A Spring in Your Step (A Capering Welcome)

A Capering Welcome

The little station wagon barreled down the road at a steady speed. Despite the well-known speed limit of 45mph, and the fact the vehicle was populated by two police officers (one dancing to her music in limited car space) and child, it did nothing to deter the firemammal from cruising above the... suggested signs.

They had entered into the more residential areas - far past anything resembling a town, but with less wooded plots of developed land - a few domed hills could be seen down off-roads and the few mammals that were out and about waved as if they could be seen.

Nick stared in awe and wonder at the world passing by just outside his window. He had long since rolled it up as the unfamiliarly strong scents of the countryside - the fresh pines and blooming flowers along with recently harvested crops - were beginning to assault his senses and make him feel a little light headed. It wasn't that Nick couldn't handle it, but being a fox that grew up in the urban jungle, he was a bit intimidated from being welcomed to rolling hills that weren't part of the Meadowlands.

Still, though, the sight of the first shreds of moonlight breaking forth and beaming down on every tree and illuminating the roads for miles upon miles was something that brought him serenity, unlike anything he had seen throughout the city entire.

And it wasn't like the city was dull either. Aside from his favourite hangout spot at the wharves, Zootopia had plenty of sights and sounds that were amazing to experience; there were even some that he had yet to visit due to either a hustle gone wrong, or general disinterest.

All this in mind brought a smile to his muzzle despite the buzz of jitters from both the car his internal conflicts about meeting Judy's family. It was never easy to make first impressions with anyone on his part, and he could still remember the day he met Judy and fooled her into helping him. Even when meeting her parents the first time, Nick couldn't help but try to shy away for reasons he couldn't explain. It's not like they were in a relationship and he was meeting the in-laws either then or now. But still, he couldn't shake an uneasy feeling from the new setting, even if he was assured that he was a guest of their house.

"Alright, we're here." the voice next to him called, trailing off as he felt the vehicle take a slow turn.

Suddenly shaken awake out of his trance-like thoughts, Nick peered ahead. Where 'here' was equated to nothing more than a further stretch of dirt roads that they had been on for the last few minutes. Much like the others that he had seen before, the road ended up heading towards a rolling hill like structure some distance away. Even though Nick had never personally been there, he figured that it was one of the 'bunny bunkers' he had seen so many times in school pictures and on the news.

What he didn't expect, however, was his reaction upon seeing one up close. Even while dimmed under tranquil moonlight, the hill gleamed with soft reflections of twinkling stars and ever swaying gentle grasses. It was a great deal taller than he had imagined as well. He was reminded of his apartment complex as to how massive the thing was - three stories at least - and still able to be rounded into a small mountain. To top it all off, there was a wrap around porch on either side of the main door that looked like it'd put the train station to shame with how spacious it was.

By the time they pulled up to the structure, Nick's jaw was almost on its last hinge. Earlier teasing aside, the whole 'living in a hole for a week' thing was seeming less and less apparent. It was more of a ritzy hotel or vacation home in the Meadowlands.

With the front of the home making the whole of his living look like wet soap box diorama, he figured it'd be a matter of time until Judy told him that this was just the living room.

It was almost as large as a barn itself. The front door shimmered from the sliver of moonlight that radiated from each silver-like glass panel. Several bunny heads adorned its crest like a crown with carrots lined in rows like jewels glistening in the night. Neatly trimmed hedges provided a welcoming grove like atmosphere with flowers blooming all about.

Nick was stunned at how anyone would want to leave something like this for the dreck, costly crawl space of an apartment in the city. It even smelled like fresh dirt, cooked vegetables, and hot cinnamon; all familiar scents of his mother's residence and garden that made him long for the holidays and home.

He was so enraptured with the place that when the vehicle came to a stop, he had no clue as to what the first thing to fly out of his mouth was.

"So this is chea Carr-"

He stopped, hanging on the last letter as he heard the driver's door open. Risking a glance, the fox got a questionable look from Kelvin. "-err, Casa de Hopps, huh?" His smile stretched as wide as he could despite his inner fox telling him to keep his mouth shut.

While he called Judy 'Carrots' all the time, he had no idea of what kind of reaction her family would get if he said it around them (probably be carried off by the fluff army and then drowned in a sea of cottontails). So he did what he could: perish the thought, plaster on a smile, and hope that nobody noticed. It was the Nick Wilde way.

Except... with the look Kelvin gave him, that wouldn't be possible. It was somewhere between astonishment, and curiosity that flashed for only a moment before the bunny tilted his head towards the door. "Welcome to the Hopps Warren Nick," Kelvin stated, getting out of the car and lingering for a moment while he eyed Judy. "I'll be your guide once we get in."

With a mix of trepidation and curiosity, the fox looked back at his partner. She gave a smile and curt shrug in response before stepping out of the car herself. It was a little less than Nick hoped for, but still, a bit more than he had thought. Lingering questions filled his head as he set foot outside himself. "I thought it was called a Burrow." he assumed, being kindly given his crutches as the two older bunnies gathered their things before heading to the front door.

Giggling, it was Judy who took the moment to respond as her niece merrily skipped to her her side. "Actually, each individual hole dug called a Burrow. But when a collection of tunnels is dug, it's then called a Warren."

He shrugged, only slightly interested as it would make him seem unassuming. "Huh. Didn't know that."

Don't let them see that you're trying to keep it cool, Slick.

By the time he pulled himself out of the cramped little car, he was met with Judy - one paw on her hip and the other patting the head of the laughing kit next to her - practically beaming with bunny delight. "Gosh, what's this? I thought you knew everything?"

He remembered the moment on their wait for the train that he said it. For whatever reason, he knew it would come back to bite him. "Pfft. Of course, I know everything about the city Caa~"

Again he stopped himself from saying his beloved nickname of Judy Hopps. Catching his action netted two things. The first of which was a curious look from Judy, something he had dealt with before and wasn't too worried about. The second, however, was a small annoyed glare from Kelvin, something he had no clue as to what it meant. So in order to to get things back to a comfortable standpoint, he faked a yawn.

"~aaause that's where I grew up." he drawled out, adding a dramatic stretch as much as his leg would allow.

It was when he finally finished his fake yawn and stretch that he noticed Judy furrowing her brows at him again. She looked to be on the verge of chewing him out within seconds, but her brother thankfully intervened.

He nodded towards the lavish setting of the Hopps' walkway. "Haven't hung around many bunnies, have you?"

Nick immediately grew a smirk. "Only the ones that sell Bunny scout cookies because they are delicious."

He began to mull over what kind of comeback he could have about his liking of the cookies until the stoic and unfazed look on Kelvin's face made him realize his mistake: placing bunnies and delicious in the same sentence when you're a fox is a something you never do.

He felt his tail twitch and start to curl around his leg, he leaned on one crutch to wave a paw in defense. "I mean-"

His apology was cut short by a pair of paws pushing him forward. Ears standing, he looked beck to see Judy usher him to the house.

"Come on, Slick. Nighttime's a burnin'."

Both thankful for her and nervous that he just may be mauled in seconds by a fluff army, Nick took a chance and limped along compliantly. His tail kept close to him, brushing against the dirt path that lead to the humble home, yet his heart hammered within him. Why does she have to be Judy Hopps even when she's on vacation?

With her paws still shoving the fox forward, and her niece now bounding towards her uncle, Judy felt something was a bit... off.

It wasn't the fact that she still had to lug around his backpack awkwardly, or the stutter stepping her partner was doing. No. It was the fact that she could feel - almost begin to hear - the rhythm of his heart beating faster by the second.

Is he nervous? she thought. It wasn't like Nick to simply cower for any reason, but this feeling of increased heart rate was something she felt before when all seemed right on the outside. Thinking back, she had this happen only when she was inwardly terrified of something: the press conference, apologizing to Nick, meeting Nick's mother.

It wasn't like she was in any real danger in any of those situations, but just the unfamiliarity of it all made her heart race. And now to know the same feeling came from Nick? The same mammal that always seemed calm cool and collected even when almost bleeding to death in a street over a slice of pie?

Not on my watch you won't, Judy told herself. She was ordered - mostly by herself and somewhat by Nick's doctor, and surprisingly Chief Bogo - to let him relax, because dying of heart failure wouldn't do either of them any good.

So when Nick made it to the base of the two stairs that lead up to the front door, she made her way around him and smiled.

"Come on, Nick! It's not that bad here. Trust me." she said reassuringly, even topping her whole welcoming ensemble off with a big, bucktooth smile.

Both inwardly, and outwardly, she wanted him to be at home with her family. And it never occurred to her of exactly why it meant so much to her. He was her best friend and partner, and that was all the reason in the world she needed to want to keep him by her side.

Trust me? Nick asked himself. Judy, why'd you have to go and say that?

With a little less reservation in place - and his heart now beating at speeds that didn't rival atmospheric reentry - Nick stepped onto the front porch. It wasn't just the feel of the place that made it homey to him, but there was something about the way Judy stood there rocking on her heels with a big goofy smile that calmed him.

This bunny will be the death of me, he mused, knowing that if he didn't cause any further incident that it would be wholly true. Though before he could get a chance to get in a snarky comment about her being... well, Judy Hopps, Kelvin made his way passed them and unlocked the door.

He turned back with a small smirk and paw wave. "Well, Nick. Welcome to the Hops Warren."

The moment the door was opened, the air outside seemed to erupt with both sound and fragrance. Various new scents flooded the fox's senses and what looked like an endless sea of bunnies bounced around aimlessly in what he could only assume was the foyer.

He didn't know when he stepped in, or if he did so by himself, but he was greeted by nothing less than an entryway that looked more like an amphitheater in the way it was built.

All around were decadently etched surfaces of hardwood with carpeting that felt so soft and plush that it had to be some kind of wool. Simple lamps ran across the walls just below crown molding and not a thing in sight lacked some sort of bunny like theme or shape.

Nick's eyes glowed with curiosity and wonder.

Bunnies of all ages ran about their way. Some taking a moment to look their way and keep going, while others curiously looked at them and either waved towards them or stood frozen.

He carefully made his way in, the door being pressed shut behind them as he felt a paw rest on his arm. Shaken from his sightseeing, Judy chuckled lightly at him.

"This place is-" He started to say, only to try to figure out what to say to begin with. A bunny lodge? Not a hole in the ground? Your home? Can I live here forever instead of that leaky basement? Please? I'll pay you in pawpsicles!

Judy smirked and stood in front of him. "Amazing?"

Yes, and I was wrong. So, so very wrong, is what he would have said if he was any other mammal than Nick Wilde. So instead of that, he gave an answer that only Nicholas Piberius Wilde would have come up with.

"Pink."

The doe's smile slowly drooped along with her ears, but she saw his only widen. Of course, he'd answer with the most convoluted thing. He couldn't even say something about the foliage on the veranda or the fact that most of my family is already taking notice of him... that's a good thing, right?

She turned around from her own thought and hoped that it was a good judgement when some of the more curious bunnies in the colony started to approach. Thankfully Kelvin was there to scoot and shoo them off in different directions as he gave a 'nothing to see here' kind of motion to them. Though it did sadden her that she couldn't accurately place their curiosity, she was happy to have it linger for a moment longer.

Placing her paw on her hip, she turned her attention to Nick. "Aww. Does the big, brave fox not like the colour pink?"

It was to distract her and hopefully get him talking. The thing she knew about Nick and conversing was that he was a lot calmer when speaking to someone he knew, someone he trusted. Judy could remember the few times he had spoken to Bogo one on one and how nervous he was below the surface. His subtle tells of a twitching tail, playing with his claws, and increased snark were all there.

But here? Here all she saw was him start to relax. "I prefer salmon."

And his snark was slowly starting to become banter like they had on the train. "Like the one that's still in your fridge?"

And the thing about Nick and her bantering is that if he were to use her nickname 'Carrots', then all was well.

He nodded, eyes half lidded and grinning. "Like the one I'll always cherish in my fridge Ca~."

Much to her amazement, Nick stopped halfway like before; something that she didn't fail to notice. In the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Kelvin shaking his head and nearing them.

Does him calling me Carrots around my family make him uncomfortable? she wondered, and could recall when their parents met, that it was strictly 'Hopps' and 'Partner' with him referring to her.

She scratched at the hidden gash on her arm and sighed, No wonder he's not completely relaxed...

"Judy, you okay?"

It was Kelvin who asked, taking notice of his older sister after ushering Cotton back into the bunny collective.

"Hmm?" From the way he looked at her - concerned and staring intently at her wincing slightly when her paw touched her shoulder - she knew that he knew something.

"Yeah, Kel, I'm okay," Judy replied hastily, unclasping her paw and handing over her partner's bags. "I just need to drop Nick's medical forms off."

It was Nick's turn to eye her questionably. "Wait, you have my medical forms?"

The doe nodded coolly. "Uhuh. Remember you gave me permission when you tried to use my ears to call your mom in the ambulance?"

The fox stood dumbfounded. No, he didn't know. "Anyways. They're going straight to your new IWD 'In Warren Doctor' for your stay." She needed to distract him and hurry on, The sooner I get this stitched, the better. He won't know at all!

"Wait! You have doctors here?!" Nick asked, shocked that this may be a large hospital in the shape of a burrow. His urge to run was rising.

It was Kelvin that answered, "Every warren does, Nick. The burrows are so large that we have a small staff for each warren for things that don't exactly require full hospitalization, or for caring for patients after they leave a hospital. We even have a nursery and the clinic can do small surgeries if needed."

Nick shut up on that note, the last thing he wanted was for anyone to mess with his leg any more than need be.

Her brother stared between the two cops for a moment before he shrugged. "Just be back up for dinner in a few minutes, Mom and Dad are waiting for you. They just managed to get you your room back for the visit."

Judy's eyes went wide as she shouted an ear piercing, "YES!". It didn't last long as the question arose for her. "Wait, where will Nick be staying."

The buck raised a brow. "Not in your small bed, I assure you."

Actually gasping and feeling a blush that turned the inside of her ears a shade of beet red despite it being a bunny house - because being raised a bunny desensitized her to a lot of things when a good deal of her younger siblings tried to run around in nothing but their fur - Judy vehemently protested.

"Kel! I meant what guest room?!"

The buck, unfazed by his sisters shouting turned to see the fox in question. Nick had stood still the entire time, but his casual demeanor had been downgraded to something of astonishment. "Well, given his condition..." Kelvin began, tapping his foot to an unheard rhythm, "One of the elder suites. Mom'll tell you which one at dinner."

While their conversation had been going on, Nick had been deep in thought. Both taking in the scenery, and looking around at the rabbits that had left. One of them, a doe, black furred and wearing a deep red dress that seemed to be a little older than what he thought Cotton was, had stared at him almost unblinkingly. It wasn't until Kelvin shooed them off that he even heard what they were saying. And now keywords caught his attention.

"Wait, elder suite?" He shifted in his crutches and spat out the word like it was his own medicine he didn't want to take. "I'm not that old!"

Protest made and sympathetic look seeming... well, pathetic, Judy smirked. "But I thought you wanted a second Quinceañera?"

He narrowed his eyes at her but quickly turned away when her brother seemed unamused.

The buck cleared his throat and explained. "It's not bad, Nick. We reserve the guest rooms on that floor to visiting elders, and sick or injured guests staying with us that don't need emergency care." He pointed down one of the long hallways past the greeting area and large silver doors shone in the distance. "It's not too far away from the elevators and it makes any in-home care easy to reach."

He took a moment before he lowered his shoulders in defeat. "Elevators?!" he gasped, staring at a grinning Judy Hopps. "And you're sure this isn't an underground mansion?" This was unfamiliar territory for the fox. Not just the Burrows, not just the Warren, this whole experience.

The doe gave a quick, "Mhm", finally glad he wasn't thinking that bunnies in the burrows were backward savages. "It's pretty great when starting a warren actually. Y'know, tradition and whatnot."

Nick raised a brow. "Tradition?"

Relaxing a bit herself, Judy mulled over the various bunny customs she'd learned since she was a kit. "It's something you do when starting a new Warren. First, you need to have a plot of land that's stable, get a foundation stone and an auger-"

"Wait, why would you need an aardvark?"

Judy hesitated when he stated this. Maybe she hadn't spoken correctly? "Auger," she repeated.

"Arguer?"

"Augur!"

Again, the fox tried to figure out what the frustrated doe was getting at, but all he could think of was how cute she sounded when she shouted. "Working on your growl there ca~uh... Hopps?"

It was one thing for him to have tried to speak to Judy on the train and call her any name like 'cotton-tail','fluff'... 'carrots', but with her brother standing there - a fire mammal that could potentially throw him into a blazing building if angered - he decided to go with a much more friendly and less personal approach.

He even gave a grin to the buck as if to say 'all is well, but it really isn't'.

That's when the unexpected happened. Kelvin smiled back and walked next to him.

"Nick..." He said in a calm and almost condescending tone that rivaled the Chief's when he was about to put someone down. "What 'Carrots' here is saying," The fox nearly choked. "Is 'Au-ger'."

The worried glint in his eye was met with a friendly face and uncaring shrug.

"Honestly, nobody will care if you call her Carrots. Dad pretty much nicknamed us all the second we were born." stated the buck matter-of-factly before he grinned at his sister mischievously, "Just don't let 'Jude the dude' get her paws on anything flammable and we're fine."

"Don't call me that!" Judy seethed, her ears turning beet red.

Kelvin smiled and shot back, "Says the one that calls Juniper 'June Bug', and Jasmine 'Jez'."

The doe flung her arms to the skies in protest. "I can't help it if Dad nicknamed us all. Besides, 'Jez' suits her fine. Didn't she get fired for... you know-"

A shrug and the flick of his ear. "They dropped the charges, and it was written off as 'workplace fraternization', but... you know her."

Judy huffed. Indeed, she knew her liter-mate like the back of her paw. "That home wrecker," she mumbled.

Nick was stunned. Not just from the banter between bunnies that he only barely understood, but the notion that, not only could he use her keepsake name of her, but at her own home too? This was truly more like home than he imagined - squabbling siblings that he never had and all - he couldn't wait to tell his own mother that-

Wait, what was that about flammable stuff? He turned to look at Judy who seemed to equal parts stunned and angry. It's a good thing that she was staring at her undeterred brother because the face she was giving could start a fire itself. Then again? "By the way, what's an auger?"

It took Judy a moment more of scolding before she replied, "That's easy, an auger is-"

Her brother stopped her instantly, patting her on the shoulder and forcing her to wince as she was spun around to face the elevators.

"Shouldn't you be going, Jude?" he asked in an almost whisper, patting her shoulder a little causing small waves of pain to course through her.

Did he know? she wondered in horror, forcing his paw away and placing her own on the tear to see a small dab of blood on the fabric. Yes. Yes, he does.

"Fine." she muttered.

So in order to not have Nick not have a clue - heightened sense of smell and all - Judy took off down the hall and left her Nick and Kelvin behind. "I'll meet you two at dinner."

She didn't let herself be turned around until she made it down the hall, passing by several bunnies on the way and waving or greeting them in some fashion. Judy felt terrible about leaving Nick behind like that but didn't have much of a choice.

So when she finally reached the chrome-plated elevator at the end of the hallway, she pressed the down button and looked back towards the fox though all she could see was the flick of his bushy tail as he disappeared out of her sight.

He'll be fine, Judy, she reassured herself, He's with family, and Kelvin's a great little brother even when he needs to have his big mouth shut!

She unknowingly stamped her feet at the last part at the same time the elevator door opened. Thankfully, nobody was inside and she could brood in peace. Once she pressed the level that the Hopps Warren clinic was on, she sighed and leaned her head against the wall.

Too much was on her mind that she had to try and list chronologically. Though it was difficult with the case she was working on, her the trip here... her mishap. Still, she could only get past the first and most important event that affected her.

Nick almost died yesterday...

Had her ears not already been drooping, they would have fallen like comets now.

Frozen on the thought, she felt a pang of terror hit her. After the whole incident and the waiting at the hospital, she had gone all out to ensure that he would be okay, only for it to all go horribly wrong. She took him to her apartment to house him for the night, and he went missing the next day. She took great measures to get to the train and have everything go smoothly, but she was nearly flattened on the tracks and caused him to worry. And now that he was here, she had upset him by attempting to press him about someone named Evelyn.

All stressful things, all things that would push him farther away. And she didn't want to lose him again, she had just gotten him as her partner.

When the elevator dinged and the doors swung open, she resolved to try better. Because that's the way Judy Hopps did things, she hated not being the best at everything.

Stepping out into the hall and onto the slightly chilled linoleum flooring, Judy marched forward with her own carry bag. Every white washed wall shimmered in brilliant ambient amber lighting that reflected off of doors that lead to the nursery, infirmary, and other small wards in the clinic. She remembered the days she had been here for a bit - a stitch here, a band-aid there - nothing too major aside from her run in with Gideon all those years ago.

But one thing was sure; that no matter what happened to her, there was one sibling that would always jump up to help. Even if he wasn't licensed until she went to college, he would surely be the one to assist his darling little sister both quickly and discreetly.

In a few more steps, a heavy wooden door labeled 'clinic' came into view.

Like every door on this floor, it was easy to access and she could simply push it open, there was always someone there.

Despite her being able to barge in, Judy announced herself "Alder? Are you in?"

The door opened as slowly as she willed it to when she pushed it, never creaking once thanks to the family keeping on top of things. Inside, Judy could see several empty beds across the way, usually a good sign.

But from the dimmed lighting and small workstations, she could only see one pair of ears. And what struck her as odd was that the pair weren't deep grey like Alder's. No. This was a different bunny.

And is if reading her thoughts, the pair of ears tilted rose from behind the glow of a computer screen and the smiling face of a bunny answered her. "Well, he would be, but..." A slender brown bunny clad in a white lab coat bounded away from the workstation like they were fleeing a crime scene. "He decided to turn in for the night a bit early."

"Maple?!" Judy almost dropped her bag, almost. Instead, she began to run towards the bunny at full speed. In a blur, she wrapped her paws around an equally giddy bunny who returned the embrace with bone-crushing force.

"Aww... she does remember her old babysitter after all, huh?"

At the mention of this, Judy both squeezed a little tighter and rolled her eyes. Sure, Maple was her babysitter, kinda. But it was only because her older brother Alder had been friends with the doe and they grew up together. But to see her here now?

When Judy felt the hug get a little tighter, she gently patted Maple to inform her that she was done, and they instantly let go of each other. She had forgotten how strong the bunny turned doctor was.

"What are you doing here?" Judy asked, not knowing how or when Alder was replaced.

"Oh me? Well... Alder requested some assistance and I was available." Her reply was about as much as Judy had expected, but there was something a little more to the bright smile as Maple leaned over and whispered, "That, and he finally proposed last week."

Judy's eyes widened, a lavender glow basking in rich fluorescent light. "YES!" she shouted, squealing and hopping in place. Even when she had come back from the city previously, she knew it was only a matter of time until the two got hitched. Such was the bunny way.

Maple simply shook her head. "Alright, alright. Judy, calm down." And so the bunny cop did so after one more victorious squeal of excitement. Once finally calm enough to go on, the doctor looked at Judy, specifically her shoulder and sighed. "So, what have you gotten yourself into now that you require my expertise?"

Judy, finally noticing that her shoulder was being looked at, instantly took to covering it with her paw nervously. "Oh, nothing." She couldn't help suppress the awkward pitch in her voice.

Maple taped her foot. "Judy?" Was her only word, slight of a sneer and on the verge of chastisement.

Ears drooping from the realization that this wasn't Alder, the one who does things without question and never asks more than how did it happen, Judy sighed and reached into her bag.

Producing a small stack of papers she grinned and handed them over. "I just need a few stitches and to turn in info on our new patient."

Taking the documents and skimming over them, Maple pointed to a nearby bed. "Hop up and take the shirt off while I get the stuff and start a new patient file," she commanded, not taking her eyes off the paperwork as she padded her way to a cabinet marked with a red cross.

Judy did as she was told and wordlessly sat at the edge of one of the beds. Taking the plaid shirt off, she was glad that it was only a shoulder injury and not something more threatening.

True to her word, it took a matter of minutes for Maple to return. Small pack in one paw and face curiously contorted as she stared at the paperwork in the other. The doe rounded the small bed and placed her material on a moveable tray to get started.

"Now I'm curious as to how all this happened."

Her work began, unpacking a suture kit and taking out an antiseptic. She moved with nimble paws and the expertise of her field, quickly cleaning the wound, numbing and on the verge of drawing the suture out before Judy even spoke.

"It's..."

"Your fox friend?" interrupted the doctor, crossing a stitch as she spoke.

Judy nearly flinched when she heard that, but with a needle already in her arm, she mentally restrained herself to verbal protest.

"No! He would never-"

"Officer Nicholas P. Wilde, huh? Seems like a decent partner." Maple confirmed, nodding to the pile of papers on the stand and chuckling. "But I really am curious as to how the whole report went. It says 'accidentally self-inflicted while trying to eat a pie'. How do you accomplish that?"

Breathing deeply from both relief and a dull pain in her shoulder, Judy spoke, "What can I say... Nick is Nick." She shrugged, which she regretted in the form of a painfully sharp breath.

Within a few seconds, Maple snipped the remainder of the stitching, wrapped the wound in gauze, and began to clean up. Judy looked at the freshly patched arm and rotated it, feeling no pain in the process. Satisfied, she put her shirt back on and hopped down.

"So, how'd you get a boo-boo?" asked Maple, ensuring that she placed the correct items in the sharps bin before washing her paws in a sink near the counter "And who did the patchwork?"

Judy cringed, actually cringed at the question. She didn't know what was worse: how she got the cut in the first place, or who she went to to get it sutured. They were both bad answers.

She gave a weird, worried smile. "Work?"

While not untrue for either, she didn't dare specify what truly transpired from the time she left her apartment with Nick still asleep, to the time she arrived at his apartment to pick him up. It was work related after all, so she couldn't exactly disclose any of it.

Maple chuckled and took the papers with her to an in-box to be looked over later. "That sounded like a... question?" she jeered, waving for Judy to follow her out of the clinic. "But it would explain why they don't look like rabbit sized stitches."

Judy gave a quick nod. She didn't want to say anything more despite her usual ability to go on and on about near everything. She even managed to call Nick once and get into a long conversation about the real differences between the various types of apples.

Maple shrugged. "Suit yourself, Judy. I'm not gonna press the answers out of you, but remember that I do worry about you." Judy could both hear and see the concern from the elder bunny as they walked down the hall to the elevators, it brought worried pang of her own as well as a deep thankfulness to her heart. "The little cop in the big city. I'm just glad you got a partner that you can trust just like Juniper and hers," she added with a bright smile as the elevator was called.

It was something that Judy worried about when she got here, that Nick would be seen as nothing more than a predator by her family. Yet here, he was spoken of well by even a family friend and even her own brother. All was going well.

When the elevator got to them and they stepped in, Maple hummed along with the subtle music. "I'd like to take a look at his leg before he goes to sleep, and we do have an in-house prescription for his antibiotic and pain meds in case he runs out.

Though she thought of it as unnecessary, Judy was grateful for a backup plan. "Thanks." She knew Nick would likely misplace his medication or would attempt to go without it entirely.

There was only a moment of silence before they reached their floor and both does exited. But the thing about being in a bunny house was that silence was a rare commodity. For they barely set foot in the hallway before two bunnies came running by, shouting at one another.

And to Judy's utter horror, they were the two eccentric bunnies that she would have never assumed to be from her litter: Jesse and James.

While almost alike in every fashion - from their tone of voice and even mannerisms - the only physical distinguishing trait about them was the large, deep grey spot on opposing eyes; Jesse's spot on the left, and James' spot on the right.

And they would always-

"I can't believe you listen to that... that horrid, ear wrenching stuff!" shouted Jesse, clad in pumpkin plaid and holding a sheet of paper away from his brother.

-Always-

"HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT ABOUT BATOVEN'S CLASSICAL MASTERPIECE OF EROICA!" said James in full fuschia flannel and angrily trying to steal the paperback. "And it's music, unlike what your philistine ears are used to."

-ALWAYS fight about some petty nonsense. Music usually, and it typically escalated to eventually resolve itself.

The two bunnies wrestled, tumbling around when the papers were mockingly waved, and both tumbled out of view. They left rugs displaced and vases tipped over - but they didn't dare break them because their mother would have their hides - in the wake of their shouting bout. They soon disappeared in a swirling ball of bunny fury.

The two does looked at one another and shrugged. It was a bunny house, it was kind of expected.

"I'm not patching them up again." said Maple.

Judy had had that kind of interaction with several of her siblings in fact, and she often wondered what went through their heads. Of why they thought of her as the odd one, but they were constantly bickering. And it wasn't like she didn't do so (often), but when she did, it had a meaning to it.

Still, her brothers aside, she felt a little anxious to have Nick there with a ton of bunnies around dinner. What will they do? she wondered. They won't all stare at him and think he's gonna eat them, will they?

When the two made it to the dining hall - practically a mass cafeteria that served the whole family due to the size of bunny homes - Judy mentally scolded herself for not asking where Nick would be sitting.

All around her were cherrywood tables fit for any size and shape bunny. Neatly arranged placemats and easy pull out chairs with plush cushions welcomed her any others to dine to their heart's content.

As it was late in the day and a good deal of the house was asleep - mostly farm workers, the elderly, and children that had school the next day - the room was mostly empty. So there was a good chance that he'd be close by.

She felt a tap on her shoulder. "Is that your partner, Jude?" Maple asked, eyes glancing at a corner of the large room where several bunnies sat around a taller orange figure. She couldn't quite easily tell who the bunnies were - they all looked alike at a distance - but she knew that it was Nick.

Her eyes widened as she saw the fox, calm and engaged in a conversation and smiling with two bunnies over his shoulder. A bright flash lit up the wall behind him and she knew he was snapping a photo.

As she neared them, her smile growing wider by the step, she instantly recognized the two just behind Nick. The green cap and suspenders on the more rounded of one of them, and the signature purple dress on another.

There was no mistake as to who these were.

"Mom, Dad!"

The two closest to Nick suddenly turned their heads and waved her toward the table.

"Jude!" Her father spoke first, waving her over along with Bonnie as Judy raced towards them with unimaginable speed. She barely managed to keep herself from tripping on the polished wood floor when she finally got to them and embraced them in a tight, heartfelt hug.

It was something that she always did whenever she left or returned home: hug her parents and kiss them both on the cheek as she loved them dearly. It usually brought a tear to Stu's eyes.

They stayed like that for a long while, in a bunny hug that Judy could only describe as welcoming.

It was Bonnie who spoke before Judy could say another word. "I bet you're starvin', huh Bun-bun?" Judy's ears perked up at the mention of both food and her somewhat embarrassing nickname. She looked past the wall of cheek fluff she had been embedded in to see the fox chuckling with a mouth full of food right next to Kelvin. Bonnie pulled away and nodded next to them. "Come on and grab a bite to eat. I made eggplant casserole."

Judy nodded, feeling her stomach begin to rumble in agreement. She bounded towards the table seat right beside Nick and saw that he had a plate full of food and was actually enjoying it. Not that Bonnie was a bad cook or anything - she was one of the best in the burrows that wasn't a certified chef - but Nick was a picky eater at times. Judy tried to give him a salad once with apricots in it and he disassembled it until all that was left was lettuce and blueberry vinaigrette.

Taking her seat and a plate, Judy looked around, a few of her siblings and other family were just sitting there and enjoying the atmosphere, or so she hoped given their new guest. "So, how's everything going?"

She could see some of them like her parents, Kelvin, Maple, and Jemeny (though he seemed out of it) looked unfazed by Nick's presence; she could work with that. Others were either busying themselves by eating or refusing to make eye contact with Nick.

And what was odd was how the bunnies that appeared more comfortable around him sat on the same side of the table as him.

Digging in after serving herself some of the delicious looking dish, Stu spoke out. "Well, everything around the farm's fine. We got crops comin' in soon for the early Spring harvest and we're doing a re-seeding tomorrow." Judy nodded, taking a bite of the flavorful dish; a wonderful little pallet of flavour she missed while in the city. "Your siblings, however-"

She had to stop herself from rolling her eyes in their presence, she knew which ones would be talked about.

"Jaz?" she asked, picking at her food with varying levels of interest while Nick ate his without reservations.

"Mhm..." Her mother hummed. She understood. "Well, not just her... again. But also Jamie will be out next week."

Judy sighed. At least she's not behind bars in the city.

Stu hopped in, he was never one to leave a conversation so somber. "Juniper's doing alright. Got the job as a deputy with her partner. You should see them at breakfast before she turns in. And he's gonna be staying with us for a while until he gets his housing problem fixed."

Judy's tail twitched a little. She had already heard about the job her sister got and was happy for her. And for her to have a partner? I wonder if they get along. she mused. Because Hopps hospitality was second to none when it came to welcoming folks to stay for a while.

"And, Nick here was telling the most interesting story about his heroics."

Upon Stu's introduction of the fox, mouth full of eggplant and looking like he was about to flee the scene, Nick hastily swallowed and nervously eyed Judy of all mammals in the room.

"Go on, Nick. Tell us how you earned those crutches."

Stunned that Nick would be so open as to share his misfortune, Judy actually dropped her fork to her plate. But something wasn't right. She knew Nick was up to something, and it wasn't just the Pawaiian shirt she absolutely wanted to rip out of his bag and prove that he was lying.

The fox scratched his neck and cleared his throat as all eyes landed on him. The smiling and chastising bunny faces told him to go on, but his instinct (and the fact that Judy would have his tail when he opened his mouth) told him to shut up and think of a way out.

"Well," He didn't have much room to think. "It's like I said. Someone had to stop that knife wielding maniac from getting that lady's purse and pushing a baby in traffic."

Judy blinked. "Baby?"

Nick was about to get it. He knew he was about to get it from the way Judy gawked at him like he grew another head. He'd probably end up naming it 'Mick' just for alphabetical consistency and to mess with everyone.

He scratched his neck and dropped his fork to his plate. "Yeah, Carrots. Don't you remember the baby that got pushed into the oncoming car? And, y'know... the knife?"

That's not how it happened at all. Judy thought. Unless the baby is him, then he's just lying. And to my family!

Judy was unamused. She opened her mouth and was about to tear the fox a verbal new one, but one word saved him from the encounter: Carrots. And 'Carrots' meant he was relaxed, comfortable and not afraid of being strung up like a decoration.

The small pleading glint in his eye helped to get his across to her. So she simply went along with it.

"Oh yeah! I remember now." She said with her teeth clutched and fire slowly burning in her eyes.

Judy smiled. Trying this game, huh? She would let him off the hook for now. There were always better times to scold her partner when he didn't have a sympathy token.

With the todd now not looking like he was next in line at a confessional, Judy resumed her dinner and conversation.

The rest of their meal and chatter went by smoothly. They talked about city life, various harvests, and what exciting things happened on the force.

By the time they were done and having gorged themselves on food - Nick's nearly three plates of the casserole and an apple when he was told that they didn't have any blueberries in stock for the night - they were ready to sleep off the long day.

And as they traveled down the stretch of hallway to the guest rooms with Kelvin giving Nick some insight on the layout and Maple following close behind, Judy saw the twinge of curiosity enter the foxes features. It was like the time he had discovered that the Hopps family grew more than just carrots.

Her own muzzle curled into a warm smile.

Within moments, their group stopped at a cherrywood door. They were only a few floors down, and it wasn't too far away from Judy's old room as well.

Kelvin did the honours and entered the suite before them, flipping on the lights and welcoming Nick in. "And this is where you'll be staying." said the bunny, showing off the interior as if he were selling it on the market. "Large bed and recliner. Sufficient lighting. And one bathroom with a walk-in tub.

It was tall enough to have Nick stand comfortably without his ears even close to the ceiling, and yet cozy enough to be seen as something close to a hotel room.

While Judy knew it was impressive far beyond what little she had in Zootopia, she had hoped that Nick would say the same.

And, again... this was Nick.

The fox looked rather pleased with the setup, but quickly turned to ask, "No television?"

Judy closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. First the pink comment, then the lies, and now he wants a tv? I should just kick his tail back to-

"Nope," Kelvin replied, setting Nick's bag down and stifling a comment Judy would have made in mere seconds. "Too expensive to have one in each room. They're all in the rec rooms and living rooms."

The fox nodded, walking over to sit on the bed and rest his leg. Furnished with quilts that had carrots all about it with a carved headboard that had small bunny faces on either side, Nick could only chuckle, Never thought I'd be sleeping with carrots.

By the time he had finished the thought, his ears perked up at what he had hoped he only thought. A mute tug of his cheeks and doctor bunny facing him made him think that he didn't.

And the smile that the bunny doctor had didn't help quell his nerves at all. "Alright, Nick, leg up," she commanded, causing the renards face to contort in confusion.

"What?"

Without a second word, Maple quickly hoisted his leg up to chest level, causing Nick to tip over. Had he already not ditched his crutches to the bedside, he would have surely made them projectiles.

Roughly, and almost feeling like Wolford's wife was trying to drag him, the bunny inspected the wrapping on his leg. "Looks like someone did a decent job wrapping it earlier," she commented, smoothing over the material without having him wince once. "It doesn't need to be changed tonight, but definitely in the morning."

Nick nodded. Finnick must've done that. Explains the headache too.

Satisfied with the patchwork, Maple got up and stretched. "Alright, I'm off shift for the night. See y'all at breakfast." Without even waiting for a courteous goodbye, she was off.

Kelvin was the next to go. "I need to get some sleep too. It's been a long day and I've gotta get to the station early. Night." The buck left the two alone, neither caring that his sister was alone with a fox, or that there was a fox close by.

With it being just the two of them, Nick seemed a little calmer now. He sighed a deep breath and looked around, yet the only thing there was a curious looking Judy Hopps.

Nick smirked. "Yes, Carrots?"

He was hoping to have a moment with her in the endless sea of bunnies. Just a second to unwind and talk to his partner and tell her how grateful he was.

Judy giggled, "Liking it here, Slick?" Her eyes half-lidded much like his own when he was trying to downplay a situation made him feel at ease.

She figured that he would have to say something complementary for once. And yet... "Almost."

Judy's demeanor fell and she shot him a glare. "Almost?"

Was there something missing? she wondered, Is he really missing the city that much?

With flattened ears and quivering lips, the fox gave the answer only Nick Wilde could come up with. "There were no blueberries!" Judy felt her eyes cross. "How's a fox supposed to-"

"G'night Nick."

She stormed out of the room, huffing and leaving the fox to his own musings. I can't believe that I went through all this for him to just... OOH! This is so like Nick!

Before she turned the corner to make her way to her old residence, her beloved partner shout back to her, "You know you love me!"

She had never been more thankful that bunny houses were more soundproofed than anything, and that she was alone. Because the blush in her ears was so loud that it would have made her training instructor proud of her.

Judy could only clutch her bag tighter. Just you wait until I show you this video tomorrow Nick.

Heya there, DLW here and welcome to the end notes.

Thanks to The Winter Bunny for the cover art (I'll update links after work)

Sorry spring came out so late, I've been busy with a lot of things. 'By My Side' is next for an update as well as a special Memorial Day story. Please check out my DA page for more.

If you catch any easter eggs, please leave them in the comment/review basket if you have the time.

Also, a bit of trivia. Every chapter of "A Spring in Your Step" has had some motion of movement for the title XD

And I'm trying to make the title for each chapter something that you can begin or end by saying 'In Our Dreams'.

[FF Review Responses]

7sky: Nick is my fav character as well! I'm trying to keep Nick... well... Nick XD

TortillaOverlord: Yes! Chips and dip! And who Evelyn is will be revealed soon!

Wrench: Sorry about that. More Spring is gonna bounce your way ^_^

[Updates]

Alright, I've posted this before, but if you're looking to find updates on everything I'm doing, and I mean EVERYTHING, please check out my Deviant Art page.

I've been doing a series called 'Snippets' where I'll be posting story excerpts on what I'm working on and will give constant feedback almost daily.

[Other Sites]

And I hope you get a chance to read this and the other stories at your leisure. All can be found here as well:

fanfiction:
~dancinglunarwolves

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dancinglunarwolves

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Till Next Time
-DLW