Meet the Family

The late Autumn sun shone through the stained glass windows in an arabesque of rainbow colors. From the pew where Judy Hopps sat, the light painted over her, casting colorful patterns over her still frame. The church was empty, save for herself. Her paws laid in her lap, idly stretching and tugging the toboggan she held. Her ears drooped. She was not here to pray— she did not know how— and she had never prayed, unless wishing on a hope before falling asleep could be considered a prayer. She had come here to wait, and to gather her courage.

Behind her the church doors opened. Judy perked one ear, then turned her head. An old badger dressed in a priest’s long black cassock approached her. He wore spectacles held by a silver chain on the bridge of his nose.

“Hello dear,” he said, his hands held behind his back. “What brings you to the Sacred Heart this evening?”

“Hello,” Judy returned. “I just wanted to pay a visit.” She lifted her face to the stained glass windows. Patterns of winding vines and roses decorated the windows, transparent like colored ice. “It’s very beautiful here.”

The badger paused at the end of the pew where Judy sat. He followed her gaze to the window, closed his eyes, and drew a deep breath. A faint smile crossed his aged face.

“It is,” he agreed. “The light that comes into the church this time of day has always been a blessing to behold.”

He held out one paw.

“May I join you?”

Judy nodded, and the old badger sat down on the pew.

“What happened to that window?” Judy questioned. She nodded her chin across the aisle.

On the opposite side of the aisle, one of the stained glass windows was taped over with cardboard.

The priest shook his head and sighed.

“Vandals,” he said gruffly. “Neighborhood children, I suppose, hoping to impress their friends.” He chuckled. “Although this is just an old badger’s opinion, I believe there are better ways than throwing bricks through a church window to make an impression.”

Judy hummed in agreement. She lowered her head, anxiously wringing her paws.

“What seems to be troubling you, child?” the priest asked.

Judy raised her head, then looked down again. She had always been one to lift the spirits of others, but when asked about her own troubles, she was unsure how to proceed.

“Nerves, I guess,” she laughed, rolling her eyes to the side.

“Ah. So you chose a place of solace? Because of these nerves?”

Judy looked to the front of the church where the altar stood. It was cloaked in a gold-embroidered white cloth. Two vases filled with red camellia flowers laid on the altar. She swallowed.

“I’m waiting for a friend,” she replied. After a moment’s pause she said, “Father? Oh, is that what you’re usually called? Sorry, I don’t consider myself religious, so I…”

Her voice trailed off in a sheepish grin.

The old badger chuckled. He had one arm draped over the pew’s backrest. Lifting his paw he said, “Some call me Father. You can call me Bartholomew if you like.”

Judy nodded. She gulped, lowering her head once more.

“Bartholomew, I… my… a friend of mine is introducing me to his family tonight. I want them to like me, but…”

She lifted her head and drew a sigh.

“I don’t think they know I’m a rabbit.”

At saying this out loud, she suddenly felt entirely foolish, and out of her depth. Hadn’t she just undergone the adventure of a lifetime, proving to herself that it did not matter if she and her partner were different species? Did she not believe that their differences were also their greatest strengths?

“Sorry,” she said, waving her paw dismissively. “I’m sure it will be fine. I’m just overthinking it.”

The badger priest took a moment to reflect on this. His bespectacled gaze lingered on the altar at the front of the church, his mouth turned down in a concentrated frown. Yet, despite his quietude, there remained a knowing kindness in his eyes.

Closing his eyes he asked, “This partner of yours… do you trust him?”

“Yes, absolutely.”

The badger looked at Judy over the rims of his glasses, warm kindness in his brown eyes.

“Then there is reason to believe he trusts you too, enough to introduce you to his family.”

He smiled, patting his paw once on the pew’s backrest, as if to put Judy’s nerves to rest. Judy dropped her head and smiled too. A chime beeped from her cellphone. She pulled it from her pocket, seeing the text ‘I’m here’ on the screen.

“That’s him,” she said, slipping the phone back into her pocket. She pulled her toboggan over her head then slid off the pew. The badger stood into the aisle, allowing her room to pass.

As Judy walked by him, the badger said, “It was a pleasure.” He stooped down, adding, “And I’m sure the evening will be good to you both.”

Judy tucked a stray fur behind her ear.

“Thank you Father,” she said. She went to the end of the aisle, then paused. Turning around, she said, “Judy.”

The old badger raised his grey brow.

“Judy is my name,” she explained.

“Judy… Judith.” He raised his eyes to the light shining through the stained glass window. “A heroic woman of great virtue.”

With a nod and a gentle smile, he said, “Be well, Judy.”

Judy raised her hand in farewell, then pushed open the door leading to the church’s front courtyard. The cobbled path was lined with orange and purple-colored pansies, and a small fountain bubbled water beneath a red maple tree. The Autumn air had a slight bite to it, and the passing breeze scattered dry leaves across the lawn.

Standing at the gate, one arm draped over the top rail, stood her partner. He wore a puffy black coat, the kind meant for snow and skiing, and a striped scarf around his neck. His back was turned to her, and the warm light of the descending sun seemed to bring out every sheen in his orange fur. His ear swiveled, and he turned around.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Officer Hopps. Fancy seeing you here.”

He leaned over the rail, looking down at the bunny.

“So what’s your deal? You found religion now?” he crooned.

“Uh, no,” Judy answered. “I thought this would be a good meeting place, that’s all. Actually, it’s beautiful in there—” She turned, gesturing at the church’s front door, “—do you want to look inside before we head out?”

Nick flashed his eyes up at the church, his smug grin souring for a moment.

“Nah,” he said, drawing back. “The party’s already started, so we should get going.”

“Okay,” Judy said. “Suit yourself.” She laid a hand on the gate’s latch but stopped short.

“What’s in the bag?”

She stared at the canvas tote bag Nick held by his side. Nick lifted it, all smiles as he said, “This? It’s a surprise.”

“Uh huh.” Judy crossed her arms and quirked her brow. “And you’re sure it’s not some sort of illegal paraphernalia to sell on the black market? You know I read your arrest records. The whole ‘selling bootleg fireworks’ saga was interesting, I’ll admit.”

Nick feigned a look of shock, pressing one paw over his chest.

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he stated. “I’m a changed fox after all, on the side of the law! What a horrible accusation, and coming from my own partner too!” He leaned over the gate once more, whispering out the side of his mouth, “By the way, I have a permit to sell fireworks now, buuut the contingency on whether they’re bootleg or not—” He raised his shoulders in a shrug, “—it’s still up in the air.”

“Sure, okay,” Judy said. She opened the gate, causing Nick to step back. “Remember, you’re still technically on probation for at least six months, or until Chief Bogo finally remembers your name is Nick Wilde and not— what’s he been calling you again?”

Nick sighed and glared to the side.

“Orange dog.”

“Yeah, that one!”

“Okay, so for clarification, you’re saying that when I’m officially done with this ‘probation’—” he made air quotes as if the concept was imaginary to him, “—then I have free reign to carry tote bags that may or may not have questionable paraphernalia inside?”

Judy rolled her eyes, muttering, “You are going to have such a hard time adjusting.”

Together they departed, walking side by side down the sidewalk. Judy continued, “Duties, responsibilities, code of ethics, protocol—” She counted these on her fingers, “—code of honor, not to mention the hundreds of radio codes you’ll have to memorize—”

“Already done,” Nick quipped. The pair ambled down the sidewalk, Judy’s shoulder bumping into Nick’s hip.

“No you did not,” Judy countered.

“Yep. Sure did.”

Judy narrowed her eyes at him before putting him to the test.

“10-91.”

“Horse wearing unregistered shoes,” Nick answered without skipping a beat.

“10-241.”

“Porcupine using quills as a deadly weapon.”

“90-4B.”

“Easy. Fire, suspected arson, at least one injured.”

Nick turned around and walked backwards. He held out his paws and said, “Admit it Carrots. I’m a natural at this.”

Judy grabbed his scarf and pulled him back.

“Natural enough to not look both ways before crossing the street?”

They halted at a crosswalk. No cars passed, and no pedestrians either. Nick blew his lips and waved his paw at her.

“Please,” he dismissed. “I grew up in this area. Traffic has never been heavy this part of town.”

He crossed the road, ignoring the red pedestrian ‘Do not walk’ sign.

“You coming?” he called over his shoulder.

Judy looked both ways then jogged to catch up to him. She had to admit, this part of Zootopia was quiet. The residential buildings on either side of the street were red brick. A few rundown cars were parked along the side of the street, the pavement cracked and sprouting dandelions. Judy looked around her, taking it all in.

So this is where Nick grew up, she thought to herself.

Up ahead, a few schoolchildren played kickball in the street. Their shadows stretched long across the road, the sound of the rubber ball bouncing amidst the scuffle of their game.

“It hasn’t changed much,” Nick said. “Oooh, see there?” He leaned into Judy, pointing at a convenience store. “I used to stop there after school when I was a kid to buy candy.” He shivered, as though the memory were too delectable to forget. “The peanut butter Moon Pies were out of this world. Pretty sure that’s what gave me my first cavity. Mom was not too happy about that.”

Judy smiled, but her heart skipped a beat, remembering why her nerves had been tied up in knots in the first place.

She glanced behind them and jut her thumb.

“Did you ever go to that church when you were a kid?”

“Hmm?”

“The church we met at. Did you go there?”

Nick cringed slightly, then brushed it off.

“Ah, no. Let’s just say…”

He eyed his reflection while walking past a shop window.

“Eh, it’s nothing,” he decided. “Let bygones be bygones, I guess.”

Nick halted, causing Judy to bump into him. She looked up, only to see Nick staring across the street. She followed his line of sight to a simple two-story apartment. Its front door was painted pine green.

“Okay,” Nick said, shifting the bag to his other paw. “Team meeting.”

He turned around, corralling Judy close to him. His voice lowered to secrecy as he spoke.

“So you remember how I told you today is Foxgiving and that’s the reason why my family is getting together?”

Judy nodded.

Nick went on to explain, “Here’s the thing: foxes don’t usually hang out with each other, but we do this tradition once a year, basically as a headcount to see who’s dead and who’s not, then we part ways and pretend it never happened until next year rolls around. So I can’t exactly say this is going to be a pleasant evening.” Nick peered over his shoulder, then added, “Actually, I skipped out on last year’s little ‘Foxgiving’ bash, but this year it’s happening at my mom’s place, so I thought…”

Judy listened with rapt attention. Carefully she placed her paw on Nick’s arm and said quietly, “Are you nervous to see your family?”

Nick flicked his tail as he suppressed the urge to laugh.

“I told you, foxes are solitary animals.” He straightened and turned around, facing the apartment once more. “Let’s just get this over with.”

Nick started across the street, Judy not far behind. The Autumn sunlight had diminished, leaving traces of pale orange clouds to drift towards the setting sun. The ball from the neighborhood kids’ game bounced over the pavement, bumping into Nick’s leg. He tapped it back, and as it rolled down the street, the kids shouted, “Thanks mister!”

On the other side of the street, Nick paused at the steps of the apartment. A pot of purple pansies and yellow-gold chrysanthemums stood on either side of the green door. Nick closed his eyes and scrunched his neck. With a defeated sigh, he took one agonizing step after another up the stairs. Judy joined him by his side. Halfway up the stairs she suddenly gasped and halted in her tracks.

“I didn’t even bring a housewarming gift,” she said, grabbing either side of her face. “Nick, we have to go right now—”

Before she could flee, Nick plopped one paw on her head and turned her back around.

“Relax,” he mused. He lifted the tote bag he carried. “I’ve got us covered. This is from both of us.”

Together they ascended the last step. Neither knew why they didn’t run— obviously Nick wasn’t thrilled to be under the same roof as his relatives however brief, and Judy, despite all she’d gained and learned over the past few months, still had jitters at the thought of meeting Nick’s family. Worse, what overpowered those nerves was the desire to be liked by his family. Judy found herself hovering close to Nick as he raised his fist to knock on the door.

Before he could make a single knock, however, the door flew open. Like an explosion of red-orange fur and teeth, a large fox wearing an old basketball jersey whooped with all the might of a firecracker.

“NICKY!!!!!!!!!!!!”

The fox lunged for Nick, embracing him in a bear-hug. Judy could audibly hear Nick’s bones crunch.

“Hey Lonnie,” Nick wheezed, his arms pinned to his sides as the fox named Lonnie lifted him off his feet.

“I thought I smelled my trash-loving Cuz skulking around here somewhere! Nick, what the heck man, where you been?” Lonnie bellowed over his shoulder, “Duke! Lena! Guess who’s here!!!!!!”

Without another word Lonnie twirled on his feet, taking Nick inside the apartment with him. Judy stared wide-eyed, then slipped inside after them.

Inside the apartment’s foyer, Lonnie set Nick down, smacking him on the shoulder.

“Dude, what have you been up to? Last time I heard you were still running with that little guy— uh, what’s-his-name?”

“Finnick,” Nick said, smoothing down the front of his coat. He brushed a paw over his head, flattening his fur, then stepped aside.

“Cousin Lonnie, this is my partner, Judy Hopps. Judy, this is my knuckle-headed but lovable and endearing cousin, Lonnie.”

Lonnie looked down. His expression was nothing short of shock.

“Holy cow, I didn’t even see you little lady! Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

He stuck out one large, sweaty paw. Judy met his paw with her own and shook.

“I bet you’re wanting all sorts of dirt on Nicky here,” Lonnie said, drawing back with a wink. “You stick with me and I’ll give you the scoop.”

Judy laughed. She turned to Nick, arching her brow.

“Nicky?” she said.

“It’s a nickname,” Nick dismissed, waving his paw. He helped Judy out of her coat, hanging it on the rack as he shook out of his own coat.

Lonnie interjected, “Oh ho ho, I get it, Nick. Nick-name.”

“It wasn’t really a pun but sure—”

In a rush, Lonnie smacked Nick on the chest with such exuberant force that Nick buckled inward.

“You always tell the best jokes. Look at this guy, he’s a downright comedian!”

Nick glared at him and wheezed like a deflated rubber ball. He did not have time to recuperate because before he knew it, Lonnie had slung his arm around Nick’s neck and was dragging him down the hall. Judy followed behind them, somehow pleased to see her partner getting fox-handled and tossed around like a fur rug. Voices echoed down the hall. Lonnie swooped into the living room first, announcing, “Everyone, Nicky’s here! And he brought his girlfriend!”

Nick yanked out of Lonnie’s neck-hold, barking, “NO,” while Judy flailed, stammering in a frenzy, “No, no, no, we’re—”

She stopped short. Side by side, Nick and Judy stood in the doorway to the living room like a pair of deer caught in the headlights. The buzzing talk in the room quieted, and every head turned to them.

Over a dozen foxes— sixteen to be exact, according to Judy’s calculations, not that she was counting but that was the visual deduction she made— stared at Judy and Nick. Some were seated on the couch, some stood, a few were engaged in a card game at a flimsy folding table. The silence burst into a flash of toothy grins, then all at once, a cacophony of shouts and greetings.

Judy nearly fell backwards. Her own family could be loud and wild but not… a house-full-of-foxes-wild.

Family members both young and old all but pounced on Nick, enveloping him in hugs and gruff shoulder punches. They grabbed and wrung his ears, and Nick laughed, although Judy couldn’t help but notice the growl at the back of his throat, the flash of his sharp canine tooth as he swatted them off. Despite this, his tail wagged, the first time Judy had ever seen that. His family members laughed, poking fun at him.

“Nick, are you eating? You’re still scrawny as ever.”

“How’s that popsicle business going?”

“You still collecting tennis balls you little freak?”

Above the noise came a shout: “NICK! YOU’RE HOME!”

A little girl fox in a yellow sundress darted across the room. Nick stooped down, opened his arms, and caught the girl as she leapt into his arms.

“Riley! You’ve gotten so big!” Nick said, lifting her up.

The little girl clung to him, arms around his neck. She planted a kiss on his cheek. Pulling back she said, “I’m six now! And I started playing soccer! I’m the goalie!”

“And let me guess,” Nick said. “You’re the best goalie on the team.”

She nodded, then broke down in giggles. The little girl looked down, her smile falling flat and eyes widening.

“Who’s that?” she whispered.

Nick set her down, ruffling the top of her head.

“That’s Judy. She’s my friend.”

Riley pondered this for a moment, then smiled at Judy before stepping back to join the other children in their game of climbing the couch.

Nick glanced down at Judy. A smile was on her face, but she was more rigid than normal. Nick noticed her nose twitch.

“Everyone,” Nick announced. He placed a paw on Judy’s back and ushered her forward. “This is my partner, Judy Hopps.”

“Hi,” she said, waving at the expectant crowd. “By partner he means work partner,” she added, pointing from herself to Nick in a fumbling rush. “As in, we work together, in a partnership, down at the police sect.”

Nick did a double-take as she explained, nodding emphatically and repeating, “Work partners, yes, just for clarity.”

“To clarify,” Judy said.

“Yes, exactly.”

The trio of foxes sat at the folding table over a game of cards cast skeptical glances at one another. One of them, an old fox with greying fur around his muzzle, said, “They’re really letting you work with the police?”

Nick nodded with a smug grin.

“Huh,” the old fox said, scratching his neck. With a noticeable tremor he unscrewed the cap from a flask. “Times sure have changed. I’d never thought they’d let a fox join the police force.”

Another fox at the table, tawny-colored, slightly younger than Nick and wearing large square glasses, chimed in with a snide tone: “Give it one week. When something goes missing, every finger will be pointing at Nick.”

“Oh, c’mon Linus,” Nick argued. He stepped into the living room, hands in his pockets. “It’s like Gramps just said. Times have changed.”

The old greying fox, dutifully dubbed Gramps, arched a wily brow at Nick.

“Sure…” he said. “But have you changed?” He gave Nick the side-eye with a knowing grin, tossed back his head, and took a swig from the flask.

Nick’s ears laid flat as he peered to the side. Judy looked from Gramps, to Nick.

“Actually,” she said, stepping forward. “Nick is the one who helped me solve the missing mammals case. And he helped me solve our most recent case involving the reptiles who were displaced from the city.” She tilted her head, paws behind her back, as she slid closer to Nick. She bumped her hip against him, quipping, “He’s one of the most reliable animals I know.”

Nick flashed a smile at Judy. Just then a voice called out from the kitchen.

“What’s all the fuss about?”

A lady fox turned the corner, wiping her paws on a dishrag. She wore an old apron over her maroon-colored dress. Small pearl earrings adorned her ears. At seeing Nick she froze, drawing in a deep breath. In one gliding swoop she entered the living room.

Judy smiled, expecting a heartfelt, warm embrace. But the lady fox hesitated, instead placing a paw on Nick’s shoulder, then hugging him with one arm before coolly stepping back. Nick patted her back before stepping back too. Judy’s brow creased in confusion at the lack of affection between the two.

“Nicholas,” she said, crossing her arms. “Here, let me look at you.” Her honey-gold eyes searched his face, her lavender-pink nose wrinkling in a small smile. Her voice was smooth and calm. “Where have you been? I haven’t seen you in a blue moon.”

“It’s good to see you too Mom.” Nick motioned to Judy. “I want you to meet my partner. Mom, this is Judy. Judy, this is my Mom, Annette.”

Annette peered down at Judy. She flashed her eyes at Nick, then looked down at Judy again with a somewhat cautious smile.

“You can just call me Anne,” she said. A moment of hesitation followed, and her expression teetered between puzzlement and concern.

“Did you say ‘partner…’?” she said quietly to Nick.

“Work partner,” Nick corrected, but his words were lost among the sudden commotion erupting from the nearby card game.

“Queen of Hearts! Read ‘em and weep!”

The winner, a fox with a ring of black fur around one mismatched eye, whooped in victory as he spread his cards across the table. Linus growled, “Hogwash! I saw that card you were hiding up your sleeve!”

“Can you prove that?”

The two foxes bristled at each other before pouncing across the flimsy table. Cards and fur flew as the pair tussled to the floor.

Gramps watched the show with vapid disinterest, instead taking another sip from his flask. Nick rolled his eyes and muttered, “Boy, here we go…”

Amidst the cackling cheers of his family, Judy watched in disbelief as the two foxes wrestled and snarled, scratching the hardwood floor before tearing down the hall. Glass smashed and a series of long-winded expletives followed.

Anne closed her eyes and sighed. Nick leaned in and whispered, “I bet this is the last time you ever want to do Foxgiving at your place, huh?”

Anne smirked at him— Judy couldn’t help but notice how similar it was to Nick’s own smile— then said to the small bunny, “Judy, do you mind helping me in the kitchen?”

“Sure thing Mrs. Wilde,” Judy beamed.

With his hands in his pockets, Nick followed his mother and Judy into the kitchen. The fox fight was short-lived, but it had inspired the kits to start their own game of wrestling on the living room floor. Another kit climbed up the living room curtains, shredding the curtains as they descended down. Nick quirked one brow, raised his eyes to the ceiling, and sighed.

As Judy helped Anne put the pumpkin pies in the oven, a thought occurred to her. Here she was, in a house full of foxes, and it wasn’t so bad. In fact, it was… fun. Nick’s family was fun— loud, talkative, and endlessly curious. Foxes meandered in and out of the kitchen, pouring drinks and pilfering snacks when Anne wasn’t looking, only to get a glare and a swat on the paw when she caught them. The aunts and uncles showed the kits how to set the table. Nick’s family talked ravenously, pestering Nick with questions about if he was ever going to have a kit of his own, asking Judy why she became a police officer. Where was she from, and why did she move to Zootopia? Judy was nearly dizzy from the attention. Nick watched from the sidelines, his arms leaned back on the kitchen counter. An easy-going smile stayed on his face watching her. With all the hustle and bustle, Judy found herself in what felt like a sea of fox tails in the crowded kitchen. She scrunched her nose and sneezed.

Nick chuckled to himself, then looked out the kitchen window. The last light of day left a hazy pink hue in the sky, which was quickly turning twilight blue. A single bright star shone in the East. The backyard he had once played in as a young kit was shrouded in dark blue shadows. The tire swing tied to the branch of a large oak tree swayed in the Autumn breeze. Nick felt a paw touch his shoulder. He turned his head to see his mother smiling at him. She said nothing, but her smile seemed to say, ‘I’m glad you’re here. Welcome home.’

———————————

Judy sat on top a stack of books at the dining table. Bowls of food were passed around, each fox filling their plates with their share. Extra chairs had been crammed to fit around the table’s perimeters, and mothers and fathers held the youngest kits on their laps.

Sitting beside Judy, Nick leaned over and whispered, “Gramps is already three-quarters of the way through that giggle juice in his flask. Ten bucks says he’s going to say something offensive over dinner.”

As if on cue, the old red-grey fox lifted one trembling paw and croaked, “In my day, foxes did not intermingle with the other mammals in this city, save for the occasional woodland squirrel or badger. Hmpfh, and even then, we knew our place. Too much interspecies crossing these days… you see the news, you see what chaos it brings.”

Nick glanced over at Judy with a perfect shit-eating grin, causing Judy to bite her bottom lip to keep from laughing.

“But Gramps, Judy is a rabbit!” Cousin Lonnie interjected.

Gramps narrowed his eyes.

“Who?” he said.

“JUDY,” Lonnie yelled louder, pointing his fork at Judy. “The rabbit who is literally sitting at the table with us right now.”

Gramps turned his shaky head to where Judy sat. His grey bushy brow shot up.

“Little Miss,” he said. “Apologies. I didn’t know you were here.”

“You saw her walk in Gramps,” Nick said, picking up his fork to dig in.

“So it’s true then,” Gramps said. “Bunnies really are that quiet. No wonder our ancestors had such a hard time catching you—”

“WHOA okay,” Nick said, raising his voice, on the verge of hysterics and laughter. “Gramps, that is so not a thing you should say, like, ever.”

From across the table one of Nick’s aunts— Aunt Vivian, if Judy remembered correctly— reached for the bowl Judy handed her. She said, “Judy, how do you like the neighborhood? Did Nick give you the grand tour?”

“Actually, this is my first time in the Woodland Burroughs,” Judy said. “There’s parts of the city I haven’t explored yet… oh! I actually visited the church down the road from here. It was beautiful.”

Mrs. Wilde stiffened, her ears dropping flat to her head.

“I better check on those pies,” she said. She stood and left the dining room. Judy watched her go, realizing she had said something wrong. She glanced at Nick. He picked his fork at the peas on his plate, but did not meet her eyes.

“Are you talking about the Sacred Heart Church?” Lonnie asked. He scoffed, rolling his shoulders. “Now there’s a story.”

“Not a very good one,” Nick muttered.

“Who knows, Nicky,” Linus piped in. Nick’s cousin— the tawny-colored fox with the square glasses, who now had a bandaid across his cheek from his previous skirmish— sat directly across the table from Judy. “Since you’re a cop now maybe they’ll let you and Aunt Anne back in there.”

Nick glared at him, his head lowered.

Linus eyed Judy coyly.

“Or if you brought your cute bunny friend, maybe the congregation would change their minds about foxes.”

Nick dropped his fork to his plate with a clatter.

“I’m going to help Mom with the pies,” he said. His chair scraped against the linoleum floor as he stood. Judy watched him go, her nose quivering.

Linus waited until Nick was out of the dining room before leaning across the table. Conversation floated between family members, and so he spoke to Judy as though it were only her and him.

“I guess he hasn’t told you about the incident that happened at that church when he was a kit, huh?”

Judy steeled herself, feeling Linus’s cold grey eyes pierce into her like icepicks. She clenched her jaw, cut a piece of mashed potatoes with her fork, and shrugged.

“No, but if he doesn’t like talking about it then I won’t pester him,” she stated flatly.

Linus stared at her with an unimpressed expression before snorting under his breath.

“Sure. Of course,” he said, pushing up his glasses. “My apologies, Miss Hopps.”

Judy looked up from her plate to see Linus grin at her. Fox or no fox, an uneasy knot tightened in her stomach under his watchful stare. For the remainder of dinner she kept her eyes averted from Linus, instead drifting from one conversation to the next with the other foxes at the table.

She could admit, however, the relief she felt when Nick returned and remained by her side for the rest of dinner.

———————————

Judy finished wiping her paws on the towel next to the sink, then stood on tiptoe, studying her reflection in the bathroom mirror. It felt different to see herself in the mirror of someone else’s home. She stood on a stool, leaning into her reflection closer. She bared her teeth, checking for stuck food, then gave her reflection a thumbs-up. What did she look like to Nick’s family? Judy pursed her mouth to the side, tilting her head to study her features. Did she seem like a dumb naive bunny? No, it didn’t matter. She took a deep inhale and exhaled slowly.

Judy’s heart fluttered. For a hairsplit moment, she looked into her reflection, and wondered what Nick thought when he looked at her.

“Stop it,” Judy muttered to herself, giving herself a quick slap with both paws on her cheeks. The day’s events had pushed the thought from her mind, but now the memory of her newly acquired deranged habit came back to her full force. Lately she had been replaying her carrot pen’s recording every night while laying in bed, listening to it as if it were a song lulling her to sleep.

‘Love you partner.’ ‘Love you, love you—’

“Stop it, stop it,” Judy hissed under her breath, squeezing her eyes shut and smacking her cheeks repeatedly. Her whole body felt sickly warm. Everytime she played that recording her stomach would turn to goo, as if she were falling ill with a temperature.

‘Get a hold of yourself Judith Laverne,’ Judy chastised herself. She opened the bathroom door and clicked the light off behind her. Up here on the second floor, she could hear conversations and laughter mingle from the downstairs living room. Judy paused and listened, hearing Nick’s voice among the others.

Judy meandered through the hall, idly looking up at the photographs on the wall as she drifted by. Among the photographs hung several wooden embroidery hoops, displaying in their centers cross-stitch artworks. Judy stood on tiptoe, studying the intricacy of woven thread that created these meticulous designs and patterns. She had noticed these cross-stitch patterns in the downstairs hall and living room too, and earlier over dinner complimented them, to which Mrs. Wilde only remarked that it was a hobby to pass the time.

Judy passed by these cross-stitches mingled among the photographs. Some of the photos were old beige portraits of foxes in suits and dresses from generations past, their faces emotionless and austere. A few were of Nick as a youngster— snapshots of him on a tire swing, upside down and waving, another picture of him standing on a chair at the kitchen table, a birthday cake glowing with candles, his face beaming with joy. Judy wrinkled her nose, smiling at this photo from the past. Despite how time had changed him, his green eyes could still light up like they did when he was a kid.

Judy wandered down the hall further. Her ears perked up. Taped on a bedroom door there was a piece of paper that read, ‘Nicholas P. Wilde’s Room: Keep Out’ written in scribbly red crayon. Under the words was a drawing of a triangular fox’s face with angry eyebrows. The door was cracked open.

Judy glanced at the stairs. She told herself it would be alright just to peek, then slipped inside the room.

It was dark in the room. Judy slowly stepped inside, her eyes adjusting to the faint moonlight slanting through the room’s one window. The room itself was practically empty. A simple twin-sized bed took up the wall to her left. A desk and a wicker chair stood beneath the window. A round plaited rug laid on the carpeted floor. Judy trailed towards the bookshelf on the opposite side of the small room. A few board games and puzzle boxes were stacked on the shelves, along with a scant collection of old books. Judy grazed her paw over these, reading the titles. Robin Hood and His Band of Merry Foxes, Peter Pangolin and the Lost Boys, Adventures of Tomcat Sawyer and Howlberry Finn, Aesop’s Fables, Br’er Rabbit and Br’er Fox.

Her eyes flickered to the top shelf. A lone framed photograph stood perched on the shelf, difficult to distinguish in the darkness. Judy leaned closer, realizing it was a picture of Nick as a young kit, wearing a black suit and blue tie. Standing behind him was his mother Anne, her paw placed on the back of his head. They were standing on the front steps of the Sacred Heart Church, the pathway lined with white and yellow daffodils.

Judy frowned, puzzled by the image. Did this mean Nick once went to this church, when he was a kid? What had happened? She wrestled with the implications of it.

Judy lowered her eyes, continuing to peruse the bookshelf. One title in particular caught her attention, causing her to gasp in delight. She pulled a comic book from the shelf, its edges worn and peeled. She couldn’t believe it. It was an issue of a Jack Savage comic, the rabbit detective who fought crime and solved mysteries. On the front cover was a picture of Detective Savage sleuthing along a brick wall, wearing a trench coat, a spotlight on him. Judy had read these comics when she was a kid— who would have known that Nick read them too?

“Wow,” she breathed. She turned around, still looking down at the comic she held, when she suddenly realized there was a dark fox-shaped figure standing at the doorway, leaning one elbow on the dresser, watching her.

Judy startled, jumping back slightly.

Clutching her heart, she laughed, “Nick, you scared me for a second there…”

The dark silhouette swished its tail, then reached over to the lamp on the dresser. With a click the room filled with light. Judy blinked, then shrunk back.

“Hi,” Linus said. He grinned ear to ear, swishing his bushy tail back and forth.

Judy widened her eyes, glancing to the side.

“Uh, hi,” she muttered.

“I see you’ve found Nicky’s room.” Linus’s eyes roamed the room. He scratched behind his ear, saying, “It’s definitely changed alot since he moved out. But that was a long time ago.”

Judy stepped forward, but Linus did not move. He continued to block the door, as if she wasn’t even there.

“Is there a reason why you’ve been hostile all night?” Judy demanded, getting straight to the point. She stood unwaveringly tall, glaring at the taller fox. “Have I done something to warrant this treatment?”

Linus leered down at her, one skeptical brow arched.

“Hostile?”

His face broke into a grin. He turned his head and chuckled. Leaning onto the dresser, he flicked the lamp’s chain, watching it swing back and forth.

“I guess a rabbit in a house full of foxes would find anything to be hostile.”

“You haven’t liked me since the moment I arrived,” Judy stated. “Now if you’ll excuse me—”

“Do you know what prey dating is?”

Judy halted.

Linus continued, picking dirt from underneath his nails.

“Nah, I guess you wouldn’t.” He pushed up his glasses. “There’s this game some predators play. You can read about it on the online forums. Some predators—” He pointed at himself, “—play this game of going on cutesy dates with prey—” He pointed at Judy, “—just to enjoy the thrill of being around mammals that are weaker than them. They try to see how far they can go with it. The fun is watching how afraid prey is. How they refuse to say no. How easy it is to get them to comply.”

He grimaced.

“It’s a sick and twisted thing some predators do. I find it interesting, but would never participate in it myself.”

“That’s great Linus,” Judy said. “Give yourself a gold star.” She stepped forward, fully intent on just shoving him out of the way so she could pass through.

Linus raised one paw.

“I’m on your side,” he said, his tone serious. “I’m telling you all this as a warning.”

“A warning…? Look, Nick and I are work partners…”

“Absolutely. But—” Linus laughed, canine tooth glittering. “I’m not saying I’m as backwards as my Gramps, but there is a certain biology to these things, realistically speaking. Whether or not you want to believe it, there is always going to be something deep down—” His voice lowered, “—that has an element of danger between our kind.”

Judy’s blood turned cold. Her nose twitched once, but she rubbed it away with the back of her paw and stood tall. Glowering darkly she said, “You don’t know anything about me and Nick’s partnership. So back off.”

Linus stared at her with half-lidded eyes. After a few moments, he shrugged.

“Oh well. You can’t save them all.”

From downstairs a voice called out, “Linus! Come down here, we’re saying goodbye!”

With one last smile, the lamplight glare hiding his eyes behind his glasses, Linus turned out of the room and glided down the stairs. Just as he descended, Nick appeared at the top of the stairs. His ears went erect at seeing Judy.

“Whoa,” he said, sauntering into the room. He crossed his arms, leaning his shoulder on the doorframe. “Never thought I’d see a cop in my old bedroom. It’s like my worst nightmare come true.”

Judy smiled, huffing a laugh. She felt lightheaded.

Looking down at the comic she held in her small paws, she said, “Well, I was doing some investigating.” She handed the comic book to Nick.

“And what’s the verdict?” Nick asked, taking the comic.

“That you have really good taste,” Judy answered.

Nick looked down at the comic. His face lit up into a smile.

“Jack Savage!” he remarked, smacking the back of his paw on the cover. “Man, I totally forgot I had one of these!”

“I’m guessing you read Jack Savage too?” Judy questioned.

“Of course. I was a Jack Savage fanboy. Not ashamed to admit it.” He handed the comic back to Judy. “You read it too?”

“All the time,” Judy answered with a sigh. “Not to brag, but I happened to own every issue.” She tapped a finger to her chin. “Actually, I’m pretty sure all my old comic books are still at my parents’ house back in Bunnyburrow.”

“Huh. I never read the last release,” Nick said, craning his neck down at the comic.

“Really? Well, I guess you’re just gonna have to come visit Bunnyburrow someday.”

Judy turned, tucking the comic with the other books on the shelf.

Jutting his thumb behind him, Nick said, “Everyone’s getting ready to go. It’s that time of the night where we all sort of pretend we’re sad Foxgiving is over, but really, we are itching to get going. Mom’s holding back from telling everyone to scram, I can tell.” He rubbed the back of his neck as him and Judy exited the room.

“I’m bad at goodbyes though, so maybe we should make our escape out the window,” he said.

Judy laughed, smacking him lightly on the stomach before bounding down the steps. She stopped midway, one ear raised, and turned around. Nick hadn’t moved from where he stood on the second floor. He was staring at a picture on the wall, hands in his pockets.

Judy slowly ascended the stairs until she was by his side. She looked up at the photo he stared at.

It was a simple family portrait. His mother, Mrs. Wilde, sat in the foreground with a swaddled infant kit in her arms. She was younger in this photo, yet her face was still elegant and graceful. Standing behind her, with his paw on her shoulder, was a male fox wearing a blue shirt and pink tie. He had the same green eyes as Nick, the same warm grin, as if he were hearing a joke only he knew the punchline to.

“Foxes don’t typically get married,” Nick said, keeping his eyes on the picture. “Mom and Pops were an exception.”

“Really?” Judy said.

Nick glanced down at her and shrugged.

“I was really young when he died, but I think she liked having him around because he made her laugh.” The corner of his mouth raised in a smile, then dissipated. “After he died, Mom and I started going to that church down the road. I hated it— having to wake up early on a Sunday, get dressed in that itchy suit— but Mom… I think she started going because she didn’t want to be alone.”

Nick’s eyes flickered down and away from the portrait.

“One day the priest discovered some money had went missing from the offering plate. Rumors started going around. We were the only foxes going there, so…” He side-eyed Judy with a sardonic grin.

“Well, anyways, the priest blamed my mother, accusing her of theft, and refused to let us inside. We never went back.”

Judy drifted closer, laying her paw over his own.

“Nick, that’s awful. I’m so sorry.”

Nick pursed his mouth, then shrugged again, drawing a deep breath.

“Like I said, let bygones be bygones. Still…” His eyes drifted back to the family portrait, settling on the face of his mother. “Seeing how it hurt my Mom… I wish she hadn’t been involved in that.”

They were quiet for a moment. Downstairs the voices of foxes exchanging farewells and goodbyes drifted upwards, filling the house like a well-rehearsed song.

Judy wrapped her paw around Nick’s wrist and said quietly, “You never told your Mom about what happened with the Ranger Scouts.”

Nick shook his head.

“No.”

Any attempt at a joke was lost. He turned his wrist and held Judy’s paw in his own, giving her a half-hearted smile.

“It’s better that I didn’t.”

He squeezed Judy’s paw, then let go, descending the steps one at a time. Judy followed, pausing for just a moment. She grabbed Nick’s tail, causing him to halt and turn around.

Without explanation, Judy pointed at a particular photograph framed on the staircase wall, her face going through every spectrum of confusion imaginable.

“Oh, that,” Nick said, hefting up the stair to her. “Yeah…”

The picture was a mugshot of Nick, taken at the Zootopia Juvenile Detention Center. His orange fur was a mess, sticking out in erratic tufts, his eyes droopy and bored yet indicative of a rather ‘who-do-you-think-you-are’ type of attitude. Even more shocking was the silver barbell piercing on his left eyebrow.

Judy looked at Nick in disbelief.

“Your mom framed your mugshot photo?” she said.

Nick leaned back on the stair railing.

“Mom has a… weird sense of humor,” he explained, rolling his wrist.

Judy bit her lip, snorted, then broke down in giggles.

“Oh, yeah, haha, laugh it up,” Nick said, walking down the stairs.

“No, no,” Judy pleaded, catching up to him and hooking her arm around his. “It’s adorable! I didn’t know you used to have your eyebrow pierced. You must have been such a nightmare.”

“I was a troubled youth, Carrots,” Nick said, one paw over his heart. “What can I say? It took time and one country rabbit to jumpscare me into setting my life straight on the path of morality and dignity.”

“What did you get arrested for?”

“I was selling catnip.”

Judy’s eyes widened. She gripped Nick’s arm.

“No you didn’t.”

“I did and I would have gotten away with it except I sold it to an undercover cop.”

He narrowed his eyes at the ceiling.

“Those Tibetan cats look cute but they’re alot craftier than I expected, I’ll give them that.”

Together the pair of them rounded the stair banister, turning towards the front door. Mrs. Wilde and Gramps stood at the doorway.

“I packed leftovers into these tubberware containers for you,” Mrs. Wilde shouted into Gramps’ ear. She handed these to the old fox, who trembled and croaked, “What? What did you say?”

Mrs. Wilde licked her lips and shouted, “Food. For you.” She patted Gramps shoulder and guided him out the door.

“Annette,” Gramps said, turning to her on the front stoop. “Dinner was excellent. I should like to pack a few leftovers, if you’d be willing—” he began, oblivious to the fact that he was already holding the leftovers.

“There are none left, sorry,” Mrs. Wilde said. “I’ll see you next year, alright?”

“Right. If a dump truck doesn’t do me in or sweep me off the street ’til then,” Gramps said. He planted a kiss on the side of Mrs. Wilde’s face before wobbling down the stairs, singing and humming to himself a tune about drinking with the moon.

The hall now empty, Nick took Judy’s coat off the rack, helping her arms into it, before putting on his own coat. Mrs. Wilde watched them, her delicate paws held in front of her. A wistful, forlorn look was in her eyes— perhaps sadness, perhaps acceptance.

Shrugging his coat over his shoulders, Nick said, “At least nothing caught on fire this year.”

Mrs. Wilde hummed a laugh.

“That is true.”

Her honey-colored eyes settled on Judy.

“Judy,” she began. “Thank you for joining us this evening. It was special to have you here.”

“Aww, thank you for having me,” Judy beamed. “Dinner was great! And I loved meeting your family.”

Mrs. Wilde gave a nod, replying, “Well, you are welcome back anytime.”

She looked over at Nick, who stood a few inches taller than her. Her mouth pursed to the side, and with a sigh she opened her arms and embraced him fully. Nick wrapped his arms around her too. Pulling back she patted the side of his face and said, “Nick. I know us foxes prefer to keep to ourselves, but you are welcome to visit whenever you want. Both you and Judy.” She glanced at Judy.

“I want you to know,” she continued earnestly, “that I am so proud of the fox you are becoming. And I know your father would be proud too.”

Nick shifted from one foot to the other, looking aside, as if he didn’t know what to say.

“Hey,” he said, “before I forget, I, uh, brought you something.”

He lifted the tote bag, handing it to her. Mrs. Wilde took it, then reached inside, pulling out a brand new cross-stitch kit. It contained an embroidery hoop, needles, and colored thread.

“Oh,” Mrs. Wilde remarked, unable to help her smile. “Every year you get me one of these.”

Nick shrugged one shoulder.

“I know how much you love to cross-stitch, so, you know.”

Mrs. Wilde pulled him into another hug, patting his back. Bending forward, she extended one paw to Judy, who returned her goodbye with her own paw.

“It was very nice to meet you Officer Hopps,” Mrs. Wilde said. She flashed a wily grin at Nick, then lowered her voice to Judy: “Even if Nicholas is a police officer now, do keep an eye on him, will you?”

“Will do, Mrs. Wilde,” Judy assured her with a salute.

And with a final farewell that seemed to drift like the breeze through the cool Autumn night air, Nick and Judy descended down the steps, waving their goodbyes as they disappeared down the street and into the darkness. All the while Annette Wilde stood on the front stoop under the porch lamplight, holding her shawl wrapped close around herself, her ears folded back as she watched them go.

Nick and Judy made their way down the street, ambling side by side. The Autumn chill had settled over the city. Above, the stars twinkled in the night sky. A half moon rested above the tops of red maple trees, whose leaves shook in the breeze.

After walking in silence for a minute, Nick said, “Well. That was fun.”

“Totally fun,” Judy remarked.

Nick peeked over his shoulder. Seeing they had made ample distance from his childhood home, he exhaled heavily and said, “I am so glad that’s over.”

“I wasn’t going to say anything,” Judy said, “but yeah, me too.”

“So you get why foxes only do this once a year.”

“Yeah. I get it now.” Judy cringed and shivered. “Your family pretty much destroyed your mom’s house.”

“That’s what the insurance is for.”

They glanced at each other simultaneously before breaking down laughing.

Judy sniffed, straightening as she placed a paw on Nick’s arm.

“I really am glad I got to meet your Mom though,” she said.

“She’s quiet,” Nick replied. “But I can tell she likes you.”

“Phew, that’s a relief,” Judy muttered. She turned her head to the side, looking at their dark reflections pass by parked cars. “There were some foxes that definitely weren’t too happy about me being there.”

Nick halted full-stop.

“Who?”

Judy was caught off-guard. She paused.

“It’s nothing,” she said, swatting her paw.

“Did someone mess with you?” Nick questioned.

“No, no… whoa.”

Nick continued walking, head down. Judy trailed by his side.

“Are you mad?” she asked. She had to walk quickly to keep up with Nick’s stride. He slowed, smoothing a paw over his head.

“If someone was messing with you, then yeah, that would make me mad.”

Judy swallowed. There was no hint of joking around in Nick’s voice, no sarcastic banter in his words.

Oh, Judy thought. Her heart skipped a beat, her ears flushing pink beneath her toboggan. She had never seen Nick so… protective. Sure, she had seen him be protective, but this wasn’t a life-or-death situation. Not wanting to start any unnecessary drama, Judy swiped her paws side to side, as if to wipe the slate clean.

“No one was messing with me. Forget I said anything.”

She marched ahead, tugging her toboggan closer over her head. Nick watched her go for a moment, then followed until their pace matched once more. He decided to change the subject, not wanting to push it any further than Judy was willing to go.

“I’ve been listening to that playlist you made me,” Nick said.

“Really! And it’s perfect, right? You know—” Judy steepled her paw over her chest, one hand on her hip, “—I don’t mean to brag, but I have great taste in music.”

“Sure,” Nick answered. “The love songs were a surprise though.”

“What?” Judy stopped short, watching Nick saunter ahead, tail swishing. She jogged up to him. “No, there’s no love songs—”

“My Heart Will Go On by Céline Dingo, I Want to Know What Love Is by Fureigner, Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tiger, Kiss from a Rose by Seal—” Nick listed these on each finger. “Judy, is there something you want to tell me?”

“No, no, haha. No,” Judy deadpanned. “Those are there to just…” She rolled her wrists, searching for an answer, while Nick simply smiled at her with half-lidded eyes.

“I put those songs as fillers on the playlist, like, musical roughage?”

“Oh, sure, yeah, roughage would be great if I were a cow or a camel, but no, I take every song to heart, Carrots. Don’t worry though, your message is getting across loud and clear.”

Judy scoffed, “And what message is that, exactly?”

Nick simply shrugged.

“Please explain it to me, since I’m such a dumb bunny—”

Her joke was cut short. Nick froze, extending his arm to stop Judy in her tracks. He lifted his nose to the air and sniffed.

“What is it?” Judy asked.

“Do you smell that?” Nick asked back.

“Smell what?”

Nick dropped to all fours, slinking along the ground for a moment with his nose held high in the air as he sniffed.

His ears flicked forward.

“Something’s burning,” he said. He stood upright, then pointed to the sky. “Look, there!”

Down the street, a column of dark smoke, blacker than night, funneled upwards in the sky.

Judy and Nick exchanged a look, then took off at a run. They ran, past parked cars, past apartment buildings and mini-marts, past the park and the community garden. They raced around the street corner and were met by blazing light. The Sacred Heart Church was in flames.

Nick darted across the road, causing a passing car to slam its brakes with a screeching halt. He skirted around the car, sliding over the hood without stopping. The driver stuck his fist out the window and yelled, “Hey, watch where you’re going—!” but stopped when he saw the great fire devouring the church. Judy followed close behind, her cellphone pressed to her ear as she ran.

“Hello, operator? This is Officer Judy Hopps and Officer Wilde reporting a 11-71, I repeat, we have a code 11-71, fire at Sacred Heart Church, North Den Street. Requesting emergency services.”

Nick skidded to a stop at the gate, arms raised at his sides, the roaring fire reflecting hotly in his eyes. As he gaped at the unimaginable heat, Judy ran past him, shoving the gate open without stopping.

“Carrots!” Nick shouted. He shoved the gate open and chased after her.

Judy leapt up the steps two at a time, and without thinking grabbed onto the front door’s brass handle with both paws. Immediately she jerked back with a pained gasp. The doorhandle was burning hot, no doubt from the fire that raged within the church.

Nick rushed to her side, ears flat to his skull as all around them the deadly fire crackled up the church’s wood walls.

“What are you doing?” he yelled.

“I need to make sure the building is vacated,” Judy replied sternly. She took off her coat, using it to cover her paws like oven mitts.

“Okay, so I’m taking the initiative here, since that’s what we’ve been working on in therapy,” Nick said in a rush.

“I know! And I’m so proud of you Nick,” Judy answered. “Seeing you take the initiative is great!”

“Carrots, that’s not what I’m talking about,” Nick said quickly. He jumped at a plank of burning wood toppling down next to them. “I’m talking about— stop!”

He pulled Judy’s paws from the door.

“This is what we’ve been talking about in therapy, remember? Let’s wait for backup, and, you know, real firefighters, who have water, and fire extinguishers, and fireproof suits, all excellent things to have in a situation like this.”

“And this is what we’ve also been talking about outside of therapy,” Judy reminded him. “We have a duty and an obligation to the citizens of this city. That’s our job. Sometimes there’s no time to sit back and wait. Sometimes we have to act.”

They stared at each other, eyes darting. A piece of timber cracked above their heads. Nick looked up, wrapped his arms around Judy and fled from the porch just as the fiery plank of wood tumbled to the ground.

Carrying her to the church’s courtyard, Nick set her down, the two of them coughing and spluttering, eyes watering from the smoke. Nick hunched over, paws on his knees, then looked back up at the blazing inferno. He looked at Judy, who no doubt was regaining her breath just so she could charge forward again. Nick licked his muzzle, straightened, then searched the courtyard. He went to the water fountain beneath the maple tree.

“What are you doing?” Judy asked.

“We’ll get in through the window,” Nick said. “And we’ll use this to—”

He grabbed it and found it would not budge. He struggled and strained, then backed off.

“Okay, that—” He pointed at the fountain, breathing heavily, “—is way heavier than it looks.”

Judy rushed to the side of the church, narrowed eyes searching. The flames licked up the sides of the building, but one stained glass window— the window she had sat beneath earlier that day— remained unmarred by fire.

“There.” Judy pointed at the window. She tossed her coat aside. “Throw me in.”

Nick stuck out his neck, eyes wide and ears back.

“Excuse me?”

“There’s no time to argue about this! Just throw me in!”

“Through a glass window.”

“Nick!”

Nick hesitated, then begrudgingly cupped one paw over the other, bending one knee to give her a boost.

“We are definitely talking about this in the next therapy session,” he muttered as Judy stepped onto his cupped paws, smooshing her front paw against his face to find her balance.

“On three,” she said. “One.”

“Two,” Nick said.

“Three!”

He heaved, tossing Judy through the air. She tucked her knees close to her chest, curling into a ball as she crashed through the window. She somersaulted across the floor once, then sprung to her feet. Amidst the enormous heat, the deafening roar of fire eating away at wood, and the choking, eye-watering smoke, Judy saw a black figure slumped over on the ground at the front of the church. Without a moment to lose, Judy dashed down the aisle, dropping to her knees.

“Father,” she said, shaking the old badger’s unconscious body. “Bartholomew. Wake up. Wake up.”

The priest’s eyes flittered open a crack. He moaned, “Little… rabbit…?”

“Don’t worry Father Bartholomew. We’re going to get out of this.” She coughed, struggling to breathe, then rose to her feet, draping the badger’s arm over her shoulders. Her knees shook, her body already weakened by the suffocating smoke.

As she strained to stand upright, the weight on her shoulders lifted, and she looked up to see Nick on the other side of the badger, his other arm draped over his shoulders.

“You good?” Nick yelled above the roaring flames.

Judy smiled and nodded.

“Then let’s get the heck out of here!” Nick exclaimed. Together they turned, taking step by agonizing step down the aisle towards the front door. The fire’s glow rose upwards, as if the wood-planked floor beneath them were a tremendous light of implacable blinding force. Nick and Judy coughed, carrying the unconscious badger with the last reserves of their strength.

Judy glanced to the side, only to halt, her eyes going wide. She stopped.

Nick huffed, “Judy, are you alright…?”

“Go!” Judy said. “Take Father Bartholomew outside.”

“Just wait, what are you doing—?!”

Judy trailed to the church’s opposite wall, shielding her paw over her face. There, spray painted on the wall, was a symbol, something she had never seen before. Every instinct in her told her to flee, to run from the encroaching flames, but she could not leave without a closer look. She took out her phone, fumbling with the camera, then clicked a snapshot.

Just as she backed up, the fire swelled, igniting a surge of heat to blast her backwards. She tripped over a wooden beam, falling back, but before she hit the ground, two paws caught her, keeping her upright. She turned, her eyes meeting Nick’s. Together they turned and ran from the church, fleeing down the steps in the knick of time. The roof of the church collapsed, sending an explosion of embers to rise in the night sky like a thousand disintegrating stars.

Nick kept one paw on Judy’s back as they half-stumbled, half-crawled, to the sidewalk past the gate. The priest, Father Bartholomew, laid on his back, still breathing but unconscious.

Judy fell to her knees, Nick following soon after. They panted, regaining their breath.

“Why…” Nick breathed, “Did you do that?”

Judy unlocked her phone to show him the picture, then hissed under her breath. She dropped the phone, clutching her wrist.

“Let me see,” Nick said. He took her paws into his own, turning them over. Her palms were burnt, injured from when she had grabbed the burning hot door handle.

In the distance, firetruck sirens shrilled, their alarm growing louder and louder. The cacophony joined with police and ambulance sirens, and the dark night became a swirling color of red and blue lights as the vehicles came to a screeching halt in the street. Judy looked up at the church one more time, watching the fire burn and flicker, then turned away, burying her face into Nick’s chest. Nick wrapped his arms around her, lifting his head to the sky, watching the evaporating embers rise and disappear into the night.

———————————

Chief Bogo arrived on the scene, belting out commands for road blocks and to establish a perimeter around the area. A sizable crowd of neighborhood residents had gathered around the scene, whispering amongst themselves, asking police officers what had happened. Amidst the flashing red and blue lights of the vehicles, torrents of water from several firehoses sprayed up and over, extinguishing the flames to a smoldering black smoke.

Bogo stepped over to the Chief Firefighter, a leopard by the name of Lee.

“What’s the status?” Chief Bogo asked.

The Chief Firefighter scratched his head under his yellow hardhat.

“We’ve managed to stop the spread. The church itself isn’t salvageable, but…” He nodded his chin in the direction of the ambulance. “Your rookies called in the emergency right in time.”

Chief Bogo followed the leopard’s line of sight to the ambulance. Seated on the back step of the ambulance was Officer Hopps and Wilde, side by side and looking worse for wear.

“Were there any casualties?” Bogo asked.

The Chief Firefighter shook his head.

“The priest of the church was the only one inside during the fire.”

“How did he manage to get out?” Bogo questioned.

Chief Firefighter Lee raised his brow, looking over at Nick and Judy again.

“It was those two,” he said. “They saved his life.”

Bogo expressed his thanks to Lee, moving through the crowd of officers, firefighters, and medics. He stopped in front of Nick and Judy where they sat on the ambulance’s back step. The open door behind them cast bright white light. A heavy thermal blanket laid shared over their shoulders, given to them by the paramedics.

Chief Bogo crossed his arms and studied them sternly. Judy looked up, then down. Her ears laid flat.

“I was informed by the Fire Chief that you called in for help. And you rescued the priest who was trapped inside the church.”

Judy closed one eye, bracing herself for a reprimand.

“How are your hands Officer Hopps?” Bogo asked.

Judy looked down. She raised her paws, which had been wrapped in bandages. The burns on her palms stung sporadically, like oil popping in a hot pan. It hurt to bend her fingers.

“It will heal, sir,” she answered.

Chief Bogo was quiet for a few moments, looking from Judy, to Nick, then back to Judy.

“I want you both to take a break for the rest of the week,” he said. Judy’s head shot up. Before she could protest, Bogo raised his hoof and continued, “You’ve both been working hard these past few months, and for the most part have been following protocol. This isn’t a reward, and this isn’t a punishment. Just give yourself time to recuperate.”

Nick grinned, replying, “You don’t have to tell me twice sir.”

“Hmpf,” Bogo grunted. “I already know you’re a master of ‘taking a day off,’ Orange Cat-Dog.”

Chief Bogo turned around, waving farewell.

“Excellent work you two. Enjoy your break. You’ve earned it.”

“Huh,” Nick remarked, watching Bogo walk away. “‘Orange Cat-Dog.’ That’s new.”

Judy tossed the blanket from her shoulder. She leapt off the ambulance step and bolted across the pavement.

“Chief Bogo!” she called.

The Chief halted, turning around.

Judy pulled her phone out of her pocket, wincing as she unlocked the screen.

“Judy, please, I insist you take a week’s rest—”

“That’s not it sir.”

Judy held up her phone.

“Look at this. This symbol was spray painted on the wall of the church when Nick and I helped evacuate the priest.”

Chief Bogo pulled out his reading glasses. Placing them on the bridge of his nose, he stooped down to one knee, getting a closer look at the picture.

Judy explained further, “I was at the church earlier this evening, before the fire, and the symbol was not there. Which makes me think…”

He huffed through his nose, then said, “Email me this photo immediately. We’ll run diagnostics and set a preliminary hearing.”

“Do you think we have a case on our hands?”

Bogo nodded, lost in thought as he rubbed his chin.

“It certainly is suspicious.” He snapped his fingers and pointed at Judy. “But I mean it when I say you and your partner have the week off. Give yourself time to recover, and when you get back in the office we’ll see about putting you on the case. Understood?”

Judy nodded.

“Right then. Take care of yourself Hopps.”

The two parted ways. Nick watched as Judy returned.

“What was that all about?”

“I showed the Chief the symbol I saw spray-painted in the church, before it burnt down.”

“And? Do we have a case?”

“It’s something,” Judy said, tapping her foot. She tried slipping her phone back into her pocket, but sucked in a sharp breath. Gritting her teeth, she moved slowly, her injured hands aching at the movement.

Nick leaned forward, helping her tuck the phone back into her pocket.

“Thanks,” she muttered, flattening her ears in the hopes that he wouldn’t see how they had turned red.

A stretcher approached the ambulance, wheeled forward by two paramedics. Nick and Judy stepped out of the way. Lying on the stretcher was the old badger priest, Father Bartholomew. An oxygen mask was fitted over his snout. He looked over weakly at the fox and rabbit.

“Stop, stop,” he croaked, gesturing weakly at the paramedics. He reached out his paw to the pair.

“You…” he said to Judy. “You are that rabbit who was in my church, earlier today.”

“That’s me,” Judy smiled with a shrug. She kept her bandaged paws behind her back.

“And you…”

The badger turned his attention to Nick. There was a moment of searching in the badger’s eyes, then, realization.

“Wait. I.. I know you. Could it be… you’re that fox from so long ago…”

Nick’s ears rotated forward then back. He glanced at Judy, then pointed at himself in questioning.

“Yes, you…” the badger breathed. “You were the kit, your mother the fox… I banished you from the church.” Tears filled his eyes. “You…” he coughed. “You saved my life.”

The paramedics pushed the stretcher forward, lifting it into the back of the ambulance. Nick’s mouth opened, but he promptly closed it shut. Instead he watched the ambulance doors close, the whir of the emergency sirens blaring as it drove off.

Judy looked up at Nick. There was something in his eyes, something tender and caught off-guard, yet sad. Judy laid her paw on his arm.

“You okay?” she said.

Nick glanced down and smiled.

“I’m fine,” he said. “I told you, I’m not exactly the best at saying goodbye.”

———————————

It was late by the time Judy returned to her apartment. Nick had joined her in walking back to the place she called home these days, but neither of them had been apt for conversation. The bus ride they took seemed long and arduous, and both of them had remained quiet. Tired from the day’s events, replaying the memory of all she had experienced and hoped for that day, Judy had leaned her head on Nick’s shoulder, the bumpy ride jostling the pair as the city lights passed them by through the bus windows.

It was only when they were at the door of Judy’s apartment that Nick spoke up.

“Listen Carrots. I think you should take the Chief up on his offer. Rest for a few days.”

Judy reached into her coat pocket for her keys. She shook her head.

“I can’t. The fire that happened at the church was no accident. Something tells me we have a case on our hands, and—”

Her injured paw trembled as she tried to fit the key into the lock. Nick placed his paw over hers gently. Judy pulled back, letting him turn the lock for her.

“Thanks,” she mumbled. She gave the door a push.

“Sleep on it,” Nick said. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, his tail swishing back and forth. “You’ll be alright on your own tonight?”

“I’m fine,” Judy said. “It’s just—” She blew air through her lips in a sigh, “—alot to take in.”

“I’ll say. Best Foxgiving ever.”

“Don’t you mean worst?” Judy jested.

“Nah. It was good because you were there.”

Nick’s words lingered between them. They broke eye contact, nervously laughing. Nick backed up, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Well, I better get going,” he said. He walked backwards. “Call me if you need anything.”

Judy lowered her head with a smile. She looked up one more time to see Nick turn around, his languid steps taking him down the hall towards the elevator. She stepped into her apartment, carefully shutting the door behind her. Standing in the dark, the dim streetlights from outside enveloping her empty room in shadows, Judy suddenly felt an overwhelming loneliness engulf her. She drew a shaky breath and flung the door open, calling out, “Nick—!”

Her shout was cut off. Standing right there at the door was Nick, his fist raised as if he were about to knock on the door. His eyes were wide, and Judy laughed, her face crumpling when she saw him.

“Hi,” he said. “I was just—”

“I know. Nick?” Judy’s voice cracked. Tears brimmed her eyes.

“Yeah?”

They spoke at the same time, their words jumbling together:

“Don’t go.” “Do you want me to stay?”

Judy sniffed and laughed. Lowering her head she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her face into his chest. Nick let out a sigh, lowering his chin to rest on top her head, and pulled her into a hug.

“Are you crying?” Nick said.

“No,” Judy replied, clearly crying. She sniffed and grumbled into his coat, “Don’t tell anyone at the department.” She hiccuped, her tears falling silently.

“Of course not.”

“Because I’m tough and can handle anything this city dishes out.”

“I know.” Nick squeezed her tighter.

“Your cousin Linus is a creep.”

“That I also know.”

“He said our partnership wouldn’t work because of who we are.”

“Linus is an idiot.”

Judy drew back with a laugh, wiping her eyes with her bandaged paw. The front of Nick’s coat was splotted wet from her tears.

She stepped into the apartment, Nick following her. She shut the door behind him, then stepped over his tail to the lamp on the desk. With a click the room filled with soft yellow light. Nick looked all around the room, hands in his pockets. It wasn’t the first time he had been in Judy’s apartment— but every occasion he had dropped by or walked her home had been in the daylight. His ears perked up, a sly grin on his face.

“That’s quite the collection you have there,” he said.

Judy tilted her head, following his line of sight to the bed. At seeing the dozens of plush bunnies lined along the bed, she gasped, leaping to the bed in a frenzy. She opened her arms wide, scooping the plushies into a pile.

“This is just, uh— don’t look! Stop looking!”

She gathered them in her arms, unsure what she was doing and where to hide them. She half-considered quite seriously to throw them out the window, if only to save herself the mortification.

Nick chuckled.

“Relax Carrots. I think it’s cute.”

“You don’t mind sharing a bed with all of them?” Judy joked. She lifted a plush and teetered it side to side playfully.

Nick raised his brows.

“We’re sleeping together?” he asked.

The question caught them both off-guard. If awkward silence had its own magnum opus then this would be it— the gold standard of awkward misunderstandings and mixed-up feelings, starring a bunny cop and a fox con artist. Judy’s mouth hung open in shock, because, yes, she thought he knew that they’d be having a little sleepover. That’s what she meant by ‘don’t go.’ Nick drew back with a strained laugh, stretching his arms up and over his head. He faced the ceiling as he jut his thumb behind him.

“Is it alright if I take a shower? I smell like a campfire.”

“Yes, yes, of course,” Judy stammered. She dropped the plushies onto the floor, jumping towards the bathroom door. “It’s right here. I guess you already knew that.”

“Do you want to go first?”

“No, you go.”

There was a flustering hesitation between the two— hands pulling back, hands reaching for the bathroom doorknob. Nick gave a breathy laugh, then opened the door. He slipped inside and shut it behind him.

Alone in the room, Judy turned around, pressing her fists into the temples of her head.

‘Get a grip,’ she begged of herself. ‘He is a coworker, a teammate, a friend, your best friend…’

She dropped her arms by her sides with a sigh. When she heard the shower water start, she stooped down and began gathering the plushies into her arms one by one. She grumbled to herself, ‘Let’s have a little sleepover Judy! That’s definitely not weird or anything! Is this weird? Am I making this weird?’

Deciding there was nowhere to put the plushies, she arranged them back on the bed, concluding that Nick would just have to deal with it. She turned over, sitting on the bed, her feet dangling over the edge, and looked all around the room. Paws interlaced on her lap, she tapped her thumbs together quickly, biting her lip. Was there anything else she needed to quickly cover or hide or dispose of before Nick got out of the shower? No, no, everything was normal. Besides, this was her room— who cared what he thought?

Judy’s eyes landed on the carrot pen laying on her desk. She pushed off the bed, picked up the carrot pen, and turned it over in her hands. In case Nick got any sly ideas about erasing his last recording, Judy scoured the room, searching for a place to hide it.

Now where would be the last place a fox would ever look?

She stuffed the pen inside a jacket pocket hanging from the metal rack by her bed. Then she tucked it behind the radiator near the window. She put it in one of the desk drawers.

She heard the shower water stop. In a rush she opened one of the suitcases propped next to her desk, threw the pen inside, then slammed it shut.

Judy stood, hands on her hips, and smirked. Her chagrin shifted into a groan, and she fell back onto her bed, draping one paw over her forehead.

All of this is completely normal, she told herself. There’s nothing to hide, nothing to prove. And there’s definitely, one hundred percent, nothing to admit.

———————————

“If you told me a year ago that I’d be sleeping in the same bed as a rabbit, then I would have called you crazy.”

Nick’s voice echoed in the dark-blue room. The lights had been turned out. Outside, the city streets were quiet. Inside, Nick and Judy laid side by side on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. Nick had stripped down to his boxers and white tank-top, and Judy wore an old t-shirt and pajama pants, both soft and worn from years of use.

“If you told me a year ago that I’d be sharing a bed with a fox, I would have called you delusional,” Judy said back.

Nick shifted onto his side, leaning his head on his propped elbow.

“So, like—” He pitched his voice to mimic a high school girl, “—what should we do first? Talk about boys? Paint our nails?”

“Have you ever actually been to a sleepover?” Judy questioned, turning her head to him.

“I’ve seen movies.”

“Girl sleepovers are not like that.”

“Oh? What are girl sleepovers like?”

“We stay up until 3 AM and talk about the worst things that ever happened to us.”

“Wow. Sounds intense.”

“I used to have sleepovers with the girls back at my hometown.” Judy rolled her head, facing the ceiling once more. “It was fun. I can’t say it was my favorite thing in the world, but, for what it was…”

She closed her eyes and sighed.

“Thanks for inviting me to meet your family today. Sometimes living in the big city… I just get lonely.”

Judy tilted her head. It was difficult to see in the dark, but in the dim streetlight that shined through the window she could make out the silhouette of Nick’s face. His shoulder was warm pressed against hers.

“Did you ever have any sleepovers as a kid?”

“Nope, with a capital N-O.”

He fidgeted, his weight shifting slightly.

“Fox kits get along fine with other kits. But then we just…” He raised his paws high apart in the air, “Grow apart. It’s nothing personal.”

Judy turned her head and smiled softly.

“At least you still see your Mom every now and then. That must mean something, right?”

Nick did not answer. He rolled over onto his side, facing the wall, so his back was turned to Judy. Judy lowered her eyes, her nose twitching slightly, then reached for the blanket covers at the foot of the bed. She pulled the blanket up, covering both her and Nick. Turning on her side, so her back mirrored Nick’s back, Judy said, “Goodnight.” She closed her eyes and allowed herself to breathe calmly, unhurriedly. The longer she laid there, the more of Nick’s body heat warmed the space between them. The corner of Judy’s mouth turned up in a smile.

Nick flipped over onto his back, then his side. A moment later he flipped back onto his other side, the bed creaking underneath them. He muttered to himself, then curled into a ball, only to once again stretch out his legs and roll onto his back again.

“Are you okay?” Judy snapped, turning over. “Talk about restless leg syndrome—”

Nick was sitting up, his arms draped over his bent knees, his paws held out in front of him. His head hung low, his ears flat.

“Nick…?”

“I lied,” he said quietly.

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“About the church. About what happened there when I was a kid. I said that my mother was accused of stealing from the offering plate, but…”

Nick drew a deep inhale, his words quiet in the dark.

“The truth is I stole money from the offering plate. It was me, I did it. We were just so… poor. And Mom worked three jobs just so I could have the same things the other kids had. I thought…” He clutched at his ear, digging his nails into his scalp, and laughed dryly. “I thought maybe I was doing a good thing. Like Robin Hood. Helping my Mom by stealing.”

He shook his head, still looking into the darkness.

“But watching her get blamed for what I did… I hated it. I was so ashamed. So I promised that for as long as I was living under her roof, I wouldn’t steal again.”

He raised one brow, slightly turning his head over his shoulder.

“Can’t say I kept that promise after I moved out, but, it is what it is.”

Judy lifted herself upright.

“You kept that to yourself this whole time?” she asked quietly.

“No one ever found out it was me who did it,” Nick explained. “And as the years went by, I kept lying to myself, telling myself that I didn’t do anything, that the priest made up those accusations and he was the one who should be blamed. But… I had to say it now. I don’t think I could ever say it to my Mom. But I needed to at least say the truth out loud, for once in my life.”

Judy swallowed. She opened her mouth, then closed it. Decidedly, she scooched closer, and wrapped her arms around him from behind. The side of her face pressed against his back.

“I’m so sorry Nick,” she whispered.

His ribs expanded and contracted around her arms with his slow breathing.

“Hoo boy,” he said, smacking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “Those therapy sessions are opening up a whole floodgate of things I really wished didn’t exist.”

“Does it feel better to say it, though?” Judy asked.

Nick drew a deep inhale, then a long exhale.

“Yeah. It does, actually.”

He patted her bandaged paws, clutched tightly around his stomach.

“Let’s get some shuteye though. You know, I almost forgot to tell you about the best part of Foxgiving.”

Judy let go, scooting back to lay down.

“And what’s that?” she asked.

“After Foxgiving, we hibernate for the next three months.”

“Nick, I’m not going to pretend like I know fox customs, but I do know foxes don’t hibernate.”

Nick checked behind him, then plopped back down, his head meeting the pillow.

“Oh, I’ve hibernated before. It’s a refined art.”

“It’s called not setting an alarm clock.”

“Okay, in my defense—” Nick lifted himself onto his elbow, holding up one finger, “—I have started using an alarm clock ever since joining the force. And it’s horrible, by the way.” He sank back down, turning over onto his side to face the wall.

Judy smiled, rolling her eyes.

“Goodnight, Nick.”

She turned over on her side, bunching the blanket cover over her shoulder.

The room fell in silence. Judy realized she could not fall asleep. Her mind was too fixated on the empty gap, however small, between her and Nick. She could feel his warmth, the stray hairs of his tail touching her feet. Her heart started to beat faster as she stared into the darkness— the wall, the desk, the silver-blue slant of light coming through the window. She drew a breath and opened her mouth to speak—

“Okay, I hope this is alright.”

Nick rolled over, wrapping one arm around Judy and pulling her close so that her back pressed against his chest.

Judy blinked. His breath was warm— familiar— on the back of her neck.

“Is this okay?” Nick whispered.

“It’s fine,” she whispered back.

And she realized it was fine— better than fine. It was right, and good. Nick’s heartbeat thumped hard against her back, and she realized he was just as nervous as she was. Nervous, and yet, near full to the brim with bursting. She squeezed her eyes shut, smiling, the pink of her ears turning red.

“Alright,” Nick whispered back. He kept his arm hooked around her, one paw laid over her bandaged pair, enveloping her tiny fists completely in his own.

“I THINK THEY JUST HAD A HEART-TO-HEART CONVERSATION.”

“YOU DON’T KNOW THAT, DON’T INTERRUPT.”

“YOU DON’T INTERRUPT.”

Through the walls of Judy’s apartment came the muffled shouts of her next-door neighbors. Nick and Judy’s eyes shot open, their ears on high alert.

The argument continued from behind the wall as Nick raised his head, looking down at Judy, and Judy tilted her head up at him.

“Those are your neighbors?” he asked. “No wonder you’re crazy. I would go crazy too.”

“You live underneath an elephant gym. That makes you ten-times crazier than me,” Judy rebuked, scrunching her nose at him.

“YOU IDIOT, YOU INTERRUPTED THEIR CONFESSION, AND IT WAS JUST GETTING GOOD—”

“The rent is unbelievably cheap for that very reason, sweetheart,” Nick explained quickly before flinging his arm behind him and banging his fist on the wall.

“Hey, Tweedledee and Tweedle Dumber— shut it!”

An abrupt silence followed. After a few moments, Judy’s neighbors lowered their voices but could still be heard mumbling: ‘They’ll confess.’ ‘Oh, for sure. But at what cost?’ ‘Ten bucks says it’s before the end of the year.’ ‘Twenty says it’s before the end of the WEEK.’

Nick’s sigh rolled into a growl as he plopped his head back on the pillow. He scooted closer, and wrapped his arm around Judy as she wriggled to be closer to him too.

Their breathing slowed, the nighttime lull settling over the room. Occasionally the apartment pipes above their heads rushed with water. There was a creak from the hallway as a resident passed by Judy’s door. The smell of Judy’s lavender soap, still fresh on her and Nick’s fur, lingered in the space now shared between them.

“Goodnight,” she said, so quietly that it came as a breath and not a sound.

“Goodnight Judy,” Nick said back.

“Dream team forever,” she yawned.

“Hopps and Wilde,” Nick mumbled, already half-asleep.

———————————

Judy woke up at the first light of dawn. Her alarm clock had not gone off, but habit woke her from the dark of sleep just as the morning sun peeked over the edge of the horizon, shining faint rays through the gaps of Autumn trees and city buildings. From where she laid, Judy lifted her eyes to the window. The sky was pale blue, crystalline, and a motley of pink-orange clouds scattered across the new morning.

She smiled, stretched her arms and legs with a groan, then rolled over.

She nearly screamed, her gasp so loud she even frightened herself, and flailed, the covers tangling in her arms and legs.

She had forgotten Nick had spent the night at her place. Her apartment, in her bed, yet, here he was, like waking from one strange dream into another. He laid on his stomach, his arm tucked under the pillow, his head turned towards Judy. His eyes were closed, his breathing slow and unhurried. In the newfound morning light, she could see the shine of his orange fur refract in colors of soft gold and red. Judy calmed down, settling back down under the covers. She laid there on her side, studying him.

Slowly, so not to wake him, she reached out, poking his face. He did not move. She moved one small finger to poke his ear, causing him to flick his ear and for Judy to pull back. Still he did not wake. Judy held in her laugh, then pursed her mouth in a tight line. Her heart skipped a beat. With one finger she reached out and lifted the corner of Nick’s upper lip. The flash of his canine tooth gleamed sharp and white.

She didn’t know if this was wrong or not, and frankly, she did not care. Judy leaned closer, narrowing her eyes. She pressed her thumb against the tip of the canine tooth. It was startlingly sharp, and stronger than she expected. She trailed her thumb down his lip, looking at each sharp tooth lined along his jaw, all the way to the back molars.

A phantom memory of Linus’s words echoed in her mind: There’s an element of danger between our kind.

Nick fidgeted in his sleep. Judy drew back her paw, watching as Nick licked his muzzle, smacking his tongue against the roof of his mouth before flipping over onto his side. His tail smacked Judy in the face, and she shoved it down and away from her, spitting out fur.

A buzz from her phone reverberated from behind her. Judy wrangled Nick’s tail off her, then turned onto her stomach and dragged herself onto her elbows. Her phone laid next to Nick’s phone on the windowsill, where it was plugged in charging. She craned her neck to see who had texted her, but to her surprise, saw that it was not her phone’s screen that had lit up, but Nick’s.

Judy looked over at Nick, who was still turned towards the wall, fast asleep. She looked back to the phone, reached out, and tapped the screen. The message on the screen was from his mother. It read: ‘I’m working on a gift for your partner.’

A moment later another message appeared, this time of an image.

Judy furrowed her brow, then realized it was a picture of an embroidery hoop with a cross-stitch in the center. The cross-stitch was an intricate design of a grey rabbit wearing a pink sundress, seated on a park bench. Surrounding the rabbit were purple violet flowers.

Judy’s ears melted along with her heart. A lopsided smile warmed her face. She pulled away, only to hear the phone buzz again. Curiosity got the best of her. She turned her head to the phone again, but saw this time, it was not Nick’s phone, but hers that had received a new message.

On the screen was a text message from her parents:

‘Hey Jude Bug. Just checking in. —Dad’

A second later:

‘Mom wants to know if you’re coming home for the Christmas Pageant next weekend?’

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Meet the Family

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Summary:

Chapter 1: Nick's Family

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