Here it is! The sequel to the Spirit of Christmas: The Spirit of War.
A huge thank you to Cimar Turalis of WildeHopps for agreeing to edit the chapter. I know many of you are eager to find out what happens next so enjoy.
I will do my best to adhere to the War's accuracy. If not, then creative liberties will be taken. It is an AU after all.
January 1915,
The whistle blew and the train slowed until coming to a halt at the station in Bunnyburrow. The doors opened to allow the passengers entering and exiting the cars. At one particular car, three prey soldiers stepped out with one leaving for a moment. The remaining two waited patiently by the car's entrance until a gray rabbit with black-tip ears and amethyst eyes carrying her belongings stepped out. All three quietly made eye contact.
"Are you ready, Miss Hopps?" One of the soldiers finally asked.
Judy nodded. "Yes, let's go."
"This way please."
Judith Hopps followed the soldiers out of the train station. When they reached the road, a car driven by the third soldier appeared, parking in front of them. One soldier opened the door for Judy while another carried her belongings.
"Thank you," Judy said before entering the back seat.
Once all four were in the car, the driver began the drive to Judy's home.
"You will be taken home and left by yourself afterwards," one of the soldiers said.
"I understand."
During the drive, Judy gazed at the fields passing by. A small feeling of happiness swelled inside her as memories of her pre-military days ran through her mind. Yet at the same time, there was also that lingering feeling of emptiness. Her thoughts drifted to the family reunion and their oncoming responses. No matter what, Judy would not appear melancholic to them, not wanting her family to think that her joining the military was a mistake. Occupied with her thoughts, Judy failed to realize when they had arrived at her home.
"Miss Hopps? We're here."
Judy shook from her mind to see her home a short distance away from where they parked. "Oh, thank you."
The soldier sitting next to Judy assisted with moving her belongings out of the car before all three bid the bunny goodbye and drove away. After the car disappeared in the distance, Judy focused on the home ahead. At her request, headquarters did not report the bunny's discharge to her family since she wanted to surprise them. Going through her mental checklist one more time, Judy took a deep breath and put on a smile. Lifting her equipment and personal belongings, she strolled towards her home.
A few older bunnies watched a couple of younger ones playing around the front of the burrow. A boy bunny was chasing his brothers and sisters erratically before focusing on a cream-colored bunny in a blue dress. Despite the clothes, she was currently outrunning and gaining distance on him. The bunny would have escaped her brother had she not suddenly stopped, allowing him to catch up and nearly tackle her to the ground.
"I got you, Cotton!" The boy bunny exclaimed. "Now it's your turn!"
But Cotton remained still and silent, staring ahead of her.
"Did you not hear me, Cotton?" The brother asked, annoyed at her lack of response. "I said it's your turn!"
Cotton finally spoke up. "Judy…"
The boy bunny tilted his head in confusion. "Judy?"
Cotton instantly pointed in the direction. "Judy!"
Her brother and everyone else nearby paused to look in Cotton's direction, only for their eyes to widen and ears perk up at the sight.
Judy stood a couple feet away with a bright smile on her face. "Hi, everyone! I'm home!"
Within seconds, the bunny children shouted her name in delight and stampeded towards her. Judy had just enough time to drop everything and step forward a few feet with open arms before she was tackled to the ground and buried under an avalanche of her siblings and relatives. Judy laughed as the children unleashed their onslaught of questions about her military adventures and cheers of her return. But she was too busy enjoying their embrace to do anything else. The shouts ceased when a familiar voice sounded.
"Children, get off of her this instant!" Bonnie cried.
The bunnies obeyed as Judy remained on the ground. Bonnie walked up to her smiling daughter and reached out with a paw.
Judy grabbed it and was lifted up to her feet by her mother. Before she could speak, Judy felt Bonnie embraced her in a tight hug. The bunny was further surprised when she picked up the sound of sniffling.
"Welcome home, sweetheart," Bonnie said sweetly.
Judy smiled and comforted her mother. "Thank you, Mama."
They finally released from the embrace, albeit reluctantly.
"Where is Papa?" Judy asked.
Bonnie wiped the tears from her eyes. "Your father, Stu, is away at the market right now to sell our crops. No one in the household expected you to come home. What happened?"
"I'll explain after meeting with Papa." Judy promised. "Do you think you can keep this a secret until he returns?"
Bonnie nodded. "Of course! I can even make it a surprise for him!"
Judy was happy knowing that her parents could reign in the large number of siblings and relatives in the house. The matriarch faced the bunnies in the vicinity and spotted two particular bunnies. "Nestor! Felix! Come help your sister!"
"Yes, Mama." The two bucks said.
"Thank you." Judy said.
"You're welcome, dear. After Nestor and Felix take you to your room, they'll take you to your father when he returns. That should give you enough time."
Bonnie left to tend to the other family members as Judy watched Nestor, a black bunny wearing a red plaid shirt and blue overalls and Felix, a white bunny in a green shirt and brown overalls approach her. Both bucks were of the same litter as their sister. Judy had spent a lot of time with them growing up since she did not settle into the female's role in the house and acted more of a tomboy. As a result, the three grew very close.
Like Judy, Nestor and Felix wanted to be more than farmers, Nestor a mathematician and Felix a scientist, and both believed the modern century offered them multiple opportunities. But their family roles limited them and other Hopps members of said opportunities. Still, the two brothers kept their hopes up and took advantage of what was available on the farm and in the libraries.
When the Great War broke out, Stu, the family patriarch refused to allow family members to enlist in the army, not wanting to lose anyone. He even went as far as to prevent Judy from being shipped off despite her completed training and call up. It was only after compromising with Judy and realizing she could get in legal trouble, even facing desertion charges for not going that could possibly end in execution, did he finally relent.
"Good to see you home, Judy," Nestor said. "Did you get some excitement from the war?"
Judy only smiled, neither wanting spoil their expectations nor shock them from the horrors of war. "Yes, but there are days where nothing happens. Goodness knows we need them to recover from the action."
"Looking forward to hearing those stories when you're ready, Judy." Felix said. "Let's get inside."
Nestor carried Judy's equipment while Felix carried her bags and all three entered the family burrow. They reached the stairs leading deeper inside and descended down them.
"I hope your weapons are empty," Nestor said while inspecting them. "Don't want the little ones accidentally firing them."
Judy shook her head. "The ammo is in the bags. I'm surprised the little ones didn't search my belongings."
"They were more happy to see you home than anything else," Felix said. "Those questions will come eventually. I hope you're ready."
Judy giggled. "One thing I learned from this Great War is that preparation can only take you so far before it's every mammal for themselves."
The three bunnies reached the floor where Judy's room was and continued walking. The Hopps children marred them along the way, excited to see their sister home. Nestor and Felix assisted Judy in holding off their questions until their sister had time to settle down.
"Has the farm done well while I've been away?" Judy asked after dismissing another group of kits.
"The fields have been good to us despite the war," Felix said.
"Last year's harvest was one of the biggest we ever had," Nestor said. "We only wish you could have seen the joy on our parents' faces."
"We're currently getting ready for spring. We'll be there to help since it will be difficult for you to adjust." Felix assured.
"Thank you, brothers."
They finally arrived at the door to Judy's room and she opened the door for her brothers. Felix and Nestor entered, setting down her belongings.
"We'll knock when Papa gets home and if you're still in here," Nestor said as they waved her off and closed the door.
The first thing Judy did was lock the door before letting the façade from her arrival dissolve. She took a deep breath and observed the room: a single bed, a wardrobe, drawers, a table, and a window. It had remained the same since she left months ago when war was first declared. Her thoughts drifted to the excitement she felt at that moment. To finally experience the action and fulfill her dream. The irony didn't escape her.
In the household, the kits shared bedrooms until they completed their education where they either moved out or lived in single rooms until they could. But in recent years, the high school movement allowed the newer generations to spend more years in education, thus forcing Judy's parents to change up the rules in terms of bedding. Nonetheless, Judy was happy for the extra opportunities her younger siblings and relatives got to enjoy.
Judy immediately got to work in hiding her weapons and equipment from the more curious family members. She reminded herself to get a chest to lock them away but for now, the bunny hid them underneath her clothes in the drawer. At the wardrobe, Judy replaced her uniform with a long white farmer's dress. The clothing felt foreign to her despite having worn it many times. She stared at the uniform hanging in the wardrobe and the cap placed below it before closing the dresser.
Her gaze fell to the many stuffed animals lying on the bed. They had come out over ten years ago and developed by a bear no less. Judy had enjoyed playing them with her sisters and started buying some for herself. Her eyes drifted to a black bear with cream paddings in the midst of the others. Judy sat down on the bed and picked the stuffed bear up. One noticeable feature of it was the red rims around its black eyes.
She had been fortunate to receive this as a gift from a friend that knew of the bunny's interests. According to her friend, the black bear was produced after the sinking of the Tytanic to mourn the lives lost in the tragedy. Only 600 were made and sold out a month after the sinking. Her friend explained that the eyes' appearance represents the crying that took place in the aftermath. Judy felt terrible for making a selfish comparison, but no truer words could describe how she felt at that moment.
The bunny set the bear down on the bed and reached for her neck. Judy removed the red neckerchief she had been wearing since the train and tied it around the bear's neck. She admired how the red neckerchief matched the red rims. While not ideal, she could keep a physical connection with Nick safe from her family though she would still need to search for a fox version later if any had been produced. With everything in their proper locations, Judy laid on the bed, hugging the bear tightly.
Only hours into the first day home and Judy wanted to cry. The joy from seeing her family slightly alleviated the despair. Judy didn't know how long she could bottle up those feelings before they spilled over. She gave massive credit to Nick for able to do this for so many years. You bunnies. So emotional. A small giggle escaped from her mouth. "Yes, yes I am, Nick," she whispered. A knock on the door finally brought Judy back to her room.
"Judy?" Nestor called. "Papa's here."
"Are you ready to meet him?" Felix asked.
Judy sighed deeply at the upcoming meeting. "Yes, give me a moment."
She kissed the top of the bear's head before placing it back among the other stuffed animals. When Judy opened the door, Nestor and Felix saw the exhausted expression on their sister's face, droopy ears and waning smile. A stark contrast to what they had seen earlier. Whatever words of comfort they wanted to say disappeared in that moment. One thing was certain. Their sister wanted to be alone while settling back into the farm life. The two brothers simply motioned her to remain silent and follow them. Judy complied and let them lead.
No words were spoken between them as Judy followed her brothers. Despite her gloominess, Judy wanted to be happy for her family. They deserved that feeling after months of worrying for her survival. The siblings finally exited the hall and heard their parents talking. In the living room, they saw Bonnie, Stu, and a number of family members waiting for them.
Judy noticed a blindfold on Stu and almost ruined the surprise by giggling. Bonnie saw the three and motioned Judy to stand in front of Stu while remaining silent. The doe obeyed and stood in front of her blindfolded father. Meanwhile, Stu grew more and more impatient with each passing second. His hearing picked up the sound of footsteps approaching him before it became silent again.
"Honey," Stu said, hoping this time she would say the word. "Can I take the blindfold off now?"
Bonnie looked to Judy who nodded in confirmation. "Yes, dear."
Stu took off the blindfold and shook his head to recover his vision. The first thing he saw was a gray bunny in a white dress standing before him. He wondered why Bonnie went to all the trouble to see one of his own children living at home. As his vision became more clear, Stu began to see the more distinct features of the gray rabbit: the black-tip ears and amethyst eyes. As his mind process the image, Stu wanted to believe the bunny standing before him was Judy Hopps. Yet at the same time, he didn't want to get his hopes up.
Once his vision became clear, Stu stood aghast with his eyes widened, jaw lowered, and arms hanging. "J…Judy?"
Judy stood smiling. "Hi, Papa."
The sound of her voice removed all doubt and Stu lost control, beginning to sniffle and breathe heavily. "Oh cripes…here comes the waterworks!"
He fell to his knees and broke down crying from the flood of emotions. As the tears flowed, Stu felt a pair of arms wrap around him and a cheek nuzzling against his. The patriarch opened his eyes to see Judy hugging him. Stu instantly returned the gesture and continued crying as the two remained on their knees. The rest of the family members present smiled and silently watched. In truth, they had all been worried about Judy and felt happy and relieved to see her home. Stu finally regained control of his emotions and together, they stood up and released from the hug.
"What happened?" Stu asked, still wiping his tears. "I thought you were off fighting in the war?"
Judy took a deep breath and produced the discharge certificate. She brought it forward for all in the room to see. Stu took the document and he, along with Bonnie and other members who could see, scanned the words on the paper. They finally looked back at Judy a few seconds later with surprised and confused expressions.
"So, does this mean you're finished with the army?" Bonnie asked, wanting to get confirmation.
Judy inwardly winced at the question. While there was some truth, she wished to not give her parents the satisfaction. But she could not circle around the topic in her current situation. "They can still call me up, but for this war, yes." Judy saw the wide smile form on Stu's face and braced herself for his incoming response.
"Oh, I'm so happy!" Stu exclaimed. "Now we don't have to worry about losing you in the war!"
Judy could only sigh at her father's naivety. "Papa, the war doesn't end because I return home. Look at Deerbrooke County. The trouble caused there led to this. Who's to say that we won't be affected?"
"Right, but we're neutral and the warring countries must respect that, even if they didn't for the Low Regions," Stu replied.
Both Bonnie and Judy looked incredulously at Stu at that statement.
Seeing their reactions, Stu quickly waved his paws and shook his head to save himself. "The point is, Bunnyburrow is not caught between the belligerents like Bullgium was so we need not worry about the war coming to us. Besides, Bunnyburrow serves them no purpose."
"Your father does have a point there," Bonnie admitted. "But Judy is right, Stu. Someone has to be the victor."
"True. True. But let's not concern ourselves with that, and there'll be plenty of time to discuss the war and your adventures, Judy. First, I want to show you what you missed since your departure."
Judy smiled, relieved for the change in discussion. "I can't wait, Papa."
Outside the Tri-Burrows
"Hustle up! We need to get these supplies and weapons on the trucks!"
Nicholas Wilde supervised and ordered his troops as they transported the cargo from the train into the awaiting trucks. As part of their discipline, Nick and his unit were responsible for transporting the cargo to the military camp after arriving at the train station and then moving them to their designated location once there. Fortunately, Lionheart was generous enough to provide the trucks as part of the cargo, but they still had to do all the work.
"Everything is loaded and the trucks are ready, Lieutenant," Manchas said with a salute.
Nick nodded. "Good. Manchas, you're with me. Everyone else, get into a truck and follow along. I don't care who drives. Just don't make it an issue." The latter was said in a cold tone.
"Yes, Lieutenant!"
The soldiers went for the nearest truck and the driver was whoever entered the seat first. The only complaints were from those not making it to a truck in time before it filled up, but even then, there were no disputes. The troops knew the fragile state of their commanding officer and wished not to incite his wrath. The time to voice their opinions would come when they reach the camp and settle down.
"Care to drive, Corporal Manchas?" Nick offered.
"Yes, Lieutenant," the jaguar answered.
Nick and Manchas entered the leading truck and the jaguar started the vehicle. From there, they led the way to the camp as the others followed behind.
On the way, Manchas glanced over at Nick to see him facing out the window. He, along with the rest of the unit, understood their actions on Christmas Day were unorthodox and couldn't go unpunished. But being sent to attack bunnies, who were completely neutral towards both warring sides, as retribution felt downright cruel to their Lieutenant. Finally, Manchas decided to take a risk and encourage Nick.
"Permission to speak, sir?"
Nick closed his eyes and sighed. "Granted." He just wanted to be alone with his thoughts but realized some of his troops could relate to these feelings.
Manchas breathed a sigh of relief at the given chance. "Thank you. While I may not be able to sympathize with you, I and many of us in the unit can empathize. We can agree on the cruelty of the General's orders and that you may have something planned. I just want to let you know that you have my support."
Manchas glanced over at Nick again to see a small smile on his superior officer's face. It was enough for him, and the truck remained silent for the rest of the drive.
By dusk, they had finally arrived at the military camp and the lead truck stopped at the security checkpoint. Manchas recited the orders given to them by the General and one of the soldiers went to confirm them.
"You know what to do from here," Nick said as he opened the door. "I'm going to visit the officers in charge. Make yourselves comfortable after unloading everything. Tell the others the same, and I'll get a soldier here to direct you."
"Understood, sir."
Nick exited the truck and walked over to the one of the guards at the entrance, a stout timberwolf. "Can one of you lead the trucks while I go meet with your commanding officers?"
"We'll have to confirm that with them first, Lieutenant."
Just then, the soldier returned. "The orders have been confirmed and the Major and Captain wish to meet with you. They'll have one of us lead the trucks to their destination."
Nick couldn't help but feel grateful that things were slowly improving though he remained cautious. "Thank you. Can you point me to the officers' building?"
The wolf pointed in the direction of the aforementioned building and gave Nick the directions. They offered to escort him but Nick declined. The fox thanked the wolf and went off as the trucks were moved to their respective locations.
While walking, Nick saw the many buildings throughout the facility and took the time to note the important ones such as the kitchen, mess hall and barracks. The fox need not worry about being mistaken for a trespasser with his uniform, but still expected the newer recruits to question his presence and the legitimacy. To his surprise, every soldier he encountered treated him with respect, rather than distrust as his previous assignments had incurred due to his species.
Nick filed the question away later for when meeting the commanding officers as he finally arrived at the officer's building. When he entered, his question was answered at the sight of two mammals: a male golden jackal and a female pine marten. Both around or above his height. The two predators heard the door open and saw Nick standing before them. The fox stood with respect and waited for the jackal and pine marten to respond, knowing who held all authority here.
The jackal finally smiled. "Ah, you must be from the unit sent from General Lionheart."
Nick nodded and saluted. "Correct. First Lieutenant Nicholas Wilde."
"Major Tobias Koller," The jackal pointed to himself and to the pine marten. "And this is Captain Aranka Varga."
"Lionheart sent in a good word about you, but never mentioned your species," Varga said and then smiled. "It's good to see smaller predators leading the troops."
At ease, Nick returned with his own smile. "That does explain why a majority of your troops greeted me with respect."
"Yes," Tobias said. "Many were not fond of a smaller predator leading them into battle but Varga and I proved ourselves trustworthy over time. I assume you have done the same."
"But you must remain cautious in your actions," Aranka said. "Not everyone here can accept that a fox can rise up the ranks."
"As long as my troops remain loyal, it shouldn't be a problem. I'm only following orders. If I can do it with them, then I can do it with yours to an extent."
"Good to hear, Lieutenant," The Captain said. "We're glad to have you and your expertise with us."
"I look forward to working with you," Nick said. "But if you're hoping to implement trenches then be prepared to expend a large supplies and troops maintaining them."
"Noted," Tobias said.
"I do apologize, but what were you two discussing before I interrupted." Nick pointed to the papers on the table.
"Plans for invading Deerbrooke County, but they haven't finalized just yet."
Nick stepped forward to the table and looked at the map of the Tri-burrows. His heart ached at the sight of Bunnyburrow being so close to the targeted area, but kept his mask up. "What's the obstacle?"
Tobias pointed to the country next to Deerbrooke County. "We're trying to get Bullgaria to join our side because of its strategic importance. With the alliance, we can attack Deerbrooke from the north and the east while also connecting Germamy and Pawstria-Hungaury to the Ottomammal Empire."
Nick furrowed his brow in confusion. "Why would a region populated mostly of prey want to join our side?"
Aranka shrugged her shoulders. "Beats us. From what we heard, their leaders are unhappy with their relationship with the Allies. Reneged promises from what we've been hearing."
"Huh, interesting." It was still surprising, but Nick remembered that all it took to bring two parties together was common interest and opportunities; that was clearly evident during Christmas. Then again, the army he was currently serving had a prey leading the Empire before a predator took over and they became the majority population.
"As I mentioned before, these current plans depend heavily on Bullgaria's decision," Tobias said. "Both sides are promising land to the region, it's just a matter of which territory Bullgaria wants more." He continued before Nick could speak. "We obviously are working on plans if they ultimately join the Allies."
"Good. I was concerned there for a moment."
"But you can give your input tomorrow. You must be tired from the train ride and moving the supplies. Get some food and sleep."
"Thank you."
The Major and Captain told Nick where the kitchen was and he thanked them again for the information.
The Lieutenant exited the building and made his way to the kitchen and mess hall. Nick was happy for the warm welcome, temporarily distracting his thoughts from the emptiness inside him. Tomorrow, he would spend the day learning everything about the base and its leaders if he was to successfully protect Judy's family. But for now, the fox would settle down and recover from the three-day train ride.
Nick finally arrived at the kitchen and saw the rows of tables filled with predators eating. Pulling out his empty mess tin, he walked up to the cook, a badger, who was surprised to see a Lieutenant standing before him.
"I thought you would eat with others of your rank or higher. Usually, they think they're too good to eat with the grunts."
"I'm not surprised to hear that," Nick replied solemnly. "I do it because I'm a fox. There will be mammals not used to the idea of one being in charge, so I try to show that we're equal. Even if it means giving up a few privileges of being an officer," he added with a chuckle.
"Very noble of you," the cook replied. "I would have expected otherwise. Trust me. I know it's not easy for a fox to have this much success."
"Good to hear. What are you serving tonight?"
The badger scooped a ladle from the pot. "Beans cooked in bugs and fat with a side of bread. Enjoy."
"Delicious."
The cook filled Nick's tin and gave him a piece of bread. Nick thanked the cook and left in search of a table. He didn't have to search long when his name was called.
"Lieutenant Wilde! Over here!"
Nick looked to see a table filled with predators from his unit. He smiled and strolled over to them. The fox was about to take a seat near the end when Wolford stopped him.
"No, over here!" The wolf indicated the space in the middle.
Nick complied and sat in the open space among his troops. It was moments like this that made him appreciate their support.
"Drink?" Delgato offered, holding out an opened bottle of heavily diluted beer. One of many around the table.
Nick nodded and took out his cup, holding it for the lion.
Delgato filled his cup and Nick immediately downed his drink in one gulp before requesting a second.
"Easy there, sir," Fangmeyer said. "No need to get drunk on your first day here. You would have to drink a few bottles to even do so."
"I know. I just needed that. I promise to not get carried away."
After a moment of hesitation, Delgato filled a second up.
True to his word, Nick simply put the cup down and took his cap off before eating. The rest of the table continued with their meals for a little bit before a conversation finally struck up.
"So how was meeting with the officers here?" Clawhauser asked. "Get any information?"
Nick swallowed the bite of bread he had been chewing. "Would you believe that the predators here are being led by mammals of my size?"
"Really?" Snarlof said. "I didn't think there would be other units like ours."
"Their higher ranks did prevent me from learning more about them, but that will change eventually."
"Any word of our actions?" Grizzoli asked.
Nick sipped his drink to wash down the remaining bread. "It's a waiting game right now. The Empire is trying to lure Bullgaria into joining the Central Powers. It could be months before we hear of any news. Even then, we still have to wait on higher command after the decision is made."
"Great, this war is not going to end anytime soon," Johnson the lion complained.
"Are you honestly surprised?" Andersen the polar bear said. "We all thought the war would be over by Christmas and that didn't happen. All we can do is hope the empires and states come to that same feeling."
Johnson scoffed. "Like the governments would want that."
"Now now," Wolford said, trying to prevent an escalation. "Let's not get into an argument about our leaders. Not after what we just went through."
The table became silent, as much as it could in the barracks, as they understood the reference.
Wolford eventually decided to risk asking the question. "What are their plans for Bunnyburrow?"
Nick froze at the question. The predators at the table held their breath, hoping for a hopefully mild response.
The fox set his spoon down and grabbed his cup. "I don't know, but I'm preparing for the worst. There are so many factors involved that I can only hope and pray for the right ones. And I don't even know if Judy has been sent home which only adds to the difficulty."
The predators had no words to say after that last sentence. They wouldn't even know where to begin and simply remained silent.
Noticing their behavior, Nick finished the beans and gulped the last dregs from his cup. He put on his cap and stood. "I'm going to go clean up and turn in for the night. I'll see you all in the morning."
The predators watched Nick walk away from the table and disappear from their sight when he exited the barrack.
Nick returned to the officer's quarters, having remembered the location on the way to meeting with the Major and Captain. Arriving at the place, Nick opened the door and entered inside. The room contained a single bed including a single pillow, blankets, and sheets, a table near the window with an oil lamp and a candle, and a chest.
For once, Nick appreciated being alone. He first checked the chest for its contents and discovered a towel, brush, and a bar of soap. Among other items that Nick didn't care for at the moment. His leaders informed him that he could either make the long walk to the Danoobe River or wait for clean water to arrive to wash himself. Nick instead went for a third option. Having no desire and little energy, he locked the door, stripped himself naked, and began grooming. Thirty minutes later, the fox felt refreshed and only put on his underwear before checking the chest again for any matches to light the lamp. He thanked the heavens for finding a box and lit one up.
After lighting the lamp, the fox collapsed on the chair with this elbows on the table and paws on his face. He hated everything about the current situation and needed to get his mind off the topic. Nick reached over to his coat and searched for anything to distract him. His paws felt his journal but he didn't feel the need to write his thoughts down at that moment. But then another idea came into his head. Nick took the journal out and reached into his coat again. This time pulling out a pencil and an eraser stick. He set the items down on the table and moved the lamp closer. Nick opened to a blank page in the back of the journal and grabbed the pencil.
He closed his eyes for a few moments. "Okay." He opened them and began marking on the blank page. Nick grunted in frustration a few times when he made mistakes and had to use the eraser stick. A look of pure concentration was on his face the entire time. Nick glanced at his watch occasionally to make sure he had enough time to finish and go to sleep. Over an hour later, he finally put the pencil and eraser stick down and looked at the now filled page. Nick only wished he had other colors, especially purple. But he at least was able to darken the area for black on the tip of the ears and lightly color in gray for the fur. What mattered to him were the nose, the eyes, and most importantly, the smile. While it may not have been the best face drawing, having a picture of Judy Hopps to look at was enough for him. Nick smiled and chuckled at his work, wondering what Judy would think if she ever saw it.
The fox closed the journal and blew out the lamp. Stretching his arms, he let out a large sigh of relief as the muscles stretched. Nick slowly got up from the chair and paced over to the bed where he collapsed face down onto the pillow from exhaustion. Nick forced himself to move the blanket over him as he struggled in a losing battle with his body wanting to fall asleep above all else in that moment. Nick succeeded the same time his strength gave out. He silently lay in bed until his mind joined his body. Soon, the only sounds from inside the room were from the breathing of a sleeping fox.
This will be the only chapter with a split perspective. From here on out, it will be from either Judy or Nick's point of view until further notice.
Will the Great War be kind to them and their close ones? I highly doubt it.
