Two of a Kind

by AnsemD

Seven mammals from different places of this world and with different backgrounds will meet in the city of Zootopia. All of them brought together by fate and some of them even connected through a shared past that bounds them without their knowing over centuries. Judy's and Nick's encounter and the Nighthowler case was just the start to a story that will shake the world to its core.

25. Dreams Can Come True

Patricia

Patty hated running, even if her heart was totally fine, she was sure that this was one of her least favorite activities, where you could sweat. Dancing, that was something she prefered but not this mindless moving, that mammals called running. On top of that, she had also an overactive bunny in front of her, which dragged her through the tunnels of the burrow, if Judy would go on like this, she would be dead before she could see her latest patient.

"Jeez, bunny. How far do we have to . . . *huff* . . . run to reach her apartment?"

"Next door . . . and stop, we are there," Judy said and stopped suddenly in front of a door with the names James Berthold Hopps and Catherine Melody Carter on it. Patty couldn't react fast enough and almost run over Judy. The bunny however seemed to notice, how unathletic Patty was and made a step to the side.

Patty panted heavy, her face was turned to the ground and she leaned with her paws on her knees and tried with a strong effort to catch her breath. Every second counted and she knew that.

"Okay . . . must be enough . . . open the door, I need to see her," under normal circumstances Judy would protest and would give Patty more time to recover but they didn't know how bad the situation was.

Judy opened the door and saw Nick already standing in the middle of the small floor, he shook his head slowly and his gaze told her everything else she needed to know, something was definitely not okay.

Without further talking, the doe and the vixen walked into the bedroom on the right side of the floor. The bedroom was rather big, a huge oak closet to the left and after a meter of space the also oak wooden bed with wine red wardrobe. A nightstand on each side of the bed each had some books on it. After that a rather huge space of three to four meters, which led to a huge window, that also was the entry to the balcony behind it. They had a nice view from up here, the whole thing laid at least in the third floor. However, Patty's concentration was fast torn back to the black bunny on the bed.

Stella sat already on the left edge of the bed and tried to fixate Cathy. For a short moment, Judy thought, that Cathy wasn't unconscious but the impression was deceptive, Cathy got spasms all over her body and Stella tried to stop her from hurting herself.

"Patty, if you are there, help would be highly appreciated," shouted Stella through the room. As soon as Patricia entered the room and recognized the situation Cathy was in, the normal and cheerful Patty disappeared, her smile vanished completely and the temperature of her voice dropped significantly. Right now, just Dr. Patricia Wilde stood there, professional, earnest and ready to do everything to save a life.

"Nick, Nathan out of the room, now!"

The two predators were too confused about the sudden change of Patty's mood; even Nick didn't recognize his little sister in this moment. Without even looking back, Patricia walked to her bag and started to search for the right tools.

"I DON'T REPEAT MYSELF! Out of the room and close the door!"

Still completely perplexed, Judy pushed the two predators out of the room with an excusing smile and closed the door behind her.

"Thanks Judy," came as a reply from Patricia. By now, the red vixen had already a small corked vial from her bag in her left paw and a fresh syringe in her right. She bit on the plastic cover of the syringe and drew the main part from its little plastic hideout. Stretching her paw with the vial against the lamp, which hung in the middle of the room, she stabbed the syringe in the cork of the vial and filled the medical instrument with the pure and to the others unknown liquid.

Patricia made a last check of the syringe, by pressing the plunger deeper into the barrel and letting the last bits of oxygen out of it together with some of the liquid.

"Okay, Stella hold her tight and you Judy take her feet."

The bunny and the white vixen followed the order of Patricia without complaining and both tried her best to keep the shaking black bunny under control.

"I'll try my best, Patty," Stella replied and a small smile appeared on Patricia's face, the normal Patty wasn't completely gone.

"That's my Snowflake," Patty replied and knelt on the bed, stretching out Cathy's left arm and searching for a good place to set the medics. With ease, Patricia could hold the arm and stop the shaking. Stella and Judy exchanged a short bewildered gaze at each other and both understood now why Patricia had so much strength in her arms, she needed it for her work with equal strong patients. The liquid entered Cathy's arm fast; started to circulate in her blood system, after another minute the last spasms stopped and the mammals could let go of her.

"Okay, what now Patty and what did you do," Stella asked, while massaging her hurting wrists. Cathy's body was maybe weaker than normal but there was still enough strength left to resist even a vixen.

"This here was a light muscle relaxant. If her spasms hadn't stopped, it could lead to a heart attack, no need to mention that this would be bad, right? What you two need to do now, is to undress her and I'll do a quick examination. Then I need . . .," Patricia started to explain but all three mammals turned to the door surprised, as a completely exhausted Jimmy walked into his own bedroom. With wide and teary eyes he came closer to Cathy. Right then, he wasn't clear in his mind and everybody in the room could have confirmed that. Fear was never a good counselor.

"Jimmy, please wait outside, you can't help right now," Patricia said in a calm and understanding tone but the buck didn't listened, he was just focused on his bunny and how she laid there on the bed, calm and not moving.

"Oh my God, is she . . . No, no, no," Jimmy was shocked, he walked towards the bed; but was harsh stopped by Patricia.

The buck started to fall into panic but Patricia didn't wait for him to calm down, she needed to work and he was not helping. With little effort, she grabbed him by his shoulders and pushed him some inches in the air and against the big closet.

"HEY! Don't you dare thinking something like that. Under my watch no mammal will die in this burrow! Do you understand me Jimmy? NO MAMMAL AND ESPECIALLY NO BUNNY! So and if you want to really help me, then get me me her medical information . . . and everything else you can find, okay? If you need help, then ask Nick or Nathan."

"But, but…," started Jimmy but his voice was no longer audible under his heavy sobbing and his eyes were fixated on Cathy, who laid motionless in her bed.

"No buts, do as I say," shouted Patricia at him but she also saw that he was devastated, at once Patricia's voice turned into the warm and carrying one, everybody knew. Calmly, she started to explain," I promise you, that nothing bad will happen to her, I will make her better. She may be even better than before this whole mess started in the first place. But you have to trust me, can you do this Jimmy?"

The buck nodded and his muscles slowly relaxed from the tension. After a deep exhale and some seconds of rethinking what happened and how she reacted to Jimmy, Patricia changed her mind, remembering her own promise towards her job and how she never wanted to be.

'You know the most critical part is over, now give him some time with her. Come on Patty, you don't want to be like 'them', don't be cold and heartless,' Patricia thought to herself and exhaled another time deeply.

"I'm sorry Jimmy, I shouldn't have acted like that . . . Go to her and give her a quick kiss and tell her that everything will be okay. She is maybe unconscious but I've seen it several times that even an unconscious mammal may recognize their loved ones . . . and it supports them. Talk to her as if she was up and totally fine."

A painful smile went over his face and Patricia heard with a little sting in her heart the almost silent words from Jimmy, "Thank you."

'Dumb bunny, I had to apologize for my hard words, not you. Now, I've got things to do.'

Jimmy went over to his bunny and sat himself carefully on the bed's edge, where just minutes ago Stella sat and tried to hold her down. His paw slowly caressed her cheek, while he looked down at her and spoke with the voice of an almost broken buck. Patricia had heard this voice too often in her short life. It didn't matter if it was a mouse or an elephant; in the end, they all sounded the same, when the life of a loved one was at stake.

"Hey Cath, I hope you can hear me. Listen darling, you have to get better, because I have to ask you again and then you must say yes to me. That . . . that's how things work and not like this . . . ," Jimmy chuckled slightly but continued after a short moment of silence," . . . and don't worry you are in the best paws. I bet Patty will fix you up in no time. Stay strong."

Jimmy leaned over her and gave her a short kiss on the forehead. Patricia watched all of this not for the first time, she knew how to regulate her emotions in such a moment and tried to concentrate on her work, laying every instrument in front of her but she saw how Judy and Stella turned with their heads to the side and let some tears disappear. Jimmy stood earnestly now in front of Patty, like a soldier, who waited for clear instructions and an order to fulfill.

"What do you need Patty?"

"You're ready?"

"Yes."

"Good. What I need now is information. To be exactly her complete medical record, her maternity log, the medics she takes on a daily basis and . . . ," Patricia made a short break, as a thought struck her mind.

"And . . . ?"

"Do you have some painkillers in your household? Aspirin, Ibuprofen, something like that?"

Confused Jimmy looked at the vixen in front of her, "Yeah sure, . . . I mean who doesn't? Do you need some?"

"No, it's just a guess . . . just bring everything to me. In the meantime, I have to make some tests on Cathy," said Patricia. Jimmy just nodded and left the room as quickly as he could to start his new task. As soon as the three female mammals were alone, gave Patricia them a sign and the check-up could start.

Patricia wrote down every finding and every result on a piece of paper. Blood pressure - was okay, pulse - also okay but could be better, eye response to light - not so good, breathing - as good as can be, heart murmur - big woho, she had a strong heart and so no worries here. As soon as Patricia wanted to draw some blood, the first real problems slowly came to the surface. There was almost no blood to take from Cathy! It took Patricia a while, to get enough from Cathy in a little test tube and unfortunately there was no testing unit nearby, to get the exact values she needed.

'Ahh, damned. So. I have to use the old method to indicate something. Fine by me . . .,' Patricia thought and without waiting any longer, the vixen took a sniff from the test tube. After a while of smelling and thinking, a thought Patricia struck and she needed to confirm it now.

'It's maybe unconventional, what I want to do but hey that's me,' Patricia thought grinning to herself. Loud and not awaiting any reply, Patricia spoke to Judy and Stella.

"I have an idea and need to confirm it! Stella, please do me a favor, and give Cathy a small bag of the saline solution from my bag, yes? Thank you, honey!"

Confused but also relieved that the cheerful Patty was back, Judy and Stella looked at the red vixen but she ignored them completely and walked out of the bedroom and turned to the living room, where Jimmy searched in a closet for the medical record and for the last sheets of paper, he thought the red vixen would need. She knew that Stella would do it, without questions.

"Ehm Jimmy, where is Nathan?"

Thinking for a moment about the question Jimmy looked at Patricia and pointed finally towards the kitchen of his little apartment, before he turned back to the work in front of him and continued to bring order into a lot of medical papers. With big steps, she walked into the little kitchen. There she found Nick and Nathan, who both stood behind the kitchen island and drank a cup of tea (of course, what else could it be with Nick). To her surprise Elliot was also here, he sat on the counter and had, to the surprise of all, not his laptop in his paws but also a cup of tea.

'What a surprise that everyone is here but that's good, no need to call for them,' Patricia thought and waited for the question, that laid on Nick's tongue.

"And," asked Nick with a heavy voice, "How's the situation?"

"Critical but under control and with Nathan's help, I think I can close this case in a minute or so," replied Patricia with a smug grin. Without even thinking, Nathan replied dedicated to his new task, "What can I do?"

The grin on Patty's face widened as she heard the answer and without waiting, she held the test tube under Nathan's nose.

"Good boy, take a sniff and tell me what you can smell."

"WHAT?!"

Was the only thing that came from Elliot and Nick, as they looked confused at each other. Again, acted Nathan, with huge dedication to his task and sniffed the blood sample without asking or any restraint.

"Patty are you sure that is a good idea," Nick asked his sister but she replied with just a grin and started to explain.

"Oh Nick, in fact this is a great idea! I have no blood chemistry analyzer at hand and I think even you will have your problems to get your paws on one in the next hour," Patty said.

"Give me 10 minutes on the phone and I can tell you," Nick replied with a grin and took a deep sip from his mug, which had a black bunny printed on one side. Patricia just rolled her eyes as a reply and continued," . . . You know nothing Nicholas Wilde . . . Anyhow, we have no time to find one nearby to test Cathy's blood, So, I have to use the old methods, So, this means with a sensitive nose has to indicate it. Our lucky mammal for this job is Nathan, because he has by far, the best nose from the mammals in this burrow . All I need now, is a confirmation of my theory, so Nathan how does it smell?"

All eyes were now on the black wolf, who held the test tube carefully between index finger and thumb, his nose twitching like crazy from the smells he tried to notice and for him there were a lot of smells.

"Well, . . . I would say it smells sour . . . and something else . . . ," explained Nathan, Patty's grin widened again. Nick and Elliot watched Nathan now with curiosity.

"Yes . . . and?" replied the red vixen, waiting for the last response, her eyes wide from anticipation.

"Mmh . . . well, I would say . . . it smells a little bit like uric . . . ? I don't know, is that even possible?"

Struck by joy and the feeling of victory Patricia raised her paws over her head and exclaimed loud to the others.

"Hah! I knew it, I was right! We two, Nathan and I, smelled the exact same things without telling each other. Moreover, yes Nathan it is possible, if the blood owner slowly intoxicated herself, without even knowing, with for example . . . aspirin. Now I just need the confirmation from Jimmy and we can bring our black bunny slowly back from the unconscious. Okay, Elliot, Nick. Now is your turn, I have work for you," Patty said triumphantly and wrote some words on a piece of paper. After some lines, she ripped the paper from her block and handed it over to Elliot.

"Aspirin? Since when can you poison yourself with something like this? And how did you come up with Aspirin anyway," Nathan asked and took a sip from his mug, on this was printed a bigger grey bunny and smaller black bunny, his left paw leaned on the counter of the kitchen to support him.

"You are right Nate, normally something like that would not be so easy possible but remember, Cathy's kidneys work just with a fraction of their normal volume. Every medicine no matter which is also a poison, the question is just how many you take," Patricia replied and Nathan nodded approvingly. The red vixen turned to Elliot and looked at him with big eyes.

"And this is now the point where you two will join the game. So, Mr. Anderson, I guess you still have some connections to your parents company, to get your hands on every medicine you want?"

In played shock laid Elliot his paw on his heart and started to speak.

"Are you implying, that I hacked my parents own company? To receive medics whenever I want and wherever I want? You know that hacking is a crime, right? And those are some heavy accusations Miss Wilde," replied Elliot with a grin, Patty however answered with her best sarcastic grin.

"Yes, but I also know that you don't give a shit about rules, right El?"

"Oh, you know me to good Patty . . . Okay, fine. Maybe I hacked the company of my parents and maybe I know someone in there who could help us. But how do we get it here?"

Nick took a last sip and placed his half empty mug behind him on the kitchen counter. With a grin he answered Patty.

"Let me guess this is where I come in, right Sis?"

Patty formed with her thumb and index finger a gun, pointed it at Nick and winked with her left eye to him, while she reacted a shot.

"You are absolutely right bother. Oh and I need the medics tonight, is that possible? Nick, Elliot?"

The beaver looked slightly confused up from the piece of paper he was holding in his paws.

"No probs from my side but some of the medics are for Parkinson treatment, are you sure with those too" replied the beaver and took out his phone with a questioning gaze.

"Who said, that I have just one patient in this burrow," replied Patty and smiled mysteriously at Elliot, he however just shrugged and kept on typing, ". . . If you say so . . ."

Her plan seemed to work but she still needed the confirmation of another mammal and so Patricia looked to her brother, who waited already for his part.

"I think it's possible. By coincidence, I know someone who could do it and as it happens he also owes me a favor, so leave it to me," Nick said and also got his phone out of his pocket and started immediately to type on it. Right in time, Jimmy came into the kitchen with the documents and the medicine. After he laid the documents on the little kitchen island, a huge, for bunny standards plastic bottle in brown followed. It was half filled with aspirin pills and beside stood a smaller one in brown, waiting for its role. All eyes went to the big bottle and the label on it, which stated clear for everyone to read – Aspirin.

"Okay this is everything I found. However, something was strange, I know we brought the bottle with the aspirin half a year ago and I only took four or five of them, back then after a huge birthday party. Moreover, two third of the whole bottle are missing, it's . . . What? Why are you all looking like that at me," asked Jimmy to the surrounding mammals.

All eyes went to Jimmy and after a while back to Patty. The only audible reaction was a half loud 'Damn it, she's right!', that came from Nathan but no one responded further, because everyone thought the same. Sherlock Wilde striked.

"What happened? Did I miss something," asked the buck to the crowd, his face stated an obvious confusion.

"Yes, you missed how this beautiful, intelligent and charismatic vixen saves the day and cracks the case," Patty replied with a smile and pointed with her left paw at herself from head to toe.

"You did? How? What happened with Cathy," asked Jimmy now overflowing with curiosity.

"The case is pretty simple . . . I mean if you look at the solution. We have here a case of unconscious self-intoxication through aspirin and two malfunctioning kidneys. In fact, through the aspirin, which stands right in front of you, Jimmy. My guess is, she had backaches from her kidneys and to get rid of the pain, she took the aspirin. Can't blame her for on this . . . ," Patty said and looked over to Jimmy. Nick, Nathan and Elliot just nodded silent to Patty's conclusion.

"Can't blame her? She . . . she never told me! Me! She told me everything but not this . . . Why? Do you also have explanation for this," shouted Jimmy through the little kitchen. Nick and Elliot just stared to the ground and Nathan tried to find something in his tea that wasn't even there. This wasn't their battle it was Patty's and she knew it. Soothing, spoke Patty to the upset bunny, who was close to shed some tears on this day.

"Jimmy, I know her for one day now and all I can say is that she seems to be someone, who doesn't want to bother others with her problems . . .," said Patty.

"OTHERS? I'm her partner! Not just some random buck, god dammit," shouted Jimmy through the little kitchen and walked over to the little kitchen window and started to let his gaze wander over the pure white snow in front of him. His paws were still trembling from anger but he tried to control himself but it was hard work. Everything without Cathy was hard work for him now.

Two big steps, more were not needed to walk over to Jimmy and Patty laid her right paw on his shoulder.

"Yes Jimmy, she is your partner. Like Judy is Nick's and Stella is mine . . . but still, there are things we can't tell you . . . not because we don't want but because we just can not. You know, love is a complicated thing. The closer we are the less we want to burden on the other and the more we are floating away from them . . . It's a balancing act . . . So please, don't be mad at her, she knew how much you have worked and for that you even helped her in the green houses after your shifts. She didn't want you to bother with her problems and so she kept herself . . . to herself," Patty said and she felt how a grey paw laid on her red one. Jimmy didn't turned around but he spoke directly to her, "Thanks Patty, I didn't know she was such a stubborn bunny and don't worry, I think I could never be mad at her."

The grin returned immediately to Patty's face and she replied, "Oh you have no idea, Jimmy. Just today, I found an old and stubborn buck, who had the exact the same problem. Kept everything to himself until it was too much for him. Seems to be a common problem with mammals, if you ask me."

"Okay, so now please explain it to me, what happened to her? I want to understand it," Jimmy said with a stern face. Patty saw, that this buck was dead serious about his bunny.

"Good, then listen. My assumptions is that she took one or two pills whenever the pain was too high, with them she intoxicated slowly her blood because her kidneys weren't able to filter the complete aspirin from it. This resulted in more work for the kidneys and a lower blood production rate because of the hormones the kidneys normally produce. It was a vicious circle and there were just two possible outcomes for her," explained Patricia in a calm voice.

"T-two outcomes," asked Jimmy carefully and felt as if he almost knew the answer.

"Death or treatment after a break down. Good for her it was the second option and even better I was here," Patty said.

"So, we just have to wait and everything will be back to normal?"

Patricia's face became again serious as she started to speak to Jimmy and her focus was now completely on the buck.

"No, not exactly, Jimmy. You see Cathy's kidneys caused the lower blood production and right now, she doesn't have enough blood in her body to keep up her whole system forever. The medics I ordered will be here by this evening, right Nick," Patty asked over her shoulder.

"Yeah, don't worry. Elliot and I have this under control; the medics will be here by this evening. I mean . . . Have I ever disappointed you, Sis?"

Patty didn't answer Nick and just rolled her eyes. Elliot and Nick however chuckled, as they looked on their phones and continued their work. With a shaking head, Patty turned back to Jimmy.

"Anyhow, what I will do now is to find some bunnies who are willing to donate some blood for your little black beauty and . . ."

"If she needs some, then take from me! No matter how much or . . . ," shouted Jimmy but was silenced at once as Patty raised her paw and lowered his right arm back where it belonged.

"Believe me Jimmy; it's more than heartwarming what you would do for her. However, we have no time to check if your and her blood type is matching but I know a group of mammals in this burrow, who know their type exactly. Moreover, I bet there will be at least one bunny with the right type," again Jimmy's shoulders sunk and his face turned sad. Patty seeing it responded immediately, "I know you want to help her but again you need to trust me and you will see, we will all eat dinner together and now let's see what she took until now . . .," for a moment Patty held the little brown plastic flask in her paw and didn't know if she read it correctly.

"Jimmy, who gave you this?"

Confused but with a light smile on his face Jimmy responded, "It's from the hospital, they said this is the medicine we can afford as a treatment for Cathy . . . Why?"

"What you can . . . afford? . . . Esos malditos imbéciles(those damn morons) . . ., " Patty ground her teeth and her last words were said completely in a deep growl. Jimmy took a step back and his eyes went in shock over to Nick, who was as confused as was everybody else in the room. As he watched his sister with some concern and he knew she only cursed in Spanish when she was really pissed about something. It was a habit she developed working in the pediatrician part of the hospital, when she had the urge to curse but didn't want that the kits understood what she said.

"Patty? Is everything okay," Nick asked from behind her, he put his mug on the kitchen island and laid his paw on her shoulder. He felt that she was shaking of anger. Patty however took a deep breath to calm herself a bit down and held the medicine in her paw up, so that everybody could see it.

"No! Nothing is okay! Because this here is bullshit, just bullshit," said Patty and threw the little flask to the ground. The plastic flask slammed on the wooden floor with a banging sound, the heavy impact opened the flask and the pills started to rolled over the whole kitchen area. Jimmy watched stunned from the flask to Patty and back to the flask. All eyes in the room were now on the angry red vixen and her voice was sharp and sarcastic as never before.

"The pills you see rolling over the floor are nettle concentrate, a mild and natural way to treat easy kidney issues or tiny gallstones. Nettle concentrate has some really good advantages it's easy to produce, you can get your paws easily on nettle plants, OHH and the biggest advantage in this case is that . . . It's damn cheap," said Patty as she bowed down to get the pills back in the little plastic flask.

"Wait . . . You mean . . .," Jimmy began to speak but Patty ended his sentence for him, while she put the last pills back, "Yeah, you could have also given her a piece of candy or a grape, the effect on her would have been the same. Exact zero. She needs real medics not . . . this."

"But . . . But, why? She could have died!"

"You said it yourself, Jimmy, they gave you what you could afford and that is what a life is worth for them," Patricia replied in a cold tone.

"But . . . Is the real medicine so expensive," Jimmy asked still stunned about the new information.

"No . . . Well at least not in production but there is only one company who holds the patent for the medicine and they can get any price for it . . . ," Patty stopped and her gaze wandered over to Elliot, who listened exactly to her words and knew that he was meant.

"Get any price for a life? Who would do something like that for money, that's sick," Jimmy shouted and asked this more as a rhetoric question but for Elliot this was serious business and to know that friends suffered because of his family made it even worse.

"Yeah, sick pretty much nails it. In addition, I can tell you my parents would do that. Hah! What am I saying, that's exactly their thing. Keep the number of receiving mammals small, only those who deserve it are worthy taking it and you prove yourself only through one thing and that is money. Oh God, how I hate that," Elliot said and stepped down and walked slowly out of the kitchen. As Elliot walked pass Jimmy he mumbled just half loud to him, "I'm sorry Jimmy, that you didn't get the correct medics you needed immediately but don't worry from now on, you will get what you need," and left.

Nathan exhaled deeply and said, "I will follow him, a depressed beaver is not what I want at the moment. We had enough grief today already."

"I will go to; I need to make some calls . . . if you need anything Patty, call me, okay? You too, Jimmy," Nick said and followed Nathan out of the little apartment.

"Did I miss something again?"

"No Jimmy, it's something you couldn't know . . . let me explain. The company, who holds almost all patents for medicine and also for the one Cathy needs, is Anderson Pharmaceuticals or AP in short, they produce everything. The yearly flu vaccination? AP. Medics against Depression or any other kind or mental illness? AP. They also produce almost every smaller or bigger medic and other supply. Look, even the Aspirin Cathy and you took is from them…," Patty explained but Jimmy just shook his head and looked still puzzled at her.

"What has this to do with Elliot?"

"He . . . is the oldest son of the Anderson family who owns AP. He broke long ago with them and lives on his own, Elliot hates them and their company. But no matter what, he also responsible for their actions."

"I . . . I didn't know that! Oh damned . . . today is just not my day, " Jimmy said.

"Don't worry, give him time and he'll be okay . . . and you have a more important tasks before you. Take care of your son and I will take care of your bunny, okay," Patty said with a smile, that soothed Jimmy enough to let him lose a bit of his fear about her. He nodded and turned to the door but he didn't leave his apartment without controlling the state of his bunny.

Finally alone in the kitchen, Patty took Nick's mug and drank the rest of his tea. Instantly the red vixen wrenched her face because of the bitter taste.

"Ugh . . . I forgot that Nick drinks this without sugar. Not good, not good," to get the bitter taste from her tongue Patty searched hectically for something else in the little kitchen and found it finally in a little bowl on the counter – rock candy.

"Well, hello my little friend, time to sweet up my day . . . mmhm. Much better," Patty said and sucking on the rock turned she around to the medical record, that lay heavy on the little kitchen island. Multiple files, dossiers and other papers were piled up to a little tower and waited just to be examined but this had to wait, first there was a bunny in need of help and without further looking at the papers, Patty walked out of the room and towards Cathy.

Cathy

What a nice dream it was . . .

They were all there . . . most of the Hopps family . . .

. . . Judy, Jess, Nick, Thomas, Nathan and Stella . . .

And James of course . . . Nick sung for us . . . Judy's said those kind words . . .

James told from our first meeting . . . and then, he went down on his knees . . .

. . . I still got shivers from the thought about this . . . What a wonderful dream . . .

Now I lay here in my bed and slowly drifted back from my dreams into reality. I wished I could have stayed a bit longer in this dream and I wished I could have taken a longer look at the ring; it almost looked like the real one. Any minute now, I would open my eyes and look into the dark blue ones from James but not now, maybe we could still cuddle a little bit. Slowly I stretched out my paws and grabbed what was right in front of me and where normally James should be.

I caught something but it was not James and it was also no pillow (or maybe it is?) but it's definitely fluffy; maybe five more minutes will be okay with this pillow . . .

"Who would have thought, that we two would end up in bed, mhmm Cathy?"

That voice, it's familiar but it's not James . . . wait in my bed? What happened? Instantly, my eyes were wide open but there were no dark blue eyes that looked at me, no. Instead, I looked into two light green eyes and the teasing smile of Patty.

The fog in front of me and in my head slowly cleared. There came more things to my mind that I realized. First, this was no pillow, this was Patty's tail. I instantly let go of it and draw myself back from her. Most mammals are strongly offended if you just touch their tail . . . but Patty seemed to have no problem with that.

"Don't worry sweetheart, my patients are always allowed to stroke my tail," said Patty, looking back at the papers in her lap. She sat with a light blue dress that had candy canes all over it and crossed legged on James side of the bed. From time to time, she made notes on a notebook, while she skimmed through my medical record. Most of the time she was chewing on the end of a pencil, which looked already worn out and read in the long and complex medical papers. James and I couldn't make a lot of sense out of it but we had no real knowledge in medicine, anatomy or biology . . . okay maybe the biology of flowers but nothing that was further from that subject.

As I looked around me, I noticed the second thing that came to my mind, after the blanket almost completely slipped down. I knew she was a female above all this even a doctor, I bet she saw until now more mammals naked than any bunny in this burrow but still I felt ashamed.

"I . . . I'm naked? W-why?"

"Well, how should I examine you with your clothes on? That would be pretty difficult and don't worry, only Judy and Stella helped me," Patty replied with a grin. As fast as I could I pulled the blanket back on me and over my whole body, just my head was sticking out of it.

"Are you ashamed or are you cold, Honey?"

"A bit of both?"

"Oh sweetheart, don't be. I tell you what, we'll give you some clothes, then I'll text the others and we'll have all dinner together, what do you say? You must be pretty hungry by now . . . Well, I am and I'm also ready with your medical plan. So, I think I earned myself something to eat and some time with my Snowflake," Patty replied grinning to me.

Moreover, just now I recognized the third unusual thing, something that was so uncommon for me in the last years, that I needed some time to recognize it – I felt good. There was no pain anywhere in my body, not in my back or in my head, no dizziness or any other kind of complaint. I just felt good.

Patty started to sort my medical records and laid them finally on the night tray of the bed. As soon as Patty wanted me to stand up, I wrapped my paws around her waist, pulled her back to me, and gave her hug. This was normally not the things I did to others . . . I mean hug other females, while I'm completely naked and crying big tears of joy, while my head rested on her back. The fabric on Patty's back was slowly drenched with tears and what not but she didn't cared, quite the opposite, Patty turned around and took me into a real hug, where she soothingly stroked over my head. I just couldn't stop with the crying and the sobbing but I still tried to talk to her with my teary voice.

"Thank you, Patty . . . you saved my life today."

"No, honey. I just did my job . . . but there are others you can thank."

Her head rested on mine while she hugged me and during this time, I got a good image of her scent. It was sweet and reminded me slightly of peaches.

"And I promise you something Cathy, give me six months and you both can try it again," said Patty with a big grin on her face.

"What do you mean?"

"You know . . . the thing with the bees, the flowers and *puff* some month later you are more bunnies than before," Patty explained and waited for a reply but I couldn't. A shock went through my whole body. Until now, I thought it would be impossible for me to have another litter with James in the future. I thought this option was completely off the table. A warm feeling spread through my body, one I had long missed and it felt better than ever before. Nevertheless, just some seconds later came the questions and the worries.

"But . . . but, what if the same thing happens again . . . what if I lose another litter, I don't know if I could stand something like that again . . . I don't want that to happen again. . . I couldn't bear that . . . I don't want that it's my fault again . . . ," the negative thoughts and my crying were back. With force, I clasped tighter to Patty but she held me by my shoulders and shoved me some inches away. Her light green eyes were more than serious and completely fixated on me, had I said something wrong?

"Why do you think it's your fault," asked Patty with a demanding voice.

"I . . . I don't know, who else could be at fault for this?"

"They never told you? . . . What in the name of the holy mammals is this for a terrible hospital you have here in town for? Geez, you know what! Forget it! From now on, I'm your doctor for any concern and I will take care of you, even if that means, that you will give birth here in the burrow," Patty said with dedication and I was now more confused than the moment I woke up.

"What? But what happened back then?"

"You had something called hypercalcaemia and this can be treated during a pregnancy but they just overlooked it or whatever happened in that 'hospital', back then . . . Honestly, I would just like to go there with Judy and throw a little tantrum," said Patty.

"It . . . it wasn't my fault?"

"What? Nooo, how could you think something like that," Patty replied, took my face in her paws and locked my gaze to hers, "Whatever happened there, this wasn't your fault. Not yours and also not Jimmy's, okay?"

With my head still in her paws, I nodded slightly and not even seconds later Patty's smile appeared back on her muzzle. For a short moment, she petted my cheeks a bit too hard and turned back to stand up. With my own paws, I tried to massage the small pain out of my cheeks and thought about all of the things Patty said to me.

"I'm gonna be alright . . . no more pain," I said to myself while I was caught by my own thoughts. While Patty stood up and stretched her limbs, before she typed some messages on her phone.

Kits, no more pain, now my dream that I had before could become true – this could be the greatest day in my life. Overwhelmed by all of this, there was just one option left for me – I started to laugh. At first, I laughed quietly then after some minutes more heartly. Patty turned around and looked to me while she tilted her head with a smile.

"What's wrong, black beauty?"

"I was just imagining what it would be like if the dream I had while I was unconscious would come true. . . It was such a nice one . . . but well, maybe later," I replied and looked dreamingly up to her.

"And what did you dreamed," Patty asked while she helped me up from the bed.

"I had the dream that James asked me if I want to marry him . . . ," I said and shook my head, as if we had the money for this; it was a nice dream but maybe one day. I watched how Patty's smile vanish from her muzzle and she pulled a little flashlight from the pocket of her small jacket. With big steps, she walked over to me and started to examine my eyes.

"Does the light hurt you," asked Patty and went from on eye to the other with the flashlight. I chuckled about the question. There was no pain. Nowhere.

"No? Why do you ask," I questioned chuckling, because I thought she made a joke? Patty's face remained serious but relaxed after some seconds

"Ohh, just . . . just a last check, if everything is okay. Never mind. Come, put some clothes on, we are on the way to the hall, they are waiting for us," Patty said almost singing and stored the little flashlight now in the pocket of her dress and lent me a hand to stand up from the bed.

Everything felt so light now, no comparison to this morning. Walking, breathing and even the stretching were no longer a problem. With a great mood, I walked over to my closet, and took some undies, a jeans and the typical Hopps Christmas sweater out and put it on. The sweater was an easy choice and I knew Bonnie liked to see me in it.

Together we walked through the calm burrow, I didn't even know it like this and it felt almost eerie to meet no bunny in the long corridors or hear any laughter. With great patience, Patty explained what happened to me. She began by saying that I was out for almost six hours. She told me about the blood donations from Amanda and Sally. Patty said happily that, "Now you can say that real Hopps blood is running through your veins.", she explained what the aspirin did to me and explained which medics I would get from now on and that I and Pop-pop had in January an appointment in the Zootopia Central Hospital with Dr. Patricia Wilde. A light chuckle came from her as she said that, as if she wouldn't take her own title seriously. After some minutes, we reached the double-sided door to the main hall. I could already hear the chatter of mammals from behind it.

Patty stood herself in front of the door, looked with a grin to me and asked, "And? Are you ready?"

"Yeah? Why not?"

I couldn't understand her question and didn't think about it too much. However the moment she opened the door, I was just overwhelmed by what I saw. Everyone and this time really everyone stood ready and looked at me with a grin, I could just put my paws on my muzzle. On the left stood Emilia in the open kitchen area with ten or so bunnies who, watched me from there. In front of me stood groups of bunnies sorted by their heights and the different years, most of them were shouting my name and others applauded my reappearance in the big hall, I needed some moments to recognize that Elliot stood among them filming everything with his phone. Behind them stood Stew, Bonnie, Jess, Judy, Nick, Stella and Nathan, all of them applauding and waiting for something. On one side, even Otto Hopps sat and smiled lightly over to me, on his lap sat the four Rose siblings who had their little paws raised and waved slowly from left to right.

What was going on here? What . . .

From the howling crowd in front of me walked slowly Thomas and James over to me. Thomas held something in his paws. All of this reminded me of the dream I had . . .

Patty who was now behind me, leaned down a bit and whispered into my ears, "What if, that was no dream? What if . . . this really happened and you just forgot that it was real?"

"You mean he will. . . ," I asked with wide eyes but Patty just shrugged and said, "Maybe, let's see what will happen from here on."

The memories of the dream I had flooded my mind again and now slowly it all came back. The frozen lake, the song from Nick, Judy's words and James…

Slightly smiling James stopped directly in front of me and took my paws. He was nervous but he tried his best to hide it. For a moment I looked to Thomas who was also smiling up to me in his best manner.

The hall was complete silent; just the crackling in the fireplace could be heard.

"Cathy, I said so many things to you today nice things, beautiful things and also some sad things but I can't repeat them. Not because, I don't want to or could but because I can no longer wait to ask you this question…," Jimmy began and knelt down in front of me; holding my paws and looking up to me. He nodded to Thomas and he opened the little box with a ring in it. Moreover, what a ring it was, I was blinded. . . How could he afford something like this, did he worked overtime? No! Even with overtime work, he could never afford something like this . . . but did this really matter now?

With shaking paws James took the ring out of the little box and held it in his right between index finger and thumb. The shaking became stronger and stronger, while he held with his left paw my left, ready to put the ring on my finger.

"Catherine Melody Carter, will you . . ."

"Yes!"

A chuckling went through the audience and for a moment, James looked up to me confused.

"Honey, I think you have to wait for the rest of the question," James said and almost started to laugh but I shook just my head and replied to him with teary eyes.

"I'm sorry but as much as you can't wait to ask me, so can't I wait to answer – Yes, I will marry you James Berthold Hopps."

There was no more question from him and in his eyes shone the light

"That was all, I wanted to hear from you," said James and put the ring as fast as he could on my finger. Finally, he was at his aim, he stood up, took my face into his paws and kissed me like he planned it since so many years or so he told me this night.

Hell broke loose around us. Howling, applause and screams of joy came from every side as long as the kiss went on and it was a long kiss between me and James, maybe the longest we two ever shared. After what felt like an eternity, our lips parted and we took a look at each other. We both knew what would follow now, an old bunny tradition, the selection of the best man and the honored maiden. In huge families like the ones of bunnies, we needed to exactly clarify who were the ones we choose to help us or there would be more than enough arguments afterwards, where everyone claimed to be the one and only for the bride or groom.

Paw in paw, we turned to the still chaotic crowd in front of us. James raised his right paw and the hall, went slowly quiet. I had an idea whom James would choose.

For a moment, I took a good look at my ring and my heart started to beat like crazy again. This was no copy of the original ring I wished for once as we were visiting Judy in Zootopia. I was only kidding back then, I never thought he'd remember this ring or that he would really buy it. The one on my paw was the real deal. How could this be possible . . . James had more than enough things to explain to me but not now.

"I think all the bunnies know what will come now but for the ones new to this family . . . Cathy and I, we will now choose the best man and the honored maiden. It's an old bunny tradition, and we do this to show our gratitude and appreciation for someone, the task of those two is to take care of us at the wedding and the day before. Those two are not allowed to part from our side in those last hours. Alright . . . Cathy do you want to begin?"

"No, you can start, darling," I replied and honestly I was just happy, he could take all the time in the world, if he wanted.

A short smile from him and I knew he wanted to start, he was eager to do so.

"Okay . . . I know this will be untypical for bunny standards but I think after such a day and in this crazy family normality is more a foreign word than a real status. . . This day and the realization of this proposal would have been impossible without the mammal I have chosen . . . Even when it sounds weird, I don't care, for me you are already like a brother . . . Nick I want you as my best man," said James and pointed towards Nick with his paw stretched out paw.

"Okay, what do I have to say," Nick asked with a grin to Judy, she however whispered some words to her fox, which he replied with his typical grin, "I Nicholas Wilde, swear that on your wedding day and your last day in freedom . . . auhhh. What was that for Carrots?"

Half-angry and half-amused Judy spoke up to her fox after she gave him a hit with her fist, "I told you it's 'last day without partner' not 'last day in freedom', you dumb fox!"

"Other words, same meaning…," Nick replied with a wink to Judy, who just rolled her eyes and shook her head as a reply. Another wave of laughter went through the rows of mammals. Nick however waited till most of them were quiet and started all over again.

"But now, a bit more seriousness from all of you . . . , Please," said Nick sarcastic and grinned to the assembled crowd, " I, Nicholas Wilde, swear, that on your wedding day and the last day without your partner, there will be no harm or suffering that will come upon you, for this I stand in with my name."

"And that's what I wanted to hear from you, Nick," Jimmy said and looked down on me I was just . . . Well, happy. If anyone had told me that this morning, I wouldn't have believed it.

Most of the bunnies looked now to Judy and Jessica; both were the ones with the highest chance to become my honored maiden. I hoped they were not too disappointed but I was sure they would understand my decision after this crazy day.

In addition, I needed to tell them something that had lain for a long time on my shoulders. My voice was trembling because of all the emotions but I tried to stand my ground in front of my family. I folded my paws in front of me and began.

"At first, I need to say something . . . To all of you. Something that's been going for a long time through my mind but I never found the right words or time to tell . . . And that's . . . thank you, thanks to all of you . . . For taking me into your home when I lost mine, for accepting me as one of you and most of all for saving my life. Without you . . . I-I wouldn't know where I would stand today but I know my life wouldn't be as full of love, friends or happiness. I was an only child and never had a lot of friends but to be here with all of you . . . I . . . Thank you," in the end there were too many emotions. Positive and negative ones and I could just hardly hold back. I heard the silent crying from a lot of bunnies in front of me but also the loud crying from Stew, who was this time not scolded by Bonnie for his emotional outbreak. Both bunnies and the head of this burrow had their arms around each other and listened to my words. With my left paw, I wiped the tears away and began to exclaim my decision.

"If I could, I would make all female mammals in this burrow my honored maiden but unfortunately that is not how it works. Moreover, I know how all of you cared and supported me, especially you two Judy and Jess. But I can't do this," for a moment I stopped and saw a lot of dazzled faces in front of me but there were two exceptions, Judy and Jess, who nodded at me, as if they wanted to tell me, yes you are making the right decision and we approve it.

"For this I can ask only one mammal," slowly, I turned my head to the right and searched for the red vixen behind me," Patty? I know you said it was just your work, which you had done but you saved my life today and what you told me back then . . . I believe you, with everything you said to me and I want you as my honored maiden and no one else."

Mumbling and talking all over the bunny crowd, Otto however started to laugh loudly and clapped into his paws. Even for the glib vixen, this question came out of the blue. Her muzzle which stood open for a short moment, turned back into a smug grin. To show me her acceptance of the question Patty bowed her head down and made even a little courtesy. Grinning to me she said ,"What the bride wishes for, shall the bride receive. This vixen here, will stand by your side on your last day without partner and on the day of your wedding. For this I stand in with my name."

A final round of applause went through the hall before all the bunnies and other mammals walked to the new wedding couple, to give their congratulations to them.

An evening of celebrating us the wedding couple and the recovery of myself lay ahead of us and it seemed Nick had ordered besides the medics also some exotic alcohol for the whole crowd, well not for me, I still have to take it slowly but for the others of course. Thomas came over to me after all the bunnies had ended the long reign of paw shaking, hugging and directed me to the tables they had already prepared for the whole crowd, all of them had waited just for me with the meal.

The long table was decorated in red and white, together with some mistletoe, to the big dislike of Nick. My place was between James and Thomas but we were surrounded by our friends and family. Nathan was placed in front of me beside Jess, a fact that made him a little bit nervous, on his other side sat Elliot grinning like a little kid with another interesting sweater on, today it stated 'It's not a bug, it's a feature' . . . I didn't get it but maybe the right one would. The next two were Judy and Nick, who were in a heavy discussion about what a best man could and couldn't do. Judy was slowly flustered about Nick, who insisted on taking Jimmy on his last 'day of freedom' to a club tour through Zootopia and bringing him in the morning of the wedding back to the burrow.

"I don't see the problem Carrots? Whatever happens in Zootopia stays in Zootopia. You and the others will never know and in the morning, we are back. Just the guys and Jimmy. I would call it a perfect plan," ended Nick his statement.

"If something happens Nick, I promise you, all twelve precincts will hunt you down and I will lead them," Judy replied angry to her fox.

Nick just shook his head, as if he wanted to say, no you wouldn't.

However, Patty also in high spirit sat besides her white vixen and both seemed to hold paws under the table. Emilia, who held up a wine bottle, poured Stew and Bonnie on the front side of the table one glass of wine after the other in. It was a light-hearted mood in the hall, perfect to celebrate a young wedding couple, thought Cathy and turned to James. As she looked him in the eye and Thomas hugged her from the other side, she knew one thing for sure,' It's a good life as long as I have these two with me.'

Nick

Loud and noisy Judy's phone vibrated on the table and the first beams of light from the morning sun already illuminated the small room to a certain extent. Bright enough to see clothing of two mammals spread all over the floor. However, not bright enough to see what those clothes exactly are. Not even a second later and two big ears with black tips, pointed out from under the blanket.

"Don't go Carrots, it's a trick to lure you into the cold...," Nick mumbled into Judy's ear. Both mammals laid holding to each other in Judy's bed, under a warm and heavy blanket and actual neither had the will to stand up but after a heavy fight in Judy's mind, her drive and curiosity won over Nick's soothing talk. With heavy resistance from her fox, the doe tried to free herself from the warm and comfortable bed.

"Oh come on Nick, I need to check this. It's could be from the academy," Judy said with a chuckle and pushed herself out from under the blanket. Again, there was this cold, that made her shiver every morning when she left Nick alone in the bed. She wore nothing, a fact that made the cold even worse but she could also feel the heavy locket on her chest, something that soothed her and made her calm, whenever she took it in her paws.

"Blueberries, you know you have to stay here and cuddle with me, Fluff," Nick replied with a muffled voice from under the blanket, "I don't get it, this is the last day where we can stay longer in bed. Nathan is with some kits exploring that old church in the woods. Mum gives cooking courses for the bunnies and Stella. Elliot played video games with some of your siblings the whole night, which means he is dead tired and won't be up until we have to catch the train. Oh and I bet $5 that Patty still walks around the burrow with the stupid tag she made!"

Another chuckle came from Judy and she thought back to the day after the proposal. Patty was still so happy over Cathy's choice that she made herself a little name tag which stated for everyone visible 'Honored Maiden of the Bride', Stella couldn't stand it and tried a whole day to convince her to take it off, but every attempt made Patty even more eager to wear it. Judy herself and most of the bunnies found it funny but not awkward.

"Party pooper, she likes it and is happy with it, so what's the problem?"

At once, popped Nick's head from under the blanket and looked with a questioning gaze at his doe.

"The problem is, that she's a 25 year old vixen and with a doctor in medicine! Damned she didn't even wear normally her nametag in the hospital that stated that she is a Doctor! Most of the mammals think she's a nurse . . . Well, whatever. So who is texting you, Carrots?"

"Oh, jealous Mr. Wilde?"

"Naah, just interested . . . ," stated Nick and he tried to hide his curiosity.

For a while, there was no reaction from Judy and she was so absorbed in reading, that Nick had enough time to let his gaze wander through the room, over the clothes on the ground, which they had 'lost' last night after a too long evening with too much hot mulled wine and the attempt to play charades in that kind of state. No one knew who had won, maybe Jess but it could also be Cathy or even Elliot and in the end it didn't even mattered. What did was the fact that they had fun or at least that was what they thought.

On the bookshelf, Nick spotted the old picture of Jess and Judy in which both looked very grumpy in the camera with their broken limbs. They had an accident with nine years when they tried to sledge down a hill that was too big for them. The result was a badly broken right arm for Judy and a broken leg for Jess, both sisters needed to stay in the burrow for the whole winter. A torturous time but the two sisters grew more together than ever before.

A smile crept over Nick's face as he looked finally at his bunny, who stood in front of her desk with a twitching tail.

'Something seemed to have peaked her interest', thought Nick until Judy's tail stopped suddenly with twitching and remained completely calm.

"What's wrong, Carrots? Did they take the salad from the meal plan?"

However there was no reaction from the purple eyed doe.

"Judy?"

"Oh, sorry. I just thought about this here . . . and was a bit . . . distracted," Judy said and thought about her next words.

"W-we get new trainer in the next half of the Police Academy training."

"Who did they hire this time? I hope someone with a sense of humor," Nick said and yawned heartily.

"Two ZBI Agents…," started Judy but was interrupted by Nick, " . . . So, no sense of humor then? How sad."

Nick made a short break and watched Judy for a short time.

"Carrots, what is it? Your tail is twitching again like crazy and your ears are up as if there is a criminal in this room and I don't talk about this forbidden good looking fox over here . . . Hello? Fox to Bunbun? Anybody there," Nick asked and finally stood up. Tripping almost over his Christmas sweater on his way to Judy. Cursing on his last steps, he stumbled to his bunny and he stood behind her, now just two naked mammals looking on one phone.

Nick sensitive eyes needed a moment before they adjusted to the bright smartphone light. However, as soon as they did, he started immediately to read.

###

To: Officer Judy Hopps

From: ZPD Administration administration

Subject: Announcement for ZPA trainer

Announcement for all trainers of the Zootopia Police Academy,

Due to construction work in the Zootopia Bureau of Investigation's Training Center, will their recruits be part of the Zootopia Police Academy for the next period of training. Those two agents will overtake some work of the ZPD trainers. Please respect their work and authority. For further information, please respond to this Email.

ZBI Director of Training

Special Agent Jack Savage

ZBI Associate Director of Training

Agent Hannah Dawnguard

From the Administration of the ZPD and ZPA

###

"Well, I knew we would meet him sooner or later but I never expected it too be so soon in our Police Officer career," Nick said and laid his head on Judy's shoulder.

"You sound as if you know him," Judy replied. Nick couldn't see her face but he clearly heard the questioning tone in her voice.

"Maybe . . . but I think you have to wait for him, to answer those questions," replied Nick short and hoped that his bunny had no further questions to this case.

To believe in somebody was never Judy's problem but she never did this blindly. She turned around and set herself on her desk. Her smile was soft and Judy began to speak to Nick while she let one of her paws stroke through his chest fur ,"My dear fox, you want to tell me, that on top of all the bad guys you know in the city, you also know the good guys?"

All she earned was just a smug grin from him and a pseudo intellectual answer.

"You see Carrots, that's your problem . . . You make a difference between good and bad guys in this city and that is something you shouldn't do, especially not with him," Nick replied.

With a quick grab, placed Nick his paws under Judy's butt, lifted her up to him and pressed her on his chest. Their muzzles were very close now and Nick placed carefully his lips on Judy's. Both mammals closed their eyes and enjoyed the moment until they heard the banging of little paws against the door and the scream of four little bunnies.

"UNCLE NICK! AUNT JUDY! WAKE UP!"

Nick groaned as soon as he heard the familiar voices and let his head hanging backwards, Judy however looked with a risen eyebrow at first over Nicks shoulder and then to his fox.

"I'm sorry Carrots, I promised them yesterday that we would eat breakfast together on our last day in the burrow . . . ," Nick said and looked apologizing to Judy.

"It's fine, believe me. I'm more than happy that they like you," said Judy and pressed her fox a quick kiss on the muzzle.

"What do you say Carrots? A little shower to start our day before we eat breakfast with the LITTLE MONSTERS," Nick said definitely too loud and waited for a reply from the closed door.

"WE ARE NO MONSTERS," countered the little bunnies in front of the door.

"Well, a good idea is a good idea, right Slick? Girls wait a moment, we have to shower and put some cloth on," Judy shouted to the bunny girls.

"Why do you have to put cloth on . . . do you sleep naked?"

"Yes, you're aunt and I sleep always naked and we love it," Nick said with a smirk but the answer also earned him a little punch from his bunny. After this, Judy smiled and leaned onto Nick's shoulder, with closed eyes she inhaled the scent of Nick and let him continue his way to the shower.

Smiling carried Nick his bunny to the little bath but he cursed internally about the end of the holidays, until he remembered that they will soon return to the Triburrow area for a wedding, a fact that soothed him greatly.

'Hhmmm, how bunny weddings are? I should ask Judy about this,' thought Nick and lost himself in the eyes of Judy as he looked down to her, 'Later,... I think my question has time.'

#####

Many thanks to my editor cimofj2