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<<Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | ???>>
Now almost a week into her vacation, Judy is settling back into her old life on the farm, while dealing with some annoying special treatment, and learning a little more about her old school bully, and her own brother.
Zootopia & all related material are © Disney (they own you) and Pixar Animation.
Word Count: 6137
The Courtship of Gideon Grey Part 2
The next few days had passed by quietly, with Judy getting back into the groove of living at the farm. It seemed so long ago since she had enjoyed living amongst her highly numerous siblings, and of course the battles for their mother’s home cooking. You had to be fast or you’d be stuck with the yucky carrots. Judy of course allowed herself the yucky carrots, considering that after her experiences with Zootopian packaged meals, she’s definitely had worse. Now the fifth day of her holiday, Judy awoke as usual at 5:30 am, even without her alarm. Yawning as quietly as she could, she snuck out of the dark bedroom she shared with her sisters and onwards into the kitchen. Her parents were already awake at this hour, the two quietly having coffee while Stu read his paper. “Jude the dude, good morning” Stu cheerfully greeted, his paper abandoned for a moment.
“Mmm, morning” his daughter yawned as she fetched a mug.
“See you guys!”
Judy looked over her shoulder to see one of her brothers rushing out in a hurry, a backpack slung over his shoulder and a manic look in his eyes. “Uhh, bye Kur-” SLAM! Her parents chuckled as they returned to their coffee. “Huh, where is he going so early?” Judy yawned as she joined her parents.
“Didn’t Gideon tell ya? Kurt apprentices for him, says he shows promise too. He’s our little pastry chef” Stu proudly answered, fingers slung in his suspenders.
“You haven’t seen him leave because he’s usually outside before we wake-up, he was just running late this morning” her mother added.
“Oh yeah, I remember Gideon mentioning he had an apprentice, he just didn’t say it was Kurt. Huh, he did like baking, didn’t he?” Judy pondered over her steaming mug of wake-up juice. “Well, it’s great that Gideon is letting Kurt apprentice for him.”
“It should be, after all, you helped make this happen” her father grinned proudly.
“So I’ve heard” Judy wryly responded, now utterly fed-up with hearing that.
Her parents shared a subtle look, just for a moment. “So uhh Jude, what do you plan to do today?” Stu inquired.
“Probably work at the stall today” his daughter replied.
“Is that all you want to be doing?” Stu pressed.
“What your father means is that you’re on holiday, and shouldn’t be spending all your time doing farm work” Bonnie explained earnestly.
“Y’know, I get the distinct impression you guys don’t want me hanging around” Judy remarked through narrowed eyes.
“O’course we don’t think that Jude. We just feel that Zootopia’s best and brightest should be doing more than selling carrots by the road” Stu explained.
SLAM! Stu and Bonnie were aghast as their daughter stood at her full (yet still diminutive) height, her hands gripping the table hard post-slam. “Would you just STOP IT?!” she begged.
“Wh-what did I say?” Stu stammered.
“All day long for five days straight all I’ve been hearing is “You are Zootopia’s finest” and “Hey there city slicker”. Or how about “You shouldn’t be going around selling carrots when you could be stopping a crime wave”? That was a good one!” Judy declared desperately, her ears going droopy.
“Judy….”
“I don’t want to be treated like I’m special or different from you guys. This is where I grew up, this is my home. I just… don’t want to be treated like I’m better than my home” she whispered in a meek and exhausted way.
Sighing miserably, she slumped back into her chair, head lying on the table for support. “The fame’s already getting to her” Stu whispered to his wife, who responded by jabbing him in the arm. “Oww” he mouthed, rubbing his arm.
“Judy, we’re sorry” Bonnie apologised for the two of them. “We didn’t realize we were making you feel that way” she explained, a kind hand to her daughter’s shoulder. “We just feel that you should be having some fun since you were always working so hard in the city. You should be relaxing on your holiday, instead of doing farm work. But if that’s what you want to do, we’ll accept that. Right, Stu?”
“Oh-oh yes of course! If you feel like working on the farm instead of taking a break, that’s alright by me, ah heh heh heh” he chuckled nervously, his face steadily dropping. “I’m sorry, I know that didn’t sound sincere. I’m… I’m just so dang proud of ya Judy, and, well, I’m just so dang proud” he admitted.
Judy chuckled as she raised her head up, a dumb smile on her face. “Thank you for understanding you guys. Sorry I kinda, freaked out at you. I guess maybe the fame really is getting to me” she joked weakly.
“Heh heh, I doubt a little fame would ever get to MY daughter” Stu boasted as the atmosphere of the table returned to normal.
For the next ten minutes the trio sat in relative silence while Judy checked her news feed on her phone, Stu continued to read his paper, and Bonnie began to prepare for breakfast. That was, until her phone went buzzed loudly. Reading the text she had received, the older rabbit frowned. “Oh that silly boy” she muttered in exasperation.
“What happened?” Stu grunted from behind his fortress of paper and advertisements for ride-on mowers.
“Kurt just texted, saying he left his wallet here and if we could bring it to him. I swear that boy will forget his head one of these days” Bonnie muttered in disbelief.
“How is Kurt getting to Gideon’s bakery anyways? He’s not old enough to drive, so does he ride a bike there?” Judy inquired.
“He used to ride a bike, but nowadays Gideon picks him up alongside the daily shipment of produce. Two birds with one stone” Stu answered as he read an interesting article on beards. “Hey Bon? Think I should grow a beard?”
“You tried before, no one could tell the difference” Bonnie answered.
“Oh yeah.”
“So, what about Kurt’s wallet?” Judy pointed out.
“Well, it’s going to be a busy day today, what with the Carrot’s Fair comin’ up soon. So he probably won’t get it until late afternoon” Stu answered. “And you’ll be working the stall all day too, so I guess you could drop it off during one of your breaks.”
“Or I could do it now” Judy suggested him.
“Or you could do it now exactly” Stu nodded.
“Are you sure Judy? It’s still pretty early out” Bonnie said.
“Eh, can’t be any worse than trying to drive in the city. Besides, I did tell Gideon that I’d go see his bakery, so now I’ll finally get to see what it’s like” Judy replied thoughtfully.
“Two birds, one stone” Stu chuckled from behind his paper.
“Well, Kurt’s wallet should be in his room, and the keys are on the hook. And be sure to ring us if anything goes wrong or if you get into trouble” Bonnie told Judy as she continued to gather cookery gear.
“Gotcha.”
““Gideon Grey’s Real Good Baked Stuff.” I honestly thought that was just a slogan” Judy remarked as she stood before Gideon’s bakery, which was called Gideon Grey’s Real Good Baked Stuff.
The bakery wouldn’t be opened for another hour, if the timetable on the front door was to be believed. So, she went for the staff entrance, which was wide open. Voices could be heard from inside, with one standing above the lot. One that sounded rather familiar. “We need them pies in the oven now people!” Gideon’s voice could be heard in a sharp and commanding tone.
“Yes sir!” about three voices replied.
Nosing her way past the door, Judy observed the bedlam of an oddly focused Gideon balancing two trays of uncooked pies as he danced around a sheep, a cougar, and Kurt. “Mister Grey, where do these go?” he asked with a visible strain in his voice as he attempted to carry several heavy looking boxes.
“Over by the ovens Hopps, same as usual! Hey Jägerheund! Don’t grab more than you can carry, I’ve told you before!” Gideon snapped sternly to an unseen worker.
Peering further in, the apparent Jägerheund was a sort-of wolf with a black and gold coat. Something felt off about his pedigree though, as he seemed wolfish, just, not quite. “Ja herr Grau” the deep-voiced not-quite-a-wolf boomed.
“Yeah, oui oui, just get goin’, we’re already behind as-is” Gideon pointed out as he shut several ovens and set the timers.
“Keeping busy huh Gideon?” Judy chuckled from the doorway.
Spinning about, the fox’s stern look melted the very second that Gideon caught sight of the bunny in the doorway. “Ju-Judy! What are you doin’ here so early in the mornin’? When you said you’d come round, I, I, I thought you meant durin’ business hours” he stammered, all sternness and command gone.
“Well, I figured I’d kill two birds with one stone, as I’m here to drop off my brother’s wallet” Judy explained, waving about said artifact.
“Oh great, you brought it” Kurt sighed with relief as he ran over to snatch it from his sister’s hand, then went back to work.
“OI!” Gideon barked sternly, freezing Kurt in place. “I don’t think I heard a thank you outta you Hopps.”
“Oh, thanks Judy” Kurt said hastily before returning back to work.
“You certainly know how to take command of your kitchen” Judy chuckled as her little brother almost flew over to the sink.
“Well, I, I, I can’t abide by rudeness in my staff Judy, not even if he’s your flesh and blood. Nothin’ worse than a pie that’s as sour as the person who made it” Gideon quoted.
“Huh, cute saying. Where did you hear it?” Judy inquired.
The fox blushed modestly. “Well, I, I, I, I thought it up, actually. It took me a while, but I, I, I wanted somethin’ smart to quote” Gideon explained bashfully.
“I like it. Mind if I use it?”
“Be my guest Judy Hopps. I, I won’t charge you for it” Gideon joked.
Judy chuckled politely as a loud CRASH! echoed behind them. It appeared that Kurt had collided with the sheep, leaving both sprawled on the floor with several empty trays scattered around them. “Mind where you’re walkin’, y’hear?” Gideon remarked, before returning back to Judy. “So, you headin’ off now Judy?” he inquired.
“I think so. You don’t need me here distracting all of you from your work” Judy responded.
“Well, I, I, I don’t mind if you hang about. To be honest we’re almost done and ready for a break as all the pies bake. Plus you can take a look around and meet the rest of my staff” Gideon offered with an unsubtle amount of eagerness in his voice.
“Well, seeing as you’re offering, sure” Judy politely accepted as she stepped into the bakery good and proper. It was nice and cosy, and pretty much felt like the kitchen at home, only larger and with one or two more extra ovens. There were many benches for working, though most were hard to see under layers of flour and produce. “This bakery is very nice Gideon, very cosy” complimented Judy as she stopped by a bench to inspect it.
“Well thank you Judy, I, I, I do try to keep it all up-to-date and modern. Plus it’s great for after-hours too” the fox smiled.
“Making something to take home huh?”
“Yeah, all ten feet I, I need to walk to do that” Gideon laughed.
“Oh, you live atop the bakery?”
“That I do, but we can talk about that later. Let’s meet the gang” the fox smiled as he led the rabbit over to his workers, who were catching their breath on some crates. “Hey everyone, this here is Judy. Judy, you remember Carlotta, from back when we were kids right?” Gideon explained, guiding the rabbit over to a sheep with black wool.
“Carlotta? Oh my god it’s been so long, how are you?” the rabbit squealed as she embraced the sheep tightly.
“It’s been ages Judy, what have you been up to?” the sheep greeted back with her own excited squeal.
“Catching criminals, you?” Judy replied.
“Ending world hunger one breakfast pie at a time” Carlotta returned.
The two giggled girlishly, before Judy was turned to the cougar. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Judy, the name’s Sigmund” he greeted with a friendly paw.
Judy took it and they shook firmly. “It’s nice to meet you too. Hmm, your accent seems familiar. You’re from Zootopia, right?” the rabbit inquired.
“Yeah. I’m originally from the jungle sector of Zootopia. But during the time when predators were going savage, I high-tailed it out of there when the anti-pred protests were getting pretty bad, and I came here. I worked in a bakery for many years, so my credentials had Gideon over here snatching me up the very second I set foot in Bunnyburrow” the cougar smirked.
“I, I know talent when I, I, I see it Sigmund, and I, I, I, I would be darned to let my competitors get their hands on you” the fox chuckled.
“Yeah. You know Judy, it really is an honour to meet you actually, considering all that you did for easing tension between predator and prey species” the cougar remarked.
“Yeah, after I made it all so much worse first” Judy guiltily pointed out.
“Yeah, that… that was bad. But maybe it’s good that you did. I love being out here. Everything is so much more relaxed and rural, plus I can still video-chat with my family back in Zootopia. I am honestly amazed as to how good the internet is here” Sigmund chuckled.
“Yeah, it’s pretty amazing. Still, I’m glad that my screw-up at least helped you find your way to a new and happy job” Judy said with a forced smile.
“Thank you. I’m glad to be here meeting all the new people, including Gideon over here” the cougar uproariously laughed as he caught Gideon in a headlock and noogied him.
“Ah ha haow ow owwww! Come on now Sigmund, you know you’re noogiein’ your boss right?” Gideon protested despite the dumb grin on his face.
“Yeah, but you wouldn’t fire me for that” Sigmund chuckled playfully as his headlock became more of an awkward cuddle.
“Okay now, okay now. Settle down you” Gideon laughed jovially as he tried to pry apart the stronger cougar’s arms. Judy and Carlotta had their brows raised at that bizarre display, and through secret woman telepathy that typically occurs when female eyes meet, they knew exactly what the other was thinking and their thoughts on the situation. “Okay now Sigmund, release me” Gideon requested, and the cougar obliged. Dusting himself off, the fox presented the not-quite-a-wolf to Judy. “Judy, this is Jägerheund, who’s from somewhere even further than Zootopia.”
“It’s nice to meet you, err, Jaegerwhooned?” Judy hedged.
“Es ist schön sie zu treffen” Jägerheund replied in deep monotone.
“Uhh, what did he say?” Judy whispered to Gideon.
“I, I have no idea, I, I, I don’t speak his language, and he rarely speaks English. He can understand it good, he’s just bad on the speaky part” Gideon whispered back.
“Ich kann Englisch sprechen. Es ist einfach lustig, mich wenn sie behaupten zu wissen was ich sage” the not-quite-a-wolf remarked.
“Uhh, r-right Jägerheund. Well, that’s my little band of merry pie-makers. Since course you know our fifth member” Gideon remarked, everyone’s heads turning to Kurt.
“I don’t think you need to introduce me to her Gideon. I LIVED with her for most of my life” the young rabbit called from the sink.
“That’s MISTER Grey during work hours Hopps” Gideon curtly responded.
“S-sorry mister Grey” Kurt apologised.
“That’s better Hopps. I, I, I’m only hard on you because you need to learn” Gideon said with a bit more empathy.
“I know mister Grey. One day I’m supposed to inherit this bakery when you’re old and grey” Kurt repeated as if he were reading a script.
“But aren’t you already grey?” Judy remarked. A swarm of confused looks descended on her. “You’re Gideon GREY” she explained.
“Ohhhh, ha ha, I, I get it” the fox laughed humourlessly.
“Hmm, maybe we should start calling you old and Gideon Grey?” Sigmund joked.
“Oh come on now Sigmund, I, I, I doubt that would catch on” the fox protested jokingly.
“I dunno Gideon, I kinda like it. Old and Gideon Grey, it has a nice ring to it” Carlotta giggled.
“Come on now you two” Gideon pouted.
“Das ist dumm” Jägerheund muttered.
“Yeah, I, I agree Jägerheund, with whatever you said” Gideon nodded in agreement.
“Oh come on old and Gideon Grey, lighten up” Sigmund laughed as he caught the fox in a big bear hug.
“Get a room you two” Carlotta sniggered.
Gideon and Sigmund blushed profusely, and the cougar released Gideon without a word. “We-well then everyone, let’s all get back to work. We still need to prepare for next week” Gideon mumbled awkwardly.
“Oh yeah, the Carrot’s Fair’s next week isn’t it?” Judy recalled.
“Yeah, it’s the day before you go back to Zootopia” Kurt declared.
“Right” Judy nodded. “You planning on winning the pie contest Gideon?”
“Well, I, I, I, I hope so. I’ve won the past two years runnin’, and I feel real confident with the recipe I, I plan to use for my entry. It’s gonna be hard to beat, that I, I, I’m sure of” the fox replied.
“Well good luck Gideon, I hope you win” Judy smiled.
“Thanks very much Judy, I, I, I, I hope I do too. But if I, I don’t, well, that’s just what’ll be” the fox nodded.
“Alright, well I’ll see you guys around. Have a great day” Judy called as she walked off.
“Oh uh Judy, before ya go” Gideon said no sooner than the rabbit had taken two steps. “If yo-you have no plans for the rest of the day, would you uhh, we-well, I, I, I, I don’t mean to impose, but would you like to have dinner… with me… tonight?” he said with such immense hope.
“I’d love to. I’ll see you around seven, sound good?” Judy suggested.
“Th-that sounds fine” Gideon nodded eagerly.
“Then it’s a date” Judy replied as she strolled off.
“Smooth” Kurt muttered to himself.
“You know Judy, for a dinner date with a gentleman, you’re certainly dressed… casual” her mother had remarked.
For her dinner with Gideon, Judy had armed herself with a decent shirt and long black pants. “Well, it’s hardly a dinner date mom, it’s just Gideon. I’m sure he’s going to be dressing casual too” Judy had replied confidently.
Boy, was she wrong. One second she was all smiles und sunshine, the next after that door opened she was deer in the headlights. Gideon, god bless his heart, was wearing a very nice (albeit hastily ironed) evening suit, complete with even a little bow tie and polished black shoes. “Oh” was all Judy could say, until she followed up with “I didn’t realize this was a formal occasion”.
“I, I, I, I, I guess I, I, I, I might’ve dressed up a little too much” Gideon stammered with clear and obvious embarrassment. “M-maybe I, I, I should change.”
“No, don’t worry about it” Judy said. “You look pretty cute in your penguin suit.”
“Th-thank you Judy. Now please on come in” the fox declared, showing the rabbit through the backdoor and up a flight of hidden stairs.
The stairway led into a cosy little sitting room with a comfortable looking lounge chair positioned in front of a TV. Though passing by briefly, Judy did spot a dictionary sitting on the small table next to the chair. Although on closer inspection, it seemed as if there should have been two chairs instead of one. “Wo-would you like to sit in the sitting room, or would you be happier in the dining room?” Gideon stammered.
“Sitting room will be fine Gideon” Judy replied distractedly.
The sitting room was filled with several cabinets containing various memorabilia, so it would be the best place to sit in order to keep conversation going. “Well then that’s fine. Oh, there’s only one chair. Well, you can take it then” the fox declared.
“Oh, you don’t need to worry about me. I’ll be fine with just a cushion on the floor” Judy replied.
“Now I, I, I will not hear of it Judy Hopps. You are a guest in my house, and I, I insist you take the chair” Gideon firmly stated.
“Alright” Judy conceded, taking the chair while Gideon took a cushion on the floor. It was a bit too big for her, and she needed to stretch her arms to even reach the both armrests. “Your flat is lovely Gideon” she remarked to strike up casual conversation.
“Well thank you Judy” Gideon replied with steadily rising pride.
“I noticed two blue ribbons in one of your display cabinets. Are they from your last two wins at the Carrot’s Fair?” Judy inquired.
“Yes indeed they are. I, I was pleased as punch to receive them” he fox proudly answered. “I was even more pleased with the extra business winning a blue ribbon comes with. Folks will come far and wide to eat pies from a champion bakery.”
“Yeah, I can see how it would help your reputation out. So did you get involved with many competitions before your two wins?”
“Well, I did get involved with the Carrot’s Fair for five years, but I, I didn’t do well until three years ago. Other than that, I, I, I partook of several junior bakin’ challenges, which I ranked decently enough. But why should I, I do all the talkin’? I, I ain’t heard much about your excitin’ life in that big ol’ city o’ Zootopia” Gideon pointed out.
“Well, I really don’t have much to say about it, to be honest. My life really is either on-duty, or slumping exhausted in my apartment. Heck, your own sitting room is already bigger than my apartment” Judy chuckled.
“Now I don’t believe that” Gideon chuckled with dubiousness.
“No, really, it’s true. I don’t mind honestly, since there’s a laundry room in the building, and besides some noisy neighbours I’m pretty happy with it. I wasn’t really asking for much when I moved to Zootopia anyways” Judy conceded.
“But it must be excitin’ bein’ a police officer and livin’ your dream” Gideon insisted.
“It kinda is, and it kinda isn’t. Diabolical plots like the one I helped foil are surprisingly pretty rare, with most jobs just being hunting down petty criminals and the like. I honestly have no idea how many times I’ve turned in Duke Weaselton since I became an officer” Judy laughed. “I swear it’s practically three times a week now.”
“Do your fellow officers treat you right? What with you being a rabbit at all?” Gideon asked. His voice had carried a hint of concern and defensiveness in it.
“Well, they do now, but before, well, Chief Bogo wasn’t exactly subtle about not wanting me there. Benjamin Clawhauser is just adorable though. He tries to befriend everyone, whether you want him to or not. Just don’t mention Gazelle around him or you’ll lose at least two hours of your life with him gushing about her” Judy said with a subtle shudder from the memories of so many lost hours.
“Oh now, I listen to Gazelle on the radio in the shop. Her songs are always playin’ out front. Now I, I, I don’t always understand what her songs are about, but they’re pretty dang catchy” the fox smiled.
“Clawhauser would probably love to be friends with you. He’s a big fan of anything baked and/or fried, and being friends with a baker, well, if he can see his toes now, after a week with you he would say buh bye to his feet and hello to another slice of blueberry pie” Judy snickered.
“Really, you think so? Well he sounds like a real swell guy. What uh, what is he anyways? Somethin’ big like a rhino or a hippo?”
“He’s a cheetah, actually. You’d never guess from just describing him, but he is a major sweetheart, and he adores everyone. The other officers are a pretty relaxed too, save for the Chief. Bogo isn’t a bad guy, he’s just, well, he’s a….” Jerk? Hard-ass? Unfeeling piece of flint? “He’s a bit of a grump” Judy decided.
Gideon held a horrified paw to his open mouth. “There ain’t nothin’ worse than workin’ for a grump” he said with true horror. “You are much stronger than I, I, I thought you was for puttin’ up with one.”
Smooth Judy, real smooth using the G-word in Bunnyburrow. “He’s not that bad, really, he isn’t. He’s just been a cop for a very long time, and sees the world differently than we do. He expects the best from his workers, just like you do” Judy pointed out.
“We-well” Gideon spluttered, “I, I, I, I, I, I expect a level of care from my staff, but I, I, I, I, I would never stoop so low as to be a grump around them” he defensively affirmed.
“I wasn’t accusing you of being a grump, I’m just saying that you know a little bit about what it’s like being him, since you’re both in charge of people” Judy explained.
“Oh, we-well then, I, I, I will agree with you there. It ain’t easy tryin’ ta manage my work force, especially your brother” Gideon frowned.
“Kurt?”
“Ooop” Gideon squeaked, a paw held to his mouth.
“Is Kurt misbehaving or something?” Judy inquired. Gideon clamped his other paw to his mouth, his head shaking fiercely from left to right. “Gideon” the rabbit said in a curt manner.
The fox groaned loudly as he slowly lowered his paws, an unhappy look on his face. “It’s not that Judy, he’s just been actin’ far too big for his britches is all. I, I, I, I try to explain to him that he needs to learn a lot of stuff to work in the bakery, and he keeps insistin’ to me that he’s ready for proper bakin’ instead of dish duty. I, I, I don’t know how I, I can explain it to him about how it works, since he’s only been on for a few months” Gideon explained.
“Yeah, I think I know what kind of problem you’re talking about. I think it’s something that’s genetic for some of us Hopps” Judy sighed.
“Oh right, all that dunuhh stuff. Oh darn, I mean D N A. Over a decade later, and I, I still keep gettin’ that wrong” Gideon chuckled with good-natured abandon.
“You’re definitely a lot smarter than over a decade ago at least” Judy said in agreement while grabbing Gideon’s dictionary.
“Oh, I, I, I, I just use that for whenever I, I, I hear a big word on the news I, I, I, I, I don’t understand” Gideon blushed.
“I think it’s great that you’re making the effort” Judy uttered as she flipped through the book idly. “Huh, you’ve underlined a few words” she noted.
“Th-that’s so I, I, I, I can find them again when I, I, I need them. I, I, I, I, I’m workin’ hard to expand my voh-cab-you-lar-ree” the fox emphatically explained. “I, I, I, I, I’m just glad you ain’t pickin’ on me for it.”
“Why would I do that Gideon? You’re my friend, and I wouldn’t pick on my friends for not understanding a few words” Judy reminded him.
Gideon smiled weakly, though there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. “Th-thank you Judy, I, I, I’m happy that you would call me your friend after all I, I, I, I, I, I’ve done” he sighed.
“The past doesn’t define who we are now Gideon. But what does is food, so what’re we having tonight? Because I’m so hungry I could probably eat an entire rhino” Judy laughed.
Gideon laughed weakly, his smile slowly returning. “Well, I, I, I don’t have a rhino, but I, I do have a very tasty carrot pie and some salad.”
“That sounds delicious, but what’ll you be having?” Judy joked.
“Well, after you’re nice and plump I might enjoy some rabbit pie” Gideon grinned.
“Alright, but I gotta warn ya, I’ll give you some major indigestion” Judy warned.
“I think it’ll be worth it to enjoy some sweet Judy pie” Gideon laughed.
“Oh stop it you” Judy giggled girlishly.
It was quite late when Judy returned to the Hopps farm, as Gideon had become quite talkative after the ice was broken (and after a glass or two of grape juice). The rest of the family had already gone to bed, although there was a rather suspicious light on in one of the old sheds. Cop senses taking over, Judy reached for her hip, her hand feeling for a tranq gun that wasn’t there. Going for the next best thing (a shovel against the house), she stalked to the shed, and kicked the door open. Charging in, she held the tool in an aggressive manner. “WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU!”
It was Kurt, wearing goggles, gloves, and protective gear. That sort of attire meant only one thing, if Doug had been any indication. “Oh Kurt, you aren’t. You’re not… baking?” Judy remarked as she orbited around her brother, to find him hunched over several mixing bowls, a bag of flour, some egg substitute, and fresh produce. “You’re baking?” Judy repeated in disbelief.
Kurt flashed a guilty look to his utensils, and he collapsed onto his knees, hands clamped together. “PLEASE don’t tell mister Grey about this” he desperately begged.
“Get up Kurt, Gideon won’t be mad because you’re baking outside of work hours” Judy sighed whilst rubbing her tired eyes.
The younger rabbit got up quickly, his hands dusting the dirt from his knees. “I don’t mean to bake behind his back, it’s just that he lets me do so little during work time. I keep telling him I’m ready to work in the kitchen proper, and he just gives me some confused metaphors and then tells me to get back to the dishes” he explained lamely.
“Yeah, he told me about that tonight” Judy nodded.
“Oh man, if he’s telling you, I’m afraid he’s going to tell mom and dad about it. I don’t want them giving me the talk about dreams when they stopped because of you” Kurt whined loudly.
“Because of me?”
“Tch, don’t play dumb Judy, you’re too smart for that. You know as well as the rest of us that you’re the only reason mom and dad are allowing the rest of us Hopps kids to do more with ourselves. Hamish and Amber have taken up dance, Katie is learning the piano, and Ryan is apprenticing as a construction worker. A rabbit construction worker. Before you went and solved the greatest mystery ever mom and dad would routinely give us the talk about dreams and not believing in them too hard. Now they’re all too happy to let us dream as much as we like. But if I end up a failure, they’ll probably have to rethink again. Maybe they’ll think you were just a special case. I don’t want the rest of the family to suffer because I screwed up” Kurt resentfully informed his sister.
“You really think you’d be the sole reason mom and dad wouldn’t let you guys try to achieve something in your life?” Judy inquired.
“Too right. You remember the, “care package”, they gave ya before you went off to Zootopia. Awful lot of anti-fox equipment in there. Dad kept playing with that fox taser until he dropped it in the toilet and we were all too afraid to use it for a week! I don’t want them to go back to being that overprotective of us again. I… I just wish mister Grey would believe in me enough that I could work alongside the others as equals” the young rabbit sighed.
Judy’s eyes flicked over to Kurt’s little baking project, and then back to his disillusioned face. “Kurt, wanna know a secret?” Judy asked.
“What?”
“When I went to Zootopia, and became a part of the ZPD… they made me a meter maid” Judy revealed.
“Yeah, I know. We all heard how overjoyed mom was when you told her. It ain’t much of a secret” Kurt snorted.
“That’s not the secret. See, during my first two days I acted insubordinately, constantly questioning my superior’s orders and acting well beyond my real capacity. Like you, I felt like I was just being looked down upon. Chief Bogo made it very clear to me that he didn’t like me, so I thought he was trying to keep me out of the way, to get rid of me. I let my own ego and personal feelings get the better of me, so I never realized that he made me a meter maid so I could LEARN, Kurt. When you join anything, you don’t start at the top, you start at the bottom. You start as a meter maid, or as a dishwasher. I was given the role assigned to me, and I acted like a complete brat. To be honest, I am beyond lucky that I’m still a cop even now, since for all the stuff I pulled, I deserve to lose my badge several times over” Judy exposited.
“You… almost lost your job?” Kurt uttered in shock.
“Yep. If I wasn’t for a lot of dumb luck, I’d be back here farming carrots and feeling like a sorry idiot being told that it was an okay dream, but a rabbit just can’t be a cop. So, the real secret Kurt, is that I would have been the one to prove that dreams are good, just so long as you don’t believe in them too hard” Judy wryly smiled.
“I… we never knew” Kurt whispered in disbelief.
“The point is Kurt, is that you have to trust in Gideon’s judgment. He’s forgotten more about pies and baking than you have currently learned. When you’re ready, he’ll know. So, in the meantime, continue baking at home, so you can surprise him when he does let you bake alongside the others” Judy smiled supportively.
“Thanks Judy. Still, I am amazed that you got off acting insubordinate as a police officer” Kurt remarked.
“Well, I did have some guilt, so I did something to make up for it” Judy admitted with embarrassment.
“What did you do?” Kurt eagerly questioned.
“Well….”
“My name is Judy, don’t wear it out. Time for me to show you what an apology is all about. J! For I’m just so stupid! U! For how ungrateful I was! D! For how dumb I am! Y, for you deserved better! Add’em all up and what does that spell?! STUPID!” Judy cheered loudly while wearing a cheerleader outfit and a blonde wig while doing the splits and waving two pompoms about.
Chief Bogo clapped politely from behind his desk, a self-satisfied smirk on his face. “Very good Officer Hopps. Now perform that for one officer per act of insubordination, and I will forgive you” he smiled evilly.
“Buh-but” Judy whimpered.
“And any performances for Officer Clawhauser DO NOT count” the Chief said sternly. “Oh, and a performance for Officer Wilde is highly encouraged. In fact, it’s now mandatory” he added.
“Aaaaaauuuuuuuggggggghhhhhh.”
“Ha ha, no way! You’d NEVER wear a cheerleader outfit and do a stupid cheer” Kurt snickered.
“I did, and I deserved every jab and joke that came my way. Sufficed to say Kurt, your big sis made a complete and utter idiot of herself” Judy remarked.
“Ha ha, I’ll bet” Kurt smirked.
“But do you get what I’m talking about now Kurt?” Judy inquired.
“Yeah, I think so. I guess maybe I have been too demanding for only a few months work. I’ll… I’ll try harder for mister Grey, to show how eager I am to learn” Kurt decided.
“Awesome. Be sure to give him your best, okay Kurt? He’s a real sweet guy, and he deserves your best” Judy yawned loudly. “Well, it’s late, yawn. Goodnight Kurt, don’t stay up too late” Judy smiled as she walked off.
Kurt watched her go, and he sighed in relief as he extracted several slips of paper from his pocket alongside a pen. “I’m real glad she didn’t see what I was REALLY working on” he muttered to himself as he wrote down some more notes. “I just hope I can get it ready in time.”
Now almost a week into her vacation, Judy is settling back into her old life on the farm, while dealing with some annoying special treatment, and learning a little more about her old school bully, and her own brother.
.:Rated general:.Zootopia & all related material are © Disney (they own you) and Pixar Animation.
Word Count: 6137
If you enjoyed the story, feel free to comment and fave, I'd really appreciate it.The Courtship of Gideon Grey Part 2
The next few days had passed by quietly, with Judy getting back into the groove of living at the farm. It seemed so long ago since she had enjoyed living amongst her highly numerous siblings, and of course the battles for their mother’s home cooking. You had to be fast or you’d be stuck with the yucky carrots. Judy of course allowed herself the yucky carrots, considering that after her experiences with Zootopian packaged meals, she’s definitely had worse. Now the fifth day of her holiday, Judy awoke as usual at 5:30 am, even without her alarm. Yawning as quietly as she could, she snuck out of the dark bedroom she shared with her sisters and onwards into the kitchen. Her parents were already awake at this hour, the two quietly having coffee while Stu read his paper. “Jude the dude, good morning” Stu cheerfully greeted, his paper abandoned for a moment.
“Mmm, morning” his daughter yawned as she fetched a mug.
“See you guys!”
Judy looked over her shoulder to see one of her brothers rushing out in a hurry, a backpack slung over his shoulder and a manic look in his eyes. “Uhh, bye Kur-” SLAM! Her parents chuckled as they returned to their coffee. “Huh, where is he going so early?” Judy yawned as she joined her parents.
“Didn’t Gideon tell ya? Kurt apprentices for him, says he shows promise too. He’s our little pastry chef” Stu proudly answered, fingers slung in his suspenders.
“You haven’t seen him leave because he’s usually outside before we wake-up, he was just running late this morning” her mother added.
“Oh yeah, I remember Gideon mentioning he had an apprentice, he just didn’t say it was Kurt. Huh, he did like baking, didn’t he?” Judy pondered over her steaming mug of wake-up juice. “Well, it’s great that Gideon is letting Kurt apprentice for him.”
“It should be, after all, you helped make this happen” her father grinned proudly.
“So I’ve heard” Judy wryly responded, now utterly fed-up with hearing that.
Her parents shared a subtle look, just for a moment. “So uhh Jude, what do you plan to do today?” Stu inquired.
“Probably work at the stall today” his daughter replied.
“Is that all you want to be doing?” Stu pressed.
“What your father means is that you’re on holiday, and shouldn’t be spending all your time doing farm work” Bonnie explained earnestly.
“Y’know, I get the distinct impression you guys don’t want me hanging around” Judy remarked through narrowed eyes.
“O’course we don’t think that Jude. We just feel that Zootopia’s best and brightest should be doing more than selling carrots by the road” Stu explained.
SLAM! Stu and Bonnie were aghast as their daughter stood at her full (yet still diminutive) height, her hands gripping the table hard post-slam. “Would you just STOP IT?!” she begged.
“Wh-what did I say?” Stu stammered.
“All day long for five days straight all I’ve been hearing is “You are Zootopia’s finest” and “Hey there city slicker”. Or how about “You shouldn’t be going around selling carrots when you could be stopping a crime wave”? That was a good one!” Judy declared desperately, her ears going droopy.
“Judy….”
“I don’t want to be treated like I’m special or different from you guys. This is where I grew up, this is my home. I just… don’t want to be treated like I’m better than my home” she whispered in a meek and exhausted way.
Sighing miserably, she slumped back into her chair, head lying on the table for support. “The fame’s already getting to her” Stu whispered to his wife, who responded by jabbing him in the arm. “Oww” he mouthed, rubbing his arm.
“Judy, we’re sorry” Bonnie apologised for the two of them. “We didn’t realize we were making you feel that way” she explained, a kind hand to her daughter’s shoulder. “We just feel that you should be having some fun since you were always working so hard in the city. You should be relaxing on your holiday, instead of doing farm work. But if that’s what you want to do, we’ll accept that. Right, Stu?”
“Oh-oh yes of course! If you feel like working on the farm instead of taking a break, that’s alright by me, ah heh heh heh” he chuckled nervously, his face steadily dropping. “I’m sorry, I know that didn’t sound sincere. I’m… I’m just so dang proud of ya Judy, and, well, I’m just so dang proud” he admitted.
Judy chuckled as she raised her head up, a dumb smile on her face. “Thank you for understanding you guys. Sorry I kinda, freaked out at you. I guess maybe the fame really is getting to me” she joked weakly.
“Heh heh, I doubt a little fame would ever get to MY daughter” Stu boasted as the atmosphere of the table returned to normal.
For the next ten minutes the trio sat in relative silence while Judy checked her news feed on her phone, Stu continued to read his paper, and Bonnie began to prepare for breakfast. That was, until her phone went buzzed loudly. Reading the text she had received, the older rabbit frowned. “Oh that silly boy” she muttered in exasperation.
“What happened?” Stu grunted from behind his fortress of paper and advertisements for ride-on mowers.
“Kurt just texted, saying he left his wallet here and if we could bring it to him. I swear that boy will forget his head one of these days” Bonnie muttered in disbelief.
“How is Kurt getting to Gideon’s bakery anyways? He’s not old enough to drive, so does he ride a bike there?” Judy inquired.
“He used to ride a bike, but nowadays Gideon picks him up alongside the daily shipment of produce. Two birds with one stone” Stu answered as he read an interesting article on beards. “Hey Bon? Think I should grow a beard?”
“You tried before, no one could tell the difference” Bonnie answered.
“Oh yeah.”
“So, what about Kurt’s wallet?” Judy pointed out.
“Well, it’s going to be a busy day today, what with the Carrot’s Fair comin’ up soon. So he probably won’t get it until late afternoon” Stu answered. “And you’ll be working the stall all day too, so I guess you could drop it off during one of your breaks.”
“Or I could do it now” Judy suggested him.
“Or you could do it now exactly” Stu nodded.
“Are you sure Judy? It’s still pretty early out” Bonnie said.
“Eh, can’t be any worse than trying to drive in the city. Besides, I did tell Gideon that I’d go see his bakery, so now I’ll finally get to see what it’s like” Judy replied thoughtfully.
“Two birds, one stone” Stu chuckled from behind his paper.
“Well, Kurt’s wallet should be in his room, and the keys are on the hook. And be sure to ring us if anything goes wrong or if you get into trouble” Bonnie told Judy as she continued to gather cookery gear.
“Gotcha.”
““Gideon Grey’s Real Good Baked Stuff.” I honestly thought that was just a slogan” Judy remarked as she stood before Gideon’s bakery, which was called Gideon Grey’s Real Good Baked Stuff.
The bakery wouldn’t be opened for another hour, if the timetable on the front door was to be believed. So, she went for the staff entrance, which was wide open. Voices could be heard from inside, with one standing above the lot. One that sounded rather familiar. “We need them pies in the oven now people!” Gideon’s voice could be heard in a sharp and commanding tone.
“Yes sir!” about three voices replied.
Nosing her way past the door, Judy observed the bedlam of an oddly focused Gideon balancing two trays of uncooked pies as he danced around a sheep, a cougar, and Kurt. “Mister Grey, where do these go?” he asked with a visible strain in his voice as he attempted to carry several heavy looking boxes.
“Over by the ovens Hopps, same as usual! Hey Jägerheund! Don’t grab more than you can carry, I’ve told you before!” Gideon snapped sternly to an unseen worker.
Peering further in, the apparent Jägerheund was a sort-of wolf with a black and gold coat. Something felt off about his pedigree though, as he seemed wolfish, just, not quite. “Ja herr Grau” the deep-voiced not-quite-a-wolf boomed.
“Yeah, oui oui, just get goin’, we’re already behind as-is” Gideon pointed out as he shut several ovens and set the timers.
“Keeping busy huh Gideon?” Judy chuckled from the doorway.
Spinning about, the fox’s stern look melted the very second that Gideon caught sight of the bunny in the doorway. “Ju-Judy! What are you doin’ here so early in the mornin’? When you said you’d come round, I, I, I thought you meant durin’ business hours” he stammered, all sternness and command gone.
“Well, I figured I’d kill two birds with one stone, as I’m here to drop off my brother’s wallet” Judy explained, waving about said artifact.
“Oh great, you brought it” Kurt sighed with relief as he ran over to snatch it from his sister’s hand, then went back to work.
“OI!” Gideon barked sternly, freezing Kurt in place. “I don’t think I heard a thank you outta you Hopps.”
“Oh, thanks Judy” Kurt said hastily before returning back to work.
“You certainly know how to take command of your kitchen” Judy chuckled as her little brother almost flew over to the sink.
“Well, I, I, I can’t abide by rudeness in my staff Judy, not even if he’s your flesh and blood. Nothin’ worse than a pie that’s as sour as the person who made it” Gideon quoted.
“Huh, cute saying. Where did you hear it?” Judy inquired.
The fox blushed modestly. “Well, I, I, I, I thought it up, actually. It took me a while, but I, I, I wanted somethin’ smart to quote” Gideon explained bashfully.
“I like it. Mind if I use it?”
“Be my guest Judy Hopps. I, I won’t charge you for it” Gideon joked.
Judy chuckled politely as a loud CRASH! echoed behind them. It appeared that Kurt had collided with the sheep, leaving both sprawled on the floor with several empty trays scattered around them. “Mind where you’re walkin’, y’hear?” Gideon remarked, before returning back to Judy. “So, you headin’ off now Judy?” he inquired.
“I think so. You don’t need me here distracting all of you from your work” Judy responded.
“Well, I, I, I don’t mind if you hang about. To be honest we’re almost done and ready for a break as all the pies bake. Plus you can take a look around and meet the rest of my staff” Gideon offered with an unsubtle amount of eagerness in his voice.
“Well, seeing as you’re offering, sure” Judy politely accepted as she stepped into the bakery good and proper. It was nice and cosy, and pretty much felt like the kitchen at home, only larger and with one or two more extra ovens. There were many benches for working, though most were hard to see under layers of flour and produce. “This bakery is very nice Gideon, very cosy” complimented Judy as she stopped by a bench to inspect it.
“Well thank you Judy, I, I, I do try to keep it all up-to-date and modern. Plus it’s great for after-hours too” the fox smiled.
“Making something to take home huh?”
“Yeah, all ten feet I, I need to walk to do that” Gideon laughed.
“Oh, you live atop the bakery?”
“That I do, but we can talk about that later. Let’s meet the gang” the fox smiled as he led the rabbit over to his workers, who were catching their breath on some crates. “Hey everyone, this here is Judy. Judy, you remember Carlotta, from back when we were kids right?” Gideon explained, guiding the rabbit over to a sheep with black wool.
“Carlotta? Oh my god it’s been so long, how are you?” the rabbit squealed as she embraced the sheep tightly.
“It’s been ages Judy, what have you been up to?” the sheep greeted back with her own excited squeal.
“Catching criminals, you?” Judy replied.
“Ending world hunger one breakfast pie at a time” Carlotta returned.
The two giggled girlishly, before Judy was turned to the cougar. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Judy, the name’s Sigmund” he greeted with a friendly paw.
Judy took it and they shook firmly. “It’s nice to meet you too. Hmm, your accent seems familiar. You’re from Zootopia, right?” the rabbit inquired.
“Yeah. I’m originally from the jungle sector of Zootopia. But during the time when predators were going savage, I high-tailed it out of there when the anti-pred protests were getting pretty bad, and I came here. I worked in a bakery for many years, so my credentials had Gideon over here snatching me up the very second I set foot in Bunnyburrow” the cougar smirked.
“I, I know talent when I, I, I see it Sigmund, and I, I, I, I would be darned to let my competitors get their hands on you” the fox chuckled.
“Yeah. You know Judy, it really is an honour to meet you actually, considering all that you did for easing tension between predator and prey species” the cougar remarked.
“Yeah, after I made it all so much worse first” Judy guiltily pointed out.
“Yeah, that… that was bad. But maybe it’s good that you did. I love being out here. Everything is so much more relaxed and rural, plus I can still video-chat with my family back in Zootopia. I am honestly amazed as to how good the internet is here” Sigmund chuckled.
“Yeah, it’s pretty amazing. Still, I’m glad that my screw-up at least helped you find your way to a new and happy job” Judy said with a forced smile.
“Thank you. I’m glad to be here meeting all the new people, including Gideon over here” the cougar uproariously laughed as he caught Gideon in a headlock and noogied him.
“Ah ha haow ow owwww! Come on now Sigmund, you know you’re noogiein’ your boss right?” Gideon protested despite the dumb grin on his face.
“Yeah, but you wouldn’t fire me for that” Sigmund chuckled playfully as his headlock became more of an awkward cuddle.
“Okay now, okay now. Settle down you” Gideon laughed jovially as he tried to pry apart the stronger cougar’s arms. Judy and Carlotta had their brows raised at that bizarre display, and through secret woman telepathy that typically occurs when female eyes meet, they knew exactly what the other was thinking and their thoughts on the situation. “Okay now Sigmund, release me” Gideon requested, and the cougar obliged. Dusting himself off, the fox presented the not-quite-a-wolf to Judy. “Judy, this is Jägerheund, who’s from somewhere even further than Zootopia.”
“It’s nice to meet you, err, Jaegerwhooned?” Judy hedged.
“Es ist schön sie zu treffen” Jägerheund replied in deep monotone.
“Uhh, what did he say?” Judy whispered to Gideon.
“I, I have no idea, I, I, I don’t speak his language, and he rarely speaks English. He can understand it good, he’s just bad on the speaky part” Gideon whispered back.
“Ich kann Englisch sprechen. Es ist einfach lustig, mich wenn sie behaupten zu wissen was ich sage” the not-quite-a-wolf remarked.
“Uhh, r-right Jägerheund. Well, that’s my little band of merry pie-makers. Since course you know our fifth member” Gideon remarked, everyone’s heads turning to Kurt.
“I don’t think you need to introduce me to her Gideon. I LIVED with her for most of my life” the young rabbit called from the sink.
“That’s MISTER Grey during work hours Hopps” Gideon curtly responded.
“S-sorry mister Grey” Kurt apologised.
“That’s better Hopps. I, I, I’m only hard on you because you need to learn” Gideon said with a bit more empathy.
“I know mister Grey. One day I’m supposed to inherit this bakery when you’re old and grey” Kurt repeated as if he were reading a script.
“But aren’t you already grey?” Judy remarked. A swarm of confused looks descended on her. “You’re Gideon GREY” she explained.
“Ohhhh, ha ha, I, I get it” the fox laughed humourlessly.
“Hmm, maybe we should start calling you old and Gideon Grey?” Sigmund joked.
“Oh come on now Sigmund, I, I, I doubt that would catch on” the fox protested jokingly.
“I dunno Gideon, I kinda like it. Old and Gideon Grey, it has a nice ring to it” Carlotta giggled.
“Come on now you two” Gideon pouted.
“Das ist dumm” Jägerheund muttered.
“Yeah, I, I agree Jägerheund, with whatever you said” Gideon nodded in agreement.
“Oh come on old and Gideon Grey, lighten up” Sigmund laughed as he caught the fox in a big bear hug.
“Get a room you two” Carlotta sniggered.
Gideon and Sigmund blushed profusely, and the cougar released Gideon without a word. “We-well then everyone, let’s all get back to work. We still need to prepare for next week” Gideon mumbled awkwardly.
“Oh yeah, the Carrot’s Fair’s next week isn’t it?” Judy recalled.
“Yeah, it’s the day before you go back to Zootopia” Kurt declared.
“Right” Judy nodded. “You planning on winning the pie contest Gideon?”
“Well, I, I, I, I hope so. I’ve won the past two years runnin’, and I feel real confident with the recipe I, I plan to use for my entry. It’s gonna be hard to beat, that I, I, I’m sure of” the fox replied.
“Well good luck Gideon, I hope you win” Judy smiled.
“Thanks very much Judy, I, I, I, I hope I do too. But if I, I don’t, well, that’s just what’ll be” the fox nodded.
“Alright, well I’ll see you guys around. Have a great day” Judy called as she walked off.
“Oh uh Judy, before ya go” Gideon said no sooner than the rabbit had taken two steps. “If yo-you have no plans for the rest of the day, would you uhh, we-well, I, I, I, I don’t mean to impose, but would you like to have dinner… with me… tonight?” he said with such immense hope.
“I’d love to. I’ll see you around seven, sound good?” Judy suggested.
“Th-that sounds fine” Gideon nodded eagerly.
“Then it’s a date” Judy replied as she strolled off.
“Smooth” Kurt muttered to himself.
“You know Judy, for a dinner date with a gentleman, you’re certainly dressed… casual” her mother had remarked.
For her dinner with Gideon, Judy had armed herself with a decent shirt and long black pants. “Well, it’s hardly a dinner date mom, it’s just Gideon. I’m sure he’s going to be dressing casual too” Judy had replied confidently.
Boy, was she wrong. One second she was all smiles und sunshine, the next after that door opened she was deer in the headlights. Gideon, god bless his heart, was wearing a very nice (albeit hastily ironed) evening suit, complete with even a little bow tie and polished black shoes. “Oh” was all Judy could say, until she followed up with “I didn’t realize this was a formal occasion”.
“I, I, I, I, I guess I, I, I, I might’ve dressed up a little too much” Gideon stammered with clear and obvious embarrassment. “M-maybe I, I, I should change.”
“No, don’t worry about it” Judy said. “You look pretty cute in your penguin suit.”
“Th-thank you Judy. Now please on come in” the fox declared, showing the rabbit through the backdoor and up a flight of hidden stairs.
The stairway led into a cosy little sitting room with a comfortable looking lounge chair positioned in front of a TV. Though passing by briefly, Judy did spot a dictionary sitting on the small table next to the chair. Although on closer inspection, it seemed as if there should have been two chairs instead of one. “Wo-would you like to sit in the sitting room, or would you be happier in the dining room?” Gideon stammered.
“Sitting room will be fine Gideon” Judy replied distractedly.
The sitting room was filled with several cabinets containing various memorabilia, so it would be the best place to sit in order to keep conversation going. “Well then that’s fine. Oh, there’s only one chair. Well, you can take it then” the fox declared.
“Oh, you don’t need to worry about me. I’ll be fine with just a cushion on the floor” Judy replied.
“Now I, I, I will not hear of it Judy Hopps. You are a guest in my house, and I, I insist you take the chair” Gideon firmly stated.
“Alright” Judy conceded, taking the chair while Gideon took a cushion on the floor. It was a bit too big for her, and she needed to stretch her arms to even reach the both armrests. “Your flat is lovely Gideon” she remarked to strike up casual conversation.
“Well thank you Judy” Gideon replied with steadily rising pride.
“I noticed two blue ribbons in one of your display cabinets. Are they from your last two wins at the Carrot’s Fair?” Judy inquired.
“Yes indeed they are. I, I was pleased as punch to receive them” he fox proudly answered. “I was even more pleased with the extra business winning a blue ribbon comes with. Folks will come far and wide to eat pies from a champion bakery.”
“Yeah, I can see how it would help your reputation out. So did you get involved with many competitions before your two wins?”
“Well, I did get involved with the Carrot’s Fair for five years, but I, I didn’t do well until three years ago. Other than that, I, I, I partook of several junior bakin’ challenges, which I ranked decently enough. But why should I, I do all the talkin’? I, I ain’t heard much about your excitin’ life in that big ol’ city o’ Zootopia” Gideon pointed out.
“Well, I really don’t have much to say about it, to be honest. My life really is either on-duty, or slumping exhausted in my apartment. Heck, your own sitting room is already bigger than my apartment” Judy chuckled.
“Now I don’t believe that” Gideon chuckled with dubiousness.
“No, really, it’s true. I don’t mind honestly, since there’s a laundry room in the building, and besides some noisy neighbours I’m pretty happy with it. I wasn’t really asking for much when I moved to Zootopia anyways” Judy conceded.
“But it must be excitin’ bein’ a police officer and livin’ your dream” Gideon insisted.
“It kinda is, and it kinda isn’t. Diabolical plots like the one I helped foil are surprisingly pretty rare, with most jobs just being hunting down petty criminals and the like. I honestly have no idea how many times I’ve turned in Duke Weaselton since I became an officer” Judy laughed. “I swear it’s practically three times a week now.”
“Do your fellow officers treat you right? What with you being a rabbit at all?” Gideon asked. His voice had carried a hint of concern and defensiveness in it.
“Well, they do now, but before, well, Chief Bogo wasn’t exactly subtle about not wanting me there. Benjamin Clawhauser is just adorable though. He tries to befriend everyone, whether you want him to or not. Just don’t mention Gazelle around him or you’ll lose at least two hours of your life with him gushing about her” Judy said with a subtle shudder from the memories of so many lost hours.
“Oh now, I listen to Gazelle on the radio in the shop. Her songs are always playin’ out front. Now I, I, I don’t always understand what her songs are about, but they’re pretty dang catchy” the fox smiled.
“Clawhauser would probably love to be friends with you. He’s a big fan of anything baked and/or fried, and being friends with a baker, well, if he can see his toes now, after a week with you he would say buh bye to his feet and hello to another slice of blueberry pie” Judy snickered.
“Really, you think so? Well he sounds like a real swell guy. What uh, what is he anyways? Somethin’ big like a rhino or a hippo?”
“He’s a cheetah, actually. You’d never guess from just describing him, but he is a major sweetheart, and he adores everyone. The other officers are a pretty relaxed too, save for the Chief. Bogo isn’t a bad guy, he’s just, well, he’s a….” Jerk? Hard-ass? Unfeeling piece of flint? “He’s a bit of a grump” Judy decided.
Gideon held a horrified paw to his open mouth. “There ain’t nothin’ worse than workin’ for a grump” he said with true horror. “You are much stronger than I, I, I thought you was for puttin’ up with one.”
Smooth Judy, real smooth using the G-word in Bunnyburrow. “He’s not that bad, really, he isn’t. He’s just been a cop for a very long time, and sees the world differently than we do. He expects the best from his workers, just like you do” Judy pointed out.
“We-well” Gideon spluttered, “I, I, I, I, I, I expect a level of care from my staff, but I, I, I, I, I would never stoop so low as to be a grump around them” he defensively affirmed.
“I wasn’t accusing you of being a grump, I’m just saying that you know a little bit about what it’s like being him, since you’re both in charge of people” Judy explained.
“Oh, we-well then, I, I, I will agree with you there. It ain’t easy tryin’ ta manage my work force, especially your brother” Gideon frowned.
“Kurt?”
“Ooop” Gideon squeaked, a paw held to his mouth.
“Is Kurt misbehaving or something?” Judy inquired. Gideon clamped his other paw to his mouth, his head shaking fiercely from left to right. “Gideon” the rabbit said in a curt manner.
The fox groaned loudly as he slowly lowered his paws, an unhappy look on his face. “It’s not that Judy, he’s just been actin’ far too big for his britches is all. I, I, I, I try to explain to him that he needs to learn a lot of stuff to work in the bakery, and he keeps insistin’ to me that he’s ready for proper bakin’ instead of dish duty. I, I, I don’t know how I, I can explain it to him about how it works, since he’s only been on for a few months” Gideon explained.
“Yeah, I think I know what kind of problem you’re talking about. I think it’s something that’s genetic for some of us Hopps” Judy sighed.
“Oh right, all that dunuhh stuff. Oh darn, I mean D N A. Over a decade later, and I, I still keep gettin’ that wrong” Gideon chuckled with good-natured abandon.
“You’re definitely a lot smarter than over a decade ago at least” Judy said in agreement while grabbing Gideon’s dictionary.
“Oh, I, I, I, I just use that for whenever I, I, I hear a big word on the news I, I, I, I, I don’t understand” Gideon blushed.
“I think it’s great that you’re making the effort” Judy uttered as she flipped through the book idly. “Huh, you’ve underlined a few words” she noted.
“Th-that’s so I, I, I, I can find them again when I, I, I need them. I, I, I, I, I’m workin’ hard to expand my voh-cab-you-lar-ree” the fox emphatically explained. “I, I, I, I, I’m just glad you ain’t pickin’ on me for it.”
“Why would I do that Gideon? You’re my friend, and I wouldn’t pick on my friends for not understanding a few words” Judy reminded him.
Gideon smiled weakly, though there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. “Th-thank you Judy, I, I, I’m happy that you would call me your friend after all I, I, I, I, I, I’ve done” he sighed.
“The past doesn’t define who we are now Gideon. But what does is food, so what’re we having tonight? Because I’m so hungry I could probably eat an entire rhino” Judy laughed.
Gideon laughed weakly, his smile slowly returning. “Well, I, I, I don’t have a rhino, but I, I do have a very tasty carrot pie and some salad.”
“That sounds delicious, but what’ll you be having?” Judy joked.
“Well, after you’re nice and plump I might enjoy some rabbit pie” Gideon grinned.
“Alright, but I gotta warn ya, I’ll give you some major indigestion” Judy warned.
“I think it’ll be worth it to enjoy some sweet Judy pie” Gideon laughed.
“Oh stop it you” Judy giggled girlishly.
It was quite late when Judy returned to the Hopps farm, as Gideon had become quite talkative after the ice was broken (and after a glass or two of grape juice). The rest of the family had already gone to bed, although there was a rather suspicious light on in one of the old sheds. Cop senses taking over, Judy reached for her hip, her hand feeling for a tranq gun that wasn’t there. Going for the next best thing (a shovel against the house), she stalked to the shed, and kicked the door open. Charging in, she held the tool in an aggressive manner. “WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU!”
It was Kurt, wearing goggles, gloves, and protective gear. That sort of attire meant only one thing, if Doug had been any indication. “Oh Kurt, you aren’t. You’re not… baking?” Judy remarked as she orbited around her brother, to find him hunched over several mixing bowls, a bag of flour, some egg substitute, and fresh produce. “You’re baking?” Judy repeated in disbelief.
Kurt flashed a guilty look to his utensils, and he collapsed onto his knees, hands clamped together. “PLEASE don’t tell mister Grey about this” he desperately begged.
“Get up Kurt, Gideon won’t be mad because you’re baking outside of work hours” Judy sighed whilst rubbing her tired eyes.
The younger rabbit got up quickly, his hands dusting the dirt from his knees. “I don’t mean to bake behind his back, it’s just that he lets me do so little during work time. I keep telling him I’m ready to work in the kitchen proper, and he just gives me some confused metaphors and then tells me to get back to the dishes” he explained lamely.
“Yeah, he told me about that tonight” Judy nodded.
“Oh man, if he’s telling you, I’m afraid he’s going to tell mom and dad about it. I don’t want them giving me the talk about dreams when they stopped because of you” Kurt whined loudly.
“Because of me?”
“Tch, don’t play dumb Judy, you’re too smart for that. You know as well as the rest of us that you’re the only reason mom and dad are allowing the rest of us Hopps kids to do more with ourselves. Hamish and Amber have taken up dance, Katie is learning the piano, and Ryan is apprenticing as a construction worker. A rabbit construction worker. Before you went and solved the greatest mystery ever mom and dad would routinely give us the talk about dreams and not believing in them too hard. Now they’re all too happy to let us dream as much as we like. But if I end up a failure, they’ll probably have to rethink again. Maybe they’ll think you were just a special case. I don’t want the rest of the family to suffer because I screwed up” Kurt resentfully informed his sister.
“You really think you’d be the sole reason mom and dad wouldn’t let you guys try to achieve something in your life?” Judy inquired.
“Too right. You remember the, “care package”, they gave ya before you went off to Zootopia. Awful lot of anti-fox equipment in there. Dad kept playing with that fox taser until he dropped it in the toilet and we were all too afraid to use it for a week! I don’t want them to go back to being that overprotective of us again. I… I just wish mister Grey would believe in me enough that I could work alongside the others as equals” the young rabbit sighed.
Judy’s eyes flicked over to Kurt’s little baking project, and then back to his disillusioned face. “Kurt, wanna know a secret?” Judy asked.
“What?”
“When I went to Zootopia, and became a part of the ZPD… they made me a meter maid” Judy revealed.
“Yeah, I know. We all heard how overjoyed mom was when you told her. It ain’t much of a secret” Kurt snorted.
“That’s not the secret. See, during my first two days I acted insubordinately, constantly questioning my superior’s orders and acting well beyond my real capacity. Like you, I felt like I was just being looked down upon. Chief Bogo made it very clear to me that he didn’t like me, so I thought he was trying to keep me out of the way, to get rid of me. I let my own ego and personal feelings get the better of me, so I never realized that he made me a meter maid so I could LEARN, Kurt. When you join anything, you don’t start at the top, you start at the bottom. You start as a meter maid, or as a dishwasher. I was given the role assigned to me, and I acted like a complete brat. To be honest, I am beyond lucky that I’m still a cop even now, since for all the stuff I pulled, I deserve to lose my badge several times over” Judy exposited.
“You… almost lost your job?” Kurt uttered in shock.
“Yep. If I wasn’t for a lot of dumb luck, I’d be back here farming carrots and feeling like a sorry idiot being told that it was an okay dream, but a rabbit just can’t be a cop. So, the real secret Kurt, is that I would have been the one to prove that dreams are good, just so long as you don’t believe in them too hard” Judy wryly smiled.
“I… we never knew” Kurt whispered in disbelief.
“The point is Kurt, is that you have to trust in Gideon’s judgment. He’s forgotten more about pies and baking than you have currently learned. When you’re ready, he’ll know. So, in the meantime, continue baking at home, so you can surprise him when he does let you bake alongside the others” Judy smiled supportively.
“Thanks Judy. Still, I am amazed that you got off acting insubordinate as a police officer” Kurt remarked.
“Well, I did have some guilt, so I did something to make up for it” Judy admitted with embarrassment.
“What did you do?” Kurt eagerly questioned.
“Well….”
“My name is Judy, don’t wear it out. Time for me to show you what an apology is all about. J! For I’m just so stupid! U! For how ungrateful I was! D! For how dumb I am! Y, for you deserved better! Add’em all up and what does that spell?! STUPID!” Judy cheered loudly while wearing a cheerleader outfit and a blonde wig while doing the splits and waving two pompoms about.
Chief Bogo clapped politely from behind his desk, a self-satisfied smirk on his face. “Very good Officer Hopps. Now perform that for one officer per act of insubordination, and I will forgive you” he smiled evilly.
“Buh-but” Judy whimpered.
“And any performances for Officer Clawhauser DO NOT count” the Chief said sternly. “Oh, and a performance for Officer Wilde is highly encouraged. In fact, it’s now mandatory” he added.
“Aaaaaauuuuuuuggggggghhhhhh.”
“Ha ha, no way! You’d NEVER wear a cheerleader outfit and do a stupid cheer” Kurt snickered.
“I did, and I deserved every jab and joke that came my way. Sufficed to say Kurt, your big sis made a complete and utter idiot of herself” Judy remarked.
“Ha ha, I’ll bet” Kurt smirked.
“But do you get what I’m talking about now Kurt?” Judy inquired.
“Yeah, I think so. I guess maybe I have been too demanding for only a few months work. I’ll… I’ll try harder for mister Grey, to show how eager I am to learn” Kurt decided.
“Awesome. Be sure to give him your best, okay Kurt? He’s a real sweet guy, and he deserves your best” Judy yawned loudly. “Well, it’s late, yawn. Goodnight Kurt, don’t stay up too late” Judy smiled as she walked off.
Kurt watched her go, and he sighed in relief as he extracted several slips of paper from his pocket alongside a pen. “I’m real glad she didn’t see what I was REALLY working on” he muttered to himself as he wrote down some more notes. “I just hope I can get it ready in time.”
Category Story / All
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File Size 432 kB
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Because Judy had racked up the hours that forced her to take a holiday, not him. In full-time jobs people work up a total amount of leave per year, and Judy had not once taken a vacation since reinstatement the previous year. So she was basically forced into taking a vacation because of that, and because she was considered to be working too hard. (This was kinda mentioned in the first part.)
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