Disclaimer: I do not own Zootopia or any of its characters, they all belong to Disney. Rated M for sexual themes.
Valentine's Day?
Chapter 4
"We're all packed and ready to go," Nick said as he closed the trunk.
"And so are the kits," Jill said as she opened the back door and set the carrier on the back seat.
The much taller Rabbit slid in, pushed it across the back seat, and then buckled the carrier and herself in. Jill, Judy's sister and twin, had come to live with them to look after the kits once Judy's maternity leave had run out. Nick smiled and opened the car door for his bunny and then he got in on driver's side. He started the car and they were off to BunnyBurrow for the long Valentine's Day weekend.
The two hundred and eleven miles just seemed to go by in a blur and three hours and twenty-one minutes later they turning into her parent's driveway.
"Mom!" Judy exclaimed and rushed into older Rabbit's arms.
"Bonnie, you look as beautiful as ever," Nick said, coming up beside them.
Bonnie smiled and her ears turned just a bit more pink. Her daughter rolled her eyes and Jill chuckled.
"How are the kits?" she asked.
"Oh about the same," Jill said and her mother smiled.
"Well let's go inside so I can have a good look at them," Bonnie said.
"Dad still out in the fields?" Judy asked as they started toward the burrow.
Jill followed with the carrier.
"Yep," she said.
Nick popped the trunk and several of his wife's siblings came to help him with the luggage.
"Bonnie, dinner was wonderful!" Nick said and smile. "Where'd you get the chicken?"
"Well we do have a few Foxes here in BunnyBurrow and they raise them," she said, returning his smile, "and I do know a vixen or two. They even gave me a recipe."
"Cooking meat didn't bother you?" Judy asked.
"It doesn't bother me," Jill said, scratching a kit behind the ear, "and I do it all the time."
Judy looked at her sister and made a face and her twin laughed.
"Didn't bother me a bit," Bonnie said.
"Like mother, like daughter," Jill said and Judy rolled her eyes.
"And you're still goin' over to Gazelle's place tomorrow," Stu said.
"For the whole Valentine's day weekend," Nick said and grinned.
"All alone," Jill said and her sister's ears began to turn red. "Remember what happened last year. Did they ever catch the Animal who pulled the fire alarm?"
"They gave up," Nick said, glad she changed the subject.
"I sure haven't!" Judy said and growled. "If I ever catch them they'll wish they never been born!"
Less the ten miles away a certain sixteen old Wolf sneezed.
The next morning they woke to a knock at the door.
"Can I come in?" Jill asked.
"Sure," Nick said and noticed his bunny subtly move to the other side of the bed.
He smiled and Jill opened the door opened and pushed in a serving cart.
"Breakfast in bed for the lovers!" she announced and pushed it next to Judy's side of the bed. Then she set trays before them. "All your favorites. Will you any help with your luggage?"
"No, we would be needin' much," he said and then heard Judy growl.
Only then did she realize what he'd implied and sighed. Jill looked at her brother-in-law, turned, covered her mouth, and quickly headed for the door. After it shut behind her they heard Jill's laughter all the way to the elevator and to the other Rabbit's ears even after the elevator's door shut and began moving.
A bit later Jill noticed the elevator door open and her sister stomp across the front room with Nick following behind carrying ALL their luggage. Jill bit her lip and once the front door shut she could no longer hold it in and doubled over with laughter. Then through the front window she saw Judy stop, turn, punch her Fox in the shoulder, and stomp off toward their car.
She was quiet as he drove to the cabin. He of course has mixed feelings about this and didn't know which was worse – her growling or just holding it in. Finally he sighed.
"Judy," he began and she looked at him expressionless, "I'm sorry."
"I'm still mad at you!"
"I understand."
Then she sighed too.
"I know sometimes things come out the wrong way."
"Am I forgiven?"
"You're a naughty old Fox!" she said and he chuckled.
Then he slid an arm around her and pulled her close.
"So what do you have in mind?"
"Nothing unless you want to pull over," he said and grinned.
"Nick!" she exclaimed and then laughed.
"Horny old Fox!"
"Complaining?"
She laughed and a bit later he pulled off the road.
"We're late!"
"Oh only about twenty minutes or so," he said and she giggled.
They pulled in the driveway and stopped at the guard shack.
"Nicholas and Judith Wilde," the guard said and smiled. "Unfortunately I'll still need to see your IDs." They both handed over their police IDs, she compared them, and then returned them. "Just take the drive up to the cabin and Miss Gazelle will meet you." She opened the gate and they drove through.
"Maria told me that they'd only finished this place last month," she said.
"I just wonder what kind of cabin it is," he said and raised an eyebrow.
Around the then next bend the trees parted and found out.
She stepped out of the front door just as they pulled up and stopped.
"Maria!" she said as Nick opened the car door.
She leapt into her old college roommate's arms and hugged the Gazelle.
"Good to see you too!" Maria said and returned the hug. "And you too Nick."
"Thanks," he said and looked at the 'cabin.' "This isn't quite what I'd expected."
"Just my little cabin in the woods."
"I've never seen log cabin with three stories," he said and she chuckled.
"Come on in and let me show you around," she said and opened the door.
"Wow!" Judy said when she saw the grand staircase.
"Maria!" came a familiar voice from the second floor.
Soon enough a Cheetah came walking down the stairs.
"Ben!" Judy exclaimed and he raised a hand in greeting.
"Judy, Nick."
Then he walked up beside the Gazelle and put an arm around her. Nick looked at his friend and smiled.
"Ben?" Judy said.
"You introduced us," he said and the Gazelle smiled.
Nick laughed.
"Let's have lunch," Maria said and led them to the kitchen. "Let's just see what we have."
She opened the refrigerator.
"Chicken!" both predators said simultaneously and the prey laughed.
"We'll just put'em in the microwaves and lunch'll be ready in ten minutes or so."
Ben and Nick sat at the table and the Cheetah turned on the TV. For the next five minutes the local news from Zootopia was nothing unusual until 'Special Report' flashed on the screen, immediately catching everyone's attention. Then a picture of a large spaceship glowing in the night sky showed on the screen.
"That must be on the other side of the planet," Ben said.
"Nick!" Judy said and went to him.
"The Humans are back," Maria said and everyone looked at her.
"That's just a movie," Ben said.
"Well... not really," Maria said. "About two years ago one of their exploration ships landed at my place up north."
"And you didn't tell anyone!" Nick said.
"Their ship had a problem and they found me when I was walking in the woods," she said and smiled. "To make a long story short I helped them fix their ship."
"You did," Judy said.
"Remember I do have a degree in engineering and I had the part they needed specially manufactured," she said and then her smart phone chimed. She answered and began speaking in a language none of them had ever heard before. After a few minutes she ended the call. "They're coming here."
"You mean Zootopia?" Judy said.
"Here," she said and pointed to the floor.
"Right here!" Judy said.
"Yes."
"What do we do?!" Ben said.
"Make some more lunch."
Their shuttle wasn't much larger than a normal sized executive jet, but could and did land vertically in the parking lot behind the cabin. The door opened and three humans stepped out.
"Maria!" one of them said and walked toward her.
She met him halfway and they hugged.
"John!" she said in English. "Everything OK?"
"Yes!"
"Come on in, we've got lunch ready."
"I am hungry," he said and she laughed.
They followed her into the house and then into the kitchen.
"Let me introduce you to my friends," she said.
"A Cheetah, a Fox, and a cute little bunny."
Maria laughed.
"So what'd he say?" Judy asked.
"You don't want to know."
"He called me cute, didn't he!"
"Just this once, just let it go, OK? Please."
The Rabbit sighed.
"OK, this is Ben," she said and put a hand on his shoulder. "And Nick and Judy. This is John and ..."
She indicated each.
"Mark."
"Susan."
"Susan's female."
"I thought so," Nick said and Judy poked him in the side. He stepped forward and extended a hand. "Nicholas P. Wilde."
Susan took it and shook and Judy growled.
By the time they'd finished lunch and the dishes were washed quite a number of Animals had gathered at the front gate with more arriving by the minute.
"At least this'll be the most interesting Valentine's Day we've ever had," Nick said as they looked at the security monitors. Judy snickered.
"And Ben and I won't be going anywhere," Maria said.
"I did want to visit you're island."
"Maybe once we get this all settled," Maria said.
"We seemed to have caused some interest," John said.
"And then some," Nick said and held up a pad computer. "These translators works great!"
"Well then let's go out and make first contact with natives," John said and grinned.
After a short five minute walk they stood before the crowd and Gazelle stepped forward.
"Now everyone quiet!" she yelled and in less than ten seconds they were. "Now we're going to open the gate," The crowd moved forward, "but you're not going to rush in here and mob the humans. You are going to follow us over there to that tree," she pointed to it, "and you will sit. Then I will choose you one at a time, you will stand, and you will ask exactly one question. Then you will sit and I will choose another Animal." She leaned forward. "If anyone is rude or acts inappropriately I will personally escort them back through the gate and trust me you won't like it. Does everyone agree?" They all nodded. "Good."
The gate opened and the crowd calmly filed in. Nick and his bunny waited and followed along beside the Animals as did several of Maria's guards. After a moment two young wolves just came even with them.
"Joe, you know this is even better than when you pulled the fire alarm at that hotel in Zootopia last year."
"You should've seen all the Animals standing out in the drizzle in their PJs."
They both laughed and Judy smiled.
