READ THIS BEFORE YOU GO ANY FURTHER! IF YOU ARE A GUEST, YOU NEED TO READ THE ENDING OF THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER, AS I ADDED TO IT! IF YOU ARE A MEMBER AND DON'T HAVE MY STORY ON YOUR ALERTS, YOU NEED TO READ THE ENDING OF THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER! IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME READING MY STORY, HAVE ALREADY READ THE BAR SCENE AT THE END OF PREVIOUS CHAPTER, OR JUST DON'T CARE, YOU MAY IGNORE THIS AND CONTINUE ON!

Disclaimer: Looks like I won't be able to assist Fox and Zanrok. I have no experience with an organ grinder and I'm terrified of heights. But I do know this certain rabbit buck that might be able to help. You may have heard of him, he goes by Savage…

A/N: Ahem. Let the countdown commence…


00:45:32

'I didn't think such large open fields would exist within a city like Zootopia.' Judy thought in wide-eyed wonder as she took in the sights passing by her from her seat on the train. The district known as the Meadowlands lived up to its name, with rolling, hilly fields for miles to see. There would be a tree here, and a few shrubs there, but the main aspect of the district were the open fields for miles to see. The grey doe also noted that the majority of the residences were prey mammals, ranging from equines, herd mammals such as sheep and goats, and other such mammals. While she did see a few mountain lions and wolves, and other field predators, it was clear they were the minority here.

Beside her sat Nick, who was enjoying the view of another nature, his eyes discretely taking in the way his bunny looked in a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved dark navy blue flannel shirt with an undershirt to fight back the chill in the air. While it wasn't the sexiest outfit he'd seen her in—nothing will compare to the purple dress from the Big's event—there was something to say about the country girl charm she had that drew his attention in rather odd, and appealing, ways. He himself was dressed warmly, wearing a pair of jeans instead of his usual slacks, and a long-sleeved green shirt, his developing winter coat doing the rest.

They had decided to take public transportation that day, and were seated in Judy's favorite spot: the observation deck on the very top of the train car. It had the added plus of there not being too many mammals there, since it was so small and only tourist gathered there, too busy admiring the sights to notice a fox getting too friendly with a bunny. Plus, it was a lot quicker to get to Savannah Central than with their cruiser, something the tod pointed out yesterday to Wolford when he informed the wolf of their plans.

"Look, Carrots and I will take our files home with us tonight and do our part." The tod had said in a charming tone. "It's the same paperwork we would have been stuck with tomorrow morning, so it's not like we're skirting our duties. Then, we'll take the train back and be here by one-thirty the latest. I know it's unconventional, but we'd really be coming in on our days off to work, and I can't reschedule this. Besides, Bogo gave us the go-ahead."

It was the last part that had finally gotten Gary to agree, because the tod had a point. They were coming in on their days off to work, and who was he to argue with the chief's decision?

'I hope all goes well.' Nick thought nervously, his mask betraying none of the nervousness he felt as he gazed out the window, indifferent to the view. He'd seen it many times before. Emerald eyes flicked down to Judy to distract himself, a smirk making its way across his muzzle. 'This one I'll never get tired of…'

Sensing his eyes on her, Judy's ear twitched in her fox's direction, giving him a side glance and a smile. "Nervous?"

Nick scoffed playfully. "You wound me, Carrots. Moi? Nervous? I've never heard of such a thing!"

The doe giggled at his exaggeration, her eyes softening. "Pretty nervous then, huh?"

"I want to jump out of my fur and hide under a rock." Nick admitted with a straight face as he looked dead into Judy's eyes. It caused the bunny to laugh, and the fox to smirk, easing his nerves just a tad.

"It'll be fine." Judy said as she reached out a paw, taking one of his in hers. "You'll see."

Nick reached with his other paw to gently grab the back of her head as he kissed her softly on the forehead. He ignored the disgusted snort the grizzly bear a few seats down thought he couldn't hear as he smiled genuinely at his mate. "Thanks, Fluff."

~o.8.o~

01:54:59

Skye hummed softly to herself as she munched on a cherry tart, curtesy of her partner. At the moment, she was monitoring the system as it continued to run the fur sample the ZPD had provided. By her estimates, they should have the results, and their suspect, in the next fifteen minutes or so. Maybe earlier.

'Either way, today this "Twily" is going down.' The vixen thought seriously as she went over the notes for the case once more. It was truly frustrating, if she were being honest, that this doe remained untraceable save for her scent—which she and the rest of the nasally gifted agents had become well acquainted with. It niggled at the back of her head, poking at something familiar. 'I know I've smelled it before, but where…?'

Her ears glanced to the side as she picked up the sound of someone stopping outside the door of the room she was currently in. Skye had closed it earlier because she had wanted to have some alone-time with the equipment and her notes, the silence helping her process things better. She knew of only one mammal who would be compelled by his love of electronics to brave interrupting her, and it made her smile.

"Come on in, Murphy." She called without taking her eyes off of the four screens in front of her. Vulpine ears caught the sound of the door opening and closing, the muted noise of small paws pattering across the laminated tile. It was when the scent of the meerkat was right next to her did the vixen glance at her subordinate.

"Hey, Frost." Tim Murphy greeted with a small smile as he took a seat beside her. "Anything yet?"

Skye shook her head. "No, nothing." The frustration was evident in her tone.

Tim frowned before turning to one of the four monitors, logging in himself. "Have we tried all avenues?"

"Yes. Especially psychiatric records because of her psychotic and sociopathic tendencies." The vixen sighed. "It shouldn't be too much longer, but it's frustrating that this mammal has been able to elude the ZPD for this long. Then again, they didn't catch the real culprit of the Nighthowler case for four months…"

Tim grimaced at that. "Yeah, it wasn't really our best moment, either. At least it was solved in the end."

"Yes, at least there was that." Skye smiled at the meerkat. For the next few minutes or so, the two mammals worked in silence, monitoring and reviewing facts. A sudden beeping had both mammals turning their heads to one of the center screens as the results were finally in; their reactions varied.

Tim let out a triumphant "Yes!" with a fist pump at his side. Turning to face Skye, he was caught off-guard by her expression. Blue eyes were wide with shock, beige fur puffing out as the vixen stared at the photo of a brown rabbit doe on the screen.

"Frost?"

Skye took in a sharp breath before she scrambled for her phone, startling Tim. "I can't believe this!" She hissed, ears pinned to skull as she called her partner, grateful that she had him on speed dial.

"What? What's going on?" Tim asked in shock.

"She was right in front of us and we let her get away!" The vixen vented, furious with herself. She ignored the fact that neither she, nor Jack, had known what Twily had looked like; it was still her fault.

"Savage." Came the familiar bland tone of her partner.

"Jack, we got a match on the sample!" Skye talked as she placed the call on speaker, her paws flying over the keyboard. "It's the doe from that café we went to yesterday, Tasty Belles, I think. Twily's real name is Erica Skippson." She heard her partner curse over the phone, as well as Murphy getting over his shock as his paws tapped away on his keyboard. "Where are you now?"

"I'm with Officer Fieldson at precinct ten in the Outback Lands." Jack informed, and Skye resisted the urge to curse.

"I'll send her place of work, as well as her home address to the cellphones of the agents on the Field Team." Skye said.

"What about the accomplice?"

"Nothing matching his description yet." The disappointment was clear in her voice.

"Uh, guys?" Tim cut in, his eyes glued to his screen.

"What is it, Murphy?" Jack's voice asked.

"Erica Skippson was admitted to a psychiatric institution by the name of Dale's Psychiatric Institute when she was twelve, after her foster family reported unusual behavior." Tim informed them.

"What kind?"

Skye answered this time as she leaned over to read what was on Tim's screen. "It doesn't say much, aside from the little detail that she was readmitted the following year when she transferred to another foster family, the process repeating itself until she was out of the system five years ago."

"And off whatever meds they had her on."

"More than likely." Skye agreed grimly. "Though she had made a few sporadic visits throughout the years to a Dr. Renee Hefler."

"Send the address for the psych ward, and the doctor that's seeing her, too. If we can't locate her at either her home or place of work, we'll pay them a visit. I hope it doesn't come to that. Inform the officers as well."

"What about Wilde and Hopps?" Skye hedged as she sent the requested information to the agents.

"Contact Wolford. It's his call, but I think they should be informed of what we've found so far. I'll let Bogo know so he can get started on that warrant."

"Agreed." Skye hesitated a moment, ears pinned back as she voiced her realization. "Jack…the blueberry tarts…"

"I know." The anger was clear to hear in the buck's voice. "Call Wolford."

"Okay." She said, and then in typical Jack fashion, the line went dead. Used to her partner's antics, the vixen didn't even feel a flare of irritation as she quickly dialed Wolford's number, her fingers tapping impatiently against the counter as it rang. Fortunately, the wolf picked up on the third ring.

"Wolford speaking."

"Wolford, we've got a match." She said as she gestured for Murphy to go inform Sasha. Skye continued as the meerkat raced out of the room. "Her real name is Erica Skippson, and I'm sending the address of her job and home address to you and the agents. Nothing yet on the billy goat. Do you want me to send it to Wilde and Hopps?"

The wolf didn't even think about it. "Yes. Let them know that we'll take care of it for now, but to be on stand-by, just in case. However, wait until we have that warrant."

"Got it. And Jack's already started on that."

"Thanks. I'll be sending a message as soon as we get it, and after I speak with Rhinowitz about who we want to go where. Notify the agents to be ready."

"We'll be waiting and ready." With that, the call was ended. Typing for a few moments longer, the vixen then let out a slow breath, her paws tingling in anticipation. At the moment, it wasn't needed, but she figured she might as well set things up in case she needed to hack into the database of Dale's Psychiatric Institute. 'Just in case…'

~o.8.o~

00:34:02

The sudden alert sound from both of their phones as they got off the train had Nick and Judy glancing curiously and apprehensively at one another. Taking out their phones, they saw that it was a message from Agent Frost.

Skye Frost: Suspect has been identified as Erica Skippson. Features include brown fur with distinct white spots at the tip of her ears. Suspect is twenty-four-years-old and of average height and build for a rabbit doe, and has a mental history. Place of work is Tasty Belles in Downtown: 2313 Agave LN. Place of residence is in the unfinished Burrows district at the border of Downtown and Savannah Central: 444 Veggie RD APT F4. Mental institution is Dale's Psychiatric Institute: 657 43rd ST. Doctor is Renee Hefler: 2337 45th AVE. Nothing yet on the suspected accomplice. As of now, the rest of the team is handling everything, but Wolford advises for you to be on stand-by.

"Tasty Belles…" Judy said in shock. She glanced from her phone to Nick, eyes wide. "We almost went there that one morning…If it weren't for that robbery, who knows what could have happened."

"Don't think about "what if's", Carrots. It's not healthy." Nick admonished gently as he pocketed his phone. However, his shock was evident by the slit nature of his eyes. "Let's just hurry up and meet up with Brody. With this new development, we might need to head out earlier than expected." It was a good thing they always carried their equipment, even when off duty.

Judy nodded in agreement, putting her phone away before reaching out for his paw. He was right; "what if's" wouldn't do anything but make her worry unnecessarily about something that didn't happen. It was still a scary thought.

She was torn, however. The grey doe wanted to be the one to put this psycho that had some sort of vendetta against her and Nick—who had dared to hurt her mate!—but she knew this, right here and right now, was of more importance to her fox. What her fox needed.

"Where are we meeting Brody and the kits again?" Judy asked to distract the both of them.

"Grazing Fields." Nick replied as he led them out of the train station. They got a lot of odd looks on the way, a few hostile here and there, but it would seem everyone was too busy with their own business to make their opinions known to the couple. That was just fine with the tod. "It's about a ten-minute walk form here."

As the couple walked to their destination, Judy took in the sights around her with the enthusiasm of a kit. It was even more amazing up close, and the doe felt a deep yearning for home, her ears lowering a bit at the thought.

"You okay there, Fluff?" Nick asked with concern as he glanced at his mate.

"Yeah, this place just reminds me of Bunny Burrow."

Nick cocked a brow. "How? I've only seen one or two bunnies here since our arrival. Isn't your hometown overflowing with you guys?"

Judy rolled her eyes at that, but smiled nonetheless. "That's not what I meant." She gestured towards the open fields around them. "It's the openness of it, the lack of tall buildings…the feel of the country. It reminds me of home."

The tod pulled them to a stop and stared at his bunny for a good while, making her ears flush slightly at the intensity of his eyes. Judy felt it turn into a full blush when he reached out with his paw to stroke the side of her face where her scars were. "You really miss home, don't you?"

Judy nuzzled her face into his paw with a soft sigh before smiling up at Nick. "I do, but I like the city better. It has something the country is lacking."

"Oh? And what is that?" Green eyes sparkled mischievously as they resumed their walk. "Could it have something to do with a certain, dashingly handsome fox?"

"Yes. It would be nothing without Finnick!" Judy giggled, which turned into full blown laughter when Nick growled playfully at her. "I'm kidding, Nick. You know it's you…" Her eyes softened as she met his gaze. "You make the city home."

Nick averted his gaze, the emotions that statement stirred clogging his throat. It was a moment before he could speak again, though he refused to look at Judy. "C…c'mon. Let's go find my brother." He said as he increased his pace so he was in front of her.

Judy merely smiled affectionately at the back of his head with a shake of her own. 'Silly fox…'

A few minutes later, and the couple reached their destination without incident, which was a welcomed change after the past few days. That didn't mean they hadn't received dirty looks the whole time, especially when Nick had growled, but no one had approached them. It was during this time that Nick had finally gotten a grip on his emotions, giving Judy an apologetic smile. She merely smiled back, understanding in her eyes.

'I don't deserve her.'

"Well, we're a few minutes early." Judy said as she glanced at her phone. She looked at Nick curiously at his snort.

"This is my brother we're talking about. He's the most anal mammal I know; and I know—"

"—Everyone." Judy finished, gaining an amused glare from her fox. She just smirked. "Your point?"

"Point is, he's already here." The fox explained as he looked around. "Just have to find him."

"Nick…" Judy said in a soft tone, her eyes focused on something in the distance. "I think I found them."

Feeling like butterflies were having a raid party in his stomach, Nick followed her gaze, and felt his breath get caught in his throat. Quite a bit a ways from them was his brother, his dark red coat easy to make out in the distance. With him were three, beautiful fox kits; a silver vixen kit, and two red tod kits.

~o.8.o~

00:40:17

"Helloooooo, Jaxon!"

"Hey, Twily." Jaxon greeted the bunny, the phone wedge between his neck and shoulder as he began to set up.

"Is today the day? Is it?"

"Sure is." The billy goat answered as he finished building the dart gun. He then focused on the tripod.

"I want to watch! Where are you?"

The billy goat paused. "I'm in the Meadowlands, near a park called Grazing Fields."

"Oh, this is too perfect!" The bunny giggled. "So many prey mammals to witness the death of the traitor! They will soon see why preds are terrible things! And the traitor and fox will be dead!"

"There aren't too many preds for me to dart as well though." Jaxon pointed out.

There was silence over the phone for a moment. When Twily spoke again, it sent a shver down his spine. "I don't care how you do it—shoot a prey for all I care—you'll get the fox killed if you want my meds. Got it?"

"Yes, Twily." Came the subdued response.

"Great!" Twily chirped, her voice returning to its normal cheer. "Don't start without me, I'll let you know when I'm there!" The line then went dead.

Lowering his phone with trembling hooves, the billy goat took a breath to steady himself before he finished setting things up. 'No more setbacks—I need my fix.'

~o.8.o~

00:26:47

Brody was sitting on a bench, watching his kits play, when he felt a sudden sense of unease shiver down his spine. It was one he had felt before, and knew who it belonged to, even though he didn't understand why. Turning away from his kits, he found his brother and his…mate…heading their way.

It was still difficult to think of the grey doe as such, though he was trying.

Standing up when they were a few feet away, he angled himself so he could keep his kits in his peripherals. With a nervous smile, he offered them his paw. "Nick. Hopps."

"You can call me Judy." The bunny smiled gently at the darker tod. Nick merely nodded in greeting, too nervous to speak.

"Judy." Brody managed a nervous smile, his eyes shifting back to Nick, the memory of the last time he had seen his brother all too clear. All he saw was the unreadable expression of his estranged brother.

Following his gaze, Judy also saw Nick's expression and frowned. Elbowing her fox in the ribs none too gently, she chastised him when he glared at her. "Stop it. You shouldn't have to hide in front of family."

Brody watched as they stared at each other for a few seconds, neither backing down until Nick gave a soft sigh, his eyes closing. Suddenly, it was like a switch had been flipped, as his shoulders raised with tension, his fur puffing a bit, and his tail began to flick nervously behind the younger tod. Nervous emeralds met curious and concerned sapphires.

"Sorry." Nick apologized. "I'm just…nervous."

"It's fine." Brody said, feeling awkward. He then focused again on Judy. "I owe you an apology. I was a jerk and it was wrong of me to call you what I did."

Judy smiled and leaned more into Nick's side, feeling warmth at Brody's words. They left a bittersweet taste, however, as they jogged memories of a time she didn't like to think of too much, though it led to her reunion with Nick. "I know a thing or two about being jerk, so I forgive you. Thank you, Brody."

Slightly confused by her response, but happy that he was forgiven nonetheless, Brody smiled down at the doe.

Nick felt satisfaction well up within as the two made amends. It eased the savage within him, knowing that the wrong towards his mate had been fixed. Before he could add anything, his flicked to behind Brody, and became filled with wonder. "Is that…is that them?"

Brody turned to gaze at what had Nick's attention, and his eyes softened, as they always did when he witnessed his kits enjoying themselves. There were three fox kits; a silver fox vixen, and two red fox tods, all dressed in warm clothing. The little vixen was dressed in a pale pink sweater and blue jeans, a matching pink bow attached to one of her ears. One of the red fox tods had a dark red coat and sapphire blue eyes, just like his father, and wore a pair of tan jeans and a black and gray stripped sweater. The third kit had a lighter color coat that matched Nick's, with blue eyes that were a shade or two darker than Brody's and framed by a pair of brown-rimmed glasses. He wore a blue sweater with dark blue jeans.

Currently, the kits were too busy having fun playing a complicated game that was a combination of hot potato, tag, and 1-2-3-Not-It to notice the new arrivals.

"Viv, Emory, Dev!" Brody called out, his deep voice carrying and gaining his kits' attention. "Come over here for a sec! There's some mammals I want you to meet!"

"That's the fox I was telling you about!" Nick heard the silver vixen hiss to her brothers. "The one that looks like grandma!" This brought a curious glint to the eyes of the little tods as the trio approached the adults.

Despite his nerves, Brody was reassured by the lack of fear his daughter had shown the last time she had met Nick as he crouched down to be level with his kits. Wrapping his arms around them, he gave them a quick group hug, causing them to giggle, before looking up at his brother. The wonder and emotion in those emerald eyes further eased his nerves as he introduced his kits to their uncle for the first time.

Resting a paw on the kit that was the exact copy of himself, he smiled at his son. "This is Deverin; he's the oldest by a few minutes." After ruffling Deverin's head fur, resulting in a squeak of protest from the kit, Brody nuzzled his daughter's cheek. "This is Vivian; she takes after her grandfather on her mother's side." He then hugged the little tod with the glasses. "And this little guy here is Emory, the baby."

"Daaad." Emory protested, obviously embarrassed. "I'm not a baby! I'm seven, just like Viv and Dev."

"But you were born last, so you're the baby!" Deverin teased.

Vivian didn't join in on her brother's bickering, instead choosing to remain focused on Nick. "Who are you?" She asked, regaining the attention of her brothers. She didn't know why, but she felt safe with this tod that looked like her grandma. Even when she had felt his sadness, she had still felt safe. She was curious.

Before Nick could answer, Brody beat him to it. "That is your uncle Nick."

Nick watched emotionally as his niece walked towards him, her large amber eyes gazing up at him as she latched onto the fabric of his jeans, a smile on her face. "Hi, Uncle Nick! You're not sad anymore!"

Surprise and confused, Nick looked towards his brother for an explanation.

Brody looked away as guilt filled him. "After you had left last time, she told me that you were sad…."

Nick gave a startled laugh as he kneeled down to Vivian's level, resting an elbow on a knee. He gave his niece a watery smile. "No, sweetheart, I'm not sad anymore."

Concern filled amber eyes. "Why are you crying then?"

The tod didn't even notice the damp fur around his eyes until the vixen kit had pointed it out, and merely laughed as he scooped her up in a hug, taking in the scent of lilacs and the scent all kits had. "Because I'm happy!"

"No fair! I want to hug Uncle Nick, too!" Deverin protested as he launched himself at his sister and uncle.

"Me too!" Emory followed suite.

Soon Nick found himself at the bottom of a fox pile. A feminine laugh brought his attention to its source; one amused and teary-eyed grey rabbit doe. And because he was on his back, his view of her was upside down as he laid his head flat on the grass beneath him, but just as beautiful. He wasn't the only one drawn to the sound.

"Who's that?" Emory asked shyly as he tried to hide under Nick's arm.

Nick rubbed the kit's head as he smiled warmly at Judy. "That's your aunt, Judy."

"Is she nice?" Vivian asked just as shyly from her spot on Nick's chest.

"She's the nicest bunny you'd ever meet!" Nick reassured them, eyes on his mate. "Come here, Carrots."

Judy approached the skulk of foxes slowly so as not to startle the kits, remembering what Brody had said about them being bullied by prey offspring in school. Lowering herself by Nick's head, she took a seat on the soft grass as she reached out and started to scratch her mate under his chin. This caused Nick to close his eyes and start to purr, his tail wagging languidly from side-to-side in bliss.

Apparently, this was the all-clear sign for the kits, for the next second, Judy found herself flat on her back with three fox kits on top of her, giggling as they piled on top of her. And then came their questions.

"Are you really our aunt?"

"Does this mean you are married?"

"They smell like each other, so they must be!"

"Hey—what's this?" Deverin had gotten ahold of her wallet, flipping it open to her badge. "She's a cop!"

"A cop?!" Emory gasped, eyes wide. "That means she's the Judy Hopps!"

"Whoa, whoa!" Judy laughed as she struggled to sit up. Locking eyes with Nick, she glared at the laughing tod on the ground, though her own laughter took the heat out of it. "A little help, please?"

Nick chuckled as he got to his feet. "Alright, squirts. Let your aunt up." He said as he picked them up one after another off of her. He then helped Judy to her feet, using his tail to dust her off.

"They must be married." He heard Deverin stage whisper to one of his siblings. "He's letting her touch his tail!"

Indeed, he was as felt Judy run her paws through the soft fur of his tail briefly, and couldn't help but smirk at her embarrassment when he heard the enthusiastic agreement from the other two kits.

Brody watched this all with relief. So far, everything was going well. In fact, it was going wonderfully. Not only did his kits like their uncle, they also liked their aunt, who was a prey mammal. 'It looks like both my father and Jess were right.' He thought with a bittersweet taste. After Judy had left to go after Nick that first day, his father had really given it to him after he had sent Vivian back to the car. When he had told his own mate what had happened, she had been just as furious with him.

"He's your brother, Brody." Jess said in a firm tone, her amber eyes glaring at her shocked mate. The kits were asleep and she was furious. "Your brother who has managed to find his way out of the shit society dumped on him with the help of his mate. I don't care if she's a rabbit—I've seen how you look at your old family pictures. I hear you say his name when you have nightmares—we share the same bed, remember? Stop living in the past, Brody, and make up with your brother!"

After that, it had only taken him a few days to reach out to his brother and set this play date up. Despite his reservation, Brody was glad he had done so. He felt like all the anger and sadness that had built up within him these past eleven years were finally leaving him. He wasn't healed, as that would take time, but it was a start.

Catching the eye of his brother, Nick saw the emotions clear in those blue eyes, and knew now was the time to talk. Turning to Judy, he spoke. "Hey, Carrots? Can you…play with them for a bit?" He rubbed the back of his neck nervously as his gaze went to the ground. "I would like to speak with my brother for a bit."

Judy smiled up at her fox. "Sure, Slick." Clapping her paws together, she then grabbed the paws of Vivian and Emory, beckoning Deverin to follow them. "Come on, kits! Your father and uncle need to catch up while we play."

"You want to play with us?" Emory ask in shock before a smile broke across his face and a giggle left him.

"Of course!" Judy beamed.

"Can we play tag?" Deverin asked as he tried to keep up.

"Or hot potato?" Vivian asked shyly.

"How about a game I played with my siblings?" Judy suggested. "It didn't really have name, but we can call it "Capture the Bunny".…"

Nick chucked to himself as he came up besides his brother, who was also smiling as he watched the three fox kits try to catch the laughing bunny. "Isn't she something?" The primal tod asked softly. "Only she would suggest such a game to a bunch of pred offspring." He shook his head in amusement.

Brody hesitated before answering. "She's definitely not what I thought she was. Not what I'd assumed about her…" He sighed. "I'm sorry."

Nick cast Brody a look before sighing himself. "I'm sorry, too." He kept his eyes on the scene before him, coming to a decision that he knew was long overdue. "I didn't mean to snap like that…I'm still working on control…"

The darker tod gave his younger brother a curious look. "What do you mean by that?"

Nick felt nervousness well up in him as he gave his brother a smirk that didn't reach his eyes, jerking his head towards the park bench near them. "You might want to sit down for this; it's one hell of a story."

~o.8.o~

00:25:33

Gary Wolford felt the tension in his body increase as he watched Patch and McHorn enter the café Twily—now known as Erica Simpson—was known to work at. Usually, McHorn would be with the support team, but they needed another prey mammal, one that he trusted. He didn't trust the new agent, and wanted to be there with his officer as they went into potentially hostile territory, but he would put them in even more danger if he tagged along. Yes, the serum effected prey as well, but the suspect was less inclined to hit them with it than himself.

It was truly amazing how quickly they were able to get a warrant for Erica's arrest, though it wasn't surprising. The city was tired of living in fear, and the judge Adonis had spoken to had been a leopard. Sometimes it paid off to appeal to a specific class, especially when it was a situation like this.

'Damnit.' He thought as he snarled to himself. He had never felt so useless in his entire life. He was an apex predator! They didn't sit around twiddling their thumbs; they did things—something, anything! 'Is this how prey feel?' It was an uncomfortable thought. The next few minutes were the most agonizing he had ever experienced. He couldn't help the sigh of relief he felt when the two prey mammals walked out the café empty-handed, but safe.

"She wasn't there?" The wolf asked unnecessarily as he opened the door for the rhino. The llama reluctantly took his seat in the back.

Dwayne shook his head in the negative. "Her manager said it was her day off. Let's hope Cache and Sasha find something more at Skippson's place."

~o.8.o~

00:26:00

The Burrows was an unfinished residential-only project located in the Downtown area opposite of Little Rodentia, on the border of Savannah Central. It was another sub district that was designed for underground mammals to feel more at home, and had been put on pause when the first Nighthowler case had popped up, with the majority of the construction crew being predators fearful of when, or if they would be the next ones to go savage. Then there was the political unrest that resulted with the arrest of two mayors in the span of under four months. Now that things were stable, it was scheduled to restart construction in a few weeks.

Because of their large size, Sasha and Ferrell were unable to enter the finished portion of the Burrows. Instead, they enlisted the help of precinct three in Little Rodentia. Currently, they were waiting outside of the district with the Assistant Chief, Robert Tale, manning the radio himself. The three of them, including the combined force of half a dozen officers from both precinct one and three, were stationed outside of the Burrows.

"No one answered, chief." Came a female voice over the radio.

"Pick the lock and get in there." Tale ordered. "And be careful, Swiss."

"Roger that." Silence settled over the three mammals as they waited.

Meanwhile, within the Burrows at 444 Veggie RD, was the apartment complex simply named Lapin Apartments. At the blocked off reception sat a nervous looking white rabbit buck as he glanced down the stairs, where three units of five mice, rats, and gerbils each had gone down, dressed in SWAT gear. They had asked him where apartment F4 was, and had then informed him to stay where he was for his own safety.

At either end of the hallway where apartment F4 was located, four rats and four mice in SWAT gear were stationed, keeping an eye out for the suspect and to turn away any resident that got to close. The rest of the force was gathered by the apartment door, creating a sturdy rodent pyramid. When it was done, a silver-grey female mouse skillfully ascended the pyramid.

SWAT Captain Monty Swiss worked with quick efficiency as she pulled out her lock-picking equipment, bring out the extending devices made specifically for tiny police mammals. With practiced paws and ears, the captain had the locked picked in seconds. Once it was completed, she gracefully descended her subordinates. Making a few paw signals, she communicated for her team to enter with extreme caution and to dart anything that moved.

One by one, the rodents moved into the dark room, their sensitive noses noticing immediately the smell of rotting flesh. Swiss signaled her team to split off into groups of two and one group of three with her as they ventured deeper into the apartment. It took five minutes for the tiny SWAT team to canvas the apartment and confirm it was empty.

"Turn the lights on!" Swiss ordered as she made her way to where the scent of rotten flesh was the strongest, pressing the button for her radio. "This is Captain Swiss to Chief Tale, come in."

"Tale here. Go ahead, Swiss."

"Chief, there's no one here." The grey mouse reported. "The entire apartment is vacant, but the stench of rot is intense. It's safe for the preds, and we need them" She grunted as she shoved the partially closed closet door open with all her might. As the lights flicked on, a mountain of clothing greeted her as the stench intensified. "There's no way we'd be able to carry the evidence out ourselves."

"Roger that. Anything else?"

"We need a tech down here!" A rat called out from his perch on the desk in the living room.

Making her way to the living room Swiss relayed the information. "We need a computer tech down here. There's a laptop that was left on, though the screen is locked. Ten bucks says it leads us to the suspect and the accomplice."

"I'm not taking my chances on that bet, Swiss. Have your team bring what they can to the surface, and then we'll send in a few agents as they are the only ones small enough that are relatively close at paw."

"Roger that. Swiss over and out." She said and then began to organize her team, delegating what items of evidence they could take, and what to leave for the larger mammals on the force. It was going to be a long day.

Back on the surface, Sasha was on a conference call with Wolford, Savage, Frost, and Bogo.

"The precinct three SWAT team just reported that the apartment is empty and that there's a scent of something rotting down there…I think we found Karen Fluffle" Sasha reported. "They also said they needed a tech down there as there's a laptop."

"I'll be there in less than five" Skye said, her voice a bit distant since she was using the speaker application on her phone. "I'm already in a cruiser with Chief Bogo, and one of the best hackers back in Periton."

"Do it." Bogo came in. "What else?"

"They also need some of the smaller agents to go in and bring out evidence." The rhino cow supplied.

"Where are Wilde and Hopps?" Jack asked. He knew they had the morning and part of the afternoon off, but their assistance would have been greatly appreciated.

"They're in the Meadowlands; they wouldn't get there in time." Wolford said, the frustration clear in his tone.

The rabbit buck sighed over the line. "I'm headed over there anyways with Officer Fieldson. We'll be there as soon as we can. I'll also call McPaw and Clamper to head on over so they can help."

"Good," Wolford agreed. "Chief?"

"Send Wilde and Hopps an update and let them know I want them to start wrapping things up. I want them to start heading over here in fifteen minutes the latest!" Bogo ordered. "For now, we'll work on obtaining any and all evidence from the suspect's home. Is anyone heading over to that psych ward?"

"I have Luna and Hound heading that way." Jack reported. "They were field agents before they specialized in forensics."

"Good." Bogo's voice was pleased. "We'll be there shortly." And the conversation ended.

~o.8.o~

00:10:01

Jaxon felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, having put it on silent as soon as he had finished setting up. Not taking his eyes off his target, the white billy goat pulled said piece of technology out into the open and answered the call. "Jaxon here."

"So am I~!" Came Twily's voice over the phone.

"Where?" He asked, resisting the urge to look around.

"Doesn't matter!" Twily chirped. "Just know that I have fantastic seats to the show! Oh! Don't tell me when you're about to shoot, okay? I want it to be a surprise!" Insane giggling followed after that before the doe ended the call.

Jaxon sighed before refocusing on his target. The fox was sitting with another red fox tod that was similar in features—possible a family member. It didn't matter to him. All that mattered was that he was too far from "the traitor". He'd wait until the moment was right…

~o.8.o~

00:05:56

Skye was doing her best to ignore the stench in the room as she hacked into the Erica's laptop through her own. As a fox, it was particularly difficult given her developed nasal capabilities, but her training helped her to get past the smell and focus on that task before her. There were a few cables connecting the two devices as she ran her own software against the defenses of the slightly smaller laptop, its size forcing her to use adaptors in order for the plugs to fit the correct outlets. Which, honestly, was the only challenge; everything else was startling easy.

'This laptop has only the basic of antiviral ware, and there is only a little resistance in getting past the security measures on it—which are mediocre at best.' She thought in disbelief, not sure if she should be grateful that it was so easy, or insulted that the rabbit doe thought she'd never be caught. 'Let's go with grateful.' She decided as she got passed the last of the blocks.

"I'm in." She announced, gaining the attention of Brooke Clamper who had just walked back into the apartment.

"In the system? That fast?" The female otter said as she approached the vixen.

"I don't think she expected to get caught." Skye admitted as her paws flew across her keyboard. She hardly noticed Brooke leaning against the back of her chair, looking over her shoulder.

"Anything?" Brooke asked after a moment of staring at a screen she didn't understand.

The artic vixen snorted in irritation. "If you can't wait, go finish helping Savage with the evidence in the closet.

Brooke frown in disgust at that. Under the pile of clothes in the closet, they had found a heavy, old fashion, wood and steel chest. It had been heavy, required all four of them to bring it to the surface, and had the sickly-sweet stench of rotting flesh coming from it—no doubt it held the body of the missing ewe. It was not a pleasant activity she wanted to relive.

"That's not needed." Jack said as he walked back into the apartment, Zeke right behind him. "Everything that the SWAT from precinct three couldn't handle has been taken to the surface.

Zeke couldn't help but snicker at the mention of the SWAT team, though kept his thoughts to himself when the others looked at him curiously. While he didn't doubt they were the best of the best at their precinct, it was still a hilarious sight to see rodents in SWAT gear. He knew without a doubt that Wilde would have shared his thoughts if he had been there.

"Why is it taking so long?" Brooke whined, getting an irritated ear flick from the vixen. "I thought you said you were in?"

"I am." Skye emphasized as she swatted her tail at the annoying otter to make her give her some space, glaring at the now sheepish agent. "I'm just running a program that's looking for anything related to Nick, Judy, Nighthowlwers, and shooters, so I don't waste my time." It shouldn't be much longer." An alert made her smile. "See?"

While she had talked, Jack and Zeke had made their way to stand behind Skye, so all were able to see the information that was brought up on the screen. As they scanned through it, the atmosphere grew tense.

"The hell?" Zeke asked in rage, highly insulted by the anti-pred propaganda he was reading.

"No…" Skye muttered as she read another document, one that was created less than an hour ago. Moving frantically, she wasn't the only one who reached for her phone. "This is bad, we have to notify Wilde and Hopps!"

~o.8.o~

00:03:34

Brody stared straight ahead, his eyes unseeing as his mind processed all of what his brother had just told him. It was like something out of those science fiction novels he used to read as a kit, he almost couldn't believe it…but there was no doubting the sincerity in those emerald eyes, or the presence he now had. He only had one word that could some up what he was feeling at that moment.

"Wow."

Nick barked a humorless laugh at his brother's intelligent response. "That's exactly how I felt when I first realized I was still, well, at the time I thought I was a savage. I know differently now."

"Does Dad know?"

Nick shook his head as he turned his gaze towards where his mate was still playing with his niece and nephews. She was so full of energy. "No. I…I don't know how to tell him…I've already disappointed him before…I don't think I could handle it if I did it again…"

"You won't." Brody said, glancing at his brother from his peripheral before focusing back on his kits. "There's nothing to be disappointed about."

Nick felt warmth spread throughout his chest at the honesty in his brother's voice, and smirked softly. The brothers shared a comfortable silence before the oldest broke it.

"Can you show me?" Brody asked curiously, a bit of hesitance in his voice that caused the other tod to turn his way. He explained further when Nick merely raised a brow at him. "Your eyes. The way they change. I've seen it before, but…"

Nick didn't say anything, nor did he turn away from his brother. He merely kept eye contact as he loosened his control a bit, just so his pupils contracted into thin slits without the threaten aura around him increasing.

Brody couldn't help the shudder that went down his spine at the display. There was just something so unnerving about those savage eyes that still held intelligence behind them. He glared playful at his brother when he chuckled at his reaction.

"Yeah, I reacted the same way when I first saw it. It happens when I experience intense emotions, but as you can see, I can control it now." Nick said as he stood up, pulling his phone out of his pocket as he did with a sigh. "We need to get going."

"Work?" Brody hedged as he, too, stood up.

Nick nodded regretfully. "The message I got a few minutes ago was an update and a request for us to head back in fifteen minutes. I rather get there early, just in case."

"I'm glad you could make it." Brody said as he offered a paw to Nick. He then pulled the younger tod into a hug when he took it. "I love you, Nick…I haven't showed it in recent years, but I do."

"I love you, too…I missed you, Brody." Nick said as he returned the hug. It was a moment before the brothers parted.

"I'm glad you told me." Brody said as he placed a paw on Nick's shoulder. "You should tell Dad soon, too."

There was a genuine, if nervous, smile on Nick's face as he spoke. "I will."

He left his brother by the bench as he approached the four mammals playing quite a bit of ways from them. They were playing "Duck-Duck-Goose", with Judy being the "Goose" at the moment as she chased Vivian around their little circle. Nick watched as she let the little vixen get her seat.

"Aw man!" Judy groaned dramatically. "You beat me!" The kits giggled as her exaggeration. Movement in the corner of her eye made her notice Nick's approach, and she turned to face him. "Time to go?"

Nick smiled. "Time to go. Don't want to keep Buffalo-Butt waiting."

"Who "Buffalo-Butt?" Deverin asked curiously, which earned Nick a glare from Judy.

Before the now-sheepish tod could try to explain himself to the curious kit, he felt his fur stand on end as the sound of something flying through the air at high speeds registered with him a second too late. Something small collide and burst against the side of his neck, causing him to raise a paw to the area in reflex. Dread filled him as the familiar burning spread out from the area, and he pulled back his paw and looked down at it with wide eyes, confirming what he already knew.

A gasp caused his eyes to snap up, and savage emeralds met shocked amethyst.

"Argh!" A nearby brown wolf groaned, startling the couple, clutching his neck as well before he started to shake uncontrollably as growls left his maw, teeth bared. Multiple sounds of distress from the predators in the immediate area, as well as a few prey mammals, continued to arise. All the commotion and danger made Nick's protective instincts soar, causing him to gather Judy in his arms and step closer to the now-frightened kits. A growl left his maw as he bared his teeth as he tried to focus on multiple threats at once.

One sight caused him to freeze instantly. Still by the bench, Brody was staring at them in horror and fear, getting ready to join them. However, he was completely oblivious to the savage mountain lion in a crouch behind him. Nick found his vocal cord at the same time the feline pounced.

00:00:01

"BRODY!"


A/N: -hides behind a fort- Please don't hate me!

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing it! I don't think I've ever written a chapter with such enthusiasm before, but then again, I have been dreaming about this particular chapter since I first started this series—seven months ago!

So yeah, I'm tickled pink about how it turned out lol

I apologize if the numbers were a bit confusing. I just thought the concept of an actual countdown to when all hell was about to break loose was really cool, and one I kind of got from a novel called GONE by Michael Grant. If you haven't read it, I highly suggest it. The countdown also lets you know that certain scenes were happening at the same time and overlapping.

Anyways, tell me what you think!

Ja ne!

~Star

~o.8.o~

Answers to Your Reviews and Questions

Story. Writer. 2015: I guess it was really subtle the way I implied the sexual abuse…oops lol if you recall, in the chapter where Judy and Sasha have the argument, Sasha focuses on Nick's mating season and how it could be dangerous for Judy. Mix that with this, I thought dots would be connected.

Yozia (Guest): Yes, a bear is the type of predator that abused the twins. I had the same issue when coming up with this lol

BooksAreMedicine: Yes, Ben does need some guy advice from Nick lol

Cerberusx: Unfortunately, yes. Ralph Fangmeyer is considered an OC since he's not from the movie. At the time that I started writing this story, however, the information I was given was that Officer Fangmeyer was a white wolf. Oh well, I fixed it and that's all that matters.

Whisper (Guest): I believe at the end of chapter 23(I think) there's a chart of the teams, so you can go back there for a small reference of the ZPD teams and the FBI teams. As for everything else…keep reading ;)

Fox in the hen house: You are the first one to mention the blue eyes lol I will neither confirm, nor deny, what you're asking. Just know that it won't be happening in THIS story.

GusTheBear: You are the second person to mention the eyes! As I told Fox in the hen house, I will neither confirm nor deny. Just know that if anything does happen, it will NOT be in this story.

Lily D. Cave: I know I have a lot of OC's in my story, and use a lot of the characters from the movie in it as well. However, that's what makes my story REAL. As cops, they will be dealing with a lot of mammals. Some reoccurring, others will be just a one-time appearance. As I mentioned in another response, there was a small chart of the teams. You can use that for a reference. Also, whenever I introduce a character, I specify what gender they are and what species. I know it's a lot, but if one pays attention to what is written, it is possible to not get lost, as with any story.

Dark dragon slayer unlimited: If you read my Author's Notes, you would know that I hate love triangles and have no intention of including it in my stories. So no, Jack will NOT be falling in love with Judy.

FILLER CONTENT: Um, what's not working? And the Pfeifer Zeliska…while a pretty amazing looking gun, it's not what I needed at the time. Thank you, though. I'm sure Snarlov or Grizzoli will appreciate it lol

Shadowsthebest: I'm actually a little confused by your review. What nutty ewe? Do you mean the black wool ewe? She's not crazy or anything, she was just pointing out a stereotype of bunnies.

FanfictionAddiction13: Be patient, young grasshopper. Good things come to those who wait… ;)

Jknight97: Thank you for your feedback! It's good to hear from you again^^ I hope your story is coming along nicely, and that you enjoyed this latest chapter.

Mr. Punctual (Guest): I am actually slightly offended that you would think I'd forget such an important and emotional part of my story. If you've paid attention, only one or two days have passed since that conversation. Please be patient.