(A/N: Ok, here we go. This is another chapter I was eager to get to. A lot goes on that really gets the story moving. Last chapter ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, so let's not wait in suspense any more. I had to rearrange the events of certain scenes a bit so they flowed better since what happens on screen doesn't always translate to written format, but I think it works.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing, this is just a novelization of a fan-film. All credit for the story and its original characters belongs to Mauricio Velazco/Browntable.

Chapter 7: Exposed

It was raining again. The weather seemed to be very unpredictable lately, almost ominously so. Or it could have just been because it often rained in the rainforest district. It did nothing to stop the turnout of all those going to the fundraiser though. And amongst them, as per Miles' request, were Nick and Judy.

They stood before the entrance beneath the umbrella Nick held, holding hands for all the world to see. While they had decided that they weren't going to go around announcing their relationship to the world, they also weren't going to hide it like it was something to be embarrassed or ashamed of. This was their life, their choice, and no one else had the right to get involved. So they steeled their nerves and began making their way inside.

Judy felt as if she were already being judged. Just on their way inside, the hippo they walked past eyed their joined hands with a raised eyebrow, but said nothing. There was no need to, as her expression alone told Judy that she found it strange to see her holding hands like this with a fox. Judy simply furrowed her brow and squeezed Nick's hand even tighter as they walked through the doors.

Once inside, it didn't take them long to spot Miles, as the rabbit was close by the entrance, dressed in his best, as he greeted the animals as they entered. His face lit up as he spotted the two of them and he raised a hand in greeting.

"Officer Hopps, Officer Wilde," he said cheerfully. "Thank you for coming."

Judy knew that Nick wasn't fond of him, but he had promised to be on his best behavior tonight, and he appeared to be making an effort as he nodded to Miles politely. "Yeah, it's not a big deal. Don't worry about it." He glanced around the place, smiling in approval. "It's nice though, what you're doing here, building this homeless shelter." He glanced back at Miles, the smallest trace of irritation slipping into his voice. "But how come you needed us?"

The smile left Miles' face, and he suddenly looked concerned as he gave them a serious look. "Well, I've been getting threats, and you know how that is, the threats from the sheep." He shook his head in dismay. "They hate me being mayor, you know. Even though she's in prison, ex-assistant mayor Bellwether has a lot of influence."

Yes, Judy was well aware of that. Even behind bars, Bellwether still had her supporters. The ZPD was trying to crack down on them, arresting anyone who had been involved in her coup. They managed to apprehend those who were directly involved, including the sheep she and Nick had fled from the day Bellwether was arrested; they'd been able to identify them in a line-up.

But still, these threats Miles claimed he was getting didn't make much sense. Sure, Bellwether had her supporters, but from the sheep's twisted viewpoint, she had been planning on getting rid of all predators to make the city a better place for all prey. Miles homeless shelter would help everyone, predator and prey alike. And while Bellwether's supporters wouldn't wish anything good upon predators, surely they would see how the shelter would also benefit prey. And considering that ninety percent of Zootopia was prey, wouldn't far more prey benefit than predator?

"But why?" Judy asked, feeling as if she were missing something important. "Everything you do is to make Zootopia a better place."

Sighing, Miles gave her a regretful look. "Some animals don't change, Judy," he told her sadly as Nick's phone suddenly buzzed in his pocket.

"Hang on," Nick said as he pulled out his phone, "I've got a call from…"

He trailed off, putting some distance between them to answer his phone. Miles glanced at him and nodded before returning his attention to Judy and gestured with his head to another part of the room.

"Would you come with me actually?" he asked her. "I'd like to speak with you."

Judy felt her pulse start racing. Now that she and Nick were together, she had to clear the air on things with Miles. She'd planned on doing that anyway to let him know that she wasn't interested in him the way he was interested in her, but now it was even more imperative.

"Um, sure," she muttered, already sensing how awkward this was going to be.

She glanced at Nick and he pulled the phone away from his ear as he gave them a wave of dismissal. "Ok, leave me alone, as usual." He then turned and walked away from them, giving them some privacy while taking some of his own as he sighed into the phone. "You couldn't have caught me at a worse time, operator."

"Am I speaking to Officer Wilde?" asked the person on the other end, whose voice Nick didn't recognize.

His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "That's me. Who am I speaking to?"

He began glancing around the room as he suddenly got the feeling that he was being watched. And amongst the crowd, hiding besides a column, he spotted someone who appeared to be the arctic fox from the train scuffle, complete with the same suit to go with the bodyguard-like look.

Their eyes met, but before Nick had a chance to do anything, an elephant walked between them, and once he passed, the arctic fox was gone.

At the same time, the animal on the other line's voice became filled with warning. "Whatever case you're getting into… drop it. Tell the same to Officer Hopps."

Keeping a close eye out for the arctic fox, Nick began making his way past the animals. "Ok, I'm gonna ask one more time. Who am I speaking to?"

There was a few moments' pause before he received an answer. "A friend."

Well, that was just incredibly vague, if it was even true at all. But he didn't get a chance to inquire further as the caller hung up. Nick didn't have time to dwell on it though. As he approached the column the arctic fox had ben lurking behind, he spotted a door just beyond it.

He hesitated a moment, glancing back to where he had seen Judy and Miles, but they were gone. He considered going to look for her, but if he did, the arctic fox might end up escaping. He couldn't take that chase, not after last time.

Moving cautiously, he opened the door to the outside. The rain was coming down even harder, and there was no sign of the arctic fox. Nick carefully stepped outside, his eyes darting around to the shadows and any other areas where the arctic fox might be hiding. His grip tightened on the umbrella in his hands as he stepped outside.

He barely took more than two steps before the arctic fox suddenly jumped out from behind the door and tackled him. Nick went down, landing on a pile of trash as the arctic fox reached for him. He held the umbrella up like a weapon, keeping his assailant at bay as he came down on him.

Gripping the umbrella with one hand, the arctic fox reached over it with the other, and his fingers closed around Nick's neck. The growl that tried to escape him was cut off along with his air supply, and his eyes darted to the door as it shut, closing him off from the party inside.

Stupid. This had been such a stupid, rookie move. He'd walked right into a trap without even informing his partner. He knew from what happened on the train that his attacker had no qualms about assaulting him around witnesses, so of course he would try it again now. And Nick had allowed him to lure him out here, not even considering that the arctic fox would try something so bold a second time.

As the arctic fox's grip around his neck tightened, Nick's eyes began to roll up into the back of his head. But then, suddenly, a fist slammed into the arctic fox's face, knocking him off Nick. For a moment, he thought that it was Judy coming to save him, but then he saw that it was an unknown badger wearing a cap that he had never seen before that had come to his rescue.

The badger didn't even bother to check to see if he was alright though, and immediately pounced on the arctic fox while he was down. With his airway open once more, Nick gasped for breath as he struggled to his feet. He could hear the sound of a scuffle just behind the pile of trash he was lying on and turned to see the two animals fighting.

"Hey!" he gasped out, his voice slightly rough from the arctic fox's hand wrapped around his throat. "What's going on over here?"

He saw that the badger had the arctic fox pinned down, the latter having taken a beating. But at his call, the badger glanced at him, and the arctic fox used the distraction to strike, scratching at the badger's face and knocking him off him.

As the badger went down, the arctic fox jumped to his feet and took off, apparently having decided to cut his losses. The badger let out a growl and glared at Nick.

"What did I tell you?" he demanded furiously, and Nick recognized his voice as the one he had just heard over the phone. "I told you to drop it. So please, if you could kindly back off."

Without another word, he took off after the arctic fox, leaving Nick completely soaked and with even more questions than before.

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"So," said Miles as he and Judy took a seat by the bar, "you look gorgeous."

It was an empty compliment; she was wearing ordinary, everyday clothes. She appreciated it all the same though, giving him an appreciative smile. "Thank you. You look handsome."

Which was true. And unlike her, he was wearing a fancy suit, and he let out a chuckle as he swirled around the glass of red wine he held.

"I try," he replied, and she let out a small mumble in response. But then he glanced around the shelter, and his expression became somewhat melancholic. "You know, I never had this all my life." He gestured at their surroundings. "I was never rich or anything like that."

This surprised Judy. Based on Miles' mannerism and how he seemed to handle himself, she would have expected him to have come from money. "So you were poor?"

He smiled slightly and wobbled his head. "Not necessarily. I was just from Bunnyburrow. My brightest future was to be a carrot farmer. That was all. My friends, my parents even, wanted that to be my future."

Judy could most certainly relate to that. In fact, she had almost ended up taking that path in life herself after she felt like she had ruined things in the city with the prey viewing all predators as potential threats during the whole Night Howler situation, not to mention the rift she had unintentionally torn in her friendship with Nick after her ignorant and careless choice of words during her interview. Even now, she knew that her parents would prefer her to take a much safer job so they wouldn't have to worry about her all the time.

"I didn't," Miles continued. "I left Bunnyburrow and decided to start something better myself."

She couldn't help but to smile at that as she related to him even more than before. "That was my future too, to be a carrot farmer. I wanted to be a cop."

Miles' face lit up with admiration. "And you became one, didn't you! That's what I mean, to better yourself." He motioned towards the other animals in the room. "See, I thought, I loved animals, all of them, predators and prey, I do not care. And I'd always had a knack for entertainment, so I decided to open a little hotel. Started something up on the outskirts of Zootopia."

He smiled at her. "And it grew. It was hospitable and friendly; I even added an area for children. Eventually, it grew to what it is now, a resort hotel where anyone of any size, shape, gender, or species could have fun and relaxation. And afterwards, I faced my family, my-my friends, they were all proud of me. They were glad I didn't go down the path that was intended for me. See, I didn't want to have my fate chosen for me. I decide my future."

He gave her a look of fondness and affection as he began to slowly reach for her hand, placing his on top of her. "I also decide… who I want to spend my future with…"

Judy glanced down at his hand on top of hers. She'd had a feeling it would come to this. She had to let him know now that she couldn't do this before it went any further. It wasn't fair to him and it wasn't fair to Nick.

"Actually, no," she told him apologetically as she pulled her hand from his. "I-I'm not…"

He appeared taken aback. "What? What is it?"

"I'm… I-I'm…" she stammered nervously, "in… a, um, err, a rel-relationship… al-already."

A look of surprise crossed his face. "Oh, with who?"

She didn't answer. She intended to tell him that she was unavailable, but not go into detail of who she was dating. Telling her parents had been one thing, and while she liked Miles well enough, she didn't know him enough to give him details of her personal.

He didn't sound like he was being nosy though, just genuinely curious. Regardless, telling him about her and Nick, it made her feel uneasy. Not hiding her relationship was one thing, but just telling anyone, knowing the kind of judgement she and Nick could face if she did, it made her hesitant.

When she didn't answer, a look of understanding crossed his face. "Ah, let me guess. You have a lover from Bunnyburrow?"

No, not from Bunnyburrow, though it would be so much easier to just let him think that. But while she didn't feel like announcing her relationship to everyone, she absolutely refused to just keep it hidden away in the closet like some dirty little secret, and was quick to shoot down his guess. "No, that's not…"

He glanced out into the room of animals. "Is he here?"

Again, she didn't answer, not sure how to tell him. She wondered if she should just come out and say it, wondering what he would think of her if she did. Would he judge her the way the rhino did? Would he not understand the way her parents did?

He looked back at her and seemed to read something on her face, and she saw what she could only describe as suspicion in his eyes as he asked, "Judy, is he in this party right now?"

No, she wasn't going to do this. She wasn't going to hide Nick or be ashamed of what they had together. So she looked him dead in the eye and replied with a firm yet hesitant, "Yes."

She saw it the moment it clicked. It took him a couple seconds as he fully pieced it together, rubbing his chin in thought before understanding dawned on him. "Wilde."

She wouldn't deny it. "Yeah."

His brow furrowed in disbelief. "Nick Wilde, a fox?"

And there it was, the judgement, the disgust. She knew it was coming, but that didn't make it any easier. She saw the admiration and respect he had for her vanish, and realized that she had just condemned herself in his eyes. The disgust continued to grow, and she saw anger mix in his gaze as well, possibly a result of the thought that she had chosen to be in a relationship that society would consider to be taboo instead of be with someone like him.

"I cannot believe what I'm hearing!" he said, shaking his head in disbelief. He was now looking at her as if she were crazy as he shifted closer. "Nick Wilde. Do you understand what you are saying now?"

"I do," she answered immediately and firmly.

"He's a fox," Miles unnecessarily pointed out.

"And you're a rabbit," Judy replied simply and uncaringly.

"He is a fox!" Miles repeated loudly, slamming his palm down on the table in outrage. "He's not only a predator, but he's not even your species. An interspecies relationship is impossible. It's not biologically–"

Immediately seeing where he was about to go with this, and having already heard it from her father, she aggressively poked a finger into his chest. "Don't talk to me about biology!"

He seemed to take a moment to try and get control of himself. "Judy–"

"It's Officer Hopps, Mr. Walker," she snapped. He'd lost the right to address her as a friend, and she certainly wasn't going to address him as one, not after the way he had reacted to hearing about her and Nick's relationship. What right did he have to butt into her life and judge how she chose to live it, or with who?

His eyes narrowed angrily. "Officer Hopps, interspecies relationships to me are not sane and not right," he told her, speaking to her as if she were an ignorant child. "I hope you understand what you're doing, because I sure don't."

His words hit much harder than she thought they would, and she suddenly felt her resolve and her confidence shaken. It wasn't just what he was saying, it was the way he was saying it. He spoke with such disgust, such anger, such… hate, as if he truly found the idea of her and Nick's relationship to be revolting and completely immoral, something that shouldn't be understood or accepted at any cost, a blasphemy and outrage against nature itself.

He leaned in, his voice now dripping with malice and promise. "Better watch that badge of yours, Hopps… because if I'm elected mayor, I know what my first act will be."

Judy felt a chill run down her spine as he moved away from her. She'd expected a negative reaction, though maybe not one quite like that. What she hadn't expected though was the promise in his voice. Was he truly so disgusted by her now that he was actually going to take her badge, viewing her as unfit for her position?

Judgement she could take, she could take others thinking lowly of her; she'd face that for most of her life from those who never thought she could make it as a cop and that she was demeaning those who were by thinking that she could stand alongside them. What she hadn't anticipated though was her relationship having such consequences on her life in a way that it could actually cost her job.

And if he was coming after her job, then he would probably go after Nick's too. This wasn't just a matter of being judged anymore, this was going to have an actual impact on their careers, their very lives. And outside of her parents, he was only the first person she had told. What would become of her and Nick when their relationship became more known, because she had little doubt that it would be.

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As Nick toweled himself off, he considered if he should have gone after the badger and arctic fox. But no, under the circumstances, it was wiser not to give chase. He wasn't equipped to handle the situation on his own, and would more than likely just put himself in more danger. What he needed to do was report the situation, and then it could be properly dealt with.

First thing was first though, and that was finding Judy and filling her in on what had happened. And, truth be told, she was also the other reason why he hadn't chased after the fox and badger. He recalled that the last time they had been attacked, the arctic fox had had a partner with him. He hadn't seen the otter anywhere, but knew it was possible, even likely, that he was around too. And if the arctic fox had come after him, then the otter would probably be after Judy. He needed to warn her that she could be in danger, but he'd stupidly left his radio in the car.

As he toweled himself off, he made his way through the party as he searched for her. She ended up finding him first though, coming up behind him and grabbing hold of the back of his shirt.

"Nick," she said gloomily, not even noticing his wet state.

He turned to her, relieved to see that she was alright. "Oh, Judy, there you are. You will not believe the time I've had."

"Please," she said, her voice sounding small and scared.

Nick picked up on the fear in her voice. He'd never heard that from her before, not even when they were facing down some of the meanest criminals. All thoughts of what had just happened in the alley vanished as he became solely focused on her.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey," he said worriedly, afraid that she may have been attacked after all.

She looked up at him. She wouldn't meet his eyes, her own looking far away, but he saw the fear and uncertainty in them. "Tell me we're doing the right thing here," she begged, sounding almost hysterical. "Please, tell me this makes sense."

He had no idea what she was talking about, but she looked so lost. He'd never seen her like this before, never, and it unnerved him. She hadn't been attacked by anyone; this was something else. Something had happened, and whatever it was, it must have been bad.

"Wait, wait, wait, slow down," he said, placing his hands on her shoulders to try and calm her. "What-what are you talking about?"

She finally met his eyes, and her own were wide and fearful. "Us! I'm talking about us!"

His brow furrowed in confusion, not knowing what she meant. But then, there could only be one thing she was referring to. "That we're–"

"Yes!" she insisted desperately. "Tell me this relationship is possible!" She grabbed hold of him tightly. "Tell me!"

It suddenly hit him. Someone had found out. Someone had found out about the two of them and had approached her about it. And it hadn't gone over well, not at all. They'd known that there would be those who wouldn't understand, that there would be those who would reject and ridicule them and what they had, and they were prepared for that. But for someone to be able to make her panic like this, what could they have said to make his brave little bunny so frightened and unsure.

"Judy, calm down," he told her gently. "Look at me."

He waited for her to take a few deep breaths and watched as she gained control of herself and looked up at him with tears in her eyes. And that's when he saw it, she wasn't just worried for herself, she was worried for him. Was that what had sent her into such a panic? Concern for him? Well, he would nip that it in the bud right now.

"I don't care what anyone thinks," he told her with the utmost certainty. He reached up and cupped her face, gently stroking her cheek with his thumb. "You're my little bunny. You're the greatest thing that's ever happened to me, and I'm not letting you go. Is that clear?"

She sniffled, but he saw some of the panic in her eyes lessen as she wiped the tears from them and nodded. "Mm-hmm."

Well, that was a start. "Ok. Now, who put those thoughts in your head?"

She hung her head and spoke in a voice so quiet he almost didn't hear it. "Walker."

Nick's eyes narrowed. He should have known. The guy had probably made a move on her and she rejected him and told him about the two of them. His fists clenched in anger, but he did his best to reel in his temper. He didn't know what Miles had said, but it must have been pretty bad. The guy was probably not only disgusted with their relationship, but also stung from being rejected, and so had doubled down on his disgust at their relationship. He really should have anticipated something like this.

"I'm gonna have a word with him then," he told Judy, and began looking around for the mayor candidate. "I'll be right back."

Judy grabbed hold of his sleeve, but before she had a chance to say anything, the voice of the very rabbit Nick was looking for was suddenly heard over the microphone, drawing both their attention to where he stood on stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Miles greeted as all heads in the room turned to him. "Thank you for gathering here today to not only support my candidacy, but to support the new Zootopia homeless shelter."

Nick's fists clenched once again. It looked like his talk with Miles was going to have to wait. One thing was for sure though, the guy was most definitely not going to get his vote. He had been willing to vote for him despite his jealousy in light of all the good Miles was doing for Zootopia, particularly its homeless, but not anymore, not after this.

"This shelter has been built by my enterprise and will be the new home of the 'Feeding Zootopia Foundation'," Miles continued, seemingly completely unaffected by whatever conversation he'd had with Judy that had left her in a panic. "Now, there are animals down the street from this building that don't know where they're going to sleep tonight. We have to show them that there is a light at the end of the tunnel."

The animals in the room all clapped. All, of course, except for Nick and Judy. Miles was saying all the right things, and there was no denying all the hard work that he was doing for the city. Under different circumstances, he would be difficult to hate, but Nick was not willing to forgive anyone who hurt his Judy. He still didn't know exactly what he had said to her, but whatever it was, he was going to get to the bottom of it. He didn't care how disgusting Miles found their relationship or how hurt he was by Judy's rejection of him, no one made his bunny cry.

"With all of your help," Miles went on, "we will make Zootopia a better place. Remember, we can change the world with just one act of kindness."

As long as that kindness didn't involve accepting what you didn't approve of, Nick wanted to shout out, but held his tongue. He doubted he would have been heard over the cheering and clapping of the animals in the room anyway. Besides, it would be in bad taste to do so and ruin what Miles was working towards. The guy may be a jerk for what he said to Judy, but he was also helping a lot of poor, unfortunate animals too, and for that, Nick was willing to hold his tongue. He would still be having a talk with him later though.

"Your new mayor will be announced very soon," Miles told the crowd, "but understand that whether or not I'm elected, this shelter will stay here, housing the homeless. The relocation will commence in two days."

Nick glanced at Judy and saw her scowling up at Miles. He wondered what she was thinking right now. At least she no longer seemed so panicked, but the look of disapproval on her face as she scowled up at the rabbit was apparent. That is, until Miles' gaze fell on her.

"Lastly," he said, "I would like to congratulate my good friend, Officer Judy Hopps, who has volunteered time away from duty to help me here."

Judy's scowl now became a look of confusion, and Nick's own confusion joined hers. Hadn't Miles put her down because of her relationship with him? Why was he now congratulating her? And for what? Did he regret whatever it was he had said to her after having calmed down after being rejected and was now trying to extend an olive branch? Somehow, Nick didn't think so, and a feeling of discomfort pooled in his stomach.

Miles' smile widened as he continued to look directly at her, only it now took on a shadow of sinisterness. "I'd like to congratulate her with her newfound love."

That feeling of discomfort Nick felt exploded into full-on dread as he suddenly realized what Miles was about to do. No, not now, not like this. Miles couldn't be that be that cruel, could he?

He looked at Judy and saw that she wore an expression on her face that was akin to what he was feeling as she stared at Miles as if she were silently begging him not to do this to her, to them.

But if Miles picked up on her silent plea, he ignored it as he continued on with his announcement. "I would like to congratulate Judy for finding love in a fox of all species."

He said it as if it were a good thing, as if he were delivering happy news, like he was supportive of their relationship. Nick knew that that wasn't the case at all though. There was something dark and mocking in his eyes that told both Nick and Judy very clearly that he knew exactly what he was doing, and he was doing it because he knew what the result would be. Was this revenge for Judy's rejection? Could he really be that petty?

"Yes, everyone," Miles declared pleasantly, "remember, love is everything. So, congratulations on the newest crime-fighting couple in Zootopia."

Unlike with the rest of his speech, there was no applause, no cheers, from anyone, just silence. All heads in the room were on the two of them. Some looked confused, some looked disgusted, some looked outraged, but no one looked happy or supportive. The only one in the room who was smiling was Miles, and it was full of a mockery that only Nick and Judy could see.

Murmurs slowly began to be heard throughout the room as the animals began muttering. Knowing exactly where this was going, Nick gently nudged Judy's arm. "We should get out of here."

Judy said nothing, but then, there was nothing to be said.

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The train ride home was ridden in silence. Nick didn't know what to say to make the situation better. They had been prepared for ridicule, but they hadn't been prepared for this. Publicly exposed with the intent to shame them, that had been what Miles had done. And they had been met with nothing but disdain from all those present.

Judy wouldn't so much as look at him as she stared out the window with tears in her eyes. Nick wanted to say something to comfort her, but didn't know what. What did one say in a situation like this? He didn't know. Perhaps there was nothing that could be said to make this better. So instead, all he did was hold her hand, offering her his silent support.

And yet, partway on the ride back, she slowly pulled her hand free of his. He heard her let out a sniffle, a truly heartbreaking sound, but she said nothing. His hand that she had released closed into a fist to hold himself back. He wanted to reach for her again, to hold her and comfort her, but he didn't know if she wanted him to touch her right now. So, as difficult as it was, he held himself back as the train continued towards its destination.

They eventually found their way outside of Judy's apartment, and still Nick didn't know what to say. Judy's mood hadn't improved, and she hadn't spoken a word since they left the fundraiser event. Nick hated the silence; he didn't know how to deal with it. He needed her to say something, to do something, so he could figure out how to handle the situation, to make it better, but she gave him nothing. He couldn't work with nothing.

At least she wasn't crying anymore. But instead, she simple stood there with a defeated look on her face. In a way, that was even worse than her tears.

"Ok, home sweet home," he said, not knowing what else to say. He placed a hand on her shoulder. He debated offering to stay the night, but he had a feeling that she needed some space right now. He would give her that if it was what she needed. "All right, now look. Forget everything that happened tonight, and if you… if you need anything, just call me, and I'll–"

"Nick," she said softly.

A small, heartbroken smile crept up her face. It was a smile of defeat, of resignation, and tears filled her eyes once more before closing in despair. Nick resisted the urge to wipe them away. "Yeah?"

Several long moments passed before she spoke again. "We can't."

Nick felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over him. He just stared at her, trying to comprehend those two words, two words that hit him so hard he actually stopped breathing for a few seconds.

His mouth struggled to work, and when he finally found his voice, he could only manage a single word. "What?"

She opened her eyes, but kept them downcast as she hugged herself. "We can't do this… I-I can't…" She slowly looked up at him. "It's not going to work."

No, she couldn't be saying what he thought she was saying. "Judy–"

"It won't work," she said insistently.

He swore he was going to make Miles pay for doing this to her, and he leaned down so he was eyelevel with her. "You can't let some rich jerk knock you around like that." He moved to wipe her tears away. "You… you have to stand your ground."

She pushed his hand away. "It's not just him!" she cried out. "It's everyone!"

She covered her eyes and began sobbing quietly. Nick just stood there, completely at a loss of what to do. He had never seen her cry, not like this. She looked so utterly defeated, and he didn't know how to make it better. She didn't even seem to want him to touch her right now, so he couldn't even offer her any comfort, not even a shoulder to cry on. All he could do was stand there helplessly as she wept.

"I…" she whispered through her tears, taking a few moments to compose herself. She futilely wiped her eyes, but more tears just kept coming as she reached for him, placing a hand to his chest. "I always thought that the animals of Zootopia were tolerant… and kind…"

She sucked in a whimpering breath as she began to lose control of herself. Nick reached up to cup her face again, and she allowed the touch, dropping her own hand from his chest as she grew more and more inconsolable.

"But they're not," she cried insistently. "They're not, Nick. They're-they're cruel, and they only care about themselves."

She was hurting, badly. This wasn't just about what had happened at the fundraiser, this was something else. Her worldview was changing. He'd seen it before, back when they first met, where he'd showed her that the world wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. And then again later when she had faced her own subconscious ignorance. She'd started seeing the world differently then, realizing that it could be a much darker place than she thought. And it wasn't just criminals that were that way, but regular animals as well.

But this was different from that. Bellwether had been behind everything back then, deceiving and manipulating the public into behaving in ways they normally wouldn't, causing them to act irrationally out of paranoia and fear for themselves and their loved ones in light of what had been happening. But this, this was just normal everyday animals showing their own personal intolerance of things they disagreed with or disapproved of.

There were no criminals or evil masterminds manipulating everyone into behaving a certain way, no man behind the curtain controlling the situation. It was just the dark side of the world that Judy was getting an unfortunate wakeup call to, and it was destroying her, making her doubt all that she had come to believe in.

Nick had known that dark side existed, he'd seen it for a good portion of his life. But this was new for Judy, and it was hitting her hard. And what more, their relationship was at the center of it all. Was it any wonder it was causing her to doubt them being able to make this work?

"Listen to me," he said carefully yet firmly. Hearing her sound so defeated was tearing at his own heart, and he felt his own eyes grow wet at how much she was hurting. "We're supposed to be in this together, right?"

"Nick," she whimpered softly. Reaching up, she covered his hand that was cupping her cheek with her own as she leaned into his touch, tears pouring down her cheeks. "From the moment you saved me from being fired, a-and you let me into your life," she now took his hand in both of hers, pressing it to her face, "I've wanted to be with you." She looked up at him. "But I had to keep that a secret, because I knew deep down that this would happen." He attempted to say something, but she spoke over him. "And guess what, it did happen."

Nick was struggling to hold back his own tears. He couldn't lose it, not now. She needed him to be strong right now, he had to keep it together for her. "Listen. Stop, stop, ok, look. I don't care." He sucked in a deep breath. "We can be hated, mistreated, treated as a… as a sickness, and I don't care."

His voice was beginning to break at this point, but it was nothing compared to Judy, who sounded on the verge of becoming hysterical when she spoke next. "I'm a rabbit, you're a fox! The world is against us! Life is against us, Nick! Don't you see?'

"I don't care what the world thinks!" he practically shouted. "All I care about is what you think!"

She dropped his hand, now looking truly and utterly broken. "Well, I think this won't work!" Her bottom lip trembled as she struggled for some semblance of control of herself. "It won't… It's impossible. You know there's no fixing this." She took a few deep breaths, regaining some composure, and closed her eyes miserably. "I-I'm sorry… You have to let me go."

At her words, Nick officially felt his heart shatter. This couldn't be happening. Not now, not after everything they had been through together. Not when they had finally gotten together after all this time. She couldn't just be giving up on them.

"I don't want to let you go," he said quietly.

She looked up at him, her eyes pleading for him to understand and not make this any harder than it already was as she whispered, "Neither do I."

They stared at each other for several long moments, but there was nothing more to be said. Hugging herself sadly, she stepped around him and began making her way up the stairs to her apartment. Nick just remained where he was, not moving, unable to so much as look at her as she walked away from him. He felt completely numb on the inside, feeling as if his very heart had been ripped out of his chest.

He glanced back at her, silently willing for her to come back, for them to talk this out, but she didn't once look back as she stepped inside and closed the door behind her. He wanted to go after her, but if she didn't want to be with him, then there was nothing he could do about it.

No, it wasn't that she didn't want to be with him, it was that she didn't think she could be with him. What had happened today had convinced her that they wouldn't work out, that their relationship was impossible. They had thought that they could handle whatever troubles would come their way, but neither of them had been ready for all this.

The worst-case scenario had happened, and so quickly too. They'd known that their relationship would be met with such judgement. They'd been ready for it, but they hadn't been prepared, not for things to go down like this. And this was the consequences of their naivety.

Nick didn't know how long he stood there staring at her door, hoping and praying that she would come back out. Finally though, he turned around and walked off into the night.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Judy was a big girl, a grown woman. But even grownups had periods where they felt vulnerable and wanted the comfort of their parents. And so, after sitting at her window for a long time, watching as Nick finally walked away from her apartment, she picked up the phone and called her parents.

It was late, but they still picked up after the first couple of rings. "Mom, Dad…" she said, trying to keep her voice calm as she wiped away her tears.

"Judy?" her mother exclaimed, immediately sounding worried.

"Dear, are you alright?" her father asked, sounding just as concerned.

She took a few deep breaths. "I'm ok. I'm…" She glanced at the clock, seeing how late it was. "Can I come over?"

There was a few moments' pause, and she assumed she had surprised them with her sudden request.

"Sure," her father replied, "you can come over any time, Judy."

"Ok," she muttered, truly grateful for them. "I'll be there in an hour or two."

"Ok, Judy," said her mother, sounding concerned. "A-Are you sure?"

She needlessly nodded. "I'm fine… I love you guys."

With that, she hung up and allowed the tears to flow once more. She knew that she was running away, again, just as she had last time. It was a selfish and cowardly thing to do, and she hated how weak it made her feel. But she needed to get away from it all, to put everything behind her for a little while in order to wrap her head around everything.

She couldn't do that here with everything bearing down on her. It wasn't fair to Nick, to just up and leave without saying something to him, but she needed some distance. If she saw him again, if she saw that look of heartbreak on his face, the one she knew that she had put there, then she might just break completely.

(A/N: Phew, there's a tear-jerker for you. I'm actually really happy with the way this chapter turned out. You may have noticed from my writing style, but I tend to like to try and get into the heads of characters and examine their thoughts and feelings, and this chapter let me do a lot of that. Poor Judy really went through it. I mean, Nick did too, but Judy got the brunt of it. You really gotta feel for them. I mean, they knew what they were getting into, to an extent anyway, and thought they were prepared, but the truth is, we really don't know how we'll react to certain situations until we're in them, and the criticism they faced, not to mention Miles' cruelty, hit a lot harder than they expected. What's this mean for their relationship now? Stay tuned to find out, and check out the video of this chapter and last listed below. Same as always, replaces the DOTs with actual periods.)

wwwDOTyoutubeDOTcom/watch?v=NU_KrHgZPmA