Chapter 10

A New Dream

June 9, Saturday, 9:50 am

The morning mist continued to swirl along with the breeze that Saturday morning. Despite the relatively late hour, the thick blanket of moisture showed no sign of lifting. It was going to be a miserable day.

A young badger couple waited outside a sterile white office door, and were able to pick up some of the discussion inside. The large white door was adorned with a gold name plate – Gabrielle Banner. It was not a typical title for a doctor, which only heightened their trepidation. They now regretted arriving ten minutes early, as the tone of voice coming from within was anything but comforting.

Thankfully, they only had to wait another seven before they heard the previous couple gathering their things and the doctor inside handing them documents. The badgers expected the couple to come out looking terrified, but they were surprised to see the two camels calm and satisfied with their discussion.

This allayed their nervousness somewhat, until they heard the doctor's harsh voice echo from within the office.

'Next.'

The badgers gripped each other's paw and opened the door, using the lower handle for smaller mammals.

Despite their hesitation, the office was otherwise unremarkable for a specialist doctor. The white wooden desk stood in the centre, along with an examination bed against the left wall. There was a large, green pot plant in the opposite corner, and the rest of the far walls had posters and cupboards dotted all over them, containing many medical terms and diagrams.

The doctor sitting at the desk was a gazelle in her forties with a simple black and white shirt, jacket and trousers, with streaked blond hair that fell on one side of her thin face. As the badgers approached the two cushioned metal chairs in front, she gazed at them through large spectacles, her beady brown eyes scrutinising every detail within a few seconds. She waved lazily at the chairs as they paused to take in the office.

'Go on, sit. The earlier we start, the more information I can give you.'

The chairs were a bit large for them, but they obediently climbed up to face her nervously. Gabrielle Banner took one last look at her summary sheet for their appointment.

'Jake and Brittany Ridget, correct?'

'Y-yes,' Jake answered.

Gabby fixed her glasses as she continued to study them. 'As I understand it, Brittany, you've been having issues conceiving?'

'That's right,' Brittany said. 'Your secretary recommended talking to you directly before we start talking about surgery and anything like that.'

'…Indeed. I've already gone through the questionnaire you filled out at the front desk, and I have a pretty good idea of the cause.'

'Really?' Jake was surprised. 'We've been talking between our families, and it doesn't seem to be genetic-'

Gabby raised her hand to stop him.

'It's rather simple. While you are both badgers, Jake, you are of the subspecies jacksoni while Brittany is taxus.'

The badgers gave Gabby that confused, scared look she was so used to.

'So… we can't have children?' Jake said guardedly.

'When did I say that?' Gabby said impatiently, and Jake relaxed a little. 'My point was that you are not the exact same species. This simply means it's a bit more difficult for you to conceive than if you were both the same subspecies. But this is not an uncommon occurrence in Zootopia, considering how it's marketed to be welcoming to mammals from all over the world.' She glanced at her summary again, noting Brittany's place of birth. 'I assume that's how you two met?'

Brittany managed a smile as she glanced at her husband. 'Yes… I was an exchange student years ago, and –'

'My point being,' Gabby interrupted, '–you may want to consider a more comprehensive diagnosis. You're both quite young, so age shouldn't be a factor.' She read from her summary sheet. 'And you've already mentioned that there's no history of genetic infertility, at least to both your knowledge. All things considered, you may not have needed our help to conceive.' She paused as Jake and Brittany hung on to her every word. 'However, I suspect it is something else to do with your reproductive system, Brittany. We have many surgical options available, even artificial insemination among other methods… but regardless, it will cost you a pretty penny.'

Jake tensed up again. 'Can you give us an estimate?'

'Depends on what exactly the issue is,' Gabby said, 'but as an example, keyhole surgery to remove cysts or obstructions would cost anywhere from four to six thousand.'

'Thousand…?' Brittany echoed miserably.

Gabby nodded matter-of-factly. 'We are a privately funded practice. There's a reason you came to us instead of a hospital GP.'

Jake shifted uncomfortably. 'Well, that's true, but…'

Gabby's lips visibly tightened to the point where Jake flinched.

'We are not a charity, and we cannot negotiate such costs. The government exercises an iron grip when it comes to us advertising our services. The main question you two need to ask yourselves; is how serious are you about conceiving a child?'

She let the question hang in the air, prompting Jake and Brittany to bow their heads thoughtfully. After half a minute, Gabby cleared her throat.

'Regardless of your answer to that, the next step I can recommend is both of you having blood tests and X-rays. Based on the results of those, we can decide whether to go ahead with more intensive diagnosis if we cannot find the cause. We don't charge for the initial tests themselves, but my assessment will nevertheless come with consultation costs.' She glanced at her desk's digital clock. 'Claire can give you the necessary information when you return to the front desk. Was there anything else?'

Jake gave Brittany a questioning glance, and she shrugged.

'No, that should be it for now,' Jake said thankfully. 'You've given us a lot to think about. Thanks for your time.'

Gabby gave them one final glance before nodding curtly. 'Off you go, then. I may or may not see you again depending on your decision.'

Jake and Brittany smiled as they got up, more relaxed than they were coming in. As they gently shut the door, and silence fell upon her office, Gabby regretted not indulging them in further conversation. However, when it came to her work, this is how she operated;, tell the patient what they needed to know, what their options were, and move on to the next problem.

The gazelle was not as busy as a regular doctor or GP, and as a result had long spans of time between appointments. Her next one was at 11:30, and she'd gotten through with Jake and Brittany in only fifteen minutes. She waited for the inevitable email confirmation from Claire that Jake had booked in blood tests and X -rays for the coming Wednesday.

She wouldn't deal with those patients until they got those tests done, so she was free to catch up on some paperwork. As she looked over her schedule, she quickly realised she had little to actually do. Almost everything regarding her past or existing patients had been squared away… except for one thing.

She had a shortcut on her desktop to a large document labelled "MCR 05_2018". Her frown deepened as soon as she spotted the icon.

If there was one thing Gabby could pinpoint as to the source of her constant irritation, it was this monthly obligation. She hated it.

The gazelle shook her head; hate was not quite the right word. This document, fundamentally, forced her to go against everything she knew as both a doctor and a scientist.

Gabby was close to leaving the office for a smoke when her phone rang, redirecting her irritation to the mammal on the other end.

'What is it, Claire?'

As usual, her zebra secretary was unfazed at her venomous tone.

'I'm done with the Ridgets' paperwork,' she said. 'I think they really do want that baby.'

'And…?' Gabby prompted, tapping her fingers on her desk. 'You don't need to call me about that.'

Claire paused for a moment, which to Gabby was never a good sign.

'I got a couple of online enquiries this morning.'

'So? Go through the proper channels.'

'The first was from a woodchuck going by the name of Lemmingham…'

Gabby's voice fell deathly quiet. 'Claire. Is this what I think it is?'

'…'

'You know it's prohibited. You're treading a very thin line by even talking about it.'

'…They need our help, Gabby.'

'Well, then they'll just have to go somewhere else. I don't want to know about it.'

'But there's–'

There was a distant thud of the automatic doors over the phone line, along with approaching footsteps. Claire's voice fell as she pulled the phone away, but Gabby could tell whoever was at the door was not a patient.

After half a minute, the footsteps began to recede, and Claire brought the phone back. The visitor had changed the zebra's tone considerably.

'You're getting a visitor. I… couldn't stop them.'

'… Right on cue. Such obedient pigs they are.'

Claire fell silent for a moment, and Gabby could picture the equine frowning.

'You were expecting this?!'

'Don't mind your pretty head, Claire. I'll deal with it.'

The zebra simply groaned and hung up.

Gabby let out a small sigh with the knowledge that she would have to delay her smoke break.

Not a minute later, loud knocking echoed through the dimly lit office. Her greeting was razor sharp.

'It's open.'

The female council guard wore a frown as she walked straight in as she opened the door. The pig glared at the doctor in front of her, clearly irritated at having to be called out here at all. The guard fixated Gabby with a hard stare in an attempt to intimidate her, but Gabby simply stared back while resting her chin on enfolded wrists.

'You wanted to see me?'

The guard, whose name tag read "Emma", twitched her wide nose in annoyance.

'You know why I'm here. Why have you not submitted your monthly report?'

Gabby's mouth twitched with a hint of amusement. 'Oh, dear me, I seem to have forgotten. When was that due again?'

'Don't play with me, Banner! Monthly. At the end of every month.'

'Well, I apologise for being so busy with all these patients that I'm allowed to see by your illustrious government's leave.'

Emma forced herself to calm down, and sighed. 'Do you have it?'

'Have what?'

Emma's hands wrapped around imaginary targets as if to strangle them.

'The REPORT.'

Gabby let the silence hang for far longer than was needed.

'You'll have to forgive me – ever since I began dealing with the council, my mind hasn't been what it used to be.' She slowly leaned back in her office chair and squinted at her screen. 'Let me have a look.'

Her eyes wandered over her screen, taking the time to study everything but the document Emma wanted. Feeling even more bold than usual, she opened her browser and typed in the name of her favourite song, clicking on the Zootube link.

Gazelle's music triggered Emma to the point where she slammed a fist onto the wooden desk. Gabby frowned at her pens as they went flying.

'Enough games. I know you've finished the report – this isn't the first time. Give it to me. Now.'

Gabby eyed her flatly. 'Or what?'

'You know "what".'

They held the mutual glares for several seconds. Finally, realising she had pushed things as far as she could, Gabby opened the document, and the printer began to churn. All hints of amusement had vanished from the gazelle's tight lips.

Once the printer was done, Gabby reached down to her left and extracted several pages worth of her monthly activities. She gathered them and pushed them over the desk, keeping her eyes on Emma and away from the document itself.

'Fine – take it. Do what you need to do and get out.'

Emma wordlessly took the small stack of paper, glanced around for a stapler with annoyance, and began looking over each page. Her irritation subsided somewhat, despite Gabby glaring daggers at her the entire time. The gazelle knew that the pig was simply checking the description of her appointments – any concerns from the Council would be brought up now rather than later.

However, Emma's eyes slowly widened towards the end of the report. Not because of anything shocking in the report; rather, there was nothing suspicious about it at all. Only now did the guard realise Gabby had been difficult simply because she could. The gazelle didn't let it show, but that look was at least somewhat satisfying to see.

The council guard cleared her throat as she regained her composure, neatly folding the report into her shoulder bag.

'This better not–'

'I said get out.'

Given that Emma didn't want to be there any more than Gabby wanted her there, the pig snorted dismissively as she left.

The gazelle remained glaring at the closed door for several seconds after the pig's footsteps faded out of earshot. She really wanted that smoke break now. But, knowing her secretary, she opted to wait a bit longer.

Sure enough, her phone rang a couple of minutes later.

'Are you alright? I could tell that guard was really annoyed, despite how well she hid it from our other patients.'

'She has no choice,' Gabby affirmed. 'If she scares too many patients they'll start to wonder why she's even here. And the council can't have that. Oh no.'

After a moment's pause, Claire snorted with disapproval.

'Why do you rile them up like that?'

'It's the only source of stress relief I can get out of this "arrangement".'

Claire let a moment of silence go by, and Gabby's guard was up again.

'…There is another–'

'No, Claire.' Gabby stopped her firmly. 'I'm sure I've told you this before. You're young and have a bright future ahead of you. If you keep poking your nose into my business like this, it will be for nothing. Don't concern yourself with an old bitch like me.'

'Gabby!'

The doctor leaned back from the handset for a moment. It's not like me to get so sentimental.

'… Never mind. You should get back to the desk. There are still other patients coming in for the other doctors.'

She hung up before Claire could respond. Then she ran her hands over her face in an attempt to rub out the aches in her skull.

Gabby checked the time on her computer – 10:37. She still had time, but there was only one thing she wanted now.

Normally she would take a cigarette pack outside into the designated smoking area, but right now she did not want to go downstairs and give Claire another opportunity to interrogate her. Instead, she took one from her pack in the lower right drawer, and made her way to her window. The view wasn't much better than before – the fog was still very much present. Not that the view of the small suburb was anything to marvel at anyway.

She slid the glass open and leaned out. She fished out a lighter from her jacket pocket, and soon began blowing small puffs of cigarette smoke out the window.

Gabby's mind began to drift, and she wondered what consequences her meeting with Emma would bring. Truth be told, reporting once a month was far more freedom than any public health institution would be allowed. They might force her to report twice a month instead, which would only exacerbate her stress levels.

On the other hand, that would give her more opportunities to make the council guards' lives miserable. Maybe some would actually quit because of her antics. The thought was indulgent and unrealistic, but it comforted her at least a little. After all, if they were operating transparently and honestly, like any government should, they wouldn't have this problem.

Eventually, she started to ask herself the questions she always did every day.

Why am I still doing this? Why am I still here?

But the answer was always the same – she was trapped here. The gazelle couldn't move to another city, for her field of expertise was only in demand in Zootopia. That wouldn't change for a long time. And as for why she was still doing this? She was a doctor at heart, and now matter how prickly and miserable she became, she still wanted to help mammals, no matter how ignorant or annoying they could be.

But the scientist in her screamed for her to do something. It was why, despite her warnings, she wanted Claire to keep asking. Because that was what she wanted to do as well, deep inside.

Gabby then, for a moment, wondered why she didn't just throw up her arms and do what she wanted, like Claire kept suggesting. But the moment that thought came up, she reflexively brushed it away, but not before a stab of pain reverberated through her chest.

No. Do not think about that. It's in the past.

In an effort to focus away, she began brainstorming other ways she could torment the council guards in a way that they couldn't retaliate. As she went to inhale again, she realised her cigarette was spent. She momentarily entertained the idea of dropping it out the window, but if it wasn't going to hit Emma or some other council employee, it wasn't worth it.

She placed the butt in an ashtray on the small desk in the corner, and picked up the pens off the floor that were sent flying, courtesy of Emma. When she got back to her desk, it was 11:25. She sighed.

'Back to work.'

That Saturday morning, Judy and Nick learned very quickly how right Finnick was about straight predator-prey couples' treatment. Judy's first few phone calls were cordial until she mentioned her husband was a fox and she was pregnant. Then they were very quick to either apologise and say they couldn't t help, or transfer her to some other department that either sent her around in circles, only for them to say the same thing and hang up.

Nick's online attempts didn't fare much better. After a quick call to his mother, whose sentiments echoed Bonnie and Stu's, he went for the live chat options on any website he could find. He sent emails as well. As soon as the operator on the other end knew that it was a pregnancy related to a predator-prey couple, they abruptly gave him the generic goodbye message and disconnected. Thankfully he didn't have to create an account to do that, or he would most likely get banned.

At about 10 am that morning, Judy was about to try another while sitting on the couch when she got a phone call herself… from Bogo. A moment of dread froze her for a moment, but when Nick peered from behind, he squeezed her shoulder encouragingly.

'Go on –it'll be fine.'

Judy relaxed as Nick sat next to her, and she answered. Bogo's voice was uncharacteristically subdued.

'Chief?'

'Hopps. Is Wilde with you?'

Nick leaned a bit closer.

'I'm here sir.'

'Good.'

The bull fell silent. Judy and Nick could both picture him pressing his temple uncomfortably.

'I heard the news from Franklin. I doubt you want to talk about the details, so I'll keep this quick.' He paused, and a hard edge entered his voice. 'This is… unacceptable. I was right to be suspicious of the Council, but this is…!'

Judy and Nick gave each other an awkward look as the Chief began to ramble.

'And that Grenn talked about how predators and prey work well together? What a load of–'

Nick cleared his throat in momentary amusement.

'Uh, sir? While I don't disagree with you… we're kinda on the clock. Didn't the good doctor tell you about that?'

'Ah.' Bogo paused. 'Yes. Ahem… so. The reason for my call…'

'Sir,' Judy began, 'how are things going to work on Monday?'

'Hm? What are you talking about, Hopps?'

'I mean, what kind of forms should I fill out when we get there?'

Nick stared at his wife incredulously, and if Bogo were there, he would likely be doing the same.

'You must be joking. I have no intention of making you come to work.'

Judy was about to voice an objection, but Nick reached out and put a finger on her lips, allowing Bogo to continue.

'That was the reason for my call, Hopps. As of right now, both you and Wilde are on sick leave for the next three weeks. Paid. And I am willing to extend it depending on how your… unique situation develops. Do not worry about lingering cases or paperwork, as Clawhauser has already volunteered to process it for you. Come to think of it, he's not the only one.'

Both Nick and Judy's ears perked up in surprise.

'Chief, that's… very generous of you.' Judy bowed her head despite Bogo not being in the room. 'Thank you.'

'Don't thank me, Hopps – I do not envy your situation. I would say do not come to the ZPD at all, but you may need to use what resources we have to aid your research. I cannot offer more than that. I'm the chief of police, not a field surgeon.'

'That's more than enough, sir,' Nick said, 'but I'm kind of surprised that you're extending this courtesy to me as well.'

'Wilde, did it occur to you that I just wanted to get rid of you for three weeks?'

'Maybe, but I wanted to hear you say it.' He thought for a moment, and chuckled. 'And given our luck so far, we will end up coming to the ZPD anyway.'

Bogo groaned tiredly.

'I would normally say it would be nice and peaceful without your incessant prodding, but honestly, the ZPD will be a bit busier and less efficient without you two working. But we'll manage – you two just focus on yourselves for now. That's an order.'

'We will, chief,' Nick said sincerely.

There was a brief pause.

'I will send you a list of other doctors the ZPD works closely with. There are only a handful, considering the Central hospital meets… met all of our needs. Unfortunately, I do not have the authority to directly request appointments for you. If you need to see me for any reason, go through Clawhauser first. If you barge into my office unannounced, pregnant or not, I will throw you out.'

Nick thought better of continuing that trail of thought, and Judy answered instead.

'We'll keep that in mind,' she said, 'but it might be some time before we can think about going to the ZPD.'

'Perhaps. Feel free to give Clawhauser any updates. I do not accept most direct calls.'

And with that, the chief hung up.

After a brief pause, Nick managed to flash Judy a small grin.

'I swear someone's abducted the chief and replaced him with a body-double.'

'Oh, shush.'

Judy's ears fell a little as she saw the new email from Bogo in her inbox, and Nick's downcast gaze followed.

'Back to work, I guess…'

Their good mood didn't last long, as there were only so many times they could stand being stonewalled over and over. However, with the knowledge they were officers, the two clinics Bogo mentioned at least agreed to see them, one on that afternoon, the other on Tuesday.

Nick then suggested they don't specify why or how Judy was pregnant, only that she was. Judy didn't like it, but had to admit it might be the only way to meet most of these doctors face to face. However, they both knew that would mean going out in public, and upon examining herself in the mirror, Judy realised she couldn't fully hide her pregnancy, even if it was still in its early stage. Travelling with Nick would likely make it miserable to go anywhere, but they didn't have much choice. The tod wasn't willing to let her face the potentially judgemental doctors alone.

Using Nick's lie of omission, they managed to get three appointments that afternoon, and four more the following day. For their first appointment at 1:30, when the receptionist asked them about Nick, he simply said "a friend". That was enough to get them in, but not enough to stop the suspicious glances thrown their way. The fact that they had to resort to trickery to get that far only fed the unease they both felt.

The doctor, a female gray marmot, was cordial as expected, since she was the first recommendation from Bogo. She maintained her composure even as Nick and Judy explained the situation in detail. However, just like Franklin, she remained firm on her stance that they get an abortion. They were prepared with follow up questions this time, to the point where she plainly said she could not explain why Zootopia does not provide help or warnings for couples like them. That was as far as they got with that doctor.

Unfortunately, the other two doctors were not as cordial. Both were obviously dismayed at having to explain to them face-to-face that there was no additional support for couples like them, and they did not fully hide their disapproval at Nick and Judy's situation. As they left the last doctor that day, Judy heard one mammal whisper "serves them right" behind her back.

Mary texted them that afternoon that she would visit, and for once Nick had no objections. Her presence that night was welcome, even though the pair could barely manage a smile for the old vixen.

The second day was worse.

Finnick's contacts were at least better than the other practitioners they'd found on their own, but the public was another story. There were no open confrontations, but it was as if their efforts yesterday had tipped off some collective subconscious, leading to several groups of mammals eyeing them like they were openly smoking or doing drugs. Other mammals saw this and seemed sympathetic at first, but did nothing, likely because they didn't understand what the issue was. Multiple times Nick and Judy were tempted to call the glaring mammals out on it, but the oppressive atmosphere was overwhelming enough that they just wanted to see the doctors, get in and get out. By the time they arrived at their second appointment, they had given up finding a doctor who would recommend anything other than abortion.

It was 3 pm by the time they finished, and were so emotionally drained that they both wordlessly stumbled onto their bed. They didn't have the energy to try and look for more for at least an hour. They managed to get up and do a bit of exercise with a walk, but they went separately. Nick encountered Bertha riding on a motorbike, and she stopped to ask him what was wrong. Nick opted to wait until they got back, as he wanted to leave it to Judy's discretion. Alex, apparently, was out on "Nightstalker" business for a couple of days.

And so Bertha gave Nick a ride home, and Judy decided to tell her everything. Bertha was surprised, but saddened at their experience over the past couple of days. She offered to make some tea and stayed to help them make dinner. Once again, Nick and Judy welcomed the company, even throwing themselves into doing work and chores they'd not normally be keen to do on a Sunday night.

After Bertha returned home, they spent what little energy they had left on any more practitioners they could find. Unfortunately, they couldn't contact their first choices from yesterday as they couldn't pretend their enquiry was not a pred-prey pregnancy any longer.

The pair felt numb to their surroundings as they prepared for bed that night. Nick was quiet and still as he tried to sleep, but Judy couldn't help but fidget. Eventually, after the dark hours dragged on for what felt like forever, Judy's sheer exhaustion plunged her into a restless sleep, with images and sensations dancing before her closed eyes.

The digital clock's buzzer caused Judy's eyes to shoot open.

She sat up as muscle memory guided her actions, as she glanced at the clock; it read 5:30.

Right. Can't be late… especially not today…

Her uniform hung in the small cupboard as it always had. She grabbed her earphones and made sure she brought her water bottle. Finally, she swiped her keys and checked that she had her wallet and phone before locking the apartment door.

The rabbit zipped over to the subway while listening to Gazelle once again. She ran over her tasks for the day that she hadn't finished yesterday, and after two or three attempts she was able to relax a little and look around as she sat alone on the seat.

Savannah Central was breathtaking, as it always was in clear weather. The colourful awnings of gold and orange contrasted with lush greenery, and the morning sky was a splendid pink leading to calm blue above. Yet, for some reason, this didn't fill her with a sense of wonder like it always did before.

Five minutes from her stop, she heard the laughter of young children echoing from the next carriage. The sound was pure and full of energy, exactly how a healthy child should be.

Judy pulled down at her ears instinctively, earning a concerned glance from a nearby beaver. Judy waved at the beaver, mouthing "don't mind me". Thankfully, the children, who seemed to be with their parents, moved a bit further along, and Judy arrived at her stop.

She strode confidently through the ZPD's front doors, and waved towards the large cheetah ahead as Clawhauser was working on a donut.

'Morning, Clawhauser.'

'Morning, Judy!' The large cheetah held a paw up as he swallowed the rest of the donut, while simultaneously glancing at his monitor. 'Oh, good timing – that case with the jewellery store's done and dusted. McHorn and Delgato found the pair of thieves responsible. No need to worry about a report, either – they've handled all of that.'

Judy visibly deflated. Her plans for the day's work had just gone out the window.

'Oh… that's good, I guess?'

Clawhauser raised a brow. 'That's an odd reaction. I mean, Nick was pretty happy when I told him just a few minutes ago.'

Judy sighed, snorting with a little more force than she intended. 'Of course he would.'

The large receptionist then gave her a concerned look she'd never seen from him before.

'Are… you two alright?'

The rabbit tightened her shoulders and drew a long breath. 'It's fine – I guess I'm just a bit stressed out at the moment.'

Clawhauser didn't look convinced, but did his best to smile for her anyway. She waved goodbye and went for the bullpen.

The other officers were chatting as usual; the general pattern of large mammals sitting in the back while the smaller mammals sat towards the front held true. Hamish, Brie and the other rodents were comfortable enough with the arrangement to sit in a new small row at the front on a regular basis.

Judy spotted her partner where he should be, albeit leaning back into his own chair and with his feet on the desk. From his lopsided shades, she guessed he'd dozed off.

She hopped up into her own chair next to him and prodded him in the side.

'Nick! Ugh – enough slacking.'

Nick snorted as he stirred, pushing up his shades to look at her with bleary green eyes.

'Carrots? Is Bogo in yet?'

Judy blinked, realising she hadn't seen Bogo all morning.

'Uh… no?'

Nick shrugged apathetically and put the shades back on. Her stomach churned.

'Nick… you should really take this job more seriously.'

The fox remained silent, his indifference hearkening back to a time under a bridge.

'Come on, Nick. At least answer me.'

He sighed, as if this wasn't the first time they'd had this discussion.

'Alright. Why?'

'Why…?' Judy shuddered at his sharp tone. 'What do you mean?'

He paused thoughtfully, and as if making up his mind, he pushed up the shades to fix her with a hard, pained gaze.

'Why should we keep giving so much of ourselves to a city that only takes from us?'

'Because…'

Her first thought was of the public and keeping them happy and safe. However, that vision was immediately replaced by many glares of disapproval and disgust.

This is how they treat us, despite everything we've done for them…?

She froze, and found that she couldn't answer him. Nor did Nick expect one. However, just before he put the shades back on, his muzzle trembled, as if he was about to cry.

The rest of the day went by, and it all seemed normal. The city seemed peaceful and free of crime, but throughout it all she and Nick exchanged pained glances every now and then. The air between them felt stifled and awkward.

Before she knew it, Nick had left at the exact moment their shift ended, while Judy was still finishing up additional tasks she had volunteered herself for. Judy soon left after that, and as soon as she was out the front doors, she was alone again.

As she entered the Pangolin Arms, she distantly heard Bucky and Pronk arguing about having porridge for dinner. The moment she stuck her keys into her door, however, they fell silent. For a moment, she wished they would come out and say hello.

The rabbit sat at her desk and prepared her usual carrot microwave meal, while scrolling through some of her family's social networks for the day. It was merely passing the time, as she soon grew bored and wandered around her tiny apartment for something to read.

She pulled a few of her old textbooks out of her small shelf and put them on the bed. After going through the second row, however, she froze.

There was an elegant picture frame, situated as close to her window as possible, as to reflect light off its silver finish. As she studied it, the same knot in her stomach she had been feeling all day with Nick returned.

The picture was taken at the very edge of the city, where Zootopia gave way to a large cove between Savannah Central and Sahara square. The grass was short and trimmed, and there was a beach spreading out to the left. A simple white metal arch was in the centre. Finnick was wearing a sharp-looking black suit with coattails trailing behind him, with some little rabbits in puffy dresses holding a pillow with a red velvet box. The little rabbits were bouncing happily, while Finnick had never looked more awkward or out of place. And yet, he still looked happy, which was a rare occurrence.

Many of her friends and family were in the frame. From Nick's side, only Finnick and Mary were shown, but several of their other friends, such as Clawhauser and Fru-Fru, were behind the cameraman, and thus out of view.

Judy herself wore a short white dress – she'd opted to leave behind unnecessary veils or frilly decorations. She barely remembered wearing a dress through her whole life, but that event was one she'd been willing to make an exception for.

And there Nick was. A simple black and white tuxedo that was sharper than any quip he could throw out. She couldn't remember Nick looking more handsome. And she would never forget the oath they'd taken together.

I, Nicholas Wilde, promise to be brave, loyal, helpful, and trustworthy…

They were all smiling together, blissfully unaware of what fate had in store for them.

Judy's paw trembled slightly she took the picture and slowly sat on the bed, and stared at it longingly.

Oh, Nick… I'm so sorry…

After only a minute, her tears started to drop onto the clear glass.

Nick's uneasy sleep was interrupted as his right paw clasped thin air. A wave of compounded unease washed over him as he opened his eyes, and he immediately realised Judy had unwrapped herself from the sheets and left the bed.

However, in the dark, it didn't take the fox long to head out into the hallway, and upon looking to his left, saw the sliding glass window to their rear porch was open. It was nothing more than a wooden platform with a good view of the sky and a couple of chairs, but they occasionally used it for reading or simply listening to music.

Judy was doing none of that, however. He approached his wife and leaned against the railing next to her. After another minute, he reached for her shoulder, and she gently leaned her head against his bare chest.

'…Would it be presumptuous to say you're trying to see in the dark?'

Judy managed a tiny smile. '… A little. That'd definitely make things simpler.'

He studied her patiently for another couple of minutes, until she stood up straight, averting her gaze for the moment.

'Nick, I'm going to ask you something… and if you answer, I want you to be as honest as possible. Even if it hurts me, I need to know.'

Nick wasn't sure how to respond at first, but he kept his eyes trained on her the whole time as he slowly nodded.

'I don't know what kind of question that would be, but… shoot.'

Judy looked up at him with a slightly trembling lip, but kept her voice steady.

'If I got an abortion, what would happen to us?'

Nick fixed his gaze on her, studying her – but for once he couldn't read her. He'd considered the possibility ever since Franklin suggested it, but it was something else for Judy to actually consider it too.

'…Us?' He pointed between them. 'As in…?'

Judy nodded.

Nick covered his face with one paw as he began to think, leaning hard over the railing. However, Judy waited patiently, and he owed it to her to at least try and fulfill her request.

'Maybe… things will go back to the way they were. At least, at first.' He looked up at the starless sky. 'But things will feel very different. Eventually, it'll probably be too downright painful to stay together.' Judy was unfazed, despite how much those words felt like needles in his chest.'If we both feel the same way about keeping the baby, that is.'

'And how do you feel about that?' When Nick glanced at her worriedly, she continued. 'If we didn't have this medical complication?'

Nick averted his eyes for a moment. Where is she going with this…?

'Of course I would want to keep the baby. I've… dreamed of having one with you for a while, but I always believed it was impossible, biologically I mean. Since I didn't have the best chance, given my childhood, I guess… I could make up for that by giving another mammal the best possible start in life.' As he examined Judy again, seeing her enlarging belly, his ears fell. 'I almost regret wishing for it now, though.'

Judy shook her head. 'You shouldn't. Every mammal deserves a chance like that.'

'You say that, Carrots, but we both know reality isn't so kind.'

'I know.' Judy shifted her gaze up to the sky again, with a slow frown of determination. 'But that's never stopped me from trying.'

Wait… is she saying what I think she's saying?

'Judy?'

'I don't want an abortion, Nick.'

'…What?'

Nick stared at her, speechless. Up until now, he had left that decision up to her, but now that she was asking for his input, he could barely contain his concern.

'But… Judy… you could die!'

'Such is life, Nick. Especially in our line of work.'

Nick gripped his temple for a moment. 'You know what I mean! Every single one of those doctors warned us how dangerous this could be.'

'I know,' Judy said calmly, 'but it's nothing new to me. I heard very similar things when I was training to be an officer.' She fixed him with a steady gaze. 'And I'm tired of others telling us what we can and can't do.'

'Judy…'

'This is bigger than just us, Nick. There could be other predator-prey couples facing the exact same situation… and there's a good chance a lot of mammals have already suffered – and maybe died – because of it.'

Nick fell silent, sitting down on the chair with his head in his paws as she continued.

'If we don't stand up for ourselves, who will? Someone needs to make a stand if anything is going to change!'

'But why does it have to be you?!'

Judy's eyes widened. Nick was still covering his face, but his voice was trembling.

'Why…? Why do you have to throw yourself at these things? You may be the best officer I know, but you're still a rabbit! I can't keep protecting you…' His voice lowered, and Judy leaned in closer to touch his shoulder gently. 'It's because I'm a fox… that's why… I was convinced that things could change, but in the end…'

Judy's throat caught as saw tears dripping down his snout and hitting the wooden floor. She slowly cradled his head in her arms.

'Things can change, Nick.'

She held him for a few minutes as he let his feelings out. Eventually, he started to talk quietly.

'How, Carrots? How do you keep it together? You're the one in danger.'

Judy stroked his back for another minute, as she wondered the same thing. However, as she thought back to the moment when Franklin told her she was pregnant, an answer began to form in her mind.

'Nick?' She gently pushed his shoulder downwards. 'Listen.'

Her husband looked up at her questioningly as she remained silent. Judy smiled gently and continued pushing, as if guiding a child.

Nick's eyes widened as she guided his ear to her belly. As he understood, he listened.

There was a heartbeat – soft, but much faster than Judy's which he could also hear. While Judy's was strong and steady, the other was faint, but still very much there. He also thought it sounded a lot faster than he expected, even for an unborn child.

They stayed like that for a long time. The fox's trepidation, hesitation and fear all slowly melted away as he continued to listen to the small heartbeat. Eventually, Nick let out a heavy sigh, and managed to flash Judy a defeated smile.

'Well, well… You still drive a hard bargain, Carrots. Guess you never lost your gift of hustling, either.' His shoulders drooped tiredly. 'I should have known this would be the decision you'd make. I was just too afraid to face it.' He tightened his snout. 'I guess I still am.'

Judy looked up at him questioningly as he stood up straight, but he hugged her, pressing his chin into her forehead protectively.

'But if this is really what you want… then I'm with you. All the way.'

Judy gasped, letting out a breath she'd been holding back the whole time.

'That… means so much to me, Nick. Thank you…'

Nick took her shoulders and looked her in the eye. 'It won't be easy, though. Starting tomorrow, we have some serious work to do. Are you up for it?'

Judy nodded with an eager smile as she ducked her head to hold him tighter.

'… Just like old times.'