A/N #7
Hey there everyone!
I really have to thank all that give me reviews, suggestions and motivation!
The two constructive Reviews I got already help me out a little.
For one, the dialogue formatting was renewed to help you reading the text much better, and look out that no unnecessary scenes are thrown in. The newest review stated that the pace may be a little to fast for what it tries to achieve, and I noted that! So far, making it seem a little fast was the plan, you'll see why after this chapter!
I got a few PMs that motivated me, and threw in a couple tips to keep in mind! Thank everyone for that!
I have to say, this is the first story I'm writing, and I'm mostly learning and improving by doing, and people coming to me and saying what they like or don't like really helps out to make future chapters reach a better quality.
This chapter will be using a few new ideas, and take any suggestion I got so far into account. I hope you'll like it. Keep those ideas coming!
Chapter 5: Slow down little bunny
2:20PM; March 26th 2017
Nick and Judy were in their police cruiser on the way home. They had a day off. Usually Judy would try to work every day, but today she was glad she had enough time to talk with Mordecai and spend time with her boyfriend Nick.
Nick had a slightly worried look on his face, while staring at Judy when she was driving. He felt like she was rushing things. Not that he wouldn't want to marry to cute little bunny that he calls his girlfriend, but good things take time. He wanted it to be special, and not to rush it because she was so eager to adopt a fox kit she only met a day ago. And that's even another thing. Adoption. He didn't think he, or even both of them were ready to adopt a kid, the marriage issues aside. Their job took much of their free time, and Nick was unsure if he would even be a good father at all. Especially for a kit that wasn't his own. Judy would be an amazing mother, that's out of question. He only felt ignored.
"Carrots?" Nick began to speak.
"Yes Nick?" Judy responded.
"Don't you think you're … overdoing it just a little?" he said. "What you said in your, or rather Mordo's apartment … Are you also thinking of the ones included in your decision?"
Judy's eyes widened, and she pulled over to the right on the next occasion that made it possible to. Nick was looking at her in confusion.
"Oh my god Nick …" She began. "I'm so sorry."
"You don't have to be sorry, Carrots." Nick reassured. "You only have to be a little more, well… You need to slow down, Judy."
She felt how serious this situation was for her fox. He usually doesn't call her Judy except when Nick wasn't up for joking.
"You're talking about Mordecai, aren't you?" She asked him carefully.
"No … yes. Not exactly." Nick stuttered. Normally they don't fight. And if they do, it was for some little things like a wrong joke or a spilled coffee. "I'm talking about us."
Her hearth sank down. "Nick, I really didn't want you to feel left out. You know that, right?"
"Of course I know you didn't mean it, but it doesn't make it any better. Carrots, we're together for 5 months now. The only people that know that are Ben, Finnick and my mum." Nick let out a mild disappointed sigh before he continued. "And we haven't talked about anything in this regard at all yet. And now you're just deciding out of the blue that you will marry me and adopt this little fox that is living in your apartment? Did you think about me for at least one second?"
"What are you trying to say? That you don't want to marry me?" Judy gasped. Tears were forming in her eyes. "I thought you love me…"
"No no no, good god, don't you even start like this. You know exactly that this is not what I said. I love you, Judith Laverne Hopps, and you know that because I'm telling you this every single night before you fall asleep." Nick stated in disbelief that she would even assume such a thing. "And you know damn well that this vicious predator you see here…" He pointed around his face. "is going to catch his prey, and nobody will be able to stop him. What I'm saying is, I want it to be special. I want it to be better then anything before. And just a minute ago I felt like the love of my life left me out of such kind of decisions that include both of us. Twice."
Nick began to sob and look away from her. He couldn't believe her first thought was that he, of all other animals in this city, doesn't love her.
Judy tried to think when the last time was that Nick had cried. She only knew about that one time when he was muzzled as a kit. She foxed up damn hard.
She took off her seatbelt, and climbed over on his lap from the driver's seat, took him into a hug and started to sob too. In this moment, she only felt guilt.
"Nick, I-I- … I can't say how sorry I am to make you feel this way." She began to stutter, wiping away some of her tears. "I didn't expect that you thought about this so much. I love you too. At least as much as you." Apparently her choice of words was wrong, because Nick immediately turned to look into her face.
"You didn't expect? Is this … Are you being serious right now?" His face of sadness and tears changed into a bewildered and disappointed expression. "You didn't 'expect' that I love you so much that I would think about marrying you?" He took Judy into his paws and placed her back on her seat. "Wow Judy, if I had to guess one thing that the last 5 months would've taught you about me, than it would be the fact that I don't care about anything as much as I care about us. About you.
Nick took off his seatbelt and opened the passenger's door.
"Nick, what are you doing?!" Judy cried out. "Don't leave me!"
"Stop it Carrots. I just … need some time, okay? I'll be staying at my mum's house for today." He stated dryly, as he stepped out of the car. "And remember one thing. If you are unsure about something… Just. Ask." He finished his sentence and slammed the door shut.
Judy felt like she just lost every good aspect in her life. And and some way, she did.
She jumped out of the car herself, and shouted after Nick. "Nick! NICK!" but he didn't react. She knew it wouldn't help to run after him.
After a few moments of looking after him, still crying, she hopped back into the car and curled up on her seat.
She didn't just loose him, did she?
(Mordecai POV)
I was glad the conversation with Nick and Judy worked out. But I felt like Judy was a bit too caught into it. Not that it didn't feel great to be wanted, but it seemed like Nick wasn't so sure about what she said. I couldn't blame him. They both only knew me for a fraction of time. But I didn't focus on it too much. They would let me know when they were ready. The question was if I would be. And I had no answer to that just yet.
But before that question came by, I thought of how I could spend my time that day. Maybe Martin and Valerie were up for a visit? I got to my phone and fired up Furbook.
[Hey Martin, do you guys have time today? :)]
[Heya Mord, unfortunately not. Our mum takes us into town today. I need to get some more school stuff, and Val has an doctor's appointment. Sorry.] He answered.
[No worries, up to next time then. What's up with Val? :o] I was a little scared something happened to her.
[Nothing much, it's just a routine check up. I'm also up for one next week. She's alright. ^^] He replied.
[Oh good for her then, haha.] It felt like a little stone fell of me.
[Ohhhhhh I get it I think. ;D]
[You get what?]
[You like her, don't you? :P :P]
Ouch. Did I make it seem that obvious? Oh please, I talked to her for a few hours, it's not like I'm straight up in love with her.
[Maybe a little? :p Don't tell her tho!] I wrote.
[Hahhahahaha. Oh I dunno, maybe I leave my Furbook open when she uses the PC? ;D] I got a little sweaty at that repsonse.
[Dude, come on.]
[I'm just messing with you lol. Anyway, gtg now. Cya. ^^]
[Cya dude!]
It was nice to see that Martin already accepted me as a friend. At the end of last day's visit, he talked with me like I was his best friend for years. What was up with all those people liking me in an instant? I left out a chuckle, and made my way out of the apartment. I felt like walking. I didn't had much to do anyway.
I stepped outside. Last time I went to the right, this time I went to the left. Just for the sake of variety. The Grand Pangolin Arms were a massive complex. I could count at least 25 sections before the row of buildings came to an end, and I found myself in what appeared to be the residential area of Savannah itself.
There were a couple mammals walking around here and there. Leaving and entering houses. A few children playing on the street and some gardens. All in all a pretty nice neighborhood. It wasn't too loud, the colors were sweet and the air was a lot better than at the plaza. Probably due to all these trees, plants and flowers.
I couldn't help but think about Valerie again. I never loved somebody besides my parents, so I didn't know if that is what I felt. I even almost got defensive when Martin asked me if I like her. What if I did? Even then, what if she doesn't like me just as much? Besides, she's a fox. She's an animal from another world, how could I honestly be into that? I got weirded out shivers thinking how a kiss would look like, but I guessed that's what comes with living in this world.
I just hoped Martin wouldn't tell her anything. I wanted it to go between them, if at all. Not someone else telling her he liked her.
As I walked further down the street, I noticed a van, painted in purple and blue colors and having a happy jingle playing from a speaker on the top. There were some kids forming a queue. It was an ice cream van.
As someone who loves ice, I went to it and joined the queue. There were 7 other kids standing in line in front of an opened side door. A fennec was handing out popsicles in the form of a paw. When it was the turn of the next kid in line, a little bobcat, the fennec turned around to his van and looked around.
"Sorry lads, I'm out." I almost jumped because of this little fennec's voice. He sounded like a 60 year old wrestler. Everybody, including me, let out a sad 'aww' and started to walk away.
"Hey you, fox." The fennec said. I turned around to see if he meant me. "Yeah you, comere."
I walked up to him, curious of what he had to say. "Excuse me?"
"You look like a little hustler. Ya wanna earn some cash?" He asked me with a slight grin. Oh great, hustling. Another one who thought just because I'm a fox I'm up for stealing things. But why would an popsicle selling fennec want me to steal stuff?
"I don't think I want to steal anything sir. I'm not that kind of fox." I replied. "Besides, my guardian is an police officer."
"Oh great, another fox who doesn't hustle." He sighed. "I tell you what, kiddo, my best friend is a cop, too. And that fox was once a professional con-artist, ya know?"
"So what does that have to do with me?" I asked him.
"What I'm sayin' is that you can hustle a bit, and still do whatever ya want later." He said.
"Yeah I don't think Judy would like that anyway." I returned chuckling.
"Wait, did you just say Judy? Judy Hopps, the bunny cop?" The fennec started laughing. "She's your guardian?"
"Uhh … yes, why?" I responded, making him laugh even more.
"Boy if she doesn't 'ave some weird kink for foxes, I dunno who has." He joked.
"You know her?" I asked him curiously.
"Kid, basically the whole city knows Nick and Judy." He stated chuckling. "I'm just one of the few that can say I know 'em a little better. My best mate? That's her boyfriend."
"What do you mean 'the whole city knows Nick and Judy'?" Which made him laugh again.
"Did ya sleep under a rock for the last year or what? Night Howlers? Saved the whole city?" He asked with an unbelieving look but I only shook my head. "Jesus Camel, where did that bunny pick you up?"
"Well, I got to Zootopia two days ago and she's my guardian since yesterday. So no, I know nothing." I replied confused.
"And another possible hustler taken down by that bunny." He said, with a fake depressed tone. "Anyway, got no use for ya then, kid. Greet Nick from me."
He jumped into his van and slammed his door shut. Hip-Hop music started to blurt out of the windows, and he drove off with the exhaust sounding like a gunshot, making me jump.
"Will do…?" I mumbled. Now that was some weird fella. He could use some honey down his throat for his voice. Maybe his exhaust, too.
After that random conversation, I walked back to my apartment. I didn't need any other weird animals talking to me.
I arrived back to the apartment a little less than half an hour later. It was almost 3:00PM.
"God, how often do I have to tell you to make the bed after a nap before you do it?" One of the Oryx-Antlerson's started to yell again.
"Oh shut up, Pronk, it's not like we're not sleeping in it this evening again, so why care?" The other one responded.
"No, you shut up Bucky, because you taking a shit again tomorrow doesn't mean you don't wipe your ass today, does it?" Pronk said again.
"No you shut … oh wow that actually makes sense." Bucky said in a defeated but surprised tone. "Alright I'm gonna do it right now."
I could almost hear Pronk's jaw drop to the ground after that sentence. I chuckled, and hopped onto the bed, pulling my phone out yet again, planning to entertain myself with some videos for the next hours.
NOTE:
A few people told me they were upset that things were falling into place to quick, and that it would be unrealistic and ruined by that fact. As you can see, there was a plan behind it. (Nick thinking exactly the same.)
I want to use this little note here, to tell you people that before you try to hate on an idea, hear out what will come next.
As always, thanks for reading and see you next chapter. :)
