I wanted to publish something else this week, so here you go.

Chapter 6 : Pie and Bedrest

Judy has opened her books and notebooks, ready to start working with Gideon. She quickly checks the time, hoping the fox isn't going to stand her up. She's about to shoot him a text when she sees him enter the room.

"Sorry I'm late. I- Mr Boarstein asked to talk to me about my grade on the literature assignment he gave us."

"Oh ?" The bunny reacts, hoping he didn't accuse him of cheating too.

"Y-yeah. I got a fifty-eight. He said he was surprised that I wouldn't do better since you were tutoring me, but that it was still better than usual."

Judy wants to groan. Way to backhoof a compliment…

"I-It's good, isn't it ?" He asks, sliding the copy toward her. She didn't want to give him the answer, and only guided him through his work. Her goal is for him to learn, and to understand how to study. If they were only focusing on literature, he'd have had a way better grade, but as it stands, it shows the fox is on the right path.

"Of course it's good." She says, thought the adequate word would be 'acceptable'.

Gideon seems a bit relieved at her comment, and sits next to her. "Oh and… Uh…" He hesitates, before starting to look for something inside his bag, to take out something wrapped in tinfoil. "For, uh… Standing up for me." He doesn't look at her, his gaze entirely focused on the table. "It's bit flat because I had to keep it in mah' bag all day..."

She unwraps what looks like a slice of apple pie. "Thank you, but… We can't eat in the classroom."

"Ah. Right." He mutters, looking disappointed.

Oh, screw it, she'll just be careful not to leave crumbs. She expects it to be a bit stale, but the only flaw she can find is that the crust is a bit too soggy, probably because of the mean of transportation. Otherwise, it's the perfect mix of cinnamon and apple. Plus the buttery taste of the crust manages not to overtake her mouth, something her mother almost always messes up (not that her pies aren't good, just a tad too buttery). "It's really good ! Your mom really know how to make pies !"

"I made it." He blurts out, his ears burning. Baking is supposed to be a female thing, as his father always repeated him. But he wanted to make something for her.

"You made it ?"

"Yes."

"You must have had a lot of practice."

The vulpine shrugs. It wasn't the first time he tried to bake something complicated, but he didn't practice a lot either. He simply followed the recipe. He doesn't tell her though, he already feels already embarrassed enough by her compliment.

Judy still has at least 8 turns on Sharla's 18, and the ewe is pretty she'll never really be able to match her speed, or at least not while trying to keep a consistent rhythm. It's probably due to the fact that the Judy practices sport outside of their common training while she doesn't.

Still, the ewe is taking a liking to physical training. She feels stronger, taller, and she likes the way some males are starting to notice the scrawny nerd. Well, she's not that scrawny anymore, with a bit of grooming, she'd probably find herself on the top twenty most beautiful female of highschool. But neither her nor Judy really care about that. Judy still rocks that tomboy look, while the ewe is perfectly content with her serious white shirts and long black skirts that make her look like a stern librarian (except now, as she's wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt).

"Sooo… How are things ?"

Judy slows down on her jogging. "On what front ?"

"Well, everything really… Since you started tutoring Gideon, you don't seem to have a minute to yourself."

The doe gives her a little smile. "He's almost all caught up on the basics. And yeah, it takes up a lot of my time. I don't think he realises how much work it is to teach."

"Some mammals do make a living out of it."

The bunny scoffs. "I'm not going to charge him !"

"I meant that teaching is a real job. Of course it would take time. Plus, maybe you should actually charge him, you are using your own time to help him out. I know that some seniors charge up to 10 five bucks an hour."

Judy shakes her head. "I doubt he could afford that, and I'm not sure what Mrs Catmull would think about me charging him. Have you thought tutoring too ? I'm sure you'd be great at it."

"Maybe, but I don't need the money. Plus I'd rather focus on my studies and have time to myself."

The doe rolls her eyes. "That's the exact reason why Mrs Catmull wanted me to do other things."

"Yes, but I plan to have a master's degree and maybe a doctorate. You on the other hoof, want to stop studying way sooner with a bachelor in law. I think she wants your to see that they are other things you could with your life."

"I know there are other things. I'm just not interested." Judy groans. "I'll be a cop."

And there's so much resolve in her tone that Sharla doesn't doubt it. Judy Hopps will be a cop.

It feels like moving through molasses. Gideon's entire body feels heavy. He can barely move, only strong enough to get to the bathroom to at least not dirty his sheet.

There are sandwiches on a plate next to his nightstand light that he hasn't touched, as well as full bottle of water. Another empty one is lying on the ground, its cap discarded in one of the room's corner.

A strange chime is heard by the vulpine though the daze of his half-sleep. Then a second, followed by a third.

It's the doorbell. "Mom, someone's at the door !" He rasps, before remembering she isn't there to answer. Well, they'll go away event-

The fifth, sixth and seventh doorbell chimes motivate him to stand up and go down to open the door. Rolling out of bed, he manages to put himself on his feet. He has to hold himself to the wall to keep his balance, careful not to fall as he goes down the stairs.

The unwanted visitor insists. "Coming !" He groans, pulling the door open. A pair of familiar bunny ears appear, and his gaze slides down to see Judy Hopps. "Watcha doin' here ?"

"I came to bring you your copies of your lessons." She smiles. "Woah, you look really sick."

"S'okay, it's just canine flu. How d'ya get'em ?" The fox asks, moving aside to let her in.

The bunny set foot in the literal fox den, to find a house not so different to the one she lives in (in term of looks, because the scale clearly isn't the same). It looks older, maybe in worse shape, the wood lacking a coat of varnish, and the wall needing some new wallpaper. Aside from that, pretty standard, except of course that natural fox scent that makes her instinct act up. Nothing that she can't handle of course.

"Asked Donnie, one of the guys in your class. We talked a couple of times."

"The soccer guy ?"

"Yeah, that's it. Donnie." The bunny confirms.

"Ya told him they were for me ?"

"Uh, yeah ?"

The fox's face scrunches into a strange expression. "Okay… Wanna drink somethin' ?"

"I don't want to-"

"I gotta get a glass of water anyway."

Judy follows him and looks around. The living room couldn't be defined as homely, but not eerie either. The there's a worn couch in front of an old TV, an used rug, a small desk in a corner with a computer that looks at least a half a dozen years old. "A glass of water then. Where are your parents anyway ? Shouldn't at least one of them be there to take care of you ?"

The teenage tod shrugs. "Ma's workin'. Can't really afford to put down vacation days at the moment." He fills two glasses of water and gives her one. "Here ya go."

"Thanks. What about your dad ?"

A shadow passes through the young tod's features. "He's not he-he-here."

"Ah… Well, I suppose you're old enough to take care of yourself. There are so many adults home, I don't think I would ever be on my own if I fell sick there… Doesn't it feel a bit lonely ?"

Gideon shrugs. "Not as if she could've stayed here. Hailey's at the Robinsons'. Can't really afford to get her sick, Can't take care of her either in that state."

"Hailey ?"

"Yeah, mah lil' sister."

The doe's eyes widen. "Y-you have a little sister ?"

"Huh… Yeah ?" He answers, putting down his empty glass in the sink.

"Since when ?"

Gideon realises that he actually never talked about it, and that there wasn't any reason for the bunny to know of her existence. He slowly counts on his fingers with a look of intense concentration. "Fourteen months ago."

"Oh. Wow. I didn't know."

"Why should ya have ?" He answers in an even tone. "Gotta go back to bed, I get dizzy if I stay up for too long."

"Need a paw to get upstairs ?"

She doesn't know exactly what the look he sends her way mean, between exasperation and worry. "I'll manage."

She follows him as he reaches the steps, and starts climbing on wobbly legs. About halfway through, he has to cling to the banister, and she rushes to him. "You really need to learn accepting help when you need it."

"I was fine." He answers between clenched teeth. "Are ya goin' to tuck me in ?" He asks sarcastically when they enter his room.

The place is pretty bare. A desk, a chair, a bed, a nighstand and a small wardrobe. There are a few torn and taped up comic books lying around, as well as a BB gun that has seen better days.

"Depends, do you need me to ?" She ask tauntingly, as she accompanies him to his bed. "Do you need a kiss good night with it ?"

"I ain't a baby." He answers with in with a tired smile. Then, his head hits the pillow and he starts snoring. The doe can't help but smile. That's such a far cry to the vulpine that used to bully her and her friend in primary and middle school. There's still a lot of anger in him, but somehow she feels like he might have… Matured ? Not a lot, he sometimes has the same reaction than her younger siblings, especially the easily irritable side.

He turns around, showing his back to her. "Good night." She whispers.

"G'night." He mutters in his sleep, which draws a smile to her face. Tip-toeing, she leaves the room and walks downstairs. She feels a bit bad leaving him on his own, but it's starting to get late, and she doesn't doubt his mother will be there soon. Still, in case she doesn't, she leaves the notes on the kitchen table as well as a note. "Here are your lesson. Call me if you're going to miss more days so I can ask for them to your classmates. -Judy." It feels a bit dry, so she leaves a "XOXO" between the words and her name, before leaving the house.