Thank you all again everyone for all your continued support all the way through this incredible journey, and we only have much broader roads to go down from here. So without further ado, here's the epilogue to wrap up the second installment of my Zootopia series, and here's hoping it leaves all of us satisfied, and not just myself.

Zootopia and its characters are property of Disney, not me. God, do I really have to put that notice in every single chapter?

"So this is everything you have to report?" Chief Bogo finally asked after a prolonged silence, no doubt to collect his thoughts.

It had been three days since Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde had finally returned to Zootopia after their prolonged, as he preferred to call it: therapeutic partnership evaluation assignment. Of course he'd have to make it sound so deadly serious and official in order to officially cover up their over week-long absence from the ZPD, but who was honestly going to complain?

Thankfully the chief had been kind enough to give the fox and bunny duo a couple days to get their feet wet in field work once more, seemingly to help them get re-acclimated into the work, but anyone who knew him remotely well knew he mainly backed off so he could get a better idea how Nick especially was doing. And thankfully the fact that he'd called Judy into his office at the end of this day without their conversation immediately going into talks of psychiatric evaluations and suspensions was as good a sign as Judy could've hoped for.

She'd spent nearly an hour relaying to her boss the details of what the two of them had gone through and discussed with each other during their trip; and while Bogo remained as stoic as ever, the little bunny could somehow tell some of what she shared was managing to pierce the water buffalo's tough exterior; especially when it came to the end of their journey and discussing what Nick had gone through upon discovering what happened to his mother.

No matter how tough and serious as he liked to make himself off to be, there was no denying that the ZPD chief could be a big softie at heart.

"That's right, sir. I wasn't sure what to leave out, but I figured you'd mainly want to know how Officer Wilde is doing. I also figured that was why you let us work without interruption these last few days," Judy explained as straightforwardly as possible as the chief leaned back into his chair; rubbing his tired eyes after yet another long day's work.

"Yes; very observant Hopps. I felt it would help after his less-than-acceptable performance last time to just observe how your partner would do for a little bit before finally getting the details; for the sake of compare and contrast. Thankfully it sounds like you two have made some real progress," the chief explained; a hint of satisfaction carried in his words while Judy looked up at him with a glimmer of hope.

"Does this mean you're not going to suspend him, sir?" she dared to ask; mentally crossing her paw pads she'd get the good answer.

"Well, he's certainly shown much more improvement in comparison; and he seems a lot less laid back and much more professional on the streets and in the office; at least as far as can be concerned when it's more than just you two around. So no, I'm not going to suspend him or put him up for psychiatric evaluation. I'm sure you must be thrilled," Chief Bogo said with an affirming nod, but with an equally phoned in sense of enthusiasm, as if he were humoring a small child while Judy looked to be restraining herself from hopping up and down in excitement where she sat.

"I hope you do realize that just because I'm letting him off the hook doesn't mean he's any less your responsibility from here on, Hopps. That simply comes with being partners, you realize," he felt the need to remind the excited bunny as she quickly took a deep breath and gave him an understanding nod. No matter how happy she was, she knew she still needed to be calm and professional with the massive buffalo.

"Understood completely, sir. I'm just grateful you gave us the chance," she said gratefully while the chief simply looked to brush the gratitude aside.

"Well, who am I to not even give one of my most effective officers a chance to help her partner ultimately improve out on the field? But don't think I'm just going to let the fact you both missed 8 days of work slide. I'm going to make sure you both make up for that lost time and then some," Bogo said sternly while Judy felt her excitement die down by the ton once her boss was finished. Of course, he was a professional cop first and a friend second, no matter how much Judy had grown on him, so of course he was going to enforce his rules to the letter with no exceptions.

But in the end, that didn't matter. What mattered was that as far as she was concerned, hers and Nick's careers were in the clear; they'd continue being partners, and for that, she couldn't have been happier.

"Understood, sir. I promise we'll be back here first thing in the morning, and I'll make sure you don't hear a complaint from either of us," she promised with an enthusiastic salute before the chief motioned it was okay for her to leave for the night, where Nick would no doubt once again be in the lobby shooting the breeze with Clawhauser while waiting for her to come hopping along.

"By the way, Hopps. Regarding the fact you ended up telling Wilde about our last discussion and how that drove you to take up this little escapade of yours, I must ask…even now, do you still think that was the only thing that drove you to do what you did? Just the worry that he wouldn't be your partner anymore if you did nothing?" Bogo suddenly asked once Judy was halfway out the door; freezing the bunny in mid-step as she slowly turned back to look at her boss at his desk with his hooves folded across each other; an expectant look on his grizzled face.

"Honestly…no, sir. At first, I thought that's what it was, but…now, I realize I probably would've done this even if Nick wasn't my partner. He's far more than that to me; he's my best friend. And a good cop is supposed to serve and protect the people, including our friends…and sometimes, serving and protecting entails going above and beyond the lines of duty to help them in every way, shape and form."

Anyone else would've no doubt considered her answer to be purely textbook or bunny scout-ish at best, but Chief Bogo could tell where a lot of what she was saying really came from. Just as he'd once told the proud yet honorable bunny officer standing before him, getting where he now was required one to be able to read even the most unreadable mammals, and that was what helped him come to understand her as well as he did.

His stone-faced expression slowly softened into a clearly satisfied semi-smile as he gave her a single nod of acceptance before silently motioning for her to go once more.

Of course, the non-cop part of the little bunny wanted to cry out from the top of the ZPD of just what truly inspired her to go so far for the fox she now held the most dear to her heart, but like she did every day, she had to continuously remind herself of the pact she and Nick had made the night she'd finally confessed. No one but no one was to know of the now romantic relationship they shared, no matter what. The public couldn't know about it, and the ZPD especially couldn't know about it. As much as she absolutely wanted to cry it out for the entire world and the heavens above to hear, she didn't want to make life difficult if not impossible for the both of them, so she had to exercise her self-proclaimed ability to keep a secret.

At the very least, she wanted her family back home to know. Even if Stu would no doubt collapse like a pile of bricks, she felt they of all other mammals at least deserved to know, no matter what their personal feelings would be.

The ecstatic bunny couldn't think of it too much longer once she entered the lobby as she instantly spotted Nick waiting patiently and loyally for her at Clawhauser's desk; a relieved grin on his muzzle the instant he saw her stepping up to him with a practical spring in her step.

"So I take it Chief Buffalo Butt didn't chew you out too bad this time?" he asked his partner sarcastically as they stepped out into the cool nighttime air. For once neither of them cared if they'd end up missing the last train to their part of the city. A pleasant walk looking at the stars that seemed to still shine brilliantly through the city lights sounded absolutely perfect.

"If by 'chewed out' you mean he was satisfied with how you've been doing and okayed us continuing to be partners, then yes, yes he did," she explained with that same proud beaming grin that made her look so much more adorable than usual these days as Nick had come to realize.

As much as Nick would've wanted to keep the banter going like he always did, the overwhelming sense of relief he was currently feeling just didn't make his typical wisecracks feel fitting for the moment. Right now, he felt the need to simply bask in his good luck with his beloved Carrots by his side.

It had taken a good while for him to really get back to normal from the emotionally broken mess he was when they'd first arrived in Reynard's Grove. Even despite admitting to himself how much more at peace with his mother he now felt during the trip back home, he still wasn't nearly as talkative as usual. Who could really blame him? Even if not for the fact that he still didn't get to apologize to his mother's face, the only pain that was truly left was the natural sadness of knowing the vixen that had brought him into the world was gone forever. Of course, any mammal would naturally feel utterly terrible if that were to happen, so at least he knew he was back in a normal place and was simply grieving like everyone else would. And thank God for Carrots stubbornly sticking to him like glue ever since that night.

These days, his emotions were evenly divided between his sadness and the barely restrained elation he now felt with Judy. This whole trip had been such a minefield of raw emotions for the both of them to come to terms with, and now that the air had at long last been cleared between them, not only could he tell Judy was in such brighter spirits than usual, but even he found himself welcoming each new day with a strange new sense of enthusiasm that he realized only she had been able to bring.

As much as they struggled yet managed to keep the full extent of their relationship a secret from any prying eyes and their coworkers, once the doors to the apartment were closed, it was practically like the two of them were both high school lovers and newlyweds all at once. They of course were both smart enough never to go to an extent that could potentially put their secret at risk further down the road, it still felt way too soon for both of them to even consider going that far. But everything else was completely up in the air for them. It certainly made their otherwise uneventful evenings at home considerably more fun.

He always loved to tease Judy for how easily she was able to succumb to her emotions, but he'd never before considered that she could be just as quick to show the passion she felt for him when they were alone. And every single time, to his quiet elation, that wonderful taste of blueberries never faded.

Some nights, while they were simply lying in bed together, chatting the night away, he found himself mentally backtracking to confirm if this all had been real, just as when he'd first become a cop; just as when he and Judy had first started living together. That one stubborn part of his mind was still clinging to the way he'd lived for so long that it was struggling to accept that he'd somehow managed to find the path out of the gutter and into the daylight where even as a child he'd felt he belonged.

But just as what was to be expected whenever his mind wandered these last few days, his thoughts would always drift back to his mother. She'd been the only family he'd ever had, and now he had to accept that he was all that was left of the name Wilde. Of course, superficial things like ensuring the survival of a family line meant less than nothing to him; who honestly still thought like that these days besides aged politicians and stuffy rich fat cats? But he couldn't deny that the knowledge still tended to make him feel a deeper lingering sense of personal loneliness. As wonderful as Judy was, he couldn't rightly call himself part of her family, nor her part of his. It just didn't seem right to make that assumption or force that title onto her.

But ultimately, it didn't really matter to him. It didn't matter if he was the only one of his family left or not. Right now, basking in the pleasant evening air; traversing the city streets and gazing up at the star-filled sky with Judy's little paw in his own; all this was all he needed to finally, FINALLY feel a sense of contentment with his life. As long as he had his Carrots, he couldn't possibly have asked for more.

"Hey, Nick, are you in there?" Judy's voice suddenly rang clear to him as he quickly brought himself back to reality to find they were already standing at the entrance to their apartment building and his partner was looking up at him expectedly.

"Yeah, sorry, I was miles away. What were you saying?" he asked with an embarrassed grin while Judy just giggled to herself.

"Oh, nothing. It's just taking me a while to get used to actually having an hour of silence when it's just the two of us. You seem to get lost in your head a lot recently," she mused as the two made their way inside for the stairwell.

"Yeah. I just have been thinking back on a lot of things recently. This whole trip; everything before that; us. It's just…sometimes I still can't believe ALL this has managed to happen in the space of a single year. It's like the instant I met you, my entire world got flipped around," Nick explained; unable to help sounding a bit nostalgic while doing so.

"You're not having second thoughts or regrets, are you?" she asked sarcastically as they reached their floor.

""Ha, you wish, Fluff. Granted, I'm still embarrassed I let you blackmail me in the first place, but I wouldn't exactly call that a regret. Got us here, didn't it?" he asked rhetorically while Judy simply smiled to herself. Even now she found herself wishing something could come along where she could catch him off guard with her old carrot pen. She still regretted not having it with her the first time Nick had finally verbally confessed his mutual love for her that unforgettable night.

"Nah, mainly I'm just thinking back on everything, and I realize that even despite all the challenges and all the…well all the painful moments, things always seem to turn out for the better in the end. So much has changed in what's really so little time, and each day I find myself accepting it more and more. And in the end, I keep finding myself having you to thank for it, Carrots," the by-now bashful fox finally admitted while Judy felt her whole face warming up once more as she fished for the apartment keys. She already couldn't wait for them to finally have some alone time again just so they could be in each other's arms again.

"And don't you forget it, sweet fox," she said teasingly as she unlocked the door and began to open it, only for the lights inside to suddenly flash on and all the calming silence to be broken by a cacophony of familiar voices calling out "SURPRISE!"

Both fox and bunny alike nearly felt like they were going to have heart attacks before they suddenly realized they were being greeted by the always welcomed sight of Stu, Bonnie, and nearly all of Judy's brothers and sisters scattered across their spacious apartment; having jumped out from behind the furniture to surprise them.

"Mom? Dad? What are you all doing here? H-how did you even get in here?" Judy asked in shell-shocked bewilderment as she and Nick instinctively stepped inside; still blown away by what had been waiting for them. There was a huge assortment of food adorned all across the dining room table and kitchen counters, and there had even been a big banner hanging from the ceiling that simply read: WELCOME.

"Well, after your last call letting us know you got home safely, your mother and I talked about it for a while, and we thought it would be a good idea to welcome you both home," Stu explained casually while Judy and Nick just looked at each other doubtfully. There was no way that was all there was to it. Her parents were much more practical than that, especially during summer, easily the farm's busiest time of the year; never mind the fact Judy's 26th birthday wasn't for another two months, and Nick's 31st birthday was near the tail end of December.

"Well, Stu, as nice as it is to see you all again, I think you might need some practice on keeping secrets. What really brings you all this way?" Nick asked as politely as he could with his choice of words while Bonnie quickly chose to step forward.

"Well, I hope this won't upset you, but Judy has been keeping us up to date with what's been going on during your whole trip and everything. I understand it's very personal what you've been going through, but we all care about you, and so we just thought it would be a good idea to give you some support," the Hopps family matriarch explained while Nick looked to be much more satisfied with her answer, all while Judy still didn't look entirely convinced. Moral support was a wonderful thought for them to give, but that still didn't explain all the food and the banner and the fact that nearly all her siblings were here, and currently already crowding around her and Nick.

"But who's going to be watching the farm while you guys are all away? You know how fast the crops can go downhill even for a day when they're not being looked after," she questioned further while Stu and Bonnie shared mutually worried glances; not for their crops but for the fact that their already paper-thin story was already all but nonexistent.

"Well, you're not wrong there, Judy. Thankfully Gideon and some of the neighbors volunteered to watch the farm for us while we're gone tonight, since their own crops have already been tended to. You see, while I normally wouldn't want to risk anything…well, like I said, we had a lot to talk about considering everything you told us, and we ended up deciding something that we felt was only right to be done in person. And of course, the kids have wanted to see you and Nick like crazy since you left," Stu explained while Nick was already lifting two arms full of the tiny fuzzballs as they all laughed in amusement while the smaller ones were fussing about with his tail.

"You know, normally I think I'd be upset she was spilling the beans behind my back, but with these little tykes around, I think I might actually be glad she did," Nick admitted with amusement; while still sharing an understandably concerned glance with her, no doubt communicating how much he hoped she hadn't told them EVERYTHING.

"Well of course, she knows how much we all care for you, Nick dear; and that brings us back to why we really wanted to come here and see you both," Bonnie said in agreement before offering to take the kids out of Nick's arms before motioning for the kids to give them a little space, which they did with great reluctance. For once, the apartment had actually become quiet again.

"Now, I understand this may seem like us assuming a lot, but in the short time we've actually gotten to know you on top of everything Judy has told us about you before and after your visit, I personally feel about as close to you as any one of our own children," Bonnie began while Stu nodded readily in agreement.

"That's right. I typically like to consider myself a good judge of character, and sometimes I like to think that's where Judy got it from; but it typically takes me some time to really get a feel for someone. Well, I must say that even regardless what species you are, Nick; I don't think I've personally ever warmed up to someone as quickly as I have you. Heck, I may be jumping the gun something awful here, but sometimes I almost find myself already thinking of you like a son; especially considering how well you and Judy get along."

By this point, Nick was fighting every urge to stare directly at the equally flustered-looking Judy; as if wanting to straight up ask her if she actually DID tell them. This was starting to sound way too similar to a father giving his blessing for marriage for the speechless fox's liking.

"What we're trying to say, you two, is that with everything being considered; and especially considering what you've had to go through recently, Nick; we felt it was only right to let you know that, even with Judy being here to care for you, you don't have to go through everything alone from here on out," Bonnie finally got to the point; while Nick and Judy still looked utterly confused where on earth this was going.

"Nick, I understand if this may seem a bit too much right now, but I just feel you deserve to know that as far as me, Stu and the rest of the kids are concerned, we honestly consider you part of our family," Bonnie finally out and said it; and for several lingering moments, both of them were at a loss for words.

"Y-you really mean that, Mom? You too, Dad?" Judy finally broke the silence; her words a barely restrained whisper from the sheer disbelief at what she was hearing.

"Of course we do, Judy. After everything Nick's done for you, and everything you've so readily done for him, it shows us just how much he really means to you. And of course we'd be lying if we said you haven't made one heck of an impression with us, Nick; especially the kids. With everything you've been going through, it seems the best time to let you know that we both consider you as much a son to us as Judy is our daughter."

Nick still remained dead silent as he could only look on at these two exceedingly humble yet hospitable country bunnies like they'd come straight from another world.

They'd only met him once in the long run, and most of what they had come to know about him came from word of mouth courtesy of his partner. Why were they so readily accepting him into the family? Yeah, he'd done everything he thought was possible for him to make a good impression, he wanted them to like him; but after having been brought down to reality so hard over these last eight days, he couldn't bring himself to just accept this offer without any doubts.

But at the same time, who was he to say no to what they were giving him? He'd been struggling with the idea of having no family these last few days, and now this had just come along at yet another point in time where it almost seemed cosmic in its timing.

If these folks were truly anything like Judy, they wouldn't be sharing these emotional sentiments with him if they didn't completely mean it. And with that being in mind, it almost seemed too good to be true. They couldn't have just chosen to let him into their tight-knit family because the kids loved him, or because of how much Judy was willing to do for him and visa-versa. Did they really feel so much sympathy for his own personal baggage that they completely took it upon themselves to extend to him their emotional support without a second thought?

That familiar old cynical voice in his head kept whispering for him not to believe it, but the ever-burning sense of optimism that had kept finding its way back to him time and time again was telling him that this was the world's way of finally giving him a break from all the sadness and the brooding.

Before he could dwell any further, he felt that all-too familiar but pleasant sensation of Judy's paw resting over his own, but this time when he began to turn to see her silent expression of affirmation, he suddenly felt another pair of fuzzy paws gently come around his neck, immediately followed by another pair doing the same, and before he even knew it, practically the whole Hopps family was nearly all over him; all trying to hug him in some collective show of acceptance and even familial affection.

It wasn't the almost overwhelming weight and sense of being unable to move that got him choked up after it all finally registered. It was the realization of the sincerity in all these bunnies' actions that their acceptance, their mutual attachment to him was all-too real; that they would go so far out of their way to extend their care to what was once the natural enemy of their species, with no consideration to any personal benefit of their own.

Years ago, he never would've been able to accept this. He wouldn't have been able to buy that any mammal in the world wasn't simply looking out for themselves. But now, having to reflect on everything that had so drastically changed; looking at the bunny that had so greatly changed his life and bravely proclaimed her heartfelt love for him; and now gazing upon this entire bunny family that had so happily welcomed him with open arms, it all had become so clear.

He couldn't possibly say no to them, not one of them. How could he possibly deny possibly the only family in the world that would ever accept him?

Without a word, but instead a sharp intake of breath, Nick struggled to bring his arms around as many of them as he could from where he was pinned, and it all at once seemed to tell them exactly what he hoped it would.

All at once the kids exploded into cheerful laughter as they all parted from him; all smiling brightly at this turn out.

The rest of the night was spent with joyous celebrating and Nick and Judy both playing with all the kids like they never had before. A whole new feeling of unity had overwhelmed them both.

With every passing second, one epiphany, one realization echoed crystal clear in Nick's mind as he felt possibly the happiest he could've ever been here with Judy and his unexpected new family all around him.

You don't ever have to be alone again.

And there it is, everyone; the last chapter of my second Zootopia installment. I really struggled to decide whether or not I should've had this ending celebration with the Hopps family in this story or find a place for it somewhere else, but the further I went, the more I realized just how much Nick would need a change like this in his life after I put him and Judy through the emotional wringer like I did.

Anyway, I hope this ending will satisfy you, and hopefully tide you over until I manage to put together the first chapter for the next installment to come, and this time around we'll have some actual adventure to sink our teeth into.

I love you all, and thank you all so much for all your continuous support.