Chapter Ten: The Parents
Judy awoke the next morning at 7:30 A.M. She was still getting used to not waking up at 5:30 A.M. to go to work. But soon she would return to her usual routine. After getting dressed and packing her overnight bag she left her apartment. Before leaving she checked her mailbox. In there were two letters, one was from the ZPD stating how they will cover her medical cost from being injured in the line of duty. The other was clearly not delivered by the mailman. It was just a blank envelope. She put it in her pocket till she was on the train for the burrows. The train station wasn't far from her apartment. The walk was nice, the sun was shining, It was peaceful. She boarded her train and took a seat. She watched out the windows at the passing districts of Zootopia. It wasn't so long ago that she first came to the city. She couldn't believe how much her life has changed since then. As the train officially left the city limits, she remembered the mysterious envelope she had gotten. She reached into her pocket and opened it. It was a letter from Nick.
Dear Carrots, I dropped this letter off on my way to work this morning. I had a amazing time last night and I can't wait to do it again soon. I could have texted you, but I thought a letter be more surprising. I wanted to let you know that no matter how today goes with your parents, I'm here for you and that I love you. Good luck Carrots. -sincerely, your sly Fox
"Who knew Nick could be so romantic."she thought.
She hugged the necklace that hung around her neck. The ride back to her hometown was uneventful but the whole time all she could think about is what to say to her parents. Before she knew it she had arrived home. She got off the train and was met by her sister Beth.
"Hey Judy!" Beth said with delight.
"Hey Beth, thank you so much for picking me up."
"No problem Sis, why didn't you want me telling mom and dad again?" Beth asked with curiosity.
"I'll explain in the truck." Said Judy
Judy didn't want to discuss the matter of her coming home in public. This was BunnyBurrow and bunnies tended to eavesdrop on each other. She wasn't ashamed of Nick, she just didn't want her personal business to be all over the burrows. They got in the truck and began the drive to their family farm. While on the way, Judy filled Beth in on what had happened between her and Nick.
"Wow Judy, so you and Nick are together. As in together, together?"
"Yeah we are. You don't have a problem with that, do you?"
"Not at all, I'm just worried about mom and dad." Beth said with concern for her little sister.
"Me to, but I'm 28 years old. I can see whoever I please."
Beth pulled the truck up to the family home. They exited the truck, Judy held her bag tight. Beth could see how nervous Judy was. This was more than just telling their parents she had a boyfriend. Beth didn't know how they would react to Judy being in an interspecies relationship. She placed a paw on Judy's shoulder.
"No matter what Judy, I'll be here for you." Beth gave Judy a reassuring smile.
"Thank you so much Beth." Judy replayed.
Judy hugged her sister tight and Beth returned her hug. Once they separated, Beth got back in the truck. She had to pick up supplies need for the farm. Judy walked to the front door. She reached for the handle, but then froze. She began rethinking coming home to tell her parents. She and Nick had just started dating, maybe she should wait. But that would involve lying to them more. She couldn't hide it anymore, she had to tell them. She grabbed the doorknob, this was it. Once she tells them, there's no going back. She turned the knob and opened the door.
"Mom, Dad are you home?" She called out.
"Judy! This is a surprise, where is your arm sling?" Bonnie came out of the kitchen with a smile.
"My arm is fine mom, I actually go back to work in a few days. Is dad home?"
"Yeah he's out in the barn, is something wrong?" Bonnie gave her daughter a look of concern.
"Call him in here I have to tell you guys something."
Bonnie went and got Stu from the barn. Judy set her bag down by the door and began to pace. She was nervous, justifiably so. This wasn't going to be easy, she still didn't fully know what to say. She was hoping it would just come out right when she started talking. There was going to be no easy way to tell them. Stu and Bonnie came back in the house, both looking worried.
"Judy this is a surprise, your mother said you have something to tell us."
"Yes dad I do, and I don't know how you're going to take it so please sit down."
Bonnie and Stu sat next to each other on the couch holding hands. Judy sat in one of the family's many chairs facing them. She took a deep breath and spoke as calmly as she could.
"You guys remember Nick right?"
"The fox? Yeah we remember him Jude." said Stu
Two sentence into the conversation and Nick had already been referred to as "the fox". Judy knew this wasn't a great start.
"Did something happen to him?" Bonnie asked
"No mom Nick is ok. It's something about me and Nick." Said Judy
"Did he attack you, I still have that fox taser." Stu said with a bit of anger
"Dad NO! Nick would never do that to me. He'd hurt himself before me."
"Then what is it dear, you've got me and your father worried." Bonnie said.
Judy realized easing her parents into this wasn't work. She just have to cut the chase and come out with it.
"Look guys I don't know any other way to put this but here it is. After my accident Nick confessed to me that…..that he was in love with me."
Her parents stared at her blankly till her mother broke the silence.
"What did you say to him?"
Judy's heart was racing, she looked at her parents trying to read their faces. They gave no hint to what they were feeling. It was already too late, she had to finish telling them. She wished Nick was there with her to hold her paw and reassure her it would be ok. All she had was her necklace. She gripped it in one paw and held it tight.
"This is the part you're not gonna like. I feel the same way about him and I told him that. Last night we had our first date and it was great. He acted like a real gentlemen. Im also in love with Nick."
There was a silence in the Hopps home. Judy felt a sense of calm inside of her. She had said it, the burden of hiding it from her parents was over. But it was her father who broke the silence this time, his tone was pure anger.
"My daughter is in love with a fox!" Stu yelled.
Judy's heart dropped, her fears had come true.
"Dad I know how feel about foxes but Nick isn't just some fox, he's a sweet guy who cares about me. Isn't that what you guys wanted? For me to be with someone who loves me for me and treats me right."
"Yes Judy, a Bunny." Stu snapped back
"You'd like Nick if you got to know him dad."
"Judy you are calling Nick right now and breaking this off."
"You can't ask her to do that Stu." Said Bonnie, speaking for the first time since Judy's announcement.
"Yes I can I'm her father."
"An it's my heart to give to whoever I want." Judy said as she rose from her seat.
"Your heart is exactly what he'll take out of you Judy. With his teeth and claws." Stu rose to his feet as well.
"Dad stop it! You are business partners with Gideon Grey, so what's wrong with Nick."
"Being business partners is different than being involved Judy!"
Judy had heard her dad yell before, but never with this much anger. Tears began to form in her eyes.
"Before I left, I told Nick that you would accept this. That as long as I was happy you guys would be happy for me. I know you'd like me to be with a bunny but I'm not. I'm with Nick, if the day comes where he breaks my heart then you can say I told you so. But till that day, I'll be happy with him."
Judy grabbed her bag and ran out the door crying, her mother tried to stop her. She called for her to come back. But her father just sat there.
-Later that Night-
Nick and Finnick sat on the couch in their apartment drinking beer and watching a tv show. It was nice to have full time company Nick thought to himself. But his mind was also on another matter. Nick kept looking down at his phone, waiting for Judy to call.
"What's wrong dude?" Asked Finnick.
"Judy hasn't called yet."
"She probably just having fun with the family."
"I hope you're right man."
Suddenly someone started pounding on the door. Over and over again.
"I got this Nick."
Finnick jumped down to go open the door. The pounding got louder and louder. Nick got up curious to what was going on. Finnick grabbed the doorknob with one hand and gripped a baseball with the other. He and Nick had made enemies while being hustlers, bracing for the worst he opened the door. The second he did Judy ran threw the door in tears. She wrapped her arms around Nick and just kept crying. She tried to speak, but was unable to because of her crying. Nick hugged her and looked up at Finnick. Finnick didn't know much but did know one thing, when to give people space. He nodded at Nick and walked into their bedroom and closed the door. Nick sat Judy on the couch and began wiping away her tears. His hawaiian shirt was already covered in them.
"Judy calm down and tell me what happened."
It took Judy a few more moments to compose herself to speak. The tears kept flowing as she spoke.
"Oh Nick I'm so so so sorry. My parents lost it, they told me to break it off with you and my father freaked. He just freaked out, I'm sorry Nick. You don't deserve this, maybe it be better for you if we weren't together. At least then you could find someone whose family accepted you."
Nick grabbed both of Judy's paws and looked deep into her eyes.
"Judy you're talking crazy. I still love you and I'm still going to be with you. Your parents will come around I know they will."
Nick didn't really believe that her parents would, but he had to calm Judy down. Judy wiped away some of tears with her sleeve, but they formed as fast as she could do so.
"What was I thinking Nick, my parents to actually be happy for me. They barely support me being a cop. Why did I think they would be happy with this. I am just a dumb Bunny."
Nick felt as if a knife had been lunged into his chest. It had been him that had called her that on the day they met. He didn't want to admit it, but at the time he had believed it. But he had been wrong, Judy was a lot of things. But a dumb bunny certainly wasn't one of them.
"Judy I love you, but that is bullshit. You're not a dumb bunny. You're a smart, wonderful, beautiful and inspiring bunny, one that anyone would be lucky to have in their life. You are one amazing bunny, and your my bunny honey."
Judy laughed threw the tears at that last cheesy line. She hugged Nick tight as she could, he hugged her back smiling. He could still feel tears dripping onto his shoulder. When they broke the hug Judy looked up at him with a little smile.
"Would it be ok if I stay here tonight?" Asked Judy.
"No problem at all officer fluff." Said a voice from the doorway of the bedroom.
Nick and Judy both looked at Finnick who had probably been ease dropping.
"You can even have my bed." said Finnick
"Are you sure Finnick?" Asked Judy
"Yea I'm sure officer Fluff, I slept in a van for years. One night on the couch won't kill me."
That night Finnick crashed on the couch. Nick slept in his bed and Judy slept in Finnick's. They would had slept together but Nick's bed was far to small and it be a bit awkward with Finnick in the room. She stared at the sleeping fox. She had never thought in her wildest dreams she fall in love with a fox. But she had, and it was wonderful. Despite her glowing love for Nick, the fact of what happened at BunnyBurrow remained. She shifted her body facing away from Nick. She thought about her parents and what had happened. Her tears returned to her eyes, she silently cried herself to sleep.
(Hey everyone! I hope you all are enjoying the story and enjoyed this Chapter. Well it finally happened, Judy told her parents about her and Nick. But it wasn't the reaction that she was hoping for. Stu's hate for Nick was clearly seen in this chapter. In the next chapter we will see love and support for our couple from a unexpected individual, and we will get a peek into Nick's past as well as his thoughts on his and Judy's relationship. finally we will learn more of Vlad the rhino, one of Kane's co-criminals. last but not least thank you to my new editor Jeff for his help with this chapter. Thank you for reading and I love you all.)