(A/N: in case you guys didn't know, bunnies are only pregnant for like a month and Judy's almost a week in, so that's why her weight gain's more obvious. Just wanted to clear that up before someone came @ me saying "how is it noticeable already???!?!??"

Also congrats to those of you that figured it out back at chapter six lol)

It felt like an eternity, but soon the pair arrived back within the city limits, just at the border of the Rainforest District. They knew it was safe now, since Bellwether clearly couldn't come back to the city undisguised. But now that she knew Judy was alive and Nick wasn't under her control, she was bound to plan something. And she would stop at nothing until they were both dead.

As they took shelter behind some bushes, Judy climbed off of her partner and began to pace nervously. So much occurred in the last few hours, she couldn't even begin to comprehend it. Bellwether had escaped prison and she was now targeting any predator she could find to make her own army. The new serum was stronger, so the Night Howler antidote was no good anymore. And most shocking of all, Judy might actually be pregnant.

How could she process all of this? How could any of this be happening? She continuously walked back and forth while Nick sat down to catch his breath, his eyes following her every movement.

"This..this is crazy." She said to herself, holding her head. "There's— there's no way. I mean, how could she have escaped?! And how did she make a new serum?" She grimaced, pulling on her ears. "How am I pregnant?!"

She turned to Nick, "Did you know this whole time?" Nick didn't respond in any way, which just further frustrated the bunny. She walked up to him, "Is it true? Am I actually pregnant..?"

Finally, his expression changed. He lowered his gaze. Judy assumed he was looking down at her stomach, which gave her the answer she needed. She let out a distressed chuckled, shaking her head. "Of course. That's what happens when you have drunk sex with your friend." She said bitterly. "God, how could I have been so stupid?"

So many thoughts were running through her mind, it was giving her a headache. She didn't even know how to react, other than to outwardly scold herself for her careless actions. And all Nick could do was sit there and watch, since he didn't quite understand why she was so stressed at the moment. But he knew he was apart of the reason why.

Judy sighed heavily, dragging her paws down the sides of her face. "So was Bellwether right?" She asked, looking back at the fox again. "Were you actually going to kill me if I wasn't carrying your kid?"

A small frown appeared on his face, and she couldn't tell if that meant yes or no. It did make the most sense. Nick had the chance to kill her, but he stopped for seemingly no reason. He must've sensed the fetus, and somehow figured out it was his. Why else would he just walk away from his prey?

Nick whimpered quietly, walking over to her. He brushed his head against her paw, hoping his affection could bring her comfort and calm her down. It didn't work, but it did help her realize that now was not the time to completely lose her mind. They had a task at paw. Bellwether had to be stopped before she could release those predators into the city.

"Alright, we need to get you home." Judy said, rubbing his snout. Before she could report what she saw in the woods to Bogo, she'd have to get her partner somewhere safe. "It's midnight so we should be able to get back without anyone seeing you."

They started their walk back to downtown, which was going to take a while without a vehicle to transport them. Judy constantly checked to ensure no one was around everywhere they went. She could not risk Nick being seen, especially now that Bellwether was out to kill them. At least the streets were vacant at this time of night. Hardly a single mammal was in sight the whole trip back.

Judy felt uneasy the closer they got to their side of town. What would she do if someone did see Nick? How would she explain herself? And how could she convince them not to call authorities? It was an unwritten rule ever since the missing mammal cases last year; always report a savage animal. It was for safety, of course. But Judy had her reasons, and she'd never be able to make someone else fully understand them.

Every now and then she unconsciously brought her paws up to her stomach, trying feel for a baby bump of some sort. There wasn't one yet, but she could definitely feel her stomach wasn't as flat anymore. Now she was wondering what she was going to do with the baby. She couldn't put it up for adoption, since it was going to be a mix of fox and bunny DNA and no one would see that as "normal". But she couldn't raise it alone, and Nick might've been the father but he wasn't her husband. It just didn't feel right having a baby out of wedlock.

The thought of Nick as her husband made her chuckle. She pictured him carrying her in her wedding dress across the threshold. She imagined him serving her breakfast in bed on their anniversary, dancing with him under the stars, helping her put their children to sleep with a special lullaby that they made up. It didn't sound like such a bad life to live. Actually, she found it desirable. And it wasn't a completely remote outcome. Nick was always taking care of her and he was always there for her. Honestly, he seemed like the best choice for a husband, or just a lover in general.

She glanced over at the fox, who was at her side walking on all fours. "I don't know if you'll remember any of this or not," She said, catching his attention. "But I really hope you don't hate me after it's over."

Nick wasn't sure what she meant, but seeing the look on her face made him frown with sympathy. He wished he could do more to make her feel better, or to at least not feel as stressed and guilty as she did.

Judy was almost immediately snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a siren in the distance. Her ears shot up as she took a look around. From the sound of it, it was no doubt a police siren. It was faint, but it could get close. They had to hide before they were seen.

"Come on." She gestured for him to follow her, in which he obliged with no hesitation. They both picked up their pace and turned the corner, making their way into an alley. It wasn't an ideal hiding spot, but it was their only option for now.

Judy kept a look-out, carefully peering around the wall to see if the cop car was coming their way. She couldn't be caught by them. If she was seen hanging out in the streets by herself in the middle of night off-duty, then they would definitely think she was up to something shady and her reputation would be ruined.

"I think they're just patrolling." She said to Nick, who was standing behind her out of sight. "Don't worry, they shouldn't be coming this way." She turned to him, "But let's wait it out, just in case."

Nick gave her a nod, just as her phone dinged. She quickly pulled it out of her pocket to turn the ringer off, but what she saw on her screen suddenly caught her eye. It was an emergency warning sent out by the ZPD.

ATTENTION: A savage fox has been sighted in Downtown Zootopia. A search team has been sent out to find it. Be on the lookout until then. If anyone has knowledge of its whereabouts, please contact immediately.

"Son of a bitch..." Judy whispered, shaking her head.

How did this happen?! She made sure no one saw them, and they were so careful! Most everyone was asleep by now, so who could've possibly seen Nick? And how would they know for sure that he was savage? He might've been walking differently, but he didn't attack anyone and he wasn't behaving irrationally.

And then it hit her.

Bellwether.

She must've sent an anonymous call to the ZPD about seeing a "savage fox". Who else would've known about him? No surprise she was one step ahead of Judy. Now they were going to suffer the consequences.

Judy anxiously glance outside the alley, knowing that if she wanted to avoid losing Nick, she'd have to go to extreme lengths. "Okay, we need to get you back now." She said to him, urgently. "The apartment's not far from here. We can make it if we run. And do not stop for any reason, not even if a car starts chasing us. Got it?"

He nodded. All he really got from it was that he needed to run, and he could do that. So once she gave him a sign that the coast was clear, they both darted from the alley and down the street.