Chapter 4: Young at Heart
Nick gave the door a nudge after he unlocked it, allowing it to lazily swing open. He was dressed in his favorite green Pawaian shirt and khaki pants, with a blue-striped tie hanging from his neck. In fact, it was the same outfit he had first met Judy in. "It's a good outfit for first impressions. It seemed to work on you well enough," Nick had said when she'd questioned him about it before he left. "You've already met," she'd replied. He'd just shrugged, saying, "Well, this times' for real."
In his arms, with her snout resting on his shoulder, was Clementine. She was wearing a purple-floral gown that seemed to make the orange of her fur pop. She also had a pen and notepad that she had gripped tightly in one of her hands. Staying in a hospital for the past couple days had done her wonders. She looked significantly better than she did when Nick had found her. Hur fur was fuller and brighter, and her eyes were no longer filled with fear. Though the image of what she'd looked like in that hellhole of a house would haunt him forever, Nick vowed to spend the rest of his life trying to replace it with images of a healthier, happier fox.
Following behind him, and leaning over slightly to fit through the door, was Sabine, once again in her familiar brown pantsuit. She was eyeing him and Clementine with an appreciative smile, one that he noticed was reflected on Judy's face. The bunny was waiting expectantly a few feet away, seemingly eager to finally meet Clementine. She was dressed in a white t-shirt and black pants, an outfit so simple Nick almost considered it hypocritical considering the flack she had given him about his outfit. The bunny had the grace to look good in anything she wore, though, so Nick supposed he could cut her some slack. As Nick set the pink backpack he was carrying over one shoulder down against a wall, Sabine held up a manila folder for him.
"This is the necessary documentation you'll need to maintain on hand, so make sure you put it in a safe spot," she said.
Scratching the fur on the back of Clementine's head and whispering into her ear, Nick managed to convince her to release her hold from his neck. When she did, he gently set her down on the ground, and she immediately proceeded to wrap her arms around his waist. Twisting at the hip, Nick accepted the folder from Sabine and gave his thanks. Satisfied, Sabine bent down on one knee so she could be closer to eye level with Clementine.
"Okay, little one, this is your new home. I'll be by in a week to check in on you, okay?" she asked. Her hand had raised up as if she wanted to place it on the girl's shoulder, but she seemed to decide against it because she lowered it back down. Receiving a single nod from Clementine, Sabine's smile brightened as she stood back up.
Addressing both Judy and Nick, she said. "Right, I'll see you in a week. If, when I come by, I don't like what I see," she paused and shrugged, "well, let's just say I better like what I see. Understand?" The pair nodded vigorously, understanding completely. If she didn't like what she saw, at the very least Clementine would be taken away from them. They exchanged glances with one another. They were determined not to let that happen. Sabine's face softened. "Good. One last thing," she said, whipping a business card out of a pocket and handing it to Nick. "This is the card for a therapist I recommend. She works primarily, though not exclusively, with children like Clementine. While not mandatory, I highly encourage you to make use of her services. For Clementine's sake."
At the mention of the kit attached to his waist, Nick looked down to find her staring up at him. Her wide, cobalt eyes regarded him with interest, and she cocked her head to the side. Nick crossed his eyes and stuck out his tongue, which caused the girl to giggle. Almost as soon as she started, she stopped herself by clamping a hand over her mouth, her eyes shooting wide open. Nick could see the beginning of tears start to well in her eyes right before she buried her face into his stomach. He frowned and scratched the girl behind her ear as comfortingly as he could. With his ears pinned to his head, he read the business card aloud.
"Dr. Francine Antlerson," he arched an eyebrow at Sabine. "Friend of yours?"
"Sister, actually."
"Really?"
"Yeah. We both wanted to help other animals, children especially. I guess, in our own way, we both wanted to make the world a better place," Sabine replied.
Nick gave a knowing look to Judy, who's bright face grinned back at him. "Yeah, I know what you mean."
"I also wrote her personal number for you," Sabine continued, "so you don't have to go through the secretary. Don't worry, she's expecting your call."
Both Nick and Judy gave her their thanks, and she smiled graciously. "Alright," Sabine started, turning and making her way back out the door, "I'll let you guys get acquainted and all that jazz. Remember, I'll be back in a week," she paused, receiving affirming nods from Nick and Judy. "Okay, well, have a pleasant day. Bye, Clementine!"
Clementine waved timidly at the springbok as she left. Carefully extricating himself from the kit's grasp, Nick closed the door behind Sabine, placing both the business card and manila folder on an end table by the door. A brief curtain of awkwardness draped itself over the room as the door clicked shut, but Nick knew how to pull the curtain back. Crouching down and softly setting his hands on Clementine's shoulders, he whispered into her ear. "There's someone I'd like you to meet. Do you feel up for it?"
Clementine looked at him apprehensively. Her eyes darted back and forth between his, as if searching for ill-intent. After a moment she nodded twice, and Nick beamed at her. He cast an arm at Judy, directing the kit's attention to her. "This is my girlfriend, Judy."
While the statement was true, it still felt a little weird on his tongue. Not in a bad way, Nick thought, more like a this is still really new, and also this is the first time I've said that out loud, kind of way. He liked the sound of it though. My girlfriend, he thought with contentment, my girlfriend, my girlfriend, my girlfriend…
"Hi, Clementine. It's nice to meet you." Judy introduced herself softly, bringing Nick back to the moment. Nick looked at the kit to find her head on a swivel, swinging back and forth between himself and Judy. She had a dumbfounded look on her face, then scrambled with her notepad to write a question. When she finished, she lifted it up for him to read.
Bunny girlfriend?
Nick wasn't sure what she was asking at first, but when he figured it out, he snorted out a laugh. "Yeah, she really is. You've never seen a couple like us before, have you?"
Clementine shook her head, then wrote out another question. This one was for Judy, and the kit held out the notepad for her. Judy got a few steps closer so she could read the question. She smirked at Clementine. "Only of his snoring, but you get used to it."
Nick was about to ask what Clementine had written when he was cut off by the kit giggling. He and Judy both had warm smiles as they watched the kit laugh at the rabbit's dumb joke, but the moment was over almost as soon as it began. Clementine threw her hands over her mouth to stop herself, and started casting frantic eyes at both the adults. She drew away from Nick slightly, suddenly terrified. "What's wrong, Clem," he asked, trying to lay a soothing hand on her, but she shied away from his touch. Nick scrunched his eyebrows, perplexed at her reaction. Glancing over at Judy, he saw that the rabbit looked just as concerned as he felt.
Clementine frantically scribbled something on her notepad and showed it to him, not making eye-contact. I'm sorry.
Nick's brow scrunched up even more. "Sorry for what?"
Confusion and terror flashed on the kits face as she wrote her answer, but she still didn't look at him. Noise is bad. I'm sorry.
Nick gasped. He looked at Judy as she brought a hand to her mouth, her face morphed by grief. He had told her about the muzzle he'd found on the kit. They were both beginning to understand now why Clementine wasn't talking. In hindsight, Nick thought, it should've been obvious, but the reality of it all still made his chest hurt. She had been muzzled not because she bit anyone, but because her father didn't want her making any noise. The barbarity of it shocked Nick to his core. Initially, Nick thought the muzzle was a recent development, but now it looked like it was something the poor kit had been forced to suffer for a while.
"Clem," he began calmly, trying to turn his voice into a healing salve, "you don't have to worry about making noise anymore. I promise, no one is going to hurt you again."
She finally looked at him, and he could see a few tears streaming down her cheeks. He wanted nothing more than to wipe the tears away and smother her with a hug, but he didn't want to overwhelm her. Sniffling, the kit wrote out a response. Really?
"I promise," Nick said again, softening his gaze as much as possible in order to prove his sincerity.
Clementine looked indecisive for a moment, then in a flash she charged into Nick and wrapped her arms around him like a vice. Nick had just enough time to prepare himself, but he was still almost knocked over by the force of her hug. She began sobbing into his shoulder, crying loudly between faltering breaths. Nick felt a few tears of his own coming, but he smiled regardless. Clementine had believed him when he said that she could make noise, and now she was making a lot of noise. They sat holding each other for a few minutes.
When Clementine's crying lessened into sniffling, Judy eased a hand onto her back. "Hey, Clementine," she cooed. Clementine turned her head to look at her, leaving a damp spot on Nick's shoulder. Though there were still a few tears coming, she looked much happier now than she did a minute ago. "Would you like some lunch?" Judy asked.
The kits' stomach chose that moment to let out a thunderous gurgle, and everyone laughed at the sound. Even Clementine, Nick was happy to note. The kit's face brightened as she nodded enthusiastically, and Judy turned her head to Nick. "What do you have to eat?" she asked.
Nick glanced up at the ceiling in thought, saying, "I've got tuna. How's that sound?" he asked Clementine.
She nodded even more vigorously than before. As he stood up, unwrapping Clementine from him once again, Judy said, "I'll make it."
Nick looked at her skeptically. "I thought you hated the smell?"
"I do," Judy affirmed.
"Carrots, you don't have to do that."
"I know. I want to," she replied with a grin. "Besides, I should start getting used to the smell, anyway." Judy left for the kitchen in a childlike skip, causing Nick to chuckle at the sight. He supposed she was really excited to start getting used to the smell of canned fish.
Whenever Nick needed protein, he usually went for insect-products. He did eat fish every now and then, but he considered it more of a treat than a necessity. Still, he knew Judy had seen him make it enough times to know that a tuna-fish sandwich wasn't the most difficult meal in the world. Since she was already making one sandwich, she asked Nick if he wanted one, too.
"Only if you think you can survive that long," he answered cheekily.
"Dumb fox," her heard her grumble back. He looked down to see Clementine clutching her belly as another gurgle attacked her stomach. With a hand on her back he guided her to the dining table, where she took a seat at its head. The table was ringed by four chairs, even though up until now they only ever needed two. Taking the seat on Clementine's right, he waited patiently for Judy to return. He didn't have to wait long, because soon enough she was placing two plates on the table, one for each fox. As she took the seat across from Nick, he noticed she didn't have her own plate.
"Not hungry?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
Judy looked at him sheepishly. "I kinda…lost my appetite."
Nick smiled and reached across the table to pat her hand. "Well, we appreciate the sacrifice. Don't we, Clem?"
Clem, who had already devoured half of her sandwich, looked up at them with wide eyes upon hearing her name. Swallowing the big mouthful she had just bitten off, Clem scribbled onto her notepad while licking her lips. Thank you, Judy, it read.
The corner of Nick's mouth twitched downward. "You're allowed to talk, Clem. That's part of making noise."
Clementine frowned and shrugged noncommittally, averting her eyes. Nick was about to say something, but Judy cut him off. "That's alright, Clementine. You don't have to talk if you don't want to." As she grabbed hold of Nicks hand, who wanted to protest, she shook her head and mouthed don't rush her. They stared at each other for a minute, but soon Nick capitulated the silent debate. Letting go of Judy's hand, he started making progress on his own sandwich just as Clementine finished hers. She wrote down in her notepad and showed it to Judy. That was so good.
Judy beamed. "I'm glad you liked it. Did you want another one?"
Clementine nodded her head so animatedly it looked as if she would knock her head clean off and send it rolling across the floor. As Judy got up to make another sandwich, Nick watched her go, feeling a certain sense of pride. For some reason, the idea of her braving the stench of tuna in order to provide for him and Clementine filled his heart with a staggering amount of yearning, all directed at the grey bunny. He realized, with a start, that he loved her with every bit of his soul. It was the first time that thought had formed so clearly in his head. It was true, of course, and not even a surprise, but they hadn't actually said the words to each other yet. Absently he wondered why that was, wanting to conclude that at this point it just felt assumed.
Buried under all that love, however, was a tiny, insidious voice, whispering in his ear. This is too good to be true, it said, she doesn't really love you. She was just trying to help the kit. His eyes flittered over to the kit in question, drawing idly in her notepad. Was that true? Would Judy have changed her mind if he hadn't told her he wanted to adopt the kit? She'd seemed like she'd wanted to keep to the status quo of their relationship right up until there was a kit's future at stake. If she'd felt forced into this relationship, in order to help a child, what did that mean for their future?
When the bunny returned with a second sandwich for Clementine, it was like she was the sun burning away an infection. The little voice inside of him cowered in fear before her, and he managed to lock a cage around it. Still, the things it said had left Nick shaken. He must have had a stupid look on his face because she chuckled at him and raised an eyebrow. "What?" she asked. "It's nothing," he replied quickly, and left it at that.
They sat in companionable silence as they watched Clementine eat her sandwich, this time not ripping it apart like there was no time to spare. When she was finished for the second time, a little burp escaped her lips. She clamped a hand over her mouth, this time in embarrassment rather than fear, but she smiled diffidently when she realized neither of the adults were mad. Instead, they chuckled along with her. Nick opted to clean the plates for them, leaving Judy and Clem alone together at the table.
Two plates were not a lot of dishes, and it didn't take the fox long to get them cleaned and drying on a dish rack. When he returned to the dining table, he found Judy talking to Clem with an impish grin on her face. He managed to catch the tail end of what she was saying. "…he'll hate it, but it's my favorite movie."
"What's this about your favorite movie?" Nick asked as he rejoined them, wiping his hands off on his pants. He chose to ignore the implication that he'd hate something Judy loved.
"You'll see. C'mon," Judy answered slyly, leaving for the living room. Clementine hopped down from her chair eagerly and followed the bunny out, with Nick close behind. Judy entered the living room in a mad dash. She immediately set about rifling through the cabinet below the tv, so Nick took a seat on the cream-colored couch on the opposite wall. Clementine was quick to join him there, snuggling into his side. As he set an arm around the kit, Judy found the DVD that she was looking for.
"Yes," she called out, "I knew I had it here."
"What's the flick, fluff?" Nick asked as she took the DVD out of its case and inserted into the DVD player.
"You'll see…" she repeated, but now there was nervous quality to her voice, as if she were unsure of herself. She grabbed the remote for the tv, turning it on as she sat on the couch on the other side of Clementine. A logo materialized on the screen, and there was a lion urging them to, "Enjoy the picture." The lion and logo transitioned to a sepia-toned, overcast sky behind the opening credits of the movie. As the music swelled and the credits continued, Nick started wracking his brain trying to think of what movie this could be. As the credits ended, they were replaced by a message from the filmmakers, which concluded with, "and to the young in heart…we dedicate this picture." Then it hit him. He'd definitely seen this movie before, but it'd been ages. He'd last seen it when he was a kit.
He groaned melodramatically. "Your favorite movie is The Wizard of Paws?"
"…Yes," Judy responded, looking chagrined.
"Why didn't you ever tell me?" he laughed disbelievingly.
Judy pouted, "I didn't want you to tease me about it, okay?"
Nick put a hand to his chest, feigning insult. "You really thought I would tease you about your childish sense of wonder?" he asked, receiving a deadpan look from the rabbit. He would've teased her further, but he felt Clem's notepad slap him on the arm. He looked down and read what she had to say.
Quiet. Trying to watch.
Nick chuckled at the unexpected reprimand. He sat up straighter, as if a soldier awaiting further orders. "Understood, ma'am," he barked. When Judy read what Clem wrote she stuck her tongue out at Nick triumphantly, causing him to snicker at her. Then he quieted down like he was told, and began to actually watch the movie.
They watched as the film's protagonist, a teenaged rabbit named Dorothy, ran to her family farm, complaining to her aunt about a horrible Miss Gulch. Following that were the bumbling antics of the farmhands, which produced a few laughs out of Clementine. Nick looked down to see that her eyes were glued to the screen, enraptured by the movie. When Dorothy moved on to her signature song, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, he could hear Judy silently humming along with her. The same expression he had just seen on Clem's face was mirrored on hers, and the sight caused his heart to swell. He suddenly felt lousy that she wouldn't want to share this with him because he would have made fun of her. He chastised himself, because it was true. He didn't realize he'd been staring until the song ended and Judy said wistfully, "Her name's Judy, too. The actress, I mean. I was named after her."
"Really?" Nick asked, genuinely interested.
Judy snorted. "No, I just like to tell people that sometimes."
Nick chuckled thankfully, her joke telling him that she was alright, and maybe he didn't have to beat himself up so much over something so little. In the movie, Dorothy was running away from home, stumbling across a less-than-reputable, travelling fortune teller while she fled. The fortune teller pretended to divine through 'the Spirits' that Dorothy was a run-away, and convinced her that she needed to return home because her aunt had been suddenly struck ill.
"He reminds me of you," Judy giggled.
Nick bristled slightly at the comparison. "How on earth are we similar in any way?"
"Because," Judy responded coolly, "you're both con-mammals with hearts of gold."
She turned to look at him, and frowned at his expression. "Oh, Nick, I didn't mean anything by it. I'm sorry."
Now Nick felt bad. She was just teasing him like he did to her all the time. She also had the benefit of being apt in her analogy. "I'm just offended you'd compare me to a hack like him," he joked, playing it off.
Judy giggled with relief. "My apologies, I should have more confidence in your skills."
Now it was Judy's turn to get slapped with the notepad, receiving the same note from earlier, and the rabbit had to fix Nick with a death glare before he could start gloating over the way the tables turned.
In the movie, Dorothy had made it back home just in time for a tornado to come along and snatch her house right off the ground. Remembering the story now, Nick knew that the tornado would carry Dorothy off to the land of Paws, where the main crux of the movie took place. Soon enough the house on the screen came crashing into the earth. When Dorothy recovered, she cautiously made her way to her home's front door, and opened it to find a world full of color. Literally. Next to him, Clementine gasped in wonder at the sight. Though he may have imagined it, he thought he heard a stifled "wow" come from the kit.
He'd been initially uninterested in the movie when it started, resigned to watching it just because he had to. But having seen the way Clementine was reacting to it, and how much Judy herself clearly loved it, he was willing to give it more of a chance. Maybe he'd learn to love it, too.
When the movie was over, Clementine loved it so much that she insisted on watching it a second time. Nick didn't think he was ready for that, but he didn't have the heart to deny the kit the request, either. When the movie ended the second time, the sun had already set. He and Judy agreed it was probably time to send the girl to bed so, thankfully, he was spared having to watch the movie a third time. As Clementine took a bath, Nick fetched her backpack from downstairs. All it had was an extra change of clothes and a set of lime-green pajamas, which Clementine put on once she was bathed and clean.
As they showed her to her new room, she paused in the doorway, staring wide-eyed at it all. She now had a black desk with a mirror on it, a couple dressers for the clothes she didn't have and, most importantly, a real bed. The room itself was also just plain bigger than her old room. As the room had been Judy's until recently, there were some remnants of her stay in it left over. For instance, there were the purple bedsheets with little carrots dotting it, and there were still some of her rabbit plushies occupying the bed. Judy had wanted to see if Clementine needed them, seeing as she had a life-sized plushie of her own nowadays. Clementine politely declined, so Judy put them back in the drawer they came from with plans to move them at a later date.
As they tucked Clementine into bed, Nick asked if she wanted a story. After mulling it over, Clementine shook her head and wrote something else on her notepad. Can you sing?
"I sure can," he replied, "But so can Carrots," he said, indicating Judy. Clem giggled at the nickname as he continued, "Maybe you'd like her to sing Somewhere Over the Rainbow?"
Clem shook her head and wrote again. New song.
"Okay," Nick said, drawing out the word thoughtfully. He searched his mind for something suitable, then started singing what he thought was a good song. He was interrupted by Judy whispering in his ear.
"Hey, Slick, you know that songs' about a girl drowning to death, right? A girl named Clementine." She emphasized. Distracted by both what she said and the way her breath mingled with his ear, Nick faltered, but recovered quickly, singing the first thing that popped into his head. Judging by the way Clementine smiled at him, he decided it was a good choice.
As he crooned through the verses, Judy interlaced her fingers with his own and rested her head on his shoulder. Clementine started to sink into the bed, getting more comfortable, but Nick couldn't help lightly tickling her periodically as he sang. As he neared the end of the song, he dropped both in volume and tempo, until he was barely singing above a tender whisper.
"Que sera, sera. Whatever will be, will be," he finished, and Clementine looked about ready to pass out. "Goodnight, Clem," Nick whispered, leaning over to plant a kiss on her forehead. Suddenly Clementine's eyes sprung open in panic, and she frantically scribbled something down on her notepad.
Don't go. She looked on the verge of tears, and Nick stumbled as he thought about what he should do. Seeing the note herself, Judy slipped from Nick's side and padded over to the plushie drawer, rummaging through it in search of something. She pulled out a red fox plushie with green buttons for eyes with a satisfied, "There you are." Deciding the ribbing she most definitely just earned could come later, Nick let her bring the plushie back to the bed, sans jokes. Rejoining Nick by Clementine's side, Judy offered the plushie to Clementine, leaning in. "Whenever I didn't have Nick with me to cuddle," she said in hushed tones, "I would use this instead. It's yours now, if you want it."
Clementine looked at it thoughtfully for a moment, then scooted over and gave Judy a hug. Pleasantly surprised, Judy hugged her back. When Clementine let go, she jotted down a quick Thank you, and took the plushie. As she nestled it into her chest, Nick kissed her goodnight. Flicking the light off, the pair quietly slipped out into the hall.
Outside Clem's door, Judy hissed through gnashing teeth, "Unless you want to sleep on the couch tonight, you will say nothing."
Nick delivered his trade-marked smirk. "Nothing." Judy grumbled at his joke.
They set about their nightly routine, showering, brushing their teeth, and undressing for bed. They had just gotten into their now usual positions, with Judy's back tucked into Nick's chest under the covers, when Judy spoke. "Oh, I told my parents about…everything," she said.
"And the world's still spinning. That's a good sign," Nick replied without missing a beat.
"It went better than I thought, actually," she continued, ignoring his sarcasm. "They didn't seem surprised about us being together."
"Now that is surprising. I'd have thought your dad would want to run me over with his tractor, or something."
Judy snickered. "Just because it's the country doesn't mean the murder has to be farm-related."
"Are you kidding? It absolutely means that," Nick said with a subdued laugh. He felt Judy pressing further into him as his chest rumbled. As his laughter died, she released a muted whine.
"What'd they say about Clem?" he asked, no more trace of humor in his voice.
Judy sighed. "They…are concerned. Not because you guys are foxes, or anything," she quickly amended, "but because they think we might be moving too fast."
Nick was silent for a while. Unbeknownst to her parents, their concerns echoed his own fears from earlier. The tiny voice he'd locked away sensed and opening. "Are we?" he asked, not sure if it was him or the doubter inside of him speaking.
Judy turned herself around so fast he'd have thought she'd given herself whiplash, and her ears flopped onto Nick's face with a loud thwap. As he deftly lifted her ears off of him, he noticed the sudden fire raging behind the rabbits' eyes. "What?" she hissed
He opened his mouth to answer, but she cut him off before he could. "Listen here, bub. I love you and, even though it's only been a day, I love Clementine, too. You two are now the most important things in my life, even more than the ZPD. So, if you're starting to have doubts, you better say so now, because not only is she counting on you, I am too!"
Before he even realized what he was doing Nick propped himself up on an elbow, looking down on her. "Do you love me, fluff?" he blurted, "Because until a few days ago you were content to stay friends."
"I told you I was sure," she asserted, but it was no use. The voice of doubt in the back of Nick's head had broken out of its cage and was looking for blood. It sensed a crack in his defenses, exposed by the doubts expressed by Judy's parents, and was beginning to tear them down.
"Well maybe part of me thinks that only changed when Clementine came along and you learned that us being in a relationship would help my case, thereby helping her," Nick persisted. "I just…" he faltered, then with a withering sigh he flopped his back onto the bed. Rubbing a hand down his face, he said, "I just don't want to force you into a relationship just because you think you have to be here for the kit." He felt defeated, the voice of doubt was winning. "That's noble and all, but it wouldn't be fair to you."
Judy leaned over onto Nick's bare chest and looked down at him. Their snouts were only inches apart now, their breaths mixing in the air between them. "Nick," she began hesitantly, "why did you agree to pretend the conversation at the party didn't happen."
Nick's eyes darted about the room, looking anywhere but at her. "Because…it was clearly just the booze talking."
Judy delicately laid a hand on Nick's cheek. "Look at me, Nick." She gave his cheek some gentle scritches. The sensation felt so good, so right, that Nick's eyes were naturally drawn to the bunny's. Her eyes were wide, and Nick knew she was laying the cute bunny factor on thick. "Why."
"Because I thought that's what you wanted," he said, looking pained at making the confession.
"So, you lied?" Judy asked. The accusation stung in Nick's ears.
"Well, yeah!" the fox rushed to defend himself, desperately trying to hold off the onslaught of his own self-doubt. "I thought that was obvious!" Judy stared at him blankly for a moment, then buried her head into his chest with what sounded like a sob. Hearing that, Nick almost lost the fight with his insecurities. "Look, Carrots, I'm sorry, but I didn't want to risk our friendship, because the thought of not being able to talk to you every day literally made me sick, and…" he stopped abruptly as he listened closely to the sounds coming from the rabbit on top of him. His doubt still raged inside of him, but something was odd about the sounds she was making. "Carrots?"
She lifted her head up, and it was then the fox realized she was laughing, not crying. Tears of joy were streaming down her face. The sight rallied his internal defenses against his doubts, but it also left the fox feeling slightly miffed.
"Hey, what's the big idea?" he asked.
"You…dumb…fox!" she said in between fits of laughter. Taking a few more breaths she was able to steady herself long enough to finish a sentence. "I had the same reason!" She started snickering again, and the sound of her laughter both brightened his spirits and made him feel incredibly stupid. What was he thinking? Did he really think that Judy, the first bunny to join the ZPD and a rabbit who never let anybody tell her what to do, was putting on an act, stringing him along out of, what, pity? Judy didn't have a deceptive bone in her body, so if she said she was all in, she was all in.
The realization had an immediate effect on Nick. The little voice of doubt that had insisted on plaguing him crumbled and drifted away, like dirt on the wind. He felt lighter. He started chuckling, first mildly, then his laughter grew exponentially until he was clutching at his sides. He and Judy embraced tightly as they laughed together, melting into each other, until it seemed like it was just one mammal laughing, not two.
As their laughter died, Nick smirked at the bunny in his arms. "Call me a dumb fox? What about you, dumb bunny?" he joked, pecking her on the nose.
"You're dumber!" she retorted as her nose twitched from the light kiss.
"Nuh uh, you actually thought I wasn't in love with you. That makes you dumber!"
"Oh, shut up."
"And then you called me 'bub'. Who says that?"
"I said, shut up!" she commanded, mashing her lips to his. The kiss was tame at first, but soon their mouths worked passionately, hungrily, and their hands started roaming each other's bodies as if they had minds of their own. Judy squealed into Nick's mouth when, without warning, he threw himself on top of her. The kiss continued until both their lungs were begging for air and, when they broke apart, they were both panting. Nick stared into the rabbits' eyes, losing himself in their amethystine gaze.
When he spoke, his voice was a low, husky growl. "I love you."
There was a mischievous glint in Judy's eyes as she responded.
"Prove it."
A/N: Yes, they do it. No, there won't be any smut. No judgements here, it's just not my cup of tea.
First I need to correct an error. A big thank you to everyone who has read, favorited, followed and reviewed thus far. It really means a lot. Part of why this is coming out so soon after the last one is so I can say that.
Secondly, I feel the need to reestablish some expectations. I said before that this story is mainly about producing the 'warm-and-fuzzies'. That's still mostly true, but there are some deeper valleys we'll have to traverse before the story ends, just so you guys don't think there isn't some bigger conflict going on here. I have a plan. A plan I finalized after I started publishing this, but a plan nonetheless.
Lastly, the songs. The first one Nick almost sings is Oh My Darling, Clementine, which really is about a girl drowning to death. Yikes! The second song is Que Sera, Sera by Doris Day, among others. That second one will be important for the next chapter. Anyway, as always, please let me know what you think.
Cheers.
