Not Goodbye, Just See You Later

Author's Note: Hey everyone! I'm back! I know I say this every time, but I'm really sorry it took this long to update. I hope you can understand how time consuming the responsibilities of an active duty Air Force pilot are. But I'm still enjoying writing this whenever I have the time and I hope you're still enjoying reading it! As always, thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed, and reviewed this. It means a lot that you took the time to do so!

Before I get into the story itself, I would like to dedicate this installment to the late syndicated conservative columnist Dr. Charles Krauthammer, who passed away while I was writing this installment. He was a good man and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to and reading his commentary not just on politics in America, but on life itself. His "Zoosona" was briefly mentioned way back in the first installment of this series, when Bill O'Rhino introduced his guest Dr. Charles Cat-hammer. He will be missed.

This story takes place roughly nine months after Nick's graduation from the Academy, and about a week or two after the end of the last story, in mid to late October 2017. Brace yourself, because it deals with some deep subjects and might be a little depressing. I'm hoping to get the next installment out as quickly as I can so that the series isn't sitting on such a low note!

Zootopia, Ford Motor Company, Smith and Wesson, Cadillac, and the 5th Bomb Wing belong to their respective owners. I own nothing but Captain Hopps and the plot.

Here is the ninth installment of There Is a Time for Every Event Under Heaven: Not Goodbye, Just See You Later.

#

"Attention all units," Clawhauser's voice crackled over the radio. "Unit 1023 is engaged in a high speed chase heading eastbound on Grazer Boulevard. Last reported 20 was just past the airport exit. Advise if you can assist."

"So much for a routine patrol of the Meadowlands," Nick commented as he made the turn onto Grazer and pressed the accelerator to the floor. The big V-8 roared to life as the automatic transmission quickly ran through the gears, bringing the Fang Police Interceptor Utility to well over 100 mph in no time.

Judy flipped on the lights and siren before picking up the radio pawset. "Dispatch, Unit 403 is eastbound on Grazer two miles west of the airport exit. We are moving to assist."

"10-4, 403," Ben responded.

"Who's got car 1023 today?" Nick asked, his eyes laser focused on the road ahead of him.

"Let's see," Judy muttered as she looked through the database in the in-car laptop computer. As she looked she kept an ear on the increased chatter on the radio. Other units were also moving to assist, but it sounded like she and Nick were the closest ones. "Looks like Delgato and Snarlov," she reported.

"Roger," Nick acknowleged.

Not much was spoken between the two, only what was absolutely necessary. Both rabbit and fox were mentally preparing themselves for the confrontation to come. As the plains of the Meadowlands raced by outside the window, Judy took the opportunity to pull her sidearm from her holster and gave it one last once over. Of course she had checked it at the precinct before starting the patrol, but it never hurt to double-double check. She had only had to fire it twice in anger, and one of those times it had jammed on her. It was only by the grace of God that the other guy had found himself with an empty magazine. To her knowledge, Nick had never had to use his Smith & Weasel, and neither of them had ever taken a life, but they were both trained and ready. As she put her sidearm back in its holster, Nick spoke.

"Check mine too," he said simply.

"Yep," she acknowledged as she pulled his from its holster on the right hip of his Class B uniform and gave it the same inspection she gave hers before slipping it back in place.

"There they are," Nick said.

Judy looked out the windshield to see a civilian Cattleac CTS stuck nose first in the ditch on the right side of the road, and a Fang Police Interceptor sedan sitting in the middle of the road, generally facing away from them, but cocked at a 45 degree angle to the left. Judy figured the chase itself must have ended in a pit maneuver, sending the suspects' car into the ditch. Crouched down by the left side of the patrol car was Delgato and Snarlov, their sidearms drawn, and occasionally popping up over the hood or the trunk to get a few shots off. Judy and Nick were driving headlong into a firefight.

BANG! BANG! CRACK! The windshield instantly took the appearance of a massive spiderweb as a stray round struck the bullet resistant glass.

"Judy, stay down! Hang on!" Nick ordered as he continued to approach the scene at high speed before yanking the wheel hard to the right, then pulling the emergency brake and turning the wheel back to the left. The rear end of the SUV came around in a skid before coming to a stop behind Snarlov and Delgato's cruiser, the rear bumpers facing each other, creating more of a wall between the officers and the bandits. It also meant that the driver's side was facing the suspect's car and the hail of bullets that were coming from that direction, so Nick would have to follow Judy out the passenger side.

"Go Carrots, go! I'm following you!" Nick yelled as he tore his service cap from his head and tossed it on the dash while simultaneously drawing his sidearm. Judy threw her door open and scrambled back along the length of the SUV to where Snarlov was crouched down by the left rear fender of his cruiser. As promised, Nick was right behind her.

"How many we dealing with, John?" Judy asked as calmly as she could with bullets whizzing over their heads.

"We're pretty sure it's just two." Snarlov responded. "And thank God you're here! We're running low on ammo!"

"Understood," she acknowledged before turning to her partner crouched down beside her. "Cover me Nick. I'm gonna pop my head up and try to get a bead on where they're hiding."

"No need," John stopped her as he began to raise his head above the trunk to point them out. "They're both behind their left rear fend- YEOW!" he suddenly screamed and sank back down to the pavement, clutching his left ear.

"John! What happened?!" Delgato asked from where he was sitting by the left front fender.

"I think they got me in the ear!" Snarlov roared. He removed his paw from his ear and looked down at it to see his own blood.

Nick gasped. "They punched a hole clean through it!"

Delgato looked over and saw daylight where part of his partner's ear should be. He felt a new surge of rage course through his veins. They had hurt his partner. And they were going to pay.

"Matt! There's a first aid kit in our cruiser-" Judy began but cut herself off when she turned to the lion officer and saw him standing and moving quickly around the hood of the cruiser, firing his sidearm wildly.

"MATT, NO!" John screamed as he watched a spurt of blood exit the lion's back and he crumpled to the pavement in front of the cruiser, out of John's view.

"MATT!" Judy screamed in horror. Time seemed to slow down as she watched the lion disappear from view. They needed to end this. Now. She clicked off the safety on her weapon as she turned to face the cruiser. Adrenaline surged through her body as she kicked upward with her powerful rabbit legs, landing on the trunk before immediately leaping up again, over to the roof of her and Nick's SUV. Somewhere in the background she heard Nick scream her name, but she stayed focused on moving, on making herself as challenging a target as possible. Almost as soon as her feet touched down on the SUV roof, she kicked off once more and landed on the roof of the Cattleac, her weapon already aimed at one of the suspects. The other lay crumpled on the ground. Matt must have gotten him before he went down. "DROP YOUR WEAPON NOW!" she screamed. But the remaining gunman didn't listen. Of course he didn't listen. That would've been too easy. As he whirled around to target the bunny, she squeezed off one round, and then another for good measure, both kill shots. And just as quickly as it had started, the firefight was over.

Judy suddenly realized how heavily she was breathing as she felt time begin to return to normal. Her sensitive bunny ears were ringing from the gunfire. Her legs began to shake, and she sank to her knees on the roof, trying to gather herself again.

"MATT!"

Judy whipped her head around in the direction of Snarlov's voice. What she saw was a sight she knew she'd eventually witness if she stayed in this business long enough, but had still prayed she'd never have to see. On the pavement in front of their cruiser, Delgato lay helplessly on his back, while Snarlov desperately tried to stop the blood pouring from the lion's chest.

Judy scrambled from the roof of the Cattleac and started running to the two cops, but was intercepted by something red and furry before she could get there.

"Oh, Judy! Judy!" Nick cried as he practically tackled her before wrapping her tightly in his arms. "You stupid bunny! Why did you do that!?"

"Nick!" she tried to get his attention as she felt his tail curl around her back.

"That was so stupid and reckless! You could have been killed!"

"Nick!" she tried again as she felt his arms press tighter. So tight that her ribcage started to hurt.

"Don't you ever do that again! You scared me so bad!"

"NICK!" she yelled as she managed to bring her arms up underneath his and grab his face in her paws, forcing him to look her in the eye. But when emerald locked with amethyst, it forced her to pause for a split second. His eyes were watering, he was panting heavily, and the look of sheer desperation and panic on his face was something she had never seen before on anyone. He was absolutely terrified, not for himself, but for her. The realization almost made her forget what she was trying to tell him, but she quickly refocused. "Nick, I'm okay! I'm right here! I'm fine, but we have to help Matt!"

He didn't respond for a second or two, continuing to just stare at her. She was about to speak up again when he suddenly reacted, as if his body or mind were on a slight delay. "Right, right! Of course!" he agreed before releasing her from his grip and following her over to the other two officers.

But when Judy and Nick stood over the lion and wolf, they could already see there really wasn't anything that could be done. Blood already stained the majority of Delgato's Class C uniform shirt. They watched as John frantically tried to help his partner, fumbling with the first aid kit, oblivious to, or possibly in denial of, the futility of his actions.

"Come on Matt, stay with me!" John was saying as the bunny and fox knelt down next to him. He continued to apply gauze to the hole in his chest, but the blood continued to saturate the bandages to the point of uselessness. In the distance, the wail of sirens began to grow louder and John looked up briefly to see more cop cars approaching before looking back down at the lion. "Help is coming! I called in the ambulance! You just gotta stay with me, Matt! Stay with me!"

Matt coughed and sputtered as he tried to speak around the blood that was filling his lungs. "No…time," he coughed. "Not…gonna…make it."

"Don't you DARE talk like that!" John cried at the lion as he gave up on the bandages and focused on applying pressure to the wound with his paws.

"Tell…Lucy…I…love her," he continued, wanting to get one last request out before he became too weak to be understandable.

"You can tell her that yourself when you see her tonight!" John declared as Judy put a paw on his shoulder, knowing that the wolf would need a lot of comforting in a moment. "Just stay awake! Matt, stay with me!"

The lion coughed a couple more times before letting out one last, long breath. And then he was still.

"Matt?" John asked quietly. "Matt?!" a little louder. "MATT! NO, MATT! NO! NO!" he continued to scream as the paramedics suddenly arrived and pulled him away so they could examine the now still lion.

"Come on John," Judy said gently as she and Nick guided the now sobbing wolf away from his partner. They brought him over to the left rear fender of the SUV and let him slide against it down to the hard, unforgiving pavement. "It's okay John," she whispered as she and Nick knelt down in front of the wolf. "We're here. Just let it out."

"T-this wasn't – this wasn't supposed to – h-happen," the wolf sobbed, wiping his eyes as one of the paramedics, a marmot, began tending to his ear.

"What do you mean?" Judy prodded softly as she watched the tears continue to flatten the fur under his eyes.

"T-they just – ran a – stop sign," John continued as he lowered his eyes to stare at his paws, the greyish-white fur now stained crimson with his partner's blood. "I-it was a s-simple traffic stop. I-I was already going to – let them off with a-a warning. B-but they took a – took a shot at me. A-and p-peeled out. N-no one h-had to die. No one had to die."

Nick and Judy turned from the wolf to look at each other. Not needing to exchange words, their faces told all. Their hearts grieved at the waste.

#

Nick sat on the passenger side floorboard of the SUV in front of the seat, the door hanging open and his feet barely touching the hard blacktop. He held his face in his paws, his elbows supported by his knees, and stared intently at the ground. It was the first moment he had had to himself since the chase began. Shortly after the paramedics had arrived, the sniffer unit had shown up, and he and Judy had worked with them to determine why the suspects had fled after initially being pulled over. The several kilos of catnip they had found underneath the floor of the trunk seemed to be the most likely reason. Judy was still talking with two of the wolves in the unit, wrapping up some of the administrative details. It had been a welcome diversion from dealing with what he had just witnessed an hour or so prior.

But now, he was alone with his thoughts, which came in a jumble as he tried to process it all. Today, he had witnessed a fellow officer, someone he had called a friend these past several months, die right in front of him. No warning. Alive and well one minute and gone the next. It was a first for him. Even though he had spent many years on the streets, he had never had to witness the passing of another mammal.

Of course, intellectually, he knew how dangerous this kind of work was. He knew that the specter of death was a constant in the life of a police officer, but he had never truly felt it until today. But now he realized, it could have easily been him. Or Judy. Judy. He had come this close to losing his partner and best friend today. The rush of pure terror that had overtaken him when he had turned to see the bunny springing from the pavement beside him and into the hail of bullets was something he wouldn't wish on his worst enemy. He had never felt such raw, unadulterated fear and panic in his entire life. But the weirdest thing was, none of it was for him. He had been afraid entirely for another mammal. In his entire life, he couldn't remember ever being so afraid for someone else. He knew she meant a lot to him, but just how much was a lot?

His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed a small spot on the pavement become a shade darker than it had been a moment before. Then another. And another. He reached a paw to his face and realized tears were now streaming down it. And that's when the dam broke. He let out a shuddering sob before breaking down in a fit of weeping and sobbing.

From a few feet away, Judy heard a sob come from the direction of their cruiser. She turned her head to see her partner's face buried in his paws. Her heart ached when she realized what was happening. She turned back to the two wolves. "I think that about covers it for now," she cut one of them off. "It's been a long day and we can take care of the rest tomorrow."

The wolves nodded in understanding before heading off to their cruiser. She turned back to where her partner sat and regarded him for a moment, contemplating what she could possibly say to comfort him. She wasn't entirely sure she should even be the one to do it. Like Nick, this was also her first time seeing a fellow officer die. Where would she even begin? "Oh, Nick," she sighed. She slowly began to make her way over to the cruiser. She still didn't have a clue what to say, but her partner needed her now. She was just gonna have to trust God on this one.

"Nick?" she whispered once she was a couple steps away from the fox. He didn't seem to hear her. "Nick?" she tried again a little louder. This time, he heard her. He looked up and stared at her for a second or two before suddenly grabbing her and pulling her into a tight embrace.

"H-he's dead Judy! I can't believe he's dead! A-and then you! I-I was so scared Judy," he sobbed. "I was so scared! I thought I'd never see you again!" She could feel the vibrations tickle her throat and chin where they rested on his shoulder when he spoke.

"Shh, shh, it's okay, Nick," she soothed as she rubbed her paw up and down his back. "I'm okay. I'm right here. Deep breaths. It's okay. I'm not going anywhere."

They remained like that for several minutes, just holding each other as he soaked her Kevlar vest with his sobs and she gently rocked them both from side to side, her paw still running up and down his back. She hated seeing him like this. It broke her heart to see her best friend in pain. But if there was any good news in all of this, it was that he was slowly starting to let down the guard he had kept up all these years. She was glad that he was starting to open up to her more. Eventually, his sobs turned to sniffles as the exhaustion of the day's events started to get to him. She pulled back slightly so she could look him in the eye. Her paws moved from his back to her sides. "Think you can stand?" she asked quietly.

He nodded before standing to his feet on the pavement in front of her. "I've been hanging around you too long, Carrots. I'm getting as emotional as you," he said quietly in a feeble attempt at a joke.

Judy offered him a weak smile, acknowledging one of his coping mechanisms. "Come on," she said as she started guiding him over to one of the other patrol cars that had arrived in the aftermath of the shootout. "B.J.'s gonna drive the three of us back to the precinct for the debrief and then I think it would be a good idea if we went with John over to see Mrs. Delgato for a little bit. She must be devastated," she finished quietly.

Nick nodded again. "I don't know how much help I'll be with her though. I'm an emotional wreck right now," he admitted.

"I know, Nick. I know. You don't have to say anything. I'm sure she'll just be glad you came."

#

Nick and Judy had only met Lucy Delgato a handful of times, all of them at ZPD functions that family had been invited to. They didn't know her very well, but Judy was right about one thing. She was indeed glad that John, Judy, and Nick had come over to see her. And just as Nick had predicted, he hadn't uttered a syllable other than the "I'm so sorry," he had whispered when the three of them had greeted her at the front door of the Delgato home. They had been there for about twenty minutes and Judy had been doing most of the talking. The four of them were sitting in the living room, the three officers on the sofa and the lioness in the easy chair. The easy chair was turned at a 90-degree angle to the sofa with the corner of the chair's left armrest touching the corner of the sofa's right armrest. Both pieces of furniture faced a simple yet elegant coffee table.

"Your husband was a brave man, Lucy," Judy comforted, her right paw extended across the small gap between the sofa and easy chair to rest on the lioness's arm. "A good man. I consider myself blessed to have known him and worked alongside him as long as I did."

"T-thank you, Judy," Lucy replied as she dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. "That means a lot to me. I just-" she stopped for a second as she fought back a sob before continuing. "I just can't believe he's gone! I-I never even got a chance to say goodbye!" For the most part, the lioness was keeping her composure, but tears were streaming down her face once again.

"I know it's hard, Lucy, and I can't imagine what you're going through," Judy said quietly as she pulled another tissue out of the tissue box on the coffee table and handed it to her. "But don't forget, 'goodbye' wouldn't have been the right thing to say anyway. More like 'see you later.' You WILL see Matt again, Lucy. You both put your trust in Christ a long time ago. And because of that, he's in God's presence right now. At peace in paradise. And whenever God decides to call you home too, you two will have all of forever to be together."

The lioness wiped her eyes and blew her nose before responding. "I-I know," she sighed. "I-I KNOW that's true, but…it's so hard to FEEL that truth right now." She sighed as she looked down at her lap. "That probably sounds silly."

"No, no!" Judy quickly disagreed. "That's completely understandable. Despite your faith, you're still a mammal and you have to grapple with imperfect emotions just like the rest of us."

Lucy looked back up at the rabbit and gave a weak smile at that. "Thank you, Judy. Thank you for understanding. I, um…" She suddenly paused, as if she was hesitant about what she wanted to say next.

"What is it?" Judy prodded after a few seconds.

The lioness sighed before looking straight at Judy. "Judy, I know we don't know each other all that well. But I can tell you're a strong Christian woman. Can…can you pray for me?"

Judy looked slightly surprised, though she knew she shouldn't have been. On the contrary, she should have expected something like this, but the day's events had her brain fried. "You-you mean right now?" she asked.

"Yes, i-if you don't mind," Lucy affirmed quietly.

"Oh, not at all!" Judy quickly agreed.

Nick watched as his partner took the lionesses paw in her right paw as he felt her take his paw in her left. Her fur felt soft and comforting and yet strong and brave in his paw. While he didn't really put much stock in what they were about to do, the fox knew better than to say something about it in front of the grieving widow. So, he tried to think back to his childhood Sunday School classes and watched his partner for cues on what to do to not make an idiot of himself. It was enough to give him the presence of mind to take John's paw in his and bow his head with the others.

"Dear Jesus," Judy began, her voice quiet but confident as well. "We're hurting right now. We're grieving the loss of a dear friend. A husband. A man who loved You. Please give us Your divine comfort. Help us to trust in You, to remember that You are in control. Help us to feel Your presence even as we grieve. And thank you Father, that we don't grieve in the same way as those who have no hope. Thank you that because You died and rose again, and Matt put his faith in You, all who put their faith in You will get to see him again."

Nick's ears perked up at that. It was the second time Judy had said something like that and it made the fox think. While he didn't consider himself a religious person by any means, he had always operated on the assumption that there was some sort of afterlife. Of course, he had never really given any thought to the details of the matter. But now, faced with death for the first time since the passing of his father, he was beginning to wonder. Judy seemed so sure about what she believed. Maybe he should ask her about this?

"And Lord, we pray especially for Lucy," Judy continued. "She's hurting the most out of all of us. You tell us in your Word that you're a father to the fatherless and a protector of widows. We pray that You will protect her heart now, Father. Give her your peace that passes all understanding. Remind her that You are always with her and will always take care of her. Guide her in the days ahead. Thank You for all that You do for us, for your love, and grace, and mercy. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen."

"Amen," Lucy and John repeated as the four of them raised their heads. But Nick didn't say anything as he continued to contemplate what Judy had said. He looked over at his partner and became even more confused at what he saw. The hug that Lucy was now giving the rabbit was normal enough given the circumstances, but the expressions on their faces seemed grossly out of place in the melancholy environment. If he didn't know better, he'd think there was a hint of a smile. Just a minute ago, there had been tears running down those faces. But now they were…happy? What was going on?

"Thank you, Judy," Lucy whispered as she practically pulled the bunny onto the easy chair with her. "Thank you. I needed that."

"You feel better?" Judy asked her quietly.

"I do," the lioness responded. "I feel…peaceful. You've lightened my burden a little, Judy. Thank you."

"Don't thank me," she said with a kind smile. "I'm just His servant."

Nick was now thoroughly confused. He and his partner had a lot to talk about.

#

It was a strange sensation for Nick, sitting in the passenger seat of his pride and joy. He never let anyone drive his Mustang, but he knew his current emotional state left him in no condition to be driving, and since he had driven Judy and himself into work that morning, he had had no choice but to hand over the keys to his partner when they had gotten out of the debrief at the precinct.

He looked over at her as she silently drove through the streets of Savannah Central, heading to his and Pete's place. They had both decided it would be best if they just head back there, have dinner together, and then Pete could drive her over to her apartment. She hadn't spoken a word since they had left the Delgato home. He guessed she was just giving him some space to deal with the events of the day on his own. Normally, he would prefer that, but right now, he felt he needed help. Her help. He looked her over in more detail as he tried to think of a way to start the conversation, and ask the many questions he had. Even in her dirtied and blood-stained uniform, she looked…beautiful. He was hesitant to use that word because of what it might imply about his feelings, but it was by far the most appropriate way to describe her at that moment. And it wasn't just her soft fur or amethyst eyes that made her beautiful. It was also her confidence, her courage, her selflessness, the way she cared for others. Nick could go on and on. He couldn't imagine the torture it would be to have someone so beautiful ripped out of his life.

She must have felt him staring at her because as they came to a stop at a red light, she turned her head to face him. The look of concern on her face tore at his heartstrings. "You doing okay, Nick?" she asked quietly. "Do…do you want to talk about it at all?"

Nick sighed as he lowered his head to stare at his paws in his lap. He was thankful to her that she had initiated the conversation. He just had to figure out how to continue it. After a few seconds, he finally decided on, "What do you think happens to us when we die?" He had an idea of what her answer might be based on bits and pieces of what he could remember from his exposure to church as a kit, but he wanted to hear it straight from her mouth.

Judy had sort of been expecting a question like this, but she had been debating how she should answer it. She didn't want to say anything that would upset the already emotionally distraught fox further, but she also cared about him too much to hide the truth from him. "Do you really want to know?" she asked.

He looked back up at her expectantly and nodded.

'God, guide my words,' she prayed silently as the light turned green and they began to roll through the intersection. 'Help me say the right thing.' "Okay," she let out a breath. "Well, as a Christian, I believe that our physical bodies are not who we really are. They're simply a…container, a vessel, if you will, for our souls, which will live on forever, beyond the death of our bodies."

"So where does the soul go when we die?" Nick asked.

"They go to one of two very real, very literal places," the bunny cop continued. "Heaven, where we'll live in paradise in the presence of God, or Hell, where we'll be eternally separated from God and tortured beyond what we could possibly comprehend." She paused there, not sure if he wanted more detail beyond that. After a few moments of silence, she got her answer.

"Why wouldn't God let everyone into Heaven? I thought you Christians believe that God loves everyone."

His voice was still soft and he sounded genuinely curious. She internally chastised herself for thinking that he might get bitter or angry with her about this subject. She should give him more credit than that. "He DOES love everyone," she explained. "And He wants everyone to go Heaven, but…." She paused, trying to think of a way to explain. "Think of it this way," she began again. "If some random mammal off the street who you didn't know, or worse, someone you DID know who had hurt you and intended to continue hurting you, suddenly knocked on your door and demanded you let them live in your house, would you let them?"

"Of course not," the fox replied.

"Well, it's the same way with God," Judy continued. "Heaven is His home and He's not going to let someone live with Him in Heaven who doesn't love Him and want to be with Him while on Earth. And conversely, while on Earth, He's not going to force His way into your life. He'll knock, but He's not going to barge in. I…guess you could say He's a gentleman in that sense. He's not going to MAKE you love Him."

"Hmmm," he acknowledged, his brain still trying to process everything. "Let's say for argument's sake, I accept all of this as true. How do I know when I've done enough good to get into Heaven?"

"You CAN'T do enough good to get in, Nick," Judy replied. "No one can."

"Huh?" he gave her a thoroughly confused look.

Instead of explaining right away, she asked, "How much do you know about the Easter story?"

Not feeling in the mood to crack an Easter Bunny joke, he responded, "You mean the religious part of the holiday? It has to do with Jesus, right? And His death on the cross?"

"That's right. You see, God's standard to get into Heaven is perfection. If we sin just once in our life, that disqualifies us. Of course, no one can meet that standard on their own. We all have limitations, we all make mistakes. So Jesus, God in the flesh, came down to Earth to die on the cross in our place and then rise from the dead three days later. He didn't have to do that, but He wanted to, because He loves us that much. In Ephesians 2:8-9 it says, 'For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.'"

"Hm," he acknowledged. "So what ARE we supposed to do then?"

"Just accept the gift," she replied. "Believe. Trust in Him for salvation."

Nick's brow furrowed and he didn't say anything as he tried to process what she was telling him. It was a lot to take in. He realized that while he wanted Judy's help figuring all of this out, figuring out how to respond to what had happened today, he really was too exhausted to give the subject the brainpower it deserved. He was about to tell her as much when she spoke up again.

"I-I'm sorry," she hurriedly blurted out. Her partner had been quiet for so long that her anxieties had begun welling up in her again, in spite of her efforts to tamp them down.

Nick looked up at her, a puzzled expression on his face. "For what?"

"P-please don't be angry," she continued in an attempt to head off an argument. "I-I didn't mean to start preaching a sermon or anything, I just-"

"Judy." he cut her off.

She looked over again at him hesitantly.

"Relax, Fluff," he said as he briefly gave her a weak smile. "I'm not angry. Far from it. I was the one who broached the subject. If I didn't want to talk about it, I wouldn't have asked. I respect your beliefs, Judy. They're what make you, you. And…as corny as it may sound…I like learning more about you," he finished with another brief smile.

Judy felt a little warmer inside when she heard the last part. She smiled back at him. "Thanks, Nick," she whispered.

He turned his head to face forward again before continuing. "And maybe someday I'll be able to believe like you do. Heck, after everything that's happened today I'm starting to envy the confidence and comfort you seem to get from your beliefs, but…" he sighed before going further. "It's a lot to take on faith. I'm going to need time to process it all. And your help. My brain is fried right now, but…is it okay if we talk about this again at some point? In the future?"

She smiled broadly at him as she put a paw on his arm. "Of course, Nick. I'd love to."

He returned her smile before settling himself further into his seat and looking out the windshield again. Soon his eyelids began to feel heavy, the days events having drained him physically as well as emotionally. After a couple minutes he nodded off, and an occasional snore filled the car.

As Judy continued to drive, she considered the conversation she had just had with her best friend. She really cared about Nick and desperately wanted him to experience the joy and freedom she felt as a Christian. So much so that sometimes she would feel frustrated at his lack of faith, but then she would remind herself that while she could and would continue to point him in the right direction, he still had to go at his own pace. And so, she thanked God that he was starting to ask questions of his own accord.

As her mind continued to wander, having little to do since she knew the route back to Nick's place by heart, a chilling thought suddenly hit her, as if for the first time: Nick wasn't a Christian. Of course, she had known this intellectually for a long time, but now the implications of this hit home for her in a way that suddenly made her feel physically ill. If it had been Nick to take a bullet in the chest today instead of Matt, the closest friend she had ever had would be separated from her, and most importantly from God, for all eternity. Her eyes began to water as she further realized that if he died in the line of duty, she would be responsible. She had been the one to suggest he join the force. She had been the one to encourage him throughout his time at the Academy. And she was the one who had gotten her brother to help him pass the fitness test that could have gotten him kicked off the force.

What had she done?

Of course, plenty of good had come as a result of Nick becoming a cop. He had newfound self-respect, he was becoming a better person overall, he was helping to make the city a better place, and she got an excuse to see him for hours every day. But was all that really worth it if he died without knowing God? Tears began to cloud her vision slightly as she made the left turn onto Cypress Grove Lane.

No. No, she couldn't – she wouldn't – let that happen. Even as her tears were joined by quiet sobs, Judy Hopps made a promise to herself. She would do everything – EVERYTHING – in her power to keep Nicholas Wilde safe. Even if it meant giving up her own life, he had to stay alive.

As she turned into the driveway and pulled into the garage, Nick began to stir in the passenger seat, awakened by the sounds of both his garage door opening and quiet sobs. Concerned, he turned to look at his partner and noticed the fresh tear stains on her cheeks. He placed a paw comfortingly on her arm. "You okay, Judy?"

She shut off the engine and handed him his keys. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself and wiped her eyes, taking a few extra seconds to compose her thoughts. "I…I'll be okay, Nick," she said quietly. I just, um…" She knew she couldn't tell him the promise she just made to herself, but she felt she owed him an explanation for her fresh set of tears. Her eyes lowered to the blood stained tie of his Class B uniform, and that's when another thought occurred to her. "Listen, Nick, I know how much you like wearing ties, and I know the Class D isn't the most comfortable uniform we wear, but…just for my peace of mind, can you please start wearing it? I'll sleep a lot better at night knowing you've got a couple inches of Kevlar protecting your chest when we go out on patrol." She finished with the most pathetic expression she could muster, keeping her ears drooped down behind her head and widening her eyes as big as she could.

Nick smiled down at her. He knew full well she was trying to manipulate him with that expression. "I know what you're trying to do, Fluff, but you don't have to. For your peace of mind, of course I'll wear the Class D from now on. I don't want you to worry about me."

If only he knew just how much she was now worrying about him. She brushed the thought aside before giving him a small smile. "Thanks, Nick."

#

As Nick and Judy emerged from the little hallway leading from the garage into the kitchen on their way to the living room, Judy suddenly stopped short. "What on Earth?" she asked.

Nick looked down at where his partner was looking. Embedded in the kitchen wall about eye level with Judy, was a piece of metal that was sticking out at an odd angle. Nick slowly reached down and gently pried it free, trying not to make the hole in the plaster any bigger. Once he had done so, he held it in his open paw for he and Judy to inspect. They both quickly realized that it wasn't just a random piece of metal. "These are…"

"…Pete's pilot wings," Judy finished in a confused voice.

Specifically, they were the regular sized metal wings that were normally pinned to the Air Force service dress coat. Nick was aware that Pete had pulled all his pins off his coat the other day to take it in to be dry cleaned, and all the other pins like his rank insignia and ribbon rack were still sitting where he had left them on the kitchen counter, but that still didn't explain how the wings had ended up stuck halfway into his kitchen wall.

The two partners gave each other a quizzical look before slowly continuing towards the living room where they could hear Pete talking, most likely on the phone. They found him sitting on the couch. He was still in his flight suit and his flight boots, the latter of which most aircrew normally didn't wear when they weren't flying, and especially not when they left work, Pete included. He looked like he was chewing a big wad of gum, and he had his cell phone pressed to his ear. The TV was on, muted, and tuned to the local news.

"Thanks again, Mary," he said in a tired voice. "It means a lot that you called. I'm sure you're probably swamped right now dealing with the Zootopia Times and the local affiliates. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?" A brief pause. "Okay, good night." He hung up the phone and tossed it on the coffee table in front of him before sticking another piece of gum in his mouth and turning to face his roommate and his sister. "Hey Nick, Judy. How was your day?" he asked in a voice almost completely devoid of emotion. He also failed to notice their bloody uniforms and tear-stained faces.

When Pete turned to face them, the first thing Judy noticed was Pete's bloodshot eyes and the wet, matted fur beneath them. "Pete, have you been crying?!" Judy exclaimed as she rushed over and sat down on the couch next to her brother, very concerned.

"I…yeah," Pete admitted in almost a whisper.

"Why? What happened?" she pressed as Nick came and sat down on the other side of her. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen her usually confident, emotionally strong (for a rabbit) brother cry, and if she was perfectly honest, it scared her a little.

Pete looked at her, a little surprised, as if she should know why. "You….really don't know?" he asked after a few seconds.

"Know what?" Nick asked.

Pete didn't answer for a moment, not really wanting to tell them, as if someone else finding out would make it even more real, even more final. Finally, he sighed before uttering quietly, "We lost a jet today."

There was a bit of a pause as Nick and Judy tried to process what Pete had just told them. Judy, hoping he didn't mean what she thought he meant, asked, "What do you mean? Are you saying it's unaccounted for, or….? She trailed off, not wanting to voice what she was really thinking.

But Pete saved her the trouble. After taking a shuddering breath, he left no doubt what he meant. "I mean it's now a smoking hole in the ground," he whispered before resting his elbows on his knees and his eyes on the heels of his paws.

"Oh, no," Judy breathed. "What happened?"

"Here," Pete said as he removed his paws from his face and picked up the remote to unmute the TV. "See for yourself."

"The B-52 was returning from a training mission near Las Haygas and we have been told that there were no bombs or missiles aboard the aircraft at the time of the crash," the news anchor reported in a voiceover of stock footage of B-52s in flight. Then, the stock footage was replaced with what looked like a cell phone video. "In this amateur footage captured by a civilian aviation enthusiast who was filming from just outside the base perimeter fence, you can see the airplane in a descending left turn toward the runway, before suddenly rolling sharply to the left until the right wing was pointed straight up in the air, and then plummeting to the ground, striking left wing and tail first."

Judy and Nick gasped as they watched the eight-engine bomber impact the ground and erupt into a massive fireball.

"You could feel the heat from the other side of the flight line," Pete said quietly, his eyes watering as he watched with them.

"Did… did you see them go down? In person?" Nick asked.

Pete nodded. "It happened so fast," he whispered. "They didn't even have time to THINK about punching out."

"The crew was made up of members of the 69th Bomb Squadron and the Air Force has confirmed this evening that all five crewmembers perished in the crash," the news anchor continued. "The names are being withheld until 24 hours after the families have been notified. Both flying squadrons at Foxchild, the 55th and 69th Bomb Squadrons, have been grounded while an investigation is conducted, though wing leadership has stated that the 55th Bomb Squadron is still expected to deploy to Guam next month as planned."

"You know the names?" Judy asked as she placed a paw on her brother's back.

Pete nodded again.

"Did you know them?" Nick probed carefully.

"The co-pilot," Pete whispered, a tear running down his cheek. He turned to look his sister in the eye. "It was Jack Ridley's jet."

"What?" Judy asked after a moment, not believing her ears. Pete had gone through AFROTC with Jack, been in the same pilot training class as Jack, and had even been roommates with him when they were both stationed at Barksdale. Both Nick and Judy knew how close the bunny pilot and otter pilot were, and couldn't believe he was just gone.

"Jack's dead," Pete confirmed, more tears running down his cheek. Tears aside, Nick was amazed at how well Pete was maintaining his composure, despite how distraught he obviously was. Nothing like the fox had been earlier that afternoon with Judy.

"Oh, Pete," Judy whispered as she wrapped her brother in a hug. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

"Does Rachel know?" Nick asked. He had met Jack and his wife last month when he, Judy, and Nick had gone out to dinner to welcome the Ridleys to town. Rachel had struck the fox as a brave woman, but something like this was bound to shake her to her core.

"Yeah," Pete sniffled. "I volunteered to go over there with the chaplain this afternoon. I-I don't really remember what I said. I mean, I'm sure I stumbled through something, but…I just remember crying for about an hour and a half. I mean, how do you tell your friend's wife of less than three months that she's now a widow and her unborn child won't know their father?"

"Oh, no, she's pregnant too?" Judy asked.

Pete nodded. "She just found out this week."

"I'm so sorry Pete," Nick said, not really knowing what else to say. He realized he was still holding the silver pilot wings in his hand and gently set them down on the coffee table. "I guess…that's why I found these stuck in the kitchen wall?"

Pete's eyes suddenly widened, and he immediately began tumbling into an apology. "Oh, geez, yeah, I'm sorry Nick, I was just so angry and upset, and I had a weak moment and I grabbed the first thing I saw and threw it. I'll talk to the landlord tomorrow and I'll fix the damage or pay for it myself and-"

Nick held up a paw. "Pete, it's okay. I get it. We can deal with it later." The fox knew firsthand about anger getting the better of one's actions.

Pete looked like he wanted to say something else but decided against it. Judy and Nick looked at each other, both silently agreeing that telling Pete about the shootout could wait until later. They all had enough on their emotional plate as is. So the three of them just sat there in silence for a few minutes, listening to the drone of the news anchor describing what little was currently known about the crash. Eventually, the anchor moved on to the next story in that evening's line up.

"We move from one sad story to another," the anchor reported. "Not only did we lose five American airmen today, but we also lost one of the Zootopia Police Department's finest. Earlier this afternoon, the ZPD engaged a band of what turned out to be drug smugglers in a high speed chase down Grazer Boulevard just south of Zootopia International Airport. The chase ended when police were able to spin out the suspects car, sending it off the road. However, the suspects then began shooting at the officers, resulting in the death of four year ZPD veteran Matthew Delgato. Both suspects were killed in the shootout, and preliminary reports indicate that Officer Delgato was responsible for one of the suspects' deaths while Officer Judith Hopps was responsible for the other."

Of course, as soon as the bunny cop's name was mentioned, Nick and Judy knew the jig was up, so they turned their attention to Pete to see what his reaction was. His eyes had widened and his mouth hung open slightly as he processed what he had just heard. He muted the TV again and slowly turned to the two cops.

"I am so, so sorry you guys," he finally said slowly. "I had no idea, though I guess the blood on your uniforms should have been a clue. Here I am unloading my troubles on you and-I'm really sorry," he finished.

"It's okay, Pete," Nick reassured. "You didn't know."

Pete nodded before turning to his sister. "So… you had to take a life today?"

Judy simply nodded.

"How are you holding up?" the bunny pilot asked quietly.

"It's still a little surreal, but… I think I'll be okay," she answered in an equally quiet tone.

Pete nodded again and waited a few seconds before asking his next question, hesitant about probing too far. "How… how well did you know the officer?" He didn't have to say which officer. They all knew who he meant. The dead one.

"Pretty well," Nick replied this time. "We've worked with Matt and John quite a bit. They were one of the first to really make me feel like a part of the ZPD family."

"We went over to see his wife this afternoon," Judy continued. "She asked me to pray for her."

Pete gave a weak smile. "So he was a Christian, I take it?"

"In every sense of the word," Judy responded. A thought occurred to her. "What about Jack?" she asked slowly. Though she had met the otter pilot several times, the topic of faith had never come up.

Pete visibly stiffened at her question and he lowered his head and stared at his boots for several seconds. He let out a sniffle. He clenched and unclenched his paws a few times. Yet he remained silent.

Nick looked at Judy briefly, wondering if he should say something, but she continued to look at her brother. He turned back to his roommate and decided to take a chance. "Pete?" he asked in a barely audible whisper.

When the pilot looked back up at both of them, fresh tears were streaming down his face. When he spoke, his voice cracked. "I-I don't know," he whispered quietly.

"What do you-" Judy started to ask, but was cut off.

"I don't know!" Pete suddenly yelled before breaking down into sobs. "My friend for close to ten years and I never had the guts to TRY to ask where he stood with Christ! He went to church with me a handful of times, but-" the bunny pilot didn't finish the sentence as his sobbing intensified to the point that forming words was impossible.

"Oh Pete," Judy whispered as she pulled the bunny airman's head to her shoulder and began to rub a paw up and down his back.

As Pete continued to sob onto his sister's shoulder, Nick tried to process everything that he had learned since walking into the house. His roommate had lost a dear friend, and he was obviously seriously affected by it, yet he had only really broken down when the subject of Jack's unknown religious status had come up. Thinking back to what Judy had said in the car earlier, he realized that Pete was considering the distinct possibility that Jack Ridley had just been separated from God for all eternity.

The fox now had a newfound respect for the sight in front of him. He knew that their faith was a major part of Pete and Judy's lives – Judy for one had mentioned to him on numerous occasions that she prayed for him about various things going on in his life – but he had never realized before just how seriously these two bunnies took their faith. They REALLY BELIEVED what they said, and all the consequences that went along with it. And he couldn't help but respect them for that.

However, though he now knew why his roommate was so upset, he realized he didn't know how to comfort him. He wished he could remember more from his days as a kit in Sunday School, maybe some Christian belief that could make the bunny pilot feel more peaceful.

Wait a minute. Peaceful. Wasn't that what Lucy Delgato had said after Judy had prayed this afternoon? Didn't she say she felt peaceful? Like her burden had been lightened? Maybe that was it. Maybe all they had to do was pray.

And without a moment's hesitation, he spoke. "Should we pray?"

The two bunnies turned to look at him, shocked expressions on their faces. Pete a little less so, since he was still trying to get the tears under control, but the surprise on his face was still noticeable. They stared at the fox for several seconds in silence before Judy finally uttered a quiet, "What?"

Nick suddenly felt self-conscious as he realized just how out of left field his question must have seemed, especially coming from him. He began stumbling over himself, trying to explain. "I-it's just that, um, Judy, when you prayed this afternoon – for Lucy – it seemed like, er, no, she said that she felt, uh, peaceful, like, like her burden had been lightened, and I just, um, thought that, you know, since you two believe in…that, that maybe it would help? Here? Now?"

The two bunnies stared at the fox for a few more seconds after he finished before the weakest of smiles began to cross Pete's face. "Nick," he said as he wiped his eyes, "that's the best idea I've heard all day. Let's do it."

Pete took one of his sister's paws in his own, and just like this afternoon, Judy took Nick's in her other paw, smiling up at him briefly as she did so. He returned her smile before the three bowed their heads and Pete began.

"Dear Jesus, we thank You for who You are. We thank You that You are all-loving, that You comfort us in times of trouble. We need your comfort now, Lord. We have lost good friends today, their lives cut short in service to their community and their country. We pray Father, that You will give us peace and guide us as we grieve in the days ahead. Help us to remember that You promise to cause all things to work together for the good of those who love You, who are called according to Your purpose. Thank You God that we don't have to grieve for Officer Delgato in the same way as those who have no hope. Thank You that because he put his trust in You, he is with You now in paradise. And Lord-" his voice wavered, and he struggled to maintain control. "Lord, Jack is-" his voice cracked. "Jesus, Jack is-" he croaked before starting to sob quietly. Judy squeezed his paw before jumping in, knowing what he was trying to say.

"Lord, we know that You work outside of time," the bunny cop prayed. "You created it and are above it. And so we pray that at some point before he left this Earth, that Jack Ridley made the decision to put his trust for salvation in You. Please comfort all of us who feel the pain of these deaths, Father. Comfort Rachel and Lucy tonight, as they go through their first night without their husbands. Give them Your peace. Comfort the men and women of Precinct 1 and the 5th Bomb Wing as we mourn and process these tragedies. Give us the courage to get back up and continue to do what is necessary to protect and serve this community and this country. Keep us safe-" now her voice wavered, as her thoughts turned to her promise to herself to keep Nick safe. She felt both males squeeze her paws in reassurance, and she squeezed back and continued after a moment's pause. "Keep Nick and I safe as we patrol this city we call home and keep Pete and his crew safe as they fly to protect the freedoms you have given us. Help us to remember that you are always with us and always take care of us. Thank You for all that You do for us, for your love, and grace, and mercy. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen."

"Amen," Pete repeated as the three of them raised their heads and released each other's paws. "Thank you for suggesting that, Nick," the bunny pilot said as he wiped his eyes. "I needed that."

Nick nodded. "Do you feel better?"

"I do," Pete smiled. "Not great, but better. And thank you for stepping in, Judy. I really appreciate it."

"Of course," she whispered.

It was then that a low grumbling sound briefly filled the room. Nick looked down at his stomach as he realized how late it had gotten and how hungry he was. He looked back up at the two rabbits. "Well, I don't know about you two, but I'm in no mood to cook right now, so why don't I just order us a pizza and we'll call it good for tonight?"

The two siblings nodded at him and he stood to walk into the kitchen to make the call. As he got to the kitchen counter and picked up the landline phone, he noticed what looked like a business card sitting next to the phone cradle. He picked it up to read it. At the top was the name Chaplain (Maj) Mark Lanolin, USAF and his e-mail address and phone number. Underneath was a Bible verse, Revelation 21:4, "and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." Nick figured that the chaplain had given the card to Pete at some point that afternoon when they had been visiting Rachel Ridley. He read the verse a few more times before sighing and tossing the card back on the counter. "I'll believe it when I see it," he muttered as he started dialing.

#

Author's Note: Oh, Nick. Seeing isn't believing. Believing is seeing.

I know, like I said, some really deep subjects. I hope I didn't depress anyone too much, but if you read the first several verses of Ecclesiastes 3, which is where the title for this series comes from, you'll see that one of the things it says there is a time for, is a time to die. I thought it would be appropriate to include a story dealing with the subject in a slice of life series like this.

There was also a fair bit of conversation regarding life after death and salvation. If you have any questions about anything that was said, or want to talk about it, or were confused by any of it, please, PLEASE, reach out and ask me. I realize it's a subject that many people aren't comfortable talking about, but I believe it is an immeasurably important subject, and one that needs to be addressed in every person's life.

Something I have grappled with (and a question that was raised in a review) in translating Christianity into the world of Zootopia is how Biblical events would have worked with mammals of various species. To give you an idea of what I mean, the most common question I've asked myself is, what species would Jesus have been (after all, He is described as both the LAMB of God and the LION of Judah)? My solution to this might seem like a bit of a cop out, but I have decided that since I have no plans to discuss any subjects where species dynamics in Biblical times would be an important issue, I do not plan to establish what species any Biblical person would be. I will leave that up to your interpretation.

I'd also like to point out that Jack Ridley was a reference to the real life U.S. Air Force test pilot and engineer of the same name who most notably worked with Chuck Yeager on the supersonic X-1 project. He was also killed early in life in a plane crash when his C-47 went down northwest of Tokyo in the late '50s. You may remember my fictional version of Ridley from the very first installment in this series in which he and Pete exchanged a few lines from the film "The Right Stuff" regarding Beeman's chewing gum.

In the story, I mentioned Pete wearing flight boots. My headcannon regarding footwear in the world of Zootopia is that it is similar to wearing a hat in our world. By this I mean that some jobs might require footwear, or some wear it as a style choice (Gazelle being a prominent example in the film), but it is not a required clothing item for everyday life.

The next installment should be a lot cheerier, and like I said, I'm hoping to get it out as soon as possible so the series isn't sitting on such a downer.

Until next time, please review/favorite/follow, ask questions if you have them, and may God bless you all!