The morning approached Nicholas Wilde carefully. There was none of the usual dim sunlight to accent the room around him while his brain went through the motions of starting up. Warm air blew through the vent on the ceiling with a gentle sound. He could hear that much. There was nothing else in the bedroom to break the stillness. The todd opened his eyes to find the enhanced darkness bleary, which caused him to blink several times. Another moment passed and his nose took over. Alerts popped up by way of his synapses. Nick's body unfurled from the normal donut that he slept in to keep warm. Rising up in the bed, the todd found himself amongst a sea of Judy's plush bunnies. There had to have been as many as he had seen in her room during the previous evening and they all smelled of the doe's scent.
Earthy moss accentuated by unknown flowers.
Did she mark these?
Nick leaned down to sniff a familiar looking plush, not being able to help the fact that it was causing his foxhood to swell within his sheath. It was confusing and thrilling to smell. It was as if the doe had scented each of the dolls purposefully for him. He dared not curse Karma despite the frustration of not being able to slake the desire in his loins. There would be no explaining away that scent in the room.
Instead, the todd slipped from under all of the plushies and off the bed whilst on all fours. As quietly as his popping joints and aching back would allow for, of course. Nick slipped around the room to change into proper day-clothes, trying not to think about his desires, and applied Musk Mask. Considering what he wanted to do, Nick decided to stow his phone in his pocket and grab his bathroom bag before taking off into the hallways. With all of the little plushies surrounding him, Nick knew that Judy was up and nowhere to be found on the Sixth Floor. Upon opening the door, he found that the difference was literally nighttime versus daytime hours. There were several dozen bunnies of all ages making their way through the hall and rooms within.
Ever the hustler, Nick attempted to look as inconspicuous as possible while exiting Judy's room. It had not occurred to him earlier exactly how that would look. The todd could only hope that enough of his backstory and Stu's construction endeavors had made it around the warren. No doubt, though, there would be some that would have the wrong idea about the sight of a fox leaving, possibly, the most famous of Hopps' rooms. That thought made him wonder how famous Judy even was to her own family.
The walk to bathroom was interesting enough. He kept his ears high enough to not be thought of as eavesdropping, but his tail gave away the trepidation he was feeling. He received several 'hellos' and kind waves from older kits and received just as many entertained gazes of gossiping does… They were more likely than not talking about the precise location of which he had come from. Judy had mentioned that the Hopps family featured well over 325 siblings now. The rumor mill would be worse here than at the station.
The mental understanding of all the bunnies in the corridor had not really clicked in Nick's mind until he entered the bathroom. He had talked a big game the night before. The sheer amount of bunny butts, that one floor could apparently contain, did ruffle his fur a bit. He found the same mirror as he had stood before in the evening to be a great comfort. The focus on wetting down his fur and brushing his teeth allowed the todd to center himself again. He wanted to make a good first day-time impression, after all. He finalized his affairs in the bathroom by brushing his teeth and stowing his bag in one of the lockers: utilizing one of the tied-up pens and sticky notes to designate the locker as his for the time being. Once that was complete, he resolutely ignored the stares of the bunnies in the area and headed upstairs to the kitchen.
The hallways through the main house were even more thoroughly swamped with bunnies. Tall and short, thin and fat, and nearly of all the colors. He was actually surprised that there were some rebels who had fur-dyes and piercings. Of course, with that many kits, the desire to stand out and be different was bound to happen. Nick tried to suppress a grin as he thought about there having been a meme that had gone out to the family about his stay in the warren. There were several Hopps' kits staring, but most of them paid him no mind, and the younger of the kits watched him walk through the areas with slightly more interest than their older siblings. The todd did notice that there were a couple of small "teams" following him around.
But, a slap on the back brought him from his thoughts. Nick spin around to the left to find Robby behind him with a large grin.
"You're lost." The buck chuckled.
Nick opened his mouth to retort, but then began looking around. He did not recognize the area that he was indeed standing in.
"I guess so." He scoffed at himself.
"Come on, partner. Let's get you fed. Mom was worried because it's so late. She wants you to get another good meal in." Robby explained, waving the fox back the way he had already come down.
"I didn't even look at the time." Nick admitted, following but looking around to learn the new area.
"It's nearly noon." The buck said flippantly. "Judy made sure that you were able to sleep freely. There isn't much for the males to do today anyway."
"Why not?" Nick inquired quietly.
"Holiday prep, partner. The bucks usually watch the kits to keep from getting whooped out of the kitchens. The does don't let us around any closer than a dining tables in those areas."
The walk down the halls ended up back at the main ground level intersection and Nick knew that where he needed to go from there. Robby was happily greeting his siblings as they went, and Nick even shook a few paws in quick introduction. Thanksgiving appeared to be a very jovial time for the warren's residents. Robby eventually led him into the main dining hall, which he had not seen before, and Nick's jaw dropped. It was like a triple expansion on the Academy's cafeteria. And, around the edges, there were tables full of finger foods and snacks. Apparently, absolutely no interruption to the cooking of the main meals would be tolerated.
The decorations were quite the sight, as well. The ceiling was built clear up to the top of the warren, revealing an ornate stained-glass dome overhead that the sun would shine through. The images were of golden bunnies in a field of wheat. Nicholas Wilde had an odd love-hate relationship with the nighttime these days, but he could not help but wonder what it would look like with stars in the background. Presently, there were clouds floating beyond and even birds flying around. Praise Karma, he wanted to get topside to see more.
Instead, the rest of the room came into his focus. The todd had ended up halting the following of Robby so that he could take in a greater appreciation for the decorum. The walls were painted a single color of dark mustard and held thousands of pictures of the family. Hung low over some of the tables, there were flags from countries around the globe. Most of them were kingdoms by the look of the different emblems on some. Others were from New World nations. Nick only recognized a pawful. Imagery of the Three Hares from Old Europe, flags from several nations in Asia, and even the Rising Sun from the old Empire. The todd was familiar with some of the space administration logos that adorned portions of the wall. There were majorities in several nations along the West-Pacific Rim that remembered legendary rabbits and gave attributes to their lives by way of folklores of the moon. Interestingly enough, there were several non-rabbit cultures that believed rabbits were actually from the moon.
If one of these bunnies hops up and tells me that they're descendants of an alien race from the moon, I'll keel over dead, Nick thought resolutely.
Nick had thought nothing of not being interrupted by Robby. In fact, the reverie was not broken until the todd felt a gentle paw fall into place between his shoulder blades. Again, Nick stopped and looked to see who had decided to grab his attention. Bonnie was standing near to him with an entertained grin on her muzzle while Judy giggled quietly behind her paw. And, behind the two does, there were several dozen tiny bunnies piled around their hindpaws.
"Overwhelmed yet, Slick?" Judy finally managed to ask.
"Not at all," Nick said with a gentle smile. "This place is rather grand."
"Lots of rabbits means lots of travelling. Most of this are souvenirs from those trips. Of course, some of them are mementos from family living abroad." Bonnie explained.
The todd nodded in understanding before taking a knee in front of them all. The little bunny kits were enamored with the newcomer and eager to meet him. Nick had always thought to be swarmed immediately by a sea of eager bunnies, but their measured apprehension and raising was clearly keeping them in check. Nick held of a kind paw and waved at them all, watching with humor as some waved back with such enthusiasm that they fell and rolled over one another. It was quite the sight to see that they all moved amongst each other while holding a firm line in the sand.
"Everyone, this is Nick Wilde. He's Aunt Judy's partner at the police department in the city." Bonnie explained to them and Nick quickly realized that the fluffle before him was not Bonnie's kits, but her some kits' kits. Which made her their grandmother. "Now. He's obviously not a bunny and there are different cultural intricacies that foxes observe. He may have different rules for conduct around him than Gideon, so you better be on your best behavior. Make sure to ask permission before you do anything while playing with him. I only have two rules for you all. No playing outside right now and you are not to allow your Aunt Judy to come into the kitchens. Understood?"
The matriarch looked at Nick expectantly and he drew a blank for a moment. The todd had always been alright around kits at the Zootopian schools, but that had always been for work. These little tykes would want to play with him and that made him smile a bit. Bonnie stepped aside to let them have a better look at the red fox.
"You have rules, Mister Nick?" One tiny buck urged him on.
"Uhh…" Nick began, clearing his throat. "Go easy on the fur. And, no grabbing the tail. OK?"
Judy was standing nearby, but just barely. The doe looked like she was about to start doing some variation of that dance that she had done at the Gazelle concert. She was standing there, ears all droopy, but had a biggest, beaming look of adoration on her face – as if the sight before her was the cutest thing she had ever seen. Robby was watching the whole ordeal behind a paw to keep from snickering too loudly.
"Why not the tail, Mister Wilde?" The older buck asked, the words wheezing through his entertained laughter.
Nick shot a distinctly frustrated look his way. He most certainly did not wish to explain the nuances of red fox culture to the kits or other mammals in general. At this point of the todd's life, that was exclusively the property of a mate. And, he had not mate. Bonnie was kind enough to thump Robby over the back of the head with a paw due to the impropriety. Not that the exchange was missed by the little ones…
"You heard the todd. Be gentle. And, no rough-housing. I'm going to go finish the dinner preparations." Bonnie ordered seriously, turning to give the kits a hardened eye.
"Yes, Gramma Bonnie!" They all responded.
Nick side-stepped over to Robby, who was giving him a wary look, and the todd watched Bonnie walk away before wrapping an arm around the buck's neck. He brought him down and began giving the younger buck a serious noogie while Robby tried to escape without laughing too loudly.
"What's the problem, fox?" Robby coughed out while flailing about.
"Oh! I was simply curious if I should yank on your tail." Nick whispered with a chuckle of his own.
"I took you more for a lady's todd." The buck shot back, laying into the fox with punches to the side of the russet frame. The kits were all watching and giggling at their antics. "But, if that's the way you swing, I won't judge."
Nick's eyebrow shot up as he shoved the buck away to adapt a fighting stance. He could only hope that his voice was low enough to not let his words be heard by the impressionable.
"With all of the bunnies in the warren, I wonder if they'd ever even find your corpse, wiseass." Nick growled with a wide grin.
The buck danced around tauntingly, having as much fun as the todd was, throwing up his paws to wave a "bring it on" with his shorter paw-tips. Nick would have continued the impending sparring match, but he could feel his pupils constricting due to his elevated heart-rate and modified brain chemistry. The todd went blank while trying to blink the feeling away. Judy noticed the change in the behavior and discretely waved Robby off. The buck watched as his "opponent" closed his eyes and breathed out through clenched fangs.
"That's enough, Robby. You guys can sharpen your skills in the ring later." Judy walked over and hissed at the two males.
Again, Nick blinked a couple of times to watch as Judy took Robby away in a headlock. She was probably going to explain what was going on discreetly. Once the todd felt centered again, he turned around to find that the fluffle had all approached him. He could just see it on their muzzles. The innocent little kits wanted to pet his fur.
"Mister Nick?" A doe piped up. "Will you read to us or tell us stories?"
He couldn't help but realize that it was actually later in the day to all of the other mammals, who had awakened at an appropriate hour in the morning, and that these were younger kits. They were probably past time for a nap or maybe "too old" for naps, as they saw it. They were reluctant to admit that they were tired, and Nick understood that feeling well. The todd with the utmost sincerity and nodded.
"Of course, sweetheart." He said endearingly.
All of the baby bunnies smiled at the confirmation and a couple of them hopped over to eagerly grab his paws, leading him over to a hearth so that they could all get comfortable near the fire that was being tended to by some of the older siblings. The kits patiently waited for the todd to settle in on the floor and one of them brought over a storybook. Hell, he could not help but curl up on the floor so that the majority of his frame was available to them. Nick carefully took the book into his forepaws as he noticed the book was intricately detailed with ornate writing and drawings. No doubt a Hopps Family heirloom filled with stories for little ones.
The kits had taken his notations of care seriously and did their best to clamber over his body as carefully as possible while bringing little blankets and pillows over to gain an elevated comfort with. Had it not been for the fact that he had a mission to complete, the todd probably would have fallen asleep on the pillows that were kindly arranged near-to his head. Once the last of the more adventurous kits were settled around his chest and stomach, Nick threw his tail over them in returned kindness. They would not be able to resist the desire to grasp at the fluffy tail, but as long as they were gentle, it was fine. For all intent and purposes, he was covered in a blanket of wiggling bunnies and could not help chuckling when one or two of them tickled his winter coat.
Nick opened the book to find that it was written as a proper novel. Every so often, there would be a page that held a colorful picture to solidify the storyline further. There were portions written in Old World lapin languages that were foreign to him. The kits probably would not mind that he could not pronounce those particular texts but, of course, he would not be dissuaded from butchering the syllables. Nick flipped to the first page and began reading while some of the kits were still wriggling around to get comfortable.
Across the room, Judy looked on while her heart melted. There was no denying the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes. Back when she was a kit, there would have been hell in attempting to tame rambunctious kits in their endeavors to play with a new mammal in the warren. Embarrassingly enough, she probably would have been one to be included in the tomfoolery. The amount of rough-housing the stranger would have had to endure, embarrassing to her own mother. It probably would have struck a couple of years off of her parents' lives.
"You would have dived headlong into that foxy tail back then." Robby sputtered, trying to regain his composure post-headlock while seemingly reading her mind.
"And, you would have tried to brawl with him despite being less than half his height." Judy shot back.
"At least I am willing to admit that I'd be guilty." The buck chuckled, throwing himself upright to pop his back. "The question is, will he be 'Uncle Nick' soon enough?"
"Shut up." Judy said, trying to keep the heat from rising in her ears.
"I don't even think the kits would notice his eyes, to be honest." Robby admitted, looking on at the sight of the fox todd and his reading session. His cousins were all curled up atop of Nick while trying to peer at the pages of the book itself.
"It's not for us. It's for Nick," Judy lowered her voice to a whisper. "Look at him. He would be devastated if he scared them away."
The doe felt her younger brother take her into his arms. The buck gave her the most heartfelt hug that she had received from a sibling in years. These days, it was nothing to be different in her family. But, back on her half of the alphabet, Judy led the charge into the unknowns of life. It was not entirely proper to say that she was shunned, but she was accosted for her desires and views of the world. Of course, Judy had not been alone. Harrison, Emily, and Ethan went forth to join the top New World space administrations – including Zootopia's. Becky had strived to normalize hospital practices between predator and prey at the Health & Mammal Services Administration, and she had succeeded in that endeavor long before Judy was even born. A couple of others from the A- and C-litters moved to the United Mammalian States of America proper shatter the molds of the Old-World ideologies when Zootopia wasn't ready for it. Serendipity knew that Nick could attest to the fact that Zootopia's motto was simply for show in its early years. It was always said that the point of the Hopps Farm was to mold Zootopia in its own way, but the years before her time were spent putting them in a financially advantageous position with the least strife to the new family. Fortunately, the Hopps Family was molded by the mindset of half of Zootopia while presenting their own offerings to the city.
Judy was proud to see how far her family had come since her kithood. The evidence was lying in a grey-brown-black-white puddle of kits that nearly engulfed the russet mountain of fur across the room. The doe felt herself drawn across the room until she dropped to the floor near the todd's shoulder. Nick's emerald eyes found hers for a split second while a kind smile fell on his lips, contorting with each word of the story that he was telling. Eventually, Judy found herself being inundated by more nieces and nephews who had decided that it was story time. A few of them formed a puddle in her lap as they got comfortable.
Judy watched as Nick steadily fell under the weight of all the little bunnies on top of him. He had laid his head out on a pillow while holding the book out in front of him in both paws. Danelle, one of her brother Carter's kits, had decided to flop down on top of the todd's head, between his ears, so that she had the prime spot to read along with the storyteller fox. The tone of his voice was becoming monotone, soothing Judy's mind while causing her to drift off here and there. Eventually, the doe noticed that Nick had stopped reading altogether. All of the members of the large, multi-colored puddle were asleep. Judy pulled out her phone and shockingly found that it was nearly two in the afternoon.
Time marched on resolutely.
A suppressed whine within Nick's chest made her sit upright suddenly, rousing the little buns that were laying on top of and around the doe. Nick did not normally have time to nap and it was far too early for a dose of his medication. Judy quickly crawled over to encompass his head with her body. It surprised the doe to find that he was completely asleep and limp in her paws as she began brushing his fur.
Danelle had rolled off of Nick's ear while Judy focused on keeping the todd calm. It had awoken the small doe and forced her to climb over the fox's shoulder to get on Judy's strong side out of confusion. The storyteller was asleep, but he sounded distressed and full of fear. Gentle yips and growls were very foreign to the kit's ears. The sounds were starting to wake her other siblings in the pile. Danelle reached out and tugged on Judy's ear softly.
"Auntie?" The kit asked tentatively.
"It's alright, Dani." Judy whispered, choking up a little.
"Are we hurting Mister Nick?" Danelle asked, ready to hustle all of the other kits off of the fox at a moment's notice.
"No, no. Nick just doesn't sleep well." The older doe gasped at the simplicity of the statement, feeling tears running down her cheeks. "He's having a nightmare and he needs us to be here for him."
Judy watched as the lines of Nick's face were beginning to tighten, lips drawing up to reveal his fangs as his paws withdrew underneath his chest. He was being pulled deeper into the meadow and the sight was shattering Judy's heart. It had been weeks since she had last attempted to distract Nick's subconscious, but she still remembered that her scent seemed to work. The doe carefully curled up along Nick's muzzle and rested her throat against the end of his snout while hugging it in her paws. She felt Nick huff at the suddenness of fur being brushed up against his nose before letting out a deeper whine than before.
"Aunt Judy!" Dani whispered, having reclaimed her spot on top of Nick's head. "Do foxes sleep in piles?"
The simplicity of the question made Judy giggle wetly. "I don't think they do. But, I do think that Nick would appreciate all of the affection." She whispered back.
All of the newly awakened kits began to pile up on Nick's slumped shoulders and head, a couple even draping themselves over his snout and Judy herself. The doe felt the todd snuffle her fur and grunt from a particularly rough kit crawling on top of his neck. This, just before the scenting of the doe clicked in Nick's mind. His subconscious caused the todd's tongue to gently lash against at Judy's exposed neck, no doubt feeling her pulse under the fur. With one more sniff, the todd settled down, melting against the pillow he was laying on. And, that was when Danelle started giggling uncontrollably. Judy tried to play it off while rolling her eyes, but the kit continued to chitter away while pointing down on her aunt.
"Aunt Judy got licked." The kit teased.
"Ewwww!" Several of the kits groaned quietly, watching their trapped aunt intently.
Judy patiently brushed Nick's snout for the next hour until the kits became restless enough to start tussling on top of the todd's frame. Eventually, Nick began to groan from the constantly shifting weight of the kits. Eventually, the todd rose up on all fours and stretched out languorously with a wide yawn. The kits that had been on his back rolled off with giggles and shouts of play-stricken happiness. Once his eyes popped open, Nick looked around and down, surprised to find Judy laying below him on a pillow. Nick was the far more surprised of the two, scenting tears on her and noticing that the fur of her neck was smeared a bit. There was no denying what had happened in her sleep and plenty of eyes who were entertained by seeing it.
However, the younger ones did not see the looks of interest and longing that passed between the two for a mere moment. Nick raised his forepaw and Judy immediately rolled away with an embarrassed smile on her muzzle. As soon the doe was clear of the todd, all of the kits decided that the todd was the proper target for a post-nap wrestling match. With a surprised shout, Nick was brought down in a fit of laughter. The kits played with each other in an effort to be king or queen of 'Fox Hill' as they had decided to designate Nick. Danielle was happily holding the high ground atop of Nick's back with challenges and giggles.
Nick was preoccupied by the youngest of bunnies. He had swept up in a little ring with his forepaws to keep them safe from their older counterparts. Some of them were not even able to speak yet, which meant that they were far more likely to be found under paw accidently than not. There was an innate urge to keep them safe. Even if they were tugging at his whiskers and pulling at his lips to see his fangs. Judy watched on while Nick poked them with his nose when it became slightly painful, or tickled them with his paws, while the kits laughed joyously at Nick's antics. It didn't stop them from poking at his mouth or fiddling with his paws.
"Oh, you little bunnies. You're so weird sometimes…" Nick grumbled, causing Judy to laugh a bit. "What is it about my teeth, hm?"
Judy decided that she needed to rouse Robby from his sleep, seeing as he had not been helping with watching the kits a single bit since Nick began reading the story, and then she waved and brushed the little ones away from Nick so that he could stand properly. The kits all giggled and fled far enough away to not be bothered further by their aunt. The poor todd's back popped angrily as he stood up.
"Come on, Slick. Let's go see what's up in the kitchen." Judy urged.
"You don't believe that your mother will lop my head off for being in there?" Nick inquired jokingly.
They had walked a way's down the hall before Judy turned to face him. Nick had followed far enough behind to continue gazing at the amazing sights of Judy's family home and he did not bump into the doe.
"Don't do that, Nick." Judy spoke softly, looking the fox directly in the eyes.
The todd's brow cocked up a bit. "Fluff?" He asked.
"This is a safe place for us – for you!" The doe said seriously, pulling his arm to bring him to a knee. "Please. Do not hide behind the mask."
Nick smiled softly, looking at the most important friend of his whole life before shaking his head.
"There's no mask here, Carrots. There can be no mask here. This, I promise you." Nick said honestly. "Robby merely mentioned the males weren't allowed in there."
The admission surprised Judy, by the look of things. Nick could see that she had believed the todd to be wearing his mask, so he adorned an honest smile to convince her. It made the doe soften at the sight and it made her deflect.
"You licked me in your sleep, dumb fox!" Judy retorted in embarrassment.
"I noticed." Nick chuckled, equally embarrassed by the fact. He could not stifle the shame either as his voice became barely more than a whisper. "I didn't mean to fall asleep. Just tell me that I didn't harm any of them."
Judy drew closer to wind herself around Nick's neck as his paws raised to wrap around her more lithe frame. He could have sworn that the doe began purr in their embrace but was not sure if that was the actual case or not.
"You didn't. You were looking for me." Judy reassured Nick tenderly. "They did decide to create a pile to protect you."
"A pile?" Nick questioned.
Judy released Nick with a small smile, looking over to point at another group of rabbits just inside the main dining hall. Nick followed her gaze until he found them with his own eyes. Sure enough, another group bunnies were sleeping on a large pile on the floor. On top of the older siblings that were tasked with watching them.
"That is a fluffle and they sleep in a pile for comfort and warmth. Rabbits can detect when others are in pain, Nicholas. They wanted to make sure you were safe." Bonnie explained from nearby, having watched for a considerable amount of time without their knowledge. "I will not lie to you; it makes me nervous."
The todd spun around to find the matriarch near to a corner of the hall, leading down to the kitchen, and immediately straightened up, clasping his paws behind his back as if he were standing at parade-rest before the Chief during a ceremony. It took a moment to gather his breath before speaking.
"At the risk of speaking out of turn, Ma'am… There isn't a mammal here who is more nervous than me." He said honestly.
Bonnie glared at taller fox while a smile played on her lips. "The only thing you risk is a wooden spoon racked across your paw if you don't start using my name." She said, serious about the request, but not about the punishment.
Nick grinned and winked at Bonnie. "I could be bribed with a piece of blueberry pie." He said with a chuckle. Judy quickly boxed the todd despite her mother's laughter.
"Come along. I have two very skinny kits to feed." Bonnie said.
The duo followed behind the older doe, Judy still popping Nick in the arm while Nick flicked his tail near her nose teasingly. They were trying to stifle their school-kittish giggles from each other's actions. Bonnie dutifully ignored them until they researched the main kitchen, allowing for them to sit at the short table within before taking a seat herself.
The kitchen was filled with chattering voices and the sounds of utensils being used in pots and pans for the evening's dinner. There was potato peeling and boiling, and Nick was impressed by the sight of all the bunnies whisking about the kitchen floors. Some of them took long enough to note his new presence and wave a greeting, to which he responded in kind with a smile. The others were deep in their work and it was not a slight that they did not notice him. It reminded Nick of his younger years with his parents. Only, there were a whole lot more siblings. Scents flourished in the room and caused the todd's nose to flare with each intake of breath. The sound of a plate being set before him brought his eyes back to the pair of does at the table. There was a piece of blueberry pie on the plate.
"Go on, Slick." Judy urged, digging into her own piece of pie.
Nick nodded once and took a bite for himself. The flavor seeped throughout his maw, soaking every taste bud on his long tongue. The slightly sweetened, sour burn of the blueberry was accented with the flaky crust surrounding it. He was well and truly bribed. As she had before, Bonnie was watching Nick intently and neutrally.
"Are you sure there's nothing here that I can help with?" Nick asked between bites.
"You and Judy only have one thing that you need to focus on, Nicholas. You both need to rest. Even after a night and a nap, both of you still look exhausted." Bonnie said seriously, drawing a little circle in the air in front of her eyes. She was indicating that they had darkened rings and bloodshot eyes. "Did you not sleep well?"
"I did." Nick nodded shortly.
"And, the nightmares?" Bonnie inquired further.
"Not last night."
"You seek out my daughter in your dreams." The older doe spoke softly.
Nick's breathing caught and was expelled in a heavy shudder as he nodded again, slower then than before. Judy found her own breath being held as the two does watched the todd. He looked nearly shattered by the thought of what usually occurred in those nightmares.
"I've spent the nights of last two-years, more often than not, trying to save and protect your daughter in those dreams. In my dreams, there's two halves of me. Like the tales of the Black and White Wolves. Opposites of the same mammal." Nick explained, watching the table as he subconsciously began scratching at well-worn tabletop with claw. "Half the time… the other has already killed her. The other half-time, the bastard stands in my way of finding her. So, I fight him… But, I have never seen the end of that fight. Not in a win, anyway."
"Why not?" Bonnie asked, softening her tone as she noticed how despondent Nick was becoming.
"If I'm that deep, I usually wake from my own screaming and howling. The darkness overwhelms me at some point during the fight, or I'm about to die, and then I fall." Nick said, looking up at Bonnie without any further care. He never imagined that such a short conversation could drain him so much. "Like I was thrown from the top of the Climate Wall itself."
The look of contemplation on Bonnie Hopps face was tinged with equal parts sadness and understanding. Or realization. Maybe the latter could be used interchangeably. Nick was not sure he could ascertain the exactness through a mere gaze at the older doe's amethyst eyes. Karma had demanded the truth from him, but the todd knew there would be no payment of being able to read the bunnies within the warren. The Rule of Three would apply later, at some point.
"Nicholas," Bonnie began, looking down to gather the proper words before raising a curious paw. "Why would you go out of your way to protect Judy back then? I think I understand why after your induction to the ZPD. But, before?"
Nick knew that there was no hiding the soft, endearing smile that creased his lips. It did not reach his eyes as they were tinged with a bit of sadness.
"Do you want the explanation with or without the foxy lore?" Nick asked, chuckling softly as he brought his paws up together on top of the table.
"Isn't the lore always more fun?" Bonnie laughed aloud with him.
"In that case," Nick said, taking a sip of some milk that was provided for his pie. "I assume that Karma was displeased with the way that I was living my life. I had forsaken the Rule of Three's. I committed three transgressions against other mammals in the city instead of doing right by them. I think that Karma conspired with Serendipity to send me an envoy. And, by Karma, that envoy was a sassy, hot-head, if there ever was one!"
Judy was at a loss, feeling her ears growing hot as her mother and the todd began laughing. The doe had never known her mother to read into such slyness and adapt it for her own in an effort to entertain herself by embarrassing her own daughter. And, yes, Bonnie was doing just that. Knowing that Nick would gleefully accept and assist. She could not even muster the effort to slug the todd for aiding and abetting her mother. Nick's information was Bonnie's, by request.
"I stand by Judy now, as I stood for her then, because she saw more of me than what I lived for – at the time – and she needs someone to watch her back. Because nobody was watching your daughter's back when I met her. She trusted me, and I trust her. I shall remind you that this is to include the lore of foxes, thus I won't lie to you by telling you that I'm terribly religious. I'm not and would hate to sound as if I am. I simply believe in the Rule of Threes. Karma requires a duty to dedication unto her envoy. Even more startling, an envoy of two of the Goddesses. Judy Hopps has helped me turn my life around." Nick explained with both firmness and humor. He was a ladies-mammal: loving to see the smiles of those that deserved it. The smile ended up being stricken with irony. "But, Karma is still owed. I did not get to control the threat of violence against your daughter in that pit. That decision was stolen from me. And, Karma has seen fit to haunt me with an ending that didn't occur and only until Karma decides otherwise."
"I see," Bonnie said with a nod. "You will have to tell us more about Karma and her ways at some point."
"Of course. Whenever it's quiet enough to not interrupt the work." Nick replied. "Where's Stu, though?"
"I sent him out to the market to find some fish. It'll be a little late for dinner, but we wanted to make sure you had some for your stay if you'll teach us how to prepare it." The matriarch explained. "Judy mentioned that you liked to fish, so it felt rather important."
"I do enjoy fishing, but you didn't have to go that far. I'm an omnivore, after all." Nick said, noticing that several of the kits who he had read to were crouched around the doorway. They wanted more attention from the newcomer, but their grandmother was busy with him. "I would love to be able to fish out here if there's a place."
"There are several ponds on the property that we could show you. But," Bonnie began, her ears falling a little. "It's not safe to be out in the forests and in open fields right now. The wildlife enforcement branch for the Tri-County area issued an alert that a large hawk was spotted nearby just after the harvest ended. It's not safe to go out and we don't let the kits go far when we do. It halted the hunting season for the local predators with the exception of a wolf family on the outskirts of Bunnyburrow."
The todd's ears pinned back at the news. In all of his years, there had only been two Raptor Alerts in all of Zootopia and both of those times were when he was incredibly young. The first was of an eagle that lurked in Tundratown one winter and a couple of years later, an owl used the edges of the Rainforest District to hunt in the Meadowlands. Both birds had to be killed due to their wild nature. But, in the Tri-Burrow area? A hawk was in the most perfect of locations to hunt their historic food sources. Some birds-of-prey had even preyed on foxes according to the history books. That made him nervous… More so for the bunnies than for himself.
"I would ask that you be careful and not go far from the entrances. And, please, watch out for any that are out with you." Bonnie implored.
Nick's face grew stony as he nodded. "Absolutely, Ma'am. You have my word." He said, a hard edge in his voice.
The fire that was building in the todd, brought on by the need to defend those around him, was interrupted by the feeling of paws on his tail. It had been wrapped around the legs of the chair that Nick was sitting in. One of the youngest of kits, a pacifier in her mouth, had latched on to him gently. The todd scooped the little doe up and placed her on the table in front of him, as he had pie having been finished already. He could not even remember finishing it due to the severity of the conversation's turn. The little doe raised her arms and Nick brought his snout closer to her, bringing a squeal of glee to the kit as she caught his nose. Laughing at his snuffling against her clothes. Eventually, she decided that she wanted to crawl over his face until she reached the top of head, grabbing an ear to keep her steady.
"You find that Marcy is afraid of nothing, much like her Aunt Judy." Bonnie admitted, looking as if she would binky at any moment. "You're good with kits, Nick. Has anybody told you that?"
"Judy has, when we go to the schools for presentations and talks. Before the ZPD, I never had much interaction with kits." Nick admitted, looking at the ceiling as he tried to make sure Marcy would not slip off his head and fall.
"Nick!" Judy said from his side. "She loves your fuzzy Doritos!"
When the todd turned his head, he heard the click of Judy's camera phone and he groaned at the does' laughter. Not a split second later, he heard the whoosh of a message being sent and immediately knew where the photo was going. It made him wonder how mad it would make Bogo before Clawhauser gave the visual explanation.
"That was just ruthless." Nick deadpanned to Judy, causing Bonnie to burst out with laughter.
"Well, at least, you'll win first place in the ZPD's Cute Moments calendar that Clawhauser is producing even if you lose first place for the other one." Judy sniped, giggling at the sight of her niece. Marcy had decided to ignore the pacifier and put the tip of Nick's ear in her mouth to nibble on.
Not even the brightness of his coat could hide the blush in his ears as the little troublemaker made bubbly noises of contentment from the top of his skull. Setting that aside, Nick was extremely happy that the kits enjoyed his presence in the warren. This, despite the drool his felt on his fur.
"Please, make sure to post that on the family Furbook group, Judy. It's just too adorable not to share." Bonnie requested, sending both does into further fits of giggles.
"She thinks it's a carrot." Judy squealed, her laughter turning into gasps and snorts.
Nick wiggled his ear a little, feeling the grabby paws catch it urgently. "I know you're the ringleader in this, Marcy. I'll be watching you." He said with a sigh of resignation.
"Oh, my!" A voice sounded from the entryway.
Nick turned to find a pair of bunnies standing at the door, which was still being crowded by the other kits. They had to have been a married couple and the mother approached to assist Nick with removing Marcy.
"My apologies, Mister Wilde. My daughter is enamored with bright colors." The doe apologized.
With a raise of his paws, Nick gently took Marcy off of his head and held her out in front of him. He could not help but smile as the kit eagerly reached out for his muzzle, trying to gain access to something that she could gnaw on, so he gave her a digit to satisfy the urge.
Maybe the little one is teething? Nick wondered.
"Miss…?" Nick said, curious of the doe's name.
"Vera. And, this is my husband Derek Hopps. One of Judy's older brothers." The doe introduced the pair and making it clear that she had married into the family.
"It's a pleasure. I imagine that the Hopps Warren News Network is what led you to know my name. Just call me Nick." The todd said, offering a paw and a polite smile. "If you're not worried about a fox watching your kit, I promise that she's not bothering me one bit. I'm happy to keep an eye on her."
To emphasize his promise, the todd used his free paw to lift the back of his t-shirt while raising Marcy up so that the baby bunny could crawl inside. The little one crawled into the space and spun around until she was laying, comfortably perched on his shoulder under the makeshift blanket. The little one had snuggled her nose into his coat and began to fall asleep after Nick provided her pacifier. While Nick had not noticed, Judy felt a little jealous of the tiny kit who had managed to sneak her way into the todd's fur simply through a blatant request to be there. That emotion fought the sight of adorableness weakly.
"Are you sure, Mister Wilde?" Vera asked softly, looking at how her baby had taken to the fox without any fuss.
"I am. Though, I anticipate you may not receive much sleep tonight after I have to excuse myself." Nick said softly. "If this is anything to go by, I think she'll be rather upset to see me head to bed."
Vera smiled a little and gave a curt nod of understanding. It was clear that her sweet daughter would not be moved without a very embarrassing amount of fuss. The mother was tired enough as it was. The little doe was, in fact, teething and not giving either of her parents a proper amount of rest. There was a need to feel a parent's worth as much as a need for something to gnaw on. It was something that was more apparent to a rabbit than most other species. Harder still for Marcy because she was of a litter of one, as opposed to a proper group.
"Dinner won't be ready for a couple of hours yet, Vera. Go curl up for a quick nap before that." Bonnie finally mentioned, urging the doe to leave the kit to the original group. "Derek, honey, go rest with her. I'll send for you both when it's time."
"We will, Mother. Thank you." Derek said quietly. The buck seemed reserved and intense, but well-mannered through reservation. "And, thank you, Nick. If she gets fussy, just ask Bonnie for help."
"I will." Nick replied.
Vera and Derek left the trio to their content air at the table. The todd remained quiet while keeping an ear angled towards the kit on his shoulder, listening for any uncomfortable sounds intently while the two does caught up on the events of the past year since Judy had last been in the warren. Nick also listened to all the loud reports being belted out from the main kitchen about the food. He simply leaned back in the chair enough to be comfortable while waiting for the festivities to begin.