A/N: Figured I'd keep track of days in author's notes from now on to have a somewhat timeline. Day 3/Sunday

Chapter 37: Forced Family Fun

I have to spend time with family… by Nick's orders no less. Let's get this over with. Nick says, "Your ears are droopy. You don't seem to be enjoying this."

I reply, "Thanks for noticing! I'm not enjoying this!"

We continue walking towards my home. Nick sighs. "I want you to enjoy life again. Appreciate the small things. We live forever."

"But what about my plan and everything?"

"We all support you. You are not alone in this. You don't need to focus on it to the exclusion of all else."

"I'll try." We go into the house and shower first. We change into our casual clothing. We both wear blue pants and no shirts. Now, it's time to socialize with family. Nick walks with me to meet my parents. All of us sit down on a couch in the family room that's currently vacant. I talk to my mother and father. "Nick tells me I have to spend time with all of you."

Bonnie remarks, "What's the relationship between you two?"

"He's my partner and he's forcing me to do things like spending time with you two." Nick shocks me. "Why?"

Nick chimes in, "This is supposed to be quality time with your family, Carrots. You shouldn't act so resentful."

"I'm here, isn't that enough for you?" I accuse him sharply. "I followed your advice and everything. We're here meeting my family just like you wanted!" Nick shocks me again. "Why you!" I reach for my own remote.

"Do that and you know what happens. Why can't you be normal?" Why does he care so much about me being normal?

Stu says, "Nick, aren't you being cruel by shocking her?"

"Not at all. It's what partners do to each other. We keep our other half in check. Her collar is for me to use at my discretion. My collar is for her to use at her discretion. This doesn't involve petty arguments where I am right and she is wrong."

I cry. How can he be so cruel? I ask, "Nick, why are you acting like this?"

"You need to spend time with family, Carrots. I miss the personality you used to have before all this mess started."

"How can you pretend that nothing happened at all? How can we act as if nothing has changed?"

"I never said that. Let your family in on everything we've been through."

"I only want to do this once." It was agreed that we would tell the tale about everything that has happened at supper time when most of the family will be in attendance. Two hours to kill still before it's supper time.

Nick says, "Now, it's time to bond with one of your siblings."

I ask, "Must you dictate everything we do?"

"Yes. I want the old Judy back."

Nick and I walk out of the house and into the nearby forest looking for a sibling that I want to talk to. I'm glad that Nick gives me this instead of forcing me to talk to just anyone around. We walk along the path. I hope to find no one. My hopes are dashed when I found one of my littermates- James. Nick and I approach him. He's out walking and exercising. James is just a plain brown rabbit and blue eyes. He's currently wearing shirts and pants depicting many exotic flowers. He has an interest in botany and pursuing something different. Not as different as me but different nonetheless. He says, "Hello Judy, it's been a while."

I reply, "Yes it has, my vacation didn't really end well as you can see."

"Want to race like we used to?"

"Sure."

"To the end of the path like we used to?"

"You're on!" I suppose, I agreed more because of Nick's presence than what I want.

James runs off without looking back. Nick asks, "Aren't you going to go after him?"

"You know how fast we are. We don't need to. Not yet." James was always competitive when we were young. He wanted to be the best at everything.

Nick doesn't seem impressed. "it's been five minutes. You should really get started."

"Just a while longer." I wait a few more minutes. "Alright, time for James to lose." I chase after James.

Nick chases after me. He says, "Carrots, be careful you know what happens when we jump."

"Don't worry, nothing bad is going to happen." I won't lose this one, I chase after him. He's only had a ten minute head start. I won't lose to James. I can't. I calculated it perfectly to just barely win. At the end of the path just where the finish line would be. I jump and victory is in my grasp. James crosses it first. I felt the power of desire's embrace around me and he will burn!

I wake up and see my face buried into Nick's chest. Nick's petting me and the sensation is lovely He's rather angry at me judging by his tone. "Carrots, do you know what you just did?" As soon as he says that he stops petting me and makes me get up.

I reply, "What happened?" I look at my surroundings. The forest is partially scorched. James is beside me looking a bit scared. He's like fighting his very instinct as if not to run away.

Nick replies, "You would have burned James alive if I wasn't there."

That can't be true. I would never do that. I ask weakly, "Is it true?"

James replies, "Yes, Nick saved me from you."

"Run away, leave me alone!"

Nick comments, "He's giving you a chance Judy and trying really hard not to run away."

"I don't deserve this chance."

"Your family is understanding."

James says, "Judy, you've changed. I want to know what happened to you and everything."

I reply, "You're just lying. You want to run away and never see me again. I don't know why you wouldn't. I can see the fear in your eyes. Your nose also twitches just like mine when I'm scared."

James admits, "I am scared part of me wants to run away and forget this ever happened but I also care about you Judy. I want to understand."

"Nick, this wouldn't have happened if you didn't force me to spend time with family."

Nick slaps me on the face. "Judy stop thinking about yourself." This time he didn't call me Carrots. His fur also bristles with anger.

"But…"

"James is trying to care about you, trying to understand you and all you can do is think about how you feel not what he's going through right now." A lot of time must have passed. "Come on, let's go back for the supper. You will tell everyone there of our adventures."

"Carry me." I don't have the will to walk anymore after what I've done. Nick obliges and carries me home. James walks back with us. I can see my handiwork as we walk back towards our house. Parts of the forest is scorched just because of what I did.

James says, "She wanted to kill me back there and would have if you didn't save me. Why?"

Nick replies, "It's a side effect of what we went through back in the mountain. It's something we have to struggle with. We struggle not to give in and act on our truest desires. Truest desires without logic or reason. That's why me and Judy are together. I keep her in check and trust her to do the same for me. So, this doesn't happen."

"She wanted to kill me back then…"

"Yes, she acted on it too. That's simply her desire at that exact moment."

"What did you two go through in the mountain?"

"That's her tale to tell at supper. I hope she will."

I ask, "Aren't you going to help Nick? You were there too."

"Maybe, but it's something you need to do. You haven't had a chance to bond with your family or talk about everything that happened since then."

"I don't want to talk about it. I'm not proud of what I did."

"You have to talk about it. It's for the best and you should learn to value family again. We are different from them but they are still family."

We arrive home in time for supper. This time were eating in a room with a lot of tables and a stage for speaking. Over two-hundred rabbits are in attendance. There's also five other members of the order. Nick announces, "The time for secrets is past. Judy will now the tale of her adventures when we were still in the mountain. I have decided it is time for her to do so because she lately she has been focused upon a singular goal of creating a paradise at the exclusion of all else. She will begin after we finish eating."

Everyone starts eating. The food consists of mostly various vegetables and fruits. A few cricket pies for the predators. Frostfang walks over and her tail playfully touches Nick's back making him shiver. "Good, you're taking initiative with your mate. I like that."

Tom walks over as well. "Frostfang, can't you see that Judy doesn't like what Nick's asking of her?"

"Of course, I do. It's simply something she has to do."

I chime in, "Don't talk about me like I'm not even here!"

Frostfang remarks, "Do you have to get so angry?" I smack Frostfang's face. How dare she speak to me like that!

The Prime decides to show his wings by tapping into the power of desire. He says, "Judy, that's uncalled for. Control yourself."

I glare at the Prime. How dare he say that I am out of control. I am perfectly within my rights, they are annoying me. Nick doesn't seem to share the same opinion. He shocks me. Nick comments, "Judy, you lose control of yourself too easily, at the slightest provocation you lose control."

I reply, "You all shouldn't have done that then."

"Judy, your attitude needs to change. The world isn't about you and you alone. Yes, sometimes things are annoying but you have to learn to put up with them instead of just lashing out."

"What do you want? Nick. I'm tired of your game and demands."

"You to be happy."

"Then we wouldn't be having this family meeting to begin with! We would be off vacationing somewhere without a care in the world."

"I want the old Judy back, the one who cared about other animals rather than herself."

"I do care about other animals, that's why I want to create a paradise just for them."

"No, you don't. You're doing this because it's what you truly want. It would be a good thing for the world but it's not because you care for them. It's because the current system bothers you too much. Your ambition is admirable but you aren't doing it for others. You're doing it for yourself alone. We support you because we like the idea."

"What do you want? You're not making sense."

"Let's start small. Tell everyone of our adventures in the mountain."

We finish our meals and Nick and I go on stage. I begin to tell my tale. I tell them what I experienced there. The first time I fed Nick. I cry during that part and Nick comforts me with his paws. He gently pets my back reassuring me that I made the right decision. I tell them of the magic of Everlight and everyone is amazed except for members of the order. I tell everyone of the time I got split up from Nick. My time with Quickpaw and how I got chained to a wall and so detached from reality when I was set free.

Other highlights included how the Order got me back after they set me free. The time Nick and I spent in the sanctum. What I remember of the rite that both of us undertook and what happens to us because of that rite. No one stopped me from revealing these secrets. I did keep the precise knowledge of immortality hidden. I tell them of my training to control my powers and our return to Zootopia.

I tell them of what happened during our separation due to my death. I tell them of today's encounter with James in the forest. I tell them nearly everything.

At the end of it, I concluded my tale with: I understand if you don't want to see me again and if you would want me to leave and never come back. The Prime does make an announcement, "Judy, I approve of what you have done here today." As soon as my speech ended all hell broke loose. The kerfluffle swarms me and Nick and forcibly carry us to a room at least it was only half of them.

The kits are arguing over each other over who gets the first question and what it should be. Sam wins. Sam is a black rabbit about eight years old. He's currently wearing white clothing. He says, "I want super powers too does that mean I have to be with a fox?"

I reply, "You want to be one of us?"

"What's not to like? You get to do everything you want!"

"But you know of the side effects and everything."

"At least then I will have actual powers instead of just others thinking that I do." Black rabbits are somewhat feared in Bunnyburrow with the mystical belief that they have power over death and if someone befriends one it means that death is close. At least, family treats Sam well.

I was so focused on answering Sam. Nick says, "Carrots, a little help please?" Kits are rubbing themselves all over Nick.

I ask, "What are you all doing?"

One of them replies, "Foxes and rabbits together create superpowers, right? We want some too."

Oh great. My story has created misconceptions of vast proportions. The Prime walks in, "Yes, foxes and rabbits together do create superpowers."

I look at the Prime. "You're encouraging all of them."

"Why not? Their innocent and too young to understand."

Katrina walks by, she's just a year younger than me. Katrina's a white rabbit. She's normally self-absorbed and self-centered. She wears clothes that are completely black because black rabbits are often feared. She uses that fear to get what she wants. She asks, "Do you know of any foxes I can date?"

I ask, "Why do you want to date a fox?"

"I want to have powers just like you."

I ask the Prime, "Is she too young to understand too?"

The Prime responds, "No, she isn't but I do encourage this type of activity."

"But any fox that ends up dating her would be really unlucky."

"Animals change, including you. Nick isn't too pleased with your recent behavior."

"Did he tell you?"

"No, but it's rather evident in how you both behave." The Prime gave me much to think about. I don't want to be like Katrina. The Prime leaves and Katrina follows him.

I look at Nick, he seems to have fallen asleep and so has his bunny blanket. I wake them all up. We all get ready for bed. Then they all decide to carry us off to the room again and we sleep with bunnies acting as blankets for us.

There is no other choice. That is what the fluffle demands. One does not deny the fluffle.

A/N: What's said might be one thing, what's understood might be another.