Judy walked into nicks apartment, she came over so often that she had her own key. Nick was laying on the couch, drinking a soda and watching TV.
"Nick." Judy said, as she walked over to the fox.
"Hello Ms. Judith Piberius Hopps"
"That's precisely what I wanted to talk to you about"
"Yes, carrots I know you hate it when I call you that"
"Well I've found out I do have a middle name"
"You do?" Nick said, his expression not really changing and his eyes focused on the TV.
"Yes" Judy said, and she started to tell the story of how she found out her middle name.
Earlier in the day, Judy had been in bunny burrows and was in an office her father had, helping him look for some paperwork.
"Oops" stu said as he dropped a folder and a bunch of papers spilled out.
"Ah cripes" he said, him and Judy starting to pick up the papers.
"Hey this is my birth certificate" Judy said, as she picked up one of the pieces of paper. She noticed that on the line that was labeled middle name, was Laverne.
"Laverne" Judy said.
"Huh? Oh yes that's your middle name" stu said, looking over the birth certificate.
"I didn't know I even had a middle name"
"Well I don't think most bunnies do"
"I have to tell Nick this. He's been calling me by his middle name. Saying now we have a name that defines us"
"What's his middle name?"
"Piberius"
There was a slight pause, then stu spoke.
"Ok, well it says optional next to the middle name" he said, pointing out the writing on the certificate that said optional.
"And some people have 2 middle names, so he might still be able to call you Piberius. The middle name was optional after all, we didn't have to fill out any more paperwork or do anything else special"
"Well I'm still going to try and get him to stop calling me Piberius"
"Well Your mother might say it's sweet that he gave your his middle name"
Judy noticed her fathers signature on the bottom of the certificate.
"Why does your signature say Ztu?"
"Oh, for years and partially till today I was messing up my S's and Z's. That's why the price symbols on the stand are a Z with two lines through them rather than an S"
"That would explain the note you sent Nick being signed Ztu"
"Oh yes, did he understand the note"
"Dad…"
"Alright alright" stu said, going back to looking for the paperwork.
Judy finished her story. Nick was still just drinking his soda and looking at the TV. The only time he looked away from the TV was when Judy first held up her phone to show Nick a picture of the birth certificate.
"So you can't call me Piberius anymore" Judy said putting her phone away.
"Wrong. Some people have two middle names, so we can call you Judith Laverne-Piberius Hopps. Or we can call you Judith Piberius-Laverne Hopps"
"Nick, please…" Judy said rubbing her forehead.
"J.P.L.H. or J.L.P.H. For short. Just look at Alex. ( yes me ) His full name is Alexander James-Kenneth Boehm. He must hate that he has Kenneth in his name."
"Nick…"
"Like you said, middle names are not really official"
"Nick stop! I don't want my middle name to be Piberius! I want it to be my actual middle name, Laverne"
Nick put down his soda and turned to Judy.
"Judy I love you, I gave you my middle name to show my devotion and how close I am to you. And now you have a little bit of Nick in your name, so that I'm always with you, in a way."
Judy gasped an up her hand over her heart. Like she did in jumbrax cafe when Nick had said he was just trying to buy a jumbo pop for Finnick and how finnick wanted to be an elephant, and Nick wouldn't crush his dreams.
"So Judy, is that a good enough reason for why I gave you my middle name?"
"Yes" Judy said going over to Nick and hugging him.
"So" Nick said. "Are you ready to start having two middle names?"
"Alright."
"And maybe I'll start calling myself Nick Piberius Laverne Wilde. Or our first middle names could be the ones that actually belong to us. Like Nick Piberius Laverne Wilde, rather than Nick Laverne Piberius Wilde."
Judy laughed.
"We're really having fun with the names today." Nick said. "Nick Hopps! Judy Wilde!"
Judy laughed again and then Nick started rubbing Judy's ears.
"Hey that feels good" Judy said. Then Nick started rubbing her back.
"Yesss!" Judy said, stretching out and relaxing.
"What about your feet?" Nick asked. "Is it good luck?" Then he started tickling Judy's feet. She laughed and then managed to push nicks hand away.
"Where did you learn to do that?" Judy asked.
"I saw a diagram online about where to pet animals"
( /-7D7j5QrGmA)
Judy smiled. "I love you to" She said, scratching Nick behind the ears. Nick laughed and hugged her. Then the two turned there attention to the TV as they sat together.