A/N: Okay so I am a bit of a moron when I uploaded this the first time and it turned into gibberish. A special shout out to supersegway117 for being the first person to spot it and point it out. Should be fixed now and again sorry about all the pings while I am trying to get this upload right this time around.
Distilled Dreams
Part One: Fermentation
Chapter Four
-Judy Age 8 & Nick Age 9-
The walk back from the Wilde's den felt like it took forever for Bonnie with her ears still burning in embarrassment over what she had overheard. She could not shake the mental images playing though her mind after Judy had innocently asked Nick about some of the sounds made by foxes that where unique to them. She had more than a few of her own experiences after having so many kits being surprised from behind, having her tail pulled, and getting her bottom smacked to draw from and this close to her heat cycle she just couldn't help herself from thinking about them. She shook her head to clear it when they crossed through the blackberry bramble that separated the Wilde's land from the Hopp's land.
The rest of the J litter that had still been there when she had went over to the Wilde's den was gone now. Stu along with the cart of water and snacks was missing as well. Bonnie had been planning on making sure Judy and Nick had gotten something to eat and a bottle of water to take with them before sending them off to play until the Wildes were no longer...busy. "Looks like Stu finished handing out the snacks and went back to the warren. Judy dear? Was your litter planning on playing somewhere else this afternoon?"
Judy looked around at the empty field. "No not that I know of." Judy bit her lip thinking, "Jill mentioned it was getting warm before we started playing with Nick. Maybe they went back to the warren or the creek to cool off."
Bonnie nodded and heading towards the warren. "Well lets check at the warren first and get you two something to eat before you go off and play."
Nick stopped pulling his paws away from them both and rushed back to where they were playing before. Hunting around in the grass for a moment he came back with a small backpack in his arms. "I have some snacks my mom packed me. There should be enough to share."
"Oh," Bonnie said giving the back pack a curious look. She wondered what he considered enough to share and if there would be anything Judy could eat in it. "May I take a look Nick? If you need some more food to put in there better to see now then when you two are hungry and far from the warren." Nick nodded handing the bag over to her. She was surprised when she opened the carefully packed bag. The tops of two water bottles, one already open with a few sips missing from it, peaked out of the small hoard of food. Rummaging around with her paw she found bags of nuts, some fruit cut down into bite sized pieces, a nearly empty bag of berries that judging by the smudges of juice had once been full, a hard plastic container with peanut butter and crackers in it, and a bag of what looked like to Bonnie pieces of dry tree bark. She pulled that bag out to look at it more closely. "Nick sweetie what is this?"
Nick reached out his paw and took the bag from her. Opening it and giving a quick sniff his ears perked up and his tail started to wag to Judy's giggling. "I didn't know we had any of this!" Nick said taking a piece and started to gnaw on it. He finishes the small piece before looking up at Bonnie. "It's dried ostrich meat! Usually mom just has dried crickets or cicadas for snacks." His looks shifts from excitement to worry thinking about how he just ate meat in front of a prey mammal. "Sorry ma'am. I was excited and didn't think about eating meat in front of you."
"No worries sweetie. We all have to eat and we all have something our bodies need. You should see how quickly my little horde devours the candied sweet carrots I make for the holidays." Bonnie said waving off the apology. Seeing those sharp little teeth of his gnawing a piece of meat had caused her nose to twitch for a moment before she realized it was doing it. Some of those held over instincts from the past could be hard to control at times. "Lets go to the warren and put a few more things in the bag. I am sure Judy would like some carrots and other vegetables to eat in there and an extra bottle or two of water never hurts." She hooked the bag around one arm to carry it for the kits as they headed toward the warren. "Your bag of berries could use a refill too." Bonnie said laughing at the look of excitement in his eyes and his tail wagging quick enough to stir the grass in its passing.
The kitchen in the Hopp's warren never really stood empty. During the day a dozen or so kits and other older family members would be working hard cooking for the rest of the family. At night things switched from cooking to baking as the small pawful of rabbits in the Hopp's family who preferred being awake at night rather then the day made the bread and other baked goods for the next day. At anytime during the day and night someone was likely to be in there to grab a little snack to munch on. Bonnie led Judy and Nick though the carefully controlled chaos to the pantry. The work barely paused as the rabbits noticed the little fox todd walking paw in paw with Judy and Bonnie. If any of them disapproved of a fox in the warren they where smart enough to stay silent. None of them wanted the ire of the warren matriarch turned on them after seeing how it fell on Stu.
Filling Nick's backpack up and adding an extra bag of mixed berries Bonnie set the two kits loose. Trusting that Judy could look after Nick she reminded them to meet back at the warren around dinner time so she could take Nick back over to the Wilde's Den and have a chat with his parents. They agreed as they rushed out of the pantry and kitchen.
"Ma?" a rabbit doe in a white chefs coat said coming up to her after Judy and Nick had left.
Bonnie looked over at her eldest daughter Abby. She had been the first of her kits to come to her when Stu had been handing out the anti-fox products. "Yes Abby?"
Abby glanced at the door Nick and Judy had left though, "You didn't let me know we would have any company over especially not predator company. We don't have any ground insects, fish, or poultry on hand."
Bonnie's eyebrows drew together slightly. "Didn't you put some of that on the shopping list last week?"
"Yeah some frozen ground insect and chicken breasts that would keep for while so we would have it if it took a while to get them to agree to some neighborly hospitality. It never showed up Ma. We where missing a pawful of other things too," Abby said, "It wasn't on the invoice so I checked the original order. There was a chunk of paper missing at the bottom of the last page. A few spices we are nearly out of where also on the torn portion of the order. I was going to turn in the next order myself tomorrow so I wasn't too worried about not getting them. I figured we would have more time."
"I thought so too," Bonnie said sighing. Rubbing her paw though the fur on her face she though. Torn orders did happen though they normally got a call to make sure nothing important was missing. "I was planning on giving them some time to get settled before going over but their boy Nick was out exploring and Judy saw him watch her and her litter mates playing. She dragged him into playing with them."
"Sound like her," Abby said smiling. Judy had taken after Bonnie more then most of the kits and that included a good heart and enough stubbornness not to let anyone dissuade her trying to use it to better the world around her. "Did you talk with his parents already? I can put the order in today or send some one out to pick something up for them."
"No not yet and after what happened I wouldn't blame them for not wanting anything to do with us," Bonnie shut the pantry door and quickly told Abby about Stu yelling at Nick and then walking over to find the Wildes busy. Abby had to lean against a shelf by the end of the story she was laughing so hard as Bonnie's ears turned red again. "I'll take Nick over again when they told him to be back. Oh spread the word that if you see your father trying to sneak in at night for the next month to tell him unless he wants more time added to his punishment he better take his fluffy tail back outside."
Abby stopped laughing at her mothers embarrassment when Stu was mentioned again. "Something must have happened to that boy to have him react like he did to dad yelling and running at him." Abby said with a touch of worry in her eye when she looked at her mother, "Whatever it was they probably wont take kindly to what Pa said or did." Abby took a basket from the stack at the corner of the pantry and hopped around filling it with jars and fresh produce. She gave it to her mom, "Maybe a little peace offering will help ease the tension. I'll see if I can get one of those lazy bones up to make some fresh danishes or some sticky buns to add to this before its time to head over and face the music."
Bonnie looked though the basket. A few jars of jams and jellies made from the extra berries they grew for their own use. A large jar of honey from one of the many colonies of bees that kept their farm pollinated. A bundle of the sweet carrots the Hopp's farm was best known for. A few trays of fresh berries. An assortment of other vegetables they grew filled the rest of the space in the basket. "Thank you Abby. Hopefully this will help make amends," Bonnie said setting the basket aside to give her daughter a hug.
"They're my neighbors too Ma and I don't want them thinking we are all like Pa," Abby said as the hug ended. "Now unless you are staying to help I should get back out there and keep everyone in line otherwise dinner wont be ready on time." Bonnie and Abby left the pantry to the still hard at work kitchen. Abby chimed up before Bonnie could get fully out the door, "Ma! Don't forget to knock and watch your step around their tails! They are going to be sore enough already without adding any more to it!" Bonnie shook her head her ears back to burning. That story was going to be all over the warren before dinner. She had forgotten one important thing about Abby. She could run a tight kitchen while collecting and spreading the family gossip.
Judy lead Nick on a quick tour of the farm and her warren as if it was the grandest of adventures. They ran under the long tables in the dining room darting from one to the other to cross the room and take one of the side entrances to get outside. She took them all over the fields introducing him to some of her family as they ran across them while they went about their assigned chores for the day. They found her litter again near the creek. They where heading back but Judy wanted to show Nick the little pool in the creek big enough to splash around in so they didn't rejoin them. They dangled their paws in the water for a while before Judy rushed them to one of the nearby barns to show him the little catapult the older boys had built to launch pumpkins around in the fall and super snow balls in winter. The sun slowly travel across the sky as they ran around. Judy noticed how long the shadows where getting and took Nick back so she could show him the warren before Nick had to go back home.
Once back in the warren they stuck close to the walls as they ran down the hallways going from room to room to leave enough room for the occasional member of the family moving around. She showed him the living room with its large open hearth fireplace and clusters of couches, chairs, and coffee tables that could fit the whole family in a pinch. She took him to one of the many playrooms with its chests full of communal toys, barrels of building blocks, and shelves full of board games. After a quite word from Nick she showed him the floors bathrooms and took advantage of the break to go herself. She showed him the liberty with its shelves full of well worn but cared for books.
"Hey watch where you are putting your paws! We just finished cleaning that hallway!" One of her brothers shouted as they ran by the litter that was assigned to the cleaning chores today.
"Okay! Can you tell mom Nick and I will be in my room?!" Judy shouted back sliding to a stop before one of the many doors down this hallway. She turned back to Nick, "And this is my room!" She opened the door and pulled Nick in by the paw and pulled him up on the bed.
Nick looked around as Judy started to dig around the small pile of stuffed animals. The room was small but still had enough room for the bed, a desk, a dresser, and a small nightstand that had a few detective story books stacked on top of it. Nick noticed the Zootopia Police Department logo prominently displayed on one of the wall posters. It looked like an old recruitment poster that got handed out when parents came into school to talk about their jobs for career days.
"Found it! It looks just like you!" Judy said holding up a small plush red fox and handing it to him, "I won this at the Carrot Days fair last year at the ring toss booth. Its next week! You should come and watch the play I am putting on with some of my class mates. I can introduce you to my friends in town too."
"We saw some of the decorations going up when we were in town yesterday. Mom and dad looked excited about it. We didn't have fairs in Zootopia and didn't go to the block parties very often. I never was able to win anything like this the few times we went," Nick said turning the fox plush side to side looking at it before taking a small sniff, "It may look like me but it smells like a bunny." Nick rubbed it against the fur around his neck before Judy could stop him getting his scent on it. "There now it's more like me!" Nick said handing it back to Judy.
She brought it up to her nose and sniffed it. It definitely smelled like a fox now. She huffed and grabbed a bunny plush and rubber her cheeks all over it. She hopped off her bed and put the plush in Nick's backpack. "Well I won that one too and now its yours so it is sort of like winning one. We can play some of the fair games together and see if we can win you something of your own."
"Why did you rub your scent into it?" Nick asked.
She held up the fox, "Why did you rub your scent into this?" They looked at each other for a few minutes before bursting out giggling. Judy hopped back onto the bed to rejoin Nick. His tail twitched out of the way. "Can I touch your tail? I've wanted to ask all day. It looks so soft," Judy said shyly.
"Ummm..." Nick said glancing between his tail and Judy, "I guess so just please don't yank on it. It felt weird and hurt when kids at school did that." He twitched his tail so most of it was now in Judy's lap.
She ran her paws carefully through it. It was warmer and even softer then she thought it would be. She kept her eyes fixed on how the fur rippled back into place when she ran her paw though it. "Why would kids at school yank on it? That's mean."
Nick just shrugged watching Judy's ears swivel around when he talked. "I don't know they just do it. Like when they knock my books down or try to trip me. Hey Judy...can I touch your ears? I've been wondering if they are soft too."
Judy looked up her paws halting in petting Nick's tail. "I guess that's fair since you are letting me pet your tail. Just be gentle. Its like your tail it feels weird and can hurt depending on what you do." Judy shivered as Nick lightly ran his paw from the base of one ear to the tip one of his claws just barely grazing along her skin.
"Sorry! Did I hurt you? Did I do it too hard?" Nick asked pulling his paw back. She could feel his tail twitch in her paws trying to curl against his body.
"No you didn't hurt me and you can touch them harder then you did. It just felt like...well it felt odd with how lightly you touched them." Judy replied trying to figure out what it felt like when he had touched them lightly. He touched her ears again more firmly and tried to pet them again. This time she didn't shiver. It felt more like her mom petting her ears while hugging her now when he didn't touch them so lightly. They sat in comfortable silence for a while relaxing from the day of running around and talking. Judy petting Nicks tail and Nick running his paw along Judy's ears. Neither noticed the door opening right away.
"Judy dear? Nick sweetie? One of the boys said you where waiting in here. Dinner is about ready. How about a quick bite before we go back to your par..." Bonnie trailed off as she came into the room. She was not expecting to see Judy with her paws buried in a foxes tail while Nick was playing with her ears. Much less doing it while laying in a bed together. Had they been several years older this would have been like walking in with their paws down each others...'No No I am not going to think that' Bonnie chided herself. "Judy dear if Nick could have his tail back its time for dinner and Nick sweetie Judy wont be able to get up if your paws are on her ears."
Dinner, along with every other meal, was the normal controlled chaos in the Hopp's home. Several stations watched over by one of the cooks where scattered throughout the the dinning room with the household dividing themselves roughly evenly between them all. Bonnie took Nick and Judy to the station closest to the kitchen that was watched over by Abby. The three gathered their bead bowls full of a hearty vegetable stew with Abby slipping Nick and Judy an extra cookie to share for desert.
Nick and Judy ate quickly with a hunger that only growing kits and three day starved mammals could manage. Bonnie was only halfway though her stew when they had already eaten every last crumb and where splitting the extra cookie in half to share. Bonnie watched Nick try to hand Judy the larger half of the cookie only for Judy to take the smaller piece from Nick's other paw and quickly eat it so he couldn't try and take it back.
"How was the stew Nick? I am Abby by the way. Judy's eldest sister." Abby asked walking over to them free from watching over the food now that everyone had gone through the lines once. It would now be a free for all for any rabbit wanting seconds. She placed the peace offering basket she and Bonnie had put together earlier down on the table next to Bonnie. "I am sorry I didn't have anything extra to add to yours protein wise. We don't often have predator species over."
"Its okay Ms. Hop..." Nick started only for Abby to remind him her name with a chuckle "...errr...Abby. It's usually just one meal a day we all have meat and mom makes me another meal and usually a snack with it since I am still growing and we get some eggs with breakfast most days. The stew was really good! Better then my moms!" His ears drooped down a bit, "Ummm...don't tell her I said that please."
"Oh I see. Well its probably all the fresh vegetables and herbs we grow here that gave it an edge over your mother's stew. If she gets a garden going soon I am sure hers will be just as good as mine once things start coming in." Abby blinked and she had to hide a frown. She had studied her cook books and looked up the nutritional needs on foxes when she learned about the Wildes moving in. Even if it was just for her family she was a professional chef. Ideally all of the Wildes should be having at least two meals a day with the added protein. Nick was getting enough, if only just, depending on how large the portions where. Thinking back though on the order she had placed to try a get some meat to keep on hand for a short notice visit she realized why the elder Wildes may be shorting themselves.
The cost for enough meat and insect protein for three foxes for a day would likely feed a quarter of the entire Hopp's household for the same amount of time. Half or more of the household could be feed assuming there was something coming into season to supplement what came from the store. 'His parents must be going without enough themselves so Nick can get enough' Abby though to herself before saying out loud, "Well if that's what you are use too...still I wish I would have had something extra to put in. Well I better get back to the kitchen and make sure the litter on dish duty get started soon. I'll take your dishes back to the kitchen for you since I am go back that way."
Bonnie, having just finished the last piece of her bread bowl, picking up the peace offering basket and guiding Nick and Judy outside. Abby gathered up the empty dishes from where they where sitting and retreated to the kitchen. Abby had never thought about it before since she and her siblings could literally go outside and eat nearly anything growing out there if times got tough and be fine but predators besides turning over a log for the bugs underneath really didn't have many options anymore. Hunting and fishing laws where pretty restrictive from what she had heard and poaching carries stiff penalties. 'No wonder predator families are so small with how much money it would take to keep a larger one fed.' Abby mused dropping the dishes off by the sinks.
The peace offering basket was too big for Judy or Nick to carry alone but they realized they could each hold half and carry it together halfway though the walk to the Wilde's Den. The two where so excited to help that Bonnie ended up letting them carry it the rest of the way even if the walk would take a bit longer then she had originally thought it would. The extra time though gave Bonnie a chance to think. She was nervous about meeting with Nick's parents.
Explaining what had happened between Nick and Stu was not going to be easy. Explaining what Stu had tried to do before the Wildes had moved in would be worse. Bonnie knew she had to tell them though. If Judy or one of the other kits mentioned it later it would be far worse since it would, to Bonnie's eyes at least, seem like they where trying to hide that it had happened.
Throw into the mix trying to have a serous conversation with someone whose only interaction you have had with them is eavesdropping on a very good sounding round of sex...Bonnie was suddenly wondering if she should have loaded the back of the family pickup truck with a much larger peace offering. All too soon for Bonnie the trio arrived at the Wilde's front door and she raised her paw to knock. She hesitated for a moment her ears twitching slightly but with no obvious noises coming from behind the door to determine if Nick's parents where still...busy Bonnie drew in a steadying breath and knocked.
Vivian's ears perked up at the sound of the knock at the front door and slowly extracted herself for the embrace of a sleeping Johnathan. She smirked in satisfaction at the barely token effort he made in his sleep to keep her cuddled close to him. The two of them had been quite busy nearly all of the day taking advantage of the time alone and she had worn him out. Admittedly Vivian felt like she could use a bit of rest herself and she knew she would remain pleasantly sore for the next day or so. Slipping a dress over her head she left the master bedroom they had worked their way into after thoroughly enjoying their time in the front room. Walking though that room she realized how lucky they where as they had already plugged in the small yet powerful musk and scent masking air freshener. Otherwise the room may still smell like two sweaty foxes and pheromones.
"Nicky you're home," Vivian said opening the door, "I'll fix you some dinner..." While her son Nick was indeed home she had not been expecting the two rabbits. Looking between her kit and the doe rabbit kit holding an over sized woven basket and the older doe who had her paw raised to knock again Vivian cocked her head slightly to one side in confusion and a frown of worry crossed her features. "Hello I am Vivian Wilde. Nicky is everything alright? He wasn't bothering you was he?"
"Hello Mrs. Wilde," the older rabbit doe said turning her upraised paw into a short wave before Nick could speak, "I am Bonnie Hopps from the farm next door. My little one here, Judy, saw Nick out and about earlier today and invited him over the blackberry bramble to play with the rest of her litter. They spent the day together playing and exploring the farm. He wasn't a bother at all, Mrs Wilde, he was a perfect gentle-mammal but something did happen I want wanted to talk with you and your mate about. I know its getting late but I was hoping for a few moments tonight?"
Vivian saw a brief flash of emotion on Bonnie's face glanced down at two kits with the basket. Fondness moving to worry and...shame? A quiet sniff of the air didn't give Vivian any more of a clue. Besides the intermingling scents of the two rabbits and her own kit nothing smelt out of the ordinary. Vivian turned her head a bit more in confusion but pulled the door open wider gesturing with her paw. "Of course please come in. Would you mind if we talked in the kitchen? We are still settling in and that room is the least messy right now. Nicky if you and Judy are okay carrying that basket could you take it to the kitchen for Bonnie and me?" Vivian watched Nick and Judy walk the basket though the front room and though a hallway. They came to a branch in the hallway and Vivian gestured to the kits, "Mrs. Hopps if you would follow them I'll wake my mate from his nap. We had a bit of a busy day today." Vivian saw Bonnie twitch slightly and her ears reddened a touch.
"Oh! Of course. I am sorry about having to wake him. I didn't know he was so...worn out," Bonnie said looking anywhere but at Vivian.
"It's no trouble that lazy bones shouldn't be napping anyway," Vivian chuckled, "If he stays asleep now he will likely wake me up when he gets up far too early tomorrow."
Slipping back into the master bedroom Vivian walked over to the bed and nudged the ball of fur snoring away. "Johnathan we have guest I need you to wake up and put on some clothes." Unintelligible grumbling noises was the only thing she got back for her efforts. "Johnnnnathaaaannn," Vivian singsonged, "Waaaaake up."
A paw emerged from the ball of fur and reached blindly to grab Vivian. She knew from past experience if that paw found her it would only try and draw her back into the warmth of her mates embrace. Stepping out of the way her tone turned serious, "Up, Up, UP! You are worse than Nicky I swear. Up or I am finding a bucket of cold water."
"Alright...alright woman," Johnathan said yawning as he uncurled, "What is it? You've drained me dry you know if its another round you are after." Johnathan stretched and looked at his mate with a bit of hunger in his eye as his gaze traveled down from her eyes to her waist. Flicking his tongue along his muzzle Johnathan added, "Although something to eat would be good right now."
Vivian took a step back putting some distance between the two of them in case he made a lunge to grab her and return her to the bed. "Oh no you don't you horny old todd we have a guest! Mrs. Hopps from next door is in the kitchen with Nicky and Judy, one of her little ones. Nicky and Judy have been playing over there for the day apparently and there is something she want to talk with us about."
Johnathan frowned slightly as he put his shirt on and was hopping into a pair of pants. "Did she say why she wanted to talk with us? Did Nicky do something?"
Vivian sighed, "She did not say. You now know all I know at this point." Dressed appropriately at last Johnathan and Vivian walked out and down the hall to the kitchen. "Mrs. Hopps this is my mate Johnathan," Vivian introduced him to Bonnie as they arrived in the kitchen. Bonnie had must of lifted the basket onto the table and the kits where busy unpacking it.
"A pleasure to meet...-yawn-," Johnathan started to say before the yawn broke loose flashing his teeth briefly before he managed to get a hand up to block the view. "Pardon me. It has been an eventful day. As I was saying its a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Hopps and you too little Judy." Johnathan turned to look at the little bunny doe next to Nick helping him move the food from the basket around the table. He smiled at seeing the perked forward ears, slight smile, and lightly swishing tail of his son. It had been since the day Nick was suppose to join the Junior Ranger Scouts that he had last seen all three at one time. "Vivian mentioned that you dragged our boy all over your home today while you played. If its alright with your Mom maybe Nicky should show you around the Den?"
Bonnie's nod was all it took for the two kits to jump off the table and run down a hallway out of sight. Vivian glanced though what was already taken out from the basket and spread out and what was still in it. "That is quite the welcome to the neighborhood basket you brought over Mrs. Hopps. Can I offer you something to drink? Water, tea, we have some lemon-aid I believe still,...or something stronger? By the looks that crossed your face earlier what you wanted to talk about isn't an entirely pleasant conversation."
"Please feel free to call me Bonnie. Neighbors shouldn't be so formal. Ummm...something stronger maybe a good idea...this is more of a peace offering basket then a welcome basket. I meant to give you a few more days to settle before bring one of those over." Bonnie said her ears drooping and her shoulders slouched.
Vivian and Johnathan looked at each other for a moment before Johnathan went to one cupboard for tumblers while Vivian went to another much higher shelf and rummaged around for a minute to the clink of glass tapping into each other. Returning with an glass bottle filled with an amber liquid sloshing around as she walked. Vivian poured the three tumblers fairly full. "Here we are. Honey whiskey. I knew I saw it in there when we where unpacking. My old boss let me keep a few different bottles I had made before we moved out here. To tide me over until I could get my fermentation tanks and still up and running he said." The three of them took a tumbler apiece and brought it up to their noses breathing in the scent coming off of it.
Bonnie took a careful sip not knowing what to expect and blinked as it hit her tongue. Smooth and sweet with just a hint of heat at the end that warmed her. "You made this Vivian? The last time I had whiskey it tasted like what I imagine a kick from an ostrich fells like."
Vivian smiled and took another small sip enjoying her own handiwork and the praise. "I do have a bit of a knack for it. One of the reasons my boss was willing to be an investor and help me start up a little distillery out here when we decided to move away from the city. Close to the fresh ingredients that can help make a truly unique spirit. But I am sure we will have time to talk about all that later. You mentioned you wanted a word with us?" Bonnie looked down and took a long pull off her glass. "Careful there Bonnie. Its stronger then it tastes," Vivian reminded her with a slight frown wondering what it was that Bonnie needed a bit of liquid courage for.
Bonnie sighed looking like someone trying to thing of any reason to avoid the looming conversation, "Earlier today...not too long after Judy got Nick to play with her and the rest of her litter my mate Stu and I where going around making sure everyone working outside had full water bottles and some food. When he saw your boy playing tag with the kits...he..." Bonnie took another sip before looking down ashamed, "He yelled at your boy for 'chasing' our kits and called him a...a filthy pelt..." Between the warmth of the alcohol and finally starting to get the feeling of guilt and shame for Stu's behavior out in the open Bonnie told Vivian and Johnathan everything. From catching her mate passing out anti-fox products last week and his punishment to what had happened today.
"...I came over here with Nick and Judy right after that to make sure if you felt comfortable if they kept playing together. If something like that happened with my kits I would want to know about it and went to knock but these damn ears overheard the two of you together. I was too embarrass to try and interrupt that especially after Nick said how long it had been since you two where alone together. Then Judy must have heard something since she asked Nick about why foxes yip." Bonnie didn't look up or stop when Johnathan inhaled the sip he was taking and started to cough. She also did not see the amused smile flash across Vivian's muzzle before settling back into the neutral mask she had been showing since Bonnie started talking in earnest. "Nick said it was because of something surprising a fox from behind, pulling their tails, or smacking their bottoms. I am sorry. Sorry for my mate, sorry for not being able to tell you sooner, sorry for not checking to make sure it was alright for your son to spend the day at my farm..." Bonnie tailed off staring at the amber liquor in her tumbler.
-clink- -clink- -clink-
Vivian lightly tapped one of her claws against her tumbler raised in her hand to sit below her nose. "Well," Vivian said taking a sip calmly as Bonnie looked up ears drooping down her back. "Not the welcome we where hoping for to be honest but not entirely unexpected either. Foxes get rather use to those reactions after a while. As for the yips...it was all three in this case. At one point or another."
"Huh? All three...?" Bonnie questioned. She had expected the Wilde's to rip into her. To call her and her kin bigots and specists. To forbid Judy and Nick from seeing each other again. Not accepting what happened and...joking?...about their sex life.
Johnathan had finally stopped coughing out the liquor he had accidentally inhaled. "Ah yes well. It had been a while and I may have gotten a bit excited at times. But back to the point. Bonnie we did not think we would be welcomed here with open arms and a parade. If that had happened I would be looking over my shoulder the whole time we where here waiting for someone to jump me and cut off my tail." Bonnie could only blink in shock both from what they where saying and how casually they could talk about their personal time together as he continued, "Thank you for defending us and giving us a chance to get to know one another before you where willing to sharpen those pitchforks...sorry I am assuming since you are farmers you have pitchforks. Thank you defending our boy from your mate's blind anger."
Vivian reached out her paw across the table and set it over Bonnie's paw. "I haven't seen Nick this happy since..." Vivian took a quick sip from her glass, "Well I suppose we have our own story to tell." Vivian and Johnathan quietly recounted what had happened to Nick the night they had decided to move away from the city to a stunned Bonnie.
"Kits? Prey kits beat up and muzzled your boy," a few tears built around Bonnie's eyes as she spoke. "And then my mates goes and yells at him. No wonder he was trying to hide behind Judy looking like someone was going to beat him."
Vivian's and Johnathan's ears flicked back. Vivian's eyes narrow as she looks at Bonnie, "Yes we are not too happy about that but know blind hatred for our species brings out the worst in some. I do not want to subject Nicky to that blind hatred anymore then absolutely necessary." Vivian and Bonnie locked eyes. "I am asking you mother to mother...can I trust you to keep your mate in line? I am not asking for him to change his ways but keep a civil tongue and his paws to himself around my boy."
Bonnie swallowed hard at the intensity of the gaze. A gaze from a mother willing to do anything to protect her flesh and blood. A gaze promising swift and painful retribution a hundred fold over should any harm her child. "Yes." Bonnie said simply but fill of convection and confidence.
Vivian nodded her mood shifting away from serious, "Good because short of moving away entirely I don't think I could keep Nicky away from your Judy. They seem to have taken a shine to each other."
Bonnie laughed as the tension in the air and her anxiety about how this meeting would go dissolved into nothing. "I would say so. She was the first one to defend him when Stu started to run towards him and latter I caught her with her paws in his tail and his paws petting her ears." The three adults where all sharing a laugh when Nick and Judy walked back into the kitchen yawning and rubbing their eyes. "Well I suppose I've kept you long enough," Bonnie said scooping Judy into her arms. "Thank you...for everything."
Vivian scooped up Nick, "Think nothing of it and thank you for the 'welcome to the neighborhood' basket. Oh Johnathan could you escort these two safely home while I get Nicky tucked into bed."
Johnathan took the empty basket and placed the mostly full bottle of honey whiskey in it before offering his arm to Bonnie with a slight bow. "Please allow me to escort you two lovely ladies home safely this evening." Bonnie took his arm balancing Judy in the other and looked at the basket with curiosity as they walked though a side door. "A gift for a gift and our thanks for giving us a chance," he said seeing her eye the bottle.
Judy was fast asleep while they walked. The cool of the coming night felt good to Bonnie still pleasantly warmed by the alcohol. "You and Vivian didn't seemed embarrassed about being overheard." Bonnie said quietly asking the question that had been put out of her mind by learning about Nick's past.
A light chuckle escaped from Johnathan before he could answer, "Ah well between foxes getting a bit noisy...ah...during and due to canine anatomy so most of us are already expecting to be overheard or caught at one point or another. We learn to not make a big deal out of it. Had you opened the door it may have been a different story. Even knocking would have been...problematic depending on when you did it."
Heat returned to Bonnie's ears and she was very grateful for the soft buzzing snore from Judy. "Oh I see." They changed the subject of their talk to the Hopps farm and Johnathan's tailor shop for the rest of the walk. Leaving Bonnie at the door to the warren Johnathan began his walk back taking deep breaths of the clean fresh air. A tang of fear in the air caused him to turn his head to a figure standing next to a small tent in the fields. Johnathan waved presently and flicked his tail to make it obvious he was a fox. 'Dose this count as meeting Stu?' Johnathan thought to himself chuckling as he walked home.
-pop- -tink- -ding!-
"Yay! You got another one!" Judy celebrated bouncing up and down next to Nick still dressed in her cop costume from the play. The cork from the cork gun Nick held had knocked down another small golden moving duck shaped target in the furthest row from the counter. The portly boar manning the carnival game slowly shook his head as he leaned against the side wall and watch the young todd carefully load a fresh cork and take aim at the far row. A few more hits and he would have to part with one of the biggest stuffed toys lining the prize wall.
It had been a long week waiting for the Carrot Day's festival to finally start. Judy and Nick had spent at least part everyday since Judy first pulled Nick from the blackberry bramble together. Judy helped when Johnathan had taken Nick into town to get the tailor shop ready to open. The two kit's running around inside the shop adjusting and dressing mannequins had brought a smile to Johnathan's face. Nick went over to help Judy with some of her chores outside learning how to properly harvest carrots and telling the difference between a weed and some of the crops growing close by.
Nick had got to go with Judy to one of the last practices for the play she and her friends where doing. Judy seemed disappointed when they couldn't find a part for Nick to join them but Nick had just shrugged and said it wouldn't be right to just get a spot at the last minute after all of the hard work the other had put into it. Instead he helped run lines with the black wooled sheriffs daughter Sharla and the young Jaguar Jasper while Judy practiced her monologue. Bobby even let Nick try out a few of his instruments and teaches him the basics of the slide whistle.
-pop- -tink- -ding!-
"So what did you really think of the play now that you got to see it with costumes and every thing?" Judy asked Nick as another golden duck fell to his cork gun. Vivian, Johnathan, and Bonnie along with part of the Hopps young where spread around the nearby area. Vivian and Bonnie had become fast friends and where currently laughing and cheering over Johnathan's attempts to knock down milk jugs with a soft ball while wearing black slacks, a crisp white button down shirt, and a black vest all of his own make save the dust covered black leather wing tipped shoes. Stu had 'volunteered' to take most of the Hopps young to the fair rides. The possibility of him being covered with half digested carrots upon returning where high considering how many of them wanted to go on the Gravitron and the Zipper.
Nick grinned loading another cork. "I liked it. 'Blood, blood, blood, and Death!'" he quoted rushing his shot nearly missing but another golden duck fell regardless. He breathed out a sigh of relief. He didn't have enough tickets left to try again if he had messed up. "But not all predators where vicious and not all prey where meek." Nick said loading his last cork into the gun and sighing down it. It had taken a few tickets before this round for Nick to learn how the sights where misaligned and to get the timing of the duck passing through stands of 'grass' blocking the shot down. He had won a couple of small consultation prizes the first two times he handed over his tickets to the boar. A pencil eraser and cheap yo-yo weren't his idea of a good prize. Judy pointing to the over sized stuffed carrot at the very top of the prize wall when they first walked by the game was what Nick had set his sights on. He had to make this last hit on the gold duck to win it. Slowly he took aim and waited. "Ancestral foxed where hunted by other predators nearly as much as they hunted prey. Otters didn't even hunt prey but since they eat clams and oysters they are considered predators." Nick took his eyes off the back row to eye the tusks jutting from the boars mouth reminding him of some of the bigger mammals he had seen in Zootopia. "I don't think an elephant or water buffalo could be considered meek."
Judy snuffled her feet in the packed dirt looking down. She watched the bit of dust she kicked up swirl in the light breeze. "Yeah I guess so. I never really though of that. None of the history teachers ever really talk about that. It's always the great warren massacre of whenever and the Twenty-year Cursed Hunts."
-pop- -tink- -ding!-
"Alright kid," the Boar sighed coming off the wall as the tenth gold duck in a row fell, "I didn't think you could do it but you did. What ever you want from the top shelf."
"The carrot!" Nick shouted in joy laying the cork gun down on the counter. Judy and the Boar froze for a moment. The Boar moved first unhooking the over-sized carrot and handing it to Nick. Nick quickly rubbed the carrot with his scent before handing it to Judy. "Here!"
Judy looked between the carrot and Nick a few times before speaking, "Huh? But didn't you want something for yourself? I've never seen anyone win the big prize."
"Nope," Nick said handing the stuffed carrot to Judy with a wide grin, "I wanted to win something to give to my friend. Besides you gave me that stuffed rabbit you won before so we are even now!"
Judy hugged the carrot close to her body. It was bigger then she was including her ears. "Thank you Nick! Besides family I don't think anyone has ever given me a gift. Especially not such a big gift!" Slowly Nick and Judy walked towards their parents to drop off the carrot in the small wagon they had to haul around the small prizes the many Hopps children would come home with from the carnival games.
Bonnie's ears twitched as they came close and she turned to see Nick leading what looked like a giant carrot with legs. She started to laugh at the sight. "Well Nicky sweaty did you trade my daughter for a giant walking carrot."
Judy turned in place so she could look over the side of her shoulder to see Bonnie while still holding the carrot, "I am right here Mom! Nick won this for me at the cork gun booth!"
Vivian and Johnathan rejoined the small group. Johnathan held a bouncy ball as a consultation prize from his own attempt to win a prize. "...all of these games are rigged a bit in their favor. You just have to figure out..." Johnathan trailed off seeing Judy and Nick with one of the biggest prizes displayed at the carnival.
"Hmmm," Vivian hummed looking to Johnathan with a slight smirk, "Maybe you should have gone with them and learned the trick to the game they where playing. Looks like they figured it out quick enough."
"I give up," Johnathan laughed after listening to Nick and Judy quickly tell them how they had won the prize. Dropping the bouncy ball in the wagon, "I should just give you the rest of my tickets so you can help fill this wagon up." The ball bounced out of the wagon and started to bounce away.
"We'll get it," Nick and Judy said together handing off the carrot to Bonnie as she made a note in a small notebook about who the carrot belonged to in case anyone else tried to claim it later.
Vivian laughed as the kits ran after the bouncy ball off into the crowd. "Really Johnathan! It's called a 'bouncy' ball for a reason."
Several bounces and booths later Nick was able to get in front of the ball and grab it. "Got it Judy!" He looked around spotting Judy a little ways away frowning. He followed her gaze and spotted the other young fox todd in town Gideon Grey and his friend Travis following Sharla and a few other small prey kits with paw-fuls of tickets between some booths. "What's he up to?" Nick asked after seeing Gideon quickly look around to see if anyone was following him.
"Lets find out," Judy said moving quietly to the gap where they had all disappeared. It didn't take long for Nick and Judy to find the group.
"Gimme your tickets tight now or I am going to kick all you your meek little furry butts!" Gideon said shoving Sharla onto the ground.
"Ow! Cut it out Gideon!" Sharla said trying to stand back up only to be pushed down again by Gideon.
"Baaa, Baaa!" Gideon mocks as he grabbed the tickets from her. "What are you gonna do, cry?" Gideon turns to take the tickets from the others.
"Hey!" Judy shouts coming closer quickly getting between Gideon and the rest of the prey kits, "You heard her, cut it out!"
"Nice costume!" Gideon says his words dripping with sarcasm, "Loser, what crazy world are you livin' in where you think a bunny could be a cop?"
Nick had taken a bit longer to arrive besides Judy. A light growl escaped his muzzle along with his words after hearing Gideon mock Judy. "Just return the tickets and apologize to Sharla and the rest you jerk."
Gideon looked between Nick and Judy before laughing and pointing a claw tipped finger at Nick "What do you think you are doing around this dumb carrot farming bunny? A bit of a snack on the paw? Didn't you see her dumb little play we are predators and we ate meek little prey like this. Our killer instinct is still in our dun-nuh."
Travis, who had slowly been retreating as Nick's growl was starting to make his blood run cold, chimed in, "Um, I'm pretty sure it's pronounced D-N-A."
"Don't tell me what I already know Travis!" Gideon snapped flashing his teeth at his friend. He roughly shoves Judy. Judy staggers into Nick with the force of the shove and they both wind up in the dirt with Nick pinned under Judy. Gideon laughs, "Look at your nose twitch you're scared now! Cry, little baby bunny, cry!" Judy's foot lashes out as Gideon lean in close to mock her fear. Gideon stumbles back his paws move to his nose and come away with a bit of blood staining them. "You just don't know when to quit, do you." Lashing out with his claws Gideon leaves three deep cuts on Judy's cheek. Sharla and the others run off as blood wells from Judy's claw marked face. He grabs the front of her costume and pulls her partially off the ground waving his blood covered claws in front of her eyes. "I want you to remember this moment the next time you think you will ever be anything more than just a stupid, carrot..."
A streak of red tackled Gideon knocking Judy from his grip with a ripping sound as her shirt tore. Her tail hurt from landing on it but she couldn't move. She was stunned with her eyes locked on the scene in front of her. A tangled ball of red fur from Nick and Gideon fighting rolled back and forth on the ground before her as growling, barks, yips, and whimpers echoed around the booths.
"Get this crazy fox off of me!" Gideon shouted trying to run away only to be dragged back into the scrum by Nick. Gideon did his best to defend himself but the rage filled claw swipes, punches, and snapping bites from Nick occasionally slipped though. A few time Gideon was able to land a blow of his own trying to end the fight or at least do enough damaged so he could run away. Mammals began to fill the area around them. Rabbits whose ears had herd the shout of a fox attacking had rushed into help only to stop short as they saw it was two fox todd kits fighting near a clawed rabbit doe.
"Just let the pelts rip themselves apart! Saves us the trouble!" a young male voice calls from the crowd. Several more young voices echo agreements as several adult shake their heads looking around for the trouble making youth.
"Nicholas Piberius Wilde! STOP this nonsense!" Vivian shouted pushing her way through the crowd with Johnathan, and Bonnie following in her wake. Nick did not stop attacking Gideon at his mothers call. Vivian let out a deep subvocal growl and a sharp bark that got the two fox kits to freeze for a moment. Instincts where hard to ignore at the best of times and a mother vixen's command to stop was all but impossible for a fox kit to ignore. Vivian's paws shot out at that moment the two kits froze and grabbed a pawful of scruff at the back of each of their necks pulling them apart. She looked between the two of them. Both where covered in dirt, claw marks, and a smattering of blood breathing heavy. She locked her eyes on her son first. "This is not how I taught you to behave!" Her voice was low and cold with anger. "We are not savage animals that need to use our paws and claws to fight for our place in this world!" She turned her gaze to both of them. "Everyone who saw this and will hear about it are just going to assume this is how ALL foxes behave now if they didn't already. You just gave them all a real reason and a reminder of why they hate us, why they feel they are justified to feel threatened by us, and an example to fear what we are capable of doing to them by US!"
"Alright folks move along now! Nothing to see here! Move along while we get this sorted out!" Sheriff Dwayne Blackwoole called out to the crowd being guided by Sharla. A couple of other deputies came from different direction to guide the crowd away from the scene. "Ah hell..." Dwayne sighed taking in the sight before him. He had hoped his daughter had been exaggerating about Gideon stealing her tickets and then getting into a fight with Judy and Nick when they tried to get them back. Vivian knelt holding Nick and Gideon away from each other by the scruff's of their necks. Both of them looked the worse for wear with Gideon looking to have taken the worse of it. Nick, despite the ire from his mother, still had his eyes locked on Gideon and a low growl coming from his throat. Judy was on the ground being held by Bonnie as Johnathan carefully cleaned the claw marks on her face with his handkerchief. Judging by her wince and the small plastic bottle Bonnie had in one paw the handkerchief must have been covered in rubbing alcohol or peroxide.
Dwayne gestured to one his deputies, "Go find the Grey's and Stu if you can but bring a med kit over first. Best if we get this sorted with everyone all at once." He walked over to Vivian and took Gideon from her. "I'll start getting this one cleaned up until his folks arrive so you can look after Nick. Until this is sorted out I am going to have to ask that Nick, Judy, and your families stays nearby."
"I understand Sheriff," Vivian nods her head and walks away with Nick over to Bonnie, Johnathan, and Judy still holding him by the scruff of the neck.
Dwayne watches them for a moment out of habit making sure they don't slip away. He chuckles as Judy breaks away from Bonnie's grip and takes the handkerchief from Johnathan only to press it into an oozing claw mark on Nick's arm making him yip at the burn of whatever was on it. "You have to be a special type of stupid Gideon," Dwayne says pulling supplies from the medical kit his deputy dropped off. "Trying to steal my daughters carnival tickets, clawing up the Hopp's girl, and then getting into a scrap with the Wilde boy. I know your mama tried to teach you better then that."
"I didn't do anything," Gideon tried to say before he yipped at the burn of rubbing alcohol in his wounds.
With a sigh Dwayne continued, "You know boy I've been doing his long enough to tell when someone is lying to me. You want to try for the truth again or should we just wait until your ma and pa can get here?"
Gideon's ears flicked back and his tail curled slightly, "I'm just a fox. Why would you believe me if I did?"
"Being a fox don't make you a liar. Being a liar makes you a liar," Dwayne said moving on to cleaning another wound. "I was willing to look the other way with most of your bullying these last couple of years as kits being kits but that is going to end. It's time to choose boy. Be what people expect you to be or try to be better."
Gideon drooped and started to talk with a sniffle, "Ma only had enough money to get me a couple of tickets. Wasted them on one of the rigged games. I was mad when I saw Sharla and her friends with so many so I figured I would just take 'em and they wouldn't miss them or could get more. I took them from her when that dumb...when Judy tried to stop me from taking the rest and getting back the ones I took." Gideon didn't notice the chubby graying vixen coming up behind him along with Stu and the deputy. "Nick stood beside her to help. I was mad that he had already made a rabbit friend so quick. I've lived here my whole life and not a one rabbit has given me the time of day. Every time I tried I was just that fox they had to be scared of. Easier to be that and give 'em a reason to run away...I said some stuff and shoved Judy into Nick knocking them down. She kicked me in the muzzle and gave me a bloody nose. I clawed her and said some stuff then Nick tackled me. Don't remember much of the fight with him."
"Sheriff Blackwoole?" Gideon tensed at his mother's voice behind him. Holly Grey had heard her son confess to stealing from the Sheriff's daughter and clawing the Hopps girl. Her voice was filled with resignation and disappointment. "I can finish cleaning my son's wounds. I am sure you have more important things to do."
"It's no trouble Holly though I should talk with the Wilde boy and the Hopps girl soon. See if they say same the same as Gideon here. Is Mark not in town today?" Dwayne asked handing the cloth and medical kit to Holly.
"No Sheriff," Holly said pouring a little extra rubbing alcohol on the cloth and rubbing it against a shallow cut on Gideon's ribs. His overalls had taken the brunt of the claw swipe saving him from a deeper wound. "Mark is on a long haul route. He left yesterday and wont be back for a few weeks." Holly didn't look up at Dwayne as she reached for some bandages to dress the cleaned cuts. "Thank your for letting me use your medical kit. Money is a little tight until Mark gets back."
Dwayne kept a friendly look on his face though all he wanted to do was frown. Mark was gone far more then he was home for work and Holly worked long hours most every day at the grocery store bakery. "That's what it is there for. Feel free to take it with you. If I remember right it was due to be switched out for a fresh one in a couple of months anyway. Someone getting some use out of it is better then tossing it." Dwayne walked away before Holly could refuse. The Grey's didn't have much but they had their pride. A quick talk with Nick and Judy didn't add much to the story besides fill in what Gideon had actually said that he had glossed over in his telling.
Dwayne stepped away from everyone for a moment to think. Taking off his hat he rubbed the poof of wool that the hat normally hid with his hoof. With a sigh he looked around one last time. Holly was talking to Gideon too quietly to hear but by the pinned back ears, down cast eyes, and tucked tail she was likely chastising him for his behavior. If it stuck or not was the real question. Bonnie, Vivian, and Johnathan where gathered around Nick and Judy. Both of them looked much like Gideon but getting it from three barrels instead of one. Stu stood off to the side with Bonnie between him and the Wildes. His expression kept shifting from anger to concern to confusion.
Putting his hat back on Dwayne walked forward between the two groups. "Alright folks lets gather up for a moment." He waited as everyone moved closer to one another. The parents kept themselves between the kits. "Well unless someone has anything else to add this is how I am seeing things...in one way or another all the kits contributed to this getting out of hand. Gideon started things when he stole the tickets from my daughter, Judy here drew first blood when she tried to take matters into her own paws to get the tickets back instead of finding security, Gideon took things too far when he clawed Judy, and Nick...well although he was defending Judy after she got clawed the fight got far more violent then it should have." Dwayne looked directly at Stu and Bonnie figuring if anyone was going to ask for it it would be them as Judy could be considered the least at fault, "Does anyone want to press any charges?"
Bonnie looked at Stu who just stood there silent. He looked from the single bandage on Judy's cheek to the two seemingly mummified todds with the number of bandages they had wrapped around them. Stu sighed shaking his head, "No Sheriff. I don't think anything the law can do would compare to what already happened."
Bonnie looked at her mate in surprise but agreed with him. Vivian and Johnathan looked to Gideon and Holly and shook their heads no as well. Holly was already shaking her head knowing even if she wanted to press charges nothing would come from it with Gideon having started everything with the stealing and clawing. Dwayne nodded once they all gave their answer, "Alright then. As far as the law is concerned this matter is settled. Let's move along now still plenty of day light left to enjoy the fair with." He took his daughters paw and walked away. The deputies stayed close enough to keep an eye on things in case the families took matters into their own hands but far enough away to give the illusion of indifference to them.
"Mr. and Mrs. Hopps I am sorry about my boy and what he did. If there is any way we can make amends please let us know," Holly spoke up after the Sheriff walked away. She hung her head in shame her paws firmly on Gideon's shoulders as he too bowed his head and mumbled out a halfhearted apology. She growled low in her throat at her son as he put more effort into a fresh apology.
"What's done is done," Bonnie said with a bit of iron in her voice, "As long as it doesn't happen again we will consider this matter settled as well."
Holly turned to the Wildes and gestured to the bandages covering her son. "Your boy did this to mine to defend another after my boy attacked without proper cause." Slowly she got on her knees forcing Gideon on his knees as well. She dipped her head low and to the side bearing her neck. "Wilde Clan. The Grey Clan seeks your forgiveness. The Clans are too few and hated by others for there to be bad blood between ourselves. We offer our winter stores to pay for the blood a son of my Clan has spilled from the son of your Clan."
Vivian blinked at seeing the vixen Holly on her knees and hearing those formal words. This was an old tradition back from when predator still hunted prey and foxes where hated by all save other foxes. Fox Clans in those days where spread out with little contact between each other outside of chance meeting in the wild or the Clan gathering every five years over the week before and after the winter solstice. In those two weeks news was exchanged, arguments between Clans where settled, feasting and drinking took place drawing from the winter stores of all the Clans in attendance so as not to drain any one Clan, and those without mates sought each other out. For Holly to offer her Clans winter stores in those days was the highest price of atonement one could pay as it would have likely meant the death of her Clan in the harshness of winter. Even now for one to invoke the old ways it was no idle offer. Vivian could ask for anything from Holly.
Slowly Vivian looked over Holly. She was chubbier then Vivian from too little meat and having to rely on filling but fattening food most of her meals if she had to guess. The dress she wore was clean but fraying in places with a few noticeable mending and patches. Graying fur around the muzzle looked too early and was likely from overwork and stress. Vivian took a few steps so she was right in front of Holly and knelt placing one paw on Holly's muzzle. Slowly she brought Holly's head up so her neck was no longer bared. "Your offer is generous but the son of my Clan spilled the blood of a son of your Clan as well despite having cause. Let the blood that has already fallen be the only bad blood between our Clans. Let us stand as equals with no debt between us." Vivian said and meant the words her grandmother had taught her. She did not keep to many of the old ways anymore but her grandmother had and taught her of them.
Holly seemed shocked but a genuine smile began to grow as she and Vivian got to their feet. "I didn't know city folk still knew of the old ways."
Vivian grimaced slightly in embarrassment, "My grandmother tried her best to keep the traditions alive and teach all of her the kits and grand kits of them. I am afraid we don't practice many of them anymore. Johnathan's family didn't keep to them at all besides the solstice and I've fallen out of practice on the rest over the years."
"Ah you are a bit like the Hood Clan then in that regard knowledge without practicing much besides the larger traditions," Holly said her smile dropping off slightly before returning, "Well the Grey Clan would be happy to host the Wilde Clan should you wish to join us in any of the events large or small."
"Perhaps when we are fully settled in we will take you up on that offer. It will be good to spend time with the old ways so they are not forgotten," Vivian thanked her for the invitation. Holly nodded taking Gideon and left to gathered up the medical kit that the Sheriff left and the deputies had left alone.
The Wildes and the Hopps walked away together returning to the fair though in a far less festive mood. Johnathan had taken Nick to his shop to get him some clothes that weren't torn and Judy had followed along. After hesitating for a moment she took Nick's paw up in her own. Bonnie was the first to break the silence between her, Stu, and Vivian. "That seemed like a ritual apology Hilly gave you back there. What was that about winter stores if you don't mind me asking?"
"Old fox tradition," Vivian answered, "The last possible thing a fox Clan could offer to avoid a blood feud in the old days. If a Clan lost or gave away their winter store there was a good chance that Clan would die out if the winter was bad enough."
"Doesn't seem to mean much nowadays," Stu muttered just loud enough for Vivian to hear. "Somewhere something is growing and the grocery stores have plenty of food."
"Not everyone in those days and now can eat whatever is growing and can trade freely or afford to replace so much all at once. Nowadays with a family who keeps to the old ways that offer means I could have asked for anything. All the money they had. All of the food in their pantry. Their den. Even the clothes off her back right then and there and she would have handed them over," Vivian explained to Stu coldly. "If they where farmers I could even had asked they salt their own fields." Stu blanched at the idea of destroying his own fields just to avoid a conflict and wisely didn't say any more. Vivian sighed and looked out over the crowd. She noticed plenty of ears half turned in their direction eavesdropping. "The world hated foxes too much for us to hate each other as well. Many saw us as untrustworthy for what ancestral foxes where forced to do to survive among larger predators but among ourselves we valued nothing higher then our Clan's honor. Many Clans would rather die out then be seen by other foxes as what other mammals saw us as."
The day went on after Johnathan brought the two kits back. Nick and Judy ran off to the fair games and brought back several more toys and prizes seemingly unaffected by what they had just went though. Bonnie, Johnathan, and Vivian returned to chatting but it was much more subdued then earlier. Stu went back to minding the litters he was looking after thinking. A fox had clawed his daughter and another had defended her. Nick had taken far more injuries then Judy's single claw swipe in the fight with Gideon and had inflicted many more injuries to Gideon in retribution. Stu rubbed his face. It felt wrong to be grateful to Nick being their and protecting his daughter but besides him being a fox Stu could not think of a reason it should feel wrong.
A/N: Well another chapter is done. Sorry it took a bit longer then the others. The last coupe of weeks I've only had a few small bits of time to sit and write. A co-worker out all week didn't leave me with much energy to spare after getting home and the holiday weekend ate up a lot of my time. Plus as you may see I went though the first three chapters to try and clean them up a bit more. No plot changes just trying to fix more of my editing errors.
I was thinking about my OC's like Ms. Blackwoole and Rocky thanks in part to a review. They still have parts to play later in this story but I was thinking about doing a shorter side story featuring them. I fear their side story would be distracting from the main story with Judy and Nick if I tried to incorporate it here but I don't want to just throw them back in when its time for them to show back up. Thoughts? Splitting my time like that may slow things down but create a more fleshed out AU in the end.
Only a couple more players to get on the board before the chapters will start time skipping towards the end of part one. I wont be covering their entire childhood just key moments and pivot points that bring them closer together before...well before the end of part one.
Well as always thanks for reading and for any reviews/comments.
