Back with another chapter! Just like last year, a new school year for some so another chapter for a story in a school setting. Enjoy!


The clock struck noon at Finnick's Tavern, signaling its employees that the lunch rush would soon be upon them. A member of the study group, Jack Savage, entered the establishment, hoping to find a table before the location became full and was in luck to see very few mammals inside. The buck strolled past the tables and other patrons in search of either Nick or Judy.

He finally caught the former, who was currently cleaning a table, and strolled up to him. "Nick!"

The fox turned in the direction of the voice to see Jack. "Hey Jack." He said, giving a nod.

"You got us a table for the meeting?"

Nick pointed with his finger, and Jack followed it to an empty booth in the corner.

"Thanks. Have you seen Judy? I don't see her around."

Nick shook his head, "She's supposed to be working right now."

"Do you know where she is?"

"I haven't seen her since she got kicked out of the library this morning."

"Ah yes, the others told me about that. I feel bad for the mammal who stole the outline when Ben and Judy find out."

"You have no idea. I do hope it was an accident, but I'm more worried for Ben than Judy."

"After what happened this morning, I agree."

Nick finished setting up the table he was working on before Jack arrived. "Let me go tell Finnick, and I'll join you later."

Jack nodded and proceeded to sit down in the booth. Not too long after, Skye and Fru Fru with her polar bear Troy joined the buck. The vixen took her seat while Troy set the shrew down on the table and then stood next to the booth. Nick made sure to accommodate the large predator when reserving a table.

"Hello," Skye said.

"Hi." Fru Fru said.

"Hey girls," Jack said. He noticed that Judy was not with them. "Do you two know where Judy is? I didn't see her working when I came in."

The girls shook their heads. At that moment, a sullen Clawhauser appeared, dragging his feet and a chair behind him. He placed the chair at the edge of the table and plopped onto it, dropping his head onto the table.

"I feel sick." The cheetah muttered.

"I heard about your outline," Jack said.

Clawhauser looked at his friends with a pleading look. "You all have to help me."

Before they could answer, Nick finally joined the group. "Alright, Finnick's let me go on break. Let's get started."

"What about Judy?" Fru Fru asked, concerned for her friend.

"I hate to start without her," Nick said regrettably. "But Finnick's not giving me much time because of the lunch shift. Don't worry. If she arrives when we finish, I'll fill her in while we work."

"Speaking of Judy, she told me that she emailed her outline before being kicked out," Skye said. "I checked later and can confirm."

"That takes care of her," Jack said. "What about you Skye?"

The arctic vixen sighed heavily, "My files got corrupted. I spent fifteen minutes trying to recover them but no luck. I have to rescan the outline again."

Jack let out a frustrated sigh, "This is not how the group is supposed to work. I plan my whole day around these meetings."

Again, Skye narrowed her eyes at the buck, but she appreciated him for being blunt this time. "Don't you talk to me like that! I apologize for my troubles, but this was beyond my control."

The buck crossed his arms, "If you think this group is important enough, you should arrive with your work whether you're on time or being late. If not, you might as well leave."

"Well that's a little extreme." Skye retorted.

"That's law school." Jack rebutted.

Nick felt his phone buzz in his pocket and quickly took the device out, grateful for the brief distraction. He grew more cheerful to see it was Judy calling. "It's Judy!"

The growing argument quickly dissipated, and the others paid close attention to Nick as he answered the call.

"Hey Carrots, where are you? Finnick's getting upset at you not showing up for work…wait, you're not Judy…What?...When?...How bad?...Alright, thanks for calling. Her friends and I will be there as soon as possible." He hung up, and the others saw his worried expression.

"What happened to Judy?" Skye asked, assuming it was serious from Nick's reaction.

"She's in the campus infirmary." He deadpanned. "She got hit by a car."

Everyone else, including the polar bear, gasped in horror and had terrified looks. Clawhauser especially.

"What are we waiting for?!" Fru Fru cried.

"You guys go on ahead," Nick said, standing up. "I'll try to get off as soon as possible."

The others agreed and wasted no time hurrying to their injured friend. Meanwhile, Nick set about finishing his tasks, hoping that the day's lunch rush would not keep him too occupied.


In the campus infirmary, Judy was laying on a bed and staring at the ceiling with her arms crossed. The white rabbit who hit Judy was sitting nearby, keeping watch on her since she already refused to seek medical attention. The campus police had already come in to file the accident report, and both rabbits agreed to not press the matter further. The two saw an otter nurse enter the room, only to check on the supplies before exiting shortly after. Judy grunted in frustration and tried to leave the bed when the white rabbit appeared in front of her.

"Hold it right there!" The white doe gave her a stern look. "You aren't going anywhere until you get looked at!"

Judy ignored her and succeeded in leaving the bed, but the accident left her limping which only served to hinder her efforts to leave and allow the white rabbit to stop her. Judy tried to sidestep her but each time, the latter blocked her path. After multiple failed attempts, Judy groaned in frustration but refused to return to the bed, standing her ground. The rabbits stared each other down as their feet thumped on the floor, which was slower for Judy.

Judy then decided to reason with the rabbit if she couldn't force her way out, "Look, I've waited long enough, and no one has come to check on me. Besides, I need to get my report for Bogo finished, and I've got to try to get back in the library!"

"No, I will do everything I can to keep you here until a doctor arrives! Now if you want to work until you're dead be my guest, but first let's see if you can work!"

Hearing the kernel of truth in her words and with the help of the ongoing pain, Judy finally calmed down and used the opportunity to get a better look at the white rabbit. The doe was wearing a light blue blouse and a darker blue skirt. Judy also noted her clean appearance, and with that information, she took a guess. "You're a law student right?"

The white rabbit let out a frustrated sigh, "Yes."

Seeing that she was gaining common ground, Judy pressed on, "Then you must understand the pressure I'm going through. I've been up practically all night. I got kicked out of the library. I got hit by a car. I'm exhausted! And the more I stay here, the more I fall behind."

It was the white rabbit's turn to find out information about Judy. "What's your name?"

The question caught her off guard, but she answered right away. "Judy."

The white rabbit then narrowed her eyes, "Judy, lie down on the bed."

"I can't get any work done if I do!"

Her patience at her limit, the white rabbit stomped her foot and clenched her fists. "Will you please do as I say?!"

Her yelling shocked Judy into silence, and it took a few moments before Judy finally, but reluctantly limp back to bed. The white rabbit stayed close in case she started to fall. Judy slowly climbed on the bed and lied down, facing her head at the other rabbit. "And what's your name?"

She took her place by Judy's side again. "Natalie."

"Natalie," Judy said more softly. "I appreciate all your help. I really do, but I have to work."

"Yes, you told me. Now I'll try to hurry the doctor. But in the meantime, lie down and rest. I've taken the liberty of calling your friends so they'll be here soon to keep you company."

"Thank you." But then she pointed a finger at her. "But if I fall asleep, you better wake me up!"

Natalie rolled her eyes at the request and exited the room, but not before checking one last time if Judy tried to leave.

Staring at the ceiling, Judy was feeling the pain in her legs and her left side from where the car hit. In an effort to distract herself, Judy turned her attention to the clock hanging on the wall. Her eyes widened at the current time, suddenly remembering the study group meeting at Finnick's during lunch. Panicking, the doe shot up from the bed, flinching from the pain and grasping the afflicted area.

"Okay," She grunted. "Never do that again."

Judy heard the doors open and, expecting Natalie with a doctor, was surprised to see her friends rushing into the room. She was even more surprised to see Nick not with them.

"Judy!" Fru Fru cried, seeing the bunny clutching her side. "Oh my goodness! Are you alright?!"

"Nothing serious," She said, relaxing her grip. "I'm still waiting for a doctor. Sorry for missing the study group meeting."

Skye shook her head. "Forget about it. We had just started when someone called Nick about your accident."

Judy felt relieved that she didn't miss much, "That's good, but where's Nick? Didn't he come with you?" She kept looking at the door, hoping he would appear any moment now.

"He needed to get permission from Finnick," Jack said.

"Oh no! The lunch shift!" Judy cried, having just occurred to her that she was currently missing work.

"Don't worry Juju," Fru Fru said. "I'm sure Nick explained your situation to Finnick and they're working something out. That and Finnick may need him for a couple of tables before he can come."

Judy smiled from the reassurance, reminding herself to thank Nick later. Her eyes slowly drifted to a meek Clawhauser, who was keeping himself distant from everyone else. She finally realized that he has not said anything since coming in. The doe knew the reason for his guilt. With a firm resolve, Judy decided the time was now to settle the matter.

"Ben,"

The others were quiet as the cheetah slowly moved forward to the bed, still avoiding eye contact and remaining silent. Everyone else slowly stepped away, leaving them two by themselves. Silence prevailed in the room as Judy remained calm while Clawhauser kept his eyes averted.

Finally, the cheetah mustered the courage to speak and raised his head at Judy.

"I'm sorry Judy. It's my fault you got hurt." Remorse and sadness filled his voice.

"Hey hey." She quickly interrupted before the tears flowed. "Yes, I'm upset that your behavior led to this, but it's the mammal who took your outline who is responsible for all this."

He slowly shuffled his feet around. "I still feel horrible for what happened."

"Ben, I promise that I'll help find your outline and the mammal after I finish my report."

"We'll help too!" Fru Fru concurred.

Jack and Skye nodded in agreement.

"Thanks everyone," Clawhauser said, cheering up from the encouragement.

At that moment, a deer doctor and the same otter nurse Judy saw earlier entered the room.

"Good afternoon, Judy," The deer said. "My apologies for the delays. Let's get you checked out. I'll have to ask everyone else to leave please."

The others stood outside while the doctor and the nurse diagnosed the extent of Judy's injuries. While waiting, they noticed a nervous white rabbit standing with them.

"Oh hi there!" Ben greeted. "Who are you?"

"Natalie," The white rabbit twiddled her fingers, her ears drooping behind her head, "I'm the one who made the call and brought her here. I'm…also the one who hit Judy. I'm sorry."

"Oh you poor thing!" Fru Fru cried. "But none of us here blames you for the accident. We're actually grateful for helping Judy. It could have been worse."

Natalie chuckled, "She actually tried to brush it off. I had to drag her here myself. Kept mumbling about a report for Bogo."

"That's Judy alright," Jack said. "Long story short: she has to do a report for Bogo in 48 hours. She was working on it at the law library when she got kicked out and had to go to the public one."

Natalie nodded, now understanding the circumstances. "That makes sense, and that's Bogo for you. Always challenging you to find the answers to your questions. As someone took him, you'll come to appreciate his teaching."

"Thanks for the confidence boost," Skye said.

At that moment, the doors opened, and the students saw the otter nurse standing in the doorway.

"You can come in now. The doctor is finished."

They reentered the room to see the doctor wrapping bandages around one of Judy's legs and her head.

"All done." The doctor said. She then handed Judy an ice pack. "Put this on your head to keep the swelling down. One should be enough."

"Thank you, Doctor," Judy smiled. "I feel much better. When can I leave?"

Seeing the doctor's smile wane told her the news was not good. "I'm afraid you will need to stay here for the rest of the day so we can watch for concussion symptoms."

"What?!" Judy groaned in pain from the reaction but continued on. "I can't stay here all day! I have work to do!"

The deer placed her paws on the hips and had a serious expression on her face. "And you can't work if your brain doesn't cooperate. Perhaps your friends here can arrange something, but you need to rest so you can recover. That's final." She motioned to the otter who then began collecting the medical supplies. "I'll come back to check on you."

The doctor and nurse took their leave.

"Well at least you'll only miss the rest of today," Clawhauser reassured. "Don't worry Judy. We'll make sure to get all the missing work."

"Thanks everyone."

Hearing her sullen tone and seeing her looking absentmindedly, the others knew that Judy had only one thing on her mind. They realized that nothing else can be done for now and decided it would be best for her to rest.

"Sorry Juju," Fru Fru said reluctantly. "But we have to go now. Classes and all."

The doe slowly nodded. "I understand."

"I'll stay here and watch her," Natalie said, taking a seat by the bed. "Your friend Nick will want to meet me."

"Much appreciate Natalie," Jack said. "And thanks again for taking care of Judy."

"We'll try to stop by later," Skye said. "See you soon."

After her friends departed, Judy turned to Natalie with a remorseful look. "I'm sorry for keeping you from your work. You must have a busy schedule."

Natalie pointed over to her bag nearby, "I have everything I need. Besides, I was on my way to lunch when we crossed paths. Literally."

"Oh no, I'm sorry!" For, Judy, knowing Natalie must be hungry was worse than her missing work. "You can go eat while we wait for Nick. Seriously, I promise to rest."

"I believe you, but I prefer waiting until your other friend arrives." Natalie decided to change topics and wanted to know why Judy was in such a rush earlier. "I do have to ask. How much of your grade depends on this report?"

"Actually, Bogo never specified. Only to meet him in his office with it, but I can't take that risk."

"I know very well about him and assumptions," Natalie nodded. "I did have him for Contracts. Still, you need to relax. There's no need to kill yourself over a report."

Judy scoffed while lying down, careful to move very little and keeping the ice on her head. "As if law school isn't already doing that to me. Others too," She sighed heavily. "You give up sleep. Hygiene. Appearance. All that good stuff. But even then, there doesn't seem to be enough time. Every day it's the same routine. It's gotten to the point where all I see is Bogo telling me to be prepared for class," She then did her impression of the Cape Buffalo. "You must be prepared, Hopps. There are no excuses. "

Hearing that caused Natalie to pity Judy, reminding her that she too was once in her situation. "It still doesn't justify overexerting yourself." She tried to reason.

"Well if I'm going to be a lawyer, I can't go to court unprepared."

Natalie sighed heavily. "You're taking this too seriously, Judy."

The gray doe raised an eyebrow at the statement. "Oh? And you didn't when you were a 1L?"

Natalie shrugged her shoulders. "It was different for me."

"Really?" She became more curious by her response.

Natalie nodded, "It was different because I never needed help. I did everything by myself. Of course, that's just how I am."

Before Judy could ask another question, a phone buzzing drew her attention, and she saw Natalie reach into her pocket.

The white rabbit saw the caller ID. "Excuse me. I got to take this."

Judy nodded and waited patiently as Natalie answered the call.

"Hello...Yes, I'm alright. I didn't get hurt…Don't worry. I'll explain when I return. In the meantime, you're in charge…Thank you, and don't forget to check the citations. The issue goes to the printer soon. Goodbye."

Natalie ended the call and turned to see a curious and intrigued Judy looking at her.

"What? I have friends." The white rabbit's voice was filled with sarcasm.

"No, no, it's not that," Judy replied, shaking her head and waving her free paw. "If you don't mind me asking, where do you work?"

"Well," Natalie challenged. "You're a law student. You figure it out."

Judy accepted it wholeheartedly and began digging through what she currently knew about Natalie. The first thing she focused on was her year. Natalie had to be either a 2L or 3L when she mentioned taking Bogo for Contracts.

"You're definitely not a 1L."

"That's a start, but I don't think that's what you were looking for."

"I know, but it helps narrow down the options."

Judy's mind went to Natalie's phone call just a few moments ago. The way she asserted herself to the mammal on the other end led her to believe that she was the boss in some office. Judy then recalled her mentioning the issue going to the printer, meaning she must work for a publishing organization. In law school, Judy knew there could only be one thing. Slowly, the pieces came together in her mind, and she came to a surprising yet exciting conclusion about Natalie.

Judy gazed in awe at the rabbit sitting before her. "You're the President of Law Review."

Natalie smiled at her answer and nodded. "Correct."

Judy had to restrain herself from becoming too excited and further agitating the pain, but on the inside, she was doing backflips. "Wow! President of the Law Review!" She began firing off the questions. "Tell me! How did you do it? How did you get the best grades and write the best papers? How? What did you do?"

Natalie let out a chuckle at her enthusiasm but then looked Judy in the eye as she gave her answer. "Work. Every. Single. Day."

Before Judy could respond, the rabbits heard the door burst open and a voice cried out.

"Carrots!"

Judy and Natalie turned to see a panicking Nick standing at the door, who was also holding a box in both paws

"Nick!" Judy cried. "You're here!" Excitement filled her again at him finally arriving.

"Yeah," He walked over to a nearby table to set the box down before standing next to Judy. "Sorry for being late. Did others explain my situation?"

Judy nodded and then her nose picked up the smell from the box. "Is that pizza?"

"Yeah," Nick said, tapping the box with his paw. "I thought that since you missed lunch I could bring something for you."

"Oh Nick, you didn't have to! Wait, did you pay for that?"

Nick shook his head. "Nah, it was a canceled order so Finnick let me have it free of charge. Veggie pizza too. "

If she weren't in pain, Judy would have gotten emotional, but she still expressed her gratitude, "Thank you, Nick."

It was then that Nick finally noticed Natalie nearby. "Who's the rabbit?"

"I'm Natalie. I'm the one who called you and brought Judy here." She had the sullen look again and her ears were drooping. "I'm…also the one who ran into Judy."

"It's okay," Nick reassured. "I heard the whole story. I'm not angry. I'm glad for you helping Judy. She can be one stubborn bunny."

The remark got an eye roll from Natalie. "Tell me about it."

"I'm right here you know!" Judy exclaimed, annoyed at the current roasting going on.

"Don't deny it," Nick said, smirking.

Judy gave a huff and faced away from the two. Natalie could hear her whispering Dumb Fox and had to restrain a giggle.

"Well my work here is done," The white rabbit stretched her arms and hopped off the chair. "I need to get back to Law Review. Like your friends, I'll try to stop by later tonight. If not, tomorrow."

"Alright then," Judy said.

The white rabbit had gathered her belongings and was on her way out when Judy quickly called out to her.

Natalie paused to see what Judy wanted.

"Take some pizza. You must be hungry after taking care of me."

Natalie shook her head, trying not to impose. "Oh I can't do that."

"I insist," Nick said, holding out the open box and a napkin for her.

Just looking at the veggie pizza and the smell reaching her nose were making it difficult for her not to say yes. The final straw came when her stomach grumbled. She cupped her belly in embarrassment and finally gave in. "Thank you." She took the napkin and used it to take two slices. "It was nice meeting you both."

Nick and Judy waved her goodbye and were left alone in the room.

"Don't even say it, Nick," Judy warned, glaring at the fox and pointing a finger at him. "I'm already dealing with enough for one day, and Natalie already lectured me about not watching the road."

"Oh good! She did most of the work for me." He said, sitting down at the foot of the bed and laying the pizza between him and Judy.

"Har har."

Nick chuckled. "Believe me. The urge is strong, but I do have my limits. How are you feeling?"

"The doctor wants me to stay overnight to watch for a concussion," Judy reached forward and picked up a slice. "Other than that it's only scrapes and bruises."

"Good. You need the rest," Nick brought his bag on the bed and unzipped it to bring out two water bottles. "Drink?"

"Thank you," Judy placed the bottle beside her before resuming on the pizza.

Nick first took a sip of water and then grabbed a slice. "So, what did you and Natalie talk about before we came?"

"Well, I found out that she's the president of the Law Review."

"Wow, talk about a first impression. I can tell she felt really bad."

"She did," After finishing two slices, Judy started drinking her water. "After that, I explained why I was in a hurry and my report for Bogo. You can save me the conversation about overworking in law school. I already had it with Natalie."

"I mean she does have a point," Nick said, chewing on his slice. "I'm actually jealous of you right now. Getting the afternoon off to rest while the rest of us slaves away on casebooks."

"I don't. It's going to be harder to do a good job on the report now!"

"Carrots. You're acting like you did in the first week again." He hated to have to remind her, but it needed to be done.

But the realization brought little comfort to Judy. "Ugh! I know, but it just feels like that after finally climbing out of the hole, I fall right back in," She looked down at her legs, feeling gloomy. "I just want to be at the top." She said softly.

The sadness in her voice ached at Nick, but he knew that her drive was not something that will change. The best he could do is try to reason and reassure her. "I understand, Fluff. But will Bogo really think any different of you if the report is subpar? What if he ends up making it extra credit?"

Judy had to resist commenting that Natalie said something similar. Instead, she gave a similar response. "No, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't put in the effort to make a great report," She decided to change topics, hoping to lighten the mood. "Anyways, how did the study group meeting go?"

Nick sighed heavily as he prepared to deliver the bad news. "Just like breakfast. Jack making it clear of his displeasure for the group being disorganized." A smile grew on his face and he chuckled, making Judy wonder what was so funny. "I think your accident may have stopped a fight from breaking out between him and Skye."

Judy wanted to be upset, but even that got her to giggle. "It's not been our day. Has it?"

Nick shared his own chuckle. "No, it hasn't. It makes me more worried how the rest of the week will play out."

Judy pushed the pizza aside and slowly reached forward to place an assuring paw on Nick's. "We'll get through this. You should focus on keeping the group together. Natalie can keep me company if I end up staying longer. It's nice to have a little bunny girl time every now and then." Her mind then went to another point she wanted to ask. "Does Finnick know about the accident?"

Nick nodded, "Yeah, don't worry your job is safe. I may have to take on more hours until you return but judging from how you look. You should be back in no time."

"Darn right I will!"

The two broke out in laughter from Judy's enthusiasm. In spite of a string of bad luck since the morning, Nick and Judy were happy for this moment of happiness.

"Oop!" Nick suddenly exclaimed. "Nature calling. I'll be right back."

Judy had to restrain a laugh from the way Nick leaped from the bed and skipped towards the restroom. She sighed heavily and laid back down, staring at the ceiling to pass the time. But the act was making her eyelids grow heavy. Before sleep could consume her, she shook her head which woke her up promptly.

Darn food coma...

Judy searched around the room for anything to keep her awake. Her eyes fell on the clock hanging on the wall, and she focused on the seconds ticking by. Unfortunately, the act only increased her drowsiness, and her eyelids grew heavy again.

When Nick returned from the bathroom, he was surprised to find Judy snoozing away. Taking care not to disturb her, he walked over to clean up their trash and gather his belongings. Standing next to the bed, he smiled at how peaceful she looked sleeping. Leaving her soda behind and seeing how Judy was already on top of the blanket, Nick chose to ruffle the fur in her head which caused her to smile and stir slightly in her sleep.

He himself smiled at the behavior before letting Judy have some well-earned rest.


A bit of good fortune has finally touched our characters. Will there be more or is that all they will be getting?