Ch. 12: The Anniversary
The next few days Judy was fighting a constant battle with boredom. Being an athletic bunny she had no taste for sitting immobile in a van that felt like it was getting smaller everyday.
The two foxes tried to help ease her boredom. Nick told her all the jokes he knew, took her on short walks, he even sang for her. Finnick wasn't as talkative or animated as his former partner in crime but he did play a lot of music (Nick told her he hadn't played nearly as much when it was just the two of them which made Judy feel special). The minuscule fox even told the story of an old con where Nick had dressed as a female fortune teller and swindled a rich lion out of his money. Nick had not been happy to share that memory.
Now Judy sat on the edge of the van's bed, the back doors flung open to let her soak in some sunlight as Finnick fiddled with his guitar in the driver seat.
Judy still hadn't called her parents back, the only contact she had was texts and the card she mailed along with her get well flowers. Her anger with them was starting to fade, she realized, but an odd feeling had started to settle in Judy's chest, making her more restless than ever. But she couldn't figure out what it was.
Her ears sprung up as Nick appeared around the corner. He was carrying a bouquet of flowers.
Judy's heart stuttered, "Who's that for?"
"For someone very special. I'm about to go visit them, they live on the outskirts of town."
Judy noticed Nick was dressed in the best clothes he owned and looked freshly groomed. A pressure started to build in her stomach.
Nick looked anxious, his eyes darting around before landing on her. "Do you…do you want to come with me?"
She blinked, "Wouldn't I get in the way?" If he was going on a date she definitely didn't want to be the third wheel.
"Of course you wouldn't," he replied, "My parents would love you."
Judy's jaw dropped, "We're going to see your parents!?"
He nodded, still looking on edge, "It's their wedding anniversary and I haven't seen them in years. I decided now that I have a respectable job and some free time I might as well…give them a visit. You don't have to come if you don't want to though."
"Are you kidding," she grinned from ear to ear, "Try and stop me! I've wanted to meet your parents for months! Let's go, let's go!"
.
Finnick dropped them off at the edge of the city and told them he'd be back at 9 p.m. sharp and drove away.
Judy hobbled at Nick's side with her crutch; she insisted she didn't need him to carry her.
She looked around the street; it wasn't fancy like the rest of Zootopia. It was like a suburb, but the houses were small and run down, the lawns prickly and dry with yellow green grass. But like the rest of Zootopia the population was mainly prey, though she spotted a tiger cub and a tiny weasel chasing each other around a yard.
"You grew up here," she asked Nick. He was still looking on edge, holding the bouquet a little too tight, the fur on his tail as prickly as the grass.
"Y-yep," Nick answered. "This is where your drop dead handsome and charming partner grew up."
Judy smiled, "How long has it been since you last visited?"
"A long time, I left when I was fifteen I used to send letters but started to get…distracted. And I didn't want my parents to know I was a con-artist. The last time I visited was about five years ago."
"I can't wait to meet them," Judy admitted, she would've skipped if she could. "And hear about all the embarrassing stuff you did as a pup. And to see the house you grew up in, and your old bedroom."
"You really are curious," Nick couldn't help his slight surprise.
"You're my best friend," Judy said, "Naturally I'd want to know more about you."
Nick smiled softly before his eyes turned forward and he stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide with fear and anxiety.
Before them stood a house that was better maintained than the others, a picket fence surrounded the yard, its white paint having yellowed with age. A small garden of flowers sat under a window.
"Here we are, Carrots," Nick breathed, "Home sweet home."
Judy was already hopping into the yard before Nick finished speaking. "Get back here," he ordered, chasing after her but Judy already rang the doorbell.
The door opened and out stepped a fox, she was wearing a sun dress covered in flowers under a pink apron, wiping her red paws with a dish towel. She had Nick's green eyes and a kind smile, she held herself with an assured confidence.
Nick's mother was beautiful.
"May I help you, dear," she asked Judy.
"I-I'm Judy Hopps, ma'am." She answered and then pointed over her shoulder. "I came with him."
Her eyes looked past her to her son and Judy could see her eyes flashing with surprise and recognition.
"Nicholas?" She sounded like she couldn't believe it.
"H-Hi, Mom," he stammered then held up the flowers, "Happy anniversary."
"Oh, Nick," his mother ran past Judy and wrapped her arms around her son.
Nick was tense for only a second before he seemed to go limp in his mother's arms, returning the embrace.
"I've missed you," his voice was a murmur.
"I've missed you too, baby." Her voice was thick with tears.
She finally pulled away to hold him at arm's length to check him over. "You've gotten so tall and handsome."
"And I've got a good job," he quickly added, pulling out his badge. "I'm an official member of the ZPD."
His mother's ears perked up and she waved her tail, "That's marvelous, sweetie!"
"And you already met my partner," he indicated to Judy who still stood at the door way. "Officer Hopps. Judy, this is my mom, Amelia Wilde."
"It's so nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Wilde."
Amelia's smile grew, "It's so nice to meet you too. Will you come in, the both of you, I just made some tea."
.
Despite it having been years since Nick had seen his mother he hardly got a word in edgewise between his mother and Judy.
The rabbit was telling Amelia about all the cases they'd been on, exaggerating some facts to make Nick look good. His mother, on the other hand, had no qualms with telling every embarrassing story of Nick's pup-hood in excruciating detail.
"When he was four he got his poor little tail stuck in the toilet," Amelia giggled, "Poor thing refused to use the toilet for months after that."
Judy nearly spewed tea everywhere but kept it together long enough to swallow.
Nick grumbled, "Please don't bring that up, Mom. She'll tell the entire precinct."
"Only the chief and Clawhauser," Judy assured knowing it didn't comfort the fox, "How about his first day of school?"
"Mom don't," Nick begged, putting his paws together and pleading.
Amelia shook her head fondly, "Alright, Nicky, for your sake."
"Can I least see your old bedroom," Judy asked him.
"Mom's probably cleaned it out by now," Nick told her.
But Amelia shook her head again, "I haven't touched it since you've left."
The words seemed to shock Nick, "Oh…okay. Let's go, Judy."
The three mammals walked upstairs, Amelia in the lead. They walked down a nice hall and stopped at the end where she saw a door covered in posters, from famous movie super heroes to signs that said 'Keep Out' and 'Nick's Lair'.
"I'm going to go fix some things in the kitchen," Amelia said turning back to the stairs. "You two have fun."
"Oh I will," Judy grinned with malicious glee before walking into the room; Nick followed seeming less than ecstatic.
The bedroom screamed Nick. The red car bed was all twisted blankets and wrinkled pillows, random magazines and comic books and action figures littered the floor. There was a desk with an old computer that looked kind of dusty, the closet was full of children-sized clothes, and Judy felt a twinge in her heart when she recognized a Cub Scout uniform stuffed in the very back.
She could barely see the walls for all the posters, signs, pictures, calendars, all from movies and comic books and famous parts of Zootopia. She noticed a large magazine about amusement parks and picked it up, skimming through the pages.
"I wanted to own my own amusement park when I was little," Nick explained, he was leaning against the wall, his eyes unfocused as he looked around the room. He appeared to be lost in thought.
"That's cool," Judy smiled, "What made you give up on it?"
"An old neighbor told me a fox couldn't run a successful business."
Judy's ears dropped but Nick shook head, "Don't worry, I'm over it. Besides, joke's on him because now I'm a cop."
She nodded, "You sure are." She placed the magazine on his desk then noticed the picture next to his computer. She saw Amelia and a handsome fox who she knew was Nick's father, they both had the same nose (Judy assumed he was at work). Nick sat in his father's arms, he was beaming like mad, one of his teeth missing and wearing a balloon hat.
"Aww," she cooed. "You were so cute."
Nick frowned at her and she grinned, "Sorry, you are so cute."
"Don't call me cute," Nick said, trying to hide his embarrassment under grumpiness and Judy laughed.
She walked over to his bed and jumped onto it, laying on her back as she smiled up at the ceiling that was covered in glow in the dark stars. Secretly she was glad to get off her foot, it still had a while before it healed and she had probably over-exerted it if the aching was anything to go by.
"I really like your mom," she told Nick, glancing over to him. "She's really nice. You have her eyes."
"Yes," Nick replied, oddly quiet. He was looking at Judy with a dark look in his eyes.
She frowned, "Something wrong?"
"No," his eyes were still dark as he looked at her with an abnormally serious expression. "Just thinking…"
"Oh," she replied awkwardly, "Oh! Did you not want me on your bed? I'm sorry."
"No, you're fine," he shook his head, "Actually…"
Nick was suddenly at her side, leering over here with one knee on the bed, with his arms caging her, a devilish grin on his lips and a glint in his eye. "I think I like having you in my bed, Officer Hopps."
Judy's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and she suddenly felt hot all over.
"W-w-what?"
"This bed is just the right size for a fox and a rabbit," Nick practically growled, "Plenty of leg room. And I know my mom can't hear a thing from here while she's in the kitchen."
Judy tried to swallow but her throat was dry, and her blood was pulsing in her ears. What was going on?
Nick's teeth flashed as his grin widened, "What's the problem, Carrots? Just a second ago you said I was cute, and then not a week ago you wanted me sleeping with you. What's a poor fella to think?"
"I-uh…I um…" she couldn't think straight, Nick was too, too close and getting closer.
Judy slammed her eyes shut, her body burning up as her heart tried to break through her ribs. Nick's lips were pressed against her ear…
"Gotcha."
Judy's eyes popped open as Nick sat up, laughing. Judy didn't know how she felt at the moment.
"You should've seen your face," Nick stood up, holding his stomach. "I thought you were going to have a heart attack!"
"Ha!" Judy barked, trying to calm her still racing heart, "A regular lady killer."
"That's what you get for laughing at me because I was a sensitive kid who had an even more sensitive tail."
Once Nick had calmed down they made it back downstairs, Judy trying her best to put that whole crazy, confusing event behind her. Nick was acting like it had never happened after all.
"Here you are," Amelia handed them each a muffin when they reached the kitchen. "Hurry and eat it's almost time to go see your father."
"I can't wait to meet him," Judy said, taking a bite of the warm, buttery muffin.
Amelia frowned with confusion but didn't say anything and Judy noticed Nick's joking mood had disappeared.
.
Nick once again carried Judy on his back as he and his mother walked out of the house and onto the street. So he felt her body go rigid when they walked into the cemetery.
Nick let her slide off his back while his mother kneeled down at his father's grave, placing the flowers at the tombstone.
"You can wait here," Nick told her, she nodded numbly.
Nick knelt next to his mother as she was telling the grave stone that read 'Max Wilde', that his son was now a police officer.
"Hi, Dad," Nick said quietly. "It's been a while."
"He's grown up so much," Amelia added. "He looks just like you."
"I'm sorry it's been so long since I visited," Nick apologized, looking to his mother. She smiled softly and kissed his temple. "We're just glad you did come back, and that you are out making the world a better place and have the most adorable friend." Nick glanced over at Judy who watched, her eyes shining sadly. But she quickly smiled at him when their eyes met and he returned the smile.
A few minutes later Amelia wished her husband a happy anniversary and stood up.
"I'll get up in a sec," he told her and she patted him on the shoulder before walking away.
Nick looked down at the flowers that were starling to show the signs of wilt; he had thought he had bought fresher ones.
There was a presence at his shoulder and he didn't have to look to know it was Judy.
"Remember when I told you the last time I visited was five years ago?"
"Yeah?"
"It was the day of my dad's funeral; I couldn't even force myself to go into the church. I was nothing but a con artist, from just outside the door I could hear his relatives and friends muttering how I was a terrible son. That I didn't even come to comfort my mother."
He heard Judy take in a deep breath then stepped over to the grave. "Mr. Wilde! My name is Judy Hopps! Your son's partner and best friend! And since your son doesn't listen to me I'm hoping you will. He…he really is a good guy. Is he perfect? Far from it but I'm not either. The point is that doesn't stop him from being so-so wonderful. So smart and funny and brave and wonderful, I'm sorry he couldn't give you an official goodbye, but I'm glad he became a con artist otherwise I would have never met him… And a world without Nick Wilde is not a world I want to be in…sir."
Judy had started to tear up in the middle of her speech and now tears were overflowing her eyes.
If she had said that to my dad when she was alive, Nick thought to himself, He'd wonder when the wedding was.
His mouth turned up in a small smile, "Judy…" he held his arm out to her.
She ran forward to wrap her arms around him, burying her face in his neck, her tears dampened his fur.
"It's okay, Judy," he assured her, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close.
"I don't care what anyone says," Judy's voice was muffled in his fur. "I think you're great!"
"I know, I know. I think you're great too." Without thinking he leaned down and kissed her cheek. Judy tightened her arms around him and she didn't look like she was going to let go. Nick found he didn't mind at all.