A/N: Hey everyone!
This came out a lot quicker than the last chapter, huh? Probably because I worked on it at the same time as I was working on "Attack On Zootopia", which I am happy with the feedback for that story so far. I'm glad you guys are enjoying my side-project/experiment^^
Moving on, wow! I was so surprised by how much you guys loved Derrick lol I'm glad I brought him back. He's such a good boy^^
So, I was shocked when I discovered that "kerfuffle" is an actual word. Huh. Who knew? Just a fair warning, you're not going to see too much of them in this chapter. Maybe the next one? I don't know lol we'll see, but they'll definitely make an appearance.
Anyways, without further ado, enjoy!
~Star
Claudia felt relief permeate through her as she took another sip of her late morning coffee. Things were finally, finally going according to plan in regards to Wilde and Hopps. As she made her way to precinct one, she thought of the little "Breaking News" bit that had been aired after the interview setup by the chief.
Per their instructions, information had been leaked to the various news outlets that the dynamic duo had been placed into protective custody, and would go into hiding until Skippson was found. While this further stressed the seriousness of the situation to the public, hopefully furthering their assistance in capturing the psychotic doe, it also made Skippson's job harder. Hopefully, that would lead to frustration, which leads to anger, and everyone knows that an angry mammal makes mistakes. And they needed one soon.
Finally reaching her destination, Spots threw away her now empty cup and walked through the sliding doors of the ZPD's precinct one. A jovial voice made her ears perk up in surprise.
"G-good morning, Agent Spots!" Came Clawhauser's enthusiastic greeting as the male cheetah waved at her.
Unsure how to react to his overwhelming cheer, the female agent forced a small smile to her maw and gave a hesitant wave. "Good morning, Clawhauser."
An awkward moment passed between the two felines.
Ben coughed into his paw, his ears red. "Ah, you should probably head over to Conference Room A. The meeting will be starting soon."
Giving a jerky nod, Claudia hurriedly walked passed the other cheetah, hardly looking at him as her ears and face became uncomfortably warm for an unknown reason. Giving a small sigh of relief, it proved to be premature as she was accosted by a small, smirking mammal.
"I saw that." Zeke said with a grin as he nudged the larger feline with an elbow.
Claudia sniffed indignantly. "I have no idea what you mean."
"Right." The fossa drew out the word, his tone implying how much he didn't believe her. "And his desk has steadily declined in its level of snackery for no reason. In fact, I swore I saw him refuse a donut yesterday." When that didn't get him a response, he decided to go with a different approach. "You know, I heard he carries an FN Fur's Width 5.7." He withheld a smirk with the female paused in their trek towards the meeting. 'Bingo.'
"Really?" Claudia mused, her expression becoming thoughtful. "That's a nice gun…I wonder how well he handles it."
Zeke's grin grew at the double entendre there, but decided not to tease her about it. "Why don't we get a few of us together after we catch Skippson and find out?"
The female cheetah glanced back towards the reception desk, a look of interest and hidden curiosity, as well as something else, flashing across her face. "Hm…maybe."
~o.8.o~
It was around the third-hour mark that a sudden, daunting thought occurred to Nick on their way to Bunny Burrow. They had just entered the farm town, and as they passed through the town center, the tod noticed a lot of bunnies. More specifically, a lot of bunnies talking.
"Carrots?" Nick asked without taking his eyes away from the tinted window, his left paw resting on the door with his ears perked.
Secretly finding his posture adorable, Judy smiled as she looked at her fox. "Yes?" She was currently snuggled up against his side, perfectly content to stay there forever.
"We have a problem." Nick said in as calm of a voice as he could manage. This caused Judy, and the others in the car, to frown.
"What do you mean, Nick?" Bonnie asked with concern.
"No offense," the tod began as he turned to look at his mate's mother, "but you guys come from the country, and country mammals talk. A lot. How are we going to keep all of this," he waved a paw at himself and Judy, "a secret? Especially with a family as large of yours?"
This seemed to worry the other mammals in the car, all save for the rabbits.
"The Black Carrot Clause." Jack and Stu said at the same time, resulting in the two bucks giving each other approving looks.
"What?" Nick frowned, confused.
Judy answered him as she tilted her head up to meet his gaze. She rubbed her paw against his chest in a soothing manner as she spoke, looking to ease the worry she saw there. "It's a cultural thing for rabbits, and varies in name from family to family, but always has the words "black carrot" in it. You're right when you said rabbits like to talk, especially those from the country, but anything under the clause is an exception to that quirk."
"Anything—or anyone—that gets placed under the protection of that clause, is to be kept a secret no matter what." Bonnie continued seriously. "It's only used in cases where a life is in danger or at risk. To disobey this command of silence is to have no respect for life. Therefore, the transgressor is disowned immediately by the family, as they could be a risk to others."
"It's the ultimate punishment." Jack added. "Rabbits are almost as bad as wolves when it comes to family. It means everything to them. Take it away from them, and the loneliness could drive them insane."
When Nick looked at Judy with concern, the doe shook her head. "I still had contact with my family through MuzzleTime." She took his good paw into one of her own. "I also had you with me. It was more than enough." They shared a small smile as the conversation continued around them.
"That seems…harsh." Sandra commented.
"It is." Stu nodded in agreement. "But necessary. It would be like letting someone get away with murder."
"Have you…ever had to do such a thing?" Jimmy asked hesitantly, not wanting to step on any paws, but curious. "Banish someone like that?"
Stu shook his head in the negative. "This will be my second time issuing the clause, but I have seen it enforced. With my older brother; my litter mate. He didn't take it seriously, and nearly got one of our little sisters killed because of it. I'd never seen my father so furious, or disappointed, in my whole life. It took a month for us to recover from it. I haven't seen him in nearly three decades…" The last part came out in a whisper, the car settling into somber silence.
"My condolences." Jack said softly.
Stu wiped at his eyes before waving a paw in the air, a chuckle on his lips. "It's in the past." He glanced out the large tinted window. "Hey, look, Bon! We're here!"
Allowing the buck to change the subject, the rest of the car group turned their attentions to their surroundings. Indeed, they were approaching a rather large hill with a large white farmhouse embedded into its side. Leading up to it was a long gravel drive way that the car had just turned onto.
"Now, the kits should all be assembled when we get there," Stu began, having recovered remarkably quickly for the emotional buck. "Just to be on the safe side, though, let me and Bonnie go out first and remind them that everything from this day until that…mammal is caught, falls under the clause." Just like his daughter, he was having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that he shared the same species with a mammal that had tried to kill both his daughter and her mate.
"Thanks again for this, Stu." Nick said with a smile.
Feeling himself getting teary eyed once more, Stu gave Nick a watery smile. "No need to thank us, son. It's what family does for each other." His bottom lip began to tremble, and he quickly turned away from the tod just as the car stopped in front of the house. Opening the door, he hopped out. "C-come on, Bon! Let's get to it!"
Shaking her head at her mate, a loving smile on her face, she turned to the embarrassed fox. "He's right, Nicholas. Family take of their own, and you were a part of ours before the two of you became mates." She then gave the startled fox a loving hug, before hopping out of the car and following her mate inside their home.
Surprised at what had just transpired, but also happy for her fox, Judy turned her face to get his expression, and noted the shock there. She smiled softly at that and took his right paw into both of hers, getting his attention.
Nick couldn't really explain what he was feeling at that moment. While he was happy that Judy's parents were accepting of him, he hadn't expected it to happen to this degree, nor this soon. Especially with how Stu reacted to the news of their engagement. The fact that the older buck now considered him family, was just mind blowing to the tod, who had always been shunned by preds and prey alike—but especially prey. It was a unique experience. Unsure how to react to it, having gotten some of his equilibrium back, the tod decided to merely curly around his mate—his wife!—and bathe in the happy emotions that so rarely encompassed him before a certain determined bunny ran into his life.
The other occupants remained silent out of respect, letting the couple have their moment. It was a peaceful silence that settled over them as they waited for their hosts to come back.
No more than a few minutes later, a young caramel brown doe dressed in overalls and a blue flower long-sleeve was seen zipping down the driveway. As she got closer, Nick could hear what she was saying before the others, causing him to smile into the fur of Judy's neck.
"Judy, Judy, Judy, Judy, Judy, Judy, Judy, Judy, Judy, Judy, Ju…"
Said doe gave a sheepish smile at her mate's smirk. "That's Cotton. She, uh, she looks up to me." She said with a small blush.
"Then let's not keep her waiting." Nick said, and nodded towards Jimmy. The ocelot nodded and opened the door just as the little doe reached them.
Without any regard for herself or anyone else, the little brown doe jumped into the car and right into her sister just as the older doe unbuckled herself. "Judy! You're back! I missed you!"
"Ouf!" Judy huffed at the impact, but a smile split her face as she hugged her little sister. "I missed you, too, Cotton!"
"Is it true? Are you going to be staying with us for a while?" The excited kit asked as she pulled away enough to beam up at her older sister.
"Yup!" Judy grinned.
"Woo!" Cotton cheered with her arms in the air, causing her sister to adjust her grip on her, before noticing the fox behind Judy. She flushed with embarrassment at the amused look he was giving her, and quickly put her paws behind her back. "Uh, hi."
Jimmy, Jack, Ralph, and Sandra watched with interest as the little kit seemed embarrassed, but not fearful of the primal tod. It proved their claims of offspring being comfortable around him.
"Hi." Nick responded, his eyes shifting from vertical slits to round pupils unconsciously. "You must be Cotton. I hear you look up to your older sister?"
The kit nodded bashfully.
Nick smiled as she wrapped his arms around Judy, resting his chin on one of her shoulders. "You must be wise beyond your years, sweetheart. Your sister is the most incredible mammal I know."
"Nick." Judy protested, her cheeks and ears flushing with embarrassment.
"What? I'm only telling the truth."
Cotton watched the exchange with interest, feeling completely safe in the fox's presence. Then, something a few of her older siblings had said connected in her mind. "Are you my sister's mate?"
"Yup." Nick smiled.
The little brown kit had a thoughtful expression on her face before she beamed up at the fox. "I like you! Judy always makes good choices. It's why I wanna be just like her! Imma be a cop!"
This caused the other mammals in the car to chuckle, making the kit aware that it was not just the three of them. They watched as she became a bit fearful as she took in the other predators."
"It's okay, Cotton." Judy soothed as she reached out to pet her head fur. "They're friends."
This seemed to reassure the kit, who smiled at the other mammals. "Hi!"
"Another Hopps, just what we need." Sandra teased. "One Bunny Cop isn't enough."
"Since your parents let you out, I'm assuming it's okay for us to go inside?" Jack asked.
When Cotton saw that there was another rabbit, a rabbit buck, to be specific, the little doe giggled as she nodded. This made Judy narrow her eyes as they all got out of the vehicle.
"That reminds me Jack." Judy began as they made their way to her kithood home, paw-in-paw with Nick. "Touch one of my sisters, and I will have your hide, Savage."
The buck gave her a sidelong glance. "What if they touch me first?"
Nick gave a bark of laughter at that. Meanwhile, Judy was thrown off guard by that type of response from the usually stoic rabbit. She tried to stutter out a response before the amused buck stopped her.
"You have nothing to worry about, Hopps. I prefer older does." Jack assured her with a smirk, making Judy groan and Nick snicker. "And I don't mix business and pleasure." He then paused. "Unless it calls for it."
"How reassuring." The doe muttered, before giving a sigh. She knew from the get-go that it was a losing battle. "Just…if something does happen, don't break their hearts, please?"
"I can do that." He answered seriously.
"Awkward rabbit conversation aside," Sandra interjected, "how many rabbits are there in your family? Fifty?" She was confused when Nick gave her a simultaneously amused and sympathetic look. "What?"
"That's small, for a rabbit family." The fox pointed out as they grew closer to the hill. "Carrots here has over…what was the number now?"
"A little over three hundred." Judy said as they began to transverse the incline of the hill.
"What?!" Came the shocked responses of all three predators.
"Trust me, it would have been a lot bigger if I had counted the whole family. That's just my siblings." The doe shook her head. "The Kerfuffle is big enough as it is."
Nick raised a brow. "Kerfuffle?"
"Kits ten and under." Judy explained.
"…how?" Sandra asked, having a hard time imaging such a number.
"Rabbits, like most rodents, are really good at multiplying." Jack explained. "We just enjoy the process more and have higher sex drives. It doesn't help that our females go into heat at least once a month, so our warrens usually range of at least one hundred strong for country bunnies, a third of that for city rabbits. I myself come from a warren of one-twenty even."
Ralph took in the house that seemed too small to hold that number. "And they all live in that?"
"The face of the house, the living room, kitchen, dining area, and lounges are above ground." Judy explained, slightly embarrassed by the casual way Jack talked about sex. "The bedrooms, showers, and other rooms are built into the hill and underground. Saves on electricity and stuff."
"Why do I feel like I just sat through a combination class of Social Studies and Sex Ed." Nick asked with a feigned glazed look, earning a punch from Judy and a burst of laughter from Jimmy.
Finally, the group and Cotton reached the entrance of the large white house that was indeed built into the hillside. Bonnie was waiting for them.
"I brought them, Momma!" Cotton declared cheerfully.
"Very good." Bonnie commended, and the kit beam. "Now go with the rest of your siblings." She then swatted her young playfully on her behind, causing the kit to scream gleefully as she ran further into the house.
Cotton's giggles were heard as she ran deeper into the house.
Bonnie shook her head at her latest wayward kit, before focusing on her guests. "Come on in. Everyone is in the auditorium waiting. They've all been informed that this is a "Black Carrot Clause" type of thing, and are taking it very seriously."
Nick felt relief at Bonnie's words. "Thanks, Bonnie."
"Auditorium?" Jimmy asked with a raised brow.
Bonnie smiled at the ocelot's disbelieving tone as she led them into her home. "Of course, sweetie. How else did you think we'd be able to gather the whole warren together?"
The inside was just as huge as the outside. Coming into the first room on their left, they were greeted with a large living room that was split up into multiple different sections, a TV and a few headphones in some sections. Some sections were big enough to hold twenty rabbits comfortably, others were only large enough for five max, and others still were suitable for only one rabbit. Bonnie caught Nick eyeing an old, weathered Lay-Z-Buck, and smiled.
"That's Stu's and my area." The older doe explained.
On their right was a large, cafeteria like dining area, with long tables in ten rows of three; each being able to hold at least twenty bunnies. Further to the back of that room, was an entryway that led into an even larger kitchen. There was a second entrance as they moved deeper into the warren, and saw all the shiny chrome appliances.
"Chika would have a field day in here." Nick commented as they passed by. "A family friend that's a chef." The tod elaborated at Bonnie's questioning gaze. "Taught me a few things."
"Is that so?" Bonnie smiled as her daughter nodded her head enthusiastically.
The Hopps matriarch continued to guide the group further into her burrow, and when they reached the end of the "house" and the beginning of the burrow's underground hallways, the older doe turned towards them once more. She rested a paw on a set of large double doors. With his heightened senses, Nick could hear the chatter behind the heavy-looking doors. "This is the auditorium." She said right before she pushed the door open.
A large, spacious, and well-lit auditorium was revealed as the group filed in, and those native to Zootopia felt their jaws drop at the sheer number of rabbits.
"…Damn, Carrots." Nick said as he took in the veritable sea of bunnies around them. "I know you told me how many siblings you had, but to actually see it…"
Judy tightened her paw around Nick's reassuringly, even as she teased him. "Scared of a few little bunny rabbits, Slick?"
The tod gave her a half-lidded amused gaze. "This is more than a 'few', Fluff."
Sandra turned her attention to Bonnie once she managed to close her mouth. Her eyes appraised the older doe, her expression one of awe. "All these bunnies came from you?"
Bonnie covered her muzzle with a paw demurely as she smiled at the larger feline's reaction. "Yes, dear. Though a hundred or so present are mates of my kits and their own kits."
Jimmy grinned. "Looking good, Mrs. H."
The older doe gave a flattered giggle as she felt her ears heat up slightly with her blush. "Thank you, sweetie. Now, let's get you up on stage where Stu is waiting for you."
As the group had been talking, the noise level in the room had steadily decreased as a sense of unease had settled upon the majority of the rabbits gathered. Ears stood erects and alert, swirling around like satellite dishes as they tried to pinpoint the location of the sudden threat. One by one, the mass of Judy's siblings turned their heads to the back of the room where the sound of voices could be heard as they stopped talking, and all eyes zeroed in on the red tod that was holding paws with their sister.
As the group made their way to the stage, Nick could hear snippets of hushed conversations that were too low for Bonnie or the rest of his group to hear.
"That's Judy's supposed mate, right? The one that was on the news? Seems dang…"
"Look at those scars! He's totally dangerous!"
"…can't believe it's true. I thought that was just the tabloids…"
"Dad did say it was true, but I thought she was just…."
"...ally neat when you think about it. Tragically romantic, really. They can nev…"
"…is is disgusting. I can't believe she's touching that pred!"
"...see her face? I haven't seen her that happy in a while."
"….the Dude" was always a strange one. She chooses a fox over a perfectly good buck! I mean, just look at him; he's so dreamy! I always did say there was something wrong with her…."
That last one made Nick's muzzle twitch in annoyance. There was nothing wrong with Judy. 'She's determined and not afraid to chase after what she wants. And she's mine.'
Sensing the tension in her fox, Judy pressed herself closer to his side as they got closer to the stage. She knew his hearing was far better than hers, and knew he was no doubt picking up on the conversations of her siblings. Having grown up with them, she had an idea of what he was picking up and tried to reassure him as best she could. She was gratified when he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer to him.
Finally reaching the base of the stage, Bonnie led them up the stairs to the raised platform and they were greeted by Stu and another buck, this one being much younger than Stu. He had grey and white fur, much like Judy, and was a few inches taller than her. Dressed casually in a black long sleeve and dark denim, his eyes were the same shade of purple as a certain bunny cop.
"Jacob." Judy smiled, but remained by her fox, unsure of how her littermate would receive her. She felt a rush of love as Jacob smiled and opened his arms to her. Without another word, Judy rushed forward and hugged her brother.
"Always getting into trouble, Judy." Jacob said into her neck, his voice deeper timber than their father's. "This is why I didn't want you moving to Zootopia. I can't protect you if I'm not there."
"I don't need protecting, Jay." Judy said as she took in her brother's scent. It had been too long.
Jacob pulled away, his nose twitching as he took in the fox's mark on her. Identical amethyst eyes met, and he grinned as he made a show of sniffing the air. "I beg to differ." He chuckled when she punched his arm, and smirked as he ruffled her head fur in retaliation.
Nick knew this was her brother; it was so painfully obvious—and the buck seemed to be accepting of their relationship, if his treatment of Judy was anything to go by. That fact did nothing to ease his anxiety, however, about the fact that they were in a strange place and she was no longer in his arms. He did his best to hide it, forcing his ears up and keeping his expression lazy as he took in the reuniting siblings. His eyes, however, gave him away when Judy turned to look back at him, and became concerned.
Leaving her brother, Judy returned to her fox and reached up to run a paw down his muzzle reassuringly. She felt the tension ease out of him at the contact, and met his savage gaze with her worried one. "You okay?" She watched as Nick closed his eyes as she continued to pet his muzzle, and at his jerky nod, understanding bloomed within her. "It's okay, Nick. We're safe here. I'm safe."
Jacob watched the entire exchange with cautious curiosity. His fur had stood on end the closer the tod had gotten to him, making him believe everything that had been said in the news about the fox and his condition. Yet, the ease in which the other mammals in the group interacted with him—most of all—the way his sister and only littermate seemed completely unafraid of the intimidating fox, made him think that not everything was true. He certainly didn't seem like a savage beast at the moment, though his reaction confused him.
"The shooting affected him." Stu said in a somber tone from his right, and Jacob turned his head slightly to his father in question. The unusually serious older buck continued. "It's some type of PTSD or Acute Stress whatever. Right now, he's super protective of Judy, and probably sees you and your siblings as more of a threat than you see him. It's no surprise when you think about who's after them…"
"How much of what is in the news is true, Dad?" Jacob asked with concern, turning his gaze back to his sister, who was leading the fox by the paw towards them.
"We'll explain everything in a bit." Stu said as Judy and Nick reached them.
"Nick, I want you to meet my brother, Jacob." Judy said with a soft smile. "He's my only littermate; we were Mom's smallest litter."
Nick's right ear twitched in surprise, causing a dull ache that was easily ignored, before he extended a paw to his mate's closest sibling. "Nick Wilde, pleased to meet you."
Jacob could not stop the shiver of unease that slithered down his spine at the tod's proximity, but he squared his shoulders and took the proffered paw resolutely. He and his sister were alike in more than one way. "Jacob Hopps. It's nice to meet the mammal who finally managed to catch her attention."
At the buck's easy acceptance of him, Nick felt his sly confidence return as a smirk appeared on his face. He used his other paw to brush back his head fur, his tail flicking in an ostentatious way. "Well, of course it would take an extraordinary mammal like myself—she's not your average ball of fluff."
"Okay, that's enough out of you." Judy said with a smirk, her ears warm in embarrassment. She then turned serious eyes to her brother. "You're…okay with this?"
Jacob met her gaze. "Do I understand this? Not at all. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that you're mated to a fox. Does he terrify me?" The buck took in a steadying breath. "Yes. Does that mean I don't want you happy? No." He smiled at his sister. "I may not like the fact that I didn't get a chance to play my role as your big brother, but…I'm happy if he makes you happy."
"He does." Judy said with a bright smile as she hugged her fox from the side, looking up into Nick's face. "He really does."
Nick felt a purr stir within him, and did his best to stamp it down. He could not, however, stop the slight sway of his tail at her words.
"Okay, we're all set up." Another of Judy's siblings, an albino doe, said from the side of the stage. She kept her gaze on her parents. "Ready when you are."
"Thank you, Snow." Bonnie said with a smile, and the doe nodded before leaving.
Judy noticed how her sister hadn't even looked at her, but hid the hurt well. The tightening of her fox's arm around her told her that she hadn't hid it well enough. Seeing this, Jacob decided to stay with his sister on stage as a show of support and to send a message to the rest of their siblings; he was okay with the fox.
Making his way to center stage, Stu took his place at the microphone that was stationed there and adjusted it to his height. "Can everyone hear me okay?" He asked needlessly as his voice was broadcasted on the speakers. This in turn caused a wave of chuckles and giggles to erupt in the crowd of gathered bunnies. Stu smiled. "Good. Now, before we begin, I just want to remind everyone that this falls under the "Black Carrot Clause", so that means no electronics. This is a matter of life and death." This caused a murmur to go through the bunnies. Stu took a deep breath. "As you can all see, your sister Judy and her mate are with us. Many of you have heard in the news that they have gone into hiding. Uh," Stu trailed off as he turned to Jack. "I'm not sure how much needs to be said to you, so I'll hand things over to the mammal in charge. Agent Savage?"
Jack took a silent breath before he made his way over to Stu, nodding in thanks to the older buck as he adjusted the mic to his height. "Thank you, Mr. Hopps." He then turned his attention to the mass of bunnies before him, ignoring the giggles that came from a few does. 'Hopps is going to kill me. I just know it.' He thought cynically to himself before he addressed the crowd. "Good afternoon, Hopps Warren. I am Supervisory Special Agent Jack Savage with the FBI. As Mr. Hopps mentioned, Officer Hopps and Officer Wilde are currently in protective services as a direct result of the events a week prior. Because of circumstances, we are keeping them here temporarily by the grace of Mr. and Mrs. Hopps until it is safe to head over to the designated safehouse.
"The actual details of the case cannot be revealed for obvious reasons," Jack continued after a pause, "but I can tell you this: the mammal known as Erica Skippson is a danger to the public, to both preds and prey, and is actively hunting your sister and her mate. This is why the fact that they are here is being covered by the "Black Carrot Clause". I don't think I need to explain what will happen if one was to breach this call for secrecy." Having spoken until now with a level of disinterest that only he could achieve, his tone became particularly icy as he reminded the warren of the rules. It was a trick he had learned from a certain artic vixen. This caused a murmur of unease to spread through the gathered bunnies.
Behind the agent, Jacob, Nick and Judy stood with their fellow officers and observed the reactions of the Hopps Warren.
"Now," Savage continued after a moment to drive the point home, "I will take only five questions about the situation. Any other questions will count as one, and will be ignored, so make them count." Immediately after that, paws shot up into the air, and Jack gestured to Stu to join him at the mic. "Pick who you think has good questions."
"Right." The older buck nodded before shading his eyes from the bright stage light as he looked among his children. "Kenny! You go first!"
There was a wave of groans as paws went down and a young buck with a dark grey coat and brown markings on his ear tips stood up in his chair. He was dressed sharply in white button-down and black slacks and a black tie. "You said that there were circumstances that made it necessary for them to stay here temporarily. What circumstances are those?"
'Good question.' Jack thought, impressed. "That's classified. Next."
Stu looked about his children once more as Kenny huffed in exasperation. "You're up, Deanna."
A doe with the same coloring as her father dressed in warm blue flannel and jeans, stood up on her seat. "Is it true that the mammal after them is also a rabbit?"
"Yes." Jack continued at their murmured disbelief. "Criminals come in all shapes and sizes. In 2002, there was a mass killing spree known as the Vega Murders in Periton. Fifteen mammals ranging from large predators to small prey lost their lives before the culprit, James Patter, was caught. He was a prairie dog." A hushed silence fell over the bunnies at his words. "Next."
"Is it true that Judy's mated to that fox?" A doe suddenly asked before she could be called on, drawing the attention of everyone.
"That is not pertinent to the case." Jack stated bluntly. "You have two questions left. Next!"
"Hey, that's a fair question!" The doe protested.
Jack ignored her and pointed at a random buck in the front. "You. What's your question?"
"Hey! Don't ignore me!" The doe screeched.
Fed up and embarrassed by her sister's behavior, Judy left Nick's side and stomped her way to the mic. Grabbing the mic stand and startling Jack slightly in the process, Judy addressed her sister sternly. "Stop wasting everyone's time, Selene, and shut up. We have more important things to discuss than my mate being a fox. If you have an issue with that, take it up with me when this is over."
"How dare you—" Selene began, only to be cut-off by another, more terrifying voice.
"Selene!" Bonnie said in a cold, stern tone that carried over the mass of bunnies gathered and instantly quieted them. "You're a grown doe; act like one. Now, you were saying, Agent Savage?"
Jack cleared his throat and nodded gratefully to Bonnie. The ability of all mothers to incite fear into their young never ceased to amaze him. "Thank you, Mrs. Hopps. Now, as I was saying, the next question…"
True to his word, Jack only accepted two more questions before the Q&A was over. Fortunately, there were no more interruptions with Bonnie keeping a close eye on her kits, and the rabbits that did ask made sure to stay on subject. When that was all done, Stu took the mic once more.
"Thank you all for taking this seriously." The old buck began. "Remember, this all falls under the "Black Carrot Clause". No one can know that Judy, her mate, or the officers and Agent Savage are here. You're well aware of the consequences, and there will be no exceptions." He nodded his head sternly, before a smile broke out on his face. "On that note, I don't know about you, but I'm hungry! Before this, a few of your siblings worked hard on lunch, So, if everyone would file out in a neat order, we'll all enjoy the fruits of their labor. Be sure to say thank you to them as well!"
As the entire warren got up and filed out of the auditorium, Stu turned to the predators in their group. "I messaged one of the boys to stop by the market to get some pred food on our way here. I hope you don't mind some turkey sandwiches." He couldn't help the shiver that went down his spine at the thought of eating another creature, even if it was just a bird.
"That's...actually great." Sandra said with a surprised blink of her eyes as her mouth began to water. "Really great."
"I haven't had poultry in weeks!" Jimmy gushed to Nick, his eyes wide and his tail snapping around his body in excitement.
"Same here." Nick said with a genuine smile. He didn't even tease Ralph about the sway of his tail, his own tail wagging at the thought of eating real meat.
Stu glanced at his daughter questioningly, confused by their behavior. Judy giggled as they followed her parents off stage.
"Real meat is expensive within the city." Judy explained. "Most predators eat a bug-based protein supplement or fish. Chicken, turkey, and other poultry are considered delicacies."
"Really, now?" Stu asked in surprise as he lifted his hat a bit. "I never would have guessed that. All they have at the store in town is fish and poultry for preds. It sure is different in the city."
"Carrots, I'm moving to the Bunny Burrow." Nick said with such seriousness that Judy giggled as she grabbed his paw.
"Agreed." Jimmy nodded.
"City mammals are weird." Jacob said, earning another giggle from his sister.
The group of rabbits and eager predators followed the Hopps patriarchs to the dining area where a variety of sandwiches were being placed on the extra tables by a few dozen bunnies. One table was set off to the side, the smell coming off of it enticing to the predators present. It was that table that Stu led them to.
On their way there, a small kit with a large jar of honey wasn't paying attention to where they were going, and ran straight into Nick, spilling the sweet syrup onto the tod. The din of the room quieted quickly at the kit's startled cry and the clatter of the honey jar as it fell to the floor.
"Whoa!" Nick placed a steadying paw on the little male kit, who looked about ready to cry. This caused a few of the other rabbits to be on edge, worried about what the savage fox would to do their younger sibling. Ignoring those around him, Nick kneeled down on one knee and focused on soothing the kit who started hiccupping. "Hey, now, no need for tears, squirt. It's okay. Honest mistake, I'm not even mad."
"R-really?" It sniffled.
Nick placed a paw on his heart. "Really. What's your name, kit?"
"Maxamillion." The little kit said.
"Well, Max—can I call you Max?" At the kit's nod, the fox continued. "Well, Max, I'm actually grateful to you."
"Really?" Max asked with large eyes.
"Yep! You see that doe there," he said as he pointed to Judy, who was watching them with an expression that did something strange to him. He ignored it for now as he refocused on the kit. "She likes sweet things. So now with all this honey, I'm so sweet, she won't be able to resist me!"
Max giggled at the tod's over exaggeration.
"There we go!" Nick said with a smile. "There's that smile. Now go enjoy your lunch, 'kay squirt?"
"Okay!" Max grinned at the fox before running off to get his food. It left those watching surprised and confused by how at ease the kit had been around the tod, when they themselves felt nearly fearful of the vulpine.
Standing up, Nick began to dust off his knees, only for his paws to get covered in honey. "Well now, that's a sticky situation."
"That was sweet of you, how you handled that." Bonnie said as she came up next to the tod, a soft smile on her face. "Good quality for a father."
For some reason, Nick felt his ears burn at the compliment, and couldn't bring himself to look at Judy as his mask cracked and he coughed into a paw. "Well, ah, I'm just good with offspring, Bonnie. Nothing special about it."
"Hm, if you say so, sweetie." Bonnie said with a knowing smile. "Well, let's get you cleaned up, then. Judy can show you where the showers are. Judy? I'll send one of the boys with your change of clothes in a bit."
"Of course." Judy said, approaching her fox. He still wouldn't look at her, and that was okay. She merely bypassed his paws, choosing instead to grab hold of the hem of his shirt in lieu of his tie, and led the silent tod out of the dining room and down an underground hallway.
Jacob and crossed his arms and started tapping his foot in an irritated manner, gaining the attention of his mother. "What's wrong, sweetie?"
Jacob frowned as he gazed where his sister and her mate disappeared down the hall. "If I didn't know already that Judy would have my tail for it, I would tell that fox to keep his paws off my sister. I'd recognize that look on any mammal, and I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't come back." This caused Jimmy to snicker around his mouthful of turkey, and for Jack to smirk knowingly.
"I'll save Nick a few sandwiches then." Bonnie said with a small smile, her expression turning into one of amused exasperation when Stu blanched at Jacob's words, before fainting. "Oh, Stu."
The walk to the showers was done in silence, a new tension between them as Nick was led by Judy. It made him quiver on the inside, made his throat dry and his paw pads damp; made him nervous and excited at the same time.
It wasn't much longer until they reached the restrooms; it was more like two large locker rooms on either side of a long hallway. Left for males, right for females. Judy led him to the one for males, and they stopped just outside of the doors. Nothing was said for a moment, and when Nick felt he couldn't take it any longer, he cleared his throat.
"Ju—"
"I want kits." Judy said suddenly, still facing away from him. Nick choked.
"W-what?!" He squeaked out, his eyes wide and his ears pinned down in shock.
Slowly, Judy turned to look at him, and he could practically see the blush beneath her fur as she met his gaze briefly. "N-not right now. But eventually…I want kits. I know we can't have any—that it's just about impossible for us to do so naturally…but…" Hopeful amethysts met shocked emeralds as he noted the subtle change in her scent. "Maybe we could adopt?"
It took a moment for the fox to get a bearing on his emotions. To tame the storm brewing within him at her words. While adoption would be their way to go, her scent and just the talk of having kits together pulled at his instincts something fierce, and he could not stop the growl that formed deep in his chest, even as he calmed himself down. Mindful of his sticky paws, he leaned in close to the blushing bunny, nipping her gently on her bottom lip, before stealing a short, arduous kiss. "I'd like that." He growled softly, savage emeralds gazing into dazed amethyst.
The smile she gave him made him wish he wasn't covered in honey, but before he could decide whether he truly cared or not, Judy's stomach growled loudly. The bunny gave an embarrassed giggle at that, earning a sly smirk from her fox.
"Better get some food for that tiger in your stomach." Nick teased before giving her another quick kiss. In a softer, more genuine tone, he said, "I'll be out as soon as possible."
Judy stroked his muzzle soothingly, sensing the worry rising up in her fox. "I'll be fine, Nick. I promise. I'm safe here."
"Didn't seem like it." Nick grumbled, referring to her sister's outburst during the meeting.
"Oh, Selene?" Judy asked with a cocked eyebrow. "Don't worry about her, Slick. She's all bark and no bite. I know how to put her in her place, even if she is older than me." She kissed his nose. "I'll be fine."
Nick buried his nose in the fur of her neck, breathing in her scent deeply as he tried to calm down the anxiety building within. "I know." He said, his voice muffled by her fur. Pulling back, he gave her an apologetic smile.
"Don't." Judy admonished before he could say anything more. "I understand. Now go clean up."
"Yes, ma'am." Nick gave a lazy salute, before entering the male locker room.
With a smile, Judy turned around and headed back to the dining room. On her way there, she ran into Max, who had been tasked with bringing her fox his change of clothes. Assuring her little brother that the "funny fox" was in the locker rooms, she continued on her way. When she got back to the dining area, she found that it was in a much different state than when she had left it. There were far fewer bunnies; the majority of them seeming to have migrated to the living room. Curious, she swiped a kale, mustard, and cucumber sandwich on her way there, munching on it. The lights were dim, and the other televisions were all off. From the ceiling, a big screen was lowered—it was only something they used for family movie nights, or when they all wanted to watch the same thing.
Her ears perked when she realized it was the news playing across the screen. Seeing Jimmy close by, she meandered towards the ocelot. "Hey, Jimmy. Why are we all watching the news?"
"They're talking about Nick." The small feline said with a concerned frown.
Frowning herself, Judy tuned in and started paying attention to what the anchormammals were saying.
"—ter that press conference, the public became aware of Officer Nicholas Wilde's condition." Rolanda Greyspots said to the camera. "Many have expressed concern about whether or not this makes Officer Wilde a threat to the public. Despite the best efforts of the ZPD, acclaimed physician and biologist Viktor Vandyke, and the mayor himself, this concern has only grown."
"With good reason, too." Peter Moosebridge took over. "How can we know for sure that a "primal" animal is safe? That he wouldn't suddenly attack us?"
This caused an agreeing murmur to spread through the gathered rabbits, and Judy, along with the ZPD officers and Agent Savage, frowned at this. The next words, however, shocked Judy to her core.
"We have such proof." Rolanda stated. "In this video, recorded during Officer Wilde's time at the Zootopian Police Academy, you will see then Cadet Wilde being attacked by fellow cadets, and his reaction. Viewer's discretion is advised."
Suddenly feeling numb, Judy felt the remains of her sandwich fall from her slack paws. "W-what?"
And that's a wrap!
Yes, I am evil. I know you all want to see that video, but you're just gonna have to wait until the next chapter! With this posted, I am now going to focus on AOZ, but I'll probably work on ch38 at the same time, just as I did with this chapter.
Anyways, thanks for reading, and leave a review if you're able to. I love reading them^^
Until next time!
Ja ne!
~Star
~o.8.o~
Answers to Your Review and Questions
Fox in the hen house: Thanks! :)
DrekkDeina: Lol you are full of puns! Judy's "trust test" is also one of my favorite scene =^^= lol and you are more thank welcome! You deserved it ;)
Dark dragon slayer unlimited: Wow…just, wow. That is some compliment. I feel so humbled, thank you so much^^
Stubat: Yeah, Caitlyn is a kind soul, but she also panicked a bit because she had the parents and the chief breathing down her back lol and thanks for the love^^
BooksAreMedicine: No, I don't think there will be another primal mammal. This is all about Nick.
GusTheBear: I like Mayor Wolfgang, too, but I'm biased lol and thanks for the love^^
LeoWolf36: Thanks for the love, sweetie^^
Claret Tho: Thank you for your kind words and love^^ it is very frustrating, because I can't do anything at this point. We are hoping that an appeal will go to the European Supreme Court, who have ruled in favor of our rights numerous times. I hope it will be the same in this case. But then I also hoped that the ban wouldn't happen. We shall see :/
Witness (Guest): For the Guest that said they were also one of Jehovah's Witnesses, thank you^^
N.J.W.H (Guest): Okay, I think you're a little confused. Demetri is not suggesting a tame collar; it was Councilmammal Craig Stagson that made the suggestion to use Bellewether's idea on Nick. Just to clarify. My wolfy mayor is against the idea of the collars lol
peacebringer89: Yes, patience, patience lol
SaberGatoman: Oh, my goodness, I felt so humbled and extremely flattered reading your review. I just…wow. You really think I could be like them? I've always wanted to be an author after I discovered what world could be created with just a pen, but…really? Me?
Croissant Guest (Guest): Ah, what news? Of them going to Periton?
Jill Fine (Guest): Demetri's problem is that one of his Councilmammals suggested a tame collar at the meeting, and now the idea is out in the open. It was not his idea. I'm really confused as to how or why people would think Demetri, a predator, would suggest a tame collar. He has been pro-Nick this entire time.
KOakaKO: Thank you so much! I'm so happy you enjoyed it^^
DrJevinator: I am so honored! Thank you so much, and I honestly hope it never reaches 80 chapters ^^;
LawOfSynergy: I see your point on both accounts, however, this story is already so long and I just want it get it over and done with at this point, and I'm not going to fix it more than I attempted to do so in this chapter. Sorry if that is disappointing.
Greefall (Guest): The interview was being overseen by Bogo and the parents of the kits. The rules were strict in order to even allow the offspring on TV. If Caitlyn had gone even a little bit out of the set boundaries, the interview would have been over. Trust me, she wanted to, but it was either ask the question, or get her tail chewed out by her boss, Jess, and Bogo. She's a smart squirrel lol
*In regards to "Wilde Current", I'm glad you all loved it—those of you who read it—but there will be no sequel, as mentioned before lol honestly, I don't know where I would take it, even if there was. I think it is best as a stand-a-lone and compliment to "Electiric Eldritch Eidolon".*