hello, everyone! so those of you who follow my fics know that i've been friends with alandcapon/baronpuddinsplace on tumblr and a some of the fics i've written have been his fault. so he and I have decided to collab together for this fic. i will be writing it and he will be illustrating it. this is an au we've discussed a lot-and by that i mean we've been screaming about it to each other for the past three days. we're both super excited for this project and i really hope that you enjoy it as much as we are. all of our stuff about it will be available on tumblr on our respective tumblrs. come and join us in screaming about this au. please.

You'll Be in My Heart

Chapter 1

"…and may their souls find eternal peace with Karma in the great den above. Amen."

Gideon Grey blinked when he felt the priest put a paw on his shoulder, blinking blank blue eyes up at the older fox. The priest gave his shoulder a squeeze. "Would you like to say anything, son?"

The kit shook his head, his paws in fists at his sides as he stared down at the ground. What could he possible have to say? His parents were gone. He was alone now.

The sheriff had told him that it was a freak accident, that it wasn't anyone's fault. He wasn't stupid. He knew that Pa was always drinking, was always drunk. His Ma was the quiet type, never complained and never tried to speak up against her husband. Not even when he started hitting her…or hitting him…

He didn't know how he was supposed to feel right now. He hadn't cried yet, that would be stupid and no one needed to see him cry. Travis would make fun of him if he did, anyhow. And he didn't want the other boys at school to have any more reasons to pick on him.

The priest made him stand by the caskets as some mammals came up to him and told him how sorry they were about this, that they were thinking about him and praying for him, yada yada. He didn't try to resist any of the handshakes or the few awkward hugs that were given to him. None of this felt right, he was only twelve, he didn't know what he was supposed to be doing!

It wasn't until he watched the caskets get put into the ground that it really hit him. He was alone now. He didn't have anyone.

"We called yer gramma, she said she would come get ya," the sheriff told him later that afternoon as the crowd finally started to disperse. "Ya want me to stick around until she does?"

Gid shook his head at the old billy goat, clasping his paws behind his back. "Naw, it's fine."

The sheriff nodded and hesitated before patting his head. "Don't go gettin' into any trouble, now." But it was said in a serious tone that just made Gideon sigh. He guessed he deserved that.

A few mammals were still hanging around, big rabbit families who were taking this time to visit the graves of their relatives who had passed. Among them were the Hopps', who he'd been really surprised to see. The family had avoided him for the most since he had scratched up Judy's face three years ago…Pa had beaten him real good when he had found out about that.

"Do ya even know how much trouble ya've caused me?! What if they'd called the police, huh?! Or the sheriff?! I can't afford ta keep ya outta jail, ya fuckin' punk!"

Gid huffed and walked away from the graveyard, going to the main gate and sitting down to wait for his grandma. He pulled his legs up to his chest, resting his arms on his knees and his chin on his arms. He rested his tail on his feet as he stared out at the road, feeling cold…and empty.

It was terrible to say, but he wasn't sad that his Pa was gone. Gerald Grey had been a mean son of a bitch with a drinking habit and a nasty temper. He'd made Gideon's life hell since he was about four, beating him and telling him over and over that he would never be good for anything. He always pounded into his head that prey thought that they were better than them, that they were weak and he could never show any weakness to anyone. Pa was the reason he always tried to act tough, because if you didn't act tough then you'd get hurt…and Pa had hurt him plenty.

But Ma…

Ma had been beautiful and kind, just the smartest mammal he had ever met. Vixie Grey had been one-of-a-kind, always taking care of him and coming to get him when he got in trouble. She'd always told him that he could be more than what Pa said, that if he tried he could be anything. Ma was just…she'd just…

"Hey, are you okay?"

Gideon jerked and his head snapped over to see the source of the interruption of his broodings. He had to look up and he scowled when he saw who it was. "Whadda ya want, bunny?"

Judy Hopps stood beside, staring down at him with those big violet of hers and her nose twitching. She was wearing a black dress that looked a little too big for her, her too-big-for-her-head ears flopping at the ends a little bit. All in all, she looked kinda silly and if he had been in a better mood he probably would have made fun of her for it.

But he wasn't, and right now he just wanted her to go away.

She didn't get the hint though. She just continued to look at him, her head tilted to one side which made her stupid big ears flop a little more. "I just wanna know if you're okay."

"Yeah, I'm fine," he grumbled, looking away from her and back out at the road, resting his chin on his arms once more. "I'm jus' waitin' for my granny. Why don'tcha go back over to yer stupid big family, leave me alone." Maybe she would leave now.

But of course she didn't. She sat down beside him, crossing her legs and pulling her dress down to cover her knees. It was so big on her and it looked really funny, and he kind of wished he was back to his old self so that he could make fun of her and make her hate him again so that she would just go. But he couldn't bring himself to say anything so he just scooted away from her, wrapping his tail tighter around himself as he glared out at the road. Where was his granny, anyways?

She didn't say anything else for a while and he was glad for the silence. He didn't know what they would talk about, he hadn't spoken to her since that day at the fair when he'd messed up her face. He remembered how embarrassed he'd been later on when he had discovered that he no longer had those tickets…and how he'd also been a little impressed, not that he would ever admit it.

"I'm sorry about your parents." Of course she couldn't just let things be.

He sighed as he wrapped his arms a little tighter around his legs. "'s fine. Ain't nothin' you can do."

"Have you cried yet?"

"Cryin's fer babies. I ain't no baby."

"My mom said you'd probably be crying today. I told her you wouldn't." She looked at him, her nose twitching.

"Well ain't you just lil miss smarty pants," he shot back at her, his eyes narrowing and his lip curling to show her his teeth. Why was she still there?

She just kept looking at him and it was starting to piss him off. He opened his mouth to yell at her when she suddenly said, "You know, it's okay to be upset."

He blinked at her. "What?"

"It's okay if you cry. Your parents are dead, that's really awful. I'm really sorry." She reached into the pocket of her dress—the thing even had pockets, how big was it?—and pulled out a handkerchief, holding it out to him. "It's okay if you cry. I promise I won't tell anyone."

He didn't know why this small, insignificant action got to him. It shouldn't have. He should have laughed in her face and pushed her over, called her a dumb bunny and told her to leave him alone.

Maybe it was the look on her face, how her lips were barely turned up in a sympathetic smile. Maybe it was how her eyes shined at him, how he could see that she was starting to tear up as well. Maybe it was how her stupid big ears flopped down her back, making her look even more sad for him.

Whatever it was, it got to him.

Gideon felt his eyes well up, even as he blinked fiercely to try to keep them away. His snout scrunched up and his nose started to feel runny. He snatched the hankie from her and clenched it in his fist as he buried his face in his arms, trying to hide the fact that he was crying now. His body shook from the force of the sobs he held in and he started to rock back and forth.

He felt her paw on his back, rubbing in long gentle circles through his shirt. His claws dug into the material of his pants as he shuddered, his eyes shut tight.

"Why are ya cryin'? Quit it, you ain't a baby no more! Grow up, ya retard!"

Pa would have yelled, he would have screamed at him, slapped him until he had to run. Ma would have hugged him close, pushed his face into her skirts to try keep his sounds at bay so that Pa wouldn't hear him.

But Judy…

She didn't say anything, didn't do anything other than sit there beside him and let him cry as she gently rubbed his back. She scooted closer to him and wrapped her arm around his shoulders, resting her cheek against side as she let him cry.

After a few minutes his trembling went away, and his weeping turned into mere sniffles. He lifted his head and put the hankie to his nose, blowing into before wiping his eyes with his sleeve. Judy pulled her arm away and clasped her paws in her lap, just looking at him with a sad smile. It looked like she had been crying, too. Bunnies, they were all so emotional…

"Ya won't tell no one, right?"

"I said I wouldn't, didn't I?"

He looked at the hankie, now covered with his snot. He felt his ears grow warm. "Sorry."

"It's fine, you can keep it. I have more at my house." She smiled again before looking at the road. "Hey, is that your grandma?"

Gideon looked up to see an old blue truck pull up. The door opened and out stepped an older-looking vixen in a grey dress. She saw him and made her way over to him.

He nodded. "I think so." He glanced over at the bunny. "Thanks again…ya know, for everythin'."

She smiled and stood up, brushing off the back of her dress. "It's fine. Like I said, it's okay to be upset." She reached out her paw to him.

He stared at it before slowly reaching up to grasp it in his own. Her paw was so much smaller than his, and softer…he always forgot that bunnies didn't have pawpads. He let her pull him to his feet, amazed not for the first time by how much stronger she was than she looked. He turned his head to see his grandma standing in front of them, looking down at him. He hung his head, shoving his paws in his pockets. "Hi, Granny."

"Hello, Gideon." The vixen reached out to wrap her arm around his shoulder, pulling him to her side. "I'm sorry I couldn't be here earlier."

"'salright." He glanced over at Judy.

The bunny smiled at his grandma. "Hello, ma'am. I'm Judy Hopps."

"Yes, I remember you. You can just call me Petra." The vixen smiled politely at her. "Thank you for keeping my grandson company."

"It wasn't any trouble." Judy turned to go but then reached out to grab Gideon's sleeve. "Remember what I said, okay?"

"Okay." He nodded. "I'll wash yer hankie for ya."

"I told you to keep it, silly. I'll see you at school?"

"Yeah…"

She gave him a big smile before skipping back over to her family, leaving him to stare after her. It was weird…he'd been feeling so crummy earlier and now he felt a lot better…a lot lighter. He clenched his fist around her hankie, holding it to his chest.

Weird…

Petra patted his back and started to lead him over to her truck. "It's going to be alright now." She opened the door and lifted him up to place him in the seat. She buckled him in before looking sternly at him. "No one can hurt you anymore." Then she closed the door and went over to the driver's side.

Gideon stared out the window, watching the crowds of bunnies still gathered in the graveyard. Out of all of them he could pick Judy out, could see her black-tipped ears standing up and how she tugged at one of her sister's sleeves. He could just barely make out the smile on her lips, just barely see the shine of her violet eyes. He started when she suddenly turned his way and waved. He waved back, hesitant, unsure.

"She seems nice," Petra commented as she started up the truck.

"Yeah…she's nice."

As they drove off, Gideon could feel…something in his chest. A tightness, a longing, a desire. He knew he didn't want to be like his Pa was, he didn't want to end up mean and hated by everyone in town. He didn't want to be like that…

The kit closed his eyes and rested his head against the window. He was so tired…he just wanted to sleep and forget about this day.

Well…not all of it.

"What were you doing over there by Gideon Grey, little bug?" Angelica Hopps wrapped her arms around her sister, pulling her close and nuzzling her ears with her nose.

"He was sad and he looked so lonely, Angie, I couldn't just leave him over there by himself." Judy looked up at her sister, her nose twitching as her eyes begged her to understand.

The teen sighed and ruffled her fur before letting her go. "You're too kind for your own good, bug. It'll get you in trouble one of these days."

Judy laughed as she turned her head to watch the blue truck pull away from the graveyard. She raised her paw to wave at Gideon, just barely able to make him out in the window. She felt her spirits raise when she saw him wave back, and she couldn't keep a smile from forming on her lips.

He'll be okay…I just know it.