Chapter 22:

Apart

Dear Nick,

I'm sorry I haven't texted you or called or anything. There isn't any cell reception at Clara's new place and she hasn't installed any telephones. This is going to be a long ass four weeks.

This house is in the middle of nowhere! Yes it's pretty and it's by the lake but that's literally all it has going for it. We have to fix the driveway, the stairs, the balcony, paint the walls, lay down carpet, the ceilings, you name it we have to fix it. This is going to take ages!

The nearest store is 3 miles away. There are no other houses nearby. Our parents house in 30 minutes away from here. We're totally isolated.

I love my sister, I really do. But even I have to admit that this place is beneath her. I can't believe she invested the money in this place. I don't have the heart to tell her. She's so excited about it. She really wants to get this place off the ground but the truth is I don't think we're going to be able to do it.

I hope everything is going well there. How are things at the ZPD? I miss you so much. I can't wait to get home. Come visit me as soon as you can. The address is 35 Lake View Bunnyville Valley.

I love you with all my heart Nick.

Love,

Judy.

The first thing Judy and Clara did was paint, it seemed like the easiest and most fun thing to do. But even Judy had to admit that after painting the first 3 rooms she was totally over it.

"I'm going for kind of a modernist, yet a classic vibe, you know?" Clara had said when they got started.

"I have to say Clara, this is a big house. Painting every room is going to take days," Judy said.

"Don't worry Judy, with the two of us it'll go by fast."

Hours later they had done several rooms and Judy had paint all over her hands and clothes. It was a drag, but she would do it for her sister.

"Hey Judy?" Clara said.

"Yeah?"

"How did you and Nick get together?"

Judy couldn't help but smile as she did whenever she thought of it. "It was kinda complicated. We had our first kiss when we were on duty at the ZPD. Then we got into a fight and broke up. Then we got back together."

"Did you ever break up again?"

"Nope, I would never break up with him again. That was the worst few days of my life. He's incredibly kind, sweet, loving. He's a smart ass but he's my smart ass," she said with a laugh.

"Do you think you'll ever get married?"

Judy thought about that for a moment and shrugged. "I don't know. I hope so. I would want nothing more than to spend my life with him. It's kinda like we're married anyway. We live together, we work together, marriage would just make it official."

Clara sighed. "I wish I had something like that."

"What ever happened between you and Evan?" Clara dated Evan since high school. While Judy was at the police academy she thought the two of them would get engaged. Their parents certainly approved of Evan. He was a bunny who lived in Bunnyville. He didn't have any plans to leave or do anything exotic like become a police officer. To Mr. and Mrs. Hopps he was perfect.

"Things didn't work out," Clara said. "We grew apart. I haven't really found anyone who lights me up like he did."

"You will Clara," Judy said comfortingly. "Maybe go on a rip or something outside of Bunnyville. There's so much the world has to offer, including the guys. I never would have met Nick if I hadn't gone to Zootopia."

Clara snickered dryly. "What would mom and dad think if I came home with a con artist?"

Judy laughed. "We he doesn't have to be a con artist. My point is there are just so many people who are interesting and you won't meet them if you don't step outside of your comfort zone."

"Yeah, I guess so." Clara had never been as good at stepping out of her comfort zone as Judy. Their parents had instilled in them the values of staying where they were comfortable and not taking risks. Judy had deliberately rebelled against that and here she was a top police officer in Zootopia with the added plus of a hot boyfriend. Clara had followed their parents orders and stayed in Bunnyville, became a carrot farmer, stayed in her comfort zone. She often wondered who had done the right thing.

"I'm sure there aren't any nice bunnies to date in Zootopia," Clara said.

"Sure there are," Judy said.

"No way."

Judy laughed. "Seriously. I've met plenty of bunnies in Zootopia.

"Well...that's good at least. I wouldn't date a predator."

"It's not that bad, I promise."

"But...he's so tall."

Judy shrugged. "I think it makes him very handsome."

"He's got claws and fangs," Clara pointed out. "Doesn't it hurt?"

"Nope," Judy said shaking her head. "I barely notice."

"He doesn't scare you?"

"Nick has never scared me."

"Well…" Clara tried to think of another excuse. "I couldn't live with the stigma."

"We don't care what other people think," Judy said. "I'm not going to live my life caring what other people think about me. And like Nick says, even if you do care you can't let people see that they get to you."

*WW*

Weeks passed at Bunnyville Valley. They worked tirelessly on the house. They managed to paint all of the rooms and fill in the holes in the walls and the ceilings. They spent a week redoing the deck and the next task was to fix the roof tiles.

Judy was going insane. There was still no reception and Clara had put off getting the house phone. She had sent Nick multiple letters but she hadn't gotten any responses from him. She had been here for three weeks and she missed him terribly. There was only one week left here and they still had so much left to do. All she wanted at this point was to be with Nick.

They were getting ready to start working on the roof when a car pulled up to the driveway. It was their parents.

"Look at this place!" Mrs. Hopps said. "It's starting to look fantastic!"

"Thanks mom," Clara said happily.

"I brought some materials for your roof," Mr. Hopps said. "We're here to help out for the day. Working on roofs can be tough."

"Thanks dad," Judy said. Their parents had come to visit and help them out several times since they had been there. They brought their younger siblings sometimes and they often brought food for them. But it just wasn't the same.

They spent most of the afternoon laying down tiles for the roof. After that was finished they had dinner together in the kitchen.

"I'm very impressed with all the work you've been doing girls," Mr. Hopps said.

"Thanks dad, this place is going to look fantastic when we're done," Clara said.

"How are things between you and Nick, Judy?" Mrs. Hopps asked.

"So wonderful mom," Judy said. She felt herself getting choked up when she spoke. God she missed Nick.

"She hasn't heard from him since she's been here mom," Clara said.

"Really? That's strange," Mrs. Hopps said.

"Yeah, I've written to him and everything. I'm sure he's fine. He's probably just busy with work," Judy said trying to hide her sadness.

"He's probably busy with that husling life," Mr. Hopps said.

Judy shook her head. "Trust me dad, he's not."

"Well don't worry about it darling," he said optimistically. "I'm sure whatever Nick is doing he's fine."

"Exactly, your father is right," Mrs. Hopps said putting her hand on Judy's comfortingly. "Things that are meant to be always find a way Judy."

"Well we might as well start heading out. It's getting late and we've got to make sure the kids haven't torn apart the house," Mr. Hopps said.

"Can you do me a favor?" Judy said. She pulled her latest letter to Nick out of her purse and handed it to them. "Can you send this? I don't know if Nick is getting them from here. Maybe if you send it he'll get it."

"I've got it," Mr. Hopps said taking the letter. "Don't you worry Judy, I'll make sure he gets it."

*WW*

It was the day Judy was supposed to go back home and she couldn't be more relieved. There was still so much more work left to be done on the house, but it would take forever to finish it. Judy was eager to get back home to her life in Zootopia and more importantly she was ready to go home to Nick.

"Where are you going?" Clara said when she came downstairs with her suitcase.

"It's the day I go home Clara, have you forgotten?"

Clara stood up. "B-But there's still so much more left to do here! We need to start working on the basement today!"

"Clara, I've been here for four weeks, that's as long as I said I would stay. I need to go home. They need me at the ZPD, and Nick needs me. I'm sure he's absolutely worried sick by now."

Clara ran over to her and grabbed her hand. "Another week Judy. Two. Maybe three. Please, I need the help! There's no one else around to help me and I can't do it all on my own. I'll make sure you get home to Nick soon. I promise."

Judy was about to protest but Clara looked on the verge of tears. She sighed. "Fine. I'll stay a little bit longer. But seriously Clara, I can't just abandon my life in Zootopia."

"I'm not asking you to do that Judy. I just need a little bit more help. It's going to go by fast, I promise."

Judy thought about what was going on at the ZPD. Her friends Clawhauster and Maribel had to have been missing her. And Nick...she could hardly think about Nick without tears immediately springing in her eyes. She missed him so much it physically hurt. She couldn't imagine how he was feeling right now seeing as how she hadn't been able to contact him and she felt awful about it. But she knew if she left she'd also feel guilty about not helping Clara. She would find a way to contact Nick and let him know what was going on and until then she would grudgingly help her sister.

Two weeks passed, then three. She was starting to hate everything about this place and Clara's voice was becoming ear bleeding. They were making little progress on the house. Her parents insisted that she was doing the right thing by staying here and helping Clara with the house. She still had no way of contacting Nick. Clara insisted that she would get a phone eventually. Judy sent Nick letters nearly every day but after all this time still hadn't heard anything back.

She was starting to wonder if maybe there was a reason for that. Maybe he was mad at her for staying away so long. He probably thought she had abandoned him and didn't want to be with him anymore so he had decided to move on. She remembered how hard Esmeralda had tried to get back together with him and for a painful moment wondered if he really had gotten back with his ex.

She was desperate to find out what he was doing and how he felt and it pained her to have no way of knowing and no way of telling him how much she still cared about him and that she was trapped in this shithole of a house with her sister.

As time wore on the pain of missing Nick and not knowing whether he was waiting for her was becoming too much to bear. She felt like a zombie going through the days with no one but Clara and occasionally her family to talk to. Every night she cried wishing that she was with the one person she loved more than anything in the world.