Chapter Text

“Last stop, Bunnyburrow, approaching soon. Please gather your items before departing.”



Nick’s head jerked up at the announcement, rubbing the sleep away from his eyes. Inari, he hadn’t even noticed that he had been drifting off. The past few days had been longer and harder on him that he’d originally thought. The fox went to move, only to be stopped by a weight on his shoulder. He looked over, green eyes instantly softening and a soft smile spreading his lips.



Judy had fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder. The bunny looked so peaceful like this, so different from her usual energy. Not that he didn’t enjoy that energy, he just couldn’t always keep up with her. He was eight years her senior, after all. They had discovered that while she was in the hospital for her leg. They had discovered a lot about each other, namely how they weren’t so different. Both of them had been so eager to change how the world saw their species. Both still wanted to believe that the world could change, be kinder. He had just shoved it down for years to keep from being hurt.



But her...this little bunny made him want to believe again.



Nick looked out the window and saw their stop approaching. He was very reluctant to wake her, but they couldn’t miss it. He gently shook her. “Hey, Carrots, wake up. We’re almost there.”



The bunny snored abruptly before waking up, her violet eyes still cloudy with sleep. “Huh? Wha?” She yawned, sitting up and rubbing at her eyes. “What’s going on?”



“The train’s about to stop.”



“We’re there already?” She looked up, then blinked. Her ears fell down, eyes going wide. “Oh, Frith, did I fall asleep on you?? I’m so sorry!”



“Hey, hey, don’t be.” Nick tried to wave her off, though he couldn’t keep the smirk off his face. “Your snores are cute.”



“Oh, sweet cheese and crackers!” She groaned, turning away from him and fumbling to her bag out from under the seat.



“Oh, c’mon, I’m just teasing. I didn’t even hear if you snore, I passed out, too.”



“You can be such a jerk, Nick.”



“But you love me~” He wiggled his eyebrows at her, grinning from ear to ear.



The bunny shoved him playfully, her eyes warm with laughter. “Yeah, sure, whatever you say.”



The train came to a stop and the announcement of where they were blared through the speakers. Nick stood up, stretching before grabbing his bag. He looked at his companion. “So, you said that there’s someone here to get us.”



She nodded, leading him off the train and onto the platform. “Yep. I called her before we left.” She looked and grinned, waving at someone. “She’s here.”



Nick looked up to see who she was talking about and found himself a bit startled.



Sweet Inari, that was the tallest bunny he’d ever seen in his life. Brown fur with a bright white dewlap, pale blue eyes, and what had to be the longest legs, all clad in plaid and overalls. The top of her head almost reached his, just being a couple of inches shorter.



Judy dropped her bag and ran to the other doe, who wrapped her in a tight hug. They laughed a bit, before the tall one let go to cup Judy’s face.



“Don’t you ever scare me like that again, okay?? You didn’t even call--”



“I’m sorry, Angie, I had to get back to the city.”



“I’m just glad you’re okay.” The tall doe kissed Judy’s forehead before pulling her in for another hug. “Just call me next time, please.”



Nick grabbed Judy’s bag and trotted over to them, waiting for them to be done hugging before clearing his throat to get their attention. They looked at him and Judy was quick to go over to him, taking her bag back. He tried to ignore how his heart jumped in his chest when their paws touched.



“Nick, this is my sister,” Judy introduced the other bunny.



“Angelica Hopps-McConey.” The tall doe held out her paw to him.



Nick took it, giving it a firm shake. He noted the strong grip. “Nick Wilde. Anything she’s told you about me isn’t true.” He gave Judy a playful wink that made her blush and roll her eyes.



“It was all good things, don’t worry.” Angelica chuckled softly before gesturing for them to follow her. “Let’s get you two out of here. Are you hungry?”



“Starving.” Judy stepped alongside her sister, who led them over to a red truck. They threw their bags into the bed before climbing in. Judy sat in the passenger seat while Nick slid himself into the back behind Angelica. He watched as the sisters chatted, Judy catching Angelica up on what had happened.



“...and you should have seen everyone’s faces when they pulled us out of the pit. I thought Bogo’s jaw was going to fall right off,” Judy told the other bunny.



“I’m just glad you were able to get out of there safely,” Angelica said, nodding to them. “So what’s the plan now?”



“Well, I need to get my stuff back from your house. Nick’s invited me to live with him, at least until I can find a place of my own.”



“Is that so?” Angelica looked at Nick through the rearview mirror, and he felt his ears heating up from the look she was giving him.



Was he really that obvious?



“Yeah! His place isn’t too far from the station. And I’m gonna help him train so he can get into the academy. Then after that we’ll be partners!”



“Sounds like you have it all worked out. Good for you guys.” But the look she gave him was very clear.



They were going to talk later. And he wasn’t sure he was ready for it.

Angelica’s house was nice, if not a bit small. He had a joke about a big bunny in a small house, but he chose to keep it to himself. But she seemed to get him back for his unsaid joke when she mentioned that there were only two bedrooms. He could see the humor in the tall doe’s eyes and almost cursed out loud. Seriously, just how obvious was he??



“I’ll just sleep on the couch,” Nick insisted to the rabbits.



“No, Nick, you’re not sleeping on the couch,” Judy argued, her paws on her hips. “Angelica has an air mattress, we can just put it in the room. It’ll be like a sleepover!”



“We’re grown ups, Carrots.”



“What, so we can’t have sleepovers? Isn’t that basically what it’s going to be like when I live with you?”



He opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. Damn her. He huffed, crossing his arms and looking away. “Well, when you put it that way…”



Judy cheered for her little victory and Nick noticed Angelica trying and very nearly failing to keep her laughter at bay. Okay, seriously, this wasn’t fair.



With that matter settled, the rest of the night went fairly smoothly. They had dinner, set up the air mattress, and then Nick taught them a card game. Which turned out to be a mistake, because both sisters kept kicking his butt at it. He pretended to be offended, but he was just glad to see that Judy was having a good time. He could tell that she had missed her sister, and he could definitely see just how much Angelica loved her. He briefly wondered what it was like to have siblings before pushing it out of his head.



It wasn’t too long into the night before Judy was yawning. “Sorry, guys, it’s been a long few days.” She rubbed her eyes, standing from the chair at the table they were sitting at. “I think I’m gonna call it a night.”



“Do you need anything?” Angelica asked, going to stand too.



Judy waved her away, smiling. “I think I have everything, thanks, Ange.” She smiled at Nick. “Night, Nick.”



“Night, Carrots.” He tried not to watch her walk away, thought he still glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. He couldn’t help it, though. She was just…



“She’s something, huh?”



He jerked, looking up at the tall bunny. Damn it, there was that look on her face again. He cleared his throat, standing up. “Uh, yeah, I guess.” When had it gotten so hot? He tugged at his tie, loosening it. “I think I’m gonna step outside, get some fresh air.” He hurried out of the house, stepping down the porch steps.



It was a very nice night out, cool with a slight breeze. When he looked up, he could so many stars. Wow. You didn’t get this kind of view back in the city. He could almost understand the appeal of living out here. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. Was that...lavender? He opened his eyes and looked to his side, his ears perking.



There was a huge lavender field, spanning as far as he could see. And, right in the middle of it, looked like sunflowers. He tilted his head to the side, intrigued.



“Do you like it?”



He jumped, one paw going to his chest as he whirled around. “Sweet Inari!”



Angelica held her paws up apologetically. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.”



“You didn’t scare me, you startled me. There’s a difference.” He brushed his clothes off, trying to ignore the heat of his skin under his fur. He glanced at the doe. “It’s pretty nice out here. I think I can understand the appeal of living out here. Not that I’d ever want to, but I can see why someone would want to.”



Angelica nodded, stepping up beside him. “Everyone always comments on the stars out here. And the quiet.”



Nick found himself nodding with her. “Yeah. It is quiet out here.”



It was silent between them for a few moments before Angelica interrupted it. “Come, sit with me.” She gestured to the porch.



Nick barely kept from groaning. Here it was. The thing he’d been trying to avoid. He kept a neutral face as he walked over with her, sitting down on the steps.



Angelica sat beside him, making sure to keep some space between them. She clasped her paws in front of her, staying quiet for a few moments before speaking again. “I wanted to thank you.”



He blinked at her. “Huh?” That’s not what he had been expecting.



Pale blues met green as they locked eyes. “She said you’re the reason you guys were able to make it out of the museum safely. You carried her when she hurt her leg, and you were the one who thought up the plan to fool the sheep. You kept her safe, and it…” She swallowed hard. “It means a lot to me. To my family. I don’t think we would have been able to take it if something happened to her.”



His eyes softened, and he gave the doe a genuine smile. “You don’t need to thank me for that. I’m always going to protect her.”



“I know.” They locked eyes again, and he suddenly knew that she wasn’t making fun of him, and she wasn’t going to. In fact, he thought that maybe she even understood.



Maybe...maybe she even approved?



The gaze broke when she looked away, looking up at the stars. “She’s special. She always has been. She’s always wanted to make the world a better place. I’ve always been so proud of her.”



“She’s young, she has plenty of time to change it more,” Nick commented, looking up as well.



“Yeah, well, she should have been able to change it sooner. She would have, if…”



Silence carried between them again and he couldn’t help but to look over at her. “If…?”



She set her mouth in a straight line, her paws clenching. She looked over, nodding. “That lavender field. It was my husband’s idea to plant it. He thought it would help soothe me whenever things got bad. With my job, with my family, with life. He also planted the sunflowers, because he knew that they’re my favorite.”



There was silence again, this time not as comfortable. Nick cleared his throat, looking over at her. “Where is he now?”



“He died two years ago.”



“Oh.” Shit. He shifted, crossing his arms over his knees. “What happened? If you don’t mind me asking.”



“Freak tractor accident. It fell on him and squished him to death.” She looked at him. “The local police dubbed it an accident. Judy was scheduled to try out for the academy, but she chose to stay home to help me through it.”



And suddenly he understood why their bond was so strong, why they relied on each other so much. Why Judy had called Angelica to help, both times.



Nick reached over to, carefully, place his paw on hers. He waited until she looked at him before he spoke. “I will never let anything happen to her. I promise.”



He held his breath as Angelica slowly, slowly, put her paw on top of his. Her pale blue eyes were soft and sweet as she smiled at him. “I know. You love her.” She gave his paw a squeeze. “Don’t worry, I approve.” She let go and leaned back, letting out a laugh that startled him a bit. “You have a challenge ahead of you, though. She’s completely oblivious. And dense as hell.”



“Hey, it can’t be any worse than facing down a sociopathic sheep.”



“Fair enough.” She stood, stretching then smiling down at him. “Still, good luck to you. You’re gonna need it.”



Nick laughed, meaning it. “Thanks, Angelica.”



“Call me Angie. Or Ange. Everyone else does.” She opened the door for him. “It’s late. You coming?”



“Yeah.” He stood and went in, heading for the hall. He glanced over his shoulder at the tall bunny. “Hey, Ange? Thanks.”



She smiled at him. “Don’t thank me. Just keep proving me right.”



He rolled his eyes and headed for the room that he and Judy were sharing for the night. He opened the door carefully, not wanting to wake the bunny. She looked so peaceful sleeping in the bed. He managed to get in and close the door, trying to tiptoe around her to their bags. He got his pajamas on when he heard her move. He whipped his head over to see her sit up, rubbing her eyes.



“Nick?”



“Hey, sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”



“It’s fine.” She yawned, looking over at a clock before looking at him. “It’s late, why are you still up?”



“I was talking to your sister.”



Judy groaned, flopping back on the bed. “She wasn’t interrogating you, was she?”



“Nah. Though she did tell me about her husband.”



She sat up again, reaching over to turn a lamp on. Her eyes were wide. “She told you about Bill?”



He nodded. “Mmhm. She also told me about how you helped her out after.”



She shrugged. “We’re sisters. It’s what we do.”



He smiled softly at her. “I’m glad you have someone in your corner.”



“Yeah, me, too.” She looked at him for a moment, and the look in her eyes made his heart pound hard in his chest. What was she thinking?



It was quiet for a moment before she spoke again. “Why don’t you sleep up here?”



His heart skipped a beat. “With you?”



“The bed is big enough, and I’m sure it’s way more comfortable than the air mattress, and we can put a pillow between us if it makes you feel better. And you don’t even have to, I just thought I would offer--”



“Carrots, you’re fine, breathe,” he interrupted her rambling. “If it makes you feel better, I’ll share the bed.”



The bunny nodded eagerly, scooting over. Nick rolled his eyes but went over and slid into the bed next to her. She turned the light off and he laid down, keeping his back turned to her. His heart was thumping so hard against his ribcage, there was no way she couldn’t hear it. Just what was going on in that bunny brain of hers?



He felt her scoot back until their backs were pressed together, and the skin under his fur got warm. He held his breath until he felt her paw reach over, searching. And that’s when he understood.



Nick rolled over, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her to him, until her back was pressed against his chest. He felt her sigh and relax against him, curling into him. He smiled and rested his chin on top of her head, closing his eyes.



They were going to be just fine.



“Good night, Nick.”



“Good night, Judy.”

The next afternoon Angelica dropped them back off at the train station. She and Judy shared a long hug. “Call me if you ever need me, okay?”



“I will.” Judy pulled back, smiling at her sister. “Come visit us in Zootopia sometime.”



“I will.” Angelica turned to Nick, holding out a paw. “It was really nice meeting you, Nick.”



“You, too, Ange.” Nick took her paw, only to be pulled into a hug. He froze for a moment before returning it, smiling softly. “You take care, now.”



“You, too.” She pulled away, her eyes shining. “And don’t forget what I told you.”



He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah.” They all waved before Nick and Judy got on the train.



“What was she talking about?” Judy asked Nick as the train pulled away from the station, her head tilted to the side.



He shook his head at her, taking her paw in his. “Don’t worry about it.”



She rolled her eyes at him but didn’t say anything, just leaned against him and gave his paw a squeeze.



Oh, yeah. They were going to be just fine.