Nick finally got Judy settled on the Bunnyburrow Express. 'She's asleep and peaceful' he signed, 'My poor bunny, we just don't seem to get any breaks.'
'For once, I wish we could just coast, to not be the "go to" mammals for everyone's problems.' Nick loved his doe, but his partner was getting worn down with all the mammals who dumped their problems on her. Quietly grumbling, "I know, I know, it's the pair of us…but I can turn it off or at least pretend it doesn't bother me. Fluff, she can't, she wears her heart and her caring on her sleeve."
'Shut up Nick, you're here because of her caring' his conscience said, 'yeah, but I didn't ask her for her heart, I didn't want it.'
'Liar', his heart told him, 'You'd die for that little grey bunny, she would for you too! You did want it so don't pretend.'
'I hate arguing with myself, I don't' fight fair….I'm going to sleep, think we're both going to need it' as he curled up to his mate, wrapping her in his tail as she cuddled into his chest, churring in her sleep, knowing instinctually she was protected and loved.
Bonnie hadn't been able to sleep, tossing and turning since her father had scared her to death the afternoon before. Her mate, Stu, could just sit in the truck and hold her paw.
"Stu, Dad has never cries, I've never seen him that upset" Bonnie was saying to no one in particular, "And, he wants NICK…he asked for him by name?! I didn't know he even knew his name."
Stu knew not to answer, his doe was just releasing her worries. 'I've seen my mate through deaths of kits, fires, floods…even her daughter marrying a fox and getting hurt as a ZPD officer…hurt way too often,' he thought. 'This is something different, and Bun isn't really involved, she doesn't know what to do, she can't fix it'.
"Nick and Judy will be here any minute, it'll get better Hun," 'Well, I tried', he thought. Stu was a smart buck, he knew when to shut up and when to talk. This was truly a "Shut the Buck Up" moment and darned if he wasn't going to use it. This was his Doe's father's problem and he was going to get Nick and Jude to Pop Pop and support his mate of 33 years.
"You've done what Pop Pop asked for, you did what you could…just let Nick do his foxy magic, you know how good he is at reading mammals," Stu tried to convince Bun. But thinking, 'I hope he can read that disagreeable old buck'.
"We've got blueberries for Nick, right? It's all he asked for." Stu joked.
"Yes, bowls of them and I bought some really good coffee too! I can see a sleepy fox in Pop Pop's future, if I know my fox-kit at all. I need something to pop the pennies off a badger's eyes and this coffee was promised to do that."
Sighing, Bonnie pictured how Judy's not been sleeping since I called them yesterday afternoon, and keeping Judy's mate awake worrying about the doe he loved. Bonnie knew her daughter and Nick very well.
Nick awakened first and looked at his partner, 'She is so cute, yes CUTE (I can think it even if I shouldn't say it out loud)…CUTE! CUTE! CUTE! Phew, I needed that. She is cute, snoring a little bit and drooling while hugging my tail'. 'She really needed that nap, me too.'
"Wow, your mom and dad are waiting for us," Nick said to a slowly-waking doe, "No kerfluffle either, just the two of them…and on a Monday!"
That got Judy's eyes open, "Oh Cheese and Crackers Nick, the last time both my parents met the train was when I was assigned to 1st Precinct after I graduated the Academy."
Hugs exchanged, Bonnie and Stu looked like they really wanted to talk. "We're having lunch before we go home, we need some private time to talk." Both said in unison.
"OK, Fox and Bunny freaked out here, we answer each others sentences and speak in unison," Nick and Judy said, in unison. "Not used to hearing you guys do it."
Bonnie, knowing her fox's mind and stomach ignored their comments with a simple, "Yes dear, it's freaky for your, I packed a picnic lunch and stopped for a blueberry pie from Gideon's."
"Just one?" Nick whined, followed by a punch from his mate.
"Ow! I just wanted to make sure you got some too! Trying to be a sensitive and truly kind mammal thinking of others Fluff…fine, I won't worry then." Nick quipped, finally awake and able to give a good smirkable response.
Once they'd arrived at the overlook of the Hopps Farm, now fully fed and sitting quietly, Nick asked the question he and Judy needed answered. "What is going on?"
"I have not a clue, nothing dear, I've got nothing," Bonnie replied.
Stu was even less helpful, "Never seen Pop Pop act like this, he's never said anything positive about foxes."
"No, wait" Bun said, "Pop Pop said he felt sad that Nick's parents gave him Piberius for a middle name just before he got really upset."
"Wait, there's nothing wrong with Piberius" defended Nick.
"Oh yeah, named after a character on Star Track", Judy added.
"Et Tu Hopps!…you cut me Laverne, you really do" Nick added, wiping away an imaginary tear.
"Ahem…can we get back to why we're here," Stu added. "For some reason, Pop Pop wants to talk with Nick. We don't know what triggered it, but Nick is the mammal he asked to talk to"
"And here I, well, We are" Nick rubbed his eyes and held his mate…"Let's go see what this Devil's design can do to help your father."
It felt funny to reach the Hopps' burrow and not hear the noise of yelling bunnies, dishes clinking and a general disaster in progress.
"It's quiet," Nick smirked.
"Yeah, too quiet," Judy retorted…"We sound like a cheesy horror movie."
"It's fun though…wish we had some dramatic music..something ominous with a bit of mystery added" Nick added.
"No, don't hum something..really, don't make me hurt you," Judy threatened.
"Again, I am a victim in this rabbit's world…Alas Poor Uric, I knew him well" Nick droned in his Shakesbearian accent.
"Nick, shut up…just shut up, I'm sleepy, cranky.."
"Couldn't tell the difference fluff"
Whack!
"Ow, Carrots, that hurt your delicate flower of foxdom here only to help his mother-in-law."
Bonnie glared at her kits, smiling inside, "Really, are you two done?"
"Yeah, pretty much Mom…you done Slick?"
"Yep, for now…how 'bout you Fluff?...fully snarked up for right now?" Nick added being more obnoxious.
"Ready to face Pop Pop...let's go into the dragon's den," the partners said as they knocked on Otto Hopps' door.
"Pop Pop…can we come in?" Judy asked.
"Is Nicholas, your mate with you?" Pop Pop asked?
"Yes Sir, I'm here, may we come in? Nick responded.
"Yeah, but Nicholas, you are the fox I want to talk to, Trudy can come in but she'll have to leave. This is between the two of us." He answered, "we aren't going to have a rabbit discussion."
"Nicholas, thank you for coming, I know I've not been good to you, downright evil I have to admit," rubbing his eyes, he looked very sad, "I've got to talk with you son, I have to make it right and need your help, you're the only one who can do this for me."
Poor Judy looked ready to cry, "Pop Pop, you don't want my help?"
Looking at his grand-kit, he gave a slow shake of his head. "I'm sorry little one, this is between Nicholas and me, my history and everything I am…it's a fox thing."
Rubbing his ear in his paws, he said the hardest thing Judy ever heard from him and the most difficult for her to promise. Looking directly into her eyes, he said, "Judy, you have to promise me, I mean a true vow you'll keep your word, ZPD and Rabbit's honor."
She gulped, "Yes sir, I promise…what?"
"Judy, you can't ask Nicholas what we're talking about. You have to make sure your parents don't either. This is between Nicholas and me, it's not a rabbit thing, it has nothing to do with you, your mom, your dad or your family…can you promise this?"
Judy's paws covered her muzzle, her eyes starting to tear and then taking her mate's paw. "I promise Pop Pop, I swear to you and Nick I won't ask" Looking at Nick, she saw his eyes tearing too.
No smirk or joking, "I know I can trust my rabbit, like she can trust her fox. I promise what I hear I will not tell to my mate until I am allowed to do so, and she will not ask me."
"Is that sufficient Mr. Hopps? It's going to certainly put a strain on our marriage, we try not to have secrets any more, it took her a long time to get me to tell her about my past…it's still difficult".
"Nicholas, you'll eventually be able to tell her, once we've spoken, but not till I'm done with my whole story"…he wiped his old rabbit eyes…"will that work for you two?"
"Yes sir, it will," they both replied.
"Good…now Judy, go visit with your momma and your siblings, Nicholas and I have a lot to talk about….promise, I won't eat him or find something sharp to stick into his red hide…you know the Devil made em' red?" and then he laughed.
"That never get's old, it sounds so stupid when I laugh about it…Now Judy, get out, we gotta' talk, your mate and me."
Judy gives Nick a tight hug and gets a kiss between her ears, and she shuts the door.
Nick looks at Mr. Hopps, gives him a level III smirk and says, "Well, what should we call each other? I'm Nick, not Nicholas…and we won't even go into Piberius, yep', Bonnie told be about your Piberius comment…you shocked the pellets out of her with that one, saying something sympathetic about a fox"
"Call me Otto", the buck leaned forward and gave a paw to Nick for a shake,
just call me Otto…never call me sir, I worked for a living, weren't no officer"
"Works for me" Nick smiled, "I'm always giving officers a hard time anyway, brings out the smirk in me something fierce". "I happen to know your daughter bought some really good coffee that a spoon'l stand up in and, as she put it, will pop the pennies off a badgers eyes. I'd like to get a pot if you don't mind, never met a trooper yet that would turn down a cup of coffee."
"Son, I've never turned down a cup of coffee in my life" he laughed, "see if she has any blueberries too! Even if the Hopps never had a claim to any fame, this family can grow blueberries!"
"Otto, we're gonna' get along just fine…I'll be back in a second with coffee and blueberries…you don't put any nastiness in your coffee I'm guessing?"
"Oh hell no, why ruin a spoon with that stuff" Otto laughed…"I think we will get along…you know Nick, I've really missed being around foxes"
Nick just gave a confused smile at this statement, he was surprised, truly surprised. It's been a long time I so misread a mammal.
Otto sat and was as happy as he'd been for 50 years…'I found a warrior fox in my warrior grandkit Judy's mate…now I can share my story, our story, with someone who'd understand, about both his families.
"Now where's that coffee and blueberries?" I've waited 50 years, I've got a story to tell.