Zootopia: Where The Wild Things Are

Chapter 7 - There's A Hole in the Earth

Two Years Later

Nick Wilde stared out from the balcony of his new, shared, quiet forest home, out at the endless wilderness that surrounded him. A large lake was nestled behind some huckleberry bushes down a couple hundred feet away, and the sky above was a dark, but docile, melodic grey. The air smelled of rain, and the fox took in the scent gratefully, pressing his forearms deeper against the natural grain of the guardrail.

It was everything he had ever wanted. Sometimes, he had wondered if it was still a dream. All he would have to do to make sure it wasn't, was rub his throat. The anxiety of it all being a dream would subside... when all his fingers could grab at was fur. No collar. Just fur. In fact, sometimes he'd do it just to remind himself of how lucky he was. Of how fast the whole thing went. Of how the whole country was rid of it so quickly.

He sighed sentimentally, and looked below to the muddy, mossy, grassy forest floor. He could almost picture his old family van parking, and an excited, undeniable little Nick Wilde bursting out with excitement to prance around. The memory faded as soon as it came, and all Nick was left to look at was the same forest floor, with a small sedan and a ZPD cruiser pulling in to park next to it. Those things were a sight for sore eyes, and Nick hated looking at them, no matter how much he had grown familiar with them.

A single drop of water fell from the sky to kiss his shoulder, and it had the fox gradually looking up, no words, no real emotion, just peace. Similar drops of rain slowly began to paint the wooden balcony a seemingly darker color in little splotches here and there. Nick opened his maw slightly, and let a single drop of the rain drip onto his tongue. It tasted sweet, like mints and honey.

It was lonely at this time of day, the birds were quiet and the lizards in the brush wouldn't cross any unsheltered paths, because night would be on its way soon and the owls would be out to eat soon.

The sunsets on the tree covered hill the house was on allowed for the spectacular sunsets to be seen, but the overcast today instead painted the sky that strange harmonic grey the forest seemed to have on rainy seasons. Nick was okay with that.

When he got sentimental like this...

...he'd think back to that stuffed courtroom, where Patrick presented his closing argument to the case. The bear himself knew what would happen once he were to exit the supreme court. Nick and Judy could feel the tension with all the jurors that stared tentatively at the bear and his last words. The evidence of red tape, mismanagement, and cruelty had been painted so perfectly by Patrick, yet the prejudice of the whole situation and possibly the jurors made the outcome so stupendously unpredictable. Diego and Jimena sat beside them, and Nick had never seen Jimena exhibit any form of fear, but there she was, gripping Diego's paw, eyes watering with worry.

Nick held Judy's paw and held his breath once Patrick sat down.

The jurors were dismissed for a brief moment.

Nick had some time to whisper quietly to his lover next to him.

"It's been going on for thirty days Judy... do you still think we'll win?"

She didn't hesitate. "I think so. I'm only worried about Patrick's wellbeing once he steps out of here. Prejudice doesn't stop with the passing of a law, and these mammals we're fighting against hate to be told no."

Nick was about to say something quiet when the jurors came back in and took their seats. They all looked drained.

In that moment, Nick memorized the courtroom's atmosphere. It stunk of rain from outside, the tension felt worse than any anxiety attack, and he was gripping Judy's paw as if it were his mother's.

"...Nick? It's pouring out here."

The fox snapped out of his memories and turned to see his lover, and roommate dressed in her ZPD uniform. He still couldn't believe she'd make the one hour commute from here to Zootopia just so he could be happy.

"I know," Nick admitted, only seeing now it was pouring and he was like a drowned rat. "But it's ok. I'm here. This is the real thing."

She laughed softly, and stepped out the doorway of the sliding glass doors, to be outside, willing to be overcome by the rain. It was ok now.

"Sometimes I have no idea what you're talking about." She crossed her arms and looked up at his eyes humorously, but tenderly.

Nick looked at his own arms, the signs of any past scarring fading, and crossed them. "But that's why you love me."

The rabbit giggled and pulled him into a hug, nuzzling her head, which was soaked too, into his chest. "It is, Nick. That's why I love you."

Sometimes Nick wished Patrick hadn't taken the case, it could've been anyone else. Someone more mean, even. Someone easier to forget. Someone who didn't leave behind a wife who was pregnant with his child. He was gunned down as soon as he stepped foot out of that courthouse, by a prey supremacy group. Nick nor the entire ZPD was surprised, even with the massive amounts of security that surrounded the area. All it took was one good pull of the trigger and the bear fell dead.

Nick lay sleeping beside Judy, and held her into his side. Soon, they would have a baby of their own, Nick wrapped his paw around the bump forming on the rabbit's belly.

The fox was grateful he'd never have to deal with the real world again. He would stay here and take care of the house and raise their baby. They would get married and Nick would be happy. Judy would be happy. They were happy.

Nick Wilde was happy.

The End.