8: Things Start Looking Up

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Slowly waking at three am with red furry arms and a fluffy red tail around her and the scent of her mate behind her permeating her senses, Judy is also vaguely aware of one of her kits pressed up against her chest.

Looking down and seeing the sleeping light grey and white doe, Judy can't help but smile.

"Hey little bun, time to wake up, mommy has to go to the bathroom." Judy addresses the kit quietly.

"I don't wanna…" complains the less than awake kit.

"It's ok honey, daddy's right here. He'll take care of you until mommy gets back, ok?"

"Ok *yawn* momma…."

As Judy crawls over to the edge of the bed exposing her mostly naked rear, Nick can't help but comment "Nice view there Fluff…" and instantly freezes, afraid it's too much too soon.

Seeing the concern on her husband's muzzle, Judy reassures him "It – it's ok Nick, really. I know that you mean it in a loving way, and I really missed the playful banter that we had before I was taken. Try keeping it to a minimum for now, and I think everything 'll work out, ok?"

"You're sure? I mean-"

"Yeah, I'm sure. It's the only way I can think of to help me and the kits adjust to being free and at home with you."

"I'll do my best."

"I know you will, and … thanks for the complement." comes the reply just before the bathroom door closes.

Returning to bed only a few minutes later, Judy snuggles up to a still partly awake Cotton, effectively sandwiching the kit between Nick and herself.

"Were you scared or something?" Judy softly asks.

"No … not scared, just … lonely?"

"Were you afraid that we'd be gone?" asks Nick softly, surprising both does.

"No, I just missed you. Is that bad?"

"No Angel, it's not." reassured Nick.

"You missed daddy or mommy?" asks Judy.

"Is it ok if I missed you both?"

"Of course, sweetie." answers Judy quietly. "It's still early, let's get some sleep, ok?"

"Ok mommy. G'night."

"Good Night Cotton."

A few minutes later, Judy hears a faint scuffling of feet in the room. Recognizing the footfalls, Judy turns and asks "Is everything ok Nicholas?"

"I woke up and found Cotton missing. Is she in here?"

"Yes son, she's here" replies Nick. "Do you want to join us too?"

"I'd like to but I'd probably better not, the rest of the kits might get scared if they wake up and I'm not there, but thanks."

"You're such a good big brother" complements Judy. "Go on back to bed, we'll get you up for breakfast in a few hours, ok?"

"Ok. G'night mom … dad."

"Good night son" comes from both parents.

…

As the sun rises, Nick and Judy order in breakfast for themselves and the kits.

"So" asks Judy "What's on the agenda for today?"

"I thought I might get ahold of a friend or two and we can start looking for suitable housing."

"Can we come along?" comes from a curious Cotton.

"Of course!" answers Nick. "You're all going to live there, so I figured that you might want some say about your new home."

"We're gonna live in a house?" asks Thomas.

"If we can find a good we you sure are." affirms Judy.

"A big house?" asks Calvin.

"With a big yard?" wonders Samantha.

"Will we all get our own bedroom?" asks Cotton.

"Probably not to start with." answers Judy.

"I think we'll put the bucks in one room and does in two another room to begin with. We can see about individual rooms when you get a bit older." adds Nick.

"Will we be in the city?" asks Marion.

"That's the plan to start with." answers Nick "but we'll keep our options open. We're gonna be looking for someplace where you kits will have plenty of open space to run and play."

"Then we can figure out where you'll be going to school." adds Judy.

"School?" asks Cotton.

"You'll have to go to school when you're old enough." says Nick.

"Right now, Nicholas is the only one who's school age, but we'll need to think far enough ahead to anticipate your educational needs." Sternly adds Judy.

"But mom…."

"You'll need a good education to get anywhere in life." says Nick. "If I hadn't gotten my GED, there's no way I'd have gotten as far in life as I did. In fact, I'd have never met your mom."

"Really?" comes from Thomas.

"So you fell out of school after you lost your parents?" asks Nicholas.

"I didn't so much fall out as I dropped out. I never had the motivation or drive to go to school and had no one to push me to go back."

"You don't have any parents?" asks Thomas.

"They were killed when I was twelve and I just took off and roamed the streets until a friend of mine took me in and made me go back and get an education."

"That was Finn, right?" asks Judy.

"Sure was."

"The little long eared fox we saw yesterday?" asks Nicholas.

"He's a fennec fox" Nick informs his son. "and he's a lot more dangerous than he looks."

"What are we gonna do if we can't find something in the Meadowlands?" asks Judy.

"I'm not entirely sure" answers Nick honestly.

"Maybe … something outside the city?"

"That would make a heck of a commute every day."

"Or we could ask to be reassigned somewhere else like Bunnyburrow or Podunk?" suggests the doe.

"You'd be willing to do that Fluff?"

"I still wanna be a cop, but I want the kits to grow up somewhere where they can run and play without us having to constantly worry about them, so yeah, I'd consider moving."

"Well, how about we all load up into the car and go house hunting then? You can use the Zoogle app on my phone and I'll drive. An while we're at it, we can stop by the local Horizon store and get you a new phone and a laptop."

"That sounds wonderful doesn't it kits?"

"You mean we all get to go outside?" asks an astounded Marion.

"Sure thing Marion, consider it a sort of mini-tour."

"Ummm, if it's ok, could you call me Leigh?"

"You don't like Marion?" asks Judy, slightly put out.

"No, that's not it mom, really. Everyone else wants to get called by their middle name and I really like mine so … would it be ok?"

"I-I guess so … Nick?"

I've got no problem with it. Anyone else while we're at it?"

"I kinda like CJ." admits Calvin.

"And Al's shorter than Allen." Says Allen.

"I kinda like Janae like Marion likes her middle name." says Samantha.

"It's Leigh!" corrects Marion with a bit of attitude.

"Then call me Janae …" huffs Samantha right back.

"Girls, that's enough please." lightly scolds a smiling Judy. "Your dad and I have no problem with calling you what you want, it's not a big deal."

"But that doesn't mean we don't like the names you gave us!" admits a concerned Nicholas.

"I know sweetheart. We can use your regular names for special occasions-"

"Like when you get in trouble." smirks Nick.

"Nick, really?"

"Daaad!" comes from Cotton.

When a mischievous glint appears in Nick's eyes, Judy smiles and whispers to Cotton "Better run little bun, or the big bad fox is gonna get you!"

Seeing the grin appear on Nick's muzzle, Cotton takes one quick look at her mother, jumps down off of Judy's lap and heads for the other bedroom at a dead run, emitting a playful - giggling scream with Nick close behind.

After about a two-minute chase, Nick finally captures the young doe and blows raspberries onto her neck and belly, with Cotton screaming in laughter.

"Is dad gonna always be like this?" Allen asks his mother.

"I hope so." comes the hopeful answer. "Why don't the rest of you go and try to help your sister escape?"

Seconds later Nick's voice comes from the other bedroom "Fluff help! I'm being mobbed by the fierce Wilde fluffle!"

"You big goof, you started it!" comes the reply.

After several minutes, the playful laughter and giggles emanating from the other bedroom begin to diminish and six kits and one slightly used up fox emerge.

"Everybunny get a quick shower and get dressed, then we can go house hunting and your dad can give us all a quick tour of the city." says a grinning Judy.

While the does shower and the bucks (including Nicholas-he's part bunny after all) get ready to take their shower, Judy tells Nick "I think you've managed to win their hearts Nick, almost as much as you won mine so many years ago."

"I've always been good with kits it seems, especially your siblings, so it's easy."

Leaning over and giving her husband a quick kiss on the cheek "It doesn't really matter, seeing as my kits are your kits as well now, and they're going to expect this kind of behavior from you from time to time."

"I don't mind Fluff, I really don't."