Chapter Text
“‘Redundant’?”
Bella’s mouth turned dry as Sahara Square the second she spoke, and it felt as though her throat was lined with the sands it contained. It was a word that usually sounded so innocuous. Redundant. Except now for now, here, in her office, in its current use. Its current use referring to her position, and thus to her. Redundant became all of a sudden very negative. Very dangerous.
Her coworker Madison Bridges—a pretty polecat in a simple green dress suit and glasses set low on her muzzle—nodded. She wrung her paws with obvious discomfort. “Now, it’s just being discussed at the moment, is all. But I thought you should probably know in advance, since… well…”
“But… I built this whole department back up after the renovation ended,” Bella argued softly, indignation building up behind the sand. “Why would they think I’m… that my position , that is… is redundant?”
Her mind whirled at all her precious work, her careful planning, her meticulous procedures and perfect arrangements being handled by anyone else but her. This was hers , damn it! They had no right!
“It’s not about you, sweetie,” Madison said, voice thick as cake batter and just as sugary as she put a reassuring paw on Bella’s shoulder. The vixen had to will herself not to wrench away from it. “No one can deny you’ve done such a good job. It’s just… the renovations cost more than they anticipated, bringing the museum up to code. Attendance is down, grants have been insubstantial, at best. They’re just discussing ways to bridge the gap with where they can cut expenditures.”
“Starting with me?” Bella bristled, and she did shrug off the paw. “Lowest mammal on the totem pole is the one they chop first, right? Last in, first out?”
Madison gave her a sympathetic look. “Don’t go and be acting like that. Nothing’s decided, I just… just thought you should know. So you’d be ready… in case.”
Bella’s shoulders slumped, deflating under the kind concern while her ears burned hot inside from her misplaced anger. It wasn’t Madison’s fault, of course. She wasn’t about to bite the face off of the messenger for trying to be nice.
“Right… I get that. Thanks for the warning. I’ll… figure it out, whatever happens.”
Madison nodded with a sad kind of smile before she turned and walked out the door. It was almost opening time, and she would have tickets to sell… such as attendance was recently.
For some time, Bella just stood in the middle of the back room that she called her office, just staring at it all. The high shelves laden with artifacts, her desk cluttered with tools and cleaners and brushes, the small pieces that would still need to be cleaned and catalogued and readied for display in the museum exhibition halls. Her work. Her wonderful work.
Bella had never had such a job in her life as this one… and she’d had many jobs in the fairly short amount of time she’d spent on this earth. Never a job like this, though. A position that she could be proud to give in response to the question, “What do you do for a living?” She didn’t even expect an interview when she applied to the job posting two years ago.
Oh God, had it really already been two years?
She uprooted her feet from the floor and dragged herself to her workstation. She plopped into her chair, reveling momentarily in how comfortable it was. It wasn’t anything special, really… standard desk chair, ergonomic enough, high back, nice cushion, sized right for her species. It wasn’t special… but it was hers, and it had been hers from the first day she started working here, and she loved it. She loved the chair and the desk and all the post-it notes and the pens and and and…
Bella tilted her head back to the ceiling as her breathing began to turn harsh and ragged, moisture pooling at the corners of her eyes. It wasn’t fair. She had put her heart and her back into this department and just like that it was about to be taken away from her. It wasn’t fair.
It was the Archive and Restoration Department, where Bella worked now (for the moment) at the Museum of Natural History in Zootopia. After a rough childhood and even rougher adolescence, landing this position was the corner she turned that had changed everything. The steady paycheck meant that she and her boyfriend Ryan could afford a nice apartment nearby, even at the rent prices that were common in the city. Without this income now… would they be able to stay there now? Could they stay together if…?
She shook her head hard and turned her computer on. Her desk was set in an L against the wall in the corner, her computer and file folders on the one section and her workstation on the other. She had work to do… three pieces to clean, prep, log, and ready for exhibit. She couldn’t let this ruin her day, her peace of mind. She’d just focus on those pieces for right now and then later…
Bella’s blood froze in her veins when her email opened. In her inbox was a meeting invitation… from her boss, Diego DelDingo. At four, right before the end of her workday.
Shit.
It was actually happening. That was always what they did, wasn’t it? Wait until the end of the day on a Friday to let the hammer drop?
She accepted the invitation with a trembling click of her mouse and then spun her chair around to her work station. Well, fine then . If that was how it was going to be, then fine . Then she’d make sure that the last things she ever did here would be fucking spectacular . Obviously superior to whatever mammal they thought could fill in for her. They would be embarrassed at their mistake. That’s what she’d do.
And she began with that hot indignation fueling her spite, blazing through the first arrangement meticulously. The cleaning didn’t take long; it was a well-preserved nautilus shell, and didn’t need any obvious repairs. By the time she had it set up and readied in its display, all her hot bluster had burned itself out. It wasn’t even close to lunchtime yet, and she’d already spent all the confidence that she’d attempted to wrap herself up in. Nagging questions battered her brain the second her focus wavered, and she let it wander into a quagmire of ‘what-ifs’ and ‘whys’, each unanswered question pulling her hope apart at the seams.
What if she couldn’t get another job? What if Diego wouldn’t give her a good reference on her future applications? What if it took too long to find a new job and they couldn’t make the rent on the apartment? What if…?
Bella sighed. Why did this feel so devastating, anyway? She’d been through far worse and come out on the other side, hadn’t she? But then again, it had been lovely. Being comfortable, having a normal routine, feeling… safe. That was it, wasn’t it? It had all felt so safe, all the mundanity, all the quiet. Between their two paychecks she and Ryan had even been able to start saving for a vacation. A real one, with airfare and hotel rooms and sightseeing. A treat for them, something that would be fun and exciting, but still in a controlled kind of expected way. Losing that predictability… that was the real thing. Having a life with Ryan, knowing exactly what tomorrow would look like was comforting. All of a sudden not knowing what tomorrow would bring them after such a period of tranquil calm was… scary.
Her paw moved robotically on to the next piece she needed to evaluate. A donation. The detailed description on the lid on the cardboard box gave her pause: “Precious stone necklace with gold link chain, damaged clasp. Star sapphire pendant, bezel setting inlaid with jade, round cut, 314 cts.”
Whoa, she thought as she lifted the lid and began to sift through the abundant packaging to find the relic it contained. This thing must be enormous.
And it was. Enormous and magnificent, heavy in her paw. The sapphire wasn’t just round but spherical, and the gold setting that held it had intricate designs of jade that gave it the appearance almost of a globe. The chain was chunky, the clasp in fair condition except that it didn’t quite close all the way, leaving a hairline gap open.
Bella bit her lip as she hefted the piece, weighing it in her paw. This kind of thing shouldn’t have been accepted. It was part of a big lot, most of it containing fossils and shells, pinned butterfly dioramas and such. Articles that were in keeping with the museum’s usual types of galleries. But this… was an insurance nightmare. Not only did she have no place for it, but the kind of security that they would need to effectively display it was far greater than the museum was prepared for.
Still, it was a nice thing to get the chance to see. She’d have to alert Diego and he’d arrange where it should be displayed with the other few museums in the city. Maybe the Museum of Fine Arts. Their security was substantial… it would have a good home there.
But while she was holding it…
Bella took a cautious look around and slipped the chain over her head. It hung low on her torso, down almost to her belly, but oh boy was it gorgeous. Exquisite, really, far and away more than anything she thought she’d be able to own in her lifetime. Especially now…
She stood from her chair and worried it with her fingers, ran the smooth stone between her paw pads. She caught her reflection cast within her sleeping computer screen’s dark surface. She looked older, with a deeply perturbed expression chiseled in her face. She turned away from it and rubbed at the stone even more.
All those places they had planned to see… would they ever get that chance now? How far was this going to set them back in their dream? They had even snagged some destination pamphlets from the local travel agency to see just what they could afford for those countries they wanted to go to, when they were ready to see more of the world than just Zootopia. Japan, Iceland, Ireland…
There were a few places that hadn’t made their short list, of course, places that were just too expensive to travel to, or would take too much time to get there. Which of those had they set their hearts on? So many. Beaches, and resorts… like snuggling on the white sands of the Gold Coast… sunshine and clear water, ocean spray and warm, fragrant breezes. She closed her eyes to the thought that was so calming, that made her heart so happy even as her stomach clenched with worry. Held that picture just like she saw it in the brochure in her mind and just let herself feel how much she wanted it… so much…
Destination set. Enjoy.
Bella barely had the time to wonder Huh? before a whirlwind force pulled the floor out from under her feet. She opened her mouth to shriek from the jolt and the blinding light that had taken over the gloomy back room of her office.
As quickly as it began it ended. Her stomach lurched as the sensation of motion stopped, like coming to the end of a rollercoaster ride. For a few seconds she didn’t dare to move, to open her eyes, or uncross her arms from over her face. What the hell was that??
She let her nose and her ears feed information into her brain first, because it was clear at once that whatever had happened was more than just a fainting spell or case of vertigo or even a migraine. The slightly musty smell of the shelves was gone, replaced with a fresh breeze that smelled like sea salt. Somewhere nearby a bird squawked and Bella turned toward the sound with a start. She drew her arms down defensively and blinked her eyes open. The off-white fluorescent lighting was gone, replaced with the bright mid-morning sunshine of…
Oh, WOW…
The place she stood was quite obviously the same place that the photographer for the travel pamphlet had stood when he photographed this beautiful beach for the agency. The picture was alive in front of her in panoramic view, wispy white clouds in a bright blue sky and crystal, white foam ocean waves hitting the fine yellow shores of the Gold Coast. She turned her eyes down to her feet and wriggled her toes in the warm sands… and giggled. It was slightly hysterical, bubbled up from her belly and if anyone were nearby to witness it, she imagined they would clear away from her immediately. She had to be hallucinating, clearly, but all the same… it was too delightful an alternate reality to part with just yet.
Bella stared at the ocean and let the waves splash around her ankles. All the anxiety in her chest, all the what ifs were being buried like her feet beneath a sensory overload of wonderful sights and smells and feelings. She dared to cast her gaze along the beach and found happy mammals doing much the same as she was: enjoying the scenery, swimming and sunbathing. Living life.
Who knows how long she was standing there basking in the warmth of the sunshine? It was long enough that when she finally turned her thoughts back to critically examine the situation, she was alarmed at how low the sun had dipped. What had started as a bright yellow ball in the sky had turned low and orange on the horizon.
Not that it was a poor way to spend what was probably the last day at work, but… this wasn’t her workplace. Obviously. And this wasn’t even Zootopia, either.
Time to wake up now, she thought, and pinched her cheek hard.
But the scenery didn’t change.
Her eyes refocused somewhere around her clasped paws and found the amulet there beneath them. She held it up and eyed it with suspicion.
“Did you do this?” she asked, as though it would say something back in response. She turned it all around, eying it from every possible angle. “If I asked nicely would you take me back? Please?”
The blue pendant kept still and silent. Lower the sun set, washing the sky in pinks and purples. Now the anxiety came back as she looked around frantically, gripping the stone so tight it made her paws ache. Bella had no idea how she ended up in this place, and as nice a place as it was, this wasn’t where she wanted to be anymore. She wanted her desk and her chair and her computer and home .
Destination set. Enjoy.
The same kind of thought invaded her head much the same as it had before, and it made her stomach clench in anticipation of the upheaval that was imminent. The hurricane gale surrounded her and she forced herself to keep her eyes open through it, through the hurtling colors and lights of time and of space that pulled her in the direction that her heart demanded.
Again, it ended with a jolt, and the dulling of the scenery. Bella took a cautious look around her, finding the drab walls and shelves of her office looking remarkably the same, although it felt like ages since she’d seen them last. She wandered back to her desk and collapsed into her chair with a heavy sigh.
Well… guess if I’m gonna get canned, that’s not a bad way to spend my last workday.
Her face screwed up and she put a shaky paw to her mouse to check if there was anything on it that she’d want to keep before dragging her tail to Diego’s office to apologize for missing their meeting…
She froze. Her eyes had wandered to the little clock in the corner and it didn’t give the time she was anticipating somewhere in the early evening. The clock read 11:57am.
How is that possible??
What kind of time-based shenanigans was this? She’d spend nearly an entire day—the sun was setting, wasn’t it?—at the Gold Coast, but barely an hour had passed from when she’d first stepped away from her desk.
“ Knock knock! ”
Bella snapped her head up to find Madison coming toward her. She turned her chair around and tucked the necklace under her blouse quickly.
“Hi Maddy,” she said as she spun to face her coworker and shot her an overly wide smile. “What’s up?”
“I just wanted to see how you were holding up,” she replied, and leaned over the desk. “I came by a little bit ago but you must have been on break. Want to go grab some lunch? My treat.”
Lunch…
Bella’s mind raced, eyes searching the desk as the little pieces of information came together. It really was just mid-day. A whole day at the beach and work wasn’t even over. And that meant…
“Thanks for the offer,” she said, jumping to her feet and grabbing for her bag. “But I promised Ryan we’d have lunch out today.”
“Oh, that’s nice!” Madison smiled as Bella flew around the desk. “Well, then have a good…”
She didn’t even finish her sentence before the little white fox had plowed through the door and was gone.