Hey, guys. I'm back with another chapter. This one marks the start of the autumn arc of the crossover. Hope you all enjoy it.
(Autumn)
The rain came down over the pine tree-covered forest. The rain sprinkled down the pines, onto the grass, turning the fresh soil into mud. The rain filled the river bed, bringing the water level past it's normal fill, and the current was much faster than usual. Through the rain, the group of mammals emerged from the trees, and into the clear bluff.
Nick wore a red flannel shirt, and jeans. Clem wore a white and purple hoodie, and jeans. Judy wore a blue hoodie, and jeans. Danny wore a camouflage hoodie, and jeans. Oscar and Alan both wore dark green rain cloaks, and tannish pants. Emmitt and Olive both wore dark green, woolen sweaters, and tannish pants. They all still had the same backpacks, though.
"Jackson County." Clem read the large sign on the dirt road. "That means we're close to BunnyBurrow. Right?"
"Just got a little more ways, but we'll get there." said Nick.
"So, ready to see dear, old baby brother, again?" asked Danny.
"We'll just have to see." said Nick.
"You feeling nervous?" asked Judy.
"I don't know what I'm feeling, honestly." said Nick.
The group continued down the old dirt road, but the rest of it was cut short at the end of a cliff, evidence after years of erosion.
"Can't go this way. Maybe there's a way down there." Nick pointed to a path down the right.
The path was made of several, smaller cliffs, that served as stepping paths, leading down to the river. The group began to climb down one by one. Emmitt went first before Olive, so he help her down into his arms, placing her on the ground, again. Despite her protests, Emmitt did that for every small bluff, until they reached the river, on account of Olive's condition.
"Are you sure you're fine, dear? We can stop for a break." said Emmitt.
"Emmitt, I'm having a baby. I'm not an old bag, just yet." Olive insisted, placing a paw over her abdomen, already starting to show with the little future Otterton growing inside her.
Nick silently smirked to himself. There was a time he felt that frantic, like Emmitt, back when his Cassie was expecting... Nick's smirk disappeared, and shook his head, again. Nick couldn't even bring himself to remember her name. How long was it since he let some of the memories flow into his mind, again?
"Say, Nick. What happened between you two?" Clem's question brought Nick back to reality.
"What do you mean?" Nick asked, as the group continued to follow the river, upstream.
"You and Gideon." said Clem. "You guys are clearly not together, so something must've went down."
"We just had a disagreement. That's all." said Nick.
"Ah, here we go." said Clem. "What was that disagreement about?"
"Clem, if he doesn't wanna talk about it-"
"It's fine, Carrots." Nick said to Judy. "I just saw the world one way, Gideon saw it the other."
"So, that's why he joined the Fireflies?" asked Oscar.
"Yeah, the leader, Bellwether, promised him hope." said Nick. "That kept him busy for a while, but, just like Gideon, he eventually gave that up, too."
"What was it like? I mean, you two left on good terms, right?" asked Judy.
"Welp, I do believe his last words to me were, 'I don't ever wanna see your smug face ever again'." said Nick.
"Geez, but he's gonna help us? Right?" asked Clem.
"Suppose we're gonna find out." said Nick.
"Well, with or without his help, we'll get there." said Judy. "Besides, I'm sure he's put that all behind him, and he'll be happy to see you, again. Siblings can't stay mad at each other, forever."
"Like with me and Oscar." said Alan.
"I reckon you're both right." said Nick. "Look, there's the hydro-electric power dam."
Up ahead, the group came towards a large, concrete dam. Up the hill, was the power plant, that oversaw the lake, and the use of the dam.
"A hydra-what?" asked Clem.
"It runs the water through the dam, and that powers the plant up there, and the town." said Judy.
"How does that work?" asked Alan.
"I know what it does, I don't know the entirety of how it works." said Nick.
"Me neither. After living my entire life in this town, you'd think I'd know." said Judy.
"Oh, that's right. This was your old home, Jude." said Clem. "So, gonna feel a little weird, being back?"
"Honestly, I doubt if there's anyone still there that remembers me, anymore." said Judy. "I wouldn't be surprised if all my old friends were... Um, let's talk about something else."
"Nick said Gideon met your parents, when they lived down in Texas?" asked Clem.
"Yeah, I knew who they were, but I've never met them, personally." said Nick.
"My family moved out of Wyoming, and down to Texas, when I was your age, Clem. Sixteen." said Judy. "I went into the police academy, because I wanted to be the first rabbit officer, I graduated, but when I was about to head out and start my own life... The world changed, and it took my dream with it."
"Must be tough, having your dreams getting broken, by something like this." said Clem.
"Dreams are one thing, but that's not the worst that this world has taken from most of us. All of us, I should say." said Nick, solemnly.
"What do you mean?" Judy asked.
"Nothing." Nick sighed, trying to avoid the topic, but only increased Judy's curiosity over the fox's past.
"The river's moving too fast. Looks like we're gonna have to cross from the two flood gates on the dam." said Nick, as he turned the wheel, opening the left flood gate.
"Alright, just gotta get the other one open, except the valve's on the other end." Clem said, pointing across the water.
On the group's side, there was a set of steps, and a smaller platform that Nick could get in and out of the water from, but the opposite end of the dam didn't have anything to help Nick climb up, and turn the valve.
"You guys wait here. I'll find something that might help." said Nick, as he jumped, and dived into the water.
Below the water, Nick swam towards a sunken, old container, and swam inside to find a pallet, wedged between the corners of an open hole. Nick pushed the pallet free out of the hole, and followed it back up to the surface. Grabbing hold of it again, Nick brought it back to Clem.
"Alright, Clem. Let's-"
"I know, I know. Step on the freaking pallet." Clem rolled her eyes, and jumped on the pallet.
Nick pushed Clem towards the opposite end of the dam. Jumping off, Clem turned the valve, and opened the other flood gate. Nick swam back to the others, and they began crossing the floodgates, which now served as a bridge to cross. Nick went first, then Judy, then Emmitt, then Olive, then Oscar, then Alan, and lastly, Danny.
"Teamwork." Clem said, raising a paw for a high-five, which Nick returned.
The group continued past the dam, when they came across the remains of a camp. Just outside the camp, a small grave laid, with a teddy bear, leaning on the cross.
"That's too small of a grave." Nick sighed, sadly.
"Oh, man. I forgot to leave that stupid toy on Leo's grave." said Clem. "What should I do with it?"
"Clementine... Not now, okay?" said Nick.
"What? I wanna talk about it." said Clem.
"Clem, please. These things just... happen. But, we gotta just... move on." said Nick. "Let's just get to Gideon's."
"Fine." said Clem, as the group continued onward.
"What's gotten into Nick all of a sudden? He's acting weirder than usual." said Alan.
"So? He's always been weirder than usual." said Oscar.
"Boys." Olive softly scolded the two brothers.
"Sorry, mom." said Oscar.
"Ugh, I am so hungry!" Clem groaned, comically.
"I know. All of us are, too." said Nick.
"Okay, next lizard I see, I'm shooting it." said Clem.
"Keep your hoodie on, Clem. We're almost there." said Nick.
"Okay, but if we starve, it's on you, guys." said Oscar.
"If I starve, I'm eating Alan first." said Danny.
Emmitt and Olive glared back at him. "Kidding. I was just kidding." Danny insisted. "Geez, mammals these days are so sensitive."
"Looks like we're gonna have to cut through the plant." said Nick, approaching the gate.
As Nick tried to open the gate, the group was met by the sound of guns clicking. Looking up, there were a couple of mammals from a guard post, up top of the gate. Clem, Oscar, Judy, and Danny readied their weapons. Nick was about to reach his, but...
"Don't even think about reaching for your weapon! Tell the others to drop theirs, now!" ordered a vixen, pointing a rifle at them. The vixen had blonde fur, and blue eyes. She wore a dark overcoat, with a grey shirt underneath, and jeans.
"Guys, do as the lady says." said Nick. Judy, Oscar, Clem, and Danny complied.
"Please, tell me you're lost." said the vixen.
"Look, we didn't know the place was occupied. We're just trying to make our way through to Bunnyburrow." said Nick.
"What business you got in Bunnyburrow?" said the vixen.
"They're okay." called a voice from behind the gate.
"You know these mammals?" asked the vixen.
"I know him." said the voice. "He's my brother."
The gate opened, and out came a fox wearing a denim jacket, with a grey shirt underneath, and jeans.
"Gideon." Nick smiled.
"Hot damn." Gideon smiled back, and hugged Nick.
"How you doing, bro?" Nick said, returning the hug.
"Told you they'd make up." Judy grinned.
"Barf." Danny rolled his eyes.
"Lemme look at ya." said Gideon, breaking the hug. "You may be in your thirty's now, but ya look a little older than that, to me."
"Easy, kid. Savor every moment of being twenty-seven, now. But, it's gonna happen to you, too." chuckled Nick.
"I'm surprised you remembered." said Gideon. "Oh, I should introduce ya."
"This here's Vicky." Gideon introduced the vixen, from earlier. "She's my wife. All gotta get wrangled up at some point, y'know. Be nice to her, too. She and I run things around here."
"Well, ma'am. Thanks for not blowing our heads off." said Nick. "Congrats on getting tied to this twerp."
"Would've been embarrassing. Considering your my brother-in-law." Vicky grinned. " Not to mention the fact you have kids with you, and another on the way. I can tell. That would've been super embarrassing."
"Judy?"
Judy turned to who called her, and her eyes widened. Behind Gideon and Vicky was an older couple of rabbits. The male had brownish fur and amber eyes, wearing overalls, a plaid shirt, a red vest, and a green ball cap. The female had grey fur and purple eyes, wearing a sleeveless pink plaid shirt, a purple vest, and a carrot-patterned skirt.
"Mom? Dad?" Judy covered her mouth, in surprise.
"Bon-Bon..." Bonnie Hopps whispered, and she and Stu Hopps hugged their lost daughter, tears in their eyes.
"Well, I'll be..." said Nick, smiling.
"I-I'm so sorry, guys. I didn't mean to leave you, like... Like..." Judy said through sobs.
"C'mon, Jude the dude. Now, you get sappy on us?" Stu joked.
Judy dried her eyes, and grinned. "Oh, I should introduce you." she said. "This is Nick. This is Clementine. This here's Danny. Lastly, these are the Ottertons. Olive, Emmitt, Oscar, and Alan. Plus, their new addition-to-be."
"Quite the group you got here. All predators, you being the only prey." said Stu.
"Got a problem with that, ol' man?" asked Danny.
"Oh, no siree. If it hadn't been for Judy, opening our minds to predators not being all bad, we wouldn't've helped build all this with Gideon and Vicky." said Stu.
"You guys are co-leaders with them, too?" asked Judy.
"Yep. We're partners in leadership, now." said Bonnie.
"That's... Really cool of you, guys." said Judy, amazed.
"So, what brings you all here?" asked Vicky.
"Well, the Ottertons here want to join your community. Me, Nick, and Jude need Gideon's help with something. It's a really, REALLY long story." said Clem.
"Well, we can always talk more inside about it." said Stu.
"Sure. Any of you kids hungry?" asked Vicky.
"Starved, actually." said Oscar.
The leaders of Bunnyburrow brought the group inside, Gideon shutting the gate behind them, and locking it for good measure.
"False alarm! They're friendlies!" Vicky called to the guards. "We've been dealing with a lot of bandits in this area. Can't be too careful."
"So, mom and dad. Is this where you guys have been all this time?" asked Judy.
"When we heard that there were mammals trying to take back Bunnyburrow, we made the decision to come back, and help rebuild life there." said Stu. "Ever since then, we've been teaching mammals how to farm, repair, carpenter, the works."
"So, Emmitt. If you and your family want to join us, what is it you did for a job?" asked Bonnie.
"I was a florist. Could that be helpful in any way?" said Emmitt.
"Maybe, you could be a farmer, with knowledge of plants, like yours." said Bonnie. "We'll give you a couple pointers, if you like."
"So, Gideon. What're you doing in this place? Thought we'd find you in Bunnyburrow." said Nick.
"Been trying to get the hydro-plant back on. We had electricity, Nick, but one of the turbines blew a fuse. We'll get it back up again." said Gideon.
"Oh, no way." said Clem. "You guys have ostriches."
Clem and the Otterton brothers ran to pet the long-legged birds, that served as mounts to middle-sized mammals.
"Y'know, we could always take you kids out riding on one of them, if you like." said Vicky.
"That'd be great. It's been a while since I've ridden one." said Clem.
"How do you know how to ride an ostrich?" asked Nick, petting one of the ostriches.
"This soldier back in the Boston QZ, Wolford, he gave me lessons." said Clem.
"Alright, let's continue the tour." Gideon said, leading the group up a flight of stairs.
"Hey, Earl." Vicky greeted a beaver worker. "Shouldn't you be clocking out for your shift, yet?"
"Still waiting on Houser and the rest of the boys to relieve me." said Earl.
"Look, we got this. Go home to your family." insisted Vicky.
"I can wait it out for a couple more hours." said Earl.
"Okay, take it easy." said Vicky.
The group continued their tour into the interior of the plant, when Stu's walkie clicked on.
"I got that." Stu said, clicking his radio on. "Stu here. What's up?"
"We're in the control room, Stu. Steve says he's gonna start it back up. Says he's got it fixed, this time. Wanna come look?" said the voice on the radio.
"I'd like to catch up with Judy, a bit." admitted Stu.
"Well, I'd rather get to know her, and Clem, and the guys a little more, too." said Vicky.
"It's my turn, anyway. I'll go." said Gideon.
"I'll go with you." said Nick. "Clem, you and the other go get some food with Vicky, Stu, and Bonnie. I'll be back."
Wait, Nick. I'd thought you'd join us, too." said Clem.
"It's okay, Clem. Let's give the boys some time to catch up on their own, too." said Vicky.
"Okay." Clem reluctantly agreed. She didn't know why, but she had this nervous feeling in the back of her head that wouldn't go away, when she saw Nick and Gideon walk into the next room.
"We're sending Gideon over. His brother, Nick, is with him. Stand by." Stu called into his radio, as he led the group into a lounge room.
...
"This'll be the sixth time, they've been trying to get the plant running, again." said Gideon. "Been here a week, but it feels longer than that."
"Oh, Nick. I got something for ya." Gideon said, walking to a duffel bag. "Last year, I went back to Texas. Back home. Most of our stuff was already long gone. Most of it."
"Here. It's a little faded, but it still looks pretty good." Gideon said, handing a picture to Nick.
Looking at the picture, Nick saw it was of him, and... Cassie... and Abby.
Nick and Cassie were dressed in their usual clothes, while Abby was dressed in a soccer-playing uniform, and in her paws, was a soccer trophy. The memories came flowing back into Nick's mind. The names of his wife and daughter. The day this photo was taken, the soccer tournament at Abby's school. The happiest day of her daughter's life.
Nick found himself smiling, but then, the memories were replaced with the one from... That day. The day he saw them... Nick shook his head, again.
"I'm good." Nick said, handing the picture back to Gideon.
"You sure?" Gideon asked, hoping Nick'd be happy to have this. "I-I mean-"
"I said I'm good." Nick insisted.
"Okay. I'll hang onto it, for ya." Gideon said, putting the picture back in the bag.
"Gideon." said Nick. "I need to talk to you. Privately."
"Okay, sure." said Gideon. "Let me just check on the guys, real quick."
The two foxes walked out to a railway, connecting to another building of the plant.
"I dunno what you heard, but you should see the town. We're over twenty families strong now, and counting." said Gideon. "It was Vicky and her parents. They set up this idea of making towns self-sustainable. We got crops, we got livestock, like chickens and fish farms. Remember how no one thought we couldn't live like this, anymore? Well, we're doing it."
"What about protection?" asked Nick.
"The adults take turns, guarding the perimeter. We even got an electrified fence, once the plant's up and running, again." said Gideon. "Still gotta deal with bandits and Savages, but it's the world we live in, now."
"Well, maybe it won't have to be for long." said Nick.
"You sound just like Dawn." Gideon chuckled.
"That's kinda what I wanted to talk to you about." said Nick.
The two foxes walked inside to see many different mammals at work in the main engine room, that powers up the rest of the plant, which in turn, powers up the whole town.
"These two geniuses are gonna try to bring the plant back to life." Gideon pointed to two beaver workers.
"We think we've got it, this time." said one beaver.
"Alright." Gideon smirked.
"You don't believe us?" said the other beaver.
"I didn't say that." Gideon joked.
"Bet you a million bucks it works this time." said the first beaver.
"Sure, make it two-million." Gideon joked back, as he and Nick walked onto another railway, overlooking the turbines in the large room.
Nick and Gideon several mammals working on repairing the turbines. From up top, there was a large crane, guiding a large, metal guard for one of the turbines. The crane slowly came down, and locked the guard in place with the turbine, with a few mammals fusing it back on.
"Okay, boys! Give'er a go!" Gideon called.
The turbine ran, and the lights above the roof flickered on. The mammals cheered.
"Hot damn! We did it, boys!" Gideon called. "Good job. Someone get on the horn, and tell, Vicky, Stu, and Bonnie the good news."
"Looks to me like your outta couple million bucks, now." Nick smirked.
"Alright, Nick. Let's go talk." Gideon chuckled.
The two foxes walked down a flight of stairs to the ground floor, and into an office.
"Quite the crew, you got here." Nick said, closing the door behind him.
"Yeah, they're good mammals." said Gideon. "This place gives them a second chance. Gives us all a second chance. So, why'd you leave Boston?"
"I've been on quite the adventure, bro." said Nick, sitting down on a chair.
"I reckon it's got something to do with that group of yours." said Gideon.
"Actually, it's got everything to do with Judy and Clem." said Nick.
"Well, go on." said Gideon.
"Judy happens to be the second-in-command of the Fireflies, and Clementine is immune to the Night Howlers." said Nick.
"What?" said Gideon. "Oh, come on, Nick."
"No, it's true." said Nick. "Judy may not look like it now, but she's tough as nails. Clementine, I've seen her breath in enough spores to take down a dozen mammals, and nothing. Now, I wouldn't've believed it either, but me, Clem, and Jude can prove it to you. All I'm asking is that you keep this hushed for now."
"Alright, then. I'll bite." said Gideon, sitting on a chair of his own. "So, why bring them here?"
"Dawn asked me to bring them to the Fireflies, back at their lab." said Nick. "Now, the way I figured, they're your boys, you drop them off, and finish the whole damn job."
"I haven't seen a Firefly in a long time." said Gideon.
"Yeah, but you do know where they are, by now." said Nick. "Look, Gideon. I'm not asking for much. I just want some simple gear, enough to set me on my way."
"Where would you even go?" asked Gideon.
"I dunno. Maybe down south. Los Angeles, maybe?" said Nick.
"Uh-huh. Well, what makes you think I'd do this for you?" asked Gideon.
"This isn't for me, Gideon. This is for YOUR cause." said Nick.
"My cause is the new family I hope to start with Vicky, now." said Gideon. "We ain't talking about some walk in the park, here."
"Sweet cheese and crackers, boy!" said Nick. "If you won't do it, then have Vicky get some of your born-again friends to do it."
"They've all got families, too." said Gideon.
"Gideon, for the longest we've known each other, have I ever asked you for anything this big, before?" asked Nick. "Please, I really need this."
Gideon sat in thought, then sighed. "You want some gear, fine. But, I ain't taking that rabbit, or that vixen, off your hands."
"So, this is how you're gonna repay me, huh?" Nick asked Gideon, who stood up from his chair.
"Repay you?" asked Gideon.
Nick shot up out of his seat. "For those first couple of years, where I took care of us." he said.
"Took care? Is that what you call it?" Gideon retorted. "I got nothing but nightmares from those years."
"It's because of me, you survived!" Nick shouted.
"It wasn't worth it, then." Gideon stated.
Nick pushed Gideon against a locker. "I bring you the cure for all mammal-kind, and you wanna play the pissy little brother, right now?" he hissed.
"We ain't back in Boston." sneered Gideon. "You lay your hands on me again, it won't end well for you."
"I can't keep doing this, Gideon, and I don't think I need to spell it out for you to know why!" shouted Nick.
"Maybe we wouldn't be talking like this now, if you had done something different, that night! You should've been there with us! It's because of you, they're gone! You could've stopped that soldier from pulling the trigger! You could've stopped Cassie from pulling the trigger! The gun was mine, but it was in your paws!"
"Now, you see here, Nick." Gideon pointed to Nick. "Don't you EVER go pointing THAT to me, again!"
"Cassie was my WIFE! Abby was my DAUGHTER! She was NINE-YEARS OLD! They were my FAMILY!" shouted Nick.
"Cassie was my SISTER! Abby was my NIECE! They were MY family, too!" Gideon retorted.
"Nick, who was it that stood up for you, when Cassie brought you home, and daddy thought you were bad news? I did. Who was your best mammal at yours' and Cassie's wedding? I was. Who was it that drove you to the hospital, when you didn't have a ride, and when Cassie was in labor? I did. Who was it that looked after Abby, when you guys needed to work late, and needed someone to look after her? I was. How do you think I felt, after what happened that night? There are times when I think I should've done something different, too. So, don't go turning that around on me. It was no one's fault, what happened that night. You ain't the only one who had their whole world broken right in front of you."
Nick was about to say something else, when the sound of sirens rang outside.
"What is that?" asked Nick.
"We're under attack." said Gideon, grabbing his rifle. "We gotta get back to the others. You still remember how to kill, right?"
"Yeah." said Nick, pulling out his shotgun.
"Let's go." Gideon said, as he and Nick headed out the door.
"Bandits!" one of the workers called.
"Stop them! Don't let any of them into the building!" Gideon called, as he and Nick ducked behind cover.
One of the bandits, a raccoon, took out one of the workers, a moose. Nick and Gideon open fired on the bandits. Nick, Gideon, and two other moose workers fought their way up to the railway, taking out the bandits up there, and they fought more in the control room.
"Vicky, are you there?! Come in!" Gideon called into his radio.
"Gideon! Bandits have broken into the building!" Vicky responded.
"I know! We're headed towards you! Stay where you are!" said Gideon.
"Hurry! There's too- Oh, crap! Kids, hide!" Vicky shouted, as the radio turned to static.
"Vicky?! Damnit!" grunted Gideon. "We gotta get back to the others!"
The group worked their way outside, back to the outer railway, which was swarming with bandits. Nick moved up first, as he threw a molotov, and a nail bomb, which he quickly constructed himself. As soon as most of the bandits were blown away, Gideon and his workers moved up beside Nick, and took out a few wolf bandits to their left with their guns, and Nick took out one remaining beaver bandit on his right, with his shotgun.
"Alright, that's all these sons of bitches." said one of the moose.
"Inside, quick!" Gideon said, as the group rushed into the other building.
Right below them, were three more antelope bandits below on the first floor. Nick and Gideon quickly took them out with their guns from above the second floor railing. The four rushed down, and stopped to take cover from behind the wall, peeking through the doorway to see one bear bandit, and two horse bandits in the entrance room. Nick crawled up behind a pool table in the room, and took out the bear bandit, with his shotgun. Gideon took out both antelope bandits with his rifle.
"That was too close." said Nick, as the coast was clear again.
"Vicky!" Gideon called.
"Gideon! We're alright! The others are safe!" Vicky called, as she and the rest of the group emerged from a break room.
"Vicky, are you okay?" Gideon asked, hugging his wife. Vicky nodded.
"Nick!" Gideon turned to see Clem and Judy rushing up to Nick.
"Oh, man! You should've seen it, Nick!" said Clem. The bandits stormed in, and Vicky was like, 'We gotta hide!' She and Judy's parents were amazing. When the bandits stormed in, and Stu started blasting them with his shotgun, and-"
"Clem, hey, hey, hey! Slow down, slow down!" said Nick. "Now, listen to me. Are any of you hurt?"
"No, we're okay." said Clem.
"You sure?" asked Nick.
"Yes, we're fine, Slick." reassured Judy. "Are you okay? It's you we should be worried about."
Gideon saw the whole thing. This is what Nick meant, as memories of Cassie and Abby flashed into his mind.
"Ah, damnit." muttered Gideon, then turned to Vicky. "I need to talk to you."
...
"Absolutely not! You tell him to go find someone else!" said Vicky.
"Vicky, I can't have this hanging over my head." said Gideon.
"Do you realize how many mammals we lost here, today?" said Vicky.
Gideon and Vicky were debating outside, Nick and Judy were sitting outside, watching and waiting to see what would happen.
"Hey, what's that about?" asked Clem.
"We'll talk about it, later." said Nick.
"Does that have anything to do with me? Did Gideon tell you where the lab is?" asked Clem.
"I said, we'll talk about it, later." Nick repeated.
"Later..." Clem muttered, that feeling in the back of her head, returning.
"Right..." Clem muttered again, then walked off.
Nick tried to say something else, but couldn't, then turned back to Gideon and Vicky.
"It takes one. One screw up, and then I turn into one of those... widows! Okay?!" said Vicky.
"I have to do this. I dunno what else to say." said Gideon.
"Fine." Vicky said, shaking her head, and walked away, despite Gideon's protests.
"Here we go." said Nick, standing up from where he was sitting.
"You." Vicky pointed to Nick. "If anything, anything at all, happens to him, it's on you."
Nick nodded in understanding, as Vicky walked away.
"Humph. Women, right?" Danny smirked, walking out to Nick and Judy.
Judy's response was a scowl, and a stomp on Danny's tail, who yelped.
"She's thankful, y'know?" said Gideon.
"Yeah, I know." said Nick.
"I'll take Judy and Clem to the Fireflies. You won't have to worry." said Gideon.
"It's best this way." said Nick.
"Yeah, maybe some real good will come of it." said Gideon.
"What?" asked Judy. "Nick, I thought you'd still be coming with us."
Nick sighed. Nick knew he was gonna have to break this to the girls, sooner or later. Something, even he must admit to himself, he was not looking forward to.
"Judy, you, me, and Clem need to talk." said Nick.
"Yeah, clearly." Judy said, crossing her arms.
"Wait, say that again? I didn't hear ya." Nick and Judy turned to see Gideon, speaking into his radio.
"Nick, Clementine just took one of our ostriches, and ran off." said Gideon.
"What?!" said Nick. "Damnit, which way?"
"Follow me. Stu said he's gonna get some ostriches for us to follow her." Gideon said, as he, Nick, and Judy ran to the gate.
Nick shook his head, in frustration. He should've seen this coming...
Well, guys. That feels like a good stopping point on this chapter. Sorry it took so long. Next one, I'll have uploaded as soon as I can.
So, Vicky, who is based on the scrapped vixen character from the movie, and featured in my last fanfic crossover, 'Zootopia: Into the Wild', returns as the role for Maria. Plus, Stu and Bonnie make a special appearance, as members of a leading council for Bunnyburrow, along with Gideon and Vicky.
Also, let me know what you guys think about that discussion I added between Nick and Gideon. I like to think that should've been featured in the game, between Joel and Tommy, talking about Sarah, in a similar discussion, too.
I own nothing, except a few OC's, minus Daniel. All rights go to original owners. No copyright intended. Thanks. Stay tuned for more of this fanfic crossover. Hope you enjoy it, so far.