[A/N] From here on out the chapters will be longer. I am averaging roughly 10,000 words per chapter so that will be the minimum going forward. Please let me know if you like this new chapter length.
Loves Bond
Chapter 08 - All's Fair In Love And Pawgrenades
The sun gently peaked over the horizon, shining its light down on the Hopps family farm. Its warmth hit the roof of the barns first before slowly gliding down the red-painted wooden siding. When the bright yellow glow touched the dew-soaked grass, the green blades had already been trampled by dozens of small paws.
Rabbit's living on the Hopps farm knew that work always started before dawn and today was no exception. The barn doors had been thrown wide open and the family bus was quickly loaded before heading to the Burrow County Fair Grounds.
One early riser did not join her family on the crowded bus. Instead, she donned a light cotton jacket, and a comfortable pair of sweatpants. On her hind paws, she tied her favorite running straps to help the padless paws maintain traction on the rough trails that ran through the farm. After that was complete she pulled the jacket's warm hood over her head to cover her long ears.
When the sun finally greeted this single rabbit, she was briskly jogging down an old tractor trail that led all the way from the main barns to the southern fields. It had been over two years, but Judy still remembered her old jogging route.
She would start running straight out the front door of the main burrow and head behind the large barns. From there she would follow the tractor trail south. The trail consisted of two wide ruts with a long patch of weeds growing between them. Some days she would try to hop over the weeds, but today she was pushing hard to beat her previous time.
After reaching the southern fields she turned east along the irrigation ditch that flowed from the stream on the edge of her family's farm. The ditch was dry today, its pumps had been shut off a few weeks prior. All the crops had been harvested and no longer required any water. If the irrigation pumps had remained running they could easily break when the first frost set in. Their rubber seals became brittle and easy to damage in the cold. Running along the trail, she could see that several sticks and dead weeds had blown into the otherwise empty ditch.
Next, her route took her north, along County Route 5571 until it met back with the driveway in front of her home. According to her fitness watch, the entire route from porch to porch was about five kilometers long.
As the sun began to rise above the eastern hills, Judy was closing on the bone dry ditch for the second time. She had completed her first lap in slightly less than twelve minutes. It was a good time for a rabbit, but certainly not her best. Maybe it was because the farm was at a higher altitude than she had become accustomed to in the city, or maybe it was everything else she had on her mind.
The rabbit had started her early morning with a groan. She lay in her kithood bed and stared at the ceiling for several minutes trying to understand why she had pounced on her boyfriend in the middle of a clothing store. How could she have been so crass? Her mind raced in circles and it always came back to how hot the fox had looked in those jeans.
Realizing that her hormones were once again raging out of control, she decided that a long jog in the cold morning air was exactly what she needed. With that goal in mind, she had quietly dressed in a jogging suit and threw on a warm jacket. Before the sun was more than a sliver at the edge of the sky, she had snuck past the rest of her family while they loaded into the large bus. Now she raced along the old irrigation ditch trying to bury all those wild emotions she carried for a certain obnoxious fox.
So far, the cold air and strenuous workout had done little to abate the hormones that were running wildly through the bunny's small veins. Puffy, white clouds left the rabbit's mouth as she tried to push her long legs to go a little bit faster. After several meters the rabbit's mind began to wander back to that moment in the store, slowing her pace considerably.
Nick's well-formed rump slowly took shape in her mind again, along with the color and texture of those tight, black jeans making him appear all that much more enticing. It wasn't long before the image of her long front teeth sank into those dark curves. Her paws imagined brushing his long, gorgeous tail and pink lips kissed every inch of orange fur.
Returning to that cold morning ditch, her real paw slapped between her eyes and ran down her short muzzle. "Stop it!" she cried to the empty air, but it was too late. Her heart was already fluttering wildly and her tiny nose raced.
She would be the first mammal to admit that she was addicted to that dumb fox, but now was not the time to let her emotions run free. Here in Bunny Burrow, in front of her parents and thousands of other rabbits, was the worst possible place to suddenly go feral. Well, feral may have been the wrong word to choose, and savage was right out. But yesterday, in that store, Judy felt like she was going savage. She had certainly wanted nothing more than to tear off the fox's clothes and have her way with him.
This was not the first time these feelings had dared to rear their head. They seemed to show up about once every month or so, but back in Zootopia she could fight them off with a cold shower or phoning a friend, or even spending the rest of the day at the mall picking out the perfect pair of paw straps. At their worst, all she had to do was stay away from Nick for a few days until her raging hormones subsided.
Here on the Hopps farm, avoiding Nick would be the simplest thing ever, yet at the same time, utterly impossible. It would be extremely rude, and even then how would she explain the sudden disappearance.
No, she had to face this head-on and ride the tidal wave to its conclusion. Nick loved her and had always put up with her strange bunny quirks, this was going to be no different.
Around the next corner, she saw the homestead come into view. Taking a deep breath, she clenched her fists into tight balls. Conviction filled her muzzle as she declared firmly to herself, "One more lap should do."
An hour and one lap later, Judy was sneaking through the lower levels of the burrow. She had spent the last hour trying to pick out the best outfit for the festival today. Her final choices were between the comfortable, blue plaid shirt that was a favorite from high school, or the new pink, frilly top she had bought in Zootopia a few months ago. Remembering that the festival lasted well into the night the plaid shirt had won out. Dressed and ready to go, she snuck past the few bunnies that had opted to remain behind.
Nobunny noticed, or they failed to care that Judy was still wandering through the burrow this morning. Her destination was the guest quarters on the first floor, but she had to take the long way around to avoid passing through the great room. She preferred to meet with her boyfriend privately before the rest of her family could bother the lazy fox.
When Judy arrived in the guest hallway, she noticed that Nick's door was wide open and his light was off. On closer inspection, she found that the fox was gone. The new clothes that she had laid out on top of the dresser for him were also missing, along with the I Heart Carrots hat.
Storming out of Nick's room, she marched into the giant living room. She was about to demand that someone tell her where the fox had gone but she checked her randomly fluctuating emotions before she approached the first rabbit she saw.
A group of older does whose names all started with the word 'Granny' sat in well-worn chairs knitting various articles of clothing. Judy cautiously stepped up to the youngest of the bunch and asked, "Granny Helen? Have you seen where Nick went this morning?"
The gray doe, whose fur was beginning to fade from brown to white, placed her unfinished knitting into her lap and looked back at the younger bunny, "Now deary, which Nick are you looking for?" Granny Helen's penetrating blue eyes bore into Judy and made her feel like she had just been caught with one paw in the cookie jaw.
"Oh, right," Judy said with a stammer. "Nick is the fox who is staying in guest room three."
Granny Helen shook her head, "Sorry dear, I have not seen a fox today."
One of the other knitting ladies spoke up, "Speaking of foxes, I did see one on the front lawn this morning."
"I haven't seen no foxes round these parts for nigh on a decade." Another knitter added.
"Yes dear," Granny Helen said to Judy. "Your Pop-Pop made sure of that. Drove all those preds off the farm after the great war."
With a wave and cheerful smile, Judy thanked the Grannies and raced towards the front door. She did not want to sit and listen to another of their stories about predators and the great war.
Rushing down the steps to the front porch two at a time, the first thing Judy saw was a pile of young kits that was often affectionately referred to as the Kerfluffle. They were all piled up into what looked like a living igloo. It was not unusual to see the kerfluffle in such a state. Sometimes Judy would wonder if the entire group of young kits was some kind of giant, fluffy monster that terrorized the burrow.
Judy was about to turn and leave when she spotted a hint of orange and black fur sticking out from under the pile. "Nick," she cried as she raced over to the pile and began tossing giggling bunnies left and right.
After a few moments, a black paw suddenly broke free of the pile and a red fox rose like a zombie in a horror film. He even made a faux roaring sound, and moaned, "Bunnies."
At the fox's slow rise, the kits squealed and scattered in all directions. Nick raised his paws and began to stomp slowly around the yard attempting to chase the tiny buns. They easily evaded the giant zombie fox and his slow, lumbering gait.
"Nick," Judy declared, her hind paw thumping in the dew moistened grass.
Dropping his paws, Nick turned to face his rabbit, "Good morning, Judy. I see you finally got up."
"Uncle Nick," one of the small black-furred rabbits said while tugging the fox's long tail.
Turning to the small bun, the fox asked gently, "What is it, Randy?"
Stepping closer to the fox, Randy whispered in his ear, "Aunty Judy went to run before the sun came up."
"Yeah," another bun in a miniature dress cried with her arms across her chest. "Aunty was gone and you were snoring so loud you made the Grans mad."
Placing a paw across her muzzle, Judy giggled warmly as the young kit's chided her fox.
Randy stepped in front of Nick again, "Is it ok to call you Uncle Nick?"
"I don't know, Randy. Maybe we should ask your aunt."
The fox tilted his head to one side and looked over at Judy and he quickly inhaled. Once again Nick was convinced that he had stepped into another world inside that changing booth yesterday. Judy's hungry gaze had returned and was firmly fixed on him.
Old stories filled his mind. Had Judy somehow gone savage or had she been bitten by a werebun? He remembered the movie, Hossenvoles, that they had watched together all those months ago. Quickly looking towards the sky he wondered if there was a full moon out.
When Judy noticed that Nick and the rest of the kerfluffle were staring at her with a strange expression on their muzzles she shook her head to replace her own with a warm smile. Bending down, she tried to look Randy in the eyes, "Of course you can call him, Uncle Nick. As long as it's ok with him."
"That name is perfectly fine by me," the fox replied.
"Unfortunately, kits," Judy called to the group of tiny rabbits. "Uncle Nick and I have to head to the festival now."
A collective "Aww" echoed across the lawn.
"Now everyone, you need to head back inside so the Grans can keep an eye on you." Judy clapped her paws together and pointed towards the front door.
Several of the kits kicked at the grass under their paws, but every single one gave the fox, or his tail, a warm hug as they passed.
After the kerfluffle had solemnly marched back inside the burrow, Judy turned to her boyfriend, "Wow! I didn't know that you were so good with kits."
Smirking, Nick retorted, "I am a fox of many talents, Sweetheart."
The gate in front of the Harvest Festival grounds was nothing more than a large banner strung between two poles. It had been raised fairly high into the air, yet mammals taller than a hippo would have to duck to walk through.
A pair of large barns guarded the entrance and most of the crowd of visitors congregated between them. Inside, Nick could see various display stands had been set up and lines of rabbits and other local mammals wound their way through the large buildings.
Behind the barn on the right, a makeshift stage had been erected and an open area in front of the stage had been diligently cleared and flattened. A long curtain covered half the stage similar to those found in a theater. The red fox did not see any band equipment, but a single podium was set up in the middle of the stage. It looked more ceremonial than anything else, but why did Nick feel like the large flattened spot was a hastily cleared dance floor?
Sprawled around the rest of the fairgrounds were numerous colorful tents and stalls. All manner of fair foods were for sale from deep-fried cotton candy to the Bunny Burrow favorite carrot on a stick. Beyond the vendors, were the unscrupulous carnival games. Glancing around quickly, Nick attempted to make sure a certain weasel was not present. Most of the game attendants were not visible from his vantage point but he was certain that Weaselton would not have traveled this far out into the country.
Farthest from the entrance were the rides. Nick quickly spotted the large and colorfully lit carousel with its medieval fantasy creatures. There was also a spinning ride that reminded the fox of the extremely mild Teacups sitting next to a big tent that he thought might be for Bumper Cars or some other attraction. Behind the tent, he saw a tall tower that could only belong to the one ride he would actually consider worth trying. The ride went by various names and had several different themes, but everyone commonly referred to it as The Hammer.
"Wow!" Judy exclaimed. "This place has grown since I used to come here as a kid."
"Haven't you lived here your whole life, Carrots?" Nick reminded the bunny.
"Well, yeah," she replied shyly. "But I was just remembering the first time I announced that I wanted to be a police officer. It was right inside this very barn." Pointing to the smaller, and older of the two barns. She pulled on her boyfriend's paw, dragging him towards the faded red building, "Come on, let's go check it out."
Inside the big barn, there were three aisles of produce displays. The displays themselves were nothing more than wooden crates set on a tilt so the guests could better see the contents inside. Each crate had little plaques in the front describing the fruit or vegetable on display and which farm it had come from.
Standing on the tips of her toes, Judy looked around the barn as if she was trying to find something that was hidden in the back. She lifted her paws over her head and looked at Nick, "Can you give me a boost, Slick?"
The fox only glanced down at her curiously, while she bounced on her toes and tried to reach for the rafters. After a moment, he picked her up and put her on his shoulders, "Is that better sweetheart?"
"Yes, thank you," she patted the top of his head in thanks, before placing her paw across her brow and scanned the large room. "Just as I thought," she declared, "They removed the old stage."
Craning his neck, the fox tried to look up at the bunny resting on his shoulders, "Is that where you performed that famous Carrot Days play you keep telling me about?"
"Yep, that's the one," she reached down and patted his arm gently and tried to hop slightly in her seat. "It used to be along that wall, but now it is gone." There was another pat with her paws, this time more firmly, "Ok you can let me down now."
"But you just got up there." Reluctantly, he placed his paws around her hips and lifted. "I thought you wanted to ride around on a fox today?"
"No," she shook her head curiously, unsure if there was a hidden meaning in his words. "My legs are working just fine thank you. I only wanted to see over the crowd."
"Now that we are here, let's look around," Nick changed the subject with a slightly bored tone.
Yanking on the end of his shirt sleeve, Judy tried not to look at the fox's new jeans while she pulled him towards the first display. She did not want a repeat of what happened in the store yesterday. Tackling and undressing the fox in the middle of the Harvest Festival would be highly vulgar as well as having them both arrested for indecency.
Taking a deep breath, the rabbit tried to calm her pulsing heart and twitching nose. Stepping up to the first vegetables on display she immediately turned around with a gasp. The curiously shaped, yellow squash and zucchini was not what she needed to see at that moment. With a loud squeak, she hopped towards the next display crate, hauling Nick along behind her.
The multicolored ears of corn in the next crate were far less suggestive and Judy's heart began to slow. Unlike the yellow corn that was common in the big supermarkets, these kernels were a variety of different colors. Many were yellow or white but there were also blues, purples, reds, and the occasional hint of orange.
"Wow!" Nick exclaimed. "I have never seen anything like this before. Is this corn mutated or something?"
"Not at all," the bunny replied cheerfully. "This is what natural corn actually looks like. The stuff in the stores has been specifically bred over the centuries to be that color." She waved her paw at the colorful ears, "But I think this kind tastes a lot better. You will even get to try some tomorrow night at the cookout."
"Or we could buy some from one of the food carts," the fox replied.
"Naw. That deep-fried corn on a stick is the yucky, yellow stuff. Besides, it is so much better when you get to cook your own over an open fire."
They slowly moved through the displays with Judy explaining the benefits of each kind of produce. There were turnips, rutabaga, and a variety of spicy radishes in one section while apples, peaches, and pears all hung out together in a different corner of the barn.
Judy had to swat at the fox's paws as they passed the blueberries on display, but a few minutes later she had to be dragged away by her ears from the watermelon sample table.
Near the end of their tour through the first barn, Nick stopped to admire the giant gourd display. The fox was used to seeing huge and tiny pumpkins for sale in regular grocery stores, but this display took the cake for weird and wonderful shapes.
Some of the hard-shelled plants looked like bumpy or multicolored pumpkins, while others reminded him of old-fashioned wine bottles. One large, spotted, green gourd had a thick layer of spiky fuzz covering its skin. Another pale yellow one was shaped almost like an hourglass, but what caught the fox's attention was that it stood as tall as Judy.
In one basket next to the huge hourglass, were several gourds that looked like some mammal had squished together a lemon and a lime. The tops were all bright yellow while the bottom half was a dark, lime green.
Finally, as they were about to exit the barn, Nick stumbled across what he thought was the most amazing item in the entire show. This gourd had a deep orange body with what appeared to be five yellow petals painted on its top. Between each petal were brown lines that extended only about halfway down the body.
Nick picked up one of the hard-shelled fruits and showed it to his bunny, "I just can't believe this is a natural plant. It looks like a flower has been painted on the top."
"Oh, trust me, it is real alright," Judy grabbed the plant from his paw and promptly placed it back into the display crate. "My cousin Evelin tried growing them a few years ago."
"Tried?" Nick asked. He quickly pulled out his phone and took a picture before Judy could answer his question, "I have to show Finnick, he will not believe this for a minute."
Walking into the next building, Judy looked around with her eyes wide and her ears standing up straight, "This is new. The last time I was here was about two and a half years ago and this building was not here."
"How can you tell? It looks like any other country barn to me." Nick said with a tilt of his head.
"Because for Carrot Days this was the site where they used to put the hay maze.
"Hay maze, you mean like a cornfield maze?" the fox asked. "I thought that was a Spirits' Eve thing?"
"I don't know about that, Slick. Bunny Burrow always had one for Carrot Days."
This new barn had more aisles and display cases than the produce barn. This was the arts and crafts area, where school kits and aspiring artists displayed their projects. Everything that wasn't too large was locked tightly away in glass cabinets. Those items that were not securely locked up, were far too large for any single bunny to carry away on their own.
The first piece of art that greeted the mixed couple as they entered the huge sliding barn doors was a life-sized plaster cast of a northern buffalo. Instead of being dressed up like a mannequin, this buffalo was painted from horns to hoof with a near match of a flag from the old country. The fields of red, white, and blue making a starburst-like pattern.
Along the first row, were school kit drawings of parents or teachers that moved into scenes of farmland or cityscapes. As the fox and rabbit walked towards the back of the building, the artist's ages slowly increased.
Around the area where the high schoolers displayed their drawings, Nick stopped to admire an exceptionally well-drawn piece with two otters on a first date. The image was clearly paw-drawn, yet the colors and shading were extremely life-like. "This is amazing! I can't believe this was done by a young school kit."
"Yes," Judy chirped. "You would be surprised by all the artists we have growing up here in the burrows."
"Oh, I am, Carrots. Truly surprised."
As they continued onward, the drawings became larger and quickly changed into ornately framed paint and canvas. The adult art was all done in more traditional styles, yet nothing Nick saw seemed to match the quality and realism he saw from that teenage kit.
Down the next aisle, was art of the wearable variety. Beads, bracelets, knitting, and embroidery filled the shelves.
"I wonder if your Grans have anything in here this year?" Nick asked his bunny politely.
"No, not the knitting bunch," Judy shook her head. "Several of the school kits made some very nice necklaces and a couple of flower hats. One of my youngest sisters made a mural of a carrot out of beads. She sewed it into a shirt so she could wear it around. I think she has put it on display here somewhere."
At the start of the next row, were cases full of paw carvings and small, clay statues. Most were mythic creatures or the giant lizard monsters that roamed the world in ancient times. Halfway down the aisle, the statues suddenly changed to vases and other pottery. Along with the poetry, were also paw woven baskets. In between the two sections, Judy stopped to admire some large wood carvings.
"Here is where the loggers from the mountain village display their works." She pointed to a large carving of a full-grown elk dressed in a native ritual garb complete with a feathered headdress. "The sign says the artist used a chainsaw to make this."
"That is quite impressive, Fluff," the fox commented, with his paw on his chin. "But what about this one?" He waved his paw at a large, winged, female equine that was wearing only a single sheet of cloth.
The statue carried a fancy harp while her long mane flowed down her back and spilled across her wings. Her tail was wrapped around her body like a whip ready to lash out at her enemies. As a whole, it appeared very regal and the style could have been taken directly from the classic period. Nick had not seen a better statue carved out of marble, yet this was distinctly cut from a single oak trunk, he could even make out the tree rings.
"Oh, my," Judy clapped her paws and squealed. "Nick this is one of her's."
"Who's?" He asked, puzzled.
"Longtooth was her grandfather's name I think," the rabbit stepped closer to the statue and read the plaque next to the display. "Oh, her name is Edmonia. She is the beaver I told you about. Mom bought one of her pieces a few years ago. Everything she makes is carved with only her teeth."
Nick's eyes bulged, "Are you saying this entire thing was carved with her teeth? Talk about playing with your food."
A small fist contacted the fox directly on his shoulder, and he quietly yelped while rubbing the sore spot. "Har, har. Very funny, Slick," Judy groaned, holding her clenched paw in front of his long nose. "I don't know why I ever put up with you?"
"You know you love me," the fox smirked with a wink at his bunny.
"Do you even have to ask, Dumb Fox?" The rabbit did not even wait for an answer before she pulled the fox down for a light kiss on his black nose. When she let go, the fox continued to stare straight ahead like he was caught in a pair of bright headlights at night. In a swift motion, she stepped around the stunned fox and gave his rump a quick pinch.
Judy danced out of the way as the much slower fox tried to swat at the offensive rabbit. As his large, black paw swished by, Judy quickly jumped in for a second pinch. By now, the fox had turned around to where the quick bunny had been standing, but she was already gone. She had followed his bushy tail as he turned and when the fox tried to grab at her she pinched him for a third time.
Dodging out of the fox's grasp again, Judy began to run down the aisle, but Nick hesitated to follow her. Several rabbits and a young sow were glaring angrily at the frisky couple.
When she saw that her boyfriend was not following her, Judy put her paws on her hips and called back to him, "Aw, come on, Slick. Don't you want to chase the bunny?"
Standing up straight, the fox shook his head, "Maybe some other time, Judy. How about we go see what they have to eat in this place."
The playful doe did not catch on to the cautious tone in his voice or the use of her real name so she continued to taunt him. He only stood there and after several moments she agreed, disappointed, "Alright, Nick. Let's go find some food." She did not understand what was wrong with her fox, but she would be sure to drag it out of him later.
Outside of the arts and crafts barn were several colorful, cloth-covered stalls selling a variety of foodstuffs. There were tons of deep-fried options and even a few plain veggies on sticks, but Nick did not spot a single vendor offering something for a hungry predator. No fried crickets, or cicada mash cups and certainly not even one cart with a hint of frozen fish. What they did find was a familiar fox selling fruit-filled pastries.
Gideon waved at them as they passed his stall, "Hey, Judy, Nick."
"Gideon," Judy cried as she hopped over to the baker's booth. "How is business going today?"
"It has been wonderful, Judy," Gideon said cheerfully, passing out a pawful of mini danishes to a group of bunny kits. "Ever since I partnered up with your family, the bakery business has been booming." He waved farewell to the kits and turned as the new couple approached.
"That is just awesome, Gideon," the rabbit exclaimed, bouncing on her hind paws.
"Now that I can put Hopps' Farm fresh produce in my pies I was able to win the baking contest two years in a row," the country fox explained.
"Congratulations," Judy cheered. "I am so glad for you. Did you enter the contest again this year?"
His expression darkened slightly for a moment before he answered the rabbit's question, "No. I can't."
"Why not?"
A bright smile returned to the baker's lips, "The Harvest Festival Council asked me to host the pie eating contest this year. That's why I couldn't sell you any blueberry pies yesterday. I am saving them all for the contest."
Judy placed her paws over her muzzle and her eyes almost bulged out of her skull. "Oh my carrot cake," she nearly screamed in delight. "Gideon, this is amazing. It is such an honor to be able to host your own contest in the festival."
"Did you say b-blue, b-berries?" Nick stammered and he started to drool. Wiping the wet drops from the side of his mouth, he mumbled shakily, "Pie eating contest?"
"Yes, Nick," Gideon replied. "I am putting up over a hundred full-sized blueberry pies for the contest later this afternoon. There are still a few slots open if you want to join in." The plump, red fox handed Nick a clipboard with a long sheet of names.
With the sign-in sheet in paw, Nick saw that there were a few blank slots at the bottom of the list and he quickly signed his name and handed the board back to Gideon.
Gideon hung the list upon a peg in his stall and turned back to Nick and Judy, "Hey folks, it has been great talking to you again, but there is someone I need to speak with real quick." He pulled off his apron and quickly exited the booth heading towards the front gate. "I hope you two enjoy the rest of the festival."
Nick watched the other fox as he ran off. Before turning back to Judy, he thought he saw Gideon stop in front of a tall, black-wooled ewe wearing a military-style flight suit.
For lunch, they met up with Stuart and Bonnie Hopps. Judy had two small lettuce wraps and a large pile of fried sweet potato strings. She swore up and down that the entire pile was a single string cut from the same potato. Nick, on the other paw, managed to find a sandwich vendor that dumped a warm chili sauce over the top of a veggie-stuffed baguette and called it a hot bun or something like that. The fox added some relish and diced onions to give his hot bun sandwich some more variety.
When Nick sat down at the picnic bench with his girlfriend and her family, Bonnie was talking about how eloquent the new mayor was at the opening ceremony this morning. "At least he didn't try to turn it into a speech about himself like last time," Stuart added with a grunt.
After lunch, the next items on the energetic rabbit's list were, of course, the carnival games. Nick and Judy played a few rounds of various games like the coin toss or shooting the clown with water guns, but neither of them won anything. Judy even gave a shot at a kithood favorite called Bop-A-Carrot even though the device was almost too small for even her short stature.
After several frustrating rounds, Nick accidentally snickered at the struggling rabbit as she tried to hit the elusive carrots on the head. Throwing down the mallet in aggravation, she turned her anger on the fox, "So do you think you could do better?"
"Certainly not, Sweetheart," the fox replied casually. "That mallet is far too small for my paws, I could barely grip it. Better if I smacked them with my bare paws."
"Fine, then," Judy pouted with her paws on her hips. "How about a wager then?"
Nick rubbed his chin for a minute before responding, "Ok. I am game. What kind of wager?"
Hopping on her paws, the rabbit looked around the game stalls they had yet to play, "Alright, I got one. If you can't win the next game we play then you have to rub my hind paws tonight. And I get to pick the game."
"Hah," the fox gasped loudly. He leaned down to the bunny's eye level, nearly touching noses with the rabbit. "What do I get out of this deal when I win, hmm?"
Thumping her paw in the grass, Judy thought long and hard about what the fox might want in return, "Do you want a paw massage too?" The fox only shook his head. She tried again, "A neck rub?"
"Getting warmer, Carrots," he replied, but his tail swished almost happily.
"What more could you want than a paw and neck rub?" she demanded.
"Well ... After the long train ride and getting poked by that angry sow, I could use a full massage about now. And it's only fair you can get pampered by a fox if I lose." He held out his paw towards the rabbit, "Does that sound like a deal?"
"If by pampered by a fox you mean you and only you, then I am in," she firmly shook his paw when he agreed to the terms.
Once they sealed the deal, Judy stomped past the fox without letting go of his paw. She dragged him past the balloon pop game since he had already shown her how to beat that one. They dodged around the ring toss and walked straight up to a booth that had three apple bins sitting on a pyramid-shaped table.
Nick thought the bins looked more like the bottoms of wine barrels, but Judy insisted they were definitely fruit bins, "Are you sure about this, Judy? I will give you one chance to change your mind."
Still mad that he had made fun of her at the Bop-A-Carrot game, she glared back at him. Her purple eyes had somehow become three shades redder with fury. Putting her paw down, she deliberately declared, "No, this is the one."
"Why don't you give it a shot first, Carrots," Nick suggested as he gave the attendant the bills for three balls.
"So you can make fun of me again? No way, fox," she picked up the first ball and placed it into his paw. "Show us what you've got, Slick."
"Ok, Carrots," he replied with a wink. "But remember I like softly scented candles, but none of that lavender oil or anything. I don't like how it mats my fur. And make sure to wash your paws first."
"Har, har. Just throw the ball already. Or so help me, I will pull that big tail of yours right here in front of everyone."
Picking up the other two balls, Nick stepped back from the booth. He took an exaggerated step forward and began to spin his arm in a circle like he was winding it up for a big throw. Then he closed his eyes and walked slowly from one end of the booth to the other. Without looking he gently placed each ball into its own basket. When he reached the far end of the booth, and all the balls gently rested in their tubs, he twirled around and made a flashy pose like he was a tap dancer. "Ta-dah," he cried.
Judy was so furious now, that she started throwing spare balls at the infuriating fox. "How. Did. You. Do. That?" she screamed, throwing a ball after each word. "You are supposed to throw the balls from behind this line," she declared, stomping her paws in the grass.
Nick did not bother dodging or blocking the spherical projectiles, but casually walked up to the attendant, "No one said I have to throw them, and I was behind the line, Carrots." The fox pointed at a large, plush carrot hanging inside the booth, "I will take that one."
The game attendant pawed over the plush carrot with a look of one hustler to another, and Nick eloquently gave it to his date. Not having any of it, the rabbit pushed the toy back into the fox's paws.
"Oooh, why you," Judy snarled and promptly paid for three more balls. Her first throw immediately popped right back out of the basket as well as her second and third. The last one she had thrown as hard as she could and it nearly hit Nick in the nose when it returned.
"Argh," the rabbit yelled.
Stepping back up to the counter, Nick paid for another set of balls. He pawed one to Judy and explained, "Very gently place the ball on the rim of the basket."
Once again the rabbit tried to do as the fox said. She lightly tossed the ball at the basket but it landed a little too hard and bounced back out. "I am just too far away," she stomped her paws angrily.
"Ok, try tossing it so the top of the arc is right at the rim of the basket. Like this," he lifted the ball in a gentle curve that ended right inside the lip and the ball rolled to the bottom and only bounced a tiny bit, but it remained inside.
Seeing the fox's easy success, Judy grabbed the last ball from his paw and gave it another go. She tossed the ball exactly as he had demonstrated, but it hit the lip a bit too hard and bounced up into the air. When it came down again it hit the sidewall of the basket slowing its speed enough to not bounce back out again.
Judy threw her paws in the air and she began to hop and dance in the dry grass, "I got one. I got one."
"Congratulations, Fluff," Nick cheered. While she was still in a good mood, he pawed her the soft, orange carrot. This time she accepted the toy graciously, except for the tongue she pointed in his direction as she squeezed the plushie to her chest.
Pouting, she turned away from the fox and started walking towards the mechanical rides, "For that, I think you owe me at least one ride on the carousel, Slick."
"Don't forget about my massage, Carrots."
"Don't think I won't, Sly Fox."
The carousel was not particularly fast, and the music was quickly becoming annoying after the second rotation, but Nick completely enjoyed the smile on his bunny's face. Every time she winked at him as her magical seahorse bobbed up and down almost made him feel guilty about winning their little wager. Almost.
After the carousel, Judy skipped the bumper cars. She was not in the mood for that kind of fun, but she did opt to punch him in the shoulder to help simulate the sensation instead.
Behind the bumper car tent was a ride named the Twisted Squid. It had numerous arms that looked like tentacles with chairs on the ends that spun around independently of the arms. Watching the ride, the motions seemed almost random, but Nick knew that they had to be expertly choreographed and timed so the chairs never bumped into each other. Hauling on his paw, the little gray rabbit pulled him into the waiting line.
His date thoroughly enjoyed the mild ride, but Nick pretended not to be utterly bored with the whole ordeal. While they were still back on the train, he had promised his girlfriend that he would join her on all of the rides, no matter how boring. Watching Judy throw her paws in the air while screaming at the top of her lungs was far more fun anyway.
Exiting from the Twisted Squid, the fox pointed at the next ride, "You have to join me on the hammer."
"Of course," Judy scoffed. "I wouldn't miss it."
Paw in paw they both raced towards the waiting line. Unlike the rest of the more mellow rides, this line was fairly short and mostly consisted of young predators. They spotted the occasional ram or deer buck, but there were very few prey and not a single bunny.
When they took their seats in the small, private compartment, the ride attendant made sure the bar was secure in their laps before he closed the cage door. The ride started with a sedate and slow rocking motion before it gradually picked up.
As the arms swung back and forth Judy began to notice that not only were they swinging but the cage was also rotating freely from side to side. When the arms reached the point where they were parallel with the ground, the rabbit saw that the cage was facing away from the ride instead of inwards. On one side of the swing, the fox and rabbit were facing the ground and on the backswing, they were facing the sky.
After a few more swings, the arms had finally reached the twelve-o-clock position where they hung in the air for what felt like forever. At the same time, their cage was suspended upside down, and Judy thought she was going to fall out of the chair. As she was looking at the ground far below, a large, black paw caressed her cheek and when she turned towards the paw, a long, orange muzzle kissed her firmly on the lips.
Oh, why did her fox have to kiss her now? Her heart was already racing from being upside down a dozen meters up in the air. Well, if he was going to be that way, then two could play this game. She grabbed the thick tufts of fur on his cheeks and pulled him closer.
Moments before she was about to stick her tiny pink tongue into his mouth, the cage began to fall. As the cage accelerated towards the ground, the rabbit was slowly plastered into the back of her seat, yet she held onto her fox fiercely. The arms whooshed past the ground with incredible speed and Judy refused to let go of the kiss.
Once again, the arms reached the twelve-o-clock position, but instead of stopping, they only slowed for a second before plunging back down to the ground. That short pause was enough time for the bunny to let go of her fox with a growl. When the cage began its descent, both fox and rabbit laid their heads against the backs of their chairs, but their eyes were firmly fixed onto the others.
The arms circled clockwise several times before pausing upside down and then reversing direction for a few more loops. Each time they hung upside down, fox and rabbit lips would collide for a few seconds.
When the ride finally came to an end, and the cage was at a full stop, Judy growled again, "That was amazing." She leaned in to kiss her fox one last time before the cage door opened, but instead of pressing her lips to his, she bit him hard on the cheek. "You are so lucky that door is about to open, Mr. Wilde."
Strutting, she wagged her tail at the fox after the cage door opened and they had been released from their restraints. A happy purr followed the bunny as she climbed down from the ride and returned to the rest of the festival.
Walking slowly through the fairground with his rabbit girlfriend, Nick heard a nearby rumble followed by a loud whistle. "What is that?" he asked his date. "I thought we weren't anywhere near the train tracks."
"Oh, wow!" Judy cried. "They are here, you have to come see this."
Led by the paw, Nick followed his honey bunny through a crowd of rabbits who were all heading towards the rumbling noise.
On the edge of the fairgrounds, in an open field of freshly mown grass, a large group of rabbits and other local prey crowded around a huge machine that belched smoke and made a horrendous noise. Since Nick was at least a head taller than most of the onlookers, he was able to get a clear view of the large, iron monstrosity. It looked a lot like a half-sized train engine, but the huge, spiked, back wheels and tiny front ones made the thing look more like a farm tractor than a locomotive.
A large, steel canopy covered most of the machine except where the smokestack rose above the round boiler tank. At the rear of the vehicle, was a raised platform where several rabbits were hopping around pulling levers and checking dials while a large boar was shoveling coal into a box that kept spitting fire back at him.
One white rabbit in striped overalls and a floppy striped hat jumped from a pipe and pulled on a long chain. When the chain came down, a bell-like contraption on top of the engine spit out a thick cloud of steam with a shrieking whistle. The crowd cheered along with the noise.
"What is that thing?" Nick had to shout as loud as he could for Judy to hear him over the sounds of the machine.
Squeezing her fox's paw, Judy shouted back at him, "That is the town's one-hundred-and-ten-year-old steam tractor."
With a very impressed nod, Nick watched the machine clunk and chug away, "I am surprised it's still in such good condition."
"Yes. The museum curator keeps it well maintained." the rabbit shouted as the machine got even louder. "He is the guy dressed up like a train engineer. Do you see that long belt attached to that big wheel on the side?" When Nick nodded she continued her explanation, "Now that belt drives the thresher way over there."
Nick could see that the huge belt stretched for about the length of two school buses before it wound around a smaller wheel on the side of another odd-looking machine. This machine almost reminded him of an old, western stagecoach, except it had a lot more wheels attached and a big pipe out the back that was shooting grain into a wagon.
As the couple was walking towards the old-fashioned grain thresher to get a closer look, Judy's watch beeped. She did not hear the beep over the loud farm equipment but felt it vibrate instead.
"Oh, Nick. We have to go." She tugged at his arm and pulled him out of the crowd of curious bunnies. "The pie eating contest is about to start!"
The fox's stomach began to growl again at the word 'pie' and he started to drool knowing that blueberries were involved. He raced after the rabbit as she tore across the open field and back towards the colorful tents.
When they returned to the dining area where they had lunch earlier, several picnic tables were shoved together with a small crowd gathered around. All of the contestants were seated along one side of the tables while Gideon was walking back and forth along the other side setting out large trays loaded with slices of blueberry pie.
Nick found an open seat between an extremely rotund bunny, at least twice as large as Stuart, and a young, tough-looking boar, with vicious tusks jutting up from his lower jaw. Barely glancing at the other competitors, he waited patiently while the other red fox loaded each table down with mountains of blueberry pie.
Once Gideon had set out four heaping trays on each table, he began to recite the rules from a notecard he held in his paw. He also introduced each of the judges, who were standing directly in front of the tables, except for Eric, the kangaroo rat who had to stand on top of the table instead.
The red fox baker explained that each pie was precisely cut and weighed to be exactly equal portions and that for a slice to be counted, the contestant must consume the entire slice, including the crust. Crumbs would not be counted and manners were optional, "Just don't get pie all over the judges, please."
Each contestant could also choose to wear a Gideon Grey's Real Good Baked Stuff apron to prevent getting pie all over their clothes, or they could bring their own. A bell would sound to begin the contest and again after five minutes. The mammal who had consumed the most pie slices before the final bell would be the winner. Half-eaten slices on the bell would not count.
Nick and a few other contestants chose to wear one of Gideon's pink aprons to keep from getting their clothes dirty. One slovenly and unwashed-looking white-tailed buck simply poked a hole in a trash bag and placed it over his head. It took him several minutes to get the bag through his horns without tearing it even further.
When the first bell rang, Nick glanced up and saw Judy pointing her phone directly at him from across the table, but he tried not to worry if she was taking photos or filming the event. She blew him a quick kiss and cheered him on as he reached for his first slice of pie.
The pies were certainly not hot and fresh out of the oven, in fact, the fox was certain that they had been sliced yesterday. Their edges were dried out and had built up a thin skin that held the berries in place, keeping each slice's triangular shape. Yet, this was still the best blueberry pie that Nick had ever tasted. The perfect blend of tart and sweet exploding in the fox's mouth was like a dream come true. He wanted to slowly savor every bite, but the race was on and he was already behind by three slices.
Quickly grabbing another slice off the tray in front of him, the fox shoved it into his long muzzle, chewed, and swallowed. Another slice soon followed and another and another.
Nick was putting the pies away at a rapid pace. He no longer tasted that wonderful blueberry bliss that he had thoroughly enjoyed only moments before. His tongue had long since turned blue and now felt like it was coated in a sticky glue. The once pearly white canines at the end of his muzzle now hummed with sugar-coated ecstasy, but he continued to shove in more pie.
To the fox's right, the seriously overweight rabbit began to groan and tried shoving one last slice down his gullet by planting his muzzle into the top of the picnic table with a loud thud. Half of a slice was still stuck between his broad teeth as he lay muzzle down on the table.
On Nick's left, the young boar's hoof began to shake as he leaned back and tried dropping one more slice into his wide-open mouth. The slice collided with his large tusks and fell to the ground.
Three and a half minutes into the race, nearly all of the other contestants had dropped out. Several had literally dropped, they fell headfirst onto the table or slid off the benches and onto the ground. One contestant had been quite visibly sick and was immediately disqualified.
With thirty seconds remaining, only two contestants still sat upright, a red-furred fox tod wearing a pink and white apron over his blue, plaid shirt, and a very unkempt deer buck, whose trash bag was covered with more blue streaks than a painter's easel. Both of the final mammals were pushing hard for the finish line. Each one continued to shove more and more pie into their mouths.
Nick only knew he was the last one left at his table. He was super focused on the pies in front of him, as well as the screaming and cheering bunny with those big purple eyes. His stomach was on the verge of bursting when he reached for the next slice. The fox bit down on the blueberry mess in his paws when a bell rang from somewhere in the distance.
Chewing, he was determined to finish one more slice. He swallowed and reached for another slice when some rabbit leapt over his table and gave him a big hug and peck on his long nose.
"It's over, Slick," Judy cried in exuberance. "You can stop eating now."
"Did I win?" Nick asked as he looked around at all the other contestants who had either fallen on the table or completely out of their seats. All but one remained upright, a white-tailed deer who seemed to be covered in blue paint.
"We will have to wait for the judges' final announcement, but let's get you cleaned up first," Judy explained.
"Sorry, Judy," Gideon said when he overheard her conversation. "But all contestants must remain in view of the judges until the winner has been selected." But he did paw over a damp towel which Judy promptly accepted and began to wipe the crumbs and blue splotches from her boyfriend's plaid shirt.
For about 20 minutes, the judges gathered around a single table comparing tally cards and discussing which mammals had dropped first and which contestant looked the most green. Once they had completed their deliberations, they pawed over a notecard to Gideon, who climbed up on a table to be overheard.
Standing on the table and with a loud voice, Gideon declared the winners, "First, a consolation prize goes to Chester Ramsbroke, the first mammal to literally lose his lunch." He held up a shirt that read, 'I Survived Burrows County Harvest Festival.' "Now where is Chester?"
A young, adult ewe stepped up and whispered to Gideon and the fox frowned slightly, "Oh I am sorry Mrs. Ramsbroke. Well, I am sure you can give this to him when he returns."
"Ok then," Gideon stood up again and addressed the crowd. "With a total of fifteen slices, third prize goes to Raymond Stinthsky." The baker stumbled over the name and had to repeat it several times. When the wolverine stepped forward, the fox handed him a bronze medal and a ticket for one free pie at Gideon's shop.
"Second place with nineteen slices eaten and a first-time guest to our fair town," the red-furred baker seemed to pause for a second before shouting the name. "Nicholas Wilde!"
At hearing Nick's name, Judy went completely wild. She hopped around like mad while trying to drag Nick out of his seat and pulled him towards the impromptu stage. Nick on the other paw, let out a loud belch as Judy dragged him across the grass.
When Gideon put the silver medal around his fellow fox's neck he also pawed him a large box full of what looked like dishes. Upon seeing Nick's puzzled expression, Judy explained that it was a complete baking set.
"And finally," Gideon returned to the crowd. "The top prize for the day, a year's supply of baked goods from my store and coupons from other shops around town. I give you this year's first place, pie eating contest winner with twenty-seven slices gobbled up, Linus Whiteford."
Later, after the crowd had dispersed and the tables set back in their original places, Nick and Judy were discussing the contest while walking around the other brightly colored stalls. "I don't know how that buck did it. I was shoving pies into my mouth as fast as my paws could go," he explained to his bunny.
The rabbit shook her head, "I am not really sure either, Slick. But every time I looked over in his direction he was shoving two pies in his mouth at once, and I honestly don't think he even bothered to chew. With the way that trash bag looked, I bet half the pies he picked up fell out of his mouth uneaten."
Before the fox could protest, his bunny started to pull on his paw, "Hey, don't dwell on it too much, you were amazing out there. Besides, the sun is about to go down in twenty minutes or so. That is when the band will start playing."
"I knew it," the fox snapped his fingers. "That stage did look like it was too fancy for a single podium."
"Come on, Slick," Judy continued to pull on her fox's arm. "I want to find a good spot on the dance floor."
Arriving at the stage beside the smaller of the two barns, Nick saw the large curtain had been pulled back revealing the band preparing to play. In front of the stage, a mostly level section of dirt served as a dance floor. It was no slick dance club. It was crude, but it was still serviceable as an outdoor theater.
Dozens of couples stood around paw in paw or hoof in hoof waiting for the music to start. Most of the couples on the floor were young adult bunnies or hares, but the fox spotted a few sheep, some pigs, a deer, and even one pair of small, brown bears.
Several apologies later, Judy had pushed her way through the crowd to a clear spot close to the center of the stage, dragging the reluctant fox behind her. Hopping up and down on both paws, she waited for the band to start playing while stealing glances at her date.
Nick stood with his paws in his pockets, watching the anxious bunny, when he noticed that the hungry look in her eyes had returned. He knew that Judy's emotions seemed to be swinging back and forth like a pendulum today, but that was only another typical day for the emotional bunny.
Something about his rabbit had changed yesterday. If he wasn't a predator, the look she kept giving him might have been terrifying. The way that she fixated on him with her eyes and how her ears seemed to always be pointing in his direction no matter which way her head turned. He almost felt like she was stalking him, and right now, the look she gave him said that she was about to pounce any second.
The fox did not shy away from Judy's intensity. He thought it was rather cute, like a young cub stalking their first prey. Yet, as both a fox and a male, he completely misinterpreted the look she gave him.
When the bright orange disk of the sun hit the edge of the horizon and began to sink below the hills, the band began to play. The music they chose to play this evening wasn't entirely country-western or entirely rock and roll. They played a variety of different songs from pop, rock, and of course country. Nick breathed a sigh of relief once he realized that there wasn't going to be any barn-style line dancing at this shindig.
After the first song, Judy noticed that her dancing partner seemed to be holding back a bit, "What's wrong, Nick? You're usually a much better dancer than this."
Patting his stomach, the fox replied, "You do know that I am carrying around a lot of extra weight right now?"
Ashamed, the rabbit put her paw over her muzzle, "Oh, I'm sorry. I totally forgot about that. Well, I will try to go easy on you then, Slick."
The next few songs were a bit milder and Nick was able to keep up with his bunny, at least partially. As long as he avoided any crazy spins or splits, he was able to keep the heavy, blueberry pie in place, where it belonged.
A fast-paced, rock song followed and Nick made his bunny squeal when he tossed her into the air during a long section of fierce drum beats. On the return, he caught her mid-air and twirled around letting her ears flap in the breeze.
Despite the cool evening air and her sluggish dance partner, Judy was seriously enjoying the dance. In years past, she would often avoid this part of the Harvest Festival. By the time she was old enough to join in the dance, then dancing with her siblings was considered extremely odd. There were never any bucks around the burrows that she wanted to dance with either, so she preferred to avoid the event altogether. This year was completely different, this year she had a boyfriend.
Judy had hoped that more physical activity would help calm her aggressive hormones, but in the end, it only made them worse. Her partner's slow moves seemed to have dried up after several songs, and now, the way he shook his tail and kept brushing it against her only drove her to the brink of insanity. What is wrong with me, her mind raced, why can't I just enjoy the moment?
Before she could answer the question, Nick set her up for a twirl and held her paw over her head. When the spin stopped she fell back into his arms to stare deeply into those emerald green pools.
Laying in his arms, she reached up to caress his cheek expecting a warm kiss, but the song ended abruptly. Nick lifted her back onto her hind paws and clapped along with the rest of the crowd.
For a brief second, a hint of anger flashed in her eyes, but she quickly brushed back her ears and began to clap along as well. Looking up towards the stage, Judy saw the lead singer was picking up a guitar and pawed over the mic to another performer.
When they started to play again, the rabbit immediately recognized the song. It was a slow, rock ballad that she thought had originated as an ancient waltz. The first few bars were definitely a waltz, but when the guitar cut in, everyone immediately knew that it was a rock song.
Nick also knew the song and when it started, he performed an elegant and gentile bow before his bunny, "May I have the pleasure of this dance, m'lady?"
Holding out her paw for the fox, she gave him a polite curtsy, "Why of course dear, sir."
Taking her paw gently in his own, the fox and bunny took a few steps on the tips of their toes like a ballerina. When the guitar began to sing, Nick twirled Judy around until she was pressed against his chest in a more modern style of dance.
They danced together, arm in arm for the majority of the song, with Judy clutching desperately to the fox's chest. Emotions raced through the rabbit's tiny body, she wanted nothing more than to rip the shirt from his body and kiss every inch of orange fur. During the duration of the song, one of his buttons must have come loose, because she found some of his creamy, chest fur sticking through the shirt and she twirled at it playfully with her finger.
As the singer hit a particularly high note near the end of the song, Nick swept the rabbit back into his arms where their eyes met. Judy could have sworn that a barrage of fireworks was set off at the exact moment their eyes joined. Once again, she was drowning in those deep, emerald pools and barely felt their lips pressed together.
This was no mild kiss on the lips between friends, but a full mouth open, tongue lashing kiss of desperate passion. The rabbit snarled and chewed her way into that hungry kiss, trying to pull the fox as close to her as she possibly could in a single kiss, while the fox's passion for the rabbit was no less intense.
Neither of the entwined kissers noticed the band suddenly stopped playing on a sour note. The guitar may have broken a string or the singer may have swallowed a fly. No one in the crowd knew exactly what happened, but everyone simply stopped dancing.
As soon as the music stopped and the dancing paws stood still, all eyes turned towards the fox and rabbit who were locked together in a fierce, tongue-wrestling match. From somewhere near the stage a small voice cried, "Eww!"
From out of the crowd a cougar, no older than Judy rushed forward and grabbed the fox away from the rabbit. Nick was then unceremoniously thrown to the ground where a ram of the same age promptly sat on him.
Turning back to the rabbit whose eyes were still closed, the cougar got down on his knees and shook the rabbit. "Judy!" He cried. When she opened her eyes he looked into them intensely, "Judy, are you ok? Did he hurt you?"
"Bobby?" Judy asked, very confused to see her high school friend suddenly standing in front of her. "Where is Nick?"
The cougar lightly shook the rabbit again, "Judy, stay with me. Did he hurt you, are you bleeding anywhere?" He tried to turn the rabbit's head from one side to the other, but she easily shoved his paw aside.
"Where is Nick? What have you done with him," she cried in anguish. When she saw her fox laying muzzle first in the dirt, she tried to run to him, but Bobby easily held her in place.
"It's ok now, Judy," the young cougar's tone was calm and soothing. "He can't hurt you anymore. Gareth an'I will make sure of that."
A small gray paw crashed into the side of the cougar's muzzle with a force that made his eyes glaze over for a few seconds, "Bobby Catmull, let go of me this instant! And leave my boyfriend alone."
"Y-your what?" the cougar stammered. "But we thought he was trying to bite you. H-how could you be dating a fox?"
"What seems to be the trouble here folks," a gruff voice snorted from Judy's left.
Gareth finally spoke up as a tall, uniformed moose walked into the small circle that had formed in the crowd around them, "We were only trying to rescue Judy here from this dangerous fox. Ain't that right Bobby."
"Yes, sir," the medium-sized feline nodded. "The whole crowd saw it too. This fox," he pointed at a prone Nick sprawled out in the dirt, with a large ram sitting on his back, "he done bit Judy and tried to swallow her whole."
"Is this right, Judy?" the sheriff turned to look down at the much smaller mammal.
"Absolutely not, Sheriff Morris," Judy declared with both paws on her hips and hind paw thumping furiously in the dirt. "He is my boyfriend, and I was only kissing him." Shyly she added, "I may have gotten a little carried away and took it too far."
Sheriff Morris scrunched up his broad nose and accidentally let the words, "Eww, disgusting," escape from his lips. When he realized what he said he coughed and tried to cover his muzzle with a hoof.
"Argh," Judy cried. "I can't believe all of you!" She stomped over to the ram, "Gareth, please get your big tail off of my boyfriend."
When the sheep finally climbed off the fox, he did not offer a paw or any apology. He only stood back and brushed off his pants calmly.
As soon as the fox was free, he ran towards the edge of the dirt dance floor.
"Just as I suspected," the moose said. "He is running away with his tail between his legs."
"He is running for a trash can," Judy pointed out angrily.
Leaning over a large, round bin, Nick dropped his head inside where he was violently sick.
"Nick took second place in the pie eating contest, and his stomach has been complaining since before we stepped on the dance floor. We have been trying to take it easy, at least until I kissed him."
Again, the moose scrunched his muzzle and quietly uttered another, "Eww."
"Sheriff!" Judy cried. "Just because you do not agree with my choices in romance does not make it illegal." She pulled out her badge and flashed it at the tall officer, "As a fellow officer I know that it is our duty to uphold the law, even if we disagree with it. It's not our job to change it. Nothing Nick and I did here was illegal."
She turned and looked around the crowd, "What is wrong with a bunny who is in love with a fox? Why are we the only ones being harassed tonight?" Waving her paw at a nearby skunk who was holding paws with an opossum, "What about Mandy and Rick, or Frank and Larry?" The other couple she called out was a rabbit and a groundhog who blanched as the nearby rabbits turned to notice them.
"They are both interspecies couples," Judy continued. "But they are not being thrown to the ground because, oh no he might hurt her." The rabbit's fury was on a roll now and she could see that the passion in her voice seemed to touch some of the crowd, "Is it because Nick and I are pred and prey? That his species used to hunt mine in ancient times?"
Raising her voice an octave, Judy pointed a sharp claw at the fox as he slowly returned from the recently abused trash bin, "Nick is the smartest, loyal, and most trustworthy guy I have ever met. That includes every single buck in this town, as well as you Bobby, and you too Gareth."
Hopping over to the fox, she grabbed his paw with her back to the cougar and his friend, "Come on Sweetheart, let's go somewhere a lot more private. I didn't like the company here anyway." With a huff, she led the fox away from the dance floor and into a dark, empty field.
As she left with her date, the angry blood pumping through her ears prevented her from hearing the few claps and cheers that followed them. She was so mad, she didn't even notice that Gideon was walking onto the dance floor, paw in hoof with a tall, black-wooled ewe in a bright, flowery dress that was clearly out of season.
Sitting on top of a distant hill, a red fox wearing a blue, plaid shirt was rubbing the large, hind paws of a grey-furred rabbit. Her paw straps had been removed and they were laying in the thick grass beside her while the fox massaged her sore paws.
Judy lay on her back while Nick dug his thumbs into the base of her paw, then pushed one up between her toes. "Mmmm," she groaned at his ministrations. "Keep doing that."
While the fox silently complied, Judy raised her arms and pointed at the sky, "Now that one right there, where the clouds are moving away, is called Lepus. It is the patron constellation of rabbits and messengers. East of that is the canid. I sometimes think that he is chasing her, but she is forever outrunning him."
"You certainly do love to run, Sweetheart," Nick commented warmly.
A pleasant hum escaped the rabbit's lips, "Mmhmm. The thought of you chasing me makes my heart flutter. I might actually let you catch me."
The fox set down her paw and picked up the next one which he began to rub gently, "As much as that sounds like a lot of fun, Darling, I don't think it would be a good idea with that speciest crowd down there." He pointed a sharp claw back down the hill at the bunch of rabbits who were still dancing to the distant music.
"Yeah," Judy hummed pleasantly while Nick continued to massage her paws. "They are a bunch of jerks."
Leaning forward, she pulled her paw away from the fox and sat up. "I love you so much Nick and I don't care what anyone else thinks about us." She reached out with her arms and pulled him into a tight hug, "You are my fox, and I am never giving you up."
More clouds moved away from the grassy hilltop and a field of millions of bright stars shone down on the couple as they clutched to each other without a care for what the next day would hold.
[A/N] I have recently been reading How Could Anyone Love A Fox Like Me from RiseAgainst522. It is a great romance that takes place after Bellwethers arrest and the end of the movie. The story has really pulled me in and I keep wishing for the fox and bunny to confess their feelings or just kiss already. There are tons of cute and fluffy scenes for all those sugar addicts out there. I feel that this story also has tons of drama that I wish I had put into the first part of Loves Blind. The last update was back in June but I am sure that if everyone from here hopped on and posted a comment, we could convince the author to finish the story.
Knowing my own month and year long struggles with writer's block, having tons of encouragement really helps break the wall and can inspire me to work on the next chapter.
Tonight is Christmas Eve where I live so I hope you all enjoy this little present from me. I usually post updates on the last Friday of each month so here is an early one.
The next chapter could be out in a month, or sooner depending on how quickly my editor can read it.
Thank you to everyone who posted comments on last months updates, I really enjoy reading all of them. You guys help keep me inspired to work on finishing this story.