And I just realized I'd kind of fudged Bernard's age/level of development.
Looking for love 3

"I'm home." Nick announced to whoever might be in the apartment, unsure where Judy was at the moment, likely still in transit, or if Barbara and Bernard were in. But there was Barbara at the dining room table, poking at one of the household laptops. Bernard was attempting to walk around, still very wobbly as a young kit, using the other dining room chairs as supports.

The Vixen gave Nick a guarded smile. Their current situation was based on their shared parentage of Bernard and they really didn't have much in common other wise, they remained coolly polite. But out of her need as a refugee, they were still sharing his apartment.

"I have good news and bad news for you. But - " He dramatically held up a paw, "It needs to be shared." He politely knocked on the wall near where a miniature landscape painting hung. The painting swung out from the wall to reveal a window with a matronly Rat peeking out. "Hello, Mrs. Bluth"

"And what is this news, Nicolas?" The extended Bluth family of rats lived in the wall and could not but have a level of connection with the Fox and Hare. Barbara and Bernard were now a delightful addition to the dynamic.

"First the good news." Nick went over to the sitting Vixen, "Your status has been finalized with both State and Social Services. You are totally in. Technically a resident alien with special refugee status, but you are wide open to citizenship as you wish." Nick brandished a fat envelope full of paperwork. Reaching inside, "And here are your new IDs and a stipend credit card."

After handing all that to her, Nick sat down across from her with a slightly pained expression.

"Now for the bad news. Your government typically has a hissyfit when there's an unauthorized emigration and our government, not wanting a fuss, usually does a dance to smooth things over and that's that. This time, our government got a backbone and told them to take a flying leap. You were the perfect poster girl for the persecuted refugee that they had been taking in all along."

He could tell she was very unhappy with that prospect.

"But they backed down and there won't be a media circus. However - " And Nick's tone turned grim. "There were veiled threats made. Our security agencies sort of doubt that there is a direct threat against you. More likely some kind of subversive acts against Zootopia. But they are also not taking any chances."

Barbara gave Nick a more alarmed glance. "You're not suggesting some kind of protective custody?"

"If you mean being stuck here for a while longer, protective custody, then yes. But it also means you'll have a special agent as a security escort."

"Seriously?"

"Look on the bright side, she can be your trusty native guide to the city so you won't feel so trapped here." Barbara had been reluctant to go out without Nick or Judy, and their work shifts didn't allow for many opportunities. "And Mara is a great Gal. We've worked with her before. Not always of barrel of laughs, but The Mammal to have your back when you need it."

As Barbara considered it, she realized that her government was likely vindictive enough to reach out against her even now. "Okay. But, do you have any idea as for how long?"

"That's the hard part. No one yet knows even IF there is a real threat, but they want to play it safe for now." Nick turned to Mrs. Bluth, "Ma'am, you folks always keep a pretty good eye out for things anyway, so this is a thing to be aware of." Nick got up and went back over to the window. "Here is a card with a contact number. You already have our numbers and the precinct, and if things are merely suspicious, call us first. But if there is a major shit-hit-the-fan thing, and only then, call this number first."

The Rat nodded gravely. She could not but overhear all kinds of police talk from Nick and Judy in the time they've been there, and knew when they were being serious, and this was Very Serious. "Do you know when this Agent Mara will be showing up?"

"Well, she's actually Agent Anlef." Nick turned to address both females, "Mara is a great agent, and deep down a very gentle soul, but she has had a hard life and has made her Very Private. So don't try and engage her about anything personal or her past. But if she opens up, let her. She needs more friends, but they need to be on her terms." Nick thought back about how Mara's superior had advised him with almost the same words.

"I don't know when she'll show up, other than sometime tonight. And for that matter, where's Judy?" Nick looked at his smart 'phone, no new messages and the clock said she was a bit late. He was about to call her up what he heard a bump at the door, and both a couple of Bluth children and Judy herself called out "Door!"

There she was, with armloads of grocery bags. "Talked to Mara and thought I'd better get more groceries. She said she'd be bringing dinner, but didn't say what. Said to expect her in about an hour."

Judy and Barbara exchanged smiles, they had become good friends once the Nick questions had been settled and all three went back to the kitchen to put things away.

"Nick told me about your status approval, and I got an earful from Mara about the rest of our situation." Judy seemed to take it all fairly casually and Barbara gave her a quizzical look. "What? It's not like we haven't saved Zootopia innumerable times before." Then Judy got serious, "After years of paparazzi parasites and trolls, the honestly very slight chance of murderous terrorists is almost a welcome change." then with a chuckle, "And it will be great to have an excuse to have Mara hang out with us for a while."

Barbara gave the pair a look. "You're both are crazy, you know that?"

Nick crossed his eyes and wagged his tongue and Judy feigned shocked surprise.

"Oh. I've got news too." Barbara went over to the computer she'd been working on. I put out some feelers that I was available, and, wow." She showed them a screen full of posts, and recognized some major publisher's names.

Nick was clearly delighted, but Judy was a bit puzzled. Seeing that, Barbara explained. "Editors usually don't get any obvious credit for the books they work on. Sure, the authors write them, but all too often with a lot of help from a good editor. Not just spelling and grammar, like a proofreader, but often helping define and polish what and how the story is being told. And I specialized in turning muddles into masterpieces. Too many authors don't know when to quit or quit too soon. They know what they want to tell, but often don't have any feel for what the reader is trying to figure out in the verbal hash."

Barbara paused to pick up Bernard, who was making That Face. He had just been potty trained, early for his age, but wasn't talking yet, so one had to keep an eye on him for his non-verbal cues. She continued as she took him to the bathroom. "So, while I was an unknown to the public, those in the business were aware of me. And if some of those offers are real, apparently, they think very highly of me. Certainly more than my previous employer."

After a further pause, and a happy squeal for a job well done, she came back out with the now very wiggly Kit in her arms. He loved being held by both Nick and Judy, though it was Judy who was the target for tonight. Her short, velvety coat and long ears were a constant fascination for him.

"Yes, you can eat your Aunt Judy now." Barbara didn't begrudge the affection shared by those two and her Son, knowing the pang of parental bliss both withheld and taken away. How terrible it must be for them to be so in love, yet not have that shared life between them. She also knew Judy well enough now that she was not the kind of female to split her attention between her career and Motherhood. Too intense of an all or nothing personality.

And that fool of a Fox. Barbara was not one of those male-hating females who took their social-sexual proclivities to a strident level. She just wasn't interested in having a male in her life. Well, except for when her biology betrayed her. Suppressants could take the edge off, but there had been times, like last year... She had to admit He had been a very gentle and attentive lover; Judy was a lucky girl to have him. But how she could stand him day-to-day was a mystery.

After a while of Kit wrangling and a review of the small mountain of paperwork that Nick had brought for Barbara to deal with, one of the Bluth youngsters popped open their window and called out, "A cat, bringing some take out?"

"Ahah! Dinner. Thanks, Julian. That ought to be Agent Anlef for future reference." Nick rushed to the door. "OMYGOODNESS, you shouldn't have!" as he opened the door to let Mara and her burden of take-out cartons in, immediately recognizing the source. "Judy, it's Teapot!"

After a brief flurry of help to get the prized burden on the table, introductions and explanations were made. Barbara was stuck by the soulful look in the Wildcat, though about her own age, those eyes had seen too much. And though she wore a causal sweater and sweats, there was a formality about her that was hard to place. But her voice, and in that Barbara tried to not betray some recognition, she caught an accent that could only mean terrible tragedy in her past.

As for the food, Nick and Judy could not resist the urge to pop open the various containers and begin to nibble. The Teapot was a little Asian-fusion restaurant was a favorite, but inconveniently distant, source for some truly brilliant dishes, blending tofu, nuts, and spices along with noodles and veggies for deceptively meaty yet vegan results. While Nick avoided meaty things for socio-political reasons, this was some really guilt-free carnivoring. And Judy, who was often squicked-out by even the idea of eating once-mobile life, found she really liked this faux flesh.

Barbara was stunned by the delightful effect in general, and Mara beamed with a mission well accomplished. Even Bernard had his little nose wiggling in interest, and as he was on the cusp of weaning, he was given a taste. However, the spicing proved to be a bit much for now and everyone laughed at his oo-ick face.

As they were wrapping up dinner, they began to go into what they were going to do next, especially regarding their guest.

"My formal mission is to simply see you safe. Presumably from hostile agents of your government. However, as you are now part of the Hopps/Wilde household, there is the small chance that their previous notoriety could also attract attention to you."

Both Nick and Judy made various faces of dismay and disgust with that mention. In the immediate post Bellwether period, there had been some real concern about her sympathizers, there had been threats made and even some plots thwarted. Then, simply for becoming famous, there was a wide range of types after them, groupies and wannabe celebrities-by-proxy as well as the to-be-expected media hounds. And the occasional crazy. Individuals fixated on them for whatever reasons their tortured minds might find.

Then later, once the two were identified as an interspecies couple, a new wave of attention and now, the disapproval of specie-ists of all manner of motive had to be contended with as well.

Mara could tell Barbara was considering all that. "We can take you to an anonymous safe house. In Zootopia it is easy enough to simple disappear into the crowds, so we would need not stay hidden inside." There was definitely some appeal in that, "But to be effective, it would be advisable to not have any contact with them anymore."

Barbara looked around at the Hare and Fox, and considered the rats as well. "I hope you don't mind if I'd want to stay here?"

Mara laughed. Nick made a very theatrically shocked face. Judy picked up Bernard and gave him a nuzzle. And there was a muffled cheer from the wall.

---

"Carrots. You seem awfully calm about all this."

Judy regarded the big red bed-warmer beside her. "Considering everything else we're already facing, this is just another note on the long list." She snuggled into his curve and he wrapped himself around her. "What I do worry about is what might happen to the city or its citizens."

"That's my Judith Laverne. And I guess I have to agree with you. The odds for any action against us are likely pretty minimal, and any broader action would likely be something Mara's friends would deal with."

"And likely not hear about it." Some of their earlier action with Anlef and Company had either been reported as more mundane criminal activity or simply 'never happened'.

"And I'm also not at all worried how you'll do with a house full of females."

"House full of females..." Nick made a yummy noise, then abruptly stopped as he felt Judy's arm stiffen for one of her deadly elbow jabs. "Joking! Joking!"