Loves Bond
Chapter 24 - Truth And Foxes
A plain, unmarked sedan drove slowly and carefully through the lush savannah streets. It passed through quiet neighborhoods where broad acacia trees lined the roads and thick hedges ringed the quaint homes. The car drove slightly under the speed limit for the narrow street, to the frustration of the other cars behind it.
Behind the sedan, a small line of cars had built up due to its slow pace. No one dared to pass the vehicle as it nearly crawled along the lane. Despite its plain exterior, the car had all the earmarks of being a cop car and none of the other drivers wanted a speeding ticket today. There was no obvious light bar on the roof, but it did have the telltale spotlight next to the driver's side mirror, City of Zootopia plates and four very obvious radio antenna mounted on the trunk. The unmarked sedan could not hide that it was a cop car from even the most casual observer.
The driver's side window was rolled down revealing that a uniformed fox was at the wheel. He held his left paw on the steering wheel and leaned back in the seat while driving slowly. If it wasn't for the dark blues, and the brass badge pinned to his chest, most mammals would have thought that the smug fox had stolen the vehicle. The dark glasses sparkling in the midday sun did little to hide the hustler's smirk that was permanently plastered across the fox's muzzle.
As Nick reached the end of the block, the classic homes built for medium sized mammals gave way to a few small-time businesses that were operated by the local residents. Passing a gas station and coffee shop combo that sat directly on the corner, the agitated rabbit sitting in the passenger seat nearly screamed at the fox, "Nick! You passed another one."
"Passed another what?" the fox asked, sounding almost slightly bored as he drove the sedan into the next residential district.
Quickly turning around, the bunny nearly climbed out the open window on her side of the car. "That is the third coffee shop you have driven past since we left the precinct."
"I thought you already had enough coffee for this afternoon?" The fox looked across the car and spotted the white paper cup still sitting in its holder from their lunch earlier.
"Argh," she grunted while holding two paws of twisted claws in front of her muzzle. She scrunched into an aggravated expression as her ears fell behind her head.
Today, Judy's baby bump was beginning to show quite prominently through her tight police uniform. Under her previous doctor's orders, she was working light duties for the rest of the month. Light duty consisted of passing out parking tickets, riding along with Fangmeyer on highway patrol, or re-examining cold cases. Slow days and light duty always left the rabbit anxious and frustrated.
"I told you when we left the station, that I am craving a pawful of donuts right now," the rabbit explained. "And reminded you each time we passed a shop that sells them."
The tod curiously looked down at the bunny next to him as he replied calmly, "But it has only been an hour since we had lunch together."
Since the couple had gotten back together, they had taken every opportunity to be together on the job. They were still not allowed to work as partners, but they always made time in their busy schedules to stop by the other's office or take their lunches at the same time. When on duty they frequently responded to the other's requests for backup, and Fangmeyer never had to be asked twice from a pair of pouty bunny eyes.
It had only been two days since they returned to a semi dating status, but Nick had noticed a change in his excitable rabbit. She seemed to be eating twice as much now than she had been back in the summer and her anger broke free before the stunned fox could blink. He also noticed how she no longer had that peppy bounce in her step and seemed to be dragging her paws much more frequently. There were also the many frequent bathroom breaks.
Judy growled again as she tried to turn around in her seat. "I am so hungry for a nice sugary donut that I would settle for something off that gas station's shelf." She reached out the window with her small arms as if she could pull the corner shop back. "Please turn around and go back, hun."
Calmly returning his gaze to the road ahead of the car, Nick stated, "If I turn around now, we will be late for your appointment."
Snapping back, the bunny viciously barked at the fox behind the wheel, "If I was driving, we would not be so late!"
"Whoa there, Fluff." The fox's easy going smirk never left his muzzle in the eye of the rabbit's tirade. He patted the wheel with his free paw while he explained, "When I checked this vehicle out today, Porkins explicitly told me not to let my pregnant girlfriend drive it. Trust me, he is one tough quartermaster, and you do not want to get on his bad side."
Suddenly the rabbit's angry tone changed to be as sweet as honey. She gently began to pet at her boyfriends arm as she cooed, "And what did he say about Officer Hopps? Is she allowed to drive?"
Nick coughed twice and held up a single, pointed claw as his muzzle took on the expression of the old boar. "That Officer Hopps-Andretti will not come within three meters of one of my vehicles, not if I have anything to say about it." His muzzle returned to its everyday foxy smirk after finishing his impromptu impression. "He was very adamant about not letting you touch this car."
With a loud huff, Judy crossed her arms under her well formed breasts. "Fine, but at least stop and get me something to eat."
"Don't worry, Carrots," Nick said, pointing at a tall, glass building that could barely be seen poking above the broad trees. "We are almost there."
"Argh," another frustrated cry escaped the rabbit's muzzle. "It could be hours before we eat again and I am hungry now." She turned a pointed claw in his direction accusingly. "Are you trying to starve me?"
The fox gasped in horrified shock as his eyes grew three times wider. While keeping one paw firmly grasping the steering wheel, he pulled off his sunglasses and looked down at the uniformed rabbit. Placing a paw over his chest, he smirked at her evilly. "Oh my gosh, Honey. We need to contact mammal resources."
As Judy glared back at him angrily, Nick leaned back in his seat and returned the dark glasses to the base of his long nose. The smirk remained in place while the fox continued to express his mock surprise, "I can see the ZNN headlines now." He waved a paw through the air as if his words were written across the sky, "Zootopia's first fox cop starves his pregnant girlfriend."
"This is serious," Judy declared as her voice rose an octave. She slammed the grey ball that was her fist into the console that divided their seats. "My stomach is growling and demanding to be fed."
Snickering, the fox's calm exterior did not diminish as the rabbit's tirade grew in volume. "So our baby has learned to speak before it has even been born. It is going to be an overachiever just like its mother."
"Nick," Judy yelled as her fist collided violently with the fox's shoulder causing a loud crack to be heard around the car. "That was not funny," she chided.
"Ouch, partner abuse," Nick cried, rubbing his shoulder while trying to keep the car pointed straight down the road. He began to chuckle when he saw the pain and shock in her eyes.
The rabbit pointed a sharp claw at her boyfriend and was about to yell something else, when Nick slammed on the brakes causing the car to come to a sudden stop. A large yellow school bus had pulled in front of their vehicle while the fox had been bantering with his irate girlfriend.
Looking over the steering wheel, Nick noticed that he had driven into a school zone and had failed to slow down as he passed under the flashing yellow lights hanging across the street. The bus had come to a complete stop as young mammals suddenly filled the sidewalk along the edge of the street.
Ahead of the car was a sprawling field of grass where a short red brick building sat. A bell rang in the distance and the squat building disgorged hundreds of small and medium mammals. Each carrying colorful book bags across their shoulders. Many of the kits and cubs raced across the street to waiting buses and cars while others formed into small groups before crossing.
The Lemuris Middle School had rung its final bell for the day and all of the students were heading home or places that were a lot more fun. At this time of day, the surrounding traffic ground to a halt as young mammals were known to race across the streets without looking.
In front of Nick's unmarked police car, the big yellow bus slowly turned into the school's parking lot while the rabbit barely contained her frustration. "I knew I should have driven today." She waved her paw across the impromptu traffic jam that had suddenly formed in front of them. "If we had taken the freeway we could have avoided this mess."
Nick patted a dark-red paw across her knee easily. "Don't worry, Carrots. The clinic is right around the corner." He pointed through the trees that filled the nearby yards around them and a tall glass building could be seen poking through the bare branches.
"Hey, is that Terra?" Judy asked as she waved at a group of small predators that were crossing the street in front of their car. A young skunk at the edge of the group pretended not to notice the pair of cops, as the rabbit waved. Her friends were chatting animatedly as they passed by and the young skunk clung to a small bag full of heavy books..
"Should we stop and see how she is doing?" Nick suggested.
With a fierce glare, Judy turned towards the fox as both of her ears pointed straight up. She practically snarled the words, "We are not stopping to chat with a group of middle schoolers!"
Unperturbed by the bunny's outburst, the fox continued to suggest alternate routes to their destination, "Or we could turn left at the next street so we could check in with the Maky's."
Groaning, she leaned back in the chair and let her ears fall behind her head. She knew that Nick was only trying to distract her, but she was not about to let him have the last word. "If you don't have the decency to stop and get me some donuts, then we are certainly not making any courtesy calls."
Several minutes passed before the pups, kits and foals cleared the street and the unmarked car was able to continue towards their destination. Sitting in the passenger seat, the pregnant rabbit continued to stew and fume as her hunger grew. She grumbled and growled as the other cars and buses slowly cleared out of the way.
The students and other drivers seemed to vanish as quickly as they had appeared with the last bus heading to parts unknown to deliver its precious cargo. Once the middle school was out of view behind a copse of trees, the fox turned the car down a quiet lane that was lined with leafless oak trees.
A four story glass building loomed above the trees along the side of the road. To mammals driving by, it looked like any other office building except for the large red plus symbol mounted on the side near the upper floors. The building was split into two halves that were joined by a narrow walkway at the top floor.
"We are here," Nick said cheerfully as he pulled the sedan into the parking lot.
Judy had remained mostly quiet for the last several minutes since they passed the school, but now her tirade returned full force, and at full volume. "Nick, darling. I am not stepping one paw inside of that building until I get a donut!" She crossed both arms across her chest and put her paw down hard on the floor below her seat. "You can turn this car around right now, because I do not care if we are late for my appointment or not."
Nick silently parked the car while the rabbit continued to rant at the top of her lungs despite the odd looks they received from the other patients that had been strolling through the clinic's parking lot. "This blatant refusal to acknowledge my needs is borderline abuse. I am eating for two here mister and I need all the extra calories that I can get. You can never understand how hungry I am right now. I will not leave this car until I get donuts!"
Turning off the car, Nick calmly turned to his furious girlfriend with a pleasant smile across his muzzle. Despite her very loud tirade, he never lost that charming, foxy smirk. He now turned his charm up to eleven as he casually leaned over to his pregnant girlfriend and asked, "Have you picked out any names yet?"
Fist in the air, and hind paw firmly planted on the floor, Judy turned to her fox mid declaration and frowned. A large tear began to form under her eye as she sniffled. "No-no. I haven't even thought about names yet."
The rabbit's anger suddenly fled to be replaced by a barrage of tears. "I-I don't even know if it's going to be a b-boy or-or a g-girl." She fell across Nick's lap and continued to sob as she let out all of her pent up frustrations.
Petting her ears, Nick calmly soothed his rabbit. "There, there. Oh, you bunnies, so emotional."
A white sugary powder covered the pregnant rabbit's furry grey fingers. The powder clung to each short hair creating a thin paste that refused to be removed no matter how much the rabbit shook them. Striking her paws together in a swishing motion also did not help to remove the majority of the powdered sweetness.
Judy finally resolved to sticking out her short pink tongue and licking at the white power that dusted her fingertips. The wetness on her tongue convinced most of the sugar to release its strong grip on her fur and it quickly fell free. Some of the powder still remained deep under the fur and she had to stick the finger into her mouth in order to suck them clean. Thus she was caught with several fingers in her mouth while making sucking and smacking noises when the doctor walked into the room.
When she saw the tall coyote stroll past her plush armchair, she did not cease licking and cleaning her paws. The sight of the doctor's white coat did not cause her to suddenly drop her head in embarrassment or stop her from smacking her lips in contentment.
The uniformed fox that shared the large, soft chair with his mate tried to swat at her paws, but she simply leaned to the side and out of his reach. With two fingers stuck in her mouth she tried to pout and shake her head at him.
Before the fox could reply, the coyote spoke to the couple, "How are you two doing this afternoon?" After walking past the fox and rabbit, she turned, smiled warmly at them and leaned back against the edge of her desk. Her tail wagged slightly, shuffling some of the papers across the clear glass surface. The brassy color of her mechanical legs showed through the opening of her long white coat. In her mismatched paws was a pastel blue manilla folder with several sheets of paper neatly stacked inside.
The doctors, size and shape loosely resembled a coyote, but her odd coloring seemed to be a mottled conflict of two different species. Her eyes were two different colors, and even her ears seemed to have slightly different shapes. One was broad and triangular with grey and brown fur, while the other was narrow with a single tuft of black fur that stuck up at an odd angle.
A slight chill permeated the fancy office, but neither uniformed mammal noticed. Their police issued uniforms helped to ward against the autumn weather, and the rabbit's condition slightly raised her body temperature.
Drawing his paws away from his mate, Nick replied calmly as if the smaller mammal had not been making loud and embarrassing noises only moments before, "Fine." He also scooted to the far side of the chair as if he wanted to avoid the rabbit entirely.
With a loud smack, Judy pulled out her wet fingers and waved them angrily at the fox. "He refused to buy me donuts on the way here."
"Is that so?" The mottled coyote chided as she looked down at the slightly embarrassed fox. Most coyotes had a similar pattern of brown, grey and black fur, but this doctor had missmatched splotches of color all over her body. The mess of colors reminded Judy of another canine species that she could not quite recall the name of.
Placing both paws in his lap, Nick let out a long breath of air, rolled his eyes and shook his head.
After the fox finished his display, Dr. Pembroke glanced back at the rabbit. "Donuts?" she asked, almost astonished. "Judy, are you experiencing intense cravings?"
Licking another finger, Judy nodded shyly, "Mhmm."
"I see." The doctor fixed an intense glare back on Nick and she emphasized her next words by waving the folder in his direction. "Pregnant mammals often experience these kinds of cravings when their bodies are lacking important nutrients."
Nick quickly looked back and forth between the doctor and his mate, while Judy continued to lick her fingers smugly.
Seeing that the fox was paying attention, Leah continued, "It's a good idea for the father to help their mates meet these needs while the babies are growing inside them. The larger the fetus, the more nutrients it will need and the harder it will be for the mother to meet those needs."
"Ok," Nick said as his ears fell, slightly embarrassed.
Raising a finger sharply, Dr. Pembroke turned her intensity back on the clearly pregnant rabbit. "However, junk food like donuts is the wrong way to replenish those missing nutrients."
"I guess so," Judy replied, quickly wiping her wet fingers on the sides of her pants. Some of the remaining powdered sugar quickly stuck to the dark blue fabric.
Leah waved the folder at the couple seated before her. "Since this kit is part predator it requires far more proteins than a rabbit's body can provide, so I would recommend changing to a more protein heavy diet."
Sitting up straight, Judy snapped her still damp fingers. "That must be why I have been craving more fish and burgers lately."
"Yes, that could be the reason," Leah nodded. "However, your herbivorous digestive tract may be struggling to handle large amounts of protein."
Another nod from the rabbit as she replied, "I do get a bit queasy after eating a big plate of fish."
"Only a bit queasy?" Nick asked with the hint of a snicker.
The doctor continued as if she had not heard the fox's comment, "So I am going to prescribe a protein supplement that I often give to small predators who are expecting." She stood up from where she rested against the desk and walked around to the big chair while she continued to speak, "You can go ahead and continue your regular diet and even include the occasional pawful of nuts or small portions of fish once a day."
Both the fox and rabbit were paying full attention to what the doctor said that they never noticed anything odd when she climbed out of her prosthetics and sat down in the chair behind her desk.
"After each meal," Leah explained to Judy, "I want you to take one pill. They are easy to digest and will provide the extra nutrients your body has been craving. That should lessen the cravings, but they won't go away entirely."
"Thank you," Judy replied with her paws in her lap.
"When you have more cravings, try eating something healthy instead, like fruits and veggies, or even a pawful of nuts."
Lifting his chin, Nick asked seriously, "Should she be carrying a snack around at all times?"
"Sure, " Leah said with a warm smile at the fox's bright question. "Just no candy bars or other junk food. Most veggies are portable and can remain unrefrigerated for a day or more. They make excellent snacks for a hungry rabbit."
"Are you saying I should carry a carrot around in my pocket at work?"
A smug expression quickly returned to the fox's long muzzle as Nick pounced, "Exactly, Carrots."
Without a single word, the small grey fist struck the blue uniformed shoulder. A loud pop could be heard across the doctor's office, but the fox did not whine or respond in any way to the instant assault.
"Well, with that settled, let's get back to the reason you are both here today." Leah opened the light blue folder she had set on her desk and began reading from the top sheet.
"Of course, the baby," Nick said. He scooted forward in the large chair until his short legs were hanging off the edge of the plush cushion.
Pulling the first sheet off the small stack, the doctor pawed it towards the couple. "Yes, but more specifically, your test results."
Nick grabbed the proffered paper, glanced at the series of numbers written on the front and then casually passed it to Judy.
Taking a moment to look at the sheet, Judy only shook her head in confusion. She laid the paper in her lap then rubbed her paws together in excitement before leaning towards the desk. "What do they say?"
"What were you able to find by looking at our blood?" Nick added his own question.
Folding her paws on top of the desk, Dr. Pembroke replied with a calm smile, "First, Mr. Wilde, the kit is yours. It matches both of your DNA. I should say congratulations, you're parents, but by the looks on your muzzles you already knew that."
With a loud stutter, Judy stumbled over her words, "How, how…"
Taking his rabbit's paw, Nick helped her by asking the question instead, "I think what my mate is trying to ask is, how is this possible. We are completely different species that are not even remotely related."
He looked down at Judy, who was still trying to contain her surprise, and squeezed the smaller paw. "I know you explained the treatment to us yesterday and how your parents stumbled across a miracle, but," here is where his own words fell.
"We would like to know exactly how it works." Her voice returned, Judy scooted to the edge of the chair as she placed the test results firmly on the edge of the desk.
Retrieving the sheet, the coyote doctor began to explain, "This treatment is a genetically engineered retrovirus." She looked across the desk at the rabbit while pointing to some numbers on the results sheet. "Judy, your bloodwork shows that a large number of them have been active in your system."
"So are you saying that she is sick? That she caught some kind of disease?" Nick stretched out his arm and waved it in front of Judy. He stood up in the chair and put both paws on the desk as he demanded, "Are you trying to say that our kit is a sickness?"
"No!" the doctor cried leaning back in her large chair. Taking a deep breath she calmly continued, "The virus has been specifically modified to be a tool, one that allows the intermingling of species."
His teeth still clenched, the fox spat out a single word, "How?"
Judy grasped his paw and gently pulled him back into the seat. Placing his paw on her lap, she patted it softly and urged the coyote to continue, "Please, go on."
Watching how easily the rabbit was able to calm the angry fox, Leah continued to explain the details, "As a tool, this virus can copy DNA from one cell to another, or basically exchange information between organisms."
From her desk drawer she pulled out a colorful diagram of several reproductive cells and a single, spiky virus between them. She pointed to the virus then an egg cell as she spoke, "What makes this virus so unique is that it tends to work on a mammal's reproductive organs first." Putting down the picture she mumbled under her breath, but the sharp rabbit ears caught every word, "Then it attacks the stem cells next."
"But why is that important?" Nick asked, the frustration barely audible in his voice.
Sighing, the doctor spoke like she was talking to a young student learning about reproduction for the first time, "Well, Mr. Wilde. A rabbit is born with all of her eggs intact, and she carries them throughout her life until she is ready to reproduce." She held up the diagram again. "Changing her DNA in any way won't affect the eggs, and thus she won't be able to conceive with any non-related species." Pointing at the virus and the egg on the chart she continued, "This virus does exactly that. It changes the eggs to allow the father's sperm to fertilize them."
"I guess that makes sense," Judy says, curiously tilting her ears forward.
"But why can't a doctor alter the eggs first?" Nick waved a single paw in the air as if he was trying to fish for the right words to say next, "Why does it have to be this, this bug, virus thing?"
Pulling on the untufted one of her mismatched ears she looked around the room nervously. Letting go of the picture, the other paw scratched at her own fur like it didn't seem to fit right. "Even with how much genetic engineering and gene therapy have advanced, it is still in its infancy."
She focused her wandering eyes back on the fox while she continued to answer the question, "We don't know what part of the cell is being altered by this virus or how exactly it copies the DNA into the egg that allows conception to even occur. All of our research over the last thirty years has been entirely trial and error."
Turning her chair slightly to the right, she stared out the giant window that ran from floor to ceiling and covered one entire wall of her office. Outside could be seen the two huge pine trees that flanked the window. Beyond them was a wonderful view of the downtown skyline with a hint of the nearby school peeking through a small grove of trees.
Nick and Judy silently watched as the doctor's gaze grew more and more distant as if she was looking into the past. After a short moment that felt like an eternity, the coyote hybrid turned back to the young couple waiting patiently in front of her crystalline desk. Judy raised a small paw to encourage her to go on.
Leah, looked across at the fox as she came up with a better way to answer his earlier question, "Having a doctor alter each egg individually would be very expensive and time consuming. At the moment this virus is the best tool that we have, even if we don't fully understand it yet."
Thoughtfully, Judy lifted her chin. "Wait, you said it copies DNA?"
"Yes," the doctor nodded and folded her paws on the desk again. "You see, for each couple we prepare a unique batch for their individual needs."
"What does that mean exactly?" Nick asked with a slight tilt of his head.
"Simply put, it means that we preprogram a batch of the retrovirus with some of the father's DNA. This will later be copied onto the mother's eggs, thus allowing conception to occur. Some other technical processes happen to prepare the virus for hibernation and extend its short life, but that is the basics of what we do here."
Shaking her head, the pregnant rabbit asked, "I am guessing that the virus I caught was not prepared before paw?"
"That is correct," Dr. Pembroke nodded assuredly. "In fact, based on the DNA samples we took from your blood, it was a failed batch that had been scheduled for incineration. As blank prototypes, they were never intended for public consumption!"
"So how did my DNA get into these things before it got into Judy?"
"My guess is that it happened after infection."
"After?" Nick's voice raised half an octave.
The hybrid glanced back and forth between the couple still sharing the same plush armchair. They could tell by her expression that she was about to ask a very personal question, "Were the two of you intimate in any way at the time of infection?" She pulled up the second sheet in the pile of reports and ran a finger across several numbers. "Based on the nucleic acid counts and when this batch was produced, it would have been around the start of summer when you would have come into contact with the virus."
"Uh, in-intimate?" Judy blushed heavily, and the insides of her ears turned a bright shade of pink. Back in the summer she had not even considered dating the fox that was now the father of her unborn kit.
A sudden flash of remembrance crossed her mind that caused her to cover her muzzle with both paws. She remembered waking up in his bed after a night of indulgence that was little more than the blur of a karaoke night club. Her clothes had been filthy and she had to borrow one of his t-shirts that morning while they ran through the washing machine.
The blush continued to rise as her mind raced through what could have been. The memory of her fox in the buff filled her vision alongside how he felt under her. Had they both been indiscreet that night, had he taken advantage of her befuddled state? Her anger quickly rose along with her fist as she prepared to give him the pummeling he deserved.
As the rabbit's thoughts began to race towards parts unknown, Nick stepped in with a definite, "No." His tone was so flat and confident that her fist fell and the blush vanished. "We have only been mates for a very short time. We weren't even dating at that time. So no, it's not possible."
"I see," the coyote said, putting a paw to her chin. "Intercourse is usually the most efficient way to pass genetic material from one mammal to another."
With the blush gone from her muzzle, Judy shook her head and waved her paws frantically in the air. Her embarrassment was reaching new highs today as the doctor continued with her personal questions.
Nick, on the other paw, only scratched at his chin.
The doctor sat up slightly as she queried, "Biting and kissing if done frequently, could pass enough skin and fur for the virus to copy, but I can't picture a bunny biting a fox."
Judy let out a wild snicker that she had to quickly contain with both paws while she tried to hide behind her reddening ears.
Leah didn't even glance at the rabbit while she continued, "Heavy petting and grooming are also possibilities." She leaned forward as the pair in the opposite chair shook their heads. Suddenly her eyes widened as her jaw dropped for a second before she asked, "Do you shed a lot in the summer Mr. Wilde?"
Giggling warmly, Judy nodded and began to run her fingers through his bushy tail. "Yes, I don't think I have ever seen so much loose fur on the couch, dear."
Now it was Nick's turn to be embarrassed. He planted one red paw across his eyes as he frowned and shook his head. Even his ears fell back to lay flat against his head.
"Well," Leah said with certainty "I think that explains everything."
"Not quite everything," Nick declared, sitting up straight in the chair again.
Curiously, the hybrid doctor tilted her head. "What else would you like to know?"
Pointing a sharp claw in the air, Nick spoke like he was about to reveal the final piece of evidence in an important case, "I still want to know how and when she got infected. I know for a fact that she never took one of those nasty pills or even touched one, so how could she have this virus in her system?"
"Right, well," the coyote fell back for a second as she glanced down at the desk, but quickly regained her upright poster before explaining further. "The virus on its own is not very robust and requires the right conditions to survive more than a few hours. It is also easily defeated by the immune system unless swallowed, or injected directly into the bloodstream. Other than taking the pills directly, bodily fluids shared from an infected mammal could pass it along."
"Bodily fluids?"
"Once again, intercourse is an example. Also kissing an infected mammal or coming into contact with blood." The doctor waved her paw at the two uniformed patients. "As cops who deal with all kinds of unpleasant situations on a daily basis, the latter is most likely, but a single encounter isn't usually enough."
"Why is that?"
"As I said." Leah motioned towards the diagram laying on her desk. "This little guy is pretty weak and easily overwhelmed by the immune system before it can reach any reproductive organs. That is why the pills are meant to be taken daily."
Nick and Judy looked at each other and shrugged.
"So," the doctor continued. "Unless you were kissing infected mammals frequently or drinking infected blood, then I don't see how it could have taken such a strong hold on your body."
"Eww, gross!" Judy gagged at the mention of drinking blood.
Again the coyote's eyes lit up and she snapped her fingers. "Was your immune system compromised in any way while you were working the break-in and drug theft case for us? Or were you taking any mood altering medications like suppressants?"
"Maybe. Um, yes…" Judy said hesitantly.
"What does that have to do with anything?" The fox asked, slightly agitated by what felt like the doctor had been running in circles with her answers.
"My hormones had been out of control in the spring," Judy explained with a slight blush. "So I started taking a suppressant."
"That could be it," Leah explained. "For some reason the virus thrives in the presence of certain mood altering hormones. More specifically those that influence the libido. That is the reason we put a stimulant in the pills. It also enhances the experience in the bedroom, but it's more to help the virus survive long enough to do its job."
After a second of thought, Judy raised her paw and slowly patted Nick on his shoulder. "I also came down with that nasty fever, remember? When you met my parents for the first time."
"Oh, right," Nick replied. "You were hot to the touch, like a roasted carrot, for a day or two."
"Yeah, it was pretty awful."
Leaning back in her large chair, the doctor added, "Having a sudden fever could have either been the virus reaching its critical point or it could have been what opened the door to allow it to spread throughout your body."
As a thoughtful silence began to fall across the room, Nick felt a gentle kick from Judy's hind paw. The last time that she kicked him like that was in the interrogation room when she felt that something was off with the suspect's statement. They weren't at the police station and this was definitely not an interrogation so what was the rabbit getting at?
Keeping an air of silent contemplation he sharply kicked her back to be sure the first kick wasn't an accident. Immediately two more sharp kicks followed from the rabbit. There was definitely something wrong here, but he had no idea what it could be.
With a soft sniffle Judy scooted closer to her fox. Being the proper gentlemammal that he was, he gently draped his arm around her small shoulders in comfort. Leaning her head against his chest she whispered softly but he could only make out the words, "covering up something."
So he was not the only one that felt there was something odd about this doctor. Not only had she seemed overly excited to volunteer to take over as Judy's OBGYN, but they were meeting in her private lab and office on the top floor of the clinic. Nick was not a doctor and certainly knew nothing about babies, but a lot of what this coyote hybrid was saying did not seem to add up.
Glancing casually across the desk, he saw that she was politely reading the reports while the couple cuddled in the large, plush chair. Tussling at the rabbit's ears, he decided to throw out a curve ball and see what he could catch, "So, you mentioned side effects?"
"I did," Dr. Pembroke said softly, setting the report back on top of the small pile. "We usually give a couple the full details before they agree to begin the treatment. That way they can make an informed decision."
Judy's ears shot towards the ceiling as she heard the doctor's heart rate increase significantly. "The treatment's side effects must have been what the coyote was trying to hide", she thought to herself. "And she was hoping we wouldn't ask about them." She squeezed her fox's paw in encouragement before she sprang into action.
"We weren't exactly given a choice in the matter, so can you please lay it on us." Judy's emotions were beginning to share in the same anger that her fox had displayed earlier. The surprise pregnancy and now to discover that a virus was running rampant in her blood changing her DNA was almost too much for the small rabbit to hold inside. She wanted to scream and throw something at this mottled coyote in her fancy white lab coat and overly smug attitude.
With Nick's calming touch around her shoulders, she was able to force down her rage and calmly looked up at the doctor as if she was asking the central park vendor for an extra scoop of ice cream. "What kinds of problems do we have to look out for?"
"Alright then," the coyote pulled another diagram from her desk that simply read, "Gene Therapy Changes Your DNA." On it was a list of what to expect when you mess with the body's blueprints. Despite what was printed on the infographic in her paws, the doctor continued her speech like she had given it several times.
"The first and most important downside of the treatment is that it has a very low chance of success, but I don't see that as a concern in this case." She waved her free paw towards Judy's growing belly. "Judy is already pregnant, so you two are among the lucky few where it has worked."
"I get the feeling that there are still more issues than that," Nick pointed out as he nodded towards the promotional sign the doctor held up.
Leah took a deep breath before continuing, "In cases where it doesn't work, the treatment has more than a sixty percent chance to cause sterility in both patients. The rates are much higher for males than for females."
A very loud gasp escaped the rabbits lips, and she covered her muzzle with both paws. Shaking her head in fear, she nearly buried it under Nick's arm.
Patting his rabbit and running his sharp claws along her ears, Nick held back a snarl. "What does that mean?" He demanded.
The doctor pointed at the picture in her paw as she explained, "Since the virus alters the reproductive organs in both sexes, it can cause irrevocable damage to them." She looked over at the rabbit that was sniffling against her fox. "You will probably never be able to have any more kits, ever, with anyone."
"No!" Judy cried in anguish before she looked up at Nick and a blush crept up her ears. "Um, I mean I do plan to spend the rest of my life with you." She reached up and rubbed her paw down his muzzle before continuing, "I just thought that, you know, if we can have one kit, then we could try to start a small family together." Looking back at the doctor, her eyes hardened.
"I am sorry," the coyote replied with a reserved show of sadness. "The DNA in your eggs have probably been changed so much that they are no longer completely rabbit, nor are they fox either, but something in between." She set down the sign with a gentle pat. "Most couples who come to me are so enamored with the idea of having even one baby of their own that they are often willing to take that chance."
"What about me?" Nick interjected.
"Well, Mr. Wilde," Dr. Leah Pembroke said as she lifted one of the reports from the folder on the desk. "Your blood shows no sign of the virus at all, which I find to be highly surprising. And before you ask, yes you're probably not sterile."
Excitement quickly filled his muzzle, but Judy cut in before he could say anything. "Anything else?" she asked with a sniffle.
Nodding, the coyote tapped the side of her muzzle. "There are some minor issues that go along with any form of gene therapy."
"Can you give us an example?" the pregnant rabbit asked cautiously. She wasn't sure that she wanted to know the answer.
Holding up the diagram again with the list of side effects, the doctor pointed to a few as she explained, "When one mammal's genes are copied or transplanted onto another in order to correct diseases, there are some outward side effects. We have seen some patients whose eye color has changed, fur color and even teeth have shown significant differences after the treatment."
"What about diet and other behaviors?" Judy's curiosity had returned and she began to pat her knees rhythmically.
Leah shook her head. "It has never been proven that behaviors are linked to genetics, so I would say no. Usually what has the biggest changes are those body parts that are constantly growing, like fur, or teeth in rabbits."
"What about claws?" Judy held up her small paws, showing off her very sharp, black claws that no rabbit could ever hope to grow.
"Yes, exactly."
"You mentioned fur color?" Nick asked quickly before the doctor could say anymore.
With a firm nod, the coyote said, "Nearly every mother who has received treatment has had a slight change to their fur color. It has always been a minor issue with how prevalent fur dye is in the supermarkets these days."
Nick turned back to Judy as he spoke with sudden clarity, "And I was wondering where that orange patch on your shoulder came from."
"My what!?"
"Yeah," the fox patted the rabbit's back below her right shoulder. "Right here, behind your shoulder is a small patch of orange fur."
"No way!" Judy cried as she twisted around while trying to remove her uniform sleeve and look behind her back. "How come you never told me about it before."
Shyly, Nick replied, "It was so small at the time I never thought anything about it. At first I thought it was a smudge or something, but it never washed off in the shower."
Once Judy was able to pull down part of her shirt she was still unable to see the spot for herself until the doctor passed Nick a small paw mirror.
"Does it match your own fur Mr. Wilde?" Dr. Pembroke asked curiously.
Holding up his arm to the spot while Judy glared at the mirror, Nick nodded in confirmation. "Almost perfectly."
The doctor leaned towards the sleeveless rabbit with a warm chuckle, "Well congratulations Judy. You are the world's first fox-rabbit hybrid."
"Wait a minute," Judy said, while struggling to put her uniform back in order. "Isn't our kit the first?"
With paws folded on the desk again, the coyote shook her head. "Technically your own DNA has been altered so that you are now part fox. No you weren't born this way, but you are now a hybrid. Welcome to the club." The last part was said with a hint of warmth but the smile that crossed her colorful muzzle was anything but friendly.
"Thanks, I guess," Judy said, trying to return the doctor's smile, but inside, she was far from thrilled about the idea that her genes had been altered without her knowledge.
"Don't worry about it over much," Dr. Pembroke said with a shrug. "Being a mixed species mammal isn't all that bad and shouldn't cause you any detrimental health issues."
Again, Judy heard the doctor's heart jump and one of her ears flicked suspiciously.
Clapping her paw pads together, Leah sat up straight, grinning at the smaller couple. "Now, let's get back to the health of your unborn baby."
At the mention of her baby, Judy quickly broke into a broad grin. Her paw subconsciously began to rub at her swelling belly while she softly hummed. Later she would swear that it was a tune that her mother often sang when she was with kits. Pulling herself out of the moment, Judy looked up at the doctor and asked, "So how far along am I?"
On the other side of the desk, Dr. Pembroke flipped through several pages. She stopped at a single sheet near the middle of the short pile and ran her fingers across several numbers. "On the day of the blood test, the fetus was thirty three days old. For a normal rabbit gestation that would mean that you are a little over a third of the way through your pregnancy. The baby bump should start to become very obvious now. I am going to write up a new work schedule for only very light duties for the next few weeks. In your third month I will recommend that you stay off your paws until the delivery."
Judy had not heard anything beyond the first sentence and her eyes grew wide as saucers until the doctor paused in her speech. "Thirty three days!?" She counted off the days on her fingers, tapping each with her thumb on one paw, then switching to the other when she ran out of digits. "That's a week longer than I thought." She taped all of her fingers a second, and then a third time before she looked back at the doctor. "Are you sure that is accurate?"
"What's wrong dear?" Nick asked, but the two females ignored his query.
"Yes, of course. The test is very accurate," the doctor explained confidently. "This kit was conceived thirty three, plus two, days ago. Give or take a few hours."
"A few hours?" The fox seemed dubious.
Nearly jumping out of her seat in excitement, Judy shouted, "That means I was pregnant on the first try!"
"We weren't exactly trying dear," Nick reminded her with a gentle pat on her knee.
"You know what I mean," a clenched paw swiftly collided with the fox's shoulder affectionately.
Shaking her head at the odd couple's cute antics, the coyote quickly cut in, "It's a common trait among rabbits, and the main reason I have never seen one in our regular offices. They tend to have a very easy time getting pregnant. Most rabbits living in the city are seeking prevention methods instead, which we don't provide at this facility."
"Don't even make any dirty rabbit jokes mister," Judy waved a balled fist in the fox's direction.
"Wouldn't even think of it, honey," he stuck his nose in the air as if the idea was offensive to him.
Flipping through the small stack of papers in the young couple's file, Dr. Pembroke read through her notes aloud, "So I have covered the recommended diet, and prescribed a protein supplement that I want you to take after each meal." She glared firmly at the pregnant rabbit as she said the last bit. "I will be writing a new work schedule for you to take to your employer that includes no lifting of any kind and no strenuous exercise. Outside of work I will allow you to go for walks, but no jogging or running."
"Ok," Judy nodded, slightly embarrassed that she was being ordered not to go on her daily morning run. It was a little difficult to carry the extra weight on her usual route, but her times had not dropped significantly. Once the baby was born, she knew that she was going to have to work twice as hard to get back into shape after laying around the house for so long. In the back of her mind, she promised to keep herself active as long as possible.
Turning her gaze back to Nick, the doctor continued, "I would also like to recommend that both of you continue your intimate activities during this pregnancy."
"Excuse me?" Judy's happy smile vanished in an instant. "Did I hear that right?"
The fox's jaw hit the floor and his ears turned straight forward. "You want us to do what?"
Calmly, the white robed coyote ignored their comments while she explained her unusual suggestion. "You have both told me that you are currently separated."
"Living separately, yes."
Taking one of the fox's paws in both of her's, Judy added, "But we are, um, ah, I am planning to move back in with him soon."
"For the health of the kit, I suggest that you two stay together." The doctor looked down at the fox from across the desk. "Judy is going to need a lot of support for the next couple of months, and continued intimacy will greatly improve her mood."
"What about superfetation?" The rabbit asked with a deep concern in her voice. "A few years ago, my older sister had two litters at the same time."
"That is an awfully big word for such a small rabbit," Nick chided with a short chuckle before a small fist slammed into his shoulder cutting off his glee.
"Yes," Dr. Pembroke said knowingly. "That is another common occurrence among lagomorphs. This late in the term there is no chance of getting pregnant again. The fetus is too large for that to happen at this time." She put one paw over her chest sincerely. "I am a strong believer that a healthy and happy mother makes a healthy baby."
"I see," Judy nodded thoughtfully, while Nick glanced back and forth confused.
"It's obvious that you two shared a strong bond once. I can see that bond was broken and you're both having a hard time putting it back together. Renewing the intimacy you once had will help to strengthen that bond, and as it grows, the baby will feel the bond you share. This is a recommendation I give to all of our expecting parents."
"It sure is an interesting prescription."
Leah chuckled at the fox's comment. "I am not prescribing that you two immediately get busy. You are more than welcome to refuse my advice. Go ahead and live your own separate lives. In my experience, single mothers always have a much rougher pregnancy than those that have a loving, supportive and intimate partner. So I am asking you to trust me that it makes a big difference."
With both mismatched paws, she lifted the small pile of reports and tapped them on the table a few times until they formed a nearly perfect stack. She folded them together neatly inside the original blue folder and gazed off into the distance. "You're also welcome to get a second opinion, but I am the only doctor in the world that has any experience dealing with such diverse interspecies gestations. I have been helping mixed couples have families of their own for more than twenty years."
Stunned at the coyote's curt response, Nick quickly waved both paws back and forth in the air. "I am certainly open to the idea." He gave Judy a warm smile that quickly turned to concern when he glanced down at her growing belly. "But I am worried that I might accidentally hurt the baby."
A slight giggle escaped the doctor's lips before she cut it short with a paw. "That should not be a problem, even being much larger than your mate. I am sure that if you both try, you can find ways to make it work."
Judy's own soft giggle would not be contained as she squeezed his paw and gave him a seductive look. "It might even be fun."
"That's the spirit," the doctor cut in. "Now Judy, there is one more thing before I let you two go for the day." She climbed back into her prosthetic legs with a whirr and a click before walking around to the front side of the desk where her patients cuddled together comfortably.
Shaking her head and gesturing towards the pastel blue folder in her paws, she told the rabbit, "Bunny Burrow General has not sent over any of their ultrasound images so I am going to have to schedule another round with you early next week."
The rabbit's ears drooped and the pleasant smile on her muzzle vanished completely. "Do we have to?" She scratched at her stomach like the whole area had suddenly started to itch. "Losing the fur on my belly was so traumatic."
Smiling, the tall doctor tried to cheer up the sad rabbit. "I am afraid so. Any fur in the area makes it impossible to get a clean image. You should bring Mr. Wilde along and we can take a family photo together."
"That sounds wonderful," Nick said with a broad grin on his muzzle. "My mother is going to love a copy of that picture."
"And I am going to make sure she gets one," Judy added as she slid out of the chair, pulling her fox towards the door. "Thanks for everything, Dr. Pembroke," she called back and waved to the white robed coyote.
"Yes, thank you for helping us better understand our current situation and how it happened."
The doctor followed them out of her office with a bright and pleasant smile. "Oh, thank you, Judy. It means a lot to me to help such a lovely couple since you both have done so much for us here in the past, with finding those thieves and putting away that awful speciest goat."
"It was our duty ma'am," Judy replied with a nod. If she caught the extra stress in the coyote's last statement, she did not show it.
Before they could exchange any further pleasantries, the phone on the doctor's desk rang urgently.
"Oh, I really have to take this," the coyote spoke hastily. "Farewell and enjoy the rest of your evening." She quickly closed the door and locked it with an audible click.
Walking down the hall towards the elevator, Judy's sharp ears did not hear the phone ring a second time, but she thought she could clearly hear the doctor say the words, "Yes, ma'am."
Nick buckled his seatbelt before starting the plain black sedan. Once his mate was also secure, he put the car into gear and carefully pulled out of the clinic's parking lot and onto a residential street. A minute later he eased the large unmarked vehicle onto the main road heading north.
As he cautiously turned the corner, he saw Judy's droopy ears and the glum expression on her muzzle. They had received a lot of information today, and not all of it was happy news. His own thoughts were struggling to make sense of everything and he still had not fully come to grips with the fact that he was going to be a father.
Seeing his rabbit's sad and thoughtful expression while she slowly rubbed her belly brought a lump to his throat. His wits began to grasp at ideas to cheer her up. Several jokes popped into his mind, and he spat one out quickly, "What do you call a one hump bunny?"
The only response was a low grumble. Judy rolled down the passenger side window and stared at the savannah trees that lined the side of the street. She didn't even say a word when they passed one of her favorite coffee shops.
Drumming his claws on the hard plastic steering wheel, a pleasant smile crossed his long muzzle. "Carrot's," he said confidently. When she mumbled a reply he continued, "I made you a promise a few weeks ago and today, while we have this car, I am going to keep that promise."
"What kind of promise?" The rabbit's ears perked up slightly, but her small, pink nose remained pointed out the open window.
"If you remember the last time we were in the Meadowlands, I promised to teach you how to spot a shakedown."
"Oh, right," Judy turned towards the fox with her ears standing at attention and a grin creeping up her short muzzle. "Can we do that, right now?"
"Of course," he chuckled and patted the dashboard. "We're still in uniform, and we have this nice unmarked car. Porkins never said what time to bring it back this evening, so making an unscheduled stop won't hurt."
Rubbing her paws together, Judy cheered, "Count me in!" She then double punched her fists in the air and would have jumped out of her seat if the safety belt had not been in place.
"Whoo, slow down fluff." Nick slowly lifted his hind paw off of the gas pedal as he placed his paw on her shoulder. "We are only going to look, and watch. Remember what the doctor just said about strenuous exercise?"
"Right," Judy declared with a pair of clenched fists. "I won't run off chasing any bad guys, or jumping over tall buildings."
"Ok, Super Bun," he said, rolling his eyes.
"Unless you have my back," she added. "You do have my back, don't you Nick?" The heavy dose of cuteness she poured out of her large purple eyes nearly caused the fox to miss the next red light.
Once the car came to a full stop, he reached out his paw to block her pleading eyes and pouty lips. "I will always have your back, dear. Now will you please turn that off?"
Instantly, the rabbit returned to her normal, cheerful expression. Pointing towards the next onramp, she asked, "Are we taking the freeway this time?"
"Yes, of course. It would take us hours otherwise. Traffic in the Rainforest is a nightmare this time of day."
After pulling off the freeway and down into the rolling, grassy plains of the Meadowlands District, the couple drove around for about an hour before parking outside a small group of shops. While still in the middle of the city, this neighborhood was built in a quaint, rustic style that was popular in the area. All of the little shops were nestled tightly together with apartments on the second floor.
Sipping at a fresh cup of coffee, Judy glanced around the narrow street. "What are we doing here?"
It wasn't the type of place that she expected the mob to operate in. She always expected them to work on a much larger scale and not be targeting these small mom and pop shops.
Leaning back in his chair, Nick pointed at a young feline that could have been a puma or an ocelot. "Do you see that small cub over there?"
Judy took another sip of her steaming hot coffee and had to wave a paw frantically at her mouth when she burnt her tongue. "Yeah, what about him?"
"He is the lookout."
"Lookout?" the rabbit asked, gasping for air as she tried to cool her tongue. "That young cub?"
"Yes, keep an eye on him," Nick cationed.
With another sip, Judy winced at the burning hot liquid as it flowed down her throat, but her reaction to the pain was far less intense. "What is he looking out for?"
The fox pointed to his chest, and then across the car towards Judy. "Cops mostly. But do you see that bakery he just ducked into?"
"The storefront near the end of the street without a sign over the door?"
"Yep," he nodded. "It was probably damaged or stolen years ago."
Squinting and leaning forward, Judy took a closer look at the shop. "Oh, now I see the faded patch above the door, but what about that cub?"
Calmly, Nick watched the rabbit try to drink the small cup of coffee that was still far too hot. "Well, in a moment he is going to pop back out the door." He opened his paw palm up and gestured towards the store. "That is the signal for the thugs to move in." At the word, "signal," he closed his paw and pointed to where the cub had gone.
"How is that a signal?"
Folding his arms over his chest, the fox explained smugly, "If he leans against the wall outside, that means to hold and wait. If he walks away, it means all clear, and the boys move in."
Glancing at the fox curiously, Judy asked, "How do you know all this in such detail?"
Nick sat up and waved the rabbit away. "We can talk about that later, hun. See here he comes."
"No, Nick," Judy demanded as she grabbed his muzzle and glared deeply into his green eyes. "We talk about this now! You're not hiding any more secrets from me."
With his long nose held tightly between the rabbit's small paws, the fox gave her a deep shrug. "A twelve year old kit can make good money doing jobs when no questions are asked, if you get my meaning."
Releasing his muzzle, she turned back to watch the storefront. "Yeah, I get it." Seeing the golden furred cub cautiously looking around as he exited the store, Judy softly asked, "Were you ever a lookout for Mr. Big?"
"No," Nick said flatly. He then pointed back at the young feline. "Look, he is leaning against the wall."
"Is that good?" Judy asked eagerly.
"It means that we wait. At least he didn't run."
Judy formed her lips into an oval shape and let her breathe out slowly. "What does it mean if the cub runs?"
Shaking his head, the fox kept his eyes focused on the storefront intently. "It means that our cover is blown and we would have to get out of here fast."
"I see." Another sip of burning hot liquid scorched the rabbit's tongue, but she barely even flinched.
Another nod from the fox as he gestured towards the shop. "Ok, a pair of swine left the bakery and the cub is heading the other direction. In a moment we should see a couple of thugs go in. My guess is they will come out of that alley behind the shop."
Exactly as Nick had expected, a serval and a bobcat strolled out of the alley like they were on a sightseeing holiday. The serval even cracked a joke causing the bobcat to nearly double over in laughter. What caught Judy's attention about this pair was that they looked like they could have easily held their own in a boxing ring, and they both wore matching leather jackets.
Real leather was not only rare in the city, but it was illegal to produce. This thought crossed the rabbit's mind as she watched the two criminals chuckle as they walked into the bakery.
"I'll go through the front, while you circle around back," Judy called to her partner sharply.
Her paw quickly reached for the car door but a large red paw clutched at her shoulder. "What are you doing?" The fox hissed.
"We should take them down." Judy tried to push open her door, but the fox held her firmly.
"No!" He cried. "We are here to observe only."
A hint of anger crossed her muzzle. "But what about that poor baker? He could be harmed. We have to help."
"Judy!" Nick cried again. "Remember what the doctor told you," he pleaded. "If the baker is smart, he won't cause any trouble and those guys will just move on."
She paused for a second to think over his words while he continued to reason with her, "We take down the time and location, then follow them and see how many other shops they hit. Then turn the info into Wolfard and the other detectives. These are just small fish, we're after the big guy."
Her head tilted to the left and her ears flopped to the side. "How does this help those mammals who are being robbed?"
"Most shakedowns follow a schedule, usually when the shops are slow and the boys won't be disturbed. You see, patrons have a habit of calling the cops when they see their favorite shop owners getting beat up, not that most of the thugs around here are afraid of the cops, they just prefer to not be disturbed."
With an audible sigh, Judy pulled her paw away from the door handle. "Ok, Slick. We will try it your way, but I don't like this one bit."
Nick leaned across the car and gave the grumpy bunny a warm hug. "I know, but right now, Action Bun is going to have to take the back seat, while we observe and gather clues that we can use later."
Judy leaned into her fox's hug as he tustled her ears.
"And if we are really lucky, these two idiots might just lead us to one of his hideouts."
Two ears suddenly perked up, smacking the fox sharply in the nose. "Do you really think so?"
"Absolutely, one hundred percent," the fox nodded smugly, but ended up bumping his chin on the top of the rabbit's head.
The pair of medium sized cats continued down the block, visiting several shops in what seemed like a completely random order. They skipped the first door after the baker then ducked into a hat shop followed by the barber next door. After passing the family market and butcher, they crossed the street and slipped into a gaming and model collectors shop that had a sign out front offering painting lessons.
Once the felines turned the corner at the end of the block, Nick inched the car forward until they were in view again. Judy was nearly finished with her small cup of coffee as the pair finished with the second block of small shops. They ducked into a small alley and disappeared again.
Quickly flipping the car around, Nick drove past two more blocks and parked behind a tree where he and his partner could see the mouth of a similar alley. Minutes passed and the two cats eventually sauntered out of the alley and across the street.
After exiting from the alley they walked straight up to a plain brick building. They did not approach the front door, but headed for a set of stairs that descended to the basement level. As they climbed down the stairs, they straightened their jackets and ran their fingers through the fur on top of their heads. The pair of thugs seemed to want to look presentable for whatever waited at the bottom of those stairs.
"What's down there?" Judy whispered from behind her now cold cup of coffee.
Shaking his head, Nick replied in a normal tone of voice despite his partner's whisper, "A private club would be my guess."
"Is Gatolli down there?"
"Probably one of his lackeys. I doubt he would bother to get his paws dirty with receiving these kinds of payments directly."
Again Judy whispered excitedly, "We should go find out."
Nick simply lowered his head and scowled at the anxious bunny. "Are you serious? A pregnant bunny, and a fox, dressed up as cops, walking into a club full of criminal felines that are easily twice our size." The fox made a gagging noise in the back of his throat. "They wouldn't think twice before they tore us to shreds, and then moved their hideout."
"You're right," Judy said softly. "Getting away from the desk and following these guys has got me wound up and I just want to do something."
"How about we take the car back now, and I can show you where I work?"
"I'd like that," the rabbit said with a pleasant hum as she leaned into the fox's shoulder. She closed her eyes as Nick turned the car around and headed back towards the freeway. "This has been a really nice date."
"You thought this was a date?"
"Yeah," she pinched the fur on his arm. "You, and me. Back together chasing, um, stalking bad guys. I have really missed this."
Taking his cue, Nick replied, "I have missed you too, Judy."
"Last summer," Judy explained. "Even when we were on the job, chasing bad guys through back alleys, or even writing tickets. Whenever we were together, it felt like a date."
Nick carefully drove up the on ramp and merged with the late afternoon traffic. "I think I see what you mean."
"I mean, I knew there was something special about you, and that I wanted to be with you. I just didn't realize what it meant at the time."
The sun was starting to set as the car began to approach the canopy high above the rainforest district.
Judy leaned up to plant a wet kiss on the side of her fox's muzzle. "Let's go home dear. You can return the car in the morning." Before she finished her sentence the kiss turned into a bite that caused the fox to yelp.
[A/N] Back in 2017, when I started work on this story, I was trying to find a plausible way for a fox and a rabbit to have a kit together. Many other stories at the time either waved away the explanation or never gave one at all. There were a few interesting reasons that I found and one example can be found in the story In The Days That Followed by ayziks. I have found a lot of inspiration for my own story from there.
I want to make sure to point out that the ideas and outline for both parts of this story were conceived and laid out between 2017 and 2019. It was never my intent to have any of these ideas related to the recent pandemic. I was already deep into the story in 2020 so I chose to not change the plot despite what was going on around the world as well as where I live.
This chapter answers a lot of the questions that I have left through out both parts. I have sprinkled many clues across part one that should be explained here. As we pick up speed and head towards the end of part two, I expect all the detectives out there to have solved this little mystery by now. I would love to hear what everyone thinks. To me this still feels like my first novel length story, and all of the feed back helps me to improve my writing.
Thanks for all the awesome support,
OneWolfe-