25: It's All In The Details

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My deepest apologies for such a late posting of this chapter. I was stymied for a LOOONG time trying to decide where to go with the chapter and got frustrated enough that I had to simply take a brief break from writing.

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While Judy's adventure is ongoing:

Not long after Nick hangs up, he gets a notification that he's received an anticipated text message.

Noting the address, he gets in the GTO and starts it and lets it warm up while he programs the GPS on his phone to the address that Deb sent.

45 minutes later he's greeted at the door by three rambunctious kits.

While the small bucks, Adam and Avery, charge into the kitchen and living room yelling "MOOOOOM, there's a fox at the front door!" to tell Deb and Danni that Nick has arrived, Alecia asks Nick where Judy is.

"Is you my aint Judy's boyfren'? An' where is my aint Judy?" the tiny doe asks.

When Nick tries to explain that Judy is his wife, Deb tells him "I've tried to explain the difference between being married and being boyfriend/girlfriend, but they're both the same to her at this age."

"No problem," Nick tells the doe "a lot of times the only difference is a ceremony and a piece of paper!"

"I guess that's true enough." she admits.

Squatting on his haunches so he's closer to the young doe's height, Nick tells her "Your aunt Judy is going to school right now to learn how to be a sheriff's deputy like me when she's through."

"Yer a depity?" asks the tiny doe.

"I sure am. And when Judy graduates, she'll be my partner."

"Does you gots any kits? Kin I play wif 'em?"

"Judy has some kits in her tummy and they'll be born in about five months … when the grass turns green and the flowers bloom. Can you count to five? Can you show me how many five is? That's how long before the kits are born."

When Alecia nods and holds up five fingers, Nick smiles and pats the doe on top of her head.

"Good girl. If it's okay with your mom and dad, maybe you can see Judy next weekend."

"Really?"

"Yep, there's a bunch of folks coming out to our new house to help get things together."

With that, Alecia is evidentially satisfied with the answer and heads toward the dining room to help her brothers set the table.

"Just a bit of FYI, the doe is Alecia, and the bucks are Adam and Avery. Avery is the slightly taller one with the tan marks on his ears." Deb tells the todd.

After everyone sits at the table, Deb brings out the main course of vegetarian lasagna.

As everyone has waited for her to sit at her place, Deb tells Nick "There's plenty here, so dig in. Let me know how you like it."

After taking a sizeable portion (Deb had made two large dishes of her lasagna) and tasting it, Nick tells his hostess "It's really good, almost as good as my mom's."

"Well, thank you, but I can't help thinking that there's a 'but' in there somewhere …"

"The only real difference is the fact that mom always used some country sausage (turkey sausage) in the sauce. Other than that, it's almost the exact same thing."

"Well then, the next time I make this, I'll be sure to add some. Like I mentioned before, mammals seem to be evolving to the point where everyone may become omnivores."

"Like foxes already are. I guess we kinda beat the curve …" Nick remarks slyly.

"So it seems. And … after supper while the kits are doing the dishes-"

"MOOOOOM!" comes from all three kits.

"Nope," sternly responds Deb "you three are going to do dishes just like every other night. Besides, we grownups need to have a private conversation, away from prying ears."

After the main course is served, along with the side salad that everyone seemed to enjoy, even Nick, Deb went back into the kitchen and with Danni's help, fried a large platter of freshly caught walleye and bluegills.

When the last of the fish is consumed, Deb HAS to ask Nick "Well …..?"

"The fish were excellent." he tells her "It was fried perfectly and was really tasty. If I may, I'd like to give you a few of my mom's spices that might even make it even better."

"No problem. I'm still learning how to properly cook protein, so any advice is truly welcomed." she admits.

Getting up from the table, Deb asks Nick "I don't suppose you have some room left for dessert?"

"I'm not su-" he begins.

"It's blueberry cheesecake …"

"Yes, absolutely, bring it on!" he enthusiastically admits "If there's anything that I truly love besides Judy, it's blueberries!"

Wearing her own version of a smirk as she brings out the overly large cheesecake from the kitchen (where on earth did she ever get a bigger springform pan that size?) Deb sets the rich dessert on the table, then proceeds to give each member an appropriate size piece, saving one last piece for herself.

As everyone enjoys the decadent dessert, Deb admits "In case you were wondering, I managed to get Sharla to sell me one of Gideon's pans to make this, otherwise I'd have needed to make two or three cheesecakes in order to get the same amount of desserts. It just seemed to make more sense to me."

"Thith ith gud!" Nick tells her through a mouthful of dessert.

"The blueberries came from mom and dad's farm," a smiling Deb tells him "but don't worry, the kits and I probably ate a third of what I had gotten while I was making it."

"Hopps blueberries were always a treat that I craved after I got back to Zootopia when I got out of the service." he tells everyone "They were kinda hard to find a lot of times."

"I'll get you whatever you want when it comes to blueberries, and some strawberries for your mate as well. Judy loves 'em."

"Good to know …"

As Nick finishes his last bit of cheesecake, knowing that his actions won't be misinterpreted, he makes a show of licking his chops which exposes all of his very sharp teeth.

While Deb rolls her eyes and doesn't bother to hide a slight smirk, Danni simply ignores the action. But the kits on the other paw ... while the young bucks simply stare wide-eyed and open mouthed at the todd's actions, Alecia asks "Kin I see yer teefs agin?"

"ASHLEY!" remarks a stunned Deb.

"No, it's okay," Nick tells his hostess as he gives the young doe a tooth filled smile.

Jumping down from her chair and walking over to Nick, who leans down so the doe can get a closer look.

"Wow! I wish I had teef like that!"

"So …." says Danni as he joins the conversation "Shall we retire to the living room away from prying ears while the kits clear the table and do the dishes?"

"Yes, let's." confirms Debra.

"Mom, please-" comes from Alecia/Ashley?

"Nope, not happening. Hop to it, chop, chop!" comes the stern reply.

As the trio of adults makes their way to the living room and gets comfortable (a little less so for Nick – rabbit sized furniture after all) Deb begins the conversation:

"Now … I wanted to keep this between ourselves, at least for now." she begins. "As I mentioned earlier, all mammals seem to be evolving, some at a faster rate than others. Predators are able to eat and actually digest more plants and vegetables and prey mammals are able to better tolerate eating and digesting protein. As a doctor and family member, I'm a bit concerned that Judy and especially her growing kits aren't getting enough protein. I think I heard that she has an ob/gyn appointment after she's released from the academy for the weekend next Friday, right?"

"That's correct," Nick confirms "and she wants me to be there with her, which is fine. And all of this is going … where?"

"Again, as a physician and a concerned family member, I'd like for you to try to get her to do a full blood workup. If she has a protein deficiency, it'll show up in a full screen. If you wanna try to deflect, you can tell her that it was my idea. It might also be good to know if she got any diseases that might have been transferred to her from her rapist!"

After taking a moment to ponder the suggestion, Nick tells his sister-in-law "While I appreciate you volunteering to take all the blame for the suggestions, I'll take full responsibility for voicing it. And while it's true that you brought up your concerns and suggestions, the final decision is mine and mine alone. As a good mate, I will bear the responsibility to bring your, and now my, concerns to her doctor. It seems to be a valid concern, so what could it hurt?"

"You know," interjects Danni "this is one of the reasons that we and others that Judy fell in love with you, and one of the reasons that so many of us believe that you are the perfect mate for her. You actually care."

Seeing the quick look of surprise that crosses Nicks muzzle, Deb expands on her husband's statement.

"It's true Nick. Between Danni and I, we've talked to a lot of our siblings and other family members on both sides, and most of them are on your side. There are a few outliers, like Alice who'll probably be on dad's side regardless of whatever happens. You already know that mom's on your side, and a lot of the townsmammals feel the same, especially in Aurora, but even in the Burrow as well."

Stunned, Nick's amazement is very plain on his normally stoic and/or neutral face.

"I … I had no idea!" was all he could say.

"It's true," asserts Danni "lots of folks around these parts are finally aware of dad's issues with the 'J' litter and are quite frankly appalled over it. Some businesses are even threatening to drop the farm as their primary supplier for fresh fruits and vegetables."

"Interesting and very informative." admits Nick truthfully. "Ummm, I know that it's kinda off topic, but I have a question …"

"Go ahead." a curious Deb tells the todd.

"When you first introduced your daughter, you said her name was Alecia. But when she asked to see my teeth, you called her Ashley. I'm confused …"

Letting out a short sigh Deb explains "I know you know my sister Alice from before, and I'm sure you know that her real name is Alecia. Alice wasn't always the heartless bitch that she is now, she was actually very thoughtful and kind.

"When Judy and Gideon had their little spat as kits, Alice turned hateful towards all predators, especially red foxes. When my Alecia was first born, Alice had seemed to have mellowed a bit so we decided to name my daughter after her.

Then, later on when Judy and Gid made up and actually became more or less friends, Alice included Judy on her little list of who to hate. The kicker seemed to be when Judy confessed to liking you. Ever since then, my Alecia decided that she didn't want to be named Alecia any more so she picked a name of a famous mammal that she had seen on TV, Ashley Simpsom. Now, everyone calls her Ashley."

"That's kinda deep, especially for someone her age!" admits a stunned Nick.

"Not all of the Hopps clan are mindless twits, just a few who take everything that dad and PopPop say as gospel." Danni tells Nick.

"PopPop?"

"That would be my dad's dad." Deb tells him.

"I see. I guess that sometimes the apple truly doesn't fall far from the tree." says Nick sadly.

"Unfortunately …"

"Well, if there's nothing else at least for the moment …" begins Nick as he stands.

"Nothing that either of us can think of." confirms Debra as she and Danni stand as well.

"I'll head back to the motel. I seem to have quite a bit to think about between now and next weekend, and I'll probably make a trip or two to the house and nose around a bit more on my own. It you think of anything, please don't hesitate to call, I know you have my number."

"Same here. and don't forget to tell the kits that you're leaving … I think that Ashley seems to have taken a bit of a shine to her new favorite uncle."

Showing a large smile, Nick agrees "Seems like, and I wouldn't dare to disappoint a fan!"

When Nick heads towards the front door, all three kits make it a point to see him off, with Ashley being sure to give him a pint sized Hopps like hug.

With a light snow falling, Nick is careful driving on his way back to the hotel, where he takes a good hot shower and texts Judy to let her know how the evening went.

Just as Nick is ready to head to bed, he gets an expected call.

"BRRING'!

"Hey Fluff, what's up?"

"Not much here. So, what 'cha been up to?"

"As if you don't already know …"

"Nick …?"

"I'm pretty sure that you've already talked to Deb before you called me, or you would've called earlier."

"Stupid detective stuff …"

"It's okay Fluff, I really don't mind, she's your sister after all."

"Okay, fine … how did you enjoy being at Debs?"

"It was really nice. I gave Deb a few pointers on her cooking to help please the predator palate, and the kits … I swear, Ashley seems a bit smitten with me."

"That happens sometimes. I'm afraid there might be a bit of a showdown between Ashley and Cotton when we get together at the farm next weekend. Anything I really like, Cotton has a tendency to pick up on and like as well!"

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see, won't we. Besides, I think that there's more than enough of me to go around for two young bunny kits."

"And if I don't want to share …?"

"Ummmm …"

"Relax Nick, I am NOT gonna be jealous of a couple of five- and seven-year-old does."

"Well, that's a relief I guess. Ummm … there's something that I really need to tell you …"

"Nick …?"

"… Most of the time I … I normally carry a concealed lethal …"

"… I … I know, or I had at least figured it out at some point. You spent so much time in the military, and were put in dangerous situations when you were a detective, that it just made sense to me that you might. While I never actually saw you with a lethal, I never felt threatened by the fact knowing that you were probably carrying one. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, I guess… Look, I'm sorry, I should have said something earlier."

"It's okay, I promise. In fact … I'd really like to have you teach me how to shoot. I never really learned growing up, never really had the need to learn. The short course here at the academy only covers the basics, and even then only book learning, laws and such, with no actual paws on shooting."

"That's actually a good suggestion, one that I'll happily teach. So, what have you been up to?"

As Judy recounts the night's activities, Nick has to smile.

"So I guess that you and mom were right," Judy finally has to admit after wrapping up the evening's activities "everything seems to be working out just fine."

"Live and learn Fluff, live and learn. Unless there's something pressing, I think I'm gonna get some shut-eye."

"Big plans for tomorrow?"

"Sorta … I think I'll head back out to the farm and nose around a little more before next weekend. I wanna make sure I know as much about the place as I can in case I missed something before. I really didn't really get much of a chance to scope out the house or outbuilding last time since I had my little set-to with Harellson."

"That makes sense. Well then, good night, I love you and I'll see you soon!"

"Love you too, see you in a week."

And with that the call was terminated.

Rising with the sun, Nick quickly dresses and sends a short text to Judy, no wanting to disturb her just in case she managed to sleep in. Her immediate return text lets him know that she was already up as well. Then he heads to Gideon's to grab a quick breakfast and a wolf sized to-go order of coffee – black and strong enough to walk on its own.

Arriving at the farm, Nick quickly noticed a couple of old pick-ups sitting in the back of the property, near the fence line between the field and woods.

Proceeding cautiously at first, Nick was relieved to see that it was his neighbor and what turned out to be a couple of his sons.

Parking near the shop and exiting his car and walking out to the fence line, Nick was greeted by the elder buck.

"Mornin' depity …"

"Mornin' mister Harellson." returns the todd.

"I thought-"

"That we could dispense with the formal greetings?" finishes Nick "You started it …" he adds with a slight grin.

"Yeah, yer rite … anyways, these here is two of ma boys, Samuel and George. Say 'mornin' to ar new neighbor. Nick Wilde."

With each of the young bucks giving a cautious yet polite nod, introductions seem finished.

"I brung these here two out with me ta hep pull up this here old fence thet we figured could git gone, thet okay with you?"

"It's fine, and whatever you want to do with the posts and wire is alright with me as well." admits Nick.

"Great, ah kin use it 'round my place then. Now … we kin clear out a bunch a the brush through here as well if'n it's okay with you as well. We kin burn it in the old bluegrass field if'n thet's okay, it'll actually help whatever we plant there next year grow better."

"Do whatever you feel like needs to be done, I already told you that I really know nothing about farming. And just to remind you, I'll be bringing Judy and some of her family out here this coming Saturday, and you and your family are still invited to come and make an appearance if you so choose."

After a moments thought, Woody tells him "Me an' the wife an' meybe a few of the youngin's might make it, I still gots a farm ta run y'know."

"I understand completely. Well, I'll leave you to your work. I'm going to check out the property a little closer, now that I have the time and inclination. Take care and I hope to see you next Saturday.

Walking back to the driveway, Nick begins his more detailed tour of the property, starting at the shop.

Taking a casual walk around the building, everything seems to be fine – the foundation was solid, resting on a well poured and maintained cement slab. All of the siding and gutters and downspouts also seemed to be in good shape. While there are a few weeds that will need to be dealt with in the spring, everything else seemed fine.

Unlocking and entering the building then closing the door and looking around, Nick could tell that there were no visible holes in either the sides or roof thanks to the dim lighting provide by curtains drawn across the half-dozen windows.

Moving to the light switches mounted beside the mammal door (man door) Nick turns on the lights to get a more detailed inspection of the interior of the building.

The slab floor was free of cracks, with only a few grease and oil spots marring the otherwise nearly perfect surface.

While the building was basically empty, Nick decides to inspect the few contents a bit more closely than the cursory inspection that he was privy to on his visit with the real estate agent.

The few simple paw tools leaning against a wall seem to be in good shape – several brooms, a few different shovels, rakes and such, a string trimmer and a push mower off to one side. Under a light tarp Nick finds a zero-turn mower that looks to be almost new.

Finally there's a small enclosed bathroom snuggled in a back corner, with a medium sized mammal toilet, sink and a few cleaning supplies contained therein. The small electric space heater ensures that the water doesn't freeze, even though the temperature in the room is less than comfortable.

Exiting the shop, Nick takes another detailed walk, this time around the house proper.

As with the shop, the foundation seems in great condition, with only a few weeds that will be easily taken care of come spring.

The thing, or things, that catch his eye are a few small, seemingly well-placed and cleverly disguised windows along the foundation.

After unlocking the main entry door, then entering the house, Nick is now on a mission.

Armed with the knowledge that there's a basement, he knows that there has to be an entry point somewhere!

Moving to the most likely area, a spot somewhere where the kitchen and garage join, Nick spots a panel that's slightly different than the rest in the kitchen area.

Running a paw around the outside edge of the panel, Nick finds nothing resembling a catch or switch. Giving the panel a push didn't work, but the todd wasn't surprised because even an accidental nudge would open it.

Knowing that the release had to be somewhere close, Nick stepped back and surveyed the areas to either side of the panel.

To the left of the panel, mounted on the door frame, was a sort of key rack. Knowing that even slight downward pressure would probably unlock the panel, Nick gently pried the bottom of the device outward.

With a soft 'click' the right edge of the panel opened inward slightly.

Drawing his lethal, Nick opened the panel and reached to find the light switch and turned on the lights.

Cautiously proceeding down the steps, Nick warily entered the basement proper, relieved to find it pretty much empty, with only a few empty shelving units standing against one wall.

Taking a closer look, Nick observed that the windows he had no on the outside were covered with steel slats of some sort.

With that knowledge in mind, the todd then noticed that the walls were not just cinder block, but reinforced concrete, as was the ceiling above.

Turning back and moving to take a closer look at the entry panel, Nick was amazed to notice that it was actually heavy gauge steel and could be securely locked from the inside!

'THIS IS A SAFE ROOM' he surmised.

Turning back to look at the windows, Nick's military mind went to the fact that they could be used as gun ports in an emergency if needed, or simply to be used as observation ports.

Heading back upstairs to the kitchen, Nick closed and properly latched the panel.

Looking around and finding one of the houses thermostats, Nick observes that the temperature is set at 50, which while it keeps the house above freezing, it will be less than comfortable for a fluffle of rabbits that will be arriving in less than a week, so Nick bumps the temp up to 60.

"I'll turn it up a bit more just before I go and pick Judy up on Friday." he thinks to himself.

After going and doing a thorough and detailed search of the house, the only thing that Nick could notice is that the does would have a field day remodeling the inside. New paint, wallpaper and drapes would probably top the list, along with all new appliances and of course, furniture.

Deciding to only share the discovery of the safe room with Judy, at least for the time being, Nick knew that he had a few more stops to make on Monday morning, with the first being the local building codes department and then his realtor.

Heading back out to his car after locking up, Nick goes over his findings in his head, already trying to decide how to inform his mate of his interesting find, and how to outfit the saferoom.

But first, pizza at the local pizzeria and some beer is in order …

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AN: Again, I apologize for the extreme lateness in posting this chapter. Unlike a lot of writers, I don't plan everything out ahead of time I just sort of wing it and go where my imagination leads me. Spur of the moment, off the cuff, however you care to phrase it. Hopefully the slightly longer chapter will make up for it at least a little.

The reason I had the panel to the safe room open inwards is simple – swinging outward would require more strength to close it, plus there would be need to be a gap between the panel and the floor to avoid scraping the floor and alerting anyone with a keen eye to the existence of the hidden panel. An inward door would ensure a tight seal in case the house was set on fire, especially if an accelerant such as gasoline was used..