Chapter 15: Despair

As they stood in front of the door to her home, paws interlocked, Nick could feel Judy tremble slightly, although there was a façade of a smile on her face. She was scared, deeply scared and it saddened Nick knowing nothing would alleviate her fear of rejection until her parents saw her.

Inside, he was a bit scared too. He knew Bonnie and Stu well enough to see they loved their daughter very much, and he also knew them well enough to know of their extensive history with foxes. Although it was pretty much over now, and they were much friendlier with more than a few foxes in the country, he had no idea how they would react if they found out they were suddenly related to a fox.

In his mind, he likened it to the neutral side in the battle for or against interspecies marriage. There were some who 'tolerated' the idea a member of their family would marry outside their species and there were some who claimed they didn't just care – until someone they knew did. Then, they would react with extreme hate and phobia.

Nick fervently hoped this situation would not turn as ugly as that.

He reached out and rang the doorbell again, watching from the corner of his eye as Judy licked her lips nervously.

"You'll be alright Fluff" he whispered to her just as the doorbell swung open with a soft thud. Bonnie looked up at them, her cheeks flushed and a silly grin on her face while Stu peeked out from behind her, rubbing coloured lip gloss off his fur, equally looking embarrassed.

It didn't take a genius to guess what they had been doing. While mating season was almost over, they seemed to be one of those couples hit the worst towards the end and he could see that despite her nervousness, Judy blushed at her parents teenage like behaviour.

The embarrassment left Bonnie's face as she recognized Nick, replaced by a wide friendly grin, "Nick!"

She surged forward, enveloping him in a tight warm hug that Nick reciprocated, just with less choking. As she drew back, she saw Judy standing there awkwardly and their eyes locked.

For a few seconds, they just stared at each other before another big smile shaped Bonnie's lips before she went to hug Judy tightly as well, and for one heart stopping moment, Judy thought Bonnie had recognized her.

"Who is this? Your girlfriend?" Bonnie asked as they disengaged, directing her question to Nick. He did not have time to answer before she continued speaking, "She's so pretty! Although she does look familiar. Have me met before?"

Judy couldn't answer, as a painful feeling emerged in her belly, tightening as the seconds ticked. She knew what it was, as she'd had a lot of it these past few weeks: the feeling of despair running amok in her mind.

"You're right, she does look familiar" Stu chimed, coming closer "Like someone we know"

Mom, Dad, it's me, Judy! I'm Judy!

Her parents didn't recognize her.

"Where's Judy?" Bonnie asked, looking behind Nick. An unhappy look overcame her face when she didn't see any tiny bunny behind him "She didn't come?"

Judy blinked back the tears that were beginning to gather in her eyes, "Can we come in?"

Bonnie and Stu looked startled at the sound of her voice, probably recognizing her voice but not her. Suddenly she felt bitter and resentful, wishing she had been the one to break Jackson's neck instead of Nick.

Her parents led their way into the house, Bonnie disappearing into the kitchen to get them some drinks while Stu went upstairs to deal with a sudden cry.

"Always playing rough" he muttered as he practically stomped his way up.

"What was it this time?" Bonnie asked as she set a tray of two fizzy drinks in front of her guests when Stu came downstairs, rubbing his face tiredly.

"Rose and Briar got into another fight" Stu complained and turned to his guests "You should see them at school, all quiet and meek. They don't even say a word when another kid makes fun of them!"

"But when they get home," Bonnie agreed "It's all fists and bites with those two"

"Sounds awful," Nick said.

Stu nodded mournfully "It is."

They both sat on a couch opposite Judy and Nick, and for a minute, an awkward silence reigned while Judy sipped her drink.

"There's something I need to talk to you about." Judy said, breaking the silence, her hands clasped on her lap. "And I need you to listen to me with an open mind."

"Is this about Judy?" Stu asked quietly "Did something bad happen to her?"

"Yes, on the first count." Judy answered just as quietly "As for the second, that's for you to decide."

Her parents visibly tensed.

She tried not to tremble as she recounted what had happened to her in the past several weeks, almost two months ago, only leaving out the details of her and Nick having sex. When she finished, Stu's eyes were wide and Bonnie had a hand over her mouth.

"J-Judy?" Bonnie asked, standing up slowly "I-Is that really you?"

The tears Judy had tried so valiantly to keep at bay were rolling down her cheeks and falling to the floor, "Mom."

Bonnie was crying now too as they hugged, and Nick shifted uncomfortably on his seat, feeling like an intruder watching in on them.

Suddenly there was a loud thud that abruptly broke up the moment; Stu had fainted.

After Stu's fainting spell, the multitude known as Judy's siblings had descended downstairs, attracted by the sound of Stu falling down, and making a hell of a racket as they came.

Luckily, Nick had offered to take them outside for the time being, all fifty six present so Stu could recover without children climbing all over him.

By the time the door closed behind them, Judy and Bonnie had managed to get Stu up into the bedroom her parents shared.

"This must have been quite the shock to him." Bonnie reasoned, as she tucked Stu into bed, "Your change and all that."

"I'm sorry" Judy sighed, taking her mom's paw "The doctors are trying everything they can to see how it can be reversed but they've not had a breakthrough yet. I don't know what will happen."

Bonnie squeezed her paw affectionately, "You're still my baby girl, no matter what has happened to you, and I still love you."

Those had been the words Judy had been waiting to hear all afternoon, and with a watery smile, she launched herself into her mom's arms. As Bonnie hugged her tight, another paw stroked her head hesitantly.

"Hey Judy," came her Dad's weak voice. Stu had woken up and was sitting, his hand still on her head "I would call you my little girl but you're not so little anymore."

Judy managed a choked laugh, burying her face in Bonnie's shoulder, "You know I'll always be little to you no matter what."

"Sorry for fainting."

Judy went to hug him as well, and Stu could feel her tears wet his shoulder.

"I was kind of expecting that" she said, "You're not the best at hiding your emotions Dad, like the time you cried when I first left."

There was a bit of silence before Judy asked, "You don't hate me, do you?"

Stu and Bonnie hugged her tighter "Of course not"

"This is just going to take a bit of getting used to" Stu added, rubbing her back.

Judy sighed in relief, and suddenly, spending the weekend with her parents didn't seem like such a bad idea. She was looking forward to having a good time, as much as she could get.

But in Zootopia, things were taking a turn for the worse.

Even when I've been such a prodigal author, you guys are still reading this story. *tearing up*

Well, I've a surprise for you guys, as a kind of thank you and at-least-have something-to read-while we-save humanity-by-staying-home, this is a four chapter update. Go spoil yourself! And please let me know what you think of what is happening in the story! Also, please take care of yourself, stay home, and regularly wash your hands with soap and water!

Don't forget to R&R!