"Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow…."

"Nick, hush up, would you?"

"If I wasn't stepping on broken glass, maybe I'd consider it, Jack. Until then, no."

"Can you at least be a little quieter there, Nick. I don't want to get caught," I said.

"Yeah, well, me neither. However, having my paw pads sliced open, well, that's a different story."

"You're a tough fox, Nick. I know it, I've seen it," Jack called back. "Judy?"

"Yes?"

"Look behind you. What do you see?"

I did as I was instructed, and I saw a pair of thin red lines trailing us, leading directly to Nick's feet. "Oh, my. Nick, why didn't you say something sooner?"

"He did, Mom," Luke piped up. "He's been complaining for the last three miles. It's getting on my nerves, you know."

"Just where did you get that mouth from?"

"What do you think? Anyways, I'm just looking out for our safety. I don't want to get caught anymore than the next mammal, but I also don't want Dad to bleed out, Mom. I love you both too much to lose you now."

"Alright, alright. Thank you, Luke. I love you too, and I hope to Karma Nick will be alright. How are you holding up there, Nick?"

"Just lovely, Judy. Although I'm a little lightheaded right about now. Losing blood at this rate is sure to mess with you."

"Jack, how much longer to the bunker? I don't know if Nick's going to make it."

"He will, Judy, I promise. I need to wrap his paws, though. Nick, do you have anything I can use?"

"Here," he groaned, pulling a red cloth from his pocket. "This should do. It's saved our lives before, it'll save mine again."

"Dad, you were a Junior Ranger Scout? You never told me! I'm a Tenderpaw myself, Mom. I know you never could come to the meetings, but I'm one too." Then his face sagged. "Or I was, before the city got blown to bits."

"So you must really know your knots, Luke, with all your practice."

"I sure do," he said. "Dad, can you pass me your neckerchief, please?"

"Can do...whoop!"

"Great, now what?" Jack muttered. "I can't carry him. Eighty pounds of unconscious fox is a bit much for me."

"We can," Luke said. "Mom, you grab his legs, I'll grab his arms."

"Got it," I replied, squatting down to grab Nick's legs. Luke, can you tie his feet up?"

Luke did as he was asked, then stepped to Nick's head and steadied it.

"I'll guide. Ready?"

"Yes, I am, are you?"

"The same goes. On your marks, three, two, one, lift!" Once we had lifted him, there was a slight problem- "Goodness gracious, Nick. What have you been eating?"

"There's no time to figure that out now, Judy. Come on, or we're going to be spotted. I know he's heavy, but can you two run?"

"Run? Yes, I can run," I said. "But wait just a carrot-picking minute, Jack. You tried to kill me, you succeeded in killing Nick, though you did save his life, which I'll credit you for. But why the sudden change in heart?"

"I wanted to make it up to you for all those years ago. I was late to every one, wasn't I?"

"Every one what?" Luke asked.

"Every date. Yes, we dated in high school. But when he never showed up on time, well, that was the end of that relationship."

I turned back to Jack. "So why now, when there's an enormous mess on our hands, one that we're going to be part of if we don't get a move on?"

"Because mammals change, Judy, and I hate having people angry at me." He said no more, just took off sprinting down the street, Luke and I following as quickly as we could.

Three Hours Later

¼ Mile From 1955 Cypress Grove Lane And Safety

0 Miles From Trouble

We had almost made it back when I heard a voice that I thought I'd never hear again. Goodness, I really gave up on Nick too easily. I never give up, so why had I done it now? Why had the ever-unshakable Judy Hopps given up now?

Because it was hopeless, that was why. Nick was finally dead, Bellwether was in control, and the city was a burning heap. "Oh, Nick…," I whispered. Why did you have to go?"

"I didn't, Judy. I'm right here."

"Why do you keep doing that to me? Every time I think you're dead, poof, there you are, magically alive and well! Can you try to at least stay conscious?"

"Um, Mom? I think there's a more pressing danger right now..."

"Oh, shoot...Incoming! Run, run, run!"

We ran as hard as we could, but we were just a tad too slow. We were lucky, though. The bomb fell right at our feet, but it knocked us aside instead of killing us. "Everyone all right?"

"Not really-cough-but not much worse for wear. That's a perk, I'd say."

"I'd say it's a perk that you're alive, let alone talking."

"I'd say that's a perk we won't have for too much longer."

"You had better not die on me again," I muttered.

"In that case, why don't we hurry up?" Jack said, gritting his teeth. "If you numbskulls had been listening to what I've been telling you, we wouldn't be in this mess."

"Just shut up, Jack. Arguing with Mom won't solve anything. It will, however, get us killed. Now, let's go, shall we?"

"Fine, let's." But before we could do that, another bomb started to fall. This one was different than the last one- it was bigger, but it fell slowly, almost as if it was a feather just drifting to the ground. Before it hit the ground, it started spouting word in a robotic voice: "Time bomb activated. Beginning descent." It then started to fall faster and faster, leaving me just standing there, speechless.

"Eighty-eight miles per hour velocity achieved. Beginning detonation." A white light overtook everything, followed by a sonic blast that left my ears ringing.

I tried to remain conscious, but to no avail. I was gone.

When I awoke, something didn't seem right. I looked up to see a city I was sure I knew, but it seemed so much older. A few centuries before our time sort of older. "Nick? Where are we? I'm so scared, Nick..."

"If you mean when are we, Judy, I don't exactly know myself and I'm scared too."

"This just got interesting, didn't it?"

"Goodness gracious, did it ever, Judy."