Welcome back my dearest readers. So, what do you think so far?
Well, that was quite the ride, wasn't it. An explanation of how the very universe itself came into being. That yes, red foxes are made in the image of the devil, even if he isn't really what some make that being out to be. What next I wonder? Could things finally be looking up for them? Well, keep reading and find out.
Note, this is the halfway point, so hang on. I suddenly have the desire to sing "Living on a Prayer" LOL
I'll be honest though. Things are about to go about as sideways as they possibly could. Keep the tissues close and stick it out. I believe you'll find the final pay-off worth it.
On with the show!
I do not own and thus can claim no rights to Zootopia or its characters. They belong to Disney.
Chapter 10
Hell
As he neared his father's apartment, Nick felt something shifting, the walls of the hallway became indistinct, and a presence appeared, just as indistinct, but powerful. "Hello, Nick. I'm Threasus. I'm curious if you truly want to return to the living world. I can make it happen, as if you never left. You can return to your mate."
The fog Nick found himself in cleared and he could see Judy slumped over a table at a familiar diner, papers strewn across the table in front of her, and a very obvious baby bump.
Threasus continued as a whitish gray and black striped rabbit buck appeared, carefully collecting Judy. "You can protect her, and your kits, from the paws of another. There is no need for her to suffer alone. For her to seek comfort with another."
"Oh, and what would it cost me? What price would you demand, to roll back time itself?"
"Nothing you would miss. Nothing you would notice."
"You're gonna have to get kinda specific, here." Nick reached out to Judy mentally, feeling her there. He then reached out to Cerberus, and though it took a moment, he found them.
Threasus chuckled. "I never name my price up front, but I promise you won't miss what I ask. Truly, I simply want a toe, a claw-tip into your world. It's a small price, truly. Allow me to attach a tiny fraction of myself to you, and I will ensure you are returned to her. You'll never have to worry about that other male."
As Threasus spoke, Nick pushed a thought to Cerberus. Need help. Threasus? The response was surprising. Actual rage, though not directed at Nick himself. Then a sensation of reassurance and patience, as if he needed to keep them talking. Smirk in place, Nick shook his head. "That's all. Seems like there would be more to it than that."
"Of course, but it's nothing you would need to worry about."
"Well, how would this tiny piece of you attach itself? What happens to it once we're back in the living world?"
"It would burrow into you, but no pain, I promise. So it is hidden, carried with you to that other existence. There it would germinate and grow, granting you a parcel of my power as it grows. When it blossoms, like a rare flower, it will open a gateway for me to more fully enter that world. Through you."
"What kinda power? What drawbacks might there be?"
"You are wise to ask such questions. It is wise to truly know what you are accepting. You would become strong. Fast. Powerful. Able to move amongst others like a god. A true apex predator. Able to bend them to your will. None would dare challenge you. It is true that bright light would injure you, though truly only that. You would need to feed on others, though the more you feed the stronger you would become."
Nick chuckled as he got a sense from Cerberus that they were almost there. What that meant he wasn't sure. "Dude. You're describing a vampire. I would become a vampire to allow you a toe hold in the living world?"
"If that is your word for it. Then yes. But you would have the power to protect your mate, your mother, your sister, and your kits."
"Yeah, until I get too hungry."
"I promise you will never hunger for your family."
Nick got a sense of readiness and sent back. On my signal. To which he got an eager acknowledgment. "Yeah…" Looking over Judy being gently set into a bed by the stripped buck.
Judy's voice sounded echoey as she reached towards him. "Nick."
Nick sighed. "I'm going to get back to you, Fluff. I swear."
Threasus sounded truly pleased with themselves. "A wise choice. Open yourself."
Nick chuckled darkly. "Yeah, no. I said I would get back to her. I never said how, and certainly not by the acceptance of your deal. That male. That's Jack, Judy's brother. Her litter mate, and someone I consider a friend. He's no threat, and if he's looking after her, I know she is going to be alright.
I know the diner she was in, and if she is there, then I know she is still loved and being looked out for by mammals that loved us both. That means our kits will be equally loved and protected. Your offer of power is a hollow promise. A true deal that is too good to be true." Pushing a, now, to Cerberus. "So my answer is an emphatic, no!"
At that moment Nick felt himself ripped physically from the non-space he was in to slam into a wall. The power that surrounded him was nearly overwhelming. Blinking and glancing up, he saw Karun looking like a cross between a lion and a lamb, it was strange but it fit. Lucifer, truly fitting the description, wreathed in light and power. As well as several others he didn't know.
Then he felt a powerful, thick tail wrap protectively around him. This drew his attention to the owner of said tail and what had pulled him out of that non-space with Threasus, a three headed dragon. A red head, a green head, and a blue head. The creature was a dragon, but also canine, and feline in various ways. The heads on their long flexible necks focused and growling at something else. Nick realized that the dragon was a manifestation of Cerberus itself.
Looking towards what the dragon, Cerberus, was looking at, he saw a tear in space itself. Tentacles reaching out from it to be slashed and severed by the various others, Cerberus and Lucifer clearly protecting him. Through the tear he could see more tentacles, and eyes, and mouths. It was actually hard to look at. It was so much worse than the formless ones of the void.
It was truly madness inducing. He watched as they slashed more and more tentacles, yet the hole seemed to grow allowing still more. Nick patted Cerberus on its flank. "It's okay. I can help too, buddy."
Cerberus whined but released Nick. Nick stepped up next to Lucifer. Reaching out and grabbing a device from the eather, wielding a small bit of power, so very careful not to pull anything from Judy.
Tapping Lucifer on the shoulder, who glanced down. "You need to stay back, Nick. We'll take care of this. Just have to wait for the rip to be wide enough."
Nick chuckled, holding up an extremely powerful flashlight. "Why not channel through something. Give you a nice, focused beam that will easily punch through that hole, without waiting for it to get wider."
Lucifer took the light and shrugged. Turning it on, he was clearly surprised by the intensity, and aimed at the hole as he pushed his own power through it, amplifying the output thousands of fold. The tentacles withered quickly under the intensity, and more as Lucifer started to channel power into it. "Useful in holding the line. Though not to drive the creature back."
Nick reached up and adjusted the focus, making the beam tighter and increasing the intensity. The tentacles having a hard time fighting their way out of the hole under the onslaught. Threasus voice hissing out of the hole. "Nick. Help me. Save me. Bring me out of chaos and you will be rewarded."
Nick's reply, adjusting the focus into a full beam that easily punched through the hole, caused a grin on Lucifer's face as he poured his light and power into the flashlight. The screams from the hole were horrifying. Almost as if thousands of voices screamed in unison. The hole collapsed slowly as Karun clearly applied their own power to close the hole. The others continued to battle the tentacles reaching out of the hole around the focused beam.
A final tentacle, more substantial than the others lanced out, stabbing Nick in the chest. Threasus voice roaring in Nick's mind. "No! You are mine!"
Nick felt the mind of Threasus start to overwhelm him. Nick reached for Judy. Lighting himself up with his love for her. "Judy! I'm sorry. I would die for you all over again." He felt himself start to draw energy from her and recoiled. "NO!" Nick released the power he'd drawn from her back into the link, pouring more to her and away from the entity trying to devour him.
Threasus voice in his head. The hole closed but the tentacles impaling him sizzled in the light, but resisting as it drew power from Nick. "She will be mine too. You cannot stop me. You cannot resist me. Your friends cannot stop it."
Nick screamed. "No! I'll destroy myself first, and you with me!" With a surge, Nick reached out, but not to Judy. He grabbed all the power around him. Cerberus, Lucifer, Karun, and the rest, all giving it willingly.
Nick's voice shifted to that of many. "Too late. We are here now." His voice shifting back, cold acceptance to his tone. "No. You've simply destroyed yourself and me along with you. A worthy sacrifice to ensure she is safe. I'm sorry Judy. I won't be able to see you in the next. I love you Fluff."
With that, he concentrated the power from those around him and ignited a flame within himself. He fed it power, everything he collected. Everything of himself. Unlit, it was like a nova ready to explode. He fed it his love for Judy and his very being until it exploded.
Threasus was in control of Nick's voice, the weird tone of hundreds speaking as one. "You have failed, just as many others before. Your reality will become mine, just as I have claimed this one and made it part of us. We will consume you. All of you will become, us… What? What is happening? This one is us now. Its mate will be next. It cannot resist. We will not allow it! We will not… Nooooooo!"
Nick's body erupted with energy, consuming him, and Threasus with him. "Judy! I give everything I have left, to you." The light pouring from Nick became so bright that even the higher beings and manifestations of living realities had to look away. Any energy left over, Nick thrust into the link, burning it out in the process. When the light subsided, they turned to see a fox shaped ashen colored statue that with one last exhale, collapsed. The ash that formed it vanishing as it fell apart.
They looked at each other in shock. Lucifer looked to Karun. "Did he just…"
Karun wiped a tear. "He did. We may finally, truly, be safe from Threasus."
Cerberus whined and Lucifer patted him on the side. "I know buddy. I know." Looking up at Karun. "We should tell his family. Not sure how we tell his mate that he's truly lost."
Karun shook their head. "We will deal with that when she gets here. Hopefully we will be able to explain the sacrifice."
A golden tiger looking being spoke up. "As I understand it. She will probably seek a gate and ask to be reset."
Looking at each other a collective nod of agreement passed over them. Lucifer motioned for Cerberus to follow. "Come on buddy. Let's go make some friends and explain why their family won't be coming back. You coming, Karun?"
Karun nodded. "I will follow. I need to make sure the hole is fully and truly sealed, then I will join you."
The Living World
Judy sat in the diner, going over reports and readying the paperwork she needed to file within the next month to make sure everything was in order.
Over the months following the moot, Judy met with and coordinated with the various leaders of the factions within Happytown. Consolidating the support she needed, and all done in secret. They organized voter registration drives quietly, only doing a few here, a few there, but had in six months, a month before she had to officially announce and register to run for the job, registered two thirds of the eligible population. By the cut off for the election, they expected to have everyone that could vote, registered. It was then just going to be a question of getting them to the polls. Something her teams were also working on already.
The skulks were behind her without question, but she expected that after everything she and Nick did to get her accepted and therefore their mating accepted. She was listed as a fox in the species specific registry after all. Most of the other smaller prey and predator groups joined up quickly as well. The raccoon nurseries followed, much as the skulks, right out the gate after the moot. The weasel gangs fell in line just as easily, and due to the support of an unexpected source.
All the work she and Nick had done to help Duke overcome his issues paid off. Duke Weaselton, as it turned out, had a learning disability, so of course the Zootopia school system failed him utterly, and didn't even feel bad about it. Once they figured out what the root of the problem was, they helped him get the assistance he needed while doing a stint in jail. He came out with skills he would never have been able to access before and had established a small, legit business, on the inner border of Happytown.
Because of the help she and Nick gave him, actually trying to help him, instead of just arresting him. The fact that, even when they did arrest him, they still talked to him and showed him some modicum of respect. Not the least of which being arranging so that his testimony granted him immunity in the Nighthowler situation. Not that they didn't arrest him a lot too, he was breaking the law. But with the help they got him to get him out of a life of constant small crimes and the subsequent jail time, Duke now also ran a community program to help any of the kits within Happytown, regardless of species, that were struggling in school. He was a really smart guy, he just hadn't been given the chance like so many others. Like her Nick.
Some of that help and support was in the form of school supplies, second paw books, and even letting them use Nick's warehouse, which was on the Happytown border. This led Duke to be the head of one of the weasel gangs. A small chuckle escaped her. Weasel gangs had such a bad name, since they were not actually a gang. A weasel gang was the same as a fox skulk or raccoon nursery.
That wasn't to say that there were no actual criminal gangs in Happytown, and lots and lots of crime. All of that was however a symptom of the neglect and specist policies the temporary council members applied to the area. Even the gangs were behind her, though far more on the down low. Most of the members joined to get the support, family, and other needs any mammal has, and the policies up to that point seemed to actively deprive Happytown residents of.
The skunk stenches also joined the effort, though slightly delayed and she did have to meet with them several times. She didn't blame them though, just like most foxes, skunks have a scent stereotype. They needed to be sure that she wasn't going to hold that against them. The small herds of deer and others took more convincing but most had come around. It was enough to give her a real chance.
The final nail came when she was leaving the last day of the trial after the jury came back with a verdict for the suit filed by the EMT she drop-kicked. The EMT refused all attempts at arbitration or settlement, driving for a jury trial. They were clearly convinced, either themselves or by their lawyer, that a Jury trial would play best for them. The trial did not go the way he hoped. He got in front of the cameras at every opportunity, trying to play the victim. This only drove the media to follow up with Judy and the ZPD. Which drove FOIA requests to the ZPD for body camera footage.
Much to the secret happiness of Judy and her lawyer, the EMT's lawyer demanded that the press be allowed in. Due to this, the fact that Judy was essentially forced out became the story of the night when Chief Bogo was on the stand. The fact that it was a combination of the actions of the city council members who were exposed on social media in their confrontation with Judy in the ZPD lobby, as well as due to the lawsuit, did not play well in the EMTs favor with the jury or the public at large.
Then the night before the body camera footage from Judy, Lizz, and a few others were played in the courtroom, some of the media's FOIA requests allowed them to get ahold of the body camera footage from someone other than those used in the trial. It wasn't clear what the EMT said on the video the media got hold of, but it was clear that Judy was beyond distraught. Enough that the media played it with major warnings. When that same tape was played from Judy and Lizz's cams, it was damning. Unlike the media's tapes, what the EMT said was easily understandable.
The jury came back in 4 hours, all in favor of Judy's counter suit. The EMTs claims were completely rejected save one item. The one item the jury upheld was specific to the injuries he actually received from Judy's kick, and the medical costs from that. Even then, he barely got any award since it was shown that multiple attempts to offer settlement and to pay his medical bills were made by the ZPD and Judy directly via her attorney.
In the end, the payout was in Judy's favor for more than 15 million. Of course he was appealing the verdict, so it would be tied up in court for years. She really didn't care. The evidence spoke for itself.
Thinking back, Judy smiled. It wasn't how she had planned it to go, but it seemed to have worked out in her favor. It was clear that the city council members either didn't pay attention to the reporting about her, what she told them in the precinct those many months prior, or didn't think she had a chance. She was happy to take full advantage of that.
xXx
Zootopia - Downtown Courthouse - End of the EMT lawsuit
Leaving the courthouse, Judy was of course accosted by the media. They were demanding her reaction to the verdict. Did she expect to ever see the money from the EMT, etc… Judy moved over to the side and climbed up on a planter so she could get slightly above the press. She and her lawyer had already discussed what she could and couldn't, should and shouldn't say. She had also taken classes on public speaking and had gotten a lot better at dealing with the media since the Nighthowler disaster of a press conference.
Holding up a paw and waiting for them to quiet down. "Thank you. As always. I may not be with the ZPD anymore, but for this impromptu presser, we're going to behave that way, okay?" She got a lot of quiet nods. "Great. I appreciate it. I have a statement that should cover most of your questions, so let me get through that, then I will entertain a few questions.
Now that the case is over, I do want to talk about it and everything that has happened, at least that which I can given that he has already filed an appeal. Firstly, as has been reported. I really have no clear, reliable memory of what happened. I was beyond insane given what had just happened. My eyes still reflect that, and yes, according to the doctors, while I am fully back to myself, save the fact that I've lost my mate and the agony in my heart that comes with that, it is probably going to be a permanent state. No, I am not going to wear contacts, except maybe for All Hallows Eve. Then again, I can probably get a lot of traction with my eyes in this state." This got a warm chuckle from the assembled.
Judy let that pass then continued. "Since he has appealed, already filed according to my lawyer, so it would seem they anticipated the verdict not going their way, I'm not going to go into a lot of details about the case, though I can state a few things. I am happy with the results of the case. It is exactly how I expected things to go once all the facts were aired in court. Which they were, and the jury agreed with me.
I would have never filed the counter suit were it not for the suit he filed against me first. I'll remind you that both the ZPD and I through my lawyer offered to cover his medical expenses, on multiple occasions. Had I been in my right mind, I would not have done it. Do I feel bad about it? To an extent, but honestly, given what he said, I can only feel so bad about something like that.
It is not intolerant, despite his claim, to be intolerant of intolerance. If we allow intolerance to flourish, if we look the other way, do not call out intolerance, speciesism, etc… We open the door for the intolerant to subjugate the tolerant. It is one thing to be tolerant of differing viewpoints and points of view, another to allow intolerance to be ignored in the name of tolerance. We have the right to speak our minds in public, as I am doing right now. We are not free from the consequences of that speech, nor are we free from being criticized for our speech. And that, right there, is the key. Free speech means also accepting responsibility for that speech.
He is within his rights to hold those viewpoints. He is as free to speak them as I am speaking now. However, he made those statements in the performance in his job, and for that, there are consequences. In his case, losing his job. Being called out on social media for being a bigot. None of which are things that give him a right to collect money from me, the ZPD, or the city.
His statements in that moment were specist in the extreme, and it was those statements, as recorded on the body cameras of the ZPD officers in the moment, that cost him his job. He literally violated, as determined by the Jury, the rules and regulations of his job. Which is, as stated in the Jury's determination, why they rejected those claims in his case.
Now here comes some news. It appears that he worked with the council members that were outed on social media in that confrontation with me in the ZPD lobby. This is based on documents my lawyer has recently uncovered and couldn't be used in this case because they were discovered too late, but will be presented in the appeal. My lawyer is also filing a complaint with the court and bar, because it appears that these documents should have been produced as part of the case discovery at the very beginning, and were withheld.
Those documents have also been turned over to the DA, per request, for review as they could show potential criminal action. I'm no longer a member of the ZPD, and not a lawyer, so I cannot say if they in fact are, or not. I can only state that they exist and the actions my lawyer has advised me of, that are being taken."
Placing a paw on her now obvious though not large yet baby bump, Judy continued. "Calm down in there. I'll feed you soon. So, we are going to have to be quick, as I need food. Do I expect to see the money? While I do not believe he will win on appeal, especially given the new evidence we have, I do not expect to ever actually collect the money from him. He doesn't have any, and again, the suit was filed in response to his. There was never an expectation to win money from him.
We wanted to just settle for his medical bills and call it a day. We were both in the wrong. The difference being, my reaction has a measure of mitigating excuse due to my state of mind. He however has no such mitigating excuse. I offered to pay his medical expenses for the recognition that despite his horrific and reprehensible statements and actions, both in the moment, and since, I was in the wrong in injuring him.
He has rejected all such offers and pushed this case, and therefore the counter suit that would not even exist if he had simply accepted the offer to cover his expenses for the physical injuries I caused. Therefore, while I do not expect to get anything out of him, that he will have this judgment against him for the rest of his life, is on him.
As for my kits. They are healthy according to the doctor, and becoming quite active. According to my mother-in-law, Nick and his brother were both very active at this point too, so they're behaving just like their father. She described it a few times as if they were actually fighting in the womb. They haven't gotten like that yet. I hope they don't. It didn't sound fun.
I am doing well. It was beyond painful to have to relive Nick's death through the course of this case, and it has been the love and support of family and friends that has gotten me through. That, and knowing that, despite no longer having Nick, I have the miracle of our kits.
On the front of Nick's ZPD record. It is sadly still being reviewed, and until that is done, nothing else can happen, not even any movement on the investigation, as has been explained to me by the DA, into what the council members did. Thankfully again, I have both my own family, Nick's family, and a great number of friends who support me and help keep me sane.
Now, a few quick questions before I head to get some food. Just please, keep it respectful." Judy pointed to a snow leopard.
The leopard smiled warmly. "Fabienne Growley, ZNN. Thank you Mrs. HoppsWilde. Perhaps a bit personal, but the world wants to know, especially the thousands of inter-species couples living in the shadows. Being the most prominent and high profile mammal, and pregnant as well. It has been confirmed that the kits are in fact that of Nick WildeHopps?"
Judy considered Fabienne for a moment, a very fox worthy smirk coming across her muzzle. "As if any of us didn't know who you were, Fabienne. To answer your question, as I know it was asked honestly. Yes, they are one hundred percent confirmed to be Nick's. Because of the actions of the city council members, Nick's DNA was removed from the ZPD database and a number of other city databases. Something that appears to be an attempt to erase him from existence. My lawyers, and those of the ZPD are pursuing that issue separately and I have no information on that other than that it happened.
Nick does however have family members still alive, and one special family member that is no longer with us, but is how we have confirmed that they are unquestionably his. You see, Nick was actually a twin. A very rare identical twin. His twin died when they were kits, but his twin's DNA is still on file. As such, we were able to test against that DNA, as well as Nick's mother and sister. If we didn't know about Nick being a twin, and the fact that Demetri died at the age of eight, we'd be pointing to him as the father. Doesn't get much more definitive than that.
To address your follow up. It's simple. Our species have the same number of chromosomes, and they generally have the same function. The big barrier is how many cross the species boundary, and the fact that a fox's kits need a lot more protein than a rabbits. However, when I started working towards becoming a cop, I learned that my body, in order to get stronger, needed more protein than my normal rabbit diet could provide.
The doctor recommended a bunch of beans and such, and made an off-handed comment about eating predator protein bars. Though I'd want to test that and make sure my system could deal with the unrefined protein those had. Long story short, I found them tasty and to have no impact on my system. I had a lot of predator friends as a kit, most were felines, so I ended up sneaking a lot of their fish and bird jerky as well.
I never got out of the habit of eating protein, so when I got with Nick, I just expanded my menu so that we could enjoy meals together. He would make huge salads to share with me, as foxes are omnivores, and I perfected a spicy shrimp pasta that I'm told is to die for. So… According to the doctor, that high level of protein increased the chances that I would have a viable pregnancy because my body was used to, and already had, the high levels of protein needed to support such a pregnancy and could provide that needed protein to a developing kit that would need those higher levels."
Suddenly leaping over the crowd and landing on Fabienne's shoulder, Judy sniffed her deeply. Whispering in her ear. "Side-effect, like my eyes. My nose is as good as Nick's, and he was giving Mike Wolford a run for his money. Congratulations, Fabienne." Sniffing again. "Call me, I'll give you the number for my specialist. I'm sure Peter will be thrilled."
Judy then performed a perfect back flip landing clear of the press. "Now, I need to get some food, and then meet with the Wolford alphas regarding the Happytown pack, as well as seeing if they'll endorse me when I announce my candidacy for city council." Giving a clearly embarrassed but happily grinning Fabienne a nod. "Fabienne." Judy turned and ignoring the shouted shocked questions, headed for her new car. A fox sized SUV.
All the attention of the media turned on Fabienne who suddenly looked very uncomfortable, but clearly unable to suppress a giddy grin. A deer reporter from the Zootopia times spoke first. "What was that about, Fabienne? What did she say to you?"
Fabienne backed away from the group towards the parking lot. "Uhm… That is very personal and not something that is anyone's business but me and my mate."
Another snow leopard raised an eye-ridge. This one from ZNBC. "Fabi, what about your family? And since when did you have a mate?"
Fabienne's eyes went wide. "Uhm… Call me later, Fred. I need to go." Turning tail, she ran for her car, actually laughing and clearly happier than any of them had ever seen her.
After some discussion between themselves, the press broke up. Fred headed down the street towards his car when he noticed both Fabienne and Judy in a small cafe. Redirecting, he walked up. He wasn't trying to hide himself, but what he heard floored him.
Fabienne. "Wow, so your sense of smell is really that good now?"
Judy nodded. "Yeah. It has taken some getting used to, let me tell you. Rabbits are one of those species that have lost a lot of it, so the amount of information I can get from a scent is kinda overwhelming. If I wasn't used to it from my hearing, it would have actually overwhelmed me."
"I thought I had been doing so good about covering up his scent. I mean, I tend to wallow in it when we're off shift and home. But when we leave the house, we are super careful."
Judy smiled with another nod. "You do a great job. I couldn't smell him from a distance. It seems that you enjoy a good ear rub however. And I was right next to your ears. I wasn't even quite sure about the pregnancy until I was there as well. It could have been someone else."
Fabienne nodded and sipped her drink as Judy chewed a large bite of chicken parmesan. "I do, and Peter is so good at it."
Fred gasped, startling both females. "Wait! Peter?!"
Fabienne spun and grabbed Fred by the front of his shirt, nearly pulling him over the small railing. "Fred! What are you doing eavesdropping on my private conversation?"
Fred's eyes were wide in surprise, tail fully poofed and ears folded. "Sorry, sis. Sorry. Wasn't meaning to. I just saw you and Mrs. HoppsWilde and wanted to take the chance to talk to you. As your brother."
Fabienne relaxed, releasing him. "Fine, have a seat. Watch the meat eating rabbit."
Fred worked his way around and pulled a chair over. "Okay, so seriously. Did I hear that right? Is what I am hearing implied true?"
Fabienne nodded. "Yes. Peter and I. Been together for a few years now, but you've heard mom and dad talk. I couldn't even be sure how you would react. You aren't going to out us, are you?" Giving her brother the saddest kitten eyes.
Putting up his paws to block the look. "Good gods, put away the eyes. No, it won't be me. But I have never smelled him on you."
Judy pointed to the base of her ears. "Sniff there."
Doing just that, Fred sat back. "Wow. It's barely there, but it is there. And you are pregnant. I know what that smells like. They're his?"
Fabienne grinned. "Only mammal I have ever been with, despite what that waste of fur, Bennet claims." Turning her attention to Judy. "Thank you for the number, and calling and setting up that appointment. I'm going to need to call Pete. Fred, would you come with me? I don't want to go to such an appointment by myself, and I don't want to find out there are issues and not have someone there."
Fred and Fabienne turned upon hearing a phone ringing. A very familiar voice coming from Judy's phone. "Hey, Judy. What's up?"
"Hi Peter. I've got Fabienne and her brother Fred here with me."
Peter's voice took on a clearly guarded tone. "Okay…"
Judy chuckled as Fabienne and Fred gave her wide eyed looks. "Are you alone, Pete?"
"I am. I'm in my office going over some paperwork for tonight's broadcast. Which is why Fabienne was there at the courthouse. So, how can I help you."
Judy grinned. "So, I know, and now Fred knows, and he has no issues. But… Fred, Fabienne, and I know something you don't. I'm betting on your reaction, though I don't think Fabienne or Fred are taking me up on the bet."
"What is it you know?"
Fabienne sighed. "Apparently, after everything she went through, Judy's sense of smell is now as good as Nick's was. So… She picked up your scent on me. Fred came upon us having a conversation at a small cafe and overheard us talking about you. So Fred knows now. He's accepting though."
Fred nodded. "Hey, Pete. I've got no issues with it. It's clear she is happy with you, and despite what our parents may say, her being happy is more important to me."
Peter let out an audible sigh, his chair creaking over the line. "Great. So what is this thing you all know that I don't?"
Judy chuckled. "Tell me, Pete. If Fabienne were to need to visit a doctor to check on the status of cubs she is carrying, what would your reaction be?"
"I'd want to know when the appointment is."
"Then I suggest you get your tail to 12558 North Pack, by three this afternoon."
The shout over the line conveyed the clear shock. "WHAT?!"
Fabienne giggled. "Yes. I suspected but didn't dare dream. Both Judy and Fred confirmed it by scent. So I have an appointment with Judy's specialist."
A series of slams came over the line, assumed to be first his chair against the wall, then the door to his office, and probably another door. "I'm on my way. Please tell me this is real and I'm acting like a complete loon for a legit reason."
Judy laughed. "It's real Pete. It's early, so don't get too worked up. But, even if this one doesn't make it. Realize that it is possible. That you can have children together."
Pete let loose a trumpet of pure joy. "Ha ha ha. Sorry. The entire news room is looking at me like I'm a complete lunatic now, but I'm okay with that. You're right. Kitten, I'm on my way. I'll meet you there."
Fabienne grinned, beyond happy. "Okay, Pete. I'll see you there. We need to rethink things."
"Absolutely. I'm open to stepping out of the shadows. We can talk more tonight."
The call ended and Judy looked up. "You should call Gazelle and have a conversation with her. Maybe set up a special segment with her, me, and a few others I can think of." Giving a wink that had both Fred and Fabienne's eyes going wide again. Judy hopped down. "Thanks for lunch. I needed that. Now, I'm off to the Alpha's. Have a good day, and if you need to talk, just call. Gods know I could use it too. Off the record, of course."