"For heaven's sake, what have I told you kits?" Bonnie let loose an aggravated sigh as she approached a small pile of bunny children. "When you're piling up on someone, you do not cover their face!" Bonnie leaned down and peeled a small bunny kit from the pile, revealing Nick's head. He gasped, then gave a tired grin.
"It kind of alarms me that you have protocol for that sort of thing," Nick chuckled.
"We do, and my kits can usually behave," Bonnie glared daggers at the kit she was holding by the back of his shirt.
"Sorry momma," the kit gave a guilty grin. Bonnie set him down and he ran off.
"Comfy, Nick?" Bonnie asked jokingly, staring at what little she could see of him.
"Quite," Nick shot back as he was still covered by a carpet of curious, hugging bunnies.
"Wow Nick, you're old!" A female's voice called out, looking at his driver's license.
"There goes my wallet," Nick chuckled. "Raising a thief, huh?"
"Lily!" Bonnie grumbled sternly.
"Sorry, momma!" Lily gave a big grin and shoved his wallet back in his pocket.
"Nick, do you have a car?" A small male bunny close to Nick's head asked. Nick sighed.
"I'll leave you be, Nick," Bonnie smiled warmly. "Give a holler if they're not off you in a half hour or so."
"You got it," Nick grunted.
Judy was at Bonnie's side as they did some dishes together in the main kitchen area. Bonnie shook her head, sucking at her teeth.
"Judy, I just don't understand why you insist on doing chores when you come over to visit," Bonnie shook her head. "It's your vacation; you should relax!"
"Just habit, I guess?" Judy shrugged casually. "A bunny household is like a well-tuned machine, and if even one part is out of place, things don't work so well."
"But somehow, we've managed without you," Bonnie teased. Judy shot her an unsure look. "Oh, I'm sorry dear, I didn't mean to be rude. I love having you and Nick over."
"You already met Nick last time we were here, mom," Judy cocked an eyebrow. "I don't know if I'm more surprised that you wanted him to come back, or that Nick agreed to come. Is he still buried?"
"Well, let's see!" Bonnie set a cup down in the sink and peeked over in to the large main living area. She grew a wide smile. "Oh my goodness gracious. Come look, Judy!"
"What is it?" Judy set a dish down and came running, slightly alarmed.
Nick was sitting on the floor of the main living area, with a large audience of bunny kits. They were sitting near him, on him, and even behind him. Not one kit was paying attention to the large array of TV screens off to the side; every kit had their rapt attention trained on Nick. He appeared to be telling some sort of story, though Bonnie and Judy couldn't make it out from so far away and across the low din of the bunnies in the entry hall. Nick would gesture emphatically with his hands, make exaggerated faces, and bunnies would flinch and laugh.
"Huh!" Judy tried not to sound too impressed. "Not bad."
"Oh, he's just so good with the kits," Bonnie smiled in adoration. "That's why I wanted him to come over! They just find him so fascinating. He'd make a great father, wouldn't you say?"
"Ah c'mon," Judy chuckled, moving back to the dishes. "He's got it easy. He's only got to deal with them for a few days, maximum, then he's off the hook."
"Now now," Bonnie said reprovingly, following her back to the chore at hand. "Dealing with that many kits for any length of time is a challenge."
"Yeah, he's alright," Judy rolled her eyes, but her voice was fond.
"So, anything... new with you and Nick?" Bonnie gave a mischievous grin.
"Huh? I mean, we're still partners," Judy shrugged. "Things are pretty much the same as the last time we were over, when you first met him."
"Oh, I see..." Bonnie pursed her lips and twisted them this way and that. "Hmm... are you sure?" She grinned piercingly.
"Mom!" Judy raised an eyebrow. "If I didn't know any better I'd think you were trying to pry out something to gossip about!"
"Who, me? I would never," Bonnie smiled innocently. "But, you do have to admit that Nick is a charming fellow."
"Mom, did you forget he's a fox?" Judy shook her head. "'Actually, your father does have a point'? 'Foxes are the worst'?"
"Judy!" Bonnie put her hands on her own hips and her mood fell a bit. "You know your father and I have moved past that!"
"I sure didn't expect you to swing so wide in the other direction," Judy rolled her eyes.
"So, tell me! Is there any juicy dirt on him you've dug up?" Bonnie asked with an eager, almost wavering voice.
"What's to tell?" Judy gave an annoyed huff. "I mean, yeah, it's true, he is sweet and courteous, funny and smug, fun to be around..."
"Ooh!" Bonnie gave a tiny hop. "And you get butterflies in your stomach when you talk about him?"
Judy's pupils shrank a bit and she stared at Bonnie. "Okay, okay, I see whats going on here. It's the reverse psychology trick. You're trying to encourage me and Nick to get closer because you don't want us to be. Just like you tried to talk me out of being a police officer! Well, nice try."
"Judy, do you honestly think I'm that clever?" Bonnie giggled.
"Well, I know dad isn't," Judy smirked, folding her arms.
Bonnie laughed louder. "You have a point there."
"Let's cut the squash, mom," Judy twisted her mouth a bit. "Do you or do you not want Nick and I to get together?"
"Young lady, you watch your mouth," Bonnie retorted firmly. Then, she turned halfway away from Judy, trying to put on a dignified look. "I mean, I suppose I wouldn't hate that. It would be... hm... fun, don't you think? I'd have so much to gossip about with my sisters!"
Judy sighed warmly. "Nice to know where your priorities are."
"And that's the end of that story," Nick smirked.
"What!?" The throng of kits shrilly protested in unison.
"That can't be the end! Does the squirrel ever become a race-car driver!?" The kit that had asked if Nick had a car stamped his foot.
"Does he still get to be with his ferret girlfriend?" A small girl kit asked hopefully.
"Well, you'll just have to wait until I come back next time to tell more of the story, won't you?" Nick said smugly, starting to rise to his feet, gently moving some of the bunnies closer to his body away from him.
"Aww...!" The bunnies replied, reluctantly starting to disperse. Stu made his way over to Nick, seeing the bunnies clear out.
"Are you free, Nick?" Stu asked.
"Finally, yes," Nick chuckled.
"Well! I've got a bit of an activity planned for the two of us!" Stu went on, holding up two wicker baskets. "Blueberry picking!"
"Really!?" Nick lit up childishly and then gave a nervous laugh as his ears laid flat and he ran a hand through them. "Uh, I mean, cool."
Stu chuckled. "Thought you might like that. Wanna come?"
"Of course! But what makes you think I'll need a basket?" Nick wiggled his eyebrows.
"Well, Mr. Fox," Stu gave him a reproving look, "there'll be none of Bonnie's famous vegetable casserole for you if you spoil your appetite with blueberries."
"Augh!" Nick tugged on his ears a bit. "Making me choose between my true loves!"
The two laughed as they headed off into the fields together.
"So, about what you were saying earlier..." Stu started as the two picked blueberries. Stu saw Nick pop a couple into his mouth. "Hey! Remember what I said!"
"I'll stop at ten, I swear," Nick chuckled. "Mm, they're just so good... anyway, what about what? I wasn't paying attention."
"Your true love," Stu clarified.
"Ah yes, blueberries, and Bonnie's casserole," Nick chuckled. "Mm. I better stop with these berries, indeed. I need some of that casserole."
"I was more talking about love in general, Nick," Stu went on conversationally. "Do you have one?"
"Do I...?" Nick repeated, thinking about this. "Well, I don't have any vixen girlfriends, if that's what you mean."
"It's not what I mean, Nick," Stu's voice was rather even, and Nick felt caution. "Are you in love with someone?"
"I uh..." Nick seemed to be giving this some thought. Stu gave him a gaze that felt like a glare.
"C'mon, son, it's not that hard of a question," Stu chuckled. "Who makes your heart ache?"
"I kind of feel like this is a leading question, maybe," Nick said with trepidation. "You don't... have the fox taser with you, do you?"
"No, I threw that old thing away," Stu chuckled merrily. "So, it's Judy!?"
"Oh God, I didn't say that!" Nick looked panicked.
"It's... not Judy?" Stu suddenly looked disappointed.
"Er, if it wasn't, would that be a problem?" Nick picked some more blueberries, wondering if he could make a break back for the Hopps compound.
"Oh, I dunno, Nick," Stu looked away a bit. "Just, when I see the two of you together, it kinda warms my heart a bit, you know? You get along so well."
Nick felt like he had a rock in his stomach, and he knew he hadn't eaten too much. He looked around. "Um, we're not being filmed, are we? Are we on some sort of candid camera show?"
"Nick!" Stu laughed. "Is it really so hard to believe that? I know you're a hard-working, honest fox. You graduated at the top of your class!"
"How'd you know that?" Nick cocked an eyebrow.
"Ah, Judy bragged about you to me one time," Stu chuckled, picking a few more berries. "Though I think it was more rubbing it in that foxes can be great mammals, after all."
"Hm," Nick swallowed. "Judy's... well, she's a special person. She changed the course of my life and I owe her a lot. I'd never do anything to hurt her."
"Oh, I know that, son," Stu gave a wobbly smile. "Else I would have taser'd ya!"
"Gee, thanks," Nick chuckled. He set down his basket of berries, and Stu followed suit. Nick held his arms out in caution. "Listen, I'm not going to say that I... well, that I'm not attracted to your daughter. But I'm just not sure that it should go too far, you know?"
"Ah, Nick!" Stu smiled warmly, rushing at him.
"Wait, wait! What are you doing!?" Nick exaggeratedly flinched with his arms guarding his head, but relaxed when Stu just ran up to hug Nick. Baffled, he hugged back, patting Stu on the back.
"BZZZZT!" Stu exclaimed suddenly, jostling Nick with his arms in the hug.
"Aaagh!" Nick yelped before he realized he wasn't being tased. "Ah, hilarious."
Stu laughed. "Ah, you and I, we'll have some good times together."
"When exactly are they going to start?" Nick quipped back.
The two of them chuckled warmly as they picked their blueberry baskets back up.
Nick was uncomfortably splayed out on three smaller bunny beds that were arranged together for him in the guest bedroom. He tossed and turned, trying to find just the right position to where he felt comfortable. Not only were the sleeping arrangements not ideal, but his stomach was painfully full of casserole. Even with only some sleep shorts on, the bumps in the divots of the beds kind of bothered his longer, bare upper body.
"Ugh..." Nick groaned. His door opened and he saw light pouring from the hall. "Who's there?"
"Nick, you awake...?" Judy's meek voice asked from the hall.
"No, I just shout 'who's there?' in my sleep randomly," Nick said. "Also, I defend myself sarcastically. I'm very talented."
Judy opened the door and headed inside the guest bedroom. Nick blinked. In the dim light he could see that she was just wearing some kind of oversized t-shirt for bed. It looked very fetching on her, in ways.
"We need to talk, Nick," Judy said calmly. Nick sat up in his beds, feeling instantly nervous as Judy sat next to him.
"Y-yeah?" Nick mumbled.
"I think my mom is trying to set us up together," Judy explained.
"Really?" Nick blinked in surprise. "Bonnie too, huh?"
"What do you mean 'too'?" Judy turned to him, looking baffled. "Dad's...?"
"Yup," Nick nodded. "I think he thinks we make a cute couple."
"No way," Judy huffed in amusement. "My dad?"
"Listen, I know people who can squelch their emotions," Nick held a hand out, "Stu is not one of them."
"Yeah, that's definitely true," Judy laughed. "So uh, what do you think about all that, then?" Nick turned his head away from Judy and said nothing. "Nick... c'mon, please look at me."
"No," Nick shook his head.
"Are they making you uncomfortable?" Judy grit her teeth. "Thinking we should be together...?"
"You're making me uncomfortable," Nick admitted. Judy gasped, but Nick quickly clarified. "Because of that shirt."
"...Wait, what?" Judy shook her addled head briefly. Nick sent her emotions into a full loop. "My shirt?"
"I dunno, seeing you like that is kind of doing it for me," Nick gave a soft chuckle.
Judy gasped. "Freakin' fox!" She grabbed a pillow and bopped him on the head with it. "You had me worried!"
"Hehe, deserved that," Nick held up a finger.
"Gotta say, you don't look too bad wearing only shorts, either," Judy said playfully, eyeing his chest fur.
"I think it's things like that, huh?" Nick said, rubbing his forehead. "We always say things like that. We always tease and play around like we were children. Cause of that, everyone thinks we'd be good together."
"Isn't it just that we are good together?" Judy asked warmly, touching his hand with hers.
"Yup, but to tell you the truth," Nick sighed. "I really didn't want to tell you I loved you while sitting here on some tiny beds in your parents house wearing sleepwear."
"You've never really needed to tell me that," Judy squeezed his hand. "It's obvious."
"It is?" Nick blinked. "You've known?"
"Just like I've known you forgave me for being a dumb bunny at the bridge," Judy smiled as she caught Nick's gaze finally. "You never said it with those words, but it was apparent through your actions. Just like it's apparent you love me."
Nick, dumbfounded, leered over Judy's apparel.
"Nick..." Judy gave him a very slightly annoyed scowl. "Why are you ogling me?"
"I'm trying to replace all of the touching things you're saying with more frivolous thoughts, like how hot you look," Nick grinned.
"It would be a bad idea to try to start anything here in my parents house," Judy smirked reprovingly.
"I concur fully," Nick nodded. "But what should we do?"
"Eh, we'll talk about it in the morning," Judy kissed his temple and got up, turning away from him and walking toward the door. "Oh, and stop staring at my tail."
"What? I'd never," Nick claimed defensively, but Judy wiggled her hips and tail and he gave an impossible-to-fully stifle sharp intake of air.
"Liar," Judy turned her head to look at him and winked at him. "Goodnight, sweetheart."
"G'night."
Only Nick, Judy, and her parents were there at the station the next afternoon, waiting to see them off.
"So!" Judy clapped her hands together once. "Nick and I were talking with each other, and... we've decided to get an apartment together!"
Bonnie and Stu stared at each other in wide-eyed shock. A look of muddled confusion quickly swept over both the bunny and the fox.
"What!?" Stu piped up. "A bunny and a fox, living together!?"
"That's... that's just... why I never!" Bonnie nodded in agreement.
"That would be just so..." Stu led on.
"I mean, the very idea!" Bonnie finished.
While Judy was stunned into an angry silence, Nick was ready for this.
"Ah ha!" His mouth opened and he pointed at the two as if he had caught them. "I knew it! I knew it was all a little game you were playing all along, Stu! You don't really want me to love Judy!"
"You're really going back on what you said about Nick and I being together, mom?" Judy folded her arms and narrowed her eyes. "Really?"
"You're, uh, okay with them being together, Bon?" Stu turned to Bonnie, his voice sheepish.
"You're okay with it?" Bonnie asked incredulously, her eyes widening considerably. Then, the two started laughing uproariously. Both Nick and Judy wore nearly the same exact expression; one with their eyes-half lid, shoulders hunched forward, and ears flattened back.
"You know what they say about poor communication," Nick grumbled.
"Uh huh..." Judy agreed. "Listen guys, both of our apartments suck, so we'll get one together and it won't suck. I didn't really say we're getting married, or anything."
"You're not?" Stu looked disappointed again.
"Not yet! Jeez, dad!" Judy threw her hands up and let them fall down.
"Oh, that's better," Stu smiled.
"Hm, my very own bunny bride, huh?" Nick considered this.
"Oh, don't you start, mister," Judy chuckled. "We're still pretty much on chapter one of this whole thing."
"You dears be sure to visit us more often," Bonnie said. "I'll fill you up with casserole any time you'd like, Nick."
"Ah, the most delicious mix of pleasure and pain, joy and regret," Nick clasped his hands together and looked at the sky.
"Or, you could just eat a reasonable amount of it, dummy," Judy scolded as the train came in.
"Kind of reminds you of us, doesn't it, Bon?" Stu chuckled warmly.
"A little bit, though he's a lot taller," Bonnie winked. "Hopefully they won't have as many kits." Both Nick and Judy's eyes went wide at this.
"What'd they call 'em? Boxes? Funnies?" Stu laughed to himself as the train pulled up to the station.
"Okay, we gotta run, you crazy bunnies," Judy hugged both of them.
"And for the record, I'm not quite sure that's how biology works," Nick also hugged them both, giving a nervous chuckle.
"Bye, honey-bunch!" Stu waved with a slight crack in his voice.
"Bye, Mr. Fox!" Bonnie's yell was more teasing than Stu's.
"Us having kits?" Nick chuckled as he got on the train, shaking his head. "What a ridiculous notion."
All Judy could do was flash him a big grin and lean in and whisper. "Doesn't mean we can't try, though."
Author's Note: Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps (also sometimes just known as WildeHopps) gave me the idea for this kernel of a story, that is to say "What if the Hopps tried to ship Nick and Judy?". They've written several notable stories, not the least of which is "One Hundred Kisses" and "Always My Sly Bunny, Always My Dumb Fox".