(A/N) Well, it's happened again! United Pizza says he's going to update more often, then proceeds to disappear for three weeks! I really should know better than to think it would happen any other way.
I don't even know what's going on anymore. I mean, I guess I've been in a weird place for a while, trying to get up in the morning because that's when I want to write, but then I'm always too tired or something like that. Then, this past week, I had another nostalgia episode, though at least it wasn't as bad as what happened when I was on that awful medicine back in January.
I have learned, though, that I go off the rails and get really depressed whenever life is too much the same for too long, and nothing happens. I guess it goes without saying that the last month hasn't been easy for me. Though, as I'm learning with my nostalgia episodes, it seems like the last time I was consistently in an overall good mood is when we were living in our old house. Thank goodness I'm planning to move back there someday.
Right now, I don't even know what to think anymore. I'm tired of always feeling miserable and not being able to fix it. I wish there was some way to change that, but it looks like it's not going to improve significantly until a lot of things in my life change. So, I'm trying not to worry about it too much. Additionally, I'm trying to tell myself not to worry too much about making fanfics 'perfect' and just write what feels good. I really hope it leads to more regular updates, but...*sigh*...I don't know how many times I've said that now.
Anyway, that's not the reason you're here. You're here (presumably) to read about Judy and Nick and see what they get up to next. So, I'll go ahead and shut up, and let you enjoy the chapter. I'm really looking forward to writing more of this story!
Thanks to Zephyr Fyrian for proofreading again, and Happy Easter to everyone! (what better time to read a fanfic about bunnies?)
"How can she be friends with him?"
"Did no one ever teach her to stay away from foxes?"
"That crazy bunny's going to get herself hurt if she keeps hanging around that predator!"
"EEP! HE JUST LOOKED AT ME!"
"How stupid is she to think a fox and a rabbit could be friends? They're natural enemies! They have to know this can never end well!"
Judy didn't care what the other prey kids said about her and Nick. Or, at least, that's what she told herself. In truth, she had always been more or less invincible when it came to the opinions of others. Everyone had thought she was crazy for a long time, due to her seemingly impossible dream of becoming a police officer and her refusal to ever give up on anything, ever. Nearly everyone who had challenged her reached the same conclusion: it just wasn't worth it. Judy Hopps was going to do what she wanted to do, and no amount of criticism from others was going to change that.
The same, unfortunately, couldn't be said for her friend Sharla. Unlike Judy, Sharla paid attention to everything the other kids said, and dwelled on it frequently. In the past, it hadn't affected her much. Even though she knew the others didn't think much of her, they would never have approached her directly. No one, except of course Gideon Grey, would think of messing with Judy or her friends. No one wanted to risk incurring the wrath of that crazy bunny.
Lately, though, Sharla seemed more worried than usual. She was acting nervous and fidgety all through school, and Judy had taken notice. At first, the bunny assumed her friend was just having a few bad days and would be back to normal soon, but after a few weeks, she realized something else was up.
"Sharla," Judy said firmly, "is something wrong? You seem really worried. Can I help?"
Sharla sighed as she followed her friend through the lunch line. Nick was ahead of them and had already gone to sit down by himself, something he had been doing recently. Judy intended to talk to him soon too, to find out what was wrong, but first she needed to know what was bugging Sharla so much.
"Do you know what they're all saying about you?" Sharla whispered, leaning over to speak into Judy's ear. "About…you and Nick?"
"Yes," Judy confirmed aloud, startling Sharla who was trying to keep anyone else from overhearing. "They say he's a dangerous predator and I should stay away from him. Why do you ask?"
"Don't you…doesn't it bother you…?" Sharla asked.
"Well, of course it bothers me that they're mean to him," Judy replied. "But everyone already thought I was crazy anyway. That reminds me; I need to go check on him. Wait for me, Sharla!"
She immediately went bouncing across the cafeteria, towards the table where Nick was sitting by himself. Lately, he had been avoiding sitting near Judy and her friends, and she was worried about him.
"Nick," Judy said, sitting down across from him.
"You shouldn't be sitting here, you know," Nick replied.
"Why not?" Judy asked. "Nick, did I do something to upset you? I thought we were best friends, but you never sit with me anymore—"
"Look around you," Nick said simply, still not looking her in the eye.
Judy turned and glanced around at the room and noticed that, sure enough, almost everyone in the room was looking at them. They all had the strangest looks on their faces, too. Actually, most of them were looking at Judy, specifically.
"I don't care," Judy replied, turning back to face Nick. "If they have a problem with us sitting together, they can come tell me themselves."
"So…you don't mind eating with a predator?" Nick asked.
"No, why would I?" Judy countered. "You sat with me and Sharla the first day, remember? Why would today be any different?"
"I…I guess it isn't," Nick agreed.
Judy smiled.
"See, you don't need to worry about that," she said. "I keep telling you, Nick, you don't need to feel so bad just because you're different. And please, don't try to push me away. I want to be your friend."
Nick nodded, this time looking her in the eye.
"Did you seriously go and sit with that fox?" a white bunny demanded.
"Yes, Samantha, I did," Judy replied simply. "Why do you sound so frantic about it?"
Judy didn't even bother to look behind her at the group of bunnies she knew were following after her. She continued to make her way down the hall, towards the door. School was over for the day, and she was ready to go home.
"B-but, Judy—" the white bunny, Samantha, said, hurrying after Judy.
"Yes?" Judy inquired.
She refused to stop walking, and so Samantha was forced to walk backwards in front of her, trying to get her attention.
"Why did you sit with a fox?" Samantha asked, so quietly it was as if she was talking about something scandalous. "Judy, he's a predator. Don't you know what foxes do to—"
"He isn't going to eat me, if that's what you're suggesting," Judy replied firmly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to—"
"W-wait! Don't go!" shouted a light brown bunny, who came running up to join them.
"Hi, June," Judy said politely; she finally stopped walking. "How have you been?"
"Oh, um, good, I guess…" June replied nervously. "But…um, Judy…"
"Oh, and would you mind telling your sister I'm done talking to her?" Judy continued. "Thanks! I'll see you tomorrow—"
"But, Judy!" June interrupted. "Sam and I actually agreed… Foxes are dangerous…"
"You too?!" Judy exclaimed, throwing her paws in the air. "Is that why you're all following me? To tell me my friend is dangerous and I should stay away from him?"
She turned to face the group behind her. As it turned out, most of them were actually just going home, not following after her to complain about Nick. Sharla was nowhere to be seen, so Judy figured she wasn't part of whatever plan Samantha and June had.
"I guess Nick already left, too," Judy thought. "That's for the best, then. He doesn't need to hear whatever Samantha has to say…"
"Look, Judy, we're just worried about you," Samantha said. "I mean, what do you even know about this fox? He just moved here—"
"He stood up to Gideon for me," Judy stated flatly. "My parents invited his family over to our farm several times over the summer. He's one of the nicest mammals I've ever met. But please, do continue."
Samantha was speechless. For several seconds, she stood there, looking as if she was going to say something else but always deciding against it. Her sister, June, was still as nervous as ever. Judy had known the two sisters for several years now, and though they were friends, she had always found Samantha a little more difficult to get along with. She didn't think much of Judy's dreams to become a police officer, either, but Judy had finally gotten her to shut up about that.
"I, um…wow," Samantha said. "Sorry, I had no idea. You're not messing with me, right? This all really happened?"
"Yes!" Judy confirmed, rolling her eyes. "Cheese and crackers, do you ever listen—"
"And you're sure he won't hurt you?" Samantha pressed, either not noticing Judy's frustration or purposely ignoring it. "Because I heard what happened with Gideon, and…well, he's not exactly the brightest."
Judy took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She knew her friend was only worried about her safety, so she didn't want to sound too harsh. But, she still needed to make it perfectly clear that she wasn't worried about Nick's intentions. She needed to make it clear that he was her friend and she trusted him, regardless of what others might think about foxes.
"You don't have to worry about Nick," Judy explained. "I know plenty of bunnies who are more aggressive than he is. And the only reason he sits by himself is because he doesn't like the way everyone thinks predators are dangerous."
"Well…if you say so," Samantha replied, though she still sounded uncertain. "I'm sure you know what you're doing. But just…be careful, ok?"
"Yes, mother," Judy thought sarcastically.
"I will," she said. "See you tomorrow."
"Bye!" June replied cheerily.
A few days later, Nick was walking to the cafeteria with the rest of the kids, when he was suddenly accosted by a rabbit he didn't quite recognize. He looked to be about Judy's age and had the same color fur, but his eyes were a dark brown instead of Judy's unusual violet. He bore a resemblance to Judy, but there was something in his expression that was very different from her.
"Hey," he said unkindly, holding up his paw as if telling Nick to halt. "You're Nick, right? I need to talk to you."
Nick didn't reply immediately. He didn't know who this standoffish bunny was, and he didn't really care to talk to him either. He also noticed that the rabbit was scared, despite trying to act brave.
"Hmm, his scent is kind of similar to Judy's," Nick realized. "Maybe this is one of her brothers?"
"Are you listening to me, fox?" the unfriendly rabbit said, interrupting Nick's thoughts. "Don't ignore me! I'm not letting you in here until you promise to stay away from my sister!"
Just then, Nick remembered he'd seen this bunny once before, at the Hopps burrow. He was Judy's brother, James Hopps. Nick had only seen him briefly, but he'd heard Judy complain about him all the time. He apparently had a bit of an attitude.
"Judy is my friend, so I'm not going to promise to stay away from her," Nick said calmly. "Now, please get out of my way and let me in the cafeteria."
He stepped forward slowly, waiting to see if James would move. The rabbit stepped back a bit, though he was still trying to look brave.
"I'm warning you, fox!" James shrieked.
"He's warning me?" Nick thought, amused. "Does he not realize I can smell how scared he is? Ugh, he stinks of fear! How can rabbits' sense of smell be so bad they miss that?"
"You're not coming in this room!" James shouted again, though it sounded more like he was pleading with Nick rather than issuing a command.
Nick almost laughed. Normally, he hated it when prey were scared of him, but that didn't seem to apply to James. He was irritated with the rabbit for trying to block the doorway, and because of that, he almost liked how frightened the prey was. He could have fun with this.
Stepping forward again, Nick snarled. It was a sound he usually didn't like, because of how growling was associated with being a 'dangerous predator', but in this instance, it worked to his advantage. James was finally done trying to be brave.
"Aah!" he screamed, turning and running into the cafeteria. "Help! He's going to eat me!"
Nick obviously had no intention of eating Judy's brother, but he did sort of enjoy the fact that James thought he might. At least, until he entered the cafeteria and noticed the rest of the kids giving him looks ranging from mildly disapproving to horrified. And just like that, the familiar shame of being a predator came flooding back.
"Did you really try to eat him?!" a white bunny kit accused, standing up from her table and looking directly at him.
Nick froze briefly. This bunny wasn't like James. She wasn't just some annoying brat trying to keep him out of the cafeteria, and she didn't look scared either. She was accusing him of being a dangerous predator, and he didn't know that he could fight those accusations. After all, if he had enjoyed scaring James so much, did that mean he was no different than any other predator?
The white bunny approached Nick, her expression angry and determined. Nick stood still, unsure of what to do. Was she going to attack him?
"Nick, are you scared of her?!" he asked himself. "You're a fox! Your ancestors used to eat bunnies! She can't hurt you!"
Nick immediately felt ashamed for thinking that. It was more or less what Gideon had said to Judy at the Carrot Days festival, and that was exactly the kind of predator he didn't want to be!
"James, quit being such a drama queen!" another female voice said, though Nick couldn't see who it was.
"I'm not!" James complained. "He really did try to eat me—"
The white rabbit stopped in front of Nick, looking him directly in the eyes.
"Did you?" she demanded.
"No!" Nick replied. "He was blocking the doorway and wouldn't let me in, so I…I…"
The bunny rolled her eyes.
"Typical James," she remarked. "Sorry, I should have known. But if I ever find out you've threatened anyone else—"
"Samantha, that's enough," said a familiar voice.
Looking over, Nick saw Judy walking up to them, Sharla beside her. He figured they must have just arrived in time to witness the drama.
The white bunny, Samantha, finally backed off, though she still kept her eyes trained on Nick for a few seconds. Nick breathed a sigh of relief; it looked like things were about to calm down.
"Judy!" James shouted, running up to join the standoff. "That fox just attacked me—"
"Shut up!" Judy retorted. "How stupid do you think I am?! If Nick actually 'attacked' you, then why is it you're not hurt?"
"Well…um…I got away," James replied.
Judy narrowed her eyes at him, clearly not believing one bit of his story.
"Yeah, right," she said. "You couldn't even fight me for the cereal this morning; there's no way you fought off a predator."
Then, she turned and walked up to Nick, throwing her arms around him. He was a little surprised, but recalled that bunnies hugged a lot more than most other animals.
"Sorry my brother was such a jerk to you," Judy apologized. "Do you want to come sit with us?"
"No, he's supposed to be staying away from you!" James protested.
"Give it a rest, James!" a light brown bunny called from the table where Samantha had been sitting, the same one who'd called James a drama queen earlier.
Judy stepped back from Nick, then took his paw in her own and led him over to the lunch line. Sharla followed, while Samantha headed back to her table. James got in the line behind Nick, Judy, and Sharla, but didn't say anything. He looked angry, but he knew better than to argue with Judy any further.
That night, Nick lay awake in bed, mulling over the day's events again and again. He hadn't told either of his parents or his brother about what had happened, and he honestly still wasn't sure how to feel about it.
"He was terrified of me…" Nick recalled. "Did I take things too far? Am I no better than Gideon, abusing my power as a predator?"
He couldn't stop thinking about the way Judy's friend Samantha had looked at him accusingly. It was like she saw him as a threat to the other bunnies, and she would do anything to protect them from him. He didn't want anyone to see him as a potential threat; he didn't want to hurt anyone!
And yet…there were parts of the encounter that he liked. As Nick lay there, he let out a quiet growl, enjoying the sound of it. He carefully ran his tongue over his fangs, liking the feel of how sharp they were.
Until now, he had been trying to prove to himself that he was a good mammal in spite of being a fox.
"But what if…" he thought, "what if I actually like being a predator? Is that ok? If prey can be proud of who they are, shouldn't I be allowed to do the same? But preds have such a violent history… Does that mean it's wrong to be proud of my species?"
(A/N) What does it all mean? Well, you'll just have to wait to find out!
Also, if any part of this chapter seemed weird, it's mostly intentional. It's also fine if everything makes perfect sense. I was writing about some ideas that I don't know how others will interpret, so feel free to let me know what you thought.
I'm having way too much fun writing my OCs, by the way. Seriously, I'm already shipping some of them in my head. But I can't tell you any details just yet!
Stay safe, everyone! I hope to update as soon as I can!
