[A/N] This is one of my favorite chapters. Even though I wrote it more than a year ago, yet I still love reading through it for the umpteenth time. I would love to know what everyone's favorite chapter has been so far. Please leave a comment and let me know.
Loves Bond
Chapter 22 - Small Packages
A single wooden bench sat facing the shallow stream in the southern corner of the sprawling Hopps family farm. The bench had been lovingly crafted more than three decades ago when the farm had been expanded to the south and a new burrow was dug. It was carved from several paw hewn logs that had been expertly fitted together to survive many years of rain and snow. Occasionally initials had been scratched into the weathered surface of the well used seatback.
Two tall trees grew on either side of the bench, overlooking a slow moving pool as the stream curved around a bend in the landscape. Gold and brown leaves covered the wooded ground around the bench, but the paw carved seat had been carefully swept clean of the crumbling foliage.
Behind the bench was a narrow trail that wound through a thick grove of trees whose leaves had all fallen to the forest floor. Small tufts of brown grass poked through the dense layer of leaves that buried everything in the area. Even the trail was almost totally obscured by the golden brown blanket.
The midday sun shone through the bare branches of the surrounding trees but did little to warm the cool air. A hint of frost seemed to hover around the next tree waiting for the sun to slip behind the distant hills before it struck to nip and bite at any unprotected fur.
A pair of nearly identical rabbits sat together on the bench unconcerned by the chill in the autumn air. They held each other close, but not because of the brisk breeze that blew through their long ears. The skinnier one leaned across the other with her muzzle pressed firmly against her sister's chest while a pair of grey and white paws wrapped around her torso.
The breeze ruffled the faux fur on the thinner rabbit's fashionable autumn jacket and her ears fell droopily behind her head. Her slightly heavier sister did not seem to be affected by the midday chill while wearing a simple cotton shirt that had been dyed in orangish and yellow stripes along with a well worn pair of tight blue jeans.
Shudders and shivers ran through the fancy coated rabbit like tiny little earthquakes while the country bunny clutched tightly to her sister in a warm and comforting hug. When the city bunny began to wail and sob tearfully, the hug tightened and a gentle paw began to slowly pat her back.
Tears ran down the yellow striped shirt like a far eastern river, soaking through the common fabric. These were only the newest in a set of salty beads that had rained down on Jennifer's shirt today and it had withstood the nearly endless torrent with only a few stains. It was an old shirt and could be easily washed once she returned to the Southern Burrow.
"There, there," Jennifer soothed, patting her litter mate's back softly. "Everything is going to be alright."
The city rabbit continued to sob violently into her sister's chest. Her body shook with each tearful wail like she was emptying bucket loads of anguish and sorrow. All of her pent up emotions from the last month were dumped onto Jennifer's lap as a stream of tears flowed from her purple eyes like the small creek that ran slowly past the bench they shared.
"You know I will love and care for them like they were my very own kits," the pink eyed rabbit explained tenderly. Her slightly crooked nose twitched as the autumn breeze carried the smell of wood smoke from a distant hearth.
Shaking, the crying bunny tried to stem the flow of tears but only ended up choking in the process. She turned her muzzle away from her sister and tried to not cough into her lap. Another cough and several hiccups later, she sat up and looked into Jennifer's warm and tender eyes.
While the sisters clung tearfully together on the bench, a single brown leaf, that had been hanging on at the top of a nearby tree, fell through a clutch of bare branches to splash into the cool stream. The leaf was quickly swept along with the currents where it would eventually join the ocean hundreds of kilometers away, or get stuck under a fallen log after only passing the next bend.
Helping the weeping rabbit to rise from her lap, Jen wiped a soft paw under her sister's amethyst eyes. The grey cheeks were soaked and tears continued to stream down them despite Jen's attention. She finally had to ball up her sleeves and rubbed them across both drenched cheeks, but the doe's grey fur remained damp and matted.
Sniffling, Judy wiped her wet nose with the back of her paw and tried to speak, but her body still shook and she could not form any coherent words. "Th-thanks, J-Jen-Jen."
With a soft whisper that could barely be heard over the babbling brook, Jennifer clasped Judy's shoulders and looked her directly in the eyes. "Are you absolutely sure this is what you want?"
Nodding, Judy wheezed out the word, "Yes." A series of hiccups followed her answer like a stampeding herd of springboks, hopping and bounding across a grassy plain. Every time she opened her mouth to speak, another pop escaped from the back of her throat until she was forced to hold bold paws over her muzzle tightly.
"I-I," Judy hiccupped and sniffled again before Jennifer pulled her into a gentle hug.
"I understand Ju-Ju," Jen reassured.
Sniffling into the yellow shoulder, Judy tried to speak again but the hiccups continued to interrupt her words, "I-I c-can't t-take c-care of a w-whole lit-ter of k-kits on m-my own. The-the c-city is not a great place to raise a l-large family as a s-single mom."
She pulled slightly away from her sister in order to see the concern on her muzzle. "T-They will be be-better off growing up here with o-other rabbits." Tears welled up in her eyes again as the sobs threatened to break loose.
Jennifer held Judy close again as she rubbed her back and spoke softly, "I know, sis. But you will miss out on so much of their lives if you stay in the city." Squeezing Judy in her arms, Jen kicked at a pile of wind blown leaves that had clumped near the base of the bench.
More sobs wracked Judy's body, "I-I never wanted this. I-I don't want any k-kits right now. Th-This would mean the end of my career, but m-my family and everyone in B-Bunny Burrow would despise me if I chose to end the pregnancy. I-I would be the scorn of rabbit's everywhere if I did."
"I know," Jen said, squeezing her weeping sister tighter. "Is that even legal here?"
Nodding against Jen's shoulder, Judy explained, "It is in the city. Th-That is why I need you to take care of them for me." Her hiccups slowly subsided as she spoke, but her eyes remained wet and threatened to burst at any second.
"You don't have to ask twice, Jude," the pink eyed rabbit declared warmly as she reached up to pet Judy's long ears. "I would do anything for you, even raising your kits."
"Thank you so much, Jen-Jen," Judy sniffled tearfully and hugged her sister back. "I will try to be there for birthdays and holidays when I can."
"Then we can be a family again," Jennifer hummed, leaning her head against Judy.
Judy nuzzled into her sister's affections, but continued to sniffle and whine sadly. "Just like you always wanted."
"Even if you make it for holidays and such, there is so much you will miss out on," the country rabbit counseled fondly. She continued to rub at the sorrowful rabbit's ear causing the whimpers to slowly subside. "You will never see their first steps, or hear their first words. You won't be there to kiss away their boo-boos, hear their first laughs, or chase them down the hall after they learn to escape from their crib. I will try to send you photos when I can, but trust me it won't be the same as being with them."
The large purple eyes grew bigger with each of Jennifer's words until the dam burst and the flood rushed down Judy's still damp cheeks. Again, she fell into her sister's lap, bawling and blubbering like a sick whale.
Giving up the kits that were still growing inside of her was nearly too much pain for Judy to deal with and she was truly grateful for Jen's tender paws that rubbed at her back and down her ear. The calming touch helped ease the pain slightly and reminded her that she still had a purpose here other than seeking comfort in her sister's arms.
A chill breeze quickly picked up, tossing and swirling some of the fallen leaves. Several fell into the slow moving pool of water but a few brushed across the cuddled bunnies. Jennifer swept aside the leaves that fell on her sister and pulled one out from between her own tall ears.
Sitting up slightly, Judy rested her head against Jennifer's chest instead of her lap. A soft hum escaped her lips at the intimate attention her ears were receiving. Normally she would only have let Nick touch her ears like that, but she had known Jen longer and her emotions were already so jumbled that she could hardly think straight.
With confidence slowly building in her chest, Judy sniffled again and tried to explain what was on her mind, "It's probably best if they never know that I am their mother. I can just be Aunt Judy to them. My job is far too dangerous and I think it's actually better this way."
Despite the cool breeze, the brightly glaring sun, and Judy's incessant lament, Jennifer remained calm and comforting. They were almost as close as twins, yet she soothed the emotional rabbit like an older sister. Petting her ears, this was the closest she had felt to Judy in many years, but when she heard her sister talk about the possibility that she could lose her life while working, it brought a single tear to her eye.
Reaching up, Jennifer tried to brush away the small tear, but it ran down her cheek before she could stop it. She actually sniffled slightly before speaking, "If this is really what you want."
Judy pulled back and shook out her ears. Sitting up on her own, she let the brisk breeze blow through her ears and her nose twitched curiously. She straightened her jacket and fastened two of the fancy buttons to help hold in any warmth she had left. The sadness was replaced by a warm smirk as she spoke playfully, "Do I want my kits to have a wonderful, happy life?"
She looked into her sister's eyes with a warm twinkle as she continued, "Being raised in a warm and loving family and not worrying every day if their mom will ever come home?" Tilting her head towards the other doe, she cheerfully answered her own question, "Yes, yes I do."
A happy tear dripped from one of her purple eyes and joined the others that had soaked her cheeks. "Thank you, Jen," Judy said with a warm and tender smile. "I do still love you." She then leaned over and planted a tender kiss on her sister's fluffy cheek.
Beaming, Jen replied as she squeezed Judy's paw, "I know. And I will miss you greatly once you're back in the city."
Jennifer looked down at Judy's belly and wondered if she could spot the growing bump. She placed her paw on the pregnant rabbit's tummy and said, "Well enough of the pity party. We should head over to the hospital and get those little rascals checked out."
"What?" Judy blinked as she put her paw over the one her sister had placed on her stomach.
Smiling, Jen replied, "You should be far enough along to get an estimate of how many and what genders they are."
The city rabbit sniffled and wiped her nose again. She pulled her fuzzy coat around her slender throat as she looked back at her sister. "Do you really think so?"
"Of course," Jennifer encouraged confidently. "I have been through at least one pregnancy and seen dozens of others. The Bunny Burrow Hospital has equipment that can tell you all of that stuff pretty early. You were saying it's been about a month?"
Judy shook her head, "Only three weeks I think, maybe a little more."
"For us rabbits that is more than enough time for the kits to start forming into distinguishable shapes and the doctors can tell you what kind of litter you are going to have."
"That is amazing," Judy stated cheerfully as she stood up. While the dry leaves crunched under her paws, she reached out to help her slightly rounder sister climb off the bench. "Now we need to find someone to take us into town."
Putting her paw around her thinner sister's shoulder, Jen replied, "No worries, sis. I know a doe with a car."
Judy giggled at the off pawed comment that reminded her of a certain city fox.
A crunching sound filled the air while a pair of does strolled paw in paw along the narrow, leaf buried path. The little used trail led to a secluded spot in the forest where a solitary rabbit could watch the shallow stream flow by and think about life or a young couple could watch the sunset together and carve their initials into the nearby trees.
One pair of paws skipped happily along the trail while the other seemed to drag the crispy, brown leaves along with each step. The two happy paws were wrapped in a thick yet soft cloth that protected them and gave them additional traction on the slippery trail while the sluggish pair remained bare.
Judy pulled at her sister's arm while they walked away from the tear stained bench. She was excited to discover what type of kits were growing inside her womb and tried to drag Jennifer quickly through the forest.
Jennifer, like their mother, was not in a big rush to trip on a hidden branch or root and plant her once broken muzzle into the deep layer of dead leaves that covered the trail. She held her energetic sister back who hopped and skipped ahead like a schoolgirl. For the first time in many years, she realized how strong her sister really was and she had a hard time holding onto Judy's paw while she tried to drag her down the trail.
After several minutes of walking silently along the path, the two very different rabbits came to a clearing in the woods. In the center of the small, treeless area was a four wheeled all terrain vehicle with a single seat and a large basket in the back.
Wiping a few fresh leaves from the seat, Jennifer climbed onto the quad and turned the key to start the engine. Without a word, Judy hopped up behind her sister and put both arms tightly around her waist.
As Jennifer gunned the engine loudly, the quad tossed leaves into the air and took off like a savage mammal suddenly let loose from its cage. It charged between the trees and followed a wider trail than the one they had been on moments before.
With a warm sigh, Judy rested her head against Jen's back and squeezed her sister tighter. She was not holding tightly to keep from falling off, but it had been weeks since she had been able to really hug a warm, living mammal. Sure, her plush dolls were a great comfort to snuggle with at night, but she seriously missed being able to cuddle with a warm body.
Deep down, she did really miss her sister. For many years they had been inseparable. Their mother always bragged how the two kits were born hugging each other, and through their early years they were always close together.
By the time they reached their school years, Judy was boldly exploring her world and going on great adventures around the farm. However the timid and shy Jennifer was always right behind her wherever they went. It was like the fluffier doe was constantly looking up to her stronger, and braver sister.
It wasn't until high school that the rift between them started to form. That was also the time when Jen discovered that she was more interested in does than bucks, and Judy, well Judy did not know what she liked. She knew that she was not interested in bucks, but rabbit does were also equally uninteresting.
Judy rarely paid any attention to bucks primarily because they did not pay attention to her. She was much more focused on being a cop than trying to date a buck, and they all scoffed at her dreams and would avoid her like she had some kind of disease. It didn't help that she was stronger than most of the rabbits her age and had a very masculine figure, unlike her softer, rounder sisters.
Only a few months ago did she realize why she befriended so many predators back in school. It took her sudden realization that she was in love with Nick to understand that even back in school she was attracted to preds. She was never really afraid of them, and actually found them to be fascinating.
Her brothers and sisters would laugh at her whenever she joined the predator table for lunch or stayed after school to help Bobby with his math. Even Jen would occasionally ridicule her for spending so much time with mammals that didn't have long ears and small, fluffy tails.
Now, years later, she was able to understand the pains of jealousy she felt when she had stumbled across Sandra Shortail kissing Bobby outside the school's side entrance. She had been so confused at the time that she never spoke to either bobcat for the rest of the year.
Falling in love with a fox this summer had opened her eyes to feelings she never knew that she had. Everyone had convinced her that preds were dangerous, but deep down, in a place she had hidden even from herself, they had excited her. The last time she was in Bunny Burrow, her sister had been right, she really was a predifile. It took a sly fox, and his sharp teeth around her neck to help her understand that long suppressed emotion.
Nuzzling against her sister's back as the quad broke free of the trees, Judy thought about her fox. A pair of tears formed under her eyes as she wondered what he was doing at that moment. She closed her eyes and let the wetness run down her cheeks as she squeezed Jennifer tightly.
The memory of Nick's cream colored chest made her nose twitch greedily. She missed the tod and dreamed of how he smelt after a shower. The clean fox musk brought a broad smile to her muzzle and she began to hum softly. A sense of warmth and safety filled the pregnant rabbit and she nuzzled the warm mammal in her arms reflexively.
After several minutes, Judy opened her eyes as she felt the ATV turn slightly, Jen was not headed back to the south burrow. She was now running straight up the tractor trail that led directly to the main Hopps burrow. Which doe was she planning to drive them to the hospital?
The wide car sailed down the road like a large land boat. It barely noticed any of the ruts and bumps in the country road and casually floated over them like they were only tiny ripples on a large lake. Splotches of primer covered the once white car, giving it a very mottled texture similar to many of the rabbits that lived nearby.
Skillfully driven, the car swerved around an exceptionally large hole in the road that was all that remained of the flood from an irrigation pipe that had busted months ago. After dodging the pothole, the driver plowed through a long series of washboards like they were as smooth as ice. The car's suspension had been recently rescued from a wrecked stock racer and now it responded like a dream.
None of the three does inside ever noticed any of the bumps from the familiar dirt road while they chatted about kits, and males and the latest fashions that were popular in the big city. Two of the rabbits sitting in the front seat looked nearly identical except for their clothes. While the driver was older, she dressed more like a teenager, in a skimpy, sleeveless shirt that was tied in front of her belly and she had on a pair of very short jeans.
To the driver's right was a young doe wearing a fashionable, fur trimmed jacket, and a pair of sleek, tan leggings that accentuated her hips and tail. The city rabbit's cheeks had been recently brushed but still appeared wet and a hint of redness remained under her purple eyes. On her right, her pink eyed sister, with the obviously broken nose, wore the same orangish and yellow shirt and blue jeans that she had on earlier. Most of the tear streaks on the shirt had been wiped away but a few of the salty stains still remained.
Sharleen turned to the niece who had been living in the big city for a few years and casually asked, "So how is your foxy boyfriend doing?"
The purple eyed rabbit sniffled and rubbed her nose while trying to hold back the incoming tear storm. Before she could speak, her well fed sister cut in.
"They aren't together any more," Jennifer said, patting her sister's paw.
"Aww. What happened dearie?" the scantily dressed aunt asked.
Squeezing Judy's paw, Jennifer answered again, "They had a big fight a few weeks ago."
"Jen," Sharleen huffed. "Would you please let your sister answer for herself."
"Yes, ma'am," the younger doe said with her muzzle down, feeling slightly ashamed.
"Now, Judy," the older one encouraged, patting her niece's leg. "Please tell me what happened between you and, what was his name, Rick?"
"His name is Nick," Judy sighed with her paws folded together in her lap. "And Jen is right. We did break up after he showed me how much he really cares about our relationship."
"Why, what happened?" Sharleen's voice was thick with concern for her heartbroken niece.
A grimace crossed the purple eyed doe's muzzle as she recalled the incident, "I tried talking with him about whether we were doing the right thing as an interspecies couple."
"It can be rough," the older rabbit nodded like she knew exactly what the younger doe was going through.
"But he ignored me and threw my feelings back in my muzzle like I was an ignorant child or something."
"Oh, dearie." Sharleen's muzzle frowned as she dodged another pothole.
Judy's anger slowly rose and her nose began to twitch violently. "I am sure we could have worked things out but he also transferred to a different department without talking to me about it first. He just walked up to our boss and pulled the paperwork out of nowhere." She balled up her tiny fists and slammed them onto her legs with a hint of rage. "I was so angry at his contempt and disregard for my feelings that I nearly tripped over the coffee table."
Sharleen's jaw dropped as she listened to her niece's story, but no words came out.
"After that I stormed out of his apartment," Judy said, grinding her large, bucked teeth together. "I was so angry that I didn't even bother to grab my things."
"And straight into another buck's bed," Jennifer added callously.
The anger vanished with a loud sniffle as Judy shook her head. "I really don't remember much of what happened over those three days, except that a week later I was really sick."
Nodding, Sharleen turned off of the dirt road and onto the main highway that led into town. "So that is when you found out that you were going to be a mother."
Placing her open palms on her knees, Judy sighed, "Yeah."
"Judy," the older doe said comfortingly as she patted her niece's paw. "You know it is never too late to forgive him and try to get that fox back into your life." With an evil smirk she added, "Besides, they make the most amazing lovers."
"Auntie!" Jennifer cried with both paws covering her gaping muzzle, but her sister actually giggled. She looked at both skinny does and shook her head.
"What?" the driver asked loudly as she let a newer car pass around her old boat. "We are all experienced adults here, so what is the problem?"
"She does have a point, sis," Judy snickered warmly. She glared at her sister with a playful smile, "Or are you afraid to talk about male anatomy."
Crossing her paws over her chest, Jennifer rebuked, "I got no problem with a buck's anatomy." She hesitated for a second before continuing, "I just, um, prefer, ah, other parts." Fighting back the blush that was rising in her ears, she looked over at her sister and scoffed, "Look who's talking, little miss prude the dude."
Judy angled both paws down towards her belly and replied with a soft giggle, "I kind of got over that issue a few weeks ago." She then squeezed her aunt's paw. "And I have to actually agree with auntie here, foxes are amazing in bed. Well a certain fox is anyways."
"Ugh," Jen groaned in exasperation. She pulled her ears down and tried to cover her eyes with them while she uttered loudly, "I cannot believe I am sitting here listening to a pair of predifiles."
"That's a bit rude," Judy declared as her ears fell behind her head.
"Is that what this is about?" Sharleen asked as she pulled to a stop for a red light.
"Of course," the pink eyed doe declared, throwing both paws in the air with an angry grunt.
Huffing, the older doe turned her muzzle to look across the car with a sweet grin, "Don't knock it till you have tried it, dearie." After a few moments the light turned green and she pressed a hind paw down on the accelerator. "Oh, and Judy dear. I never got the chance to thank you for setting me up with your foxy friend."
Thinking of her own fox, Judy sighed before replying, "You're welcome, auntie."
"Finnick, is wonderful," Sharleen declared with a bright sparkle in her eyes. "He is the most honest and trustworthy male I have ever had the privilege to date. I wish you had introduced us years ago."
"You're kidding right? Finnick?" Judy raised one eyebrow and her nose twitched curiously. "I have never heard anyone describe him that way."
With a dreamy smile on her muzzle, the older doe explained, "He has always been open and honest with me, unlike all the bucks in this stupid town who claim to be some kind of rich businessmammal then turn out to be nothing more than cabbage farmers from Podunk or some other small town."
"Finnick is a conmammal, Sharleen," the city doe replied earnestly.
"The term is entrepreneur dear," Sharleen corrected with a dull claw pointed into the air. "And he has never hid that fact from me. In fact he threw it in my muzzle on our very first date, thinking it would scare me off. I find his blunt and gruff exterior to be extremely charming, and that thick voice of his makes my tail itch." She squealed and giggled while wiggling in her seat.
Judy was happy for her aunt. She had never seen her mother's younger sister acting so giddy before. Sure the older doe liked to play the field, but Judy knew that Sharleen's past dates had always ended badly. Never in a million years would she have guessed that she would share a similar taste in males with the frisky doe. Her life had changed drastically when she met Nick and she was beginning to realize that chance encounter with the red fox had been the best thing to happen in her life.
"This fox has never once tried to impress me with flashy jewelry, or by taking me to snobbish restaurants," the older doe explained with a pleasant sigh. "At first, I thought he was an unromantic jerk, but then I realized that all he has ever done is show me his real self."
Jennifer hummed, unimpressed, but Judy turned her ears towards her aunt and her smile grew with each word.
"Do you girls know what we did on our last date?" Sharleen asked, once again turning off the main highway. "I will bet the two of you will never guess." Her eyes glistened like it was the most amazing date ever.
A pair of purple eyes widened towards her aunt, while the pink pair stared with boredom out the window. "No. Where did Finnick take you?" Judy asked, intensely curious.
Beaming, Sharleen explained, "Well, when I showed up at his place the other day, he immediately knew something was wrong with my car. My brothers, your uncles, have tried to keep the old girl running as best they can, but the long runs to Zootopia and back each week have really worn her out." She patted the dashboard gently as if the soft touch would encourage the old machine to try harder.
Nodding in understanding, Judy excitedly watched her aunt talk about her ex-boyfriend's ex-best friend. While she was dating the red fox, she had hoped that she could help mend the friendship between the two tods. She almost felt guilty for their falling out when she convinced Nick to join the ZPD. Now, it warmed her heart to hear that another bunny cared about this gruff little fox as much as she cared about her own sly tod.
"So we drive over to this back alley garage where he knows all the mechanics there." She clapped her paws together in excitement as they sat at another red light. "When he popped the hood, he didn't kick me out of the way like Ralf or Sam would, but actually started explaining everything he was doing." A warm giggle escaped her muzzle before the light turned green again.
"So this fox is a mechanic?" Jennifer asked, sounding slightly less bored than before.
"No," Sharleen answered. "But he does know what he is doing. He helped me give the engine a nice tuning. And I don't mean that he made me sit back and watch. I actually got my paws dirty. It was so much fun working on that engine with him, I felt like a little kit again. Sure I scraped my paws a little, but once we washed them off, he kissed the wounds like my mother used to. He is such a tender loving mammal."
"Are we talking about the same gruff old Finnick?" Judy asked, a little shocked at her aunt's description.
Jennifer turned away from the window and stared slack jawed at the older doe. "Are you saying that you want to be a mechanic now? How many jobs have you tried now auntie?"
"No, not at all," she said, waving her paws in front of the steering wheel. "I am not saying that I enjoyed working on my car, I simply enjoyed being with him." The way she said 'him' nearly caused the two other does to cover their muzzles in embarrassment as their ears shot towards the roof of the car. Giggling, she continued, "After we finished replacing a few parts together, I let him drive and I was surprised at how well the engine purred like a kit."
Sharleen hummed in imitation of the noise her car was making when she pushed down hard on the gas pedal. "Instead of returning to the garage, or to his place we instead took a longer drive to the edge of town. Behind a long fence were tons of wrecked cars, but not just any cars. Every single one was covered in sponsor labels and had big, bold numbers on the windowless doors. After about an hour of wandering through the junkyard, we found a blue one that looked similar to mine with a big number 55 painted on the door."
Turning her wrists imitating the motion of a wrench, Sharleen continued her story, "We managed to rip out some good springs and shocks from that old race car. It took a lot of work because some of the bolts had tons of rust but we managed to get a full set. He said they were really good quality shocks and called them Koniks or something like that, but after he paid the goat behind the counter we drove back to the garage."
Holding a paw to her chest, she continued with the story, "After that we spent the rest of the day replacing the parts on my car. It was pretty late at night when we finished and we were both covered in greasy fur so I suggested that he help wash me off. I am sure you can both guess what happened next." A loud giggle filled the car from all three females.
The driver shuddered at a recent memory and tried not to swerve the car off the road. "Judy. Why didn't you warn me that a fox's teeth and claws could be so, so, sinful?"
Jennifer gasped in shock, but her sister had a broad grin across her muzzle as she explained, "At the time I was here last, I honestly didn't know. I was very very curious about Nick's sharper bits, but he had only ever put his fangs on my neck once."
"Really?" Sharleen asked, her eyes wide and her nose was racing.
"Please stop," the pink eyed doe begged, but the other two ignored her pleas.
"It wasn't a real bite," Judy explained as she put a paw around her neck. "We were play acting and he only pressed down very gently, but after that I was hooked. For months I would dream about what it would feel like if he really bit me." She leaned back in her chair and took a very deep breath. "When it finally happened, his bite was more amazing than anything I had ever dreamed before, and he didn't hold back at all."
Judy began to pull down the front of her shirt in an attempt to reveal the string of deep teeth marks that ran across her chest, but new fur had grown up hiding them from view. "You can almost make out the two deep ones right here." She pointed down her shirt to the center of her breastbone and the two large scabs that were only now starting to heal.
"Oh my heavens!" Sharleen exclaimed. "He claimed you. Finnick and I talked about it once, but he doesn't want to make that kind of commitment."
"Claimed? What?" Judy tilted her head and one of her long ears bumped into her aunt's shoulder.
"Disgusting," Jennifer gagged and choked.
Sharleen raised both paws in the air and waved them in a warding motion. "Nuh uh. You are going to have to ask your own fox about that, but Finnick told me that it generally involves a serious commitment."
Tapping her chin, Judy looked into the distance out the front window of the car. "Nick called us mates, but I never asked him what that meant to him."
"Then you seriously need to talk to him," Sharleen said.
Rubbing her belly, Judy frowned and a tear formed under her eye. "But what about the kits?"
"You have to tell him about them," the older doe explained. "And if he is as kind and understanding as he seemed when he was here, then I am sure everything will be alright. If not." She left the last bit hanging as she pulled into the large parking lot in front of the Bunny Burrow Hospital.
"Then what?" Judy asked cautiously. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer, but her twitching nose would not leave the question unasked.
Sighing, Sharleen ground her teeth. "Then he is not worth fighting for, hun. Don't waste your time on a male that can't forgive your mistakes and starts making up rules about who to love and who not to like its some sick checks and balances game."
"I guess," the city doe sighed.
Patting her niece on the knee, Sharleen said, "Once we are done with your little exam then you need to call your fox and find out what kind of mammal he really is."
A smile rose on Judy's muzzle like a bright sun breaking through the clouds after a long rain storm. She leaned over and gave her aunt a warm hug despite the older doe trying to park the very large car into a tiny space. "Thank you, auntie. You have really helped me see things clearer."
The lobby was extremely spacious for a hospital run by rabbits. It was a recent addition to the growing town and was built with some of the taller, medium sized mammals in mind, like deer and elk who also lived in the mountains nearby. The ceiling stretched up to the second floor and the open space that remained was huge in comparison to the three does that strolled through the revolving door.
Comfortable armchairs sat around the lobby in curious groups based on their sizes. Small mammal chairs were clumped into various groups, while medium and larger chairs were interspersed between. The mixed and matched clumps were designed so that different sized mammals could chat with animals of varying sizes without having to sit in awkwardly oversized seats.
A row of vibrant ferns split the lobby down the middle. The short half wall that held the fresh potting soil for the plants, was cleverly constructed between two giant pillars that held up the high ceiling. The tall ferns had very broad leaves that looked like they could hold four bunnies in a comfortable, green hammock.
Some of the floor was carpeted while the area near the front desk was lined with white marble tiles. The carpet had a unique pattern that looked like fractured ice or leafless branches in the winter. Silver lamps sitting on delicate end tables near the clumps of chairs, provided a soft illumination on dark and cloudy days.
Jennifer had her arm wrapped around her sister as she led the pregnant doe through the entrance. Judy accepted the comfort graciously and leaned her head on the larger rabbit's shoulder while putting her own paw around Jen's waste. Smiling, they walked through the large glass doors holding each other up like some kind of cute and fluffy, three legged monster.
Sharleen followed with a smile of her own, remembering how the two does had once been so close and supportive of each other. She didn't know what had caused the rift in their relationship, but she did remember when Judy broke Jen's nose at her wedding, turning the beautiful white dress a dark crimson in seconds.
Seeing that Judy was leaning against her, Jen gave a tight squeeze before she broke the hug and ran across the large lobby. When she returned, she was pushing a common wheelchair with a long pole sticking up from the back.
Judy groaned as her sister presented the conveyance with a warm smile and patted her paw in the empty seat. "What are you doing, Jen-Jen?" She asked, shaking her head. "I'm not an invalid, I can walk just fine. Please put that thing back where you found it." With an outstretched paw, she waved the chair away like it offended her.
Patting the seat again, Jen asked, "Don't you at least want to give it a try? It looks like so much fun."
A large, fluffy paw stomped on the floor as Judy crossed her arms under her breasts. "You are not getting me into one of those things today."
Disappointed, Jennifer frowned at her sister. "I got to ride in one just like this the last time I was here."
"And you had eight kits in your belly at the time, dear," Sharleen reminded her niece. "You could barely walk even before the labor pains caused you to drop to the floor screaming. I think we can wait till Judy is in labor before offering her the chair?"
"Fine," the pink eyed doe pouted as she returned the wheelchair to a long hall where others of its kind waited patiently.
While Jen was putting the chair back, Judy and her aunt approached the front counter. Behind the desk was a pretty, middle-aged rabbit with a brown, mottled pattern in her white fur. She smiled warmly as the pair of does walked up to her. "Afternoon ladies, what can we do for you today?"
Sharleen stepped forward and addressed the receptionist, "My pregnant niece would like to have an ultrasound done to find out what kind of litter she is going to have."
The friendly smile never fell as the nurse looked at the pair. "Do you have an appointment?"
"No," Judy shook her head. "I don't even have an obstetrician yet. I-I" A sob threatened to escape from her chest as she began to explain, but Jen suddenly arrived and wrapped her arms around the city rabbit. She whispered into her tall ears, banishing the tears. "I wanted to make a few arrangements first before making any decisions." She patted her sister's paw as a smile slowly returned to her muzzle.
"My niece is only in town for the day," Sharleen added. "Is there anything you can do to help?"
Ignoring the overt display of sisterly affection in front of her, the reception bunny tapped away at her keyboard before she spoke again, "Normally that kind of examination requires an appointment, but." She pointed a light brown paw at the screen and explained, "We do have an opening where a CNP can fit you in this afternoon."
Looking up from the computer screen, the receptionist aimed her permanent smile at the skinny rabbit who was still wrapped tightly in her sister's paws. "Can I see your ID and insurance?"
Judy pulled her badge along with her ID and issuance card from her coat pocket and placed them on the counter. When the nurse saw the shiny brass badge, her eyes widened and she uttered an exclamation under her breath.
"What was that ma'am?" Judy asked.
"It's nothing," the splotchy brown doe tried to cover her surprise with the wave of a paw. "It's just, it's just." She shook her head and took the two cards off the counter and began to enter the info into the computer. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize. Um, please don't mind me."
Watching the nurse's reaction, Sharleen looked back at both of her nieces, a puzzled expression filling her muzzle. "What was that all about?" she whispered in Jen's tall ear."
Jen scoffed and replied to her aunt's question, "Judy is kind of famous, remember."
Returning the cards, the receptionist said, "Here you go miss, um, Officer Hopps. You are all checked in. Please have a seat and someone will call your name shortly." She waved a paw towards the nearest row of seats.
More than an hour passed before a nurse arrived in the main lobby and called Judy's name. Several mammals of various woodland prey species came and went as the minutes passed slowly. Judy could only spend so much time chatting with her relatives and after the first twenty minutes she took to pacing the floor nervously.
The lagomorph that finally arrived was dressed in plain blue scrubs and carried a large clipboard in her paws. She was a desert-brown hare with dark spots running down her muzzle and had black fur inside her ears. Her fore and hind paws were also black.
Smiling warmly when Judy rushed over to greet her, the nurse asked again, "Judy Hopps?"
"Yes, that's me," cried the grey doe happily as she hopped in place.
"Please follow me," the hare said pleasantly as she turned and walked down the hall where she had come. Judy waived to the two waiting members of her family before following the nurse.
Strolling behind the young nurse, the three rabbits passed through several long corridors until they came to an area of the hospital that was labeled, "Maternity Ward." It was by far the largest and most advanced section of the hospital, as well as the busiest.
Farm rabbits were often getting cuts and scrapes while they worked, and the hospital had a state of the art emergency room. But in a town like Bunny Burrow, there were far more pregnancies than life threatening injuries and it was obvious that this department was better funded than any of the others.
Turning a corner down a long hallway, the brown hare eventually led Judy and her entourage to a quiet room with a couple of chairs and a comfortable looking rabbit sized bed. Judy would not have wanted to spend the night in that hospital bed, but it did look more comfortable than the nice examination table that she had sat on a week ago, back when she had first learned the news.
The nurse picked up a white piece of cloth with bright, yellow daisies printed on the soft fabric. She tossed the bundle of cloth to Judy and stated calmly, "Please change into this and I will return to check your vitals."
With a curious expression, Judy looked at the flower covered cloth in her paws. "Do I have to remove everything first?"
Heading towards the door, the brown hare looked back and replied, "No. You can keep your underclothes on, but the shirt and pants will interfere with the scan." She pointed to a small door near the exit to the room before she closed the door behind her. "You can change in there, and I will return in a few minutes."
With the nurse gone, she gave the other two does a curious look and shrugged. They both shrugged back as she held up the small, backless hospital gown. Seeing the tiny cloth, Jen tried to hide a snicker, while Sharleen motioned towards the other door.
Inside the side room was a single toilet along with a sink and mirror. It actually reminded her of a hotel bathroom except there was no bath or shower to be seen. And there certainly weren't any complimentary soaps wrapped with pretty little paper, or a neatly packaged toothbrush.
Judy did not have the urge to brush her teeth at the moment, but she could go for a nice chew stick. Her front teeth were looking a little long, and it had been more than a week since she had chewed them down. She scratched at the pair of large buck teeth that stuck down from her upper jaw, they were definitely getting too long.
She took off her jacket followed by the blue cotton shirt. Underneath she noticed that her bra was becoming uncomfortably tight. Thinking about the size of her breasts, she looked at her figure and realized that her belly was indeed starting to look a little pudgy.
Her mother usually did not start to show until the middle of her second month, but then Bonnie was much broader around the tummy than her very athletic daughter. Instinctively, Judy rubbed her belly and began to hum softly. She had no idea what she was humming, but after several bars it began to remind her of a soft lullaby that she remembered her mother singing.
Rubbing and humming, Judy stared dreamily into the mirror for several minutes before a knock came at the door. "Miss Hopps, are you ok in there?"
"Yes, I am fine," the half dressed, grey rabbit replied. She was about to reach over and flush the toilet to distract the nurse, but then she realized that she urgently needed to pee.
Once the call of nature had been answered, Judy donned the soft, yet skimpy robe. She tied the threads in the back and took another look at her image in the mirror. The outfit was far from sexy, but the rabbit wondered if the fox that still held her heart would ever get to see the negligee she had bought.
So much had happened in the days since she had gone shopping with her friend it felt like years had passed. She barely even remembered the outfit she had bought exclusively for her fox, but seeing herself in the fancy mirror, brought all those memories crashing back and she had to force back the tears that began to form under her eyes.
With the back of the robe clutched tightly around her exposed tail, she opened the door to the bathroom and stepped out. The nurse was waiting for her patiently and ushered her to a small scale in the corner. After her weight was taken, the brown hare measured her blood pressure and oxygen levels before asking her to climb into the soft bed.
"Senior Nurse Sanchez will be along shortly to perform the exam," the nurse explained while she hung Judy's charts on the end of the hospital bed. "Please wait patiently and we will have everything taken care of fairly quickly."
When the nurse walked out of the room and once again closed the door behind her, Judy turned to the other does in the room and asked, "So what happens next?"
"They shave your belly," Jennifer said coldly. A shiver actually ran up her tail and caused her ears to wiggle.
"What!" Judy screamed as she covered her growing belly with both paws.
Sharleen snickered at the horrified look on Judy's muzzle, then turned towards Jennifer with a warm smile as the younger doe continued to explain, "The fur should grow back before the kits arrive, unless they have to do another one before then."
"Is that really necessary?" The purple eyed and half dressed rabbit asked in distress.
"Unfortunately," Jen said. "I had to have three for my last litter. The kits kept moving around and they couldn't get any accurate pictures for two of them. So I had to come back more than once."
Seeing the pain on her sister's muzzle, the pink eyed rabbit added, "Don't worry, sis. All my fur grew back a few weeks after they were born. It's not really a big deal, and I am certain that you won't want to do any swimming or sunbathing before and after anyway." She shrugged her shoulders as their aunt giggled at the thought of a pregnant rabbit sunbathing in the autumn weather that currently surrounded Bunny Burrow.
Several more minutes passed before another knock came from the door and a grey and brown furred rabbit walked in. The plump doe wore dancing carrot print scrubs and carried a stethoscope around her neck. What really stood out about this rabbit were her short ears. They were clearly rabbit ears but less than half the size of Judy's and her sister's.
"Good afternoon, Miss Hopps," the Senior Nurse said in an accent that Judy thought came from the south western half of the continent. All of her r's seem to roll freely like barrels over river rapids. She placed a paw over her chest as she walked into the room and said, "My name es Nurse Maria Sanchez, y this es mi assistant Claire Watership."
She barely acknowledged the white and brown doe that followed cautiously in her wake, pulling a complicated machine carefully through the door before she closed it. Looking at the two rabbit's sitting in the small chairs near the wall, she said, "Your family es welcome to remain during the procedure." Her smiling muzzle returned to the doe on the bed. "We won't be doing anything dangerous or embarrassing today so they may stay if you need support."
The machine that Claire pushed against the bed looked like a tall, white computer on wheels. It was covered in numerous soft, blue buttons and dials and had a couple of different screens. The main screen looked like a small TV or a large monitor and was currently turned away from the rabbit in the bed.
Holding her paws together, Nurse Maria asked her patient, "Has anyone told you about the procedure yet?"
Judy shook her head but did not open her mouth as she mumbled a response.
"Well then," Maria explained. "We are going to take pictures of your insides using sound waves from this little wand." She pulled a small device from the side of the machine and showed it to Judy. It was similar to a broad spatula but had a softer, rounded look and Judy thought of some kind of paint spreader. "With this we will be able to count the number of heartbeats so we can tell you how many kits you have, y if we are lucky we may even be able to make out their ears y tails."
Looking from the device in the nurse's paw towards her eyes and back, Judy asked, "My sister said you could also tell what genders they will be."
Nodding, Maria replied, "Of course. Depending on how far along you are y how many, we might be able to identify some genders. But those traits may not be visible until further in the second month, sometimes later, so please don't hold your breath. If you must know, then it's best to try during the third month."
"I understand," Judy said with a nod.
Putting the sound wand back on its hook, the nurse continued to explain, "Now, since we are going to use sound to take a picture of your unborn kits we need to remove all of the fur in the area."
"How big of an area are we talking about?" Judy asked.
Waving her paws across Judy's still clothed belly, she indicated a region from her waste to roughly a paw and a half below her breasts. "Almost all of your tummy will have to be shaved before we can begin. If we leave any fur behind it can completely ruin the pictures."
"Ok," the patient sighed with a nod. "I guess, if it has to be done."
"Si, dear," the nurse affirmed warmly. She then lifted a tube of gel and showed it to the rabbit on the bed. "Once your skin has been exposed we will apply this gel. It will help the sound waves travel from the wand into your belly y give us a clearer picture." Her paw motioned across Judy's abdomen while she described what was about to happen.
"After the gel is applied, I will slide the wand around your tummy until we find all of the heartbeats y can get clear pictures of each fetus," Maria explained while demonstrating with the wand. "This will take about half an hour but can be as long as sixty minutes."
Taking a moment to put on a pair of rubber gloves, Maria asked one more question, "Are you ready to begin? If you are uncomfortable with any part of the procedure we can stop at any time."
Without hesitation, Judy nodded and declared, "Let's do this."
"Ok," Maria clapped her paws together as Claire reached under the machine table for what looked like an electric fur clipper attached to a vacuum cleaner hose. "I will need you to remove the gown, or raise it as high as you can."
Judy sat forward but had trouble untying the knots she had made. "Jen, can you help me with this?"
In two hops and a skip, Jennifer was by her sister's side. She swiftly untied the cloth knots and helped Judy lift the long fabric over her head.
Once her chest and belly fur were exposed, Judy laid back on the bed and said, "Ready."
With a sharp buzz, the nurse's assistant turned on the razor and brought it close to Judy's stomach, "Please try not to squirm during this part."
The rabbit laying on the bed held her breath tightly as the sharp, buzzing blades touched the fur on her belly. It tickled slightly and she tried not to squirm. She wasn't overly ticklish in that region, but Nick's claws and fingers could always make her wail with laughter until she begged him to stop. Desperately, she tried to push those memories to the back of her mind while the nurse worked.
Sitting still for an extended period of time while a set of extremely sharp blades vibrated across her belly, and a vacuum cleaner sucked away all of the loose fur was nigh to torture for the energetic rabbit. She had to hold her breath several times during this phase of the procedure, and the nurse had to stop to let her rest or fetch a glass of water every few minutes.
Eventually all of the loose fur was removed and Judy looked in horror at her bare, pink skin beneath. She felt more ashamed right now than when she had walked into that nudist club. She felt completely naked and exposed, like walking out of a shower with every buck in town ogling her. Like some voyer had posted naughty videos of her and Nick all over the internet.
The complete absence of fur caused several tears to well up under her eyes, but Jen was instantly there with a long yellow sleeve. Jennifer held her sister tightly in her arms until the brief sobs subsided.
Once Jen let go and backed off, the Senior Nurse asked, "Are we ready to proceed, Miss Hopps?" She once again held up the blue tube of gel.
Judy nodded with a shudder, "Y-Yes."
"Oooh, cold," Judy squirmed as the nurse began to apply the gel with her gloved paw.
Unlike the shaving, it only took a few seconds to rub the lube around the rabbit's no longer flat belly. With the fur removed, a very clear bowl shape could be seen where her womb was slowly expanding beneath Judy's well toned muscles. A soft whistle filled the air as Jen took note of how fit the shaved rabbit was despite the growing paunch.
After the whistle died away and Judy tried to ignore the wink that followed, she began to hear a very high pitched hum. At the sound of the noise she quickly looked around the room with a furious paw ready to swat at any biting insects that may have wandered in.
When she looked over at the wand in Nurse Maria's paw she realized that the loud sound was not coming from some giant mosquito, but the machine itself. The nurse turned some dials on the machine and Judy's sharp ears could clearly hear the changes in the sound.
"Please lay back and remain calm, Judy," Maria brought the device close to the patient's tummy and had to push away a pair of grey and white paws. "Arms to the sides, please."
The metal strip on the rounded end of the wand felt very cold on her bare skin, but there was no other sensation. She thought she might feel a slight vibration, but she could not feel anything odd about the device.
Several minutes passed while the Senior Nurse stared at the screen intently and moved the large wand from one side of Judy's rounded belly to the other. Frustration crossed her brow as she searched for the elusive fetuses. With a scowl, she looked up at the patient and asked, "How long did you say you have been pregnant?"
"It should be almost three weeks. Why?"
"Well I am only picking up one heartbeat y it es very strong. Far too strong for a three week fetus," Maria explained with a great deal of concern on her black and brown muzzle.
"Wait? You said only one heartbeat?" Judy asked. "Nobunny I have ever met has had less than three kits in one litter. Are you sure you are using that thing correctly?"
"Yes," the nurse replied while continuing to hold the wand in place. "Trust me miss, I have been doing this job for a long time. And you are correct, I too have never seen a liter smaller than three."
Senior Nurse Maria Sanchez, turned a few more dials on the machine while she watched the large screen that was still turned away from Judy's view. "Ok. Let's try zooming in a bit and see if we can't tell what is going on with that one heartbeat."
Both nurses conversed quietly while various knobs and buttons were pushed and turned until the older nurse remarked, "There we go. That es a much clearer picture. I can make out the ears y the tail…"
At the word tail, her mouth opened in shock and she dropped the wand. Letting it lay flat on Judy's gel covered belly. She then stood as her expression turned to horror and she exclaimed, "Madre Naturaleza!"
Running for the door, the older nurse began screaming with both paws in the air, "Niño diablo! Niño diablo!" Leaving the door open as she ran, she continued to scream all the way down the hall and across the maternity ward until she left the hospital. Later some would say that they even saw the poor rabbit nurse running and screaming down the highway with her paws waving frantically over her head.
"What was that all about?" Sharleen finally spoke up after the screaming faded into the distance.
Nurse Claire looked around the room and shrugged. "I think it may have been one of the superstitions of her home country."
"Oh," the three grey does all agreed in unison.
Judy sat up from the bed nodding, "Our Pop-Pop is full of superstitions, especially about foxes."
Looking at Judy curiously, Claire replied, "Well then you might not want to let him know what you are doing."
"Why do you say that?" Judy asked.
Holding up her paw she pushed at the air as if she could push the rabbit back into the bed. "Please lay down again and I will show you."
As Judy lay back, the nurse picked up the still humming wand and gently placed it on top of her belly. She turned a few knobs and once again began searching for the tiny fetus. Knowing roughly where Nurse Maria had found it earlier helped slightly, but it still took several minutes to locate and zoom back in again.
With the image of the unborn kit on the screen, Claire turned it around so that Judy could see while she rested her head on the fluffy pillow. The two other grey does stepped around to the side of the bed so that they could also see the image.
Claire reached out a soft paw and tenderly patted Judy's. "I think what you are doing is wonderful, and the parents must be truly proud of you."
"What? Why?" Judy asked, with more confusion growing on her muzzle.
"Helping another family in need is so selfless and caring of a young woman," Claire beamed as the words of kindness flowed forth from her short muzzle. "Especially for a different species. I can't possibly comprehend what it must take to carry another family's baby."
"I-I still don't understand," the pregnant doe stuttered and blushed at the nurse's glowing praise.
Nurse Claire pointed at the screen. "You can see the fetus here, and that pulse in the center is the tiny, yet very strong heartbeat. But if you look over here." She moved her finger to a small blob near one end of the larger blob. "You can see two longish but very pointy ears sticking up between a long nose."
"Ok?" Judy said, puzzled.
"But the other nurse ran out after mentioning the tail," Sharleen stated with a tilt of her long ears.
Adjusting another knob, Claire pointed her dull claw at the opposite end of the blob where a fuzzy string-like thing could be seen, "This is the tail. It is a very long and bushy tail."
Judy's eyes began to widen and her jaw moved but no words came out of her mouth. Instead Jennifer said what everyone in the room had been thinking, "What you are describing, does not sound like any rabbit kit I have ever heard of."
"That is correct," Claire explained. "Because that is a fox kit. A very strong and healthy fox kit by the looks of things."
Stunned, Judy whispered, "I am carrying a fox's kit?"
With a brilliant smile plastered across her muzzle, Claire put her paws together and looked warmly at Judy. "And you are the most amazing surrogate mother I have ever met."
Pounding her hind paws excitedly on the bed and shaking her legs, Judy cried loudly across the room, "I am carrying a fox's kit!"
Without a second thought, the pregnant rabbit kicked herself off the bed and grabbed the soft flowery hospital gown before her paws hit the floor. She quickly slipped the strap over her neck and raced for the door. "I know who the father is," Judy said cheerfully as she flew into the hall like a bird greeting the spring sunrise with the gown flapping in the breeze and her bare tail free for all the world to see.
"Wait? She didn't know?" Claire asked the two remaining does.
"She forgot her clothes," Jen replied as she watched her half naked sister run into the hall.
Sharleen stared out the door for several seconds before she asked, "Who is the father?"
Jennifer looked at her aunt and patted her shoulder fondly. "Why her fox of course."
The older grey rabbit's eyes slowly widened as she glared at her niece. "Are you saying that a fox can get a rabbit pregnant?"
"It looks that way auntie."
Jaw dropping to the floor, Sharleen stepped around the bed and straight up to the nurse who was still sitting confused in front of the sonography machine. She patted Claire's shoulder frantically and asked, "Can I get a pregnancy test while we are here?"
[A/N] To start I must apologize for the decline in grammar in this chapter. My proofreader has taken a long break and was unable to review this one before it went out so I may have missed several mistakes.
Next, the clearing where the four wheeled ATV was parked in this chapter was the same clearing where Judy met Jen the last time she was in Bunny Burrow, several chapters ago. The trail is also the same one Judy was following on her morning run around the farm.
I recently wrote Sharleen and Finnick's date and posted it on my short story collection called Extra Fluffy. It is a bit of a bridge between this chapter and the previous one. I should have written it a year ago, after this one was drafted, but I put it off thinking it would be better to flush out the details closer to when I published this one.
That short story is the only thing that I have been able to write this year. Unlike 2022, this year has been very rough. The new job among other things have drastically changed my life and made it hard to focus on fluffy, fox and bunny content. I am hoping that once the spring weather has returned I will be able to finish the last few chapters of this story. Don't worry over much since what I currently have written will still run through the end of June so I still have a few months to write the next chapter. When I am in a good writing mood I can get a rough draft done in a week or two so I feel there is more than enough time for now. Knowing myself it is very possible I may hold off until the very last minute. I really don't want to get stuck into another two year long stump like what happened the last time I got a new job.
Thanks for reading this tale and I would love to hear everyone's thoughts on how it is going.
OneWolfe-