Other than my dad, the Hopps are the first true family that I can remember. I've lost count of how many times they've included me as their own, even when it was blatantly obvious that I wasn't. It was funny; before Mom and Dad came out as Inters, Grandma and Grandpa Hopps would often get curious, unsettled looks, looks that clearly said, "Why are those Bunnies holding paws with that fox kit?" The looks got more intense when I played with my cousins at the park or walked around the market with them. Yet despite the number of looks Grandma and Grandpa Hopps got, they never cared. It's like it didn't even phase them. They just kept holding my paw as I skipped along the path with them. Aside from that, they were there for every birthday, holiday, even my silly award ceremonies at school. They always came even though I wasn't their real granddaughter, well not their biological granddaughter at least. I think some of my fondest memories involve going to the farm with Renee and sleeping over for the night, often pitching a tent in their backyard and having a fire with a bunch of my other cousins. The best part was that, like Grandma and Grandpa Hopps, most, if not all, of my cousins accepted me as part of the family…
The two hour train ride didn't feel nearly as long as Judy and Nick had originally anticipated. Although they did pass the time by playing with Isabelle, sounding out words of various places and things they passed like "Bridge", "Tall", "Train" and more, filling at least an hour of their time with new words. To them, it was always cute and funny when Isabelle got the sound right immediately after hearing Nick or Judy make it. However, it wasn't long until Isabelle got tired of looking at the passing scenery and slowly drifted off to sleep in Nick's arms. Judy and Nick took the opportunity to finally sit back and relax, though the constant stops and announcements deprived them of that brief relaxation, especially as they woke Isabelle up on more than one occasion; a sleeping kit and a ticking time bomb are shockingly similar, except one explodes and the other is likely to bite you. Luckily, once the train fully left Zootopia it was a smooth ride to Bunny Borrow.
"The Zootopian Express will arrive at its last stop, Bunny Burrow, in five Minutes. Bunny Burrow, five minutes. El Zootopian Express llegará a su última parada, Bunny Burrow, en cinco minutos. Bunny Burrow, cinco minutos." The conductor spoke over the speaker. Judy let out a groan as she stretched, feeling her joints pop as she did, before gazing out the window at the rushing scenery.
There wasn't much to see other than the passing of various fields, many of which had some form of crop on them while others were barren. To most it wouldn't seem like much, farm land, plain and boring, the exact opposite of Zootopia. But for Judy this was memory lane. She looked at each individual thing and let herself become lost in her past.
When she looked at the fields, she remembered being out back with her dad pulling up carrots, cabbages, potatoes, and basically every other fruit and vegetable created while the sun beat down, warming the soil and sending rivers of sweat down her face. How he'd always ruffle her fur and call her his pride and a true Hopps. How he would plop his sun hat on her, which sank down to cover her eyes, causing fits of giggles as they walked back to the house. Her father carrying the last basket while she struggled to carry ten carrots at a time.
Then she glanced over to see a young farm bunny, probably in his mid-teens, driving his tractor along the fields. Judy grinned as she remembered learning how to drive the family's tractor. Of course, her dad taught her, and by the time they were done with their brief lesson Judy believed she knew all the ins and outs of the tractor and that there was no one better than her at driving it. The typical mindset of a hot-headed 10-year-old bunny. But her cockiness quickly backfired, as only a few days later when she tried driving the tractor solo, she ended up rolling through a crowd of her siblings, and promptly crashed into the side of the barn. Despite the many consequences of her joyride, her parents only focused on how she could've gotten hurt. How her actions were reckless and, above all, stupid.
There was one last sight that made her remember the past: a small group of siblings, all bunnies, running after the train beside Judy. It didn't take long until the train blew past them, but it was the quick view, the smiles on their faces as they ran together, all waving at the train. That reminded Judy why she was so excited to be back in Bunny Burrow. Her family. Of course, she was beyond excited to spend the time with Nick and Isa, but there was still the importance and draw of seeing her family, the ones she had moved away from, the ones that, despite what she would tell anyone, she had tried to get away from.
She sighed as she sank back into her seat and returned her gaze to Nick, who was still cradling Isabelle in his arms.
"You okay Carrots?" Nick whispered, gazing into her eyes with a concerned frown.
"Yeah, I'm fine Nick." She gave him a small smile and glanced back out the window. "Guess I'm just happy to be home."
"You could've fooled me." Nick replied, giving her a small grin as she blushed and smiled back. "Something on your mind?"
"Memories." Judy sighed, looking back out the window at the passing scenery.
"Good ones?"
"Eh. Some." She shrugged. "More good than bad, I suppose." Judy said, not taking her eyes off the window.
"Heh, well if there's one thing I know, it's that there's no place like home." Nick said leaning back and laying Isabelle down on his chest before sighing contentedly.
"No place like home." Judy said, her voice laced with sarcasm as she gazed out the window. However, Nick, surprisingly and to Judy's relief, didn't hear. The last thing she wanted to do was ruin their time.
It's not that Judy didn't want to see her family, they had a close, healthy relationship. She loved seeing each of them, the bustling energy of the house, the smiles, the arguments, the laughter, it always made Judy happy. Yet, behind all of the things that made Judy happy, being near her family, near the farm, even in Bunny Burrow, it reminded her that she was the odd one out. That she was the one who left the family behind. For some mammals, that is exactly what they want, to leave their families, to go and not look back. But not Judy. She didn't want to leave her family, she only wanted to make the world a better place, to do something that no one had tried before. To be an inspiration, not just for her family, but for other mammals out there who were scared to push past the social norms laid out in front of them. But still, the fact remained that every time she came to BunnyBurrow, she looked back. Looked back at the life she could've had with her family and, probably by now, with some farm buck. It made her anxious and melancholic, but she could never tell Nick that. Not just in fear of ruining the day, but because it was something she couldn't worry him with.
It didn't take long until the train came to a screeching halt, the platform appearing beside their window as mammals stood at the ready to either welcome those coming off, or to push their way into the train. Though there weren't nearly as many mammals here as there were back at Zootopia Central Station; it was one of the many things Judy had forgotten about BunnyBurrow, it was nowhere near as crowded. Grinning wide, Nick stretched and, still cradling Isabelle in his arms as he began to stand up, groaning dramatically and cracking his back for effect.
Judy stifled a giggle as she grabbed the day bag they had brought for Isa and swung it over her shoulder. She gave one more look out of the window of the train car and gave a soft, contented sigh. She was beyond determined; regardless of how she felt inside, Judy would push everything aside and charge into this with an open mind. This wasn't a challenge to be feared, in fact, it was hardly a challenge at all. The past was the past, what happens today is all that matters.
While that attitude didn't dispel her fear entirely, it at least made it easier to take those steps off the train with Nick. The steps away from the train were a completely different story.
Judy halted, examining Nick, who was walking a few feet ahead of her. Tilting her head sighting, she contemplated the ambling vulpine.
"Hey Nick?" Judy began, ears drooping behind her as a thought occurred, "Didn't you pack our bags on the train?"
Nick froze and glanced at the bunny with a horrified look in his eyes, his ears slowly going flat across his head.
"I may have left them in the car after the commotion at the parlor." Nick grimaced, silently berating himself for forgetting and starting back towards the exit. "I think I packed a spare shirt and pants in case Isa made a mess, but that's all I have."
Judy chuckled and shook her head as she caught up to Nick, now matching his pace as they continued along the track towards the exit.
"When we get to my parents I'll see if there are any stores around here that sell fox sized clothes." She reassured him, patting his arm.
"And if we don't, I think I can go without a shirt for a few days." Nick deadpanned, keeping his gaze fixed ahead.
"Yeah and probably give my mother a heart attack all the more." Judy snorted.
Nick glanced down at Judy, cocking one eyebrow and smiling slyly. Judy gave him a soft push on his arm, laughing at Nick's expression.
"Not because of that, Slick." Judy replied, grinning at the fox, "My parents are going to be a little on edge having a fox around the house. I think if they notice you in your more "savage state" then they might have a small heart attack."
"And I thought your parents liked me." Nick sniffed, adjusting his hold on Isabelle as the little kit shuffled in his arms.
"Oh, they do! Don't get me wrong, they asked to see you and Isabelle. Still, after how they've lived most of their life it's still hard to get rid of old fears." Judy gave an awkward chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. Just saying that felt wrong to Judy, embarrassing even, but it was the truth; Nick knew this already.
Judy pushed the door to the train station open and held it for Nick as he sauntered out.
"And what about poor Isabelle? Does she have to worry about your parents too?" Nick asked sarcastically holding the gurgling kit up in his arms.
"Like I said, they only thing she has to be worried about is my mom and sisters wanting to pinch those wittle soft cheeks of hers!" Judy said in a baby tone as she leaned over and gave a soft but loud kiss on the kits cheek.
"Hey, if you wake the shark up you're dealing with her!" Nick said, gently pulling Isa away from Judy.
"Oh it's hardly 'dealing' with her, she's an angle." Judy said softly, taking the waking kit from Nick's arms and giving her a soft kiss on the head.
"Arrmhmmm." Isabelle yawned before nuzzling into Judys dress.
"See." Judy stated, grinning at Nick.
"Well while you hold Squirt, I'm going to get dressed into something more appropriate and call us a Zuber. I'm guessing the wait time shouldn't be long, after all there's about a couple hundred thousand of you all here." Nick said with a sarcastic grin as he took the day bag from Judy's paw.
"Har har, just be sure to get a fox sized one, otherwise you'll have to ride on the roof." Judy held Isabelle with one arm as she reached into her bag and brought out a pair of handcuffs "and I have no problem making you go up there." She continued, twirling the cuffs around a digit and grinning back. Nick shook his head as he walked into the washroom of the station.
"Your daddy's a dork, isn't he sweetheart?" Judy murmured, giving Isabelle another soft kiss. Judy sat back and sighed as she inspected the station around her. It definitely wasn't anything like Zootopia, yet it wasn't the same as it was before.
Though it generally remained fairly small, the actual height of it had greatly improved since the last time she had been home. The interior matched the outside perfectly; it was small, quaint, and met the needs of all mammals. That was one thing that actually impressed her, the diversity of the station despite being so out of the way and BunnyBurrow's popularity among small and medium sized mammals. They had separate ticket lines for each size, but each one could easily be converted to meet the opposite need if necessary, different bench sizes, and of course, the large main building.
It kind of reminded Judy of the DMV; small, boring, and full of lines. Well not that many lines; it was only an out of the way country town.
"Alright!" Nick crowed, walking out of the restroom, "That feels so much better!" Nick emerged in his favorite green Hawaiian shirt and brown khakis, his suit flung carelessly over his left shoulder as he stretched his arms, ruffling his tail and yawning.
"Don't you have anything else to wear?" Judy groaned in exasperation.
"You know, it may come as a surprise to you Carrots, but I actually do."
"I never see you in anything different." Judy countered, watching Nick come around to her side, placing the bag at his feet as he sat down on the bench beside her.
"I figured if I wore something different it may shock your poor fragile bunny heart too much." Nick snarked, leaning back on the bench.
"Right," Judy said, rolling her eyes, "well while you were in the washroom admiring yourself did you remember to call a Zuber?"
"I am insulted that you would think I would forget." Nick said, his arm over his heart, his other paw taking his phone out.
"When did you forget Nick?" Judy giggled, noticing him trying, and failing, to unlock his phone with his pawprint.
"When I was admiring myself in the mirror. It's perfectly normal!" Nick said in a joking defence.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Slick." Judy said with a smile as she gave another small kiss to Isabelle.
Of course, as they were in a town populated by over eighty million animals it wasn't long until their Zuber arrived, and to Nick's relief there was more than enough room to fit the trio; though Judy did have to hold Isabelle very tightly during the drive there since they had forgotten her car seat with the stroller in the back of Nick's car. Thankfully, it wasn't a long drive to the Hopps farm. To Nick, the drive was exciting; after being cooped up in his apartment for over six months he enjoyed the chance to be out again. Even watching the farmers work was an enjoyable sight, for him and for Isabelle who had woken up shortly after they had started their trek to Judy's parents. She kept herself occupied by staring out the window at the big green machines plowing through the fields, leaving a long trail of brown dust behind them.
Yet Isabelle wasn't too happy when the driver pulled away from the great big green machines and made a left onto a road which was completely barren, except for the large fields of corn on either side of the car. Hopeful, Isabelle looked over to Nick, who waved at Isabelle mouthing 'Hi Cutie' but was completely ignored. Isabelle peered out Nicks window side with high hopes and excitement, only to see the same. Rows. Of corn.
How is this possible?!
In her distress, she gave a small whine before crawling back into Aunt Judy's arms for comfort. This made Judy and Nick giggle quietly as Isabelle curled into a small, mewling, ball, her blue dress ruffling in the attempt to snuggle into Judy. It was always funny to Nick and Judy, even at six months she had more personality than any other kit that Judy or Nick had ever seen; it often made for some enjoyable afternoons.
The car ride went by quickly and, other than the occasional awkward glance back from the driver, it was an enjoyable ride. To Judy, the driver, a young dark brown furred bunny, was looking at her and Isabelle trying to figure out if there was some relation. Nick however believed that he was checking her out.
"A young doe like you, of course he was checking you out!" Nick whispered to Judy, to which she responded with a stifled giggle.
"Who's to say he wasn't checking you out, slick." Judy shot back, words dripping with sarcasm.
"True, true, I hear the "dad look" is quite hot now a day." Nick said with a smug grin as he leaned back in the seat, smirking at Judy.
Judy blushed and looked down at baby Isabelle, snuggled tightly in her arms. She brushed her paw along Isabelle's head and ears, rubbing them in a soft and soothing manner. The young kit give a light sigh as what sounded like the start of a soft purr, though it was hard to tell over the engine of the car and the road.
Taking a deep breath, Nick looked over at Judy and Isabelle. Both of them were resting soundly, enjoying the comfort that they were giving another.
"Do you think your family will be the same way with her?" Nick asked. Judy opened her eyes at the question and tilted her head.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you treat her like she's your own but…" Nick looked down, rubbing his paws over one another. "Will your family accept her?"
"I would be surprised if they didn't; after all they were there for you before her birth, right?" Judy replied, a note of confusion in her voice.
"What I'm worried about, Jude, is…she's not going to have any other family other than yours. My dad left, I haven't talked to my mom in heavens knows how long, and it's not like I keep up with my cousins."
"Try Muzzlebook, I gots family all the way out in Tundratown an' I can see what they're up to everyday!" stated the buck driving the car.
It took Nick and Judy by surprise that the bunny was a) listening to their conversation, and b) that his accent was of someone from the southern parts of the country.
"Is that so?" Judy said politely, hoping to stop the flow before it began, but the bunny kept rambling on.
"Yuppers, gots family all over, and the nice thing is I don't have to worry about the distance. That's the nice thing about family, they'll be there for ya when you least expect it."
"Im sorry what did you say your name was?" Judy inquired.
"Names Buck, ma'am."
"Buck. Please do us a favor and don't eavesdrop on our conversation." Nick muttered sourly.
"Dang city folk." Buck shot back, turning his head with a snotty look on his face.
Taking a deep breath, Nick ran his paws through the fur on his head, thinking about the conversation before Buck the buck interrupted them. But, Nick knew this wasn't the time or the place. Though his fears would still be buried deep in his heart he knew it would be best to leave them there, for now at least. He didn't want to upset Judy or bring himself down.
"Hey?" Judy said with a soft smile as she handed him Isabelle, who was still sleeping, or near asleep.
"The family will love you and they'll adore her. You'll see."
"She's not wrong! Many bunny families around here love little ones, regardless of species! Plus if you don't mind my saying so, your kit there is dang adorable! What's their name?"
Judy giggled softly as Nick gave a sigh, brushing the rouge bits of fur away from Isa's eyes.
"Her name is Isabelle." Nick said softly.
"Isabelle? No kiddin' that's a rare name. Definitely not common in the city I know that much! Where'd y'all find a name like that? A book? I heard about those name books that they sell in the big cities, seen a few round here. Not a fan, not original."
"Actually, it was after a relative who passed a while back. She lived around here." Judy said looking over at Isa.
"Now that's original! After a passin' family member, now that's a good way to name a kit! Isabelle was it? Well I've been livin' in the borrows most of my young life, only know one Isabelle that came and passed and that's Old Belle Hopps, lived with her kin for the longest of times. Never met a kinder old bunny in all my life. Made amazing pies too!"
For the remainder of the car ride, Nick and Judy sat there, listening to this young bunny, Buck the buck, ramble on and on. Mostly about how amazing the homemade pies and baked goods are in Bunny Burrow and how they compare to the "trash" of the big city. Though Nick did find Bucks continuous talking and general tone annoying, it soon would be over. The Hopps Family Farm soon came into view; it wasn't hard to spot with the countless acres of farmland surrounding them. Not to mention their home was one of the only houses in the area. Nick was always surprised on how Judy could jump from such a quiet country life to a life in the bustling city. As the car pulled up, Nick noticed Judy's father, Stu Hopps, waiting eagerly in the driveway.
"Judy! Nick!" Stu greeted with open arms and joyful grin as they stepped out of the car. He was dressed in his casual work wear, a light brown shirt with his jean overalls, a small pair of gloves tucked into one pocket and a rag in the other.
He wasn't weighed down with anything more. It was an overly pleasant sight, compared to the countless animals who had their phones buried in their faces or were constantly concerned with the latest fashions. That was one thing Nick always liked about the Hopps family, their clothing was simple and had no greater meaning than its intended purpose. Having clothing was important, but they didn't care about the materialistic value behind it. Fortuitously, it was a trait they passed down to Judy.
"Hi Dad!" Judy said happily as she bustled forward to hug her father, pink dress fluttering as she reached Stu and gave him a kiss on his cheek. "How are you?" Judy asked holding her fathers brown furred paws, the coloring mostly as a result of field work and dirt, though Judy couldn't've cared less.
"Oh hardly workin' Jude, you know that." Stu said with a smile, before he looked over at Nick and Isa. That's when his smile slowly faded, though not disappearing. "I think your mom is inside if you want to go say 'hi', I know she's been itching to meet her grand-goddaughter. I just have some last minute chores to do and I'll come in and join." Stu said with a soft smile, hooking his thumbs around the straps on his overalls. He then looked up at Nick, and quickly said. "Nick, I could actually use your help. Most of the young ones are already getting' cleaned up, do you mind?"
Nick, puzzled, looked over at Judy who returned the same look. Stu was no stranger to doing twice the amount of work than he should do alone, Judy knew this all too well. Even more so when he could easily ask one of Judy's older brothers to come out and help, who would come without a moment's argument. So asking for Nick's help specifically was odd. Maybe he just wanted to save the trip to the extra hassle of going in and fetching one of his kids.
"Of course , glad to!" Nick responded, handing Isa over to Judy.
"We'll be inside." Judy confirmed with a smile as she started to walk off, cradling Isabelle in her arms.
Nick and Stu both watched Judy disappear into the house with Isabelle, the young kit starting to wake up as they entered the house, and were assaulted with the usual noise of the Hopps household. Though it was mostly the squeals of Judy's many sisters that really woke the sleeping kit. After all, noise meant attention and attention is good. Nick grinned. Not just from the Hopps' excitement to see Isa, but from the satisfaction that came from knowing they were happy to see her. It gave Nick a sense of security, knowing if something ever happened he could always bring Isabelle here and she would be safe. Spoiled, but safe.
"Before we start." Stu said looking over at Nick. "You might want to change into something less…clean. I think there's a pair of jeans and an old work shirt that should fit you, Nick." Stu said, looking at Nicks spotless hawaiian shirt.
"Thanks, I'd appreciate that." Nick chuckled as he followed Stu around back.
As they came around to the back, there was a brown barn; a barn Nick remembered all too well. Its slowly rotting wood, the smell of wet hay filling his snout, which was much more pungent in the summer heat, and the many repair jobs scattered across the floor and on the barn itself. This was where Nick found Isabelle's crib, and where he found Isabelle's name. A small sense of nostalgia came over Nick, it was funny to think that this was only eight or so months ago.
"Time moves past so quickly." Nick thought to himself, walking past the tractor, running his paw across it. He'd always admired Stu and Bonnie, any farmer really. It takes a unique person to do the same job over and over again, day in and day out, but it takes a stronger man to do such labor intensive work and not bat an eye over it.
"Here we are!" Stu said, grunting as he lifted a large plastic container, that was at least half his size, and dropping it on the ground, scattering the dust on the cement floor.
"Most of these are made for more bunny sized folks, but I'm sure there's something in here that should fit you for now at least, Nick." Stu stated, not looking over at Nick as he opened the lid and began rummaging around the container.
It was packed with clothing, like something you'd see at a garage sale; completely disorganized, random bits of clothing here and there, and nothing really matching or cohesive.
"What was it you needed my help with again, Mr. Hopps?" Nick asked, looking around for some obvious chore in the close vicinity but not finding anything.
Stu immediately stopped rummaging and his brown ears gave a small twitch along with his nose, though he didn't turn to look at Nick to answer his question. He soon resumed, still keeping his focus on the task he was doing.
"Well, that's the thing…" Stu began, a note of awkwardness in his voice. "What I need your help with isn't something out here, not yet at least. No, what I need your help with has to do with Judy."
Nick's eyes widened and his ears perked up. Crossing his arms, one paw resting on his arm and the other tucked under, he leaned against a wooden post.
"Why do you need my help with Judy?" Nick inquired, eyes fixed on the bunny.
Stu sighed, brushing the dust off of his paws by clapping them together, letting a small, light brown cloud escape his paws. He took off his cap, running his paw through the fur on his head.
"Nick, Judy is coming to the age that, she's looking to settle down. Find a buck, have a few dozen kits of her own, you know, the natural order of life." Stu said, standing up, shaking the dust off of his jean overalls. "And I want you to make sure she finds the right buck."
"You want me to help find her a guy?" Nick asked, pressing his paw on his chest as his tail bristled with shock.
"Not find a guy for her, but make sure she doesn't pick someone of the wrong sort. Nick, there are those out there who...don't know how to properly take care of a...doe of Judy's stature. The do's and dont's." Stu said, absentmindedly fiddling with his nails. "She needs a good buck in her life, just like a giraffe needs a giraffe, a wolf needs a wolf, a fox needs a fox." He finished, smiling and snapping his fingers together as the last comparison occurred to him.
Stu put his paws back in his pocket as Nick lowered his, resting them on his sides and looking down at the ground, absorbing what Stu just told him. Stu walked up and put his paw on Nick's shoulder.
"I know you'll do the right thing for Judy, I trust you, Nick. You're like a son to Bonnie and I. Don't let us down." Stu patted Nick's shoulder as he began to walk out of the barn "Supper should be ready soon, some of the young ones will probably want to see you before you eat, I'll be in shortly." Stu said resting a paw on the doorway of the barn before he left, leaving Nick alone to dwell in his thoughts...
I would like to personally thank each and everyone of you for being so extremely patient, i hope this chapter makes up for it!
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