Author's Note:
Bonnie and Stu will love it in New Reynard, I'm sure. It's been a little calmer, finally. There's still much to be done but at least no one's bleeding, right?
If you are just joining Guardian Blue for the first timeyou will want to check out Season 1 first, and I would highly recommend Thanks for the Fox before that as well so everything makes sense. ^^
This is a fun outlet for me, and I do not own any of the characters or the world of Zootopia, nor am I provided permission to write about it. I do it anyway and patiently await my take-down letter.
Also! A HUGE shout-out to J. N. Squire for assisting with editing for Season 2! Said said said asked asked ask said asked said triggerwarning
Guardian Blue: Season Two
Episode 24: Prizes
Judy shifted in bed just a little and found herself tragically fox-less. She sat up and pulled her ears back, trying to wake up. She and Nick had stayed up very late to discuss the possibilities that their dual promotion opened up, as well as some problems it was likely to cause. Nick was certain that they would still get to work together enough that it wasn't going to be a problem, and they got to spend all their time off together, so they would finally have a real reason to want to end their day. As it was, they logged a lot of hours they didn't have to because there wasn't much incentive to go off the clock. The new work arrangement, if it happened, might be ultimately good for them. Nick was more concerned about the change in leadership.
Bogo was used to all of his officers, but the sudden influx of changes could make things unnecessarily hard, and Nick admitted that he did not have a lot of patience for mammals who were not well established demanding his respect. He hoped that Tora, who he still thought would be standing in as Chief, would be humble and patient.
After their long conversation about work, they found themselves just cuddling and enjoying warmth and softness and that led slowly, naturally to more involved adoration. Slow, calm, careful and sweet, the lovers got as close as they could and stayed that way well into the late evening hour. Nick fell asleep afterward, but that was fine for Judy. At about eleven that night, she started getting text messages from Vivienne. The line… the vows that the bunny needed, were finally delivered. As Nick silently slept, she committed to memory every single syllable.
Waking to an empty bed was disorienting to the bunny at first, but a moment later she understood why the bed was vacant. The scent of really nice coffee had permeated their room. Judy was sure her lover and partner went to investigate the source of that. She dressed herself and headed downstairs. What the doe discovered when she arrived as she arrived was not what she expected, and the bunny was not prepared for it in the least.
She could hear it before leaving the dining room, fortunately. Stu and Bonnie Hopps spoke back and forth to Nick, who was in the living room with them. Judy halted immediately, ears falling back. Her mom was going to kill her. She knew that. The Hopps family had enough bunnies, and this one was causing too much stress. Time to drown the troublesome daughter in soup or something. But her parents actually sounded pretty happy as Nick talked to them. Judy swiftly moved to the doorway leading from the dining room to the main room. She was able to hide to the right of the door against the wall and listen. It wasn't the most polite thing to do, but it at least allowed her to test the mood of the room before the reluctant doe made her entrance.
She was glad that she did this. It appeared that her arrival would have been embarrassing at best. Her mom and dad were not the only ones there. Cassie and Honey were also there, interjecting on what they were watching. On the TV, from the sound of it, was the Ewetube video of the infamous Munch match. Stu was giddy about how good a job he did as an announcer to a video that had so many views. Judy had never really paid attention to how much traffic it had. Was that even a big deal? Judy hadn't considered that she might end up known for anything but her work as an officer. Would some mammals think, as she did, that it was offensive to play Munch, given that it painted foxes as predatory against bunnies? The bunny hoped there was no fallout to be had from that.
The doe remained where she was, listening to her mom laugh about Angela getting taken out. Judy widened her eyes as she heard her black-furred sister's voice chime in.
"He plays rough! I know you might think it was a drag, but I hate being treated with kit gloves 'cause I'm a bunny. I'm having real fun there!" Angela was there. Why? Why would they bring her?
"Foxes can be gentle." The new voice was also familiar and Judy sank down against the door frame. Did they bring everyone?! It was Sammie!
"Is Judy like… the only one left?" asked Honey.
"Listen to the announcer!" bragged Stu. He sounded cheerful enough. Judy closed her eyes. It suddenly made complete sense. Nick got up early to deal with her parents and to get them to calm down and be in a better mood. Of course he would. Judy smiled and listened.
"You loved that end chase, I remember." That voice was Vivienne. Judy pondered just slinking back upstairs. Nick was stuck entertaining everyone. There was a final cheer that Judy knew by heart. She'd watched the video a few times by that point, including just recently at the Diner. Judy captured Nick's tail that one last time she needed to win, and then Nick captured his final bunny. At the time of the match, Judy had no idea the fox had already decided he was going to keep that last rabbit for himself. Cassie applauded loudly.
She stated eagerly, "Okay. I was messing around before, but don't let me outside. A fox will go missing," she laughed. "What a fun match! I haven't thought about that game since I was a cub."
Nick laughed. "If you grab a fox, I'll have to arrest you. We don't take kindly to kit-napping here."
"Then I'd have two foxes." Cassie laughed, earning the soft thump a throw pillow from her somewhere. Judy assumed that it was from her sister.
"My turn for a video," Honey chimed. "It's my favorite one, here." There was some murmuring in the living room as she apparently switched the video on the TV. Judy remained hidden, trying to get a feel for her mom. She sounded so mad on the phone. What could Judy have done any differently, though? She wasn't allowed to really give any details of the case.
The TV provided the sound of whatever video that Honey had chosen. Judy's tall lapine ears perked immediately. It sounded familiar. Was it a video Judy was in? It sounded like a busy market place. Then she heard a thump. There were two more thumps. Her heart froze. No, not that video! What was Honey thinking?! Judy moved into the room quickly to try to stop it. If Nick was attempting to brighten the mood for her parents, this video was the worst possible thing.
"Honey, turn that off! No one wants to-…" the entering doe started, but her mom shot her a patented bunny death glare. Judy recoiled from it.
"Oh man, it's this one," Kijvu said darkly. "This is the one I was talking about, Mom," he added to the older hyena beside him. The four family members were all sitting in a row on the couch. The lions had staked claim to their chairs. Wolfard and Pawlander were likely upstairs in the camera room. Nick was sitting with his mother and Judy's parents on the couch which was opposite of the dining room entry. Her sisters, Sammie and Angela, were standing over by the couch with Bonnie and Stu. Jack and Skye were absent, but it could be safely assumed they were cuddling somewhere, messing with the buck's fans. Judy looked at Nick and his mother. Both had serious expressions, but she couldn't read them otherwise.
"Mom…" Judy glanced at the older doe. Bonnie crossed her arms, focusing on the TV as muffled swearing was heard under the ground. Judy gave a panicked gesture to Honey, who moved to turn off the video, seeing that it was distressing the bunny.
"Leave it," Bonnie countered coldly. Judy knew why. Her mother was upset with Judy about the risks that she and Nick were expected to take. This video, while Honey had not intended it, was Exhibit A in a big way. The hyena obeyed the elder Hopps.
"Have you seen this, Mom?" Nick asked softly. Judy recoiled again.
"Yes, I saw it in the hospital, sweetie. It's okay," she whispered.
"I'm sorry, Judy. I didn't think…" Honey started.
"Shhh…" she was shushed by Motti.
"What's happening?" Charisse asked. Living in The Interior, they had likely not much cause to see that. It was big news in Zootopia, but not really outside of the city.
"I'm gonna go get some coffee…" Judy murmured, not caring to hear her own screaming. She was going to throw that badger all over the front yard for this.
Judy walked into the kitchen and sighed slowly, still able to hear it anyway. She poured her coffee and added sugar but no cream. It's how she could tell the difference between her coffee and Nick's. The fox used a lot of cream, but almost never any sugar. She teased her partner about it, stating that he just liked coffee-flavored milk. He did not disagree.
As the video went, Kijvu explained to the lions what had happened to lead to that. They had not been with him when he described that to his family. Judy sat at the table, waiting for it. She knew it was coming. That terrible primal scream. This was immediately followed by a chorus of hyenas saying 'Sungura ya Shetani'! The bunny dropped her head in her paws.
"What's that mean?" asked Sammie. Judy inwardly groaned and covered her face unhappily. Don't dig deeper, Sammie! The uncomfortable doe pulled her ears back in frustration. Nick tried to help. She knew her fox tried to lighten her parents' mood.
"It's legend," Kijvu replied. "Very powerful bunny, she carry the wicked to the darkness and keeps safe the humble and the meek."
"Really? And you call her that?" asked Stu. His voice was awed. Of course. He loved dramatic things like that.
"She is Shetani," said Motti, bluntly. "I act badly when officers from ZPD bring back remains of my brother. I attack her fox. Shetani quickly defeated Motti and then fight half of the village. Village won't ever fight Shetani again." Judy whined softly. That was not what she needed her mom and dad to hear. She heard a frustrated sigh from her mom and a bit of comforting from her dad.
"Judy can scrap, yeah," came the matter-of-fact reply from her sister, Angela.
"She saved us from the mine…" Kijvu stated. "Her and Nick, they fight a huge guy with a gun. When the rest of the world was being silent, they come and help and they give everything to save us. We are here now because of Shetani, and because of Officer Wilde."
"Hey, you stopped calling me Janga!" Nick laughed.
"I still call you Janga," said Motti with an obvious level of mirth.
"What is Janga?" asked Sammie. She was such the curious one.
"It means something like 'disaster'," Nick answered playfully.
"What? Why that?" asked Angela.
"Nick has many misfortunes. Motti get to know him while treating him for buibui injury," Motti explained.
"Buibui?" asked Bonnie. Judy buried her face in her paws. She was openly glad not to be the one explaining this stuff and having to see her mother and father's faces. This was a complete Janga.
"That buibui still is harassing the village?" worried Motti's mother with concern.
Motti replied proudly, "No, Shetani helped to kill it."
"What did Judy help kill?" insisted Bonnie.
"Buibui," repeated Kijvu helpfully, "It is giant spider. Poison to even touch it. Very dangerous."
"Oh, good heavens!" cried Judy's mother.
"How big is 'giant'?" asked Angela. Judy thumped her head on the table.
Oh good, they need to know that too Angela, thanks.
There was a collective gasp in the room. Obviously someone gestured the size of the one that Judy had helped Motti dispatch.
"Yeah, I've seen one even bigger than that." Cassie added.
"Well, guess where I'm never going," stated Sammie. Judy knew that she hated spiders.
"When I get my paws on that little bun…" Bonnie growled.
"Would you have told her not to go?" offered Motti curiously. Judy lifted her head.
"Of course I'd have told her not to go! What mother wants their daughter to have to do any of that?!" she cried, exasperated. Judy suddenly worried that her mother might really be there to tell her to change her career choice again. She had always been in her corner after she got to Zootopia.
"No one else saved us." Cassie said. Judy got up. She didn't want her friends to have to defend her. She needed to have this conversation with her mom, not them.
"She could be killed," argued Bonnie as Judy entered the room. "Judy, you could be killed. Why do you need to do these things? Is there no one else in the whole world that can deal with these things?" Judy clutched her paws into fists beside her.
"I want to do this, mom. Yes, I can say no. I can refuse any mission that I feel would provide unnecessary risk and then have that choice evaluated. But I was obviously not sent to do any of those other things. I was sent to take Ukweli, Motti's brother, home to his family. I was there to do that, and ask a few questions about the death of Professor Lupin." Judy stared fixedly at her mother. She did not want to have it out with her in front of everyone, but she could not leave it to friends to defend a position Judy thought her mother, of all mammals, understood.
Bonnie turned and regarded the two foxes. "Well, Vivienne, how do you feel about your son getting pulled into these things?" That made Judy's heart lurch. That was a low blow. "You heard her! They don't even get sent to do these things… it just happens. How is that even a rational circumstance to end up in?" Nick also looked a bit horrified at the question, gazing intently at his mother. The vixen smiled gently at the irritated doe.
"I'm proud of my son, Bonnie. I know he would give his life to protect Judy and the city she adores…" Nick's ears went back and Judy's eyes became wet.
Bonnie gestured furiously. "You nearly lost him. You went to his funeral, for crying out loud!"
"… and because of your daughter, I was there to bury a hero and not a scoundrel," the vixen stated icily. Judy winced. She wanted an eject button for this conversation. No one else dared to speak. The topic had become too heavy.
"You need not bury him at all!" cried the older doe.
Stu interrupted. "We all find our way back to the ground, Bon…"
"Stuart!" snapped Bonnie, "We discussed this! Whose side are you on?" Judy growled under her breath. They were absolutely not going to sit there and fight in front of everyone.
"Stop trying to defend me, guys. It's okay. Mom, are you going to tell me to stop being a cop?" she asked, point blank.
"No," conceded Bonnie. "I know that would be a waste of my breath. I just think there's something you can do to not be almost killed every couple of months. This isn't good for you. How do you even sleep?"
"On a fox," stated Cassie casually.
"What?" blurted Angela.
Bonnie sighed heavily. "Sweet cheese and crackers! I haven't told anyone else, so there's that out in the open now!"
"What?!" Judy exclaimed. "I told you it was okay to tell her!"
"Wait, you're dating Nick?" blurted Angela.
"You didn't already know?" asked Sammie, raising a brow.
Bonnie crossed her arms. "I thought Judy would want to tell you. It's not my place!"
Angela grinned broadly. "Well, this will be a cider-discussion."
"No! No details for you!" Judy said. Her black-furred sister wilted.
"What your mom means," Stu stated, pulling the conversation back on track, "…is that Chief Bogo needs to vet your assignments a little better. Or you need to be willing to let other officers take dangerous assignments. I'm gonna bet it's more a problem of the latter."
Judy pinched the bridge of her muzzle. "Well, as sergeants, we will be more likely to have to respond to incidents that are already difficult for larger officers, so that's not likely to change much."
Bonnie sighed, "Look, I get that it's a dangerous job, but I really worry about you, Judy!"
"And I do too!" Stu added, backing his wife up.
"And you should." Vivienne stated, training all eyes back on her. "You should every single day because that is where Judy came from." The vixen stood up and moved in front of the doe's parents.
"Where she came from?" asked Bonnie.
Viv nodded slowly. "That's right. You've worried and cared for that bunny her whole life. So tell me, Bonnie… Stu… would you face down death itself to get her back if you knew you could?" Judy flattened her ears. Viv's tone was so cold, and her eyes were locked on the slightly shrinking pair of bunnies.
Stu sat up straighter and answered, "Of course we would. Heck, we have! I jumped into flood waters to save her when she got swept up trying to retrieve a tool box for Miles back when she was 10. Always getting into trouble trying to help someone!"
Bonnie added, "I pulled a beam down under the ground to help prop up a sagging tunnel so she could get out after snow-melt nearly trapped her and her friends in a play-den they were making. Thought I was gonna be crushed that time!"
"And you tried hard to keep her from being a cop, I have been told," Vivienne said, paws clasped behind her as she gazed icily at the doe's parents.
"We did. And we aren't wrong for it!" Bonnie snapped.
"Why? Why did you want her to stop trying to be a cop?" asked Vivienne slowly.
"Because it's dangerous! Can't you understand that, Viv?" cried the older doe, "We didn't want her to get hurt. We didn't want to lose her! I love my daughter and I want to protect her. That's normal for a mother!"
Vivienne turned away, paws still behind her back. "And the whole time, you gave everything you and your husband had to protect Judy, show her the way, make her stronger, and make her life better. She wasn't blind, you two." Nick's mother turned around, a peaceful expression on her lovely, angular face. "…Your daughter committed to memory every selfless act you two gave to guide her. She watched closely every time you protected her and every time you rushed to her aid when the world was too much for her to handle alone. She learned from you the meaning of honor, self-sacrifice, and exactly how to protect something she loves." Judy cupped her paws over her muzzle, barely able to breathe with what was said. The wide eyes of her parents made it obvious that those words were striking them just as deep. Judy immediately recognized where Nick's ability to 'know' others so deeply came from.
"I know she watched…" Bonnie bitterly admitted, her voice starting to crack.
"Bonnie, Stu…" Vivienne half-whispered softly. Everyone stayed perfectly quiet to hear, "Who your daughter is today is absolutely the product of all the love and care you have given to her… You two should be scared because you never stopped loving and caring, but please understand… It is because of that love… that fear, care and worry that she became what she is. Sungura ya Shetani, clad in guardian blue. Were it not for the heart that you two cultivated in her, I would be without a son, and more than half the mammals in this room would be dead. The ZPD prepared her to be a cop. You prepared her to be more than that."
The room was dead silent. Cassie got up abruptly and padded out. She was a bit proud, so the tears in Stu and Bonnie's eyes were off limits to her in mixed company, perhaps. Judy lowered her paws slowly and she sighed.
"Mom… Dad… I promise, I will tell you everything I can, okay? I won't hide anything, I won't shelter you from it… but I only did it because I know you worry, okay? I hate worrying you like that. I hate knowing that the life I love is making you unhappy." Bonnie got up and moved to Judy, hugging her tightly. The doe winced a bit at her mother's hug. She decided not to remind her right then that she was injured.
"Judy," Bonnie cried. "We are proud of you, and we are not unhappy with you. Just… Please take care of yourself. Not just for us. For Nick too. Don't let him go through what we watched you go through a few months ago. You're never gonna slow down. I get that, but don't think that you have to do it alone!"
"She not alone," Motti said, "Skye is there. She blow someone up into many pieces! And Janga's mom shot a crazy spear-sheep with an arrow!"
Bonnie and Stu both cried simultaneously, "What?!"
Judy groaned miserably.
The small grey bunny relaxed a bit, tucked in against Nick's side on the swing that faced the lake. She'd talked to the fox's mother a day before in this swing. New Reynard really was such a nice place for foxes. His fur looked even more beautiful contrasted with the brilliant hues of the autumn leaves. Judy had never really considered that color to be nice in the past, preferring blue for obvious reasons, but she found herself noticing it more and more. And she now saw it in abundance out in the forests of this small, lovely town.
The previous hour had been a flurry of everyone trying to explain to Judy's parents the things that had happened. The doe bet that Agent Bay would have been mortified at what was shared, but if her mom hadn't even told Angela about her dating Nick, she felt that she could keep a secret. Nick had the same trust in his own mother, and Judy felt a little guilty that she had not been more willing to be transparent to her own mom.
After a while, her mate nudged his bunny a bit to encourage her to take a break from the somewhat rambunctious conversation. Judy protested a little at first because she didn't like leaving a discussion that had been about their work. Some of the stuff wasn't even able to be discussed, but they were talking about it anyway. However, Jack finally came down with Skye to see what all the laughing and talking was about, and Sammie went appallingly fan-girl about it. She had seen the announcement and had no idea that Jack and Skye were even there.
For Sammie, there was an additional fold to her excitement. Jack was suddenly, to her, a kindred spirit. While it wasn't a huge secret with family, outside of that, she kept her feelings about foxes to herself. Here she saw a celebrity who openly had no fear of it, and Sammie was over the moon to actually meet him. She had seen the pictures of Jack with her mothers, and knew the buck to be friends with Judy, but had not thought she would get to meet him. Her excitement was a little awkward to Judy, though Jack was probably pretty used to it, so he and Skye happily talked with the albino doe. Angela gladly got into the conversation too.
It was at that point that Judy gave in to the nudging. She went outside with Nick to get away from the somewhat cringe-worthy gushing of her white-furred sister. Judy was immediately glad she listened to her fox. She needed a break, despite having been up only an hour or so. She swung slowly on the swing with him, reminded of the peaceful moment so long ago on the hammock on her family farm. It felt like none of the past few days had even been real, except now they were not in Zootopia and everyone was visiting them and it felt like some kind of weird holiday.
"So, we haven't talked about it really with everything going on…" Judy said, laying back slowly on the bench swing, head in her lover's lap. "How do you feel about your mom coming to live in Zootopia?" Nick smiled down at his pretty bunny.
"Well, I think it will be okay. Fortunately you don't have much stuff. She will be cozy on the couch." Judy looked at Nick, eyes wide in shock.
"What?! Wait, we never discussed any of that!" the bunny squeaked. Her partner gave a smug grin. Judy sank into his lap again. "Of course." She put her little paw over his muzzle and shook it a bit playfully. She knew Vivienne would be mortified at the thought of imposing like that. Judy gazed up happily at her fox. "Silly fox."
"I'm actually very glad she will be there. I want to be closer to her. She knows that. I am sure that's part of why she's coming out. I want to find out the details about it… What she'll be doing, where she will live, all of that, but I think she's got a plan buttoned down already. I don't think she'd have been ready to tell me about it otherwise," he chuckled.
"I'll be happy having her closer by as well. Taking care of a fox can be a pawful, and I still can't make your shrimp dish. I've tried. I just don't have that particular talent." Judy laughed.
"Well, you would spoil me with it if you could," the fox replied, "I deserve it only after I've saved a bunch of mammals from certain death." He leaned down and kissed Judy between the eyes. "Or on my birthday." She laughed a bit at that. The doe then sat up abruptly.
"Wait… I've known you over a year." She stared at the vulpine. "When's your birthday? I … I missed it!" she cried, suddenly feeling rotten.
"No you didn't." Nick laughed. "I never told you when it was. If it makes you feel any better, you didn't have access to me on my last birthday."
"What? Why?" she asked. She then lowered her ears a bit. She couldn't talk to him during the two weeks of his examinations at the academy. "Your exams. It was while you were in training." Nick nodded at that. "So, that means it's coming up… in a few months, right?" she asked.
"I will let you try to figure it out on your own" he laughed.
"I can just get your ID while you are sleeping," Judy smirked.
"Yeah, if you're boring and don't want a reward for figuring it out." Nick wore a smug expression. Judy folded her ears back tightly. Oh, that was his game. She'd play it. She didn't care what the prize was, but to never even find out what it was made her blood boil. He knew her too well.
"Guys!" Judy looked up, seeing Jack running up to the bench. "I am so sorry, I messed up." Judy sat up, fearful a bit. Was it not over? Were there more bad guys? When would it end? She saw a very grumpy-looking Bonnie hopping along behind the panting Jack.
"What… did you do?" Nick growled.
Jack cupped his muzzle. "I had no idea. You never said anything about it!" he whined, "How could I have known!?"
"Judy! Oh, little bun, you!" Bonnie cried, "Yooou!"
"They were asking about why I was there!" Jack flailed a bit. "I told them I got you onto the case to find out who killed my friend. Told them I sent you to the MSO, under cover. Your mom asked what the MSO was and when I told her, she was so mad!"
"You were there!" shouted Bonnie. Angela was coming around the side of the house at the same time.
"Mom! What's going on?!" she yelled.
"You couldn't just tell me? Even when I was right there?!" Nick looked at Judy and then smiled weakly at Bonnie.
The fox surrendered, "It's not like I expected you guys were going to be there that very day. What are the chances of that?" Judy groaned, having nearly forgotten that Nick was the one who gave Angela those tickets anyway.
"What's going on?" came a voice from a wolf who was following Angela. Judy covered her face. Bay was there too. Why not? Why not air this out in front of everyone in the house?
"Oh, hello. I don't know you," said Bonnie sharply to the wolf. "I was just informed that my daughter and her foxy friend forgot to mention to me that they were disguised at the time they met me in a naturalist's club!"
"Wait, what?" Angela predictably asked. Judy rolled her eyes as she saw Sammie following Bay.
"Look, guys, we were doing our jobs. We were under cover. We couldn't break our cover. You have to understand."
Bonnie gestured wildly. "We were right there. We would understand!" she huffed.
"Wait, they were…" Angela backup up a little, eyes wide. "Wait, really? Like.. The fox and the bunny?"
"Yup." Judy mumbled. "Dee and John."
"Gerald! Gerald!" cried the fox, "John was my dad's name, why do you keep doing that?!" Nick laughed. Judy winced at that.
"Nick saw me naked?" asked Angela, obviously stunned.
"What?" asked Sammie.
"We were naked too, remember?" Nick stated. "That's the point of a naturalist's club!"
"I'm out." Bay said flatly, turning on his heel and heading back toward the house.
"You have to believe me, I didn't…" Jack insisted.
"You're in the clear, Squeaker." Nick sighed.
Judy held up her paws a bit to try to calm down the situation. "We were the only ones who could really take the undercover operation because our relationship is not a common thing in the ZPD. We certainly didn't expect to run into you guys there, you have to believe me."
"Nice squirrel-punting though." Nick said. Bonnie slapped her paws over her muzzle with a gasp.
Judy then smiled, looking at her mother. "You want to know everything, Mom? It starts here. You told Dad about the squirrel thing, right?"
"What? No! Of course not! There wasn't a need to mention that, it was…" Bonnie looked down. "That was appalling behavior on my part and in a very compromising situation. It wouldn't do to have your father worrying about whether or not there would be more trouble from that! It was done."
"Well, you can tell dad all about that, and I will keep you informed about everything my partner and I are doing." Judy said.
"You sly bunny." Nick said behind her softly.
"It has nothing to do with your father." Bonnie scoffed.
"But it has to do with you, and he cares for you, right?" Judy asked. The bunny spotted Honey as she rounded the side of the house, perhaps wondering why Bay was seeking refuge in the house from all of this. The badger was the curious sort, after all.
"I saw Nick naked," said Angela.
"Sweet," purred Sammie.
"Tell us all about it," teased Honey.
"I'm right here!" cried Judy.
"Your family is so fun, Judy," laughed the badger. Of course, Honey was having a good time. She seemed to thrive in chaos. It was a surprise that she could stand living in such a quiet town.
"Right… So I get it, okay?" sighed Bonnie, finally. "You have your reasons not to share everything. Just… don't be so cagey. If it's not a danger to you or someone else, okay?" She sat down on the bench. Angela chased Sammie out in front of the water. The albino bunny had perhaps said something teasing that Judy had missed. It was so peaceful for just a little bit of time. Jack pulled out his phone. It was ringing with the opening theme music to his last major hit movie, Savage Seas. He pulled it to his ear.
"Ace, what's up?" he asked in a chipper tone. He pulled the phone away from his ear again, wincing.
"Hold on, Mom." Judy sat up, noticing a pained expression from the buck.
"Calm down, Ace, you are gonna end up back in the hospital," Jack said. He listened some more.
"Everything okay?" Judy whispered. Jack nodded. Honey also looked concerned.
"Okay. Okay, stop, Ace. You listen to me. You are my agent, but you are not my… my…" He pulled the phone away from his ear, then put the agent on speaker phone.
"…entire career is volatile at best as you get older. Everyone's pulling for supernatural thrillers and you want to play kissy-face on a swing with your fox bodyguard and post that on your social media!" His voice was small and jittery, his pace of talking rapid and panicked.
"I'm not playing kissy-face! She's the one, Whiptail," Jack growled.
"The one is a fox?" the small voice explained on the other side. Whiptail was a jerboa name. That certainly accounted for the small voice. Judy and Nick leaned in as Jack brought the phone closer. She had a suspicion of why he was letting them listen to this.
"Yes, she's a fox. The best possible one," Jack said proudly.
"It could be a tiger or a wolf for all I care, but why pick a fox, Jack? You know how that looks?" asked the smaller mammal on the other side.
"It looks like I'm the happiest rabbit alive. You saw the picture, right?" Jack asked, grinning. Nick folded his ears back however. The slight against foxes was not lost on him.
"You gotta drop this, or keep it on the down-low, or something Jack!" cried the agent, "I can't protect you brand if you are playin' lose with the girls."
"Ace. Pal. Buddy," Jack growled, "It seems you are taking issue with the happiness of the buck you swore you would always honor the best interests of. My pay has been negotiable. My comforts and my hours have always been negotiable. My heart is not negotiable."
"This is your whole image, Jack. You are risking your whole image!" Ace cried.
"Then spin it!" Jack shouted. They had Angela and Sammie's attention at that. They moved over to the bench.
"I am your agent," panted Ace, "But I don't have to be, and if I say so, Jack, you can be made toxic to other agents. That's the risk in dealing with the biggest name in the business. I don't want to do that, but if you want this fox, you keep it quiet. You are in contract negotiation for two major films, and you just cast doubt on your whole brand because you like it strange. I have your best interests in mind here, Jack. I am protecting your image. I won't let you destroy it from some flight of fancy or sexual experimentation." Jack laid his ears back, baring his teeth.
"Are you threatening me, Ace?" he frowned. "You really think that I will change my mind about something like this?"
"It's a fox, Jack," Ace stated again. "They make up less than three percent of our target demographic. Almost half of your fan-base is small prey species. Foxes are diametrically opposed to them. You will lose ad revenue over this!"
"Who? Who am I going to lose because the love of my life is a fox?" Jack inquired darkly. Judy's heart was racing. This was it. This was the thing she had been afraid of. This is what she hoped she and Nick would not go through. Would it be like this? She was strong, but how hard would it be?
Ace sighed on his end. "Oh, I don't know… 'Lapis and Lazuli' for certain!"
"I don't even know what they sell, but I am sure we can exist without them." Jack huffed.
"They are the parent company for the Fox-Away brand deterrent devices. So they definitely will not approve of this." Ace stated flatly.
"What?! You sold ad revenue to Fox-Away?!" Jack shouted. Judy sat up a little straighter. She'd never seen Jack absolutely furious before.
"No, their parent company! They have other stuff-…"
"I don't care! Drop them! Do not put their name beside ours, I can't believe you! I will be putting out an apology on social media myself."
"Okay, hold on, Jack." Ace said coldly, "You don't control advertising, we do."
"You control advertisers, but you do not control me. If you want me to set foot on a Unifursal Studios set again, you will thank those kind mammals for their payments as received and inform them that we will make up the lost revenue. Or we will humble ourselves and eat it!"
"If I need to get you under control I will make some calls! Jack, don't make me do this." Ace hissed.
Without warning, Bonnie grabbed the phone. Judy recoiled, having not expected her to lunge for it. The insides of Jack's ears were red, and Judy could actually feel the heat coming off of him.
"Hello, Whiptail, sweetie! Darling!" cried a very sunny-sounding older doe. Judy widened her eyes at her partner. What was she doing? Jack was too stunned to intervene either.
"Who's this?!" cried Ace. "Is this that fox? Oh, you have tangled yourself in a real mess, girlie," growled the rodent at the other end. "…you happy with wrecking a bunny's career?" The sound of his voice was dripping with disgust. Judy felt a bubble of rage form in her gut. Had he said that to Skye, Jack would likely have quit on the spot, she felt.
"Oh no, no… I'm just a friend," Bonnie announced. "So, Ace, I bet you're wondering… why is it you have been on speakerphone this entire time…?"
"Uhh…" Ace said cautiously on his end.
"Obviously I have been recording this lovely speech of yours, Ace." Bonnie stated coldly. Judy flailed at her mother. What was she doing?!
"Why? What good will that do?" asked the jittery mammal on the other end of the line.
"I want you to think… really, really hard, my little friend… about the exact words you have used, and who in all of Zootopia might just hear them… And I want you to ask yourself... what is the absolute worst thing someone sufficiently crossed could use those words to do. You don't own the studio, do you, Ace? You have bosses. Your bosses have bosses. Is there maybe... one of them who might not have enjoyed some part of that speech?" implied the doe.
"I… I…" stammered the jerboa.
"You let this buck worry about his image, and you just worry about how he looks on film," growled Bonnie, "Any advertisers who bail will be back when the shock wears off, and you can charge them more upon their return. You do not discuss Jack's personal life. He is yours on the set, and there alone. Do you understand?"
"There might not even be a job for him if I can't get this under control!" whined Ace.
"That's my problem, not yours." Jack countered coldly.
The agent sighed, "Most of my commission comes from your work, Jack! You know that!"
"I thought you were worried about my well-being, Ace." Jack pressed. "It would seem you are not the one in control, after all. Perhaps it's time I should retire. I'd have more time for my philanthropic pursuits you seemed to feel so strongly about curbing."
"You can't be serious," Ace whimpered.
"Oh, and we will be reviewing all contractual obligations with mediation." Jack growled. "We will start with lime soda in my dressing room being a non-negotiable requirement." He grinned at that. Judy sighed heavily. That could have gone worse. Jack was so mad she could see him quitting. Skye would have felt terrible about that.
"I hope you know what you're doing, Jack. The higher ups are steamed."
"Then they should have got a real agent to convince him!" Nick said in a smug tone.
"I'm off the radar 'till Monday, Ace." Jack informed. "No one contacts me." He hung up abruptly and then just turned to hug Bonnie.
"Wow, that was cool, Mom!" cheered Angela.
"Where did that come from?" asked Sammie.
"Are you kidding?" Bonnie asked, a little flustered at the hug from a celebrity. "I'm a mother of 18 kits. I'm a master of guilt-fu," she laughed.
"Guilt-fu?" inquired Honey.
"Yes. See, I never even told Ace what I was going to do with that 'recording'. I had no idea what in the world I would use it on, but if you tell a mammal to think of the worst possible thing, they know their fears and weaknesses better than anyone. If I give them the chance to imagine their own punishment with the belief that I know exactly what they are thinking, then I can boast the ability to dole out a punishment custom tailored to their worst fears."
"You hustled him." Nick gasped, cupping his long snout in his paws.
"Scary," murmured the lady badger.
"It's hard to keep a family the size of mine in line. You have to learn some really efficient tactics," Bonnie said meekly.
"I almost quit my job." Jack chuckled uneasily, "I think I need you as my agent!"
Nick pulled Judy tighter against his side and chuckled too. He half-whispered to his bunny, "More and more… I am learning why it was that I never even had a chance."