A Son of his own Chapter 32: Reunite, Graduate and proudness
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By the way, if you have any ideas for future chapters, let me know in your reviews as I am having a bit of a hard time coming up with ideas right now, life is getting in my way and I'll be going to Paris this week as part of a School trip for 3 days so there is that.
Be sure to check out some of my other stories, but seeing as how this is a family story, I'm not sure if some of you would like Zootopia stories with Humans in them or a Star Fox story about a young Human boy evacuating to the Lylat System after his home gets attacked, but there is more to it than that.
With that out of the way, on with the story!
Nick was the first Mammal to arrive at where the Graduation ceremony was taking place, just outside the Academy in an open green meadow, the stage was set and all he had to do was wait for everyone else to arrive as soon as they woke up.
Nick walked around and observed the empty white wooden seats placed out for family and friends alike, in all shapes and sizes to accommodate whatever Mammal would be attending the ceremony that was to take place soon.
After looking over the many empty seats, Nick's ears twitched at the sound of a voice that he had longer and dreamed about hearing for so long.
"Daddy!" a voice called out behind him.
Nick froze with surprise and slowly turned around to the source of the all familiar voice that just spoke up.
What he saw next, absolutely made his once dark and cold heart melt.
Standing 20 metres away from him, was the very Mammal that changed his life forever.
Nathan.
He looked to have grown in height slightly last time Nick had seen him, he was wearing a red and yellow t-shirt with ocean blue shorts that looked brand new as well, his fur colour stayed the same and his eyes were still the colour, they looked to be filled with tears of joy.
"Nathan..." Nick whispered to himself with surprise and pure joy as Nathan started running towards him with his arms in the air.
"Dad!" Nathan shouted with happiness and joy as he ran straight towards his father.
"Nathan!" Nick shouted back with as much happiness and joy as his son as they both started running towards each other.
Nick convinced himself that he wasn't dreaming, it was far too real to be a dream, this was reality for him.
"Daddy!" Nathan shouted again as Nick knelt down and opened his arms, inviting his rushing son for a hug.
And it happened.
Nathan nearly jumped straight into Nick and wrapped his arms around his neck hugging him as Nick wrapped his arms around Nathan's back, hugging him back as a smile formed on his face.
"I've missed you so much Daddy!" Nathan said as he cried with tears of joy as the 2 Foxes continued hugging each other tightly.
"I missed you too Nathan" Nick said as tears of his own formed in his eyes, wait, tears?
Nick had not cried for years, yet now he was, was it because of reuniting with very pup that changed his life for the better?
The pup that Nick himself found walking around the brick bridge he called home when he couldn't pay his rent at his apartment, the pup that turned his once cold and dark heart into a more cheerful and open one, the pup that helped solve the Missing Mammal case that enveloped Zootopia into pure and utter chaos, all because of a Fox kit who knew what was making the Predators going savage.
A toxic flower capable of awaking the inner primitive instincts of any animal, Predator or Prey alike, making them go completely brain dead and rely on instincts rather than making their own choices in a civilised manner.
Nick pushed those thoughts out of his head and focused more on hugging his precious son that he had not seen for 4 months.
Nathan noticed that Nick had gotten slightly buffer as his body felt harder than it was before last time Nathan hugged his Dad, he noticed he had gotten slightly taller as well.
"We both must've grown up!" Nathan thought excitedly to himself as his tail wagged from side to side as he and Nick kept hugging each other tightly.
"Oh Nathan, I missed you so much" Nick said as his voice broke in happiness, he had no words to describe the feeling of being reunited with a loving son.
"I missed you too Daddy, did you do well in the Academy?" Nathan asked as he continued hugging his Dad.
"I struggled at first and I found it hard to find happiness, but when I thought of you and that happy face of yours, I was instantly happy again, and I also had a little help from a special someone who still has to wake up from bed" Nick said as he gently rubbed Nathan's back and felt his wagging tail.
"Is it that Wolf we kept seeing in the Muzzle time calls that you're pointing out too?" Nathan asked curiously as Nick brought up a little hint of his roommate.
"Yeah, he's such a nice guy, guess us canines gotta stick together!" Nick said proudly as he and Nathan broke their tight and long hug after reuniting with each other after 4 long months.
"Like glue!" Nathan said to add a little punchline to the statement Nick made.
"Exactly, where is Judy?" Nick asked as he looked around as the Grey Rabbit was nowhere to be seen.
Said Rabbit soon appeared into view and she looked so happy to see Nick again.
Nick looked straight at Judy and she looked just how he pictured her, bright and cheerful as always, her perky ears standing tall in the air, her amethyst purple eyes shining in the sunlight, her ZPD Uniform standing out from the green grass, her happy body pose and her happy smile brought as much joy to Nick's heart as reuniting with Nathan did.
Judy began walking over to the 2 Foxes and Nick scooped Nathan into his arms and cuddled him as he lightly ticked his belly which made him giggle in response.
"Well, I can see the two of you missed each other very much, Nathan couldn't hold in his excitement to see you again so I decided to let him run to you first so you could have your little reunion moment together" Judy said as she reached Nick who still cuddled Nathan in his arms.
"How did you know I was out here?" Nick asked with slight suspicion.
"I didn't, Nathan must've spotted you walking about around the stage when he ran to meet you again, and seeing as how everyone else is not here yet, we must be the first ones here" Judy said as she looked around at the many empty seats and no other Mammal was in view.
"I decided to get an early start, and looking at how tired Nathan looks, you two must've gotten an early start too" Nick said as he gently wiped the sleep out of Nathan's eyes with his padded fingers.
"Yeah, he's such a good boy Nick, you must've taught him to be a well behaved boy when you first adopted him" Judy said as she walked beside Nick and looked at Nathan who was cradled into his father's arms.
Nathan had tears in his eyes and he had his arms wrapped around his neck and looked like he didn't want to let go anytime soon.
"Yeah, it feels like yesterday when I first adopted him, was he a good boy while I was gone?" Nick asked as he pointed his eyes at Nathan who just giggled in response.
"He was, he done what he was told and he loved to be with me, he even considered calling me his mother" Judy said with a hint of surprise at the end which made Nick's eyes open wide with surprise.
"Mother? Well, I can't blame him, he's been with you for 4 months and you've been taking care of him for that long" Nick said as he gently set Nathan down onto the grass and Nathan stood close to Nick's leg.
"I guess, it just feels so weird but it makes me feel happy to be considered a mother to him, whenever he had any nightmares, I was there to comfort him and he was a bit of a heavy sleeper sometimes, I even took him to work with me while he was still asleep! But then again, he is still a child so I won't judge him for that" Judy said as she knelt down to Nathan and patted him on the back.
"Nick! Is that you out there?!" a familiar voice shouted which frightened Nathan and Judy but Nick wasn't phased by the sudden voice that called out his name.
"Yeah! It's me Raymond!" Nick shouted back and soon a snow white Arctic Wolf came into view.
He was about twice the size of Nick, his fur was fluffy and was capable of fending off cold temperatures which Arctic Wolves were renowned for, his white and fluffy, his tail swished from side to side as he walked towards the trio, Judy observed the unknown Wolf while Nathan hid behind Nick's leg with shyness.
He wore the same navy blue ZPD uniform as Nick, only it was made for the size of a Wolf which was bigger than a Fox's shape.
"Uh Nick? Is that Raymond?" Judy whispered loud enough for Nick to hear her.
"Yeah, but don't worry, he's a very nice guy, he helped me throughout the academy and he supported me in each challenge we did together, he's the only one in this entire Academy who saw past my swindling side and wanted to become friends with me" Nick said as Raymond walked up to him and towered over him with his height.
His Amber eyes showed no signs of inflicting harm upon them and he stood a respectable distance away from the trio to give them the space they needed.
"Ah, this must the one and only Judy Hopps, pleasure to meet you" Raymond said as he smiled down at Judy and shook her paw, being careful not to scratch her with his sharp claws.
"The pleasures all mine Raymond, I thank you for helping Nick here, he's a very good and dear friend of mine, without him and his son Nathan, I wouldn't have solved the Missing Mammals case" Judy said as she smiled up at Raymond who smiled back at her, although Judy felt nervous with those sharp fangs of his, they looked sharper than Nick's teeth.
"Speaking of this Nathan, is he hiding behind Nick's leg?" Raymond asked as he saw Nathan's fluffy tail on the grass which gently swayed from side to side on the cut green grass.
"Nathan, don't be shy, Raymond won't bite" Nick said as he looked behind him and nudged Nathan who still held onto his leg with slight fear.
"I might look intimidating, but I'm a good Wolf Nathan, I won't hurt you" Raymond said as he knelt down and invited Nathan over who was now more visible behind Nick's leg since Nick nudged him.
Nathan looked really scared, despite being in close proximity to a savage Wolf back when the Missing Mammals case was in effect, Raymond looked bigger and scarier, but Nathan felt a feeling of trust with the unknown Wolf.
Nathan slowly walked out into the open and looked over the Arctic Wolf that was inviting him over to shake his paw.
Despite Raymond looking scary with his height and looks, Nathan could see that the Arctic Wolf meant no harm and decided to give him a chance.
Nathan nervously walked over to Raymond and shook his paw nervously while Raymond said "Nice to meet you Nathan" in a gentle tone.
"Nice to meet you too" Nathan said nervously as he tried his best not to look embarrassed in front of Nick and Judy.
"Your father is a great guy, you're very lucky to be his son" Raymond said happily as he and Nathan stopped shaking paws and Raymond stood back onto his legs.
"Well, thanks for the compliment" Nathan said as he gently blushed with embarrassment since he was meeting someone new which was something he wasn't great at.
"Well Raymond, you seem like a nice guy, I'm glad you supported Nick and helped him when he needed it most, despite him being a Fox" Judy said happily in a thankful tone.
"Well unlike other Mammals, I don't judge other Mammals by their traits because I see no reason in doing so, sure, I'm a Wolf and most would predict me to be the bad guy, even though I'm really not" Raymond said as he highlighted a major aspect that still affects the Mammal society from the very beginning of time.
"Well said, the graduation ceremony will start shortly so we might as well wait since we are ready and we'll get to catch up on lost time with each other" Judy said as she, Raymond, Nick and Nathan sat down onto the cut green grass and formed a little circle together.
Raymond seemed to block out most of the sunlight that was in the sky because of where he was sitting, his back was facing the sun and it faster a long shadow of his body on the grass, he sat down with his knees crossed casually, Judy simply sat down on her behind with her legs stretched out and Nick done the same while Nathan cuddled closely to his Dad.
"So, anything we miss in Zootopia?" Nick asked as he gently rubbed Nathan behind his ears which he really loved, he was so happy to be reunited with his son again.
"Not much, other than the few criminals being busted and tickets being written, nothing of the such, other than the fact Mayor Lionheart is to be released from Jail soon after being found innocent despite holding Mammals against their will but he did prevent possible loss of life" Judy said as she cringed at the thought of her being mauled to death by a savage Predator.
"Is he going to be Mayor again? Or will he be replaced by the one currently in seat?" Raymond asked curiously.
"Yeah, he is a good Mayor, but if performs such an act like he did during the Missing Mammals case again, he will immediately be forced to resign from office and spend years in prison" Judy said as she made the last part very clear.
"Fair enough" Nick said as he agreed with Judy's sentence.
The group continued talking and gossiping with each other and it wasn't long until more Officers arrived along Family and friends who were a variety of mammals of all shapes and sizes, the audience sat down on the white wooden seats placed for them and they looked up at the stage as they awaited a speech from Major Friedkin.
The weather began to gradually improve, with a warm breeze in the air and the sun shining brighter than it was a matter of time ago during the day.
Since Nathan was under the care of Judy, he was allowed to sit beside her along with the other Academy officials, he couldn't but feel like the other Mammals he was sitting beside were eyeing him but he shrugged it off.
"Ladies and Gentlemammals, boys and girls, it is with my privilege to present to all of you, this Academy's term graduates! Give them all a round of applause!" Major Friedkin said and everyone in the crowd started clapping and cheering as every cadet walked up to the front of the seats and looked up to the podium where Major Friedkin stood.
"Cadets, I look upon you now, 4 months ago, some of you were great, while others lacked potential, but as time went by, all of you were at the same level of skill when you learned from your mistakes and planned your moves in each and every course, which is why I am proud to say that all of you have been certified to graduate from this Academy and hit the streets!" Major Friedkin said as she shouted at the end as everyone began clapping and cheering again as the cadets stood in place with smiles on their muzzles.
"I know each and everyone one of you will go down in history for the things you do in duty, so don't disappoint me or I'll be there to slap some sense into you!" Major Friedkin said in a humourous manner which got some laughs from the cadets and the crowd.
"I now give the stage to a cadet I was surprised to see appear in my Academy, she is a Bunny who grew up in a Carrot Farm but showed that Bunnies can be more than carrot farmers and she is also the very Bunny that cracked the Missing Mammals case open like an egg, give a warm welcome to Officer Judy Hopps!" Major Friedkin said as she stood off the podium and everyone began clapping and cheering again.
"Okay Nathan, you stay right here and don't move, okay?" Judy said as she stood off her seat while Nathan continued sitting down.
"Okay" Nathan said as he relaxed his back against the seat and kept still as Judy poked his little black nose.
"Good boy, I won't be too long" Judy said as she smiled and walked up to the podium and jumped up onto a seat placed for her so she could get a good view of the crowd and lowered the microphone to her height.
"Cadets, I congratulate each and every one of you, I have come here today not only to see you graduate, but to give you a speech as well" Judy said as she cleared her throat and prepared to begin her speech.
"When I was a kid, I thought Zootopia was this perfect place, where everyone got along and anyone could be anything, turns out, real life's a little more complicated than a slogan on a bumper sticker. Real life is messy, we all have limitations, we all make mistakes, which means hey! Glass half full, we all have something in common, and the more we try to understand one another, the more exceptional each of us will be, but we have to try, so no matter what type of animal you are, from the biggest Elephant, to our first Fox, I implore you. Try, try to make the world a better place, look inside yourself and recognise, that change starts with you. It starts with me. It starts with, all of us" Judy said slowly and inspirationally as she pointed for Nick to come onto the stage to receive his badge.
Nick walked from where he was standing and made his way up the wooden stairs that were placed on the right side of the stage, he walked up to Judy who now stood in front of him and awaited for her to place his badge on his uniform.
Judy took out a small polished wooden box from her pocket, she held in her paws and opened it, it contained a ZPD Police Officer Badge made out of brass metal with a star in the middle of it surrounded by a blue circle, beneath the star was the word "Police" engraved in blue and above the star was the word "Officer" engraved in blue, the star was surrounded by the ZPD's motto, Bravery, Integrity and Trust. Underneath the badge was a brass name tag with the name "Nicholas P. Wilde" inscribed into it.
Judy held the badge in her paw and walked up to Nick who stood with a proud smile on his muzzle, she gently placed it on the left side of Nick's chest and pinned it to his uniform, after staring at each other happily for a short moment, Judy saluted the Red Fox and Nick saluted the Rabbit back.
Everyone in the crowd began cheering and clapping with joy as did the Cadets who started throwing their police hats into the air as they too shouted with joy with everyone else.
After they were done saluting each other, Nick turned his head to face someone very special and important to him.
Looking at Nathan who was still sitting down just as Judy ordered him too, Nick knelt down and opened his arms out, inviting Nathan for a hug.
Nathan immediately took action and jumped off his seat without warning and ran straight towards his newly graduated Dad and leaped into him as the two Foxes hugged each other tightly.
"I love you so much Nathan, you mean so much to me and I can't handle four more months without you" Nick said as tears began forming in his eyes as he placed his head onto Nathan's shoulder as they continued hugging each other.
"I love you too Dad, I can't handle four more months without you either, I miss you" Nathan said as his eyes started to form tears which began dripping down the side of his muzzle.
Nick started to get that fatherly feeling again, the feeling of proudness and protection and so many other positive emotions all wrapped up in a nice box with a bow on top.
"I miss you too Nathan, let's go home" Nick said as they broke the hug and made direct eye contact with each other as they both smiled at each other.
"Let's go home Daddy" Nathan said as Nick stood up and gently grabbed his son's paw and they both walked off the stage as everyone clapped and cheered as they made their way down the steps.
They would wait for Judy who was to be held back by the Academy Officials for a little chat, but as Nick waited for Judy outside the Academy with his son Nathan.
He started to feel funny feelings inside of him for the Rabbit...
And yet another Chapter done! Sorry I haven't uploaded in a while, I was in Paris for the past 3 days and I had so much fun! I went to the Stade de France, the Arc de Triomphe, went on a river cruise on the Seine, explored the magical land of Disneyland and conquered the Eiffel Tower! But I'm very exhausted and my body is still sleepy so I am basically hibernating at this point, but don't worry, more chapters are on the way! Be sure to leave a review if you want that to happen!