23: Shocking Revelations

XxX

Since Hopps Express doesn't accurately reflect the story any more (hasn't practically since the first or second chapter actually) I decided that a name change was in order. With the aid of ScaraMedn (mainly Scara) the title now more accurately reflects the story. After I post this chapter, I will remove the reference to Hopps Express unless I get a ton of reviews asking me not to. FYI, I will be changing the title of Road Trip as well. The stories will NOT change, just the titles.

Just in time for the new year is another really long chapter, so settle in for a spell. Hopefully there will be a few shorter chapters upcoming, but I make no promises.

After two races in less than a week, Judy is more than happy to let things get back to a semblance of normal. Arriving at the shop just a bit later than usual on Monday morning (twenty-five laps of hard racing at Zootopia Fairgrounds and twenty-five more at ZIR had taken more out of her than she could have ever imagined) Judy had allowed Nick to talk her into showing up at around nine instead of their usual seven o'clock.

Finding the shop working at a normal pace, Judy approaches Skye. "What's up sis?" she asks.

"Not much, just putting the finishing touches on the Nomad."

"Nice. Say, when you get a minute after you get that wrapped up, I need to ask you about something. Nothing serious, just … a bit of advice …"

"Ok, no problem. You gonna be at your bay?"

"Yea, I've still got a bit of a mess left over that I didn't get cleaned up before the race on Sunday."

A short time later, Skye joins Judy at her bay, Skye asks "Ok sis, what's up?"

"Well, you know that mom and dad's anniversary is in a couple of weeks, and Nick and I are trying to figure out ways to get them away from the burrow so we can get the stage set up and truck unloaded and set up to surprise them."

"Yea, and …."

"Well Nick figured he'd probably be able to talk dad into giving him a tour of the part of the farm that he hadn't seen yet. That should take care of most of the day for dad, but I'm having a tough time trying to figure out how to get mom to leave for most of the day."

After a few moments of thought, a sly smile slowly grew on Skye's muzzle.

"What?" asks Judy, more than a little concerned.

"Well, knowing you for almost as long as you've been in Zootopia, or at least as long as you've known Nick, so I guess I can safely say that you've never been much of a girly girl. That sound about right?"

"Yea I guess, what's your point?"

"Didn't Nick treat you to a bit of a spa day just before you raced Dale this past weekend?"

"Yea, and?"

"Did you enjoy it?"

"Of course I did, but what does that have to do with anyth…! Oooooooh, I think I get it. But that would only take few hours and I need to get mom out of the burrow for most of the day."

"When would you say was the last time your mom was pampered, I mean totally pampered? Claws done, facial, full body massage? Maybe a mew fur style? You know, the works!"

"Well, now that you bring it up …. Probably …. Never. Mom and dad were married practically right out of high school and started farming and raising kits about the same time."

"Well, after talking to several of your sisters yesterday at the track, I may have something in mind that'll help."

"Really? And that would be … what?"

"As I understand it, there's not only a place in Deerbrook that does massages similar to the ones that you and Nick got, but there's also a fur stylist practically next door."

"….."

"That's what I thought. You had no idea, did you?"

"Umm … No? But ya gotta understand, I never went to Deerbrook much as a kit, and even less as I got older. I was so focused on becoming a police officer that I really had no time or inclination for that kind of stuff."

"Here's what I suggest." begins Skye, handing Judy a couple of business cards. "Call both of these places and make appointments for … the anniversary party is set for a Saturday night, right? Make the appointments for that Saturday morning first thing. I'd suggest the massage first and the styling last. You don't want to mess up a good styling right away by having your mom sweat and spoil it all, right?"

As Judy give a slight nod, Skye continues.

"Coordinate everything with Nick so you get your folks back to the burrow about the same time. The rest of us can have the truck all set up behind a bunch of balloons or behind the bandstand or something. You can spring the truck on them after the opening ceremonies."

"Now that" comments Judy "sounds like a plan. Thanks sis." and heads towards the office to get Nick up to speed.

Entering the office, Judy begins to fill Nick in on the plan to occupy her mother that Skye came up with.

Stroking his muzzle, Nick adds his twist to the plan "How about this. It won't take a bit longer, so why don't you get the massage and stuff along with your mom? I think it would look a little weird if you just sat there while she gets the full treatment, don't you?"

"Yea, I guess that makes sense, thanks dear. Are you sure you don't have an ulterior motive in mind?"

"Well, not at the start, but it might be interesting to see what you'd look and feel like with a new furstyle. Not that I mind the look that you have now of course" noting the critical look that she was giving him "but a change of pace never hurt once in a while … right? And the extra energy you had the last time was …"

"Ok, ok, I get the picture already" commented Judy, stopping Nick, noticing the poorly hidden grin that they were getting from Josh.

Looking straight at Josh, Judy tells him "If you breathe a single word about this, I swear that Skye will never find your body… do you understand"

"Umm … YES?"

"That's what I thought. Now then Nick, I'm gonna call these numbers and set up a couple of app-" just then her phone rings.

Recognizing the number on her caller ID, Judy answers, putting the phone on speaker so Nick is privy to the conversation without Judy having to relay information. "Good morning doctor Cotton, what can I do for you today?"

And with that, Josh heads out of the office, knowing for sure that he doesn't want to be in the middle of this particular conversation.

"Good morning Judy" begins doctor Cotton "I just want to remind you that you and Nick need to stop by the University to give us your samples soon. Plus, there's something else I'd like to discuss with you both while you're here."

"Is there any particular date or time that you have in mind?" Judy asks "I have a family get together coming up in a couple of weeks that I can't miss."

"No, any time in the next week or so would be fine" answers Doctor Cotton. "Actually, how about Friday morning at the normal time? That will give us plenty of time to discuss the other thing that I have in mind. And before you ask, I'd just as soon not discuss it over the phone. It's nothing secret or drastic, it's just that it would be too complicated and drawn out to discuss over the phone is all."

Looking at Nick "…. Unless Nick has anything special planned will Friday at nine work?"

Noticing him give her a thumbs up, Judy is relieved

"That should be fine, we'll see you then. Oh, by the way, would coffee afterwards be ok with you two? Michael wants to join us. It's actually relative to the topic I want to talk to you about."

Looking at Nick and seeing him nod yes, Judy answers "Friday will be fine, we'll see you then. Bye."

And with that, Judy severs the connection.

Friday morning finds Nick and Judy headed towards doctor Cotton's office.

"You know" begins Nick softly "if you don't want to help me with my 'contribution' its ok."

"What brought that on?" asks Judy, more than a little curious.

"Well, I kinda guilt tripped you the first couple of times. I'm sorry, and if you don't want to, I understand."

Blushing only a little Judy admits "I really don't mind, it's not like I've never done that before."

"I know, but still … I just wanted you to know that it's ok if you don't, ok?"

With a bit of a thoughtful look on her muzzle, Judy responds softly "Ok."

Entering doctor Cotton's office, they are greeted by Nina "Hey you two. Doctor will be delayed for just a bit, but you can wait out here if you'd like."

"We'll be fine, thanks Nina" responds Judy.

With a thoughtful, but slightly concerned look on her muzzle, Judy asks quietly "Nick."

"Hmm?"

"…. Why do you love me?"

"What?

"Why do you love me?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"It's been on my mind since our conversation in the car. We're almost polar opposites. You're a lot older than me, you're a predator while I'm prey. In the past we would have been mortal enemies. Your kind used to eat my kind and-"

"And I still do from time to time Fluff" Nick interrupted, trying to mellow the mood a bit.

"Damn it Nick, I'm tryin to be serious here."

"Yea, I know. But I think you've got your fur ruffled for no good reason and I'm trying to figure out where you're going with this."

"I guess I really don't know for sure. By all rights, we shouldn't even like each other, let alone be married and trying to have kits."

After a few moments of thought, Nick takes Judy's paws in his own and emerald eyes met lavender "Do you remember when we first met?"

"Yea, the first few minutes didn't go well if I remember correctly."

"And do you remember how we began to figure things out then, why I needed you and you needed to be at the shop?"

"Because we both figured out that we were both…"

"Broken." Nick finished.

After another brief pause for thought, Nick continues "Judy, do you know what glue is?"

Giggling a bit Judy answers "Of course you dumb fox, why?"

"Do you know exactly how and why it works?"

"Umm … no, not really."

"Does it really matter that you don't know?"

"What's your point Nick?"

"Sweetheart, we are the glue that holds us together. You're the glue that fixed me, and I'm the glue that fixed you. We fixed us. It doesn't matter if we understand how it works, only that it does. Does that make any sense to you? I really don't know how to explain it any other way."

Tearing up, Judy pulls Nick into a deep kiss, mumbling something about a dumb fox when doctor Cotton enters the waiting area.

"Ok you two, if this keeps up, I won't be able to collect a sample the way I'm supposed to. There's no way I'm going to even try to collect both samples from only you Judy…"

Giving a startled "Epp!" Judy apologizes profusely.

"Doctor Cotton … I … we, I mean to say-"

Laughing, doctor Cotton stops a very flustered Judy in mid-sentence.

"It's alright. I take it I must've caught you in an awkward moment?"

"We were just mulling over the past a bit" intoned Nick "discussing what's led us to this point in our lives, a bit of introspection if you will."

"And you're both good?"

"Better than ever, thanks" answers Judy truthfully.

Alright then, let's get this over with, shall we? Who's first, Judy as always?"

Shortly after collecting the needed samples from each Nick and Judy, doctor Cotton meets with them briefly in her office.

"Michael will be joining us in the café where we first met shortly, but first I want to go over how you two are progressing, if that's ok."

"It's fine" answers Nick and Judy at virtually the same time causing all three to smile briefly.

"Ok, here are the results. The tests so far have indicated that your DNA has evolved almost to the point to where you two almost genetically a perfect match for having kits without the undue stress and consequences that you encountered earlier."

Noting their slightly confused looks, she continues "There are certain genetic markers in each species that make male and females compatible to produce offspring. As animals have evolved over the centuries, these genetic markers tend to stay within certain parameters for each species, but also seem to have evolved enough so that other species may interbreed. Are you with me so far?" she asks.

Seeing both mammals nod the affirmative, she again continues.

"I firmly believe that within a very short period of time, especially with the aid of the compounds that you've been taking, that you will be able to naturally conceive and carry to full term with no undue hardships."

Smiling at the slightly stunned looks on Nick and Judy's muzzles, doctor Cotton sits back in her char and asks "Are there any questions that you may have for me at this point?"

"You're absolutely serious?" asks Judy.

"Yes, I am" came the reply.

"But there is no guarantee, is there?" asks Nick, apprehension apparent in his voice.

"Let me be totally honest Nick." says doctor Cotton evenly "Even in same species couples, there is no guarantee that a female will get pregnant and absolutely NO guarantee that she will be able to carry to full term. Some things are simply out of our paws. But this will give you a much better than average chance to have kits of your own, despite the difference in species. Do you understand?"

Taking Judy's paw in his own and wrapping his tail around her, Nick nods and says "Yes, I believe I do."

"All right then" concludes doctor Cotton "let's go meet Michael in the café."

As the three mammals meet Michael in the café in the Palms food court, greetings are exchanged and doctor Cotton gets to the heart of the matter.

"To begin with, even though I initially told you that I wanted to speak with you about something, it's actually Michael's, or should I say his father's idea to present this to you. Michael, if you would be so kind as to fill Nick and Judy in please…"

With a very serious look on his muzzle Michael began his explanation "Not long ago, I was in a bit of a heated conversation with my father and mother. The conversation, as you might guess, concerned my wife and myself. The subject of the conversation, of course, was our ability … or lack thereof, to bear children. Their heirs. This is an especially touchy topic since I am an only cub, and if I have no children our bloodline dies with me."

With her paws flying to her muzzle, Judy can only just squeak out softly "Oh my!"

"It's ok. If that is to be the will of Wakan Tanka, the so be it. Who are we to second guess the will of the Great Spirit.?"

"I'm guessing that somehow we managed to come up during the conversation" interrupted Nick.

"That is correct. You are very perceptive. This must be why you have done so well with your life" complements Michael.

"Thank you, but trust me that it hasn't always been that way. Growing up a fox kit in the city was tough. Lots of specism, lots of hate and mistrust. But yea, I've managed to make things work, and the only mammal to actually heal me mentally is this beautiful bunny beside me" says Nick, causing Judy to blush heavily.

"Growing up on the reservation was not easy either my friend" continues Michael "there is plenty of hate whenever you manage to break free of the rez to try to make things work outside of the Nations. Drug and alcohol abuse are rampant. There is little to no industry to speak of, only misery."

"But" asks Judy "isn't the government supposed to take care of you? Weren't you initially put on the reservations to make life easier?"

Smiling a rueful smile, Michael decides to let Judy in on a poorly kept secret "No. I'm sorry to say, the government put my ancestors on the reservations to die. We were traditionally hunters and gatherers. When we were put on the rez, the government took away almost all of our weapons. We had no true weapons to hunt with or to protect ourselves with. No bow and arrows, no spears, no guns, only our knives and our wits. Our children were taken from us and made to study in 'civilized' schools. They were forbidden to speak our native tongue and punished if they did so.'
'We had no knowledge of how to work the land to help sustain us and no one would teach us. We were given what were called 'commodities' to live on. Moldy wheat, lard, salt, sugar and the like. Then and even now, scheduled supplies of these commodities are still sporadic. They were seldom on time if they come at all, mainly because of the greed of the BIA agents. That's short for Bureau of Indigenous Affairs. Most times they would simply steal the supplies and sell them to enrich themselves, leaving my ancestors with nothing.
'But in spite of it all we still persevere. We now teach our language, history and our traditions to our young so the old ways are not forgotten."

"I, that is we, had no idea. But" asks Nick quietly "what does this have to do with us? I mean no disrespect, but just where do we figure into all of this?"

"The history of the Lakota people needs to brought into the light so that it may be preserved. If we can spread the truth, even if it is by word of mouth, one mammal at a time, it is a start. However, the history of my ancestors is not of a primary concern at this time, the continuation of my bloodline is. This is where you and your mate enter in.'
'Because of Stands With A Fist's research-" noting the openly confused looks that he is getting from both Nick and Judy, Michael grins and elaborates.

"I forget, that you probably had no idea what my wife's Lakota name is. In Lakota it is "Naji kici WA nape" meaning "Stand with a Hand". Sorry, but the word fist doesn't translate well."

"I'm guessing there's a bit of a story there…" smirks Judy.

"And you would be correct" admits doctor Cotton, with a bit of a smirk of her own. "But before I begin that little story, please call me Yvonne. We're not in a professional setting here, so I prefer that if you don't mind."

"Not a problem Yvonne. Please, do go on." says Judy.

Much to Michael's discomfort, Yvonne continues "When Michael and I first met, I was treated pretty much like most unwelcomed nosey outsiders. What was the word that was used again Michael?"

"Wašíču (wah-she-chew), which is used pretty much for all non-Natives."

"Yea, that's the word. Very derogatory by the way. Anyway, suffice it to say that initially Michael was rather put-off by having to show me around the countryside and point out all of the various plants and their uses. After a while, I'd had enough of his attitude and shook my fist under his nose and told him I didn't care how big he was or that he was predator. If he didn't straighten up, I'd kick his tail into last week. Then he'd have to relive everything all over again, especially me."

All of which garnered a laugh from Nick and Judy.

"Well, suffice it to say, his parents saw the entire thing, especially the part where Michael actually backed down and was polite for the rest of my tour. A two-week excursion turned into and extended stay. Weeks turned into months. During that time, Michael and I turned into best friends, and then eventually married."

"This is beginning to sound a bit familiar" interrupts Nick.

"Quiet you" returns Judy a bit shyly, thumping Nick softly on the arm.

Smiling at the exchange, Michael picks up the story "My parents were a bit put-off with the aspect of us marrying. Not necessarily because of the difference in species mind you, but because of the probability that we wouldn't be able to have children. When Yvonne got pregnant the first time, not only my parents but the entire village was ecstatic. Imagine the dismay when we lost the first litter. Several months later the same thing happened again."

"That's when I decided to change my field of studies to DNA research" continues Yvonne "Michael's father is a renowned medicine mammal in the Lakota communities, deep into natural cures for most things that occur on and off of the reservation. That said, I leaned and am still leaning heavily, on him in my research so I could combine natural herbs and plants to find a possible solution to our reproductive problems. There have been a lot of interspecies couples come through my clinic, but when you two came in, you gave us hope. Real hope. A canid and a lagomorph, able to conceive, just like us. You have no idea what this means, not only to us, but to Michaels family and to his entire clan."

"Ok, that's all well and good, we understand completely" states Nick "but there's a bit more to it than all that, isn't there?"

"Actually, there is" replies Michael. "My father has tasked me with asking if you would consider visiting him and my mother as guests on the reservation."

"And the reason for this sudden invite is …?"

"He would like to have you undergo a special ceremony, generally reserved for tribal members only."

"And that would be?" asks Judy.

"It's called an Inipi (pronounced "ee-nee-pee") which means 'to live again', or sweat lodge. It's a form of purification ceremony."

Noting the questioning looks coming from both Nick and Judy, Michael explains "It's much like a sauna in the civilized world, only more intense. It is very spiritual, kind of like going to church but in a sauna..."

"I would personally encourage you to accept and attend the ceremony" says Yvonne. "While it can be rather intense, it is, as Michael hinted at, very spiritual. There is no set 'religion' per-se for the Lakota mammals, although some have converted to a few of the accepted religions. You would not be seen as strangers or Wašíču, you would be honored guests since you were actually invited by the tribe's medicine mammal. If I'm not mistaken, you want to make a difference in the world with interspecies reproduction research. This is your opportunity to back it up, starting with the mammals who have been here the longest and suffered the most indignities, Michael's tribal members and many others like them."

Looking at Judy and getting a 'why not' look from her, Nick accepts the invitation "We would be honored to accept your father's invitation Michael. We have an upcoming family event of our own coming up in a couple of weeks that we really need to attend. However, after that we would be free to make the journey and stay as long as is deemed necessary."

"Excellent" returns Michael "I will tell father that you have accepted, and then he can set a date for the next Inipi. I'll have Yvonne get in touch with you when it's all set, she can give you all of the details like the date and time, and the place of the Inipi as well. In the meantime, please use Zoogle to research what you can find so you'll have a better understanding of what to expect, and perhaps fathom what you part may play in all of this. I'm sure father has his reasons for asking you both to attend. And I'm sure he will want to give you a history lesson, but it's all important in understanding not only the Inipi itself, but of our past and perhaps our future."

Standing and exchanging hugs all around the two couples part ways.

"Well, this should be interesting" says Judy on the ride back to the shop.

"Yea" replies Nick "but if it helps us and it helps Michael and his tribe in the long run, I can't think of a better way to spend time away from the shop. Even with your folks's anniversary upcoming, it'll be good to get away from the shop for a while, don't ya think?"

"Couldn't hurt. Now. Let's get back to the shop, there are a few things I need to check out for my 'Cuda build."

"Fluff, you are an amazing bunny."

"Do I know that?" Judy wondered out loud, giving Nick a quick peck on the cheek "Yes, yes I do."

After returning to the shop, Judy found herself more involved in setting up appointments for her mother and herself at the massage parlor and the fur stylist than she had originally thought. By the time she got finished setting up appointments with both businesses it was well past lunchtime.

Grabbing a chicken salad sandwich from the vending machine for a quick lunch (which absolutely no one in the shop batted an eye at, knowing her and Nick's past) she returned to her notes for her Barracuda build.

Looking over her notes, Judy notices that since the little 'Cuda has an A-class body, it didn't have an actual full frame, but instead had a sub-frame which was connected to the test of the body with four bolts. The sub-frame contains the motor, trans and front suspension. This would be a problem with the rebuilt 426 Hemi that she planned to install. Unless she found something to stiffen the body, the massive torque from the powerful hemi motor would literally tear the little car in half.

After a couple of hours of research through various interweb search engines, Judy found that there were actually specialty parts made specifically for use on her car. Sub-frame connectors for her '64 'Cuda were available from Trixie's Speed Shop. The parts ran from the end of the sub-frame the entire rest of the length of the car. Those particular parts were readily available and could be found right at the border between the Sahara and Rainforest districts. Some parts were just not available because of the use of the dated engine, so custom made motor mounts and a few other parts such as a drive shaft and other parts would need to be made in house in the fab section of the shop, and on the CNC machine.

Never having started this type of complete project before, Judy is becoming more and more convinced that she may have stepped into a bit more than she bargained for. Experience, especially here at the shop, has taught her that asking for help is never a bad thing, so she heads for the one mammal she is most convinced that can assist her with her current dilemma.

"Midnight" she begins, walking up to the panther "When ya got a minute, got you give me a bit of help with the little 'Cuda?"

"Sure thing" he answers I'll be there in around ten minutes or so."

"Ok, thanks" she answers as she heads back to her bay.

When Midnight shows up at Judy's bay and she explains her quandary, he explains that she'll need to make major changes to the sub-frame assembly to fit the massive hemi into the car to make everything work. This includes the custom-made motor mounts as well as new transmission mounts and possibly cutting and widening parts of the sub-frame assembly. Then the entire front suspension will need to be totally redesigned and reinforced to handle the weight of the larger motor and trans. Then a heavy-duty radiator will be needed to handle the increased temps that the motor will create. All new wiring would need to be included to complement all of the new gauges to be used in the cockpit that would need to be installed since Judy had chosen to go with the new/old stock type gauges to run the nostalgic hot rod class that had just been created at the Zootopia drag-strip a few years ago. That's also why she wanted to use an original 426 hemi for a powerplant.

After thanking Midnight for his insight and input, Judy decided that the best thing to do at this time would be to rethink such a drastic build.

'Maybe I just need to install a small block like a 318 and a four speed, restore it to near factory and use it more as a daily driver' she thinks.

Heading towards the office to inform Nick about her possible change in plans, Judy notices a small crowd as she steps inside.

Seeing exactly who's inside, Judy is three steps past curious and has to ask "Hey guys, what's up? This looks like some sort of bunny-fox convention!"

"Well" begins Skye "Nick was telling us about your planned trip after your folk's anniversary bash, and we were … kinda wondering if … um…"

"You could tag along?" Judy finishes.

"Yea" chimes in Josh.

"As a matter of fact," joins in Duane "Tiff and I would like to tag along as well."

Looking between her brother and the strikingly gorgeous red fox vixen Judy asks "Are you two serious enough to be considering having kits?"

"Not yet" answers Tiffany "But we'd kinda like to be as well informed as we can be if we actually do get that far in our relationship."

"And you two?" asks Judy. "What about you?"

"Well" begins Josh a bit tentatively "we're not really looking to have kits anytime soon, but still …"

"You realize this isn't supposed to be a fertilization ritual or something of the sorts, right?" asks Judy.

"Look" says Skye "what could it hurt to ask? We stand to benefit as much as anyone from what you and Nick are doing, and it might just show Michael's family just how committed our entire family is to all of this. Just ask, please. If the answer is no, then at least we tried. Ok?"

Looking at her brothers and then at their vixens in turn, then to Nick, Judy was baffled at exactly what to do for sure. On the one paw, their argument was valid. On the other paw, she didn't want Michael's family to see this as an invasion of sorts or to seem like they were being too pushy.

"What could it hurt to ask?" asks Nick. "The worst case is that they say no, right?"

Finally giving in, Judy reached a but of a compromise "Fine. But on one condition…"

And that is?" asks Duane.

I'll call doctor Cotton right now but you all have to be right here with me, otherwise no deal!"

Calling doctor Cotton on her private number, Judy's call is answered almost immediately.

"Hello Judy, I'm more than a bit surprised to hear from you, is something the matter?"

"No, absolutely not" answers Judy firmly "this has to do with the visit that your father -in-law has asked about."

"Really? Is there an issue with that?"

"Not an issue really, but sorta-kinda?"

Not sure how to address Judy's last statement, doctor Cotton waits for Judy to explain.

"Nick was explaining the invitation to two of my brothers and their significant others… both fox vixens by the way, and they were wondering if they would possibly be welcome to come along with us to the … uh."

"Inipi?" asked doctor Cotton, with a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Yea, that what you said" returns Judy. "Can I put you on speaker, the others are right here with us."

"Certainly you may, no problem. Personally, I don't see what harm it would do, but I'll relay your request to Michael nonetheless, and he'll see what his father says. It's liable to be a few days before I get back to you, so why don't you and Nick fill them in with as much background information as you can in the meantime. I'll have to tell you, this is not going to be a walk in the park by any means. Michael didn't tell you outright, but life on the rez even now is no cake-walk. Housing is substandard in most places, with electricity, running water and restroom facilities being questionable during the best of times. Kicking Bird, that's Michael's father, will no doubt put you up in the best accommodations available, but I'm not sure if there'll be room for the six of you. I can NOT stress enough that you need to not only do your research on the Lakota history, but on the Pines Ridge reservation as well.'
'Remember when Michael told you about the drug and alcohol abuse? And the lack of industry? No jobs and very little hope give mammals lots of free time to pursue many bad things, so be warned. And make sure you do that research, not only on the ceremony, but on the reservation itself. It's the Pines Ridge Reservation by the way."

Looking at all mammals in the room, Judy gives the only answer that she can under the circumstances "We understand Yvonne, let us know what your father-in-law says and we should have everything sorted out on our end by the time you get back to us."

"Well, if that's all, I really need to get back to the grind. Thanks for the call, I promise to let you know something as soon as I hear it. Bye."

"Bye." says Judy as the call is terminated.

"Ok you guys, there it is. You heard the lady. We'll get together and talk this over at our place tonight. In the meantime, you guys do your research and let me know whether you really want to go or not. Nick and I are committed to this but you're not. You've got tonight and probably all of tomorrow to figure out just how bad you really want this, so get to it."

Speaking briefly with Nick before heading back to her bay, Judy asks Nick "Do you actually think that this is a good idea or not? Truthfully Nick."

After a few moments of careful thought, Nick slowly answers "At first, I thought it was a terrible idea. But the more the conversation wore on, the more I warmed up to it. If Michael truly wants to expose the problems on the reservation to the rest of the world, how better than to involve as many mammals as possible?"

"I wonder" says Judy thinking out loud "if Michael's dad would let us record some of the conditions on the reservation…"

"To give Zootopia and the rest of the world proof about how some mammals are still being treated so badly? What could it hurt to ask?"

After texting their thoughts to doctor Cotton, Judy informs Nick of her decision to scrap the drag racing idea and mostly restore the little Barracuda to a daily driver.

"Truthfully, I was hoping for something like that" regards Nick. "Don't get me wrong Fluff, I'd still have been behind you all the way, but this makes a lot more sense."

"And you just wanted me to figure it out for myself rather that try to browbeat the decision into me?"

"Yea, pretty much."

"Thanks for that Nick" she says pecking his cheek.

Returning to her bay, Judy looks over the white board and begins to change more than a few items on it.

Gone is the massive hemi engine, replaced with a crate 318 small block engine, and the unneeded sub-frame connectors are completely eliminated. The heavy-duty brakes and cooling system are then replaced with updated four-wheel disc brakes and slightly upgraded cooling system. Next to be eliminated are the new/old stock racing gauges, replaced with reproduction gauges and speedometer to return the car to more of a factory look, with only a small tachometer added. Judy decides to keep the four-speed transmission and heavier duty clutch over the factory installed three speed trans and light duty clutch set-up that came with the original six-cylinder motor.

Seeing Nick heading towards her bay, Judy realizes that time has once again gotten away from her, and it's now quitting time.

"Squeak-" begins Nick.

"Yea, I know" she answers.

"All work and no play make Judy a dull bun" Nick jibes playfully.

"Niiiiick, really?"

"Yup, really. Listen, your brothers and their vixens are gonna stop by the house around seven or so. How about a reservation at the Gaslight for supper?"

"What's the special occasion?" she asks, slightly concerned.

"Nothing special, I just wanna take you out for supper is all… I dunno how wrapped up the conversation is gonna get later and I don't want either of us getting stressed out by needing to cook, ok?"

"Well … how about Mel's instead? I'm really more in the mood for some of that casserole rather than something fancy."

"OK, I like that idea. Let's go eat and get ready for the rest of the evening."

As Nick and Judy return home, they are followed shortly by Judy's brothers and their vixens.

"Well" starts Judy "how went the research?"

Looking a bit paler than normal, Skye answers "Judy, you ain't gonna believe me, but that place makes Happy Town look like an amusement park!"

A bit confused, Judy looks to Nick, who in turn looks totally shocked and disbelieving, for an explanation.

Frowning, Nick explains "Happy Town is basically the pred slum section of Zootopia. Poor roads, dilapidated buildings, few businesses in the area except for and occasional convenience store, liquor stores and dope dealers. NOT a pleasant place."

Looking at his long-time friend for more information, Nick nods at Skye to continue.

"That's right. But here …" as Skye opens her laptop "look at this documentary that we found on the Hisstory channel."

As the three couples watch the documentary unfold, all are dismayed and disgusted at the sight that unfolds before them. Run down homes with windows and doors missing, barely covered with bits of old sheets or whatever happens to be handy. Abandoned vehicles dot the entire area. Very few homes seem to have power lines leading into them, so all wonder how any mammal can survive the brutal winters that take place in that part of the world that's not climate controlled like Zootopia is. Naked or near naked children play uncaringly with homemade toys in neglected yards.

On what appears to be a main street, empty shells of building that used to be stores line both sides of the streets. Mammals of many different species of both sexes, mostly various species of canine, that seem to either be drunk or high on drugs (or possibly both) appear to be the only inhabitants of the area.

The few cars or pick-ups that drive along the poorly maintained streets appear to be very old and in as poor repair as the homes and stores.

As the assembled mammals look at each other, various reactions are observed. Judy, Skye and Tiffany have paws over their muzzles while trying to contain tears. Nick and the bucks are beyond angry.

"How in the name of all the gods can this be allowed?" Nick angrily asks no one in particular. "How can the powers that be ignore this?"

After a lengthy silence Judy has to ask everyone in the room "Has this changed any of your minds about coming along? I don't know about Nick, but this just pisses me off to no end and makes me more determined than ever to go."

"Hell no" replies everyone else in the room at virtually the same time.

"There's literally no way in hell you can keep me from going unless we're told explicitly by Michael not to" says Skye firmly.

"Same here" replies everyone else in the room.

"You know my answer Judy" says Nick using her given name. Knowing that that response by Nick only strengthens his resolve, Judy nods.

"As soon as I hear something from Doctor Cotton, I'll let everyone know. Ok?"

As everyone hugs and their guests leave, Judy turns to Nick "Nick-"

"I know Fluff, I know. But there's literally nothing we can do for now but wait. Bothering doctor Cotton won't help our cause, but when she does call, at least you have everyone's firm commitment either way. Let's get some sleep and start getting ready for the trip to your folks's anniversary. Ok?"

Having heard nothing from doctor Cotton since the last phone call, Nick and Judy return to the shop on Monday, hoping for the best.

Part way through making her new parts list for the restoration of the Barracuda, Judy gets a call from doctor Cotton.

"Hey doctor Cotton, you can't believe how happy I am to hear from you"

"Hey Judy. I guess you've been a bit anxious for the last few days, waiting for me to call."

"To say the least, yea. If you can hold on for a few seconds, I want to head to the office to share this with Nick and several of the others ok?"

"No problem, I'll wait."

As Judy quickly heads toward the office, she catches Duane and Skye's attention and motions for them to follow her.

Once in the office, she quickly puts the phone on speaker and tells doctor Cotton to continue.

"Doctor Cotton, go ahead, all of us are here except one and I've got you on speaker."

"To begin with, I have to ask" starts doctor Cotton "have you all done the internet search like I suggested?"

"Yes, we have" answers Judy "and what we saw is very disturbing! How can mammals live like that? Why is it allowed to go on?"

"For the most part, the powers that be mostly don't know how bad things are there. The few that do know try their best to either ignore it or cover it up. But the question at hand is simply this … how committed is everyone to make this trip? You saw yourselves how bad it is and please believe me, it's actually worse in real life."

With her jaw almost hitting the floor, Skye has to interrupt "Just how in the name of the gods can it be worse than the documentary we saw?"

"If you saw the show that I think you did, it was only about an hour long. From the sound of your voice, I'd say that you're a vixen, correct?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?" Skye asks, slightly irritated.

"I assume that you're familiar with Happy Town? Do you think that a single one-hour documentary could cover everything that's wrong in Happy town?

"….."

Hearing silence doctor Cotton continues "That's what I thought. Think about it for a second, what's the one thing that could never be portrayed in a documentary that would cover a place like Happy Town?"

"The smell" says Nick quietly after a moment's thought.

"That's right Nick" says doctor Cotton "The smell."

"So, I'll ask again … how committed is everyone to make this trip?"

"Doctor Cotton, this is Duane, one of Judy's brothers. I think I can answer for everyone here and for my girlfriend, that we're more committed than ever. If we're able, we want to go there, see everything for ourselves, and maybe we can do something for the community."

"Please understand, all of you. This is not meant to be a pity party. The mammals there do not need someone to go and look things over and have someone feel sorry for them, to make them feel like they're being looked down upon. These are real mammals who have real feelings. They need hope, not pity. Do you understand?"

As everyone looks around the room at each other, a grim sense of purpose settles in.

"Yes doctor Cotton" says Skye "I believe we do. Can you tell us when the umm …."

"Inipi" comes the word over the phone that Skye was searching for.

"Yea, that" says Judy, with a bit of a smile playing on her muzzle.

"Aaanyway" continues Skye rolling her eyes "any indication as to when the next Inipi will be?"

"If I remember correctly, Judy indicated to me earlier that her family get-together is scheduled for this coming weekend?"

"That's correct" answers Judy.

Doctor Cotton continues "Michael's father, who's name is Kicking Bird by the way, told me directly that the Inipi will be held two weeks after that. He asks that you make the trip as early as you can, both so you can all acclimate to the natural weather there, and to get acquainted with some of the locals. I personally believe that it would be in your best interests to do so.'
'And as for your request to record your visit, Kicking Bird told me that he will allow it, as long as you agree not to record any of the ceremonies that you may attend."

"That is something that we can easily agree to, right everyone?" asks Judy.

Noting everyone in the room nodding, Judy quickly tells doctor Cotton "Everyone agrees Yvonne. I do have one more question before we hang up."

"Before you even ask Judy, yes Michael and I will be there. In fact, we'll be leaving on Wednesday morning."

Grinning, Judy signs off "Ok, thanks for that, it's a big load off all of our minds to have someone there that we know. If everything plays out well, we'll see you in about a week and a half."

"Sounds like a plan, see you then, bye."

"Bye" says Judy as the call ends.

"Ok everyone, back to work" says Nick. "You'll all need to have at least two weeks' worth of stuff ready for when we leave for the reservation. We'll leave on Sunday, right after we all get back from Bonnie and Stu's anniversary. I'll have Lucky, Charlie and Midnight work nonstop on the van so it'll be ready for the long drive to the reservation. Now, git."

With everyone heading to their work stations (except Josh who was performing IT stuff on the shops computer system when everything began), Nick called Midnight into the office and filled him in on what was expected to get the shop van ready for the trip to the Pines Ridge reservation. After Midnight left to corral Lucky and Charlie to begin the comfort upgrades to the shop van for the expected trip to the reservation, Nick was trying to figure out how to handle the coming range of events that he couldn't fully comprehend even yet.

The uncertain duration was one thing to consider. Even though it was only supposed to be a two-week trip, doctor Cotton's revelation earlier about HER anticipated brief excursion that had turned into months, Nick knew that their trip didn't have the same unknowns factored in. All involved were already either married or paired in meaningful relationships.

The uncertainty was the fact that except for the web searches, documentary and narrative from doctor Cotton, little as actually known about the reservation and the true conditions there.

There was also something niggling at the back of Nick's mind that he couldn't put a finger on. That is until Judy stepped through the office door and brought up the subject.

"Nick" she said "I thought about something the I believe is important."

"And what might that be."

"Well, one of the subjects that was brought up was that females on their 'moon' or heat cycle couldn't participate in the purification thing."

"THAT's what was on my mind just a minute ago, thanks for-"

Noticing that his bunny was giving him 'the look' that all married mammals know, Nick stopped short and allowed Judy to finish.

"As I was about to say before I was so rudely interrupted" Judy continued "I knew that my heat cycle wouldn't be an issue, so I asked Snow and Tiff about theirs. Luckily for us, they'll finish theirs by the end of this week, just before my parents' anniversary bash. So we're good to go as far as the … thingy."

"Well, that's one less thing to worry about I guess" finished Nick. "Any thoughts about what to take along as far as clothing and food?"

"We can discuss that between now and Friday, I guess" Judy replies. "Anyway, let me get back to the 'Cuda. I only have a few things left to plan out before I get started on the actual building of it, although I'll probably hold off starting it until after our trip to the reservation. No telling how long we'll actually be gone."

"Sounds like a good plan" says Nick praising Judy, kissing her on the top of her head before she heads back out into the shop.

As the week wore on and the time for the Hopps anniversary draws near, Thursday morning sees a brief conference in the shop office.

"Ok" begins Nick "is everyone ready to leave for the burrows right after work tomorrow?"

"Skye and I'll be heading out right behind you two in her 'Merc" says Josh.

"Tiff and I will be ridin' with Josh and Snow." pipes up Duane.

"Has everybody got enough stuff to last at least a couple of weeks at the reservation?" asks Judy.

Seeing four heads nod the affirmative, the next question is easy to ask, but seems to get varying results: "And you'll remember to bring them to work tomorrow right?"

Seeing the doubt on her brother's muzzles, Judy scolds the bucks "You know damned well that we're leaving for the reservation right after we get back from mom and dad's anniversary. We've been over this! What the hell's the issue here?"

Seeing the smug look on Skye's muzzle, Judy suspects that the bucks have been procrastinating as usual, but wants to hear Josh or Duane, or both admit that they've put everything off until the last minute.

"Well…" slowly says Josh, who's wearing a very ashamed look in his muzzle "we, that is I … umm-"

"Yea, I get it" interrupts Judy "Just like always, dragging your feet until the last second, right?"

"Umm … yea?" answers Josh.

"And you Dewey?" she asks.

"….."

"Damn it you two, you know how important tis trip is! Here's the deal" she says, getting a bit angry "… if you aren't ready for the trip to the reservation when you get here tomorrow morning, you're NOT going. I really hate that, but 'c'mon, really?"

"Yea, yea, we get it" says Duane.

"I'm not so sure you do" fires back Judy, a bit hotter yet. "You guys pull this shit all the time, and it's time to stop it once and for all. I mean it, if you ain't ready tomorrow morning, I will NOT let you make the trip."

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" she shouts.

"Ok Judy, that's enough" interrupts Skye I think they get the message."

"And just why didn't you light a fire under Josh's butt?" Judy asks Skye.

"Mainly because I figured this was a lesson best learned the hard way" Skye answered, remarkedly calm "When Josh kept putting it all off, I figured it would come to this and wanted you to make the point to him. The point's been made, so enough's enough, drop it already, ok?"

Realizing that Skye was indeed correct, Judy conceded, staring directly at both brothers and asks "You two get the message, right?"

Hanging their heads for a brief second, both bucks look at their sister directly and answer "Yes ma'am."

"Fine. Now, get to work and be ready to leave here for Bunnyburrow by no later than five tomorrow afternoon." Says Nick, concluding the meeting.

Friday morning arrives with all six mammals assembled in the shop's office.

With both of Judy's brothers looking very contrite, the two vixens were present (Tiffany decided to be at the shop all day) making sure that the trip to Bunnyburrow get started on time.

With work beginning to slow down a bit since the race, Midnight, Lefty and Charley were able to complete the alterations to the shop van easily on time.

With no real deadline pressure on any of the vehicles being built, Nick decided that everyone would be able to leave around noon and arrive just before suppertime.

The trip was pleasant, with Nick and Judy in the step-side, Skye and Josh in Skye's '56 Merc, and Duane was with Tiffany in her '55 210 sedan, a clone of the one used in Zootopian Graffiti.

Arriving at the Hopps burrow right on time, the small caravan is greeted by a multitude of Judy's siblings.

As Judy leads her brothers and their vixens to wherever her parents might be at this time of day, Nick heads towards the field where the concert was held after the tornado not that long ago. Since that's where the stage was being set up for the entertainment upcoming that next evening, arrangements needed to be made so the refurbished pick-up would be concealed until the big reveal.

Nick was a bit confused seeing several rabbits that were unknown to him amongst all of Judy's family. Not sure if the bunnies were distant relatives, friends or whatever, Nick pulled a chocolate colored bunny (that he had appropriately nicknamed Easter-much to the male bunny's dismay) aside to ask about the newcomers.

Upon learning that the rabbits in question were all relatives of one Johnathan Whinters, Nick turned and headed towards the main burrow.

Stepping through the front door, Nick could hear a very loud disagreement coming from the main sitting room.

"…..in the hell were you thinking?" Nick could hear Judy loudly asking someone.

"Don't you dare use that tone with me Judith Laverne Hopps" came her mother's equally loud reply, forgetting either accidentally or on purpose (most likely) that Hopps was not her last name anymore. "And watch your mouth while you're here, there are still young kits around. This is still my burrow and until it's not, I can invite whomever I please with or without your consent!"

"But mother" continued Judy, still angry and clearly exasperated "Johnny raped me and evidently several other of your daughters, not to mention god knows how many other does over the years, why on earth would you invite his family here. Especially now of all times?"

Rather than get in the middle of this particular argument, especially with the same question on his mind, Nick decided it would be much more prudent to let his mate work this out with her mother.

"Judy, listen to me" carried on Bonnie "Johnny was the one buck that did this to you. One buck, not his entire family. Irene and Leroy Whinters came here weeks ago, hat in paw to apologize for the way Johnny treated our entire family. Why would you hold his family accountable for his actions? They had no more idea as to what was happening than we did. Are you going to continue to blame us as well because we didn't believe you that night? … Well, are you?"

Being more than slightly shocked at her mother's outburst, and even more shocked by the logic of it, Judy's ears fell and she stood there open-mouthed for several seconds.

Beginning to understand her mother's logic, Judy begins to tear up "Mom, I'm … I … I'm sorry, you're right. I can't hold the entire Whinters fluffle accountable. I – I'm sorry."

Pulling her distraught daughter into a tight hug and stroking her ears, Bonnie comforted Judy "There, there, Bun, it's ok. We got past that and so can you. Nick, from the look on your muzzle, you had the same concerns when you came bustin' in here didn't you?"

Looking more than a little embarrassed, Nick openly admitted "Yes ma'am I did. I know you understand why, but learning about only a few minutes ago was a bit of a shock."

Smiling a small, rueful smile Bonnie pulled Nick into the same hug "It's all part of the process Nick, we'll all be fine. Probably even better than fine after this is all over, ok?"

"Yes ma'am" he replied "While I'm thinking of it, mom sends her regards. She told me that she won't be able to make the shindig, something about a cruise that she and a certain mister Jason Silver already had planned." states Nick, rolling his eyes.

While the females looked at each other with knowing grins, all of the males, especially Nick, looked around, clearly a bit embarrassed.

"Now" says Bonnie, clearly breaking the moment on purpose "You all go outside and help with the preparations, and play nice with the Whinters, please. They're nervous enough as it is without the bunch of you adding to their discomfort. Scoot!"

As everyone exited the burrow and headed towards the area that was being used for the coming activities, Judy sees Johnnie's parents, Irene and LeRoy Whinters, and several of their kits, mostly around Judy's age just off to the side of the stage area.

As Judy approaches the Whinters, it's readily apparent how nervous and stressed they are when they see her.

With her ears flat against her back and wringing her paws, Irene Whinters begins the conversation "Ju-Judy. I-I'm not sure how to start this, Umm-"

Drawing Mrs. Winters into a tight hug, Judy tells her softly "Shhhhh, It's ok, it's ok. After talking to mom, I understand. Mom and dad didn't believe me at the time either, so I guess I can't hate you any more than I could hate them. Johnny is paying for what he did to me and so many others over the years. Karma finally caught up to him."

"Actually" replies Mrs. Whinters sadly "It's worse than we thought"

Noticing the surprised look on Judy's muzzle, Mrs. Whinters continues "I'm afraid several of his brothers picked up his bad habit and are under investigation for doing the same thing…"

Surprise turned into shock, which then turned into horror for Judy.

"Wh-what?"

"I'm sorry to say" says Mr. Whinters sadly as he joins the conversation "that seven of Johnny's brothers are under investigation. Five have already been arrested here in the Tri-Burrows area, but two are in hiding. And before you ask, we are doing everything we can to have them brought to justice. This is a terrible thing to have happen to anyone, and you must know that we have never condoned that type of behavior, ever.'
'We've given the police all of the information we could to where Jherald and James might be. I guess it figures that his littermates and several close in age to him would have the same bad traits. The entire Tri-Burrow area is looking for them, so I'm sure they'll be caught soon. You must believe us when we tell you that we want them caught almost as much as you do" he finishes.

Before Judy could form a comeback, Nick answers "I, for one, believe you"

Looking down and meeting Judy's questioning gaze, Nick reassures his distraught wife "Fluff, you know how well I read mammals, please truest me. I truly believe everything the Whinters have told us. I believe that they had no idea about Johnny's activities, or his brothers for that matter. I believe that they're cooperating with the police and want the bucks brought to justice almost as much as you do. What say we put all of that behind us and concentrate on getting things ready for the anniversary party tomorrow night?"

Seeing how steadfastly Nick believes the Whinters statements, Judy concedes.

"I guess. It's just a shock to know how deep all of this runs … damn it anyway!"

"I know Fluff, I know. But you can't change the past, you can only look to the future and hope for the best."

"Fine" says Judy "I really hate it when you're right so much of the time. You know that, right?"

"You'll get over it I'm sure" he says winking at her.

"NICK! Judy yells, as Nick has just squeezed her tail, getting exactly the reaction from everyone he'd hopped for, which was to lighten the mood a bit.

As the nervousness dissipates, a very embarrassed Judy smacks Nick on the arm "Damn it anyway!"

Getting smiles from the entire group, everyone pitches in to get the stage and everything else set up. This includes the special items required for concealing the refurbished pick-up to be presented to Bonnie and Stu the next evening.

Saturday morning brings a practically cloudless sky and a promise of a beautiful day.

As the younger bunnies gather up breakfast dishes, Stu nudges Nick "You about ready to tour the fields off to the south? There's a few blueberry bushes there and some large rhubarb patches that haven't been seen to for a while."

Nick's ears shot up so fast Judy had to laugh "Careful there Slick, I might need those ears later …. I mean you might need them later… Damn!"

"Umm, anyone need more juice?" she says, so red from embarrassment Nick thought that she'd burst into flames.

With everyone at the table suitable shocked at her outburst, Nick decided to get things moving along "Ok Stu, let's check those south fields. I've never sampled rhubarb before, so let's get goin'. Judy, don't you and your mom have something planned for this morning?"

Blinking rapidly, Judy caught the hint, while Bonnie looked more than a little confused.

"Do we have something planned that I don't know about?" she asks.

"Umm, yea. I kinda forgot on purpose to tell you that we're taking a short trip to Deerbrook."

"We are?"

"Yup, let's get moving, Nick and I have a special day planned for you, and you're NOT gonna miss it. in fact, I'll bet you'll love it."

With Stu and Nick headed towards the south fields and Judy and Bonnie headed to Deerbrook, Josh and the rest of the Zootopia bunch head to the stage area to get everything ready for the evening's entertainment. This, of course includes the unveiling of the completely redone pick-up.

Saturday afternoon, as Nick returns with Stu and several baskets of blueberries (also some rhubarb). When they get to the main family room of the burrow, both Stu and Nick stop dad in their tracks. Standing before them in a very attractive dress and brand new furstyle is a totally made over Bonnie.

The dress was a pale blue with spaghetti straps, similar to the one that Judy wore when Nick proposed, only not quite as revealing, with the neckline not quite so low and a slit in the skirt only going up to her mid-thigh. The yellow Calla lily on her left ear marking her as a taken doe added to the effect perfectly.

"Stu…" says Nick, laughing at Stu as Stu was actually gawking at his own wife "STU - STU!"

"Uhh … huh? What?" was all Stu could babble.

"Pull you mind out of the gutter and go get ready for the concert."

"Concert?"

"Damn Stu, you've really got it bad. And stop drooling, you're making me look bad."

"What … I … um … yea, ok. Holy cow!"

As Stu heads towards the bedroom to get dressed for the evening's festivities, Nick, Judy and Bonnie can only laugh.

"He hasn't been like this since our wedding nearly forty years ago" says an overjoyed Bonnie "I can't begin to thank you two enough, especially you Nick."

"Why me?" Nick asks, a bit bewildered "It was mainly Skye's idea."

"I know, but to be able to spend the time with Judy and catch up on everything, and for footing the bill for the spa, the pawdicure, the dress and everything…."

Smiling and lightly kissing Bonnie on the cheek, Nick could only say "We've all come a long way in a relatively short time, it's the least I could do. And besides, you're my favorite mother-in-law!"

As Nicks statement finally sunk in, Bonnie's small shocked look became a soft smile "You scoundrel you…"

"Do I know that? Yes, yes I do."

And with that exchange, Stu reenters the room with a semi-formal outfit of a light blue button up shirt to the tan slacks that almost perfectly matched Nick's on that night so many months ago.

"You two have gone to a lot of trouble for all of this" Bonnie scolded in fun.

"Yea we did mom" answered Judy "but it's so worth it."

"Shall we begin the evening's entertainment?" asks Nick, taking Bonnie's arm, gently leading her out of the main entrance of the burrow towards the main stage. Judy and Stu followed close behind, with Judy walking arm in arm with her father.

Entering the stage with Judy, Bonnie and Stu in tow, Nick steps up to the microphone "Ladies and gentlemammals, family and honored guests, allow me to present mister Stuart Hopps and his lovely wife Bionica, better known as Bonnie."

Amid thunderous applause Bonnie and Stu were at a loss for words. They had no idea that they were so loved by so many, but now it was apparent.

"Before the rest of the festivities begin, there is a special present that needs to be brought forth. Joshua, if you please, let's see that beautiful truck!"

A bit startled by the throaty roar of the large V-8 engine being started just behind the stage, Bonnie and Stu could only gape in awe when they see the fully restored and upgraded pick-up as Josh pulled it around and parked it directly in front of the stage.

Looking squarely at Nick, Bonnie could only tear up. Grabbing her son-in-law in a hug that could rival Judy's she finally choked out "Damn it Nick … I couldn't ask for a better son-in-law. I'm so sorry for all of the grief that I caused you and Judy in the beginning."

Giving Bonnie a soft look, Nick responded "It's all in the past and things have worked out fine. Go. Enjoy. You've both done a fine job raising your kits and providing a stable and loving home for them, it's time for you to take it a bit easy and enjoy life for a while."

As the entertainment gets going full swing, Nick gets an unexpected phone call.

"Yea, what's up Midnight? It's kinda late to be …"

Listening intently, Nick's muzzle changes from neutral, to concerned to pure outrage.

Judy can only wonder what the conversation is about, since the music from the stage is making it impossible to listen in to anything other than Nick.

"Well just … shit. Are the cops there yet? They are? And Bogo's in charge? We'll be there in a few hours, however long it takes us to get there. Sit tight and keep me posted, ok? Thanks, bye."

Grabbing Judy's paw, Nick heads straight to where Bonnie and Stu are sitting.

"I'm sorry, but Judy and I have got to go back to Zootopia immediately"

"What on earth has happened?" asks Stu only seconds before Judy or Bonnie can.

"There's been a bombing in the city."

With everyone sitting in stunned silence, Nick continues "It was the shop. Someone tried to blow up the shop. We're heading back right now. We're leaving everything here that we brought with us since we've plenty of clothes and everything else back at the house."

With that, Nick and Judy sprint for the pickup at a dead run and head back to Zootopia…

A/N: Almost everything mentioned about the Pine Ridge reservation in southwest South Dakota is fact. Only a few things have been changed to make it more inline with the story. Not only is there plenty of documentation that can be found on-line, but I've been there myself and can personally attest to the poor conditions. Pine Ridge is in the poorest county in America. There is well over 80% unemployment and over 80% addition to some sort of drugs or alcohol.