As Judy and Ryan stepped into the hardware store, the scent of fresh wood, hay, and bags of feed struck their noses as dust motes danced through the air as the bright lights of the store reflected off them. The two bunnies both took a deep breath as the scent was a familiar and comforting one. Looking around, Judy took in the rows of supplies: feed for the barnyard animals, tack for bird riding, and lassos on one side of the store, while tools and machinery that were needed around a farm or to fix something was on the other side. The lumber had its own section in the back.

Before she worried about the supplies they needed, though, Judy glanced around looking for the female employee who had stolen Ryan's heart and yet was playing hard to get. No female employee presented herself, but Judy did spot her friend Bobby at the cash register. Hopping over, Judy gave the bobcat a huge smile, saying, "Howdy, Bobby. How's work going?"

"Oh, it's going fine," Bobby called back, even as he glanced at Ryan who had stepped up with Judy. "Hey, Ryan, didn't expect to see you back so soon. Did you forget something when you were by the other day?"

Ryan shook his head, saying, "Nope." Nodding to Judy, he explained, "I'm here on Judy's account."

Bobby's eyes widened as he glanced back at his gray-furred friend. With a quick nod, Judy explained, "Ryan, Patty-Mae, her boyfriend Joey, and I are all heading up to the mountains tomorrow morning to fix up my grandma's cabin. I haven't been there in years and I'm sure the place will need to be condemned soon."

Bobby studied Judy a moment, then glanced back over at Ryan. The gossip around town spoke of Judy's depression ever since she returned from the city with her dreams in ruin, but right now, he couldn't see any of it. Judy seemed to have finally moved past the disaster that brought her running home, and he wondered how Ryan fit into the mix. Especially when he saw who just walked up behind the two bunnies.

"Hello, Ryan," a soft, shy voice spoke up.

Judy and Ryan turned around to see a pretty female skunk with the brightest, bluest eyes Judy had ever seen. The skunk had the long, white stripe of the striped skunk, but was smaller and more slender than one. Along with the traditional white stripe that split down her back, she also had white spots on her cheeks and along her neck which were more often seen on the spotted skunk. Was this skunk a hybrid?

Ryan's eyes traveled down the skunk's shapely body, taking note of her blue jeans and the hunter orange shirt that had Mike's Hardware store logo on it, then back up to meet her bright blue eyes. "Good morning, Daisy," Ryan said with warmth in his voice and a bright smile on his face. "You're as beautiful as ever."

Daisy blushed under her fur and glanced off towards the front door, murmuring, "You're just saying that."

Ryan shook his head. "I tell you you're beautiful every time I see you, and yet you never believe me." Folding his arms across his chest while looking her over again, he said, "I've met most of the females living here in Bunnyburrow, and I declare that you are the most beautiful female in the whole town."

Daisy rubbed her arm, even as her gaze dropped to the floor, saying softly, "Ryan, please."

Ryan's brows narrowed, but he dropped it. With a lifetime of being told she was ugly and worthless, she never believed him when he told her how pretty she was.

Judy had been watching the interaction between the two. Ryan was right, Daisy was a beautiful skunk. And going by Daisy's shy demeanor towards Ryan, along with the way her eyes were sparkling when she first arrived (Daisy only had eyes for the tall jackrabbit), Judy had no doubt the pretty female skunk had a huge crush on Ryan (Judy had seen far too many of her sisters crushing on boys not to recognize the signs). Now whether Daisy had the courage to actually date her friend was another question. Smiling at Daisy, Judy spoke up, saying, "No, Ryan is right. You are one of the prettiest females I've come across here in Bunnyburrow."

Daisy immediately looked over to meet Judy's bright purple gaze. She was used to seeing ridicule in the eyes of mammals complimenting her (with the exception of Ryan), but there was none in the bunny across from her. Furthermore, she wondered what relation she had to Ryan. She was a very pretty rabbit doe and Daisy immediately felt inferior to her. Ryan seemed quite comfortable around the doe, too, as they were standing quite close to each other. Was the gray doe interested in Ryan? Daisy felt a pain in her heart at the thought.

Not sure how to respond, Daisy finally gave a slight nod, murmuring, "Thanks." Looking back at Ryan, her gaze then returned to Judy as she suddenly felt unsure of herself. With the doe here, would Ryan even want to talk to her now? If it was anyone else but Ryan, Daisy could expect to be ignored, but Ryan never ignored her whenever he came in with friends or family. But this was the first time he'd come in with another female who wasn't one of his sisters. She could only assume they were close friends by how close and comfortable they stood.

Seeing the uncertainty in Daisy's eyes, Judy extended her paw and introduced herself. "Hi Daisy, I'm Judy, a friend of Ryan's from high school."

With ears perking up at hearing Ryan knew Judy from high school, and feeling that ache in her heart again, as if little thorns were pricking her, Daisy took Judy's paw, more out of reflex than anything else. If Judy knew Ryan in high school, did that mean she was interested in him now? Daisy knew Ryan was a very eligible bachelor and she was always worried that some bunny doe was going to come up and snatch him away from her.

At Judy's introduction, Ryan added, "Judy's the one who inspired me to take all those karate lessons in high school." Rubbing a paw down the back his head and then scratching his neck for a minute, Ryan said, "I was tired of stumbling into and knocking Judy over whenever the PE teacher put us on the same team."

Ryan was looking at Judy sheepishly, so he missed the skunk's hurt look. If Ryan had been willing to go through the pain of karate for Judy's sake (Ryan had told Daisy about struggling in karate during one of their college lunches), then it meant he held her in high regard. So how was she, a predator with a smelly reputation, supposed to compete with a pretty rabbit who had spent so much time with him when they were younger?

Although Ryan missed the pain that flashed through Daisy's bright, blue eyes—Judy did not. And it was obvious to Judy that Daisy was immediately comparing herself to Judy and finding herself lacking. Judy imagined it was the same way she would feel if she was hanging out with Nick and a pretty vixen from his past showed up and started talking to him. Judy knew she wouldn't like it—not at all.

Taking a deep breath, Judy suddenly thought of an idea that might give Ryan and Daisy a chance to really talk without the pressures of the town or give Daisy a chance to run off. With a bright smile, Judy met Daisy's worried gaze and said, "Ryan told me a lot about you, Daisy." (Daisy's face immediately brightened to hear Ryan had talked about her.) "He says you're really helpful and handy with a hammer. We could really use another set of paws to help out on a trip we're taking tomorrow morning." Ryan had told Judy over lunch that Daisy would frequently help him with mending fences and fixing other things around the ranch when she came over to visit.

"Huh?" Daisy murmured in surprise and confusion, then she immediately looked over at Ryan.

"That's right," Ryan added when he realized what Judy was offering. With a wide grin, he explained, "Judy has a cabin in the mountains that needs some repairs, so Judy asked me, Patty-Mae, and Joey to accompany her to the mountains to help fix it up. Considering your excellent riding skills and how handy you are with a hammer, we could really use your help."

Daisy looked between Ryan and Judy a couple of times, then settled on Judy. "You . . . you really want me . . . to go with you?" she asked while pointing to herself, then at Judy. No one had ever asked her to go on a camping trip with them before. Well, Ryan had on several occasions, but it was always with several of his siblings and Ryan's brothers intimidated her, so she always refused. Daisy didn't think she'd enjoy the trip much with his brothers' constant teasing, no matter how often Ryan smacked them around and told them to quit.

Judy nodded. "Yes. Ryan says you're his best friend and you're really dependable. We could use another dependable person for the trip. And we'll be back on Saturday in time for the barrel racing event." With her nose twitching in excitement, Judy added, "Ryan says you're an excellent barrel racer."

Daisy nodded, then looked at Ryan. Did he really tell Judy she was his best friend? At Ryan's sincere nod, a warmth flooded Daisy's heart as butterflies started fluttering around in her stomach.

Nodding towards Judy, Ryan said, "Judy did barrel racing in high school and was pretty good. Maybe the three of us could practice together sometime."

Judy readily agreed, even as a shy, happy smile spread across Daisy's face. Although she wasn't surprised that Ryan would ask her to hang out with him, the fact Judy seemed to want to spend time with her, too, was a pleasant surprise. Being a skunk, most mammals didn't want anything to do with her, and since she had never spent time with many skunks outside her family (they moved around a lot when she was younger), Daisy didn't have any close girlfriends to hang out with. So seeing Judy's enthusiasm at the idea of hanging out with her, and inviting her along on their camping trip, felt nice—really nice.

And since Ryan was the one introducing Judy and suggesting they hang out, Daisy knew the doe could be trusted, seeing as Ryan would never introduce her to someone who would hurt her. Ever since she first moved to Bunnyburrow, Ryan had always been her knight in shining armor, and every time he stood up for her or protected her from being bullied made her love him all that much more.

But she was positive he would never see her as anything more than a friend. She wasn't just a predator, but a hated, smelly skunk. Not that she actually stank. Her parents had undergone the simple operation to remove the scent glands that gave skunks their smelly reputation, and then had it done for each of their kits to try and remove the stigma their atrocious scent caused. Not that most mammals seemed to care if she actually stank or not. For most mammals, the fact she was a skunk was enough for them to keep their distance.

But not Ryan. He was this amazing jackrabbit who never seemed bothered by her species, nor had he ever said anything about her being a skunk in a negative way. In fact, he called her beautiful just about every time he saw her.

But even so, Ryan was still prey, and Daisy was sure Ryan would be disgusted if he ever realized how much she dreamed of kissing him, of feeling his arms around her and holding her tight. As nice as Ryan was to her, and as much as he seemed to enjoy her company, Daisy knew there was a line that mammals weren't willing to cross. And a pred-prey relationship, especially when the predator was a skunk, wasn't something she could ever see Ryan accepting.

It didn't help that her mother was constantly harping on this fact every time Daisy came home from spending time with Ryan, or merely spoke about it at home. At this point, Daisy was loath to even bring up his name at home. Not that that stopped her mom from asking if she'd seen him while she was out and about. Her mother was convinced that if Ryan ever did show any kind of interest in her daughter, it would be a one night stand at worst or a weekend mistress at best, someone Ryan would use when it was convenient for him but not someone he'd ever bring home and introduce to the family.

Daisy knew Ryan wasn't like that, that he'd never use her so callously, but listening to her mother's constant negativity whenever she spent time with Ryan (Daisy had long since regretted ever confiding in her mom about her feeling for the tall jackrabbit), it made it hard for her to ever seeing him wanting her as any thing more than a friend. As species go, they were just too different . . . But that didn't stop Daisy from wishing and dreaming about being more to Ryan. That he would see her as someone worth dating, someone he wanted to get closer to, someone to . . . to kiss and hold tight.

Trying to push down thoughts of kissing Ryan before she lost her composure and had to run to the girl's bathroom to regain control of her emotions and desires, Daisy refocused on Judy and finally gave her answer about barrel riding together. With a nod, she said, "Yeah, I think I'd like that."

"Great!" Judy said with a clap of her paws. "I just bought two of Patty-Mae's King emus, so it'll be interesting to see how they do on the barrels." Daisy gave another shy nod, then Judy asked, "So, will you come with us to the mountains tomorrow? I promise, it won't be all work and no play. The sunrises and sunsets are stunning, there's a natural hot spring near the cabin, and there are so many stars at night that it's easy to get lost in them."

Daisy's long, fluffy tail swayed behind her as she considered Judy's offer. She really wanted to go, but was it really okay? Pointing to herself, she asked, "Is . . . is it really okay for me to go? Even though I'm a . . . a predator?"

Bobby, who was watching everything from behind the counter, gave a short laugh at Daisy's question. As everyone turned to look at him, he walked around to Judy's side and pulled her in a side hug. He wasn't sure what Judy was up to, but seeing Daisy actually going out on a group trip would do her good—especially if Ryan was there. Daisy has had the biggest crush on Ryan for the longest time, but had convinced herself that Ryan only saw her as a friend. Personally, Bobby thought the jackrabbit paid way too much attention to Daisy for him to only see her as a friend.

With his arm still around Judy, Bobby met Daisy's curious gaze and said, "Trust me, Judy has no problems with predators joining the fun." Poking Judy lightly with one of his sharp claws (which had Daisy's eyes widening), Bobby explained, "I was one of Judy's best friends growing up, along with my two sisters. She also was close friends with the Tigre's—Tony and his sister Jasmine." Daisy nodded, and Bobby then pointed to Ryan. "So other than Ryan and Sharla—she's a sheep—most of Judy's friends were predators."

With a bright grin, Judy added, "Yeah, predators always have a lot of fun, so I'd frequently sneak out in the evening to hang out with Bobby and the others."

"Really!?" Daisy squeaked. She didn't think rabbit kits had enough courage to sneak out to play with predators. She couldn't even remember how many times she'd overheard rabbit parents telling their young kits to watch out for a predator's sharp teeth and claws.

Judy nodded again, saying, "All the time. In fact, my best-est friend in the whole world is a red fox and if he were here in Bunnyburrow, I'd drag him on the trip in a heartbeat."

Daisy put a paw over her mouth in surprise, even as she pointed a black, clawed finger at Judy. "You're best friends with a fox!?"

Judy nodded with a hum. "I met him in Zootopia and he saved my life." With a shrug, she added, "I couldn't ask for a better friend than Nick."

Daisy nodded but wasn't sure what to say. Seeing her pensive thoughts, Ryan reached over and grabbed her paw, asking, "So, will you come to the mountains with us?" As her wide, blue eyes met his, he added softly, but with an eager edge to his voice, "Pretty please, Daisy, with a cherry on top?"

Daisy met his eager gaze and had to take a deep breath as she felt herself starting to drown in his light-brown eyes. "Uh, yeah," she murmured before her brain caught up to what she was saying.

"Great!" Ryan said, then pulled her into a tight hug that had her freezing briefly at the unexpected contact, but then she melted into his arms. As Ryan felt Daisy relax and then return the hug, a huge grin spread across his face. He hugged her a little tighter while thinking he would have to thank Judy later for this moment.

With another clap, and with her tail vibrating in her excitement, Judy said, "I'm so excited! This trip is going to be even better now that you're joining us, Daisy." With her nose twitching, she added, "We're driving up to the mountains at first light and parking by the ranger's station, then riding emus up from there."

Daisy nodded as she and Ryan broke apart. With a shy smile, she looked up at him and then over at Judy. Then she noticed Bobby again, and a paw flew to her mouth. "But I'm supposed to be working tomorrow. I can't just leave."

Bobby hurriedly waved his paw at her. "Daisy," he started, "when was the last time you took a vacation? Or even a sick day?" At Daisy's silence, he added, "Exactly! You don't take sick days or vacations—and you need one. So, you go on this trip with Judy and Ryan and I'll make sure your shift is covered."

"Really!?" Daisy said. She had always liked Bobby. He never seemed bothered by the fact she was a skunk, but still, she wasn't used to mammals stepping up and going out of their way to help her. "Bobby, thank you so much!" Daisy said as she reached out and briefly took his paw.

Bobby squeezed her paw before dropping it while saying, "No need for thanks. You're a hard worker, Daisy, and you deserve to have some fun once in a while."

Daisy was beaming shyly as she looked at Judy and then settled her bright, blue gaze on Ryan. This was a dream come true, being able to spend a few days in the mountains with Ryan (minus his annoying brothers). She had made a few trips into the mountain since moving to Bunnyburrow, but they were short day trips with her family, nothing like this. Not with friends. Not with Ryan.

"Okay, now that that's settled," Judy said, "we came here to get supplies." Taking out her list, she ripped the bottom half off and handed it over to Ryan and Daisy, saying, "Why don't you two collect these supplies and Bobby can help me find the rest."

Daisy took the list and glanced at it, then up at Ryan. She usually helped Ryan when he came into the store, but she wasn't expecting his doe friend to suggest they work together. Wouldn't Judy want to keep Ryan to herself? Or did Judy not see her as a romantic rival because she was a predator and skunk?

Seeing Daisy's shy smile again, even as she glanced in confusion at Judy, Ryan slipped his arm through his soon-to-be (hopefully) girlfriend's arm and turned her around, asking, "So what's the first thing on our list?"

Judy watched Ryan lead Daisy down one of the aisles, then turned back to Bobby who was watching her curiously.

"What was that all about?" Bobby asked while nodding towards Ryan and Daisy.

Judy gave a slight shrug as she glanced around the store. Seeing as they were alone at the moment, she replied, "Ryan is helping me get my mom off my back about dating and in exchange, he wanted my help in figuring out how Daisy felt about him." Tilting her head slightly while looking at the aisle full of halters and lead ropes that Daisy and Ryan had disappeared down, Judy added, "It's obvious Daisy is crushing on Ryan badly."

Bobby's jaw dropped as he stared at his rabbit friend. After hearing her speech from four months ago, he would never have imagined he would be hearing Judy talk about a possible pred-prey couple like it was the most natural thing in the world. Snapping his jaw shut, Bobby then asked, "And you're fine with that!?"

Judy glanced over in surprise at his question, then answered, "Of course, why wouldn't I be? I think they'd make a cute couple." Glancing back at the row of halters, she started chewing on her thumbnail while wondering if Nick would ever look at her like Ryan had been looking at Daisy. After standing and thinking for a moment, it suddenly dawned on her that Bobby had never responded to her last comment.

Standing up straighter, she glanced at her feline friend and asked, "Do you have a problem with it?"

Bobby immediately shook his paws out in front of him, saying, "Of course not! I think it would do Daisy a world of good if she were to date Ryan." At Judy's beaming smile, Bobby dropped his paws and said, "I'm just kinda surprised you would be okay with it."

Judy's eyes scrunched in confusion, then thought about the stupid press conference. With her ears drooping, she considered that speech the worst mistake of her life. Okay, not the first, but definitely the second worst mistake of her life. Reacting so badly to Nick right afterwards and driving him away trumped the horrible speech by miles and was not only the worst mistake of her life, but the worst moment of her life. The worst moment which had snowballed into the worst moments of her life as the distance between them widened as she fruitlessly searched for Nick before running home with her tail between her legs.

Taking a deep breath, Judy pushed the negativity down while clinging to the hope she now had that Nick would actually forgive her and might even come looking for her. With a small, hopeful smile, she shrugged and then replied, "Love comes in all shapes and sizes, and I don't see what a mammal's species has to do with it. If two mammals love each other and treat each other right, then that's all that should matter."

"Well, yeah," Bobby agreed, "that's how it should be, but there's a lot of mammals who don't see it that way."

Judy nodded, but didn't say anything as she began wondering again about how her family will take it once they learn about her new fox fetish. Will they treat Nick right? Or will they try to run him out of town? With a frown crossing her face, Judy felt a knot form in her stomach at the thought that one (or several) of her most specist family members might try and hurt Nick for loving her (on the off chance that he did feel the same way). With a scowl, she thought, If anyone hurts Nick they're going to wake up in the hospital and then a jail cell on assault charges. There was no way she was going to sit back and watch while someone—anyone—hurt Nick.

Bobby scratched the back of his head while watching the various emotions flit across his friend's face. The scowl that finally settled there had him worried. "Uh, Judy, that's a scary face you're making there."

Judy immediately perked up and glanced over to look at friend. "Oh, sorry, I was just thinking of some of my most specist family members who won't take kindly to a pred-prey relationship." Nibbling on her thumbnail again, she muttered, "I was thinking I might have to put them in the hospital if they do anything mean or nasty."

Bobby's eyes widened, even as his jaw dropped. Pointing to Judy, he hissed in a low whisper, "You'd put your own family members in the hospital if they hurt Daisy or Ryan for dating!?"

Judy perked up. She had been thinking of Nick, but if they tried to hurt her other friends, well, she wouldn't act any differently. "Of course, I won't sit back and watch them hurt my friends just because they couldn't accept a pred-prey couple." Glancing back down the aisle Ryan and Daisy disappeared down, she added, "Daisy seems to be a really sweet girl and Ryan is absolutely smitten with her, so yeah, if anyone wants to threaten or hurt them for loving each other then I won't hesitate to put my fist in their face if it comes to that."

Bobby's jaw went slack for a moment, then he snapped it shut and scratched the back of his head. Judy had gotten into plenty of fights when they were younger, either someone was pushing her around or bullying someone else. But that was years ago, and now Judy was talking about fighting with her own family members—her own siblings—if they hurt Daisy and Ryan for being in a pred-prey couple. Which they weren't even in yet.

Tilting his head curiously, Bobby asked, "So Ryan really does have feelings for Daisy?"

Judy grinned while nodding. "Ryan has been wanting to ask her out for ages, but she keeps acting hot and cold and it has him all confused on how she feels about him." Stepping forward and slipping her arm through Bobby's, she smiled up at her taller bobcat friend while asking, "Maybe you can help me understand why Daisy acts all excited to see him one minute, and runs from him the next?"

While Judy led him down one of the aisles, Bobby met her expectant gaze for a moment as he thought. Judy had admitted that Ryan asked her to find out how Daisy felt about him, and if telling Judy would give Daisy the chance to actually date the tall jackrabbit she had been crushing on for years, well, who was he to keep his mouth shut? He knew Judy could be trusted not to spread rumors around.

Taking a deep breath, Bobby explained how much Daisy fantasized about kissing Ryan, and when she felt her self-control slipping, or she thought about how disgusted Ryan would be if he realized what she was thinking about, Daisy would run off for the breakroom or the bathroom to calm down. Bobby knew all this because he'd caught her several times in the breakroom reprimanding herself for fantasizing about something that Ryan would be so disgusted by.

Bobby had tried to reassure Daisy that Ryan cared about her too much to not have special feelings for her, but Daisy was convinced Ryan could never see her in a romantic light, that they could never be more than friends. She had even sworn him to secrecy. Since Bobby wasn't 100 percent sure Ryan wanted to date a skunk, and with the stigma a pred-prey couple would garner, Bobby had agreed and kept his mouth shut. But now that he was talking to Judy and realized how badly Ryan did, indeed, want to date Daisy, Bobby was thinking he should have spoken to Ryan a long time ago.

Judy agreed and felt glad she had chosen to ask Bobby about Daisy. With her being a stranger, Judy doubted Daisy would have opened up about her feelings for Ryan, so it was good she went to another reliable source. And now she could tell Ryan that the next time Daisy tried running from him, he just had to kiss her and the whole mess would be cleared up.

Bobby chuckled, but wholeheartedly agreed. Ryan needed to kiss Daisy and put her out of her misery—in the most passionate of ways.

While thinking of Ryan and Daisy kissing, Judy found herself feeling a little envious as she still didn't know how Nick felt about her, or how long it would take for her to even see him again. Would he ever want to kiss her . . . a rabbit? Nick didn't have a high opinion of rabbits when they first met, so could he ever see her in a romantic light?

Pushing the negative thoughts down with a shake of her head, Judy tried to keep her hopes up that Nick would want her back. Taking a deep breath, she glanced down at the shopping list still in her paws. With her mission accomplished in helping Ryan, Judy and Bobby got to work picking out the items off their half of the list, with Judy promising to explain to him how Ryan was helping her with her mom troubles later that evening when Judy came for dinner. (Bobby was dying to find out what Bonnie had been up to that Judy would need Ryan's help with.)

-/-/-

As noon rolled around, Stu came back to check on the fox and crew to let them know lunch had arrived. Standing with his thumbs in his overall straps, he studied the fox's handywork. In the two hours since he had arrived, the fox had done more than the rabbits had all morning. In fact, the way the fox was going, they might even have the bleachers finished by the end of the day. That would be a huge weight off Stu's shoulders seeing as the rodeo was starting Friday afternoon.

After calling the kits and Nick over (the rabbits were all adults, but Stu watched them grow up, so they would always be kits to him), Stu announced that lunch was here and that it was time for a break. There were several cheers to this announcement and the rabbits began filing in to grab some lunch—various veggie sandwiches, along with several large bowls of potato salad and fruit salad. There were also several ice chests full of different drinks—sodas, water, fruit juice, and lemonade.

As Nick walked up to Stu, with Shaylee and her group still surrounding him, Stu led Nick over to meet Bonnie. To say Bonnie was surprised to hear Nick was a friend of Judy's would be an understatement, but she took it in stride once she got over the shock. Judy had so many predator friends already that it wasn't too difficult to imagine Judy making a predator friend in Zootopia. And the fact Nick was here to apologize to Judy for how he acted after her press conference put him in a better light in Bonnie's mind.

Seeing how much work Nick had accomplished in putting up the bleachers impressed Bonnie, as did the glowing praise some of the kits were showering on the tall fox. After they grabbed lunch, with Nick loading up on potato and fruit salad, Stu then directed the talented fox to sit by him and Bonnie so they could discuss plans for the 'Ugly Bug Ball' for tonight. Shaylee, Brandi, Melanie, Ben, Aaron, and Marty of course sat with them.

Bonnie was interested in the 'Ball' they wanted to put on for the kerfluffle tonight, and after discussing some of the songs the kits liked, Bonnie suggested Nick get in touch with the older kits who were musically inclined. They could practice the songs together before playing for the kits this evening. Nick readily agreed and Marty, Ben, and Aaron began telling him all about the various 'bands' within the burrow and who were the best players to get in touch with.

As her role in the conversation came to an end—Nick was discussing music with her kits so Bonnie had nothing left to contribute—Bonnie turned to Stu and said excitedly, "Stu, dear, you'll never guess what Judy is up to today."

Several pairs of ears turned towards Bonnie, even as Stu raised an eyebrow as he met his wife's excited gaze. "What is Judy up to today?" Seeing as neither Nick nor Shaylee had been able to get a hold of Judy, Stu was very curious to know what his missing daughter had been up to. Especially since Nick had driven so far to see her and was working so hard to prove himself to the family. Stu had lived long enough to know a simple 'friend' wouldn't have bothered. Although he couldn't say for sure what their relationship was (they might not even know), it was obvious to Stu that it couldn't be as simple as 'just friends'.

"Well," Bonnie started while she clasped her paws together in excitement, "I was talking to Judy this morning, and she mentioned running into an old high school friend of hers yesterday when she went to buy her birds."

"Oh?" Stu said while lifting up his baseball cap to scratch his head. "Is it anyone I know?"

"Well, I'm not sure. He's a hare, not a rabbit. A jackrabbit to be exact. His name is Ryan and he's one of the Leaps' boys. His sister Patty-Mae is the one who sold Judy her emus."

Stu was watching Judy's fox friend and caught how his ears started to fold back before he caught himself and righted his ears. The fox was good. Stu wouldn't have even noticed the slight movement if he hadn't been watching, which reaffirmed his idea that Nick and Judy might be something more than friends . . . or at least the beginning of something more. His little trier took after her great-grandmother Cecilia too much for Stu not to consider the possibility.

Glancing back at Bonnie, Stu scratched his head again as he said, "I know the Leaps. They have a bird ranch, the Lazy 'L' Ranch. They also make some pretty impressive wooden furniture, but I don't think I know any of the kits." Dropping his paw onto the long picnic table they were eating at, he asked, "You said Judy went to high school with him?"

"Oh, yes," Bonnie said with stars sparkling in her eyes. "Judy found out yesterday that Ryan had a crush on her back then! Judy even admitted that she would've dated him if he'd had the courage to ask her." With a soft squee, she grabbed Stu's arm and said, "And they're meeting today for a lunch date!" With another soft squee, Bonnie squeezed Stu's arm again while adding, "I bet they're on their date right now. Oh, isn't this great, Stu!? Our little trier is finally going to settle down and get married!"

Stu's eyes widened in surprise even as he heard Nick choke on his fruit salad. There was definitely something more going on between the fox and his daughter than Nick had let on. Of course, it might just be the fox feeling something for Judy, but knowing his daughter the way he did, Stu had a hard time believing Judy was on a date with a buck—at least not willingly.

Focusing on Bonnie, Stu asked, "Now Bon-bon, are you sure she's on a date with Ryan? I have a hard time believing Judy agreed to a date with a buck. You know you swore you wouldn't set her up on any more blind dates if she got out of the house."

"Oh, Stu, honey," Bonnie said with a small wave of her paw, "I didn't set up her lunch date. Judy planned it herself."

Stu's ears perked forward. "She did?" he asked while feeling a little confused. It had been a long time since Judy last made plans with any friends, let alone a boy. Glancing at the tall red todd sitting across from him, Nick looked to be in shock. His jaw was slack and his eyes were unfocused. His paw had gone limp too, with his spoon dropping back into his paper bowl of potato salad.

With a happy bob of her head, Bonnie interrupted her husband's study of the todd by saying, "Oh, yes. She made plans for lunch with Ryan and afterwards she was going shopping with him. They're taking a trip into the mountains tomorrow morning and needed to pick up some supplies."

Stu scratched his head again and almost knocked his hat off. The way Judy had been since returning to Zootopia made it hard to believe she had made plans with a buck. She had been so depressed and hardly left the burrow on her own prerogative, that her decision to buy a couple of emus and join the Search and Rescue was shocking in itself. But for his little trier to actively choose to make plans with a boy—a buck—this just threw Stu for a loop. He felt almost as shocked as Nick appeared to be.

Stu wasn't the only one who thought this was too unbelievable to be true. Pointing her plastic spoon at her mother, Shaylee asked, "Now, Mother, when Judy mentioned this luncheon with Ryan, did she say it was a date?"

"Well, no," Bonnie admitted. "Judy said they were just meeting as friends. But how else am I supposed to take it? Judy is having lunch with Ryan, then they're going shopping, and then leaving first thing in the morning for the mountains. Can I read it as anything else than that your sister is finally thinking of dating?"

Shaylee's eyes narrowed as she couldn't refute her mom's logic without announcing Judy's interest in Nick. Dropping her spoon back into her bowl of fruit salad, Shaylee slipped her fingers through each other as she looked over her joined paws to ask, "Is it just Judy and Ryan going to the mountains tomorrow?"

Bonnie's nose twitched as she replied, "Since you asked, no. Judy said Ryan's sister Patty-Mae and her boyfriend Joey were going with them." With a cheeky grin, she added, "Like a double date."

Shaylee rolled her eyes, then folded her arms, but didn't know what to say without spilling the beans about Judy's real love interest. Luckily, Marty knew what to say.

Setting his cucumber and tomato sandwich down on his plate, Marty looked at his aunt and asked, "Aunty Bonnie, what were you talking to Judy about when she brought up her lunch date with Ryan?"

Bonnie stiffened at this question and didn't immediately answer. Squirming slightly, she then looked off down the table at her other kits eating their sandwiches and drinking their sodas and fruit juice as they talked back and forth. "Nothing too important," Bonnie finally answered.

The fact Bonnie refused to give a direct answer had everyone frowning at her. "Now Bon-bon," Stu started, "answer Marty's question. What were you talking to Judy about?" With narrowed eyes, he waited for his wife's answer. Her evasiveness told him that their conversation was definitely important and would explain Judy's sudden desire to meet with this Ryan friend.

Bonnie hedged a moment longer, but at her husband's stern gaze, she finally said, "Well, you know how Judy will be joining the Search and Rescue soon . . ." At Stu's nod, Bonnie continued, saying, "So I thought it would be nice if she already knew someone working there, someone she was familiar with who could be her partner and show her the ropes."

Shaylee's jaw dropped (as did Melanie's and Brandi's), and then she pointed to her mom and exclaimed, "You tried to set Judy up on a blind date with a live-in boyfriend!"

"Of course not!" Bonnie instantly denied. At several glares sent her way, she shifted on her seat again, and then said, "I just thought Judy could meet with Jazzy and maybe go to the rodeo with him. If things worked out, he could request to be her partner and trainer. But it would all be up to Judy."

Nick couldn't prevent his ears from pinning back this time as he stared at Bonnie and then at Shaylee, even as he ground his teeth. Relaxing his jaws, he leaned over, putting his muzzle close to Shaylee's gray ear, and growled softly, "What are you talking about? What live-in boyfriend?"

With a huff, Shaylee explained, "Search and Rescue assists the Forest Rangers with patrolling the vast wilderness up in the mountains." Nick nodded and Shaylee continued explaining, "As such, full-time Search and Rescue members are paired up and live in little ranger cabins in their designated region to patrol. They spend 24 hours together for weeks at a time with biweekly visits from the rangers checking up on them to interrupt their time together."

At Bonnie's first mention of Judy dating this Ryan fellow, Nick felt his heart constrict painfully in a way he had never experienced before. It was excruciating, but at the same time, his instincts were urging him to hunt down Ryan and defend his bunny. To let this buck know that Judy was his. This overwhelming need to stake his claim on Judy, on his mate, left Nick momentarily stunned and it took a couple of minutes for him to catch up with the conversation. If he had any doubts left about how he felt about Judy, this swept them all away. Judy was his mate.

So, hearing Bonnie go on about this Jazzy character and Shaylee explaining what her mom was really trying to do with Judy, it set Nick in a rage. Luckily, he had years of practice in hiding his emotions, so he didn't blow up at Judy's mom. But his stiff posture and his slightly splayed ears let everyone know he wasn't happy with how Bonnie had treated her daughter. He couldn't even blame Judy for running into the arms of this Ryan fellow if it meant Judy could escape her mom and the need to meet this Jazzy character.

Of course, thinking of Judy in Ryan's arms set his instincts off again, with them demanding Ryan's blood for touching his mate. Nick quickly squashed the instinctive thoughts down. It was obvious that Judy wasn't really on a date with Ryan but was merely using him as a scapegoat (if he hadn't walked out on Judy it would be his arms and not the buck's that Judy ran to). But the idea of them together still left a sour taste in his mouth. Is this what jealousy feels like? Nick wondered. He had never experienced jealousy before, so he couldn't say for sure. But from what he had read and heard, this painful, violent emotion gripping his heart had to be jealousy. And he hated the way this dark, possessive emotion was swirling around inside his heart and mind.

Nick knew he would have to deal with it later, though, because he was still in the company of Judy's parents and getting all predatory on her mom would not help his chances of starting a relationship with Judy anytime soon. Narrowing his eyes, he leaned over the table and pointed to Bonnie, saying (he made sure to keep his voice even and the growl out of it), "You tried to hook Judy up with a live-in boyfriend!?"

Bonnie took on a defensive tone as she answered, "I merely set it up so they could meet. I never said anything about her needing to date Jazzy." Picking up her bottle of carrot juice and taking a sip, she then commented, "I don't see why it's any concern of yours, though. Judy is just a rabbit friend of yours, someone you haven't even known that long. So why do you care?"

Nick was silent just long enough to take a deep breath and push his anger down to ensure it didn't come out in his voice, then he said, "I care because Judy is more than just my rabbit friend. Judy happens to be a very dear friend of mine. And I have every right to be concerned about it." Tapping the wooden picnic table with his claw, he continued, saying, "I didn't face off against a savage jaguar hellbent on eating us to not have a vested interest in Judy. The only reason either us escaped being eaten by that savage predator is because we stuck together."

Tapping the table again, Nick said, "I also stood up to her 2-ton boss and his posse of giant tigers and rhinos to keep him from taking her badge and firing her for doing her job and getting a lead on a case they couldn't crack in two weeks! I then helped Judy sneak past a pack of gun-toting wolves in order to find her missing mammals. And then when you" he pointed to Bonnie, "called and alerted Lionheart to our presence, we had to slide down a drainpipe and take a trip down a 100-foot waterfall to keep from being caught and locked up with the rest of the savage mammals." Pointing to himself, a soft growl entered his voice as he added, "So don't tell me Judy is no concern of mine."

Taking several deep breaths while Bonnie (and every other rabbit there) stared wide-eyed at him, Nick then said, "Judy is an amazing cop. The best cop—one of the best mammals—I have ever met in my 30 plus years of living in the city, and I tell you, Judy is a priceless gem." Pointing to Bonnie again, he added, "And for you to try and marry Judy off to the lowest bidder like some cheap rug is wrong. Judy deserves better than that. Sooo much better. She deserves someone who can see her true value and recognize her as her as the brilliantly shining diamond that she is."

Breathing deeply, Nick decided now was the time to make his escape before he completely destroyed the good impression he'd already made with Judy's family. Standing up, he glanced at Shaylee and asked, "Are you done? The bleachers aren't going to build themselves."

Shaylee nodded as she stood up to join him, saying, "Yeah, I lost my appetite. Let's go." She wasn't the only one to get up and follow Nick. Brandi, Melanie, Ben, and Aaron also followed with several other bunnies who agreed with Nick that Judy deserved better.

Marty had gotten up, too, but he didn't immediately follow the others. Turning to Bonnie, he shook his head, saying, "It's not right and it's not fair, Aunty." He then turned and sprinted to catch up with the others.

As Nick and his entourage left, those who remained sitting were too stunned to say anything. No one had ever defended Judy the way the fox had. And the fact it was a fox defending Judy, one of the predators she had slandered four months ago with her disastrous speech, made it even harder to believe. But there was no denying the fox meant every word he said as his voice had been full of raw emotion. Furthermore, he not only defended Judy, but claimed she was the best cop he had ever met.

Ever since Judy had given up her dream and come home, everyone assumed she had failed as a cop, that she couldn't hack it with the 'big boys'. Yes, she found all those missing mammals, but obviously that was a fluke, a stroke of luck that she stumbled upon them. But the fox was telling a different story. Her finding the mammals wasn't a fluke, she could hack it with the larger cops, and she was even better than them. This left everyone with much to think about and made them all re-evaluate their headstrong sister and cousin who dreamed of being more than a carrot-farming rabbit.

"Well, I don't know what got their tails all in a bunch," Bonnie muttered before looking away as she took a sip of her carrot juice. "I was just trying to help Judy find a little happiness." She was convinced that if Judy could just get married and settle down, she would finally realize the joyous adventure it was to have a lot of little ones running about her feet. The love and joy found in looking into the face of your newborn kit and watching them grow and develop, to see the first time they rolled over, the first time they sat up or crawled or walked. The first time they said mama or papa or I love you. And with every new little one, her heart would grow a little bigger and be a little fuller.

Everyone turned to Bonnie, many with their ears drooping at Bonnie's words. In the past, most of the family had merely rolled their eyes at Bonnie and some Judy's sisters who were always trying to set her up on blind dates. But at the fox's words, they realized that Judy really did deserve better, they just never stopped to think about it.

Stu sighed. Glancing at Bonnie, he said, "Bon-bon, you know that fox is right. Judy is never going to be happy simply getting married to whatever buck you lined out for her." Especially since Stu was fairly certain Judy's future husband just walked away—and he was no buck.

"But, Stu," Bonnie said while glancing at him, "once Judy looks down on the face of her first kit, when she's holding her first litter in her arms, she'll see what true happiness is and she won't need to thoughtlessly chase after the next big adventure. She'll be home and she'll be safe so we won't have to worry about her anymore."

Reaching over, Stu put his paw on Bonnie's arm and said, "Bon-bon, Judy isn't like you. Having a hundred kits running about her feet isn't gonna make her happy or to forget her dreams. She'll never be happy settling." Shaking his head, he added, "Nick is right, Judy is a special bunny and she's going to need a special boy to be with. Someone who can stand beside her and help her realize her dreams—no matter what those dreams might be now."

"And that's why I found Jazzy for her!" Bonnie exclaimed. "He's already living her new dream, so he could support her in it. If she could just give Jazzy a chance, I'm sure Judy would come to love him."

Stu shook his head. "Bon-bon, if she hooked up with Jazzy do you honestly think she'd be able to live her dream for very long? She'd have to give it up once their first litter arrived. You know Judy will never be happy if she had to give up on her dream after just starting to live it. Judy needs someone who's not going to expect kits their first year or two of marriage. Not many bucks want to wait that long."

Bonnie was silent for a moment, then said, "Well, I guess it doesn't matter because Judy now has Ryan." With happy squee, she added, "Judy and Ryan are practically childhood sweethearts so there should be no issue with them getting together."

Stu shook his head again. "It won't work between Judy and Ryan for the same reason it wouldn't with Jazzy. Judy would have to quit her dream to be with Ryan." Scratching his chin, Stu then pointed out, "And besides, how do you know Ryan doesn't already have a sweetheart? High school was a long time ago and I can't imagine Ryan still being single." Pointing to Bonnie, he then added, "So if you started spreading rumors about Judy and Ryan dating, it might cause problems in his own relationship. Do you really think Ryan will want anything to do with Judy if she's the cause of a nasty breakup with his own girl?"

Bonnie's ears dropped. She hadn't even once considered that Ryan might already be in a relationship. No matter how much she wanted Judy to find someone and settle down, Bonnie didn't want to cause trouble for Ryan if he was in a relationship. With a heavy sigh, she looked down at her plate of zucchini and eggplant sandwich and side of potato salad. With her ears drooping, she finally said quietly, "I just want Bun-bun to experience the joy that we found in getting married and raising a family."

"I know Bon-bon, and she will, but it has to be Judy's choice and on her own time. It can't be forced and it can't be rushed. You know what they say, haste makes waste." Stu patted Bonnie's shoulder, and after a moment of thought, she nodded her head.

With a squeeze of her shoulder, Stu went back to his plate of potato salad and fruit salad while thinking of the fox who had come here to make amends with his daughter. It was obvious from Nick's words that he thought highly—and felt deeply—about Judy. The fox wouldn't have stood up for her like he did if Nick didn't harbor strong feelings for his daughter. And Stu really couldn't complain if he did take Judy as his mate. No one had ever stood up or defended his little bun-bun the way the fox had, nor could any buck protect her like Nick had. So as a father, Stu really couldn't wish for a better mate for his little girl.

His grandfather Stuart had made him promise that if any of Stu's kits ever fell for a predator that he wouldn't let history repeat itself, that what happened to his grandma Cecilia and her boyfriend Tyrell wouldn't happen again. That's why he had discouraged his kits from hanging out with predators when they were little. With the mentality the townsfolk had just a couple of decades ago, Stu feared that even if he accepted one of his kits taking a predator for his or her mate, the town wouldn't allow it and they might punish the two just as they had his grandma Cecelia and her pred mate. The thought had scared him to death, and he'd done everything he could to prevent his kits from falling for a predator, even to the point of teaching them to fear predators.

Of course, Gideon attacking Judy certainly helped his efforts, and for the longest time he truly did fear and mistrust foxes. But Gideon turned his life around and sincerely apologized, and the town itself had come a long way from the bigotry it had displayed in the past. Although there were still several extremely specist families, and several bigoted and loud-mouthed old-timers, the majority of the town was no longer outraged at seeing an inter-species relationship so Stu doubted history would repeat itself if Judy did take Nick as her mate. And seeing how closely Judy took after her great-grandma Cecilia, Stu had little doubt that she would.

Furthermore, from what he'd seen of Nick, Stu could tell that Nick would do anything and everything to keep Judy safe and to make her happy. But then Nick went above and beyond just that, even to the point of going the extra mile to win the family over. In doing so, Stu knew there would be fewer complaints spoken against their relationship and Judy wouldn't be forced to choose between Nick and her family. For these reasons, Stu really couldn't ask for a better male to stand at Judy's side and be her partner in life. There really was no one better for his little trier.

Now if he could just convince Bonnie of this, then Stu would feel a whole lot better. But knowing Nick and Judy could never have their own kits (Stu had never heard of a pred-prey hybrid before, but then again, he'd never heard of a pre-prey couple, either) would make it difficult for Bonnie to accept such a choice for her daughter. With a heavy sigh, Stu finished off his lunch then went to check on the kits and see how much more work needed to be done today.

—/—/—/—

FYI: There are several different species of Skunks, with Daisy being a hybrid of a Striped Skunk (mother) and a Spotted Skunk (father). Skunks are omnivores, and though they are primarily insectivores, eating grasshoppers, beetles, crickets, and caterpillars, they also eat mice, voles, lizards, snakes, as well as eggs and chicks of ground-nesting birds. On the coast, skunks will also eat crabs and beached fish. They won't turn their noses up to carrion, either. There has also been a recorded case of a skunk chasing grey cottontails down their burrows, so rabbits are not completely off the menu even though skunks aren't really built for speedy pursuits. Skunks also enjoy eating fruits, such as apples, berries, and cherries, along with corn and nightshade. Skunks have a keen sense of smell and acute hearing, but poor eyesight. They also have bare feet (there is no fur growing on the bottom part of their feet).

The Striped Skunk is the largest of skunk species (about the size of a large house cat) and typically have a stocky, black body with a white stripe running from its head down to its tail. Most of the time, this white stripe splits at the shoulders, creating two white stripes that continue down to the tip of her tail. There are several variations to this pattern, though. Striped skunks have long, curved claws on their front feet used for digging, while their back claws are shorter and straighter. The striped skunk is also easily tamed and frequently kept as pets, though you need to keep up with their rabies' shots because they are the second greatest carrier of rabies, second only to raccoons. And yes, pet skunks typically have a simple operation done to remove their scent glands before being sold.

The Spotted Skunk is a smaller, slender skunk, sometimes referred to as the 'weasel' skunk and is where the first half of its scientific name comes from (Spilogale):Spilo is Greek for spotted and gale is Greek for weasel. Spotted skunks, like their name implies, have white spots and short, fat stripes that cover their black bodies, though with some of them, it's hard to tell if they are black with white stripes/spots or white with black spots/stripes. Spotted skunks have sharp claws for digging, but prefer living in dens made by other mammals, such as badgers, gophers, wood rats, spotted skunks, and armadillos. They will also choose dens made in hollow stumps or logs. In choosing a den, spotted skunks will pick dens that are completely dark. They are also very social creatures and a single den will often be shared by 6-7 skunks.

WingedKatt here. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Next time, we'll glimpse Daryl and Mandy, then Shaylee and Marty will question Nick on how he feels about Bonnie's words about Judy's 'dating' which will lead to an interesting development.

Ch. 21: Family, will post in 2 weeks. I hope you all have a great weekend. If you have any thoughts or questions, let me know.