Judy never really thought of herself as a hero. All she did was help her foster brother from falling out of a tree. The young Cheetah had been so afraid and Judy hadn't noticed someone was filming. The news framed it as some heartwarming story of predator and prey tensions falling in the younger generations. The articles sounded something like Watch as the cute little Bunny saves a small Cheetah. The younger generation has put aside their differences and we now have hope for the future. She didn't care so much for being described as cute but she loved being called a hero. She'd spent hours looking at every article and comment, grinning the whole time. Maybe she really could make a difference in the world like all these mammals had been saying. A week later, a family showed up wanting to adopt her.

Adoption. It was a concept Judy had let go of a long time ago. Once someone was past thirteen, there was close to no chance of them getting adopted. Judy was sixteen and only had a year and a half before she aged out. So when a family from over 200 miles away came to adopt her after seeing the news report, Judy was dumbfounded. "You can call us Sylvia and Eric or Mom and Dad or Mr and Mrs Wilde. Whatever you're comfortable with," they'd said. They told her that they had a son and other things about themselves. Judy had nodded in response, while telling little about herself in return. She'd been shocked to see that they were Foxes, not only a different species, but predators. It was pretty strange in her mind but, all in all, she was happy to be adopted by anyone.

Judy had tolerated her life. Her foster home gave her food, shelter, and a bed, though she had to share hers with another girl. As long as she did her chores and kept herself out of sight, no one bothered her. She was sad to leave some of the kids she'd spent the past year and a half with but, since she switched homes multiple times, she'd never gotten close enough for any future separation to hurt. She still had some scars from being taken from past foster homes and she never wanted to experience that again. After the papers were signed, the couple simply looked at her with polite smiles and told her about the famous city she'd heard about her entire life. Zootopia was always described as this booming metropolis where everyone was happy and, from Sylvia and Eric's stories, the ideas seemed true. She instantly liked the middle aged couple who wanted to be her parents. It was scary to believe that she would have a family for the rest of her life, but Judy was a sucker for hope and she always fell into it.

The plane ride had been short and Judy didn't say much. It almost seemed like a sudden word or movement would make her wake up from the dream she had to be having. She played with her carrot necklace to keep from over thinking. Later, Eric switched seats with her so that Judy could look out the window as they landed. The city looked huge and vibrant. Suddenly, the reality of the situation hit her and Judy felt her eyes grow misty.

"Are you ready, honey?" Sylvia asked her. Judy snapped out of her moment when she heard the term of endearment. Growing up, mammals had always called her pet names to belittle her. Everyone thought Judy was weak when they met her. It was pretty annoying. "Please don't call me that." Judy kept her tone casual as the stood to leave the plane.

"What?" Sylvia's brows drew together in concern.

Judy didn't want to beat around the bush. "I don't like nicknames. Just call me Judy."

Her new parents' eyes widened. Most were taken aback at how direct and to-the-point Judy could be. She loved the looks of surprise she received when others realized she wasn't just a timid little Bunny.

"Of course. We understand, Judy," Eric said, pulling Judy's small suitcase down.

She couldn't hold back her smile. "Thanks." She almost pinched herself. It all seemed to surreal and once they were out of the airport, she actually did. The city didn't fade away and she didn't wake up in her bed at her foster home. This was real.

After a long drive full of beautiful sights, they finally reached their neighborhood. Eric and Sylvia showed Judy her room and then gave her a tour of the condo. It was carpeted and had two levels. It wasn't as nice as the houses the mammals in TV shows tended to live in, but it was nicer than any place Judy had ever stayed at. The fact that she got her own room made her tear up again. Once Judy had seen every part of the condo, she asked to be alone for a while. She liked Sylvia and Eric's company, but she was used to being alone, and their constant presence was too unfamiliar. They told her that their son would be getting home from school soon and that he was excited to meet her. "We'll be downstairs if you get hungry," Eric said before closing the door.

Judy looked around at her her new room. It was mostly bare with a few accents of color. She supposed she'd personalize the room in her own time. The walls were white and the few decorations were too girly for her taste, but they were hers, so she liked them just the same. She had a lamp and a white dresser and desk. The dresser had clothes in it that also didn't match her preferences. She pulled out a bright yellow sundress that had ruffles at the bottom and realized that the it was made with a younger girl in mind. After searching a bit, Judy found some grey leggings and a T-shirt that made her comfortable when she put it all on. Her bed was in the corner beside a medium sized window that looked out to the grassy area behind the condos. In the distance, past some trees, Judy could see a mailman delivering stacks of papers and kids playing at a small park on the edge of the neighborhood. It wasn't long before her stomach grumbled. It was past noon and all she'd eaten that day had been a small breakfast and refreshments on the plane.

"Ready to eat?" Sylvia asked once Judy stepped down the stairs. Sylvia had made her a large salad with plenty of carrots and other veggies mixed in. It was too much for Judy to finish and she got through half of it before feeling too full to continue. Sylvia sat across from her, eating a soup with bugs as the protein. Judy hid her disgust. She never understood how predators could stand to eat like that, but she knew it was a biological necessity, so she kept quiet about it.

"What do you think of your room?" Sylvia asked.

"It's great," Judy quipped.

"We weren't sure how to decorate it so we can go to the store later and pick out some things. What do you think of that?" Judy wasn't used to mammals providing her with more than the basic necessities of living. Judy nodded in response. "We just want you to feel more at home."

Judy nodded again and a silence fell between them. Sylvia was focused on her soup and wasn't pressuring her to talk, so it wasn't awkward. Judy noticed the green grass and blue sky out of the kitchen window and spoke. "I was wondering if I could walk around the neighborhood. It looks really nice out." Judy was curious about the city and wanted to explore the residential area at least.

"Alone?" Sylvia's smile tightened slightly, telling Judy that she didn't like the idea of it. Judy preferred to go alone but wouldn't mind if someone joined her. Sylvia's reaction was unexpected though. "I'm sorry. When we were with the social worker, he said that teens adoptions often result in runaways. Especially if the adoption is new. Also, I'd feel better if you weren't by yourself outside. The city isn't crime-free, you know."

"Yeah," Judy answered. Sylvia stating something so obvious, as if Judy didn't know crime existed, didn't sit well with her. She was used to mammals assuming she was a dumb Bunny so it didn't disappoint her too much. She'd just have to prove Sylvia wrong sometime soon.

"Well maybe Nick will take you. He should be on the way back from soccer practice."

"Soccer?" While she wasn't the best, Judy had enjoyed playing the game in her high school's soccer club. Where she lacked in skill, she made up for in power and speed.

"Do you play?"

"Sometimes."

"Oh great! Maybe you two can bond over that. The social worker said it's really important for new siblings to find a common interest. Oh gosh, its like it was meant to be." Sylvia grinned at Judy as if she were the key to happiness. It made her want to squirm a bit. Just then, the front door opened and closed. Judy couldn't see any of it, but she heard Eric's voice in the other room speaking too quietly for Judy to hear.

Sylvia stood up, her eyes bright with excitement. "Come on so you can meet him." Judy tried to appear calm but she was starting to get nervous. Everytime she had to change foster homes, she'd also change schools, leaving behind the friends she'd made. Soon she learned not to get too close in case she'd have to leave them. Now that she was adopted, she wanted friends that she could keep forever. The possibility of meeting a new one made her ears stiff.

Once she stepped past the archway into the living room, the saw him. He looked around her age, a little older, and covered in dirt and grass stains. He was dressed sporty in sneakers and shorts that came to his knees topped off with red, disheveled fur. In his left arm he held a soccer ball and in his right, a school bag.

Judy looked back at Sylvia who gave an encouraging nod. Judy took a breath and faced Nick. "Hi. I'm Judy." She gave a small wave and shifted her weight towards Sylvia. For some reason the action made her feel more secure.

Nick's eyes looked down at the tips of her ears, then to her nervous expression, her teeth biting her lip, then falling to her carrot necklace, her shirt, her leggings, and finally to her foot tapping lightly at the ground. Then he turned to Eric, his father. "You said she'd be here on Tuesday." Judy's mouth fell open just a bit at his rebuff.

Eric sighed and shot Judy an apologetic look. "No, we said Monday. Go wash up upstairs and then we'll have dinner later, alright?" Eric's words were more of an order than a question. Judy felt some envy in the way Eric held such an authoritative tone in his voice. If Judy could talk like that then no one would underestimate her. Judy still stared open-mouthed as Nick brushed past her and up the stairs. She didn't understand what she'd done wrong and she replayed the scene in her head a few times to figure it out.

She felt a paw touch her shoulder and saw that it was Sylvia. "Give him time. He might have had a bad day."

Eric spoke up. "That's no excuse for him to behave that way. I should go up there and make him-"

"Eric," Sylvia warned. "He and Judy are going on a walk in the neighborhood. He can introduce himself then. You know he gets shy sometimes."

Judy almost laughed. If that was shy, she didn't want to know what actually getting to know him would be like.