Carrot Farmers – Chapter 4
Written by Midnightopheliac
After moving into the warren and sharing a room with Judy, the tod found his days and nights much more enjoyable. He had company now, someone he could talk to in the evenings and share stories with. Judy had plenty of tales for him about her family and time as an officer, and in turn, Nick shared stories of his life with his mom. What used to be Nick falling asleep as early as possible while living in the barn, turned into late into the evening discussions with the grey doe.
The more time they spent around one another, the closer they became, and soon, they fell into a pattern that had them moving together like a well-oiled machine. It became a running joke in the Hopps warren that wherever one of them was, the other wouldn't be too far away. Judy had tried with all her might to keep a modest level of distance between them, had tried not to make it evident that the tod affected her, but it had been futile. He was charming and witty, handsome and strong, and the doe was screwed. She'd resigned herself to the fact that Nick had, somehow during the past month, become the most important mammal in her life.
Judy had introduced Nick to her hundreds of siblings, starting with the eldest and working their way to the youngest. The last of her siblings the fox had met had been the newborns, Bonnie having brought six new little lives into the world two weeks after Nick had moved into the warren. It had been a somewhat tense meeting, with Stu on edge and Nick fearful, but with Judy's calming influence the meeting had proceeded with a hitch. Though it didn't help Judy's fast beating heart when the thoughts fluttered through her mind of how good a father Nick could be as he beamed at the young kits.
There was still another month left of the harvest season, and this year's crop yield was immense for all of the farms across the district. Thankfully, more and more predators had started to arrive from the city, and more and more farms were opening their doors to them, offering them work in exchange for safety. With the increase in the predator population had come an increase in the workload for Judy. She'd vetted every new mammal, checked their details on the police database, and had asked Nick for his opinion on them. So far there hadn't been any problems, but Judy had been forced to spend more and more time away from Nick and the farm, to work from the small sheriff's department in the middle of the district. Stu had been uneasy about letting Nick work unsupervised, but when the tod had returned home at the end of every day with the back of the truck loaded with harvested produce, the buck had felt sorry for ever doubting him.
Now, Judy sat at her desk in the small sheriff's office, paperwork strewn out in front of her, computer on and logged into the police database, and the line of predators outside slowly dwindling. She'd spent all day working through them, finding them temporary accommodation and farms to work for. Nose buried in the paperwork for the ocelot that Judy had just spoken to, the doe waved in the next mammal. Scribbling her signature on the form, she slid it into her out tray before she lifted her gaze. A red fox sat opposite her, similar to Nick but looking a whole lot worse for wear with filthy clothes and a thin physique. "I'm Sheriff Judy Hopps, and you are?" The doe took the lead, offering the mammal a reassuring smile. Most of them were frightened, thrown off balance by being hunted by Mayor Bellwether in the city limits. A little bit of kindness went a long way.
The fox looked over the bunny, remembering the whispered gossip she'd heard upon arriving in the district. She couldn't believe her luck. "Marian. Marian Wilde."
Judy froze; jaw dropping as the vixen's name sank in. The pen she'd been holding in her paw clattered to the desk. "Wilde. As in…Nick's mom?"
Marian gave an eager nod; pleased the gossip had been true.
"Oh my goodness…" Judy breathed, shocked. She broke out into a large smile, excitement filling her. "Nick is going to be so happy! He's missed you so much." Every night before bed Judy heard Nick whisper a small prayer, asking for his mom to be safe and well, for them to be reunited soon. Judy silently joined in every time, laying in her own bed and praying too. The doe couldn't wait to bring them back together, couldn't wait to see the look on the tod's handsome face when she arrived with his mom back at the warren.
"I'm so glad my baby got out of the city," Marian sniffled. She'd feared the worst, that the ewe Mayor had gotten hold of her boy and hurt him, or had forced him into wearing a collar and was subjecting him to endless pain. Occasionally the thought that perhaps he'd escaped the city had crossed her mind, but that had opened up a whole new can of worms – had he died from hunger? Been hit by a car? Lynched by a gang of angry prey mammals? When the vixen had made it to Bunnyburrow and had overheard a few otters talking about a red fox with emerald eyes and a lazy smile living with the Hopps family who was helping them harvest the fields, hope had flourished in her heart that they'd been talking about her baby. Now, hearing that he was safe and being taken care of by the sweet bunny Sheriff across from her, Marian felt nothing but overwhelming relief and gratitude.
"I only have a few more mammals to process, I'll take you to him then if you'd like?" Judy offered, already knowing the vixens answer. As much as Judy wanted to finish work now and rush Marian back to the warren, she knew she had a duty of care towards the final three mammals waiting outside of her office.
"Thank you, Sheriff." Marian felt like she might cry. When she'd lost sight of Nick in the crowds after they'd fled their home, she'd thought the worst. A kind timber wolf, who had once been an officer in the ZPD before Bellwether had banned all predators from public services, had helped her escape the city, using the sewers to circumnavigate the rams patrolling every street. It had taken much longer than anticipated for them to get out of the city limits, and it had taken them even longer to trudge towards Bunnyburrow. Food had been scarce, showers more so. Marian couldn't wait to bathe and eat.
Delving a paw into one of her desk drawers, Judy grabbed a few protein bug bars. They weren't a lot, but they would ease Marian's hunger until later this evening. Sliding them across the desk, Judy offered the vixen a gentle smile. She still couldn't believe that Nick's mom was sitting across from her, that she'd made it to Bunnyburrow. "There's a small washroom just down the hall, and there's a rack outside of it. You should be able to find some fresh clothes there," Judy offered. As the predators had started to arrive, the districts clothing makers had spotted an opportunity to help. Armed with fabric, needles, thread, and patterns from the internet, they'd set about making a variety of clothes for the many different species arriving.
Reaching out, Marian picked up the protein bars from the desk. While she wanted nothing more than to shove them in her maw and devour them, her mother had raised her to be a lady…at least in public. They wouldn't last long once she had the door to the washroom shut. "Thank you, again." Marian smiled, rising from her chair and headed back to the door she'd entered through. She would go and freshen up, eat the provided bars, and then wait for Judy to finish work.
Grinning as she watched Marian go, the doe was positively vibrating with excitement. She still had the last few mammals to deal with, though. Knuckling down, Judy summoned the next predator into her office, ready to start their paperwork. She'd fill in Marian's later.
After an hour, Judy finally signed the last bit of paperwork, handing the lynx opposite her a map of the district, highlighting where their new temporary home would be. The lynx having been assigned to the Cotton Family Farm. As the predator thanked her and left the room, Judy let out a small sigh, paw rising to wipe her forehead. She could feel a headache starting and her paw hurt from all of the writing she'd undertaken but she was happy with a full day's work accomplished.
Shutting down her computer and storing her documents in the locked safe at the back of her office, Judy yawned. Picking up her bag from next to her office door, Judy stepped out, locking the door behind her. Throwing her keys into her bag, Judy slung the item over her shoulder, turning to find Marian dozing in one of the soft armchairs. The vixen had changed into a clean set of clothes consisting of a soft pair of cotton pants and a matching blouse, and her fur had been washed and cleaned, brushed smooth. The pearl necklace she'd worn earlier was still firmly in place around her neck. "Mrs. Wilde?" Judy spoke softly, taking a step towards the sleeping fox.
Hearing her name being called, Marian woke, emerald eyes finding the little bunny. "Sheriff," she greeted, sitting up in the chair, embarrassed at having been caught snoozing.
"Please, call me Judy," the doe insisted with a soft smile. "Are you ready to head to my home?"
Nodding, Marian pushed herself up and out of the armchair, old bones creaking. She'd been incredibly comfortable, pleased to have somewhere safe to rest after spending so much time running.
Judy led Marian out to her truck, helping the vixen into the passenger seat before she rounded the vehicle, sliding in behind the wheel. Starting the car, the doe headed home, a comfortable silence falling over the pair. Marian spent her time looking out of the window, enjoying the rolling countryside. She'd been born in the city, had lived there her whole life, and had never set paw outside of the city limits until she'd been forced to flee with the timber wolf. They'd arrived at the Sheriff's office together, and Judy had seen him after Marian. Wolford had been relocated to the Hare Family Farm, and they'd promised to keep in contact.
The drive home didn't take long, and soon Judy was pulling around the back of the warren, turning off the engine. The truck next door was the one Nick usually took out to the fields with him, and its position out back suggested the tod had finished for the day and was home. "Are you ready?" Judy stole a glance to the vixen, noting the apprehension in her posture. The sound of the back door opening captured Judy's attention, large ears swinging towards the noise. Habit had her exiting the vehicle quickly, rushing over to Nick as he stepped down from the back porch.
The tod stooped a little as Judy reached up, the pair of them embracing. Hugs were a new thing, having only started a week back, but for the touchy-feely doe, it felt right to reach out for the tod, especially now that she knew he wouldn't hurt her. The first time Judy had embraced him, Nick had been rooted to the spot. Very few mammals embraced foxes, so for a rabbit to do so had been incredibly surprising. Nick had returned her embrace, though, enjoying the feeling of holding another mammal, of physical contact.
"How was your day, Slick?" The nickname was new too. Nick had been tasked with collecting some apples from one of the orchards, and Judy had gone with him one evening to show him the ropes. She'd clambered up onto one of the old rickety ladders to reach the branches, and the wooden structure had given way beneath her, rotten and weak from having been left out in the elements. Before Judy had hit the ground, Nick had caught her, and Judy had complimented him on the slick move. It had struck her then that it would be a perfect nickname for the fox.
"It was good, thank you. I brought home enough carrots that your mom is currently baking a giant carrot cake." Nick pulled back from their embrace, standing back to his full height as he offered the gray bunny a loving smile. "How about you?"
Judy grinned, teeth sinking into her lower lip. "Probably the best day ever." She bounced on the spot, excitement bubbling up inside of her. She couldn't wait to see the look on Nick's face when Marian joined them.
"Yeah, why's that?" Nick indulged the small bunny, lazy smile firmly in place as he watched her practically vibrating. The tod would be lying if he said he wasn't curious about what had pulled such a reaction from the rabbit he was incredibly fond of. The past month with her had been indescribable, the best month of the tod's life so far. Sure he wasn't pleased about spending all day in the fields without her, but coming back to the warren to find her waiting for him, spending their evenings together on the back porch chatting, made every hour laboring away in the dirt worth it. The hours alone had given the tod the opportunity to think some more about the bunny, about their friendship, and the fox had come to the logical conclusion that he wanted to try for more with her. He'd wait, though, until harvest season was over. The last thing he wanted was to lose his job or face Stu's wrath.
"I've got a surprise for you," Judy teased in a singsong voice, rocking on the balls of her hind paws.
Surprise painted Nick's face before his brows furrowed. "For me?" he clarified, unused to any mammal surprising him with anything.
Turning around to look at the truck, Judy lifted a paw, motioning for Marian to leave the cabin. Nick's gaze shifted from bunny to the truck.
Marian had watched her baby and the bunny interact, unable to move from her seat, breath catching at the sight of them embracing. Was something going on between them? Marian made sure to look her son over as he spoke with Judy. He appeared well, seemed happy and healthy, and Marian knew she owed the little rabbit and her family for taking in her son. As Judy motioned for her to leave the vehicle, Marian took a deep breath, feeling tears stinging in her eyes and the almighty thudding of her heart ringing in her ears, her palms sweaty as she reached for the door handle.
Finally getting the door open, Marian slipped out of the passenger seat, a paw still nervously holding onto the open door as emerald eyes found the matching pair she had stared into every day for the past twenty-eight years, the pair she'd thought she'd never see again.
"Mom?" Nick felt like his heart had stopped beating, like the world had come to a complete standstill. His mom. Alive. Well. Here. "Mom!" Nick bolted across the yard, racing towards the vixen.
"Nicky! Baby!" Marian called back, tears finally falling as she ran towards her kit, needing to hold him, needing to feel that he was okay. She was exhausted, body close to giving up after spending so much time on the run, but she found a burst of energy to push her towards her son.
They came together in the middle of the back yard, arms wrapping around one another as they sank to the grass, sobbing as they held on to each other tightly. "Mom. Mom." Nick whispered, burying his snout against Marian's throat, inhaling her scent.
"Nicky, my son." Marian pulled her kit closer, smoothing her paws over him, subconsciously making sure he was uninjured. She couldn't believe he was here, that he was okay, that he'd made it out of the city unharmed. It was a miracle.
"I'm so sorry, mom. I'm so sorry," Nick sobbed, clutching at his mother's shirt, paws scrabbling for traction as he sniffled. "I left without you. I'm so sorry." The guilt had been eating away at the tod, had been slowly consuming him the longer he'd gone without hearing from the vixen.
"It's okay Nicky, it's okay. We're safe, we're both safe," Marian soothed, trying to pull her tears back under control, to be strong for her kit. Pulling back from their embrace she grasped Nick's face, gently wiping away his tears before she leaned in, rubbing the side of her muzzle along his snout, covering him in her scent.
Nick whined, feeling like a small kit again as his mom smothered him in her scent, comforting him.
Watching Nick and his mom reunite, Judy felt warm tears rolling down her cheeks, soaking her fur. She'd hoped for a sweet reunion, but nothing could beat what she was witnessing. Head turning at the sound of the back door opening, Judy was surprised to see her mom and dad exiting the warren. "You were taking a while, we were wondering what was going on," Stu explained, frowning at the sight of his daughter's tears.
"Nick's mom found me," Judy whispered, glancing towards the pair of foxes. Bonnie and Stu turned to observe Nick and Marian; the older does features softened at the touching scene and Stu gave a small nod.
"I'll set up a room for her," the buck offered. Nick was a good kit, a good mammal, and in Stu's mind, he'd been raised right. He believed that Marian shared the same qualities. He wasn't concerned about having her in his warren. She'd done a good job raising Nick.
Once Marian had been shown to her room and had settled in, Bonnie had brought the vixen into the kitchen, and the two had fallen into easy conversation, preparing dinner together. Though Bonnie was an excellent cook, Marian was full of helpful tips and new recipes. The two ladies knew it was the start of a beautiful friendship.
Stu had headed out to the barn to tally up the day's harvest, leaving Nick and Judy to spend their evening together like usual. They'd grabbed a few blankets and had headed out into the cool evening air, sitting together on one of the wooden benches on the back porch.
Getting comfortable, Nick pulled Judy's legs up, letting the doe rest them over his lap. She was snuggled between the tod and the bench armrest, and the doe relaxed. Large paws finding Judy's legs under the blanket, Nick gave them a gentle rub. He could feel the lingering tension in her body, knew her days taking care of the growing predator population was tiring. "I'm glad I found your barn." The fox broke the comfortable silence, emerald eyes focused on the horizon and the rapidly sinking sun. Nick didn't like to think about what would've happened to him if he'd have stumbled across another farm, if he hadn't met the Hopps family and Judy.
"I'm glad too, Slick," Judy whispered in return, watching as the tod turned to look at her, the corners of his lips quirking upwards. In the dying light, he looked even more handsome than before, the fading sunshine further warming his reddish-orange fur.
Subconsciously, both mammals leaned towards one another, drawn to each other like moths to a flame. Nick made the first move, giant paw sliding out from under the blanket to tentatively cup Judy's cheek, clawed thumb smoothing over her cheekbone. Judy leaned into the touch, the warmth of Nick's paw seeping through her fur, caressing her skin. Nick was so close, his touch not as platonic as it usually was. Judy's nose twitched, nerves making her swallow. Emerald and violet met, locking onto one another.
They stayed that way for a while, enjoying the physical contact, before Judy slowly pulled away. A flash of sadness on Nick's face gave Judy courage, and before she could stop herself, she'd stretched towards him, paws grasping and tilting his muzzle. Her lips met the soft fur of his snout, millimeters from his own lips. It was a bold move, one the doe had never thought she'd do, but Nick had looked so sad, so upset with their loss of physical contact, and the rabbit never wanted the fox to feel that again.
Nick's heart hammered against his ribcage, eyes widening as the rabbit he adored pressed a sweet, lingering kiss to his snout. It caught him off guard, set his pulse racing, and made it hard for the fox to think straight. Judy had kissed him.
"Turns out you did steal something, Slick." Her whispered words took a moment for the tod to process, but soon he was frowning.
"I don't remember stealing anything. What did I take?" Nick had never stolen anything in his life. Sticky paws were not something attributed to the red fox.
Judy's paws stroked along the fox's snout and she lowered her mouth once more, this time, kissing Nick's lips. Pulling back just enough so she'd be heard, nearly giggling as Nick followed after her with his lips, a silly grin on his muzzle, the doe smiled softly. "My heart."
Nick woke first, lazily blinking as sleep started to slip away. He stifled a yawn with a paw, sitting up slowly. Though the chairs were designed for comfort, laying in the same position for an hour could become a little uncomfortable. Lifting the visor, Nick pried the helmet from his head, mind a little fuzzy as he tried to snatch hold of some of the dream. Wisps of it teased him – scorching sunshine, the smell of dirt, Judy, his mom. Nick paused. Judy had yet to meet his mom, and somehow the vixen had made her way into their shared dream. "Well, that killed any romance I'm sure."
Placing the helmet back down on the stand it had come from, Nick forced himself out of the chair and across to the country bunny at his side. The small yawn she gave, showing off blunt prey teeth, was enough confirmation that she was awake. Gently he pried the helmet from her, and when her violet eyes opened Nick was smacked with a memory from their dream. He was down on his knees, in the dirt, Judy looming over him.
"Slick?" Judy watched as the tod's eyes glazed over for a moment, and it wasn't until she reached out to touch his chest that he jolted out of whatever memory he'd been lost in.
"Sorry, I was distracted by your beauty," Nick teased, setting Judy's helmet aside before he offered her a paw, helping her out of the seat.
"Har har." The words were out before Judy could stop them, and they made her pause as she went to take Nick's paw. Snippets came back to her. A field on her family farm, a truck, harvest season, and Nick teasing her like always. The doe smiled, pushing herself up and out of the seat, grasping Nick's paw as he helped her down. She had a feeling this experience had been much more romantic than the last. "What do you remember?" Judy twisted to look up at her fox as they stepped out of the machine.
Holding Judy's paw, Nick led them over to the register, where a bored fox sat playing on his phone, oblivious to any customers. Tail flicking out to brush against Judy's legs, Nick tightened his hold on her paw, eyes narrowing at the other tod for a moment before he gave Judy his full attention. "I remember you, and me, and the sunshine, and…" Nick paused, suddenly hit with the memory of Judy checking out his tail. Too good an opportunity to miss, Nick drew them to a halt, pulling Judy close, one arm sliding around her waist, the other rising so he could stroke her cheek, enjoying the way she blushed at the intimate hold he had her in. "You were checking out my tail," he whispered, the fluffy appendage in question brushing against the back of Judy's ankles once again.
"Nope, I would never do that. Don't lie." Judy denied it, though she faintly recalled checking him out. The doe figured she couldn't be blamed for her actions, though. Nick was a good looking mammal and her husband after all...and at present, putty in his paws.
Dropping his voice an octave, Nick leaned in, the scent of Judy's floral perfume filling his nostrils. "Ouch, Carrots. I may have made my living by lying, but you've made an honest mammal out of me now."
"An honest mammal who lies to his wife about her checking out his tail," the doe whispered back, pushing up on the balls of her hind paws, desperate to close the gap between them and take a kiss from her mate.
Tutting playfully, Nick slid his paw from Judy's cheek to the back of her head. "If you're going to be this way Fluff, then I'm going to have to prove I'm right." He closed the distance between them, pressing a sweet kiss to his does lips before he pulled back, letting her go. The slightly dazed expression on the bunny's face stroked Nick's ego, and the tod gently led her over to the bored fox.
Fishing in his wallet, Nick pulled out some cash, throwing it down onto the counter. "Think we could get that experience on a flash drive, and something to view it on, please?" The tod wanted the chance to relive the experience, the opportunity to add to the faint memories that swam through his mind. With a scowl, the fox behind the counter fulfilled their order, and Nick entrusted the flash drive into Judy's care.
"Ready to head out Fluff?" Nick held out a large paw, a small noise of contentment slipping through his lips as Judy took the offered appendage. In his other paw, the tod held onto the bag containing their own at-home helmet.
Taking Nick's paw in her own, Judy offered her fox a warm smile. "Born ready, Slick."
A/N time: Hey my loves, midnightopheliac here. I had a whole heap of fun writing this short story based on the prompt 'Nick flees Bellwether's collars in Zootopia, choosing to rather be a carrot farmer for a family called the Hopps as their daughter, Sheriff Judy Hopps, keeps a close watch on him.' I've never been part of something like this before so it was an interesting challenge for me. I hope you enjoy my take on it! Disclaimer; I take no responsibility for any cavities you may develop from the fluff.