Here is the 72nd installment. Hope you enjoy it.

Notes now live at the end of the chapter, so here is the obligatory, on with the show.

Sadly, I do not own and thus can claim no rights to Zootopia or its characters. They belong to Disney.

It continues…. Enjoy.

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Hopps Burrow, the next morning.

Ben giggled as he and Bonnie moved around the kitchen. "I am still surprised how much head room there is in here. I barely have to bend down at all. Do you know why you, as rabbits, build your borrows so large? Not that I'm complaining. I mean, the room we had last night actually fit all three of us without being overly cramped. We even had room." Smirking and enjoying the blush that ran up Bonnie's ears.

Bonnie turned and returned Ben's smirk with a grin. "Oh, don't go there Benjamin. Or should I call you, kitten? The walls are insulated, not perfectly sound proofed. I do wonder, what kind of sandwich filling do you consider yourself?"

Ben's eyes went wide, a very clear blush in his own ears and around his eyes. "Oh, well… Uh… That Frittata I was talking about..."

Bonnie gave him a knowing smirk. "Yeah, I have some of that turkey bacon you told me I would need. So where do we start?"

Swallowing weakly, Ben clearly grabbed the lifeline Bonnie had thrown him. "It is pretty easy. For the bacon, it just needs to be mostly cooked, not crispy though. It'll cook more in the oven with the rest of everything. If you cook it too crispy, you'll end up over cooking it once everything is combined and it is in the oven. The rest is simple. Beat the eggs, add the veggies you want, the bacon, and slip it into the oven. Although, it's best if you have some real milk, bovine preferably, but goat will also work, to add to it. Makes it come out fluffier."

Bonnie nodded and started directing the other rabbits in the kitchen, under Ben's instructions a collection of pans full of whipped eggs, veggies, and turkey bacon were entering the conveyor oven shortly thereafter.

Ben watched the oven work and chuckled. "You normally see something like this in a factory setting, which I suppose isn't too far off from the truth here. You do have a lot of mouths to feed, and using traditional ovens would require you to have dozens."

Bonnie laughed. "Thirty to forty. We did the math once. We had twenty and it just wasn't enough, so we were looking to remodel. Given how fast we could cycle an oven for most things we would make, we determined we needed at least thirty. If we were being realistic and didn't want anyone having to wait, we needed fifty. One of the kits was watching some show called How They Make It, or something like that. Anyway, they saw how they used these conveyor ovens to cook up all that mass market stuff you see in the store, and brought it up as an option.

Took some research, but we found a manufacturer, they came in and we showed them our problem. We use less gas and less power running two of these at full tilt, than our lowest use of the old cluster of standard ovens. It took some getting used to, and we had to change around some roles of those that work in the kitchen, as well as tweak a few recipes. That said, I've never been upset about making the switch. We actually reclaimed a lot of room. Part of that is the fact that we kept the high ceilings. We kept three stacks, pointing to one corner of the room, but those are now primarily used by kits who come home late, or work odd shifts, in order to keep or warm up their food, and for those learning or experimenting."

Ben nodded. "Wow. So you actually have more than this one?"

Bonnie nodded. "We have four, actually. This is my private kitchen now. The main kitchen is on the other side of the dining room. It has the other three, and it is where the bulk of meals are prepared. This one is significantly smaller than the other three, and used for overflow on holidays, or when I'm making something special. That's why you only see older rabbits here. The younger rabbits, unless they're just learning and need supervision, do their shift in the kitchens on the other side.

We do the main teaching here. Knife skills. How to cook. Spice use. Things like that. Once they've mastered things, they cycle through the main kitchens, spending a few weeks in each role, before going on to other things. Once they're done with all the different stations in the burrow, from caring for the fluffle, to cooking, weeding, everything. They are usually also graduating from high school and then get to choose what they do. Some, like Judy, go out into the world to do other things. Others decide to go to culinary school, or take plant husbandry and hope to take over the farm some day, or start their own. We have six professional chef's that work in the main kitchens, and two that work in Meowchelin star restaurants. As a matter of fact, Judy and Nick's friend, Finnick, just hired two of our culinarily inclined kits. I'm sure they'll have lots of predator recipes to teach us the next time they come home."

Ben nodded. "So they get a taste of everything and then have the chance to choose their own future? That's amazing. But… Judy tells stories about…"

Bonnie held up a paw. "It's true, and it is not something I, or Stu, are proud of. We're rabbits, Ben. We were raised with fear and paranoia. It's not an excuse, it's simply the reason. We were terrified by her plan for her future, and she made that decision a decade before most rabbits even have a clue what they are going to do. Then she pursued it relentlessly. There was nothing we could do to stop her. And boy did we try.

I threw bucks at her just praying one would stick. I even… I even secretly hoped in some of my darker, more fear driven moments, that one would take advantage of her." Ben gasped, paws covering his mouth. Bonnie nodded. "I'm the most ashamed of those moments. I never wanted to hurt my daughter, I love her. Yet, in those moments, I tried to rationalize that if she had a liter, she would be safer."

Vivian had walked in and pulled Bonnie into a hug. "Well, it is a good thing she is stronger than all of us combined, isn't it?"

Bonnie nodded. "It is. With what we are learning from the deep histories. I'm so ashamed of myself and the way we raised our kits."

Vivian shook her head. "You love your kits. You only wanted to protect them, and you had only the example of the one fox that hurt your little girl and the fear you were taught yourself, as kits."

Bonnie tried to pull away, tears in her eyes. "That's no excuse! My gods!" Pulling on her ears in a very Judy like manner, making Vivian smile thinking it was perhaps Judy acting in a more Bonnie like manner. "I almost lost her and so many others."

Vivian held Bonnie, refusing to let her go. "It may not be, but you are also doing everything you can to overcome that, now that you know better. You are not denying what happened. You are not ignoring it. You admit what you have done wrong, and are doing everything you can to make it right. Nothing more could be asked of you, since you cannot go back in time and teach your younger self the truth ahead of time."

Bonnie nodded with a sob from within the hug. "But it doesn't feel like it is enough."

Vivian smiled sadly. "That is just your guilt from what was, not what is, or will be. The fact that it doesn't feel enough proves that you've changed, both you and Stu. Look at you now. You're wrapped up in a hug from a vixen that is your in-law now. You have a cheetah of all mammals in your kitchen, teaching you how to prepare some predator food so you can feed the predator mates of your kits. You have embraced, now that you know about it, the fact that the Hopps have a long history of marrying across species, and producing kits to boot. You're about to travel to the city of Von to meet your grand-kits from one such union. If that doesn't show how much you have changed, then whatever mammal is giving you a hard time. Well, I guess I'll just have to borrow something from Finnick and say that I'll bite their face off."

Bonnie laughed, releasing her ears and returning the hug. "Thank you, Vivian. You have helped me so much in just the last day alone."

"Your daughter saved my son, more literally than I think you or I will ever understand. I have him back. I'm going to be able to get to know my grand-kits. Something I didn't believe I would ever get from him, if I ever even saw him again other than on a slab in the morgue to identify the body. So helping you get through your guilt for loving your kits and wanting to protect them. A paltry price indeed in order to have my son back."

In the dining room, an extremely large rabbit with black stripes on a white base coat was enjoying a large section of the frittata. A number of the braver kits, in the 7 to 10 range, approached him slowly, watching his longer, almost cat-like tail as it flicked back and forth. The adults that were watching were impressed with his ability to seem oblivious to the less than quietly whispering kits.

Once they were right behind him, he allowed his ears to rotate back with a smirk. "Can I help you kits?"

At least one squeaked in surprise. The bravest speaking. "Uh… Mister. You're really big, and I've never seen a rabbit with stripes. They're like my friend, Jacob Tigerson, only you're white."

He chuckled and turned slowly to look at the kits. "Well, that's because my dad was a Siberian tiger and my mom was a jack rabbit. When I was little, I looked just like my mom, just all white. Then when I was a teenager, my stripes grew in, and my claws changed to be like my dads." Flexing his clearly feline claws for the kits to see. "I'm from Von, and hybrids like me and your new cousins, are more common than someone who is just one species."

The kits all gaped at his claws, the bravest smiling brightly. "That's really cool! Why are you here?"

"I'm the pilot of that really cool machine parked on the Munch field. I'm supposed to be flying Judy's parents, Bonnie and Stu, as well as Nick's mom, Vivian, and their friends the Bogo's, to Von so they can meet Judy and Nick's new kits."

That bravest kit cocked his head to the side in a very canine manner, while his ears canted like a rabbit. "Wait. I heard aunty Judy was pregnant." His eyes went wide. "You mean they're uncle Nick's?"

The pilot nodded. "Yep!" The kits all yelled in happy surprise and ran off, something about the fluffle needing to get ready for new cousins. Chuckling he turned back to his last bites of frittata.

One of the adults approached him. "Pardon me, sir. I couldn't help but overhear. Kinda hard to miss the conversation after all. You're a hybrid of a tiger and a jackrabbit?"

Smiling, he nodded. "I am. Terrence Siberus." Holding out a paw. "Please, call me Terry."

Taking the paw, the buck smiled. "Francis Hopps, call me Fran. So Von is real, and Nick and Judy actually had kits? I didn't think that would be possible."

Terry shrugged. "You'd think that, and I'm no doctor, but as I remember from my schooling… Mammals have slowly evolved to be closer to each other than most realize. While some crosses are less likely than others, it is possible, save for issues of size, for most species to interbreed."

"That's amazing. What is the Von stance on gay relationships?"

Smiling widely. "Just as open as they are to inter-species relationships. We try very hard not to discriminate, unless you have done so to us first. From what I understand, your family historians are building a new and more accurate history of the ancient world, based on information gained from the Wilde clan, your own records, records from the Night Wolves, and more. I expect the Von council to add their own records to that collection, which will lay out what happened in ancient times when the Wilde clan and their supporters were driven out of this very burrow."

Francis frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

Terry smiled. "Sorry, I just assumed it was more widely spread within the burrow. It is part of history, something forgotten except in the oldest histories maintained by your clans, or taught in primary school in Von. The ancestors, the founders of Von, were the ones that actually experienced it, so it isn't a surprise that we kept the history while the rest of the world forgot."

Bonnie entered with a chuckle. "We most definitely forgot. Although, I think the more accurate statement would be that we chose, that is our ancestors chose, to forget. To embrace the fear and hate that caused that rift to begin with. What Terry said is true. A new history is being created, one that will reflect the reality of ancient times from when the Hopps burrow was originally formed.

Literally thousands of years ago, and from what we can tell, while the first generation that dug the original Hop burrow was still in charge, a fox with the name Wild, came to live with the clan. We're still translating things and trying to figure out what exactly happened that allowed this. There is mention of him being a Thrall to one of the warriors of the clan, but there is already proof that at some point that warrior and the fox married, and had kits.

Over time more foxes joined the clan, intermarried either with the Wild side of things, or the Hop rabbits, and other mammals were added to that number as well. Multiple small felines, ferrets and their kin, some smaller deer species, and even a handful of wolves that appear to have been direct ancestors of the Wolford pack, Zootopia. Not all of those unions generated kits, but a lot did."

Fran looked on in complete shock. "If that is true, then what happened?"

Bonnie looked down sadly. "From what we can tell, some of the rabbits in the burrow were rather like your brother Herald and his ilk, as well as the Leapsons and others like that. Purists. With the help of a ferret trader, they managed to fake some events and blame the foxes and other non-rabbits for them. It included a staged murder."

Fran and several others gasped as Bonnie continued. "Exactly. So, a rift was created in the clan. Those that welcomed and refused to believe that mammals who were just as much members of the clan as the rabbits themselves, would not deliberately do things to cast themselves in a bad light. And those that willingly accepted the hate, the fear, the lies, of the specist types. The foxes, any known hybrid that was clearly not full rabbit, and basically anyone not a rabbit, was driven from the burrow along with those that supported them."

Vivian put a paw on Bonnie's shoulder. "This is where the historical documents that my family, the clan Wilde, with an E, come into play. They lament about how they were driven from their home by hate and fear. According to the documents we have provided, about a year or so of wandering after being driven from the burrow, the dating is hard given how old the documents are, they were attacked. Dozens were killed and the survivors got separated. A large collection driven off a cliff into a river where more died, the others lost to those that fell. My family is descended from the survivors of those driven off the cliff. We heard rumors of what happened to the others, but I think perhaps Terry would be better able to answer that."

Terry nodded. "According to what I was taught in school, they were chased into a ravine. However, that ravine provided a protected position that allowed them to hold back the brigands and eventually they gave up. Using the trees and rock of the area, they further blocked the ravine entrance and left guards while they explored up the ravine where they found a huge protected valley. They sent out scouts to search for the others. They found some of the kits, a few other survivors, and bodies, but those that were driven into the river were never located. Well, not in ancient times."

Fran and others shook their heads. "So you're telling me that we rabbits, had foxes, and other predators living with us, and actually intermarried and had kits with them?"

Terry nodded. "Yep. Most of you have some genes in you left over from that. The most obvious is the Hopps rabbits eye colors. You have colors that simply do not exist in other rabbit clans. The blues, purples, bright greens. You can all also eat meat easily, and get stronger from it. And your ability to interbreed easily with others, especially foxes."

Someone from the edge of the circle listening to the conversation chimed in. "Judy is just weird. Always has been."

Bonnie laughed. "Not really. Judy just embraced the legacy in our genes that the rest of us hid from. Over the centuries that predator blood has thinned out, but then you have those like Judy, and you, Fran. You've got the same purple eyes of your sister, the black tips on your ears, tail, paws. I'd be willing to bet that you have stronger showing of fox genes than many of the family, save maybe Judy."

Fran laughed and shook his head. "Actually, mom. I had a genetic profile done a few years ago. A lot of us did. Those of us who find ourselves attracted beyond rabbits. My collection is red fox and ferret. Judy was already with Nick and dad was being, dad, so don't know what her's is. Henrietta is actually bobcat and wolf, which is crazy, being my litter mate. Then again, since she is hoping to get with a wolf named Earl who moved to town a few months ago, I suppose it makes sense." Fran turned to Terry. "Terry however is more my type. You wouldn't happen to be gay and single, would you?"

This caused a laugh from everyone, especially Terry who leaned into Fran so their noses were almost touching. "Hmm… I might, could possibly, maybe, be convinced. I do rather like your scent." Taking a very deliberate deep breath through his nose. "And don't think I didn't smell it when you first saw me. You covered it well."

Bonnie laughed. "Fran. If Terry wouldn't mind, why don't you join us on the trip to Von to see your sister and new nieces and nephews?"

Terry smiled, showing off his mixed teeth. "I think I'd like that. There is a nice little place right near the hospital. Coffee?"

Fran visibly blushed, his ears falling behind his head with a soft thump. "I… Uhm… I would like that."

Terry smiled. "So would I. We are scheduled to leave in about three hours, and will be in city for about a week. I have a few flights I have to do in the meantime. Just a few jobs I was contracted for, but it's actually all for you and your family. The council, Wolford pack Von, and Gazelle all tried to contract me at the same time, for the same purpose. Basically I'm at the beck and call of your sister and her mate. But… When they don't need me, I'm all yours."

Fran blushed deeper. "That… I uh… I need to go… pack."

Terry leaned forward so they were nose to nose, actually touching. "Perhaps a swimsuit as well. There's this little place opposite the pass. A swimming hole, only accessible by air, or a two day hike." Pulling at his collar, Fran nodded and ran off to pack. Terry chuckled. "Oh, he is too cute when he is flustered."

Bonnie nodded with a knowing smile that devolved into a frown, arms crossing, with Vivian standing behind her with an identical expression. "And what exactly is your intention with my son, Mr. Siberus? He clearly fancies you, as more than just a roll in the sheets."

Terry's eyes went wide for a moment, then he bowed deeply, going down on one knee. "Forgive me, but I do in fact fancy him at least as much as he seems to fancy me. He is…" Glancing back towards where Fran had run. "He is unique. Like me, if the markings mean anything at all."

Vivian leaned forward with a growl. "How would you know?"

Terry looked down, almost ashamed, then stood and took off his shirt and turned around. A very distinctive pattern branded on his shoulder. "I was not born within Von, so I was branded before my parents could object. While Von is tolerant in a great many things, even this. Few are however interested in someone such as myself. I saw what might have been a similar mark on Fran, or am I wrong and have embarrassed myself? It was my hope that with someone such as myself, I might finally find someone." Turning back around, Terry did not expect what he found. Looks of absolute, unmitigated glee on Bonnie and Vivian's muzzle.

Vivian giggled. "Oh, I had an uncle that was like you. I've always hated that branding crap. When he finally found his mate, we were all very supportive. As foxes, we get shat on enough, we try not to do it to each other unless a fox actually deserves it, and something like that is not exactly something you had control over. I'm so very glad you have been able to live somewhere that you were able to flourish."

Bonnie nodded. "Yes. The doctor that did that to Fran now works at the Bugga-Burger. It's the only place that will hire him now. He still owes a few million on the settlement after we sued him. We did not give him permission to scar our kit, especially not like that. I don't care what convention says, I've had way too many children born different to allow them to be scared for… For some stupid religious superstition. I am just glad we stopped him before he performed the mutilation surgery, because that is what that is. Mutilation."

Terry smiled and put his shirt back on. "That is… That is very nice to hear."

Fran came back in. "What's nice to hear?"

Terry turned with a grin. "Something for us to discuss when we go swimming."

Fran blushed deeply. "Okay." Glancing at his mother. "Mom, is everything okay? You seem upset."

Bonnie gave a wide smile. "Nothing you, or Terry did, Fran. Nothing either of you did, or are at fault for at all."

Fran nodded. "Okay. Well, I'm packed and my bags are with everyone else's stuff. Do you know when we are leaving?"

Bonnie nodded. "Just as soon as your sister, Amy, and her mate get here."

Fran grinned. "Amy is coming? She has a mate? Since when?"

Bonnie nodded again. "Yep. A few years as I am learning, and that is why she has mostly disconnected from the family."

At that moment another gray rabbit, looking nearly identical to Judy save her fully black ears walked in. "I'm here mom. What's going on, and what is that thing in the Munch field? Never seen a machine like that."

Turning and giving one of her oldest daughters an almost desperate hug. "Hi, sweetie. It's so good to see you. You have been missed. That's a transport that will be taking us to see your sister and new nieces and nephews."

Amy laughed. "Okay. That doesn't narrow it down much, mom. Can you be a bit more specific? Or maybe vague enough to narrow it down?"

Joining in the laugh. "Judy. I know you have been working and probably missed the news. Judy was not only pregnant, but had her kits last night because some crazy mammal tried to poison her and her friends."

Amy's ears vibrated with the shock. "Judy? As in Judith Laverne? The ZPD police officer you and dad cut off because she was with her fox partner? Who's the father? Did she leave him? I was just shocked that you invited me back to the house."

Bonnie looked down sadly. "Yeah, we did do all that, but we are trying to get better. You've missed out on a lot. So let me try and break it down quickly. Judy called, one last time, to try and reconnect and to let us know that not only were she and Nick married, but they were having kits. Not through a donor or anything like that, but they're actually Nick's kits. So they are half fox - half rabbit. We've learned that your grandfather was the way he was in order to protect the family and his first true love, a snow leopard. Apparently he was going to elope with her but his brother that should have inherited the farm died, leaving it to him.

Let's see. Oh, we have had three special dinners now where we have welcomed the mates of those of our kits who have taken non-rabbits as mates. You have been on all three of those invites. Also, eating meat is something most of the family can do without issue because of some things that have been discovered by Judy and Nick. Not the least of which being that Nick's ancestors and ours used to live in the same burrow. It's one of the reasons why we dig our tunnels so much larger than other families and why we farm birds. If you need proof of that, just look at the stone around Vivian's neck. Which reminds me. Amy, this is Vivian, Nick's mom."

Amy turned to look at Vivian who smiled warmly and held up the pendant, Amy's eyes went wide with a gasp and paws over her muzzle. "That's… Oh my gods! That's one of the missing stones!"

Vivian smiled. "Yep, a Hopps sapphire. Judy found it and returned it to me as I am family. Now I have to decide which of my new grand-kits I am going to give it to. According to the records, it was lost thousands of years ago when the foxes and others were driven out of the borrow by some specist rabbits who wanted to preserve the purity of the clan."

Amy groaned, rubbing an ear-base. "Oh gods. Henry mentioned something about an old story."

Vivian nodded. "Yeah. We have a lot of that ancient history being brought together now. It started as a joke, and it has spiraled out of control at this point I think. The excuse is going to be a large family get-together and a set of weddings, Judy and Nick, along with a few others, but there are going to be enough species here on the farm, protected by the old laws, that we are going to form a new pact."

Bonnie nodded with a smile. "Yep. We've got dozens of species, dozens of families signing on either individually or as groups. We have four entire species planning to sign on. When it happens, the feds are not going to be happy."

Amy shook her head. "And how are we going to keep them from disrupting it?"

Terry chuckled. "That's kinda where I come in." Holding out a paw. "Terry Siberus. I'm an independent pilot chartered and licensed under the city-state of Von. Von having been settled by part of the group that was driven from the Hopps, Hop at the time, burrow, many thousands of years ago. I'm actually a hybrid of tiger and jackrabbit. I get the stripes and size from dad, but otherwise take after my mom."

Amy looked between them, her eyes went wide again. "Whoa! Von is real? You're a hybrid of a Tiger? You've actually welcomed non-rabbit mates into the burrow?" Sitting at one of the tables next to her. "This is a lot."

At that moment, a Jaguar and one of the Bunnyburrow Sheriff deputies walked in. "Mrs. Hopps. Sheriff Justice said you needed me specifically for something?"

Bonnie turned with a grin. "I did, and did you bring a packed bag as instructed, Deputy Jackson?"

Glancing at Amy, the tip of his tail flicking nervously. "Yes ma'am. I'm not sure why, but the Sheriff seemed to think I'd not be on regular duty for at least a week. Made an odd comment about a special assignment."

Bonnie nodded. "I expect that will be the case. I think you'll probably just defer to Chief Bogo, who will be joining us as well." Looking then to Amy. "And you brought your bag as well?"

Amy nodded, her eyes wide. "Uhm… Yeah."

Bonnie smiled wider. "Excellent. Terry, why don't you show Fran over to the transport and get things up and running while I make sure everyone is ready and we can head out shortly."

Terry nodded, grinning at Fran. Holding out a paw. "Shall we?"

Fran giggled, taking the paw. "I think so. My bag is by the door, we can grab it as we go by."

Leading the way Terry's tail wagging happily. "I'll carry it for you."

"Such a gentle mammal."

Amy watched this and seeing the grin on her mothers face just increased her shock. "What?! What is going on? What have I missed? Seriously! MOM! He's a hybrid! Half TIGER for gods sake!"

Bonnie nodded with a smile. "Yes, and someone I think Fran might actually have a lot in common with and be able to be happy with. Just as you are with Deputy Jackson."

Jake Jackson's tail puffed up as he glanced at Amy, who moved closer to him in anticipation of running, fear clear on Amy's muzzle. "Uhm… Ma'am?"

Bonnie frowned and sat down. "Please don't look at me like that. I know we haven't been as understanding and welcoming as we should have been. It's why you all but cut us out of your life. We're trying to get better. The revelation that Judy was pregnant, by Nick, that they were married, and that we might miss out on not just their kits, but those of a great many of our other kits. Well… It hit us hard. We visited Zootopia and met Nick and Judy, along with several of their friends. Did I mention that they are officially members of the Wolford pack now?"

A black furred wolf stepped out of the shadows. "Actually, ma'am. That's only provisional, but barring something odd, it will be official soon enough. Maybe a month or so, once they have the official wolf ceremony. Not that the wedding they did have isn't about as official as it could be, but they need to hold the wolf specific ceremony to silence the more vocal group that are still demanding some very old and outdated conventions be followed. The Alpha's are wading carefully through that as it isn't fair to subject the Regent to such things when those same wolves would not do that to anyone else. Just because she is a Tiger."

Bonnie nodded. "Thank you, Mitch. Who of your team is going with us?"

Mitch smiled. "Myself and Eddie. The rest of the team will actually be back-filled with some additional mammals. Everyone that has a non-wolf mate is being transferred here if they can be. For obvious reasons. They'll be able to be open here, when not on duty. The Designate, Regent, and their firsts already have their guard with them, and I'm sure the Von Nightwolf contingent will have already added a few additional guards."

Bonnie nodded with a grin. "Just like you and Eddie then? Don't think we're that blind."

Mitch shook his head. "Of course not. It's one of the reasons we were assigned here to begin with. Testing the waters, as it were."

"When will your relief get here?"

"Already here. I'd have not shown myself otherwise. Also, Eddie is making sure all your bags are checked and over to the transport as we speak. That includes those of Mister Jackson and Misses Hopps-Jackson."

Bonnie smiled sadly. "Amy, dear. You and Jake wouldn't want to have a Rabbit wedding, would you? Formally welcome him into the clan?"

Amy, standing right next to Jake, paw hooked to one of his belt loops, ready for him to bolt. The shock on her muzzle, clear. "Say what now?!" She studied her mother for a second and her shock only grew. "Wait. YOU'RE SERIOUS?!"

Bonnie smiled warmly, a light chuckle at Amy's shock. "Yes, dear. Quite serious. We're already planning out Judy and Nick's wedding." Looking down in shame. "We've already missed out on the cultural specific wedding of You and Jake, Judy and Nick, and several of our other kits. Your father and I have finally realized just how small minded we have been. Especially with the fact that Judy and Nick were able to have kits. I can only hope, as a mother, that you and Jake can forgive us and let us welcome you properly. And if I might be so selfish, that you and Jake are equally blessed with kits as Nick and Judy have been."

Jake's eyes wide, tail poofed even further in shock. "Mrs. Hopps? I… Uhm… We have no problem with that. It's been Amy's hope ever since we got together. But are you sure?"

Vivian stepped up behind Bonnie, setting her muzzle on top of her head between her ears. "Yeah. She's sure." Bonnie not even flinching. "Both your parents have struggled with it for a long time."

Bonnie shoed Vivian away with a laugh. "Yes. We allowed the fear any parent has when their kits take a mate. Will they be good enough for them? Will they treat them right? Will they be able to have kits I can spoil? Then allowed that to be twisted by the fact that some of those mates were…"

Amy nodded, sagging in relief. "Predators, and questions like. Will they hurt them? Will they get hungry one day and eat them?"

Bonnie's ears fell in embarrassment. "Yes."

Amy pulled her mother into a hug. "Mom. We would love to have a rabbit wedding. Maybe a joint wedding with Judy and Nick. Maybe a few others will want to join as well."

Bonnie smiled and wiped a tear of joy. "That's what we hope."

"Then I will bring it up with Judy when we see her. So when do we leave?"

Terry came back in the room with Fran, Fran's muzzle fur slightly out of place. "We'll be ready in a few hours. Just waiting on approval of the flight plan. The local air traffic controllers are not sure what to do with the plan I filed, and since we have to go over Zootopia, we have to wait for them as well. However, everyone's luggage is loaded. I am still not sure where that panther came from, but he's efficient."

Bonnie nodded. "Okay, let's have everyone that is going, gather in the second living room. That way we are all in one place. And Fran, dear. Straighten your muzzle fur." Rolling her eyes as she turned to order several of the teenagers who had hung around the edges to catch the gossip.

Fran blushed deeply, quickly brushing the fur on their muzzle with a paw. "Oh gods. Just eat me now."

Terry leaned down with a grin. "Maybe later. You are delicious." Fran's eyes went wide and their blush exploded before they leapt up, boxed Terry with about twenty blows, and then bolted from the room. Terry watched them go, ears vibrating, shock on his muzzle, and his tail fully poofed. "Oh, my. I wasn't expecting that."

Bonnie yanked Terry down to her level. "And you had best take good care of them."

Terry nodded, quite terrified. Bonnie was enough, but the look Vivian was giving him sealed the deal. "Not a fling, I swear. Fran is amazing, and I would never deliberately hurt them."

Bonnie nodded, let go of Terry and patted his cheek. "Good, then we will just have to find fertilizer for the back forty the normal way." A statement that did nothing to calm the sense of dread crawling up Terry's spine.

A few hours later, Vivian, the Bogo's, and the Hopps were loading up on the Transport and lifting off for Von, something that this time, would take three hours, since they were not authorized for trans-sonic flight.

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A/N

Remember to share the love. Review and Fav. It is the life blood of every writer to know you are enjoying their work. I also want to thank everyone who has Fav'd, followed, and reviewed this little project. I know that isn't much, but to me, it's huge. Even as a writer of original fiction, that you enjoy this means a lot to me as an author. You can check out my original work and link to my Blog, Scribblings, where a lot of it lives by hopping over to dcballard . com ( Direct: ascensionnovel . / scribblings (remove the spaces) because the forwarding is misbehaving.)

If you enjoy this, and you are not also reading my original Log Entries series over on my Blog. Why aren't you? (takes a Nick-esk pose of hurt) Also. I am now posting them on AO3, so you have even less excuse. It's free, ORIGINAL fiction. "An original story told through the log entries of the pilot and captain of an experimental star ship."

You should really be checking out my bestest bud, Bear678, and his story What Foxes May Come.

So keep those reviews and comments coming. And also remember, if you see issues, misspellings, etc... Let me know in PM, I'm under no illusion of being perfect and want to fix those things I miss.