Well, this it guys. The last chapter.
Yeah, it's monday, but I wanted to go on to other stuff.
Thank you all for your reviews, and for reading.
Chapter 36 : Graduating
"As mayor of Zootopia, I am proud to announce that my mammal inclusion initiative has produced its first police academy graduate. Valedictorian of her class, ZPD's very first rabbit officer, Judy Hopps!"
Judy walks up to the lion with confidence, clad in her blue uniform. On the benches, her parents cheers for her. Next to them Gideon is waving.
She can see her father shed a couple of tears and her mother roll her eyes at him.
All the while, the lion ushers his assistant to get the badge that she pins on her chest.
"Judy, it is my great privilege to officially assign you to the heart of Zootopia, precinct one, city center."
This time, her parents looks a little less excited and more worried, while Gideon is clapping hard.
"Congratulations, Officer Hopps." Says the small ewe next to her.
"I won't let you down. This has been my dream since I was a kid."
"You know, it's a - it's a real proud day for us little guys."
"Bellwether, make room, will you? Come on." He pushes his assistant to the side, smiling widely as the cameras. "Okay, Officer Hopps. Let's see those teeth!"
- 1 -
Judy walks down from the stage to her parents, almost jumping in their arms to hug them. "I made it!"
"You did, honey!" congratulates her mother. "Valedictorian, and everything."
The doe nods and turns to Gideon. "I'm so glad you could make it."
"Well, Hester could hold the fort for a few hours." He grins. "No way I was gonna miss you gettin' yer dream. And the uniform suits ya."
He gives her a big hug that she almost melt into. It feels awfully lonely when he lets her go.
- x -
Judy's standing at the train station, her suitcase next to her. The sun is bright, and she's feeling ready to take a new step into her life.
"We're real proud of you, Judy." Smiles Bonnie.
"Yup, and scared too." Stu adds. "Really, it's a - it's kind of a proud-scared combo. I mean, Zootopia, so far away, such a big city."
"Guys, I've been working for this my whole life."
"We know, and we're just a little excited for you, but terrified." Her mother says.
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Judy intervenes.
"And also bears. We have bears to fear too, say nothing of lions and wolves-" The buck enumerates.
"Wolves?" Bonnie reacts.
"Weasels!"
"You play cribbage with a weasel."
"Yeah, and he cheats like there's no tomorrow. You know what? Pretty much all preda-"
"Ahem!" Judy clears her throat, glancing toward Gideon standing a couple of pace away with Hester next to him.
"I mean… They're good mammals, but it's different in the city." The buck says sheepishly. "Gideon got out of it because of you, but they aren't all like him."
"Dad-"
"Just in case, we made a little care package to take with you." He smiles holding a bag.
"We- Stu, we talked about this!" Bonnie reacts.
"And we didn't agree. This is a deterrent, repellent, and check this out!" He grins, pulling a taser that vibrates in his paws as he turns it on.
"She has no need for a fox taser, Stu! And did you really have to choose the fox-away brand?"
"What!? It's the best one on the market!"
Judy rolls her eyes and grabs the repellent. "I'll take this, to make you stop talking." Then she turns to Gideon, who's standing with Hester at the train station, and approaches them. "Sorry about him."
"It's okay." Smiles the vixen.
The tod adds. "It's kinda funny."
"Yeah, until he uses one of those on you. Maybe I should have taken them all..."
"Nah. It's gon' be fine. Plus I thought I'd ask him to sell me his fruits fer my shop. Pretty sure he'll get used to me."
"It's actually a great idea!" The doe smiles. "After we spent so long as friends, I'd have hoped he'd actually change his views..."
"Well, he didn't look ready to faint at the last Birth Party..."
"True… I'll try to come back and visit."
"Ya better." The fox nods before opening his arms, so that they can hug.
She feels a twinge in her hearts as his arms wrap around her. She can't help but wonder… What if the MII hadn't passed? What if she was staying?
She glances at Hester who doesn't look the least bit jealous of the doe enjoying her boyfriend's arms. She doesn't show any smugness either.
"You take care of him." She says to the vixen as the tod lets her go.
"You make the world a better place." Hester nods, offering her a paw that the doe shakes.
The shriek of the train's brakes makes her ears ring as it stops. The doors slide open with the sound of depressurized air and the doe steps in, putting her suitcase down inside, before rushing back out of a last hug.
"I love you guys." She whispers.
"We love you too."
Then she enters the train again and waves at her parents and Gideon as the door closes. Climbing a set of stairs, she finds herself in a compartment with a bubble window that lets her look at the panning landscape.
Her eyes fall on the train station and the silhouettes on it, getting smaller as they wave at her. She waves back at them and at her small town that is disappearing in the distance.
There's still that little twinge in her heart, a feeling of loss. But also a certainty. She made the right choice.
She's ready for the next chapter of her life.
The End
You know, it's really fun how you can count how long I worked on things. I release one chapter a week, so that make 36 weeks, and I usually start working on a fic for about half as long before beginning to publish so that makes what... 54? A bit more than a year.
Anyway, once again, thank you all for reading.