I'm just glad that this chapter is out after stewing on in for so long. Judy will be the focus for the next few chapters and all I will say is that it will be a rollercoaster.
Much thanks to J Shute for the edits
May 8, 1915,
This is the longest period of time that has passed since my last nightmare. They have been occurring far fewer by the day, and my family has been very supportive during this difficult transition. In an ironic twist of fate, working as a farmer has helped with the healing. I am slowly opening up to my family and have been spending much more time with them. I had spent many years striving to be different from my family, yet it is currently bringing me comfort and stability. I haven't given much thought to my future when the war is over. One thing for certain; I will move on from being a farmer at the first opportunity, even if my parents are against that idea.
Her mind drifted to that fateful day when she overheard the chaplain imploring prey soldiers to kill all predators regardless of their age and their situation. Now having the time to reflect, she realized that an opportunity had presented itself. Returning to the military will allow her to train soldiers in defending their homes without being relentless. To show mercy instead of brutality. It would be a large and ambitious goal considering the circumstances, but Judy felt that it is the right thing to do.
This journal has helped relieve the stress from the nightmares. However, I am still reluctant to discuss my experiences with everyone else despite their offers to listen. Where would I begin? Will I scare them? It has been especially difficult when family members wishing to join the army come to me with questions. I do not want them to experience what I have suffered, yet I do not want to be the reason they choose not to follow their dreams. All I can do is warn of the expectations and encourage them to work hard.
Judy stole a glance at the fox plush sitting in front of her, envying its ever cute eyes and smile. Keeping secrets from her family brought her to the biggest one of them all. Three months in and she still had no idea how to explain her positive encounter with a fox on the battlefield. How would her family react? How could they understand something that only she experienced? How would Bunnyburrow respond?
I have accepted that one day my family will know the truth because of the promise Nick and I made. But my worst fear is that I will not be ready to explain why I am in love with a fox, and Bunnyburrow is the worst place for this to happen. The prey population has long tolerated predators out of necessity, and only recently have friendships become normal. But a predator and prey in a romantic relationship? Throughout my life, I have always refused to give up and fight for victory when challenged. But I finally realize that I cannot face this challenge alone. No one will believe my love for Nick unless he is there with me. And even if mammals believe I am in a forced relationship, we can at least face the troubles together. Just as I will lay down my life to protect Bunnyburrow, I will lay down my life to protect Nick.
The sound of Bonnie's voice and her rapping on the door disrupted Judy's train of thought. "Judy, are you awake?"
"Yes, Mother," She quickly replied.
"Okay, breakfast is on the table. Don't take too long, or it will get cold."
"Thank you. I'll be down soon."
Judy closed her journal and grabbed it and the fox plush. She walked over to her open closet and stored the journal under her uniform. The bunny then kissed the fox plush on its head and placed it on top of her uniform. She smiled and placed her cap on the plush, giggling when half of it disappeared under the object.
She then stood in an official stance. "Your orders are to guard these valuables against any intruders until my return."
Judy raised the plush's arm to its head in a salute and then spoke in a high voice, "Yes, ma'am."
"Good, Soldier." She returned the salute before shutting the closet doors and locking her room, ready for the day.
Today was Judy's turn to operate the roadside stand. She had slowly been getting back into the routine by performing different jobs around the burrow. First, cleaning the house. Then progressing to caring for her family before finally working in the fields. But, once in a while, she would return to the roadside stand to enjoy the peace and quiet that comes from sitting alone and waiting for customers. When customers did come, she used the opportunity to glean for the happenings around town.
Judy began the routine by grabbing a newspaper from the pile beside her. While not ideal, she couldn't help being drawn to any news relating to the Great War. Nearly every part of her wished to read a headline pertaining to the end of the war. Whenever she read about the predators suffering large losses, it took every fiber for her not to assume the worst and remind herself of the possibilities. Nick could be anywhere and anything could have happened to him. He could have been discharged like her and be safe at home, waiting for the war to end and to reach out to her again.
Before her mind continued down the dark path, Judy returned her attention to the front page of the Zoo York Times, only for her heart to drop from reading the headlines.
Lupintania sunk by submarine, probably 1,260 dead; Twice torpedoed off the coast of Deereland; Sinks in 15 minutes. Captain saved, prominent Zootopians missing; City believes a grave crisis brewing
No!
Her worst fears had come to fruition. When she first read of Germammy's naval declaration, she knew that it would only escalate the tensions. The rabbit could only imagine the implications on the belligerent countries and how mammals would react to such loss of life. The invasion of Bellgium had not been well received, but she felt that this incident will draw a worse response, especially from Zootopia. The one terrible thing she knew was that life for predators was going to get much worse.
A small voice suddenly brought the grey doe out of her panic, "Judy!"
Surprised, the rabbit turned in the direction of the voice and saw her favorite niece running up to her. "Cotton?"
The kit stopped in front of her, before fidgeting with her paws and her ears drooping. "Can I sit with you? No one wants to play right now."
Cotton never failed to cheer up her aunt, no matter her behavior. Judy smiled and leaned down with her arms out. "Of course,"
The young rabbit became excited and jumped into her arms before being brought onto Judy's lap. The two rabbits simply sat in silence, Judy enjoying watching Cotton looking around with kit-like curiosity. The younger rabbit's eyes then landed on the newspaper that Judy had been reading. As Cotton read the big words, one in particular caught her attention.
"Why did those mammals die?"
The question snapped Judy out of her bliss. "What?"
Cotton grabbed the newspaper and pointed. "This."
Judy sucked in a breath when seeing the familiar headline. She knew this led down to a dangerous line of questions. She didn't want to lie to her niece, but she also didn't want her to believe that predators are bad because of their actions.
Her response did go unnoticed by Cotton, thinking she hurt her aunt with the question. "I'm sorry, Judy. Did I say something bad?"
Seeing her sad eyes and drooping ears, Judy quickly composed herself, shaking her head and smiling again. "No, you didn't do anything wrong. This…is something you have to be grown up to understand." She began caressing her niece. Judy could have moved on to a different conversation, but with how quickly news can spread in Bunnyburrow, she didn't want Cotton coming to hate predators. That could lead her into participating in harming them in the future. Judy calmly set the newspaper down before taking a deep breath. "Their ship sank and not everyone could make it to the lifeboats."
"Why did it sink?" Cotton tilted her head and looked at her aunt with curious eyes.
Judy could only give a gloomy smile, mindful of her words, "A submarine attacked the ship."
Curiosity instantly became distress. "Why? Did the ship do anything wrong?"
Judy took in a sharp breath. No turning back now. "They…thought it was an enemy ship."
"But couldn't the ship tell the submarine that they weren't bad?"
Judy continued to have more difficulty with each answer, but she had to continue. To her, it was a miracle that she hadn't broken down crying yet. "They did, but I guess the enemy didn't receive the warning in time. Or maybe the submarine decided to ignore the warnings." It was both a lie and a truth since she didn't have all the information on the incident.
"Oh…" Distress became sadness as Cotton stared down at Judy's lap.
Judy brought her niece in for a hug and slowly rocked her. "I know it's sad. I wish those mammals didn't have to die also, but that's what happens in war sometimes."
Cotton returned the hug and snuggled into Judy's chest. The older rabbit hated seeing her favorite niece upset. She wished her answers were more positive, but there was little she could do besides outright lie. A line she was treading dangerously close to.
The silence was punctured again by another question from Cotton. "Will the predators attack us?"
The daunting question caused Judy to freeze. She slowly broke the hug, and her eyes met with Cotton's gaze. The fear and worry in the kit's eyes ached at her. A sad smile grew on Judy's face as she stroked Cotton. "I hope not. We're neutral, and they must respect that. If for any reason they need to pass through here, they have to ask us first."
"Will you protect us from the predators if they do attack?"
The smile grew bigger, and she nodded. "Yes. Yes, I will."
The childish joy returned, and Cotton pressed herself into Judy's chest. "Good, I don't want the bad predators here."
Judy froze again, eyes wide and nose twitching. "Who told you that?"
"The school."
Hearing the source nearly caused the gray rabbit to break down as memories of that fateful meeting flooded her mind. The thoughts began to grow dark when she imagined Bunnyburrow being invaded and the denizens' ferocious response. The blood spilled among both sides that stained the grounds of Bunnyburrow as screams and gunfire raged. They finally reached their apex when images of a red fox dying in her arms started to appear.
"Aunt Judy?!" Hearing Cotton's words and feeling her paws shaking jolted Judy. The older doe looked down to see tears forming in her niece's eyes. She then noticed how her body had been shaking, the shallow breaths, and the wet stains on her face.
On instinct, Judy brought her niece in a hug and nuzzled her, sadness overwhelming the gray rabbit. She felt the little rabbit do the same. "Oh Cotton," She took a deep breath, trying to not cry. "Not all predators in the army are bad. Some of them are like me. Just wanting to fight for and defend their home." Judy looked straight into her eyes. "You would do the same right?"
Cotton wiped a tear and nodded. "Yes."
"Then predators would too." She said with a smile.
Her niece sniffled and nodded. "Okay,"
Judy helped wipe their tears away before they hugged each other again. The older bunny reminded herself to be more careful when predators were being discussed in a negative light. She may have saved herself with Cotton, but other members of her family or even the town may not be so forgiving. Once she was alone again, she planned to practice Nick's motto in anticipating hate against predators, especially foxes. Lucky for her, Bunnyburrow happened to be the ideal location.
"Judy! Cotton!"
The two rabbits looked up to see Bonnie approaching and the truck parked nearby with two other rabbits inside. Judy recognized them as her brothers Nestor and Felix.
Bonnie arrived at the stand and looked down sweetly at Cotton. "Mother needs to speak to Judy right now, Cotton. Go play with your siblings."
"Okay," She hopped off her aunt's lap and waved at her. "Bye Judy, I love you!" She then scampered off.
Bonnie and Judy watched Cotton scamper off before the mother turned to her daughter with a sad look. "She hasn't been this happy since you left. She misses you a lot. I don't know how she could bear losing you."
Judy returned a smile and nodded. "As am I, Mother. What do you need me to do?"
"I need you to go with your brothers to deliver crates to both the market and to Gideon's Bakery." She walked around the stand to take Judy's place. "I'll take over until you return."
The opportunity to see Gideon's progress excited her, and that was all she needed to be convinced. "Yes, Mother." Judy stepped off the chair and stretched her limbs from sitting. She gave Bonnie a hug and a kiss before heading to the truck. Nestor sat in the driver's seat while Felix sat in the bed to watch over the crates of Hopps produce.
"Judy!" Nestor exclaimed.
"Hi, Sis!" Felix greeted.
"Hello," She said, entering the passenger seat. "Ready to go."
Nestor nodded and started the truck, the three rabbits beginning their ride into town. The ride was initially silent until Nestor broke it with a question that was on his mind ever since Judy returned home.
"Say Judy. Have you thought about what to do now that you've been discharged? I can only assume that it doesn't involve farming."
Judy giggled at the last sentence. "That's correct. I've been thinking of applying to the police department." She saw the surprised looks on her brothers' faces. "I've thought long and hard about it from the moment I've been discharged."
"Do you think the Bunnyburrow police will accept you?" Felix asked.
"Actually, I was thinking of joining the one in Zootopia. Some of the soldiers I met worked as officers in the city. They told me helpful information on the application process and the training academy."
Nestor raised an eyebrow at his sister's ambition. "Heading to the big city? I don't know how Mother and Father will take it. You just got back from fighting soldiers, and now you want to go fight criminals. Then again, fighting for a cause is all you know how to do, so that might be for the best."
"I may wait until the war is over to apply in Zootopia, just in case things get worse here and I'm needed. Besides, I can live with working at the desk until a position opens."
"Whatever your decision is sister, you have our support," Felix said. "We can drive to the police station after the deliveries."
Judy smiled at her brothers, grateful for their support. "Thank you. I appreciate that."
The truck arrived at the town and drove in the direction of the bakery. Meanwhile, Judy gazed at the passing mammals and buildings. No matter how many times she'd seen it, Judy couldn't shake that feeling of being out of place. Her family and the denizens have helped make her feel welcomed, but after seeing the world outside Bunnyburrow, her home started to feel empty. A feeling she wished it wasn't true but dared not to dwell on. Unfortunately, it would be another problem she would have to address later.
The bunnies arrived at their destination and parked in front of the bakery where Gideon stood waiting for them.
The portly fox waved at the Hopps. "Hey there Judy! Didn't expect you to come here."
"Hi, Gideon!" Judy went to go hug the fox while her brothers unloaded the crates from the truck. "How are you?" The grey rabbit asked as they broke the hug.
"I'm doing well. T-thank you. Ah-ah got a special order which is why I asked for a lot this time."
"What's the occasion?" Judy curiously asked.
Gideon proceeded to assist Nestor and Felix. "Celebration. I'll explain more when we finish. Come on, let's help your brothers."
Judy nodded, and the two joined the brothers in moving the crates inside the bakery. During the task, Judy noticed that Gideon didn't have anyone else working in the shop.
"Do you still work alone?" She could see his ears fall and the look of embarrassment from the question.
"Y-yes, unfortunately. My family does come in help, but they have their business matters to tend to. I tried reaching out to my friend Travis, my ferret friend if you remember. B-but I got no response from him yet. I tried putting the word out once your family started sponsoring me. Nothing so far."
As Judy went to relay her sympathies, she paused as an idea came to mind. One that could assist with breaking that wall between her and her home. The rabbit can provide Gideon with the help he needed and show Bunnyburrow his amazing baking. She would need to discuss that idea with her parents first. It would be an option if the police didn't work out.
The four finished moving the last of the crates into the kitchen in no time, and the rabbits sat in the chairs for a quick rest.
Gideon came from the kitchen carrying a tray that had three dishes, three glasses, and a pitcher. "I figure you three deserve a treat for all your support."
"Are you sure you don't want us to pay?" Nestor said. "You've done this many times for us."
"Nonsense! It's only fair since I am using your stuff. Why Judy loved the blueberry pie I gave her!"
Judy shrunk in her chair from embarrassment while blushing from the compliment. "It was good. Can you blame me?"
Felix smiled and chuckled. "Well if it wasn't for your word, this would have never happened."
Gideon set the plates and glasses down before filling the latter with milk from the pitcher. "I'm trying to branch out so this time I made a pot pie. Since ya'll don't eat meat, it has only vegetables. I never made one without meat before so I like to know if I did a good job."
The rabbits picked up their forks and took a bite from the pie. Their ears shot up and their eyes widened before they drooped and grins slowly formed on their faces, letting out a satisfying hum.
"Sweet cheese and crackers, that is delicious!" Nestor cried.
"I never knew our stuff could be this good!" Felix exclaimed.
"You truly have a talent for this Gideon!" Judy said excitedly.
Gideon rubbed the back of his head, trying not to feel embarrassed from the compliments. "Aw shucks. Thanks y'all. I-I just hope everyone else feels the same."
"Once we get more of our family to come, there's no reason why word won't spread," Judy said.
The fox smiled, at a loss from the help being given. "I appreciate that very much. Holler if you need me."
The rabbits continued with their dishes as Gideon returned to his duties. Before long, they finished and departed from the bakery, promising the fox to return at a later date. The brothers next stopped at the police station to drop Judy off.
"If you finish early, you can wait here or at Gideon's. Either location is on the way from where we are heading." Nestor said.
"Thank you. I'll let you know how it went."
"Go get 'em, sister!" Felix encouraged.
With that, the brothers drove off, leaving Judy standing in front of the Bunnyburrow Police Department. The brick building stood at three stories high, designed to not only house criminals from her hometown but also the occasional fugitive from Zootopia. At the turn of the century, the town had experienced an influx of outlaws escaping from Zootopia to here. As a result, the two jurisdictions collaborated on a solution where if the fugitive was caught, Bunnyburrow would hold the mammals until extradited.
Her mind went back to that day in school when one of her classmates got stuck in a tree and how she managed to get him down just when the police arrived. The memory of the officer congratulating her and commenting on how she would be a wonderful officer brought a smile on her face. It had been a childhood dream that was now slowly being realized. While not the Zootopia Police Department, it was certainly in the right direction.
Judy shook herself from the memories and promptly ascended the stairs and into the building. It had been many years since her last visit. Her family rarely had any trouble with the law, and the most interaction they ever had with an officer was when they visited their home on patrol and purchased from the roadside stand. There were a few bad apples in the family, but her parents instilled a sense of respect whenever serious infractions occurred.
"Welcome Miss! How may I help you?"
The voice broke Judy from her thoughts, and she looked forward to the rabbit receptionist.
Judy promptly strolled up to the front desk. "Yes, are there any positions available?"
"What are you applying for?"
She didn't hesitate. "I want to be an officer."
The other rabbit raised an eyebrow at the answer. "Why do you want to apply for that?"
Judy was not surprised at the skepticism and already had an answer prepared. "I hear that the police are currently short on mammals because of the war. I can be a temporary officer until they return. Crime is not going to stop just because those who fight it take time off. This place must have work piled up, and I believe you could use some help." Judy hoped the answer satisfied her question, knowing that only Nestor and Felix knew about her current goal.
The two rabbits continued to stare at each other in silence, with Judy putting on a smile and trying hard not to show her nervousness. The rabbit receptionist continued to have her skeptic look, contemplating Judy's response and still trying to wrap her head around a doe wanting to be an officer. Just when she started to have doubts, the receptionist reached for the telephone on the desk.
"I can't make that decision, so let me call the Chief."
Judy's ears shot up, and her eyes became hopeful. "Thank you!"
She took her seat while the receptionist called the police chief. Anxious and curious, she couldn't help but overhear the conversation between the two mammals. Judy carefully shifted closely so it didn't appear that she was straining to listen in.
"Chief Lupus, there is a mammal here who is asking about a position here…she wants to apply as a police officer…yes, I said she…Yes, sir." The receptionist hung up the phone and turned her eyes to Judy. "You may go see him now."
Judy nearly bounced in excitement as she got up and approached the desk. "Thank you!"
The receptionist wrote the directions to the office on a piece of paper and gave it to Judy. Lupus' office was located near the end of the hall on the second floor. On the way, her mind was only focused on the meeting and getting there. Her answer to the receptionist was only partial with her full answer intended for the chief. She had months to prepare, and it all came down to this meeting.
Judy soon arrived at her destination and stood before the door to the office. Many thoughts ran through her mind: what could she say, how would the chief respond, would she be successful. Finally mustering the strength, the rabbit closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "You can do this Judy." She raised a paw, knocked on the door a few times, and then waited.
A male voice immediately came through the door. "Come in! The door's open!"
With the invitation, Judy opened the door, revealing a gray wolf sitting at his desk with his hat off to the side. While Bunnyburrow was mostly prey, families of predators had settled in the town over the years. While some of the prey denizens were fearful, they understood the benefits of having predators in charge of crucial positions such as police and doctors. By the turn of the century, the tension between the prey and predators of Bunnyburrow was slowly waning.
The bunny walked forward after closing the door behind her. The wolf smiled and waved his paw, beckoning Judy to come sit down. She wasted no time approaching and climbing onto the seat.
"Hello!" Lupus greeted. "You needed to speak to me, Miss?"
"Yes! My name's Judy Hopps, and I want to apply for the position of a police officer."
Like the rabbit receptionist, the wolf too raised an eyebrow, but the look was more curious than skeptical. "A police officer? Are you sure you don't want a desk job instead? Or perhaps a secretary position?"
Judy shook her head. "No, sir. I want to be a police officer."
The wolf shifted in his chair to get more comfortable. "Any reason? You're the first doe I recall inquiring about this position."
The rabbit took a deep breath to gather thoughts before answering. "You are probably familiar that I returned home from the war."
The wolf simply nodded, signaling for her to continue.
"Well, I've been experiencing difficulty feeling at home. I believe that working for the Bunnyburrow police department will help my recovery since fighting crime is similar to fighting enemy soldiers. Also, it seems you are in need of mammal power. I assume they went off to fight?"
The wolf nodded and sighed. "Yes, most of the officers here are predators, and very few prey are coming in to replace them." Judy could see the sadness in the wolf's eyes. "I should count my blessings that Bunnyburrow has low crime, but the war being very close us has the mammals on edge. I'm afraid that when the breaking point does come, there will be nothing I can do to stop it without causing more problems. We're lucky that the families are strong here, or the criminals would have free reign."
"Did you have any solutions?"
Lupus shook his head. "I've tried everything: advertisement in the newspaper, speaking with the Burrow council, even having a stand at this past Carrot Day festival. All with very little success."
Judy's heart ached at the chief's situation, but she perked up immediately, knowing this was the opening she needed. "Then let me help you."
The wolf raised an eyebrow in confusion but said nothing.
Judy took it as a signal to continue. "The rabbits have their large families to lean on for support and protection. Meanwhile, the predators only have each other because of the potential hostilities. The remaining prey rely on rabbit families because of their numbers. If I join, it may inspire other rabbits too so they can protect their home and community. Maybe the war can be turned to our advantage in uniting Bunnyburrow to keep it neutral. Being so close to Deerebrooke County, it is likely that the Tri-burrows will be caught up in the war."
Judy finished speaking, and it became silent in the room again, the two mammals quietly looking at each other. The rabbit knew from experience what it takes to unite mammals for a cause. The denizens of Bunnyburrow declared themselves to be neutral, but after the Germammals violated Bellgium's neutrality, simply doing nothing was insufficient. Bunnyburrow needed to show that its mammals will do everything in their power to stay out of the war, even with force.
Lupus then folded his paws, not breaking eye contact with Judy. "There is promise to that idea, but are you sure that will help?"
Judy let out a deep sigh and closed her eyes. "It's all I've got."
The chief leaned back in his chair, taking the time to consider her option along with everything else. A long silence permeated between the two mammals. Judy understood the wolf's lingering doubt. Whether or not he would agree to or plan, it was important to the rabbit that she tried. She still had a backup plan to work for Gideon if this one fell through.
"At this point," The wolf shrugged his arms and smiled. "I'm willing to try anything. I'll be happy to have you as an officer." Judy's eyes lit up again as the chief became serious. "Now, as much as I want to speed things up, we still have to do this the proper way."
Judy's ears shot up, and her eyes became filled with hope and excitement. "Of course, where do we begin?"
"First, I need to have you in an official capacity when working for me." The wolf reached into his drawers and brought out a document. "This signifies your employment with the Bunnyburrow Police Department, and I am using my powers as police chief to expedite the application process due to a shortage of mammalpower." He then brought out a pen and pushed it and the document forward for Judy to read.
"Sir?"
"Tomorrow, I'll interview your credentials and if you pass, you can begin working right away. Will that work for you?"
There was no question from Judy, and it took everything to remain professional. "Yes! Oh thank you! I promise to do my best! "
She didn't waste a second answering, just glad to have the opportunity to prepare and didn't want to waste it. The interview tomorrow would also allow her to break the news to her family and deal with the potential fallout. Regardless of their reactions, she was going to accept the position. Inside, she also was doing binkies at the thought of finally being able to achieve her childhood dream.