Disclaimer: Zootopia and all canon characters are owned by Disney. All other characters, product names, trademarks, and copyrights belong to their respective owners.

…..

*sniff sniff*

Nick looked up from his phone and then around to a bench where he saw what looked like a nine-year-old rabbit buck dressed as a ghost sitting all by himself.

Glancing back at the small neighborhood grocery store Judy had just ducked into, Nick cautiously walked over and said, "Hey, little bun, are you okay?"

The buck jumped a bit at seeing a fox decked out as a Corellian smuggler carrying a wicked-looking blaster.

"Don't worry, I'm just wearing a costume," said Nick while turning around to show the kit that he was just a regular fox. "Our costume party's all done, and now my mate and I are headed to the Metro station so we can catch a train ride home. Did you get lost trick-or-treating?"

The kit wiped a tear out of his eye and asked, "Is that a real blaster? It looks pretty cool."

"This?" shrugged Nick just before he quick-drew the pistol, spun it around a couple of times by the trigger guard, and reholstered it.

Well, almost. The gun went in the holster grip first, fell out, and Nick had to grab it out of mid-air before it hit the sidewalk.

The kit laughed.

Nick snorted, "No laughing, I had to trade one of my most favorite comic books for this exact replica blaster and a lightsaber for my mate."

Waving over a bunny doe dressed in a white robe belted at the waist with a purple lightsaber hanging on her hip, Nick said, "Carrots. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think it was something I ate. I grabbed a bottle of water, and that seems to have settled my stomach a little," said Judy coming up to where Nick was standing.

"Who's this?"

"I'm Jonathan." *sniff*

"Hi, Jonathan. My name is Judy, and I'm a police officer with the ZPD. Are you okay? It's kind of late for you to be out here all by yourself."

"You don't look like a police officer. How come you're wearing those funny earmuffs?"

"Those aren't earmuffs. They're fake buns–" started Nick as both rabbits looked at him. "I mean, it's how Princess Leia wore her hair in the first movie, and Carrots wouldn't let me wrap her ears like I wanted to, so I had to order fake hair buns off of Lambazon and…"

Both rabbits were still staring at Nick, except Jonathan's mouth dropped open.

"It's okay," sighed Judy, "Nick's a little dorky, but he means well. We came in from our place downtown for a party, and that's why I'm wearing this costume.

"Here's my badge and ID that shows I'm a cop. So, if something's wrong, you can tell us, and we'll see if we can help you."

"You're pretty."

"Thank you. You're ghost costume is nice and scary too."

"I'm not a ghost. I'm a spirit that's just come to life."

"Oh, okay, that's a different kind of costume," replied Judy with a smile. "So, what are you doing here by yourself? Is there someone we can call for you?"

"Nope," said Jonathan hopping off the bench, "I was just waiting for my parents. I'm ready to go home now."

Nick looked at Judy and then at the kit and said, "Where are your parents?"

"They're headed to my house. Can you walk me there? We just moved in, and I don't know how to get home from here."

"Do you know your address or phone number?" asked Nick.

"1985 Lone Pine Ranch road. Everyone says my dad is extra dorky, so I figured he'd want me to memorize it first thing," replied Jonathan with his paws in his pockets under his costume.

"Sounds like a pretty smart Dad to me," said Judy.

"Yeah, that's for sure something I'd want my kits to know right away," said Nick pointing up the street, away from the Metro stop, "and lucky for you, we're only a couple of blocks from your house."

"Thanks," said Jonathon as he started walking toward where Nick had pointed.

Judy and Nick watched the kit for a few steps until Nick shrugged and, waving his paw, said, "After you, my princess."

Taking her mate's paw in hers, Judy said, "Nerf herders first, honey."

After a block or so, Judy asked, "So, Jonathan, do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"Uh-huh, my littermate is a girl. She's oldest, but she's a scaredy-fox 'cause she's waiting at the house to see Mom and Dad."

Nick chuckled as they came within view of a two-story house with a 'For Sale' sign in the front yard, "A scaredy-fox? Don't you mean a scaredy-bun since you and your sister are rabbits?"

"Nope," said Jonathan skipping his way up the walkway toward the dark porch. "I'm only mostly a rabbit, and my sister Katie is mostly a fox."

"Jonathan, this house is vacant. There aren't any lights on or anything," said Judy stopping in the walkway. "Where are your parents?"

"They're here now. Thank you for walking me home. Katie says she wants more brothers and sisters, especially sisters. Good night."

Nick and Judy ran the rest of the way up to the porch and called out for Jonathan. Nick even called out for Katie once, but no response.

Turning on his phone's flashlight, Nick checked all over, but no bunny kit in a spirit costume.

Nothing at all on the porch except for a flyer Judy picked up.

"Look at this, brand new on the market, five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a gourmet kitchen, a finished basement, and a big backyard with a garden."

"And not too far away from a Metro stop," added Nick taking the flyer.

"Yeah, exactly what we've been looking for–" started Judy before covering her muzzle and rushing off the porch to the bushes in the front of the house and throwing up.

"Carrots, what's wrong? Do I need to call an ambulance or something?"

Judy took a drink from her water bottle and wiped her muzzle clean with the handkerchief Nick gave her before saying, "No ambulance. I'm okay."

"You're not okay. You've looked green all day. Not Hulk green, but not good either. What's going on?"

Judy motioned Nick closer and then taking his paws in hers, said, "I wasn't sure before, but I'm pretty sure now. I think you're going to be a Dad."

"You mean, you're…"

Nick fainted.

Gently stroking her unconscious mate's muzzle, Judy looked up and saw a couple of sparkles in one of the upstairs bedroom windows grow bright with joy and then flitter away.

"Yup, I'm pregnant with two very special kits."

…..

Happy Halloween 2022 😊

~Mikey