11 Family Night

~0~

Just over an hour later, Nick's phone rings:

[BRIIIING]

"Get the phone Nick…"

"….NO!" comes the kitlike answer.

[BRIIIING]

"Nick, we've got to answer it."

"NO!"

"Why are you being such a kit?"

"Wanna snuggle with my bunny…"

[BRIIIING]

"We can snuggle when we get back to the motel."

"Like this? really? What are you gonna tell the kits?"

"…. Ummm…."

"That's what I thought."

[BRIIIING]

"NICK! For cryin' out loud, answer the damned phone…" finally demands Judy with agitation in her voice.

[Huffs] "Fine…Hullo?"

"Nick" finally comes Jasmine's voice over the phone "Are you two okay? It's getting kinda late and we were starting to worry about the two of you, and why aren't you on MuzzleTime?"

Switching to video and grinning like there's no tomorrow, Nick gives Jasmine a show that she wasn't quite prepared for.

"There, happy now?" he asks his sister in law who by now is thoroughly embarrassed.

"Wait … are you two … you know!"

"Yes Jaz" admits a fiercely blushing Judy, rolling her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose while glaring at Nick. "we are…"

"And just how long before you … you know…"

"Probably around another ten minutes or so, plus time for a good shower. Give us another forty-five minutes or so and we should be back." answers Nick.

"I'll – I'll let the kits know …. Bye" as Jasmine hurriedly severs the connection.

"NICK!" accuses a visibly upset Judy.

"What?"

"Did you really have to go to video?

"Well, I figured it'd shorten the call considerably."

"By giving my sister an eyeful of us in bed … after … you know…"

"It worked didn't it?"

"Well, yeah…"

"And now that I think about it, what's with you females always saying 'you know' in awkward situations like that when you're not afraid to cuss like no tomorrow any other time?"

"…."

"Never mind, I guess it's not that big a deal, I was simply curious. Anyway, can we just relax for a bit until … you know."

"Nick, don't you dare start…" Judy demands, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration.

"I would never…" he quips as he wraps his arms and tail around his wife, smirk firmly in place.

After a few moments, Judy breaks the comfortable silence:

"Nick …" Judy begins softly with a firmness in her voice that Nick has seldom heard "I know that you've been trying to do the right thing by trying to stay away from being intimate, keeping the snarky comments to yourself, and keep being pawsey to a minimum because of what happened to me, but like I told you before, I need my mate. I told you that Skye made me an appointment to see a shrink and you really need to come along, because I really only want to have to tell my tale once. And when I do, I want to you to be able to understand why being with you like we are right now, is so important to me."

"Whatever you want is good with me." he answers firmly "Please don't misunderstand me and think that I'm being condescending to you, but while I don't quite understand just yet, I'm sure it'll all make sense at some point, so just know that I trust you. You know I've always trusted your decisions and I'm not about to quit that now."

"Smart fox. And now that we're not knotted together, let's get that shower and head back, I'm sure the kits are beginning to worry about us."

…

After a refreshing shower with messing around being kept to a minimum (otherwise they'd be 'tied up' for a good while again) Nick and Judy head back to the hotel.

Entering the room, they were mobbed by six kits while Jasmine shoots them a wry smile.

"Mom, dad" begin Nicholas and Thomas excitedly at the same time "where have you been?"

"Mom and dad needed to work a few things out" explains Judy, side eyeing a warning glance at Nick "grown-up stuff."

"You two smell like each other…" adds Nicholas.

"We … cuddled for a while?" adds Nick with a half-hearted grin.

"As in 'mandatory cuddle time'?" inquires a smirking Jasmine, knowing full well what had transpired but wanting to get in a dig at Nick without fear of reprisal.

Shooting Jasmine a heated glare, Judy almost got a chance for a rebuke when Samantha remarks "You seem a lot happier now momma, so I guess you need to cuddle with daddy more often!"

Suddenly at a loss for words, a now very red-faced Judy is saved by her quick-witted mate.

"Do you really think so Janae?" asks Nick, smirk solidly in place while using the doe's preferred name.

"If it makes momma happy, yep." The small doe answers, popping the 'p'.

"Well, I'll certainly try my best to do just that." snarks Nick.

"While I'm thinking about it" interrupts Jasmine "agent Winters called while you were 'cuddling…"

"Really Jaz?" questions Judy while again pinching the bridge of her nose, still a bit miffed at her sibling continually referring to cuddling.

"Yeah, really. (Judy knows a deflection when she hears it) I wouldn't lie about something like that. She said to be at a doctor Sigmund Froid's office at ten am tomorrow morning, room 416 at City Center. I think she said that you could bring Nick if you wanted to." grin firmly in place.

Rolling her eyes, knowing all along that Jasmine was simply avoiding a confrontation in front of the kits, Judy simple agrees to let the matter drop – for now.

"Fine, but you and I will talk later…"

"Ummm, Cotton and I need to get back to the burrow so we don't give mom an excuse to cuss us out…"

Seeing the death glare that Judy was giving her, she tries to hurry her young sibling… "C'mon Cotton, we need to get back."

"Awwwww… do we gots to?!"

"I'm afraid so sweety, you know how momma gets sometimes."

"You know that it's only gonna get worse the longer you put it off, right?" asks Judy.

"I guess we'll just have to find out then." answers a hopeful Jasmine.

After seeing her siblings out, Judy turns to see all six of her kits staring at her expectantly.

"What?"

Mom …" begins Nicholas "we know what you and dad were doing … well, most of us anyway." as he glances quickly towards a clueless Cotton.

"We only want to know one thing-" continues Thomas.

Knowing exactly what the kits were inferring, Judy sets the record straight: "It was me. I almost had to browbeat your father into 'cuddling' with me. I needed him to be not only my husband, but my mate and not treat me like I was going to break like a piece of glass if he said or did something that he felt might upset me."

Glancing at a very nervous Nick, Judy continues "I'm sorry that you all have been exposed to what happened to me before we were rescued, it's not right for you to have that knowledge at such a young age. But the difference between your father and my 'visitors' is that he loves me, where they didn't. Please tell me that you understand, at least a little bit!"

"I … I think we do momma." answers an unsure Marion, who happens to be the next oldest (older than Thomas by a few minutes but still younger than Nicholas).

"Kits, please believe me when I tell you that Nick would never do anything to me that I didn't want him to do."

"We believe you momma" returns Samantha "But we thought we'd ask. You aren't mad or anything are you?"

"Of course not sweety" reassures Judy as she take the young doe into a tight hug "I could never be mad at you for being concerned about me."

As all eyes turn towards Nick, he's not exactly what to do or say considering the circumstances.

"C'mere, dumb fox." A smiling Judy pretty much demands, holding out her arms towards Nick with a happy smile gracing her face. "And the rest of you kits too!" as she gathers her family into a family hug.

"How about something to eat?" begins Nick, finally breaking the hug, knowing that a subject change would probably be needed and appreciated.

Noticing the somewhat tired looks that he was getting from mainly the kits, and actually a bit of the same from Judy, he decides to up the ante.

"How about we make our first family trip?"

"What's the plan Nick?" asks a curious Judy.

"Well, I thought that maybe the Icehouse might work. They actually have a kits menu if you'll remember."

"That's right, they do, I never thought about that! I never paid it any attention when we used to go there, kits were one of the last things on my mind at the time." remembers Judy.

"We can ask agent Winters if we can use the van, since it already has some kits seats in it, that way we don't have to finagle anything in the 88 to make sure the kits are safe and we don't get stopped."

"What do you say kits, do you want to have a chance to see some of the big city and eat somewhere besides here at the hotel?" asks Judy.

"YAAAAAAAYYYYY!" was the response from 6 very excited kits.

After calling agent Winters and receiving a very emphatic positive response from her, Nick, Judy and the kits load into the agency van once again and head towards the Icehouse Bar and Grill for their first ever family night out.

…

The quick 20-minute ride was anything but quiet, with the kits, especially the bunnies, ooohing and awwwing at everything along the way much to the amusement of their parents.

Arriving at the Icehouse and patiently unloading six very excited kits, Judy thinks to herself 'I really hope that Toni is still here. It'd be nice to have another female to talk to for a while.'

With Nick holding the door open, Judy ushers the kits in and heads them toward what was their favorite table. Realizing when they arrive that it won't do (dark, secluded table for two) she turns and looks toward Nick, noticing his smirk.

"Don't start Nick …."

"I wasn't gonna say anything…" comes the reply with his smirk in full view.

"How about this one?" he asks, pulling out a bunny-sized chair at a near-by larger table.

Rolling her eyes, Judy sends a meaningless glare in his direction.

"It'll do. Now, please get some highchairs for the kits."

"MOOOOOOM!" comes a chorus of complaints from five of the six embarrassed kits.

"Fine … regular chairs with booster seats … and one small mammal high-chair please!" she huffs.

"JUDY WILDE! Is that really you?" comes a voice that she remembers.

"Toni?" was all the bunny could get out before she's grabbed up in a fierce hug from the elderly vixen.

Just as Nicholas's protective instincts begin to kick in, Nick places a gentle paw on his son's shoulder.

"It's ok James," Nick says quietly "Toni's an old friend. I promise that she won't hurt your mother, other than a maybe overly enthusiastic hug."

"Toni" gasps Judy "Too tight …"

"Oh, sorry! I'm so sorry Judy, it's just-"

Giving her old friend a tired smile, Judy consoles her friend.

"I understand. I know I've been gone a long time and I'm in not the best of shape, but one day when I'm a bit better we can have lunch and I'll tell you all about it."

"That'd be great."

Knowing that Toni was a former rape victim that he and Judy had helped in the past, Nick wasn't the least bit concerned about having Judy share with the vixen. In fact, it might just be one of the things that'll help the poor doe.

"Now … where did you pick up these adorable kits?"

"They're mine … and Nicks. I promise to explain it all when we get together, but for now, we just came for a bit of family night out."

"Ok then, here are your menu's, I'll give you a few minutes to decide what you want. In the meantime, what do you want to drink?"

"Water for the kits and we'll have a small pitcher of red beer please." answers Nick.

"If they get anything sweet, they'll be up all night, bouncing off the walls." explains Judy.

"Something else to add to the discussion later?" asks Toni.

"I'm afraid so."

"I'll leave you to it then, just let me know when you're ready to order." As she turns and greets other customers.

Seeing Nick's polite but questioning gaze, Judy knows instinctively what he's thinking.

"Yes, they can read, all of them but Cotton. I taught them in the little free time I had, somehow knowing beyond hope that we'd be rescued one day."

"You always had a knack for making the world a better place, even in the worst of circumstances. I've never been more proud of you Fluff." As Nick reaches across the table and places a paw on his mate's cheek.

"I want this daddy!" interrupts an exited Cotton, pointing to a picture of an ice cream sundae.

"Maybe next time sweetheart" answers the todd "If you eat that now you'll be up all night. We'll come for lunch someday soon and you can have one, ok?"

Crossing her arms in front of her with a slight (but very cute) pout on her lips "Fine…!" answers the tiny doe.

With a flash of sudden inspiration, Nick has a bit of an idea: "How about we all share a BBQ chicken pizza?"

"NICK!" comes from a slightly horrified Judy.

"What? They're your kits, but since you can still tolerate protein and it's something we've figured out that you actually need, it would make sense that they can probably tolerate it as well."

"As long as they only eat a little and you get to be up all night with them if they get the runs, fine…"

"The runs momma?" asks Samantha.

"The runny poops, silly" answers a grinning Nicholas.

"Nicholas … James … Wilde!" begins a mortified Judy.

"What mom? She wanted to know!"

"He does have a point Fluff."

"Not helping Nick!"

"And just how would you have explained it differently?" asks the smirking todd.

Letting out a short huff, Judy concedes defeat.

"Fine … but next time let me answer a question like that first, ok?"

"Works for me, flustered bunny…"

"Aggravating fox…"

As the kits try to process the banter between their parents, Judy reaches over the table and grabs Nick's tie, pulling him into a kiss that promises much more later in the evening.

Hearing a chorus of "Ewwww!" and "Gross!" and gagging sounds from various kits, the spell is broken and mates share a secret smile.

After a lengthy supper, where the kits all got a bit rowdy because "Nicholas got more pizza than I did" comes from five young bunnies, a second pizza was ordered even though Nick and Judy were afraid that the night would be a bit of a disaster with the distinct possibility of five bunny kits having diarrhea.

The ride back to the motel was extremely quiet, with six kits trying their best to not succumb to the food coma that was inevitable.

After making sure that the kits were bathed and ready for bed, Nick and Judy tucked them all in and hoped for the best, not wanting to spend the entire night with sick kits.

Just when everything seemed and a long day was finally over, Nick's phone rings…

…