"Good evening, citizens of Zootopia. I'm Fabienne Growley from the Zootopia News Network, here to bring you a special report with two very special guests." The snow leopard gave one of her famous reserved smiles and inclined her head to the two animals seated next to her. "Officer Judy Hopps. How are you this evening?"

Judy, who had been nervously swinging her feet over the edge of her too-large chair, stilled and went straight in her seat. She smiled wide for the camera. "Nothing a few stitches and a little rest couldn't fix, Fabienne," she said.

"Well I think most of Zootopia would agree that you and Officer Wilde have certainly earned the rest," said the snow leopard. "Though we were sorry to hear your partner couldn't join us today. Reports over the past two weeks have all indicated that you both have been healing up well. I hope none of his injuries have taken a turn for the worse?"

"Only his aversion to cameras," Judy said with a laugh. "He's actually heading back to work as we speak. This case is far from over; we intend to see it through to the end."

"We're all glad to hear it," said Fabienne. "Is there any new information you can give us about this case? That rhino attack came as a shock to everyone. And from what I hear, the assailant in question still hasn't been identified in the Zootopia Citizen Registry."

"Unfortunately I am not at liberty to discuss details of the case at this time," said Judy. "But I am confident that we will have answers for you soon."

"Looking forward to it."

The snow leopard turned back to the camera. Her expression became serious. "It's been seventeen days since the attack at the theater. Our dedicated officers were not the only ones who were injured. Zootopia's most beloved singer, Gazelle, suffered several serious injuries herself. Reports on her condition have been scarce, but I am pleased to announce that she is here with us now, and appears to be in very high spirits. Ms. Gazelle, thank you for agreeing to come on the show today."

"It is my pleasure," said Gazelle. She was dressed more casually than she had ever been for a public appearance in a modified jumpsuit that had been professionally hemmed to allow for the cast on her leg. But even casual, the outfit was still high quality, made from a of dark, shiny fabric that was slinky and soft and draped over her curvy frame perfectly. Her hair rippled over one shoulder in a glossy blonde wave and her makeup was flawless. She looked—if not completely recovered—determined to become so.

"First of all," said Fabienne. "Can Zootopia hope to find you back up on stage soon? What have the doctors said?"

"I will most definitely be returning to the stage," said Gazelle. "There is nothing that could keep me from it. So long as the citizens of Zootopia are kind enough to continue to listen, I will continue to perform however I am able, though I am optimistic that after some physical therapy, it will be on my own two feet."

"I'm sure that will come as a huge relief to your many fans," said Fabienne. "Though it seems like you might have overcome a great deal already. More than any of us ever realized. News broke yesterday that this attack wasn't the first painful moment you've suffered through during your career. You're former manager is now facing several serious charges, including physical abuse and exploitation, is that correct?"

Gazelle nodded. "Yes. It's all true."

"How could something like this happen?" asked Fabienne. "And why didn't it come out before now?"

"I look back now and wonder the same thing myself," said Gazelle. "I was so young and new to the business... I thought that was just how things were. But thanks to the support of friends—" She slid Judy a shy smile, "—and more recently, a darling sable therapist, I realized that what happened in my early career wasn't okay at all, and I will be working closely with the ZPD to make sure no else else ever has to pay the price that I did to achieve their dreams."

"Just this morning the Zootopia Times printed an article about the Pallas cat's most recent illegal dealings with his new singer," said Fabienne. "An echidna named Selene. The amount of evidence given was staggering, and it all came from an anonymous source no one seems able to trace. Did the ZPD received this evidence as well?" she asked Judy.

"We did," admitted Judy.

"Any idea who sent it?"

"We have a couple ideas," Judy hedged. "But for now the ZPD is focused on bringing justice to the current case. Mysterious helping paws—while we cannot condone the method—are not as high on our list of priorities."

"But they sure are fun to wonder about," said Fabienne.

Judy suspected that was true, for everyone who wasn't a police officer. The idea of a vigilante running around was a lot less thrilling an idea for the ZPD. As for her, she had lost sleep over it more than one night. And while Nick hadn't brought it up the few times she had seen him, she knew he had to be worrying about it too… on top of many other things.

The snow leopard faced the camera again. "Well, that brings us to the end of our interview. But before we go, Gazelle, I believe you had some exciting news to share with fans?"

"I do." Gazelle's smile, which had been warm and soft, brightened into something truly dazzling. "Hunter and I are officially engaged. It is a miracle I never would have dreamed of when I first started down this path, and I can only hope that Zootopia supports us as it has always so graciously supported us up until now."

"Well on behalf of Zootopia, allow me to extend my sincerest congratulations," said Fabienne.

"Thank you very much. In fact, we are going to be working on a couple album together. Most mammals don't know, but Hunter is also a very talented singer. All proceeds will be going to the nonprofit group, Mammals United. I hope everyone looks forward to it."

"I'm sure they will," said Fabienne. The snow leopard glanced over at Judy. "And how about you, Office Hopps? Zootopia was beside itself after that dramatic confession Officer Wilde gave onstage. Dare I say we will be hearing similar news from the two of you soon?"

"Ah, that, well…" Judy squirmed in her seat. She supposed she should have expected this. It was too juicy a story to let go unquestioned, but she had been hoping nonetheless.

She had seen the videos, of course. More than one mammal in the audience had pulled out their cell phones when the craziness onstage had started. Clawhauser had shown her the first one while she had still been laid up in the hospital, and since then she had watched Nick's confession from over a dozen different angles with varying sound and video quality. The only way she hadn't heard it yet was live from Nick himself. And until she did, she wasn't about to make any assumptions, no matter how tempting.

"Nick and I agreed ahead of time that acting out a con like that would be the quickest way to get the culprit's attention and draw him out. I'm sure Nick was merely trying to keep up the act, so that Tibor's attention stayed on him and not some other possible victim."

"Well it certainly fooled most of Zootopia," said Fabienne.

"It most certainly did," said Gazelle, more quietly. She sounded disappointed.

You're not the only one, Judy thought.

The snow leopard gave her goodbyes to the audience, the camera lights went off, and like that the interview was over.

A bunny dressed in old jeans and a gray shirt only two shades darker than her own fur bounded onto the stage and over to Judy, her ever-present backpack slung over one shoulder. "Ok, politician you are not. But that wasn't the worst interview I've ever seen."

"Thank you for helping to set this up," said Judy. "I really appreciate it."

Harper waved off her thanks. "You helped get justice for Iggy. Making a phone call or two was the least I could do."

"I'm surprised you didn't want to do the interview yourself."

"I'm not a big fan of being in front of the camera. Besides, I had my own news story to break."

"Your article about Oskar..." ventured Gazelle. "It was very detailed."

"My source was very thorough," said Harper.

"Yes. They were."

Harper looked like she might get defensive, but when Gazelle said nothing more, the bunny let the conversation go with a roll of her shoulders. "Welp, I'm going to go say a quick hello to Fabienne before I take off. I'd rather avoid the reporters if at all possible. Give your mate my best," she said to Gazelle. She winked at Judy. "Yours too."

She was gone before Judy could stammer out a denial.

Gazelle touched her shoulder, drawing her attention back. "I want to thank you for agreeing to come with me today. I know it probably wasn't easy for you."

"I should be the one saying that," said Judy. "I can't imagine how hard it must be to come out about something like this."

"No, it was a mistake to not speak out before now," said Gazelle. "I can't keep relying on others to take care of the hard things for me."

"That's not true at all," said Judy. "You're constantly speaking out for animal rights and staging peaceful protests…"

"It's easy to be good for good causes," said Gazelle. "It's harder when you need to be bad for them. I always thought of myself as having a reputation for not caring what others think. But I'm starting to realize that wasn't true. Really, I had created a reputation for myself as the 'nice' one who never said anything bad about anyone. But that can't always be the case for things like this. So I'm going to be braver from now on. Like you."

"I think you're already plenty brave," said Judy.

"Thank you, my friend." Gazelle reached for her crutches and Judy moved out of the way so she had room to stand. "So, shall we bravely face the reporters outside together?"

Now this was something Judy was expert at. "Let's do it."

"There's more to a perfectly fried cricket then most mammals think. Take this one for example." Nick plucked a cricket from the greasy fast food carton in front of him. "See how the legs on this one are black? That means it was fried for too long. It'll be dried out and burnt tasting. Not a perfectly fried cricket."

Nick popped it in his mouth and chewed noisily. "Still edible, though. I don't like to waste food. It's irresponsible. Not that you would understand anything about responsibility, but I digress."

He picked out another cricket. "Now this one this has been decently fried. See how it's has that nice golden brown color all the way around? Perfect, right? Wrong. This is not a perfectly fried cricket either. Where's the seasoning? It's entirely missing from this fried cricket. Sorry, that was a bit of a trick question."

Nick held up another. "Then there's ones like this, which has way too much seasoning. Understand, it's a very fine line. Only a true connoisseur would notice. Fortunately for you, I happen to be a master on fried cricket eating and have all this free time in which to teach you. I know you're just busting with joy on the inside, aren't you? You stoic types are always like that. It's adorable."

Nick held up both crickets. "Now, here's a trick you'll thank me for. If you ever find yourself with a non-seasoned fried cricket and an overly-seasoned fried cricket, don't panic. You just do this." He tossed them both into his mouth and crunched down. "You eat them both together! Genius, right? See, it's all about balance—"

The door to the interrogation room swung open and a frowning Howle stuck his head in. "What on Earth are you doing in here?"

Nick shot him an offended look. "What do you mean? I'm in the middle of an interrogation. Can't you tell?"

"It looks more like you're out to lunch. You know Chief Bogo hates food in here. I could smell it all the way down the hall."

Nick let out a put-upon sigh. "And here I am, working through my lunch hour. There's just no appreciation at the ZPD these days."

He flicked a cricket at the animal sitting across the table from him. The fried insect hit the rhino's cheek, leaving a small streak of spicy seasoning behind.

"Ah, geez I'm sorry about that," said Nick. "That one got away from me. Must have been undercooked. Another important lesson in fried cricket eating. Here, let me." He swiped at the rhino's cheek, smearing the orange dust around even more. The rhino might have been carved from stone for all that he reacted.

"Wilde," admonished Howle. "Stop goading him."

"Wha—goading? Me?" spluttered Nick, falling back into his chair dramatically. "I am the epitome of professionalism! We were just having a nice little chat together."

Howle looked doubtfully at the rhino. "You finally got him to talk?"

"Well, not with words so much. But you'd be surprised how much can be conveyed through the eyes alone." He tapped on the empty legal pad in front of him. "I just know we're about to make some significant headway."

Howle looked back at the rhino. Not a flicker of emotion appeared in those small, cold eyes.

Nick smiled and popped another cricket into his mouth.

The wolf sighed. "Right. Can I speak with you for a moment, Wilde? Outside?"

"Sure thing." Nick hopped off his chair, hobbling only a little. It had been a miracle that he hadn't broken anything in the fall. At least that's what the doctors had all said. Just two severely sprained ankles and bruising across half his ribcage.

Nick thought 'miracles' shouldn't hurt this much.

To the rhino he said, "Hold that thought, will you? I'll be right back."

He followed the wolf down the hall to the break room. Inside it was empty, but you could tell lunch hour has just passed from the strong smell of coffee in the air and the fact that water still dripped from the dishes in the sink.

Nick climbed onto the counter so that he was more or less eye to eye with Howle. It took longer than usual and he was breathing heavily by the time he made it up, but he still managed it. He leaned against the cabinets and crossed his arms over his chest, pressing against the pain that pulsed there.

He saw Howle note the gesture and immediately dropped his arms. He stuffed his paws into his pockets instead. "So, you got some juicy gossip you want to dish about or something? I am a bit busy with actual work at the moment, if you hadn't noticed."

"Are you?" Howle challenged. "Because that's not what it looked like from where I was standing."

"Hey, a fox's gotta eat."

"That's not what I'm referring to and you know it."

"Look," said Nick, "my interrogation strategy is a delicate and complex thing. Just because it seems strange at first doesn't mean it's not—"

"Bull crap?"

Nick grinned. "I doubt Chief Bogo would appreciate the phrase, but sure."

Howle did not smile back. He cocked his head at Nick the same way all canines did when they were confused. First one way and then the other, as if that slight difference in angle would help him figure things out. "What are you doing, Wilde? After what happened at the stadium, I thought we were going to have trouble holding you back on this case. I heard you even begged the chief to let you handle the interrogation."

Nick coughed. "Begged is a little strong—"

"—But now it's like you're not even trying. Have you been wasting time like this all week?"

"Who's wasting time? As you can see, I'm even working through my lunch hour, and you know how much I love lunch."

"The trial start in five days," said Howle. "And that rhino is the only lead we have left. If we can't get him to talk before the judge sentences him, we may never solve this case. Do you want that?"

"Of course not," said Nick. "I want this case solved more badly than anyone."

The wolf looked at him, gauging Nick's sincerity. After a moment, he seemed to accept it. He nodded. "Good. So then you should agree that it's time to let someone else try to interrogate."

Nick straightened. His paws fisted and his eyes went flat. "Over my dead body."

"Be reasonable, Wilde," said Howle. "Clearly your 'strategy' isn't working. It's nothing to feel bad about. You've been through a lot lately. It's only natural for you to be a bit off your game—"

"My game is perfect," Nick bit out.

"That interrogation you have going on right now is a farce and you know it."

"A farce!" Nick barked a laugh. "Remind me never to team up against you in Scrabble."

"This is serious, Wilde." The first hint of impatience crept into the wolf's tone. "It's not like I don't sympathize with what you're going through. But even so, I can't just sit back while you ruin our best chance at solving this case. The way you're acting now, It's like you don't even want the rhino to talk."

"That's right, I don't," said Nick.

It was hard to catch the wolf officer off-guard, let alone in any way that was visible, so the open surprise, then confusion, then disappointment that swept across the canine's face was satisfying in a way, until a moment later when it all coalesced into a quiet anger. "Explain yourself."

"Think about it," said Nick. "Even if an officer does get that rhino to speak, nothing he says will help us. I don't know if he just naturally psychotic or if he was brainwashed by someone, but I know nothing we do will get anything useful out of him."

"At least it would be something we could work with," said Howle. "How is silence any better?"

"The real question you should be asking is, why is he choosing to stay silent in the first place?"

The wolf frowned. "Because it's like you said. He doesn't want to help us."

"There's that. But then why did he also waive his right to an attorney?"

"That's…" There went the cocked head again.

"It's doesn't make sense, right?" pressed Nick. "As much as I hate to admit it, it's not like he doesn't have a case. What he did… even a halfway decent attorney could argue it was self-defense, or even a duty to rescue."

"You don't seriously believe he was trying to save you and Judy on that stage."

"Of course not. I'm just saying that it's possible for a defense to be made for it. At the very least it would save him from receiving the most severe sentence, which is what he's facing as it stands now."

"Exile." The word came out a murmur.

Nick nodded.

"So you want to make sure he stays silent so that he receives the maximum punishment." Howle's tone turned admonishing. "It might make for a more satisfying revenge, but that means letting whoever else he might be working with go free. That's pretty short-sighted of you, Wilde."

"On the contrary, this is what my old friends in the business liked to call 'a long con.'"

"How d'you figure?"

Nick held up a paw. "You still haven't answered my earlier question: Why isn't the rhino talking? I know why I want him to keep his trap shut, but why is he? Why not plead his case? Rotting in jail should still be better than dying alone in the Wildlands, right?"

"Maybe he's doing it out of a sense of loyalty?"

"He could still claim self-defense without giving away anything about his group. No, he wants to be exiled."

Howle shook his head. "That can't be right. Nobody wants to be exiled. It's a death sentence. A solitary death sentence. Every criminal in Zootopia fears it."

"Not this one."

"So what does that mean? You think he wants to die?"

Nick snorted. "Please. An animal like that isn't just going to quietly take his punishment and disappear into the Wildlands to die alone."

"But he'll have no choice if that's his sentence."

"That just it." Nick gestured outwards, to the distant edges of the city. "There's no real security to keep anyone out of Zootopia these days. There's nothing out there to need security for. Just the occasional exile. And the last time that happened was over fifty years ago. Kits are constantly daring each other to jump over the walls, just to see what's out there. You think that rhino couldn't find his way back in if he really wanted to?"

"He'll be tagged with a tracker."

"That tracker will fail, trust me. He's going to return, and when he does, he's going to go straight back to whatever flea-ridden underground den his group is hiding out in. That's the moment that we need, Howle. That's when we'll catch them. All of them."

There was silence as the wolf absorbed all this. Nick, who was starting to regret having climbed onto the countertop, was dying to get off his feet. His ankles were really starting to throb from standing on them for so long. He was going to have to ice them again tonight.

Finally, Howle said, "You're making a lot of leaps here. You have no evidence to back up any of these theories."

"I can feel it in my gut. That's all the evidence I need."

"That's not how the law works," argued Howle. "Which bring up another concern: The ethics of all this are gray at best. Dark, dark gray."

Nick shrugged. "It's not like I'm not breaking any laws. I'm not doing anything really. Just letting the pieces fall where they may."

"Inaction is just as much of a choice as any action," said Howle.

"Nice quote. You come up with that yourself?"

"Be as sarcastic as you like. I still think we should do our best to get the rhino to talk. Even if it's just something small, that might be enough—"

"You're not listening." Nick stalked towards the wolf. "That won't work. If you convince him to talk, all you'll succeed in doing is getting him a comfy jail cell, and we won't get any answers from him there. And I need answers, Howle. I need to know why he did what he did. I need to know where he came from, who he works for, what they're planning next. You can call me unethical all you like, but it's the way I need to do this."

"And if you're wrong?"

"If I'm wrong you can turn me in. I'll be right there waiting with my resignation papers, I promise. But for right now, please, take a page from that rhino's book and stay quiet."

Howle shook his head and sighed. "It seems like my initial worry was correct after all."

"Worry all you want. Just stay out of my way."

The wolf looked at him, measuring, weighing. "You know… what happened at the stadium was hard on all of us."

"Don't," said Nick. "I've already done my therapy sessions, ok? I don't need this speech from you too."

"I'm just saying," persisted Howle. "All this you're doing now… it won't make you feel any better if you don't also let yourself grieve."

"Grieve?" Nick's shrug was stiff. "It's true that a lot of animals were lost. I guess it's only natural to feel down about it—"

The wolf looked him dead in the eye. "I'm taking about Tibor."

Nick recoiled as if blasted with in the face with fox spray. He gripped the edge of the cabinet, breathing in through his nose. To call this feeling 'pain' was too simplistic. What he felt was too amorphous. It was more like a parasite, something he couldn't even feel until it started writhing inside him, stealing the air from his lungs and squeezing it's dark tendrils around his heart. Worse, he swore it was growing, as if it were eating up something inside of him and would one day engulf him completely.

Nick rallied himself and glared at Howle. "Would it have killed you to play dumb, just once? Read the mood, wolf."

Howle just looked at him, and Nick hated the solemn understanding in his eyes.

"Tibor was your partner," he said, ignoring Nick's flinch at the name. "You're entitled to feel—"

"He was a monster," said Nick flatly. "And I would be a monster too if I felt even an iota of remorse for what happened to him."

"You thought of him as a friend. You have every right to mourn the loss of that relationship."

Nick had had enough. He jumped off the counter, stumbled and caught himself. Not even the pain that shot up his legs could slow him down. "Right. Thanks for the advice. I'll be heading back to work now. Those fried crickets aren't going to eat themselves."

"Wilde."

Nick braced himself before turning back.

Howle pushed away from the counter. "I won't tell anybody about this plan of yours. On one condition."

Cold hard conditions Nick could handle. "Let's hear it then."

"The moment your suspicions about the rhino are confirmed, you must promise me that you'll tell Chief Bogo and the rest of the ZPD. Something this big could put the whole city at risk. We'll need to work together if we want to protect the animals of Zootopia."

"Done."

"And you should talk to someone," said Howle. "When you're ready. It doesn't have to be a therapist. Just… someone."

"You said one condition," said Nick. "And I think I've dumped enough onto Judy's plate already, don't you?"

"Have you seen the news lately?"

So he could keep reliving the nightmare? "Can't say that I have."

"The news is starting to respond to Hopps' interview. You might want to check it out."

Nick was pretty sure that he didn't.

He left Howle to make more coffee and made his way back to the interrogation room. The rhino sat right where he was. Not even the angle of his head had changed.

He didn't so much as glance Nick's way as the fox slid back into the chair across from him and pulled out his phone.

It didn't take long for Nick to find the articles.

BUNNY OFFICER DENIES RELATIONSHIP WITH FOX CO-WORKER!

ZPD'S SWEETHEART BUNNY SLY AND SINGLE AGAIN!

BUNNY STATES FOX'S CONFESSION WAS ALL A CON! WHAT WILL THEY CON US WITH NEXT?

"You know things are bad when staring at your ugly mug is the easiest part of my day," Nick said to the rhino.

No response.

"My point exactly," said Nick.

The temperature inside Mr. Big's estate was arctic. Judy didn't know why she was so surprised. The mansion might have been decorated in warm, rich reds and fresh jungle greens, but there was a reason they were able to keep such elaborate ice sculptures on display in every room without worrying about them melting. Even the wood flooring with its copious amounts of thick rugs hid a bed of ice just beneath.

Judy shivered and pulled her coat around her tighter as she moved from room to room. Mr. Big's estate had been built to polar bear specifications. Every doorway, bed, table and chair had been made for a polar bear's height and bulk. Judy thought it was probably because of how many polar bears Mr. Big had working for him on the premises.

Nick thought it was all ego.

Still, there were signs that a much smaller-sized family lived here if you looked closely enough. Tiny balconies ran along the bookshelves in the study. Sweeping staircases spiraled around table legs and around the side of doorframes. And elegant ramps carved into the ceiling beams led from room to room, giving those who traversed it a bird's eye view of the goings on below.

But the most telling, and what Judy searched the most carefully, were the tiny miniature recreations of the house that sat front and center in every room, either on a table or some other elevated platform as a clear focal point. Like a deconstructed dollhouse, each one of these models mirrored the room it was in perfectly, right down to the tiny, shrew-sized furniture and working appliances.

All that was missing were the shrews.

Judy stared at the scaled-down dining room table that sat upon its full-sized counterpart. Silverware had been set out, each utensil tinier than her pinky claw. Some of the chairs were pulled out, as if whoever had been sitting there had left in a hurry.

But why had they gone? And to where?

"Well the cameras are still up and running." Nick limped into the kitchen and took a seat at one of the bear-sized chairs. "I definitely heard it zooming in on me as I was going through Mr. Big's office."

"If they still have someone keeping an eye on security then they haven't abandoned the property entirely," said Judy. "That could be a sign they're planning on coming back."

"Possibly," said Nick.

"And in the meantime…" Judy pointed to the small camera in the corner of the ceiling. "Do you think we could find the location of these feeds?"

Nick nodded, grimacing as he reached down to rub at his ankles. "I can make some calls later."

"Thank you," said Judy. She knew he had to be hurting. She was feeling pretty sore and tired herself. But she hadn't been able to stop worrying about Fru Fru. She hadn't seen or heard from her friend since the night Fru Fru had left to go do something with Mr. Big. Now all of Judy's calls went straight to voicemail. She had visited Fru Fru's apartment, Marian's restaurant, the entire shopping district of Little Rodentia. No one had seen her. Fru Fru and her entire family were just… gone.

"Maybe they went on vacation," suggested Nick. "Like a last minute thing."

"Fru Fru wasn't dressed for vacation," said Judy. "And she'd looked… worried. Something's happened. Something to do with her father."

"Well I checked every report starting from the day before she came to see you up until yesterday," said Nick. "If Mr. Big did anything that scared him into running off with his entire family, the ZPD hasn't found out about it yet."

"When did you have time to go through that many reports?" said Judy, surprised.

Nick shrugged one shoulder."I've had a lot of time to kill lately."

While he had been guarding that rhino, he meant.

Judy took a seat next to Nick at the table. "He still hasn't spoken?"

"No." Nick leaned forward in his chair. "Do you think I'm being crazy about all this too?"

"Too?"

"Howle called me out today. I told him my theory. He thinks we should try harder to get the rhino to talk."

"But you said that would be a mistake," said Judy.

"Yes, but apparently I'm emotionally compromised right now."

Judy let out a shocked laugh. "Did Howle say that?"

"More or less." Nick rapped his claws against the table in an agitated beat. "Do you think I'm wrong about this?"

Judy pondered that.

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "The situation is troubling. There's definitely more going on here than we know. But if your instincts are telling you that this is the way we should play things right now then…" She shot him a smile. "Emotionally compromised or not, I will follow your lead."

"And if I lead you nowhere good?" Nick asked.

Normally a line like that would come with a cheeky wink and a cocky smile. But Nick's expression stayed grave.

Judy leaned in and bopped her shoulder against his, desperate to lighten his mood. He had been serious far too much lately. "Then at the very least, I know it will be somewhere fun."

That got a tiny snort out of him.

Judy smiled. She took one more look around the dining room, both the big one and the small. She sighed. "I guess we should go. Short of tearing down the walls, there's nowhere else for us to look here."

Nick eased himself out of the chair and Judy hurried over and took his arm. He leaned against her gratefully. She wanted to chide him for walking around so much, but he had been insistent on coming when she'd told him where she wanted to go, and honestly, she had been grateful for his company. After everything that had happened, she'd been a little apprehensive about searching for her missing friend alone.

"I wouldn't worry too much about Fru Fru," Nick said to her as they made their way back through the empty palatial halls. "She's tough. And clearly her and Mr. Big knew enough to get away. Whatever is wrong, I'm sure they're somewhere safe."

It was impossible not to believe him when he said it with such confidence.

Feeling a bit better, Judy steered them into the front entryway.

"Should we order in tonight?" she asked. "I don't think I have the energy to face any more reporters today. You might hate being holed up in interrogation all day, but it does have its perks during times like now."

Nick's weight left her. He stopped and Judy stopped too. "Is something wrong?"

Troubled eyes met her own. "I saw the interview you gave this morning."

The solemnity of his voice sent butterflies through Judy's stomach. She laughed nervously. "You really must be bored if you're taking the time to look at that."

Nick didn't laugh with her. "Why did you say the whole thing was a con job?"

Fear and hope. In this moment, Judy felt as if she were made up of nothing but these two emotions. She hadn't planned on bringing up this conversations so soon, though she had been dying to ask him about it. Nick might not be emotionally compromised but he was definitely still hurting. She had wanted to give him some time. But for him bring this matter up himself, and so soon? Never in a million years would Judy have expected that.

Nick was still waiting for her answer. Judy gave herself a mental shake. In what she hoped was a calm, reasonable tone of voice, she said, "Because that's what I promised you back when you agreed to go along with all this. Did you really want me to confirm what you said on stage?"

Because I love her.

The confession hung there in the silence between them. Nick watched her with hooded eyes. Judy tried to read the emotions there, but there were too many to make sense of.

"You know I wasn't conning anyone." The quietly spoken words pushed against the silence, and Judy felt the challenge in them.

Well she knew how to challenge too.

"It doesn't matter what I think I know," she said. "You haven't told me anything. And I won't assume. Frankly, we both deserve better than that."

Pain flickered in Nick's eyes before it faded back into that dark maelstrom of emotion. How was it that he could look so alone when she was mere feet away?

Judy stepped closer. "I'm not saying this to push you, Nick, or to guilt you. I know the whole idea of an 'us' scares you. As long as I can stay by your side, I'll wait patiently until you're ready."

He made a sharp scoffing noise. Judy sheepishly amended, "Well, maybe not patiently. But I will wait."

Nick closed his eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath. He held out his paw and Judy didn't hesitate. She slipped her paw into his and he gripped it tight.

"Do you know why I keep having nightmares?" he asked her.

"Because you're afraid something might happen to me," said Judy. "Like what happened to your mother."

"There is no might. Bad things will happen if we go down this road." He shook his head. "It would be damning enough if we were just an interspecies couple. But hey, we're a pretty big deal these days. Most animals would probably look the other way. But a predator-prey couple? That will be much harder for mammals to swallow. Doable, but neither of us will be winning Officer of the Year anymore. But a bunny and a fox couple? If you take me as a mate, Carrots, that's it. It'll be game over. Forget about losing awards; we'll be lucky to keep our jobs. And all that respect we fought so hard for? Poof, gone."

"Is that what this is about?" asked Judy. "You're worried about how animals will view you?" She couldn't say it wouldn't disappoint her, but how could she blame him if that was the case? Nick had wanted his whole life to be recognized and trusted, as a citizen, predator, and a fox. To lose all the acceptance he had fought so hard for…

But Nick just scoffed. "Whether society loves me or hates me, I'll manage either way. I always do. That's not the issue here. Didn't you see what happened, Carrots? Animals were killed. You were almost killed. Just for liking the wrong species."

"Do you think I'm not aware that it will be hard?" demanded Judy. "Do you think I'm that naive? Give me a little credit, Nick. Just because I didn't grow up in the city doesn't mean I don't know the risk I would be taking by dating you. I lived in a small rural town. Interspecies dating isn't just frowned upon there. It isn't done. Period."

"You still don't understand." And he looked genuinely pained that she didn't. "You might know the cost intellectually, but you've never lived it. My father left when I was six. Do you know why? Because my mother believed we had the same right to be a part of society as every other species, and she refused to back down on it no matter how much it upset the status quo."

"She sounds like an amazing fox," said Judy.

"She was." The words were thick with both pride and sadness. "More than once I heard my father say how much he admired her bravery and cleverness. It still didn't stop him from leaving though. What you're after, Judy, it comes with a very steep price. My mother lost her husband, she had very few friends, even I—" Nick's voice cracked. "That night she died… I had been out looking for a new place to live. Somewhere where I wouldn't have to put up with whispering neighbors and the dirty looks. Even I had given up on the idea of deserving better. If you do this, you'll lose friends, Judy. Maybe family. You'll never stop being judged, and the possibility of danger will be with you, always."

"So this is about my safety."

But Nick shook his head again, more vehemently this time. "That's not why. My nightmare… I don't keep having it because I'm afraid of what could happen to you. I keep having it because I feel guilty for not caring enough about the danger to let it stop me from wanting you. That's how selfish I am, Carrots. Even knowing the risks we'd face, I would gladly put us both in danger if it meant being with you."

Judy felt like her heart was spinning. That was the baldest confession Nick had ever made, and yet she was more confused than ever.

"But if you're not trying to protect me, then what's holding you back?"

Instead of answering, Nick looked down at their clasped paws.

Lost, Judy looked down at them too. And she watched as Nick slowly… deliberately… let go.

He didn't pull away. He stayed just as he was with his arm slightly raised, Judy's grip alone keeping them connected. He looked at her small gray paw clutching his with an expression Judy could only interpret as a sad kind of marveling. As if he couldn't quite believe it; as if he already missed it.

"It's because I know how this will end," said Nick. "If I hold onto you like I want to, if I put you through all that hardship… eventually you'll realize what a bad deal it is. Worse, you'll try to tough it out, because that's the kind of bunny you are. But slowly the resentment will eat away at you. And then one day you'll wake up and you won't be able to stand it anymore. You'll leave me. And by then everything will be so broken between us... Being partners? Staying as friends? It will be impossible. And the thought of that happening is worse than any nightmare I could ever have, Carrots."

Judy looked down at her paw still holding tight to his, letting the words wash over her. She'd known Nick had had his reasons. She'd laid awake so many nights, coming up with possible rebuttals for his arguments of why they could never be. Not once had it ever occurred to her that he might be hesitant because of her. Did he doubt her feelings that much? Or did he think so little of her? Judy had never in her life given up on anything she wanted, and she had never wanted anything in her life more than Nick, so why was he so sure she wouldn't succeed at this when he trusted her to come through on everything else?

She looked up at his face, trying to push past the hurt in order to understand. The raw emotion he had displayed so openly just a moment ago was already gone, swept messily away behind a blank mask as he braced himself for her response. No doubt he expected her to argue, maybe even curse him. She certainly felt like calling him a few choice names.

But how could she when he already looked so defeated? His shoulders were slumped, his eyes downcast. His paw was still outstretched. Who knew how long he would stay like this if she let him. Until his poor abused ankles finally gave out? If she was so lacking, why even bother to wait for her to let go? Why not pull away now?

Nick had never doubted her abilities even in the most dire of situations. If she decided to do something, he was always the first one to stand back and let her do it, no matter how crazy the scheme. So what was the difference here?

Because it's not about me.

The realization dawned slowly, like a sunrise on a stormy morning. She took in the defensive hunch of Nick's shoulders, the resignation in his eyes. None of that was the look of someone who had judged her and found her lacking. On the contrary, it was the look of someone who felt lacking in themselves. Nick didn't believe he was worth holding onto, therefore he didn't believe Judy would be willing or able to do it. It was as simple and heartbreaking as that.

Judy had gotten mad when she'd thought Nick believed her to be naive, but it turned out she was naive. Not about the risks she knew they would face, but about Nick himself. Had she really believed that all that cynicism and self-loathing Nick had harbored when they'd first met had just... gone away? She should have known better than to think that a couple of awards, a good job, and a few friends could erase years of trauma of Nick being told he wasn't good enough. That he was, in fact, unwanted in every respect.

"There's nothing I can say that will convince you differently about this, is there?" she asked him, already knowing the answer. "You really believe I'll give up."

He said nothing, but she felt the tremble that went through him.

She looked down at the paw she held. So much bigger and stronger than her own, and yet refusing to hold on despite how easy it would be.

"This won't work then," she said.

She met his eyes, letting Nick read her intent there, giving him a moment to prepare for it.

Then she let go.

Nick's eyes fell closed and he swallowed hard. His dropped his arm, clenching and unclenching his paws as he fought to keep that blank mask of his in place.

He really was a dumb fox, Judy thought.

Then she stepped forward and hugged him.

Nick's breath hitched and he went stiff in her arms. "C-carrots? What're you—"

"Since words aren't going to work with you," said Judy. "I'm just going to have to convince you with actions instead." She gave him a little squeeze, taking care with his sore ribs. "This is me choosing you, Nicholas Wilde. And I will keep choosing you. Every day I am going to choose you, and stay with you, and love you, to the best of my abilities, no matter what struggles we face, for as long it takes that stubborn fox heart of yours to realize you are worth every bit of it, and even after. I will always stay by your side."

She paused there. The poor fox didn't even seem to be breathing. But she could hear his heart, pounding out a rapid beat where she pressed against his chest.

"But I can't do it all on my own," she told him, and though she tried to keep her voice strong, a thread of insecurity made it wobble just the tiniest bit. "I need you to choose me too. I need to know that you'll stay. That you won't run away. That you want me to be there next to you. Can you do that?"

Judy waited. It was only when she started feeling lightheaded that she realized she was also holding her breath now. Hugging Nick might have been the more impactful gesture, but it certainly limited her view of his reaction, and she was dying to know. He wasn't moving, he wasn't speaking, and when she tried to glance up at his face to get a peek at what he might be thinking his big, fox chin was in the way.

Should she let go? Was he still thinking about it or was this his way of saying no?

She felt Nick shift, a barely imperceptible adjustment in his stance. And then he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. It was awkward with Judy wrapped around his middle, but when she made to pull back his other arm came down around her shoulders, hugging her to him.

That seemed promising. Judy's heart gave a hopeful leap.

He dialed a number.

"Hello, is this head office for Vanity Fur? This is Officer Nicholas Wilde from the ZPD. You may have heard of me."

Judy heard what sounded like a chipmunk's excited squeal, followed by a string of chatter too high-pitched to catch.

"Actually," said Nick, "I'm calling about an article your magazine released online earlier today about my partner, Judy Hopps. I believe it was titled 'ZPD's Sweetheart Bunny Sly and Single Again.'"

He waited while the chipmunk chattered a response.

"I'm sure it has gotten a lot of hits," said Nick. "Unfortunately, it also contains a huge error that needs to be corrected immediately. What error, you ask? Well, I would have thought I'd made myself clear about this a week ago, but if your journalists need a reminder: The ZPD's 'sweetheart' bunny is only one of the things your article is claiming that she is. And while I admit that her slyness is one of her best charms, I don't think there's really a need for you to dedicate a whole article discussing it, is there? In fact, I would be extremely grateful if you would just take the whole thing down."

Nick made a noise of disgust at whatever the chipmunk said in reply. He held the phone down to Judy. "Carrots, will you please set these animals straight so that I can move on to the next one? Thanks to your interview I've got about fifty more of these calls to make befo—oomph."

The phone clattered to the floor as Judy leapt up, grabbed the collar of Nick's shirt and yanked him down into a kiss.

Nick didn't hesitate. He wrapped his arms around Judy, scooping her up so that her feet no longer touched the floor. If it bothered his injuries he didn't show it. It certainly didn't affect his abilities at kissing. And cheese and crackers, did the fox know how to kiss!

It was to Judy's great dismay when Nick broke away only a minute later. "Hold on, Carrots. I've still got to call Good Horsekeeping—"

"I don't care."

"—and Snorts Illustrated—"

"Nicholas Wilde, stop teasing and kiss me," said Judy.

"But I'm trying to show you with my actions how much I—"

"Try some different actions," she suggested.

Nick was happy to oblige.

They didn't get back to making phone calls for a very long time.

Luther sat in his cell and waited.

There was no clock in his cell. Just a cot and a toilet and a barred window too narrow for a weasel, much less a rhino, to ever slip through. But that was fine. He didn't need to know the time or take in the view.

He shared the cell with no one. It had been made for larger animals, but not one quite so large as him. That was fine too. He didn't need to move around or speak.

Once a day he was taken to the interrogation room where the fox would pretend to question him. Mostly the fox would ignore Luther while he played on his phone, throwing the occasional barbed comment his way lest the rhino forget how much he was hated. These days, the fox liked to sing Gazelle songs, loudly and off-key. The more obnoxious he could make himself sound, the better. He seemed to be in a brighter mood these days, Luther noticed.

The bunny tended to visit more now. Her eyes were sharp. Possibly sharper than even the fox's. Luther noticed that too.

The rest of the time he was in his cell. That was fine. The wolf often dropped by. Not speaking to him, just watching. There was the lion who always hissed at him when he passed by, the coyote who brought him his meal.

It was all fine. Luther had done his job. Now he just had to wait.

Not long now, he told himself. Just a little while more and all would be put to rights soon.

The Natural Order would be restored soon.

A/N: So ends "Claws of Attraction." And if you haven't already guessed, the story isn't over quite yet! There is a third(!) and final part to this, entitled, "Hare to the Throne," the prologue of which is already up if you'd like to go check it out. For those who were just hanging on for the HEA, hopefully this ending will satisfy you enough for you to go in peace. But for those who want to continue, please stick around. I have been excited about this third part of the story since early on in "A Hopps, Skip, and a Fox," and I am so happy to finally be able to start sharing it with all of you. As always, thank you all for your thoughts, compliments, even criticisms, and I hope to hear from all you again, one last time, in "Hare to the Throne."