Chapter 20

Rebirth


July 14th, Saturday, 11:46 pm

Nick remained kneeling for a few minutes; long enough to realise that the kit's crying was actually happening. There were no nurses frantically running, or loud beeping like he'd imagined. When the tension knotting his joints finally released their hold, he worked up the courage to get up.

When the fox opened the door, the group worked in relieved silence, paying particular attention to Judy and the kits. At Nick's entrance, they gave him additional smiles, along with a knowing nod from Finnick near the computer. The red fox was grateful not to be the centre of attention –and was also grateful that Sylvia and Toby were getting such swift care. Gabby recovered quickly and joined the other doctors in monitoring the health of their new patients. Judy was still sleeping heavily, with a gentle ongoing transfusion.

The tod stood there and watched for a minute before he dragged his feet forward over to the small crib that housed the kits. He leaned over the side and crossed his arms to look. The two kits were resting against each other, and he couldn't help but smile. It wasn't a whole fluffle of bunny kits that Bonnie and Stu might have expected, but having two adorable kits was enough for the fox.

The room soon returned to a comfortably routine pace, most other sounds going unnoticed by the tod. Reaching in with one finger, he stroked the tiny vixen's ear, and Sylvia leaned into the gesture a little while continuing her sleep. He did the same for Toby, who batted at his finger with a tiny paw. Nick cupped his muzzle with his other paw.

Keep it together…

He returned his attention to his wife once more – the bunny's face fixed with a worn but peaceful expression. However, his heart skipped a beat when he saw the blood bag.

Madge was affixing an IV drip to Judy's arm, and when Nick got up and approached, she gave him a reassuring smile. Out of the corner of his eye, Mary began to fuss over the kits in his absence; albeit quietly.

'Don't mind me.'

Nick awkwardly examined the blood bag, along with the thick cords running into Judy's arm.

'…Anything I should know?'

Madge continued her work as she talked. 'There was just a fluctuation in her heartbeat – which was what Banner expected to a degree. It's not unusual for such an intensive procedure, so we're giving her a gradual transfusion to replace the lost blood. Don't worry, Mr. Wilde,' – the honey badger smiled again – 'she's in good paws.'

The tod wasn't fully convinced, which prompted Gabby to turn around in her seat. Until that point she'd been as stiff as a statue going over her data. She looked no more tired than usual, even though she had been awake for nearly 24 hours already. Nick jumped, his tail straightening, once again forgetting she was there.

'I told you already to relax, Wilde,' she scolded. 'I know that might be asking a bit much, but I can't have you getting in our way. Judy will be fine – the birth is complete. All that is left is to monitor for signs of internal haemorrhaging for the immediate future.'

Nick relaxed, allowing himself to sit next to his wife and watch her breath steadily.

'And Wilde,' Gabby drew his focus back to her, 'You need to rest, too. You have a lot of work ahead of you.'

The tod managed a chuff of amusement. 'Yeah… no clocking out with this one.'

He almost jumped again when Mary came up behind him and slapped his shoulder. 'Welcome to the club! Don't worry, I can show you the ropes.'

'Great… thanks, Mom.'

Despite his quip, Nick admitted he was glad Mary, Bonnie and Stu were around. He would likely be running around in an aimless frenzy without them. He smirked self-consciously as he realised he was looking probably quite pathetic right about now.

Not that anyone minded. They gave him the space he needed as he remained by Judy, Toby and Sylvia's side. A few more minutes passed before he spotted several mammals quietly shuffling towards the door to avoid disturbing him.

As he looked over at them anyway, Bonnie and Stu waved, both evidently holding in tears of their own.

'We've… got some gifts for all of you, so we'll be right back.' Bonnie began.

Stu gazed at Nick with some concern. 'Is there anything you need from us, son?'

'No, thank you. I…' Nick was at a loss for words. 'I'm good.'


July 15th, Sunday, 12:30 am

Nick alternated between sitting at Judy's bed and his kits' crib, and after a while he'd started to shiver in his summer clothes. This prompted Madge to send a message to the wolves, who brought Nick a blue-black hoodie that was also an appropriate size.

Judy still slept contently, but the kits started crying once they woke up only an hour later. Thankfully, Stu and Mary were already in the room and immediately rushed to their side.

As the two got to work on nappies and food and whatnot, Nick stretched his head to get a look.

'Do you two need any help?'

Stu grunted. 'Cripes, son – it's quite alright. I've handled my fair share of young 'uns like this.'

He and Bonnie had brought in an assortment of clothes, and after calming the orange buck down, he took out a striped blue bunny onesie. 'You, on the other paw, are sorely in need of some shuteye.'

Mary was similarly dressing Sylvia in a strawberry-pink onesie, humming her apparent agreement with the older rabbit's sentiment.

'Uh, Mom…' Nick's curiosity got the better of him, eyeing Sylvia's onesie in particular. 'Can I?'

One look into his worn eyes was all the older vixen needed. She stepped aside and held the piece out to him.

'Well, I'm not one to stand in the way of a father dressing his own kit.'

The tod shuffled awkwardly away from Judy's bed as he approached Sylvia's crib. Toby was still crying despite Stu's quiet reassurances to the little buck. Sylvia, to her credit, managed to keep her composure somewhat, but her muzzle was curled down slightly thanks to Toby's mild tantrum. The way she looked up at him, however, made Nick hope that it was because she was focused on him that she behaved. Both kits remained restless even after they had their nappies changed. Nick held Sylvia to his chest with one arm, and after an encouraging look from Stu, accepted Toby into his other arm. He gently bobbed them up and down the way he had seen Mary, Stu and Bonnie do a dozen times already.

The two newborns seemed to calm down in his arms, and he couldn't help smiling as he stood there with the little furballs. Unfortunately, it only lasted a few minutes before they both started crying again.

'Could they be hungry?' Nick asked Mary and Stu, who were simply observing.

Mary, however, folded her arms as she watched with a somewhat cheeky smile. 'If they're anything like you were, Nicky; I had to figure out what each of your cries meant over many months. But… that would be the first thing to check.'

Both her and Stu's ears were pointed to a nearby table with milk bottles, so Nick went over to the nearest crib to get them ready, and Stu fetched two bottles for him. The tod made sure the kits were comfortable, and in a momentary lapse of coordination ended up feeding them with opposing arms. They both accepted the bottles gladly, and Nick smiled warmly at their big eyes staring up at him. Yet after a minute his shoulders started to ache.

'…I think I'm stuck like this.'

Mary waved a dismissive paw. 'Well, it wouldn't do for you to interrupt their meal, now would it? Just hang in there. And look! Toby's halfway done already!'

Thanks to Toby, Nick was able to free one arm within another minute, and Stu took the orange buck back to his crib where he resumed sleeping. Sylvia took her time, not that Nick minded. He was able to swap his arm to a more comfortable position.

After Sylvia was finished, she yawned and fell asleep. Stu took the empty bottle off his hands, and after Nick made sure they both had enough blankets, he lingered just a little longer to watch their sleeping faces, before his own drooping eyes prompted him to shuffle back in to Judy and snuggle against her, taking care to keep clear of the IV drips.


July 15th, Sunday, 4:28 am

A sharp cry jostled Nick awake, prompting him to raise his head in alarm and look around. Judy was still sleeping soundly next to him, but he was fast becoming familiar with the sound of Toby's cries, followed by Sylvia's.

Mary and Finnick were already in the room, and evidently had been jostled awake too, as they got up from their chairs at the same time Nick got off Judy's bed.

Toby quieted down significantly when he saw multiple foxes approach him. Sylvia calmed down to the point of sleeping when Toby stopped crying, so the foxes took turns holding the orange buck. He seemed more comfortable in their arms, prompting Nick to check the crib's sheets.

He was probably too hot... I might have given him an extra blanket without thinking about it.

After a few minutes of rocking Toby to sleep, Nick assured Mary and Finnick that he could handle it, and they both went back to their chairs with makeshift blankets and went back to sleep.

As he paced across the tiled floor, his mind began to drift to what life would be like when his new family would be able to leave. With the agonising emotional weight of the past couple of weeks, he hadn't afforded the luxury of thinking that far ahead. Now, his anxiety came in the form of what would come next – he hadn't the first idea of how to raise kits, especially one being a bunny and the other a fox.

On top of that, there was still the matter of the razorbacks. His gut feeling was that none of them could return home with any of those boars still at large. For the next few seconds, his stomach clenched at the thought of them coming for Toby and Sylvia, but he forced himself to breathe.

Damn it – pull yourself together. You didn't become a detective only to lose your marbles to what-ifs.

He thought back to that first morning, where he found Alex in the dark corridor. The way the old wolf took the building's security as seriously as he did was reassuring. If the ZPD couldn't find the last razorback, then he would lean on the old man as much as he needed to. The Nightstalkers would surely be able to come up with something.

The fox edged closer to Judy's bed, watching her with adoration as she continued to sleep. Whatever plan he could think of, he wanted to discuss it with her once she woke up.

He managed to relax enough to let his thoughts wander to more mundane things. Toby had long since succumbed to his light rocking and was fast asleep. Nick wondered how well the bunny could see in the dark. He appeared to be a normal bunny kit, but Nick had to wonder just exactly what would make his two children any different than if their parents were both the same species.

Nick continued to mull this over as he brought Toby back to his crib and reduced the thickness of the blankets a little. After a moment of contemplation, he leaned down and nuzzled the buck's forehead with a kiss, and he did the same for Sylvia.

I'll protect both of you… somehow.

He suddenly felt self-conscious, recalling his meeting with the wolves on the rooftop. The reality was, that if it wasn't for them, he wouldn't be in this position now. The fox knew he was, logically, no match for a boar.

And yet, the thought of fighting them, claws, teeth and all, came to him instinctively. Introspectively, he looked around at his family again.

Would I go that far for them? Yes… Yes I would.

Shaking off his stiffness, he gracefully climbed back into the hospital bed, lifting the sheets slightly so he could slide in closer to Judy.


July 15th, Sunday, 7:04 am

'Mmmmrph…'

Nick jolted awake again as he heard Judy's murmur. He watched the bunny's eyelids twitch as she slowly opened her eyes to gaze at him groggily.

'Ugggh… what time is it?'

The fox smiled before turning over slightly to reach for his phone.

'7:04.'

Judy was quiet for a moment as she closed her eyes.

'Really? Feels a lot longer than that…'

She winced as she shut her eyes.

'What's wrong, Carrots?' Nick asked worriedly.

Madge and Gabby were in the room, and the honey badger hopped up on a stool.

'Where exactly does it hurt, Judy? And how much?'

The rabbit opened her eyes and tipped her head forward. 'All down there. It doesn't hurt as much as I would have thought, but…'

Madge glanced at Gabby, who nodded back.

'We might have to up the painkillers slightly. That is, if your current level of discomfort will prevent you from sleeping, Hopps?'

'I… dunno…' Judy's eyes began to droop. 'Most of my body feels so heavy… Maybe I don't need more drugs…'

'Carrots? Before you check out…' Nick nuzzled her cheek. 'You were great.'

'Heh,' Judy smiled back at him as she dozed off. 'You… too…'

The doctors continued to monitor her vitals, and Nick drifted off again after another few minutes.


July 15th, Sunday, 2:25 pm

'Wilde? Wilde!'

The fox felt a gentle nudge on his head.

'Come on, you sleepy fox, the doctor's asking for you.'

Nick reluctantly pried his head from Judy's large pillow and sat up, rubbing his eyes. As he looked at Judy, he was glad to see she was more awake than before, even if she still looked weak. Madge was checking her IV drips and the dialysis machine.

'So… what's up, Banner?'

The fox couldn't help but feel a bit anxious with the gazelle scowling slightly, but then again, he couldn't recall the last time that she wasn't.

'While I have you two awake, I figured I could give you some information on how Hopps is coming along. Overall, there was some internal damage, but nothing permanent in terms of bodily functions. However, I would strongly recommend against walking without assistance.' She glanced over to the other side of the room, and there was a small rabbit-sized wheelchair when there wasn't before, sitting against the wall. 'I would recommend using that for the next few days, until the pain in your lower body subsides enough.'

Judy didn't look happy at the news, but she sighed. 'I figured something like this would happen.' She fixed Gabby with a concerned frown. 'There's something else, isn't there?'

As Nick gut clenched, Gabby paused.

'Well, that is true. It is somewhat sensitive, but I might as well get it out of the way.' She turned slightly to glance at her monitor, and they noticed some x-ray images. 'After the damage your organs sustained, Judy, it is very unlikely that you will be able to bear any more offspring.'

Nick and Judy stared at the screen, but were surprised by how little those words mattered to them.

'Well…' Nick managed to say. 'That makes sense to me. Toby and Sylvia are alive, and they haven't got any obvious defects, right?'

Gabby paused again, glancing over at Sylvia's crib. 'No obvious ones, no. That buck is especially active. The vixen is surprisingly healthy, but I predict she may, at the very least, have long-term constitution problems.'

'What do you mean?' Judy asked. 'Like, she'll get sick more than normal?'

'In essence, yes. But that's more to do with her prematurity than anything else.' Gabby cleared her throat. 'However, this is mere speculation on my part. So far she hasn't shown any signs of sickness.'

Nick and Judy relaxed somewhat.

'Is that all, Banner?'

Gabby nodded as she turned back to her monitor. 'Yes, it is.'

Madge sighed as Gabby fell silent, before approaching Judy's bed. 'Well, what the good doctor forgot to mention is that it's a good time for you to try going to the toilet, Judy. But I have to warn you, it'll be uncomfortable. It will get better from here on out, though. And if you're feeling up to it, I'm going to run you through some leg exercises.'

The tod frowned with concern. The honey badger then fetched the wheelchair, and Nick helped Judy into it. They both supervised Judy as she visited the toilet, though Nick waited outside the door.


Nick soon settled into his new role – if it wasn't to go to the bathroom, the tod didn't leave the room. As a result, the entire family was pulled in as well – as they collectively helped each other feed and clothe the kits. Nick threw himself into the new duties as his paternal instincts took over.

The tod's sleeping patterns were once again thrown for a loop. If the kits were awake, he was awake. Even when they were asleep, it took him some time to get a few hours rest at most, usually on the side of Judy's bed.

When it came to Toby, Finnick was roped into helping take care of the buck, as the little rabbit always lit up when seeing one of the foxes. They could only guess it was the pointy ears or big tails. It was also possible the fennec didn't have anything better to do.

For the next couple of days, Judy slept most of the time, but woke up occasionally to eat, drink, stretch, or go to the bathroom – in which case Madge helped her into the wheelchair. She couldn't walk yet; according to Gabby, her lower body needed time to repair the damage to her muscles.

After Judy had established an exercise schedule to get moving again, and further discussions amongst themselves, the group contacted Quilda once more. The porcupine also asked if Nick and Judy wanted an official interview before the ZNN delivered their public report to the city. They had already answered some of her questions, but nothing on record. After giving it considerable thought, they agreed. The porcupine advised that she would be visiting again the following afternoon at 2pm.


July 18th, Wednesday, 1:55 pm

Mary, Bonnie and Stu were sitting against the wall, while Nick had dressed as properly as he could, remaining next to Judy's bed. It was still too soon for Judy to be free of the transfusion machine, but Quilda had agreed to hold a somewhat informal interview there.

However, Judy was nervous. Her heart rate was slightly elevated, but whenever Gabby, Claire of Madge reminded her that she didn't have to do the interview, she insisted that she wanted to do it.

Oddly enough, Nick was perfectly calm. It was at this point he didn't care what Zootopia thought of their situation, though Judy knew they would have to face it eventually. Hence why she wanted to do the interview. It also helped that they had answered similar questions before; the only difference being that it was going to be recorded.

Still, she couldn't help but fidget, folding her paws over each other.

'Calm down, sweetie,' Bonnie said from across the room. 'You saw how most of Zootopia reacted to Gilesby. I'm sure most of them will be on your side.'

'That's not what I'm worried about, Mom,' Judy admitted. 'I know I want to do this, but I keep thinking I might screw it up somehow, like I did years ago.'

Nick, who was sitting up straight, gave her a wry grin. 'I'm not saying you didn't, but I honestly can't think of a way that the same thing could happen here. I mean, Zootopia knows most of the juicy details already. The only question left – that Quilda wants to answer – is what we had to go through because of it.'

'Besides,' Mary called out, 'we'll be here to back you up. Or correct you if we need to.'

Gabby nodded without taking her eyes off the monitor. 'Which I likely will, if you get any of the medical terms wrong.'

Strangely enough, Gabby's presence was the most reassuring next to Nick's. Judy took one last deep breath before they heard the inevitable knock from James, and she saw the porcupine coming down the corridor.

Claire let the reporter in, who took a quick glance around the room, before sitting at the chair prepared for her.

'Detectives Wilde, Hopps. Thank you again for agreeing to this interview today.'

Nick acknowledged the porcupine with a nod before speaking up guardedly.

'Just so we're clear, only what we tell you leaves this room. I don't want the press coming in poking their noses where they don't belong – especially when it comes to the kits.'

Quilda nodded. 'You have my word. I've already signed a legally-binding disclaimer with the doctors here. I will only record audio, so no camera.'

'And I am totally prepared to sue should the terms of the agreement be violated,' Gabby said casually from her monitor.

The porcupine sighed tiredly. 'You made that perfectly clear the last talk we had, Dr. Banner.'

'So, are we all good to start?' Claire asked impatiently. 'The longer this gets put off, the more stressed Judy will be.'

Quilda nodded. 'Yes, let's.'

The reporter was to the point; Nick and Judy immediately recounted most of the events that led up to today, starting when they got the news from Dr. Franklin about her pregnancy. Quilda soon began to ask for each doctor's name after that, frowning at those that had treated the pair poorly. When Judy picked up on this, she relaxed considerably.

When they got to the topic of Nick's encounter with Ethan Hodge, Quilda held off on further questions. She seemed to have an inkling of Nick having broken into the Council building already, but she avoided putting them on the spot by saying her investigation into Ethan Hodge is already being handled, and to not concern themselves with it.

The next half an hour went by quickly, much to Judy's relief – as Quilda shut off her recorder and finished scribbling notes.

'This is excellent material – thank you. I hope to publish this within the next couple of days.'

'Will it make a difference?' Judy asked hopefully. 'I want other predator-prey couples that might be out there to know they're not alone.'

'That's the ZNN's hope, yes…' Quilda said. 'But I think things are already progressing on that front, with or without this interview. But I suppose you two will have to wait until you're recovered enough to go home.'

'Also,' Gabby said one more time, this time turning away from her monitor. 'I will likely be in contact with the ZNN when that day comes.'

Quilda nodded eagerly. 'Yes, I believe you will have much to tell us once you pull yourself away from that computer.'

'… Hmph.'


After the interview, the Meadowland gang settled into a daily routine, treating the facility like a second home. Despite the ongoing search for the Razorbacks, the wolves still remained in the premises. After another couple of days, through Bogo and Clawhauser, they found out that all but one Razorback had been rounded up – the one outlier being a Sergeant named Rusk. James was more relaxed at the news, but Alex and Daniel kept their patrols up as much as before.

However, the group began to see visitors contact the doctors and ask to see Nick and Judy. Bonnie and Stu remained for a few more days until Judy was wide awake, as well as being satisfied that they had passed on what they could about raising bunny kits to Madge and Nick. After that, the first visitors that asked to see them were Clawhauser, and strangely enough, was another guest that afternoon, but only the wolves and Gabby knew the details about them, since they weren't coming to visit Nick or Judy.

The ZPD members were cleared for the next Friday morning, and Judy picked up the familiar sound of a Z-series patrol car pulling up into the facility's carpark. Claire went out to meet them, with Nick, Finnick and Judy in the medical room while the zebra escorted them in.

The cheetah and buffalo kept their footsteps as quiet as possible as they entered, quickly spotting Madge in the corner with the two sleeping kits. Clawhauser immediately started balling his cheeks up gleefully, but Claire and Bogo kept him silent with a warning look. As Nick and Judy watched their visitors come in, they raised brows at their uniforms; it was unlikely they were going to stay long.

Nick stood up from Judy's side and smirked. 'Well, Ben was one thing, but you, chief? I guess you really did miss–'

He was cut off as Clawhauser plucked Nick from the ground and lifted him into the air for a hug. The tod was rendered speechless while Judy and Finnick chuckled.

'Nick! I'm so sorry for everything you went through. I'm sorry the ZPD couldn't do more. I can't imagine what it was like…'

The red fox slowly smiled and patted the cheetah's shoulder awkwardly. Judy cleared her throat from the bed.

'Well, he wasn't the only one, Clawhauser.'

The cheetah put Nick down and studied Judy with concern, but was glad to see her eyes clear and bright. 'Well, I'd like to give you a hug too, Judy, but I dunno if that's a good idea…'

Clawhauser's gaze shifted over to Finnick, who was sitting at the end of the bed. He tilted his head in confusion.

'Sorry, you're Finnick right?'

'… Yeah, that'd be me.'

Bogo then spoke in a low voice. 'You are the one who transported my detectives here, correct?' The bull bowed his head. 'You have my thanks. I suspect you were also acquainted with the… "visitor" we got just before Grenn struck.'

Clawhauser stared at the tan vulpine. 'You were!?'

Nick and Judy glanced at Finnick incredulously, while Clawhauser smiled bright and opened his arms, only for Finnick's eyes to flash dangerously.

'Hey – paws off. Unlike Nick, I bite.'

Nick smirked again. 'He's not kidding.'

Clawhauser retracted his arms with some disappointment, but soon smiled again. 'Well, we can't thank you enough, Finnick. These two are really important to the ZPD… and to us.'

Bogo coughed uncomfortably. 'Well, to the ZPD, in any case…'

Nick's grin widened as he studied the bull. 'Come on, chief, can't you just admit you miss us?'

'Yeah,' Clawhauser added, 'I keep hearing you grumbling about your mound of paperwork. "If only Hopps and Wilde were here…"'

Clawhauser's impression left the Chief looking sullen. 'Stop making up stories, Clawhauser.' He closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. 'However, that does leave me with a question; how soon can I expect you two back in the precinct?' There was a pause as the small pair blinked. 'Or the matter of parental leave? Have you given that any thought?'

Nick looked off to the side silently, but Judy shook her head. 'We can't really decide that until I'm in condition to move properly. I'm currently getting some of my bearings back, but… maybe a week if I push myself?'

'There will be none of that.'

Clawhauser jumped as the gazelle turned around in the office chair. Upon seeing her, though, the cheetah blinked and rubbed his eyes. Bogo scrutinised her in surprise as he spoke.

'You… look familiar. Have we…?'

Gabby shook her head. 'Officer Clawhauser and Chief Bogo? I'm afraid we haven't met, but I do have some things to discuss with you two. It concerns a former employee of mine. However – best save that for later. Concerning my patient…'

She fixed Judy with a hard gaze. 'You still have at least two weeks of recovery time, Hopps, and I don't want to hear you pushing past your limits just because you are impatient to get back to moving about and working again. Even after two weeks, you would be limited to desk tasks. From that point, though, it will be up to the ZPD and other doctors to determine your fitness to work. I expect I will be… preoccupied by then.'

Judy groaned to herself, but kept her mouth shut. Nick patted her arm, pursing his muzzle sympathetically.

'There, there. You'll get back to playing with all our old toys soon enough.'

'Ugh… you're one to talk, slick. Especially when we get home with the kits.'

They both paused and smiled at each other, briefly remembering the one carrot toy that Judy had gotten, still in storage.

'Oh yeah, you got all those action figures, right?' Finnick grinned evilly. 'Better be careful, or they'll end up in some poor tyke's mouth!'

Nick's wide eyes of fear got a chuckle out of Judy. Gabby and Bogo looked on impatiently, and the gazelle stood up.

'Well, I might as well take this outside. Unless you have anything urgent to discuss with your officers?'

Clawhauser reluctantly shrugged, and the gazelle waved Claire over to join them. The four of them left, leaving the room a lot quieter than a few moments ago.

As Nick looked towards the door, Judy examined him with concern.

'You should take a break too, Nick.'

It took a moment for him to shake himself off and give her a quizzical frown.

'How do you mean, Carrots?'

Finnick eyed him flatly. 'Ya serious, Nick? If the kids are asleep, you're spacing or worrying about Judes. In fact, I'd go as far as to say you look like shit.'

Nick conjured an offended look, but Judy nodded in agreement as she studied his face. 'You still don't look 100%, Nick. Seriously, I've got Madge here – you can sit in the living room and watch a show or something. If you don't, I'm going to make it a point to kick you when I can properly move my legs again. And I'm going to keep kicking you until you take a proper break.'

'Heh, you're assuming I want to avoid that.' The tod adopted a serious expression as he looked into the rabbit's eyes. '… Fine, but I'm coming back soon.'

Finnick stood up and waved Nick over. 'Good, because I have something you might like.'


The tan vulpine led Nick towards the kitchen, and they passed by Gabby's group sitting at a coffee table against the glass wall. Bogo, however, was looking sullen and held a large cup of coffee, while Clawhauser and Claire had apparently discovered the other was a Gazelle fan. Mary was playing Vexxen against James on the couch. Grimacing and covering his ears, Finnick led Nick past the noise and into the kitchen.

Finnick hopped up onto the kitchen bench to open one of the fridge's upper doors, and stood on the jutting edge of the lower freezer door to reach in towards the back. After a few seconds of exertion, the fennec pulled out two white cans, with a purple-hat flamingo brand on the front.

'Huh.' Nick smiled. 'I haven't had a cocktail in… I dunno how long.'

The tan vulpine shrugged after he closed the fridge and tossed a can over to the red fox. 'Well, I figure it'll be a while before we can go to Murph's like we used to… so you'll humour me?'

Nick licked his lips eagerly. 'You bet, big guy.'

They pulled up a couple of stools, and while the kitchen bench was no substitute, Nick was reminded of the last visit they had to the moose's bar. It had only been a bit more than a month, but that conversation felt like a lifetime ago.

They slowly sipped their cans contentedly. After Nick's can was down to half, he wanted to askabout Finnick's activities that led them all here, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.

'… You did well, Nick.'

The red vulpine twisted on the stool a little to raise a brow at his friend.

'I… just did what any good husband would do.'

'Maybe – but what you ended up doing was pretty crazy. I can't think of many guys who would be willing to get chased down by armoured cars, or break into government buildings for their wife's sake.'

Nick glanced away awkwardly. It felt strange for the fennec to praise him like that.

'Well, uh… you helped a lot. I don't think either of us would have made it without you.'

'… Yeah…'

The fennec remained tight-lipped, closing his eyes and taking a breath.

'Yeah, I think you guys'll be just fine.'

As he spoke with finality, Nick's gut clenched. It was the same sensation he had with Finnick in this same room, back when the Meadowland gang was just formed. He wanted to speak up, but his friend had already finished his drink and had hopped back onto the floor.

'Well, I should get back to that bunny tyke of yours. It's like he gets withdrawals if he doesn't see a fox every hour or somethin'.'

Nick grabbed his can and hopped down to follow him. 'Yeah, and despite what I told Carrots, I think it's about time I got back too.'

As they began to move through the room and past the still-sullen Bogo, they caught a glimpse of another figure entering through the front doors. Nick squinted, and his eyes widened as he saw a familiar Gazelle dressed in a scarlet shawl and a long skirt.

'Wait… that's–!'

Bogo followed their gaze, and his eyes popped as he spewed his coffee out… right onto Nick and Finnick's heads. The bull immediately threw away his coffee and giddily followed the gazelle into the medical room, without even a passing glance at the dripping foxes. Finnick's scowl was so deep that Nick pictured his skull cracking, only worsened by Mary and James snickering as they took in the scene.

'…Rage. Fury. Irritation. Humiliation.'

Nick stared down at the scowling fennec, and couldn't help but burst out laughing. 'Just suck it up, Finnick. Suck it up…'


The famous popstar turning up was a surprise for Nick and Judy, though Gabby's reaction was far more resigned – as if she had been expecting it for a while. After giving the couple her congratulations, Gazelle turned her attention to Gabby, and with barely a word, the two exited the room and talked for a while just down the hall. Judy couldn't help but hear a word or two, but the most she heard from them was Gabby's warning: "be careful with him. I don't need to tell you why." After relaying this to Nick, the pair shrugged; it was yet another of Zootopia's mysteries that they would likely never solve.

Though the visit from Gazelle was one of the more memorable ones, more visitors came over the next couple of weeks. The next one caused a strange commotion, as Alex came in through the front doors with fear in his eyes. The old wolf radioed and demanded that Daniel or James swap positions with him, but they both laughed him off when Alex couldn't come up with an excuse.

Upon investigating, Nick saw Sam Grayson standing outside with a timid sheep. After the young wolf introduced Nick to his girlfriend, Tam – who Nick remembered was the therapist the wolf had started dating – the tod invited them both in to see Judy. While they talked with Judy and Gabby, Nick and Finnick found out from Daniel and James that they wanted Alex to face his past and make up with his son. Eventually, Sam and Tam sought the old wolf on their own. Thankfully, the young couple left satisfied, and the old wolf reluctantly waved goodbye as he resumed his post, seemingly happy to have spoken with his son again.

Meanwhile, Quilda and the ZNN's full report, including Nick and Judy's interview, came out the next Wednesday night. The gang were overall happy with the porcupine's presentation, with Fabienne and Peter Moosebridge delivering the findings, as well as Quilda's interviews with them.

The strong reactions from the populace became apparent the next day. Public demonstrations became more frequent, while Nick and Judy's popularity soared. However, the few violent confrontations between mammals from before escalated into near-daily brawls. The ZPD kept them from getting too violent, but they definitely had their hands full.

They noticed that any pundits who still held onto the belief that pred-prey pregnancies were wrong, despite Quilda's evidence, were treated with far more hostility, and many were taken to court by patients or their colleagues for their behaviour. Over time, the frequency of these incidents dwindled, as any holdouts began to come around or just learned to keep their mouths shut.

Gilesby faced daily protests, and the Nightstalkers on duty were not too keen on their posts outside the Mayor's tower. Any public appearances the mayor made were quickly met with furious shouting, and the hamster was driven inside the building most of the time. The wolf guards made little effort to stop the protestors, only intervening when the property had vegetables and other debris tossed at it. One of the interviewed guards' justification was "don't punish the building for the mayor's mistakes".

It was a surprise, then, when Luke Linnalo showed up the next Monday morning at the Asylum's doorstep. As far as the gang could tell, the weasel was up to his neck in complaints from the citizens. Nick, Judy and Finnick checked their eyes when the weasel walked into the medical room after Daniel called in from the front.

'Nick! Judy!' The weasel smiled brightly as they stared at him. 'It's been a while, hasn't it?'

Gabby turned away from her computer and studied the weasel suspiciously. 'Who is this? Another friend of yours?'

As Luke jumped in surprise, Nick shrugged. 'I guess you could say that. He helped us out at the beginning of our investigation.'

The weasel waited no longer, dashing up to Nick first and gripping his paw in a firm shake. 'I'm glad Zootopia's woken up to the truth. You may have seen some… troubling things on the news, but everyone just needs to adjust to the new information they've been given. Some can't or won't, but that's not our problem.'

Finnick yelped as the weasel immediately jumped to him after he was done wringing Nick's paw. 'And you! I heard you came in at the last moment and whisked these two to safety! That's real brave!'

'Yeah, yeah… let go of my paw already…'

Luke complied and went up to Judy's bed, studying with concern.

'How are you feeling, Judy? Is it okay to shake your paw?'

She smiled sweetly and raised her arm. 'I can move pretty well, all things considered – but Gabby tells me not to move my legs too much yet.'

'Correct,' the gazelle muttered from her computer.

The weasel approached and shook Judy's paw gently, and as he hopped down, Nick spoke up, his curiosity getting the better of him.

'So how are things at the office? I can't imagine it's all sunshine and rainbows for the Council at the moment.'

Luke held up his paws and laughed. 'Ohhh no. There's been constant pressure from the citizens, as well as some Council members who were unaware of this whole setup – at least until the ZNN report. Several have resigned already, though we're waiting until the situation dies down before we publicly announce it.'

Judy raised her brow. 'Are you sure you should be telling us this? We're not exactly high clearance when it comes to the government – especially now. And this whole business has definitely made things worse for you.'

'Hmm?' The weasel continued to smile nonchalantly. 'Oh, that doesn't matter to me right now. The Council is in shambles, sure… but that's the way I want it. Transparency is pretty much required if the Council is going to survive this. If not, then Zootopia's whole government structure will need an overhaul.'

Finnick continued to study the weasel suspiciously. There was something oddly familiar about the way the kid spoke.

'… You seem awfully chipper, considering your own job might be on the chopping block.'

Luke shrugged. 'You would think so, but the mayor's pretty much put all public-facing jobs onto me for the moment. I think he realises his time in office is limited. I've pushed him hard to resign, and he's accepting the reality. He knows that regaining trust – at least for him – is pretty much impossible.'

'Wait… back up a bit,' Nick said worriedly. 'Will YOU be the next mayor, then? I was under the impression you were happy being an assistant.'

Luke's smile fell for the first time. 'Uh… yeah, I really don't want that level of responsibility. The next election is happening at the end of the year, but I don't want to be handling all of his duties for that long…'

Judy frowned. 'Apart from this pred-prey thing, Gilesby was genuinely good at his job. I can't think of many mammals who could take his place.'

They all paused for a moment, before Nick grinned and patted her arm.

'Once again, Carrots, you've just given birth. Leave the worrying to others who are actually qualified.'

Luke's shoulders slumped. 'Yeah, that is one thing I'm worried about. But at least I can feel good about my job again. So… thanks, all of you.'

The weasel turned to leave, but Nick spoke up.

'Hey, come now, don't you want to stay for a drink at least? You've only been here a few minutes…'

Luke smiled and waved a paw. 'As you all suspect, my job is still pretty hectic. I'd be happy to take a call from you guys anytime, though – mayoral duties be damned.'

After Luke left, Sylvia and Toby started crying and the two foxes in the room quickly hopped to the ground to attend to them. However, Finnick quickly felt something stuck to his paw, and excused himself while Nick attended to both the kits.

The tan vulpine went into the back room, and found a roll of paper stuck to his palm with blu-tac. Frowning, he carefully unfurled the paper, and found just one sentence.

I knew you had it in you, DD.

Finnick stared at the words for several seconds, before he burst out the door, and ignoring Gabby's reprimands, he dashed for the entrance. However, Luke had already left. All he could do was stare out at the empty road in amazement.


As Judy's rehabilitation drew to a close, the new parents felt a bittersweet sense of conclusiveness in the air. Things had calmed down, and Judy had learned everything she could about taking care of the kits from Madge, Nick and Finnick. The Nightstalkers and ZPD confirmed the final Razorback had been found and detained, and that it was safe for them to return home.

Madge was the first to leave, doing one last practice session with Judy, who was able to walk normally again. They weren't sure how her position as a doctor would be affected going forward, but the badger seemed confident she couldn't be properly charged, using the threat of the Razorbacks as an excuse to stay in the building until the situation was resolved.

Next was Mary, who set about packing up all her decorations, taking special care to pack the Preystation away, as well as Judy's toy box – as she fully intended to use it after giving Nick and Judy's house a dust over. There was an unspoken agreement between the three that she would be living with them from now on, though they hadn't yet discussed too much about the old vixen's current apartment. However, Mary had mentioned once that she was thinking about renting it out.

Claire was next. Evidently, her discussion with Bogo and Clawhauser had been of employment, which Gabby had pushed for vehemently. Fortunately, the ZPD had been preparing an opening for another receptionist for a while, and they admitted they could use the extra help with the commotion going on in the city at the moment. She and Gabby also planned to take the dialysis machine in her truck and store it where the council couldn't touch it, at least until negotiations over its use were completed.

After that, the wolves insisted on remaining on duty until everyone else had cleared out. Nevertheless, Nick and Judy shook the old wolves' paws, thanking them for all of their help. Alex silently and awkwardly accepted their thanks, but he remained uncomfortable through the whole ordeal. Daniel and James accepted it more graciously, with bows as they departed.

The morning that Claire was set to leave, Nick, Judy, the zebra and Gabby gathered in the living area for their last breakfast just after Toby and Sylvia had been fed and set for another nap. The group ate in awkward silence for a few minutes, before Judy finally bowed her head.

'I… just wanted to thank both of you. Words can't describe how much you've done for us.'

Nick nodded in agreement. 'Same here. It took a while, but you two sacrificed a lot to try and help us. We won't forget it.'

Like Alex, Gabby coughed and awkwardly looked away. 'Well, it wasn't like I only did it for you. I had my own reasons…'

Claire groaned. 'You and Alex act like children sometimes. Does it really hurt to take a compliment every now and then?'

Nick and Judy laughed, but Gabby huffed and stood up as she finished the last of her porridge. 'Whatever. I'm going to sit outside for a bit.'

The gazelle walked towards the door, but stopped as the zebra fixed her with a knowing smile. Gabby frowned and glared back at her former assistant.

'What?'

'Oh, nothing.'

The doctor's frown only deepened. 'You know I don't like it when you do that, Claire. Spit it out, already.'

'Well… I was just thinking. A couple of months ago, all your breaks would involve a certain something.'

'And that "something" would be?'

Claire finally sighed and folded her arms. 'Seriously… you call yourself the most qualified doctor here?'

Nick and Judy also smiled, having caught on by now. Gabby was not amused.

'If you don't tell me what it is right now, I'm rescinding my recommendation to the ZPD.'

Claire rolled her eyes, but returned to her grin.

'You haven't smoked for a month.'

Gabby's eyes widened for a second. She tried to think back to when she had her last smoke, and realized in amazement that the zebra was right.

'… Huh. Now isn't that interesting?'

With that, the gazelle turned around and left the room. As she did, Claire watched her back worriedly, but as she moved to get up, Nick raised a paw.

'Don't worry – I'll go. I still have a few things to say to her before she slips away.'

Both Claire and Judy studied the pensive fox quizzically.

'It's… not anything bad, is it?' Judy said. 'I was under the impression you two got off on the wrong foot, but…'

'Nah, it's not that. It's just…' The fox fell silent, glancing off to the side guiltily. 'All these mammals, including you, Claire… sacrificed a lot to help us. I don't feel like I've done enough to show my thanks. I dunno if I can do that for the good doctor… but by God, I'm gonna try.'

Claire and Judy smiled, and the zebra gestured towards the door. 'Well, she's not going anywhere without me. Now's a good time for me and Judy to check on the kits, anyway.'

Judy stood up and stretched, now recovered enough to move about normally. As Nick did the same, the pair ruffled each other's ears fondly – Judy having to reach further – before going in separate directions.

As Nick approached the doors, he felt some fur stand on end on the back of his neck. There was something… cold about the place now, as it was when they first arrived. The asylum felt empty, what with all the mammals and their personal items gone. And he felt, with another pit in his stomach, that he'd forgotten something.

Nevertheless, he steeled himself as he spotted the gazelle sitting on a bench outside overlooking the water. He half expected to see a cigarette in the gazelle's hand, but she was calmly looking over the falls with hooves in her lap.

As the fox hopped onto the bench, he fidgeted awkwardly for a few seconds. However, Gabby was the one who spoke first.

'So, how does it feel?'

Nick thought for a few moments, linking her question to what she undoubtedly felt as well.

'Like a weight's been lifted from my shoulders.' He scratched at his muzzle sheepishly. 'Though it has been replaced with the responsibility of raising kits, but you take what you can get, right?'

'… Yes, I suppose it would. I'm no stranger to that notion, either.'

Nick relaxed a little, seeing a hint of a smile on the gazelle's muzzle, before he continued.

'So, what's next for you?'

'Hmm… In what time I've had since the kits were born, that is the very question I have pondered. It's a given that, like Claire, my previous position is in tatters.'

The tod's ears fell. 'I'm sorry, I–'

Gabby shook her head. 'No, it's better this way. The notion that I would possibly go back to my old job would likely have driven me to take up smoking again. I suppose I can tell you my plan, now that all has been laid bare to Zootopia.'

Nick eyed her cheekily. '"Laid bare" is a rather suggestive way to put it, don't you think?'

'Only to those with sufficiently twisted imaginations.' The gazelle took a short breath. 'Those fools still debating the merits of researching the likes of my transfusion machine will need a wake-up call. And I will be the one to deliver the appropriate slap to the face. Or perhaps a sledgehammer.'

Nick studied her for a second before chuckling. 'I guess I don't need to worry about you, then.'

'Indeed. Though the ZNN will probably tremble with some of the language I intend to use.'

'I assume you're not talking about the "overly technical" kind.'

It was Gabby's turn to eye him flatly. 'No, I'm talking about the "not-safe-for-work" kind.'

'Heh… Funny to think that it is your work.'

Gabby scoffed, and then frowned with a determined look. 'As for the medical board, I fully intend to confront them on their stance regarding predator-prey pregnancies. If they make the wrong choice, my former colleagues and I are prepared to drag them through legal barbed-wire until they can't afford to function anymore. With public opinion as it is, we'll find another way without them, if that's the case.'

Nick raised a brow. 'Wow. You actually have things pretty well figured out, huh?'

As he looked away uncertainly, his thoughts returned to Toby and Sylvia. He had learned all he could since they'd been born, but he never felt like he was doing enough. As if reading his mind, the gazelle lowered her voice.

'… You needn't worry about your capacity to be a good father.' Gabby returned her gaze to the water. 'You'll do much better than my fool of an ex-husband, anyhow.'

Nick raised a brow in surprise. 'Judging by that scathing tone, that's not a difficult bar to exceed.'

They fell into a more comfortable silence for several more seconds. After a while, Nick bowed his head.

'… Seriously, Banner… I can't thank you enough. I can't really put it any other way – you saved us. Toby and Sylvia, along with Judy, would probably be dead without you. And if that happened… I might as well have been dead too.'

Gabby was silent for a few seconds. 'Dead, huh?' She tightened her muzzle, staring into the clear water thoughtfully. 'That's how I would have described myself before you and Hopps came along. As Claire had so tactfully pointed out, the only reason I was smoking was because I was constantly at odds with myself. If it wasn't for you and that family of yours, I would still be stuck in the same place, and likely would have driven myself to drugs or drinking on top of my other problems. Perhaps even end up in a ditch somewhere. But you two… made me remember, the last thing Rachel said to me.'

Nick's sucked in a breath.

'She told me "Don't give up". It took both of your determination for me to realise that's exactly what I did. Well, Finnegan's too, I suppose. But now I finally understand what my daughter meant. She had the spirit of a doctor in the end.' She coughed uncomfortably. 'What I'm trying to say, is that you don't need to feel indebted. You did a lot for me, even if you haven't realised it until now. And… thank you, for persevering for the sake of your family. Few men can honestly claim they'd be capable of doing the same.'

Nick looked over at the gazelle, smiling.

Well, that's one mammal squared away.

'You heading off soon?'

'As soon as Claire is ready.' Gabby tipped her head over towards the zebra's truck. 'I haven't had much cause to get a vehicle of my own, but now I might need to rectify that. I foresee a number of places I'll be visiting now that I'm no longer chained to Breeze Healthcare.'

As Nick looked at the carpark, his fur stood on end again. He'd felt something was missing since waking up this morning, but now he realised exactly what.

Finnick's truck was nowhere to be seen.

Seeing the look on the fox's face, Gabby frowned.

'Let me guess: the foulmouth didn't even say goodbye?'

Nick nodded ponderously. 'Yeah… something's been off about him for a while, and I still don't know what.'

'Hmm…' Gabby closed her eyes thoughtfully. 'Well, when you compare him and I, we both made sacrifices to help you. You know what Claire and I had to give up. But what do you know of Finnegan's circumstances?'

'He's… never been one to talk about his own past, even when we were partners for as long as we were.'

The gazelle nodded to herself, as if in confirmation. 'Then it isn't up to me to provide that. All I can tell you is that he isn't in any physical danger. But once you've got your children settled in at home… I would strongly suggest you find him. Since I've known the little fool – this is the first time he may need help.'


A tiny fire surrounded by bricks crackled in the shade of a decrepit apartment block, long abandoned. Parked along the shaded brick wall was a similarly-decrepit orange van, with long, jagged gashes cutting through the medieval fox plastered on the side.

Finnick studied his vehicle miserably. He had tried to call in a favour for one last repair job for the old girl, but his luck had run out, along with his favours with the repair shop he'd used until now.

In his paws, he held a letter that he had found in his designated PO box. It bore the seal of the Council, and the large envelope had been thick with legal documents. However, the topmost sheet, summarising the Council's intent, was all Finnick needed to see.

He gripped the paper hard, staring at the fire long enough to debate simply throwing it all in. That they were still able to talk from their "high-horse" even after everyone knew what they had done, irked the small vulpine to no end.

While Finnick was reading, his ears twitched, as a nearby group of wildebeest walking on the kerb suddenly stopped chatting amongst themselves. As he looked over morbidly, the wildebeest looked at a smaller figure with a mixture of respect and reverence, and he spotted a familiar pair of black-tipped ears emerge through the herd.

'I… didn't think it would be this easy to find you.'

The tan vulpine avoided Nick's gaze as the red fox approached. 'It's not like I wanted to go into hiding or anything.'

'Then why didn't you–'

The red fox's eyes widened as he saw Finnick's paw grasping the letter, on the verge of throwing it into the fire. As if in resignation, the fennec retracted his arm, and allowed Nick to gently pry the letter from his grasp. Dread crept through Nick's stomach as he began to read it to himself.

"Your recent actions in sabotaging the values of Zootopia have forced us to terminate any business dealings we will have from now on. You have violated sections 6 and 7 of our contract. If you wish to review them for legal purposes, the relevant documentation is included with this letter.

As such, all of your assets gained through your association with the Council are now considered tainted, and we have frozen said assets. A detailed breakdown of the monetary value is also included in the documentation. In summary, the total amount is–"

The figure prompted Nick to stare at the paper in disbelief for several seconds. His arm fell to the side, and he stared at his friend, slack-jawed. The small fox continued to avoid his gaze, but now… it all made sense.

'Do you get it now? I didn't keep the old girl for lack of funds,' Finnick examined his van wistfully. 'I could've afforded one of those squeaky-clean electric vehicles if I had enough brain cells to think ahead. But I guess that would have been confiscated with everything else. The only reason I still have her is that she was my old man's.'

'Finnick… why didn't you tell me?'

The small vulpine finally looked into the tod's eyes with a scowl.

'And what? Ruin your new life? You don't need me dragging you down to my level. I dunno if I've said it before, but Judes is the best thing that happened to you. It was better for you both if I kept my distance. Our weekly dives at the bar were more than enough for me.'

'You…'

Nick bowed his head, the reality of the situation prompting him to clutch at his face, covering one eye. He began to chuckle weakly.

'I really am a dumb fox. All these years, I was convinced that no one would ever care about a shifty, untrustworthy fox like me. Everyone was out for themselves, I thought. Even though we were friends, I thought you were the same. I thought you were in it for the money.'

Finnick smirked. '… Are you kidding, Nick? Forty bucks a day is chump change. You were never too good at multiplication. Well… until now.'

The tan vulpine's smile fell for a moment as he looked away in embarrassment. Nick took another look at the letter, and his muzzle tightened solemnly.

'Is there anything we can do? Judy and I can find a good lawyer–'

Finnick shook his head. 'Nope. It was a legally binding contract. Even if the legality of the whole thing was sketchy, I willingly agreed to it, and had already been in the grey area of the law long before that.' Nick continued to look at him sadly, to the point where he began to fidget. 'Look, I'll be alright. You have a family – just forget about me.'

Several seconds of silence passed. The red fox continued to gaze down at Finnick solemnly.

You… gave up everything…

Finnick continued to avoid Nick's gaze, but yelped when Nick knelt down.

'Hey! What're you–'

His throat caught as Nick wrapped his arms around Finnick shoulders, leaving the small vulpine pressed against his shoulder. Nick didn't say anything, his eyes firmly closed. The fennec was stunned, but began to tear up after a few seconds, and hugged him back.

'You… you idiot…'

They held that embrace for several seconds, until Finnick grunted impatiently, prompting Nick to put him down.

'Alright, enough touchy-feely crap. Don't you have a couple of crying kits to take care of now? As far as I remember, a certain baby rabbit chucks a fit if he doesn't see a fox every hour. Thank God that silver girl isn't as much of a handful.'

'Well, Mary is distracting the little guy for now.'

Nick smiled warmly as he stood up, but made no move to leave, though he handed the letter back.

'We're starting to sort out birth certificates for both of them. Claire has been pretty helpful with that. But there was another thing…' He paused. 'Carrots and I discussed it, and we want you to be named their godfather. If you're okay with it, that is.'

Finnick was silent for several seconds.

'… Really? Me? A grumpy, shit-talking degenerate? I'm not exactly the pinnacle of "role model", ya know.'

Nick continued to gaze at him firmly. 'You've done the most for us out of anyone.'

Finnick glanced away for a moment of contemplation. '… Maybe. I'll think about it.'

As Finnick folded the paper, and decided against burning it, Nick turned to leave, but spoke one last time over his shoulder.

'Our doors are always open to you. You know where to find us.'

Finnick's ears perked up, and he watched the red fox walk away. He smiled to himself. Even if the guy still wore gaudy shirts sometimes, the red fox had come a long way since their first meeting.

Heh… maybe… it was all worth it after all.


Judy and Mary spent the morning sorting through the items they'd brought back after Claire and Gabby helped them drop off the last of their supplies, with Mary ducking out to get a pair of cribs for the kits, along with some more groceries. During that time, Judy stayed on the couch to keep Toby and Sylvia company when they woke up every now and then. Nick got back in time for lunch, and helped Mary prepare while the kits were asleep. Judy, while she had the fundamentals down on how to care for them, was a little awkward when trying to play with them. It was especially hard for her to keep Toby focused on her when the little buck's attention span seemed to be focused on everything in the room but her – or rather, every fox in the room. Sylvia, on the other paw, was much better behaved and responded well to whatever attention Nick, Mary or Judy gave her. It soon became a priority for them to get a play area with toys as Nick would not let the kits anywhere near his action figures or Preystation. They settled with the one squeaky carrot toy for a few days in the meantime.

Judy spent the afternoon getting such a play area with Mary, while Nick stayed home. While the kits were asleep in their cribs, propped in their bedroom, Nick shifted the entertainment area around slightly to give the kits space to use the play area while still allowing the rest of the family to use the TV and couch like they normally would.

Once Judy and Mary returned, Nick was roped into moving not just one play area, but two, along with bouncy chairs and rockers for a rabbit and fox respectively. At first, he wasn't sure they needed it all, but upon reflection just having Toby around meant that some variety would keep the orange buck entertained. They were all designed for newborns through the toddler years, so they would get good use out of them. Sylvia seemed content with the more technical, smaller toys.

The three of them went about setting up the additional toys in the living room while periodically checking on the kits. It was about 3:30 in the afternoon when they heard a vehicle pulling up into their street. They heard a familiar sputter from its exhaust, and smiled at each other.

Judy pre-emptively walked up to the door, as soon as Finnick knocked, the rabbit threw the half-door open and embraced the fennec before he realised what was happening.

'Hey – geroff! Geroff!'

Judy laughed as she swung him around a bit before putting him back on the ground – only for Mary to swoop in and scoop him up again. Finnick couldn't be bothered to say anything; though Nick smirked as he detected a hint of his friend's ears turning pink.

With the commotion, Toby began crying in the back room. After a moment, Sylvia started crying too, though not nearly as loud.

'Aww… now you've gone and done it,' Nick said accusingly while still wearing his smirk. 'I think you should go and apologise to them, big guy.'

Finnick glowered at all of them as Mary put him down. 'This is the reception I get when your "doors are always open"? Remind me never to take you seriously again.' He rolled his shoulders in embarrassment. 'That said, I… do kinda want to see what's up.'

With collective smiles, the family led the small vulpine into their bedroom; windows open and a light breeze lifting the curtains. The two kits lay face up in their white cribs in the corner, and quieted down a little as they saw Nick and Judy. Judy reached in to scoop up Toby, while Nick did the same to Sylvia. As they rocked them both gently, Sylvia quickly calmed down, falling back to sleep. However, Toby kept crying until he saw Finnick, with Judy turning him around to face him.

'Well… long time no see.'

Mary scoffed. 'Not really.'

Toby stared at the fennec with wide hazel eyes, then kicked his little legs and cooed happily. Finnick couldn't help but gently poke one of his fingers into the little buck's palm, and he could feel a very slight squeeze. He smiled as he looked at Sylvia wrapped in a sheet.

'Well, I guess they aren't as ugly as they were a few days ago.'

Toby soon yawned and went back to sleep with Judy rocking him, and the parents gently put them back to bed.

'You're asking for trouble, saying that in front of their parents,' Mary chastised quietly. 'But objectively speaking, all babies are ugly. Well, except for Nicky, I suppose.'

After Nick gently closed the door, Judy frowned and folded her arms.

'Are you two seriously calling them ugly? Such audacity!'

Finnick and Mary glanced back at her for a moment.

'Well, it is a known fact that mothers are the most oblivious to their babies' ugliness,' Mary said cheekily, 'the father being the second.'

'So you two at least, get a pass,' Finnick continued, 'for being their parents and all.'

Judy huffed a little and glanced over at Nick, who shrugged. 'I'm just happy they're healthy. I think they'll both grow up to be fine-looking mammals, Carrots. Though I didn't think you were one to care for something like that.'

'Well, I just don't like the idea of them getting bullied when they eventually go to school,' Judy managed to say wearily. 'Just one of many concerns a parent would have, I guess.'

'Well, Sylvia is admittedly a bit on the smaller side,' Mary said gently, 'but that lovely coat! If it ends like my grandma's, I could see her being a celebrity!'

Nick grimaced uncomfortably as he ushered everyone back to the living room. 'Can we not plan out my daughter's life when she's barely a week old?'

As they got back to the living room, Judy and Nick glanced at their driveway, then to Finnick.

'What now, Finn?'

The small vulpine cleared his throat and ducked his head in embarrassment.

'I've still got a few… things in the old girl. If you have a spare room, can we… uh…'

Mary sighed, pushing him to the door as they all moved to help him unpack. 'Jeez, I can't believe I prefer your swearing to this awkward fumbling.'


It didn't take long for Finnick to get settled in. With his mobile lifestyle, he only had to set up a tableto have a more comfortable working spot than within his van, and he still had his laptop. Even if his existing assets had mostly been frozen, his business contacts hadn't. However, he still kept the nature of his work vague whenever anyone asked him about it, though he insisted it was all legit.

A couple of days after Finnick moved in, Nick began to feel like something was off. Everything seemed to be great; the kits were alive, Judy was alive, and everyone living in the house had the means to support themselves and help take care of the kits when needed. Judy had even started planning for returning to work, fully intending to start sorting through their paperwork the next day.

And yet, the thought of leaving the house and returning to work felt strange to Nick. Even going out to get groceries, or just for a jog, stressed him out more than he would have liked. And that morning, dreading what he would see, he forced himself to properly look in the mirror after washing his face in the bathroom.

His red fur was nowhere near the same rich hue from a month ago – his previously thick fur was thin in some places. His black-tipped ears seemed slightly drooped despite there being no reason for them to be. And most of all, his eyes were somewhat sunken, with dark lines around them. They reminded him of some of his worst years growing up.

Nick knew his sleeping patterns were still out of whack. In fact, he often found himself waking up to check on the kits even when they were fast asleep, while Judy slept well despite the new addition to their lives.

The fox gathered the family one morning for some suggestions, during Toby and Sylvia's early lunchtime.

'So… you still can't sleep, huh?' Finnick repeated to himself. 'I guess I can't blame you after everything you went through.'

Judy's ears drooped a little, while keeping Toby and his bottle in place. 'I don't think it'll be easy to recover from that. I mean, you spent weeks constantly worrying about me, along with these two. Now that I think about it… It reminds me of PTSD.'

They all fell silent for a thoughtful moment, and Nick realised she wasn't far off.

'Have you taken any sleeping tablets?' Mary suggested. 'Something light could help, at least for now.'

'I have tried a couple, but I don't think that's what I need.' Nick shook his head. 'I'm not sure what I need.'

'We might need to think about therapy,' Judy said. 'Good thing we just met one. Tam could help. You and Sam wouldn't be too different as patients, either.'

'Maybe…' Nick grimaced. 'But just the thought of leaving the house freaks me out a bit.'

As they continued to think, Finnick paid particular attention to Nick's ears and whiskers. As he studied the larger tod, he picked up on them darting in the kit's direction near constantly, with Mary sitting next to Judy with Sylvia this time.

'Hey, Nick? It might not be as therapeutic as… well, therapy, but I have something to show you in my van.'

They all looked at him quizzically, but Nick quickly shrugged, got up from the single couch, and followed his friend outside. The two women inside exchanged a cursory glance, but stayed inside.

Nick still winced every time he saw the huge gash marks through the van's side, but at least Finnick was planning to get a job done, even if he needed some financial help from them. Finnick, for his part, ignored its appearance and went straight to the back doors, and Nick followed him in.

The inside was mostly bare, with Finnick having moved everything he could into the small study he favoured. However, there were still some compartments that were locked up. Finnick used one of his keys to open a small compartment closest to the driver's seat. He then pulled out a larger, padlock-style key that looked like it belonged in the 90s. He surprised Nick by holding the key out to him.

'What, am I supposed to eat this?' Nick quipped after a moment. 'I haven't heard of a key being used in therapy much.'

Finnick sighed. 'No, you dumbass. Though I guess I should explain a bit before handing it over.'

The tan vulpine frowned and slipped into the front seat, while Nick followed and sat in the passenger's. Finnick, however, made no move to start the engine, instead looking over the neat streets of the rainforest neighbourhood.

'Speaking of my… former assets, there is something else that I have, and haven't told you about. Frankly, I wouldn't have made it your business, but… I think it can help you.'

Nick kept silent as he watched his friend turn some things over in his head.

'My old man was a sleazy drunkard, but he did make some choices that didn't completely suck. Before I was even born, he managed to scrape enough funds together to buy a small piece of land on a hill in the Savannah Central district. Back then, it was still being propped up, so it didn't really have a view. Now, though…'

As Nick studied the key still in his friend's paw, he pieced things together.

'So… what? You suggesting I go for a visit? I dunno about that, Finnick… I doubt a tourist's trip will make this go away.'

Finnick slowly shook his head. 'I'm not saying it will – though I have used it myself to clear my head. But I've known you for a long time, Nick. I'm guessing Mary knows, too, but she's not too sure how to bring it up.' He twisted in his seat to face the red fox. 'It's because of the tykes, isn't it? Judes a little bit, too.'

'What do you mean?'

Finnick then gazed at Nick, with a look only a friend for decades could possibly give.

'Correct me if I'm wrong, but… Do you ever feel like, if you don't keep your eyes on them 24/7, they'll disappear? As if none of this stuff since the birth ever happened?'

Nick's eyes widened as he took in those words. As he recalled every time he tried to go to sleep, to leave the house without the kits… the pattern became clear.

'… Yeah. Like I'm living some wonderful dream, and if I… if I take my eyes off them, I'll wake up, and reality will slap me in the face.'

Finnick frowned grimly. 'I guess I know the feeling. Though, losing pretty much everything money-wise hasn't turned out as badly as I imagined.' He fell silent for a moment, then shook his head. 'But that's not the point. What I want is to drill into your thick skull that the tykes are alive, Judy is alive, and that none of us are going anywhere. So I'm gonna send you away to a secluded spot for long enough for your brain to catch up. It being a pretty nice view is just a bonus. And if you lock the padlock behind you, it's very unlikely anyone will come knockin'.'

He held out the key again, and Nick took it, though not without fidgeting with his paws a little.

'Just how long are we talking?'

Finnick took a moment to think. 'Depends. How much do you trust me?'

Nick studied him for a moment, confused.

'I mean,' Finnick said with a sigh, 'I'm giving you my word that I'll watch them for you. Judes isn't going anywhere until tomorrow, anyway. So… until dinner, maybe? Just my suggestion.'

Nick slowly smiled.

'After everything you've done for us, how could I say no?'

They sat in silence for a few more moments, before Nick opened his door. 'I should let the rest of the folks know where I'm going, though. And you actually need to give some directions, unless you fancy me jumping in the lake.'

Finnick grinned sadistically as he moved to follow. 'And what if I did like that idea?'


Nick got dressed in his familiar green shirt once more and packed a carry bag with a few snacks, a bottle and other essentials, before he took the next train. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a lot of mammals glancing at him. Not too long ago, it would have been with suspicion or dismissal, if they paid any attention at all. Now, he detected a similar level of respect that he'd unexpectedly gotten from that pack of wildebeests. If it wasn't for the fox's furrowed brow, he might have pictured several asking for his autograph, especially after the ZNN interview. But his grip on the handlebars was firm; and he couldn't deny his thoughts honing in on Judy and the kits. The only reason he didn't drop everything and go straight back was because Finnick gave his word that he would watch them for him.

In an attempt to distract himself, he turned around to study the city through the window, and felt a distinct sense of déjà vu. Then he remembered, several weeks ago, him and Judy watching an evening procession of a music festival. And then, after they'd seen Doctor Franklin, the news that would change their lives. He then spent some time turning over the events in his head.

Before long, the train announced his stop: Tall Plains. The name rang a bell, and he managed to distract himself for a couple of minutes trying to think of where he'd heard it as he stepped off the platform.

It was a relatively wealthy suburb, so it was somewhat surprising to him that Finnick's father had managed to secure some land. Though from the way Finnick told it, the area was not always as wealthy as it was now, and the fennec's father simply took an opportunity that happened to work out. Though as far as Nick could tell, the old fox never managed to make a profit on it, even if it had gone up in value over the years.

Finnick's scrawled directions were surprisingly easy to follow, as he knew the streets well enough from having briefly gotten some lucrative sales projects going in the area. After winding through several streets, he turned left at an elephant statue outside the university. As Nick faced the proper direction, he looked up to see several apartment blocks built into a large hill. He ventured off to the left and down a dim alleyway, arrivingat a shrouded metal gate. As Nick got closer, its height loomed over him; once again designed for larger mammals. With a weary sigh, he stretched and reached up to unlock the padlock to shove it open, before closing the padlock behind him as he went through.

The path wound up around a fairly steep hill that only sported grass on the upper half, and was mostly covered by overgrown bushes and trees. It began to thin out as he felt a slight breeze, and the afternoon blue sky opened up as he came to another locked gate, running into the surrounding hillsides in both fence was rusted and old, but the padlock itself was in the same condition as the previous one. As he closed the gate behind him, he paused. The gentle afternoon breeze, along with the rustling of tree leaves and surrounding grass, was all he could hear; in contrast to the bustling vehicles near the ZPD precinct not too far from here.

Huh… Maybe Finnick was onto something…

He slowly made his way through the field of grass, flowers and dandelions that were long enough that Nick believed no one had ever bothered mowing it. There was very little in the way of development; the only thing built by mammal paws was a safety fence along the edge of the plateau; just as old-looking as the one he'd just passed.

Nevertheless, Nick leaned on the railing and gazed out at the city, trying to make out some familiar city sounds in the distance. His thoughts inevitably returned to Judy and the kits, but now he wondered if Mary would be cruel enough to "borrow" his action figures for Toby.

At least Carrots wouldn't be that mean… right? Besides, Toby isn't strong enough to do any real damage… yet.

As his thoughts wandered, he once again thought back to all the faces of the mammals that had joined them in the Asylum. Nick had given his thanks and goodbyes where appropriate, but even now he still felt like he hadn't done enough, despite Gabby's words. He just couldn't think of what more he could do at the moment, but he started to brainstorm some ideas for himself.

As the fox rested his head on his elbows, and the afternoon sun began to set, he spotted some lights turning on in the shaded sections of the city, scattered in the deepest reaches of the large skyscrapers – their assorted colours mixing with the brilliant evening sky.

The sight immediately reminded him of how he and Judy had seen the city through the window. Only now did he reflect on how differently he felt about it.

It's… still broken. I have a lot of bad memories of this place. But… I was stupid to write it all off. Images of Judy, Finnick, Mary, Gabby, Alex, and others he had met, flashed through his mind. There are many good mammals here, even if the rest wouldn't have given me a second look. That has to count for something.

He tilted his head thoughtfully. It really isn't so bad. I guess you could call it… beautiful. Even if it's not perfect… no. Especially because it isn't perfect.

The fox continued to watch the city, allowing the serene setting to wash over him. His anxiety was still there, but every time it came up, he instead imagined what his new family were doing. And tried to avoid thinking about the toys they could be destroying in the process.

He felt his eyes droop after a while. Pushing himself up from the railing, he felt around with his feet until he found a soft, dry spot. He took off his bag and slowly lay down on his back, looking up at the now deep, blue-orange sky. The fox spotted the distant glint of stars, before his eyes began to droop again.

Yes… Judy, Toby, Sylvia… they'll be fine… everything will be fine…

And with that final thought, he gradually drifted off into a deep sleep, his thoughts filled with images of his new family.