A/N: Having come face to face with his sister, Robbie tells the truth. To Judy…and to Nick.

Before we begin, we need to acknowledge the elephant in the room. To my editor and friend BeecroftA…Happy Birthday!

This story has been elevated beyond what I could have ever dreamed of, thanks to his tireless work and his passion for the story. He is an excellent editor, one of the best I could have asked for. But more than that, he has been a wonderful friend. His encouragement has helped me through some of the hardest times in my life. Even when I couldn't write anything for months (sometimes even more than a year) due to real-life complications, he still stood by patiently, lending a listening ear whenever I needed it, and eager to help the moment I was ready again. Without him, this story would not have made it this far.

To BeecroftA, this chapter is dedicated to you, my friend. Thank you for everything you have done. We are so close now, and I hope I can see this through with you, all the way to the end.

Thanks to BeecroftA, Bloodfox22, Blkdragon7, Fate-Be Changed, Guest, Zojak, Tinbuzzard11, side-fish, Lupin1968, Mooni.95, and sondreadful for reviewing!

And as always, a special thanks to BeecroftA for editing this chapter.

Chapter 28: A Heart that Believes

Flatfoot, what in the world are you doing?

Nick's mouth was still hanging open slightly from the bombshell that the brown bunny just dropped. It didn't make sense; why was Robbie doing this? Of all the times to come clean about everything to his sister, why now? And why would he do this without telling him first?

Whatever it was, none of it mattered, now that Judy was standing right there in front of them.

"Robbie…is that really you?" the grey bunny asked in disbelief, her eyes wide.

"Yes, it is," Robbie replied softly.

"B-but, what are you…how are you…" she stammered, still completely flabbergasted. She shook her head a couple of times, looking like she was trying to figure out where to even begin. "Robbie, what are you doing here? How did you even get in? And your arm…why are you wearing your brace again?"

"Umm…I suppose the answer to all three questions is 'it's a long story'. I don't suppose you have some time to listen to it, do you?" he rubbed the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly.

Nick winced inwardly. From the way that the brown bunny was speaking, this confession did not seem like it was well planned…if at all.

A frown began to form on Judy's face. Her eyes darted around the room cautiously, as if she was expecting someone else to have been hiding in the room with them. Nick could almost see the cogs in her head whirring as she tried to piece together everything that she was seeing in front of her. It took her a few seconds, but then, something seemed to hit her, and she immediately turned to her left with a concerned look on her face.

"Nick, did you sneak my brother into the ZPA? What were you planning on doing with him?"

"You see? I told you the first thing she'd do was blame me," Nick whispered to Robbie, though Judy could obviously hear that. Something else seemed to click in her head, and she gasped sharply.

"Wait—were you using my brother as sparring practice for the fight?"

"No no, he wasn't!" Robbie waved his paws back and forth.

"Actually, I kinda was." Nick pointed out.

"NICK!" Judy yelled, stomping over towards him. "Ooh, I'm taking back my apology for hitting you in the face! I can't believe you even tried to do something like—"

But before she could get any closer, Robbie jumped in front of Nick and held his arms out defensively.

"Sis, wait! Nick didn't smuggle me in; I'm here because I wanted to be!" Robbie shouted, louder than was needed with how close Judy was. But the increased volume had its intended effect, because Judy froze completely, looking quite taken aback by her brother's defensiveness. She took a step back slowly, her brow still furrowed.

"I…I don't understand."

Robbie slowly lowered his arms and took a deep breath.

"Three months ago, you came to the ZPA to find Nick. He was going through muzzle training, and after he came out of the training hall, you went up and sat with him on the rooftop garden to try and make him feel better."

Judy did a double take, almost recoiling physically.

"How…could you have known about that?"

"Because I was there when it happened. Well, sorta; I was under the balcony. Anyway, you had him put the muzzle on you. And shortly after, you challenged him to a fight, where the loser would do whatever the winner wanted."

"That's…not possible. You couldn't have been there, unless…" Judy trailed off for a second, before looking up past Robbie. "Nick, please tell me this is a joke. Please tell me this is just some crazy joke you were planning on pulling on me that I just happened to walk in on." She looked at the fox pleadingly, looking almost desperate for her statement to be true.

Nick winced internally. Every bone in his body screamed at him to blurt out one of the hundred elaborate cover stories he'd helped Robbie plan out before. But he couldn't; none of his cover stories ever accounted for Robbie telling the truth like this.

Robbie noticed the fox's hesitation as well, and his eyes began to dart back and forth as he tried to figure out what to say. After a few seconds, an idea seemed to come to him. His expression turning solemn, he raised his right paw and placed it over his chest, looking straight into Judy's eyes.

"I, Robbie Hopps, do solemnly and sincerely swear that I will be loyal and true to the Police Service and the City of Zootopia. I swear to uphold the law, to protect life of all sizes and species, to prevent and detect crime. I swear to discharge all my duties without fear or favour, and to always seek and speak the truth…to set wrongs right."

With every word that Robbie spoke, Judy's eyes grew wider and wider. When he finally finished, Judy's mouth fell open slightly.

"No…Robbie, it can't be. You mean, you're really…"

"A cadet in the ZPA," Robbie finished sadly. "I've been here for the last five months; I joined on the same day as Nick."

Judy looked like a knife had just gone through her chest.

"Then, everything about you being on an exchange program in Zootopia…"

"Was a lie," Robbie finished. "Mom and Dad don't know about me being here either. No one else in our family knows. And before you ask, no, I didn't injure my arm by falling off a bike. I hurt it when I was doing the vine climb a few months back. And I hurt it again during scenario training last month, when I was fighting a stoat."

Judy immediately turned to Nick, looking straight at his face. There were so many emotions that Nick could see in her eyes all at once, it was hard to list them all out. He raised his paws defensively.

"Hey, don't look at me like that. You remember the first day we came here together? I thought I saw a bunny in the crowd, but he got away before I could catch him. Turned out that he was indeed a bunny, and he just happened to be your brother. And he ended up being the one sleeping in the bed above mine. Life's funny like that, huh?" Nick laughed. Judy did not laugh with him.

"So you knew? You knew this entire time, and you weren't going to tell me at all?" Judy said incredulously, her voice rising in intensity with every word.

"Uhh…is now a good time to tell you that I aced my exams? Top scores!" Nick chuckled nervously, rushing over to pull out his result slip from his backpack sitting on his bed. He turned it over and presented it to her.

"Nick, don't try and change the sub…wait, you…you actually got top scores?" Judy gasped. She stared at the numbers on the paper, her eyes widening. "Oh my gosh, Nick, that's amazing! You actually did it!" She exclaimed with what seemed to be genuine excitement on her face.

Wow, I can't believe that worked.

"But you're still trying to change the subject!" she growled, her smile quickly disappearing.

Dang it.

"N-now, hang on, Carrots. Let's just calm down for a moment, alright? There's a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why—" Nick started, but found himself suddenly being cut off.

"—Sis, please don't be mad at Nick! It's not his fault, it's mine! I'm the one who told him not to tell you anything!" Robbie yelled.

Judy began to open her mouth to say something, but upon hearing Robbie's outburst, she hesitated. Her ears drooped behind her head as she looked back at him. Although the look on her face softened slightly, she still looked deeply confused and hurt.

"But why? Why would you lie to me about being in the academy?"

"Because…I didn't want to let you down. I came here because I just saw how much everyone else admired you for becoming a cop, and I wanted that too. But I knew about the other bunnies who tried to go through ZPA training, and I knew I probably wasn't going to make it either. How could I even look you in the eye if I couldn't make it through? Or worse, if I quit early? I came here expecting to be beaten up and thrown around for a bit, and then I could go home without you or anyone knowing that I even tried. And I was right; well, I would've been, if it weren't for Nick."

The younger bunny glanced at Nick in the corner of his eye for a moment before continuing.

"I was ready to give up after the first week, but Nick was the one who stopped me. He talked with me, helped me through the training sessions, and encouraged me every time I needed it. And suddenly, before I knew it, I had already come this far. I was planning to wait until I graduated before I surprised you with the news, but…" he trailed off.

Up to this point, Judy had been completely silent. She didn't respond immediately, only alternating her silent gaze between Robbie and Nick with a frown on her face. Nick couldn't read her mind, but he could quite easily hazard a guess as to what she was thinking. After what seemed like forever, she finally spoke up.

"All those times you said you were busy studying for your exams…all the times that I video-called you and you looked completely exhausted…" she clenched her fists. "When we were at the carnival, I even told you that you'd make a good cop. I said I was proud of you, Robbie!"

Robbie flinched, instinctively taking a small step backwards. If his tail were any longer, it would have been hidden between his legs.

"I know…I wanted to tell you about it then. But I'd already lied about so much by then, and I got scared. I was scared about how you would react. I couldn't bring myself to do it. I'm sorry."

Judy bit her lip for a moment, before she turned away, not seeming to want to look Robbie in the eye.

"I trusted you. And I thought you trusted me too. I said that you could always talk to me about anything, but…I guess this wasn't one of those things."

Robbie had no response, hanging his head in shame. The two bunnies were facing away from each other now. An uncomfortable silence descended on the room. Robbie looked out the window forlornly, and for a moment, Nick was worried that the younger bunny might have been thinking about throwing himself out of it. His heart skipped a beat. He had to do something, and fast.

He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, he heard Judy sigh softly.

"But…"

Nick and Robbie both turned simultaneously towards the grey bunny upon hearing her voice again. Surprisingly, her face had softened, and her eyes were half-lidded.

"…After everything that's happened recently, I don't really have a right to be mad at you, do I?" Judy said softly.

Robbie didn't answer. Nick waited, but neither of the bunnies said a word more. He frowned inwardly. Suddenly, he felt like there was something that he was missing—like there was an unspoken conversation between played out between the two bunnies that he wasn't privy to.

After what seemed like an eternity, Judy turned back towards Robbie, taking a deep breath.

"That's…alright. It's okay, Robbie," she said slowly. "I understand why you did what you did. I'm not mad at you, I promise."

"Y-you're not?" Robbie stuttered.

Judy shook her head.

"I, well, I get it. I told you how much I liked the idea of not being the only bunny cop on the force. If I had known you were in the academy, I probably would've gotten all overbearing and big-sisterly. Heck, I might have pushed you to keep going even if you decided that things weren't going to work out."

She paused for a moment to look up into Robbie's eyes before continuing.

"It doesn't matter what your reasons were; I'm still glad that you're here, Robbie. I told you back then that you could consider becoming a cop…guess you beat me to the punch, huh?" Judy said, a smile forming on her face for the very first time since stepping into the room that evening.

Robbie looked like he couldn't believe his ears. It took a little bit, but slowly, he began to smile back at her.

"Yeah…I guess I did."

"I still can't believe that you and Nick managed to pull the wool over my head for so long. I didn't suspect a thing at all! I mean, on the day I met you on your 'campus', you acted so natural that I really thought you were a student there. That was an amazing bluff; I didn't think you had it in you." Judy's smile morphed into a playful grin.

"It was, wasn't it?" Robbie replied, sounding more and more relieved with every passing second. "And I didn't actually have it in me; I owe Nick for teaching me how to keep my cool. He's the one who came up with the plan to meet at the university and then leave for the carnival right away—please don't be mad at him for that."

"I should've known Nick was involved in that somehow." Judy huffed, giving him a side eye. "It was an amazing plan, I'll admit. Amazingly devious, but still amazing."

…This can't be real. Nick blinked. Now it was his turn to be in disbelief. Things had looked dicey a few moments ago, but somehow, against all odds, Judy wasn't angry or upset. He knew he told Robbie that she would have understood, but her reaction right now was still far better than he'd ever imagined. A wave of relief finally washed over him, and he finally found himself relaxing again.

"Well, I will take full credit for that, Carrots. He was a tough student, you know. Couldn't even tell a lie to save his life. He did get better, though he's still got a lot to learn." Nick grinned, patting Robbie on his shoulder.

"For the record, Nick, I'm still blaming you for corrupting my dear innocent sweet brother like this," Judy said with a roll of her eyes. "At least he hasn't picked up your snarkiness yet."

"Hey, like he said, it was his choice." Nick shrugged. "I did appreciate him being around though. After I came here, I was worried I would miss having an appropriately sized bunny head to use as an armrest. He did make a good study buddy too; his ears were perfect for holding papers up." Nick grinned.

Judy turned towards Robbie. "Please tell me he didn't actually do that."

Without missing a beat, Nick took his result slip he was still holding and placed it neatly on Robbie's head. True enough, the brown bunny's ears acted as a nice backrest to hold the paper steady. Robbie shrugged his shoulders with a sheepish grin.

"You're unbelievable, Nick…" Judy shook her head with a sigh. As she looked at the piece of paper on her brother's head, something seemed to occur to her. "Oh wait! If you already got your results, then Robbie, you…?" she quickly turned to face her brother, the excitement in her voice beginning to grow.

Robbie's eyes widened. "Ah, that's…"

"What's wrong?" Judy asked. "Oh…did you…not make it?"

"Nah, he's already passed all his written exams," Nick answered immediately. "He's just worried because he still has to take the makeup tests next week on account of his arm."

"Oh my gosh! Robbie, you've already passed everything else?!" Judy exclaimed.

"You bet he did!" Nick wrapped his arm around the younger bunny, beaming like a proud father. "He really crammed for all those tests. All seventies and eighties."

"Robbie, that's amazing!" Judy clapped her paws together. "Oh, oh! Would you mind if I asked Major Friedkin if I sat in for the makeup exams? I want to see you in action for myself!"

"Oh hey, now that's a good idea. I doubt the megaphone polar bear would mind. Besides, now that you know everything, Flatfoot here could definitely use some sisterly encouragement." Nick chuckled, plucking the piece of paper off the bunny's head before it could fall onto the ground.

"I can't believe it! You're so close to being the second bunny in the ZPD, Robbie!" Judy squealed. "I know you're probably not going to get posted to Precinct One, but this is so exciting! Mom and Dad are gonna be so surprised—again! Dad's probably going to cry a lot, but they're going to be so happy for you! Can you imagine it? The first fox and the second bunny cop at the same time!"

Nick glanced down beside him. Robbie smiled for a moment, but a second later, he suddenly looked down, his shoulders and ears slumping simultaneously.

"…I can't."

"You can't? What do you mean?" Judy replied, confused.

"Ah, he's just being dramatic." Nick rolled his eyes. "He's been like that ever since he got here. He's like a broken record, you know. C'mon, Flatfoot, we've already had this talk like, four times now. What happened to all that confidence you had earlier this week?"

Robbie looked up at Judy, and then at Nick.

"You don't understand, Nick. I can't become a cop."

"Okay, you know what? Don't listen to him. He probably just defaulted back to his nervous self with you standing right here." Nick sighed in exasperation, turning to Judy. "He's been taking good care of his arm over the last month, unlike the first time he injured it, so there's no—"

Before Nick could finish, he suddenly felt something grabbing him. He looked down, seeing Robbie's left paw wrapped tightly around his wrist. The bunny was purposely grabbing him with his bad paw, and Nick could tell that something was wrong; Robbie's entire arm was trembling, and it wasn't from nervousness.

"…Flatfoot?"

The bunny's breathing was growing heavy. Nick fell silent, looking down at the bunny's increasingly despondent face. After a couple of seconds, Robbie shook his head.

"…I can't take the makeup tests next week, Nick."

"What are you talking about?" Nick replied, confused. "You told me you were feeling confident for the tests, right? And your arm is…" Nick trailed off as he noticed the brown bunny giving him a look that was filled with an equal amount of pride…and pain. Robbie was silent for a couple of seconds, before he opened his mouth and said two words Nick never expected to hear.

"I…lied."

The two words hung in the air for what seemed like minutes. Nick felt a noose tightening around his neck.

"W…what?"

Robbie nodded, pulling his arm away now. "Back then…when I went to see the doctor after that scenario training session, I thought that she would just tell me to take it easy and give my arm some rest, or something like that. But she told me that the fight with Stella aggravated my injury—made it even worse than before. She recommended…that I pull out of the program and get a further checkup from a specialist. Immediately." Robbie said the last word like a stake had been driven into his heart.

"Then, when you said you got permission from Friedkin to postpone your tests…"

Robbie looked down at the ground.

"I lied about that too."

Nick felt the colour draining from his face. Whatever relief he had felt a few moments ago was completely gone. His eyes darted towards Judy. She was speechless, seeming to be in a similar state of shock as well from Robbie's sudden confession. Nick quickly scrambled to find something to say.

"I don't understand. If that's what the doc said, why didn't you tell me about it? Why did you keep this from me?" he asked, in a slightly harsher tone than he had intended. Robbie shrunk a little where he stood.

"I didn't tell you because…I knew you would tell me the same thing the doc did. I was already so close to finishing the training; I didn't want to just give up and go home. I know I was being stupid, but I was just desperately hoping that if I took it easy on my arm…somehow, someway, it would heal in time for the makeup exams. But…it didn't."

Robbie looked down at his brace, clutching it with his right paw.

"Last night, while everyone was asleep, I snuck out and went to the obstacle course. I tried, but I couldn't even do a simple rope climb. Or a window vault. Nothing." His voice cracked slightly. "That's when I knew it was over. I…said I wanted to tell you something before you left, right?"

"Yes…you did," Nick replied, feeling a growing unease inside of him.

"What I wanted to say was…goodbye." Robbie's voice was almost a whisper. "I'm going back home to Bunnyburrow tonight."

"What?! You're joking, right? I mean, you couldn't possibly—" Nick felt the words catching in his throat as something caught his attention in the corner of his eye. He hadn't noticed it up to now, but sitting on the ground next to Nick's bed were two bags, packed to the brim with items. More damningly, the bunny's locker—which was still slightly ajar—was completely empty. He was serious.

"You were going to leave without telling me?!" Nick exclaimed, his head snapping back towards Robbie.

"…Yes. My plan was to wait until you were busy with your fight with Judy, so that I could sneak a letter into your locker for you to find after you returned to the bunk. Then I was supposed to take my things and go. I was supposed to be long gone by now, but after what you said before the fight, I…" Robbie hung his head. "…I couldn't bring myself to do it."

Nick's heartrate was spiking through the roof; a hundred different things were running through his head all at once.

"You don't know what I would have said, Flatfoot! Did you think that I wouldn't have tried to help you? Of course I would have! You didn't have to lie to me; if you had just told me about it from the very beginning, we could have worked something out together!"

…Just like how you worked things out with your mom, Wilde? An old, familiar voice in the back of his head sneered at him.

Nick froze. At that moment, everything else faded away. That single line echoed in his head mockingly now. He didn't need the voice in the back of his head to say it to him; Nick knew that he had no right to be saying that to Robbie. He was a hypocrite, and he knew it.

Robbie noticed his sudden silence as well, and the bunny looked up at him.

"It's okay, Nick. I don't think there's anything that you could have done. And you shouldn't have needed to; it's my fault that I got my arm injured in the first place. I was reckless and stupid, but hey, I guess that's just me, right?" Robbie said, a wistful smile beginning to form on his face. "Don't worry about me; all this muscle building will still be useful back on the farm, so my time here wasn't completely wasted. I mean, assuming my arm is okay and they don't have to lop it off or something." The brown bunny laughed, though it was obviously forced.

Flatfoot…

"A-anyway, I should get going soon. It'll take a while to get back home, and I still need to explain to Mom and Dad why I'm back when my exchange program hasn't ended yet. I guess I'll tell them that everything was one big…lie…" Robbie suddenly choked up, quickly glancing away. "I…uhm…hang on a sec, there's something I want to show you!"

Before Nick could respond, Robbie turned and walked briskly out of the room, not making eye contact with either of them as he left.

"Robbie!" Judy called out. She began to run after him, but Nick grabbed her arm, holding her back.

"Nick, what are you doing? Let go!" Judy tugged at his arm.

"Carrots, wait."

"Why are you stopping me? I have to—"

"Judy."

Upon hearing her real name coming from his mouth, Judy froze, before turning to face him. Nick could see the shock and pain as clear as day on her face. He knew exactly what it was, because he felt it too. He looked back down at her, his eyes half-lidded.

"I know he's your brother, but…this is my fault. You have every right to be mad at me, and if you want, you can kick the other side of my face in after I'm done. But just give me a minute to talk to him first. Please."

Judy opened her mouth to retort, but after seeing the look on his face, she acquiesced, nodding her head slowly. Nick let go of her arm, before turning and rushing out of the room. He glanced around the hallway, barely catching a glimpse of a brown stumpy tail disappearing through a doorway at the end of the corridor.

The spare bunk that no one is using? Nick thought. That was where most of the broken bunk furniture—like bed frames and lockers—were stored. Why would Robbie have gone in there?

He jogged down the hallway, slowing down as he approached the doors to the spare bunk. Sure enough, there was a single brown bunny inside. He was standing in front of a locker in the furthest corner of the room, his eyes fixed on a piece of paper he was holding in his paws. Robbie's ears twitched as Nick entered, but the bunny did not turn to face him, even as the he approached slowly.

"Flatfoot?" Nick said softly.

"…Hey, Nick. I mentioned that the doc wrote me a referral letter for my arm, right? I didn't want you to see it, so I hid it here before I came back from the medical centre that day. It's mostly a bunch of medical mumbo jumbo that I don't understand, but the last line is pretty clear. Guess I gotta stop being an idiot and get it checked out, huh?" Robbie chuckled.

Nick came to a stop behind him.

"You don't have to pretend that you're okay, you know…"

"W-what do you mean? Of course I'm okay! I mean, it's not like I didn't expect something like this to happen eventually. When I first came here, I didn't even think I had a chance. I already expected to fail from the very beginning, so I know I shouldn't be disappointed. But…"

Nick heard a soft plip coming from in front of Robbie, and then another. As he leaned in closer, he realised what it was; the doctor's letter in Robbie's paws had two growing wet stains spreading out across the paper. The bunny's paws began to tighten around the paper, crumpling it around its sides.

"I still…I really tried. So hard. I really wanted to…" Robbie's voice cracked, his breaths hitching in his throat.

"Robbie…" Nick took a step forward, placing a paw on Robbie's shoulder and turning him around ever so gently. There was no resistance. When he did, Nick saw a pair of green eyes looking back at him, wet with tears. At that moment, time seemed to come to a complete stop. As Nick heard those words and looked into those broken green eyes, he realised that the mammal standing in front of him wasn't a bunny. It was an eight-year-old fox kit in a scout uniform, trying his very hardest to put on a brave face while his hopes and dreams were shattered.

Nick was looking at himself.

Everything had finally come back to bite him, and in the hardest way possible. Deep down, Nick knew what he had been getting Robbie into. He knew firsthand how everything could have backfired, but he still went ahead with it. There was a simple truth that stared Nick in the face, reflected in the green eyes of the smaller mammal in front of him.

This is my fault.

If he had never taught Robbie how to lie…if he had just told him to tell the truth to Judy from the very beginning, he would never have needed to stand in front of him like this. Everything Nick thought he did to help Robbie only ended up harming him in the worst ways. But Nick already knew that. And it was too late for him to do anything now.

Nick clenched his fists.

No, it's not too late.

There was still one thing that Nick could do. It was the only thing that he could possibly do.

In one motion, Nick took a step closer and wrapped his arms around the smaller mammal in front of him, pulling him close to his chest in a warm, comforting hug.

"…I know you did."

The referral letter fell to the floor. Robbie let out a breathless whimper. Nick pressed his own head down against him, allowing the bunny's tears to flow straight into his t-shirt.

"I know how much you wanted this. I know how hard you tried. You came here to show that you could be more than just 'another bunny', right? Well, you already have, Robbie. In my eyes, you're as good as any bunny could ever hope to be."

"Nick…y-you…you don't need to say this just to make me feel better…" Robbie said between sobs.

"I'm not saying it to make you feel better. I'm saying it…because I believe it," Nick replied.

Robbie fell silent for a long while, remaining completely still as Nick continued to hold him close. After a few seconds, the bunny let out a long exhale, trying to compose himself slightly before speaking up again.

"…Thanks, Nick. I may not have made it, but I'm glad I came here; I'm glad that I met you. Even if we don't see each other again, I'll always remember everything that you've done for me."

Nick placed a paw on the bunny's head, the corner of his mouth curling up into a smirk.

"Who said we were done?"

Nick gave him a couple of seconds to let his words sink in. Sure enough, Robbie's brow began to crease, and the bunny eventually raised his head with a look of puzzlement on his face. Nick slowly pulled away now, taking a small step back while still looking the bunny in the eye.

"This isn't over yet, Robbie. Not even close. That letter you have is just a recommendation, not an actual diagnosis. With some proper treatment, your arm could make a full recovery. Once you do, you could try again. Maybe you could even be well enough in time to join the next batch of recruits."

Robbie looked down at his left arm with his ears still drooped.

"…Even if my arm did get better, I can't go through all this again, Nick. I only made it through the last five months because I was lucky enough to have you as my friend. I'm not strong enough to do this on my own."

Nick shook his head.

"No, Robbie, you are strong enough. You didn't think you could even make it past the first two weeks, but look where you are now. I've seen you clear the obstacle courses, the suspect apprehension practices, scenario training, all of it. I didn't do them for you—you did them yourself. All I did was believe in you."

"But…why? Why would you even believe in me?"

Nick chuckled. "You know, it's funny you should ask that. I've spent most of my life thinking no one would ever believe in me. But, as I've learned for myself recently…even if you don't believe in yourself, sometimes, all it takes is for one person to believe in you."

Nick paused for a moment as a warm feeling spread through his chest. He smiled, placing a paw on the bunny's shoulder.

"And you know…you're lucky, Flatfoot. Because you have two."

Robbie blinked.

"…Two?"

"Yes. You heard everything, didn't you…Carrots?" Nick asked softly, turning towards the front door to the bunk.

Slowly, a pair of grey ears peeked out from around the corner, followed by the rest of Judy's body. She stepped into the bunk tentatively, as if unsure of whether she should have been there at all. Nick nodded, motioning with his head for her to come closer.

Robbie began to take a few tentative steps of his own towards her, rubbing his eyes with his paw as he approached her. His head was still dipped slightly as they met in the centre of the empty bunk.

"Judy, I—"

He never got to finish. Before he could say another word, Judy rushed up and threw her arms around him in a hug, squeezing him tightly with her eyes closed.

"You don't need to say it, Robbie. Nick is right. What you've accomplished here is more than what most bunnies could ever dream of doing. If Mom, Dad, and everyone else in our family knew how far you'd come, they would be proud of you." She pulled away for a moment, looking a little misty in her own eyes. "…I know I am."

Robbie's lip quivered. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to stop more tears from escaping from them.

"Thank you…Sis."

Nick nodded to himself with an inward smile as he watched the two bunnies in front of him. But suddenly, Judy turned to him with a playful grin, reaching her paw out and grabbing his shirt.

"Get in here, you sentimental fox." She yanked him straight towards her. Nick yelped, but he didn't stop himself from being pulled into the group hug. He chuckled softly as he wrapped his arms around them.

"That's my line, Carrots. It's a wonder how you bunnies get anything done with how emotional you lot are." He rolled his eyes.

Eventually the hug came to an end, and the three slowly broke away each other. Robbie's eyes were still wet, but for the first time that evening, Nick could see a smile—a real, genuine one—on the bunny's face. The fox placed his paws behind his back, feeling a smile growing across his own face as he looked at Robbie.

"I'm still waiting for your answer, Flatfoot. So, what do you say?"

Robbie looked up at Nick. And then at Judy.

"…Heh. I never had a chance, did I?" He chuckled, wiping his eyes. "Alright. Nick, Sis…I promise I'll try again. And I promise I'll try to believe."

"That's my Flatfoot." Nick used a paw to ruffle the fur on Robbie's head. "Now, about that whole thing about you going back to Bunnyburrow tonight…"

"Ah…right, that." Robbie rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I'm just wondering: how were you planning on doing that exactly?" Nick asked.

Robbie paused. "What do you mean?"

Nick opened his mouth, but Judy beat him to the punch.

"You were planning to carry two large bags all the way home with your arm in that state? How were you going to get them to the train station? Or even up the bus?" She asked, pointing at Robbie's brace.

Robbie rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Umm…slowly?"

Nick and Judy sighed simultaneously.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Nick chuckled. "Look, Flatfoot, you don't have to go back to Bunnyburrow tonight; you haven't even gotten your arm checked out yet. Just stay here for a while longer. I do have a couple of people I know who could take a look at your arm. They're reputable doctors, so you don't need to worry. How about it?"

Robbie thought to himself for a bit, before he nodded. "I…guess I could stay in Zootopia until I get my arm checked out."

"What about after?" Judy asked. "What if you stayed in Zootopia? You told me before that you thought about being something other than a carrot farmer. I know we didn't talk much when we were kids, but from what I remember you never looked that happy living on the farm. I remember you always picked toilet cleaning duty because it was quieter."

"Oh, he still does." Nick added with a grin.

"I mean, I do like it here…" Robbie started. "But…what would I do here while I wait for my arm to heal? Where would I stay? I don't think I could afford my hostel without the discount that they have for ZPA recruits."

"Don't worry about that," Judy instantly replied. "I'm sure me and Nick can work something out for you."

"And if all else fails, I do know a good bridge you could live under for free," Nick added.

"Nick!" Judy punched his arm playfully.

Robbie laughed, looking at his brace for a moment before looking back at Judy.

"Well, I guess we can sort that out later. I've got enough savings left for the rest of the month at my hostel, so at least I'll have a place to stay until graduation…" He trailed off, suddenly looking a little nervous. "Umm…Nick? I know I was going to run away and all, but…would you mind if I attended your graduation?"

Without hesitation, Nick raised his fist and bopped Robbie on the top of his head.

"Ow!"

"That's for asking a silly question, Flatfoot. Of course you're coming. It's not just my graduation, you know." Nick glanced around at the other empty beds around the bunk. "The others would miss you if you didn't show up. Especially Hobbs. I think they deserve to see you at least one more time, don't you?"

"R…right. I…I should explain everything to them too. I'll come back next Monday and—" Robbie paused, a realisation suddenly seeming to have hit him. "Wait, I can't come back next Monday—I already told Major Friedkin that I was leaving today! I've already returned my Academy Pass to her!"

"What about calling her? I think I still have her number saved in my phone," Judy offered.

"Actually, she might still be in her office." Nick glanced out the bunk window. "Look, the lights for the Instructors Office are still on."

"They are?" Judy asked, running over and jumping up onto the windowsill to get a better look. "Wait—they are! C'mon, Robbie, let's go! If we hurry, we might still be able to catch her!"

Judy dropped to the ground and grabbed Robbie's good arm, pulling the younger bunny out of the room with her and towards the stairs. Robbie glanced back at Nick with a bewildered look on his face. Nick winked back wordlessly, jogging after them.

With his legs still aching after the fight, it took Nick a while to catch up with them. By the time he made it to the Admin Building and up the stairs, Judy and Robbie were already halfway towards the Instructors Office at the end of the hallway. The front door there was currently open, and they could see Friedkin standing inside. The polar bear was standing by the edge of her desk, her back facing the door while she packed her things into her bag. At this moment, Robbie let go of Judy's paw and gave her a nod, before walking ahead alone and knocking on the open door.

"Major Friedkin?"

The polar bear turned around, looking quite surprised at her name being called; she clearly wasn't expecting visitors at this time. She glanced down towards the source of the voice.

"Well now, who do we have here?" She boomed, putting her paws on her hips. "Shouldn't you already have left by now, Carrot Cake?"

"That's…actually what I wanted to talk to you about. I know it's late, but…could we talk for a minute?" Robbie asked, before glancing back over his shoulder.

Friedkin's eyes followed Robbie's, travelling upwards until she saw both Nick and Judy standing a short distance outside the hallway. After a few seconds, a large grin began to form on the polar bear's face.

"This should be good. Alright, come on in." She motioned for Robbie to enter. As he did, the polar bear walked over to the door, looking at the fox and rabbit outside for a second before giving an approving nod. She then turned and closed the door, leaving the pair outside by themselves.

Nick and Judy both stared at the blue door for a long while, not saying anything. Muffled sounds of conversation began to filter through the cracks in the door, though they were unintelligible to Nick. After a while, they both turned away from the door and leaned against opposite sides of the hallway walls, facing each other.

"So, uh…I know we were supposed to go back home, but do you wanna go get some supper first? Give you and Robbie some time to catch up."

"I'd like that," Judy replied, not saying anything else. She folded her arms and glanced down at the ground, and Nick soon followed suit. Eventually, the silence between them began to grow uncomfortable. Nick knew that there was so much more that he needed to say, but he didn't know where to start.

He sighed.

"Carrots…" Nick said softly, finally raising his head to look at her face. Her ears twitched at the mention of her nickname, though her head was still lowered. "Look, about Robbie, I—"

"—Thank you." Judy said abruptly, cutting him off.

"…Come again?" Nick blinked.

"Thank you. For looking after Robbie." Judy finally looked up at him now. "I don't know if you've noticed, but he looks up to you a lot. He wouldn't have defended you so fiercely if he didn't."

"Look, I have no idea why he looks up to me, okay? I kept telling him I was a bad influence, but he wouldn't listen."

"Just shush and accept the compliment for once, Nick." Judy rolled her eyes. Nick raised his paws in surrender.

"Alright, alright, fine."

"I don't know what made Robbie want to tell me about everything today, but I'm glad that you were here." Judy continued. "I'm glad you were here to say everything that you did."

"I'm sure you would've done a better job, Carrots. I mean, he's your brother, after all," Nick replied. "And we shouldn't have been in this situation to begin with. I should have told you about him earlier. Even if it was on the quiet. Maybe I could have let you 'figure' it out for yourself, and then we could have had this conversation earlier. If you were there, helping him…maybe he would have made it."

But to his surprise, Judy shook her head.

"No, Nick. You're wrong."

Nick looked down at her, his eyebrow raised. Judy took his look as an invitation to continue.

"Nick, everything you said to him just now…that was better than anything I could have ever done right there. Robbie didn't need me. He needed you." She pointed at him. "He wouldn't have grown the way he did if he didn't go through all this with you. You changed him, Nick. And I'm grateful for that."

Nick waited for the addendum, the part where Judy would go 'but…', yet nothing came.

I can't believe it, Nick thought to himself. Judy was actually, genuinely grateful. To him.

"You're…welcome, Carrots. So…you're not mad about me pulling the wool over your eyes for the last few months?" He asked hopefully.

"Oh, I still am. But don't you worry. Now that we're going to be partners, I have plenty of time to get back at you." Her smile contorted into a grin that sent chills down Nick's spine.

"I'll…be sure to keep that in mind."

Despite the vague and ominous threat, Nick could only feel a sense of relief wash over him as he looked at Judy. His legs and jaw still ached from the fight earlier, and it looked like he wasn't going to get some rest—or an ice pack—anytime soon. But that didn't bother him. Right now, he could only feel a rush of hope coursing through his chest. It looked like things were going to be alright for the two siblings. And if that had gone well, then maybe…just maybe, there was a chance for him too.

Just a few days more.

In just a few days, it would be his turn. He would go to see his mother, and he would lay his all his cards on the table.

It was finally time.

It wasn't long before Robbie was done in Friedkin's office, and the three finally made their way back to Savannah Central. By the time they stepped off the train, it was already half past eight. Nick suggested a pub near the station for some supper. Although it wasn't the quietest place to have a conversation, it was still a great place for affordable food at that time of night.

And so, after ordering an assortment of finger food and drinks, Nick and Robbie began telling the story of their adventures in the academy. Judy listened with rapt attention as Robbie shared stories of the training, the friends that he had made, and of course, all the different escapades that they had gone through while trying to keep himself hidden from her.

"So let me get this straight—you were inside Nick's bag on the first day that you both got out of confinement?" Judy asked.

"Yup. All the way back to your apartment. I really thought I was a goner then. I can't imagine what you would have thought if you found me then," Robbie replied.

"And when we went to the carnival on your birthday…now it all makes sense. The way Nick was so eager to get us away from the campus, the way you kept changing the subject in the taxi, and the face you made when I said you could consider becoming a cop…argh, I should've known something was up!" Judy sighed.

"Don't blame yourself, Carrots. It was a classic hustle orchestrated by yours truly; you never had a chance." Nick winked, getting up from his chair. "Anyway, I'll settle the bill once I'm back from the little tod's room. I'm still getting that ice pack and back massage once we're back home, right?" He looked at Judy expectantly.

"I don't remember agreeing to a back massage, Slick." Judy raised an eyebrow.

"Bah. Well, it was worth a shot." Nick shrugged, before turning around and limping towards the washroom.

Judy shook her head, chuckling to herself.

Don't worry, Nick. After everything you've done tonight, I would be more than happy to give you one.

"Sis?" Robbie whispered, snapping her out of her thoughts. The younger bunny's eyes were trained on Nick as he headed into the washroom. The moment the door closed, he turned back towards her, suddenly looking serious.

"What is it, Robbie?"

"There's…one more thing I need to tell you. It's the reason why I decided to tell you everything today."

Judy paused. She had wondered about that in the back of her mind earlier, but she'd decided not to ask that question with everything else that had been going on then. But why was Robbie bringing it up now?

"Okay…what is it?"

"My plan today was to go back to Bunnyburrow after leaving a note for Nick…and something for you, too. I slipped it into your bag while you were busy with your fight with Nick."

"You did?" Judy blinked in surprise. "I didn't see anything in my bag after the fight."

"It's there," Robbie insisted.

Perplexed, Judy immediately picked her sling bag off the ground and pulled the flap open, rummaging through her items. But no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't find anything other than what she'd packed before leaving her house that afternoon.

"I don't have it, Robbie. The only things in my bag right now are my water bottle, my spare change of clothes, my earbuds, and my carrot pen," she said, pulling out the items one by one and placing them on the table.

"That's not your carrot pen," Robbie said quietly, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out an identical orange pen. "…This is."

"What…?" Judy did a double take, looking back down at the pen on the table. Now that she was looking at it closely, she could see that there was a small scratch on the stem of the carrot which wasn't there before.

He swapped our carrot pens? But why?

The answer came to her almost instantly. She grabbed the pen in front of her and brought it up to her ear, clicking on the large button in the middle. Sure enough, there was indeed a recording on it—a recording that didn't exist on Judy's own pen. The voices in the recording were soft; it sounded like a conversation between Nick and Robbie. Although there was a lot of background noise in the pub, she could still hear the conversation clearly enough.

As the recording continued to play, she felt her heart begin to beat faster and faster. When it finally came to an end, her jaw dropped.

"Robbie…this…this is…!"

"…All the proof you need to convince Nick's mom that he still cares for her," Robbie finished quietly. "I've been trying to get this ever since you told me that you met her at the precinct."

"When did Nick say this?" Judy asked, pulling the carrot pen away from her ear and stuffing it back into her bag with the rest of her items—just in case Nick were to somehow materialise from thin air like he so loved to do.

"Today, just before the fight. The truth is, I've known for a while now that Nick wanted to patch things up with his mom—even before you told me about it, in fact. My original plan was to call you and tell you everything tonight, once I was on the train back to Bunnyburrow. That way I didn't have to face you in person." Robbie gulped.

"Oh Robbie…" Judy couldn't stop a small grin from forming on her face. "Did you really think I wouldn't have gone straight back to Bunnyburrow to hunt you down after that call? You don't think I would have let you escape that easily, do you?"

The brown bunny shrunk a little in his chair.

"…I suppose not." He shuddered, likely thinking about how that conversation would have gone. "After getting that recording, I knew I had to get that to you. And that was when I decided to tell it to you in person. I knew I was shooting myself in the foot, but I was willing to do it for you…and for Nick. That's the whole truth, Judy. And I hope I never have to lie about anything else to you ever again." Robbie sighed, looking like a huge weight had finally been lifted off his shoulders.

Judy didn't have an immediate answer. She could only stare ahead with a look of pure elation on her face.

"Robbie…thank you. Thank you thank you thank you! Oh gosh, I want to hug you so hard right now!" Judy exclaimed, though she held herself back, knowing that Nick could reappear at any moment.

"That's okay, Sis. I think I've exceeded my hug quota for today—and pretty much the rest of the year," Robbie chuckled, popping a spring roll into his mouth. "I just hope that you'll be able to sort things out with his mom before his graduation."

An idea flashed in the back of Judy's head.

"Don't worry, Robbie. I will, I promise. In fact, I'm going to go straight to Evie's house first thing in the morning tomorrow. And I want you to come with me."

Robbie almost choked on his spring roll. "W-what?"

"Mm-hm. You heard me. I want you to come with me to see her. With your help, I know we can convince her to see Nick."

"B-but, I'm not…I mean, she doesn't even know me!"

"But you know Nick. And you're the one in the recording, not me." She motioned to the carrot pen in her bag. "If I'm ever going to convince Evie, I need you to help corroborate this. Please, Robbie. Do this for me. Do this for Nick."

Robbie fell silent for a moment, looking quite conflicted about the whole matter.

"But how are you going to see her without Nick knowing?"

"I have a day off tomorrow actually. It was a last-minute arrangement—I haven't told Nick about it yet. I'll pretend that I'm going to work tomorrow morning, and I'll meet you at Savannah Central station at eight, alright?"

Robbie bit his lip. Suddenly, his ears twitched. Judy's ears twitched too; the bathroom door had just swung open. Robbie glanced to his left, smiling at Nick as he limped back towards the table. He turned back to Judy.

"Alright."

Judy nodded. It took all her willpower to suppress the sheer excitement that was coursing through her entire body right now. As Nick sat back down in his chair and began complaining about how the toilet paper in the washroom was far superior to the paper in Judy's building, she leaned back in her chair, feeling the carrot pen through the outside of her bag.

Hold on, Mrs Wilde. We're coming.

She may not have gotten through to Evie Wilde the first time they met, but now, she had one more card to play.