So now we come to the final chapter. Has it been fun? Yes, yes it has. Am I going to try something like it again? Not in this lifetime! Lol Not entirely accurate, actually; I would be open to revisiting this story and making it a proper sequel to Something Stinks (I've pretty much decided not to do so for a number of reasons), but I'm not going to do any more Christmas stories unless they are finished – or as good as finished – before December rolls around. Doing so this time made it too difficult to give it the time and attention to quality I wanted, especially with the inclusion of weekly deadlines. None the less, I had fun working on it and hearing all your feedback.

Although this is not a sequel as such, there are some things I have omitted because I would have orrowed them from my plans for the rest of SS. My apologies for any lack of clarity this may cause.

That said, enjoy!

The Baron then offered a holiday toast

And Snoopy, our hero, saluted his host.

Then with a roar, they were both on their way,

Each knowing they'd meet on some other day.

Snoopy's Christmas

The next morning found Nick at Taelia's apartment door at 9:30 sharp. For all his other faults, there was one thing to be said in his favor: when a vixen was involved, you could set a watch by his timing. The fact that he had slept most of the way to the train station, and then most of the train ride back to the city, had been helpful.

Taelia, on the other hand, was not exactly a morning mammal, though she made a point to put a good face on it. Nick's knock caught her fine-tuning her clothes. She had reserved a red and green sweater over a mid-calf dress a few shades lighter than eggnog for the occasion, and was trying different necklaces with the combination. She had already tried and dismissed several charm necklaces and a few sets of clip-on earrings, when Nick knocked at the door.

"Oh! Coming!" she called, taking one last look at the little metallic wreathe on a sterling chain around her neck. She took it off and traded it for one with a green chain and a number of lightbulb charms. Hmm, a little tacky, she thought, but I like it. She had been on pins and needles about meeting Mrs. Wilde, but her sister-in-law had urged her the day before to relax.

'Just be yourself,' she had said. 'It's her son you're dating, not her.'

She had laughed at that. 'Yeah, that would be awkward on a couple of levels.'

The truth was, she was pretty much always reserved when it came to meeting new mammals – especially someone important to someone she was dating. It wasn't a rational unease, but then if she were totally rational she wouldn't have pursued a career as artistic as music. Ninety percent of her life was learning to roll with weirdness, including her own.

Deciding that the necklace and one or two bangles on her wrist would do, she guzzled down the rest of her morning cup of coffee, then stopped in the bathroom to shoot some breath spray into her mouth. Ten seconds later, she was opening the door.

"Hey," she greeted cheerfully.

"Hey," he greeted in reply. "You ready?"

She took Nick's offered elbow, and they headed out to his car. "As I'll ever be," she answered with more cheer than the phrase would normally carry.

Nick glanced at his girlfriend as he started the engine. "You're a little nervous, considering you're just meeting my mom." He would have introduced the ladies sooner, but his hectic schedule with the academy had left few chances to even see them individually, let alone together.

She shrugged. "Well, butterflies in the stomach are equal-opportunity."

"You had butterflies for breakfast?" He glanced at her and chuckled when she gave a mock scowl. "Relax. My mom's liked you practically since she heard I had a girlfriend, period. You two have a ridiculous amount in common, trust me. You'll get along great."

'Trust me.' Taelia didn't care to count the times she'd been duped by those words from a guy, but Nick... well, Nick was different. She had no doubt of that, especially not after seeing all his snapshots and updates from the academy. She shrugged.

"I trust you."

They soon arrived at a condo in an area mostly geared toward smaller mammals. It wasn't the best of neighborhoods, but the Christmas decorations mingled in with window boxes and the odd 'Welcome' banner dressed it up well.

Nick took a deep breath through his nose as they reached the little rental home in question, then let it out with a contented sigh. He'd lived in some places that were decent, or at least interesting, but there was nothing like returning to his roots.

Taelia started to get out, then paused as Nick darted around to get the door for her. She raised one eyebrow and smiled wryly.

"Do you think your mom might be watching," she asked, "or are you just feeling extra chivalrous today?"

He shrugged. "I'm not telling," he teased.

She elbowed him, then followed him around to the trunk. The house was a design she'd seen before on a fiar number of occasions: divided vertically in fourths (more or less), so that each apartment had an upstairs and a downstairs. Nick's mom had the apartment at the back right-hand corner from the road. They retrieved the gifts they had brought, including three extra for Nick to carry, and made for the door.

"Something from Judy?" asked Taelia, noting three small packages decorated with carrot-patterned gift wrap.

Nick nodded. "One for each of us."

Taelia smirked. "Well, the plot thickens."

Paws full, Nick slipped his nose under the door knocker and let it fall back with a clack.

"Nick!" called a voice from within, and a moment later the door opened to reveal an older vixen – a little past middle age, but still lively in Taelia's estimation – wearing glasses, a pine green sweater, and blue jeans. "Come in, come in," she urged. She gestured to a table just inside the door. "Put those down so I can give you a hug."

Nick did so, unconsciously sighing a little as he pulled his mother in. It was true what they said: there was simply no place like home.

"Mom, I'd like you to meet Taelia," he added, removing onearm to slip it behind his girlfriend.

"Oh, of course," Mrs. Wilde smiled, turning to hug the younger vixen.

Taelia was a little surprised, but returned the favor. Nick's mom was pretty strong for her age. "Merry Christmas, Mrs. Wild."

"Merry Christmas, and please call me Marian," the older vixen replied, drawing back from the hug and clasping Taelia's paws for a moment. "Nick has told me so much about you. Well, come on in. The main course is still going, but I have some appetizers ready. You can hang your sweater right over there if you like. It's so warm in here, you'll roast."

Taelia accepted the offer, revealing that her dress under the sweater was adorned with a pattern of blue rhinestones (a touch from the band's resident 'fairy godmother,' Isabelle).

"My, what a lovely dress," Marian exclaimed, putting a hand on her chest. She glanced at Nick with a smirk. "You've got your father's taste, Nicholas."

Both of them blushed, but mostly Taelia. "Thank you."

Mrs. Wilde led them to a room which was half-kitchen, half-linoleum, with a little bit of counter separating the linoleum food zone from the carpeted social zone. On the counter sat a pot of coffee, a couple of bottles of different creamers, a ceramic sugar jar, and an assortment of little Christmas figurines. In the living room part stood a charming Christmas tree trimmed not only with the usual store-bought décor, but also a number of hand-made ornaments; colored paper cutouts on hooks, glued-together felt creations, and comically lopsided figurines made from pine cones. Nick remembered – and Taelia guessed – that many of these harkened back to the tod's pup days.

She kept them after all these years, thought Nick.

Also in the living room – in a different corner – was a cluster of chairs in one corner which were in good repair and tastefully decorated. Taelia thought she noticed a patch peeking out from under the hand-made throw cover on one of them, but she politely ignored that and sat down. The two younger foxes helped themselves to a few Christmas cookies, fried crickets, and – to Taelia's delight – a shrimp platter. It wasn't big, since Nick's mom didn't get very big paychecks, but it was the thought that mattered. Nick had obviously told his mom that Taelia loved seafood. Taelia had already had coffee, but when Mrs. Wilde offered she accepted a small cup anyway, saying she was trying to go easy on the caffeine.

"I'm sure Mom will want your thoughts on the coffee as a taste expert," Nick added with his usual wry grin, leaving Taelia to wonder if there was an inside joke or if Nick was just being Nick.

"Oh, it's nothing so special as that," Mrs. Wilde replied, taking a seat.

Taelia took a sip, and her mouth woke up the way the rest of her used to when it was the first day of Christmas break from school.

"Mmm," she murmured before swallowing. "I dont know about 'nothing special,' Mrs... uh, Marian. "Do you work for Snarlbucks?"

"No, I actually mostly do piano lessons," Marian replied.

"And she has a cookbook on the market," Nick bragged.

Marian gave her a look that was half, 'Must you?' and half, 'Thank you.' "Hardly what I'd call a best-seller," she replied, "but yes."

"So what's the recipe for the coffee?" asked Taelia.

Marian shrugged. "Something I came up with one morning when I got bored. All it takes is putting some cinnamon, nutmeg, and a squirt of vanilla in with the coffee grounds before brewing."

Taelia filed the recipe away in her mind. Nick was right; she and Mrs. Wilde did have quite a bit in common.

"In the fall she dehydrates cubed pumpkin and throws that in instead of the cinnamon and vanill-" Nick went on, stopping only when his mother deftly slipped a Christmas cookie into his mouth.

"Nick Wilde, you're making me blush," she remonstrated playfully.

Taelia just laughed. Food guru and takes the natural approach, she thought to herself. That was two for two; she liked it organic herself.

The three of them made polite conversation about this, that, and the other thing, snacking and paying no particular heed to the passing time, until Nick asked if they wanted to open the presents.

"Oh, of course," Marian agreed. "Just a minute. I've got yours upstairs. I'll be right back."

"Would you like some help?" asked Taelia, getting up.

The offer was declined. "They're not heavy, and I'm not that old."

Taelia was about to apologize for suggesting that Mrs. Wilde was old, but a wink from Nick stopped her. "She teases," he whispered. "Just like you."

"You're just surrounded by ladies who like to do that," Taelia remarked, thinking about the bunny who had put them in touch.

He shrugged. "It's my curse."

Marian's gift to Taelia came with a hand-written card which read, in flowing cursive, 'Merry Christmas. I hope you and Nick have a wonderful relationship. Here's something to keep it warm.'

Taelia wasn't sure what to expect, but laughed when she found it was an advance copy of Marian's second cookbook – something even Nick hadn't known about.

"Nick mentioned you like to try new recipes," Marian explained.

Taelia noticed a bookmark and opened it to that page. Her eyes fell on the first recipe. "Wrath of God Hot Sauce?" she asked.

Marian snickered. "I understand the two of you have a history with hot sauce."

The remark took a moment to sink in. Then Nick's expression dropped in shock. "How did you...?" he gaped, but then the obvious struck him. Like Dad always used to say, he thought. The fastest way to get something around isn't telephone; it's tell-a-female.

Taelia laughed. "Oh, I'll be sure to try this one on Nick sometime," she grinned. Then she brought out her own gift for Marian. In her own tidy print, it read, 'With a tod like Nick, you probably need this. Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.'

Marian smiled as she extracted a thick, soft bath robe, a bottle of vanilla scent, and a custom CD of some of the calmer songs produced by Taelia's band, Vixen.

"Kind of a relaxation package," Taelia explained.

Marian laughed. "You're right. I do need these."

"Oh, there's one more thing," Taelia added, pulling something out of the bag she had brought.

This present, unmarked by a card, contained a reversible picture frame. The immediate image was of Taelia and Nick at an amusement park – he in his usual off-style attire, and she in a T-shirt and jeans. When Mrs. Wilde turned the picture around, she laughed. It was a shot of Nick, bleary-eyed and as rumpled as they came, dressed in a tank top and heart-patterned pajama bottoms.

"That one's a combo gift from me and Judy," Taelia explained as Nick buried his face in one paw. "She supplied the photo. I kept him out late with a horror movie marathon and espresso coffee."

Nick groaned. "You and Judy," he lamented, "are the strongest argument against polygamy."

Marian laughed. "You remember that, Nick," she beamed.

Then it was Nick's turn. Mrs. Wilde hadn't been sure what to get him, but after much consideration she had gotten him an old-fashioned locket – containing a shrunken photograph of their family back when... well, when John Wilde was still around.

"I know it's not the most macho thing to wear," Marian admitted, "but I honestly couldn't think of anything more..."

Nick raised one paw and wiped a tear away with the other. "I'll never leave home without it," he promised. Then, more brightly, he added, "I'll just wear it so it looks like a pocket watch. Those things sometimes stop bullets."

Marian's eyes popped. "I hope you aren't planning to test that," she scolded.

Nick opted to save his present for his mom until last, so next came his gift for Tealia: the latest model of iPaw.

"Nick!" gasped the vixen. "How on earth did you get one of these? Mousey's had a waiting list for them, and they cost...!"

He just laughed and shrugged. "It was a steal," he replied casually.

Both vixens gave him 'the look.' He shrank.

"Not that kind of steal," he added. Reinflating, he explained, "I know someone at the local office for Grapple products. He got me a good price, that's all."

Taelia looked satisfied. "Well, I guess it's my turn." Reaching into her gift bag, she pulled out a wide, flat box. "This might actually go nicely with your mom's present," she remarked.

He read the card, which was a playful message 'to the handsomest reynard in last year's colors,' and opened the box. Inside, neatly folded and pressed, was a blue dress shirt and red tie.

"Good luck with that," chortled Marian. "I've been trying to get him to dress properly since he was a cub."

It was Nick's turn to laugh when he pulled out the shirt and tie – only to find a giraffe-patterned tie underneath lying atop a Pawaiian shirt that made his usual ones look monochromatic. Odd brightly colored patches of red, orange, yellow, blue, and purple were scattered across a base of light and dark greens as if someone had sneezed while filling a jar of potpourri.

"Ha ha, now this goes with the locket," he laughed, picturing the latter item hanging down the front of the shirt like gangster bling on a sunny day. "Thanks, Tal. Thanks a lot. You sure you and Mom didn't plan this somehow?"

Both ladies shook their heads. "Christmas miracle, I guess," Marian remarked. "You finally have an outfit that doesn't clash."

Nick studied the pants, thinking of how to turn that remark around. His mother had often pressured him to dress so mammals would take him more seriously in the past, though this time it sounded more like just play.

"I've got some camouflage cargo pants at home," he replied cooly.

Taelia rolled her eyes toward Marian. "So he does it to you too?"

Marian smiled appreciatively, then glanced at the extra bag Nick had brought. "So, do I get whatever it is you brought me before or after those gifts over there?"

"Oh, right." Nick reached for the bag and pulled it near.. "Judy sent a few things. Let's see; this one's for you, Mom. This one's for Taelia, and this one's mine."

"Oh, how thoughtful," Marian smiled.

"Well, go ahead and open yours," Mrs. Wilde urged.

Nick hesitated. Judy had advised him to open his gift first, then have Taelia open hers, and finally have his mom open hers. It was an odd request (and kind of rude for him to pass on, he thought), and reminded him that Christmas Eve was over. Pranks were back in season.

"No," he said, acting like nothing was wrong. "You open first, Mom."

"Yeah, it's your house," agreed Taelia.

Marian shrugged. "Well, alright." She read the card – a typical Christmas greeting with a hand-written add-on that she had an amazing son – and then unwrapped the box. In the top there was a bumper sticker saying, 'My Son is a Graduate of Zootopia Police Academy.'

"'I know he's not a grad yet,'" she read off the backing paper, "'but he'll make it. Merry Christmas.' That is so sweet," she smiled. "You should have asked her to come too."

Nick shrugged, acting relaxed. "It came up, but she decided to stick with her family for another day or two." Possibly to keep her distance, he mentally added, noting that the bumper sticker had come along with a camera. Specifically, a camera with a sticky note attached: 'Ready to go. Click once for photos, hold for video.'

"You next," Mrs. Wilde urged Taelia.

Taelia read the card. This one's hand-written note read, 'Thanks for letting me borrow Nick. I owe you one.' When she opened the box, she blushed. "Uh, I think she got my gift confused with someone else's," she said, covering it up.

"Why, what is it?" asked Nick, leaning over to get a peek. With a little effort, he managed to pry her paws away. Then he too blushed. Inside was a very nice hat – decorated with a sprig of mistletoe.

And Mom here with a camera, he thought, seeing the pieces click into place: a strategic selection of presents, with a side of reverse psychology to make sure they were opened in just the right order. Touche, Carrots. Well played.

"Well, go ahead," Marian urged, holding up the camera. "Let's see how it looks."

The pair stared at the hat uneasily. Carrots, thought Nick, this is low even for you.

Inside, Taelia couldn't escape the irony. She had been so worried about pressing forward with Nick, and now here she was, caught at camera-point, in front of his mom.

On the other paw, Mrs. Wilde seemed to approve wholeheartedly. Hadn't that been the main concern on her mind?

"Tell you what," she said, grasping the sprig. The stitches holding it to the hat were of light thread and none too thorough, coming loose with hardly any effort. She set the plant aside and popped the hat on. Then she turned her face to the camera and tapped her cheek.

Nick blushed, but he followed through.

"Your turn, Nick," Taelia urged, blushing a little herself. She just hoped they could avoid cameras when the new year rolled in.

Nick hesitated. If Judy had planned this out that well, she'd probably also planned on his gift being the coup de gras. "Uh, isn't dinner about ready?"

"Come on," Taelia persisted. Mrs. Wilde's encouraging smile didn't help much. With great hesitation Nick read his card: "To old memories; Love, Judy," and opened the package to find...

Another box. On the top was written another note.

"In case you're wondering, I did not mix up your gift."

That can't be good. Worse, with the eyes of the two vixens on him, he couldn't back out now. He took out the smaller box and lifted the lid.

A small mound of white fluff pushed its way up, and with some confusion Nick pulled it out. A dawning recognition came over him as he realized what it was: a wig... made for a sheep. Attached was a tag reading, 'Soooo fluffy.'

Sly bunny, he conceded mentally.

The sheep wig distracted everyone from that one last gift for Nick's mom, but it actually wasn't so bad once he explained the back story – and let the vixens see what it felt like. He even laughingly suggested (over Christmas dinner) that he might wear it for the New Year's Eve party.

Just when it seemed like all the day's gags had subsided, Taelia got an e-mail from Judy on her phone with a sound file attached.

"'One more Christmas present. I think Marian will like it.'"

At first Nick was worried, but then he smiled. "Oh, you'll both like this," he promised.

His smile stayed all the way through the audio of his stint the night before. Perfecto, he thought. Okay, so Taelia already knew he was good with kids – which, according to her neice, was at the top of her list – but it was nice to see the vixen's heart melting like butter as the whole thing unfolded. Mrs. Wilde, meanwhile, was rubbing at her eyes, prompting her son to discreetly slip her a handkerchief.

It was going too well to last.

"By the way... you and Taelia need to have pups someday."

Marian's eyes grew wide. Nick and Taelia adopted matching expressions of shock.

No! thought Nick.

"After what I saw tonight, I think you'd make a great dad."

"O-kay, that's enough warm fuzzies for now," Nick broke in, reaching to turn off the phone. Instead he accidentally knocked it from Taelia's shocked paw. It didn't break when it landed, but the next part – evidently spliced in by Judy after the fact – had enough time to play.

"Merry Christmas, Junior Detective. Truce is off."

The recording ended, leaving awkward silence in the apartment. Taelia was the first to find her voice.

"Mrs. Wilde, I promise you Nick and I are not-"

Marilyn raised a paw. "Just get married first. That's all I ask."

Back in Bunnyburrow, Judy was in her room smiling contentedly to herself. Nick would probably put salt in her coffee at the next opportunity, and she could probably forget about talking Taelia into another girls' night out for a while, but it had been so, so very worth it.

"Do you always do this to your friends?"

She looked up to see Alex, who had evidently overheard her check the recording through the open doorway. His arms were folded, and he had a smirk on his face as if he had been the prankster.

"Oh, they'll get over it," she smiled.

Alex continued on his way, still grinning – but not over Judy's stunt.

Flashback

Look at it this way. You know how effective I can be working with Judy to put one over on you. Would you prefer that arrangement, or having me as an ally...?"

Nick paused to mull that over. "I'm listening."

Alex smiled contentedly. "Well, you know Mom and Dad worry about Judy – big city, dangerous high-profile job, strange mammals..."

The fox raised one eyebrow. "Just them?"

This was met with a snort from the buck. "I know how good she is at taking care of herself. All the same, since you two are friends, and you'll be working together, and you've got a little more experience with troublemakers..." he paused. "Could I tell Mom and Dad that you'll be – shall we say 'screening' – any guys you spot checking her out?"

Present

The buck snickered to himself. After a prank like that, Nick would be pursuing that little arrangement with a whole new level of gusto.

So there you have it: the conclusion of Christmas in Bunnyburrow (though I may follow up with some bonus material afterward).

To respond to the Guest review on chapter three, I appreciate the encouragement and hope you take a look at Something Stinks, which will cover the "nice vixen" in a lot more detail (no promises on her and Nick ending up together for keeps, though). Again, because I had to throw this together in a hurry, I've made up my mind not to treat it as contiguous with SS due to continuity issues. All character revelations will stay (e.g. that Taelia has a niece and Nick's mom gives piano lessons), but everything else is up for guesswork again (but if a buck takes an interest in Judy, I do promise Nick will give him a hard time).

Merry Christmas! As always, please review, fave, and follow!