FSE

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Time grew slow as March approached. Giddy nerves had Judy and Nick working hard around town, doing everything to burn time. Winter passed along, and the calendar hit March. Nick used his vacation week. Judy personally alerted Bogo to her coming heat season, bereft of any shame or guilt. A flummoxed Bogo coughed into his hoof and granted it to her. Nick was given the usual teasing. "Gonna get some bunny buns tonight!" "Don't go too crazy!" "You two going to Bunny Burrow in March? Place is gonna be wild!"

One friend of Nick's nudged him in private and joked, "Hope you've got the goods to keep her satisfied. A horny rabbit's sure hard to contain." Nick scoffed, not at all taking it seriously. He was more than confident in himself, and in Judy's fidelity. What was there to worry about?

Judy facetimed her parents one evening with Nick by her side. They sat on the couch with Judy holding her phone. The call started when her father, Stu, answered. His cherubic face and pink button nose appeared on screen. "Heeeeeey, Jude the Dude! Nick! How are ya?" They gave him a jovial 'hello'. "Hold it right there. I'll go get your mother." His camera caught the underside of his chin as he walked through the house, looking for Mrs. Hopps. "Bonnie! It's Judy and Nick on the phone!"

They heard her mother in the background. "Oh! Sit right here, sit right here." Stu sat down on the couch next to his wife who appeared on Judy's screen next to him. "Hey, sweety! Hey there, Nick!"

"Hi, mom!" Judy chirped.

"Hey, Mrs. H!" Nick said.

"What brings you to our little phone this evening?" Stu asked.

"Well we have good news," Judy said, tensing up with excitement. She looked at Nick. "You wanna tell 'em?"

"You do it. They're your parents."

"Right. OK." She beamed at her parents. "Guess who's coming to visit in a few months!"

Both her parents' ears rocketed upwards. "Really? The both of you?" asked her dad.

"That's right!" Judy confirmed. She took great joy in watching her parents celebrate with joyful squeals and tight hugs. Her mother looked ready to cry.

"When are you coming over?" Bonnie asked, doing little mini-hops on the couch with one arm hooked around her husband's.

Judy shared a quick look with Nick, whose eyebrow was raised suggestively. You tell 'em. She nodded and looked at the phone. "Well, we thought we'd come over in March!"

It was as though she'd dropped a cannonball on their celebrations. They came to a dead halt. Their giddy smiles crumpled into blank miens of nothing more than numb shock. They were silent for a single yet inescapably long moment. "Oh..." muttered Stu. "March you say? In the middle of... You know... Ah..."

"Mating season," Bonnie said for him.

He sat upright and gulped, uncomfortable with its mere mention. "Yeah, that's right. What your mother said."

Nick saw himself in the far edge of the small box in the corner of Judy's screen, but to him that was way too much. He desperately wanted to disappear. The awkwardness hung over the four of them like a lead blanket. He tried fading to the side, out of the camera's vision, but Judy tugged him in closer. No sir. You're not leaving me alone with them. "Yeah. We know." She blushed in spite of herself. "Last year's season was rough, to say the least. I got off work, but Nick was still doing it and the time apart was a real pain to say the least. Well this time Nick got off and we wanted to spend it back at the Burrow so that you two can finally meet him!"

"That's great honey, but..." Stu started, but was unable to finish. He wore a pained smile like he was trying to tell a child they couldn't have a toy as nicely as he could. "You know you won't be the only bunny going through that, don't you?"

"Dad, I'm not a kid. I'm not naive," Judy said firmly.

"I know, sweety, I know! It's just that... well..." Again he floundered for the right words.

"What your father is saying is that it might not be the best time to meet Nick because everyone's going to be busy doing you-know-what," Bonnie interjected again.

Both Judy and Nick had to admit, that was a solid point. No matter how long-awaited their meeting was, it would be severely hampered if within a swarm of horny rabbits on a mission to breed and do nothing else. It was too bad Judy had already made the decision for them. "I get that. We'll stay out of everyone's way when that happens. It'll just be me and Nick when the time comes." She squeezed his paw and shot him a faithful smile. He returned it in kind with a wink.

"Well... if you say so, sweety." Stu said in concession. "We just want Nick's visit to be as special as possible."

"I know, dad. Me too. It will be special."

"We can't wait to finally have you over, Nick." Bonnie said, giving him a cute finger wave.

"Neither can I, Mrs. H," Nick said, waving back.

"See you then! Love you!" Judy dropped her thumb on the end-call button. The image of her parents faded to black, leaving the afterimage of their dual looks of concern burned into her mind. It would remain there immutably until their reunion that coming March.

* * *

Nick and Judy packed their things the night prior to their train ride and awoke early to catch it. Judy remembered her last return to the Burrow, how somber and defeated it was. Now it was a complete reversal. She sat the whole journey in a buzz, stamping her bunny feet on the floor while squeezing her paws between her thighs. Her eyes darted back and forth from the passing countryside to the shrinking Zootopia until finally it passed away beyond the swell of the horizon. She made frequent trips from one end of the train to the other, inspecting every curious compartment designated for animals of all different sizes from minute moles to ginormous giraffes. It was the exact same routine she had taken on her first train ride to the city, but this time she had a partner.

"Will you calm down?" Nick chided her. "You're all over the place!"

"I can't help it!" she confessed, walking in a circle around their cabin. "I'm so excited. I think I'm a bit nervous. I don't know. It's a whole lot."

"I know it is. Your folks are gonna be happy to see you."

"I know! And they'll be happy to see you for the first time too."

Nick nodded and carried his gaze out through the window where a passing ranch's wooden fence whipped along in a blur. "Yeah. I hope so."

The train skidded to a stop at Bunny Burrow that evening. Judy scrounged up most of their luggage until her arms were overloaded with their stuff. With one suitcase in each paw and another squeezed between her arm and torso she hobbled down the steps. Nick didn't even try to stop her or help. Maybe this will burn off some of that energy. Lord knows she was going to have plenty of it.

There was most of her family on the platform waiting for her. Stu and Bonnie stood among a throng of their children, ranging from a wide range of newborn bunnies to young adults. They didn't recognize Judy immediately thanks to the immense burden she carried. She laid eyes on her parents, and the suitcases came tumbling out of her paws. She launched forward, bunny ears whipping off her head, arms outstretched, yelling, "Mom! Dad!" Her parents were just recognizing her by the time she flew into their double embrace.

"Judy, honey!" Stu hugged her tight, mushing his chubby face into her shoulder while her mother squeezed her from the side. They held her so tightly that her feet hovered in the air. Her many siblings gathered around closely, giving their collective 'Welcome back, Judy'.

Nick wasn't far behind. He carried only one suitcase and was smiling as he watched their wholesome reunion. Judy's parents let her go, and finally noticed the fox. "Nick!" they both shouted, and made a beeline for him. Nick's eyes went wide as he nearly leapt back on reflex. The rabbits were quick, and had him wheezing in a very tight hug.

"Whoa! Haha! Nice to meet you finally!" They let him go, and he caught his breath. Bonnie grabbed his cheeks and pulled his face in for an up close look. "Ah! Hello, Mrs. Hopps."

"Ohhh, you're even more handsome than in the pictures!" she said, then pecked him on the nose.

"Yup! He's quite the looker!" Stu concurred with some pride. She shot Judy an approving wink.

"Was the trip here OK?" Bonnie asked.

"Painless," Nick told her. "Although Judy was a tad antsy getting over here."

"I was just so excited!" Judy chirped, leaping where she stood. "I haven't been back in so long! I'm so happy to see you all!"

Her parents gave her another hug, which she returned vigorously. Nick, while more than happy to see Judy so exuberant, thought it a bit strange. The way she was acting was beyond any level of excitement he'd seen from her, at least not in circumstances so benign. Sure, she'd been like this before: at Nick's graduation from the academy and upon Bellwether's arrest, but those were extraordinary circumstances worthy of intense celebration. Her reunion with her parents, while certainly special, wasn't something she'd been so ecstatic for up until this point.

What Nick failed to consider was the opening stages of the season, placing her into a minor state of mania. It was something beginning to bubble through all rabbits who were of age, man and woman. Bunny Burrow was getting ready for the next rut, and Nick was about to be in the center of it. For now, though, there was only one rabbit he was concerned about.

Judy broke from her parents again and grabbed Nick's paw. "What should we do first? Should we go home? Should we look around? Ooh! I should introduce you to everyone!"

Nick hardly had half a chance to get a word in between her spitfire suggestions. Luckily, a chuckling Stu came up from behind her and placated her with a pat on the shoulder. "How about tomorrow, Jude the Dude? It's almost dinner time and we should get you two settled into your rooms." He picked up two of their suitcases while one of Judy's brothers grabbed another. "Come on now. The truck is waiting for us."

They walked to the parking lot where Stu's work truck waited for them. It was a measly thing, not having much in the way of seating space. They threw the luggage into the bed while Mr. and Mrs Hopps sat up front. Nick and Judy crammed behind them. Of course, Judy was hardly phased by the tight arrangement. She was too busy pointing passing landmarks and hills to Nick, who was happy to nod along, albeit with a grimace as she squirmed and writhed about next to him. They made it to their house which sat next to the sprawling carrot farm, currently barren and awaiting sowing. Nick had to admit, the countryside was enamoring once he took the time to appreciate it. For the first time since he could recollect, the atmosphere around him was calm and reserved, unlike the usual buzz of downtown Zootopia. The sun was beginning to set, displaying a fiery sprawl that bled out across the sky from the shrinking sun.

They entered the home where Bonnie showed her their room. "I'm afraid Judy's old room had been through its fair share of different owners since she left to become a cop, including right now, so we can't put you in there. But! We did take a bunch of her old stuff and decorate the guest room with them, so maybe she'll feel right at home like she used to, a little, at least." Bonnie opened the door to the bedroom. Inside was a double bed and simple dresser with no other furniture. Decking the walls and shelves around them was a spectacular collection of everything Judy: Pictures, medals, trophies, childhood paintings, and posters, everything she had accumulated and created as a child to foster her and her parents' many memories. Nick was struck by the assortment. Judy, as proud as she was, was never the kind to expound on her past accomplishments. Now here they were shimmering in his eyes with the kind of gusto that made Nick kind of jealous.

"Jiminy..." Nick uttered. "Quite the overachiever, weren't we?" he said, nudging her playfully.

Judy hung her head bashfully. "They're just trophies and junk. They give every kid this kind of stuff."

Nick took a closer look. Most medals were gold and each trophy was nothing short of big. Hung on the wall was even a picture of her in the drama club, fittingly dressed as a police officer while on stage. Nick scoffed. "Makes sense," he said to himself.

The couple unpacked and got ready for dinner. The table was appropriately long for the family who sat at it. Dozens of incessantly chattering bunnies hipped and hopped all over the place until it was time to sit at the table and respectfully wait for their meal to be served. Stu sat at the head of the table with Nick at his right as the guest of honor. The family bowed their heads for a quick prayer, a custom Nick wasn't quite accustomed to, but honored nonetheless. Everyone at the table was given their carrot stew, except for Nick who had to settle for some old jerky. "Sorry, sport," Stu apologized. "We don't have much in the way of food for carnivores. We mustered up what we could, but that's all we could get. Sorry we didn't prepare better for ya."

Nick waved it off. "Nonsense, this is fine," he said while eyeing the jagged hunk of dried meat with some distaste.

"We'll do you better next time, promise. Bonnie, do you know any carnivores who might help us get some meat for Nick?"

Bonnie frowned. "You didn't ask Gideon?"

Stu bopped his forehead with the heel of his palm. "Gideon! Oh goodness gracious, how could I forget? He's only our most regular buyer and best friend." He turned to Judy. "Judy, sweetheart. Do you mind stopping by at Gideon's and asking him for some grub? Any he can spare, of course!"

Judy's ears spiked up. "Gideon? Of course! You'll like him, Nick. He's a fox too."

"You think I'll like him just because he's another fox? You think all us foxes get along?"

Judy wasn't going to fall into that trap, not again. "Hush. You know what I meant."

"Who is he?"

"He's just some dumb bumpkin who used to bully me."

"Bully you? And you're excited to see him?"

"Don't worry. I kicked his butt plenty of times. I've talked to him since. He's a real sweetheart now. Dumb as a box of rocks, but wouldn't hurt a fly these days."

"That's right," Bonnie affirmed. "He buys all of our products and runs the best bakery this side of the country. I'm sure he'll set you up right, Nick. There's nothing to worry about."

"We trust him, don't we honey?" Stu asked Judy.

She nodded emphatically. "Don't worry, if he does anything, I'll kick his butt."

Nick laughed, assured there was nothing to worry about. "I bet you will," he said.

Dinner came to a close and the family went through the extended ritual of wishing everyone a goodnight. Stu and Bonnie came to the guestroom last. "You two get settled in, now. Sleep in as late as you'd like tomorrow." Stu told them from the doorway.

Nick and Judy were standing next to the bed, waiting for them to leave. "Thanks, dad." Judy said.

"If there's anything you need, don't be afraid to holler, ya hear?" Bonnie added.

"Yup, we will."

"You know where the kitchen is and where the glasses are in the cupboard, right?" Stu asked.

"Yes, dad."

"Good. You know where the bathroom is, Nick?"

"Yes sir," Nick said.

"OK! You two have a goodnight!" The two of them backed up and started to close the door.

"Thanks, dad." Judy made ready to climb onto the bed when the door swung back open midway, grinding her to a halt.

"Oh! Don't forget, Judy," Bonnie interjected. "In the morning-"

"Mom! Dad!" Judy snapped, whipping her head at them with her paw raised into a claw. "We got it. Thank you."

They finally got the message. "OK, darling," Stu said quickly, retreating for the last time. "You two sleep tight." Finally the door came to a close, leaving them alone.

"Wow." Nick wheezed. "They're awfully hospitable, aren't they?" Nick turned around and saw Judy lying on the bed on her back. Her paws were laid out by the flanks of her head and her legs were wide open. She was totally nude, displaying her jutted cunny. "Um... Were you always naked?"

"Maybe~" Her paw floated down to her womanhood, currently radiating with dank arousal. "Why don't you join me? That way we can go to sleep properly~"

Nick smirked. He peeled off his shirt. "My plans exactly~"

* * *

It was a good thing Stu said they could sleep in. That night lasted forever, reaching way beyond any point either of them would've liked it to. Nick did everything he could to please her, resorting to every possible angle that he could imagine. Very soon his energy was wiped, leaving the hyper-tuned Judy to perform on her own. It wasn't much better. The minutes dragged on with her bouncing and grinding in his lap, pressing that pathetic stump of a cock to her angry clit until the two of them were bathed in sweat. Nick came several times until he physically couldn't. Judy never came close. She ended the night with her fingers tearing across her vulva until finally her orgasm arrived, albeit in a fashion that merely fizzled in comparison to the explosion her body demanded. Nick was already asleep by that point. His penis felt like it had been burnt to a crisp.

They struggled out of bed close to noon. Her parents were kind enough to leave behind two servings of breakfast for them to eat which they did torpidly. They remained silent throughout most of the morning until they finally made their way outside. The bright sun helped them forget the previous night's shortcomings and reinvigorated Judy's supply of energy. So ready was she to face the day that she insisted on walking the way to Gideon's bakery instead of driving. Nick was still hurting from the night before, but he was hardly in any condition to argue. He figured that maybe a trek through the Burrow would do him a bit of good too.

He proved himself right as they spent the next hour walking along the dusty trail to Gideon's chatting amiably like there wasn't any trouble in the world. Judy was wearing a pair of jeans, a white t-shirt, and a red baseball cap. She practically skipped the whole journey there, kicking up tiny plumes of dust around her bare bunny feet. She did most of the talking, pointing out more landmarks, telling him the names of people they saw driving by, and reminding him how much he was going to like Gideon. Nick was happy to just listen, noting every time how happy he was to see her smile. Gideon's bakery peeked up from beyond a hill once they climbed it. It was on its own next to the road, separated from most of the rest of the burrow where Gideon focused on his craft without any distractions. His delivery van was parked outside, a big ugly clunker painted gaily in pink with a big pie emblem Judy and Nick could see all the way from where they were.

"There it is!" Judy announced, pointing at it like it was some fun looking ride at a fair. "Let's go!" She bounded down the hill full tilt, a trail of dust kicked up behind her as she went.

"Whoa! Wait up!" Nick bounded after her, nearly tumbling down the road in her wake. She was at the bakery's front door by the time Nick caught up, thoroughly winded. While catching his breath, he took time to look at the place. It was hardly the establishment one would imagine a bully owning. It resembled an old mom-and-pop shop with a marked wear along the wooden facade. It had a similar paint scheme to the van: bright, innocent pink with a sunny yellow trim. A wooden sign stood above the entrance. The logo was a pie with a cute, blushing face. The sign read:

GIDEON GREY'S

REAL GOOD BAKED STUFF

Nick had to laugh. Not the creative type, is he? Judy knocked on the door and stepped back. A country voice echoed from within. "Comin'!" Judy looked back at Nick and shot him a thrilled smile. Nick gave the thumbs up and stood upright, trying not to look like he had just run a marathon. The door opened. There stood a fox, a big one, in the doorway. He was tall and wide, nearly wide enough to scrape both edges of the doorway with his shoulders at once. His fur was a deep orange red, lightening into a soft tan around his chin and neck. His hair was shiny and red, parted down the middle and combed neatly. His eyes were a cerulean blue and his eyebrows were thick. His physicality was worthy of a bully, but the light blue plaid shirt and pink apron he wore completely eradicated it.

"Can I hel-?" He jolted at the sight of Judy in front of his door. "Judy? Is that you?" She answered him by jumping at him and giving him a great big hug. "Whoa! I guess it is you! Howdy!"

She let go of him and stood back. "Hey there, Gideon. Surprised to see me?"

"I'll say! Wasn't expecting you to show up quite unannounced, although I ain't complaining. I love comp'ny." He noticed Nick. His ears perked up at the sight of a fellow fox, especially one that wasn't family. "And who's this handsome fella?"

Nick stepped forward and held his paw out. "Nick Wilde. I'm Judy's boyfriend." The moment he was done speaking Gideon took his paw and shook it hard. Gideon's grip was like a vice. His paw pads were rough and calloused. Sweet as he might have been, he had the strength to pulverize bones.

"Swell to meet ya, Nick! You two fancy each other?"

"That's one way of putting it," Nick said, retracting his half-numbed paw once Gideon was done shaking it.

"Well, daaaandee! Never seen a fox smitten wit' a bunny before. Yer lucky to get one as special as Judy, that's fer sure."

Judy blushed a little. "Nick and I were on vacation and wanted to see the Burrow so that he could meet my parents. We thought we'd come buy and say hello and maybe buy a few things off of you."

"Why o'course! Come on in, come on in." He stepped aside for them to enter, which they did, thankful to be out of the sun if just for a little bit. The inside of the bakery reflected the mom-and-pop feel of outside. It reminded the two of them of those 50's diners where the floors were tiled, the metal was all chromed, and the cushions were all red. Here the only difference was that everything else was a frilly pink and yellow. Again, Nick had trouble imagining the owner of such an establishment ever causing anyone any intentional harm.

Judy was positively enamored with the place. Her bright purple eyes glimmered just as bright as the chrome trimmings around her as she scanned the dining area, twirling slowly where she stood. "How long have you had this place?" she asked.

"Little over a year now," Gideon said as he walked behind the counter. "Yer folks were the ones that showed it to me not long after I started buying from 'em. Before then it was just me n' my truck. Bought this place, fixed her up real good n' pretty like, and here we are!" He held his arms out proudly. "It's a little on the farside of town, but I appreciate the quiet."

"You get many customers in here? Or do you mostly deliver?" Nick asked.

"I mostly deliver, which is how I like it. Bunny Burrow's too big to be shackled up in one building all day, 'specially one as far out as this. I get to see all kinds of faces, new and old, every week, ones I didn't get to know too good when I was a pup."

You mean when you were a dumb hillbilly who picked on bunnies smaller than you? Nick thought, but did not say. He bit his tongue and felt a twinge of guilt. He knew better than to judge others on the actions they took when they were younger and dumber. If Judy forgave Gideon, then so should he. He had clearly made an attempt at redeeming himself, as Nick had. Nick had Judy to thank for his, and Gideon had her parents. Oddly enough, that made them more equal than Nick had expected. Although he could lose a few pounds...

"I'm so happy to see you successful and happy, Gideon!" Judy chimed, leaning over the counter and patting Gideon's paw. "I didn't really get the chance to chat with you last time we saw each other. I kinda had some business to take care of."

"Shoot, I remember. You went hollerin' some nonsense about them night howlers and went drivin' off like you left the stove on. I heard about that big case you busted with that sheep lady, the whole burrow was awfully proud of ya. I know I was."

Judy reached out for Nick and hooked her arm around his. "Nick was the biggest help with it all. I wouldn't have been able to do it without him. He's a cop too, y'know." Nick smiled bashfully, albeit not without a hint of pride.

Gideon's face lit up. "Well, I'll be! You're just a couple of surprises in bundles! First yer datin' a bunny, next yer an officer of the law with her too!" He held his paw out for yet another shake. "I gotta say, it's a real honor to meet ya!"

Nick took Gideon's paw. "Please, it's noth-" Gideon squeezed his paw, wrenching the air out of Nick's lungs. He saw the tendons in Gideon's forearm twinge just barely, yet it felt like his fingers were being crushed. His clammy paw vanished into that calloused mit, completely unable to offer any resistance. He was just along for the ride once Gideon started shaking it. As tight as Gideon's first pawshake was, he had clearly been holding back. "-ing!" Gideon let go after just a few friendly pumps, not at all registering the shock he had committed. Nick retracted his paw as quickly as he could without looking too hurt about it. He slunk his paw into his pocket, hoping neither of them saw how crumpled it was. He creaked open an edgy smile. His pocket bulged around where he balled and unballed his fist. Just like that, he understood how someone like him could hurt someone if he wanted to.

"So! What can I get y'all? I got a whole menu right there of every flavor I can make." He pointed his thumb over his shoulder where there was a board listing the many flavors of pie and other pastries he made, each one accompanied by a picture. "I'm trying to sell me a new product I made, cayenne cakes! Real spicy, like havin' a thousand burrs on yer tongue!"

"That's great!" Judy said, "but we actually just came by to ask for a small favor, if we could buy something off of you, for Nick."

"Oh, sure! Go ahead."

"We're staying at my parents' place for the week, but we don't have any meat for Nick to eat. It's all carrots and veggies."

"Not something I could quite live off of," Nick added. "They've got some old jerky for me, buuuuuuuut it's not quite enough."

"Aw, heck. I hear ya loud n' clear," Gideon said. "I can't let you starve on vacation. Wouldn't be right, no sir. I got plenty a' meat in stock I can let y'all have. Ain't no trouble."

"Thanks a lot, Gideon. And I think we'll by some pies off of you while we're at it."

Gideon shook his head. "No ma'am. Yer money ain't no good here, not at this here establishment."

"Wait! You don't have to do that."

"Too late." He stepped away from the counter and made his way to the door leading to the back. "Least I can do for Mr. and Mrs. officer. First one's on me. The rest you gotta pay for, I promise." He shot them a wink and disappeared behind the door. Judy smiled up at Nick. See? Told you there was nothing to worry about. Nick simply nodded and smiled, all the while his paw was still throbbing in his pocket. Gideon came back out with two large cuts of meat neatly wrapped in butcher paper. He dropped them onto the counter where they made a solid wump! "That oughta do ya fer the week. Need any more, don't be afraid to come back n' ask."

Nick looked amused at the two bricks of meat that sat in front of him. They would last him the week for sure, maybe two, maybe three. The crisp aroma of pork hit his nose, and instantly his belly grumbled. After eating that dry brick of jerky the previous night, something as succulent as that meat drove him mad. He couldn't wait until they got back home.

"Now, you said you wanted a pie!" Gideon said excitedly, rubbing his paws together. "Take yer pick. I got everything, all the time. Don't matter the season."

Judy plastered her face against the curved glass where some ready-made pies sat under a dim heat lamp. Under the slitted hoods of several buttery crusted pies she could see blueberries, cherries, apples, pears, and many others. Their contents bled through the perfectly spaced holes, leaving soft stains of red, blue, and amber around the edges. Some of them had slices taken out already, showing off their gooey innards. They all looked delicious, and aroused an equal level of fervor within her tummy. "Goodness... They all look so good," she marveled.

"They sure do," Nick concurred. "See one you like? More than the rest, at least?"

"Not really. I wanna try them all."

"No problem," Gideon said. "I can knack off a slab from six different ones and make you a sample platter."

"Ooh!" Judy all but squealed. "We'll have that!"

"Perfect." Gideon clapped his paws together. "Name six and I'll serve y'all up."

Judy named five of the flavors in front of her. "And that cayenne cake, if you can. I wanna try it."

"You got it, pretty lady. Comin' right up."

Nick wasn't sure whether or not he liked him calling her a pretty lady, but he wrote it off as soon as Gideon started cutting off some slices and arranged them in a to-go box. "Thanks a lot, Gideon. This was really nice of you."

"Ain't no trouble," he said. He closed the lid on the box and slid it towards them. "Least I can do for a couple of Zootopia's heroes." The two of them chuckled nervously. Being called heroes was something neither of them had gotten comfortable with, and probably never would. "I saw y'all walked here. Want me to drive y'all back with this stuff, that way you don't got to lug it?"

"I think we can take it," Nick said without any certainty. He looked at those two slabs of meat and correctly surmised that they had to have been heavy. Part of him didn't want to bother Gideon any more than they already had, but mostly he wanted to prove he didn't need anymore of his help.

Fortunately for him, Judy went along. "Yeah, Nick and I walked here. We were thinking about walking back. We can carry it."

Nick was ready for Gideon to argue. Instead he frowned. "Oh. Well... If y'all are walkin'..." He looked down for a second, guiltily, almost. "Mind if I walk with y'all? I've been slow all day. Ain't got no deliveries to make. The comp'ny would be nice."

Nick's heart sank as he immediately knew what Judy's answer would be: "Of course!"

Gideon's brightened up instantly. "Well, thanks! I'll help y'all with these along the way." He grabbed each of the slabs of meat by the string that was tied around them.

"Oh! Don't worry! I'll take 'em." Nick reached out and pulled them away from him. They slid off the edge of the counter and pulled Nick's arms straight down as they fell. The cords in his arms jutted and his knuckles turned white.

"You sure you got it?" Judy asked.

Not in the slightest. "Yeah! I got it. No biggie."

"Strongman! I like it." Gideon said, oblivious of Nick's vain attempts to reestablish his manhood. "Y'all can head out. I gotta shut things up around here." Nick and Judy exited while Gideon spent a few moments locking up and closing the blinds. As they waited, Nick could already feel the ache in his arms steadily rise into a burn. The strings holding the meat knifed into his fingers painfully. He chanted to himself in his mind that he could handle it, although he begged internally for Gideon to hurry up.

Gideon came out whistling with a key twirling on his finger. His apron was gone. He locked the front door and tucked the key into his pocket. The pie-box was tucked between him and his arm. "Alright! Let's get to walkin'."

"Yeah, let's go," Nick said flatly, and was the first one to start walking up the road. Judy and Gideon caught up and were soon ahead of him. That was good for him, as it was easier to conceal his struggle. As they made their way back to Hopps' home Judy and Gideon struck up an amiable conversation, going over the things they had done while Judy was away. Gideon told how he had dropped out of school to work on his father's farm, something that every man on his father's side had done going back several generations. Gideon, meanwhile, was secretly harboring his lifelong dream of becoming a pastry chef, something his father greatly discouraged.

"'That's a lady's job, boah!'" Gideon recalled in a hideous country twang. "'Ain't no son a' mine gon' do somethin' as sissy as that!' I tell ya, gettin' off that farm was the hardest thing I ever did, but I did it, fer sure. Next hard thing I did was go to yer folks and tell 'em I was sorry for how I treated you n' junk. Your daddy, I tell you what, he loves you. Chewed me out real good, but he gave me a chance. I owe him the world for that."

Judy, who didn't look like she had blinked once while listening to him so raptly, was hopping along gaily as if her boyfriend didn't exist behind her. "That's really good to hear!"

Gideon scratched the back of his neck and looked down at the road. A certain level of anguish was written on his face. "I know I said this already, last time we saw each other, but I gotta say, I'm real sorry for the way I was as a kid. I-I had a lot of self-doubt, and it manifested itself in the form of unchecked rage and aggression. I was a major jerk." A stutter had creeped its way into his syllables, making his jaw jerk and his breath hitch.

As sweet as his apology was, Judy couldn't help but crack a smirk as she laid a paw on his bicep, something she noticed was as ungiving as rock. "I know, Gideon. I believe you. You said that to me last time, verbatim, in fact."

He looked up at her. "What?"

"You told me that last time."

"No, no, I got that. What was that word you just used? Ver-what?"

"Verbatim. It means word for word. What you said is literally the exact same as last time, I think."

"Oh." He chuckled. "Yeah, I guess it is. I kinda recited it a bunch a' times before you came back to the farm, I was so sorry, and all. 'Verbatim.' There's a four dollar word for ya!"

"Yeah, it sure is," she said, recalling that he had used that term before too.

Nick was dimly aware of their sweet reconnoitering. He found it precious and all, but was far too distracted by the fiery ache now popping veins across his forearms and knifing into his paw pads. His bottom lip was clamped between his teeth and a sweat had broken across his forehead. They had only just passed the crest of the hill where Judy and him had spotted Gideon's shop. Judy's ears perked and flicked back to him once she heard the first grunt of struggle. She looked back and saw how rough in shape he was.

"Nick, do you want Gideon to carry those for you?"

Gideon looked back at him. He saw Nick's condition and opened his mouth to offer help. Nick cut him off. "Nah! I got it!" That was a lie, all three of them knew it.

Gideon handed Judy the pie box and jogged to him. "Here, partner. Let me help you." Before Nick could resist any further, Gideon grabbed the meat parcels by the strings and relieved him of his burden. Disappointed as he was in himself, he couldn't help but feel intense relief.

"Thanks," Nick said, rubbing his paw pads which had a deep trench of an impression running through them. He sneered, both from the intense soreness running through his palm and the shallow thorn that had stuck into his pride.

"No problem." Gideon hoisted the two slabs of meat at his sides and resumed their walk. Not once through the rest of their journey did Gideon betray any difficulty in carrying them. His attitude remained chipper and his hold on those strings remained firm, never shaking and very seldomly adjusting for a more comfortable angle. Gideon just kept on walking and chatting with Judy as if nothing had changed. Nick briefly debated walking alongside them, but noticed how enraptured Judy was with her conversation. He remained behind, if just by a few paces.

Judy told Gideon about their adventure in Zootopia and Nick's graduation to the police department. Gideon had heard the story many times from her astronomically proud parents but had never heard many of the exciting details Judy was giving him. He listened with as much childish wonder as she had given him. To Nick, the way he looked at her was like he was discovering his new hero.

Or something else.

Nick shook his head to get rid of the thought. There was nothing to worry about. He was overthinking things. Gideon was just a dumb hick. What harm could he do?

A lot, thought Nick as his eyes wandered to Gideon's thick forearms and round, wobbling glutes. He tried waving Gideon's size off as mostly fat from being a baker, but deep down he knew that what he saw driving Gideon up the road and holding those meat parcels was dense, hellacious muscle. What had he used those muscles to do to Judy when they were kids? What were they capable of doing to her now?