After his breakfast Nick head downstairs to see his parents packing some bags.
"What's with the bags?" Nick asked confused as to why would be loading up bags on his birthday.
"We're going on a road trip" John stated.
"Suprise" Francine added blowing the horn as Nick plugged his ears.
"Where to?" Nick asked curious, considering Nick never left the city, he did not know f his parents knew how to plan a trip.
"Wherever the road takes us" John stated as Nick looked him smirking.
"You have no clue where we're going, do you dad" Nick replied crossing his arms as John sighed.
"Can't get one over on you son, but you know they say, it's about the journey, not the destination" John admitted as Nick smirked.
"This could be fun," Nick smiled looking at his parents.
"This Sucks" Nick replied standing outside the station wagon on the side of the road. they were on the road for 5 hours and the car broke down. John was lifting the hood, as he looked at the engine.
"Dear, you're not really gonna consider trying to fix the car, we both know how you're not the best with tools" Francine stated as John struggle with the wrench.
"I Can fix... no wait I think I broke something" John admitted as Nick and Francine looked at him.
"Strange how a mammal how can fix anything with a needle and thread can't work a wrench" Nick pouted.
"Let's see, Right to tighten" John questioned as he set the wrench down looking at Nick. He heart clearly sank from this.
"I'm so sorry Nick, we just wanted to do something special for your big day, my dad took me on a road trip when I was 18, I just wanted to share that experience with you, but I'm HORRIBLE when it comes to tools!" John teared up kicking the car as he held his foot jumping on one leg as they all laughed.
"Let's just head to the next town, maybe they'll have a mechanic" Francine suggested as John stood up wiping his eyes.
"Yes dear, that sounds like the best idea" John admitted shaking his foot. The three began their walk down the roadside.
"So you can't fix a car, no one mammal can do everything, at least you tried" Nick replied looking at his dad who smiled.
"What did I do to raise such a wonderful son?" John asked clenching his foot. Francine set John on a tree stump. he was clear John had hurt his foot in his little outburst.
"Maybe we just sit here for a while" Francine stated as John tried to get up as Francine held him down.
"Honey I'm fine" John stated as Francine looking at the foot which was trailing red drops.
"Johnathon Wilde, you are clearly hurt, you should just rest her for a while," Francine said sternly removing her jacket as she wrapped the bloody paw as John smiled.
"I never can get one over on you" John stated as Francine smiled back.
"I've known you so long Johnny, you can't get one over on me" she replied as John knew this was true, in all the years they were together she was always able to read thru him as she sat beside him rubbing her cheek close to his, their noses inches away. this caught Nick's guard.
"Okay, I'm gonna go call the guys, maybe waste some time while you two get all lovey-dovey" Nick groaned walking off.
"Be safe Nick" Francine stated as Nick looked at her smiling giving a thumbs up.
"Of course" Nick replied walking off from his parents. Nick wanted to be mad but he couldn't, it wasn't his father's fault the car broke down and blaming him would not solve anything, the best they could do was pray they could find a mechanic.
Nick pulled out his flip phone looking thru his contacts, who to call. Nick looked eventually calling Chuck.
"Hey Nick, what's up, hows the road trip?" Chuck asked thru the phone as Nick sighed.
"Could be better, dad's car went out, so we're stranded" Nick replied a bit disappointed.
"Really, dude that sucks," another voice said as Nick gave a look of Shock almost dropping the phone.
"Dawn?" Nick stated surprised to hear her as she giggled. No doubt by the giggle, It was Dawn.
"I'm here too, we were having ice cream while you're gone, we thought we'd celebrate your birthday, even if you're not here with us" Dawn replied as Nick's mouth was watering at the mention of ice cream.
"What, who's we, just you two?" Nick asked curiously as to who was hearing the conversation.
"All of us" Bucky added as Nick palmed himself. Nick was both surprised and a bored.
"Is that Nick?" Han asked curious about the call as an array of voices were conversating.
"Tell Nick I said Hello," Romero said as Nick sighed a bit exhausted, both form the walk and the conversation.
"I Can hear you all" Nick replied getting an array of messages from his friends.
"So your dad's Rustmoblie finally gave out" Chuck teased as Nick grumbled.
"Dude, Not funny" Nick stated as somehow he was impressed the station wagon managed to last as long as it did. he kept walking down the roadside, every so often a car would pass him, the headlights the only source of light but being a fox meant he could see in the dark just fine.
"Any idea, where you are?" Han asked over the phone as Nick looked around confused trying to to find anything, but no.
"Nope, No landmarks, no signs, nothing" Nick replied staring at the desolate area, just a road. it wasn't even a pavement road, it was cold dirt, no street lamps, the land was empty.
"Wow, Suck's to be you" stranded on the road we're were filling up on ice cream" Dawn teased as Nick chuckled.
"Just my luck" Nick replied as he heard to phone shuffling.
"Look we have to my sisters are done getting there icecream, if they know were talking to you, we'll be here for hours," Bucky said as Nick groaned.
"How you put up with them, I'll never know" Nick replied as Bucky chuckled.
"Hey you just talk to them, I have to live with them" Bucky replied as Nick chuckled.
"Ok see you later guys," Nick said hanging up as he kept walking bored out of his skull. eventually, his parents caught up to him walking as a group.
"How's dad's leg doing?" Nick asked as John smiled moving his leg continuing his walking. he was obviously hurt but the last thing he wanted to make anyone worry.
"Feeling better," John said always optimistic. This somehow impressed Nick, Johnathon Wilde was the most optimisstic mammal Nick had ever known. his father always saw the good in everyone, it was his motto, at least one of the countless saying he had to treat everyone as if they were family. Nick smiled glad he had turned out more like him.
"Hey look a street sign, see things are looking up," John said as the three walked to the dropped his phone reading the text.
"You have got to be kidding me" Nick mouthed reading the text on the rusted sign.
"Bunnyburrow- 3 miles" the sign read as Nick rubbed his eyes in disbelief but it was there. the white text on the green rectangle.
END OF ACT III- Teenage Years
( I reworked my story abit because readers were PMing me up the rear to introduce Judy to the story, i was not going to until the ZPD academy where there meet, but it's also been brought to my attention this the timing puts Nick and around the same time as where Judy's storys began so I figure the timing was too perfect to waste).