I do not own Zootopia, that belongs to Disney. This a fan work made solely for the sake of amusement.

The Burrows

Chapter One: Re: Union, Part One

By: Gabriel LaVedier

"Every wedding is a new reunion. It's always different, it's always wonderful, and it's exciting. No matter how many times we have one, we always have a great time at a wedding," Stu said happily. He was standing at one of the front windows of the highest floor of the Hopps family home, looking out over the vast sweep of his property, stretching out to the horizon. The Nighthowlers bloomed blue and beautiful between the field rows, and all his produce was growing strong and lush. Some of his children dashed around, playing, and some stood around talking. "It's a beautiful thing."

"And work, dear. Don't forget it's work. Maybe you could do some, Stu," Bonnie grumbled. She was on her knees, wearing a heavy brocade apron with pockets spilling with sewing equipment. Needle cases, ribbon spools, thread spools, measuring tape, tailor's chalk and other things. A pincushion was on her right wrist, and other pins hung from her lips. She was working on the wedding dress which was hanging in ample, flowing folds on Princess Weaselton.

The dress was clearly designed for a Bonnie-style plump and proportionally squat rabbit, which was highly improbable on Princess. She was standing on a stool but it was hardly necessary, as her long torso pulled the wide dress up to expose a good portion of her legs. "You sure I can't get a dress from a store? I mean, ma lost her dress, but we can buy something."

"Oh don't worry, dear. This isn't a problem. We just get like this around weddings. It gets to be a lot because we usually have a few going on at once. Just two, that's like a vacation!" Bonnie laughed.

"But... this dress was... it's pretty beautiful but... weasels have special clothing needs," Princess said, looking at herself in the long mirror positioned near her.

"Dear, rabbits come in our own little mix of sizes. Do you think Judy could have fit perfectly into that dress? Or a doe version of Zeke O'Pogo? A good mother knows how to turn a dress into perfect fit," Bonnie said with a bright smile.

"Hey... yeah... where did the dress come from? I'm not trying to say anything, but I'm pretty sure this wasn't the one you got married in, or the one Judy wore."

"Rabbits usually have big families, no surprise. We're on the far side of strictly normal but nothing really unusual," Bonnie said, scribbling down a note regarding the extra length needed to touch the ground. "One of the things that comes in the big cedar chest with a quilt and pillow shams is a collection of white gowns. You wear a gown that your mother fits to you, and the ones in the chest... you fit to your daughters."

Princess looked a little stunned, looking down at Bonnie. "I... I mean... I'm not..."

"This family wants you in it. Sure, he's taking your name, but even so, you're still going to be a Hopps," Stu asserted. "You're going to be our daughter just as much as you're Meister's."

"Do you want a lot of embroidery work on the middle portion or something more simple? I could give you a faux corset pattern if you like. You need to tell me now. Like you said, weasels have special needs. That long middle will need lots of attention," Bonnie said as she measured and marked off where Princess' actual midsection was under the dress. "I'm having a lot of midsection trouble. Being in bounty is great for a relationship but I have to keep guessing how big Sylvia's belly will be. I keep trying to sell her on the bare belly look but she refuses. She's proud of the pregnancy but wants a full dress."

"Well, Bon, it's her choice. If she wants the belly covered, it stays covered," Stu stated.

"You're always so indulgent with the children," Bonnie huffed.

"Uh, could... could you put in slightly pink and slightly blue embroidery? Rivers and fish designs? Just a subtle thing, not too much darker than the white. I want Jake to be able to see it but it's not that important for the audience."

Bonnie smiled beatifically, jotting down careful notes. "Oh absolutely, dear. I'll have a sateen panel on the front and back as a base for the embroidery. Do you want all the areas we can trim done up in lace or do you you have a preference?"

Princess ran her fingers along the lowest part of her long neck, where it met her sternum, a wistful look crossing her face. "Just around the neck. But it has to be very thick, very fancy, wide so it's notable. Put in a few layers of it, folded so you can get more in there. Least weasel wedding dresses have lots of lace around the neck, to make it look like we're peering out of packed snow, looking for the hope of spring. Ma... ma had so much lace along her neck. I wish we hadn't... lost... the dress, but at least dad still has the wedding pics."

Bonnie's look went from her soft smile to a broader, more touched and tender expression. "Oh Princess... have your father bring me those photos. I'll make you look like you're standing proud after the harshest winter."

"I'll pick them up," Stu said, moving away from the window. "I need to head into town to talk to some folks. Sun love Bobby Catmull but that feline could teach bread about loafing."

"Now that's not fair, Stu. That nice Thicket doe is getting him under control," Bonnie chided, leaning in close to measure Princess' legs. "Now... shoes or no shoes? We don't tend to ask about our children's tastes, and... proclivities... but it's as much his day as yours..."

"White sheer stockings, full leg, Gazelle heels, open toe, fish leather, platform. Like the kind I wear normally but plain, with a higher lift," Princess said, very matter-of-factly. "With garters, no belt, just elastic. Leaf green, like lettuce. He'll love peeling those down."

"That Nicholas wanted stockings and garters too. Is it the new generation? I never liked things like that," Stu noted.

"Kenny and Sylvia agreed, bare legs and paws, so it's not about young folks. Just what they wanted. And don't talk about personal tastes no one understands. Every other doe in Bunnyburrow was rail thin and long as a country mile. I was thick, short and looked like someone squashed me into a vegetable box. You couldn't get enough of me..." Bonnie said with a wistful smile.

Stu came over and gingerly kissed her cheek. "Still can't, Bon. I'll be back fast as I can with those photos. I might rush through my other things but if Meister opens up a cracker barrel we might get to jawing, maybe play some cards. He cheats but he still doesn't win that much."

"I think that's why he cheats, he likes winning now and again," Princess laughed. "Go easy on him. And don't let him complain too much. He hates that I'm not there for a reason other than illness, injury or religion."

"This is religious, very religious. There's not really a rite of dress fitting, but there should be," Bonnie said with a laugh.

"I'll be sure to mention that to him while I'm down there," Stu noted, before going down the stairs.

The Hopps household was like so many in the Burrows, filled with narrow hallways that ran parallel to each other, containing the doors to the small bedrooms that allowed them to pack in all the children that they had. The home was all curves, twisting and moving sinuously, all made of polished stone, bright and cheerful. The place was an explosion of colors, walls painted up in pastels, the floor of polished stone with a long, bright rug running down the center. As they were in the above ground portion of the house the light came from multiple windows, and also included a lot of glowing tape along the bottoms of the walls and well-spaced wall sconces.

On exiting the house he was confronted by a figure that threw a pall across his joyful day. Old rituals, old traditions lived on in the Burrows, merged and syncretized with the Solaterra church. Standing by the door was a straw-stuffed figure on a post. It was a vaguely rabbit-shaped thing, with dirt and rotting vegetables clinging to it. The drawn-on face had a particular hangdog expression, looking pained and annoyed. The effigy of Rob was placed so that everyone would see it, and remember his crimes. They could punish his effigy for the shame he had brought on the family. Stu... hadn't objected when the Fiffarah had suggested putting the effigy up. He hadn't made a fuss because Rob had earned it. It was only right. But it was so stark, so blatant.

Stu took a few steps from the effigy before he caught himself almost investing emotion in Rob. Then he remembered, really remembered, what Rob had done. Violence against neighbor. Against family. Thinking about the neighbors he cared about, running in terror as flames licked all around them made him scowl. Thinking about Jake, holding Princess tight to his body, both of them supporting each other as they fled the inferno moved Stu to reach down and scoop up a clod of dirt.

He heaved the clod with all the strength his body could muster, striking the effigy solidly in the chest. The little clump of dirt sprayed out a huge puff of soil, bits raining down on the ground and lightly pattering against whatever it hit. The effigy swayed a little, still half-scowling out at the homestead.

"That's the only way you'll ever be here again," Stu huffed to the stuffed figure, his body slightly more keyed up than he had intended. It was cathartic, but draining as well. All in the best ways, of course. The figure served a real purpose beyond the traditional ceremonial one. With a final huff, Stu turned away and resolutely marched over to one of his well-aged Pride Dray pickups.

He checked his mirrors, warmed up the engine and pulled away from the family farm, settling onto the dirt road that led away into town proper. It wasn't a long trip, but it still took time. A commute Judy called it, something that wasn't actually a very citified thing. She had discovered only mammals from the suburbs and Meadowlands had commutes in cars. Real city mammals took mass transit, hired cars or taxis.

It was something of a point of pride to him. He wasn't quite the kind to be happy to be a city mammal, but being compared to a suburban mammal made him feel like something more than just a country bunny. He was just like a settled homeowner with a lawn and a picket fence. He could think of himself like the mammals on TV.

He hadn't before thought about things like that. He had been a simple country farmer, just one of the big wheels in the Burrows. But sending Judy off to the big city had changed things. His mind had truly expanded. It added to him, made him better and more broad minded. He wouldn't have rejected Sylvia or Princess before, but after Nick had joined the family, after Judy had brought greater enlightenment, it made things even easier. His arms were more open and his mind had joined with them.

His thoughts about how things had changed ate up his trip, body operating on autopilot as he pulled the truck into a space near to Bobby Catmull's storefront. As he exited the truck he happened to see Deputy Buck Roeberts walking along, carrying a few sacks of groceries from Weaselton's Wares. Beside him was his girlfriend, Hayma Sanda the leaf muntjac. She was in her usual black-and-white maid outfit, pressed against Buck's side and eating an ice cream cone.

"Afternoon, Deputy," Stu said as he approached the storefront. "Been doing some shopping? Never knew you to go about doing your things in uniform. And afternoon to you, too, Miss Sanda."

Hayma dipped her head and gave her usual bright, broad smile that really highlighted her pearly fangs. "Good afternoon, U Hopps! I needed to purchase some groceries, and my sweet raeehcarr saw me walking along to the store. He offered to help me, and bought me an ice cream at Almondine's Treats. He was just escorting me back to my car. I think he said he would come back to the manor with me. He's such a wonderful buck."

Buck chuckled softly and patted his shoulder radio. "The Sheriff picked these up cheap from the ZPD surplus after that Seedcache incident. I'm always in touch with the Sheriff. She's forgiving when it comes to Miss Hayma here. She understands. That wolf of hers gets plenty of special treatment on the clock. It's just the Burrows. Nice and quiet."

"Other than Purists and arson," Stu said, with a good attempt at a light tone.

"That kinda thing is not gonna happen again. I'm vigilant, and I've got a reason to stay that way," Buck proudly asserted, pressing up securely against Hayma's side.

"He really is sweet," Hayma cooed, stretching her neck up to give Buck a kiss on the jawline, leaving a little ice cream smear.

"Your fangs kinda tickle. I like it," Buck said with a soft laugh.

Stu chuckled softly. "You young folks. Keep that up. Helps a relationship stay strong. Take it from a long-time married buck."

"Of course, Mr. Hopps. Let's get on, Hayma. I'm sure Peony wants these groceries too. Have a good day, sir," Buck said, moving along down the street to the old department car, which was parked beside a newer model Pride Draught pickup.

Stu had a smile left on his face, the lovely distraction having wiped the bad taste of the effigy out of his mouth. A small wince ran through him, when he recalled that Rob had physically assaulted Hayma, brutally. But she had held her own against him, helped put him away. A strong doe, that one. A perfect match for Deputy Roeberts.

He pushed opened the door to Bobby Catmull's shop, the chimes by the door joined by an electronic little tune that rang out around the shop. "Rigged up a new little thing there, Bobby?"

Bobby was casually lounging behind the glass counter of his shop, which still looked like some kind of music store mixed with a museum of well-used instruments. He chuckled softly, casually working on a music sheet, adding notes and erasing them as he considered them. He was dressed casually, in a short-sleeve button-up white shirt and black slacks. "Hey there, Mr. Hopps. Figured a music store should have some music when someone comes it. Loaded it up with a few hundred little jingle tunes and it plays a new one each time."

Stu nodded slowly as he approached the counter, looking Bobby over as he got close. "Looking sharp today, Bobby. I see Jenny got you polished up."

Bobby dropped a low chuckle and swept his shirt casually. "It's far from jeans and a tee, but it feels alright. I mean, it's not Moondas-go-to-convoking. Just never thought I'd be one to wear a button-up to work. Or call it going to work. She really got in my head. But, silver shine... it's so nice having that blessed doe in there..."

"A good doe burrows into your head and sets up there, that's for sure," Stu chuckled. "Did Jenny get the things that Bonnie sent? Princess didn't want anything special but Sylvia showed Bonnie some things from her home. Don't think I've seen instruments like them in your collection."

"Balalaika. It's not from around here but I'm guessing her family wasn't either, a generation or three back. Tundratown has its own particular mix of immigrants, like all parts of the big city, all with different generations. I have a few, can't say you have an instrument collection without major ones. But I never learned how to play them. I can fake it with some keyboard reprogramming. That should work. I have all the notes about how the traditional music works, especially wedding stuff. She'll have to approve, of course. It's all very usual."

"Oh Bobby..." Stu chuckled. "You'll learn, probably soon, that weddings aren't usual. I've planned lots of them, they all find a way to go a little sideways."

"You... you think so?" Bobby asked, suddenly perky and alert. He cast his eyes around and leaned in closer to Stu, voice low. "I've... you know... Jenny and I have been together for a while. She's... she's just so perfect. My folks love her, she's so talented... but she's not doing much to let me know."

Stu considered things for a long moment, drumming his blunt claws on the glass counter. "Wait... have you been waiting for her to make a move?"

"Cougars do that. We're ambush proposers. And since the lady is the one who usually has something of a shakeup it's a tradition that she asks. I've been getting my surprised face ready," Bobby said, clapping his paws to the side of his face and dropping his jaw in a slightly exaggerated manner.

Stu let out a hearty laugh and patted the feline on the shoulder. "Young'un... I have three children now in Outsider relationships. Probably lots more waiting in the side-acres. First thing you learn, every mammal is different. You gotta know their culture. I know just enough to realize not all deer does are hard-charging head-tossers like Sheriff Nikostytär. Far from it, sometimes. You know Jenny's a sensitive doe. She wouldn't just ask you. For mule deer like her, the buck usually asks, and offers his culled antlers. I don't think you need to do that part."

Bobby slowly rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish look on his face. "I know it's kind of the town joke that I'm kind of lazy... but this doesn't help me at all. I should have been a bit more on top of that."

"We all say it with love, Bobby," Stu said with a smile. "You might be a layabout but there isn't a wedding, a birthday or a funeral that we don't have you around. You kind of grew into a very important mammal."

"Well, that's kind of you, Mr. Hopps. Guess... I need to buy some antlers on the internet and see how Jenny's surprised face is," Bobby said with a chuckle.

"Not sure if you're joking... been a long time since I was a young jokester. You young folks... I'll tell Sylvia to come by and see what ya came up with."

"I'll have some samples for her when she gets here. I know when Travis and Jaguar close up. Anything else you needed, Mr. Hopps?"

"That should cover it for now. I'm just in town for a quick look at some of the matters affecting these weddings. Have a good day, Bobby!"

"Have a good one, Mr. Hopps!"

Stu made his way back onto the street and casually strolled his way down the street, fingers hooked in the straps of his overalls, billed cap bobbing on his head. Judy had told him about the many streets in Zootopia. It wasn't just a concrete block full of a tangle of the same ribbons of asphalt. She loved to talk about all the different places. The fresh-poured concrete and repaved roads in some segments of Happytown, the bamboo-lined streets in Tanukitown, even the perpetually snowy lanes and the ice-flow traffic in Tundratown. He vaguely recalled his long-ago trip to the big city, and that did seem to be what he recalled. But there was nothing quite so pleasant as the old pebble cobbles for a sidewalk and the well-aged asphalt of the main drag, about the only paving in Bunnyburrow.

He pushed open the door to Weaselton's Wares, looking around for anyone else. It looked to be empty for the moment, with Meister behind the counter as ever. "Welcome to Weaselton's Ware's. We're not..."

"We've all memorized the speech, Meister. But it's good to have some traditions that stick," Stu said, cutting off the words.

"I try to get Princess to do it. She's good about it but she keeps that sarcastic tone. I swear, kits these days," Mesiter said with a shake of his head.

"Oh yeah, I said it just today. Bonnie was less than sympathetic. She's always been good with youngsters. Where's that son of mine? He's usually up here working too hard."

Meister chuckled and shook his head. "Never thought I'd hear a farm rabbit talk about working too hard."

"You work to do what you need to. Working too hard is going overboard just because you can. I thought he was just trying to impress you. Then I thought he was trying to impress Princess. Now I know he just shows off."

"That's fine by me. I want a hard worker coming into the family. He's out in the shop truck getting a load of nuts and fruit from the Seedcache place. Probably end up selling most of it to Gideon. He's glad to pay a little more if he can save the travel time. Doesn't want to spend the gas and add the wear to his van."

"I'd be insulted if I wasn't well aware of what Peony can sell him that I know we can't. More products for him, more delicious treats. I think we both know how good that is," Stu said, patting his rotund belly.

Meister patted his own stomach and grinned. "You can't see it, but I love me some baked goodies. Weasels carry our weight oddly. We're tube-like unless we get pregnant or too fat to be proper. Princess will figure all that out. Probably quickly. I'm surprised she's not going in bounty too."

"Jake's probably more careful. Or she's not as... usual. Don't wanna tell tales about you daughter..."

"I have an inkling. But don't worry, pop-pop. She's eager for kittens. You'll have a pile of noodly grandkittens before too long. Well, maybe. No matter what, they'll be adorable."

"I'm actually hoping they'll be noodly. We need some long, tall workers on the farm, and we can't wait on Zeke and Pepper to have kits," Stu chuckled, sliding up to the front counter.

"You know you'd never hire outside the family, I know you don't have your kids work on other farms, I hear the Demilops talk about that."

"But I'm still a good buck, I'll help them out if they start to fall on hard times," Stu huffed.

"Never said you weren't. I wouldn't let my Princess anywhere near your family if I didn't think you were good. Blessed by the silver glow, that's you."

"Don't give me a swelled head, I have too many hats to replace them now," Stu said with a grin. "I came by for some serious wedding business. First of all, Bonnie wants you to know this is a religious matter. Her fitting that dress on Princess is as holy as any sunny day and ripe field. Or a starry night. And if you disagree, you take it up with her."

"I'm not going near your wife, she'll tie me up in knots. I don't mind that she's getting fitted. It's her day too. I don't mind that she's off for something this important."

"Speaking of important matters... I don't mean to bring up things you'd rather have kept out of mind, but Princess mentioned you had photos of your wife at the wedding. She wants Bon to get the lace right, maybe get some other details just right. Her dress, her orders, you know how it goes."

Meister stiffened, hands gripping the counter for a moment, before he slowly relaxed, breath blown out as his shoulders dropped. "Sorry about that. It's been a while but I still..."

Stu reached out and gently patted Meister on the shoulder. "No amount of time could get Bon out of my head. Honey's never gonna be gone, and you don't want her out of there, I can tell."

"She's there forever. The moon always shines on her memory and I'm glad. But... yeah... we lost the dress in the fire but we still have the wedding album. I should have had that ready for her. I knew she was going to want to have some of the details on her own dress."

"Not trying to be a hassle. She just mentioned it and I was gonna be here."

"No, I get it. I actually have them here in the store. I can go grab that before you go. I assume you have to be off to other things."

Stu looked over to the old clock above the counter and gave a languid shrug. "Nothing that important." He glanced around quickly, eyes shifting around to check if anyone was there. "Break open the cracker barrel and get out the cards. What Bon doesn't know won't hurt me."

o o o

"We should get frequent mileage points or something," Nick said, watching the scenery move by at variable speeds. The near power poles and trees whizzed along while the spreads of farmland and hills moved more sedately. He was standing beside Judy, both of them looking out the train window. "We seem to head to the sticks more than I ever thought I would."

Judy sighed and leaned her head against Nick's arm. "It's two hours one-way, a nice rest at the house and two hours back, relaxed and happy. Is that really so bad? Plus you're exaggerating. We don't go back there as often as I'd like."

"I mean, we could live there but the commute would be rough, and pricey," Nick said with his usual deadpan snark.

"I mean... they sell passes. And I really checked out the prices. They're not too bad..." Just said, looking up at Nick with a doe-eyed gaze and bright smile.

"My mother likes seeing us, too," Nick said with a small smile. "And the chief kinda likes it when we come in close to on time."

"We're only late because you go slow and like getting under his hide," Judy huffed, frowning and scrunching her brows.

"It's pretty funny..." Nick said, leaning down and breaking the wrinkling with a soft kiss, Judy shaking her head with a sigh and settling against Nick.

"I guess... oh you're such a bad influence on me, dumb fox," Judy sighed.

"Sly bunnies need to learn how to be a little more gray than good bunnies," Nick replied, gently stroking her under the chin.

"I'm good and sly," Judy cooed, lifting her head and leaning into the comforting stroking.

Nick stroked Judy's chin and throat slowly, smiling down at her. His thumb caressed over her cheek, pressing slightly firmly against the ridge of her cheekbone, feeling it in the minutest detail. He had chosen the cheek that still had the small, faint scars down it. They were minor, but present, a souvenir of childhood trouble, yet also a sign of adult change. "I wish I could keep this up forever, Carrots, but I wanna get out to the club car for a snack."

Judy gave a breathy chuckle and softly kissed Nick's pawpad. "Go, go get something. And bring me back a little snack."

"What's the magic word?"

"Tied," Judy said, flirtatiously, placing another soft kiss on his pawpad.

Nick went wide-eyed, slightly stumbling over his own paws as she scooted off down the corridor of the observation car, through the upper tier of the next car, and into the following one. On top half of it led to the door to the next car, while stairs led down to a largely open space to the cafe. A single female llama in a nice uniform stood behind the counter, while in the alcove near here were numerous refrigerators and a few microwaves at several heights.

"Welcome, sir! What'll you have?" The llama asked in a bright and cheerful tone, with just a hint of an accent.

"Gotta love Zootrak professionalism. I'm having a cogburger, a bag of crickets, a vegetable torta, and spicy greens salad," Nick said, pulling the said items from the various fridges.

"Alright, that'll be..." The llama began.

"Excuse me, but we were here first," someone brusquely stated with his own version of a vague accent. Two foxes appeared behind Nick, from the seating area. Both were wearing severe gray wool suits, the tod with pants and the vixen in a long skirt. Both stood slightly shorter than Nick, around bunny height, and had pristine, well-conditioned puffy white fur.

"Sir, this gentlemammal has his selections and I rang him up already..." The llama explained.

"We needed to think. We have thought. Leave aside this scruffy russki, he's just a bolshy. His turn will come when it's proper," the tod huffed.

"Let him go. I can wait a little bit," Nick said, casually stepping back to allow the arctic foxes to make a selection.

"A wise choice," the vixen said, equally as imperious as her mate. She took her time, running her fingers along the refrigerators until she pulled out a tuna salad container and brought it to the counter. "Perhaps this is one russki that understands proper tiers of mammals."

"I understand plenty of things," Nick replied, keeping his tone light, his usual smarmy tone, with a dash of the unctuous obsequiousness that allowed him to slime his way though the allegedly superior.

The tod nodded sharply and picked up his own pack of tuna salad, as well as a box of locust and honey clusters, taking his wallet out and tapping his card against the register. "You meet such ruffians on these horrid excursions."

"Your receipt, sir," the llama said icily, muttering under her breath, "Cabron..."

The tod waved off the receipt and huffed. "I don't need trash. Throw that away."

"Yes, sir..." the llama said. She subtly waved off Nick's money, winking in the direction of the distracted arctic foxes, lightly tapping the register with a hoof cap.

"Yes indeed... love that Zootrak professionalism. Maybe I will buy a railpass. This is some really, really good service," Nick said with a bright smile, casually tapping his ZPD ID against the register.

"And thank you for your service to the city, Officer," the llama said with a naturally crooked-toothed smile.

"Hey, back atcha..." Nick said, peering at the llama's nametag. "Concha."

"Conchita," she said with a soft laugh.

Nick quickly flashed his wedding ring. "Hope you find someone very, very good for you."

Conchita revealed a modestly elaborate small necklace of obsidian and gold. "Zorro también..."

"We reds are really, really doing alright for ourselves. Don't know who he is but he's lucky," Nick said with a flick of his fingers in a breezy salute to Conchita.

"It's always the same classes who get on so well," the arctic vixen said with a small hint of a sniff. "I wish we could do something of this coming event."

"I gave up trying to control her. If you wish to persist, you can fail over again, as before," the arctic tod huffed.

"Our own daughter, betraying us," the vixen grunted, viciously attacking her tuna salad with a ferocious will.

"Try to be reasonable. Maybe she won't go through with it," the tod offered, keeping his head down and eating with exaggerated sedateness.

"She's pregnant. And in that... backward place they care about going through with such things. Division Children are still possible. That pop starlet ruined everything for propriety and the old way of keeping disobedient children properly distant."

"Not my place to say, but you need to just let her be," Nick casually said, having been slow-walking to eavesdrop.

"You're right, russki! It is not your place!" The vixen hissed. "Our matters are far beyond your tiny, poor, lowly mind! You do not speak to your betters, russki! Leave belyy to our higher sphere!"

"It Is our family, not yours. Leave, bolshy, leave," the tod yipped.

"Hey, hey, no need to get snappy. But this isn't the old world. Zootopia has a lot of divisions, a lot of them. A lot of them. But a fox is a fox, except for Councilor Fanak. That's it. If you're not her, you're just another vulpine to the city," Nick said, with increasing bitterness.

"How dare you?! We are no mere foxes, no russki! Our lives are not your concern, you are beneath us!" The vixen hissed.

"Do not shame us by going to his level! Be quiet and calm, Olga," the tod whispered harshly. "You're letting him turn you just as lowly and feral."

"Feral? Oh feral... ever seen a mammal go savage? I have, up close. You don't know anything about anything you're saying," Nick said with a rising calm, trying to get back his smarmy charm.

"You're the one that knows nothing," Olga insisted, sniffing sharply and turning up her snout. "You are not worth speaking to."

"You wanna mess up a relationship, go right ahead. She'd be better off without you," Nick said, back to his usual smiling disdain.

"You... you dare judge us? Such disrespect from one so low. Go away, go away," the tod snorted.

"Nick, can't I take you anywhere?" Judy's voice chided from the top of the stairs, slowly coming down from the upper area. "I knew it shouldn't take this long, even with a line."

"Aw, Carrots, you can't trust me? You know I'm reliable," Nick said, grin growing wide and sly.

"I can rely on you to do a lot of things..." Judy said, with a grin. "This isn't usually one of them. What happened?"

"Zayats..." the vixen muttered under her breath. "How many do we need to deal with?"

"It's Bunnyburrow. You have more to come," the tod said, evenly.

"These lovely arctics were just talking about disowning a child for not entering a Division Family. They believe in family values and hiding children," Nick said, his light tone never changing.

"Dishonest russki. Of course you would lie," the vixen muttered.

"Hey, hey now, there's no need for that. We don't need that kind of talk in a civilized place," Judy insisted. "Nick... if you didn't misinterpret something then it's... it's sad but it's not your business."

"Nor your place to judge, zayats," the tod huffed, lifting his muzzle. "You may have status, but you still may not talk down to us. In Tundratown we have some status."

Judy took a moment to think, nose twitching and one foot thumping rapidly on the ground. "Is that so? Well, I don't recognize you. I think I'll ask about you the next time I have a spa day in Tundratown. My friend Fru knows all the important mammals in Tundratown. Maybe you know her, if you're so important. Fru-Fru Big?"

The smug looks on the faces of the arctic foxes fell instantly, mouths open as they ate their way through Judy's speech. Their pupils went completely round in internal, reflexive fear. Both stood suddenly and dashed off, leaving half-eaten containers of tuna salad.

"Well, I guess they really do know something about Tundratown," Nick noted, helpfully tossing the containers into the trash. "Sorry I dragged you into that. No idea why they're on the express if they hate leaving their fancy digs in Tundratown."

"Even snobs travel. They're miserable, but they do," Judy said with a sigh. "It's okay. We actually know good folks with status. We won't have to deal with them anymore, so let's just go back to the observation car and eat."

The trip passed uneventfully, Judy and Nick quietly eating, keeping their area clean and leaning against each other while watching the passing scenes. They made their way from the observation car to the nearest passenger car, standing by the door as the detached car was moved to the arrival platform, the engine shunted off to the roundhouse to turn around for the return trip.

"Judy! Nick!" Bonnie rushed over to embrace her daughter tightly, Stu following close behind her.

"Pops, good to see you again," Nick said, turning a firm handshake from Stu to a sudden hug. "Always good to get out to our second home."

"Well! Good to see you too, son!" Stu said breathlessly, his portly form squeezed rather harder than he had expected out of Nick's wiry frame.

"So glad you came out to get us. Not that we need the ride, we walk father on the beat than the distance to the homestead," Judy said, leaning against Nick once she had let go of her mother.

"Well, you have luggage this time. Can't just rely on the things you leave here with the extra time off," Bonnie said. "Besides, we have other concerns..."

From out of small crowd of mammals emerged the overtly pregnant form of Sylvia Arctica, happily rushing toward two figures that had just emerged from the train. The arctic tod and arctic vixen in severe gray wool suits, still slightly shaken with a thin veneer of their huffing superiority applied once more. "Mama, papa!" She cried out while grabbing them up in a big hug.

Nick and Judy looked at the three in stunned disbelief, then quickly to each other. "Well..." Nick said, in his usual light tone. "At least Duke isn't the worst relative we have now..."