And now, here's the moment of truth for Nick and Judy.

Thanks to the following people who commented on the previous chapter: GhostWolf88 (FFN and AO3), Sapperjoe85, seakard, aomagrat, Spectra98, x_uve

THE LONG-AWAITED MEETING

"Why are you here?"

To say that Viola Wilde was not pleased to see her at her front door would have been obvious, but Judy felt it was right to try. It had been ten years since they had last spoken.

"Because you have a right to know your Grandchild," Judy replied. "I couldn't… I couldn't find Nick, but…"

She had left Nicholas with Bonnie, who had come into Zootopia to visit, while she made this visit. It was Bonnie who had encouraged her to extend the olive branch, for Nicholas' sake. Judy had been putting this off for years. Raising a child by oneself was not easy by any means, and Judy had suffered… issues. She was lucky to have a family that had helped her through it, even if they had made it clear they were absolutely against the actions Judy had taken which had instigated the situation in the first place.

Viola studied Judy with a neutral expression on her face.

"You're hoping that… what?" Viola crossed her arms. "That I'll pass on a message?"

"Yes! No! I don't know!" Judy replied. "I just wanted to try and make things right!" Judy protested.

"You're a bit late for that," Viola replied, "though I suppose the thought is better late than never."

"Look, you don't know everything that happened!" Judy said, tears forming at the edges of her eyes. "You don't know! I know I was a… an idiot, a dumb bunny, out of my mind with worry… and I…"

"I'm not the one you should be telling this to," Viola remarked. "And I don't think you are so stupid as to think this isn't long overdue."

"I know…" Judy replied.

Viola let out a breath.

"Come in," Viola relented, stepping aside.

"I was just… so scared," Judy said, wiping away a tear with a tissue Viola had passed her. "I had no idea what it was going to do to me, not truly. My head filled with all these… worst-case scenarios and… I acted like they were true."

Viola sighed.

"Don't get me wrong: I think you are both as stupid over this as each other," Viola said, "but now I have your side of the story, I can't pretend I don't understand just a little bit of what you were going through."

"But I can't even begin to make things right!" Judy protested.

"Belated it may be, and believe me, it is very belated, you've taken your first step," Viola answered. "What you do next is what counts most."

Viola picked out her diary, scribbled down something on a page, tore it out and passed it to Judy. It was a number.

"You're going to have to take that step on your own," Viola remarked. "Just be aware that you might not like what you hear either."

"… will you tell him?" Judy asked.

"You're the one who's going to have to do that," Viola said. "It's your place to talk to him, and it's going to be better coming from you than it is from me."

Four years passed after that conversation. Judy had, on many occasions, started to dial the number Viola had given her for Nick. On one occasion, she even dialled it successfully, only to hang up a moment later, before there was even an answer.

Shame, and guilt, and disgust at herself, kept her from talking to Nick. The irony was she felt all the worse every time she chickened out.

She did know that Viola had tried on her end to get Nick to 'come home', even if 'just for a visit'. It was her way of trying to get Nick to meet the son that he should know he had, even if Nick and Judy did not leave each other on good terms.

And then, the worst happened.

"I said, 'it's a brain tumour'," Viola said matter-of-factly. They were sat in a small café not far from Precinct One. Viola's revelation had Judy stunned into silence. This wasn't something she expected at all.

"They said that where they found it, it's going to affect my memories," Viola continued. "I don't know how. I could just forget who I am, where I live, who I've met…"

"Does Nick know?" Judy asked.

"You care enough to ask that," Viola remarked, "but you haven't contacted him to tell him about his Son."

"I'm…" Judy began. "It's complicated."

"Is that 'rabbit speak' for something, or is that an excuse?" Viola raised an eyebrow. "It's just as well I've been trying to get him to come home… but…"

"But he has a new life now, I get it," Judy replied. "Why haven't you told Nick?" Judy asked.

"I've not started forgetting important things yet, Miss Hopps," Viola responded. "I remember saying that it was up to you to tell him, not me. I tell him and he maybe comes home angry that he wasn't told sooner, and that it didn't come from you. Same as this… it's up to me to tell him. Maybe if I get better, but… they're going to try, anyway, and I'll tell him afterwards, if it works. He'll probably be upset with me for a bit for not telling him straight away, but I think he'd be happier to know I was alright."

"And if it doesn't get better?" Judy asked. "What then?"

"If it doesn't, then I'll… have to tell him," Viola answered, "but I'm hoping I can convince him to come home before it comes to that anyway."

Judy stood anxiously at the window of her apartment, waiting for her visitor to arrive. Thinking back, she wished she had done something sooner. Just another guilt on top of what was already there. Viola had forgotten who Nicholas was, and that made Nicholas worse than he already was. On top of that, despite her efforts, Viola had not succeeded in getting Nick to come to Zootopia, at least until now.

She had done what she could to stifle Nicholas' wayward thoughts, but as he got older, the questions started coming more and more, and alongside those came the insults from those who didn't understand what he was, how unique he was. Judy found herself unable to answer, either because of her own shame, or her lack of knowledge or experience. Soon, that lack of satisfying answers started to consume Nicholas, and no matter what Judy did, it didn't seem to be enough to reassure Nicholas that she did care about him and that, once he had calmed down enough, she would tell him the truth.

The choice of when wasn't hers to make any more.

A cab pulled up outside the apartment building. One of the rear doors opened and Judy watched as a fox in a black suit and green shirt stepped out from it. His gaze tracked to her window and he paused for a moment. Judy noticed that Nick was alone and she started to worry about where Nicholas might be.

It was impossible for Judy to tell what he was thinking. He broke the gaze and headed into the building. Judy made sure to unlock the door. After a few minutes, there was a brief knock on the door, before it opened and Nick stepped in.

Judy was half-expecting a cocky, confident Nick to appear before her, or an angry one, but Nick was neither of those. To Judy, he looked somewhat deflated.

'He's just found out his mother is dying, and that he has a son,' Judy thought.

"Where's Nicholas?" Judy asked.

"He didn't want to take the cab with me," Nick replied. "I think he's built up this image in his head of what I am, and he didn't want to give me the chance to say anything. I thought it was best to talk to you first."

Nick looked around, taking note of the way the place was decorated. It wasn't that different from how he remembered it

"You didn't redecorate, I see," Nick indicated to the tropical leaf-print wallpaper.

"I liked it," Judy replied. "It reminded me of…" she trailed off. Nick said nothing. His face remained in neutral as he headed for the kitchen and opened one of the cupboards.

"No new crockery either," Nick said, as he took a glass from the cupboard over to the sink and filled it with water. He took it over to Judy and handed it to her. She stared at Nick's paw for a moment before accepting the glass.

"Thanks," Judy murmured. She took a gulp from it.

"Sit with me," Nick said, as he sat on the sofa. He leaned forward his elbows on his knees, looking pensive as Judy sat on the sofa, putting a bit of distance between the two of them.

For some time, all they did was stare at each other, but then the guilt and shame started to come back for Judy. She tried to fight it, to keep herself together, but this was something that she couldn't stop. Tears beaded at the corners of her eyes, tears she so desperately didn't want to fall, but knew they had to. She began weeping, losing her composure. Nick wasn't expecting this from Judy, and it took him by surprise, but he leaned across and placed a tentative paw on her shoulder.

"Hey…" Nick said gently, "Hey, I came here prepared for… I don't know what, to be honest, but not this."

"I'm… sorry…" Judy sobbed. "I should have come to you first… we were supposed to be partners and I pushed you away instead… I'm sorry that I couldn't be strong and find you to try and put things right… I'm sorry you had to find everything out this way…"

Tears streamed down Judy's face as she choked between sobs.

"I wasn't expecting this…" Nick replied. "Don't know what I was expecting, to be fair…"

"I know you hate me, and I know nothing I can say will ever put things right…" Judy said.

"Judy…" Nick sighed, rubbing his head, "I don't hate you."

"You should," Judy said. "And you'd have every right to. This has been…" Judy sniffed, "maybe it's been at the back of my mind all this time. There's this voice inside that says I should be angry at you… but I'm angry at myself more than anything. You have every right to hate me for what I did," Judy said, wiping at her eyes, "and you have every right to throw what I say back in my face."

"No," Nick replied. "I don't think so. I think you've punished yourself more than I could even think to. And besides, we're both to blame. I thought there was a chance I might hate you the moment I saw you again, but… it's just not there."

There was silence, punctuated only by Judy's tears.

"Do you remember what happened eighteen years ago?" Nick asked. "When you came to me under that bridge?"

"Y… yes," Judy hiccoughed.

"Good, because this feels like that to me," Nick said. "Maybe I'm an idiot. Maybe I'm just weak to bunny tears. Maybe it's both. Definitely an idiot, because I didn't bring a carrot pen this time."

Nick's attempt at a joke earned a choked sob from Judy.

"You… did you meet somebody else?" Judy hiccoughed.

"I did." Nick admitted, "Since we're going to have to be honest with each other… yes."

Judy stayed silent for a moment, a silent tear falling.

'What right have I to be angry at him for moving on? I'm a dumb, dumb bunny…' Judy thought.

"I felt like I was just… stumbling around in the dark after… what happened," Nick explained. "I had gone away, just to clear my head for a bit. That was where I met Skye… she was… patient. Kind. Amazing. She made me realise that I still had a heart, that it worked. I won't lie: I loved her. I loved her, and that love was all the stronger because I never thought I could love again, after you."

Nick bowed his head.

"It didn't last," Nick said, letting out a chuckle that almost sounded like a sob, "How can anything I'm involved with last?"

"What happened?" Judy asked.

"She's… gone. Gone where nobody can follow her," Nick answered.

"Oh… Oh, Nick… I'm so sorry…" Judy said, feeling fresh tears coming.

"Don't be," Nick answered, a sad smile on his face. "I'm grateful to her just being in my life, because without her, I might have become a bitter old fox who grew to hate everything. I've been there once already, and it's not a nice place to be. Instead, she gave me the strength I needed to forgive. And she gave me something I didn't think I would ever have."

"You have another child, don't you?" Judy asked.

"Yes," Nick acknowledged, "a boy. His name is Robert, though he likes to be called Robin. I didn't bring him with me, just in case this got heated. Fin's looking after him. I'd like you to meet him. For what it's worth, I've never offloaded any of my issues with you onto him. He knows I came from Zootopia, and he knows I loved somebody else before his mother, but he's just a kid. I'm guessing that's the reason you didn't tell Nicholas why I left."

Nick sighed, letting his arms fall between his knees. Unbeknownst to either of them, the front door had creaked open slightly while they were occupied.

"I had this fancy speech all mapped out in my head. 'A lie by omission is still a lie' and all that," Nick continued on, "But I had a bit of time to think about it on the way over here, and I realise I'm no better, and it's not something that Robin or Nicholas need to know right now. It'll only hurt them to know."

Judy stared at her feet.

"What happened back then was…" Nick began. He sucked in a breath, before continuing on: "I was angry when I confronted you. I was upset. I should have known better. Hybridization like our son… it's not something that happens often, and I can count on zero paws how many fox-bunny Crosses I know of. I should have noticed how scared it made you."

"I was scared, Nick…" Judy said, wiping away a fresh set of tears. "I had all these horrible thoughts… I thought that I would give birth to something horrible, or something that would suffer, or that the effort would kill me, or the child, or both of us… I did go to the doctor, but she told me that my fears were unfounded… why didn't I book that appointment a week earlier? Why didn't I tell you?"

"You weren't thinking straight," Nick answered. "And my temper got the better of me. I am not proud of that. I should have known better. I should have tried to calm you down, but instead I made things worse. Something broke between us. Maybe it's broken forever."

"No, I don't think that's right…" Judy replied. "Shouldn't we at least try and make things right between us?"

"After all this time, you still know what I'm thinking," Nick replied, a sad smile on his face. "And I can start making things right on my side by apologising for what I did," he gritted his teeth. Swallowing what remained of his pride, he continued: "I should never have called you a liar, or a baby killer. I shouldn't have accused you of putting your career first. I shouldn't have said I wished I never met you. I shouldn't have said you were dead to me."

Nick's eyes were filled with regret, something Judy recognised from every glance in the mirror she had made.

"A part of me still cares for you after all this time, Judy," Nick said, "I guess that's the part I mistook for hate. I really want things to be okay, but they're not. It's going to take work."

Judy wiped a tear away.

"Can we start off as friends, at least?" Judy asked.

Nick let out a breath through his nose.

"You know what?" Nick replied, "I think we could both use a friend right now."

Nicholas had been standing at the door, with it ajar, for a few minutes, listening to what both Nick and Judy were saying. He knew his mother had been crying, and part of him wanted to burst right in there and hit Nick, but he refrained from doing so.

"I was scared, Nick…" his mother said, wiping away a fresh set of tears. "I had all these horrible thoughts… I thought that I would give birth to something horrible, or something that would suffer, or that the effort would kill me, or the child, or both of us… I did go to the doctor, but she told me that my fears were unfounded… why didn't I book that appointment a week earlier? Why didn't I tell you?"

Nicholas reeled at hearing that. It was something that was so clear to Nicholas, in line with what he had heard from tormentors previously.

'You should never have been born.'

'Freak.'

'Nobody wanted you.'

The dots connected so easy, so effortlessly, that Nicholas didn't quite understand what the thought meant at first.

Then the words all came together, and Nicholas' mind translated it for him:

'Mother wanted to abort me.'

Then the comprehension dawned on him. And with it, he felt a mixture of different emotions.

Anger. Betrayal. Disgust. Pain. Moroseness.

Angry tears welled in Nicholas' eyes. Blood thundered in his ears and he couldn't hear the rest of what was said. His foot flew out and struck the door, and it swung into the apartment's walls with a crash. Nick and Judy looked up, catching sight of Nicholas.

He glared at them both, his teeth gritted as white-hot anger flared up within him. His tears dropped down his face and hit the floor as Nicholas spun around and ran for the stairs.

"Nicholas, wait!" Judy got up and ran after him. However, Nicholas was faster, and by the time Judy reached the bottom of the stairs, Nicholas had vanished.

And that's a wrap on this chapter. I could just copy in the AN from the original story to explain this, but it all comes down to this: I don't think either Nick or Judy has it in them to truly hate, and I tried to write something that feels like it could have come from the same overall place as the apology/forgiveness part of the film.