paws on the quilt, adding her warmth to the covers. Bonnie whipped up a delicious pumpkin soup, which Judy spoon-fed to Nick slowly and enjoyed every minute of it. Later, the young Hoppses came in and showed their Uncle Nick the get-well cards they had drawn for him with the help of Auntie Amber and Uncle Garth. Nick looked at each card delightedly, praising their work and thanking them, happy to have such a loving family who cared for him. In the past two weeks, he felt that he had become closer than ever to the Hoppses, and he had learned that family was the most important and wonderful thing in the world, and that he would do anything to protect them. Anything.

After the children had gone to bed, Amber and Garth walked into the room. Stu and Bonnie were sitting in chairs beside Nick. Judy was sitting on his bed, holding his paw and giggling at something funny he had just said.

"You are a rascal, Mr Wilde," said Judy fondly.

"Guilty as charged," said Nick with his trademark smirk.

They all turned to Garth and Amber.

"Nick," said Amber. "I think there's someone we all need to talk to."

"Yes?" asked Nick. "I'm all ears."

The Hoppses all looked at him and grinned.

"Um…yeah, phrasing," said Nick.

They chuckled and Amber walked into the corridor, beckoning for someone to come in. Sheriff Shepard walked in and tipped his hat, saying good evening to everyone. And in front of him, cuffed but smiling, was George Jenkins.

"Good evening," said Jenkins.

"Well, hello there," said Nick. "Visiting the convalescing is definitely going to earn you some brownie points. And let me tell you, Mrs Hopps's brownies are deee-lectable!"

Everyone chuckled. Judy admired Nick's ability to joke in the face of someone who had almost caused his death that morning.

"I wish to apologise deeply for the damage I have caused, Officer Wilde," said Jenkins. "I take full responsibility for my actions and wish to make amends by helping you and your fellow officers and friends to put an end to the criminal activity taking place within Terra Firma Incorporated."

"Well, that will do the trick just nicely," said Nick. "Tell us, then. How do we proceed next?"

"Officer Hopps has promised to help rescue my family from Preston Keyes," said Jenkins. "For this purpose, Mr O' Possum has devised a plan. I am to return to Terra Firma and tell the President that I have accomplished my mission and managed to give the authorities the slip. I am to tell him that I must go underground for a while…"

He stopped as everyone looked at him funny.

"Nice choice of words there," said Nick with a sideways grin. "That'll be the joke of the week over at the DMV."

"…um…heh heh…sorry," said Jenkins. "Erm…to go into hiding for a while, until things cool off. He promised me he'd let me see my family after this mission. So when the boys take me over to see my family, you will track me down and pinpoint where he's holding them. Although, that last bit I didn't quite get."

"It's simple," said Garth. "We'll slip a GPS dot into your pocket and I can track you wherever you are in the world. We'll find out where he's taken you and then the ZPD will do the rest."

"Right," said Jenkins.

"We have to do that after you find out where your family is being held, though," said Amber. "Just to be safe. In case he suspects anything and he searches you for bugs."

"Yes, although that is not yet clear to me either," said Jenkins.

"Oh, that'll be a cinch," said Nick. "We'll be there at Terra Firma in disguise and we'll secretly bug you as soon as you learn where your family is being held. Won't we, Susan Eleanor Cottonbottom?"

He turned to Judy, winking slyly.

"That we will, Clyde," answered Judy with a wide grin.

Jenkins took a few seconds to realise. But when he did, his eyes went wide…for a mole, at any rate.

"Wait a minute! Those two…the other…day….THOSE WERE YOU TWO?"

There was a stunned silence, and suddenly Jenkins burst into mirthful, hearty laughter! He had not laughed in months, and it sure felt good to laugh again!

"Oh, my sainted aunt! I cannot believe it!"

After he had calmed down, everyone worked out the details.

"Well, let's get our plan in action," said Sheriff Shepard from the doorway. "Are you well enough to travel, Officer Wilde?"

"If I'm well enough to wisecrack, I'm well enough to travel," said Nick with a grin.

"Nana Bernardine has kindly lent me her station wagon," said Shepard. "She said she'd be delighted to help us in any way she could. She has prepared it for you to travel comfortable, so we can all embark for Zootopia as soon as you're ready."

"We?" asked Judy. "You mean…"

"Yes," said Shepard with a smile. "I think I should come along. I've heard much about your famous Chief Bogo and only spoke to him on the phone. I would like to meet this gent in person and thank him on behalf of the entire town for helping us close this cankered carrot caper."

And from that day on, folks in Bunny Burrow and beyond came to know this debacle by the name Sheriff Shepard had just coined for it.

Nick slept comfortably between warm quilts in the back of Nana Bernardine's station wagon, with Judy beside him, sitting close and rubbing his cheeks lovingly with her paws.

Garth and Amber slept together with their heads resting on each other in the backseat, snuggled warmly like two doves. George Jenkins was wide awake, sitting in the front with Shepard, who was driving. The night was dark and outside was a curtain of blackness as they drove between the woods and hills. Judy looked out the window and felt a comfortable sensation of security, being inside the car close to Nick while they drove from Bunny Burrow to Zootopia.

It was very early morning when the wooded hills gave way to a large expanse of land, and they saw the shining skyscrapers of Zootopia in the distance. Judy knew the stage was set for the final leg of their mission. As Shepard drove into the city and made his way to Savanna Central, with the help of Jenkins's directions, everyone woke up and prepared themselves for what was coming next.

Shepard parked the car outside of Precinct 1 and everyone got out.

"Okay," said Amber. "Judy, the shawl and the outfit."

They quickly draped Jenkins with a shawl and a frilly nightgown they had borrowed from one of Judy's sisters, disguising him in case Keyes had eyes around the city looking for him.

Judy helped Nick get out of the car and she walked with him, her arm around his waist and his on her shoulder, following Amber, who led the way for everyone. They walked into the entrance hall and found everything as it should be. Clawhauser was munching on a large spoonful of Lucky Chomps while he read the morning gossip on his phone.

"Morning, Clawhauser," said Judy as they all approached.

Clawhauser looked up in surprise.

"Hopps! Wilde! Latrans! Mr O' Possum…and…"

"Shepard," said Sheriff Shepard, introducing himself. "Sheriff Donovan Shepard, from Bunny Burrow. And this is George…er, Georgina."

"Hi," said Jenkins, pretending to be shy.

"We have important business to discuss with the Chief," said Judy. "All of us."

"Sure. Um...okay…I'll buzz him and let him know," said Clawhauser, picking up his intercom mike. "Er…what happened to you, Wilde? Why the bandage?"

"It's a long story," said Nick. "But don't worry, we expect it to make headline news soon."

Clawhauser looked curiously at the group as they walked up the stairs to Bogo's office. But then his phone beeped with a notification, and he continued reading the celebrity gossip.

A large group of people walked into Chief Bogo's office. He looked up from the papers on his desk and saw Judy and Nick, in street clothes, Amber and the opossum chap that had helped with the crooked carnival caper two months before, and a sheriff walking with a little mole girl. It was difficult to think of a more mismatched group.

"Well…" said Chief Bogo. "I wonder when my office suddenly became a convention centre. And why aren't you two in uniform?" he added, looking at Judy and Nick.

Then he noticed the bandage on Nick's arm and paw.

"What is going on here?"

"Chief Bogo," said Sheriff Shepard. "So pleased to meet you face-to-face at long last. We spoke on the phone two months ago. Sheriff Donovan Shepard of Bunny Burrow, at your service."

Shepard lifted his paw and looked up at Bogo, straight to the eyes. Bogo managed to smile, a sight about as rare as meteor storm, and shook the Border collie's paw.

"Likewise," said Bogo.

"I can explain everything, but I think it would be best if we allow Mr Jenkins to do so," said Shepard.

"Of course…er, I'll let him in," said Bogo.

"I'm right here, Chief," said Jenkins.

Judy wished she could have filmed Bogo's face as he almost jumped in surprise hearing a distinctively masculine voice coming from what he could have sworn was a little girl.

"Oh, um…." Jenkins said. "I forgot."

Bogo almost jumped again when he saw Jenkins taking his clothes off,

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