And so, here we are, at the end of the second act! As correctly guessed by one reviewer of the previous chapter, things are going to accelerate as far as Nick and Judy are concerned.

I want to thank the following people for reviewing since the last update: GhostWolf88, AnimeKing7777, Wolfx1120, BrutusDeagon

THE HEART WANTS WHAT IT WANTS

"So, how did your little shooting spree go?"

Michael had agreed with Ramses' suggestion that the weaponized Waking Death needed testing, and he agreed that he should be allowed to test it on whomever he so wished.

It just so happened that he chose to test it on Judy Hopps – and he even failed to kill her. Michael had to give some credit to Ramses for finally killing Bellwether, but he doubted that was Ramses' true intentions, and instead suspected that it was an accident – that Ramses had missed the target.

And because of that, ZBI were all over Hopps and Wilde, which would make things a bit harder for him.

All in all, Michael was not impressed with Ramses. The only thing that had proved successful was the use of the weapon, and he had already created enough to use in much larger quantities.

"Answer me when I ask a question," Michael said quietly.

"I took out Bellwether," Ramses answered.

"Ah, but that clearly wasn't your target, was it?" Michael leaned forward in his seat, hands clasped in front of his muzzle.

"What is our goal?" Michael asked.

"Our goal?" Ramses scoffed. "Your goal is to kill Zootopia. All I want is to get as far away from Zootopia as I can."

"Your goal should have been to stay alive," Michael rose to his feet, drew his gun and pointed it straight at Ramses.

"You still need me."

"Yes, for now. Be warned, though: there are limits you would be wise not to push."

Michael nodded to two polar bear guards that had entered the room, and the pair moved forward and seized Ramses by the arms.

"What is this?" Ramses demanded. Michael opened a drawer in his desk and removed an object that looked like a collar of sorts.

The collar was a modified TAME Collar. Long since considered barbaric dead technology, they had first been trialled sixty years prior, before an uproar (quite literally, as it was upon lions the first tests were carried out on) ceased their use. Dawn Bellwether had planned to bring them back in as part of her attempted subjugation of the predator population in the city, but her plan had fallen through before she could implement it. As a result, there were only a few prototypes remaining.

Michael had acquired one and had it modified – the 'emotional sensor' had been disabled, and the ampage had been increased. A receiver had been implemented. The modified collar was meant not to act as a 'savagery suppressor', but as a kill switch.

Michael stepped forward towards Doug with the collar.

"What… what are you doing?! Release me!" Ramses struggled.

"I cannot trust you to not try something again that may ruin everything I have spent years planning for," Michael said. He leaned forward and snapped the collar around Ramses' neck. Nodding to the two polar bears, Michael stepped back as they dropped Ramses to the floor.

"So, here's the deal, Ramses. You do anything that I think is a detriment to my plan… and I trigger that collar."

"You're going to torture me? Like the guards in Mountainside used to, for fun?"

"No. This…" Michael waved the detonator in front of Doug, "… is the kill switch. That collar has been modified, and it could fry a rhino with a single button press."

Ramses' eyes widened in shock.

"Ah, see, he understands," Michael smiled sinisterly. "You see, I do still need you alive. After a fashion. I could kill you, and the only knock-on would be it would take a little longer to bring my plan to its conclusion."

"Then why don't you?"

"I'm a mammal of my word. You help me, and I give you a shot at revenge before you disappear."

Michael returned to his desk and sat down.

"Let this be a lesson to you," he said to Ramses. "We are allies, for the moment, but if you do something to cross me again, you won't be around to regret it."

"Look, Fin, we're already as in danger as we're going to get."

Nick was on the phone to Finnick after returning home from work. Ever since the incident with Judy's apartment barely a week ago, two ZBI units had been assigned to Nick's apartment. Judy, meanwhile, had been moved to a safe house.

In order to help prevent another attempt on either Nick or Judy, Fangmeyer had bound them to desk duty only. It frustrated them both: Judy was not keen on pen-pushing, and Nick wanted nothing more than to get out there and find Doug Ramses himself.

"I ain't talkin' about that kind of danger now, Nick," Finnick replied. "You in danger of makin' your son dislike you as much as you did your pa."

"I'm not my father," Nick replied defensively.

"And we all know it, but Robin's already hung 'round with a bad skulk. I know what it all looks like to him. He's probably thinkin' 'Dad's forgotten about Mom'. He's trying to find ways to get back at you for thinkin' about Chew Toy."

"Could you not call her that?"

"Fine, whatever. Point is, he thinks you's goin' back to her."

"I… I don't know what's going to happen with her. Not yet. Besides, I told you before: too much water has flowed under that bridge."

"Yeah, you keep tellin' yourself that, one day you might even believe it. Look, Nick, I known you since you was a kit. What's it gonna take for you to be honest with yo'self? Does Ch… Hopps have to actually get hit with the stuff that killed Hellwether before you make your play?"

"It won't come to that."

"Then make sure of it. Tell her. What you got to lose?"

"A friend, her respect, my dignity…"

"Yeah, yeah."

"All right, all right… I'll think about what you said."

Nick hung up. He stared at the phone for a good moment before placing it down.

He knew he had to make a decision, and sooner rather than later. And he had to set things straight with Robin.

Sighing heavily, Nick figured he had better get that done sooner, rather than later. He moved into the living room, where Robin was sat, staring at the television.

"Robin?" Nick said. "We should talk."

Robin gave Nick a sidewards glance before looking away again. Nick sat on the sofa beside him.

"You're not going to give me 'the' talk, are you?" Robin asked.

"What? No! Are we even at that stage yet? No. Not 'the' talk. But we do need to talk."

"It's about her, isn't it?

Robin gave Nick a judging stare.

"Look, I don't know what the future's going to hold," Nick said. "But I do know the past. I loved your Mom. I still do. Skye was… amazing. After… what happened… I never thought I could love again. Skye showed me even this broken old fox was still capable of it. I would never ask anybody to replace her. Not for what she gave me. And it wasn't just my heart that she gave me: she gave me you."

"What about Nicky?"

"Junior is my son, and I love him, but so are you. Nothing can change that."

Robin's glare softened. Tears started rolling down his cheeks. Nick got up from the table and sat next to Robin, pulling him into an embrace.

"Hey… It's okay…"

"I miss her, Dad…" Robin sobbed. "I miss Mom so much, and I'm angry that she can't be here, and I can't help it…"

"I know, I know…" Nick said soothingly. "I miss her too."

Robin sniffed.

"I promise you that, if we ever got back together, Judy won't try to replace Skye," Nick said. "And I know she doesn't want to do that either."

Robin let out another choked sob.

"I'm sorry, Dad…" Robin said.

"Nothing to be sorry for, Son," Nick rubbed the back of Robin's head gently. "Truth be told, if I were in your position, I'd probably be thinking the same."

Nick pulled away from Robin, resting a hand comfortingly on the younger fox's shoulder.

The following day, Fangmeyer had stuck Nick and Judy into their cubicles and offloaded a bunch of case files to sort through.

"I hate paperwork," Nick grimaced, as he looked over a report about a break-in in the City Centre. Apparently, some cougar youth decided it was worth breaking into a closed store to see if he could scavenge anything from there, and had subsequently been caught and given a caution. Even though no further action was required, it still meant the responding officer or officers had to file a report, which meant work for Nick.

"You've said that every day for the past week and a half, Slick." Judy giggled lightly, earning her a raised eyebrow from Nick.

"And you've thought it for the past week, way more than I've said it." Nick replied, allowing a small smirk onto his face. Judy responded with a 'who, me' look. Nick let out a small snort and returned to the riveting report on his desk.

"So…" Nick began. Judy glanced towards Nick.

"So…?" Judy raised an eyebrow curiously.

"I… um… I think we should… you know… talk sometime."

"About what?"

"Um… us."

Judy stared blankly at Nick.

"What about us?" Judy asked.

"It's, uh… kind of awkward," Nick admitted. "Let's just say that, after the whole thing with Sm… Bellwether, it's made me think about things."

"What things? Nick, you're not usually this shy about talking."

"No, I'm not. You're right. So, I'm just going to come out and say it. Judy Hopps, I think I'm still in love with you."

There was a moment of silence before Nick continued.

"I've kept it to myself for a long time because I didn't think that bridge could ever be mended, and why would you want to cross it with me again anyway? But then… after what happened with Bellwether, it opened my eyes."

"Nick, that was a week ago."

"Okay, maybe I had an internal battle with myself, and a few words with Finn, and a heart-to-heart with Robin, before I decided that I should act. Can you blame me for hesitating?"

Judy breathed through her nose.

"No," she shook her head. "And if we're going to be honest with each other, then I think I should tell you that I've thought about it too. Same thoughts, I guess. But… You moved on. At least, that's what I kept telling myself."

"Is it true that I moved on sixteen years ago? Yeah, it is. But that was sixteen years ago. It's in the past."

"And what about Skye?"

"I had this conversation with Robin last night. I do love Skye. But she's not here. Would things be different if she was? Yes, I think so."

"So… you were using her as a placeholder?" Judy raised an eyebrow, though her voice held no trace of anger.

"No, that's… look, remember what I told you about what I'd been up to? I went to Mexicat to get away from it all. What happened was… it hurt. I thought my heart was crushed, smooshed, shattered into a thousand pieces and beyond any hope of repair. I never thought I could love again. She was special. She brought me back from the brink, because she believed in me. I'm not saying that to get at you. It's something you have in common: you found this broken, jaded, shattered old fox and helped him put the pieces back together. So, it's not about replacing you. And me being with Skye wasn't me replacing you with her. I'm not looking to replace her, but I can't help the way I feel. I still love you."

Judy looked down at her paws.

"How…? How…? After what I did…"

Nick closed the distance and put a paw on her shoulder.

"We all make mistakes, Judy. You should hate me too. But what use is going over old wounds? I like mine all closed-up and mostly healed."

Nick chuckled lightly.

"Look at us, a pair of mammals barely holding ourselves together," Nick said.

Judy closed her eyes, trying to hold back her tears.

"Maybe… we still need each other," Nick suggested. "But I'm not going to force this. If we take the next step, if we… try again, it has to be what we both want."

Judy looked up at Nick.

"Is this what you want?" Nick asked.

Judy took a deep and shaky breath.

"Mom once told me… that the heart wants what it wants. I… I do want it," Judy admitted. She shook her head and wiped at her eyes. "Where do we go from here?"

"We go one day at a time," Nick replied.

A knock came at the cubicle wall. Nick and Judy turned to face Fangmeyer.

"You two, my office," Fangmeyer said, before waking off.

Nick and Judy sat once again in Fangmeyer's office, with Agent Jack Wilde watching them. Nick shot Jack a glare before focusing on Fangmeyer, who did not look happy.

"Hopps, Wilde, I am going to get straight to the point," Fangmeyer said. "While Doug Ramses is at large, you are not safe. Therefore, it has been agreed that the ZBI will send you into witness protection."

Nick and Judy glanced at each other.

"Now, given the speed that this is to happen, the ZBI can't set up a safe house for you. We have agreed to send you to your family in Bunnyburrow until the threat is passed and Ramses is no longer a threat. Given Hopps' large family, we figured that would be the safest place for you. We have already contacted your family and they have agreed to it."

"Chief…" Judy began.

"I'm afraid that this is not open for discussion, Hopps. Go home, both of you. Start packing. ZBI Agents will be there to escort you to Bunnyburrow later today."

"Yes, ma'am," Nick and Judy chanted.

Judy was busy packing at home, ruminating on the events of the day. First, Nick and Judy had agreed to see where things could head between them after spending the past year avoiding that very thing, and now they were being bundled into witness protection in Bunnyburrow.

A knock came at the door to her bedroom and she turned to face Nicholas.

"Are you okay, Mom?" Nicholas asked.

"A lot has happened today, Nicky," Judy replied. "It's… I'm still getting used to it."

"This is more than just the witness protection, isn't it?"

Judy put down the shirt she was folding up to put into her suitcase.

"Nick and I… talked about a few things."

"And… I take it you decided to get back together."

"Maybe… not quite get back together?"

"Well, whatever it is… I'm not going to pick a fight with you over it. If it makes you happy…"

"Nicky…"

"Well, I'm me, not Grandpa."

That got a chuckle out of Judy.

"And it's clear that, after all this time, you still love him, because why else would you give me his name?" Nicholas pointed out. "Why else would you forgive him, and ask him to forgive you, for what happened?"

Judy smiled briefly. She opened her arms and leaned over slightly. Nicholas leaned forward, allowing Judy to hug him.

"I'll try to be okay with it," Nicholas said. "I'll try to not make it difficult for you."

"I love you, Nicholas," Judy said.

"I know, Mom," Nicholas replied, his hold tightening on Judy.

And that's a wrap for this chapter! This condensed two chapters down into one, which needed to happen right after the revelation that Waking Death did kill Bellwether in the previous chapter. It also brought forward Michael's reprimand, entirely rewritten to fit better with what I had in mind for the character.

So, that's it for this chapter! Remember to leave a review, and I'll update soon!