The Mexican- I kind of like the chapter length how it is. It's a balance between "not-enough" and "stress-inducing". And I'm glad you're loving it!
Guest- Soon!
Ethan The Yoshi- Thank you, and that is similar!
Guest- Your hopes have come true!
Ethan- Eleventh grade was brutal for me, but I made it, lol. Middle school was the worst for me in terms of the people, however. And thank you!
Guest- Thank you! Glad you're looking forward to it!
- Will do!
Flippindaku- Thank you! Glad you're enjoying the truly crazy-amazing bond between them.
Guest- Thank you! :)
Alan- Glad you liked it! However, I'm confused by your question. Yes or no about what?
MrAndersIversen- Thanks! And yes, I hope he recovers alright as well!
Goldyx- Neither can I! And yes, she is!
AbikeNamedPike- Thank you!
just-a-guy-having-fun- You can't rush true love! ;) And yes, that was a close one for sure!
Uboat4- Thank you! :)
SoulMore- Thanks!
Vivanai- Yes, they certainly are goals!
Jar3d-o3- Friendship is, as you said, a truly beautiful thing. (Especially one that hasn't completely bloomed yet ;)
JG Girl- :(
- I'd rank losing someone you're in love with, family and friends as the worst things to lose in life.
catfurry56- What exactly do you mean by that?
Zootopians- Perhaps, or perhaps not! ;)
syhsnakey- Thank you! I'm glad that you are excited for it!
CipherFiveZero- Hopefully he will be, and yes, the buffalo will get what he deserves.
HeyitsTwinDrake- A great review written with great inspiration! Glad you are enjoying this on such an emotional level! :)
hrg2damax- I didn't forget him. And thank you! :)
Crazyanimaltlou- Means a ton to me to hear stuff like that!
Welcome back to another episode of Lost and Found! Wait, what's that you say? This isn't a TV show? Oh, if only...
Enjoy chapter ten! (And all the fluff included!)
Judy POV
I stare into the eyes I simply adore and observe the confusion hidden within them, but I do notice a spark of happiness explode as he sees me. His mouth forms into a smile, and I nearly tear up at the sight of my best friend so bloodied, damaged and broken.
"Nick" I say out of instinct as I move to his side, as does his mom.
"Hey Judy" he says weakly.
He lifts his right hand in the air, possibly to show me that he's not completely broken, and that the bullies didn't succeed with what they were trying to do.
Nick Wilde will never be down forever.
"You...feeling okay?" I ask him, and his mother looks too stunned to speak.
"I'm...um...I'm getting there" he speaks, his breaths sounding nearly mechanical, "Hey mom" he adds.
"Nick..." she whispers at the sight of his bruised, bandaged face.
I see a tube attached to his side, likely being used to support his lung since it was injured.
"I'm okay, mom" he tries to assure her, but she simply grabs hold of his hand.
"Honey, this is not okay" she tells him, "And this will never be okay".
I see what his mother is trying to say. Nick may try to shake this off as something that isn't a big deal, but this simply isn't. Nick was very nearly murdered today, and his mother is done with discrimination in any form; especially in this dreadful form.
"I'm really glad you're okay" I say, hugging into his side.
He can't do much besides put his right arm around me, holding me close. Besides that, he can't really move much.
I honestly don't want to move away from him, or let go, as I feel warmer than I've ever felt in my life.
"H-how has school been?" he asks gingerly.
I can't help but giggle to myself as tears form in my eyes, relieved that Nick is still here.
"It's been..."
Truthfully, school hasn't been bad. I had a few days to spend with Violet and Melvin, and I've gotten to know them better. Violet is still here cynical self, and Melvin is just weird. But it's fine though, because I guess everyone is weird in their own way. Melvin is witty. There, that's a better word to use.
"It's been fine. I've gotten to talk to Violet and Melvin a lot" I tell him, still in his embrace.
"Did..." he pauses, taking a breath, "Did anyone pick on you?"
This is why I simply love this kid. He's lying here, previously on the brink of death, and he's still worried about me over himself. It truly is a gorgeous thing.
"Not really. Just lots of homework" I say jokingly, and he attempts to laugh, but what results is a weak cough, and his usual smile.
I leave out the worst part of it all, not wanting to trouble Nick with the news. Some of the stupidest of the stupid formed a "clan against foxes", where they believe Nick should be charged for defending me and himself. They truly hate his guts, even with all he's been through.
"Gonna have a lot of make-up work to do" he mutters in the form of a whisper.
"Don't even worry about that, Nick" I say emotionally, my tears running down the fur on my face.
His mother leans over and kisses him on the forehead sweetly, also joyful to see her son speaking after being battered so badly.
No matter how hard I try, I just can't unwrap my arms from Nick. I'm careful not to make his breathing more difficult, but I truly never want to let him go. This...blissful feeling; it's just too amazing.
"Hey, hun, can you let go for one second?" the nurse asks kindly, and I suddenly regain my strength, able to release him.
"I just have to check his tube" she informs me.
"Oh, right" I mutter, blushing under my fur.
On to the subject of my parents, the tension has rested quite a bit. My father isn't happy with my talking to Nick, but he's also not happy about him being beaten half to death. He doesn't trust foxes, but he knows that treating people this way is inexcusable.
In fact, my mother gave me permission to stay with Nick overnight, as it is the beginning of the weekend. Apparently I'm going to be the one, aside from the nurse, that will help take care of him over the weekend, which I have no problem with.
Nick's mother and I stay for a while until eventually, his mother has to return home, which makes me worry.
Ever since the incident, Nick's father hasn't spoken a word. No one knows where he is, or when he will strike next.
"I know you'll take good care of him" his mother tells me as she gathers her belongings, not wanting to wake Nick, as he is now asleep, "Oh, and if his dad shows up, I've specifically told them not to let him up here, so no worries!"
I nod with a smile.
"Thank you Ms. Wilde! Be careful" I advise her, and she nods too.
"I'll be back first thing in the morning" she informs me, waving as she closes the door.
"See you then!" I say to her, and then the door shuts.
The time is 11:29 PM, and I sit alone in the hospital room with Nick, along with my small bag of stuff.
Apparently the nurse will check in every now and then, so I'm not completely alone. But for now, the only noise around me is the sound of Nick's rhythmic breathing and a beeping sound from medical devices and such.
I set up a pillow in the window sill and sit down, setting my head against the wall as I unlock my phone.
My social media post has absolutely exploded in popularity, and has now reached well over eighteen thousand shares. In fact, my story even reached the local news, which inspired me infinitely.
Bryce's death hasn't been on my mind a lot lately due to Nick, which has pulled a lot of negative thoughts out of my brain. However, his funeral is being delayed a few more days so I'll have a touch longer to mentally prepare myself.
I have gotten a touch closer to my other siblings in the aftermath of such a tragedy, but it still hurts to know that he's gone.
After scanning over encouraging comments regarding Nick, I glance over at him.
Strangely enough, he looks as peaceful as ever, his face looking relaxed, even with the bruises and bandages.
I think his arm is broken too, and obviously his lung is still recovering. I also see his wrap from a few days ago when he told me he was beaten up and stabbed by a bear's claws. It's simply and awful predicament for him to have to handle, but I'm glad that I'm here.
I wouldn't rather be anywhere else.
My phone suddenly buzzes as I continue glances at the comments, and it's Tina; my friend from Bunnyburrow.
"Hey! How're you doing?" she asks, and I sniff aloud in amusement.
It's a bit too long of a story.
"I'm doing okay. Life is really eventful" I respond honestly, and press send.
More than eventful. Life is overwhelming, to say the very least. I would be incredibly overwhelmed if it weren't for the fox lying in front of me.
I place my phone down on the cold windowsill and walk over to Nick's side, watching him with care as he sleeps.
How are you going to tell him about how you feel? I ask myself, although I'm usually pretty confident socially.
This is quite different, however. I mean, I think I'm in love with the guy.
Oh come on Judy, you can't be in love this fast.
I do feel something strong.
You like him.
I like him a lot.
But love?
It's headed that way for sure.
I suddenly do the unthinkable and reach out my hand, gently rubbing Nick's. His hand beneath his fur is warm, but not hot enough to indicate something concerning like a fever.
I jump as Nick suddenly opens his eyes, and I leap back.
"Oh, hey Judy!" he says, surprised to see me again, "Isn't it...kind of late?" he asks, having to pause for a mechanical breath.
"I-I don't have school tomorrow and I'm supposed...to take care of you for the weekend!" I stutter nervously, hoping he didn't notice the intimate contact.
"Oh, that's cool" he replies, "Can I ask you something?"
My stomach drops.
Please tell me he doesn't know I like him...
Maybe he likes you too, Judy!
What if he hates you for it?
Think positive! He totally likes you back!
"Sure!" I say, masking my concern.
Here we go...
My heart beats quickly at a rapid pace until he finally speaks again.
"Can you bring a game system in since I might be here for a while?" he asks, and I release the air from my lungs, "I can at least play with one hand".
I giggle lightly at the thought.
"I mean, I don't have the newest one, but I'll ask your mom to bring something to do" I respond, feeling as light as a feather.
"Oh, it'll still be fun" he practically whispers, out of breath from all the talking.
You're right, Nick. Everything is fun as long as I'm with you.
I sit down on the edge of hit bed beside him, and his eyes widen a bit in surprise; not a negative surprise, but something closer to positive it appears.
"How are you feeling on the inside?" I ask him, making sure he isn't troubled by the bully's actions, which I wouldn't blame him for. He was nearly beaten to death because he's a fox.
"I-I'm feeling fine inside" he speaks timidly, causing my curiosity to wander even further.
"Besides the lung, you mean" I say jokingly, and he bites his lip to keep himself from laughing, knowing his lung may ache as a result.
"Yeah, besides that. You've...um...you've made me a lot happier Judy. I hope...you know that".
I can't help but to stare into his eyes, losing all grasp of reality and the world around me. This is just all too perfect. My body feels as though it's falling through the air, and my heart beats extraordinarily fast. A ticking feeling in my stomach refuses to let up, but the door to the hospital room opening snaps me out of it.
"Oh!" I say, looking away from Nick, realizing how close I was to him, and I turn to face my mother.
"Mom!" I say, pulling her into a hug.
"Judy!" she says, glancing up at Nick, and back at me, "Oh my..."
She now understands the severity of Nick's brutal injuries that I tried my best to explain to her.
"So, you're this "Nick" I keep hearing all about" she says to him in a kind manner, which surprises me. My parents have never really spoken to a fox kindly, as far as I've seen.
He kind of halfway chuckles politely, even though it hurts him to do so.
"I guess I am" he replies.
"So, you and Judy are best friends?" she asks him, sitting in a chair beside his bed with me a touch closer to him, standing at the side of his bed.
He gazes up at the ceiling as if he's thinking for a moment, and then reverts his eyes back to mine.
"Yep. She's the best I could've asked for".
I could easily bend down and hug him tight like I long to do, but I manage to restrict myself.
"And he's the best I could've asked for, mom" I add, and she puts her drink down on the floor beside her, focusing solely on Nick.
"And Nick, this all happened only because you're a fox?" she questions.
Nick glances from left to right as if this is a trick question, and then slowly nods.
"Yeah. People at school, well...they don't like me and...that's why. Because I'm...myself".
I think that now, my mom is starting to understand even further.
"I'm really sorry that I did the same at first. When Judy told me she was friends with a fox, I wasn't sure about it" she begins, and I don't know where she's going with this, "But now I realize...that I misjudged you, sweetie. I mean, obviously you're in a lot of pain, and sorry...that I was so ignorant".
I can't believe my ears. My mother actually likes Nick?!
"It's fine Ms. Hopps, I'm...I've gotten used to stuff like that" he speaks depressingly, but he realizes the severity of his words and speaks again.
"But I'm really glad you think I'm okay".
After our brief conversation, my mom explains to me why she is here so late.
"Well, I was on my way home from the funeral home. I was making last second arrangements, and thought I'd drop by to make sure you're doing okay" she tells me.
"Are you going to stop by tomorrow?" I ask her, and she pulls me in for another hug before she leaves.
"Sure will. And by the way" she begins, leaning beside my ear to whisper, "Nick is a really sweet kid".
"I know" I whisper back with a grin, which she returns.
"I'll see you tomorrow morning" she tells me, opening the door.
"Alright! Love you mom!"
"Love you Judy!" she replies as she closes the door, and the romantic silence resumes.
"Your mom is really nice" Nick tells me as I turn from the door back to him, and I nod.
"Yeah" I tell him, sitting down on the edge of his bed again, "She thinks you're a great kid".
He beams the best he can with his cut and bruised face, scratching at one of the bandages on his face, and then grimaces.
"Oh, yeah. Forgot that was broken" he says, referring to his cheekbone.
I roll my eyes playfully at his lack of knowledge, and I hand him his phone, knowing he hasn't checked it in a while.
The lights in the room are faded a bit, making for quite the romantic atmosphere, which is fine by me, and I scoot a bit closer to him on the hospital bed.
"You want to listen to some music?" I ask him, and he nods emphatically with his broken face looking quite cute to me, even with the bandages.
"That'd be nice!"
Nick POV
Could the moment be any more perfect?
Judy and I have been listening to music on her phone for the past twenty minutes or so, one earbud in each of our ears, sharing the beautiful echoes of music together. It's the little things like this I only dreamed of doing until now.
However, this isn't even the best part.
Judy is basically right up against me as we watch funny videos and listen to some of my favorite songs together, her shoulder touching mine. I guess it's a friendly gesture, but I can't say I feel the same about it.
My heart won't stop racing, and my throat can't stay dry for more than a few minutes. I know I like her, but this is getting ridiculous. I didn't realize that all these...side-effects were included with things such as love, but in a way it makes the feeling so much more prominent in my mind.
"Oh my gosh!" she exclaims in laughter at the video I'm supposed to be watching, but I seriously can't stop looking at her as the laughter creeps up on her face. Seeing her in such a genuine state of joy is causing my emotions to turn to mush.
I revert my eyes back to the screen quickly and force a light laugh, not wanting to force too much out of my lungs.
Honestly, watching funny videos isn't the best thing for me to do right now, as laughing does cause me some pain, but it's so worth it. I mean, as long as I'm beside Judy, I don't mind even the most austere of pain.
After a small bit of watching videos, we begin listening to all types of music again, expressing our thoughts and opinions on each song that blasts through the earbuds.
It could just be my imagination, but it seems like Judy has gotten even closer.
"What?!" Judy exclaims aloud regarding the lyrics to a song currently playing, "That's not even English!"
"I think it's called "street slang" or something" I inform her, having lived downtown for years.
"Oh, right" she remembers.
We take a bit more time to listen to music, Judy's head now practically resting against mine.
She totally likes you, Nick!
Of course she does. She's my friend!
You know what I mean.
She's just being friendly.
She's basically cuddling with you.
So? I can't get up anything, so what's she supposed to do. She's just trying to be nice!
Little does Judy notice the mental war raging within me as my thoughts collide in battle, trying to figure out what's a good thing to say to Judy and what I should keep on the inside.
"Aren't the doctors coming to check up soon?" I ask, and she glances at the time on the phone.
"She said every few hours, so we should be good for a while until they check your lung and stuff like that" she answers, keeping her head against my head, but low enough not to put pressure on my cheekbone or anything.
I'm really glad she can't see my face right now, because I can't stop blushing. But then again, my bandage probably covers it quite well.
What my bandage can't hide, however, is my ever-growing smile that just can't seem to fade.
This is just a dream. You'll wake up and you'll have no one.
I command my mind to be silent, and then mumble something along the line of "oh, okay".
After Judy doesn't speak for thirty seconds or so, I twist my head a bit and discover that she has fallen asleep, as it is quite late. The thing is, she's halfway in my hospital bed.
Her legs hang off the side, but her upper half is in contact with mine as her eyes stay closed peacefully, and her breathing slows.
Eventually, my worrying dies down, and my eyes grow heavy as well, even though I've had plenty of sleep the past few days. Something about being here beside her just makes me feel serene and secure.
I smile goofily as my consciousness fades to blankness; well, blank aside from the fireworks in my heart, and I fall asleep.
The next thing I comprehend is waking up to the sound of the hospital door opening, and Judy quickly scoots over a sizable amount, visibly embarrassed.
"Well, this look like a bit more than just taking care of him, huh?" the nurse asks teasingly with a wink.
"Oh...um...um" Judy tries to stutter, and the nurse laughs.
"Oh, it's fine honey! Just watch out for his injuries and his tube" she reminds Judy, and I yawn.
We weren't asleep for that long, as a brief glance at the window reveals that it is still nighttime.
The ambiance surrounding me is now one of awkwardness as the nurse checks my tube-thing that burrows into my lung, and administers me a few more medicines, talking to me kindly as she does so.
Judy sits on the edge of my bed and checks her phone quietly, letting the nurse do her job.
The check doesn't last long, and the nurse is out the door again before I know it, as I scrape out my initials in my arm-cast for no real reason with my claws; possibly out of sheer impulse.
"You're still feeling okay, right?" she asks me, her voice emerging from the silence of the room.
My breathing is louder than usual, and gives away my unnatural emotions as I breathe slightly deeper than usual.
"I...I guess" I answer, and her eyes narrow a millimeter or so in concern.
"I mean, I feel better..."
Say it Nick.
"Now that you're here...with me" I add, and she grins again, sitting down beside me.
She doesn't hesitate to lie down next to me with a joyous look, staring up at the ceiling as she rests her head on the pillow we now share.
"I'm so glad you're going to be okay" she says just aloud for me to hear.
"I'm glad too" I respond, and I guess she thinks that my words are amusing, because she giggles briefly. I gaze at her as she pulls out a permanent marker, beginning to write on a sheet of paper that seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
"You know" she begins calmly, "I had a letter from the police department...a nice one...I had it hanging on the ceiling in my room so that I'd be encouraged every time I looked up".
"That's really cool" I say, watching her in wonder.
"So, I thought I'd make you a little something too".
A week ago, I never thought I'd make a friend in my entire future life. A week ago, I thought of myself as a simple burden; someone who doesn't deserve the best of people because I'd "drag them down".
It's clear to me now, however, as I stare at the paper before me, that Judy and I...it's cheesy, yes, but we are made to be friends.
Out of instinct, I have to hope for more than just a friendship, though. My feelings for Judy are beginning to burst at the seams.
"Judy, that's...that's...amazing!" I manage to finish.
Her words are simply mesmerizing in nature.
Nick,
You're the best gift that I ever could have asked for. I don't care what kind of animal you are. You're smart, clever, brave, funny, fearless, resilient and you never give up. You've battled through all the hurdles of life, and you're still running. When I first met you, I just knew there was something special about you. I hope you know that I couldn't ask for a better person in my life! Keep being yourself, and keep on going! I'll be there with you no matter what! -Judy
"It's for whenever you feel down or lost, or you know...just need some reassurance".
Ignoring possible repercussions, I wrap my one put-together arm and wrap it around Judy, pulling her close affectionately.
If I had a few more seconds to over-think the action, I probably would've held back.
In this case, I guess I'm lucky that I acted on my first thoughts.
The warmth is simply all-consuming as I embrace every second of the hug, closing my eyes tight in utter bliss.
However, to avoid any sort of awkwardness, I release her after a few seconds. I notice how much happier a simple hug has made me, and I revel in the sensation.
Suddenly, my tail tickles Judy's leg on accident, causing her to jump, and her elbow knocks against my shoulder.
"Ow!" I exclaim, although my shoulder isn't seriously injured.
"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" she asks frantically, but I simply grin at her mistake.
"I'm just playin'" I joke.
"Are you sure!? I'm really sorry about that!"
"Well, I did tickle you on accident!" I proclaim, and she giggles, now knowing my kidding intentions.
"You really scared me, though! I thought I broke your rib or something!"
We laugh together even though it causes some discomfort until silence fills the air once again, provoking me to speak once more.
"I'm..I'm kind of tired" I mutter truthfully.
"Get some sleep. It's almost three in the morning. I'll be right here when you wake up" she promises, and I nod.
"Goodnight again" I yawn, wincing at the pain in my lung just from a simply yawn.
"Goodnight Nick" she says in a sweet tone.
Almost immediately my eyes close, and I drift off into a happy place; one that isn't usually happy. Well, until I met Judy.
It's a good feeling to look forward to dreaming, but one thing is quite obvious to me:
It's an even better feeling to have someone in your life who is better than any dream.
Judy POV
The night is peaceful and bright; a variety of stars shining light through the open blinds of the window. The air around me feels the direct opposite of heavy, as does my very being at this point in time.
I partially lie beside Nick as he sleeps a bit more, toying around on my phone. It's been a few hours since he was last awake, and the time is nearing five thirty in the morning.
I'm quite tired as well, but I'm also quite jittery from the feelings that continue to surge through my body.
It's true, I'm beginning to fall in love with him. There's simply no denying it at this point, and it makes me glow on the inside just thinking about it.
I look over at his face, and then back at the letter, and silently confirm everything I wrote to be true.
He's really is the best I could've dreamed of.
Even as I lie here with Nick, I still sense something strange in the air as my phone rings.
Contact information for Nick's mother pops up, and I nearly gasp aloud.
Why is she calling at five thirty in the morning?
Maybe it's just a normal call.
I answer the phone and immediately hear panicked breathing.
"Ms. Wilde?" I ask in a confused tone.
"Judy! I need Nick on the phone! I didn't know if he had his, and something is very wrong!"
"W-what do you mean?" I question, not wanting to break Nick's peaceful state of mind.
"It's about his dad, Judy. He found out about the bully at school the other day".
I can almost swear there's ice in my stomach at this point. I sit up in Nick's hospital bed with wide eyes and an anxious soul.
"What's he done?" I ask, and his mother sighs again, obviously in tears.
There's an eerie silence in the air for about five seconds before she bothers to speak again.
"Revenge. He thinks Nick is his to beat around, and his only, so he..."
My throat is dry in apprehension.
"Shot him".
What is it with me and the cliffhangers? And Nick's dad? Did he kill the buffalo-bully? Or just injure him severely? There's no telling!
Anyways, a megaton of fluff in that chapter, right? But still, they don't know of the ever-growing love for one another quite yet. You can't rush love in it's truest form, can you? ;)
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed chapter ten! Please leave any thoughts you may have in the review section! Until next time!