Her name was Vixey, be she boxed under the name "Fox". That was fitting, since she was a fox. Just being Fox in the ring served her well. It was a bit intimidating, different enough to be emotionally jarring. It seemed to run counter to her thin, shapely form, her soft, full coat, and her large, child-like eyes. Her opponents often did not know what to make of her. That was a good thing.

Vixey sat in her corner while her manager laced on her gloves and gave her last minute tactical advice. Henry Hedgehog was not the type you would normally find managing and training boxers. For one thing, hedgehogs didn't tend to go in for that kind of thing. For another, Henry was always, continually, and eerily happy. He was a great manager: he know with uncanny clarity how to tune Vixey's body to both give out and take an incredible punishment, and he had a good way of finding weaknesses in her opponents.

Still, Henry was cheerful in the same way that the sun is hot. Win or lose, rain or shine, good days or bad, Henry Hedgehog wore a big grin and walked with a bouncy step. It was disturbing.

"This girl you've got me fighting," said Vixey after Henry had finished lacing her up. "She stinks."

"Well, Vixey," said Henry through his smile, "she's not supposed to smell too good. She's a skunk, you know."

"I know," said Vixey. "It was a joke."

"Oh, yes, of course," said Henry and he began his twittering laugh. "The skunk stinks! That's very clever!"

He kept giggling to himself as he stepped through the ropes and out of the ring. Vixey almost wished she hadn't said anything.

The referee entered the ring and Vixey stood. Before she went to meet Suzie Skunk, she took a quick glance at Joe. It was the only look she would allow herself until the match was over.

Joe Kangaroo was the one creature in all the world who could make Vixey weak. He could do it without even touching her. He was a boxer, too. His body was hard, scarred, and rugged, but his fur and his hands and his face were soft and warm. Just the sight of him made Vixey melt.

That's it, Vixey thought, just the one look before we get down to business.

Joe watched Vixey step to the center ring and touch gloves with the skunk. He loved watching her work. She had a different style from his: Joe would try to draw his oppponent out of position, forcing him to make the first mistake, and Joe would make him pay for it. Vixey counted on the other animals underestimating her. She attacked with sudden and intense ferocity.

When the bell rang, Vixey and Suzie bounced toward each other, each gauging the other. After a few probing jabs and some dodging and weaving, Vixey fell prey to every boxer's worst enemy: the lucky shot.

Suzie happened to throw her left hook just at tht emoment Vixey had shifted her weight to her right foot. The blow struck Vixey's jaw with incredible force, witnessed by the cannon-shot sound effect which erupted just as Fox'e head snapped around. She staggered for a moment, her eyes crossed while stars danced around her head. She fell on her rump, and then lay back hard on the canvas, arms spread, her eyes still crossed. The little stars still twirled around her.

Joe watched with concern as the referee began counting. He got to "five," and then Vixey shook her head, dispersing the stars, and pulled herself to her feet. The ref checked her over, then backed away. The fight would go on.

But Joe could tell from the determined look on Vixey's face that the fight was really over. There would be no more lucky punches from the skunk.

Suzie was actually smiling as she tried to fool Vixey twice. She threw the left hook again, but Vixey ducked under it and slammed her right into Suzie's ribs.

"Ooh!" Suzie said in a little skunk voice.

A left jab at Suzie's jaw stood her up, her arms at her side, a shocked gaze on her face. She was defenseless.

Vixey wound up and threw an uppercut that rang Suzie's bell (DONG!) and caused her to fall to her back and slide halfway across the ring to her corner, where she slammed her head on the post. Tiny blue birdies circled her head, singing a happy song.

"Oh!" Suzie said, as she tried to pull herself up. "Look at all the birdies!" She fell back onto her back. "There such nice birdies! I wike birdies."

She pulled herself up again onto her elbows. "Do you see the birdies, Mommy?" She must have been talking to Vixey. She was the closest, since she'd stepped over in case Suzie needed another punch. Or maybe it was the ref, Suzie met. He was trying to get around Vixey to tend to the skunk.

"I had a birdie once," said Suzie and she tossed her head back. "It went way, way high up in the sky!" She tried to point skyward with her arm, but that just made her fall back onto her back.

The ref finally reached Suzie, kneeling at her side. He waved Vixey off.

"What does it mean, what the birdies are saying?" asked Suzie. "They keep saying 'cuckoo'."

"You'll know soon enough," said Vixey under her breath, and she looked off at Joe again, now that the match was over. Joe was looking at Suzie.

"I think it's time for beddy-bye," Suzie said, and then rolled onto her stomach, her eyes closed and her tail limp between her legs. Tiny birst circled her head, calling "Cuckoo! Cuckoo!"

The ref pounded the floor and counted to ten. Suzie did not move. The ref declared "Fox" the winner. Suzie didn't move.

Suzie's trainer, Sammy Squirrel, came over and tried to revive her. She was as if she had no bones; she flopped like spaghetti as he tried to lifted her arms, her legs, her shoulders. He opened her eyelids, only to see blank whites for eyes with the words "Gone Fishin'".

A half hour later, after Suzie had been carried off on a stretcher and Vixey had taken a quick shower, Vixey and Joe sat alone by the ring, comparing notes. Vixey fiddled nervously with her tail. Joe held his hand on her knee.

"How did that skunk get that lick in?" asked Vixey.

"It was a lucky shot," said Joe. "Don't worry about it."

"That's what Henry said," said Vixey.

"Henry was right," said Joe. "He usually is."

They say a moment in silence. Vixey slid over by Joe, put her head on his shoulder. Joe wrapped an arm around her.

"Suzie did look cute after I knocked her out," said Vixey. "Don't you think so, hon?"

"What?" asked Joe, suprised.

"Don't tell me you didn't notice," Vixey said.

Joe started to object, but Vixey snuggled in closer.

"I don't blame you," Vixey said. "She's a cute girl. Can't box worth a damn, but when I laid her out, all limp and helpless with that silly grin on her face, ... Well, I don't blame you for noticing, hon."

Joe didn't know what to do with this line of conversation, so he kept quiet.

After another moment, Vixey jumped up.

"I know!" she said. Her heart was racing. "Let's you and I box!"

"You're nuts," said Joe. "You know I'd never hurt you."

Vixey slammed a bare right into Joe's gut, and then jumped into the ring.

"Even better," she said. "It'll be easier for me."

Joe stood and rubbed his side. "That hurt!" he said. "You know I've got like eight inches reach on you." He climbed into the ring.

"Well," said Vixey, "then you might just knock me out..."

The white fur on Vixey's face flushed a little red. She continued, "but I wouldn't bet on it."

Joe's heart was also pounding. He put his fists up. "No gloves?" he asked.

Slam! Vixey landed a left to Joe's midsection.

"Oof!" cried Joe.

Vixey threw a right hook, but Joe bounced out of the way on his kangaroo legs. He jumped back and jabbed with his right.

Vixey ducked and took the blow on her forearm. It still hurt like hell. Joe was really strong. She bounced around and refocussed her thoughts. She hoped she'd remember this when it was over.

Vixey threw a left hook. This is it, she thought.

Joe avoided Vixey's hook, but he saw that she was bit, just a little, off balance. His instincts jumped into action, and he threw a wicked uppercut which landed squarely on Vixey's chin.

"Cha-ching," went the sound of a cash register as little "No Sale" signes appeared in Vixey's eyes. Another cha-ching and the signs cleared, but her eyes were crossed.

"I think you just knocked me..." Vixey started in a little girl's voice. "Cuckoo!" she added in a little sing-song. She fell hard to the mat, face forward, her rear end and tail stuck up in the air. Little birdies took wing around her head tweeting happily.

"Oh, my God!" Joe shouted. "Are you OK, Vixey?" He dropped to his knees at her side.

Vixey didn't move, but said, "Such pwetty birdies!"

Joe put a hand on Vixey's rump, and she fell over to her side. "You see birdies, baby?"

"Of course I do," Vixey said, lying on the mat. "They sing so nice."

Joe lifted her under the shoulders and set her leaning aginst him. She tilted her head back and looked into his eyes. Sort of. She wasn't really focussing on much.

"Can I have one, Joe?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Joe asked back.

"One of the pwetty birdies, hon," Vixey's eyes swam in their sockets. "Can I keep one of the ..." She paused a moment, swallowed, and continued, "pwetty birdies?" She swallowed again.

"Sure," said Joe, concern on his face. "Sure you can. Anything you want."

"Hon?" Vixey said afte a moment.

"Yes?" Joe replied.

"Am I going cuckoo?" she asked.

"I think so, baby," Joe said. "But don't worry. I'll take care of you." He stroked the fur at the back of her head and neck.

"These birdies sing so nice, Joe," said Vixey. Her head fell against his chest.

Jos slid an arm beneath her thighs, cradling her in his arms. He lifted her as he stood.

"Oooo..." said Vixey, as her head fell back. "I'm so dizzy."

"I'm sorry, baby," said Joe, and he stood still a moment.

"It was fun!" said Vixey and she giggled a little. "Kind of, anyway. Can we go back down now?"

Joe lowered her back to the floor. He probably couldn't get her through the ropes anyway.

"Am I going nighty-night?" asked Vixey.

"Soon, I suppose," answered Joe.

"But it's still daytime, and the birds are so pretty," said Vixey. "Will you hold me?"

Joe lifted her into his lap, her head on his shoulder.

"Do I look pretty, Joe?" Vixey asked. "Cute like Suzie when she went cuckoo?"

"Oh, yes," said Joe. He ran his hand from her ear, past her neck and down her chest. "Very."

"I love you, Vixey," said Joe afte a moment.

"I love you too, Joe," said Vixey. Then she giggled again and her head rolled back.

"The birdies are going away, Joe!" Vixey shouted breathlessly. "I think I'm going..." Her eyes rolled back in her had, then they closed and she lay still in Joe's lap. "Cuckoo! Cuckoo!" went the sound effect as new birds appeared.

Joe lifted her. She was as limp as spaghetti. He tenderly laid her by the ropes, climbed out, slid her through, lifted her again, and carried her home.

Vixey awoke in the morning with a splitting headache, but also a sense of excitement. She didn't remember much of what had happened after Joe's punch connected, but what she did remember thrilled her.

In a while, Joe strolled in with a tea cart.

"Oh, you're up!" said Joe. "Good morning, baby!"

"Good morning," said Vixey, rubbing her temples. "So, did you have fun, hon?"

"You're kidding me," said Joe. "It was incredible. But are you all right!"

"I'm..." started Vixey, and she drew a deep breath and then let it out in a long sigh, "fantastic!" She looked into Joe's eyes. "I can't wait to do it again!"

"Good, said Joe. "Me too."

The Joe got a devlish grin. "I brought you some tea," he said, as he handed her a cup with one hand an pulled a large red mallet from behind his back with the other. "Do you want one lump or two?"

Vixey grinned back. "I want a whole lotta lumps!" she said.

Wham wham wham wham wham!

The cup rolled onto the floor as big red lumps grew rapidly on Vixey's head. "Oh, look," she said as she felt them. Her eyes crossed again.

"Night night!" Joe said.

The cuckoos were back.

"Night night!" Vixey replied, and she swayed and flowed back down onto the bed.

Please write me if you have any comments about this story.

Copyright 2006.

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