Here is the 52nd installment. Hope you enjoy.

Notes now live at the end of the chapter, so here is the obligatory, on with the show.

Sadly, I do not own and thus can claim no rights to Zootopia or its characters. They belong to Disney.

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WildeHopps - Thursday Night

After a quick shower with minimal adult activity, Nick and Judy curled up in bed. "So, what are your plans tomorrow?" Nick asked as he curled around his mate.

Snuggling into the warm embrace of her fox, Judy sighed. "I guess Lizz and I will do our best to meet more of the complex, and then maybe go on a short walk to get a feel for the neighborhood. What about you?"

"Well, I have the rest of the recording for the training to do, then we have to meet Maria at the studio tomorrow night to record some bonus songs. I am curious what they'll be."

"No telling, but if it's being asked for by the artists that are involved in the concert, they should actually be worthwhile."

"I can agree with that."

"Who will you have at the recording?"

"If they all show up, there will be Alex Drevel, Jacob McNalley, Jennifer Arctis, and Neil Lessic."

Judy nodded into Nick's chest. "That's a good set of mammals and will really round things out, especially with Jennifer."

"I agree. I hope she tells her story, including the incident. Though I will fully understand if she doesn't."

Judy was nearly asleep. It was just an effect her fox had on her. "Mmmhmm… We'll go over it all and make the tests this weekend."

Smiling at his nearly asleep bun. "Sounds good love. Good night, Judy." kissing her between the ears before snuggling down further to let sleep claim him.

"Night, Nick…."

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Wolfeyer - The same time, one apartment over

Mike and Lizz also curled up after a quick and reasonably well behaved shower. Mike sighing as they laid together. "We have so much we need to buy to fill this place, and that is before we move into the townhouse."

Lizz sighed. "We do, but we have the money in savings. And that is before your mom and dad, along with my mom stop by and decide to buy a bunch of things. Don't even pretend that they won't do that."

"Now that we're out, officially married, and recognized by the Alpha's, yeah... that's going to happen. That said, I want to make some choices first. I want a new bed, and that is something that we need to do ourselves."

"Agreed. Though all of that can wait for this weekend. How are we going to manage to drag your parents to the recording without telling them what is going on?"

Mike shifted slightly closer to his tiger. "I don't know. I'll talk to Nick about that in the morning. He's doing another set of recordings tomorrow. I have a feeling it's going to hit the mammals that attend just as hard as the last one did."

"Probably right. All of that is for tomorrow's us to worry about."

"It is. We're in a new place now, Love. It really feels like home too."

Lizz nodded, lifting Mike's muzzle to kiss him. "It really does. Despite how crazy things have been. How shocking the things have been, we really are home, arn't we."

Mike smiled as he returned the kiss. "We really are, love. We really are. Good night."

"Good night, Mike."

With that, they snuggled deeper and with mutual sighs of contentment, were both quickly pulled into sleep.

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Friday Morning - WildeHopps

Nick woke to his alarm, and turning it off, crawled out of bed and away from his bunny. Stopped as she latched onto his tail. Looking back, he smiled and shook his head. She was still asleep but managed to get his tail in a death grip. Grabbing his pillow, he marked it, and then carefully and deftly replaced his tail with the pillow. Once free, he headed for the bathroom.

Closing the door, he looked around with a grin. This was their bathroom. An on-suite to go with their master bedroom. Even with the kits, they would have their own space. The kits would have their own bathroom, and there was even a half bath for guests.

While he was brushing his teeth, Nick found himself starting to cry. Wiping at his face, he rinsed and sighed shakily. Surprised by a sudden hug from behind. "Hey Nick. What's the matter?"

Chuckling wetly he turned around with a sniff. "It's just kinda hitting me. We're going to be a family of more than just the two of us. But more than that. I just had one of those moments where I expected to wake up and find this, all of this." Waving a paw at the world. "You, the job, all of it, having all been a long, wonderful, horrible nightmare. Not because it was such a horrible life, but because it wasn't real." Nick dropped to his knees and pulled Judy into a hug. "I'm sorry if I woke you."

Judy smiled warmly at him. "Nick… We're at the point where we know when the other is in pain. Maybe not what it is, but that the other is. I felt it, and of course I had to find you. We're all real here, Nick. You, me, our kits. We're all real, and we're not going anywhere."

A watery smile on his face, Nick nodded. "I know love. It's just that sometimes, the life I lived before you still tries to assert itself and make me doubt all this. Makes me question my worthiness of you, the kits, our friends, the job, everything."

Pressing her forehead to his, Judy let their tears mingle for a moment. "I know Nick. But you would not have any of it if you were not deserving. Even at your lowest, your worst, you were at most a petty criminal. Even when you worked for Big, you were never part of the real criminal parts of the organization."

"Yes, and yet I also trained as an assassin, just like you. Only it was very real for me. Maria was adding to your skills to help you succeed. If they hadn't been killed off, it is very likely I would have become one of them. A killer."

"Nick. They may have been training you, but that was never going to be how you served. You were on a messenger errand because that was going to be your function. You know this because it was in the master's writings. If anything, he suspected what was coming and sent you on that mission to keep you away long enough to survive. Didn't you say that you had to wait three days before your contact showed, and it turned out you were just delivering some information that could have been emailed, even within your organization."

With a heavy sigh, Nick nodded. "You're right. As insufferably always. I know these things, and most of the time it's okay. It just catches up with me sometimes, but you are always here to pick me up. I love you, Judy."

"I love you too, Nick." They shared a long, passionate kiss, pouring their love for each other into the other via the kiss. "Now, since I'm up. Why don't you finish getting ready and I'll make you some pancakes with some of the blueberries I don't think you noticed were left behind by my family."

A real smile breaking through the wane one Nick had up to that moment, his tail giving a slight wag. "Hopps blueberries? Do you think they are still as good?"

"Probably better. My sister Gloria has taken over the berry patches and started making changes to improve fertilization and improved the yield from our bushes."

"Then I accept your proposal, and no. No more self pity or any of all that. It just catches up with me sometimes when I'm happiest. Like I don't deserve it, then you swoop in and pull me back up. I'll be done in just a minute."

Giving Nick another kiss. "I'll have your coffee ready too." Pulling him up. "Now move, the pregnant rabbit needs to pee." With a laugh, and a gentle swat on her reat with his tail, Nick dodged out of her way. Laughing as she growled at him while quickly moving to the toilet.

Nick had straightened and dried his fur, brushed it to it's usual sheen, and was finishing with his tie and making sure his utility belt was in place and organized how he liked it a few minutes later. He laughed about that. They drilled into you that your belt needed to be set up a specific way in the academy, and though it wasn't a large number of things, that was one that nearly every officer abandoned by their third day on the job. Nick knew he did it on the first day, and at the behest of Judy on Duty herself.

It was the fact that every officer was different, you wanted different things at paw, different things available to your dominant versus your non-dominant paw, or in the case of truly ambidextrous mammals like he and Judy, it was a question of preference.

The scent of blueberry pancakes drew him into their kitchen where Nick found a small stack and coffee waiting for him. Kissing the rabbit, he quickly chowed down, moaning in pleasure as the sweet and tart flavor of the unparalleled Hopps blueberries, warmed in the pancakes, exploded in his muzzle.

After breakfast and making triple sure that Judy didn't need anything, he exited the apartment, travel mug in paw. Looking to his left, he saw Mike exit at nearly the same time, his own travel mug of coffee in paw.

"Morning Mike. Ready for this day?"

Mike nodded and took a sip of his coffee. "As I'll ever be. So, how are we getting to work?"

"Subway. The line that is literally across the street is the one that drops us off right across the street from the precinct. That leaves your car for Judy and Lizz to use and pick up your parents in."

"Sounds good."

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Friday Morning - Wolfeyer

Mike woke surrounded by tiger, and that fact made him very happy, enough that his tail wagged, thumping the bed. He knew, just because of that fact, that all was right with his world. The only downside; a quick glance at his phone standing on it's wireless charging station as his nightstand clock and alarm, was that his alarm was going to go off in a few minutes and force him to leave the cocoon of tiger he was wrapped in.

Lizz grumbled. "One downside of being married and mated to a wolf. There is no controlling that tail, is there."

Mike chuckled. "Sorry love, but no there is not. Sorry if it woke you, but my alarm is going to go off in a short minute anyway. I'm going to get ready and maybe make you some breakfast."

Curling tighter around her wolf for a moment, Lizz groaned. "No. You get ready and I'll make something. I swear I saw those rabbits filling the cabinets and fridge with more than what was in our old apartment."

Shifting so he could kiss her, Mike nodded. "Sounds good love. But I will take on making breakfast soon. We're equals."

"Maybe, but I'm just stuck here at home until I pop, while you still have to work. So the least I can do is make sure my mate is properly fed before he leaves for work. You can make it up to me when the cubs are born and they need a midnight changing or feeding."

"I can do that. Even if it permanently burns out my nose and I have to quit the K9 unit."

Laughing, She uncurled so he was free. "You won't have to quit, but it might take a few months before you can smell much."

Getting up, Mike leaned down and kissed her. "Worth it. See you in a minute."

Mike quickly entered their on-suite and with an even happier wag as he realized that they had more space in just their bedroom now than they did in the entire apartment they shared before. He quickly brushed his teeth while Lizz joined him for a moment to take care of her own morning issues before heading to the kitchen. A wide grin left on his muzzle as he watched her walk towards the kitchen without a stitch of clothing on. It didn't matter that she was pregnant, she was still the most amazing and sexy creature on the planet as far as he was concerned.

He gave a wolf whistle, causing a happy swish of her tail as she disappeared towards the kitchen. A few minutes later he entered their large eat-in kitchen to the smell of eggs cooking and chicken sausage. The sound of a knife on a cutting board accompanying the delectable smells.

Lizz glanced at him then turned back to her slicing. "They left a whole bunch of fresh fruit, right off the Hopps farm. I don't know if Judy ever shared some of their fresh fruit with you, but it is literally the best you can get. So breakfast will be some scrambled eggs, toast, which is from Gideon's bakery, and fresh fruit from the Hopps family farms."

Grinning as he sat down and Lizz slid his breakfast in front of him. "Thank you love, this looks fantastic. This will be my first experience with Hopps fruit."

Lizz chuckled. "Judy forever ruined me for strawberries and raspberries. Never got any of the blueberries though. She always saved those for Nick. They participate in the farmers markets here in the city, but more often than not they are sold out before I get off shift. Never was willing to beg the favor from Judy for the hook up. Then she had the blow up with her family and well, that well ran dry. Though it seems those bridges are being repaired."

"Given the army of rabbits that appeared yesterday and not only packed us up, but moved us, and unpacked. They even did any repairs and cleaning needed on the old place. Lizza is supposed to text me later today when everything is done so I can turn in the keys."

Lizz nodded. "Yeah, but you need to finish your breakfast so you can catch up with Nick and head in."

They enjoyed a quiet, companionable silence as they ate. Mike then took the travel mug of coffee Lizz had already prepared for him. After sharing a long kiss goodbye, and ensuring she truly didn't need anything else, Mike headed out. Exiting his apartment at the same time Nick exited his.

Nick raised his cup in salute. "Morning Mike. Ready for this day?"

Mike nodded and took a sip of his coffee. "As I'll ever be. So, how are we getting to work?"

"Subway. The line that is literally across the street is the one that drops us off right across the street from the precinct. That leaves your car for Judy and Lizz to use and pick up your parents in."

"Sounds good."

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A/N

Remember to share the love. Review and Fav. It is the life blood of every writer to know you are enjoying their work. I also want to thank everyone who has Fav'd, followed, and reviewed this little project. I know that isn't much, but to me, it's huge. Even as a writer of original fiction, that you enjoy this means a lot to me as an author. You can check out my original work and link to my Blog, Scribblings, where a lot of it lives by hopping over to dcballard . com ( Direct: ascensionnovel . / scribblings (remove the spaces) because the forwarding is misbehaving.)

If you enjoy this, and you are not also reading my original Log Entries series over on my Blog. Why aren't you? (takes a Nick-esk pose of hurt) Also. I am now posting them on AO3, so you have even less excuse. It's free, ORIGINAL fiction. "An original story told through the log entries of the pilot and captain of an experimental star ship."

You should really be checking out my bestest bud, Bear678, and his story What Foxes May Come.

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