A Mother, A Daughter, and A Tiger
Artwork by L-U-Y-A
Zootopia Central Station was abuzz with more activity than it had seen in the past few days. Every platform was packed to the brim with mammals of every size and species, from a lone giraffe in an elegant suit to a mixed band of small and large construction workers ranging from a bear to a beaver, while outside, fawn and cub, calf and pup alike danced through an open fire hydrant, the rushing water lending a touch of joy that the city hadn't felt for weeks.
And in the midst of the crowd, everyone's heads turned to follow the large tiger in the golf shirt and jeans as he left the escalator with a little beige bunny in a yellow-flowered white sundress on his shoulder and led another one by her paw, a tiny wheeled suitcase dangling from his claws. An elderly sow on the platform had nearly collapsed, and two officers, lion and rhino, couldn't stop blinking, but at that moment anyone could see that the three were too happy to care, even if they couldn't begin to know why.
“Oh, Geoff, look at them,” cooed a tall giraffe in a dark mahogany trench coat to her business-suited husband. He angled his head over to the escalator to see the little bunny nuzzle the tip of the tiger's whiskers as she clung tightly to his ear. “Isn't she just like our Jemima was at that age?” “Mom!” their daughter bleated, jolting her arm out of her sling and Tobias out of his reverie.
The atmosphere in the station drifted between exhilaration and a suspicious silence punctuated only by the clicking of phone cameras, but as Tobias and his bunnies stepped aboard the city metro, the city's jubilance did not let up. They found seats quickly when a hippo seated near the door shouted “Sis!” and bolted out the door into the arms of the calf and his mother on the platform, and a joyous whoop emanated from the carriage as the happy aunt hugged her nephew to her chest.
As if the hippo was her cue, Lilly eagerly climbed all over Tobias, squealing his name joyfully as her mother gently gripped his arm, fighting back tears even though she didn't need to. "Toby..." she began, but Tobias just put his paw out for her to step into and lifted her to his chest so she could try to pick up her daughter, barely holding back his own tears of joy as the little beige bunny nuzzled herself deep into the white fur on his neck, her mother clutching the fabric of his shirt so tightly that he swore he could feel her heart beating at its breakneck pace.
It was almost too crazy to think that some weeks and a lifetime ago they had sat together on this same train and she had been almost petrified with fear.
They had not forgotten the first time they sat together, when she desperately pulled her daughter next to her the moment the big tiger sat down with his iPaw. And now, she was letting her daughter climb all over him and cuddle him, and couldn't wait to do the same herself.
Tobias tried in vain not to giggle as Lilly fidgeted and quivered into his pocket till she was comfortably resting against his chest. Hazel could barely hide her own giggles as she and her tiger walked out of the station and towards his apartment, wondering just how many photos of a bunny-kit in a tiger's shirt pocket would be clicked and streaming across InstaGRRRam by the time they got home.
Home.
They'd been reunited for maybe half an hour, hardly known each other a few weeks, tiptoed around each other for days on end, admitted to have fallen in love only a day ago, and now she was thinking of his oversized-to-her bachelor pad as home.
The incredulity of it all was just beginning to sink in when Tobias closed the door behind him, briefly quieting the din of the non-stop celebration in the streets.
“Hazel, I missed you so much-” Tobias started, but Hazel's lips fluttered over his nose and the side of his jaw, her teeth pressing gently against his skin as her paws stroked as much of his cheeks as she could reach.
“Hush, now,” she whispered, directing her eyes towards his pocket, “Later. We’re back here in Zootopia. With you. That’s all that matters right now.”
Nodding in understanding, the feline gently tapped his shirt pocket playfully, saying, “Well, it seems that I misplaced our little bunny. Now, where could she have gone to?”
They both smiled as they heard the melodic giggling from within the fabric.
“Oh, dear,” smiled Hazel, “I can’t seem to find her as well. What ever shall we do?”
“I heard little bunnies like pancakes and ice cream. Maybe if we placed some on the table, she’ll come out of hiding?” he winked.
“I’m here, silly!” Lilly chirped excitedly, popping out of his shirt pocket like a Jack-in-the-box.
“Augghh!” screamed Tobias in mock fright. “Lily, you frightened me! Don’t do that! You’ll give me a heart attack.”
Lilly continued giggling while reaching up to nuzzle into his neck. “You can’t fool me, Toby. You’re the bravest mammal I’ve ever known.”
Swallowing a lump the size of his nose, Tobias reached up with one digit to caress her back, fighting back more tears. Hazel climbed into his lap to wrap her paws around his neck, burying her muzzle into the other side of his neck.
“Yes. Yes, he is,” her muffled voice reached his ears. “I never said thank you for saving us from that panther in the park, Toby. Thank you.”
Tobias said nothing, drained by the day’s events: the uncovering of former Mayor Bellwether’s plot to turn prey against all predators; the realization that the mammals had gone savage because of a drug and not because of some unknown virus or genetic disposition; the emotional reunion at the train station. The only thing keeping him from going to pieces was Hazel’s familiar scent filling his nostrils and Lilly’s tight grip on his neck. He wanted nothing more than to sit on the couch, embracing the two loves of his life.
Lilly was the first to stir, pulling away from him and, with the innocence of the young, asked, “So, where’s the ice cream?”
Tobias laughed out loud, the tension and stress of the past weeks finally melting away. He unashamedly guffawed, knowing that his fangs would be on display, but he felt comfortable, knowing they knew they had nothing to fear from him…not anymore.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of stories from Bunnyburrow, intense sessions of cuddling, nuzzling and caressing, takeout from a mostly-prey restaurant Tobias had seen on the way back from the gym, a ceremonial disposal of the imposing and now unnecessary tiger-tazer, and sometimes even quiet moments where a bunny and a tiger made up for all the missed gazing they had had to do over MuzzleTime.
And later that night, with his bunnies sleeping peacefully on his chest and in his arms, Tobias quietly let the sweet tears come, and was rewarded with the softness of gentle lips against his jaw and the touch of tiny paws against his fur.
There would be more gazing to be made up for in the next two days, more cuddling, more sheer joy of just being together and not having to worry about any savage attacks, and when the news of Gazelle's celebratory free concert would break, there would be eagerness on all three fronts to go, a daughter, a mother, and a tiger, as one with the city.
There would be all that and a bag of quinoa chips that Tobias had bought when he missed them so much it hurt, but it could wait till sunrise and being bounced out of bed by the most adorable bunny-kit he knew.
For now, holding them to him and feeling their mile-a-minute heartbeats was enough.
For now, he could let the tears come, and feel that after days of being hated and feared by an entire city, he was loved. A/N: This is the sequel to @emma89uk’s story, The Meetings. Chapter 1 takes place at the train station when Hazel and Lily arrive from Bunnyburrow and are met by Toby. Emma gave permission to my co-author, GuiltySpark2K12 to continue where she ended her story. He and I have co-written several chapters but would like to open it up to other writers as well. If anyone is interested, you can go to our AO3 site: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14580624/chapters/33693921
and drop a note in the Comments section and he will get in touch with you with the draft. Anyone who participates will be noted as a co-author for the chapter(s) they participate in.