The train ride out of Zootopiawas, at bare minimum, breath-taking. Judy remembered the feeling she had, gazing at the bustle and beauty of the city, when she first became a cop and moved into the city. Seeing it now as a sort of "veteran" made the journey all the richer. There was her favorite bakery in Tundra Town, and there was the place in Sahara Square where she caught not one but TWO thieving cheetahs BY HERSELF. She had a memory for almost everywhere she looked; finally, she felt like she belonged.
Then again, as the train rocketed out of Zootopia and into a countryside that looked awfully familiar to the one she grew up in, she felt as though a piece of her never left. It was nice, much nicer than she realized, to be going back home...Just for a few nights.
Judy glanced over at Nick, who was pretending to nap in the seat beside her. She could feel his nervousness. What would they say when they saw who- rather, what- Nick was?
"Nick, I know you're not sleeping." She stated. He opened one eyelid in reply.
"Yes, I am sleeping. Goodnight."
"Oh come on, Nick! You're a cop! How can you be so scared of two middle-aged bunnies?"
He chuckled, almost bitterly. "After you, I don't underestimate bunnies."
"You have nothing to be afraid of, Nick. We went over everything."
Judy had prepped him. She told him about the fox repellents and sprays, but also about the new friendship they had forged with one of her old enemies.
"Besides, Nick, what about Gideon?"
"Woah, Carrots, just because they'll do business with a fox doesn't mean they'll want their daughter sleeping with one!" Nick would invariably pace the floor whenever the topic was brought up, but didn't have that opportunity in the train car; he was boiling over with anxiety. In situations like these. Judy, invariably, braced herself for the imminent freak-out.
"Okay. Let's pretend they don't have decades and decades of history of being scared to death of foxes to the point of equipping you with fox repellent before your big move to the city. Do you think they want grandkids some day? They won't get that from us! How are they going to respond to the fact that we can't mate to reproduce?"
"Nick, with my having over two HUNDRED siblings, I think they're FINE on grandkids..." she muttered. "Besides- mating without making babies? My mom will be jealous, if anything!"
Nick shook his head. "Do they make bunny repellent? I'm going in to this incredibly outnumbered..."
Judy laughed. "You'll be fine. You've met before. They like you."
"Not as your BOYFRIEND," he huffed. He closed his eyes and recommended his sulk session. Judy pecked his cheek.
The train sped past trees and fields, and Judy's excitement and nerves wound to the highest pitch. She would giggle intermittently and tapped her paws on the arm rests. Finally, the train had arrived.
Judy was out of her chair and raced onto the platform like she was pursuing a suspect. She dove into the embrace of her parents as they both cried out cheerfully. They broke the hug and Judy motioned behind her.
"Mom, Dad, you remember my partner Nick-"
But Nick was NOT right behind her. Judy sped back onto the train with a "just a sec" to her mom.
Nick was lallygagging. He gathered their belongings and moseyed down the aisle, only picking up speed when his girlfriend's face appeared at the front of the train car, all scrunched up with impatience. It softened when they made eye contact. Nick didn't like to show his emotions, but she could tell he was genuinely scared.
"You don't have to be so worried, Nick." She was at his side, paw on his arm.
"Of course I do, Judy. There's nothing I can do if your parents don't like me because I'm a fox. I'm not scared of that part- I'm scared that they'll convince you to choose another mate. I don't want to lose you."
Judy laughed. "I've wanted to be a cop since I was a child. They couldn't convince me out of THAT one, could they?" She snuggled her nose to his. "Maybe you haven't realized, but when this bunny wants something, she gets it. No matter who tries to convince me otherwise. All I want is you, Nick."
He looked at her and blinked. "That's it. No more binge-watching those chick flicks for you! That was inexcusably cheesy. I'm not even sure I can be seen with you anymore..." she elbowed him in the ribs and he smacked her butt, just below her tail. She squealed happily, but they both had to compose themselves as they reached the exit. They headed down the stairs and back onto the platform.
"What's cheesy?" Judy's dad was at the base of the steps, and must have heard the tail end of their conversation. "Is it a pun? I love a good pun!" Stu shook Nick's paw. "Good to see you again, Nick. Thanks for keeping our little kit safe out there on the job."
Nick grinned. "I wish I could say 'you're welcome,' but Judy's saved my hide more times than I can count."
"Oh? Are you frequently in danger?" Bonnie asked casually. Judy sensed the hidden concern and tried to signal as stealthily as possible to Nick to LIE HIS TAIL OFF before her mother (or more likely her father) started crying by the train.
She intervened. "Dad, you wanted to know what was so funny, right? Nick told me I'm not allowed to watch chick flicks. He says they're a bad influence on me." She failed at mimicking her mother's casual tone, but Stu took the bait.
"I believe it! Those movies are all garbage! Except when it's got Tom Hawks. Remember that one, Splash I think it was, right, Bonnie? With the Mer-Mallard? Really ticked off a lot of aquatic birds...cultural appropriation or something...A great movie though, nevertheless." By this point in Stu's ramblings, the group was boarding the car.
Sensing awkwardness, and skirting a potentially political subject, Bonnie turned to Nick. "Tell us about YOU, Nick. I know you're a cop, and Judy's partner, but I don't know much more than that. Do you have a vixen, or kits of your own? Do you like work? Are you from Zootopia?"
Nick cleared his throat. "Oh, work's great...a lot better than my old job."
Stu looked over his shoulder but kept both hands on the wheel. "What line of work were you in, Nick?"
Nick's eyes bulged. "Oh! Wow!" He pointed to a grain silo out the window. "Look at that big metal cylinder. I have so much to learn about country life."
Bonnie pressed her prior question. "Tell us about your family, Nick."
"Oh, yes, yes, yes." He played off like he had forgotten that she asked earlier. "Well, no, no kits, and I don't have a vixen either."
"A single bachelor! Well, don't you worry, we have plenty of nice fox families out in Bunnyburrow, why, we even work with a fox directly! He bakes pies. Is there anything more wholesome than that? I tell ya, he really turned his life around, that Gideon...I know he has sisters. Maybe we can invite them over for dinner!" Stu was getting carried away. "Bonnie, do you know where our table leaf is? We'll need some room at the table-"
Nick cleared his threat. "Uh, sir. Though I don't have a vixen, I'm, uh...spoken for."
Bonnie inhaled. "Oh! Oh, so sorry, Nick. Please, forgive our ignorance. Tell us all about him!"
"Him!? Woah, woah- no. Not a him. I'm just not with any sort of fox. I'm in an...interspecies relationship."
The front half of the car was silent. Nick glared at Judy. She hadn't said a word the whole car ride! So much for 'stand by your man.' He gave her a desperate help-me-out-here look.
She stifled a giggle and flashed the thumbs-up sign.
"That's...lovely." Bonnie began. "Right, Stu? You have that cousin, what's her name?"
"Lisa?" Stu supplied.
"Yes, Lisa, she married that woodchuck, I hear they're very happy. Barren, but happy." Bonnie was smiling a little more naturally now.
"You know," said Stu, "if I were in an interspecies relationship, I think I'd find me a wallaby gal. They're exotic enough, but they still speak the same language. Plus, I've always been fascinated with marsupial's pouches...I wonder if I could fit inside."
"Thank you so much for that disturbing image, Stu." Bonnie quipped. "But we're talking about Nick, here. What kind of mammal is she, Nick? Coyote? Ocelot?"
"She's uh..." All his years of supreme disinterest dissipated. He was a nervous wreck. "She's a...Judy."
Stu hit the brakes, hard. The gravel road made a scraping sound that made Nick's spine twitch. The car was silent.
" 'A Judy''...?" Stu asked.
Judy was up to bat, now. She exhaled. "Yes, it's true, Dad. Nick is the best mammal I've ever met. He's strong and smart, and I don't care if he's a fox-"
Nick spoke, too. "Your daughter means the world to me, I would never hurt her. I hope you can accept us."
Stu held up a paw to silence them. He turned around to face them, his eyes stormy.
"Nick." And suddenly, Stu was smiling. "You just won me twenty bucks!"
The couple in the back seat was agape as the one in front laughed. "What?"
"Oh, come on Nick. You're a smart fox. We're smart bunnies. We know what a relationship looks like when we see one." Bonnie grinned, opening her purse. "I was betting you two would say you were engaged! You're not yet, right?"
"No!" Nick and Judy cried, starting to chuckle, too. Nick laughed a little too hard, maybe. He just felt so relieved. They didn't hate his rabbit-loving guts!
"Ah, rats." Bonnie muttered. "Alright, you win, Stu."
"Mom! You can't say just 'rats' like that!" Judy admonished.
"Ah, geez. You're right. Sorry, rats of the world." Bonnie gestured around at no one in particular. The countryside whizzed by the window, and they passed a happenstance family of rats playing in their yard. "Sorry!" Bonnie waved out the window, laughing.
"So, you're both okay with it?" Judy asked tentatively. "Really?"
"Judy, we may be country bunnies, but we're progressives!" Stu declared. "We had to get your goat a little, it was just too much fun to make you squirm! Truth be told, we expected it, but it sure helped when we saw you kids kissing in that train car!"
Judy and Nick stared at each other...she burst into laughter.
Nick cleared his throat. "I have to admit, I was pretty nervous to come here. I was worried you'd chase me out with some fox repellent!" The car was pulling up to the front door, now. "Here, Judy, let me take your bags. You can lead the way to our room."
"Oh, nonsense, nonsense, we gave up fox repellent months ago!" Stu said amicably. "Wait. Our room?" Stu stopped dead again. "As in, your room? Together? At night time?"
Judy and Nick glanced at each other. They'd been so worried about telling her parents, they hadn't even began to discuss sleeping arrangements.
"Well, Dad, he is my boyfriend." Judy stated. "We should stay together."
Stu bristled slightly, and Bonnie looked concerned. Misreading the moment, Nick wrongly thought he could cut the tension with a little joke.
"You two are bunnies! You know how bunnies get when they,..." he winked dramatically, "don't get a good night's sleep. If you know what I mean."
He regretted it the instant it left his mouth. Inappropriate, speciesist, and completely unfunny...what had he been thinking?
The bunnies jaws went slack, until Stu shut his and rolled his paws into fists.
"Bonnie, we got rid of all of our fox repellent, right? I think this shovel here might do the trick," he growled, "don't you, Nick?"
"Ooh, god. How about you leave that shovel wherever it is, and I sleep out in the basement, leaving a five foot perimeter around Judy all times otherwise? Did I mention how sorry I am for saying that?" Nick looked as scared as he did when he was nearly iced by mobster polar bears.
Stu grunted and nodded his head.
Nick jumped on the cue. "Yes! Thank you, sir! Right away, sir!" Nick scurried off into the house, and behind him was Judy, admonishing him in frantic whispers.
When they were gone. Bonnie took Stu's paw. "I like him." She said.
Stu sighed, then smiled. "Yeah...me, too." They walked toward the house and he added, "he'll never live that down, hahah! Me; intimidating a police officer fox! Haha!"
"Yes, dear. You were very ferocious." Bonnie rolled her eyes.
"Wait til I tell the guys! Whooh." He wiped a tear away. "But seriously. They're not sharing a room, and I'm sleeping in the hall to make sure Judy doesn't sneak over when the rest of us are sleeping."
"Oh, Stu..." Bonnie rolled her eyes again and opened the front door to the house. "Sometimes you are just too much."