Chapter 20: Reality Check
"Down with the sickness" by Disturbed.
A/N: Okay, I'm at the very VERY tail end of this, but we still have about half a chapter to go after this one. I decided to expand on Ben and Terry's possible adoption of Suzie because, well...I kinda don't like Terry. I mean, I wrote her with these flaws on purpose, but she's someone who gets whatever she wants despite her lack of maturity. I didn't like that aspect of her, so in this chapter, I had sister Camella really put her in her place and give her a wake up call.
Sigh! I thought I'd be done by now, but it looks like I got one more short chapter to write. This was supposed to be a short, transitional story dangit!
Wednesday night, 9:20pm
Nick wished this night would never end. It was his first night spent with his complete family and it may be his last. He had his arm around Judy who had the two bunnies beside her. Michael on her lap while Petey was resting his head on her side. Petey had really warmed up to Judy that evening. Nick believed he was starting to see her as his new mother. Cotton and Spots where next to Nick with Cotton on Spots lap. All the children were ether fully asleep or drowsy, but content. Nick and Judy were still awake, lit by the glow of the television as they watched an interview with Lionheart.
The mouse journalist on the TV prattled on. "This is Dan mouser reporting live from NPD prison with our third interview with former mayor and possible future mayor, Leodore Lionheart who is currently running his campaign for re-election while finishing his final days behind bars. "Leodore..."
Lionheart interrupted. "Oh-Ho! Please! Call me Leo!"
"Leo...you've been doing a fantastic job of re-capturing the faith of your supporters after the 'night-howler' incident had you arrested. How have you managed to run such a successful campaign while incarcerated?"
"Well Dan, I've had a lot of big, huge support from both outside and inside these prison walls. I've had a great staff who've really gotten my message of stong relations between predators and prey across. Heh!-Heh! It also helps that my opponent, the current Mayor, Donald Trunk has been putting his foot in his mouth with his specist tirades towards predators! It makes my campaign all the easier!"
"Leo's got my vote!" Nick said. "He's really seemed to have turned himself around."
"I dunno." Judy replied. "He still seems like a huge blowhard to me."
The mouse continued the interview. "With your time in jail almost up, do you have any regrets?"
"Well, I regret being in jail! Ha-Ha! No, my only real regret is that people just didn't seem to understand WHY I captured the predators who went savage. Was it wrong to not notify the public? Yes...maybe. I just didn't want any panic in the streets that predators may randomly be going savage until we found a cause and cure for those poor people infected. However...all that good will was undone thanks to a...certain rabbit who shall remain nameless..."
Judy got a bit of a dry lump in her throat at Leo mentioning her.
"...and instead, that fear and unease I was trying to stop from happening ended up coming to fruition and the predators of Zootopia suffered for it. I don't blame her. She just didn't fully understand the situation and made a rookie mistake. That said, all of that is in the past and I think I'm a better person from having learned from this experience. I'll be out just two days before election day and as your next mayor, I can promise you that I will bring about big, big changes! Including a new balance of peace and prosperity to Zootopia. A more balanced place where predators and prey alike will all have a proper role in society and where everyone can live in harmony. I think you'll all be quite surprised"
Judy turned off the TV. "He just HAD to mention me, didn't he?"
"Well, he's got ya there Fluff!" Nick replied. "It was your biggest blunder and to be honest, until we exposed Bellwether, life was getting pretty tough for us preds. But like he said, it's in the past. I'm sure he doesn't wish you any ill will."
"I hope not." Judy replied.
Nick continued. "Anyway, while we're all here on our first full night together, let's take some selfies!"
Judy agreed. They woke up the kids and they all posed on the couch with Nick taking the picture while his face was up front, he managed to get his whole, happy family in the shot.
Meanwhile...
Terry and Ben Clawhauser were arguing in the next bedroom over about what to do with Susan the giraffe.
"Look Ben, she needs a home. It's very, VERY hard for giraffes to find good living spaces and this place would be perfect for her! It's specifically built for giraffes!"
"Honey, we just got married today! It's too soon for me to even THINK about adoption! Not only that, we barely know her! We met her, what? Fifteen minutes ago?"
Suzie stuck her snout in unnoticed through a crack in the door. Terry didn't notice her and Ben couldn't see her. She whispered into Terry's ear.
"Giraffe's have a really hard time getting adopted due to their size."
"Giraffe's have a VERY hard time getting adopted due to their size!" Terry argued.
"She'd be a great help in the kitchen."
"She'd be a GREAT help in the kitchen! I mean, look at the size of that stove!"
"She can dust call the high places you can't reach."
"Think of all the high places we can't reach! She'd be a big help with that and...and cleaning!"
"And she's very adorable."
"Not to mention she's cute as a button!"
Ben started to chuckle. "Honey, I think you're being a little bit manipulated." He pointed behind her at the snout sticking through the door.
Terry was a little upset. "Suzie! You were supposed to be in the other room calling the orphanage!"
"I AM in the other room! Most of me anyway. Just my neck and head are outside. You...you really want to adopt me?"
Terry gently grabbed the giraffe's face and rubbed her muzzle across it. "I'd love to honey, but it's up to old sour-pussycat over there."
Ben crossed his arms and huffed. "I'm NOT an old sour-pussycat! I just think we need to give it some serious consideration before making such a big decision! You seem like a very sweet girl and I'd love to give you a home here, but we're just starting out on our own lives as a married couple."
"I understand." Suzie said with sadness in her eyes. "You're right. It's too soon. SIGH! I'll probably just stay with sister Camella until I turn 18 anyway. Besides, I couldn't leave my baby sister Sarah behind. We're a package. Where she goes, I go!"
Ben and Terry looked at each other with concern. One giraffe would be a bit tough to raise, but TWO would be near impossible. "You...have a little sister?" Terry asked.
"Foster sister." Suzie replied. "She's a five and a half year old mountain lion."
Ben and Terry's ears almost leaped off their head with that news and got very excited. "A MOUNTAIN LION?!"
"Did you hear that Terry?!" Ben said excitedly. "A feline! Like us!"
"I got 'em!" Suzie thought to herself. "Yup! I've been helping sister Camella raise her since she was born. I'm practically her mom! Her birth parents dumped her at our doorstep because she was born with a misshapen spinal cord that has paralyzed her bottom half."
"AWWWW!" Ben and Terry said together while holding hands.
"You wouldn't know it to see her in action though. She has a LOT of upper body strength and she gets around just fine! She loves to climb. Her friends call her 'Skates' because she doesn't use a wheelchair, but this kind of tripod/skateboard thing with three wheels. She wants to be a gymnast in the Paralympics someday!"
Ben was sobbing like a little girl and crying into Terry's shirt. "That's so inspirationaaallll!"
"That settles it!" Terry said. "Ben, I want these two! Please?!"
"Who will watch the little mountain lion when we're at work?" Ben asked. "Suzie, I'm assuming you go to school?"
"Yes sir."
"What about your mother?" Terry asked.
Ben smiled wide. "Yeah...Yeah! She lives at home alone and doesn't work since dad left her with his life insurance money. I'm sure she'd love to babysit Sarah. She wants grandkids."
"I have a friend nearby who can help babysit too!" Suzie added. "Her dad's a cop just like you!"
Terry and Suzie looked at Ben. "Sooooo?..."
Ben chuckled. "I...I can't think of a good reason NOT too! Well...I can think of several, but...well anyway, welcome to the Clawhauser family, Suzie!"
Terry and Suzie cheered and squealed with delight. Ben ran up to them and gave Terry and Suzie's snout a big, tight hug. Tears ran down Suzie's face. "Thank you! SNIFF! Thank you so muuu-huu-huuch! I'm gonna have a mom and dad!"
Ben then stood back. "Now...this isn't a guaranteed thing yet. Adoption is a long, long process and there's many factors that can screw it up! I don't know how Wilde got his kids so quick."
Terry answered. "Hopps told me that Bunnyburrow's adoption laws are much, much more forgiving. Like, same day. It's because there's sooo many orphaned bunnies there."
"I know Mr. Wilde!" Suzie said excitedly. "That's the other cop I know! My friend Vivian's dad!"
"Vivian's the hyena who snapped and beat up Nick right?" Terry asked.
"That's the one." Ben answered. "But she got therapy for it."
"Well I dunno if I want her babysitting the cub."
"She's really nice normally. " Suzie replied. "I don't know why she snapped. I'll have a talk with her."
"Speaking of talk." Ben said. "Have you talked to Sister Camella yet?"
"Oh no!" Shouted Suzie. "She must be worried sick! I'll stick my neck back in the other room and check my texts. Stretching over here is kinda painful anyway."
Suzie pulled her head back into the other room and looked at her smart phone. "So many texts! I'm dead meat!" She screamed.
Ben just looked over at Terry with a huge smile. "Well this has been a heck of a day, hasn't it?"
Terry was starting to weep. "It...it really has! I had sex for the first time since the change into a woman,only to get into a big fight with you only for us to make up and GET FREAKING MARRIED only to then wind up with a giraffe intruder in our home only to end up possibly adopting her and another child! Y-Yeah! I'll say it's been a heck of a day!"
Meanwhile, Suzie was on the phone with sister Camella. "Hello sister, it's Suzie!...PLEASE STOP YELLING! I'm fine! I just...I had to find a place to get out of the storm and...I ummm...might have entered someone's home when they weren't there...Waitwaitwaitwait! I'm okay! Everything worked out great! In fact, better than great! I'm gonna be adopted!...No they're not weirdos! They're felines! A tiger and a fat cheetah! I'll put them on video. Mr. and Mrs. Clawhauser?! Can you come here?"
Ben and Terry managed to squeeze themselves into being seen on screen. They saw a nun camel with a very sour expression on her face. "H-Hello Miss Camella!" Ben answered. "I'm Benjamin J. Clawhauser and this is my lovely wife, Terry!"
"Hello sister!" Terry answered.
"I don't give a crap who you are!" The nun answered on the other side of the phone. "You can't just go and adopt a child out of the blue! There's a process involved ya know?"
"Oh, I understand perfectly ma'am!" Ben replied. "We talked all about that! We also talked about the possibility about adopting little Sarah too!"
"Is that so?" The camel answered back. "Do you even know what goes into taking care of a paraplegic?!"
"I'll admit...not a lot." Terry answered.
"She has her own wheelchair, but she's too damn active for it! She can't feel her bottom half because she's completely paralyzed there, but her upper half works just fine and she's very active. She wears a custom made skateboard attachment that she can get around in very well and she's VERY independent. However, you have to be real careful with her. She doesn't understand how to twist her body right and I'm afraid one of these days she's gonna snap her spine. Also, she has no bladder or bowel control so she'll be wearing a diaper 24/7 all the way into adulthood. She has learned to change herself, but don't be surprised if she smells like shit half the day!"
"SISTER CAMELLA!" Suzie shouted.
"Hey! They want her, they're gonna have to know the truth. Sometimes she needs help getting into a dress or into a diaper, but will be too stubborn to ask. Despite having no feeling in her legs, she climbs like crazy! Don't let her! If she falls, she can't adjust herself like a normal cat and can get really hurt. She's got a dozen different medications she needs to take. In short...she's a handful! I wouldn't even consider putting her up for adoption without Suzie to assist her."
"Can we see her?" Terry asked.
"You can see her when Suzie gets her ass over here!"
"B-But sister!" Suzie spoke. "What about the storm?!"
"Tough it out!" The camel yelled. "I'm not about to let you spend the night with complete strangers!"
"You're absolutely right ma'am!" Ben replied. "We'll bring her back to the orphanage right away!"
"You better!" The nun replied. "I'll see you when you get here. Goodbye!"
Terry gave the phone back to Suzie. "Geez! She's a hardass!"
"Yes I am! Now hang up your phone and get over here!"
Terry jumped up. "EEP! Y-Yes ma'am!"
Suzie was concerened. "I-I-I don't wanna go! I'm so scared of lightning!"
Terry climbed up into Suzie's arms. "Look honey, I'll stay with you while Ben drives my car to the orphanage. He'll drive slow so he can follow you. Does that sound okay?"
"Okay." She replied. "I'll try to walk fast so you don't have to drive real slow Mr. Clawhauser."
"Sounds good!" Ben replied.
"Oh! And Terry?"
"Call me mom!" Terry replied.
Suzie giggled. "Mom? I'll keep you under my jacket so you don't get wet."
"Thanks honey!" Terry replied. They then left the apartment and took off towards the orphanage.
Meanwhile, at 10:15pm...
Cotton and Spots were relaxing in their new room. Cotton was watching a cartoon on her tablet while Spots was back to writing in her journal. Free from the nightmare she had before now that she had company.
"I need some music to go with this." Spots said and headed over to the large stereo, inserting her C.D. And putting it full blast.
"GET UP! COME ON, GET DOWN WITH THE SICKNESS!"
"GET UP! COME ON, GET DOWN WITH THE SICKNESS!"
"GET UP! COME ON, GET DOWN WITH THE SICKNESS!"
"OPEN UP YOUR HATE AND LET IT FLOW INTO ME!"
Spots was banging her head to the music. Cotton squished her ears to her head as hard as she could. The music was deafening and everyone in the apartment, nay, the whole floor could hear it. "DADDY!" Cotton screamed.
Nick ran into the room. "I KNEW this was gonna happen! Hold on!" He turned down the volume.
Spots protested. "Hey! I was listening to that!"
"No, the whole damn building was listening to that racket!" Nick replied. "If you want to kill your eardrums, do it quietly." He handed Spots a little gift.
"What is it?" she asked.
"You'll see." he replied. "I knew this was gonna be a problem, so I already thought ahead."
She opened the package and was happily surprised. "Bleats mootooth headphones! Awesome! Thanks dad!"
"Don't thank me freckles, this is a gift to me and everyone else in the apartment as much as it's to you. Now keep your stereo mute and go deaf on your own." Nick then left the room.
"Daddy's awesome!" Cotton said. It went on deaf ears as Spots already had her headphones on.
"WHAT?!" Spots shouted.
Cotton hobbled over and lifted the headphones to yell in Spots' ear. "I SAID, DADDY'S AWESOME!"
Spots jumped back. She looked upset. "Okay! Now you've done it! The rage...it's coming out!"
Cotton squirmed a little. Spots was starting to scare her. "Wh-What are you doing?!"
Spots turned away. She grabbed her head and shook it back and forth "OH NO! I can't hold back! The monster is about to be unleashed!"
"M-Monster?"
Spots grabbed her sister. "The tickle monster!" She threw her on her bed and started tickling Cotton making her laugh and giggle. "You will surrender!" The hyena yelled. "There's no escape! Now I'm gonna eat you! Nom! Nom! Nom!" She started nibbling on Cotton's shoulders making her laugh. She finally stopped teasing her and they sat down on the edge of the bed.
Cotton confessed to her sister. "I don't like Judy that much but...daddy deserves to be happy. I wish she'd propose."
"She's not bad once you get to know her better Christy." Spots replied.
"She's mean! She won't let daddy propose to her! SHE has to propose and she might not for a long time!"
Spots petted Cotton's head. "Maybe we can think of something that'll make her."
Cotton sat for a moment. She thought of something, but quickly took it back. "What if...nah. That's dumb."
"What?! I won't say you're dumb. Not to your face anyway."
"Maybe...Maybe WE could propose to Judy for daddy?...That's dumb hunh?"
Spots picked up Cotton and spun her around. "Dumb?! That's brilliant! She'd have a MUCH harder time saying no to us! Let's go tell Petey and Mike and see what they think!"
Meanwhile...
"Sister! I'm home!" Shouted Suzie with Ben behind her. She pulled Terry out of her jacket. "Here! Let me set you down."
Terry was fidgeting. "Be careful! I'm deathly afraid of heights!" As Suzie put Terry down, the tiger looked around the kitchen area. "So where's Sarah?"
"I'll call her!" Suzie replied. SARAH! I'M IN THE KITCHEN!" Suzie shouted.
However, it was Sister Camella who came out first with a cigarette hanging off her mouth. "Pipe down dammit! Yer gonna wake up the whole house."
Ben was the first to offer the nun a handshake. "Hello miss Camella! I'm officer Benjamin Clawhauser and this is my lovely wife, officer Fangm-I mean officer Terry Clawhauser!"
"Hello!" Terry replied. "It's a pleasure to meet you!"
The nun just stared her down. "You're that woman aren't you?!"
Terry was confused. "Excuse me?"
"Turn around and bend over."
Terry thought it was a strange request, but she went along with it anyway. "Ummmm...okay?"
The nun studied Terry's butt. "You're the cop that mooned the other cop, ain't ya?!"
Terry was embarrassed. "Oh! Yeah. Not my best moment."
"I would say not. It was all over the news!" The nun replied. Before they could say another word, they heard the rattling of wheels coming around the corner at a high rate of speed.
It was Sarah. As she ran, her wheeled, bottom half kept hitting corners. "Suzie! Are you there?!" She shouted.
"Right here Skates!" said Suzie.
Sarah came barreling around the corner and Terry saw her for the first time. Her eyes lit up. To Terry it was the most adorable child she'd ever seen. Sarah's bottom half was attached to a flat tripod of wheels as Suzie described. "Oh my God! She's adorable!"
The little mountain lion stopped in her tracks, but not without spinning around to stop. She looked up at the two felines, he tail waving back and forth with caution. "Who are you two?"
Ben introduced himself first. "Well, I'm officer Benjamin Clawhauser and this is..."
"I'm gonna be your new mommy!" Shouted Terry which excited the little mountain lion. She ran across the floor and Terry picked her up and held her close to her chest. "Oh...Em Goodness! You're so precious!" .
Sarah rubbed her muzzle against Terry's chest. "I like you! You got muscles like a body builder!Are you really gonna be my new mommy?!"
"No." Said sister Camella.
This shocked everyone in the kitchen who then looked over at the nun. "Why not?!" asked Terry.
"Reality check honey! This isn't a pet store where you can just find your favorite bug or fish and take it home! These kids have special needs, especially Sarah. I love these children like they were my own and I'll be damned if I just hand them over to anyone!"
Terry was shocked..."but...but I thought..."
"Did you think you were just going to take them home tonight?! There's tons...TONS of inspections for me to do. I'll be visiting your house for home studies regularly to make sure that your place is fit enough for these children."
Ben intervened. "I understand perfectly ma'am. I talked to her about this already. If you'd like, you can come by the house tomorrow and check it out."
"You bet I will." Camella replied. "At least you show some respect and maturity. Unlike your wife." The camel glanced over at Terry.
Terry growled. You have some nerve! "I'll have you know, I'm VERY mature you...you big, mean, smoker person!"
"Oh really? While you were coming here, I took the liberty of looking up some information on you. You not only mooned your fellow officers, it caused a distraction that nearly cost a purse-snatcher his life. You almost got fired over it, but SOMEHOW kept your job and I'm sure the gay pride parade had nothing to do with that. You then proposed to the man you've only been dating for less than a week only for the two of you to get married today and NOW, you want to adopt Suzie and Sarah after only meeting the giraffe for about what, fifteen minutes? Is that all correct?"
Terry growled and held onto Sarah tighter as if she was worried about the child being snatched away. "Listen, you little #*$ing..."
"Oh and foul language in front of children! Real nice!"
"You cussed too lady!" Terry snarled.
"You are impatient and rush into things. You seem prone to anger very easily and you want to have what you want when you want it and damn the consequences! That's not how real life works honey!"
Sister Camella then walked over to Terry. "If you want these kids, you better change your act and fast! These children are very precious to me and I won't let them be put in harm's way by someone who's reckless! Now hand over Sarah."
Terry pulled Sarah away from Camella. "Awww! I just met her! Let me just hold her a little longer. Please?!"
"Give. Her. To. Me." Camella said in a threatening tone. Terry petted Sarah's head one last time and handed her over to the nun. "Suzie is free to visit you folks when she's not in school, but she has to be home by 8pm. THAT'S EIGHT! NOT TEN THIRTY, SUZIE!"
Suzie took a big, dry swallow. "Sorry sister! It was the lightning!"
"No excuses! Now go to your room and take your sister with you and tuck her in your dresser drawer. She loves it there. Then, go to bed!"
"Okay sister!" Suzie said. She rubbed her head against Ben and Terry. "Thanks Mr. and Mrs. Clawhauser! I hope I'll see you two tomorrow!"
"Thank YOU Suzie!" Terry said hugging the giraffe's snout. "You are a very sweet and dear child and I hope we'll be your parents someday."
Suzie then left with Sarah under one arm.
Ben was a little down. "Aww! I never got to hold her!"
Terry was still mad, but managed some restraint. "WHAT'S YOUR FU-...I mean, your phone number so we may contact you tomorrow? "
"That's better. I'll give you all my contact information. I'll be over tomorrow with Suzie around 3pm. If you want to see Sarah again, you'll have to come over here."
Terry put on her best smile. "Thank you so much sister! We'll be happy to have you come and visit tomorrow."
"Well, thanks for that lie, but I'll be over anyway. I'm gonna be watching you two like a hawk so you better change your act if you want these kids."
"Yes ma'm" Terry replied while showing her fangs.
Terry and Ben got back in the care with Ben behind the wheel. "That last part was very good honey. You showed real restraint."
Terry looked around. "Are all the windows rolled up?"
"Yes."
"Thank you... #$*ING STUPID NUN WITH HER BIG, #$*ING MOUTH AND STUPID #$*ING CIGARETTE! I WANTED TO #$*ING PUNCH HER IN HER STUPID #$*ING FACE! I'M VERY #$*ING MATURE, DAMMIT!"
Ben sighed. "I think we got a bit of an uphill climb on this one."