hardship, he had managed to put a smile on the faces of her dear family once again. He had given them hope when all seemed lost.

Judy's face moved on its own, from sheer emotion. She kissed his cheek sweetly, wishing she could express with her kiss everything she had in her heart. All her gratitude, all her affection…all her love.

Nick inclined his head and nuzzled her cheek with his. They didn't need to speak. Why use words, when what you want to say is so clear?

Suddenly, they heard the doorbell ring.

"I'll get it," said Penny and she crossed the living room and went to the entrance hall.

Soon, they heard the voice of Uncle Terry walking into the house.

"Hi, Uncle Terry!" said everyone.

"Evenin', y'all," said Uncle Terry. "Um…is Stu in?"

"Yep, he's in," said Stu, walking into the room.

"Well, golly gee, I'm glad to see you're feelin' better," said Uncle Terry.

Then, an awkward pause. Judy noticed her uncle was holding something. An envelope. And it looked official, sealed with wax and all.

Stu noticed too.

"Well, whatcha got there, Terry?"

"Um…well, if you don't mind, Stu, I'd like to talk to you and Bonnie…just a minute, I promise," said Uncle Terry.

"Sure, come on into the kitchen, I'll get you something warm to drink," said Stu as he lead Uncle Terry into the kitchen.

Nick kept on looking at the drawings that the young Hoppses showed him. Judy rested her chin on his shoulder once again and, feeling a warm drowsiness, closed her eyes and dozed comfortably close to her beloved fox.

Then, in one of those strange silences that suddenly happen in every home from time to time, Uncle Terry's voice could be heard.

"I've never been offered this much," said Uncle Terry. "It's more money than we've ever earned in our lives. If I sign, they buy the entire farm. In one go. Cash in the bank."

Nick's ears perked up. Suddenly, like a distant memory, he heard voices in his head.

"There's been a carrot shortage for almost a week now, Officer."

"Old Hearn's Farm Fresh Produce."

"Business is a dog-eat-dog affair."

"We've been fresh out for a week."

Like a carpet of fire in his mind, it suddenly came to him.

"Maggie!" said Nick, blurting the first name that came to his mind.

"Yes, Uncle Nick?" said Maggie.

"Do you know where the McCotton farm is?"

"Sure do."

"Um…could you show me?"

Nick fished in his pocket and took out his phone. Judy opened her eyes and suddenly perceived a change in her dear fox's demeanour.

"Are you okay, honey bun?" she asked.

"I am," said Nick distractedly as he searched on Zoogle Maps for a map of Bunny Burrow. "Um…where is the McCotton's farm?"

"Right here, Uncle Nick," said Maggie, pointing at a farm some miles down the road from them. "I know a secret," she said, leaning closer and whispering into Nick's ear. "Charlie McCotton is Penny's boyfriend."

"Maggie," said Penny from across the room, blushing like mad. "He's just my friend."

"He's a boy, and he's your friend, so he's your boyfriend," said Maggie.

The little sisters giggled.

"Sissy stuff," said Kevin, making a face.

"Heh heh," Nick chuckled, but his mind was a whirlwind. "And can you show me the Jones farm?"

"Right here, Uncle Nick," said Maggie, pointing at the farm right beside.

"I see…how about the Mirthworth and Hareington farms?"

Maggie pointed at the two farms right beside, moving up the road towards…

"And this is us!" said Maggie, pointing at the Hopps farm.

"So it is," said Nick.

Just then, Bonnie came into the room to announce bedtime.

"Off to bed now, children," she said with a maternal smile.

"Good night, Uncle Nick!" said all the kids and kissed their uncle (except Kevin, who was content with being patted on his head) before going to bed.

Nick and Judy were left alone in the living room now. Nick was searching something on Zoogle like mad on his phone.

"Old Hearn's…Old Hearn's…"

"Penny for your thoughts, Mr Mysterious?" asked Judy.

"The farms that were bought out…" said Nick. "There's more than one…yes! See?"

He searched on Zoogle for farms that were bought by anyone in the past week. The list was substantial.

"Now…"

He opened Zoogle Maps again and pinpointed the locations of the farms. Then he zoomed out, and…

"Well, I'll be a hippo's leotard," said Nick.

The map showed the locations of the farms that had been bought out. They all formed a line. A line that formed three sides of a square, at the centre of which was Zootopia.

"Bingo!" said Nick.

"What is it?" asked Judy.

"Carrots…come with me."

He stood up, holding Judy's paw in his, and marched towards the kitchen. Stu and Uncle Terry were talking. Bonnie was serving them coffee. There was a paper on the table. An official-looking paper with a signature line at the bottom. It was blank.

"Uncle Terry!" said Nick, walking into the kitchen. "Don't sign anything."

Everyone stopped and looked at Nick. They didn't know what to say. The sudden outburst was totally unexpected.

"They're trying to swindle you," said Nick. "Your farm is worth ten times what they're offering. Someone is cheating people out of their land and forcing them out."

"But Nick…" said Stu. "Um…er…"

"I may not know much about agriculture, but I certainly recognise foul play when I see it," said Nick, grabbing the paper off the table unceremoniously. "And this...Terra Firma Incorporated," said Nick, reading the name off the paper, "is as crooked as they come!"

Judy watched as Nick crumpled the paper in front of everyone and launched it into the wastebasket from across the room, all while still holding her paw. It was pretty impressive, and a little intimidating. Everyone was dead silent.

"Uncle Terry, Mr Hopps, there is no black rot," said Nick. And his next words weighed upon everyone like a bag of lead. "Somebody killed your crops on purpose."

Wednesday morning was a whirlwind. Nick packed his things neatly in his suitcase. His face was determined. The conversation he had had the night before with Judy and her family lingered in the air.

"But how can someone kill crops without sprinkling any poison or something on them?" Uncle Terry had asked.

"I don't know, but I intend to find out," Nick had responded. "Until then, nobody sell as much as a pawful of dirt to any company, no matter how much they're offering. Someone is trying to take over the farming land all around Zootopia in a three hundred mile radius, and I'm going to find out whom and shut them down if it's the last thing I do."

Judy walked into the guest room just as Nick had finished packing. She said nothing. All she did was walk up to him and hug him tight. Nick hugged her back.

That morning had been a swirl of events.

"Mrs Hopps, do you happen to have any re-sealable bags, like sandwich bags?" Nick had asked Bonnie.

"Why, yes," had been the answer.

Nick had gone outside and picked one of the sickly carrots carefully with the bag and sealed it, pushing out all the air he could. Now the carrot was sitting safely in his suitcase, between his cotton briefs and his blue joggers.

"Nick…I can't even begin to tell you…" Judy started, but Nick put a finger to her lips and silenced her.

"Shh…" he said, bent down closer to her and kissed her.

They kissed for three full minutes before Nick backed away, grabbed his suitcase and took her paw.

"C'mon, Carrots," he said kindly. "Your dad is waiting to drive me to the train station."

The whole family said goodbye to Nick in front of the house.

"We'll miss you, Uncle Nick!"

"Have a safe trip!"

"I'll be back as soon as possible!" said Nick, waving to everyone. "I'll fly back!"

All the little bunnies cheered for him.

"Thank you for everything, Mrs Hopps," said Nick.

"Oh, Nick, I'm the one who should be thanking you," said Bonnie.

"You can thank me when I've sorted this out, dear lady," said Nick. "I'm going to find out what's going on and put a stop to it, or my name isn't Nicholas P. Wilde."

He waved goodbye as he and Judy got into the truck and Stu drove them to the station.

The train was on time. Stu hugged Nick and wished him good trip. Judy kissed him and wished him good luck.

"I'll call you as soon as I arrive, Carrots," said Nick as he said goodbye to Judy.

"I'll be counting the hours," said Judy.

Just as Nick got onto the train and found his seat, Judy noticed someone she had never seen before. A small someone with thick spectacles. A mole, in impeccable business suit.

"Hey pops," whispered Judy to her father. "Do you know him?"

"No," said Stu. "Never seen him in my life."

The mole boarded the train just as it was closing its doors and ready to depart for Zootopia. Judy and Stu waved goodbye to Nick until

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