Chapter 12: Breaking Away
Jewel couldn't be more disappointed since even though Nick followed her into her room, he wasn't down for anything fun based on his posture. She tried to hide her disappointment by taking possession of his tail.
"What's wrong?" Nick asked.
Apparently, she didn't hide her disappointment well enough. "Nothing at all." Yes, she had time alone with Nick, but he wasn't enjoying it. Of course, it was her own fault for guilting him into spending time with her in the first place.
To mask her own frustration, she groomed his ears as he laid on the bed. If he couldn't see her face, he couldn't say how much she wasn't enjoying his company. She thought she was in the clear when Nick moaned from pleasure, but his voice sent chills up her spine. "Why won't you tell me what's wrong?"
"Because…" She couldn't tell him that the only reason he was even with her was that she guilted him into it. He was only here because of a sense of duty rather than a desire to be with her. "Nothing is wrong."
Her fake smile wasn't enough. "I hope I won't need Janna's help," he said.
He was kind enough to give her that as a warning. She didn't want her sister involved thus she told the truth. "Fine, I guilted you into coming here with me, now you're clearly not enjoying it, and this bothers me." Although, when she saw his ears wilt, she was quick to add, "It's not your fault, it's mine. I don't blame you."
"What do you want to do?" Nick asked.
"Something that you cannot give right now." She wanted a romantic night with him, but he had to be willing. "I shouldn't have told you what happened at work today. It's my own fault."
"It's not that you told me, but how much you enjoyed everything, and would gladly do so again."
She smirked. "Why is torturing and killing mammals that will become monsters a bad thing? The ones who rightfully deserved to suffer actually did. It's far better than when I had to hunt just to keep myself and the ones I care about alive. They needed to die so I can live, but I was the one who trapped them in the first place. Yes, it's their own fault for trying to take me as a slave."
"So, back in Zootopia…" Nick trailed off.
"I tried to test you just the same, but that buck interfered! And I never got the chance. Janna got all the glory when it was supposed to be me!" She clenched her teeth as she recalled that memory. "You passed the test with flying colors."
"And if I failed?" he asked icily.
"I would've considered you no different than anyone else that did, but you passed the test. Unlike everyone else, you weren't in danger. Even though you deserved to be."
"Do you realize how risky that was?"
"That's my life and how I obtain my mammals. She played the role because we were concerned that you might recognize me and realize that something was amiss. Not everything goes according to plan, but mammals in Bunnyburrow are far from compassionate. I do derive joy in making them suffer afterward."
Nick stood up from the bed. "I need some time away from you."
"Please, Nick, I'll do anything for you." She got down on her knees. "Do anything to me but stay with me."
"If there's anything you can do, to come with me to Zootopia, do it."
"Of course, there is. If I sacrifice the two kits that I showed you that day, I'm sure I'll be free, but I won't, not even if you order it. I'd rather die."
"At least, you have some boundaries. I won't ask you to do that."
Jewel buried her nose in his neck since he didn't move away. "What can I do to make you happy? If it's in my power, I will."
"Can you enjoy causing mammals to suffer less?"
"After how much they've tormented me? Are you really asking that?"
"You enjoyed causing Jill to suffer too."
"That was an act! I had to seem cruel to pull it off. It also won't happen again. She'll be living in Zootopia now. I want to earn your love because you're someone that passed my test. Please give me a chance during the little time we have. I don't know when I can see you again."
"I just can't right now."
"That's okay, I understand." She cried as she let Nick walk out of her room.
Nick left her since he couldn't deal with her at this moment despite learning about her tragic past. The circumstances were against her but in his mind, that didn't justify the overt sadism she displayed. He desperately wished that there was a way for Jewel to leave Bunnyburrow and come to Zootopia with him.
He went to find Janna since if there was anyone capable of helping Jewel, it was her. It took some time to find her with Jewel's sobs lingering on his mind. She was with the rest of her littermates, sitting at a table, talking among themselves.
"Is there a way for Jewel to come to Zootopia with me, for maybe a week?" he asked, despite knowing that the answer would be no.
"You really want this, don't you?" Janna said. "The amount of despair within your voice means it'll be possible, but first, would you protect her with your life?"
"What?" He didn't expect this at all. Despite everything Jewel did, he didn't want her dead. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"The industry is flexible, I'm sure a week will be no problem. Answer the question. Would you protect her from mammals that try to kill her?"
"Of course, Nick would," Judy answered for him. "What are you planning?"
"Don't worry, nothing bad is going to happen. I just wanted to see how much he wanted this."
"So, what are you going to do?" Nick asked.
"Set her free for a week."
Jill pulled on Janna's ears. "You're lying to him."
"You just don't understand." She turned towards Nick. "There is a catch. Sleep with her tonight and show me that you care for her by doing everything she wants. I'll be filming you two. That's not too much to ask, is it?"
"Of course not," he replied.
"Good, start by spending time with her now."
He returned to Jewel's room where he informed her of the situation. There were tears in her eyes by the time he returned. She had been crying since he left.
"That's not going to work," Jewel said. "If that was a possibility, I would've known about it. There's no way the industry will grant me a week in Zootopia with just offering them a video of me sleeping with you. I won't object however, just don't be disappointed when it fails. That's wishful thinking on Janna's part."
They spent the night together cuddling each other while Janna filmed them. He was reluctant but thought a week away from Bunnyburrow would allow him to figure something out for her current predicament.
She blinked twice when she checked the industry's offers for her today. A chance to leave Bunnyburrow for a week with her two kits at the cost of fifty points. The offer had two minutes till expiration but even then, she carefully read every clause. It wouldn't be the first time the industry tried to trick her into signing her life away on something clearly too good to be true.
There weren't any tricks thus she cashed in her points for a week of freedom. This was an unexpected development, although, for the duration of their unexpected reprieve, the kits were her property. It was a formality as they trusted her fully with everything. They had to wear collars that said, "Property of Jewel."
She went to tell them the good news. The room they stayed in had just enough to keep them alive with minimal entertainment. They lived alone with each other and no one else.
"Why are you here?" Amanda asked since Jewel arrived outside of the usual timeframe.
"You both get to leave this place for a week." Jewel gave them a bone-crushing hug.
"How much did it cost?" Adam asked.
"Fifty points for a week. I think their trick is that you both wouldn't want to return. Otherwise, it's clearly too good to be true. Come with me."
They didn't flinch as Jewel put collars on them, indicating they were her property. None of them questioned it. Jewel led them to her car where she drove them all to her home. The first thing she did was tell her littermates and Nick the good news. "Fantastic news! We can go to Zootopia for a week."
"What did you do?" Nick asked in a whisper.
"Spent fifty points. It's worth it and they get a week's freedom. The soonest we can leave is tomorrow. They're not free forever. They need to be back when the time is up. As you can see by their accessories, they need to wear that at all times. To be safe, even in Zootopia."
"We don't mind, really," Amanda said. "We're just glad to be out here."
She showed the kits her room.
"Who are all these mammals?" Adam pointed to the portraits on the walls.
"Mammals that died by mammals that I killed. It gives me solace that I wasn't the only victim by my targets. You know that I need to kill at least one mammal a day just for us to stay alive," Jewel said.
There was the grim reminder of her predicament once again, but for now, they just enjoyed their temporary freedom. Jewel had to supervise them since they were officially her property. The kits had the same difficulties as Jill, if they were alone, there was bound to be trouble. They treasured every moment that they were free.
She watched as the kits played with Nick's tail. Everyone finally had time to get to know each other since their last encounter was extremely short. There were still a few hours until Janna returned home from work.
Several hours later, she saw Janna wearing a crescent moon amulet. She rationalized that Janna did something horrifying. The amulet symbolized her as a member of the industry.
"How did you get that?" Jewel asked.
"It's a secret," Janna replied. She looked at the two kits. "What are they doing here? "
Jewel explained the fortuitous events that happened today.
"Are you sure you didn't get tricked? Do you have a copy of the agreement at least? We can still fix this."
"Relax, but you still owe me an explanation for how you got that amulet." She wasn't willing to let that attempt at deflection work.
Janna reiterated that it was a secret which made Jewel more concerned.
"Nick, can you make her tell us how she got that amulet?" Jewel asked.
With a gentle push from Nick, Janna said, "Don't worry about it."
"Do I need to take drastic measures?" She contemplated torturing Janna until she revealed the secret.
"I won't let you." Janna waved her amulet in front of her.
"You're going to use that to stop me?" Jewel asked, especially since before she willingly submitted to Janna.
"This secret is mine to keep, but anyway, we can all go to Zootopia in two days."
"Fine, are any of us in danger? Did you sacrifice anyone for that amulet?"
"It was a fortuitous event, so I took it. Just like your own. None of you are in danger and I didn't sacrifice anyone."
"I don't believe you, but you didn't lie about those two questions." It bothered her however because the industry didn't give away these amulets freely. She thought of one more question to ask. "Did anything happen to you?"
"Not at all."
She should feel relieved but instead, she felt a foreboding sense of dread. How Janna obtained the amulet was a mystery to her.
Today, was the day they were going to leave Bunnyburrow. The car they drove here was unable to carry them all back to ZootopIa so Jewel rented one. This shouldn't bother him, but it did as it was yet another reminder that she was going to return here. There was still an illusion of normalcy as the family gathered to see them leave.
Yes, mammals said their goodbyes while Nick certainly wished to never see them again. They exchanged comforting words as they departed. All the physical affection was a way to hide the malice lurking within.
To his surprise, their first stop wasn't Zootopia but where Gideon lived. Nothing seemed amiss from the outside of Gideon's house. They waited at the door's entrance after knocking.
"Hello, Gideon," Jewel said.
Janna and Jewel flicked their crescent moon amulets, placing an emphasis on their status.
Gideon flinched momentarily before a fake smile appeared on his face. "What brings you all here?"
"We want to eat some pies and to catch up. It's been a while," Judy said.
"Of course, Judy. Glad to be of service."
Once Gideon walked to the kitchen. Judy whispered in Nick's ear, "Remember, not to eat anything because Gideon might poison yours."
"Wouldn't that be dangerous for you too?"
"He wouldn't dare poison us."
Jewel said, "We also wanted to test if he's more loyal to you, or Bunnyburrow. Don't worry, nothing's going to happen to you or him."
They sat at a table while waiting for Gideon to make those pies. Janna and Jewel went to supervise his cooking efforts. It was a test of Gideon's loyalty. Nick glanced at Gideon's collection of cooking trophies. After a while, Gideon came out of the kitchen and asked Nick for help.
Nick entered the kitchen while not really knowing how to bake a pie. Janna and Jewel walked out as soon as he entered. "How much do you know about Bunnyburrow?" Gideon asked.
"Not much at all." Nick decided to play dumb, seeing where it would lead.
Gideon waved a pouch of Night Howler powder in front of him. "They wanted me to poison you with this, but I'm going to use it in their pies instead. You can eat yours to convince them that it's safe. Help me have my revenge."
Nick watched as Gideon poured the Night Howler extract into the pies.
"Wait, Janna and Jewel asked you to poison me?"
"Of course, why else would they wave that amulet around? Bunnyburrow's entertainment industry wants to control you."
"I've come to trust my mates. I don't want to see them kill each other," Nick said.
What he didn't expect was for Gideon to relay his history to him while they were alone since Janna and Jewel didn't enter the kitchen again. Gideon certainly relayed how he suffered because he happened to practice Bunnyburrow's teachings on the wrong rabbit. "I'll give you the choice. All you need to do is eat a pie to convince them."
"I'm sorry, Gideon, I don't want to help you in your revenge. I want to save them from Bunnyburrow."
"Have Janna and Jewel free me from servitude to the Hopps family."
"I will."
Nick walked out of the kitchen with Janna and Jewel waiting to enter. It wasn't until Gideon walked up to the table with a batch of pies that Nick informed everyone that Gideon poisoned their pies except for his own. He conveyed Gideon's demands to be free from servitude to the Hopps family.
"I can't do that," Jewel said.
"I won't do that because it'll place myself in too much of a risky position," Janna said. "Show how much you trust this fox by eating the pie he made."
Since there was a mammal that supervised every step of the process there was no way for Gideon to poison his pie without someone knowing. Nick trusted his mates enough to know that they wouldn't attempt to poison him.
Apprehensively, he took a bite of a delicious pie while wondering if he was going to lose his senses. It was delicious, but there was always the chance it contained poison.
"I can't even break a mammal," Jewel lamented once Nick finished his pie. She smirked. "Maybe we should give the other pies to our family."
"I don't want this connected to me," Gideon said. "I'd rather not endure one of those sessions again."
"You think you have a choice."
Janna shot Jewel a glare. "We were here to test Gideon. Since he didn't poison Nick, he'll be safe once we make our eventual move against Bunnyburrow." She turned towards Gideon. "You passed our test, and because you didn't poison Nick, you can't tell anyone about this without dying."
Just like that, they left Gideon's house. They were finally on their way to Zootopia. Nick reminisced on how messed up Bunnyburrow was. It was a place where he didn't even dare to sample the food for fear of poison. The Night Howler extract Gideon had in his house further reinforced those worries.
His mates stuck by him through all this, and everyone except Jewel and the two kits she brought would be free of Bunnyburrow's influence. It took a few hours before they arrived at his place. Nick couldn't believe that his mother was waiting at the steps of his house. He figured she was sitting there for quite a while as she had a book open, reading its pages.
"Why are you here?" Nick asked.
"The better question is why did I have to learn everything from your friend Finnick? You've acquired four mates under dubious conditions, not to mention their customs. It's true that I've left you alone ever since you ran away, but this isn't something to keep from me," Vivian said.
"Look, things are complicated right now." Nick made the understatement of the century.
"Explain them to me or else. We foxes don't abandon one another."
"This is going to be a long story. Can we go inside first?"
Everyone entered his house and made themselves comfortable on the couches where they could talk. Jill gripped his arm possessively while she leaned on his shoulder. Vivian started the conversation. "Please tell me why you thought this was a good idea?"
"It was my decision," Nick said. "Judy informed me as much as she could. How much did Finnick tell you anyway?"
Vivian spared no details of the gruesome depiction of Bunnyburrow. She even emphasized how Jewel worked for the industry. "A secret like this is too big to keep. It's something you should tell everyone that you trust so that word gets out. How you strung Finnick along by just giving him enough information to stay alive is unacceptable. I'm here to help since you're clearly in over your head."
"What can you do to help?"
"Do you know why Zootopia is the way it is? A political game where each species tries to increase its own power. The world won't stand for Bunnyburrow's practices, and even if they do, we foxes won't. Bunnyburrow even ensnared our own within their system."
"What are you suggesting?"
"If we can't convince Zootopia to help, live among our own until we figure something out. Foxes don't abandon their own. I'm sure a trip there would be worth it regardless. The foxes would certainly want to see one of their own hopelessly in love with a bunny."
A/N: The first story placed too much emphasis on rabbit traditions while not giving foxes ones of their own.
