Work Text:
"—And that's why we can't have good things at the precinct anymore," Nick finished, adjusting his grip on the steering wheel as they cruised through the late afternoon traffic of downtown Zootopia.
Judy shifted in the passenger seat, her ears twitching thoughtfully as she processed the story he'd just told her about his recent clash with Officer Fangmeyer over evidence protocol. The warm summer air drifted through the slightly cracked windows of their civilian car, carrying with it the familiar sounds of the city winding down after another busy day.
"Have you considered maybe talking with Fangmeyer about it, but maybe not quite so aggressively?" Judy suggested gently, her voice carrying that diplomatic tone she'd perfected during her time on the force. "I mean, ever since joining the ZPD, we've all gotten along pretty well. She never struck me as unreasonable, Nick. Maybe she was just having an off day?"
Nick waved his hand dismissively, his emerald eyes focused on the road ahead. "Nah, Carrots. I don't want to dig into the issue any deeper. Some battles just aren't worth fighting, you know?" He glanced at her briefly, offering a small smile. "Besides, we're off duty now. Let's not let work drama ruin our evening."
Before Judy could respond, a soft chime echoed through the car's sound system, followed by an automated voice announcing, "You have one unheard voice message."
"Oh, someone left you a voicemail," Judy observed, reaching toward the dashboard. "Want me to play it?"
"Sure, go ahead," Nick replied casually, assuming it was probably Chief Bogo with some last-minute paperwork reminder or maybe Finnick asking about their weekend plans.
Judy pressed the play button, and almost immediately, a warm, cheerful feminine voice filled the car's interior.
"Hi Nicky!" The voice practically bubbled with excitement, and Nick's ears perked up instantly, his relaxed demeanor shifting to something more alert. "I heard through the grapevine that it's been four months since you officially took on the mantle of Zootopia's finest." There was genuine pride in the speaker's tone, though she could barely contain her enthusiasm. "And a little bird also whispered in my ear that you'll be taking a three-week vacation soon. It's been far too long since we've actually seen each other face to face, you know. Talking over the phone just isn't the same as being there in person."
A hint of melancholy crept into the voice, and Nick's paws tightened almost imperceptibly on the steering wheel.
"Anyway, we absolutely have to talk this over some good food. Maybe we could grab some of that amazing fried chicken from ‘Crisp y Sabroso’? The voice laughed, a sound that was both musical and mischievous. "That's right, don't think for a second that I've forgotten your weakness for their extra crispy recipe."
There was a brief pause, and the background noise became more apparent—distant voices and the shuffle of papers.
"Politics can be quite draining, honestly. It would be so wonderful to see you again and just... catch up properly. Talk about real things instead of policy briefings and budget meetings."
More murmurs of other voices could be heard from the other end of the call, growing slightly louder.
"Oh, looks like I have to run now. The city council members are already filing in for our evening session." There was the distinct sound of an air kiss being blown toward the phone. "And remember to eat more vegetables, Nicky. I know how you get when you're working those long shifts. Love you."
The message ended, leaving an almost deafening silence in the car. Nick stared straight ahead at the road, his face having gone noticeably pale around his muzzle, his usual confident demeanor completely absent.
Judy turned in her seat to study his profile, her detective instincts kicking in as she processed what she'd just heard. "Well…? "
Normally," Judy interrupted, holding up a paw, "I would've thought you had some secret girlfriend or something. The affectionate tone, the 'love you' at the end, planning dinner dates..." She paused, her expression shifting from suspicion to curiosity. "But then she told you to remember to eat your vegetables." The doe blinked several times, clearly working through the puzzle. "And I'm pretty sure the only other mammal who's ever said something that specific to you was your mom, Clementine. But that voice definitely wasn't hers."
She studied his increasingly nervous expression. "So there you go. You've got all the time in the world to explain yourself.”
"That's my sister," Nick said quickly, the words tumbling out almost before Judy had finished speaking. "Her name is Diane."
Judy's expression transformed from curiosity to complete bewilderment. "Sister?" She turned more fully in her seat to face him. “Why wouldn't your mom have brought up something that significant when we first met?"
Nick ran a paw through his fur, suddenly looking very much like he wanted to be anywhere else in the world. "She's not Clementine's daughter," he said carefully, then immediately looked frustrated with himself for the inadequate explanation. "Well... kind of, but not really. It's complicated.”
"Maybe you should pull over first," Judy suggested gently, noticing how his paws had begun to shake slightly on the steering wheel. "I don't want you causing an accident while you try to explain this, and something tells me this story is going to require your full attention, slick.”
The fact that she'd used his nickname instead of his actual name was both reassuring and nerve-wracking. It meant she wasn't angry—yet.
Nick nodded and began scanning for a suitable place to stop. After a few minutes, he spotted a small park with a parking area nestled between two residential blocks. He pulled in and turned off the engine, the sudden silence feeling heavy between them. For a long moment, he just sat there, staring at his paws folded in his lap.
"Take your time," Judy said softly, reaching over to place one of her paws over his. "Whatever it is, Nick, we'll work through it together."
He took a shuddering breath and finally looked at her. "Remember what my mom and I told you about my father?"
Judy nodded immediately. "He used to be a con artist when you were an infant. They locked him up for six years when you were just a kit. Later, he died in that gas leak accident at a construction site when you were fifteen." Her voice softened with sympathy. "My heart still breaks for both you and Clementine when I think about what you two went through."
"That's all true," Nick said slowly, "but it's not the whole truth. Not even close to the whole truth."
He shifted in his seat to face her more directly, his green eyes reflecting a mixture of old pain and anxiety about her reaction.
"After they released him from prison, his relationship with my mom was... well, it was in a really bad place. Prison changes people, Judy, and not always for the better. They tried to make it work for my sake, but there was so much resentment and hurt between them." Nick's voice grew quieter. "What we didn't know—what Mom didn't know at the time—was that during those six years, he'd been writing letters to someone else. A vixen named Maria who lived clear across the country."
Judy felt a cold knot forming in her stomach, but she remained silent, letting him continue at his own pace.
The whole time he was in prison, he was promising both her and my mother that he'd changed, that he wanted to start fresh when he got out." Nick's voice took on a bitter edge. "The bastard was playing both sides, planning to choose whichever situation looked more promising when he was finally free."
"Oh, Nick..." Judy whispered.
"So there I was," Nick continued, "a fifteen-year-old kit dealing with the death of a father I barely knew, trying to help my mother cope with her grief and guilt, when she sits me down one evening and tells me about this Maria character. She explains that my father had another life, another family, and—" his voice cracked slightly "—another daughter. My half-sister."
Judy squeezed his paw encouragingly.
"I was furious, Judy. Absolutely livid. Here my mom had been mourning this mammal who'd apparently been betraying her the entire time. I felt like such a fool for grieving someone who didn't deserve it." Nick's ears flattened against his head. "So angry, confused fifteen-year-old me decided I was going to track down this Maria and give her a piece of my mind. I was going to tell her exactly what I thought of home-wrecking vixens who destroy families."
"What did you do?"
"I saved up every penny from my hustling—which was already pretty advanced by then—and bought a bus ticket to Los Angeles. Told my mom I was visiting a friend for a few days." Nick shook his head at the memory. "I had this whole angry speech planned out, all these accusations I was going to hurl at her. I was going to make her feel as terrible as my mom felt."
Nick paused, his expression shifting from pain to something much softer.
"What I found was one of the kindest, most genuine vixens I've ever met in my entire life. The only mammal I can compare her to is my own mother." His voice grew thick with emotion. "So I knock on her apartment door, and this beautiful vixen answers—probably mid-thirties, with the warmest amber eyes and this immediate smile that made me feel welcome even though she had no idea who I was."
"What did you tell her?"
"Everything. I just... unloaded. I told her who I was, what my father had done, how he'd been lying to both our families. I was still angry, but looking at her, seeing how she lived, I realized she wasn't some evil temptress. She was just another victim of his lies." Nick's voice cracked completely. "You know what the first thing she did was, after I finished my rant?"
Judy shook her head, though she was starting to get tears in her own eyes.
"She hugged me," Nick whispered, tears now flowing freely down his muzzle as he tried to wipe them away with his paw. "This vixen who had just learned that her partner had been lying to her for years, who had just discovered that the father of her daughter was a complete fraud—her first instinct was to hug his bastard son and tell him that none of it was his fault. That I was just a kid who'd been hurt by the same mammal who'd hurt her."
Judy felt her own tears starting to fall as she watched Nick struggle with the memory.
"And then," Nick continued, his voice growing warmer despite the tears, "this tiny little fox kit comes peeking around the corner from what I assumed was her bedroom. Three years old, with the most incredible green eyes—inherited from our father, though hers were full of innocence instead of calculation. Her fur was this beautiful peach shade, almost golden in the right light. And when she smiled..." Nick chuckled wetly. "When she smiled, Judy, it was like the whole room got brighter. She was the most beautiful fox kit I'd ever seen in my life."
"That was Diane?"
"That was Diane," Nick confirmed, his expression growing tender. "She was initially shy, hiding behind Maria's legs and peeking at me like I was some interesting creature she'd never encountered before. But within an hour, I knew the name of every single one of her toys, her favorite foods, her favorite bedtime stories. She had this laugh that was absolutely infectious, and she'd gotten into this phase where she wanted to help with everything—cooking, cleaning, even trying to help Maria with her work."
Nick wiped his eyes again, smiling at the memory. "And that's when it hit me, Carrots. These two vixens weren't my enemies. They were family. They were just as much victims of my father's lies and manipulation as Mom and I were.”
"What did you do?"
"I told Maria she needed to come live with us in Zootopia. That Diane deserved to grow up with family who cared about her, and that my mom needed to know she had a step-daughter."Nick's voice grew more animated as he warmed to the story. "I promised I'd work three jobs if necessary, that I'd make sure Diane's childhood was nothing like mine had been—full of uncertainty and struggle. Maria was initially taken aback by the suggestion, but she could see how much I already cared about Diane, and honestly, she was barely making ends meet in LA."
"She agreed?"
"She agreed. So suddenly, we had two adult vixens, one fifteen-year-old fox, and one three-year-old kit all living under one roof in our tiny apartment." Nick laughed, though it was still a bit watery. "I won't lie to you, Judy—the beginning was rough. Really rough. We were all still processing the betrayal and grief, trying to figure out how to be a family when we'd been brought together by such painful circumstances."
"But it worked out?"
"Better than I ever could have imagined," Nick said, his voice full of warmth and pride. "Mom didn't just accept Diane—she fell completely in love with her. Within a month, you would have thought Diane was her biological daughter. She was reading her bedtime stories, teaching her to cook, bragging about her to anyone who would listen. And Maria... Maria became like a sister to my mother, and like a second mom to me."
Nick's expression grew even more tender. "And Diane... God, Judy, watching her grow up was one of the best experiences of my life. She was this incredibly bright, curious kit who wanted to learn about everything. She'd follow me around asking a million questions, wanting to help with whatever I was doing. When she was about five, she decided she was going to be my 'assistant' in everything, so she'd wear these tiny business outfits that Maria made for her and carry around a little notebook where she'd scribble down 'important information.'"
Judy found herself smiling despite the emotional weight of the conversation. "She sounds adorable."
"Oh, she was. But she was also a handful," Nick grinned. "When she was eight, I was babysitting her one afternoon and I made the mistake of falling asleep on the couch. I woke up to find that she'd 'decorated' an entire wall of our living room with this elaborate mural in crayon and finger paint."
"Oh no," Judy laughed.
"Oh yes. It was this massive artwork showing all of us—me, her, Mom, and Maria—standing in front of our apartment building, holding hands and smiling. When Mom and Maria got home and saw it, I was sure I was going to be in so much trouble for not watching her properly."
"What happened?"
"They thought it was the most beautiful thing they'd ever seen," Nick said, his voice full of love and amusement. "Maria started crying and said it was the first time Diane had drawn all of us together as a real family. Mom immediately went out and bought a frame for it. We never painted over that wall—we just built the frame around the mural and made it the centerpiece of our living room."
"That's actually really sweet."
"Diane had a way of bringing out the best in all of us," Nick continued. "She was this bright, optimistic kid who saw the good in everyone and everything. When she started school, she'd come home every day with stories about her classmates and teachers, always focusing on the positive aspects of her day. She never seemed to realize that our family situation was unusual—to her, it was just normal to have two moms and a big brother who adored her."
Nick's expression grew more serious. "I need you to understand, Judy, how important my relationship with Diane became. She wasn't just my half-sister—she was like my own daughter in a lot of ways. I was the one who taught her to ride a bike, who helped her with her homework, who scared away the monsters under her bed.”
"You really love her."
"More than anything," Nick said immediately. "Which is why..." He hesitated, looking down at his paws again. "Which is why I was so scared to tell you about this part of my life."
Judy frowned. "Why would you be scared? Nick, this is a beautiful story. You found family in the most unexpected place, and you helped create something wonderful out of a terrible situation. Why would you think I'd react badly to that?"
Nick's ears flattened against his head again. "Because of how I provided for them, Judy. You have to understand—I was fifteen years old, and suddenly I was responsible for helping to support three other mammals. Mom was working double shifts, and Maria was trying to find work in a new city while caring for a small kit. We needed money, and I needed it fast."
Understanding dawned on Judy's face. "The hustling."
"The hustling," Nick confirmed grimly. "I went from small-time cons to serious schemes almost overnight. I was working every angle I could think of, pulling increasingly elaborate scams, taking bigger and bigger risks. I told myself it was for them, that I was being noble and responsible, but..." He looked up at her with anguish in his eyes. "But I was becoming exactly like my father, Judy. I was lying, cheating, and manipulating other mammals for money.”
"Nick..."
"I was terrified that if I told you about Diane and Maria, you'd realize that I'm not actually a good mammal who made some bad choices. You'd see that I'm just my father's son after all—someone who hurts others when it's convenient." His voice was barely above a whisper. "I was afraid you'd think less of me."
Judy was quiet for a long moment, tears streaming down her face as she processed everything he'd told her. Finally, she reached over and took his face in her paws, forcing him to look at her.
"Nicholas Piberius Wilde," she said firmly, "you listen to me, and you listen good. What you just described isn't the behavior of your father's son—it's the behavior of a fifteen-year-old kit who stepped up to take care of his family when no one else could. You didn't hurt people for greed or personal gain. You made difficult choices to protect the mammals you loved."
"But I still hurt people—"
"And you stopped," Judy interrupted. "You changed your entire life, became a police officer, dedicated yourself to helping instead of hurting. That's not something your father ever did, Nick. That's something you chose to do because of who you are at your core."
She wiped away his tears with her thumbs. "And the fact that you built a family out of such painful circumstances, that you helped raise a kit when you had no obligation to do so. That you worked so hard to give her a better life than you'd had—that's not something to be ashamed of. That's something beautiful and heroic."
Nick stared at her, hardly daring to believe what he was hearing. "You... you don't think less of me?"
"Less of you?" Judy laughed, though she was still crying. "Nick, I think more of you now than I ever have before. This story doesn't make me see you as your father's son—it makes me see you as the incredible mammal who overcame his father's legacy to become someone completely different."
Nick let out a shuddering breath and pulled her into a tight embrace. They sat like that for several minutes, holding each other as the emotional weight of the revelation settled between them.
"There's more to the story," Nick said eventually, his voice muffled against her shoulder.
"I'm listening," Judy replied softly.
Nick pulled back slightly so he could see her face. "Diane was incredibly smart, Judy. Not just street smart like me, but academically gifted in a way that was almost intimidating. She excelled at everything—math, science, literature, history. By the time she was in high school, she was already talking about wanting to go to law school, wanting to make a difference in the world."
"That ambition sounds familiar," Judy smiled.
"She got a full scholarship to Zootopia University," Nick continued with obvious pride. "Graduated summa cum laude with a degree in political science and then went on to law school. She was editor of the law review, graduated at the top of her class, everything you'd expect from someone destined for great things."
"What did she do after graduation?"
"That's when she broke my heart a little bit," Nick admitted with a rueful smile. "She decided to move back to Los Angeles with Maria. Said she wanted to make a difference in the place where she'd been born, wanted to give back to the community that had shaped her early years. I understood it, but I missed her terribly."
"You must have been so proud of her, though."
"Proud doesn't begin to cover it," Nick said emphatically. "This little kit who used to ask me to read her bedtime stories every night, who painted our family on the living room wall, was out there changing the world. She started as a public defender, then worked her way up through various government positions. She never forgot where she came from, never lost that optimism and kindness that made her special as a kit."
Nick paused, a slightly mischievous smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "You might actually know her by her full name now, Carrots. Diane Foxington—the current governor of California."
Judy's mouth fell open in complete shock. "Your sister is Governor Foxington?!"
"Yep," Nick replied, his old confident persona flickering back to life. "Jealous?"
"I... you... she..." Judy sputtered for a moment before finding her voice. "Nick, your sister is one of the most respected politicians in the country! She's been featured on the cover of Time Magazine! She's been talked about as a potential presidential candidate!"
Nick shrugged, though his pride was obvious. "To me, she's still just the three-year-old kit who used to make me play tea party with her stuffed animals every afternoon. The same Diane who would crawl into my bed during thunderstorms.”
"How are you so casual about this?" Judy asked incredulously. "Your sister is the Governor of California!"
"Because that's not how I see her," Nick explained gently. "I don't think about her political achievements when she calls me. I think about the kit who used to help me make breakfast on Saturday mornings, who would sit on my lap while I read her favorite books, who drew pictures of our family and hung them on the refrigerator. She's successful and important now, sure, but she's still my little sister first and foremost."
Before Judy could respond, another soft chime indicated a new voice message. They both looked at the car's display screen.
"Oh look, another one," Judy said, still sounding slightly dazed.
"That's also from Diane," Nick replied, recognizing the phone number. "Let's hear what she has to say this time."
Judy pressed play, and once again Diane's warm voice filled the car.
"Hey Nick," the message began, though this time her tone was slightly more hesitant. "I probably should have mentioned this in my first message, but I wanted to give you a heads up that Moe is also really looking forward to seeing you again when you come to visit."
The change in Nick's demeanor was immediate and dramatic. All the warmth and nostalgia from their conversation evaporated, replaced by obvious dread. "Of course he is," Nick muttered darkly.
Diane's voice continued from the speakers. "I know you two didn't exactly hit it off the last time you met, but please try to be nice to him, okay? He's really trying, Nick. It's not easy for ex-convicts in this world, and he's working hard to build a better life for himself. For us."
The message ended, leaving another moment of silence in the car.
"Who's Moe?" Judy asked, though she could already tell from Nick's expression that this was going to be another complicated part of the story.
"Her boyfriend," Nick replied, his voice flat and unenthusiastic.
"And you don't like him?"
Nick sighed heavily. "It's not that simple, Judy. Diane is... she's always seen the good in everyone, sometimes to a fault. She has this incredible ability to believe that people can change, that everyone deserves a second chance. It's one of the things I love most about her, but it also means she sometimes gets involved with mammals who..." He trailed off, looking frustrated.
"Who what?"
"Who remind me too much of the mammal I used to be," Nick finished quietly. "Moe's got a record, Judy. Not just small stuff—serious crimes. And maybe he really has changed, maybe Diane is right about him, but when I look at him, all I can see is the kind of mammal I was terrified I might become. The kind of mammal I worked so hard to stop being."
Judy nodded slowly, beginning to understand the complexity of the situation. "It must be hard, watching someone you love be with someone who represents a part of your past you'd rather forget."
"Exactly," Nick said gratefully. "And the worst part is, I can see how happy he makes her. She lights up when she talks about him, the same way she used to light up when she talked about her favorite toys or books when she was little. I want her to be happy more than anything, but I can't shake the feeling that I need to protect her from making the same mistakes I made."
"Maybe that's something you can work on during your visit," Judy suggested gently. "Getting to know him better, seeing what she sees in him. If he really has changed, if he really makes her happy, then maybe you can find a way to accept him."
Nick considered this for a moment, then nodded reluctantly. "You're probably right. I owe it to Diane to at least try. She's never asked me for much over the years, and if this is important to her..."
"Then it should be important to you too," Judy finished.
"Yeah," Nick agreed, then looked at her with a mixture of gratitude and lingering anxiety. "So... now you know about the most important relationship in my life that I've been hiding from you for months. Are we okay, Carrots?"
Judy leaned over and kissed him softly. "We're more than okay, Nick. Thank you for trusting me with this. I understand why it was hard to talk about, but I'm so glad you did. I feel like I know you so much better now."
"Good," Nick said, relief evident in his voice. "Because I was terrified I might lose you over this."
"The only thing you might lose me over is if you keep important things like this from me in the future," Judy said with a smile that took any sting out of her words. "I'm your partner, Nick. In work and in life. That means we share the big stuff, okay?"
"Okay," Nick agreed, then grinned. "So, want to meet the Governor of California in a few weeks? I have a feeling she's going to want to interrogate my girlfriend pretty thoroughly."
"Are you kidding?" Judy laughed. "I can't wait to meet the vixen who painted your family on the living room wall."
Nick laughed too, finally looking relaxed again. "Oh, she's definitely going to have some embarrassing stories about me to share with you. I hope you're prepared for that."
"Bring it on, Wilde. I can handle whatever your little sister has to dish out."
As they sat there together in the fading afternoon light, Nick felt a weight lift off his shoulders that he hadn't even realized he'd been carrying. For the first time since he'd started dating Judy, he felt like she knew all of him—the good, the bad, and the complicated family dynamics that had shaped him into the mammal he'd become.
It was going to be an interesting vacation.
Cr1ms0nD1am0nd Sun 07 Sep 2025 08:39PM UTC
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