buster…"

Nick paused. His fists clenched…his paws shaking…

"…my family needs my help."

Nick walked down the front steps of the bank and onto the sidewalk. It was a quiet day, everyone going about their various concerns.

Suddenly, Nick spotted a police car pulling up and stopping beside him. Small town police, stopping in front of a stranger, who was carrying a suitcase…just his luck…but…

"Officer Wilde!" said a jolly voice.

Nick looked and smiled. It was Sheriff Donovan Shepard, the Border collie sheriff of Bunny Burrow.

"Sheriff Shepard!" said Nick, walking to the side of the car and extending his paw. Shepard shook his paw through the window with a jovial smile on his face.

"I didn't know you were in town," said Shepard. "So nice to see you. We barely had a chance to meet the last time you were here, on the day of the hearing."

"Yes, I remember," said Nick, remembering the hearing at the courthouse in which Nana Bernardine, Judy's oldest neighbour and the most elderly resident of Bunny Burrow, was cleared of all charges during the infamous crooked carnival incident.

"I'm on my way to the Hopps farm right now," said Nick. "Got something I need to take to them."

"Well, jump in, I'll give you a lift," said Shepard, opening the passenger door.

Shepard's squad car was clean and smelled of pine. It was a fine old model from the early 70's and it ran smooth and silky like it had just been purchased the day before. Nick admired a well-preserved car.

"I haven't had a chance to thank you personally, Officer Wilde," said Shepard. "You've done so much for my old sitter, Nana Bernardine. It was thanks to you and Judy that the real crooks were caught and all the people they framed could be cleared."

"Well, just answering the call of duty, Sheriff," said Nick.

"It sure is nice to know we have good folks from home keeping law and order in the big city," said Shepard. "Everybody was surprised and awed when Judy became the top of her class at the academy and was assigned to the heart of the city."

He looked at Nick.

"And it's nice to know we have city folk who are just as caring towards our small town as the people who were born and raised here."

Nick didn't know what to say. He smiled and looked at the farmland as Shepard drove down the road towards the Hopps farm.

"I only wish I can be of help," said Nick after a long silence. "I can only imagine what the farmers are going through."

"It is looking pretty bad," said Shepard gravely. "I remember the big black rot wave of 1967. I was a pup running about with my siblings, coming back from school. All the bunny farmers were grief stricken. Old Papa Hopps and his boys did everything they could to help everyone. Everyone pitched in and we managed to make it through the winter. Even the Grays pitched in, and the times couldn't have been less kind to them."

"Yes, I imagine," said Nick, remembering the teller from the bank.

"That's one thing about small towns," said Shepard. "They take much longer to adapt and change their ways than folks in the city do. We tend to hang onto our roots and beliefs much tighter, for better or for worse."

Shepard turned the car and drove down the earthen path of the Hopps family farm. He drove all the way down and stopped near the house. Bonnie and Judy walked out the front door just as Nick and Shepard got out of the car.

"Nick!" said Judy. "Where were you?"

"Sorry to run off like that," said Nick. "I just needed to take care of some business in town."

"Good morning, Mrs Hopps. Judy," said Sheriff Shepard, tipping his hat.

"Good morning, Sheriff Shepard," said the ladies.

"If I'd known Nick was with you, I wouldn't have worried, Sheriff," said Bonnie.

"Don't you fret now, Mrs Hopps, about a thing," said Shepard. "Everything will be alright. We'll all manage to pull through this."

The Sheriff bid them good day and drove off. Nick, Bonnie and Judy all waved goodbye and walked into the house.

"Where did you go?" asked Judy. "And what's with the suitcase?"

"I'll explain shortly," said Nick. "Can I talk to your dad for a moment?"

"He…um…he's in bed."

"Huh?"

"Stu had a little breakdown…a moment ago…" said Bonnie. "I put him to bed, he has a bit of a fever. Penny is giving him some camomile tea. I hope it will help."

"Mrs Hopps," said Nick. "I really need to talk to Mr Hopps. Just for a moment. Please."

"Of course, Nick," said Bonnie, not knowing what else to say.

Judy looked at Nick. That look in his face…she had never seen that look before.

"Nick…" she started, but he was halfway down the hallway already, clutching the suitcase tightly in his paw.

Bonnie and Judy looked sideways at each other and nodded. They followed quietly.

Nick knocked gently on the open door to the Hopps couple's room.

"Come in," said a weak voice.

The fox carefully walked in to find Stu Hopps lying down in bed under a warm quilt. He had a wet towel on his forehead and his daughter Penny, a few years younger than Judy, was giving him spoonfuls of camomile tea.

"Nick," said Stu, weakly but clearly abashed. "I'm truly sorry you had to be around to witness this. I wish it didn't have to be this way."

"Don't say that, Mr Hopps, I'm here for you all in the good times and hard times alike," said Nick.

Penny pulled a chair for her Uncle Nick and he sat down beside Stu's bed.

"I guess the shock just knocked the starch outta me," said Stu, smiling weakly. "Nobody would have believed…"

He fell silent, closing his eyes and shuddering a bit.

"Ahh…sorry."

"Don't apologise, Mr Hopps," said Nick, taking the bunny's paw.

Judy and Bonnie stood outside the doorway listening and watching the scene. They didn't know what to make of it. It all felt so surreal.

"Mr Hopps, I want you to rest easy knowing that you don't have to worry about any obligations with the bank," said Nick awkwardly.

"It's alright, Nick," said Stu. "We'll manage somehow. Maybe we can sell a few acres and…"

"No!" said Nick suddenly.

Everyone went silent, rather shocked at his outburst.

"Mr Hopps, I was never one for emotional displays, but lately I don't know what has been happening to me, but it doesn't matter…the point is, here," said Nick, opening the suitcase.

Bonnie and Judy gasped. Stu's eyes went wide, Penny covered her mouth with her paws.

It was filled to the brim…to the very brim…with money.

"Take it and pay your debts and don't you dare say 'I can't take it' because I won't accept 'No' for an answer and I'll leave this money here and run and take the nearest bus to Duckburg or somewhere faraway and not come back until you've used it to pay off your debts and that is all there is to it because you all mean so much to me and I could never even begin to tell you all how much you have changed my life and I love every one of you and there I said it and this is the only way I know of to show you all how much I care in this moment of great need! So there!" said Nick.

There was a stunned silence.

And then came the tears.

"Oh Nick…" Judy was the first to break down.

"That is…so generous of you…" Bonnie followed.

Stu's cheeks cascaded with tears as he hugged Nick, wet towel on his head and all, blubbering like a child with raw emotion.

Nick hugged him back. Then Judy and Bonnie joined in. Penny found a patch of fox to hug as well.

"You bunnies…so emotional," said Nick as the whole room blurred before him with tears that ran freely from his big green eyes and which he made no effort to hold back.

Stu Hopps was feeling much better the following day. He was up and about and even managed to drive with Judy and Nick to town, to do exactly what Nick had told him to do.

There was a little more cheer in the house now that their father was feeling better and the worries of debt were gone. The little bunnies sat down with Nick in the living room to show him their school work that evening. Nick sat on the floor in front of the coffee table. Judy sat on the sofa behind Nick with her paws on his shoulders, looking over his shoulder at the drawings that her youngest siblings had made at school.

"See? That's you, Uncle Nick, flying and saving the kids from the bad guys," said Kevin, Judy's youngest brother.

"It looks great, Kevin!" said Nick.

"And this is you, Uncle Nick, flying to the top of the tree and picking apples!" said Bianca, showing Nick her crayon drawing.

"Wow," said Nick. "Is that a cape?"

"Yeah! 'Cause you're a superhero, Uncle Nick!" said Bianca, hugging his arm lovingly.

"Aww," said Nick, hugging the sweet little bunny with one arm.

Judy rested her chin on Nick's shoulder, taking a deep breath of his welcoming scent. What he had done for her family, for her father and mother, for her family farm…nothing in this world could ever be enough to repay him for his selfless kindness.

In this time of

Previous Page

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37

Next page