AUTHOR UPDATE: I apologize, but I'm officially putting this story on hiatus. I need to put my life before this story, and I hope you understand. I have had no reasonable amount of time with which to work on this story, and it's not fair to you if I didn't admit it. I hope my hiatus won't be for very long, but I currently have no clue as to when I might get the time to write again. I am embarrassed and frustrated that I have to make this decision, but my life is far crazier (and far better) than it was when I started all of this. As always, I wish you all the best.

11/15/2017 UPDATE: Recently, a close family member passed away. Not only has this been hard on me and my family, but it has also put me behind in my classes and at my job. It may still be quite some time before I can post anything again, but I have not forgotten.

Author's Note: Okay, so this is the longest gap yet between updates. I have now obtained a new job so that I can sustain my education until its completion; back when I started writing, I had far less going on in my life. I'm finding this slow pace just doesn't work for the story I'm trying to tell! Not only is it making it significantly harder to keep the quality consistent, but I can hardly expect you fine folks to remember all of the details I need you to remember!

"So how are you going to fix it, Wayward?" you may be asking yourselves. Well, I'm thinking I'm likely going to do what I did for "Animal Instinct": Write a bunch of pre-written rough-drafts and snippets before posting again, so I can artificially keep a good pace and have an easier time with overall quality control. If I go that route, it may be even longer before the next chapter. (Think of it like waiting for "Season 2".) Either way, there are tons of wonderful stories with better schedules whose authors deserve your attention! I hope you will stick with me despite the waits, but I will understand if not.

On a different note: I need to give a HUUUUUGE shoutout to the wonderful folks over on ZNN! Not only was "Birth of Angel" recently featured on their site, but I think I never remembered to thank them for featuring "Animal Instinct" (which is a bit of a, *ahem!*, "faux-paw"). They also surprised me by featuring a "Left4Dead2 / Zootopia" crossover pic I threw together, as well as a "Stranger Things / Zootopia" crossover trailer I made while sick! (I think I'm close to winning ZNN Feature Bingo, now!) If for some reason you don't know ZNN: It's a wonderful hub for the Zootopia fandom, and you should totally check them out!

...And as for my personal life, my classes are going awesomely! Next term I will be getting to learn from an instructor who has worked on a ton of amazing films including... (wait for it)... ZOOTOPIA! He animated a nice selection of the main characters in certain shots, so I can't wait to learn from him!

Now, regarding the story: Holy cow! We're at 106 followers on this site, and an additional 44 subscriptions on AO3! I never thought so many people would be interested in my crazy scribbles! You all really flatter me, and I appreciate it. I know I've been slipping on responding to comments, but I'd like to stop padding my wordcount with this already-massive note. Please know that I love that you guys are inspired to comment! Now please enjoy a chapter which finally introduces some very important pieces to the board...

Sincerely,

-Wayward

CHAPTER FOURTEEN:

"THE BEST LAID PLANS"

Bathed in a rare beam of sunlight streaming through the bedroom window, two blissfully breathless forms were sprawled across rumpled sheets, fur disheveled and bodies flooded with endorphins. To call the tryst passionate would've been a disservice much in the same way as it would've been a disservice to call a volcano "warm"! In fact, the comparison was doubly-apt; like molten lava hissing as it reaches the ocean, so too were the fox and rabbit exhaling warm sighs as their bodies – practically liquefied from pleasure – slowly cooled and solidified in the afterglow of exhausted contentment.

It was within this afterglow, settling as an immobile rabbit-shaped rock atop the bed, that Judy eventually made her first attempt at coherent speech. "That was... I mean... That was really...!"

"-Wilde?" offered Nick, a proud grin revealing his canines.

"Ugh... Don't ruin it."

Nick simply snickered, then stretched his lithe form across the bed with a squeaky, wide-mouthed yawn that prompted his ears to hug his head and his paws to knead the air. This was followed up with a satisfied smacking of his chops as he brought his arms to rest behind his head. The resulting pose left absolutely nothing to the imagination. "If the tree is a rockin', don't bother knockin'!"

Like two partners in crime, the spent animals gave each other knowing looks before high-fiving across the space between them. It seemed appropriate.

"Well, if I wasn't already pregnant, that sure would've done it..." remarked Judy, the pair absentmindedly staring at the ceiling for no reason in particular. They let the moment linger, calm, and settle into comforting heaviness. A large brown paw eventually drifted across the small divide and came to rest upon Judy's rounded stomach, idly rubbing it. Returning the sentiment, Judy's smaller paws met the larger one as her head turned toward the source of the affection. "You know we can't keep this a secret for much longer, right...?"

"Ugh... Don't ruin it," Nick mimicked with a groan. After a fleeting smirk, the tod's face returned to looking serious. "But... I supposed I can't argue with you there, Fluff. Much as I'd like to..."

That... was easier than I thought, Judy observed, mildly curious. After all, they'd been doing their best to stay out of the spotlight for as long as possible. Of the minimal number of mammals they'd informed about the pregnancy, few had actually been told the full truth: Bogo (who respected the gravity of the situation), their vet (who was held by patient confidentiality), and Judy's parents (who were prone to worry, and for that reason alone could keep their mouths shut). The small pawful of others had been led to believe that the pregnancy wasn't out of the ordinary. But even so – half-truths or not – neither animal quite liked the idea of the media picking up on their personal lives. They'd kept things on the down-low; Judy hadn't expected her fox to be so receptive to going public.

Sighing, Nick easily picked up on his rabbit's surprise. "Look... Some are already getting suspicious. I'd rather we were left alone, but that's not gonna' happen."

Judy raised an eyebrow, implying he should continue.

"Ah... At the store today there was a story about us," he provided, waving his other paw in the air before dropping it back down onto the mattress. "One of those fake news magazines. Had a shot of me on patrol with McHorn, looking tired, and a shot of you looking like, uh... like you are, except the picture was doctored a bit. They claimed I was leaving you because I found out you were impregnated by some sort of secret sex-cult or something... I almost bought a copy! For posterity, of course. Would've been great, framed on our wall!"

The muscles on Judy's face formed the best "I'm not amused" expression they could muster.

"Yeesh... Tough crowd..." grimaced Nick, backpedaling. "Point is: If a magazine like that is beginning to put two-and-two together, it won't be long until more reputable mammals start doing the same, only better. I guess... I guess I'd rather be in control of it when they find out?"

"Yeah... My thoughts exactly." The rabbit scooted over against her fox's side, propping her head upon his shoulder and draping an arm across his chest. She let the familiar scent of fresh fox musk warm her mind while she finished nestling into his thick russet fur. "But I was thinking... What if we beat them to it? It's not like we have to tell them everything..."

"Mmm..." Nick leaned over and gently nibbled Judy's head. "Sly bunny... I've been a bad influence on you!"

Giggling, the doe continued. "What if we just told them we were pregnant? Let them make assumptions? That should satisfy them, I'd think. Benjamin certainly seemed thrilled enough!"

"That... That could work!" The fox's ears raised with interest, his tail beginning to flick. "Okay, Carrots. You've sold me. That's a pretty good plan."

"Not so dumb after all, huh?" she grinned. This is why they made such a good team: Whatever life threw their way, they managed to find a way through it together. "So... How do you think we should break the news?"

"Oh, that's easy..." Nick chuckled and looked at Judy, an ornery gleam in his eyes. "I think we know just the fox...!"

The fennec was suspicious. Very suspicious.

The couple had been sitting in the radio studio for only a few minutes and already Finnick was getting the feeling like something was up. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate their presence; interviews with Nick and Judy always gave a sizable boost to the ratings. Further, although the little fox had worked hard to get his current job (even going so far as to improve his speech), he did owe his friends for the opportunity. Still, it also wasn't a personal visit... Had the two invited him to lunch – talked to him privately – perhaps the mixed signals he was seeing wouldn't have put him on edge. As it was, Nick and Judy had an impressive (and often dramatic) history when it came to those wonderful things known as "the public" and "the truth"...

It was a history he'd witnessed with a front-row seat.

Yeah... I'm not going through THAT again...!

Back when he and Nick had first met Judy at Jumbeaux's it had seemed like nothing new when they'd conned her. Later, when Judy had blackmailed Nick in return, the fennec had been too amused to notice the start of their peculiar little pattern. But then... then it had been up to Finnick to bring the pair back together so that they could trick Bellwether, and the aftermath of that had led to Finnick eventually playing a crucial role in Nick's idiotic Night Howler scheme! With each hustle the stakes had become higher and Finnick's involvement had become more pronounced.

...No.

He could see where this train was heading, and he wanted off.

I like you guys, but you're going to be the death of me... he grumbled to himself. Finnick subtly squinted his eyes from impending stress as he stared at the blinking lights on the console before him; there were only a few moments until it was time to go on air. He took one last opportunity to assess the situation:

The public had started to notice that Nick and Judy were no longer working together at the precinct. Further, as far as anyone could tell, Judy hadn't been on patrol for a while now...

Seemingly in response to the rumors, the fennec's two friends had come to him and suggested an interview. Whatever they had to say, they apparently wanted to say it to someone who they thought wouldn't pry too hard...

Nick was using his con-mammal smile. Clearly he was hiding something...!

And Judy was wearing loose clothes which appeared to conceal a considerable gain in weight. Also, what was up with her neck? Finnick didn't know what a pregnant bunny smelled like (why would he?), but that felt like the clearest explanation. Except...

Except apparently they weren't marking each other anymore, and neither of them were wearing rings. Fin knew Nick; Nick was a romantic. He wouldn't raise kits like that...

So had they really split up? Was that it? No... that couldn't be it. Not when they'd arranged this together, and certainly not when they kept on sneaking obnoxious little lovesick glances like they'd been doing ever since their arrival! The two were still hopelessly smitten...

Which meant they were pulling something. That had to be it. They were pulling something, and they expected Finnick to play along. Nothing else made any sense!

Ugh... he groaned as veins of pain coursed through his forehead. Can't I ever see these two WITHOUT them giving me a headache?

Well, whatever the case may be, he supposed he was about to find out. With a tap of a button, the mic went live. "Ah, an oldie but a goodie! That was 'Thriller' by the late Michael Packson. You're currently tuned to A11.3, KZZL... 'The Howl'! The time is 6:29pm."

A press of another button ran a prerecorded jingle, signaling a segue into his usual talk-show segment. "Thanks for joining us, folks. I'm your main male Finnick and it's about time for another night of 'What Does the Fox Say?', the show where I talk about whatever I want and everyone else just has to deal with it! Joining me again tonight are two famous freaks who can't ever seem to leave me well enough alone... officers Nicholas Wilde and Judith Hopps! Welcome back to the studio, you two."

Leaning toward the mic, Nick's smirk deepened. "Aw shucks, big guy! You just say the sweetest things...!"

"...Sure. We'll go with that." The fennec ignored the short giggle from Judy. "So... cutting to the chase: There's been quite a bit of speculation forming around you two lately, and I'm sure our listeners are curious... What exactly is going on? Is it true that you aren't working with each other right now?"

It was Judy's turn to lean in toward the mic."That is ac- yes! That is accurate. Yes."

"Hmm..." Finnick raised an eyebrow. "Can you explain that for us? Some would say it's been a long time coming. After all, isn't it against ZPD regulations for you guys to be involved with each other?"

Judy suddenly looked nervous. (Nick, on the other paw, simply glared at his pint-sized friend with a look of unamused betrayal.) Collecting herself, the gray rabbit spoke back into the mic. "Are we here on official police business? No. No we are not."

"What I think my partner is trying to say, Fin," chimed in Nick, his ears back and his voice salty. "Is that we can't make an official statement regarding ZPD regulation at this time. That said," - the tod's voice was pointed, and his eyebrows were raised - "I can speculate as to why we've been allowed to stay together: That particular regulation is more of a guideline than a strict rule, and I think at this point we've more than proven that we can put the job first, wouldn't you agree?"

...That last line wasn't a question so much as it was a challenge.

"Fair enough!" Bellowing a deep-chested laugh, Finnick relished how he'd been able to make the rabbit and fox squirm! He found that revenge truly was a delicious meal. "But that doesn't exactly answer the entire question, does it? You're currently separated on the force, and I can't help but notice that you aren't scent-marking each other anymore-"

"-That's personal," interrupted the fox. "We have our reasons for that."

"Don't tell me you're splitting up!" joked Finnick, trying to lighten the mood a little. "I've made a lot of money betting on you two! Daddy's gotta' buy himself a new car!"

"That's hardly fair," the bunny pointed out, somewhat amused. "You have inside info!"

Nick's head swiveled to look at Judy, a sense of nostalgic pride flickering across his face. "Please. What do you take us for? That's the best way to make a bet, Upchuck!"

There was a thing about being an animal with large ears: Usually, you were pretty good at listening to the details. For Finnick, that meant immediately picking up on the new Nick-Name. "Upchuck...? I feel like there's a story to that one!"

"There is, and a certain fox had better not tell it if he wants to remain breathing!" At this point Judy was standing on her chair to compensate for her height difference, staring her fox straight in the eyes.

Finnick began a new fit of laughter while Nick turned away and grabbed the mic. "Police intimidation! You all heard it! Police intimidation!"

"Are we here on official police business...?" repeated the doe, her voice dripping with threat. "No... No we are not..."

"Okay, okay... Settle down, Fluff," cooed Nick as he gave a few patronizing pats to the top of her head, testing his limits. "We don't have that much time anyways. So do you want to say it, or can I...?"

Judy's face went to war over whether to scream or sigh. The latter quickly won, the bunny melting back down into her chair. "Fine... You can say it Nick. I know how badly you want to."

Here it comes... thought the fennec, bracing for whatever chaos was about to be unleashed.

"Let's just say that there's a, uh... bun in the oven!"

...And there it was. Bad joke and all.

They really were pregnant!

I was right! But... but... That leaves so many questions. So. Many. Questions!

"What the hell, Nick!?" blurted the little fox as his baritone voice took charge where his brain could not. "You decide to have children and this is how you tell me?"

"I, uh... Yeah. I've got nothing."

"And what about the scent-marking, then? Sure, you're aaaaall for it when it's broadcast on live TV, but then you guys suddenly stop now? During your season? While Judy's pregnant? Do you get just how many levels of weird that is?"

Nick raised a digit of a paw. "Ah. Let me remind you of what the word 'personal' means: It's a word somebody uses when they want to keep something to themselves..."

Crossing her arms, Judy joined in. "Or in other words... None of your business."

"Fine. Whatever." Finnick looked at the clock, muttering under his breath. He couldn't fixate on something they weren't going to explain; he didn't have the time. He forced himself to move on. "Well then, congratulations anyways! That's still wonderful news! I'm sure all of Zootopia will be rooting for you two! Although... I hate to think what your children will be like with you as their parents..."

The little fox gave a dramatic shudder for emphasis.

"We're only having one, thankfully," defended Judy. "And she's going to be perfect!"

"Uh huh. Of course she is," Finnick mocked, rolling his eyes. He couldn't act more sarcastic if he tried. "I'm just suuuuure she's going to be a perfect little angel-"

"-GAH!" A sudden shriek of pain erupted within the small recording room, all eyes turning to the source: Judy. Her paws were hovering over her stomach, quivering; it was as though she were afraid to touch it. All of the fur on Nick's body raised with worry, the red fox watching intently as Judy's wide eyes suddenly began to water and an exuberant smile quickly replaced the pain and shock which had preceded it. "Oh my god... Nick! Nick Nick Nick! She kicked! She actually kicked!"

All attention suddenly locked upon his doe, Nick's posture quickly transformed into the giddiest, happiest, stupidest excitement Finnick had ever seen from the fox. His tail was fully raised and wagging, his ears were sky-high, and his limbs seemed to have a tough time deciding between acting paralyzed or waving without reason. "You're kidding! Really!?"

"Yes, I'm pretty sure she- OW!" The rabbit lurched against the back of her chair. "There she went again! She- ACK! Geez! You can quit it now, you little- AH! Pain. Stop. PAIN!"

The entire discussion had been derailed, and Finnick forgotten. The parents-to-be were in their own little world. The fennec simply watched as it all played out.

"Are you sure!?" Nick was frantic with glee. "Nothing's wrong? She's kicking!?"

"Pretty darn sure! She's- GOD WOULD YOU STOP IT FOR JUST ONE SECOND!" Judy was suddenly yelling and pointing at her stomach; out of context, she would've looked like a lunatic. "She's being a little ass is what she's being!"

Nick was too excited to care. "And what about her feet!? Can you tell!? Are they fox feet, or rabbit feet!? What's she like!?"

"I think, I think... They're rabbit feet!" The bunny abruptly grabbed her fox's head and pulled it to her stomach. "Here! Second opinion!"

Only a brief moment went by before another lapine yelp of pain filled the room. The tod raised his head, wide-eyed and gently rubbing his cheek. "Wow... That's quite the kick! Those have to be rabbit feet! That's wonderful! I LOVE your feet!"

As the pair devolved into a snuggling mess of giggles and awe, Finnick sat on the sidelines, dumbfounded. He knew he'd had questions going into this interview, but suddenly he had so many more. The one he finally asked was perhaps the most obvious. "...Why wouldn't she have rabbit feet?"

And with that, Finnick existed once again; the bubble of parental excitement had been popped. Heads slowly turned towards him while ears lowered, pupils becoming pinpricks as they realized the proverbial cat was out of the bag. Their reaction was the last piece of information the fennec needed.

It all made sense:

The lack of marking...

The secrecy...

The strange comments about the feet...

"Oh my god...!" Finnick gasped as it hit him. "You didn't...!"

The fox and the rabbit stared at the microphone, gulping.

"You did! I can't believe it!" The little fox suddenly hugged his chest, laughing so hard that tears began pouring out of his eyes. "You knocked her up! You actually knocked her up!"

The room was large and cold, dimly lit by a single lamp and a pawful of candles. The decorations – antiques from times gone by – were perfectly preserved in their original positions, frozen in place by the ice which coated every surface. The fur of any mammal who entered the room always stood on end, chilled not from the ice but from the feeling of death which was permanently saturating the room. It was a room filled with old values and even older loyalties. Blood, money, and honor: Those were the words which might define it.

They were also words which were near and dear to the arctic shrew who owned it.

Digits of his paw drummed against the tiny wooden chair upon which he sat, his emerald ring glistening in the candlelight like solidified venom. Behind him, stoically standing in a dark corner, a massive polar bear gestured the sign of the cross upon his chest.

"Viktor, my friend," spoke the shrew, his voice filling the empty space around him with an authority far larger than his tiny stature. "Have I become too soft in my old age? Have I made myself... obsolete?"

Viktor Koslov knew better than to answer Mr. Big; he'd been Big's right-paw male ever since the early days. The shrew was simply ruminating... planning. The polar bear knew this, and stood silently.

Sighing, Mr. Big leaned back in his chair to think. The recent news put him in an unfortunate situation. He'd accepted Nick and Judy into his family out of gratitude, and had even looked the other way when they'd entered an interspecies relationship. But science had convinced him that the pair could never conceive a child.

I've grown complacent... he realized.

Scripture had warned of this – warned of the dangers of such a consummation – and he'd ignored it. Prey and predators were forbidden from physical union. The Word of Nature clearly spoke of a mixed child, one who could topple the careful balance of the world. Out of his laziness and ignorance, he'd allowed such a child to be conceived.

Mr. Big dismissively waived a paw in the frigid air. "Ah, mistakes are mistakes. To question them now would be a waste of time... What matters is what comes next."

Even if the shrew ignored the scripture upon which he'd been raised, the hybrid kit was still a threat to his world. Tiny though he may be, Mr. Big was still a predator (as were most animals in his employ), and being a predator gave you an important edge: Fear. It was one of the primary resources which allowed the businesses of Zootopia's underbelly to thrive.

But if mixed mammals were allowed to exist...? That edge would disappear.

Predators were small in number. In the light of normal society that fact would be a burden, but... in the darker world of crime, being a predator gave you a power which few others had. If predators started having children with prey, that power would be diluted; higher and higher percentages of the population would have predator traits, and the fear would disappear like water down a drain. Mr. Big's empire – his legacy – would be ruined.

This cannot be allowed, he confirmed to himself, rubbing his temple. It is my responsibility.

"Viktor," he finally commanded. "Bring me to my daughter. Perhaps she can make those two see reason..."

Yes. He would give them a chance to make the right choice – he owed them that much – but he couldn't allow them to have the child. One way or another, he would force them to come to an understanding. It was the only way. For although he may be evolved, deep down he was still an animal...

...And animals made sure they'd survive.