Epilogue 9: Her Heart was Racing

A/N: We're nearing the end-end...for now. The next Epilogue after these two is Nick and Judy and that will be the final. I'm doing all this just in case I don't return to Zootopia and I'm doing the distant future stuff because if I do come back, it'll be stories that take place soon after the purge and not years after.

Ten years after the purge at the Special Olympics

The wheelchair athletes were all lined up at the starting gate. A long track laid ahead of them. Sarah Clawhauser had some stiff competition this year including a jaguar with some serious arm muscles, but she wasn't least bit deterred. The 16 year-old cougar lived for this event. She trained harder than anyone and has been pumping up her arm muscles ever since Suzie made her special skates to get around with when she was just a toddler. The Special Olympics became her passion and she was one of the best.

Her family and friends were cheering in the crowd.

"Go Skates!" Yelled her longtime boyfriend Ollie. "I believe in you an..."

"Don't say it!" Groaned James Wolford.

"...Ocelot!"

"UGH! Go get 'em little sis!"

Terry was excited. "You can do it honey!"

"Got get 'em sweetie!" Yelled Ben.

Suzie was cheering the loudest. "WHOO! YAY SARAH!" Unfortunately, she couldn't be with her foster family due to her size and was instead with her husband Junior-Junior and her brother in-law Greg. "No offense honey, but I wish I could be with my other family right now."

"I understand, but your size would block the view."

"I know. She's really inspired my family. Look at dad! He used to be morbidly obese, now he's just a chubby cheetah!"

The count down started. "!0...9...8...7...6..."

Ben was a bit panicked when he saw that Sarah was on her phone. "What the heck is she doing?!"

"Showing off." Terry replied.

"She's too darn confident!" Ben then yelled out to Sarah. "HANG UP YOUR PHONE!"

"5...4...3...2..."

"In a minute daddy." Sarah replied.

"...1...GO!"

The shot went off and the wheelchair runners were pumping their arms furiously as they were going down the track. Sarah however, was still on the phone. It was driving Ben insane. "STOP TEXTING AND GO!"

"Juuust a second dad" said Sarah. Finally she hung up the phone. She judged the distance that the other racers were at. "It's not fun if it's not close." She waited just a few more seconds. "And...now!"

She bolted down the track at lightning speed. Her arms constantly pumping the wheels. Never wavering, never tiring. She was reaching speeds never dreamed of in a wheelchair. She quickly caught up to the last place racer and surpassed the others in record time.

Then there was the jaguar. He looked behind in surprise at seeing Sarah closing in, but he was close to the finish line. He pumped his arms as fast as he could. Going past the pain it caused him.

Sarah was surprised at his agility and saw just how serious he was. She put herself into overdrive and pumped her arms faster and faster. She went past speeds no cougar could do on foot.

The jaguar was right at the finish line as Sarah caught up. They went past the line at almost the exact same time. It was a photo finish.

Silence came from the crowd. Sarah was worried. "Dammit! Dad was right. I was showing off too much."

There was a long silence and finally, the judges put the picture up. The jaguar was ahead by one inch. "Taking the gold medal...Robert Stalkingyew! Taking the silver...Sarah Clawhauser! And the bronze medal goes to...Dana Prancington!"

Sarah's family looked a bit disappointed, but she wasn't. She knew she was the best and if she had taken it more seriously, she would have won easily. After three gold medals in a row, Sarah was feeling cocky. Her family was cheering again from the crowd as she went to receive her medal. After they received their medals, the racers greeted each other. Dana was quick to give Sarah a hug and thanked her for such a close race. Robert on the other hand, started to wheel away.

This took Sarah by surprise. She quickly wheeled over to the gold medal winner and got in front of him. "Sorry if you're in a hurry. I just wanted to congratulate you on a well fought race. You were much quicker than I thought!"

"Whatever" said Robert as he brushed past her.

This infuriated Sarah and she caught up to him again. "Hey! That was rude! What's you problem?!"

"My 'problem' is that everyone takes this seriously except you!"

"What?!"

"I've been training my ass off for an entire year for this! I saw your achievements. I idolized you! You were so famous for your world records. I-I even have a poster of you on my wall! I would have been honored to take a silver medal next to the great Sarah Clawhauser. But then, you mocked us. Made the competitors look like a joke!"

"No I didn't!"

"You stayed at the starting line for over 20 seconds just so you could look cool in front of the crowds! I didn't expect to get gold. I would have been happy with silver and having you zoom right past me, but you sat around like you were so much better than us! When I see you out here, I expect you to give it one-hundred percent! I'm not your damn little brother who you go easy on in a video game, I'm an athlete who's been working his ass off for this event only for you to insult me! I went in expecting a silver at best...but when I saw what you did, I pushed myself past my limits just to spite you! My arms still hurt like hell!"

Robert start to leave when Sarah stopped him. "Wait!"

"What now?!"

"...You're right! I'm sorry. I...I was so full of myself that I didn't take it seriously."

"Why are you here if you don't?!"

"Originally, I came to compete, but then I became arrogant and just wanted to show off. I am so...so sorry! I'm ashamed of myself...but I will say this. When I caught up to you, you pushed yourself so hard that I couldn't quite keep up. In the end, you did beat me fair and square. So...I want a rematch,"

"...What?!"

"This time next year of course. I want you to train as hard as you can because I'll be training as hard as I can! Robert...next year I promise you, I swear!...I'll give it my all. One hundred percent."

She put out her paw to shake. "That said...congratulations."

Robert was tentative, but he shook her paw and smiled. "You too."

"W-Wow! You're arms are...really, really muscular!"

"Thanks! Yours too. I-I mean, they're slender! Not muscular and ….o-okay! I gotta go!"

"Me too. Friend me on Furbook! Maybe we can train together sometime?"

"I'd love that! Goodbye!"

With that, he left. Sarah couldn't help but feel quite attracted to the jaguar. "Damn! I should have gotten his phone number."

"Who's phone number?" asked Ollie who came up from behind.

"AH! I-I mean the committee of course! I need to sign up for next year."

"I'm sorry you didn't get gold."

"That's fine! I'm happy to get the silver. Although, if I didn't act so cocky, I probably could have gotten the gold."

"Yeah! You could have won by an ocelot!"

"...Ollie, your jokes were funny when I was five, now they're just annoying. I'm leaving you."

"NOOOOOO!"

"YESSSS!" Shouted James. "AHEM! I mean, tough break Ollie."

Sarah did two more years in the Special Olympics before she decided to retire. She trained hard and won gold the next year and silver the year after that when Robert won the gold again along with her heart. After her Olympic years were over, Sarah had a few more years in endorsements thanks to her world records and she ended up marrying Robert. Together, they had about a dozen kits.

As for poor Ollie (hey, not all childhood sweethearts are going to stay together), he took the break up really hard and became an alcoholic in his adult years, until he finally met his wife at a comic con in his late 30's.

Speaking of childhood sweethearts that don't stay together...

Epilogue 10: The Kids are Alright

Twenty years after the Purge.

All six cylinders!

Let's fire 'em up! Let's light 'em up!

And hit the roooad!...Hit the road!

"HIT THE ROOOOOOAAAAADDD!"

"Thank you Featherton! You've been an awesome crowd!" Michael shouted. He headed backstage with his band mates including drummer Bean Grey and Bean's wife, base guitarist and Michael's sister, Cindy Grey.

Cindy carried Bean as they went backstage. "Great crowd tonight." said Bean.

"Yeah...I guess." said Michael.

"You guess?! They pumping their wings so hard I thought they were gonna fly away early!" He looked back. "Oh! Some of them are. Must be nice being a bird at a concert. When you're done, you can just fly away instead of having to worry about your car."

"Whatever."

"What's your problem man?!"

"Nothing!"

"Alright! Alright! Jeez! You've been irritable ever since you talked to your brother yesterday."

"I don't wanna talk about it right..."

Michael opened the door to his dressing room only to find Cotton waiting there. "...now. Awww Cheezus! Some security we got. What's my ex-wife doing here?!"

Cotton looked at him sternly with her new glasses. She was wearing a brides maids dress from a wedding she just attended yesterday. "Where the hell have you been?!"

"Well, it's nice to see you too Christine." Michael said sarcastically. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm on tour! Where the hell do you think I am?!"

"You missed Peter and William's wedding."

"I know! I was late to the airport."

"Everyone was there. EVERYONE! Except you and Cindy! His family!"

"I DIDN'T MAKE THE PLANE OKAY?!" Michael shouted.

Tears were in Cotton's eyes. "...Why?"

"Why what?!"

"Why weren't you there for him?! He's your brother! Your best friend! You were supposed to be the best man at his wedding!"

Michael grabbed a beer out of the cooler and sat down on the couch behind him. He leaned back in the chair. "I woke up late and I couldn't make the airport in time okay?! It all worked out. Peter still got married and me, Bean and Cindy didn't have to miss a show."

"...You were hung over, weren't you?"

"SIGH! A little."

"MICHAEL!"

"It's not my fault! The last show knocked me out okay? It doesn't matter. We talked after and he was fine."

"He was heartbroken!"

"Oh please!" said Michael. "We talked on the phone for an hour last night! He's fine! I couldn't get him to shut up about his honeymoon with Wiggly. y'know that little mohawk Wiggly's got on his head?"

"Yeah?"

"Petey told me it raises up when he's excited. He told me in way too much detail how he got him excited. I also found out another pig fact. Did you know a pig can have an orgasm that can last as long as a half hour?"

"No...No I didn't."

"Well, now we know something we both didn't want to know." Michael said as he chugged down his beer.

"This isn't like you. I know we had our rough patches, but you're not an alcoholic. What's going on?"

"Nothing's wrong alright?! I'm...I'm one of the biggest rock stars out there! I used to open for Gazelle...now, she opens for me! Me, Bean and Cindy...we're the biggest names out there! So I don't need you, I don't need Petey...I don't even need this stinking tour!"

Cotton was taken back. "Woooah! I can expect you get all defensive and act like you don't need me or the family...but what's this about the tour?!"

Suddenly, Mike heard a voice at the door. It was Bean being carried on a back pack by Cindy. ""What do you mean you don't need this tour?!"

Michael was put on the spot. "I-I didn't mean that."

Cindy ran up to Cotton and gave her a hug. "Ca-ca!"

Cotton hugged her back. "Hi Cindy! How are you?"

Cindy started to sign. Something Judy taught her at a young age to help her communicate. Even at 26, she still couldn't speak very well. Everyone in the family was taught sign language so they could understand Cindy as well. "I'm...fine. I'm so...sorry I missed Petey's wedding. I could...feel...his joy."

Cindy was starting to sniffle. "And his...disappointment when we...weren't there. I'm...a...terrible...twin sister."

"No you're not!" shouted Michael. "This is all my fault! I'm the one who went and got drunk the night before. I'm so sorry Cindy."

Cindy got Bean out of the backpack and he bounced his butt over near Michael. "Well, she got payback by beating the crap out of you at the airport."

"Yeeeah, but we beat the crap out of each other every day for fun."

"...You DO need your family Mike."

"I know! I...was just venting."

"...And about the tour?"

"Look, I love performing. I love being on the road with my sister/sparring partner and my best friend, but..."

Everyone stared at Michael. "...But what?" Cotton asked.

"I HATE being on the road all the time! I miss home. I miss getting to relax a bit. I want to settle down."

THAT got Cotton's attention. "OH!...I see."

Michael was getting nervous about the discussion. "But ….most of all...This is gonna sound dumb."

Cotton, liking the prospect of Michael wanting to settle down sat next to him. "Go on. I promise we won't make fun."

"I love rock and roll...but I wanna compose."

Bean was confused. "You mean write your own melodies and lyrics? You already do that."

"No! Write compositions. Classical style with a big orchestra. I want my pieces in the soundtrack to a major motion picture. Like Danny Elfmouse! He went from huge pop star to composing symphonies for blockbuster movies!"

Cotton was liking this idea. "So...you'd be back home more often?...In Zootopia I mean. Not in the White House with mo...Judy."

"Yeah. Back at good ol' Wilde Towers."

Cotton looked at Bean and Cindy. "Would you two be okay with this?"

"Are you kidding me?!" said Bean. "Truthfully, I've been doing this because Mike is my best friend but...my ears hurt like hell! Bunny ears normally don't have the kind of muscles to even grab a drumstick! Look how swollen they are! Not only that, Cindy likes to pull on them during sex."

"Well why don't you tell her to stop?!"

"...I like it. I also love when she slaps me in the face. I then bite her hard. What can I say? We like it rough. Anyway, I'm all on board the idea of going home too. I miss my family as well. You'll have to talk to your agent and he won't be happy."

"You mean grandpa Bobby?" Michael replied. "I'm sure he'll be fine with it." Michael put his ear up. "They're still chanting for an encore. They haven't left."

Cotton had an idea. "Cindy, why don't you and Bean go do your solo number? Smash one more guitar."

"Cindy!" shouted Cindy excitedly. She carried Bean with her towards the stage.

"My poor ears!" said the limbless rabbit.

Cotton was alone with Michael. The Ewe sat down next to her ex. "So..."

"So..." Michael replied. There was a bit of awkward silence. The two weren't sure what to say to each other. "So how are you and Cole?"

"Divorced."

"HA! No shit?!"

"Shut up! We just...we weren't compatible."

"I think you just couldn't get enough of me."

"You're so full of yourself. But to be honest, I was never in love with him. I was always trying to fill up the empty space in my heart that you left."

"I'm sorry...It's just...we always got into fights! We're not compatible! We got married, then divorced, then married again and then divorced again. It's not working out."

"It's not the fights. It was you always storming off and going on a tour and leaving me alone. I wanted to go with you so bad, but mo...Judy and Nick's careers took off and I became the nanny to our siblings and...and..." Cotton broke down in tears. "They're not even my siblings anymore thanks to you!"

Michael stroked her head. "If I would have known it wasn't going to work out between us, I never would have taken the gamble and let you be disowned just so you could legally marry me."

Cotton cried while burying her face in Michael's chest. "It hurt so much! But I thought that if we were married, I'd still be part of the family. I could still call Nick my dad!"

"Y'know, nothing's stopping you from doing that. It's just a piece of paper."

"SNIFF! I know...Did you really mean what you said? That...That you want to come home and just compose music?"

"Yeah. I guess I'm like grandpa Bobby that way. I love to create music, but I'm not that big on performing it. Bobby could have been a rock star too. Easily."

"If...If you're going to STAY in Zootopia then..."

Michael knew what she was thinking. "No Cotton."

"Maybe you and me?"

"No! Cotton, we got married and divorced...TWICE! Within five years! You've been divorced three times now!"

"Yeah. The judge sends me Christmas cards and knows me by name now. But it's different this time Mike!"

"Different how?!"

"You'll be home! We can spend time together! When we were married, you'd always be on a world tour while I stayed behind. That's what drove me away!"

"Really? Because I remember you yelling at me for leaving the toilet seat up, not doing the dishes and nagging me about 100 other things."

"Then put the toilet seat down and wash some dishes every once in a while you jerk! Michael...the little things like that I can look past. I just don't want to have to choose between you and my family again. I...I still love you. I've never stopped loving you."

"...What if I still want to perform? Y'know...every once in awhile."

"Gazelle performs in the city half the time and she has her own concert hall. You could perform there. Like a Vegas entertainer does."

Michael smiled. "Yeah!...This could work."

Cotton held Michael's paw. "Are you saying?..."

Michael gave it serious thought. "It's not going to be easy."

"I know."

"We're going to yell at each other."

"I know."

"...But I won't in front of our little nieces and nephews. Not anymore."

"Really?!"

"We'll go in a room and talk it out. I only ask you this..."

"What?"

"If you keep nagging me to do a certain thing, it usually means I can't get myself in the habit of doing it regularly. So if I leave the toilet seat up, just accept that I'm never going to remember to put it down okay? I know I should but I always forget that kind of thing."

"...Okay. But it's on a case by case basis! You're not going free of not doing the dishes."

"Alright. Alright. So...we good again?"

Cotton put her arms around Michael. "Yeah...we're good." She gave him a deep, loving kiss.

"I love you Christine." Michael said. "But why do I get the feeling this is a big mistake?"

"Yeah well...as the song says, you're my favorite mistake."

They kissed again only for Michael's ears to perk up. "Did you hear that?!"

"All I can hear is the base of the music. I heard Cindy screaming and smashing the guitar a minute ago."

"Bean just announced to the crowd that Cindy's pregnant!"

"WHAT?! Why didn't they tell us?!"

"I don't know!"

Cindy carried Bean back to an upset Cotton and Michael. "When were you gonna tell us man?!" Michael said.

"Sorry dude. We wanted to let the whole family know together, but you needed a good excuse if you wanted to cancel your shows so that's why I announced it out there."

"That's...actually good thinking. Thanks man."

"You're welcome."

Cotton then spoke up. "Well this is a surprise! Congratulations you two! I know you've been having a hard time conceiving."

"Yeah. My super low sperm count. I'm not blessed like friggin' James Wolford selling my jizz to the highest bidder. Lucky bastard."

"So how many are you having?"

Cindy put up three fingers. She then signed. "Cotton...Can I talk...to...you...in private?"

"Sure." Cotton replied and the two of them went to Cindy and Bean's dressing room.

"While you're gone, I'll call grandpa and ask him what he thinks." Michael said.

"Good idea." Cotton replied. She then entered Cindy's room. "Is everything okay? Have you been feeling sick?"

"With worry." She replied in sign language. "I'm...scared."

"Why?!"

"What if...I'm a bad...mother?! I can't talk...right and...I can be...violent."

"You've never abused anyone Cindy. Michael loves to spar with you and violent sex is you and Bean's kink, but you've never attacked your baby nieces and nephews. What about when you were six and we had our four baby siblings? You were very gentle with them!"

"I'm...dumb."

"You're not dumb!"

Cindy started to cry. "I am...so! I did...bad in school...I didn't...what's that word? I can't...remember to sign...it."

"Graduate?"

"Yes. Didn't graduate...high...school. I can't talk! How can I...teach...my...children?! Will...they...understand me?"

Cotton held Cindy's paws. "I'm sure they will. They'll love you."

Cindy spoke. "W-Will you haaa...halp...help me?"

Cotton hugged her. "Of course! I'm going to marry Michael again and I'll be with the family!"

"Mmmmarry Mike ag-again?! Www,,,What fffuck is wrong w-wiff you?!"

"Oh sure. You can say that!"

Meanwhile, Michael was on the phone with his grandpa Bobby. "So that's the plan grandpa. What do you think?"

"Well...as your agent I should say 'What the hell is wrong with you?! Go back on stage and make me money!' but as your loving grandpa, I say go for it. Composing music is my passion too and I'm VERY proud of how much you have accomplished. Live your life the way you want to live it. I'll cancel the tour myself and take the heat from the press."

"Thanks grandpa! I'll see you back in Zootopia. Don't tell anyone yet, but me and Cotton are planning to re-marry "

"No! NOOOO! ARE YOU INSANE?! THAT'LL BE THE THIRD TIME! IT'LL NEVER WORK! I FORBID IT!"

Michael and Cotton eloped on the way back to Wilde Towers. They divorced two years later, then married again one year after, then tried to get divorced three years later but the judge absolutely refused and forced them to get couples counseling. They stayed married together for the rest of their lives and had eight children. Three by adoption and five thanks to 'Sperm X'. Cotton never found out why Spots wouldn't speak to her her for months because Spots never told the family that Sperm X was. James had to deal with the fact that he was the father of some of his own nieces and nephews in secret. That said, the lamgers were very cute...except for their fangs.

Cindy's three children were very healthy and she was a fantastic mother. She had four more children after that. Bean and Cindy were happily married for over fifty years until Bean died of a heart attack in his mid-70's due to lack of exercise because of his immobility.

While Petey still owned and operated the tailor shop his father bought him, his fashions took the world by storm. At award shows, most celebrities told the press that they were wearing Peter Wilde. Wiggly would often joke "those celebrities wear Peter Wilde, but at night, Peter Wilde wears me!"

"...Out." Peter would add. They adopted three children and lived to see their 70th anniversary.

Junior went from being a ranger scout to Joining the ZPD alongside his longtime love, Rhonda. The two took the ZPD by storm and became two of Chief Wolford's best officers. Nick was very, VERY proud. Junior saved himself from sexual intercourse until his honeymoon with Rhonda when they were in their mid 20's. Upon seeing the giant bear naked, Junior said "what the fuck have I gotten myself into?!"