The bunnies exchanged looks with each other, seemingly out of discomfort. I wasn't sure why.

Judy gestured me down to her level, wanting to say something. I crouched as low as I could, but she still had to tiptoe.

"Uh, Cherry?" she whispered.  "A bunny can call another bunny cute, but when other animals do it, it's a little offensive, so be careful." 

"Right," I pondered for a moment. "My bad."

Judy laughed.  "That's okay.  You didn't know, so it's no big deal."

She walked back to where her other siblings were partially hiding and beckoned them to come out. Although some were quite shy, Judy's presence seemed to calm them down a bit and gradually build their courage to walk toward me. Before I knew it, more and more were pouring out of the other arched doorways until the room started to fill with tiny bunnies, ranging in many unique colors such as gray, gold brown, cream, pale yellow, black, and white to name a few. Everywhere there were so many eyes staring in astonishment that they seemed to multiply in each place I looked.

As before back at the farm stand, I lowered myself to try and get to their level and appear the least menacing as possible. There were many murmurings and mumblings all around and most dared not to come within four feet of me. Next to Judy, I could see her little niece who was fidgeting with her shirt and carefully hiding behind her.

"Heya, fam! This is my friend Cheribim; He's really friendly and wants to say hello! Come say Hi!"

Apparently, Judy wasn't very good at reading minds - let alone my mind.

There was still hesitation among them but Jack and Luna came skipping through the crowd and came within two feet of my knee before stopping in their tracks.

"Jack, Luna," Judy called. "Remember how brave you were earlier today? Show everyone how brave you are."

I looked over at Jack and extended my hand before him. Holding it out flat, I gestured him to give me a high-five, if that was a thing here. He looked at my hand, gave me a confused look, and peered over at Judy who gave him a reassuring smile.

"Give him Paw!" she smiled.

So that's what it's called here. Jack returned his eyes to my hand, glanced up at me, and I gave him one big nod. Without question, he raised his paw and swatted my palm while I cushioned the impact to hopefully not hurt him. He smiled with proudness and then Luna came over and did the same exact thing.

"See? He not mean." Jack insisted. 

"Not mean, not mean!" Luna sweetly repeated.

The other little bunnies looked at each other and tried to decide what to do. Judy then came closer with her little niece and I couldn't help but admire the kinderschema she had.  Indeed, she was an adorable bunny with bright hazel eyes. Compared to her siblings, she was much shorter.

"Hello," I greeted, coming to her level. "What's your name?"

"Tell him your name," Judy gently urged.

She looked up and down, fiddling with her dress." C-C-Cotton," she mumbled.

"Cotton?"

"...Yeah,"

Her tail was just as fluffy so that'd help me remember.  Thus, I nodded. "Cotton."

She lightly nodded back.

"Nice to meet you Cotton. My name is... Cheribim," I stuttered.

She tilted her head.  "Cherry?"

"No, not Cherry, Cheribim." 

"Cherry," she said again with a shy smile.  

I decided to roll with it and I nodded,  "Fine, Cherry."

In the background, I could hear a couple of the bunnies laughing. It was probably my name but at least it would loosen them up a bit. Cotton had a small nervous smile on her face so I decided to keep talking.

"Cotton's beautiful name. I like it."

She shyly smiled at the compliment but didn't seem to know what to say. 

"Aww, that's so sweet!" Judy happily commented. "Can you tell him thank you?" 

She twiddled back and forth in her dress.  "...Thank you!" she blushed.

I crouched down.  "Can you give me han-- paw?"

I held out my palm once again and she gladly gave it a hard but proud tap. It was hard to believe how small her paws were. As time went on, the mood of the room became less tense and more casual and some of the bunnies were now starting to become curious and talking more. A few here and a couple there would pull out my hand to get a visual on its size while others kept looking at my boots. All around the room, a multitude of questions and comments could be heard.

"Where's his claws?"

 "Why's he so tall?"

"I don't see any fangs or claws either..." 

"Is he from Tundra?"

"Why does he have five fingers?"

"He doesn't have any fur... no tail either," 

"He's a straaaange-looking bear."

"I like his eyes... they don't even move!" 

"Are those his ears?"

"I think he's a rhino,"

"Nah, he can't be,"

"His paw feels like marble,"

In this manner, many more comments and questions were circulating the room but I couldn't catch them all. In the back, I could see teenager-looking bunnies standing in the doorways who had just joined in. Most were like Hazel, trying to be cool and keep things smooth by staying up to date through their electronic social mediums; However, when they got a good look at me, they were quite mesmerized by my alien-like appearance and attempted to pull out their phones to take a picture.

Fortunately, Judy, being their older sister, did well to signal them to put their phones away and they all respected her. She knew that if we were to let any picture cycle through social media, it could definitely lead to some trouble. Luckily, just in case, I had methods of intercepting files by tapping into the same electronic frequency so I shouldn't have to worry about it.

Some of the teen bunnies carefully made their way towards me while trying not to step on their younger siblings. At the same time, I could feel the younglings starting to climb my leg and the back of my cape while the teens began to converse with me.

"Hey, sup," he casually nodded.

"Hello," I replied.

"So um, where you... where you from?" the teen bunny nervously asked, looking me over from head to toe.

"...Agartha," I answered.

He blinked a few times.  "Where's that?"

"Across the ocean," I shrugged.

I felt a small tap on my left knee, looked down, and could see a dark grey teen bunny with light green colored eyes. He opened his paw to reveal a small slip of paper and handed it to me. I unfolded it and it read: 'H0PPzF4RMfAMrUL3z'.

"What's this?" I asked.

"It's the WiFi password. Don't they have those where you're from?"

"Right," I nodded, "I'm sure we do."

"Dooo you have your phone with you? You should show us some pictures of where you're from!"

"Gladly," I pretended to reach for my phone even though I didn't have one. "Ah, you know, I left it at work....again"

"Oh, that's okay," he said taking one step forward.  " I'm Donovan by the way." 

He extended his tiny paw and I carefully but firmly shook it. One of the little bunnies slid down my shoulder, I swiftly caught her in time, wondered how she climbed up there,  placed her on the floor, and returned my focus to back Donovan.

"Cheribim," I gestured to myself.

"Cool name!" he smiled.  "Almost better than mine!"

"Almost."

"So, what kind of phone do you have?" he asked, trying to return back to the topic of phones.

I had to think back in time for a moment.  "It's a... Motorola flip phone,"

"Really? Haven't heard of it. I got the new Carrot iPhone and it's pretty cool. Wanna see?"

He showed me his phone and it was much bigger than I had envisioned. It looked similar to the ones found on my Earth hundreds of years ago back when Apple was a thing. I flipped it over but it had a little Carrot logo instead of an Apple which made me wonder if the CEO was named Steve Hops. I asked Donovan but he simply raised an eyebrow and shook his head. It was worth a guess, I suppose. On Earth-77, our phones were either retina integrated or built into the cerebrum; both versions were hardly noticeable whereas the ones here, by comparison, were like the size of a small brick. In other words, handheld phones were a trend on this planet but were old-school on mine.

"Cherry! We're glad you could make it! Bon, Judy, and I were wondering where you were."

"Yes! And you're just in time."

I looked up and spotted Stu and Bonnie standing near one of the back hallways, waving together. Both were wearing kitchen aprons with Stu wearing a dark blue with the phrase 'Keep calm and carrot it on' and Bonnie wearing a humble red white checkered pattern.

"Kids? Did you know that Cherry pushed my truck all the way home?" "He did??" one of them exclaimed.

"Yep! He sure did and we were all on board," Bonnie remarked. "Wasn't that nice of him?" "Did he break the truck?" a young bunny from the crowd asked.

"Oh, sweet heavens, no!" Bonnie laughed. "He did not break the truck."

"Yeah, she's just getting old is all. Getting old like me and your Pop-pop, right, Bon?" "Oh, yes, Stu. But don't forget me."

"Honey, you're looking younger than ever,"

"Oh, shush." Bonnie blushed.

Stu then pulled her in for a tender embrace and everyone in the room continued to mingle with one another. The parents disappeared back into the kitchen and the little bunnies continued to climb on me like a playground which drained me but also built my appetite towards supper. It sure smelled good from here and I could tell that the Hopps family had excellent cooks. The house initially had a scent of lavender but now it was being replaced by delicious scents of freshly cooked vegetables, spices and seasonings, olive oil, and so on. To be honest, I haven't had a hot meal in over 15 years so this was going to be a treat.

While keeping the kids at bay and under control, a little white bunny I hadn't seen before came directly in front of me and stared up into my eyes. Her eyes were almost the same color as my helmet so I carefully adjusted the nanoparticles around my helmet to make my two eyes appear slightly bigger and more natural. Maybe even friendlier if possible but it wouldn't be too much of a difference. My helmet had multiple eyes, with two primary eyes being bigger than the rest so I tried to make those larger and hide the others.

The tiny white bunny kept pivoting on one leg back and forth while swinging the other, with her paws in her pockets. She wanted to say something but was too shy to ask so I tried to be cordial.

"Hello little one, what's your name?"

"Sir, can you lift me?"

"What?"

"Please lift me."

"Umm..."

"Please," she begged with a innocent voice.

I looked over at Judy beside me but she was already talking nonchalantly to someone with her handheld Carrot iPhone. She looked like she had been talking to a friend for a while but the volume of the room was loud enough that I couldn't hear the dialogue well. Returning my attention to the little bunny who was still waiting in front of me, I gave in.

"Okay."

After bending over with arms out, low to the ground, and hands cupped, she walked into them and gripped between my index fingers and thumbs.

"Hold on." I directed.

She nodded with an eager smile so I lifted her up high above my head with arms fully extended outward. Thankfully, the ceiling had an extended and wide open sun tunnel that allowed me to do this which I didn't see before.

"Weeeeee! Weeeeeee!" she cheered. "I'm flying!!!"

All eyes in the room were upon her and she was at the center of everyone's undivided attention. "I wanna try!" someone shouted.

"Me too!"

After five seconds I brought her back down to Earth and she kept hopping in place due to her uncontained excitement. Many other bunnies started to circle around and hoped to get a turn.

"Again! Again!"

"Please! Do me!"

"Then me!"

"and me!"

"Me too!"

"Me three."

"One at a time please," Judy supervised, as she covered her phone's microphone to put her speaker on hold and smiled up at me. "You're doing great Cheribim, keep it up!" she finished with a wink before returning to her call.

One by one, I gave each of the other bunnies a turn, trying to get to as many as I could but I knew it would take all night. In my head, I was thinking 'Okay, anytime now' while hoping dinner would be ready soon. After getting to the fourth bunny, there was already a line forming that went outside the room. My gosh, I thought. Can't blame them because it's not every day that a human lifts you more than 6.5 feet in the air.

"Wooohoo!"

 "Yayy!"

"Yee Haa!" 

"Weeeeeee!"

"I can do this all niiiight!"

Not going to happen, I muttered. However, I would admit that it was somewhat joyful watching them be happy and laugh. These feelings felt so familiar and yet it's almost like I haven't experienced them in a lifetime. After getting into a rhythm, I was starting to overhear Judy's phone conversation while still lifting the bunnies one by one.

" ...and I'm just here with the family and all, plus, we had a pretty interesting day... ...Ha! Yeah right Nick! Remember that one truck?.... ...Oh, shush. You know I scored ten points higher than you on that mammal driver permit test!... "

They both kept chatting and it seemed like whoever she was talking to, this 'Nick' person, seemed like such a teaser, albeit an innocent one. It was nice to hear that type of personality for a change because nearly everyone in my world was almost too serious at times. Once in a while, we might tell a joke or two but getting a reaction was difficult when the people you shared it with were genetically modified to have void emotions.

"Supper's ready!" Bonnie called. 

"Coming mom!"

"We'll be right there!" 

"One sec!"

"Cherry? One more please?

"Please Chair? "

Had I not fallen from space the night before, I probably would've obliged but I instead looked upon all of them and shook my head once.

"Maybe later, I promise. Off you go now."

They all hopped away into one of the corridors and made their way to what sounded like the dining hall but I couldn't really see it. Moments later, it was just Judy and me in the main room and she was wrapping up the phone call.

" ...Looks like it's dinner time for us. Do me a favor Nick and stay out of trouble?... ...Do I know that? Yes. Yes, I do... Sure! Of course... Oh, Har Har! Gotta go. Sweet dreams! Bye!... "

She clicked her phone to end the call and gave herself an embarrassed facepalm laugh. "Oh Nick! He can be a crazy one for sure... especially on Mondays"

"Who is he?"

"He's my partner! A full-time comedian, friend, and cop, depending on what he wants to be, all rolled into one 'Wild' package!" "Sounds like an interesting mammal on the market."

"He sure is! You'll both have to meet sometime. Anyway, shall we go eat?" "Lead the way."

"Follow me!"

She skipped towards the back of the room and I got on all fours to pass under the first bunny-shaped archway. We were in a long corridor slanting downward with doors along the sides that were much too small for a human-like myself to enter but there was another bunny-shaped arch leading into the next room. I continued to crawl down my way through another corridor and it felt like I was chasing a bunny through a McDonald's playground.

At the end of the second hallway, we were in another room that was more square in appearance and had three more bunny archways with the middle one being the largest. There was a handmade rug placed in the middle of the room which spanned the entire floor and the three arches had curtains dangling to the floor. It looked like a dead-end until Judy grabbed one of the curtains and pulled it up to reveal another large area.

"Well, here we are!"

As she kindly held open the curtain door I crawled through and beheld a grand lofty spacious room. It was a lot to absorb as it had to be the largest room in the entire dwelling. It was almost like a quadruple decker room with multiple levels and balconies. Instead of being filled with Whos from Whoville, it was filled with over 250 bunnies from the Hopps family all gathered around scattered tables, categorized by age, across multiple levels of the room.

I got back on my boots, stood on one of the lower balconies next to Judy and Donovan, and panned my head around to get a better visual of the entire establishment while phasing out the various onlookers.

Patterned in a variety of pink colors like the rest of the house, it contained three large bunny arches across the room where the middle one was four times bigger than the rest; in fact, it was tall enough that even I could probably walk through it with extra height to spare. Inside the grand arch, I assumed was a stage for performances but it was actually the kitchen with both Bonnie and Stu inside who were running the show and preparing the food with some extra helpers on the side. For a family of this proportion, I was sure glad the children were well raised to support their parents in this daily task.

The little family member assistants were carrying plates around the dining area topped with blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, watermelon, celery, cucumbers, sprouts, corn, asparagus, artichokes, cabbage, kale bell peppers, vegetable soup, black beans, green beans, raspberry pies, kelp, spinach, and, of course, carrots. Lots of carrots of different sizes, lengths, and proportions.

While I was eyeing the delicious foods as they were being placed on the tables just like in those old T.V. commercials, I heard a sudden cracking of a voice over on my right. The voice was a bit croaky and quite a bit shaky that it caught me off guard for no one here could have such a rough voice. It's as if someone were about to give a speech but forgot to drink water, got a dry throat, and grew fifty years older. To my surprise, it was an elderly-looking grey-furred bunny sitting in a red sofa chair who had large rounded glasses the size of his head and was propped on his wooden cane. 

He shakingly pointed at me like an old soothsayer who was about to tell my fate.  "Heeey! I know eggzactly who you are and I know EGG-zactly what you are!" 

I tensed up defensively.

"You... ...You one of dem bears, you one of dem polar bears!" the old bunny continued.  "You're a loooong way from that ole' ice bucket Tundra town, you know that?"

Many young bunnies around him shook their heads while others rolled their eyes. I took a step closer to address the old fellow. "Actually, sir, I'm not a bear. I am more of a..."

"He's a polar bear Pop-pop!" Judy cut in.  "Yes, you're right! You got it!"

"Ohhh well of course I am right!" Pop-Pop proudly proclaimed as he firmly planted both paws atop his cane. 

Judy turned to me. "I'm sorry, he's just...he's a little too old for surprises."

"...And how many times I gonna tell ya Trudy?" Pop-pops butted in. "Those foxes are red... because they were made by the devil! Don't you get eaten by one of dem!"

"Oh, goodness." Judy facepalmed.

Her Pop-pop was definitely an interesting fellow with many years of elaborate parenting and grandparenting experience under his belt. After all, he did have 275 grandchildren so he must've had plenty of opportunities to hone his skills. Nevertheless, he was a bunny at an advanced age who was stricken with so many years of carrot farming that he was starting to lose it. I mean, why was he suddenly talking about foxes?

We all took our places and prepared to feast upon the lovely food before our eyes that was cooked with a large hint of TLC and a few drops of olive oil. The dining tables were a bit short and uncomfortable for my height so I decided to sit on one of the balcony stairways and use each step as a place to put a plate and a glass of water. They had orange juice, apple juice, and many other juices but the water was fine for now. This was about the third time I've had water from the Hopp's family and it was even better than the first two times. Perhaps it was because of the extra slice of cucumber.

The young bunnies gracefully passed plates around the room like it was Thanksgiving from one table to another and made sure everyone tried at least one of everything. Some were still nervous in my presence but managed to lighten up and give me a chance. There was so much to try and not enough room on the plate so it was necessary to have at least three plates handy. Each item on the menu was so special and unique in flavor that it deserved its own one-worded description. It would be an understatement to say that it was all simply tasty, appetizing, scrumptious, yummy, luscious, delectable, mouth-watering, fit for a king, delightful, lovely, wonderful, pleasant, enjoyable, appealing, enchanting, and charming.

Sometimes, I would close my eyes after each bite and think back to the good old days when my life took place in the simulation chambers. Things were much simpler then and the food was more than real, just like it was now. Having food that was grown at the right place, the right time, the right conditions, and prepared by the right creature made a huge difference that often goes underappreciated. In my world, our food was often manufactured by a machine, and, while it was quick, cheap, affordable, and kept us alive, it didn't help us live.

Luckily, Stu and Bonnie were able to sit down and partake of the masterpiece they created because they deserved it. They came over to me to ask how it all tasted and I gave them the biggest compliment I could ever express. Judy, Bonnie, and Stu saved me from starvation and words couldn't describe how meaningful it was.

Judy, Hazel, Donovan, and even Cotton came over to join me at the balcony stairway and we all enjoyed the meal together. 

"Are all your meals this... fancy?" I asked, absorbing the surreal reality.

"Nope, this is pretty casual," he answered with his mouth full.

This world really was something.

We talked about many things such as movies, music, and even sports. There was still a bit of a cultural barrier because everything had different names here while still sounding similar. Hazel, in particular, was pretty fond of movies so we discussed the ones we've seen and tried to make sense of them:

"Cherry, when you get a chance, you have got to see Pig Hero 6! It's one of the greatest shows ever!"

 "I've heard of Big Hero 6..." I recalled, "...but have never seen Pig Hero 6... or even heard of it."

"What?? We have to change that!"

"Meh, he should watch Giraffic Park instead," Donovan suggested. "That one's a classic." 

I was confused.  "Giraffic Park? Don't you mean Jurassic Park?"

Now he was confused.  "Huh? Oh no, no, it's Giraffic Park. I'm not sure where you're getting 'Jerasic' from."

I began explaining,  "It denotes the second period of the Mesozoic era where... "  but decided to focus on the food instead.  "...never mind."

Cotton joined the conversation.  "My most favoritest is Wreck-it Rhino and Meowana!"

"Ooh, I definitely like that one!" another rabbit agreed.

"Aww, Cotton, remember we watched those every Friday night while I studied at the police academy?" Judy gushed. "I'd fall asleep every time and you'd keep watching."

In this manner, we continued to talk about movies and they kept mentioning some bizarre titles. I asked Judy what kind of name Cinderelephant was and she asked me what kind of name Cinderella was. Touché, I thought.

We changed topics and began to briefly discuss music which was hard because I had to act like I wasn't from a different planet. I enjoyed music but I was more into movie soundtracks since that's what I listened to in the background at my former data scientist job. Thus, I was quite unfamiliar with their songs and the songs of my world which meant that I couldn't bridge the gap as I did with movies.

Next, we moved on to talk about sports. While many of the famous players here were completely different from the ones that lived on Earth-77 hundreds of years ago, the names of the actual sports weren't much different.

"So Cherry, what sports do you play?" Judy asked curiously. 

"I enjoy Rugby."

"What's Rug bee?" Hazel quizzed.

"It's a full-contact team sport that involves running with the ball and kicking it to score points." 

"Wow, so it's like football and soccer mixed together?" Donovan supposed.

I shook my head.  "No, it's more like rugby."

"Oh please!" Donovan chuckled. "It still doesn't beat soccer and nothing ever will." 

Donovan and I look over at Judy.

"What about you Judy?"

"Soccer's cool but I really enjoy kickboxing! I'll humbly admit I was top of my class at the academy." Judy braggingly smiled as she was shadowboxing in place.

"I remember you literally took down a Rhino! Bigger than Wreck-it Rhino!"

"A Rhino??" I quietly gasped. "Yep! She sure did!"

"Ha! Thank you Hazel! He left himself open so I just went for it."

We continued in this manner to talk about the fun hobbies life had to offer and we did this for over an hour after supper. There were even freshly baked gourmet raspberry pies for dessert but, surprisingly, they were not made by Bonnie and Stu; instead, they were made by someone outside the family named Gideon who had a local bakery. The grand dining room was slowly emptying as the little bunnies were filing their way out and carrying used dishes to the sink. One wouldn't believe how tall the stack got.

Fortunately, there were at least ten bunnies who were assigned the chore so that many helping paws would speed up the process. I walked over and offered to help but they and the parents repeatedly insisted that I rest.

As I promised before dinner, the bunnies that didn't get lifted in the air would finally get their turn. Most held me to my word so it was about time that I used the stored food energy and put it to good use. I was still tired from the fall but I couldn't let them down.

The room was an excellent place to lift them up and was also high enough to allow me to toss some in the air and catch them. As before, they all lined up and I got right back into my cycle except that I was adding more height to the package. Some of the bunny kids were on the balconies and insisted that I reached up and caught them as they jumped from the upper balcony. Talk about trust fall.

About twenty-seven minutes passed and I miraculously got through all the bunnies thanks to Judy's efficiency and supervision. It was getting late and was time for the younglings to get to bed, according to Bonnie. According to my wrist, it was about 21:47.

Many of the little bunnies wanted to keep playing all night but I was impressed with how obedient most of them were towards Bonnie so they did as they were told and hopped towards their rooms. The dining area was getting empty compared to before and there were seven of us remaining. I felt something soft wrap around my boot, looked down, and was surprised to see that it was Cotton hugging it like a stuffed animal.

"Good Night Cherry!"

 "Night Cotton."

She ran towards Judy and hopped right into a tight tender embrace. "Aww, goodnight my little sweet Cottonball! I love you so much!" "Love you toooo!" Cotton sang.

Judy kissed her on the cheek, smiled brightly, and set her down.

She playfully skipped away towards the hallway and one of her siblings guided her by the paw before disappearing from view.

"Time to hit the hay sack. I'm worn," Donovan yawned. "Goodnight everyone, goodnight Mr. Cheribim" "Good night,"

"Good night Don!,"

"See you all tomorrow," Hazel mumbled as she dragged her feet across the floor and headed towards the bedroom hall.

It was down to four of us now and we were all standing in the middle, Bonnie, Stu, Judy, and I. A moment of silence passed and we all looked at eat other and smiled as we took in the gratifying evening everyone had. I looked at Stu, Bonnie looked at Judy, Judy looked at me, and Stu looked at Bonnie but we simply gave each other a nod and no one spoke.

Since no one else appeared to be around, I broke the silence by pulling off my helmet and propped it under my right arm. They already knew what I truly looked like but it was still an adjustment for them to see a human face again. All eyes were on me so I looked at each of them one by one and decided that I should say something. I was starting to get a little emotional so I slowly inhaled while doing my best to hide it since I didn't have my helmet anymore.

"Stu... Bonnie... Judy... ...Thank you. Really, I can't thank you three enough for... ...for everything." "It was our pleasure!"

"Absolutely! Thanks to you, we all made it home in one piece. Your help today was the 'Cherry' on the carrot cake"

"Oh, yes! We enjoyed having you as a guest and our kids talked wonders about you. It's not everyday they get to meet another mammal like you outside of their species, let alone one that's taller than two farm trucks stacked on top of each other."

"Hopefully they weren't too crazy on you. Those kids, I'll say, they sometimes think we're like an oak tree that's free to climb! But for you...well...you were probably more like a giant walking glacier to them."

"Yes, they were very cu...err...great! (ahem) They were great... Thick glacier... with a melted heart." "Yep, they tend to do that. One of the 'many' many reasons we love them so much!"

"I can imagine. Their energy levels, their affection, their willingness to help out around the house, especially in the kitchen, that was great. And the food, my goodness, the food was just phenomenal ."

"And to think you almost missed out on my mother's famous cooking! Good thing I stopped you from wandering off to who knows where."

"It was a good save because she is an exceptional cook."

"Do I not remind you of that everyday Bon? That you're one of the finest chefs in Bunnyburrow? Even Cheribim can say 'Amen' to that!"

I nodded.  "Amen for sure Stu."

"Why, thank you, guys.  I try my best.  It's all part of the fun package of being a mother, you know.  It's always worth it.  Not always easy with our crazy bunny family... but I couldn't have asked for anything better. There's nowhere I'd rather be than here... with those I love and care for most."

Bonnie cradles Judy's paws, both give each other a humble smile and Stu pulls them all into a lovingly tight family embrace. If I had a camera, this would've made a good family picture. While they were in the embrace, I panned my head to look upon the back walls of the dining area and noticed over 30 more family pictures hanging together in harmony. Some looked old while others looked new but the overall feeling was mutual and heartwarming.

The entire ambiance was quite calming and reverent but I felt a bit out of place. Maybe it was because they were bunnies.  Obviously.

As a human, I didn't want to distract them from the rest of their evening. Ultimately, it was getting late so I decided it was time for me to go.  

I headed for the exit.  "Alright, well... thanks again."

"Wait, Cherry,"  Judy stood in front of me.  "Where are you going?"

I paused for a moment to think.  "Find a hotel, I suppose."

"Hotel? There are no hotels around here," Bonnie said.  "Not for hundreds of miles."

"Motel?" I suggested.

"Actually, those are all booked.  Especially during the Carrot Days Festival," Judy explained.

"I'll figure something else out," I said, heading for the exit again.  "Goodnight."

"Hold up though," Bonnie ran over to me.  "There is one place that may still have vacancies." 

"Yep!  We know just the place," Stu said.

"Where?"

"Right!" Stu continued. "So...uh, it's not too far from here. Heck, I'd say it's about walking distance right here in Bunnyburrow. Now, it's not exactly a hotel or anything and it's definitely 'not' like Palm Hotel but it'll do. Budget-wise, it's pretty manageable and you won't have to worry about any of those howling wolves to keep you up all night and..."

Bonnie cuts in. "Oh, Stu. Just tell him."

"Alright, alright. So we've got good news for you! Are you ready?"

I gave him a curious stare, wondering where he was going with this. 

"Okay, here's the best part:   You're already checked in!"

I tilted my head, confused.  "What?"

"You're all checked in, free of charge.  Welcome to the Hopps Family home for the night!"

I shook my head.  "I'm still not following. What do you mean by 'checked in?'"

"Cheribim, what my dad's saying is we've set aside a room for you. We're offering you to stay the night here."  

"What?" my eyes widened in disbelief as I stared back at the three bunnies.  "I, uh... can't possibly accept that."

"Why not?" Bonnie asked. 

I became doubtful. "You're going to allow a complete stranger to stay in your house?"

"You're not a stranger. Not anymore," Bonnie reassured. "You're our guest and we'd be delighted to have you."

"We're not just going to leave you out in the cold," Judy added. "Nope! Not on our watch." 

"Why not? And I thought polar bears thrived in the cold." I joked.

"Hmm, nice try," Judy grinned. "But first off, you're not a polar bear. And secondly, we already know your 'secret' identity." she winked. 

"Mm-hm, that's right, honey," Bonnie agreed.

I looked around the room to make sure no one was watching. With a family of 275, one would think that at least one would object. "Look, I cannot accept."

"We insist!  Please stay with us," Judy urged.  "My parents and I wanna offer this to you to show our appreciation.  If not, we might take it as an insult."

I sighed. "In other words, I can't say no?"

The bunnies only smiled, expecting one and only one simple answer.

" ...Besides," I gestured to myself. "I'm too big. How are you going to fit me?

"Ahh. Bonnie, Judy, and I were actually thinking about that earlier. We had no idea how the heck we'd fit you into a room... ...or for any room of that matter! It could've been here but Pop-pop often comes out here at night to sleepwalk, some of our kids may sneak out for a light midnight snack, or, heck, if you're an avid snorer, which I don't assume, then the dining room would amplify it and the whole house would sound like an old lawnmower. You get it, Cherry. Yeah, so we improvised. We found a suitable place that you can stay in. Remember that garage you saw when you first came? The one where we unloaded the truck?"

I thought about it momentarily and recalled seeing Bonnie and Stu unloading the crates from earlier today and placing them into the garage. It was adjacent to the house, had a similar design pattern, and was well decorated enough to pass off like a house. Thus, I nodded to hear more.

"Right, so, a fun fact for you: That garage wasn't always a garage. For Bonnie and I, it was our first original house that we built before we had a family. One month later, after we finally decided to settle down hard, we built a bigger house next to it and converted it to a garage."

I gave a subtle nod. "Interesting."

"It may not be tall enough but it's definitely spacious enough for you to lie down and rest. We even made a little makeshift bed for you in there with everything you'll need."

"Oh, yes. Judy, Stu, and I gathered as many extra pillows around the house as we could since we didn't have a mattress ready for someone of your size. We didn't know how tall you were  so we made our best guess and left you some extras just in case."

I stuttered, still unable to fathom this family's hospitality.  "I...I don't know what to say..." 

"Pft, There's nothing to say!" Stu waved his paw dismissively. "Please, make yourself at home! After all, 'Tu casa es mi casa' "

Bonnie elbowed him gently. "Umm, Stu? I believe it's 'Mi casa es tu casa'... "

The dad facepalmed. "Oh... cripes, that's right," and chuckled at himself.  "Well, uh, you knew what I meant."

This family would have to take a compassion fatigue assessment after all they've done for me.  "I owe you three. Big time."

"There's nothing to owe! Helping others is what we cherish. Whether that help comes from a simple carrot farmer like Stu and I or a brave police officer like my sweet daughter Judy, it's a family duty we hold close to our hearts".

We all stood there heartfelt, and it was an incredible feeling to be among a family that was so genuine. It felt like a dream that was too good to be happening. If only a night like this could be recreated with my actual people so that I wouldn't feel out of place. My past experiences in the previous world, as difficult as they were, helped me to appreciate the small, happy moments no matter how short-lived they were or what form they took.

Judy's phone suddenly made low, nearly inaudible notification sounds. She pulls out the phone, and both her eyes widen. "Oh, sweet cheese and crackers, is that the time? It's already one hour past!"

"Alright everyone!" Stu clapped. "Good talk! Let's all get some adequate rest because tomorrow is going to be another big day." "That's right Stu." Bonnie yawned. "Everyone else is down for the night so let's set a good example."

Stu places a paw on Bonnie's back. "Right behind you honey."

"Good night mom, good night dad! I'll show Cherry the way."

"Thank you Jude the dude! "

"Rest well sweetheart! And goodnight Cherry!" 

"You as well."

They both made their way to exit the large dining room with Stu escorting Bonnie, walked up to one of the balconies, dimmed the lights, and disappeared behind one of the bunny archway curtains. Now, only Judy and I remained in the room that was recently filled with over 200 energetic bunnies. I gave her a slight smile and she, as she always does with everyone, gave a smile back.

"Judy."

"Yes, Cheribim?"

"Thanks again.  For everything."

"Of course!" She was about to say something else but instead, a brief moment of silence elapsed before she continued. "Well, ready to see your room?"

"Yes please." 

"Follow me."

Judy led the way through the archway and we took the same route as before with a little shortcut towards the front porch. The whole area was dark, the stars were out, the crickets were chirping, and the conditions to fall asleep were more than favorable. She walked down the porch and brought me to the garage that Stu was talking about. Despite it being called a 'garage', it was one of the fanciest ones I've ever seen and was like a miniature house that was well kept and well maintained.

Judy manually lifted the garage door, I got on all fours and crawled my way inside. There were pillows everywhere! They were neatly arranged into a tight grid to form the shape of a mattress that was about 8ft x 7ft which was a good size for me. For how small these bunnies were, they did a good job of estimating my height. Next to the pillow grid were multiple neatly folded blankets stacked together and the bed grid also had extra pillows on the side to be used for my head.

As I sat on the comfortable surface, I looked over at Judy who was still standing at the opening of the garage. "How is it?" she whispered.

"It's perfect, thank you, Judy."

"Glad you like it! If you need anything else, let me know."

 "Will do. Rest well, Judy."

"Goodnight, Cherry!"

She walked off, making her way back into the main house. Right before I was about to reach over and manually close the garage door, I took a brief moment to admire the numerous stars that dotted the night sky and the constellations that were full of stories. The star arrangements on this planet were different from the ones found back in my world but the marvel and brilliance of it all were just as good.

I closed the garage door and laid back to relax on the custom bed. It was a bit strange being atop of over 50 pillows but the level of comfort overshadowed it all and I was looking forward to finally getting a good night's rest. I unfolded one of the blankets, retracted my nanoparticle gloves, and closed my eyes to relax.

There were small steps moving towards the garage from the outside so I peered up to get a visual of what was coming but couldn't see anything. There was a light gentle tap on one of the side windows of the garage, I looked over and it was Judy. For some reason, she came back.

"Cherry?"

"...Yeah?"

"I'm sorry, I forgot to ask you one more thing. Will you go on a morning run with me tomorrow?"

 "Uh, sure, what time?"

"How does 7:30 sound?"

"That works."

"Great! See you tomorrow!" she waved before skipping away.

"Goodnight"

She disappeared back into the house and it was now only me and the garage. I waited a few moments in case she or someone else came outside but the coast was now clear. With such a long but eventful day behind me, I laid my head back onto the pillows and thought about my only objective: Getting some sleep. A morning run sounded nice but it was not on my radar at the current moment so I let that thought go. If Judy wakes me up, I'll go but otherwise, I may try to sleep in. Maybe she'll forget about it and go with Hazel instead which didn't sound like a bad idea.

Either way, it was time to hit the sack so I closed my eyes. For the first time in forever, I could fall asleep not worrying about how the world could end the next day. Instead, I could think about how a new day could begin. It felt like being home again...