Sunderance Act 1: Epilogue Final

    The Todd sat on the love seat in front of the large TV screen, his eyes reflecting the light of the images that played out as his hands played over the naked hip of the vixen sitting across his lap with one arm over his shoulders. As comfortable and content as he might have been, and as sweet as his darling Marian smelled so close to him, he kept his eyes and ears intently on the figure of the newly freed Otterton. Luckily, his wasn’t the only attention that was focused on this current event, so he didn’t feel even a pang of regret at this diversion from their own personal form of diversion.

   It wasn’t until the otter finished giving what were doubtless rehearsed statements to the white furred vixen standing in front of him, that the reporter thanked him even as she gave a little finger wave to the camera. The camera mammal followed the motion and the vixen as she headed around the courthouse, until the scene across the streets was seen almost clearly.

   “Get that. Get it!” she said, the journalistic glee in her voice only barely disguised as the camera man focused in on the fox sitting on the back on one of the ambulances. Standing on the back of the ambulance next to him was the heroine of the day, the grey furred bunny who had freed the aforementioned otter. The order to ‘Get that’ had obviously been in reference to the kiss Judith Hopps was giving the fox with a great deal of gusto. The wavering camera managed to focus in on them well before the kiss broke, which Miss Harridan was already turning into an award-winning piece of journalism.

   “We’ve been told more times than I can count why relations with the Commonwealth were bad for Zootopia. Financial and political. But they always ignored the personal effects it had on the mammals involved. With bunnies no longer allowed in Zootopia, will the lawyer who has proven the value of coexistence be forced to leave? Will the fox she loves, who has risked his life to defend her time and time again, be allowed to return to the Commonwealth with her if so?”

   “Aw,” came Marian’s melodic voice from next to his ear, causing his muzzle to part into a grin as he turned his muzzle to look up at her. “You didn’t tell me they were… That!”

   “Ah, my darling,” he began, squeezing her hip to draw her closer to him before he placed a firm kiss on the size of her muzzle. “Knowing your romantic heart, I wanted to make sure everything worked out before I got your hopes up.”

   He accepted the swat to his shoulder gracefully, though he growled and nipped at her shoulder playfully in return. And continued to nibble, intent on taking advantage of the time Johnny had provided them by taking the children until he heard her sigh, breathy and soft.

   “Has it worked out for them, though?”

   “Who’s to say?” he muttered, turning his eyes back to the screen for a moment. He took in the entire image that was presented, beyond the fox and the bunny. The multiple ZPD cruisers, the SWAT van, the ambulances, and the obvious signs of intense combat on the foxes face even as he now smiled down at the little grey rabbit. “Somehow, I think this is just the beginning.”

_____________________________________

   “I had expected great things from you, no matter how skeptical some mammals might have been,” the obviously pleased voice said into the bunny’s ear as she sat at her desk, idly flipping through news reports about her victory in court the day before. “I can’t begin to express how happy it made me to see Emmitt walk out of that courtroom a free man. Are you sure you won’t consider working on my staff?”

   Judy knew that the offer was a pleasantry, as much as Neveen – whom she was sure sat in the Apex looking over much the same news reports she was – knew that it was going to be turned down. Still, she responded as she glanced at the fox who was resting on her bed in the office, looking surprisingly comfortable for someone who had fresh bandages on his ribs and a brace on one arm. And that wasn’t even considering the various small patches of gauze or the swelling that had closed one of his eyes.

   “I’m afraid political law isn’t my specialty,” she said easily, pausing at the image of her and Nick, which also on the front page of every local newspaper in Zootopia. Not that she regretted it, at all, even if it did make her ears burn and drop back for a moment as a flush crept over her skin. In fact, she wouldn’t have changed a thing. Even if it meant that, when she had turned on ZNN, she had relived the event through the eyes of the camera and the intense voice of one vixen she cared not to think about. “And getting involved with the political side of laws too often leads to grey areas I would rather avoid.”

   “I understand completely,” Neveen said, in the expectedly gracious and bright tone of voice of someone who had just had something else go exactly as she’d expected it to go. “You are free to use the office until you return home, however. I expect there are a few things you’ll want to clean up in the meantime. We all have our statements to make, don’t we?”

   Except for you, Judy noted, annoyed but not surprised to find that The Administrator had not been mentioned in any of the reports she’d glanced over.

   “And how is my brother doing?”

   This caught her a little off guard. It was the first time that their sibling relationship had been directly mentioned by anyone other than Nick. What it meant to her was that Neveen had known Nick would tell her who she was. Who they were. And didn’t seem perturbed by that fact.

   “He’s resting,” she said, flipping through another report on her screen and pausing on the one that followed it. A frown formed quickly, as did a sinking feeling in her gut as she read:

                                                        Jumbeaux Café Shuts Down

"After serving sweet treats to the people of Zootopia for over three decades, the local landmark has been sold and shut down amidst flagging sales and lower customer interest. The new owner, Mr. Worthington Foulfellow, was not reachable for comment…"

   “That’s good to hear. I had been told that he received excellent care,” the vixen said lightly in her hear, causing her to refocus her attention on the conversation as she noticed the pleased tone of her voice. While there was obviously sibling affection in the tone, there was also a note of awareness in it.

   It donned on her a moment later. The stag who had taken care of Nick at the scene had followed him into the hospital, which was not standard procedure for non-life threatening injuries. She had thought there had been something about his calm, easy attitude and his focus on Nick when there had been other injured parties to tend to.

   “Thank you,” she said dumbly, letting it sink in for a moment before she turned her attention back to the story on the screen. “Thank you for the call, Madam Administrator, and for the invitation to Zootopia. But those things that demand my attention are calling now.”

   When the call was ended, she finished reading the rest of the story and had to fight the sudden and uncharacteristic desire to throw the laptop across the room. Instead, she snapped it shut and breathed deeply for a moment as she tried to get a handle on her part in what had happened.

   “I didn’t hear mention of when you’ll be heading home,” Nick’s voice came from the bed, drawing her attention and her eyes to him as he sat up on his good arm to look at her. “You don’t have to wait for me to heal, if that’s what you’re thinking. Not that I want you to leave.”

   The last part was added quickly and caused her heart to do a little dance in her chest. It could have been the way he had averted his gaze for just a second before saying that, or how his ears seemed to have trouble standing upright when he mentioned her going home. Or just the fact that he had refused to go anywhere else to recover. Even now, she had no doubt that he would drag himself out of bed and jump to her defense if he needed to.

   It was impossible not to want the male.

   Pulling herself up, she walked over to the side of the bed where she leaned over to place a soft kiss to his lips. Then she climbed in beside him, suit pants and shirt and all, to snuggle up against his side as he settled back down. They looked at each other for a moment in silence. She wasn’t sure if her expression was soft and besotted as she felt for him or if it was hard and focused like she felt about the rest of it.

   “I can’t leave, Nick,” she murmured, her eyes locked on his as his ears perked towards her and his attention became as focused as hers was. She wasn’t even entirely sure if she would have stayed just for him, or if she would have stayed just to try to find what justice remained in this city. But she knew that she would stay for both, and that was enough for now.

   “We’re not finished yet.”