Chapter Twenty Five

"And that's pretty much the whole story." Judy said once she was done explaining herself "That's why I... carry the spray and acted weird in Tundra Town."

Nick stood there in silence for a moment before he frowned, saying "So... this whole time... you were afraid of predators... all because of a bully fox... what a shock."

Nick turned his back, looking hurt as Judy frowned as sadness overcame her "Nick, please, I never meant to offend you. It's not like I'm scared of you. I know you would never hurt anyone, you never hurt Ella and you never hurt me... at least not physically. I almost said that predators were going savage because of... their DNA or whatever it was before those savage prey animals barged in... but I'm really glad it happened... because then I would've made the biggest mistake of my whole life... hurting so many animals, hurting so many loved ones... more importantly, I would've been a horrible friend by hurting you. Still... I'm so very sorry!"

Judy as on the verge of tears as she waited for Nick to turn his back, but when he didn't she cried harder, trying to hoist herself up onto the big chair fully before she lost her balance and fell. Before she hit the ground a par of arms caught her and held her tight yet gently. Judy opened her teary eyes and realized that Nick had saved her and was smiling warmly before he said "I forgive you... I'd forgive you even if you did make that mistake about our case... because that's the kind of friend I am."

"Really?" Judy asked

"Really..." Nick said before he added "Also... I admit I was a tad worried you'd turn savage like those animals that attacked us at the ZPD and attack me... so in a way, that kind of makes us even."

Judy sniffled as she and Nick shared a hug together, the fox gently comforting his closest friend as much as he could. He had grown to care and love his new friend so much he forgot why he hated all prey animals in the first place. Sure the memory was still in his mind, but the pain and hatred he felt from it was no longer there... It was as if Judy had been the one true friend he had been waiting for his whole life. And he was the friend Judy had been waiting for.

Their tender moment was interrupted when Judy grunted in pain of her wounded leg, which Nick had accidently pushed against, and he placed the rabbit down saying "Sorry! That was an accident. Is there anything I can do for you? Like, fluff your pillow before you go to sleep or a glass of warm... uh, carrot juice?"

"No, nothing like that." Judy said before she handed Nick a piece of paper saying "But... I do have one request, that is... if you are willing to accept it."

Nick took the piece of paper and opened it, revealing an application to the ZPD. Nick was shocked by this, before a smile grew on his face and he felt honored before he asked "May I barrow your pen?"

Judy smiled and handed Nick the pen.

Several months later...

After such a long and challenging time training in the police academy, Nick Wilde felt proud as he wore his new fox sized police uniform and drank his cup of coffee as he listened to his new partner Judy Hopps presented a speech at his police academy graduation ceremony. His whole time at the academy felt like a blur in his mind but Judy encouraged him and told him about her time at the academy, she even knocked out a full grown rhino during her sparring session and left him with a black eye and a fat lip! Now that was something he could be impressed with.

He endured ice walls, scorching sandstorms, high climbing rope ladders, several other obstacles and more. He even had his tail stepped on several times by the other cadets and once fell head first into a giant toilet. Still he pressed onward because there were two people who believed in him more then anyone else in the world; Judy and his newly adopted daughter Ella.

When Nick adopted Ella as his legal daughter, to which everyone in the ZPD supported, including Chief Bogo, the news went global about Ella, not only being the first human to be an adopted child to an animal but the first human resident to live in Zootopia. For this day, the day her father could finally start his new career as a cop, Ella wore a headband with decorative fox ears on them and a belt with a decorative fox tail hanging from the back, making it look like it was her tail. Nick had even brought a new home to live in, a regular house that was perfect for a single parent fox to raise his only child with everything he could ever ask for... but it was truly perfect because of Ella.

Judy was honored to pin on Nick's badge and saluted to him before all the other cadets cheered on happily, throwing their caps into the air and welcoming him into their union with open arms. And for the first time in forever, Nick felt like he belonged somewhere important... and he would never trade it for anything else. He also asked Judy if she would like to move in with him and Ella and she agreed, after all her two noisy neighbors were starting to get on her nerves. Afterwards she threw out her fox repellent and told others in her family to do the same, which they were more then happy to do.

She also learned that her old bully, Gideon Grey, the fox she told Nick about, had mellowed out of his jerk ways and had become a baker, and a business partner with the Hopps family as well as her father's friend. When they reunited Gideon apologized to Judy and Judy forgave him. Nick was more then happy to snack on his pies, and accidently dropped the pie, resulting in splatting Judy all over with pie filling and crust. Judy got her revenge when she splatted him with a pie and soon started a food fight that everyone was enjoying happily.

Zootopia improved as well. Once the whole night howler thing was cleared up and the savages cured and returned to their true selves, predators and prey quickly realized that they were just being silly in fearing each other and were deeply ashamed for judging the other so quickly for the longest time. Despite what they had been through, they forgave and forgot the whole past misunderstandings and judgments with one another and embraced each other, not as predator and prey, but as brothers and sisters in one united species for all metropolis, fallowing the example set by Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps themselves, guess they were just the heroes the city had needed all along to finally put the prejudice among the citizens behind them for good.

Now there was one question worth asking; will Zootopia forgive the humans?

One average Sunday as Ella had just finished up her homework she looked out her bedroom window and saw something strange, a bus filled with humans with suitcases and other things moving from one side of the street to another. What was going on? She walked over to Nick's room, where her father had been sprawled across the bed and snoring up a storm after his first long week as a cop. She gently nudged him and when he woke up he yawned and said "Ella? What is it?"

"There's a bus with humans in it outside." Ella said "What's going on?"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you about that." Nick said with a smile "It turns out several humans from your old home were so inspired by our story that they want to come and live in Zootopia too. And guess what? Everyone's welcoming them with open arms! Judy's even giving tours and showing them how to live in Zootopia. Isn't it great? Guess this means the whole 'humans hunting animal' thing is behind us for good."

Ella smiled before she frowned and Nick asked "What's wrong Ella? Aren't you excited?"

"I am but... I guess... since i'm not going to be the only human resident anymore... I guess I'm not that special anymore."

"Baby, before I met you, I never had anything special to call my own." Nick said "Back then all I cared about was myself and about making money. But now I have something far more important then waiting for my next payday or having the best job in the world... The best daughter anyone could ask for. I knew you were special the moment we met...and I knew you were my daughter the moment I fell in love with you. And believe me kid, that's special enough for anyone, nobody will ever be able to take that away from you."

Ella smiled before she hugged her father and Nick hugged her back affectionately before the fox said "I love you honey."

"I love you too daddy." Ella said with a smile.

Nick smiled as he hugged his daughter close before he said "Now come on sweetie, let's meet our new neighbors."

Ella smiled as she took her father's hand and headed outside to meet their new human residents with smiles and open arms. Ella knew that everyone was going to love living in Zootopia, because in this city anyone can truly be anything they want, human and animal alike. If a bunny can become a cop, a fox can become a parent to a human, there's a chance for anyone to become anything they want... no matter how crazy their dreams are.

The End