The loudly-snoring fox was hard to rouse, but eventually with enough bunny jostling and shouting of his name, he came to.
"Nick... Nick!" Judy's voice was a mixture of anxious and irritated.
"Hrrgnnh..." Nick blearily opened his eyes to see Judy straddling his chest. She looked... bothered, his sleepy mind decided. He let out a huge yawn. "What gives? It's our day off..."
"Nick there's... something important we need to discuss," Judy's eyes swept away from Nick, and she drew in an uneasy breath.
Turning his head toward the clock, Nick groaned as if in pain and squinted his eyes shut, thrusting his head defiantly against the pillow.
"Nick...!" Judy's voice was now definitely annoyed.
"Give me like three hours..." Nick murmured.
"Nick, please..." Judy pursued, her voice softening a little. When Nick didn't budge, she let out a frustrated scoff and launched herself off the bed, storming around in discontent. Rubbing a hand through her ears, she went over to their living room's couch and hopped onto it. Folding her arms and her ankles, she felt anxiety course through her veins. She was used to blood and even adrenaline surging through her, but not worry. She distinctly felt her teeth grit tightly in her muzzle, and try as she might, she couldn't relax. She hadn't thought to change out of her sleepwear.
Judy's ear twitched as a soft hiss started to sound from elsewhere in the apartment. It was the shower; Nick must have gotten up. Judy found herself reflexively launching off the couch and busied herself making some coffee for the two.
Before long, the somewhat-awake fox made his way into the kitchen, decked out in his standard attire and tightening his tie.
"Coffee to help wake you up?" Judy offered him a mug that read "World's Best Bunny". "Just how you like it."
"Almost as sweet as you?" Nick took a sip. "Yeah, that's the stuff."
"Heh..." Judy managed a weak smile and turned her head away, sipping from her own, much stronger brew.
Nick's brow fell as he read Judy's standoffish body language. Their morning coffee went by in silence, and Judy's mood didn't seem to brighten.
"So what's this about, then?" Nick set his cup down, and Judy slowly followed suit. "Is it finally time?"
"Finally... 'time'?" Judy's dour face took on confusion instead.
"Time that you got that promotion they've been threatening you and not me with?" Nick placed their mugs in the sink and rinsed them. "You know, the whole thing where if you get promoted over me, we can't be partners."
"Oh, no no, not that," Judy shook her head. "I haven't made lieutenant yet."
"But you're going to," Nick said with some solemn confidence. "Just a matter of time."
"It's not about the job, the ZPD..." Judy placed a paw on her arm and looked away. "It's not about any of that." She found her way back to the couch and sat down on it again. As she tried to steady her breaths, she found her nose involuntarily twitching. She hated feeling so vulnerable, and barely stole a glance at the increasingly-concerned fox.
"What's the matter?" Nick walked over and placed a paw on her shoulder.
Judy reacted smoothly, almost sloughing the paw off, but she sighed and abandoned the effort. "Nick, I'm..."
Nick's eyes widened as he smelled acute fear coming from the bunny. Judy swallowed and took one last breath to steady herself.
"I'm pregnant," Judy's voice wavered very slightly. It was a statement full of unease.
"You're... you're pregnant?" Nick's eyes flew open and he felt a tingle of shock surge through his body. "...Are you sure?"
"Pretty sure," Judy's breath shuddered. "...I've been feeling off for the last little while, and I- I took a test."
"...How?" Nick's face spoke utter disbelief, and some errant, negative thoughts immediately tried to bore their way into his mind.
"I haven't mated with any other mammal," Judy answered, her honest but serious voice releasing some of the fox's tension visibly.
"Oh my God," Nick said vacantly, sitting down next to Judy. "Oh my God. I can get you pregnant? I can- we can... we can make a family together? ...Wow. So- so much to take in..."
There was a pause, and Nicks eyes were frozen in a wide stare at the coffee table, he looked over to Judy and his mouth opened slightly. Her face looked pained, and her nose was still twitching.
Nick's face became cautious, and he half turned it from Judy. "...I have a feeling I'm not going to like what you're going to say next."
Judy's eyes squinted shut and she shuddered. She drew in a difficult breath and her head turned to Nick. Her eyes were glassy and her face was wrenched with tension.
"I... I don't want to be pregnant, Nick..." Judy wailed softly. A sob wracked her, and her head bowed.
Nick immediately got up from the couch and took a deep breath. He clenched his hands shut and then slowly released them; his head turned from Judy.
"Nick..." Judy felt a twisting feeling in her gut at the reaction. There was a quiet pause that deeply unsettled her. "...Will you let me explain...?"
"Go ahead," Nick's response was both immediate and devoid of feeling.
"Well, you- you know..." Judy ran a hand through her ears again. "I did check this stuff out before we got intimate. You know, jh-just in case."
"Yeah?" Nick's response was perfunctory.
"And..." Judy wrung her paws. "You know what they said about fox-bunny hybrids?"
"...What do they say?" Nick gave her a sidelong glance.
"Nothing," Judy shook her head, worry creeping back onto her face. "They don't say anything."
"What?" Nick blinked, facing Judy fully. He put his hands on her shoulders. "Wait... nothing?"
"There are some possible hybrid combinations," Judy took in a steadying breath. "But nothing on pred-prey babies. Just theories, conjecture, and... and speculation."
"But how can that...?" Nick trailed off, stunned. "Surely we aren't the first pred-prey pair to- to..." Nick faltered as an appropriate word for the act was slow to come, "to mate."
"I know," Judy nodded. "That's why I'm... I'm scared. Terrified..."
Nick released Judy and sat down hard next to her. "Oh God... I didn't even think about that."
"About...?" Judy looked up and over at him anxiously.
"If you truly... if you are pregnant and it's not some sort of faulty pregnancy test," Nick grit his teeth. "If you're really the first prey animal to- to somehow get pregnant by a pred..."
Judy took in a shallow gasp.
"This could hurt you," Nick's voice was distant and nearly angry. "I could hurt you- I could hurt you!"
"Nick?" Judy recoiled a little.
Nick shook his head vehemently. "No, that's not going to happen. We need to get you to a doctor as soon as possible."
"And do what!?" Judy became alarmed, standing up on the couch.
"We need to- to see if," Nick ran his hands over his ears. "See what risks there are. See- see what can be done about it."
"Nick!" Judy gaped. "C-calm down! This isn't your fault."
"If not, then whose?" Nick growled. "Is there a miracle baby in there?" Nick glared at her stomach. "Immaculately conceived?"
"Nick, I'm not blaming you!" Judy grabbed his arms desperately. "I'm not! I- I did my research. I didn't think we needed to be careful. I was mistaken!"
"Judy..." Nick looked at her with extreme severity. "I thought you'd have realized this about me by now... I don't care how wrong you've been in the past, I'll do anything for you- I'll do anything to protect you."
Judy flinched at these words, finding herself momentarily speechless. She had a sudden impulse to hug Nick, but he still seemed agitated. She pulled away from him and sat down, her mind spinning.
Nick sat down next to her, stroking his muzzle thoughtfully.
"...How you reacted, though," Judy said cautiously, holding a paw out to him. She gathered her courage and nodded decisively. "You want to be a father."
"I've... thought about it once or twice," Nick admitted vaguely.
"Yeah?" Judy tried to smile.
"Just," Nick grumbled, distracted, "you know. A family with both a mom and a dad. Super bunny like you, witty fox like me... could be the perfect kit, huh?"
"Sounds like a good recipe, yeah..." Judy chuckled gently.
"I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up," Nick said darkly. "You coming into my life was already the best thing that could have happened to me. I- this is pushing it."
"What if it is possible though, Nick?" Judy asked. "What if it's okay?"
"What if, by some compound miracle, you have the very first bunny-fox child ever and they're somehow free of all kinds of life-threatening genetic defects?" Nick huffed bitterly. "Seems a bit farfetched."
"That's not an answer," Judy said sternly.
"...I don't know, Judy," Nick grunted. "I let myself get caught up in the possibility. Even if our kit was... even if they were somehow completely healthy and vibrant and... just... perfect... can you imagine how the world would be to them?"
"What?" Judy flinched, her upper lip coming up.
"It's hard enough to grow up as a predator, much less a fox," Nick sucked his teeth, looking away. "The very first of their kind. That kit would have it tough from the moment they hit the ground."
"So that's a reason to just give up?" Judy sneered.
"I don't know, Judy, I don't know!" Nick flared up again, staring right at her. "But maybe we should think about something like that before we inflict life on some crap shoot of nature!"
Judy thrust out with her paw and squeezed Nick's shoulder hard.
"Agh...!" Nick winced, grabbing for her paw.
"Don't you say something like that, Nick," Judy shook the grasped shoulder and then released him. "I'm not going to give this up before it's even begun."
Nick narrowed his eyes. "So what, now that you know it'll be difficult you're suddenly on board?" Nick raised his paw and thrust it down twice in a mocking "toot-toot" gesture.
Judy drew back a hand, curled it up into itself, where it vibrated and she scoffed loudly, throwing the fist away from herself.
"Don't. Don't mock me," Judy enunciated in muted anger. She took a few breaths to calm herself. "Listen. I promise you that if the prognosis is bad... I... I won't go through with it. But... if it's somehow okay... if it won't risk my life or my health... I think maybe we should give it a chance?"
"Judy...!?" Nick looked alarmed. "But you said-"
"I said I don't want to be pregnant, and that's- that's true," Judy sighed. "I wasn't looking for this, and it- all the unknowns are so frightening. But... what if this is the first step in something greater? I- I'm no geneticist and I'm no genius. But what if this is the first step along the path of... I don't know... mammal unification or something?"
"Now you're talking crazy," Nick had to nervously laugh. "First police bunny, first pred-prey hybrid mom? What's next?"
"World domination," Judy said wryly.
"Of course," Nick gave a choked laugh, then he looked suddenly like he'd break down.
Judy hugged him softly. "Before we dominate the world, we need to make sure it's a good enough place for a little one from you and me."
"Judy, I'm scared," Nick shuddered, holding her uncomfortably tight. "I don't want it to hurt you. I don't want them to hurt it."
"We will do whatever is prudent, Nick," Judy smiled. "And we'll do it together, okay? If you really don't want me to go through with this, even if it's okay..."
"I... I do want to be a father," Nick took in a shaky breath. "But there is always adoption, you know. Maybe after a few more years, when we see if you've got that promotion or not-"
"Well, we have to make a choice, Nick, and we have to make it soon," Judy looked warmly at the fox. "Have I ever steered us wrong?"
"Asks the bunny who caused a literal train wreck?" Nick retorted.
"This is serious, Nick," Judy said. She got up from the couch and started to look for her phone. "I'm going to schedule a doctor's appointment. I want you to be there. We need to hear everything we can about this, and then... then we can make a decision."
"Yeah," Nick nodded, rubbing his head. He stood up as well, walking over to the searching bunny. He lifted her up from behind and just held her there for a few moments.
"Can I help you?" Judy asked lightly.
"I love you, Judy," Nick said quietly.
"Of course you do," Judy pet at the arms that encircled her. "I can tell from how worried you get. ...And maybe I do need to be worried about sometimes."
"Now's one of those times," Nick insisted, giving her a small nuzzle, then setting her down. He looked at her with a concerned expression.
"I love you too," Judy said earnestly, with a warm smile.
Nick nodded, getting his breathing under control. He offered a tiny, weak smile.
"We'll be fine, Nick," Judy smiled up at Nick faintly.
From the softness in her voice and on her face, it was nearly enough to get him to believe it right then.
Author's Note: No prizes guessing what this chapter is based on.
My opinions on the work that inspired this (almost a retort, really) are easy enough to find on the Zootopia Reddit, so I won't go into them much here.
I'm sure there's a logical way to break up WildeHopps somehow, but making them posture as two selfish jerks on the far sides of a complicated and controversial issue isn't it.