ZOOTOPIA: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE EVIL

Disclaimer: Zootopia is Property of Disney.

And, sorry for the delay, but I've been facing... Writer's Block. Tis a fearsome beast. Also, a thought just occurred to me... how does cheese exist in Zootopia? I mean, the animals that we humans use for cheese (cows, goats, etc) are sentient in the Zootopia verse and thus not farmed for the production of dairy products, so... I mean, I can get them having milk made from soy or almonds or coconuts or whatever, but cheese requires animal milk, right? If I'm wrong, then someone please tell me what the alternate sources are, because this little nitpick is really bugging me.

Also, Komo Domo is partially inspired by the character of Sykes from Oliver & Company (1988), and as such his voice is the same as that character's. John Phoenix has the voice of 1980's Mad Max era Mel Gibson, Sherakh has the voice of original animated Shere Khan from the first adaptation of The Jungle Book (1967), Roger Gibson has the voice of... Lethal Weapon era Mel Gibson, and Cynthia Furrero has the voice of... Mary Elizabeth McGlynn. These are the voices I imagine the characters having when I write their dialogue. When I wrote Sylvester's dialogue in The Scales of Fear, I imagined him with the voice of Hugh Jackman.

Chapter 03: Obligatory Family Stuff

Date: Wednesday, November 25th, 2029

The Wilde Residence, 419 Evergreen Road, Savanna Central

Nick Wilde looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand next to his and Judy's bed, slapping his paw onto it to turn off the horrid beeping produced by the evil machine. "Hey... Carrots?" Nick asked his wife groggily. "Mm?" Judy replied sleepily. "Do we... uh... uh... do... uh... we have... vacation time?" Nick finally asked her after clearing his mind enough to process thoughts properly.

"Mm-Hmm. Cleared it with Bogo a month ago," Judy replied. "We have off... today?" Nick asked his wife tiredly. "Mm-hm," Judy replied as she snuggled up to him. "Sweet," he replied sleepily, his twitching as he noticed the sound of the bedroom door creaking open. "Oh hell," Nick muttered, seconds before Vicky and Ben hopped onto the bed and crawled up between him and Judy. "No... no, you guys have to sleep in your own beds," Nick complained groggily as Vicky and Ben hugged their parents.

"Are we going to Nanna Claire's house today?" Vicky asked excitedly. "Tomorrow," Nick replied sleepily. "Now go back to bed," he told his children. "But it's seven in the morning!" Vicky protested. "Exactly," Nick said with a yawn. "Go back to bed. Let Mommy and Daddy sleep," Nick said with a whine, causing Judy to giggle sleepily.

"But we still have Kindergarten today!" Vicky whined. "You guys need to drive us to kindergarten!" she whined some more. "Aw, really?" Ben asked, not wanting to go to school the day before a holiday. "Tomorrow is Thankful Day! We shouldn't have to go to school today," Ben whined. "Okay... we'll drive you to school," Nick said as he pushed himself up and looked at his son and daughter. "You could pretend that we don't have to go," Ben suggested with a smile.

"Sorry, but if you have to go, then you have to go," Nick said as he got himself out of bed and slowly walked over to the bedroom door. He made his way over to the upstairs bathroom and got himself cleaned up. Meanwhile, Judy was slowly waking up as well, slowly sitting up before rubbing her eyes and looking at her two hybrid offspring on the bed.

"Mom, are we gonna go see Nana Claire tomorrow?" Ben asked excitedly. "Sure, Sweetie," Judy said with a tired smile. "Yay!" Ben and Victoria squealed in unison.

At A UNI-World Shipping Site In The Canal District...

Nelson Brookes was eating an ostrich sandwich when he felt his phone vibrate. Sighing in annoyance, he pulled out his phone and looked at the caller ID. "International... from Reptaelia? I'd better not get charged for this," he muttered under his breath before pressing the TALK button on the phone.

"Hello?" Nelson asked in annoyanced. "Nelson Brookes?" asked a gruff voice. "Who is this?" Nelson asked. "Now, Nelson, is that any way to speak to your old boss?" the voice on the other end asked, causing Nelson to drop his sandwich on his plate after recognition kicked in. "K-Komo?" Nelson asked in shock.

"Right on the money," Komo replied. "Komo, you're out already?" Nelson asked in surprise. "Yes, and what a mess things became. I leave home for a decade, and look what happens. Nelson, I have some questions to ask you," Komo said. "If you want a position in the company, the only thing available is something low level. Menial labor," Nelson said.

Komo laughed on the other end. "Not what I was going to ask about, but I'll keep that in mind," Komo replied heartily. "No, what I want to ask you about was... Tolgeth Sakish, and Arjun's death," Komo said. "Komo, you're making an international call. After a certain number of minutes, I'm going to get a big fucking bill for this," Nelson snapped.

"Do you still have your old e-mail address? Do you have a laptop or a computer that isn't connected to a company server?" Komo asked him. "Yeah. Yeah, I still have that laptop but I had to switch to a Zoo-Mail E-Mail address about three years ago. I'm practically a citizen at this point, even got the papers signed and everything," Nelson said. "Good for you. Anyway, Let me grab something to write with. Okay, what's the e-mail address?" Komo asked him.

"SirBrooke at Zoo-Mail dot com," Nelson replied. "That's one capital S and one capital B, with no space between the Sir and Brooke," Nelson added. "Thank you. I'll send you an e-mail with my questions shortly," Komo said. "Uh, Komo, what all do you already know about Sakish?" Nelson asked him.

"He lasted a week stuffed in a cooler before I finished what I'd started. He's already taken care of, Nelson. Sherakh is already following my orders, and I will have Phoenix making a short trip over to Zootopia before the end of next month on a recon mission. Anyway, I've heard you've been trying to go legit in my absence," Komo said. "Well... After the incident with Arjun, we had to severe as many ties as possible to keep ourselves afloat. That meant foregoing a lot of... activities that would be frowned upon by the local authorities. I had to do what was necessary to keep the Zootopia branch of UNI-World from collapsing after Arjun's death," Nelson replied.

"I expect a more detailed report in an e-mail later. Take care, and Nelson? Tell Pam hello for me," Komo said. "I'll certainly do that, Sir. I'm glad you're in good health. Bye," Nelson said before hanging up his phone. "Not again," he muttered to himself as he remembered the gang war between Arjun Rooter, Terrence Sharpo, and Mr. Big. "If you fuck up the stability I've achieved, Komo... I ain't gonna keep quiet for ya," Nelson muttered. "I'll sing like a fucking canary."

The Wilde Residence, 419 Evergreen Road, Savanna Central, Later...

Nick collapsed onto Judy after letting out a final gasp, quickly curling his limbs and tail around her as they lay on the bed. "It's been too long," Judy whispered with a pleasured sigh. "Are you... sated, at least?" Nick asked her tiredly. "Yeah. We haven't had a marathon like that... for a while," Judy said with a smile. "Kind of difficult when you've got two rambunctious little hellspawn running around and begging to sleep in your bed at night," Nick replied with a yawn.

"Don't forget where they came from," Judy responded with a smirk. "Mm, I won't forget. The blackest pits of hell," Nick said with a smirk. "Nick!" Judy admonished him with a smile. "What?" he asked her in response. "You know... I kind of missed the old you for a while," Judy said. "The... old me?" Nick asked her.

"Yeah. After... what happened with Lisker, you seemed a little bit more serious around people, and then, after the mercenaries started showing up... it was like your old self had just disappeared," Judy said as she tilted her head back to look at her husband. "Well... considering what we went through... did you expect me to remain completely unchanged?" Nick asked her.

"Well, not exactly, but... your smart-ass comments and suave slick attitude; I missed those," Judy admitted. "Well, I guess being able to spend almost seven or years without going through a horrible near-death experience can make it easier to relax," Nick said. "True," Judy said in agreement. "So... last night, you mentioned something about a text from Fru Fru?" Nick asked his wife.

"Oh, yeah. She said that she's spending the holiday with her husband's family. They'll be eating at Koslov's place," Judy said. "Oh, is that all?" Nick asked her. "Pretty much," Judy replied. "You know, I'm actually kind of amazed that you two are still friends after all these years," Nick said. "What makes you say that?" Judy asked him.

"Well, considering that we sort of... sent her father to prison, I'd expect her to be a bit more hostile to us," Nick said. "She's just... more forgiving than her father," Judy said. "Besides, she knows that what he did was wrong, and it's not like she's taken over the reins for her father," Judy added. "So, who did take over for Mr. Big after he was sentenced?" Nick asked her.

"I don't know. And personally, I'd rather not use Fru Fru for information like that. It just... doesn't seem right, not after everything that's happened," Judy replied. "Mm-hm," Nick mumbled in response. "So... any idea what the menu is for tomorrow?" Judy asked her husband. "Don't know. We'll have to ask my mom what she's cooking," Nick said. "I think we should bring something along this year," Judy said.

"Like what?" he asked her curiously. "Well... maybe a pie, or-" "Not on your own," Nick interjected. "Oh, come on, Nick! I haven't destroyed the stove or burnt down the house since we've been living here," Judy protested. "Carrots, I'm well aware of that. But, no. My real point is that if you're alone, then the kids are going to be able to team up and distract you so that they can steal the ingredients from the kitchen. You need my eyes so that you can actually bake something in its entirety," Nick said with a smile and a chuckle.

"You're so full of shit," Judy said with a grin. "You know you love me," Nick said. "Do I know that? Yes. Yes, I do," Judy said in response as she tilted her head back to kiss her husband as he spooned against her. "How much longer until we can get up?" Judy asked him. "Maybe another twenty minutes," Nick said.

Date: Thursday, November 26th, 2029

"Now, remember kids, Nana Claire may be old, but she is still swift. Don't misbehave around her, or she'll catch you," Judy warned her offspring as they walked up to the front door of Claire Wilde's apartment, carrying a cooler and some baskets of food with them. Nick pressed the button for the door bell. After a minute, the door opened, and Nick's mother revealed herself. "Nana!" Ben and Victoria cried out happily as Claire smiled down at them.

"Benny, Vicky!" Claire said with a smile. "Come on in," she said, ushering the two young hybrids into the apartment. Claire looked over at where Nick and Judy's car was parked along the sidewalk. "Is there anything else in the car? Do you need help with that?" she asked her son and daughter-in-law as they walked into the apartment.

"Not really, but we appreciate the offer," Nick said as he carried the cooler into the kitchen and set it down. "Mm, I smell... turkey," Nick said with a grin. Judy shook her head. Ben and Vicky had already made their way over to the couch and had turned on the TV. "Hey guys, don't get sucked into that thing. We'll be eating lunch in just an hour," Nick said to his children. "Okay," the two kids replied grumpily.

"So, what all do you expect to be taking back home with you?" Claire asked Nick and Judy after she made her way back over to the kitchen. "Well, definitely some of that green bean casserole," Nick said with a grin. "And you think I remembered to make it this year?" Claire asked him with a sly grin. "Mom, you make it every year. This one is no different," Nick retorted cockily. "You're right," Claire said.

"Um, we also brought some stuff of our own to share," Judy said as she placed the baskets of food on the table, including the vegetarian lasagna that she almost always made when visiting her mother-in-law. "Hm. I guess there'll be plenty of leftovers, won't there? I made some of that myself," Claire said. "Oh? Do you still want the one that I made?" Judy asked her.

"Of course, Judy," Claire said. "Say, can we take some of your cooking down with us the next time we go to Bunnyburrow?" Judy asked her. "Well, sure. But why?" Claire asked Judy curiously. "I just wanna see how my family would like it," Judy explained. "Just make sure to tell them who made it after they've swallowed. Remember last year, when I made that vegetable pizza?" Nick asked her with a grimace.

"The kids ate it," Judy pointed out. "Please, they'll eat anything," Nick retorted. "Well, at least none of the food will go to waste," Claire said. "Yeah, speaking of which, what all are we having this year?" Nick asked his mother. "Well, I made a vegetarian lasagna, green bean casserole, turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and some gravy," Claire said. "Don't worry, Judy; I made the gravy from vegetable stock. We'll also be having some carrots and a salad that I made for you," the vixen said warmly.

"Thank you," Judy said appreciatively. "Now, where are those kids?" Claire asked as she saw the two hybrids sitting on the couch. She quickly made her way over to them and opened her arms to engulf them in a hug. "Ooohh! How have my grandkits been doing lately?" Claire asked them as she planted kisses on each of their foreheads. "We've been fine, Nana Claire," Vicky replied.

"Really? That's good. Tell me; how's school going?" Claire asked them. "It's okay," Ben replied with a shrug. "Are you two getting along with the other children?" Claire asked them. "Most of them," Victoria replied. "That's good to hear," Claire replied with a smile. "So, what all did you guys do in school this week?"

Zootopia Maximum Security Prison # 01, the Meadowlands

Milton Lisker looked down at his plate of food. "Hn," he murmured before walking over to the table where he and Furmington Benezio usually sat. Sitting down next to the tiger, the wolf silently began eating his meal, which was slightly different from the usual fare. "Turkey, bread, and green beans," Benezio said as he looked over at his former boss's plate. "Mm-hm," Lisker said before skewering the beans with his fork and taking it into his mouth.

"Well, they're healthy," Benezio said before eating his own. Lisker looked up at the cafeteria TV, which was showing the news, and silently chewed his food. "Stale," he said. "Huh?" Benezio asked him. "They're stale," Lisker said, referring to the beans. "Of course they are, Milt. What did you expect?" Benezio responded.

"Nothing much, really. I didn't even think they'd actually give us a holiday meal," Lisker replied in a melancholy tone. "You feelin' okay?" Benezio asked him. "Not really. I haven't exactly felt great for nearly twelve years," Lisker replied solemnly. "Well, today is Thankful Day. So, what are you thankful for?" Benezio asked him.

Lisker glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. "I don't know. I guess I'm thankful to be alive," Lisker replied softly. "Same here," Benezio said with a more upbeat attitude than Lisker, at least in comparison. "You know... I used to be okay with this," Lisker said suddenly.

"I used to be okay with eating quietly and getting terrible food. I used to think that it's what I deserved," he continued. Benezio watched him out of the corner of his eye. "But, after a while... I don't know. I guess I just don't really know what to think anymore. Part of me hates it here, but another part of me knows that I earned being here because of what we did. Because of what I did," he said solemnly. "I think you're going through depression," Benezio said. "Eh, maybe," Lisker replied with a shrug of his shoulders before he resumed eating.

Benezio studied his former boss for a few seconds before returning his attention to his food.

Date: Friday, December 13th, 2029

Zootopia Pan-Continental Airport

John Phoenix smiled as he stepped through the metal detector without a hitch before grabbing his belongings from the conveyor belt next to it. "Thank you for cooperating, sir," the female hippo security officer said. "Attention, the red zone is for loading and unloading of passengers only. Thank you." "You're welcome, mate. Have a pleasant day," Phoenix said with a smile to the security officer before walking over to the luggage collection and grabbing his suitcase.

Looking around the main terminal, which had blue lights throughout it, Phoenix calmly made his way over to the departure zone. "No, the white zone is for the loading and unloading of passengers only, NOT the red zone. End of discussion, Larry." Phoenix paused for a second, before continuing on his way to the exit. After another minute of walking, he came upon a water monitor sitting on a bench.

The monitor got up and walked over to him. "Nelson," Phoenix said. "Phoenix," Nelson replied with a nod of his head. "You look older," Nelson said as he sized up Phoenix. "I am older," Phoenix replied. "You look like you've kept in shape," Nelson added. "For the most part," Phoenix replied as they started walking side-by-side out of the airport terminal.

"So, where are we headin' first?" Phoenix asked the lizard. "We'll be going to see Sal. He still has a few things from Arjun's final visit locked away in one of his bunkers," Nelson replied. "Any items that belonged to Sylvester or Maulia?" Phoenix asked him. "Well... there is one particular item that's been collecting dust for a while now," Nelson said.

"Oh really? Care to tell me what it is?" Phoenix asked the lizard as they reached his jeep. Nelson stayed quiet until they had entered the vehicle and closed the doors. As he was putting on his seat belt, Nelson finally resumed speaking. "It's Maulia's sword," Nelson revealed. "Wait, that wasn't collected by Sylvester after he arrived?" Phoenix asked him incredulously.

"It was, but he never used it. I ended up collecting it and giving it to Sal after the raid on the Vera Alus, just a day before the house was searched by the police," Nelson replied. "Hey... the residence where Arjun was staying; what happened to that place?" Phoenix asked him. "Well, after the police searched it and found... a few more things to hold against Arjun and the others, Pam got taken into custody for a brief period, and Duke and I got questioned before they released the three of us. The place has been... renovated since then," Nelson explained.

"Renovated? What do you-wait, who's Duke?" Phoenix asked him. "Duke Weaselton. He was a liaison between Arjun and Sharpo for a brief period, before Arjun employed him as a courier and sometimes-money launderer. He pretty much works as a mail clerk at the Canal District office now," Nelson said. "What species is he?" Phoenix asked him. "A weasel. Didn't the name clue you in?" Nelson replied.

"No. I've met leopards named Beaker, goannas named Redfur, and birds named Mousekewitz. Now, you tell me if I should really make an assumption based on someone's name," Phoenix replied. "And besides, my own last name comes from a mythical bird," the dingo added. "Touch'e," Nelson replied as he started the engine and pulled out of the parking spot.

Sal's Bunker, Somewhere In The Rainforest District...

Sallierre "Sal" Shortclaw had just opened a bottle of Guinness when he heard a knock on the door to his home. Walking over to the door, he used the peep-hole to see who was outside. He recognized Nelson instantly, having kept a scheduled game night with him, Duke, and Pam every month for the past ten years. The dingo, however, seemed only vaguely familiar to him.

"Nel, who's your friend?" Sal asked as he opened the door. "Hey there, Sally," the dingo said. "My name is... wait, Phoenix?" Sal asked, hearing the dingo's accent come through loud and clear. "Miss me?" Phoenix asked him. "No, not really," Sal replied bluntly. "Aww, that hurts my feelings," Phoenix said jokingly. "I highly doubt that," Sal said flatly.

"So, what brings you to Zootopia?" Sal asked him. "Didn't Nelly here tell you?" Phoenix asked him, causing Nelson to cringe slightly at the nickname. "Right, Komo got released. Is he already starting things up again?" Sal asked in response. "Sort of. Right now, we're just doin' some recon and building our forces back up again," Phoenix replied.

"Okay. So... what exactly do you need me for? If you aren't setting up operations in Zootopia yet, then-" "We're here to collect Maulia's sword," Nelson said. "Ah. How do you plan on leaving the country with it?" Sal asked. "I don't. I just want to see it," Phoenix replied. "Really? That's it?" Sal asked him curiously. "Yeah. I also need access to some small arms weaponry. Nothing major, just enough to defend myself if I get into trouble," Phoenix added.

"Get into trouble? What exactly do you plan on doing here?" Sal asked him. "I'm doing recon for Komo. I'm going to be checking out pretty much the entire city this month so that we can plan things better when I return to Reptaelia," Phoenix explained. "So... has Komo dealt with that Sakish guy yet?" Sal asked him.

Phoenix turned his head to look at Nelson. "Nelly, haven't you been spreading the word?" Phoenix asked the monitor lizard. "Not really. Who's there to tell?" Nelson asked him. "Fair point. Anyway, yes, Komo has dealt with the fatso," Phoenix said to Sal. "Yeah. He kept him locked in a freezer for a week," Nelson added. "Actually, he kept the bastard's corpse in the freezer until he'd finished eating all of it," Phoenix said.

"He... he what?" Nelson asked him. "Didn't Komo tell you over the phone? He ate Sakish... alive," Phoenix said. Sal gulped, and Nelson blanched. "Didn't he learn anything from the incident with Flannigan?" Sal asked. "Don't worry. He made sure to keep this entirely within his house, not out in the open," Phoenix said with a smirk. "Now, where's the sword?"

Date: Wednesday, December 25th, 2029

The Wilde Residence, 419 Evergreen Road, Savanna Central

Benjamin and Victoria Wilde slowly crept through the upstairs hallway of the house as they made their way over to the stairs. When they neared their parents' bedroom door, both hybrids stopped moving and waited with baited breath as they listened for sounds of movement. When they felt satisfied that neither parent was awake, they continued making their way towards the stairs, huge grins adorning their faces.

As the duo quietly crept down the stairs, they quickly leapt off of the landing and rushed over to the living room, where the large metal and plastic Christmas tree was standing, along with several wrapped up boxes and presents underneath it. "Wait," Vicky said as she pulled her brother back just as he was about to waltz over to the presents. "What? Why!?" Ben asked his sister in confusion. Vicky pointed to a string connected to a Rube Goldbergian device, which was connected to an alarm.

"It's an alarm system," Vicky said. "Do Mom and Dad think someone would steal our presents?" Ben asked his sister. She turned to look at him. "No. It's for us," Vicky said. "Huh? Why would they try to keep us from getting our presents?" Ben asked her. "Ben, Mom an Dad try to make us all open our presents at the same time every year. Family bonding and stuff," Vicky replied.

"Oh. So, why the alarm?" Ben asked her. Vicky looked at her brother with an expression of disappointment on her face. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Ben asked her. Vicky merely shook her head in dismay before walking over to the alarm and moving it out of the way.

"There. Now we can-" "Wait for your father to get downstairs." Vicky and Ben both gulped and turned their heads to look over at the kitchen, where their mother sat on a stool, eating a bowl of cereal. "You should both know by now that I always get up the earliest," Judy said with a grin on her face. Ben and Vicky both frowned and looked at the floor. "Yes Mom," Vicky said with a sigh. "Now, get over here and have some breakfast. We aren't touching any presents until your father gets down here and eats," Judy said as she motioned for both kits to enter the kitchen.

One Hour Later...

Judy and Nick both unwrapped their gifts from each other with amusement. "A paw-buzzer?" Nick asked his wife. "It suits you," she said with a shrug. Nick looked over at Victoria as she unwrapped her second present: a fantasy book written by J.K. Howling. "Please tell me that's the one that you wanted," Nick said quietly. Victoria's ears perked as she heard her father's words, and a mean grin formed on her face before she turned to face her father.

She put on her best pout and frowned before holding out the book. "This isn't the one I wanted at all!" Vicky whined. Nick frowned and his ears flattened. "Just kidding, Daddy!" Victoria said with a smile after a minute. Nick looked at his daughter in surprise, before he let out a sigh of relief. "Little rascal. Making me feel bad like that," he muttered as he shook his head.

Looking over at his wife, Nick saw that she still had a small number of unwrapped presents from him. Picking up one of the gifts that she'd gotten him, Nick started unwrapping it before pestering his wife to open the rest of her presents. "I just wanna get some pictures of the kits with their gifts," Judy said as she got off the couch and retrieved her phone from the kitchen table. Walking back over to the living room, Judy called out to her children.

"Ben, Vicky; hold up your gifts and show us what you got for Christmas," Judy said with a smile as she turned on the phone's camera app. "Aw, do we have to?" Ben whined. "Just do it for your mother," Nick implored his children. "Alright," Victoria said with a huff before picking up her books and puzzles, which kept falling out of her arms. "Try holding them one at a time," Nick suggested.

Victoria looked down at her fallen gifts before picking them all back up again, this time holding them securely, only for the gifts to once again fall out of her paws and onto the floor. Victoria frowned and furrowed her brows in determination as she reached back down to pick up her gifts again. "Hm... there's something familiar about that attitude," Nick mused, shooting a grin at his wife. Victoria finally lamented and held up her gifts one or two at a time as he mother took pictures and video, telling her mother what each gift was in the process.

When she was done with Victoria, Judy turned her attention to Benjamin. "Ben, what about you? What have you gotten so far this Christmas?" Judy asked as she pointed the phone's camera at her son. Ben smiled as he held up his new coloring books and toys, excitedly telling his mother about each one. Another hour passed before all of the presents were opened, and Nick began the duty of picking up the wrapping papers and putting them into a trash bag after Ben and Vicky had taken their presents up to their rooms.

Looking over at his wife, who was helping him with the bag, he sighed. Judy's ears perked as she looked at her husband. "Nick, Honey? Is something wrong?" Judy asked him. "I... I don't know," Nick said quietly. "I just... I never had a Christmas this nice when I was a kit. I don't think my parents ever had something like this when they were kits," Nick said as he picked up more wrapping paper off the floor. "After my father left... I don't know if my mother ever did presents again for Christmas. I honestly don't remember us even having Christmas Dinners after my father disappeared," Nick said solemnly.

Judy walked over and hugged her husband. "It's okay, Nick. We've been doing this for six years, and we'll continue doing it when Ben and Vicky grow up and have children of their own," Judy said. "If they can," Nick said. "We don't even know if they're capable of having children in the future," Nick said with a frown. "What if Ben and Vicky are the last of the Wilde blood-line?" Nick asked his wife.

Judy mulled over this in her head. "Well... I guess we'll just have to wait and see," Judy finally said thoughtfully. "Yeah," Nick said. "Well, let's get this wrapped up. Heh. Wrapped up," Nick said in amusement. "That's terrible," Judy admonished him playfully. "So... dinner here or at my mother's place tonight?" Nick asked his wife. "Here. Your mother's going to be coming over, along with Finnick, and... well, my parents, for lunch and dinner," Judy said.

"Bonnie and Stu are visiting? You never said anything," Nick asked her. "I wanted it to be a surprise. Besides... we have a big enough house for everyone to join us now," Judy said with a smile. "I guess you have a point there," Nick said. "So... when do they arrive, and how long are they staying?" Nick asked Judy.

"They sent me a text earlier saying that they'd just boarded the train. I'm gonna go to the station to pick them up soon," Judy said before giving her husband a peck on the cheek. "Don't forget to use a booster seat while driving," Nick said jokingly. Judy playfully punched his arm, causing Nick to feign injury. "Aww, my feewings!" Nick pretend-pouted. "Oh, you poor baby," Judy retorted with smirk, rolling her eyes before heading up the stairs to get cleaned up and properly dressed.

"Wait... she didn't tell me how long they'll be staying," Nick said to himself in realization. "Uh, Honey? You didn't answer my other question!" Nick called out as he made his way up the stairs after his wife. "Judy! Carrots!" Nick called out as he followed his wife into the bedroom, just before she shut the door in his face. "Hey! What gives?" he asked. "You'll find out when they get here. Besides, I haven't seen my parents in person in over eight months! We get to see your mother every other weekend," Judy said through the doorway as she changed into some casual clothes.

When she was finished, she opened the door and strode past her husband, wearing blue jeans and a white T-Shirt. "You might wanna get cleaned up to, hon. And check to see how much space we have the fridge and the freezers," Judy said as she hopped down the stairs and made her way over to the front door. "Make sure that Ben and Vicky are dressed before I get back! Love you, bye!" Judy called out one final time before exiting the house and closing the front door behind her. A minute later, she re-entered the house and walked over to the key rack next to the door.

"Eh... oops," she said to herself before grabbing to keys to the car and exiting the house again. She then opened the door and entered the house yet again, this time grabbing the spare house key as well. "Is there... anything else you've forgotten?" Nick asked his wife from the top of the stairs. "Hmm... nope! Well, see ya when I get back!" Judy replied with a smile before exiting the house again. Nick sighed and made his way back to their bedroom, getting himself cleaned up and changed into some decent casual clothes.

Zootopia Central Station...

Judy Wilde made her way over to the arrival platform and waited for the train to pull in. Walking over to a bench, Judy sat back and relaxed as she looked around at the various animals who were walking around the station. Giraffes, elephants, hippos, lions, tiger, bears, wolves, deer, antelope, gazelle, pigs, goats, jaguars, leopards, sheep, rhinos, mice, squirrels, chipmunks, beavers, zebras, coyotes, capybara, moles, rats, gerbils, elk, moose, lemmings, otters, kangaroos, koalas, a dingo, and even several platypuses were seen in the station. Looking over at the other side of the platform, Judy noticed a lone male dingo talking to a sloth bear.

The two conversing animals were soon blocked by the sight of the train pulling into the station in front of her. Judy switched her attention to the train doors as they opened and a slew of animals flooded out of the vehicle. Looking at the small doors, Judy's eyes lit up and a smile adorned her face as she saw Bonnie and Stu exiting the train, luggage in tow.

"Mom! Dad!" Judy said happily as she rushed over to greet her parents, enveloping both of them in a hug. "Well, hey there Jude!" Stu said with a smile as he returned the hug with one arm. Bonnie used her free arm to return the hug as well. "Judy, how've you been?" Bonnie asked her. "Good. I've been good," Judy replied with a smile.

"How are Nick and the kids?" Bonnie asked her. "They're fine. Vicky's been getting into reading a lot lately, so we've been buying more books for her," Judy replied. "Huh, that's a first," Stu said. "What's her reading level?" Bonnie asked her daughter as they made their way through the grand halls of the station. "First grade," Judy said. "Nick bought her a book that's a bit more advanced than a first grader's reading level, but I know that she'll learn how to read it eventually," Judy said.

"What about Ben?" Stu asked her. "Benjamin? Oh, he's at a normal reading level for a kid his age. He doesn't quite have the enthusiasm that Vicky has for reading, but he loves puzzles, though," Judy replied. "Does he like cross-word puzzles? I brought a whole book full of 'em," Stu asked. "More like picture puzzles, but I think he'll still like it," Judy replied. "Well, that's good," Stu said as the trio made their way out to the parking area where the car was parked.

"Homeward bound!" Judy shouted with glee as she got in the car and started the engine. "Judy, buckle your seat belt first," Bonnie said. "Oops," Judy said before buckling her seat belt. "Now, homeward bound!" Judy exclaimed happily. "Christmas lunch and dinner," Stu said with a smile. "Yup! A lots of food!" Judy said as she pulled out of the parking lot and drove onto the main road. "Aw, dang it!" Judy muttered a few minutes later. "What? What's wrong?" Bonnie asked her. "We're going the wrong way," Judy said before stopping at a light and making a left turn at the next intersection.

"As long as we make it there in time for lunch," Stu said with a smile. "Besides, we'll be here until Saturday, so we can take our time," Bonnie added. "I know. I know," Judy said with a smile. "Dad... you will be civil with Nick, won't you?" Judy asked her father. "Jude, of course I will. He's treated you better than some of your sisters' spouses have treated them," Stu responded.

"Just checking. Nick's mom is going to be there too," Judy added. "Claire? I haven't spoken to her since last Christmas," Bonnie said. "Say, whatever did happen to Nick's father?" Stu asked curiously. "Nobody knows. Nick says that his dad just left the house one day and never returned home." "Huh. I'll remember not to bring it up around him then," Stu said. "So, what's for lunch?" Stu asked. "Vegetarian noodle salad, broccoli, lasagna, blueberries, apple pie, and water to drink," Judy said. "Don't forget about the food we brought along," Bonnie said.

"I won't, but I think that should wait until dinner" Judy said. "Uh... Judy? I think you missed a stop sign," Stu said worriedly. "Cheese and crackers," Judy muttered in dismay. "Focus more on the road, not us," Bonnie said. "Yes, Mom," Judy said as she continued driving home. "Yeah, or else we won't let you have any of the pies that Gideon made," Stu added cheekily. "Now that's just mean," Judy retorted with a smile.

"Aww, crap," Judy muttered. "What?" Bonnie asked her. "I missed the turn. I gotta turn us around again," Judy said. "This is going to take a while, isn't it?" Stu asked as Judy continued driving them through the streets of Zootopia. "Yup."

Author's Notes: Again, I'm sorry for the delay, but writer's block is a fucking bitch. Be sure to let me know what you guys think of the chapter in your reviews.