(AN: Hello Fellow readers. SirRedFox here posting a new installment of "The Long Hustle Vol. 2." First off, if you're reading this, YOU'RE AWESOME! And, thank you.

Secondly, I've said before, my writing is not that good. But I'm trying to write as fast as I can with as much improvement I can make as I go along. After awhile, I just get burnt out. If I had the choice, I would've have spent hour hours, days, weeks even on this chapter.

Quick Recap: Shere Khan brings Nick to another dark secret of Zootopia. After witnessing some very dark things, he escapes with Bagheera in tow.

So enjoy this new chapter of "The Long Hustle: Vol. 2, The Empire & The Emperor." And please, fill free to leave a review or comment. Thank you.)


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Reunion:

They both stubble outside. There is a little trouble juggling, holding up Bagheera and trying to get the limo car door open. Plopping Bagheera into the front seat, Nick takes his place behind the wheel. Driving away from that secret brothel makes him feel better with each distance gained.

Luckily he knows where Bagheera lives and only a short trip with traffic. Parking in front of the apartment complex he lets the drunken panther make his own way back to his apartment.

Finally alone Nick sighing a breath of relief. He takes the limo car and drives. Driving through Savanna Central, past Little Rodenta, and through the Tundra District. No clue as to where he is going. The brothel he escaped from was a big no no. After tonight there be only one place Nick wanted to go, that being home. Not home to a fancy apartment below Shere Khan and across from a sadistic vixen. No he wants to go home home, so home is where he's heading. Home to Judy.


He parks the car and stares at the apartment complex he shared with Judy. Not knowing what to expect. Simply sitting there waiting for something to happen.

The doors to the apartment complex open and out steps Judy. Nick's eyes widened and his heart begins to race. She appears beautiful and well-dressed. Nick could smell her scent all the way from where he is.

Ready to run to her, opening the door when something makes him stop. He closes the door and slouches down. There's another bunny, a male buck dressed in a suit. He holds his arm out for her to take. She takes his arm, and they both walk down the stone steps, together.

Nick could be seeing things. The effects of the Blue Sky still in his system. That's it. More side effects is all.

But no. Watching as the two bunnies get in the car together. This mysterious male bunny even opens the door for her. Watching them drive off, Nick's primal instincts kick in and follows the two bunnies.

He follows them to extravagant restaurant in Savanna Central, the Glass Eye restaurant. Nick didn't dare follow them inside. The restaurant is up tight and fancy, tailored to the two well-dressed bunnies. All Nick has on is his khakis, paw-aiin button up, and his tie. He did have a thinly fabric black jacket he keeps in the car glove box. No use to him here, but possible later on in the night.

The restaurant is designed with large panels of glass walls. Easily allowing Nick to spy into the restaurant. The buck bunny pulls out a chair for her to sit down and takes seat across from her. He watches the whole dinner date take place. Watching as this well fit buck makes Judy laugh and entertain her, even witnessing him putting his hand on top of Judy's arm.

The whole thing making Nick cringe in anger. Gripping and twisting the leather steering wheel. Grinding his teeth in anger. He watches the whole thing up to them paying their bill, and from where he sat it looked like the buck rabbit took care of, to them getting back into his car and driving off. Nick follows.

They return to Judy's apartment. No. Judy and Nick's apartment. The rabbit pair walk up the stone steps and into the apartment complex.

Nick couldn't stand it anymore. He pulls out his black Jacket, not wanting to be seen by any mammal. As he reaches for his jacket, he touches the cold hard steel of the revolver. Nick pulls it out from glove box. He didn't like carrying it around, but tonight all reasoning goes out the window. He pockets the revolver and gets out of the car. Crossing the street, reminding himself to not over act and to walk normally.

Making it to the door, he finds major obstacle in his way. He couldn't get inside. Buzzing himself in is a no go. Not even supposed to be here.

The door rattles. Someone is coming out, this would be his chance. The door swings open and Terra walks out carrying her college books. This almost catches him off guard. Since when did she move into an apartment and out of college? He couldn't think of this now, he catches the door before it closes and slips right in.

There he sees them "talking". Judy standing in the doorway, smiling, and talk to whoever this buck bunny is. The unthinkable happens. The buck leans in giving Judy a passionate kiss. Nick wanting to react by yelling and smashing and showing his anger. He clenches at the revolver still in his hand.


Judy, standing in the door way, jerking her head back from the surprise kiss she received. "What was that?" ask Judy.

"A passionate kiss to go long with this passionate night" says Marcus, the bunny.

"Thank you, but I didn't want one."

"Come on, you secretly want it and like it."

"If I had wanted you to kiss me, I would've told you."

"Okay. Just hear me out."

Judy simply nodding her head to the bunny that is droning on and on and on. She wishes he would shut up, so she could close the door and end such a night. But Marcus would not stop. Judy keeps her curtsy up by smiling and nodding her head as if she cares.

Marcus is her blind date for the night. He is a rabbit in business, stock exchange and all that complicated stuff. Her folks back home in Bunnyburow sit the whole thing up. They want her to get back out there and start dating again in finding some mammal. Or more specifically, finding another rabbit to settle down with. That's what her mom and dad wanted, to fine a good rabbit to be with. She only agrees to the date to get her folks to stop nagging at her about it.

Marcus sets the whole date up. Requesting, nay, demanding that they go out on such a late hour. Something about the night air being more romantic. He, for the most part, is a find gentle-mammal. Walking her to his car, escorting her into the restaurant, to paying the bill at the end of the date. But now Judy is tired and wants to go to bed.

She is glad to have gotten Terra to babysit while gone. She did not have to worry or go through the stress of putting Archer to bed. After tonight, she probably didn't even have the strength to do so.

Marcus finally stops talking.

"Well, I had a lovely night, but I need to get some sleep now. I'm due at the prescient in the morning.

Judy starts to close the door when Marcus wedges in his foot to stop the door from closing.

"Um, aren't you going to invite me in? I mean after a night like this that I've provided."

"And I thank you for it, but it is late and I work in the morning. So..." Judy tries gently to kick his foot out of the way.

"I thought we would have a bit of fun, in your bedroom? Especially after all I went through: picking you up, taking you to a nice fancy restaurant, and paying that entire bill."

Judy understands now. Marcus thinks he can charm his way into her pants. All those generous things he listed, Judy didn't ask for any of that. The buck bunny can do all the generous things he wants, she still wasn't going to let him into her pants. The more he gestured towards it, the more furious Judy is becoming, and starting to lose her patience. Having half the mind to fetch her tranq-gun and shoot him in the foot.

"Now's not a good time for me."

"Then how about just another kiss?"

"A kiss?"

"A kiss of appreciation for all I've done. I'll even let it be just on the cheek. Right here."

Marcus puts a finger on his cheek. As if on cue, a fist holding a silver revolver slams hard into Marcus's face. The punch is so powerful, it knocks Marcus out cold. Falling to the floor like a sack of potatoes.

"What the Hell?" The punch is so fast and comes out of nowhere, spooking Judy.

The black hooded figure that delivered the punch, barges into Judy's apartment. He passes Judy as if she isn't even there. Judy stands frozen as the dark figure busts into her apartment. Her cop instants kicking in. She went to her police belt and pulls out the tranq-gun and points it at the dark figure. Probably a junkie trying to score with a quick B and E.

"Listen, I don't know who you are or what you're on, but you broke into the wrong apartment. But, I'm going to give you to the count of three to get out-"

The dark figure pushes his hoodie back revealing his entire face and head.

"Nick?" Seeing his face catches her by surprise and off her guard having her lower her weapon. "Nick what are you doing here, you- Nick."

The sudden realization hits her. Nick is here standing right in front of her in her apartment, no, their apartment. She feels weak and queasy all of a sudden, she has to get him out now.

"I don't know why or what you are doing here, but you have to leave now."

Nick paces back and forth in the living room apartment. So much has changed, yet it all feels familiar to him. The floor, the couch, the kitchen all flooding his head with memories. He hears Judy's plea, but he isn't listening to her. He still holds the revolver.

"Nick" trying again to get through to him, her hands to together like praying and a begging tone, trying calmly. "You have to leave now."

"So this is what you've been doing?" says Nick finally in a very stern tone. "Going out on dates and fancy restaurants?"

"Nick, this isn't what it looks like. Marcus-"

"Marcus?"

"The buck you just punched. He's a blind date that my folks back home set up. I agreed to it, so they stop bothering me about it and to keep up the appearance that we are no longer together."

"Oh, that's how you've been keeping up appearances? Going out on fancy dates and sleeping with any todd, buck, or dick that comes your way."

"How, dare, you," says Judy in a harsh tone of disbelief. "You come and charge in here and accuse me of unfaithful actions. What about yourself?"

"What about me?"

Judy marches up to Nick and rubs her hand hard against his cheek. She holds up her hand to show the amount of glitter she wiped off him. In his raging charge, he is totally forgetting about the bunny prostitute at the brothel.

"What happened? Did you get in a fight with a pixie and lose?" She swats at Nick's shoulder to rub the glitter off her hand. "And you smell heavy of rose perfume. Anything you want to confess about?"

"It's different. I didn't have a choice. I go where I'm told to go, and do what I'm told to do."

"What about you and that vixen you work so closely with? The ZBI have photos of the two of you together."

"What? The sadistic sociopath of a fox who I'm pretty sure wants to lock a collar and leash around me and make me her personal pet or something? Yeah, I'm definitely in a relationship with her."

Nick gives a fake laugh and starts pacing the floor again. He tries to control his anger towards her, she still is Judy after all. Yet, Nick is done holding so much in, it time for letting it all out.

"Honestly Judy, you have no idea of the hell I have gone through in these last three years. Here let me give you the short version of it. I went to the worst prison there is, I had to assert myself as drug smuggler, nearly die on several occasions, watching good mammals die, get beaten, abused, and confined. And that was all in prison."

Nick lefts up his shirt so his mark by Shere Khan could be seen.

"Then I meet Mr. Big Bad Psychotic Tiger, brands me with his insignia, only after having him beat me half to death, and since then been disposing of dead bodies and smuggling Blue Sky in and out of the city."

Tears welding up in Judy's eyes. She gives him a long painful look. Trying to stay strong right now.

"Well I'm sorry Nick," says Judy. "But things on this side of the fence haven't exactly been easy for me either."

"Oh, horse shit!" Nick protests. "What, did Bogo put you on Parking Duty for longer than you wanted?"

"Fuck you Nick!" Says Judy in a tearful rage, giving Nick a hard push away. She is ready to collapse in tears.

"I promise you that there is nothing that you can compare to me-"

"Mommy...?" comes a soft voice.

Nick turns to see a small kit fox standing in the hallway in his pajamas and holding a stuffed animal wearing a police uniform. His fur is gray and has lavender eyes and his fox ears are a bit longer than what most fox cubs would have. He stares up at Nick with wide bewilderment in his eyes. Nick gives the same exact look right back at the kit fox.

Judy as quick as she can, wipes away tears before facing the fox kit. Putting on a smile as she approaches him. She gets down on one knee to address the fox kit at eye level.

"Hey sweetheart. Did we wake you?" ask Judy in a soft motherly voice.

"I heard yelling" says the kit fox.

"I'm sorry baby." She softly rubs the fur on the side of his cheek with her thumb. "Mommy is just having a grown up discussion with an old friend. Why don't you go back to bed and I'll come later to tuck you in, okay?"

"Okay," says the kit fox. Judy turns him around, and he marches to the once spare bedroom.

"Judy..." says Nick, finding himself breathless and a heavy feeling in his stomach. The kit fox addressed Judy as mommy. "Who was that?"

Judy slowly stands up and turns around to face Nick. She keeps her head down, afraid to look at Nick in the eyes. "That..." Judy starts to say, trying to find her voice. "That was Archer. He's your... Our, son."

Hearing the words a sudden coldness hits at Nick's core. He could feel his heart race and his skin tinkle in disbelief. He feels dizzy and disorientated again. His mind floods with questions; who, what, when, where? Feeling the room to slowly spin. Nick could say it was more effects from the Blue Sky, but this is different.

"Nick," Judy sees the reaction taking place in Nick. "I wanted to tell the moment I found out, but I couldn't. I swear to you."

"How could you..." Nick starts to say, trying to find the words to express how he feels. "When did... I can't..." he tries to say. Judy tries to approach and calm him. He pushes her away and takes a few steps back, feeling betrayed. "I can't be here right now." He heads for the door.

"Nichocals P. Wilde," says Judy, stopping Nick before walking out the door. "Look at me," she demands at him.

Nick stops, still trying to control his breathing. He turns to face her. Her eyes filling with tears as she holds out her necklace with their wedding rings with a pendant in the middle of the two rings.

"More than two years ago I had you make a promise to me. I am still holding you to that promise."

Nick looks at her with a sad disbelief. Judy holds the necklace with their wedding rings. Nick remembers the promise. In truth, he almost forgot about it. To come back to her as he once was when he left. He didn't know if that was even possible anymore. His eyes dart from the necklace to Judy, with her wide eyes and filling up with tears.

"Goddamn you Judy."

It is the last thing he says before stepping out of the apartment and slamming the door behind him. Once the door closes, her emotions of shock and anguish hit Judy all at once having her burst into tears.

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(AN: Thank you for reading, and Thank you for reading this. Again, YOU'RE AWESOME! And I want to thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read this fanfic. There's a million and one things you could be doing and you decide to take the time to read this. So, I hope you enjoyed this new chapter.

So, Nick has FINALLY met his son, Archer. I honestly think this chapter went by too fast. Like this chapter is lacking something, but what? That and there is so much emotion to unpack in this chapter. I also wanted this event to happen a lot earlier in the story, but now was the best time to present it.

In the next installment: We return to a slice of life.

As I said before, please leave a commit telling me what you think. Thank you!)

- Sir_RedFox)