A/N: Sorry for the delay in releasing this chapter, I had a bot of writers block and with coming back from a month in San Diego spending a lot of time with the family. Hopefully I'll be back to my normal weekly release after this.
Gideon turned off the main road and down the dirt driveway leading to the Hopps farm, doing his best to avoid the ruts and holes in the road. Normally he would just drive down the road bouncing along without a care in the world but today he had precious
cargo in his van. Sharla was released from the hospital and sleeping soundly in the car seat next to him. The van rocked from a hole he couldn't miss and he looked down to see Sharla lightly stir in her seat but stayed sleeping. A smile grew across
his muzzle seeing his beautiful daughter sleeping without a care in the world. Another bump brought his attention back to the road as the farmhouse came into view with a big banner strung across the front welcoming Sharla home. He could see Bonnie
and Stu waiting on the porch as a gaggle of other bunnies milled about the grass eagerly waiting for his arrival. Stu was the first to see the van and pointed to it as all the other bunnies looking and started yelling and waiving as Gideon pulled
up front.
He stepped out from the van getting swarmed by little bunnies as a tear fell from his eye seeing the excitement their arrival caused, "Thank yall for the warm welcome."He slowly worked his way to the now fixed passenger door of the van with multiple questions
being asked from the young ones.
"Wheres the kit?"
"Is she more fox or sheep?"
"Is she big like you Gideon?"
"What color is her fur?"
"Does she have a big bushy tail like you?"
Gideon had a big smile as he finally reached the door and heard Bonnie call from the porch,"You little ones leave Mr. Gideon alone, step back so he doesn't trip or your all going to your rooms and not seeing the kit."
They all took a step back and quieted down not wanting to test their mother's threat."It's alright Bonnie if I do trip there's plenty of cushion on me to pad her." Everyone around had a good laugh at the portly fox making fun of himself. He reached in
and unhooked little Sharla from her car seat, her aqua eyes slowly opening up and looking around. He cradled her in one arm as he slung a diaper bag over his other shoulder and walked into the crowd of bunnies towards the house.
"She's so tiny."
"Look at all that black curly fur."
"Why does her muzzle look all scrunched up?"
The three adults just smiled at all the questions the kits had, they couldn't help the curiosity of youth. Gideon stopped at the stairs of the porch where Bonnie and Stu were standing on and turned his arm out slightly so they could get a better look.
"She's beautiful Gideon, just look at those clear blue eyes and all that curly fur." She reached out her paws slightly, "May I?"
Gideon was beaming with joy and let Bonnie take Sharla, her little eyes locked onto Bonnie's.
Stu placed a paw on Gideon's shoulder, "You did good Gid, however you really should get a vehicle with a backseat for her to ride in safely."
"Says the mammal who put both his grandkits on the bench seat of a pickup truck," Gideon smirked at Stu.
"Okay you got me, but it's the most reliable vehicle we have. You, on the other hand, have a perfectly good car to carry that beauty around in."
"Sharla's car." Gideon suddenly lost his smile and looked down at the ground.
Stu's eyes went wide, "I'm sorry Gideon. I didn't mean to.."
"It's okay Stu, I know..." Gideon looked back up at Stu, his smile was back but the hurt was still in his eyes. "I should go home, take little Sharla there but it's just so difficult."
Bonnie walked over and placed a paw on his shoulder, "We understand Gideon, and we meant what we said about however long you need to stay here you can. Besides it will work out well, we can watch little Sharla while you tend to the bakery."
"Well, Travis is handling the store while I'm taking care of all this." He looked down at Sharla who was smiling at him. "I do want to bring her home and to meet her mother and brothers... I just don't know when the right time will be."
"You'll know, and so will she." Bonnie handed Sharla back to Gideon who hugged her tight.
"Well, little one let's bring you inside and get some food in you." The three mammals all smiled and walked into the house followed by several little bunnies all calling out after them.
"When do I get to hold her?"
"Can I help feed her?"
"What's that smell?"
"We are not the one with mixed up views, we are going to be the new norm amongst mammal kind." A loud cheer went up from the crowd around the stage. "No one will be able to hold our feelings for another mammal against us ever again. All the mammals who
were wrongly fired, kicked out of their homes, or..." the beaver turned and looked at Nick and Judy holding hands behind him, they both gave him a smile and nod to continue. "Physically attacked will be charged for their actions. Never again will
mammals have to look over their shoulders in fear. Never again will a wife kiss her husband goodbye wondering if he will come home that night. Fear and loss will be a thing of the past! The mayor shares our views and now it's up to us to make sure
our voice is heard loud and strong through the city. We can make a change, we WILL make a change! In the words of Judy Hopps, are you ready to make the world a better place!" The crowd, now numbering in the hundreds filling town center, cried out
a loud yes vibrating the windows of the surrounding buildings.
Judy held Nick tightly and looked out over the crowd, "Look at that Nick, look at all the support there is for this."
"You got that right carrots, it's just sad that it took a tragedy for mammals to come out and support our way of life though."
"Yes it is, but their here now so we better make the best of it."
"Ladies and gentlemammal's, let me now introduce a pair of mammals who need no introduction, Judy and Nick Wilde!" They walked forward paw in paw and raised them to the sky as they reached the edge of the stage. The crowd got louder as they stood at the
edge. Both smiling as they looked out at everyone gathered.
"Thank you, everyone." Judy had to shout into the microphone to be heard. "Thank you for coming out and showing your support today. The past few weeks have been very difficult but seeing so many of you out here today makes it a bit easier to deal with."
Several loud shouts of encouragement caused Judy to stop talking and look at the crowd again and paused seeing a group of mammals making their way through the crowd. She looked up at Nick who was staring intently at the same group. Nicks' eyes shot wide
open as shouts brought Judy's attention back to the crowd.
The group had made its way close to the stage and had pulled out signs against interspecies couples and were shouting remarks against them. Mammals near them stepped back creating a tight ring around the group of five.
"It's wrong and against nature for mixed couples to exist. See the truth and stop all this nonsense." A badger was shouting out with the other repeating him.
"You're in the wrong place to try and pull this crap." A tiger stepped up to the group, "just leave now and no one will get hurt."
"Oh a threat now, see what your evil ways have done. Warped your mind to think violence is the only way." The badger stepped right up to the tiger, "We are free to assemble anywhere we want on public land. You don't like it, make me move."
The tiger moved quickly bringing his fist around catching the badger in the jaw and breaking it. The tiger was on top of the badger following him to the ground, even though he was unconscious before he hit the ground the tiger continually pummeled him.
"Mammals like you only understand pain, let me give you a lesson." The other protesters were held back from getting near them, most for their own protection from the enraged tiger.
Nick and Judy saw as the tiger beat the defenselessbadger, they looked at each other and instantly knew what they had to do. Jumping down from the stage they made their way to the ring of mammals, dodging between the legs of others trying to get
close. Judy being smaller and quicker made it to the tightly packed ring first. The tiger was raising his fist again when she literally sprung into action, using the same technique in training she catapulted herself at the tiger and when he feet touched
his paw she kicked out with all her might. The action causing the tigers own paw to collide with his head, sending him to the ground and rolling towards the edge of the ring with Judy landing next to the downed badger.
The tiger shook his head and pushed up on his unsteady arms looking over at Judy, "Why would you do that, I was trying to defend you!" He started to push himself up more to stand up when a smaller paw landed on his back forcing his tired arms to give
out.
"I would just stay down if I were you." The tiger looked behind him to see Nick standing with one foot paw on his back. "Your in enough trouble as it is, don't make it worse by assaulting a police officer." Shouts could be heard as the on-duty ZPD officers,
assigned to the rally, moved in.
"I don't get it, why would you defend them when they hate us so much." The tiger was letting out a low growl with each word.
"Because that's our job," Nick looked over at Judy who was already treating the wounded badger "even if we don't agree with someone else's view we still need to step in and protect them when they are being assaulted." Nick looked back down at the tiger
giving an extra push on the tigers back as another growl came from him, "Like what you were just doing to him, who knows how much damage you did to him but you better believe that you will be arrested and charged and he will be cared for."
Wolford and Delgato were the first uniformed officers to arrive, "Okay Nick and Judy we have it from here, an ambulance is on its way and we'll deal with him."
Nick lifted his paw from the back of the tiger, "He's all yours." and walked over to Judy who was still tending to the badger.
She was shaking as she held a piece of her shirt she had torn off to a deep cut on the badger's face, "Why would he do that, this is just going to make things worse."
"Worse for him Judy, everyone will see that we came to this mammals defense. Even if he didn't like our way of life we still defended him when he needed it." Nick patted Judy on the shoulder as phones and cameras captured the two taking care of the injured
badger.
Gideon did not sleep well the first night he had brought Sharla back from the hospital. He was awakened by every little sound she made, even if it was just moving in her crib. She had also woken up several times throughout the night to feed so Gideon
had gotten very little sleep as he made his way to the Hopps dining room.
"Good morning Gideon." Bonnie turned around hearing him walk in, "Rough night I take it."
"You could say that." He sat down at the table rubbing his paws on his temples.
"Welcome to parenthood, I'll get you a nice large cup of coffee."
"Much appreciated Bonnie." He watched as she poured out to cups of coffee, bringing them and a bottle of creamer setting one cup in from of him as she sat across from the tired new dad.
He poured in a small amount of creamer and took a deep drink from the cup, "Now that's some good coffee Bonnie, thank you."
"Your welcome Gideon, so what plans do you have for today?" You older bunny looking at him smiling knowing exactly how he felt with the first night having the little one.
"Well… first I think I'm going to bring Sharla home."
Bonnie was mid-sip causing her to chokeslightly on the coffee, "You don't have to leave Gideon, we told you that you can stay as long as you need." She had a worried look in her eyes.
"Yes you did," He was looking into his coffee slowly staring it with a spoon, "but I want to take her home, that's where we both should be. It's helped to be here but I really think I've just been hiding. Don't worry we'll visit often, but its time I
brought my daughter home."
Bonnie smiled warmly at him, "I'll hold you to that about visiting and remember if you ever need a babysitter were always here for you."
He finished his coffee and stood up from the table, "Thank you again for everything, Bonnie. I'll never forget the kindness you have shown me."
He walked back to his room and saw Sharla was still sleeping, so he quietly packed up the small amount of clothes he had and placed Sharla back into her car seat. Walking to the front door Bonnie was waiting for him with a small brown bag. "Take these,
there blueberry scones that I made fresh this morning." She gave him the bag and then pulled him into a hug, "Just remember your always welcome here Gideon."
He smiled at how caring Bonnie was being to him, "I'll be sure to come by often, little Sharla is going to need some playmates."
Bonnie let go of him and opened the door, "That she will, and there will always be plenty of little ones running around to play with."
Gideon just smiled and headed to his van, carefully placing the car seat in its base and then getting in himself. He grabbed one of the scones and munched on it as he drove down the bumping driveway again trying his best to avoid the holes. However, instead
of turning towards his house he went in the opposite way and looked down at the sleeping kit, "We have one stop before going home little one." He drove for a short time before turning into another dirt driveway. The steeple bells were lightly chiming
out thetime as he brought his car to a stop, the ringing waking Sharla up form her sleep.
She blinked and looked around before locking her eyes on Gideon and squirming in her seat. He unbuckled the strap and held her close to him as he got out and began walking along the freshly mowed grass leading him to his destination. A mammal was walking
around with a bucket and sponge cleaning the marble and granite stones as Gideon sat on the grass in front of one with four names engraved into it. He reached out with his free paw placing it onto the stone and turn Sharla slightly to see it. "Good
morning my loves. Sorry, its taken so long to visit. I needed the extra bit of strength that little Sharla here gave me, I hope you don't mind I named her after you." He let his paw trace out the name, Sharla Grey, on the marble headstone as tears
freely fell from his eyes.