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<<Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | ???>>
It's approaching the end of Judy's holiday, and despite the relaxed nature of her trip, something is playing on her mind as she tries to sleep on the night before the Carrot's Fair, her last day. Little does she know of a surprising upset that awaits some people that fateful day.
Zootopia & all related material are © Disney (they own you) and Pixar Animation.
Word Count: 6196
The Courtship of Gideon Grey Part 3
For the past week, something had been weighing down on Judy’s mind. Once her head had cleared away the haze associated with grape juice, she could remember her dinner date with Gideon quite clearly. But something kept sticking out in her mind. Even now, as she lay awake the day before the Carrot’s Fair, her mind drifted back to that night….
It had been just after dinner, and the two were back to chatting in sitting room. Gideon (alongside his accomplice Mr. Grape Juice) had somehow managed to convince her that they could both sit on the chair, but this only resulted in her inevitably getting shunted onto an armrest. She barely minded, as she was now at that age in her life where any inconvenience is mitigated the very second a photo album gets brought out. “So, is this the little hottie you dated before your freak-out?” Judy asked curiously, a nosy finger pressing against said hottie’s face.
“What? Eww no Judy, that’s my auntie Ruth” Gideon chuckled.
“Oooohhh, family photo” Judy chuckled giddily as she spied the sullen face of ten year old Gideon. “You know Gideon, now that I’m adult, I can really appreciate how much of a cutie you were” she remarked, a teasing hand pinching the fox’s cheek.
“Awww shucks Judy, but you was pretty cute too, for a dumb bunny who didn’t know when to quit” the fox snickered back.
“You didn’t let me finish. I was actually going to ask you what happened to that cutie” the rabbit guffawed loudly.
Gideon spluttered in indignation, and he heatedly shoved Judy off the armchair. He drunkenly cupped a paw to his mouth in shock. “Oh geez Judy, I, I didn’t meant to hit you that hard. Are you okay?” he asked.
A triumphant fist was raised in the air. “I’m okay!” Judy cried as she picked herself back up.
Staggering back around, she lost her footing and collapsed onto Gideon’s lap, where she giggled like a child. “Are you actually okay Judy?” the fox asked with concern.
“I’m fine” Judy grinned as she climbed all over Gideon to get back onto the armrest. Her balanced wasn’t terrific though, and she ended up sliding to the left, causing her to lie against the fox. “You’re such a good friend Gideon” Judy whispered happily.
“Thank you Judy” Gideon replied awkwardly as he took a generous sip of grape juice. A comforting haze came over him, and he relaxed happily into the chair.
“You’re such a good, cute, friend. I have no idea why you haven’t found anyone yet” Judy chuckled as she idly played with Gideon’s hair.
“I’m just lookin’ for the right one I, I suppose” Gideon replied apathetically.
“Well, I’m sure you’ll meet her someday” Judy smiled.
“Yeah, although I’m startin’ to think I’m lookin’ in the wrong place” the fox sighed as he kept a watchful eye on Judy.
“Then you just keep looking Gideon. Never give up” Judy said firmly as her head started to clear, and she took a much more stable seat on the armchair. “Now then, more pictures. I wanna see alllll the stuff I’ve missed out on” she insisted eagerly….
Judy rolled about onto her side as she thought over that memory, and she knew what she had to do with herself. It would have to be tomorrow. No, it MUST be tomorrow. The rabbit closed her eyes, as she thought over what she should say.
It was mayhem managing the kids, but eventually Judy and her parents managed to wrangle the lot of them to the Carrot’s Fair. They had all been given some money to spend on snacks and games, and then they were released like a flood. “DON’T PLAY MISTER KETSENJAMER’S TARGET GAME! YOU KNOW IT’S RIGGED!” Stu called after his kids.
“Oh Stu” Bonnie sighed.
“What? It IS rigged” her husband insisted.
“You’re only saying that because you missed every shot, even though you said it was impossible to miss” Bonnie informed him.
“The sight on the gun has been messed with, I’m sure of it” Stu stubbornly alleged.
Judy chuckled to herself as she left her parents to bicker so she could explore the fair. It had barely changed since she was a kid, and it brought back waves of nostalgia as she passed by the barn where she had done her play for the talent show. “Blood, blood, and… death” she declared dramatically, before realizing that people had watched her do that.
Coughing politely, she continued on, until she found something strange. Kurt was hanging about the area where the pie judging was supposed to take place. He was looking pretty concerned at the line-up of pies. Catching Judy in the corner of his eye, he looked at his sister for a brief moment, before running off in a mad hurry. Eyes narrowed with suspicion, the rabbit looked amongst the entries. There were many pies in the line-up, including one from Gideon and another from someone called Old & Grey, a suspicious sounding name. “Gideon wouldn’t try to sneak in two pies, would he? No, that’s not like him (anymore), nor would he get Kurt to try and sabotage the other bakers. So what was he doing around the pies?” Judy contemplated as she noted the inferior quality of the mystery pie.
Intent on solving this mystery, Judy went looking through the food section of the fair, where Gideon would undoubtedly have a stall set-up. Her instincts proved her right, as within an entire semi-circle of bakery stalls she found the fox and the others working hard with a portable oven. “Hey guys” Judy waved to them.
“Howdy Judy” Carlotta smiled as she served a piece of pie to a customer.
“What’s up?” Sigmund greeted.
“Hey Judy, I am right glad to see you right now” Gideon said nervously.
“Uhh, why?”
“W-well, it’s a little under half an hour til the pie judging, and well, I, I, I feel like I could use a lucky rabbit by my side, since Kurt ain’t here” Gideon explained.
“Kurt’s not here?” Judy repeated dubiously.
“Yeah, I, I, I suppose with all your siblin’s one would be easy to miss. I, I told him he could take the day off today so he could enjoy the fair, but he said he wouldn’t be comin’ today” Gideon informed Judy.
“He did, huh?” Judy muttered loudly.
“Y-yeah, so, if you’re fine with it, could ya come with me for when it’s time for the judgin’?” Gideon requested anxiously.
“Sure, I’ll go with you” Judy smiled supportively.
The look of relief that swept over the fox’s face was truly darling. “Thanks a bunch Judy, I, I, I’ll feel a lot better with a lucky rabbit around, as well as a lucky sheep, a lucky cougar, and o’course a lucky wolf. I, I, I feel like I’m gonna need a lot’o luck today” Gideon declared.
“Alright, so I’ll just stick around this area until then” Judy decided. “I’ll join you guys when it’s time to go” she said while walking off.
“Thanks a bunch” Gideon called gratefully as he went back to work.
Judy had only half-heard what the fox had said, as her mind was too preoccupied with some rather conflicting information. “Kurt told Gideon that he wouldn’t be here today, and yet Kurt came with us, and he was snooping around the pie entries. If that’s the case, then it’s possible that Kurt might be trying to sabotage the other entries so Gideon’s can win, OR, he could be sabotaging Gideon’s entry instead, but why? Maybe as retaliation for being stuck on dishes? He could do that, but I don’t think he’d have the carrots for that. Ohhh, maybe our talk didn’t have the right effect on him? I hope I didn’t actually convince him to do something reckless” she thought to herself. “He’s been acting pretty suspiciously since then too, and acting really anxious for the past week. He was actually really worried today too. He almost didn’t want to come here. What’s his angle?”
Nodding to herself, Judy ran off to find her brother. “HEY JUDY! WHERE’RE YOU GOIN’?!” Gideon called after her.
“FAMILY EMERGENCY!” Judy replied as she disappeared.
“You know what’s kinda sad?” Gideon said to his staff. “I understood that more than her strange craziness last year, even though she used less words. At least this time she didn’t talk in tongues or somethin’.”
For twenty straight minutes Judy looked, but she couldn’t find her brother anywhere. He couldn’t have left the fairgrounds, but no matter where she went, there was no sign of him. Returning back to the pie judging area, Judy found several people waiting about, but again no Kurt. What she did find, at least, was a stout wolf wearing glasses and a judge’s ribbon. He was inspecting the pies carefully, his nose wiggling about as he enjoyed the mixed aromas. “Do any of those uhh, smell funny to you?” Judy asked tentatively.
The wolf gave her a funny look. “Not any funnier than a pie should smell” he replied in a crisp and noble accent.
“Oh.”
“Why do you ask Miss Hopps?” he wolf inquired.
“You know my name?” Judy frowned.
“Everyone in Bunnyburrow knows your name dear heart. But, if you are concerned with potential tampering of the pies, our watchful security would have caught them in the act. And considering that they have already been judged, I can safely assure you that all of the pies are safe to eat and were quite delicious” the wolf informed her.
“Oh, okay” Judy remarked dejectedly.
The wolf chuckled naturedly. “I understand that being away from your duty must leave you quite antsy and powerless. But never fear dear heart, our security will keep everyone safe, not that you are the sort who needs protecting, of course” he chuckled as he returned to the judge’s pavilion.
Well, that was one trail gone cold. Security was watching the pies, and not even a wolf could smell or taste anything weird about the pies. But, if they hadn’t been tampered with, then why did Kurt lie to Gideon? “Ah Judy, I was afraid you weren’t comin’”
Looking away from the pies, Judy found a relieved Gideon and the others barrelling towards her. “Oh, well, I figured that I’d probably get here, after the family emergency” Judy replied stonily.
“I hope no one was in trouble” Sigmund remarked with concern.
“Oh well, you know what happens when you get a caramel apple stuck to your fur” Judy lied.
The others winced at that particularly unpleasant thought. “Well, I, I, I am glad you’re here” Gideon smiled gratefully.
“I’m glad to be here” Judy replied as they all took their place by one side of the area.
A crowd slowly formed around the judging area, with many proud bakers and their families waiting with bated breath to find out the results for the pie judging, amongst other competitions, of course. Without warning Gideon took Judy’s hand, and held onto it tightly as the judge floated onto the scene. He was looking very nervous, although Judy could quite clearly feel how anxious Gideon was by how strongly he was squeezing her hand. “Almost time” the fox muttered nervously.
“Yeah, and there’s so many people. I don’t even know half the people waiting around here” Judy muttered back.
“Well, that rabbit over there with the grumpy face is called Cory. He was the usual winner of the pie bakin’ contest until I, I, I beat him two fairs ago. That tigress over there is Isabelle, she does some very nice jams. I, I actually purchase a lot of my jams from her, as they are world class. Uhh, let’s see, the sleepy koala is Bruce, I, I, I think he does general baked goods. And uhh, I dunno some of the others” Gideon explained in a low-key voice.
“Actually, Bruce does fried goods, like donuts and apple turnovers” Carlotta corrected him.
“Ah, thank you Carlotta” Gideon whispered.
“It’s a shame Kurt couldn’t be here, I’m sure he’d want to cheer you on when you win” Sigmund lamented.
“Yeah, a shame he couldn’t be here” Judy remarked absently as she still tried to figure this mess out.
“Ahem, could I have your attention please?” the stout wolf from earlier requested. All eyes turned to hm, a collective of breaths held. “Good afternoon everyone, I am Harrison Carmichael, and I will be announcing the winner of the pie baking contest. Now I most certainly speak for my fellow judges when I say that there was some very stiff competition this year. It’s been a long time since we’ve had so many scrumptious desserts to try, and after some very trying deliberations, we have reached our conclusion” they announced.
“What’d they say? I, I, I don’t have my dictionary with me” Gideon whispered to Judy.
“There were a lot of tasty pies, and it was hard for them to choose, but they’ve got a winner” Judy whispered back.
“Oh” Gideon muttered.
“First are the runner-up winners, with Cory Parson in third and Gideon Grey in second” Harrison announced.
Gideon’s smile faded, but he tried his best not to look crestfallen, for his staff. “You did well Gideon, you got second, at least” Judy said supportively.
“I, I know Judy, I, I, I’m very happy to have placed” Gideon smiled back.
“And the winner of this year’s contest came as quite a surprise to us on the panel. While it was not the most elegantly constructed article, my fellow judges and I could not deny the resolute scrumptiousness of the pie presented to us by our first place winner. This was a pie that possessed quite a unique and well-balanced flavour, and I imagine that if it were more presentable, it would be indistinguishable from a world-class pie. But this competition isn’t about being world-class, but if it tastes good, so I should think that this blue ribbon will show how delicious the ambiguously titled Old and Grey’s pie was” the wolf announced. There were many looks of confusion and dark murmurs across the groups, many of the entrants looking shocked, annoyed, or completely indifferent to that reveal. Harrison looked about anxiously as he realized that no one appeared to be stepping forward. “Err, Old and Grey, if you are here, please step forward to receive your ribbon” he requested, the first place ribbon held in his plump hand.
The air steadily filled with muffled chattering, as this was proving to be quite the awkward situation. It didn’t get any less awkward as someone slowly walked forward, a trail of gasps and shock following them in their wake. Gideon and his staff’s jaws plummeted as a terrified Kurt Hopps stepped out of the mob and into the central area. He was trembling violently, and very close to hyperventilating as all eyes were glued to him. “This must be some kind of mistake!” Cory yelled angrily from the sidelines.
“Kurt?” Gideon uttered from complete shock, his paw crushing Judy’s hand like a vice.
“Ow ow owwww, hurting” Judy whimpered loudly.
Coughing politely, Harrison held out the first place ribbon to Kurt, who took it meekly. The young rabbit looked about as shocked as everyone else at the ribbon in his hands, and he was mortified by the assault of angry looks he was receiving. “So uhh Old and Grey, anything you wish to say?” the judge inquired.
Breathing heavily, Kurt looked like he was about to be run over the very second he said anything. Catching the surprised look on Gideon’s face, the young rabbit only had two things to say. “Uhh, BYE!” he squealed and bolted, muscling his way through a hole in the crowd before anyone even figured out what was happening.
“HEY! YOU GET BACK HERE KURT HOPPS!” Gideon snarled angrily as he barrelled after the rabbit.
The tide of people easily parted for the incensed fox, although there was an enormous state of confusion surrounding everyone. “I never expected Kurt to enter” Carlotta remarked in surprise. “And I would never have expected him to win.”
“I didn’t know the little begger had it in him” Sigmund laughed to himself.
“Judy ist verschwunden” Jägerheund pointed out.
“What’s that? Hey, where’d Judy go?” Sigmund questioned, realizing the rabbit was gone.
Kurt ran for dear life through the crowd, his fight or flight instincts telling him to leg it, all the while Gideon was managing some kind of pursuit after him. “YOU STOP RUNNIN’ KURT HOPPS!” the fox wheezed in his pursuit of the rabbit.
“SORRY!” Kurt answered as he aimed to flee through a long row of corn behind a row of stalls.
“YOU STOP RUNNIN’ NOW KURTIS HOPPS, OR YOU ARE FIRED!” Gideon threatened.
The young rabbit froze on the spot, his foot catching on a rock and sending him skidding along the dirt. He groaned loudly as he lay prone on the dirt, allowing his dumpy pursuer to finally catch up to him. “Sorry, huff puff, I didn’t mean ta threaten you like that, I, I, wheeze, didn’t know how else to stop ya. Now why, huff huff, did ya run off, ooouugg, like that?” Gideon gasped as he tried to catch his breath.
By now Judy had caught up with the two, the rabbit taking position behind a stall as she heard her brother whimper “I didn’t mean it!” while curled up in the foetal position.
“Didn’t mean what?” Gideon inquired as he tried to ignore the stabbing pain in his side.
“I DIDN’T MEAN TO WIN!” Kurt wailed pathetically.
“I, I, I don’t understand” Gideon replied in bafflement. “What do ya mean ya didn’t mean to win?”
“I… I was growing tired of just being your apprentice. I felt that… if I placed in the contest, I might impress you enough that you would let me bake with you guys” Kurt confessed pathetically. “I know I’m supposed to learn, but I really do think I’m ready. But….”
“But what?”
“It was your recipe” Kurt admitted as he tried to hide face from Gideon.
“What?”
“I used… one of your recipes for the contest. It was one of the bad ones, one we didn’t use because it wasn’t popular. I’ve spent the past few weeks trying to make it better, and when I did, I entered it. I didn’t mean to win, and I didn’t mean to make you look bad” Kurt whimpered while slowly uncoiling. Tears were streaming down his face, his hands clasping the ribbon tightly. “You should’ve won this” he admitted, the pretty blue thing held out to Gideon. “I don’t deserve it, as I used your recipe. I just, wasn’t smart enough to make my own. I’m just a stupid, carrot farming bunny” he bitterly conceded.
The fox looked at the first place ribbon he had worked so hard to try and win, and at the crying rabbit on the ground. His thumb rubbed across the soft fabric, and he knew precisely what to say as he grabbed Kurt by the head. “Kurt, I want you to remember this moment the next time you think you think you will never be anythin’ more than just a stupid carrot farmin’ dumb bunny” he uttered.
Slowly, Gideon turned Kurt’s head about, just so he could look his student in the eye. “Kurtis Hopps, you are a dang smart kid, and don’t you ever forget that” Gideon announced. Kurt’s eyes widened as his mentor’s face softened, and he released his protégée. “That’s right Kurt, ya heard me. I, am so dang proud of you right now, you have no clue. Do you know what you just went and did?” he questioned excitedly.
Kurt shook his head. “You just went and beat people who have been bakin’ for most of their lives. You went and beat me Kurt, your own boss, at what he does best. Now it takes some powerful smarts and creativity to do that” the fox grinned as he hooked his hand under the rabbit’s arm.
“So, you’re not mad?” Kurt questioned as Gideon helped him up.
“Heck no Kurt, I, I, I wouldn’t get proper mad at ya unless you got me good and steamed. But you ain’t got me steamed Kurt, ya got me pleased as all heck. If you ask me, I, I think you’ve earned this” Gideon smiled widely as he pinned the first place ribbon to Kurt’s shirt.
The young rabbit stared down at it with awe. “Thank you, mister Grey” he said gratefully.
“It ain’t work hours Hopps, you can call me Gideon now” the fox requested.
“Thank you… Gideon” Kurt smiled.
“I, I, I can always spot talent, and I, I knew you had greatness in ya. I only wish I, I, I had seen it sooner. I know I joke around a lot, but I, I’m being sincere when I say you will definitely be the one succeeds me and takes over the bakery when I’m old and grey” Gideon declared proudly.
“But… you’re already grey” Kurt remarked, earning a smile from Gideon.
“I’m Gideon Grey.”
“You’re Gideon Grey.”
They laughed happily at that one, and even Judy had to supress a few giggles as to not give her position away. “Ooooh, it’s been a while since I laughed like that” Gideon wistfully remarked.
“Yeah, I kinda feel like that too” Kurt nodded.
“Well, while you’re feelin’ good, you should go show off that fancy ribbon to your folks. I’m sure mister and missus H would love to see their little champion” Gideon grinned.
“Thank you, Gideon” Kurt smiled as he did just that, not even noticing Judy as he past her by.
“ALSO THANK THE JUDGE FOR YOUR RIBBON! YOU KNOW I CAN’T ABIDE BY RUDENESS IN MY STAFF!” Gideon called as the young rabbit was almost out of sight.
Sighing contentedly, the large fox sighed contentedly as he parked his keister on an available tree stump, a handkerchief to his brow. “That was really touching Gideon” Judy remarked as she stepped out from the stall.
The fox almost fell off the stump in surprise, but he managed to hold on at the last second. “You were watchin’ all that?” Gideon asked, his cheeks rosy red.
“Most of it. And I will say, you really gave me a sense of déjà vu” the rabbit said as she took a seat next to Gideon.
“Why is that?”
“Don’t you remember this place from sixteen years ago?” Judy inquired.
Suveying the area, Gideon’s eyes went wide as he finally managed to connect the dots. “Th-this is where I… this is where I… stole Carlotta’s tickets, and then I, I, I, I, I, I” he stammered repeatedly.
“Scratched me. It was funny, actually, that what you said to my brother was what you said to me, almost word for word. The only things different was your tone, and one word” Judy smiled.
“I, I, I did?” Gideon questioned.
“Yep, pretty spooky, actually.”
“Huh. You know, I, I, I sometimes heard things about karma and whatnot. Maybe this was my chance to do the right thing this time round” Gideon theorized.
“Y’know what Gideon, I think you might be right” Judy nodded in agreement.
“Well, I, I, I may not be as smart as you, but I can be right about some things. Your little brother really did surprise me, although…” Gideon trailed off absently.
“Although?”
“Well, just keep this between you and me, but while Kurt did win through some smarts and creativity, but I, I reckon he won mostly through dumb luck” the fox announced.
“You sound a little jealous Gideon” Judy teased.
“Maybe just a little, but see, on the day I made my entry, I didn’t have time to be selective with my produce. I ended up choosing some real tart fruit by mistake. I used some sugar to even it out, but it wasn’t the best. Now see, my entry won second place mostly cause I, I, I got the crust perfect and used a boatload of sugar to sweeten it, and while Cory is good at what he does, he has no love in his pies, which is why he got third” Gideon explained.
“Nothing worse than a pie as sour as the person who made it” Judy quoted.
“Too true Judy” Gideon smiled. “Your brother’s work was pretty dang sloppy, but I think that he had the advantage since he had your family’s entire farm at his disposal. He probably spent hours tryin’ to find the best produce he could find.”
“Huh, now that you mention it, he did spend quite a bit of time in the fields all week” Judy recalled.
“Mmm, probably. So, your brother got pretty dang lucky is what I reckon, but don’t tell nobody about that course” Gideon requested.
“My lips are sealed, cop’s honour” Judy pledged.
“Thank you. I, I, I want Kurt to feel a lot more confident about himself, which is why I want to make sure this win means somethin’ to him Judy. He always seems so down about himself, so I, I think this is what he needs to really boost him up” the fox explained.
“I… I just wish mister Grey would believe in me enough that I could work alongside the others as equals.”
“You know what? I think you’ve done just that” Judy smiled warmly.
“I, I, I’m glad I helped him out however I can. This business ain’t easy” Gideon replied wistfully. The two smiled contentedly while staring off into the distance for a while. But something was tugging at the fox conscience, and he really needed to say this now before he lost his nerve. So, with all the confidence he could muster, Gideon took Judy’s hand in his. “Judy, there is something I, I, I, I need to tell you” he began nervously.
This was the moment of truth. Do or die, and she needed to nip this in the bud. “Gideon, I know what you’re going to say” Judy replied hesitantly.
“Yo-you do?” Gideon stuttered.
She was ready for this, she had rehearsed it several times now. “Yes, and, I’m flattered, really, I am. I know that for the two weeks you’ve been trying to catch my eye, but I think I should set the record straight here. Gideon, I think you’ve become a wonderful, considerate, sweet, and caring person. If it were under any other circumstances, I would gladly go out with you. But as things are, I’m afraid you’re better off looking for someone else. You deserve someone who you can speak to in person, someone who you can sit down with every day, someone who can be there to enjoy your cooking, and I just can’t be that person. I’m a cop Gideon, and I’m married to the job and Zootopia until I can no longer write a ticket. I’m sorry Gideon, but there just can’t be a thing between us” Judy explained soulfully.
“Oh” Gideon uttered, a little taken back by all of that. “Actually, I, I, I, I was just gonna say that I’ll be real busy tomorrow, and probably won’t be able to see you off at the station” he explained.
“Oh” Judy uttered, her face turning red with embarrassment.
Gideon smiled broadly, almost pulling a face reminiscent of a certain fox the rabbit knew. “Thank you for tellin’ me all that Judy. Honestly, I, I, I kinda figured this out durin’ our dinner date last week, when you made it pretty dang clear to me that we was just friends. So I, I, I, I knew to back off, as it wasn’t gonna happen. But it does make me feel better to hear all that from you, just so I, I, I don’t have to fret over what could have been” the fox said appreciatively.
Judy chuckled as she playfully gave him a light tap in the arm. “Heh. I really did mean all that though Gideon. Really, I’m surprised women don’t throw themselves at you daily. Do you even know how many Zootopian women would fawn over a guy that can cook? You’d have all your nights booked for months” Judy exclaimed.
“You really think so?” Gideon asked hopefully.
“Oh yeah. I mean, there are many species with a real sweet tooth, and they would love to get a hold of a sweet guy like you and never let go” Judy chuckled.
“Well maybe I should visit that big ol’ city sometime, to see if I could find missus Gideon Grey” the fox joked.
“Maybe” Judy smiled as she stared off into the distance. “So, what are you going to do with Kurt? After this little turn of events?”
“Well, I, I, I plan to keep him on dishes until the end of the month, then I, I will have him start bakin’, to see what he’s really made of. He surprised me real good today, so I wanna see what other surprises he’s got for me. But I will have him bake tomorrow, because there is no way I, I’m gonna let him get away with beatin’ me and not lettin’ me try the winnin’ entry, and I’ll bet the others are feelin’ the same. We’re gonna be pretty busy for the next few months, what with this surprisin’ win” Gideon informed Judy.
“Yeah, you did say that winning the contests will increase your sales” Judy recalled.
“Yessiree Judy. I, I mean, my pies are pretty popular, but for people to know a teenager won, well, they’ll be comin’ in from the far reaches of the tri-burrows to try the prodigy’s pies” Gideon excitedly explained.
“I’m glad to hear that” Judy smiled.
“And I’m glad to hear it Judy. It’s been great hearin’ you be so supportive of me, and I really do feel my conscious easin’ up a lot now that I know you forgive me” Gideon declared.
“You didn’t stutter that time” Judy pointed out.
“I don’t stutter as much unless I’m nervous or confused, and right now Judy, I have no reason to be neither” Gideon smiled happily.
Judy smiled too, and then she decided “why not?” “Gideon,” she said as she stood up on the stump, “don’t take what I’m about to do out of context, okay?”
“Ah, shu-sure, Judy” Gideon replied.
Closing her eyes and taking a deep breathe, Judy gave the fox a quick kiss on his cheek, before returning to her seated position and pretending that that didn’t just happen. Gideon’s felt at his cheek, and he sighed happily, little hearts orbiting around his head.
When Judy had come to Bunnyburrow, she had felt like the end of her holiday couldn’t come soon enough. And now that it was over, it felt like it was over too quickly. Truth be told it was much harder for her to stand at the train station with her family this time than it was the first time. Her parents waited by her side, and most of her siblings were behind her as they wall waited for the train. “Y’know, I honestly didn’t think I needed a vacation, as I hated the idea of not being able to do anything while the rest of the department were risking life and limb. But, I gotta admit guys, this was EXACTLY what I needed all along” she admitted to her parents.
“We’re really glad to hear that Judy, but did you remember everything? You’ve got all your clothes and your toiletries and everything?” Bonnie questioned earnestly.
“Yes mom, I’ve got everything” Judy replied just like a teenager would.
“At least you won’t be needing fox repellent this time” Stu joked. “Of course, if that Nick Wilde does act outside of his boundaries, you be sure to give him a little spritz in the eyes.”
“Dad, come on, Nick wouldn’t do that” Judy laughed, albeit awkwardly.
“It just doesn’t sit well with me that you have a male officer as your partner. I don’t want him putting the moves on my little girl” her father affirmed.
“Ha ha, I’ll be fine dad. Although, we technically have already reached first base when he pretended to bite my neck to stop Mayor Bellwether” Judy remarked as the train came into the station. “Uhh, dad, why are you standing so close to me?”
“I’m going to Zootopia to give that fox a piece of my mind!” Stu snarled. “No one bites my daughter on the neck and gets away with it!” he furiously vowed, until he was pulled back by Bonnie.
“Come on Stu, Judy’s old enough to fight her own battles. But you did cover it up, right? I mean, we are bunnies, so I don’t want people thinking the mark is a hickey and that you’re a tramp or anything like that” Bonnie remarked.
“Mom, come on, I was joking, sorta. But the train’s boarding now, I gotta go” she explained, her arms out wide.
Judy hugged her parents tightly, and waved to the rest of the family as she boarded the train. And as she did, she could have sworn she saw a familiar looking cougar board the train two coaches down. Eh, there are plenty of cougars in Bunnyburrow, so it probably wasn’t Sigmund. The doors closed behind her, and Judy waved to her family until the train was out of sight. Switching her music player to Gazelle, Judy quietly counted the miles to go until she was back in Zootopia as the scenery whizzed by her.
It had taken Sigmund some time, but eventually he had found the address Gideon had given him. “You lived in that big ol’ city, so I, I, I’m trustin’ you with this delivery, seein’ as how you know the place.”
Knocking on the door politely, the cougar didn’t know what to expect as it opened, revealing a very overweight cheetah currently wearing some kind of workout gear. “Yello?” he said cheerfully.
“Ah, special delivery for uh, Benjamin Clawhauser?” Sigmund guessed. “Why does that name seem so familiar?”
“That is moi. Oh, is that the package?” Clawhauser grinned while eagerly eying the package in his fellow feline’s hands.
“Yes indeed. Here you go, and have a nice day” Sigmund replied, handing the package to Clawhauser and bolting.
“THANK YOU!” the cheetah called after the fleeing feline. “Huh, that guy kinda looked like my old friend Sigmund from school. Eh, probably a coincidence” he shrugged as he took the package inside. “Oooo~! Gideon Grey’s Real Good Baked Stuff” Clawhauser read off of the cover of the box. “Huh, I don’t know that bakery, it must be new.”
Keeping a watchful eye on the box, Clawhauuser opened it, a wave of blueberries rushing over him. The large feline shuddered in delight from the rich aroma of golden crust, and fresh berries. But what caught his eye, however, was an envelope stuck to the top of the box with an excessive amount of tape. Using a claw to cut it loose, Clawhauser regarded it for a moment, before his attention was reclaimed by the pie. After he had cut himself an extra-large, steaming slice of pie (with cream), Clawhauser sat down with a coffee as he opened up the envelope. The handwriting was a bit messy, but still somewhat legible, although it required the cheetah to read aloud. “Dear Officer Clawhauser, mah name is Gideon Grey. I’m a friend of Officer Hopps, and she said that if we met, we’d be real good friends. So, I am metaphorically extending the olive branch to you, in the hopes that we could be real good friends. This pie here is a token of friendship, and I hope you like it, as I made it mahself. Officer Hopps said that you liked baked stuff, so I felt a pie was… what is that? Oh, I guess he was trying to say “appropriate”? Right. So if you feel like being friends, feel free to write back to me. My home address is on the box. I hope to hear something from you. Yours truly, Gideon Grey.”
Clawhauser then proceeded to read the letter over again, and then a third time. Upon his third reading (and coincidentally third slice of pie), he had reached a conclusion. “EEEEEEEEE~! I HAVE A PEN PAL!” he squeed excitedly, his pudgy hands reaching for his pen and Gazelle notebook.
A month after her holiday, Officer Hopps was walking by the front desk of the ZPD, where she found Clawhauser laughing to himself as he read from a piece of paper. “Another letter from your pen pal?” Judy inquired curiously.
“Oh yeah, we’ve been sending letters non-stop Judy. Say, remind me, you lived in Bunnyburrow, right?” Clawhauser inquired.
“Yeah.”
“What’s it like?” the cheetah inquired eagerly.
“Why do you ask?” Judy retorted.
“Oh, I’m just planning a holiday. I’m going to meet up, with a friend” Clawhauser cryptically replied.
It's approaching the end of Judy's holiday, and despite the relaxed nature of her trip, something is playing on her mind as she tries to sleep on the night before the Carrot's Fair, her last day. Little does she know of a surprising upset that awaits some people that fateful day.
.:Rated general:.Zootopia & all related material are © Disney (they own you) and Pixar Animation.
Word Count: 6196
If you enjoyed the story, feel free to comment and fave, I'd really appreciate it.The Courtship of Gideon Grey Part 3
For the past week, something had been weighing down on Judy’s mind. Once her head had cleared away the haze associated with grape juice, she could remember her dinner date with Gideon quite clearly. But something kept sticking out in her mind. Even now, as she lay awake the day before the Carrot’s Fair, her mind drifted back to that night….
It had been just after dinner, and the two were back to chatting in sitting room. Gideon (alongside his accomplice Mr. Grape Juice) had somehow managed to convince her that they could both sit on the chair, but this only resulted in her inevitably getting shunted onto an armrest. She barely minded, as she was now at that age in her life where any inconvenience is mitigated the very second a photo album gets brought out. “So, is this the little hottie you dated before your freak-out?” Judy asked curiously, a nosy finger pressing against said hottie’s face.
“What? Eww no Judy, that’s my auntie Ruth” Gideon chuckled.
“Oooohhh, family photo” Judy chuckled giddily as she spied the sullen face of ten year old Gideon. “You know Gideon, now that I’m adult, I can really appreciate how much of a cutie you were” she remarked, a teasing hand pinching the fox’s cheek.
“Awww shucks Judy, but you was pretty cute too, for a dumb bunny who didn’t know when to quit” the fox snickered back.
“You didn’t let me finish. I was actually going to ask you what happened to that cutie” the rabbit guffawed loudly.
Gideon spluttered in indignation, and he heatedly shoved Judy off the armchair. He drunkenly cupped a paw to his mouth in shock. “Oh geez Judy, I, I didn’t meant to hit you that hard. Are you okay?” he asked.
A triumphant fist was raised in the air. “I’m okay!” Judy cried as she picked herself back up.
Staggering back around, she lost her footing and collapsed onto Gideon’s lap, where she giggled like a child. “Are you actually okay Judy?” the fox asked with concern.
“I’m fine” Judy grinned as she climbed all over Gideon to get back onto the armrest. Her balanced wasn’t terrific though, and she ended up sliding to the left, causing her to lie against the fox. “You’re such a good friend Gideon” Judy whispered happily.
“Thank you Judy” Gideon replied awkwardly as he took a generous sip of grape juice. A comforting haze came over him, and he relaxed happily into the chair.
“You’re such a good, cute, friend. I have no idea why you haven’t found anyone yet” Judy chuckled as she idly played with Gideon’s hair.
“I’m just lookin’ for the right one I, I suppose” Gideon replied apathetically.
“Well, I’m sure you’ll meet her someday” Judy smiled.
“Yeah, although I’m startin’ to think I’m lookin’ in the wrong place” the fox sighed as he kept a watchful eye on Judy.
“Then you just keep looking Gideon. Never give up” Judy said firmly as her head started to clear, and she took a much more stable seat on the armchair. “Now then, more pictures. I wanna see alllll the stuff I’ve missed out on” she insisted eagerly….
Judy rolled about onto her side as she thought over that memory, and she knew what she had to do with herself. It would have to be tomorrow. No, it MUST be tomorrow. The rabbit closed her eyes, as she thought over what she should say.
It was mayhem managing the kids, but eventually Judy and her parents managed to wrangle the lot of them to the Carrot’s Fair. They had all been given some money to spend on snacks and games, and then they were released like a flood. “DON’T PLAY MISTER KETSENJAMER’S TARGET GAME! YOU KNOW IT’S RIGGED!” Stu called after his kids.
“Oh Stu” Bonnie sighed.
“What? It IS rigged” her husband insisted.
“You’re only saying that because you missed every shot, even though you said it was impossible to miss” Bonnie informed him.
“The sight on the gun has been messed with, I’m sure of it” Stu stubbornly alleged.
Judy chuckled to herself as she left her parents to bicker so she could explore the fair. It had barely changed since she was a kid, and it brought back waves of nostalgia as she passed by the barn where she had done her play for the talent show. “Blood, blood, and… death” she declared dramatically, before realizing that people had watched her do that.
Coughing politely, she continued on, until she found something strange. Kurt was hanging about the area where the pie judging was supposed to take place. He was looking pretty concerned at the line-up of pies. Catching Judy in the corner of his eye, he looked at his sister for a brief moment, before running off in a mad hurry. Eyes narrowed with suspicion, the rabbit looked amongst the entries. There were many pies in the line-up, including one from Gideon and another from someone called Old & Grey, a suspicious sounding name. “Gideon wouldn’t try to sneak in two pies, would he? No, that’s not like him (anymore), nor would he get Kurt to try and sabotage the other bakers. So what was he doing around the pies?” Judy contemplated as she noted the inferior quality of the mystery pie.
Intent on solving this mystery, Judy went looking through the food section of the fair, where Gideon would undoubtedly have a stall set-up. Her instincts proved her right, as within an entire semi-circle of bakery stalls she found the fox and the others working hard with a portable oven. “Hey guys” Judy waved to them.
“Howdy Judy” Carlotta smiled as she served a piece of pie to a customer.
“What’s up?” Sigmund greeted.
“Hey Judy, I am right glad to see you right now” Gideon said nervously.
“Uhh, why?”
“W-well, it’s a little under half an hour til the pie judging, and well, I, I, I feel like I could use a lucky rabbit by my side, since Kurt ain’t here” Gideon explained.
“Kurt’s not here?” Judy repeated dubiously.
“Yeah, I, I, I suppose with all your siblin’s one would be easy to miss. I, I told him he could take the day off today so he could enjoy the fair, but he said he wouldn’t be comin’ today” Gideon informed Judy.
“He did, huh?” Judy muttered loudly.
“Y-yeah, so, if you’re fine with it, could ya come with me for when it’s time for the judgin’?” Gideon requested anxiously.
“Sure, I’ll go with you” Judy smiled supportively.
The look of relief that swept over the fox’s face was truly darling. “Thanks a bunch Judy, I, I, I’ll feel a lot better with a lucky rabbit around, as well as a lucky sheep, a lucky cougar, and o’course a lucky wolf. I, I, I feel like I’m gonna need a lot’o luck today” Gideon declared.
“Alright, so I’ll just stick around this area until then” Judy decided. “I’ll join you guys when it’s time to go” she said while walking off.
“Thanks a bunch” Gideon called gratefully as he went back to work.
Judy had only half-heard what the fox had said, as her mind was too preoccupied with some rather conflicting information. “Kurt told Gideon that he wouldn’t be here today, and yet Kurt came with us, and he was snooping around the pie entries. If that’s the case, then it’s possible that Kurt might be trying to sabotage the other entries so Gideon’s can win, OR, he could be sabotaging Gideon’s entry instead, but why? Maybe as retaliation for being stuck on dishes? He could do that, but I don’t think he’d have the carrots for that. Ohhh, maybe our talk didn’t have the right effect on him? I hope I didn’t actually convince him to do something reckless” she thought to herself. “He’s been acting pretty suspiciously since then too, and acting really anxious for the past week. He was actually really worried today too. He almost didn’t want to come here. What’s his angle?”
Nodding to herself, Judy ran off to find her brother. “HEY JUDY! WHERE’RE YOU GOIN’?!” Gideon called after her.
“FAMILY EMERGENCY!” Judy replied as she disappeared.
“You know what’s kinda sad?” Gideon said to his staff. “I understood that more than her strange craziness last year, even though she used less words. At least this time she didn’t talk in tongues or somethin’.”
For twenty straight minutes Judy looked, but she couldn’t find her brother anywhere. He couldn’t have left the fairgrounds, but no matter where she went, there was no sign of him. Returning back to the pie judging area, Judy found several people waiting about, but again no Kurt. What she did find, at least, was a stout wolf wearing glasses and a judge’s ribbon. He was inspecting the pies carefully, his nose wiggling about as he enjoyed the mixed aromas. “Do any of those uhh, smell funny to you?” Judy asked tentatively.
The wolf gave her a funny look. “Not any funnier than a pie should smell” he replied in a crisp and noble accent.
“Oh.”
“Why do you ask Miss Hopps?” he wolf inquired.
“You know my name?” Judy frowned.
“Everyone in Bunnyburrow knows your name dear heart. But, if you are concerned with potential tampering of the pies, our watchful security would have caught them in the act. And considering that they have already been judged, I can safely assure you that all of the pies are safe to eat and were quite delicious” the wolf informed her.
“Oh, okay” Judy remarked dejectedly.
The wolf chuckled naturedly. “I understand that being away from your duty must leave you quite antsy and powerless. But never fear dear heart, our security will keep everyone safe, not that you are the sort who needs protecting, of course” he chuckled as he returned to the judge’s pavilion.
Well, that was one trail gone cold. Security was watching the pies, and not even a wolf could smell or taste anything weird about the pies. But, if they hadn’t been tampered with, then why did Kurt lie to Gideon? “Ah Judy, I was afraid you weren’t comin’”
Looking away from the pies, Judy found a relieved Gideon and the others barrelling towards her. “Oh, well, I figured that I’d probably get here, after the family emergency” Judy replied stonily.
“I hope no one was in trouble” Sigmund remarked with concern.
“Oh well, you know what happens when you get a caramel apple stuck to your fur” Judy lied.
The others winced at that particularly unpleasant thought. “Well, I, I, I am glad you’re here” Gideon smiled gratefully.
“I’m glad to be here” Judy replied as they all took their place by one side of the area.
A crowd slowly formed around the judging area, with many proud bakers and their families waiting with bated breath to find out the results for the pie judging, amongst other competitions, of course. Without warning Gideon took Judy’s hand, and held onto it tightly as the judge floated onto the scene. He was looking very nervous, although Judy could quite clearly feel how anxious Gideon was by how strongly he was squeezing her hand. “Almost time” the fox muttered nervously.
“Yeah, and there’s so many people. I don’t even know half the people waiting around here” Judy muttered back.
“Well, that rabbit over there with the grumpy face is called Cory. He was the usual winner of the pie bakin’ contest until I, I, I beat him two fairs ago. That tigress over there is Isabelle, she does some very nice jams. I, I actually purchase a lot of my jams from her, as they are world class. Uhh, let’s see, the sleepy koala is Bruce, I, I, I think he does general baked goods. And uhh, I dunno some of the others” Gideon explained in a low-key voice.
“Actually, Bruce does fried goods, like donuts and apple turnovers” Carlotta corrected him.
“Ah, thank you Carlotta” Gideon whispered.
“It’s a shame Kurt couldn’t be here, I’m sure he’d want to cheer you on when you win” Sigmund lamented.
“Yeah, a shame he couldn’t be here” Judy remarked absently as she still tried to figure this mess out.
“Ahem, could I have your attention please?” the stout wolf from earlier requested. All eyes turned to hm, a collective of breaths held. “Good afternoon everyone, I am Harrison Carmichael, and I will be announcing the winner of the pie baking contest. Now I most certainly speak for my fellow judges when I say that there was some very stiff competition this year. It’s been a long time since we’ve had so many scrumptious desserts to try, and after some very trying deliberations, we have reached our conclusion” they announced.
“What’d they say? I, I, I don’t have my dictionary with me” Gideon whispered to Judy.
“There were a lot of tasty pies, and it was hard for them to choose, but they’ve got a winner” Judy whispered back.
“Oh” Gideon muttered.
“First are the runner-up winners, with Cory Parson in third and Gideon Grey in second” Harrison announced.
Gideon’s smile faded, but he tried his best not to look crestfallen, for his staff. “You did well Gideon, you got second, at least” Judy said supportively.
“I, I know Judy, I, I, I’m very happy to have placed” Gideon smiled back.
“And the winner of this year’s contest came as quite a surprise to us on the panel. While it was not the most elegantly constructed article, my fellow judges and I could not deny the resolute scrumptiousness of the pie presented to us by our first place winner. This was a pie that possessed quite a unique and well-balanced flavour, and I imagine that if it were more presentable, it would be indistinguishable from a world-class pie. But this competition isn’t about being world-class, but if it tastes good, so I should think that this blue ribbon will show how delicious the ambiguously titled Old and Grey’s pie was” the wolf announced. There were many looks of confusion and dark murmurs across the groups, many of the entrants looking shocked, annoyed, or completely indifferent to that reveal. Harrison looked about anxiously as he realized that no one appeared to be stepping forward. “Err, Old and Grey, if you are here, please step forward to receive your ribbon” he requested, the first place ribbon held in his plump hand.
The air steadily filled with muffled chattering, as this was proving to be quite the awkward situation. It didn’t get any less awkward as someone slowly walked forward, a trail of gasps and shock following them in their wake. Gideon and his staff’s jaws plummeted as a terrified Kurt Hopps stepped out of the mob and into the central area. He was trembling violently, and very close to hyperventilating as all eyes were glued to him. “This must be some kind of mistake!” Cory yelled angrily from the sidelines.
“Kurt?” Gideon uttered from complete shock, his paw crushing Judy’s hand like a vice.
“Ow ow owwww, hurting” Judy whimpered loudly.
Coughing politely, Harrison held out the first place ribbon to Kurt, who took it meekly. The young rabbit looked about as shocked as everyone else at the ribbon in his hands, and he was mortified by the assault of angry looks he was receiving. “So uhh Old and Grey, anything you wish to say?” the judge inquired.
Breathing heavily, Kurt looked like he was about to be run over the very second he said anything. Catching the surprised look on Gideon’s face, the young rabbit only had two things to say. “Uhh, BYE!” he squealed and bolted, muscling his way through a hole in the crowd before anyone even figured out what was happening.
“HEY! YOU GET BACK HERE KURT HOPPS!” Gideon snarled angrily as he barrelled after the rabbit.
The tide of people easily parted for the incensed fox, although there was an enormous state of confusion surrounding everyone. “I never expected Kurt to enter” Carlotta remarked in surprise. “And I would never have expected him to win.”
“I didn’t know the little begger had it in him” Sigmund laughed to himself.
“Judy ist verschwunden” Jägerheund pointed out.
“What’s that? Hey, where’d Judy go?” Sigmund questioned, realizing the rabbit was gone.
Kurt ran for dear life through the crowd, his fight or flight instincts telling him to leg it, all the while Gideon was managing some kind of pursuit after him. “YOU STOP RUNNIN’ KURT HOPPS!” the fox wheezed in his pursuit of the rabbit.
“SORRY!” Kurt answered as he aimed to flee through a long row of corn behind a row of stalls.
“YOU STOP RUNNIN’ NOW KURTIS HOPPS, OR YOU ARE FIRED!” Gideon threatened.
The young rabbit froze on the spot, his foot catching on a rock and sending him skidding along the dirt. He groaned loudly as he lay prone on the dirt, allowing his dumpy pursuer to finally catch up to him. “Sorry, huff puff, I didn’t mean ta threaten you like that, I, I, wheeze, didn’t know how else to stop ya. Now why, huff huff, did ya run off, ooouugg, like that?” Gideon gasped as he tried to catch his breath.
By now Judy had caught up with the two, the rabbit taking position behind a stall as she heard her brother whimper “I didn’t mean it!” while curled up in the foetal position.
“Didn’t mean what?” Gideon inquired as he tried to ignore the stabbing pain in his side.
“I DIDN’T MEAN TO WIN!” Kurt wailed pathetically.
“I, I, I don’t understand” Gideon replied in bafflement. “What do ya mean ya didn’t mean to win?”
“I… I was growing tired of just being your apprentice. I felt that… if I placed in the contest, I might impress you enough that you would let me bake with you guys” Kurt confessed pathetically. “I know I’m supposed to learn, but I really do think I’m ready. But….”
“But what?”
“It was your recipe” Kurt admitted as he tried to hide face from Gideon.
“What?”
“I used… one of your recipes for the contest. It was one of the bad ones, one we didn’t use because it wasn’t popular. I’ve spent the past few weeks trying to make it better, and when I did, I entered it. I didn’t mean to win, and I didn’t mean to make you look bad” Kurt whimpered while slowly uncoiling. Tears were streaming down his face, his hands clasping the ribbon tightly. “You should’ve won this” he admitted, the pretty blue thing held out to Gideon. “I don’t deserve it, as I used your recipe. I just, wasn’t smart enough to make my own. I’m just a stupid, carrot farming bunny” he bitterly conceded.
The fox looked at the first place ribbon he had worked so hard to try and win, and at the crying rabbit on the ground. His thumb rubbed across the soft fabric, and he knew precisely what to say as he grabbed Kurt by the head. “Kurt, I want you to remember this moment the next time you think you think you will never be anythin’ more than just a stupid carrot farmin’ dumb bunny” he uttered.
Slowly, Gideon turned Kurt’s head about, just so he could look his student in the eye. “Kurtis Hopps, you are a dang smart kid, and don’t you ever forget that” Gideon announced. Kurt’s eyes widened as his mentor’s face softened, and he released his protégée. “That’s right Kurt, ya heard me. I, am so dang proud of you right now, you have no clue. Do you know what you just went and did?” he questioned excitedly.
Kurt shook his head. “You just went and beat people who have been bakin’ for most of their lives. You went and beat me Kurt, your own boss, at what he does best. Now it takes some powerful smarts and creativity to do that” the fox grinned as he hooked his hand under the rabbit’s arm.
“So, you’re not mad?” Kurt questioned as Gideon helped him up.
“Heck no Kurt, I, I, I wouldn’t get proper mad at ya unless you got me good and steamed. But you ain’t got me steamed Kurt, ya got me pleased as all heck. If you ask me, I, I think you’ve earned this” Gideon smiled widely as he pinned the first place ribbon to Kurt’s shirt.
The young rabbit stared down at it with awe. “Thank you, mister Grey” he said gratefully.
“It ain’t work hours Hopps, you can call me Gideon now” the fox requested.
“Thank you… Gideon” Kurt smiled.
“I, I, I can always spot talent, and I, I knew you had greatness in ya. I only wish I, I, I had seen it sooner. I know I joke around a lot, but I, I’m being sincere when I say you will definitely be the one succeeds me and takes over the bakery when I’m old and grey” Gideon declared proudly.
“But… you’re already grey” Kurt remarked, earning a smile from Gideon.
“I’m Gideon Grey.”
“You’re Gideon Grey.”
They laughed happily at that one, and even Judy had to supress a few giggles as to not give her position away. “Ooooh, it’s been a while since I laughed like that” Gideon wistfully remarked.
“Yeah, I kinda feel like that too” Kurt nodded.
“Well, while you’re feelin’ good, you should go show off that fancy ribbon to your folks. I’m sure mister and missus H would love to see their little champion” Gideon grinned.
“Thank you, Gideon” Kurt smiled as he did just that, not even noticing Judy as he past her by.
“ALSO THANK THE JUDGE FOR YOUR RIBBON! YOU KNOW I CAN’T ABIDE BY RUDENESS IN MY STAFF!” Gideon called as the young rabbit was almost out of sight.
Sighing contentedly, the large fox sighed contentedly as he parked his keister on an available tree stump, a handkerchief to his brow. “That was really touching Gideon” Judy remarked as she stepped out from the stall.
The fox almost fell off the stump in surprise, but he managed to hold on at the last second. “You were watchin’ all that?” Gideon asked, his cheeks rosy red.
“Most of it. And I will say, you really gave me a sense of déjà vu” the rabbit said as she took a seat next to Gideon.
“Why is that?”
“Don’t you remember this place from sixteen years ago?” Judy inquired.
Suveying the area, Gideon’s eyes went wide as he finally managed to connect the dots. “Th-this is where I… this is where I… stole Carlotta’s tickets, and then I, I, I, I, I, I” he stammered repeatedly.
“Scratched me. It was funny, actually, that what you said to my brother was what you said to me, almost word for word. The only things different was your tone, and one word” Judy smiled.
“I, I, I did?” Gideon questioned.
“Yep, pretty spooky, actually.”
“Huh. You know, I, I, I sometimes heard things about karma and whatnot. Maybe this was my chance to do the right thing this time round” Gideon theorized.
“Y’know what Gideon, I think you might be right” Judy nodded in agreement.
“Well, I, I, I may not be as smart as you, but I can be right about some things. Your little brother really did surprise me, although…” Gideon trailed off absently.
“Although?”
“Well, just keep this between you and me, but while Kurt did win through some smarts and creativity, but I, I reckon he won mostly through dumb luck” the fox announced.
“You sound a little jealous Gideon” Judy teased.
“Maybe just a little, but see, on the day I made my entry, I didn’t have time to be selective with my produce. I ended up choosing some real tart fruit by mistake. I used some sugar to even it out, but it wasn’t the best. Now see, my entry won second place mostly cause I, I, I got the crust perfect and used a boatload of sugar to sweeten it, and while Cory is good at what he does, he has no love in his pies, which is why he got third” Gideon explained.
“Nothing worse than a pie as sour as the person who made it” Judy quoted.
“Too true Judy” Gideon smiled. “Your brother’s work was pretty dang sloppy, but I think that he had the advantage since he had your family’s entire farm at his disposal. He probably spent hours tryin’ to find the best produce he could find.”
“Huh, now that you mention it, he did spend quite a bit of time in the fields all week” Judy recalled.
“Mmm, probably. So, your brother got pretty dang lucky is what I reckon, but don’t tell nobody about that course” Gideon requested.
“My lips are sealed, cop’s honour” Judy pledged.
“Thank you. I, I, I want Kurt to feel a lot more confident about himself, which is why I want to make sure this win means somethin’ to him Judy. He always seems so down about himself, so I, I think this is what he needs to really boost him up” the fox explained.
“I… I just wish mister Grey would believe in me enough that I could work alongside the others as equals.”
“You know what? I think you’ve done just that” Judy smiled warmly.
“I, I, I’m glad I helped him out however I can. This business ain’t easy” Gideon replied wistfully. The two smiled contentedly while staring off into the distance for a while. But something was tugging at the fox conscience, and he really needed to say this now before he lost his nerve. So, with all the confidence he could muster, Gideon took Judy’s hand in his. “Judy, there is something I, I, I, I need to tell you” he began nervously.
This was the moment of truth. Do or die, and she needed to nip this in the bud. “Gideon, I know what you’re going to say” Judy replied hesitantly.
“Yo-you do?” Gideon stuttered.
She was ready for this, she had rehearsed it several times now. “Yes, and, I’m flattered, really, I am. I know that for the two weeks you’ve been trying to catch my eye, but I think I should set the record straight here. Gideon, I think you’ve become a wonderful, considerate, sweet, and caring person. If it were under any other circumstances, I would gladly go out with you. But as things are, I’m afraid you’re better off looking for someone else. You deserve someone who you can speak to in person, someone who you can sit down with every day, someone who can be there to enjoy your cooking, and I just can’t be that person. I’m a cop Gideon, and I’m married to the job and Zootopia until I can no longer write a ticket. I’m sorry Gideon, but there just can’t be a thing between us” Judy explained soulfully.
“Oh” Gideon uttered, a little taken back by all of that. “Actually, I, I, I, I was just gonna say that I’ll be real busy tomorrow, and probably won’t be able to see you off at the station” he explained.
“Oh” Judy uttered, her face turning red with embarrassment.
Gideon smiled broadly, almost pulling a face reminiscent of a certain fox the rabbit knew. “Thank you for tellin’ me all that Judy. Honestly, I, I, I kinda figured this out durin’ our dinner date last week, when you made it pretty dang clear to me that we was just friends. So I, I, I, I knew to back off, as it wasn’t gonna happen. But it does make me feel better to hear all that from you, just so I, I, I don’t have to fret over what could have been” the fox said appreciatively.
Judy chuckled as she playfully gave him a light tap in the arm. “Heh. I really did mean all that though Gideon. Really, I’m surprised women don’t throw themselves at you daily. Do you even know how many Zootopian women would fawn over a guy that can cook? You’d have all your nights booked for months” Judy exclaimed.
“You really think so?” Gideon asked hopefully.
“Oh yeah. I mean, there are many species with a real sweet tooth, and they would love to get a hold of a sweet guy like you and never let go” Judy chuckled.
“Well maybe I should visit that big ol’ city sometime, to see if I could find missus Gideon Grey” the fox joked.
“Maybe” Judy smiled as she stared off into the distance. “So, what are you going to do with Kurt? After this little turn of events?”
“Well, I, I, I plan to keep him on dishes until the end of the month, then I, I will have him start bakin’, to see what he’s really made of. He surprised me real good today, so I wanna see what other surprises he’s got for me. But I will have him bake tomorrow, because there is no way I, I’m gonna let him get away with beatin’ me and not lettin’ me try the winnin’ entry, and I’ll bet the others are feelin’ the same. We’re gonna be pretty busy for the next few months, what with this surprisin’ win” Gideon informed Judy.
“Yeah, you did say that winning the contests will increase your sales” Judy recalled.
“Yessiree Judy. I, I mean, my pies are pretty popular, but for people to know a teenager won, well, they’ll be comin’ in from the far reaches of the tri-burrows to try the prodigy’s pies” Gideon excitedly explained.
“I’m glad to hear that” Judy smiled.
“And I’m glad to hear it Judy. It’s been great hearin’ you be so supportive of me, and I really do feel my conscious easin’ up a lot now that I know you forgive me” Gideon declared.
“You didn’t stutter that time” Judy pointed out.
“I don’t stutter as much unless I’m nervous or confused, and right now Judy, I have no reason to be neither” Gideon smiled happily.
Judy smiled too, and then she decided “why not?” “Gideon,” she said as she stood up on the stump, “don’t take what I’m about to do out of context, okay?”
“Ah, shu-sure, Judy” Gideon replied.
Closing her eyes and taking a deep breathe, Judy gave the fox a quick kiss on his cheek, before returning to her seated position and pretending that that didn’t just happen. Gideon’s felt at his cheek, and he sighed happily, little hearts orbiting around his head.
When Judy had come to Bunnyburrow, she had felt like the end of her holiday couldn’t come soon enough. And now that it was over, it felt like it was over too quickly. Truth be told it was much harder for her to stand at the train station with her family this time than it was the first time. Her parents waited by her side, and most of her siblings were behind her as they wall waited for the train. “Y’know, I honestly didn’t think I needed a vacation, as I hated the idea of not being able to do anything while the rest of the department were risking life and limb. But, I gotta admit guys, this was EXACTLY what I needed all along” she admitted to her parents.
“We’re really glad to hear that Judy, but did you remember everything? You’ve got all your clothes and your toiletries and everything?” Bonnie questioned earnestly.
“Yes mom, I’ve got everything” Judy replied just like a teenager would.
“At least you won’t be needing fox repellent this time” Stu joked. “Of course, if that Nick Wilde does act outside of his boundaries, you be sure to give him a little spritz in the eyes.”
“Dad, come on, Nick wouldn’t do that” Judy laughed, albeit awkwardly.
“It just doesn’t sit well with me that you have a male officer as your partner. I don’t want him putting the moves on my little girl” her father affirmed.
“Ha ha, I’ll be fine dad. Although, we technically have already reached first base when he pretended to bite my neck to stop Mayor Bellwether” Judy remarked as the train came into the station. “Uhh, dad, why are you standing so close to me?”
“I’m going to Zootopia to give that fox a piece of my mind!” Stu snarled. “No one bites my daughter on the neck and gets away with it!” he furiously vowed, until he was pulled back by Bonnie.
“Come on Stu, Judy’s old enough to fight her own battles. But you did cover it up, right? I mean, we are bunnies, so I don’t want people thinking the mark is a hickey and that you’re a tramp or anything like that” Bonnie remarked.
“Mom, come on, I was joking, sorta. But the train’s boarding now, I gotta go” she explained, her arms out wide.
Judy hugged her parents tightly, and waved to the rest of the family as she boarded the train. And as she did, she could have sworn she saw a familiar looking cougar board the train two coaches down. Eh, there are plenty of cougars in Bunnyburrow, so it probably wasn’t Sigmund. The doors closed behind her, and Judy waved to her family until the train was out of sight. Switching her music player to Gazelle, Judy quietly counted the miles to go until she was back in Zootopia as the scenery whizzed by her.
Oh oh oh oh
Try everything
Oh oh oh oh
Try everything
Oh oh oh oh
Try everything
Oh oh oh ohIt had taken Sigmund some time, but eventually he had found the address Gideon had given him. “You lived in that big ol’ city, so I, I, I’m trustin’ you with this delivery, seein’ as how you know the place.”
Knocking on the door politely, the cougar didn’t know what to expect as it opened, revealing a very overweight cheetah currently wearing some kind of workout gear. “Yello?” he said cheerfully.
“Ah, special delivery for uh, Benjamin Clawhauser?” Sigmund guessed. “Why does that name seem so familiar?”
“That is moi. Oh, is that the package?” Clawhauser grinned while eagerly eying the package in his fellow feline’s hands.
“Yes indeed. Here you go, and have a nice day” Sigmund replied, handing the package to Clawhauser and bolting.
“THANK YOU!” the cheetah called after the fleeing feline. “Huh, that guy kinda looked like my old friend Sigmund from school. Eh, probably a coincidence” he shrugged as he took the package inside. “Oooo~! Gideon Grey’s Real Good Baked Stuff” Clawhauser read off of the cover of the box. “Huh, I don’t know that bakery, it must be new.”
Keeping a watchful eye on the box, Clawhauuser opened it, a wave of blueberries rushing over him. The large feline shuddered in delight from the rich aroma of golden crust, and fresh berries. But what caught his eye, however, was an envelope stuck to the top of the box with an excessive amount of tape. Using a claw to cut it loose, Clawhauser regarded it for a moment, before his attention was reclaimed by the pie. After he had cut himself an extra-large, steaming slice of pie (with cream), Clawhauser sat down with a coffee as he opened up the envelope. The handwriting was a bit messy, but still somewhat legible, although it required the cheetah to read aloud. “Dear Officer Clawhauser, mah name is Gideon Grey. I’m a friend of Officer Hopps, and she said that if we met, we’d be real good friends. So, I am metaphorically extending the olive branch to you, in the hopes that we could be real good friends. This pie here is a token of friendship, and I hope you like it, as I made it mahself. Officer Hopps said that you liked baked stuff, so I felt a pie was… what is that? Oh, I guess he was trying to say “appropriate”? Right. So if you feel like being friends, feel free to write back to me. My home address is on the box. I hope to hear something from you. Yours truly, Gideon Grey.”
Clawhauser then proceeded to read the letter over again, and then a third time. Upon his third reading (and coincidentally third slice of pie), he had reached a conclusion. “EEEEEEEEE~! I HAVE A PEN PAL!” he squeed excitedly, his pudgy hands reaching for his pen and Gazelle notebook.
A month after her holiday, Officer Hopps was walking by the front desk of the ZPD, where she found Clawhauser laughing to himself as he read from a piece of paper. “Another letter from your pen pal?” Judy inquired curiously.
“Oh yeah, we’ve been sending letters non-stop Judy. Say, remind me, you lived in Bunnyburrow, right?” Clawhauser inquired.
“Yeah.”
“What’s it like?” the cheetah inquired eagerly.
“Why do you ask?” Judy retorted.
“Oh, I’m just planning a holiday. I’m going to meet up, with a friend” Clawhauser cryptically replied.
Category Story / All
Species Unspecified / Any
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