I couldn't believe my eyes. It had to be a hologram, she wasn't real, she wasn't… alive. I… remember the day she died, the day my whole world fell apart. My mother had developed a sickness. No one knew the cause, and I honestly don't think most of the Burrow cared. She was a rabbit, she was expendable. While the Overseer never said it, I think most of the rodents felt that way. The doctors said they tried everything to help but, but they were rodents. I think the only reason they helped was because they had to, not because they wanted to. She had died in her sleep a week later.

"Olivia, come here. Let your mother see you."

But here she was. Her sable colored fur, the small bit of cartilage missing from her left ear from an accident when she was just a kid. She was even wearing her favorite dress black with emerald green highlights. I didn't care much for dressing up, but I wanted to keep that dress, to remind me of her. The fucking Overseer said that all of her belongings now belonged to the Burrow. I never saw that dress again. Until now.

"I-It can't be you. Y-you're dead."

"You care so little about your own mother that you consider me dead?"

"No! It's… it's not like that, but I saw… I saw you die!"

"Dear child, if I was dead, why am I standing in front of you? Come here and give me a hug. I've missed you Binky."

Binky? I… I haven't heard that in such a long time. Only my mother ever called me that. She's the only one who ever called me that. This… no, she can't be real. This had to be a dream. I never even told Onion that name. I… I…

"Why do you hesitate? Oh, Binky. I've missed you so much."

"I…" I felt the tears fall down my face. This has to be a dream, it… but it feels so real. Even my dreams of her never feel this… this real. I couldn't hold back any more. I ran to her, expecting just to fall through her, to fall through another falsehood in my life.

"There, there. Let me wipe away your tears."

I… I was holding her. I wrapped my arms around her and I was holding her, I was feeling her. The warmth of her body, the silkiness of her dress. The… the perfume. The sweet smell of lilac and lavender, a smell that had come to comfort me. It was real. This was all real.

"I-I missed you so much. I…" the tears were real. She was real. I… this shouldn't be possible, but it was. Somehow it was.

"I've miss you too. Now, let's go home. We have much to catch up on."

Home? She can't possibly mean… "I… I don't want to go back to the Burrow."

"Burrow? Why, we haven't been there in ages. Don't you remember Binky?"

"R-remember? I remember leaving the Burrow, with Onion. You… where were you?"

"I was there with you sweetie. Don't you remember?"

"I… no, it was just me… and Onion, wasn't it?"

"Onion? Oh, that robot of yours. You know Binky, when I told you to 'make' some friends, I really didn't expect you to literally make a friend."

"Oh, I. It was hard mom. You know that. None of the other rabbits wanted to be with me, and the rodents…"

"Haven't I told you that not all rodents are bad? Yes, there are some who I wanted to just step on, but most of them were… they were scared."

"Scared? They treated us rabbits like crap, what did they have to be scared about?"

"Many generations lived in that Burrow, well past when our ancestors expected the 'all-clear' to be called. I think they were afraid that they would never get to see the sky, that their children, and their children's children would still be trapped in that underground tomb."

I… I never really thought of it like that. Up until I escaped, I had accepted being underground. Sure, I daydreamed about what the surface was like, my mom's text books fueling my imagination. I never once thought that others were so desperate to not live underground anymore. There was just one thing I couldn't wrap my brain around.

"Mom, you said that we haven't been there in ages. I… I don't remember you coming with us."

"You've been through a lot my child, and I didn't expect you to remember everything. I just wasn't expecting you to forget about me this soon. When we left, we got attacked by those nasty ghoul creatures. You were so brave. I was really proud of how you handled yourself out there. When you used those explosives to trap those creatures, I… my foot got caught. You tried to help me, but I told you to leave. I made you leave. This world didn't need some old school teacher, it needed you."

I… don't… why can't I remember that! I don't remember her being there, but her description, it was so… I never told anyone how I escaped, only where. She sounds so convinced that she was there with me, but why can't I remember!

"I… I shouldn't have left you. I should have tried harder! I should have come back for you!" I couldn't remember, but it felt real, as if I deep down I knew it was real.

"I told you to leave me. I wasn't mad at you then, just as I'm not mad at you now Binky. I'm just proud of you. Proud of what you've done, of the mammal you've become."

"B-but, what happened? If you were trapped there h-how are you here now?"

"I was trapped there for, hours, days? I can't really remember. I was starving, I was dehydrated, I thought I was going to die, but then some traders came and found me. They had seen the explosion and arrived to see if anyone was okay. They were a friendly bunch of otters. They freed me from the rubble, fed me, even gave me a place to stay while I healed. I wanted to go out and find you, but my leg was broken, and they wouldn't let me leave until it was healed. They were really kind."

"But h-how did you find me?"

"They started to hear rumors of a crazy rabbit, going around and freeing slaves, taking out raiders, and generally being a hero. I didn't really put two and two together until I heard about Hope. We were heading there when some fleeing traders warned us of a group of raiders trying to break into the city. I suggested we try to help, they had plenty of weapons and ammunition on their cart, but they weren't fighters, and neither was I. A few days later when we heard that the town had been re-opened, we went there. My leg had fully healed by then, so the kind otters said that Hope would be the best place to start out on my own. I would have loved to stay with them, but I knew I needed to find you. When we got to hope, I kept hearing about how a single rabbit with a small robot saved the town, twice. I knew it had been you. I asked around and their rabbit matched you. I was in tears thinking that we would be reunited, but you weren't there, and the mayor said she didn't know when you would come back."

"You… you were in Hope?"

"Yes, but you had gone off with some, foxes I think she said? The mayor said that you were hunting down some mercenaries. I… I couldn't believe that my daughter, my Binky had become a hero to these people. I bought whatever supplies I could with the money the otter family gave me and I left looking for you. I kept almost running into you. Darkwater, outside some abandoned gas station, those city ruins, but every time I thought I was close enough to hug you, you and your friends got attacked. I was… scared. You and your friends, you all handled yourself so well, I was afraid that I would put you all in danger. So I hid, I hid until I knew it was safe. Then I saw you go in here."

"I… were you r-really proud of me? Even though I a-almost got myself, and my friends, killed?"

"Yes. I was, and still am, proud of you. You put yourself in danger to protect your friends, the simple fact that you had friends, friends who were not made of metal, made me happy. I almost didn't want to find you. I thought that you would be happier with your friends… than with me."

"No! Don't say that! I… there is not a day that goes by that I don't think of you. I… I've missed you so much." I felt the tears start to form again. This was not a dream, this was not a trick. She knew, she knew things that the average mammal wouldn't… couldn't know.

"There hasn't been a day that I haven't thought about you either my child. That's why I wanted to see you again. I've found… a home. A safe place. One that no raider or mercenary or mutant beast can get you. A place where you can be safe, to be free to be who you want to be. I found you because I want you to join me, to be a family once again."

"I… what about my friends?"

"Oh, they are welcome to come too. There is plenty of room even for that… deathwing friend of yours. I do admit, when I first saw you with him, I was concerned for you. But then I saw how it protected you, and I knew that you were safe."

"My friends… where are they?" I looked around. We were in some kind of long hallway that had rooms and other hallways all over the place. I wasn't even paying attention to where we were going, too lost in the moment. We were here, alone.

"Oh, they're still around. I actually told them, rather Onion, about my invitation. He said something about them needing to visit a bunker first?"

"How… you were here with me, how did you tell them?"

"Binky, you're not the only one who can use a Pip-Boar." My mother held up her arm and I saw that she had her Pip-Boar still. I knew that was hers too, it had the glittery paw prints all over it. I had asked her why she had stickers plastered on it and she told me that when she was just a kid, shortly after getting her device, she called it ugly and wanted to 'make it pretty'. She never did take them off.

We continued to walk down the hallways. Turning down what appeared to be random hallways. The inside of this place was designed just as confusingly as the outside. We kept on chatting, sharing events that we had been through, and every time she tells me something, something that I know no one else, not even Onion knew, that it was really her. The part that was tearing me up was that I can't remember her. The last time I do remember her, was trying to wake her up the night she died. I grabbed my head out of frustration and screamed.

"Binky, what's wrong?"

"I… this makes no sense! You're telling me things that I know no one else knew, your voice, your smell tells me it's you, but the last thing I remember about you was the night I thought you died! I… how do I know any of this is real? How do I know anything is real?"

"You've always been inquisitive, and you've always gone out of your way to question everything. That's just your nature. To question your own reality, that's not much farther a step from questioning how your heart beats, or how your brain works. Some things will just be a mystery to us. Stop wondering if then was real, and start asking yourself, does this feel real?"

I thought long and hard. It still doesn't make any sense. Things were not adding up, but… "yes. It does feel real."

"Then it is real. It is as real as you want it to be. Here." She grabbed my paw and placed it upon her chest. "Do you feel my heart beating?"

"Y-yes."

She leaned over and gently blew on my nose like when I was a kid. "Can you feel the breath from my lungs?"

"Yes."

She kissed me between the ears, like when I was a child. "Does… this feel real?"

"Y-yes. It all feels… real."

"Then it is real. I am real, you are real, and together, our family is real. Now, tell me about your friends. I would love to know more about the kind of mammals that you are willing to put yourself in danger over."

I started from the beginning. I told her about how I first met Nate in the prison cells, how he, his brother, and I went to rescue Holly, and how Onion was the one who actually saved us. I told her about the Guardians, Drake, Blanche. I told her of North, Bo, the mayor. I told her everything that happened to me, from the moment I left the Burrow, up until now. Every detail, every little thing that I could remember.

"You keep speaking of this Nate fellow rather fondly. Is there something I should know about?"

I felt my cheeks warm up as I thought of him. I told her… well everything that happened between us. She 'oohed' and 'ahhed' over all the details. I found myself telling her things, that I don't think I could have actually told Nate. About how I really felt around him, how I felt when he was holding me, when I was holding him. I spoke out loud words that I felt too nervous to even think about. It was my mom. She deserved to know everything.

"This Nate fellow sounds really important to you. I can't wait to meet him."

I couldn't wait for Nate to meet her either. I… "Nate! Oh he must be so worried about me. He…" I wanted to tell her everything about him, but there were some things that I don't think even I should tell her, at least not without Nate here. Some things were just too personal. Even for a parent to know.

"O-Olivia?"

"Nate? Nate!"

He was alone. The other's must have left to the bunker to gather supplies, but Nate, I knew he wouldn't be able to leave.

"I-I was so w-worried. You left a-and…"

"So you must be Nate. Rather cute for a fox."

"W-who…"

"Nate, this is my… mother."

"A pleasure to meet you. My name is Jessica Springs, but from how my daughter speaks of you, I have a feeling you may soon be calling me… mom."

We talked for a long time after that. Nate seemed very nervous at first, but he soon began to grow more at ease around my mom. I knew he was going got be fine when I kept hearing him snicker every time she called me Binky. I told him that if he ever told Holly, that I was going to have a new fur coat for winter.

I had asked where the others were, and he said that they had met up with Blanche, Drake, and Onion and left for the bunker. The three had only found another abandoned outpost but they were going to check in on the Guardians on the way back. My mother was always good at getting her way in the Burrow through her words, but I never thought she could get my friends to move in with us. Then again, she always managed to keep me out of trouble from the Overseer and security no matter what I did, even the time I nearly caused the entire Burrow to blow up all because I wanted to see how the power core worked. I guess convincing my friends to go live someplace safe is nothing compared to that.

"So, I have to ask… do you still sleep naked Binky?"

"Mom!"

"Just asking, it might be a little… odd to have a boy in bed with you like that… unless you two have…"

"Mom!" I felt embarrassed, and looking at Nate he must have felt the same. I had to change the subject.

"So… where is this 'safe' place?"

"Oh, not far from here actually. I'm actually glad you came here. There's a network of caves that connect multiple places together. There happens to be one under here. So much safer than trying to navigate the surface."

I… I think I remember the mayor saying something about that, how Hope drew their water from an underground lake that connected them. I wanted to beat myself up over not thinking about it. We would have been so much safer if we had simply kept underground. That would have been the perfect way to sneak up to the Legionaries.

"Hey mom, I… I don't know if I should go with you, at least not yet. As long as those Legionaries are out there, my friends, Hope, everyone is still in trouble, because of me."

"Olivia, y-you, I want to keep you safe. If there is any way that can happen, we need to take it, even if it means hiding. A-as long as I'm w-with you, we can hide… forever."

Nate really does want to keep me safe, to protect me. He should also know that I'm too adamant about this to just leave it. How can I call myself a 'hero' if I'm hiding from the world as it's torn apart from the inside out.

"Binky, dear, I can tell that this is important to you. Tell you what. I've managed to acquire supplies, weapons, fresh food and hid them in my home. Why don't we go there, meet your friends and just spend one day relaxing before you go be a hero. The world isn't going to end if you take a break for a single day."

Nate and my mom looked at me. I think they both agreed that we… I needed rest. The only times that I get to rest is after nearly dying, and even then, something ends up interrupting it. A nightmare, an attack, something. She's right, the world isn't going to end if I vanish for a day or two. Maybe with some sleep and real food in my belly, I can come up with a plan that won't risk all of us being killed.

"Okay. Just for a day or two! After that I am continuing my mission."

They both sighed in relief. Did they really think I was just going to run out into danger this soon? Sure, I wanted to, but I couldn't do that to them. To her. To him. I needed this. To know I am not alone. To be with my real family and my new family. I needed to…

"Olivia!"

"Who… Nate? Why did…"

"I didn't say anything." Nate sounded confused.

"That's why you need to rest Binky, you're starting to hear things."

Am I? I could have sworn I heard… no she's right. Even though I got some sleep last night, I only fell asleep due to whatever medication Mark gave me to ease the pain. It wasn't a real sleep. Real sleep is when you lay there, drifting away on our own accords. Laying there, holding, cuddling with the mammal you love.

"Olivia!"

No, I knew I heard it that time! That was… Nate's voice. But he's here with me… why… My vision started to blur a bit.

"You okay Binky?"

"I…" I dropped to my knees. A sharp pain suddenly appearing in my neck. "W-what is…"

"It's just a precaution."

That voice it… it wasn't Nate. It wasn't my mom. Who… I looked towards my mother. She was standing there, smiling. I could see her speaking, but I couldn't hear her words. I… she flickered. What was happening. I tried to call out to her but the words didn't form. Nate was standing there, his paw outstretched. I went to reach for it.

"Fuck this bitch is strong, quick another!"

Who… another pain in my neck. My vision starting to fade more as I felt my body weaken. My mom… Nate… they both started to flicker. My arm started to drop as Nate reached for it and grabbed it. He… why was he… my Pip-Boar. No… he flickered again. That… t-that wasn't Nate. Who…

"What the hell are you doing! That thing is worth a lot!"

"I know but we were ordered to leave it. They can use it to fucking follow us."

Follow them? Who… I saw my Pip-Boar hit the ground. I glanced back up to them. My mother, Nate, they were gone. Instead replaced by… no, they weren't them, they were… I had to fight, I had to run, call for help. But I couldn't move. I couldn't speak.

"Leave her bag too. Yeah I know but he's afraid there's a tracker in there too. Look, we don't have time. That fucking fox is starting to snap out of it. We gotta go, now!"

Fox… Nate! He… they were still… here. I… how could I… she's dead. She's really dead and never coming back. How could I have been so… blind. I couldn't feel my body anymore, but I saw them lifting me. They were carrying me… but where? I… I can't leave my friends… I can't.

"Hurry, through here, the trucks waiting."

Light… we… we are outside? Where is…

"Get her in the back! Go! Go!"

"OLIVIA!"

Nate… I'm… I'm sorry.

It's… dark. Why is it always dark when I wake up after… what the fuck happened? I remember seeing my mom, and Nate, and then… fuck, mercenaries. I remember being dragged away by… no, it wasn't Legionaries. They were too sloppily dressed. I remember a pain in my neck. I think I was… drugged. My eyes adjusted enough to see that I was in a room, a small, unfamiliar room. A light flickered on.

It was a candle. Someone had just lit a candle, and now another one. Where was I? I tried to move but my arms and legs weren't responding. I looked down, thinking I was chained down but there were no chains. I was on some kind of bed and I was… naked. Why the fuck was I naked?

"H-hello? Where am I? Why am I n-naked?"

A voice came from the other side of the room, from within a darkened corner. With the candle lights it was hard to make out anything but a shadow. "It's a pleasure to meet you again, Olivia Springs."

"Who… are…" That voice, it sounded… familiar. It sounded… no. No! It can't be!

"I'm utterly shocked that you don't remember me. Here, maybe this will help my dear."

He moved out of the shadow. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was him. "H-how… I-I thought you were dead!"

"Oh, I'm a difficult boar to kill. I do have to apologize. When I last saw you, I was acting rather… uncouth. Of course, who would blame me? You did damage such exquisite beauty after all."

I saw him much clearer now. The brown fur, the graying stripe along the top of his head. That fine pressed suit. It was him. It was Baird. I saw where I had broken his tusk, and it had been replaced with a solid gold one, shaped to look exactly like the other one.

"Oh, I see you noticed my newest addition have you? I do admit, It was very unpleasant for quite a while after that. However, I should thank you. You see, my old tusk had this one tiny blemish on it. All the polishing in the world wouldn't get rid of it, now? My tusk is downright gorgeous, don't you think? The gold really accents it, enough that I'm very tempted to replace the other one, just to have a matching pair. I do love symmetry."

"Where am I? Why can't I move?"

"Oh that? That's so you can't hurt me I'm afraid. It's called Lax. A rather interesting drug if I do say so myself. It renders only your limbs unresponsive, but leaves your cognitive abilities alone. It also…" He pulled out a small knife. As he hovered it over my arm, I wanted to kick it out of his hoof, to grab it and shove it right between his eyes, but I couldn't even move my paw, yet alone my arms or legs. He very gently cut my arm. He barely put any pressure on it but the pain was beyond anything I have ever felt. "… heightens all the senses. Pain and pleasure."

I could barely talk through the pain. "Why… am I… naked?"

"Oh, that? That's what I paid for. You my dear have caused me nothing but grief ever since I met you. I just wanted to repay the favor."

"P-pay?"

"I take it you don't know where you are? A shame. This place is actually quite nice. Welcome to… Wild Times."

Fallout: Zootopia After Show

Featuring:

A Message and Warning from The Authors

[Max]

Hello everyone. So this is technically Max, well at least that's my alternate on here that you all know me by. Well I'm guessing you're all wondering just where the hell Stripes is with that horrible… Horrible 'Stripes In the Morning' show he puts on. I'm afraid for this and the next few chapters we're going to be going a bit… Well we're going dark here folks. These following chapters were emotionally draining for both of us and it's only fair we give you fair warning of what's ahead. Many, MANY of you won't like it. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised to see pitch forks and torches marching our way after the next chapter.

You all may be wondering just how bad it actually is for us to go to these lengths to warn you all. I'll just say this. Chapter 42 was dropped into my metaphorical lap, and more literally into my inbox, with only the barest of warnings and a huge apology for what I was about to read. It made me sick, it upset me. If I had known about it? I would've rejected the idea right out of hand. So it had to be delivered the way it was to me. No major changes were given by me, I went through it the best I could and edited it. I still can't look at the damn thing without feeling sick.

That being said. The following chapter is somewhat necessary, as disgusting as that makes me feel to say, for the development of our heroine. This event will shape much of what is to come. It is going to hurt. There is no way around it. So if you must, skip it. Neither of us will begrudge anyone who does that. Just understand that it does influence some major decisions down the road Olivia is going to have to make. So that's where we find ourselves. We can earnestly promise you that Chapter 42 is the absolute lowest point in this story. Yes there are still some major emotional road bumps to come, but this will be the lowest point in Olivia's life. There's only one way for our Burrow Dweller to go from here on. So if you're able to make it through this upcoming chapter and decide to stick with us, just know that Stripes and I still rarely butt heads on this one. Seriously, he got weird one night after a little too much to drink and almost made me wanna slug him one… With a 12 pound Rifle.

WELL, with that being said, I'm gonna hand this over to the man himself and let him say what he feels he needs to say while I quietly sit to the side and clean that rifle of mine, cause it really needs it and I have a feeling that I'm gonna need the distraction here for a while.

[Stripes]

"Thank you Max. That little wall of text was not of my doing, but actually written by my co-author. He felt that despite a special After Show for Wednesday's chapter, that a bit of forewarning is due. As a form of payment for artistic services, I also forwarded many of the unpublished chapters to him, and let's just say that his reaction to chapter 42 was pretty similar to Max's. That said, it is a necessity, and I promise that chapter 42 WILL be the worst one. Not going to say there won't be any emotional chapters following it, but not nearly as… well you will see. Interestingly enough, the chapter was designed long before the involvement of Max's own characters, Holly, Nate, and Mark, and let's just say this, their inclusion actually makes the chapter much more necessary. Won't tell you how, you will have to figure it out yourselves with the chapters following it.

"Now, without further ado, I present today's actual After Show, but it will be a short one. Now, you may be wondering, what exactly happened to Olivia and the gang in this place? You may think that she had a weak mind to believe her mom was there, but in actuality, it was due to the nature of the facility. You see, when the war broke out all those centuries ago, there were many people who started to face fear so great that it was making them have nightmares, making them fear for their very existence, despite the fact that no signs of violence had reached them. Now, a company, Happy Times Inc, decided to step in and help.

"Holograms were one thing, but you couldn't touch a hologram, you couldn't smell or feel their very presence, and it didn't help many mammals. Instead, Happy Times Inc developed, with help from Capybara Pharmaceuticals, also known as CapyRx, developed a form of short term chemical, that despite being classified as a neurotoxin by the Zootopia Food and Drug Commission, the drug managed to slip through some loopholes and became established within the first, and only, Happy Times Relaxation Facility.

"Now, normally visitors would be told prior to the release of the chemicals what would happen, and to simply relax and think happy thoughts. A guide would be available to make sure they didn't wander into anything, or anyone else, during their waken dreamlike state. Unfortunately, our heroes didn't know that, so were put under the chemical's effects without the right state of mind.

"The chemical was actually a wonder of chemical engineering. It linked your mental images to your body, allowing you to see, smell, hear, and feel those images as if they were really there. If it wasn't used for such a devious plan, it would have been a rather pleasant place to visit, but let's just say that place is off limits to anyone but Guardian personnel after the events of this chapter.

"That's it for today's After Show. It wasn't much but I wanted to simply clarify the events that transpired since it won't be detailed as such in the story. That's what these episodes are for, to tell you what even the main characters do not know, or what they don't want to know. Tune in next time for another special After Show, and remember, even if something hurts, it's there for a reason, to make you stronger. Good night everyone!"