Chapter 38: Mother Knows Best
1 week later, day 15 into pregnancy*
"I like the name Ryan, what do you think?" Judy asked Nick holding a baby name book in her paws.
"Ryan? I don't know I can't see a Funny named Ryan." Nick smirked as he looked through a similar book. He had been referencing Funnys and Boxes for the last week as play on words, combining the names of their species.
"I swear Nick if you call them Funnys, nobody is going to take our kits seriously"
"Isn't that the point of something being funny." Nick said with a wink.
"Dumb Fox."
"Smart enough to knock you up." Nick mumbled knowing that Judy would hear it. This was confirmed when he felt the name book hit him in the shoulder.
"I heard that!" Judy said not yelling, nore was she being quite.
"Oh and hear I thought those ears were for decoration." Nick said rubbing his shoulder, this actually got a small chuckle out of Judy.
"Your lucky I love you Nick." Judy said in her teasing voice.
"Love you too Carrots." Nick said smiling looking back down at his own book.
"Hey Nick?"
"Yeah Carrots?" Nick asked looking up from his book again.
"Can we talk about something?"
"Of course." Nick closed his book and set it on a table. "What's on your mind?"
"Well, with all the chaos caused by Kane and the pregnancy throwing us for a big loop. I think we've both have avoided a big question."
"What question would that be Carrots?"
"Are we still getting married Nick?"
Nick froze, with everything going on it had honestly slipped his mind, something he felt guilty admitting even to himself. "Well I planned on us still being married Carrots, I just didn't think it was a topic you wanted to discuss with everything happening the way it has been."
"Same Nick, I know it was something you wanted as much as I did. But, I know we have bigger concerns at the moment." Judy held her stomach.
Nick looked at Judy's heavily pregnant belly. He loved just very deeply, and it was his love that made him feel something that he wasn't used to, he felt vulnerable. He had lived a conmammals life and everyday he woke up with a plan and executed it near perfectly every time. But now he was in a position where he was clueless on what to do.
"Well Carrots, I could run down the block to the nearest church and find a priest."
"I'm being serious Nick."
"So am I Judy, it doesn't matter to me if we get someone in here just to make it official and we get married in this room. Or if we wait a while and get married with our four balls of fur in attendance. I just want to marry you."
"...I want that too Nick." Judy reached out and held Nicks paw.
"Something else is wrong Carrots, what is it?" Nick said holding Judy's paw.
"Nothing Nick." Judy said giving a confident smile.
"Yes there is, don't lie to a con artist, we make our living reading minds." Nick said.
Judy's smile slowly faded, she knew protesting against this was pointless, Nick could see right through her. After all this time she shouldn't be surprised by that.
"Nick, I'm sorry."
"For what Carrots?"
"Last week, I made you promise me that everything would be okay. I shouldn't have made you promise that. That's something nobody should have to or can promise."
"But Judy…"
"Please Nick, let me say this."
Nick also knew protesting against Judy would be pointless.
"Nick, I'm already the size of a bunny at the end her pregnancy but I'm only halfway there. I get bigger everyday and we both know that means the risk is higher of something going wrong. So, can you please make me this promise, that if something happens to me, that you'll make sure our kits will know who I am."
"Judy of course they'll know who you are, your their mom and they'll see you everyday."
"Nick….please….we both know neither of us can guarantee I make it through childbirth. So please, If I don't make it I want my kits to know who I was. A mammal who never backed away and always did what she thought was right, a mammal who wanted to make the world a better place….a mammal who gave her last breath, so they could have their first. I don't like talking about it anymore then you Nick. But I need you to promise me this."
Nick held Judy's paw tighter as tears formed in his eyes. "I promise Judy."
Judy pulled Nick to her and they shared a tender kiss. No matter how much longer they had together, they wanted to spend it loving each other. But their moment was broken by a knock on the door frame.
"I swear Finnick if that's you I'm using you as a towel to wash that crappy van again." Nick said as he looked toward the door but it was Finnick, it was Jesse leaning on a baby stroller.
"Ahhh Foxy Boy, you always know how to talk to a lady." Jesse said with a shit faced grin
"Wait you used Finnick to wash his van?" Judy asked.
"Long story Carrots, what are you doing here Spotty?" Nick asked Jesse
"Well I thought I'd visit my favorite parents to be since they didn't visit me after I had my cubs." Jesse teased
"Sorry We were a little tied up." Nick said
"That's not funny Nick!" Judy said
"Oh come on, how many chances will I get to make that joke."
Jesse just laughed at the two mammals as they had their playful fight.
"Hey Nick I think Mrs. Hopps and your mom wanted to see you." Jesse said.
"Oh, okay. You will stay with Judy till I get back right?"
"Of course Foxy." Jesse said
Nick nodded and gave Judy a kiss on the head before leaving to find Mrs. Hopps and his mom.
"He cares a lot."
"Yeah, he does." Judy said smiling
"How you holding up Judy?"
"Good, getting more and more nervous."
"That's understandable, you look like someone stuck a basketball under your shirt."
Judy groaned as she rubbed her stomach, "I have the craving for cotton candy."
"Haha, well I can't help you there. But I can show you my bundles of joy."
Judy sat up the best she could to see into the stroller. It was a two cub stroller and sound asleep in it was two leopard, lion hybrid cubs. A boy who seemed to project more lion like features and a girl who was covered in spots like her mother.
"Aww they're so cute." Just said.
"I thought was a forbidden word."
"Oh hush." Judy said admiring the sleeping cubs.
"They are cute, just don't wake Johnny up he likes to cry at strangers." Jesse said.
"Johnny?" Judy asked curious.
"Johns idea, you know how lions are naming their oldest sons after the father. Must be a primal thing from back when they still lived in prides."
"Well atleast I won the bet."
"What bet?" Jesse asked
"Oh Nick bet me $20 that he knew what you were gonna name one of the cubs if it was a boy."
"And what did he bet might I ask?"
"Simba." Judy said still admiring the cubs
This protected a groan from Jesse. "Remind me to kick his ass when he gets back, I hate that movie."
"Haha if anyone could do it you can." Judy said.
"Yeah, you want to hold her?" Jesse said pointing at her daughter.
"I'd love to." Judy said excited.
Jesse carefully removed her daughter from the strolling and lays her in Judy's arms.
"She so adorable, what's her name?"
"Lily." Jesse said with a smile.
"That's a perfect name." Judy said looking at the sleeping cub.
"Thank you, hey I'll be one second. Got to go pee." Jesse said stepping into the bathroom closing the door.
Judy looked up at her friend to acknowledge her friend but when she looked down at the cub, Lily's two beep blue eyes were looking up at her.
"Oh no...please don't cry please don't cry" Judy mentally thought. But the cub didn't cry, instead she snuggled into the small gray bunny and closed her eyes again. It was at that moment Judy knew, she was gonna love being a mom.
It didn't take long for Nick to find his Mom and Mrs. Hopps. They were waiting for him in the hospital chapel.
"Hey Mom, hey Bonnie."
"Hello Nicky." Mrs. Wilde said kissing his cheek.
"Jesse said you two were looking for me?"
"Yes Nick, me and your mom had a offer for you and Judy."
"What kinda offer?"
"Well Nicky, I know you two were planning on marriage, and we all think everyone could use a moral boost. So me and Bonnie thought what if we have the wedding in here?"
"In here Mom?" Nick looked around the small Chapel.
"Why not, it's better than some places I've seen mammals get married, and it wouldn't be the first wedding in here, trust me I was once grabbed by a women who was having contractions to be a witness in here cause she had to be married before she had her cub." Mrs. Wilde said remembering how fast the priest rushed the ceremony.
"What about a dress for Carrots?"
"I got that covered." Bonnie said, "l wasn't exactly the skinniest when I was married, so with a little letting out and a few other adjustments my dress should fit her."
"Well that's good and all but we don't have a suit for me or anything else."
"I have Finnick picking everything up already." Mrs. Wilde said.
"Wait hold on Judy and I haven't even said yes to this yet."
"So you two are turning us down on this offer?" Bonnie asked.
"I didn't say that either." Nick said
Mrs. Wilde smiled. "Go get her My son." She said
Nick smiled back, "Okay Mom."
Nick went to go tell Judy what was happening leaving the two mothers alone.
"I gotta say Susan, it was a good idea you had."
"Was it a good idea? Yes, yes it was Bonnie." Mrs. Wilde smiled.
(Hello guys! So yes this chapter took a long time to get out, this is for many reasons many of which you'll be excited to hear. 1, we will soon meet Judy and Nicks kits so had to take some extra time to design them and give them their own appearances and personalities. 2, I've announced this on some platforms but not all. This story is nearing the end, but don't be sad. Cause 2 weeks after the last chapter is posted I will begin posting Zootopia: The Hustle of Love 2. That's right you all get a sequel to this story. I will release more on this in these little captions at the bottom of chapters on a letter chapter. Finally, I missed you all. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and to keep you all excited what I will say about the next chapter is….Zootopia is gonna have some new arrivals. Please share and review and keep smiling!)