Well folks, here it is. The final chapter. Finally.

When I started writing this, I never thought it would take this long. Life took some unexpected turns. I headed off to grad school (which I've since finished), spent months looking for a job, and various other real-life ups and downs that constantly drained my energy to finish this thing.

But here it is, done. I can't say I'm 100% happy with it in hindsight. There is a lot I wish I hadn't done or had done differently, and parts I really wish I could burn with a flamethrower. But it was a learning experience for me and a valuable one at that. And a proud moment too, because this is the first large creative project I've ever finished. Now whatever I write or do in the future, I can look back at this and be like: "well, I finished that angsty Zootopia fanfic, so I can finish whatever it is I'm working on now!"

Anyway, enough of my rambling. Thank you so much to all of you that have stuck in there this whole time waiting for the real ending to this tire fire of a story. It was all of your interest and support that finally led me to finish this thing years later. I hope you enjoy it! Thank you again.

"…and then she finally came out on stage and OH-EM-GOODNESS, I was screaming. Literally screaming."

"Clawhauser…"

"Like, I know I've seen Gazelle in concert before. Several times as a matter of fact. But she was wearing this outfit that was just, indescribable. Indescribable Nick."

"Clawhauser…"

"You'd think by now I'd be used to it, but no. I was in tears. Tears running all down my face. I was practically blinded by the sequins. I had to make sure the flash was off on my phone when I took a picture, and I could barely see through the tears anyway. Tears of joy, but-"

"CLAWHAUSER!"

Nick's head hit the top of the desk with a dull thud. "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I hung in there as long as I could, but I just can't take any more. Pleaaaase. I get it ok. 'Gazelle is a goddess fallen to Earth to bless us with entertainment.' You've shown me your fan site. Several times."

Clawhauser blushed a bit under his fur, realizing that he had gone overboard as usual. "Sorry Nick, it was just uh, it was a lot of fun. Heh."

Nick sighed as he lifted his head back up. "It's fine buddy, it's fine. Just, try and reign it in a little bit ok? Just a smidge?"

Clawhauser nodded enthusiastically as he turned back to his computer to finish the paperwork he'd been working on before launching into another Gazelle obsessed outburst.

Really, Nick was pretty lucky. Of all the places and people they could have stuck him while he was restricted to desk duty, this was probably the best one he could have ended up at. He was sure he had Bogo to thank for that. For all of his little quirks, he liked and appreciated Clawhauser and thought of him as a true friend. Being stuck at the front desk with him wasn't the worst thing in the world by any means. They got in just as many laughs as they did moments where Nick wanted to rip his ears off rather than hear one more Gazelle related story.

Laughs were important right now too. Things weren't as bad as they could have been, not by a long shot. Bogo had pulled a lot of strings while doing his best to keep it all above the board. Nick was just thankful to still have his job and not be out on the street, or in jail, or any number of far worse outcomes. But being stuck at a desk for what felt like an eternity was a special kind of torture all in its own right. Being stuck inside the precinct, watching all of his colleagues go out and risk life and limb to serve and protect, made him realize just how much he'd come to enjoy and care about his job over the past years.

And of course, then there was the other obvious downside.

He barely got to see her.

Nick sighed to himself quietly as the thought of Judy entered his mind, idly stirring his now stone-cold mug of coffee that had been sitting on his desk since this morning. For the magnitude of the emotional breakthrough they went through months ago, they'd barely been able to spend any time with one another. Most of the time they were on different shifts now that they weren't partners, and even when they were on the same shift, Nick was stuck at a desk and Judy was out on the street being put in harm's way.

Nick shook that thought out of his head as he turned back to his own computer, desperately trying to remember what it even was he'd been working on. Lately his mind had been wandering even more than usual. It'd been about six weeks since he was reassigned, and every day he felt more and more like he was trapped in a cage. He was just hoping and praying for the day Bogo would call him up to his office to tell him that they were ready to put him back on the street.

And to put him back with her. He'd gotten so used to hearing that voice every day, and suddenly he was lucky if he got to hear a few words here and there. Let alone hear that adorable way she'd say his name. The way it just rolled off of her tongue.

"Nick-"

Nick jumped bolt upright in his seat, his ears rotating and flicking around in reaction. That sounded awfully real for a daydream.

Suddenly, the voice he thought was in his head was followed by a very real giggle. His brows shooting up, Nick leaned forward and peeked over the side of the desk to see a laughing Judy.

Any signs of frustration or depression immediately flushed out of his face upon seeing her. He leaned against his hand and put on his best mock-suave expression. "Well my, my. Isn't this an honor. The lowly desk jockey getting a visit from the famed rabbit super cop Judy Hopps. What have I done to deserve a visit from Zootopia's most highly decorated and attractive officer?"

Judy blushed and giggled harder, looking around with a hint of embarrassment, but also giddiness. "Niiiiick, c'mon. Not when there are people around." The embarrassment seemed to melt away fairly quickly though as she looked up at him with a special glint in her eye. "I was just getting off my lunch break, and I thought I'd come by to see how you're holding up. Clawhauser seems to be keeping you in line."

"Just barely. He's a troublemaker!" Clawhauser chimed in mischievously. Nick just scoffed and smirked before turning back to Judy.

"I'm doing just fine thank you very much. Clawhauser here needs to watch himself…" Nick teased, jerking a thumb in the feline's direction. "…people are so charmed by my wit and grace he may lose the title of the most likeable guy at the front desk. Just you wait big boy. It's going to be a very competitive awards season this year. Mark my words."

That managed to get another giggle out of Judy before her expression turned a little more concerned. "Really though, how are you doing? I've meant to come by more often, it's just hard with the way my schedule is right now…"

Nick cleared his throat awkwardly as he glanced over his shoulder. Clawhauser didn't need any hints. Without a word he grabbed his coffee mug and slinked out more quietly than a cat his weight should physically be able to. How could he be that light on his feet? Now with a bit more privacy, Nick slumped down against the desk a bit and shrugged.

"I'm fine. Really. Considering all the alternatives after what I pulled, I'm really lucky and should be more grateful. I mean, I'm still on the force, I'm still working, I'm not in prison or anything. But, well. You know." He shrugged again. "Still sucks, but what can you do right? I just gotta do my time here in admin purgatory until they decided I've done enough of a penance and they give me a chance to show I'm not a mess anymore and get back out there and make a difference."

"You're still making a difference Nick, really. Just by being here. I know you may not think that, but you are." Judy looked around cautiously, her ears folding back, before continuing. "I know what you mean though, really I do. But, there's some rumors going around that might be sooner than you think. A decision about getting you back out on the street I mean."

That made Nick's ears stand straight up, his eyebrows shooting up immediately as well. "Really? Like, how soon are we talking here? Like-"

"WILDE!"

Nick bolted upright in his chair, spinning around and looking up, the formidable frame of Chief Bogo looming down from the railing on the floor above outside his office.

"My office," Bogo continued, calmer and softer once he had Nick's attention.

Nick had no idea if that was a good sign or not. He looked over to Judy, his expression displaying a thousand different mixed emotions at once. "Welp, I imagine we're gonna find out my future pretty quick here."

Judy wanted to stay with him so badly, it was painfully obvious from her body language. But duty called, and she was a dutiful rabbit. "I.. have to get back on patrol. But-"

"Yeah."

"Nick I-"

"I know you do carrots, you don't have to say anything." Nick smiled as warmly as he could as he slid down from his chair, straightening his uniform tie. "I know you'll be with me in spirit."

"I'm sure it's gonna be ok Nick. They wouldn't- I mean, there's no way they'd do anything bad after this long. If they were gonna take harsher action, they would have done it in the first place."

"I know, but they could still keep me at this desk until I draw a pension. If they even let me draw one." Nick sighed and brushed a few stray pieces of lint off before fixing his posture. "It's out of my paws, carrots. All I can do is go in there with my head held high and hope for the best."

Judy put on a brave face. She looked ready to leap into his arms, but they both knew better. "Listen, give me a call tonight, ok? I gotta get back to my shift before I'm running late."

Nick nodded and smiled. "Will do carrots. In the meantime, off into oblivion."

Nick took a deep breath, put on a brave face of his own, turned smartly on his heel, and marched for the escalator, already missing Judy the moment he turned away.

"Sit."

Nick didn't say anything. He closed the door behind him and quickly and quietly made his way to the oversized chair in front of Bogo's desk. Bogo continued to leaf through the paperwork in front of him as Nick finished climbing into the chair, taking a few awkward seconds to try and put his tail somewhere where it wouldn't be in the way.

After what felt like an eternity, Bogo set the papers down, tossing his spectacles down on the desk, leaning back in his chair. "Clawhauser says you've been doing well down at the front desk since we put you there. No complaints from anyone."

"Yes sir."

"You've been showing up to the meetings with the counselor like clockwork too. Haven't missed one yet from what I hear. Or the support group."

"Yes sir."

"You even agreed to the random drug test when, frankly, I thought they went too far in demanding that you and I wouldn't have held it against you if you'd cried bloody murder about it. Honestly, that was borderline lawsuit material on part, no matter what you did."

"Uh, y- yes sir." Nick stumbled a little on this one. His streetwise senses were failing him. Bogo was so hard to read when he wanted to be. He couldn't tell if any of this was good or bad.

"The reason I bring all this up is I had a meeting this morning with the Civilian Review Board at city hall."

"Yes sir."

"And I brought all of these things up as reasons why I think that you're more than ready to return to full duty. You've done everything we've asked of you. To a tee.

"Thank you sir."

Silence.

"…well aren't you going to ask me how it went?"

Nick couldn't help but smirk a little. "I figured you'd tell me after an appropriate amount of silence to screw with me a bit." A pause. "Sir."

Even Bogo couldn't help but smirk at that. Even after everything that'd happen, Nick couldn't lose his sense of humor. He wiped the smirk off his face as he leaned forward, resting his heavy arms on the desk with a thud.

"…Objections were raised. As I imagined they would be. There was no way that wasn't going to happen, regardless of how long we waited and whatever you did."

"…Yes Sir."

"But, ultimately, a majority of the Board decided you were fit to return to full duty, effective immediately, on the conditions you continue the counseling and meeting the other requirements for another few months."

Nick's heart stopped. The whole world seemed to stop.

"…unless of course you'd, prefer to remain at the front desk. Seeing you've been doing such an exceptional job with it."

"NO!"

Bogo visibly held back a chuckle as Nick flushed under his fur and leaned back in his seat, recomposing himself. "Um, thank you, no sir. I think Clawhauser has that under control. I would, I, I think-"

"Wilde, relax, I'm pretty sure I know what you're going to say. It's yes, I'm assuming?"

Nick took a deep breath as what felt like years of built up tension ebbed out of shoulders. "Yes. Yes sir. I would very much like that, sir."

"Good. Because I've been missing a damn good cop all the time you've been off the street and I'm eager to get him back out there." Bogo got up from his chair, holding out his oversized hand to Nick. "Welcome back, Office Wilde. Welcome back."

Nick was surprised how emotional he felt as he placed his puny paw into Bogo's hand, as well as being surprised at how gentle the giant bovine was as he shook it. If you had told him a couple years ago he'd be this happy to be back to work as a cop, he'd have laughed you out of the room. What a difference a year or two could make in someone's life.

"Thank you Chief. I- I don't know what to say, really. Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah, save all that for when you start on Monday, Wilde." Bogo was back to all business as he sat back down in his desk and picked up his files. "I'm giving you the rest of the day off so you can get an early start on the weekend and get back in the headspace for doing some real police work again, so go on, shoo."

Nick started to climb down off the chair before Bogo cleared his throat with a rumble, getting Nick's attention once more. He suddenly looked rather sheepish.

"Uh, don't tell Clawhauser I said that. About 'real' police work. He's the only one who knows how to fix my computer when something breaks."

Nick just smirked once again. "Don't worry Chief. After what you've done for me, I think keeping that little secret is the least I can do.

Nick felt lighter than air as he stepped out of the elevator, humming to himself as he strode down the hall of his apartment floor. He hadn't felt this happy in months. Part of him worked diligently to try and reign his emotions back in. After all, this had all come about from one of the worst periods in his life. He didn't feel like he should be so happy about it. He should be more austere, straighter laced.

But that just wasn't him. Besides, he wasn't happy for purely selfish reasons. He was happy because he was going to be able to get back into the career he never thought would be so passionate about, getting back out the street and helping regular folks and making the city a better place through public service.

Nick stopped in place, a puzzled expression on his face as he analyzed that thought. That was followed by a short laugh and a shake of the head.

"…Jeez, I've been around Carrots too long. My internal monologue sounds like a superhero comic book."

Nick stepped up to his door and rummaged in his pocket for his keys. He'd asked Chief Bogo to keep his return on the down low. He wanted to really surprise everyone else on Monday when he walked into the squad room with his head held high, ready to get back to work. Plus, after hearing the news, he felt downright emotionally drained (in a good way) and wasn't in the mood for the type of celebrations his co-workers would want to drag him on. A celebration like they had in mind would leave him recovering from a hangover all weekend. Nope, he was ready to just kick back, relax, and enjoy some 'me time' before-

…wait.

Nick froze after sliding the key in the lock. Something wasn't right. Curious, he turned the knob, and with no resistance his door opened smoothly. It was unlocked.

The fox's brain went into overdrive immediately. He knew he locked the door when he left this morning. He was positive. He didn't forget that sort of thing. And the landlord always told him when he needed to get into his room to fix something, and usually locked up afterwards.

Someone was in his apartment.

Nick slowly and cautiously tip toed inside, shutting the door as quietly as he could behind him. Pausing shortly for his keen eyes to adjust to the dark, he tried to formulate a plan. He didn't have his gun on him- one of the conditions of his probation -nor did he have any other kind of weapon. He had to arm himself, and quickly.

Looking around quickly, the only passable weapon in sight was the large umbrella resting the bucket by Nick's door. With a quiet, frustrated sigh, Nick grabbed the umbrella, hefting it like a bat as he advanced bravely forward. There were no real hiding spots in the main room of his sparse apartment for any assailant to hide at first glance. But the door to his bedroom was closed, even though Nick always left it open when he left in the morning. An obvious giveaway.

It did occur to Nick why any assassin worth his salt would leave such obvious clues he was in his target's home, but by this point he was working off of his training and pure animal instinct. Raising the umbrella ready to strike, Nick sidled up to the bedroom door. Taking a few deep breaths for encouragement, Nick shoved the door open with his shoulder, launching himself inside with the most convincing battle cry he could muster.

He was immediately greeted with a hysterical giggle. "Easy there, Officer! I surrender!"

Just as quickly as he had shifted into combat mode, Nick froze in place. He knew the voice in the split second before his eyes even registered who was laying on his bed in front of him.

Judy.

"Carrots, I, uh. Um…"

"Nice choice of weapon there, Nick. You going to go 'Signing in the Rain' after you arrest me?"

Nick looked sheepishly at his umbrella before tossing it aside with a 'clunk'. "Hey, I was working with what I got, ok? You scared the ever-loving crap out of-"

It was then, Nick realized what exactly Judy was doing. And wearing.

The bunny was sprawled on her back on Nick's bed, looking like she'd made herself rather comfortable. Her expression was… well, suggestive to say the least. And she was clad in a long, clingy "ZPD" t-shirt and-

…and well, apparently nothing else aside from that.

Nick's ears twitched, the adrenaline still pumping through his veins, the tell-tale metallic taste in his mouth. He cleared his throat awkwardly as he approached the bed, trying to look as casual as he possibly could. Though he and Judy and technically been together since that day in the hospital, they'd yet to really take their relationship much farther. This was unknown ground for the now-flustered fox.

"So, what led you to spring an ambush in my apartment on a Friday, Carrots?"

Judy scoffed. "I think lounging around in your bed hardly constitutes an ambush, Nick. I was just hanging around waiting for you to come home so we could celebrate your good news."

Nick's eyesbrows shot up in surprise for a split second, before logic kicked in, and a smirk appeared on his face. "When you talked to me earlier, about the rumors. You-"

"Yup."

"You already knew."

"I sure did."

"And you just wanted to play with my emotions a bit?"

Judy huffed, rolling her eyes. "Hardly. I just wanted to make sure that when you went into Bogo's office that you went in with your A game and made it clear that he made the right decision when he told you he was reinstating you."

"Alright, alright…" Nick conceded as he sat on the edge of his bad, fiddling with the corner of the bedsheets. "…I believe you. And, I guess I appreciate you keeping me on my toes for that."

A pause.

"…but I was screwing with you just a little."

"AHA!" Nick pointed an accusing finger but was still smiling. "I knew it!"

"Well I learned from watching you!" Judy was giggling again, holding onto her knees. "You can't fault me for it! You're a bad influence and a good teacher!"

Nick got onto all fours, pouncing the length of the bed and landing right on top of the still-giggling bunny, flashing his fangs playfully. "Yeah, I suppose I am, aren't I?"

The two laughed, and then fell silent as they fully appreciated the situation they were now both in. Judy flushed red underneath her white and grey fur but didn't look away from Nick.

"Well, you have me now, officer." Judy's nose twitched in anticipation. "What are you gonna do with me, hmmm?"

"I was just thinking about that…" Nick answered in a sultry tone, leaning in close. That wasn't close enough for Judy, apparently, as she grabbed onto Nick's tie, tugging his muzzle to just barely graze against her face.

"Well decide quickly, foxy, because I am exercising a stupid amount of self-control in the face of my natural instincts right now and I don't know how much longer I can keep it up."

Now it was Nick's turn to blush. He hadn't realized how… warm, Judy was, until he was right up against her. She was radiating heat all over it felt like. Along with this certain smell he'd never quite smelled before, but was an awful lot like-

Oh.

Ohhhhhhhhh.

"Are… are you on your-"

"Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup." Judy's smile grew positively sinister at this point.

"S-so, I actually uh, was doing some reading…" Nick was flustered beyond all belief now as Judy started to loosen his tie and unbutton his uniform. Within a couple seconds he'd been reduced from a suave cop to a bumbling and anxious teenager. "…and apparently rabbits are basically in heat all the time from what I've read. So how exactly can you-"

Judy quickly derailed Nick's stalling as she pressed her smaller muzzle right up against his, kissing him passionately. Releasing the stunned fox for a moment, she reached down and pulled the ZPD t-shirt she'd been wearing over her small frame and long ears in one swift motion, sending it flying up into the air and landing on Nick's bedside lamp.

Nick's eyes widened as his initial assessment that, Judy was indeed not wearing anything under the shirt, was proven correct.

"Tell you what, Nick. I could bore you with a speech on the details of rabbit physiology and mating behavior. Or, I can just, show you.

"Up close."

"Multiple times."

Nick's brain was in full meltdown. He could barely string together a coherent sentence. "C-c-carrots, it's been a… a very long time. A very, very, long time since I last, well. You know. I wasn't expecting- I mean, what if I'm not- what if I-"

Judy crawled up Nick's body, kissing along his neck and under his muzzle, before nestling her head in the crook of his neck and wrapping her arms around him. "Shhh, its ok. Its ok. Its fine."

That seemed to calm down Nick for a moment, as wrapped his arms around her in turn. He sighed happily, holding that cute bunny tightly against his body. Everything suddenly felt right with the world.

"Look, if you're not ready for this, its ok. But if your just nervous because you're a little… out of practice? Don't worry." Judy squirmed up Nick's body smooching right next to his ear. "…I'm an excellent teacher."

Nick chuckled, a sultry tone now on his lips as he seemed to regain his confidence. "You country girls. Everyone thinks you're so sweet and pure, but then you get one in the bedroom…"

"So, is that a 'yes', then?"

Nick suddenly pushed Judy back down onto the bed, ushering an 'eep!' from her as he once again loomed on top. He finished the job of unbuttoning the shirt that she'd begun, shrugging it off as she ran her paws through his wild chest fur.

"Does that answer your question?" Nick chuckled as he started to loosen his tie more. Judy reached out with a wicked grin, stopping him.

"Leave the tie on," pure lust now entering her voice as he pulled him down by it.

The rest of the evening was a complete and total blur for Nick. The two of them rolled around on his bed like the pair of rutting animals they were for hours. It was a squirming, groaning, howling mess of hot entwined flesh and fur that made the headboard slam against the wall so hard Nick's neighbors would be forgiven for thinking a rhino had moved in next-door.

In the course of one night, it felt like they made up for months of lingering sexual tension and emotional mayhem. If there was a position to try, they tried it. If something felt good, they did it more. They'd tire themselves out, and collapse into bed panting and gasping as they slipped into a quick nap. But then one of them would wake before the other and proceed the wake the other one up in a fashion that would get them revved up once more. Then they'd be back at it again, groaning and grinding until they were brought up to climax into another crescendo of passion, falling off the edge once more.

It couldn't go on forever though. They were only mortal. Finally, sometime past midnight, their bodies ceased to be willing even if the minds were still sharp, and they collapsed into bed in a final heap of tangled sheets, discarded clothing, and mussed fur, gasping for air.

"Sweet mother of God…" Nick wheezed between panting. "I have got to get to the gym again. I've been slacking since I've been at that desk with Clawhauser. It's a miracle I'm not as round as him after the last few months."

"If it makes you feel any better, I go to the gym almost every day, and I feel like I just got hit by a train…" Judy murmured, smiling over at him. "…In a good way."

Nick chuckled, rolling onto his side with an arched eyebrow. "How exactly do you get hit by a train 'in a good way', carrots?"

"When that train is a hunky pile of worked up fox," she answered promptly. That glint in her eyes said that she wanted to keep going, but it was clear even she had reached her limit, something Nick was secretly glad for even with how much he'd enjoyed himself.

"Well, fair enough then." Nick yawned as he rolled back, reaching out and pulling Judy close to him, staring up at the ceiling fan lazily turning above them. For the next ten minutes, the two of them were silent save for their breathing, as they recovered from the events of the evening. In a way, it felt like they were recovering from the events of the whole year, which had more twist and turns than a vine growing in the Rainforest District.

Eventually, it was Judy that broke the silence. "Nick?"

Nick was close to drifting off to sleep when he heard her, his eyes closed. "Mmhm?"

"I know this year hasn't been easy…" She curled her fingers in his chest fluff as she talked, her voice a little shaky with emotion. "…and, I wish maybe us getting to this point hadn't gone the way it had. But…"

Nick opened his eyes, turning to look at her, meeting her gaze. The lust was gone, replaced by something else. Something that made Nick's heart swell with a warm glow.

"…I'm just, glad we're here, now. No matter how we got there." Now that she found her voice, a smile returned to Judy's face, erasing any prior worry or fear. "I really think things are going to be ok. In more ways than one."

Nick didn't know what to say. It was like she'd taken the words right out of his mouth- no, right out of his brain before they even got to his mouth. All he could do was smile in return. Smile in a way he hadn't smiled since that day on the street at the traffic stop that had gone horribly wrong. It really did feel like everything was going to be ok. He had his partner back, and he had in a way he never thought he ever would.

Reaching out, Nick pulled Judy into his arms and squeezed her tightly, fighting back tears. "I love you, Carrots. I love you so much."

"I love you too Nick. I love you."

For the first time, in a long time, Officer Nick Wilde didn't feel so alone anymore.

…Though he was absolutely famished. "Take-out?"

"Oh thank god, I was worried I was the only one who was starving. Yes. Please. Take-out."

Yup. Nick Wilde's had someone he could trust covering his back once again. For good.