Chapter 4
"And that was the last I saw of him."
Judy couldn't imagine Nick, her Nick, being so cruel. It physically hurt the little rabbit to hear that story. But that was years ago. He's changed. He's changed a lot. And she had a lot to do with that.
"At least until you came knocking on my door. Now…" Marie-Ann turned and stared off into space. But not just any space, Judy eventually noticed. The wallpaper in the kitchen was in need of replacement. It was starting to peel, and faded yellow through time and ware. But there was a less faded square next to one of the windows.
"You got rid of all his photos?"
"In a trunk. In the attic. Even with what you say, I'm still not sure I want to put them back up. We both know him from two different times. He might still feel the same about his family now as he did then."
She wanted to object. She wanted to just say that there's no way that the funny, sometime annoying, but lovable fox she knew could be as mean and cold as the kid Marie-Ann told her about. But the fact of the matter was she didn't know. His family was a total void to her until she went looking herself. For all she knew, Marie-Ann was right and Nick wanted nothing to do with them still. And a terrible thought occurred to her. He might be horrifically furious at her for even looking them up, let alone, talk to them. The phrase "ignorance is bliss" drifted through her head with all its connotations.
"What about you though? If he had a change of heart, would you...accept him back?"
The old vixen shrugged with a sigh, "I.. I don't know. The boy cut deep that day. We foxes can be more stubborn than an ox at times. So a part of me doesn't even want to think about him. But.." she grunted a bit as she got out of the chair, "Everyday since you came by, you've been feeding a voice in me that's been awfully quiet these past many years, Hope. Now if you don't mind, I got to get the laundry off the line. You just stay here. Have another muffin."
"Are you sure you don't want some help?"
She just waved the little bunny back to her seat and headed towards the back yard where the clothesline stood. Judy took her advice and grabbed another muffin. She pulled out her phone, seeing a message from Nick.
"Having fun with the girls?"
Her heart skipped a beat before realizing that he probably meant the lied she said about being out with Fru Fru.
"Yeah. Laughing. Crying. Talking about the boys in our lives."
At least her response wasn't a lie. Mostly.
She was about to check her Furbook app, when she remembered the "gift" Nick put on her phone. Checking the downloads folder, she found a file titled "For Carrots" and tapped it.
Her phone switched to video mode and started playing. It started out as a blurry close up of Nick's face. The camera shifted a bit and he leaned back, nodding his approval at the camera's position. He moved out of frame momentarily. Where ever he was, it wasn't their appartment. Maybe it was Finnick's place. She's dropped him off there a few times but she's never been inside.
Nick came back and took a seat on the stool that was in mid frame. He leaned down and picked up a guitar and strummed it, all in tune. She never knew he could play the guitar. He certainly didn't own one.
"This is for you, my sly, little, rabbit."
The little diddy he played was light and airy.
"Love" he began to sing, which caused Judy to put her free paw to her mouth. She's only heard him sing terribly to the Top 40 stations in the cruiser. And this was anything but terrible. His voice was smooth, a perfect crooner.
"Love, it seems like only yesterday. You were just a child at play…"
"What is that?" Natalie sounded more accusatory than curious and grabbed Judy's phone before she could respond.
"Give that back!"
Natalie's eyes grew int saucers as Nick went on.
"Once we watched a lazy world go by, now the days seem to fly…"
Her mouth hung open in shock, eventually find her voice to howl out for her mother as she ran outside with Judy's phone. A bit shocked herself, Judy just stood in the kitchen a little confused as to why Nick singing caused such a reaction. It did cause a reaction to her, but she'd argue that she's closer to Nick then they are. But where Judy's shock was pleasant Natalie's almost seemed scared.
She looked out the window and saw Natalie showing the video to her mother. She dropped the clothes basket, spilling the bundle of shirts onto the grass, and put a paw to her mouth like Judy did. Natalie kept motioning between the phone and the house. To her. Marie-Ann took the phone and started making her way back inside, the cloths forgotten on the grass.
Judy only made out the last bit of their conversation as they came in.
"But how could he do that! I mean he… and she's just a…."
"Muzzle it, girl. What's done is done."
Marie-Ann walked into the kitchen looking more than a little flustered. Natalie glared at Judy before storming upstairs to her room.
"What's wrong, Marie-Ann? Did I… did Nick do something in that video?"
She smiled a little, "Indeed he did, little one. But nothing to fear about."
"Natalie seemed upset about it."
"A little, yes," She saw Judy open her mouth to question further, "That song is an old family tradition. Very special, but also very… personal."
"What do you mean exactly?"
Marie-Ann just laughed, "I'm not the one to be telling you that, if you can't figure it out yourself."
She handed Judy the phone back.
"Love will live, love will last, Love goes on and on and on", Nick crooned via her phone, giving the guitar a final strum, "Love ya Carrots."
His smile at the end was a true smile, no cockiness or swagger like most every other time. He reached over past the frame and the video stopped.
Judy was about to hit repeat when a text notification popped up. It was from Nick.
"Carrots, please tell me Clawhauser pinged the wrong phone and that you're not in the Meadowlands right now."
"Oh crispy crap crackers." Judy said without knowing it.
"Something wrong?"
"Nick knows I'm here. Or at least…" there was another text, a photo of the street corner, "Nope. He knows. He's down the block."
"He is?" Marie-Ann's eyes were almost as wide as Natalie's when she saw the video.
The beeped again and they looked at her phone, "Please come out."
"Oh no way. You are not going to be doing that." Marie-Ann turned and stormed out of the kitchen towards the front door.
"Marie-Ann, wait!"
The old fox tore the door open, took a deep breath, and yelled,, "If some fool of a fox wants to talk to my guest, he's gonna have to suck it up and come to her!"
She slammed the door shut.
Natalie came tearing down from her room, "What is the heck is going on?"
"Shhhh!" Marie-Ann waved Natalie into silence.
There was a soft creak from the porch stairs outside followed by a light knock on the door.
"Carrots?"
She was expecting him to be mad. Furious with anger, like his mother was at the moment. But if anything, he sounded scared.
She opened the door and saw her boy for the first time in over fifteen years. He was wearing one of his floral pattern shirts that Judy always teased him about how tacky they looked, while still thinking they made him look charmingly handsome. Nick was looking downward, expecting Judy, when he corrected his line of sight he nearly jumped back. He jaw tensed up, and his paw balled up into a fist at his side.
He looked away and turned around, "Nevermind…"
Marie-Ann closed her eyes and took a deep breath of her own. Her upright tense shoulders lowered as she exhaled.
"Wait", she called back to him.
Nick stopped but didn't turn around.
"There's much that needs to be talked about. Between you and her. And between us. And a phone isn't the proper way to do it", she opened the door and stepped out of the way.
Nick turned back and stared wearily at the door frame. He looked at his mother and sister, quickly spying Judy standing by his mother's chair. He stepped into the house the same manner someone would step into a minefield.
"Carrots I…"
"No, we got some words between us before you get to your rabbit."
Both had their ears flattened out from their heads, Judy could tell Nick was one slight move from actually baring his teeth which were clamped tightly by his lips.
"I assume you remember that night." she started.
"Yeah, I think I still have the paw mark on my face."
Nick's tail twitched in the silence between them.
He huffed and began angrily, "What? What do you want me to say? About how great it was having nothing holding me back? How I could spend the entire day just.."
Nick scrunched up his face, almost like he was in pain as he pushed his anger back. That anger was what caused the tear between them all those years ago. He knew the damage it could do. He didn't want to do that again, especially in front of Judy.
"No. How about…." his voice hitched a little bit as his emotions swung over to sadness like a pendulum, filling the gap that the missing anger left, "How about how all the nights I slept in darkened alleys telling myself that it's just the rain running down my face? Or how..."
He put his paws, bent more like claws, to his face and growled. Sympathy wasn't what he wanted. Reliving all the terrible moments of his life again reeked of pity seeking to him. Judy knew about some of them but a few were still a bit too raw for him to this day.
Looking to his right he saw Judy, standing in silence. Her nose in a constant state to twitching, which she does when she's nervous or excited. And in an instant the emotions bubbling in him simmered down. Turning the other direction he saw the photo on the wall between him and his mom. It was Thomas and Marie-Ann, young and happy.
"There was one night that dad came and talked with me. Told me that life isn't easy," He let out a weak honest laugh, "Bit of an understatement there, old man. And that how we handle those rough patches shape who we are. Who we become. For good or bad. And that night was one of those moments for me."
He rested his arm on the mantle below the picture, staring at his father, "And where I am now is because of that night. If I didn't leave, if I stayed and tried to be the son you wanted, and more than likely hating it, I never would have done the things I done. Met the mammals I know. The one that... I wouldn't have become who I am today. So I can't regret those actions."
Looking down from the photo, he took a hard swallow, his voice sounding uneasy, "But what I… what was said that night was from an idiot child. One I'm not sure you hit hard enough. A child which I would scream at if he were in front of me now."
Turning back he was about to say something more but Marie-Ann pulled him into a tight hug before he could say anything. A bit shocked, he slowly put his arms around her sobbing body. Soon enough he was doing the same.
It took a lot of willpower for Judy not to join them, but she did wipe away a few tears of her own.
They separated momentarily, but she leaned in and kissed his cheek, "We have a lot of catching up to do, Nicky. But I think you came here to talk to someone else."
Nick nodded, "Thanks."
As she shooed Natalie into the kitchen with her, she turned back with a smirk that Judy was very familiar with, "Oh and Nick? You sing just like your father."
Even with his red fur, Judy could see him blush.
"Ma… I… I can explain…"
Marie-Ann chuckled, "Silly boy, I'm not the one you need to explain to," and she shut the door behind her.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Family reunion! I can't get too heart wrenching, like some fics (even if I love it at times). What can I say, I'm just a big softy at heart.
So next chapter we get to what's going on between Nick and Judy! How mad will Nick be that she went behind his back to look up his family? Will Nick divulge what he's been doing when he "hangs with Finn"? What is so important about that song? Does Nick have anything to wear other than Hawaiian shirts? Are you reading these question in the voice of the announcer of the Adam West Batman show? I know I am!
