Suprisingly it hadnt taken them long to get to bunny burrows. Nick stopped about a mile from Judy's parents house and got out popping the hood.
"What are you doing?" Judy asked
"Breaking the car." Nick replied pulling a wire and snapping a cable. he did a few more things then got back in and started the car. they drove for a few minutes and then the car began to overheat just when they were in sight of her parents house. Nick pulled over and popped the hood again. he waved the dark clouds of smoke away and then went to judy's door.
"Stay here, and pull down your hat," even with her eyes a different color the scratch looked suspicious, though it had almost healed "we cant have anyone ask about the scratch."
Nick walked through the spacious feilds and up the steps to the front porch. he knocked on the door and waited a moment before it opened to reviel a tiny rabbit with pink ear clips and faded blue eyes looking up at him. she glared at him then slamed the door on his nose. rubbing the new sore spot he knocked again. this time a rabbit who looked just a year older than judy answered the door with the same little rabbit hiding behind her, still glaring at him.
"May i help you sir?" asked the adult rabbit presumed to be the little girls mother.
"Hi, yeah, um my fiance and i were on our way to our cabin on the far side of the burrows, but our car broke down. is there anyone who might be able to fix it?" Nick asked
"I'm sorry sir but now isn't a good time, we jus-" she was interupted
"Bree, who is it?" an older rabbit came up behind the first two. "Oh hi, Is there something we can do for you?"
"Hi, My name is Jack, my fiance and i are traveling, but our car broke down." he said pointing to the car "I'm afraid i'm no good under the hood"
"I'm Bonnie hopps, this is Bree and that's Mina" Bonnie said
"GO AWAY YOU DUMB FOX!" Mina yelled running away
Nick smiled, yep thats why mina was Judy's favorite.
"I'm so sorry about that sir, Mina tends to speak first ask questions later" Bonnie sighed "Bree, tell your father to get the truck."
"I understand, i'm not the most welcome species" Nick said "I should get back to jenna though" leading the way to the car
"Oh no it isn't that," bonnie said quickly as she followed him "we've just recently had a death in the family."
"I'm sorry for your loss," nick said sincerely "That's why jenna and i are taking a vacation, she just lost her parents. i thought a vacation would help her feel better and cheer up a bit"
"that's so sweet of you," Bonnie said. "How long have you been together?"
"oh not long, but i knew she was the one for me when she walked into my shop 2 years ago." Nick said as they got to the car. he tapped on Judy's window and Judy got out. "Jenna, this is mrs. hopps."
"pleased to meet you ma'am" Judy said, keeping her right cheek covered with her hat. Bonnie looked from Judy to nick and back. then turned away to hide the tears.
"Ma'am?" Nick said hesitantly "Are you alright?"
"Yes, no, i'm fine," Bonnie stammered "I'm sorry, it's just, judy's boyfriend called and asked for permission to marry her last monday..."
"We can walk to the nearest gas station" nick said "if that wuld be easier"
"No, no, Judy wouldnt hear of it." bonnie said as Stu pulled up in the truck "The hopps family never turns away people in need"
"so what seems to be the problem" Stu said getting out of the truck and hopping over to them.
"i'm not sure, it started to over heat so we pulled over." nick said
"This is my husband stu," Binnie said "stu hunny, this is Jack and Jenna"
"Pleased to meet you," nick said extending his paw, which stu took
"Bonnie why don't you take Jenna to the house," stu suggested "We'll work on the car and come get her when we've finished."
Judy looked at nick wondering if they should be seperated
"Go on, sweetheart," nick said pushing her lightly toward bonnie "you know how i get around cars, you may not wat to be around for that."
"Come along dear," Bonnie said leading judy away and down through the fields. Judy was walking on the balls of her feet so that she would seem taller, hoping her mother didn't notice. she had never lied to her mother before and she was getting nervous.
"you know thats quite a guy you've got" bonnie started "He wouldnt even wait for my husband to get the truck before insisting on getting back to you."
"Yea, he is" Judy said warmly "He worries about me too much though"
"i think it's nice that he cares enough to worry about you" bonnie looked over and saw part of the scratch on her cheek. "what's that there dear?"
"Whats what?" Judy asked
Bonnie angled to get a better look then she gasped Jack's fiance was a rabbit.
"you're a rabbit?" bonnie half questioned
"yes" judy said cautiously. how had nick told her to respond.
"All this time i thought you were an arctic fox." bonnie looked judy up and down, drawing her attention back to the scratc on judy's face.
"No." judy said begining to feel self conscious. she pulled her hat down over her face.
"Did he do that to you?" bonnie asked. she was being a mom, and judy knew it.
"I'm fine, it was just an accident." judy defended nick like he was the only reason she was still alive. which he was.
"Jenna dear, does he have you stuck in this relationship against your will?" bonnie asked.
"NO MOM! I SAID I'M FINE!" The words left her lips before Judy had time to stop them. she looked at bonnie, who stood there in shock, for a brief moment then she ran. she didn't know where she was running to nor did she realize her hat had flown off as she ran. soon she found herself back by the car and in Nicks arms.
"Jenna? what is it?" Nick asked holding the crying rabbit
"I'm sorry" she whispered
"Is she alright, Jack?" stu asked looking from one to the other
"Jenna, Jenna darling what happened?" nick said pulling away and looking into her eyes.
"I yelled at her, i didn't mean to, i just" judy's eplaination turned into sobs
"it's alrigh dear, it's alright" nick said rubbing her back. bonnie hopped toward them holding Judy's hat.
"i'm sorry dear, i didn't mean to upset you." bonnie said with droopy ears "we just lost our daughter, and she was killed by a fox." she looked away in shame
"Bonnie, we talked about this." stu said "he was hit by the mendicampum holicifica serum, he didn't know what he was doing." stu embraced his wife "we promised we would live as judy wanted us to live."
"I'm sorry, hunny, it's just so hard." bonnie said then she looked over at nick and handed him the hat "jack, i'm sorry making outlandish accusations and assumptions"
"it's nothing i havent heard before mrs. hopps" nick said offering a weak smile "with Jenna's parents gone i think we are all just a little emotional."
"you three head back to the house, i'll tow the car to the shed before it gets dark"stu said as he noticed the sun setting. bonnie led the way back to the house as Stu hooked the vehicles together.
"Stu wont be able to fix your car before dark, so you'll have to spend the night. you can use judy's room since it's the only spare room we have." bonnie said as they walked through the silent halls.
this wasn't the house judy remembered. there was no laughter, there were no rabbits running through the halls, it was so sad. judy gripped nick tighter and hid her face as she walked past her family. she wanted to reach out and tell them that she was alive but she knew she couldn't. if she did, the whole Hopps family would have an enormous target on their back. Judy didn't want to risk that.
"Ah here we are, this is the room you will be staying in." bonnie said she opened the door to the rather large room. "Judy was the last of her litter to leave home so she ended up having it all to herself in the end"
A little stuffed polar bear flew across the room and hit nick in the head. the culpret was the little bunny from earlier.
"GET OUT!" Mina said throwing another stuffed animal, this time a gecko, hitting nick again.
"Mina! stop that!" bonnie said dodging the flying toys. nick was knocked down by the playthings and only got hit in the eye twice
"He's going to eat us grandma!" Mina said as she ran out of toys and began throwing pillows which buried nick.
"she's got pretty good aim!" nick said from under the toys and pillows. mina was out of pillows and that gave bonnie an opening to grab her
"I'm so sorry for my grand daughters behavior." bonnie said to them.
"I'm not!" mina said wriggling out of bonnies arms
"Mina, you apologize right this instant!" bonnie scolded
"No! He's just like that fox that killed her!" mina shouted "He can't be in here! this is aunt judy's room and he isn't welcome!"
"Well they are staying the night and this is the only spare room we have, now go find your mother or i'll go tell Grandpa" bonnie said. mina's foot thumped rapidly and then she stormed out slaming the door "I'm so sorry about that."
"it's alright" nick said as judy helped him up "I get it"
"she's just hurting is all. Judy wasn't just her aunt, she was her best friend." bonnie said with a sigh as she picked up the pillows and toys
"it's alright mrs. hopps," nick said as he and judy helped pick up the toys "She's just upset."
"You're very understanding dear" bonnie said putting the pillows on the bed
"My father was killed by a polar bear in a drive by shooting" nick said looking at the first toy sadly. "I was angry too, and then when my mother became friends with one i felt so betrayed." Judy could tell this was not an act as nick wraped his arms around himself. "so trust me, ma'am, i get it."
"We have a friend who is a fox, he bakes the best pies in the tri burrow area," bonnie said picking up a photo frame that had fallen "I don't want her to act like this around him, it would break his heart."
"Have you known him long?" nick asked. then he noticed how judy had tensed.
"He was in judy's class when she was a little girl" bonnie smiled at the photograph and put it on the shelf "after judy insisted on peaceful relations between predators and prey we went into business with him." bonnie let out a small laugh and went up to judy. "Judy and gideon got into a fight when they were kids and she came away with a scratch on her left cheek" bonnie touched the place where Judy's old scar was, feeling the ridgid skin hidden beneath judy's fur. "My girl" bonnie said softly "what happened to your beautiful lavender eyes?"
"Looks like the jig is up, carrots" nick said "you're not a very sly bunny"
"you both did very well, but i'm her mother, and mothers know everything" bonnie said
nick looked down in shame, he felt guilty for this one, he hadnt felt guilty about a con in nearly 20 years, but he felt guilty for this one and it was all that beautiful bunny's fault.
"I'm sorry mom," judy said hugging her mother
"Why did you think you had to lie to me?" bonnie asked
"Well it's kind of a long story." judy replied leading her over to the bed so that she could sit down. "promise me you won't freak out?"
"I'll promise that after you tell me" bonnie said cautiously.
