Ch. 10: Lucky
Bellwether tossed the flower crown into the small trash bin in Judy's bedroom. "There, it never happened."
Judy didn't answer but wondered why her mother would possible think that solved anything? It had done absolutely nothing to heal the hurt in her heart.
"Now, how about I cook your favorite for dinner-carrot soup," Bellwether patted the collar on the bunny's neck before heading to the door. But she stopped at the doorway and glanced at Judy one more time.
She sighed at Judy's dejected look, "I did warn you, Judy. The world is dark, cruel, and unforgiving…this is the only place where you're safe from it all."
Judy fell back onto the bed after Bellwether closed the door behind her, feeling something in her pocket Judy pulled it out to see it was the picture she had taken with Nick and Finnick.
A chocked sob escaped her throat and she held the picture to her chest, her eyes shut tight yet tears still sliding down her cheeks. Her mother was right, she should've have gone! Everything that had happened, no matter how wonderful they were, it wasn't worth it if she couldn't have her friends. She had thought it had been torture stuck in this apartment never knowing what she had missed, but now that she did, it was so much worse.
Judy forced her eyes open and looked at the picture, the only thing that showed her she wasn't a 'bad' looking bunny, she wanted to smile at Finnick's annoyed expression, wanted to ignore how her heart still picked up when she looked at Nick's emerald eyes.
And then she noticed something in the background.
It was a telephone pole and on it was a picture, a picture of the rabbit that had been missing all these years. Judy narrowed her eyes and examined it, the gray fur, the violet eyes…
The photo fluttered to the floor as Judy got up and walked out of her room, walking to the small kitchen where Bellwether was chopping up carrots. The sheep looked over her shoulder and smiled, looking slightly baffled. "Something wrong, sweetie?"
Judy looked at Bellwether as if seeing her for the first time, "I'm the missing rabbit."
The look on the sheep's face was all the answer Judy needed. She stepped away from Bellwether, horror rising up her throat. "It was you…you kidnapped me."
"Judy, listen…"
"All this time, I had a family, a family looking for me! And you took me all because-all because-" Her paw touched her collar and a bolt of hate had her clenching her teeth. "All because of this!"
"Stop that!" Bellwether practically snarled, her hooves shooting forward to grab Judy's paws, stopping her.
"That's dangerous!"
"That's what you've been saying all my life!" Judy snapped vehemently, "But what's actually dangerous is you and this stupid collar!"
Judy broke away from Bellwether's grip, glaring with hostility.
Bellwether snorted, "What do you plan to do? That fox abandoned you-and odds are he's been arrested by now since that park was crawling with police!"
Judy had a momentary burst of panic at the thought of Nick being thrown in jail but put it in the back of her mind, he was far too crafty. "That doesn't matter," she lied, "I'd rather live out on the streets than here with you!"
Bellwether took a calming breath, as she always did when Judy became stubborn. "Judy, please… Just calm down, you're just upset and vulnerable right now. If we just sit down and talk I'm sure we can resolve this whole silly thing…" Bellwether reached her hoof out, and, as always it was heading straight for the collar. Judy slapped her hoof away.
"No," Judy's voice had gone quiet, cold. "You will never, ever use my luck again."
Judy turned around and headed for the door, behind her Bellwether's eyes went dark. "Oh, won't I?"
.
The mammals of the skyscraper's lobby nearly all jumped out of their fur when a red fox and fennec fox charged into the living room, heading straight for the elevator.
"W-wait!" the antelope bellhop jumped in front of them, blocking their way. "Who are you?"
"We don't have time for this," Nick snarled then turned to his left and started up the long, long flight of stairs, not looking to see if Finnick was following him. He needed to get to Judy as soon as possible and get her away from that sheep.
When he finally reached the top floor he fell to his paws and knees, trying to catch his breath while also forming a plan. No doubt that sheep would be there, he needed to explain to Judy that she was the missing rabbit and that the sheep had been lying to her. A part of him was terrified that she wouldn't believe him that she would out right reject him to his face…but he couldn't go without trying.
Nick hurried down the hall, counting the doors until he found the one he was looking for. He tried the door knob not surprised to see it locked, he quickly picked it with his claw and rushed inside. "Judy!"
She and the sheep were in the kitchen, both staring at him with shock, then Judy broke into a smile, "Nick! You came back!"
His heart pattered in his chest at that smile and then he noticed her paw holding her collar as if she was trying to tear it off. Nick's eyes narrowed.
Bellwether stepped forward, glowering at the fox, "Get out before I call the police, criminal."
Nick returned the glare, "I will, but Judy's coming with me." The rabbit's eyes widened at his words.
"She's not going anywhere with you, I have kept her hidden for eighteen years! I'm not going to let you take my luck away from me!"
Nick growled, "She's coming whether I have to tear you to pieces or not."
Bellwether actually laughed, harsh and spiteful, "Please? Do you honestly think you have that in you?"
"No," Nick said honestly, his head turning to Judy, "But I can do this."
He lunged at Judy, the rabbit letting out a scared yelp as Nick pinned her down and his teeth went to her throat, a moment later the collar was torn off her neck, dangling between his teeth.
"No!" Bellwether screeched in agony.
Judy stared up at him with wide eyes, "Nick…"
He spat the destroyed collar onto the floor and stood up, "You can't control her luck now! She's useless to you," he looked down at Judy, "But not to me."
"You're right she is useless," Bellwether growled and Judy nearly flinched. "But you're insane if you think I'll just let you get away with this!"
She charged at Nick so suddenly the fox was caught by surprise, Bellwether's hooves wrapped around his neck as the momentum sent him to the window that crashed upon impact.
"Nick!" Judy screeched in panic, hurrying over to the two struggling mammals.
Nick leaned half way out the destroyed window, pain lacerating his gut and he knew a shard of glass had impale him while he tried to pull Bellwether's hooves off him as she tried to strangle him. The sheep was stronger than she looked.
"You ruined everything!" the sheep shrieked as her pressure on his neck increased and Nick started to choke.
From the corner of his eye he saw Finnick appear at the door way, he took in the situation and both he and Judy hurried to them, grabbing Bellwether's shirt and trying to drag her off him. With their help Nick finally managed to push Bellwether off, the sheep falling to the ground after Judy and Finnick released her.
Nick quickly stood up and stepped away from the window, a paw clutching the bleeding wound on his side.
"Nick!" Judy hurried over to his side as the fox fell to his knees.
"You're going to regret this," Bellwether snarled at him. "I'll have you muzzled and behind bars."
"Oh, I doubt that," Finnick suddenly spoke, smiling nastily. "The fuzz will be here any second now, just in time to find the missing Hopps daughter in your apartment."
Bellwether's eyes widened but she quickly composed herself, "I'm the assistant mayor, Bellwether. They'll believe me over you three; it's my word against yours!"
"Heh," Nick said, "Actually…" With his free paw Nick pulled the carrot pen out of his pocket and clicked the button, Bellwether's voice emitting from it: "She's not going anywhere with you, I have kept her hidden for eighteen years! I'm not going to let you take my luck away from me!"
"It's your word against yours," Nick grinned.
Bellwether's eyes bulged in terror as years of secrets and plans fell from her grasp. Just then Judy and Finnick's ears twitched, the small fox's grin widened, "I hear the sirens."
Panicked Bellwether pushed past him and raced out the door, Finnick giving chase.
"He'll catch her," Nick breathed.
"I know he will," Judy assured, she turned to him to say something else when Nick fell onto his back.
"Nick!"
Judy pulled his head onto her lap, her face contorted into fear and tears already forming in her eyes, "Nick, hold on! I'll get help-oh, you dumb fox why did you have to tear my collar I could've used it to protect you!"
"I-I needed to save you," he gasped, his eyes nearly closed.
Judy swallowed painfully, "And you did Nick, in so many ways."
He smiled softly, "You're my dream."
Judy's brow furrowed, Nick took a breath and continued, "You've had a dream all your life…and I never did, until now…"
"And you're mine, Nick," she replied with deep sincerity.
His smile widened and he felt his chest warm at the words, he slowly closed his eyes.
"Nick? Nick, please! Talk to me! Say something!"
"Carrots…" Nick mumbled weakly.
Judy leaned forward, her ears pricked to hear his final words, "Yes?"
Nick opened his eyes and winked, "Did I ever tell you I have a thing for bunnies?"
Judy's jaw dropped as Nick sat up, perfectly fine. "Wh-what?"
Nick lifted his shirt to see the cut he had received was shallow; he might as well have been cut with paper instead of glass. He looked at the rabbit, "Guess your luck still works."
She was looking up at his face and then to his wound, "But…you were…why did you…you tricked me!"
Nick's ears drooped and he glanced away, "I may have been testing you."
Her wide eyes quickly narrowed, "Testing me?"
"I heard you talking to Bellwether at the concert, you brought up me marrying you and your reaction to that was…" Nick didn't want to finish.
"If you had stayed you'd know I only said that because she was suggesting I would marry you just to have someone taking care of me. I wouldn't marry you for that, Nick, I'd marry you because I love y-"
Her paws quickly covered her mouth, embarrassment flashing in her eyes.
Nick smiled and leaned forward, "Keep going."
"I can't believe that was the reason you left! Do you realize how I felt when I couldn't find you? I thought you had abandoned me!"
"And I thought you were disgusted by me," Nick replied.
"Well, you-"
"Hey!" Nick suddenly shot his arms forward and grabbed her, pulling her onto his lap. "Would you stop complaining and just kiss me already?"
.
Bellwether had made it to the lobby when the ZPD arrived, after hearing the pen recording and Judy's story she was quickly arrested and sent away. Finnick had called the police when Nick had started up the stairs. The three friends were taking to the precinct as well to be questioned, only to see Bonnie and Stu Hopps waiting there for them.
Judy had walked into the precinct to see two rabbits talking to a chubby cheetah, they spotted Judy and their jaws had dropped in unison, staring at her as she stared back.
It was Bonnie who moved first, taking hesitant steps forward, fear sparked in Judy's veins and she wanted to run. But then Nick and Finnick gently but firmly pushed her forward and then Judy was standing before the older rabbit.
They stared at each other, Bonnie looking her over as Judy stood stiff, not knowing what to do or say.
And then Bonnie burst into tears, "You're my baby." She stepped forward and wrapped Judy into a smothering hug and immediately Judy realized the difference between this hug and Bellwether's hugs. This hug right here, that was nearly crushing the air out of her lungs, was a real hug. Judy returned it, looking over her mother's shoulder to see her father stepping shyly over and offering a tentative smile, Judy returned it.
While Judy reunited with her parents and learned about her home and many, many relatives, Nick got patched up with Finnick at his side.
"So what's your punishment for being a scoundrel?" the smaller fox asked as Nick ran a paw over his bandage.
"Community service," he replied, "Ol' Bogo said he could hardly arrest me since I rescued the Hopps daughter, the media would eat him alive.
Finnick nodded, then out of the blue glared at Nick. The red fox took a step back, "What is it?"
"I'm about to say something I know I'll regret," the smaller fox growled, "But I know I have to say it so here it goes…thank…you…for helping Judy."
Nick grinned but decided not to tease the fennec fox, "Thanks for helping me."
"And," Finnick went on with a painful expression, "If you need a place to stay…you're welcome…at my house."
Those words made Nick look over to Judy who was still talking to her parents, each held one of her paws, as if she'd disappear again if they let her go.
"Unless," Finnick's voice lightened with amusement as he smiled, "You'd rather go live with her."
Nick looked away from the rabbit, "Her parents wouldn't approve of me."
"You found her and brought her back after eighteen years of her missing. If that doesn't get you on good terms with them, what will?"
Nick nodded, trying to summon his bravado, "I'm going for it."
"Hey," Finnick said before Nick left, "Be good to her… She's my little girl."
Judy smiled as Nick walked over to her side, "I was just telling my parents about you."
Before Nick could react Bonnie stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Nick's waist, surprising the fox. "Bless you, bless you! You brought our baby back!"
Nick swallowed, feeling flustered from the attention. "Of course, I'd do anything for your daughter."
The words came out before he could stop them but he was rewarded with Judy's one hundred watt grin.
"So, I guess you'll be leaving soon?" he asked Judy after her mother released him.
She nodded, jumping in place, "I have so many relatives to meet."
Nick smiled softly, "I'm happy for you. Hope you have fun."
Judy frowned, "You're not coming with us?"
Nick smiled ruefully, "I don't think I should. You need time with your family."
"What are you talking about?" all three rabbits said in unison.
Nick blinked, "Huh?"
"I just called the entire family," Stu spoke up, "Telling them I'd bring Judy and her rescuer home."
"Like I would complain about you coming along," Bonnie said, "You nearly got yourself run over by our truck for our daughter."
Judy stepped forward and held his paw in hers, "You promised you'd stay with me."
Nick would've kissed her again right then if her parents weren't in front of them.
"Yeah, I did," he smiled down at her, green eyes shining, "And Nicholas P. Wilde does two things: keep promises and follows his dreams."
And so Judy and I went to Bunnyburrow with her parents and of course we were both loved by all, especially me. And despite the fact I still can't tell a majority of them apart I've officially become a permanent member of the Hopps household.
Speaking of permanent Finnick officially moved back with his family and is now making it in the music career. Judy and I always made a point in visiting him every time we returned to Zootopia.
Months after settling herself into her new life Judy decided she wanted to follow the code of justice and we both ended up making it to the ZPD academy. More months of grueling training and we were then keeping the streets of Zootopia clean.
As for her good luck, well there are strangely coincidental times where we both had to ponder if it was her luck or not, but in the end we just shrugged it off. Luck or no…she was still Judy, which was more than enough for me.
Now I know what you're all wondering, did Judy and I ever get married? Well, I'm pleased to report that after years and years of asking and begging…I finally said yes.
…Okay, okay! I asked her! And yes, we're living the oh so clichéd happily ever after. That's what happens when you're lucky enough to meet that certain special bunny.