Work Text:
It was the night of Chief Bogo’s wedding, and his wedding cake delivery service had cancelled last minute due to a mechanical inconvenience. Having no other choice, he put Nick and Judy in charge of his wedding cake delivery and in exchange, they’d get a full month of PTO.
Neither had a car and the vehicle rentals were already closed. Judy had the idea of borrowing her father’s truck, who just so happened to be in town. Nick thought against it, but having no other choice, he decided to just go with it.
They borrowed the truck with a bed trailer big enough to carry the massive wedding cake so they could take it to the wedding. Chief Bogo wanted to make his wedding at the Rainforest District to give it more of a tropical vibe, since that was what he liked.
Once Nick and Judy made their way to the event center from Savanah Central to the Canal District, the truck started to slow down. Having no other choice, Nick parked the truck on the side of the street next to the forest as the truck slowly came to a stop.
Nick had a deadpan expression while wearing his sharp tuxedo as Judy looked worried in her golden strapless dress and white coat. Nick kept trying to start the truck again, but it the engine just kept sputtering until it could no longer.
“It won’t start.” Judy nervously said.
“Oh, really?” Nick sarcastically replied.
They both got off the truck and went stood next to the truck on the road.
Nick looked around. “Well, the good news is we’re nearby NOTHING.”
“Well, how was I supposed to know my dad’s truck would break down! They said the engine was fine and the oil was changed!” Judy defended herself.
“It was built in the 70s and it has over 300,000 miles in it! Any idiot could have guessed it would die soon!” Nick threw his paws up in frustration.
“Well, this truck had lasted for all these years!” Judy replied.
“Yeah, well how’d that go now!?” Nick sarcastically added.
Judy rolled her eyes. “Look, we can’t be late to this wedding! We promised Chief Bogo!”
She then looked down to her watch. “And if we’re not there in 45 minutes, there’s no way we’ll get that PTO!”
Nick sighed. “Well, let’s just call for help then. Where’s your phone?”
Judy looked back at him with a deadpan expression. “My cellphone got destroyed that last time you and I went undercover for that suspicious ice cream shop trafficking operation!”
“Ah, right.” Nick said while lifting his finger up in realization.
“What? Don’t you have your phone?” Judy asked.
“No, mine got ruined too.” Nick answered.
“How?” Judy raised a brow.
Nick awkwardly looked at the side. “Oh… well… You know…”
Judy narrowed her brows. “You dropped it in the toilet again, didn’t you?”
“Yes.” Nick quickly replied.
“Ugh! How many times do I have to tell you that whenever you do your business, you read a newspaper or something?!” Judy exclaimed in a frustrated manner.
“Who even reads newspapers nowadays!?” Nick asked while lifting his paws up.
“Right, but I’m the dumb bunny?” Judy shook her head.
“Look, are we going to play who’s stupider than the other or do you want to figure out how to get to Chief’s wedding on time?” Nick pointed at her.
“How are we going to do that if we can’t call for help?” Judy asked.
She then looked at the sign in front of them. “Look. It’s 14 miles to the next gas station.”
Nick sighed and turned to the truck’s hood. “Well… maybe I can fix the motor.”
“Pfft, you can’t even fix a sandwich.” Judy scoffed while crossing her arms.
Nick internally gritted his teeth and turned to point a finger close to her face. “Keep making fun of me and I’ll tell everyone at the station you have a carrot plushie named Mr. Bushy Top.”
Judy immediately held her paws behind her back. “I’m sorry I offended you.”
Nick slowly nodded his head. “Alright. Now pop the hood open so we can check it out.”
“Okay.” Judy replied before going to pull the lever of the hood inside the truck.
Nick opened it and put the hook to set it up as Judy went to stand next to him. Both of them awkwardly stood there, making it clear none of them knew anything about mechanics.
“So… there’s the motor.” Nick awkwardly motioned at the engine.
“Yes… lotta metal there.” Judy pointed at it.
Nick slowly nodded before narrowing his eyes and leaning closer to the engine. “Hey. I think I see the problem.”
Nick leaned in and gasped before taking the engine belt out. “Look!”
Judy gasped. “Oh, yeah! That must have come off!”
Nick awkwardly looked to the side then back at her. “So, what do we do about it?”
Judy thought for a second before taking the engine belt. “Here, I’ll just put the belt back on the pulling thingy and you get in the truck, then when I say ‘go’ you try to start it.”
“Sounds good.” Nick said before getting back to the driver’s seat while Judy tried to put the engine belt back on.
Nick got inside the truck and waited for her sign to start the truck again.
“Okay…” Judy said aloud while doing her task.
Nick misunderstood and took that as the sign to turn it on. Suddenly, th engine started revving and took Judy by the sleeve. She squealed and shouted as she was getting pulled in by the engine.
“AAH! HOLD ON! HOLD ON! I DIDN’T SAY GO! STOP!” Judy shouted while holding onto the side of the truck.
Nick couldn’t hear her and kept revving up the engine. “Come on, baby. Start.”
Judy finally broke free and jumped off, but her sleeve stuck to the engine as it started to suck it in.
“No! No! No! My coat!” Judy exclaimed while running back to the engine to try to pull it off.
Despite her effort, the coat was completely sucked into the truck’s engine, making Judy exclaim in sadness and frustration.
Once the engine started running, Nick got off the truck and closed the door to rush back to the front next to Judy.
“Alright! The motor is running again!” Nick exclaimed.
He then noticed Judy just standing there without her coat. “Hey, where’s your coat?”
Judy angrily motioned at the engine. “It ATE my coat!”
“Well, at least we got the motor running again.” Nick replied.
“But I gotta get my coat back!” Judy answered while looking into the engine.
Suddenly, the motor spluttered out Judy’s coat in pieces directly at her like a shredder before the motor died down again, making her let out an angry and frustrated look.
“I… think that was your coat.” Nick awkwardly pointed at the pieces.
Judy turned her head and angrily glared at him. Nick defensively lifted his paws before kneeling down to gather up the shredded pieces.
“Hold on, let me see what I can do here.” Nick replied before putting one of the pieces on her shoulder.
Judy just stood there with a deadpan expression at the imaginary camera as Nick got to her other shoulder and put another piece on her. Nick then got one more piece to wrap it around her wrist before she finally had enough.
“WOULD YOU STOP THAT!” Judy exclaimed while shaking the pieces off her and making Nick jump back in surprise.
Judy composed herself before looking down at her watch. “Oh, dear! We got 40 minutes until the ceremony starts!”
She sighed and motioned at the truck. “Let’s try to get this stupid motor running again.”
“Alright.” Nick said while leaning next to Judy into the hood.
“Oh! It’s so dark, I can’t see anything!” Judy complained while looking inside.
“Well, let me check the glove compartment and see if you have any flashlights.” Nick said as he went back to the driver’s door.
“Okay.” Judy replied.
Nick tried to open the door… only to find it locked.
He widened his eyes and kept trying to open the door, but to no avail. Nick panicked and started patting himself to see if he had the keys, but he did not have them.
He rushed from behind towards the passenger’s door to try to open that one. Same result, locked. Nick had a defeated and worried expression while still trying to open the door, even though he knew it was locked.
Nick then slowly walked with his tail between his legs back to Judy, who was waiting at the front with her arms crossed and an expression that said, ‘I want to die right now’.
“You left the keys inside, didn’t you?” Judy asked despite already knowing the answer.
“Don’t hate me, okay!” Nick cried out loud.
“I don’t hate you…” Judy calmly replied before leaning down to grab a big rock and hand it to Nick. “Here…”
Nick looked down at the rock in his hand with confusion. “What’s this for?”
“KILL ME.” Judy cried while trying not to let the tears of frustration out.
“Carrots, I’m not going to hit you in the head with a big rock.” Nick shook his head while throwing the rock to the ground.
CRUNCH
Judy and Nick widened their eyes before Judy started having a twisted expression full of pain, agony and turmoil.
“Did I hit your foot?…” Nick cringed.
“Yes…” Judy slightly whimpered.
“Sorry!” Nick exclaimed with worry.
“It’s okay….” Judy exhaled in pain.
Judy let the pain subside for a minute before finally composing herself. Nick sighed and looked to the side, feeling his necessities calling out.
“Oh man. I gotta pee.” Nick said.
“Yeah, me too.” Judy added.
“Well, let’s go to those bushes and we can relive ourselves on separate ways.” Nick pointed at the bushes on the side of the road.
“You better not peek on me.” Judy said while walking to the bushes.
“Ew, you wish.” Nick replied as he followed along.
As soon as they left, a police cruiser came driving and stopped by the truck. Delgato and Wolflord came out before they walked over to it.
“Looks like someone parked here illegally.” Delgato pointed at the truck.
“No kidding.” Wolflord sarcastically replied.
“Dibs on the ticket!” The lion called out before writing on his notes.
Wolflord rolls his eyes as Delgato went to put the ticket on the windshield.
Wolflord then narrowed his eyes with suspicion. “Wait a minute…. Doesn’t that look like Hopps’ family farm truck?”
“Nah, I don’t think so.” Delgato replied while ripping the ticket out and placing it on the truck.
“Then why does it say Hopps Family Farm on the side?” Wolflord pointed at the side.
Delgato looked at it for a second before letting out a small laugh. “Okay, come on. Do you really think Hopps would be so dumb enough to leave her truck parked on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere?”
Wolflord laughed too and shook his head. “You’re right. She was the top of her class after all. Only a big idiot would fall for such a thing.”
Wolflord and Delgato got back to the cruiser and drove off. Nick and Judy came running back and tried calling them as they were barely getting back to the road.
“NO! WAIT! STOP!” They both shouted, but it was too late as they had already left.
Nick kicked the floor in frustration. “I can’t believe we missed them!”
Judy went to get the ticket from the windshield. “AND we got a parking ticket!”
Nick and Judy looked at each before breaking down into tears, stranded in the middle of the road with no help or assistance.
25 minutes later…
Judy was walking walking back and forward on the side of the truck while Nick leaned back on the truck with his arms crossed.
“How long until the wedding starts?” Nick asked.
Judy looked down at her watch. “Less than 15 minutes.”
She then sighed in defeat. “There’s no way we’ll make it in time.”
Nick tried to lift up the spirits. “Okay, look. Even if we’re late, maybe if we get to the reception on time, Chef Bogo won’t be too mad.”
“OR, maybe he’ll be ANGRY, and we’ll never get that PTO.” Judy replied sarcastically while crossing her arms and going back to walking in circles.
Nick sighed and looked away, knowing she was definitely right and just gave up on being positive.
Judy then shivered at the autumn breeze and held her arms. “Oh, dear. It’s getting cold out here.”
“Hold on. I’ll check on the trunk to see if you guys have a blanket or something.” Nick reassured while checking on the trunk.
Nick scrambled through the truck’s items and gasped. “Hey! Look! What I found!”
Judy looked up to see Nick carrying a toolbox. “Oh, great! Maybe we can find something in there that could help us open the door that you locked us out!”
Nick rolled his eyes. “Alright! Alright! Let’s see what we got!”
Nick put the toolbox on the floor and opened it to see what was inside.
“Anything useful?” Judy asked.
Nick happily gasped. “Yeah! An emergency kit!”
“Yes! You see! My dad’s truck is not THAT useless! Open it up!” Judy motioned at the box.
“Alright, let’s see. We have…” Nick’s smile dropped as soon as he took out the first item. “A quarter.”
Nick then took out the second item. “A can of yams… opened.”
Nick just frowned the more he went on. “An ice tray…”
Nick was just done with the last one. “And a moldy half eaten donut…”
Judy sighed in defeat. “Oh, dad…”
Both got up, feeling the hope vanish in the wind with nothing else useful they could use.
Suddenly, Nick noticed something else and gasped. “Oh! A hanger!”
“How’s a hanger gonna help us?” Judy asked.
“I could use this to unlock the door!” Nick replied while getting to the door.
Judy smiled in realization. “Yeah, you’re right!”
Judy got behind Nick as he got to work but putting the hanger through the gap in the window slot.
“See… you just gotta put it in the window like this.” Nick instructed while doing his task.
“I can’t believe you know how to do this.” Judy said with disbelief.
He turned back to her. “How do you think I managed to put the rotten fish guts in Fangmeyer’s car?”
Judy widened her eyes and slowly nodded. “Ah…”
“Okay… almost there.” Nick said while twirling on the hanger.
Judy stood super close behind Nick and watched him do it. “Come on, you’re so close! A little to the left!”
Nick gasped. “Okay! I think I got it on the lock!”
“Now what?” Judy asked while looking closely.
“Okay… you just gotta pull it back… like this.” Nick said as he then yanked the hanger back, elbowing Judy right on the left eye.
Judy started flailing around in silent pain, making Nick gasp with worry and regret.
“Judy!” Nick exclaimed while reaching over to her.
“Thank you FOR PUNCTURING MY PUPIL!” Judy angrily exclaimed while rubbing her eye.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Nick kept apologizing before he saw a car coming. “Look! Look! A car is coming you see!”
Judy turned back. “Ah huh… yeah, I can totally see that with my eye that’s NOT SWOLLEN.”
Nick took her by the shoulders and turned her around. “Let me see.”
He removed her paw off her face and looked into her eye. “Oh, it’s not swollen! How does it feel?”
“Oh, well. It feels something like this.” Judy said before thumping Nick in the eye with her thumb.
“OW!” Nick exclaimed in pain while holding his eye. “YOU THUMPED MY EYE!”
“YEAH! NO CHARGE!” Judy fired back.
Nick groaned and held his eye before noticing the vehicle getting closer. “Oh, look! It’s a tow truck!”
Judy sighed in relief. “Oh! Finally, some good news!”
Nick and Judy waved over to the truck before it slowly parked in front of the Judy’s truck, making them feel much more secure and relaxed.
The driver, a middl aged hog, came out and walked towards the duo. “Hey there.”
“Hi.” Nick replied while holding his eye.
“Hey.” Judy added as she did the same.
The hog then put his hand on his eye too. “Hello?”
Nick and Judy were confused for a second before they took their paws off their eyes and composed themselves.
“Oh, man. We’re so glad to see you!” Nick happily exclaimed.
“Yup. Looks like you guys could use a tow…” the hog said while looking at the truck then back at them. “Luckily for you, I got two of them!”
The hog motioned at his feet then let out a heartfelt laughter at his own joke while Nick and Judy just stood there with confused and unamused expressions.
“Oh, it’s just a joke we tow truck drivers say.” The hog added as he slowly stopped laughing.
Judy awkwardly chuckled. “Hehe… anyway. Can you tow us to the nearest garage?”
Nick shook his head. “Forget the garage. Is there anyway you can tow us to the Misty Tropical Event Center on Canopy Lane?”
“Yes, we’re really late for a wedding.” Judy added.
“A wedding, hm?” The hog rubbed his chin. “Well, we better hurry up. You don’t wanna keep yourselves waiting for your own wedding.”
The hog let out another laugh, making Nick and Judy stand there again in awkward silence.
“So…” Judy continued. “Can you please, just tow us!”
The hog slowly stopped laughing. “Sure. I just need to see the vehicle’s registration.”
Judy sighed in defeat. “Oh… it’s in the glove compartment.”
“And we left the keys inside.” Nick added.
“We?” Judy asked with a raised brow.
Nick shook his head before turning back to the hog. “Is there any way you can open the door.”
“Yeah, yeah.” The hog answered before going to his truck and got a hammer.
He went back to the old truck’s driver’s door. “This outta do it.”
The hog then smashed the window open, making Nick and Judy jump back in shock while covering themselves from any possible jumping glass.
Nick slowly put his arms down and angrily raised them again. “Well, WE could have done that!”
“Well, why’d didn’t ya!?” The hog pointed at Nick with the hammer before laughing aloud again and going to his truck’s hook.
Nick snarled his teeth as he walked up to the hog. “Alright, look buddy. We’ve had so much-”
Judy immediately took Nick by the arm and pulled him away to whisper in his ear. “Look, don’t worry about the window. The important thing is that guy can tow us to the wedding.”
Nick took a deep breath and calmed down. “Aright, okay…”
Judy let him go and got to the truck. “I’ll get the registration now.”
“Alrighty!” The hog happily exclaimed.
Nick then awkwardly stood by the hog and nodded at him with an unsure smile as they waited for Judy to get the registration.
Nick noticed the name on his jumpsuit. “Leslie’s Towing Company?”
The hog nodded. “Yes sir! Been in the towing business for 20 years!”
“So, who’s Leslie? Your wife?” Nick asked, trying to make conversation.
“No. I’m Leslie.” The hog corrected as Judy came back with the registration.
Nick then snickered before laughing out loud, making Judy gasp with fear and the hog drop his smile.
“Is something funny about that?” Leslie sternly asked.
“Well, yeah. Leslie is a girl’s name.” Nick replied while laughing.
Leslie raised his brows. “Is that so?”
Judy immediately jumped in. “No! No! It’s not a girl’s name! He’s just joking! It’s a man’s name!”
Judy then made a deep manly tough voice. “A very MAN’S name!”
Nick, however, shook his head and doubled down. “Pfft! No, it’s not! Leslie is a-”
Judy immediately grabbed his muzzle shut. “SILENCE.”
Leslie angrily leaned towards Nick. “Listen, son. I was named after my father. My father was named after his father. And they both served in the military, so show some respect.”
Nick got Judy’s paw off his muzzle. “Okay? All I’m saying is I’ve been with at least 2 people named Leslie.”
“Both girls.” Nick lifted his paw as Judy cringed and facepalmed.
Leslie narrowed his eyes. “Alright. You two can rot in a sack for all I care. Goodbye now.”
Judy gasped and immediately got in front of him while he kept on walking. “No! No! Please! Don’t leave! He’s just joking! He doesn’t know what he’s saying! You know foxes! Always sharp tongued!”
“Goodbye now.” Leslie repeated while gently shoving Judy to the side and getting to his truck.
“NO! PLEASE! YOU CAN’T LEAVE US HERE!” Judy begged on her knees.
“ROT IN A SACK!” Leslie exclaimed before shutting his door and starting off his truck.
Leslie then drove away as Judy slowly got up from her knees and internally gritted her teeth before turning back to Nick with a furious expression. Nick just stood there with an awkward and half crooked smile.
“You just HAD to make fun of the man’s name, didn’t you?!” Judy angrily threw her arms up.
Nick shook his head and composed himself. “Well, at least we can get in the truck now. Maybe we can get it started.”
“We already tried that!” Judy replied in a frustrated tone.
“Well, let’s try again! Get in the truck and turn the key!” Nick persisted.
“Fine! Not like we got any other choice, anyway.” Judy replied while going to the driver’s side.
“I’ll look under the hood and try to see what the problem is.” Nick said.
Judy got inside the driver’s seat and waited for Nick’s signal.
“Okay, go.” Nick pointed his hand at her.
Judy turned the key and tried to rev up the engine, causing a clanking noise to be heard from within.
“Okay, stop! I think I see the problem! Come here!” Nick motioned to her.
Judy got off the truck and rushed over to Nick. “You really think you can see it?”
Nick pointed at the engine. “Yeah. You see, when you turn the keys and it was trying to start. That thing was hitting against that thing.”
“That thing there?” Judy pointed.
“Yeah, and you see those three wires there. I think they got pulled loose when that thing knocked against that thing.” Nick explained.
Judy realized. “Yeah! Well maybe we just need to reconnect those wires and put that metal thing back.”
“Right!” Nick exclaimed before going inside the hood and tried to reconnect the wires.
Some crackling and clanging were heard before Nick came out with a proud smile. “There!”
Judy smiled widely with hope. “Well, let’s give it a shot!”
Nick and Judy went back inside the truck. Nick got into the driver’s side and took a deep breath.
“Alright, cross your fingers.” Nick said as he gripped the wheel.
“I’m crossing everything I’ve got!” Judy exclaimed while crossing both her fingers up.
“Here we go…” Nick exhaled before turning the key again, making both of their heartbeats increase with anxiety.
After a few seconds of agonizing waiting, the engine revved up and started running. Nick and Judy widened their eyes and happily jumped in their seats.
“ALRIGHT! YES! WOO HOO!” Nick celebrated as Judy kissed the glove compartment.
“Okay! Okay!” Judy said before looking down at her watch. “We already missed the ceremony, but if we manage to hurry, we could probably deliver the cake before it’s time to cut it.”
Nick smiled widely and gripped the wheel. “Which means that month of PTO is totally ours!”
“Yeah, baby!” Judy added with victory.
Suddenly, a fire burst from the engine.
Nick and Judy slowly dropped their smiles before getting off the truck and heading to the front of the truck. They both stood there with shocked expressions as the engine caught on fire.
The fire then roared and got bigger, making Nick and Judy take a step back as all they could do was look with shock and disbelief at how the fire then went to the inside of the truck.
Nick and Judy looked at each other, then back at the truck. Not long after, the fire then reached the back of the trunk. Nick and Judy leaned to the side to see the fire slowly engulf the bed trailer, setting flames to the cake as well.
At that point, Nick and Judy knew that not getting the PTO was the least of their concerns. For they now had to pay for Judy’s dad’s truck, a parking ticket, possible arson charges, and a very, very, VERY angry Chief Bogo who was not getting his wedding cake.
The cake then melted down in the flame and the wheels of the truck popped, making Nick and Judy wear expressions of frustration and defeat before they turned around and started walking away towards the gas station.
THE END