A/N: At first, I thought of waiting for a week. But then I thought again and finally, screw it! Here it is! Final chapter. This one will be totally short like in Meeting the Folks. Anyway, let's go!
Disclaimer: Zootopia, Disney.
Max slowly opened his eyes to see the sun shining out the window to his left. He looked around. He was in something like a hospital but his clothes were still on. And… Was bandaged heavily too. However, Max didn't like being in hospitals or clinics. He got off of bed slowly and walked out the room. The first thing he saw were police officers everywhere. He looked left and right as he walked his way out.
But it took him a while to realized he was back in Zootopia. His ears dropped. "How the heck did I get back here…?" he thought. To his right, he saw Chief Bogo explaining the case to the press conference and behind him were Judy and a wounded Nick covered in bandage too.
Nick saw him and smiled as he walked towards his friend with Judy following him. "Hey, Max," he said. "How's your wound? Hope I didn't bite too hard."
Max chuckled and rubbed the bite mark Nick gave him. "It could have been worse," he said. "But this isn't the worst I've ever felt." The two shared their laughs at each other's remarks. "Anyway," Max continued. "I should really get going."
"Stay a little," Judy said.
"Yea," Nick agreed. "You still haven't visited our place yet after all."
"I'm flattered, guys," Max said. "But… I think I better go otherwise, you know, mammals will be uncomfortable with a convict around?"
Judy and Nick looked at each other and smiled.
"About that," Judy said. "Your records have been clean. We made sure we removed everything right after you left Zootopia. It's almost as if you never left." Judy gave him a paper with all his records. It was totally wiped clean including the part where he left to Canide Town.
"What about the Vora Lisa? And that statue thing? And… Brad?" Max said, looking up.
"The Vora Lisa has returned and as for the statue of Maaheskhamun, it's being shipped off to San Fenneco. As for… Brad Jackalson, we made sure he'll be going away for long, long time."
Max nodded and folded the paper, giving it back to Judy. "I appreciate it but I don't think…"
"Max?" said a female voice behind him. He turned around to see a white bunny coming up to him.
"Er… Hi," he said, with a nervous smile.
"It really is you…" she said softly, smiling.
Max frowned at her at first. But as he looked up on her left ear… He knew who she was. The left ear was bent. A white bunny.
"Sophie…?" he said, looking at her.
"We… May have accidentally stumbled upon her records," Nick said.
"So we decided to give her a call and asked if she could see an old friend," Judy added.
Max was listening but he just could not keep his eyes away from the white bunny. He was still a little worried so he looked down.
The bunny, Sophie, walked up towards him slowly, placed her paw on his bandaged neck and hugged him.
He looked down on her and patted her head. "Sophie…" he said.
She pulled the hug away slowly, holding on to his paw, and slowly removing his right glove.
At first, Max pulled his right paw away quickly but Sophie held on to it softly. She wanted to feel his paw on hers. Bared. And as she pulled off his glove, the first thing she noticed was his sharp claws.
Max looked at her worriedly, hoping not to scare her. Instead, she held on to his unglove paw, feeling his bandage around it slowly, trying to be careful not to hurt him even the slightest. She slowly marked the palm of her paw with his claw softly and shivers with a gasp.
He looked at her. "Does… Doesn't that hurt…?"
She nodded and looked up at him. "But… I know you don't mean it…"
Max watched as she entertwined their paws together. "I'm sorry…" he said. "For scaring you…"
She looked up at him. "No…" she said. "I should apologize. I can't imagine how alone you were… I know you were just trying to protect me but… I ran away and…" She hugged him tighter as if she didn't want to see him go away anymore. "I'm so sorry for leaving you…"
Max for the first time in a while finally smiled completely and hugged her back.
Judy and Nick who were witnessing this smiled at each other and held one another's paws, as they just watched the two.
"I'm a kindergarten teacher now, Max," Sophie said.
"No way," Max replied with a smile. He remembered clearly about Sophie's dream on becoming a kindergarten teacher. He never would have thought she actually has become one.
"What about you?"
"I er…"
"Robbing banks?"
He looked at her, surprised.
She smiled and hugged him. "It doesn't matter," she said. "I finally got to see you again. And I'm so glad you're okay."
Max rubbed the back of her neck. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you…"
"We…" Sophie lowered her voice. "Could have been the first fox/bunny couple too…"
Max looked at her. "There's always second," he said.
Sophie looked down in disappointment. "Max… You should know that… I already have a boyfriend…"
Max nodded slowly in disappointment as well. "Of course…"
"And he's a bunny too."
He sighed. "Figures…"
"But…" she stood on her toes, grabbing onto his hoodie and gave him a light kiss on the lips. As she pulled away slowly, she hugged him again. "There's no way I'm keeping my lips waiting for that…"
Max stared at her at first. Then lifted her face up a little by the chin and kissed her back on the lips lightly as well. He smiled at her after pulling back. "I've been waiting for you to be the first for my lips…"
She smiled back at him. "Do you… Wanna hang out like old times…?"
"I er… Got stuff to do… And some dates to owe now."
Her eyes widened. "Dates?" she immediately glared at him.
"Yea… I may have kinda told the mammals that maybe until I find you, I'll take them out but now…Well, I gotta keep my promise. Now that I finally found you."
She gave him the most threatening eyes at him and he smiled nervously with a light chuckled.
"Fine," she said. "But it's just a few dates right?"
"Er… Does 81 count as few?"
"81?!"
"Yea… Some are even males and there are others from other countries even."
Sophie's eyes immediately burnt with rage and Max was finding this terrifying.
"B-but I swear that there's nothing more to it!" he said, his arms flailing in the air. "I only owe them dinner and lunch! Nothing more!"
She shut his mouth by placing her index finger on his lips. She sighed. "I guess it's fair considering I'm dating someone else too. But…" She looked at him in the most gentle eyes he's ever seen. "Promise me that if we ever get a chance, we'll… Date… Like for real…" She looked away shyly.
Max looked at her at first and responded back by hugging her. "Definitely…" he said softly.
She smiled, reluctantly pulling away from the hug and putting his glove back on to him. The two afterwards exchange phone numbers, keeping in touch more often. And hopefully, one day, they'll get a chance to finally be together just like they wanted. Sophie waved at him goodbye and he waved back. He sighed and looked up in the blue sky.
"Well, well," Nick said. "You seem to be happy."
Max glanced at him and snatched the paper he gave Judy earlier away from her. "I think I change my mind…" he said, regretting.
Nick and Judy laughed.
"So what're you gonna do now?"
Max thought for a while. "I know I'm gonna have to go back to so many places I've been to owe the mammals the dates like I promise," he said. "But before that…"
Moments after, the three were at the same Japanese restaurant that they ate together the other day. Nick and Judy had already finished their meal but Max kept eating ramen as if it was forever. In fact, he has already eaten 8 bowls of them too.
"Oyaasan! Moichido!" he said.
"Hai, hai," said the badger, preparing some more ramen. "Doushite, Makkusu? Kimi wa kyou shiawasena youdesu. Nani ka yoidesu ka?"
"Saa na?" Max with a smile, shrugging.
The badger laughed and went back to his work and prepared more ramen just in case.
"How many bowls have you eaten already?" Nick said, tapping on his fingers.
"Who knows?" he answered, shrugging. "Hai, moichido!"
It was already the evening and Max ate 12 bowls of ramen but yet, Judy and Nick were impressed that he still hasn't burped. However, they were happy at least that he hasn't eaten a single chocolate bar for the whole day. That's a huge change
Nick and Judy even got to show him around the house. They even decided to let him sleep for the night after all that's happened. Max was so happy he hugged the two and lifted them up in the air. He was struck with too much pure joy already from this morning too.
"Dude, come on," Nick said laughing. "You're being too happy here."
He let them go and bowed to Nick and Judy. "Thank you so much," he said.
"What're you gonna do now?" Judy said, laughing.
He thought and smile. "For once… Get some real sleep. After what's happened lately, I seriously need it."
The next day came, and Max, Judy and Nick were already at the train station. Max was about to leave to Los Horserus to start off his first debt with Jasmine, the receptionist at Cosmos Towers. Then afterwards pay a visit to the hospital for Cheryl and maybe buying her take out. But, he'll improvised on the way anyway.
"So, how long will it be?" Nick said.
"Shouldn't be more than a month," Max answered. "I got some mammal friends that can get me a private flight even."
Nick shook his head. "Seriously, how do you even met those mammals?"
Max laughed.
"NEXT STOP: LOS HORSERUS"
"Well," he said picking up his suitcase. "This is my train apparently."
"Take care of yourself now," Judy said.
"I will. And if you see Sophie, tell her to contact me whenever she feels worried. I'll always answer."
"Sure thing."
Max smiled. "Nick," he said hugging his friend. "Ms. Hopps," he said, holding on Judy's paw and kissed it.
She giggled and Nick chuckled.
Max got on board and waved at them. "See you soon. You guys better get married the next time we meet."
The two smiled as the door closed with Max still waving at them through the window.
Nick wrapped an arm around Judy. "You know…" he said. "Marriage really doesn't sound bad."
She elbowed his side playfully and shook her head, smiling.
"What? It's true."
Max on the other hand, put on his earphones and tuning in some music as the wheels of the trains rolled towards back to Los Horserus. This was going to be a long month to cover up…
A/N: There you have it people. Hope you enjoyed it. It was short yes but I definitely enjoy writing the scene of Max and Sophie's reunion. So anyway, here are some infos on Sophie.
Sophie's info: She has become a kindergarten teacher for 3 years, the same year when the Robin Hood crew separated. Very shy and loves hugging Max a lot. Especially his tail. Unlike Max who is an otaku, she is a gamer instead. Her favorite game, Dark Souls…
There'll be more info of Sophie in my tumblr and a reference to her. Enjoy. Damn, I'm tired. I actually wrote chapter 10, 11 and 12 all in one day. I was so happy with the results.
Conversation between Max and the restaurant owner:
Max: "Boss! One more!"
Boss: "Okay, okay. What's wrong, Max? You seem happy today. Did something happen?"
Max: "Who knows?"
There will be a follow up to this story and this will be only about Nick and Judy. And this time, it's only about them and romance. I also plan to do a bonus for Max too. Tell me if you guys wanna read Max's story as well through your review. Because I'd really like to focus only on him and Sophie for once.
Also, listen to 'Warera Omou Yueni, Warera Ari' by Kishidan. Because it fits well with the ending. Anyway, ciao!