Chapter 10

Nick had barely finished his words as both parents embraced her daughter.

Half embarrassed, half relishing the moment, Caroline backed a bit away, smiling at them. A deep breath later she said, "Mom, dad, I'm sorry I made you worry. I'm fine, Nick and I have talked this over and made up. We've both made mistakes and should just start over again."

"Now that sounds like a good idea," Judy said. "Doesn't it, dad?"

"All right, all right," the farmer grumbled. "Mr. Wilde, I admit, you surprised me here."

Nick bowed slightly. "As long as that's a positive surprise."

"Dad, please don't kick him out because of me," Caroline said. "He wouldn't deserve that."

The farmer closed his eyes. "Well, I guess I have no choice to let him stay then. For now."

Judy shook her head, but an admonishing look from her mother kept her silent.

Yet Mary did speak up, "Say, Nick, I'm curious. What are those reasons you've mentioned?"

"Thank you for asking. There are quite a few, actually. Like, just seeing her makes me the happiest fox in the world, or how she's able to put up with my antics." As he talked, he walked over and sat down behind her. She leaned back against him. "How she made me a better mammal, helped me turn my life around for the better. She gave me a whole new outlook, made me see I can be different. She taught me that what I want to be is more important than what others deem me able to be." He put his arms around her. "Then there are such little thing as the charm in her smile, the warmth of rhe looks she gives me, those beautiful eyes I might lose myself in. Her positive ways, her infatuating enthusiasm, her inspiring compassion, even that excited little skip she has to her steps when she is happy." Then he looked an uncomfortable Mr. Hopps straight in the eyes. "But most important is that I love her with every fiber of my heart and don't know anymore how I could have ever lived without her."

When he had ended, he rested cheek to cheek with Judy. While her mother and Mary smiled at that display, Caroline outright grinned. But Stu didn't move. His face was void of any emotion, only his eyes showed a desperate search for words.

His efforts, however, were spoiled by the front door flying open. A split second later, a group of kits invaded the kitchen. They spread among the fridges and plundered them for juice bottles. Except for one of their group.

"Uncle Nick, you're back!" Sally cheered as she fell behind. Then she changed direction and charged straight at him. Nick could feel Judy slip out of his embrace. A moment later, Sally landed in his lap. Judy turned around to give her little sister a quick hug.

"Hello, you little sunshine," Nick laughed.

She beamed at them. "Do you now have time to play with us?" She turned and pointed at her siblings, who had now practically frozen. But whatever she wanted to say was left unspoken as her look hovered on her father. Then she asked, "Daddy? Are you angry?"

He cleared his throat and shook his head. "Oh, um, no, sweetie, everything is fine. You just go along and play."

With a puzzled look her attention shifted back to Nick.

He smiled at her and nodded. "Let's go then."

Nick stood up, now carrying the bunny girl in his arms.

"One moment, where do you think you're going?" Stu tried to stop him.

"I'm going to keep a promise," Nick answered and pushed past him.

The farmer looked like he wanted to say something, but the look Sally gave him kept him silent.

"Uncle Nick, did you do something to daddy?" she asked.

"Oh, no," he answered. "It is just that, you see, you now want to play with me and not him."

Her eyes widened. "Daddy is jealous?"

"Oh, yes, that's what I was looking for. He is jealous. But just a little bit."

She looked over his shoulder. "Daddy, don't be jealous. I still love you."

When she tried to lean over to him, Nick turned around. He held her out to her father. She gave him a kiss on his cheek.

The farmer smiled at her. "I know, sweetie. Daddy just, um, isn't used to sharing you yet. I love you, too."

As she waved to her father, Nick carried her outside. The mass of kits took a bit longer to focus on him. But as he stepped onto the play ground, they gathered around him. Once more, he found himself the center of attention. Yet this time, it was a stunned awe he faced. At least they didn't sweep him from his feet, but stared at their sister in his arms.

Obviously enjoying the attention, she declared: "Uncle Nick will play with us!"

Nick braced for the impending storm. Yet all of them just skipped in their places. Their voices, however, carried every bit of excitement he had expected.

"What are we going to play?"

"Hopscotch!"

"No, he's no bunny. Let's play ball."

"You always want to play ball, that is boring."

"Because you're bad at it."

"Let's go to the swings!"

"No, the seesaw!"

"That aren't games. Let's play tag!"

"That's unfair, he's a fox. Dad says foxes are good at catching bunnies."

"Whoa, kids," Nick tried to make himself heard. "We're not getting anywhere like this. So, I'd say, since she asked me to play with you, Sally should get to choose. Okay?"

If he had to be honest, Nick didn't get the impression all her siblings were satisfied with his proposal. Still, none of them said anything against it, either. They all waited for her idea.

The bunny in his arm tensed a bit. With a bashful grin, she said: "I'd like to play hide and seek."

"That sounds fun," said Nick.

"But, isn't that unfair, too?" asked one of her brothers.

Nick smiled. "Did your dad also say foxes are good at finding bunnies?"

"He told us that story where a fox found bunnies by smelling them. Can't you just do the same?"

He shook his head. "Oh, don't worry. Your scent is all over this place. I couldn't find a single one of you that way."

"Really?"

"Really, I promise. And to prove it, I'll start as the seeker. Sounds fair?"

They murmured their collective agreement.

Nick nodded and finally put Sally on the ground. "Anything off-limits?"

"The house and shacks, and we do stay on the farm. Barns are fine, but don't interfere with work on the fields."

"All right, got it. Count to a hundred, safe spot is that tree there?"

"Yes!"

"Okay. Get ready." Nick patted Sally on her head, then walked over to the designated safe spot. There he covered his eyes. "I'll start. And one, two, three..."

He raised his voice and kept counting. Her heard dozens of feet shuffle running away from him. The sense of anticipation was already there. An overwhelming glow of joy sparked deep inside his chest.

"...thirty-six, thirty-seven, thirty-eight..."

They didn't even care about what that farmer had tried to instill in them. So why should he? Hadn't he been told how important his kits are to him? Maybe winning over his youngest would finally show him.

"...fifty-nine, sixty, sixty-one..."

Even if not, this was no time for worries. This was a time, the first one in months, to not care about all that grown-up stuff. All the pesky serious matters could wait. Now he had to focus on more important things.

"...eighty-one, eighty-two, eighty-three..."

How good were bunnies at hiding, actually? He knew Carrots could be sneaky, but was she exemplary or exceptional? These were still kits, after all. Small kits, but about three dozen of them. They couldn't be that hard to find, could they?

"...one hundred!"

Obviously, they could. The playground lay deserted around him. Unable to suppress his grin, he began his search. He was so caught up in the game, he did not see the small group of bunnies regarding him from the porch. Not for a single moment did he realize one of them pointing at him and laying out to to her father all his merits and virtues. And neither would he have cared.

He wouldn't let anything distract him from his well earned playtime. He had to look for the others. Explore this farm. Plan his own hiding spaces for the next rounds. There was no mammal who could have kept him from chasing the ones he found across the front yard. Forgotten were the witnesses who saw him climbing that tree or crouching in a bush. More important was how playing ball with kits about a third his size could be made into a fair game. To prove that he was just as good at hopscotch as anybody. Finding out that it took at least five bunny kits on a seesaw to lift him off the ground. For the first time in his life he even regretted that it was already time for dinner - though his stomach did not.

He entered the kitchen in the midst of all his new friends he had made that day. He carried Sally on his shoulders. Though he had half a mind to stay with the kits, he went over to Judy and Mary.

"Somebody had a fun afternoon," Judy greeted him. "So much you couldn't part with all of them, as I see."

He sat down next to her, now placing Sally in his lap once more. Then he gave Judy a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for letting me have this. It really was what I needed right now."

To his other side, Mary chuckled. "So that is how cops spend their spare time."

Nick stared at her, then fought hard not to burst into laughter. "Great. Now I can't stop seeing the Chief frolicking around a playground."

"I can't even imagine him in anything but his uniform," Judy giggled. "But there's no need to thank me. Watching you out there was more fun than I'd thought."

"Yeah, quite cute actually," Mary added. "I think you even impressed dad with that."

"Oh, really?" He looked over to the mentioned farmer. Nick had almost forgotten he was around. As it happened, Stu was looking right back at him at the moment - for about a second or so. Nick couldn't tell whether it was a coincidence or if he had been staring at him for some time now. He didn't care either way. In that brink of a moment, he'd seen the farmers eyes. And for the first time since he got here, his look had changed. The shift had been little, but distinctive. Nick wouldn't have called it warmer or even friendly. Yet the open distrust was gone.

"Why do you want to impress dad?" Sally asked.

"So he'll let me play with you again," Nick answered

"He won't let you? Do you think he is still jealous?"

"Maybe a little bit. But don't worry, he will be my friend soon."

Sally thought for a moment "Uncle Nick? Is it all right if I don't sit with you tonight?"

Nick blinked. "Why do you ask?"

"Maybe it is better if I sit with daddy. I don't want him to be jealous at you again."

He thought for a moment. "You know what? That is a wonderful idea. I will miss you, but maybe he misses you even more." He got up again, lifting the bunny girl back into his arms. He told the surprised bunies by his side, "I'll be right back."

Maybe he hadn't noticed it when he had entered the room, but this time, a definite silence followed him. Where these bunnies had tried not to notice him yesterday, they ogled him and his young friend now. Some bewildered, some outright shocked, some even a little amused. All of them started whispering when Nick just far enough to not make out single word. The buzz only stopped when he stood right behind the head of the family.

Nick wasn't quite sure whether he ignored him on purpose or if the farmer was actually just that caught up in his thoughts. Either way, he only turned around when his wife gave him a little nudge.

"Mr. Wilde. What a brings you here?"

Nick was taken aback at first by the slightly mechanic tone that had. Almost like Stu tried a little too hard to control his words. Nonetheless, he quickly recovered. "This young lady does. She was a afraid you might feel a bit lonely if she were to sit with me again. So, she suggested, and I agreed, it would be best if she would stay with you this evening,"

Stu blinked. Obviously, he needed a moment to process the situation. But then, he smiled at his daughter and took her from his arms. "Oh, that is nice of you, sweetheart."

Nick petted her head. "Well then, you have a good meal, all of you. We'll see us later, I hope."

"Unless you have other plans, Nick," Bonnie said. "And you have a good meal as well."

After a stern look of her Stu added: "Oh, yes, you have that. And, um, thank you."

Nick nodded. After one last smile for Sally, he returned to his seat.

"You really were really able to let her go" Mary greeted him.

"Of course he was," Judy added. "I know that look. Nick, did you use my sister as a ploy?"

Nick paused for a moment. "Do you think that low of me? Come on, Carrots. You heard her, she wanted to be with her dad. If she should speak fondly of me, it would be appreciated, but first and foremost, I didn't want her to feel bad about this."

"Oh, really?" Mary grinned. "Don't you think her idea came rather convenient for you?"

"Convenient? Honestly? Listen, I would have loved to have that little ball of joy right here with us. She wanted something else. And I did not want her to get caught in all this. Seriouly, did you actually hear her?"

Mary didn't answer. With each of Nick's words, her ears sank a bit lower. Her grin vanished. Her eyes spoke clearly of a loss for words.

"Nick, calm down," Judy said. "I, um, we made just a little joke. I'd have thought you of all would understand."

Nick took a deep breath. He felt Judy's soothing hand around his own. He let her softly drag him into his seat. "Yeah, well, I do understand Caroline a bit better now. We're talking about a child here. Whatever problems your father has with me, she shouldn't be in the middle of it. And if she wants to be with her dad, she should be with her dad."

"Hey, Nick, of course you're right," Mary said. "I thought that, you know, between friends..."

"Friends?," Nick repeated. "You call me your friend?"

"Um, yes?" She looked for help from her sister. But she, too, did not know what to make of this. "Would that be wrong?"

He looked her over, before his grin broke loose. "No, absolutely not. I'm just messing with you. But, still, let's say there is still a lot we have to learn about each other."

"Um, okay." Mary nodded, still not looking quite sure what to make of this.

Yet Nick had the topic settled with that. He started his meal, soon both of the others followed his example. After a few minutes, they had gotten into their regular chatter. Once in while, he glimpsed over to Judy's parents, who where in full control by Sally. When she caught his eye, she waved at him. As he waved back, he felt a wave of warmth overtake him he had not expected.

After dinner, when they were gathered for story-telling, Sally made sure Nick was by her side again. Though the kits demanded another story from him, he was able to deny them this time. More and more, over dinner, the day had begun to catch up with him. They dragged his mind down. Now that fatigue was setting in, he more and more lost the fight to keep all of it in check.

Still, his reasoning that he wanted to hear what kind of stories bunnies tell was no lie. But as much as he had wanted to hear the story, as little had he actually caught of it. It was something about some kind of bunny hero from really long ago. He had already forgotten the name, but the way the story was told there seemed to be many of his adventures known to these old folks. That bunny almost seemed like some kind of chosen one, doing all kinds of deeds, relying on his speed of body and mind. But Nick wasn't able to catch much more than that. Hadn't it been for Sally's grip on his arm, he may have fallen asleep already.

Soon after, he was as glad as he had never been before to finally be in bed. Even at the police academy he had never felt this beat. Everything was finally quiet. A well earned peace in Nick's opinion. With Judy nestled into his arm, all he was missing now was the soothing caress of sleep.

A/N:

Yepp, this still hasn't been the final talk between the fox and the farmer. The past chapters were so dialog heavy, I thought we could need a bit of a breather before the finale rolls through. I hope I was able to still entertain you ;).

The final chapter will be up either Saturday or Sunday. Until then, please give me lots of feedback. The kudos button is your friend, as well as the comments section ;).