasional snarl plastered on his face.  Rose softly nodded.
 "Okay, Dad, we're leaving now..."
 Rose's father suddenly shot up, and Rudolph felt his heart begin to sink to his stomach.  He gulped loudly as the burly fennec walked over to him.  He raised his paw over his head, and Rudolph felt his eyes narrow with fear.  But all he felt was a heavy pat on his shoulder.  Widening his gaze, Rudolph could see him smiling.  He nodded his head slowly as his hand remained in its former position.  Rose smiled as she saw his father keeping his word.  With a small nod, Rose took Rudolph's arm and walked down the pathway to the car that awaited them.  Giving a small wave back, Rose said a small good-bye to his father, then disappeared into the car.  Turning around, he walked back into the house and closed the door, a sly grin on his face.
 (Just for you, sweetheart....then, when you realize how much of a jerk he really is...you'll be begging me to do him in.  But I'll play along....just for you, honey....just for you.)

 Will turned the corner and pulled into the main streets.  He talked softly to the couple as they continued down the road.
 "So, Rose....this is a casual date, correct?"
 "Yep...nothing too fancy...just some food and some other things..."
 Rudolph merely stood silent, trying to keep his innards from churning out from his mouth.  As they pulled into a stop light, Will looked behind him and noticed that Rudolph had his eyes squinted, and his paws to his mouth.  He raised his eyebrows in confusion.
 "Are you okay, Rudolph?"
 His blue eyes shooting open, Rudolph slowly nodded, dropping his hands from his muzzle.
 "Um...yeah, I'm okay... (Oh, please...not tonight....)"
 "Okay...if you're sure, then..."
 Shrugging his shoulders, Will turned his head back to the road as the light changed to green and they continued down the path.  Rose gave Rudolph a playful nudge which made him jump nervously.  She laughed as he cried out with surprise.
 "What's wrong, love?  Aren't you glad we're going out?"
 "...of course...(Great, why do I have to let my phobia get to me now?)"
 Rose gave another small giggle as they turned another corner down the darkened streets.  She stared out the car window, her lavender eyes glowing with passion.
 "You know, I'm glad we could do this again... I mean, you and me."
 Rudolph cleared his throat out and swallowed.
 "Yeah...me too."
 Will looked at them through his rear-view window and shook his head.
 "Young love...Boy, I wish I could do that again," he whispered silently.
 
 "So...are you sure this is the place?  I mean, this is just a casual restaurant," Will stated as they stood in front of the small cafe entrance.  Rudolph nodded his head.
 "Yeah, we're sure.  This is just a casual date anyway...is it?"
 Rose smiled as she inched closer to him.
 "Yes, love.  Just dinner and walking."
 Will shrugged as he stepped back into the car.
 "Okay...be good, you two."
 As he pulled away from the front and into the streets, Rose sighed and leaned onto the fox's shoulder.  Her smile lengthened as a small breeze blew towards them.
 "So...you wanna go inside, or are we going to stay here?"
 Rudolph gave a small chuckle.
 "Yeah..."

 The two foxes sighed as they stared out the window to the thorough streets, busy with the rushes of traffic.  Rose closed her eyes and appeared lost in thought.  Rudolph looked over and noticing that she had lost all interest in the food, reached over and give her a small poke on her shoulder.  Her eyes shot open and stared over to him.
 "Oh...I'm sorry.  I was just thinking about something."
 Rudolph gave a heavy sigh as she answered.  His eyes became filled with regret.
 "Lemme guess...it's about how boring I'm being, huh?"
 Rose shook her head when she heard the words pass from his lips.  Her hair ruffled a little as she did.
 "No, it's not that..."
 "Yes, it is...I know I'm being a bore.  It's just...geez....I still feel a little weird that you want another date after the last one."
 Reaching over her plate, Rose took his paw in hers and smiled.
 "Don't worry.  I don't blame you, I mean I was a little harsh....hey...."
 Her lavender eyes shot over to the large diamond ring on his finger.  They widened as she slowly removed it from his paw.  A look of surprise and a pit of fear suddenly attacked his stomach as she examined its details.
 "Wow..." she said as she continued to examine it.  "What a magnificent ring...."
 A small smirk crossed Rudolph's face as he looked down onto his plate, feeling himself blush under his fur.  The fear seemed to well up inside of his gut as her amazement arose.  She continued to fondle it as she spoke.
 "I like the etchings on it....where did you get it?"
 His fear peaked inside of him as she asked.  He prayed that was all she wanted to know, and not what they meant or their purpose...he didn't know how he could explain it if she did.  He swallowed hard, feeling his eyes burning as he choked out his reply.
 "Um...er...a gift....* cough *"
 Rose noticed that he began to sweat profusely, and his breath came in short pants.
 "Um...Rudolph...what's wrong?  Are you choking?"
 "No...I...that ring's personal to me....I'd like it back."
 A look of hurt arose in her eyes as Rudolph reached his black paw over to take it back.  She gave a teasing look as she moved it away from him, placing it on her slender finger.  It was slightly loose, and didn't fit correctly, but she seemed not to notice.
 "Aw, come on...lemme wear it for a while....please?"
 Rudolph gave a noticeable growl that rang through the restaurant.  Some of the customers looked away from their food to notice the fox's red fur becoming matted with sweat.
 "I'm serious....that ring is very important...you have no idea how much I need it...."
 Rose's smile grew devious as she pulled her paw away from him.  She gave a sharp shake of her head.
 "Nope....it's mine, heheh...you don't mind, do ya?"
 Rose reached over and gave him a small tap on his nose with her finger, causing him to blink.  She gave a small wink as she caressed her paw around his muzzle.  A sudden burst of energy shot through Rudolph, and his growl erupted into a sharp bark towards her.
 "Look, I don't have time for your little seductive games...GIVE IT BACK!"
 The restaurant grew silent as his cry echoed throughout the restaurant.  Rose gave a cold stare as she sighed and took the ring off her finger, tossing it back to him.  He caught it and replaced it back where he originally had it.  Rose gave a small growl herself as she noticed the pairs of eyes burning around them.
 "You know, I just realized that you can be a real selfish guy..."
 Rudolph felt his hackles rise slowly as she responded to him with a blank tone.
 "Well, maybe you should ask before you go off and take things that don't belong to you...."
 "Well, maybe if you weren't so self-centered as to go off and yell at me for no reason..."
 "Me?  Self-centered?  Look who's talking!"
 Rose felt her paws clench up into fists as she stood up from her seat and stormed out of the restaurant, allowing the watching eyes to continue their gaze.  Rudolph began to do the same as the waiter, a mouse, walked by, placing a sheet of paper on the table.
 "I see you weren't hungry...your bill."
 Snatching the paper from the table, Rudolph scanned it over, and then gave an angry stare at the waiter through the hair that found it's way over his face.  Saying nothing else, he reached into his pocket, placed the money into his hands and stepped out in the same fashion Rose had.  The waiter merely stood there, the money hot in his hands, as he looked out the door.
 (Boy, they don't pay me enough to do these things.)

 Rose stood outside, her arms folded over her chest as Rudolph stepped out the restaurant.  Her eyes burned with fury as she turned to face him, a snarl planted on her muzzle.
 "You know, you have some nerve to yell at me like that!"
 Rudolph felt his blood slowly boiling as he fought his instincts to rush over and wipe the smile off her face.  He knew, however it wasn't right to hit a female for any reason...other than if she was trying to rip your head off.  Instead, he let his lips part and let out a small whisper, which he could feel rising in his throat.
 "Look...I'm just not used to having people take stuff that doesn't belong to them....I lived on the streets, you know, I know what it's like."
 "And lemme guess, you didn't learn patience while you were out there, did you?"
 "What?  I have plenty of patience!  Just not when you go and do what you did!"
 Rose turned her body squarely to him, her hair rustling over her sand colored muzzle, which she didn't bother to remove.
 "I just want to have a little fun...what, just because I act so kind to others doesn't mean I can't be a little immature sometimes?"
 "Oh, you're immature, all right, a real little brat."
 "You have some nerve to talk to me that way... well, let me tell you something, Mr. I'm-so-innocent-and-pretty..."
 As she began to yell out her profanities to Rudolph's face, something sparked in the fox's mind.  He began to realize something he never realized before without reacting with violence or stupidity.  He felt himself giggle, then let himself laugh softly and loosely, which soon exploded into a fit of guffaws.  Rose stomped her foot hard as she saw the guy she went out with laughing as if he didn't care.
 "WHAT'S SO FUNNY?  YOU THINK IT'S FUNNY THAT I'M EMBARRASSED AND UPSET?  HUH??"
 He fought to regain control of his laughter, his sides slowly aching as he replied.
 "*snicker* No, that....that's not it...*snort chortle* It's just...hehhe...you know how stupid we sound?  Like a real couple?"
 At first, Rose merely kept her harsh tone towards him.  Her face slowly softened as the message sank in.  She felt herself slowly giggle as she joined into his chorus.  Pretty soon, they were laughing and giggling, tears slowly streaming from their eyes.  Struggling to catch their breaths, they stared deep into each other's eyes and felt their paws lock in the others.  Rose sighed deeply as she finally let the loose strands of brown hair fall from in front of her face.
 "*pant pant* You know...you're right.  We really do sound like a couple...I'm sorry I took your ring....I didn't know it was so personal to you."
 "Yeah...and I shouldn't have blown up in your face.  I mean, I guess I'm still not used to ridicule."
 The two foxes pressed themselves together in a long, caring hug, each one's smile growing as they did so. When they separate, a dreamy look was present in Rose's eyes.  Rudolph gave a questioning look.
 "Rose?  What's wrong?"
 She smiled as she looked past him to the road, the park nearby from where they stood.
 "Forget the movie, love.  Let's take a walk...talk a while.  You want to?"
 Rudolph could feel himself drop into a dreamy gaze, the stars seeming to light the path through the park.
 "Sure.  I'd love to."

 Rudolph took Rose's paw as they walked through the long, winding path through the trees.  Rose, eyes half closed, peered into the night sky and grinned.  Rudolph looked over to her as she murred softly.
 "Enjoying the view, I presume?"
 "Yeah...I've always enjoyed looking at the stars.  It seems so peaceful....so serene....just to let yourself enjoy what the world has to offer at night.  It's just beautiful."
 Rudolph gave a small smile, and looked down towards the path, his gaze averted from her.  She took notice and stopped walking, letting go of his paw.  Finding that she wasn't walking with him anymore, he turned around to face her, a look of forlorn sadness on his face.
 "What's wrong, Rudy?  Don't you like the stars?"
 "Of course I do....but being here with you....it reminds me of what happened to me....so long ago."
 Rose merely tiled her head, perplexed.  Rudolph cleared his throat, and sniffled softly, trying not to let his emotions take over him.
 "You remember that I said that I lived on the streets?"
 "Yes, I remember."
 "Well....you see....my friend...her name was Karen.  She was...she was kind of like you when it came to the stars."
 "Really?  Who was Karen?  Was she your last girlfriend?"
 Rudolph felt his blood rising to his face when he heard the question.  Chuckling nervously, he averted his eyes to the path again, trying to keep his embarrassment in check.
 "Heheh...ehhe..she wasn't my girlfriend, just a friend, that's all!  But....she was a great friend."
 Noticing a nearby bench, Rudolph walked over and settled himself into it, sighing as he relaxed in the seat.  Rose joined his side, stretching out her legs as she sat.  For a while, everything was silence.  Both of them just let the night surround them, let the beauty of it's immense surroundings envelop him.  Staring into the sky, Rudolph talked in a soft, noticeable whisper.
 "I remember...that night was just like this one..."

 "I hate walking through here!  It's too cold!"
 Rudolph groaned through his teeth as a soft, but bitter wind coursed through his fur.  He gave a sharp shudder as K merely gave him a small look as they passed through the park.  She stopped walking when she noticed he was no longer following.
 "C'mon, Red, it's not that cold."
 "Easy for you to say!  You have that damn jacket!  It's thicker than mine!"
 The wolf merely shook her head slowly as she stared off into the sky, a small smile passing her muzzle.  The red fox walked back to her, noticing her attention was diverted from getting through the park.
 "Look, K, we need to find shelter for the night.  It's too cold to stay-"
 "Shh....listen."
 K put a finger to his lips, causing them to purse.  He gave a low growl as she continued to stare into the starry sky, the night beacons shining in her brown eyes.  Rudolph sighed heavily as he strained his ears to listen, only receiving the wind in his ears.
 "I don't hear anything."
 K merely looked his way and smiled.
 "Exactly.  Hey, come here for a second."
 Walking over to a nearby wooden bench, K sat down, letting herself settle into the seat.  She waved her paw for Rudolph to do the same.  With a reluctant stare, he walked into the seat and slumped into it.  She gave a small smile as he stared back into the sky.
 "You wanna know something, Red?"
 "Well, I don't have much of a choice, other than freezing to death...go ahead."
 "....I've always admired the stars.  It's....it's as if there's a light show and we're invited to see it every night.  Makes me feel calm."
 The fox merely shook his head as K gazed dreamily, taking no notice to him whatsoever.
 "You see it every night, K.  There's nothing new about it."
 K continued to talk as if he had never spoken.
 "I've always wondered....what it would be like to be up there....with the stars.  I bet it would be much more fun than being here."
 "Yeah, whatever.  Can we go?"
 "Not yet.  I wanna tell you a story.  About the stars."
 Rudolph's blue eyes suddenly shot a look of surprise.  He twisted his face in disgust.
 "You're kidding!!  I don't wanna hear a story!  I'm not a kid!"
 K broke her gaze to the sky and stared over to him.  She gave a mischievous grin.
 "Well, in most sense, you're 14.  You're still a kid."
 "...."
 K's smile broadened as she reached into her pockets and pulled out a small cigarette, sparking it with her lighter and giving a few puffs.  Rudolph groaned with despair, feeling his hackles rising a little as he let it pass through his muzzle.
 "You know I hate when you smoke, K.  It's sick!"
 "And drinking isn't?  Come on, at least let me tell you."
 With a frustrated groan, the fox merely said, "Fine.  Go ahead."
 Taking a few small puffs, letting the smoke pass through her teeth and play through her fur, she began to revel in her tale.
 "A long time ago, my father told me that the stars represented the dead.  Every time a person or a fur would die, if their souls were pure, they would ascend to the sky and join the stars.  If they weren't, they would vanish into dust for all time."
 Rudolph suddenly blurted out, trying his hardest not to let the arising smoke choke him.
 "Dead?  Stars?  That's ridiculous!  Your father a real idiot to think that-"
 Noticing the small hurt look on K's normally tough face, the scar on her eye seeming to grow darker with regret, he decided not to rattle on any further than he had.
 "I'm sorry....go on."
 "Thank you.  Well, you see, that's why there are a multitude of stars.  It was usually rare for a soul to turn into dust.  They normally go the chance to become a star, which they accepted willingly.  My father told me that story only 3 days before he died...for a while, I was a little skeptical.  I wasn't sure if I believed all that junk....until one day, when I saw his face in the stars, clear as day in the night sky."
 "....You're serious?"
 "Yes, I am.  Right there...."
 K pointed to a large white spot in the sky with her finger.  Rudolph squinted his eyes a little to get a better view at what she pointed at.
 "I don't see anything.  All I see is a bunch of stars."
 K groaned impatiently as she dropped her hand from the star cluster.
 "Red, of course you wouldn't see it!  You never met my father, so how would you know?  But it was him all right....at least a rough image, but it was him nevertheless."
 The red fox merely shrugged his shoulders as he stood up from the porch and stretched hi arms out, giving a large yawn.  Turning slowly to K, he said, exasperately, "Can we go now?"
 "Yes, we can go, Red.  But...lemme tell you something before you go."
 "*sigh*  Fine..."
 Rudolph went back to the bench and sat down.  K pulled herself a little closer to Rudolph and sighed.
 "Listen, Red...I know you'll think I'm silly for saying this....but, if you ever need anything, anything at all...just look to the night sky.  I'll bet your parents are up there, watching over you each day."
 A thought struck his mind.
 "You think so?"
 K's muzzle parted with a small smile.
 "I know so."
 He grinned as he thought the concept over in his mind.  It was as if those words were a blessing...a faint image of his parents seemed to form in the starlight.  A brief memory crossed his mind before it vanished, and the starry image disappearing in the sky.  He murred softly as the night wind stopped blowing, replaced by a warmth only love could provide.  Looking over at K, who was still immersed in the stars, hummed a little and did the same, letting each star give him a brief memory of the few years in his life that he was ever happy...

 "Wow...." Rose said with awe as Rudolph finished the story.  "She must be a great friend to say something like that."
 Rudolph smiled softly.  His face turned downward, and he hummed softly.
 "Yeah, she was....that was 2 weeks until she left me."
 Rose turned to him, her voice filled with wonder.
 "What do you mean?  You two broke up and went separate ways?"
 "No...she died."
 Rose felt her stomach lurch with worry and she found herself holding her arms to her muzzle with regret.
 "...oh.  I'm sorry."
 "....it's all right.  She was a great fur to me."
 "I'm sure she was."
 "Yeah...."
 Rudolph stood up and stretched out his limbs, yawning.
 "Come on.  It's late.  I'll take you home."
 Rose smiled as Rudolph offered his paw to her.
 "All right...my dad will probably kill me for being home so late."
 They both laughed as they walked out of the park and into the night streets.

 The next moments seemed like a faded memory.  The two walked through the streets, holding each other close, saying nothing but soft hums and murrs.  It was as if the night's silence had finally gotten to them, but they let it merely stay, absorbing the beauty of everything around them.  They had already forgotten about the previous incident and let it just be a small niche in the budding love they shared.  It came to both their surprises when they found themselves standing in front of Rose's house.  The two slowly pulled them selves apart, a smile on their muzzles.
 "I had a wonderful time, Rudolph.  We should do this again sometime."
 "Yeah..."
 With a soft sigh, Rose let go of his paws and grinned as she opened the door slowly.
 "Well....good night..." Rudolph whispered as he slowly turned from the porch to start on his walk home.  Before he could step into the walkway, though, a paw suddenly spun him around to face her  With a sly grin, Rose gave him a large, wet kiss on his lips, causing his eyes to bulge, feeling himself go numb all over his body.  When she broke it, he was left speechless, merely gaping into space.  Rose giggled and shook her head.
 "Heh...you still have a lot to learn about kissing women...good night, love.  Have a safe trip home!"
 With that, Rose stepped inside and closed the door before him.  Shaking off his daze, he slowly smiled and laughed himself.  With an air of satisfaction around him, he turned and walked down the walkway towards home, starting into the stars, his mind filled with the thought of what the future could bring...and how proud Karen would have been to see him finally realize that he finally had a purpose to go on.

 Desert Rose walked up the stairs to her room, a dazed look on her face as she passed her father's room.  The rather large fennec stepped outside and placed a soft grasp on his daughter's arm.  Her daze shattered as she realized she ws no longer moving forward and spun around to see her father with a firm gaze in his eyes.
 "So, how did the....er, date go?" he said, secretly praying in his mind that the event was a disaster so that he would never have to lay eyes on the boy who wanted in her life again.  She murred softly to his response.
 "It was wonderful.  He's one of the nicest furs I met.  I think...maybe...I'm in love with him."
 The words pierced into his memory, but he kept himself firm.  A boiling anger arose in his head.
 (I...can't believe this....my daughter actually loves that....that....punk??)
 "Dad...I know you don't like Rudy.  I can't blame you, he can be very secretive and stubborn.  But he really is a nice fox.  I want to keep seeing him."
 Lowering his head with shame and regret, he let go of his daughter and slammed his fist into the wall, panting softly.
 "Fine...do whatever you want.  Just....don't come crying to me when something bad happens to you.  I won't take part in it."
 "Thanks, Dad."
 Lifting herself up on her toes, she gave her father a soft peck on the cheek and whisked herself to her room, turning around once more to give her father a small smile before closing the door.  The fennec merely walked inside, back to his room, and collapsed onto the bed.
 "I can't believe my daughter...my only purpose in my life, is going out with some guy she meets at school just because he looks good...she already made that mistake too many times...."
 Sitting up on the bed, he took hold of the picture frame next to him, containing a picture of his late wife, resembling the one Rose also owned.
 "I only want what is best for my daughter..." he said, caressing the beautiful fennec that was encased inside.  "I know....that maybe because she's all that I have left....maybe that's why I feel so threatened.  Because..I'm...afraid...that she'll stop loving me."
 Giving a heavy sigh, he replaced the picture frame back on it's rightful place, lying back and closing his eyes.
 "I guess....maybe I'm just too protective.  Maybe I should lighten up....no...that's not me...I still don't trust him one bit...I just feel that there's something about him that I can't trust...but....I'll let her go on with her dates.  If it's what makes her happy....then it makes me happy too."
 Turning over on the bed, the fennec sighed and fell asleep, the night's silence finally subduing the city of Pinewood for a quiet, peaceful slumber...and the promise of a new start for tomorrow.

 Editor's Note
 Well, this was my first shot at writing a more light-hearted story, without strange monsters and gang members and all that.  It took me much longer than I anticipated to finish this, but I really wanted to get a good thought on what this date would really look like, and make it seem like an actual second chance as the title states.  It's actually much harder than I thought.  I feel this isn't one of my stronger stories, but of course, I'm being my own critic again. ^_~

 Well, hope you enjoyed this one!  Watch out for the next in the series:
 The Job!
 See ya soon!

 ~Rudolph "Rudy" Bradford