Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The year is 1914. The First Mammalian War has ravaged the continent since its outbreak in the summer. It had sparked on the continent's southeastern region which had been in a midst of crisis two years before the war. In the empire of Pawstria-Hungaury, a prey assassin shot and killed the heir to the throne and his wife, both predators. Once captured, the Empire discovered the perpetrator to be from Deerbrooke county in the neighboring Tri-burrows and a member of the Young Prey revolutionary movement in the region. An ultimatum was sent to Deerbrooke County in response, demanding retribution. When it failed, Pawstria-Hungaury declared war on its neighbor. From there and throughout the continent, regions of predators or prey in alliance with one another took up arms, but tensions between them were prevalent in the years leading up to the war.

One prominent feature of the First Mammalian War were the trenches built by the belligerents on the Western front. The predators constructed the trenches to protect themselves from losing further ground in response to the prey halting their advance and pushing them back. The prey built them for the same reason once the predators halted theirs. As a result, any hopes for movement ceased as both sides became determined to hold their ground. But the builders also suffered from the horrid living conditions of trenches that resulted from the weather and poor sanitary. Combining those factors led to diseases becoming problematic among the troops.

Warfare and carnage heavily devastated the area between the trenches and it made deadly to cross, thus earning the name No Mammal's Land. Anyone venturing into the barren wasteland risked artillery, mortars, or bullets from the opposing side. Crossing that section of land was necessary to advance, yet the chances of death were extreme. Many times, soldiers abandoned casualties suffered in No Mammal's Land and only took a chance to recover them when the fighting temporarily ceased at night. Despite orders from higher command to not permit enemy stretcher bearers from recovering their dead and wounded, both sides largely ignored them to the other side's mutual benefit.

At the beginning of the war, the combatants were informed that it would be over in a few months and would be able to return home to their families for Christmas. But when December arrived with no end to the war in sight, the soldiers realized they would be spending Christmas on the battlefield instead. Those on the front lines became resolved to not be discouraged at hearing the disappointing news but had split responses. Some vowed no rest for themselves and continued to fight as normal. But others decided to celebrate Christmas with their soldiers instead. Regardless of their decisions, they notified their families of the news to avoid having them assume the worst.

In one area of the Western Front, a unit of predators was being led by First Lieutenant Nicholas Piberius Wilde, a red fox born and raised in Foxburrow. Before the military, Nick applied in many career fields, but his species' unfavorable reputation made it difficult. After being denied multiple times and faced with the alternative of becoming society's view of foxes, Nick registered and enlisted into the army but still faced skepticism throughout his training and career. Eventually, he successfully proved his skeptics wrong and his value, paving the way to a bright future for foxes in the military. Out of all the predator units on the Western Front, Wilde's was the most successful until encountering heavy resistance and forced into a retreat. It was during the retreat when he developed the idea of building the trenches. The results were rewarding, and his tactic was eventually adopted by other predator units. But when Nick saw the enemy build trenches in response, he realized the war would become a battle of attrition.

The unit of prey responsible for Wilde's retreat was being led by the recently promoted Second Lieutenant Judith Laverne Hopps, a gray rabbit born and raised in Bunnyburrow with a negative perception of predators, especially foxes. Having the dream of making the world a better place, Judy first applied for law enforcement immediately after graduating high school. When she was denied, Judy applied for the military but was denied also. Despite the rejections, she continued to apply for both until the military finally accepted her. However, Judy too faced setbacks in her training from her small size but refused to quit and successfully completed it. The war allowed Judy to successfully prove her value through perseverance. In response to halting the predators' advance and forcing their retreat, Judy earned the promotions and the command recognized her invaluable leadership qualities. When seeing the effectiveness of the trenches, Judy realized if the prey wanted to win this war they would need to fight fire with fire.

December 24, the day ended in the area of the Western Front where Hopps and Wilde's unit had been fighting. The predators and prey retired to their respective trenches to celebrate Christmas, thankful for another quiet day. The moon shined brightly among the stars in the clear night sky on this particular night. Snow from the previous days covered the bodies and the ground of No Mammal's Land, but the trenches remain mostly clear of the white powdery substance thanks to the constant maintenance.

On the prey's side, Lt. Hopps' unit had gathered in a wide area of the trench with various drinks, food, and instruments out. Meanwhile inside a bunker, Judy Hopps sat alone in silence at a table being lit only by a single light bulb, dressed in her uniform with her peaked cap on the table. She held a picture of her parents and a fraction of her siblings in her paws with an open book and a carrot-shaped pen sitting in front of her. After another glance at the photo, Judy set it aside and picked up the carrot pen.

December 24, 1914,

Today is Christmas Eve. This is the time of year I would be at home on my farm with Mother, Father, and my 365 siblings celebrating Christmas with our tradition. First, we spend the morning and afternoon finishing up preparations and gathering the family together at our residence. Next, we begin the evening with a large dinner and listening to stories from the family. Later, we gather around the large Christmas tree erected in our living room to listen to the various Christmas stories from the Nativity to A Christmas Carol before finally ending the night with caroling. Christmas morning is chaos with the younger ones searching for their gifts and showing them to the others as the older ones try to contain them. Finally, we spend the rest of the day resting. Having done this every year since I was old enough to remember, the ongoing tradition never gets old. But now this year—

Judy stopped writing momentarily as the harsh reality set in her mind. She closed her eyes as her breathing slowly increased and became heavy. A few sniffles managed to escape as the bunny continued on with the entry.

This year I'll be continuing the tradition…just in a cold, dirty, and dangerous trench with mammals I've only known for a few months instead of a warm, clean, and safe home with family. But it is better than the alternative of spending Christmas alone.

Two teardrops fell on the page at the conclusion of the sentence. Judy set the carrot pen down and reclined back in the chair. The thought of spending Christmas without her family saddened the bunny immensely. She desperately held back her tears as more sniffles escaped, not wanting to ruin the festive mood for the others. Ever since Judy announced her acceptance into the military, her parents were understandably terrified for her safety. The outbreak of war only increased their fears. In the end, Judy promised to come home for all the holidays if allowed to enlist and has upheld that promise since completing her training. But now, she sat in the battlefield heartbroken at not being home with her family for Christmas and wondered how they must feel about her absence. Judy had sent a letter home earlier that month with the disappointing news and hoped that it arrived safely before Christmas Day. She could only imagine her family's devastation from reading it.

"Is everything all right Lieutenant?"

Judy's ears perked up at the sound of the voice. She turned around in her chair to see a concerned Dawn Bellwether standing at the bunker entrance. Judy understood the sheep's worry as she herself had stayed in the bunker since retiring for the night. The bunny sat up and revealed the picture to Bellwether. "Just thinking of my family, Sergeant. I promised my parents before leaving that I would come home and celebrate every holiday with the family."

Dawn nodded in understanding and approached Judy to place a hoof on her shoulder. "We all do, Lieutenant. That's why we agreed to celebrate Christmas together, and you don't have to hide your feelings. We like you for that."

Her comment brought a smile on Judy's face. "Thank you. This is actually my first Christmas without my family. I knew it would happen, but not this soon."

"Then make your first time a happy one," Dawn said. "Come on. We're going to start singing. You could use it."

"Okay." Judy closed the book and put the picture away in her coat. She then put on her peaked cap and followed Dawn out to the prey gathering. Among them, Francine the elephant and McHorn the rhino saw Dawn and Judy joining them.

"Glad of you to join us, Lieutenant!" Francine exclaimed while offering a cup to Judy.

"Sorry about the wait," She said, trying to hide her sadness before accepting the cup.

"We were ready to begin but wanted to wait until you joined." McHorn reasoned.

Judy smiled as she sat down. "Well, I'm here now and ready sing!"

The others nodded and together, they made a toast. Those with instruments picked them up and started playing a song from their native region. The instruments led first before the lyrics followed.

I hear the mountains birds

The sound of rivers singing

A song I've often heard

It flows through the snow

So clear and so loud

I stand where I am

And forever I'm dreaming of home

I feel so alone, I'm dreaming of home

When the second stanza arrived, the festive mood and music amplified, and soon Judy happily joined and joyfully sang along. Hearing the lyrics of home and being part of the celebration brought Judy the much-needed comfort and the wonderful memories of her home. Despite it not being her traditional celebration, Judy knew this year's Christmas would be a special one.

It's carried in the air

The breeze of early morning

I see the land so fair

My heart opens wide

There's sadness inside

I stand where I am

And forever I'm dreaming of home

I feel so alone, I'm dreaming of home

In the predators' trench, they had also gathered together to celebrate Christmas and erected miniature Christmas trees decorated with candles and ornaments around them. The predators too spoke of their home and themselves while eating and drinking. Unlike Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde sat with his unit from the beginning, but he secretly hoped no one would ask for his stories. Nick felt that his tales would ruin the festive mood rather than enhance it.

Singing from the prey's trench suddenly interrupted their chatter. The predators immediately became silent and listened to the music. It was during the second stanza that they could actually hear the lyrics. Slowly, smiles appeared on the predators when they realized the song was about home, but Nick's remained unchanged. The predators heard the prey applaud themselves when the caroling finished.

Wolford finally spoke after the applause died. "The prey sing very well. Don't they?"

The others nodded in agreement.

"I think we all can agree about them not wanting to fight tonight as much as we do. We should return those sentiments."

Clawhauser became excited at the thought. "Ooh, I like that idea!"

Everyone else returned those sentiments until their commanding officer spoke.

"What are you suggesting?"

The other predators looked at Nick who sat with a serious face. It was the first time their Lieutenant had spoken since they first gathered together.

Wolford began thinking until his eyes fell upon the Christmas trees and pointed to one. "We can put these up and then sing a carol of our own. That will certainly get their attention."

The predators looked at Wilde for permission. Nick was understandably hesitant and had every reason to believe this could be a trap by the prey to lure them out and slaughtered. His military experience taught him about interpreting enemy actions and to see this side of the prey was certainly unusual. But his unit was already devastated by the news of not seeing their families for Christmas. If there was an opportunity for a respite of peace in this dreaded war, it should be taken. After a few anxious moments, he reluctantly nodded.

"Very well. Put them up."

Happy at the approval, the predators stood up and each took a Christmas tree to plant them above the trenches in view for the prey to see. Their actions did not go unnoticed as Bellwether saw this.

"Lt. Hopps! Come look at this!"

Judy immediately joined Dawn and cautiously poked her head out the trench. The other prey soon followed and they saw miniature Christmas trees planted all along the predators' trench.

"What should we do, Lieutenant?" She whispered.

All eyes fell on the bunny. Judy looked back and forth between her troops and the Christmas trees. Technically, the predators did not attack which would make any retaliation from the prey unwarranted. While it appeared to be an innocent gesture as the prey heard the predators in their own Christmas celebration, that did not rule out any hostilities. But until someone fired a shot, no action was to be taken. That much Judy knew and understood.

"We wait. If nothing else happens, we stand down."

The prey watched carefully in anticipation of the predators' next move. What happened next was unexpected to them. They heard the sound of singing and a harmonica playing coming from the predators.

O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree

Your branches green delight us!

O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree

Your branches green delight us!

The predators watched and listened as Wolford sang a carol from their homeland while Delgato the lion played the harmonica. As the prey silently listened on, one of the musicians, a red deer, recognized the carol and an idea formed.

They are green when summer days are bright,

They are green when winter snow is white.

O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree

Your branches green delight us!

As Wolford began the second stanza, music from the prey's trench interrupted his singing. The red deer musician had begun accompanying him, surprising both predators and prey. Encouraged by the response, Wolford sang along when the music reached the next verse.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,

You give us so much pleasure!

How oft at Christmas tide the sight,

O green fir tree, gives us delight!

Wolford slowly made his way up the trenches while continuing to sing. The act shocked and made the other predators worry for his safety, yet they remained captivated by his performance to intervene. Wolford stood next to a Christmas tree for all to see as he finished the stanza while still facing the predators.

O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree,

You give us so much pleasure!

"Wolford!" Nick finally yelled. "Get down before you get yourself killed!"

Nick pushed forward to the wolf when he and the rest of his unit heard applause and cheering. Wolford turned to see numerous prey appearing from their trench and giving him an encore. He smiled and humbly bowed in acknowledgment. The red deer who accompanied Wolford then made another bold move and climbed out the trench. Standing with the instrument in his hooves, he began playing a carol that was hopefully familiar enough for the wolf to recognize and join along. In the middle of the first stanza, the red deer stopped when Wolford remained silent. A few seconds later, the wolf smiled.

O Come All Ye Faithful

Joyful and triumphant,

O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.

Wolford then grabbed a Christmas tree next to him and entered No Mammal's Land. Smiling at the response, the red deer and the remaining prey musicians: a beaver, a mountain hare, and a roe deer, finally joined Wolford as he continued forward into No Mammal's Land.

Come and behold Him,

Born the King of Angels;

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.

Despite a predator approaching them with unknown intentions, the prey continued to watch and listen to the impromptu performance.

Come and behold Him,

Born the King of Angels;

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

Chriiiiiiist the Looooooord.

Wolford stopped near a haystack in the middle of No Mammal's Land while drawing out the last verse. He raised the Christmas tree before placing it down on the hay bale.

"Good evening, everyone!" He shouted.

"Good evening, predators!" The red deer responded. "We're happy you enjoyed our performance and we enjoyed yours as well!"

The other prey acknowledged the musician's statement.

Wolford smiled at their response and remained by the hay bale as Nick finally came out of the trench and stood next to the wolf.

"Are you certain this will work, Sergeant?" Nick asked, still cautious.

"I'm positive, Lieutenant. This is already more than we could hope for. You being here shows them that we're willing to speak. Now we must wait for their response."

Nick sighed. "I hope so."

Judy had been watching the entire scene unfold and was shocked to see a fox as the commanding officer for the predators. Everything taught by her parents and school about foxes immediately came to her mind: shifty, untrustworthy, and natural predators to rabbits. Would her life be endangered if she revealed herself? Would she be putting her unit in danger as well? Despite her hesitation, it would be improper for her as a soldier to not respond if the predators are willing to speak to them.

"Bellwether, come with me. I need a witness for this."

The sheep, who had been hiding in the trench, became frightened at meeting their natural predators. "Are you sure, Lieutenant?"

"Yes, they wish to speak to us. The least we can do is listen to what they have to say."

Since it was a command, Dawn hesitantly agreed. She and Judy exited their trench and proceeded to where Nick and Wolford stood. The two arrived at the hay bale, and the four stood in silence with Wolford sporting a smile and Nick sporting a smirk. Despite the predators' non-threatening appearance, Judy and Bellwether still felt nervous around them but hid it very well.

Nick finally broke the silence when he saw Judy's uniform and rank. "Good evening. Are you the commanding officer?"

Judy nodded and saluted. "Yes, Second Lieutenant Hopps and this is Sergeant Bellwether." She motioned to the sheep beside her who hesitantly saluted.

Nick returned the gesture. "A pleasure to meet you. First Lieutenant Wilde and this is Sergeant Wolford," He then motioned to the wolf beside him who also saluted. "We wish to negotiate a truce." Nick continued.

The request surprised Judy and Bellwether. This was not what they expected when coming to meet them. The two briefly looked at each other before returning their attention to the predators.

"Any reason?" Judy asked curiously.

"It has come to our attention and understanding that you wish to celebrate Christmas," Nick said. "We also wish for the same thing. On behalf of the predators, I propose a ceasefire so we may celebrate the holiday in peace. We can resume our normal fighting once it's over."

Judy carefully considered the proposal. "How can you be sure this will be upheld?"

"As you can see Lt. Hopps," Nick continued. "My unit was disheartened at the news of being unable to return to their families for Christmas. I assume yours feel the same from the caroling we heard. Which I must say, you and the others sing very well."

Judy immediately blushed at the compliment. "Uh, thank you."

Nick smile at her gratitude. "You're welcome. Now your reluctance is understandable, but I can assure you that this will not decide the outcome of the war. I doubt anyone will criticize us for this ceasefire to celebrate Christmas." He held his paw out. "So do we have a truce?"

Judy was still hesitant about the proposition. The thought of celebrating Christmas with the enemy along with how foxes tend to be with their words disturbed her greatly. Her instincts were telling her to refuse and use the opportunity for the prey's advantage. But Judy had second thoughts when she realized the fox was doing it for the other predators and not just himself. The fact they were trusting him for this succeed surprised the bunny. If the predators were willing to lay down their arms and give them a chance, so should she and the prey. Judy finally brought her paw forward and shook Nick's.

"Truce."

"Excellent," Nick said with a smile. "We should toast for this occasion. I hear you rabbits produce such fine wine. Will it be all right to announce the ceasefire with it?"

Judy cautiously nodded. "Sure. Bellwether, bring us a bottle and two cups."

"Yes, Lieutenant," She said with trepidation.

"Wolford, bring us two cups as well."

"Yes, Lieutenant." He eagerly answered.

The wolf and the sheep returned to their trenches, leaving the fox and bunny alone. Wolford and Bellwether informed their allies of the truce and were met with positive responses to the delight of Wolford and the shock of Bellwether. The predators and prey prepared themselves for when they would leave their trench and meet in No Mammal's Land.

Meanwhile, Judy and Nick stood in silence watching each other. Their thoughts on this moment were completely opposite.

Nick's face showed no reaction as Judy curiously looked at him. This rabbit is too easy to read. Her scent and behavior definitely give off her nervousness from being around me. I wonder if she's afraid of me. She is attractive though. Those amethyst eyes shine with beauty. The way her nose twitches is too cute. WAIT! Where did that come from?! Keep it together Nick. You can't let her see she gets to you. Besides, there is no way I'm falling for a bunny. Am I?

Judy, on the other paw, grew more nervous as her eyes gazed on Nick. Her entire body was heating up and her nose was twitching madly. Were she not wearing her cap, Nick could see Judy's ears turn red with blush. Why is my body behaving this way? I'm supposed to fear the fox, and yet… NO! I can't possibly have feelings for him. Could I? Those emerald eyes…A girl could get lost in them. That smirk…so infuriating yet…Stop it, Judy! Remember what happened to you when you were nine!

Their train of thought was interrupted when Wolford and Bellwether returned with the requested items. Judy and Nick quickly resumed their authoritative appearance before their sergeants noticed anything amiss. The four mammals now held a cup as Judy had the honor pouring the wine in each of them. When she finished, Judy raised her cup for a toast.

"Merry Christmas."

The other three repeated the gesture.

"Merry Christmas."

They clinked their cups together and drank the wine. At the conclusion of the toast, lights shined from the predators' trench as they appeared in the night sky. Judy and Bellwether flinched in response, thinking they fell for a trick since the predators used them to spot prey at night upon their first arrival to the trenches. But then they heard the predators chanting 'Merry Christmas'. The prey applauded at the display and returned the chants. After the lights dimmed, the predators and prey quietly entered No Mammal's Land. Nick, Judy, Wolford, and Bellwether watched the two sides come face to face and stop within a step of each other. A few moments passed with no interaction. It was certainly an unusual situation.

Finally, Clawhauser stepped forward with a box in paws and a smile on his face. "Hi, I'm Benjamin Clawhauser," He opened a box to reveal the contents. "Do you want some of my doughnuts? I have plenty more if you happen to eat them all."

The prey near the cheetah looked at the variety of desserts presented before them, waiting for one of them to go first.

A hippo finally reached and picked up a doughnut. "Higgins." He said before eating the treat. The hippo nodded in delight and then offered a drink to the cheetah.

Clawhauser gleefully accepted the bottle, and they shared drinks and doughnuts as the nearby prey helped themselves to the treats.

Meanwhile, a polar bear took out a picture and showed it McHorn in front of him. "My name is Snarlof, and this is family."

McHorn took the photo and looked at it along with those nearby. The rhino smiled and nodded at the photo of the polar bear, his wife, and cubs. "You have a beautiful wife and wonderful children." He returned the photo and then showed his own. "Here is mine. The name's McHorn."

The polar took the photo and looked at it as well along with others close by. Snarlof smiled at the photo before returning it. "They're beautiful too."

From there the predators and prey continue to interact with one another: sharing treats, drinks, photos of family, and even gifts. A few predators took interest in trying the instruments from the prey musicians and were met with mild success but all in good humor. Wolford and Bellwether had gone off to mingle, leaving Judy and Nick alone once again.

"So Lt. Hopps," Nick said. "Do you have a first name?"

"Judith, but my friends call me Judy. You can too during the truce. Yours?"

"Nicholas or Nick for short. Same thing applies."

Judy nodded. "A pleasure to meet you, Nick. Where are you from?"

"Foxburrow. It's to the north of here. You?"

"Bunnyburrow. That's south of here."

The two continued to stare at each other as their situation remained unnoticed by their platoons. Their attempts to start a conversation has so far ended fairly quick and left them in awkward silence with their thoughts. Despite the ceasefire, an air of uneasiness remained for the Lieutenants. But if they wanted this ceasefire to work, then Judy and Nick would have to put their perceptions aside for the sake of themselves and their troops.

"So Judy, tell me about your military career and why you enlisted," Nick finally inquired. "It's not often for one to see bunnies leading their troops into battle so you must have done something worthy of promotion."

"Oh well," Judy began. "I was raised on a farm that grew carrots and other produce, but I wanted to do something different. My personal goal is to make the world a better place so I applied for law enforcement after graduating high school, but they rejected me. I then applied for the military, but they also rejected. I kept reapplying for both and, that cycle continued until I finally got accepted into the military. Unfortunately, most thought a bunny wasn't fit for the military life. Those that did make it weren't often promoted, but my rank is evidence to the contrary. Having everyone outraged over the assassination of the heir and his wife does change things."

"Ah the cry for war, it never fails to put down any resistance."

"As for my military career, my time in service was not an issue, but my time in grade was. Before the war, I received just enough experience to be promoted to Sergeant. Once the war began, time in grade no longer became an issue. Needless to say, I was responsible for halting your advance and adopting your strategy for using trenches. I became Second Lieutenant for that, but I think the promotion was compensation for remaining on the battlefield during Christmas. What about you, Nick?"

"I enlisted in the military after graduating high school as well. You know what they say about foxes: shifty and untrustworthy. Most jobs refused to hire me because of that. But in the military, their skills are useful when it comes to developing operations and creating battle tactics. The work environment is also more friendly since it's our duty to protect each other. Still, it doesn't mean I faced hostility when I first joined. It would be many years before I attained the rank of First Lieutenant. I have no hard feelings and attribute the harsh treatment to more of roughing up the new recruits."

Judy felt sympathy for Nick after hearing his brief history. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I didn't know life was so harsh for foxes. But I'm happy you proved your value and to a very important group no less. I always give every mammal a chance, but even I still make mistakes. Especially when you're raised by parents who would more likely shoot a fox on sight just for looking at them. Who also, by the way, were not very supportive of my decision to enlist."

Nick placed a paw over his chest at the comforting words. "Why thank you, and you must have lovely parents. That is a very impressive military record if I must say, Carrots."

"Carrots?" Judy said while furrowing her brow.

"A little nickname for you since you did grow up on a carrot farm. I think it's appropriate." Nick said with a wide smirk.

Judy huffed as she placed her paws on her hips. "You do know there is a thing called fraternizing with the enemy right? The punishment is court-martial if reported."

"I know, but this is a ceasefire. None of the legal stuff matters until it ends. I studied the laws of war and the rules of engagement enough to know my way around," Nick then winked. "Trust me."

Judy relaxed her stance. "You do have a point, but I don't think—"

"What is going on here?"

Judy, Nick, and their troops turned to see a gazelle and four tigers dressed in winter clothing approaching them. The soldiers' expression changed to one of surprise at the mammals in their presence.

Clawhauser, in particular, froze at the sight and nearly dropped the doughnuts and drink. "Is that…GAZELLE?!"

Gazelle was famous throughout Mammalia for her singing career as well her unbiased views toward predators and prey. Having four predators accompany her supports her views. Born and raised in Zootopia, she strives for to keep the harmony between predators and prey the city itself presents. At the beginning of the war, she launched a tour to remind the mammals of the peaceful times. When that failed, she changed the purpose to providing moral support for the troops, but it was denied by the leaders of Zootopia after the failure of the previous campaign. After much persistence and persuasion, they agreed to let her perform only under the condition that there was to be no fraternizing with the enemy and granted her the necessary documents to present herself as neutral when traveling. The singers stopped in front of Judy and Nick and Gazelle stepped forward.

"Are you two the commanding officers here?"

"Yes," Nick answered. "I'm First Lieutenant Wilde for the predators."

"And I'm Second Lieutenant Hopps for the prey," Judy responded. "What are you doing here?"

Gazelle and her tigers saluted in respect.

"I received permission to travel around and perform on the battlefield for either side," Gazelle continued. "But my hope is to perform for predators and prey. Everywhere we went it has either been one-sided or there was fighting going on. Some places outright refused us if we attempted a combined audience. We came here expecting the same. What happened?

"A ceasefire Ma'am," Judy answered. "To celebrate Christmas."

Gazelle's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "W-what did you say?"

"A ceasefire, or truce if you prefer," Nick repeated. "When we heard the news of having to spend Christmas without our families, Lt. Hopps and I decided on truce so that we may celebrate the holiday together in peace before resuming the war."

"Oh my..." Upon hearing the reason, Gazelle placed her hooves over her mouth as tears formed in her eyes.

The soldiers immediately noticed her sudden behavior change. Distressed at the sight, Clawhauser and other fans of her made to move when their Lieutenants motioned them to desist. Nick and Judy focused back on Gazelle and asked why she was crying.

"Is something wrong Gazelle?" Judy asked with worry. "Did we make a mistake with the ceasefire?"

Gazelle shook her head and wiped her tears. "Absolutely not! In fact, this is the most glorious thing I have ever seen."

Judy and Nick were astonished at her answer.

Gazelle brought her hooves forward as the tears continued to flow. "Here in the midst of all the carnage and destruction, a small group of predators and prey were willing to put their differences aside to celebrate Christmas with one another." She then placed her hooves over her heart. "As much as it pains me to know this is only temporary, this alone makes the entire tour worthwhile. You give mammals like me hope that there is light in the darkness."

Judy blushed with embarrassment as Nick smiled in delight. A warm feeling of happiness overcame them and their troops.

"Your words bring great joy to all us of here," Nick said. "Right, Carrots?"

Judy nodded and they turned their back to their troops. "Right, everyone?"

They all happily nodded in agreement.

"Then let this be my Christmas gift to you," Gazelle offered. "If you would please follow us to a more large area,"

A short distance away from where the two sides met and where the ground was undisturbed from the fighting, the predators and prey gathered in front of Gazelle, her four tigers, and the prey musicians. Most sat down in the snow while the taller mammals either sat or stood in the back or to the side to avoid blocking the view of those smaller. Judy and Nick sat together front and center before the performers. With everything set, Gazelle looked back at mammals behind her and nodded. The tigers crooned the chorus and the musicians produced the sound before Gazelle began.

Silent night, holy night,

All is calm, all is bright

Round yon virgin mother and child.

Holy infant, so tender and mild,

Sleep in heavenly peace,

Sleep in heavenly peace.

Her angelic voice radiated throughout the audience and moved some to tears. Clawhauser did his best remain still and silent so to not disturb the performance. While the others focused on Gazelle's singing, Judy carefully looked at Nick out the corner of her eye. The fox was focused on the performance and not paying attention to the bunny staring at him. Judy looked down at his paw resting on his knee and hoped no one else would notice to what she planned to do.

Silent night, holy night,

Shepherds quake at the sight;

Glories stream from heaven afar,

Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!

Christ the Savior is born,

Christ the Savior is born!

Judy's mind and heart raced as her eyes remained on Nick sitting next to her. Nick was right. It is a ceasefire. There is no harm in a little fraternizing. Judy slowly moved her paw and carefully placed it over Nick's. The fox looked down at the bunny with a blank expression. Judy grew nervous at his impending response before a grin formed on the fox's face. Nick then spread out his fingers and grasped Judy's fingers. This caused Judy to blush immensely and her nose to twitch madly. She quickly focused back on the performance while Nick remained silent, still grinning. The act did not go unnoticed, but no one else dared to ruin the atmosphere.

Silent night, holy night,

Son of God, love's pure light;

Radiant beams from thy holy face

With the dawn of redeeming grace,

Jesus, Lord, at thy birth,

Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.

"One more time! Everyone now!" Gazelle exclaimed.

The predators and prey smiled and joined in, singing to their heart's delight. All the while, Judy and Nick remained conjoined by their paws and growing more comfortable in each other's presence by the second as they sang along.

Silent night, holy night,

All is calm, all is bright

Round yon virgin mother and child.

Holy infant, so tender and mild,

Sleep in heavenly peace,

Sleep in heavenly peace.

At the conclusion of the last verse, the audience erupted in thunderous applause, especially with Clawhauser whistling and squealing in delight. It was only then Judy and Nick finally released their grasps to join the encore.

Gazelle, her tigers, and the musicians bowed at their encore. "Thank you for blessing us with this beautiful moment everyone. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas!"

December 24, 1914,

I have never been more thankful for this journal! It has been an excellent method to vent out feelings without breaking my mantra. If there is one thing I learned tonight is that Christmas miracles do exist. First, this preposterous truce was actually successful! I was honestly shocked over how well it was received by the prey. Well, except for that sheep sergeant named Bellwether. She appears to take issue with the ceasefire, but with an overwhelming majority support from the predators and prey, I doubt she can voice her objections successfully. Christmas miracle number two. I found out that the commanding officer for the prey is a female rabbit! Judith "Judy" Hopps is her name, but I prefer calling her Carrots. I have to give credit where it's due. That sly bunny not only managed to halt my advance but also used my tactic of trenches against me. But it doesn't end there. The way Carrots looked at me as we negotiated the truce and how she placed her paw on mines during Gazelle's performance. I know she loves me but appears to be afraid and is holding back. I will have all day tomorrow get her to confess it and to find out why she is afraid. This will certainly be a Christmas to remember and that performance by Gazelle was a perfect conclusion to Christmas Eve.

Nick Wilde reclined in his chair as the evening's events flooded his mind. While he only hinted at it, he too realized the feelings for Judy. Why else would he give her a nickname or allow her to do these things to him? An internal conflict raged inside him between his military instincts and his personal feelings that have been locked away for many years. Nick covered his face with his paws and groaned. How is it a cute bunny of all things managed to break down what years of military training and combat experience build up?! Tomorrow will be his most interesting Christmas to date. Not wanting to dwell on the matter further, the Lieutenant closed the journal and turned off the light before retiring to his cot for the night.

Chapter Text

December 25, Christmas Day,

Dressed in uniform, Nick Wilde exited the bunker to see members of his unit gazing into No Mammal's Land. He wondered what has their attention since most of them were not assigned sentry duty.

"What is going on here?"

"It's that rabbit lieutenant, Sir," Clawhauser said. "She's out by where you two first met."

Nick's eyes widened, and his ears shot up in surprise. He immediately stepped up on a nearby crate to get a better view. True to the cheetah's words, Judy Hopps sat alone on the hay bale in the middle of No Mammal's Land.

"How long has she been there, and has she done anything else?"

Wolford answered. "Since the sun had risen, Lieutenant. We think she wants to talk to us but is afraid we'll shoot her by mistake by coming to our trench."

Nick glanced out once more and saw Judy gazing in their direction, hoping someone would come out to meet her. "Stay here and keep watch. I'll find out what she wants."

He spotted a coffee canister brewing nearby. After confirming it to be ready, Nick retrieved the container and two cups before entering No Mammal's Land.

Judy sat on the hay bale with two small containers beside her. She never stated her reasons for trying to make contact with the predators alone, so speculation swirled. Her unit believed she may have lingering doubts about the ceasefire being upheld. They also understood that the predators may assume the worse from seeing a group of enemy soldiers in No Mammal's Land.

But Judy had a different reason. By being alone in neutral territory, she avoided any issues or interference that could arise from having their troops present. She hoped that being seen in this matter would send the right message just as it did for Nick last night. She also felt comfortable around him and didn't want anyone else questioning her behavior.

"Good morning, Lieutenant Carrots."

Judy looked up to see a smiling Nick standing before her with a coffee canister and two cups in his paws.

She huffed and crossed her arms, an annoyed look on her face. "Why do you keep on calling me Carrots?"

"You know you like it," He raised the canister. "Coffee? I hope you like black."

Judy nodded. "Sure." She took a cup, and Nick filled both with the hot caffeine. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Nick's nose picked up a familiar scent, and his eyes fell upon the small containers beside Judy. "What do you have in there?"

She brought the objects on her lap. "I thought we could share a little breakfast while we talked." She revealed the contents of the first container. "The carrots are for me of course." Judy set it down and picked up the other.

"And the second?" Nick asked, hoping his nose wasn't fooling him. His eyes widened when she revealed the contents.

"Blueberries from my family's farm. I hope you like them." When she looked back up at Nick, his reaction to the fruit caught her by surprise, but then a smirk grew wide on her face. "Do my eyes deceive me? Or have I discovered a weakness with my enemy?"

Hearing her voice, Nick quickly shook his head, snapping from his ogle. "I have no idea what you are talking about, Carrots, but I will be happy to accept your offer of these wonderful blueberries."

She rolled her eyes as he took the produce and sat down on the hay bale opposite to her. Seeing Nick enjoying the blueberries brought a smile to Judy's face. She ended up staring at him for too long as she missed out on his words.

"Earth to Carrots. Are you in there?"

She too snapped out of her daydream, embarrassed at being caught. "Huh? Did you say something?"

"I said. You could have just come to the trench and asked for me. My troops know you're the only bunny officer in your unit."

Not wanting to explain her sudden silence, Judy quickly brought up her excuse. "Then you should have seen the weather earlier. Fog covered the entire area, so there was zero visibility. I could have easily been killed for being mistaken for someone else."

While he couldn't exactly refute that from reading the weather reports, Nick knew better but chose not to press further. "Understandable. How long have you been out here?"

Judy raised her arm and checked her watch. "It's ten now. I was up at eight and have been sitting here since nine when the fog finally cleared."

Her wait time surprised him. "Wow. Why would a cute bunny like you want to sit here alone for this long?"

Judy's eyes narrowed, and a scowl formed on her face. "Do not call me cute. You may not know this, but that word is offensive to rabbits."

Nick quickly put his paws up in defense. "Okay, okay, I won't call you cute in the future. The last thing I need right now is to get shot."

While still peeved that he sneaked in the word, Judy chose to let it pass this time. "Thank you, and besides, being here early allowed me to speak to you without our units interfering."

"Tell me then," Nick said before taking another sip of coffee.

"I want to discuss our plans for spending Christmas."

He furrowed his brow, confused at her request. "What do you mean? We just lay down our weapons. Simple as that." He popped another blueberry in his mouth.

"I know, but don't you think spending the entire day in a trench would be boring? Maybe even a little cramped? My duty as an officer is the only thing keeping me from going insane."

"Hmm, you have a point there. Are you suggesting we spend Christmas out here then?"

"If all of you don't mind. You'll be safe from my artillery. I contacted my HQ yesterday, and they're all busy celebrating among themselves."

"Interesting. My HQ said the same."

"So?" Judy asked, curious if he would accept her proposal.

Nick needed only a moment to think before nodding. "Alright then, Carrots."

"Great!" She exclaimed, but her excitement disappeared when seeing the bodies scattered across No Mammal's Land. "But we should give our fallen a proper burial first. They deserve to celebrate Christmas in peace."

Nick nodded. "Agreed. My troops will help move your bodies so you can bury them."

Judy finished another sip of her coffee. "And mine will recover yours that fell behind our current lines during our advance last month."

"Yes," Nick said before popping another blueberry in his mouth. "Give the dead their peace first before we enjoy ours. That makes sense."

Back in the predators' trench, Clawhauser could hardly contain himself at the sight before him. "Aw, look at them! I swear if we weren't fighting those two would be perfect for each other!"

But not every soldier agreed with him. "Are you serious Ben? That could never happen! Lieutenant could be charged with high treason for fraternizing with the enemy, and he already has enough trouble just for being a fox."

Wolford though spoke in support for his friend. "But you have to admit their behavior would make one think so."

Delgato suddenly got an idea and couldn't resist bringing it up. "How much you do want to wager they'll kiss before the end of Christmas?"

"Ha! Easiest money I would ever win!" A disbelieving predator proclaimed. "There's no way that will happen."

"Not from what was seen last night. There is this thing called a Christmas miracle." Snarlof said.

"Ooh, let me be the bookkeeper!" Clawhauser eagerly offered. "I'll be sure to keep an eye on them."

"It's true," Wolford said. "Ben is an expert on updates."

"That's fair," The disbelieving predator concurred. "We can spend our Christmas while he reports in."

Clawhauser wasted no time retrieving a book and a pen. "This will be awesome! How much are you putting down?"

As the initial predators placed their wagers, others overheard it and immediately joined in. The pool eventually grew large, and the participants swore to secrecy from the lieutenants. The possibility of letting the prey in on the wager would have to wait until they could meet again. Judging from how the conversation in No Mammal's Land was going, that would soon happen.

"Would you look at that?" McHorn said. "It actually worked."

"I still don't understand why the Lieutenant insists on meeting out there alone," Another prey said. "We should be there to keep her safe."

"Her orders, and isn't it obvious?" Francine interjected. "She has feelings for him."

"You can't be serious. Have you forgotten that they are our enemies? The ceasefire is the only reason those two are still alive. How could they possibly have romantic feelings for each other?"

Higgins crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at the prey soldier. "Then why do you think Hopps would go out there by herself just to speak with their Lieutenant."

"Why else? She's still cautious of the predators upholding the ceasefire."

"Then you must have missed out on what happened during Gazelle's performance last night," Francine reminded. "The Lieutenant did not even try to be subtle."

"She probably got caught up in the mood. Anyone would during Gazelle's performance."

"True, but I believe what I saw!" The elephant quietly exclaimed. "She has romantics feelings for the fox."

"You want to wager on that?"

And thus, the prey too created a pool and wondered if the predators were of the same mindset. That conversation had to wait until Judy and Nick finished. Fortunately, both sides didn't need to wait much longer as their Lieutenants finally returned to their respective trenches.

When informed of the plans for Christmas Day, no one objected and together, both sides spent the remainder of the morning gathering, burying, and paying their respects the fallen. Every mammal played a role with some overlap between tasks and not limited to size.

The musicians played out of respect for the dead and to lessen the dreary atmosphere.

The smalls cataloged the tags, equipment, and other items from the uniforms. They also built crosses and wrote the names on them.

The mediums dug the graves and carried out the burial process after collecting the bodies from the smalls, large, and their own.

The large carried and moved the bodies around No Mammal's Land to the designated cemeteries and placed them near the open graves.

Lastly, Judy and Nick selected the site for burial and documented the names of the fallen in the records from the tags retrieved.

Even Gazelle and her tigers contributed in any way possible. They had decided to stay the night and celebrate Christmas the next day with the soldiers.

Thanks to their combined efforts, the daunting task that normally occurs through luck because of fighting was completed with plenty of the day remaining. It also opened up large areas of No Mammal's Land for the mammals to mingle instead of in the trenches. But some chose to isolate themselves for various reasons, Bellwether in particular.

December 25, 1914,

I still have my reservations about this ceasefire, but I am unable to voice my objections since everybody else seems to welcome it. I'm certain there are others who share my feelings. There was no need to spend Christmas with our enemy. How our unit can be so open with the predators is beyond me. If the predators don't kill us first, then the higher command will punish us severely if they receive word of this. I fear for the Lieutenant. She is a good mammal and a great leader. Such a shame that she would agree to this. But maybe this ceasefire can be a good thing. I can use the opportunity to perform reconnaissance on our enemies, but I must stay out of their trench. My scent would be left behind, and they will discover that we used the ceasefire to spy on them. As much as it pains me to admit, I must wait until we're invited into their trench to perform any reconnaissance lest I be responsible for the deaths in our unit. In the meantime, I'll have to settle for what I can and endure this. This is definitely a Christmas gift I won't deny.

As the mammals socialized with one another, the prey explained to the predators the carol they sang on Christmas Eve that planted the seed for the ceasefire they all were enjoying now: I'm Dreaming of Home. When hearing the full lyrics, the joyful predators committed themselves to know the song by heart.

Meanwhile, Gazelle and her tigers enjoyed spending time with the troops and getting to know more about their lives. For her fans, it was their ultimate Christmas gift, especially for Clawhauser. From their time with her, the soldiers grew to like her both as a celebrity and as a regular mammal.

"Why are you still here Gazelle?" Clawhauser curiously asked but quickly backtracked. "Not that I don't mind."

The singer giggled at the cheetah's attempt to not offend her. "I understand your confusion. Yes, I do need to continue my tour, but my manager permitted me to spend Christmas at wherever I stop on that day. I'm just thankful it's here. Truthfully, I wouldn't mind being somewhere else, but after discovering this ceasefire, there is no other place on the battlefield I would rather spend Christmas. It's a shame this is likely not present anywhere else, but miracles can happen." Hope had filled her voice by the last sentence.

Clawhauser had a huge smile on his face, and his tail wagged in excitement. "That's great to hear Gazelle! We're all glad you could be here with us."

The others nodded in agreement.

"Yes," Her smile waned when she looked in the direction of the makeshift cemetery. "I only wish your fallen comrades could be here to enjoy this. Their families will be devastated when hearing news of their deaths." Gazelle closed her eyes and sighed. "Things will never be the same for them again."

The soldiers with Gazelle and her tigers remained silent as they let the singer grieve.

Quietly, Fangmeyer and Francine broke the silence as they slowly pulled out a stack of envelopes from their uniforms.

"Gazelle," The tigress said.

She turned her attention to her and elephant and saw the two holding stacks of envelopes in Fangmeyer's paw and Francine's trunk.

"Since you plan on returning to Zootopia after your tour," The tigress continued. "We were wondering if you could deliver these letters to our families."

"We know it's a daunting task and that we have our own military postal office," Francine added. "But they inspect the letters, and we doubt the letters will be delivered when they read about this ceasefire."

"It may take longer, but this way we know the letters will get delivered safely in possession of someone we trust," Fangmeyer continued. "And we trust you, Gazelle."

"So will you do it?" Francine asked.

Gazelle remained silent with her eyes wide and jaw dropped, shocked at the request. The mammals began to wonder if they asked too much out of the celebrity. But Gazelle erased their doubts when she reached forward and took the envelopes in her hooves.

"I promise to safeguard these with my life and make sure it is delivered to their proper addresses."

The mammals around her smiled, happy to know that their families will not only be informed of their status but also get a surprise visit from a celebrity of Mammalia.

Meanwhile, Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde sat together as they observed the ceasefire going on around them.

Judy sighed in relief while taking in the sight. "It's been a while since I could relax like this, especially with the war going on."

"Really? What's been stopping you?" Nick curiously asked.

"What do you think? There are a lot of responsibilities for being a Lieutenant. I can only imagine yours with your higher rank."

"Oh trust me. They only increase with each promotion. I just found a way to carry them out and have a little fun at the same time. Ever messed with your superior before?"

Judy's eyes widened and quickly snapped her head at Nick. "Are you insane?! That's just asking to be discharged or even court-martialed! Did you even do that?"

"Maybe…" He slowly said with a smirk.

Judy's eyes narrowed. "Nicholas Wilde, what did you do?" She said in a murderous tone.

He thought the way she said his name sounded cute, but he would never admit that. Not unless he had a death wish.

"If I tell you, do you promise not to overreact?" He knew he had no chance at calming the bunny but there was no harm in asking.

She huffed. "No guarantees but I'll try."

"Good enough. So let me give you the backstory." Nick began. "Yesterday, our superior came to our trench in search for a medic who was supposed to be at the back lines. He also got word that the medic got a one of his own shot because somebody on the other side decided to shoot at stretcher bearers entering No Mammal's Land despite us lighting the area so you can see their armbands." His tone becoming accusing near the end.

Judy was surprised to hear this. "Wait, those were stretcher bearers? I was told they were snipers trying to get into position!"

Nick shook his head. "Nope, see that medic with the bandaged shoulder?" He pointed into in the direction.

Judy followed his finger and saw the said medic. "Yes?"

"That and the medic I mentioned were who your troops fired upon two days ago when they tried to rescue a wounded. He's lucky that whoever was firing didn't see well at night. Unfortunately, the predator they attempted to rescue didn't make it."

Judy growled in disgust and clenched her fists in fury. Predator or prey, anyone wounded deserves to be treated and here a few members of her unit robbed that one predator of the opportunity despite the clearly given signs. "I can't believe them! They will be reprimanded and reported for their actions!"

She calmed down when Nick placed a paw on her shoulder. At this, Judy sighed heavily and returned her attention to Nick. "I'm sorry that happened to you."

Nick waved his paw. "Water under the bridge. But back to my plan, the medic knew he was going to be dressed down for his actions so he and I decided to have a little fun when my superior arrived."

"Well, at least it wasn't all on you."

"I resent that you know." He said in a mocking tone, pretending to be offended. "Anyways, we set the plan in motion on the day my superior arrived. As soon as the two began leaving, the medic directed the superior to an alternate path and gave me the signal. I then signaled Fangmeyer who is that tigress over there." He said pointed to the mentioned feline.

Judy followed his finger and saw the predator. "Okay then, what did she do?"

"She fired off a shot in the air, pretending to be an enemy sniper." He said with a grin as the memories came back. "You should have heard the reaction. We barely held our laughter until they were a safe distance away or else the superior would have suspected something."

Judy found herself in disbelief at the revelation. "That's what it was?! Nick, do you realize how dangerous that stunt of yours was?! We could have returned fire over that!"

"But you didn't." He reassured. "And come on, you have to admit that was funny."

She couldn't deny that if it relieved some of the tension from the fighting. "Okay, you may be right."

"And you would have done something to your superior as if given the chance."

Her eyes narrowed. "Highly unlikely."

"Moving on. Tell me more about your family. I already know their farmers and have a strong distaste for foxes."

"Their names are Bonnie, my mother, and Stu, my father. The word Distaste is an understatement when it comes to their perception of foxes."

"No need to remind me of you mentioning their first instinct at seeing a fox. Anything else specific I should know about them?"

Judy shook her head. "Not much. My mother met my father when they were young. They got married, settled down as farmers, and had a family. A dull life in Bunnyburrow if you ask me. It's part of the reason why I wanted to join law enforcement or the military. To get out and see other places no matter the dangers. Of course, my parents avoid dangers with a passion. As I mentioned before, if it wasn't for the promise of coming home for the holidays, they would have never let me enlist."

Nick chuckled. "You sure are one adventurous bunny with overprotective parents. What about your brothers and sisters? How many do you have?"

"365." She stated without hesitation.

Nick's eyes widened and his jaw dropped at the amount. "3-365?"

Judy shrugged her shoulders. "What can I day? We bunnies are good at multiplying. I had only 275 when I was nine."

"Clearly. How does anything even get done around the house?"

"We have various roles for the siblings you know. My parents aren't the only ones who run the house. I had to contribute in sustaining the family before joining the military."

"I can't imagine the family photo." Nick wondered. "It must be very large and quite the trouble to gather all the members."

"Actually," Judy said while pulling out her wallet. "We tend to have more of individuals and group photos. The family photo is usually reserved for the holidays or when we have enough kits for a new one." Judy took out the same picture from her wallet and showed it to Nick. "This one is of me, my parents, and a couple of my siblings."

Nick took the picture and looked at it. He smiled at the bunny with the amethyst eyes smiling in the midst of the others. "You look so cute in this!"

The picture was immediately snatched from his paws and Nick looked up to see a glaring, scowling bunny.

"Nick, what have I said about calling me cute?"

Nick's ears flattened at the threatening tone. "Not to call you that."

"Good, now if you want to continue looking at this picture then I'd suggest you further refrain from calling bunnies cute."

He relented. "Okay, I won't say that word to you anymore. The last thing I need is for your unit to mistake me for attacking you and then end the ceasefire. But seriously, are you willing to let lives be lost just over someone calling you the c-word?"

His words struck Judy and caused her to pause a moment. Despite her annoyance, Nick spoke some truth. "No, but I just want you to understand that we bunnies don't like being called cute. You have no idea how many mammals thought of me during my training and career. How can a cute bunny like you make it in this field? was the common question."

Noticed the sudden change in behavior from Judy, he wrapped his arm around her in comfort. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Judy sighed. "You couldn't have. Just remember next time."

Nick nodded in agreement. "Okay."

His confirmation cheered the bunny up.

"What about you?" Judy asked, looking back up at him. "What is your family like and do you have a photo of them as well?"

At this, Nick grew silent and lowered his head and ears. He slowly released Judy and slightly shifted away from her.

Judy took note of the open behavior. "I'm sorry. You don't have to talk about it if you want to. I won't ask anymore."

Nick shook his head. "No, you've shared about your family. It's only fair I do the same. While I won't share the specific details about myself, I can share about my family."

"So, what are their names and jobs?" She carefully asked, not wanting to say anything that could shut him down.

"First, I need to tell you that even though I was born in Foxburrow, I was raised in Zootopia. I'm sure you've heard of it."

"Yes, it's where I would have gone had I been accepted into law enforcement. I'm surprised to hear they're neutral in the war despite their growing power."

"So was I. Their names are Taylor, my mother, and MacLaurin, my father." Nick continued. "Being foxes, they grew up in hard times. Their marriage and my birth were one of the few positives but barely alleviated our troubles. Mother worked in a factory to support the family. Like your parents, she is worried about me being off in the war and had a difficult time accepting my career choice," He paused briefly before continuing. "Father was a tailor at first and had this idea of opening a store that accommodated both predators and prey. Suitopia was the name. An obvious play on the city we grew up in. He had trouble getting the idea to take off since he was a fox."

"Do you...want to talk about that?" Judy knew that she was treading dangerous territory.

Nick slowly nodded. "It's the only way to understand why I'm in the military. Everywhere my father went for a start-up loan, banks turned him down because they didn't trust a fox with their money. After many failed attempts, he finally succeeded in acquiring a loan and starting up the store." A smile appeared on the fox's face as he spoke the last part.

"It was always stressful to bring in customers because they didn't want a fox to con their money. Some even left the store the moment they saw him as the manager. Despite the setbacks, the tailor shop was relatively successful, but that success was short-lived. The Panic of '93 changed everything and life for us became more challenging. Father often relied on importing supplies since he had trouble getting them domestically. Fortunately, Father used his business intelligence to his benefit. He always stored a fifth of his supplies delivered in case of emergencies. The supplies ran out after a year, but he kept the shop open for one more. It was after the second year when he was finally forced to close it down from the piling debt. It may have devastated him, but it didn't break him. After paying off the debt, we lived off his remaining savings and Mother's factory job for another year before the savings ran dry. From there, he had to pawn items off just so Mother wouldn't overwork herself but even that only lasted for a year.

"All the while, Mother did her best to support him in his time of need. Father spent the years after the tailor shop's closing looking for jobs, but no one wanted to hire a fox in their workplace. Then, the Bovine-Zootopian War broke out in '98 giving him the much-needed opportunity. As I mentioned before, the cry for war temporarily suppresses the feelings of prejudice. The moment the call to arms came, Father immediately enlisted in the Zootopia army. To him, it was more than just the money. He wanted to prove himself. Of course, Mother was against his decision from the start. She told him she'd rather live poor in a decrepit place together than sustained in a home without him. But this was one of the few things my she couldn't change his mind from.

"Father reasoned that mammals would start looking at him and foxes in general in a more positive light because of his willingness to fight and die for his home. Despite his mild successful and the bettering of our lives, it came at the cost of rarely seeing him at home. After Zootopia defeated the Bovines, they seized control of its colonies. One of which was inhabited by water buffalo. I mention this because my father was stationed there after the war where we only saw him thirty days out of the year." Nick took a deep breath before continuing. "It was also where he met his untimely end. You see months after the war, a rebellion broke out on the colony that lasted three years. He was killed one month before it ended. But his sacrifice wasn't in vain because Zootopia quelled the rebellion. But it mattered little to my mother as she was devastated and heartbroken by the news. It was a fate she had come to accept would happen but unable to embrace. "

Judy could only imagine her family's devastation should they receive news of her death. This led to the next question. "So how did your father inspire you to enlist? You mentioned having little options at the time, but you must have a reason."

"Correct. Growing up as a kit, to see him succeed in the way he did was inspiring. So after becoming of legal age at the turn of the century and many failed attempts at applying for colleges and careers, I decided to follow in his footsteps. Mother's reaction to me was exactly the same to his when she heard that, except with more emotion. The thought of having two of her family spending an undetermined amount of time away from home with the chance of never seeing them again was almost too much for her to bear. But after seeing me coming home day after day with no success, she finally relented. Father, on the other paw, had mixed reaction. Though he felt proud of me, he warned that the military life is not all that glorious as it's made out in the propaganda. Like you Carrots, I applied for both Zootopia and Foxburrow. Except it was easier getting in at Foxburrow than you in Bunnyburrow from what you told me. Still, it didn't make things any easier on my mother since I had to move there.

"To say I was saddened by the news of my father's death would be an understatement. It happened during my training. Part of me wanted to return home and take care of Mother in her time of need. Yet at the same time, I couldn't abandon all the work I put in at that point. While I was granted temporary leave to see he, it ultimately didn't affect my decision. She begged me to return home and forget about the military because she understandably didn't want to lose me also. After a long talk with her and much soul-searching, I decided to continue my training and career in my father's memory. It's what keeps me going through the hardships I had to endure. It's where I am today because of him. And seeing more foxes being accepted in this field brings me great satisfaction."

Judy placed her paw on Nick's shoulder to comfort him. "I think your father would be proud of what you are today and your successes. You finished what he started and made a better future for yourself and other foxes in this career field."

Nick smiled. "Thank you, Judy. That means a lot."

Judy nodded. "You're welcome. How is your mother? Is she..."

"She's alive and well if that's what you're asking," Nick said with no hostility, noticing her reluctance to finish the sentence. "I'm not offended at the question."

"Sorry, I don't want to push you for information like a prisoner interrogation."

"Right," Nick chuckled at her analogy. "Mother has been living and working at the same factory in Zootopia ever since the outbreak of war and because of the city-state's neutrality. I visited her when I could up until being called to service. We still respond to each other with letters of course. If you think we feel bad about not coming home to our families, imagine how she feels from having to spend Christmas alone."

The last part hit Judy like an artillery blast and she felt even more heartbroken. "I feel so selfish now. I was so focused on being unable to spend Christmas with my family that I never realized that some mammals here may only have one family member to come home to or worse, none at all."

Nick placed his paw on Judy's shoulder and comforted her. "There is no need to burden yourself like that, but I'm glad you understand."

Then another thought came to Judy. "Wait, you don't have any siblings?"

He shook his head. "It's just me. I supposed that's a good thing since my parents could afford more from not having to support more than one kit."

Something clicked in Judy's head when she heard that. "You're an only kit?"

"Yes?" Nick said, curious at Judy's question.

Judy reached into her uniform and pulled out a second wallet. "I…found this during our advance. I looked inside to see its owner."

Nick's eyes widened at the item.

"There was no name inside but there is a picture of three foxes. I initially wanted to leave it behind or turn it over, but somehow ended up deciding to keep it. Maybe some off chance I would find the owner as we advanced. I'm not certain honestly."

Nick slowly reached for the wallet and took it with no hesitation from Judy.

"When you mentioned being an only kit, I remembered the picture and wanted to find out if this belonged to you. Judging from your reaction, I was right."

Nick remained silent as he opened the wallet and saw the picture of the three foxes. Two older foxes stood behind the kit with their paws placed on the kit's shoulders. All of them smiling and dressed nicely: males in suits with the older wearing a four-in-paw necktie and the younger in a bow-tie and the female in a dress with jewelry. Their faces were lit with hope at a future full of success and happiness that had yet to be marred by the trials ahead. The scenery was the front of an empty building that looked old and decrepit. Nick knew what that building is and in an instant, the barriers holding back his emotions fell.

Judy saw the fox's lips quiver and tears stream down from his eyes followed by sniffling and heavy breathing that slowly increased with each passing second. The sight of Nick crying shocked the bunny. Up to this point, Judy had only seen Nick as a military officer who wanted temporary peace for his unit and himself and rarely saw any other emotion from him. But after hearing his family's history, it warmed the bunny to see there was still a kit underneath the hardened fox. She moved closer and enveloped him in a hug with warmth and comfort. The two sat in silence for a few moments.

"Thank you, Judy," Nick whispered.

"You're welcome, Nick." She said while still enveloping her arms around him. "Do you want to tell me what the picture is about?"

Nick sniffled. "Happier times."

Chapter Text

Despite the ceasefire, battles still occurred between Hopps and Wilde's units on Christmas Day, but they were more friendly, competitive, and most importantly, non-violent. One particular battle would later become a highlight of the Christmas truce.

At the sound of the whistle, a ball was kicked from its position in the center of a designated field, and a game of pawball commenced between the predators and prey. Having appendages made up for the players not using their front paws. For this match, Higgins was the goalie for the prey, and Snarlof was for the predators. The spectators watched from the sidelines and acted as the boundaries. After scrambling for the ball, a predator emerged with it and made a long pass to another close to the prey's goal. That predator performed a quick side kick just before the ball went out of bounds, sending it too fast for Higgins to block in time and scoring the goal. The predators cheered as the hippo retrieved the ball and threw it back into play.

As the friendly match went on, Judy and Nick watched the game and gave their support.

"Come on, team!" Nick yelled, further encouraging the predator's game plan.

"Work together! Not as individuals!" Judy yelled, trying to motivate the prey.

As a predator chased after the ball, a prey went to intercept and accidentally knocked the predator down when they collided. This elicited friendly boos from the sidelines.

"That was intentional and you know it, Carrots!" Nick exclaimed, trying to be offended.

"No! That was an accident!"

He smirked and crossed his arms. "You're just upset because we're winning right now."

Judy replied with the same gesture. "This match is far from over, Lt. Wilde!"

The predators scored again immediately, causing her to sigh in frustration. This, in turn, caused Nick to laugh which earned him an elbow to his abdomen and a bunny glare. The predators ended up winning that round in close score of 3-2. The mammals on the field switched out with the next participants for the next match with McHorn and Clawhauser as the next goalies.

"Ready for round two?" Nick boasted.

"The prey will win this time!" Judy declared. "Just you watch!"

The second match began, and the teams played more competitively. The players and audience exemplified the same fighting spirit normally expressed on the battlefield. True to Judy's words, the prey won the second round 3-2 as well. Their victory hinged on Clawhauser's performance as the goalie. The poor cheetah was out of breath by the end of the match, and it was agreed that he shouldn't be goalie again, ever. The next participants began entering the field.

Nick stood up and stretched. "Well, that's enough for me."

"What's wrong, Nick? Don't want to see your team lose again?" Judy patronized.

"Please, I saw enough losses when you launched your counter-offensive a few months back."

She rolled eyes at the subtle remark. "Har har."

"But in all honesty, I'm in the mood for a walk at the moment. Care to join me?"

"Sure!" She got up to began to follow him. "Let us know who won!"

"Will do!" A mammal responded.

The Lieutenants walked away from the ongoing match.

Even though Clawhauser had run out of gas from being a goalie, he still had enough energy to voice his frustration at the commanding officers. "Ugh! Those two are killing me here! When will one of them make a move?"

"Love is precious and tender, Clawhauser." Gazelle reasoned. "You must not rush it lest you destroy its work."

Wolford took a long sniff and smiled as a result. "Besides, I can smell the pheromones coming off of them. That alone gives a clear indication."

Clawhauser remained anxious, trying to patient. "I know what you mean. But come tomorrow, they'll be fighting each other again. It will break my heart if tragedy strikes them before they realize their true feelings for each other."

"I doubt Hopps will want to continue fighting if that does happen," Francine said. "I wouldn't be surprised if she ordered us to keep him alive on future assaults."

But that left one glaring question in the cheetah's mind. "What about the rest of the predators here? Will you do the same?"

"It would be very difficult for us to not to after today," McHorn assured. "But we can only speak for ourselves and hope that all of us here share the same sentiments."

"So long as you don't present yourself as a threat, your survival is guaranteed," Higgins said.

"One thing is certain," Delgato said. "Things will never be the same after today."

"No argument there." Fangmeyer concurred.

As they walked through No Mammal's Land, Judy found herself often glancing up at Nick while watching her steps. Ever since their first encounter, conflict raged in her mind over her perception of foxes. Everything about Nick flew in the face of what she's been raised with. Maybe he was the exception, or perhaps her personal experience was an exception. Regardless, Nick Wilde was an honest and trustworthy mammal, both evident from his family's history and how much his unit trusts him. And somehow through all that, Judy found herself growing even closer to him.

"Letting your mind wander again, Carrots?"

The sound of his voice caused her to stop and look up at him. "Just thinking…Were you saying something?"

He once again chose not to press further and repeated himself. "Beautiful sight. Isn't it?"

He gestured to the front of them, and Judy took in their surroundings. Mammals had formed groups and gathered on the snowy ground or in the craters left by the artillery. The main thing that stuck out to her was the interactions. The predators and prey played games and displayed their respective cultures for entertainment to the audience. With her hearing, she heard the friendly conversations and the stories being told. The bunny held back a laugh when the prey got the wolves to howl that lasted for a few minutes. A single word described the scene before her, and it was the one Nick iterated: beautiful. Judy now understood how this moved Gazelle to tears at first sight.

"Yes, it is." A funny thought then came to her. "If we were all bunnies, it would be just like home."

"After hearing how many siblings you have, our combined units would only make up half your enormously large family."

"Oh, you know what I mean!" Judy said while rolling her eyes.

Nick chuckled as they resumed walking. "Do you even have a sense of humor?"

"Not if it's coming from you."

"Ouch. That hurts, Carrots. Unfortunately, when you're around me, my humor is always present."

"I'm sure that goes over well with your unit."

"You'd be surprised. It actually enlightens the mood, especially if directed towards our superior."

Judy huffed. "Do you always test the patience of others?"

"Even I have my limits, Carrots. I know better than to jeopardize everything I've worked for over a remark. Still, it never fails to bring a smile to my face when my superior reprimands me for my humor. That means I've won."

"How you managed to get away with that is beyond me."

"It's all experience and practice, Fluff."

Judy became curious that Nick gave her another name. "Oh, so you're calling me Fluff now?" She then decided to entertain him. "What other nicknames do you have for me?"

Her attempt amused him, he responded with another nickname. "Smooth, Cottontail. I do have a few, but I doubt you'd find them appropriate."

"As long as the word cute isn't included, I can bear them."

"Will you let me call you that just once for today?"

"I'll think about. Anyways, do you have a place to take us, or are we just circling?" Judy asked, curious about his intentions.

"Just to our usual spot. I prefer not to sit on the ground or in a crater."

"You were doing just that last night during Gazelle's performance."

"I said I prefer," He clarified. "It doesn't mean I refuse."

"Ugh, You and that mouth of yours."

He started walking with pride. "It's my greatest asset."

The two reached the haystacks and sat down with a view of their troops. They spent a few minutes relishing in the sight before Nick decided to break the silence between them. When he looked down at Judy, something caught his attention. Nick didn't know why he didn't notice it the first time, but that didn't matter now.

"How did you get those?"

Judy looked up with a questioning look. "Huh?"

Nick pointed to his left cheek, signaling Judy to touch hers. Confused, she brushed over the left cheek, and the realization hit her as she felt the three scars. With how much effort she put into hiding them, she was surprised he noticed them at all.

"Oh these?" Not wanting to discuss it, Judy quickly came up with a reason. "Uh…I got them while crossing No Mammal's Land during our last advance from an artillery blast. It may not have been close to my position, but the damages are quite large for a bunny."

Judy chuckled nervously while looking at Nick, hoping her reason would convince him but the look on his face said otherwise.

"It's true!" She exclaimed, desperately wanting to move away from the topic.

"Judy,"

Hearing her real name caught the bunny off guard. Nick had only been calling her nicknames since their introduction, but this was the first time she heard him use her real name.

"I'm certain you know by now how perceptive I am. But since you were respectful when asking about my history, I will do the same and not ask any further if you don't want me to. However, I've been through enough combat experience to know that artillery can cause more damage than just a few scratches. Especially to your face."

Judy sighed and slowly nodded, giving up her attempt to convince him otherwise.

Seeing how comfortable she was, Nick decided to make it easier on her to open up. "Tell you what. I'll show you how I got my scar if you are willing to tell me yours? Is that fair?"

Judy really didn't want to explain how she got those scars, but Nick was once again sharing something personal to her, and it wouldn't be right for her to not do the same.

She finally resigned herself and nodded. "Yes."

Nick smiled at her answer and brought up his leg. Judy watched him roll up the trouser to reveal his wound. She was shocked to see a sizable scar on his leg despite the fur having grown over.

"That right there is an artillery wound, Fluff. Well, at least a mild one. I'm certain we've seen worse."

"When did that…"

"It happened during my first trip to the battlefield. I was moving a wounded when a blast went off nearby. Unfortunately, the blast killed the soldier and left me with a bleeding leg. I spent a few months in the hospital healing and recovering mobility in the leg. You couldn't imagine the effort I put into convincing everyone else that I wasn't responsible for that predator's death. Fortunately, there were a few witnesses who vouched for me."

Judy smirked. "I think I got that beat." She rolled up her sleeve to reveal a large scar that covered most of her upper left arm, the fur having just starting to grow back.

"How did that happen?" Nick asked, shocked at the size of the scar.

"Sniper shot before the war. Even though the bullet only grazed me, it still hurt because of the bullet's caliber and my size. Nearly took my arm off had mine and the bullet's directions and angles were different. It kept me out for a while, and I only just fully recovered a few months before this war broke out."

"I'm impressed. You are a lot stronger than you look." Nick said, admiring her determination to return to the field.

"As I've said many times before, I'm not just some token bunny."

"After seeing and hearing of your work, there is no doubt."

Judy smiled at the compliment. "I'm glad you quickly realized that."

"See, there's nothing to be embarrassing about showing your wounds," Nick assured. "It reveals how much we have in common."

Her smile quickly disappeared, and she nervously looked away from him again. "Nothing about how I got these scars is embarrassing."

"Your behavior says otherwise."

"It's just that…" Judy took a deep breath before continuing. "Remember when I mentioned the struggle with my dream." She pointed to her scars. "This was one of the prices I paid."

See her suffer because of her dream filled Nick with rage. He calmed himself down before speaking, nearly letting out a snarl. "Who would even do that to you?" He said in a cold tone.

Judy remained silent, still looking away from Nick.

It then dawned on him, and all that anger was replaced with disbelief and unease. "It was a fox. Wasn't it?"

Judy slowly nodded before taking a deep breath. "When I was nine, I starred in a play about Zootopia at a fair back in Bunnyburrow." She chuckled. "You would have thought I was ridiculous in my costume for my career choice."

"Now why would I even consider doing that?" Nick said, his disbelief and unease temporarily suppressed. "If I had the opportunity to see your play, I would have enjoyed it."

Judy looked back at him and smiled. "I appreciate the compliment, Lt. Wilde. The play involved I and two others, a female black sheep named Sharla and a male jaguar cub named Jaguar. His name is actually pronounced Hog-u-are."

"Interesting use on the word."

"That's what I thought. We began the play by giving a brief history of the Stone Age and how we evolved from our primitive ways. Then came the part of our opportunities. Sharla wanted to be a pilot. Jaguar wanted to be an actuary,"

"And you wanted to be a police officer," Nick added.

"How did you know?" She asked, playing along. "To be honest, I still want to be one. I'm thinking about applying again once I'm discharged. Having a military background may help with the application next time."

"With your record, I have no doubt."

Judy smiled at his compliment before continuing to explain the play. "We conclude the play by introducing the city of Zootopia and expressed what a great city it was where anyone could be anything. The fox was in the audience when he heard it all and mocked me for my dream. Naturally, I put him in his place immediately."

"Even when you were young, you were dangerous. Hopefully, I'm on your good graces when we resume the war."

She smirked and sent a wink. "You are at the moment."

He returned the gesture. "That's encouraging."

She relaxesd and continued. "After the show, I saw him and his ferret friend go after three kits. Forgive me, but their behavior led me to investigate." She looked up at him and saw no hurt in his expression. Nick nodded for her to continue, and so she did. "From behind a tree, I watched him bully them and stole their tickets. That made me angry, so I stepped forward and confronted them."

A smile briefly appeared on Nick's face when hearing her stand up to the bully.

"The fox and his ferret friend continued to mock me for my dream. Telling me I was crazy for even thinking I could be a police officer. I told them they didn't scare me, but that ended with the fox pushing me to the ground."

Nick's demeanor quickly returned to anger and disbelief. Judy's also changed when she looked away in response.

"He got in my face and called me out for being scared because of my nose twitching. What I did next led to this." She pointed to the scars again. "I kicked him in the face with my feet so hard that he started bleeding. I'll be honest. It felt amazing." She returned her gaze to him. "You can guess what happened next, but at least there was a happy ending. I got the tickets back while he was distracted."

The two sat in silence for a few moments as Nick let her story sink in.

"Wow," Was his only response.

"Now you know the origins of the scars and can guess why I felt afraid during our first encounter. Seeing you brought back memories of the incident. I honestly do try to give everyone a chance, but that encounter partly reinforced my parents' words about foxes."

Judy suddenly found herself enveloped in a hug and looked up to see Nick with a sympathetic look on his face.

"I never thought I would meet someone else like me."

His statement confused her, wondering what treatment he received was similar to hers considering his harsh treatment because of his species. "What do you mean?"

Nick took a deep breath before releasing her but still kept his paws on her shoulders. "Judy. I want you to understand that what you are about to hear is something only my parents know. I'm telling you this because your story reminded of my own experience."

This was almost too much for her. Judy didn't want to put Nick through the emotional trauma of retelling that his story, but that was entirely up to him. "Are you sure? You don't have to if it hurts."

Nick smiled at her concern, still amazed that she cared for him. "You've shared yours, so it's only fair that I share mines. Besides, after today we'll probably never see each other again."

She didn't know why that last part stung so much. The bunny forgot that they would resume fighting, but she set her growing concerns aside to hear Nick's story. "Okay, but you can always stop if you start feeling uncomfortable. I'm not holding you back."

"Actually Fluff, hearing your story encouraged me," He reasoned and released his grip on her shoulders. "I was eight or nine and just as naïve and emotionally unbalanced as you are."

Judy rolled her eyes at the remark. "Har har,"

Nick smiled at the response and continued. "This was a year after my father opened his tailor shop. Back then, I wanted to do nothing more than join the Junior Ranger Scouts." He smiled at the memories. "It was my dream at the time, and the fact that I would be the first predator to join the troop made it all the more encouraging and exciting. But the uniforms were expensive, and our family couldn't afford too many luxuries. Then one day, my mother approached me with her paws behind her back. I wondered what she was hiding until she brought them out. In her paws was a brand new Junior Ranger Scout uniform. My parents had saved enough money to make my dream possible. I couldn't have been a more happy kit. That day I nearly crushed them in hugs and showered them with kisses and thank you's."

Judy couldn't help but smile along with Nick as he told his story.

"On the night of the first meeting, the words eager and overjoy doesn't properly describe my feelings. When I climbed the stairs into the building and stepped down them into the basement, I saw my future scout members, and I could feel my dream in my paws. The joy I felt then rivaled the one from when I first received my uniform. When the leader of the troop called me forward to recite the oath, I could barely contain my excitement."

"Like a kit on Christmas morning."

"Like a kit on Christmas morning," He repeated. "I could still remember the oath I took as they turned off the lights and shined a lantern in my face: I, Nicholas Wilde, promise to be brave, loyal, helpful, and trustworthy."

Judy nearly moved closer to hug him, but the sudden shift in his demeanor halted her. Her ears shot up in alarm at the drastic change. "Nick?"

"I thought that was it." His tone quickly becoming cold, and his gaze turned to No Mammal's Land. "I had finally joined the Junior Ranger Scouts and achieved my dream. I had finally become part of a pack."

"Nick…" She grew more concerned for him and began debating in her mind to stop him from continuing.

"Instead, they called me out for being a fox," He had no emotion in his voice at this point. "The next thing I knew the lights went out, and I was pushed to the floor and restrained by two troop members. I began to panic. I didn't know why this was happening to me. I kept asking why but kept getting no response. Even though I can see in the dark, my mind was too distracted to even register their next action. It wasn't until I felt the cold feeling of metal and fabric of straps around my head that I realized what had happened. They had put a muzzle on me. Something reserved for criminals and the mentally ill."

"Oh Nick…" Judy's conscious pleaded with her body to stop Nick, but her mind and body were too entranced to respond.

"I can still remember the words said once the muzzle was on that burned into me. Did you thought that we would ever trust a fox without a muzzle? You're even dumber than you look."

Judy could barely hold herself back at this point as her body trembled with emotions.

"Once they released me, the first thing I did was run. Run as fast as my legs would allow me until I was outside the building. I finally stopped at the side of the stairs and desperately tore that contraption off me. Their last words to me also burned into my head. Is he going to cry? I was happy they didn't see me did."

At this point, Judy yearned to comfort Nick as tears began to stream down her face but held back long enough for him to finish.

"I learned two things that day. One, I was never going let anyone see that they get to me. Two, the world will see a fox as shifty and untrustworthy. Had it not been for my parents, I would have given into to that perception, and who knows where my life would be right now."

Nick was suddenly enveloped in a crushing hug and heard crying. Too focused on the memories, he didn't realize that his story had brought Judy to tears.

She continued to hold him tight while sobbing. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

He reciprocated her hug and gently stroke from her ears and back. The two sat in silence as they let their emotions from their traumatic stories run their course. Nick finally broke the silence, not wanting others to suspect him of wrongdoing from seeing Judy crying with him.

"You know. We never did hold our gift exchange. I think now would be a good time."

Seeing his attempt to move onto more positive discussions, Judy went along and cheered herself up. She sniffled and wiped her tears. "You're right, but I doubt I have anything that could be valuable to you."

"Oh Carrots, gift exchanges are about the thoughts behind the giving. Not the actual gifts," Nick reminded. "It's why everyone can do it."

Judy giggled. "Well, I do have something that is of value to me."

Nick released her and watched the bunny reached into her coat and pulled out a carrot pen.

Judy then offered the object to him. "Besides my wallet and its contents, this is the only other thing valuable to me. I got it before my training and used it to write my letters and journal entries."

Nick was left speechless. He expected her to give him something small, not of high sentimental value. "Are you sure you want to part ways with your pen, Carrots? It must remind you of your family and Bunnyburrow."

Judy nodded. "I can always get another one when I return home, and I have a second pen on me, just not carrot shape. It's not like this one can record and play voices. Should that day come, I can guarantee you will see me in possession of it. Besides, I want you to have something to remember me and of this special Christmas." She shook the pen for emphasis. "Like you said, chances are we'll never see each other again after today."

After a moment of hesitation, Nick finally accepted the pen and held it with extreme care. Judy saw a genuine smile form on his face, unlike his usual smirks.

"Thank you, Judy. I promise to never forget you, and this pen will reinforce that."

She smiled. "You're welcome."

"Now it's my turn." Nick paused to think before reaching into his coat.

"I'll be happy with whatever you give me."

"I promise you will be." He pulled out a small iron box and offered it to her.

Curious, Judy took the object and looked at it.

"Open it."

With the box in one paw, she did so and saw what appears to be a red piece of clothing inside. Nick watched her take the material out and set the iron box down.

Judy unfolded the clothing, and it revealed itself to be a red cloth with markings on it. "What is this?"

Nick quietly sat back. "I'll let you figure it out."

Judy inspected the red fabric in her paws, mainly the markings. She thought back to the conversations with Nick. He valued his family, but she already returned his wallet containing the picture. That left...it then dawned on her on what it could possibly be. She snapped back at him with big eyes and a dropped jaw. "Nick, is this…part of your...junior ranger scout uniform?"

He nodded in response.

"But...I can't take this!" She cried while trying to give the cloth back. "There's no way I can take this! It's too important to you! Even more important than my carrot pen!"

Nick calmly shoved her paws back. "I want you to have it, Judy. Yes, it is important to me, but it will remind you that not all foxes are shifty and untrustworthy. Especially after this one gave you an insight into the prejudice against them. Just remember to take good care of it."

Judy was in tears once again and enveloped him in a tight hug. "Oh Nick, I promise! Thank you!"

"Just don't use it to wipe your tears." Nick said, his humor quickly returning.

Instead of berating him for ruining the moment, Judy giggled and playfully hit him. "Dumb...fox..." She said in between sobs and hits.

Nick chuckled as he stroked her ears and back once more. "You bunnies. So emotional."

Chapter Text

The Christmas Truce was beneficial to all members of Hopps and Wilde's unit. None were more grateful than the medics and cooks. Any day the medics could perform their duty while free from danger was a huge relief. The cooks were grateful that they could combine their resources to set up a field kitchen in No Mammal's Land and provide much-needed hot meals for the troops. In another act of giving, Gazelle and her tigers shared their deluxe meals they brought with them and even participated in serving the troops. Clawhauser considered it an honor to have his idol serve his meal. Having no desire to return to their trenches, the mammals built small fires and enjoyed their Christmas dinners together in No Mammal's Land.

Sitting on the hay bale with her meal and drink untouched, Judy waited for Nick to arrive so they can eat together. She finally saw him approaching her. "There you are, Slick! You took your sweet time."

Hearing himself be called Slick brought an amusing smirk on Nick's face. "Slick? Is that your nickname for me, Carrots?"

"Consider your slyness, I think it's appropriate." She reasoned. "It even rhymes with your name. Slick Nick."

Nick faked a thinking face, wanting to have some fun. "Hmm, I like that."

Judy smiled. "Glad you do."

"Maybe I should come up with a nickname for you that rhymes."

"Ha! Good luck with that."

Nick chuckled as he sat down next to Judy and the two ate their meals.

Something caught Judy's attention when she looked at Nick's food. "I'm surprised to not see you eating meat. Aren't predators carnivores?"

He took a drink before answering. "We just need protein in our diet so plants containing high quantities of it will suffice. We still receive meat from our supplies but they usually go to the predators that need it the most such as wolves."

This raised another question for Judy. "So you've never eaten meat before?"

"I did before the military but very little since my training. I could easily be the first one served if I wanted to, but that would only worsen my reputation among the others so I always go last." Nick then shrugged his shoulders. "I just got used to it, and it earns the respect of my platoon because I value their health over my own. "

Judy nodded in understanding. "I can relate to that. When you grow up with so many siblings like me, there is competition in getting your meals. I got away with trying to be first in line as a kit but had to stop when I grew older. What example would I be setting for my younger siblings if I was selfish and rude all the time in getting my meal?"

"Everything has its pros and cons. There are benefits from being an only kit, but it can get lonely when your parents are busy putting a roof over our heads and food on the table."

Judy didn't reply but understood his meaning. They continued eating in silence while watching their platoon enjoy their Christmas dinners and the night.

"You know what's ironic," Judy said. "I had such low expectations over this year's Christmas. Instead, I got to experience something more than I could possibly imagine."

"Spending Christmas with a handsome fox? I'd consider that normal." He then felt a sharp pain on his shoulder.

"Don't be so full of yourself."

Nick groaned as he massaged the sore spot. "You know if you keep doing that, I'll have to consider that as breaking the ceasefire."

Knowing it was a vague threat, Judy stuck her tongue out at him before biting into her bread.

"So, which part of this reminds you of home?" Nick asked.

Judy swallowed the bread. "If I'm honest, it feels almost exactly the same. We got together in one place which in this case the battlefield. We're enjoying a Christmas dinner right now. We listened to Christmas stories and ones from each other. We sang Christmas carols. And lastly, we had our gifts and rested for the remainder of the day. I'd say the only difference are the absence of chaos from my family and the fewer numbers involved here."

"We are disciplined mammals." Nick reminded. "Otherwise, this ceasefire would have never been successful. I'd say your wish has been granted."

Judy nodded. "Yes, thank you for making this the greatest Christmas I've ever had."

"It wasn't just me. You, me, and our units made this possible. This is the greatest Christmas we ever had."

Judy looked at Nick and smiled. Nick returned the gesture before they continued their dinner in peace.

As the night grew, the mammals reluctantly accepted the ending to Christmas Day while still wishing for the ceasefire to continue. With great sadness, the predators and prey exchange goodbyes and good wishes before trudging to their respective trenches. Having spent the night with the predators on Christmas Eve, Gazelle and her tigers chose to spend the night with the prey before resuming her tour the next day. The prey were more than happy to accept and accommodate the singers. As the moon and stars shined brightly in the night sky, only Judy and Nick remained in No Mammal's Land. The two sat on the hay bale with the Christmas tree erected by Wolford on Christmas Eve between them. The candles lit on the tree had long been burned out.

"Did you enjoy yourself today?" Nick asked.

"Yes," Judy sighed heavily from her gloominess. "It's a shame this has to end."

"I feel the same. But as long as this war goes on, it's our duty to serve our home and protect its denizens."

"You're right. There's nothing we can legally do. This unofficial ceasefire is already pushing it."

"Not even desertion would be worth it. That would be unfair to our families if caught and executed. Even if successful, we'd be missing in action, only to be punished later if found."

With all other options rendered useless, Judy knew the only one left. "Then the best thing we can do is show mercy in our attacks. That shouldn't be a problem since we all got to know each other."

"It's always good to see different perspectives. It opens your eyes and makes you more aware of the whole picture. We both know what that is like."

Judy smiled at Nick, in awe at how he can bring raise her spirits. "Right. I'm glad I got to know you."

"I agree, Carrots." Nick then had a thought. "You know. I realized that a doe with amazing qualities such as you will make a wonderful wife to that one lucky buck."

Judy kept her smile but looked more dejected. "I wish the bucks have your mindset. Sadly, that's not the case."

Nick could hardly believe Judy's words and grew angry and confused. "How can that be?! After spending an entire day with you and learning who you are, why would a buck not want you?!"

"It's a part of the price I paid for pursuing my dreams. The fox who clawed me wasn't the only one who tried to make me quit. Countless times, bucks tell me to give up on my dreams and settle down like a proper doe. To them, the only things female rabbits are good for are having children and taking care of the house. But I did find supportive bucks, they just thought long distance relationships would fail should I succeed. Keyword should. Don't even get me started with the unfaithful ones. My father ranks them even lower than foxes. Needlessly to say, my relationships were scarce and brief."

"Then it's their loss if they can't see your true qualities! You certainly proved the full potential of bunnies. Why if I were one, I would gladly have you as my lady!"

Judy blushed at the compliment. "I'm glad you see that, but I'm sure there are vixens out there who are better for you."

Nick's face quickly turned serious. "Judy, how a fox chooses is drastically different from how a bunny chooses. Foxes mate for life, so we're extremely careful in our selection. It could be years before we commit to each other long term. Unfortunately, my relationships with vixens never did. It's a shame because a few were actually beautiful and interested in going further. The problem is that I never felt that connection and refused to commit if it meant lying to myself. Some weren't even serious about the relationship, but those I discovered to be unfaithful despite our closeness were the most painful."

Judy noticed how tense Nick was getting from thinking the last part and placed her paw on his shoulder to calm him down. She had never felt this much sympathy for any other mammal before. "I'm sorry that you had to endure so much pain in your life."

"Never let them see that they get to you remember?" He reminded. "It's how I survived this long. It's how I dealt with the pain."

"You don't deserve that, even if you're a fox. No one does."

Nick chuckled, surprising Judy. "You know. When we first met on Christmas Eve, I had already known about you." He turned his gaze to Judy and smiled. "Your reputation precedes you, Lt. Hopps."

Judy pulled her paw back and covered her face with both, failing to hide the blush appearing on there and her ears.

Nick snickered at the sight. "Something else you should know about me, Carrots, is that I know everybody. Even my enemies. It's how I stay one step ahead."

"An asset you must be very proud of like your mouth."

"I'll take it as a compliment." He said before returning his sight to No Mammal's Land. "When I first heard that a lady stopped my advance, I thought Wow, I wonder who she is. Soon after, I had my unit gather up any information on you so I can know your strengths and weaknesses. I didn't believe your real name to be Hopps. Maybe as an alias to prevent an information leak."

"You are one dumb fox for thinking that."

"One of my rare mistakes," He turned to face Judy with a serious look. "Don't ever mention that to anyone!"

Judy smirked. "No promises."

Nick relaxed. "Anyways, when our units came to a stalemate, I knew this was an opportunity to finally meet her. When you first appeared to negotiate the ceasefire, I thought Could this dumb bunny really be responsible for my retreat? But those doubts were erased from my time spent with you."

Hearing Nick's great efforts to know her left Judy speechless and in disbelief. So in disbelief that the bunny barely noticed his slight panting.

"I had hoped to one day meet you directly regardless of the circumstances, Judith Hopps." His pants were becoming more noticeable. "I love you. I've thought of you from the moment I first heard of you, and I fell for you from the moment I first laid eyes on you."

No words couldn't even begin to properly describe how the two currently felt at that very moment. Judy's eyes grew wide as saucers and her jaw fell would fall off were it not attached. Nick felt even worse. All the plans he prepared for Christmas Day. All the advantages he had through her slip-ups and from reading her. All the hopes of having Judy confess her love towards him. In the end, all of it went out the window because of his own unexpected slip-up, and part of the cause sat right in front of him.

Nick bit his lip and quickly stood up. "I-I'm sorry. I should have never said that. Um, thanks for agreeing to this...and good luck in the war." He quickly said before turning to leave.

This was enough to break Judy out of her stunned state. "W-Wait, Nick!"

She got up fast and stopped in front him before he got too far. Judy and Nick stood facing each other. Neither spoke as they gazed into the other's eyes nor knew what to do next as the silence continued. Their units, who had been secretly watching, saw their display from the trenches. While not having heard their exact words, they saw their reactions and concluded that things were beginning to take a turn for the worst. The mammals held their breath as they anxiously awaited the outcome.

As the bunny and the fox stood in silence, Judy could see the fear in Nick's eyes, anxious of her response to his stunning revelation. Judy couldn't bear letting everything built up between them end this way. She couldn't let this be another painful moment in his life. In her panicked state, Judy did the first thing that came to her mind to reciprocate his confession of love, hoping to quell the volatile situation.

She pulled his muzzle down to hers for a kiss.

Nick did not resist, stunned and with wide eyes at Judy's response. This was the last thing either of them had expected. Despite the kiss lasting only a few seconds, it felt blissful and eternal as Nick finally melted into it. When Judy released him for air, she saw something different in Nick. Gone was the fear in his eyes and in its place was something else: desire, thirst, love. To his surprise, Nick saw the same in Judy. At that moment, all shreds of rationality vanished as their hearts took over and they kissed much more passionately the seconds time. The two fell onto the hay bale opposite of the Christmas tree kissing and caressing each other with their paws. Unbeknownst to Judy, Nick had wrapped his tail around her. When they finally broke for air, their gazes remained unchanged and they felt no cold from the weather in each other's warmth.

"Wow," Nick said while panting. "That was…"

"Exciting?" Judy finished.

"I was thinking more of exhilarating."

Judy smiled. "I like that better."

Nick smiled also. "As do I. Now let me hear you say it."

Judy finally said the words he longed to hear. "I love you too, Nicholas Wilde."

Despite having anticipated this moment, it was still a shock to the mammals watching, but that feeling was quickly replaced with excitement as Judy and Nick became more intimate. Clawhauser could hardly restrain himself at the sight. Just before he could explode, the cheetah suddenly felt a large paw cover his mouth and was pulled back down into the trench. Clawhauser noticed that Snarlof was responsible and saw daggering glares from the predators. Their message was clear.

NOT. ONE. SOUND.

Clawhauser rapidly nodded his head but remained restrained and was forbidden from watching any further. As Judy and Nick became more intimate, both units gave their Lieutenants their privacy. Quietly, they began collecting the winnings from the pool. While those who wagered against were upset about losing, seeing two enemies become friends and then lovers was a blessing in disguise. A true Christmas miracle for those fortunate enough to witness. It warmed Gazelle's heart and brought her to tears once again to see the epitome of love.

The kissing and caressing soon gravitated to more intimate actions. Judy gasped at the sudden yet gentle feeling of fox canines nibbling on her ears. Her instincts cried out for her to run away from their natural predators, but Judy knew Nick would never dare to hurt her. Not in this situation. She finally closed her eyes and fell into a bliss seconds later, releasing satisfying sighs and moans. Judy groaned in disappointment when she felt his teeth move away. To reciprocate his action, Judy looked up and reached up with her arm to the fur under Nick's neck. Once her paw made contact, she slowly scratched the area, feeling it to be very fluffy. Nick closed his eyes as he entered into a blissful state. Judy smiled at the sound of him purring and his tail swishing back and forth on the bay bale. When she regretfully finished, they relaxed into each other's embrace.

"You do know there is a thing called fraternizing with the enemy right?" Nick smirked, repeating the same words Judy said to him twenty-four hours ago. "The punishment is court-martial if reported."

Judy replied with a smirk of her own and tapped his nose with a finger. "I know, but this is a ceasefire. None of that legal stuff matters until it ends." She then winked at him. "Trust me."

Nick could only chuckle at how things have swapped. "Sly bunny."

Judy settled back into Nick. "Dumb fox."

"So how long Fluff?"

"Hmm?"

"How long have you felt this?" He motioned his finger between them.

She didn't want to admit it, but it was the truth considering the circumstances. "Ever heard of the saying Love at first sight?"

"Wow, do you know how cliché that sounds?"

Judy looked back up at Nick with her eyes narrowed. "Quiet! Don't ruin the moment."

Nick smiled at how cute she looked but refrained from mentioning the word. "As you wish."

Judy and Nick resumed kissing, savoring every moment available as their hearts reigned control. It was fortunate for them that their units gave them their privacy. Otherwise, they would have witnessed the unexpected. Caught up in their love, Judy stood up on Nick's lap and lowered his muzzle to her face. She slowly rubbed her chin around his muzzle before lifting his head to rub under his neck, ceasing after a few cycles. As soon as Judy finished, she felt her head being held in Nick's paws and then raised to meet his emerald eyes. Nick then proceeded to rub his muzzle all along the sides of her face, doing so for a few cycles before breaking off and meeting her amethyst eyes. Whether or not they were aware, Judy and Nick had just marked each other and sealed themselves as mates.

Feeling mostly satisfied, the two finally released each other for good and Nick set Judy down next to him. No words were spoken as they sat in silence to recover.

"You're a good kisser, Slick" Judy finally said.

"I could say the same for you. I was worried about going too far with nibbling your ears. I'm glad you enjoyed the treatment."

"I was afraid at first, but then I realized that you would never hurt me after everything we've been through. You seemed to also enjoy the little scratch I gave you."

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Carrots." He denied.

"Oh? So I guess you purring and tail swishing just moved by themselves?"

"Involuntary actions, Fluff."

Judy smirked. "Keep telling yourself that."

"You realize that we did all of that out in the open for our units to see," Nick said, trying to change the subject.

It worked but with the opposite effect. The word embarrassment failed to properly describe Judy's feelings when the realization hit her.

"Sweet cheese and crackers…And we marked ourselves as mates when we rubbed each other..." Judy said, finally aware of their actions as a blush formed.

"Huh, we did," Nick said nervously as it came to him.

That realization was even worse. Judy pulled her peaked cap down over face to hide the blush.

"SWEET CHEESE AND CRACKERS!" She yelled into the cap.

Nick calmly patted her on the back. "I'm sure our platoons gave us our privacy once they saw us become passionate. Right?" He said the last word loud enough for both trenches to hear.

"We didn't see anything!"

"Did you two do something?"

"You know they're lying right?" Judy said with her face still in the cap.

"Maybe with our first kiss, but I can assure you they are disciplined enough to have self-control."

Judy sighed into her cap, still hiding her face as her mind raced. You just fell in love with and mated with a fox, who is your enemy in this war! This is the epitome of fraternizing with the enemy! Have you lost your mind! How will your superiors respond when they find out? How will your family react when they find out? You might as well desert because you will not get off lightly with the punishment!

Nick quickly came up with something comfort Judy. "You think you're embarrassed? Imagine mine when I confessed. My unit would never let me live it down if they ever found out I confessed first."

Judy refused to uncover her face and Nick heard small sniffles coming from the cap.

Now it was Nick's turn to salvage the situation since he unintentionally caused her current emotional state. He calmly lowered her cap and turned her face to him. Nick saw Judy's frown and sad eyes. "Please, Judy. I don't want the night to end like this."

But Judy looked to be on the verge of a breakdown as tears slowly fell from her eyes.

"Please don't cry." Nick calmly reached into her coat and quietly pulled out his red handkerchief, having remembered where Judy stored it. He proceeded to wipe her tears with the cloth as Judy remained still. "I'm rescinding my restraint on using this to dry your tears."

This finally got a giggle out of the bunny. "I'm sorry. I should never have done that, but I had to do something."

"You have no need to apologize. You did exactly the right thing."

He returned the handkerchief and she put it away.

"I-I did enjoy kissing you. It was much better than the bucks."

"And yours was much better than the vixens. "

Judy giggled. "That's because you've never kissed a bunny before."

This brought a smile to Nick. "Looks like I'm rubbing off on you."

They both laughed, successfully brightening the mood.

"Did I ever tell you how cute you look when you're emotional? That's right I said it, and I don't care!"

Instead of berating him, Judy grinned. "Fortunately for you, I'm also rescinding your ban on calling me cute."

"Oh, I am so going to have fun that."

"Ha! You wish! If I catch you calling me cute in public, you'll wish my unit would be responsible for your capture."

Nick sighed. "It was worth a shot."

After their first romance, Judy and Nick spent the remainder of Christmas in their embrace. They remained silent and enjoyed being in each other's company. Their units quietly peeked from their trenches to see the scene before them. They were delighted to see the situation resolved and quietly returned to their business, waiting patiently for their Lieutenants to return.

After what felt like an eternity, Judy looked at her watch and saw the time. "Oh, look at that. It's almost midnight."

Nick checked his and saw that there were five minutes remaining. "You're right. I was too distracted by a cute bunny to keep track of time."

Judy groaned and snuggled herself into Nick. "I don't want this to end."

"Neither do I. But we'll be punished if we're caught."

Judy sighed in reluctance. "You're right. It wouldn't be fair to each other and our troops. Maybe once we successfully push you back, we can get together for a meal and catch up."

Nick chuckled. "You don't have to defeat me for a reunion. But I will hold you to that promise."

"Deal."

They enjoyed one last moment of silence together.

"So I have an idea for ending the night."

Judy looked up at Nick. "Oh? What do you have in mind?"

Nick displayed his watch. "Do you want to have an early countdown?"

"Hmm?" Judy had a thoughtful look for a moment. "That would be wonderful." She reluctantly lifted off Nick and displayed her watch. "Synchronize our watches?"

The Lieutenants checked their watches to be certain, using Judy's as the reference.

"Now here's the plan," Nick said. "We stand and face each other with our watches out. When there are ten seconds left, we begin counting down."

Judy nodded. "I like that."

The two got into position between the hay bales and raised their watches in view for each other to see. Nick and Judy watched the seconds tick away until the final ten seconds.

"10."

"9."

"8."

"7."

"6."

"5."

"4."

"3."

"2."

"1."

The big paws struck midnight, signaling the end of Christmas Day, December 25, 1914.

"That's it. It's officially December 26." Judy said.

"Yes, and officially the end of the ceasefire," Nick said.

They looked up from their watches and stared at each other.

"I guess we should return to our trenches now," Nick said.

"Yes," Judy brought forward her paw. "It's been honor getting to know you, Lt. Wilde."

Nick brought forward his and shook hers. "Likewise, Lt. Hopps."

"Merry Christmas, Nick."

"Merry Christmas, Judy."

They released their paws and quietly pacing back to their trenches. Judy reached hers first and turned around to get one last look of Nick. Nick reached his and turned around to see Judy standing near hers. They each gave one last salute before entering their trench. The Lieutenants were greeted with hearty laughs and cheers from their unit. Judy became immensely embarrassed while Nick did all he could to keep his mask on as he felt the internal embarrassment. But deep down, the two were happy for themselves and their troops. All in all, it was a Christmas that neither side would ever forget and cherish forever.

December 25/26, 1914,

What a difference twenty-four hours makes! I knew I would be spending this year's Christmas with my unit. But I didn't know I would be spending it with the enemy. While I was cautious initially because of my military instincts, I felt more at ease once their intentions became clear. This truce would have never occurred had we not try. We all wanted a chance for peace and worked to attain it. In the end, it was our combined efforts that made this truce possible and successful. Through this, I learned that prey and predators have a lot more in common than I realized. I especially learned that I have much in common with their commanding officer. His name is Nick Wilde. A fox and my natural enemy. Never would I thought of spending Christmas with a fox. Let alone fall in love with one. But that happened and I never felt so complete before. I love him, and our time spent together is one I will never forget. It was because of him that I got over my childhood fear of foxes. That was perhaps the greatest gift he gave me, even more than the piece of his Junior Ranger Scout uniform. Even if we never see each other again, I will always remember him. My family will be overjoyed to hear how my Christmas went. But they don't need to know about certain details just yet. I hope the mark Nick left on me is not too strong when I return home. Were it not for my love, I would have wanted to die right then and there when my unit found out. I can honestly say that this was the best Christmas ever. Maybe even better than the Hopps' Family Christmas tradition. And l eaving with a lover and a mate is the star at the top of the Christmas tree.

December 25/26, 1914,

She did it! That blasted, fluffy, cute bunny did it! Rarely do my plans go wrong and still be successful. This was Christmas miracle number three. Judy Hopps, a bunny, the commanding officer of the prey unit, and my natural prey, got to me and left me as an open display for her. She broke down my walls for the first time in forever from just being herself. And I loved it! Not even my unit was privileged enough to see this side of me. While I would never admit it, it was a huge relief to not always be on guard with my emotions. But I also will never admit that it's mating season for foxes and part of the reason why my barriers were weak when I confessed. It would break Judy's heart if she knew that piece of information and began to doubt that my love for her is real. Mating season or not, I love Judy Hopps more than any of the vixens I courted. It didn't take long for my unit to realize what transpired between us once I came near the trench. I pity for the embarrassment Carrots will feel once they make the discovery. Note to self: dig up any information on the wolves to use as blackmail for later. But perhaps, this is what I will remember about Judy the most. She may have given her carrot pen as a physical gift, but her greatest gift was that she saw me for who I am rather than what I am. It felt wonderful. Granted, she was fearful of me initially, but that was because of a traumatic experience with a fox as a kit that understandably sowed the seeds for her fear along with her upbringing. None of that matters anymore. Do I regret falling in love with Judy Hopps and marking her as my mate even if I never see her again? No, no I do not.

Chapter Text

December 26, 1914, 9:00 AM,

First Lieutenant Nick Wilde currently waited down in the bunker to receive their unit's orders for the day. He had commanded his troops to keep watch for any activity from the prey and only fire if fired upon. During the wait, his mind was occupied with a certain gray bunny. In planning any offensive or defensive tactic, Nick spent more time thinking of Judy's survival than any other aspects. All he had to do was give the order, but even that felt insufficient. A voice interrupted his train of thought.

"Lt. Wilde!"

Nick faced the bunker entrance to see Wolford and another fox standing next to him. The Lieutenant inwardly grimaced at the tod's attire. While happy to see more foxes in the military, Nick was upset at their lack of promotions and particularly, certain assigned roles. Nothing irked him more than foxes being runners. Runners had very important yet the most dangerous roles in the war. They were essentially defenseless when leaving the safety of the bunkers or trenches to deliver the messages. Nick attuned that to suicide missions. He brought himself under control before speaking. "Yes, what is it?"

The tod stepped forward. "I have a message from headquarters." He reached into the bag and pulled out a letter. Nick took the document and stepped away to read it.

As this happened, the runner noticed something strange and tiptoed to whisper something into Wolford's ear. "I may be imagining things, but why does your Lieutenant smell like rabbit?"

Wolford bit his lip at the question. "You don't want to know."

Seeing the subject uncomfortable, the tod didn't question any further.

A few moments later, the two saw the Lieutenant look up from the letter with a look of horror on his face.

"Oh no…" Nick quickly stored the letter in his coat and frantically searched around the bunker. His actions raised concern from Wolford and the runner.

"Is everything all right, Lieutenant?" The wolf asked worryingly.

Nick ignored their concerns and continued his frantic search. Wolford and the runner finally saw him holding a white shirt and a long wooden plank. Nick tied the arms of the shirt to the wooden board, making a makeshift white flag. He then hurried out into the trench, still ignoring the sergeant and the runner. The troops noticed their Lieutenant running by and wondered what was going on. Nick arrived at the steps leading into No Mammal's Land and climbed up just enough to avoid sticking his head out. He raised his muzzle to sniff the air. Those nearby to witness were confused at his behavior.

"Is something wrong, Lt. Wilde?" A predator asked.

Nick continued to ignore their questions and sniff the air until he finally stopped. To the surprise and shock of the unit, their Lieutenant entered No Mammal's Land.

"What are you doing?!"

"Have you gone mad?!"

"You'll get yourself killed!"

Nick knew he couldn't do this without an explanation, so he addressed his intentions before continuing the perilous trek. "Headquarters just ordered an artillery barrage on the prey. I'm going to warn them of the attack and invite them to our trench for shelter."

His unit and the runner were flabbergasted at his words.

"How do you even know that the bunny is even there?" Delgato inquired.

"Trust me. I do, and you know how I do."

"What if she doesn't believe you?" Fangmeyer questioned.

Nick revealed the document. "I have the letter on me as proof."

"What if you don't survive?" Clawhauser asked in desperation.

He paused at the question and saw their worries. Nick knew they were justified in their concerns. "That's a risk I must take. If Judy doesn't receive the warning, her blood will be on my paws this day. I absolutely refuse to live with that guilt."

The effect of his words was immediate. Nick made one thing clear from the few times he spoke of himself. Foxes mate for life and would pine the remainder of their life away should death or betrayal separate them. His unit did not wish to see their Lieutenant drive himself to the breaking point and slowly accepted his decision.

"What are your orders, sir?" Snarlof finally asked.

Nick felt great relief to see his troops be supportive. "Prepare the trench for their arrival and keep watch for any activity. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT open fire unless I give permission to do so. Disobeying that order will result in unnecessary loss of life." He paused briefly to collect his thoughts. "Should I fail to return, these will be my last orders. First, Delgato will be promoted in my place and Fangmeyer will be second-in-command."

The two felines gasped at the possible promotion. While the normal reaction would be positive, they felt no joy since it will come at a terrible cost. Delgato and Fangmeyer would rather earn the promotions the proper way but still acknowledged Nick's decision.

"Second, recover my remains if you can."

They were no disagreements from the troops on that order.

"And this last one is very important but conditional. Keep Judy alive at all costs and comfort her. If you are unable to, bury us together with whatever you recover. Do you all understand these orders?"

They reluctantly acknowledged the orders and watched Nick cross into No Mammal's Land towards the prey's trench, knowing very well they could be witnessing his death before their eyes.

Throughout the situation, the runner was baffled at what transpired. "Will someone please explain to me what is going on here?!"

A predator sighed heavily at having to explain the unofficial ceasefire. "It's a long story, and we doubt you'll believe it even if we tell you."

"I don't care how preposterous it could be. I still want to hear it."

Nick slowly trekked across the wasteland while waving the white flag. His heart raced as he got closer to the prey's trench. So far, Nick managed to reach the hay bales where he and Judy mated without being fired at. Taking in the remaining scent, he pressed onward. The only obstacle he could possibly face was Judy not being available to speak with at the moment. In that case, Nick will have to maximize his greatest asset.

Upon successfully arriving at the trench, he immediately saw the prey readying their weapons and pointing them at him. Nick quickly put his paws up while frantically waving the white flag. "Don't shoot! Don't shoot!" To his fortune, the prey only kept their weapons aimed at him. Nick felt that things were going well until he heard a certain sheep's voice.

"What are you doing here, Fox?"

Oh great…Nick moved forward slightly and looked down the trench to see a very hostile Bellwether. Time to get to work.

"I need to speak with Lt. Hopps. It's very urgent and a matter of life or death."

Bellwether remained unfazed. "Lt. Hopps is busy at the moment. I'm second-in-command so you can deliver your message to me, and then I will deliver it to Hopps."

Just go along with it Nick.

Nick sighed. "Our artillery will shell you at ten o'clock." He could see the look of horrors on the prey's face, including Bellwether's. "I suggest everyone one of you take shelter in our trench. We've already made the accommodations."

Bellwether immediately became serious and skeptical. "What proof do you have of this alleged attack?"

Despite having the letter, Nick could see from Bellwether's behavior that she could not be trusted to deliver it safely to Judy. Time to stall. I hope this will force Judy to come investigate.

"I received the information through our field telephone so I do not have the details of the attack in writing. You must believe me or I would not have risked my life to warn you."

This put everyone else at ease but Bellwether still remained skeptical.

"How do we know that you're not trying to lure us out so your unit can shoot at us?"

"Article 23 section f of the 1899 and the revised 1907 Haig Convention states that 'it is especially prohibited to make improper use of a flag of truce, of the national flag or of the military uniform of the enemy, as well as the distinctive badges of the Genieva Convention.' The action you are implying of me is illegal."

Bellwether scoffed at his response. "It doesn't make you less any of a threat."

Nick raised his flag and shook it. "Do you not see me waving this white flag?! What more do you want me to do?!"

The prey did not respond.

"Look, I'll prove it to you that I'm no threat!" Nick quickly stripped off his uniform and now stood in the snow in only his underwear. The freezing temperatures immediately set in as he clutched the flag. Sweet Maid Marian! That's cold!

"S-See? I-I have no weapons on me! M-My standard issue i-is back in my trench."

The prey felt sympathy for the shivering fox.

Bellwether finally begrudgingly agreed. "Very well, Fox. I'll deliver the message to our Lieutenant. You may leave now."

But Nick didn't believe her. From their first encounter, he knew Bellwether couldn't be trusted. Her behavior throughout Christmas Day only furthered his distrust. Nick suspected that his warning would be ignored the moment he left. He then made the difficult decision to remain. Despite the certainty of death, the stakes were too high for uncertainty.

Bellwether noticed Nick's refusal to leave and grew annoyed. "Why are you still here? I said I would deliver your warning!"

"Y-Yes, b-but I want to see you do it. H-how do I know that y-you won't ignore my words? They did come from a fox."

This gravely backfired. "Are you making accusations against me?"

"N-no, I am simply m-making a request."

Bellwether narrowed her eyes. "I don't have to listen to you!" She crossed her arms. "Now I will warn you only once. Return to your trench or you will be assumed hostile and we will be forced to fire."

Nick stood his ground, still shivering from the cold.

"So be it. Shoot him."

Nick closed his eyes as he waited for the inevitable. He had expected the escalation but not to this point. A few seconds passed and no shots were fired, much to his relief. He opened his eyes to see the prey hesitating.

Wondering why no one was shooting, Bellwether turned around and was stunned in disbelief at their reluctance. "What are you all doing? Shoot the predator! Christmas is over!"

The prey looked at each other and did not fire.

"What are you waiting for? Shoot the fox!"

"But, Lt. Hopps' orders…"

"I know her orders, but there is an immediate threat right in front of us! SHOOT HIM!"

Even those harboring resentment were hesitant. They understood that Judy would know if the predators fired at them and did not want to invoke her wrath after witnessing one soldier's unfortunate experience of blatant disobedience. Instead, the prey raised their rifles in the air and fired off warning shots.

Nick flinched at the gunfire before quickly facing his trench. He waved his paws frantically, ordering any predator who assumed the worse to stand down.

But Bellwether misinterpreted his action. "See! They were ready to fire at us!"

Nick flinched back to the prey's trench. "N-no, they're not! I-I gave them strict orders n-not to do so! T-they're only worried about t-their Lieutenant being killed."

At this, Bellwether pulled out her revolver and aimed it at Nick. "Quiet, fox! If the rest of our unit refuses to shoot, then I'll do it myself!"

Regret over not leaving when given the chance slowly crept in, but Nick did not take one step back.

"I won't repeat myself again," Bellwether said as she pulled the hammer back. "Leave or die. You have five seconds to decide. 5."

He knew she was serious. There was no doubt.

"4."

All he needed to do is grab his uniform and turn back.

"3."

His brain and heart battled for control over his body. One urging for his safety with the other urging for his mate's safety.

"2."

This was it. The point of no return. He had to make a decision this instant.

"1."

Nick closed his eyes once again and resigned to his fate. He felt a few tears escape his eyes. At least the letter would be recovered for Judy to see.

Seeing the fox's decision, Bellwether was slowly pulling the trigger until…

"STAND DOWN! RIGHT NOW!"

Oh thank Robin Hood!

Never had Nick and the prey felt so relieved to hear the sound of Judy's voice. They saw the bunny arrived on the scene being escorted by Gazelle.

Judy saw the prey aiming their weapons at a nearly naked, shivering Nick. "What is going on here?! Who gave you the order to fire?!"

All fingers pointed to Bellwether.

"Muttonchops…"

Judy stormed her way to the sheep and stood before her, still livid. "Do you want to explain to me why you gave the order to open fire?" She said in cold and murderous tone.

Bellwether nervously gulped as she gathered her words and saw the daggers in Judy's eyes.

"Well?"

"T-there was an immediate threat, Lieutenant. It had to be taken care of."

Judy looked over to Nick who responded with a weak smile and wave. She then looked back at Bellwether. "And where exactly is that threat? Because all I see is a mammal trying to communicate with us."

"Uh…" was the only thing that came out of the sheep's mouth.

"Perhaps you need a reminder. Article 32 of the 1899 and 1907 Haig Convention states that anyone 'is regarded as a parlementaire who has been authorized by one of the belligerents to enter into communication with the other, and who advances bearing a white flag. He has a right to inviolability,' Now I don't care if he is a polar bear! I don't care if he is a wolf! I don't even care if he is a fox!" She pointed a finger at Nick. "Anyone who presents themselves with a white flag is to be treated as a non-threat! Do I also have to remind you on how you broke Article 2 of the 1864 and Article 9 of the 1906 Genieva Conventions when you gave the order to fire at predator medics attempting to recover their wounded?"

Bellwether's face went wide at the question. "Y-you have no proof. It's my word against that medic's."

Judy tilted her head. "Really? Because I spoke to that medic about it. He directed me to that location and reenacted the moment. With the help of Lt. Wilde, guess where I traced the bullet to?"

Judy turned her glare to the rams Doug, Woolter, and Jesse, who cowered behind the larger prey. She focused back on Bellwether and let the sheep fill in the blanks.

The sergeant sheep remained silent and stiff, unable to come up and say anything of reason. Judy knew Bellwether frequented with the rams the most and had no trouble getting the answers out of them since the bunny superseded the sheep.

Judy then got into her face. "Let me remind you, Sergeant Dawn Bellwether. That in this war, we are soldiers who follow orders and rules! NOT SAVAGES WHO FOLLOW INSTINCTS!"

The frightened look on Bellwether was all Judy needed to see to understand that she got her point across. Nick didn't care about the cold at that moment. The fury Judy gave off sent fear down him and the prey around her and the silence that followed didn't help. They bet the predators could hear the tirade from their trench and questioned if Judy was really a predator in disguise. It was another reason for Nick to stay in Judy's good graces.

"Remove her weapons and restrain her!"

The prey didn't need to be told twice.

With the sheep safely secured, Judy turned her attention back to Nick, who looked be suffering from hypothermia at any moment. "Lt. Wilde, please make yourself more presentable before we continue."

"R-right." Nick quickly put his uniform back on and warmed himself.

Judy resumed the discussion once she saw Nick comfortable again. "Now, what is your reason for being here? The truce is over."

"Yes, I understand." Nick took a deep breath. "I received word from headquarters that our artillery will shell you at ten o'clock." He reached into his coat and pulled out the document. "This is the letter I received from our runner detailing the attack." He knelt down to give the message.

Bellwether looked at Nick with anger and disbelief.

Nick had expected that reaction and looked into her eyes. "Distrust cuts both ways."

The irony was not lost on those present and nothing else was said.

Judy took the document and read it.

First Lieutenant Wilde,

This letter is to inform you and your unit that the artillery unit will send a barrage of rockets on the prey's trench at your location. We advise you to prepare yourself for the inevitable stray rocket. The time of attack will begin at ten in the morning to give you ample time as you recover from your Christmas celebration. Stay safe and inform us of the result.

–Colonel General Lionheart

She looked back up and Nick saw the look of horror on her face.

"I'm offering you and your troops the opportunity to take shelter in our trench so that you can live to fight another day. We've already made the accommodations." He nervously gulped. "I'd suggest you take it."

Judy looked into his eyes and saw the genuine fear and love he felt for her. It touched Judy's heart to see Nick risking his life in the hopes of saving her and her unit. She wanted to go up there to hug him and cry but maintained professionalism. She would not make Nick's near sacrifice and suffering be in vain.

Judy quickly became serious and nodded. "Everyone! Move the equipment and supplies down to the bunker! Take all your personal belongings and weapons with you!"

Once the prey safely secured equipment was safely secured and gathered their belongings, Hopps and her unit made to trip to the predators' trench.

"Had you been relieved, I wouldn't have come to warn your successor," Nick said.

"You would have been shot before you even stepped foot into No Mammal's Land. I doubt my successor would share my sentiment for foxes."

Nick huffed at the statement. "That's encouraging."

"Seriously, of all the dumbest things you did that I've come to know, this is at the top. How would you even know if I was relieved?"

"I left my scent on you when we marked each other. I knew it was the only way to confirm your presence, and I was fortunate enough to barely pick it up."

"Oh..." Judy smirked at Nick. "Sly fox."

"I'll say. I thought it was pointless for you to go through all that work just to find out who shot our medic."

"That predator's blood is on their hooves, and they broke the laws of war. I can't in good conscious let their actions go unpunished."

"Sometimes I think you follow the rules too much for your own good."

"I could say the same for your rule bending and humor."

"Touché." Nick looked back to see Bellwether being heavily guarded as they escorted her. "Are you sure you couldn't have left that devil of a sheep behind?"

"Tempting, but no. She is under my command and it is my responsibility to take care of her. Again, I can't in good conscience maliciously bring harm to my platoon members. No matter how insubordinate they may be. Make no mistake. She will be thoroughly dealt with."

The predators were relieved to see that their Lieutenant was successful and paved the way for their visitors. With minutes to spare, the prey arrived at the trench and the mammals hunkered down as they waited for the barrage of artillery.

At ten o'clock in the morning, the mammals heard the sounds of the rockets soaring through the air fast approaching. The noises became more high-pitched until the sounds of impact and explosions were heard. More followed as the artillery laid waste to the prey's trench. The close proximity forced the more sensitive mammals to cover their ears from the deafening noise. Some also shielded their eyes from the dirt that managed enter the trench. In another act of friendliness, the larger mammals protected those smaller.

Gazelle and her tigers hid from the blasts down in the bunker as Clawhauser and a few of the bigger mammals vigilantly protected the entrances. The Lieutenants hunkered down under a bridge that connected the land separated by the trench. Nick looked down to see Judy wincing and pulling on her ears with her eyes shut tightly as the explosions went on. When it came to him, the fox immediately felt shame. How could he have forgotten how sensitive bunny hearing was?

In an effort to further protect her from the loud noise, Nick pulled in Judy close for a hug with his arms wrapped around her head. Judy looked up at Nick to see him smiling down at her. She immediately understood his intentions and returned the smile. Judy snuggled herself into him as Nick placed his muzzle on top of her head. His tail had inadvertently wrapped itself around Judy. The sight did not go unnoticed for those nearby.

Under normal circumstance, it would have been strange to see a fox protecting their natural prey. But to those troops, it was a fox protecting his mate. The sight of it was enough to bring a smile to their faces. The tod runner finally understood why the Lieutenant smelled like rabbit during the first meeting. Needless to say, the sight of it left him in surprise and disbelief.

The barrage of artillery finally ceased minutes later. The prey looked up to see the outside of their trench heavily damaged and could only imagine the damages done within. Once it became quiet, Judy and Nick lightened their embrace to survey the surroundings.

"It's over now," Nick then looked down at Judy. "How are your ears?"

"I'm alright. This isn't the first time this happened."

Nick still looked remorseful. "I'm sorry. Had I known, I would have sheltered you down in the bunker instead."

Judy shook her head. "Don't blame yourself. It's not as bad as during my first combat experience. I wouldn't be this successful had I let that affect me. Another small price I paid."

They reluctantly released from their embrace.

"Well," Nick said. "It's time for you to go back now."

Judy shook her head again. "Not yet. That attack is certain to have drawn attention from any nearby prey units. By now, my headquarters should receive the news and are preparing to retaliate."

It only took a second for Nick to understand. "You're right."

The prey exited the trench so the predators can prepare for the artillery barrage. Once everything is set, they journeyed over to the prey's trench. Judy and Nick found themselves holding paws together as they walked. Neither didn't mind as the situation gave them an excuse to be in their company before the war forced them apart and against each other once again. This time the gesture was seen by everyone present as they led the way.

Upon reaching the prey's trench, a hare runner greeted the Lieutenants. "Oh thank heavens, you survived! I thought I was too late when I saw the…artillery...barrage…on...the way?" He was surprised to see Judy and Nick together along with the mass of predators and prey entering the prey's trench. "What is going on here?"

"Before I answer that," Judy said. "Do you have anything from headquarters?"

The hare quickly shook from his confusion. "Yes," He reached into the bag and pulled out a letter.

Judy took the item and read through. "Just as I thought," She showed Nick the letter. "This is from General Bogo about our own artillery attack in response to yours."

Nick scoffed. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Excuse me!"

Judy and Nick turned their attention back to a suddenly angry hare.

"Why are you allowing the enemy into your trench?! More importantly, why are you being friendly with a fox?!" He pointed his finger at Nick.

Judy quickly stepped in before Nick said a word.

"First off, this fox saved my life and the lives of my unit from that artillery barrage you just witnessed so I am returning that favor. Secondly, this fox gave me the best Christmas I ever had."

The hare looked at Nick, who stood there with a smirk on his face as the last of their troops entered the trench. "I see even on the holidays you try to take advantage of innocent mammals, fox?"

That did it. Nick quietly took a step back as Judy got dangerously close to the hare's face. He swore he saw smoke coming out of her ears.

"Now you listen," She said in a cold tone. "I am at my limit today in dealing with mammals of your behavior. So what if we decided to show a little charity between us, where's the harm in that? And that mindset will get you killed should you ever be captured by predators and start begging for your life!"

The hare felt shivers down his body not related to the cold.

"And let me remind you that you are a runner, and I am a commissioned officer so do not even try to reason with me with your 'expertise'!"

"I'd listen to her if I were you," Nick said. "You do not want to see this bunny angry."

The hare looked at Nick then back at Judy. He nervously gulped at the fuming bunny standing in his face.

"Say Carrots, do you know what time the attack is?" Nick asked, trying to defuse the situation.

It worked as Judy pulled away from the hare to read the letter. "Eleven o'clock."

Nick looked at his watch. "I don't mean to interrupt but we have twenty minutes before the attack commences. I suggest you settle this now or later."

The bunny and the hare looked at Nick, who had a serious look on his face. The two reluctantly put their differences aside for the moment. Seeing as it would be impossible to leave the trench, the hare decided to wait until the attack was over to leave.

At the sound of the first incoming rocket, the mammals braced themselves as the artillery rained down on the area. As before, the larger mammals protected the smaller ones when possible. Gazelle, her tigers, and the runners took shelter in the bunkers as they are non-combatants. Judy and Nick huddled under one of the tunnels with Nick doing his best to protect Judy's hearing. The blasts finally ceased and the mammals waited a few moments before emerging from the trench.

"I guess we're even now," Judy said.

Nick nodded. "Consider this a one-time thing."

Before either could continue, Gazelle spoke up from No Mammal's Land. "Everyone, wait!"

They all stopped to look at her and her tigers.

"Before you all resume fighting, I have one last request. Would it be all right if you all accompany me to my departure at noon?"

Judy and Nick looked at each other and smiled. They then looked to see their units nodding with enthusiasm. With the confirmation, the Lieutenants faced Gazelle and gave their answer.

"Yes, Gazelle," Nick said.

"We would love to see your departure," Judy said.

A smile grew on her face as she beamed with joy. "Thank you. We will lead you to the location. The runners are welcome to join also."

With the once in the lifetime opportunity to meet Gazelle up close, the tod and the hare decided to follow along.

Fortunately for all the mammals, Gazelle entered the area from the prey's side on Christmas Eve so they all followed Gazelle's group to where they were dropped off.

In an open area away from the battlefield, the large crowd of mammals waited for Gazelle's transportation to arrive.

"The drivers should be here soon," Gazelle said. "They and our escorts were allowed to go home for Christmas after our arrival here."

The rest of the mammals understood and were happy to know that some mammals got to spend Christmas with their families.

"We're happy you enjoyed your stay here, Gazelle," Judy said.

"We promise to get together and attend one of your performances once this war is over," Nick said.

"I look forward to it. This experience has given me much inspiration for my music. You will know which one it is when you hear its dedication."

The conversation was cut short by the arrival of two vehicles. The occupants stepped out and the drivers opened the doors for Gazelle and her tigers.

"Are you all ready to…leave?"

The large ensemble of mammals surprised Gazelle's escorts.

Gazelle giggled at their reaction. "Yes, we are. Would you be kind enough and load our luggage?"

"Can I do it?!" Clawhauser shouted and jumped with enthusiasm.

The rest of the mammals quietly chucked at the cheetah's enthusiastic volunteering.

Gazelle faced Clawhauser and smiled. "Of course you can, Ben."

He nearly squealed with delight when she said his first name. The cheetah rushed over and picked up Gazelle's belongings.

Gazelle turned to the driver. "Would you be kind enough to show Benjamin here where my things go?"

"Uh, yes. This way please."

The driver assisted Clawhauser as the tigers stored their own belongings away.

"Before we leave, there are a few things I need to do." Gazelle pulled out her Vest Pocket Kodak from her personal bag and gave it to the driver. "Would you please to a group photo of everyone here?"

The driver slowly nodded, still confused but would her ask later.

"Thank you." She then faced the units. "Gather around everyone!"

They spent the next few minutes arranging the varying size of mammals into the camera's limited view. The driver ended up standing on the hood of the vehicle to get a wider view. Finally, the ideal arrangement was achieved with Gazelle's group and the Lieutenants standing in the front.

"Smiles, everyone!" Gazelle exclaimed.

They all gave their greatest ones as the photo was taken.

"I got it." The driver confirmed.

"Thank you." Gazelle came forward and retrieved the camera. She then faced the units once again. "I promise to send all the photos taken on Christmas once they are developed. Your letters have provided me with the addresses."

They all nodded.

"I want to say some parting words before we leave." She first put the camera away. "When the tour began, our goal was to bring peace to the troops with our presence. Little did we know that the war affects everyone. With every peaceful moment given to the soldiers, we felt less for ourselves. Hostilities were expected at every stop so it was truly a strange sight to see none here upon our arrival. We didn't understand why until we heard the conversations coming from No Mammal's Land. The word surprise is an understatement to our reaction. Seeing predators and prey speaking to one another as friends in the midst of war felt like something out of a dream. It was truly unbelievable to hear that a ceasefire was called to celebrate Christmas. And now you understand why I was brought to tears on Christmas Eve. Your truce gave us the peace that felt lost months ago. This was the greatest gift we could have ever asked for. I want to thank you all again for blessing us with this magnificent experience."

Her words warmed their hearts and brought a smile on their faces and some to tears.

"One last thing," Gazelle approached Clawhauser, who immediately grew nervous. "For my number one fan," She gave him a peck on the lips.

The cheetah's face grew wide and he remained frozen where he stood when Gazelle stepped back. Everyone else waited for his reaction.

Clawhauser's breathing became heavy and then fast. His eyes rolled back and he fell over backwards on the snowy ground. Benjamin Clawhauser had just fainted in front of his idol. Everyone else was silent at the reaction until Nick broke it.

"Mammal down!" Nick cried.

They all erupted into laughter.

"Goodbye everyone!" Gazelle exclaimed while waving her hoof. "Be safe, and I hope to see you all again!"

They waved goodbye as Gazelle and her tigers entered the vehicles and departed for the remainder of the tour. Once the vehicles were out of sight, the mammals entered the prey's trench with a few of the larger predators carrying the unconscious Clawhauser. He finally woke up when they were in their area and was sad to have missed Gazelle's final goodbye. Nonetheless, he was happy to have received a kiss from the Angel with Horns.

The predators stood outside the prey's trench with Judy and the musicians the only ones standing outside with them.

"Goodbye again, and good luck," Nick said as they shook paws. "I hope you make it through the war."

Judy sighed and nodded. "You too. Perhaps we could have known each other under better circumstances."

"Perhaps…" A smirk then appeared on his face. "Is that lunch meeting still up for offer?"

Judy giggled. "Yes, stop by the Hopps' family farm on your visit to Bunnyburrow. We have a produce stand out in the front where you can ask for me." She then winked at him. "Maybe you'll get lucky since I do work there occasionally."

"I look forward to that meeting." Nick lifted her chin and gave a small kiss on the lips.

Judy giggled and blushed at the gesture. Those around chuckled including the tod runner, but the hare was bitter at the display.

After she recovered, Judy looked to the musicians. "Right boys!"

The musicians prepped their instruments and then began playing for the predator's sendoff. Nick and his unit turned to leave once the music sounded. The prey were saddened to watch their new friends become enemies once again.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

and never brought to mind?

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

and auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,

for auld lang syne,

we'll take a cup of kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

The prey noticed how still Judy stood as the predators returned to their trench. Unbeknownst to them, a tear fell from Judy's eye as she watched Nick grow farther away from her. Every part of her screamed for the bunny to rush forward and not let him go. But she used all her physical and mental strength to restrain herself. While they didn't see the tear, the prey could only imagine how heartbroken their Lieutenant must feel for having to part ways with the love of her life once more with the possibility of never seeing each other again.

And surely you'll buy your pint cup!

and surely I'll buy mine!

And we'll take a cup o' kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

For auld lang syne, my dear,

for auld lang syne,

we'll take a cup of kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

When Nick reached his trench, he raised his paw to signal himself and his unit of their safe arrival. This also signaled the musicians to finish the sendoff. He saluted when the musicians drew out the last note before disappearing the predator's trench.

Once he was gone, Judy regained what little composure she could and forced herself back into the prey's trench. The only words spoken were her giving orders to repair the trench and to bring Bellwether to her in the bunker. The prey did not question the emotionally drained bunny and obeyed the given orders.

While the artillery barrage was intended to weaken the enemy, it inadvertently gave Hopps and Wilde's platoon another day of ceasefire for them to assess and repair the damages to their trench.

Dawn Bellwether was escorted by Francine down into the bunker to Lt. Hopps. The sheep saw Judy's arms crossed and the disappointment on her face as they approached her.

"Lieutenant, Bellwether is here as you requested," Francine said.

"Thank you, Corporal Pennington. You may return to your assigned duties."

The elephant saluted with her trunk and exited the bunker, leaving the bunny and the sheep to themselves. The two prey stared at each other in silence from their standing.

Finally, Judy lowered her head and pinched her nose. "What am I going to do with you, Dawn?"

The sheep didn't speak.

Judy looked back up at her. "You're a wonderful second-in-command. You've helped me greatly since I was first assigned here. But time after time I see you willing to break the rules when you conduct your duties. Do you not realize how much trouble tall of us could be in had I not intervene? We should consider ourselves fortunate that we never faced disciplinary action from our time together. But the question remains. Why?"

Hearing the signal, Dawn took a deep breath. "We must do what is necessary to win the war. It's what we're sworn to do. You know that."

"Yes, but is it necessary to defy the laws of war set by the conventions?"

"The predators broke a major one when they invaded neutral territory to get to where we are currently. They need to understand the consequences of such violation."

"The entire continent knows about that, so there will be consequences once they are defeated. But does that give you the right to violate the rules as well?"

Dawn didn't have an answer to her question.

"Look, I understand how much you want to defeat the predators. Everyone in this unit does. But if we disregard the rules, then it makes us no different from the predators. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

The sheep nodded and paused for a moment. "Permission to speak freely, ma'am?"

Judy deep sighed. "Granted."

Dawn nervously gulped. "Thank you. The truce may have been beneficial to both sides, but it has corrupted you and the troops."

The bunny glared at the sheep for making such accusation. "Go on."

"Our troops refused to fire at the enemy when ordered to. That is why I took control of the situation. What would have happened had the predators attacked for real? We're fortunate that they only wanted to protect us which I will admit I am grateful for. But what is going to happen next? Are we just going to lay down our weapons and be killed?"

"No, we won't! Being friends with the enemy doesn't mean we'll abandon their duties. War is about achieving the goals that started it as quickly as possible and not include unnecessary destruction. It is not solely about taking lives."

"You imply that we can achieve victory without killing."

"I am not implying that! Death is inevitable in war. Everyone knows that. What is inevitable is how much."

"I don't understand how you can feel sympathy for the predators. Do I need to remind you that they want to kill us?"

"I am well aware of that," Judy looked away while relaxing slightly. "Maybe we feel this way because we took the time to understand each other. To realize that maybe we're not so different after all."

"That's the problem here. It starts with imagining the enemy as someone relatable and then questioning the purpose of fighting. Soon it leads to falling in love and getting intimate your natural enemy!"

If there was one thing Bellwether should not have done in Judy's presence was attacking those who have been hurt unjustly, especially Nick. Judy could take insults about her, but she would not allow insults to Nick in her presence. Not after hearing his painful past. She marched right over and got into the sheep's face. "Don't you dare say that about Nick! Attack me all you want, but you leave him out of this!"

"Why should I? You were attacked by a fox when you were a child! I had expected you to eliminate him when you had the chance. But instead it led to all this and who knows what else!"

Judy could not believe the words coming out of the sheep's mouth. "What is your problem, Bellwether?! I'm not questioning your commitment. But why do you have such a personal vendetta against predators?"

Dawn gave her the silent treatment, but her anger remained.

"Very well, I can figure it out for myself!"

Judy returned to the table and glared at Dawn for a few minutes. Dawn doubted that Judy could figure out the reason. She never revealed anything about her past to anyone in the platoon. Not even her leader.

"You were hurt by a wolf when you a lamb." The bunny stated.

The words shook Dawn from her thoughts and surprised her. "W-what?"

"You heard me. Judging by your reaction, I'd say I got it correct."

The sheep did not expect Judy to figure it out, let alone guess. "But, how could you know? I never spoke about it to anyone!"

Judy gave a small smile. "I learned a few things from spending time with the enemy. I may not be able to read mammals like Lt. Wilde, but I can manage with enough signs. Your reaction to the wolf sergeant on Christmas Eve was the first, and Nick filled me in from there. I just put the pieces together."

Dawn was still stunned as her body began shaking.

Judy took notice of her change in behavior. "I won't try to guess the details. That level of interpretation belongs to Nick. And I refuse to make you tell me, seeing your current reaction. All I'm going to say is that whatever happened between you and that wolf, it left you fractured and you swore to never to let predators take advantage of you again. That sound about right?"

It was at that moment that Dawn lost control. Tears formed in her eyes as her breathing became heavy. Within seconds, she fell to her knees and broke down crying. Seeing this and feeling sorrowful, Judy walked over to Dawn and knelt down in front of her. She calmly pulled the sheep into a hug and let her cry into her shoulder.

"Shhh. Shhh. Shhh."

Bellwether continued to cry into Judy's shoulders. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. I forgive you."

"How could I have been so selfish? I let my emotions control me."

"I won't blame your past for your behavior. I can understand how this affects you. You're familiar with mine."

"This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to understand the predators better and maybe get over my fear! Instead, I wasted it! I should have followed your example."

"That maybe. But you can say you participated. That's what's important." Judy assured.

Dawn lifted her head from Judy's shoulders with a look of concern on her face. "What am I going to do? If the predators attack, they won't spare me with the rest of you." Her voice became frantic. "I don't want to die!"

"Don't worry. I promise to stay by you when that happens. As long as you're with me, no harm will come to you. I'll make sure of it."

Dawn smiled genuinely for the first time since Christmas Eve. "Thank you."

Judy nodded and Bellwether continued to cry on her shoulder, relieving her emotional stress. As Judy stroked down her back, she looked up to see her unit watching from the bunker entrance. Normally, Judy would be angry at the intrusion but seeing the smiles on their faces removed that negative feeling. She returned the smile and nodded. The prey acknowledged the gesture, understanding that Bellwether's repentance was genuine and would vouch for her life whenever the predators launch an offensive.

Chapter Text

January 1915,

Gazelle and her tigers were visiting the wounded soldiers at their most recent stop on their tour. As part of their routine, they first visited the wounded and then the battlefield before moving on to their next destination. But on Christmas Day, Gazelle changed her exit routine. Knowing the negative reaction from having predators and prey together, the singer arranged to be picked up from a different location. Despite the extra work, the end result was worth it.

As Gazelle spoke with a wounded mammal, she heard steps approaching her from behind. The singer turned around to see a horse standing before her, recognizing him as the manager, she quickly got up and gave him her attention.

"How are you doing?" The manager asked with a smile.

Gazelle returned his smile with her own. "Very well, the troops are enjoying our presence."

The horse nodded. "I'm glad to hear that." His face then became serious, something that the singer quickly noticed.

"Is there a reason for you being here?" she asked.

"Yes, please follow me. I need to speak with you in private."

Gazelle nodded. "Let me get the tigers." She turned to leave but the horse stopped her.

"No, alone."

The singer was confused at the request but would have the opportunity to ask soon enough she felt. "Okay."

Gazelle said goodbye to the wounded mammal she was with before following her manager. The horse led the singer to a private room and locked the door once they were inside.

Gazelle sensed that there is a problem from the forlorn look on the manager's face. "Is something the matter?"

The manager sighed. "Yes, I am ending your tour immediately."

The words shock and confusion failed to properly describe how Gazelle was feeling at that moment. "What?! Why?!"

The horse kept a straight face. "You know the reason."

The singer quietly searched her mind. When she came to the realization, Gazelle grew angry. "What does that have to do with canceling my tour?"

"Because what is preventing you from repeating the events that occurred on Christmas Day?"

As much as Gazelle wanted to refute that claim, she knew the manager was right.

"Exactly my point," The horse strolled around the room. "It is a shame because the responses to your tour from the troops have been positive. The agency has received numerous requests as a result of your success, but after your escorts informed us of what took place and what the original goals for the tour were, the agency as a whole has decided to avoid unnecessary trouble."

Gazelle was infuriated. "What did you expect me to do when we made the discovery? Who am I to deny what the soldiers wish for?"

The manager stopped pacing to face her. "You could have simply returned to the wounded. It was clear that your presence was not needed on the battlefield." The horse resumed pacing. "Speaking of those soldiers, I reported their actions to their superiors."

Gazelle became horrified. "You didn't! How could you?! They only wanted to celebrate Christmas after being told to remain on the frontlines!" Her tone clearly becoming angry.

"Then they should have celebrated amongst themselves. What those soldiers did is a punishable offense, no matter the intentions behind them."

Seeing how her manager would not understand, Gazelle reluctantly changed the subject. "What of the rest of the stops? Will you deny those soldiers the opportunity to be lifted up as well?"

"We already prepared your replacement the moment we received the news. She will be here shortly."

Gazelle remained silent, but still fuming from the outcome of the discussion.

The horse stopped in front of her with a sympathetic look. "Look, I am sorry, but this must be done to avoid causing dissension among the troops and turning the public against the war."

"Is that the right thing to do?" She said more calmly. "Is what you're doing causing more harm than good to the soldiers? To their families?"

The horse's face became stern but had a moment of hesitation. "You're not asking the right questions. Do you truly have their best interests, or are you only doing this for yourself? Think on that as you leave."

Gazelle remained silent as the manager walked to the door and unlocked it. "See that you are gone before your replacement arrives." The horse exited the room, leaving the singer behind.

Gazelle remained still for a few moments before clenching her hooves in anger. She then relaxed and took a deep breath while placing her hooves on her coat, feeling the soldiers' letters and camera safely hidden. Gazelle may no longer be fulfilling her original goals, but she still had a promise to keep. Even if the singer had to do it personally no matter how long it took.

"The Colonel General is coming!"

The predators immediately stood to attention as Leodore Lionheart came through. The lion stopped momentarily to look around at the assembled troops.

"Where is Lt. Wilde?"

"In the bunker," came the swift reply from Delgato.

Lionheart proceeded in the direction as the predators remained in their positions until he was out of sight. The lion finally reached the bunker and entered to see Nick Wilde currently working on military plans and strategies. The Colonel General coughed to get his attention.

Nick turned around and was surprised to see Lionheart standing before him. He quickly stood up and saluted.

"That'll do Wilde."

Nick lowered his arm and remained standing at attention as silence took hold over the bunker. The glare the lion gave off did not leave the fox from the moment their eyes met. Nick quietly removed his cap as the silence continued.

"How did you let yourself fall to this low?" Lionheart asked, finally breaking the silence.

Nick immediately put his mask up but inwardly winced.

"Do you realize the gravity of your actions?! It's high treason! Punishable by death!" The lion roared.

Nick remained silent, only looking back at Lionheart, who snarled in annoyance.

"The only reason you're not in front of a firing squad right now is that we can't afford to lose another officer! That's all that saves you! What do you have to say for yourself?!"

Under normal circumstances, Nick would talk his way out of any situation. But just like the day after Christmas, the stakes were too high so he told the truth instead. "My troops were distraught over the disheartening news of not being able to celebrate Christmas at home and overheard the prey celebrating their own. At their request, I successfully negotiated a ceasefire with the prey for the remainder of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Everything done was for their best interests."

Lionheart huffed. "Noble, but still unacceptable."

Nick closed his eyes and lowered his head.

"I should replace you. My top aides are pressuring me to do so. They're using the truce and your affair with an enemy officer as reasons to further prove their claim of why foxes shouldn't be trusted as military leaders or advisors. But that would leave me short on suitable lieutenants at the moment and be a waste of your talent and hard work in this campaign. If it wasn't for the fact that I fought alongside your father, I would have believed the same."

Inwardly, Nick felt grateful that his life was being spared but knew that other consequences remained.

"But don't think just because your life is safe means that you've escaped discipline!"

"I understand, Sir. What is to be our punishment?"

Lionheart walked around the bunker. "You and your unit will be reassigned since it is clear that you are no longer able to fight at this current location."

Nick allowed a wave of relief to flood over him at the news. "Understood, sir. Where will be our new assignment?"

The Colonel General stopped walking. "That is unknown at the moment. But be ready to move when you receive the news."

"Yes, Colonel General."

"Good."

Lionheart turned to leave when he saw the predator troops standing outside eavesdropping on their conversation. "I assume you all heard everything."

They hesitantly nodded.

"Then I don't have to repeat myself. Make way please."

The predators parted ways for the Colonel General.

Before exiting the bunker, Lionheart turned to Nick one last time. "Shame on you, Wilde. Shame on you."

He then took his leave.

Once the lion was out of sight, the predators near the bunker entrance looked inside towards their Lieutenant.

A few seconds of silence passed before Nick responded. "What are you all doing standing there? Get back to your assigned duties!" He yelled in frustration.

Without saying another word, the predators quickly dispersed, leaving Nick alone. As he returned his attention to the table, these words kept repeating in his head. Never let them see that they get to you…Never let them see that they get to you…Never let them see that they get to you…

Until suddenly, he furiously swept everything off the table and angrily threw his chair across the bunker. Nick slammed both his paws on the table with all his strength as his breathing became heavy and a few tears escaped from his eyes.

Judy Hopps stood outside the door to General Bogo's office holding her cap. Her ears were drooped and her nose slightly twitching. She slowly raised her free paw and knocked on the door.

"Enter."

She took a deep breath and walked into the room.

The buffalo was currently looking over documents when he saw the bunny enter. Bogo placed the papers down on the table and motioned her with his hoof to the empty chair in front of his desk.

"Take a seat, Hopps."

Judy obeyed and quietly sat down in the chair, facing Bogo. The two stared at each other in silence.

"You should be ashamed of yourself, Hopps," Bogo said, finally breaking the silence.

Judy lowered her head in shame.

"Out of all the reported incidents of fraternization, yours was the last I expected. I would never have heard of it were it not for that runner and Gazelle's agency. Do you realize how disastrous this could have been if the public were to hear of this!" His volume increasing at the last sentence. "You're the one who managed to repel the predators' advance, and then you're caught spending Christmas in a ceasefire with them?"

"You have nothing to fear, General. No one involved will tell." Judy said, lying about the letters.

Bogo scoffed. "I hope not! Why would they? Especially the one about a bunny and a fox sharing intimate feelings with one another?"

Judy was beginning to lose her patience. She had not been the same since that day but knew it was ill-advised to show disrespect. "Because no one would believe or understand. None of us involved feel any shame. Especially my interaction with Nick."

Bogo snorted. "Unbelievable! How could you have this mindset about the predators while countless prey have had their homes destroyed by them? I can promise you that you wouldn't be defending that fox if his army was the one destroying your home!"

"Excuse me, sir?!" She snapped back, her patience finally broken with that last comment. "But what do the prey know of what we do for them without question?! Huh?! How much we suffer to protect them?!" Judy stood up on the chair and placed her paws on the desk. "Let me tell you. I felt closer to the predators on the battlefield than the prey who stuffed themselves over their Christmas dinners while crying 'Shoot the meat-eaters!'. Oh, and that fox's name is Nick! And he did more for my unit and I for those past few days than the military did for my entire training and career!"

Bogo kept a stern look but was flabbergasted at Judy's outburst. "You're talking nonsense."

"No, you're not seeing the same things I have. With all due respect sir, this war is nothing like you've ever seen before. You could never imagine what I had to live through these past five months on the battlefield. I can promise you that."

The General huffed. "You may be right about that, but that doesn't excuse you of your actions."

Judy sat back down and the two took a few moments to relax from the tension.

"Now your punishment," Bogo started, breaking the silence.

"Sir, before you continue. I have a request."

"You're already pushing the insubordination, Hopps," Bogo grunted, "But I will hear it out."

"Thank you," Judy replied, before straightening to her full height. "Please reserve the harshest for me."

Her words shocked Bogo.

"I was the one who negotiated the ceasefire with the enemy when they initiated the contact. My troops were only curious as to the predator's Christmas celebration. So if anything, the whole thing is on me and I should receive the fullest punishment."

Bogo was surprised at this. To see Judy willing to take the fall for her troops was commendable. "You've impressed me, Hopps."

His statement, in turn, stunned Judy before he continued.

"I rarely see commissioned officers at your level take full responsibility like that. From my experience, it's usually the other way around. While I can't do anything about those in your unit, I can do something for you seeing as the only reason we're still fighting this war is because of your strategies early on."

Judy finally gathered her words after the sudden compliment. "Thank you. I accept whatever you will give, but I would like to hear my unit's first please."

"Very well, they will be disbanded and replaced in a few days. You will be tasked to inform them."

"Fair enough. What about me?"

"You have two options. You can either be honorably discharged or be reassigned. That's the most lenient I can be without you being court-martialed, which most likely would end badly for you." He allowed his words to sink in. "I'll give you a few minutes to think."

Judy thought carefully over the given options, knowing she would not get a better offer. Both had little benefits and would be difficult on her, so she considered the hardships instead which only made choosing more difficult. Minutes later, Judy finally made her decision.

"I want to go home."

Bogo took a deep breath. "Are you sure about this? Your record will still be clean if you are reassigned, and we could use your talent on the battlefield."

Judy shook her head. "No, sir. If my troops are being sent home, then I will go as well."

The General sighed deeply and placed a document in front of him. A few moments later, Bogo filled it out and pushed the paper towards Judy. The bunny reached forward and saw these words at the top. CERTIFICATE OF HONORABLE DISCHARGE. She looked back up at Bogo.

"Effective immediately so I can at least prove that I'm taking action. Since your uniform and equipment have been tailored specifically to you, you may keep them."

"Thank you, sir," Judy replied, bowing her head slightly.

"You are a very talented mammal and a role model to many of the smaller prey that enlisted, Hopps. I hate to see it go to waste, but I respect your decision."

Judy nodded and took the document. "Thank you. One last question before I leave. Who will be my replacement?"

"That's confidential."

A knock on the door interrupted the conversation.

"Enter."

The door opened and a male white rabbit with black stripes along the ears and the face entered the room. He quickly stopped when seeing Bogo speaking to another officer.

"Sorry, am I interrupting? I can come back later."

"No, we're just about finished," Bogo said. "Please, sit down."

The rabbit took the seat next to Judy, sending her a quick glance before turning to face the General.

"Why don't you two introduce yourself before we begin," Bogo said.

The two rabbits faced each other.

"Hello there. You must be Judy Hopps. I've heard great things about you. The name is Jack Savage."

He offered his paw and after a moment of hesitation, Judy shook it. She suspected that Jack was her replacement but Bogo's orders prevented her from speaking out on her suspicions.

"I had heard that another rabbit was promoted to be a commissioned officer. You have my congratulations." Her compliment sounded sincere, but her heart was far from giving the comment any weight.

"Thank you."

"Now then Hopps," Bogo said. "Savage and I have much to discuss. There will be an escort waiting for you outside momentarily."

Judy Hopps nodded and put on her cap before quietly taking her leave.

"General Bogo," Jack said. "May I say something to Hopps before we continue."

Judy paused at his words and turned around. The two rabbits looked at the buffalo and waited for his response.

"Go ahead. I need to get the documents ready."

"Thank you." He turned to face her. "Judy, I want to say that I looked forward to meeting you. You were my role model while I was in officer training."

His comment slightly lifted her spirits knowing of her positive impact on others.

"I heard about what happened on Christmas," Jack said.

The little feeling of happiness instantly disappeared as Judy braced herself for the incoming rebuke.

"And I want to say that I understand your sympathy with the predators. You realize how appearances can be deceiving."

Judy was dumbfounded and speechless at the unexpected kind words. She looked at Bogo but saw him supposedly occupied with his work. Judy turned her attention back to Jack. "How?"

Jack offered her a smile. "Let's just say I spent some time in the company of predators years before the war."

To know that someone outside her unit could relate brought her overwhelming relief. Judy only hoped that Bogo didn't punish Jack for expressing the same opinion as hers. "Thank you." She then exited the office, closing the door behind her.

Jack lowered his head and lamented, "Such a shame at what happened to Judy."

Despite his gruff exterior, Bogo found himself agreeing with the rabbits as their words continued to repeat in his mind.

On the way out, Judy passed by a room that had its door partially opened and ss a result, she overheard a voice coming from the room. While Judy would usually pay no attention, the words that came from it made her pause and listen.

"My brethren, the sword of the Lord is bestowed upon you."

With curiosity getting the better of her, Judy sneaked to the room and the voice grew louder. Peeking into the room, she saw a service going on being held by the military chaplain for new recruits.

"You are the forces of good fighting against the forces of evil. For this is a war to save the freedom and civilizations of the world."

Thinking it was a normal talk, Judy turned to leave when she heard the next part.

"This is the truth I tell you: the predators neither act nor think like us. For they are not, like us, children of God."

Judy stood flabbergasted at the bigotry of the statement. While she may not have known the predators' religious affiliation, Judy knew better from their time together on Christmas Day. She considered barging into the room and calling out the chaplain but realized the consequences from it would probably destroy her deal with Bogo from a few minutes earlier.

"Are those who attack cities populated only by civilians the children of God? Are those who use women and children as shields the children of God?"

Judy grew more angry by the second. Her paws clenched and her face scrunched. Were it not for the next part, she would have stormed into the room to give the chaplain a mouthful ignoring the consequences.

"With God's help, you must kill the predators, good or bad, young or old. Kill all the predators so that it won't have to be done again."

The anger was quickly replaced with overwhelming sorrow. Judy gasped in horror as her emotions clashed and boiled over. She felt more sad and terrified for the recruits being lectured about the predators, than angry at the chaplain for giving it. Judy imagined them killing surrendering predators, or doing exactly what the chaplain had told them the children of God wouldn't do, and going into their towns and slaughtering them all, from the old to the cubs, and it slowly brought her to tears.

"The Lord be with you, and may God Almighty bless you. The Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost. Amen."

"Amen."

Upon the completion of the sermon, Judy could no longer hold back the tears. She slowly backed away from the room with paws over her mouth and breathing heavily. At the breaking point, she took off running until outside the building. There, Judy ran off to the side and fell back against the wall. Upon hitting the ground, Judy Hopps broke down crying as the harsh reality set in. She was suddenly grateful she'd only have a few more days in the army, as if that is what the new recruits were being trained to do and how to think, she wanted no part of it. The face of Nick, surrendering to some nameless prey, only to see his eyes widen in shock as her fellow soldier shot him in cold blood, the life draining from his emerald eyes, ran on repeat in her mind as she wept.

Judy was escorted back to the trench and was given plenty of time to finish her uncompleted business. The troops noticed the dejected look on her face and said nothing as they watched Judy go into the bunker. Concerned, Dawn followed Judy and saw her gathering her belongings.

"Lt. Hopps?"

Judy paused to look at the sheep and other prey who gathered at the bunker entrance. "Meet me in the biggest area of the trench in ten minutes. I have an announcement to make."

The prey nodded. "Yes, Lieutenant."

Later, Judy and Bellwether stood before the large congregation of prey. The troops were nervous as they waited for their Lieutenant to speak. The common thought was their fate over the Christmas Truce.

Judy sighed. "I know what many of you are thinking, and you're not wrong."

The prey lowered their heads in shame.

"But the good news is we're not being executed."

There was a moment of hope before the fear returned.

"The bad news is that this unit will be disbanded in a few days, while I'm being discharged immediately."

The prey were more shocked and speechless at Judy's discharge than their disbandment. Before they could object, she continued.

"I know how you all must feel, but these are Bogo's orders. The General fears the problems that will arise from this so he is removing the issue before it becomes too large and affects the war effort. I hope you all understand."

"It's not that, Lieutenant," Francine said. "We don't understand why you're being let go first before the rest of us."

Everyone else agreed with the elephant.

"Because it was either that or be reassigned," Judy stated with remorse.

"Then why did you choose to leave? Isn't this what you worked your whole life for?" Mchorn asked.

"It is. But I believe it would be selfish of me if you all are sent home while I get off lightly. We all go down in this together."

They slowly understood and came to an agreement.

"Also, think about it," Judy said dryly and without emotion, though inside they were bubbling over. "We don't have to worry about shooting our new friends."

The soldiers smiled as they understood the blessing in disguise.

"As usual, Bellwether will be in charge once I leave and until you are relieved. I will give my last orders when I finish preparing for my departure. Until then, return to your assigned duties."

"Yes, ma'am!" The prey saluted before dispersing.

Judy returned to the bunker to finish packing. With everything ready, the bunny turned to leave when she saw her troops standing at the bunker entrance with smiles on her face.

"What's going on here?" she asked, looking at the ewe.

Bellwether stepped forward with a briefcase in her hooves and offered it to Judy. "A gift from all of us here."

Judy set down the items in her paws and grabbed the briefcase. She opened it to see numerous envelopes inside. The bunny looked up with a questioning look. "What is all this?"

"Our expression to show how much we'll miss you and enjoyed our time under you," Bellwether said.

Judy couldn't help but smile as tears formed in her eyes. "Thank you, everyone! Thank you so much for allowing me to lead you and making my time as a commissioned officer enjoyable!"

Her troops nodded.

"What are your last orders, ma'am?" Higgins asked, his voice surprisingly raw and heavy.

She wiped away a tear. "Be safe and welcome your replacement with open arms. They need all the encouragement to survive this war."

"Yes, ma'am!" The prey acknowledged.

"Are you ready to go?" Bellwether asked.

Judy nodded and lifted the belongings off the floor.

"Atten-hut!" Bellwether ordered.

The prey stood in formation and saluted as Judy and Bellwether marched down the trench. Judy and her unit exchanged smiles as they passed by each other. At the trench entrance where the escort waited, Judy continued forward while Bellwether stayed behind. The bunny turned around to give her troops one last salute. They returned the gesture and watched her leave until she disappeared from their view.

Many things ran through Judy's mind as they made the journey towards her home. How to explain to her family of her sudden appearance? How would they react if she told the truth? Most importantly, would Nick survive the war long enough for their reunion? She remained silent with those thoughts as she was escorted back to Bunnyburrow.

At a train station, a lone freight train was preparing for departure. From the outside, it looked like any normal freight train. Delivering supplies and munitions to the frontlines. But inside the last car was something else: predator soldiers. Among them was First Lieutenant Nicholas Wilde. Like everyone else with him, he sat in silence and despair.

The doors opened and the predators saw Colonel General Lionheart and his escorts standing outside. They quickly stood to attention and saluted with Nick putting his cap on. Lionheart entered the train car and looked around at the predators standing before him.

"Be seated."

They did as ordered, sitting on the dirty, stained floor as Lionheart towered over them.

"In three days, you will be joining our allies to the South, who will be launching an offensive against Deerbrooke County. I hope you all show your aggressiveness in the fight. You will drive the army not only out of their homeland but also the entire region. The Deerbrooke army will retreat to its neighbors so I expect you to follow. You should also know this." There was a gleam of malicious joy that twinkled in the lion's eyes. "One of Deerbrooke County's neighbors is Bunnyburrow."

Nick felt as if an artillery rocket landed right on his heart and exploded. In other circumstances, he might not have cared but that all changed since he knew of a certain gray bunny from Bunnyburrow. Nick quickly put his mask on to stifle the oncoming emotions. The other predators knew how troubling it was for Nick, even if they couldn't see an outward reaction from him.

"Having heard that the Lieutenant of the prey unit you fraternized with is a bunny, I've decided that you need to see their true behavior on the battlefield." The lion's gaze shifted directly onto Nick. "Maybe that will remind you why they are our enemies in this war."

Nick's mind raced with conflicting thoughts. One side was feeling excited for leaving, hopefully not having to be on the opposite side of the trenches from Judy, but the other was feeling dreadful. It took all of his inner strength to keep his mask on, and he didn't even know of Judy's fate after their last meeting. He only wished she was safe.

"Because of the war, the train is forced to pass through different regions that may be your homeland, but you will not be able to see your families. Why? You can guess that for yourselves."

He paused to let that particular fact sink in before shouting "Long live the Empire!"

"Long live the Empire!" The troops yelled in unison, though not nearly with as much energy as their general had.

Before leaving the car, Lionheart walked over to Delgato, the other lion nervous at his approach. The Colonel General reached down beside him and moved back to the cart entrance with Delgato's harmonica in possession. He looked at the lion before crushing the instrument in his paw and letting it fall to the floor in a disfigured mess. Delgato looked sadden but refrained from any sound or movement.

Lionheart then stepped forward to Nick. He poked his claw at the fox's Iron Cross that was slightly hidden inside the uniform. "You bring dishonor to that award just as you did to your father."

Nick said nothing as they exchanged looks, desperately keeping his mask on.

Colonel General Lionheart finally took his leave. The door to the train car closed, leaving the passengers in silence and darkness once again. The only movement was Nick removing his cap.

The silence was suddenly punctuated by humming. The predators followed the source to see in the dim light that came through from under the car's doors, Delgato responsible for the sound. The loss of the harmonica didn't stop him from producing music. The others recognized it as the one taught by the prey during the Christmas truce and slowly joined in. The music brought a small feeling of comfort to the large pain swelling inside the predators, especially Nick. The humming soon broke into lyrics.

I hear the mountain birds

The sound of rivers singing

A song I've often heard

It flows through me now

So clear and so loud

I stand where I am

And forever I'm dreaming of home

I feel so alone, I'm dreaming of home

Outside, the singing finally grew loud of enough to gain Lionheart's attention for him to pause. The Colonel General turned around to see the train beginning the journey as the predators inside continued singing. In that moment, their action began to affect Lionheart as he listened on. Realizing this, the lion quickly suppressed the feeling of remorse arising inside him and returned to his escorts. But even then, the feeling lingered as if convicting Lionheart's conscious for his actions.

It's carried in the air

The breeze of early morning

I see the land so fair

My heart opens wide

There's sadness inside

I stand where I am

And forever I'm dreaming of home

I feel so alone, I'm dreaming of home

By now, Lionheart's transport and escort were well on their way back to headquarters as the train slowly picked up speed, heading to Deerbrooke County until the station was out of sight. All the while, the singing did not cease and offered what little comfort to the predators as they faced the consequences from the unofficial truce. In an ironic twist of fate, the Christmas spirit accomplished what deadly force failed to do. Stop the war and bring about peace with no bloodshed.

This is no foreign sky

I see no foreign light

But far away am I

From some peaceful land

I'm longing to stand

A hand in my hand

… forever I'm dreaming of home

I feel so alone, I'm dreaming…of home

Chapter Text

Sometime later...

In a home, an elderly female black jaguar sat in a rocking chair, drinking tea. Her eyes wandered over to the pictures above the fireplace. She sighed while looking at the photos of her and another jaguar whose appearance was different in each of them. In the most recent one, the other jaguar wore a military uniform and carrying equipment. She focused at that particular photo. A knock at the door disrupted her thoughts. The jaguar set the tea cup down to answer the door. There, her eyes widened at the sight of a gazelle and four tigers.

"Hello there," The gazelle spoke.

"You're...Gazelle!" The jaguar whispered.

The singer giggled. "Yes, I am. May we come in?"

The jaguar slowly nodded.

"Thank you."

The five entered the home.

"You can sit in the living room." The jaguar offered. "There's some tea if you want some."

"Thank you very much," Gazelle said.

The group settled in the living room, and the singers treated themselves to a cup of tea first.

"If you don't mind me asking, why are you here?" The jaguar asked. "I thought you were supposed to be on a tour."

Gazelle calmly set the cup down and placed her hooves on her legs. "Yes, but not anymore."

Hearing that saddened the jaguar. She wondered how this could have happened to Gazelle. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright, but I have one question." The singer looked into the jaguar's eyes. "Are you the mother of Renato Manchas?"

She nodded until a thought hit her. "Wait, is this about…"

The singer noticed the tears forming in her eyes from assuming worse. "No, no, this is not about that! In fact, your son is alive and well from when I last met him."

That calmed the mother down for a moment. "Oh, okay. Then what is this about then?"

"I have a message to deliver from him. I would like you to hear it."

Manchas' mother took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay."

Gazelle and her tigers approached the next home on their journey. The singer knocked on the door, and they waited for an answer. A few moments later, the door opened, revealing a sheep. To the group's surprise, they recognized the sheep standing before them as one of the soldiers from the Christmas truce. The sheep was also surprised at the visitors. Neither spoke for several moments, too stunned to say anything.

"What are you doing here?" Gazelle finally asked.

The sheep also recovered and answered dejectedly, "I, along with the rest of our unit, have been sent home over what happened on Christmas."

This did not surprise the group of singers.

"So have we, " Gazelle responded.

The sheep understood. "Are you here to deliver my letter?"

The singer nodded. "Yes, I'm also hoping I could read it in front of your family."

The sheep smiled back. "I would love it if you did. Come in and I'll introduce you to them."

The group entered the home as the sheep called for his family.

"Honey? Could you and the children come here? There's a surprise for us at the door!"

They heard the sound of hooves approaching until a sheep and two lambs appeared in the room with them.

"What is it, dear? What's this…surprise?"

The wife and children's eyes widened at seeing celebrities in their home.

"Hello," Gazelle introduced.

"Wow!" One of the lambs exclaimed in excitement.

"It's Gazelle!" The other lamb cried.

Both lambs ran forward, and Gazelle gave them a big hug before introducing them to her tigers. Thankfully, their response was positive.

Two tigers picked up the lambs who squealed in delight as they played with them, swinging them around to the glee of the younger mammals.

The singer giggled and approached the wife who was still in shock at their visit. "I know this is surprising for you and your family, but there is a reason for this visit. If you and your family will meet in the living room, I will explain."

The wife slowly nodded, remaining silent.

"Thank you." The singer acknowledged.

Inside the separate homes, Gazelle and her tigers sat across from the family members. The singer brought out and opened the letter addressed to the place. She took a deep breath and began reading.

Christmas Day, 1914

Predator: Dear Mother,

Prey: My dear wife,

It is late, and I am tired as I write this. The day has been long with little action.

The fighting has lessened as of late with the weather being partly responsible.

Snow fell for the first time earlier this month and covered the entire battlefield.

But that did little to improve the atmosphere in the trenches.

With clear skies being more frequent, the moon shines brightly in the night, making it difficult for the wolves. To prevent a howling, they were ordered down in the bunker, leaving us short-handed and double the duties. But that means their load is also doubled during the day so I can't complain.

The only relief the snow brought was the frozen ground, temporarily preventing any more cases of trench foot. Even then, those with hooves including myself must still clean our feet to prevent foot rot, much like everyone else. I pity those who only have fur on their feet.

News of remaining on the front-lines for Christmas still brings heartache to all of us.

I only wish I could be there with you and my children right now in our home.

But that is not the main reason why I am up late writing to you.

For what I am going to tell you will sound like a fairy tale. Only it is not.

I would have never believed it had I not seen it with my own eyes.

If only you and my children were there to see it with me.

We had lined up all along the trench to eat our hot meals.

Grateful for the supplies delivered earlier this month.

Christmas trees were placed before us as we ate and drank. The trees and the decorations were delivered yesterday separately from headquarters and most of us spent the day decorating them. I would take that over sentry duty any day.

Another unit sent us a set of instruments after hearing of our extended stay on the front-lines for Christmas. Only four of us knew how to use them, having worked as musicians before the war. But that didn't dampen the mood.

It was a wonderful feeling to see all of us gathered around, including our Lieutenant. He had just finished sending in the report for tonight before joining us.

Our Lieutenant was hit the hardest by the news, so we decided to play music to lift her spirits. Thankfully, she was able to come, and the musicians prepped the instruments.

As we talked into the night, the sound of music coming from the prey's side made us pause. We sat in silence and listened to the singing that immediately followed. While the song was unfamiliar to us, one phrase that was repeated brought a smile to our faces. "I'm dreaming of home. I feel so alone, I'm dreaming home." It would seem the prey are also stuck on the front-lines for Christmas. Their music and singing was magnificent to hear. When the song ended, Wolford asked if we could share our sentiments with the prey. After discussing it with our Lieutenant, the idea was put to action.

The music brought life to us! After singing, the musicians continued to play various tunes as we shared drinks and laughs. Then, something caught the attention of our second-in-command who immediately called the Lieutenant to investigate. Naturally, the rest of us followed. What we saw ahead amazed us. All along the predators' side in full view were Christmas trees. Then we heard a voice from their trench. "O Christmas tree! O Christmas tree…" I would have never imagined such a voice belonging to a predator! He must have been in opera before the war. We all listened in awe to singing.

We watched and listened Wolford sing his heart out. Clearly, he has a gift for that. Then something happened that caught us off guard. We heard music coming from the prey's side again, but this time it was the same as Wolford's! A few seconds later, the wolf sang along. To our shock, he moved to the edge of the trench and slowly raised himself in view of the prey while still facing us. We became afraid for his safety yet remained captivated by the performance. Finally, our Lieutenant ordered him down into the trench and pushed forward to do so. Then to our surprise, we hear applause coming from the prey!

I didn't care if it was a predator singing! That was the most magnificent music I have ever heard! The wolf bowed to our encore, and it became silent again. The red deer musician then made a bold move. He climbed out of the trench and began playing O Come All Ye Faithful. The deer stopped, and we waited for the wolf's response. Then, it happened. "O Come All Ye Faithful…" The wolf had joined along! Encouraged by the action, the other musicians joined the red deer as they accompanied the wolf. The wolf also made a bold move. He raised a Christmas tree and entered No Mammal's Land while singing!

We watched Wolford leave the trench and approach the prey's side as they continued to play along with him. Not even our Lieutenant knew what would to do, so we did the only thing we could: watch and wait. Wolford finally stopped in the middle of No Mammal's Land and placed the Christmas tree down on the hay bale just as the carol ended.

"Good evening, everyone!" The wolf greeted. He didn't have to wait long for a response. The red deer acknowledged him and complimented on his performance which the rest of us agreed. A fox then appeared from their trench and joined the wolf. It was clear that they wish to speak to us, but we were uncertain of the outcome. Finally, our Lieutenant and second-in-command joined the two predators.

We waited anxiously as they spoke with each other.

A few minutes later, only the sheep and the wolf returned, leaving the bunny and the fox alone.

Wolford stood before as with a smile on his face.

Bellwether stood in front of us with an anxious look.

We agreed that there will no shooting for the remainder of the night and all of tomorrow.

To mark the occasion, their Lieutenant has requested a toast.

It was truly unbelievable! The news was shocking yet there was an air of excitement among us!

We watched them toast, and the predators treated to another showing with their lights.

Minutes later, we were all gathered in the middle of No Mammal's Land, shaking hands and carrying out conversations.

And to think we were trying to kill them just hours ago! Here we are talking as friends and performing gift exchanges!

A group of prey offered me a drink which I gladly accepted. I must say they know how to make a drink because it was very strong for even them.

To our surprise, the predators ate vegetables as part their diet. Some even were outright vegetarians! We were quickly reminded that some predators were omnivores. I felt ashamed of myself for not knowing that.

One thing ran through my mind as we talked into the night. These were not barbarians that we frequently read about.

These predators were not the savages the newspapers made them out to be. These were mammals who have families, homes, and love for their land.

In short, mammals just like us.

Which begs the question, "Why are we lead to believe otherwise?"

As if the night wasn't full of any more surprises, a female's voice was heard and we were shocked to see who it was.

There in our presence was Gazelle, the star from Zootopia! We heard of her tour, but I would never imagine her coming here.

The singer was brought to tears when hearing about our ceasefire and then offered to perform for us! What an opportunity!

I know how much the children wanted to see her perform, so I promise to get her autograph and pictures for you before she leaves.

No words could properly describe the feeling of being there live to hear Gazelle sing. Now I understand why Clawhauser calls her the Angel with Horns.

No offense to the wolf but no comparison could be made with Gazelle. I tried my best to not shed a tear, but I felt more comfortable doing so after seeing others do the same.

We then returned to our trenches with the promise of meeting again tomorrow. To the delight of Clawhauser, Gazelle decided to sleep with us for the night.

Even though Gazelle is staying with the predators tonight, the singer did promise to leave through our trench since she did come through ours first.

I only wish she could stay for all of Christmas tomorrow.

How great would that be?

And so Mother,

And so my love,

Was there ever a Christmas Eve such as this before?

And to see that it is possible to befriend enemies?

However you read it; it does not change the fact that we are soldiers fighting in a war. For we cannot simply shirk our duties.

The predators want to drive ours deeper into our homeland as much as we want to drives theirs out. But I can't help but wonder if they want peace as much as we do.

Despite the unofficial ceasefire to celebrate Christmas, it was understood among us that we must return to fighting one another soon after.

But in that time of respite, it was not fraternization between predators and prey but a festivity between mammals who longed for peace.

With all my love,

Forever yours,

Renato

Elias

Silence occupied the living room when Gazelle finished reading the letters.

The singer looked up to see the smile on the sheep's face, his wife in tears, and the children in awe.

Gazelle laid the sheep's letter on the table and reached into her bag again. She took out the photos taken with her camera from that day. The singer got up and stood in front of the sheep's family to show the pictures.

"These are the pictures I took of your husband on Christmas Day. I even signed my signature on every one of them."

The wife and children took the photos and looked through them. The wife saw her husband's happiness and was surprised to see him be friendly with the enemy, especially the natural ones.

The lambs were excited to see the photos and the autographs.

"Wow! Thank you, Gazelle!" The other lamb said.

The singer smiled. "You're welcome."

"Is that you, Papa?" One of the lambs asked while showing one of the pictures.

The sheep smiled. "Yes, my children. That is me."

His wife quickly hugged her husband as the tears flowed.

Seeing this, the lambs quickly put the photos down to hug their mother.

"Mama?" One of them asked.

"Are you all right?" The other asked.

"Yes, dears. Mama is just happy for your Papa."

Her husband finally returned the hug to comfort his wife. Gazelle and her tigers joyfully watched the family share their love together.

After hearing her son's letter, the mother trembled with her eyes closed and paws over her mouth. She didn't notice Gazelle had gotten up until hearing footsteps and looking up to see the singer standing before her. The mother saw Gazelle holding photos in her paws.

"I know how much you miss your son, and I can promise you that he misses you as well. He understands how devastated you feel for not being home for Christmas," The singer brought forward the photos. "Your son asked me to deliver his letter, and I promised to give these photos of him to you as well."

Manchas' mother held the photos in her paws and looked at all of them. Seeing her son happy and enjoying himself along with his friends on Christmas brought a smile to her face, and the tears threatened to overflow. "Oh my sweet boy!"

Within moments, she broke down crying and tightly clutched the photos to her chest, as if they were the last links to her son. Feeling sorrowful, Gazelle closed the space between them and embraced the jaguar in a hug for comfort.

Gazelle heard these words from the women as they wept. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

The singer nodded with delight and spent a little more time with their families, speaking to them of their experience on Christmas Day and playing with the children, before moving on to the next one.

Gazelle and her tigers would do this for the remainder of the war with their last and final stop being her home in Zootopia. Even if the soldiers had sent home more letters before her arrival, Gazelle was determined to inform the families of what transpired on Christmas Day 1914. The reactions were all the same, and it brought the singer great satisfaction. Despite no longer helping the soldiers on the front-lines, Gazelle provided greater help to their families by giving them comfort and in some cases, closure. That alone was enough to make her punishment and effort worthwhile.

Mid-January 1915,

Judy Hopps sat at a table in the dining car of the train riding for Bunnyburrow. On the table lay a cup of herbal tea, a pen, and her open journal. The past few days have taken a physical and emotional toll on the bunny. Since receiving her discharge, Judy had been busy preparing for her departure and reluctantly preparing for the arrival of their replacement. Finally on a break, she savored every moment of the respite. After another sip of the tea, Judy finally picked up her pen and began writing in the journal.

January XX, 1915,

I have been honorably discharged from the army for what happened on Christmas Day. I should consider myself fortunate at the leniency, yet I feel no joy whatsoever. Neither do going home to my family and knowing that my unit and I avoided disaster. Only one thing is on my mind right now, and it brings me both joy and pain. That thing is a red fox by the name of Nicholas Wilde. Thinking of him brings me great pain because I have no idea what will happen to him. Him being a fox and hearing of their harsh treatment push me to assume the worse, but I refuse to accept that fate. Thinking of him also brings me great joy because the memories of him have comforted me through these difficult times. The love we felt and shared for each other was nothing I ever felt before. Despite being together for just hours, it felt like a lifetime's worth of love. Our eventual reunion will be my happiest day ever. I just need to make sure I'm running the stand when the war is over. I can't risk my family ruining the reunion so I must be cautious. Maybe I should keep this a secret from them. The newspapers are certain to have ingrained my home of how dangerous the predators are. Once this dreaded war is over and hopefully it will be soon, I will do everything I can to find him, and I will be prepared for both the best and worst case scenarios.

Judy looked up to see the sign welcoming visitors and returning residents to Bunnyburrow, noting how the population states that it is ever growing. She looked down at the red neckerchief wrapped around her neck. Judy calmly clutched the clothing with her paw and smiled. "Welcome home, Nick." She closed her journal, finished her tea, and got ready for the last leg of the journey home. With the station in sight, the train began to slow down as Judy met up with her escort.

The sounds of the train riding on the tracks and predators sleeping filled the last car. All but one predator was asleep. After checking that no one else was awake, Nick Wilde pulled out his journal from his coat and set it down on his knee. He then reached into his coat again, taking a few seconds longer to search. Nick finally pulled out the carrot pen that Judy gave him during their gift exchange. He opened the journal to the most recent blank page and began writing.

January XX, 1915,

I am not surprised at this outcome. We were fools to believe that no one would punish us for this. None of that matters now. At least my troops can be at peace that they no longer need to worry about shooting the prey they became friends with. Lionheart thinks my father would be ashamed of me if he saw my actions on Christmas Day. But he's wrong. My father may have been a soldier, but he knew when to show mercy. Just like I will when we invade Bunnyburrow. Judy will never forgive me if she discovered what I did to her home. I will make sure her family is safe once I find them, even if Judy never returns home. I owe her that. I am glad she told me of her produce stand or else it would have taken too much time to search for her home. Hearing of her family's reactions to foxes, I must be cautious in my approach. It is my hope that some of my troops will understand my intentions, but I must face the reality that I will alone in this. Only those I trust will know which is a good thing considering there will be few upon arrival. This war needs to end soon because I don't know how much longer I can bear the thought of Judy being on the front-lines. Who knows? Maybe Judy and her unit are being sent home if their superiors found out about the ceasefire. One can only hope as that is the best way for her to stay safe.

At the conclusion of the last sentence, Nick closed his journal and put it back in his coat. He gazed upon the carrot pen in his paw for a moment. Nick then smiled and kissed the pen. "Good night, Judy." He put the pen away before getting on all fours. Nick walked in small circles and then settled down on the floor, wrapping the tail around himself and lowering the cap over his forehead. Nick closed his eyes and within minutes, sleep overcame the train's last waking soldier as the train journeyed into the night.

This story is dedicated to the memories of the soldiers who fraternized in various places on the front on Christmas of 1914.

May this marvelous and unique event in history never be forgotten and be a shining example to all of coming together for peace.