Greetings, everyone! The chapter you've been eagerly awaiting is finally here! (I'd like to assume you eagerly await every chapter, but no matter.) We've been really looking forward to writing this one too, and for good reason. Lots of plot stuff here, lots of exposition, and hopefully lots of fun. Enjoy. :)

Chapter 20: Meet the Wildes

Grand Palms Hotel

Floor 12 - Reynard's Suite

2: 33 PM

There was a long silence as the three foxes stared at each other, the only sound in the room being the quiet sobs of Harvey Montapue on the floor next to them. None of them were quite sure how to proceed, not even Count Reynard himself. Both he and his son had been anticipating this moment, yet they still found themselves at a loss for words actually seeing each other again after so long.

Because of that, it was Finnick who actually spoke up first. "So...heya, Nick. How ya been?"

The taller fox snapped out of his stupor and glared at him. "Could be better. How about you? Dad offered you a better deal, huh?"

"Hey, don't give me that!" Finnick shot back. "I saw an opportunity and I took it! It's the same mentality we've been living by for years, or have you forgotten that since taking up the blue?"

"You think this has been easy for me?! Why don't you try changing your entire lifestyle and then tell me how much better-!"

"Hey, anyone know how to spell 'crescendo'?"

Nick and Finnick briefly halted their argument, watching as Reynard typed a lengthy message into his phone. "Uh...c-r-e-s-c-e-n-d-o," Nick said slowly.

"Thanks. And...cre-send-o!" After a few more seconds of rapid clicking, he returned the phone to his pocket, then shifted his focus to the two smaller foxes. "Now boys, let's try to keep things civil. We're all friends here."

"Former friends," Finnick muttered. He stiffened as a cane was placed firmly between him and Nick.

"Be that as it may, I've put waaaaaaay too much time and effort into this arrangement to get derailed over your petty squabbling. I need a little peace and quiet here. Speaking of which…" He turned to the skunk still sobbing on the floor. "GET OUT!"

The arsonist squeaked and scurried out of the room on all fours. "Amazing how little you can do with an insane pyro skunk." Reynard shook his head and turned back to them again. "Now, we're all grown foxes here, so let's just sit down and have a pleasant chat over some tea. Savvy?"

Nick and Finnick looked at each other, more weirded out than angry at the moment. Finnick just shrugged in response, but Nick wasn't about to go along with it that easily. "After all that? You think I'm going to just sit down and have tea with you?"

A few minutes later, he was seated on the plush couch, slowly sipping at his tea with Finnick. He looked down at his cup in silent disbelief.

What just happened?

Man, I'm good.

Reynard turned on the false fireplace again and sat himself down on a stool in front of it, presumably to set the mood. "So what brings you around, son?"

Nick blinked, staring back at him. "Gee, I don't know. Is it the fact that I haven't seen you in over two decades or that you're now a criminal mastermind?"

He smiled back. "You tell me. What matters more to you?"

Nick tried to respond, but couldn't manage it. He grumbled to himself and took another swig of tea. "Whoa, you shut Nick up!" Finnick laughed. "Not bad, old mammal."

Reynard stared hard at his son, lightly tapping the cane on his lap. "But what you really want is answers, isn't it? You want to know where little ol' me has been all this time. What I've been up to since I walked out of your life."

Putting the tea to the side, Nick nodded. "You tell me what's going on. Then I'll decide what to do about it."

"I'm pretty curious myself," Finnick admitted. "Nicky boy doesn't like to talk about his past, not even to me."

"You're one to talk, Finnegan."

"Don't you dare-!"

"Very well," Reynard interrupted before they could go at it again. "Let's start from the beginning."

Happytown

Sherwood Apartments - Room 73

2: 35 PM

It felt like an eternity before the door finally opened. Judy couldn't tell if it was the anxiety of the moment or if the mammal on the other side was just that cautious. In a place like this, she wouldn't doubt either.

The old fox opened the door just a crack, emerald eyes staring down at Judy over a chained lock. "Yes? Who might you be?" There was a hint of trepidation in her voice and Judy mentally kicked herself again for wearing her police uniform here. Probably not the greatest first impression to make.

"I'm Off-er, Judy Hopps, Ms. Wilde. I work with your son."

"Nicholas…?" she asked softly. "Yes...I've heard of you. You're his partner in the ZPD, right?"

"Yes, that's right." Judy nodded, relieved that she at least knew that much. It would have been a real challenge convincing the vixen that her son was a cop otherwise. "May I come inside? I want to ask you a few questions."

The crack in the door grew slightly smaller. Could she have phrased that any more cop-like? "N-Not that you're in trouble or anything. It's about Nick. I want to know more about him and you seemed like the best mammal to ask."

Her sensitive ears picked up a small sigh as Ms. Wilde looked down at her sadly. "I am sorry, Ms. Hopps, but it's not my place to talk about my son like that. If he doesn't want you to know, maybe that is for the best. Good day."

The door closed.

"Wait!" Judy yelled, banging a fist on the door desperately. She couldn't lose this lead, it was the only one she had! "You don't understand, he's missing! I think he's going after his father!"

"John…"

Judy froze, her ears twitching at the sound of multiple locks swiftly coming undone. The door opened suddenly and she was ushered into the room before she could so much as get a word out. "Come inside. Quickly."

The door slammed shut behind her.

For such an abrupt entrance, the inside of the apartment was warm and cozy, like she was back home with her parents in Bunnyburrow again. The walls were decorated with a light green fern pattern and the tables and chairs made with neatly polished wood. It was clear this lady didn't get visitors very often. Judy coughed uncomfortably. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Wilde."

She smiled. "Please, dear, you can call me Marian." Not the type to show off, she was dressed simply in a violet, button-up shirt and a crimson skirt. Her fur was lighter than Nick's, but greying in several places, even more than someone her age should be. Judy frowned as she realized age wasn't the only cause of gray hairs. "Make yourself at home. I'll whip something up for you." Judy was once again cut off before she could respond as the fox swiftly headed into the kitchen. Not a lot of visitors indeed.

In the interim, she figured she might as well do as she suggested. It would be pretty cruel to try to force information out of this kindly old vixen. So she just sat herself at the table, draped with a floral cloth, and waited for her to return. It was so surreal that a place like this could exist in such unpleasant surroundings.

Her eyes were drawn to a calendar hanging from the wall, one particular date circled in red. She had to squint to read it, but all those carrots were good for something. What she saw threw her for a loop. Could it really be so soon…?

"Sorry for the wait," Marian said, emerging not two minutes later with a small salad of fruit and carrots. "I've never been a very traditional predator," she chuckled.

"I've never been a very traditional prey either." Judy smiled back, taking a bite. For a fox, she definitely had good taste in herbivorous ingredients. She had to introduce her to Gideon sometime. "Thanks for the salad, but I really do need to talk to you about Nick."

Her smile faded, but she nodded. "I know. It's just so nice to have someone over for a change." She folded her paws together and looked her straight in the eyes. "So...John is really back in town?"

"Yes," Judy replied, deciding to leave out the part about him being a murderous criminal for now. "Nick's gone after him and now I'm trying to track them both down. Please, can you tell me more about Nick's past? I don't know who else to turn to for help."

"What's his favorite color?"

Judy quirked an ear. "I'm sorry?"

"His favorite color. What is Nick's favorite color?" Marian repeated, keeping her calm gaze on the bunny.

"...It's orange," Judy answered. Truthfully, she didn't know if that was due to his fur color or his favorite nickname for her, but she felt it a bit conceited to ask.

It was apparently the former anyway as Marian smiled a bit more. "Favorite food?"

"Blueberries."

"Favorite band?"

"Fleetwood Yak."

"Favorite pastime?"

"Slacking off."

After another moment of silence, Marian burst out laughing. "He really hasn't changed much then. Sorry about all that, I was just curious how well you really knew him. You're closer than just partners on the force, I can tell that much already." She winked at her, an expression that only confused Judy more.

"In that case, I will tell you everything."

Floor 12

2: 48 PM

"So how should I begin? Once upon a time...it was the best of times, it was the worst of times...a long time ago in a district far, far away…"

"Get on with it!" Finnick growled.

"Hey, a good opening makes the story!" Reynard countered. "Fine. As you may or may not know, Nicholas and I used to live in a small apartment in Happytown, along with my lovely ex-wife, Marian." He smiled wistfully, lost in the memories. "Boy, was she something. I still remember how we met at a roller rink way back when. I was wearing this snazzy yellow jacket as I came up to her, whipping out zinger after zinger. She smelled of the most beautiful-"

"Don't really need to hear about how you and Mom got together," Nick interrupted impatiently.

"I do. This sounds juicy." Finnick smirked.

"No, you're right, I should probably skip ahead a bit," Reynard said, making the smaller fox snap his fingers in disappointment. "Point is, the three of us had a pretty good life together, as far as foxes in the slums go at least. We both had a decent income and a good share of fond memories, but what really mattered to us was our son, Nicholas. He was our pride and joy and we both wanted nothing more than what was best for him."

He frowned, those fond memories coming to a sudden halt. "Unfortunately, that's an area where we had some...disagreement." Nick looked away, knowing exactly where he was going with this.

But Finnick didn't. "Disagreement about what?"

Room 73

2: 52 PM

"I knew what kind of mammal John was. I knew what kind of activities he got up to when he thought I wasn't looking." Marian sighed, stirring a small glass of water with her claw. "He was a con artist through and through. Called himself 'Honest John', going out to street corners and pawning off all kinds of useless junk on mammals, gambling in rigged games, even ripping off our own friends and neighbors. He eventually made enough money legitimately to support us, but he just couldn't help himself. He went and opened this tailor shop called 'Suitopia' with Nick, and even though it seemed like an honest business, I bet I could find evidence of wrongdoing if I knew more about tailoring."

"And you still married him?" Judy asked, trying not to sound judgemental.

"Mammals around here do whatever they can to survive," she said bluntly. "I couldn't hold it against him just for being raised in less ideal circumstances than myself. Besides, it was all relatively harmless fun. It wasn't like he ever actually hurt anyone."

Judy winced. That was clearly no longer the case.

"I still remember when we first met at a roller rink. He was wearing this ridiculous yellow jacket and tried to woo me with a bunch of cheesy puns. But he had a certain charm to him that I couldn't ignore and I fell for him anyway. I'm sure you understand that."

She paused and stared pointedly at Judy, making her a bit uncomfortable. "Uh…"

"So I turned a blind eye to his activities," she continued. "But…"

"But you didn't want Nick to be raised the same way," Judy guessed.

"That's right," she said firmly. "Our son deserved better, a future where he didn't have to cheat and steal his way through life. I tried to instill in him the belief that anyone really can be anything."

"And John didn't like that?"

"No. He believed that such a 'naive' attitude would only get him slaughtered. I've lost count of the number of times we've argued about it. But for the sake of our son, we never let it divide us." Her paw gripped the cup tightly. "At least not until...the incident."

Judy's ears flattened. She had a pretty good idea exactly what "the incident" was. "You mean...with the Junior Ranger Scouts?"

Her eyes widened in surprise. "So you know about even that? My, he really has opened up to you." Again, the vixen shot her a sly smile she wasn't sure how to interpret. What a strange mammal.

But the smile didn't last. "That was the beginning of the end for our family…"

Floor 12

3: 03 PM

Nick hadn't stopped crying since he got home. He hadn't even bothered to change out of his uniform, even though he knew he would never be wearing it again. He had been so confident, so full of hope that the Junior Ranger Scouts would accept him. That was what Mom said. Was he just fooling himself? That was what Dad said.

He should've just kept it to himself. He never should have let them see that it got to him. If he had, then maybe he wouldn't be alone in his room right now, listening helplessly to the results of his actions. They had told him to go to bed hours ago, but how could he?

"I warned you this would happen! I told you from the beginning that they would never accept a fox! And now look at what they did!

"Don't you dare blame me for this! I was only trying to give our son a future!"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You think I don't know about you sneaking him out to your little casinos and back alley rigs? Teaching him all of those horrid tricks!"

"Hey, those are valuable life skills, especially for our kind! At least I'm owning up to who he is instead of dressing him up in a fancy uniform and parading him around like he doesn't know any better! Face the facts, Marian! If it weren't for me, the poor tod probably wouldn't even have made it back home tonight!

The next thing Nick heard was not a voice, but a loud, resounding slap. His breath caught in his chest.

"Get out."

"M-Marian, I-"

"Get OUT! My son is going to have a better life, and that starts with taking you out of it!"

Nick covered his mouth, stifling a gasp. She couldn't mean…

There were more noises, some scuffling feet, claws hitting wood, muffled shouts, and then a slammed door. But Nick stayed silent, not making any sound of his own until everything else went quiet. Only then did he chance leaving his room. His instincts were screaming at him to just stay put, but he couldn't ignore something like this.

He creaked open the door just enough to peek his head out. Both of his parents were gone, in opposite directions. From down the hall, he could hear a faint crying that belonged to his mother. As much as he wanted to run in and comfort her, she wasn't the one who needed it most right now.

Knowing Mom was preoccupied, Nick crept up to the front door and unlocked it, stepping out of the apartment.

"You should've stayed in bed, Nicholas."

Nick jumped as his father's voice reached him. John Wilde was not as "gone" as he seemed, leaning against the wall of their apartment only a few feet away. Nick immediately reached up to wipe his tears away, but the older fox wasn't in the greatest shape himself. His eyes were sunken and he seemed to have a perpetual frown glued to his muzzle. "I...I just wanted to make sure you were okay," Nick said weakly.

That didn't get him to smile, but it at least got his attention. "You really are too naive for your own good. I'm not sure if that's due to my failings or your mother's influence. I'm not even sure it matters anymore."

Nick couldn't find any words, just staring listlessly as his father crouched down to his level, placing a paw on his shoulder. "Listen, son, your father has to leave for a while. I'm not sure when I'll be back, but I promise you that I will. And until then, I need you to be strong for me." He reached up and caught another tear that Nick hadn't noticed he shed. "Can you do that for me, son?"

Nick felt tears welling up again, but nodded. Never let them see that they get to you, not even Dad.

"Good. Now it isn't much, but I want you to have something to remember me by." John put his arms behind his head and unclasped his tie. Before Nick could react, his father fastened it around his own neck, the oversized accessory dragging on the floor. "There. It might be a bit big now, but one day you are going to rock that look."

The tod finally managed a smile as John ruffled his headfur and stood up again, finally smiling. "You make me so proud, son. I can't wait to see what you grow up into."

Then John turned on his heel and left, like it was just another day for him. Nick was too stunned to even leave the hallway.

"Whoa, hold up, that's where you got that tacky tie?" Finnick asked incredulously.

"It is not tacky!" both Wildes yelled back. Nick found himself clenching that tie again and growled as he slapped his paw away.

"Heh. How long have you been doing that before you noticed?" Reynard chuckled. "I'm flattered that I've had such a profound effect on you."

"Especially considering you've been gone most of my life," Nick replied. Reynard visibly flinched.

Finnick burst out laughing. "And Nick gets one back on Daddy! This is just getting better and better!"

Reynard extended his cane so that the tip touched his son's shoulder. "I...I really am sorry about that. You know I would have stuck around if I could." Nick scoffed. "And even so, I took precautions to ensure you would be in safe paws."

Nick was suspicious, but still curious. "What kind of precautions?"

Room 73

3: 10 PM

"To this day, I wonder if he knew."

"Knew what?" Judy asked, long having put down the salad. She was far too engrossed in the story to eat it.

"Knew that Nicholas would run away." Marian shook, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. Judy immediately felt guilty for dredging up such terrible memories again. "I should have seen it coming. He had suffered such severe trauma in just one night, yet he fell right back into his usual self like nothing ever happened. It didn't seem to bother him at all."

Never let them see that they get to you. "He wouldn't let you in."

"Countless times I tried to get him to open up," she said, frustrated. "But he would always change the subject or give me blind reassurances. You can't imagine how much it hurt to see my son like that. And then, one day soon after...he didn't come home from school." She sighed, the heartbreaking sigh of a mother without a son. "In just a matter of days, I had lost my entire family. And I never even saw it coming. I'm a terrible mother."

"Don't say that!" Judy was quick to interject. "You were only doing what you thought was right! Nick did need a better influence!"

"Perhaps, but was it worth it? For years, I had no idea where my own son was, or if he was even alive. And I knew that if he was, he would be relying on John's teachings, not mine. I had done nothing but drive him away."

As much as she wanted to comfort her, Judy couldn't find a way to rebuke that. "Was he really that hard to find?" She would have had trouble finding him during the Night Howler Incident if not for Finnick, but even so, Nick never struck her as particularly stealthy, especially with that gaudy shirt of his.

"I couldn't even find a trace of him," Marian replied. "And the ZPD was of no help, not that I expected them to be for some stray fox from Happytown. No offense," she added, seeing Judy's crestfallen expression.

"No, I get it. Not every cop is all for making the world a better place, at least not for everyone. I just don't understand how Nick could have vanished like that."

"I have a theory." Her ears perked up at that. "John knew his son, even better than I did, I admit. And despite his twisted ideals, his love for him was genuine. He wouldn't have left him just like that. I just know it."

"Then...you think John contacted him again?"

"No, I caught Nick's scent here and there, but never his. I believe he really did leave the city that day. But still...he had something to do with it. I just know it."

From what little Judy knew of the mysterious Count, she was inclined to agree.

Floor 12

3: 13 PM

"The crime lords?!" Nick shouted, flabbergasted. "You asked the crime lords to look after me?"

"Hey, I never got the chance to teach you all that I knew," Reynard said defensively. "Being the most successful criminals in Zootopia, they were the best option left. So before I left the city, I went before them, laid out my problem, and asked them for a favor. A favor to take you in and keep you safe should the need arise."

"So you mean to tell me that when Mr. Big's guys picked me up off the street, it was because of your favor?" Nick shook his head in disbelief. "I always wondered what those polar bears were doing in Sahara Square…"

"Okay, so Big agreed to your terms. What about the other four?" asked Finnick.

Reynard's paws clenched around his cane, his muzzle forming into a scowl. "The other four...they refused me. All of them. Said you were too much of a liability, or you couldn't be trusted, or they just didn't like me." His scowl became more and more pronounced. "Even Mr. Big rescinded on the deal over some stinking rug."

A chill ran down Nick's spine. "That's why, isn't it? That's why you're killing them all. Because of me."

"Those self-centered bastards dared to reject my son? They all got what was coming to them," he answered darkly. "Who would've thought that your true salvation would come from a little fox in a big van?" He turned his gaze to Finnick, who was so thoroughly disturbed that he didn't even take offense. "Thank you for taking such good care of my boy, Finnick."

"N-No problem."

"So after that, I left Zootopia and-"

"Whoa, wait a minute!" Nick stopped him. "You can't drop a bombshell like that and just keep going!"

Reynard paused, as if confused that someone actually interrupted him. "There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation." He put his cane to Nick's lips. "Now shush."

He begrudgingly shushed.

Room 73

3: 21 PM

"And you never saw him again?" Judy asked.

"No, John walked out of my life that day. He never even tried to contact me."

"I meant Nick," she clarified. He had mentioned his mother even back then, and it didn't sound like they were that badly estranged. Or was that just more of Nick's mask shielding his emotions? She doubted her own ability to see through it anymore.

A small smile teased at her lips. "Not in person, no. But after a while, he started sending me letters, postcards, photographs...everything except just talking to me. I suppose he wanted to at least reassure me he was still okay."

"So you stopped looking for him?"

"I was afraid," she admitted. "Afraid that if tried to find him, he would only retreat more. Enough for him to even cut contact with me again. If I lost even that small comfort...I don't know what I would do."

"I think he's the one that's afraid." Marian looked at her curiously. "He doesn't show it, he never does, but that's just how Nick is. The more he hides something, the more it hurts him. I bet he's been wracked with guilt over running away, all these years." After having lived in such a large family all her life, she couldn't even imagine being so alone. She shot the vixen a smile. "As soon as I find Nick, I'm going to make him come back."

Finally, a real smile came to the vixen's lips again.

Floor 12

3: 26 PM

"I was on my own for a while after that, in even worse shape than you probably. I fell back into my usual tricks, got a few marks here and there." He rubbed the back of his head, almost embarrassed. "But those guys out in the suburbs, man are they suspicious of our kind. I underestimated how much harder it would be to make a living away from the city."

"You don't exactly look impoverished," Nick noted, rolling his eyes. "So how did you go from that to 'Count Reynard' anyway?" He even added the air quotes.

"Glad you asked!" As the sudden grin on his face said just as clearly. "It was actually kind of a breakthrough for me. See, I realized that this bias the local populace had against me could be turned to my advantage."

Nick and Finnick shared a raised eyebrow. Not once had prejudice against foxes ever helped them. "How so?" Nick asked incredulously.

He looked away, idly examining his claws. "You ever heard of Fox Away?"

"You mean that brand of anti-vulpine products that hurt like a mofo?" Finnick growled and crossed his arms. "What of it?"

"I invented it."

"What?!" Nick nearly lunged off the couch at him. "You mean that stuff is just a scam?!"

"No way! It works way too well to be a scam!" Finnick argued.

"Of course it works." Reynard smiled, more than a little amused by this display. "It works about as well as any other deterrent, I imagine. But those gullible bunnies out in the burrows? All I had to do was slap on an anti-fox label, bribe a few of their own to peddle the stuff, and they gladly paid double, even triple the price for it!" He giggled to himself. "The Fox Taser is my personal favorite, right up there with the Fox Net and Fox Rope."

"I'm not hearing this!" Finnick yelled, covering his ears. "I did not get tased by glorified snake oil!"

"With the entire population of Bunnyburrow eating out of my paws, is it any wonder I've made such a generous income?" Reynard asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

You've gotta be kidding me! You take advantage or our own species and you don't even care?! He couldn't imagine the number of foxes who had suffered because of his father's lust for power. He was going to tell Judy to make her family ditch that Fox Away stuff ASAP!

"So you formed your little syndicate in Bunnyburrow," Nick continued abruptly, fighting down his indignation. "That still doesn't explain why you came back."

He had the gall to actually look hurt. "Isn't that obvious? I made a heck of a living out there, sure. Got myself a fancy townhouse in Foxden, loyal thugs, a new car, this thing." He waved his cane around. "But even after all the fame and fortune I raked in, I couldn't escape one simple fact: I missed you, son. And nothing could replace you, no matter how hard she tried."

"She?"

"No matter how hard I tried," he amended. "I needed you in my life again, Nicholas. I wasn't getting any younger, and who better to take over the family business than you? But then...I saw something in the news…"

Nick really didn't like where this was going.

Room 73

3: 38 PM

"I knew he made the right choice of partner," Marian said warmly. "I knew it ever since the day I got this."

Judy watched curiously as she headed out of the kitchen, returning a few moments later with a scrap of newspaper that had long since degraded, gently unfolding the paper and placing it on the table. Judy already had a pretty good idea what she would find as she read the headline of the cut article.

"First Fox Officer Joins the ZPD: Nicholas Wilde Receives His Badge!"

"Nicholas never told me about this development, perhaps he thought I wouldn't believe him, but we do still get the news out here." She tapped a claw on the image of Judy giving Nick his badge, a moment the bunny remembered just as fondly. "I almost fainted at the sight. Just when I had given up hope in him ever being more than just another shifty fox, he does something like this."

The tears almost started again as she fixed her eyes on Nick's smiling face. "I was so proud."

Floor 12

3: 38 PM

"I was so pissed!" He slammed the cane down onto the carpeted floor, making a very unintimidating thump. "My son, a police officer?! What a joke!"

Nick kept himself restrained, but felt his fists starting to shake, his upper lip curling.

"But I knew it wasn't your fault." He'd lost his fury as quickly as he'd gained it, and Nick forced himself to do the same lest he show any more weakness around him. "I blamed myself, really. Had I been around, you never would have lost your way, and now you were in greater danger than ever. It was then and there that I knew I had to do something."

He rose from his seat and moved across the room, watched intently by both other foxes, until he stopped in front of the large window looking out at Sahara Square. "That is why I came back, son. I'm going to form the most powerful criminal empire Zootopia has ever seen, then give it all to you. Consider it a gift, my atonement, for leaving you on your own for so many years."

"I already have a job," Nick said, pushing himself off the couch and approaching him. "And I'm not alone. Sorry, Dad, but my answer is no. What are you going to do about it?"

Reynard turned around, staring hard into his eyes. Just this once, he wished he could tell what his father was thinking.

Room 73

3: 42 PM

"You'll see him again soon, I promise you that."

Marian slowly looked up again, seeing the bunny's small smile greeting her.

In half a second, she wrapped her arms around Judy and pulled her into a tight hug. "Thank you."

Marian Wilde didn't seem to know her own strength, at least not compared to that of a bunny. Judy was faced with the dilemma of either hurting the vixen's feelings any more by telling her to stop or risk choking to death. Being Judy Hopps, she gave her all the time she needed.

By the time Marian released her, Judy's shoulder was left soaked. "I'm sorry...I don't know what came over me."

"It's okay…" Judy said, still a little winded. "I know how hard this must be on you."

She nodded solemnly. "Bring my son home, Judy Hopps. You're the only one who can."

Shaking it off, Judy was quick to take the vixen's paws in her own. "I will."

Marian wiped a tear from her eye, slowly smiling wider.

A sudden knock at the door ruined the moment. "Sorry, that's probably my neighbor wanting his copy of the morning paper. We keep trying to catch the mailmammal and sort this out, but he never sticks around here long enough. Excuse me." She let out a welcome laugh and headed out of the kitchen, leaving Judy seated at the table.

As sweet as the old vixen was, Judy knew she couldn't stick around much longer. She had gained a wealth of information today; now she had to put it to good use and fulfill the promise she made to Marian. But where to go from here? The name 'Suitopia' had come up in the story, the name of John's old tailor shop. Could that be where Nick was going? It wasn't far from here, so it could be worth a look. She should probably call Carla and Jimmy to give them an update as well. She felt a bit guilty for just ditching them to go after Nick, and maybe they had learned something too-

*BANG*

The piercing sound completely derailed Judy's train of thought. She had spent too much time on the force not to recognize that sound. "Marian!"

She rushed out of the kitchen as fast as she could, berating herself for letting the vixen go alone. Her worst fears were realized as she saw Marian standing in the doorway, opened only slightly, but enough for the bullet to pierce her. She slowly turned around, staring at Judy with listless eyes as a pool of blood formed around her abdomen. She tried to speak, but couldn't even get a word out before she collapsed to the floor, motionless.

There was another loud bang as the door was kicked open, bringing Judy face to face with the perpetrator. Her eyes narrowed. "You!"

Felix smiled back. "An eye for an eye."

Floor 12

4: 12 PM

"So...what are you going to do?" Nick asked again, unnerved by the silence.

Reynard blinked, refocusing his eyes. "Hmm? Oh sorry, I was lost in thought for a moment. I'm not going to do anything."

"...Excuse me?"

"Son, you're a grown adult and you can make your own decisions." He casually sat himself on top of the railing. "If you don't want to join my cause, so be it. I can wait." He lifted an arm and started examining his claws. "Who am I to come into your life again after all these years and try to dictate your future?"

Nick's jaw dropped. He looked back at Finnick just to make sure he wasn't losing it, to which the fennec had no reply. "You don't want to dictate my future? What do you call getting me suspended from the force?!"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that." He waved his paw at him. "You and I both know that investigation will go nowhere, as I intended. You'll be back on the force in no time. The only reason I even bothered with that little prank was to teach you an important lesson."

"What, that you're still kind of a dick?" he asked sardonically.

He chuckled softly. "Tell me, how long did it take them to turn against you, Nicholas? After all the time and effort you put into solving the Night Howler case, completing your training in the academy, working to stop crimes, they were awfully quick to assume that you'd fallen back into your old habits. Do you think they'll treat you any better once you're back?"

"Well, I...I…" Damn it, why couldn't he ever get a word out around this guy?

"No matter what outfit you put on in the morning, no matter what you do and who you try to help, you'll always be just another shifty fox to them." He looked at him with an expression that could only be described as pity. "What do you think you're going to accomplish living this lie? Even if you did earn their respect, it's not like it's going to improve the lives of every other fox out there. At most, you'll just be one of the 'good ones'. The exception, not the rule. That's a lesson you'd learned a long time ago. Shame you seem to have forgotten it."

He finally found his voice. "You're wrong, Dad," he growled. "The world is more than just a bunch of pre-defined roles. That's what I've learned."

If anything, Reynard only got more relaxed. "Welp. I guess we can't agree on everything. So what now?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I've already said my piece. You're free to leave at any time." He pointed his cane at the door. "So I'll ask again...what now?"

It didn't take Nick long to decide. "What do you think?" he said, stepping towards him. "I don't care why you're doing this. I don't care that this is all some twisted homecoming present to you. I don't even care that you're my father. You murdered three mammals!"

"I prefer to think of it as a 'permanent hustle', or 'perma-hus' for short. And I'm pretty sure I've perma-hussed more than three by now…"

Nick stopped right in front of him, narrowing his eyes threateningly. "You must be crazy to think I'd ever go along with this."

"Crazy like a fox?"

"No, crazy like a crazy person! And I'm bringing you in."

"Ah ah ah." He wagged his finger at him. "Have you forgotten already? You don't have the authority to arrest me."

Nick didn't falter. "I can make a citizen's arrest. I've witnessed you committing a crime."

"True, but when did you witness that again?" he asked, leaning in uncomfortably close. "Oh yeah, back in the Rainforest District. And you've had plenty of time to report it since. Pretty sure you can get more than a suspension for withholding that."

Nick winced. He had him there.

Standing right in front of me and you still can't do anything. Pathetic.

He shook his head and grabbed his father's arm. "I'll figure it out later. For now, you're coming with me."

He tugged on Reynard's sleeve, but the older fox didn't budge. "So you can hold me in your little cell until you figure out what to do about me? Sorry, Nicholas, but I'm not going to make it that easy."

His other paw reached down and jabbed two fingers into his cane's eye sockets. The mouth of the headpiece opened and a plume of smoke rushed out, quickly filling the confined space. Nick reeled back and coughed, along with Finnick. The smoke soon filtered out through the open balcony doors and dissipated, but by the time it did, Reynard was already gone. "Damn, where is he?!" Nick looked around the room frantically.

A sharp whistle brought his attention back to the doorway, where Reynard now stood waving at him. "But there's no fun in an absolute victory either. How about a game of Cops and Robbers to settle the score? Catch me if you can!" Reynard laughed and rushed out the door. Nick was quick to race off, in hot pursuit.

Left alone in the room, Finnick threw up his arms and walked away. "Screw this, I'm going in the hot tub."

Room 73

4: 14 PM

Despite months of training on the ZPD, Judy's nose started twitching as if she were just a scared little bunny at the Carrot Day's Festival again. She never expected to see this wolf again, especially not like this.

"Why?" was all she could manage to say.

He sniffed. "Like I said, an eye for an eye. Wilde killed my mother, so I killed his."

"Nick…?"

"His father. Not like it matters." He lowered the gun and put it back to his side with the ease of a trained professional. "I won't rest until they all meet the same fate."

"It was you," Judy said, her deductive mind piecing it all together. "You're the one who burned down Nick's house!"

"Yes, and I'm the one who followed you all the way here," he sneered. "Thanks for that."

Her ears dropped in horror. Nick's house being lit up as soon as she left it, that feeling of being watched, the flash of grey that just barely escaped her view...she had led him right to her.

Without any regard for her emotional turmoil, Felix turned and left the apartment. Judy regained her composure in a flash and went to pursue him, but the crumpled form of Marian Wilde caught her attention. Worry about him later, Judy! She needs your help!

Judy rushed to the vixen's side and gently rolled her over, placing an ear to her chest. Even with her delicate hearing, she couldn't tell if she was even still breathing. With no time to lose, she reached for her phone to dial 911.

She listened closely as the phone dialed, agonizingly slow, while the sounds of a scuffle came faintly from outside. "911. Please state the nature of your emergency."

Oh sweet cheese and thank you! "Come quickly, someone has been shot! The address is on Pine Road, Sherwood Apartments-"

The wall in front of her exploded, Felix's large form having been flung violently through it. Dust and plaster spread into the air as another mammal Judy really didn't want to see again came in through the hole, glaring daggers at the wolf.

"You really shouldn't have done that," Simon snarled, cracking his knuckles.

Phew! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, because it was by far the most difficult to organize, assemble, and write out of any of them. It was so difficult that it's almost single-handedly responsible for this latest gap between updates. Thank you, Mr. and Ms. Wilde, for having so damn much to say.

This setup, as in John and Marian telling two sides of the same story to two different mammals at the same time, was planned for a long while, so much of the arc up to this point has been about getting both Nick and Judy to their respective destinations in tandem. It was easier than it sounds, though it did require a bit of contrived plot driving. But the end result was too much fun to regret it.

Regardless, tell us what you think of Marian Wilde, and the various sides to John Wilde. Also if any of the various reveals made in this chapter struck a chord with you. Fox Away being a fox-run scam is a headcanon I've joked about long before writing this, so it was a real pleasure to actually make it part of the story. That scene in particular is also hinting at something major we have planned for this story...or perhaps another story.

Apologies for the distinct lack of Carla and Jimmy, but it was kind of awkward trying to shove them into this. There will be plenty of them next time, not to worry.