Nick had not slept as well as he should have. The couch where he was laying was warm and comforting. The light chenille blanket was the perfect weight on his body and the pillow under his head was soft. But he tossed and turned, before admitting defeat and sitting up.
His nocturnal eyes saw his parents sound asleep in their borrowed bed, and his feet decided to to act of their own accord. Across the carpet he crept, to the door, then through it. He somehow made his way back to the stair top and was not surprised to see Judy sitting in wait for him.
Her ears stood up straight when she heard him approach. She turned to give him a smile that seemed to make the dark night seem less so. His heart, at least, seemed to pick up the pace. The damned thing seemed to be focusing it's activities directly into his ears. Returning her smile, he sat next to her at the the top of stairs and followed her gaze to the ceiling.
A skylight he had not noticed on his way in arched above them, showing a clear sky pinpricked with stars. He felt his eyes grow big at the small sample of the heavens he could observe, before turning to look at Judy again. Her eyes were still trained to the sky, as a small smile lingered on her muzzle. Since she was distracted, his seven year old brain took in her still form.
And felt a rush of confusing thoughts float through his mind, the most notable being, if females are icky, why am I so curious about this one?
Feeling his gaze, she broke her revery of the sky and meet his eyes. Still silent, they gazed and smiled at each other, idle paws getting closer and closer. As soon as he plucked up the courage to take her paw in his, he felt himself bounce up suddenly.
He opened his eyes to find his father smiling down at him, with sunlight streaming in the window. It was still early morning, and Nick felt himself groan and flop his head back onto the pillow.
"Oh, no you don't, son! Bogo is expecting you downstairs and I, for one, intend to not keep him waiting." John plucked his kit out of bed and placed him on the floor with a slight push towards the table where they had a late supper. Breakfast had been brought up (oatmeal with almond milk and blueberries with comfrey and citrus tea) as well as a fresh change of clothing.
Nick noticed his mother was absent, but remembered that she had received the position as governess. She was most likely already breakfasted and was assisting in the Hopps morning rituals. He wondered what Judy was up to…. He had hardly paid attention to his food with that thought in mind.
"I have to ask the head gardener how he cares for his blueberries! I don't think I ever had any quite this sweet and juicy!" John had snatched one from his son's bowl and popped it into his muzzle. "Eat up, Nick! The day isn't getting any younger! After I send you off to Mr. Bogo, I need to rush home and start work in the garden!"
"Do you think Judy is there already, Papa?" Asked Nick, hoping he didn't sound too eager. "I mean, it's ok if she isn't yet, but maybe Mr. Bogo would like it if we went down together…." Any other remarks were interrupted by a firm knock on the bedroom door. John crossed to open it while giving his son a half lidded, smug grin over his shoulder.
"I'm sure we could convince her to walk with us," he responded as he opened the door to Martha, the impala maid. She had what looked like clothing draped over her hooves and gave John a mute nod as she made to enter the room. Confused, he stepped to the side and, before she could go further, was almost knocked off her hooves by Judy barreling between her legs.
The small bunny gave a quick hello to John before darting across the room to Nick at table finishing his oatmeal and savoring the blueberries with relish. Her sudden appearance caused him to almost choke. But he forgave her the moment she smiled at him.
"Good morning, Slick!" She chirred happily, "I thought we could walk to Mr. Bogo together since you don't know the way!"
"Judy, why are you not at breakfast with your family?" Asked John.
"We ate a while ago. Miss Frankie gave me permission to accompany Martha to your room! My mother thought Nick might need some fresh clothes for today."
Martha had silently gone to the couch and laid down a pair of tan breeches with a light green tunic, obviously about Nick size, along with a change of clothing for John.
The impala then gathered Nick's discarded blanket and pillow and began setting the room right. Judy gestured to the changing screen opposite of them and bounced off towards the door. "I'll be right out here! And hurry, or Mr. Bogo might think up something truly awful for us to do!"
After they had changed and thanked Martha for her service, the trio walked back towards the entry hall. At the top of the staircase, Nick took a glance towards the ceiling and smiled at the skylight above them. Judy's eyes followed, though she didn't smile as her ears suddenly dropped and turned crimson. Nick gave her a puzzled look, but she would not meet his eye.
He did notice a slight smile start to form on her face.
. . . . . . . . . . .
Bogo looked out into the schoolroom with its many windows and skylights. The room was lined with tables and benches, and the Hopps children in Francine's care were working on various projects as part of their early morning lessons. Francine walked from table to table, admiring their paw work and helping the less dexterous complete their crafts.
A quick scan saw that Judy Hopps was not among them and a knot of annoyance filled his stomach. Of course she would vanish before her punishment. Because handling Judy was an easy, stress free task he welcomed wholeheartedly…sigh…
As though reading his thoughts, Francine called to him, not removing her eyes from one kits project, "She's gone to fetch Nick. She had asked for permission and Martha was allowed to escort her to the room." She looked at tall clock by the doorway, "They should be at the stairs by now, Mr. Bogo. I shall send for you if we need a warriors assistance." She smiled at him and before he could stop himself, gifted her one in return.
"Please do, Mrs. Wilde. I may know some brave ones ready to test themselves!"
They both chuckled as he left for the staircase.
Sure enough, the small pair were bouncing down the stairs, Nick once again trying to make his legs move like Judy's, while Judy laughed and called out corrections to him. John Wilde was a bit ahead of them, ready to catch any misstep and tumble.
"Ah, I see our little leaf on the wind has decided to soar in the right direction for once," Bogo greeted the trio from the bottom of the stairwell and gave a concerned look to the jumping kits. "A good morning to you, Mr. Wilde. I trust you are well rested."
The fox stopped just before the last stair to watch Judy demonstrate how her leg moved for the jump. Nick's face scrunched up as he realigned himself, obviously not comfortable with new adjustment.
"I was! I must say Mr. Bogo, one of these little devils is exhausting. My admiration for taking on two today! Oh ooft!" Nick had propelled himself into an impressively high jump, cheered on by Judy, who forgot to coach him on landing properly. The result was a lucky catch by his father in exchange for air in John's lungs. Fortunately Bogo kept the two from falling.
"A dangerous task, indeed." Bogo had lifted both foxes and set them down at the foot of the stairs as Judy hopped to join them. "But I do love a challenge. And these two seem to be up for anything that comes at them." Both kits exchanged glances and beamed up at the buffalo.
"So without further ado, if I may escort these warriors to their task, Mr. Wilde?"
John ruffled the top of Nick's head, "Thank you again, Mr. Bogo. I'm off to my own bit of land. Daylight's wasting away!" He patted Judy briefly between her ears and made his way to the front doors. "I'll be back this afternoon to collect you and Mother, Nicholas! Be good for the Hopps and Mr. Bogo. Don't do anything I wouldn't do" He turned before fully exiting to give a stern look at both kits, who waved cheerfully at him. "And don't do anything I would!"
Bogo gave a small smile at the closed door before turning his attention to the two beside him.
"Shall we?" Without waiting for response he turned on his heel and headed towards the study. Nick and Judy exchanged glances and nearly had to run to keep up with him.
Bogo lead them through the study towards the patio Francine was first introduced on. But instead going through the glass paned doors, they turned to the servants hall just before them.
"I've been up and down this land many times, Miss Hopps. I have seen many things and have met many mammals." Judy and Nick, still running to keep up, both raised their eyebrows at each other. "Never have I met a mammal so hell bent on mischief as yourself. And because I seem to have angered someone up above, you have found what appears to be a willing accomplice in your….escapades."
Nick could hardly keep the smug grin off his muzzle.
The trio came upon the servants door that opened to where many of the Hopps employees lived with their families. A dozen cabins or so, all varying in size, lay off to the left of the estate, a stone path dividing them. The pathway started at the door they just passed through, but forked, one way towards the dwellings, the other to what looked to be training grounds, with a largish shed in the center.
Bogo did not stop nor slow down as he walked briskly towards the shed. "You have a singular talent for chaos, and when I was offered the chance to think up a way to quell it, I was quite baffled." Approaching the door to the shed, ignoring the confused looks of some of the security mammals training during their leisure time, Bogo finally paused. "And then it came to me."
Distracted by the stares of the wolf and tigeress who had paused their grappling, neither kit realized he had stopped. Nick, being in front, slammed full speed into the door. Judy tried stopping before running into his back but only succeeded in stepping on the tip of Nick's still tender tail.
With a yelp, Nick jumped in pain and surprise, yanking his tail from under Judy. The small rabbit was thrown backwards in an ungraceful heap, amid the muffled laughter of those who were suppose to be training.
Bogo himself let out a low chuckle as the fox kit rubbed his muzzle while nursing his twice crushed tail. Nick, to his credit, let it fall from his paws to help up Judy as she murmured her apologies.
One hoof on the door, Bogo smiled down at the pair, "I would like you meet…..", a solid push had light flooding into the shed. In the center of the room stood a stool with a large glass jar perched on top of it. The kits entered the room and gazed in confusion at the tiny creature inside it.
Bogo followed and smiled at the perplexed looks Nick and Judy gave the jar,
"Henry."