Hello everyone!

Welcome in the new year that is full of opportunity ;D

I wanted to share some numbers to summarize the 2016 regarding this story:

Over 440 reviews

Over 350 favorites

Over 500 followers

And over 115K views!

4 - It's the number of devices I've been using to write this story.

0 – Number of times my dog ate my notes.

Plus, countless hours spent on thinking about the plot, the characters and rereading the reviews time and time again to not miss any problems or issues that you've pointed out.

Several writer blocks that I had to treat with writing something totally different. Hence all the other stories.

Allow me to comment on this in a proper manner:

O_O Sweet cheese and crackers! How did we get here?!

Really it was an amazing journey so far and we're slowly heading towards the ending.

All I can say for now is that the "big reveal" is only few chapters away, so stay tuned for a scene that I hope will turn out properly epic for this story. :)

As always, thank you all so much for your interest in this story, your support and your criticism.

I say this with all sincerity, that critics have a special place in my writer's heart. Honestly, when I see a page long review that is focused on pointing out weak points of my story it really is heartwarming. This simply means that you've cared enough to use your precious time do sit down and write it. The story didn't leave you indifferent. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. (well, but please write some praise from time to time, it's not too healthy to be criticized all the time xD)

Okay, to finish my rant, I'll reply to the issues pointed out in the recent reviews:

Judy's fighting skills – Is she too strong? Yes and no. Remember, it was shown in the movie that she's very skilled in close combat and packs a kick that can knock out a rhino. My understanding of her style of fighting is that she focuses on using her leg power and throws to use the opponent's strength against them. It's easy to imagine that a spinning kick has more power than just a regular one. Also, remember that power equals mass times acceleration. And while a Judy is very light, she has one hell of acceleration. :)

Nick's behavior – is our favorite fox acting out of character from time to time? OF COURSE HE IS :D He was shot by a mind altering serum and it's a miracle that he is sane at all.

Nick's emotions – just to clarify, as maybe I didn't exactly express it in the right words in the text, sorry, Nick lost his emotions due to a physical trauma (which is perfectly possible, I've checked it), but he regained them with Irene's help. However, whatever happened between them made him CHOOSE to lock away his heart again. And who said that he was emotionless during the movie plot? ;) (read the next chapter)

Okay, so that's it for now, here's the story.

Chapter 30

Rose sat in the ER unit, her paws folded on her knees.

The young vixen barely managed to convince Silver to come to the hospital and get a check-up, as well as getting treatment for her wounds. Some of the defensive scratches she got from the thugs were pretty deep. It took almost an hour to bring her to the ER with the help of Mr Bites.

But when they arrived things didn't go any better. First, they were looked down on by the goat nurse on duty, just because they were foxes. Then, they were told to wait for a doctor – that was an hour ago, and nobody showed up since then.

Silver had enough and she stood up from her seat. Rose quickly grabbed her arm.

"Wait! I'm sure that someone will come soon!"

The girl shook off her friend's paw. "I told you, it's a waste of time! What doctor would treat me? Nobody cares about foxes!" Sliver exclaimed, wrapping herself tighter with the jacket she borrowed from Mr Bites.

"I do." Said a calm voice behind them.

Both girls turned their heads to see a red furred vixen in a doctor's coat. She held out a paw to the arctic vixen with a broad smile. "Hi, I'm Vivian. How can I help you?" At that point she noticed the scratches on the girl's wrists. "Ah, I already know how. Please, follow me."

She led them from the waiting area towards the hall filled with beds of all sizes, divided with blue curtains for some small privacy. Rose and Silver caught the sight of several unfriendly glances, both from patients and the staff. The girls knew that it was directed at the fact that they were vixens, but also at their clothing, which left no doubt about their profession.

The doctor leading them didn't react to those looks in any way and Rose wasn't sure if she even noticed them. But then she surprised them, by showing them into a separate room. When all three vixens went inside, Vivian closed the door behind them.

"I imagine that you'd be more comfortable with some privacy, hm?" She said with a caring smile, while putting on medical gloves. "Now, please undress and let me see what I'm dealing with."

Silver cast a nervous glance at her friend and, after receiving a nod, removed the jacket, revealing the cuts and scratches she got from the thugs. Vivian surveyed the wounds with a professional eye.

"Mind telling me how you got these?"

The girl fidgeted nervously, clearly not keen on speaking.

Vivian put a paw on the arctic vixen's shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm not asking to criticize you, report you to ZPD or belittle you. I simply wish to know the nature of these cuts so I can treat you better. I can already tell that you've been assaulted, as these are defensive wounds, but being honest would be a great help."

Silver stared at the floor. "Uh… I…"

Seeing the girl's struggle, Vivian gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Hey, anything you say here will never leave this room. I will not share this with anyone and I will not put this in any medical report, you have my word on that."

Rose approached her friend and squeezed her paw. "It's alright…"

Silver swallowed and started talking. She described how she got caught by the three thugs and what they tried to do with her. At the end of her speech, she was trembling slightly.

"…and… and if not for the help of Rose's friend, they'd…" Her voice faltered.

And then her eyes widened when she felt a pair of arms wrapping around her frame and pulling her into a warm, motherly hug. Vivian held the girl's head to her chest and petted her gently.

"It's okay sweetie, it's okay." She whispered into her ear.

This was Silver's breaking point, at which she burst into tears and wept into Vivian's coat. The red vixen kept brushing the girl's fur in a comforting manner. She didn't say anything more, she knew that words weren't necessary.

Sometime later, when Silver finally calmed down after crying out all the tension and stress that built up in her, Vivian treated all her wounds.

"That would be all for now." She pulled off the gloves. "But I strongly recommend you to rest till the end of the week. Plus, I can't promise that there won't be any scars. Some of those scratches were rather deep. You have made a good decision by coming to the hospital." Once more the vixen pet the girl with a smile, sending a knowing look at arctic vixen's friend with a corner of her eye. Rose nodded and mouthed a silent 'thank you'.

But Silver didn't look very happy.

"I… I can't rest that long…" She mumbled with her gaze pinned to the floor. Vivian's ears perked up when she understood the meaning behind the girl's words. 'Working girls' did not have vacation, medical leaves or anything of that sort. She bit her lip, thinking of a solution for this problem. Meanwhile, Rose approached her friend and put an arm around her.

"Um, thank you for your kindness doctor, but we should be on our way. We've already received help from Mr Wilde and wouldn't be here if not for him. So we shou-"

"Mr Wilde?" Vivian cut in, a sudden change in her voice.

"Well, yes. He's the mammal that freed Silver from those thugs. He saved her."

"Describe him, please." The female doctor asked politely, but there was demand subtly sewed in it.

"He's a red fox, green eyes… Um, is something wrong?" She inquired at the end, as Vivian ran a paw down her face.

"Nothing! All's fine! Just the part that some mammals never grow up from worrying their mothers."

Rose raised her brows, not understanding the context of what the female doctor said. "Uh, sorry?"

"That Mr Wilde you described…" Vivian let out a sigh. "My name is Vivian Wilde and he's my son."

Both girls stared at her wide-eyed. "Really?" They said in unison.

The red furred vixen rubbed her chin and came to a decision. She clapped her paws together. "Alright! You two, I have only one question for you and I want to hear absolute truth, got it?" Vivian eyed them with a warning glare. "Now, do you like your job?"

Both girls eyes once again shot wide open and they exchanged dumbfounded glances before turning their gazes to the doctor.

"W-well…" Rose began nervously. "Ye-"

"Liar." Vivian cut in, her arms folded and a stare of half-lidded eyes fixed on the vixen. The surprised girl met her gaze and found no judgment or resentment in it. The female doctor sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Look, here's what I can offer you, no strings attached," She took a deep breath. "One, you stop that line of work this instant. Two, I will help you find some honest jobs. Three, if you don't have a place to stay, I can accommodate you for as long as it's necessary. Four, for the time needed to start new work I will provide for your well-being."

"B-but our-" Silver managed to cut in, but was almost instantly silenced by her friend, as Rose placed a paw on her mouth.

"I'm sorry. It's very generous of you, however-"

"Five," Vivian continued speaking, accenting the first word to take over the conversation. "I will get in touch with proper mammals and they will deal with your handler, no need to worry about that." She showed them a smug grin. "So, how about it?"

The vixens exchanged glances again. "But… but why would you do this for us? We're complete strangers! We can't even… there is no way we could repay you!"

"Listen here, ladies. Any girl that Nick goes out of his way to help is fine in my book. So…" She folded her arms again. "I'd like an answer: yes or no?"

Rose and Silver stared at each other, none of them exactly believing what they just heard. Them, two outcasts of society, deemed untrustworthy and treated only as objects of entertainment, were now offered a ray of hope. A home and a better perspective for life. It seemed too good to be real. Still, who didn't dream, from time to time, about something they could do with their fate.

With barely withheld tears, the two young girls nodded.

Seeing this, Vivian showed them a brilliant smile and opened her arms in a welcoming gesture. "Good choice, now come here you two." It was all the invitation they needed and both females fell into Vivian's arms, crying tears of relief and joy, like two little kids seeking comfort from their mother.

.

.

Judy screened the contents of the file, paying attention to every detail. Then she took another one and another. The bunny has already gone through dozens of case files that could be linked with the organization and the mysterious one-eyed wolf. She chose those cases, where the victim was murdered and no perpetrator was ever caught.

The archivist otter that handed her the files called them 'unsolvable'.

Some were fresh, some were from years back. From the pile of cases Judy chose a few that had two things in common: unknown perpetrator and the fact that the victim angered someone influential or rich enough to hire an assassin. The doe didn't fool herself with an idea of getting to the bottom of every single one of these murders, but she still got a gut twisting feeling with the description of every death. Poisoned, thrown out of a window, victim of a car crash, head cut off… If she was correct and these were committed by the same group, then they had quite a variety of methods at their disposal.

This made her remember Nick's warning about not dwelling deeper into this, but she couldn't just leave it alone. The bunny once heard two sentences spoken by the late Martin Woolther King, a black ram minister: Justice in indivisible. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. And she couldn't agree more.

Judy took a sip of her coffee and continued reading the files.

.

.

So it happened that the girls met the red furred vixen at the hospital right when Vivian's shift was about to end. Therefore, she clocked out and headed towards the parking lot for employees, the two young vixens trailing after her. They kept their respectful distance, walking several steps behind her.

Vivian quickly noticed this and furrowed her brows. "What's wrong?" She asked openly.

Rose fidgeted with her paws. "Um, sorry, Mrs. Wilde. It's just…" The girl exchanged glances with her friend. "We wouldn't want to cause you trouble by… well… You being a doctor and us…" She gestured at them. "Not the best mammals to be seen with. We don't want to ruin your reputatioOW!" She yelped when the red furred vixen flicked her on the nose.

"Lesson number one: it's VIVIAN. Don't make me sound like some old lady with all that 'mrs' stuff. Got it? And I don't want to see you two distancing yourselves from me like that."

Silver cast her a surprised look. "But… but, you're a doctor. And we're-" She was cut off when Vivian grabbed them both and, arm in arm, lead them through the hospital corridor. "Rubbish! I will have none of that!"

Again, the girls were stupefied by the straightforwardness of their benefactress. And they instantly noticed the stares they were attracting. Most mammals were looking at the trio with more or less obvious distaste on their faces. But to the girls' amazement, the more stares they got the wider grew the smile on Vivian's face. And just like that they got to their destination – a silver sedan. Nick's mother gestured them to get in and she sat in the driver's seat.

"First we'll go to grab you some clothes. I'd share some of mine, but I'd say you are far too young for that type of clothing." She quipped with the characteristic Wilde-style smirk. "And speaking of that…" She turned to them. "How old are you? Come on, don't be shy."

Rose scratched the side of her neck. "Nineteen…" She muttered.

Silver, sitting on the back seat, was a bit reluctant at first, but eventually gave in. "Se-seventeen…" She cast a cautious look at Vivian, only to see an understanding gaze and a nod.

"What about your names? The real ones." The vixen asked softly.

This seemed to be far more difficult to answer. The girls appeared ashamed and didn't look Vivian in the eye. The female doctor reached out and grabbed each one's paw. "You don't remember…" It wasn't even a question or a guess, more of a statement. She got two silent nods as a reply.

"Hey, it's all right…" The vixen squeezed gently. "I promise you that it's all over now, okay? No matter what happens, I will not let go of you."

They stayed like that in silence for a while, before Vivian started the engine.

"Let us get you those clothes."

.

.

Jackie Spotters finished her shift and just changed into her 'civilian' clothes and shut the door of her locker. The feline sighed heavily and pressed her forehead at the cold metal.

Then she heard pawsteps and someone entered the locker room. Marcus also finished his shift and was now staring at the spotted predator. He approached the cheetah and simply stood there, not saying anything. But when the other two officers, that were changing from their uniforms, exited the room he leaned to Jackie and spoke with great irritation in his voice.

"What the hell did you do?"

Jackie averted her eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about." She muttered.

"Don't screw with me." He growled, making the feline flinch. "I didn't teach you that fighting style to use it against other officers!"

"I… I…" The female stuttered.

The tiger slammed his paw on the lockers. "You what?!" He bared his teeth. "Wanted to win? You gave me your word that you will never use it, unless your or someone else's life was in danger. That was my condition for teaching you!"

Jackie swallowed and still didn't look Marcus in the eye. The tiger stared at her for a long moment before turning away and going through the fur on his head with both paws. "For Nature's sake, what is wrong with you, Spotters?"

The female dropped on a bench and stared at the floor. "I just… I just didn't want to be worse…" She tried to find the proper words for her thoughts.

Marcus ran his big paw down his face. "Don't tell me… is this about Nick?" He glanced at her. "Okay, you don't need to answer that, your ears gave you away. So what was that in the ring? You wanted to claim your rights to him? Defending your territory or something?"

Red as a beetroot, the cheetah rubbed the back of her neck. "Um… m-maybe?"

The tiger folded his arms and gave her a scolding stare. "You do realize that you've acted like your own father?"

Hearing this, Jackie froze.

He sighed and shook his head. "Tell me something… Is this attitude: It's mine and I'll do anything to keep it that way, some kind of hereditary mental condition? Since when do you treat him as your property?"

The cheetah hunched her shoulders. It was the truth, she couldn't escape from it. The realization fell on her like a massive boulder. Was she that blind? How could she stoop so low as to imitate the behavior she loathed so much that she wanted to run away from it. Jackie hid her face in paws. She realized that within few short days she lost two friends due to her own stupidity.

She giggled hysterically, surprising the tiger.

"You know… I wanted to prove myself so much to Nick, that I thought that it's okay to do this with all possible means… Ironic, isn't it? I escaped my father only to become someone like him…" Jackie raised her head and for the first time looked directly at Marcus, with teared up expression. "I'm sorry, Stripes… I'm so sorry."

The massive feline sighed and placed his paws on his hips. "Okay… I know you are, I get it. But it's not me you should be apologizing to."

Jackie wiped her eyes and nodded.

.

.

Nick's mind hovered in an abyss.

In the dark room of his cellar he lost any sense of time and didn't pay any attention to his surroundings. The blood on his fur and clothes started drying, covering him with a crusty, brownish layer. The images of recent events kept replaying in his head, along with all the screams and pleads for mercy. Bones were braking under his paws and blood was gushing out from the cuts made by his claws. Three lifeless mammals left bleeding in the alley when the exhausted fox retreated to his home. The scarce remains of sanity made him call the emergency number and request ambulances for the beaten thugs.

And now he didn't even know if they were alive.

But before any other thought made its way to his mind, his senses picked up movement and someone's presence.

Nick sprung up with a growl and his savage instincts launched his body at the mammal. His paw shot forward and snatched the intruder by the throat. He spun around and slammed his captive to the floor, eliciting a cry of pain. A female sounding one.

"Nicky!" Screamed the person in his grip. The fox froze, crouching on the chest of the intruder, his other paw raised with claws ready to rip open the throat in his grasp. His sane side finally kicked in and replaced the survival instincts. Nick focused his vision and noticed that the mammal under him had terrifyingly familiar features.

"Nicky, please! It's me!" Vivian cried in desperation, her voice muffled by the iron grip.

The fox's paw released her like it suddenly got burned. The vixen coughed hoarsely.

"No…" Nick whispered in a faltering voice and backed away, tripping in the process and falling on his back. He immediately raised himself on elbows and started crawling backwards, his face a mask of terror. "No, nonono…" During this retreat his voice turned into a whine.

Vivian steadied her breathing and looked at Nick with a mixture of shock and horror. But then she noticed her son's reaction and even with the feeling of the chill running down her spine, the vixen's strong maternal instinct conquered the fear and took over.

She carefully got to all fours and started slowly approaching the fox. "Nicholas, Nick…" Vivian whispered in a gentle manner, hoping to soothe the panicked mammal.

And Nick's back already hit the wall and he grasped his head with both paws. *No, it's just a dream, a nightmare!* He noticed her approach. "Stay back! You're not real! It's not you, you can't be here!" The fox yelled and tried to dig himself further into the wall with his shoulder blades.

But Vivian hesitated only a moment, pained to see her son in this state, before getting closer and reaching out to him and placing a paw on his leg. "It's okay, it's really me." She placed the other paw on her chest. "It's Vivian, your mother." The vixen used a low and monotone voice to not set off any unwanted reaction in Nick.

This seemed to work, as the fox relaxed a bit and stopped trying to move away from her.

"Nick…" Her voice has drawn his attention. "I'm going to stand up and turn on the light, okay? I just would like to see you better, alright?" There was no answer, so she took that he had nothing against it. She got to her hindpaws and reached out to the switch. The lightbulb came to life, revealing the sorry state Nick was in.

Vivian let out a gasp at this sight and put both paws to her mouth. "Oh God…"

And he was a mess. The fox had cuts and bruises all over, not to mention the hole in his paw. His fur and clothes were covered with dried blood. But what shocked the vixen the most was something else.

"Nicholas… your eyes…" She crouched in front of him and her gaze was pinned to the vertical slits of a savage mammal.

He flinched and quickly covered his face with an arm. "Go away! Why are you even here?!" He groaned and started getting up, but his mother threw her arms around the fox in a desperate attempt to stop him and pressed her cheek to his stomach.

"No! Please Nicky, don't do this! Don't run away from me!" She pleaded while tears formed in her eyes and began their way down through her facial fur. "I beg of you!"

Nick struggled a bit to shake her off, but she clung to him like her life depended on it. "Leave! It's not safe for you!" He argued but it Vivian only shook her head.

*Why? Why won't you listen?!* He clenched his teeth. "Damn it, mother! I could have killed you!" It was harsh, but he hoped that it would make her keep her distance. He was wrong – she squeezed even tighter.

"I'm not letting go, you hear me?" She sobbed into his blood-soaked shirt. "No matter what you're my son, Nicky!"

Nick wanted to have something to refute her words, but for that he would have to deny their connection as a family. And after what he put her through almost 10 years ago, he couldn't bring himself to do it. The fox took several deep breaths to calm down.

"Alright…" He whispered in defeat, realizing that he hit a wall. "I'm not going anywhere." Nick dropped to his knees and put his arms around his mother, hugging her back. "Just… just please don't cry anymore…"