Chapter Eight:
Long Overdue Meeting...
From what Grace understood: Nick and Bonnie were going to meet the rest of the Hopps clan at the train station at two and take them back to the hotel. Once they arrived, Grace would help everyone get settled in by showing each of her aunts and uncles where their rooms would be. Unfortunately, this wasn't for another couple of hours. Until then the young kit was going to have to wait.
Luckily for Judy, she did have a way to keep her daughter busy. After making a few phone calls, the two made their way down to Vicky's for lunch.
"Uh, mom, are you sure we should be here?" Grace asked nervously as they took a seat at one of the empty tables.
"We're just stopping in for lunch, Grace," Judy said looking at the young kit, "I take it being here brings up a bad memory."
"It's more like her first time here. Physically at least," a male bunny said as he placed a couple of waters on the table along with the menu's, "Unless you count when her patents stopped in to announce they were having a baby. I'm Donny, by the way, I'll be your server for today. Is there anything you'd like to start with, or are you waiting for someone?"
"A few more actually," Judy said looking at their waiter, "How did you know Greg and Laura?"
"Greg was my uncle," he said after a few seconds before looking at Grace, "And I'm sorry about the way my little sister has been treating you at school, Grace. Emma is like most of the family right now. They don't believe the charges against Augustus until they see the proof for themselves."
"I feel so sorry for you," Grace said smiling a little, "What was my dad like?"
He laughed a little before saying, "From what Aunt Vicky has told me; Judy is basically a female version of Uncle Greg, except he never got the chance to be a cop like she did."
"Sounds like me and him would've gotten along," Judy said with a slight chuckle, "That or scared the living daylights out of Nick."
"Everyone deserves a good scare now and then," he said smiling, "Now if you two ladies will excuse me, I have to get back to work. If you need anything, just ask for me."
"He seems nice," Judy said as their waiter walked away.
"What did he mean by they don't believe the charges?" Grace asked looking at her mother.
Judy was silent for a few seconds before saying, "Some mammals can have a hard time believing that someone committed a crime like Augustus did. Regardless of the evidence, of even if the mammal admits to it, they refuse to accept it."
"I think they need a reality check," the young kit said before looking at her menu. Judy smiled as she leaned over and hugged the young kit.
"You're going to make a great big sister," she said as Donny walked up followed by an artic fox.
"Pardon the interruption, but I think this lovely vixen might be the one you were waiting on," he said motioning towards the mammal behind him.
"I'm still not leaving my husband for you, Donny," the vixen said before looking at Judy, "Trish Locksley. Sorry I'm late. Traffic sucks."
"Judy Wilde," the bunny said smiling, "And trust me, I know about the traffic."
"So that fox wasn't lying when he said his mate was a bunny," Trish said as she sat across from Judy, "He also said that you wanted to talk to me about something."
"A couple of things actually," Judy said placing her paws on the table, "The first being that your husband, Marcus, arrived yesterday to testify at Augustus Morris's trail. I was wondering if you know why."
"As a character witness probably. Knowing that old fool, he is probably getting sued by someone he overcharged again," Trish said leaning back in her chair, "I swear, that bunny has to be the greediest mammal I've ever met."
"He killed my parents," Grace said quietly while looking over the top of her menu at the vixen.
"I knew there was something more than his lawyer was telling me," Trish said sounding disgusted, "Makes me wonder now if they know what is on his passport drive."
"Vicky voluntarily handed it over with the password," Judy said reaching over and gently stroking her daughters head, "That drive contained enough information to link Morris with the murders of countless mammals."
"Including my daughter and her husbands," Trish said grabbing a napkin and wiping her eyes, "Vicky told me. She also said that I almost lost my granddaughter the day I lost Laura."
"G-grandma Trish?" Grace asked as she slowly lowered her menu. The vixen looked at the young kit and gasped as a paw covered her mouth.
"Oo-de-lally," she whispered as tears began to form, "You do have your mother's eyes." The young kit started to cry as she hopped down from her chair and ran over giving her grandmother a hug. "Oof, you even hug like your mother," Trish said holding her granddaughter tight.
"She said I got that from you," Grace said between sobs.
"I hope you don't mind, Trish," Judy said after a few seconds, "But I talked to Nick last night, and if you don't mind being around close to three hundred bunnies, you and your husband more than welcome to stay with us until the end of the trail."
Grace looked up at her grandmother saying, "Please, grandma? There's more than enough room, and mom is going to need all the help she can get with her being pregnant."
"Who's pregnant?" Donny asked walking up with an arctic fox.
"She is," Trish said motioning towards Judy, "And if you tell anyone, Donny, I will shave you bald."
"She would too," the fox said with a slight chuckle, "You wouldn't believe some of the stories I have where she's done that."
"Oh, shush you silver tongued devil," Trish said looking at him.
"I take it you must be Marcus," Judy said looking at the new arrival.
"That I am," Marcus said with a nod as he looked at her, "I see that you've met my lovely wife, but I would like to know why she's crying."
"She met your granddaughter," she said motioning towards the kit in the vixens arms.
"Fair warning, dear," Trish said looking up at him, "She hugs like Laura."
"I think you mean she hugs like a Locksley," he said before kneeling next to his mate. He slowly reached up and tapped the young kit on her shoulder asking, "Excuse me, little one, but don't I get a hug?"
"Maybe," Grace said softly as she looked at him, "Who are you?"
"That would be my husband," Trish said wiping the tears from her eyes, "Grace, I'd like you to meet your grandfather, Marcus."
"Grandpa Barky Mark?" the young kit breathed as her eyes started to fill with tears.
"Well, that right there proves she's our grandkit," Trish said at her husband's stunned look.
"Barky what?" Judy asked trying to stifle a giggle.
"An old friend of his once said he told him he was barking mad to want to try and start an accounting firm," Trish replied as she looked at the bunny, "Thus the nickname 'Barky Mark'."
"And here I thought some of what dad came up with was bad," Grace said before her stomach growled.
"How about we finish this conversation while we eat?" Marcus said sitting in a chair, "Because I don't know about you and Judy, Grace, but I have quite a few questions I'd like answers for."
