Epilogue

Thanks to all readers. I'm so glad I finally finished this! Please review, because manners maketh man!

"Ugh..." Slayer had flung Judy against another wall, and she thought she heard bones crack. She lost her phone after that collision, and it skittered on the ground, laying in front of her drooping eyes.

"Mom..."

Judy's eyes shot wide open. That sounds like... No. No wait.

"Mommy..."

Is this a trick? It can't be. They couldn't have taken so much time to...

Slayer left her to die from blood loss, and she weakly pressed the speaker button on her phone. "Tommy? Baby?"

"Mommy..."

"Tommy, sweetie, what's wrong?" He sounded worried, scared even. Then, Judy heard terrifying noises in the background. It sounded like an animal was attacking another, and the attacker sounded exactly like her mother-in-law...

Judy panted, feeling a panic attack coming. It's happening.

She watched Slayer head straight for Nick, his claws glistening under the party lights. Judy's fur bristled.

Not if I can help it. Don't worry, Tommy. Mommy's gonna set things right.

She ripped a strip of her dress off and wrapped it around her bleeding sides. She would address that later. Then, she sprinted to Slayer.

xxx

"Everything you've done has been futile, fox!" Bellwether squawked arrogantly. "You're no hero! Just give up!"

Nick slowly but surely rose, with one frontal paw steadying himself and the other clutching his bruised stomach. "I'm not a quitter." He clicked his heels. "I may not even be an agent at this point. But I am a father, and that's the best damn kind of hero."

Bellwether just sneered. not even bothering to look his way. "You're cheesy, fox."

"And you're a murderous, cutthroat, psychotic bitch, sheep." He was about to attack her from behind when suddenly he spotted his wife throwing something spherical at the crazy tiger.

Slayer caught the vegetable and chuckled at her. "What's this?" He playfully examined and tossed the veggie around like it was a ball of fur. "An onion! How thoughtful of you, bunny rabbit! An appetizer before I devour you!"

When Judy finally caught up to Slayer, she stopped running and watched the tiger with bated breath. How is he still talking? Perhaps he's an anomaly. Maybe that's why Bellwether chose him - THE ONION! No! No! NO! I was reaching for my gun! Where is my - She caught something shimmering from the corner of her eye. Her gun. She abandoned her gun and now it was meters away from her. Figures.

Turning back to Slayer, she turned ghostly white when he raised the so-called onion to his lips. "No, wait! Don't -"

BOOM!

Bellwether removed her hooves from the controller. Nick clutched his stomach to ensure he did not retch. Judy had to avert her eyes.

They saw nothing but red.

They all stood motionless for a long, long time. Then, Judy felt strangely compelled to address Bellwether. "Look, I didn't mean to..."

"You just threw a bomb at my pet." Bellwether wore an emotionless expression, but her olive green eyes told the rabbit everything: loss, regret, mourning, hate.

Judy, keeping her eyes trained on Bellwether, gradually inched closer and closer to where they were on top of the podium. Swallowing her guilt, Judy hardened her stare and aimed her gun at Bellwether.

"But don't worry." The sheep grabbed Nick by his collar and aimed her gun at him. "We'll be even soon, bunny."

Judy flinched but continued approaching. "Let him go! Now!"

"Sure, once you set down your toy."

Both female prey animals aimed their weapons, one at the fox and one at the other. They were at an impasse, with no one backing down, one driven by power and control and the other driven by love... and possibly insanity, and the knowledge that she had no earthly idea what she was doing. But then, Judy's eyes flickered to Nick, whose emerald green eyes said the one thing that always made her gut churn.

Trust me.

Judy knew Nick like the back of all four of her paws. Nick hardly ever begged, seriously begged. He bantered. He entertained and made a show out of playful requests. But one would have to go to extreme, dangerous limits to make Nick Wilde beg, not only because he was stubborn, but because his past made it so hard for him to cling to anything or anyone. And the few persons in his life that could make Nick beg, he knew, were worth fighting for, were worth anything for, including his pride.

With his eyes, Nick was begging Judy to trust him, and she did.

She put down the gun.

"Perfect. Now I'll just set down mine and - Oops!" Bellwether pulled the trigger of her blue gun, and Nick fell to the floor, panting and shaking uncontrollably. During his fall, he managed to trip her, but she managed to get up in time to see Judy panic.

"NICK!" Judy rushed and hopped impressively to the dais. Then, she held Nick close to her, completely disregarding the sickly amused sheep beside them. "Please don't do this! Please!"

It seemed her cries fell to deaf ears as Nick slowly licked his lips and foamed at the mouth. Judy shivered and backed away from Nick, but she soon found herself cornered. Nick stalked her on all fours as Bellwether cackled nearby.

"Bye bye - OW!" Bellwether hitched up her skirt and found a nasty cut bleeding profusely on one of her stubbly legs. "What is this... It's turning green!" The dark red blood began to turn green. Her fur and skin began to turn a sickly green. The sheep was soon completely green.

"What's this? What did you do -" Bellwether suddenly felt very fatigued and sick. The world around her began to spin, but she still noticed that Nick was no longer acting savagely or attacking Judy. Instead, they both wore sly grins, and twin blades from Nick's shoes shined brightly.

"Well, ah, I poisoned you and, ah, bad shot, perhaps?"

"No, Nick. The carrot lotion."

"Of course. Silly me."

"N-No... This is not like... one of those spy movies... I will rise! My idea will rise! Survival of the fittest is the future!" She seemed to be trying to assure herself more than the agents.

Judy shook her head with pity as Bellwether crashed into the control panel. "No, Dawn. It's not. Oh and just so we're clear..." The rabbit took out her pocket knife and stabbed Dawn's poisoned leg.

"That's for Ben."

xxx

Charlotte felt like she had just woken out of a coma. She could recall nothing that had happened since she was fixing dinner for...

"Tommy..." She heard squeals from the bathroom. "Oh, Tommy! Are you okay? Oh, sweetheart!" Finding him inside the bathroom, she scooped him up and held her crying grandson close to her chest. "Sh, sh, It's okay. Everything's fine -"

"Charlotte!" Lillian came from where Charlotte was. Her lips are cheeks were badly bruised. "Are you okay?"

"Me? What about you?"

"What happened?" They both stared at each other in disbelief. Their clothes were tattered, the apartment was a mess, and poor Tommy looked scarred for life.

"I have no idea, but let's get you to a hospital ASAP."

xxx

Ten months later, things were definitely looking up. Nick and Judy's new jobs paid nicely, and they made sure that Dan never set paw on their property again. Tommy was on his way to wobbly walking, and Charlotte thankfully moved on and ended her on-and-off again relationship with Dan for good.

As for Bellwether, she and her followers went to prison right after the authorities received an anonymous tip. The preventive medicine and cure for the strange blueberries was discovered and developed thanks to the generic bland of carrot lotion, and thousands of animals with lingering traces of "the blues" received the preventive or remedial treatment.

Unfortunately, death is a cruel, indiscriminate force, and Benjamin Clawhauser was never revived. Right after the blueberry pandemonium, Ben's family cordially invited all Kingzoo agents to his funeral, where Gazelle gave her touching eulogy and where the selfless, fun-loving, sweet cheetah was finally laid to rest.

Gazelle kept in touch with the Wilde's, describing her pursuit for a singing career. (Trixie Single felt obliged to help someone somehow after her rescue.) Yax occasionally sent them invites to his nudist club, which Judy never gave Nick a chance to consider. Even Felicia began writing to them. She apologized in her first letter and then began telling the couple about her own twin sons Kevin and Raymond, who were named after their father and uncle, respectively.

After all their hard work, ten months later, Judy and Nick found themselves strolling, hand in hand, to their favorite bar. As they walked, they quickly relished a drastic change to their routine; no animal gave them an odd look or spewed reproaches under his or her breath.

"I guess saving the world has its perks," Nick whispered smoothly to his wife, who just shrugged and brushed the wrinkles out of her new blue dress. They were still not accustomed to owning such fine clothing, clothing that actually fit them and had no holes or tears.

"It does if it's broadcasted on live television." They meandered silently until Judy stopped and took Nick's paw.

"What is it, Carrots?"

"Nick." Judy nervously licked her lips and met Nick's concerned stare. "I... I want to see him again." Nick quickly knew whom she was referring to, and he stared at her so intently and seriously that Judy had to look away.

"Your dad?" Judy nodded quickly. "Where is he?"

"In a rehabilitation center. He's better, and I promise I won't bring Tommy -"

"But I'm going with you." Nick promised, taking and holding her paws in his. "Please?" Judy nodded wordlessly, and the pair continued walking. Neither of them wanted to mention exactly when they were going to settle differences and revisit memories. Nevertheless, they knew they both would never be at peace until they did. Besides, they just wanted to see how he was doing. They were never going to dwell in the past; instead, they were going to learn from it, hear from it, and move on.

Near-death experiences have tended to make anyone do things that were previously unthinkable. After all, life is very short, too short indeed, to not accept its challenges and continue learning.

xxx

"Hey, Mom!" Nick entered the bar with the biggest grin on his face. Judy, absorbed in her own thoughts, simply gave her mother-in-law a small smile and a friendly wave. Unfortunately, Charlotte was surrounded by Dan and his posse, and they snarled viciously as soon as they saw the couple.

No matter, Judy thought to herself. Dan must want to be behind bars because he's in stripes as soon as we're done here.

"Get lost, twerps!" Duke cried fiercely.

"Mom," Nick continued, as if Duke had not said a word. "We have a surprise for you."

"Why aren't you two at work?" Charlotte asked them sternly.

Judy began grinning just as widely as her husband. Boy, she was in for a shock. "Bogo's chill sometimes. He knew this was big news... Drum roll!" Nick banged on the nearest table. "We bought a house!"

"What?!" Charlotte began to shake excitedly.

"With a pool and a gazebo," Nick added smugly.

"And it's near a daycare that Tommy can go to."

"And it's in one of the safest neighborhoods nearby. Fist pump!" They happily bumped fists, giggling at Charlotte, Dan, and everyone else's awestruck faces.

"W-Wh-What?!" Dan sputtered indignantly. "You kids can't afford nothing!"

"It's called a job," Judy told him smartly. "You know, what animals do for a little essential thing called money, to pay for food, clothes..."

Nick whipped out his new cellphone. "And devices," He said slowly. "Like this one, which I will now use to kick your ass in jail for not honoring the law."

"WHAT?! Y-You kids can't tell me, a grown fox, WHAT TO -"

"Nick, I think you need to talk slower so he can understand what you're saying." The slyness of her grin rivaled Nick's.

"I'm... going... to kick... you ass... in... j-a-i-l."He turned to Duke. "Oh, and Duke?" He nodded to Dan. "Why don't you take your pet for a walk?"

Dan stood from his seat, but Judy effortlessly shoved him back down and turned to Charlotte with a kind smile. "So, Mom, we want you to live with us. What do you say?"

Charlotte looked ready to bawl out of pure happiness as she stood from her seat, but Dan growled and ordered her to sit back down.

"You leave when I say you can leave!"

"Just go, Nicky!" Charlotte begged. "And you, too, Judy! Just go. I'll be okay. Really."

"You heard your mommy." Gideon grinned toothily. "Scram, you damn lying brats!"

"You think your fancy clothes can fool us?" Travis gestured to Nick's grey suit. "Think twice!"

After seeing Charlotte nod encouragingly, Judy and Nick looked at each other and calmly walked to the exit. But then, Dan had to open his big mouth.

"Who's walking their pet now, Nick?"

The duo stopped as soon as the words left his mouth, their backs turned from the group. Judy and Nick eyed each other again and winked.

"You forgot something," Judy told Dan, turning back around to face him. She thought she saw everyone but Dan and Charlotte wince.

Dan just stood up and laughed in her face. "Oh yeah? What's that?"

"Dan -" Gideon tried to warn his brother, but Nick beat him to it. He turned around, leaned forward, and whispered. "You didn't hold your tongue..." Nick had picked up a few tricks from Bogo. He grabbed and twisted Dan's tongue. Then, he threw him across the bar and into a table, knocking him out.

Judy ushered for Charlotte to leave the room, and she quickly did, trusting her children. It was about time that Dan and his posse learn their lesson, even if some of them had to learn it twice.

As Nick cracked his knuckles, Judy turned to Gideon, who was staring up at her with evident fear in his fern green eyes. "Do I, a rabbit, scare you, a fox, Gideon?"

"N-No."

Judy chuckled to herself. "Well you should be scared." She watched with amusement as they all stood from their table and tried to make themselves look tougher to the two agents. But after watching them for a few seconds, both Nick and Judy were disappointed.

"No insults? No punches?" Nick fixed his tie and cracked his neck. "I thought we were gonna have a fight."

Suddenly, Judy's phone buzzed, and she quickly scanned the recent text from Mrs. Otterton. "It's Mrs. Otterton," she informed Nick. "Son got out of school early. So she has to leave Tommy at three instead of four." Both craned their necks at the bar's clock. "So we've got... five minutes?"

Nick began to set his watch's timer. "Five minutes of kicking ass? Well, Carrots, it's been a while since we've had a decent workout."

"You must think I'm a rookie if you think I can't kick their butts in five minutes, Nick."

"Alright, Agent Wilde." He knelt to her level and offered her his paw. "Let's see what you've got."

Judy pecked his nose and shook his paw. "You're on, Wilde." And so, after a well-deserved, so-called workout, Nick and Judy lived peacefully with Charlotte and their son.

That is, until, they had to crash Mr. Big's daughter's wedding because a vengeful third cousin sent assassins after her. Business as usual.

The End