Jude approached the chicken farm with the nervous hen tucked under her arm, the squawking rooster nipping on her tail, and her hateful sunhat squishing her long ears to her head. The rickety door swung open and the girl held up the chicken, unharmed but very fidgety with fright.
"So, you're the little vixen whose's been mucking around my coops, eh? Gideon Grey's delivery girl."
The plump and grizzled bobcat glared down at her menacingly. Jude met his amber slit pupiled eyes with her bright green ones, defiantly holding out the chicken.
"I was bored."
The feline burst out laughing, took the chicken and tucked under his own arm. "Smart work, that's what it was. That's the fire I like to see in a young pred. Never let fear of other keep you from being who you are, kid." Jude grinned widely.
"I won't."
He walked to the pen and tossed the chicken over the fence to join the other hens. The rooster squawked angrily and flapped over the fence to join them. The bobcat glared after it.
"Bane of my existence, that demmed creature. I've got your delivery back here, for Mister Gideon Grey." He led Jude into a cool dark room with a crate full of plucked and dressed young chickens.
"All ready to be baked in his divine chicken pot pies. I swear, half my bulk is his pies alone." He lifted the crate into a little red wagon and handed Jude the handle.
"Get these to Mister Grey, and he'll get them into those pies that all the people in Zootopia are roaring for."
"Thanks Mister Robertcub." Jude gave the handle a tug and the red furred fox girl and red wagon rattled down the dirt road. Mr. Robertcub cupped his clawed paws around his fat lips and shouted to Jude as she left.
"You and those pies are two things too good to be appreciated in this carrot-hole! You both belong in Zootopia!"
Jude turned and called back. "I'll get there some day!"
oOo
Sidney was filing her claws down with a vengeance.
The small farmhouse seemed empty without her fiery twin's presence, but now, all Sidney wanted was to forget Jude's existence for a while.
Jude never made that easy.
The nail file was a blur as she reduced one of the growing claws that betrayed her as a hybrid to a stub. "I was BORED!" she muttered Jude's reason for her shenanigans with venom. "I was BORED. I need EXCITEMENT. I need ACTION." Another claw was eradicated. "I need Jude to stop ruining my life."
She blew the dust off her claws and looked in the mirror.
With her features, fur color and stature, Sid could manage to pass as one of the taller bunnies, as long as she wore her sunhat and kept her head down. Living a peaceful life as one of the Hopps grandkids was all she had ever known and all she remembered. It was all she wanted. Here she wasn't alone. Here she was normal.
And Jude had to go ruin it every time.
Every time Sidney was on the point of making people forget she was the daughter of that one crazy Hopps who had married a FOX of all things, Jude would burst in and remind everyone.
Worst of all, Jude would remind HER.
Because of her good behavior, Sid was allowed to leave the farm, to go to school with the other Hopps children, to spent time in the little town, while Jude was confined to the farm itself and Gideon Grey's property. While Sidney made friends at school and tried not to stand out, Jude would attempt to juggle pies and dream of Zootopia.
Jude's memory went back further than hers did. She would often talk about the days when their family had lived in a small apartment in the city, Zootopia, a place that thrummed with energy and life. She talked about going to the cinema and walking in the parks with their parents. She talked about playgrounds that the two little girls would have entirely to themselves.
Sidney didn't want to remember. The only memory she had of Zootopia was the circumstances under which they were forced to leave.
The disappearance of Officer Judy Hopps.
oOo
"Hey Jude!" drawled Gideon as he pulled a rack of apple pies from his huge baking oven. "Got those fresh pullets for me pies?"
Jude pulled the wagon into the kitchen that was attached to the back of Gideon's farmhouse and flung her loathed sunhat into the kitchen's huge sink. She rubbed her long ears and sighed with relief.
"Mr. Robertcub plucked them for you. Rutting reynards, I hate that dammed hat!"
Gideon looked over the chickens before giving Jude a look of parental disapproval.
"Jude Hopps Wilde, I ought to wash your mouth out with soap. Really," the chubby fox continued as he deftly washed the chickens, "I don't know where you learn such foul language. You don't go to school, you're forbidden to leave the Hopps farm except to come here, and you certainly don't learn that from me."
"I talk to my dad a lot."
"Well, then he's a filthy mouthed copper." Gideon took out a huge pot and put the chickens in to broil.
"He's the only person who talks to me. The rest of the Hopps look at me like I'm some freak of nature," Jude looked down at her rabbit hind legs, contradicting her long red fox tail. "Well, maybe I am some freak of nature, but I don't care. Sidney, we used to talk a lot. But now, she's obsessed with being a rabbit. She's not a rabbit! I know she really doesn't care about flirting with all the bucks at her school and growing the biggest carrot. She wants to sing. And she can sing, she's amazing! But I've never so much as heard her whistle a tune outside of the house. Dad, I call him constantly on Muzzletime. And he's great to talk to. But he's busy being a cop. And sometimes, he just looks at me like it hurts him."
"He looks at you like that because you're too much like your mum. You're both recklessly brave and hopelessly optimistic. That's the bunny in you. Sid, for all her rabbit looks, is foxier than she will admit to herself. And she lies to herself and the world about it."
There was silence in the kitchen until the timer ran. "Blueberry's ready."
Gideon gently eased the pies out of the oven and offered Jude one. "For you, my city-slicker, taste-taster."
Jude grinned. "Thanks a lot, country hick."
oOo
Sidney was alone in the twin's shared room listening to Gazelle. The earbuds, designed for bunny ears were pinching her painfully, but she still kept the fox version her dad had sent back for her from Zootopia deep somewhere in her drawers. It was dark in the room, but Sid kept the sunhat firmly on her head.
Alone in her room, she sang quietly along, her voice frightened it would be heard.
"A glittering light, far, far away, A sunburst, bright as hot midday
A glowing talent, burning bright, Is shining on that stage tonight…"
"I just don't understand why you don't sing it out."
Sidney snapped to attention, yanking the buds out of her ears. "You heard that?" she hissed.
Jude wiggled her bunny ears, sunhat hanging rebelliously at her side. "Yes, duh."
Sid scowled and shoved her buds back in. "Put your sunhat back on."
Jude rolled her eyes. "It's dark in here. No one's going to see me. Or you either." Digging her claws into the brim, Jude pulled the sunhat off Sid's ears.
"Give it back." She growled.
"Be careful, your fox is showing." Teased Jude, holding the hat out of reach.
"You really should sing though. You're way better than that Gazelle girl. And I'm not kidding."
Sid's green eyes went wide, before changing the subject.
"You gave back the chicken."
"Yes. Mr. Robertcub laughed."
"You didn't take your hat off around him?"
"No. He's a pretty cool cat, but I wouldn't trust him not to curse me out. Gideon's the only one that knows. By the way, I brought back a pie for you." Jude procured a small box, holding it out as a peace offering.
Sidney opened the box and her enhanced predator nose slapped her across the face with the tantalizing smell of blueberries. It took all her willpower to close the box.
"You know carrot's my favorite."
"We both know you're lying about that."
The twin's green eyes met. Jude smiled, showing sharp teeth.
"Don't worry about being a bunny. Just be Sid."
Sidney opened the box, and took a bite.
oOo
Jude was sitting at the small wood kitchen table, the smartphone they shared propped up in front of her. Sidney walked in and disposed of the empty pie box, before sitting down beside her sister, blue stains on her grey fur.
"What?" she said to her sister's surprised glance. "He's my dad too."
"He'll be happy to see you. He's missed talking to you."
Jude pressed the call button, and phone began to buzz.
"He's not mad at me, is he? For avoiding him, I mean."
"No. Dad says he'll be on leave soon, and come visit us. I can't wait to see him in person again."
Sid tried not to think of the result of her fox's father's visit would have on her reputation with the other bunnies.
The phone still buzzed.
"Any progress on his case?"
Jude's ears drooped. "No. But I still have hope."
"Yeah, it's only been over a decade without a trace, I'm sure there's still hope." Sid's sarcasm mixed with the bitter anger in her tone.
"The call didn't go through." Jude pressed the call button again.
"Jude?"
Beep, beep
"What Sid?"
Beep, beep
"Just promise me you won't do anything stupid."
Beep, beep
"When do I ever do anything stupid?"
Beep, beep.
"Just promise me you won't disappear on me."
Beep, beep
"Only if you promise me you won't fade into some bunny who doesn't even know me."
"Why is he not picking up? Come on Dad, pick up."
The contact stayed frozen on the screen. Sid tried to stay nonchalant. "He's probably in the bathroom or something."
"Do you not know how Dad is with his phone? It's practically attached to him. There is no way he's not getting this call." Jude pressed the call button with a vengeance.
"Nicholas P. Wilde, you better pick up."
Beep, beep
Beep, beep
Beep, beep
Beep, beep,
Beep, beep
Beep, beep
Beep, beep
Beep, beep,
Beep, beep
Beep, beep
Beep, beep
Beep, beep,
"Dad? Daddy?"
"Please, don't disappear on us too…"
PLEASE REVIEW! EVERY REVIEW MATTERS!
So, more of the twins, hope you enjoy and are liking my OCs. Please comment and give me your opinion!
-Ariolfo