Chapter 1

Fifteen years later...

In a crowded but cheap apartment in room A113, a handsome fox was snoring beside his small, beautiful wife: a rabbit, mumbling in her sleep. She had her arms wrapped around his torso, and his paws and tail rested on her back. The scene was nothing short of adorable until reality buzzed in their ears, literally.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Judy groaned and reached to hit the alarm clock, but she managed to miss it, fall out of the bed, and land on her face. Nick, roused by the thud, chuckled and unplugged the alarm.

"Damn thing."

"Damn floor." Judy rubbed her head.

Nick sighed and stretched his back and limbs. "Remind me why we're doing this again for the gazillionth time?"

"WAAAAAH!"

Judy sighed tiredly and stood up. "That's why. I'm on it. But make us some breakfast, will you?"

Nick hopped out of the bed and followed her out of the bedroom. "No good morning kiss?" He asked cutely with his famous pout.

Judy just smirked up at him and skipped to her son Tommy's room. "Not until you whip us up some bowls of cereal and blueberries, Slick Nick!" He just smirked back and walked to the kitchen.

Today, the young couple was going to leave Tommy home with his grandmother Charlotte and meet someone for a job interview again. Judy hoped this was the last time, at least in a while. They were already having trouble raising Tommy with their, well, colorful backstories.

Judy took a second to marvel her one-year-old son's room. Nick was a skilled painter and painted the small room's walls ocean blue and yellow, his son's favorite colors. A small heap of toys laid beside the cradle, where a tiny grey fox kit with only one hazel eye was waiting for her.

Thomas Jacob Wilde was abandoned by his biological parents. One local foster home in Zootopia found the poor kit on its doorstep without an eye, and Judy and Nick's hearts went out for him. They knew that the caregivers meant well, but they were judgmental towards predators, due to their staff being all prey animals. So, the couple found little Tommy a little underweight. Before they lost their jobs as cashiers at a coffee house, Judy and Nick could afford to help him and helped him they did.

If they did not get new jobs soon, however, they could definitely lose their son.

"Hey, handsome!" Judy picked up her son and did a smell check. "Woo! Someone's stinky! You want some yummy food?" Tommy giggled at his mother's cooing. "Just let me change that smelly diaper!"

Ten minutes later,, Nick had the table set. Three bowls of cereal, three cups of coffee, and a small dish of mashed blueberries rested on the table. Soon, his wife entered the kitchen with their son on her hip, and Judy sweetly pecked Nick's cheek.

"You think he's here?"

Judy shrugged and set Tommy down. "I hope not. That asshole shows up here too often." Dan Gray, Charlotte's young and abusive boyfriend, often showed up and ridiculed them all, especially Judy. He, like his brother Gideon Gray, was a red fox and despised rabbits very, very much.

"It doesn't matter." Judy took a seat, as did Nick. "Well, today's a new day!"

"And you know what?"

"What?" She stood up to feed the whining infant, but Nick shook his head and picked up the mashed food.

"Let me. Anyway, something's gonna change."

Judy grinned and sipped her coffee. "You think one of us will get the job?"

"I don't know, Carrots. I just... I feel like something will happen, something good or bad." He shook his head with a small smile. "Being married to an emotionally unstable bunny has turned me insane!"

Judy huffed and rolled her violet eyes. "Har! Har! Just feed the mess maker!" Suddenly, Dan marched in, dragging and making out with Charlotte. He pinned her on an area of the wall right beside the kitchen table, both moaning and embarrassing everyone else. Even little Tommy looked away.

"Mom!" Nick exclaimed as Judy groaned to herself.

Charlotte rolled her emerald green eyes and turned to her son. "Nicky, I'm a grown vixen! If you don't wanna see some action, your wife's right there to take your mind off of this!"

Judy turned beet red and wolfed down her cereal. Nick ate quickly, too, feeling a headache start to rattle his mind.

"Charlotte, please -"

"Hey!" The southern fox turned from his girlfriend to snap at Judy. "Shut your trap, bunny! You ain't got no right to speak in my house, no matter how much Nicky here fancies yeh!"

Nick stood up at that comment. "Dan, we've been through this. She's my wife and best friend. And even if she wasn't, she still has every right to speak." Judy stood up and joined her husband.

"And we've also been through this, you Mama's boy!" Dan snapped. He pointed at Tommy. "That little urchin's gonna have a messed up life with a bunny as his momma! And since she's your whore and pet, you have to take her out for her walk!"

Judy was used to this, but Nick often lost his temper when Dan openly bullied his wife. That morning, Judy had to block Nick, who was ready to lunge at Dan.

"Nick!" She shivered. There were specks of red in his eyes. "Nick! You promised!" She quickly hugged him and relaxed as he started to cool down. "Besides..." She glared up at the smirking fox. "He's not worth it. We have to go."

Dan snickered and spat at them as they left. "Good luck gettin" jobs, you dumb, irresponsible kids! You damn freaks!" They blatantly ignored Dan as they kissed Tommy and Charlotte goodbye.

"Please feed him the rest of his breakfast," Judy told Charlotte gently. The vixen just nodded and whispered in Dan's ear, effectively hushing him.

Nick shook his head as he shut the door behind Judy and him. Surely one of them was going to get a job this time. Surely they could find a way to keep Tommy and Charlotte safe and happy and still be together.