Christmas with Hopps and Wilde

Chapter I: Hopping Around the Christmas Tree

The time of year has come again. Winter has fallen the residents of Zootopia, and many of them had gone in to hibernation. There were those, however, who did not. Whether by occupation or by habitation, some mammals did not hunker down for the three months that were to follow. Those that chose to stay awake would face increased lethargy and a stronger appetite. They did, however, have one thing that they looked forward to.

Christmas. A time of joy and being with family, as mammals all over the 12 districts of Zootopia celebrate the liberation from their primal ways.

We are not here to discuss history, however. Instead, this story opens to a busy precinct in the middle of the day. There, a small, grey rabbit is working with a sly, red fox to get their paperwork done before the day is out. Well, the fox's paperwork, anyway. Judy Hopps was very adamant about getting her paperwork done on time. Her partner, Nicholas Wilde… not so much.

He did good work in the field, to be sure. The pair of them were a dynamite team and nobody could argue otherwise. It was just that Nick tended to overlook certain procedures and paper filings after the perp was behind bars (or whatever crime they had stopped that day).

Nick threw a ball in the air, caught it with his teeth, and threw it again. His face was relaxed, and a small smile adorned his muzzle.

Judy, meanwhile, looked ready to strangle him.

"Nicholas P. Wilde, so help me, you will do this with me or I SWEAR I will never get you any of my farm's blueberries again!" She said

Nick tried to look offended. "Carrots! Do you not think I take my work seriously? Do you think that low of me? I thought we were past this."

Judy wasn't having any of it, however. "Some of these papers were due a month ago! A month, Nick!"

Nick sighed, and sat up straight in his chair. "Alright, fine then, Judes. If I can get this here stack-" he waved a thick, 150-page packet of skewed papers in his paws "-done within the next half hour, you have to take me to whatever shindig is going on at your place for Christmas."

"Actually, I'm going to be out of town. I'm heading back to BunnyBurrow to see my family for the holiday. And there's no way you could do all that in only half an hour!"

"Even better." Nick grinned. "So, do we have a deal?" he stuck out his paw.

Judy sighed. "Fine." She agreed, and shook.

Nick's entire demeanor changed on a dime. Focused with an intensity rarely seen, Judy could only watch in absolute awe as the red fox breezed through the papers. It was almost hypnotic to Judy, watching how fast his paws wrote, how he quickly set up a system of paper filling, how his arms moved and the muscles on his triceps bulged with every paper swipe and –

"Done!" barked Nick. Judy shook her head, clearing any thoughts that had been trying to get a foothold. She looked at the clock on the wall.

Five minutes to spare. She looked back at Nick, eyes wide and mouth hanging open.

"H-how? Who are you and what have you done with Nick?" Judy asked

Nick smirked. "Remember, we had a deal. I get to visit your family this Christmas!"

Judy shrugged and started walking out the door. "Yeah, I guess so, Mr. I-Can't-Be-Left-Alone-Over-Break."

Nick followed beside her. "What's that supposed to mean, Officer Fluff?"

"I mean," Judy answered "If you really wanted us to spend some time together over the holidays, all you had to do was ask. I would've invited you along to my hometown!"

Nick grinned. "Ah, but where's the fun in that? Besides, all the paperwork's done now, isn't it?"

Judy shook her head with a smile. "Come on, Slick. I was planning on leaving on the 12 train, but if we go get you packed quick we might still make the 1:30 departure."

Nick awoke to a hard tapping on his left shoulder. "Huhwhat?" He cleared his throat.

"What's up, Carrots?" He asked, looking to his left from the window he had been sleeping on. The two-hour train ride was very relaxing, but his neck was going to kill him later. He winced at the thought.

"We're here, that's what's up!" said Judy excitedly. Sure enough, when Nick looked back out the window, he saw the Bunny Burrow town sign coming closer and closer. He yawned, and then smiled. Judy was already grabbing their luggage out of the compartments. She tossed Nick's to him, and then slug her own bag over her shoulder.

Soon, the train slowed to a stop at the local station. Judy hopped out of her seat and Nick followed behind. The first thing they saw as they got off the train was a large mass of rabbits of all shapes and sizes. Four smaller ones in the front were holding a white banner that said "Welcome Home Judy!" in large, green paint. "And Nick" was added on to the banner in a smaller font, like it had been added after the banner was already finished. Even the paint, while also green, was slightly off-color.

"Hi everyone!" said Judy, running in to the mass of grey and white rabbits. Nick just watched her with a smile.

As he watched his friend greet her family, he felt a slight tugging on his pant legs. He looked down to see a small rabbit trying to get his attention. He smiled, doing his best not to show any teeth.

"Well, hello there!" he greeted. "And just who might you be?"

"I'm Tess! Are you like Gideon?" the bunny, Tess, asked. Judy must have heard her question, because she had bounced back over to them.

"You're exactly right, Tess! Nick is a fox. Everyone, this is Nick, my partner on the force. Nick, this is, well, everyone." Judy said.

Two older looking rabbits came up to greet Nick. The male rabbit with a trucker's cap spoke first.

"Hello, Nick! It's so nice to have you over for Christmas! I'm Stu, and this is my wife, Bonnie."

Bonnie waved her paw. "Yes, absolutely! Judy's said so much about you." Judy blushed in the background. Nick's eyebrow rose.

"Only good things, I hope." He joked.

"Well, she did say you liked blueberries." Said Stu

"Like them? Sir, I feel honored to have tasted your handiwork. They were berry delicious." Nick replied with a wink. Stu grinned as his chest inflated with rolled her eyes.

"Great, now he's going to be boasting about his blueberry patch all week." Bonnie said. Stu deflated a bit.

"Anyway," continued Bonnie "It's good to have you here, and we hope you enjoy your time with us."

Nick and Judy both smiled at her parents. "I have no doubt I will, Mrs. Hopps."

A few hours later, after all their luggage had been put away, Nick decided to interact with the rabbits that were coalescing in the living room. Well, one of the living rooms. With such a large family, there were multiple rooms for gathering together. There was one massive room that could fit everyone, but it was currently reserved for the dinner table. It was the one time of year where the Hopps' largest table had to be dragged out of storage, usually by about 30 bunnies, and set up. As such, unless you wanted to sit at the table, there was really no room to relax.

So far, none of the bunnies had seemed scared of him. Some were nervous, sure, but they also looked the type to be nervous around new animals in general, so Nick was not too concerned. He answered questions from the ever-curious horde, doing his best to keep the little ones entertained. Some of the questions were simple, like "Why are your ears so short?" and "How can I get a cool tail like yours!?"

Other questions, however, took a bit more cunning to reply to.

"Are you and Judy dating?" one asked. Another smacked the questioner's shoulder. "Of course, they are, dummy!" they said.

Nick snickered, and decided to interrupt before a fight broke out. "Actually, we're not. We're just friends. We're partners at the Zootopia Police Department, and that's it. Nothing more there."

Quite a few of them looked saddened, much to Nick's surprise. He was even sure he heard a few of them groan out an "Awwww". Luckily, before any of them could press any further, Judy poked her head in from the kitchen.

"Hey, Nick, do you want to come and help us make dinner?" She asked. Nick knew he couldn't say no to that smile.

"Sure, Judes, I'm coming." He replied as he stood up. Stepping carefully through the mass of rabbits, so as not to step on any, he got to the kitchen with relative ease. "What do you need?" He asked

"Ok, Nick, you can help Stu bake the carrot pies. We forgot a few ingredients for the other desserts, so Judy and I are going to go and get them really quick." Said Bonnie.

"I would love to." Nick replied.

"Oh, good, thank you! Come on, Judy, let's go." Bonnie said. Judy put down the bowl she was stirring and followed her mother.

"Thanks, Nick!" she said on her way out. Nick just smiled and waved goodbye. A smile still adorning his face, he turned back to face his partner's father. "Alright, sir. What do you need me to do?"

Bonnie started up the engine to the truck. Judy browsed through her phone, looking at some of her friend's posts on ZooBook.

"So, Judy, are you gonna tell me what's going on between you and your fox friend?" her mom asked. Judy looked at her, confused.

"What do you mean, Mom? We're friends." Judy answered.

"Don't lie to me, young lady. I could see your eyes light up whenever he was in the room. I know you like him."

"Wha-ah-pssshhh." Judy said with all the eloquence of a stuttering rabbit. "No I don't."

Bonnie just looked at her daughter with a deadpan expression. "Judy, please. I'm your mother. And it's ok. You've showed us a lot about how we've been treating predators, foxes especially, and if you like Nick as more than a friend we are going to support you."

Judy was quiet for a few seconds. "…Thanks mom."

"Now, that doesn't mean you should take your sweet time, either. You've got to take some initiative! Now, as for your father…" Judy's mom proceeded to tell her all about how she wooed over her father. The two of them laughed at the antics of both boys in their lives.

Meanwhile, back in the Hopps' kitchen, Stu and Nick were hard at work making multiple Carrot Cakes. Nick was icing the tops, and had proven to have quite the steady hand. Stu pulled the cakes out of the ovens as they were done.

"So, Nick." Said Stu "What's going on between you and my daughter?"

"Well, we've been planning a large jewel heist after Christmas." Nick joked.

"No, no." Stu laughed. "I mean, what's up with not telling anyone you're dating?"

Nick was genuinely surprised. "We're not, though. We're just friends."

Stu gave a smile. "But you'd like to be more, wouldn't you?" he asked. Nick rubbed the back of his head and nodded.

"Ah, well, I wouldn't say the thought hasn't crossed my mind…"

"Son, if there's one thing I've learned, it's that you've got to hold on to things that make you happy. And if you find someone like Judy that can make you happy, then you should hold on to them."

Nick nodded solemnly. "Wise words, sir."

"And judging by how she could not stop talking about you, I'd say she's probably scheming with my wife right now." warned Stu "In the meantime, let's get these pies in the oven now."

It wasn't long before the girls returned home with the groceries. With 5 little rabbit helpers, all the groceries were in the kitchen in no time at all. Soon, everyone was helping cook.

"Nick, could you grab me that box of flour on the top shelf there?" asked Judy.

"Sure thing, Carrots." Nick replied. Even for Nick, who was easily twice the height of most bunnies, had to stand on his tip-toes to reach the box she was referring to. His paw grazed the side of the box, trying to get a hold. Finally, his efforts proved successful, as he managed to get a hold of a corner.

"I've got it!" he said, as he began to bring it back down. But the unexpected amount of weight was too much for his precarious tip-toe position, and the box fell over. The contents poured like a waterfall all over the ground below.

And all over Judy, who happened to be right underneath. She had her eyes shut, and looked vaguely like a rabbit's ghost. She opened her eyes, and frowned at Nick. Nick grimaced.

"Uh, sorry?" he said. He turned to look near the sink for a towel. "Here, let me…"

Suddenly, he felt something puff on his shoulder as white powder coated his shirt. He looked back at Judy.

"Did you just…?" his question was cut off by a pawful of flour hitting his muzzle. Judy smirked at him.

"Oh, it is on!" Nick declared, reaching for her with outstretched paws. Judy laughed and hopped out of his reach. The two of them ran around the kitchen island, throwing various fruits and ingredients at each other. It didn't take long before both fox and bunny were laughing hard while covered in various powders and juices.

"If you're done making a mess, the table can be set." Said Bonnie. Judy and Nick grinned sheepishly and left the kitchen.

"Did you talk to her?" asked Stu

"Oh, yes. I have a feeling we're going to be seeing that fox around here for a while."

Stu chuckled. "He seems like a good sort. Heck, we acted just like that on our first date. Do you remember that mess we had to clean up in your uncle's kitchen?"

Bonnie smiled. "How can I not? It took us hours to clean that mess."

"Well, I'm thinking we let those two clean this mess, too." Stu said

"It's like you read my mind." His wife agreed with a smile.

"Dinner is served!" Nick held a bell a loft in his arm, and with a mighty swing, Judy hit it with a small bell hammer. The bell rung out with force, summoning hordes of bunnies from every which way. Within seconds, the massive table full of food went from vacant to overflowing.

Stu stood up at the head of the table. "Now, I just want to say a quick word before we dig in. It's been a great year for the farm, and I'm so proud of all of you. And Judy, I know we might say it a lot, but we are proud of the woman you've become. You're an inspiration to everyone here. And Nick, we hope to see you around a lot more in the future."

"Now, let's eat!"

The room exploded into a cacophony of utensils tinging, plates being passed and food being chewed. Laughter boomed from multiple sources. Nick found himself enjoying the company of a bunny's burrow much more than he thought he would. Judy, meanwhile, was happy to be back home in such a hectic environment.

It was several hours later, and very late in the evening. The food had been finished, and everyone was sitting in various couches in the second living room. Three Christmas trees stood proudly in the center of the room, with various presents underneath. Judy sat next to Nick on a couch, and watched with curiosity as her mom whispered in to one of her sister's ears. She looked up to Nick, but he didn't seem to notice. He was too engrossed in a conversation about something or other with one of her brothers.

Judy heard some giggling behind the couch, and looked behind her. Behind the couch, there was a long stick protruding from behind the cushion. It shook as the voice giggled some more, obviously being held by a pranking rabbit. She looked at the other end of the stick to see some mistletoe tied to the end. Nick was looking at it too, a flushed look on his face.

Judy looked over at her mom and dad. Her mom was grinning a devil's grin, while her father….

Her father just gave her a thumb up.

She looked back at Nick and smiled sheepishly. "I, uh, guess, if you want, we could, you know…?"

Nick looked just as nervous, but smiled as well. "It's alright, Judy. I don't mind." He began leaning in closer. Judy followed, both leaning closer and closer, their eyes closing in preparation for what was to come.

Suddenly, both of their sets of paws grabbed between the sofa cushion behind them, grabbing a small rabbit at the other end of the stick. They sat the small rabbit in between them. Nick recognized the small rabbit as Tess, the same one that had been hugging his tail earlier in the day.

"For conspiracy against ZPD," Nick said "A suitable punishment is demanded." A light kiss quickly adorned each of her cheeks, one from Nick and one from Judy.

Tess giggled. "Ick!" she said. Nick raised his eyebrow.

"Oh?" he said "Looks like someone needs another round. Officer Judy, are you ready?"

Judy giggled, and they leaned in to Tess's cheeks again. Suddenly, Tess jumped down to the ground below, leaving the momentum of Judy and Nick to kiss each other. Their eyes flew wide, not sure how to proceed, while also not wanting to stop the moment.

After a few seconds, Nick regained his cool, and leaned back against the sofa cushion. Judy pulled away too, however with much less chill. Her ears stood up on end, leaning each way someone so much as coughed.

Some bunny decided to distract the nervous tension by throwing a holiday classic on the large TV. Part of it was obscured from Nick and Judy's view by the trees, but they were still able to make out the plot. Something about a green cat in a town of dogs that loved Christmas. Eventually, the hard work of the day caught up to them both. The warm glow of the Christmas lights and the soft murmur of the television lured them to sleep, and before they knew it, Nick and Judy were fast asleep on the couch.

The next morning, Nick awoke with a loud yawn. He stretched his jaw wide and went to sit up when he realized something was on top of him.

Or rather, some bunny.

Judy laid across his stomach and chest, half-curled in a deep sleep. The sight of it was too adorable for Nick, and he could only barely conceal his pained squeal. Gently, gingerly, he began petting her ears against the back of her head.

Suddenly, she moved. It was a small shiver, but it was enough to stop Nick in his tracks. Laid his paws back over her chest in the most uncompromising position he could find. Judy moved around a little more, and slowly opened her eyes.

Nick didn't realize how much cute was on his chest. Big, purple eyes opened on his chest and looked directly in to his soul. With a small squeal Clawhauser would have been proud of, he looked away. Judy began realizing where she was, and on who she was. Her cheeks burned crimson as she jumped off Nick and, consequently, off of the couch.

"I-I'm going to go see about starting some breakfast." Judy stammered, and before Nick could utter a syllable, she disappeared in to the kitchen.

Nick sighed to himself. Sitting up, he allowed his body to fully stretch out. Sleeping in the position they had been in, while comfortable for maybe an hour or two, did not feel well over elongated periods. Every bone in his neck seemed to crack; which had the unfortunate reaction of waking every sleeping bunny within ten feet. Many of them grumbled, (some were even slightly startled that there was a fox in their burrow), but most just yawned and walked in to the kitchen.

Eventually, Judy walked back out with some Hoptarts and milk.

"What, no big fancy breakfast for the Hopps?" Nick asked

Judy slurped her milk. "No. Too much work to try and get everyone up at the same time. Breakfast and lunch are when you make it."

Nick nodded. "Makes sense." he grabbed the other packet of Hoptarts in her lap. To his joy, they were chocolate chip.

"Nothing beats the classics, eh Jude the dude?" Nick said. Judy punched him in the arm much harder than he had been expecting.

"Do not call me that again. EVER." Judy said in a tone that chilled Nick down to his bones. He gulped.

"Y-yes, Ma'am." he replied.

Judy smiled. "Good. Now, my parents are going to be down here soon, so we should get our gifts ready."

"You give gifts to every one of your siblings? How do you afford that?" he asked incredulously.

"We don't all get them from mom and dad. Mostly it's older siblings with jobs who can also afford things the kits would like. Since I now have a job, I was able to get some of them a little something." Judy explained.

"Well, now I feel worse for not getting them anything." he said

"Don't worry about it." she replied "I'm sure they didn't get you anything either."

Nick frowned. "Gee, thanks."

Judy giggled. "Don't worry, I got you something, too."

Nick sighed in mock relief. "Oh, good, I didn't want this to go to waste." From behind his back, in the couch cushion, he pulled out a box that looked like it got in a fight with an entire gift wrap aisle and lost. Judy's eyebrows rose.

"It looks. Um. Nice. And where we you hiding that?"

Nick waved her off. "Don't worry about it, fluff. And I know, the wrap job is bad. I never was very good at it." He handed her the box. "Besides, it's what's on the inside that counts."

With gentle paws, Judy took the box from her friend and looked down on it. It was rectangular, easily the dimensions of a shoe box, and yet something lightly rattled inside to suggest that it was anything but a pair of shoes. Paws quick as lightning, she unwrapped the present and opened the white box underneath.

Inside the box was a single, wooden Nutcracker Bunny. It had "ZPD" written on to its badge in permanent marker. Judy picked it up carefully, eyes widened to take in every detail of the craftsmanship.

"Nick, this is beautiful." she said. She laid it back down in the box, set the box on the floor, and leaned up to her friend to give him a hug. He didn't object.

A few minutes later, they parted again. Nick spoke up.

"I didn't really know what you would like, so I got something that reminded me of you. Now, don't laugh, but I used to really like nutcrackers when I was a pup. I used to imagine them, especially this one, making sure my Mom and I were safe."

"That's not silly, that's sweet. I'm honored, really, I am." Judy said. "Maybe I could meet your mom sometime."

The mood instantly soured. Nick tried to keep his composure, but his lips had already drew into a tight line.

"Maybe someday, Carrots. Maybe someday."

She wanted to ask more, but thought better of it and kept her mouth shut. With a much more somber tone than she had come in with, she left the living room to go get her present for Nick.

Nick just sat there as she left, his thoughts turning darker. He really hadn't wanted to be reminded of his mom. It was the main reason he had been so eager to get out of Zootopia for the holiday. Another Christmas in Zootopia with his mom was not something he was sure he would be able to manage.

A figure entered the room in the corner of his eye. He looked over to see Judy's mom waking some stubborn kits from their sleep. As said kits finally roused from slumber and made their ways out of the room, Judy's mom looked over to his place on the couch. Seeing he was awake, she smiled and bounded over to him. Nick put on his casual smile.

"Good morning, Nick!" she greeted. "Where's Judy?"

"She went to get something, I believe." He answered calmly. He tried to maintain his cool as best he could. Don't let them see they get to you, after all. But Bonnie was a mother, and could tell in an instant something was wrong.

"Nick, dear, are you alright? I hope we aren't too overbearing." She asked worriedly

He sighed. "No, it's just - complicated. Really, you all have been wonderful, especially to someone like me."

The air stagnated, as neither of them spoke. Before the awkwardness could really set in, Bonnie decided to give him some advice.

"I know it might be hard for you to open yourself to us, and I couldn't force you to. But Judy really cares about you, more than I think you know. She might not be able to help, but letting her know there's something bothering you might at least give you a shoulder to lean on."

"Nick remained silent, contemplating her words. He looked up at her, and nodded. "Ok."

Right at that moment, Judy walked back in to the room. She still had quite a few yards to cross before she made it to the two of them, but Bonnie decided it was best she made herself scarce. Those two were going to have an interesting conversation soon, and she needn't interfere.

Judy had searched high and low in her room, and it had still taken her a few minutes to find the present she had gotten Nick. It wasn't like her to lose things like this, but she had been in such a hurry to spend time with Nick and to hide the gift, she had just placed it in the first spot she could find. Now, however, she could not remember where that was.

Hindsight is 20/20, after all. Still, after a good five minutes of frantic searching, she found it underneath her bed, hidden in the back beside the night stand. She stood up with a grin as she walked back out of the room, the small box tucked under arm.

Walking back out to the living room, she arrived to see Nick still sitting on the couch, the Nutcracker lying beside him. Her mother stood in front of him, a serious expression on her face. Her mother noticed her, and before Judy could get closer, she walked out of the room.

"What was that about?" Judy asked as she got closer

"It's nothing, Carrots. Just some friendly mom-advice." Nick replied with a cool demeanor.

She wanted to press further, but decided against it. Instead, she opted for just giving Nick his present. She held the small rectangular box in both hands, holding it up to Nick's muzzle. He looked down at the box directly in his face, his eyes crossing to look down his muzzle. Judy giggled at the sight.

Nick growled lightheartedly, and bit playfully at the edge of the box. Judy laughed and pulled it away.

"Well, if that's how you're going to treat my present, I'm not sure you deserve it." Judy teased

"Please, Carrots." Nick said in mock-regret. "I've been good all year."

"Hmmmmmm." Judy exaggerated her thinking, complete with thumb on her chin and looking upwards. "Ok."

Judy handed him the box, and he unwrapped the box with more grace than she had expected. He wasn't delicate by any means, but it wasn't the ripping and tearing she had almost been expecting. Nick lifted the lid to the box, and found a single tie inside.

The tie itself was black with a dark green/light green double-stripe down running vertical down the center. At the bottom were two initials, a letter on either side of the stripe. "N.W."

Nick held it gently in his hands. The material was soft, almost like silk, and yet it felt sturdy in his paws. He smiled ear to ear. He looked up to Judy to thank her, and saw her grinning as well. For the first time, he decided to give her a hug. He held her close to his chest, making sure not to squeeze.

"Thank you." he said.

The rest of the day disappeared in a blur of Christmas activities. Nick remembers watching some of Judy's sibling open the presents they got each other, all simple but thoughtful gifts.

She had even managed to stuff him inside a Santa suit and forced him to read short Christmas books to the kits. A few of her brothers had laughed as they took pictures, but he had honestly enjoyed himself entertaining the younger kits.

All in all, the day went well. It amazed him how a family of almost 300 could love together so easily.

"I'm gonna miss you guys!" Judy cried as she hugged her parents. Nick stood off to the side, awkwardly waiting for his partner so they could get on the train together. After a few seconds and a few head noogies, much to Judy's chagrin, they parted. Even after they were on the train, Judy decided to stare out and wave on the steps while the train began moving. All her family waved back, much like they had when she first left the burrow to become a cop.

Judy turned to Nick. "Come on, let's go get a seat."

With that, Judy hopped past him. Nick smiled at her retreating form, and looked out the window to see the first few flakes of snowfall gently drift to the ground.

The snow fell, and the train chugged, and the two mammals talked.

And there was peace on earth.

Author's Notes

I meant to get this story uploaded before Christmas, but life happened, and I just couldn't find the time to finish it.

Well, here it is, the first half of my Zootopia Christmas story. Next chapter will focus on Nick's family. I hope to get it out as soon as possible.

I hope you enjoyed, and I wish you all the best 2017.