Author's Note: The character of Samantha Hopps was created by Sophie Ripley, and her likeness (though not exact physical specifications) is used with permission.
Finally, a content warning: While not explicit, this story contains violent implications that may be objectionable to some. Discretion is advised.
Judy stretched tiredly, heading into the Hopps Compound gym. It was the second Serendipiday she was sharing with Nick, and the first one since the two were married. She felt like some time to herself; she had spent most of the day fielding myriads of inquiries by the curious, nosy fluffle that made up her brothers and sisters. Questions like: Why did you take the name Wilde when you married Nick? Why are you still wearing your engagement collar? Can you two have kits together?
Nick had graciously motioned toward Judy with one paw, subtly. This indicated to her that he was willing to give her some time alone and help field the fluffle's questions by himself. He read Judy's nerves coming from her increased eye movement and very slightly twitching nose. Judy offered him a grateful smile and made her escape. While Nick's ability to read Judy was present from day one, their nonverbal communication had come a long way since Nick flashed those hand signs to her at the cliffside building. Judy smiled fondly at reflecting on this.
The gym was almost entirely empty, as Judy had expected. Serendipiday was no time to work out, it was a time to let loose and have fun with the holiday. This year, Judy and Nick had intended to slip into some swimsuits before the festival and join Judy's cousins "Peaches and Cream" in their water warfare they waged on the squealing, fun-loving smaller kits of the fluffle. Judy thought about taking a larger group to the festival, as well. Now that Nick wasn't a newcomer to the celebration anymore, there would be no need to covet him for herself.
Perhaps Violet would like to come, Judy thought. Judy still felt grateful for her concern for her and support for their relationship, and her thoughtful gift of a warm blanket.
Judy's thoughts were chased away by the sounds of solid thumping. There was one other bunny in the gym with her, and once she laid eyes on who it was, Judy was given pause. It was Samantha Hopps, one of Judy's oldest sisters. Half a head taller than Judy, she was of a very impressive size for a bunny doe. Her cream and white fur carried the typical Hopps masking, but her intense amber eyes were unusual. Her body carried a bit of bulk to it, lithe and toned, the promise of strength in her legs. Tape wrapped around her fists and feet, she was intensely punching and kicking a sandbag.
When Samantha saw who was in the gym with her, she sneered. Spinning around, she delivered a roundhouse kick to the sandbag that sent it impressively far away from her. When it returned, she transitioned into a straight kick with her other leg, delivered so solidly that it seemed to catch the sandbag and immobilize it. The sandbag shuddered from the solid thump.
"What are you doing in the gym, Wilde?" Samantha gestured to Judy with her head in an unfriendly manner. Judy's face remained blank at the name; she knew Samantha specifically used it to try to distance herself from her fox-wed sister.
"Trying to escape the fluffle for a little while," Judy said. Samantha walked over to Judy and stared at her with her blazing amber eyes. Of all the Hopps does, no one wanted to mess with Samantha. Judy, however, was unafraid. Samantha's piercing gaze quickly moved to Judy's collar. It had a black strap with playful silver-colored lines along it, and an orange and green gemmed carrot charm. Samantha turned her head abruptly and spat.
"Disgusting."
Judy said nothing, regarding Samantha evenly. Samantha punched a fist into her other hand, grinding it into it. Judy didn't react, not even with a flinch. Samantha placed one hand on her hip and let the other hang down and regarded Judy with her teeth barely showing.
"You still wear that collar," Samantha said. "That affront."
"No one is making me," Judy said firmly. "I wear it because I want to."
"Bullspit," Samantha returned, staring down at her sister. "You wear it because that predator has brainwashed you into compromising your ideals. The Judy I know would never have acquiesced to some vile predator and made herself his lesser."
"Shut your plucking mouth!" Judy shot back, staring up at her with her own violet eyes wide open. "I'm not a lesser. Nick doesn't 'own' me. I willingly have given myself to him. If you had been at the wedding, you might understand."
"I understand plenty," Samantha spun on her heel, balling her fists. Her short shirt didn't cover hints of scars on her back, scars big enough that fur refused to grow on them. "You ask me what I know about predators. Plenty. No good lot of savages. Especially foxes. The scum."
"That is not true in the slightest," Judy said angrily, her own fists closing tight. "Can you tell me you've never had any bad experiences with bunnies?"
"So, no one ever told you, huh?" Samantha turned back around, condescendingly lowering herself to look Judy directly in the eyes. "Or did you never care to ask?"
"About your past?" Judy returned. "Mom told me it was none of my business."
"And it's not," Samantha straightened up. "But it's my business that you wear that... thing like a badge of honor. It's vile." Her finger pointed accusingly at the collar.
"Really, it's your business what I do with my life," Judy folded her arms tightly. "News to me."
"So, what is it about that fox that gets you going, huh?" Samantha narrowed her eyes. "That ragged, heavy breath as he covers you? Those claws and teeth, far too sharp for bunnies to be safe? Or how about that overpowering stench, the one like violets?" Samantha shuddered as if stricken by the thought of it. "It's not for bunnies. You vixen."
"First off, that slur isn't even current-" Judy started.
"Fitting, then, for you and that fox!" Samantha ran her tongue over her teeth. "You two abandoning yourself to the most base, animalistic of desires...!"
"Is that what bothers you?" Judy swept one of her hands in front of her. "Are you seriously that concerned with what I do in my private time?"
"It's not natural!" Samantha yelled, standing right next to Judy.
"Sam, if you don't back off, I'm going to put you on the floor," Judy said coldly. She looked over Samantha's body. "Don't think that I can't. I've taken down a rhino. You're nothing to me."
"Yeah, clearly I'm not," Samantha jerked her head off to the side, fuming and stepping away from her. "Listen Wilde, everything that fox has done, every word he has said, has been to get you into bed and have his way with you. Everything."
"How dare you," Judy snapped back. She felt the itch of conflict in her soul, and she was considering sweeping at Samantha's ankles with every passing second.
"It's not like he can help it," Samantha made a conciliatory gesture with both arms out. "It's in his nature. His biology."
"Don't you say another word about this," Judy warned.
"Predator, Wilde," Samantha continued. "That's all he is, and all he ever will be."
Judy took a step toward Samantha, but Samantha turned her back to Judy and started to walk out of the gym. Something struck Judy's thoughts as Samantha started to leave. "Sam, wait."
"What?" Samantha's voice was cold.
"What... happened to you, anyway?" Judy asked with a slight meekness to her voice. "Why do you feel so strongly about this?"
Samantha stormed over to Judy, turned around, and sat down. Judy flinched as she unexpectedly removed her shirt. Judy gasped lightly. The shirt hid more scars on her back, as well as indentations on the back of her neck and her shoulder.
"Predators just take what they want, Judy," Samantha said, her voice firm. "They always have. In ancient times they ate us. Now... well, we're still just prey to them."
"Samantha...!" Judy was struck by surprise, shock, and pity. Samantha put her shirt back on, standing up, unwilling to look at Judy.
"You know, don't you?" Samantha barely turned her head. "Those scars Gideon gave you. You know that foxes are like that. It has to be beaten out of them. It's not natural for them to be truly kind. Silver tongues, honeyed words. A careful thought or action. And that... that smell. They all are tools, traps, for a predator to catch their prey."
"Sam..." Judy quickly made her way around her. "I didn't know...!"
"It's all they're capable of," Samantha went on, her voice still heavy, but ringing hollow. "And now you get off on it. You revel in it. I can't believe you."
"Nick would never hurt me, Sam," Judy said tenderly, placing her hand on her own chest. Her mouth twisted. "But would it make you feel better if he did? Would you like to be right all along? That predators are nothing but violent, selfish scum? Are you just waiting to say 'I told you so' if Nick accidentally makes me bleed?"
"I don't want to be right!" Samantha held up a fist, shaking it and leaning in close to Judy. "You're my little sister, Judy! I don't want you to be hurt! You're playing with fire! The blaze from the devil!" Samantha held up her other fist, shaking them by her forehead, before loudly exclaiming wordlessly and getting up and away from Judy, throwing her arms out to her side.
"Sam, I trust Nick with my life," Judy said patiently. "My life has hung by a thread on more than one occasion, and he's pulled that thread and drawn me into his arms. He would never hurt me, not intentionally. For you to suggest otherwise is hurtful."
"All that..." Samantha scoffed. "So he could bed you. Believe me, she told me she'd never hurt me either."
"She...?" Judy was perplexed. She then gasped tersely.
"Mm, so you don't believe me either," Samantha sucked at her teeth, shaking her head. "Of course some sweet little vixen isn't going to hurt a prey."
"Nh-no, I believe you," Judy said. "That's horrible that anyone would do that to you, male or female, pred or prey. It's not about those things, it's about being evil to someone..."
"Isn't it?" Samantha waved a hand dismissively. "Then why did the Celestials endow them with swords for teeth and knives for claws? What possible reason?"
"Things were different in the past, we've changed," Judy insisted.
"No!" Samantha stomped a foot, the sound of her yell reverberating in the gym. "Everyone still has the same needs on a basic level. It's only... it's only a matter of time...!"
"Sam," Judy held out a hand to her in concern, not wanting to touch her if she didn't wish it. "Please, let me try to prove you wrong. Let Nick prove himself. Or can't he? Will you never accept him?"
"He's... not right... not right..." Samantha seemed on the verge of a breakdown.
"I don't think it's wrong to be attracted to predators, Samantha," Judy said. She opened her hands submissively. "There's something very strong about them, right? You respect strength; I do too... but someone took advantage of that fascination, and that can't be forgiven. But please don't hate Nick for something he will never do."
"How can you be so sure?" Samantha breathed out, her breath shuddering.
Judy smiled. "If he hurts me, I will let you go after him. Is that why you're training, because you don't want to be weak?"
"Heh, am I that transparent?" Samantha took on a sour smile. "Yeah, I've got an axe kick that could crush a pred's head in."
"That's the spirit," Judy rolled her eyes. "Listen, it might be too soon, but would you like to come to the Serendipity festival with Nick and I? Maybe we can get Violet, too?"
"That fussbudget?" Samantha groaned. "I really tried to tune her out during that speech she gave to me and the others who don't like Nick."
"Okay, so you're objecting more to Vi than Nick; we're getting somewhere," Judy chuckled.
"Ugh, what is wrong with you, Judy?" Samantha chuckled, but it turned tearful. "What's wrong with you...?" Judy offered her arms again, and Sam walked over to hug her.
"The Celestials work in mysterious ways, Sam," Judy said. "It might be Karma that wants to help heal your wounds. Maybe she will send a vulpine to help you, as one hurt you."
"Cheese us," Samantha said flatly through her tears. "I can't believe you said that. That dumb fox really must have brainwashed you." She squeezed her little sister firmly. "Karma... what a joke. That dog..."
"It's okay, Sam, it's okay," Judy held onto her bigger sister.
At that moment, Nick walked into the gym.
"Judy? You all right now?" Nick walked toward his wife, but froze when he saw what was going on. "Um... Samantha?"
Samantha broke from Judy and wiped her eyes. She folded her arms and nodded toward Nick. "Mm."
"Is everything okay?" Nick looked warily at Judy.
Judy smiled with a touch of sorrow. "Not really, but hopefully it will be, in time."
"Maybe I should go then," Nick narrowed an eye. "I get the feeling that-"
"Shut up, Wilde," Samantha sucked at her teeth. She walked passed him roughly, purposefully bumping him on her way over. "Hope you're ready to lose at that 'Test Your Strength' game at the festival."
"Uh, wait," Nick said. "First of all, she's coming? Secondly, I thought I remembered that you had to use finesse in that game."
"Pff," Samantha spat brusquely, tossing him a pitying glance. "Yeah, that's just what a wimpy fox would say." She left the gym.
"What was that about?" Nick asked his wife incredulously.
"The start of a healing process, I hope," Judy smiled faintly.