Different Tails

by VariableMammal

Summary:

Stories from the lives of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. A collection of one-shots, short series, alternate universes, and sometimes interconnected ideas. Occasionally characters only related to Nick and Judy will take center stage.

Chapter 1: Foreword and Chapter Index

Notes:

New! Improved! Now with an index!

Once I get back to writing new stories for this collection, the newest will always be at the very end, even after any planned "DVD bonus content" I do for the collection. Once I write the story after that, the next most recent one will get shuffled into the "deck" where it belongs in this list.

This index was last updated October 23rd, 2017.

::Foreword::

Hi everyone! Welcome to Different Tails, a collection of stories about Zootopia, mostly about Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. Disney really knocked it out of the park with Zootopia, giving us a colorful, vibrant, and strangely realistic world of talking anthropomorphic animals. They also gave us perhaps one of the greatest on-screen partnerships ever in any movie, Nick and Judy.

This fox and rabbit are packed with such emotion, sass, and teasing that I'd venture to say the reason most of us write or peruse Zootopia fanfiction is to see more of them. What can we do with those two capricious, silly, fun mammals? Well, in this collection I've been striving to find out. These stories range anywhere from serious, emotional looks at their pasts both canon and imagined, to teeth-melting romantic fluff, to silly alternate universes meant for fun.

One thing about Zootopia is that its scale is much grander than the tiny slice we were treated to in the movie itself. For this reason, the development of original characters has been necessary to fill roles and situations that the canon characters cannot provide. There are so many stories available to characters that aren't Nick and Judy that it's tempting to just go on tangents and write about them on and on as well.

Zootopia presents a tempting pallet of colors to paint with. All of these various mammals are trying to exist in a society together despite their massive differences. When gifted with human-like cognitive abilities, and human-like flaws, that's quite sobering. With animal traits and extrapolated animal customs applied, there are so many possibilities for subject matter. What are their customs and physical habits that distinguish them? Would getting a bunny and a fox together really be that hard, or that easy? How might predators have been affected by the Night Howler incident? What's the deal with Frantic Pig?

All these questions and more I have endeavored to broach in this collection of short stories. This index is for both new and returning readers, to help you find a topic you might like to read about, or else revisit one of your favorites. They are broken up into sections to easier find one-shots and related stories. Stories grouped in single-spacing are related, though they have different titles.

Without further ado, I hope you enjoy!

 

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::Nick & Judy Stories::
Sometimes fluffy, sometimes angsty, always about our dynamic duo.

Marks I, II - For furred mammals, sometimes the physical scars can be hidden as easily as the mental ones.

Ties - A possible answer to the question "why does Nick like wearing ties?"

Scents I, II - Stories where Nick's gifted sniffer picks up more than Judy or Nick might want to know about the bunny.

Forgiveness - Does Zootopia forgive Judy for her transgressions against it? Does she forgive herself?

Tails I, II - Tales involving tails.

Mom - Judy wants to meet Nick's mom. Nick tries to talk her out of it.

Trying - While broken down on the road with Nick, Judy's curiosity gets the better of her.

She Doesn't - Have feelings for him.
He Doesn't - Have feelings for her.
Don't They? - Space-time has conceded to give a couple versions of Nick and Judy what they wanted.

They Do - They've done pretty much everything but say it; Judy wants Nick to say it.

Dewlap I, II - During the winter, Judy gets an extra little bit of fluff on her chest; Nick likes fluff.

Licks - Of ice cream and the (im)polite usage of tongues.

Heart - Judy nearly loses Nick before they can tell each other how they feel.

Blackout - Judy can't remember the previous night, but a certain fox can.

Couple - Judy and Nick have to take their cruiser into a car shop after an accident. (Crossover with my story Ozzie's Auto Repair)

Mistakes - The further you push upwards, the farther there is to fall. Are there any regrets?

Cute - That dreaded word.

Dad - About Nick's father and the effect he has had on the fox.

Winning - Judy's not going to settle for anything less than a total victory.

Restraint I, II - Judy's mind, heart, and body are at odds. Is it better that she waits, in this case?
Surrender - Judy won't let herself wait any longer.

Leave I, II - Judy's mother Bonnie is not happy with how her daughter and that fox are getting along.

Machinations - Judy's parents are both trying to push the bunny and the fox a little closer.

Privacy - As a popular figure in Zootopia, Judy finds her secrets splayed all over the television for all to see, even her parents.

Childish - Confronted by a familiar nightmare, Judy wrestles with her feelings and desire for comfort.

Separated - A look at Nick and Judy after they're wrenched from each other in Zootopia.
Reunited - A look at Nick and Judy getting back together, and a scene soon after Zootopia's climax.

Oath - Nick intends to keep the promise he made when he was a child, even if only he remembers or cares that he made it.

TLC I, II - When Judy or Nick is beaten down physically or emotionally, their partner is there for them.

Flurry - Nick and Judy get into a snowball fight in Tundratown.

Fluff - Judy's not going to let Nick's fur get out of place, even on days they have off.

Foxes I, II - Stories about Nick's father and how he (wasn't) in Nick's life.

Undercover - Clawhauser is a very trusting soul. Nick and Judy think they should reward him by giving him something they know he'd like.

Suds - After another day spent risking their lives, Judy and Nick just want to unwind with a bath.

Selfish - Nick gives his opinion on the philosophy of the criminal mind.

Calling I, II - Judy calls Nick while he's at the academy, then her parents when she realizes what she's beginning to feel.
Yearning I, II - Nick receives Judy's call, wrestling with his own feelings for the bunny, and calls his mother afterwards.
Concession - Nick and Judy finally talk to each other about what's going on.

Circles - Judy attempts to locate Nick while he's in the middle of an alleged annual celebration.

Paper - Judy leaves a letter in a hiding place, perhaps hoping it won't be found.
RE: Paper - The reply to Judy's hidden letter.
Destiny - A key phrase in the letter's reply is invoked in a rather dramatic fashion in a temple of a particular Celestial.

Year - Judy and Nick have been partners for one year.

Family - Nick experiences an unexpected and terrifying push forward.

Obstacle I-III - Nick's become engaged, but starts to have second thoughts.

Miracle - Judy's become pregnant by Nick, and the two both have to deal with their feelings on the matter.

Date I, II - Judy and Nick's first formal date has a surprise crasher and they attempt to make peace.

Arrangements - The fox and bunny share an apartment and are a star team at the ZPD, but the officers there seem to think they are more.

Conceal I-II - Nick has a secret he'd rather not face, but it goes and finds him anyway.
Reveal - Tired of hiding his past, Nick reveals his secret to Judy.

Confidence - Even when he's knocked a couple of drinks back, Nick puts up quite the swagger, but Chief Bogo can see a chink in his armor.

Personas - Judy and Nick have been married for awhile and are on a rather... silly case.

Unwind - On a beach-like area of Sahara Square, Judy and Nick have the opportunity to be security detail for Gazelle.

Precious I, II - A mysterious gem appears in Judy's apartment; she's left to investigate why it could be there.
 

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::Alternate Universe Stories::
What if things had been different in Zootopia?

Second - AU to Zootopia: Partners. A lapine officer has fallen.
Money - AU to Zootopia: Partners. Hard times have put a squirrel on the street.
Wrong - AU to Zootopia: Partners. Nick is on a date with another vixen, one that knows him a bit too well.
Illegal - AU to Zootopia: Partners. A reptile has made her way to Zootopia and has thus far evaded capture. Her luck is about to run out.
Preempted - AU to Zootopia: Partners. Judy's the second lapine in Precinct One. Can she still save Zootopia?

Vigilantes I-III - Judy was not able to rejoin the ZPD after the events of Zootopia. Instead, she and Nick take the law into their costumed paws.

Eyes - Turned down by the ZPD, Nick must sate his new desire for justice in another, more private way.

Berries - Nick is a member of the ZPD and Judy's just a farm girl with a family stand in Zootopia, though she yearns for more.

Stars - Set far in the future, Judy is the captain of the Zootopia Starship Fleet's flagship.

Empowered I-III - In a Zootopia containing mammals with fantastic powers, the newest member of the Zootopia Empowered Division is deployed into the fray.

Teach I, II - A provisional fox teacher at Westburrow High, Nick's caught the eye of a certain bunny senior.

Primeval I-III - An ancient world where tribes of mammals are being hunted by vicious reptile-avian creatures. Nick and Judy must find a way to survive.

Delinquent - Nick's the first fox on the ZPD, and he's not exactly trusted. He's charged to go take down a delinquent graffiti artist bunny.

Again I, II - The events of Zootopia keep repeating, and only Judy is aware of this fact. Can she find some way to break the cycle before it drives her crazy?

Magic I, II - A Zootopia where everyone can use magic if they practice hard enough. As before, a sinister plot is targeting the predators of Zootopia.

Lost I-IV - A Zootopia that was never threatened, a Judy Hopps that was never tested, and a Nick Wilde that never got the chance to care.

 

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::Zootopia: Partners Side Stories::
Stories canon to the plotline of my series Zootopia: Partners, mainly focused on original characters from that series. In order of occurrence.

Caring - Judy again tries to connect with her arctic hare co-worker Karen Skippel.

Unknown - Larry, a gray squirrel, has to occasionally deal with consuming, dark feelings. His girlfriend, a ferret named Kara, seeks to help.

Ignorance - Larry accidentally starts a relationship with one of his co-workers, and his friends have to bring this to his attention.

Relax - Karen goes through frequent bouts of panic, especially when her mate Crystal isn't available.

Unsatisfied - Catherine, a gray fox, has to confront a painful difficulty arising from her unusual lifestyle and speaks to her friend Nick about this.

Trail - A fox seeks to run for mayor after Vince Mousawitz steps down, but a certain pig is also vying for the position.

 

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::Testing Limits Side Stories::
Stories canon to the plot line of the timeline of my story Testing Limits, mostly focused on other characters in that series.

Fireworks - Stu Hopps is setting up for another annual lapine festival, and discusses Judy and Nick with his wife.

Vixen I-IV - Samantha Hopps (an altered version of a character created by SophieWitch) must confront her deep-seated feelings about foxes.

Marshmallow I-IV - Tales about some key points in the life of Terra Brownfurred, a Kit Fox.

Den - Samantha meets Terra's parents, and they learn some things about each other.
 

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::Partners: Revisited Side Stories::
Stories canon to the plot line of the timeline of my story Partners: Revisited. Arranged in roughly chronological order.

Traditions - Nick and Judy get a rather rude surprise at Nick's apartment.

Possibility - Disaster looms large for a squirrel who might soon become an orphan.

There - Judy wishes she could beat a fever out of her adopted son.

Kissed - A squirrel has to put up with both encouraging and seemingly endless gossip because he kissed a ferret.
Initiation - A sequel of sorts to "Kissed", the Musteladies evaluate a new member for their club.

Atypical - A young fox girl introduces her friends to her family.

Addition - Nick and Judy's adopted son overhears a discussion of expanding their family even further.
 

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::Miscellaneous Stories::
World building stories or stories not directly focused on Nick and Judy.

Apology - Gideon Grey wishes to repent for his former course of life. He decides to start by asking for Sharla's forgiveness.

Judgement I, II - Nick and Judy are introduced to an inter-species club and meet faces there both new and familiar.

Secret- Two members of the ZPD share some secrets with each other.

Waiting - Nick and Judy are security detail for another fox's presentation.

Fortune I, II - Tales of an eccentric ZBI agent known as Jack Savage and his obsession with luck.

Uncontrolled I, II - Victims of the Night Howler plot come together to try to heal the physical and emotional damage it has done to them.

Frantic - A journal entry of a certain pig seen for only seconds in Zootopia.

ICE - An agent of the Immigration Customs Enforcement hastily ropes Nick and Judy into a situation to save her partner.

Mercenary - A sheep from Zootopia's main plot has fallen off the radar and seeks to avoid consequence.

Singularity - A chance encounter on the strange realm of unconsciousness, beyond even dreams.

Hope I, II - A couple of stories about Terrence Clawhauser, Benjamin's anxious younger brother.

Pride - A couple of undercover agents begin to dig into an unusual plot. Spawned a whole story: Pride and Shame.

Path I, II - Follows from "Destiny". The mystery behind the vandalism of a Celestial temple is revealed, and a look at what became of that vandal.

Break - Judy happens upon an old friend while on the job.

Royalty I, II - A look at Duke Weaselton and his family.

Celestials I-V - A collection of metaphysical beings wrought from Order and Chaos watch over and seek to subtly enhance the lives of the mammals of Earth.

 

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::Appendices::
Additional information about my characters or universes. An AO3 exclusive!

Appendix I: Original Character Listing - An exhaustive list of characters I've created for the Zootopia fandom, also a few semi-canon ones and at least one loaned from others.

Appendix II: The Main Story Histories - My motivations and thoughts behind the three "main" timelines I've written, and how recurring characters differ in each one.

Chapter 2: Marks

    Judy sat on the front porch of the main building of the Hopps' Family Compound in a red-and-white gingham shirt and jeans. She rocked back and forth in a rocking chair, taking in the pleasant breeze that cooled the otherwise hot afternoon. The front door squeaked open, and Nick hopped out; one of Judy's younger brothers held fast to his leg.

    "Okay, off, off please," Nick pleaded, shaking his pant leg to try to dislodge the bunny. "Listen, I heard there's a huge bug out here for this afternoon only that eats boy bunnies, so you better be safe, okay?" The boy gasped and ran into the house.

    "No boys can go outside!" The panicked voice grew softer as it retreated.

    "Lying to a child, Nick," Judy shook her head in disappointment. "Tsk, tsk."

    "Free at last," Nick grumbled, sitting down in a chair next to Judy. He yelped as he felt the chair move, and carefully brought his tail up into his lap. "I guess you guys don't get many long-tailed visitors, huh? These things can destroy tails!"

    "It's Bunnyburrow, Nick, so no, we don't get a lot of non-bunny visitors," Judy rolled her eyes. There was a moment of serenity that they hadn't gotten since they first arrived on the farm together. "So, I see you survived your first one-on-one with my dad."

    "Sure did," Nick chuckled, tugging on his almost objectively offensive electric-blue Pawaiian shirt. "Had to go through the list of do's-and-don'ts for being your partner. Mostly don'ts."

    "That sure sounds like my dad!" Judy said in a perky, jovial voice, her paws grabbing her knees as she rocked her head back and forth a bit. She gave him a guilty smile.

    "Wasn't that bad," Nick shrugged. "Especially because Bonnie said she hid the fox taser from him."

    Judy let out a nervous laugh. "You don't regret coming here, do you?"

    "Oh no, not at all," Nick gave a huff of amusement. "I have plenty of fans." Judy turned her head to the window and saw rows of bunny eyes and ears watching the two.

    "Them, you mean?" Judy pursued, jerking her head in that direction. Nick turned his head and flinched.

    "Jeez! Doesn't anyone here know anything about personal space? Or privacy?" Nick's eyes were wide.

    "In a word... no," Judy laughed. The voices of the bunny kits weren't completely muted by the window in between them, and Judy and Nick could both hear them, though they were wondering if they should pretend not to.

    "Do you think they're gonna kiss?" One voice asked.
    "Oooh, a fox and a bunny? That's so weird...!" An interested voice cooed.
    "Hush, dummy, they're not even dating. That's gross." Another voice reproved the others.

    Another round of silence. The fox and the bunny both hoped the kits would get bored and walk away. A few of them did.

    "Psh, can you imagine us? Dating, I mean?" Judy asked. Her voice came across a bit unusually. Nick's ear twitched and he heard it, but he pretended to ignore it.

    "Not really," Nick replied plainly, not even looking at her. Judy felt her ears droop and reflexively stroked through one of them with a paw.

    "Uh... oh..." Judy was trying really hard not to sound hurt. The thought of dating Nick had always sort of been a strange, dangerous question to her. Should she do it? Did she dare? Lately, she was having a hard time ignoring her feeling that she really desired an answer to that question.

    "How'd it be any different than being on the job together?" Nick let out an indifferent grunt. "Ben's all over us every time we make some sort of quip at each other, which is all the time. Gets a bit annoying, really."

    "Ha, yeah," Judy's eyes furrowed as she stroked her other ear nervously. They were so familiar with each other; perhaps too familiar. Nick turned his head toward her and gave a very tiny smirk.

    "Learned some things about you from your father," Nick declared. Judy's ears shot up in alarm.

    "Oh, great," Judy winced. "He didn't tell you my middle name, did he?"

    "He did not do that," Nick enunciated curiously. "What is it?"

    "Nothing!" Judy giggled in panic. "Do go on!"

    "Your middle name is 'Nothing'?" Nick sucked his teeth. "Sorry, don't buy it. Say, do you have your wallet on you? I think Officer Wilde needs to see some ID," Nick looked like he was going to get out of his chair.

    "Laverne, okay!?" Judy blurted, covering her eyes with her ears. "It's Laverne."

    Nick chuckled uncontrollably. "Laverne? What?"

    "Yes, and if anyone outside of Bunnyburrow gets wind of that, you're going to have two permanent bunny feet marks on your back," Judy sneered. Nick remained hunched over like he was going to move, but his jovial expression vanished, and his brow furrowed. Judy looked taken aback. "It... uh, it was just a joke, Nick." Nick didn't lighten up. He gazed intently at her face. Judy felt her pulse quicken and her nose start to twitch.

    No, not this again... Judy chastised herself. She didn't fear Nick. She didn't. She was his best friend. Still, though, the twitching continued.

    "Permanent marks, huh?" Nick said in a low, dangerous voice.
    
    "Nick..." Judy looked confused, and she was still frightened. Judy let out a terse gasp as Nick's right paw touched her left cheek. Nick's expression was even as his thumb stroked over her cheek. Judy felt too confused and nervous to enjoy this. Her nose's twitching accelerated.

    "So there they are, after all," Nick felt a few tiny little linear imperfections, hidden between the perfect-looking gray fur that covered her cheek. Judy was confused only for a few seconds longer, but then her nose stopped twitching and she looked away. "So, what's the deal, Carrots?"

    "What, didn't he tell you how I got these scars?" Judy asked in an upset tone, keeping her head away from Nick, though she could still almost feel his gaze on her.

    "No, he told me," Nick nodded. "But what I want to know is why you never told me. Especially because now, I retroactively feel like a complete idiot for acting the way I did at the press conference."

    "Never had time to tell you," Judy turned her head around and glared at him defiantly. "It was never relevant."

    "That's a load of fluff," Nick sneered. "What about the gondola? What about when I poured out my life story to you and you tried to fix it by patting me on the arm?"

    "Yes, because I wanted that moment to be about me!" Judy shouted. "I wanted to take away from you finally baring your soul to me by making it about me and my tragic past! Boo hoo, this poor little bunny got cut by a fox as a little kit, and that's why she's such a speciesist moron! No, Nick, I don't care that you just saved my job and that you've gone through some horrible experiences, it should be about me, too!"

    Nick's expression suddenly softened. He sat back in his chair. "Judy, uh..."

    "Oh, so you do remember what my first name is, huh?" Judy felt tears threatening to bubble forth. "I thought I heard you say it when we went over the waterfall, but I had a lot of water in my ears at the time!"

    Nick looked away, ashamed. "If I had known... those three months we spent apart would never have happened." A few tears rolled down Judy's cheeks, and she stared upwards, trying to control herself as she sniffled.

    "Did I ever blame you for what I did?" Judy asked softly. Nick shook his head. "That's right, I didn't. Because it was my fault. It was my mistake. It wasn't Gideon's, or yours."

    "...Here," Nick said, taking out a familiar handkerchief and handing it to Judy. "Dry your eyes."

    "Is this...?" Judy gave a shaky chuckle. "Nick, I'm not wiping my eyes with this thing, it's had my blood all over it!"

    "I've washed it like a dozen times since then," Nick gave a light huff. "I'm pretty sure it's clean. But speaking of blood, your eyes are getting pretty red. Just... dry your eyes, okay...?" Judy did, sobbing a little into the handkerchief. She gave it a little, secret sniff. It smelled like the fox's fabric softener, and him.

    "My eyes are red because of your shirt, it's making my eyes bleed," Judy gave a shaky chuckle, tossing Nick his handkerchief back. Nick scrambled to make sure he caught it.

    "Well excuse me, bunny," Nick smirked at her. "You happen to look like a picnic table with that shirt on!"

    "Are Nick and Judy fighting?" A concerned bunny voice came from behind the two.
    "Hush now, I think they're just about done." That was Bonnie's voice.

    Judy and Nick stared at each other, their eyes wide.

    "Carrots, did they really hear all of that, do you think?" Nick grit his teeth.

    "I'm going to say 'yes'," Judy cringed in a tiny voice, holding up her paw slightly. "I should have probably stormed off into the distance before we raised our voices."

    "Well I'm glad you didn't," Nick smiled warmly with his eyes half-lid. "Wouldn't have wanted to have to go chase you. I'm on vacation, after all."

    Judy felt her heart leap a bit at the thought of Nick chasing after her to apologize. "I definitely should have run. You're so lazy."

    "But if you weren't so exhaustingly emotional, like you bunnies tend to be, this wouldn't have been such a big deal in the first place," Nick gave a wry smile.

    "Wow, Nick," Judy gave him a dangerous smile. "You know I hate you, right?"

    "If by 'hate', you mean 'love', then yeah, I might," Nick got up from the chair and headed to the door. Judy allowed herself a moment's daze as he said that word, then her ears perked up as Nick started to open the door.

    "Nick, wait!" Judy warned, but it was too late. Six female bunnies surrounded and glomped onto Nick from all directions.

    "You don't hate Judy, do you Nick?"
    "Nick is it safe for the boys to come out yet?"
    "Nick, you should say you're sorry to Judy."

    "I'll never get used to how... clingy these bunnies are," Nick sighed, trying to very slowly move inside.

    Judy sprang up and walked by Nick, jumping up next to him and quickly running her paw over his ears and head roughly before gravity took effect on her. "Sure hope not!"

    One of Nick's eyebrows raised. He didn't know what she meant by that. He watched her form retreat into the compound. His eyes snapped to her tiny tuft tail for just a split second, and he felt a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach that he couldn't put a name to.

    "Do you like Judy, Nick?" A female kit looked up at him with impossibly huge eyes.

    "Of course," Nick said easily. "Now please remove yourselves from my handsome fox being-"

    "Do you love Judy, Nick?" The same female interrupted.

    "...Let's go inside, okay?" Nick said in a voice slightly higher than his usual register.

    "You think that means 'yes'?" One of the girls gasped in delight.

    Nick didn't think he'd ever want to return to work so badly in his life.

Chapter 3: Marks II

Summary:

A re-imagining of "Marks", the first Different Tails chapter I wrote.

    Stu Hopps wiped his brow as he set a large basket of blackberries down near the primary kitchen area of his abode. Another basket of blackberries followed, this one carried by Nick Wilde.

    "That should be enough for right now," Stu wiggled his finger. "Bonnie's pies are second to no one's! ...Well, except maybe Gideon Grey's, but don't tell her I said that."

    Nick chuckled a little, dusting his hands off. "So that's it, Mr. Hopps? Nothing else you'd like done around here?"

    "C'mon, I told you to call me Stu!" He held both of his hands out. "And I have to insist you call it a day. Here you are on your long weekend and you actually want to work more?"

    The fox gave an almost humble shrug. "My sordid past in Zootopia didn't include any farming. I figured I could use the experience; see how things work in a bunny household."

    Stu laughed at this, but it was a wide-eyed laugh seasoned with discomfort. This didn't go unnoticed by Nick, whose smirk grew a tad.

    "Speaking of, er..." Stu cleared his throat. "I wondered if you wouldn't mind me asking you a question."

    "Shoot."

    "What..." Stu searched the ground before looking up at Nick inquisitively, "what made you decide to become my daughter's partner?"

    Nick's eyes widened slightly at the question. Of course, it was a perfectly logical inquiry, coming from such an earnest and open bunny as Stu. Naturally, the elder bunny would be worried about a fox, especially a bunny of his generation. Still, Nick found himself at an unusual and uncomfortable loss for words.

    "I- well I-..." he stammered, gesturing as if to yank the words out of his soul, "she... Judy asked me to."

    It sounded lame, even to him, and Stu's puzzled look told him the words hadn't really found a mark.

    "Just like that?" The brown bunny's left eye half-closed. "Just 'cause she asked? You abandoned all that- that other stuff you were doing?"

    Discomfort began to fill Nick's belly. He looked around for prying bunny ears, but it seemed his novelty had worn off the first couple of days of his vacation. The two were relatively alone. He sighed heavily, mentally preparing a hand and choosing what cards to play.

    "I agreed to become her partner because..." Nick gestured subtly, "look, back when I was a kit, I was pretty naive. I believed in that scout code- you have the Junior Ranger Scouts in this neck of the woods?" Stu nodded diagonally, shrugging. Nick saluted. "Brave, loyal, helpful, and trustworthy. Just some kit's mantra, you know?"

    "That sounds pretty wholesome to me!" Stu grinned.

    "Yeah well, you can't really grow up and continue to be that naive," Nick tried to infuse his words with a jokey tone.

    "Nonsense!" Stu held his hands out wide. "I've lived my whole life naive! Well, according to Bon, anyway."

    This wrenched an honest bark of a laugh from Nick; he then folded his arms and leaned on a counter, almost losing his balance due to its low height. He slowly began to look pensive, deciding to play another card.

    "I just thought..." Nick huffed out of his nostrils, "you know. Judy's... she kind of stirs up that feeling in me. She came into Zootopia with such pure intentions, such blind faith of what Zootopia could be. I- I actually kind of believed it for awhile. Then she pretty much saved the city single-pawed, so I really started to believe it." He topped his explanation with a laugh.

    Stu grew a warm smile as he absorbed the fox's words. "From what I heard it was more of a dual-pawed effort."

    "Yeah well, she'll tell you that," one of the fox's paws batted the air.

    The brown bunny marched right up to Nick and took one of his paws in both of his and shook it vigorously. "I have to thank you again for helping her out, and-" Stu suddenly looked like he was about to cry, "y'know, helping keep her here on the earth."

    "Oh, um, you're welcome," Nick replied, his arm wobbling like a noodle.

    Stu released a shaky sigh, then abruptly hugged the fox, who immediately felt discomfort both from the situation and the firmness of the hug.

    "Rr-really, it's okay!" He coughed.

    The brown bunny seemed to find his emotional balance and released Nick. Stu then firmly planted his hands on his hips, giving Nick an appraising, approving look.

    "Anyhow, I just wanted to say that you're more than welcome into this family, Nick."

    Nick dropped his mental cards, and his eyes bulged. "I-...! Uh, Mr. Hopps- St-Stu, I'm not... well, I'm your daughter's work partner. I'm not her... partner partner."

    Stu looked momentarily confused before shaking it off. "Oh! Oh, okay... well! Either way, I'm glad to call you a son of mine! Unless that's too awkward! But I gotta warn ya-" there was another one of his finger wiggles, "I treat my close friends like family anyway!"

    "Ah, heheh..." Nick was left to play mental fifty-two pickup, and he wasn't doing it as fast as he was used to.

    "Shoo... Judy, huh?" Stu drove his fists into his hips and firmly shook his head. "She's a piece of work. Kept challenging everything we knew. I didn't know how we of all bunnies somehow raised such a forward-thinking daughter!"

    "Oh yeah?" The fox quickly found his curiosity and a possible look into the psyche of his partner.

    "Mm," Judy's father shook his head. "I was so surprised to hear she was such close friends with a fox. It's like that incident when she was nine never even happened, right from the outset!"

    Incident? Nick's mind whirred, and formed a new hand.

    "Oh right, the fox incident," he bluffed.

    "Uh huh!" Stu's head bobbled vertically and then horizontally. "Sure! I mean I can't believe it. Pow!" Stu swiped his hand. "Right across her face."

    "And by a fox..." Nick nodded in faux understanding, careful not to pinch his voice into a question, keeping a serious look trained on Judy's father.

    "That's what I'm saying!" Stu nodded emphatically. "I'd have thought that Judy would be scared of foxes all her life, being attacked so young. But here you are!" Stu's hands shot out in Nick's general direction.

    "Here I am," he agreed, unable to help his brow furrowing. "Judy's just full of surprises."

    "Oh, I'll say!" Stu chirped, not noticing Nick's slightly darkening voice. "Moving to Zootopia, becoming the first bunny cop there, saving the city. I kinda wonder where she could even go from there, huh?"

    "Yeah," Nick huffed. "I wonder a lot of things about her."

---

    "This just brings back so many memories!" Judy plopped her suitcase down in the upper viewing deck of the train and sighed wistfully. The train began to move, pulling out from the Bunnyburrow station, and Nick walked up to be beside her. "Are you eager to get back, Nick?"

    "I'll admit I don't get to see the skyline in person too often," he shrugged. "It'll be nice to see it."

    "Right?" A huge smile exploded onto the bunny's face. She clapped twice, bouncing on her feet. "The first time I saw it in person... it took my breath away. The variety! The construction! I just didn't have any words for all of those feelings..."

    "And now that you know it's just as much of a hive of criminals as anywhere else you could name?" The fox leaned on the rail near the window blithely.

    "Well, that's what I became a police officer for!" Judy replied brightly.

    "Hmh," Nick quieted up, looking out distantly at the countryside. His gaze didn't meet Judy's for quite awhile. The bunny looked back in the direction they had come from and leaned over a bit, trying to get Nick's attention.

    "So uh... was it too much?" Judy cringed softly. "My family, I mean?"

    "Oh no," the fox barely smiled. "I liked the attention; it was good for the ol' ego."

    "Pff, like you need any help there," Judy rolled her eyes.

    "Especially all the thirsty looks a few of your sisters gave me," Nick was now smiling openly, "coulda given them the time of day, don't you think?"

    "Nick, no," she rolled her eyes over to him and lolled her head at him dully.

    "I dunno..." the fox looked at the bunny sidelong, "might have been fun. Could have learned some more of those country bunny ins and outs."

    "Come on, Nick," Judy deflated, clearly annoyed, "they're my sisters! You're not going to be hooking up with my sisters!"

    "Oh, yes ma'am," he nodded sarcastically with his eyes wide open, delighting in her irritation, "I didn't know you were the one that decided that!"

    "I thought you..." the bunny had an anxious, challenged look on her face, gesticulating wildly, "I thought you foxes look for more of an emotional connection in a partn- uh, in a mate. Not just some fling."

    Nick felt the wind get knocked out of his good mood and his brow began to furrow. He shot a sudden look Judy's way.

    "Ah, I suppose you're an authority on foxes now, huh?"

    As soon as the words left Nick's muzzle, he knew he had flavored them incorrectly. He meant it to be wry, but it came out bitter. He could tell from the way Judy's long bunny ears swept back that she had noticed. She backed away from him slightly and folded her paws, giving him a look from toe to muzzle.

    "Well, my best friend is a fox," Judy replied, "but to tell you the truth, sometimes he can be a real jerk."

    Nick sighed faintly and looked away, scoffing quietly.

    "Nick, what's gotten into you?" Her words straddled the line between irritation and concern.

    "When where you going to tell me?" The question was quiet.

    "About what...?"

    "About your little thing with foxes," he muttered.

    "I don't-" Judy held her hands up defensively, "I don't have a 'thing' with foxes!"

    "Not what I heard," Nick dared to look at her from the side of one eye. "Heard one attacked you when you were nine."

    Judy's brow weakened and turned up in anxiety. She frowned tightly, shaking her head.

    "Okay, let's just set the record straight," Judy slashed a paw across the air, "I kicked him first. Both feet. In his face."

    Nick sighed heavily. "How has this never come up between us?"

    "Because it wasn't important!" Judy insisted, holding her hands out wide.

    "Really," Nick sneered, "because it sounds to me like that was a perfect little seed for you to grow your fear and mistrust of foxes. It makes perfect sense to me now... why you carried that fox spray; why you flinched when I feigned an attack at the press conference."

    "Nick!" Judy waved her hands. "Listen; I- I wasn't going to use that as an excuse!" She stood straight up resolutely. "I had no one to blame for my behavior except myself!"

    "Is that right?" Nick's voice became even darker and he turned his head to regard her. "I guess that makes me a terrible person huh? Nursing that wound that the shards of my shattered dreams left in me for twenty years."

    "What!? No!" The bunny shouted.

    "Just admit it," Nick frowned. "You're better than me, huh?"

    "I don't think that at all!"

    "Pure-hearted naive little bunny, comin' to town," Nick rattled. "Scarred and scared by a fox, but she thinks she's over that. Until she finds another fox, one that acts more like the species stereotype. And she was right in some ways... he was being sneaky and-"

    "Nick, shut up," Judy stamped her foot, thrusting her arms downward. She pet her face near where she'd been cut long ago. "I'm not scarred. The cuts were shallow; barely left a mark."

    "Oh, maybe not there, but how about here?" Nick thrust a finger into his temple. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

    "Because my experience with Gideon had nothing to do with my experiences with you," Judy said, "and it would have been unfair of me to compare you two."

    "Wait, Gideon!?" Nick narrowed his eyes. "That kind, portly-looking baker fox?"

    "Uh huh," she nodded, "people can change. ...Like you did."

    "Pff..." Nick shook his head and looked away. "I didn't change. I'm the same ol' sly fox I've always been."

    Judy drew closer and put her paw on his arm. "You want to know what I think? About which one of us is better?"

    "You're just going to tell me anyway," he mumbled.

    "Mhm," Judy smirked. "So listen up. You think some dumb bunny that was too naive to know what she was getting herself into is something to celebrate over?"

    "You were right, though," Nick replied. "You proved me and everyone else wrong about you."

    "I didn't even fully understand myself," Judy laughed. "I admit, I thought I was 'over' the whole foxes thing. But you showed me I wasn't, and it was sobering to have to live those three months knowing I'd probably thrown away the first friend I'd made in Zootopia."

    Nick didn't respond, but he felt some of his bitterness being coated by Judy's sweet-sounding words.

    "You know, one of my more religious brothers used to tell me something from the Book of the Lamb," Judy bit at her lip.

    "Here we go," the fox's eyes rolled.

    "I forget exactly how it goes," she tapped on her cheek with a finger. "Something like... the angels celebrate more over a wrongdoer that changes their life course than a righteous person who has no need for repentance."

    Nick didn't know how to respond to that, so he only "mm"ed lightly.

    "I think that's true!" She rubbed Nick's arm, which still hadn't been moved away from her reach. "Your effort to be the person that you always thought you could be... after twenty years of hustling and whatever else you were doing... that makes you a really great person."

    The fox sighed, and for a time didn't respond. He finally turned his head to Judy with a weak smile.

    "...Talk about an ego boost," he murmured. "You make it really hard to stay mad, you know?"

    "Then I'm doing my job as a friend!" Judy chirped. Her face suddenly twisted into a brow-furrowed challenging expression. "Now hug me. Right this instant!"

    "Oh, yes ma'am," Nick huffed in amusement and obeyed her, softly hugging the bunny.

    If he was being honest, he liked her hug much more than Stu's. It was gentler, much less crushing. But there was her famous enthusiasm there, and he felt it in the tightness of her paws around him.

    It was quiet between them for most of the ride home, up until the skyline of Zootopia came into view.

    "There it is," Nick shook his head. "The Gleaming City."

    "It sure is," Judy agreed with a nod, "I can't wait to get back out there and start kicking more tail!"

    Nick chuckled gently. "What an odd little bunny you are."

    "But!" Judy held up a finger and then slashed it across the air. "You love me anyway."

    It gave Nick more pause than it had given Judy that first time in their cruiser together. He felt his tongue play across the teeth in his mouth before he gave a casual diagonal nod.

    "Yup, sure do."

    As the train pulled into the station, the fox and bunny gathered their things. Nick was sure to take extra care with his most treasured gift from the farm, a fresh blackberry pie baked by Bonnie.

    The two walked alongside each other as they got to the subway, and soon it would be time for them to part. Until the next day, anyway.

    "Oh, Nick?" Judy seemed blithe and almost flirty, tilting her head.

    "Mm?" The fox took his eyes off his wrapped pastry.

    "I'd just like to say..." the bunny smiled, showing those cute little front teeth of hers, "only one fox has made any kind of mark on me."

    Nick felt a glow surge through his core, propagating with alarming speed.

    "Oh yeah?" He somehow managed not to react visibly. "Do I know this fox?"

    She looked at him over her shoulder as she headed to her connecting train. "Yeah, I think you've heard of him."

    Nick tried to not look at her hips and tail as she turned her head away from him and walked away.

    It was a valiant effort, anyway.

Chapter 4: Ties

    Grabbing a couple of coffees after work, Nick and Judy had a pleasant conversation while enjoying their drinks at the coffee shop. Then, they headed out to walk a few blocks to get to the subway, where they would part ways. They always walked together after work; there was no reason not to, really. The two stopped at a corner, waiting for the crossing signal.

    "Oh, look at that, Nick!" Judy exclaimed, pointing down the street opposite of where Nick was looking. She grabbed at his tie and yanked it to help him look where she wanted. Nick let out a terse yelp as he was brought under the bunny's control.

    "What am I looking at?" Nick grumbled, hunched over from the tie tugging.

    "There's a couple of rhinos over there with a hippo kid!" Judy said excitedly. "Isn't that cool? I bet they adopted!"

    "Or, they're just three unrelated mammals that happen to be standing close to each other," Nick said, straightening up and gently removing Judy's hand from his tie.

    "You think so?" Judy's eyebrow raised. "They're walking awfully close together."

    "Okay, perhaps the hippo is a child actor and those are her bodyguards?" Nick offered, smirking. He began to fix up his tie's knot, as it was messed up from Judy's handling of it.

    "Wow, you really think the rhinos adopting a hippo kid would be that weird?" Judy squinted at Nick a bit. "I have half a mind to go ask them! Even if they are going the wrong way!" Judy started making an over-dramatic strolling pose, and, as she expected, felt Nick's hand on her shoulder.

    "Carrots, you really have no sense of propriety, do you?" Nick sighed. "You don't just go ask someone if they've adopted a different species of child. C'mon, it's our turn to cross." The two started crossing the road.

    "Well I think they're doing something nice for society, if that's what happened," Judy folded her arms, nodding.

    "Having an off-species kid," Nick sucked his teeth. "Dunno if I could do it. That'd be really hard on the kid, don't you think?"

    "From what, a bullying standpoint?" Judy tilted her head. The two made it across the intersection and continued. The subway entrance wasn't far off.

    "That, and whatever other differences the parents had from the kid that they would need to account for," Nick mused. "Size, diet, temperament..."

    "You're saying it wouldn't be worth it," Judy's voice dropped in slight disappointment.

    "No, I'm just saying it would be difficult," Nick sighed as he stepped on the escalator to descend. Judy, maybe just to be contrary, took the stairs.

    "Well, accomplishing something difficult can be rewarding!" Judy said, merrily skipping down the steps as Nick gave her a dry look, his arm touching one of the sides of the escalator.

    "Now you're just talking in general terms," Nick shook his head as he stepped off the escalator. They would be heading to different train platforms soon, and Nick quickened his pace to catch up with Judy and touched her on the shoulder. "Listen, Carrots, can I make a request?"

    "Yeah?" Judy looked back, her eyes widening a bit.

    "Can you try to keep yourself from tugging on my tie when we're off duty?" Nick had a very slightly exasperated tone, holding his other hand out while he "steadied" the gray bunny with his hand on her shoulder.

    "This is the first I'm hearing of this," Judy said in a disbelieving tone, then, she lowered her eyelids halfway. "What, you afraid strangers will see a bunny that's got a fox whipped?"

    Nick's brow furrowed, his arms dropping to his sides. "That's not it at all."

    "Then what's the big deal?" Judy shrugged. "And why only off-duty? So you don't care if I drag you around at work, but off work is off limits? What sense does that make?"

    "Awful lot of questions for a simple request," Nick said calmly, putting his hands in his pockets. "I'm sure that if I cared to tell you what the big deal was, you'd understand."

    "So tell me, then!" Judy tilted her head, looking at him with reproving eyes. "Stop being such a kit about this!"

    Nicks brow twitched, and Judy saw a hint of his teeth for a split second. She thought she saw his muzzle scrunch up too, but it was dark in the subway. Nick turned to walk away. "Goodbye, Carrots. See you tomorrow."

    Judy held her arms out, and her ears dropped. "Wha- Nick! Don't be like that! You're not- I didn't- oh come on! Just talk to me!" Nick silently refused, and headed onto his subway train, avoiding eye contact with Judy.

---

    At her Pangolin Arms apartment, Judy thought to herself how weird it was that anything as loud and obnoxious as her neighbors arguing could become so routine and easy to ignore. Though, even if they were louder than usual, Judy didn't know if she'd be able to focus on anything they were saying anyway. Dressing down for bed, she thought about Nick and their exchange at the subway station.

    "Okay, I may have been a little bit of a jerk," Judy accepted, looking at herself in the mirror. "And Nick may have clamped up on me again. But over his tie? Can't say I can understand that."

    She jumped into bed and closed her eyes, but she felt like her mind was trying to analyze all the possibilities of what could be up with Nick. She frowned and opened her eyes, looking at her phone on the desk. Maybe Nick was still awake? She sat there in the dark, squinting at the bright light from her phone, wondering what she should type to Nick that wouldn't sound too corny or weak.

    [Hey Nick. Sorry for being a bun-head.] Judy winced as she touched send. So much for not being corny. Maybe the bad joke would be a good enough lure for Nick to shoot back. She waited a long five minutes, looking around in boredom and wiggling her feet off the side of her bed.

    [I think they have meds for that.] Nick finally shot back. Judy giggled. Maybe she wasn't in trouble with him anymore. Nick sent her another text. [You never told me yes or no.]

    Judy's pulse quickened a bit as she had to think a bit about what question she was answering, but it hit her soon enough. [I won't tug on your ties when we're off-duty.]

    [Well that's a load off my mind. Sweet dreams, fluff-face.]

    "And a load onto my mind," Judy sighed. [Goodnight, foxy.] Judy snuggled into bed, her mind feeling no less hungry for answers.

    Okay Judy, she thought, you're a smart bunny, let's see if you can figure this out. What was different about his ties from work and casual life? Why would he be so upset about one and not the other? Could the ties have been a gift by someone? Maybe...

    Judy started to have some ideas, but none of them really made her feel any better. When Judy finally drifted off, all too soon she awoke with a gasp. She was having a nightmare, and it woke her up thirty minutes before she was supposed to get up for work. Clutching at her rapidly beating chest, she also put a paw to her neck.

    It had something to do with necktie-based monsters strangling her.

    "So much for sweet dreams," Judy mumbled as she checked the time and slunk out of bed.

---

    After the morning briefing at the ZPD HQ, Judy slowly approached Nick's cubicle and knocked on the side of it.

    "Morning, Carrots," Nick said in an airy voice, turning his chair to look at her. "Uh, what's up? You look a bit less bright-eyed and bushy tailed than usual. And by a bit, I mean, did you not get your morning cup of coffee?"

    "Morning, Nick," Judy said with a slightly tired smirk.

    "Officer, please tell me you didn't lose any sleep over what happened yesterday?" Nick tilted his muzzle down and aimed his fully-opened eyes at her.

    "Oh no, not at all!" Judy lied joyfully. "In fact, I think I figured out why you don't want me to tug at your casual ties."

    "Have you, now?" Nicks face showed a bit of concern as he adjusted his position in his chair forward a bit.

    "Mhm!" Judy nodded proudly, closing her eyes, and then began to talk rapidly and gesture wildly. "I figured that your ties must be special to you, but why would they be special? It's just a few simple-looking ties! Well, I thought that they must have been given to you by someone special, and because of that, they must be some sort of keepsake that you didn't want to ever get ruined, so naturally you'd be upset if someone touched them, even if that someone IS your best bunny friend. Then I got to thinking who could have given them to you and figured that it was probably-" Nick had a scared look on his face, and with his mouth pursed, he softly interrupted Judy by gently touching her nose. Judy tried to focus on her nose, crossing her eyes.

    "Is that your pause button, Detective Hopps?" Nick said carefully with the same wide expression. "How about, uh... how about we don't go down this path anymore, okay?" He took his other hand and made an arcing motion with it. "The path that this line of reasoning leads goes off a cliff, where it explodes into a giant fireball."

    Judy processed this. All she could say in response was: "Oh." She saw the line of Nick's mouth twitch a bit, but he just sighed afterwards.

    "I'll let you be, Nick..." Judy gave a very small smile.

    "Uh, no you won't," Nick chuckled. "Were you catching a catnap during the briefing? We have to do traffic rounds."

    "Oh right, I definitely didn't forget that," Judy giggled. Nick got out of his chair. "I think you should probably drive this time, Nick. I'm a little tired, still."

    "You think I know how to drive?" Nick asked impetuously. He flinched as he felt a bunny's paw swiftly enter his pocket and retrieve his wallet.

    Judy opened it. "Oh look, a driver's license." She half-lid her eyes and looked at Nick smugly, wiggling his wallet back and forth before tossing it back to him.

    "Okay fine, you got me," Nick rolled his eyes, putting the wallet away. The two were almost out of the station, but Judy paused before they hit the parking lot.

    "Nick, really, if you need a break from me or something, just tell me, and I won't try to chat you up on our rounds today," Judy said seriously. Nick gave a small, genuine smile, which quickly vanished into his typical smugness.

    "Can I have that in writing?" Nick opened the door for her, gesturing her to proceed.

    "No, but if you take me up on it, I'm probably just going to nap in the cruiser," Judy smirked, heading on out. "Hey Nick? If I bought you some ties to wear off-duty, would you let me tug them then?"

    Nick actually gave a small bark of a laugh at this. "Wow, Fluff. Sure, if you want to so bad."

    Judy gave a pleased hum. "I'll be sure to pick only the most garish ones to go with those awful shirts." Nick rolled his eyes.  

    The two got into the cruiser, and over the roar of the engine starting, Nick very quietly said: "I appreciate you, Carrots." His muzzle was faced away from Judy.

    Judy's ear twitched as she heard a mumble coming from him. "What was that, Nick?"

    "Oh, I said 'I'm pretty sure you care...', uh, about me," Nick blinked a couple of times. That wasn't much better. How did he slip so easily? He got plenty of sleep.

    Judy smiled at him. "Well, of course I do!" Judy happily relaxed backwards into her seat.

    What a plain, unguarded answer, Nick thought. She always was like that when he made his little quips about her feelings, but he always tried to deflect them when they came at him. What was it with that bunny?

    After about ten minutes of quiet on the street, Nick, with his eyes on the road, decided to speak.

    "I appreciate you, Judy, I really do," Nick sighed. "I'm so grateful to have an understanding and caring partner like you..." Nick's pulse started to race as his admission was met with only silence. At a red light, he chanced a look at Judy and saw her head lolled in his direction and her mouth gaping. She was, as she had joked, fast asleep.

    "Ah, of course," Nick gave a single, amused huff. He made sure to softly accelerate when the light turned green.

    Oh well, he thought. There would always be other opportunities.

Chapter 5: Scents

    "I love you, Nick," Judy said to her reflection in her apartment earnestly, staring at it afterwards. She winced. "Way too direct." She straightened herself up and tried again.

    "You know I love you!" Judy declared jovially, pointing at the mirror, then let a breath out in dismay, rolling her eyes. "Too corny...!"

    "Nick, you know how we're partners professionally, right? How'd you like to be partners in more ways than that...?" Judy said in a flirting voice. She made a disgusted face. "So... so sleazy. I could never say that."

    "Augh!" Judy threw her hands up and ran them through her ears. "How am I ever going to admit I'm attracted to Nick without sounding like a carrot-plucking teenager?"

    "Why don't you just freakin' smooch him!?" Bucky's voice came through her paper-thin wall as she gave a gasp and looked over her shoulder. "You'd probably feel a lot better!"

    "Shut up!" Both Pronk and Judy shouted. Judy melodramatically launched herself into bed, groaning in frustration.

    "If only he wasn't so... oh I dunno... suave?" Judy mumbled into her pillow. "Maybe I could actually stop thinking about him."

    "Yeah, if only!" Pronk shouted. "Then we could stop hearing about him every other night!"

    "Oh, seriously?" Judy grabbed her pillow and tossed it at the wall, where it bounced back into her bed. "I was quiet! When did oryx and kudu get super hearing?"

---

    Judy dashed ahead of Nick at the ZPD HQ, her arms full and excitement in her eyes.

    "C'mon, Nick, C'mon!" Judy beckoned with one hand, both her and the fox holding fairly stuffed folders of a few complicated case files.

    "Do you think that if we get these case files to Bogo in five less seconds that he'll somehow notice?" Nick had a bored expression and walked, unhurried, toward the elevator that Judy was holding open for him.

    "Maybe not, but if you don't 'hustle', you're gonna take the next lift up," Judy smirked. Nick reluctantly hurried himself just a little to get into the elevator with her.

    About halfway up to Chief Bogo's floor, there was an odd metallic sound that came from just outside the elevator, and it stopped moving.

    "Wait, what?" Judy said. "What? No, uh, no, that can't be right." Judy mashed a few of the buttons on the elevator, but nothing happened. "C'mon, no. I don't believe this."

    Nick blinked. "It's stuck? You're not claustrophobic, are you?"

    "No, but Chief Bogo is going to be super ticked off if we don't get these files to him," Judy fretted. "How the heck could the elevator have broken on us!? This thing is designed for up to two elephants worth of weight!"

    "You got me, Carrots," Nick shrugged, setting his files down on the floor. Judy followed suit, and took out her phone, calling a number.

    "Hi! Chief Bogo! Nick and I are stuck in the elevator... No! I don't know what's wrong. ...Uh, yes, that does mean that the case files are stuck in here with us, heh heh..." Judy held the phone away from her ear.

    "I needed those now, Hopps!" Chief Bogos voice was as clear as day even to Nick. Judy held it back to her ear.

    "Sorry sir! I could take pictures of all of them and forward them to you... but that might take more than an hour for all of this stuff..." Judy said into the phone. "The emergency crews will be here in fifteen...? Oh, that's perfect...! Well, less than perfect, but... right, okay, bye!" She hung up, cringing.

    "Good ol' Chief Buff," Nick smirked. "He'd yell at us if we got struck by lightning."

    "That's the truth," Judy rolled her eyes, putting her phone away. "So, stuck in an elevator with you, huh?"

    "Wouldn't it have been much more fun if I had let you go alone?" Nick grinned.

    "Oh, ha-ha," Judy muttered sardonically, scrunching her nose.

    Nick chuckled at her, a wide grin playing across his muzzle. "Oh, those little faces you make."

    Judy put her hands on her hips. "Don't you dare call me 'cute' again, mister."

    "Hey, you said it, not me," Nick smirked, gesturing blithely at her.

    "Listen here, fox," Judy gave a dangerous smirk. "You've got nowhere to go. What's gonna happen if you say something you regret?"

    "Oh, I'm so scared of a tiny little bunny," Nick mocked, wiggling his fingers.

    "Maybe you should be scared of this tiny little bunny, if she gets her paws on you," Judy walked closer, punching her fists together. Nick suddenly looked alarmed, and his nose twitched. "Have I actually got you scared now?" Judy giggled, feeling playful. Then she froze as well, realization suddenly crashing into her. Foxes' noses did not twitch when they were scared. Judy backed away and looked aghast. "Oh no. No, no, no..."

    "Wuh... what?" Nick shared her concern. "You don't have to go to the bathroom, do you?"

    "No," Judy grit her teeth. "You... you smell me, don't you?"

    "Pff, well, of course," Nick shrugged. "You're the only mammal here."

    "Don't treat me like an idiot, Nick," Judy half-lid her eyes, frowning. "You can... smell different things about a mammal, can't you? Like if they're scared, or... or..."

    "I might be able to," Nick looked off to the side. Judy walked into a corner and sat down, scrunching her knees into her chest and hugging around them. "Carrots? What's wrong?"

    "Sweet mother of marmot milk..." Judy said quietly. "So you... you know, then...?"

    "That you sometimes get a little uh, riled up when you get flirty?" Nick shrugged. "Yup."

    "How utterly embarrassing," Judy put her forehead near her knees. "How long have you known about that kind of smell?"

    "Uh, trust me, you don't want me to answer that," Nick gave a nervous chuckle.

    "The museum!?" Judy groaned. "Oh no..."

    "There was at least something about you that wasn't acting that day," Nick confirmed in a low voice.

    "This is so humiliating!" Judy suddenly stood up, throwing an arm up. "How could you never have told me this? My body has been telling you secrets about me that I want to keep, and-!"

    "Shh! Judy, would you keep it down!?" Nick rushed over in a panic to her, holding his hands out to her and speaking in a harsh whisper. "If anyone is anywhere near the elevator doors on any of the levels, they might hear you! You know, screaming about your body...!"

    "J-jeez, yeah," Judy's ears felt extremely hot, and she covered her eyes with them. She lowered her voice, peeking out from between her ears. "Nick, please just tell me why you never told me."

    "Okay, I can do that," Nick shrugged. "Shall I tell you one of my body's secrets?" Judy shot a panicked expression to the fox. Nick sniffed twice. "Whoa, okay, maybe I should rephrase that. Poke me in the stomach." Judy cocked an eyebrow. "Just do it." Judy complied. Nothing happened, but she did it a few more times on different areas of his stomach, and eventually, Nick flinched and gave a very brief giggle of amusement.

    "You're ticklish?" Judy's mouth hung open in amazement.

    "Carrots! What did I just say!?" Nick ran his hand through his head fur.

    "Okay, uh, sorry, I got distracted," Judy giggled. "What are we talking about again?" She gave an apologetic wince.

    "Involuntary reactions," Nick explained. "How is it fair for me to make fun or even take note of something that you have no control over?"

    "But," Judy's eyebrows furrowed, "but you know. You can't just ignore that information if you're picking it up all the time..."

    "Let me tell you something," Nick said, "you know how I used to have a low opinion of wolves?"

    "Dumb-dumbs, you called them," Judy smirked.

    "Yeah, well, that's changed," Nick chuckled. "Now that I've worked on a few assignments with the wolves here and gotten to know them, I know that they actually know a lot more about mammals than anyone else. Then can smell so many things about animals; things even I can't detect. They just don't tell anyone, or gossip about it. Because they're good boys. Yes, they are."

    "Oh, Nick," Judy chuckled, shaking her head. "Still, if I had known, maybe I could have invested in some odor-blocker or something..."

    "Eh, that wouldn't help too much," Nick swiped his paw through the air. "Once one canine gets your scent even once, they know. It's kinda too late, really."

    "It wouldn't be too late if we got any new canines?" Judy shrugged.

    "You're gonna increase your morning routine and spend a bunch of money on theoretically being able to keep a wolf or two from knowing you get excited sometimes around me?" Nick gave an incredulous shrug.

    "Nick, you're sure arguing awfully hard against- wait," Judy's mouth made a small "o" shape and she glared at nick. She spoke in a harsh whisper. "You like how I smell."

    Nick's ears went flat against his head and he grew a clearly uncomfortable look. "Uh, Carrots, let's not open this proverbial box."

    "You do!" Judy's showed her teeth in a large grin. "Tell me you don't."

    "Well aren't you suddenly proud of yourself?" Nick grumbled.

    "Go on, take a big sniff of the bunny, who's gonna know?" Judy said mischievously, gesturing at herself. "I won't tell."

    "Carrots..." Nick's foot twisted against the ground in embarrassment. He laid his paw over the bridge of his muzzle and groaned. "Listen. I don't have to even go over there." He took a few sniffs, and then a longer one. "The whole inside of the elevator smells like excited bunny. It's almost all I can do not to start huffing in here like I'm hyperventilating."

    "Aw, Nick," Judy giggled with slight unease, "you have such self-control!" Nick sat on the floor.

    "Sometimes I've wondered why," Nick's eyes shut. "Why on Earth would a fox like a bunny's smell? Am I genuinely attracted to you, and I just like noticing the subtleties of your scent? Or is it... is it more... primal...?"

    "Primal?" Judy repeated, sitting down near him.

    "Eh, I don't know if I should elaborate," Nick showed his teeth and looked away in discomfort. "But you know, like back in ancient times. If a fox smelled a bunny, he would... hunt her, right? 'There she is, you like that, you want it...' the smell would say. 'She's scared, she's excited! Now's your chance!'" Nick looked ashamed and fell into silence, but then he sniffed again. "Oh, wow, you like that, huh?"

    "Nick..." Judy winced, her ears very warm. "I know you're not going to hurt me."

    "Reverting to their primitive, savage ways," Nick sucked at his teeth, shaking his head. "Was Mr. Big right all along? Are we really just animals, deep down?"

    "So what if we are?" Judy challenged, standing up, opening her arms wide. "So what if there will always just be some things about our nature that we can't help? We can either keep fighting them, or we can just enjoy them, right?"

    Nick stood up as well. "I suppose so. I never really have wanted to let my baser instincts take hold. It'd make it too easy for prey to see us as dangerous."

    "And you think I haven't had to fight being skittish and flighty?" Judy chuckled. "A little voice in the back of my head always screams 'no!' whenever I charge headlong into danger."

    "I think that inner voice might be smarter than you give it credit for," Nick smirked.

    "Anyway..." Judy rolled her eyes. She leaned over a bit and closed her eyes, her nose twitching a bit as she sniffed. "I kinda like how you smell."

    "That's uh, not really 'me', just my own odor-blocker, Musk Mask," Nick admitted.

    "Oh, well that smells nice anyway- hey!" Judy feigned offense. "You've been holding out on me?"

    "Trust me, you'd either really not like it," Nick offered, "or you'd like it too much, and we'd see what a savage bunny looks like after all."

    "Oh, rowr," Judy made a pawing motion, giggling. The elevator finally lurched to life.

    "Thank God," Nick breathed a sigh of relief. "Another few nostrils full of 'excited bunny' and I don't know how much longer I could have controlled myself." The two started gathering the files they had set down.

    "Nice to know I can drive you wild, Wilde," Judy flirted in a light tone.

    "Stop talking, for crying out loud-" Nick started in exasperation, the doors opening. Chief Bogo was on the other side.

    "Files!" He said sternly. The bunny and the fox both handed over their packets. Bogo stormed away.

    The two left the elevator cautiously. Nick winced as he noticed a wide-eyed Officer Wolford staring at him.

    "Not. A. Word," Nick pointed at him. Wolford tried to stave off a smile as Nick and Judy headed off.

Chapter 6: Scents II

Notes:

Content Warning: Some uncomfortable content is implied. May not be suitable for all.

    Nick looked up from the couch when he heard the door to his apartment close firmly. When Judy got home she usually jovially slammed the door just to make Nick jump, which tended to put him on edge, but without the slam he felt somewhat uneasy already. Judy walked briskly behind the couch he was seated on with a stony look on her face.

    Nick caught a whiff of something, then started sniffing. His eyes shot open as he got up from the couch and rushed over to Judy, halting the retreating bunny with his paw on her shoulder.

    "Let go," Judy commanded. Nick blinked, but his hand obeyed without his express permission, delicately removing itself from her shoulder.

    "Judy...?" Nick's voice was much weaker than he thought it would be.

    "I know what I smell like," Judy said icily, turning away from him and heading toward the bathroom. Nick knew what she smelled like, too: alcohol, and a male wolf.

    An interested male wolf.

    Nick looked completely stunned and made a single, questioning grunt.

    "Wipe that look off your face," Judy growled, though she didn't even spare him another glance. "It's not anything you're thinking." She hesitated, placing a paw on the door-frame of the bathroom. "I'm taking a shower; getting this stench off me."

    This time, the door slammed. Nick flinched as his thoughts were jarred loose, only to regroup, surge and overwhelm him. Terror sinking deep into his gut, he rushed over to the bathroom as he heard the water turn on.

    "Are- are you hurt?" Nick asked desperately.

    "No," Judy replied simply. Nick had to strain to hear her through the din of the shower water falling.

    "Sure...?" Nick's tail hung low and he was fighting the urge for to tuck it between his legs.

    "Yes."

    Nick retreated to the couch, sitting on the edge of the seat and folding his fingers together. He stared intently at the table, though not really focused on it. What had happened? He checked the time. Still early evening; too early for her to go to a bar. She was supposed to go to the grocery store, wasn't she? Nick's thoughts gathered and attacked him. He rubbed his mouth with one paw.

    What had happened? Why hadn't he gone with her? Why was Judy so angry?

    Was she hurt? Did something happen to her? Did she do something...?

    No, of course not. She wouldn't-

    Nick's stupor lasted longer than he anticipated, and he was surprised by Judy in her lilac bathrobe walking up to him and jumping on the couch next to him. She looked completely different; refreshed and revitalized. Her ears stood straight up once again, and her scent was fresh and natural. She was his bunny again.

    "Hey," Judy barely smiled. "Sorry about that. Just needed a bit of time to cool down, else I would have gone off."

    "You mind cluing me in on what happened?" Nick turned his head toward Judy, trying not to sound confrontational.

    "Of course not," Judy shook her head. "On my way to the store I was accosted by this pup of a wolf. Barely drinking age. He was just to the point where his inhibitions were completely gone."

    "Oh God..." Nick's upper lip twitched on one side as he fought back a growl.

    "Relax, relax, nothing bad happened," Judy held up her hands defensively. "I mean, not really. He was starting to circle around me, telling me how I looked fetching, huntable."

    "A prey-chaser," Nick sucked at his teeth, then closed his mouth. His teeth were closed tightly within his mouth as he barely resisted the urge to growl again.

    "I warned him that if he got any closer, I'd arrest him, being a police officer and all," Judy said. "He replied 'I'd like to see you try'." Judy smirked widely. "I tried."

    Nick managed an irritated-sounding huff. "'Poor' guy."

    "Yeah, he's at the station now," Judy haughtily looked at her claws. "I still need to go out for groceries." She looked at Nick softly. "You mind coming with me?"

    "Yeah just- just give me a minute," Nick stood up from the couch, unable to fight a low growl rumbling in his throat. He grit his teeth, pacing around, running his hands and claws through his head and ears distractedly.

    "Nick, what's wrong?" Judy asked, tilting her head a few degrees to the side.

    "What's wrong?" Nick swallowed. "You were just assaulted while I was sitting here on my lazy duff!"

    "Easy, Champ," Judy held her hands up again. "I took care of it. Nothing bad happened; it was just a little creepy is all."

    "That's not- it's not for him to-" Nick fumed, words and emotions bursting inside of him like balloons, driving his head back and forth. "What, are wolves complete savages after all!? I can't believe he did that...!"

    "Seriously, Nick, no big deal," Judy shrugged with just her shoulders. "If anything it's kind of flattering you preds find me so hot-"

    "Judy!" Nick suddenly shouted, pointing at her firmly. "He should not have done that to you! You're my bunny!"

    Nick and Judy both looked equally shocked at the words that had just boomed into the apartment. Nick felt the fur on the back of his neck tingle, and he pet it back down, looking off to the side in shame.

    "I mean- wait, forget that," Nick said meekly. "Forget I said that." He shook his head firmly.

    "I'm 'your' bunny?" Judy kept her gaze fixed on him, but moved her head slightly off to the side. "Nick, I know we're dating, but I never took you for the jealous type. Nor the 'possessive' type. I can't say I-"

    "Wait, Judy, wait," Nick waved his hands quickly to dispel the notions that were brewing. "No. I'm sorry, it's not like that. It's a... a canid thing. Sorry. I'm normally really good about the instinctual type stuff. Yeah, was just a drunk pup, nothing to worry about, heh!"

    "Nick, what's on your mind?" Judy folded her arms.

    "Nothing, it's just-"

    "No kisses for a week unless you tell me," Judy firmly folded her arms and frowned at him.

    "What!? No c'mon Judy, it's stupid; childish," Nick firmly shook his head, moving his hands back and forth.

    "Two weeks."

    "Judy, c'mon!" Nick hung his shoulders. Nick sighed, rolling his eyes. "Fine."

    "Hm, who's my fox?" Judy smugly grinned, tilting her head back and forth in a self-assured manner.

    "That's..." Nick held up a finger. "It's, what he did, the circling thing. That's a canid... 'thing'. A wolf, coyote, or fox circles around something that interests them greatly. I mean, that pup probably did it just cause he was drunk, but..."

    "You've never done that to me," Judy stood up on the couch, suddenly looking stern and staring at him at roughly eye level.

    "Like I said, it's a canid thing..." Nick sighed. "I try not to do all those things like tail wagging or sniffing greetings, especially not what wolves do."

    "You still speciesist against wolves, Nick?" Judy sucked her teeth. "After you made such good friends with the ones at the station?"

    "Wolves just... they just do those base behaviors a bit more often..." Nick said weakly. "Anyway... yeah, I haven't done the circle thing..."

    "Wanna do that now?" Judy said, hopping off the couch and walking closer to Nick.

    "Nh-not really in the mood to do something completely embarrassing," Nick admitted. Judy hugged firmly onto him while he stood there.

    "I'm okay, and we're okay," Judy reassured the fox with a note of warmth. Nick pat her freshly-fluffed head. "I'm going to get changed. Come with me shopping?"

    "Sure, but I'm getting kind of hungry," Nick called after Judy as she rushed into their bedroom. "We're gonna come back with half the store."

    "No we won't, I'll stop you from misbehaving," Judy called after him sing-songingly.

    "Well if you put a wolf down on the sidewalk, I guess I can't argue with that," Nick rubbed behind his head. Judy came out in another fetching casual outfit that Nick had never seen before. She quickly made her way over to the door to exit.

    "C'mon!" Judy beckoned. Nick got up to follow.

    "Wait, Judy," Nick pulled her by the wrist close to him, hugging her again. Judy hummed pleasantly and hugged back, but then made a curious squeak as Nick leaned down and firmly rubbed his cheek over Judy's ears and forehead. Judy sniffed and picked up the hint of Nick's musk.

    "What is this...?" Judy smirked as Nick let her go.

    "'Sa...'sa fox thing," Nick uncomfortably looked away from her, putting his hands in his pockets.

    "I just showered, Nick" Judy teased.

    "Yeah well, that's the idea," Nick said uncomfortably.

    "What is?" Judy led on.

    "To lh-let other mammals know you're spoken for..." Nick mumbled, rubbing the back of his head and continuing to avoid eye contact.

    "Well, I guess I am at that!" Judy flashed a grin and shot out of the apartment after wringing this from Nick. The fox let out a terse yelp and darted after her.

    "Judy, wait up!" Nick said, almost forgetting to lock the apartment up in his haste.

Chapter 7: Forgiveness

    "Not bad, Wilde, not bad," Nick said to himself, dusting his hands off and looking at his mostly empty new apartment. He proudly put his hands on his hips and surveyed the clean apartment space. It was still cozy, but not cramped. Nice location; close to the subway, good view out the window, even a little room for furnishing. "Doesn't leak, doesn't smell weird... well, actually it kind of smells weird because it doesn't smell weird? Anyway... being on the up-and-up is finally paying off."

    Nick walked around, looking at the suitcase of his belongings, and the humbly-sized fridge he just plugged in. It was empty. "Welp, I should probably go stock the larder before my stomach hears that I don't have any foodstuffs." Nick felt rather pleased with himself as he headed into the elevator to go downstairs and out of his apartment building.

    As he got outside, across the street he noticed a gray rabbit sitting on a bench at the bus stop. Their head was bowed low, and they appeared to have a box clutched with their paws that was resting on their lap. Nick shielded his eyes from the sun with one hand and looked at the ears. Black tips.

    "Judy...?" Nick looked both ways, then decided to jaywalk over to her. She was sniveling and sobbing. Feeling an ache in his chest, Nick sat down beside her. "Heya, Carrots." His voice was soft. Judy gave him a small look, her purple eyes damp and the whites reddened by crying. She cringed and looked away from him, continuing to sob. Nick decided not to talk until Judy did. She sobbed some more. The sound made Nick's ears flatten against his head, as if they no longer wanted to take in the hurt bunny's sounds. Nick's eyebrows turned up a bit. He gently moved his arm around her to help comfort her, but, to his surprise, Judy slid away from him, shaking her head.

    "Nuh-no...," Judy said, taking in a shaky, gasping breath. "Not in public..."

    "Ah-as you wish," Nick nodded. "Never known you to pass up a little TLC... something happened, huh? Um... th-that's not anyone there, in the box...?"

    "Nuh-no," Judy gave a pained smile and then hiccuped, letting loose another sob, "just a stupid housewarming gift for you."

    "Tell me what the matter is, bunny," Nick pleaded, "and if I can help." Judy took in a few shaky breaths, trying to center herself.

    "I saw..." Judy began, rubbing her eyes with one hand as she kept the other protectively on the box. "I saw a female cheetah on the way over. She was just minding her own business, and a female buffalo went and shoved her for no reason. The cheetah looked so baffled and scared... and the buffalo just said 'I'm watching you, predator'..."

    "Egh..." Nick shook his head. "Some mammals, right...? It's got you really shook up, though."

    "Because it's my fault!" Judy's mouth twisted into a toothy grimace, tears threatening to well forth again. "That... that press conference! Ugh!"

    "Now just hold on a second here," Nick said, holding a hand out in caution. "That was..." Nick counted on his fingers. "That was two years ago! You can't go blaming yourself every time a prey turns their nose up at a predator!"

    "But I opened the door..." Judy said weakly, "I gave legitimacy to mammal's latent prejudices and hatred."

    "As I recall, you also bagged the sheep responsible for this whole mess," Nick's voice had a warm, pleasant reassurance to it.

    "We," Judy turned her head to him seriously. "We bagged her. But that doesn't help, does it? We just took the physical threat away. I already did the damage. The news outlets... they barely spent any time on the resolution, just all the riots and rallies I caused."

    "Rgh, don't get me started on the media," Nick clutched at his knees. "They'd rather expound at length on a catastrophic accident like an elephant tripping and killing thirty-some mice than spend ten minutes talking about a bunny who tried very hard to rectify her mistakes."

    "I think the worst part is..." Judy said, pain evident in her voice as it cracked a bit. "I'm... I'm not forgiven." She bowed her head, sniffling quietly. Nick's mind shot back to the things she had said to him at the press conference, and the way they had made up at the bridge.

    "Wuh-wait, Judy," Nick said, his pulse suddenly quickening. "I may have not said 'I forgive you', but I would have hoped that risking my life to help the city and training for nine months to become a cop that'd always be by your side would have sent the message..." Judy looked at him and gave a tiny smile. He did see a pleasant hope to it, which set his mind back at ease.

    "Not you, Nick," Judy said softly. Her face brightened up a few more shades. "Hey... you used my first name."

    "Oh, uh, so I did," Nick chuckled, scratching one of his ears. "Don't get used to it. That's a special treat." Judy gave a tiny giggle, then hiccuped.

    "How is it that you can make me smile when you're being a total jerk?" Judy gave another tiny laugh, then very, very weakly punched him in the arm. He barely felt it. She gave a sigh. "I'm not forgiven by Zootopia itself, Nick. I'll never be able to erase that day. I still get weird looks by predators every now and again. They looked at that press conference, then turned off the TV, and closed their minds about me. They don't think Judy Hopps is a hero, not at all. They think she thinks predators could just go savage at any moment; that they're something to be feared. They didn't hear the speech she gave to the police graduates. They don't care what she did right, just what she did wrong."

    "Yeah, I guess that's a big problem with us as mammals," Nick grit his teeth, folding his hands together and leaning forward a bit. "I guess the media wouldn't thrive on bad news if people didn't just love to fill their hearts with negativity. But who cares? Who cares if the whole world thinks you're a dumb bunny? I know better." Nick put his hand to his chest, having a proud look on his face.

    "I dunno, Nick," Judy smiled. "I can be pretty dumb. And the whole world? One tiny bunny is nothing against those odds."

    "Just think though, every life you change, every criminal you put to justice, everyone you touch with your words, if they're willing to use their ears, that is..." Nick went on, gesturing emphatically with his hands. "You are making the world a better place, Carrots. You are. You're going to have a big list of everything you did right, and then just that one blot of what you did wrong."

    "Don't downplay it, Nick," Judy chuckled. She was beginning to look more convinced, however. "It's a big blot. I'll never be able to be a politician. All they'd have to do is play that video in every single attack ad. Not even anything else needed for context. Just... there she is. Yup. Hates predators."

    "Hey, that's just ten percent of the vote, we predators," Nick dismissively flicked his hand up. "And you'd have the pred-haters on your side!"

    "Nick!" Judy laughed. "That's a very important ten percent to lose! Could make the difference! ...Makes the difference to me." Judy gave Nick a very tender look that caught him rather off guard. Nick smiled at her, then an entirely unpleasant groaning sound erupted from his stomach. Judy laughed lightly in the sudden outburst. "Oh, okay! You hungry?"

    "Just a bit," Nick laughed, rubbing his stomach. "How about you?"

    "I could eat," Judy shrugged, giving one nod.

    "Well, why don't we go somewhere, you and I?" Nick clapped his hands together and rubbed them.

    "Nick..." Judy narrowed her eyes, her voice suspicious. "That sounds an awful lot like a date."

    "Call it what you like," Nick clicked his teeth twice. "I'm hungry, and I don't think you have had enough fox time for today."

    "People will... people will stare," Judy looked away. "At a fox and a bunny sharing a meal. A predator and prey. Especially me. 'Isn't that that speciesist bunny'...?"

    "Hey, don't go back there, bunny," Nick gently turned her head toward him. "Instead, why don't we practice our best disdainful looks? We could give them to anyone who dares turn a scornful eye to us."

    "Disdainful looks?" Judy looked amused. Nick narrowed one eye and put on a reproving-looking smirk with his eyebrows slightly turned up, while tilting his head. "Nick, you goofball. How's mine?" Judy lolled both her head and her ears, tilting her head down slightly and rolling her eyes all the way up to look at Nick, while her tiny, triangle-shaped lips remained pursed.

    "Oof! I am chilled to my very core, miss," Nick gave a humble bow with his eyes closed.

    "Okay, I don't want to carry this all evening, so maybe go put it up in your apartment while I search on my phone for what's good vegetarian eating around here?" Judy held the box towards Nick.

    "All right," Nick nodded. "Thanks for the gift."

    "Don't thank me till you see what it is," Judy smirked. "And no opening it till you get home!" Nick nodded and headed up into his apartment.

    "Well, I'm technically home," Nick grinned, and opened the box. He retrieved a nice, solid-color mug that had the words "World's Okayest Fox" printed on it, each word a different color. Caught off guard, Nick laughed a loud, genuine laugh. He carefully placed the mug away on his counter, turning it so the words faced him. "Well! I love you too, Carrots."

    Nick's smiling face tilted a bit, and his brow furrowed, but his smile remained. He reflected upon the words he said. Then, he shrugged, heading back down to meet the bunny.

    Those words were true, after all.

Chapter 8: Tails

    "C'mon, can I touch it, please? No one's around..." Judy pleaded plaintively, crawling towards Nick.

    "Nope," Nick responded from a sitting position, and swished his tail out of the way as the bunny pounced. She checked her paws, but no tail had been captured.

    "Aw, why not?" Judy persisted. "A pleasantly chilly day at the park and you won't let me hug that nice long tail? Please?" Judy placed her paws together in supplication.

    "Fine, fine, if only because I'd like this picnic to have less whining," Nick swished his tail back over towards Judy, and she gasped in victory.

    "Yes..." Judy grinned, petting and hugging the tail. "Victory is mine! Mm, come here, you..." Judy lifted and hugged the tail fully, snuggling against it with a clearly pleased grin on her face. She closed her eyes and let loose a blissful sigh. It felt rather nice to Nick, too, but he'd never vocalize that.

    Nick smoothly and silently set his lunch down, slipped his phone out of his pocket, and took a picture of the bunny, posed perfectly for such a surreptitious shot. He managed to frame the photo, capture it, and replace his phone in his pocket without her noticing. He gave a huff of amusement at his own little victory.

    "What? You jealous?" Judy opened her eyes, petting the chocolate-colored tip of his tail. "Jealous that your tail gets more attention from me than you?"

    "News flash, darlin', my tail is me. Part of me, at least," Nick shook his head. "Not just some fuzzy worm stuck to my rear."

    "Shouldn't you like me cuddling up to it more then?" Judy asked coquettishly, curling the tail around her neck as if it was a muffler. "Or do you dislike bunny attention after all?"

    "Well, let's just say it kind of hurts the mental image of the tough-bun bunny police officer when she's playing with my tail like a kit with a new toy," Nick explained wryly.

    "Wow, you're no fun at all," Judy gave him a pitying smile.

    "No fun, am I?" Nick frowned a little, but then started to smile slowly. "Well, I think you've had about enough, missy."

    "Yeep!" Judy flinched as Nick slid his tail across her neck and flicked it away from her again. "Aw, c'mon Nick, we have off all day and there's not a mammal around."

    "I think it's my turn to get to touch your tail," Nick grinned slyly.

    "Uh... that's not going to happen," Judy smirked, her eyes half-closing.

    "Why not? You're always after mine; fair's fair, right?" Nick had a tiny smile, folding his arms.

    "Our tails aren't exactly equal, if you haven't noticed," Judy gestured with her palm up towards him. "Yours is super long and mine's... well, it's very close to my tush. I don't want mammals to think you're groping me in public; you're liable to be smacked in the face by an animal with a much stronger arm than a bunny's."

    "Well, like you said, we're alone right now, so... what's the big deal?" Nick pursued.

    "I dunno," Judy bit her lip, her eyes looking away shiftily and her ears drooping. "I've seen firsthand how you get around fluffy things. You talk about me turning into a kit? I don't want you slavering all over me, you goofball."

    "Very well then," Nick closed his eyes, his voice airy. "I didn't want to have to do this, but... prepare to be hustled, miss."

    "Excuse me?" Judy's ears shot back up and felt immediately hot. Nick reached into his pocket and withdrew his phone.

    "I've uncovered some incriminating evidence of you," Nick showed her the picture he had just taken, but kept the phone well away from Judy. Judy took in a shrill gasp.

    "Nicholas!" She shouted, her pupils tiny.

    "Criminally adorable behavior," Nick's brow furrowed and he spoke as if shocked. "What would Chief Bogo think if he saw such wanton frivolity?"

    "Nick, you wouldn't dare!" Judy got up to go steal the phone from Nick, but he guarded it close to his chest.

    "Or, to think... what if Benjamin got his eyes on this...?" Nick gave her a little leer.

    "Aagh! That's even worse!" Judy pounded her fists on Nick's arms, but he did not relent. "Nick, please, don't do that..."

    "Let me touch your tail, and this picture goes away," Nick stipulated. "And not just any touch. At least as long as I let you touch mine."

    "Wow," Judy twisted her mouth. "Is that what we're going to do? Okay, fine." Judy laid down on the picnic blanket on her front and folded her arms. "Touch my tail. If only to prove that we're both equals. But! If I feel your hands on my bum, it's game over."

    "You think you're in a position to bargain?" Nick put his phone away and got on all fours, prowling around behind her.

    "There's no fun playing a game you can't lose," Judy sneered back at him. "And make sure you keep any stupid faces back there where I can't see them."

    Nick gave a soft chuckle in his own victory, and slowly reached out to touch her tail. Finally. He had waited so long for this moment, and as he touched the soft, cottony fluff, his eyes grew wider and wider. It was just as soft as he'd imagined it would be. He was really trying hard to avoid making soft squeals and other sounds of pure adoration. Judy propped up her cheek on her paw, sighing in resignation.

    "Don't enjoy yourself too much back there," Judy accused suddenly.

    "I'm being a perfect gentlefox," Nick insisted, carefully petting the tail.

    "Tch, liar," Judy shook her head, and her ears twitched. "I can hear your breathing changing every time you go to touch me. It's been catching on both the inhale and the exhale. You're excited."

    "Sheez, Carrots!" Nick froze mid-pet. "Do they use bunnies as lie-detectors in Bunnyburrow?"

    "We bunnies do have several skills," Judy said proudly. Nick pet her once more.

    "You know," Nick considered furtively, "the view back here isn't bad either." Judy rolled over and looked at him wryly, propping herself up on her elbows.

    "Okay buster, tail time's up," Judy smirked.

    "But I didn't touch the butt..." Nick whined, his shoulders dropping. "All right, a deal's a deal." Nick took his phone out and navigated to the picture, preparing to delete it. He hesitated. "...Fluff, it's... it's really kind of a nice picture of you. You do look really happy."

    "Nick, I'm not going to let you keep something like that to blackmail me every time you want something!" Judy stamped her foot and it tapped rapidly a few times.

    "I just-," Nick started, looking a bit melancholy. "Ack!" Judy started rapidly swiping her paws at him, trying to get the phone. He stood up, and held it out of her reach, smiling smugly at her.

    "Really?" Judy half-lid her eyes, slowly stood up, and in the next second she sprang up, plucked the phone from Nick's grasp, and delivered a light double-kick to his chest. Both of them simultaneously landed on their haunches.

    "Guh!" Nick was surprised at how high she could jump with no warning. He was impressed at how gently Judy managed to accomplish her goal. He barely felt a thing. Judy tapped several times on his phone, then threw it back to him.

    "There," Judy declared. "That'll teach you to renege on your promises."

    "Aw," Nick sighed through his teeth, looking at where the photo used to be with a mild mourning look.

    "But," Judy held a paw up, holding her own phone up and wiggling it back and forth. "If you're a good little foxy, I might let you look at it every now and again..." Judy showed Nick the photo, which she had copied over to her phone before deleting it. Nick's countenance immediately lifted and he gasped in delight. Judy's eyes widened as she saw his tail wag a little. "Woah, down boy!"

    "Oh jeez, usually I can stop it from doing that," Nick laughed nervously, brushing a hand through his head fur. He willed his tail to stop wagging. "Whew! Thank goodness for sly bunnies."

    "And, for dumb foxes," Judy half lid her eyes, showing her teeth in a grin.

Chapter 9: Tails II

    "Thank you for the nice date, Nick, you really pick the most tasty restaurants," Judy smiled up at Nick as she insisted on following him through the subway all the way to the front of his apartment. Nick admired how radiant the gray bunny seemed even in the most plain dress.

    "Anything for this yummy bunny," Nick quipped. "Now, how about a goodnight kiss?"

    "Well aren't you forward?" Judy turned her head slightly away coyly, but kept eye contact. "Fortunately for you, I like that." Judy headed over and got on her tip-toes, gently pulling Nick's tie to make him meet her in a kiss.

    "Mm," Nick wrapped his arms around her and held her close. Letting go, he grinned at her. "A nice end to the evening, I think."

    Judy nodded, then looked him over with her eyes in a saucy way, which got Nick's pulse to quicken. "One."

    "One?" Nick blinked.

    "Mhm, one," Judy said. "Goodnight Nick, see you tomorrow!" Judy merrily trotted down the street towards the subway station.

    "One what?" Nick called after her. Judy didn't turn around, but held her paw up and waved it in farewell.

    Did he fail some sort of test? Nick scratched at his chin.

---

    "Hah... hah....!" Judy squinted her eyes, pushing away from her desk and turning her head away. Nick, at the desk opposite hers, smirked at her as she stared at the wall, but nothing else happened.

    "I think the next line is 'choo'," Nick quipped dryly, working on some case files.

    "Oh shut up," Judy grit her teeth in agitation. "I hate when this happ-HA-TSEW!"

    "Classic," Nick chuckled into his hand.

    "Rgh," Judy shot him a dirty look as she wiped her nose with a tissue. "Two, by the way."

    "Two, huh?" Nick spun his chair around to look at her. Judy nodded. "Two what?"

    "Not telling you," Judy said flippantly, tilting her head up and closing her eyes.

    "Ah, two years old," Nick nodded. "That's how you're acting."

    Judy scoffed, whirled around in her computer chair, and got back to work.

---

    "Knock, knock!" Judy said cheerfully on the other side of the door to Nick's apartment.

    "Who's there?" Nick asked reflexively, wandering over to the door.

    "Pizza!" Judy returned excitedly.

    "Pizza who?" Nick quipped back.

    "If you want a piece of pizza, you better open this door, fox!" Judy warned.

    "That wasn't a very good joke," Nick opened the door. "What do I owe this surprise to, Judy?"

    "You said you didn't know what you wanted to do about dinner, and I thought I'd like to hang out with my boyfriend," Judy smiled, setting the pizza down on his table. "How's that?"

    "Works for me, bunny," Nick smiled fondly at her.

    "Ooh, three," Judy gave a toothy smile.

    "What is with you and this counting stuff?" Nick frowned. "It's starting to bother me."

    "I know, isn't it great?" Judy's smile grew even wider. "I'm gonna see if you can figure it out before I get to ten."

    "What happens then?" Nick held his arms out wide.

    "Haven't decided yet," Judy said playfully.

    "Rgh!" Nick ran his hands through his ears. He was hungry, though, so he got a couple of plates ready for a cheesy pizza dinner with his girlfriend.

---

    The glow of the TV illuminated Nicks apartment. Judy was cuddled up to him from the side. They'd both had a long day, but it seemed to have taken more out of Judy. Nick looked down at her very tired-looking eyes.

    "You should probably go to bed, sugar-fluff," Nick suggested, patting her head.

    "Not yet...." Judy said. "This shows almost over. Wanna see who killed the guy." Letting loose a loud groan, she unleashed a huge bunny yawn, the corners of her eyes sparkling with moisture at the force of it.

    "Adorable," Nick marveled.

    "You better believe it," Judy smacked her lips. "Four, by the way."

    "Right, four," Nick rolled his eyes. The program ended.

    "No way, it was the niece? That's messed up," Judy said tiredly, then placed her head on Nick's lap. "You make a good pillow."

    "Heh..." Nick shook his head. "I guess I could watch another show while you get a head-start on going off to dreamland."

    "Such a nice fox," Judy praised, and opened her eyes briefly. "Five."

    Nick sighed, but couldn't help from petting over Judy's side.

---

    Nick yawned on another morning, passing Judy in the bathroom, who'd stayed the night again. It was getting to be more of a common occurrence, and Nick wasn't complaining. He halted his gait when he saw Judy in the bathroom, brushing through her ears and fluffing them by running her hands under them and letting gravity make them fall.

    "Ah!" Judy pointed into the mirror with her brush when she saw Nick gawking.

    "Let me guess, six?" Nick half-lid his eyes.

    "Smart fox, six it is!" Judy laughed, continuing to brush.

    "Maybe I could do that sometime?" Nick shrugged.

    "What, count, or brush your ears?" Judy said. "You don't brush yours?"

    "No, I do, I meant brush yours," Nick smiled. "Looks kinda like fun."

    "Aw, sure!" Judy raised an eyebrow. "Huh, I don't know if that should count as seven. Maybe we'll keep it at six."

    "Whatever you say, honeybuns," Nick said. "Blueberry pancakes okay?"

    "I guess," Judy teased. "I'll be fluffing for awhile."

    "Take your time," Nick winked. "You know I love that fluff."

---

    Judy turned her head at the sound of Nick gasping. The two were shopping at the grocery store. The fox pulled a magazine off the shelves.

    "Woah, the cover model for this years swimsuit edition of Sports Taxonomy is a bunny!?" He excitedly started flipping through the magazine. "Wonder if they're doing fur dye again this year."

    "Uh, excuse me, hornball fox?" Judy scoffed incredulously. "I'm right here!" She stared at him. "This one definitely doesn't count."

    "Oof, I don't know why I didn't get into bunnies earlier," Nick winced in appreciation at checking out the magazine. "They're definitely some good-looking mammals."

    "Give me that!" Judy snapped up the magazine from him, scoffing again. She gasped when she saw who Nick was gawking at. "Nick! This is one of my sisters!"

    "Doesn't that describe like half of the bunnies in Bunnyburrow?" Nick asked dryly. "It would explain why she's so hot, though."

    "Uh huh. You're going to be sleeping on the couch tonight, mister," Judy shut the magazine and playfully bopped him with it in the chest.

    "Oh, so that means you're coming over," Nick grinned widely.

    "I guess I am, lucky you," Judy said. "And lucky seven."

    "Tsk, I'm lucky every day I'm with you," Nick wiggled his eyebrows.

    "I'm still mad, don't think you can turn up the charm that easily!" Judy squinted her eyes at him.

    "Luckily for me, you're hot when you're grumpy, too," Nick grinned, taking the magazine from her and putting it back.

    Judy rolled her eyes. "If I didn't find your audaciousness attractive, you'd definitely be in trouble, buster."

---

    shaaaaaaa...

    Judy stood outside Nick's apartment complex as it rained softly. Judy had her eyes closed and was smiling serenely, letting the drops splash onto her face. The rain was pleasantly cool and refreshing. Nick wandered up to her, carrying an umbrella.

    "The heck are you doing, you silly rabbit?" Nick sounded confused. Judy opened one eye and grinned wider. "You have a key to my place. Why're you standing out in the rain?"

    "It's just water, Nick," Judy said, her eye glancing over his form. "Eight."

    "You are a pretty bunny, even when you're being baffling," Nick sighed, offering the umbrella to her.

    "Nick..." Judy said. "Wait, before we go inside, I was thinking we should just cut out the middlemammal."

    "In what way?" Nick said. "Are you going to tell me what this game you're playing is?"

    "No, haven't got to ten yet!" Judy smiled. "I want to move in with you, Nick. I spend so much time over here as it is."

    Nick gasped briefly. "That... I mean, yeah, sure!" Nick smiled. "You are my girlfriend and all. My partner..."

    "Nine," Judy smiled, gazing affectionately at him. "A very solid nine."

    "I'm a ten, thank you very much," Nick leaned in.

    "Not just yet!" Judy winked.

---

    "Okay, ready?" Judy said, rushing up to Nick in the park at sundown. Both of them had each of their own hands closed together. "How many do you have?"

    "Less than ten," Nick rolled his eyes.

    "I probably only have like seven or so," Judy giggled. "Ok, let 'em go!"

    Both Judy and Nick opened thrust their arms upwards and opened them, and the fireflies they were carrying in their hands perked up and flew off into the distance. It looked like they were both releasing a little pawful of yellowish-green pixie dust into the air. Judy giggled pleasantly and Nick smiled up at this. He turned his gaze back to Judy.

    "You're such a kit," Nick said, his voice clearly adoring.

    "Yeah, but you loved it," Judy said accusingly, her hands on her hips. "So what does that say about you?"

    "That I've found the one I'm meant to be with," Nick sighed, hugging her. "I love you, you silly bunny."

    "And I love you, dorky fox," Judy looked behind Nick. "And what a nice ten."

    "Can you tell me about this thing you've been torturing me with now?" Nick pet Judy's head.

    "Sure," Judy said, looking away, suddenly bashful. "I've been, well... I've been counting the ways I can make your tail wag."

    "What, seriously?" Nick blinked. He looked back to confirm this and his tail slowly stopped wagging, as if it was shamed to be caught doing so. "How did I never pick up on that?"

    "Well, your tail wagging is kind of subconscious, right?" Judy said charmingly. "I was kind of hoping you wouldn't catch on."

    "Cause you like winning so much," Nick rested his paw firmly on Judy's head and fuzzled it.

    "Uh huh," Judy flailed playfully at Nick's paw to get him off. "And what a prize!"

    "I'm quite a catch, I'll admit," Nick said wistfully, looking at the beginnings of the stars that were coming out.

    "It's more like..." Judy bit her lip. "My prize is knowing there's... well..."

    "Go on?" Nick looked back down at her.

    "Nick!" Judy squinted her eyes shut. "There's no way I can say this without sounding incredibly dopey..."

    "Never stopped me before," Nick shrugged his shoulders.

    "True!" Judy pointed at him, laughing. "Okay, my prize is knowing that I have a lot of ways to delight you on that... that inner level. You know? It makes me feel like we were meant to be together."

    "Oh Judy," Nick sighed warmly. "That is really dopey..."

    "Liar!" Judy squeezed Nick in their hug. "Eleven!"

    "Oh come on, really?" Nick looked back at his wagging tail. "You're such a tattletale."

    "Tattle tail, heh," Judy wiggled her eyebrows.

    "Wow, I did just say that, didn't I?" Nick groaned. "Anyway, c'mon. This little kit needs to get home to bed." He scooped her up into his arms.

    "You just wanted an excuse to hold me," Judy accused, but she snuggled into his grasp.

    "Didn't need my tail wagging to tell you that," Nick chuckled.

    "So is it?" Judy curiously tried to poke her head around his shoulders to look. "Twelve? Do I see twelve?"

    "Judy, seriously chill," Nick laughed. "We'll be at one hundred before long."

    "Aw, you think there's a hundred different ways I can make that tail wag?" Judy cooed.

    "At a very conservative estimate," Nick laughed.

Chapter 10: Mom

    Judy and Nick joined together in light laughter at the on-screen antics of Jim Carreybou. The two were sitting on a couch in Nick's apartment, watching one of the actor's older movies. Both the bunny and fox's ears twitched when they heard Nick's phone go off. Judy paused the movie.

    "Ugh, just let it ring, Carrots," Nick flicked his paw at her. Judy tossed a popcorn kernel into her mouth and leaned over to look at the phone.

    "It says it's your mother," Judy blinked. Nick flinched as if he had been punched, and scrambled over Judy to grab his phone.

    "Shoot, what time is it? Darn, uh hey, could you pour me more Cub Soda?" Nick asked. Judy shrugged and nodded, getting off the couch and heading to his fridge.

    "Hey, mom!" Nick answered in a jovial voice. "...Yeah, I know I usually call a bit earlier than this today, but I said I might be later calling this week, right? ...Oh, nothing, just this and that." Judy narrowed one eye as she poured more soda into Nick's cup. She felt a tickle at her nose, and her face scrunched up.

    "Ha-tsew!" Judy turned her head and lifted her shoulders, giving a little shiver as she sneezed. Nick looked at her with wide eyes, partly from not wanting her to make any noise, and partly from not believing her sneeze sounded so cute.

    "...That was nothing, mom, nothing, yeah, haha," Nick chuckled. "Was just opening my cupboard. It squeaks a bit. ...Yeah I know, I should replace it, or move to another apartment. Yeah... anyway, I'm right in the middle of something, so can I call you back in a couple of hours? ...Thanks mom, love ya, bye." Nick collapsed against the couch, groaning and flinging the phone onto the seat beside him.

    "So does she not know about me at all?" Judy raised one eyebrow, heading back over and handing over Nick's drink.

    "Oh no, she knows about you," Nick nodded, giving it a sip. He then crossed two fingers on his other paw. "She doesn't know we're like this, though, and basically hang out all the time together."

    "I think I'd like to meet her," Judy said pleasantly, leaning her face forward.

    "Uh, no, no you would not," Nick winced. "I've been trying to delay that as long as possible."

    "Huh? Whatever for?" Judy looked bewildered. "How could such a sterling specimen of a fox have anything less than a wonderful mother?" She gave him a teasing, wide grin.

    "While I'm sure that was sarcastic," Nick held up a finger, "she's... she's a nice mother. To me. She's super suspicious and judging of anyone else."

    "Huh, I wonder why?" Judy had a sip of her own drink.

    "Oh, I think I've figured it out," Nick wore a slight frown on one side of his muzzle. "Being a single-mom, only having one kit... she's super-protective, almost to a smothering degree. Kinda why I preferred the streets of Zootopia to hanging out home in my youth, I guess." He shrugged.

    "I see, that sounds... um, a bit bothersome," Judy nodded. "Obviously I have no clue what excessive doting upon by parents is like. With so many siblings, it's amazing enough that they can keep all of our names straight, but it's just a bunny memory trait, I guess. My mom and dad only started paying special attention to me once it was clear I was a huge anomaly." Judy showed her teeth in a proud smile.

    "Mm," Nick returned an amused smirk, but then frowned again. "She tended to figure out if I was sweet on vixens, then would get after them and expose their flaws till they were left in tears. Didn't have that great of a time in high school."

    "Aw, Nick," Judy rubbed his shoulder. "I'm sure she's proud of you now, though, right? But uh, I don't remember if I saw her at your graduation?"

    "She was invited, yes, but uh, she couldn't make it," Nick looked away.

    "Why not?" Judy wondered. Nick paused, and then reached for the remote.

    "Let's just keep watching the movie, huh? I kinda feel like laughing, at the moment."

    "Wait, wait!" Judy got an adventurous, bright gleam in her eye. She gently slapped Nick's chest with the back of her hand. "C'mon c'mon c'mon. Let's play a little game. I'll be me, and you be your mother. Just fling questions at me like she would; see if I can take her!"

    Nick's eyes widened considerably. "Uh, I do not want to play that game. First, role-playing as my mother? That's kind of... odd. Second, I don't want to douse any fond feelings you might have for me."

    "What!? No!" Judy swiped both of her hands in front of her, turning her head away. "C'mon, it'd just be pretend."

    "You know how well I can act," Nick remained unconvinced. "You bought the whole 'nice dad' gig."

    "That's only because you'd probably be a nice dad," Judy winked, hitting him on the chest lightly again. She beckoned with the other hand. "Now c'mon."

    "Fine," Nick's eyes half-lid, and then his countenance changed to look even more judgemental, the bottoms of his eyes narrowing a bit. His voice changed a bit too, becoming lighter, but not to the point of falsetto. "So, just who do you think you are, little bunny?"

    Judy smiled in delight as the game was on. "I'm Judy Hopps, ma'am! Officer of the ZPD, Precinct One!"

    "Right, you're the bunny Nicholas is always going on about," Nick said suspiciously, scratching at his chin. "Just what are you after with him, anyway?"

    "Nick and I are partners! Uh, professionally," Judy gave a soft laugh, "he's a bright and upstanding mammal, and he always gives his best."

    "Well, I know that," Nick rolled his eyes. Judy was amused; his impression of his mother seemed so much drier than even his sarcasm. "But my question is, what are you doing with him?"

    "What do you mean, ma'am?" Judy tilted her head. "I really wanted Nick to be my partner." She gave a small smile. Nick didn't soften; he was completely into the persona.

    "You? That bunny Judy Hopps," Nick poked her squarely in the chest. "The same one on that press conference!?" Judy gave a terse gasp. "The same one who thinks predators can just 'go savage'? Who thinks we're all 'reverting' because of some isolated cases that turned out to have nothing to do with biology?"

    "Um, yes, that was a huge mistake on my part," Judy placed her hands to her chest, bowing a bit humbly. "I'm very sorry about that. I was misled. It won't happen again."

    "Won't it, now?" Nick placed his hands on his hips and leaned forward. "If you ask me, my Nicholas deserves a partner who isn't fooled that easily. I know there aren't any more foxes on the force, but surely he could find a savvier animal than you." Nick's eyes looked Judy up and down judgmentally, and Judy felt dread in her stomach, her ears drooping. "If you could be led astray by obvious misinformation like that, how could he ever trust you? What can you even offer him besides being a tiny, empty-headed ball of fluff!?"

    Judy was absolutely still. She balled her fists to try not to show any emotion, and fought the urge to grit her teeth, but her eyes started to get glassy. Nick instantly dropped his persona.

    "Judy...!" Nick winced. "See, see this is why I didn't want to do this. She'd be like that, or worse! I was even soft-balling it!"

    "N-no, you're... she's right," Judy said distantly. "H-how can you trust me, after that?"

    "Judy, no, please, c'mon," Nick scooted forward and pat her drooped ears. "I trust you, you know that."

    "I... do I?" Judy was fighting the urge to cry.

    "Hello? Earth to bunny?" Nick took her shoulders in his hands and leaned down to her with a tender expression. "You saved my life, for one. For two, when you handed me that application, for the first time in my life..." Nick thought about that, "yeah, for the first time in my whole life, I felt truly wanted and appreciated."

    "Then, I screwed it up not five minutes later," Judy laughed shakily, beginning to release a few tears. Nick started wiping them away as soon as they showed up.

    "But, three months after that, you showed me just how much you trusted me," Nick shook his head. "You trusted me with your most heartfelt feelings, and you trusted me with the information about the Night Howlers. You could have gone to anyone else in the city. But you went to me. Just some fox you picked up off the street."

    "Not 'just some fox'," Judy giggled, though the tears kept flowing. "I can tell how much he cares about everything, deep down. Even me... he's such a great fox..." She sniffled, leaning into the paws that kept wiping away her tears.

    "Well, I'm glad we both know that, then," Nick smirked. "And you can bet I wouldn't have busted my lazy tail for nine months to try to have the chance at making the grade to be your partner if I didn't really want to be with you, too."

    "Nick...!" Judy couldn't stop her tears, but she was beaming. "Stop...! Stop being so sweet..."

    "Can't help it," Nick smirked. "Probably all the blueberries I eat. Would you prefer I go back to mom-mode?"

    "N-no, that's good," Judy chuckled, nuzzling the back of Nick's paw to remove the last few drops of tears from her eyes. "Maybe I'll take a rain check on meeting her after all."

    "It would probably be for the best," Nick nodded. Judy gave one last sniffle. "Sorry I didn't bring any tissues. Jim Carreybou movies aren't usually this sad." Judy laughed.

    "He did do one or two, though!" Judy gave a soft sigh and rested her head on Nick's arm. "Nick, I do love you, like I said that one time."

    "Yeah yeah, I know," Nick chuckled, wrapping his arm around her, giving her a gentle squeeze. "Love you too."

    "Platonically, though, right?" Judy shot a slightly confused look to Nick. To her discomfort, Nick shared her unsure expression.

    "I'm not sure what sort of adjective or adverb to use to describe our relationship yet, to be honest," Nick admitted. "I've often wondered."

    "Yeah, me neither," Judy sighed. "I guess we should just keep on the down low until we figure it out, huh?" Nick nodded. "Doesn't mean I can't do this, though." Judy popped up for a small kiss to Nick's nose. "Ack, your nose is wet." She chuckled, wiping her lips.

    "Silly bunny," Nick smiled, feeling pleasant, "now what do you say we finish this stupid movie?" Judy and Nick finally gave their attention to the paused TV screen, and the lead actor was stuck in a fairly extravagant pose.

    "He's such an over-actor," Judy giggled, cuddling softly up to Nick.

Chapter 11: Trying

    "Nope, the battery's completely dead; nothing I can do," Nick affirmed, slamming the hood down on the small truck.

    "Perfect," Judy said in annoyance. She was on her phone and sitting behind the driver's seat. "Stuck right in between Bunnyburrow and Zootopia. Roadside assistance is at least thirty minutes out." She hung up her phone and pocketed it. Nick got back in the vehicle. The two both already had their windows rolled down; the old clunker of a Hopps family truck didn't have air conditioning anyway.

    "So tell me why you're just returning your dad's truck now?" Nick wondered.

    "I dunno," Judy shrugged. "He said I could keep it until I didn't need it anymore. He has nearly a fleet of them; he said he'd barely miss this one. I never really found the time to return it. But, I figured it'd be best to give him back what's his, lest bad karma fall upon me."

    "Seems a bit too late for that, fluff," Nick chuckled. "Any reason why you wanted to drag me along?"

    "Plenty!" Judy smiled. "You're great for conversation, fun to be around, it's amazing to watch my siblings toss themselves onto you like a bunny tidal wave, and you're going to keep me company while we're stuck here on the side of the road."

    "Just wish we made this trip in fall or winter; it's so hot," Nick grumbled in discomfort.

    "I know, I know," Judy grumbled. "I wonder why this bucket of bolts hasn't broken down sooner. I must have driven it to Zootopia on sheer willpower alone."

    "Well, I do know how strong your will can be," Nick grinned, then turned his head to look out the window. Judy's ear perked as she heard a huffing sound.

    "Are you... panting?" Judy had a bemused half-smile.

    "I don't want to hear anything about it," Nick replied. "Panting is one of the least dignified things we canids do, up there with wagging our tails and blatantly sniffing new people."

    "I was just curious; wasn't going to tease you," Judy giggled.

    "I'm going to regret asking this, but... would you mind if I unbuttoned my shirt?" Nick was still panting, still faced away from her.

    Judy was silent for almost ten seconds, her eyes wide. Then, in a tiny voice, she said: "No, not at all." Judy kept her head looking straight forward out the windshield, but her eyes were locked to her right, staring at the fox unbuttoning his shirt. Her nose started twitching, mostly out of curiosity, and out of fear of being caught looking. When it was apparent Nick wasn't going to turn his head back, Judy turned her head towards him, staring openly. She tried to keep her breaths soft as he revealed more and more of his creamy chest and tummy fur, bordered by the hints of his rich orange-red fur peeking out from the opened shirt.

    After a small piece of forever, Nick was finished, and let loose a sigh. "That's a bit better."

    Judy felt a sort of burning excitement she'd never really felt before. Her nose still twitched up and down as she observed him. She tried to rationalize that there was really nothing remarkable about him; he was just long and lean and had interesting colors, but for some reason her brain gobbled up the details hungrily until she felt almost light-headed. "It is... uh, pretty hot in here." Judy let herself smile at the double meaning of her words.

    Nick finally turned his head, mostly out of boredom, and his left eye caught Judy, who was still staring. He stopped mid-pant and closed his mouth. "Carrots, uh, are you ogling me?"

    "I'm doing that, yes," Judy confirmed, nodding. "I can't quite look away. I don't know what it is!" She was getting an idea, though. Bits of fur he didn't let anyone else see, shared with her. It felt very galvanizing.

    "Uhh," Nick chuckled. "I can close my shirt back up if you want."

    "Great," Judy looked at him in defeat, "now, I can say 'no, don't' like some sort of lust-addled moron, or 'yes, please do', and hurt your feelings."

    "Gotcha now," Nick half-lid his eyes. "What's it gonna be, fluff?"

    "How about... take your shirt the rest of the way off?" Judy tilted her head. Nick's eyes went wide.

    "Okay, was not expecting that," Nick confirmed. He did as she asked, flinging the garment down where his feet were resting.

    "Oh my gosh I did not expect you to actually do it," Judy said in a rapid and shrill voice. She bit down on her knuckles, hard. "Ow." She yanked her hand away from her mouth and flicked it back and forth.

    Nick reclined back in his chair with a smug expression, closing his eyes.

    "Yuh-you're enjoying this!" Judy accused.

    "Only as much as you are, Carrots," Nick shot back, moving his shoulders up and down a bit to try to find the optimal comfort zone.

    "Then, you're enjoying it... kind of a lot," Judy finally wrenched her eyes away.

    "Gonna draw the line at you wanting to touch the fur though," Nick said confidently. "It's kind of wet and gross at the moment."

    "Yeah, that'll be fine," Judy said lightly. A minute or two passed. "You know... uh, I have always wondered what it would be like to... um... kiss a fox, though."

    Nick looked at her with a droll expression. "Really. You've always wondered that. Always."

    "Okay, so maybe only in the past year or two," Judy's voice had a resignation to it; her hands closed around the steering while as her eyes squinted shut.

    "If only there was a way to satisfy your curiosity!" Nick said in a loud voice. "Hm, first we'd need to find a fox that wanted to kiss you."

    "Nick, you're going to tease me about this?" Judy tilted her head, her voice low. "You're really going to tease me about this?"

    "I just can't stop myself, Carrots," Nick admitted in a guilty, amused voice. "I have a somewhat frisky and very curious bunny on my hands, and what am I going to do with her? I just got to push all of her buttons until she's forced into action, don't I?" Nick leaned in a bit. Judy's nose was set off again, and her heart accelerated.

    "You don't get to be so smug about this," Judy challenged. "I can avoid kissing you for another uh... jeez has it really only been like eight minutes?"

    "You're going to kiss me at any moment now," Nick shook his head.

    "I am and you're infuriating!" Judy shouted, leaning forward for a quick smooch on the lips. Nick returned the tiny kiss, to her surprise. She backed away, and this time she was the one panting.

    "Well?" Nick tilted his head.

    "I mean, I'm not sure," Judy said blankly. "I uh, I really don't know."

    "Okay then," Nick turned his head. "I'm available for further research, should the need arise."

    He was teasing her so badly, but she couldn't resist. Judy didn't know if the teasing just set her off more. She got out of her seat and moved closer to Nick. She tapped him gently on the shoulder. When he turned his head, she placed both paws on his cheeks and leaned in for a deeper kiss. Nick was actually surprised, but shut his eyes and returned it, gently placing both of his hands on her sides.

    After the kiss, Nick was smirking smugly, but his look grew into alarm when Judy was staring at him with bewilderment. He hadn't expected that, either. Judy brought up a paw to her face, though she didn't touch her lips with it. Silently, she crawled back over to her seat, and opened her door and got out of the truck.

    "Judy?" Nick crawled out of the car after her. She was standing with her back against the truck and her arms folded, staring down at the ground. "Ouch, was I that bad...?"

    "I'm... I'm a freak," Judy said in an uncertain voice. "A deviant."

    "What?" Nick shrugged. "Naw, come on."

    "When I kissed you like that, it was like... so many switches inside myself were flipped," Judy said distantly. "A hunger for more awoke. It was... really powerful."

    "Wow, was I that good?" Nick chuckled, leaning his side onto the truck.

    "I wonder if there's something wrong with me," Judy sighed. "First, I want to be a police officer. I did it, but that's never been done before! Bunnies don't do that! Now, uh... apparently I'm really into foxes. And, just so happen to have a charming fox best friend."

    "Let me drop the charm, smoulder, and teasing for just a minute, Judy," Nick said seriously. Judy looked at him, only dimly aware that he rarely ever used her first name. "I liked it, too. And I'm attracted to you, too. Does it make me weird? Yeah, probably. But heck if I care. Those... those looks you give me sometimes. Those looks filled with pride. The looks filled with admiration, or even desire, like just now. Do you know how... gratifying that is? Do you know how many vixens have looked at me like that?"

    "A lot?" Judy wondered, shrugging her shoulders.

    "Well," Nick considered. "Okay, maybe I have gotten a few looks of desire before." The two chuckled. "But never of the former two. You've seen who I truly am. I haven't let anyone else... in... like that. And you're attracted to me, too? I have to say, it's a bit of a rush."

    "Nick..." Judy had a big, happy smile.

    "So I gotta keep teasing you, okay?" Nick chuckled, poking her on the shoulder. "It's the only way I can rationalize such a cheerful, attractive bunny being so hungry for your average everyday fox."

    "You're anything but average, Nick," Judy smiled warmly, and went to hug him tightly. Nick winced, but hugged back a bit. It didn't last too long before Judy backed away, rubbing her face, where it had ended up in his chest. "Blech, okay, you are a bit wet and eugh..."

    "Sorry, Carrots," Nick chuckled. "If I'm honest, I was really hoping 'hot sweaty fox' didn't do it for you too much."

    "I think I can just settle for 'hot fox'," Judy smiled. Nick flinched as he saw a vehicle on the horizon.

    "Agh! It looks like roadside assistance is here, and I still don't have my shirt on...!"

    "Oh, just pretend you're from Bunnyburrow," Judy chuckled, giving him a playful shove. "Dumb bunny hicks there are always going around with no shirt on."

    "Ma'am, I do take offense to that," Nick said in a burrow drawl, trying to get back in the car before the assistance noticed him. "I ain't no dumb bunny."

    "No, you're a stupid fox," Judy laughed, then added in a tiny whisper: "Who's really handsome..."

    "Heard that last bit!" Nick grinned, throwing his shirt back on.

Chapter 12: She Doesn't

    "All right!" Judy grinned as a fruity alcoholic beverage slid down the bar and into her paws. "Bahama Mammals are my favorite."

    "There's no way you're gonna get drunk off of that thing," Nick said, sipping from a scotch and soda.

    "Getting drunk isn't the idea, Nick, I just want a drink that doesn't taste like poison," Judy happily sipped some of her drink.

    "Aren't you a country girl, Carrots?" Nick chuckled. "Those Bunnyburrow bunnies are always getting themselves drunk, aren't they?"

    "Well, I don't know if you haven't noticed yet, Nick," Judy shot him a playful look, "but I'm not just any bunny."

    "You certainly are not," Nick nodded in agreement, sipping more of his drink. He gave her a look as she sipped from her drink. She was so charming and innocent-looking, even though he knew better than to call her that last one. Her naivete and pure spirit were so refreshing to him, and even after two years on the force she hadn't lost her spark. "Hey, Carrots." Nick surprised himself with his own voice, but he figured he might as well give it a try.

    "Mm?" Her ears perked up, her eyes fully opening as she turned her face to look at him. Every little minute move she did was so fetching; a moment Nick could treasure.

    "You remember that time when I was all 'you know you love me'?" Nick gave a small, sly grin.

    "Uh-huh," Judy grinned. "I'm sure you don't forget what I said."

    Do I know that? Yes, yes I do. Nick reflected on how tender and genuine the words sounded. What he had wanted to say to her was, "you know I love you", but he couldn't do that. He had to deflect his feelings onto her; put the burden on her. But she had been so...

    "Yeah, kind of took me off guard a little, actually," Nick chuckled. "Was there anything to that, Carrots?"

    "Anything... to that?" Judy blinked. "We were just kinda playing around, right? Like we do." Nick managed a tiny smile at the words.

    "Yeah, we're pretty great at that," Nick turned his muzzle away and muttered: "Thought so." Then, he waved down the bartender. "Can I have straight scotch this time?"

    Nick's soft words had not escaped Judy's ears. Her nose started to twitch as Nick downed his glass fairly quickly and let out a loud exhaling sound.

    "N-Nick...?"

    "Yes?" Nick gave her an easy, wispy smile.

    "You... you love me...?" Judy seemed shocked. Nick had been ready to counter this for quite some time now.

    "Who wouldn't love you, Carrots?" Nick said in a very conversational voice, and sipped more drink. "C'mon, you're ambitious, charming, you keep a sense of optimism about you. Witty, too, for a bunny. I could go on."

    "...But you have feelings for me," Judy said in an even voice.

    "Another drink, please?" Nick tapped on his glass.

    "Nick...!" Judy said in alarm. "Talk to me!"

    "Maybe after another drink or two," Nick muttered. "But I have to warn you, I can keep my walls up even when I'm drunk. I just kind of get sullen."

    Judy swallowed hard. She didn't want Nick to just drown his feelings in alcohol, but she didn't know what to do to stop him. "Nick, maybe just... c'mon... let's talk."

    "I've got a strategy, Judy," Nick held up a finger. "Oops, I said Judy. Eh, oh well." He knocked back another large gulp, shaking his head. "Urgh. Anyway, my strategy was gonna be, if I ever do something monumentally stupid around you, I'd go immediately get myself blackout drunk. That way, when I came to, I wouldn't remember any of it, and, because I'd already made this sort of pact with myself, I'd know to be more careful around you."

    Judy grit her teeth. "Nick, please..."

    "Don't be surprised if you get a text from me tomorrow morning wondering if we're still partners," Nick grumbled.

    "This isn't an answer," Judy sneered, feeling somewhat hurt. "What, you're just going to try to forget everything so you can make the same mistake again?"

    "Ah ha, got you!" Nick had a sour smile. "You agree it was a mistake to hint at my feelings for you. Especially since you don't return them."

    Judy stared blankly at him. "I'm sorry, Nick! I just... I never thought of us that way. And I don't... I don't want to blame my past on how I am, but... I had some rough experiences with foxes in the past. I'm not sure I could ever see one in a... romantic way... I know that sounds awful and speciesist but-"

    "That is perfectly fine, and your feelings are your own sacred right," Nick grinned, starting to look a bit loopy. "But, it is also my right to get myself drunk. Tails up! To obliviousness!" Nick downed yet more liquid.

    Several minutes later, Nick was resting his head on his arms on the bar, mumbling a bit. Judy couldn't make out the words.

    "I... I'll remember for you, Nick," Judy sighed. "I'm so sorry I can't share your feelings. But... you are a wonderful fox, and that's why I wanted you as my partner." Judy reached out to place her paw on his shoulder. Nick didn't look like he was going to resist, but he turned his head away from her and let out a huff that sounded a lot like a whine. Judy hesitated, and brought her hand back down.

    "Guess I'm just a really physical person, huh?" Judy shrugged to herself. "Maybe I should lay off all the hugs and the pets and the interlocking arms and stuff. To just keep stringing you along like that." Judy tilted her head. "Or maybe not? I don't know what you want, Nick. You want to just... just hit the reset button and pretend all of this never happened, huh? Mm..."

    The bartender, a serval, walked by Nick, and his ears flatted. "Hey bunny, could you get his wallet or something? He hasn't paid his tab yet."

    "I'll get it, and mine," Judy nodded, pushing a credit card forward. The serval shrugged and let her pay for both. Judy got off the bar stool and looked at Nick, who barely seemed conscious. "C'mon, Nick."

    Nick blearily looked down towards the fuzzy gray shape on the ground. He felt dimly aware that he was very, very drunk, and ready to pass out. He didn't dare open his mouth, he knew he was way beyond that point, but that was about all he knew. He felt gravity take hold of him and was tangentially aware that Judy was easing him onto her back to keep his balance and to keep him from falling over. His legs barely responded to the moving forward.

    Judy would have smirked at all the impressed looks she got from other animals at a bunny dragging a fox out of the bar, but she wasn't really feeling like it. A bull opened the door for her.

    "Hey, thanks," Judy nodded, and headed out towards the subway. "Let's get you home, Nick."

    Nick just groaned softly.

Chapter 13: He Doesn't

    "There you are, you're not an easy bunny to find when you don't want to be found," Nick said, emerging from the door that led to the rooftop of Judy's Pangolin Arms apartment building.

    "Nick," Judy didn't look that pleased to see him. He had a habit of being able to locate her no matter how hard she tried to avoid him.

    "Something the matter, bunny? I was worried when you didn't show up to work today," Nick drew closer.

    "Just needed the day off, I guess," Judy looked out onto the skyline.

    "That's not like my dutiful Carrots," Nick gave a tiny smirk. "What's going on?"

    Judy winced at those words, though her face still was turned to the open air, so he didn't see. "Oh, nothing special, just emotional bunny problems."

    "Hey, you know I was just teasing when I said that," Nick gave an apologetic smile, placing a hand to his chest.

    "I've fallen in love, Nick," Judy said abruptly, looking in another direction when she caught Nick out of the corner of her eye. "Only recently I've been able to accept that yes, that's what's happened to me. And it's with someone I can't be with."

    "Huh?" Nick looked confused. "Well, why not?"

    "Because he doesn't share my feelings," Judy said quietly.

    "Oh, he told you that, huh?" Nick frowned.

    "Not in so many words," Judy finally turned her eyes to Nick, and realization pierced straight through Nick like a spear. The slightly mournful look in her eyes said everything.

    "Judy...!" Nick said in a choked cry. He looked suddenly very distressed.

    "See?" Judy closed her eyes, giving a defeated smile. "Gotten really good at reading you over time. My question is, why didn't you notice it from me?" She had hoped he'd just pluck her deepest feelings right from her, maybe from the air while using his talented nose, and tell her how foolish she was being. But she supposed she had to figure that out for herself.

    "I uh, I dunno," Nick shrugged. "Just thought being flirty was how you were naturally."

    "Uh huh," Judy grimaced. "Anyway, yup, there it is. I'm in love with my partner. Nearly old enough to be my dad." A lie, but Judy was trying to trivialize her own feelings. She found his increased experience with the world attractive.

    "I'm not that old," Nick held up a finger, giving a nervous chuckle, "but I have to admit, I did always think of you like a sister or something... so I mean, I do... uh, love you." The word sunk into Judy's chest. Love. She supposed that it wasn't a lie, but...

    "You couldn't see us sharing a bed though, could you?" Judy accused. When she put it like that, it sounded so crass to her. But she knew the thought of him never loving her as tenderly as she knew he was capable of would leave a void in her that couldn't be quenched any other way. The thought of someone else ever getting that type of soft affection from him sent a surge of envy through her. Judy broke out into a scowl that she quickly swallowed. Hating some hypothetical vixen, how childish...

    "Nuh-no," Nick admitted, turning his head away and looking at her with a wince. "Is that wrong...?"

    "No, of course not," Judy shook her head. "Inter-species relationships are so rare, and pred and prey? Unheard of. It'd make us a public and professional spectacle. Not to mention it would be pretty unprofessional, huh? I almost wish I didn't feel this way." No, she really wished she didn't feel that way about him.

    "Hey, Judy," Nick sat down near her. "For what it's worth, I think it's really neat that you're attracted to foxes."

    "That's not it at all," Judy's eyebrows furrowed. "I'm attracted to you. Just, how you are. So cool about everything, and so suave. Razor sharp wit." She could have gone on for much, much longer, but by the time she was finished, night would have fallen, and her ears might have burnt off from embarrassment.

    "You know that's basically just a mask, right?" Nick grinned.

    "Yeah, and you have a soft, sweet center under all that," Judy smiled. She gave a big sigh looking at him with her head tilted forwards a bit. "I must seem like a little schoolgirl to you, huh? Dunno what I'm going to do now."

    "I'm definitely not going to say 'find someone else'," Nick frowned. "I know that wouldn't help at all. We can't help who we're attracted to, I guess." If only, Judy thought. She was used to her goals being achievable through hard work and sheer tenacity. But she knew there was no way to make someone love her, and the futility of that filled her with a unique kind of despair.

    "What do you think, Nick, should we get ourselves reassigned at the station?" Judy slumped down to a sitting position, placing her hands on her lap. She honestly didn't know whether she did or did not still want to be around Nick so much after this.

    "I uh, can't really imagine a better partner than you," Nick admitted. "I trust you completely, and I'm pretty sure no one else would let me get away with teasing you like you do."

    "Right?" Judy gave a small, empty giggle. "I feel the same way. I guess I just feel it... um, in more ways than one. Look though, look, Nick! I made it weird between us. If I could have just kept my bunny mouth shut, I could have kept that delicious tension between us and not have to own up to it." Judy held her arms out wide, giving a soft laugh.

    "Would that really have made you happy?" Nick wondered. "Knowing you have to hide yourself from me just so you can steal what affections you can take?"

    "I dunno, I might have preferred that to not having any," Judy smiled, feeling a large, unsure knot in her stomach. Nick frowned, and stood up. He shook his head.

    "Judy, you need a hug, and I don't care if you like it 'too much', I'm here to provide one," Nick had his arms open.

    Judy got to her feet, looking unsure. "Really?"

    "Go ahead, hug me," Nick nodded. "I'm not going to withhold emotional support from you just because of something like this."

    Judy came in for the hug and wrapped her arms around him. It felt good to her, like his hugs always did. His fur was soft and pleasant. Nick brought his hands around her as well. Judy lingered quite awhile, and Nick let her take as long as she needed. She felt like crying, but she wanted to control herself and for once, show Nick that she'd taken his words in the gondola to heart. She wasn't going to let him see that she was hurting, even though it must have been so apparent to him. She tried not to tremble.

    "So this, this isn't love...?" Judy said in a meek voice. "Your hugs are so nice." She nuzzled his chest lightly. She stole a sniff of his scent. Her ears folded back.

    "No, it's love all right, and I do love you, Judy," Nick said. "I just... uh, the thought of being physically intimate with you is..."

    "Daunting?" Judy cocked an eyebrow. She managed a sneaky-looking smirk, somehow. The things she had imagined doing to that fox made even her ears hot at times.

    "Let's just go with that," Nick chuckled nervously. Judy let go of the hug. She looked up at Nick with a sad sort of longing.

    "I'm going to have to find quite a guy to even hold a candle to you," Judy gave a little smirk. "And even then, I don't think anyone could measure up." She knew it was probably short-sighted, but she didn't really plan on looking.

    "Jeez, Judy, I may be a great fox, but that's giving me a bit too much credit," Nick winced.

    Judy gave a wistful sigh. There was nothing more she could say without running the risk of breaking down. "Anyway, I think I'm done pining and whining. Wanna grab a bite to eat?"

    "Sure thing," Nick nodded. Judy made her way for the door.

    "Maybe in your next life you'll be a bunny," Judy finally managed a grin.

    "If that were true, you'd probably just be a fox," Nick laughed. "Then we'd have to go through this whole thing over again."

    "Ah well," Judy gave Nick a little fist bump. "As long as we're together in some way."

    "Seems like that's our fate, huh?" Nick chuckled as the two made their way down from the rooftop.

Notes:

Updated as of August 8th, 2016. Thanks to Vioven for challenging the tone of this chapter for me! I agreed with the suggestions, and so I added much more internal voice to Judy, as we should be privy to her thoughts here.

Chapter 14: Don't They?

    "Hgh!" Nick awoke with a start to the sound of his alarm. "Agh...!" Nick grabbed at his head; he had a massive headache. He felt unusual in his stomach as well.

    Why would he have gotten himself drunk on a night before work? Nick thought harder as he started to begrudgingly get ready and found that he didn't know why he had gotten himself drunk. He couldn't remember anything from the night before. This filled the fox with a particular kind of worry; because he slowly began to remember the only reason he would get himself drunk is if he did something really stupid, and he had a sneaking suspicion it involved Judy.

    The next few hours were tense and filled with pain for Nick. He found himself being driven around town on traffic rounds with Judy.

    "You look like crud, Nick," Judy smirked at him at a red light.

    "Thanks," Nick chuckled, brushing a paw through his head fur.

    "You've been quiet all morning," Judy said, her voice almost carrying a hint of concern.

    "You too," Nick pointed out.

    "Just had some things to think about..." Judy sighed. Nick felt a bolt of panic as well as a flush of pain.

    "Judy, I need some coffee," Nick groaned. "Can we take our break early?"

    "Sure thing, I could use a cup myself..." Judy nodded, and she diverted their course.

    Judy and Nick entered a Snarlbucks, got their usual orders, and sat down together.

    "Did anything happen between us last night...?" Nick asked very cautiously.

    Judy looked away, embarrassed. "I uh... what, you don't remember?"

    "I don't," Nick grit his teeth. "I must have gotten myself drunk. Did- did I do something stupid?"

    "No, I can't say you did," Judy chuckled, slurping her coffee. "Kinda weird you got yourself drunk though, I thought we settled things quite well, actually."

    "Settled things?" Nick's eyes were widening slowly.

    "Yeah," Judy sighed. "About our... about our feelings for each other."

    "Oh God, that must have been it," Nick looked away, squinting his eyes shut. "...Sorry."

    "You have nothing to apologize for, Nick," Judy smiled weakly. "I've given it a lot of thought and I'm... I'm sure we can still be best friends. I hope."

    "Yeah, me too," Nick sighed.

    "I'm sure I might slip and do something overly affectionate every now and again, but you just point that out to me if I do, okay?" Judy's smiled wobbled a bit. "I'll be working on it."

    "Uh?" Nick blinked. "Why would I have a problem with tha-... oh God. Oh God. I... I chickened out, didn't I?"

    "What?" Judy bit her lip.

    "Can you please just tell me what happened last night?" Nick put his head in his hands.

    "Well, uh," Judy's eyes got a bit glassy. "We met together on top of my apartment and I admitted I had feelings for you. Then you said you umh- you couldn't love me in that way... so uh..." Judy blinked slowly.

    "Coward, I'm a coward," Nick shook his head, still in his hands. "No wonder I drank myself stupid. I really blew that, huh."

    "Nick...?" Judy's ears perked in confusion. "What are you saying?"

    "I uh, have feelings for you too, Judy, powerful ones..." Nick looked at her, then looked away in shame.

    Judy's jaw dropped and she looked almost angry. "Nicholas. Don't you dare play games with me. Not about this."

    "I wouldn't!" Nick said, putting a hand to his temple. "Not about this! At least, I hoped I wouldn't... why? Why was I so scared?"

    "You sounded pretty genuine to me, Nick," Judy kept frowning. "And I spent all last night trying to reconcile the fact that I'd never- I'd never have who I really wanted..."

    "Ugh, I'm a mess," Nick smirked, despite himself. "You sure you want this guy?"

    "I mean, I was..." Judy grit her teeth. "Please don't... just please say what you feel about me, right now."

    Nick felt like his head and heart were both going to pound out of his body. But perhaps this was his last chance. "I... I love you, Judy. I want to... uh... I'd love to be... yours."

    "Nick..." Judy shuddered and sighed, a couple of tears rolling out of the corners of her eyes. She held out both of her hands, which Nick took in his own. She squeezed them firmly, shivering. "I... after last night, I never thought I'd hear you say that. I... I want to be yours, too..." Judy shook her head and wiped her eyes. "And I'm crying on the job. Way to go, me."

    "My fault, my fault," Nick chuckled, feeling like he might have to throw up pretty soon. "I uh, I'll make it up to you. Tonight after work. What would you like, dinner and a movie? Some flowers?"

    "To be honest?" Judy sighed. "Some cuddles sprinkled with a dash of kisses might be what I need."

    "Got it," Nick nodded, making a few gestures. "Just gotta put that in my mental itinerary. Cuddles and kisses with lovely gray bunny. Got it; I can do that."

    "My place? It's cozy enough that we might have to cuddle," Judy chuckled weakly.

    "Sure," Nick said, finishing up his coffee. "I uh- I won't bring any alcohol."

    "Good fox," Judy chirped, giving an anxious giggle.

---

    "Good morning, fluff!" Nick said energetically, giving a large stretch. "Ready for another astonishingly exciting day of traffic rounds?"

    "Of course," Judy laughed, strolling by him. "Have to say though, you look awfully chipper for someone who drank themselves half to death last night."

    "Did I do that?" Nick blinked. "I... don't remember doing that."

    "Well of course you don't remember it," Judy sucked at her teeth. "You were drunk! I had to haul your tail out of the bar myself."

    "Oof, you did that?" Nick chuckled. "Strong bunny." Nick started following her to their cruiser and jumped in. "Strange, I seem to remember last night you and I were on the top of your apartment building, talking about our feelings."

    "Uh, that didn't happen," Judy smirked. "Maybe you're thinking of another night. Though that scenario doesn't sound familiar to me."

    "Maybe your were the one who got yourself blackout drunk," Nick accused, pointing at her cheek and smirking. Judy bat his encroaching paw away. "Then, you made up that story about you lugging me away because it's much more logical to think that the lowlife fox would get himself drunk."

    "Nick! Why would I do that?" Judy shook her head, sighing warmly. "What reason would I have for getting myself blackout drunk?"

    "Well, I thought you were okay yesterday evening," Nick said as they drove off into the streets of Savanna Central. "But I got to thinking that you might have been upset because I didn't share your feelings."

    "Feelings about what? Each other?" Judy blinked. "That's what you got yourself drunk about!"

    "Okay," Nick's eyes fell halfway. "At this point I'm pretty sure you've had some sort of psychotic break and are seriously projecting." Nick huffed. "I think I should be driving."

    "As if!" Judy smirked. "I am perfectly sober. Though I'm sure you haven't been great for my mental health." She shot him a sneering smirk.

    "So you aren't madly in love with me?" Nick cocked an eyebrow.

    "No!" Judy chuckled. "I mean, well... I gotta be honest, if you were a bunny, I think I might... you know, look twice."

    "Oof, playing the species card, are we?" Nick chuckled, folding his arms.

    "Oh come on Nick, don't be that way," Judy groaned. "It's just... I can't really say I'm attracted to foxes. I think you're great though, you're definitely my best friend. I'd do nearly anything for you. In some ways I think what we have is stronger than what a mere 'couple' could have."

    "Hm, I think I feel the same way," Nick smirked. "I don't know what's happened to you, but as long as you're okay with us being like we are, I'm relieved to hear that."

    "I should be asking you that!" Judy smiled. "Are you okay with us just being friends?"

    "Of course not 'just' friends," Nick winked. "Like you said, we're partners. No 'mortal' romance holds a candle to us."

    "That's my fox," Judy smirked.

    "So!" Nick grinned and relaxed in his chair, speaking conversationally. "Got any bucks you have your eyes on?"

    "Can't say I'm looking!" Judy shook her head, grumbling pleasantly. "Do you honestly see me as the type of gal that settles down and has a few dozen kits?"

    "No, didn't say that," Nick laughed. Judy came up to a red light and Nick met her gaze, causing her to flinch at how smug he looked. "Is there any doe you're interested in?"

    "Nick!" Judy started a bit, blinking. "Wow, that's a leer if I've ever seen one." Judy slammed her foot on the pedal when the signal turned green, but Nick was ready for her this time and held onto his seat. He chuckled. "Come on, that new white bunny tech we have is pretty cute, isn't she?"

    "She's an arctic hare," Judy corrected. "And don't let me catch you calling her cute."

    "Oh so you know about her," Nick accused.

    "Yes, I know about the differences between lapines! Unlike a certain fox!" Judy grit her teeth in a sneering grin.

    "Hey, no need to get so worked up about this," Nick held his hands up in caution. "Unless you like her."

    "Nick! Seriously, shut your muzzle," Judy grumbled.   

Chapter 15: They Do

    Nick's feet waggled back and forth as he and Judy sat on a blanket on one of Sahara Square's beaches. Nick had on some baggy neon green swim trunks, and Judy was wearing a deep purple one-piece swimsuit. The sun had gone down, and there was a pleasant chill in the wind. They had the area to themselves; no other animals were around.

    "So, I've been thinking..." Judy lazily tilted her head up and towards Nick.

    "Don't hurt yourself," Nick quipped back.

    "Hm," Judy's eyes narrowed and she gave a pleasantly annoyed large smile to Nick. The fox turned his head to make sure she was doing such, and smiled his own smile, closing his eyes. "Nick, what the heck are we doing?"

    "Well, we're sitting here, enjoying the nice breeze, just watched a rather nice sunset," Nick enumerated, counting on his fingers. "You been paying attention at all?"

    "Yeah, but why?" Judy held out her hands toward the water. "Why are we doing this? What for?"

    "Uh, you're not going to get all existentialist suddenly on me, are you?" Nick narrowed one eye, shooting Judy a concerned look.

    "No, dummy," Judy said in a low voice. "We're here, together, in our swimwear. We spend so much time together, even time we could, logically, spend away from each other. Here we are. Together. All the time." She gave a grumble, looking at him with an exhausted face. "Can we just admit it to ourselves?"

    "What's there to admit, bunny?" Nick waggled his feet again. "We are what we are."

    "Okay, Mr. Fox philosopher, or... foxlosopher or something," Judy narrowed her eyes. "There's no need to be coy."

    "Right here, on this nice beach, on this nice evening," Nick smiled warmly at Judy, who looked at him with slight excitement. His expression snapped to a sly one. "You're not going to hear me say what those big bunny ears want to hear."

    "Why not!?" Judy couldn't help from grinning. "Just say it. It's easy. 'I...'"

    "Lunch..." Nick continued.

    "Nick!" Judy laughed pleasantly. "It's always going to be like this between us, huh?"

    "How about you say it, then?" Nick tilted his head. "If you want to hear it so bad."

    "You love me," Judy smiled with absolute certainty, and giggled when Nick seemed to consider this, looking up to the sky and tapping his finger on his chin.

    "Hmmm," Nick pondered, rolling his eyes over to Judy. "Yup."

    "Yup," Judy shook her head. "How romantic. 'Yup'!" Judy repeated him in a goofy voice.

    "Yup!" Nick chuckled.

    "Gaaah!" Judy thrust her arms out at the infuriating fox, and wildly rubbed them on his midsection.

    "Wait! I d-didn't say you could- aagh!" Nick buckled, starting to chuckle.

    "Yes! I knew it! Ticklish fox!" Judy pounced onto Nick, rubbing his tummy more, and even up to his chest.

    "S-stop!" Nick laughed and flailed. Judy eventually did, and Nick wiped a tear from his eye. He realized he was laying back, and had a bunny on his tummy. "Uh, hi there."

    "Hey," Judy said, folding her arms on his chest and glaring at him with a wide smile.

    "You love me, huh?" Nick chuckled at the playful-looking rabbit.

    "Yup," Judy tilted her head back and forth and laughed again.

    "So, is this the part where we spend like twenty minutes gushing about all the things we desperately admire about each other?" Nick asked blithely.

    "That'd be a bit cliche, don't you think?" Judy sucked at her teeth. "You know by now what I like about you."

    "That I'm so-" Nick began.

    "Annoying," Judy interrupted. Nick rolled his eyes. "Your turn. What you like about me is that I'm such a-"

    "Lovely bunny," Nick smirked. Judy's jaw dropped.
    
    "Nick! Dummy!" Judy gripped him by the cheeks. "Don't you know how this game works? You're not supposed to compliment me!"

    "My bad," Nick said. "Won't happen again."

    Judy let loose a loud exhale of exasperation, but leaned in to touch their noses together. Both of their heads instinctively wiggled a bit to nuzzle each other, and they shared a brief kiss.

    "We're kind of weird, huh?" Judy giggled at him, petting his muzzle with both hands.

    "Speak for yourself, I'm a perfect specimen," Nick had a serious, haughty look.

    "You got that right," Judy said playfully, looking at him with dangerous eyes.

    "Whoa, wheres the off switch on this thing?" Nick said with mock terror. "Is it here?" Nick honked Judy's tail.

    "Nick!" Judy gasped, but didn't back away. She started laughing, then rolled off of Nick. "I guess it would be kind of bad if I ravished you right here, huh?"

    "That would make headlines," Nick nodded.

    Judy stood up, looking along the beach line. "Still some minutes of light left before it gets dark enough that you'd have to lead me back. Wanna walk?"

    "Sure, but we might catch the eye of some other mammals," Nick shrugged.

    "That will just keep me from doing anything stupid until we get back to your place," Judy said mischievously.

    "Oh, um, well then!" Nick's eyes widened as he got up too. "Not your place?"

    "My neighbors, Nick?" Judy laughed lightly. "While I'd love to turn the tables on them and be the loud one for a change, I know they wouldn't shut up about it after they figured out what was going on."

---

    Nick and Judy walked along the shoreline, holding hands.

    "Feels nice, huh? Just... everything about this," Judy sighed pleasantly. "Please stop me before I get too mushy."

    "It does feel nice, though. Which of us is going to pretend to be blind if another mammal asks us what we're doing?" Nick smirked at her.

    "Coward!" Judy smirked, slapping him gently on the chest.

    "Oof," Nick chuckled.

    "To be honest though, I was afraid you didn't," Judy looked up at Nick. Nick looked back with the same somewhat blank expression.

    "I was afraid you didn't," Nick sighed, looking at her with his eyes nearly closed. "Guess we're both idiots, huh?"

    "Speak for yourself!" Judy said playfully. "I'm a perfect specimen."

    "No disputing that," Nick shot her a sly look, giving a soft growl.

    "Ooh, Nick!" Judy brightened. However, it was getting dark. Judy stopped walking. "So uh, can't see so well anymore."

    "You did this on purpose," Nick rolled his eyes. "What a simple little game you play, bunny. Oh well." Nick scooped up the bunny into his arms. She always seemed so light.

    "Woah!" Judy seemed surprised. "Well, I did just want to be led by the hand, but this is nice too!"

    Nick nuzzled his nose into one of Judy's ears, to a delighted little squeal. He whispered softly into it.

    "I love you, Judy."

    Judy gasped. "You liar!" Nick nearly dropped her at this accusation, flinching. "You told me you wouldn't say what I wanted to hear tonight, you jerk!"

    "Right, my fault," Nick chuckled. "You should know better by now than to trust a fox."

    "Nicholas Wilde, I'm going to 'trust' the heck out of you when we get home," Judy sneered dangerously at him.

    "I'm not sure that makes sense, but I have to admit I'm excited," Nick laughed, continuing to carry her.

    "And... I love you too, Nick," Judy smiled serenely. "You dumb fox."

    "Dumb bunny," Nick retorted.

    "No, you're supposed to say sly bunny!" Judy insisted.

    "But I'm the sly one, you should have said 'sly fox' in the first place," Nick explained.

    "Nick! I swear to grapes!"   

Chapter 16: Dewlap

    Nick grumbled, sitting on the couch of the apartment he and Judy shared. He looked out the window. It was a cold winter's day, and also pouring down rain. Nick looked at his phone. No response from calling Judy to see how she was faring in the weather. She'd just gone out to the grocery store, and Nick found himself a bit anxious for her arrival. His ears perked as he heard some footsteps in the hall.

    "Nick, I'm here!" Judy's voice finally came from the other side of the door. Nick let loose a terse sound of relief, springing up from the couch and heading to open the door for her. Nick's eyes widened when the drenched bunny was revealed, carrying a mostly-dry bag of groceries in her hands. "And I'm s-soaked!"

    "Judy, are you crazy?" Nick took the groceries from her and turning around to go put them down. "It's nearly freezing out there! Why didn't you just wait under an awning or something?"

    "Th-the sky opened up on me ruh-right before I got home," Judy explained, starting to remove her wet clothes. "I fuh-figured I might as well make a run for it. I huh-hope you don't mind me getting out of these wet things as soon as I can."

    "Go ahead! I don't want you to get hypothermia!" Nick nodded in concern. "Let me get a towel for you and set one to tumble in the dryer for few minutes."

    "Th-Thanks, Nick," Judy giggled, shaking herself off a bit. Nick hadn't even noticed she was stripping nude just a couple of steps inside their apartment. He did, however, notice when he headed back with a towel. His eyes widened.

    "Well, uh, I gotta admit, I thought you would head into your room first and just have me slip you the towel," Nick blinked, his eyes unavoidably taking in the naked bunny.

    Judy grabbed the towel and started drying off with it, not even making a special effort to cover herself. "We live t-together, Nick. What's a little nnh-nudity between roommates?"

    Nick's eyebrow raised, then his eyes narrowed, and he put his hands on his hips, leaning over slightly. "Okay, who are you, and what have you done with my partner?" Judy laughed at this. "The Judy Hopps I know almost had a panic attack when she saw a few dozen naked animals."

    "Yeah, because I don't want to see random animals I don't know naked?" Judy shrugged. "It's just you, Nick. I don't care." She continued drying off, eventually finally wrapping the towel around herself. "Enjoy the show?" She smirked.

    "Uh, let me go see if that towel's warm enough yet," Nick looked down and rubbed the bridge of his muzzle with his fingertips. He retrieved the towel after a short time and again got a glimpse of all of Judy's gray and white fur as he traded her cold, wet towel for his warm, dry one. He tried not to let his face betray emotion, but his ears were hot.

    "Thanks, Nick, I feel a lot better now, mmm," Judy said cheerfully, snuggling into the warm towel. It was one of Nick's towels, so she was able to wrap herself up fully in it; only her neck and head poking out from the white-colored towel. Nick found it odd how his opinion of her looks could swing from attractive to adorable in mere seconds.

    "So uh, can I ask a question?" Nick bit his lip, his eyes shifting away from Judy.

    "Mhm," Judy grinned. Her ears were starting to perk up, owing to her warmth, dryness, and good mood.

    "There's a... a part of you I saw that... I, er..." Nick's ears blazed.

    "Wow, Nick, did you fail basic anatomy?" Judy gave him a pitying smile.

    "No no no!" Nick shut his eyes and waved his open hands back and forth. "Not... well, it's on your chest...?"

    "Oh, this?" Judy let the towel drop a bit to expose her shoulders and the top of her chest, which had a small, heart-shaped tuft of fur just under her neck.

    Nick tried not to stare, but he was unable to look away. His voice was hushed. "Dear sweet baby hippos..."

    "That's my dewlap!" Judy explained in a perky voice. "I'm a lean bunny, so I only really get it with my winter coat, when I'm fluffier anyway."

    "That is a very interesting thing that I did not know," Nick said distantly, and went over to the groceries to put some of them away, wiping the wet items with paper towels.

    "What's the matter, don't like it?" Judy teased, placing her towel back to fully cover her body and going to help Nick with the groceries. He flinched when he saw her in close proximity again.

    "Uh, 'like' isn't the word I'd use," Nick gave a cough.

    Judy laughed pleasantly. "Oh Nick, you're such a simple fox, after all, huh? You can never resist the fluffy stuff."

    "No, I can't," Nick confirmed. "So uh, I'd appreciate it if you didn't tease me with it. After all, I didn't know about your dewlap thing until today."

    "I think it's important for us as partners to know each others' strengths and weaknesses," Judy grinned devilishly, catching Nick's eye. "Now, during the winter, all I have to do is a little something like..." she barely exposed her dewlap at him, making him take in a sharp breath. Judy spoke in a coquettish, high-pitched voice, twisting her hips back and forth. "Nick, could you go do this or that for me, please?"

    "Don't mock me, you fluffy temptress!" Nick pointed dramatically at her, but then his fingers opened up. "No, stop!" Nick grabbed at his wrist with his other hand as it tried to move closer to Judy, the hands vibrating a bit. "Judy, please! Punch me in the arm or something; douse me with a glass of cold water!"

    "This is way more fun," Judy shook her head, grinning with barely-opened eyes. "Look at you, getting so worked up over a tiny bit of fluff."

    "That could just about describe our relationship in its entirety, really," Nick droned blithely, trying to look away.

    "One touch," Judy smirked.

    "I don't think I should-" Nick started, but was interrupted by his hand reaching to touch the fluff. Nick squinted his eyes shut and let loose a rather high whine, trying not to squeal or coo in delight.

    "What a maroon," Judy shook her head, her voice carrying a warm, yet mocking tone. "Feel better now?" Nick withdrew his hand, and looked out the window.

    "I think I should probably go outside and stand in the cold rain for a minute or two," Nick moved his hands through his ears, which felt like they were burning.

    "Ooh, does that mean I get to see you in a towel or less next?" Judy grinned, heading for her room, looking at him over her shoulder.

    "Is winter also when you bunnies go into heat?" Nick asked in exasperation, placing one hand on his hip.

    "Bunnies don't go into heat, Nick, tsk tsk tsk," Judy shook her head, wiggling her index finger. "They really didn't teach you anything about us, huh? We're kind of always like this." Judy gave him a flirty wave and shut the door.

    "Great, just my luck," Nick held his arms out wide. "I decided to move in with a fluffy, flirty bunny. Clearly, I didn't know what I was getting into."

    "Well, I'm getting into some clothes right now, so don't worry that tiny little primal fox brain of yours," Judy teased through her door.

    Nick closed his eyes and let loose a prolonged sigh. He always forgot just how good Judy's hearing was.

    Oh well, he thought. Now he had another reason to look forward to winter.

Chapter 17: Dewlap II

Notes:

Content Warning: Though not explicitly defined, there are heavily implicated activities in this chapter that may be considered M rated. I'm hesitant to mark my whole collection M on account of this, but if you feel I should, please let me know.

    Judy Hopps was many things. She was fierce, independent, and driven. She pursued her goals with an almost blind passion, unwilling to let anyone or anything get in their way, no matter how improbable or imposing the obstacle. Once she set her mind on something, there was nothing that could stop her.

    One would think Nick would have learned this by now.

    It started off innocently enough. When Judy had visited Nick's apartment for the first time, she had given him the most incredulous look he had ever seen. Judy couldn't believe that Nick's apartment was somehow worse than hers; it was a bit bigger, true, but it was leaky, damp, and smelled offensive. Judy had almost instantly come up with the idea that the two should combine their resources and get an apartment together closer to the ZPD. It would be modest, since they wouldn't spend much time there, but with separate bedrooms and no glaring flaws, there was no reason not to.

    This made perfect sense to Nick. The two were serving their city; they shouldn't have to live in squalor. But he forgot to stop to think: "When has Judy ever done anything logical?"

    She'd hustled him. Again.

    It was subtle at first, but given Judy's antics included getting a train car detonated, it didn't remain subtle for long. She would lounge around in states of mild undress, or flirt with just a bit more spice than Nick was used to on the job. Nick figured, at first, that this was just her way; she was a flirty bunny who loved to test her limits, the limits of mammals, of the establishment she worked for, of the world and its expectations. The way she was acting made perfect sense, and he thought she would tone it back after awhile. But, of course, she didn't. She had a goal she was working for, and it was becoming increasingly more obvious, especially in the scent, that her goal was him.

    God help him, she was attractive.

    Nick had to admit he wasn't the scrupulous rock he was trying to smith himself into. He had a weakness, and it was Judy's irresistible fluffiness. Especially her tail. That fluffy, puffy, tiny tail. Worse yet, she knew about this weakness. It was like she was the predator and he the prey. She would keep "hunting" him with her seductive, playful ways until, exhausted, he relented. And he did relent. There were... experiments. Afterwards, though, Nick would always be sure to tell her they didn't mean anything. It was just playing around, you know? He was always hoping he wouldn't hurt her feelings too much, but she always took his "confessions" about his "true feelings" to her with a maddening, sly half-smirk.

    It was like she knew he wanted her, desperately. The bunny was hunting him, finding each little weakness before he finally broke down. The thought almost terrified Nick. How could she be so sure he wanted her too? She didn't have a fox's sense of smell. Why did his excuses to get out of anything too intense seem so pithy and half-hearted? He was an excellent liar.

    Most importantly: Why didn't he just take her?

    Nick asked himself this question many times. Did he fear what would happen if he totally relented? Did he fear himself going "savage" on her? He didn't think so. Was he scared of what would happen if they officially became a couple? Mm, maybe, but if anything the parents, the job, all of them were just puzzles to figure out; more people to win over and "hustle". It would be a fun challenge. So why? What was wrong with just giving into her specifically?

    He finally came to the humbling and somewhat worrying self-realization: Nick liked Judy's "hunting" of him. He felt like his spirit was being pulled taut in her small, soft paws. The more he resisted, the harder she would pull, and by God, it was exciting. The fox realized why he didn't want to fully give into the bunny, because he liked the game as well. When Nick finally broke, then the game would be over. Judy would have what she wanted; what they both wanted. Then she'd stop trying so hard, wouldn't she? It wouldn't be as fun anymore.

    Nick thought about coming forward with this admission to Judy, but then he realized how ridiculous it sounded. "Yes, I do indeed very much love your constant attempts to seduce me, miss. I'm concerned that if we both slake our thirst for each other, then we won't have it any longer, and our relationship's edge will dull." Nope, he could not say that. Not only did it make him sound like a lust-addled lunatic, but even revealing that he liked the game would tell her that she was that much closer to winning it. He was ashamed to admit to himself he was yearning for her to bring out some of the heavier weapons. The weapons of mass seduction.

    And they were coming, because winter had arrived again. Nick had a new reason to love the winter. Judy's winter coat made her look at least twenty percent fluffier. It wasn't just that, either. During her winter coat exclusively, like a limited time offer of fluff, Judy developed a small, heart-shaped puff on the tip-top of her chest called a dewlap. The circumstances under which Nick learned about it briefly turned him into a gibbering moron, as fluff often had that effect on him. So, with his weakness again exposed, and another weapon in Judy's alluring arsenal, she made special effort to tempt Nick with it whenever possible.

    There was a rather shameful internet search that evening, regarding female bunny dewlaps. Nick had quickly cleared his browser history.  

    Nick was brought back to the present day by Judy coming out of her room in one of her usual lounging attires, just a large t-shirt. She was wrapped up looking at her phone, and sat down on the couch on the opposite side of where Nick was. Nick stared at her, knowing he could get away with it. The shirt seemed half a size too big for her, even beyond what she usually wore. A lot of her shoulders were exposed, and of course, the top of her dewlap too. There was no way this was a mistake; it had to be a conscious choice. Nick could smell it.

    "Well, if it isn't Jude the Lewd," Nick said wryly, smirking at her.

    "Tsk," Judy looked at him with disparaging eyes. "Are you complaining about my attire, really?"

    "That looks like it could be one of my shirts," Nick chuckled.

    "Can't be; it's not loud enough," Judy said flippantly, grinning and looking back at her phone.

    "Your, uh, your dewlap is showing there a little," Nick noted.

    "Yeah, and?" Judy gave him a pitying, sidelong look. "I'm pretty sure you're the only one who would think a dewlap is so enticing to look at."

    You'd be surprised, Nick thought to himself, trying not to wince. He was beginning to mentally beg her for her to take action, command him to do something that wouldn't involve his gawking all over her. Anything to not seem suspiciously interested in her form. It didn't happen; Judy could play the game as long as he could. Nick's breaths were starting to accelerate.

    "You okay there, Red?" Judy cocked an eyebrow. "A bit too hot in here for you?" She smirked.

    "You could say that," Nick couldn't disguise his leering any longer. Judy tried not to grin widely, knowing she had him on the line. She crossed her legs, which pulled the shirt taut over her knees. She set her phone aside. Her scent strengthened. Nick grit his teeth and shut his eyes. "Judy... yh-you know what you're doing to me."

    "Mm hm," Judy shrugged flippantly with only her shoulders. "Maybe."

    "It's..." Nick started, but found himself at a loss to how to continue.

    "Tell me to stop teasing you," Judy said confidently. "Give me the mildest protest, and I'll chasten right up."

    "I... don't want that," Nick admitted.

    "What do you want, then...?" Judy asked coyly, rolling her shoulders up to try to entice him further.

    "I want you," Nick grit his teeth. "So badly... I love how you tease me..." Nick squeezed his hands into fists and then released. "Rgh... I want you so much..."

    Judy started to look impressed. She was finally making him break! "What's stopping you, then?"

    Great, Nick thought. Now he had to own up. "I, uh... I like the game you play with me. It's fun. You've been trying to get me for the past couple of years now."

    "And you're finally almost in my reach," Judy said dangerously.

    "Once you have me though..." Nick said. "Then what? The game goes away, doesn't it? You don't have to try to break me anymore, because you know I'll give in..."

    "Wow, is that what you're worried about?" Judy half-lid her eyes in disbelief, posing on all fours near him. "I like the game we're playing too. I love breaking your barriers, finding weaknesses in that armor of yours." Judy released a naughty laugh. "So if you want to throw those walls back up after I've knocked them down, you go right ahead."

    "But what's the point, then?" Nick grumbled. "Playing a game when you know the outcome..."

    "The point is..." Judy said, starting to crawl toward him. "That I want you to desire me. And if what you desire is a really teasy, flirty bunny, which is what it sure looks like, then I'll be that bunny for you every time..."

    "Oh jeez..." Nick was trying not to pant. "That sounds pretty fun."

    Judy beckoned him with one finger. "Then c'mon, let's have some fun."

    Like a suddenly uncoiled spring, Nick launched at Judy and her shirt flew high into the air before fluttering down. The next thing Judy knew, she was on her back, clad just in panties, and had a cold fox nose nuzzling all over her dewlap. Nick smooched it and groped it a bit as well.

    Judy laughed. "Really? That's not all you're after, is it? I'm fluffy in other places too this season, you know..." Her voice was beyond provocative.

    "I'll get there," Nick's tail wagged blindingly behind him. "Oh, I'll get everywhere."

    "Mmm, I've wanted this for so long..." Judy bit her lip, her voice soaked with anticipation as she saw Nick undressing.

    "Hopefully I'll have been worth waiting for," Nick winked.

    The next long while was full of Judy's impassioned cries of affirmation to this statement.

    "So, mh... uh," Judy gasped for breath as they both came to rest. She adjusted herself a bit. "I'm finding I can't, uh... leave."

    "I know, I'm irresistible," Nick deflected.

    "You know what I mean, dummy," Judy shot him an affectionately scornful look. "...Physically."

    "Well now, is my smug bunny who was so keen to tell me about her dewlap last year implying she doesn't know everything about fox anatomy?" Nick said with frustrating charm.

    "Why don't you enlighten me?" Judy smirked dryly. Nick leaned over and whispered smoothly and sensually into Judy's ears, which quickly warmed up again, despite their recent activities. "Oh... oh I see."

    "Mm hm..." Nick chuckled. "Should I have told you this before hand? Probably. But it's much funnier this way."

    "Oh, okay," Judy laughed. "Getting back at me, are you? Fine! Who says I actually want to leave, anyway?" She defiantly nestled in closer to Nick. The fox laughed tiredly in a kind of euphoric release. He really wanted that bunny, and now she was his.

    "So I guess we both won, huh?" Nick pet at her back, giving a warm sigh.

    "Yeah," Judy sighed as well, feeling Nick's chest and his heartbeat. "But like I said, that doesn't mean we have to stop playing."

Chapter 18: Licks

    Nick and Judy sat down together at a table in an ice cream parlor. Judy had a small bowl of cookies and cream, and Nick had a similarly-sized bowl of peanut butter flavor. The two were on a date, both had agreed previously to the term, just so it was clear. Both felt somewhat apprehensive; as it would be their first date out in the open as a predator-prey couple, but they decided to go for it.

    Nick gave a shifty look back and forth before starting on his ice cream.

    "Worried about the evil eye already?" Judy wondered, happily taking up a spoonful of ice cream. Nick shook his head and leaned in a bit.

    "Fluff, do you ever think about... cows?" His voice sounded completely serious.

    "Pfffk!" Judy slapped a paw over her face to keep from bursting out laughing. She took a few seconds to compose herself, giggling into her hand. "Nick, making me laugh isn't a great way to avoid drawing attention to ourselves."

    "I'm serious, Judy," Nick poked at his ice cream, his face still mostly expressionless. "Do you ever think about them?"

    "Uh," Judy rolled her eyes back as if to search on the ceiling for the answer. "Well, I think about them when I'm dealing with them? But other than that, no, I suppose I don't think I've spent any serious time ruminating about cows." Judy had an amused look.

    "You don't think it's weird? The dairy industry, I mean?" Nick took another small bite of ice cream. "More than ninety percent of all milk used in dairy products comes from cows."

    Judy held her spoon out towards Nick and shrugged her shoulders. "Cows give more plentiful milk than any other mammal. That's one of the things that sets them apart."

    "That just seems like kind of an, I dunno, undignified job to me," the bottom of Nick's eyelids came up. "Being milked."

    "It's not that weird, Nick, come on," Judy rolled her eyes. "Look, cows can choose whether or not they want to go into dairy, can't they? They aren't forced to. Some even do that and something else at once! Easy money for them."

    "But they're encouraged to go into dairy," Nick retorted, "because it's what they're good at."

    "I mean, I guess I can see that, but bunnies are encouraged to be farmers," Judy shrugged again. "Are you saying that it's somehow wrong to want to be a dairy cow?"

    "No, no," Nick shook his head. "I suppose not. It just strikes me as bizarre, that's all."

    "To me, it's a rather noble profession!" Judy shut her eyes and wiggled her head. "Where would we be without dairy products? Milk, cheese, oh, and chocolate, too!"

    "Canids can't have chocolate," Nick frowned. "Shame, I hear it's really good."

    "Oh, bunnies can't have chocolate either," Judy gave a disappointed sigh. "Everyone I've heard from who's had it tells me it's amazing..."

    "The forbidden dairy product," Nick said in a playful, ominous tone. He shook his head, giving an amused chuckle. "I want to know what sicko mammal decided to keep drinking milk past when they were a kit. They're the one that started this whole mess."

    "You know, I actually read about that!" Judy looked up at the ceiling, pointing her spoon at Nick. "Geneticists say that mammals all began developing a mutation that allows us to continue processing dairy past our infancy. They said it was after we rose to sapience, something like a thousand years after?"

    "Huh, so nature itself wants us to enjoy dairy?" Nick cocked an eyebrow. "That's kind of weird."

    "Heavens above," Judy clasped her paws together in supplication and closed her eyes. "Thank you for this wonderful gift of ice cream you have bestowed upon us. Truly, every day, we will thank you for your divine gift of the bovine."

    Nick failed to keep himself from laughing. "Okay, Carrots. Don't get too spiritual on me, now."

    "Amen!" Judy exulted, diving her face into the ice cream bowl and attacking her treat. "Ahm num num num!"

    "Carrots..." Nick groaned. "Jeez, you're just like a kit sometimes."

    "I'm endearing and you know it," Judy said, lifting her head up, which now had ice cream all over her cheeks.

    "Endearing, if not dignified," Nick shook his head. Judy started licking up the ice cream from her face, but her small lapine tongue didn't reach all the way to the edges of her cheeks.

    "Carrots, is that really how tiny your tongue is?" Nick gave a pitying look. "You don't have a tongue made for ice cream diving."

    "Well, hand me a napkin, then," Judy chuckled, trying to get at the ice cream with her tongue and making quite objectively ridiculous faces while doing so.

    "I didn't bring any to the table," Nick explained in a harried voice, "because eating ice cream with a spoon doesn't usually cause a catastrophic mess!"

    "I guess I can use my arm or something," Judy giggled.

    "Ugh, Carrots! Hold still," Nick leaned over and lashed each of her cheeks once with his broad vulpine tongue. She was free of ice cream cheeks. "There!" Nick sat back and then read Judy's wide-eyed expression and his own face quickly mirrored that. The two looked around at the other patrons. "Did anyone see that...?"

    "Don't think so," Judy giggled.

    "I... I licked you. In public," Nick groaned, putting his head in his hands.

    "You licked me in public," Judy agreed, giving a tiny nervous chuckle through her teeth.

    "Oh God," Nick rubbed at his temples. "Speaking of undignified."

    "Oh, it's all right, fox," Judy said reprovingly. "We're adults, we can make our own ludicrous decisions."

    "Thankfully, there aren't any other canids here," Nick kept looking guiltily around, "licking someone in public is a display of affection at best and indecent at worst."

    "Stop worrying, Nick!" Judy pursued. "You're not going to be able to enjoy life if you're so uptight about being a proper, dignified animal or whatever's got you so uptight!"

    "It's just because I don't want animals, especially prey, to see me as base, or worse yet, 'savage'," Nick winced.

    "Oh uh, is that my fault again then?" Judy cringed, using a tiny voice.

    "No no, Judy, no," Nick shook his head vigorously. "I've always been like that. You know, gotta take a scam artist seriously if you're gonna buy anything from 'em."

    "Ah, right," Judy laughed. "Anyway, just let loose once in awhile! Indulge in those canid instincts or whatever. It'll probably be good for you!"

    "Am I really hearing this from the bunny who was about ready to jump out of her fur at Mystic Springs?" Nick lolled his head at her.

    "That's different," Judy said matter-of-factly, "being naked around a bunch of strangers is weird."

    "Okay, you're the boss," Nick rolled his eyes. "I think I'll save whatever 'canid cravings' I get for somewhere private, though."

    "Ooh, I like the sound of that," Judy laughed. She raised her ice cream dish up. "To being undignified!"

    "Yeah, whatever," Nick gave a single chuckle, clinking his dish with hers.

Chapter 19: Heart

    Kssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...!

    The blaring static of a CRT TV plugged into the wall of the otherwise empty room added background to the sounds of a scuffle between a bunny, a fox, and a deer.    

    "Ough!" Judy caught one of the deer's feet in the stomach and went staggering backwards, grabbing her stomach.

    "Judy! Hrg!" Nick held up his hands to grab the deer's antlers as he swung his head to attack the fox. Holding tight, Nick shook at the antlers to try to throw the deer to the ground. To his alarm, his rough jostling broke the antlers off at their base and they went clattering to the other side of the room. Nick lost his balance and staggered to the side from the force of his push.

    "My antlers!" The deer wailed. "I shall not let you listen to the song of the cosmos when you pass! You do not deserve it!" The deer passed by the TV and switched it off as he went to grab his shed antlers and hold them in his hands. "Only oblivion will take you!" He started wildly swinging his antlers at Nick and Judy. The tips of the deer's antlers had been illegally sharpened.

    Judy and Nick dodged swipe after swipe. Looking for an opening, Judy drew her stun gun, but the deer wildly charged forward and slashed his right arm's antler across Judy's face. The attack dislodged the gun from Judy's hand and cut across her right cheek.

    "Rgh!" Seeing his chance, Nick charged to the deer's left and attempted to get in too close for the deer to use his biological weapons. The deer caught this out of the corner of his eye and turned to stab both antlers at Nick. "Rrrrk!"

    "Nick!" Judy screamed as the antlers began to pierce through Nicks uniform. The deer and fox both gasped for breath as the deer desperately tried to shove his antlers into Nick's chest and Nick's hands, locked around his wrists, equally desperately tried to keep him out.

    "Die, heathen!" The deer shrieked. Judy grabbed her stun gun, slid between Nick's legs, and leaped up, thrusting her elbow into the deer with full force. The instant he lost physical contact with Nick, Judy fired.

    Clack!

    "Ggg-ggg-gggh!" The deer convulsed and hit the floor. Nick staggered back, holding his hands over his chest. He'd been punctured in multiple locations from the multiple ends of the deer's antlers. Judy's ears twitched as she heard heavy footsteps coming up the stairs towards the room with alacrity. The door slammed open, and it was Officers Delgato and Fangmeyer.

    "The CRT killer!" Delgato exclaimed.

    "He's down!" Fangmeyer nodded, wasting no time in pouncing him and cuffing him.

    Judy looked at Nick and let loose a shrill gasp of panic. "Delgato! Call a bus! Nick is hurt!"

    "Gh..." Nick sat down hard on his haunches. He was bleeding from most of his wounds.

    "No no no, Nick," Judy took out gauze from her utility pouches and tried to place them on as many wounds as possible, applying pressure. "Focus on my voice, okay? Delgato's calling for help."

    "Rrgh!" Nick groaned in pain as Judy applied her treatment.

    "Don't you dare play him the song!" The deer shouted as Wolford dragged him out of the room. Nick winced, starting to feel a bit lightheaded.

    "This is Delgato. Suspect is in custody, going to need a mid-size bus for Officer Wilde!"

    "Nick, stay with me, okay?" Running out of gauze pads, Judy pressed her own paws on Nick's wounds and held tight. "Please... we'll get you out of this."

    Nick trusted her, but he also worried that these might be his last few moments in the world. Every bit of his soul wanted to tell her what he'd been holding back, but he couldn't be so selfish. He couldn't let the last thing he did be to burden his partner with his feelings.

    He slumped a bit, and his eyes fluttered. His breaths were very shallow.

    "Nick! Just hang on!" Judy again.

    Her voice started to sound muffled, as if someone had covered his ears. He heard more movements; the world barely perceptible anymore. He heard other animals rushing in, and he still heard Judy, but he couldn't make out what she was saying. The other voices just sounded like indistinct buzzing. As he was loaded into the ambulance, he finally lost consciousness.

---

    Judy centered herself, taking a deep breath as she entered Nick's hospital room. Her heart was beating quite fast.

    "Judy!" Nick exclaimed, his tail wagging behind him as Judy entered. Both of them wore grateful smiles.

    "Don't get up, you bozo," Judy said, holding up a hand. "Just checking up on you."

    "I feel fantastic!" Nick said, smiling down at all of the bandages covering him. "And wow, there's something about you that I can't put my finger on. You just look so... amazing! Do anything different with your fur?"

    "I think that's just the painkillers they have you on, Nick," Judy chuckled.

    "Maybe so, maybe so," Nick nodded. "So! Did we get him? The CRT guy."

    "Yup. Rocky Holideer," Judy shook her head. "What a psycho."

    "Didja see how his antlers came off in my hands?" Nick grinned. "I must be pretty strong."

    "Deer's antlers do get weak and break themselves off," Judy smirked. "Jeez, you were so lucky though. A little deeper or just a little bit to the left, and he would have gotten your heart."

    "Mm! That might be your fault then, Judy," Nick pointed briefly. "You're my lucky bunny."

    "Nick..." Judy had an exhausted smile. "You can't seriously be so frivolous about this... I could have lost you."

    "Well, you helped keep me here, didn't you?" Nick said. "That's what partners are for, right? Maybe if you come back when the painkillers wear off I can whine at you."

    "Speaking of 'coming back', Bogo gave me quite a bit of time off to help you recuperate while you're not supposed to be walking around from your wounds," Judy folded her arms. "So, I'll be crashing at your place for awhile."

    "Great!" Nick chuckled. "My very own bunny maid; I like the sound of that."

    "Don't get used to it, buster," Judy waggled her finger at him. "See you soon."

---

    "What do you think for lunch, Nick? Would you like some tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches?" Judy approached his bedside.

    "Yes, please. Maybe just one sandwich and a small bowl," Nick nodded, laying at an odd angle in his bed to not disturb his wounds, propped up on multiple pillows. He knew it wasn't much compared to him, but he still felt some mild distress when he saw the fresh slash marks on Judy's right cheek. They did make her look a bit rugged in a way, he thought. Judy left to prepare his meal. Now that the mild high of the painkillers and the rush of the situation had worn off, he did find himself worrying more about what would have happened had he not survived his injuries, and how Judy would fare.

    Judy brought him his lunch and carefully placed the standup tray over him so he wouldn't have to bend over to get at his food. She climbed onto the bed and sat close to him while he ate. There was a rather long silence between the two as they exchanged glances. Judy would smile silently at him, grateful for the red fox to still be around. Nick wasn't supposed to breathe too deeply, but he would give little shallow sighs at seeing the pleasant-looking gray rabbit.

    "So, Nick..." the bunny looked at him with a soft, warm, look. "When were you going to tell me?"

    "Tell you what, Fluff?" Nick wondered, finishing up the last slurp of his soup. Judy carefully took the items off Nick's bed and got right back in next to him.

    "That..." Judy hesitated, looking away slightly. "That you love me."

    "Huh?" Nick raised his eyebrows. "How could you possibly think you know that?" Judy didn't respond. She stayed silent and slightly turned her head towards Nick. "...Carrots?"

    "Shh," Judy whispered. "Don't talk." Judy shut her eyes and was quiet again. Nick started to feel somewhat anxious, which seemed to immediately cause Judy to smile. "There."

    "There... what...?" Nick narrowed his eyes. "You aren't making any sense."

    "Let me answer your question, then," Judy smiled. "This is probably going to be the cheesiest thing I ever say, so pay attention. The reason I know you love me is... because your heart told me."

    "My heart?" Nick repeated, baffled.

    "When we're alone and all is quiet," Judy explained. "Your pulse rises when I get close to you. At first I thought it was a fluke, but it's become a reliable pattern. I make you nervous... for seemingly no reason. But then it hit me after awhile... you love me."

    Nick bit his lip. "How...?" Judy just tapped her ears. "Really? You can hear my heartbeat?"

    "Only faintly, and only when we're fairly close and everything else is quiet," Judy explained. Then, her smile faded. "So... when were you going to tell me? I almost lost you, Nick."

    "I wouldn't have said it then," Nick closed his eyes. "What a selfish thing to do, to burden you with. To tell you I care for you when I'm dying? To make you live with that?"

    "Good thing I already know, then," Judy gave a weak smile. "I kind of always wanted you to admit it, but when that happened to you... when you almost left me... I realized any moment could be too late. I really wanted to hear it from you."

    "I love you, Judy," Nick admitted, his eyes still closed. "Have since your confession at the bridge, really. What a genuine, wonderful bunny you are." Judy smiled softly, feeling her eyes getting a little glassy. "D-do you love me...?" Nick looked at her with fear, his muzzle tilted down a bit.

    "Do I love you, Nicholas?" Judy's smile vanished. "Are you asking me that? If I realize in my own heart that I love you?" She smiled again. "The answer's still the same as it was two years ago. Yes, yes I do."

    Nick felt tears approach his eyes and escape, rolling down his cheeks. He somehow was managing to cry without sniveling or sobbing too much, which was good, as it would have only disturbed his chest. "Can I ask you something, Judy? ...What would you do without me?"

    "If you had gone..." Judy thought, her voice distant. "I... it would be rough."

    "Could you keep being a police officer?" Nick cried a bit more. "I know it's your fondest dream. Would being so close to me, then losing me... would that ruin it for you?" Judy considered this seriously for a few minutes.

    "No," Judy shook her head finally. "In you, I validated my own dreams and values. I proved to myself that 'anyone can be anything' with you. A fox who always wanted to do the right thing, but was beaten down by this world, becoming someone who fights for that very same world. Isn't that much more impressive than a stubborn bunny who was going to be a cop no matter what?" Judy wiped her own eyes, giving a shaky laugh. "I'd keep going for you, and your memory. You're proof that the world is worth fighting for."

    "Judy, I don't know that I'm that strong," Nick frowned, his eyes squeezing shut. "Without you I don't... I don't know if I could keep being a police officer. I feel like you're just... too perfect to replace, as far as a partner goes. We do our best work together, with each other. You're my compliment; you complete me. I guess that's why I love you, huh?" Nick gave a small, defeated laugh.

    "Mhm," Judy said, carefully making her way over to kiss his nose. "But you promise me something, Nicholas Wilde. You promise me that even if I wasn't in this world, you wouldn't give up. You'd keep trying to be the best fox possible, whatever you ended up doing. Show others that determination you showed me."

    "I promise, Judy," Nick nodded solemnly, and accepted a small fist bump from her.

    "Now! When you're all healed up, we should probably schedule a day for me to just lay on your chest and kiss you for the whole day, hm?" Judy smiled brightly.

    "Sounds a bit monotonous," Nick smirked.

    "Ugh," Judy rolled her eyes. "Never change, Nick."

    "I'll try," Nick promised again, softly running his hand over Judy's uninjured cheek. "...Uh? You have scars here?"

    "A long time ago," Judy affirmed. "From a fox, if you can believe that." Nick's eyes opened fully as he considered this.

    "...Wow," Nick swallowed. "So you went from being attacked by a fox, profiling one, and hating one-"

    "Briefly!" Judy interrupted him.

    "To... loving one, huh?" Nick let out a breath slowly.

    "I guess it's good that some people can change, huh?" Judy shrugged.

    "I'll keep her like she is now, please," Nick smiled fondly. He beckoned her over, and he softly kissed her forehead.

    "You got it, Nick."

Chapter 20: Blackout

    With a prolonged groan, Judy sat up in her bed, wearing a long, white t-shirt. Pain flooded through her head as she awoke. She cringed and brought her paws up to her temples, giving another moan.

    "Ow... ow..." Judy's eyes squinted blearily in pain. She felt awful; like she might throw up. "Sap of a birch... what happened to me? Did I get knocked out? Were we on a... case...?" Judy's vocalized thoughts were interrupted by looking at the corner of her room, where a casually-clothed Nick was slumped up against the wall. Judy gasped in fear, getting out of bed and stumbling as she walked over to Nick and shook him. His eyes were closed.

    "Nick! Nick!" Judy said in a worried voice that held a bit of a whine because of her pain. "Get up, please!"

    "Guh..." Nick cringed as the morning light invaded his eyes. "Carrots. Ah, hey." Nick grinned. "How you feelin'?"

    "Like the wrath of grapes..." Judy whined.

    "Pretty close to accurate, I'd say," Nick chuckled. "Anyway, good morning."

    "What... happened last night?" Judy rubbed her eyes and her head, looking loopy. "Nnnnngh..."

    "Oh, you don't remember? This'll be fun," Nick grinned, slapping his paws together. Judy flinched at the sound.

    "Nick," Judy whined, then her voice dropped. "Nick... Nick..."

    "What what what?" Nick tilted his head back and forth.

    "Think I'm gonna be sick..." Judy wailed. "Huh! That rhymed..." She looked woozy.

    "Oh jeez, uh," Nick looked around. "Where's the bathroom in this glorified closet!?"

    "Right behind you- just... m-move," Judy hurriedly fled into the bathroom and Nick winced and shut the door behind her. What followed were very unpleasant occurrences, paired with equally unpleasant sounds. Judy groaned, slumping against the floor and remaining there for several minutes in case she wasn't finished. Indeed, she wasn't. Her head blazed with pain, exacerbated by her recent activities. "Ugh..."

    When Judy picked herself up and trudged back to the main room, Nick was gone. "No... Nick..." Judy sat on her bed in a daze, and minutes passed like hours. She wanted to know what had happened to her last night, and why Nick was in her apartment. What she really wanted to do was go back to sleep, but her severe headache would prevent that. Judy tested it out by laying down on her bed. Indeed, it felt even worse to lie down. She looked at her phone. It was Saturday.

    "Well, at least I'm not going to be fired," Judy shrugged, looking at the time. There was a knock at the door. "Yeah?"

    "Delivery for a Ms. Carrots?" An unfamiliar voice said. Judy's nose twitched a couple of times and she headed to the door, peeking out. It was Nick, who grinned widely.

    "Nick..." Judy sighed, then frowned softly. "Where'd you go? Oh..." Judy looked at his hands.

    "Got a coffee just how you like it," Nick handed her a paper cup, "a little pain reliever for your head..." he placed a bottle on her desk. "And a blueberry muffin." He held this out to Judy, but yanked it away when she reached for it. "That's for me. You'd probably 'lose' it if you had it."

    "Y-yeah, fair point," Judy sighed. A smile found its way onto her face. "Thank you Nick... you're so good to me..."

    Nick munched on his muffin. "I sure am." Judy took a couple of the pills from the bottle and slurped them down with her coffee. She sat back down on her bed while Nick sat on the chair at her desk, turning it around to look at her. Judy still looked a bit confused. "So Carrots, what do you remember about last night?"

    "Urgh, it's so hard to recall," Judy scrunched up her face. "We went out drinking with some of the other ZPD Officers, didn't we?"

    "We did do that, very good," Nick said conversationally, eating more of his muffin. "What then?"

    "It uh... starts to get indistinct after that," Judy gave a nervous giggle, having another sip of coffee. "I must have drank a lot? ...Drunk a lot?"

    "There you go," Nick nodded. "Wow. You should be a detective."

    "Nick, ugh," Judy let out a huff. "But that doesn't explain what you're doing here."

    "Oh boy, the fun part!" Nick grinned, finishing off his muffin. "Since you don't remember anything, I get to tell you whatever I want about last night and there's nothing you can do to dispute it!"

    "Nick, please, I have a headache..." Judy whined, her eyes squinting from the bottom.

    "Okay, so did you start wildly gossiping with Clawhauser about how madly in love you are with me?" Nick grinned.

    Judy gasped. "No... please tell me I didn't do that..."

    "Did you bet some of the heavyweights that you could out drink them?" Nick continued.

    "I must have been really drunk before that if I thought I could take someone like McHorn on..." Judy put a paw to her mouth.

    "Did you then invite me to your place, where our antics got so crazy that I ended up against the wall?" Nick chuckled.

    "Oh zucchini on rye... no..." Judy wailed, closing her eyes.

    "Or?" Nick's voice drained of levity. "Did a dumb bunny keep drinking past what I suggested numerous times because she was 'having fun' and punched me pretty hard in the side when I suggested she call it a night?"

    "Ugh, I must have done that one..." Judy pouted. "Sorry. What are you doing here, then?"

    "Thankfully, you're a lightweight in more ways than one," Nick explained. "Brought you home."

    "But you stayed," Judy pointed out.

    "Knew you'd feel like crud in the morning, knew you'd probably never gotten yourself that drunk before, wanted to make sure you'd be taken care of in the morning," Nick counted on his fingers.

    "You really are too good to me," Judy said lightly. "And I really do feel like a piece of squash, in more ways than one."

    "I've been there before, Carrots," Nick chuckled. "How do you think Finnick must have felt when he had to deal with a drunk something like three times larger than him? You can just be more careful next time."

    Judy laughed lightly. "Don't know if there will be a next time, especially because all of those other scenarios you proposed sounded entirely plausible."

    "Hey, I know my bunny," Nick shrugged, but his voice was confident.

    "Really? Is she your bunny? Was that decided upon when I was drunk, too?" Judy gave him a very small smile that carried fondness with it.

    "Are you going to tell me you're not?" Nick smirked. Judy's ears felt hot and she looked away.

    "She's your bunny," Judy sighed. "You do take good care of her."

    "There we go," Nick chuckled, petting her ears a bit.

    "My head hurts too much for this sappy stuff," Judy whined, turning her head back to him then looking straight at him with her big, purple eyes. "Can you tell me you love me later, after the medication has kicked in?"

    Nick leaned forward with a smarmy expression. "What if I already said it though, last night?"

    "Then tell me again later," Judy smirked, tossing her empty cup at Nick. Nick laughed as the cup bounced off of his nose. "Not so loud..."

    "Call me if you work up an appetite, Carrots," Nick got up, gently touching her on the shoulder. "Lunch's on me."

    "Really, you don't have to be so nice. Especially after me hitting you last night?" Judy winced.

    "Oh don't worry," Nick said, opening the door to her apartment and looking over his shoulder. "Once you offered to pay for three rounds of drinks for everyone at the bar last night, I figure its the least I can do." He winked one of his green eyes and left.

    "Oh my gourd!" Judy grabbed at her phone to check her credit card's transaction history.

Chapter 21: Couple

    Nick sighed, easing back in his chair in the waiting area of the repair shop. "I can't believe you totaled our cruiser, Judy."

    "Okay, first of all, it is not 'totaled'," Judy held up a finger, sitting next to Nick. "It's just dinged up, or else you and I wouldn't have just walked away from it. Secondly, we did manage to catch the guy once I slammed him with the cruiser, and thirdly, am I really hearing this from the guy who crashed a train?"

    "Hey, Fluff, I didn't profess to have any knowledge on how to conduct a train!" Nick placed his hands to his chest. "And I crashed it under your direction, I'll have you know."

    "It must be my lucky day!" An unfamiliar, city-accented voice exclaimed. A black rabbit stormed in from the garage of the shop. "Coupla cops come in here with a busted-up cruiser, and since they're with the government, their damage gets priority!" He stacked one of his hands on top of the other. "Meanwhiles, I got a half a dozen other clients that go down the list, and they're gonna be chewin' my tail off when my estimates for their repair times aren't gonna be accurate!"

    "Keep your ears on, Ozzie," a bored, yet patient sounding pig co-worker of the rabbit said, nodding his head over to Nick and Judy. "The cops are still here, waiting to hear the damage." The rabbit looked over at the two and stormed over, regarding the two with a testy scowl and putting his hands on his hips. Nick and Judy got up and stared at the cross-looking black rabbit. He only had a bit of white masking around his face; even his nose was black. His eyes were so dark brown they might as well have been black as well. He wore a blue jumpsuit, and his name-patch said "Ozzie".

    Nick clasped his paws together. "Will she be okay, sir?"

    "Funny guy," Ozzie muttered, then, though his brow stayed furrowed, he started to smile. "Hey, you two are the 'small cops' of precinct one, ain'cha? I was wondering why the pedal assembly was in such an unusual place. What is it, Officers... Savage and Jumps?"

    "Wilde and Hopps, actually," Judy corrected, having little humor in her voice. "What's it look like?"

    "Well, Hopps, looks like one of youse crashed her up pretty bad," Ozzie gave a malicious smile.

    "Knew it, I should have driven," Nick rolled his eyes.

    "You!?" Judy turned her head quickly to look at him. "My grandpa can drive faster than you, and he's over a hundred!"

    "Jeez, I certainly hope he's not driving anywhere," Nick retorted with an obnoxious grin.

    "And what was with that politely droning on while asking the guy to give himself up?" Judy held her hands out toward Nick, palm up. "We're not a comedy act."

    "Hey, you know the goons never listen when the cops ask them to give themselves up," Nick smirked. "I was just having a little fun with it."

    "So you were driving, eh, Hopps? Certainly aren't doing anything for the notion that we lapines can't drive." Ozzie chuckled. Judy gave him a disbelieving glare. Ozzie returned with a snickering, rapid laugh. He folded his arms. "It's nunna my business, but are you two a couple?"

    "That's darn right, it's none of your business!" Judy stamped her foot, pointing at the other rabbit.

    "Judy..." Nick chuckled.

    "Oh, so 'yes' then," Ozzie gave another snicker. "How charmin'. You both bicker like ya been married for years."

    Judy narrowed her eyes in exasperation. "We weren't asking your opinion."

    "Hey hey, don't worry about it," Ozzie laughed, holding his arms behind his head and shutting his eyes, having a smug look. "Happen to have a cute little sand cat I'm dating, myself."

    "Well, look who's proud of himself for having an open mind," Nick gave a little huff, putting his hands on his hips.

    "Ya ask me, there should be more of us inter-species couples, especially us rabbits," Ozzie opened one eye to look at Judy. "Else it's gonna be bunnygeddon eventually."

    "Eh, no argument there," Judy shrugged.

    "Just be careful who ya tell, even if you two are cops," Ozzie pointed at them. "Lotsa bigots out there."

    "Yes, let's be sure to be careful not to inadvertently tell some random bunny that we're together," Nick smirked dryly at Judy. Judy narrowed her eyes dangerously and frowned.

    "Ey! I look like a doe to you, fox?" Ozzie tried to catch his eye. "It's 'rabbit'."

    Nick turned his attention to him, grinning even wider. "My my, looks like a lot of you 'cute' little 'bunnies' are really picky about what other mammals call you, huh?" Now, both rabbits were shooting furious looks to the fox.

    "I'll cuff and hold him if you want to beat him up," Judy said dryly to Ozzie.

    "Ey, no way," Ozzie shook his head, looking cautious. "That's entrapment. I ain't going away for assaultin' a police officer."

    "It was a joke," Judy muttered. "Anyway, how long is the cruiser going to be in the shop for?"

    "Eh, best I can do is probably two weeks?" Ozzie shrugged. "At minimum."

    "Two weeks?" Judy's eyes flew open. "Fork and spoons... and that's the only cruiser with pedals we can reach, too. Ugh. That much time on desk duty..."

    "Don't worry your little bunny head, I'll drive the next time we get into a chase," Nick assured her mockingly.

    "I'd prefer if we drove fast enough to actually catch the guy?" Judy narrowed her eyes.

    "Yup, definitely married," Ozzie let loose his long, snickering laugh again. "Shouldn't you be officers Savage-Jumps?"

    "Wilde-Hopps," both of them said in unison, then looked a bit surprised at each other that they had chosen the same order.

    "Adorable," Ozzie sucked at his teeth. "Anyway, at least you aren't footin' the bill, huh?"

    "Oh my gosh Nick, the bill," Judy winced. "Bogo's gonna hang me out to dry. I'll be on parking duty for sure."

    "That could be fun," Nick considered, rubbing his chin. "Never got to try that yet. Maybe we can try for three hundred tickets before noon."

    "Could start with writing a ticket for whatever madmammal drove that cruiser," Ozzie snickered, jerking his thumb back in the direction of the cruiser. He got another seething look from Judy. "Aright, take it easy!"

    "C'mon Nick, our shift is almost up," Judy sighed. "You wanna catch a movie? That way, I won't have to hear you talking about how horrible a driver I am."

    "A movie sounds nice," Nick nodded.

    "Wait, you aren't thinking of catching that new McMouse flick, are you?" Ozzie sneered.

    "He's supposed to be a good actor, though?" Nick tilted his head.

    "Knew the guy in high school," Ozzie sucked at his teeth again, this time in distaste. "We were best buddies. Haven't heard whisker or tail of him since he hit it big."

    "Some mammals, huh?" Nick shrugged.

    "I'd hope fame wouldn't do that to me," Judy pondered, starting to leave with Nick.

    "Given you saved the city once, I'd say that it probably hasn't," Nick firmly rubbed Judy's head.

    "Nick, not while we're in uniform!" Judy flailed her hands at Nick.

    "Catch ya later, ya crazy kits," Ozzie snickered one last time before they left his shop.

Chapter 22: Mistakes

    Nick slowly awoke, giving a lazy yawn, but he jerked awake more quickly once he realized that he did not have a gray bunny cuddled in his arms, like he had expected. Sitting up swiftly, he turned his head and saw Judy sitting at the foot of his bed, facing away from him. Nick felt a clout of distress deep in his gut; certainly that couldn't have been a good sign. Nick crawled over to sit next to Judy, who didn't turn her head to meet his gaze, even as he approached.

    "So, uh..." Nick started awkwardly, "you regret what we did, huh?"

    "I didn't say that," Judy retorted quietly. "I'm just... thinking."

    "Oof, thinking," Nick's shoulders chucked as he muttered. "You're pretty dangerous when you do that." Judy looked at him blankly.

    "So you're nervous or afraid too?" Judy looked him over. "You usually joke like that to try to lighten the mood."

    "Of course I'm afraid," Nick scratched at his forehead. "I mean, I wasn't before, but seeing you like this does have me worried."

    "Sorry, Nick," Judy shut her eyes, running a hand through her drooped ears. "It was my fault that things went as far as they did."

    "Do you hear me complaining?" Nick tried a soft smile.

    "What if it was a mistake? To get that close..." Judy looked at him with an unsure expression. Nick felt trepidation crawl across him.

    "It's only a mistake if you feel like it was," Nick's smile vanished. "I suppose the question is, what did it mean to you?"

    "What did it...?" Judy repeated, holding one of her ears in both hands. Nick turned his head away from her.

    "Was it just a curious bunny that wanted to try something new?" Nick offered. "Or, and this one might sound crazy, but was it a bunny who wanted to express in the deepest, most personal way possible how close she felt to her partner...?"

    Judy let a tiny smile sprout. "Is that how you felt?"

    "Well, let me start by saying I did imagine ourselves in that situation many times," Nick tilted his head toward her and grinned.

    "Of course you did," Judy let a soft giggle out, looking away briefly as she felt a tiny poke of embarrassment.

    "I had to ask myself all of those questions," Nick admitted, and he caught Judy's attention again as his tone became serious. "Would it feel like we were ruining our relationship? Was it too far? You can bet I never would have invited you over if I hadn't found answers to those questions. I knew where things could go, especially with how you can be."

    "How sneaky," Judy half-lid her eyes, "you're saying that even though I 'took charge', you were in control the whole time?"

    "No, no," Nick laughed. "God no. That was definitely you. I'm just saying I knew what the possibilities were and I was prepared for them. Thing is, as long as we keep quiet about it and make sure to wash really well, who can judge us for this?"

    "I guess only us," Judy nodded, looking over Nick's fur. Then, she looked at the ceiling. "And uh, whatever sort of otherworldly creatures there may be on other planes that are into that sort of thing."

    "Oh great, that adds a layer of paranoia," Nick laughed, looking up as well. "Supernatural voyeurism?" Judy smiled, her ears perking back up. She brought an arm around Nick's side. He returned the gesture with one of his arms around her shoulders. "I realized something, when I was deliberating this with myself."

    "What's that, Nick?" Judy rested her head on his side.

    "I'm attracted to you with all five of my senses," Nick admitted. Judy turned a pleased look up at him and he returned the gaze. "So, I realized that the only obstacle to letting me just... enjoy you, is this guy." He pointed at his head. "No! You can't get into bed with her! Don't get so close! There's so much to worry about!"

    "Guess that sort of worrying is communicable, huh?" Judy wiggled her eyebrows. Nick scoffed.

    "Naughty little bunny," Nick kissed the top of her head. Judy laughed pleasantly.

    "I've decided that it wasn't a mistake," Judy nodded. "Or, if it is, in some way, then it's a mistake I want to keep making."

    "Oof, that's kind of a hot way to put that," Nick gave a sheepish grin. Judy grabbed Nick's free arm and placed it under her chin, starting to rub her chin and neck on him this way and that. Nick blinked, but then he sniffed. "Whoa, are you uh... marking me with a scent?"

    "Mhm..." Judy grinned with her eyes closed. "My fox."

    "That is also quite hot," Nick would have tugged at his tie or shirt collar if he was wearing any of those things. "B-but obviously we'll have to make sure that gets gone before we go into public."

    Judy leaned in to kiss Nick's chest. "That's right. No one else has to know but the two mammals that it actually matters to."

    "Your turn, then," Nick leaned his head down and rubbed his cheek over the top of Judy's head and over her ears.

    "Ooh," Judy absorbed the feelings, feeling a shiver of delight shoot through her. "Is that how foxes do that, then?"

    "It is," Nick smirked. "So if any other fox tries to do that to you, tell me so I can bite 'em."

    "That will be after they get two bunny feet in the stomach," Judy winked, then got up out of bed and gave a drawn-out stretch. "Mm..."

    "Okay, did you really need to do that?" Nick winced as his attraction to the gray bunny was becoming more and more visually apparent.

    "Maybe, maybe not," Judy sang coquettishly. "Seeing how we probably shouldn't go into public smelling like we're 'each others', I'm going to go get a shower. Looks like you need one too, probably a cold one."

    "And she's back," Nick grumbled warmly. "There's that flirty bunny again."

    Judy pointed accusingly at him. "There's no way you can tell me you don't love it." Both of them laughed softly. "So! Wanna conserve some water with me?"

    Nick blinked, but then let his easygoing persona reemerge, getting out of bed. "Miss, it warms my heart to know you care so much about the environment."

    "Of course! We all should do our part!" Judy grinned as Nick began to follow her into his bathroom.

    "You do know, though, that showers are for getting clean, right?" Nick shot her a smirk as he got the water started.

    "Hm," Judy bit her lip, looking over Nick's form. "Not sure. I think I feel another mistake coming on."

Chapter 23: Cute

    "Ooh, this outfit should look nice, and all the items are on sale!" Judy picked up a burgundy small top, a black undershirt, and khaki pants. "What do you think, Nick? Good colors for fall?"

    "I think you're crazy if you think I have a meaningful response to that," Nick grumbled, already carrying around two shopping bags. "So to be clear, am I lugging around gifts for you and several of your sisters, or just you?"

    "Ha ha," Judy tilted her head with her eyes rolled up. "I'm gonna go try this on."

    "You know, the song's called 'Try Everything', not 'Try Everything in the Store On'," Nick quipped, waiting for the bunny to change. Judy started to hum the song in question. "Great, me and my big muzzle." Judy came out in the outfit, looking exuberant.

    "Well? How do I look?" She held her arms out wide and gave a little twirl.

    "Hm, you look very... ah, what's the word," Nick said in a low tone, looking around. Judy's arms fell a few degrees as he hesitated. "Ah, there we are." He nodded towards a sign that said "CUTE outfits! Up to 30% off!"

    "Nick," Judy's eyelids fell and she started to look annoyed.

    "Hey, the sign said it, not me," Nick smirked.

    Judy pointed at him, her other arm on her hip. "You know you're not supposed to call a bunny 'cute'."

    "Oh, but did I say that? Nope," Nick smiled. "And I was never taught not to call a bunny cyu- er, that word, you only told me not to call you that." Judy twisted her mouth this way and that.

    "Well how about you just say what you think, then?" Judy folded her arms.

    "As I'm not supposed to use the first word that comes to my mind when I look at you," Nick searched the ceiling, setting the bags down. "Ah, here we go." Nick changed his voice into a sort of snooty, refined-sounding voice. "Darling, you look very aesthetically pleasing. I must say, quite winsome. Perhaps even fetching!" He gave a little bow after rotating his wrist in a mocking fashion.

    "Nick!" Judy's teeth showed a bit. "'Cute' is the first thing you think of when you see me? After all we've been through?"

    "Sorry, Fluff, but in the world I was raised in, 'cute' is not some detestable slur," Nick gave a half-hearted shrug. "Me thinking you're cute doesn't preclude me from thinking you're also completely awesome and dangerous.  Not to mention you can deliver the meanest drop kick I've ever seen."

    Judy narrowed one eye, but her expression softened a little. "I don't think you get it, Nick. Bunnies have been called 'cute' forever. We're treated like we're still kits, even as adults. Give us a job 'meant' for a bigger animal, and it's not 'oh, she's a hard worker, huh?' it's 'isn't that cute'?"

    "I know better than to think that, and you know I know better," Nick folded his arms. "But if you really want me to not call you or anything you're wearing 'cute' ever again, then just say the word and I'll never call you cute again." Nick sliced his hand in the air in front of him horizontally.

    Judy hesitated, putting a curved finger near her lip. "If... if I let you call me cute, it has to be when its just us, okay? I can't have you saying that at the station."

    "Aw, who do you take me for, Carrots?" Nick grinned, holding his arms out in nearly a shrug. "Do you think I'd purposefully try to embarrass you in front of all of our co-workers?"

    Judy scoffed and looked at him incredulously. "You know the answer to that question is not 'no'."

    "Okay, maybe you have me there," Nick chuckled, picking the bags back up. "All right though, you have my word that if I use 'cute', it's to be with the utmost respect and only between us. Never in a diminishing way."

    "This is a little bit ridiculous," Judy sighed. "Can't you just say I look 'great' or something so we wouldn't have to have a conversation like this?"

    "Well I thought that went without saying," Nick nudged his eyebrows up once. Judy walked over to him, squinting her eyes with a wry smile, and softly stepped on his foot with one of hers and wiggled her foot on Nick's while pressing down on it. Nick just looked bemused. "Heh heh..."

    "Okay, charmer, so should I get this outfit or not?"

    "Sure, if your wallet can take all of this," Nick held the bags higher. Judy nodded, then saw a female ocelot approaching.

    "Are you finding everything okay?" The ocelot asked politely.

    "Oh yeah, just fine," Judy nodded.

    "That's great," the ocelot clasped her paws together. "If you need to check out, I'll be at the perfume counter. We have a special sample of a new fragrance that's perfect for bunnies. It's getting really popular!" The ocelot smiled pleasantly and headed off. Judy made her way back into the dressing room.

    "Speaking of popular, you don't see too many celebrity bunnies, come to think of it. I wonder why that is?" Nick mused.

    "Maybe that's just another reason we bunnies are so uptight, huh?" Judy said with a snarky edge as she was changing. "It's tough to get noticed when there's literally millions of us, and other animals can outdo us at nearly everything."

    "I'm guessing that's why standout bunnies like you seem so psychotic, huh?" Nick chuckled.

    "Not brave enough to say that to my face?" Judy challenged.

    "Want me to come in there?" Nick said airily.

    "Don't push your luck, mister," Judy continued, "unless you want to lose your newfound 'cute' privileges." Judy reemerged in her regular outfit. She saw Nick staring blankly at her as she did. "What?"

    "I'm thinking you bunnies are from the moon or something," Nick shook his head slowly. "You're not the first weird bunny I've met, but you certainly are the most... interesting."

    "Hey, I just live in this world, Nick," Judy gave a soft smile. "Now what do you say we go find that nice ocelot so I can try that perfume before we buy this stuff?"

    "Okay, first, you are buying this stuff," Nick corrected, "and a lot of perfume actually kind of bothers my nose a bit. I prefer your natural scent. ...Tsk, and that is a thing I just said out loud, isn't it?" Nick's eyes squinted shut.

    "Well, well!" Judy grinned widely. "Okay then, there's another counter over there closer to the exit. So, you want to buy at least one of these 'cute' outfits for me?" Judy flashed him her cutest smile and had her eyes wide open.

    "That's a pretty weak attempt at a hustle, cutie," Nick gave her a dry smirk and winked. "Saw it coming a mile away."

    "Hey! Do we have to talk about 'cutie' as well? That's a little bit different!" Judy's countenance instantly soured.

    "Oh, for crying out loud," Nick groaned, slumping forwards as if the bags he was carrying suddenly weighed much more.

Chapter 24: Dad

    Nocturnal by nature, Nick had surprised himself by finding that it was getting easier and easier to be awake so early in the morning. More surprising to him than that, though, was the fact that he had gotten to the area Judy designated to meet up with him before her. With his hands on his hips, he surveyed the park, seeing the early morning mist lay on the grass in the dim light. The temperature was just right to do some jogging; he intended to keep in shape so he wouldn't be a burden to his newly-official professional partner.

    Nick gave a soft smile as he saw the gray bunny approach. Though he'd let nothing betray this, he found her quite attractive in her jogging outfit. He wondered when she would be able to take her leg brace off during physical activity; it had been nearly a year since she was injured at the museum.

    "Officer Fluff! Right on time," Nick grinned, looking briefly at his phone.

    "You're early!" Judy threw back. "Can't say I expected that from you!"

    "Don't expect it to become a habit," Nick smirked as Judy stopped near him. "Just trying to impress my new partner before she finds out what a slacker I really am."

    "Oh, okay," Judy gave a terse laugh. "I'll be sure not to tell her that. Ready for our jog?"

    "As I'll ever be," Nick gave some warmup stretches, which Judy looked at with admiration, if not interest, and then both of them began to jog.

    Nick somewhat expected to be left in the dust by the bunny, but Judy matched the fox's pace. He found it odd that they were both focusing on their jogging; nothing audible from them but their breathing. They were nearly constantly talking with each other, but Nick did appreciate the moment of serenity between them, even as he valued Judy's company. Zootopia seemed so peaceful in the early morning, especially in the park.

    Nick never thought in all of his days that he'd voluntarily wish to protect the city.

    The daylight began to shine a bit brighter, and Judy came to rest near a bench.

    "Should we take a break before we head back?" Judy offered. She wasn't even winded.

    "Sure thing," Nick nodded, wiping his brow. He wasn't quite panting, but he knew that if he didn't stop soon, he would be. "You sure have a lot of endurance."

    "Comes with being a bunny," Judy gave a shrug. There was a slight beat as both tried to avoid betraying where this exchange had landed in their minds. "And, a lot of jogging." Judy added this haphazardly. Nick sat on the bench, and Judy sat somewhat close next to him. Curiosity flared up in Judy's mind. "So Nick, tell me about your dad."

    Nick's eyes flew open and he slowly turned his head to Judy. "Excuse me?"

    "You know, your father?" Judy gave a slightly chiding smile. "You always talk about your mother, but never your dad."

    "That's a heck of a thing to dump on me on a Monday morning," Nick gave a grumble.

    "I guess you two don't get along well?" Judy looked apologetic.

    "Oh, I'm sure we would, were he still alive," Nick said flatly. Judy cringed.

    "Oh, I see," Judy said in a tiny voice. She looked away. "Forget I said anything..."

    "Well, my mind is already there, so I may as well tell you," Nick leaned forward, lacing his fingers together. "John Wilde. He was a pretty great guy. Had big dreams, too. He was a tailor, wanted to put up a clothing shop in our neighborhood called Wilde Style. I grew up in kind of a rough neighborhood; he wanted to sell business suits and ties on the cheap to help struggling mammals with their job interviews."

    "That sounds so nice..." Judy said, captured by Nick's words.

    "He made most of my ties," Nick gave a tiny huff and smile, then looked at Judy. "I mean, they used to be his, but all the same."

    "O-oh, I should be careful about tugging them, then," Judy winced.

    "This is the part where I say something like, 'oh go ahead, he's helping us draw closer together'," Nick gave a small smile.

    "Aw, Nick," Judy felt her breath catching a bit. "You really love him, huh?"

    Nick nodded. "Can only hope to one day be a father as supportive as him." Nick looked up at the sky. The last of the stars had only recently been occluded from view. "You know I'm not really a spiritual fox. But, the Vulpine Scriptures say it takes the spirits of nine foxes to make a kitsune spirit, who can watch over you from the afterlife. But I think dad had enough spirit to make a kitsune all by himself."

    "Nick, come on, that's not even fair," Judy was smiling, but she wiped a few tears from her eyes. "B-but, I'm sure he is looking at you from the beyond, and I'm sure he's p-proud of his boy..."

    "Well, I no longer doubt that last part," Nick gave a shaky sigh, looking happily up at the sky. He jerked his head towards Judy. "Hey dad, whatcha think about me getting a bunny for a partner? Bet you didn't see that one coming. I know I didn't!"

    Judy gave a giggle that was interrupted by a little choke. "I don't know how you can joke about things like this, Nicholas..."

    "Because I used to think the world sucked, Judy," Nick said flatly. Judy was quite surprised at him using her real first name. "And it still sucks, in some ways. Humor's kind of like a bandage you wrap around the suckage so it doesn't seep or fester."

    Judy grinned slightly. "What a wise fox you are."

    "I do have many years on you," Nick thrust his arm into Judy's side and she let herself rock from the force instead of resisting. Judy giggled again, giving another sigh.

    "Kind of weird how I'm the one crying about this, and I didn't even know the guy," Judy gave Nick a tiny, toothy grin.

    "You do know him, in some ways," Nick gave a gentle sigh. "A lot of my good points come from him."

    "Agh, Nick, stop!" Judy gave a shaky giggle, wiping her eyes again. "I had just calmed down! Heh... how come you aren't crying?"

    Nick's brow furrowed, then raised and began to look sad. "I cried all my tears when I lost him, Judy. He was run off the road high up in the Rainforest District by a careless driver. He didn't suffer, at least."

    "Oh sweet heavens..." Judy said in a tiny voice. "How horrible..." She paused for a full minute. "Did he ever get his clothier shop opened up?"

    "Nope," Nick gave a weak, wobbly smile. "Even with his cute little fox kit in tow, he was having a hard time getting a loan. I'm guessing a smart bunny like you can figure out why." It took her a second, but a look of a mixture of anguish and anger passed onto Judy's face.

    "...The world really does suck sometimes, huh, Nick?" Judy put her hand on Nick's shoulder. That finally did it to Nick and he sobbed for a little while. Judy gave him this moment, gently rubbing his shoulder.

    "Yep, sure does," Nick sniveled for a bit before controlling himself. He looked up again, and one last tear rolled from his eye. "It's okay, dad, I can cry in front of the bunny. She's my partner; she gets to see the things that get to me."

    "Heavens above, Nick," Judy blinked slowly, trying to fight tears again. "I hope all of our jogs don't go like this. You're going to destroy me at this rate."

    "Sorry to bog our jog down with all this heavy stuff," Nick apologized, getting to his feet.

    "Hey, I'm the one who asked," Judy said, hopping off the bench. "And for what it's worth, I'm glad I know."

    "You better not go easy on me just because you know I'm a sentimental sap," Nick pointed accusingly at her.

    "As if!" Judy flashed a wicked grin. "You know the only way you could make any mammal proud of you is by giving it your very best. So that's what I'm going to get from you!"

    "Aye-aye, Fluff," Nick gave a mock salute with the wrong hand. "Feeling kind of thirsty, though. You wanna go get something to rehydrate?"

    "I heard there's a nice vixen near the center of the park that sells frozen drinks," Judy nodded.

    "Oh come on, Carrots," Nick chuckled. "Don't you know better than to buy any sort of frozen refreshment from a fox?" He winked at her.

    "Okay, I did not just hear that from you," Judy rolled her eyes. "We are going there right now."

    "Yes, ma'am," Nick laughed, but then started in surprise as Judy suddenly took off. "H-hey, wait! No fair going full sprint!"

    "Not sprinting! This is my actual jogging speed, Nick! See if you can keep up!" Judy shot back over her shoulder.

    "Aagh!" Nick started to sprint after her.

Chapter 25: Winning

    TCH-CLUNK!

    The air hockey puck had screamed past Nick's paddle and into the goal. The air seeping from the table stopped, signaling the end of the game.

    "Ugh," Nick shook his head and sucked at his teeth.

    "Woo!" Judy dropped her paddle and thrust both of her hands into the air, pointing upwards with both index fingers. "I won! In your foxy face!" Judy started joyfully waving her arms and hips side to side, dancing around with pride. Nick took in the movements of the dancing bunny. He'd call them silly before he called them graceful or skilled. He did find her quite attractive, though.

    "At least you're a gracious winner," Nick muttered, smirking.

    Judy's silly dance ended up drawing her closer to Nick, and she looked up at him with mock astonishment. "Aw, what's wrong, Nick? Feeling a little outclassed?"

    "Well, first you absolutely destroyed me in bowling, now here in air hockey," Nick counted to two on his fingers. "I don't suppose we could find something to play that I could win at."

    "Not on this date, anyway," Judy winked, giving him a happy glomp.

    "Okay, okay," Nick chuckled, patting her on the back twice before briefly returning her hug. "You're usually more fun when you win, anyway."

    "Hey!" Judy laughed as she suddenly broke the hug, but then brought a finger to her chin and contemplated. "Well, I mean, I guess you're not wrong."

    "So what now?" Nick asked. "I can see you're not tired yet. Wanna go grab a bite to eat? Or maybe we can find another game for you to beat me in."

    "Maybe!" Judy laughed. "Actually, I'd kind of like to just go for a walk."

    "Huh," Nick shrugged. "Yeah, that sounds nice."

---

    The two left the bowling alley, which was quite near the border between Savanna Central and Sahara Square. It was a quiet evening; the busy-looking bunny's head kept perking this way and that to look around, but there weren't many mammals around to see. The two different flavors of night lighting that were visible near the border of the two sections of Zootopia were quite enchanting; both styles each with their own unique merits. The quiet stately simplicity of Savanna Central, and the flamboyant, playful opulence of Sahara Square. Of course, at places there was also a good view to the very heart of the city with its varied, colorful skyline.

    Nick gave a sigh and let a smile play out on his face. He felt like sometimes the most simple, easy pleasures of life were the most enjoyable. He looked over toward his bunny and smiled at her, and she returned the grin.

    "Oop!" Judy stumbled forward and caught herself on her knee. "Rgh." She curled forward, almost into a ball.

    "Uh!? Judy?" Nick scrambled over towards her. "I didn't accidentally trip you, did I? Are you okay?"

    "Yeah, fine, just give me a second," Judy chuckled, hesitating.

    "Are you sure?" Nick tilted his head curiously. "Usually you're a bit more sure-footed than this. Either way, I won't tell anyone." Nick smirked.

    "No, dummy, I'm fine," Judy grinned, looking up at him, flashing an assuring smile. Nick suddenly felt a stab of unease; he sensed something was up. "Incidentally..."

    Nick's jaw dropped. In an instant, what was going on dawned on him. Judy was on one knee.

    Judy brought out a small box from her coat, opening it. Inside was a stately gold ring, with silver intertwined into it near its top.

    "Nicholas Piberius Wilde, will you marry me?" Judy asked sweetly, offering the ring.

    "J-Judy?" Nick's eyes flew fully open. "I mean? Really? You're gonna... but our families don't really know about 'us'... and our jobs... and if we were to be married wouldn't that-"

    "Nick, stop talking," Judy's expression dropped to an exasperated smirk. Then, her face softened considerably. "Let's try this again. Nick, will you marry me?"

    Nick hesitated. Judy felt her heart beating very fast. She knew that Nick's relenting to being in a relationship with her was her doing. All of the moves she made were from her initiative. Maybe she had finally gone too fast for him, too sudden. She wasn't unaware of the social risks of such a move, either. Her mouth felt dry, until finally, Nick looked like he would speak.

    "Yeah, sure," Nick sighed, giving an almost tired, but very pleased smile.

    "Yee!" Judy launched directly at him, and Nick was ready with his arms to catch the bunny. "Put your ring on! Put it on!"

    "Okay, okay," Nick laughed, setting her down and putting on his ring. He was surprised that it fit perfectly. "Wow. It's handsome and it fits perfectly."

    "I measured your finger when you were sleeping once," Judy said proudly.

    "Sneaky," Nick gave her a proud smile, then tilted his head. "And that 'trip'?"

    "I hustled you good, huh?" Judy's voice was very gleeful, and she was almost vibrating in exuberance.

    "So long as this time we don't have to outwit a psychotic mammal so we can get married," Nick chuckled. "Uh, by the way, inter-species marriage is legal... right?" His face showed genuine worry.

    "Uh huh!" Judy said as they resumed walking, skipping as she went. "My neighbors are different species and they're married. Annoying, but married." Judy rolled her eyes and chuckled.

    Nick kept looking at his ring and Judy gave a small squeal when she noticed this. "Embarrassing, in a way. I should have... you were quicker than me."

    "Oh, so you wanted to propose then?" Judy gave a big grin.

    "I was trying to wait for the perfect time or place," Nick grumbled. "But I kept shooting all of my ideas down. I guess I was too self-critical."

    "I'm sure I would have liked any of them," Judy chuckled, still feeling an emotional rush from pulling off her "hustle".

    "Yeah, but would any of them have been good enough for this?" Nick indicated the rabbits ear-tops with his hand and dropped it all the way down to her feet. Judy looked at him, rather surprised. "Um, heh... that was a bit corny."

    "Well, if so, then I guess I have to say, 'aw, shucks'," Judy giggled. She ran up to hug him again and rubbed her cheek rapidly on his chest. "Mmm."

    "You're so... wonderful, Judy," Nick tried to keep his breath from catching as he gave her a gentle squeeze. He tried to mask his compliments under his layer of snark, but he couldn't find the right words. "Lovely little gray bunny. And you want me to be your husband?"

    "I sure do," Judy hummed in pleasure, hugging close. She let go, looking earnestly up at him. "Nick, thank you for letting me win tonight."

    "Letting you-?" Nick scoffed. "Hey, bunny-bride-to-be, I didn't let you win anything. I'd never dumb my skills down to-"

    "Hush," Judy placed her paw on his muzzle. "What I mean is... thank you for letting me win you." She nodded to his ring. "The most fetching foxy prize I've ever laid my eyes on."

    "Mm, so is that all I am to you?" Nick chuckled. "A trophy husband?"

    "Well, of course," Judy grinned widely. "You know I'm too picky with my goals in life to settle for anything less than a sterling vulpine like yourself."

    "Okay, one of these times one of these ridiculous compliments is going to get to me and I'm going to start crying," Nick swallowed hard, "so maybe we should go home before that happens."

    "Aw, okay," Judy gave a charming grin and took Nick's newly ringed hand in hers, walking with him towards the nearest subway station. "So, when do you think you'll want to officially make me Mrs. Wilde, huh?"

    "Well, offhand, I'm not sure," Nick grinned with a dangerous sort of chuff. "But... I can make you 'Wilde' as early as tonight, if you want."

    Judy gave a playful gasp and a single hop as they continued on. "Ooh! I want, I want!"

    "Well then, you'll get," Nick smirked. "After all, you did win tonight, so it's only fair."

    "I have a feeling I'm just going to keep on winning," Judy gave him a slightly dreamy smile, and the fox winked at her.

Chapter 26: Restraint

    There would be no one to hear Judy if she screamed. The predator loomed over her body on all fours; she was defenseless. Any moment now, he could sink his fangs deep into her. With every fabric of her mind, this was precisely what she wanted.

    But as she lay there on Nick's bed, in his apartment, with everything smelling like him, she felt overwhelmed. Most powerful was the musky scent coming off of the fox as he hovered his larger body over hers. It was a thrilling smell, but her own body was absolutely terrified.

    Every instinct she possessed told her it was wrong. A war raged in her mind, with her higher functions combating her base instincts.

    RUN! Her body screamed at her, accelerating her heart rate to dangerous levels. It's a fox! If you don't run, oblivion awaits!

    NO! Her mind yelled back, fighting to keep her arms held back and useless against the bed. He's MY fox! He loves me; cherishes me!

    Nick had waited so long for this. He had Judy completely at his mercy, a mutual agreement from the two soon-to-be lovers. Nick was fighting his own war, but it was one of restraining his urge to absolutely unhinge himself and show his prey just what his lithe, predator body was fully capable of. No, he had to be careful. She was smaller, and she was...

    Scared?

    The fox tried to ignore it. He nuzzled at her cheek and she gasped softly as his cold nose touched her. He nudged her chin out of the way, sniffing the scent of her here; which she often used to "mark" him as hers. His broad tongue slowly traced over her neck, and he could feel her rapid pulse through it. Her breaths were coming quick, just shy of full panting. Nick looked at Judy; her teeth were clenched and eyes shut tight, as if she were struggling against the gentle licking. Most of all, her tattletale nose was twitching as if it had a brand new motor installed into it. Nick felt guilt blossom deep within him as he took a few questing sniffs near her neck. He knew her scents. He knew when she was excited and also when she was scared. At that moment, she was both.

    Selfish. The word seared at Nick's soul and he pulled away from her. He wanted her more than anything, but...

    "Nick?" Judy said breathlessly, and sensed the furry, warm form of the fox retreating from her. "Nick, don't stop..."

    Nick swallowed hard, feeling immense inner distress. "I have to, Judy... I can't keep going. You're going to have a heart attack."

    Judy cringed in frustration. Her body held no secrets from the fox. Most of the time, she liked that. Being an open book to him; the vulnerability was enchanting; exotic. The more he was around her, the more it seemed like he could read her mind; predict exactly what she wanted. But this time her body was at odds with her mind. She wanted him more than anything else at that moment, but her body...

    "My body is lying to you, Nick," Judy finally admitted. "I'm not... I'm not scared."

    "You're flinching at almost everything I do, Judy," Nick's eyes darted this way and that as he avoided her gaze. "I'm not... comfortable with this."

    "Nick!" Judy gave a groan of frustration. "Nick, I need you! I need this... we need this..."

    Nick agreed with her on so many levels. His own base instincts wanted her so much. Most of his mind, too. But his heart told him it was all wrong. He hesitated, unmoving.

    "No, we were so close..." Judy drew in a trembling breath. "I was holding my fear back as much as I could, Nick..." Her eyes became glassy. "I don't know if... how are we ever going to be 'each others' if we don't have the courage to..."

    "Shh," Nick said, slowly drawing the back of her body against his front, laying into the bed on their sides. He started to tenderly pet her chest and stomach. "Let me tell you something I love about you, sweetheart."

    "Yhh-yeah?" Judy mumbled, trying not to cry.

    "You go after everything you want with one hundred percent," Nick said in his softest audible voice, very nearly a whisper. He knew her ears would pick up every gentle sound. "Without that, I don't know if we'd even be together."

    Judy's teeth showed and she gave a shaky giggle through them. "Guess so."

    "Don't give me that," Nick said, and Judy could almost feel his snarky grin behind her. "You were writing parking tickets one day, and a few later, you had solved the missing mammals case."

    "Yeah, incorrectly," Judy gave a laugh, the jovial fox squelching her desire to cry.

    "Here's my point," Nick kissed both of Judy's ears in turn. "You want this. I want this. But you said we should go for it after just a few nights of some intense kissing."

    "There's never going to be someone in my life like you, Nick," Judy said with an almost eerie firmness and certainty. "I want to be yours in every sense. With every sense..."

    "Well, my dear, I'm not going anywhere," Nick grinned. "But we can go slower. No need to rush to the end."

    "I mean, I guess..." Judy giggled gently. "Here I am thinking I'm finally ready to be an adult with you and you're making me feel like a kit who's trying to get her dessert before dinner."

    Nick offered a humming, mischievous chuckle that send a blast of excitement surging through Judy's small body. "Oh trust me, you're still going to get some 'dessert' tonight. Might just be a different kind." Judy gasped as Nick meaningfully drummed his fingers on both her chest and lower stomach.

    "Ooh, okay..." Judy agreed. "Mm, you think I've been a good enough girl for that, huh...?"

    "Without a doubt," Nick gave a chuckle in response. "We'll just have to teach your body that there's no reason to fear the big bad fox..."

    "She's a slow learner," Judy grumbled in annoyance.

    "Maybe, but she's oh-so-beautiful," Nick smiled warmly, his fingers very meticulously running through her fur. Judy let her eyes shut and tried only to focus on the feelings, humming pleasantly at the compliment. "And when I finally get to claim you as my own, well... it will have been worth every moment I took to take you as mine completely. With the entire agreement of your mind, body and heart."

    Judy shivered. "Sweet heavens, Nick. Where did you learn to seduce like that?"

    "Red fox, silver tongue," Nick gave a naughty chuckle. "Don't worry, you'll be seeing a lot more of that tongue during our 'lessons'..."

    Judy bit her lip as anticipation flooded her soul.

    "Can we get to the first lesson, Mr. Wilde...?" Judy managed a coquettish, teasing tone. Nick gave a soft sniff. He sensed only excitement from the bunny.

    "Certainly, my dear..." Nick fought the urge to growl as he wiggled his fingers through Judy's soft, gray and white fur.

Chapter 27: Restraint II

    The fox prowled around on all fours in the room, pacing. Judy watched his lithe body arcing this way and that as he turned, his tail swishing to and fro.

    "Are you sure this is doing anything?" Nick asked. "I feel kind of ridiculous."

    "Shh..." Judy giggled on the bed, hugging her knees close to her chest. "I'm kind of into this."

    "Do you want me to growl, or...?" Nick gazed at her as he continued to walk around on all fours, not a bit of clothing on either of them.

    "Just be as foxy as you can," Judy smiled, enjoying watching him.

    Nick tried to get back into character, prowling around as he felt a wild, though not savage, fox might. They were trying various experiments to get Judy more comfortable with a fox being so close to her, in an intimate sense. Some buried part of her still feared the predator as he approached, and they were trying to defeat that part.

    Judy let out a small gasp as Nick took a vulpine leap onto the bed, a move that combined feline grace and canine presence. Judy laid back as she fixed her eyes on the approaching fox, paying special attention to how his shoulders and tail moved as he approached. He had an even, charming expression, his eyes barely open. The bunny was rather smitten.

    "I'm liking this a lot," Judy admitted, giving a little squeal.

    "Good," Nick smirked. "Hope you're gonna like what comes next, too." Nick held out his paw, showing off his claws. Judy gasped again, but nodded. Every time she saw a fox hold out their claws in that manner it awoke a memory from her childhood in her, but she wanted to replace those memories with happier, though naughtier, ones. Her breath came faster as Nick slowly brought his hand closer to her body.

    "Nh..." Judy winced a bit as she felt his claws gently brush her fur. His gentleness stirred her passions, and she shivered. Nick continued, adding his other hand, caressing her arms, thighs, stomach, and legs with all eight points of his claws. "Hrh... hh... Nh-Nick, your claws... hahhh..."

    Nick thoroughly enjoyed the sounds she was making, but he sniffed curiously. He sensed both apprehension and a whole lot of excitement from Judy. His teeth clenched in his mouth, but Judy had told him not to act on what he smelled; she was tired of her body betraying her. Nick, still on all fours, loomed over Judy. At this point, her nose was twitching; his own scent, his presence, felt intense, exciting, and frightening. The fox tried nuzzling her neck and releasing a low, soft growl.

    "Hh..." Judy squinted her eyes shut and kept herself in surrender, no matter how much her instincts told her to flee.

    "Mine," Nick said solidly.

    Judy nodded, whimpering a little. "Yeah..." Nick placed his hand on Judy's chest and felt her alarmingly rapid heartbeat. He swallowed, but tried to stay into character.

    "Nothing can stop me from taking my prey now..." Nick said in a dangerous, low voice, drawing ever closer and positioning himself.

    "Nh-nothing," Judy nodded in vacant agreement. Nick slowly moved until he was nearly completely upon her, then Judy felt an intense jolt of panic. "Tax evasion!"

    "Well, nothing but tax evasion," Nick smirked, sitting up on his knees.

    "Darn it!" Judy slammed her hands back on the bed. "Darn it darn it darn it!"

    "You're still not ready; that's perfectly okay," Nick held out a hand. "Gotta say though, that's a great safe-word. It just drains all of the desire out of me." He chuckled.

    "Ughhh... this must be so frustrating for you," Judy groaned, sitting up on the bed as well, putting her hands in her lap. She turned her head away and closed her eyes. "Having to play red light green light with a skittish bunny."

    "Not nearly as frustrating as it seems for you, Judy," Nick had a small smile on, petting Judy's limp ears. "Like I said, I'm okay with waiting. I know you want this, and I sure as heck do too, but..."

    "Nick, we've been at these experiments for a few months now," Judy sighed, looking at him with her purple eyes in that way she did when she really wanted to get him to do something. "As much as I appreciate your concern for my own feelings, can't you just... can't we just... do it? Maybe it'd be easier if we just go past that first barrier, even though it might be a bit uncomfortable."

    "Uh," Nick suddenly looked very uncomfortable. "N-no, I can't do that."

    "Nick..." Judy pet Nick's side. "I... I really am glad you care about my feelings so much, but... I'm holding us back."

    "No, it's not just you," Nick narrowed one eye. "It's that... well... I want the first time we mate to be really special, you know? And if that first time I visit the bunny burrow-"

    "Oh, charming," Judy rolled her eyes, but she laughed.

    "If that first time," Nick tried not to chuckle as well, but he did, "if I feel... well, like it's uncomfortable for you in any way, that's it; that's the first memory I have of us being together like that, and nothing can change that." Nick sighed. "So when I think of us mating, I'll think of that first time, how it felt, how we struggled with our own feelings..."

    "Aw, Nick..." Judy's eyebrows turned up, and she pet his back. "I didn't know you felt that way..."

    "Well it sounds kind of sappy, right?" Nick looked up at the ceiling. "You know I put way too much importance on events like that..."

    "I think you're right though," Judy nodded. "Our first time should be special. I just hope... I hope at this rate there is a first time. I don't know how much of my inner fear I can truly squelch..."

    Nick pet Judy's back in response. There was a moment of silence. "Even under some circumstance should there never be a first time-"

    "But there has to be, Nick!" Judy looked upset, scrambling onto his lap and hugging him. "There has to! We can't... we can't be mates if we don't mate...!"

    "Can't we?" Nick said softly, kissing the top of her head. "Imagine lovers that are even greater in size difference than we are. Certainly they can't."

    "We can though..." Judy mumbled sheepishly. "And... I want to..."

    "Yeah, me too, bunny..." Nick pet her back. "But, as I said, even if we somehow never do... well... you've never left me wanting, Judy. You've always taken care of me. My... desires. And with the commotion you can make, I'm guessing you might feel the same way."

    Judy felt her ears warm, but she nuzzled Nick's neck. "Uh, yeah, you definitely have learned how to make a bunny girl happy. In many ways."

    "See?" Nick pressed his nose to Judy's briefly. "We're mates."

    Judy kissed him to follow up his affectionate gesture. "Mm hm..." She broke the kiss. "We are."

    Nick sighed, taking in the gray bunny lovely form. "I'm so lucky to have you, Ju-"

    "Okay wait, wait," Judy slapped her paws over his mouth. "Before you get too mushy, I think you need a reward for being such a considerate loverrr!" Judy squealed as Nicks tongue lashed against the intruding bunny paws.

    "If you feel like it," Nick said, chuckling as Judy wiped her paws on his chest.

    "Now, what does a foxy want from me?" Judy kept her paws on Nick's body, feeling around his stomach fur.

    "Th-those paws are very soft..." Nick sighed in pleasure.

    "Oh you're right, Mr. Fox..." Judy giggled. "What sort of trouble a bunny could get into with these soft, velvety paws."

    "I like trouble," Nick smirked. "I like trouble a lot."

    Judy moved herself lower on Nick's form. She raised her eyebrows briefly once. "Trouble is my middle name, Nick..."

    "I thought it was Laverne," Nick shot back.

    "Gh..." Judy squinted her eyes shut, cringing. "Maybe 'Laverne' should be the new safe-word..."

Chapter 28: Surrender

Notes:

Content Warning: Steamy fluff ahead; may stray towards the "mature" side. If this makes you uncomfortable, don't hesitate to skip this chapter.

    "Eek!" Judy giggled as she was sent flying through the air and landed on a big cushy bed. She squeaked again as she was delighted by the motion. "Well, someone's excited." She made herself comfortable on the deluxe hotel suite bed.

    "Just a little bit," Nick gestured with two fingers to indicate a small amount. His tail was wagging as he started to remove his tuxedo. "Comfy, Mrs. Wilde?"

    "Quite! I don't know if I've ever been in a bed this big..." Judy laid her hands fetchingly over her head and watched her newlywed groom remove his clothing with interest. His moves were quite graceful. "Wow, did you practice getting out of those things? So smooth!"

    "Well you don't call me Slick Nick for nothing," Nick winked, putting his clothes away.

    "Alright already, now get on this bed before I have to drag you over here myself," Judy's feet twitched with impatience. "I'm not making this pose for me, you know."

    "No, you're right, and I very much-," Nick pounced on the bed and onto her, causing her to shriek pleasantly, "-appreciate it, my dear. Now where were we before our wedding clothes so rudely got in our way...?"

    "I think it was something like..." Judy started, then fiercely kissed him. Nick joined her in this, and the two kissed wildly, with Nick licking at her face between kisses. Their paws wandered possessively over each other, squeezing and caressing in a deft dance of both desire and delicacy.

    "Mm..." Nick pulled away from the kissing with some effort as the amorous bunny tried to resist his escape. "Is it possible for you to look more radiant this way than ever? I wonder if it's just the haze of being newlyweds..."

    "Of course it's possible," Judy flashed both a bright smile and her wedding ring. "Factually, I am more radiant than before."

    "How romantic of you," Nick chuckled, nibbling at her neck. Judy gasped tersely, her breath catching on the intake. Nick's breaths started to become labored as he took in how she would react to his petting of her; how her body leaned into both his pawpads and his claws. Her vocalizations seemingly anxious, but rich with anticipation. And of course, there was her scent. She was completely excited, not a hint of fear from her; her nose completely still as he explored her. It was enthralling to Nick, and he greedily sniffed around Judy's chest, stomach, and under her chin as he took in her scent. His tail whipped behind him.

    "Mm... is my fox hungry...?" Judy teased, petting over his ears.

    "You could say that," Nick grinned up at her, wearing his best smug grin as his tail lashed behind him, his haunches up a bit.

    "Well, I'm not too sure you should be dining on bunny tonight," Judy smirked saucily.

    "But she's so yummy..." Nick protested in almost a whine, nipping on her shoulders, to more giggles.

    "You know what I need," Judy whispered. "I'm ready... you can tell, can't you?"

    "Mm..." Nick swallowed, nodding with effort. "You're very ready. And... I've made you wait this long..."

    Judy shook her head. "Don't blame yourself. We've both had our blocks to get through."

    "We've just told the whole world what we mean to each other," Nick sighed. "Yet... we haven't-"

    "Shh," Judy smiled, kissing his nose. "Stop talking." She gave him a warm smile. "You're not scared, are you?"

    "Of course I am," Nick grinned. "I feel like the past long while of my life has been leading all the way up to this. This wonderful evening with this flawless bunny..." He kissed her forehead.

    "Excuse me, 'flawless'?" Judy laughed, softly swatting him on the arm. "You know that's not right."

    "Sorry, I meant, 'flawed but ultimately irresistible'," Nick rolled his eyes. He poked her stomach, to another laugh. "Can't you just accept some hyperbolic praise once in awhile?" Judy shrugged, giving a sideways nod of her head. Her eyes slowly half-closed as she looked over her new husband's form. The completely admiring look gave the fox some pause, but he regained his confidence and struck a pose with his shoulders hunched up. The bunny hummed her approval.

    "Come on Nick, mate with me..." Judy said, laying back and smiling up at him confidently.

    Nick nodded once absently, then again more firmly. "Yeah... we can do that..." He look one more lingering look over her lovely form before allowing himself to descend upon her. Both gave themselves up to each other, instantly consumed with their passion and eagerness to belong to one another. Their suite was filled with the sounds of their surrender: their moans, cries, and impassioned pleas.

    After the two finally came to rest side by side on the bed, Nick felt himself jealously hold Judy closer, trying to catch his breath. He felt his arms around her both tense and give way, as if he couldn't bear to use anything less than his full strength to hold her closer. For her part, Judy raked her small bunny claws down the fox's back, causing him to groan in pleasure and relief.

    Slowly, as the two descended from their clouds of ecstasy, they started giggling intermittently at each other. Sometimes they broke out into full laughing. Random kisses were placed along each others muzzles, but they were aimed poorly as they both felt exhausted from their exertion.

    "Well... mmm... that was fun," Judy finally huffed as enough of her strength returned for her to form words again. She nestled in very close to the fox's larger body.

    "Yeah," Nick panted, taking a deep breath, "it wasn't bad."

    Judy burst out into giggling again. "Th-those sounds you made..."

    "Oh come on, you were making way more," Nick groaned, though he was giggling too.

    "No no no," Judy formed a bright smile. "Those... those trills? I've never heard you make that sound before. So cute! So cute!"

    "Agh..." Nick's tail wagged behind him and he was helpless to control it. "I was hoping your incessant whining would drown that out..."

    "Ooh, I can't wait to make you make those sounds over, and over and over and over-," Judy placed her paws on Nick's cheeks and squeezed.

    Nick put a paw on her muzzle. "Okay, I get the idea. So ah... I assume you enjoyed that, then."

    "Immensely," Judy looked up and gave a satiated sigh. "Ooh, you were so good. Next time I think I should try taking charge! See how it goes." She grinned mischievously.

    "Hm... if you say so," Nick grinned, his voice carrying a cautionary edge. "Hopefully I won't be planning on walking the next day..." The two broke down into laughing again.

    Judy sighed pleasantly again, and Nick joined her in this, then the two kissed, much more gently than either of them thought they would.

    "Nick, uh..." Judy's smile gained an unsure tone. "Was I worth waiting for?"

    "You really have to ask that, Judy?" Nick stroked her cheek. "Every second. I hope you didn't doubt that."

    "Not exactly," Judy admitted. "But, you know... your voice is really kinda... mm... it can do things to me. So I wanted to hear you say it..." She giggled again.

    "I'll remember that," Nick winked. "For all the many next times there will be."

    Judy touched her forehead to Nick's and they rubbed each others faces lovingly.

    "I'm kind of thirsty after that..." Judy admitted with a smirk.

    "For more?" Nick eyes flew open in panic. "I am but a mere mortal fox, my wife! Your bunny stamina far outstrips-"

    "For some water, dingus," Judy chuckled, thrusting a paw onto his muzzle to quiet him, but then looked away and bit her lip. "But uh... I don't... know if I can actually... go anywhere at the moment."

    "I did warn you about this, many times," Nick chuckled. "Our mating is always going to be a commitment."

    "Oh, yes, and I don't mind that at all!" Judy laughed.

    "Maybe I could, I dunno, kinda hold you and carry you to the fridge?" Nick said, narrowing one eye.

    "Might be kind of awkward," Judy rubbed her forehead, her voice a bit nervous.

    "Yeah, well what else is new between us?" Nick kissed where she had been rubbing. Judy smiled pleasantly at him, then started to giggle. Before long, she broke out into a full on laugh, wiping tears from her eyes. "Judy? C'mon, it wasn't that funny..."

    "I just thought of something!" Judy grinned brightly. "We finally... tied the knot."

    Nick's expression went completely deadpan. "Judy."

    "No no!" Judy pawed frantically at Nick's chest. "We tied the knot! You get it!?"

    "I got it, Judy," Nick was trying very hard not to smile. "C'mon, silly. Let's try getting you to that water."

Chapter 29: Leave

    "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming already," Nick groaned in fatigue, heading over to the door of his apartment. "Jeez, on my day off, too." Nick's senses fully actuated once he opened the door, and his eyes widened. It was an angry looking gray bunny, her arms folded and tapping her foot.

    But it wasn't Judy.

    "Ah, hello Mrs.-," Nick started, and then Bonnie leaped up cleanly and gave Nick's face a firm smack across his face before falling back down, "Hopps." Nick rubbed his cheek. "Ow. The arm on you Hopps females..."

    "Please explain this to me, if you would," Bonnie narrowed her eyes, holding up a newspaper article that read:

    (ZPD advocating inter-species relationships? Read the full story of the two smallest ZPD heartthrobs inside!) Near the article was a candid photo of Judy with her eyes closed and mouth open happily, hugged onto Nick's arm with both of hers. Nick meanwhile was gesturing with his free hand and had his signature smirk on. Nick briefly tried to remember what joke he was telling his bunny love before Bonnie cleared her throat to get his attention.

    "Huh, can't say I've seen that," Nick shrugged. "Who reads the Zootopia Times anymore? Pretty good picture of Judy though. Guess we have our own paparazzi now."

    "This is not a joke, fox," Bonnie said, tossing the paper down in anger. The venom with which she said the word "fox" was evident. "What exactly are your intentions with my daughter?"

    "That might have been the right question to ask first, before you hit me," Nick said evenly. "Though I do admire your tenacity for traveling all the way to Zootopia just to slap me."

    "Don't you play games with me," Bonnie shook her finger accusingly at Nick. "I want to know exactly how deep this 'fraternization' thing goes with my daughter."

    "Hm, maybe you should rephrase that," Nick smirked. Bonnie gave him an icy, hateful glare. "Okay, anyway, I thought Judy told me you and Mr. Hopps were okay with foxes now. Where's the ol' boy anyway? Hiding around the corner with his fox taser?"

    "Stu is a marshmallow that hates confrontation," Bonnie dug her hands into her hips, "but I'm not. The Hopps being business partners with a fox is a lot different than one wanting to get his claws into Judy! When my daughter's safety is on the line you can bet I'm not going to back down!" Nick regarded the angry bunny coolly. He was rather reminded of Judy and her righteous anger the first time he met her.

    "Now I know where Judy got her spunk, her punching arm," Nick started, then his expression dipped slightly. "And her mouth." Bonnie gave a sharp gasp at his audacity.

    "I'm warning you, fox," Bonnie said acidly, "I'll be coming back with the fox taser if you don't keep your fox paw-pads off of my daughter." Nick still wore a pleasant smirk, but inside he was beginning to seethe. Like Judy did the first time he saw her, Bonnie was testing his nerves. Nick decided it was time to cut to the chase and start cutting with his words.

    "Trust me, ma'am, it's way too late for that," Nick started gently. "My paws have already been all over your daughter." Bonnie's jaw dropped and she looked like she was about to yell, but Nick interrupted her. "At her request, no less! More like begging, really. Oh, she was very insistent." Nick gave a devilish smile. "Anyhow, given that the closeness your daughter and I share has been her idea, and not mine, perhaps you should go knocking on her door instead. Unless, of course, you're afraid of her."

    "Afraid?" Bonnie's anger was seasoned with confusion. "Why in the great green Earth would I be afraid of my own daughter?"

    "Only because Judy is the most fierce, driven, and capable bunny I have ever had the pleasure of knowing," Nick explained. "She has a lot to offer this world, certainly more than a few hundred kits." Bonnie balled her fists up in fury and showed her teeth in a huge sneer. Nick smiled. Bunnies were so easy to manipulate. Nick reached into his pocket and showed his badge. "Hit me again. I dare you."

    Bonnie stayed put, but her eyes might as well have been shooting lasers at the fox. "What a vile vulpine you are. What Judy sees in you is beyond me."

    "And it might always be," Nick nodded. "Thankfully, your outdated opinions didn't stop Judy from becoming a police officer and changing my life, nor will they keep her from loving me. Now. Leave." Nick had the barest hint of displeasure on his face.

    Bonnie was stunned into silence by Nick's audacity and his sudden dip in mood. Nick pointed down the hall.

    "Go."

    Nick shut the door and his smooth facade melted away into a panicked frown, his eyes wide open. He slapped his hands over his muzzle. Had he really just said all that  to Judy's mother? Talk about burning bridges. Nick slapped his pants pockets for his phone and began to frantically text Judy.

    [Your mom showed up at my apartment. She's on the warpath.]

    Nick went to get a glass of ice water to try to calm his nerves while waiting for Judy to respond. It came not too long after; he knew she'd be awake by now.

    [What? Ugh, is it that newspaper article? She saw that?]

    [Yup. I might have, uh, been not so pleasant with her.]

    [Knowing my mother, that's not a surprise. Did she slap you?]

    Nick hesitated before he responded. He typed in "It didn't hurt", but then he erased it and sent: [Nope.]

    [She did!? That doe!!!]

    Nick grit his teeth. He shouldn't have hesitated before replying. [Oh and uh, I might have dared her to come over to your apartment too...?]

    [Let her come.]

---

    Judy opened the door and immediately folded her arms and scowled, her eyes half-lidded at her mother on the other side.

    "What," Judy said coldly.

    "That's no way to talk to your mother," Bonnie folded her arms in return, mirroring Judy's look.

    "You hit Nick, mother!?" Judy threw her arms open in exasperation.

    "Wow, what a tattletale," Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Tough big fox like that can't take a little slap from a doe?"

    "I pried it out of him, mother," Judy sneered with her teeth, putting her hands on her hips and bending over a few degrees. "You do not get to tell me, and especially not him, how to live our lives."

    "No, I've given up on that," Bonnie replied in a sort of frustrated anger, "I just want you to know you're making a huge mistake. Not only are inter-species relationships wrong, they never end up going well anyway."

    "Just like a bunny can't be a cop, right," Judy snapped. "I don't owe you any words on why I'm with Nick. But I guess I might as well tell you. He's the sweetest, most charming gentlemammal I've ever met. He means the world to me, and he's my partner. End. Of. Story."

    "You're just blinded by the heady passion of young love, Judy," Bonnie shook her head. "It might take a few months or even years, but you'll see. Bunnies are different enough from each other to have a lot of relationship troubles. Add in the whole 'different species' angle, and you have a recipe for disaster."

    "Great!" Judy said sarcastically, holding her hands out. "This is your opinion!" She angrily and forcefully stepped on the lid to her trash can and dumped the invisible object inside it, then let the lid slam back on.

    "Fine," Bonnie said, her expression smoothing out. "If you want to continue bringing reproach on this family by being with that fox, that's your doing."

    "Mother, leave," Judy said darkly. "Before I get angry. I don't want to cut you and dad out of my life, but I will if you insist on trying to run or ruin it."

    "That's some gratitude for you," Bonnie sucked at her teeth. "Should have known you were a problem doe from the start, with all those strange desires and dreams of yours."

    "Leave," Judy repeated. Then, she smirked. "Oh, and by the way, you might want to have a talk with dad about all this."

    "What did you do?" Bonnie looked suspicious.

    "Just asked him what he thought of Nick and I," Judy explained airily. "He thinks it's fine."

    "Don't you lie to me," Bonnie narrowed her eyes. Judy's grin grew larger and she pulled her carrot pen out of her pocket.

    "Honest, mother, just got off the phone with him," Judy smiled, narrowing her eyes in a fierce way as if he was about to strike the final blow. She clicked the button on her carrot recorder pen. Stu's voice came from it.

    "Oh, I think you and Nick are great together! That fox is such a charming kind of guy. Almost wish you and he'd work on the farm with us so I could hang out with him more!"

    Judy wiggled her eyebrows and tossed the pen over her shoulder onto her bed. It landed on the button and Stu's muffled voice told the bed how he felt about Nick again.

    "I'm going to have a talk with that buck," Bonnie nodded once.

    "Or, you could just get over yourself!" Judy finished off, and slammed her door. Bonnie flinched.

    Ooh, that Judy, Bonnie thought, spinning on her heel. She could be so contrary and infuriating.

    She wondered where she got that from.

Chapter 30: Leave II

    The front door to the Hopps Compound slammed, causing a small forest of bunny ears to perk and turn in that direction.

    "It's mom!" A younger Hopps kit declared.
    "Ooh, she looks angry..." A teenager said with trepidation in his voice.
    "I heard she went to Zootopia today," another teenager offered.
    "I think it was about Judy," a young twenty-something explained.
    "Is it about her and that fox...?" Another inquisitive voice.

    As Bonnie stormed toward the living area, she shot an intense glare at all of the gossiping bunnies in the entry hall, which caused their ears to wilt. She walked with her head tilted forward a few degrees and frowned even further when she caught sight of Stu relaxing in his favorite chair.

    "STUART!" Bonnie roared out.

    "Oh, hey Bon!" Stu gave a nervous smile, his ears drooping as well. "Back so soon?"

    "Don't you 'hey Bon' me," Bonnie shook her finger at him.

    "So um, I guess this means things didn't go so well in Zootopia?" Stu asked meekly.

    "What do you think!?" Bonnie shoved her fists into her hips.

    "Ah, darn, I was hoping you could break those two misguided lovers up," Stu released a nervous chuckle.

    "Don't you give me that!" Bonnie sneered. "I heard you giving Judy your approval in your very own voice!"

    "Ah, nuts," Stu's smile was guilty, and he bit down on his lip.

    "Stuart, this isn't a game!" Bonnie gestured wildly, throwing a hand into the air. "I want you to tell me why you think this is just something we can brush off!"

    Stu's nervous expression vanished and a look of eerie calm, and then maybe almost anger passed over him. "Well, we have other daughters."

    "What!?" Bonnie's jaw dropped. "How can you-!?"

    "Listen, Bon," Stu frowned. "You know at first I didn't like the thought of a fox being with our daughter any more than you do. But you've met him; you know he's a good guy. I don't think there's anything to worry about."

    "Wait, wait," Bonnie shook her head, waving her hands near her face. "What's this about 'other daughters'?"

    "Well I can only imagine that's where your concern lies," Stu stood up, folding his arms. "The fact that Judy, despite our best efforts and worries, isn't gonna be a 'normal' bunny after all."

    "So what, it makes it okay just because most of our other daughters are normal?" Bonnie put one hand on her hip and swept the other hand out widely.

    "Bon, you know we only started giving Judy special attention when we began to get worried about her," Stu made a 'calm down' gesture with both hands.

    "Oh, I'm sorry! Is it unnatural to be concerned about our daughter wanting to move over two hundred miles away and take a job in a city filled with giant mammals?" Bonnie shot back. "Let alone shack up with a predator!"

    Stu stayed quiet for a moment. "Like I said, we've got a lot of daughters following the 'normal' course of bunny life. Some we can't even afford to give the time of day because they're just doing what we're expecting them to do." Stu sighed. "But Judy, you know she's always been different. And we thought of her like- like what? A project that we had to fix?"

    "Well that sure didn't work," Bonnie huffed, folding her arms tightly.

    "Absolutely," Stu waggled his finger to himself, looking down. "But, I think we're coming from two different places here. I was terrified of Judy's life in Zootopia. The kind of trouble she got into almost immediately after she got there, it was too much to believe!"

    "Exactly!" Bonnie held up both of her hands palm-up. "So you understand my viewpoint after all!"

    "But..." Stu shook his head. "Judy proved to me she had what it took to survive in that type of environment. Heck, she's still thriving in it today. And that fox... well, he makes her happy, and he's a nice guy. What more can I really ask for?"

    "So you're alright with them..." Bonnies face scrunched up in disgust. "Being... intimate? Because that's what they're doing, Stuart!" Bonnie threw up her hands again. "That fox was telling me all sort of sordid things he was doing with our daughter!"

    Stu blinked and stood there, hands to his sides. Really, despite the proclivities bunnies were known for, Stu never much liked to think of any of his progeny actually performing them. He took a deep breath and sighed. "Well... ah. ...I'm going to guess that revelation wasn't unprovoked."

    "Ooh!" Bonnie stamped her foot and thrust her hands downward. "You're deflecting the issue!"

    "Listen, Bon, what two consenting mammals do isn't any of our business-" Stu held up his hands near his face.

    "Even when one of those mammals is our daughter!?" Bonnie shot back.

    "I'd say especially so, in that case," Stu let out a nervous laugh. "Anyway, I think I know what's got you so upset. Whereas I'm just happy Judy is okay, you feel like we've failed as parents because we couldn't 'straighten' Judy out."

    Bonnie's jaw dropped and she pointed at Stu, but then she was struck with a face of confusion for a moment.

    "That's it, huh?" Stu let a grimace form. "You think we're awful parents because we couldn't keep Judy from doing what she wanted to do."

    "It's not- it's not safe," Bonnie frowned. "It's not safe! Despite everything she's done, one accident and she could be shipped back to us in a wooden box!"

    "Bon, you know that statistically, it's far more likely that a bunny will die in an accident on a farm than in the big city," Stu shrugged his shoulders.

    "Yes well, 'statistically' there are also far more bunnies that live in the country," Bonnie snapped back. The two sighed at each other, feeling at an impasse. Stu's mouth twisted this way and that as he tried to find something to say.

    "Bonnie..." Stu sighed. "Let's get down to the main issue. Do we want Judy to be in our lives, or not?" Bonnie blinked in surprise at the blunt question.

    "Yes, of course!" Bonnie held out her hands. "Isn't that what I've been saying? I don't want her to be taken from us!"

    "Then..." Stu looked away briefly. "Maybe even if we can't fully accept her way of life... maybe we shouldn't be too hard on her about it."

    "Wha...?" Bonnie blinked. "Oh."

    "Yes, you're focused on all of the physical dangers she faces," Stu said, but then placed a hand to his chest. "But I'm concerned about her emotions toward us. I'm worried that if we're too irritating to her, she won't want to even talk to us anymore."

    "We've- we haven't been completely unsupportive, have we?" The lower parts of Bonnie's eyelids came up.

    "No, but..." Stu frowned, pausing to think. "There's only so much badgering a person can take before they don't want any of that in their lives anymore, you know?"

    "Tch..." Bonnie looked away, but her angry frown morphed into one of sadness. "You think so, huh?"

    "I'll say it one more time, Bon," Stu sighed. "We have other daughters. You want to make sure the rest of them are on the 'bunny way' and just cut Judy out completely? Wash our paws of her?"

    Bonnie looked toward the ground and then slowly looked at Stu. Her eyes were a bit glassy, her expression indistinct.

---

    Judy laughed merrily, reclined on the couch of Nick's apartment. "That's the monster? I think I can see the zipper in the costume."

    "You specifically said you wanted a bad movie tonight, sweetheart," Nick grinned, his arm around her shoulders. "I hope this doesn't disappoint."

    "'Course not, I love bad movies," Judy chuckled. "So much fun to riff on them."

    "Ah, a bunny after my own heart," Nick drew her a bit closer in a sideways hug. "Your snarking will soon be worthy of the greatest of foxes."

    "Like you?" Judy raised an eyebrow, pushing him away.

    "I am but a mere follower in the pawprints of sarcasm," Nick grinned, holding up a finger. "One can only attain true snarkitude once they digest a complete and utter disdain for the world."

    "Ooh, I hope I don't get there," Judy half-frowned. Nick brushed a hand through his head fur.

    The fox chuckled, feeling a twinge of nervousness. "Maybe I shouldn't have said that. C'mon, let's just enjoy a crappy movie."

    "Let's," Judy nodded, grinning and kissing Nick's nose.

    Only a few minutes later, Judy's phone started to ring. The ringtone was one of a rather dire, dramatic sounding song. Judy's ears instantly drooped back.

    "Ugh! Really?" Judy looked over at her phone.

    "Your parents?" Nick asked, pausing the movie.

    "Who else?" Judy rolled her eyes. She flung her phone across the couch, it landing precariously on the arm.

    "I can go hide if you want to talk to them," Nick smirked.

    "I'm not 'hiding' you, Nicholas!" Judy sneered, then scrambled over and picked up the phone. "In fact...!" She tossed the phone over to Nick. "You answer it! Make them squirm!"

    Nick chuckled nervously, but shrugged his shoulders. "As you wish." He touched the MuzzleTime button, and Bonnie's face appeared on the other end. She appeared surprised.

    "Ah... Nick?" Bonnie said. "You two, uh... get your phones mixed up?"

    "Not exactly," Nick shrugged. "To what does she owe this call, Mrs. Hopps?"

    "...Is she there?" Bonnie noticed that the background was that of Nick's less-than-ideal apartment.

    "Are you here, Judy?" Nick smirked over at her. Judy folded her arms tightly and sneered. "Oof, I think that might be a 'no', Mrs. Hopps."

    Bonnie's eyes seemed pained. "Please, may I speak with her?"

    Judy rolled her eyes and sighed. With her eyes still rolled back, she held her paw out dramatically.

    "Thanks for not making me play 'fox between two does' any longer," Nick grinned.

    "Yes, mother?" Judy said, looking at her phone.

    "I'd like to apologize, Judy," Bonnie said, looking remorseful.

    Judy's eyebrows raised. "Well that was a quick change of heart." Judy looked over at Nick. "Isn't your cheek still stinging from that slap, Nick?"

    "Nah, just my pride," Nick smirked. "If I'd seen it coming, I could have ducked."

    "Judy, please," Bonnie sighed. "I'm attempting to be serious, here. I'll admit I don't understand what's..." Bonnie bit her lip as she was about to use the word "wrong". "What's... different about you."

    "Mhm..." Judy's teeth grit inside of her mouth as she tried not to sneer.

    "But I suppose ultimately it's none of my business," Bonnie sighed. "I just wanted you to be a safe and happy bunny."

    "Will one of those suffice?" Judy slowly smirked. "I'm definitely happy."

    "Can you at least appreciate my concerns, Judy?" Bonnie sighed, staring at the ceiling. "I look at the Zootopia papers every day and expect to see your name there in the obituaries..."

    "Mom!" Judy's eyes widened in surprise. "It's not like we bunnies are dropping like flies in Zootopia!"

    Bonnie sighed. "I know, but how many of them are cops?"

    "I'm a beat cop, mom," Judy chuckled. "It's not like I'm a secret agent."

    "Don't give me that, Judy!" Bonnie frowned. "I know on your first real adventure you nearly died about a half-dozen times!"

    "It might have um... might have been a little less than that," Judy giggled meekly, holding up her forefinger and thumb close to each other.

    "Judy..." Bonnie sighed. "I know you might not- well, you might not have kits of your own, but... I know you've had the fear of losing someone seared into you before. You've told your father as much."

    Judy gave a blank look to Nick, who's expression was also unreadable. "I suppose I have..."

    "That's all I'm concerned about- I just... I'm sorry, I'll leave you two be," Bonnie frowned, beginning to appear more and more upset.

    "Mom, it's okay," Judy smiled tenderly. "It's okay, you don't have to go."

    Bonnie gave a shuddering sigh. "All right."

    "But you do have to apologize to Nick," Judy grinned, tossing the phone over to Nick again.

    "Urh!" Nick started as he fumbled to catch the phone, failed, and picked it up off of the couch.

    Bonnie formed a wobbly smile. "I'm sorry Nick, can you forgive me?"

    "I mean, I can," Nick grinned. "Judy's still hit me more times than you have."

    "Judy!" Bonnie looked appalled.

    "It's all in good fun!" Judy winced. "Mostly...!"

    "Anyway, I kind of know what it's like to be estranged from your parents over... you know... 'things'," Nick shrugged, his eyes wandering away from Bonnie briefly. "I'd rather it not happen to Judy as well."

    "Oh no, you're welcome back here any time you'd want to visit," Bonnie said pleadingly. "What was it you said your favorite fruit was? Blueberries?"

    "Oh my God, blueberries..." Nick said nearly dreamily, but then shook his head. "I mean, yeah, they're pretty good."

    "I'm known to make a mean blueberry tart," Bonnie said with a touch of sauciness.

    "Mean, huh? I can believe that," Nick grinned. Judy laughed.

    Bonnie sighed, rolling her eyes. "I deserve that. I deserve that... anyway, I'm just... just going to say this one thing. Um... please keep my daughter safe, if you can."

    Nick looked seriously over at Judy, who had an awkward smile. "Oh yeah. I've had to yank her back by the shirt collar more than a couple of times."

    "Unsurprising," Bonnie smirked. Judy smirked and folded her arms up tightly again, huffing. "I'm... glad she has someone like you, Nick. Someone who can take care of her and support her. And you know, someone that recognizes all of her many faults." Nick chuckled.

    "Faults!?" Judy burst out. "I can still hear you, you know!" Nick laughed harder.

    "Don't worry ma'am," Nick smirked. "Your daughter is in safe paws with me. Safe, loving, wandering paws that-"

    "Okay, okay!" Bonnie cringed. "I'm hanging up now!" She did.

    Judy giggled and launched herself onto Nick, hugging him. "You sure know how to handle the does."

    "Oh yeah," Nick pet over Judy's ears. "Especially the Hopps ones. And especially this one." The naughty edge in his voice wasn't lost on Judy and she chuckled, gently smacking him on the chest.

    "Mmm..." Judy nodded, snuggling in. Nick hit the remote and the movie started up again. Judy opened her eyes and turned her head to the TV. The low-budget monster began to move again, and let out a roar. "Oh my gourd, it sounds like a drowning elephant."

    "Hopefully not precisely true," Nick smirked. The two laughed as they settled in for the rest of their night.

Chapter 31: Machinations

    "For heaven's sake, what have I told you kits?" Bonnie let loose an aggravated sigh as she approached a small pile of bunny children. "When you're piling up on someone, you do not cover their face!" Bonnie leaned down and peeled a small bunny kit from the pile, revealing Nick's head. He gasped, then gave a tired grin.

    "It kind of alarms me that you have protocol for that sort of thing," Nick chuckled.

    "We do, and my kits can usually behave," Bonnie glared daggers at the kit she was holding by the back of his shirt.

    "Sorry momma," the kit gave a guilty grin. Bonnie set him down and he ran off.

    "Comfy, Nick?" Bonnie asked jokingly, staring at what little she could see of him.

    "Quite," Nick shot back as he was still covered by a carpet of curious, hugging bunnies.

    "Wow Nick, you're old!" A female's voice called out, looking at his driver's license.

    "There goes my wallet," Nick chuckled. "Raising a thief, huh?"

    "Lily!" Bonnie grumbled sternly.

    "Sorry, momma!" Lily gave a big grin and shoved his wallet back in his pocket.

    "Nick, do you have a car?" A small male bunny close to Nick's head asked. Nick sighed.
    
    "I'll leave you be, Nick," Bonnie smiled warmly. "Give a holler if they're not off you in a half hour or so."

    "You got it," Nick grunted.

---

    Judy was at Bonnie's side as they did some dishes together in the main kitchen area. Bonnie shook her head, sucking at her teeth.

    "Judy, I just don't understand why you insist on doing chores when you come over to visit," Bonnie shook her head. "It's your vacation; you should relax!"

    "Just habit, I guess?" Judy shrugged casually. "A bunny household is like a well-tuned machine, and if even one part is out of place, things don't work so well."

    "But somehow, we've managed without you," Bonnie teased. Judy shot her an unsure look. "Oh, I'm sorry dear, I didn't mean to be rude. I love having you and Nick over."

    "You already met Nick last time we were here, mom," Judy cocked an eyebrow. "I don't know if I'm more surprised that you wanted him to come back, or that Nick agreed to come. Is he still buried?"

    "Well, let's see!" Bonnie set a cup down in the sink and peeked over in to the large main living area. She grew a wide smile. "Oh my goodness gracious. Come look, Judy!"

    "What is it?" Judy set a dish down and came running, slightly alarmed.

    Nick was sitting on the floor of the main living area, with a large audience of bunny kits. They were sitting near him, on him, and even behind him. Not one kit was paying attention to the large array of TV screens off to the side; every kit had their rapt attention trained on Nick. He appeared to be telling some sort of story, though Bonnie and Judy couldn't make it out from so far away and across the low din of the bunnies in the entry hall. Nick would gesture emphatically with his hands, make exaggerated faces, and bunnies would flinch and laugh.

    "Huh!" Judy tried not to sound too impressed. "Not bad."

    "Oh, he's just so good with the kits," Bonnie smiled in adoration. "That's why I wanted him to come over! They just find him so fascinating. He'd make a great father, wouldn't you say?"

    "Ah c'mon," Judy chuckled, moving back to the dishes. "He's got it easy. He's only got to deal with them for a few days, maximum, then he's off the hook."

    "Now now," Bonnie said reprovingly, following her back to the chore at hand. "Dealing with that many kits for any length of time is a challenge."

    "Yeah, he's alright," Judy rolled her eyes, but her voice was fond.    

    "So, anything... new with you and Nick?" Bonnie gave a mischievous grin.

    "Huh? I mean, we're still partners," Judy shrugged. "Things are pretty much the same as the last time we were over, when you first met him."

    "Oh, I see..." Bonnie pursed her lips and twisted them this way and that. "Hmm... are you sure?" She grinned piercingly.

    "Mom!" Judy raised an eyebrow. "If I didn't know any better I'd think you were trying to pry out something to gossip about!"

    "Who, me? I would never," Bonnie smiled innocently. "But, you do have to admit that Nick is a charming fellow."

    "Mom, did you forget he's a fox?" Judy shook her head. "'Actually, your father does have a point'? 'Foxes are the worst'?"

    "Judy!" Bonnie put her hands on her own hips and her mood fell a bit. "You know your father and I have moved past that!"

    "I sure didn't expect you to swing so wide in the other direction," Judy rolled her eyes.

    "So, tell me! Is there any juicy dirt on him you've dug up?" Bonnie asked with an eager, almost wavering voice.

    "What's to tell?" Judy gave an annoyed huff. "I mean, yeah, it's true, he is sweet and courteous, funny and smug, fun to be around..."

    "Ooh!" Bonnie gave a tiny hop. "And you get butterflies in your stomach when you talk about him?"

    Judy's pupils shrank a bit and she stared at Bonnie. "Okay, okay, I see whats going on here. It's the reverse psychology trick. You're trying to encourage me and Nick to get closer because you don't want us to be. Just like you tried to talk me out of being a police officer! Well, nice try."

    "Judy, do you honestly think I'm that clever?" Bonnie giggled.

    "Well, I know dad isn't," Judy smirked, folding her arms.

    Bonnie laughed louder. "You have a point there."

    "Let's cut the squash, mom," Judy twisted her mouth a bit. "Do you or do you not want Nick and I to get together?"

    "Young lady, you watch your mouth," Bonnie retorted firmly. Then, she turned halfway away from Judy, trying to put on a dignified look. "I mean, I suppose I wouldn't hate that. It would be... hm... fun, don't you think? I'd have so much to gossip about with my sisters!"

    Judy sighed warmly. "Nice to know where your priorities are."

---

    "And that's the end of that story," Nick smirked.

    "What!?" The throng of kits shrilly protested in unison.

    "That can't be the end! Does the squirrel ever become a race-car driver!?" The kit that had asked if Nick had a car stamped his foot.

    "Does he still get to be with his ferret girlfriend?" A small girl kit asked hopefully.

    "Well, you'll just have to wait until I come back next time to tell more of the story, won't you?" Nick said smugly, starting to rise to his feet, gently moving some of the bunnies closer to his body away from him.

    "Aww...!" The bunnies replied, reluctantly starting to disperse. Stu made his way over to Nick, seeing the bunnies clear out.

    "Are you free, Nick?" Stu asked.

    "Finally, yes," Nick chuckled.

    "Well! I've got a bit of an activity planned for the two of us!" Stu went on, holding up two wicker baskets. "Blueberry picking!"

    "Really!?" Nick lit up childishly and then gave a nervous laugh as his ears laid flat and he ran a hand through them. "Uh, I mean, cool."

    Stu chuckled. "Thought you might like that. Wanna come?"

    "Of course! But what makes you think I'll need a basket?" Nick wiggled his eyebrows.

    "Well, Mr. Fox," Stu gave him a reproving look, "there'll be none of Bonnie's famous vegetable casserole for you if you spoil your appetite with blueberries."

    "Augh!" Nick tugged on his ears a bit. "Making me choose between my true loves!"

    The two laughed as they headed off into the fields together.

---

    "So, about what you were saying earlier..." Stu started as the two picked blueberries. Stu saw Nick pop a couple into his mouth. "Hey! Remember what I said!"

    "I'll stop at ten, I swear," Nick chuckled. "Mm, they're just so good... anyway, what about what? I wasn't paying attention."

    "Your true love," Stu clarified.

    "Ah yes, blueberries, and Bonnie's casserole," Nick chuckled. "Mm. I better stop with these berries, indeed. I need some of that casserole."

    "I was more talking about love in general, Nick," Stu went on conversationally. "Do you have one?"

    "Do I...?" Nick repeated, thinking about this. "Well, I don't have any vixen girlfriends, if that's what you mean."

    "It's not what I mean, Nick," Stu's voice was rather even, and Nick felt caution. "Are you in love with someone?"

    "I uh..." Nick seemed to be giving this some thought. Stu gave him a gaze that felt like a glare.

    "C'mon, son, it's not that hard of a question," Stu chuckled. "Who makes your heart ache?"

    "I kind of feel like this is a leading question, maybe," Nick said with trepidation. "You don't... have the fox taser with you, do you?"

    "No, I threw that old thing away," Stu chuckled merrily. "So, it's Judy!?"

    "Oh God, I didn't say that!" Nick looked panicked.

    "It's... not Judy?" Stu suddenly looked disappointed.

    "Er, if it wasn't, would that be a problem?" Nick picked some more blueberries, wondering if he could make a break back for the Hopps compound.

    "Oh, I dunno, Nick," Stu looked away a bit. "Just, when I see the two of you together, it kinda warms my heart a bit, you know? You get along so well."

    Nick felt like he had a rock in his stomach, and he knew he hadn't eaten too much. He looked around. "Um, we're not being filmed, are we? Are we on some sort of candid camera show?"

    "Nick!" Stu laughed. "Is it really so hard to believe that? I know you're a hard-working, honest fox. You graduated at the top of your class!"

    "How'd you know that?" Nick cocked an eyebrow.

    "Ah, Judy bragged about you to me one time," Stu chuckled, picking a few more berries. "Though I think it was more rubbing it in that foxes can be great mammals, after all."

    "Hm," Nick swallowed. "Judy's... well, she's a special person. She changed the course of my life and I owe her a lot. I'd never do anything to hurt her."

    "Oh, I know that, son," Stu gave a wobbly smile. "Else I would have taser'd ya!"

    "Gee, thanks," Nick chuckled. He set down his basket of berries, and Stu followed suit. Nick held his arms out in caution. "Listen, I'm not going to say that I... well, that I'm not attracted to your daughter. But I'm just not sure that it should go too far, you know?"

    "Ah, Nick!" Stu smiled warmly, rushing at him.

    "Wait, wait! What are you doing!?" Nick exaggeratedly flinched with his arms guarding his head, but relaxed when Stu just ran up to hug Nick. Baffled, he hugged back, patting Stu on the back.

    "BZZZZT!" Stu exclaimed suddenly, jostling Nick with his arms in the hug.

    "Aaagh!" Nick yelped before he realized he wasn't being tased. "Ah, hilarious."

    Stu laughed. "Ah, you and I, we'll have some good times together."

    "When exactly are they going to start?" Nick quipped back.

    The two of them chuckled warmly as they picked their blueberry baskets back up.

---

    Nick was uncomfortably splayed out on three smaller bunny beds that were arranged together for him in the guest bedroom. He tossed and turned, trying to find just the right position to where he felt comfortable. Not only were the sleeping arrangements not ideal, but his stomach was painfully full of casserole. Even with only some sleep shorts on, the bumps in the divots of the beds kind of bothered his longer, bare upper body.

    "Ugh..." Nick groaned. His door opened and he saw light pouring from the hall. "Who's there?"

    "Nick, you awake...?" Judy's meek voice asked from the hall.

    "No, I just shout 'who's there?' in my sleep randomly," Nick said. "Also, I defend myself sarcastically. I'm very talented."

    Judy opened the door and headed inside the guest bedroom. Nick blinked. In the dim light he could see that she was just wearing some kind of oversized t-shirt for bed. It looked very fetching on her, in ways.

    "We need to talk, Nick," Judy said calmly. Nick sat up in his beds, feeling instantly nervous as Judy sat next to him.

    "Y-yeah?" Nick mumbled.

    "I think my mom is trying to set us up together," Judy explained.

    "Really?" Nick blinked in surprise. "Bonnie too, huh?"

    "What do you mean 'too'?" Judy turned to him, looking baffled. "Dad's...?"

    "Yup," Nick nodded. "I think he thinks we make a cute couple."

    "No way," Judy huffed in amusement. "My dad?"

    "Listen, I know people who can squelch their emotions," Nick held a hand out, "Stu is not one of them."

    "Yeah, that's definitely true," Judy laughed. "So uh, what do you think about all that, then?" Nick turned his head away from Judy and said nothing. "Nick... c'mon, please look at me."

    "No," Nick shook his head.

    "Are they making you uncomfortable?" Judy grit her teeth. "Thinking we should be together...?"

    "You're making me uncomfortable," Nick admitted. Judy gasped, but Nick quickly clarified. "Because of that shirt."

    "...Wait, what?" Judy shook her addled head briefly. Nick sent her emotions into a full loop. "My shirt?"

    "I dunno, seeing you like that is kind of doing it for me," Nick gave a soft chuckle.

    Judy gasped. "Freakin' fox!" She grabbed a pillow and bopped him on the head with it. "You had me worried!"

    "Hehe, deserved that," Nick held up a finger.

    "Gotta say, you don't look too bad wearing only shorts, either," Judy said playfully, eyeing his chest fur.

    "I think it's things like that, huh?" Nick said, rubbing his forehead. "We always say things like that. We always tease and play around like we were children. Cause of that, everyone thinks we'd be good together."

    "Isn't it just that we are good together?" Judy asked warmly, touching his hand with hers.

    "Yup, but to tell you the truth," Nick sighed. "I really didn't want to tell you I loved you while sitting here on some tiny beds in your parents house wearing sleepwear."

    "You've never really needed to tell me that," Judy squeezed his hand. "It's obvious."

    "It is?" Nick blinked. "You've known?"

    "Just like I've known you forgave me for being a dumb bunny at the bridge," Judy smiled as she caught Nick's gaze finally. "You never said it with those words, but it was apparent through your actions. Just like it's apparent you love me."

    Nick, dumbfounded, leered over Judy's apparel.

    "Nick..." Judy gave him a very slightly annoyed scowl. "Why are you ogling me?"

    "I'm trying to replace all of the touching things you're saying with more frivolous thoughts, like how hot you look," Nick grinned.

    "It would be a bad idea to try to start anything here in my parents house," Judy smirked reprovingly.

    "I concur fully," Nick nodded. "But what should we do?"

    "Eh, we'll talk about it in the morning," Judy kissed his temple and got up, turning away from him and walking toward the door. "Oh, and stop staring at my tail."

    "What? I'd never," Nick claimed defensively, but Judy wiggled her hips and tail and he gave an impossible-to-fully stifle sharp intake of air.

    "Liar," Judy turned her head to look at him and winked at him. "Goodnight, sweetheart."

    "G'night."

---

    Only Nick, Judy, and her parents were there at the station the next afternoon, waiting to see them off.

    "So!" Judy clapped her hands together once. "Nick and I were talking with each other, and... we've decided to get an apartment together!"

    Bonnie and Stu stared at each other in wide-eyed shock. A look of muddled confusion quickly swept over both the bunny and the fox.

    "What!?" Stu piped up. "A bunny and a fox, living together!?"

    "That's... that's just... why I never!" Bonnie nodded in agreement.

    "That would be just so..." Stu led on.

    "I mean, the very idea!" Bonnie finished.

    While Judy was stunned into an angry silence, Nick was ready for this.

    "Ah ha!" His mouth opened and he pointed at the two as if he had caught them. "I knew it! I knew it was all a little game you were playing all along, Stu! You don't really want me to love Judy!"

    "You're really going back on what you said about Nick and I being together, mom?" Judy folded her arms and narrowed her eyes. "Really?"

    "You're, uh, okay with them being together, Bon?" Stu turned to Bonnie, his voice sheepish.

    "You're okay with it?" Bonnie asked incredulously, her eyes widening considerably. Then, the two started laughing uproariously. Both Nick and Judy wore nearly the same exact expression; one with their eyes-half lid, shoulders hunched forward, and ears flattened back.

    "You know what they say about poor communication," Nick grumbled.

    "Uh huh..." Judy agreed. "Listen guys, both of our apartments suck, so we'll get one together and it won't suck. I didn't really say we're getting married, or anything."

    "You're not?" Stu looked disappointed again.

    "Not yet! Jeez, dad!" Judy threw her hands up and let them fall down.

    "Oh, that's better," Stu smiled.

    "Hm, my very own bunny bride, huh?" Nick considered this.

    "Oh, don't you start, mister," Judy chuckled. "We're still pretty much on chapter one of this whole thing."

    "You dears be sure to visit us more often," Bonnie said. "I'll fill you up with casserole any time you'd like, Nick."

    "Ah, the most delicious mix of pleasure and pain, joy and regret," Nick clasped his hands together and looked at the sky.

    "Or, you could just eat a reasonable amount of it, dummy," Judy scolded as the train came in.

    "Kind of reminds you of us, doesn't it, Bon?" Stu chuckled warmly.

    "A little bit, though he's a lot taller," Bonnie winked. "Hopefully they won't have as many kits." Both Nick and Judy's eyes went wide at this.

    "What'd they call 'em? Boxes? Funnies?" Stu laughed to himself as the train pulled up to the station.

    "Okay, we gotta run, you crazy bunnies," Judy hugged both of them.

    "And for the record, I'm not quite sure that's how biology works," Nick also hugged them both, giving a nervous chuckle.

    "Bye, honey-bunch!" Stu waved with a slight crack in his voice.

    "Bye, Mr. Fox!" Bonnie's yell was more teasing than Stu's.

    "Us having kits?" Nick chuckled as he got on the train, shaking his head. "What a ridiculous notion."

    All Judy could do was flash him a big grin and lean in and whisper. "Doesn't mean we can't try, though."

Notes:

Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps (also sometimes just known as WildeHopps) gave me the idea for this kernel of a story, that is to say "What if the Hopps tried to ship Nick and Judy?". They've written several notable stories, not the least of which is "One Hundred Kisses" on FF, and "Always My Sly Bunny, Always My Dumb Fox" on both AO3 and FF.

Chapter 32: Privacy

    "Thanks for joining us for another episode of Star Gossip!" The black and white stallion on the screen introduced himself enthusiastically. "I'm your host horse, Horace Horsecall!"

    "And I'm his cow co-host, Clara Cattlebelle!" The co-host, a black and white cow, also gestured.

    "We have a doozy of a show for you tonight folks," Horace grinned sincerely. "For all you people in Zootopia out there especially!"

    "You all might remember Judy Hopps, the young upstart who became the first bunny officer in the ZPD and ended up saving Zootopia from a dire threat!" Clara said, and a somewhat unflattering picture of Judy showed up onscreen.

    "Well, we have some amateur video tonight to show you!" Horace pointed at the screen.

    A small clip was shown of Judy and Nick walking down the street on the sidewalk, talking and laughing with each other. The music of the program was drowning out anything they were saying. Mostly, they were shown holding hands, and the shaky cellphone camera seemed to greedily zoom in on this fact.

    "Woah, hold the phone, Horace!" Clara looked shocked. "Is that Nick Wilde?"

    "None other, Clara!" Horace smile was broad. "The first fox on the ZPD!"

    "And they're together?" Clara had a shocked look. "Isn't this the same Judy Hopps that came out with those statements that predators could go savage at any time!?"

    "One and the same!" Horace gave an ingratiating grin as he leaned in. "I know if I made those kind of statements, I sure wouldn't want to be caught in public with a fox boy-toy!"

    "We've got a lot more coming for you after the break-" The image of Clara and Horace froze on screen as a remote paused it.

    "Okay enough of this," Stu said grimly, dropping his hand carrying said remote.

    "Whoa, Judy and a fox?" One kit asked.
    "Ew! That's gross!"
    "What? You're crazy! That's Nick, right? He's so handsome!"
    "I wonder if he has a car..."

    "Kits! Go to bed, all of you," Stu said with a gentle force in his voice. There were some "aww"s of protest, but eventually everyone got up and left when it was clear that the TV show was over, at least since Stu deemed it so. Stu rubbed his temples. Bonnie, who was sitting next to him, gave him a concerned look, her hands in her own lap.

    "Stu, what's wrong?" Bonnie prodded.

    "It's disgusting, that's what's wrong!" Stu grit his teeth, looking at the cow and horse onscreen.

    "Oh, Stu!" Bonnie gave him a stern, reproving look.

    "No, Bonnie, it is, it's completely wrong," Stu stood up. "After all Judy's done. After everything she's worked for. This...!?" He gestured in futility at the screen.

    "Stu, I'm not going to have you call our daughter's life choices disgusting," Bonnie frowned. "It's just a fox."

    "Oh, what? No," Stu shook his head. "I mean, this exploitative show on her! They're completely violating her privacy!"

    "Oh, huh," Bonnie gave a little smirk as Stu sat down recklessly next to her. "Didn't quite expect you to react like that."

    Stu turned his head to Bonnie. "Did you know Judy was together with that fox?"

    "I had my suspicions," Bonnie said in a bit of a wavering, knowing voice, wiggling her head back and forth a little, "Judy talks about him an awful lot on the phone. I'm surprised you're okay with it, is all."

    Stu backed up the television program with his remote and looked at Judy walking down the street with Nick again. "Bon, how could I be mad at that? She looks so happy. Looks like Nick is just the type of guy she wants." Stu gave a trembling, proud sigh.

    "Okay, okay," Bonnie pat his chest. "Let's not start up the waterworks."

    "Sorry, the ol' chest just feeling a bit tight there. It's just awful that we had to learn this way," Stu grumbled, his hands sinking down between his knees. "I'm sure Judy would have told us, eventually. Maybe she was just working up the courage."

    "Might have taken awhile," Bonnie gave a wry smirk. "Don't you still have that fox taser kicking around somewhere?"

    "Oh, come on, that's just a branding for speciesist bunnies like I used to be," Stu gave a shrug. "You know it could work on something like a wolf, too." Bonnie shook her head. "What? It's for protection!" Stu took out his phone. "I wonder if Judy knows about this. We should give her our support."

    "Of course," Bonnie nodded. "Get her on MuzzleTime."

    It took a few rings, but Judy answered. "Mom? Dad?" Stu winced a bit reflexively. The large whites of her eyes looked a bit pinkish. Her ears were drooped back. Bonnie thought she could make out wet streaks on Judy's cheeks.

    "Jude!" Stu exclaimed.

    "Bunbun! Are you all right?" Bonnie asked in concern.

    "Oh sure, doing just great!" Judy gave a clearly forced smile.

    "Oh really?" Bonnie was unconvinced. "If that's the case, perk your ears up."

    Judy squinted her eyes, holding the same forced smile. "...Are they perking?" They were not.

    "What's wrong, sweetie?" Bonnie twisted her mouth into a frown.

    "Oh I don't know, mom," Judy hiccuped. "Have you somehow missed all the internet articles, gossip segments, and everything about me that everyone on the ZPD keeps making sure I'm aware of via texting or whatever? Has everybunny there missed it and somehow not told you?"

    "Er, no, we haven't exactly missed the, ah... news," Bonnie said with a hint of guiltiness.

    Judy shot a surprised look over the two of them. "I notice you're not... yelling."

    "Why would we yell, sweetheart?" Bonnie said tenderly. "You look happy with him."

    "That's right, Bunkin," Stu nodded. "All we want is for you to be happy."

    "And safe," Bonnie quickly added.

    "Safe is good too, yes," Stu nodded rapidly.

    "Thanks guys, that really helps," Judy smiled genuinely and slowly, wiping a few forming tears away from her eyes. "But... still... ugh. Why is my life under such scrutiny? Why does anyone care that I love Nick...?"

    "Maybe it's only because you're the most fascinating, interesting bunny in the whole wide city of Zootopia, maybe the world!" Stu said jovially, pointing at the screen.

    "Thanks dad, but somehow I don't think that's it," Judy rolled her eyes, but she was smiling softly.

    "Well, I think he's onto something, Judy," Bonnie said. "You and Nick both have given those Zootopians so much to think about and talk about. You're proving that city's tired mantra more than anyone else!"

    "Anyone can be anything," Judy said dryly. "Including the center of all inter-species relationship gossip. Ugh. You should see the looks I got today on the street."

    "...Hm, Judy?" Stu considered something. "Could you give us Nick's number?"

    "Why, have you figured out some way to tase him through the phone?" Judy smirked.

    "No no, nothing like that," Stu chuckled. "I'd just like to tell him I support him too. Just so we're all clear on that. Never talked to the guy yet, but..."

    "Aw, okay, that's really sweet," Judy had a very nice smile on. "I'll text it to you two. Well, thanks... goodnight, and I love you both."

    "Love you too, Bunbun," Bonnie waved and smiled warmly.

    "Love you, Jude!" Stu agreed, and ended the call. He quickly called the number that was texted to him.

    "You're MuzzleTiming him, too?" Bonnie peeked over.

    "What better time to meet him than now?" Stu asked cheerfully.

    The phone finally picked up, and Nick was on the other end, rubbing his eyes with one hand and looking absolutely tired. He was only wearing his sleep shorts.

    "Nnngh... h'lo?" Nick greeted groggily.

    "Oh, goodness, he's half naked!" Bonnie gave a prolonged sort of embarrassed giggle with her hand over her mouth.

    "Now I guess we know where Judy got her attraction to foxes from," Stu joked.

    These words instantly sobered Nick up and he grabbed his phone with both hands. "Wait, who is this...? Are you two Judy's parents!?"

    "Yup! I'm Stu!" He waved.

    "And I'm Bonnie," she said.

    "What are you calling at this time of night for?" Nick checked the clock. It was only around 8:30 PM.

    "Early to bed, early to rise, eh? Admirable!" Stu gave the screen a point. "We just wanted to say we're totally okay with you and Judy!"

    "What...?" Nick blinked rapidly, rubbing his head from the headache that was forming.

    "Being a couple, that is," Bonnie added.

    "What!?" Nick was fully awake now. "She told you? She told me she was terrified of telling you!"

    "Oh, we know," Stu chuckled apologetically. "But it's all over the news."

    "Oh God," Nick groaned. "How bad is it?"

    "Well, I wouldn't be surprised if everyone in the country knows?" Bonnie said in a tiny voice.

    "Oh God," Nick shut his eyes. "I'm going to be in for it tomorrow. From whom, I'm not sure. Probably Chief Bogo."

    "Now you listen here," Stu said. "Only gonna say this once. You keep making my daughter as happy as she looked on that shaky video we saw on TV tonight."

    "Heh, I'll do my best, sir," Nick flashed a sort of guilty grin.

    "Do you think we should tell him about...?" Bonnie looked to Stu for confirmation.

    "Oh, that's right," Stu nodded. "Ah, Nick, I think Judy could use your company tonight."

    "Huh? Really?" Nick adjusted the phone to look at them better.

    "Yes, she's rather upset about this whole thing suddenly being in the public eye," Bonnie said with a tilt of her head.

    Nick immediately got up and started to put a shirt on. His voice was hurried. "Say no more. Well, actually you can keep talking if you want- no, I should hang up so I can get dressed."

    "Great to meet you, Nick!" Stu said.

    "Drop on by sometime soon with Judy, okay?"

    "Yes sir, yes ma'am," Nick nodded. "Gotta run. Bye." The phone shut off.

    Bonnie smiled warmly. "What a good fox."

    "Yeah, I would have been mad if he went back to sleep," Stu nodded in agreement. Bonnie looked back to the television screen where it was still paused on Judy looking like she was having the time of her life, even though it was only a simple conversation with Nick. She hummed happily.

    "So, you want to see if there's any more in this schlocky news story about our daughter?" Bonnie gave a sly grin.

    "What? No!" Stu's brow furrowed as he raised the remote to turn it off. "...Okay, maybe a little."

Chapter 33: Childish

    She was having that dream again.

    It would start off innocently enough, waking up in her bed in her home in Bunnyburrow. She got up and would move to the kitchen, but there was no one there. Not one single bunny in the whole house, except for her. She would call out, to no response. The dream had gotten creative lately. As she started to feel mild panic, she would move through a doorway and suddenly be in the streets of Zootopia. All of the lights were still on; perhaps they seemed too bright, but there were no cars, no sounds, no signs of life.

    Judy would call again, rushing down the streets, trying doors. When they opened, they never seemed to lead to anywhere logical. She'd end up at the ZPD, the snippets of other districts she'd explored, the park where she'd graduated the ZPD academy. She would begin to feel like she needed to struggle to keep moving, suddenly, like she was falling, or that she couldn't keep her eyes open to focus.

    Everyone was just gone.

    Despite having the dream more times than she could count, she never seemed to realize that it was a dream until it was too late and panicked fear crept across her. No one to interact with. No one to love, or even hate. No one at all.

    Judy tried to cry out but she felt like she was choking. The feeling of being unable to go on continued to weigh upon her. As terrified impulses shot through her body, she jolted awake and felt the world slowly spin back into normalcy.

    "Ghlk..." Judy sputtered. She had somehow managed to mash her pillow deeply up under her chin and into her neck. That explained why she felt like she couldn't breathe, she thought. Slowly, her nose stopped twitching, her breaths slowed down, and her pulse began to slow. She shot a tired glance to her alarm clock. An hour and a half left before she needed to get up and get ready. She sighed. It was barely worth trying to go back to bed. Wait a minute, wasn't this her day off?

    She sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes. It was, it was her day off. Judy had no idea why she was still trying to shake the dust out of her brain and try to wake up. She felt a slight chill. Okay, maybe she did know why. It had happened before; if she went back to bed too quickly after having that dream, it was all-too-happy to just hit the unpause button and continue torturing her with thoughts of loneliness and despair.

    Judy didn't know why she kept having that dream. She wasn't lonely anymore, was she? She hugged her knees closer to her body. Nick was only a couple of rooms away, after all; they lived in an apartment together. A fairly nice apartment. Nondescript, but nothing was wrong with it, at least. A thought crept into her head; maybe she could go into Nick's room and see how he was doing.

    Childish, she scolded herself.

    What would happen if Nick woke up and caught you gawking at him? Especially in these clothes? Judy looked at herself in the mirror from her bed. The cute, cottony lavender top that didn't quite reach her cotton sleep shorts, which were almost a matching hue of purple, with enough pleasant tightness to snug her form a bit. Okay, so now she was thinking about what Nick would think of her based solely on her looks.

    A small step up, at least I'm a teenager mentally at least, Judy's mind said as she let out a breath slowly.

    Nick, Nick, Nick. She devoted way too much of her thoughts to that fox of late. Him finding her attractive was always kind of a joke between them, just like she would return back in kind. But lately, she started to feel like it wasn't a joke. She craved his attention and company. Sometimes she would be the one to tease him to provoke a reaction. It felt almost wrong.

    Rubbing her forehead with one hand, she found herself getting out of bed and moving across the apartment towards Nick's room. She didn't even recall entertaining that thought, not really. She winced before placing her hand on the door. Maybe she should have put something else on? Maybe she'd never mentally progress past her teenage years? She removed her hand from the door handle and sighed, turning back around, but her ears twitched and caught a small, strange sound. It sounded almost like squeaking? It was definitely coming from Nick's room.

    Curiosity getting the better of her, she opened the door to Nick's room. Nick was curled up in bed, facing away from her. The sound continued. Short, chirpy squeaks almost. No, it was whining. Nick was whining in his sleep. Judy felt a flash of pity.

    Oh, Nick... Judy thought. She ran a hand through her drooped ears and approached his bed. She held her hand out, feeling the urge to wake him and tell him everything was going to be all right. Her hand paused, though, as she also thought of just letting him sleep and spare them the awkward conversation that would follow. She decided to compromise.

    "It's okay, Nick," Judy whispered as softly as she could muster. "I'm here. It's me, Judy... you don't have to be scared." She was hovering dangerously close to him, but pulled back. To her surprise, the squeaking, terse whines halted. In that moment, a warm feeling flooded Judy, and her face broke out into a smile that joined a huff. She felt powerful, in a way, and important. She could comfort even Nick's subconscious? Nick's sleep seemed restful. Judy gave him an adoring, lingering smile, then walked back out of his room, gently closing the door.

    Judy felt totally awake, and grumbled. Her stomach did, too. She poured herself a bowl of cereal and spilled milk all over it. She then sat on the couch. She gave a half-smile at her flagrant disregard for the rules. That never would have flown back at her parent's place. But she was an adult now, she could make her own rules!

    She didn't really feel like an adult, though.

    Crunching on the sugary flakes with the cool plastic of the bowl on her lap, she took her phone up with her other hand, flipping through her photos. She was sure taking a lot of pictures of Nick lately, she wryly scolded herself. Worse yet, the ones where he struck her as more handsome sent a mild thrill through her and her pulse quickened a bit.

    Yup, definitely still a kit, she groaned, taking another bite and carelessly flipping her phone onto the end table. Even though she was no longer leering at pictures of Nick, she was still thinking about him as she crunched down on her cereal, vacantly staring at nothing in particular.

    She tried to conjure up the feeling of him taking her into his arms that one time at the bridge. How she treasured that moment. He was so sweet and tender, and completely obliterated her overwhelming feelings of loneliness and self-loathing with a well-timed joke or two. Though she was standing on his tail, so maybe that one didn't count as a joke.

    Judy wished she could get that sort of feeling more often. Being taken into his long arms and hugged up against his tall body and told that everything was fine, nothing was ruined, and that sly fox would fix everything. Maybe she should start crying more.

    "Wow, you're pathetic," Judy chuckled to herself, finishing up her cereal. She rinsed the bowl, putting it into the sink. Judy's feet again moved her towards Nick's room. Maybe she should check on him to make sure he was still okay. But what was she going to do if he wasn't, climb into bed with him? She felt a small dash of embarrassment in her ears.

    "Gyuh!" Judy exclaimed as she opened the door outward to the sight of a very tired-looking Nick, and she flinched and started at him suddenly being there. His arm was extended as if he was about to open the door himself, but this was accomplished for him.

    "Oh, thanks," the groggy fox said. He shuffled towards the kitchen. "G'morning."

    "Hi!" Judy said nervously, feeling under-dressed, though Nick was even worse; he was just wearing his lime-green sleep shorts.

    "Whatcha doin' up so early?" Nick gave a huge yawn that Judy couldn't help but stare at. So many teeth! Such a long tongue! Judy looked away as if that would stem the tide of any impure thoughts she was in danger of forming.

    "Oh, no reason," Judy sang in a pleasant tone. Nick raised an eyebrow, knowing she was lying, and his skeptical look to her as he poured his own bowl of cereal was actually kind of amusing to Judy.

    "Right," Nick replied, starting to feel a bit more awake. "It's our day off and you're just wandering around in your sleepwear, about to come into my room."

    Judy squinted her eyes shut and gave a moan of annoyance. "Hoped you'd be too tired to recognize that."

    "Uh huh," Nick said, starting to eat from his bowl right on the island of their kitchen after pouring himself some milk into it. He was still staring at Judy. "You're fully awake, already had breakfast." He jerked his head toward the bowl in the sink. "What gives?"

    "Could you be a little less observant in the morning, maybe?" Judy folded her arms and gave an accusing smirk. She looked away again. "I had a... uh... a bad dream."

    "Ah, that's too bad," Nick said flatly. For some reason this shot a burst of frustration through Judy. Didn't he care? She quickly pulled back this emotion before it showed more than a tiny widening of her eyes, though. How childish she'd be to burst out at him over that. "I can't remember what I was dreaming about. Woke up hungry, though."

    "You can't? You sure?" Judy wore a tiny smile.

    "Nope," Nick shook his head.

    "Must be nice," Judy grinned.

    "Oh, I do have nightmares that I remember sometimes," Nick nodded, now fully awake, crunching down on his cereal. "Hey, you ever wonder where that term came from? Do horses say it, too?" He didn't expect an answer. Judy shrugged.

    "Any recurring ones?" Judy wondered.

    "Well, I keep having these dreams that my teeth fall out or my gums rot. But... there's one where my mom dies," Nick grumbled. "Hate that one. Lately, haven't been having it anymore, though. It's..." Nick cut himself off, looking briefly at Judy, but then his eyes moved away from her. Was it her he dreamed about instead? Judy groaned within herself at continuing to have these selfish thoughts. "How about you?"

    "Oh, my dream is nothing compared to that, the one that keeps haunting me," Judy gave a fake laugh of frivolity, rolling her eyes and folding her arms. "It's just, no one's there."

    "No one's where?" Nick's eyes squinted as he rinsed his bowl.

    "Anywhere," Judy said, giving a shallow, nervous laugh. "No one's anywhere. No matter how hard I yell, no matter where I go. There's no one. In the whole world. Haha... silly, r-right?" Judy's eyes were misting up. "Just a childish, stupid nightmare for a dumb baby bunny kit! Hehe..."

    "Judy...?" Nick stared at her in concern.

    That did it. Whenever her first name came out, it was serious time. And knowing this was too much for Judy. She started to sob a bit.

    "Whoa, Judy, it's okay, I'm here," Nick said, rushing over to her. He wasn't sure why; it was the first thing to come to his mind. Nick didn't just offer a hug to her, he hugged her actively. Instead of merely standing there and taking it, Judy desperately moved into the hug, her paws closing around bits of Nick's fur on his chest as if she was afraid he would vanish. "It's okay." Nick pat Judy on the back.

    Judy was in a spiral of shame and hopelessness. The more she thought about what was happening and why she was crying, the harder she cried. She lost the ability to articulate, standing there sobbing into his fur. It was just a dream, a stupid dream. Why did she feel so sad?

    "I'll always be here for you, Judy," Nick said firmly. "Also, poke me if I start sounding too cliche." Judy gave a shaky laugh and poked Nick very firmly in the chest. "Ow. Okay, not so hard?"

    "How do you do that?" Judy looked up at him with sparkling, teary eyes, but a smile. "Here I am sniveling like a kit who needs to climb into bed with her parents to scare away a nightmare, and you just drop a tiny little joke right on my head and break my concentration to pieces."

    "Fox trade secret," Nick said in a smug voice, petting over Judy's drooped ears.

    "I refuse to believe that," Judy chuckled tearfully, her breath catching into a bit of a heave as she tried to calm down. "I'm thinking it's just one of the many reasons that you're so special."

    "I'm just an average fox, my dear," Nick grinned down at her. "All I'm doing is standing here with an emotional bunny in my arms, that's all."

    "Shut up, liar," Judy accused, gently placing her fist on his chest. "If I say you're the most special, wonderful fox in the world, then that's that."

    "Whew, that was pretty heavy, Judy," Nick let a breath out slowly. "You have anything you want to tell me?"

    "That I love you...?" Judy said quietly, burying her face into Nick's chest. Even his scent seemed like a comfort to her. Nick felt her nose there and gave a slight giggle; it tickled a little bit.

    "Something I don't already know?" Nick said cockily. Judy stepped firmly on his foot with hers and twisted her foot this way and that.

    "Jerk," Judy accused, flashing him a sneer.
    
    "Guilty," Nick nodded. "But you love me all the same."

    "I do, though I'm starting to forget why," Judy grinned larger.

    "I'm gonna take a shower, Fluff," Nick moved away from the hug and gave a luxurious stretch that Judy was pretty sure was meant to entice her. "You want to go jogging or something in the park? There's not much to do this early in the morning if neither of us are going to go back to bed."

    "Sure," Judy said, feeling a bit puzzled. Nick retreated into his room, but the door cracked open again.

    "Oh, this is finally relevant, so here you are," Nick said flippantly. An object flew across the air and Judy flinched and fumbled, but managed to catch it.

    It was that blasted carrot pen.

    Judy sighed as she heard the water to the shower start up. So that was it? That was her confession. She'd kind of hoped it would have gone differently. She still somewhat felt like a little kit, confessing a crush on a teacher or something. Grumbling, she hit the button.

    Nick's tinny voice emitted from the speaker: "I love you too, Judy."

    Judy gasped and felt her eyes start to water again. She hit the button again, as if she had misheard it. It said the same thing. Warmth flooded Judy's body and soul.

    "Nick, you moron!" Judy shrieked, rushing towards his bathroom door, which was locked. She pounded on it. "Nick! How dare you! Let me in!" She alternated giggling and sobbing, feeling fits of emotion crash over her one after the other.

    "Can't hear you over the water, my dear!" Nick's wavering, teasing voice came out.

    "You come out right this second!" Judy laughed.

    "Wet and naked? You'd like that, huh?" Nick went on.

    "I would!" Judy laughed. "You smug jerkface!"

    Nick collapsed against the side of the shower wall, breathing in and out. He'd done it. He honestly was too afraid to say it to her directly, and it'd taken him something like an hour to make that tiny confession into the pen just right, after which it lay dormant for months. Coward, he thought to himself, even when he was so sure she loved him, even before her confession just then. And now, he was hiding from her reaction. He felt like such a child. He almost felt like he didn't deserve it, whatever affection that lively gray bunny was capable of and was struggling to give him.

    "Nick! You better hurry up! We have a lot to snuggle about!" Judy pounded once more on the door, and he barely heard her pleasant giggle.

    Eh, he thought to himself. He guessed he could have handled it worse.

Chapter 34: Separated

    The burst of fresh air that hit Nick as he stormed out of the ZPD somewhat cooled the fury that was building within him. He felt that fury quickly replaced with sadness. His breath came in huffs, though he didn't really feel winded. He decided to head to where he knew Finnick usually parked his van, before his emotions consumed him.

    Nick knocked on the back door of the van with the sequence he knew Finnick would recognize, and the small fennec fox opened the door and regarded him plainly.

    "Whatchoo want, Nick? Back from your little adventure? I already had dinner," Finnick said.

    "Not really hungry," Nick admitted, climbing into the van and sitting there in the back.

    "By the way, was that your bunny on the news tonight? Fox alive, what a speciesist piece of trash!" Finnick chuckled derisively.

    "She's not my bunny," Nick clarified with a firm voice, though he looked empty.

    "Dat's right, you were her fox, weren'tcha?" Finnick laughed again. "She finally let you off your leash?"

    "Shut up, Finnick," Nick grit his teeth.

    "Watchoo come here for, tellin' me to shut up?" Finnick challenged, sneering with his own toothy glare.

    "I don't know," Nick grumbled. "I don't know where to go or who to talk to. That press conference, what she said there and afterwards, just to me... it hurt. So I hurt her right back."

    Finnick narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "You ain't like that, Nick."

    "Not usually, but she got to me, Finn," Nick's lips twisted as he tried to keep control over them and his eyes looked like they were getting glassy. "I was getting the idea that she... you know, that she believed in me, I guess? It kind of sounds stupid, now that I say it."

    "Boy, you right," Finnick let his sneer morph into a pitying, dark smile. "You knew that bunny for what, two days?"

    "A lot happened," Nick reclined back, letting his weight slump against the side of the van. "She saved my life, then almost got us killed, then saved my life again inadvertently. We solved a case together, she... she asked me to be her partner." Nick balled up his fist and looked like he would punch the floor of the van.

    "Don't you punch my vehicle," Finnick warned. Nick unclenched his fist. "Speciesist bunny like that? You know what I think, Nick?"

    "What's that?" Nick sighed, but looked intently at Finnick.

    "That bunny's no different than you or me," Finnick frowned. "She's a crook; a con artist. I saw how she hustled you. She used you. And she wanted to keep usin' you. You're better off without that kinda stuff in your life. Trust me, I know."

    "You're talking about Cassandra?" Nick frowned.

    "Das right," Finnick jerked his head off to the side as he clenched his eyes shut and sneered. "Vixen. She just wanted to use me, then threw me away. I thought it'd be fun to date a larger fox, but she... she didn't love me. She was parading me around in her purse like I was some sort of toy!" Finnick clawed at his head. "Then, worse yet, I was starting to get into it, you know? Just like what's happenin' to you! We're both fools, boy!" Finnick punched his hands together. "Ain't nuthin' this world got to give us, so we just need to keep takin' from it. Know what I mean?"

    "Back to business as usual..." Nick gave a sigh. "I just thought she was different, you know? I guess it was the intensity of the moment, but I opened up to her in ways I hadn't to anyone..."

    "Nick, hate to say it, boy, but you ain't right in your cranium," Finnick glared at him. "You still got that rag in your pocket from when you was a kit?" Nick instinctively felt into his pocket to make sure it was still there. The rag, as Finnick called it derogatorily, was his "reminder" of what he could have been; a Junior Ranger Scout. Nick also felt something new in there, the carrot pen. Nick felt a blast of shame. "You can't never let anythin' go."

    Nick said nothing, just trying to keep looking at Finnick. It was working, though. He wanted Finnick to make him feel angry again, to feel frustrated and hateful. He didn't care if those negative feelings were directed at Judy, Finnick, or even himself. He just wanted to feel mad, because if he didn't, he knew tears would soon follow.

    "So whatchoo think then, Nick?" Finnick tilted his head. "You think she's gonna come after you? Say she's sorry? Get real. This is the real world, and no one's got time for feelin's like that. In fact, I think if she ever saw you again, she'd try to scam you again."

    "What?" Nick looked genuinely confused; Finnick had managed to say something that surprised him.

    "Think what I said, fox!" Finnick was full of anger as well. "Females like that. They just want somethin' from you! They can't give anythin' back, not really! She shows up again, she'll want somethin' from you, I guarantee it."

    "Maybe you're right," Nick rubbed his temples. "But maybe I was wrong in some way. I stormed out on her, leaving her flustered and frightened. I was expecting to feel satisfied that I showed her how small-minded she was being, but I just felt... wrong."

    Finnick gave a pitying smile, but it was softer this time. Finnick patted Nick on the shoulder. "Like I said, boy, you ain't never gonna be right. Just stick with me and we'll keep makin' it what we can."

---

    Judy was almost considering buying some new clothes to change into at the store, as well as a big pair of shades. She wanted to hide herself from all the hateful looks she was getting on her way home. She did in fact make it to the store, but what she bought... she didn't know if she was thinking clearly at the time. The enormity of her mistake was starting to weigh upon her, and she felt like she had to keep shooing it away, lest it consume her. She decided not to hide; that the hateful glares and shaking of the heads she saw were her just punishment. Not to mention driving Nick away...

    What have I done? What will happen to predators because of what I said? Did I... did Nick and I really solve the case?

    She came home to her tiny apartment, feeling hollow. It was too quiet for her. Her face scrunched up a small bit briefly as she knew she needed some sort of distraction. She tapped on the wall.

    "Hey, you guys there...?" Judy beckoned to her neighbors. Her voice was uncertain and wavering. "Got anything you'd like to argue about...?" She tried to make it playful sounding, but it came out all wrong.

    For a few seconds, there was no response. She didn't even know their names yet.

    "Was that you on TV this evening, bunny...?" One of the voices finally asked. Judy squinted her eyes closed and her teeth bared in shame.

    "Harsh, rabbit," the other voice offered curtly. Judy sighed, getting off her bed and staring at herself in the mirror. She wanted so badly to do what was right, to honor the uniform she was still wearing.

    "But you can't, can you?" Judy whispered harshly to herself. "You couldn't even do this case by yourself. You needed some... some fox to help you. You're a disgrace. And you couldn't even leave it at that. You had to chase him away, minutes after you said you... you wanted him..." Judy's face scrunched up again and she felt tears start to well in her eyes. But she stilled them. She wouldn't let herself cry. She didn't deserve the release she'd feel if she broke down.

    Angrily, she shoved her hands in her pockets and gave a short gasp, retrieving the crumpled-up ZPD sticker that she had absently picked up from the floor after Nick threw it down. She glared at the slightly gleaming sticker in one paw, and looked at the bag she'd brought home from the store.

    "You're a foolish child; still a kit," Judy sneered in a low tone. "So you might as well act like one." Judy reached into the bag and pulled out a small red fox plush toy out of it, holding it in her other hand.

    Judy started gently shaking the toy in one hand and slightly affected her voice. "'I know that somewhere there's a toy store missing its stuffed animal, so why don't you get back to your... your box...'" she'd started the sentence in a mocking, amused way, but she felt tears threaten her again. No, she said to herself firmly. Don't cry.

    Very carefully, Judy began to unroll the sticker and then placed it on the chest of the fox plush. "Look at you, Junior Detective..." She wanted to laugh, but she couldn't bring herself to do that, either. She was trying to think of all their little exchanges they had made through the last two days. She placed the plush on her desk and dressed down for bed. She got onto her bed, not bothering with the covers. Her eyes wouldn't close, either.

    Judy stared at the fox plush with the sticker on it. She wondered why she had bought it. Some form of self-flagellation? A punishment? A reminder of what she carelessly discarded because of her unguarded tongue?

    She remembered the words of the elephant that sold it to her. "What's next, bunny? Do you want to burn this in effigy? Pred hater."

    Judy couldn't fully comprehend the damage she had done. She knew she'd have to redouble her efforts in the coming days to try to smooth over her mistakes. Would there be riots? She'd have to help keep the peace. She owed Zootopia her best efforts, but she didn't know if they'd be enough.

    "It would have made a good story, wouldn't it?" Judy asked the fox plush. "The first fox on the ZPD, together with the first bunny... and they fight crime!" Judy finally let out a terse giggle that quickly broke into sobbing. She got up, took the plush in her hands, and hugged it tight.

    "Nick, I'm so... suh... so sorry..." Judy flung herself onto her bed and wept bitterly. Her body scrunched around the toy as she couldn't help from crying. Her efforts to stop just resulted in choked yelps and sputtering sobs. Surely, her neighbors heard her. But they said nothing.

    Judy kept crying. She deserved no comfort, she thought. At work tomorrow she'd have to help fix what she had done. Even if it wasn't enough, she'd have to try. Tomorrow was another day.

    But she knew there was no way it would be worse than this one.

Chapter 35: Reunited

    Of course! That was it! Someone was using the Night Howlers to make predators go savage!

    Now all Judy had to do was get back to Zootopia! Get back to Zootopia... and...?

    Judy's excitement and fervor slowly drained out of her within the first few minutes of her journey. What was she going to do once she got back to Zootopia? She had at least three hours to be alone with her thoughts as she drove one of her father's trucks to Zootopia, and that was even if she sped.

    Who could be doing this to predators? Who has a motive? Judy wondered, biting at her lip. More importantly, who could Judy trust?

    Chief Bogo? Go back to the ZPD? Let the mayor in on it? What if either of them were the culprit? She could be blowing the one chance she had to make things right again.

    Just then, the answer burst out straight from her soul. She knew the one mammal in Zootopia she could trust.

    Nick Wilde.

    But... could he ever trust her again, after what she did to him? Judy winced as she drove, feeling her emotions bubble up within her. Judy blinked away some encroaching tears.

    "Keep your eyes on the road, bunny," Judy reproved herself, gripping the steering wheel tighter.

    She had been so foolish. Trying to distance him from other predators in her mind when he was after all a fox. He was special, she knew that much, though she sure didn't articulate it in the best way at that moment after the press conference. Something about him was inherently noble and true, locked behind a cage of the harsh realities of the world.

    "Okay, no problem, I know what to do," Judy said, taking a few deep breaths. "Just... forget all the emotional stuff. Tell him what you know about the Night Howlers. Say something like 'Nick! Predators don't go savage at random! It's actually some wacky flowers that I totally forgot the colloquial name for because I'm a street-dumb bunny!' and then he'll say 'Well I could have told you that last bit.' and then I'll laugh and maybe we can make fun of me for a few long minutes and maybe that m-muh might... might make him feel better..." Judy squeezed out another tear. "No, stop crying! Rgh! Well, only two and a half hours to go..."

    It felt like an eternity before Judy got to Zootopia. Once she headed up into Savanna Central, she desperately searched up and down the streets for any sign of Nick Wilde. She let out a huge sigh of relief after much searching led her to that van she had seen the fennec driving Nick around in. Cautiously, she knocked on the back door of the van.

    "Who is it?" The grumpy fennec she had seen Nick hanging with burst out of the back door of the van wielding a bat.

    "I need to find Nick... please..." Judy begged desperately. The fennec's expression instantly softened. That bunny was the last thing he was expecting to see that day.

---

    [Nick.]
    [Get up, you idiot.]
    [If you don't check your phone soon, Imma come over there and smack you.]

    Nick rubbed his forehead, walking to his buzzing phone. He had been lounging in his apartment more and more, skipping out on his "job". His hustling was slipping; he just didn't have his foxy moxie lately. Three missed texts?

    [What do you want, Finnick?] Nick texted.

    [She's looking for you. I told her where you usually mope.]

    Nick felt himself have a palpitation. He clutched at his chest.

    [Who's looking for me?] He replied cautiously.

    [Don't act stupid! Who else!? That bunny!]

    "Oh God," Nick said aloud. He started to put a shirt on and jump into his pants.

    [You better hurry if you wanna see her and wanna get there first. Just remember what I said.]

    Nick was already out the door. While checking to make sure he had his keys at least, he felt the carrot pen Judy had given him in his pocket and felt a stab of shame.

    What was he going to do? Why was Judy looking for him after three months? Why... why did he care?

    He didn't care, did he? She'd shown her true colors, the ones he knew were there the whole time and tried not to stare at. She was a fox-hater, maybe even a pred-hater. All of those adventures they had together... the fact that she said she wanted him to be her partner... that couldn't have been true after what she said, could they?

    Nick re-opened the door to his apartment and swiped up a pair of sunglasses.

    "Just in case she gets to me..." Nick said with some degree of wariness.

    It wasn't too dishonest of Nick to rush to that bridge. He often went there to mope, especially during the first few days after that fateful press conference. Nick often imagined, maybe even psychically begged, Judy's rushing over to find him there. What did she say? He thought of a hundred possible variations. Some where she tried to make a joke, some where she begged his forgiveness, even a few where he apologized to her for snapping and he let her try to excuse herself. Nick almost felt sick to his stomach as he wondered which of the possibilities would come true.

    He hurriedly set up a chair, a drink, and a footrest in the form of a bucket at the bridge. He put on his best stony face, trying to channel all of the negative feelings he felt towards that bunny. Hearing the sound of tires screeching and a slamming car door, he figured he might be just in time.

---

    "Nick!? Nick...!?" Judy wandered around looking for him. Looking over the bridge, she saw the somber-looking red fox slurping a drink at the foot of the bridge. "Oh, Nick!" Judy rushed down to be near him. Now was her chance to tell Nick everything about how she was wrong, and how predators weren't just going savage at random.

    For his part, Nick said nothing. He wanted her to make the first move. She'd make a mistake. He'd almost bet on it.

    "Night Howlers aren't wolves!" Judy explained as she scrambled down to be on his level. "They're toxic flowers! I think someone is targeting predators on purpose and making them go savage."

    Well, that was it, Nick thought. Finnick was right after all. He had sternly told Nick that if Judy ever returned for him, it'd be for one thing. Business. She had her mind on what she wanted, and if she needed Nick again to use him, she'd show up. Nick didn't want to believe that was true, but there she was. The first words out of her mouth were about the case. Nick set his drink down and took off his glasses. No need to hide his eyes if he actually felt crushed.

    "Wow," Nick said flatly. "Isn't that interesting."

    Judy's ears fell. She'd made the wrong move. Desperation punched at her chest. She scrambled after him through the tunnel of the bridge. All of her thoughts during her car trip spiraled into her head at once.

    "Wait," Judy gasped. "Wait please, I- I know you'll never forgive me, and I don't blame you. I wouldn't forgive me either."

    Nick stopped walking after he emerged from the tunnel. He held his back to her. Judy's words were sounding desperate, and he didn't want to look at her, for fear she might actually touch his chilled heart.

    Judy kept speaking, softly. "I was ignorant, and... irresponsible, and small minded... but predators shouldn't suffer because of my mistakes; I have to fix this. But I can't do it without you."

    Oh God, Nick thought. Her voice was starting to catch. Nick felt his teeth clench in his muzzle.

    "And... and after we're done... you can hate me," Judy continued, tears forming in her eyes. "And- and that'll be fine!" Her voice cracked pitiably. "Because I was a horrible friend, and I hurt you, and you- and you can walk away knowing that you were right all along... I really am just a dumb bunny." Judy was spent. She closed her eyes and looked away, releasing a soft whimper as she tried to stop crying.

    Don't let her see, Nick warned himself. But she had gotten to him. Now, how to tell her...

    For some time now, Nick was holding the carrot pen. It symbolized Judy and how she had outsmarted him, how she had hurt him, and how she had left him. But it also symbolized her, and how he didn't have her in his life anymore. It was a bit silly, almost childish, but...

    "I really am just a dumb bunny." Judy's voice rang out.

    Judy's jaw dropped and she was broken from her crying with a perplexed look.

    "I really am just a dumb bunny." The carrot pen repeated as Nick held it up to show her he was doing this. Judy felt despair settle into her gut. Was that it? She had poured her heart out to him and now he was just rubbing it in? What was she going to do-

    "Don't worry, Carrots," Nick said tenderly, turning around to look at her. "I'll let you erase it. In forty-eight hours."

    A huge, shuddering gasp burst from Judy. Relief flooded her entire being. She started chuckling, though she was still sobbing and sniffling.

    "All right, get in here," Nick encouraged, holding his arms out for her. Judy trudged over to him with her eyes closed and a tiny smile, sniffling on the way. She felt completely drained. She wanted so badly to hug that silly fox, but she couldn't. Exhausted, she dropped her head onto his midsection. She started sobbing a little again. "Okay. Oh you bunnies, you're so emotional..."

    Nick brought her closer to him with his paws. Her fur was very soft, as he once imagined it might be.

    "There we go, deep breath," Nick said. He felt some relief as he saw a smile on Judy's face and could no longer tell if she was crying or laughing. He just had to keep teasing her until she wasn't sad anymore. "Are y- are you just trying to steal the pen? Is that what this is?" Judy shook her head slightly at the ridiculousness of the notion, but decided to thrust her paw out weakly for the pen, because it just felt right to her. Nick held it away from her and now she was clearly laughing, pawing for the pen. She lunged forward just a little and Nick flinched.

    "You are standing on my tail, though," Nick said flatly. "Off! Off off off off!"

    "Oh! Sorry!" Judy said, holding her hands out in apology.

---

    "Careful now, Carrots, wouldn't want to have to take you back to the hospital," Nick said. He was helping Judy, a hand supporting her around her back. Judy hobbled down the hall toward her Pangolin Arms apartment, a leg brace on the limb she had injured in the museum. It was only a few days after that incident; Judy had stayed briefly at the hospital, and now she was cleared to head home.

    "I can do this by myself, thank you very much," Judy protested as she made her way down the hall.

    "Of course you can, because you're nothing if not determined and also completely insane," Nick teased.

    "Exactly, so watch out," Judy smirked.

    "But, unfortunately the burden of having a caring, handsome fox friend like me is that I have to help you do whatever you need to do," Nick sighed in mock regret.

    "Yeah, and am I ever thankful that that includes wacky train chases and taking down megalomaniac sheep," Judy giggled.

    "Here, give me your keys, I'll open it for you," Nick gestured with his free hand, and Judy rolled her eyes, but obliged. Nick's eyes widened as he saw Judy's place. "Uh, nice closet. Where's your apartment?"

    "Right?" Judy laughed, despite herself. "Home sweet closet. Oh well, I don't spend very much time here."

    Judy emptied her pockets onto her desk. Out came the carrot pen, which Nick immediately scooped up. "Hey!"

    "Ha ha, the 'fun times' we had with this," Nick said, shaking it. "I can still see the look on that stupid sheep's face when you pressed this button and it said..." Nick clicked the button.

    "I really am just a dumb bunny." It was Judy's voice. It sounded a bit different from at the bridge, though.

    "Wait, what?" Nick blinked. "What happened to psycho-sheep's gloating?"

    "Just... uh..." Judy said, rolling her eyes off to the side, "recorded myself a little 'reminder', I guess. Whenever I feel like I'm too important, powerful, or right, I can listen to that and remember that... yeah, I can make mistakes. Big, big ones."

    Nick's eyes narrowed a bit and he felt emotions blaze through him. "Nope. Sorry." He deleted the recording.

    "Nick...!" Judy made a face. "That's my carrot pen!"

    "On the contrary," Nick smirked. "You gave it to me, remember? I only let you borrow it to defeat the sheep. Let me tell you a little something, Fluff. About mementos. Remember that cloth I tied around your leg at the museum?"

    "Vaguely," Judy nodded.

    "That was my Junior Ranger Scout handkerchief," Nick said plainly. Judy put her hands to her mouth, gasping.

    "Nicholas!"

    "Yeah, but here's the thing," Nick said, "I hung onto it for that long, because I can't let anything go. It's why I kept this stupid thing." Nick smirked, holding the carrot pen and moving his hand as if it held weight.

    "What's wrong with having reminders?" Judy shook her head.

    "I doubt even a 'dumb' bunny like you would forget what you did," Nick half-lidded his eyes at Judy, to Judy's playful sneer. "If we keep these things just to hurt ourselves, what good are they doing?"

    "Well, you keep it then," Judy said. "I've let my past hurt me for far too long."

    "I hear you, sister," Nick sighed, nodding. Then, his eyes caught sight of something on Judy's bed. "Uh, what's this?" He smirked, putting the carrot pen into his pocket and picking up a fox plush from her pillow.

    "Oh, parsnips!" Judy shrieked, pawing at it. "Th-that is definitely mine. Give it!"

    "A fox plush?" Nick said. "Hm, seems like someone did miss me while we were apart..."

    "Shut up!" Judy giggled, lunging for it, though her movement was hampered.

    "Careful, bunny, don't hurt yourself," Nick droned. "Wait..." He felt a burst of emotion hit him as he saw a beat-up, wrinkled looking sticker on the chest of the fox. "...I ...I believe something on this small fox gentlemammal belongs to me." He peeled the ZPD Junior Detective sticker off and tried to place it on his breast pocket, but the combination of time and weathering of the sticker made it fall off and onto the ground. The two were silent for several seconds. "Shoot. Uh, I hope that isn't an omen."

    "Nick..." Judy smiled, tears lining her eyes.

    "Hey, chill out, Carrots, it's just a sticker," Nick said, but the last syllable burst from his throat at a higher register as he felt it tighten. He took a breath to center himself. Judy hopped on one foot over to him and hugged him. Nick brought one arm around her.

    "It's all right, Nick," Judy said, managing not to completely break down into tears. "It's okay. We'll get you a real badge soon enough, Officer Wilde."

    "Officer Wilde," Nick tested this. "I like the sound of that. I like the sound of this, too." Nick pressed a button.

    "We'll get you a real badge soon enough, Officer Wilde."

    "Nick!" Judy chuckled, gently slamming one of her hands into his chest. "You dope!"

    "Say what you want, Officer Hopps," Nick said defiantly. "I'm keeping this one."

Chapter 36: Oath

    "I, Nicholas Wilde, promise to be brave, loyal, helpful, and trustworthy."

    Nick's own voice from years past rang in his head as he stood there, looking at himself in the mirror. The juxtaposition was almost funny: Nick was standing there in his dressy police uniform; it was the day of his graduation from the academy. But he was standing in his awful leaky, damp apartment. Disregarding that, the contrast between his orange-red fur and the blue of the uniform was a bit striking, as well. He took a deep breath. The day of his big moment, graduating the ZPD police academy, had arrived.

    "Brave..."

    He sure had struggled with that throughout his life, hadn't he? After being descended upon by those cruel prey kids; after the oath had shattered in his mind and became a perverted, twisted shadow of itself, he knew he had to be careful. Nick knew that sticking his neck out, whether physically or emotionally, would only lead to him getting hurt. So he became a coward. The first brave act he could remember doing in years was standing up to Chief Bogo, audaciously telling him to uphold his end of the hopeless deal Judy had made with him. Judy had risked everything to just have a chance to prove herself. And what had he done?

    He stayed with her. Nick didn't want to think about what would happen if Bellwether or her ram flunkies got their hooves on Judy, but it wouldn't have been good. He was still scared, of course. But Nick had heard the expression that courage wasn't the absence of fear, but the mastery over it. Nick had something to be afraid of that day, all right, and that was losing his new best friend.

    "Loyal..."

    Nick had a slightly easier time with this one. He desperately wanted to belong; to be a part of a pack. Of course, he wasn't loyal to Judy at first, but only because she irritated him so much. That ridiculous, young, naive bunny, with a tube of fox spray clearly displayed on her hip. She saved his life. More than once, she put his safety before hers. She deserved his loyalty. But when the chips were down and when tensions flared, he was the one to walk out on her and did not seek reconciliation, despite Judy's pathetic cries for him to wait or slow down.

    [She's looking for you. I told her where you usually mope.]

    The text from Finnick was the most surprising thing he'd seen all month. But he had also remembered what Finnick had told him, that she was likely just looking for him so she could use him again. Indeed, some of the first words out of her mouth were something or another she had figured out about the Nighthowler case. Disgusted that that cynical old fennec was right, and that Nick's own doubts were confirmed, he had turned to leave. But what she said next... it shook him to his very core. He kept his back to her so she couldn't see how much his face was twisting as he tried not to cry himself at her outpouring of uncertainty and regret. Nick resolved from that moment on that he'd do whatever it took to be there for Judy when she needed it. She really tested his newfound conviction in the coming hours, but he held true.

    "Helpful..."

    Nick had to chuckle. He tried to be as unhelpful as possible to Judy in the beginning. He was street-smart, she was book-smart. He was cynical, she was annoyingly bubbly and optimistic. He cut her down a peg, and it felt good, but only "good" in that hollow way that someone nursing a bitter heart feels. Once he saw that Judy wasn't playing a game, and that, indeed, a game was not being played in Zootopia itself, he put his obstructive act to the side and genuinely wanted to help. Nick's mother had always said she found good in him.

    When Judy was laying there on the floor of the museum, her mind wracked with pain, Nick had said "we'll think of something". He looked at the blueberries, and a ghost of an idea came to him. Quickly, he and Judy exchanged ideas, in seconds, as if they were both of the same mind. It was a done deal; their contingency plan if they were caught. Judys head shook once or twice at Nick after they solidified it. Before Judy, Nick had never seen anyone marvel at him like she did. He was, after all, just a fox.

    "Trustworthy..."

    "Even though you're a fox?" Nick again said the words that had begun the closing of the fist that crushed his spirit. He glared defiantly at himself. Few mammals gave their implicit trust to a fox. Nick wanted to be trusted, liked, appreciated. But after that, he knew it was too much work. With his benign scams, he wasn't really lying to mammals too much, was he? He was that charming and charismatic. No one expected to trust a fox, so his false air of confidence and self-assured nature lulled them in, and then he took advantage of them. It was their fault; no one should trust a sneaky lowlife like a fox.

    That just made Judy all the more special. When she said she wanted him as her partner, it was like a dream. A dream he was woken up from way too quickly with her next statements. He knew it couldn't have been real or true. But she came back. She could have gone to anyone else in the city, but she didn't. That bunny came for him. Wanted him, out of any mammal in the city. Anyone else to trust. And then, at the museum... well, Nick knew it couldn't have been easy for Judy. Nick was doing his best to act like the savage, wild animal that Bellwether wanted to see; expected to see. His jaws snapped around Judy's neck and his teeth got just a bit too close. Her scream was so real, it was all Nick could do not to shiver. But she trusted him, and the day was saved.

    Nick flinched as he heard a specific ringtone. It was Judy's, he knew because he picked the most bright, bubbly, and borderline obnoxious pop song he could find for it. Nick sighed, but grinned, and headed to the phone. She wanted MuzzleTime? Nick sucked at his teeth, but hit the button, trying to make sure there wasn't too much of his trashy apartment visible behind him.

    "Carrots, couldn't you have waited until the ceremony to see me in my dress blues?" Nick tried a handsome smile, but he did let the phone frame his form as well as he could.

    "Uh, no...!" Judy retorted in almost a chirp, as if this was obvious. She was in her dress uniform as well. "I have to be dignified at the ceremony, so I have to get all of my giddiness out now. Ooh, you look so handsome!" Nick felt warmth start to flood into his ears. Normally when he was called handsome he didn't flinch, because naturally, he was. But something in how Judy said it...

    "You don't look so bad yourself," Nick shot back with a smirk. Judy wiggled her head proudly with her eyes closed, as if this was the most genuine compliment Nick could give her.

    "So, Nick, you nervous...?" Judy asked pointedly.

    "Of course not," Nick lied confidently. "Never been more ready."

    "I'm nervous," Judy admitted, giving an almost uncharacteristically shy giggle. "I've practiced my speech twenty times and know it by heart, but..."

    "Yeah, given your track record with public speaking, I'm very surprised Bogo agreed to let you speak," Nick smirked.

    "I deserve that, I deserve that," Judy looked up and gave a groan that Nick would describe as cute, though not to her face, of course. "But just you wait, you're going to love it."

    "I'm sure I will," Nick nodded.

    "Oh, speaking of things you'll love and Bogo..." Judy started to almost vibrate; her voice was getting dangerously giddy.

    "Uh, that's an odd segue," Nick cocked an eyebrow.

    "Are you ready to be my partner?" Judy's face exploded into a huge smile that looked like it might tear her cheeks off it if got any wider.

    "That's... that can't be a done deal yet, can it?" Nick felt his pulse start to quicken.

    "Just about!" Judy grinned. "I... may have made another bet with Chief Bogo..."

    "What!?" Nick's emotions swung to panic. "Fluff! After last time? You know what happened! You had to have a fox bail you out of it just so you got a fair shake!"

    "Oh, I learned, all right," Judy said. "I was careful with the terms. If I lost, parking duty for three months. He was all too eager to sign up."

    "And... what was the winning condition?" Nick felt curiosity gnawing at him.

    "A certain fox making valedictorian," Judy's eyelids fell and she smiled proudly. Nick's ears burned and his heart swelled.

    "And... what did you win?" Nick almost was afraid to ask.

    "This!" Judy flashed a paper briefly in front of the phone. "An earnestly-worded letter to the mayor strongly pleading that a certain Nicholas Piberius Wilde be allowed to be a certain Judith Hopps' partner...!" Her voice was musical and threatened to burst into happy laughter.

    "No way," Nick marveled. "How embarrassing!"

    "Right!?" Judy squealed. "We're going to be such great partners, Nick!" Judy bounced around in total excitement. She sure knew herself, Nick thought. She did need to get some of that giddiness out.

    "Wow, try to control yourself," Nick said, though he was also talking to his tail. It was wagging furiously behind him, the only traitor to his inner emotions. He was pretty sure it wasn't in the frame of his phone.

    "Okay, okay, calming down," Judy said, steadying the phone with one hand and gesturing with the others. "I'm calm. I'm collected. ...I'm not calm!" Judy bounced one more time. "I'm calm again. Okay. I should get moving and practice my speech three more times, at least. See you!"

    "Bye, Carrots," Nick waved, and shut the phone off. He gave a warm, happy sigh. What a bunny.

    Shoving his hands into his pockets to make sure he had everything he needed, his eyes widened a bit as he felt the familiar cloth of his Junior Ranger Scout handkerchief he never let go of. His other hand felt the familiar plastic of Judy's carrot recorder pen. He took both of them out and put them on his desk.

    He was going to do it. Nick was going to be part of a pack; fighting for the greater good, like he really always wanted. Did he really still need that handkerchief to remind him of what he lost so long ago?

    And the carrot pen. Nick kept it as his link to Judy once they split apart. A bitter reminder of what he gave up, and who outsmarted him. But it was more than that now, wasn't it? A symbol of their friendship, trust, and of course, wittiness and guile. But he didn't need that anymore either, did he? He had her.

    Nick exhaled again. He'd never felt this before. A combination of fear, anxiety, warmth, and tranquility, all at once. But the rest of his life awaited. Time to let go of the past.

    He headed to his door and opened it, staring blankly into the hall. He shot a look back to those discarded memoirs.

    Nick's paw reached out and scooped up the carrot pen.

    After all, Judy would probably end up saying something funny.

Chapter 37: TLC

    Judy looked exhausted as she headed into the subway car with Nick to go home. Nick held onto one of the rails and Judy groaned, giving his midsection a gentle headbutt. Nick grinned proudly and wrapped his free arm around Judy, bringing her close to keep her steady on the trip.

    A middle-aged male armadillo looked over at the two from his seat. "Tough day, officers?"

    "For her, yeah," Nick nodded. "She caught a cheetah."

    "A cheetah?" The armadillo marveled with wide eyes. "The fastest mammal around?"

    "Temporarily the fastest," Judy said, nodding and briefly looking at the curious armadillo. "Just gotta outlast them. It is... tiring, though." Judy groaned again and shut her eyes. "My feet hurt..."

    "There, there," Nick pat her on the back twice, his voice teetering on the edge between caring and condescending. "Hey, that reminds me though, maybe I should pick up some wine on the way home."

    "Very funny," Judy grumbled. The armadillo chuckled; he seemed to think so.

    The train came to a halt and the armadillo waved at them as they made their way away. "Thank you for helping keep our streets safe! Good to know that even if my own bookstore got robbed by a cheetah, the ZPD would be able to take care of it."

    "Willing and able, sir," Judy gave a half smile and dragged herself out of the train car.

    "If in spirit and not body," Nick winked, but gave a friendly salute and headed out as well.

    "Wow, you never take the escalator," Nick was bemused as Judy joined him on the escalator a step below him.

    "I told you, I'm tired," Judy whined, making a "pff" sound and waving away Nick's tail. "I should have gone first."

    "You should have; I'd have liked the view," Nick chuckled to himself. Judy only exhaled slightly at that joke, too drained to snap back. After they emerged onto the streets, Nick gave Judy a smile. "Okay bunny, looks like you'd had just about enough of this day." Judy's eyes widened a little as Nick scooped him up and he held her in his arms.

    "Nick...!" Judy gave a huff. "How embarrassing."

    "Want me to sling you over my shoulder instead?" Nick shrugged his shoulders. "You could pretend to be passed out."

    "Wouldn't be too much of a stretch," Judy sighed. "Whatever. Our apartment's close. Still feels a bit embarrassing to be carried like a baby."

    "Boy is it tempting to make a remark there," Nick groaned. "But I value my safety."

    "You're smarter than you look," Judy grinned.

    "I must be a genius, then!" Nick chuckled. "Seriously though Judy, you're really something. I lost sight of you so quickly during that chase. Whatever it is that drives you, would you mind sharing some with me?"

    "I'll think about it," Judy wore a relaxed smile as she nestled back into Nick's arms. Soon enough, they entered their apartment.

    "Okay, ride's over," Nick said, gently setting her down. "Please make sure you have all of your personal belongings as you exit." Judy made a little show of patting her own pockets, then she patted Nick's chest, too. "Yup, everything's here."

    "Wow, even when the bunny's on auxiliary power she has enough energy left to flirt, I see," Nick gave her head an affectionate rub. Judy made a pleased hum, then groaned and headed off to her room. Nick also left for his separate room and changed into his "usual" clothes, an offensively bright shirt and mismatched tie, and tan slacks.

    When he next saw Judy, she was climbing up onto their couch, wearing an oversized t-shirt. She gave Nick a questioning look.

    "Uh, you planning on going somewhere?" Judy asked him.

    "I was going to go to the store and pick up some of your favorite wine, like I said," Nick replied. "Maybe a little alcohol will take the edge off and help you get to sleep?"

    "Eh, don't bother," Judy shook her head. "Nice thought, but I feel like I'll be asleep within the hour, anyway."

    "Okay, suit yourself," Nick sighed a bit and went over to the bathroom. Judy winced.

    "I mean, uh, thank you for thinking of me, but..." Judy called after him, to no response. Judy's ears fell, but perked back up when Nick returned. The fox came back with an even expression and a bottle of medicated powder.

    "You're not falling asleep without me getting to make you feel better first," Nick said in a low, dramatic tone. He shook out some of the powder so it coated his paw pad.

    "Nick..." Judy gave a slightly embarrassed giggle, as she tried to think up some sort of polite protest, but came up empty. Instead, her smile just grew warm. "...Okay." Nick knelt near the couch and started to gingerly rub her feet, applying the powder to them.

    "Just let me know if I'm being too rough," Nick said, "preferably without kicking me in the face."

    "I wouldn't dream of it," Judy's ears folded back in relaxation, but they felt a bit warm. "Mm, you sure do know how to pamper me..."

    "Fluff, I have not yet begun to spoil you," Nick grinned. "This is just the beginning."

    Judy bit her lip gently as she wondered what he could mean. Nick continued to softly rub her feet, applying a bit more pressure when he thought she could take it.

    "Ah...!" Judy exclaimed. "Oh, that feels heavenly..." Nick kept at it, finding her relaxed sighing and moaning to be reward enough for him. Nick stopped before too much longer, and Judy wiggled her toes. "Um, you don't have to stop. I wouldn't mind if you kept at that for another hour or so."

    "You're supposed to be asleep by then, remember?" Nick chuckled. "C'mere; lay on my lap on your front." Nick climbed onto the couch and patted his lap, and Judy obeyed him. Nick tried to sneak his hands up Judy's shirt and up to her back, but she looked back at him.

    "Ah ah! Watch those paws, mister," Judy smirked.

    "So you're saying I should take off your shirt so I can see my paws get at your back?" Nick shot back with a playful look.

    "I can unclothe myself, thank you," Judy removed her shirt and Nick felt his breath catch slightly as there was nothing else she was wearing underneath it. Nick decided to refrain from any extra flattery, but he did allow his eyes to soak in the loveliness of her gray and white fur. He placed his paws gently on her back, rubbing with his fingertips, and adding in soft scratches.

    "Hnh..." Judy gave a delightful shiver. "You are so good at this..."

    "Did I tell you I was planning to pick up an instrument?" Nick said as he continued massaging Judy.

    "Oh yeah?" Judy rested her cheek on her folded arms. "Which one?"

    "The bunny," Nick said smugly.

    "What are you talking about, you goofball?" Judy affectionately grumbled.

    "Well, it takes a little work and deft fingers, but..." Nick carefully scrunched her fur in places where he felt tension in her back and shoulders. He was rewarded by some lingering groans of relief. "She makes such nice music when you can play her right."

    "You are the single most humiliating thing to happen to me," Judy gave a relaxed sigh. "And the most wonderful." Nick just chuckled softly. After awhile, Judy turned over, exposing her front to him.

    "Here next?" Nick wiggled his fingers, then carefully ran his claws over her chest and midsection's fur.

    "Hah... Nick..." Judy squinted her eyes shut at the pleasurable sensations. "Rh... if I wasn't so tired..."

    "Oh, I know," Nick had a wide smile. "Believe me, I know. But I'm a predator. I kind of like being able to do this to a nice, helpless bunny." His claws tickled at her thighs, to a shuddering gasp from the bunny in question.

    "Dh-don't think you're going to get away with this," Judy tried her most determined look, though she did feel like she was melting against his ministrations. "I'll remember this, and you'll pay. Oh will you pay. Mnh, you think these sounds are silly? I'll make you sound twice as dumb..."

    "I'll look forward to that," Nick chuckled. "But tonight, this is all for you."

    "Nick, you're so... hnh..." Judy was interrupted by another skillful pet. "So... uh..." His paw pads ran down her sides as his claws gently scraped her back. "I can't even concentrate."

    "Hmhm, just give that bunny brain a rest," Nick cooed, rubbing her ankles and legs. "I'll let the rest of you relax soon enough, after I practice my favorite song on you."

    Judy shivered in anticipation. She had a feeling she knew what that "song" was, and she had no doubt he'd be able to get her to sing it.

Chapter 38: TLC II

    Judy merrily hummed Gazelle's newest tune as she carried a bag of groceries down the hall of the floor of her apartment. She was really liking living with Nick in a new place; the decor was less loathsome, it still had a pretty good view of the city, and being that close to her partner had other, more physical benefits. Though Nick had often offered to get their groceries because he was larger, he also liked to lounge around on his spare time. Knowing this, Judy often did some of the errands herself. She didn't mind; she loved seeing the sights and sounds of her city, which she felt more a part of every day.

    "No! ...NO! Would you just shut UP!? ...You don't know a thing about her!" It was Nick's voice, coming from the apartment.

    Judy's ears perked and her eyes widened at the noise. Her nose started twitching. She had never heard Nick that angry before. Even the time that Judy really messed up and ended up apart from Nick for three months, Nick wasn't that angry-sounding. Simmering, seething perhaps, but not outright yelling. Curious to a fault, Judy approached their door with the groceries in her hands.

    "I'm sick of talking to you about this, and in general! Lose this number!"

    Judy flinched where in older times one would have heard a phone loudly slam against its receiver, but that was one disadvantage smartphones had in their current days. She wondered what she should do; her nose was still twitching, her eyes darting around the hallway. She wondered if perhaps she might go over to the elevator and pretend to come back so she could plausibly deny overhearing part of that conversation. Turning around, she decided to do this, with some tiny sense of shame. Judy cringed and her ears twitched as, predictably, she heard a door open behind her.

    "Judy?" Nick was speaking, of course. "Where are you going?"

    "Oh! Uh," Judy gave a large, manufactured smile. "I was just going back to the elevator! Because, um- yeah, I think I might have dropped something in there...? Y'know, clumsy bunny and all."

    "Right," Nick rolled his eyes. "C'mon, give it here." Nick motioned for the grocery bag and Judy offered it, going to the elevator next. Opening it, nothing was there.

    "Oh look, nothing's here," Judy huffed, sucking at her teeth. "Oh well, hopefully some other hungry mammal got that- uh, that food I dropped. They must have needed it more than me!"

    Nick looked at her through half-lidded eyes and an unamused expression, and retreated into their apartment. Judy slapped both hands on her face while following him.

    "You need to work on your lying, darling," Nick said in a flat voice as he started to put their groceries away.

    "Yeah, that'd be nice," Judy grumbled, going over to assist him.

    Nick thought for a second and let a long exhale out of his nose. "Sorry about that. Thought you'd be gone a bit longer. I was going to go take a walk to clear my head."

    "About that," Judy said, looking up at him with concern. "I don't suppose you'd want to tell me who you were shouting so loudly at?"

    "My dad," Nick rolled his eyes and shook his head. "That idiot still thinks he has some sort of stake in my life."

    "Oh, I don't think I've heard much about your dad," Judy paused, her hand on a can of soup, before resuming.

    "Don't hold your breath; he's a waste of fur," Nick sneered.

    "Nick," Judy started to look sort of righteously angry. "You know, I don't see any reason either of your parents would have to be upset with you. You're an excellent specimen of a fox- no, a mammal."

    Nick smirked at her. "Of course you don't see what reason my dad would have to be angry with me."

    "You saying love is blind?" Judy returned his playful look. "Because I could harp on you till the sun sets."

    "Ha, no," Nick replied, holding up a finger and then pointing at her, "though I know you could. You don't see the reason my dad's angry because you're looking out of her eyes."

    "Oh," Judy's look became quizzical, and she huffed, putting down the groceries she had in her hands, considering this. Nick playfully yanked them from right in front of her. "Really?"

    "Really," Nick nodded. "My business is none of his, so you're not even a tiny blip on his radar. Or, you shouldn't be. But he wants to make everything his business. Like his stupid clothing corporation. Hmph." Nick folded his arms and looked off to the side.

    "Can I say I kind of like it when you get angry about me?" Judy half-smiled.

    "You can say it, but I'm not sure I like it," Nick winked.

    "Anyway," Judy smiled brightly at him, grabbing both of his wrists with her hands. "Let me take care of you right now."

    Nick seemed slightly confused by her sudden perky look. "What are you talking about? I'm okay."

    "You just said you needed a walk," Judy drooped her head and looked up at him reprovingly. "And I'm better than a walk at clearing your head."

    "This is true," Nick said. "So like I said, I'm fine now that you're back."

    "C'mon...!" Judy smirked, swinging his wrists with her hands. "Let me do all that fun bunny stuff to you that your daddy disapproves of."

    "Uh, you're kind of taking this to a weird place, Judy," Nick's eyes narrowed.

    "Oh, sorry," Judy giggled.

    Soon enough, the two were unclothed and on their bed, with Nick laying on his arms face-down, and Judy on his back. She kneaded his back, squeezing and using her small claws to scritch, while moving her relatively powerful feet against his lower back and flank. Judy grinned. Nick's body length compared to hers let her do all sorts of things to him that she wouldn't be able to do with someone of her size.

    "Rrrgh..." Nick grumbled. "This feels amazing..."

    "Say who the best bunny is," Judy simpered as she administered her treatment. She scrunched up his fur near his neck and shoulders, squeezing, then releasing. Nick blurted out several relieved murmurs as he tried to answer Judy's furtive instruction.

    "Judy is best bunny," Nick droned hazily. "Ngh..." Judy moved up to scratch at the back of his neck, rubbing to and fro, and on top of his head and ears, planting random kisses along the way.

    "Now roll over," Judy commanded, and Nick complied, ending up on his back. Judy smirked. "Good boy...!" She began to affectionately pet and scratch along his muzzle, to Nick's squinty-eyed delight, his tail audible as it swished in the sheets behind him. Judy tilted her head and allowed her ears to droop to the side in a sassy manner. "What, no objections at that remark?"

    "Judy, I will listen to, and say, whatever demeaning things you can come up with if you'll keep going," Nick blurted out through the gray and white paws on his muzzle.

    "That's what I like to hear," Judy giggled, kissing him with her own muzzle. The two kissed repeatedly and for quite some time. The two broke from their kissing like waking from a trance, as if they had to mentally remind themselves that there were other things they could be doing. Judy brushed her chin against Nick's snout, near his nose. Nick inhaled frantically.

    "Judy, rh-really?" Nick's fists clenched. "Your scent right there, so close to my nose?"

    "You like it, though," Judy smirked. "And you're my fox besides, so your nose should get to have a good time while the rest of you is."

    "You're s-so yummy," Nick said as though the words took effort to form, and Judy smirked at the pink lash he called a tongue moving along his muzzle. Judy moved down a few paw-lengths and began to scratch vigorously at the red and cream fur of his chest and midsection, just at the intensity he enjoyed most. She could tell what this was because one of his legs started kicking a bit. Any harder was too much, but just the barest kicking was what he liked most. Judy hummed happily as she found this sweet spot, and Nick huffed, trying desperately not to pant.

    "You're a mess, Mister Wilde," Judy teased. "Tail wagging, leg kicking, whimpering..." He was doing this too, unable to help himself.

    "Judy, you make me this way," Nick groaned in delight. He continued to lay back, feeling almost paralyzed, as if the slightest twitch would drive Judy away and cease her pleasurable antics.

    "And has any other mammal ever made you feel a fraction of what I give you?" Judy said in a low, dangerous voice, pushing her claws along the sensitive parts of his stomach. Nick's breath caught during this. She was bewitching.

    "God no," Nick whined in pleasure.

    "So, if pressed-" at this Judy's paws pressed and rubbed against Nick's upper chest as she massaged little circles there. "Would you say I'm the best thing that's ever happened to you?"

    "Yes...!" Nick hissed eagerly. "Just keep pressing... mm..."

    Filled with a possessive, carnal thrill at his helplessness before her, she decided to lean in and "chin" more areas of his chest and shoulders. Nick whimpered softly, appreciating both the feeling and meaning of the gestures.

    "I think I know what would look good on you," Judy grinned naughtily, tracing her claws around his neck. "A collar. With a tag on it that says 'If found, please return to Judy'."

    "Judy..." Nick barely managed to complain.

    "Just kidding," Judy giggled. "Sort of."

    Nick paused, his tail threatening to wag. "...I mean, maybe if you wanted me to just wear it in the bedroom or something."

    "Oh my gosh, would you wear it?" Judy brightened up, putting her paws to her face.

    "I'd... consider it," Nick said bashfully.

    Judy laughed. "Oh, my silly fox." She hugged him, keenly aware of his sniffing nose near her back and licking tongue lapping her shoulder. "I love driving you crazy."

    "It's a short drive with this bunny in the driver's seat," Nick said, giving a furtive growl.

    "Hey!" Judy retorted, breaking from him and pushing his chest so he hit the bed again. "Well, Wilde. You better buckle up." She assumed an enticing pose atop him. "Because the bunny still has the wheel."

Chapter 39: Flurry

    "Brr!" Judy skipped lightly down one of Tundratown's streets, with Nick to her left. Nick was wearing a faux fur-lined coat, and she had on a sweater and scarf. "One of the many things I love about Zootopia is if you just feel like going for a chilly walk whenever you want, you can!"

    "You'd think the novelty would wear off after awhile, but it never really does," Nick nodded. He snickered to himself as they both walked past a particular snowy field.

    This didn't escape Judy's notice, and she followed his gaze into the field. "Oh for..." Judy wandered into the snowy field, feeling the icy matter give way pleasantly under her feet. "It was right here, wasn't it?"

    "Yup, yup, yup," Nick droned wistfully, walking out into the field with her. "This place is usually never occupied, so it was perfect for my little Pawpsicle-making plot. Ah, the memories."

    "It's not exactly something to be proud of," Judy made a derisive huff. "Any moron could do what you did."

    "Not just any moron," Nick claimed. "It took dedication, charm, confidence." Nick placed his hand over his heart. "I was proud to be a hustler. Well, maybe not proud, but you get the idea. It was my livelihood, after all, and I didn't really hurt anyone along the way, so no harm no foul, am I right?" He looked to his right and there was no bunny where he expected there to be. "Uh, Carrots?" Nick looked where she should have been, turning slightly and wondering if she fell into a snow bank. "Ju-"

    Pff!

    Nick suddenly felt an icy sting on the left side of his muzzle and, caught off guard, he tumbled forward to his hands and knees.

    "Dee...?" Nick finished.

    Judy laughed raucously. "Ha ha! In your face! Literally!" Nick rubbed his cheek and snout of all of the snow on it. "That's for taking advantage of all of those innocent mammals over the years."

    "Well, I wouldn't exactly call you innocent," Nick grumbled with a smirk.

    "Aw, poor foxy kit fall down?" Judy mocked with her hands behind her back, going over to Nick and bending forward. "Still think I throw like a bunny?"

    "No, you've definitely gotten better," Nick shook his head. "I feel like I'm bleeding."

    "Oh, you baby!" Judy sucked her teeth, bending down near his muzzle and checking it out. "You are not bleed-EEE!"

    Nick grabbed the front of her sweater and yanked forward, and the bunny splatted down face first into the snow.

    "Gotcha," Nick grinned.

    "NICK!" Judy pushed up from the snow and Nick was delighted at her fury. "I'm going to destroy you!"

    "Well, you'd have to catch me, first," Nick saluted, taking off in one direction and kicking up more snow onto Judy as he fled, who shielded herself from the indirect assault.

    "This is war, Nicholas!" Judy thrust her finger at his retreating form, bending her head down just a second to craft a snowball. "I will serve up your snowy downfall!" Judy sprang up and forward, snowball at the ready, but Nick was already out of sight. "What the? That fox can really move when he wants to." Judy's brow furrowed and she grinned. "But he can't hide where he's going."

    Excitedly, Judy followed his footprints through the snow. Amateur, she thought to herself. He didn't even bother hiding them when he was going around the corner of a building! He couldn't have gotten too far; all she needed to do was round the building.

    "Blaapth!" Judy sputtered as she took the corner sharply and ran directly into a snowball Nick was holding out specifically for this purpose. She ran into it so hard she fell onto her back, her own snowball uselessly discarded.

    "Aw, Carrots!" Nick mocked, looking over her. "I was saving that to throw at you."

    "For fox's sake!" Judy fumed, springing back up with both of her fists full of snow. She wildly slashed both arms at Nick, flinging snow haphazardly at him, which he managed to dodge while chuckling.

    "Control you must learn, young Skyhopper," Nick teased in a slightly affected voice.

    "I'll show you 'control'!" Judy had a sneering grin, and she crouched down to scoop up a larger snowball that took both of her hands to hold. "I'll control this snowball into your-" When Judy looked up, Nick was gone again. "What!? Seriously!?" Judy carefully and slowly snuck around the corner, giving a wide berth to avoid any surprises, but this time the fox footprints vanished into scuffed snow. "Nuts! He's learning... clever boy." For a few minutes, Judy crept around the building, looking for Nick. "Nick...! Don't keep a girl waiting...!" She cradled her oversized snowball in the crook of her arm and carefully etched "Nick" into the snow with the small claw of her forefinger. "I've got a big snowball here that has your name on it! Really I do...!"

    There was still silence. Judy sniffed the air, but she couldn't tell where his scent had gone. "C'mon, Nick, where'd you-?" Judy was interrupted by a cold feeling splatting on her ears and the top of her head. Judy looked up and Nick waved to her from atop the building. "Nick...!"

    "Pardon me, Miss," Nick called out. "I seem to have dropped my snowball. Would you happen to know where it went?"

    Livid, Judy ground her teeth, but managed a pleasant smile up at him. "Why, sure! In fact, this one I have in my hands has your name on it, see?" Judy showed it to him.

    "So it does! I'll be right down!" Nick leaped onto the water drain and slid down it, as Judy had seen him do before. She was perilously close to it, though.

    "Ack!" Judy quickly scampered away from the drain and just barely missed Nick swiping at her large snowball. "Ruh!" She levied her weight to her advantage and turned around, flinging the large snowball at Nick, where it mostly hit his chest and neck.

    "Oof!" Nick dramatically clutched at his shoulder. "You got me. You've given me... the cold shoulder!"

    "Nick!" Judy clenched her fists up near her face and hopped up and down twice. "Fight me! C'mon! Mammal to mammal!" She scooped up another snowball.

    "As you wish," Nick grinned, following suit. "I'm glad you're so fired up; from that first prank I was afraid you were going to give me a chilly reception."

    Snowballs started flying through the air, some hitting, but the majority missing the agile animals.

    "And knock it off with the ice puns!" Judy flung a wild throw at him, but missed. "Ice puns are the lowest of the low; the easiest jokes to make!"

    "You'd say they're the absolute zero, then?" Nick lobbed a throw at her. Judy growled at him and was almost distracted enough to get hit by the slow shot, but she dodged at the last second.

    "I'm going to ice you if you keep this up!" Judy tossed two snowballs stylishly at Nick, both of them finding their mark.

    "Oof!" Nick chuckled. "I can stop if you really want, but it's snow problem to keep going, too." Nick snapped a snowball out of the side of his hand and caught Judy in the stomach with it.

    "Rgh!" Judy took a step back. "If you don't cut out the smart remarks, I'm going to... to..."

    "You can't think of one, can you?" Nick made a few "tsk" sounds. "That just leaves me cold."

    "Nick...!" Judy hunched over and tried to violently scoop up a double handful of snow to throw at Nick, but that ended up missing as well. Their snowball fight continued for a good ten minutes before...

    "WILDE! HOPPS!"

    Nick and Judy both froze, snowballs dropping from their dominant hands and their ears both dropped as well. That was Chief Bogo's voice. Bogo, wearing a smart-looking collared jacket, stormed over to the two.

    "Uh, hey Chief!" Judy gave a large, somewhat guilty grin. Though she didn't quite know why she felt guilty, as the two were off duty. He just sort of had that effect.

    "Off duty, Mr. Bogo is fine," Bogo said. "But, even though you two are off duty, do you really think a snowball fight is the best use of your time?"

    "As we are off duty, Mr. Bogo, I wouldn't see how that matters," Nick smirked and shrugged.

    "If anyone here recognizes you as my officers, how would that reflect on our precinct?" Bogo folded his arms and frowned down at them. "Here are my two star officers, behaving like a couple of kits."

    "Uh..." Judy twisted her mouth into a frown. "Are you saying... we can't have any fun?"

    "Well, either use a little more discretion so no one will see you," Bogo said. "Or, if you must disrupt the beauty of this untouched snow, how about doing something a little more constructive with it?"

    Bogo rotated both of his shoulders, then rolled together a rather massive orb of snow. Judy clapped twice in delight, gasping.

    "Ooh!" Judy exulted. "Do you want to build a snowmammal?"

    Chief Bogo gave a placid smile at the two, which Judy grinned back at, but Nick suddenly felt a burst of alarm. Bogo's thick arms shot out, grabbed the two, hoisted them up, inverted them, and slammed them both into the top of the snow orb, where they remained with their feet and legs visible.

    "No, I want you both to chill out," Bogo dusted off his hands and turned away from them. "And be sure you aren't late tomorrow". He smirked and made his way away from them.

    "Well, this is humiliating," Judy stated plainly.

    "Being mostly engulfed in snow, there's something... oddly familiar about this," Nick mused. "I can't say I mind too much."

    "I can feel the blood rushing to my head," Judy said. "What a weird sensation."

    "This must be what a Pawpsicle feels like," Nick smirked.

    "Nick!" Judy grumbled.

    Nick parted the snow separating them and grinned at their upside-down faces. "Ice to see you."

    Judy's eyelids fell, or rose, depending on your point of view. "Kiss my ice, Nick." He did; he kissed the snow right next to Judy's face.

    She couldn't help but laugh.

Chapter 40: Fluff

    "Nicholas!" Judy shrieked as Nick came out of the bathroom of their shared apartment, wearing only a towel.

    "Aw come on Judy, what could I have done to get you upset this early in the day?" Nick grumbled. "I'm wearing a towel; I'm dry. What do you want? Nothing you haven't seen before."

    "Yeah, but your fur is going every which way!" Judy's shoulders fell in a sort of shame-filled disparaging way. "You of all people should have some pride in your personal appearance. I mean, to offset those ridiculous shirts you wear."

    Nick chuckled, shrugging and looking for some yogurt in the fridge. "Babe, I don't plan on going anywhere today. I've got no one to impress."

    "But me!" Judy tried a pouty huff, to which Nick just grinned at. "Don't you want to look good for me?"

    "We've been together a little over a year, Judy," Nick shook his head. "If anything, you should be happy I'm comfortable enough around you to start cutting a few corners."

    "Really? I should be happy about this?" Judy sprang off the couch and made a flippant gesture over to Nick's form. "I should be happy about you starting to care less?"

    "You're making something out of nothing, bunny!" Nick held a hand to his forehead. "I was much worse than this when I was living by myself, I can assure you."

    Judy spun on her heel and marched to the bathroom, slamming the door.

    "Oh, come on, Judy," Nick sighed. "We have the day off; do you just want to pick a fight today? I can do that, but I don't really want to..."

    Judy came out of the bathroom brandishing a brush and one of her sauciest smirks. "I'm going to make you look good for me if I have to do it myself."

    "Uh..." Nick gave an impressed exhale. "You want to, uh... groom me?"

    "Sure!" Judy smiled, then shot a knowing grin at him. "Try and tell me you don't want that."

    "Can't, won't," Nick shook his head. "Just let me finish this yogurt." His rate of eating was noticeably accelerated.

    Judy gave a naughty chuckle of amusement. "Get your foxy bum over to the couch, and don't bother with the towel."

    Nick released a whine of anticipation and followed her directions. "Okay, just one thing before we start. You're not to record this in any way."

    "How little you trust me," Judy shook her head and took her phone out of her pants pocket, shutting it off and putting it on the table in front of her.

    "And the carrot pen?" Nick put his hands on his bare hips.

    "I don't have it!" Judy shrugged, and this caused a pat-down by Nick, to Judy's giggling. "Wow, you have some trust issues."

    "More like self-image issues," Nick sighed. "I have to admit, if I was doing this to you, I'd be sorely tempted to record it. But I have a feeling I'm about to embarrass myself, so I'd rather this not get into another soul's eyes or ears"

    "Lay on my lap, you goofball," Judy commanded, and Nick obliged, first laying on his front. Judy set about brushing him, giving long strokes of the brush through his fur to make it look reasonably fluffy and orderly.

    Nick's breath caught sometimes on the way in or out. "That's not bad. Feels a lot more interesting coming from someone else."

    Judy was having a fun time soaking up the little twitches of his muscles and the small sounds he made while she brushed his head, back, arms, legs, and tail. She also ran her other paw over the areas she brushed to give him a more personal touch. At times she would pause, and Nick's tail would start twitching subtly, as if asking for more. She took in all these reactions greedily as proof that he was her fox.

    "Okay, time for your other side," Judy chirped happily. Nick hesitated. "What's wrong?"

    "Just a bit worried about what will happen when you brush my chest and stomach," Nick gave a little huff. "Those areas are a bit sensitive when I go through them myself, so..."

    "Are you worried you're going to enjoy yourself too much? Hello! I'm your girlfriend, here," Judy laughed.

    "You're right, I'm dumb," Nick shook his head and rolled over. Judy smiled at him, leaning over to kiss his nose.

    "Now I get to see how this is affecting you a bit more," Judy winked, and Nick grimaced. "In your face, of course!"

    "Right..." Nick rolled his eyes, but gasped a little when she started brushing him. He expected her to go right for his chest and stomach, his "weak points", and she didn't disappoint. He tried to control himself and just let himself relax, but he couldn't help it; he felt one of his legs start to twitch a little. He groaned slightly in pleasure.

    "Ooh!" Judy was more than pleased at this reaction. "Feel good...?"

    "You're mocking me," Nick complained, his leg twitching more in response to her brushing. She'd give light brushes and heavy brushes to see how he reacted, both in the squinting of his eyes and face, and his leg twitching.

    "Not at all! This is fun!" Judy smiled brightly. Nick finally let himself relax as he felt the brush on his ears and the top of his head, his neck, and back to his "weak points" again. It did indeed feel much better to have his bunny brush him than doing it himself. He might have to "forget" to brush himself more often.

    "Nnh... I love you, Judy..." Nick groaned out abruptly, then his eyes widened. "Oh, uh, whoops."

    "Whoops!? What do you mean, 'whoops'?" Judy laughed and tapped the backside of the brush on his thigh.
    
    "Uh, sorry, blissed out there a bit," Nick covered his eyes with a paw. Judy removed his paw from his face by his wrist and gave him a stern look.

    "You tell me you love me all the time," Judy smiled. "What's with you? Are you too proud to just enjoy yourself?"

    "I've... told you I've never let anyone be this intimate with me before, right...?" Nick started weakly.

    "Uh huh," Judy nodded, smiling.

    "And that you're basically my best friend, and I've shared things with you I don't share with any other mammal?" Nick continued.

    "That's right," Judy smiled lovingly, her ears warming up a bit.

    "So it's just... to just let you do whatever you want to me and give you genuine reactions, it's almost against everything I've taught myself," Nick sighed. "I know we've been together a long time, but just believe me when I say I'm doing my best to just... let go of myself, I guess is the right phrase."

    "Nick..." Judy gave him an adoring smile, then looked contemplative. "Yeah, I think that's right. I'm selfish."

    "What? No..." Nick squinted his eyes. Judy sat on his chest and rubbed his cheeks.

    "You know what I want from you?" Judy gave a tender smile. "I want those reactions from you. I want you to be defenseless before me... I want it... because I want to know that I can make you that way, to make you so happy. I want to confirm to myself that a bunny like me can make you happy; that you don't need anyone else but me to be driven to the highest heights of bliss. I want to know that I'm... enough."

    "Uh, wow," Nick ran his hand over Judy's cheek. "That's pretty heavy. You're more than 'enough', Judy."

    "Please don't be afraid of me, then..." Judy said softly, but she was still smiling. "I want you to be happy with me and because of me..."

    "Every day, sweetheart," Nick nodded. The two kissed softly and pet each others cheeks happily. "Now, why don't you lose the brush."

    "I'll lose more than that," Judy said in a flirty voice as she tossed the brush, and her clothes, over the side of the couch.

    "Yeah, that's a lot better," Nick grumbled warmly as he felt Judy's bunny claws run down his chest and stomach. "Ooh, a lot better... so you're uh, still grooming me then?"

    "Mm hm, just lay back and enjoy the pampering," Judy giggled, kissing his neck, then trying a little nibble there with her front teeth.

    "Hey!" Nick shivered. "Since when were you the predator?" The two laughed. Judy sighed happily and fixed on him with a gaze of affection. "Yeah, I like that. Just keep... looking at me like that." Nick gave a relaxed, happy sigh.

    "You like my face?" Judy cooed romantically.

    "It's not bad," Nick said dreamily. Judy squinted her eyes shut and tilted her head back and forth a little, giggling.

    It wasn't too long before Judy's petting and scratching through Nicks fur sent him back into a blissful state, this time with his tongue even lolling out of the side of his face.

    "My dumb fox..." Judy possessively grabbed at his head and pet all over it and his muzzle, kissing his forehead and nose.

    Nick blinked back to reality and slurped his tongue back into his muzzle. "Mm... yeah, yours. Always yours."

    Judy sighed in delight. If she wasn't careful, she'd be the one making the dumb faces next.

    "Can I hug you back yet?" Nick asked.

    "Sure," Judy shrugged. Nick held her very close as if he'd been starved of this. Judy nestled into his embrace, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Wow, I can hear your tail slicing through the air."

    "Don't mind him," Nick started petting Judy's back. "I'll get him to settle down soon enough."

    "Aw, but I like that he likes me," Judy giggled.

    "Well I gotta get him to settle down so I can do this," Nick brought his tail over so it could lay across Judy's backside, touching her own tail.

    "Ah, that's nice, I like that," Judy sighed in pleasure.

    "It's still only morning and we've already basically fused into one being," Nick grumbled warmly. "Pretty productive for our day off, huh?"

    "That's right! I've liberated you of at least two hundred of your loose fox hairs, before noon!" Judy looked proud and pleased of her own in-joke. Nick was having a tough time understanding and his face showed it; his expression was a mix between puzzled and happy. "Anyway, there's still one way we could be closer."

    "Yeah, I'm game for that," Nick tried to sound suave.

    "Oh, I know that, you goofball," Judy smirked back naughtily. "You've been 'game' for quite awhile."

    "You have that effect on me," Nick smirked.

    "I'm going to have a lot of effects on you," Judy attempted her most playful grin.

    Nick laughed. "Only you could be this silly when trying to turn me on."

    "Well, it's working, isn't it?" Judy bit her lip, feeling unable to hold herself back much longer.

    "So, so well," Nick chuckled. "Just one of the many reasons you're the best bunny."

    "I'm your best bunny, and don't you forget it," Judy gave him a possessive kiss, which Nick was all too eager to join.

Chapter 41: Foxes

    Nick stood at the corner of the street under an awning, looking at and listening to the pouring rain in the streets of Savanna Central. He and Judy were interviewing various shop owners on the block about some armed robberies that had taken place, and Nick was done with his allotted stores and was going to go meet up with Judy, but the rain made him pause. Not that he minded getting wet, but he had just gotten his uniform cleaned. He figured Judy would come and find him when she was done.

    Another fox hurried under the awning, holding his hand protectively over his hat. He had a nice suit on.

    "Come to get some shelter from the..." Nick paused as he saw the other fox's face. It was a face he recognized. "...Rain?" Nick's face slowly twisted from shock to disgust. The other fox merely looked surprised.

    "Ah, hello, Nick," the other fox said, wiping off his clothes.

    "...Don't act like you know me," Nick said coldly.

    "Right," the fox nodded. "We're just two foxes sharing an awning to take cover from the rain..."

    There was a full minute of silence, except for the dull constant shriek of the downpour.

    "You have a lot of nerve to come back to Zootopia, John," Nick sucked at his teeth, folded his arms, and looked away from the well-dressed fox.

    "I just go where the business takes me," John said calmly.

    "Oh, I know that," Nick said in a dark tone, continuing to refuse to look at him. "One of my first memories is mom crying her eyes out on the day you left. I was only five."

    "Your mother and I..." John sighed. "We had different ideas on what we wanted out of life. My priority was always following my dream to start a chain of tailors. I tried to make her understand that. But she wanted a family, and she wouldn't take no for an answer."

    "Like having a family is so bad," Nick's teeth grit in anger. "You couldn't settle for toning back your ambitions to be there for her? For me?"

    John sighed, taking off his hat and shaking some rain free of it. "I had an opportunity I had to take. Listen, any animal can eat, sleep, and breed. But we won't be remembered for that. I had a chance to start a legacy. Long after I'm gone, Fox Tails Tailors will remain."

    "Yeah, but they sure won't be remembering you," Nick looked at him with a hateful sneer. "They say the clothes make the mammal, but I don't see one in there. Just a shell."

    "You're so harsh, Nick," John exhaled slowly. "I told her over and over I didn't want kits. She's such a traditional vixen, you know; wanted to be a homemaker; have three or four kits. It's just not how things go these days."

    "Uh huh, but here I am anyway," Nick made a flippant gesture. "And thanks to you, I grew up with no father."

    "She never remarried?" John seemed surprised.

    "No, I think she had a vain hope of you coming back," Nick sneered directly at him. "Not that it seems like you were worth that hope."

    "We were adults, and we consented to disagree with our arrangements," John said. "At least, that's what she told me when we agreed to separate."

    "Looks like she didn't let you know quite how much her marriage vows meant to her," Nick shook his head and looked away from him again.

    "Marriage vows? Really, Nick?" John sucked at his teeth. "Marriage is a joke, a formality. A party for females to make themselves feel pretty. You know what a pittance it takes to get an annulment?"

    "It's not... it's not about the money," Nick put a few fingertips on his forehead. "It's about principles!"

    "So, you think I should have stayed in an unhappy marriage where I disagreed with my mate?" John folded his arms. "You think I should have stifled my own dreams because of her desires?"

    "Maybe you should have cared about something more than clothes!" Nick growled openly at him. "But since you appear to, look at me! Look at what I'm wearing!" He indicated his uniform. "I found something to truly believe in, to really give myself to." He huffed a bit, his heart accelerating. He almost said "someone".

    "Yes, you appear to be a police officer," John said plainly. "Noble, I suppose. You'd like to lord your virtues over mine, then, I guess."

    "What do you have, John?" Nick snapped. "Money? A few vixens that'll sleep with you on the side because of that? I have loyalty to my city and to my department. I have mammals that trust me. Me! A fox! And when I'm gone, people'll know me as ZPD's first fox officer. And what'll you be!?" Nick dismissively swept his hand at John. "Some fox who had a clothing chain."

    "So, you're proud of who you are, then?" John said, his expression continuing to be even.

    "You bet I am!" Nick thrust his thumb into his chest. "I'm somebody to someone! I serve this city!"

    "Well, you got there without my help, then," John shrugged.

    Nick paused in surprise at this audacious statement. His jaw dropped a little. "You're unbelievable."

    John put his hands into his pockets. "If you became this way just to spite me and my failings as a father, then mission accomplished, I suppose. Well done, noble fox."

    "Don't you dare mock me," Nick sneered, the top of his muzzle curling back a bit. "You're nothing to me."

    "And what if I was something?" John made a flippant gesture with one hand. "If I was something to you, how'd you turn out then? Maybe you wouldn't be this sterling fox before me, huh?"

    "Or, maybe I wouldn't have spent two decades hating Zootopia and everything in it!" Nick clenched his fists at his sides.

    "...Tell your mother to find someone else, Nick," John said. "Her misplaced faithfulness to someone like me shouldn't be worth her continued misery."

    "She can do what she wants," Nick huffed. "As far as I'm concerned, this conversation never happened. We're just two foxes sharing an awning to take cover from the rain."

    "I suppose we are," John said, and silence fell again.

    Judy's cruiser drove up to the corner, and the rabbit flung the door open.

    "Nick! Finally found you!" Judy said cheerfully. "C'mon! Sorry I took so long; the store clerk just down the road is from Bunnyburrow, and I know her! Pretty big coincidence, right?"

    "Yeah, pretty big," Nick agreed, rushing out into the car and shooting a final, cold look to the other fox.

    Judy leaned over and her expression brightened. "Hey! That other fox looks just like you! And since you know everyone, I bet you know him, right?"

    "No, I don't know him," Nick stated curtly, slamming his car door and staring straight ahead with a blank expression. Judy read a small bit of anger and hurt from his voice. She slowly nodded, shifting the car into gear.

    "You don't know him," Judy quietly agreed, her cheerful expression melting as she drove off into the distance with Nick.

Chapter 42: Foxes II

    Judy relaxed into her police cruiser's seat. It was currently parked; she was staking out a high-traffic area for any offenders. She affixed her Houndstooth headset to her ear and picked up her personal phone, calling Nick.

    "H'lo?" Came the reply.

    "How are you feeling, sweetie?" Judy asked with concern in her voice.

    "I've feld bedder," Nick said, sniffling. "Doze is still stuvved ub."

    "I'll pick up some NocQuill from MaulGreens on the way home, sugar fox," Judy said.

    "Thad be grade," Nick sniffled, coughing as well.

    Judy glanced down at the ring on her left hand. "I remember my promise. In sickness and in health."

    "Mm.." Nick murmured. "I thing you jus' wan me do keeb talging widdis sig voice."

    "It is kinda funny," Judy admitted, chuckling, but then saw a car speed by an intersection she was watching. "Oh! Gotta go babe, some idiot just ran a red light."

    "Go geddem," Nick said, sneezing, then hanging up. The bunny winced at the loud sound in her ear.

    "He could have hung up before he sneezed," Judy explained to herself, sucking at her teeth.

    Judy set the lights and siren on her cruiser and the imposing vehicle roared after the offending red convertible. It pulled over. Judy came out and wandered over, looking at the nice car. She sucked her teeth as the driver's side window pulled down.

    "I assume you know why I've pulled you over," Judy said. Then, her eyes processed who was in the car. It was a very familiar-looking red fox. In fact, she had seen him once a few years ago. Her eyes widened a little. "Oh. If it isn't the fox that Nick doesn't know."

    "Ah, hello you're the gray bunny that..." the fox said, but then saw Judy's expression sour. "Yes, I know I ran the red light. I'm sorry, I'm late for a meeting."

    "Yeah, well you're going to be even later now," Judy frowned. "License and registration, please." The fox turned these over.

    "I don't know why I'm not more surprised to read this name. John Wilde," Judy said lowly. "I had my suspicions it was you."

    "Guessing Nick doesn't talk about me much," John said.

    "No, he talks about you all right, just never by your name," Judy's expression seemed to be filling more and more with contempt. She went to run his license and found nothing out of the ordinary. She considered the range of fines his offense merited and came back to him.

    "So... your name tag," John looked at her chest. "Wilde-Hopps? You married him?"

    "I hope you didn't expect to be invited to the wedding," Judy narrowed her eyes.

    "No, no, of course not," John shook his head. "Just... a bit unusual of a pairing, you must admit."

    Judy ignored this. "Well, 'Mister' Wilde, I'm going to write you a ticket for-"

    "Do you feel lucky, rabbit?" John suddenly asked her.

    "Excuse me?" Judy looked surprised at his audacity. "Lucky to have Nick? Certainly."

    "I mean, lucky about the whole marriage thing," John said, frowning. "Fifty percent divorce rate in this city. You believe that? Fifty percent! I don't know the specifics among inter-species couples, but I'm imagining the numbers are even worse there."

    Judy's jaw dropped a bit. "Are you... are you seriously trying to insinuate for even a moment that Nick and I's marriage won't work out?" Her face instantly switched into fury. "You don't know either of us!"

    "Don't really have to," John shrugged his shoulders. "Numbers don't lie. Speaking of, that kit has fifty percent of me in him, so he's gotta be at least something like me."

    "No, to me it looks like he got most of his positive qualities from his mother," Judy said icily.

    "Aw c'mon, I know the kit's tongue is sharp like mine," John gave an eerily familiar half-smile. "Anyway, you just remember those statistics come five or ten years or so, and just take stock of where you are."

    "You've got some nerve, Wilde," Judy narrowed her eyes. "Nick is the love of my life. I'll never betray him, and he'll never betray me."

    "So you two are perfectly in sync, huh?" John asked, his eyes half-lidded. "You both know each others dreams and exactly what you want out of life? That's what it's going to come down to, bunny. Not 'love', not 'devotion', just whether you two 'work' together."

    "Pardon me!?" Judy felt herself putting extreme pressure on her pen. She wished it was the carrot pen, because it might just bend or snap if she got too much more frustrated.

    "I mean, I'm guessing you two are newlyweds," John sighed. "Still caught in that haze of young love. Well, I was there, and it doesn't last. You ask Nick what he wants out of life. If he says you, you should probably be worried." John gestured flippantly.

    "Listen, fox" Judy said with barely restrained fury. "Does trying to place doubts about marriage in the minds of others give you some sort of sick pleasure? Just because you're a sad, pathetic excuse for a fox with no warmth in his life? Does it make you feel better to sow your misery among others?"

    "Of course, without a doubt," John said, smirking. Judy felt a small chill at this.

    "Well, you and Nick have one thing in common," Judy transformed her fury into a dark smirk. "When it comes to bunnies, you don't know when to leave well enough alone." She shoved a ticket at him. "Maximum fine. Have a 'nice' day."

    John shrugged. "You as well." He drove off.

    Judy stormed back into her cruiser. The nerve of that fox! Trying to tell her what her life would and wouldn't be like. How dare he? Suddenly, she snapped back to her thoughts.

    "Oh right, gotta go to MaulGreens..." Judy said. She put her cruiser in gear and drove off.

---

    Judy stood in an aisle of MaulGreens, trying to decide between two bottles of NocQuill.

    "Guess I'll get the bigger one," Judy said to herself. "Just in case he ends up getting me sick." She heard some voices coming from a couple of aisles over.

    "This candy is buy one get one!"
    "Ugh, you hate that candy though!"
    "Aw c'mon, it's such a good deal!"
    "It's not a good deal if it'll end up getting wasted!"
    "Hey, shut up! You should try some of it, it's not that bad!"
    "Are you saying I need to sweeten up again? Shut up!"
    "No, you shut up!"
    "You shut up!"

    Judy instinctively cringed at the voices of her former neighbors, but then she grinned and even laughed, knowing she didn't have to deal with them on a daily basis anymore. Thinking she might as well greet them, she headed into their aisle.

    "Disturbing the peace again, boys?" Judy smirked, folding her arms.

    "Oh, its Officer Bunny!" Bucky Oryx-Antlerson waved cheerfully.

    "Hey, Officer Bunny," Pronk Oryx-Antlerson closed his eyes and gave a friendly, casual wave.

    "You two haven't changed one bit," Judy said, laughing. Then, she got a quizzical look on her face. "But you're still together, huh?"

    "Yeah, joined at the hip," Pronk said, rolling his eyes.

    "When you're lucky!" Bucky shoved him. "And shut up; there's a lady present!"

    "Yeah, like that's stopped you before," Pronk laughed snidely.

    "So I don't think I ever asked you..." Judy looked down at the bottle of medicine she held as if it would help her concentrate. She looked back at the two curiously. "How... how have you two stayed together so long when you bicker constantly?"

    The two widened their eyes and stared down at her. Simultaneously, they shrugged their shoulders.

    "You got me," Pronk chuckled. "By all accounts, it doesn't make sense."

    "Love doesn't have to make sense, idiot," Bucky flicked Pronk on the shoulder. "That's how it works. Mysteriously."

    "That's a lot of help," Judy grumbled.

    "Hey, you just got married, didn't you?" Bucky queried. "You're not gettin' doubts already, are you?"

    "Oh no, no!" Judy chuckled. "I was just... y'know, kind of thinking about the long term."

    "Well, I always thought that when two people got married, it was because they were meant to be together-" Pronk began.

    "That's probably the most romantic thing you've ever said in your whole-" Bucky interrupted.

    "No matter how much they irritate each other," Pronk counter-interrupted, finishing his thought.

    "Yeah that's more like it," Bucky laughed.

    "Well, I think in some bizarre way, you two have given me a small amount of hope for the future," Judy laughed, shaking her head. "You two keep on keeping on."

    "See ya, Officer Bunny," Bucky waved as Judy walked by. "Say hi to your fox for me."

    "She married a fox?" Pronk stared in disbelief.

    "It was all over the news!" Bucky said. "I dunno how you missed it."

    "The news is boring!" Pronk retorted. "Always full of hate-rallies and murders and hurricane warnings."

    "Well if you deigned to watch it once in awhile maybe you'd be a bit more wise to what's going on in this world!" Bucky countered.

    "If you're just going to watch it for me what's the point?" Pronk asked. "You can just tell me whatever!"

    "Oh shut up! Like self-improvement is a bad thing!"
    "Shut yourself up! The news is not really that big a deal!"
    "You shut up!"
    "YOU SHUT UP!"

    Judy rolled her eyes and smirked, heading to the counter to check out.

---

    Coming home to the apartment Judy and Nick shared, the gray bunny quickly went to their bedroom to check on her fox.

    "Wow, you look awful," Judy smiled in pity at the miserable-looking fox in the bed.

    "Lies," Nick said weakly. "I loog fabulous."

    "You look like germ city," Judy shook her head. "Looks like I'll be sleeping on the couch again tonight."

    "That'll teach you..." Nick gave a tired laugh.

    "I got the NocQuill," Judy said. "You want some now?"

    "Oh thang God," Nick sighed. "Yeah. Havin' been able to sleeb all day. Too much sinus pain..."

    "Okay sugar fox, I'll go pour you some," Judy said in a very caring way.

    "Hey, you gid thad guy?" Nick shifted around in bed. "The mammal who ran the red lide?"
    
    "Yeah," Judy turned her smile into a smirk. "He was nobody important."   

Chapter 43: Undercover

    Judy and Nick entered the ZPD, giving each other a high-five.

    "I'm guessing that means there's good news?" Benjamin Clawhauser said in excited anticipation, leaning over the front desk.

    "Yup!" Judy closed her eyes in smug satisfaction and jerked her thumb towards the front door. Fangmeyer and Wolford came in dragging a couple of addled-looking cougars. "We busted the heck out of that catnip smuggling ring."

    "Next time maybe they shouldn't actually use felines to transport the goods," Nick smirked. "The nip ended up going flying right into all of our faces, and we made about the easiest arrests we've ever done."

    "Dopey cats," Judy chuckled as the felines were dragged off.

    "Maybe you shouldn't get too close to me, then," Clawhauser giggled nervously. "I wouldn't want to get in trouble for being under the influence at work."

    "Oh no, we're clean of it by now," Nick swiped his paw.

    "So..." Clawhauser leaned over the desk and his tail flicked. "Anything new between the ZPD's best crime-fighting duo?"

    "What? No, we're definitely not the best," Nick folded his arms and shook his head.

    "Especially this one," Judy gently punched Nick in the arm. "Although I guess he is the best fox in the ZPD, for what that's worth."

    "Aw thanks, Carrots," Nick shoved Judy away from him.

    "Though technically also the worst fox in the ZPD," Judy added slyly.

    "Your words, like spears, they pierce my heart," Nick's eyelids fell and he had a small smirk as he shook his head slightly and leaned over, placing a hand to his chest.

    "Given your heart is made of stone, I'm sure you'll be fine," Judy's eyelids fell as well and she smirked back.

    "Oof, I think this bunny needs to get away from me; all that foxy razor-sharp wit is rubbing off on her," Nick said. Judy thought of another joke to reply to that and her mouth opened, but she thought better of it and closed her mouth again.

    "Oh!" Clawhauser laughed in delight, fighting the urge to purr. "You two are just so good together."

    "Yup!" Judy said, putting her hand around Nick's back, and Nick responded with his around Judy's shoulders. "We may not be the biggest or strongest, but we're definitely the best partners."

    "That's right," Nick agreed.

    "I'll say!" Clawhauser pressed in on his cheeks in delight, then broke from his spell and scrambled around his desk for his phone. "Could you both hold that pose? I need to get a picture of it. It's just too... um... nice looking!" Clawhauser tried not to wince as he barely avoided the dreaded "c-word".

    "Oh! Uh!" Judy looked broken from a daze as well and withdrew from Nick. "I don't think that will be necessary."

    "Yeah, probably not," Nick agreed, brushing his shoulder in sudden distraction. "Wouldn't want to give anyone the wrong idea."

    Clawhauser's ears flattened against his head. "Oh, what? You mean you two aren't... you know... together together...?"

    "Ha! Definitely not," Judy waved both hands in front of her. "A bunny with a fox?"

    "Yeah, especially in the same precinct together," Nick shook his head sagely. "I'm sure Chief Buff would love to hit me over the head with the rules regarding fraternization."

    "Ha, as if any bunny could fall for you, you rusty-colored scoundrel," Judy narrowed one eye.

    "Hey, you should be worried," Nick said haughtily, closing his eyes and putting a hand over his chest. "I once hustled a bunny girl so hard she swooned into the street. Had to catch her. It was almost a disaster!"

    "Oh, right," Judy rolled her eyes, sneering into a smile. "I believe that. The only disaster here is the one I'm looking at."

    "You use a whetstone on that tiny bunny tongue of yours?" Nick locked a friendly look of scorn at her.

    "So... you're... somehow definitely not together," Clawhauser said flatly, his head spinning from their lightning-fast banter. The cheetah was trying to fix his mouth in a smile to hide his disappointment. Judy and Nick shook their heads simultaneously. "Well, great! Yeah, you're right, it would cause a lot of problems with Bogo. Even if you two are sort of like completely made for each other and it's obvious to everyone in the entire station..."

    "I think that's just you, Donuts," Nick clicked his tongue and pointed at Clawhauser.

    "Maybe so, maybe so," Clawhauser sighed. The bunny and fox started to move off. "Catch you both at the end of your shift, you two."

    "Bye, Clawhauser!" Judy waved in an excitable, friendly way.

    "See ya soon, Donuts," Nick saluted flippantly at him.

    "Bye!" Clawhauser managed a friendly wave after them.

---

    BAPBAPBAPBAP!

    Nick got up from the couch at his apartment at the extremely rapid knock at his door. Moving toward the door, he called out: "There's only one mammal I know of that can knock that fast. You know, unless a woodpecker somehow got in here."

    "Chirp chirp!" Judy said from the other side of the door.

    "Ha ha," Nick rolled his eyes, opening the door. "You know, Carrots, don't we see enough of each other at w-URK!?" Judy leaped straight onto Nick's chest, grabbing around him with her arms and locking on with her legs. She started to fiercely, passionately kiss him.

    "Mm!" Judy intoned.

    "Mm-hm..." Nick agreed, returning the fiery kisses, wrapping his arms protectively around her and shutting the door with his foot. They continued just standing there and kissing for a good two minutes. Nick finally broke free, panting a little bit. "Yeesh! What's gotten into you, Judy?"

    "You, if you play your cards right," Judy flirted in a sing-song voice.

    "Down, girl!" Nick chuckled, holding her at arms length and dropping her to the floor, where she landed easily on her feet.

    "Aw," Judy laughed. "Sorry, Nick, there's nothing like solving a good crime to get the blood pumping."

    "I do agree, and while bunny time is my favorite time," Nick stroked at his recently bunny-kissed muzzle. "I think we should have a talk before we go any farther."

    "Aw, buzz kill," Judy dramatically launched herself onto Nick's couch and laid her head back on the arm rest, looking at Nick with her head upside-down. "About what?"

    "About Benjamin," Nick said. "You want anything to drink?"

    "Just some water's fine," Judy said, confused. "And Clawhauser? What about him?"

    "Well, to be honest," Nick said, starting to pour them both some water. "I kinda feel bad for lying to Benji all the time."

    "About us?" Judy righted herself, sitting up on the couch and placing her hands on her knees. "I don't remember you having a problem lying during your hustler days."

    "This is a little bit different," Nick said, setting their waters down and sitting next to her. "Not only am I a 'good guy' now, but..." Nick sighed.

    "What is it?" Judy tilted her head, her ears drooping.

    "It's you," Nick said, petting his hand through her ears and gently squeezing them near the tip. "I'm definitely not ashamed to love you. So it feels... wrong to lie about it."

    "Aw..." Judy smiled broadly, taking a sip of her water, and Nick followed suit. "You're just a romantic sap."

    "Guilty," Nick sighed. "And lying to Benjamin... he's such a sweet guy."

    "Am I bad for kind of liking it?" Judy gave a small, shamed smile. "It sorta feels like a game to me. I thought he would have figured it out by now. There's been plenty of hints and close calls..."

    "I mean, it's a game all right, but I don't think he's actually going to win it," Nick smiled guiltily. "Benji is too trusting. To test this, I once convinced him that donuts had holes in them to prevent choking if you swallowed one whole."

    "With Clawhauser, that's not too much of a stretch," Judy said wryly. "What do you think we should do? We are right though in saying that it would cause problems at the station if word got out."

    "Well, if you like teasing him so much..." Nick thought for a little bit. "Maybe we could try to find him somewhere and 'accidentally' show him we're together?"

    "Huh, that sounds fun," Judy touched the tips of her fingers together and smiled deviously. Then, she looked contemplative. "But if he got wind of it, don't you think it would be the hot gossip at the station by like, I don't know, five minutes later?"

    Nick shook his head. "Benjji wouldn't want to get us in trouble. I believe that."

    "But Clawhauser is so... gregarious," Judy said doubtfully. "I think he'd probably slip."

    "Hey," Nick gave her a warm smile, petting her cheek. "You can do extraordinary things if it's for someone you care about."

    "Ahh! Stop it!" Judy bounced her legs a bit on the couch, shoving Nick playfully. "What a dweeb!" She was laughing in a charmed way, though. Nick over-dramatically fell over from the shove, then when he got up, he was growling furtively.

    "A bunny dares to come to my own den?" Nick said, licking his muzzle. "She must want some trouble..."

    "Ooh, I like trouble!" Judy somewhat instinctively scooted back up on the couch away from him, curling up into a defensive ball, then let out a delighted squeal as Nick pounced her.

---

    Judy and Nick's heads peeked around the corner of a building at the edge of the block. Nick wore his normal smug look, peeking between Judy's ears, but Judy had a determined look, her lips pursed into a triangular frown.

    "The kitten has entered the building," Judy said conspiratorially, watching Clawhauser head into his favorite donut shop.

    "You're way too into this," Nick chuckled.

    "Okay, crosswalk's up! Go go go!" Judy motioned with her hand and Judy launched across the street in a few hops while Nick just casually walked across. "Come ON, slowpoke!" Both of them stood next to each other on the edge of the sidewalk with their backs facing the big window of the shop.

    "I'm trying not to be suspicious, unlike you," Nick chided.

    "Commence operation pawsome!" Judy declared, offering her hand to Nick, who held it with his own.

    "That's a bit of a dramatic name," Nick said.

    "No no, it works!" Judy said in a suddenly brighter voice. "Paw... and sum! It's a sum of our paws!"

    "Wow, that is... very cute," Nick couldn't help but laugh.

    "Hey, don't lose focus, mister," Judy sneered affectionately, squeezing his hand very firmly.

    "Ow," Nick chuckled, composing himself.

    "Now, wait for the gasp," Judy's ears twitched a bit.

    "You sure you'll be able to hear it through the door?" Nick seemed skeptical.

    "I can hear him gasping from my cubicle on the top floor when he's at the front desk," Judy nodded. "We'll be fine. He won't sneak up on us."

    From within the shop, Clawhauser bought his usual favorite box of frosted, sprinkled donuts, and turned around. His eyes narrowed quizzically as he approached the window and saw a bunny and a fox holding hands. "Wait, is that...?" Clawhauser regarded them more carefully. "Hang on... gray black-tipped ears... that has to be Judy and Nick...! They're... they're holding...!" Clawhauser gasped enormously.

    "There's the signal!" Judy grinned mischievously. "Now, kiss me!"

    "Whats the code name?" Nick teased.

    "Kiss me, you fool!" Judy turned her head toward him.

    "Catchy," Nick joked, giving her a gentle, though lingering kiss.

    "Mm..." Judy liked this and leaned into it, despite all of their "acting".

    Clawhauser's jaw dropped. "Oh... em... goodness great gravy griefing golly gosh!" His voice became a tiny, harsh whisper. "They are together!" He let out a squeal, then a laugh. "Ooh, just wait till... no one in particular learns about this. That's right, got to keep it secret."

    "Disengage!" Judy commanded, and Nick let her hand go. Clawhauser waited a few moments then walked out to pretend he didn't see them at first.

    "Um, hi, you two!" Clawhauser said nervously. "Fancy seeing you on our day off!"

    "Clawhauser!" Judy said cheerfully. "Good morning!"

    "Would you like a donut?" The cheetah offered them each one.

    "Maybe just one to split," Judy nodded, taking one, splitting it down the middle, and giving the other one to Nick. They both began to eat the donut halves. "We're thinking of going out to that new breakfast place together. You know, as platonic friends sometimes do." Nick tried not to roll his eyes at the unnatural tone of that sentence, as they both popped the last of the donuts into their mouths.

    "Oh, right, because you both are definitely that!" Clawhauser giggled gleefully. "You're such great platonic friends, I don't even know what to do!"

    "Right?" Judy dramatically thrust her hands onto her hips. "Well, thank you for the donut, and I hope you have a great gosh-darn day, Benjamin!"

    "You do the same!" Clawhauser sang out loudly, waving at them with his fingers individually and laughing merrily, heading across the street away from them.

    "Wow," Nick said flatly. "Remind me to never tell either of you anything I want kept secret."

    "Oh come on, I was just having fun," Judy beamed.

Chapter 44: Suds

    The door to Nick and Judy's shared apartment creaked open slowly, revealing both Nick and Judy, who looked spent. Both of them had dirt smudging their fur, their uniforms were unkempt and dusty, and their posture was terrible.

    "What a day..." Judy sighed, her shoulders rolling forward.

    "I hear that," Nick groaned, nodding. He held a paw to his own back and arched backwards, making his back pop in a few places. "Are you sure you're not bleeding?"

    "Not externally, anyway," Judy nodded. "Might be bruised in a few places."

    "Yeah, me too," Nick said. "I can't believe that deer pulled one of his own shed antlers on you at a routine traffic stop. That scared the fox out of me, if you'll pardon the expression."

    Judy managed a tired smile at him. "It may have scared you, but you tackled him in something like a second and a half."

    "Yeah, but I clipped you too, and all three of us went rolling down that hill," Nick chuckled guiltily.

    "Hey, the good guys won, even if they're beat up," Judy folded her arms. "And dirty. Who keeps their shed antlers anyway? That's really... creepy, isn't it?"

    "Kind of like keeping your own claw clippings," Nick agreed, nodding.

    "Or tooth filings," Judy said.

    "Wait, tooth filings? What's that?" Nick narrowed his eyes.

    "Ugh, just one of the joys of being a bunny," Judy opened a drawer and pulled out a small block of wood. "Bunny teeth constantly grow, so you have to whittle them down. This wood is flavored!" She nibbled at it a bit. "Tastes kinda smokey."

    "Huh," Nick put his paws on his hips. "They never teach you about this type of stuff in school. Is that why I've caught you nibbling on your pens?"

    "And why I got a big, fat plastic carrot pen to break that habit," Judy chuckled. "Nibbling on stuff is probably one reason bunnies are always getting called nervous, so I try to do it privately."

    "I have to say, having a bunny as a girlfriend really teaches you a lot about how different all of us animals are," Nick said. "Anyway, we should probably get cleaned up."

    "Urh..." Judy moaned, closing her eyes. "I don't even know if I can bear to take a shower. Will you just hold me under the water for a few minutes so I don't have to stand up anymore?"

    "Hey, I'm sore, too, hun," Nick smirked. "But I get what you're saying. Don't worry, there's an easy solution to this. Nick headed off to the bathroom and started to draw a bath.

    "Aw, you're so thoughtful," Judy smiled, following him into the bathroom. She blinked in surprise as he began to add a solution to the water. "A bubble bath? I didn't buy that stuff..." She looked curiously at him.

    "Hey, a guy has to have some indulgences, right?" Nick smirked.

    "I could definitely use an indulgence right now," Judy nodded, unclothing. "Ugh, even taking my uniform off feels like a chore."

    Nick bat at the water. "Water should be good, hop on in." Judy gingerly followed his direction.

    "Mm, that's nice," Judy smiled, easing back into the tub. She looked at Nick. "Well, what are you waiting for? Come on in with me."

    "Judy, I'll just draw another bath after you're done. I'm tired too," Nick smirked. "I'm uh, not really up to playing around."

    "Who said anything about playing?" Judy replied. "We don't have to get frisky every time we take our clothes off around each other."

    Nick considered this, and shrugged. "Eh, fair point." Nick unclothed and got in the tub's opposite side. The two slowly and carefully washed each others faces.

    "Ooh!" Nick winced as Judy's squeegee rubbed his cheek. "Ow, I must have landed on that cheek."

    "Oh, sorry!" Judy cringed slightly. "I'll be more careful."

    Eventually, all of the grime and dirt was removed from both of their faces.

    "Well, there's a pretty bunny under all of that dirt after all," Nick winked.

    "Huh! Implying I don't look good even covered in grime!" Judy laughed haughtily. Judy drew closer to Nick, which accelerated his heart rate a bit, but instead of kissing him, she turned around, laying with her back nestled against Nick's front. "Ah, this is more like it."

    "Mm..." Nick agreed, bringing his paws around Judy.

    "Bubble baths should be mandatory rewards for dealing with a tough day," Judy murmured.

    "You're not going to hear me argue," Nick groaned.

    They settled into peaceful silence, only broken by Nick adding more warm water to the bath, or the occasional moment where Judy's ears would tickle his whiskers as they moved slightly against him around his muzzle.

    Judy finally broke the silence, her eyes still closed as she enjoyed the bubbly bliss. "Nick, do you think it's weird that we're attracted to each other?"

    "I don't want to have this conversation," Nick said suddenly.

    "Uh, okay?" Judy opened her eyes, finding that response rather abrupt.

    "I don't really want to use my brain right now," Nick clarified.

    "Okay," Judy giggled slightly, closing her eyes again.

    "I mean, I guess I have thought about it," Nick continued. "But to me I can't think of anything more unromantic than wondering what the chemical or social aspects of inter-species attraction and relationships would be."

    "I get that," Judy nodded. "I was just curious."

    "That's the type of thing some college student would write a five thousand word essay on," Nick said, changing his voice to a more declarative one, "Nick, please describe in five thousand words or more why you are attracted to a bunny."

    "I'd read that," Judy chirped.

    "But when it comes down to it, what does it matter?" Nick said, letting his arms squeeze her briefly. "You're my bunny, and I'm your fox."

    "That's right, and I guess that is the only thing that matters," Judy grinned. "...We should do this more often."

    "What, have sappy romantic conversations?" Nick raised an eyebrow. "It's like all we do."

    "No no, just... be together like this, no clothes, just cuddle and stuff," Judy stretched out and relaxed against him. "It feels... nice. Comforting. Nice to know I have a brave, sweet fox to protect me, like he did today."

    "You've still saved me more times than I've saved you," Nick said, nuzzling at both of her ears.

    "What, are you keeping score?" Judy laughed, scooping up a pawful of bubbles and blowing gently on it.

    "I'd hope that both of us getting into life-threatening situations would be infrequent enough that it would be easy to keep track of..." Nick trailed off. Judy felt for Nick's paws that were still wrapped around her and squeezed at them. Nick's worries were slowly assuaged, and he relaxed again.

    "Mm, best bubble bath I've yet had," Nick smiled. Judy turned around so their fronts were meeting.

    "Well, hopefully we'll have many more bubble baths so you won't have to keep track of how nice they are," Judy nuzzled his muzzle.

    "Judy, if I ever take our relationship for granted, I want you to punch me very hard in the stomach," Nick said seriously.

    "Aw, you won't do that," Judy's brow furrowed, but she smiled. "Of the two of us, you're the heartfelt, romantic slob. It should be me you're worried about."

    "Uh, I wasn't until just now?" Nick admitted.

    "It's just..." Judy looked off to the side. "I worked so hard to be a police officer... but then in one day of a less-than-favorable situation I was willing to put my dreams up to a huge bet to prove myself. All of my efforts and hopes would have been dashed, had you not protected me. I'm... kind of scared, Nick, that I might ever do something similar with you."

    Nick considered this. "You're making me use my brain, Judy..."

    "Sorry..." Judy offered a smile that looked like it might turn sad.

    "...It's good to be afraid," Nick said finally.

    "You think so?" Judy rested her head on his chest.

    "Yes," Nick nodded. "I was afraid of you getting hurt today, so my fear spurred me into instantaneous action. If you keep the fear of losing what you love in your heart, I think it can save you from doing something wrong, or help you to do something right."

    "Huh, I've never thought of that," Judy said thoughtfully. "I've always imagined fear as something you had to quash. Bunnies are sort of instinctually fearful, so I feel like I have to beat that back to prove I'm brave."

    "Well, I think it's kind of like with public speaking or comedy routines," Nick shrugged.

    "Oh gosh, don't talk to me about public speaking," Judy laughed, despite herself.

    "I don't think the fear of all those eyes on you really goes away for a lot of people," Nick mused. "But they have to sort of take it and use it. Work through it and use it as an ally."

    "Oh wise fox, teach me more," Judy said in a playful, mocking manner.

    "Not in this bubble bath," Nick said, "the water's gone tepid." He opened the drain to let the water start to recede.

    Judy yawned. "Just as well I guess; I'm so tired."

    "Same; it will be no trouble at all to sleep tonight," Nick groaned, yawning too.

    The two softly toweled each other off, their actions slowed by their fatigue. Judy and Nick both clearly enjoyed it though, the soft intimacy of it brightening their faces. They used fur dryers on each other next; they had often made a game out of it, wielding them like weapons, but this time was just gentle, but meaningful in their unspoken care for each other.

    "Fluffed and ready for bed," Judy declared.

    "Aye aye," Nick agreed. Judy reached out and grabbed Nick's hand in hers. Nick looked down fondly at her. "I know what you're thinking."

    "I bet you do," Judy smiled. She let go of his hand and they both headed toward their bed. Nick got in first, and then Judy snuggled up to him. "Mmm... warm fur."

    Nick stroked down Judy's warm, fluffy back. "Just because I know what you're thinking doesn't mean I don't want to hear it."

    "Okay then," Judy softly kissed him on the nose. "I love you, Nick."

    Nick kissed the top of her head in return. "I love you too, sweetheart. Sweet dreams."

    "Mm, sweet dreams," Judy cozied up to him. "Try not to think about deranged deer stabbing me with their antlers."

    "You had to say that."

Chapter 45: Selfish

    "Okay, just calm down, sir," Judy encouraged a frantic moose. "The ZPD is here to help."

    "Okay, okay, I'm calming down," the moose said, wringing his hands. "It's just- I've never been robbed before, and by such brazen criminals! Ooh, it was terrifying."

    "We can appreciate that," Nick nodded. "What species were the thieves?"

    "Uh, well, I don't want to sound speciesist or anything..." the moose said with caution. "There were three of them, and uh, I think they were raccoons. They had dark form-fitting suits on, but I could kind of see the tails coming out of them?"

    "The security footage should bear that out," Judy nodded.

    "It's not speciesist to identify your attackers, sir," Nick tried not to sigh.

    The moose shook his head. "I know, but you know raccoons are always getting called thieves, I just... oh goodness, it was scary. All three of 'em were waving around stun guns and yelled that they had them set to 'elephant'. I got behind one of the counters and cowered while they smashed the displays and took the jewelry."

    "Okay sir, um..." Judy produced a form and a pen, "I can see that you're distraught, perhaps you'd like to write down a statement while Officer Wilde and I case the scene of the crime?"

    "O-okay, sure," the moose said, taking the form and paper.

    Nick and Judy began to put on some boots.

    "Ugh, I hate wearing footwear," Nick grumbled. "Our boots are always so tight around my claws."

    "Would that be more uncomfortable than getting glass shards in your foot paws, Nick?" Judy smirked.

    "A fair point, rabbit," Nick chuckled. The two entered the jewelry shop. Nearly all of the displays were empty and smashed, with glass littering the floor.

    "What a wreck," Judy shook her head.

    "Looking through a small mountain of glass shards for some hairs from our perpetrators should be 'fun'," Nick huffed.

    "Hopefully they dropped any, considering only their tails were showing," Judy said, beginning to search. "Maybe we'll get lucky and one of their tails brushed the counter or something."

    "Mm," Nick nodded, also searching for clues.

    "Hey Nick," Judy began with a curious edge in her voice. "Why do you think criminals commit crimes, anyway?"

    Nick blinked and gave Judy a baffled look at this question. He smirked after a few minutes and his voice began in a jaunty tone: "Hello, and thank you for tuning in to KFOX radio, where we answer all of your philosophical questions with a fox! Unfortunately, this station is being taken off the air due to lack of interest in a fox's opinion on morals."

    Judy's eyes fell halfway and she smirked. "Oh come on, Nick. Can't you give me some insight into the criminal mind? You were a criminal, after all."

    "Okay, first of all, that is uncalled for," Nick said, holding up a finger, then he added another one. "And second, I wasn't technically a 'criminal'. I was in a legal gray area."

    "Alright already, sheesh, sorry I asked," Judy chuckled. "Hey, I think I found a hair!" She picked it up with tweezers and put it into a small evidence bag. "Hopefully we can find a few more and ID all of our perps."

    "Think they'll be in the system?" Nick asked, peeking into a display case. "Ah, I found one too." He bagged it.

    "If they have stun guns that can go up to 'elephant', I'm pretty sure they're repeat offenders," Judy said. "Standard consumer ones can't go that high as a safety measure."

    Nick chuckled. "So what are consumers supposed to do in case of elephant attack? Throw the gun at them?"

    "You got me," Judy shrugged, letting out a nervous laugh.

    There was a lull in the conversation as the two scraped through more and more broken glass, systematically looking through the jewelry store. Nick watched how earnestly and carefully Judy was working, and his eyes broke away for a few minutes to gather his thoughts.

    "Criminals," Nick began. "They... probably commit crimes because it's easy, in a way."

    "Easy?" Judy's ears moved in Nick's direction as she hadn't expected him to pipe up. "You think so?"

    "Well, certainly easier than what we're doing," Nick chuckled. He gestured to a broken display. "You ever think much about what it takes to fill one of those?"

    "Um, can't say I have; I don't really own any jewelry," Judy chuckled. "Big bunny families and extravagant rocks don't mix well."

    "Ah, hadn't thought of that," Nick nodded. "Well, first you have whoever mines the stone, then you have more mammals that have to appraise the gem, polish it, cut it, set it, sell it... all sorts of people work hard to bring something like that into being."

    "And a criminal doesn't think about any of those people, they just see something and want it," Judy said.

    "Yeah, or more likely they want money from reselling it," Nick said, stroking his chin. "What if you had a button you could push that meant that you got a million dollars, but it meant that mammals you had never seen before in your life and you never would see would be missing money because you pressed it. Would you press it?"

    "Uh..." Judy blinked. "If I knew that I'd be stealing from others-"

    "That's the problem!" Nick interrupted with an accusing smirk, pointing at her. "You're thinking about others! Criminals are selfish; only look out for themselves. You can bet they'd be mashing that button. As long as they can justify to themselves that the people involved don't matter to them. And the ease of that I guess depends on the mammal."

    "That makes sense," Judy nodded, sweeping some glass out of the way with a brush. "Crimes of opportunity. The easier a crime is to do, the more likely someone with poor morals is to do it..."

    "Sure as heck is harder to clean up the mess," Nick chuckled. "We work for almost peanuts to basically be plumbers for this city, cleaning out the sewage clogging it."

    "Somewhat cynical, but I can see that," Judy chuckled. "You don't regret it though, do you? Being a cop?"

    "Not for a second," Nick shook his head. "That's part of why I never really thought of myself as a 'criminal'. If someone fell for my charms, it was their own fault, right?" Judy sucked her teeth, but grinned at him. "Having a criminal mind, it's... different, you know? It's cold. Like the moose said there were three perps here, right? What if one of them gets paranoid of the others? What if one of them 'outlives' their usefulness? What if one of them wants all of the loot to themselves? Kkccht!" Nick drew a finger across his neck. "The trio would be down to two. Or even one."

    Judy developed a very serious look. "Fear. Treachery. Bloodlust."

    "What little criminals are made of," Nick smirked.

    "They were also the forces that governed our world before mammals were enlightened," Judy looked down at the ground. "Do you think that some mammals are just more enlightened than others?" She shook her hands. "I mean, not like on a species basis, like on an individual basis?"

    "I can't say, Officer Hopps," Nick frowned. "I think I believe that it's up to a person's self-determination to choose to be bad... at least that's what I hope. I 'chose' to be a hustler, after all."

    "Right," Judy nodded. "What Mr. Big said about us... that deep down, we're all still animals... I wonder if that has some truth to it."

    "Manners, Judy," Nick closed his eyes and shook his index finger. "That's what separates us from the animals."

    "Mm," Judy smiled and chuckled. Then, her face became serious again. "Nick, do you think... do you think I'm selfish?"

    Nick blinked. "Whoa, where's that coming from?"

    "Just answer the question," Judy rolled her eyes and continued working.

    "You want me to be honest with you?" Nick chuckled.

    Judy looked at him with a face of utmost seriousness. "Nick, I always want you to be honest with me. Even if it hurts- especially if it hurts."

    "O-oh... okay?" Nick's eyes widened. "This is getting a bit heavy for a little robbery... heh..."

    Judy looked away and continued working quietly. Nick made a troubled face; he wasn't really sure whether he wanted to answer the question.

    "Well, to be honest then, at first I did think you were selfish," Nick admitted. "I thought you were maybe even kind of a joke? Like 'hey look at me! I'm a bunny! Look at what I can do! I can be a police officer!'"

    "That's..." Judy had a wry smile, "not entirely unfair."

    "But over the time of that Night Howler case," Nick went on, "you risked your life for me more than once. Just some rouge-colored rogue fox you picked up off the street. And at the bridge... wow. You came all that way from your family farm on a hunch that you could try to make things right with predators. You're not selfish, Fluff. You're selfless."

    "Heh... all part of the job, I guess," Judy shrugged her shoulders and had an uncharacteristically bashful smile.

    "Yeah, that's a load of sewage," Nick said, smirking. "You're uncommonly brave and righteous."

    "Aw, Nick..." Judy chuckled.

    "Also uncommonly crazy," Nick added.

    "There we go," Judy laughed. "I was afraid of you going too soft on me."

    Nick chuckled. "I'll always be hard on- okay and my muzzle just was going to keep on going there." Nick rolled his eyes away from Judy.

    "Well now!" Judy laughed. Nick grumbled.

---

    Judy and Nick entered Chief Bogo's office. He looked up, putting his glasses on.

    "Ah, Wilde. Hopps," Bogo nodded. "What did you find from the Glimmergem jewelry store?"

    "Our report, Chief!" Judy said proudly, handing in the case file.

    "The three raccoons were indeed repeat offenders," Nick said. "Dr. Pedshark confirmed their DNA for us."

    "Mm, I see," Chief Bogo stroked his chin. "These three call themselves the 'Banded Bandits', a team of notorious raccoon thieves. Doing their species a disservice."

    "No argument there, sir," Nick nodded his agreement.

    "I'm going to take the two of you off this case," Chief Bogo said abruptly.

    "Very well, sir," Judy nodded, folding her hands behind her back.

    Chief Bogo's eyes widened. He spoke with an incredulous voice: "What, no argument? No 'I'm going to take this case and there's nothing you can do to stop me?'"

    Judy laughed lightly. "Well, sir, I'd like to think I learned a little bit from the Night Howler case. About limitations and all that."

    "I'm sure you've got a good reason," Nick shrugged.

    "Indeed," Chief Bogo huffed, becoming serious again. "Those three have stun guns that are incredibly dangerous. I'll be putting Officers Trunkaby and McHorn on the case. They'll be less likely to become casualties if they are to be hit."

    "That seems like a prudent decision, sir," Judy smiled.

    Chief Bogo narrowed his eyes. "What's with you two...? You're being awfully pleasant for two constant tiny thorns in my side. What gives...?"

    Judy and Nick shot each other amused, wide eyed looks, smiles creeping over their faces.

    "All right, I demand to know what's going on," Bogo looked back to his desk. "Did you booby trap my seat or something? Is there anything weird in my drawers?" He looked through them all and then shot another suspicious look at the two. "I'm onto you two. Now what did you do!?"

    "Pft..." Judy put a hand over her mouth, trying not to laugh.
    
    Nick shrugged his shoulders and winked at Judy.

    "Hopps! Wilde!" Chief Bogo thrust a finger at them. "Don't mess with me!"

Chapter 46: Calling

    Judy let out a contented sigh as she sat on her bed. She had eaten her dinner and dressed down, and was ready for the next day to come. Another long, boring day at the station, exhausting in its own way. She looked out of her window as the sun had just finished setting and the stars were beginning to show. A lazy smile crept along her face. Zootopia was beautiful. Mammal-kind had created a wonder, and she was now an intrinsic part of protecting it. It made pride well up in her chest and throat.

    The bunny also felt quite lonely.

    She was starting to count the things that she had taken for granted earlier in life. The constant din of frivolous complaints and games from younger ones in her parents' home. The fact that you could go basically anywhere at home and just find someone to talk about anything, or nothing, for hours at a time if need be. Every one of the Hopps had their own stories, their own gossip, their own jokes.

    Judy gave all that up to live alone and write her own story; forge her own path.

    Guiltily, Judy realized that she'd rather her neighbors Bucky and Pronk not reconcile their differences so early in the evening, like they had on that particular night. It was just an argument over who drank the last soda. Trivial, but so familiar. Though she didn't begrudge the two for getting along and letting her sleep peacefully, listening to their arguments had also become familiar to her, and in some ways it reminded her of home.

    Cripes, she wasn't getting homesick, was she? She shook her head to dispel the notion. She was lonely, though, there was definitely that.

    She'd tried the bar scene a few times. The boisterous, loud atmosphere was familiar to her from home, but also more chaotic. Judy found herself reflexively scolding a couple of rabbits who were getting a bit out of hand, only to remember that they were strangers, and she wasn't on the job. If she could have cringed into a ball like an armadillo could, she was pretty sure she would have.

    Absently, Judy tumbled her phone over in her paws. Dispelling her loneliness was only a phone call away, at any time. Dozens of family members still loved chatting and gossiping with her. She'd even woken her parents out of a sound sleep once and they didn't even sound bothered to listen to her troubles. Twisting her mouth this way and that, Judy considered her options. She took a deep breath, opened her contact list, and pushed her paw to the button.

    The phone only rang once.

    "Carrots...!" Nick's tone had that long sort of chiding drone she'd come to like. "Miss the sound of my voice already...?"

    "Please, Slick. It's only been three days since I last called," Judy grinned, rolling her eyes. "How goes the academy?"

    "Same ol', same ol'," Nick returned conversationally.

    "So that means you're about ready to drop?" Judy teased.

    "Ugh, every day," Nick admitted with a droll voice. "I seriously don't know how you did it."

    "Told you it wouldn't be easy," Judy scolded warmly.

    "You did," Nick replied. "Still a half a year to go. I'm pretty sure foxes weren't designed for this type of punishment."

    "Oh, you can do it, you big baby..." Judy sat back on her bed, stretching and relaxing.

    "Yeah, I can," Nick said, his voice flattening. "But sometimes, I'll admit, I think back to the hustles. How easy they were. How good at them I was."

    "Nick...?" Judy's ears reflexively perked and she sat right back up.

    "I could be making a small fortune still, Carrots," Nick's voice seemed almost self-mocking. "Just going with the flow, doing what I'm good at."

    "Nick..." Judy's voice began to weaken.

    "Instead, here I am, punishing my body, trying to be something different," Nick said seriously. "Trying to break two decades of bad habits in just over half a year. Sometimes... I just think..." Nick sighed.

    "Nick!" Judy grit her teeth. "Please tell me you're not thinking of quitting...?"

    There was a short, tense silence.

    "I won't give up, no I won't give in, until I reach the end, then I'll start again!" Nick suddenly barked out into song. He was not on key.

    "NICK!" Judy shrieked with an exasperated tone.

    "Hey, keep it down, will ya bunny?" Pronk suggested from the apartment next to Judy's.

    "Oh oh oh oh oh! Try everything!" Nick continued.

    "That's not even the right order the lyrics go in!" Judy hissed. "You rusty-furred nitwit!"

    "Gotcha!" Nick chuckled. "Nah, I won't quit."

    "Your bunk-mate should punch you for that," Judy smirked. "For my sake, at least."

    "Fitzbearald? He's drinking with his pals, I think," Nick sounded noncommittal.

    "Well shouldn't you be with him?" Judy asked perkily. "You could always know a bit more 'everyone' than you already do."

    "Want to be able to get up in the morning, Carrots," Nick said pridefully, as if he was always on his best behavior. "I shouldn't go out drinking tonight."

    "Right," Judy rolled her eyes. She ran her paw across her soft, cottony shirt. "So uh... what keeps you going then? I mean, if it's okay to ask."

    Nick didn't answer immediately. Judy thought she heard a small hum from the other end of the line.

    "One moment, Fluff, trying to come up with something that makes sense," Nick said after some hesitation.

    "It doesn't have to make sense," Judy giggled tersely, rolling over so she was laying on her stomach, kicking her feet absently.

    "Well, I... I keep going because of you," Nick's voice sounded unusually tender. Judy's initial response was only a terse questioning sound as she felt warmth come up into her bunny cheeks. "C'mon Carrots, you remember! You asked me to be your partner."

    "Yeah but- but you wouldn't actually do it unless you wanted to, right...?" Judy's voice sounded confused. "You wouldn't do it just for me. C'mon."

    "Well, I have always wanted to be part of a 'pack', like I told you," Nick's voice carried its usual mischievous nature. "But no, I think I'm doing it for you."

    "Nick! C'mon, stop..." Judy was feeling more and more uncomfortable. "Like why...? Because you want to make me happy?"

    "Maybe that's part of it," Nick said, his voice somewhere between noncommittal and teasing. "But mostly, because I want to be surprised."

    "Surprised how?" Judy's attention was rapt.

    "You remember that big ol' speech I gave you at the end of the first day we met?"

    "Oh, what?" Judy scoffed. "You mean the one that I had the time to reflect on word by word as I dragged my cement-soaked feet home? The one that you were basically right on every point?"

    "Not every point," Nick's voice carried its signature warm smugness. "You surprised me, Carrots. Especially when you came back. You surprised me with your will, compassion, determination, and your just- your refusal to lose."

    Judy didn't know what to say. She felt touched. "Nick..."

    "So you gotta have some more surprises somewhere," Nick said lazily. "Maybe hidden in those giant things you call ears? Anyway, I want to see them. After two decades on the streets, you think you know everyone. But apparently I can still underestimate and misjudge. That's on me. But I want you to keep proving me wrong. Keep proving that the world and the mammals in it are interesting, unique, and worth learning about. Worth... getting to know."

    "Okay, Nick," Judy's voice was just above a whisper. A fond sternness entered her voice and she furrowed her brow with a smile. "You better make valedictorian. I want to pin your badge on myself."

    "Eh, it'll be easy," Nick said haughtily. "Well, maybe not easy, but I'm definitely gonna-"

    "RAAAAAUGHHHHHHHH!" An unfamiliar, ursine-sounding yell blasted over the phone.

    "AAAGH!" Nick screamed.

    "Nick! What's going on!?" Judy's ears shot upright.

    "Some people are tryin' to sleep is what's going on!" Bucky yelled through the wall.

    "Haha, gotcha again, Wilde!" An unfamiliar voice, but Judy figured it must have been Nick's bunk-mate. "You're such an easy mark!"

    "Hey, Fred, you been out drinking again?" Nick's voice sounded judgemental.

    "Yes, Dad," Fred laughed. "You should have come with us! You seem tense!"

    "Well I actually want to pass the academy, Fitzbearald," Nick said in a dry tone. "I'd bet against you lasting another week with how much you like to party and eat pizza." Judy hummed in amusement twice at how much warmer his sarcasm was when applied to her.

    "Hey, I'm ready to be a police officer, Wilde," Fred said boisterously. "The world's gotta ask itself if it's ready for me!"

    "Yeah yeah, you're drunk," Nick grumbled.

    "And you're talkin' to your girlfriend again!" Fred accused. Judy gasped tersely.

    "Fitzbearald!" Nick hissed. "We've discussed this! She's my girl. Friend. With a space in the middle; a girl that is a friend."

    "Is that what I am, Nick?" Judy teased.

    "Listen, Carrots, I should probably get off the phone and try to get some sleep before Fred's snoring keeps me up till six in the morning," Nick sighed.

    "That sounds specific," Judy chuckled, running her free hand through her ears to get them to set back down.

    "Well, it's happened before," Nick grunted. "Anyway, good night, Carrots."

    "Night, Slick," Judy's voice wavered flirtatiously. She hesitated hanging up.

    "Her name can't be Carrots, can it?" Fred started talking immediately. "C'mon Nick, gimme the scoop between you and her."

    Judy decisively pressed the call end button. Her heart felt aglow with pride at Nick's determination and drive. She tucked herself peacefully and snugly into bed.

    She couldn't wait to be in his company again.

Chapter 47: Calling II

    Judy was all smiles as she got into her small Pangolin Arms apartment in the evening. She stretched while mumbling wordlessly and let out a huge, refreshed sigh. Emptying her pockets and dressing down for bed, her stomach felt satiated from an all-you-can-eat salad bar that Nick had taken her to.

    The bunny often teased Nick that he pretended to be a vegetarian just so they had more places to go out to eat together, but it had appeared that he actually did prefer to exclude bug and fish meat from his diet. Judy supposed it was interesting to be able to choose something like that if you were an omnivore like a fox.

    "Hey bunny," Bucky Oryx-Antlerson said through her paper-thin wall. Of course, they knew her name by now, but preferred to call her "bunny" anyway. "Good day?"

    "Yeah!" Judy responded brightly, arranging her things on her desk and setting her alarm. "Can't complain! How about you two?"

    "Yeah, could be worse," Bucky responded.

    "Could be better, too," Pronk Oryx-Antlerson suggested. "But yeah, could be worse. Have a good night, bunny."

    "You too, guys!" Judy smiled. She still felt a slight buzz of excitement from her day. There was another actual foot chase and Judy and Nick had caught a thieving boar in a pincer attack. Judy's speed and Nick's cunning won out once again. Judy hopped into bed and cozied in. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep until her thoughts wound down, but she was comfortable, at least.

    Her thoughts fluttered back to Nick. That handsome, debonair vulpine. She spent most of her work days and even most of her leisure time in his company, and yet it never seemed like she was satisfied. Their banter was so natural and like a whetstone to their wit as they kept constantly trying to one-up each other. Judy sometimes found herself giving barbed quips to others as well, but unlike Nick, they couldn't match her. Only he had that cunning mind that equaled and sometimes surpassed her in their little duels of words. He was the only fox, heck, only mammal, that she'd let tease her like he did. She'd launch right back, of course.

    It was so fun. Even on the most monotonous days, Nick would come up with some dumb little game, or Judy would regale him with one of the many, many stories she had growing up, and her many often silly siblings.

    Judy closed her eyes and a big smile played out on her face. There was definitely something about that fox. Even that first day she was with him on the force, where she'd been just as excited as her very first day on the ZPD. She let the memories play back in her head.

    You know you love me, he had said with insufferable charm.

    Do I know that? she teased, pretending to think. Her voice softened.

    Yes, yes I do. Judy's eyes flew open as the words rolled over her like a tire.

    Uh oh.

    Judy sat up in bed and tilted her head. Wait, she didn't love love Nick, did she? She got out of bed, sitting at her desk and pulling out a dowel of wood she used for whittling her teeth down, chewing on it thoughtfully and anxiously.

    She loved his laugh, his jokes, his tail, his wit, his teasing, his nice green eyes, his-

    Judy stopped thinking for a moment. Okay, that was all fine. Judy was Nick's best friend after all, and he'd told her so before. All natural things. She wasn't infatuated with him or anything. Judy's attention was brought to her desk and she froze mid-chew.

    Judy had a lot of pictures of Nick and herself on her desk now. They were starting to crowd and even outnumber the ones she had on display of her family. She had a couple with the fox by himself, posing smugly as usual. One at Nick's academy graduation, one just hanging out, one with Clawhauser. There was one of her basically tackling a startled Nick from behind and she wore one of her most exuberant looks.

    Uh oh.

    Judy slammed down the dowel and her mind raced. You're a bunny, he's a fox, and you're his partner, Judy scolded herself. You can't love love him. She looked at herself in the mirror.

    "Can't I...?" Judy whispered. She looked at her phone. It was early enough that her parents might still be awake. Considering her options for a moment, she picked up the phone and tried a MuzzleTime call. After three rings, her father picked up.

    "Hi dad," Judy said brightly.

    "Jude! Jude the dude!" Stu chuckled. "Sure is a surprise for you to call home for a change, instead of the other way around! How are you doing, sweetheart?"

    "Oh, just fine!" Judy smiled unconvincingly, but Stu was as always oblivious to her feigned comfort.

    "That's great!" Stu said. "You want me to find Bon for you as well?"

    "Wait, dad," Judy shook her other hand to wave away the idea. "I kind of wanted to talk to you first, privately. It's uh... I just know you're a more emotional person than mom, so-"

    "What's that supposed to mean?" Stu's expression started to wilt and he looked a little hurt.

    "See what I mean?" Judy smirked. "Anyway, I have- um, a bit of a problem. A bit of a big problem."

    "Oh?" Stu frowned. "What's that, Jude?"

    "I..." Judy swallowed with effort, looking at her favorite picture of Nick and herself together. "I think I'm in love with Nick..."

    Stu's expression went blank, and then he chuckled.

    "Ol' Nick?" Stu laughed. "Nick the slick? Is that what you called him? That red-furred rascal? That rootin' tootin' tod?"

    "Dad..." Judy rolled her eyes. "C'mon, just say you don't approve."

    "Oh, what? No!" Stu shook his head firmly. "I'm a changed buck, Jude. You know my feelings on foxes are different now. So if you want to have one as a boyfriend, you go right ahead! You have my blessing."

    "Dad, seriously, stop," Judy sighed. "Just- just tell me what you feel about him..."

    "I am being serious, Judy!" Stu said, his eyes opening wide. "Nick's a great guy! I like him, Bon likes him... when you brought him over he was about the best company we've had in ages! He was so good with the kits! Tellin' stories, doing card tricks. Shoot, how could I be mad if you ended up with him? In fact, I think your mother was thinking you were going to introduce us to him as your boyfriend. Kinda puzzled her when you didn't."

    "Ah, okay..." Judy chuckled in self-scorn at her own obliviousness to this.

    "Oh, there's your mother!" Stu beckoned over to Bonnie. "Bon! C'mere! Judy has something to tell you."

    "What!? No! Not now!" Judy yelped, cringing. Bonnie made her way over.

    "Hey, bun-bun!" Bonnie smiled as Stu held the phone for her. "Is something up?"

    "I'm in love with Nick?" Judy cringed, slumping back into her seat, her eyes narrow.

    Bonnie suddenly looked smug. "Knew it. See, Stuart? I knew it. I told you she had feelings for him."

    "Well I thought she did too!" Stu said, shrugging his shoulders. "But we went that whole three-day visit with him without Judy saying one word about it!"

    "Mom, you can't be okay with this too, can you?" Judy seemed flabbergasted.

    "Of course, sweetie!" Bonnie smiled. "Nick is such a character. I think the thing I liked the most about him is that he didn't pretend to try to impress us; didn't apologize one bit for himself. He didn't try to put on a show; he was just so genuine. That snarky so-and-so. The kits ate it right up. You could do a whole lot worse than that handsome vulpine, I'll tell you."

    "What? Unbelievable..." Judy blinked. "Both of you would be on board with me getting together with Nick...?"

    "Sure!" Bonnie said cheerfully. "Oh, the Hopps rumor mill would be churning for years! I just-" Bonnie's expression suddenly darkened. "Wait a minute. I think I see what's going on here. You want me or your father to disapprove, don't you? You want us to be against it so you can go right for him regardless of what we think, huh?" Bonnie smirked mischievously. "Well, it's not going to happen, Missy. That tod is a diamond in the rough and you should treasure him, whether we like it or not."

    "No! No, it's not that..." Judy slapped her forehead. "I just- I was hoping you'd come up with something about how it would be weird to love my partner, or a fox, or someone eight years older than me... or someone who couldn't..." Judy barely mumbled the next part, "give you grandkits..."

    "Judith Laverne Hopps," Bonnie said sternly, causing Judy to grumble at the use of her full name. "This is not like you at all. Where's the hero of Zootopia who would stop at nothing to be the first bunny cop, even though there had never been one before? Where's that bunny who threw down everything and drove over two hundred miles in a day to save Zootopia before the sun set? Where is she? Where's my daughter who never gives up on her goals!?"

    "Mom, I..." Judy twisted her mouth. "It's different with Nick, mom."

    "I'm listening...?" Bonnie tilted her head.

    "Nick isn't..." Judy started off tentatively, but then became firm. "He's not a goal, mom. He's a person, with feelings. I can't 'work' for him. If it's meant to be, then that's great, but if he's not attracted to me..."

    Stu turned the phone to himself. "Sweetheart, that fox is definitely attracted to you."

    "Oh come on, dad, how would you know?" Judy rolled her eyes.

    "C'mon, give your old buck some credit," Stu smiled. "You know I work with Gideon Grey. Did I tell you he's dating Sharla, your old black sheep friend?"

    "What!? Get out!" Judy's jaw dropped.

    "Honest!" Stu laughed. "And when she walks by him, I see that nose of his start to go. Foxes like scents of the people they're attracted to. I got that out of the ol' boy. Guess what I caught Nick doing several times when you brought him over a month ago?"

    "He was... smelling for me?" Judy felt flush.

    "Ooh, you didn't tell me this, Stuart!" Bonnie slid into the frame as well.

    "I thought you might gossip," Stu laughed.

    "Of course I would have," Bonnie kissed his cheek, then looked at Judy. "Sounds like its your move, honeybun."

    "My move?" Judy looked confused.

    "I read online that in fox culture, it's usually the female that makes the move," Bonnie smiled. "Of course, that's not a hard and fast rule, but..."

    "Heck, it was your mother who made the first move on me!" Stu chuckled. "And boy could she move..." Bonnie laughed.

    "Okay, okay, too much!" Judy squinted her eyes shut and then sighed in defeat. "Great. Now I have to confront my own feelings for this doofus like an adult."

    "Do try to be strong, dear," Bonnie's eyes half-lidded and she smirked.

    "You can do it, Jude!" Stu said with pep, pumping his arm.

    "Thanks guys, good night... love you," Judy smiled.

    "We love you too!" her parents replied simultaneously, then Stu hung up the MuzzleTime call.

    Groaning, Judy flopped back into bed. How was she going to broach this subject with Nick? There was no easy way to fit "oh by the way, remember that time I said I loved you? That was for real!" into a conversation.

    And what if she ruined the best friendship she had ever known?

    "You think she should get him flowers or something?" Bucky said through the wall. Judy's eyes went wide.

    "Nah, I don't think foxes can eat flowers," Pronk said thoughtfully.

    "Oh for..." Judy couldn't believe she forgot just how much those two could pick up through her wall.

    "Hey, we think it's really cool you've got an inter-species boyfriend," Pronk offered.

    "He's not my boyfriend!" Judy mumbled. "He's just my best friend..."

    "Why can't he be both?" Bucky asked. There was a silence. "Hey, you think she should get him chocolates?"

    "Foxes definitely can't eat chocolates, dummy," Pronk sucked at his teeth. "Bunnies either, for that matter. Don't you know anything?"

    "Just trying to help, jeez," Bucky grumbled.

    Judy growled in exasperation and fumbled for one of her plush animals to throw over her face. It was a big, soft fox.

    "Wow, I really do have a problem," Judy chastised herself.

Chapter 48: Yearning

Notes:

The "Side B" of the "Calling" chapter

    Nick entered his room at the Zootopia Police Academy, groaning and stretching with his hands behind his back. It had been another long day of barely passing his drills, getting yelled at by Major Friedkin, and nearly limping his lithe body back to his room to get ready to do it all over again the next day.

    Just six months to go, Nick thought sardonically.

    The fox sat on the edge of his bed, considering turning in early. He certainly already felt tired enough. He was, of course, very gifted with the intellectual side of the academy, but physically?

    Oh well, it was getting easier. He often wondered just how Judy had done it.

    Judy. It was all for her that he was doing this, wasn't it? Not that Nick didn't want to become a better mammal, but something in how she offered that carrot pen to him and asked him to change his whole life course...

    It was almost laughable, when he thought about it. She knew him for something like two days before that. What a two days, though.

    Nick scoffed. He was treating Judy's presence like a reward. He absently picked up his phone and stared at it, navigating to his contacts. There she was, under "Carrots" of course. His contact picture for her was one of her giving him a bright smile right before he left for the academy. It perfectly highlighted her exuberance and emotion, and had just a tiny taste of sadness in it, as the both of them knew they'd be apart for around nine months after that day.

    God, he missed her.

    Nicks thumb hovered over the call button, but he couldn't bring himself to press it. He didn't want to communicate the desperation and longing for her sweet voice. That voice wouldn't sound out of place on the most attractive vixen, Nick considered. Warm, very feminine, bright, often seasoned with a hint of mischief.

    Yup, Nick thought. I'm hopelessly attracted to her. He sighed heavily. Judy called him randomly, as was her wont. Nick liked it better that way; he wanted to talk to her, but he wanted her calls to seem spontaneous and natural, like she was, not like a scheduled pat on the head for his endurance.

    It'd been awhile. Three days, to be exact. Nick brought a hand over his ears and scratched a little. Any moment though, could be the one where-

    The phone rang, and Nick flinched, reflexively hitting the accept button as soon as the first ring dissipated. It was her!

    He mentally cursed himself. He should have waited at least two rings.

     "Carrots...!" Nick put the phone to his ear. He slipped easily into his default persona, which had been a part of him so long it was inextricable from his true self. "Miss the sound of my voice already...?" He was one to talk. He smirked at himself, shaking his head.

    "Please, Slick. It's only been three days since I last called," Judy's response had that playful bite he craved. "How goes the academy?"

    "Same ol', same ol'," Nick looked at his claws, which had been whittled down by trying to climb those ice walls in the drills. Major Friedkin had called him "slick Nick" for that, which had made him internally seethe. That one was Judy's.

    "So that means you're about ready to drop?" Judy saw right through his airy confidence.

    "Ugh, every day," Nick admitted, covering his eyes with his paw. "I seriously don't know how you did it."

    "Told you it wouldn't be easy," Judy scolded. It was almost triumphant, a deserved punishment for the hubris Nick had put up before he left.

    "You did," Nick nodded absently. "Still a half a year to go. I'm pretty sure foxes weren't designed for this type of punishment."

    "Oh, you can do it, you big baby..." Judy teased. Nick's mind schemed. It was time to fire back.

    "Yeah, I can," Nick said, draining the warmth from his voice. "But sometimes, I'll admit, I think back to the hustles. How easy they were. How good at them I was." It wasn't exactly a lie. He'd chosen a much harder road than he thought he ever would.

    "Nick...?" Judy sounded surprised. He had her on the line.

    "I could be making a small fortune still, Carrots," Nick tried to sound disgusted. "Just going with the flow, doing what I'm good at."

    "Nick..." Judy's voice became almost hushed.

    "Instead, here I am, punishing my body, trying to be something different," Nick said stonily, though the corner of his mouth perked up. "Trying to break two decades of bad habits in just over half a year. Sometimes... I just think..." Nick let out a heavy breath.

    "Nick!" Judy seemed alarmed. "Please tell me you're not thinking of quitting...?" Nick clenched his fist and grinned widely. Time to go for it. He mentally prepared himself.

    "I won't give up, no I won't give in, until I reach the end, then I'll start again!" Nick began to sing. Admittedly, he was out of practice, but that just made it more fun.

    "NICK!" Judy screamed. Got her! Nick tried not to chuckle as he attempted to conjure up the rest of the song.

    "Oh oh oh oh oh! Try everything!" Nick hazarded.

    "That's not even the right order the lyrics go in!" Judy objected. "You rusty-furred nitwit!" Ah, her insults always were so pithy and cute. Nick started to chuckle and tried to keep it from becoming a full belly laugh.

    "Gotcha!" Nick said triumphantly. "Nah, I won't quit."

    "Your bunk-mate should punch you for that," Judy suggested. "For my sake, at least." Ouch. Nick had been on the receiving end of some playful punches from that often-sloshed bear. He could feel them the next morning.

    "Fitzbearald? He's drinking with his pals, I think," Nick tried not to sound irritated.

    "Well shouldn't you be with him?" Judy chirped. "You could always know a bit more 'everyone' than you already do."

    "Want to be able to get up in the morning, Carrots," Nick deflected. He just didn't really like Fitzbearald. "I shouldn't go out drinking tonight."

    "Right," Judy didn't sound like she bought it. There was a bit of a pause. "So uh... what keeps you going then? I mean, if it's okay to ask."

    Uh oh, Nick thought. He turned his head and hummed. What was the right move here? C'mon, Nick, think. You're a fox. You're sly. Just lie. No, no, too easy. Tell the truth, but don't tell her too much. She deserves to know at least a little of what you feel.

    "One moment, Fluff, trying to come up with something that makes sense," Nick said. Of course he didn't want to admit what he felt for her right then and there. Maybe not even after he got back. This was going to be a dangerous dance.

    "It doesn't have to make sense," Judy giggled. Oof, that laugh...

    "Well, I... I keep going because of you," Nick's surprised himself with his candor. Judy made a confused squeak. He had to slip back into persona. "C'mon Carrots, you remember! You asked me to be your partner."

    "Yeah but- but you wouldn't actually do it unless you wanted to, right...?" Judy's seemed puzzled. "You wouldn't do it just for me. C'mon."

    "Well, I have always wanted to be part of a 'pack', like I told you," Nick said playfully. This was also true, yet... "But no, I think I'm doing it for you."

    "Nick! C'mon, stop..." Judy sounded embarrassed, perhaps even self-conscious. "Like why...? Because you want to make me happy?"

    More than I'd like to admit, Nick responded mentally.

    "Maybe that's part of it," Nick put a mysterious edge in his tone. "But mostly, because I want to be surprised."

    "Surprised how?" Judy's was back on the line again, but he didn't want to tease her this time.

    "You remember that big ol' speech I gave you at the end of the first day we met?" Nick twisted his mouth into a half-frown.

    "Oh, what?" Judy scoffed. "You mean the one that I had the time to reflect on word by word as I dragged my cement-soaked feet home? The one that you were basically right on every point?"

    "Not every point," Nick shook his head. "You surprised me, Carrots. Especially when you came back. You surprised me with your will, compassion, determination, and your just- your refusal to lose."

    There was a pause. Had he gone too far?

    "Nick..." Judy's voice was almost mystified.

    "So you gotta have some more surprises somewhere," Nick said airily, relaxing onto his top bunk. "Maybe hidden in those giant things you call ears? Anyway, I want to see them. After two decades on the streets, you think you know everyone. But apparently I can still underestimate and misjudge. That's on me. But I want you to keep proving me wrong. Keep proving that the world and the mammals in it are interesting, unique, and worth learning about. Worth... getting to know."

    He hoped he wasn't being too blunt.

    "Okay, Nick," Judy was barely audible. Then, she sounded determined and warm. "You better make valedictorian. I want to pin your badge on myself."

    "Eh, it'll be easy," Nick waved his arm as if to dispel her doubts. "Well, maybe not easy, but I'm definitely gonna-"

    "RAAAAAUGHHHHHHHH!" The door to Nick's room burst open and a bear darted in, holding his arms up.

    "AAAGH!" Nick screamed and nearly fell out of his bunk.

    "Nick! What's going on!?" Judy was startled.

    "Haha, gotcha again, Wilde!" Fred Fitzbearald, a large brown bear, staggered into the room with a buzzed jolliness. "You're such an easy mark!"

    "Hey, Fred, you been out drinking again?" Nick's sounded disapproving.

    "Yes, Dad," Fred laughed. "You should have come with us! You seem tense!" That bear was so loud that Nick was pretty sure Judy was hearing him, as she kept quiet.

    "Well I actually want to pass the academy, Fitzbearald," Nick muttered. "I'd bet against you lasting another week with how much you like to party and eat pizza." Judy hummed a couple of times, amused.

    "Hey, I'm ready to be a police officer, Wilde," Fred claimed bombastically, shoving a thumb into his chest. "The world's gotta ask itself if it's ready for me!"

    "Yeah yeah, you're drunk," Nick rubbed at one of his temples.

    "And you're talkin' to your girlfriend again!" Fred noted, pointing at Nick. Judy gasped over the phone. Nick's eyes widened a little, but he got control of himself.

    "Fitzbearald!" Nick replied sharply, trying to cover the speaker of the phone. "We've discussed this! She's my girl. Friend. With a space in the middle; a girl that is a friend."

    "Is that what I am, Nick?" Judy seemed extra playful. Nick winced a little.

    "Listen, Carrots, I should probably get off the phone and try to get some sleep before Fred's snoring keeps me up till six in the morning," Nick exhaled, trying to mask his nervousness.

    "That sounds specific," Judy chuckled, almost haltingly.

    "Well, it's happened before," Nick muttered. "Anyway, good night, Carrots."

    "Night, Slick," Judy's voice had an unquestionably flirty waver. Nick's heart skipped a beat.

    "Her name can't be Carrots, can it?" Fred raised an eyebrow. "C'mon Nick, gimme the scoop between you and her."

    Nick reached to hit the call end button before things got out of hand, but thankfully Judy did it for him.

    "She's just a friend, Fitzbearald," Nick insisted. Fred picked up a fur brush and started to croon into it with a booming voice.

    "You swoon, you sigh, why deny it? Uh-oh!" Fred sang, more on-key than Nick's earlier attempt despite his slight buzz. He dramatically held his free fist to his chest while singing, then thrust his palm out in Nick's direction, shaking it while he turned his head away from Nick.

    "Fred, you're drunk," Nick grumbled in annoyance. He turned his phone to show him the contact picture. "It's not like that. She's a bunny."

    "That's... Judy Hopps!?" Fred broke into a loud laugh. "Same bunny that Friedkin's always comparing you unfavorably to? 'C'mon, Foxie Loxie! If a bunny can do it, you can do it!'"

    "The absurdity of that isn't lost on me, believe me," Nick rolled his eyes, putting his phone down and trying to relax into his top bunk.

    "So!" Fred dressed down gracelessly and got into the bottom bunk. "Tell me how you met! There's gotta be a story there."

    "Oh, there sure is," Nick smirked, his hands behind his head as he stared at the ceiling.

    He began to tell it. Every time he told it, the story got a bit fonder, a bit more earnest. Nick was completely absorbed in telling his account. He went over every detail. He tried not to imitate Judy's voice though, not wanting to do her that disservice.

    "Finally, I had enough," Nick said firmly. "I walked right up to that buffalo and told him that no, she would not be giving up her badge to that-"

    There was abrupt, loud snoring.

    "Right, of course," Nick rolled his eyes. He grabbed his earplugs and put them in. With how sore and exhausted he was, mentally and physically, sleep would come to him even with Fred's booming snores.

    Nick rolled over into his bed, his thoughts still buzzing.

    "Face it like a grown-up, when you gonna own up that you got, got, got it bad?" Nick lowly half-sung into his pillow.

    Fred's snoring caught and it seemed like he would wake up. Nick's eyes bulged. He was half-expecting Fred to join in the next part of the song. Fred's snoring normalized again, making Nick relax again.

    Nick slowly let himself grow a smirk. He folded his arms behind his head again.

    "At least out loud, I won't say I'm..." Nick lightly laughed as his voice broke off. He couldn't even finish it to himself.

    Maybe one day.

Chapter 49: Yearning II

    Nick sneered at his damp, leaky apartment as he got home for the day. Looking around in scorn at this reminder from his days of self-loathing and apathy, he sighed to himself. Coming home to this dump was a big step down from being in Judy's company all day.

    The fox was one of Zootopia's finest. Ironically, he lived in perhaps one of the worst apartments Zootopia had to offer.

    He had enough. It was about time to move. On stable pay and having cut off the "guilt payments" he was occasionally making to his mother to appease his own sense of justice, he knew he could afford a nicer, bigger apartment much closer to work than his digs in the Rainforest District.

    Nick had just about settled on a two bedroom apartment in Savannah Central. A bit big for him, yes, but he wouldn't be utterly embarrassed at Judy's insistence that they hang out more. Nick got invited over to Judy's every once in awhile but space there was... tight. There was little to do. Despite that, Nick's apartment, while a bit larger, was arguably even worse.

    So, he was going to move. Sooner, rather than later. He had already packed basically all of his belongings and he was just waiting to finalize things. Waiting on what, though? The fox groaned to himself. He knew why.

    Nick wanted to know if Judy would want to move into the other bedroom. How forward it would be to ask, though. He took himself through the conversation so many times, and so many times it seemed like he'd reached an amicable conclusion with an imaginary Judy. He just couldn't bring himself to actually ask the real Judy about it. There was never a right time and he feared that if he did ask he'd be playing his hand.

    Nick lifted up his phone and navigated to Judy's contact information. He had a new contact picture for her; always picked from the most special of his growing collection of pictures of the gray bunny. His current picture was particularly rare; he had caught her sleeping with her head on her arms at her desk after a late night/early morning work situation. Nick had insisted she have some coffee and she proudly refused. Well, he saw where that got her: onto his album of Judy Hopps pictures in his favorite one yet. He had, naturally, woken her up before she got into trouble, but he made a point to let her know what spoils he had gained from her little nap.

    Delete that picture, Judy kept saying, her voice mixed between irritated and desperate. C'mon, that can't be the best picture you have of me...

    It sure is! Nick challenged. That's your pic until I get a better one.

    He'd refused all of the winsome, no, cute faces she'd made in the interim to try to goad Nick into changing the picture. He did appreciate the effort, though.

    Nick's thumb was just over the call button. Maybe calling her would make it easier to approach the awkward subject. Or at least, make it more plausible to lie that he was drunk at the time. Nick took a deep breath, but then touched a different button to move back into his contact list and called someone else.

    "Hello, Nick?" The feminine voice asked. "A bit early for your semiweekly call, hm?"

    "Mom," Nick greeted in a blank voice. "I'm in love."

    There was a terse gasp over the line. "Honey! That's great news! Who's the lucky vixen?"

    "It's not a vixen, mom," Nick said.

    A small pause followed. "Ah. Well I had sometimes wondered if you were more of a tod fox. As long as you're happy, Nicky!"

    "Can I hold you to that one?" Nick muttered. "And it's not a tod, either." Nick grunted, taking a breath in and holding it for a second before letting it out in a rush. "I'm... I'm in love with Carrots."

    "...Nicholas, are you drunk again?" Mrs. Wilde asked sternly.

    "Huh?" Nick's brow raised in confusion, then he shook his head of the thoughts. "No no, mom. I mean... I'm in love with my partner, Judy Hopps."

    There was a longer pause. "...Oh."

    "Yeah, figured that would be your reaction," Nick muttered.

    "Did you expect anything different?" The vixen's voice was slightly snippy. "Every time you come on the phone to talk about that bunny it's something different, and usually something radical."

    "I've been her partner on the force for a few months and known her for over a year and a half," Nick said. "I'd like to think I could make a decision like this logically."

    "What's logical about you wanting to be with that bunny?" Mrs. Wilde snapped. "Nicky, I... I don't want you to get hurt."

    "Hurt?" Nick chuckled. "Well, she's never turned those bunny feet on me before-"

    "That's not what I mean, and you know it," Mrs. Wilde continued. "Nicky, you... you've been hurt by prey before. She's hurt you before. I remember your call to me that evening; you were just destroyed, Nicky. Why would you ever think getting closer to her was a good idea? You can't say she's incapable of hurting you, or that it might not happen again."

    Nick groaned, rubbing his arm with his free hand. "Everyone makes mistakes, mom."

    "Yes, but usually those mistakes don't end up with the persecution of Zootopia's predators," Mrs. Wilde said acidly.

    "Do you think I forgot that? I was there," Nick replied. "She hurt me most of all. But what I didn't know is I hurt her then, too. I inadvertently mimicked a scene from her childhood where she was bullied by a fox."

    "How convenient," Mrs. Wilde said. Nick was pretty sure he could hear her rolling her eyes. "She tell you that to try to excuse herself?"

    "No, she told me that when she was drunk," Nick grumbled. "She's a very... truthful drunk. 'Hey, feel this!' she said, making me touch her cheek. She had scars there. A fox's doing."

    "She's manipulative, Nick," Mrs. Wilde challenged. "Every time she's met you she's wanted something from you."

    "Mother!" Nick burst. "She was desperate in the first case, and- what, are you talking about the bridge?"

    "She was physically manipulative at first, then emotionally," Mrs. Wilde sounded disgusted. "She tried everything to get you back on her side."

    "No, mom, no," Nick was getting angry. "I'm not going to have you twist one of my fondest memories into something that makes Judy a self-serving-"

    "Well how else can I see it?" Mrs. Wilde was sounding exasperated. "You told me yourself that she only came to you, not to seek your forgiveness, but because she needed your help-"

    "Saving Zootopia!" Nick enunciated. "She only trusted me, mother! Out of everyone in the city!"

    "If you get with her, she is going to break your heart again," Mrs. Wilde said firmly. "It's inevitable. Is she even interested in you? Do you know that?"

    "Yeah," Nick groaned, holding his hand over his eyes. "I'm ninety-nine percent sure. Sometimes she really smells like it. Only, I don't think she's even convinced herself yet."

    "Mm, emotionally out of touch, a nice trait," Nick's mother said sarcastically. "I suppose she can't smell your interest. Can she hear it?"

    "Mom..." Nick mumbled.

    "So, why are you even telling me this?" Mrs. Wilde continued, feeling like she was getting Nick in a corner. "You know how I feel about that rabbit, and you've told me you've given up on changing my mind."

    "I just..." Nick started pacing around his room. "I don't know. I'm nearing the end of my rope. Sooner or later I'm going to screw up and how I feel is going to come out. It'll be inexcusable. I just- I wish I could ask you for advice. How to approach her. What she'd like."

    "So you're finally tiring of hiding your feelings and actions behind half-truths and misdirection," Mrs. Wilde replied coldly.

    This gave Nick pause. His mother's words were like sniper shots. "I... I deserved that." Nick felt his breath catch a bit. "I just think you're forgetting who inspired me to change my life course. Mom- no, forget it. Of course you wouldn't care about what makes me happy."

    "I... do care about your happiness, Nicholas," Mrs. Wilde sighed. "I just think you're making a mistake with that bunny... I feel like a call filled with you weeping about her wronging you again will be the next one I get..."

    "You know the happiest I've ever felt, mom?" Nick snapped. "When Judy was pinning that badge on me at my graduation. The look of pride and joy on her face... I'll never forget that." His mother started to talk, but he quickly interrupted. "And when you walked up after the graduation and warned her that she better be more careful what she said about predators? I felt embarrassed for her. Can't you let it go, like most of the other predators of Zootopia have? She's tried her best to absolve her sins!" Nick was almost panting. He tried to stop pacing.

    His mother was silent for a minute. "Are you done preaching at me?"

    "Mom, please.. just- please give Judy a chance," Nick said quietly. "You don't know her like I do. You don't know her vivaciousness, her lust for life, her drive, her spark, her tenderness... I..."

    "Do I get to say 'I told you so' if your next call about her is with you in tears again?" Mrs. Wilde replied.

    "Yes," Nick said. "Yes, ram it right down my throat for the good it'll do."

    "I'll think about it," the vixen's voice was non-committal.

    "I'm just about done with denying myself of acting on my feelings for Judy, mom," Nick said solidly. "I've wallowed in self-pity for far too long. Now I have a job that I can be proud of and... and I could have the most amazing girlfriend I could ask for, if I'd just... do something about it."

    "Well you know she's supposed to ask you, right?" Mrs. Wilde almost sounded bemused.

    "She's not a fox, mom," Nick grumbled.

    "I suppose she isn't," Mrs. Wilde said. "Also, I'm guessing her nose isn't good enough to pick out how humiliatingly desperate you must smell around her, so I guess you'll just have to fill those blanks in for her, hm?"

    Nick felt like that was as good as he was going to get from her.

    "I... gotta go, mom," Nick said glumly. "I love you."

    Nick heard a long sigh. "I love you too, Nicholas. ...Tell me how it goes."

    Nick hung up, unclothed, and slunk into bed.

    Well, now that the easy part was out of the way, he just had to come up with a plan to reveal his feelings for Judy, Nick thought to himself sardonically.

    Nick clutched his pillow to his chest. He allowed himself a wild thought that in the pillow's place might one day might be Judy. Feeling her soft fur against him, hearing her measured breaths, sharing her warmth, smelling that lovely lapine scent.

    He opened his eye and looked around his apartment.

    Not in this place, though.

    Nick fell asleep with something like a worried conviction in his heart.

Chapter 50: Concession

    Nick and Judy were walking down the street in Savannah Central. It was a warm day, though not hot. The two had decided to meet up for lunch and then just walk around for awhile. Nick planned to show her some of the locations where he would spot shady things going down, or some of the spaces he liked to hit up for information about the happenings going on in Zootopia that you couldn't hear from more traditional sources.

    The conversation and eye contact between the two was unusually light.

    Judy stopped Nick a one of the street corners. She was looking up at him with those big, purple eyes, and she seemed like she wanted to speak.

    "What's up, Fluff?" Nick tilted his head slightly.

    "Hey Nick, I... I just wanted to say something," Judy said, shaking her head slightly. It seemed like she was searching for the right words. "You're just... a really cool guy."

    Nick smirked. "Tell me something I don't know."

    Judy laughed, then looked off to the side, sighing lightly and putting her hands into her pockets. She shrugged. "Yeah, that's all." Judy began to walk again. Nick felt a strange spike in her scent, one of fear? He looked at where they were and his eyes flew open.

    The two were standing right in front of Jerry' Jumbeaux's ice cream shop. Nick's jaw dropped slightly. Was she trying to complete a Karmic Circle? She'd returned to where they first met... consciously?

    Nick let out a small grunt of surprise and hurried to catch up with Judy.

    "Falling behind?" Judy teased, lolling her head in his direction. Her ears weren't up at the moment, and that could sometimes be a bad sign.

    "Just had... thought of something myself," Nick said. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words didn't come for him either. He wanted to acknowledge her gesture, but he had no idea what to say. He swallowed hard.

    "Ooh, speechless is a new look for you," Judy said playfully. The two giggled at each other, then fell silent. Nick and Judy walked for what seemed like minutes until Mezzo Park was on their right as they went along.

    "Hey, Carrots..." Nick ran his tongue along his teeth as he prepared to say something. "I've been thinking... about moving."

    "Mh!? Moving?" Judy's ears perked up in alarm.

    "Not out of Zootopia or anything," Nick held a hand up and shook his head. "Just out of the dump I currently call home."

    "Oh, sounds good," Judy nodded. "Somewhere closer to the station?"

    "Yeah, exactly," Nick closed his eyes. "And I was just thinking, you know... uh..." The words kept perishing in his throat.

    "Hey, Nick," Judy said abruptly with sudden excitement, whacking his chest with the back of her hand. "Chase me." Judy took off like a shot, running into the park.

    "Wh-what's gotten into you?" Nick blinked, but both her request and something deeper, more primal and urgent got him to comply with her sudden demand. Nick ran after her; he was pretty fast in his own right.

    "Ha!" Judy looked back at Nick's confused face as he pursued. "That all you got?" Judy sped up further, really giving it her all. She began to break away from the fox.

    "Rgh!" Nick grimaced, puzzled at these sudden events. He continued to give chase, but Judy turned sharply into a wooded area and was out of sight by the time Nick arrived.

    Panting, Judy looked back and saw no sign of Nick, wearing a bright smile of victory. She stood with her back to a tree, gasping for breath and laughing to herself.

    "Got him, that dumb fox..." Judy gasped, chuckling. Her laughing turned sour and she slumped against the tree, running her hands along her face. "Rgh. What's wrong with me, anyway? Why can't I just say it...?"

    Two minutes later, Nick casually strolled up to the tree Judy was sitting against. Neither looked too surprised to see each other.

    "So, you found me," Judy tossed him a half-smile with her eyes half-closed. "That didn't last too long." Nick tapped at his nose in reply. "Ah, right, I keep forgetting."

    "You'll never be able to hide from me, little bunny," Nick tried a charming smile. She gave a laugh that carried a bitter edge.

    "Yeah, I know," Judy looked away from him, rolling her eyes to stare at the ground. "I know..."

    "What's up, Fluff?" Nick gave a short grunt at the end of his question and sat down next to Judy, his paws in his lap. "Why'd you go tearing off?"

    "Oh, just being an adult and running from my problems," Judy smiled in self-mockery, looking up at Nick. "I messed up, Nick. I had it all figured out, then I choked. How unlike me."

    "...The ice cream shop?" Nick gave one nod.

    "Mm," Judy nodded three times. "Mmhm. That was it. It was going to be like in a fairy tale. Or at least a romance novel. Heh."

    "Couldn't do it?" Nick shrugged.

    "No, because it's all wrong," Judy looked away from him again. "It's all wrong. You already know."

    "...Know what?" Nick tried to sound confused.
    
    Judy looked at him with a tired smirk. "Okay, hot-shot, I may be a dumb bunny, but I'm not that dumb."

    "Okay, sorry," Nick sighed, returning a smirk.

    "Wish you had told me before I figured it out myself," Judy sighed, shaking her head and staring off into the distance. "Would have saved me a lot of time."

    "Tell you how you're feeling?" Nick scoffed. "Yeah, that sounds logical. But... I did do that, anyway."

    "Huh?" Judy blinked.

    "'You know you love me', remember?" Nick made a guilty smile. Judy's jaw dropped slightly.

    "Wow!" Judy got up, and slapped at her pants. "Wow. I really am dumb." She folded her arms tightly. "Sometimes I don't know why you put up with me."

    Nick got up as well. "You want the long version or the short version?"

    Judy tried to smile. Her voice was small, almost desperate. "Either's good."

    "I..." Nick's jaw dropped, but again the words failed him. "...I dunno if I can properly express how I feel about you, little bunny. If I did say the words you're thinking I'll say, it'll just sound like me being me. Joking around, kidding. Not serious. I've imprisoned myself. The foal that cried wolf. We've built up this relationship on teasing and playfulness, and I just feel like... I can't be serious."

    "You sound pretty serious, Nick," Judy half-smiled. "So uh... is that it, then...? Should I... I dunno..."

    "Judy, I'd like you to move in with me," Nick suddenly blurted.

    "I- what?" Judy's eyes nearly bulged. Her mouth opened, and hung open further as she saw Nick was as serious as he could be. The bunny gasped. "...Really?"

    "See? I have an out," Nick smirked. "'No, ha ha, just kidding, of course not'. Could say that. You'd let me get away with it, then I could drop it and never have to worry about it again." He slashed his hands as if dismissing the idea. "But... no, I want you to move in with me."

    "Nick? We're..." Judy blinked rapidly, confused.

    "The apartment I'm looking at has two bedrooms," Nick began. "It'd be better for both of us, right? No annoying, loud neighbors for you, and no drippy ceilings and damp, musty smells for me."

    "Don't see enough of me at work?" Judy joked. Nick didn't laugh. Judy returned a wince, holding a paw up in apology. "S-sorry, I was just trying to..."

    "Will you consider it?" Nick shrugged. "I could live there by myself, yeah, but..." Judy sighed warmly and smiled slowly.

    "Yeah, let's give it a try, huh?" The bunny smiled placidly. "What's the worst that could happen?"

    "Oh, I dunno, some nuclear-level argument that ends with both of us hating each other forever," Nick smiled tiredly. "For starters."

    "That would be pretty bad," Judy smiled, looking down. "This is so weird. This isn't at all how I thought it would go."

    "Life's like that," Nick shrugged. The fox offered his hand to Judy. "Shall we get out of the park and go start doing some fun and fulfilling paperwork?"

    "Now you joke again," Judy rolled her eyes, taking his hand and swinging it. She hummed in amusement to herself as she thought about what might be in store for the two. "You looking forward to seeing my pretty face every morning, Slick?"

    "Eh," Nick shrugged. "It could be prettier."

    "NICK!" Judy scoffed at his audacity and shoved him with both hands, making him stagger off to the side a few paces. "I think I was starting to like 'serious' Nick!"

    "Well, here's serious Nick again to make your face prettier," Nick stood in front of her, and Judy raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Judy, you're beautiful. I love you."

    Judy's jaw dropped a very small amount. A look of wonder passed over her face as her heart fluttered. She expected Nick to break off any second, but he held his gaze firm. It was soft, adoring, loving. It was a look that wasn't unfamiliar to her, but it took on new meaning now that-

    Click.

    Nick's hand smoothly raised up, his phone in it, and he captured Judy's enthralled face. Judy blinked, flinched, and shook her head.

    "There we go," Nick chuckled, starting to walk again. "That's my new contact picture for you." He laughed harder, looking over it as Judy began to puzzle out what was going on. "They say girls look the prettiest right when you tell them you love them for the first time. Looking at that face, it's hard to disagree."

    "Nick, you idiot!" Judy curled her fingers, stomping her feet as they walked. "You utter monster! I can't believe you did that to me...!"

    "Hey, I meant what I said," Nick said airily.

    "I uh..." Judy shook her head, conflicting feelings bouncing around in her head. "Wow. Jerk. ...I love you too."

    "Yeah, I know," Nick sighed confidently, and got another shove for his trouble.

    "Nick!" Judy grit her teeth, fuming and throwing her arms down, though she was laughing. "Stop it! You can't just say that. I mean, I know you know I love you, but... ugh, this is getting ridiculous...!"

    "Still business as usual between us, Fluff," Nick smirked. "Things'll never change between us."

    Judy rushed ahead of him and stopped him with her hands. "Oh yeah?"

    She tugged on his tie firmly and met him for a little kiss. The kiss quickly lighted desires in both of them and became deeper, and they embraced snugly in their sudden physical craving for each other. Judy shivered as she felt Nick's tail sweep around her lower legs. They both hummed longingly into the kiss before finally breaking from each other as abruptly as they had met.

    "I uh..." Judy's ears were warm and she ran her hands through them. "Well, now that we've... uh... done whatever we did back there, there can be more of that."

    "Sounds..." Nick huffed happily. "Sounds good to me."

Chapter 51: Circles

    Judy had only been home for a few minutes that evening when she heard a knock on her apartment door.

    "Just a minute!" Judy called out, still slipping into some casual clothes. "Who's there?"

    "It's me," a gruff, deep tone replied.

    "Finnick? That you?" Judy was intrigued and slightly confused; Finnick had never come to her door before.

    "Sure is," the fennec's voice came from the other side of the door.

    "Just one sec!" Judy wiggled into her top and her head and ears sprouted from the opening in her shirt as if they were a turnip. Judy opened the door and smiled at Finnick. "Howdy!"

    "What's good?" Finnick said casually with a lazy grin, his hands in his pockets. "'Ey, you know where Nick is this evening?"

    "Ah, no?" Judy picked up her phone to text him, but Finnick held up a paw.

    "Eh, don't bother, 'detective', I already tried his phone," Finnick said. Judy chuckled lightly in response to the quip, but then her countenance fell.

    "That's odd..." Judy's brow scrunched. "I hope everything's okay."

    "Prob'ly is," Finnick said, shoving his paws into his pockets. "It's just- it's the Completion today, and Nick and I usually hang out. But this is the first one since he turned into a cop n' all, so I figured he might be witchoo somewhere."

    "What's the 'Completion'?" Judy wondered.

    Finnick waved a paw dismissively. "Eh, it's a dog thing. You wouldn't know about it."

    Judy peered down at the fennec. "Well, could you teach me about it, then?" Finnick looked up at Judy skeptically. "I'm trying to be a little less ignorant." Finnick scoffed, but he could see that Judy wasn't joking and looked down, kicking at the ground with his foot.

    "Well uh..." Finnick looked around. "How do I say this... it's like a celebration honoring the canid goddess Karma. There's lots of different ways to celebrate it, and since it's just a canid holiday it's not commercialized or anythin'. Nick and I just used to get together where we did our first hustle and get a drink at the bar near there."

    "Aw, that's sweet," Judy tilted her head. "In a weird sort of way."

    "You up to playin' detective and helping me find him?" Finnick shrugged. "I got no other plans tonight."

    "Sure! That sounds fun," Judy rubbed her chin, thinking. "Any clue where he might be?"

    "Somewhere important to him, if he's doing something for the Completion," Finnick shrugged.

    Judy seemed to think for a little longer, then perked up. "Okay, let's go!" She excitedly beckoned Finnick and the two left her apartment.

---

    "Ha ha... ol' Jumbeaux's..." Finnick gave a dark smile in Judy's direction as she and Finnick approached Jumbeaux's Cafe. "Bun, you fell for that scam hook line and sinker."

    Judy's eyebrows and ears fell. "Nick's a good actor, okay? And you're good at pretending to be cute."

    "Tch, shows how much you know," Finnick folded his arms after Judy got the door. "You really think a red fox can have a fennec kit?"

    "Why not?" Judy chirped, then shook her head. "Wait wait- I'm not that dumb. You could have been adopted!"

    Finnick held up a finger like he was about to say something, then let it down. "I guess you got a point there." The small fox looked left and right. "Don't look like Nick's here. Don't suppose you want some ice cream?" He jerked his thumb to the counter.

    "Mm mm," Judy wiggled her index finger. "Not until you've had your dinner, young mammal."

    "Pff, don't you start," Finnick warned with a hint of aggression. Judy flashed a grin to ensure she was joking, but Finnick didn't appear to enjoy its content. Judy shrugged and left the cafe with the small fox.

    "Are you and Nick very good friends?" Judy started to head to the subway with Finnick.

    "Uh... I dunno if you could say that, exactly," Finnick sucked his teeth. "I ain't the kinda fox that needs or gives emotional support, y'know? I just been hustlin' with him for a long time."

    "So he's not like a brother to you or anything?" Judy wondered with honest curiosity.

    "Psh, no!" Finnick gave a broad smirk. "Maybe like the kind of brother that you hang out with and you need money from but you can't be around too much 'cuz you wanna punch him right in his smug face after while."

    "Been there," Judy returned a smaller smirk.

    Finnick waved his paw in front of his face as if to dismiss the current topic. "Anyway, you got anywhere else in mind where he might be?"

    "Yeah, a couple of places," Judy nodded. "Just kind of figured Nick might be here. I did meet you two here."

    "Mmh, what's that got to do with it?" Finnick grumbled. "Anyway, where's your next idea?"

---

    "It's nice isn't it?" Judy smiled as she enjoyed the soft breeze of the day in one of the Rainforest District's cable cars. "You get such a good view of the Downtown and the rest of the district from here."

    "I can barely see anythin'," Finnick grumbled, standing on his tip toes to peek up and over the side of the car.

    "Aw, want me to lift you up?" Judy smirked.

    Finnick quickly backed away from the edge and waved his paws. "No no, don't you touch me...!"

    "Afraid of heights?" Judy half-closed her eyes.

    "Listen bun, if mammals were 'sposed to fly, we'd have wings!" Finnick retorted with a glare and a point. He got his accelerating breathing under control and crossed his arms. "So what makes you think Nick'd be here?"

    "Well, I saved his life right around there," Judy pointed near a platform that looked familiar to her in the dimming light. "I dunno, I guess I thought he might be thankful or something?"

    "Hm..." Finnick folded his arms.

    Judy placed her paws on the lip of the edge and rocked back and forth a little. "After that, he saved my badge by standing up for me... then up here he told me about his past. Why he had such a negative outlook on the world..."

    "He what...?" Finnick's eyes widened from their near-perpetually displeased shape. "...Mm."

    "Something wrong?" Judy turned to look at the contemplative fennec.

    "Nick's never told me the full story 'bout his past," Finnick mused. "I've only heard bits and pieces from him, and only when he's drunk. The thing about the scouts, or somethin'?" Judy nodded once. "Sometimes he gets mopey after knockin' a few back; lets things slip. Then he tries to get me to drink too much to forget about it too. Hah! S'long as he's payin'."

    "He's never told you about-?" Judy felt a spark of distress as she realized that Nick told her what he did in confidence and decided to stop talking.

    "Like I said, bun, we ain't that close," Finnick waved his arm. "I'm not his dad, his brother, his son. I'm not even really good friends with him. We just do what we do and go home." He stared holes into Judy. "Maybe that's why he took you back."

    "Took me back...?" Judy felt her stomach drop. "Oh..."

    "Yeah, I heard about that, at least," Finnick sucked his teeth.

    "Maybe we could try the lobby of the ZPD next," Judy sighed. "That was a big moment too; where I screwed up royally and Zootopia paid the price for my mistake..."

    "No," Finnick replied tersely.

    "Afraid of the police, Finnick?" Judy mocked with her hands on her hips, bending over slightly.

    "Bun, I ain't playin'," Finnick looked more standoffish. It was a few more moments before he spoke again. "I know where Nick is. He's not at the ZPD."

    "Where is he, then?" Judy tilted her head.

    Finnick sucked his teeth and looked over the side of the cable car. "...I already told you."

    "You did?" Judy searched her memory.

    "Bet you five dollars he's there," Finnick said, nearly a wistful tone in his voice. He gestured flippantly at the bunny before the car came to a stop and the both of them got off. "Hear that? Go find him, and if he's there you owe me five dollars. I ain't comin'."

    "Why's that...?" Judy felt her heart sink a little.

    Finnick drew a small circle in the air. "Beginnin' to think Nick wants someone else in his 'circle', and it ain't me." He flippantly waved again, turning away from Judy. "Don't feel bad for me, bunny. I got other people I hang with, and it wouldn't be the first time Nick flaked on a long tradition of ours." He gave a dark snicker.

    "Sorry- uh..." Judy stammered, holding a finger up daintily. "Where did you say he was, exactly?"

    Finnick half-turned his head around and glared at her. "Bun, I told you that I already told you. Ain't gonna say it again." Finnick walked away quietly.

    Judy searched her memory again, but then let it dip back further and gasped tersely.

    "Oh!"

---

    "Carrots...!" Nick droned, his paws in his pockets. He was walking with his familiar lazy smile on his face beneath that bridge. The bridge Judy had confessed the depth of her despair to him under. Judy felt herself smile and it wobbled slightly.

    "Hey, Nick," Judy approached him. "The heck are you doing here?"

    "A little thing some canids do called the Completion," Nick said. "Thought I'd do it right this year; not just go get drunk with Finnick."

    "He's been looking for you," Judy ambled down the path to be closer to Nick. "You turned your phone off."

    "I'm trying to enter a serene state of mind this evening, Judy," Nick smiled up at the setting sun. "That grouchy voice in my ear or a profanity-laced text from him might ruin it."

    "Um, okay?" Judy replied. "Hey, you used my first name. Rare." Nick flinched slightly in amusement as he considered this.

    "My bad," Nick chuckled, then sighed, speaking in an airy voice. "Well, fitting enough. A rare moment happened here."

    Judy didn't respond immediately. She brushed her paw through her ears and looked around at the area. Nothing had changed; the only thing that looked different was the orange-tinted light bathing the scene. "What, seeing me be a dumb bunny? Psh. Happens all the time!"

    "No, me upholding my vow," Nick rustled in his pocket.

    "Your vow...?" Judy narrowed her eyes. "What, to serve and protect?"

    "Nah, before that," Nick pulled out a red scrap of cloth. "You remember the story, right? 'I, Nicholas Wilde, promise to be brave, loyal, helpful, and trustworthy'."

    "Ah, well... I'd say you're getting there," Judy's voice was a fond tease. "Slowly."

    "Hmhmhm..." Nick chuckled.

    Judy made a face at the piece of cloth in his hand. "Wait, is that the same handkerchief you tied around my leg at the museum?" Her face scrunched up in mild revulsion. "Ew, it's got to be; it's got bloodstains on it."

    "It's also from my Junior Ranger Scouts uniform," Nick tightened his hand, moving it up and down slightly as if judging the weight of the cloth. "It means a lot to me. It represents my broken dreams, but it also represents everything I wanted... and still want."

    "To belong? To be a part of something greater?" Judy wondered, her voice softening.

    "That's part of it," Nick crouched with a smirk. "Tonight I complete my circle to this point, this place. This thing, resembling what I care about. And..." He grinned charmingly at Judy. "By Serendipity's paw, someone..."

    "Puh, Serendipity?" Judy chuckled briefly. "Nah, you can thank Finnick, he jogged my memory."

    Nick drew a circle in the air with his paw. "It's said that when Karma demarcated an area by walking around it in a circle, she consecrated it and no injustice could enter that area. I'm here to honor her."

    "Really didn't take you as the spiritual type, Nick," Judy smirked.

    Nick didn't reply, and he bent down, drawing a circle in the dirt with his claw. Judy approached and crouched near him, wearing mild interest on her face. Nick carefully scooped dirt away from the area to make a circular hole, then he placed the bloodied handkerchief inside the hole and tenderly covered it with dirt.

    "You buried the handkerchief," Judy stated the obvious.

    "An offering of sorts," Nick said distantly. "A request of mine, to Karma. May she tie this thing to this place, and my fate bind it. May she know my appreciation for this thing and this place. And, by Serendipity, this person." Nick smiled at Judy and she returned his expression. Nick remained on his knees and closed his eyes, gently placing the tips of his fingers from each hand together, holding his arms in a loop in front of him.

    "What now?" Judy wondered.

    "Meditating for a little while," Nick smirked, opening one eye. "Helps if there's not distractions."

    "Oh, sorry," Judy sucked her teeth with a wry grin.

    "Also helps to have a partner," Nick explained. Judy sat down near him.

    "Um, I have to admit I know nothing about all this mumbo-jumbo," Judy giggled.

    "Just hold your arms out like this so our joined hands will form a circle," Nick offered, gently taking her paws with his and snickering at the shape. "Or at least an oblong oval." Judy chuckled at observing this. "Now close your eyes, focus on something."

    "Like what?" Judy asked, a tinge of excitement in her voice. Nick felt the bunny's wrists slightly twitching; she was on edge, like they were playing a game.

    "You have to relax," Nick chuckled. "A foreign concept to you, I know. Just find something to focus on... how about the sound of my breathing?"

    Judy felt antsy for the next minute or two, but after awhile she was able to focus on his breathing. She found her own was slowly altering to match the depth and length of his breaths. The effect was relaxing; almost intimate. Judy imagined that the two were sitting there with nothing but the cosmos as their witness, that the fates had conspired to bring them together as one soul with one purpose: to make the world better from their efforts upon it.

    Judy quickly lost track of time.

    When she opened up her eyes again, she saw the glint of Nick's in the dark. The sun had fallen. He was wearing a fond smirk, but a smirk nonetheless.

    "What?" Judy wondered, almost breathless. "What- was I... did I fall asleep?" Judy shook her head, breaking the circle of their paws and standing up. "Oh no no! I see what this is." She grinned wildly. "You made all of this up, didn't you? All these little rituals, the object burying, the meditating..."

    Nick silently rose and dusted his pants off. "Want to grab some dinner? It's kind of late; if you've been looking for me all this time I doubt you had dinner."

    "Nick...!" Judy shrieked, stomping her foot. "Ha! So you don't deny it!" She pointed at him accusingly. "That's it, isn't it? All this hokey stuff, just some excuse for what... to hold my hands? What are you, ten?"

    "A simple internet search would give you the answer you're looking for, Fluff," Nick said casually.

    Judy grumbled, then her stomach did too. "You bluffer! That's a bluff! What, am I going to sit here, take out my phone, and show you how much I doubt you?"

    "I promise I won't feel offended," Nick said honestly. "Now, dinner?" Judy appeared momentarily indecisive.

    "Your treat," Judy specified with a point.

    Nick shrugged. "My treat."

    "Yes, then," Judy smirked devilishly.

    "Cool; let's go!" Nick said with sudden energy, beckoning her. As they walked, Judy lagged behind the fox's steps and took out her phone surreptitiously. She was beginning to type "Completion Canid Traditions and Rituals" into it, but stopped. Something mentally gave her pause.

    So what if whatever rituals and things Nick was doing were made up? They meant something to him, right? Else he wouldn't have been doing them without knowing that Judy was going to show up or not. The moment was special for him- for both of them, she figured, and that's what mattered.

    Boy, and Nick called her emotional. Judy felt a small burst of a complicated emotion; something like amusement, apprehension, happiness, and wistfulness.

    "Nick- ah..." Judy placed a hand to her chest, looking up at him. The stars were just beginning to come out and a few even made it through the glare of the city, shining behind Nick's head. "Is there anything- anything you want to tell me...?"

    Nick's smile maintained a hint of smug, but his voice was warm. "Nothing you don't already know, Carrots."

    A sense of contentment and completeness washed over Judy. She took Nick's paw as they walked down into civilization. In that moment she felt whole, completely happy and fulfilled. Judy looked at Nick again, and he was smiling. The smugness was waning, and he looked as he did to her under the bridge during his forgiveness: calm, serene, and happy. Her arm slowly swung with Nick's. She didn't know what to reply to Nick to communicate the unique feeling that she hoped Nick was sharing with her.

    So, with a small, happy sigh, Judy didn't say anything; she felt like that was enough.

Chapter 52: Paper

Hiya, Nick!

If you've found this letter, I can only imagine how. I tried to hide it somewhere where you'd really have to look for it. I guess that didn't stop you, though. I hope nothing has changed between us. If it has, I can only hope you'll forgive me for whatever stupid thing I've done this time. If it hasn't, then what are you doing rooting through my things, huh? You rascal. What are you looking for?

Kinda weird to read a letter in this day and age, isn't it? I didn't know how else to do this.

I think about you a lot, Nick. I just feel like I have to get that out somewhere. I think about you more than a friend probably should. Maybe even more than some lovers do. I don't really know why. Ever since you became my partner, we've been like the peanut butter and jelly of the ZPD. I'll leave you to decide who is which.

You know me, Nick. I wear my heart on my sleeve. But lately, I don't know. I've been developing some feelings about you. Feelings I don't quite understand. It's more than just an attraction or a yearning for you. I don't know if I'd call it "love". It's a fear. Not like a nose-twitching fear; I'm not scared for my life. You know that I'm barely afraid of anything of course, the number of times you've yanked me out of danger already.

I'm just scared of anything messing up what we have now.

I'm sure you don't quite believe that. I'm sure I've probably gone and shoved my whole huge bunny foot in my mouth again or something. But I am scared. Scared of waking up one morning and things being different. Scared of making a mistake that I can't fix.

I don't think I've ever told you how grateful I was that you forgave me that one time. I know you didn't say it in so many words. Maybe I didn't need to say it back.

Nick, I'll be honest. I don't know why I'm writing this. I can feel my pulse in my fingers while I'm scribbling these words down. I've never felt like this about anyone before. A truly paralyzing, biting fear. A fear that I'll mess something up so badly that no apology will cover it over. A fear that one day you'll no longer be my best friend.

Is that love, Nick? I don't know.

I know it'll be me that makes the mistake, too. Should something happen, that is. You're too careful and cautious. Your heart is too big, and you have such control over your words. It won't be you.

Clever fox that you are, you've started to teach me how to hide and squelch my feelings. I know I can overact, but I'd like to think someday I'll be as sneaky and misdirecting as you. A real actor, or at least a "hustler". Just like I hope one day you can learn how to kick harder than my grandpa. So, maybe you can be a bit proud of me if you didn't notice any of these feelings of mine before reading this letter.

I'm going to stop writing pretty soon before the emotional bunny in me rears her weepy, sniffling head.

One day maybe you can bring this scrap of paper to me. I'll probably rip it up right in front of you. Maybe we can laugh about it over coffee.

I know I mean a lot to you, Nick. Else you wouldn't have done the things you've already done for me. One day I hope I get the chance to show you how much you mean to me.

Yours always,
Judith Laverne Hopps

P.S.: I hope this isn't how you're learning about my middle name.

Notes:

Zootopia is now officially one year old! Happy anniversary to my favorite movie. Fun fact: the "traditional gift" of the one year anniversary is paper.

Chapter 53: RE: Paper

To Carrots:

Surprise! I wonder how often you check on that letter you wrote to see if it was still there. How many times did you rewrite it? Maybe you were hoping to just get rid of it completely. Well guess what? It's too late! It's MINE now! And if you're reading this, it means that you DID check and found a different letter in its place. You fussy little bunny.

I guess I can tell you WHEN I found it. It was when you came down with the Rabbit Flu. That tiny little completely terrifying epidemic that briefly but swiftly swept through Zootopia. I'm pretty sure it was that one bunny girl we pulled over for speeding that got you sick. The brown and white one. She sneezed right on you. Think I should go arrest her for assault with a biological weapon?

I don't guess you remember much of those days, huh? Chief Buff basically throwing you out of the ZPD so you'd stay home. Constantly yelling at me to stop fussing over you. I dunno how you managed so much strength to shout at me when you could barely keep your eyes open. You looked miserable, you know? Fur damp, trembling, those pained groans.

It was one time when you were asleep that I started looking around. I don't know what I was looking for. Something to try to help make you feel better, I suppose. While I was poking around, I found your letter. It was a clever hiding place, I'll give you that. But you know who you're dealing with; you may be a foxy bunny, but you can't out-fox a fox. I'll leave it to your imagination how I reacted to reading it; I'm certainly not going to tell you!

That's the thing about me, Fluff, something you should know by now. It basically takes Destiny's Blade held up to my throat to get me to talk (or even write!) about my feelings. Since I'm not going to, and you're a smart bunny, you also know that I'm writing this after you got better. I can't believe my fierce little hippity-hopper even kicked a nasty virus' tail like that. Is there anything you can't do?

Each time we have a brush with Destiny, though, I feel like she's holding that blade precariously closer and closer to us. First, a mere graze of the fur. But, when you were at the zenith of that sickness I felt like she was hovering over you, holding it right up against your skin. I felt like I could practically see the indentation of her blade on your neck with each labored swallow you made; each pained breath.

So yeah, I said a lot of things to you when you were sick. Things I'm pretty sure you don't remember or weren't conscious for, and things I'm probably not going to repeat. But, writing this, you know... I'm starting to realize something.

We don't have forever.

The rush of relief I felt when you were back on our chair in the ZPD bullpen can't be described in mere words, so I won't write them. I will tell you that I share that sappy little sentiment of yours from your goopy little letter: I don't want what we have to change.

But it's going to have to, sometime.

I don't know if I'm ready to talk about it, write about it, or in any other way express it. Maybe I could use my favorite way to communicate to you: hand signals! Though it worries me that you're actually starting to UNDERSTAND them. Our mental wavelengths are inching closer and closer to being identical.

So you know what? I'm not going to. That's right! Your stubborn, cowardly little fox friend is going to make YOU pull the trigger.

What I'm saying is... if you want to talk to me about... things... just come up to me and say: "Destiny's Blade". I'll know it's time we had a serious discussion. This is only redeemable once, Carrots, so make it count!

By the way, don't bother asking me what I've done with your letter. It's in a safe place. I'm not going to let you tear it up.

From your absolute favorite fox,
Nick Wilde

Chapter 54: Destiny

Notes:

Continued from "Paper" and "RE: Paper"

    "Yuck, what a mess," Judy said in a low voice as she and Nick entered the large temple. There was graffiti everywhere and splotches of paint dotted the floor, walls, and columns of the temple. "What kind of lowlife desecrates a temple, anyway?" The two began to survey the vandalism.

    "Probably some edgy teenagers," Nick shrugged. "You know the type, right? Those that think they're so cool because they have the guts to stick it to an organization that's been around for centuries. Betcha we find some stray fur samples."

    "No offense to the Celestials," Judy smirked wryly, "but isn't Destiny kind of an 'edgy' Celestial to worship? Oooh, the Celestial of Death...!" She wiggled her hands mockingly with her eyes rolled to the ceiling, where natural light shone through the top of the temple.

    "One of the Celestials of Death, anyway," Nick chuckled, holding up a finger, then placing it on a finger of his other hand. "There's another one. A bear. What was it... Calamity? Or something like... Paradigm, I think. Either way, I don't think all of Destiny's worshipers are obsessed with death, Carrots. There's more to Destiny than just that."

    "Mmm..." Judy walked forward and looked up at the central figure of the temple, the statue of Destiny. It easily towered over both of them and bore a great resemblance to a giraffe skeleton, only quadruped. The statue itself was a fair bit taller than a normal, bipedal giraffe. The various bones of the great stone statue seemed to have been painted various pastel colors. "Wow, they really did a number on the statue too, huh? I wonder how they even got all the way up to the top of it to paint it. Maybe we're looking at some giraffe vandals?"

    "Oh no, the statue is actually untouched," Nick joined Judy in looking up at it. "It's supposed to look like that."

    "Really? Huh!" Judy marveled, scratching her chin as she took in the sight of the various colors on the statue. "Now that you mention it, I guess there is some rhyme and reason to the arrangement..."

    "From what I remember from my theology class, it's supposed to represent how Destiny holds sway over all kinds of mammals, over all 'colors' of souls," Nick looked up with a hand placed near his forehead.

    "What about her neck?" Judy made a curving motion with her paw and then placed that paw on her own neck. "It's got a weird sort of curve to it... it doesn't look like a normal spine. It looks almost like a... sword's edge?" Judy seemed confused for a second and her eyes slightly widened, then she looked at Nick. The fox seemed to consider the tall statue seriously.

    "Yeah, that's supposed to be like that, too," Nick shrugged. "Her neck is her 'reaping' tool, I guess." Nick thoughtfully scrunched his muzzle, then tilted his head briefly as he took in the statue. "It's something like... ancient giraffes used to duel with their necks, of all things. Maybe that's where it came from?"

    "Trying to find the logic in all this malarkey, huh?" Judy rolled her eyes with a big grin. She continued looking for more clues to the vandalism, turning away from the statue.

    "Oof, take it easy on the blasphemy," Nick remarked jokingly, grinning with half-lidded eyes. "I mean, I'm pretty sure a Celestial like Nightmare wouldn't mind, but I don't think I'd take my chances with Destiny." Nick whistled and clicked his tongue.

    "C'mon, Nick," Judy started in a chiding voice. "You don't actually believe in Destiny, do you?"

    "You mean like, the concept, or the Celestial?" Nick returned in a jovial tone.

    Judy was quiet for a moment and she half-turned her head to look at the statue. "Uh, either, I guess."

    "Well to be perfectly honest," Nick looked up skeptically at the statue, "do I believe that there's a skeletal giraffe roaming the afterlife, reaping souls? No, that's ridiculous." Judy nodded and Nick waited a beat before growing an obnoxious smile. "I always thought Destiny would be more like a whale shark."

    Despite trying to stifle it, Judy burst out laughing. She wrapped her arms around her midsection and nearly folded over as she laughed uproariously. She rubbed an eye with one paw as she regained control over herself, her ears flopping back into place as she straightened up. "A wha- a what!? A whale shark? You mean the world's biggest fish?"

    "Right!" Nick held his arms out wide vertically and slapped them down. "Biggest fish, biggest mouth. She could gobble you right up!"

    "Pffft, I can just imagine that," Judy rolled her eyes and started to speak in a dramatic, exaggerated voice that sounded like she was yawning. She held her arms out and swayed them as if they were fins. "Your time is uuuup, mortallll! I will eeeeat you!"

    "Probably a lot scarier than ol' sword-neck up there," Nick jerked his head to the statue, somehow managing to keep a straight face.

    Judy let out a long sigh of pleasurable relaxation at her mirth. "Whale shark... ...mm. So what about the concept then? Do you believe we were... y'know, fated to be doing this?" Judy gestured between herself and Nick. The fox's blithe expression seemed to take a hit, but it quickly recovered.

    "The first bunny and fox on the force, huh?" Nick muttered, then his voice lightened, as if he was yawning. "Well, I'll tell you one thing, Carrots. If it wasn't fate, it was sure darned lucky I ran into you that day."

    "So, Serendipity," Judy smirked.

    "Or, maybe I was just owed a visit from some perky weirdo to get me out of the rut I'd been digging myself for twenty years," Nick remained carefree as he shrugged.

    "Right, after I risked putting you into a hole permanently," Judy mumbled sheepishly, rubbing her ear. "That must be Karma, then."

    "God, there's a Celestial for everything..." Nick sucked at his teeth and shook his head. He pointed at the ceiling. "Big animals upstairs or no, what's it matter, huh? I'm grateful for what I've been given. And... s'long as I keep that thought here." Nick thumped himself on the chest. "I don't feel like I have to especially pray for anything else."

    "Aww, Nick!" Judy smiled broadly. There was a moment of silence.

    "Okay, waiting for the riff," Nick gestured with one hand. "No way you're going to let something that corny go."

    "Keep waiting, then, 'cause I'm letting it go," Judy said devilishly, poking him in the chest. She briefly adopted a country twang. "I'll take that corn, plant it, 'n reap a fine harvest."

    Nick appeared puzzled. "O...kay?" The two laughed at each other awkwardly and continued working.

    "Bagged and tagged all these samples," Nick said, holding up a small handful of bags. "Guess we should 'hurry it' up and go back to the lab to have Hurriet look at these fur samples. You know how long she can take."

    "Yeah, I think we're done here," Judy agreed, but started to lag behind and looked back at the statue of Destiny. She mouthed something that Nick didn't quite catch, then heard her mutter: "'Keep waiting'... keep waiting...? Wait- Nick!" Judy held out her hand toward him.

    "What do I look like, a waiter?" Nick joked, turning to look at her.

    Judy looked around and stood as close to the center of the temple's main foyer as she could. She rubbed her paws together gently and looked around. Her eyes became more earnest. Nick was suddenly struck by how lovely her gray fur looked in the soft, mid-day light, surrounded by the shadows of the temple.

    "Before you take your leave of me," Judy said in a voice affected with refinement, "I must have you tell me... am I the moon?" As Judy's voice echoed through the temple, she held her paws out plaintively toward Nick. "Was I summoned forth to shine light into the darkness? Pray tell, are you the earth? The one upon which my light must shine? Or are you the sun, the one that supplies me with such light?" Judy brought her hands closed into fists and drew them towards her chest. "Do not leave, not without a reply to me. I will not have Destiny's Blade soaked in your blood before I know if I am yours." Judy managed a small, trembling smile.

    Nick's eyes were as wide as Judy had ever seen them. He flinched and shook his head, as if in a trance.

    "Ah, that's- um, that's very nice," Nick said in a voice of muted amazement, slowly beginning to clap. "The famous scene from the play Inevitable. The one where the princess appeals to the knave, right?" Nick chuckled nervously. "As I recall, that's a tragedy." He chirped out a tiny laugh. "Doesn't end well for either of them."

    Judy tried very hard to keep a calm face, but she let a small burst of a whine out. "Nick..."

    Nick turned his head away. "Took you longer than I thought to find it..."

    "Oh, I've had it for awhile," Judy said softly. "I actually... I read it almost every night. I just- y'know, wondered when would be the right time..."

    Nick set the fur samples down near a pillar. "That doesn't really sound like you, Judy." Nick's voice was completely even. "When you want something, you go for it without any hesitation. No matter how ill-advised or half-brained that idea is. Nothing'll stop you."

    "Th-that's right, Nick," Judy said softly, drawing closer to him. Nick wore an uneven expression that almost spoke of weariness. Judy took both of his hands with hers and gave them a gentle squeeze. "But you're not something I want. You're someone."

    Nick's eyes widened and his jaw dropped just a few degrees. "Judy...?"

    "Hnh..." a smile exploded from Judy's face and her eyes began to look glassy. "Y'know... it is nice when you say my name."

    "I'm not sure what to say..." Nick mumbled.

    "Well, you better start talking," Judy teased with authority, "'cause I have your word that 'Destiny's Blade' would make you open up."

    "Y'see now, you used it again, so the offer is no longer valid-" Nick flinched as Judy lightly smacked him in the upper arm. "Ow. Fine."

    "Nick, stop acting like a child and tell me if you love me or not," Judy tried to sound confident, but it came out with a tinge of uncertainty.

    "This is a little embarrassing, but I actually don't know the lines," Nick tried to wrestle his mouth into a smirk, but it just came out as a genuine smile. Judy tilted her head with a worried expression, her ears bobbing. "You know, the knaves lines to the princess. Doesn't he say something like 'if I must be the sun and the earth for you, so be it?' yadda yadda yadda, then rides off into the distance with the princess looking at him wistfully?"

    "Hehe... something like that," Judy squeaked out. Slowly, she morphed their hand-holding into a hug; her arms sliding across his until they were around his back and the bunny was as close as she could be to the fox.

    "Well, I'm not about to ride off into the distance, Judy," Nick said. "That 'distance' is what you've helped me cross. I'm here, where I want to be." He softly squeezed Judy.

    "Mm..." Judy let out an earnest groan of happiness, squeezing him back firmly. Nick let out a small groan of discomfort. "Really...?"

    "Well, hugging a beautiful bunny, being glared at by a multicolored skeleton statue, what's not to love?" Nick returned, slipping back into his usual tone.

    "Ugh, typical," Judy rolled her eyes with a fond smirk. "You joke about everything." She nuzzled her forehead into his chest then dramatically launched away from him, grabbing the samples. "Let's go, dummy."

    Nick gave a terse exhale and nodded, following her to the entrance of the temple. He stopped for a moment. Judy grinned as she felt his tail curl around her ankles.

    "Judy... you are my destiny," Nick said, patting her on the back, letting his paw linger to rub it a little.

    "I'm your giraffe skeleton?" Judy's right eyebrow perked up.

    "No, you're my whale shark," Nick said with faux tenderness as he "bashfully" rolled his eyes away from her.

    "And youuuu're a huuuge dooooork," Judy replied in a drawn-out voice.

    "You love me anyway," Nick said airily as he opened Judy's cruiser door for her.

    "Why, of course," Judy chirped, hopping into the cruiser. "But only as much as you love me."

    "Eh..." Nick narrowed his eyes. "I wouldn't bet on it. I'm pretty sure I love you way more."

    "For fox's sake, Nick," Judy smirked, getting the cruiser started up. "Are we really doing this?"

    Nick was quiet for a moment. He leaned over and licked Judy tenderly on the cheek.

    "This thing between us?" Nick motioned between the two of them. "Yeah, I think we can try it."

    Judy felt her ears flush as she unsuccessfully tried to swallow a huge smile.

    "I love you, Nick," she nearly whispered.

    "Love you too, Judy," Nick replied, the words escaping him and carrying his tension with them. In that moment, he'd never felt so content and relaxed.

    That is, until Judy hit a speed bump.

    "Oops, sorry! Sorry!" Judy winced, grinning. "I really didn't mean to hit it that fast..." She giggled in embarrassment.

    "Rabbit drivers," Nick grumbled and shook his head. Then, he broke down and started laughing long and hard, and Judy had to join him. 

Chapter 55: Year

    The Big Donut.

    The aesthetic of the building looked almost comically out of place in Sahara Square, sitting off to the side as it did on a street corner. Nick supposed that's just what happened when a franchise takes off. Just like Snarlbucks, you could barely drive five minutes in any district of Zootopia without tripping over one of the places.

    There he was. Thus far the only fox on the ZPD, sitting at a table outside under an umbrella to take shade from the heat. One of the most atypical cops, about to indulge in perhaps the most mundane and stereotypical of police activities.

    But hey, who doesn't appreciate a good pastry? The fox chuckled to himself.

    He turned his head slightly as a gray and white bunny paw placed a coffee in front of him decisively.

    "Coffee for the fox," Judy said in a bright, declarative voice. "Just how you like it; with enough cream and sugar to make its claim to be 'coffee' dubious at best."

    "Ah, the benefits of having a partner that knows you," Nick barely grinned.

    "And...!" Judy said, bringing her other hand from behind her back. "A blueberry muffin."

    "For shame, Carrots," Nick gave her a dry look. "Just because I adore blueberries doesn't mean that I want everything I eat to contain them-"

    Judy replied with a withering stare, her eyelids dropping partway and her head lolling.

    "Yeah, I'll- I'll just take the muffin," Nick chuckled lightly.

    Judy barely smiled, her eyes narrowing in response. She set the muffin down, just a little too firmly. Then, the bunny walked merrily over to the other side of the table and scooted onto a seat. She placed her own coffee on the table, along with a tasty-looking glazed donut.

    "So!" Judy chirped. "It's been one year today. I'm surprised you've made it this long."

    "Hmph," Nick grinned, taking a bite of his muffin. "Underestimating me, as usual."

    "The more I thought about... y'know, the offer, the weirder it seemed," Judy admitted, looking off to the side. "I'd known you for what, two days? Three? I asked you to become my partner just out of the blue. Impulsive? Yes, that is me, but, well, when you actually said yes? That threw me a little."

    "What can I say, Fluff?" Nick crooned airily. "Your optimism is a particularly insidious poison."

    "Here we are though," Judy smiled, balling up a fist and tapping it on the table. "This is, on the dot, the day you truly, officially became my partner."

    "So how are we going to celebrate this anniversary?" Nick chuckled, tilting his muzzle up a little. "We've already celebrated the one year anniversary of us meeting up, the one year anniversary of us kicking that sheep's butt..."

    "C'mon, Nick," Judy grumbled. "Don't you canines have something in your culture about anniversaries? Like, circles or something? Am I getting this wrong?"

    "Partly," Nick took a sip of his coffee. It was, indeed, just how he liked it. "I'm a vulpine, not a canine. And yeah, wolves came up with all that circle junk, remembrances and so on."

    "Well, either way..." Judy looked at her donut, pausing before taking a conservative bite. "I thought maybe we could do this one a bit more low-key. Maybe just... talk about our feelings a little?"

    "Our feelings?" Nick repeated, punctuating the last word with a rock of his body as if it was ridiculous. "With regard to what?"

    "Just... like, how we're doing, I guess," Judy smiled tentatively. "As partners." Nick looked curious and almost concerned for a moment, then lapsed into his typical mischievous grin and half-lidded eyes.

    "Ahh, I know what's going on here," Nick picked up his coffee cup and extended one finger to point at Judy. "You're upset, aren't you? Ever since the big ol' Bellwether blowout you and I have just been stuck doing more mundane police things. All of our success has been front loaded, and now we're just sort of the 'novelty' officers of the ZPD."

    "No, no, that's not it at all!" Judy waved her hands back and forth. She looked struck by a thought and rolled her eyes up, suddenly lost in thought. "I mean, now that you mention it, taking down another big-name villain would be a nice feather in our caps..."

    "I've gone and given her an idea..." Nick droned. "Me and my big muzzle."

    "Wait, forget that," Judy shook her head firmly to try to get it out of the clouds. "I don't mean that. I just meant... like..." Judy looked down, giving an extended sigh. "Like how we feel about how we're working together."

    "We're perfect together," Nick's response came immediately, and he half-smiled. "Ask anyone. Especially Donuts himself."

    Judy's mouth formed into a wide line; she seemed to be having a hard time looking at Nick. "Nick... what I'm trying to say is... ah... I don't- I don't feel like we're being as open as we could be with each other."

    "What?" Nick raised an eyebrow.

    "Okay, by that I'm mostly talking about you," Judy suddenly looked up at him, pointing a hand at him. "Lots of times with you can be very evasive with me when we talk about certain things. I thought- I just thought that we trusted each other, that's all."

    Nick gave a weak laugh, pawing at the air. "You know me, Fluff; I don't give out information about myself without a fight-"

    "No, I don't know you," Judy's lip quivered as she stared at him in concern. "Not really. I don't know what happened to your dad. I don't know how things are with your mom. I don't know why you actually decided to work so hard to become a cop. And... I don't know why..." Judy trailed off. Her nose twitched.

    Nick blinked. He hoped she'd continue herself, but she seemed to need a little prodding. Nick took a shallow breath. "Why what...?"

    "Just- you're still so deflective," Judy looked at him cautiously. "I thought that was the 'old' Nick. The Nick that had things to hide..."

    "I wouldn't want to bore you with a history lesson of some completely plain fox, Fluff," Nick explained, taking a small sip of coffee. "What you see is what you get with me."

    "Nick, that's not true, and you know it," Judy frowned. "I just... I thought being a cop changed you."

    "'You can only be what you are'," Nick quoted. "Remember that?"

    "Yeah; a little hard to forget, you jerk," Judy's frown weakened and threatened to become a wry half-smile.

    "I still believe it," Nick grumbled with a subtle shrug, his expression becoming grave.

    "What...?" Judy said breathlessly, her jaw dropping halfway.

    "You taught me something, Judy," Nick said, and the bunny flinched slightly at the use of her first name. "That... sometimes, we don't know who we are. We can't achieve anything beyond the parameters of what comprises our character. But... if we don't know where those parameters are.. that can often hold us back."

    Judy nodded silently. She looked like she was having trouble finding the words to reply to him; she was moving her mouth, but nothing came out.

    "You helped me figure out what I was capable of," Nick sighed a little. "And after that, I found out some more by doing my own soul-searching when I was at the academy. But, unfortunately for you, I'll always be Nick Wilde. I'll always be a sly fox." He chuckled.

    "So, you're not going to tell me what you've learned that you're capable of," Judy said, without a hint of question in her voice.

    "Not a chance," Nick smirked, having another bite of his muffin.

    Judy suddenly didn't feel like eating anymore.

    "Nick, we're partners," Judy said gently, her ears drooping. "You're my- you're my best friend..."

    "Ouch, I'm sure you could do better than me," Nick chuckled, rolling his eyes.

    Judy's mouth broke open a little as she looked at Nick. The lower parts of her eyes came up a little as a look of hurt passed onto her face, very briefly. Then, she closed her mouth and stood up from the table. She turned around, and after a moment's hesitation, she jumped down to the ground and started walking to the cruiser.

    "Forget it," Judy muttered, quiet and dejected.

    Nick's ears went back and he felt a knot in his stomach. He swallowed, and pursued her.

    "Judy, wait..." Nick grit his teeth.

    Judy was going to ignore him, but she paused her pace and turned her head slightly. Though tears weren't welling, her eyes looked slightly glassy.

    "What," Judy said flatly.

    "...What do you want to know?" Nick sighed, his paws at his side, but turned up in conciliation. "What do you want to know about me?"

    "I dunno..." Judy's mouth wrestled with itself, but couldn't land on a discernible expression. "Anything? Everything?"

    "Judy, I'm not like you," Nick said heavily. "I envy you, in some ways. When you want to say something, even if it's about your darkest fears or deepest worries, all you have to do is," Nick made a twisting motion with his hand, "just turn on the faucet. It all comes pouring out, crystal clear, your purest emotions."

    Judy grit her teeth and looked off to the side, but turned to look up at Nick and nodded, her shoulders shrugging.

    "I can't do that," Nick enunciated, placing his hands on his chest while leaning over. "I hoard my feelings like a bear hoards food for hibernation. I just can't... I can't open up. I need an emotional plumber."

    "Nick..." Judy held out a paw palm-up. "That's- that's what I'm talking about. I'm your partner. We should trust each other completely. You can tell me anything you want, anything, and I'll listen, and I won't judge."

    Nick shook his head. "I can't. I can't tell you absolutely anything. And you will, you will have to judge. Because-"

    "Because it's what I do?" Judy's brow furrowed and she smacked the side of the cruiser's door in sudden anger. "Because I'm an idiot bunny, is that it?" She stomped her foot.

    "No," Nick rubbed at his midsection, his eyes flitting away from her. "No... you're not."

    "Why then!?" Judy clenched her paws. "Why? You think of me as a lesser, don't you? Just because I don't have twenty years of fooling hapless, stupid mammals under my belt-"

    "Judy," Nick interrupted softly. He walked closer to her and crouched down. "No. Don't you see what I mean? You're a better person than me because you... you have that emotional purity to you. You're honest with yourself, even if you're not always entirely aware of what 'yourself' is."

    "You admit it then," Judy raised her lip. "You admit I'm stupid."

    "You're honest," Nick replied. "You're earnest. You're passionate. All things I'm not."

    "You can be, Nick!" Judy insisted, placing her hands on his shoulders. Nick shook his head. "No, I know you can. You proved it to me...!"

    "I'm not ready, Fluff," Nick said in a suddenly weak voice. He put on a smile Judy had never seen before. His teeth were barely showing; he looked slightly frightened. "I'm not ready."

    "Nick?" Judy blinked, surprised. "What's wrong?"

    "Please don't make me say it, Judy, please," Nick response was unusually weak as he closed his eyes, his muzzle dropping to point at the ground. "Not right now. Can- can you just trust me that I'm not strong enough yet to be the mammal you think I am?"

    "...O-okay, Nick," Judy pat his shoulders. "I-I didn't mean to upset you."

    "I know," Nick said quietly. "We should probably get back to our snack, though."

    "I'm not... actually that hungry anymore," Judy admitted.

    "You paid for it," Nick said, gathering up the half-eaten food. "We should at least save it for our traffic rounds."

---

    Nick and Judy sat there in the cruiser, staking out a particular corner. Unlike nearly every other time they had done this, silence prevailed between the two. Judy drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. She couldn't think of what to say. Her own emotions bubbled within her like a pot of soup with the lid rattling. She found herself closing her eyes and taking a calming breath to center herself. She could do it; she could let him be.

    "Fluff," Nick broke the silence, taking Judy by surprise. His maw moved this way and that like he wanted to say something, and Judy looked at him slowly, her nose slightly twitching. "...Nh-no, I'm sorry. I can't."

    "Nick," Judy took his hand with one of hers and squeezed firmly. "It's okay. Whenever you want to talk. I'll be here for you, okay?"

    Nick nodded slowly as Judy let his hand go. There was another bout of silence where the two couldn't quite manage to look at each other. Nick took the paw that Judy had squeezed and used it to rub his shoulder.

    "Did you mean it?" Nick asked. His voice sounded a little bitter. "I'm your 'best friend'?"

    "No one understands me like you do, Nick," Judy smiled gently. "True, I'll dump my emotions on anyone that'll listen, but not everyone appreciates being sprayed in the face with blubbery bunny tears."

    "Yeah, that sounds like an acquired taste," Nick smiled weakly. He sighed. "...Where do you see us in a year? Think we'll still be doing this?"

    "...I dunno," Judy shrugged. "I've thought about if we're good enough to advance. Maybe get to be detectives together? We do kind of well on that front, and it's more cerebral..."

    "How about 'us'?" Nick continued.

    "Don't know that either," Judy smiled. "No, no, I do know. No matter what, we'll still be partners."

    "Oh, do you think so?" Nick huffed out, giving a laugh colored with a touch of scorn. "You have an awful lot of faith in this game we've been playing, don't you?"

    "Nick, c'mon..." Judy smiled wider, her brow lowering. "We're basically unstoppable. Whatever the world throws at us, it's something we'll be able to work through together. You're not going to get rid of me without a heck of a fight."

    "That's... nice to hear," Nick smiled gently. "And it's why... I consider you my best friend, too."

    Judy smiled broadly, taking in a gasp, joy bursting from her in her next exultation. "Nick...! It's so good to hear that from you...!"

    "It's also why..." Nick strained the words carefully through his muzzle. "It's also why I'm scared."

    "Why, because I'm so tenacious and persistent?" Judy grinned casually with her eyes shut, wiggling her head. "I guess that's one part of me you'll have to put up with forev-"

    "Because I love you more than anyone else in this world, Judy Hopps," Nick choked out. "And I'm terrified I'll ever lose you."

    Judy's eyes flew open and she sat there, stunned into silence. She relaxed slowly into her seat, her hands off the wheel as if she'd had a plug pulled from her.

    "You... what...?" Judy asked in wonder.

    "Well Judy," Nick mumbled, shrugging. "Gave it a try. Played my whole hand." Nick's hands began to tremble, and he gripped his legs with them, looking away.

    "Nick..." Judy started to smile. Nick covered his eyes with his hands. "Nick, look at me."

    Nick very, very cautiously looked at Judy. Her face was soft, her eyes steady, her smile gentle, her ears perked.

    "Why were you so afraid?" Judy's voice was a whisper.

    "Because I'm a coward; terrified of getting hurt," Nick shivered. "And... the ones we're closest to can hurt us the most."

    Judy's smile wavered a little. She crawled over the console to pet his cheek.

    "I kind of meant..." Judy chuckled. "Why were you so afraid to tell me? You know that I love you."

    "Yeah..." Nick had a hard time looking at the bunny petting his face. "...Yeah, I- I mean I was pretty sure."

    Judy smiled endearingly. "I mean, it's not like I could hide it all that well. You can read me like a book."

    "You're very readable," Nick nodded rapidly, trying not to let emotion cloud his voice. "I do enjoy a good dip into my favorite bunny novel. I mean- er. You know."

    Judy responded by leaning in and tenderly kissing Nick. He was only half-expecting this, but gradually let himself melt into it. He felt furry paws playing with his muzzle and ears as they shared the kiss. His own paws felt paralyzed, as if unwilling to accept this new reality. The bunny's face was still staring at him as they disengaged, affection radiating from her. He was sure he could even feel the warmth she was producing on his own face, but that may well have been his own blush obscured by his fur.

    Without thinking, he licked her, right on the muzzle and to the tip of her nose. The scrunch of her face was worth the immediate feeling of embarrassment that he felt afterwards. Her giggle that followed made Nick smile slowly. Judy briefly closed her eyes with a little grin, then she pat Nick on the head and returned to her seat.

    "Married," the bunny said confidently.

    "...Wh-what!?" Nick blinked, suddenly very aware of his accelerated heartbeat.

    "Where will we be in a year?" Judy winked at him. "Married, I'm pretty sure."

    "...Wow," Nick looked away. "You never do anything halfway, do you?"

    "Never have, never will," Judy claimed in a bold voice.

    "What's going to happen next...?" Nick looked down at his paws. He wiggled his fingers. They were no longer trembling, but he somehow felt even more anxious than before.

    Nick and Judy felt the rush of air from an enormous rhino-sized car driving right past them. The cruiser shook slightly from the incident.

    "As far as tomorrow?" Judy put on an adventurous smirk. "Don't know. But right now, we've got a speeder to catch."

    "Roger that," Nick put a grin onto his face and turned on the cruiser's siren and lights.

    The two exchanged a fist bump without even looking at each other.

    "Partners," Nick smiled. His smile morphed into his signature smirk and he threw on his sunglasses.

    "Yup," Judy nodded with a satisfied grin. "Always."

    Their cruiser sped off into the street, lights and sirens blazing.

Notes:

So, it's been one full year since I started uploading fanfiction. The first one, Zootopia: True Partners, was uploaded on this date, April 4th, 2016. Have I improved since then? ...Yes, yes I do believe I have. Though I'm not sure I could tell you precisely how.

Something that's remained with me all this time, despite a fiery urge to write about Nick and Judy, is an inferiority complex I just can't get over. I often compare my works to other authors or content creators and find myself taking in their nuances and comparing them against my own negatively.

For instance, purple prose. I just can't do that. I can't write entertaining, beautiful metaphors any more than a shark can make pancakes.

Also, my descriptive language is lacking. I don't often describe the type or color or smell of a chair. It's just a chair.

I have a hard time writing misdirection and complicated plots. Most of my criminal plots, you might notice, are conducted by either a small organization or even single person with a narrow focus.

I love creating interesting characters, but aren't a lot of them just really nice? I think I actually have a problem making my characters too reasonable at times, and this perhaps detracts from their depth. That, and I have dozens of characters. Dozens.

Ugh, and don't get me started on action scenes. Despite how I hastily tend to describe things, I always feel like I'm not moving it along fast enough so you can get to the dropkicks in the face.

Instead, I'd say my works read sort of like descriptive scripts. I throw two or more characters in a room and set the dial to "banter". And, I guess I'm okay at that. I guess.

Despite the outpouring of encouragement from everyone and feeling like I've actually improved somewhat, ironically I feel like my complex has been getting worse as of late. I couldn't tell you how long I'll keep writing. Will I make it to year two writing exclusively Zootopia fanfiction? I don't think so, especially since I've already dabbled in two other franchises briefly (though I think I said what I wanted to say there).

Nevertheless, I'll keep trying, at least until I reach the end, but I won't promise I'll start again.

Some side notes to this chapter: It wasn't actually intended to mash the bunny and fox together again. I had the concept: "I want them to go to the same place they confessed in True Partners, only a year earlier, and see what happens." And, what happened, happened. I barely have control over my own plot bunnies.

Special thanks as always goes to Roahm Mythril, my long-suffering proofreader who's the primary reason these things aren't a complete mess.

Also thanks so much to everyone who leaves their thoughts on my work. It's no exaggeration to say that without my regulars and other commenters I would have stopped a long time ago.

Heck if I know what comes next myself (it's going to be another story set at Squeakendale High), but I hope you'll be along for the ride and enjoy it. See you next story.

Chapter 56: Family

    "Ugh!" Nick's arms flailed as a polar bear roughly shoved him into the cold, foreboding office. Nick grimaced as he struggled to retain his balance. "Easy there, Kevin!" He tried to shoot an amicable look at the polar bear, but the huge bear gruffly pointed forward and started advancing on Nick. The fox hurried forward, letting out a terse sound of discomfort.

    "Nicky...!" Mr. Big's voice was laced with that calm, friendly malice that Nick had come to dread.

    "Gh- Good evening, Mr. Big," Nick scrambled forward and kissed his ring carefully. "To what do I owe this involuntary meeting?"

    "You've been holdin' out on me, Nicky," Mr. Big's voice drained of its friendliness, even as a smile played out on the arctic shrew's face. He adjusted his position in his fancy chair and shook his finger at the fox, reproving him. "You think we wouldn't find out?"

    "F-find out what, exactly?" Nick cringed. "I swear I haven't done anything that would-"

    "Uh!" Mr. Big turned his head one way, holding a hand up dismissively. "Nicky. You know that once you're a part of the family, you can never leave."

    Nick swallowed, his hands opening and closing of their own accord as he tried to calm down.

    "I'd say I resent you for even tryin'..." Mr. Big tilted his head. "Might even be true, but it might not be. But... hnhnhn... I think we can make this right between us again."

    "Mr. Big," Nick summoned every ounce of flagging courage he had left in him. "You know that I'm-"

    "I'm still talking," Mr. Big said, his voice bored. "Now." He leaned in menacingly. "I've got one question for you."

    Nick took what hoped wouldn't be his last deep breath. "Yes...?"

    "What are her favorite culuhs?"

    Nick's expression went wide. Disbelief plowed into him like a freight train.

    "P-pardon?"

    "It's a simple question, Nicky," Mr. Big sat down in his chair. He snapped to the immense polar bear behind him. He started to enunciate each word: "What are her favorite cuhluhs?"

    Nick blinked five or six times. "I'm... well? I'm not actually sure?"

    "Wrong answer," Mr. Big glowered.

    "Wait, wait wait wait!" Nick chuckled. "No, I've got it, haha! Of course, of course. Blue and purple. I think."

    "Excellent," Mr. Big smiled in that unnerving way he did before he was about to do something especially disastrous. "That'll be all."

    Kevin, the polar bear standing right behind Nick, lifted him up by the back of his shirt.

    "Wuh!?" Nick flailed helplessly as he was suddenly airborne. "Wait! What are you going to do!?"

    "Goodbye, Nicky," Mr. Big swiveled around in his chair, deeming him no longer worthy of his time.

    "Mr. Big!" Nick's expression frowned as he gathered all of his nerve. "You better not hurt a hair on her! Or- I'll get the ZPD involved, somehow!"

    "Don't make promises you can't keep, Nicky," Mr. Big said with a dull, yet still sinister voice. "And have a nice day."

    Kevin started to carry Nick out of the room.

    "Mr. Big!" Nick screamed as he was carried off.

---

    Nick awoke to a sharp, persistent knock on his door.

    "Ghuhnh!?" Nick shot up in his bed. "Uh, who is it!?"

    No response.

    Nick slowly got out of his bed, clutching his chest. His heart was beating incredibly fast. The drips, leaks, and faulty lighting in his apartment created an ambience of unease. He pawed for the dresser between his bed and the door and retrieved a ZPD-issue stun gun. Gritting his teeth, he threw open the door.

    "ZPD, stay where you-" Nick cut himself off at seeing no one behind the door. Instinctively, he started to sniff. The faint smell of mustelid lingered in the air, along with a much more prevalent scent. He looked down. There was an absolutely beautiful arrangement of blue and purple flowers sitting on the floor. The arrangement was both bold and yet not overdone; the scent was subtle and lovely, and the colors burst forth enchantingly.

    Nick picked up the arrangement carefully and looked for some sort of card. He saw two; the first one read:

    [A BEVY OF FLOWERS]

    Nick quickly looked this up on his phone. It was a florist in Downtown Zootopia that belonged to-

    "Oh! The Ottertons," Nick shook his head. "Right, right, of course." Nick smiled faintly, then checked the other card, expecting some sort of message from them. His smile quickly drooped as he read the note.

    [I trust you know what to do with these. If you do not, I will be very disappointed.]

    Nick let out a prolonged sigh. It wasn't how he was planning to spend his day, but he figured he might as well try.

---

    Judy's ears perked as she heard a familiar knock at her door. She couldn't help an excited gasp and a beam on her face as she rushed to the door. "Nick!"

    "The one and only," Nick claimed charmingly from beyond the door. Judy quickly swung the door open to her apartment and found herself gasping again. "Goodness gracious sakes alive, Nick!"

    "Hey, Fluff," Nick said, holding the flower arrangement.

    "Those flowers are gorgeous!" Judy's jaw dropped.

    "Mind if I come in?" Nick put on his best easy grin.

    "C'mon! C'mon!" Judy exclaimed, beckoning rapidly with her paw, her voice threatening to burst with enthusiasm. "Make yourself at home, please!" Judy walked into her apartment and twirled her arms. "Isn't it great?"

    "It's not a bad place," Nick smiled. He saw a sparse few boxes "decorating" the area.

    "It's a mansion compared to the closet I was living in," Judy giggled proudly. "Set those flowers down somewhere on the counter. Not too close to the fridge; I don't want to be tempted to eat them."

    Nick huffed twice in amusement while he followed her instructions.

    "Let me show you around!" Judy said proudly. She grabbed onto Nick's wrist and started parading him around. The fox made one grunt of bemusement as he was led off, a smile affixing itself to his muzzle and refusing to leave. "We're standing in the kitchen/living area. Still a little small, but I think it works well enough. I've got my own little laundry closet here..."

    "Nifty," Nick mused.

    "The bathroom's got a nice shower and is completely clean," Judy smiled, looking around the bathroom. "And! Best of all... ta da!" She gestured proudly at another door, leading to a bedroom. "I have my own bedroom! Isn't it great?"

    "Bed's a little big," Nick noticed, trying not to insinuate anything.

    "Yeah, well, y'know," Judy beamed, her eyelids lowering a little. Nick smiled bashfully as the insinuation found its mark anyway.

    Nick coughed. "Well, um. Judy. While I'm here..."

    "Yeah...?" Judy's eyes seemed incredibly large. Nick felt like he had a bowling ball in his stomach; her face looked like she was expecting him to buy her a car or something similar.

    "I was, uh, wondering..." Nick was hoping to pry his head away from the expectant looking bunny, but he was finding it impossible. "Well. Umh. You said to make myself at home, right? Well... how about a partner? To uh- to pay rent?"

    "Nick! Yes!" Judy hopped up, slapping his chest repeatedly, but lightly. "Yes yes yes yes yes!" She giggled, pumped both fists, and then leaped straight at Nick's chest, hugging around him.

    "Oof!" Nick exhaled. Judy clung to him for several seconds before Nick's paws meandered around her to hold her there. She felt the bunny's nose nuzzle into his neck, wincing at the tickling feeling.

    "I've wanted to hear you ask that for so long...!" Judy giggled in release. "I was hoping you'd ask even sooner. It's just not right for you to be living in that dump you call an apartment!"

    "I guess not," Nick chuckled nervously. "But I don't know if I deserve all thi- uh!?" When Nick's tongue popped out of his lips on the syllable, Judy's paw snapped up to grab it. "Jewy, wuh aru doin'?"

    "Hush," Judy smirked, her face reflecting utter mischief. "You know I like several things you can do with this tongue of yours..." Judy gave a naughty chuckle at her own wit. "But! Doubting yourself is not one of them."

    "You wite," Nick said, his speech still impeded. Satisfied, Judy released his tongue.

    "Now that that's settled," Judy adventurously hopped off of Nick's chest, causing an "oof" from the fox. She landed decisively and slammed both fists into her hips. "I think I should plan a vacation."

    "You've haven't even fully gotten moved in yet and you're already thinking about-"

    "To Bunnyburrow!" Judy interrupted.

    "Well, I guess it'll be nice for you to get to see that myriad you call a family-"

    "With my boyfriend," Judy tossed her head back and grinned up at him.

    "Um," Nick nervously pet at his own chest. "Ha, well, that ol' rascal sure won't know what hit him! What poor buck are you roping into-"

    Judy stopped Nick's mouth with her withering, wry stare.

    "Right," Nick took a deep breath. "Are you sure, Judy? I'm pretty sure your younger brothers and sisters would just mob me."

    "Probably!" Judy chirped.

    "And when Violet figured out something was going on between us," Nick looked off to the side, wincing, "I had to answer fifty of her questions over texts before she let me alone. Wouldn't she be even worse in the fur?"

    "Ooh, yeah," Judy nodded rapidly. "That will be tough. Vi's a worrywart taken to another level."

    "And what about your parents?" Nick cringed. "What about the siblings that don't like the idea of 'us'?"

    Judy glowered again, but then smiled. "Nick, don't make me come back up there and take your tongue again."

    Nick crouched down to be on Judy's level, petting through the bunny's long, black-tipped ears. "I don't relish the thought of arguing with your family, and I don't want to make extra trouble for you."

    "Too late," Judy smirked. "You've got trouble written all over you."

    Nick sighed, closing his eyes.

    "Don't worry, Nick," Judy said tenderly, her own paws coming up to pet Nick's ears, leaning her head against his. "You'll win them all over with that signature charm of yours. You're just so sweet, and it won't be long before I have to toss my sisters off of you in droves so I can have you all to myself." At that, she nuzzled her chin on his muzzle possessively, and Nick smelled the stronger scent of bunny creeping over his snout. She moved away from him as if she realized something, her eyes widening. "Probably some of my brothers, too, come to think of it."

    "If you say so, Judy," Nick hugged her. She was so soft and warm. He felt like he'd do anything for her, even if it meant walking off a metaphorical cliff. "I'll give it a try."

    "C'mon," Judy grinned. "It'll be fun! Look; I can show them those flowers just to show 'em what a sweet and thoughtful fox you are." Judy bounded out of his arms and went over to sniff at the flowers. "How did you get your paws on such a lovely arrangement? Don't tell me you hustled it out of someone..."

    "Nope," Nick straightened up and adjusted his tie, giving a tired sigh and a smile, "but you wouldn't believe me if I told you." 

Chapter 57: Obstacle

    Nick's paw balanced on his cheek as he took in the weather outside the window. Dreary, dimly-lit, rainy. He disliked when the weather reflected his mood. He let a breath slowly through his nose and looked down at the brightly-colored frosted donut he was eating. How incongruous that donut looked. Nick took a small bite of the donut as if to punish it for its hubris. He brushed a paw on his navy-blue police uniform to make sure no crumbs were desperately clinging to it.

    "Nick!"

    The fox's ears went back briefly as he heard his name exclaimed with enthusiasm. It was Benjamin Clawhauser's voice. Nick let his eyes flick in the cheetah's direction once as Benjamin rushed over to take a seat opposite Nick, a box of donuts in his golden-furred hands. Nick resumed staring blankly out the window.

    "Fancy seeing you here, Nick!" Benjamin said, taking in a gasp. "I don't ever think I've caught you at The Big Donut before!"

    "Hey Benji," Nick greeted evenly. "Just need a bit of a sugar injection." Nick pointed at the donut. "Y'know, to keep up with the bunny."

    "Of course, of course," Benjamin giggled, rolling his eyes, "not everyone can be as naturally energetic as she can." Benjamin drummed his fingers on the donut box. "My box is mostly for the rest of the ZPD today. I'm going to be good and only have one! Maybe two if things get stressful. We'll play it by ear."

    Nick huffed with what sounded like fatigue. Benjamin's face became curious as he looked him over, then followed the fox's eyes out to the weather.

    "Kind of a yucky start to the day, huh?" Benjamin asked. "Oh well; it's good for the plants!"

    "Mm," Nick hummed into his hand as he nodded.

    "Y'know, Nick," Benjamin leaned in on one of his shoulders, "if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were depressed!"

    "You think so, huh?" Nick ran his tongue along his teeth inside of his mouth. He couldn't summon the extra effort to put on his emotional mask this early in the morning.

    "C'mon, Nick," Benjamin gestured casually at him, "you've just gotten engaged! What do you have to be upset about? You have a gorgeous fiance-" Benjamin interrupted himself with a large gasp. "You're- you're not getting cold feet, are you?"

    "Benji, listen," Nick huffed again, "it's a bit too early in the morning for this."

    "Aw, c'mon, Nick," Benjamin's pitch pinched almost as much as his face did as he squinted his eyes, "I'm here to help. You can tell me anything."

    "No offense, Benji," Nick folded his arms and shrugged his shoulders after finishing off his helpless donut, "but I don't know if you can help me. It's nothing a few more donuts couldn't help." Nick started to get up to leave.

    Benjamin's face turned from its normal jovial expression, and Nick saw something unusually serious in his lively brown eyes. "Trust me, Nick. Donuts aren't going to help anything. I should know; I've polished off a few thousand of them."

    Curiosity passed onto Nick's face and he eased back into his seat.

    The large cheetah softly chuckled. "Do you think a big ol' guy like me walked into the ZPD and asked for a job at the desk?" Benjamin shook his head. "I wasn't always like this... Now I- I'm not going to say I've dealt with all of my problems perfectly... but I'm in the ZPD because I want to help."

    Nick swept his eyes across the Donut Shop to look for anyone he knew well. Finding none, he leaned in closer. "Benji. I don't know if I can do it. I don't think I can get married to her."

    Benjamin clearly looked shocked, and the oval shape of his mouth reflected this, though he made no sound.

    Nick rubbed his forehead with both of his hands. "I was stupid to propose to her."

    "Why- why would you say you're stupid?" Benjamin asked carefully.

    "Because it was winter, Benjamin," a bit of fire leapt into Nick's voice. "It was winter, and that's the one time you don't make heavy decisions as a fox. Especially when it comes to mating and promises thereof."

    "You regret getting engaged...?" Benjamin sounded quietly surprised.

    Nick's silence was an adequate answer. His eyes wouldn't meet Benjamin's.

    "Then... why did you?" Benjamin pouted.

    "Ben..." Nick sighed. "Did I ever tell you why I wanted to join the ZPD?"

    "To make the world a better place?" Benjamin sat up as straight as he could and put a bit of pep back into his voice.

    "Not quite so noble," Nick shook his head. "I wanted to belong, Ben." He held his paws out, palm up. "It's all I've wanted in life. To feel like I belonged to my family, to a pack, to an organization, to a purpose. ...To a mate."

    "That's completely fine, Nick!" Benjamin said gently, tilting his head a little. "None of that is wrong...!"

    "...One of the reasons I wanted to marry Vicky is because she could give me kits," Nick lowered his head, and he sounded ashamed. "Y'know, Mom's always asking where her grandkits are."

    Benjamin blinked. "Nick, come on. I'd give up donuts for the rest of my life to be able to talk to my mother just one more time... but we can't live for our parents."

    Nick looked cautiously at Benjamin, and saw both earnestness and sorrow in his eyes, even though he was still gently smiling. "I mean, I want kits too, Ben. I want to have a family. I want to have children that I can be there for; a father that won't just walk out when he's had his fill of things. I want to show my children the Zootopia that I've gotten a better look at in recent years."

    "So...?" Benjamin kept his smile tentative. "What's wrong with just... doing that? Why don't you want to get married to Vicky? She's a gorgeous fox; and I'm sure your kits would be just adorable! ...What's the matter?"

    Nick grumbled noncommittally. "...Don't you know? Can't you guess, of all mammals?"

    Benjamin rubbed his mouth with his paw before replying. "...Judy?"

    Nick rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "Yup. Judy."

    "I mean, what about her?" Benjamin giggled nervously, his tail flicking. "As far as I know, she's thrilled by Vicky and is super excited for you!"

    "It's- it's not how she feels... it's how I feel," Nick grasped at his chest. "It's how Vicky feels."

    "I'm... not sure I understand," Benjamin wiggled his head in bafflement.

    "Vicky knows, Benji, she knows," Nick squinted his eyes shut. "She's a smart fox; she can tell."

    "Tell what?" Benjamin replied unconvincingly, to a testy look from Nick.

    "You're going to make me say it," Nick said in an empty voice, sneering. "Fine. She knows I've had- I have feelings for Judy." Benjamin's eyes flew open, and Nick jabbed a finger straight at him. "Don't you for a second act like you're a surprised little cub. You knew, too. Everyone knows. Judy knows."

    "Th-there's nothing wrong with that," Benjamin smiled. "You're partners- it's- um, it's... ah..."

    "If I ever have a problem, like a real problem..." Nick looked down, "I always get Judy to help me. I want her to share my troubles. My thoughts go to her when I see something interesting I'd like to share, not Vicky. This is a problem, Ben, it's a real problem. I feel more attached to that bunny than my own fiance."

    "You..." Benjamin took in a breath slowly, "you can't marry someone you don't love. Do you love Vicky?"

    "In- in a sense," Nick stammered. Benjamin let out a "shew" sound with his breath. "Yeah, I know. It's bad."

    "In your defense, Vicky is an enchanting little number," Benjamin tried a tiny smile.

    "I'm not going to do it," Nick hit the table with his fist, but it was a weak gesture. "I... I'm not going to pull a 'hustle' like this. Not with marriage. Not for... not for some kits."

    "You and Judy have had some rough patches over these years you've been partners," Benjamin winced. "You really think you should give up Vicky just- you know, just because 'maybe'...?"

    "Judy saved me, Benji," Nick said in an utterly resigned voice, "she saved me from living my life as a two-bit hustler. I mean, I was good at it, yeah, but I could have been better. But I didn't, because I didn't want to cut corners. Now, Judy? She cuts corners with a chainsaw." Benjamin chuckled at this. "Someone needs to keep control of that bunny."

    "I just..." Benjamin licked over his lips, "I... I've always thought you two would be adorable together... but- I must admit I don't know why you're so devoted to her."

    "...She trusted me," Nick shrugged, staring past Benjamin. His voice was completely blank. "When the chips were down, she ran right to my side before anyone else. She asked for my help. She asked for me. ...So, yeah. I wanted to help her. I wanted to be her sword and her shield."

    "That's so-" Benjamin started.

    "I... I wanted to belong to her, Ben," Nick breathed out. "And God help me, I still do."

    "You've never brought this up with her," Benjamin shook his head. "There's no way you have..."

    "Or else I'd probably already be married to her," Nick said wryly. "I mean, if she swings that way."

    "With the way she looks at you sometimes?" Benjamin chuckled. "If she could undress you any harder with her eyes I'd think your uniform would actually come flying off."

    "Pff, it's just a fox thing," Nick rolled his eyes, flicking his hand upwards. "You know how everyone who says they're straight has like this 'exception' for foxes or whatever. What's it. 'Foxes are free'?"

    "With Judy, I think it's a you thing," Benjamin insisted. "And as bright as she can be, she can also have a hard time seeing what's right in front of her. ...Especially if you're the one hiding it."

    "Ben, I've gone through this a million times in my mind," Nick folded his arms again. "Is she attracted to me? What would our jobs be like if we got together? Would she- would she want to adopt?"

    "You don't think she would?" Benjamin wondered.

    "A career-focused bunny like Judy?" Nick shrugged. "I couldn't ask her to-"

    "Now now, wait," Benjamin wiggled a forefinger, "her drive is to make the world better... and doesn't adoption fulfill that in spirit? I bet some poor kit or cub out there would love her for a mother."

    "Maybe," Nick groaned. "Shew... and it was a really nice engagement ring, too." Nick chuckled grimly. "Maybe Vicky'll throw it at me when I call it off."

    "You don't think she'll understand?" Benjamin pouted.

    "No," Nick shook his head firmly. "She won't. Because she wants to be more important in my life than Judy is... and I just don't see that happening. My proposal to her... it- it was supposed to seal the deal. But to be honest I don't think Vicky would be happy until Judy wasn't such a big part of my life."

    "And you don't want that," Benjamin was pretty sure.

    "Never," Nick frowned. "I always want Judy to be a part of my life. A big part. ...The biggest, if it can be so."

    "Well then, I guess you've made up your mind," Benjamin smiled broadly. "I would have looked forward to what your kits with Vicky would have looked like... but..." Benjamin rubbed Nick's arm. "You have to be happy, Nick. First and foremost." Benjamin smirked. "And don't worry about the ZPD thing if you end up with Judy after all. It'll be fine."

    Nick finally found his mask, and slipped on his usual sly grin. "That reminds me. What's the deal between you and Chief Bogo?"

    "Oh, hahaha, would you look at the time!" Benjamin burst out with an extended nervous giggle and shot up with his donut box. "I have to get to the station and- er-"

    "It's still early, Benji," Nick teased, looking out the window. The rain was beginning to let up.

    "Just have to make sure all of my Gazelle stuff is arranged right so I can display the donuts for anyone that wants one, and- ah, I'll see you later!" Benjamin squeaked out in a high voice and made himself scarce.

    Nick let out a sigh of relief. He looked through his phone. It's lock screen and background may have been pictures of Vicky, but his picture folder was still full of a certain gray-furred bunny. After that first fateful case, he'd never once questioned his feelings for Judy, but he also didn't dare to let her know of their depth. Now, he was beginning to dare.

    "Serendipity," Nick said quietly. "I really don't like you. Here you are making me want to bet everything on this gray-furred doe." He flicked through picture after picture of Judy, trying to find just one he disliked enough to get rid of, but it was proving to be an impossible task. "Vicky would be safe... secure... passionate. A good mother. I have no idea what Judy would be like- if she'd even want to be a mother. If she'd even..." Nick trailed off into a groan.

    Nick stood up, suddenly and decisively. The rain started to pick up again, and Nick smirked, twirling his umbrella in his paws before heading out into the inclement weather.

    "Sure, the rain lets up for Ben, but not me, hm?" Nick chuckled. "Serendipity... I know Karma has already paid me back for whatever wrong happened in my life. Anything more is gambling, it's a lusting for what I desire, not what I deserve."

    Nick stared up at the overcast morning sky. The rain came harder.

    "Well, you devious little doe," Nick smirked. "I'm ashamed to say I've fallen for your charms. I'm ready to go all in."

Chapter 58: Obstacle II

    The arctic hare drummed her fingers on her desk, sighing as she stared at her monitors. She reviewed the footage three or four times before squinting her eyes shut and twisting her mouth.

    It was really none of her business. Try as she might, though, she couldn't click off the footage and just get back to what she was supposed to be doing. The words of her father, Steven Skippel, rang in her head: "If you have to do wrong, do wrong for the right reason."

    But was it the right reason? And should she even get involved?

    Karen Skippel, technical officer of precinct one at the ZPD, looked behind her and narrowed an eye, biting her lip. Judy was right on time for her morning routine; she was carrying two cups of coffee right by Karen's desk.

    A stab of anxiety sank into Karen. She figured it was now or never.

    "Hopps."

    "Mm?" Judy slowed her pace, turning her head in Karen's direction. "Oh! G'morning, Karen."

    "Hopps," Karen frowned, "it's... it's none of my business, but has Nick been acting strangely lately?"

    Judy tilted her head, twisting her mouth as she stared into the air, trying to recall. "Not more so than usual."

    Karen sighed.

    "Is something the matter?" Judy blinked twice.

    Karen swallowed and let another slow breath out. "Well, um. You might want to take a look at this."

    Judy stopped walking and looked at Karen's workstation. "Is that pawn shop footage?"

    "Mm," Karen nodded. "The Chief is having me looking at footage of a few pawn shops off of Pack Street. There were a few robberies in the area recently, and I'm looking for any suspicious mammals matching these dossiers." Karen circled her mouse pointer around a few case files brought up on her left monitor. She returned the pointer to her center monitor.

    "Okay; is there anything I can help you with?" Judy wondered.

    "Not exactly, but take a look at this," Karen looked around subtly to see if any more eyes were on her, and finding none, she clicked a video and scrolled to a particular timestamp. A fox wearing sunglasses entered the pawn shop.

    "Oh, it's Nick," Judy chuffed. Her head twitched. "Wait- it's Nick? Is he- what is he- staking the place out or something?" Judy sneered a bit at seeing Nick wearing sunglasses indoors.

    "No no...!" Karen waved her hands horizontally in frustration. "Give it a second."

    On the footage, Nick approached the counter and set a small box onto it. He opened it to show the hippo cashier and there was a ring inside. Judy placed a hand over her mouth, fighting the urge to gasp.

    "...Wasn't Nick supposed to be getting married?" Karen perked an eyebrow up. "That- it looks like an engagement ring to me."

    "He was- is... was?" Judy grit her teeth.

    "Like I said, it's none of my business," Karen's eyes darted off to the side. "But- y'know, I thought it was strange. The scuttlebutt around the station is still that he's marrying that- what's her name."

    "Vicky," Judy frowned. "Well, I'll just have to see if Nick has anything to say for himself."

    "You didn't see this from me," Karen winced. "I- I don't know if I should have shown you."

    "I didn't see anything," Judy claimed brightly. Karen half-smiled, but her light blue eyes still reflected a bit of worry.

---

    A day went by, then two, then a week. Nick's behavior seemed completely normal, and for Judy's part, she thought she did a very good job keeping her suspicions supressed. Despite this, Judy Hopps was not known for her patience, and it was swiftly running out.

    BAPBAPBAP!

    Nick all but convulsed at the sharp sound coming from his apartment door, clutching at his chest. He put his TV on pause and cautiously rose from the couch. He delayed answering it for almost a minute.

    BAPBAPBAP!

    "Gah!" Nick flinched, his shoulders coming up.

    "I know you're in there, Nick!" Judy's voice came from the other side of the door.

    "Ah, just- just a second!" Nick quickly threw on a pair of shorts over his boxers and slipped on a shirt. He looked at himself in the mirror. Not great, but good enough. He opened the door to see a cross-looking bunny with her hands on her hips. "Carrots! Wasn't- wasn't expecting you!"

    "That was twenty seconds, Nick," Judy stormed in.

    "Uh, come right in," Nick said as Judy brushed past her. "Jeez, that was only you knocking at the door? I thought you had at least a horse with you!"

    "Why is this place such a mess?" Judy flicked her paw at a discarded pizza box.

    "It's not a mess, mom," Nick rolled his eyes, "you remember what my other place used to look like."

    "And there's no excuse for you to regress," Judy threw her arms out wide. "Where is Vicky!?"

    "Uh, she's not here," Nick rubbed behind his neck.

    "Obviously!" Judy frowned. She fussily made her way around the apartment, her nose twitching curiously.

    "Wha- um, can I help you with something?" Nick rubbed his chest nervously, then willed his smug persona to come back to him. "This place a crime scene?"

    "You tell me!" Judy sniffed more. "It doesn't smell like Vicky at all in here! Did you have the place de-scented?"

    "Haha, like you could tell that-" Nick replied casually, holding a hand out palm-up.

    "Your sense of smell is only about twice as good as mine," Judy narrowed her eyes at him testily. "It could be a lot worse."

    "So, Carrots," Nick pressed his paws together and rotated them forward in Judy's direction, "I actually was just leaving on an important errand. Maybe we could catch up later? You know, not so- 'hey, I'm Judy Hopps and I just love dropping in randomly!'?"

    Judy kept an eye narrowed. "Nick, what's the matter with you!? Are you going to get married to Vicky or not?"

    Nick checked his phone. "Oh darn it, Fluff; the banks about to close and I have something really important to do so I just might as well go-"

    "Nick, you coward!" Judy stamped her foot, closing in on Nick. "Talk to me like an adult!"

    "Sorry, bunny!" Nick slipped out of the door and into the hallway. "The horoscope says Serendipity's only about a two outta ten today, and I don't like those odds. Better luck tomorrow, maybe?"

    Judy lunged after Nick, but once she was in the hallway Nick was already around a corner. The bunny felt her claws threaten to dig into her palms as she balled her fists up tight and let loose a growl of frustration.

    The fox's head peeked from around the corner. "Oh, and would you mind locking up for me? Thaaanks, Carrots!" With a quick swoosh, he was gone again.

    Judy had half a mind to ignore him, but she let her anger slowly fizzle out of her and locked up Nick's apartment for him. She sighed heavily.

    "That idiot..." Judy kicked at the ground with her foot. "He's so flighty today; even if I cuffed him to a lamppost he probably wouldn't tell me what I wanted to know. Since when does he believe in the horoscope, anyway?"

    The bunny tapped her forefinger on her fluffy cheeks. She then perked up suddenly and snapped her fingers, her ears shooting up as well.

    "Aha! Maybe there's someone that can tell me what's up with him..." Judy's brow fell and she grew a smirk. She left Nick's apartment complex and started to head for the park.

---

    It was quite a pleasant day in Mezzo Park; a light breeze accentuated the mild temperature nicely and made for relaxing, soothing conditions. Judy wasn't there to relax, though, she was there for answers. Nick and Judy had a mutual friend there named Vivian Reddish who sold frozen fruit drinks at the park, and on more than one occasion the two officers had used her as a confidant. Judy figured that if anyone knew what was up with Nick, she would. Even if she didn't, Judy figured Vivian could puzzle out what was happening with Nick given all the clues.

    Judy suddenly halted her pace once Vivian's stand came into view. She got more than she bargained for.

    Vicky herself was hunched over near the counter of the stand, and her icy blue eyes looked to be bubbling with tears. Judy held a paw near her chest in caution. Though Vivian tried to stop herself, she couldn't help looking over at Judy briefly, and when Vicky followed her gaze, her sorrowful expression changed to one of rage.

    "YOU!" Vicky spat, her voice dripping with hatred. She swiped up her drink and went storming over to Judy.

    "Uh, h-hey there Vicky-" Judy held her hands up near her chest to show she meant no harm, but Vicky violently thrust her cup at Judy, spilling frigid purple slush all over the bunny.

    "Yeow!" Judy shivered instantly at the impact, immediately starting to wipe the slush out of her fur before the cold bit into her skin. "Vicky-"

    "You whore!" Vicky shouted, tossing her empty plastic cup at Judy. It deflected off the top of her head as she held up her paws defensively. "Homewrecker! You fff... filthy SLUT!"

    "Excuse me!?" Judy shot back. "Listen, I can tell you're upset, so I'm gonna give you the benefit of the doubt, but if you don't calm down I'm going to-"

    "What, you're going to arrest me?" Vicky held her arms out wide. "Go ahead, do it! Think I'm a savage risk!? Would be so fitting with how little you think about predators!"

    Judy cringed, continuing to try to get the cold slush out of her fur. "I deserve that. Now- please, can we please just talk?"

    "What's there to say to you!?" Vicky sneered, pointing dangerously close to Judy's face. Judy's head backed up defensively. "I can't believe you're so deviant- so selfish, that you couldn't leave Nick alone for me! That you- you seduced him into cheating-"

    "I am not sleeping with him!" Judy yelled decisively, holding her arms out. "I'm not! Did he tell you I was?"

    "It's the only thing that makes any sense!" Vicky put her hands on her chest. "He- he wouldn't tell me why he was giving me up! He just said that it wasn't going to work! And I see why, because he's tail over head for you!"

    "I swear, Vicky," Judy grit her teeth, her voice earnest, "I swear I'm not trying to get between you two."

    "Well, it's too late for that, isn't it?" Vicky sneered. "I can't trust Nick again. Not after he tore himself away from me for some... some scum of a bunny. He made his den, and now he's going to sleep in it. Alone."

    "Vicky..." Judy winced, placing her hands on her own chest, "I've made some big mistakes, and you know that. Everyone in Zootopia does. But Nick forgave me. Maybe you can find it in yourself to forgive him-"

    Judy wasn't expecting the flash of brown paw. The backhand caught her across the face and took her head to the side. Steadying herself by leaning harder on her foot, it was only Judy's quick reflexes that kept her from losing her balance and ending up on the ground. Off in the distance, Judy heard Vivian gasp.

    "I tried to be reasonable, you vixen," Judy said coldly. Vicky balled her fists at the old female fox slur, growling at the bunny, who stared up at her fearlessly. "C'mon, try me one more time and you'll find your tail in a jail cell before you know what hit you. Here's a hint: it's going to be bunny feet."

    The intensity of Vicky's growling got more frightening, and Judy adopted a ready stance. Vicky suddenly backed down and scoffed. "I hope the next thing I read about you in the paper is your obituary," Vicky thrust her head away from Judy as if it took effort and walked briskly away from Judy, tossing her one last hateful glance.

    Judy rubbed her stinging cheek as she walked closer to Vivian's stand.

    "Do you need me to call the police, Judy?" Vivian said worriedly.

    "Present," Judy said wryly, holding up a paw.

    "She assaulted you," Vivian said, her brow and eyes fraught with worry.

    "She's confused, betrayed, and her emotions are riding high," Judy noted, looking off in Vicky's direction. "I sympathize with her. I mean, I did that to Nick before..."

    "But he didn't hit you..." Vivian mumbled.

    "So, I guess the wedding's off," Judy shrugged. "Hey, do you have a paper towel or something?"

    "Sure is, and here," Vivian handed Judy a paper towel and the bunny began to dab it on her damp fur.

    "Can you tell me why Nick called things off?" Judy wondered.

    "You don't have to be a detective to figure it out, Judy," Vivian folded her arms across her counter, looking at her with almost scolding eyes. "It's all your fault, because Nick's cheating on Vicky with you."

    "What!? Vivian!" Judy placed her paws on her chest. "No! I'm not having sex with Nick!"

    "Maybe not," Vivian shook her head, "but you're still his emotional confidant; his closest friend."

    "So- so what!?" Judy's eyes started to dart around wildly and she found herself staring at the floor. "So for Nick to be happy, do I have to... do I have to like, separate from him? Is that what I need to do? We- do I need to get another partner?"

    "Would that make you happy?" Vivian frowned. "Would that make him happy?"

    "Well, I have half a mind to ask him!" Judy shouted up at Vivian. "If... if I'm the only thing standing in the way of his happiness... I can't- I want him to be happy! ...Ugh. If he wasn't my partner anymore, I sure wouldn't be happy..."

    "Judy, you know I have some... 'different' beliefs when it comes to relationships, but I can tell you how most foxes are," Vivian looked off to the side. "Most foxes are all about devotion. Vicky is angry because Nick won't fully devote himself to her. And Nick... I don't think Nick could be in a relationship with anyone he couldn't devote himself completely to." Vivian sighed. "I have a feeling I know who that 'someone' he wants to devote himself to is... she's standing right in front of me."

    "Are- are you saying..." Judy grit her teeth, narrowing her eyes, "that Nick could only be happy in a relationship if he-... if we..." Judy let out an amazed huff, blinking and shaking her head subtly in disbelief. "I can't believe this."

    "It's my guess," Vivian shrugged. "From all I've seen from you two, there's a bunny-shaped hole that's been drilled into his heart, and no vixen will be able to properly fill it."

    "What can I give him that a vixen couldn't?" Judy wondered. "Certainly not kits. He told me he wants to be a father..."

    "Judy, I can only speculate why he finds you so special," Vivian grinned, "but I know that Nick has very particular tastes and high standards, so I trust his judgement when he made the decision to dump Vicky. But for the full story, you know what you need to do."

    "Tie that fox down and make him talk," Judy punched a fist into her other hand. "Hmph. Well, thank you for the insight, Vivian."

    "Want a drink to go, on me?" Vivian shrugged her shoulders.

    "Sure!" Judy brightened up. "Pour a drink on yourself! I've already had a drink go on me!" Judy flashed an obnoxious grin.

    "Listen, you," Vivian leaned over the counter and half-lidded her eyes with a smirk. "Don't be cute."

    "Me? Cute? Never," Judy bat her eyes. She giggled. "Yeah, I'll take a drink to go."

    After saying farewell to the the cobalt blue-eyed vixen that tended the fruit stand, Judy clasped the grape drink in her paws as she headed back to her own apartment.

    Judy didn't care what rating Serendipity had for the next day. She knew that Nick's number was up.

Chapter 59: Obstacle III

    Waiting for the hammer to drop was excruciating.

    Nick had on his best devil-may-care attitude for the whole day, even though he knew it was a lie and he knew that Judy knew it was a lie. He felt like he was being eaten up from the inside out.

    Worse yet, it seemed like his renowned fox sense was failing him when it came to Judy. She wasn't standoffish, she wasn't flirty, she didn't seem too distant or too close. It was maddening; Nick couldn't get a good read on her all day. She was polite but not curt, bubbly and warm, and above all she didn't once mention the episode that the two had engaged in yesterday.

    Above all, Nick was honest with himself, and he was honestly about ready to crack. He knew, or at least strongly believed, that Judy was playing a mental game with him, and he didn't want to lose. Not to her. Not now.

    Nick felt the the tension snap like a severed cord right as they parted ways after their shift in the early evening. Judy said her farewell and just... left. Nick placed his hand on his stomach; he felt suddenly ill. He looked behind himself to make sure Judy didn't give him a second glance, and she didn't.

    Nick took out his phone and confirmed the horoscope for the day and read over Serendipity's entry.

    [Serendipity is an 8 today. If you truly feel resonant with Seren, you know that 8 is her favorite number. As she lays about on her side, she views the number 8 as the symbol for infinity. Limitless possibilities yield limitless rewards. Do something risky today.]

    Nick's brow fell. "Someone got paid to write this nonsense." He decisively flicked his thumb pad over the website to dismiss it and sighed, heading for his apartment.

---

    While Nick enjoyed his new apartment, he didn't like what it had come to represent. He had moved in with Vicky, and was set on making it his den; his home. Their home. Nick idly cleaned it, making it more presentable. He felt like his home correlated with his self-worth, especially when he was living in that leaky dump of an apartment in the Rainforest District.

    Now he was alone, and he was lonely. Even though Judy was a phone call away, he felt like he couldn't take the chance of everything coming out.

    Nick turned in early, hoping to just sweep this day past him and move on to the next. He wouldn't let Judy win the game. He'd keep playing until she cracked and forced the words out of him, while snarking and protesting all the while. After all, it had worked so well in the past. Nick sighed bitterly. An hour went by, and he still couldn't sleep.

    Vvt, vvt.

    A ray of light shone from Nick's phone on his nightstand. Nick grabbed it and stared at the now-nondescript lock screen he had in place of a picture of Vicky.

    [Can I come in?] It was a text from Judy.

    With a measure of trepidation, Nick got up from his bed and checked outside the window to make sure there wasn't a deranged bunny looming just outside. On the fourth floor that would have been some feat, but he wouldn't have put it completely past Judy.

    [I was in bed.] Nick replied, hesitating before sending it. In truth, it was his last-ditch effort to dismiss her.

    [Sorry!]

    Nick squinted his eyes shut. It was his move again. He sighed and worked up his best easy grin. Maybe if he showed up at the door in his boxers, Judy would get bashful and flee. He opened his apartment's door, and Judy was there. She meekly waved, seeming to ignore his state of undress.

    "Hi...!" Judy wiggled her fingers as she waved.

    "Judy, it's... well it's nine o'clock," Nick grumbled. "What."

    "Can I come in?" Judy asked delicately.

    Nick sighed and made way for her, sweeping his arm across himself to admit her. Judy walked over and bounced onto his couch, rubbing her legs. Nick noted that she was dressed casually, but not exactly in nightwear.

    "Well, this is certainly a reversal of how you stormed into my apartment yesterday," Nick quipped. "Demanding answers and all."

    "Is this method working better?" Judy smiled hopefully.

    Nick chuckled, sitting on the couch, as far away from Judy as he could. "You're a piece of work. Any reason for the change of heart?"

    "I had some sense slapped into me," Judy stared forward at the blank TV. "Hey, you want to watch Invasion of the Cyclops Mole Demons?" Judy picked up his remote.

    "I don't want to watch Invasion of the Cyclops Mole Demons," Nick shook his head. "I mean, I do, but not right now."

    "Okay," Judy set the remote down.

    "I heard about that," Nick mumbled quietly. "The slapping, I mean. I deleted Vicky off of Muzzlebook but it got to me through Vivian. Apparently she uh- she went on quite a tirade about you."

    "Mhm," Judy nodded affirmatively.

    "You could have arrested her," Nick muttered. "I bet it would have felt good."

    "Probably, and definitely," Judy admitted, "but I... I just want to know what's going on with you."

    "Judy..." Nick scratched at his shoulder, and rotated his shoulders. He composed his emotions. "You love me."

    "Yes, I do indeed, we have established that," Judy touched an invisible button in the air with her forefinger.

    "Why'd- why'd you let me get so close with Vicky...?" Nick grit his teeth.

    Judy slowly turned her head toward Nick and looked at him incredulously. "Nick. You are an adult. You can make your own decisions." She placed her hands on her chest. "I- I wasn't going to stand in your way if you wanted a fox for a mate more than me. I wh- I.... I just want you to be happy, Nick." Judy looked away. "You said you wanted kits, right? I... well I can't give you those. You and Vicky made such a nice couple- I... I was actually kind of angry that you threw it all away for my sake."

    "I couldn't keep living the lie, Judy," Nick sighed, unable to meet her purple eyes. "It was wrong, what I did. Trying to replace you in a vixen. It wasn't fair to Vicky. And she took it out on you, when I'm the one with the problem."

    "Nick..." Judy frowned. "Why've we never... you know. Just tried...?"

    Nick chuckled, then chuckled a little more. "Okay, I've been waiting for this one. So, have you ever been bungee jumping or skydiving?"

    "Sure!" Judy nodded with a grin. "Bungee jumping for my twenty-first birthday, and skydiving for my twenty-second."

    Nick smiled broadly and let an amused puff out. He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that doesn't surprise me at all. Well, you know that despite how 'safe' it is... how many precautions and safety measures there are... you're still- you're still doing it for that high. That rush of adrenaline. The knowledge that you're taking your life into your own paws."

    "Is that why you backed out of marrying Vicky?" Judy's mouth became a long half-smile. "It felt like jumping out of a perfectly good airplane?"

    "It's why I can't bring myself to do anything with you, Judy," Nick closed his eyes. "You've given me this life that I have now. The way I'm living, that's you. Sure, I accepted it, but without you, I'd probably still be hustling on the streets." Nick brought his hands across his body, hugging himself. He looked away from Judy. "So... even if I knew it was 'safe', even if I knew there was almost no risk and that it would be thrilling... that last step, that plunge... it's what keeps me from you."

    Judy looked at Nick, trying to meet his eyes. When he actively avoided her sight, she sat back and let her mind process this information. She cozied back into the couch.

    "So after all this time..." Judy swallowed, "the biggest obstacle to your own happiness is just- it's just you."

    "Heh..." Nick rested his head back on the couch. "Yeah. Isn't that always the way?"

    Judy scooted closer on the couch. "Nick, look at me."

    "And get lost in those bewitching purple eyes?" Nick chuckled wryly.

    "Just do it," Judy said tiredly. Nick obeyed her and found Judy's face to be soft and caring. He grew a wobbly smile.

    "Sorry you had to catch a slap from all this," Nick groaned. "I feel terrible about- about putting two lovely females through all this just because of my own issues."

    "If she was wrong for you, she's wrong for you," Judy shrugged. "But I want you to do something for me in return."

    "Yes?" Nick's fear was visible in his muzzle's scrunch.

    "Tell me you love me," Judy's voice was almost blank.

    Nick hesitated, feeling the words well up in his throat. Judy's gaze was unexpectedly patient.

    "I love you, Judy," Nick said in a flat, quiet voice. He felt his arm go over his stomach. There was that sinking feeling, like he was caught in an elevator in free-fall.

    Judy only smiled pleasantly in return.

    "Like, really a lot," Nick chuckled, suddenly feeling a rush of relief. "A whole bunch. I love you to bits."

    "There you are, Nick," Judy smiled, nuzzling his arm. "I've been looking for you. Now, was that such a big deal?"

    "More than I can articulate," Nick gave a shuddering sigh.

    Judy stood up on the couch and she was about eye-level with Nick. She turned her cheek toward him. "Vicky slapped the other cheek. You maybe want to kiss this one to balance it out?"

    Nick responded with a chaste peck on Judy's cheek, and the bunny hummed pleasantly.

    "All better?" Nick hoped his voice sounded smooth and not condescending.

    "We're getting there," Judy smirked.

    "I'm not ready for things to... to just go..." Nick said. "Can we take it slow?"

    "You're asking the great Judy Hopps to 'take it slow'?" Judy replied with her eyes half-lidded. She gently placed her paws on both of his cheeks. "Have you even heard of me, mister?"

    "I have, here and there," Nick shrugged, nodding to feel her paws against his cheeks. "They say she was the bunny that saved Zootopia."

    "I'm pretty sure there was a fox in there, too," Judy rolled her eyes to the ceiling as if she was really thinking about this. "What was his name again?"

    "Judy..." Nick stared at the bunny seriously.

    "I'm pretty sure it was 'Nick'," Judy giggled.

    "Judy, I'm serious," Nick huffed. "Can- can we-"

    "We'll take it slow, Nick," Judy touched her nose to his. "You're worth it." Judy savored the uneasy breath that followed her statement.

    "I cannot remember anyone ever saying that to my muzzle," Nick mumbled.

    "Maybe it's why you're such a grump," Judy kissed his nose cheerfully. Nick brought his arms around her for a hug that was close and sincere, but lasted too briefly, in Judy's opinion, to truly drink in the feeling of his soft red-orange fur against her. After she was released from the hug, she had a large smile. "Well... I guess I better get going, then."

    "You can stay," Nick sighed. "Please stay."

    "But you said-" Judy put a paw on her mouth. Her voice was almost bemused. "Nick, you're not going to offer me your bed, are you?"

    "Not if I can avoid it," Nick admitted, smirking. "Having my own bed smell like the bunny I love might- uh, it might throw a wrench into that 'taking it slow' business."

    "I'll sleep on the couch," Judy said in a resigned, playful voice. "I better not catch you sniffing it in the morning."

    "No promises," Nick's tail wagged a little as kissed the top of her head and wandered off to his room. "Uh... good night, Judy."

    "We took the plunge in the fall," Judy smiled, seated on the couch. "Kind of romantic, huh?" Judy's face scrunched. "But that means it'll be winter soon..."

    "Yup," Nick observed, rubbing his head against the side of the door. "So- so yeah, before then, I'd like a little time to love you with my mind before my body gets the better of me."

    "I'm looking forward to all of that," Judy waved playfully at him.

---

    An hour and a half passed.

    Nick still couldn't sleep. He slowly dragged himself out of his room to check on Judy. She was fast asleep, curled up on the couch, using a throw pillow. Nick felt uneasy. There she was, completely defenseless and completely relaxed in his own home. Why couldn't he relax?

    Making some predictions and calculations in his head, he decided there was enough room. After taking a few moments more to observe her sleeping form, he made his move. Nick very carefully crept onto the couch and moved on all fours to curl around and encircle Judy, laying down around her.

    It wasn't until his tail swept around her that she began to stir.

    "Mmmmnnick...?" Judy whispered sleepily. "Whirr you doin'...?"

    "Can't sleep," Nick whispered back. "Couldn't get comfortable..."

    Judy grunted, cuddling back against him. She yawned, letting out a small squeak at the peak of her yawn. "This any better?"

    Nick felt his muzzle part her ears and lay down on top of her head, and heard a soft groan of approval come from the bunny.

    "Yeah," Nick felt his tension begin to melt away, "it's a lot better."

Chapter 60: Miracle

    The loudly-snoring fox was hard to rouse, but eventually with enough bunny jostling and shouting of his name, he came to.

    "Nick... Nick!" Judy's voice was a mixture of anxious and irritated.

    "Hrrgnnh..." Nick blearily opened his eyes to see Judy straddling his chest. She looked... bothered, his sleepy mind decided. He let out a huge yawn. "What gives? It's our day off..."

    "Nick there's... something important we need to discuss," Judy's eyes swept away from Nick, and she drew in an uneasy breath.

    Turning his head toward the clock, Nick groaned as if in pain and squinted his eyes shut, thrusting his head defiantly against the pillow.

    "Nick...!" Judy's voice was now definitely annoyed.

    "Give me like three hours..." Nick murmured.

    "Nick, please..." Judy pursued, her voice softening a little. When Nick didn't budge, she let out a frustrated scoff and launched herself off the bed, storming around in discontent. Rubbing a hand through her ears, she went over to their living room's couch and hopped onto it. Folding her arms and her ankles, she felt anxiety course through her veins. She was used to blood and even adrenaline surging through her, but not worry. She distinctly felt her teeth grit tightly in her muzzle, and try as she might, she couldn't relax. She hadn't thought to change out of her sleepwear.

    Judy's ear twitched as a soft hiss started to sound from elsewhere in the apartment. It was the shower; Nick must have gotten up. Judy found herself reflexively launching off the couch and busied herself making some coffee for the two.

    Before long, the somewhat-awake fox made his way into the kitchen, decked out in his standard attire and tightening his tie.

    "Coffee to help wake you up?" Judy offered him a mug that read "World's Best Bunny". "Just how you like it."

    "Almost as sweet as you?" Nick took a sip. "Yeah, that's the stuff."

    "Heh..." Judy managed a weak smile and turned her head away, sipping from her own, much stronger brew.

    Nick's brow fell as he read Judy's standoffish body language. Their morning coffee went by in silence, and Judy's mood didn't seem to brighten.

    "So what's this about, then?" Nick set his cup down, and Judy slowly followed suit. "Is it finally time?"

    "Finally... 'time'?" Judy's dour face took on confusion instead.

    "Time that you got that promotion they've been threatening you and not me with?" Nick placed their mugs in the sink and rinsed them. "You know, the whole thing where if you get promoted over me, we can't be partners."

    "Oh, no no, not that," Judy shook her head. "I haven't made lieutenant yet."

    "But you're going to," Nick said with some solemn confidence. "Just a matter of time."

    "It's not about the job, the ZPD..." Judy placed a paw on her arm and looked away. "It's not about any of that." She found her way back to the couch and sat down on it again. As she tried to steady her breaths, she found her nose involuntarily twitching. She hated feeling so vulnerable, and barely stole a glance at the increasingly-concerned fox.

    "What's the matter?" Nick walked over and placed a paw on her shoulder.

    Judy reacted smoothly, almost sloughing the paw off, but she sighed and abandoned the effort. "Nick, I'm..."

    Nick's eyes widened as he smelled acute fear coming from the bunny. Judy swallowed and took one last breath to steady herself.

    "I'm pregnant," Judy's voice wavered very slightly. It was a statement full of unease.

    "You're... you're pregnant?" Nick's eyes flew open and he felt a tingle of shock surge through his body. "...Are you sure?"

    "Pretty sure," Judy's breath shuddered. "...I've been feeling off for the last little while, and I- I took a test."

    "...How?" Nick's face spoke utter disbelief, and some errant, negative thoughts immediately tried to bore their way into his mind.

    "I haven't mated with any other mammal," Judy answered, her honest but serious voice releasing some of the fox's tension visibly.

    "Oh my God," Nick said vacantly, sitting down next to Judy. "Oh my God. I can get you pregnant? I can- we can... we can make a family together? ...Wow. So- so much to take in..."

    There was a pause, and Nicks eyes were frozen in a wide stare at the coffee table, he looked over to Judy and his mouth opened slightly. Her face looked pained, and her nose was still twitching.

    Nick's face became cautious, and he half turned it from Judy. "...I have a feeling I'm not going to like what you're going to say next."

    Judy's eyes squinted shut and she shuddered. She drew in a difficult breath and her head turned to Nick. Her eyes were glassy and her face was wrenched with tension.

    "I... I don't want to be pregnant, Nick..." Judy wailed softly. A sob wracked her, and her head bowed.

    Nick immediately got up from the couch and took a deep breath. He clenched his hands shut and then slowly released them; his head turned from Judy.

    "Nick..." Judy felt a twisting feeling in her gut at the reaction. There was a quiet pause that deeply unsettled her. "...Will you let me explain...?"

    "Go ahead," Nick's response was both immediate and devoid of feeling.

    "Well, you- you know..." Judy ran a hand through her ears again. "I did check this stuff out before we got intimate. You know, jh-just in case."

    "Yeah?" Nick's response was perfunctory.

    "And..." Judy wrung her paws. "You know what they said about fox-bunny hybrids?"

    "...What do they say?" Nick gave her a sidelong glance.

    "Nothing," Judy shook her head, worry creeping back onto her face. "They don't say anything."

    "What?" Nick blinked, facing Judy fully. He put his hands on her shoulders. "Wait... nothing?"

    "There are some possible hybrid combinations," Judy took in a steadying breath. "But nothing on pred-prey babies. Just theories, conjecture, and... and speculation."

    "But how can that...?" Nick trailed off, stunned. "Surely we aren't the first pred-prey pair to- to..." Nick faltered as an appropriate word for the act was slow to come, "to mate."

    "I know," Judy nodded. "That's why I'm... I'm scared. Terrified..."

    Nick released Judy and sat down hard next to her. "Oh God... I didn't even think about that."

    "About...?" Judy looked up and over at him anxiously.

    "If you truly... if you are pregnant and it's not some sort of faulty pregnancy test," Nick grit his teeth. "If you're really the first prey animal to- to somehow get pregnant by a pred..."

    Judy took in a shallow gasp.

    "This could hurt you," Nick's voice was distant and nearly angry. "I could hurt you- I could hurt you!"

    "Nick?" Judy recoiled a little.

    Nick shook his head vehemently. "No, that's not going to happen. We need to get you to a doctor as soon as possible."

    "And do what!?" Judy became alarmed, standing up on the couch.

    "We need to- to see if," Nick ran his hands over his ears. "See what risks there are. See- see what can be done about it."

    "Nick!" Judy gaped. "C-calm down! This isn't your fault."

    "If not, then whose?" Nick growled. "Is there a miracle baby in there?" Nick glared at her stomach. "Immaculately conceived?"

    "Nick, I'm not blaming you!" Judy grabbed his arms desperately. "I'm not! I- I did my research. I didn't think we needed to be careful. I was mistaken!"

    "Judy..." Nick looked at her with extreme severity. "I thought you'd have realized this about me by now... I don't care how wrong you've been in the past, I'll do anything for you- I'll do anything to protect you."

    Judy flinched at these words, finding herself momentarily speechless. She had a sudden impulse to hug Nick, but he still seemed agitated. She pulled away from him and sat down, her mind spinning.

    Nick sat down next to her, stroking his muzzle thoughtfully.

    "...How you reacted, though," Judy said cautiously, holding a paw out to him. She gathered her courage and nodded decisively. "You want to be a father."

    "I've... thought about it once or twice," Nick admitted vaguely.

    "Yeah?" Judy tried to smile.

    "Just," Nick grumbled, distracted, "you know. A family with both a mom and a dad. Super bunny like you, witty fox like me... could be the perfect kit, huh?"

    "Sounds like a good recipe, yeah..." Judy chuckled gently.

    "I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up," Nick said darkly. "You coming into my life was already the best thing that could have happened to me. I- this is pushing it."

    "What if it is possible though, Nick?" Judy asked. "What if it's okay?"

    "What if, by some compound miracle, you have the very first bunny-fox child ever and they're somehow free of all kinds of life-threatening genetic defects?" Nick huffed bitterly. "Seems a bit farfetched."

    "That's not an answer," Judy said sternly.

    "...I don't know, Judy," Nick grunted. "I let myself get caught up in the possibility. Even if our kit was... even if they were somehow completely healthy and vibrant and... just... perfect... can you imagine how the world would be to them?"

    "What?" Judy flinched, her upper lip coming up.

    "It's hard enough to grow up as a predator, much less a fox," Nick sucked his teeth, looking away. "The very first of their kind. That kit would have it tough from the moment they hit the ground."

    "So that's a reason to just give up?" Judy sneered.

    "I don't know, Judy, I don't know!" Nick flared up again, staring right at her. "But maybe we should think about something like that before we inflict life on some crap shoot of nature!"

    Judy thrust out with her paw and squeezed Nick's shoulder hard.

    "Agh...!" Nick winced, grabbing for her paw.

    "Don't you say something like that, Nick," Judy shook the grasped shoulder and then released him. "I'm not going to give this up before it's even begun."

    Nick narrowed his eyes. "So what, now that you know it'll be difficult you're suddenly on board?" Nick raised his paw and thrust it down twice in a mocking "toot-toot" gesture.

    Judy drew back a hand, curled it up into itself, where it vibrated and she scoffed loudly, throwing the fist away from herself.

    "Don't. Don't mock me," Judy enunciated in muted anger. She took a few breaths to calm herself. "Listen. I promise you that if the prognosis is bad... I... I won't go through with it. But... if it's somehow okay... if it won't risk my life or my health... I think maybe we should give it a chance?"

    "Judy...!?" Nick looked alarmed. "But you said-"

    "I said I don't want to be pregnant, and that's- that's true," Judy sighed. "I wasn't looking for this, and it- all the unknowns are so frightening. But... what if this is the first step in something greater? I- I'm no geneticist and I'm no genius. But what if this is the first step along the path of... I don't know... mammal unification or something?"

    "Now you're talking crazy," Nick had to nervously laugh. "First police bunny, first pred-prey hybrid mom? What's next?"

    "World domination," Judy said wryly.

    "Of course," Nick gave a choked laugh, then he looked suddenly like he'd break down.

    Judy hugged him softly. "Before we dominate the world, we need to make sure it's a good enough place for a little one from you and me."

    "Judy, I'm scared," Nick shuddered, holding her uncomfortably tight. "I don't want it to hurt you. I don't want them to hurt it."

    "We will do whatever is prudent, Nick," Judy smiled. "And we'll do it together, okay? If you really don't want me to go through with this, even if it's okay..."

    "I... I do want to be a father," Nick took in a shaky breath. "But there is always adoption, you know. Maybe after a few more years, when we see if you've got that promotion or not-"

    "Well, we have to make a choice, Nick, and we have to make it soon," Judy looked warmly at the fox. "Have I ever steered us wrong?"

    "Asks the bunny who caused a literal train wreck?" Nick retorted.

    "This is serious, Nick," Judy said. She got up from the couch and started to look for her phone. "I'm going to schedule a doctor's appointment. I want you to be there. We need to hear everything we can about this, and then... then we can make a decision."

    "Yeah," Nick nodded, rubbing his head. He stood up as well, walking over to the searching bunny. He lifted her up from behind and just held her there for a few moments.

    "Can I help you?" Judy asked lightly.

    "I love you, Judy," Nick said quietly.

    "Of course you do," Judy pet at the arms that encircled her. "I can tell from how worried you get. ...And maybe I do need to be worried about sometimes."

    "Now's one of those times," Nick insisted, giving her a small nuzzle, then setting her down. He looked at her with a concerned expression.

    "I love you too," Judy said earnestly, with a warm smile.

    Nick nodded, getting his breathing under control. He offered a tiny, weak smile.

    "We'll be fine, Nick," Judy smiled up at Nick faintly.

    From the softness in her voice and on her face, it was nearly enough to get him to believe it right then.

Notes:

No prizes guessing what this chapter is based on.

My opinions on the work that inspired this (almost a retort, really) are easy enough to find on the Zootopia Reddit, so I won't go into them much here.

I'm sure there's a logical way to break up WildeHopps somehow, but making them posture as two selfish jerks on the far sides of a complicated and controversial issue isn't it.

Chapter 61: Date

    Nick got a few looks here and there as he made his way down the street. He was unusually sharply-dressed, for him anyway; he wore a solid red collared shirt that brought out the orange of his fur, and his black slacks were complimented by a striking black tie, of course.

    So dressed, and his ego boosted from some lingering impressed glares, the red fox gently knocked three times on the apartment door he was standing next to.

    "Yes?" The familiar voice was unusually reserved.

    Nick cleared his throat and answered in a jovial voice. "Ma'am, I believe there's a bunny in there in need of a date?"

    Judy slowly opened the door, and instantly caught a smile from the fox on the other side. She was dressed in a soft, light-blue dress that looked to be made of cotton. The straps on the dress exposed a modest amount of her gray shoulders, and Nick hummed lightly as he took in the full sight of the lovely bunny. He felt his smile grow ever wider.

    The bunny winced and hunched forward. "This is- it's one of the only dresses I own. Too much?"

    "I think it's just right."

    Judy deflated a little at the warm reply and finally gave the fox a once-over as well. Nick could tell the bunny liked what she saw.

    "So, shall we?" Nick offered his paw to the bunny, bowing slightly.

    "We shall," Judy replied in a light voice, taking his paw and starting to walk out of the apartment with him.

    There was quiet between them for a whole fifteen seconds. Nick's eyes darted over to the bunny briefly and he saw her nose twitching.

    Nick folded his hands behind his back as the two rode the elevator down. "Don't be nervous."

    "Nervous?" Judy grit her teeth into a challenging smile. "Who's nervous?"

    "Well, it's not me," Nick chuckled.

    "Listen, buster," Judy's eyes half-closed with a wry smirk on her face. "You don't get to tease me for being nervous on our first real date. Not after I had to twist your arm so hard to get you to admit you had feelings for me."         

    Nick closed his eyes and tilted his nose up in a slightly haughty way. "Well, you have nothing to worry about. It's just me, after all."

    "You don't think people will stare?" Judy winced.

    "Maybe at how ravishing we both look," Nick's voice perfectly matched his leer.

    "Oh, pff!" After a slight fit of giggling, Judy shook her head and sighed.

    "Let me put your mind at ease, my dear," Nick cleared his throat. "Zootopia is a very relaxed place when it comes to interspecies relationships."

    "Even between pred and prey?" Judy's eyes narrowed, her voice high.

    "Oh, that doesn't matter," the fox shook his head. "We're both similar enough in height, build, and stunning good looks."

    "Nick, stop," she said, but despite that and an eye roll, she had a smile on.

    Instead, he kept going. "Now if you want to see the really 'out-there' couples, I could take you to Different Tails instead. I know the bartender there. Donna. She's a margay, and she has a sugar glider for a mate."

    "A margay is a..." Judy looked apologetic at not knowing.

    "A smallish feline."

    "Sugar gliders are so small," she marveled, "and even a sand cat is only a bit smaller than I am."

    "That's why the main rule at Different Tails is 'no judging'," Nick held an index finger up as the two walked down the street. "But no, we'll be fine. We'll be beneath notice; most mammals just won't care."

    The black-tipped bunny ears lolled to the side as Judy's head tilted. "I guess apathy is kind of like acceptance."

    "Also," the fox swiped his finger. "I'd like to say that some random mammal's opinion of me matters far less than that of the best bunny in the world. That's why I was so nervous about the whole 'telling you' thing."

    "Nick..." the so-called 'best bunny' responded with a flustered brush of her paw through her ears and a nervous look around. She snapped back to her defiant, jovial mood. "Well! That's in the past now, and I'm hungry, so let's go find this place you were talking about."

    "The Melting Pot?" Nick indicated upwards with his paw. "We're already here."

    The facade of the building was simple enough, and true to its name, the restaurant seemed to house all manner of mammals. In addition to that, whether they were dressed casually or formally also varied widely.

    A hippo regarded them, gathering a couple of menus. "Table for...?"

    "Two, please," The fox held up two brown digits.

    "Right this way," the hippo smiled, seating them. "Johnson will be taking care of you two this evening. Enjoy."

    Judy swiveled her head this way and that as she took in the decor of the restaurant. It looked nice enough, but definitely wasn't overly opulent. Finally, her eyes rested on the fox's own as he clearly hadn't taken them off of her for awhile. He drank in her curiosity and the warm smile that followed it.

    "I hope it's classy enough for my lady," his voice was clearly teasing.

    "It's fine," Judy replied dismissively.

    "A fox has to be comfy, you know," Nick kicked back irreverently.

    Judy scanned over the menu, trying to quash the smile that tugged at her face. She fell victim to his overwhelmingly charming aura, even when he was being silly. "Ooh, how is their soup and salad? I could really go for some tomato basil soup right now."

    "Mm, pretty good," he nodded. "Get whatever you like tonight, okay? My treat."

    "Your...?" She blinked. "Nick, you don't have to do that just because you're the male."

    "I feel like doing it," he flashed an insufferable smile. "Especially knowing you still live in that closet."

    "Tuh!" Judy tossed him another delightfully annoyed look. "Listen, I barely spend any time in that place. And... you know. Depending on how things go... maybe we could talk about other arrangements..."

    "Oh," Nick was finally caught off guard, straightening in his chair. "Right, right." It was Judy's turn to soak up a bashful giggle from her partner. "I'm thinking about the chicken Parmesan tonight."

    "Chicken, huh?" She gripped the menu a little tighter.

    "Y'know, to be honest," the fox leaned over the table. "When I was hustling prey back in the day, I'd usually eat vegetables around them so they'd feel more comfortable." He gestured casually. "Perks of being omnivorous."

    "Well I don't want any special treatment there," Judy's brow lowered defiantly. "You be you. Eat what you'd like. How about something with blueberries? That's definitely a carnivore favorite, huh?"

    "Hey, fruits and vegetables are like night and day," Nick replied with a chuckle.

    The two placed their orders and found themselves staring at each other in the meantime.

    It struck Judy how odd she felt with Nick's eyes constantly upon her. It was no different than usual, really, but the thought that those looks of his, those eyes drinking in her details thirstily, and with such obvious affection... it made her feel warm inside. The fox was very pleasant to look at as well, so she gazed right back at him with half-closed eyes.

    "You look very handsome tonight, Nick," Judy purred.

    "Implying I don't look handsome every night," he coyly replied, tugging on his shirt.

    The bunny's head sunk to the side and her smile twisted dangerously. "You're going to take that compliment if I have to shove it down your throat."

    Nick barked out a laugh. "That's something I admire about you, Judy. You always speak your mind. That sort of honesty is quite refreshing."

    Judy made a "rewinding" motion with her index fingers. "The Nick of a few years ago would have called that 'naive'."

    He shrugged this off with a low, playful grunt. "Yes, well, I'm making an effort to be nice."

    The bunny laughed, mostly in surprise of how cool Nick could keep his demeanor. She sighed pleasantly as their food was brought out, and the two began to eat.

    Nick stole many glances at Judy while she politely chewed her salad. He knew he still didn't want to fall into the trap of paying her too many compliments, lest he end up waxing poetic endlessly about her features. If you'd asked him a few years ago, he never would have considered gray to be a very appealing color. But with Judy, he loved how her fur gave way to dark ear tips and white masking, creating a field of lovely accents that he deeply wanted to run his paws through. The bunny also tended to look amazing in whatever she wore, and the soft blue of her dress spoke to that amicably. It seemed to highlight her lithe, fetching form, and Nick found his next swallow rather difficult.

    "Whew, and it's not even winter..." he muttered quietly, running a paw over his forehead.

    "Are you too hot?" Her reply was honest and chirpy.

    Nick decided to preserve her adorable innocence for now. "Something like that."

    He got a small, if guarded smile in return, but Nick grew alarmed as her face began to morph into clear displeasure.

    Uh oh.

    Nick tried to rein in his thoughts before they strayed too lurid out of a sudden, irrational fear that Judy could somehow hear said thoughts with her large ears.

    With an annoyed huff, Judy shot up from her chair and started to storm away. Nick's eyes flew open and he felt his heart in his mouth. A quick turn of her head showed she was rushing, not to the exit, but to another table. He briefly saw the flash of another bunny seated at the chair before a menu went up to hide their face.

    "Violet!" Judy shouted.

    His mild alarm waning, the fox's curiosity piqued and he took in a few sniffs in Judy's direction as he followed her.

    A gray bunny face cautiously poked out from the menu. Nick could instantly see the family resemblance; the other gray bunny looked very similar to Judy, with softer purple eyes, glasses, and a sharp sweater and skirt combination. The fox could smell genuine panic coming from the other bunny, but she flinched as if she had just noticed Judy standing near her.

    "Oh! Jh- Judy!" Violet let loose a clearly forced smile. "Fancy seeing you here!"

    Judy's arms immediately folded tightly. "Yes, how entirely random to see one of my sisters in Zootopia, a couple hundred miles from home!"

    "Ah, well you see..." Violet's eyes darted around before continuing her sentence. Nick chuckled to himself; this bunny was an even worse liar than Judy. "I was in town... and thought to do a little urban research-"

    "Right, spying on Nick and me."

    Said fox walked up next to Judy. "You told your family about our little date, huh?"

    "Not my whole family," she replied, "I just told my parents... and they sounded so into it and so supportive-! Wait a minute." Judy's brow furrowed. "Sweet creamy peanut butter. Of course! They were being facetious! They put you up to this, didn't they?"

    "No! No no no," Violet's head shook rapidly. "This was all of my own accord, I promise."

    "That still doesn't make it right," Judy replied acidly. Her eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here, Violet?"

    "I'm just- I'm worried about you Judy... that's all," Violet placed the menu down, daring her eyes to glance at Nick briefly. "I mean... you know he's a fox, right?"

    Judy looked crestfallen, and allowed her eyes to briefly flit back to Nick as if to reaffirm this fact. "Yes. I'm aware."

    Violet uncomfortably adjusted her glasses, avoiding meeting either of their eyes. "I thought- well, I had thought with your history with foxes... that your dalliance with one might be a... an- I don't know, a cry for help?"

    "Vi-!" The upset bunny squeezed a hand shut and placed the other to her temple. She took a steadying breath before she flew off the handle. "Listen. Nick saved my life, okay? I don't-"

    "That kind of hyperbolic talk just makes it all the more worrying," Violet interrupted, her brows tilted up.

    "No, Violet," Judy held her palms up. "He literally saved my life. Like, from the machinations of- you know what? I don't want to go into this right now."

    The owner of the establishment, a donkey, walked over to the scene of the kerfluffle. Nick noticed that they had now actually gathered quite a lot of attention from the surrounding mammals.

    "Is there a problem here?" The owner was curt and looked at Judy with an especially critical eye.

    "Yes, there is," Judy responded.

    "Ah, Nick Wilde, ZPD," Nick quickly babbled, flashing what he hoped was his badge and not just his wallet. "We were just wrapping this up."

    "Nick...!"

    "Listen, Violet?" Nick placed himself between the two bunnies, a smooth look spreading over his face like butter. "How about we all continue this little discussion tomorrow, okay? We can get a bite to eat at this great cafe I know."

    "Tomorrow- but I-" Violet started to babble, looking down. "I have to get back to the compound... I have things to do! I-"

    "Just a couple blocks away, there's a wonderful little hotel called the Forty Binks," Nick placed his thumbs and forefingers together and moved them in a circle. "Bunny owned and operated. You'll feel right at home, I promise. Mention my name, you might even get a discount!" To finish off, he clicked his teeth and pointed at the flustered-looking bunny.

    "I, um..." Violet looked to Judy for confirmation, but she looked nearly as confused as the taller bunny; her face had lost some of its anger and was replaced by awed bafflement. "I'll- I guess I'll see you two tomorrow?" She set her menu down and scurried out of the restaurant with her head low.

    "There we are, problem solved," Nick said smoothly to the remaining bunny's skepticism. Louder, he repeated: "Problem solved!"

    As the two moved back to their table, Judy was amazed at how everyone else seemed to lose interest in the little altercation.

    "Nick..." she breathed out, "you don't have some sort of compelling voice or anything, do you?"

    "Just a quick read to know what I needed to do in that situation," he smirked. "Nothing special."

    The two returned to their meal, and even the owner seemed to be satisfied that there wouldn't be trouble from them any longer.

    "You really want to actually subject yourself to more of my nosy sister, huh?" Judy piped up with a grumble.

    "I figure showing her my overwhelming charm should allay some of her fears," the fox replied casually.

    "Pff," the bunny finally half-smiled. "Maybe. ...Anyway, let's not talk about her anymore tonight, okay? I can't believe our first date's gone this way... ugh. Okay, okay, forget all this. Let's talk about you, huh? You must have a bunch of juicy Zootopia stories about yourself, huh?"

    "Oh, tons," he agreed with a nod.

    Judy narrowed one eye. "Like why you of all foxes might get a discount at a bunny hotel?"

    Without so much as an errant ear flick, Nick smoothy replied: "We can skip that one if you want." He leaned in a little bit. "What I'm curious about is this 'history with foxes' that your sister mentioned."

    "Oh Nick... that's-" Judy cringed. "That was nothing... just a little- it was a long time ago and- ugh..." Her head sank.

    "Hey, I think it's nice that your family cares for you so much."

    "It's not 'care' so much as 'concern'," the bunny's voice turned darker and her head turned halfway.

    "What's the distinction?" Nick looked confused.

    "'Concern'... as in," Judy sighed deeply. "'This bunny isn't doing things the normal way! We need to see what's wrong!' That sort of concern. The outliers attract that sort of attention." She lowered her forehead into her hands. "Why oh why did I have to mention this to my family at all?"

    "It's like I said," he shrugged. "You're honest with your feelings. You were excited about it; about being with me. Pretty charming, if you ask me."

    "Still..." her eyes swept over to make sure no one else was staring. "If I had kept my big bunny mouth shut, I would have saved us all this trouble and- y'know, we could have had one of those perfect first dates..."

    "Is that what you were after?" Nick chuckled, to her non-committal shrug. "Not me. I knew what I was getting into here. Being your partner may be many things, but it's not going to be perfect. But that sort of wild unpredictable stuff you seem to inject into every facet of your life is what makes you fascinating and appealing."

    "Really?" Her smile was bright, but somewhat pained.

    "Well, that and you're smokin' hot," his voice was a warm rumble as he returned to his food.

    That finally got a genuine laugh from the bunny.

    Nick was sure to leave a generous tip for the extra fuss they'd put the staff through. He did want to come back there someday soon, after all.

---

    It seemed like no time at all until the two were standing in front of Judy's apartment door. She folded her paws in front of her in a rather charming, somewhat childish way, swaying her hips forward and back.

    "So um... I don't suppose you'd want to do anything else tonight...?"

    "On a first date?" Nick replied with half-lidded eyes, looking her over. "Mm... I don't know. I think your place might be a little small for me."

    The bunny's pupils suddenly became pinpricks and she jerked as if shocked. "...Oh. Oh. You meant- haha- you meant my apartment is small."

    A wicked grin slithered across the fox's face. "Of course I did. What kind of predator do you take me for?"

    "Hahahaha...!" a forced, high-pitched laughed squeezed out of Judy's throat.

    "So... see you tomorrow then, I suppose?" Nick smiled.

    "Yeah, with Violet, the worry-wart overbearing Hopps Family Organizer," Judy rolled her eyes. "I told you she once rushed a dozen of my siblings down here because I hurt my hand, right?"

    "I'm sure it'll be fine," he replied easily. "Good night, Judy."

    She felt uneasy as he turned to leave. Judy wanted this evening to be about them, yet it ended up scattered all over the place, disjointed. Judy deeply desired to do something, anything-

    "Nick, wait."

    He turned around, and barely got out a half note of alarm as Judy leaped at him and firmly hugged him. Nick warmly chuckled as his arms were suddenly occupied by an impulsive gray bunny. Even his laughter was cut short by a kiss, as she darted her head in to kiss him with no small amount of fervor. Nick felt his paws twitch as they instinctively moved to squeeze her closer to him.

    "Whew..." the fox gently set the bunny down, allowing his paws to wander over her face and ears and no farther. "I thought we said we'd be taking it slow."

    "I can't give you a goodnight kiss?" The reply was beyond coquettish.

    "You don't do anything half-hearted," Nick chuckled nervously.

    "Mm-mm," Judy shook her head softly. "Never."

    Alone and dressed down for bed, the bunny finally felt that fleeting, fanciful feeling she had chased all night. The feeling of being deeply in love with someone. She snuggled warmly into her bed with a serene smile as the fullness of that sensation washed over her, but her smile soon turned mischievous as she imagined pounding that point home to Violet the next day. With a hammer and nails if necessary.

    "...So, uh, bunny?"

    It was Bucky or Pronk's voice coming through the wall. Honestly, Judy had a hard time telling the two apart just by voice, especially when they were yelling.

    "Mmmm....?" She was in too good of a mood to be annoyed.

    "You have a good first date with that fox guy?"

    "It wasn't perfect..." she admitted, "but that's what made it so perfect."

    "Uh..."

    Judy flopped onto her back, the mental image of Nick still heavy in her mind. She sighed wistfully, suddenly glad she'd see him again as soon as tomorrow.

    "Did you like, make out?"
    "Yeah, how does that work with your muzzle sizes n' all?"

    The bunny rolled over and closed her eyes, a big smile still plastered on her muzzle.

    "Goodnight, boys."

Chapter 62: Date II

    Violet Hopps didn't feel as uncomfortable as she had expected to.

    As she sat there in the cafe, with the hustle and bustle of various Zootopian mammals around her, it reminded her of home. Violet knew she had a large part in controlling the chaos that was the Hopps compound, and while she was reasonably sure that her home wouldn't come crashing to the ground while she was away for the better part of the day, it never hurt to check.

    The tall, bespectacled gray bunny adjusted her glasses and took a sip from some sweet, cream-infused coffee before looking at her iPawpad. There were six birthdays today, so she texted Timothy to ask if he remembered to get all of those birthday cakes baked. Also, one of the birthday boys was Bradley, who liked to be called 'Rad' recently, so if Timothy thought that sort of behavior should be encouraged, he could possibly humor him by writing it in the icing. Please and thank you.

    It was business as usual, really; Violet's physical absence from the compound wouldn't dull her influence over it. Not that much, anyway.

    "Thank you," she said lightly as a plate of pancakes was placed next to her by the massive paw of a tiger. Poking at them with her fork after dolling them up with butter and syrup, she tried a bite. They were light and fluffy, not to the standards of a Hopps pancake, but dangerously close. Violet blinked, marveling that some random cafe in Zootopia could have such decent food.

    But that led her to her reason for being there in the first place, and that was when the discomfort started to settle in. Violet opened a document on her tablet, and it had a long list of questions she wanted to ask one Nicholas Wilde.

    He was a fox, he was Judy Hopps' partner at the Zootopia Police Department, and most worryingly, he had begun dating her.

    Violet was there to confirm or deny some suspicions she had about this fox, and like a fool, she had thrown away her first opportunity to gather more information on him. She botched her surveillance only because she was discovered by her sister, who was perhaps somewhat understandably livid at her intrusion. Even more foolish was her actually taking Nick up on his offer for the three to meet at that very cafe.

    While she would much rather have had a one-on-one with him, Violet knew she had to count her blessings. Of course Judy would be extra critical of her now that she was aware she was meddling. But the Hopps Family Organizer had to do what she had to do.

    Despite trying to mentally prepare herself for the encounter, she still flinched when Nick slid into a chair across from her, followed shortly by Judy. The fox's expression was even, but leaned toward self-assured. He was wearing a very loud Pawaiian shirt and contrasting tie, which was very unlike the sharp, complimentary colors he wore the previous evening. Judy, meanwhile, wore some of her subdued casual clothes. Violet recognized the openly critical look she was getting from her sister.

    "I'm somewhat surprised you two actually showed up," Violet admitted, scrolling back to the top of her 'Things to ask Nicholas Wilde' document. "After last night, I was worried you might have just placed me here to get rid of me, then never show."

    "Would I do that?" Nick asked with an air of teasing.

    "She would," Violet looked at her sister blankly.

    Judy's face softened the slightest bit and she "hmphed" in wry amusement. "She's not wrong. I did consider it." The bunny's shoulders twitched upwards. "I can hold a grudge."

    "How would you like to do this?" The fox asked, his posture very casual in his seat. "I see you're already eating."

    Violet's eyes flicked down to her breakfast.

    "All of Violet's teeth are sweet teeth," Judy muttered. "Especially when she's nervous."

    "I've prepared a list of questions for you," Violet replied to Nick. Her sister loudly scoffed and rolled her eyes.

    "First of all, Violet," the fox leaned in and grinned. "Let me just say that I'm very impressed that, especially with your resemblance to your sister here, that you were able to avoid my notice last night."

    "Well, er," the bunny was momentarily flustered before shaking it off. "That was the point, anyway. And I was caught by Judy, so that point was rendered moot."

    "Anyhow, go ahead with your questions," Nick shrugged, relaxing back in his chair.

    "Nicholas Wilde, is it true you've been a hustler?" Violet started, adjusting her glasses and looking directly at him for the first time.

    Her target had to smirk. The proper tone of her voice was very reminiscent of the first time Judy had attempted to put him "under arrest". How he'd love to toy with her sister as well, to frustrate and aggravate. Nick was sure that his little bunny partner would actually really enjoy it. But no, he had a different goal to pursue.

    "I was," Nick nodded, "for just around twenty years."

    "All right," Violet looked down at her notes, scribbling on her tablet with her stylus. She was alarmed by the expedience of his answer. "What sort of 'work' did that entail?"

    Judy huffed, looking away and wagging her head.

    "Well," the fox looked over the claws of one hand, "my favorite was to trick some poor mammal into buying something large like a Jumbo Pop for me, then melting it down and selling it individually to many other customers for a tidy profit. When I was first cutting my teeth on the whole 'hustling' thing, I had to learn the classics, of course, like the shell game and three-card Monte."

    One of Judy's eyebrows piqued as Nick answered the questions so openly. She didn't even recall getting such clear answers from him on these sorts of issues. Though, she supposed she never thought to ask so directly.

    "So, perpetuating the fox stereotype, I see," Violet murmured. "Sneaky. Underhanded."

    "Hey!" Judy barked.

    "It was easy to do when everyone expected you to be that way," Nick answered.

    Judy looked at Nick, slightly alarmed. She was amazed to see that he did not look in any way hurt by Violet's words, and his confidence was still on full display. Looking past him and down slightly, Judy placed a paw on her chest as she remembered the hurt and disappointment in his voice at his retelling of his past and what drove him to become a hustler. Realizing that those words were only for her ignited a strange feeling in her chest, one between a bright sense of worth and a gnawing sorrow.

    Violet swallowed, looking at her questions, and continued. "My research indicates you have connections to a crime lord. Is that accurate?"

    "How would you-!?" Judy started forward, then deflated when she got a small, cautionary look from Nick. "Rgh."

    "That is true," Nick nodded gravely. "His name's Mr. Big. He took me in when a few bad turns of luck had left me almost penniless. I'd fallen out with my mother at the time, but the Big family took me in, briefly. I didn't exactly like how they did things there, so I ended up trying to pull a fast one on Mr. Big one day, and that- er, that put me on thin ice with that arctic shrew, if you'll excuse the joke."

    "I... I see," Violet made some more notes. "When it comes to relationships, have you ever pursued anyone of the lapine persuasion before-?"

    "Okay, look!" Judy interrupted with a broad swipe of her hand and pushed up on the table with both paws, rising in her chair. "Is this just going to be a constant interrogation? Is that what you're after? Are you just gonna attack his character over and over until- until what? You get proof that he's not some perfect shining sterling example of a fox!?"

    Violet didn't say anything, but her eyes darted between Nick and Judy. She quietly retreated to her tablet and scrolled down the list.

    "If you'd like me to get to a more pertinent question, I can," Violet replied softly. She looked directly at Nick once more. "What are your intentions with my sister?"

    "His 'intentions'!?" Judy fumed, gritting her teeth.

    "Judy, please," Nick held up a hand to placate her. "I've got this one."

    Violet waited for both Nick's reply and her sister's frustrated breathing to quiet down.

    "Okay, Violet, you really want to know the answer to that question, hm?" Nick folded his hands on the table. "Well, I suppose I can tell you. In Judy, I want someone I can wake up every day with, confident that she'll be there. I want her to keep me on track, highlight my mistakes, keep me honest. I want someone I can trust with no reservations, someone I can wrap my arms around and tell that things will be all right. And, Lord help me, I want to be good enough to make those things right for her. I know Judy's the one mammal in my life that can fulfill all of those things."

    Both bunnies were quiet; their eyes were as open as they could be.

    "And," Nick's solemn look started to melt into a half-smile. "I want to please her. I want to make her as happy as I can, really delight her, you know? It's great when she's irritated, but she's even more delightful when she's happy." Nick turned to look at her affectionately. "Someday, hopefully soon, I'd even like to hear her crying out for me with the same passion she approaches the rest of her life with. Like, that real yearning." He chuckled mischievously. "Hmhm. Get that proof I'm doing a good job and all."

    "Nick...!" Judy winced, her ears burning. "I- I think she's got the point!"

    He shrugged. "I just thought I'd give that 'being honest' thing a try."

    The bunny wagged her head. "There's a level of candor that's polite, and then there's-"

    "Well, I think I've heard enough," Violet said flatly, putting her tablet into a carrying case next to her.

    "Violet, no, wait a second!" Judy waved her hands frantically.

    "May I share an anecdote with you, Nicholas?" Violet tilted her head, adjusting her glasses. He nodded and shrugged. "I once knew a- no, I once knew of a fox. That fox spun a long train of half-truths to get close to someone I care very much about. Then, when they were in position to achieve their true goal-" Violet snapped her fingers loudly. "They struck. Like a true predator. They lulled, they connived, they reassured. Their words, charm, and actions were all a veil, and underneath was a mammal capable of a great deal of harm. A great deal of harm."

    "What? Violet?" Judy blinked. "Hh- who was this?"

    Violet glanced briefly at her sister, but ignored her and looked seriously at Nick. "Perhaps you can understand my concern that a charming fox such as yourself has his eyes on my sister."

    "Absolutely," Nick nodded. "A hundred percent."

    "Wha- uh, Nick!" Judy looked between the two frantically. "You're just going to take that?"

    "Trust is earned, Judy," Nick gave her a slightly injured smile, "and when it's betrayed, it takes a long time to come back."

    "That's not fair at all!" Judy fumed. "Just because you're a fox? Just because- because of course you'd do something bad too, because you're a fox and that's what they do!?"

    "To Violet..." Nick looked carefully at the slender, sweater-clad bunny, "I haven't done anything to stray from the patterns she's seen. I've been 'that fox', in her eyes."

    Surprisingly, Violet slowly smiled. "On the contrary."

    Both bunny and fox were blindsided with confusion.

    "'That fox' never admitted their faults so honestly or plainly," Violet's smile grew broader. "Nor did they reveal what exactly they wanted so plainly, until they had already made their mark. You... seem different."

    "How about that, Fluff?" Nick's face dropped in a puzzled amazement. "I guess honesty really is the best policy."

    "Wha- I don't get it," Judy placed her hands on her temples and shook her head vigorously. She stared at her sister. "Are you suddenly okay with Nick!?"

    Violet nodded, just barely. "Now that I know what he wants."

    Judy felt herself flushing again. "...Mh-me?"

    "Well, yes, but more specifically..." Violet giggled a bit, "he wants a mate."

    Nick coughed conspicuously and turned his head slightly away.

    "I mean... yeah...?" Judy's pinched giggle trailed off.

    "I did my homework, Judy," Violet's smile was assured. "I know what having a mate tends to mean to a fox. To know that that's what he wants in you, that that's what he's striving to be for you, and realizing that you mean that much to someone... well, I can only be happy about that."

    Nick cleared his throat and wrestled his calm facade back onto his face. "See, Judy? Told you your family would like me."

    "Oh shut up," Judy laughed, shoving him.

    "Speaking of," Violet retrieved a few bills and left them on the table, "I should get back to them before too long. I'd like to see Nicholas over at the compound sometime soon, if that would be acceptable."

    "Shoo..." Nick huffed in daunted amusement. "One down, hundreds to go."

    Violet gave a mischievous smile that he'd definitely seen on Judy before. "All I'd ask is that you give me plenty of advance warning so I can shuffle around the sleeping arrangements for some of our less... 'agreeable' siblings."

    "I... I guess we could come over sometime?" Judy still seemed confused at Violet's abrupt reversal in demeanor. "Hope you like being buried in bunny fluff, Nick."

    "Sounds like a little slice of heaven to me," he replied in a high voice, smirking.

    "They'll be shrieking children, not my hot sisters," Judy jerked her thumb at Violet.

    "Ah..." Nick's jaw hung open and he did not look as sure anymore.

    Violet giggled into a paw. "This should be fun. Goodbye, Judy. I hope to see you two sooner rather than later." She got up from her chair and started to walk out.

    "Bye, Vi," Judy smiled apologetically, unwilling to let her escape before she got a hug in. Violet hugged back, looking very slightly uncomfortable. "Sorry about... well... being snippy, I guess?"

    "Don't worry, Judy, I know how it is when what you want is challenged," Violet pat her head. "You just keep challenging that world though, little sister. Seems like you're squeezing everything you want out of it."

    "Ah..." Judy looked a little impressed and gave a determined nod and smile. "Right!"

    The smaller bunny looked quite happy as she took her seat next to the fox.

    "So you do have more hot sisters, then?" He quipped. He got an immediate punch in the arm. "Okay, deserved that. Only kidding, though. You're all the bunny I need."

    It was romantic and sappy, but Judy did detect a note of genuineness in his voice. That very slight tone that betrayed his honesty, easy to miss, even with bunny ears. But it was there. She rolled her eyes over to Nick with a large grin.

    "And you do need me, you big red goofball."

    "Oh, ever so much," Nick agreed, bringing an arm around her. Judy let herself be drawn close, feeling a small kiss on the top of her head, right between her ears. "More than I can say."

    Judy sighed in contentment. She had the feeling it was going to be a good day.

Chapter 63: Arrangements

    Sitting alone in one of the Zootopia Police Department's interrogation rooms was a hare. Roughly Judy's size, maybe a tiny bit larger, she looked worried as she scanned her eyes back and forth, unable to see anything beyond the room. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, rubbing her brown-furred arms with her hands.

    Standing on the other side of the glass, Nick tapped the tip of one of his ears. "She's got those black ear tips of yours."

    "She's an Anihonese hare," Judy noted, studying the hare's facial expressions. She folded her arms. "Kind of small for one."

    "And young," Chief Bogo added, coming up behind the two, looking over some papers. "I need you two to figure out why a nineteen-year-old is ferrying illegal explosives around Tundratown."

    "I mean, they are fireworks," Judy moved her hands up and down near her as if she was weighing something.

    The fox smoothly shook his head. "Professional-grade, foreign-built. They're dangerous by any count."

    "Which is why they're illegal," Chief Bogo said in dull aggravation. "Now, get to it."

    "Okay," Judy nodded resolutely. She looked up at her partner. "You wanna do the typical good cop, bad cop?" She gestured first at him, then herself.

    Nick looked sidelong at Judy, leaning over slightly. "Maybe I should be the bad cop this time? I know how to handle the lapines."

    The gray bunny's head and ears lolled to the side. "Oh, do you?"

    "But..." Nick shrugged one arm, "on the other hand, we do have a good thing going. Maybe we shouldn't mess with the winning formula."

    "You're messing with my patience, which I have in limited supply," Bogo grunted. "Go."

    The buffalo gestured to the interrogation room, and the two much smaller officers obediently scuttled on in. Bogo offhandedly slapped the case file into Judy's chest on the way. The hare looked only mildly surprised by their arrival.

    "So!" Judy started with her typical blithe perkiness. "Rini Mizuki. A whole nineteen years old."

    Rini's brow lowered slightly. "Mm."

    "You want to tell us what you were doing carting around such high-end fireworks, darlin'?" Nick folded his arms, taking up his usual position behind Judy. He was to play the role of the gentle "giant", ready to rein in his little firebrand when she inevitably flew off the handle.

    The brown hare's similarly-colored eyes shifted to the side, looking away from the two policemammals. "I don't."

    "No, of course you don't," Judy tapped her finger on the side of her cheek. "And even better for you that you're of legal age, if only barely." Rini returned a baffled look, and Judy smiled dangerously. "Else we'd have had to call your parents." Judy swiveled her eyes up to the ceiling. "And gosh, isn't there some sort of thing in Anihonese culture about that? Little Miss Mizuki bringing shame to the family name, caught up in-"

    "I am not Anihonese!" Rini barked in sudden anger, taking Nick aback and making Judy's eyebrows raise. "I am a Zootopian! You saw my license, didn't you?"

    "You're an Anihonese hare," Judy argued. "It's plain to see."    

    "My parents are from Anihon," Rini grit her teeth. "I was born and raised here, in Zootopia. I am not bound to any Anihonese traditions."

    "Well, that's good for you," Judy leaned on the table, frowning. "So you can just commit a crime like this with moral impunity then, huh?"

    "Rgh!" The hare gazed with open disgust at Judy. "You don't know anything!"

    "Forgive my partner's crass nature," Nick glanced down at his partner with bemusement, "she tends to be a little loose with that tiny tongue of hers. You must have fallen on some tough times, hm? Some shady guys ask you to do a job, earn a heap of bucks... maybe help yourself and some others with that money?"

    "No!" Rini's face wildly changed from anger, to hurt, to something like fear. "It's... listen, I can't tell you!"

    "Can't, or won't?" Judy replied in a dim voice.

    "I'm already in enough trouble as it is since you caught me," Rini began to look upset. "Everything's ruined. I can't- I won't be able to talk to anyone."

    "This have something to do with why you refused a lawyer?" Nick narrowed one eye.

    "Do you think you're in some sort of danger?" Judy blinked, looking concerned.

    "Yeah, they told me never to get myself caught," Rini looked down, "a caught hare is as good as dead."

    "Who are... 'they'?" Judy asked.

    "I... I can't tell you," Rini shook her head firmly, taking in and releasing a difficult breath.

    "We can't protect you if we don't know who we're protecting you from," Nick said gently.

    "It's... ugh..." Rini's next few breaths came quickly. "It's the White Rabbit. Or... more precisely, the Shirousagi."

    "The Shirousagi?" Judy echoed, stiffening up. "Who are they, Wilde?"

    "Beats me," Nick frowned. "Sounds like a gang."

    "Yes, it's an Anihonese gang," Rini confirmed. "Their activity in Zootopia has increased recently, and I- I wanted to know why. The Shirousagi shouldn't be here, and their presence makes me nervous."

    "So you... you're working for them?" Judy looked baffled, placing both paws on the table and leaning forward.

    "I joined them," Rini nibbled on her lower lip, "I joined them so I could get closer to them and find out why they were operating in Zootopia."

    "Rini... you really don't want to get mixed up with gangs," Nick offered. He knew from experience.

    "You're basically still a kit!" Judy's voice swelled with both anger and concern. "You shouldn't be infiltrating some sort of criminal organization! That's what we have police and undercover agents for! Why put yourself in harm's way?"

    "That's what you don't get!" Rini sneered at Judy. "That's the way Anihonese gangs work... they're usually strictly mono-species, or sometimes there will be some closely related species in the ranks. How many Anihonese hare police do you have, huh? Or secret agents?"

    "Er..." Judy flinched.

    "I love my homeland," Rini grumbled, "and I want to protect it from the Shirousagi. I couldn't think of any other way to find out what they were doing than to pretend to join them, try to rise up the ranks. But looks like that plan's a bust..."

    "Hm," Nick frowned.

    "Are you gonna lock me up?" Rini looked up at the fox. "If you do, can you make sure I don't share a prison block with any Anihonese mammals? They could be working for them..."

    "We'll..." Judy made a quizzical face. "We'll have to talk to the Chief about this. You're sure you don't want a lawyer."

    "Very sure," Rini looked down. "I'm afraid they'd find some way to get one of their own to represent me somehow... then..."

    "Well, she's properly paranoid, for one," Nick said.

    Chief Bogo tapped on the glass, a signal to disengage. Both policemammals gathered their things and left the despondent-looking hare in her seat.

    "Very good, you two," the broad buffalo said. He was handed a report from a smallish arctic hare officer. "Thank you, Skippel." After a brief read, he frowned thoughtfully. "Well, your interrogation and this analysis confirms it. The fireworks did in fact originate in Anihon. Must've been smuggled here."

    "So what does that mean?" Judy inquired, looking up at the Chief. "Is there anything else we can do?"

    "Unless you can dye your fur brown and you speak Anihonese fluently, no," Bogo almost smirked.

    "I- yeah, I could do the former, but not the latter," Judy looked guilty.

    "We'll let ICE and the ZBI know what we've discovered, and maybe it will give them a lead or two," Chief Bogo said, mostly to himself, "if there is indeed a foreign gang mustering strength in Zootopia, they'll need all the information they can get."

    "What about her?" Judy looked through the window at Rini. "Will she stand trial? Can we appoint her a lawyer that has no connections to the Shirousagi?"

    "We'll see what we can do," Bogo nodded. "For now, we can arrange to hold her on suspicion of collusion to smuggle contraband, if she's too afraid to go home."

    Nick nodded. "So we're done?"

    "File your reports, then you can leave," Bogo grunted, looking over the report he was handed. "Good work out there, you two."

    "Well, we wouldn't have caught her had my bookish partner not pulled her over for a very minor traffic violation," Nick teased, looking down at Judy.

    The bunny shot him a testy look and her face scrunched up, but she smirked. "Also, it was only due to my partner's incredible nose that we discovered she was carrying explosives."

    Bogo rubbed the bridge of his snout with two fingers. "Enough kissing each others' tails. You can do that on your own time."

    Judy flinched as the offhanded comment landed in her ears. "Wh-what do you mean, sir? We don't- we're not..." Nick began to look uncomfortable.

    "Dating? Sleeping together? I don't care," Bogo spared one second to look at the two before sweeping his eyes back to his notes. "As long as you're both the same rank, fraternization is not encouraged, but it's not forbidden."    

    "But, we're actually not, is the thing," Nick held up a perfunctory finger cautiously.

    The fox caught an intense glare from his boss. "What kind of fool do you take me for, Wilde? You two flirt shamelessly on the job. The scuttlebutt is that you've even moved in together. I just told you I don't care. Leave."

    "But sir, just because-" Judy started, holding her arms palm-up.

    "Let's just leave it, Hopps," Nick held Judy back with one hand. "Let's... we'll go home."

---

    That evening at their apartment, Nick and Judy were finishing up emptying the dishwasher together. The gray bunny was extra aware of how close she tended to stand to Nick, and it suddenly made her a little uncomfortable. She tried to give him some more room, but their movements around each other seemed like a spontaneous dance. They never got in each other's way, and they flowed with a kind of silken grace past each other while doing this most mundane of tasks.

    "So, uh..." Judy dried her hands, looking distracted, "what did you think about today?"

    "Well," Nick coughed, but a wicked smile started to spread across his face, "we apprehended a black ear-tipped firebrand of a lapine who was willing to put herself at great risk to defend something she believed in." He tapped the top of his muzzle, looking at the ceiling. "You know- I couldn't tell you why, but that sounds just a little bit familiar."

    "Oh, ha ha," she enunciated, tossing her head left and right. She rolled her eyes and moved to the couch, throwing herself onto one end. "I kinda meant, y'know. What Chief Bogo insinuated. Everyone- everyone thinks we're together."

    "Doesn't matter what they think if it's not true," the fox looked slightly cautious, but he sat on the couch on the end furthest from Judy.

    "I mean, we do- we do live together," the bunny laughed nervously.

    "You suggested it," Nick shrugged. "Our places were both tiny little dumps." He gestured widely at the apartment. "This place was closer. We get along well. It made sense."

    "Nick... growing up, how was your love life?" Judy asked with surprising casualness, leaning back on the arm of the chair.

    He looked momentarily surprised, then laughed. "Oh, you think it'll be that easy, do you?"

    "I can tell you how mine was," Judy looked down.

    "Here we go," Nick rolled his eyes.

    She was undeterred. "Of course I- I had people interested in me. Ever since I was young, I had my dream to be a police officer. I never let up with it. So I got all those rumors started about me being a weirdo and all. That didn't keep all the bucks away from me, though! Just most."

    "Understandable," the fox folded his paws across his chest. "I'm guessing the small-minded hicks down there don't too much appreciate deviation from the norm." He punctuated the last few words with a rustic accent, to which Judy couldn't help but laugh.

    "'If she makes your nose twitch, it's time you made a switch'," Judy quoted, pointing at her partner. "So they say."

    "Wow, what a ridiculous expression."

    "So yeah, once the rumors had hit a fever pitch, I had no date for prom," Judy shrugged bashfully. "Didn't actually go. Ah well. I knew I couldn't hold down a boyfriend in Bunnyburrow anyway, not when I was going to move to Zootopia and everything."

    "You don't seem too broken up about it," Nick noted. "Guess it wasn't a priority."

    "I won't say it didn't hurt to be constantly rejected and all, but yeah," she puffed air out of her cheeks. "They were all a buncha dumb bunnies anyway."

    The fox chuckled. "Is that so?"

    Judy brightened up considerably and perked up in her seat. "So how about you?"

    "Oh, so this is 'you share, I share'?" Nick smirked. "You think I'm gonna fall for that?"

    The bunny crossed her legs and placed her hands on her feet, leaning in like a gossiping schoolgirl. "Well, it's either that, or I bother you until you end up telling me anyway. Just thought I'd go easy on you for my first prod."

    "Your magnanimity is truly staggering," Nick deadpanned with a completely straight face. He stared at the clearly interested bunny for a few seconds until sighing. "Fine, I guess I can tell you."

    "Yeee!" She clapped three times.

    "Wasn't too dissimilar from you, actually," Nick looked at one of his paws, then held up three digits. "Had three girlfriends, all vixens. All of them broke up with me."

    "They broke up with you?" Judy's brow furrowed and she looked confused.

    Nick smirked. "I'll take that as a compliment. Yeah. It was kind of my fault, to be honest. After getting to know them, I kind of picked out their idiosyncrasies. I'd start teasing them about them, over and over. Just, things about them I didn't like, or whatever. Eventually all of them broke. I drove them all away." He huffed. "I did have a date for prom night, but that's when I crossed the line with her, too. So yeah, didn't go well."

    "Why would you do that?" She looked crestfallen.

    "I've told you I hustled since I was a kit, right?" Nick asked glumly. "I kind of felt like all of those vixens- like they were putting on fronts, too. Just like I did. Y'know, getting a charming young fox like me to like them... it was more of a symbol than a real emotional connection. I thought that there were layers that I could have sworn I could see through. I saw through my marks during my hustles, and I saw through those vixens. In a part- er, in a girlfriend, I wanted someone I could be completely honest with, even if it came to things they didn't want to hear. But all three of them were the same. They didn't want me at my most honest. They wanted me to be charming, sneaky, and lie to them about how I felt."

    "So they reinforced your beliefs about what a 'fox' is..." Judy seemed both intrigued and saddened.

    "More or less," he sighed. "So, I basically swore off romance." He swiped a paw. "I kept the females at paw's length ever since, and didn't look back."

    "Yeah, and how is that working out for you?"

    Nick didn't respond immediately. The bunny's question was more genuine than chiding, and it landed in a strange place in Nick's heart.

    "Can't really complain, Fluff."

    There was quiet between the two. Judy started to watch a game show.

    "Wonder if there's any cruddy movies on tonight," she flashed a mischievous grin. "You feel like watching one and riffing on it with me?"

    "Sounds good," Nick nodded. After watching her flipping through the TV program list for a moment, he narrowed his eyes. "Fluff, you don't really want a boyfriend, do you?"

    "I... uh..." Judy's eyes widened, but were fixed on the TV. "...I mean, I haven't given it too much thought, to be honest."

    "A guy would only hold you down, wouldn't he?" The fox gestured casually. "A driven bunny like you."

    "Probably," she nodded rapidly. "I feel like I wouldn't have much time for him. Then, when special assignments or anything like that came up... it'd cause even more strain. That's even ignoring whatever personality clashes we'd have."

    "Mm," Nick grunted, shifting his position. He was slouching to the point of almost laying down.

    Another quiet moment went by. Judy felt like her heart accelerated as she stole a look at the reclined fox.    

    "...And you?"

    "Nope," he shook his head once firmly. "Can't say I'm after a boyfriend."

    "Nick...!"

    Though he saw it coming, he didn't block the throw pillow that was tossed at him, and only slowly removed it from his face.

    "If I got a girlfriend..." Nick mused, "I'd have to be able to be myself around her. She'd have to put up with everything I did, she'd have to understand me and empathize with me; she'd have to be my confidant. I'd have to be able to go to her to support me whenever I needed, and I'd have to be able to lift her up, too."

    Judy's eyes seemed to twinkle in the light of the TV. She swallowed with difficulty.

    "That- that..." the bunny placed a hand to her chest. "That sounds kinda like... like me."

    Nick cautiously looked over at her with an unclear expression. "I guess it does, doesn't it?"

    "You're looking for a vixen like me...?"

    "I'm not 'looking' for anyone," Nick assured her.

    Judy heard her breath start to pick up, and the fox started to smell discomfort from the gray bunny.

    "Fluff- Judy..." Nick straightened up in his seat. "I didn't move in with you to be closer to you. I swear."

    She stood up on the couch and her face twisted between different emotions. Judy gestured at herself.    

    "But do you want to be closer to me?"

    "...You know, honestly?" Nick looked at her with an intrigued eyebrow piqued. "I'm kind of tired. Maybe we can do 'bad movie night' another night." He gave a stretch and a yawn.

    "Your evasion is usually a bit more slick than that," she accused with half-lidded eyes. "You didn't answer my question."

    "I did not," Nick confirmed. He got up to head to the bathroom.

    "Would you be attracted to me if I was a vixen?" Judy shot after him.

    He stopped in his tracks and carefully looked at the bunny sidelong.

    "...What you are wouldn't change how I feel about you."

    "Oh, please," Judy sneered. "I doubt I would have gotten all of those comments from when we first met. I doubt you would have called me a 'dumb vixen'."

    "After what I just told you about my girlfriends?" Nick smirked. "I guess you weren't paying attention."

    "Nick, why won't you just open up to me?" Judy leaped off the couch and pursued him, standing close to him, but being careful not to step on his tail. "You're just- you're keeping me at 'paw's length', huh?"

    "Something like that."

    Frustration simmered within Judy as Nick shut the door on her and entered the bathroom. He was in there for quite awhile, and she only at the end heard him going through his nightly routine. The fox flinched as he saw Judy still staring at him with a sprinkling of anger.

    "I thought I was special to you, Nick," Judy balled her fists. "I thought you trusted me more than... than just some vixen."

    "...You are... and I do."

    "What...?" She scrunched her face, looking unconvinced.

    "I don't want to wreck a good thing, Judy," he sighed, turning his head toward his door. "Like I said, I didn't move in with you to catch 'accidental' glimpses of you in the shower, or get to see you in your nightwear, or come up with an excuse to sleep in your bed, or cuddle with you on the couch. Because if you felt uncomfortable living with me in any way, regardless of how I felt, then I know that 'this'... whatever we are... it wouldn't work."

    "Oh..." the bunny flinched, looking like she was processing his statement.

    Nick hesitated before heading into his room, but he couldn't gather what he wanted to say to the confused-looking bunny, and closed his door. Judy stood by his door for a good three minutes.

    "I mean, it'd be kind of funny if we did end up together, you know?" She chirped at the door.

    "Funny?" The fox's voice was muffled by the door between them.

    "Yeah... after everything- you know, after everyone thinking we were together... I mean if we actually were... then... that sure would be amusing, huh?"

    "I don't think 'funny's' the word," he replied. "Maybe 'unsurprising' or 'anticlimactic'."

    "Tch," Judy frowned, but she realized he was just trying to drive her away, and she clenched her paws, not willing to give in. She reached for his doorknob, but something stopped her. The bunny felt trapped in some sort of purgatory between wishing to respect Nick's privacy and blasting in and demanding he stop being so evasive about how he felt.

    Her breathing quieted, but she counted at least two or three more minutes of waiting before she finally started to turn around.

    "You're still there, aren't you?" Nick's voice came.

    "Yeah," Judy nodded. Some part of her wanted to say "I'll always be there for you", but she squashed that desire rather quickly. "Listen... we have tomorrow off, right? I'll- you know, I'll be here if you want to talk. About anything."

    "I know you will."

    The reply sent a shot of both encouragement and confusion into the bunny's heart.

    She sighed and started to head for her own bedroom.

    Faintly, her big ears caught his voice once more. "I know this really bad movie we can watch together tomorrow. You're gonna love it."

    Judy finally smiled sincerely, and closed the door to her room.

Notes:

Just as a bit of a note:

Anihon is an analogue of Japan

Anihonese being "Japanese"

Chapter 64: Conceal

    It was amazing how just one female could made him feel.

    There he was, already a sour fox, already jaded from his idealism being broken when he was a mere young kit. Only eighteen, yet already savvy and slick enough to scam hapless mammals out of their lunch money. Then there were his "extracurricular" activities, where he lined his pockets with even more bucks.

    They really should have seen it coming. Nick was a fox, after all. They're "known" for being untrustworthy.

    Sure, he was always at odds with his mother. She didn't want him hanging around with that Finnick character... that nasty, biting little fennec. A bad influence, she called him; he just perpetuated the fox stereotype. Little did she know that Nick found his own views of the world more bleak than Finnick did.

    But he felt like things were about to turn around for him.

    Throughout his high school years, Nick hadn't had too much luck with the vixens. Sure, he was attractive; most mammals would agree with that. Heck, Nick would tell you that himself. He had a few girlfriends, sure. They were drawn in by his natural charm and smoothness. A lot of his sarcasm and disdain for the world was an act, but a lot of it was genuine, too. Sometimes, Nick felt like he couldn't tell where his facade ended and the "real Nick" began.

    Of course, he wanted to show his girlfriends the "real Nick". His fondest wishes hadn't really changed ever since they were first broken; he wanted to belong. To a "pack", like wolves did, maybe? Or to "someone", perhaps?

    When he opened up to the females, however, he found only disappointment. They didn't want that soft, tender, emotional Nick. They wanted the sarcastic, sly Nick. They wanted the mask. Eventually, every relationship he found himself in was cut off. He had to wonder if it was his fault. If he just could keep the mask on, maybe he could get what he wanted from the girls. But... would it really be what he wanted?

    But things changed when she walked into his life. He never would have thought of it; never even considered another kind of mammal could make him feel this way. Finding the perfect vixen would have been one thing, but he found the perfect bunny.

    One fateful day, he walked up to that bunny. She was a gorgeous thing. A good bit smaller than him, of course. Though she wasn't a cheerleader or super popular or anything, her attitude completely played off of Nick's, and he found his true self coaxed out. A few nights before that day, they had shared something special, something intimate.

    Nick was left asking questions about himself. Was he really so attracted to a bunny, a different species? Did it even matter what she was? Was she the one for him?

    "Hey," Nick greeted her with his casual charm. He leaned on a locker near the bunny. She turned around with a knowing smirk, her warm brown eyes accentuating the auburn field of fur they were set in.

    "Hey, Nicky," she replied, tone rich with a teasing fondness.

    "So Roxi, I was wondering," Nick looked at the carefully trimmed claws on one of his paws, "you wanna go out this weekend? Dinner? Movie?"

    "Mmm," Roxi's eyes narrowed, and she seemed to think. "Dunno... I have a thing planned with my bunnyfriends."

    "Ah, okay," Nick shrugged casually, nodding. "How about the next weekend?"

    The bunny's eyes drifted off to the side, and Nick's heart skipped a bit. Was something wrong? No, something was definitely wrong.

    "Hey um... Nicky?" Roxi's eyes seemed apologetic. "Listen, you're a great guy and all... but-"

    "But...?" The fox tried not to look surprised, but he felt claws reaching into his gut and squeezing.

    Roxi nibbled on her lip. "You were really great, Nicky..." her giggle was delightful, but it wasn't landing true. "But you know, about us bunnies... flings like you and I had is like... how we say 'hello', you know?"

    He didn't know. The claws around his innards moved into his throat, which felt incredibly tight.

    "Oh, right, sure," Nick waved his paw dismissively.

    Don't let her see she gets to you. It'll only make it worse.

    "See? I knew you'd get it," Roxi huffed out in relief, rolling her eyes. "All my girls were like: 'but he's a fox!' Y'know, they're those clingy 'mate-for-life' types. But I knew you weren't like that!"

    "Yeah, definitely not," Nick shook his head. "What kinda fox thinks like that anymore?"

    "Right?" Roxi drew her laptop up to her chest and hugged it close to her. "That's what I said! Interspecies is all the rage right now. And I gotta say, you were amazing."

    "Naturally," Nick struggled to stretch his usual smirk onto his muzzle. He felt part of him slipping away, and it managed to escape through his mouth. "I just thought, y'know, you might want a little more of this amazingness. That's all."

    "Oh, I would, definitely..." Roxi winced, looking him up and down. "But we're still so young! This place has so many sexy mammals to sample, yeah? I wouldn't wanna tie you down... y'know, I wouldn't want any rumors to spread about you or anything."

    "Rumors...?" He echoed.

    "Yeah, I mean, most mammals are down with interspecies, but not all," the brown bunny nodded rapidly, "so uh, if you wanted to take a vixen to the prom or something, I wouldn't want other mammals calling you a 'prey-chaser' or anything and scaring the females away. So maybe it's better if we didn't let our little adventure go public, huh?"

    "You're not afraid of having a fling with a fox, are you?" Nick asked, feeling his soul draining.

    "Oh me? No way!" Roxi laughed. "I could pin that on my wall! In fact, I think I might need to go smaller next time, if you know what I mean." She winked. "But I won't go spreading it around out of respect for you."

    "How gracious of you," the words came out sprinkled with the bitterness that was rapidly swelling in Nick's wounded heart, but she didn't seem to notice.

    "I'm such a lucky bunny that I got to get with a handsome fox like you!" Roxi grinned widely. "Listen, I gotta go, but I won't forget you, 'kay?" She waved rapidly, then scurried off.

    Nick was sure he wouldn't forget her, either.

---

    At lunch that day, Nick was in such a low place that he didn't even notice Flash joining him at his table. It was quite a feat, because Nick was generally very observant and Flash, while expedient for a sloth, was still very meticulous.

    "Hey... Nick," Flash greeted. "What's... wrong?"

    "Hey Flash," Nick grumbled. "Just, rgh. I thought I had something with Roxi. But she was just in it to use me and throw me away. Like a paper towel."

    Flash ponderously frowned. "I knew... she was... wrong-"

    "In the head?" Nick snapped wryly, folding his arms.

    "-For you," Flash had a look of sympathy across his face as he slowly brought out his lunch.

    "I guess I am just a typical fox after all," said fox sucked at his teeth and jerked his head to the side in shame. "I guess I'm just an idiot for wanting something more than a fling, some female I can really... I dunno, connect with. On an emotional level."

    "That's not... dumb at all..." Flash slowly grew a sympathetic smile. Nick sighed. Flash always seemed so caring and thoughtful, but perhaps it was the time it took for him to change emotions that created that illusion. "She... was the dumb... one."

    "Yeah right," Nick rolled his eyes. "You tried to warn me, but I didn't listen. Got myself hustled by a bunny. Tch. I'm not gonna let that happen again..."

    Flash shook his head over the course of twenty seconds. "Nick... listen. One day... you'll find someone... that's good-"

    "At hiding their emotions like I do?" Nick scoffed. "That way we can just fake our way through life together."

    "-For you..." Flash finished. "For the... real... Nick."

    "...If you say so, Flash," the fox gave the sloth an embarrassed smile. "Y'know, I should really let you finish more of your sentences. You're quite an insightful sloth."

    "Thanks..." Flash smiled.

    "So, you ready for track later today, 'Hundred-Yard Dash'?" Nick's eyebrow raised.

    "I'm... always ready," Flash's own eyebrow raised, though much, much more slowly.

---

    Roxi groaned, letting a breath out through her teeth, but she rolled down her driver-side window. She relaxed slightly when she saw that it was a bunny cop that had pulled her over.

    "Oh hey...!" Roxi chirped.

    "Hey there!" Judy Hopps responded with equal cheer. "You know you were going 50 in a 35 zone, right?"

    "Really...?" Roxi cringed with a guilty smile. "Sorry...! I'm late for work, and you know how we bunnies are... gotta hop to it!"

    "Right, sure!" Judy smiled. "Welp! You're gonna be even later. License and registration, please."

    Roxi's hopes deflated considerably, then she handed the requested items over. Judy took them from her, still with a pleasant look on her muzzle, then returned to her cruiser. She hopped in and handed them over to Nick, who was sitting in the passenger's seat of the police cruiser.

    "Wouldja run these for me, Nick?" Judy smirked, then her eyes half-closed. "We got a speeder bunny, and I don't wanna hear anything about that from you."

    Nick chuckled in amusement, but an icy surge washed through him the moment he looked at the license.

    Sure enough, it was Roxanne Holland. There was no mistaking the cheerful face on the card. He slowly punched in the numbers after swallowing with difficulty. Judy didn't notice anything off with Nick, as she was busy staring at the brightly-colored car's license plate in case the brown bunny tried to retreat.

    Nick mentally prayed for Roxi to be some sort of criminal with a huge rap sheet, but inwardly cursed as her record came back clean as a whistle. Not even a single other driving infraction. He had so earnestly wished that Karma's fangs would sink in just the slightest bit deeper.

    The fox handed the information back to his partner silently.

    "Give her a ticket."

    "Egh, a wild driver, huh?" Judy frowned. "Making us bunnies look bad."

    "Not exactly," Nick admitted, "she's clean. But you should give her a ticket anyway."

    "Oh yeah?" The gray police bunny's eyebrow perked. "Why's that? Because it'd look like favoritism if I didn't?"

    "Something like that," the fox replied distantly.

    "Well look who's suddenly spiteful," Judy joked. The words sank too deep into Nick, and he was hoping she wouldn't realize.

    Don't let her see.

    "Yup, just a spiteful ol' fox," Nick smirked with some difficulty. "Make her pay, okay?"

    "Fine, fine," Judy held her paws up defensively. "It is fun to watch them squirm."

    The gray bunny marched over to the much smaller car, writing a ticket for Roxi.

    "Listen, gonna have to give you this, okay?" Judy gave the ticket to the brown bunny.

    "Really...!?" Roxi groaned, examining the fee. "C'mon, you're a bunny-"

    "Yeah, and as a bunny, we should know better, shouldn't we?" Judy put on her best reproving, matronly face. "Fifteen miles an hour is a sizable difference, especially in a residential area! Someone could have gotten hurt, especially a smaller mammal!"

    "Fine... sorry," Roxi pouted.

    "You're giving bunnies a bad name anyway," Judy shook her finger. "You know what they say about bunny drivers."

    "Yeah, yeah," the brown bunny rolled her eyes, slumping in the driver's seat.

    "If you have a dispute, you can take it up with the traffic court," Judy said with overbearing pleasantness. "Have a nice day!"

    "Right," Roxi grumbled, driving off.

    In the cruiser, Nick cursed himself for being so cowardly. He should have followed Judy to that lime-green car. What would he have said? "Remember me?" He felt his heart sinking. He thought he had cleansed himself from that specter of the past. There were so many mammals in Zootopia; what were the chances he would have run into that one bunny again?

    Judy hopped back into her cruiser, and the fox didn't shake off his despondent look in time.

    "So!" Judy chirped. "Ice cream? Coffee?"

    "Huh?" Nick waggled his muzzle.

    "Iced coffee...?" The gray bunny slowly tilted her head in Nick's direction. "You know... you look pretty bitter, so I thought maybe after work we could go sweeten you up."

    "Gee, thanks," Nick smirked wryly. He wanted to say no, but he figured there was a much more decisive way to do it. He hated that he still could be so manipulative, but he decided to throw the barb anyway. "So, what, are you asking me out on a date?"

    Judy's purple eyes immediately widened to show more of their white.

    Instantly, Nick felt a little upset that it'd worked so well. He knew bunnies and he knew how to deal with them. Well, with the temporary exception of when Judy had gotten the better of him, but that was just that one time. Bunnies were flighty; one needed only to challenge their paradigm, then they'd go running. When everything got down to it, Nick was still a fox, after all, and Judy was still a bunny. Nothing would change that about-

    "Huh," Judy's eyes narrowed and a playful smile crept along her face. "I guess I am. What do you say?"

    "Uh," the honest surprise coating Nick's muzzle made Judy's smile grow much further. "I mean, I guess."

    "C'mon...!" Judy whined winsomely. "Let's solve the puzzle of your muzzle and see if we can put a smile on it!"

    A puff of air exploded from said fox muzzle and his own honest smile formed, mostly at the ridiculousness of the statement.

    "See!? That wasn't so hard!"

    Nick rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. We'll go out. For coffee."

    Judy put the cruiser in gear and pulled away. "And then maybe you can tell me what's bothering you."

    Another frown instantly formed. "Little chance of that, Carrots."

    "Okay, okay," Judy backed off, gently smiling. "Just coffee."

    Nick had a funny feeling it wouldn't be "just" coffee. His sigh was warm anyway.

Chapter 65: Conceal II

    Judy placed two paper cups down on the table and sat down. The coffee shop was pretty empty that afternoon, and the bunny and fox officers had it almost to themselves.

    "'Preciate it," Nick said, starting to mix in cream and sugar.

    The bunny tilted her head as he put quite a prodigious amount of both into his cup. She chuckled. "Whoa there! This would be a great time for an 'I like my coffee like I like my partner', joke."

    The fox sipped from his coffee and smacked his jowls. "Something I overly rely on to sustain and actuate me?"

    Judy's smile wavered, but she kept it on as her brow weakened. "I- I was going to go for more like, 'smooth and sweet', but I guess that works."

    The fox sighed. He wasn't in a particularly good mood, mostly because he was very familiar with that look that Judy was giving him. She was trying to find a chink in Nick's armor, somewhere to get her bunny foot in the door and pry open his feelings. He tried to keep his features even, but Judy was starting to be able to see through this bluff.

    "So, Nick... I don't guess you wanna tell me what's wrong, do you?" Judy's tone was somewhere between concerned and optimistic.

    Nick let out an amused puff, taking a long sip of his coffee. "Did you really think it would be that easy, Carrots?"

    Judy's head tilted to the side and her eyes rolled that way as if affected by gravity. "Well, no... but you can't blame a girl for trying."

    "I came here for coffee, Fluff," Nick shook his head subtly. "That's what we agreed on."

    "It's just-" the bunny grit her teeth. "I don't know. Your mood took such a huge dive after we made that traffic stop. I figured you must like... have some sort of problem with her."

    "Wow," the fox's face and tone looked dully surprised, "they promoted you to detective and didn't tell me?"

    Judy's expression finally soured and she looked mildly insulted. "Listen, Nick. I know you, and I know you get all sarcastic and defensive when sensitive topics come up. But I'm your partner; you can tell me anything!" She gestured desperately at her chest. "Why won't you tell me what's wrong?"

    "Because I don't want to remember my first date with you as 'that time Judy tried to pry all of my deepest, most personal secrets out of me'!" Nick nearly barked.

    The gray bunny took in a sharp little gasp at Nick's sudden intensity, but then nodded seriously.

    "Okay, Nick, okay," Judy held her paws up in conciliation, then sighed and wrapped both paws around her coffee cup.

    An uneasy silence followed as the two continued to attempt to enjoy their coffee. Nick wasn't meeting Judy's eyes; he looked somewhat ashamed at his outburst. For her part, the bunny looked introspective, seemingly lost in thought.

    "Nick, ah..." her smile was uncharacteristically meek. "Can I ask you to do something?"

    "What is it?" He grumbled.

    "Would you feel my left cheek?"

    Surprise and puzzlement flooded the fox as he took in her earnest face. With a guarded nod, he slowly reached out to touch her, and Judy leaned her face into this with her eyes closed. Nick swiftly lost himself in the tender moment, feeling his pulse accelerate. Her face was so soft, both in feel and in appearance.

    She really was beautiful.

    "So? What do you think?" The bunny's voice was soft.

    "You- ah... you feel fluffy, Fluff," he mumbled.

    "Feel anything unusual...?"

    Gathering more of his senses, he attempted to follow up on her question, perusing her face in a more exploratory manner with two of his finger pads. After a little searching, he did find two, no- three, three unusual things. The most minute imperfections were on her face, three lines, almost broken up, and completely hidden by her fur.

    "Um, feels like a scratch?"

    "Mmhm, scars," Judy affirmed with a nod. He secretly treasured the soft bunny face nodding against his palm, but when the word sank in he slowly withdrew his paw.

    "Is that right...?"

    "Once upon a time," the bunny sighed and folded her arms on the table, leaning forward. "There was a fox who I caught doing something wrong. And when I tried to step in and do what's right, he hurt me. He told me I'd be nothing but a dumb carrot-farming bunny, and left me to myself."

    Nick's stomach twisted into a knot at her little story. He swallowed with difficulty as Judy's eyes didn't meet his.

    "B-but I..." he tried to squeeze the words out, "I never hit you."

    Judy shook her head. "No, you didn't. This was another fox. When I was nine."

    Nick's mind whirled into overdrive, and he was sure he looked like it. Of course! Everything made sense now. Why Judy was so suspicious of him, why she feared his threatening feint at the-

    "Oh God."

    He sat back in his chair, his tail drooping behind him to drag on the floor. Shame flooded him.

    "It's okay, Nick, it's okay," Judy smiled, holding a paw out. "It wasn't unprovoked. I attacked him first, even! I kicked him right across his muzzle. And I- I hurt you, too. So.... you lashed out."

    "I didn't know you had a history with foxes," Nick frowned. "That makes... well it makes what you did a lot more... understandable."

    Judy shook her head firmly. "No. I thought I was better than that. I told my parents I was better than that. I even believed it myself. But I- I guess we just can't fully know ourselves, or something. I ended up repeating things I'd been told. My parents thought predators were often bad people... foxes being sneaky, weasels being cheats. Predators being disposed to violence..."

    "So..." Nick rubbed under his muzzle. "...So you didn't want to use that as an excuse when the time came. Even though you could have." He chuckled bitterly. "Now I've got to share, huh? That's what this is, isn't it? You tell me something, I tell you something."

    Judy shrugged, her smile seasoned with guilt. "Well, maybe... I just thought that, you know... we can help each other? I've had some problems with foxes, and if you- if you had any problems with bunnies..." When she trailed off, she looked at Nick with an earnest expectancy.

    "You are helping me, Judy," Nick nodded, his expression heavy. "Right now, though, I'd just like to enjoy this coffee with you."

    Sensing the tenderness in Nick's voice, Judy smiled encouragingly and nodded. She slid her paw across the table, and Nick grasped it; maybe a little too eagerly. She didn't seem to mind.

---

    Nearly a month later, there was a robbery at a Savanna Central Omnimart on Nick and Judy's beat. The two were called upon to keep civilians away from the crime scene, as the mega-store remained open for business during the investigation.

    The partners' feet were clad in thick boots as they moved around the edge of the crime scene, trying not to walk in the glass of the broken facade. Soft crunches could be heard as they were only mostly successful. Thankfully, no one had been injured, but the damage done by one of the larger criminals had been quite substantial.

    Nick looked behind his shoulder as he saw one of the investigators, a wolf, sniffing around the debris rattling off the various scents to his partner. The two began to discuss who had moved through that area. There was some trace blood from the glass breakage as well.

    "Hope he doesn't get any glass in his nose," Nick thought aloud.

    "Please move along," Judy waved off a rubbernecking deer doe who got near the police tape. She planted her arms on her hips as she took in the rest of the store and just how massive it was. "So... Omnimart, huh? I haven't shopped here before."

    "'Omnimart: It's All That'," Nick rattled off their slogan. "Guess you don't have them in Bunnyburrow?"

    "Nope," she shook her head to confirm. "It looks... big."

    "Started by a small group of omnivores in Zootopia about sixty years back," the fox recalled. "They were tired of having to go to multiple stores to get all their favorite foods, so they figured, eh? Why not just get everything in one store? I guess they did a good job, because now you can get almost anything here, food or not, and they've become a massive chain across many city-states."

    "Guess that just makes them a bigger target for crime," Judy observed a pig waving over her partner with a "we got something!"

    "If only because they're everywhere," Nick shrugged. "Convenient stores make convenient targets for crimes, I guess. But, since they're so big, they have a good security system. I bet you our investigation gets corroborated by their surveillance videos and the perps get taken in." Nick took some conspicuous sniffs. "Even the rhino."

    "Definitely a rhino," the CSI wolf agreed as he walked by. "Think we got some of his blood."

    Judy reflexively winced at the thought of a glass shard sharp enough to penetrate rhino hide.

    "Nicky!? Oh my God!"

    With Judy's attention broken, she didn't immediately notice the brown bunny rushing over to them. She turned and was surprised to see Roxanne Holland, the very bunny she'd given a ticket to just a month prior.

    "Oh, hey Officer," Roxi waved, rolling her eyes in self-deprecation. "Paid my ticket like a good girl, won't happen again, yadda yadda..."

    Judy laughed in a subdued manner, so she didn't notice Nick's expression morphing from near wild shock to a casual, stern face.

    "We're gonna have to ask you to stay back, ma'am," the fox said sternly. "This is a crime scene."

    "Oh Nicky, c'mon," Roxi bunched her fists up close to her chest. "You remember me. It's been so long!"

    "You know this bunny?" Judy asked, the wheels in her head starting to turn.

    "I know everyone," Nick replied reflexively.

    "Friend of yours?" Judy pursued in a coquettish tone.

    "Oh, we were a little more than 'friends'," Roxi giggled, her tone also becoming teasing.

    "This is not really the place or time for some sort of reunion, Miss," Nick grumbled. "If you'd like to catch up, maybe-"

    "Nicky, c'mon! Don't treat me like that," Roxi smiled, waving a hand. "I know you! You're a policemammal now? That is so neat! I'm into relationship counseling, myself."

    "Doesn't surprise me," Nick muttered bitterly without thinking.

    "I mean, I'm the counselor," Roxi laughed, "not that I'm in counseling." Nick had no response. Roxi looked over at Judy, who was rapidly building some theories. "So, is this your..."

    "I'm his partner," Judy confirmed with a nod.

    The fox's teeth grit tightly in his muzzle as his discomfort was rapidly approaching an all-time high. He felt his fists balling, but quickly told himself to loose them.

    "Aw, Nicky...!" Roxi chirped. "Cute! I guess that'd be my fault, huh? You'd heard that saying, right Officer? 'Once you get a taste of the bunny honey'-"

    "Look, Roxanne," Nick suddenly held his hand out, coming very close to grabbing Roxi's shoulder, but stopping short. He gestured tersely with his paw. "Let me level with you, okay? What happened between us in school? How I said I was okay with it? I wasn't."

    Horror spread quickly over the brown bunny's face, and Judy looked shocked as well.

    "What... you weren't?" Roxi gasped. "Mn- but you said..."

    "I lied," Nick said bluntly, shrugging. "Guess I was a typical fox after all."

    "Nick, I am so sorry!" Roxi's jaw hung open, looking very distressed. "I- I thought we were being honest with how we felt!"

    "Well, maybe you were," Nick's eyes wandered to the side. "And... that's on me. So, no hard feelings, okay?" His voice sounded rather deadpan. "But it's my job to tell you to stay clear of here, so..."

    "Um, okay... I understand," Roxi nodded timidly. "I hope you- well... bye." The brown bunny awkwardly left, sparing him another look over her shoulder.

    Judy turned a concerned, worried look toward her partner.

    "Please don't start, Hopps," Nick said, looking out into the middle distance. "It's not appropriate workplace conversation."

    "I didn't say anything," she replied glumly.

    "Mm, but you were thinking it, weren't you?" He pursued. He clamped his mouth down and moved his tongue along his teeth before continuing. "Having a hard time avoiding an opportunity like this to get into my head, aren't you?"

    If she was honest, he was absolutely right. She desperately wanted to know what had happened between Nick and that bunny. But she sighed, her head bobbing forward. She almost missed a hamster near her that was trying to get a better look at the crime scene.

    "Please move along, sir, this is a crime scene," she muttered.

---

    Judy set a pizza pocket in her microwave and leaped onto her bed. She stared at her dinner as it rotated within, the timer ticking down slowly.

    Nick had some issues with bunnies; now she was certain about that. It seemed like the perfect parallel. Judy was a physical person, and she had suffered a physical incident with a fox that had given her trouble she hadn't wanted to acknowledge. Nick was an emotional fox, deep down, and it appeared his problems with bunnies were also emotional.

    Judy opened up her microwave and took a bite of the food.

    "Bleh!" It was still cold inside. Judy popped it back in and hazarded another few seconds. After it finished, she gingerly took another bite, only to find that now the pizza pocket seemed to have lava inside it instead of marinara sauce.

    "Ow ow ow!" Judy panted, frantically waving her paw near her mouth. "Jeez...!"

    Blowing on the food, her eyes watering, she attempted to eat it more carefully. In some ways, Judy was reminded of Nick. Despite what she thought were her best efforts, sometimes he could be so cold to her as she tried to get him to open up. But if she pushed just the littlest bit too far, he'd become unpleasant in the other direction. Fiery, unapproachable.

    "Aaaand now I'm comparing Nick to junk food," the bunny droned sarcastically as she examined what was left of her dinner. "Wonderful."

    After she finished her food, Judy considered turning in for the night. With thoughts of what to do with Nick swirling in her head, she knew it might not be the most restful sleep, but she figured she might as well try. Just before she started to dress down for bed, though, she heard a knock at the door, making her slumped ears perk up.

    "Who is it?"

    "It's me."

    ...Well, it sure sounded like Nick. Judy blinked rapidly and cautiously opened her door. It was, indeed, Nick. He looked anxious as he leaned on the wall near her doorway, maybe even a little sad.

    "Hey, Judy. ...Can we talk?"

Chapter 66: Reveal

Summary:

The conclusion to Conceal I and II

    "Make yourself at home," Judy's voice was heavy with disbelief as Nick walked into her small apartment. He had never just "shown up" unprovoked, and his sudden presence just as she was thinking about him seemed highly coincidental, if not downright serendipitous.

    Not that she didn't think about him quite often.

    Though Judy was expecting some sort of dig at her apartment, Nick surprised her by slowly walking in and sitting down at the foot of her bed, almost eye-to-eye with the bunny. Nick looked serious, almost resigned.

    "So," Nick slapped his paws together and rubbed them briskly. "What do you want to know about her?"

    The bunny resisted the temptation to play dumb and ask "who?" Instead, she spoke from her heart.

    "Nick, I don't really care about her. I care about you."

    The fox stared into the bunny's eyes as she gave him the tiniest smile. She squeezed his shoulder to attempt a bit of comfort.

    "Okay, kind of blunt, but okay," the fox took in a huge breath and let it out slowly.

    "What else is new?" Judy's head and ears tilted to the left with a dull smirk.

    "Well..." his eyes wandered to the corner of her apartment. "Okay. I came here to tell you this, so here goes. When I was younger, in high school... I met her. Roxanne. She was the first female to make me think beyond that- that purely physical lust like I had for the vixens I'd dated before. I thought my read on her was perfect. Our personalities jelled so well."

    The gray bunny nodded, petting his shoulder soothingly while he talked.

    "And then... we had sex," Nick continued. He tried to say it as dispassionately as possible, but Judy could detect the note of hurt in his voice. "It was- well, frankly, it was amazing. Somehow it felt so... I don't know... alive. There was something just so- so different about it compared to the vixens. I didn't know what it was. At first, I thought it was the thrill of the pred-prey thing... but, after thinking about it more, I had another thought."

    "Yes...?" She kept petting his shoulder.

    He sighed heavily. "I thought it was because I'd found a mate."

    "Oh, Nick..." Judy squeezed his shoulder again.

    "But, you can see how that went," Nick said bitterly. "She was after something different. I was just a 'flavor of the week' to her. I wasn't special. What we shared wasn't special."

    Judy's big eyes started to well, then she shivered, wiping her eyes of the approaching tears.

    "Whoa, Judy, what- I mean, c'mon," Nick's eyes flew open, holding a paw up near his chest. "It wasn't that bad... I mean, pff. Had sex with a hot bunny. Not the worst thing in the world."

    "Nick..." Judy's lip wavered. She gestured to herself. "I'm so sorry. I must have made you feel like that too. Like you weren't worth anything... like you weren't special."

    "I mean..." Nick sighed, bowing his head and shaking it. "We got through that."

    "And you've gone through your life having that feeling," Judy continued, clutching a fist to her chest, "that feeling like bunnies can't commit. That something about them entices you, but they'll just... you know... leave when they get what they want."

    "You came back though, Judy," Nick smiled softly, tilting his head back to meet her.

    "Yeah, I guess I did," Judy shrugged with a weak smile, but then laughed weakly and hugged him.

    "Anyway, I didn't entirely come here to boast about my sexual conquests," Nick said, causing Judy to scoff and push away from him. "I had a question to ask you."

    "Okay...?"

    "You wanna..." Nick swallowed, looking like he was having trouble with the words. "You wanna go out tonight? Dinner? Movie?"

    "Well, I've eaten," Judy smiled guiltily. "But a movie sounds fun!" She stood up straight, indicating her very comfortable-looking, pastel clothes. "Is what I'm wearing okay?"

    "Looks fine to me," Nick said, trying to keep his voice steady. He had that rush of a feeling like he'd just survived a tumble off of a cliff. "Is there anything you wanna see?"

    Judy thought for about four seconds, then clapped. "Oh yes! Yes! Rise of the Starborn."

    "That superhero movie?" Nick narrowed one eye.

    "Yeah, the one about the avatars chosen by the Celestials to combat the forces of darkness!" Judy looked suddenly very enthused. "It's opening weekend, so I wanna see it before the internet is inundated with spoilers!"

    "Sounds pretty cheesy to me," the fox huffed in amusement.

    "Oh, I hope so," the bunny flashed a bright grin. "I love dumb movies."

    "I'll have to remember that for later," Nick quipped. Somehow, he felt a little warm inside when she responded with an eager nod.

    Just that little assurance that there would be a "later". It was a comfort.

---

    "What do you mean there's only one seat left!?"

    "Just what I said, ma'am," an exhausted-looking male horse said to Judy from behind the ticketing booth window. "There's only one seat left, for a mammal about his size." He gestured at Nick.

    "We'll- we'll share it!" Judy said. "Can I speak to your manager? I'll pay for two seats...!"

    The horse tried not to nicker in frustration, and called for his manager, a zebra.

    "We'll share it?" Nick was rather amused.

    "I'm not letting this date go south just because I spontaneously decided to see a popular movie on opening weekend!" Judy waggled her finger.

    "So those are your 'let me speak to the manager' clothes, huh?" Nick wiggled his eyebrows.

    "Oh shut it, Nick," Judy rolled her eyes. "You said you didn't mind them."

    "Not at all."

    "She wants two seats, but only one's left," the horse said, looking at his monitor. "She said the two're gonna share a seat, but how do I sell an extra seat when they're all gone?"

    "Here, I'll override it," the female zebra tapped at the screen with her hoof. "There you go."

    "Thank you, thank you so much!" Judy stood on her tip-toes at the counter as she received her tickets.

    "Don't mention it," the zebra said, "hope you two enjoy the movie."

    The two entered the movie theater and looked for that last seat, which was at the very end of one aisle, close to the large screen.

    "Of course," Judy's ears went back and her eyelids lowered. Then, she shook out of her funk quickly. "No no. We'll make this work."

    "Sure this isn't some kind of omen?" Nick chuckled, looking at the seat, which seemingly would just barely fit him.

    "No. Sit," the bunny directed, pointing decisively at the seat. Nick obeyed, and tried to scoot to the side for some room for the bunny. She squeezed herself in with some difficulty.

    "Comfy?" The fox raised one eyebrow.

    "Just peachy!" Judy insisted.

    "Doesn't look like it," Nick muttered. "Well, there's a solution to this." He slowly lifted a surprised Judy up and placed her on his lap.

    "Oh! Yeah, this works," she smiled. Nick's red and brown furry arms wrapped around her quite snugly for a moment, causing her to sigh pleasantly. "Well, I'm not going anywhere."

    "Good, 'cause the movie's starting," the fox noted as the lights dimmed.

    Being a modern superhero movie, the directors went all-out on production values and hiring famous actors. Nick recognized the avatar of Serendipity as the unusually striped bunny Jack Savage, here "creatively" named Chance. He was rather famous for his role in a popular spy movie series. The avatar of Karma was played by, the name slipped his mind, Skye something. She was a white fox, and her character was named Boomer. Nick felt as though they weren't really challenging anyone's expectations with which kinds of mammals played which avatars of Celestials, with the possible exception of the one for Fertility. Traditionally a bunny, she was instead played by a rather sexy deer doe. Nick couldn't place her, but she kind of reminded him of a young Farrah Fawncett.

    The movie was inoffensive and fun enough to Nick, and it seemed like before long he nearly forgot that Judy was in his lap. It felt so natural to hold her there, and her small movements didn't distract him at all as she adjusted to get more comfy.

    Eventually, the plot of the movie was coming to a head. A slightly injured Boomer looked desperately behind her as Chance caught up to her.

    "No, Chance, you've got to get out of here!" Boomer wailed. Nick was subtly impressed at Skye's acting skills; it seemed to him like her lines would be easy to overact. "The Emissary of Entropy has my scent. He has my scent, Chance... it's only a matter of time before he finds me."

    "I'm not going to abandon you, Boomer," Chance shook his head. His accent and cocky smirk betrayed that "secret agent" charm Jack Savage characters were known for. "We'll face him together."

    "No one has survived against the Emissary, Chance," Boomer's head lowered. "He needn't rest. No one wins against Entropy. My circle is about to close..."

    "Hey, don't talk like that," Chance held a paw up to look at her in the eyes. "Justice always wins in the end, doesn't it? We'll just have to surprise that Emissary."

    Boomer nodded, and struggled to her feet.

    It was a little on the nose for Nick, and he felt his exhale tremble a little as it left his muzzle. He hoped Judy didn't notice.

---

    "I've always kinda wanted a car," Nick admitted as the two walked out of the movie theater and into the parking lot. "Red, definitely. Probably a convertible."

    "Aw, and miss these nice walks to the subway?" Judy tilted her head. "You can still walk me home, you know."

    "Guess so," Nick shrugged.

    "So, did you like the movie?" Judy hopped as they walked, shaking her fists. "Did you have a favorite part? I liked at the climax where they were just kicking the Emissary's tail. Boom! Pow!" The bunny began to shadowbox in a flurry of gray and white fists.

    "The whole thing was pretty cliche and corny," the fox's brown paws slipped into his pockets. "Decent enough, though."

    "Really?" Judy folded her arms and looked up at him with a challenging face. "Well... right before the climax, I thought I felt you hold me a little tighter when Chance was saying he wouldn't give up on Boomer..."

    "Eh, probably just your imagination, Fluff," Nick smirked.

    The bunny breathed out in mild annoyance and fell out of step with Nick, but charged forward to keep up with him.

    "Nick, do you trust me to mean what I say?"

    The odd question caused some hesitation from the fox, who looked at her curiously as they prowled the clear evening.

    "Of course," he finally replied. "You've always been a straight shooter."

    Judy's face became a pleasant smile. "So when I said 'I'm not going anywhere'? That time I told you I wanted you as my partner? Or how about admitting that I knew I loved you?"

    The fox's heart skipped a beat and he looked down at the smiling bunny.

    "Whoa...!"

    Judy didn't expect Nick to suddenly scoop down and grab the bunny up into his arms, raising her so they were at eye level, but her excited giggling showed that she didn't mind at all.

    "Judy..." the fox took a difficult breath, nuzzling her instinctively. "I've wanted a bunny like you for so long..."

    "Have you?" The bunny tenderly rubbed their foreheads together, stroking his muzzle with her paws.

    "Yeah, but you're even better than I deserve," Nick gave a weak, though charming smile.

    "Aw, Nick...!" Judy softly kissed the fox's nose.

    "Eh, get a room, you two," a bored-looking pig said brusquely as he walked by.

    Nick set his armfuls of bunny down on the sidewalk, and Judy gave a nervous giggle before they resumed their walk.

    "Guess we shouldn't do this whole 'interspecies' thing out in the open, huh?" She wondered with a paw near her mouth.

    "Oh, most people are fine with interspecies," Nick shrugged. "Most people. But public displays of affection? Now that's another story."

    "Right, right," Judy gave another rush of a giggle, amorous feelings still swishing through her. "Guess we'll have to wait until we can have a private display of affection- and I'm instantly realizing how that sounds."

    Nick barked out an honest laugh, putting his paws back into his pockets as his head tilted back. Judy joined his laugh, but then got quiet.

    "We'll get there," she said with a pleasant certainty.

    The fox stopped laughing and an unusual, almost pained look came over him.

    "Mmh, a fox with issues regarding bunny intimacy," Nick muttered. "What a turn on that must be for you."

    The bunny's brow lowered and her mouth twisted this way and that before responding.

    "Listen here," Judy finally said sternly, capturing Nick's attention. "Here's what's gonna happen. You and I are going to date. Our relationship will progress forward at a pace that you're comfortable with. Then, when we feel like the time is right for both of us, and only then, we're going to mate. And it's going to be glorious, meaningful, sweet, intimate, and everything you want it to be. And the next morning, you're going to have a bunny cuddled up to you to enjoy and snuggle all to yourself. Then, that is going to repeat as long as our bodies will allow. And do you know why, Nicholas Wilde?"

    Nick had about half a second to respond, but he couldn't, as he was too blindsided by the sudden, stern tirade.

    "Because you're worth it to me. You're worth so much."

    Judy's face softened at the end of her rant, and Nick was left staring. It took all of his power to fight back tears, but he was sure a pinched whine must have escaped; really high-pitched, too. Judy didn't seem to react or care beyond a small ear twitch.

    The rest of the walk was quiet, with the fox a bit too stunned to strike up any more conversation, and eventually the two ended up at Judy's apartment door.

    "Thank you for the nice date, Nick," Judy smiled up at him.

    With a flump, Nick ended up on his haunches, eye-to-eye with Judy again. He softly placed his paws on her shoulders.

    "Judy, I love you."

    Though it wasn't entirely unexpected, her kiss still struck him like a snapped rubber band, though much more pleasant. Her muzzle met his, and though it was a more chaste kiss than he was expecting from the often-exuberant bunny, it still managed to stir that feeling within Nick that he had been chasing from a bunny for so long. The galvanizing spark of a true passionate connection. He felt her paws toying with his muzzle as they kissed, and it was all he could do not to groan in satisfaction.

    After a small eternity, but not nearly long enough, their dissimilar muzzles parted from each other.

    "To be continued," Judy quipped with a familiar, confident playfulness. She offered him a long, fond look before closing her door.

    Nick suddenly flinched, checking his dark lips to make sure he wasn't drooling. His paw fell to his chest as he slowly started to walk away. Tomorrow definitely wouldn't come soon enough.

    It was the first evening Nick could remember that he smiled all the way home.

Chapter 67: Confidence

    Chief Bogo's right ear bat the air as he heard a familiar-sounding "oh!" coming from the bar. Nick hurriedly moved up to the buffalo's table, regarding him with a large grin and a mug of beer in one paw.

    "Chief Bogo!" The fox waved. "B-O-G-O! Buy one get one! Buffalo of great awesome- oh uh, wait a sec-"

    "The night is young, Wilde," Bogo snorted, "are you drunk already?"

    "Oh no, definitely not," Nick gestured with his mug, sitting down across from the much larger mammal, "getting that way, though!"

    Bogo didn't respond, huffing with his nose and nursing his own beer.

    "God, it is so weird to see you in casual clothes," the fox continued, wagging his head. He indicated Bogo with his paw, "I wouldn't have guessed you'd go for a pink polo, but it looks good on ya."

    "What do you want, Wilde?" Bogo twisted his mouth.

    "Just relaxing here at the Wet Wolf Whistle," Nick swept his hand across the air. "The ol' W3. How about you?"

    "Same," Bogo replied tersely.

    "Hard to believe you'd ever need a drink to chill out," the smarmy fox slapped the table, then leaned his free arm on it as he slurped his beer noisily. "Here I thought you were some sort of bovine demigod."

    "Got a lot on my mind, Wilde," Bogo replied, weathering the fox's obnoxiousness better than he thought he would. Must have been the beer. "Not the least of which being that cheetah serial killer that's in town."

    "Ah, right," Nick seemed to sober up a notch or two instantly. "I've never seen you pull us out of a case so quickly. Carrots was not happy about that."

    "Well, she can be unhappy about it," the buffalo swallowed a draft and firmly set the mug on the table, "my word is law in the ZPD."

    "Yeah," the fox shrugged. "You know how she gets, though. She's been filling my ears full of whining for the past couple of days. 'Chief Bogo still doesn't think we can help with this case? After all we've done for Zootopia'?"

    "Ugh," Bogo slapped his face with his hoof-hand and sloughed it off. "I trust you understand?"

    "Because every time that bunny gets excited about a case," Nick smirked, "there's explosions, death-defying vine bungees or other kinds of ridiculousness?"

    "We can go with that."

    Nick's brow fell and he looked thoughtful, taking a quieter sip of his beer. "Okay, pretend I don't understand."

    The buffalo's face became grim, and he scratched at his chin with one finger.

    "There's little more dangerous than an unstable cheetah," he said finally. "They're the fastest animal around, and they tend to be one of the most anxious."

    "I thought that was a stereotype," Nick interjected curiously. "Benji's certainly not-"

    "Don't speculate about things beyond your ken," Bogo warned with sudden command in his voice. "When cheetahs snap, when they go off the deep end... well, they put all that anxiety and paranoia to terrifying use. I'm not risking my two most fragile officers on this case."

    "Ooh, good thing Carrots didn't hear that," the fox rolled his eyes.

    "I'm not even risking Fangmeyer," Bogo grit his teeth. "She can fight almost any mammal to the ground, but a cornered cheetah... it'd just take one slash across the throat, and I'd be down my best scrapper, even if she is a tigress."

    "So what do you do, then?"

    "The TUSK unit," Bogo mused, "mostly rhinos. Thick hides, can take a hit. Exhaust the cheetah. A confrontation would be messy, but less fatal for my mammals."

    "Mm," Nick took the last sip of his beer. "Meanwhile, I have to try to keep Officer Fluff happy with crime scene barricade duty." He sighed, then looked up at Bogo inquisitively. "Hey Chief, can I ask a dumb question?"

    "You've never asked for permission before," he returned dryly.

    "Heh, good one," the fox pointed a finger at him. "I uh, I was wondering. I don't suppose you had anything to do with my getting assigned to be Judy's partner, did you?"

    "Of course I did," Bogo replied with barely a pause. "Wouldn't dream of having you apart."

    "Really," Nick seemed interested.

    "You two are less than impressive on your own, after all," Bogo smirked with a teasing tone.

    "Uh?" The fox's eyebrow went up.

    "Objectively," Bogo continued. "However, you two are each others' catalysts. You increase each other's potential, both contrasting and combining your abilities to great effect. But let me be frank-"

    "I always wondered what your first name was," Nick interrupted.

    "-I don't really care for you, Wilde."

    "Oof," Nick blinked, sobering up a bit more.

    "But, I do respect you," Bogo gave the tiniest of grins. "Hopps, too. I know it took a lot of guts to stand up to a mammal three times your size and tell them where they could shove their half-promises."

    "Guessing you don't really like Carrots either," Nick huffed, "else you wouldn't have stuck her with parking duty."

    "Her inclusion on my team was an insistence from the former mayor," the buffalo ground his teeth tightly. "He forced her onto my team for that blasted 'Mammal Inclusion Initiative'. Mostly to increase its visibility and make him look good."

    Nick opened and closed one hand. "Karma bit Lionheart pretty hard."

    "He wasn't the only one," Bogo rolled his eyes. "I would have to get stuck with the rabbit with the most indomitable spirit in the universe. Oh well, everything turned out for the best. She has what it takes to be a good officer, and so do you. The caveat to that is that it takes you both together to have what it takes to be on my team."

    "What are you suggesting?"

    "Don't expect any promotions unless she gets one too," Bogo warned. "I'm keeping you two together as long as I can."

    Nick looked subtly pleased at this news, but then his face took a more serious tone and his mouth spread across his muzzle. "You mean I could hold her back?"

    "Or she could hold you back," Bogo's shoulders bounced up. "I'd like to have you undercover since you look like just about any average joe fox in the world, but she got a little bit more visibility than you when you two 'saved Zootopia'. I'm not sure she'd be up for an undercover mission."

    "Oh lemme tell you, she can act," Nick clicked his tongue. "That was part of what made Bellwether fall for our little scheme."

    "Hmph," Bogo allowed himself a small half-smile. "You two are something special, indeed."

    "Aw, Chief," the fox's smile became devilish. "You ship us too, huh?"

    "What?"

    "You know, like you want us to get together?" Nick chuckled.

    "No, definitely not," Bogo's brow lowered. "To be clear, I do not care one bit about what you two do in your private time, as long as it doesn't interfere with your work ethic together." He finished his own drink. "In fact, I find all this 'will they; won't they' gossip around the workplace to be insufferable."

    "I'm thinking it's definitely going to be a 'will', Chief," Nick almost sang with assurance. He kicked back in his seat and rested his arms behind him.

    "Really," the buffalo replied with clearly feigned interest, "so why are you hanging out with the grumpy Chief tonight and not your little bunny?"

    "It's not a done deal yet, but as good as," the fox shook his head. "Heck, the very first day we were together on the force she told me she loved me."

    "Uh huh," Bogo didn't look convinced. "In that jokey, teasing way that you two are always talking."

    "Ah ah ah," Nick waggled his index finger. "You weren't there. You should have heard the tone of Carrots' voice. Her bedroom eyes. She's definitely into me."

    "Don't you wag your finger at me, Wilde," Bogo spat in annoyance. "You think you're Sonic the Echidna?"

    Nick instantly lit up. "Oh my God. I grew up with those games! Did you ever play them?" He pushed up from the table slightly with both hands. "You got a favorite? They kinda just got really crappy after they went to 3D, huh?"

    Bogo ignored him. "Let's see. It's been about a year since you signed on with us. And you're still not a 'thing'. What's stopping you?"

    "Eh!" Nick shrugged flippantly. "Figure she'll make the move when she's ready. You know, give her some time. She might still not realize just how in love with me she is."

    "Why don't you just ask her out?" Bogo's eyelids fell.

    "You know Judy," Nick smirked. "She goes for what she wants. Does the guy always have to ask the girl out? That'd be like... like assuming you an' Clawhauser were going out just cause you're the big tough guy, he's the sweet kind guy, and you both share a love of Gazelle!"

    Bogo aimed Nick a look that could bore through concrete, but the slightly inebriated fox barely flinched.

    "Here's what I know," Bogo pointed dangerously close to Nick's nose. "You may think you're 'way past cool', but I respect action. Hopps does not fear me. You showed me you do not fear me either. So if you care about her, what's stopping you from making the first move, regardless of your 'role'? Are you telling me you don't respect her enough to let her know? Or do you fear her more than me?"

    "I uh-" Nick's wide opened eyes spoke much more than his suddenly paralyzed mouth. "Wh-well... she can be pretty scary."

    "That's all I'm going to say, Wilde," Bogo placed his debit card down to pay for his drinks. "I couldn't care less about what bed you two end up sleeping in, so long as you do your job."

    "Uh, if we do get together..." Nick looked uncharacteristically nervous, "you want some sort of warning or something? You know, before the news gets to Clawhauser?"

    "I've gotten used to his shrieking."

    "Oh, you have," Nick found a tiny smirk, which got beaten back by Bogo's calm but unamused glare. "Ah, I think I'm gonna go back to the bar and pay my tab."

    "Splendid."

    Nick got up and started wandering back to the bar, but half-turned and looked back at Bogo.

    "Hey Chief?" Nick started.

    "Mm?"

    "Believe it or not... this guy named Christian Whitehorn made a kind of 'retro-revival' Sonic the Echidna game, and the guys at Serval actually helped him publish it! It's really-"

    "Goodnight, Wilde," Chief Bogo grumbled.

    Without another word, Nick hopped back up on the bar and waved for the bartender.

    Bogo huffed and gave the back of the fox a somewhat contemptuous look, but then pulled his phone out and went to his browser, hunching his massive frame over the phone to hide as much of it as possible.

    The buffalo's eyebrow piqued as he read a few review scores.

    There was no way that a Sonic game was good again... was there?

Chapter 68: Personas

    "The lovely bunny wistfully stared out the window, watching the rain fall quietly on the street. Zootopia looked different at night, there was no doubt about that. The way the raindrops carried the colorful lights of the city outward... it was almost magical. But with that despondent look on her little gray face, one could easily see that something was wrong. As she nudged her spaghetti with her fork-"

    Judy swiveled her eyes over to the fox opposite her and glared.

    "Nick, I love you, so I'm going to say this as nicely as I can," Judy took in a shallow breath. "Stop. Please."

    The fox gave a groaning sigh. "Sorry. Just wanted you to have a good time tonight. It's our anniversary, but you look so glum. What gives?"

    "Eh, you know, work," Judy's shoulders darted up once quickly. "The case we're on is a little... undignified."

    "What?" Nick barked a laugh. "No, it's hilarious!"

    Judy stabbed her fork deep into her innocent spaghetti. "Yeah, if you're a child. Mm, maybe that's why I've never had any problem being in a relationship with you despite you being so much older than me."

    "Harsh," the fox's placid smile showed that he took no offense from the sassy bunny. "You need to lighten up, Judy. Just find the inherent humor in the situation and laugh it off! We've been through much worse, and much more menial."

    "It's just..." the bunny's eyes wandered off. "Ugh. I grew up watching Agent Rabbit-Ears. Those were my favorite movies. I've seen all of them, some multiple times. So imagine how excited I got when I heard we were going to do a case involving Jack Savage, of all mammals!" Judy let some spaghetti slough off her fork and back onto her plate, balancing her cheek on her paw. "Aaaaand not only have we not gotten to meet him yet, the case is about... well, you know."

    Nick blinked slowly with a paw near his chin, clearly stifling a laugh. "Well, Rabbit-Ears is a legacy character, right? What's so special about Jack Savage?"

    "I mean, he's no Sean Cottony..." Judy looked contemplative, "but... you know, it's what he represents. That whole franchise. A franchise where a bunny secret agent can do anything!" She pounded the table with her fist, thankfully with some restraint.

    "I'm starting to get why you might have been into those movies," Nick said fondly, sliding his fist across the table to bump Judy's. "You certainly like conducting yourself as if you were in an action flick."

    "It's worked for me so far, hasn't it?" The bunny bat her eyes. "I was hoping I could tell my family about this case once it was wrapped up. It'd make a cool conversation piece. 'Hey, guess who I got to work with'?"

    "Nothing's stopping you from telling them," the fox sipped some water, squeezing Judy's hand.

    "Right, how would that conversation go?" Judy rolled her eyes, moving her paw away. "'Oh yeah? What was the case about'?" Judy released an extended sigh, rubbing one of her temples. "We were trying to find out who stole his underwear."

    Nick turned his head, audibly snickering. The bunny's ears flopped back.

    "Yeah, har har," Judy grumbled. "Oh well. It's not like I've talked much to them lately, now that you're not the 'hot new thing' they gossip about."

    As Nick opened his eyes, they narrowed a little and his brow furrowed. He was looking past Judy, who grew aware of Nick's change in mood.

    "Nick?"

    "Mm, someone back there looks familiar..." he replied with sudden seriousness.

    Judy's eyelids fell. "Don't you 'know everyone'?"

    "An exaggeration intended to astound you," Nick said blankly. "But her, she's... mm."

    Judy turned her head subtly and saw an unremarkable-looking red fox eating by herself. She looked somewhat forlorn, her cool blue eyes almost shut as she chased her food around with her fork.

    "Relative of yours?" Judy guessed with a small smile.

    "Don't think so... I can't tell-" Nick sniffed at the air conspicuously. "Odd... that smells like fur dye, but she doesn't look at all- oh wait! I think I know." He got up and slowly approached the table. Judy stood up in her chair and turned around, observing.

    The vixen looked cautiously at Nick as he approached. He cleared his throat.

    "Land, sea, and..."

    The red fox looked confused momentarily, but then amazement blindsided her and her mouth dropped open.

    "Nick Wilde!? Oh my God!" Her face lit up as she looked him from head to toe. "Is it really true you're a police officer now?"

    "Sure is," Nick nodded. "My partner and wife." He indicated Judy, who politely hopped down and joined Nick at his side.

    The vixen looked her over as well. "Wow, Judy Hopps, isn't it?"

    "That's right," she nodded. "Yeesh, I'm still getting recognized five years after the Night Howler thing?"

    "Wouldn't have thought you'd be a cottontail-chaser, Nicky," the vixen grinned at him.

    "But what a tail," Nick replied with a loving leer, making the owner of the tail hum in a mix of annoyance and fondness.

    "So who's this?" Judy asked, looking at Nick. Immediately, the vixen looked reserved and Nick perked up.

    "Ah, let's call her 'Skye'," he held a finger up.

    "Oh, that's a callback," the vixen smiled pleasantly. "That's what he called me when we were kits."

    "Old friends, huh?" Judy smiled.

    "Till high school," Nick nodded. "She went to a different one."

    "I saw this dunderhead's fall from grace," Skye looked at Nick judgmentally. "Couldn't believe he started hustling like some common criminal. Then couldn't believe it when I saw him in the news as the first fox cop."

    "He's just full of surprises," Judy clicked her teeth.

    "Please, sit down if you'd like," Skye indicated her very open table. The two followed her suggestion, sitting next to each other.

    "What's with the getup?" Nick asked Skye. Judy's brow furrowed in confusion, her mouth slightly opening. Skye had perfectly plain, casual clothes on.

    "Oh, you know," Skye looked uncomfortable again. Her eyes darted to Judy "...is she safe to tell?"

    "Probably," Nick grinned.

    "Hiding from the paparazzi," Skye said in a lower voice. "I dye myself to throw them off."

    "You're... not a red fox?" Judy blinked.

    "No, I am," the vixen nodded twice, "but I have this pigment condition. I'm white-furred."

    "Off-white, really, leaning toward a cream," Nick said daintily.

    Judy paused as she let this information breed in her head. Suddenly, her ears shot up and she nearly jumped as if drawn upwards by them. "Oh, wait! You're- mrphfgmmm!" Nick quickly slapped a paw over her face.

    "Someone who doesn't want their name shouted in a crowded restaurant?" Nick offered.

    "Right, sorry," Judy winced. Skye shook it off by wagging her head. "Wow, I can't believe I'm sitting across from... her." She looked skeptically at Nick. "And you know her?"

    "Before she was a movie star," he smirked.

    "Or a paw model," Skye rolled her eyes.

    "Paw model?" Judy echoed.

    "When you've got unusual fur, it's common to get offered modeling jobs of some sort, especially modeling rings or the like," Skye looked at her right hand, which had one simple ring on a finger. "When the reader doesn't know what kind of animal the paw belongs to, it's easier to see themselves wearing the ring. Less like it was designed for the mammal in the ad."

    "Huh, interesting," Judy considered, subconsciously rubbing her own wedding band with her thumb. "And from there you became an actress?"

    "Yup, and all that goes with that," Skye smiled in a fatigued way. "I especially detest being hounded by the paparazzi all the time."

    "So you came up with this alter-ego to hide from them," Judy looked mildly excited. "Brilliant! Hiding in plain sight as a regular red fox."

    "That's the idea, anyway, but I wasn't too sneaky at first," Skye fiddled with her fingers, "the paparazzi caught me exiting a hotel suite in this fur color once, and..." she sighed. "Well, the tabloids started reading that I was having an affair with a vixen."

    "Who- oh... yourself?" Judy tried not to be amused.

    "Yup," Skye grew a tiny smirk, which Judy allowed herself to join.

    "Are you filming anything now?" The bunny wondered.

    "Yeah, we're on break," Skye nodded. "I'm... not sure how much I'm allowed to say. There's some sort of criminal investigation going on, actually."

    "Wait..." Nick narrowed an eye, bemused. "You wouldn't happen to be Rabbit-Ears' latest 'Bunny'?"

    "Yes..." Skye rolled her eyes.

    "Really!?" Judy lit up, but seemed confused when Skye began to look irritated. "What's wrong? Isn't working on an Agent Rabbit-Ears movie like a really big thing?"

    "I suppose," she nodded, "but I cannot stand working with Jack Savage."

    "Huh, seriously?" Judy was shocked.

    "Such an egomaniac," Skye vigorously stirred her iced tea. "He's the one that insisted we stop filming until the police figure out what happened to his underwear. Can you believe that? His underwear. His silken, monogrammed underwear. Unbelievable. This is a bunny with a yacht. Can't he just buy some more?"

    Nick swallowed a laugh. "It is a safety concern, Skye. If someone was able to swipe his undies, he could have some sort of stalker."

    "I'm sure he'd love to think so," Skye scoffed, "they'll probably just end up on eBray."

    As Skye didn't seem to know that Nick and Judy were assigned to that case, Judy decided to withhold that information. "Ah, I'm sure it'll get cleared up soon, one way or another."

    "They can take their time, for all I care," Skye huffed. "Not looking forward to the PG-13 sex scene we'll have to be in together."

    "I'm sure a lot of mammals would pay money to be in your place for that scene," Nick wiggled his eyebrows, sipping on some water.

    "Don't really care for the whole interspecies angle?" Judy offered.

    "No, that's fine... that's whatever," Skye shook her head, "I just find Jack... mgh. Such a turn-off. He's already asked the director to re-shoot a few scenes that weren't 'right'. He'll probably be unsatisfied with how the rhinestones he drizzles on my chest will catch my eyes or some dross like that."

    "Weird... I love how he plays Rabbit-Ears," Judy frowned.

    "Well, he is an actor," Nick shrugged. "A highly-paid actor."

    "And he won't let you forget that," Skye sneered. "...I'm sorry, I'm steeping myself in this negativity and probably ruining your nice dinner or something."

    "No, it's great to catch up," Nick smiled.

    "Yeah, I'm learning a lot," Judy tilted her head. "Jack Savage is a jerk. Huh."

    "Don't let my opinion spoil your view on him," Skye frowned, but then smirked. "He can do that himself."

    "You two didn't happen to go to some sort of 'Intro to Snark' class together, did you?" Judy smiled mischievously at the two foxes.

    "Ah ah," Nick wiggled a finger, "you won't catch either of us divulging any sort of fox trade secrets. Anyway, we'll let you be, Skye. Don't be a stranger."

    "Yeah, I'll try to catch up with you again, maybe once filming's over?" Skye grinned.

    "Just break the speed limit on our beat and we'll pull you over!" Judy suggested cheerfully.

    "Heh," Skye's smile took a confused, uneasy turn.

    "Okay, let me get my bunny out of here before she says anything else," Nick apologized, and scooted a protesting Judy away back to their own table.

---

    In uniform and on the job, Nick and Judy were searching around the lot for clues when the latter's ears perked at the sound of a clearing throat.

    The two turned to see Jack Savage himself standing at the door of his trailer. He was an average-sized white rabbit with turquoise eyes.

    "Ah, Mr. Savage!" Judy greeted. "Officers Wilde and Hopps." She indicated them both.

    "Don't have your stripes on yet?" Nick noticed.

    "Aw, they're not real?" The gray bunny whined.

    "Of course not," Jack snipped in a somewhat condescending voice. "Did you think there was some sort of breed of unusually handsome rabbit bucks that they pull from to play Agent Rabbit-Ears?"

    "Ah, heh," Judy shrugged.

    "Can we do something for you, Mr. Savage?" Nick asked pleasantly after looking at his partner subtly.

    "I was hoping I could talk to you, Officer Wilde," Jack's eyes quickly darted at Judy. "Alone?"

    "Afraid not," he replied. "Where I go, my partner goes. Protocol."

    Judy nodded. "Is something the matter?"

    Jack looked put off, but he sighed. "If you'd both step into my trailer, then."

    Obliging him, they followed the sweep of his paw. It was a rather large trailer for Jack's size; easily fitting him and furnished comfortably. Jack shut the door behind them.

    "I just wanted to, ah- inform you..." Jack wrestled his mouth, looking a bit anxious, "that my stolen items have been returned."

    "Oh, your underpants," Nick replied instantly. Judy shot him a dirty look.

    "Yes, those," Jack huffed, and the officers could swear they saw the insides of his ears redden.

    "That's great," Judy smiled, "does that mean filming will be starting again?"

    "Soon," Jack replied, "but... I just thought perhaps you'd like to do your job...?"

    "You'd like us to examine your underpants," Nick continued blithely, "to see who's gotten into your drawers?"

    Judy snorted, then turned it into a cough, rubbing her neck with her paw.

    "I'm sure you both think this is very amusing," Jack snapped in irritation; both his eyebrow and eyelids dropped.

    "Not at all," Nick lied, his eyelids equally lowered, but barely trying to hide the grin on his face. "We're taking the theft of your property very seriously."

    "And the endangerment to your person," Judy followed up.

    "So, would you like to show us your underpants, then?" Nick asked, snapping on some gloves.

    "Mmgh!" Judy grunted, somewhere between a stern reprimand directed at Nick and a desperate attempt to keep from laughing.

    Jack groaned in frustration, glaring up at the obnoxious fox with his fists clenched, but he stormed off and led them to a drawer, opening it. "Everything in this drawer was taken."

    "I see, I see," Nick suddenly adopted the utmost seriousness as he pulled pair after pair of fancy-looking silk underwear out of the drawer, with solid, rich colors and black trim. There were a half dozen in all, and Nick methodically put them in evidence bags. Judy tried not to stare, keeping a neutral expression fixed. "We'll have to get these to the lab, you understand. A full analysis will be done on them to see if we can determine who's been rooting around in your-"

    "All right, you can just cut it out with the word 'underpants', all right?" Jack snapped quite loudly. "How juvenile."

    "Personal effects," Nick finished smoothly, as if he was going to the whole time. Judy winced very hard, her eye twitching.

    The two dusted around for pawprints and loose fur, and finding none, returned to Jack.

    "I think we're about done here, Mr. Savage," Judy reported with a patient smile. "Good luck with the filming."

    "Well, I won't need that, and I'll thank you to hurry up with those," Jack sniffed with his arms folded, glaring at Nick and his evidence bags.

    "We'll handle them with the utmost care," Nick claimed with an irritatingly pleasant smile.

    Judy returned to the cruiser with Nick, put on her seat belt, and stared blankly at the windshield. Then, abruptly, she cracked.

    "Pwahahahaha!" The bunny crumpled forward, her ears flopping in front of her face. Nick chuckled loudly alongside her, placing his own seat belt on. Judy's head bobbed up and she threw her ears out of her face. "Oh my gosh- bhahahahaha! I'm five- pgfht... I'm five years old! This should not have been that funny."

    "How the mighty's underpants have fallen," Nick waggled the evidence bag.

    "Nick stop," Judy fell back, the two struck by a peal of laughter. "Oh my gosh, look at them. Deep crimson, emerald green, ocean blue..."

    "Only the finest silk for those bunny buns," the fox playfully wiggled his eyebrows.

    "Pffffght," after a few more attempts of deep breathing and collapsing back into laughter, she finally centered herself. Nick shared in her mirth, setting the evidence bags down.

    "Oh mammal," the fox wiped a tear from his eye as Judy started the cruiser, "I sure hope Skye was wearing gloves when she stole these. Wouldn't want her to get into actual trouble."

    "Wait, what?" Judy snapped back to sobriety, ears alert. "You think she did it?"

    "Ninety percent sure," Nick nodded.

    "With what motive?" Judy's brow fell and she looked thoughtful. "She did seem kind of stressed, but she couldn't have known that stealing them would get her a reprieve from filming."

    "Looks like Skye can still be kind of self-righteous," the fox mused. "She's always been kind of keen to humiliate those she takes umbrage with."

    "Something you've experienced before?" Judy wondered with a critical smirk.

    "We can go into that another time," Nick smirked. "Also, consider this." Nick held up one bag. "We didn't actually know they were silk and monogrammed until Skye told us. With how reserved Jack Savage was about this, I kind of doubt he went around proclaiming the details of his underoos to everyone on set, egotist or not."

    "Good point," Judy nodded, snorting out another small laugh. "Guess the time off was just a bonus. What made her return them, do you think?"

    "Break was long enough for her?" Nick's shoulders jumped up. "She could have had an attack of conscience." Nick looked smug. "She sees her old fox friend doing good for the world and feels guilty she was about to sell Jack's silky boxers on eBray."

    "Skips definitely would have caught her if she went that route," Judy chuckled, tapping the steering wheel joyously with her index fingers. "Either way, we will have to talk to her if we find anything."

    "As much as I don't really want her to get in trouble," Nick folded his paws behind his head. "It would be cathartic to get to be the one yelling at her for a change."

    "Either way, at least one thing's come of this," Judy grew a devilish smirk. "I'm getting a sudden idea on what to get you for your next birthday."

    "Oh yeah?" The fox's eyes darted to the opulent underwear. He wore his most charming grin. "Wouldn't that be more of a gift for you?"

    "Hmhmhm...!" Judy hummed in self-satisfaction as they headed back to the ZPD. 

Chapter 69: Unwind

    "Isn't this exciting?" Judy bounced up and down with tiny little hops, clapping her paws. "Tell me this is exciting!"

    Nick and Judy made their way into southeastern Sahara Square, dressed in their uniforms. The hot sand greeted their toes as they walked about. Nick marveled at the unique taste of the air, sighing contentedly.

    "I think it's pretty incredible that you managed to not explode into giggles when we got this assignment," the fox chided casually.

    "Right!?" Judy laughed. "The Sunner Fun- er, Summer Fum- kuh! Summer Fun comcert series- you know what, forget it." She stepped especially hard into the sand, causing a little burst of it to escape the intruding toes.

    "My my," Nick teased, rubbing his chin, "she's so excited she's dumbfounded."

    "Whatever," the bunny trotted forward proudly, "whatever the heck it's called, we get to be some of Gazelle's security detail for her concert."

    "Just make sure you keep your eyes on the crowds and not on the starlet, Hopps," Nick gently chided with clearly-forced professionalism.

    "Ha! You forget who you're talking to," Judy narrowed her eyes and wore a dangerous smirk, pointing at herself with a thumb. "I'm the very picture of a model police officer."

    This got Nick to laugh loudly. "Thought you turned that down, Fluff!"

    "Wha- who told you about that?" She looked around, baffled.

    Nick merely grinned as they continued forward to the temporary stage set up for Gazelle's concert, and Judy decided not to pursue the subject. Far before the show was to start, there were already mammals of all shapes and sizes slowly gathering to watch the performance. Judy swept her eyes over them for any suspicious-looking individuals, and caught a glimpse of Gazelle and her dancing tigers onstage, doing microphone checks and making sure everything onstage seemed perfect. A big "hee...!" escaped the bunny's mouth. Her view sweeping back to Nick, he saw the fox's gaze on the stage as well, and traced it right to Gazelle.

    "Hmph!" Judy folded her arms, leering at Nick sidelong. "I should be the one telling you not to stare at Gazelle. She's performing in a swimsuit, after all."

    "Gazelle's not really my type," the fox responded casually, "and even if she was, her usual performance getup is racier than a mere bikini." He chuckled. "Speaking of, it's a shame you and I can't look the part of 'beach cops'." He glanced at the bunny briefly. "Not that your uniform leaves very much to the imagination anyway."

    "Hey, watch it!" She shot Nick a reproving glance. "This uniform is designed for ease of movement and protection. The ZPD doesn't exactly issue swimsuits as uniforms."

    "And what a shame it doesn't," Nick said, "tsk"ing three times, "if it did, we could look like something out of Braywatch." The fox pretended to run in exaggerated slow-motion.

    Judy had a small giggle over that. "You're ridiculous."

    Nick swallowed a cheesy grin as he gave up his joking run. A serious look passed over his muzzle. "Y'know, I've never actually been to the beach before."

    "No?" The gray bunny blinked in surprise. "Not until just now?"

    "Psh," Nick closed his eyes and wagged his head. "This isn't the beach."

    "Sure looks like it," Judy's shoulders hopped up. She surveyed the sights. "You have your drink stands, beach volleyball, everyone in swimwear..."

    "I mean yeah, it has the atmosphere," the fox gestured casually, "but look." Nick pointed out to the horizon, where past the body of water, land could be seen. "We're not on the ocean, so this isn't a true beach."

    "Guess not," Judy furrowed her brow. "I've been to the beach! One summer weekend, anyway; it was a singular thing. With the whole family, even! It was quite an adventure."

    "Uh?" Nick blinked. "Getting a few hundred bunnies to a beach and back sounds like a logistical nightmare."

    "Oh, it is, it is," she laughed, "thank heavens for family organizers!"

    "Hm," the fox looked thoughtfully out toward the edge of the beach, where a small sheep boy carefully worked on a sandcastle near the shore. "I've had dreams of going to the beach."

    "What stopped you?" Judy furrowed her brow.

    "Not like, aspirations," Nick shook his head. "Just dream dreams. Almost more like a... I dunno, a nightmare, kind of. Standing there on the beach, the surf lapping your ankles... never truly experienced that, only in those dreams. In that moment, you'd have everything you've ever known at your back. Staring forward, you see nothing. Just... water. Kind of intimidating."

    "Are you hydrophobic?" Judy tilted her head with a finger on her mouth. "I thought you said you could swim."

    "I'm not scared of water," he grunted, "just... I dunno, the unknown?"

    Judy's face softened and her eyebrows turned up. "Huh... you have that dream a lot?"

    "Not so much anymore," Nick smirked slightly. Judy returned a genuine smile.

    The concert eventually started, and as usual Gazelle's production values were through the roof. The show had a lot of bright lights and choreographed dancing, and the songstress seemed to pour herself into each song. The gathered crowd mostly behaved themselves, though Nick had to warn an unusually rowdy group of otter teenagers. Judy couldn't help dancing a bit during the music herself, though she tried to keep it subtle.

    The partners were standing at nearly opposite sides of the platform during the performance, and only rejoined each other after the show was well and truly over and the crowd had peacefully dispersed.

    "Well that was fun," Judy rushed over to her partner, holding her fists close to her chest. "Y'know, even though nothing unusual happened."

    "What's unusual is that you managed to mostly keep your focus on the crowd instead of Gazelle," Nick chided, shoving Judy gently.

    "Hey!" Judy frowned. "Well, were you watching the crowd, or me?"

    "Little of this, little of that."

    The bunny flinched as, in the middle of their conversation, Gazelle herself drew near with a pleasant smile.

    "Hello!" She waved. "I'd like to thank you for your service and- oh, Nick!"

    Nick grinned, but Judy looked like she'd been slapped, her jaw dropping.

    "Pleased to see you, Ms. Gazelle," Nick graciously nodded and bowed his head a little.

    "Oh, stop, you know better than that," Gazelle waved a hand dismissively. "Look at you! You've come quite a long way since we were young."

    "Wh- but..." Judy stammered, to an enormous smile from Nick.

    Gazelle looked at her. "And you're Judy Hopps. I've seen you around... the things that happened once you became an officer... just incredible. I can only hope we're entering a new era of understanding and acceptance."

    "Yes! I mean, thank you!" Judy awkwardly smiled, a manic look in her eyes as a nervous, high-pitched "heh!" burst from her mouth.

    "I wouldn't mind having you two as my security detail again sometime!" Gazelle waved playfully as she gracefully walked away from the two. "Adios!"

    Judy shot Nick an indignant look. "No. No. I don't believe it."

    "What can I say, Carrots?" Nick couldn't keep from flashing a huge, toothy smile. "Told you I know everyone."

    "That was a figure of speech!" Judy roared, throwing her hands up.

    "Was it, though?" Nick teased, chuckling.

    Judy's fury fizzled as the two started to walk back toward their cruiser. Before Judy took her final step off the sand, she stopped and looked back out toward the beach.

    "We should go."

    "Go where?" Nick responded, similarly stopping and trying to follow Judy's gaze.

    "To the 'real' beach!" Judy chirped, gesturing at both of them. "You and me."

    "Uh, why?" The fox's eyebrow piqued.

    "Why not?" Judy shrugged. "It'd be like a vacation!"

    "I don't really see a need," Nick shrugged. "I'm not a 'vacation' kinda guy. We haven't exactly been under a lot of stress to get away from lately."

    "Well, you went with me to Bunnyburrow!" She held her arms out.

    "Yeah, only cause you twisted my arm. Shoo, what a hassle that was," he smirked, folding his arms. "Being buried in bunnies got really old after the first time. At first it was just terrifying."

    "C'mon, they loved you," Judy insisted, tilting her head to the side.

    "A little too much."

    "Well, I'll twist your arm again!" The bunny rushed over, making grabbing motions with her hands. "C'mere."

    "Ah ah!" Nick swiped his arm away, keeping it out of reach as Judy made a playful, if halfhearted hop for it. "Geez, what is with you? I told you about my mixed feelings for the beach and suddenly you wanna go there? I thought vacations were supposed to be relaxing."

    "Well, if it was just the two of us, how could it not be relaxing?" She smiled amicably.

    "I'm trying my hardest not to answer that honestly," Nick replied in a dry tone. He slowly smirked. "Plus, the beach is just sand. Y'know, it's coarse, irritating and it-"

    "If you finish that quote I'm going to figuratively kill you," Judy muttered; no humor was in her voice.

    "Okay, okay, jeez," Nick held his paws in front of his chest as he shook sand from between his toes. The two walked toward their cruiser, both hopping in wordlessly.

    Checking the mirrors and buckling up, Judy sighed. "C'mon, you don't wanna go on a vacation with me?"

    "Are we still on this...?" Nick rolled his eyes.

    "I mean," she huffed, "you'd get to see me in a swimsuit."

    "Sold," Nick chirped suddenly, placing his hands together. "When do we leave?"

    "Really...?" Judy grit her teeth. "Is that what it took?"

    "Am I going to say 'no' to getting to see a little beach bun?" Nick grinned wickedly. "No, no I am not."

    Ugh, he really is so simple, Judy thought with distaste. Her brow furrowed as she started the cruiser so the two could make their way back to the station. Her snippy attitude was evident even in the way she changed gears.

    Nick's devilishly confident look melted fast, and he began to look thoughtful and downright wistful.

    "...And maybe I'll tell that ocean," he started suddenly, baffling Judy. "I'll tell it..."

    "Tell the ocean...?" Judy echoed, her face scrunched up.

    "Even with everything I know at my back," Nick said very quietly, staring straight ahead, "I'll still have what I was searching for at my side... looking into that unknown with me."

    Judy couldn't think of anything to say in response to that. She tried not to smile too widely.

    Or maybe... maybe he's more complex than I thought...

Chapter 70: Precious

    "Hnnnh...."

    Judy let out a large, unrestrained yawn as she stretched upright in her bed to welcome a new day. Hopping out of bed, she threw a small, tired smile at her mirror, sort of a tradition by this point of her existence in Zootopia.

    The novelty of being the first bunny in the ZPD had worn off, sure, but she was still energetic enough to give each day all the enthusiasm she could.

    After a brief shower, she ran her fur dryer and brushed her teeth simultaneously as she got ready for work. As she was putting on her uniform, though, an unusual sight caught the corner of her eye.

    A tiny gasp caught in her throat as she walked over to her desk and the extra item on it. It was a decently-sized red gemstone, smallish, but big enough to occupy most of the palm of her paw, which she almost instinctively reached out toward it. Shaking her head, she decided better of it; instead she took out her phone and took a few pictures.

    Confused, Judy wondered several things. Why was there a gemstone in her apartment? Who had put it there? How had they gotten in? When was it laid there? And where had the gem come from? Judy checked to make sure her door had no signs of forced entry and that her window was secure. She even checked her bathroom for anywhere a small mammal could have come from.

    "Hmm..." Judy mused out loud. "Weird..."

---

    Chief Bogo was rattling off the assignments of the day in the bullpen when he glanced up and saw Judy's insistent paw raised and wiggling.

    "Hopps, this isn't a classroom," Bogo mumbled, "what is it?"

    "Something unusual happened in my apartment," Judy explained. "A gemstone appeared last night, seemingly out of nowhere. I was wondering if I could investigate what had happened."

    "Let's see..." Bogo looked at his notes. "Staff is busy, Wilde's on leave... no other important work for a bunny to do... yes, I suppose I can let you investigate a precious rock in your own apartment, unless you're uncomfortable with that prospect." This statement got some mild chuckles from the department.

    "Hey, it could be hot," Judy twisted her mouth. "I have to wonder why someone would plant a gem in my apartment..."

    "Since Wilde isn't here," Bogo looked through his assignment one more time. "Skippel. You work with her on this."

    "Wh- me, sir?" Karen Skippel, an arctic hare sitting near the back of the room, gestured to herself. "Chief Bogo, sir... I'm- I'm not exactly trained for field work." Judy looked back at her, a mild, bright look on the gray bunny's face, whereas the white face of the technical officer was in a slight cringe.

    "But you are versed in the theory, yes?" Bogo declared gruffly, barely looking at her. "Go with Hopps, and see what can be seen."

    "Yes, sir," Karen's voice sounded defeated.

---

    "And here we are!" Judy proclaimed brightly as she threw open her door, letting Karen into her apartment.

    Karen looked around with a clearly skeptical, disparaging face. "This is it...?"

    "Sure," Judy chirped. "I don't really need a big place to stay. Just a place to crash and eat between adventures."

    "Jeez, I could never live here," Karen remarked, dragging in a bag of supplies for the investigation. "Too... cramped. I've got to be comfortable."

    "Eh, you get used to it," the gray bunny shrugged, "it's cozy!"

    "Mhm..." Karen half-frowned. She walked over to the gemstone on the desk. "So, it's still here."

    "Uh huh," Judy nodded. "I was wondering if whoever left it here might come back for it, so I decided to leave it. Just to check if I had any sort of small-mammal breaking and entering."

    "Any signs of that?" Karen asked, to Judy's head shake. "Really? No structural weaknesses in a place like this?"

    "I already checked, but we can go over it again," Judy nodded. "We can also get some fur samples."

    The two went over Judy's apartment, testing the walls for weaknesses or hollows in both the bedroom and bathroom. There appeared to be no significant damage in the apartment despite its shoddy appearance. Next, the two went over her floor with tweezers, picking up fur of various colors.

    "Gray, white... these are probably mine," Judy smiled bashfully, placing each kind of sample in a different bag.

    "You've got plenty of others..." Karen looked around with a thoughtful look on her muzzle. "This one's red-orange... cream... brown... did you have a party here?"

    "Oh, those are most likely all Nick's," Judy laughed mildly. "He's been over here a few times. Heh, I probably should vacuum at some point."

    After the two poked around for awhile and found nothing else unusual, they turned their attentions to the gem itself.

    "So uh... I wonder how this got here," Judy pondered over the gem. "It's not like gems are naturally-occurring."

    "Technically they are," Karen droned dully, getting out a pair of tweezers and a small magnifier, "but not cut gems."

    Karen meticulously picked the gemstone up and started looking at it through the magnifier.

    "It's got nice clarity and color for its cut," Karen remarked. "Not to mention it's decently large."

    "You like gems?" Judy didn't know too much about the technical officer, who seemed to keep much to herself.

    "Mhm," Karen nodded, then tried to keep her head still while she examined the gem further. "My father once took me to the Natural History Museum and he couldn't get me out of the gemstone exhibit."

    "Huh."

    As she internalized this fact, Judy stood there in uncomfortable silence as Karen examined the gem.

    "So uh," Judy blinked as Karen worked, "is it a ruby or a garnet?"

    "Oh, definitely a ruby," Karen said distractedly, "Garnets can't be this red."

    "You think we should take it back to the station?" Judy mused. "Maybe put it through the mass spectrometer?"

    "No!" Karen shrieked with a look of horror that melted into a grimace. "Not only did we just get that precious machine, but it would damage this gem to put it through it! If you want to know what it's made of, I can take a wild guess! Corundum, also known as aluminum oxide."

    "Okay, okay!" Judy held up her paws close to her chest. "Didn't mean to offend!"

    "I can see if there's anything unusual about it at the lab with a microscope, even though that's not as fancy as you might like," Karen grumbled.

    "Whatever works," Judy nodded with a wince. "I'll go ahead and look around for any news stories about missing rubies."

    "I doubt you'll find anything from this decade," Karen noted. "While well-kept, the gem appears to be old. It's also cut with a classic single cut; these days you usually see more elaborate cuts on gems, especially since the business has a lot of smaller mammals in it."

    "Huh, curious..." Judy scratched her cheek. "I just- I wonder how it got here..."

---

    "Well, thanks for your help, Karen," Judy said, taking the evidence bag containing the ruby and putting it away. "If we have any more gem problems, I'll be sure to come to you first."

    "I'm sure you find that amusing," Karen scoffed dryly. "Nerdy hare likes looking at shiny rocks."

    "Gems are pretty," Judy smiled. "We all need some sort of indulgence."

    "Guess so," the arctic hare nodded once. "See you tomorrow, Hopps."

    Judy made her way to the Zootopia Central Train Station after work, checking the time.

    After a brief period, a familiar fox made his way off one of the trains, ambling down towards the subway.

    "Oof!" Nick exclaimed as Judy plowed right into him for an energetic hug. "Jeez, Carrots."

    "You're back!" The bunny observed. "Hi!"

    "Ouch, lay off, bunny!" Nick winced affectionately as Judy squeezed him. "Good grief, I was only gone a day. Fervor help me if I take a longer vacation than that."

    "Well, you're kinda getting a long weekend anyway, what with your strategically taking a day off right before our day off, you sneaky animal," Judy let him go and gave him a sly look.

    "Some well-deserved R&R," Nick nodded with a placid smile.

    "Shame I couldn't get off too..." Judy whined pleasantly. "I would have loved to visit your mother with you..."

    "You've already met her, Carrots," Nick shook his head. "We had fox business to discuss."

    "Oh, right, fox business," she rolled her eyes, "sor-ree."

    "Anything interesting happen in the short time I went missing?" The fox idly shoved his hands into his pockets as the two walked down into the subway.

    "Actually, yeah," Judy nodded. "It seems like someone got into my apartment and left a gem there. A ruby."

    "Oh really?" Nick tilted his head a few degrees.

    The bunny nodded again to confirm, joining Nick as he waited for his train to his apartment.

    "Karen, of all mammals, helped me investigate," Judy nodded decisively. "She's kind of fun to work with, at least as long as the topic is about gems. I learned more about gemstones in that one day than I think I ever have. Once I got her talking and assured her like five times she wasn't boring me, she just went on and on. Like, did you know that there's a gem called ametrine that's an amethyst half-treated into a citrine, so it's purple and orange? Isn't that neat?"

    "Hm, yeah, that is cool," Nick casually nodded. "So you opened a whole investigation, huh?"

    "Well, duh," Judy sucked her teeth. "Someone got into my apartment and left something there. Something that, by the looks of it, has some history behind it."

    "Yup, all that is technically true," Nick nodded sagely with his eyes shut. "I should know, because I left it there. Case closed, Carrots."

    "What!?" Judy flinched. "You left a ruby at my place? Why!?"

    "Can't tell you that, darlin'," Nick casually gestured with his paw as his train arrived and he got onto it. He leaned his muzzle out right before the door closed to stare at the baffled-looking bunny. "Let me know what the investigation turns up."

    He darted back into the train right as the doors closed; and it looked like his tie was centimeters from being caught on the door. The train zoomed away, leaving Judy bewildered and sputtering. She groaned in exasperation and decided to make a stop back by the station to clear some things up.

    Mentally, she cursed Nick's antics. Why on earth would he have carelessly left a valuable old gemstone in her apartment? And if he wasn't going to tell her why, who would?

    "Hmm..." Judy was a getting the ghost of an idea as she hopped back on a train for the precinct.

---

    The next day, Judy gathered her wits about her and stepped onto the welcome mat of a cozy Rainforest District home. The mat read: "This home welcomes all paws", which she found sweet. She softly knocked on the door, then a little louder. She was about to go for a third round when the door opened.

    The middle-aged vixen on the other side smiled warmly as she looked down at her visitor.

    "Why, Judy Hopps," Mary Wilde said, her voice marveling, "and after I just had a visit from my son. What a treat!"

    "Hi, Mrs. Wilde," Judy waved, leaning over with an almost shy smile. "Sorry to bother you, but could we talk...?"

    "Of course!" Mary invited her in with a sweeping arm gesture. "But only if you call me something other than 'Mrs. Wilde'. You can call me anything but 'Mary Melody'!"

    Judy chuckled at Nick's jovial mother. "Did you have a good time with Nick?"

    "Oh yes, yes," Mary nodded with almost a devious glint in her eye. "We had some important... fox issues to talk about."

    The bunny immediately looked puzzled by the mischievous smirk on her muzzle and the casual flick of her tail. There was no doubt about it; Nick was his mother's son.

    "Now, would you like some tea?" Mary asked with her paws daintily held up. "Maybe with a little lemon or lime?"

    "Sure, how about both?" Judy shrugged, taking a seat on her couch.

    "That's the spirit," Mary cooed, pouring them both a cup.

    Judy carefully sipped hers, thoughts buzzing through her head. Mary carried herself with that air of mystique that Judy often sensed around Nick. Even at that moment, the vixen's eyes seemed to be carefully studying the little bunny as she worked out what she wanted to say.

    "Now, what brings my son's favorite firebrand over to my humble little den?" Mary chirped.

    "I uh, I had something that you might want," Judy rustled around in her coat and produced the ruby from it, held in a protective, small plastic bag. "It belongs to your family, right?"

    "Ooh, goodness!" Mary's eyes lit up and she placed a paw to her mouth, but Judy noticed a smile sneaking across her muzzle. "Well... my my. Yes, that does belong to the Wilde family."

    "You should probably take it back, then," Judy held her paw out. "Nick just left it over at my apartment, the careless clod."

    Mary giggled. "Well, technically, it is his to do with what he wishes."

    Judy's brow knit as a confused expression popped onto her face. "Uhm... I mean, isn't this ruby pretty precious? Y'know, for Nick to be treating so frivolously?"

    "Oh, now Judy," Mary bat her paw, "you know Nick nearly never does anything on accident." She tilted her head in a charming way, her tail draped across her lap.

    "Why would he leave a family heirloom at my dingy little apartment!?" Alarm flashed across Judy's face as she shook the bag lightly.

    "Well now..." Mary barely seemed to think before replying, "you're a policemammal, aren't you? I guess you'll just have to figure that out...!" The tip of her tail twitched impishly.

    "Creamed corn, Mary," Judy looked crestfallen. "You're just as bad as he is."

    "Oh dear," Mary placed a paw on her cheek, looking playfully insulted, "I don't know what to say to that, Judy. I raised Nick the best way I could... so anything he does beyond that is a mystery to me."

    "And me," Judy muttered. Her arm got tired, so she went ahead and placed the ruby back in her coat after giving it a lingering look, as if she was willing the gem to speak to her.

    Mary giggled into her paw again. "Judy, you are just adorable."

    The bunny made a face, narrowing one eye.

    "Can I not say that?" Mary smiled brightly. "How about... precious, then? You're just precious."

    "Thank you, Mary," Judy sighed, getting up. "I guess I'll have to passive-aggressively bother him about this until he fesses up to why he left it at my place."

    "I can show you a little something, if you'd like," Mary said, getting up and taking an old album from a drawer. "Now where- ah, here we go." She sat next to Judy and pointed at a weathered, black-and-white picture. "That's Nick's great-grandfather, Paul Wilde."

    "Cheese and crackers, he looks just like him..." Judy marveled. "Oh, he's holding the gem, isn't he?"

    "Paul was the one that found it!" Mary nodded. "He dug for gems all day and every day, and upon finding the prettiest ruby he ever saw, he had his wife Margaret cut it, and decided to keep it in the family."

    Judy read over the tight, cursive script on the photo album.

    "Paulie and Margie with the Wilde Heart," Judy read aloud. "The 'Wilde Heart'...?"

    "Mhm," Mary smirked. "That's what they decided to call it."

    "The Wilde Heart!" Judy gasped shrilly as a thought occurred to her; her ears launching up as if she was jolted by electricity.

    "Sure is," Mary grinned with a wink.

    "Um, Mary, it's been great visiting, but I gotta go!" Judy exclaimed hastily, getting up and looking around to make sure she didn't leave anything. "Um, bye! I'll visit again soon!"

    "Bye, sweetheart," Mary waved each of her fingers as Judy as the bunny scrambled out the door, leaving it open in her haste.

    Mary walked over to the doorway and saw the bunny racing toward the nearest subway station at incredible speed, keeping one paw holding her coat shut protectively.

    A gentle, pleased sigh escaped Mary's nose as she went to shut the door.

    "Simply precious."

Chapter 71: Precious II

Notes:

Was in such a rush to get this out last night that I forgot my thank you!

Thanks to eng050599 for the consultation on mass spectrometers and chocolates (what a combination).

    It was a calm night, but Nick was anything but.

    Standing there in the quiet, dark apartment of his partner, he slowly walked toward her desk, feeling uncomfortable.

    Sparing a look at Judy, he very nearly chuckled. She didn't exactly look glamorous; the bunny was splayed out in her sleep, quietly snoring. Nick thought about how much Judy must have trusted him as he placed a hand into his pocket, feeling the cool metal of a key.

    Judy had given Nick the only key to her apartment soon after their little adventure in Zootopia, the one that ended with the bunny's brief stay in the hospital. She wanted a few things from her apartment and asked Nick to get them. She also specifically asked Nick to get the key duplicated.

    "I want you to visit while I'm off my leg," Judy had explained cheerfully. "Else I'll be bored to death!" Nick didn't know if she was a bit giggly from painkillers, had poor judgement, or really did just trust him that much to let a fox into where she lived, but he complied with her request. After all, with everything she had been through, he didn't want her cause of death to be from boredom.

    So there he stood, his body still in the darkness, watching her sleep. Her features easily came into his sight due to his natural night vision. Was he betraying her trust? It kind of felt like it. He let out a breath slightly longer than usual as he steadied himself for what he had come there to do. Slowly, Nick reached into his other pocket and palmed a lovely red gem, taking it out and giving it a long look. Very gently, he set it on Judy's desk, then just as quietly started to move away.

    Nick heard shuffling coming from the bed and his blood froze. Slowly hazarding a half-turn, he merely saw Judy cuddling up with her pillow, squeezing it in an adorable death-grip.

    The word "cute" blared into Nick's head like warning sirens, and briefly Nick wondered if his very thoughts could be picked up by those long slumbering bunny ears. Her breathing stayed steady and measured, so Nick very, very slowly left her apartment and dutifully locked the door.

    Feeling like he had endured at least a month's worth of stress, he wiggled his paws and let out a nervous breath, then walked out into the night.

---

    "So it turned out the hare actually wanted to be chased," Nick explained to his mother, sitting on her couch with her. "He led us on a chase all over Zootopia just for a thrill."

    "Really," Mary Wilde blinked, tilting her muzzle. "Is that a 'prey' thing?"

    "I dunno, maybe some kind of thrill-seeking quirk," Nick shrugged. "Life on the edge and all that. Boy did Judy give him an earful when we caught him. I don't think I'd ever seen her so cheesed off."

    "That sweet little bun?" Mary giggled, placing a paw to her cheek.

    "Oh yeah, you should have heard her," Nick laughed. "'Do you know how many lives you put in danger, mister!?' It was pretty intense. That hare wanted to experience a real-life movie chase or something. But life's not like that, people can get hurt..."

    Mary chuckled again, then gave a curious look at her son with a half-smile. "So, what's this about?"

    "Come again?"

    "This visit," Mary continued, adjusting to be more comfortable in her seat, "you usually only come over when something important has happened, not just for small talk with your dear old mother."

    "Okay, first, ouch," Nick held up a curved finger, "but second... yeah, I suppose you're right."

    "Well...?" Nick's mother blinked. "Anything I should know?"

    "I, uh..." the fox rubbed his palms together uncomfortably, "I gave away the family gem, Mom."

    "You did..." Mary looked momentarily alarmed. "...to Judy?"

    "Yeah, I- wait," Nick flinched, "uh, how did you know?"

    "Come on, Nick," Mary smirked, "she's all you ever talk about anymore." She paused momentarily. "You love her." It wasn't a question.

    Nick sat there for a half-minute.

    "I do... God, I do," his head bowed and he sighed. "So much it kind of hurts, actually. It hurts my soul to know she might not feel the same way about me."

    "Nick..." Mary shook her head slightly, "what makes you say that?"

    "There've been so many 'close calls'," Nick swallowed difficultly before continuing, "so many little moments... like- like laughing at each other after getting caught out in the rain, having to spend a night at each others' place for some sort of contrived reason, and- and y'know, the flirting. There's a lot of that."

    "So," his mother scratched the side of her muzzle thoughtfully, "I assume you've just... 'explained away' all of those things, as you would."

    "Oh yeah, I'm good at that," Nick rolled his eyes self-mockingly, his paws hanging between his knees as he slumped over.

    "And how about her scent?"

    "Uh," the fox's body straightened up, "what about it?"

    Mary smiled. "Does she smell interested?"

    "Mom," Nick winced, "I couldn't exactly tell you what bunny pheromones smell like; I don't really know if she's giving those off. But mostly... I dunno, she smells nice. Kind of grassy and earthy." Mary smiled broadly with her eyes closed. "Not that I go trying to sniff her blatantly...!"

    "Of course not!" The vixen giggled. "...So then... how did she react when you gave her the ruby?"

    "I- um," Nick chewed on his lower lip, looking away, "I kind of left it at her place while she was sleeping. She doesn't know it was me."

    "Oh..." Mary looked shocked, but then laughed warmly again. "That reminds me of your father! He and I would leave little chocolate drops for each other in bizarre hiding places all the time. It was such a surprise to find one from him, usually with some silly love note attached." She sighed pleasantly. "Your father was a very clever fox."

    "Mom, aren't chocolates bad for you...?" Nick winced.

    "Not in moderation," Mary held a finger up brightly. "They're so tasty they might as well be a sin, though...!"

    "I uh..." Nick huffed. "I feel like you should be a bit angrier about this. About the ruby."

    "Nick, the Wilde Heart is yours," Mary's brow lowered an inch. "I gave it to you as soon as I knew you were mature enough to have the Wilde family heirloom."

    "Yeah, basically right after my graduation from the ZPD," Nick chuckled dryly.

    "I've never been more proud of you, Nicholas," Mary smiled warmly. "Whatever you want to do with that ruby is fine with me. You could do a lot worse than that cute little bunny. She just seems to complete you. It's so fun to watch you two go back and forth."

    "Um, just don't call her 'cute'," Nick laughed unsteadily, "learned that one pretty quick."

    "How about adorable?"

    "Jury's still out on that one."

    "So... are you going to tell her about it?" Mary wondered.

    "I think... I think she'll figure it out," Nick laced his fingers together, "one way or another."

---

    The next day, Nick found himself at the Natural History Museum. His pace slowed as he came across the diorama that he and Judy had fallen into a few years ago. Now, of course, there was a protective clear cover above it, and guard rails besides that.

    His thoughts ran to that fateful day, as they sometimes did. The ferocity he tried to summon, trying to match the savagery that he'd seen in Mr. Manchas and had himself been terrified by, it almost scared him to think about what he did. But Judy... she wasn't afraid. If anything, she had that intriguing smell of intensity about her; the kind she got when she was fully actuated; fully "on".

    Nick wondered if maybe she didn't like danger, like that hare they arrested seemed to be drunk on. Judy could certainly be irrational. However, she also was at her sharpest when the chips were down and it was time to be serious.

    The ghostly images of a fox and a bunny ran through that now-fully decorated diorama, reenacting the scene. It was flawless. They were flawless.

    She was flawless.

    And thus, the day was saved, all due to a bunny and a fox scamming an evil sheep. It was the perfect feather to stick in the cap of a fox. He couldn't be more proud of that sneaky little bunny.

    Nick abruptly turned from the display and headed up to the second floor. Wandering around, he found himself at the gem exhibit. There were plenty of gemstones on display, in every color one could think of. There were even a few multi-colored gems, such as watermelon tourmaline, and spheres of more exotic minerals were also sitting there in neat rows. Nick put his hands in his pockets and looked at them somewhat wistfully.

    Feeling a tiny bit of shame, he wondered what Judy might look like wearing jewelry featuring some of those gems. Whether contrasting or complimenting her fur, he could imagine her looking amazing in each gem. He wondered if she'd feel like wearing the Wilde Heart. Nick thought she'd look breathtaking with it on.

    "'Scuse me, sir?"

    Following the source of the small voice, he bent his head down to see a teenage chipmunk boy trying to get his attention. The small rodent looked nervous.

    "Hi," he said, "could I... uh, could you do a favor for me?"

    "What's that?" Nick replied.

    "Heh," the chipmunk seemed even more skittish, "I don't suppose I could ask you to- uh, lift me up? So I can see some of the higher gem displays closer?"

    "Oh, sure," Nick nodded with an easy grin, bending over and offering his paws for the rodent. Looking relieved, the chipmunk scooted into his hands. Nick carefully lifted him up and paraded him over to the gem exhibits to get a better look. "Lemme know if I'm going too fast."

    "These gems are amazing," the chipmunk marveled, "the ones at the Little Rodentia exhibit are so small compared to these. These're huge!"

    After making it to the end of the display, Nick looked at the chipmunk. "Had your fill?"

    "Sure, thanks very much, sir," the chipmunk nodded, getting set down. The chipmunk started reviewing the pictures he took with his phone as he made his way off.

    "I saw a bit of that."

    Nick's ear bat as he heard Judy's voice. He slowly half-turned his head, looking at her sidelong.

    "That was very sweet, with the, uh..." Judy moved her palm in an "elevator" fashion.

    "Now, how on Earth did you know I was here...?" Nick asked, looking slightly baffled.

    "Lucky guess?" Judy's shoulders sprung up. "I remembered Karen saying something about a gem exhibit at the Natural History Museum. And, since gems are the theme of the week, it would seem..." The bunny weighed the air with both paws.

    "Hm," Nick grinned with his trademark simper, turning to face her, "so, do you give up figuring it out yet?"

    "Ha!" The bunny folded her arms tightly, leaning her head toward the fox. "Who do you think you're talking to? I already solved it!"

    "Oh, you think so," Nick chuckled. "How's that?"

    "I talked to your mother," Judy returned smugly.

    Nick's face momentarily read alarm, but he quickly regained his composure and bent down to grin at her. "Ah, so you cheated."

    "I didn't cheat!" Judy scoffed, placing her hands on her chest. "I deduced! Karen said the cut and look of the gem was pretty old, so I figured it must have been a family heirloom. Judging by your mother's reaction, I guessed right. Also." Judy swished her finger at Nick. "She's as bad as you are at holding onto information, but she did show me that old photo of the gem... so I figured out its name."

    "Ah, so you got it, then," Nick straightened up, his mood suddenly faltering.

    "Nick, I can't believe you gave me something so... valuable," Judy smiled softly, her hands hanging down at her sides.

    "Well, pff..." he huffed. "Like you said, it's an old cut, and there are larger and shinier rubies. I doubt you could get all that much for-"

    "Nick," Judy stopped him by grabbing his wrist firmly, "you gave me something priceless. I intend to treat it with as much care and respect as I can."

    He couldn't face her. He turned his head away, taking in a difficult breath, his eyes slightly glassy. "Yeah, okay."

    "To that end..."

    Nick's attention was caught by Judy rooting around in her shirt. She retrieved a key attached to a simple pendant. The key was dainty; it had a somewhat ornate design with a diamond shape at the end, and a red crystal set in it. It certainly wasn't the Wilde Heart, but...

    "What's that for?" Nick blinked.

    "It's a key to the gem box I put your ruby in," Judy twirled it in her fingers. "I picked out the nicest one I could find. So... you could say that I have the key to-"

    "Right, I got it, you don't have to spell it out," Nick rolled his eyes, an uneasy breath exploding into a weak smile. "That's pretty corny."

    "Huh! Look who's talking!" Judy scoffed, wiggling the key at him. "Giving me the 'Wilde Heart'..." She glanced at the key briefly before locking eyes with Nick once more. "I thought I could wear it when we're off-duty," Judy beamed, putting it back in her shirt. "Y'know, close to my chest like this. For whenever we're hanging around, and maybe even when we're not."

    "Judy..." Nick swallowed difficulty. His thoughts burned to mentally slap down and excuse each thing she said as her simply being extremely friendly and sweet with him. His muzzle almost wobbled as he found it hard to meet her eyes.

    "Hey, Nick?" Judy beckoned with one finger. "I have something to tell you."

    When Nick leaned over, he honestly didn't expect the ensuing kiss.

    She'd leaned up into his muzzle, and the kiss was gentle. It was quite unlike how he expected something like this to go, and he imagined the moment in several different ways.

    After he wiped the look of surprise off his face, Nick's tongue darted out briefly of its own accord to trace the bit of his lips smooched by the bunny. Judy giggled at this reaction, wearing a charming smile.

    "Huh, that's very interesting..." Nick marveled, straightening up.

    "Hey, did you see that they fixed up that poor ol' deer you wrecked?" Judy chuckled, jerking her thumb backwards.

    "I'm glad I didn't get a bill for that," Nick snarked. He started to watch Judy's eyes sway this way and that. "Oh God... my tail's wagging, isn't it?"

    "Yup!" Judy exclaimed, then suddenly sprang into Nick's arms.

    "Jeez!" Only Nick's quick reflexes caught her, and she held on tight. "Well, this is more like the Judy I know. ...What, you want to reenact how I got you out of here last time?"

    Judy dramatically swooned in his arms, a paw against her forehead. "Nick, I'm suddenly unable to walk, carry me!"

    Nick chuckled and started to humor her. He sighed softly.

    "Y'know, this really isn't how I thought things would go. Life really isn't like the movies."

    "Not always," Judy smiled. "I hope you weren't expecting some grandiose sappy love scene while one of us was hanging off a cliff."

    "I'd considered it," Nick frowned, continuing to carry her. She felt so soft and light in his arms. "Might have been a little cliche, eh?"

    "Kinda," Judy chirped, settling into his arms. "Not that the stunt you pulled wasn't super cheesy. 'I gave you my heart'."

    "I'm going to drop you," Nick deadpanned. "Ms. 'I have the key to your heart'."

    "So we're both corny, who cares?" Judy shrugged. "Please don't drop me though, it's nice here."

    Nick looked down at that earnest, happy bunny face, and he found he couldn't even pretend to loosen his grip, not even for the joke.

    "Yeah... I won't."

Notes:

Well! Even though this is chapter 150, we're not quite at 150 stories yet since three chapters are "bonus content".

That said, October is looking to be a busy month for me, so I can't promise any updates for the rest of the month. I will try to perhaps get the chapter index and character sheet updated, which will alter the order of the chapters, so perhaps I can get that done sometime this month.

As for my readers, thanks as always for your support and comments, they keep me going.

I should have typed this last night, but I was tired and in a rush to get the chapter done and edited before I dropped.

So, for the future of Different Tails, I'd like to ask some opinions of you, so feel free to flood this chapter with your thoughts. Let me know what characters you'd like to see, what scenarios, or what concepts and stories that were previously done that you'd like to see revisited.

I look forward to hearing from my readers as always, and thank you again for giving me your eyeball time. See you soon, hopefully!

Chapter 72: Second

    A look of caution formed on Judy's face as Chief Bogo stormed into the room for the morning briefing. His face read anger and frustration; though it always seemed to, his officers knew when something was wrong. Nick met Judy's gaze briefly; they knew something was definitely up. The other officers shared their puzzlement, as none of them started hooting, as they usually did when Chief Bogo took the podium.

    Chief Bogo regarded his officers and grit his teeth. "It's with a heavy heart that I report this morning. Last night, the team I assigned to investigate the disappearance of Officer Karen Skippel, our newest Technical Officer has..." Bogo's teeth clamped down tightly. "They have found her body."

    Judy's mouth opened a slight bit in shock and she heard a few gasps erupt. Nick held his mouth in a line.

    "This was definitely a homicide," Bogo said lowly. "And from what we've figured out, Officer Skippel seems to have been involved in those electronic bank robberies that were occurring all throughout yesterday in various accounts throughout Zootopia. It is likely that she was coerced and then... disposed of." Bogo paused. "The rest of our technical team pored through some of the transactions made and found that she was attempting to communicate in code. She left messages such as 'SOS', 'rhinoceros', and..." Bogo slowed with his eyes closed, but then he looked furious again. "'Help'."

    Nick felt a chill, and Judy's breath caught slightly on her next intake of air.

    Chief Bogo slammed a folder down on his podium, making the mammals in the front row flinch. "Any of you not on prior assignment are to take a packet. These are dossiers on all of the rhinos in Zootopia with an outstanding arrest history. I don't care if we have to interview all of them. The mammal responsible for murdering one of my officers will come to justice! Do I make myself clear?"

    There were a few vacant nods that flowed around the room.

    The buffalo gave a loud huff, putting on his glasses. "Services for Officer Skippel will be held on Saturday. You will show up if you are able; we will show support for our fallen officer. Now. Come get your packets, and get out of my sight. Hopps, Wilde, you two first."

    Judy came by to get her packet and she thought she saw Bogo's expression soften just a bit when he regarded the bunny, but in the next instant it was firm and angry again. He nodded to the door. "Get to work."

 

---

    "I had a feeling you'd show up sooner or later," Judy said emptily as Nick appeared over at her cubicle.

    "I'm kind of finding it a little hard to focus," Nick admitted, scratching one of his ears.

    "Are you suddenly afraid for me because I'm a bunny?" Judy asked in slight exasperation, anticipating Nick's fears. "So she was an arctic hare. She wasn't equipped for field work, being a Technical Officer. And it's not like being a fox would have made much difference either. Nor half of the mammals in our precinct. Rhinos are just... really dangerous when they go bad. Such immense strength, and a built-in weapon..."

    "Well, the thought had crossed my mind, to be worried about you," Nick nodded slowly. He looked off to the side, then back at Judy. "I'm just wondering how you feel, maybe? About Officer Skippel?"

    "I'm not sure how to answer that, Nick," Judy said, pushing her chair away from her desk. "I didn't really know her. She always pushed me away when I tried to be friendly. I think she... hated me."

    "'Hate' might be a bit of a strong word," Nick offered. "I'd go with... ah... resent, maybe."

    "Why do you think it was like that between us, Nick?" Judy frowned. "Why couldn't I connect with her?"

    "I'm guessing it was because she was the second lapine officer in the ZPD, and she got assigned to the same precinct as you," Nick mused, scratching his chin.

    "That's not a fair comparison to make, Nick," Judy gestured towards him. "We're in different departments with different specializations."

    "And one of you saved Zootopia," Nick added lowly. Judy gave him a wary look that started worsening.

    "I... had a paw in it, okay?" Judy looked angry. "You were a big part of it, too! Besides, no one should have compared her to me."

    "What if she did that herself?" Nick suggested. "Maybe she told herself she'd always be the 'second best' lapine on the force, no matter what she did."

    "Nick!" Judy grabbed at her forehead with a paw. "Are you trying to make me feel worse about this? I tried all I could to befriend her, but she just didn't want it! We were never paired together on any assignments... it was just... you know."

    "Yeah, I get it," Nick frowned, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe I should have been the one to extend an olive branch, though I don't think she was particularly fond of me, either."

    Judy gave a prolonged sigh, and Nick removed his hand from its place. "I guess there's nothing we could have done." She gave Nick a look. "You want to go to the service?"

    "Yeah, I plan on it," Nick nodded. "Show support for her family and all that."

    "I suppose I'll go too, then," Judy said in an unsure voice, "I just feel like anything I could say to her family would sound like a meaningless platitude since I didn't know her personally."

    "Well, sometimes it's not what you say, or even how you say it, but just that you're there to say it," Nick told Judy.

    "You're right, of course," Judy nodded. "I'll be there. Anyway, we should both probably get back to work looking for a lead. I'm with the Chief; whoever took out one of our fellow officers has to pay."

    "Yeah, they do," Nick said flatly. "I'll be in my cubicle if you need me, Judy."

    "All right, Nick," Judy nodded. "And I'll be right here." Judy began to stare at the dossiers with renewed focus. She thought she would love to be the one that would take down a cop killer, but she knew that rhinos were a dangerous animal for anyone to take down, much less a couple of small mammals like herself and Nick.

    Judy found herself wondering just what had happened leading up to the disappearance of Officer Skippel. Was there anything Judy overlooked? Could she have helped prevent the supposed abduction or the arctic hare's death? Was she at all complicit in the robbery scheme and then outlived her usefulness? Judy grit her teeth as the questions with no real answers popped up one by one, and recognized them as part of a grieving process. She made a soft scoffing sound.

    How could she really grieve for someone she didn't even know?

Chapter 73: Money

    "This is a busy part of town, Hopps, I'm not sure how the criminal gets away with it, really," Nick and Judy were walking down a street of Savanna Central where a handful of thefts had been reported. Both the fox and bunny were in casual clothes, but on duty; they were undercover. Judy was technically "Mrs. Wilde" at that point, but Nick and other officers still tended to call her "Officer Hopps" on duty out of habit and to avoid confusion.

    "I kind of think Bogo should have gotten Officer Pennington to work on this," Judy shrugged. "The thief seems to only be hitting very large mammals with purses around these few streets. Francine would have been perfect bait."

    "Problem is, the thief is somehow getting away without even being noticed," Nick stuck his hands in his pockets. "Who's to say they couldn't abscond with something of Francine's too?"

    "Do you think it's an elephant with an exceptionally light trunk, maybe?" Judy considered as they waited at a corner for the crosswalk.

    "A bit risky for no one to have noticed it yet," Nick replied. "Even with that prehensile nose, they'd have to both sneak it in and out of each purse they pickpocketed, and be noticed by no one. No, I'm thinking its probably something much smaller, someone that could get into the purses, like a chipmunk or a-"

    "Squirrel!" Judy gasped, her eyes wide. "Nick, look!"

    "Yeah, a squirrel," Nick agreed jovially, following her gaze and blinking as he saw what she was indicating. A squirrel had popped his head out of a hippo's purse. His blue eyes flew open as he noticed the bunny and fox looking at him. He dropped the small wad of bills he had rolled up.

    "Ah, nuts," the squirrel muttered simply, leaping out of the purse and onto the sidewalk, starting to take off in the opposite direction.

    "He's making a break for it!" Nick exclaimed.

    "Stop, police!" Judy shouted at him in her loudest voice. Some mammals turned their head as she flashed her badge and made way as they gave chase.

    "Double nuts!" The squirrel grit his teeth and started jaywalking, dodging cars this way and that.

    "What the-!? He's going to get himself killed!" Judy vaulted over a smallish car as Nick more carefully weaved through traffic, displaying his own badge.

    "Doubt it! Squirrels are great scurriers; we need to catch up with him or he'll give us the slip for sure!"

    "Rgh!" Judy accelerated as the squirrel made it across the street. Indeed, his tiny, sharp claws got some use as he started making his way up a sheer looking brick wall, scampering with speed. "Oh no you don't!" Judy crouched down and made an impressive leap straight up, snatching the squirrel off the wall.

    "Guahk!" The squirrel yelped, flailing rapidly and making angry chattering sounds.

    "You got him, honey-bunny?" Nick chuckled. Judy nodded, holding the squirrel with a firm grip.

    "You have the right to remain silent," Judy failed to mask her amusement at the furious, thrashing squirrel. "Anything you say can and will be used against you-"

---

    "Ghh!" The squirrel almost lost his footing as the cage he was thrown into was placed down firmly on a table. He looked around at the interrogation room of the ZPD, trying to seem unimpressed. He sat down on the floor of the cage and folded his arms, looking irritated.

    Judy held a magnifying glass up to the wallet that security had recovered from the squirrel as he was brought into the ZPD. "Larry Curlyque. He's only fifteen. We need to call his parents."

    Nick deftly held up a stylus and balanced Larry's tiny phone on his paw. "What's the code into your phone, champ?"

    "It's bite me," the squirrel replied, rattling his cage a bit. "You guys don't have anything on me."

    "Except for seeing you coming out of a hippo's purse carrying a wad of bills," Judy gave a half-smile.

    "Aw, the code didn't work," Nick grinned sardonically as he failed to get into Larry's phone.

    "I was just... I jumped into the purse to cushion my fall," Larry said waveringly. "The lady had some loose bills in her purse. That's dangerous, you know!"

    "You're an awful liar, champ," Nick chuckled.

    "Shut up!" Larry balled his fists. "I'm not telling you anything and there's no way you can pin anything on me."

    "Isn't there?" Judy opened and closed some tweezers. Larry's eyes went wide as Judy threaded them between the bars of the cage and the squirrel scrambled to the back of the cage in a panic.

    "The heck are you doing!?" Larry panicked. "Is this torture?" Larry slightly relaxed as the tweezers merely grabbed a tiny hair that was on the bottom of the cage.

    "I'm getting this to Dr. Pedshark for analysis," Judy said evenly, "and give me his cellphone. Karen'll crack it in seven minutes, tops."

    "I say five," Nick grinned. "Whoever's further buys dinner."

    "Deal," Judy replied musically and left the interrogation room.

    "Y'see, sport," Nick started, "we recovered a hair from the bottom of one of the other purses you were probably in. Now like you said, it could just be a coincidence from a squirrel landing in her purse, or the wind placing it there, just... randomly, but if a pattern is showing up, well then. Analysis suggested the hair is a squirrel hair, but the owner's not in the system yet. But, once we match it to the one you just left behind, well."

    "No..." Larry's brow furrowed and he began to sniffle.

    "And once we crack your phone, we'll get your parents over here so they can see what a naughty little squirrel you've been," Nick said. "And y'know, probably get you a lawyer."

    "No...!" Larry repeated in despair, making a choking sound, sinking to the bottom of the cage and beginning to sob. "Yuh- you can't..." He sniffled, then began to weep openly.

    "We most certainly can," Nick gave a small, forced smile. Something about the way he was crying distressed him, but he didn't show it.

    "Four minutes and forty seven seconds!" Judy happily burst into the room again. "Looks like dinner's on me! Larry's mom is on her way." Larry made an anguished groan as he wept. "Whoa, you broke him already when I was out?"

    "Didn't take much," Nick shrugged. "The kit's a marshmallow."

    Larry gave a few sniveling inhales, trying to compose himself. "You jerks... just wait till she gets here... you'll be sorry."

    "Not as sorry as you," Judy gave a little huff. She turned her head to Nick and jerked her thumb at him. "Wow, the nerve of that kit. What's his mom in politics or something?"

---

    "Ah, Emily Curlyque is here," Benjamin Clawhauser said with reserved gentleness. Nick and Judy's faces read concern; Benjamin's voice was never soft unless something was the matter. He held the door open for the squirrel. Emily slowly made her way in; she was a weak-looking squirrel with several patches of her fur missing.

    Judy winced, and Larry's words rang back into her head. Nick swallowed hard, and offered his hands to Emily to lift her up onto the table.

    "Hello, Mrs. Curlyque," Nick said respectfully. After slowly accepting the lift from Nick and getting onto the table, Emily gazed upon the cage with her shamed-looking son sitting inside.

    "What's this about?" Emily asked gently, looking like she was getting her bearings from the slow, gentle lift. "What do you think my son has done?"

    "Well, ah," Judy stammered, "we believe he may be involved in some instances of purse pickpocketing that have been going on." Emily looked shocked at her son, who avoided her gaze.

    "Is this true, Larry?" Emily asked in a hushed voice. "Have you been stealing?"

    Larry's eyes squeezed shut and he looked like he would cry again, though the fur of his cheeks was still damp from earlier. He didn't respond.

    "Answer me, young mammal," Emily's voice continued to be soft. Judy wondered if she could even muster a more forceful voice.

    Nick observed the gray squirrel writhe a bit, as if guilt was physically wracking his body.

    "We can ah, call you a lawyer, if you'd like," Judy gave a tiny smile.

    "Did you steal?" Emily went on, ignoring her.

    "Yeah..." Larry admitted, shuddering.

    "Why?" Emily asked simply.

    "Yhh... you figure it out," Larry closed his eyes again and tucked into a ball. "I'm too young to work..."

    "Oh no, Larry..." Emily gave a soft gasp, swallowing.

    "What's going on here, exactly?" Judy asked in a tiny voice.

    Emily sighed. "As it might be apparent, I've been battling cancer. It went into remission when Larry was almost eight or so, but I had a small relapse and had to get treated again not too long ago. I'm doing okay now but... the bills have been... prodigious, and I haven't been able to keep down a steady job." Emily gave a sad look to the shocked responses of the fox and bunny. "My husband died in a large animal accident when Larry was five. I guess... I guess Larry was just trying to help, in a way..."

    "I was gonna..." Larry started, sniffling, "get enough money to pay your bills and then... then you wouldn't be in debt..."

    Nick cringed and felt a sharp shard of empathy jab into his gut. During his hustling days, he had sent money to his mother himself; money he hadn't entirely earned legally, though not as overtly criminal as what this squirrel had done.

    "You can't just do that, Larry, that's not right," Emily scolded gently. "We're still okay. We'll find a way."

    "Ah, as it's his first time," Judy offered gently, "maybe we can get him off easy? He's underage, so... maybe we can just get him a brief probation?"

    "Whatever you think he deserves," Emily nodded slowly. "Larry, you can work your tail off if that's what you wish when you're old enough, but until then, you must behave."

    "Yes, momma..." Larry closed his eyes once more, tears rolling from his face.

    "Well, got some paperwork to do for this, so..." Judy gave a guilty smile, her eyes glassy, and exited the room.

    Conflict roiled within Nick as he felt a strange calling to his past. He wrote down his number on a piece of paper. "Emily, you have Larry call me later, okay? I might have some... friendly advice for him."

    Emily looked a bit confused, and Larry shared this look.

    "I mean, I can't have you stealing from the citizens of Zootopia," Nick nodded. "Buuut... there are... 'other', less blatantly illegal ways to make mammals part with some money."

    Emily and Larry shared a small look, unaware of what the sly fox had in mind.

    Judy heard this from outside of the room and poked her head back in. "Nick, don't."

    "Whaat?" Nick gave a big grin, giving a big, dramatic shrug. "Technically it's only 'legally-adjacent'."

Chapter 74: Wrong

    Nick wore a small, but pleasant smirk as he gazed over his date. The vixen wore a sparkling white dress with just the barest hint of blue in it. She had her chin in one paw, giving him a bemused smile in return with her eyes half lidded. If Nick was honest though, the smile he wore was not completely genuine.

    "Well? I'm waiting," the vixen cooed in a pleasant voice.

    "For what, Vivian?" Nick asked, sipping some of his water.

    "For you to tell me how you feel about me," Vivian's smile was pleasant and sweet. Nick felt a sickening lurch of dread. It was only his third date with the vixen. He looked over her. The white fur of her neck vanished easily into her dress. She had blue eyes that were colored deeper than most. She was a beautiful vixen. But...

    "Well, isn't it obvious?" Nick asked, trying to fake his suave smugness. Vivian gave a charming giggle, regarding the handsome, suited fox in front of her.

    "Oh yes, it's very obvious," Vivian gave a dreamy sigh, shaking her head. "But I want to hear you say it."

    "Vivian, uh, I don't really... I don't think I'm quite in the mood for this just yet," Nick tried to keep his teeth from showing.

    Vivian closed her eyes and sniffed at the air a few times, and her pleasant smile remained. "Oh, I know that, too."

    The words felt like a wake-up slap. Of course. She was a vixen, she could smell that he wasn't giving off any sort of interest in her. But why was she still so pleasant? Nick hesitated.

    "Aw, come on, Nick," Vivian giggled. "Just do it. It will be good for you."

    "I don't love you," Nick surprised himself by replying very quickly. He felt invisible teeth chew at his stomach as dread flooded through him. To his astonishment, Vivian's expression still didn't falter.

    "There we go," Vivian let out a slow sigh, grinning.

    "Okay, now," Nick tugged at his collar. "This is the part where you get up, pour your drink all over me, and storm off. Then, I have to go get my suit dry-cleaned."

    Vivian tossed her head back and laughed. Nick didn't think it was that funny.

    "Oh Nick, come on," Vivian rolled her eyes. "Do you really think Judy would have set us up on a date if I were that kind of vixen?"

    "Well, to be fair, I think it's kind of a natural response to someone telling you they don't love you, especially since we're on a nice dinner date," Nick shrugged.

    "I'm not your average vixen," Vivian winked.

    "No, of course not," Nick shook his head. He began to speak rapidly. "You're lovely, beautiful even. You've got a great, lively personality, you're charming, and I'm just saying all these words with no sort of emotional investment at all." Nick groaned.

    "Because you don't love me," Vivian's smile finally faltered into an even look. Nick shut his eyes and nodded. Vivian paused, but then smiled again. "You love her."

    "God, I do," Nick's head dropped into his hands. "I love her so much! I would do anything for her. I have done anything for her. Risked my life, worked my tail off just to be near her..."

    "Oh, Nick, that is so sweet!" Vivian gently clapped her paws. "I think we're making some real progress here."

    "I thought you sold frozen drinks," Nick muttered blankly. "I didn't know you were also a therapist."

    "I pity you, Nick," Vivian said. "I pity you because you remind me of me. A young vixen that knew exactly what she wanted, but was too afraid to just go for it."

    "Er, are we talking about relationships here or what?" Nick cocked up one eyebrow. "A vixen on a date with a male fox is about as vanilla as it gets."

    "You're not... quite what I'm looking for," Vivian admitted. "But I did think it would be fun to get to know you a bit better. That's the only reason I agreed to go along with Judy's... mm... 'hare'-brained scheme."

    "Wow," Nick groaned at both the joke and the situation. "So can I pour my drink on you, now?"

    "If you must," Vivian said placidly.

    "What are either of us doing here, then?" Nick threw up an arm in frustration.

    "I have to admit I'm a bit of a selfish girl, Nick," Vivian looked away a bit. "I... I wanted to see it for myself. The depth of the passion you have for her. What you're keeping yourself from. Why you won't go for her. Tell me why you're so scared."
    
    Nick paused. "Because... even the scent of her is like ambrosia to me. The way her voice... her laugh... the way it hits my ears, sometimes it's all I can do not to shiver. Any time her fur touches mine, even accidentally, it feels like I've stolen something precious and I have to do my best not to let it show, lest she realize my senses are consuming her as if she was truly my prey."

    "Yes..." Vivian smiled, absorbing the words in delight. "Mm, that's some delicious longing right there. I don't think I even need to eat now!"

    "I could never tell her anything like that," Nick shook his head.

    "And why the heck not?" Vivian finally looked annoyed, slamming her hands down on the table.

    "Because she..." Nick's eyes narrowed. "She doesn't... she can't..."

    "She's right, you really are a dumb fox," Vivian smirked. "She loves you."

    "No," Nick shook his head. "No way."

    "She loves you so sincerely that she tried to set me up with you," Vivian placed her hands on her chest. "She wants you to be happy at any cost. She just doesn't think that she can do it by herself."

    "That's not Judy," Nick shook his head again. "No way. If she wanted me... if she loved me she'd be all over me like syrup on pancakes."

    "And that's why I know she loves you!" Vivian pointed at him. "Because to hide it, she has to hide who she is!"

    "Oh God..." Nick's jaw dropped. He slapped his coat pocket as he searched for for his phone. Frantically, he began to text Judy.

    [Where are you?]

    To his surprise, he got a response in under a minute.

    [I'm just out walking, doing a little thinking.]

    "Oh God!" Nick repeated. "I think... I think you're right! I gotta go find her!"

    "Now you're getting somewhere," Vivian laughed.

    "I'm sorry, Vivian, about being such an idiot about this," Nick winced. "You aren't mad at me, are you?"

    "Only if you don't invite me to your wedding," Vivian folded her arms, smirking. "I've heard bunny weddings can get pretty crowded."

    "Aheh..." Nick looked quite nervous, then he took off.

 

---

    The moon was bright that night. Nick figured he wouldn't even need the special edge afforded by his night vision to find Judy, if she was where he thought she was.

    "Judy!" Nick called out as he approached the bridge, the same bridge that she had confessed the depth of her sorrows to him.

    "Nick!?" Judy's head peered out from under the bridge. "How in the great green Earth did you know I was here?"

    Nick rushed down to meet her. Judy was wearing her casual clothes, contrasting Nick's fancy getup. "Because I know you."

    "Yeah, yeah, bunnies, emotional, I got it," Judy rolled her eyes. "Anyway, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be on a date with Vivian! You're certainly dressed the part."

    "Vivian is wrong," Nick grit his teeth.

    "What? What's she wrong about?" Judy looked baffled.

    "Well, actually she's right," Nick put a curled finger to his mouth. "She was right about everything. But- anyway! I mean she's wrong... for me."

    "Wha...?" Judy looked confused. "She and I are great friends! I know she's perfect for you."

    "No, never," Nick shook his head. "I already have the perfect partner."

    Judy took in a shaky gasp. "Nick...?"

    "I'm tired of being a coward," Nick said. "I'm tired of lying to myself. I don't care anymore if you won't or can't love me, but I'm not going to just date some pretty vixen if she's not the right one for me. No... no vixen is right for me."

    "But Nick..." Judy gave a shaky smile. "I do love you, you idiot!" She giggled. "I told you that the very first time we were in the cruiser together! I was so... so happy you'd worked so hard just to be by my side."

    "Judy..." Nick swallowed hard. "We were playing around then."

    "I chose my words very carefully," Judy smirked. "I could have said anything. I could have been flippant. Didn't you hear how warm I was trying to make my voice...?"

    Nick squinted his eyes shut and pounded his fists into his forehead. "Dumb fox, dumb fox, dumb fox."

    "The dumbest," Judy agreed, and giggled.

    "And what about you then?" Nick shot back. "Why'd you set me up with Vivian if-"

    "Because it'd been quite awhile since I said those words..." Judy's smile faded. "I was afraid to say them again. Didn't want to push anything on you. I was scared you didn't want to think of a bunny that way. I am just a young, naive little hick from Bunnyburrow."

    "Yeah, you are," Nick said. "But you're also... no. No. You know what? I'm tired of talking."

    Nick grabbed Judy and she gave a squeaky yelp of surprise as he tilted his head down and moved in to kiss her. Her eyes widened as he did, but then she allowed herself to melt into it and gave herself into the feeling, kissing back eagerly. The two's arms wrapped around each other possessively.

    "Finally," Judy smirked in desire after the kiss, petting the fur of Nick's face tenderly.

    Nick shut his eyes to let the feeling take him over. He sniffed in deeply. "Ngh... you smell so good, so powerful..."

    "Powerful?" Judy chuckled. "Do you mean I need a shower, or that I smell like I have muscles or something?"

    "Judy, I'm trying to be romantic here," Nick grumbled, kissing both of her ears.

    "Well, like you said," Judy gave him a familiar, teasing smile. "I'm tired of you talking."

    The two kissed again, deeper this time. Their tongues touched, almost timidly, but once they did they became emboldened and continued moving against each other earnestly. Nick gave a satisfied sigh after the kiss, and Judy returned this, but something told Nick that he wouldn't be getting away from her that easily.

    "Your tail's wagging," Judy smiled smugly as she observed the orange-red blur behind him. "Faster than I've ever seen it go."

    "Well, you have that affect on me," Nick sighed. "Now, how about you stop talking?"

    "The nerve!" Judy feigned an insulted look.

    "Tell me you love me without words," Nick gave a charming grin. "Your fox is apparently too dumb to realize that his bunny loves him if you just tell him."

    "My fox, hm?" Judy queried. "And your bunny... mmm... well, don't worry." Her muzzle tilted up and drew very close to Nick's once more. "We'll be too busy for words soon enough..."

Chapter 75: Illegal

    "There it is! There's the lizard!" A marmot pointed at a vivid yellow, spotted reptile who scurried into a back alley. The marmot approached Nick and Judy, who had just come out of a coffee shop with their favorite beverages. "Hey you two are cops, right!?"

    "We are, in fact," Nick quipped, slurping his coffee. The two were indeed in their police uniforms.

    "I just saw the lizard, the one from the news!" The marmot said, pointing. "It went that way!"

    "Nuts, these things cost an arm and a leg," Nick smirked, taking another swig of his coffee and then chucking it into a nearby trash can. Judy followed suit and the two headed into the alleyway.

    "It's a dead end," Judy said quietly. She drew her stun gun. "Don't worry, we're not going to hurt you, just give yourself up!"

    "We say, drawing our stun guns," Nick made a "tsk" sound. "Hopps, your dial is up way too high! Set it on low!"

    "Huh, it's a leopard gecko, isn't it?" Judy replied in confusion.

    "They're only a foot tall, max!" Nick indicated the empty-looking alleyway. "You see anywhere for a leopard-sized animal to be hiding?"

    "Okay, okay," Judy turned the dial down on her gun. "I've never seen a reptile before, period."

    The leopard gecko in question cursed the fact that she didn't have the sharpest of claws, nor the sticky pads other similar species to her possessed. Cowering behind a trash can and hearing voices she only barely understood, she was prepared for the inevitable. She still jumped in surprise, however, when the fox whirled around the trash can and quickly took hold of her.

    "Got her," Nick said, and heard the gecko say things he didn't understand. They were sad, mournful things.

    "Wow, she is tiny," Judy approached the gecko in wonder, looking over the brightly-colored small form of the gecko. She took out a zip-tie and bound the distraught-looking reptile's hands at the wrist. "So this is our illegal alien, huh? Looks like her luck finally ran out."

    Nick said nothing as the leopard gecko was placed into Judy's cruiser. She looked terrified, and something didn't sit right with the fox.

    "So what's next, Hopps, we just turn her over to Immigration Customs Enforcement?" Nick suddenly asked derisively while they were on the road. "'Ice' her?"

    "Uh, that is procedure, after all," Judy nodded. Nick turned his head back to look at the scared-looking, little reptile.

    "What's your name?" Nick asked slowly, trying to sound calm.

    "I know... little mammal words... yes?" The gecko spoke very slowly and haltingly. "I... Jiji."

    "My name is Officer Wilde, and this is Officer Hopps," Nick introduced. Jiji looked at them both sadly.

    "Nick, what, are you trying to be her friend?" Judy sucked at her teeth.

    "She's got a story to tell," Nick narrowed his eyes, looking at Judy. "We all do. I don't think she wants to get deported."

    "Well obviously, but she shouldn't have come here illegally in the first place!" Judy snapped. "If she wanted to come to Zootopia, she should have done it through normal channels. She should just go back to... uh, where are reptiles from again?"

    "Pawaii, most likely," Nick said, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Jiji flinch and look like she might cry. "And something tells me it might not be that easy."

    "What am I supposed to do, let her go?" Judy shot back. "Am I supposed to not do my job just because you think this lizard could have some sort of tragic backstory that you can't understand?"

    "Gecko!" Nick corrected, and ran a hand through his ears in irritation. He started imputing commands into his phone. "Listen. Just humor me. We don't have to let her go. We can even leave her zip-tie on. But I want to know her story."

    "Is this one of your 'I know everyone' moments?" Judy gave an exasperated sigh.

    "It is indeed," Nick looked back at Jiji. "And before the day is over I plan to know one more." He set the phone near her. "Drive here."

    "I can't believe I'm doing this," Judy said, diverting her course with the cruiser curtly, making Nick and Jiji both shift wildly in their seats.

    "Least we're not holding some weasel's feet to the ice," Nick grinned.

    "Yeah but that time we weren't technically police officers," Judy wasn't smiling. "If this brings us any reproach..."

    "You blame it all on me."

---

    Both Judy and Jiji seemed confused when the police cruiser rolled to a halt in a somewhat-seedy looking area of Savanna Central. Judy looked at the building they were next to. The sign on the front read "Dragon Treasures" in ornate lettering.

    "You brought me to a jewelry shop?" Judy said in a completely dry voice. "You really shouldn't have."

    "Well, maybe it would be better for you to wait in the car then," Nick offered a smug smile. "After all, my friend in here has some... opinions about bunnies."

    "Really?" Judy threw back in a challenging voice. "Then I think I might like to come after all."

    Jiji felt both fear and confusion as the mammals brought her to this strange, unofficial-looking building. She gasped in surprise, however, when she saw what was inside. So many enchanting looking rings, necklaces, and other adornments, and gems of every color she could think of on display as if waiting to be crafted into jewelry. She made a terse sound of realization when she saw another reptile minding the store.

    "Uh, whoa," Judy said flatly. The reptile was nearly six feet tall, towering over even Nick. He had a sort of greenish and yellowish pattern to his scales, and a somewhat thin face compared to some other reptiles of similar species. He was wearing a blue headband, a colorful tie-dye vest, and a gold pendant with a ruby set in it. Judy was equally confused and interested at his appearance, both because he was the second reptile she'd ever seen before and that he looked like he'd stepped out of another decade.

    "Ah, Nick, hello!" The reptile said. Judy was also not expecting the reptile to speak perfect mammalian, in an airy, polite voice that had only the barest hint of an accent to it. "Goodness, what is going on with you these days? You're a police officer? Working with a... a bunny!?" The reptiles face lit up when he saw Judy, causing her to flinch a bit.

    "Let's be formal, Roa'Ahm," Nick chuckled. "This is Judy Hopps. Judy, this is Roa'Ahm." Judy's expression read confusion. "He's a perentie."

    "A what?" Judy said in bafflement.

    "A species of monitor lizard," Roa'Ahm clarified. "But wow, I can't believe this, you're working with a bunny?"

    "What's so strange about that, 'Roahm'?" Judy put her hands on her hips.

    "Haha, close enough, I suppose. And it's, well, it's not strange, I actually find bunnies to be quite cute!" Roa'Ahm's enthusiastic expression became sheepish as he saw Judy glare daggers at him. "Oh dear, that's not polite, is it... what's a good word? Delightful?"

    "Okay, I suppose I can accept that," Judy sighed. "Can we get down to business here?"

    "Oh, of course!" Roa'Ahm said, shooting Nick a quick, nervous glance. Nick made a twitch of his head subtly, then brought up Jiji, who was in his hands. Roa'Ahm had on a worried face as he saw her come up over the counter. "Oh, so you're the one that caught her, huh? To be honest, I was hoping she'd continue to lay low, myself."

    "We'd like to get to know her story, at least," Nick explained.

    Roa'Ahm let out a deep breath. "It's been so long since I had to speak reptilian, I hope I haven't gotten rusty."

    The perentie began to speak earnestly with the leopard gecko. The language was of course completely foreign to the two mammals. It did include a lot of "s" sounds. Judy's eyes went a little larger as she saw a hint of the larger lizard's rather huge forked tongue. Jiji's looked rather mundane by comparison. She heard "Pawaii" spoken a few times.

    "Surprised I know a reptile?" Nick wiggled his eyebrows a couple of times.

    "I'm going to say yes," Judy grumbled. "But I'm not sure why anything you do surprises me anymore."

    Roa'Ahm sighed as he came to a lull in the conversation with Jiji. "It's as I feared. Things in Pawaii are still not so good. It's the main reason I left the place, to be honest. Lovely sights, corrupt government."

    "Really?" Judy blinked. "I know next to nothing about the place."

    "The government is run by larger reptiles such as monitors, crocodiles, alligators, and larger snakes," Roa'Ahm explained. "They quelled an uprising by the smaller reptiles a long time ago and have forced them into... less than ideal conditions. I try to abstain from conflict, like this young lady does, so I left while I could."

    "I'm guessing she left while she couldn't?" Nick pursued, nodding his head towards Jiji.

    "Indeed," Roa'Ahm nodded. "Her heart burns to work in the service industry, but many smaller animals like her are forced into sweatshop-like working conditions, merely cogs of an unfeeling machine. She stowed away on a ship bound for this country, then retreated as far inland as she could."

    Judy winced.

    "So, what shall you do with her?" Roa'Ahm had a bit of concern on his face.

    "Well, guess we'll be shipping her off to Immigration Customs Enforcement," Nick said in a jovial tone.

    "Nick!" Judy flashed him a dirty look. "I know you wouldn't be so pointlessly cruel as to get her life story from her just so we knew exactly why we were ruining her life."

    "You know me too well, my dear," Nick grinned. "I suppose it's completely possible that we might have lost sight of her, that wily little gecko." Nick set her down on the counter nearest Roa'Ahm. Jiji looked beneath her; there were sparkling rings under her feet. It was quite a captivating sight, though what was occurring still confused her. "That is, if that's okay with you, big guy."

    "While you're imposing on me, I can't say I mind too much," Roa'Ahm gave a short chuckle. "Hopefully at some point the government of Pawaii will get the hint that it's just wrong to oppress the small like this." He spoke in reptilian to Jiji, who seemed utterly astonished, and then her face lit up. She turned to Nick and Judy, disbelieving.

    "I can't believe I'm doing something that is like, one hundred percent illegal," Judy said with a wry smirk, taking a small pair of clippers out and snapping the zip tie free of Jiji's wrists. Jiji still looked rather shocked that she seemed suddenly free once more. Her speckled green eyes seemed to sparkle.

    "Oh, but exploding a train was fine," Nick said evenly, smirking.

    "Quiet, you," Judy grinned.

    "Exploding a train...?" Roa'Ahm repeated, his eyes opening in a bit of surprise.

    "Never mind. Thanks for this, Roa'Ahm," Nick said. "We owe ya."

    "Thank you..." Jiji said in mammalian, looking like she was on the verge of tears. Judy turned to leave, and was surprised when Nick didn't follow. She looked back at him, puzzled.

    "Ah, give me a minute, okay?" Nick said. "Just want to go over a few things."

    "Sure," Judy shrugged. "I'll fire up the cruiser."

    "So that's 'the one'?" Roa'Ahm gave a sudden sly smirk, flicking his tongue.

    "Mm hm," Nick nodded, putting his arm on the counter. "So, how's 'it' going?"

    Roa'Ahm gave a somewhat proud chuckle. "Oh, 'it' is going just fine. The quality of the stones will be peerless, and the gold will dazzle, I'm sure. Am I running out of time?"

    "No," Nick said, his eyes darting away suddenly, "I'm still, uh... deliberating."

    "Cold feet?" Roa'Ahm smirked. "I thought only reptiles were cold-blooded."

    "Trying to choose the right moment, you overgrown lizard," Nick shot back. "But yeah, I'd like it soon."

    "So you command, so it shall be done," Roa'Ahm chuckled. Nick nodded and waved.

    "Catch you later, Roa'Ahm!"

    "Until next time, Nick! Fare thee well!" Roa'Ahm waved as well.

    Jiji gave the much larger lizard a skeptical look at all of the plotting looks they were giving each other.

    "<What was that all about?>" Jiji wondered in reptilian, mostly to herself.

    "<Just a little something the fox wants to surprise the bunny with>", Roa'Ahm beckoned her. "<Now come. I may not have the most comfortable arrangements, but we'll see what we can do.>"

    "<Thank you...>" Jiji followed the perentie.

Chapter 76: Preempted

    Judy was bouncing up and down on her tip-toes in her large seat at the ZPD bullpen, waiting for her first assignment from Chief Bogo. She couldn't believe there was already something as important as a missing mammals case for her to sink her buck teeth into.

    "And finally, Officer Hopps, our second bunny," Chief Bogo looked up from his podium with a somewhat blank look.

    "Wait, second...?" Judy whispered to herself.

    "The ZPD's network firewall has come under attack of late; we don't know if this has anything to do with the missing mammals, but we cannot let ourselves become compromised. Hopps, assist Technical Officer Skippel in any way you can." Judy shot a panicked look back in the room and saw an arctic hare sitting in the back of the room, who had a somewhat troubled expression on as well. "Okay everyone, dismissed!"

    Judy quickly approached Chief Bogo right before he left. "Chief Bogo!"

    Bogo looked down at her, adjusting his glasses but saying nothing. He also noted Technical Officer Karen Skippel walking towards him at more of a distance.

    "I'm, well, sir, computers are not my specialty," Judy said carefully.

    "I thought I read you graduated valedictorian," Bogo cocked up an eyebrow.

    "I did, sir, I did..." Judy wrung her hands pensively. "But I don't know anything about programming."

    "Ah, I assumed you bunnies were all geniuses or something, my mistake," Bogo said in an even voice. "Parking duty, then."

    "Puh-parking duty? But sir there are missing-" Judy sputtered, but Chief Bogo left before she could finish. Karen walked in front of Judy, shooting her a brief look with her light blue eyes.

    "I was just about to protest," Karen said in her somewhat scratchy, boyish voice. "I really do my best work alone."

    "Well don't worry," Judy was trying hard not to frown, "this 'second bunny' won't get in your way."

    "That'd probably be best for both of us," Karen nodded, leaving the room.

    Judy seethed a bit, tapping her foot rapidly in annoyance.

---

    Nick and Judy were both riding in a gondola in the Rainforest District. They had just determined to visit Bellwether at city hall. A lot of crazy things had happened since Judy got the opportunity to help find Emmitt Otterton. Both of their lives were put in danger more than once, and Chief Bogo nearly took Judy's badge, but everything had seemed to turn out all right. Judy's excitement at Nick figuring out to look at the traffic cameras to find out what happened to Manchas and to prove he went savage was deflating.

    "I wish I had thought of that," Judy admitted.

    "Hey, as a hustler, I had to make sure I knew where the traffic cameras were so I didn't do anything obviously shady on them," Nick gave a small half-smile.

    "Still... ugh, I just feel like everyone's a step ahead of me in the thinking department," Judy grumbled. "I really must be a dumb bunny."

    "Hey, when I said that, just know they were the words of a bitter, hollowed-out fox," Nick said carefully.

    "No I mean, even among other bunnies I'm dumb," Judy murmured. "I wasn't even the first bunny on the ZPD, some arctic hare named Skippel or something got in ahead of me, and she's a technical genius. How can I compete with that?"

    "Every mammal has their strong points," Nick shrugged, then chuckled, shaking his head. "Yours appears to be your arm. And... well, you're brave, loyal, helpful, and trustworthy."

    "Ah Nick, c'mon," Judy gently swiped a paw in his direction. "I told you at the Mystic Springs I wasn't a Bunny Scout."

    "You've got your chance right now, Carrots, so let's take it," Nick said. Judy nodded with a firm expression.

---

    "Wait, no no no, what!?" Judy said in a panic as she and Nick approached the Cliffside Asylum building. Judy rushed towards the building with Nick closely behind, but there were police vehicles barricading the building and a helicopter circling overhead. "How are they already here?"

    "I didn't have anything to do with this, I'm telling you!" Mayor Lionheart said as Officer McHorn started shoving him into a police cruiser.

    "Right, and you were just visiting a bunch of crazed mammals in a remote hospital," Chief Bogo folded his arms. "Take him away, McHorn." Chief Bogo looked towards Judy. "Well, it appears I owe you an apology, Hopps. Apparently predators are going savage."

    "How did you guys know to come here?" Judy asked in bewilderment. "I was just following up this lead..."

    Chief Bogo nodded. "Someone at the station believed your crazy report about the savage jaguar attack and checked the traffic cameras to confirm what you were saying. Then, we traced the vehicle that took away Manchas to this facility."

    Judy's ears fell. "All right..."

    "I should thank you, though," Chief Bogo smirked. "Without your wild adventure, we probably wouldn't have gotten this lead." Judy nodded, and wandered off toward the rear of the building. Nick, confused, followed her. Judy stared out over the cliff. She sneered suddenly, and pulled the carrot pen out of her pocket.

    "Rhh!" Judy grunted, tossing the carrot pen out over the waterfall. Nick's eyes widened.

    "Carrots?" He blurted in shock.

    "That was my chance, the chance you helped buy me," Judy's voice was a bit shaky. "And now it's gone. Just like everything I have on you. Just like all of my dreams." She closed her eyes and tried not to sniffle.

    From the fringe of the throng of police officers, Karen Skippel emerged and walked toward the two.

    "It was you, wasn't it, Skippel?" Judy frowned, sadness and anger gnawing at her.

    "I was the only one at the station that believed your story, Hopps," Karen shrugged. "The thought of predators randomly going savage was somewhat... disheartening to me, so I wanted to confirm it myself. Things led to here. Looks like you figured it out too, huh?"

    "Too late, apparently. I got here second, just like at the ZPD proper," Judy sneered.  

    "Hopps!" Karen had a somewhat disgusted face. "Justice isn't a contest. You think I'm going to ever get to do anything important sitting behind a desk? Looking up those traffic cameras might be the only exciting thing I do in my life."

    "Yeah, but it might have cost me the one chance I had to stay on the force," Judy grit her teeth. "Not that that's your fault but... just... just go."

    "Okay...?" Karen seemed confused, but she left. Judy gave another shuddering sigh. She looked up to her left, and Nick was still there.

    "You waiting for something?" Judy muttered. "I don't have anything on you anymore."

    "Listen, Judy..." Nick said slowly. Judy blinked; she hadn't recalled him using her first name yet. "I'll... I'll see you around, okay?" Judy winced, but nodded. "If you feel like you need me, just come hunt me down again, and this Junior Detective will do what he can to help." Nick flicked the sticker on his chest. Judy didn't say anything at first, but he lingered there.

    "Okay, Nick," Judy said finally. "Thank you."

---

    "Officer Toot-toot!" Nick waved, rushing over to Judy, who was writing a ticket for a car in the Downtown area in her meter maid outfit. It was one week later. "Good to see you're still on the force!"

    "Barely, I guess," Judy chuckled. "But yeah, it could be worse. Hey, where's your little friend?"

    Nick gestured towards an ice cream store on the corner. "He's already in there. Today's hustle."

    "Oh, of course," Judy chuckled. She folded her arms. "You think I'm just going to let you do that?"

    "You're welcome to follow me," Nick smirked. "But I'm very good about not doing anything overtly illeg-uh!"

    "Huh?" Judy blinked, seeing Nick flinch. Nick grabbed at his neck; there was a blue substance on it.

    "Oh God," Nick sputtered. "Someone hh-hit me with something... grrgh... rrr..." Nick hunched over onto all fours.

    "No! Nick, no!" Judy said in a panic, grabbing at her radio. "Fight it!" Judy began to slowly retreat backwards, bringing her radio up to her face. "This is Officer Hopps! Savage fox on 7th and Hoof! I repeat-!"

    Nick's eyes started to glow and he made a terrifying growl, the likes of which Judy had never heard before. She began to run, trying to keep to the sidewalks. Looking behind her, she saw Nick chasing after her on all fours. "T-that's right, Nick, just keep chasing me! Don't go into the street, or divert to any other mammals! Police! Clear the sidewalk!" Mammals gasped and cars swerved. Accidents were just waiting to happen.

    Judy hoped the ZPD would get there before one did.

---

    "I've had enough of this!" Judy furiously stormed her way toward Karen's desk, making her cringe. "What's going on here? How are the predators going savage!?"

    "Buh-beats me!" Karen cowered. "I've been doing some research... but..."

    "Yeah!?" Judy showed her teeth. "Well it doesn't seem to be helping, huh? I thought you were the smart bunny!"

    "Hopps, please," Karen looked away. "I'm trying. I've been looking at the chemical compositions, everything. I think it might be a virus? It could explain how Mr. Wilde contracted it from Mr. Manchas..."

    "Why'd it take so long? Why'd it hit so suddenly?" Judy started pacing behind Karen, making the arctic hare nervous and hunch over her keyboard. "What... what are 'Night Howlers'?"

    "Uh, a hokey nickname for wolves?" Karen shrugged.

    "That's what I thought too, but..." Judy grit her teeth. "Before Nick... turned... he said he was hit with something..."

    "Let me do a search on the term," Karen nodded, looking on the internet. "It says here that 'Night Howler' is a somewhat rare colloquial term for a flower called midnicampum holicithias."

    "Muh... midnicampum holicithias...!?" Judy's eyes shot wide open. "Midnicampum holicithias!?"

    "Yup," Karen nodded, reading on. "Uh... uh oh. It says that it's harmful to mammals, that ingesting them has been known to cause feelings of aggression, even violent outbursts."

    Judy unleashed a huge gasp. "Midnicampum holicithias!"

    "Yes," Karen winced. "And you're freaking me out."

    "I just busted a weasel that had stolen some of those a week ago!" Judy explained with a kind of fearful excitement.

    "Oh! Well, uh..." Karen looked at the information. "But hey, it says here that the symptoms to ingesting a Night Howler flower only last for a day at most... none of the victims of this... condition have yet recovered. And they haven't been eating any flowers, as far as we know."

    "And they're all predators... hm..." Judy pondered. "Whoever's doing this must be super-concentrating the Night Howler somehow... hey, where is Duke Weaselton right now?"

    "Uh..." Karen looked him up. "Says he's serving a brief sentence for the theft you busted him for. He'll be out within a month."

    "We've got to go visit him!" Judy hopped in place twice and gestured wildly, snapping her fingers.

    "At the prison?" Karen perked an eyebrow. "And... 'we'?"

    "Yeah! Let's go!" Judy said impatiently, beckoning her.

---

    "Well, if it isn't Flopsy the Copsy," Duke Weaselton said derisively, holding onto the bars of his jail cell. "And her assistant, Officer Bunnyfur."

    "I'm a hare, to be technical," Karen said evenly.

    "What do you want, Fuzz?" Duke said snappily, folding his arms.

    "What did you do with those Night Howlers you stole, Wesselton?" Judy folded her arms, regarding him with contempt.

    "It's Weaselton, rabbit," Duke said pointedly. "And what good is it gonna do for me if I rat out to you what I was doin' with 'em? I aint talkin'."

    "He's got a point," Karen said. "It's not like we have the authority to reduce his sentence, even if he helps us."

    "Karen, hush!" Judy gave her a small shove. "Didn't you ever watch any of those cop shows when you were growing up?"

    "Uh, no...?" Karen admitted.

    "Anyway, let me show you how to interrogate," Judy smirked, thinking for a moment. She had an idea. "Duke... you're a predator, right?"

    "How clever of you to notice," Duke rolled his eyes.

    "So you've noticed that predators are starting to go savage?" Judy led on.

    "Yeah? What's that got to do with anything?" Duke started to seem a bit worried.

    "Well, did you know that Night Howlers can make mammals go savage?" Judy asked in a sing-song voice. "And since it's only predators, I think someone has a vendetta against your kind."

    Duke started to look even more nervous, swallowing hard.

    "So, if you're supplying them to someone..." Judy made a motion with her wrist, rotating it. "...Then that makes you a loose end, doesn't it? If that someone thinks you've outlived your usefulness then... boom! I bet you're the next one to go savage, just as SOON as we release you from jail."

    "What? No! They wouldn't do that to me!" Duke sputtered, but he looked unsure.

    "Talk, mustelid," Judy said dryly.

---

    Judy crept into the abandoned subway tunnel with Karen; the latter appeared to be extremely uncomfortable.

    "The weasel wasn't lying," Judy noticed. "There's a train car sitting there, the one with the grafitti. C'mon, Skip, let's go."

    "Wait...!" Karen refused to move from the entrance, gesturing out to Judy. "Wh-we should call for backup."

    "Karen...?" Judy seemed confused. "C'mon, this is our chance to show the ZPD what bunnies can do! We'll kick that ram's butt and-"

    "This isn't about glory or anything," Karen protested. "This is serious! If we go in there, who knows what could happen? We could both come out of there savages..."

    "You're... scared?" Judy seemed surprised.

    "You're darn right I'm scared!" Karen nodded rapidly. "I'm terrified! I'm not like you, Judy. I'm not cut out to just boldly burst onto the scene, tranquilizer darts firing. My place is at a desk..."

    "Oh..." Judy nodded. "Okay Karen, let's take cover and call for backup." So they did, both hiding behind a trash receptacle and Judy called for backup.

    "Sorry to ruin your moment of glory..." Karen shut her eyes. "Maybe if I wasn't a coward..."

    "I guess every mammal has their strong points and weak points, Karen..." Judy sighed.

    "I could use some of that boldness you have," Karen grumbled.

    "And I could use some of your smarts," Judy shot back, smirking.

    "Eh, you're plenty smart, in a kind of uh... sneaky way," Karen chuckled. "It was neat how you wrung that confession out of that weasel. I almost blew that, too... I'm not good with other mammals."

    "Don't resign to that," Judy shook her head. "As long as you keep working on it, I'm sure you can get somewhere."

    "Maybe..." Karen nodded.

---

    "Carrots!" Nick yelped in surprise. Judy had come to his hospital room, wearing her ZPD uniform and offering him a warm smile.

    "Brought you some flowers!" Judy said happily, showing off a somewhat scraggly-looking arrangement.

    "Huh..." Nick looked at them, then sucked at his teeth. "Fluff, whoever sold you that bunch of flowers pulled off a hustle of their own."

    "Oh, that's my fault," Judy giggled nervously. "I got a little anxious while waiting to see you and ate a couple of them." Her ears felt warm.

    "Ah, okay," Nick chuckled. Judy set the flowers down, her heart sinking a bit as it looked like she was the only one to bring him flowers thus far.

    "So um... how are you feeling?" Judy asked cautiously.

    "A little woozy," Nick admitted. "It's like I've been trapped in a nightmare. It's fuzzy; I can't really remember anything."

    "Yeah, a nightmare..." Judy agreed in an empty voice, bowing her head and suddenly starting to sob.

    "Whoa, Judy!?" Nick blinked. "What's... oh... that's right, I 'went savage' right next to you... that must have been terrifying."

    "It's nuh... not that..." Judy rubbed at her eyes. "When the ZPD caught you they... you..." She choked out a few sobs. "They had to muzzle you... and as soon as th-they did..." She hiccuped. "You started making this... these terrified whining noises, and yelps... it was... it was awful..."

    "Oof..." Nick groaned, instinctively rubbing at his muzzle. "I guess some part of my subconscious still worked... Good thing I don't remember that."

    "I'm glad you don't either," Judy offered a tearful smile, beginning to calm down.

    "So! Everything's wrapped up huh?" Nick grinned. "Thanks to a couple of shrewd bunnies?"

    "I mean, I hope so," Judy frowned, giving a shaky sigh. "When we captured Doug Ramses, he refused to talk about anything, like why he was targeting predators..."

    "You think there's someone behind him?" Nick's brow furrowed.

    "It's just a bad, paranoid feeling I have," Judy nodded. "Karen brought it to my attention first. Doug seems... 'small time'. He doesn't have the passion or the hatred. He's too... cold... to have that type of motive. And... when I interrogated Duke Weaselton about the Night Howlers, he said 'they' rather than 'he'."

    "So, someone could still be out there," Nick sighed.

    "I hope not, but it's a possibility..." Judy nodded.

    "At least they can't use Night Howlers anymore," Nick nodded. "Now that there's a readily available cure, that won't do anything too damaging, and it leaves an evidence trail that anyone with a good sense of smell can pick up on."

    "Right..." Judy looked worriedly out of Nick's window. "But... I just hope whatever they might try next isn't worse..."

Chapter 77: Vigilantes

    "Well, that's some gratitude for you," Judy said in a mix of disappointment and annoyance. She and Nick were seated in their casual clothes on a doorstep. "We saved the city; made it safe for all predators. And I don't even get to be a cop again anymore!"

    "To be fair, though, we did a few... questionable things," Nick gave a little amused chuckle. "Not the least of which was threatening a petty crook by throwing him in front of a crime boss, or making a train explode, doing who knows how much property damage."

    "How'd they even figure out about Weaselton? Did he tattle to the police?" Judy punched her hand into her fist. "That... that weasel."

    "All I'm saying is, we should be glad we're not in jail," Nick had a placid smile. "I know I am."

    "True, true," Judy gave a big sigh. "Dunno what I'm going to do now. ...It was fun though, huh?"

    "Fun in a kind of terrifying way," Nick nodded. "...I could do it again."

    "Too bad there's no way to do that," Judy sucked at her teeth.

    "Now hold on a second, Carrots, it's not like you to throw in the towel so soon," Nick grinned. "I was talking about being vigilantes. Fighting for justice behind the scenes. That's basically all we did with the Night Howlers after all, and you're um... a bit hard to control under conventions anyway."

    "Huh, I hear what you're saying," Judy gave an interested smirk with her eyes narrowed. "But we can't exactly support ourselves on saving the day before the ZPD gets there. How are we supposed to-" Judy froze as Nick was wearing an enormous smile with his eyes-half closed. "Oh no."

    "Make ends meet, Carrots?" Nick continued to grin. "I'll give you a hint. It starts with 'H' and ends with 'ustling'."

    "Nick, no!" Judy wailed.

    "Nick, yes," Nick wiggled his eyebrows.

    "I can't hustle!" Judy tugged at her ears, staring at the sky.

    "Oh, you most certainly can," Nick kicked back on the steps they were sitting on, wiggling his feet. "You hustled me, after all. You can act when you want to if the museum is anything to go by. Not to mention you have the prettiest amethyst doe eyes I've ever seen. Just train those beauties on some poor sap."

    "Well, uh, thanks?" Judy cocked an eyebrow at the sudden compliment. "But I mean I can't hustle. Basically half of Zootopia or more would know who I was by now thanks to that stupid press conference. How is the speciesest bunny that nearly started a pred-prey social war gonna hustle anyone? They'll know it's me!"

    "Oh, we can take care of that, too," Nick grinned.

    "I'm not sure I like where this is going?" Judy admitted, her eyes squinting.

    "C'mon, follow me," Nick launched himself off of the doorstep and onto the sidewalk. "I know everyone, remember? We'll get ourselves set up."

    "That doesn't inspire too much confidence, but... okay," Judy got up and began to follow him.

 

---

    The two ended up on the doorstep of a house high up in the Rainforest District. Nick turned the handle of the door and held it open for Judy.

    "After you, former Officer Hopps," Nick beamed.

    "Rub it in," Judy rolled her eyes, entering the completely average looking house. "Who... who doesn't lock their door? Does one of your relatives live here?"

    "Nope," Nick said tersely. "And she doesn't lock her door because there's nothing worth stealing in here. Now, follow me and stand right here."

    "I'm not too big on surprises," Judy folded her arms as Nick got on his hands and knees on the wooden floor. He knocked once, then, waiting two seconds, he knocked again. Then, three seconds, and he unleashed a complicated series of knocks with both hands, and then stopped. "What the...?"

    "Okay, I'll tell you what's going to happen then," Nick said, standing up, getting closer to Judy. "We're going to stand right here, a panel is going to open and drop us into a chute that leads to my friend's underground bunker."

    "What!?" was all Judy could muster before precisely this happened. Judy squealed in a loud: "Woaaah!" as the two fell down and landed on a large pillow that had been placed at the landing point. Judy looked around in disbelief. There were technological gadgets everywhere and the place was a mess. She couldn't guess at the function of some of the items.

    "Welcome!" A cheerful, almost scratchy voice said. "Welcome... to my lair!" Swiveling a chair around was a female badger wearing a black tank top and camouflage fatigues. She had a few earrings in each of her ears and a spiky white shock of hair. She let out a faux evil laugh. At least, Judy hoped it was fake.

    "Heya, Honey," Nick chuckled.

    "Nick babe! How the heck are ya!? I was wondering when I'd see you next!" Honey got up and rushed over to him. "Oh and you brought someone new- Judy Hopps!? You both... then you must be here about... the sheep."

    "The sheep...?" Judy asked meekly. She started to immediately notice a few propaganda posters on the walls that seemed to indicate that sheep were part of some sort of big conspiracy.

    "That's right! That whole thing with Bellwether!" Honey nodded. "Did she say anything about the conspiracy before you bagged her?"

    "Uhh..." Judy's discomfort level was at an all-time high, "Bellwether's conspiracy was rather... small in scope, really. I mean, not really really, but she didn't actually have too many sheep on her side."

    "Ahhh...!" Honey put her hands on her hips and shook her head in disappointment, looking down. "She must have just been a part of the first wave. But they didn't let you come back into the ZPD! It must go deeper! You knew too much..." She narrowed her eyes conspiratorially. "We gotta be ready at any time for them to rise up and try to take over!"

    "Honey, we're not here about the sheep," Nick chuckled.

    "You better have a good reason for bringing new fur in here, then," Honey gave him a stern look. "Else I'm gonna have to tranq ya and throw you in the back of a truck bound for Podunk."

    "Honey, we're here because we want to be vigilantes," Nick explained.

    "Ohhhh....!" Honey brought her fists to her mouth and let loose an extremely loud gasp. "Nick babe, you have no idea how long I have waited to hear those words."

    "What," Judy said, completely deadpan.

    "It's true! Nick would make a great costumed crime-fighter, don't you think?" Honey clapped her hands excitedly. "I've been working on prototypes for his costume even before he came around!"

    "What..." Judy repeated, "I mean uh... maybe? But costumes?"

    "What's the point in being a vigilante if you can't look cool doing it?" Honey pumped her fist enthusiastically and shook it. "But you'll need something too, hm..."

    "Uh, it might go beyond that," Judy said, "even if I wore a mask, if anyone unmasked me, they'd know who I was immediately, and I'd be in the biggest trouble imaginable with everyone..."

    "Oh! Pff, that's easy!" Honey threw both of her hands in Judy's direction.

    "May I?" Nick motioned to a drawer in a desk that seemed haphazardly placed in the "lair", like everything else.

    "No you may not! Off!" Honey padded over to him and slapped his hand away. "You'll mess up the madness to my method!" She opened a few drawers. "Alright, bunny gal, which one do you want?"

    Judy looked down incredulously at a drawer full a great number of plastic tubes of substance in every color she could imagine. "Is this fur dye?"

    "Yup!" Honey said. "Pick any little color your heart desires! Have any color you'd specifically want to be?"

    "Hm," Judy looked over the options, "well any of these esoteric colors are right out. I wonder how I'd look as a tri-color? Ugh, but that would be a lot of work. ...Hm, I'd guess logically, if I were to be making Zootopia a better place from the shadows... I should choose black?"

    "Ah, a classic, a dark furred bunny," Honey nodded. "You'll look like a whole new girl in no time!"

    "Hm, purple eyes gazing out of midnight fur," Nick considered, "might look nice." Judy gave him a slight awed look that he was still thinking about her eyes.

    "Next!" Honey said, scrambling over and yanking out some measuring tape. "Gotta get your numbers for your own costume!"

    "Er, okay...!" Judy said as the not-entirely-sane badger went about measuring her. She shot Nick a look, her discomfort evident, and he shrugged.

    "Okay, I'll have a prototype ready in about three weeks, I think!" Honey clapped her hands. "Oh this'll be so fun! Until then, see what you think about the dye, and come up with an alias! You'll need one, of course!"

    "Right, I will," Judy nodded. "Are you going to use one, Nick?"

    Nick shrugged nonchalantly. "Sure! Barely anyone knows my middle name, so I'll just go by Piberius."

    "Huh, not bad I guess, but I can't really use mine," Judy grumbled. "No ones going to quake in fear over 'Laverne'."

    Honey laughed loudly and Nick stifled a laugh into his hand.

    "How about the 'Bun Avenger'?" Nick offered.

    "Are you crazy?" Judy made a face, holding her arms out. "What, am I going to be avenging bread? Or butts?" Honey laughed again at this.

    "Ooh this'll be such a good time, I can feel it! See you two in three weeks!"

 

---

    After that time passed, Judy and Nick again found themselves in Honey's "lair", wearing their new costumes. Nick's outfit completely covered him in black patterned spandex with an electric blue edge and accents to the scheme, leaving only his tail exposed. He wore thick, stylish black rubber gloves and a mask as well, with the only defining features of the mask being electric blue colored eye-slits. Judy, on the other hand, had a dark gray, black, and purple spandex costume, including black gloves, but she wore no mask. Her visible fur was now solid black.

    "Mine's a bit, um, tight in places," Judy said in mild discomfort, shifting around. The outfit's material was quite clingy, and Judy wondered if it snugged her form even more than her tight police uniform did.

    "Ditto," Nick admitted, his mask concealing his expression.

    "What's the point in wearing cool crime-fighting outfits if you don't get to look yummy in them?" Honey put her hands on her hips and wiggled her eyebrows.

    "Both of us, though...?" Judy protested.

    "Both of you!" Honey nodded.

    "I don't know if I like Nick wearing a mask," Judy admitted, giving him a glance. "While I agree he won't be able to smug any criminals into submission, I'd like to know where his eyes are looking, especially if I'm going to be wearing something like this."

    "Oh, I'm looking at your bunny bum bum," Nick said casually. Honey laughed.

    "At least you're honest," Judy grunted.

    "Now, onto more important things, like what you'll be fighting crime with!" Honey plunked down two cases down by both of them on a table. "I've adapted some of my anti-sheep weaponry to your more general needs." Opening the first box, there was a short eastern-style sword with only one cutting edge inside.

    "A sword?" Judy blinked her eyes. "Now hold on, none of us are going to go around stabbing people... are we?"

    "Well, it's really more like a wakizashi, really," Honey said authoritatively, "but for a bunny I guess it might as well be a fully-sized sword. But the sword isn't the important part, it's this sheath." Honey held up the sheath, which at the moment did not contain the sword. It seemed a bit complicated and had a circular vial around the lip of it. "When you unsheathe the sword, the vial is triggered to briefly open and coats the blade with a tranquilizing agent." Honey smiled maliciously. "One nick and you'll send those sheep to dreamland."

    "One Nick was all it took to send Bellwether to jail," Judy smirked.

    "And one Judy," Nick added, and Judy could sense his own smirk behind his mask.

    "I'm not going to be going up against just sheep though," Judy explained.

    "Ah, this stuff I brewed up can put anything down safely for the count, mouse to elephant! Just cut a little bit... more for an elephant, I'd say, haha!" Honey laughed. Judy accepted the sword and wore the sheath diagonally across her back. "I call it the Serene Blade."

    "What's for me?" Nick rocked back and forth on his feet.

    "For you, my finest, of course, babe!" Honey laughed and showed him a metal staff with prongs at both ends. "The Thunder Staff! Bit of a dramatic name, and inaccurate because thunder is just the expansion of air following a lightning strike, but... whatever! You can use it like a staff-" she picked it up and twirled it around. "Or separate it in the middle here to dual wield little sticks like this!" She demonstrated this. "And, both ends have bits that you can-" she pressed buttons on both of the short staffs and the ends lit up with blue electricity. "Do this!"

    "Jeez!" Nick looked taken aback.

    "Ah, I was wondering why Nick's costume had blue accents, I always thought his color was green," Judy chuckled.

    "Uh, how am I supposed to recharge that?" Nick laughed.

    "Cellphone charger for both ends, should take about an hour for each minute of charge, up to three minute capacity," Honey rattled off quickly. "Don't worry, the sheep won't recognize any exorbitant energy consumption on your power bill, I've made the power trickle too low for that. Also! Intensity dials on both ends so you don't hurt anyone more than you want to!" She joined the two ends of the staff together and handed it over. Nick gave it a few experimental twirls.

    "This is getting pretty exciting, I'll admit," Judy smirked.

    "What are you going to use as your alias, though?" Honey wondered. "That's like the best part! Piberius and..."

    "Huh, I didn't really come up with a good name..." Judy admitted.

    "How about the Bodacious Bunny Booty?" Nick grinned.

    "Nick, watch those eyes," Judy warned. "Huh, eyes... what was it you said earlier...? Hey, yeah! How about... Amethyst?"

    "Ooh, cool! Goes with the purple!" Honey clapped. "Now call me if you need refills on that tranquilizer vial or different power cells for that staff or anything! I've given your utility belts a lot of fun toys too, so check em out!"

    "Are we really doing this, Nick?" Judy sighed.

    "Hey, 'Amethyst', when I'm in THIS costume, it's 'Piberius'," Nick retorted in what he hoped was his coolest voice.

    "I guess we are...!" Judy smirked.

    "Give the sheep heck, you two!" Honey pumped her arm.

 

---

    And so, "Amethyst and Piberius" inflicted themselves upon Zootopia. For years their capers went off rather well, stymieing the efforts of both any criminals they encountered and the ZPD to catch up to them and bring them to justice themselves. At first, their attempts to conduct themselves as costumed crime-fighters were somewhat sloppy, almost comical. Once, Amethyst had to drag an unconscious Piberius away from their attempt to halt an attempted robbery because she accidentally grazed him with her sword. But as they got into it, criminals began to legitimately fear them.

    Judy was having the time of her life, and Nick wasn't far behind. It was more of a shift in the style of the life she wanted, true, but she had to admit she loved having no boundaries and setting her own strict rules to abide by while fighting crime. Every day the hustling got easier, the excuses to her parents became more believable, and she started to like seeing her artificially-colored black fur in the mirror.

    Though it wasn't more attention than being a star officer at the ZPD, however briefly, Nick still loved seeing their figures on news stories, magazines, and newspapers. "Who are Amethyst and Piberius?" the newspaper laying on the street said on that very evening, featuring an action shot of the two and their weapons. It might have been a bit childish, but Nick reveled in finally being the hero he secretly always wanted to be, and finally getting to be thought of by the public as "cool".

    The two relaxed in an alley, eating a couple of cheese-and-nut burgers. Nick had his mask folded up just enough to expose his muzzle.

    "So, Amethyst, still having fun?" Nick asked Judy.

    "Do I still like infuriating Bogo and frustrating his attempts to catch and unmask us?" Judy smirked, taking a bite. "Heck yes I do."

    "Wow, can you hold a grudge," Nick chuckled, smirking at her. "Remind me to never get on your bad side."

    "Believe me, you'll know if you get there," Judy said maliciously. Nick made a face, threw down his burger, and pointed. Judy followed his gaze, abandoning her food as well.

    "Look alive," Nick said. "I see a white bunny and something's wrong with her."

    "Gotcha," Judy replied seriously, taking out a fold-out pair of small night-vision goggles from one of her pouches and looking. There was an arctic hare staggering and looking like she was about to fall over near a popular bar, the Wet Wolf Whistle. "She's in a bad way." The arctic hare fell over onto the sidewalk, and shortly a rhinoceros started going after her. Judy looked to Nick, who instantly assaulted her with a flurry of nearly incomprehensible hand signs.

    "Got it, meet you there," Judy nodded. The two scattered.

    The rhino picked up the arctic hare and made for a street light, nudging upwards to smash a traffic camera from below with his sharp-looking horn while he was in its blind spot. The rhino narrowed his eyes as he saw Piberius block the way in front of him, spinning his staff and posing with it held behind him.

    "Easy there, big guy," Nick lit both ends of his weapon in warning.

    The rhino snorted. "If it isn't Tiberius."

    "Piberius, but you were close," Nick said in a snarky voice. "Set the arctic hare down or you're in for a shock."

    "Idiot small-mammal," the rhino spat, "even if that little sparkle stick could phase me, surely it'd have enough juice to fry this little rodent I'm holding onto, too."

    "You may have a point," Nick considered in a commanding voice, flourishing his staff. "But I'm still not letting you through." His voice turned conversational. "And by the way, arctic hares aren't rodents. They're lapines."

    "Think I care?" The rhino said gruffly. "Get out of my way before you become paste! You're just a little distraction to me!"

    "Oh congratulations, we have a winner!" Nick exclaimed smugly, grinning from behind his disguise and turning the electricity on his stick off.

    "Heeeeyaaagh!" Judy shrieked, leaping right onto the rhino's back.

    "What the-!?" The rhino flicked his arm this way and that at her, holding the unconscious arctic hare in his other arm, but he couldn't reach back far enough to get access to the rabbit. Judy readied her blade and brought it up to the rhino's neck.

    "Let her go," Judy muttered dangerously.

    "If you insist!" The rhino held the hare's body up and then threw it down nearly effortlessly with one hand.

    "Jeez! Careful!" Nick dove onto the sidewalk next to the rhino to carefully catch, cushion, and cradle the arctic hare's body so she wasn't injured.

    "You're pancakes, mutt!" The rhino growled, bringing his foot up to the defenseless fox beneath him.

    Judy quickly drew the blade across the rhinos neck, kicked off of him, and landed on one knee.

    "Glkk!" The rhino froze in surprise, bringing a hand instinctively to his neck as Nick took the spare moment Judy had bought him to move away from the tree-trunk of a leg before it slammed down on the sidewalk.

    Judy cleaned and sheathed her blade in one smooth motion. In a hushed, but forceful voice, she said: "Serene Blade, cause my enemies to be tranquil."

    The rhino looked at his hand and was baffled by the very tiny amount of red on it. "Ha! I knew a tiny little animal like you couldn't slit a throat properly! Maybe you'd like a demonstration!" The rhino whirled around to confront Judy, but as he did, he felt like he was still spinning. He was finding it quickly impossible to stand up, and sat down hard.

    "Nighty-night...!" Nick mocked. The rhino fell over into a forced slumber. "And Amethyst, do you always have to say that silly little prayer?"

    "What's the point of being a costumed vigilante if you can't say some corny catchphrases?" Judy shrugged, smiling. They headed back into their alley from which they came, Nick still holding the arctic hare.

    "Could you get her wallet?" Nick asked. Judy nodded and felt in her pockets while Nick continued to cradle her.

    Judy looked at her driver's license. "Karen Skippel. Uh, uh oh!" Judy flipped to a ZPD badge. "She's one of them!"

    "Oh dear, a second bunny cop?" Nick grit his teeth at noticing this. "We can't exactly leave her at the hospital or at the doorstep of the ZPD without being noticed and someone getting the wrong idea."

    "Yeah, we definitely don't want to be accused of doing... whatever was about to happen to this poor thing," Judy mused, rubbing her chin.

    "So what do we do?" Nick pondered.

    "Got an idea," Judy nodded. "May not work, but..."

    "You're the boss," Nick chuckled.

 

---

    Karen awoke in her own bed, in her own apartment. Her vision was blurry from whatever drug had knocked her out. She didn't know why, but her first instinct was to launch right out of bed and check that everything in her apartment was in place, but her body didn't quite work fully yet. Blinking, she saw two dark shapes at the foot of her bed. She gasped in fright.

    "Who are you!?" Karen felt a chill, unable to see them fully yet.

    "Friends," Nick said gently, holding a hand out in caution.

    "Yeah right, what are you doing in my apartment!?" Karen willed her body to cooperate and saw... "Piberius and Ameythst? What are you two doing here?"

    "Uh, well, you had passed out and we didn't quite want to take you to the hospital unless you really needed it," Nick shrugged apologetically.

    "You were in trouble," Judy nodded.

    "Don't lie to me!" Karen retreated defensively into her bed, wishing she had a stun-gun or two handy. "I know that... that Blade of Serenity of yours or whatever is soaked with some sort of tranquilizer!"

    "Ooh, Blade of Serenity," Judy turned to Nick, "do you think that sounds cooler than Serene Blade, Piberius?"

    "Could you drop the character-building for a second, Ammy?" Nick sighed.

    "Hey, don't call me Ammy! What's the point of having an alias if you're just going to use a nickname?" Judy shot in frustration, almost calling Nick by his real name.

    "Wow, are you two married?" Karen's slightly gravely, boyish voice was beginning to normalize, and now sounded full of incredulous disdain.

    "No...!" Both said in exhausted unison.

    "Anyways, let's take a step back here," Nick held both of his hands out, tilting his head; knowing he had to be more expressive with his head with his mask on. He nodded. "When did you start feeling strange?"

    "At the Wet Wolf Whistle," Karen was struggling to recall. "Where she must have drugged me."

    "Hey, my sword just has the agent on it," Judy shrugged. "The only way I can knock someone out is by cutting them. Or maybe poking the blade in someones drink, I don't know."

    "We saw a rhinoceros collect your body after you were knocked out," Nick said.

    "I don't know any rhinos," Karen narrowed her eyes. "Why should I believe you two...?"

    "Because we're about to walk out of this apartment and out of your life," Judy nodded. "We just wanted to make sure you're okay."

    "Sounds like he might have spiked your drink," Nick mused. "Were you alone?"

    "Uh huh..." Karen admitted.

    "In the future, maybe go out drinking with friends," Nick suggested.

    "Would need some of those, first," Karen turned her head away. There was a short, uncomfortable silence. "What happened to the rhino?"

    "Left an anonymous tip," Nick said, "the ZPD should be picking him up."

    "Why, how can you prove he did anything wrong?" Karen challenged.

    "We can't, but he did have his horn illegally sharpened and destroyed a traffic camera, so maybe you can get him on that at least?" Judy shrugged.

    "A small comfort," Karen twisted her mouth. "You vigilantes should be locked up. I'd arrest you myself if I wasn't just a Technical Officer and completely at your mercy besides."

    "Karen..." Judy looked apologetic.

    "So you looked at my license too?" Karen gave a huff. "Jeez, I feel all kind of violated. By you guys AND whatever 'rhino' may have drugged me in the first place."

    "Sorry, Karen," Judy continued, "we just had to figure out where to get you home. You'll find all of your stuff is still there." Karen checked, and it was. "Just be careful at the ZPD, okay? Heh... they don't exactly like bunnies there."

    "Wait a minute..." Karen closed her eyes and her ears twitched, focusing on her voice. "You're Judy Hopps!"

    "What!?" Judy flinched. "No. Judy Hopps is a gray and white bunny-"

    "And you're a gray and white bunny with a ton of black fur dye on," Karen sniffed the air. "I experimented with that stuff before I joined the force; I know what it smells like. Plus, I recognize your voice from that conference. I have no brothers or sisters to remember the names or personalities of, so my bunny brain fills up with useless information instead." Nick stood there silently, and Judy had a flummoxed expression. "So! The famous Judy Hopps couldn't leave 'making the world a better place' alone even when she couldn't come back to the ZPD, so she took up a different fur color and started raining her own brand of justice on the city."

    Judy had a defeated expression; she was completely read, again.

    "Well... I kind of think that's a little bit cool," Karen gave a tiny smile.

    "Huh?" Nick and Judy both were startled.

    "You had the most ridiculous flash-in-the-pan existence in the ZPD ever," Karen gave a soft chuckle. "I don't think it's hyperbolic to say that in your brief stint there you accomplished something more grand than most people at the ZPD ever have in their whole career, and maybe ever will. I hope you don't think I'm some sort of worthy successor to you; I'm not. Just a geek who wanted a comfy job, nothing more." She gave a small frown, but then smiled again. "Don't worry, I won't tell Bogo."

    "I mean..." Judy decided to stop making excuses for her identity, "Bogo hasn't caught me yet, but if you told him I think I would probably be able to hear his resulting scream wherever I was in Zootopia..."

    Karen offered a half-smile, giving Judy a once-over. "That outfit looks pretty nice on you."

    Judy gave a nervous giggle. "We should go." It was still early morning; the perfect time for a getaway.

    Nick opened Karen's window and looked both ways. "All clear." He vaulted out the window smoothly and into the alley. He was still visible from the window. "Boy, being on the first floor sure doesn't make for an impressive exit."

    "See you around Piberius... Amethyst," Karen grinned.

    "Hopefully maybe?" Judy gave a terse wave, and launched herself out of her window, as well.

Notes:

This super-sized chapter is again one of Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps' ideas they offered to me, so thanks again to them!

Chapter 78: Vigilantes II

    "Getcher pawpsicles!" Judy said merrily, waving a few purple-colored pawpsicles in the air that neatly matched her eyes. "Only two dollars, and feel free to donate a dollar towards helping canids out!"

    Judy smugly dragged the cooler away once it was empty of her wares, and around the corner she was accosted by a red fox wearing a medical mask.

    "Hey Nick," Judy said airily. "Sold out in ten minutes, and thirty percent of the customers gave me an extra dollar."

    "You're making me look bad," Nick grumbled. "And isn't it a bit disingenuous to say you're 'helping' canids with the extra dollar?"

    "Nope!" Judy smirked. "I never said it was a charity, after all."

    Nick shook his head, closing his eyes with his arms folded. "Wow, Carrots, I don't know whether to be impressed, proud or disgusted."

    "Any of them works for me," Judy chuckled. Her phone started to buzz. "Aw creamed corn, it's my parents again. Could you back off?" Nick nodded and got out of range of the phone's sight. Judy released a sigh and touched the phone. "Oh hey, guys!"

    "Jude!" Stu said, obviously worried. "Still with the black fur, huh?"

    "Oh, this?" Judy pat her cheek. Her fur had been dyed entirely black. "Yeah, it's-"

    "Are you sure that's not some sort of phase you're going through?" Bonnie interrupted, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

    "No, mom," Judy's eyelids fell. "It is definitely not a phase. I told you guys, I'm undercover. I'm so deep undercover, in fact, that if you went to the ZPD they would say I'm no longer working on the force."

    "But it's been a few years now, Jude," Stu looked worried. "I guess your mother and I are just a bit concerned."

    "You know I can't talk about my work, guys!" Judy grit her teeth. "All of this planning we've done could be destroyed with one wrong word! Sometimes to do the right thing we have to make some sacrifices, right?"

    "I know, honey, but can you blame your father and I for being a little worried?" Bonnie asked with pleading eyes.

    "No, I can't, but I told you I can't talk about this," Judy said firmly. "Now, I'll see you guys later, okay?"

    "All right..." Bonnie nodded. "Bye, Bun-bun."

    "Love you, sugar!" Stu agreed.

    "Bye...!" Judy waved, then hit the button. She groaned. Nick came back from around the corner. Judy gave a small laugh, full of self-scorn. "I've been lying to my parents since the very first day I actually got on the job, you know."

    "It gets easier," Nick shrugged.

    "Yeah, it is getting easier," Judy gave a shrug with one of her shoulders. "That's what worries me. I don't want to erode my conscience into nothing."

    "We're still working for this city, in our own way," Nick gestured casually. "I just feel guilty I can't help out with the hustling nowadays."

    "Hopefully this whole sickness thing blows over soon enough," Judy folded her arms, nodding. "Wh-wait, what's going on over there?"

    "Nh?" Nick turned, feeling a spark of fear. "We don't have our costumes...!" Nick followed Judy's pointing finger, and it was directed at a large TV monitor plastered across a building, which was set to the ZNN news channel. The screen fizzled out and was replaced by a shadowy figure, that looked vaguely feline.

    "Hello, citizens of Zootopia," the voice was distorted, but definitely female and somewhat acrid-sounding. "I'm disappointed in our scientists and doctors. I thought by now someone would have figured out what was going on here in this city. By that, I mean all the dogs dropping dead." Cars slowed and there was gasping in the streets as more hands pointed to the monitor.

    "Terribly effective, hasn't it been?" The figure continued to speak. "This little virus of my design. 75% fatality rate. Perhaps you think you're safe from it because the cases have been few. Don't worry, little degenerate mutts. You'll get your turn at death's door. I'm continually making adjustments to it. In time, all of you slavering, whining imbeciles will be silent forever, and I'll finally have the city I want. One without canines." The feed suddenly cut out, leaving a couple of very distressed-looking newscasters on the ZNN who were trying to process what just happened.

    Judy had a floored look on her face that quickly turned into fury. "What the...!?"

    "Well that sucks," Nick said flatly from behind his mask.

    "We've got to find that- that feline..." Judy clenched her fists. "I'll put her to sleep."

    "You do mean using your Serene Blade, right...?" Nick asked cautiously.

    "Okay, Nick, question time," Judy said, pounding one of her fists into her other hand. "How do we find this cat so I can punch her?"

    "I hate to say it," Nick placed his hands in his pockets. "But our best bet is asking Honey."

    "Aww... no!" Judy whined and rolled her shoulders forward, looking at Nick desperately. "Not Honey!"

    "'Fraid so, my dear," Nick squinted his eyes in an amused way.

 

---

    Nick and Judy found themselves in Honey the badger's secret underground lair, which doubled as their secret underground lair at times. It contained copies and backups of their equipment, gear, and costumes. Also, there was a lot of technology and computer equipment strewn around the messy bunker. The only problem was that Honey wasn't entirely "all there".

    "Nick babe! Judy doll!" Honey waved as the two approached, swiveling her chair to regard them. "Thought you might show up soon."

    "Please don't call me 'doll'," Judy sighed. "Also, please tell me you saw that creep's statement about the canids and the virus."

    "I did..." Honey nodded seriously, whirling back around to face her computer. "I've no doubt the sheep are behind it."

    Judy groaned in frustration. Talking to the badger always felt like running into a wall. "Again with the sheep, Honey?"

    "No no, it makes perfect sense," Honey said, busily opening up programs and maps on her computer, flicking her hand dismissively. "Since prehistory, sheep and canids have been enemies. It's totally them. They're probably just using this cat chick as a decoy because of the whole 'cats and dogs' stereotype!"

    "Brilliant," Judy rolled her eyes.

    "Anyway, can we locate her or figure out how she's distributing the virus?" Nick asked patiently, nodding to Judy. "Hang in there, Fluff." Judy grit her teeth slightly, then closed her mouth and exhaled slowly.

    "Of course!" Honey said, running some searches and activating some programs. "I've been working on the infection vector for a few days now." She brought up a map of Zootopia and a bunch of dots appeared on it near northern Savanna central and a few other blips. "Here's where all the victims of the virus so far live. Red dots for females, blue for males. Okay, what's weird about this?"

    "Uh..." Judy stared at the map, willing an answer to come to her. "They're mostly females?"

    "Also," Nick held a finger up. "The virus isn't spreading. It's... congregated all through here? That's not how viruses work."

    "It must have a narrow infection vector, like blood to blood," Honey nodded. "So that means-"

    "The feline is actively infecting the victims?" Judy interrupted.

    "Probably," Honey tapped some buttons. "Now, I've been running simulations to see if I can figure out where the victims all were at the time of infection, but it's slow going."

    "Wait, how can you track all these individuals anyway, or where they're from?" Judy winced. "That sounds kind of a little bit illegal."

    "It's information the ZPD has access to," Honey smirked. "I hacked their firewall."

    "That sounds even more illegal," Judy huffed.

    "As is pretty much anything we do," Nick gave a sly shrug. "But we do it for a good reason."

    "So most of the victims are female," Judy said. "That means we should be looking at... what... beauty salons? Spas?"

    "No, needs more traffic, I would guess," Nick shook his head, folding his arms. "The chances of a canid coming to a specific place are fairly low, so it needs to be a popular place."

    "Females... uh... s-shopping then!" Judy rotated her hands at the wrist. "Mall, or department store. Maybe she's tainting water or food. What's up there in the north?"

    "There's a Mousey's Department Store," Honey said. "Looks like all of their cell phone signals passed through there at least once before they got sick."

    "God, that has to be it, then!" Nick blurted.

    "We'll go there during a high-traffic day and hour," Judy nodded seriously. "Tomorrow is Saturday. We'll go. Midday."

    "Got it," Nick cracked his knuckles.

    "When you capture her, see if she knows anything about the sheep!" Honey called out to them. "Okay, babe? Doll?"

    "Right...!" Judy tried not to sound annoyed as she turned around, with Nick grinning down at her.

 

---

    The black-furred bunny and red fox entered the department store, wearing normal clothes, but their tight, spandex costumes underneath, and both wearing backpacks that had their other disassembled gear in them.

    "Okay, so the goal is to find someone suspicious without being too suspicious ourselves," Judy murmured to Nick. "Think like a back-to-school shopper..."

    "Let's just do a casual lap around the shop and look for anything off," Nick whispered. "Keep together." Judy returned the barest nod of confirmation, and the two did a small tour of the shop. Judy even stopped at a back-to-school display, looking at some colorful pens and highlighters.

    "You make a great hustler," Nick teased from behind his medical mask.

    "Hush, fox that I definitely don't know!" Judy tried not to smile.

    They completed their lap across the store. Nick nodded subtly to Judy. "So, anything?"

    "I think so," Judy nodded. "That black jaguar behind the perfume counter doesn't have a name-tag on."

    "Huh..." Nick walked around, taking a glance at her here and there. "She's holding a bottle of perfume guardedly and hasn't actually sprayed anyone with it that's walked by her. Suspicious..." Nick walked towards her casually and then backed off before she noticed. "She smells like your fur dye." He gasped lightly. "What if the perfume is laced with the virus?"

    Judy's jaw dropped, but she shut it very quickly and thought. "What are we supposed to do though, Nick? I don't want to wait for a random canid to walk over to her and get sprayed, if that's what she's doing..."

    Nick tapped his finger on his nose. "Mm... I may have an idea. Let's get dressed." He jerked his thumb to the dressing rooms.

    Minutes later, out of the corner of her eye, the black jaguar saw Piberius striking a dashing pose.

    "We know what you're up to, cat!" Nick said accusingly.

    The jaguar gasped, then grit her teeth and grinned darkly. "Try a perfume sample, Piberius?" She leaped over the counter and sprayed her perfume all over him. She gave an almost wild laugh, leaning in to taunt him in a quiet voice. "Ha. Try convincing the public about me when you're busy choking on your own blood, mutt! Yes... breathe in deep, dog. I cannot wait for one of the city's most stalwart defenders to die in excruciating pain from my virus...!" She frowned suddenly. "Wait. ...Are you breathing?" She tapped on his chest and heard an unusual sound. "Wh-WHAT!?" She unsheathed her claws on her free hand and slashed twice at the costume. There was an off-white plastic body underneath. "A decoy!?" She felt a sharp nip in her side. "Grhk!"

    "You're lucky I'm nice enough not to run you through," Judy said angrily from behind the jaguar, cleaning her tranquilizer-soaked blade and sheathing it. "Enjoy prison."

    "Foolish rogue!" The jaguar turned her head to face Judy, her eyes starting to flutter. "There's no way you can pin anything on me without giving yourselves up as whuh-well..."

    "Oh no?" Judy said smugly, holding up a phone. "Had to buy a brand new camera-phone to get your little confession on video, but it was worth every penny. Rot in jail."     

    "No...! No..." The jaguar slumped over and her perfume bottle gently clinked on the floor. Judy planted the cellphone into the jaguar's coat pocket. A small crowd of mammals was beginning to form in a semi-circle around Judy.

    "It's Amethyst! Amethyst, mommy!" An excitable giraffe youth told her mother.
    "Whoa, is it really her?" A teenage porcupine male asked. "Can I have your autograph?"
    A coyote boy stepped forward. "Did you just beat up a bad guy, Amethyst?"

    "Don't get any closer!" Judy warned with her hands out in caution. "This jaguar here is likely the one behind the canid virus. Be careful! You there, citizen!" Judy leaned up and saw Nick in the crowd, looking on with pretend interest. "Call the ZPD! Make sure no one approaches her until the police get to her!" Nick nodded and made his way to a phone.

    The audience gasped, but was getting thicker around Judy. Escape was going to be a problem. She reached into her utility belt. "Hey kids, want to see Amethyst do a magic trick?"

    "Yeah!" The young members of the audience said in glee.

    "Time to make this bunny... disappear!" Judy threw down a pellet which burst into thick purple smoke. When it cleared, Amethyst was gone. The amazed and bewildered audience looked left and right, but saw no sign of her. One little cheetah cub saw Judy leaving from the dressing room dressed in her normal clothes, but he took no note.

 

---

    "It's starting, it's starting!" Judy exclaimed excitedly, hugging her knees close to her, sitting on the couch in Nick's shabby apartment. She bit her lip and stared at Nick's TV.

    "It's just Major Mousawitz giving a speech," Nick shrugged, drinking from a cola and sitting on the couch next to her. "Do you really think he's even going to mention a couple of vigilantes like us?"

    "He has to say something," Judy beamed, watching Vince Mousawitz take the tiny stand. "I've never heard him speak before, so this will be fun!"

    "Ladies and gentlemammals of Zootopia..." Mousawitz started. He paused to collect his thoughts, seemingly very serious. His voice was very rich, deep, and had a commanding presence.

    "That's... that's his voice?" Judy's jaw dropped in amazement.

    "Wow, he could do radio," Nick's eyebrows lifted in surprise.

    "As you may know," Mousawitz continued, "of late there has been a horrible virus that affects only canids moving through Zootopia. But there is good news. The ZPD did end up capturing the manufacturer and distributor of the virus." There were cheers, but Vince didn't look that pleased. He closed his eyes and gently gestured for everyone to calm down.

    "See? The ZPD gets the credit. Of course," Nick sipped his cola, looking at Judy.

    "Aw," Judy bit her lip in disappointment.

    "However," Mousawitz looked at his notes. "The city of Zootopia has a debt of gratitude to pay towards those two mysterious vigilantes that have been defending us behind the scenes." The audience started murmuring. Judy gasped and started rapidly pawing at Nick's arm excitedly. "They go by Amethyst and... Pie- Piebeereeis."

    "Close enough," Nick had a wide smile.

    "Eee!" Judy held her fists close to her face and shook them.

    Mousawitz closed his eyes and shook his head. "While I cannot in good conscience fully condone their actions... their efforts to rid Zootopia of heinous criminals that the ZPD has not been able to reach has not gone unnoticed or unappreciated." Mousawitz paused. "Some may know that I have... I have adopted a wolf daughter. The fear of her contracting the canid virus has given me many a sleepless night. But now I know that she is safe, thanks to the efforts of Amethyst and puh- um, our masked canid protector."

    "Poor guy," Nick said, though Judy didn't know if he meant his mental state or the fact that he couldn't pronounce Nick's middle name.

    "So, I know that you two cannot come out and accept thanks publicly," Mousawitz continued, "but please know that I appreciate your efforts to do what's right. I know that you must work from the shadows, so I will thank those shadows for giving you to us. Thank you. Zootopia is blessed to have you two." Vince Mousawitz stepped off his podium to a roar of reporter questions, which he brushed off. Nick shut off the tv.

    "Kinda gives you a warm feeling inside, doesn't it?" Judy smiled brightly.

    "Warm and fuzzy," Nick agreed, nodding once.

    "I'm... kinda worried though, about your costume," Judy nibbled at her fingers.

    "Why's that?" Nick rolled his eyes. "You know Honey has like three more waiting for me already."

    "It's in the hands of the ZPD now," Judy said, "surely they have gotten your DNA."

    "They can have all of that they want," Nick shrugged, "it's not going to help them. I was never officially brought in or sequenced on the books, remember?"

    "Oh right, good," Judy sighed in relief. "Heh, I wonder what Bogo thinks about all this..."

 

---

    "Fantastic," Bogo said dryly, hanging up the phone. "Now the mayor is on their side." Bogo frowned and glared up at the wanted posters of Amethyst and Piberius on the wall. They read: "Subjects may be dangerous. Please detain if possible."

    Bogo groaned and sat back in his chair. "Did I do something to a bunny in a past life? Have I offended the Lapine Goddesses somehow? That's the only explanation I can come up with for why I'm having so much trouble with those blasted hopping creatures of late. First that crazed upstart Hopps, then this gallivanting showoff Amethyst, and now I've got..."

    "Um, sir...?" An arctic hare's head worriedly poked into his office. "You wanted to see me?"

    "Karen Skippel," Bogo sighed, and nodded. "Come on in."

    Karen bit her lip and walked in, handing him a report. "Th-the full report of the Canid Virus case."

    "So, Serena Prowlmore is definitely the culprit," Bogo shook his head. "Those two knuckleheads are making us look bad at the department."

    "Agreed, sir," Karen nodded. "Vigilantism is not the way."

    "Mm..." Bogo looked through the files. "At least we got that fox's costume from the fox dummy at the store. What's the situation on that?"

    Karen swallowed hard. "There's... there's nothing we can use from the costume. It's just a costume."

    Bogo's eyes narrowed as he handed the file back to Karen. "What."

    Karen winced. "The only unusual things about the costume were that the mask was soaked with the sample of the canid virus."

    "Surely he's not a non-shedding fox?" Bogo asked in disbelief, holding his hands palm up.

    "Oh no, we have his DNA now," Karen nodded rapidly and nervously, holding the file close to her chest. "But... he's not a registered criminal."

    "Unbelievable!" Bogo slapped his face and ran his hand down his cheek. His voice was low and grumbling. "Do you have anything else to report, Skippel?"

    "Ah..." Karen cringed. "I ran a security sweep of our systems, and it looks like a fairly accomplished hacker has gotten into our databases and retrieved some of the information there."

    Bogo flinched, then his voice became dangerously nice. "Well, Skippel, can you do anything about that...?"

    "Y-yes sir, I believe so!" Karen quickly assured.

    "Then do it!" Bogo finally snapped.

    "Yes, Chief!" Karen squeaked desperately, leaving in fright, dropping the case file onto the floor.

    Chief Bogo sighed and leaned over to pick the file up, filing it in frustration. He looked over the wanted posters again. "Amethyst, Piberius. You'll make a mistake eventually, and I'll be there when you do. Winning over the mayor won't save you from the law."

Chapter 79: Vigilantes III

    trrrrrrCLUNG!

    "Well darn," Judy said plainly as a prison door in the holding area of the ZPD slammed on her. Nick was led into the cell opposite hers.

    "You two keep y'selves company, Chief Bogo'll be down to talk to you shortly, shorties," Officer McHorn said; the rhino walking off with heavy footsteps.

    "That was uncalled for," Nick said, chuckling.

    "Well, we had a good run, Piberius," Judy smirked, looking at her black-furred hands. "But they finally got us."

    "That they did, my little jewel," Nick winked.

    Judy sighed in exasperation, though she didn't dislike the compliment. "C'mon, even when I have an alias you can't use it?"

    "A lot of good it will do us now," Nick kicked back, sitting on his prison bed.

    Chief Bogo walked into the room with his hands behind his back. "Well well. If it isn't Amethyst and Piberius. Seems like your vigilante days have come to an end."

    "Took you long enough," Nick smirked, kicking his feet playfully.

    "Right?" Judy smirked. "We've been at this for a good four or five years now, at least!"

    "Shut your mouths!" Bogo glared at each of them in turn. "I'm going to throw the book at you two. I'll find every charge, every endangerment, every trespass that we can prove on you two and you two will rot in the Zootopia Detention Center!"

    "Aw, you're breakin' my heart, Chief," Nick yawned. "What'll the mayor think about that?"

    "The mayor has nothing to do with this," Bogo sneered. "Don't expect him to pardon you once I read him the list of everything you've done."

    "You mean like saving the city over and over," Nick's eyes half-lid.

    "Some appreciation for you..." Judy sucked at her teeth and shook her head.

    "The only big thing we can even prove you did is put away that Canid Virus psychopath," Chief Bogo huffed. "But other than that, you've just had the fortune to be at crime scenes before we get there. Other than that, you're nobodies, nothing! You especially, fox. You're not even on our records!"

    Nick got up and held the bars. "That's because I'm a good boy."

    "Aw, yes he is," Judy added in a playful voice.

    Chief Bogo huffed in annoyance. "And you!" He turned to Judy. "Just wait till the DNA we just took from you comes back. I can't wait to know exactly who you are, if you're in our books. Perhaps you'd like to enlighten me and save me some time?"

    Judy developed a surprisingly serious look. "You've never done me any favors, Chief, so I don't see why I should start helping you now."

    Chief Bogo froze and his jaw dropped an inch. A wave of understanding crashed over him. "...Hopps?" His pupils shrunk. He grabbed at the bars of her cell, his face exploding into rage. "JUDY HOPPS!?"

    "Ding ding," Judy said, smiling with her eyes half-lid. "Told you I wasn't just some token bunny."

    "You...!" Bogo released the bars and swung his arm through the air in anger. "You don't know when to quit, do you, you insane little mammal!? We've had to clean up all the messes you made through your reckless behavior. Your little train incident, the supposed alliance between Mr. Big and the ZPD."

    "Yeah, that was all me," Judy wore a half-smile, but it then turned into a frown. "But I told myself I was going to make this world a better place, and I have been."

    "Yes, well, your lawless gallivanting around the city is over now, Hopps," Bogo sneered. "I'll see you at your sentencing." Bogo stormed off.

    Judy sighed and leaped back onto her prison bed. "Hey, you think Honey will bust us out?"

    "Well, we don't check in with her too often, so I doubt she'll even notice we're gone for quite awhile," Nick sighed.

    "She doesn't read the news?" Judy winced.

    "Sheep propaganda, remember?" Nick smirked. Judy rolled her eyes. "She's probably trying to figure out who put the 'ram' in the rama-lama-ding-dong."

    "Well boogity-boogity-shoo," Judy said in disappointment, twisting her mouth. "...You know what's really sad, Nick?"

    "What's that, Bun?" Nick stretched.

    "This bed is more comfortable than the one I had at Pangolin Arms," Judy huffed.

    "Wow, that is sad..."

---

    One month later, Chief Bogo was sitting at the desk in his office, rubbing his temples. Karen Skippel, an arctic hare Technical Officer at the ZPD, headed into the room with her iPawpad ready.

    "Your report, Skippel?" Bogo said wearily.

    "It's actually worse than I thought, and I'm kind of paranoid," Karen said in her somewhat boyish voice. "Compared to last year at this time, crime has risen by five hundred percent."

    "Five hundred..." Bogo said quietly. "And long term prospects?"

    "Averaging out that increase in crime rate over this month, we're looking at maybe close to ten times the incidental crimes this year compared to last year," Karen said. "If things don't get worse."

    "We're completely swamped and understaffed," Chief Bogo grumbled, standing up and looking out his window. "Clawhauser is on the phone for almost his entire shift, taking calls and dispatching units." Karen remained quiet. "How is it that just those two tiny mammals manage to keep Zootopia under their paws? Surely they wouldn't make that much of a difference in a spree of crime like this..."

    "Piberius and Amethyst? I'm not an expert on psychology, sir," Karen said, "but it might have to do with... their unpredictability. They're a deterrent to crime because criminals never know when they'll show up and they know they're in for a painful shock and or a sleep, usually ending with them in jail."

    "But they're breaking the law, they're breaking procedures," Chief Bogo shook his head. "What can I do now? I've done my job. I've done what I'm supposed to do." Chief Bogo looked at Karen, and Karen blinked, seeing that the Chief actually looked worried. "I'm bound to the law. But is the law keeping me from doing what's proper?"

    Karen stammered a bit. "I... I cannot objectively weigh in on this, sir."

    "Indeed," Chief Bogo huffed. "Where are we with those two?"

    "The reports on them are still being compiled," Karen shook her head. "It's slow going, because everyone is busy trying to stem the tide of the crime wave we're under." Karen sighed. "And you know I can't do the report because of a conflict of interest."

    "Officer Skippel," Chief Bogo said, his voice becoming gentle. "What do you think of Amethyst and Piberius?"

    "I um... well, I..." Karen grit her teeth, her eyes darting around.

    "Permission to speak freely granted," Bogo said softly.

    "When I looked up the information on that rhino Grit Hornbody for his sentencing..." Karen looked off to the side, "I was shocked to see the amount of murders he was wanted for. He was a hitmammal for a crime lord. Then, he went rogue on his boss, so he became even more dangerous. Those two vigilantes quite possibly saved my life, and I was so hesitant to give them credit because of how they did their work..."

    Chief Bogo closed his eyes and thought, then opened them. "Can we get the mayor involved?"

    Karen shook her head. "We're obligated to give him our report before he can pardon them..."

    "What am I to do...?" Chief Bogo clenched his fists. "I can't just release them. If I do, faith in the police and the judicial system will be torn to shreds, and it's already been damaged by our lack of ability to halt this crime wave."

    "If they could have broken out of jail, I'm sure they would have by now," Karen said pensively.

    Bogo stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Yes. I'm pretty sure they would have."

---

    "Kinda feels weird to see my natural fur color again," Judy said wistfully, looking over herself in her jail cell. "I'd gotten used to being black."

    "What was it they said?" Nick pondered. "Once you go black you never go back?"

    "Well, not like I had a choice in the matter," Judy laughed.

    "Hi you two!" Benjamin Clawhauser said, coming down to visit them in their holding cells. "Doing okay in here?"

    "We're fine, Clawhauser," Judy smiled.

    "You know, it just warms my heart that you two are always in such a good mood," Clawhauser said. "I don't think I could do so well in jail."

    "Eh, I've got good company," Judy smiled. Nick winked and clicked his teeth.

    "That is just so nice," Clawhauser said. "Well, I'm going to be even more company tonight if you two don't mind."

    "I mean, I wouldn't expect you to leave if we said so," Nick chuckled. "You're the guard for tonight?"

    "I am!" Clawhauser nodded. "Everyone's having to pull more hours because of the crime wave affecting the city." Nick and Judy both hummed in disappointment.

    "Really sorry you couldn't be on the ZPD right now, Judy," Clawhauser said apologetically.

    "Stuff happens," Judy smiled. "We did all we could."

    Abruptly, the lights flickered twice.

    "Ooh, the signal!" Clawhauser said excitedly.

    "Huh, is there a thunderstorm?" Nick wondered.

    "If there is, I can't hear it," Judy shook her head. Clawhauser started backing up against Nick's jail cell.

    The lights completely shut off.

    "Oh no!" Clawhauser said in a forced voice. "I am afraid of the dark and something appears to have cut power to the station! And it just so happens our emergency lighting is on the fritz as well! It is a shame my night vision isn't as good as a fox's."

    There was a jingling sound and the sound of two heavy doors opening.

    "Nick!?" Judy said as she felt a paw on her wrist.

    "Let's go!" Nick said.

    Judy resisted. "I can't go! I'm not going to get Clawhauser fired because of this!"

    "You'd rather rot in jail?" Nick's eyes widened at the unseeing Judy. "Let's go! This is all obviously part of some sort of plan, you dumb bunny!"

    "He's right, Judy!" Clawhauser said in a loud whisper. "You two have fun. And run fast, 'cuz Officer Cheetahmin is supposed to make a show of chasing you!"

    Judy's unseeing eyes widened as she was yanked away by Nick.

---

    A trio of raccoons burst into a bank, all drawing stun guns. Screams broke out among animals both big and small.

    "This is a robbery!" The tallest of the three raccoons said, waving his stun gun. "These things are set on 'elephant', so no one make any funny moves! Lemmy! Jerry! Get the caaa-AAA-GAGAGAGAGA!" The raccoon fell onto the floor, twitching.

    "Funny," Nick said in his full Piberius costume, twirling his electric rod weapon and posing with it. "Mine's set to 'annoying small mammal that's reinforcing his species stereotype.'"

    "It's Piberius!" One of the underling raccoons wailed.

    "Isn't he supposed to be in jail!?" The other one shrieked.

    "Who cares!? Shoot him!" Both of the raccoons aimed their stun guns and fired.

    "I was supposed to be in jail," Nick said. "But that wasn't really working out for me." He spun his staff at a high rate of speed and entangled the barbs of the stun guns on the ends of them before they reached them. Splitting apart his staff at the halfway point, he yanked with both hands and the raccoons found themselves disarmed. "Amethyst? If you'd be so kind."

    "Coming through!" Judy burst onto the scene, again sporting black fur. She unsheathed her sword and leaped cleanly around, carefully nicking both bewildered raccoons.

    "Amethyst too!?" One of them said in despair as he grabbed at his nicked arm in reaction.

    "Poke!" Judy said, poking the zapped raccoon gently on the shoulder with her tranquilizer-soaked sword. She cleaned it, posed down on one knee, and sheathed it. "Blade of Tranquility... eh, you know the rest."

    The two standing raccoons slumped to the ground and all three of them fell into slumber.

    "Amethyst and Piberius!" A female hippo bank teller said in awe. "Thank you so much!"

    "We've called the police," a male ferret said worriedly. "M-maybe you two should go?"

    "Got it!" Judy said energetically. "Ready to get out of here, Tibby?"

    "Tibby?" Even from behind his mask, Nick made a movement with his face that looked disgusted. "Yeah, ready when you are, 'Ammy'."

    Judy just laughed. "See you guys!" She casually threw a small spherical object into the air, and Nick thrust his reformed staff into it. A large burst of purple smoke rushed out in all directions, and when it cleared, the two were gone.

    "Those two are so cool!" The hippo excitedly said, her hands close to her chin.

    "Yeah, I wonder if they'll make comic books about them or something?" The ferret scratched at his ear with one claw.

---

    Mayor Vince Mousawitz calmly took the small podium, waiting for the crowd to die down so he could speak uninterrupted.

    "It's become common knowledge that the vigilantes known as Amethyst and Piberius have escaped incarceration one month ago today," Mousawitz said in his very deep, rich voice. "Subsequently, we have seen a harsh drop in the crime rate that spiked immediately following their imprisonment." Mousawitz paused, taking a deep breath. "Upon reviewing the supposed crimes of Amethyst and Piberius, especially given what we have learned of their true identities..." Mousawitz closed his eyes, but then opened them intensely. "I have decided to give both of them a full mayoral pardon."

    There was sharp gasping and immediate questions flew about the room.

    "Does that mean they are above the law!?"
    "Will you be releasing their identities at this time?"
    "Does the ZPD work with these vigilantes?"
    "Is this part of some conspiracy?"

    "Please, hold your questions to the end," Mousawitz gently held out his hands and moved them slightly downwards repeatedly in a "simmer down" gesture. "We will not be releasing the identities of Amethyst and Piberius out of respect for not wishing to put them or their families in danger. And no, they are not above the law. The ZPD is still ready and willing to take them in should they cross the line."

    "But don't their actions blur that line, mayor Mousawitz!?"

    "Let me say this," Mousawitz said, furrowing his brow. "Those of you watching this program, those evildoers who would think to do Zootopia harm. Whatever dark corners of our fair city you lurk in, know that in an even darker corner, Amethyst and Piberius lurk. Think twice before you engage your plots, because you know that they can find you where the ZPD cannot. They are watching. They are our guardians. Now. Any questions?"

    The image of Mousawitz froze.

    "Aw, why'd you pause it?" Judy sucked at her teeth as both of them reclined on Nick's couch in his apartment. "I was getting chills! Mousawitz is such a great speaker!"

    "Text from Honey," Nick said, looking at his phone. "She's tracked a group of sheep that are smuggling illegal electronics to the Port Krill shipping yard."

    Judy thrust her head back onto the couch in frustration, squinting her eyes shut. "Sheep!? Really!? Like, seriously!?"

    "Hey, bad guys are bad guys," Nick clicked his teeth and got up, tossing his phone on the couch. "Let's go take 'em out."

    "At this point, I'm thinking of interrogating one of them until they admit that there is a sheep conspiracy, even if there isn't," Judy mumbled, launching herself off of the couch and grabbing her gear. "Just to shut Honey up."

    Nick pointed dramatically at the door with a big grin, his brow furrowed. "Off we go, Amethyst! To the sheeping yard!"

    "You did not just say that," Judy's voice was completely deadpan and she shot him a disparaging look.

    "Aw, c'mon," Nick winked. "You know you're crazy about me."

    "I kinda am," Judy half lid her eyes and smiled fondly. "You certainly drive me crazy."

    "Drive, huh," Nick rushed out of the apartment with her. "Hey, you think we should get some sort of cool car?"

Chapter 80: Eyes

    Nick heard a rapid knock at his apartment door that momentarily startled him.

    "C'mon in, Carrots," Nick said. It couldn't have been anyone else.     

    "Well, well!?" Judy excitedly burst into Nick's apartment. "What did it say?"

    Nick let out a heavy sigh, brushing a hand through his head fur. "I haven't opened it yet; was waiting for you to get here." He held an envelope in the other paw with the ZPD's seals all over it.

    "What are you waiting for now, then? Open it, open it!" Judy placed her fists to her chin and bounced a few times.

    Taking in another deep breath, Nick fit his claw into the fold of the envelope and carefully opened it, taking out the letter therein. Judy had a high-pitched, but quiet squeal while she was waiting for the news, hunched over.

    "Dear Nicholas Wilde, we regret to inform you-" Nick started, and Judy's ears immediately dropped, though her expression remained frozen in glee. "-that the Mammal Inclusion Initiative act is not fielding applications for the Zootopia Police Department at this time. Please consider submitting your application at a later date." Nick's ears flattened on his head.

    "What? No... what...?" Judys expression was falling by increments. "T-that can't be right."

    "Read it and weep," Nick handed her the document. "So I don't have to, hm?" He gave a sad smile.

    "You applied via the Mammal Inclusion Initiative...?" Judy wondered, reading the paper. "I thought you just-"

    "I didn't specifically," Nick shrugged, "they must have just seen 'fox' in the species field and assumed, I guess."

    "Ugh!" Judy threw the paper down and folded her arms, rapidly tapping her foot. Then, she pressed both of her paws to her forehead. "All this red tape is ridiculous! Why can't I just have you as a partner?"

    "Sorry, Carrots, I guess it just doesn't work that way," Nick gave a tiny shrug again.

    "It's... not fair," Judy's lip was catching as she tried to keep from sneering, or sobbing.

    "Nope, the world never is," Nick said. "Ah well, I can always try again in a year or so. Maybe try to build up some muscle until then."

    "Really?" Judy gave a tiny grin. "No, that's right! Don't give up!" She paused, giving him a sidelong look. "You really want to be my partner, huh?"

    "Officer Fluff," Nick advanced upon her. "You awoke a desire deep within me, and I will see it satisfied."

    "Oh...?" Judy squeaked in a barely audible voice, the inside of her ears heating up rapidly as the fox stared down at her.

    "A desire for justice," Nick nodded seriously, spinning on his heel away from her and nodding.

    "Oh..." Judy fought the urge to laugh. "Well, I'm glad. I think."

    "Hm, if the ZPD still doesn't work out, maybe I can see about getting my own private detective office set up," Nick stroked his chin, looking off at a corner of his apartment.

    "Really? You know that private detectives still have to play by the rules, right?" Judy narrowed one eye, cocking her head.

    "Carrots, you should know by now how good I am at just about following all the rules," Nick turned his head and gave her a cocky look.

    "Right..." Judy rolled her eyes. "Just make sure you do all your taxes correctly."

    "Of course, fool me once..." Nick chuckled. "Hm, wonder what I'd call it. Maybe Nick's Private Di-"

    "Um, no," Judy gave a barely disguised amused huff as she cut him off. She walked over to look him up and down. "Hm... how about Emerald Eyes Private Detective Agency?"

    "Emerald eyes?" Nick put his hands in his pockets. "A little cheesy, but eye-catching."

    "Just like a certain fox I know," Judy ribbed him in the side.

    "Touche, Carrots, touche," Nick laughed.

---

    Roughly one year had passed. On duty and still in uniform, Judy got out of her cruiser Downtown and quickly rushed toward a particular cluster of buildings.

    Judy entered the Emerald Eyes Private Detective Agency with some measure of excitement at the prospect of enlisting Nick's help, but her excitement instantly changed to confusion as her eyes were having a lot of difficulty adjusting to the dim lighting inside the small office. She blinked rapidly, squinting as she tried to make out all of the shapes in the office.

    "Nick, you here?" Judy called out loudly. "I can barely see, it's so dark. And what's with the... mournful saxophone music you have on?"

    "She complained about the lighting," Nick's voice muttered, though it sounded a bit affected and intense. "Didn't she know foxes are nocturnal?"

    A large office chair spun around to reveal Nick, wearing a tan trench coat and matching hat. He set both of his feet on his desk and crossed them at the ankle. He was licking a pawpsicle, as well. Judy's eyes widened in surprise as she finally made him out with her vision.

    "Uh..."

    "I knew the dame was trouble from the moment she walked in," Nick shook his head to himself as if he didn't even notice Judy.

    "Nick..." Judy rolled her eyes. "C'mon, seriously?"

    "The doe-eyed doe was from the Burrows," Nick ignored her. "She had a thick drawl to her voice..."

    "I do not!" Judy protested, stamping her foot and thrusting her arms straight down.

    Nick cleared his throat, tilting his head all the way back and looking at the ceiling. "I said, she had a thick drawl."

    Judy gave a loud groan, figuring she may as well humor him. She got up and sat on his desk, slicking her ears back and dangling them over one of her shoulders, petting over them. She fluttered her eyes. "Why, Mistuh Wahld, Ah need yoh hayulp..."

    Nick broke out into a large, pleased grin, looking at her. "That's better. What seems to be the trouble, Doll-face?"

    Judy squinted her eyes shut in irritation over the nickname and paused as it washed over her mind, but she managed to stay in character and forced her eyes into a sultry half-lidded state. She traced circles on Nick's desk with her forefinger. "It's that pop stah, Gazelle. She's in a mite bit of trouble, y'see... n' we need a brave, handsome fox such as yohsailf on ah side..."

    "The charming, suave fox took a bite of his pawpsicle," Nick narrated, doing this. "And what am I supposed to do to help?"

    "Mistuh Wahld, if yuh'd be so kind- okay, I'm not doing this voice the whole time," Judy said abruptly as she switched back to her normal voice, scooting off of his desk.

    "Aw, couldn't you have stayed on the desk, at least?" Nick whined, his own voice going back to normal. "So, Gazelle's in trouble. What's going on?"

    "Someone's targeting her with tranquilizer darts," Judy explained. "It's happened twice now, disrupting her events and causing panic in her audience."

    "Hm, that doesn't sound good," Nick nodded. "But what can I do to help, then?"

    "Chief Bogo's actually a huge Gazelle fan," Judy shrugged.

    "No kidding?" Nick blinked.

    "Yup, he's willing to ask for help even from some private eyes to make sure we have all of our bases covered and every event of hers has someone looking out for her well-being in it," Judy explained, then gave a fond smile. "And you know who I suggested, of course."

    "Why sure," Nick returned the fond look to Judy. "I'm not the biggest fan of hers, but getting paid to go to a few of her concerts on the ZPD's dime sounds pretty all right with me."

    Judy shook her head. "Not just concerts. She also does speeches and rallies, mostly for pred-prey relations awareness. We're going to have to have a small presence at every event she does until we can nab the crook responsible. And... since no one can be sneakier or blend in better than a fox..."

    "Heh, I hear you," Nick grinned, getting up onto his feet. "Well, let's just see what we can do, Toots."

    "We're going to have to have a talk about these anachronistic nicknames," Judy grumbled, but had a half-smile on. "And could we ditch the saxophone music?"

    "Okay, okay," Nick grumbled in good humor, turning his radio off.

---

    Judy met Nick at the Franklin Moobody Auditorium about a half hour before Gazelle's scheduled speech. Judy was quite surprised to see Nick looking more casual than he normally did; he was just wearing a t-shirt in a muted, faded color as well as blue jeans.

    "Why Nick, you look so... inconspicuous!" Judy chuckled. "No loud shirt, no tie?" She was dressed a little more formally, wearing a coat which had some of her gear tucked into it, as she was undercover. In her ear a barely perceptible clear plastic bud was placed for her connection to the ZPD.

    "Carrots, I'll have you know all of my outfits were picked on purpose," Nick tugged at his t-shirt with both hands. "The bright shirts are to get your attention, and the ties are to project an air of sophistication and seriousness."

    "Ah, yeah, right, I believe that," Judy rolled her eyes, trying to find a good seat. There was almost no one present at that moment, but she wanted a seat with a good view of the rest of the auditorium.

    "Hey sweetheart, it worked for twenty years, so who are you to judge, huh?" Nick wiggled his eyebrows. "I know what I'm doing."

    "I suppose that is why we hired you," Judy said in a pleasant, faux-harried voice. "How's this?" She sat down on a seat on the left side of the auditorium and three chairs in from the middle. "I think I can get a great view of most of the auditorium with one subtle full sweep of my head."

    "Yeah, that looks great," Nick nodded. Judy patted the seat next to her.

    "Come sit with me!" Judy encouraged.

    "Uh-uh," Nick shook his head. "I'll get a seat closer to the back so I can cover any area behind your head."

    "Ooh, that makes sense," Judy nodded. "See you after the speech." Judy crossed her fingers on both hands and gave a charming-looking wince. "Hopefully this all goes well."

    "Hopefully, Doll-face," Nick smirked. Judy's fetching expression and ears both fell into half-lid eyes and an annoyed pout of her muzzle. "Hmhm, you're too easy to bother, Carrots." Nick walked to one row from the very back, and took a seat on the right side of the auditorium, a few chairs from the middle. He relaxed casually, and none of the rest of the mammals filing in paid either of them any mind.

    Judy smiled as Gazelle took the stage. She was a lovely animal, but her pretty presence was tempered by her gentle, encouraging voice as she talked about the issues facing Zootopia at the time, especially predator-prey relations. Judy found herself becoming engrossed in the speech, her heart aching for her words, but she did remember to give a few sweeps to check for suspicious activity.

    "So, if you are a prey, please don't think of predators as frightening," Gazelle's speech continued on. "I know from personal experience how kind and gentle predators can be. Look past their sharp teeth and toned structure and see them for who they really are. And on the other hand, predators. Don't look at the weakness of prey's small or thin forms. They often hide such strength, if not of body, of will and spirit. In fact, I think a union between a predator and a prey could be-"

    At this point, Gazelle paused in surprise. She thought she had felt a small gust of air blow right by her neck, and put a hand there instinctively. Her train of thought was disrupted, and Judy felt the small bubble of yearning that was forming inside her pop at the distraction. "-a union between a predator and prey could be quite beautiful. It would perfectly symbolize that we truly have come far as mammals from the day of the hunter and the hunted." Judy began to relax at her recovery, but then she heard a loud bleat and growling coming from the back of the auditorium, which caused other assorted gasps.

    "Get your hands off that! Help!" A voice called out.

    Nick was wrestling with a ram in the back row. They were trying to gain control over a large rifle. Judy grit her teeth and launched out of her chair, charging toward the two.

    "This fox was trying to shoot Gazelle! Someone help me get this gun away from him!" The ram wailed, struggling with Nick. Angry murmuring welled up in the midst of the crowd as they made eyes at Nick. A couple of larger animals started to approach them

    "Hold it, everyone!" Judy leaped behind the two. "Judy Hopps, ZPD!" She flashed her badge quickly.

    "Judy Hopps!?" The ram felt a jolt of panic. "T-tell this fox to leave me alone!"

    "No," Judy said smugly, drawing a stun gun from inside her coat and pointing it at the ram. A questioning sound of shock broke out from the audience. "Give up the struggle, DOUG."

    "I'm not-!" The ram protested.

    "Doug Ramses!" Nick confirmed. "Lackey to a certain corrupt sheep, former mayor Bellwether!" Another shrill gasp from the audience. "I'd know that pungent odor anywhere!"

    "Hey, I bathe once a day, you mangy predator!" Doug sneered.

    "Give it up, Doug! You're outgunned!" Judy proclaimed. Doug looked in fear at the fox, bunny, and the eyes of many other animals that had been turned over to their side. He dropped the gun and held his hands over his head. "Aw, I really wanted to shoot him, too." Judy quickly made her way over to him and cuffed him. "Doug Ramses, you are under arrest!"

    The crowd exploded into cheers and clapping, as if the whole thing had been part of the show put on for their amusement. Nick gave a dramatic bow, and Judy gave a few little acknowledging nods of her head, smiling proudly. Doug just cursed to himself, feeling the metal of the cuffs around his wrists.

    Gazelle looked on from the stage at the two and eventually caught Judy's eye. She mouthed "thank you" meaningfully toward Judy and gave a little wave. Judy saluted with her free hand and then used both to start leading Doug away, while Nick picked up Doug's belongings, which included his gun and a tote full of tranquilizer darts and other such incriminating evidence.

---

    Judy ended up in Nick's office again, sitting on his desk.

    "Well that was fun, huh?" Judy smiled, letting her legs dangle back and forth.

    "The debonair fox had to agree," Nick said in his affected, serious voice. "In truth, he'd been hoping for some excuse to work with the bunny broad again ever since they put away that crazy sheep, Bellwether."

    "Aw, Nick," Judy giggled, closing her eyes happily. "Well, you've got Chief Bogo's begrudging thanks, you've got Gazelle's undying gratitude and probably a backstage pass heading your way in the mail, you have Clawhauser's thanks of course, and you have my thanks, too." She changed her voice to a drawl briefly. "This loveleh bunneh belle from down in the Burruhs..."

    "I play by my own rules, the calm fox said. You can bet it's easier to catch the bad guys when you don't have a big guy like Chief Beef breathing down your neck."

    "While that may be true," Judy turned her head to fully look at him. "Now that you're on his good side, maybe you could... apply again? Be my partner?" This got Nick to pause and his face to become serious.

    "I'll think about it, Carrots," Nick said, breaking his persona. "To be truthful, though, I am quite liking getting to work for myself and stick my nose into cases that the ZPD deems too frivolous or trivial. I've helped out a lot of families; brought peace to people looking for answers; it's kind of satisfying stuff, actually. The corniness here is just for you."

    "I know, but..." Judy slid her paw across the desk, palm up. Nick took it in his, and felt Judy squeeze firmly. "I... maybe it's selfish. I want you to be my partner."

    "Judy, it's probably easier this way," Nick said, stroking his thumb over the back of her hand. Judy felt a complex emotion stab at her at this admission and the rare use of her first name. She let out a shaky sigh, trying to control herself.

    "Okay," Judy said simply, sliding off of his desk and turning to leave.

    "Wait," Nick said, getting in front of her and between her and the door. "If we don't become partners at work, it'll... it'll probably be easier for us to say how we really feel about each other, huh?" Nick gave a surprisingly unsure grin. His chest felt tight.

    "You think so...?" Judy gave a tiny smile. Her warm expression started to put Nick back at ease.

    "C'mon, put 'er right here," Nick pointed at his muzzle.

    "What you get right there will depend on whether the sax music is still playing," Judy folded her arms, trying to douse her broadening grin. Nick tried turning it off, and Judy got on her tiptoes to give him a small kiss, which Nick returned. His tail started to wag a bit, and Judy gave a satisfied smile. "Let's do this again sometime, hmm?"

    Nick nodded, and gently chucked Judy's jaw with his fist. Judy let out a tiny hum and allowed her face to move from the motion, and then captured his fist in her paws and affectionately looked up at the emerald-eyed fox. He adjusted his hat with his free hand.

    "Here's looking at you, kit."

Notes:

You guessed it, another suggestion from Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps. Thanks again for feeding my plot bunnies!

Chapter 81: Berries

    Judy waved to her brother Jayce after she took the last basket of fresh Hopps farm produce out of the back of his truck.

    "Say hey to mom and dad for me," Judy nodded at Jayce.

    "Gotcha, sis," Jayce said, driving off. She was his last stop, in Zootopia, and now he'd make the long journey back home to Bunnyburrow, just to repeat the process for the next farmer's market. She didn't know how he did it day in and day out; it seemed incredibly dull to her.

    Though almost as dull was selling the produce herself. Judy did like being away from her parents and in the interesting, bustling city of Zootopia, but she never saw herself as a merchant. She set down the last basket of produce at her stand in the farmer's market, a basket of blueberries. Next, she fitted on her straw hat, patting her hands through her pink checkered shirt. Looking down the street, her mouth widened into a grimace.

    It never failed. Once a week, every week, that same irritating fox would show up. The red fox was clothed in a neatly kept blue ZPD uniform, and he strolled over to her stand with his hands behind his back. He stopped, and deigned to use one of his paws to adjust his sunglasses to look briefly at her.

    "Good morning, Berries," he said with mirth in his voice. "It's your favorite cop, Officer Nick Wilde!"

    "Morning, Officer Wilde," Judy said, lacking anything resembling enthusiasm. "Would you like your usual?"

    "My, how the fire has gone from our relationship," Nick developed a smirk. "But yes, that would be nice."

    "I wouldn't call me selling you blueberries a 'relationship'," Judy sucked at her teeth, bagging up his usual, rather prodigious order of blueberries. "Here you are, Officer."

    "Thank you, Miss," Nick nodded gratefully, paying for them. He immediately popped a few into his mouth, making a savoring sound. "Mm. These continue to be the most delicious blueberries I've ever tasted."

    "Well, you can thank my family for that," Judy folded her arms and looked away a bit. "It's not like I grow them."

    Nick swallowed his mouthful of berries and regarded Judy curiously. "If I had to guess, I'd say you weren't fond of me, Berries."

    "Ah, so you're actually a detective," Judy looked up and down Nick and gave an even face.

    "It's because I'm a fox, huh," Nick gave a charming smirk. "Ah, those bunnies from the burrows. So charmingly backwards."

    Judy grit her teeth. "I never said I had anything against foxes. My parents... they're the ones that hate them." Judy pulled out a pink tube from her pocket. "Made me bring a tube of this fox pepper spray with me to Zootopia."

    "I see you still keep it on you," the mirth was draining from Nick's voice.

    "It'll still work on other animals too, you know," Judy said condescendingly. "I don't fancy being robbed."

    "Fair enough, I guess," Nick ate another couple of berries. "So what is it then? Obnoxious personality? You don't like my nickname for you?"

    "Nothing so petty," Judy twisted her mouth and balled one of her paws into a fist, but then released it and sighed.

    Nick folded up his sunglasses and put them away. "I'm listening."

    Judy gave a heavy sigh. "Could you just... go away?" Her voice had a slight bit of trembling to it.

    Nick sensed something like pain in her voice. He tried a gentle smile. "I bet you say that to all of your customers."

    Despite herself, Judy responded with a terse laugh. "You're ridiculous."

    "Hey, the ZPD is here to protect and serve, Miss," Nick smiled a bit wider. "So tell me if I can do something to help. Even if it's stepping out of your life entirely and depriving myself of these wonderful blue fruits of the heavens."

    "They come from the ground," Judy gave a gentle chuckle. Nick returned this, seeing Judy's expression soften. "I'm jealous of you, Officer Wilde."

    "Ah, should have guessed," Nick shook his head and sighed. "I'm afraid that's only natural, Berries. Handsome, charming, in uniform..." Nick struck a proud pose with his hands on his hips.

    "In fact, I want to bother my parents, so hold that pose," Judy gave a half smile, and targeted him with her phone. Nick flashed a grin and stood his ground. "There, they'll flip out over this."

    "Why's that?" Nick sniffed.

    "I can already see their text reply," Judy grinned widely. "What? A sneaky lowlife like a fox is a police officer of the ZPD? That's the type of law enforcement you have? You need to move back home right away!"

    "Ah..." Nick nodded with his arms folded.

    "It kind of hurts me in my heart when you come to visit, Officer," Judy frowned. Nick's eyes widened. "I... wanted to be a police officer, too."

    Nick held his arms out wide. "Well? What's stopping you?"

    "There's no bunny cops, it's not done, to quote my parents," Judy rolled her eyes. "What could would a bunny cop do? She'd be small, weak, and fast, and that's about it. She'd be too big for Little Rodentia, too small to handle anything out in Zootopia proper."

    "Berries, I'm only a foot taller than you," Nick drove both of his thumbs into his chest. "So if a 'sneaky lowlife' of a mammal like me can be a cop, so can you."

    Judy shrugged. "It's a nice thought, but..."

    "What made you give up on your dream?" Nick gestured out widely. "What made you settle for this?"

    "I dunno," Judy shrugged. "I felt the calling, but nothing ever really happened to make me want to defy the notion that a bunny couldn't be a cop. I started to kind of... agree with them? I mean heck, my best friend growing up, Sharla, wanted to be an astronaut. Obviously, that didn't happen. I just thought it was a young kit's foolish idea."

    "When you're young, your intentions are the most pure," Nick balled up a fist and held it close to his chest. "When I was a kit, I joined an all-prey troop of the Junior Ranger Scouts. They showed me what it was to feel like I belonged to a part of something greater. And that's why I wear this uniform today. The ideals I made an oath to as a ranger of bravery, loyalty, helpfulness, and trustworthiness, they still hold true today." He performed two salutes, the Junior Ranger Scout's, then the ZPDs. "So here I am."

    "That's pretty cheesy," Judy said, but she wore a fond grin.

    "Don't give up, Berries," Nick said. "Someday, Zootopia might need something that only you can give it."

    "What?" Judy gave a scoff and had an incredulous, open-mouthed smile. "How could you possibly think that? What could that even be?"

    "I don't know, and neither do you," Nick said, reaching into his pocket. "But the question is, if Zootopia calls for your help, will you be willing to answer?" He took out a ZPD Junior Detective sticker and placed it carefully on Judy's left cheek.

    Judy sighed, but couldn't wipe the grin off of her face. "Please tell me you didn't just do that."

    "This will be the last you see of me, Berries," Nick claimed airily, put his sunglasses back on. "That is, if that's what you want."

    "No..." Judy grumbled with warmth in her voice, rolling her eyes. "You can keep coming over, you silly fox."

    "I'm touched, Miss," Nick dramatically clutched at his chest.

    Judy smirked and her eyebrow furrowed. Nick felt a bit of a jump in his heart as he saw something like a gleam of determination in her purple eyes.

    "For as long as I'm still running this stand, anyway."

Notes:

Cimar of Turalis Wildehopps is responsible for the content of this advertisement. Uh, I mean, fic idea. I actually didn't know if I wanted to try this AU, but I had an "okay, I guess" moment.

Chapter 82: Stars

    The flagship of the Zootopia Starship Fleet cruised across space, with innumerable stars in the background. It was the ZSF Preydator, a handsome, slightly angular ship with equal parts black and white coloring, it's smart markings communicating the joining between what some would consider opposite philosophies of life.

    On the bridge of the ship, clean, white color scheme prevailed, with black for the monitors and view-screens that dotted the bridge. Captain Judy Hopps stood there, surveying her command crew. They all had mostly black jumpsuit uniforms with some white markings and stripes on them. Each of them also had a colored collar in a primary color to signify what role they had on the ship. Commanding officers like Captain Hopps and Commander Wilde wore a red collar, officers in charge of the ship and its operations wore yellow collars, and officers in charge of mammal relations wore a blue collar. They all also wore a pointy "Z" shaped insignia, to show their belonging to the ZSF.

    Captain Hopps turned back to the main viewscreen, which currently showed nothing but the endless starry expanse.

    "Space, the final frontier," Hopps proclaimed wistfully with her hands behind her back.

    "As far as we know, anyway," Commander Wilde chimed in, posed the same as Hopps. "There could be other sorts of exotic planes of existence, or forms of space we cannot as yet detect or perceive."

    "Yes, thank you, Commander Wilde," Hopps gave a terse, amused chuckle. "That is our goal, isn't it? To find something out there. New forms of existence, new power sources, new *anything*."

    "Thus far we've come up empty," Commander Wilde gave a short sigh.

    "We have to keep trying," Hopps said, giving a determined nod. "It would be nice to be able to justify having such a powerful and state-of-the-art spaceship to play around in."

    "So! Where to today, Captain?" The helmsmammal, Ensign Benjamin Clawhauser, had a cheery voice as he asked this question.

    "Set a course for the Cerulean Nebula, Ensign Clawhauser" Hopps instructed. "Whatever is in there has evaded our long-range sensors long enough. Do we have a burrow point there?"

    "Plotting a course now, Captain," Clawhauser said energetically.

    Hopps touched a bud in her ear. "Lieutenant Honey, is everything okay down there in Engineering?"

    From the room that housed the main power core of the ship, Honey touched her earbud and responded. "Aye, Captain. Everything's at peak power."

    "Okay, engage the burrow, Ensign, let's go!" Hopps pointed forward at the main viewscreen. Captain Hopps always found this the most exciting part. The space in front of the ship shimmered and the burrow drive projected streams of energy from emitters near the ships wings. The streams essentially created a "tunnel" that connected two distant points in space using what the mammals had discovered about curved space-time. Though they couldn't use it to go anywhere, it certainly expanded where they were able to explore on a reasonable timetable.

    The Preydator flew through the tunnel and it collapsed after a minute of not being occupied. The trips always made Wilde a little nervous. Everything in him knew that the Burrow Drive had been tested innumerable times by countless other starships and was essentially safe, but part of him always wondered what was "in" the tunnel, and what would happen if it ever closed in on them. He shook his head subtly.

    Hopps gasped in delight as the view changed dramatically; the main viewscreen was now filled with wispy strands and clouds of various blue colors. "They don't call it the Cerulean Nebula for nothing, I see!"

    "Lieutenant Commander Bogo, are there any unusual readings or radiations emitting from the nebula?" Wilde asked the large buffalo at the tactical station.

    "Negative, Commander," Bogo shook his head. "Everything is well within safe parameters."

    "Take us in, then!" Hopps chirped happily. The Preydator moved into the nebula.

    "What are we hoping to find, Captain?" Wilde asked her.

    "Probably a whole lot of nothing, like other nebulae we've explored," Hopps flashed a small toothy smile, looking a him. "But everywhere that our sensors can't reach is like a box waiting to be opened, and who knows what could be inside!"

    "Hopefully something that isn't murderous," Wilde quipped wryly.

    After about an hour of cruising, Captain Hopps still looked engaged at the proceedings, asking her officers about the readings they were getting, whereas Wilde was getting a bit bored. He busied himself near Bogo's console and also checked on the Communications Officer, Lieutenant Karen Skippel, an arctic hare.

    "Captain, energy readings!" Bogo stated suddenly.

    "All stop, Clawhauser," Hopps warned. "What sort of readings?"

    "Uncertain, but they're coming fast!" Bogo grit his teeth. On the viewscreen, a streak of light blasted into view and suddenly halted. The light was another ship, predominantly gray with prominent forward-curved wings. The ship had an almost pearlescent sheen to it. Captain Hopps let loose an enormous gasp.

    "Another ship!" Wilde marveled, blindsided as well.

    "We're not alone in this universe!" Hopps hopped up and down excitedly, then shook her hands to try to calm herself down. "Okay okay okay, no big deal, we've just made first contact with an alien race, that's all!" She made a squeal of excitement. She gazed over the ship, which was pointed toward theirs, the two just staring each other down. "Lieutenant Skippel, can we communicate with them?"

    "Um, I'll try to set us up a video link," Skippel nodded, tapping some controls. "It's not working, Captain. They seem to not be responding to my signals."

    "Oh..." Hopps had a disappointed face. "Is there anything else we can try?"

    "Try...?" Skippel seemed to consider this. "Oh, three, of course. Uh, I could try adapting my software to a ternary computer language, if they don't use binary. I have another operating system set up just in case. Let's see here... uh... I th-think they're responding!"

    "*Yes*!" Hopps pumped her fist. "Put it on the main viewscreen!"

    The viewscreen changed to the bridge of the other ship. Everyone on the bridge of the Preydator had to marvel at what was inside. The creatures there seemed to be floating, and were all of vivid colors; either red, blue, or purple. The large eyes of the other species seemed to come in a rainbow of colors, with fuzzy, ill-defined white pupils sitting prominently on their almost angular heads with swept-back, flowing antennae. Their bodies were long, almost serpentine, with each of them having three pairs of limbs with three fingers on each. Some of them operated consoles on the walls of the bridge and even a couple on the ceiling.

    "Do they not use artificial gravity?" Wilde wondered, stroking his chin. "No, the way one of them is undulating through the space of the bridge, they're aquatic!"

    "Greetings, I am Captain Judy Hopps of the ZSF Preydator!" Hopps proclaimed with an enormous grin. "It is an absolute pleasure to be the emissary to Earth's mammals!" She smiled widely. "We come in peace, and seek to greater understand your species!"

    The other species responded by speaking among themselves in a chirpy, bubbly language. They appeared to be deliberating among themselves, but of course all of the words and even their gesturing was completely foreign to the lot. Skippel stared at the screen in fascination.

    "What a delightful-sounding language!" Hopps kept a large grin with her teeth showing. "Skippel, is there any way to translate what they're saying?"

    "Uh, I'd need a lot more of them speaking, I think, to do that," Skippel said, unsure.

    "Let's keep them talking, then, if possible," Wilde nodded. He smiled as well. "Ah, so, is this your neck of the woods? We're not intruding on your space, are we?"

    There was a bit more chirping from the other ships bridge, then the communication terminated.

    "Captain, reading an energy buildup in the other ship!" Bogo suddenly warned.

    "Guess we might be!" Wilde winced.

    "Shields! Get the shields up! Skippel, trigger a ship-wide alert!" Hopps waved to both of them as they carried out these duties, and the Preydator was engulfed in a temporarily visible oval of energy.

    The alien ship fired a swirling blast of red, blue, and purple spheres, which missed the Preydator by quite a bit.

    "A warning shot...?" Wilde mused.

    "Don't power up the beam cannons yet!" Hopps commanded. "Show them we mean no harm!"

    "Just being in their space might be crime enough, Captain," Wilde warned.

    "Skippel, is there *any* way we can decipher their language?" Hopps almost pleaded.

    "I'll put all spare computing power on it and make some educated guesses..." Skippel frantically pressed buttons at her station, grimacing. "It's not like suddenly deciphering a language with this little to work with is almost impossible or anything..."

    "Just do what you can!" Hopps instructed.

    "And with a little less sass, please," Wilde added with a tiny smirk.

    "Sorry, Commander," Skippel nodded.

    "Clawhauser, can we burrow out?" Judy asked.

    "We could..." Clawhauser looked pensive. "But being in a nebula, I couldn't guarantee the burrow would be safe with one hundred percent accuracy. Maybe only ninety-nine."

    "And the one percent means we could end up burrowing into a star," Wilde huffed.

    "Just hold position..." Hopps said carefully. The other ship fired another blast; this time the shot impacted the ships shields.

    "The shields have been compromised," Bogo grit his teeth. "There's a small hole in them on the starboard side. The rest of the shields are holding."

    "Clawhauser, try to move the ship away to not expose that side to them!" Hopps commanded. "Bogo, activate the beam cannons, fire when ready!"

    "Aye Captain, firing!" Bogo replied, and the Preydator's wings shot short bursts of orange energy at the other ship. "Our weapons seem to be not very effective against their shielding."

    "We're the new kits on the block and we're about to be shown the ropes," Wilde grit his teeth. Another blast from the alien ship hit their shields in a different place.

    "New hole in the shields on the port side," Bogo reported. "Another well-aimed shot will hit our hull."

    "Bogo, can you rotate the shields at a high rate of speed so they don't have a clear shot into the bare spots?" Wilde asked.

    "Yes, sir!" Bogo retorted, accomplishing this.

    "Try oscillating the frequency of the beam cannons; see if that can make it through their shields," Hopps added.

    "Yes, Captain!" Bogo nodded. The beams from the Preydator became purple and almost seemed to wave through space, and they made it through, though with limited power, to the other ship's hull. "Direct hit, Captain, we've penetrated their shielding."

    "Yes!" Hopps pumped her fist. "Okay, try to target their weapons systems!"

    "Aye," Bogo attempted this, but the enemy ship engaged evasive maneuvers and managed to avoid their fire and returned a few shots in kind.

    "Ack!" Hopps grabbed a console to keep her balance as one of the particle blasts from the other ship made it through one of their shield gaps and grazed the Preydator's hull. Wilde toppled to the floor, but quickly righted himself. He touched a paw to his ear.

    "Damage report, a few bulkheads exploded on decks six and seven. Minor injuries reported," Wilde said.

    "Send the injured to Chief Medical Officer Pedshark at the sickbay!" Judy directed. "Clawhauser, keep evading them if possible. Bogo, keep firing!"

    "I'm trying, Captain, but this ship moves slower than I do before my first sugar rush!" Clawhauser wailed, doing the best he could.

    "Skippel?" Hopps asked hopefully.

    "I'm trying too, but constantly getting shot at isn't helping my concentration..." Skippel bit her lip.

    "Well, this is a fine mess," Wilde grumbled. "Either our initial first contact ends with us becoming stardust, or we defeat them and probably start a war with the rest of their species."

    "That's not helping, Commander," Hopps grumbled.

    "I... got it!" Skippel said suddenly. "I think..."

    "Put it on the secondary viewscreen!" Hopps typed some commands in and a secondary viewscreen shifted into view, partially obscuring the top right of the main one.

    The same video from earlier showed, with emotionless computerized voices dubbing in for the aliens.

    "Leader, an alien ship has managed to contact us."
    "They are quite diverse."
    "They do not appear hostile."
    "Leader, the small gray one of them is making a hostile action."

    "What?" Hopps was baffled, thinking back to their first interaction. "Was it my... wait, my smiling...? How could that...?"

    "Baring of the teeth, maybe?" Wilde shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

    "That sounds probable..." Skippel offered.

    "Another of them makes the action." Wilde grimaced at this; he knew they meant him.
    "We will give them a warning."
    "Yes, Leader."

    "Okay, okay!" Hopps tried to calm her nerves. "Can we send a message back?"

    "I think so, but only using the words I figured out," Skippel nodded. Clawhauser was doing well at avoiding the shots from the enemy ship, but another few blasts might completely remove the *Preydator's* shields.

    "Send them: 'Not hostile! Not hostile action!'" Hopps said. "We might sound like cave-mammals, but it's better than nothing! Bogo, power down our weapons!"

    Bogo's expression communicated that he clearly didn't think this was wise. "As you wish, Captain."

    "Sending the message," Skippel said nervously.

    After a brief pause, the other ship stopped firing.

    "They're... powering down their weapons?" Bogo seemed astonished. Hopps gave a huge sigh and collapsed into the Captain's chair.

    "I think they're trying to re-open the communications channel...!" Skippel seemed equally surprised.

    "By all means!" Hopps nodded. "Oh! But whatever you do, don't smile!" Everyone on the bridge tried to put on their most blank expression as the aliens again met the mammals face-to-face. One of the purple ones swam up to the camera of the viewscreen and regarded them; their white, fuzzy pupils moved to each of the crew members. The alien then tilted its face up to show its mouth, which was in a large frown.

    "...Uh..." Hopps had a nervous look, but tried mirroring the look. There was a burst of discussion among the aliens. More of them frowned.

    "Frown, everyone!" Hopps gestured with both hands. Everyone on the bridge did just that. The purple alien made more conversation with the other aliens on their bridge.

    "Captain," Skippel looked at her console. "We're receiving some sort of ternary information package... I think it might be some sort of greeting and information about their species...?" Skippel was starting to look like a kit in a candy store, but she was still doing her best to frown.

    "Oh, we have one of those, send it!" Hopps nodded through clenched, frowning teeth.

    The aliens discussed some more, then seemed placated, and terminated the communication. The ship seemed to be engulfed in light, then disappeared into a streak in the distance. Cheering broke out on the bridge.

    "We'll, neither of us ended up as stardust, so I'd say this is a good day," Wilde chuckled.

    "Thank you so much, Skippel, you might have saved us," Hopps allowed herself to smile now, as they weren't being monitored. Skippel rubbed behind her head.

    "Permission to pore over this data...?" Skippel asked hopefully.

    "Of course!" Hopps said. She put a finger to her ear. "Honey, how long till we can burrow home?"

    "That battle took a big hit out of our energy supply," Honey reported. "I'd say about an hour. Probably less, but this stupid core of ours is made by sheep."

    "Okay, do the best you can," Hopps chuckled. "I'll be in my quarters; I need a break. Commander, you have the bridge."

    "Aye, Captain," Wilde nodded.

    Before long, Captain Hopps found herself staring at the space station that served as the "home" for the crew, and the port for the Preydator.

    "Audio log," Hopps said aloud. "Skippel has already decoded some interesting things about our new friends, the first alien race we've ever encountered. Their name translated to something like 'Triamphi'; they're a mostly aquatic race with three sexes. Turns out smiling, baring the teeth, is one of the most malicious gestures one can do in their culture, whereas a closed-mouth frown with the head tilted up is one of the most polite. There will definitely be some cultural pains trying to understand them, but I think it's important we keep trying."

    Captain Hopps made a face at the recording; she thought it sounded kind of hokey. She hoped she'd come up with something better when she made her report to High Command.

Chapter 83: Empowered

    "There you are, Hustler! We meet at last!" Judy thrust her finger out boldly at the red fox across the street. Mammals on the street started gasping and entering buildings to protect themselves. The fox had on a sleek black costume with green trim and a matching helmet with a green visor attached to it. He smirked at the rather plainly uniformed bunny at the other end of the street; she was wearing a gray uniform with an insignia on it: ZED.

    "Ah, a new one," the Hustler said wryly.

    "I'm Judy Hopps of the Zootopia Empowered Division!" Judy struck a pose. "I'll be taking you in for your crimes, Hustler!"

    "Will you, now? That remains to be seen," the Hustler assumed a stance. "You know, I kind of wish the ZED would give you guys better costumes. You all kind of end up looking the same in those gray things."

    "Ha! Well you look like a dropout from the last cycling marathon!" Judy threw back.

    "So what's your gimmick? Telekinesis? Some sort of temperature-based power?" The Hustler gave some easy, lanky stretches, clearly not taking her seriously.

    "Only a fool reveals their powers to their enemy before absolutely necessary!" Judy punched her fists together and gave a bright grin.

    "I'd say only a fool attacks a seasoned supervillain as their first act of heroism, but who am I to judge?" The Hustler flashed a grin as well. "Anyway, if you want me to move first, I can most certainly do that."

    In a green blur, the Hustler had crossed the entire street in much less than the time it took to blink. He grabbed Judy and crouched down, seemingly storing kinetic energy from his burst of speed. Then, he used this energy to rocket straight up into the sky, spin around in midair, and fling Judy down towards the ground. He expended the rest of the energy to dash through the air back to the ground, looking at Judy falling.

    "Wha-OH!" Judy barely had any time to react before she found herself falling down towards the city below.

    The Hustler grinned up at her. He planned on saving her at the last safe moment, but he wanted to put some fear into her.

    Judy tried to focus and felt her own powers brewing. "I hope this works." When Judy's feet were below her, she thrust them both towards the ground.

    TCHAAK!

    The thrusting of her feet caused an atmospheric collapse and non-fiery explosion near her feet, which sent her flipping forward through the air.

    "Ugh!" The shockwave from the explosion knocked the Hustler over before he could safely jump back up to catch her. "So that's what she does."

    TCHAAK!

    Another explosion, and Judy thrust her legs out behind her to dash straight at the Hustler, pinning him to the ground. She leaped up off of him and thrust her feet into his legs.

    TCHAAK!

    "Aaagh!" The Hustler cried out in pain as he felt the force of the explosion in his legs and Judy leaped up and away from him and posed stylishly on the ground.

    "There," Judy folded her arms smugly. "You won't be going anywhere with broken legs."

    "No, I most certainly will not be," The Hustlers teeth showed in a painful grimace, but Judy's eyes widened as the legs of the red fox started to seemingly vibrate very quickly. The fox grinned. "It's a good thing they aren't broken anymore." He got to his feet.

    "How did you...?" Judy trailed off.

    "I can accelerate anything in my body, including its rate of natural healing," the Hustler claimed. "Give it up newbie, there's no way you're taking me in." The Hustler started circling her at a high rate of speed, a green, red, and black blur around her. "Even if you do catch me, there's no way they can keep me. I can break out of any prison just by putting my hands on the walls and vibrating them to a point where the matter breaks down. Speed is the ultimate tool."

    "I say force is the ultimate tool!" Judy let out an energetic cry and stomped the ground with both feet, causing a bright shockwave to shoot out in all directions. The Hustler lost his footing and tumbled to the ground, and cars and even buildings near the point of impact trembled a bit from the power of the shockwave.

    "Ghh..." The Hustler was spinning around on his back, but then flung himself upwards back onto his feet. "You're starting to bother me, Kicks, so maybe you should go home before you get hurt, little bunny."

    "Kicks!? The name is Judy Hopps!" Judy made a pose with one foot held up and bent at the knee, ready to kick.

    "C'mon, they don't even let you choose a pseudonym?" The Hustler gave a pitying smile, grabbing a few sheets of newspaper from the street and balling them up. "How about Bombshell Bunny? Kinetic Kicks? Wreck-it Rabbit?"

    "I don't need some dumb nickname," Judy said. The Hustler spun around a few times, faster than the eye could note, and suddenly threw two small balls of fire at Judy. "Ack!" Judy kicked forward and caused a small shockwave that put out the balls of fire. "How does speed let you throw fireballs?"

    "Friction of the air," he explained. "My body and the suit are friction-proof, but nothing I hold is. Just like I'm guessing you're immune to your own explosions."

    "Tricky," Judy smirked with her eyebrows furrowed. "I'm not going to lose, though!"

    "Yes, you are," the Hustler suddenly frowned. "I'm through playing around."

    Judy gave a small breath to prepare herself, but it was little help. The fox almost looked like he was teleporting around her, delivering blow after blow with his fists, whittling down her stamina over the course of mere seconds. Judy tried to stomp the ground again and ended up producing a smaller shockwave with one foot, but the Hustler seemed to purposefully slow down to show her that he was in midair, right above the ground based shockwave, before he delivered a kick that knocked Judy backwards.

    "Ughhh!" Judy kept her footing, then dropped down to one knee as her strength failed her. "How could I... ugh."

    "You were never going to win," The Hustler slowly advanced on her, and Judy looked up and grit her teeth. The Hustler held his hands behind his back, staring down at Judy.

    "What's the matter, don't have it in you to finish off a defenseless bunny?" Judy spit on the ground at his feet.

    "Of course not," The Hustler grinned. "It's time for my supervillain rant. Any good supervillain worth their salt should have one."

    "Oh, great," Judy tried to make it to her feet, but her strength failed her; the Hustler had delivered very precise punches to keep her immobilized.

    "Listen, Kicks, I don't 'finish off' anyone," The Hustler said seriously. "That's not the type of fox I am."

    "But there have been ones before me!" Judy huffed with shallow breaths; it kind of hurt her to breathe.

    "Yes, the red fox vixen with pyrokineses, and the teleporting pig," The Hustler nodded seriously. "I assume the ZED told you I killed them."

    "Yeah, and if we're going to play your word against theirs..." Judy sneered up at him.

    "I'll just tell you I didn't kill them," The Hustler replied. "You'll find I haven't killed anyone, if you go looking hard enough into my reported crimes. All I'm guilty of is robberies and breaking out of jail. And to be honest, the people I rob from kind of have it coming, if you look into them."

    "That's no excuse!" Judy was quite angry. "Why not just use your powers for good, then?"

    "Ah, appealing to my noble sense of justice," the red fox laughed. "Quite humble for a defeated, cocky bunny." Judy growled. "Listen Kicks, I tried the whole 'being good' thing. Yeah, it feels good, yeah I put out some fires by creating vacuums, and saved a few lives by evacuating mammals from cars going off the side of roads. But the truth is, good deeds don't put food on the table."

    "But you have some sort of secret identity, don't you?" Judy tried shrugging, but that hurt as well. "Can't you just 'be normal' in your daily life?"

    "I'm not really hiding my identity; the helmet is just to keep wind out of my eyes," the Hustler took off his helmet, and a normal looking, perhaps even somewhat handsome red fox face with green eyes was displayed. "The name's Nick Wilde. I don't care who knows it. I just like going by the Hustler. I can't have a normal life. People like us can't. Why should I hide myself? We're aberrations, rare bits of corruption in the order of the world."

    "No we aren't!" Judy protested. "If we use our powers for good, we can help make the world a better place!"

    "Your naivete is charming and all," Nick sighed, "but... misplaced. Listen, the ZED is bogus. It's mostly made up of non-powered mammals trying to control those that do have power."

    "What?" Judy was incredulous. "They just direct me to where I'm needed."

    "Why do you think they're such a big organization?" Nick shrugged. "Just because it takes a lot of them to subdue the likes of us? I've been in their clutches before... they want to dissect us; learn how our powers work to further mammalkind. Perhaps an ultimately noble goal, but I don't want to have to die to satisfy their curiosity."

    "...What?" Judy shook her head. "I don't believe that."

    "You'll make a good hero, Kicks," Nick gave a sad-looking smile. "But I recommend staying the heck away from the ZED. I never saw that pyro fox or the teleporting pig again once I defeated them, as I did you. I suppose in some way I did kill them, but only because they were under the ZED's control and they saw them as failures..."

    "No..." Judy shook her head rapidly. "I can't believe that. Who's going to fight for good against villains like you if not the ZED?"

    "Not to brag, but Zootopia is my city," Nick folded his arms and gave a serious look. "I'm not going to give it up to any other supervillain. I suppose the ZED also hasn't told you about the other empowered villains that have mysteriously shown up defeated at their doorstep." Judy shook her head.

    "Nick... er, Hustler..." Judy shrugged. "What am I supposed to do, then?"

    "If you must stay with the ZED, see if you can investigate them, confirm what I'm saying is true," Nick nodded. Judy struggled to her feet, holding her shoulder with one hand. She made no movement to attack. "Keep in mind the only reason you have a government-paying job is because there's someone like me to fight."

    "I could... heh..." Judy seemed a bit drained of her resolve. "I could always get a job as a demolitionist."

    "Just make sure the ZED doesn't try to replace you," Nick put on his helmet to try to hide the tenderness that was forming in his eyes. "Be ready to run and use those legs for their explosions or whatever else you can do."

    "No, that's it," Judy gave an ashamed laugh. "That's all I'm good for."

    "The ZED would try to apply my speed to transportation and medicine, I'm sure," Nick huffed. "And you, well, imagine handheld weapons that could cause explosions like yours. Once they have the technology, they don't need the mammals the powers belong to anymore."

    "I'm not necessarily saying I believe you..." Judy said cautiously. "But what should we do?"

    "Well, the public likes a good show," Nick smirked. "Show up to the next few of my crimes! Maybe I'll let you bust me once or twice. I'll escape of course, but if I somehow can't, maybe you could have my back in case the ZED gets their claws in me?"

    "Wow, you are some kind of audacious," Judy put one hand on her hip. "You're saying we should fake fighting each other?"

    "As long as there's a hero to fight the villain, people will be interested, yeah?" Nick smirked. "Maybe it'll keep you in the game longer, until they try to get rid of you. Speaking of, gotta go!" In a burst of wind and light, Nick was gone. The ZED's distinctive sirens were audible as vehicles surrounded Judy.

    "Empowered Agent Hopps, are you injured?" A voice came over a loudspeaker.

    "Not seriously, I... I almost got him! I'll get him next time!" Judy called out.

    With new doubts in her heart, Judy carefully limped over to the ZED's vehicles. There was no way that scoundrel fox could have been telling the truth about the ZED, the organization formed to utilize empowered mammals against other empowered criminals.

    Judy briefly looked back to where Nick had been.

    But what if he was right?

Chapter 84: Empowered II

    Judy grit her teeth as she wandered into the inner buildings of the Zootopia Empowered Division. Walking hurt slightly.

    "Are you okay, Agent Hopps?" Benjamin Clawhauser, one of the non-empowered agents working on surveillance asked with concern on his big, pudgy cheetah face. "It looked like the Hustler got you pretty bad..."

    "I'm fine," Judy grumbled.

    "Nonetheless, you will be checked out by our medical chief," Head of Staff Bogo said, his hands behind his back.

    "I don't believe that's necessary," Judy said carefully. She had a few new reasons to be suspicious of the rest of the ZED.

    "It wasn't a request," Bogo returned. "We must make sure you haven't been permanently damaged by the Hustler's attacks." Bogo motioned to an elevator and got into it with Judy. Judy felt herself getting anxious. During the elevator trip, Bogo hit the emergency stop. Judy looked at him, fear jumping into her body. She felt her legs tense up. Would she have to defend herself against Bogo in this room? Was she bound for the same fate as the others who failed against the Hustler? "So. You lost."

    "I did," Judy said. "But I can get him next time. I just need another fight."

    "Are you sure you should go back in blindly against him?" Bogo asked, his voice still flat. "You've been injured."

    "I just need a chance, one more," Judy said, gritting her teeth. "I'm not going to end up like the others."

    "The others?" Bogo asked. "Brittany and Gerardo?"

    "Yeah," Judy said. "They're gone..."

    Bogo's brow furrowed. "Let me show you where they are." Judy's nerves tingled in fear. He hit a different button on the elevator and it stopped. Judy stepped out with Bogo into what looked like labs fitted with training rooms. "Brittany and Gerardo are recieving training and equipment to bolster their abilities."

    "Huh...?" Judy said, catching sight of the two in their training rooms. "I thought you said the Hustler killed them?"

    "I said he defeated them," Bogo sucked at his teeth. "That's quite an important distinction."

    "Uh!?" An arctic hare in a lab coat flinched with worry. "Mr. Bogo, sir? You didn't say you were going to come down here today! I've got nothing to report, and it's not on my schedule, and..."

    "Calm down, Skippel," Bogo sighed. "Miss Hopps here was just curious about our advanced training programs."

    "Oh, uh, I'm not sure R&D can whip up something for her powers yet," Skippel looked worried. "We don't have enough field data on them."

    "My powers are just fine," Judy nodded.

    "Right then, how about you tell me how the others are doing?" Bogo said impatiently.

    "Sure, uh," Skippel wandered over to a console and tapped a button, leaning into a microphone. "Uh, Brittany? Could we test your new device?"

    The red fox behind the glass nodded enthusiastically, smiling. She had a sort of flared out, almost skirt-like yellow top and black pants, with warm, nearly red-brown eyes. She looked quite young. She skipped across the room and picked up a small metal rod.

    "She looks like she's only a teenager," Judy said, marveling.

    "Sixteen," Bogo nodded. "And our first empowered officer. I was a fool to send her out against the Hustler. I thought that them being the same species, her being female, or her age might give him some pause, but her injuries from their first encounter took a month to fully heal. I will only send her out again when she determines she is ready."

    "Mm..." Judy seemed a bit upset to hear this.

    "Brittany Voxen can set nearly anything on fire with her mind," Bogo explained. "Pyrokinesis. She can then manipulate the flame to do whatever she wishes. However, she has a bit of a mental block. Even though the Hustler probably could have easily created a vacuum with his super speed to put himself out, she couldn't bring herself to set him on fire, even when he was attacking her directly. So without something flammable to light on fire, and being unwilling to set live mammals on fire, she's helpless."

    "Until now," Skippel smirked. "All right, show us what you can do, Brittany."

    From behind the glass, Brittany twisted the metal rod, and a different material began to protrude from it, almost like a mechanical pencil. Brittany squinted briefly, and the material ignited, creating a flame. She smiled pleasantly.

    "A special compound that is very slow burning," Skippel said proudly. "As long as she has that device and the material inside it, she has a source for her flames pretty much at all times."

    "Oh, it's like a wand!" Judy perked up.

    "It's not a wand!" Skippel cringed, suddenly upset, gesturing wildly with her hands. "It's not magic! She can speed up the very molecules in the-"

    "All right, moving on," Bogo interrupted.

    "Right... uh..." Skippel chuckled nervously. "I guess um... show us your 'routine'...?" Skippel asked, brushing her hand through her ears. Brittany nodded, starting to frolic around the room in a dance, "drawing" lingering flames in the air with the rod, even adding twirls that created spirals of fire around her. Then, posing and gesturing with her free hand, she gathered all the fire into a large ball above her free hand and made a banishing gesture, where it burst into innumerable embers that swirled around her and settled onto the floor, going out. She bowed.

    "Whoa," Judy gawked. "Neat!"

    "Yeah, kinda pretty, right?" Skippel said, entranced. "She said she wanted to be a ballet dancer, but she feels like she has to use her powers for the city."

    "It is noble, but we still have to work on some of her mental blockades and... maybe her overly pleasant attitude," Bogo said grimly.

    "Aw, she's fine, sir!" Skippel protested. "At least the Hustler didn't beat all of that youthful spirit out of her."

    "Okay, next," Bogo rolled his eyes. "We have Gerardo Umpigger." He gestured to the other room. There was a pig standing in there, wearing a purple shirt and darker purple and black jeans and an overcoat. "His ability is... well, it's like a sort of telekinesis, but it's instantaneous. Like teleportation, almost."

    "Wow, how did the Hustler beat him?" Judy wondered. "You can't get much faster than instantaneous."

    "Because he too has issues with his powers," Bogo grumbled. "He is afraid to teleport himself or any other living creature, or anything he cannot see. Maybe a visual demonstration would help. Skippel?"

    Skippel hit another button and leaned into her microphone. "Gerardo, can we test out the goggles again?"

    "Sure thing!" Gerardo said, fitting a pair of goggles with a screen over his eyes. Judy could no longer see them. There was a wall between him and a few objects in another room."

    "Gerardo can't teleport what he can't see," Skippel explained. "So we made these goggles for him that let him see through certain structures and define shapes. Still, he needs a bit of help." Skippel hit the microphone again. "Okay, to the furthest left, there's an alarm clock. Could you get it?"

    "Sure thing!" Gerardo nodded, gesturing forward with his hand open, then quickly pulling it back and curling it into a fist. In a small flash of light, the alarm clock blinked out of the closed-off room and just above Gerardo. He caught it in his hands. "Got it!"

    "Great!" Skippel said to him. "Now could you get the object to the farthest right?"

    "Okay," Gerardo frowned. "Uh, what is it...?"

    "Just try it, okay?"

    "Well, all right," Gerardo nodded.

    "It's just another alarm clock...?" Judy said, turning to Bogo. "He can see the shape with his goggles, right?"

    "Yes, but he doesn't know exactly what it is, and that is a crucial difference," Bogo said, pointing to redirect her attention to Gerardo. He made the same gesture, but the alarm clock, when it teleported, came over onto the other side in pieces. Judy yelped in surprise.

    "Ugh, it happened again!" Gerardo complained. "That was the same object, even..."

    "We'll keep working on it," Skippel said, trying to be comforting, but her somewhat scratchy voice didn't help all that much. Gerardo pouted.

    "There you have it, Hopps," Bogo started, "thank you, Skippel by the way." She nodded, and Bogo led Judy back to the elevator. "The reason you don't have any allies right now is that they both need work. This type of 'super-mammal' stuff is still in its infancy, and the people that have the powers are still people, with their own problems. That blasted fox is a bit too good at what he does, and I fear that neither of them, maybe even both of them together, are a match for the Hustler."

    "Yeah," Judy twisted her mouth into a frown.

    "Now, do you feel you need any special training before you take him on again?" Bogo said.

    "No, I think I can take him," Judy sneered. "And I'll have some choice words for him too before I bring him in."

    "Splendid," Bogo said. "Your confidence and your extraordinarily destructive power do set you apart from the other two. We'll patch you up and get you back out into the fray. Once we get our claws into the Hustler, we'll all be a lot better off."

    "Uh, you're not going to kill him, are you?" Judy narrowed her eyes.

    "Well, that's not our first choice," Bogo said. "But he's an unrepentant criminal. He has stymied every effort for us to contain him. He's even shrugged off tranquilizer that should have put him in a coma by just willing his body to process it absurdly quickly. What are we supposed to do with him, Hopps?"

    Judy paused. The two were walking down the halls toward the infirmary. She still felt pain from where he attacked her. "He hasn't really... done any major damage to anyone, or anything, has he?"

    "That doesn't mean I'm going to let him lawlessly do whatever he pleases!" Bogo frowned. "What happens when the temptation to misuse his power gets too great? Who keeps him in check? Him? He doesn't have to play by anyone's rules but his own, and that needs to stop. As 'harmless' as he might seem now, over time his morals will likely erode when he accepts how much more powerful he is than most. He is an enemy. He refuses to work with us, for us, or even let us examine his DNA. Now, Hopps. I will ask you this once. Are you willing to fight the Hustler for the ZED?"

    "Yeah," Judy said grimly. "Let me at him."

 

---

    Judy grimaced as she saw the green blur that could only be bits of the Hustler's costume rushing around Downtown. It was an evening two weeks later. Judy lifted up her leg and slammed it on the ground.

    TCHAAK!

    Judy tried to time the shockwave to interrupt the Hustler, but the blur just slightly swerved and slowed down, avoiding it.

    "Ah, if it isn't Thumper," the Hustler, which Judy also knew as Nick Wilde, smirked warmly. "Ready to put on a fake fight for the 'normal' peoples?"

    "You're breaking the speed limit," Judy quipped, punching a fist into her other paw, grimacing. "I'm not going to 'play around' with you."

    "Oh c'mon," Nick shrugged and smirked. "What's with you?"

    "Does your super speed apply to your fast talking, you liar?" Judy thrust her finger out in an accusing point. "Brittany and Gerardo, those empowered mammals you defeated, are still alive!"

    "Ah, news to me," Nick said plainly, shrugging his shoulders. "Haven't seen hide nor hair of them since."

    "How could you beat up a vixen who's still basically a kit?" Judy stamped her foot in disgust, and this caused a small shockwave, even though she wasn't meaning it to.

    "I dunno if you noticed she can set pretty much anything on fire?" Nick held one of his hands out, the other on his hip.

    "I can't believe I listened to a word that came out of your mouth!" Judy shouted angrily, thrusting her head forward and drawing her fists back. "The ZED isn't some conspiracy that kills empowered mammals! I should have known better. You're a fox, after all!"

    "Is that how it's going to be, then?" Nick said coldly, his countenance falling. "Well, this time I'll take you out even faster. Don't blink."

    "I won't!" Judy said, stomping the ground. Nick dashed at her but faded back at the shockwave, preparing to dash. "Lose!" Judy stamped again, and the next shockwave actually did hit Nick, and he tumbled backwards. Nick growled and his body shuddered unnaturally quickly, repairing his body.

    "Yes, you will," Nick said evenly. "You know you can't win. I can just heal any damage you do to me. Whereas I just need to get one good attack, and the speed at which I hit you will-"

    "Stop talking!" Judy shouted, crouching down and causing an explosion at her feet, launching at Nick. "URAH!" She cut her dash short with a swiping kick through the air that send forth a wave of destabilized atmosphere that caused several random explosions as it traveled.

    "Jeez, rabbit!" Nick used a dash and moved around her, nearly instantly appearing behind her. "You need a time out."

    "Nghh!" Judy grunted as Nick immediately tackled her and she felt herself speeding towards a building. He was trying to crush her against it! Judy set off a few more explosions at her feet, which launched them both into the air.

    "Woah!" Nick wailed as he suddenly had no ground with which to speed across and no stored kinetic energy with which to dash away.

    "Guh!" Judy scrunched her legs at the knees then thrust them both out at the same time, causing a very large explosion. It propelled both of them backwards into a building on the opposite side of the street, where Judy smashed Nick into. Both of them fell to the ground, Nick on his haunches, and Judy on one knee. "Give up, dog!"

    "Not going to happen," Nick grit his teeth and his body vibrated again. "You naive bunny. You really do listen to anything anyone tells you, huh?" He huffed in exertion. "Well, be that way. I'm getting tired of you pummeling me, so this is it. I'm going to break those pretty little legs of yours, and your detonation days will be over. Shame we couldn't have worked something out."

    Nick lunged, but Judy used her explosions to take to the sky again. Nick braced himself for the atmospheric disruption and then grit his teeth.

    "Come get me, if you can!" Judy sneered down at him, using explosions to endlessly jump through the air.

    "Fine!" Nick growled, and ran several laps around the city block and suddenly crouched to store his built up energy, then dashed into the sky, using bursts of stored energy to close the distance between himself and Judy nearly instantly. However, Judy's explosive kicks kept thwarting his approach. He'd get hit, get knocked off course, dash again, and so on. Judy's kicks served to stymie his advances and propel her further away from him.

    Green streaks of speed and fire-less explosions littered the Zootopia skyline. Some onlookers found it beautiful, others exciting, and still others were trying to sleep, to no avail. Finally, Nick grunted and put the last of his stored kinetic energy to good use, he dashed blindingly fast, pausing in four specific places rapidly.

    "Uh!?" Judy looked terrified suddenly as it appeared that there were four Nicks surrounding her from various directions. Then, abruptly, the false ones disappeared and Nick dashed into Judy from above. She used one final explosive kick to break both of their falls and send them tumbling across the ground. Nick ended up on top of Judy and both of them bared their most defiant expressions. Nick wound up his hand with his speed, preparing for a super-speed punch, and Judy grumbled in frustration. His pinning of her meant she couldn't move her legs. She hoped she'd be able to in the future. But Nick hunched over and gasped for breath, panting, the speed breaking from his hand. Judy looked surprised, but then grinned smugly.

    "I was listening to you," Judy smiled. "What else are these big bunny ears for? You were panting. You're tired! You can't keep this up forever. Looks like I have a bit more fuel left than you."

    "So... rrgh... so sore," Nick grunted. His body vibrated again, but he couldn't summon any more strength beyond what was necessary to heal his incidental wounds. The anger drained out of him. "Judy... ...rgh.."

    Judy broke free of him and stood up, looking at Nick trying desperately to keep from falling over on his face, his arms vibrating. "Looks like your 'hustling' days are over."

    "...Don't..." Nick suddenly pleaded. "Don't take me in to the ZED. They'll... they'll kill me..."

    Judy put her hands on her hips. "You're an unrepentant criminal."

    "Please..." Nick winced. "I don't... rgh..."

    "Think I'm going to fall for this sad, innocent, 'really a good guy once you get to know me' shtick again?" Judy put on a stony frown. Nick collapsed, consciousness fleeing from him. There was cheering from onlookers. Judy grinned. She'd been able to defeat him, after all.

    "Excellent work, Agent Hopps!" Bogo's voice came from a car that parked fairly close to the two. "Now, let's get him to the ZED before he recovers and end his reign of terrorizing the Zootopia public for good!"

    Judy suddenly had a barb strike her conscience. This fox... he'd lied to her, beat her and her allies to a pulp. But, it was true, there was no one he had outright killed, and no serious, terrorizing crimes he had committed. And if she took him in...

    Judy leaned down and scooped Nick over her shoulders. He was a bit heavy; unfortunately for her none of her super powers had affected her arms. She looked to the ZED and grit her teeth. She crouched down, and with an explosion, she burst into the air.

    "Hopps!?" Bogo looked up in disbelief. "Where are you going!?"

    TCHAAK! TCHAAK! TCHAAK!

    Judy sailed across the night sky, carrying the unconscious Nick.

    "HOPPS!"

Chapter 85: Empowered III

    Nick groaned and slowly opened his bleary eyes. He was in an abandoned construction site, laying on the ground. It wasn't where he had expected to be. He hadn't even expected to be alive.

    "Are you okay?" It was Judy's voice. She was leaning on some scaffolding, her arms folded.

    "Buster Bunny?" Nick said weakly. "'Zat you?"

    "Here, got you some bread," Judy held out a couple of slices of bread. "Didn't know what you ate, so bread's what you get."

    "Thanks," Nick said, starting to chew on the bread.

    "What, you can't eat at super-speed, 'Hustler'?" Judy smirked.

    "I could, but that takes energy, which you very nearly depleted," Nick returned a tired smile. "So, are you going to tell me why you didn't give me up to the ZED?"

    Judy looked like she would shrug, but she didn't. She just tightened up how much her arms were folded. She turned her head away. "I didn't want to be responsible for your death, is all."

    "Well that's awfully decent of you to stick your neck out for some fox scum," Nick said in an unfriendly tone. "Especially because it means the ZED will be after you too now."

    "Eh, I can take em," Judy looked over at him. "Or we, depending on how you want to play this."

    "I'm not scared of anyone at the ZED," Nick huffed derisively. "The vixen is a kit, and the pig is terrified of his own powers."

    "Yeah, they have some... issues," Judy shook her head. "But they're good people. Just like us."

    "You're calling me good?" Nick chuckled. "I feel like you were just calling me a no-good liar."

    "Someone with your level of power could have done major damage to this city already," Judy said. "You have to be at least not that bad."

    "So how indeed do you want to 'play' this, Judy?" Nick asked.

    "I think I'll follow you around and make sure you don't do anything too untoward with your powers," Judy smirked. "We can look out for each other."

    "Fine by me," Nick popped the last piece of bread into his mouth. "You might have a hard time keeping up, but..."

---

    "All right, superhero showdown!" Brittany said, pointing dramatically at Nick and Judy at the other end of the street. The streets started to clear of random mammals as they saw the vixen and the pig in ZED uniforms, but some remained to watch. The sixteen-year-old vixen smirked. "Good guys versus bad guys!"

    "Which one should I take out?" Nick smirked at Judy. "The pig?"

    "No one's 'taking out' anyone!" Judy shouted. "Brittany, can you and Gerardo just leave us alone?"

    "It doesn't work that way, traitor!" Brittany said, full of some sort of righteous zeal. "It's time to punish you!"

    Judy groaned. "Don't attack them, Nick. They're harmless."

    "Getting that feeling," Nick smirked. "They certainly didn't last very long against me the first time."

    "Harmless!?" Brittany's jaw dropped at the audacity. "Gerardo, teleport their clothes off!"

    "What?" Gerardo blinked, hunched forward in an awkward battle pose. "That's... unorthodox. But I can't. If I tried, I could just as easily end up teleporting their skeletons out of their bodies...! And that wouldn't be pretty."

    "It'd mean we'd pretty much win," Brittany smirked. "Well, how about teleporting that car over there above them?" Brittany gestured to a large mammal's car.

    "Brittany...!" Gerardo looked shocked. "That could kill them! Plus, I don't know if auto insurance covers 'acts of hog'." Nick and Judy both stifled snickers at this.

    "Rgh, do I have to do everything myself, Telepork?" Brittany grumbled, taking out her metal focus rod. She twisted it to expose some of the slow-burning material inside.

    "Okay, for one, that's rather rude-," Gerardo noted.

    "All right! Ignite!" Brittany said triumphantly, standing in a wide stance and holding the rod in both hands, blinking purposefully. The tip of the rod burst into flames.

    "How long are we going to sit here and watch this?" Nick looked at Judy tiredly. Judy gave him a scolding glare.

    "This'll teach you to take us seriously!" Brittany posed and swirled the rod in circles, creating a spiraling fireball. "Firesphere!" She created a large fireball and gestured with the rod, sending it at Judy. Judy crouched down and then kicked forward.

    TCHAAK!

    Judy's explosive pressure wave from her kick extinguished the fireball.

    "Whaaat?" Brittany looked confused, and then tried the same motion again. "Firesphere!" She threw this one at Nick. Nick sighed, and started running in circles around the still-traveling fireball, creating a vacuum that also extinguished it. Brittany made a crestfallen gesture. "Are you kidding me? How come both of you can put out fires? Gerardo, come on, help me out here!"

    Gerardo was looking around somewhat fussily. "I'm trying to find something to teleport at them that won't hurt them too much?"

    "Oh for Karma's sake!" Brittany slapped her forehead.

    "Can I go now?" Nick whined at Judy.

    "Yeah, I think we're done here," Judy said, but caught sight of something on the ground. She saw a shadow in the shape of a bunny.

    "Where's my sky?" An unfamiliar voice shouted. All four of the empowered mammals looked up to see a new figure, a floating white, black-striped bunny, many feet overhead.

    "Uh, you appear to be in it, strange, floating bunny?" Nick quipped.

    "You!" The bunny thrust his hand accusingly at Brittany and Gerardo. "You wear those clothes! You know where my sky is! Relinquish the sky!" He flew straight at them, causing both Brittany and Gerardo to leap out of the way.

    "Whoa!" Brittany yelped. "Who the heck is this freak!?"

    Even at some distance from them, Judy's bunny ears could hear Bogo's voice yelling over their ear buds.

    "Abort mission! Abort! Don't let that bunny touch you!"

    Gerardo and Brittany held hands to their ears and both nodded.

    "We have to get away from this lunatic!" Gerardo wailed, starting to run.

    "Don't let him touch you, you two!" Brittany offered, also running.

    "Don't run from me!" The bunny said, flying towards them. "I need sky!"

    TCHAAK!

    Judy used an explosive kick and caught the bunny in the back, sending him tumbling forward through the air. He righted himself, slowly turning around to glare at Judy.

    "You attack Jack Savage!?" He said, clasping his hands together. He suddenly started flying at Judy and tackled her, grabbing her cheeks. Nick flinched in surprise, waiting to stop him from doing this, but nothing seemed to be happening.

    "Rgh, let go, you psycho!" Judy groaned, trying to kick at him, but he was too close.

    Savage smirked. "Now I've got your power!" Judy let loose a right cross and caught Jack on the face. He stumbled back. Though she had no supernatural powers in her arms, she still threw a mean punch for a bunny.

    Judy followed up with a kick.

    TCHAAK!

    "Nope, still got it," Judy sneered, but Jack launched himself away from the explosion with his flight powers.

    Savage rose into the air, laughing maniacally. He stamped his feet several times, causing atmospheric explosions. "How deliciously destructive! A fine power to copy!"

    "You copied...?" Judy's eyes flew open as she trailed off. She shot a desperate look to Nick, realizing the implications.

    Nick nodded. "We should go." He grabbed Judy at super speed and ran far, far away from the mad bunny.

    "Friction friction friction!" Judy wailed rapidly as soon as she realized what was going on, and Nick stopped. She shrieked, her clothes had caught fire. She kicked at the air and caused an explosion that extinguished her and sent Nick flying backwards.

    "Ow..." Nick said, shuddering at a high rate of speed to accelerate his body's healing processes.  

    "Sorry, I was kind of on fire," Judy said, getting to her feet.

    "We need to get you a cool, friction-resistant costume, like mine," Nick smirked at his black and green getup.

    "Egh, I wouldn't say I like that, but I don't want to burst into flames if you have to super-spirit me away, either," Judy said.

    "More importantly, what's up with that psychotic rabbit?" Nick blinked.

    "I dunno, but Bogo knows," Judy grumbled.

    "You can't go to him..." Nick held up a finger.

    "I know, but that guy has my powers now, and he seems several carrots short of a bunch," Judy considered. "We have to find some way to stop him before he does too much damage with my powers..."

---

    Nick reclined against the half-built building in the abandoned construction site and Judy leaned against a wall near him. They were both planning their next move.

    "Not much of a secret hideout," Nick quipped.

    "Eh, I think it symbolizes my powers well enough," Judy grumbled. "A building that looks half-destroyed. Plus, no one would think to look for us here." At that moment, Brittany, wearing her normal yellow and black clothes, arrived at the site. "Okay, I stand corrected."

    "What are you doing here?" Nick said curtly.

    "How'd you find us?" Judy added.

    "Okay look, I came here alone, unarmed, and I have no technology on me anywhere," Brittany said, holding her hands up near her face. "It's a risk, yeah, but we need to talk. Bogo figured you wouldn't hurt me."

    "Yeah, I won't hurt you," Judy said, gazing pointedly at Nick, "and if I see you twitch the wrong way I'll pound you into the ground."

    "Jeez, what gives?" Nick shrugged his shoulders. "She's an enemy."

    "She's a kit," Judy shook her head.

    "I'm not a kit," Brittany sneered. "Anyway, I found you with this neat thing I just learned I can do. Everyone has a unique heat signature, so I just studied the two of yours during our last battle-"

    "If you can call it that," Nick interrupted, rolling his eyes.

    "Rude!" Brittany said, closing her eyes. "Anyway, yeah. When I close my eyes, I can see heat signatures if I focus on them. And only focusing on the two of you, I could walk right to you! It's kind of some weird form of heat sensing."

    "Huh, that's kind of impressive," Judy looked mildly interested. "I didn't know you could do that."

    "Neither did I!" Brittany giggled. "Mister Bogo taught me how."

    "Bogo- what?" Judy blinked. "He's empowered?"

    "Yeah, sorta," Brittany held her hand out flat and wiggled it. "He can sense what sort of powers other empowered mammals have, and can even mentally simulate the extent of their full potentials!"

    Judy's jaw dropped. "This is the first I'm hearing of this."

    "Told you the ZED was a bunch of secret-keepers," Nick said airily.

    "I'm starting to agree," Judy looked at Brittany carefully. "Brittany, no matter what you think, you're still just a child. You should be going to high school, having friends, maybe getting some dates. You shouldn't be... I dunno, kind of a weapon-"

    "Just shut up," Brittany snapped, suddenly coldly. She closed her eyes and looked away. "A pyrokinetic like me can't be a normal kit." She shuddered, and sighed. "At the age of thirteen, I accidentally used my powers. They would sometimes just happen if I got too excited or enthused. My whole apartment complex ended up on fire..." Nick and Judy's eyes widened. "Luckily everyone got out alive... but some suffered burns, smoke inhalation, and I displaced and damaged so many mammals... rgh." She looked at the two of them defiantly, tears in her eyes. "So, both I and my parents thought it would be best if I joined the fledgling ZED. Bogo was the first empowered member there, seeking other people to train. I need control of my abilities so this doesn't happen!" She made a flippant gesture, sweeping out both hands, and random bits of flammable material around the area caught on fire, making Judy and Nick flinch and stand up straight. "I'm a fire. ...But... thanks to Mister Bogo, I'm no longer a wildfire..." She closed her eyes and summoned all the fire in the area to her hand, dispelling it by closing her fist.

    "That's awful..." Judy said. "But... but listen, he told me he's trying to convince you to set mammals on fire?"

    "As a last resort!" Brittany said heatedly. "If I'm without my wand and being attacked, what else am I supposed to do?"

    Judy was at a loss. Then, she slowly formed a half-smile. "I thought Skippel said it wasn't a wand."

    Brittany slowly matched her smile. "No, it's totally a wand." The two chuckled a bit.

    "Heh... anyway..." Nick said, somewhat impatiently. "Why are you here?"

    "We need your help, Judy," Brittany said. "That bunny we saw, Jack Savage. He's an unstable empowered mammal that was the first mammal Bogo tried to help understand his powers. He let him copy his powers. Bogo admits that was a mistake."

    "So he knows about other people's powers..." Nick narrowed his eyes. "He can tell if there's another empowered mammal to steal from just by looking at them?"

    "And exactly how to use them once he copies them," Brittany nodded. "But there's a weird sort of problem with his powers. He supposedly has the ability to copy as much as he wants, but every time he does..." Brittany made frantic gestures near her head. "Oh, how did Miss Skippel say it? It kind of messes with his brain as it... uh... re-modulates? I think that was it. His brain changes each time he absorbs powers so that he can control them, and there's often, uh, collateral damage."

    "The more powers he gets, the crazier he gets?" Judy winced.

    "Yeah, basically," Brittany sighed.

    "I can probably take him out, just need a surprise," Nick said.

    "No, you can't!" Brittany said in a loud voice. "Bogo is the most afraid of him getting your powers. He says of all the people he's analyzed, you are the one who uses your powers closest to the limit of your capability. That's why he's so... I dunno, scared of you?"

    "Sounds almost like a compliment. Nice to know I have a fan," Nick huffed in amusement.

    "Yeah, I should help them out, Nick, this guy seems like a total nutcase," Judy grumbled. "He was flying around, going on about how he wanted the sky or something."

    "Skye is a... a person," Brittany said slowly. "I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be telling you this part. She's an arctic fox in the ZED, but Jack became obsessed with her once he copied her power of flight. An accident he caused made her paralyzed from the waist down. Now she has to fly to get around... and she's willingly staying underground at the ZED so Jack can't get at her."

    "Jack's dangerous," Nick sighed. "I hate to say it, but maybe I should bow out of fighting him. If he had both of our powers..."

    "Yeah, and he already has mine, so he's got nothing to gain from fighting me," Judy nodded. She looked to Brittany. "Does the ZED have a plan?"

    Brittany winced. "Kind of...?"

---

    Gerardo walked down a street in Downtown the next evening, gazing at the sky with his special goggles, looking for any suspiciously bunny-shaped forms.

    "Wow, I sure do like being out all alone with some supernatural abilities that someone might be able to steal, if they were so inclined," Gerardo said blatantly, then nervously scanned the sky again. "Where is that guy? You'd think someone who's done several million dollars worth of damage to the city already would be easier to find!" Gerardo sighed. "Glad most everyone has been evacuated from downtown. Wouldn't want anyone to get-"

    "Hurt!?" Jack swooped down and leered at Gerardo.

    "Oh my great hog in heaven!" Gerardo shrieked, starting to run for a corner.    
    
    "Now there's some delicious porcine powers. The ability to teleport anyone or anything? Don't mind if I do!" Jack started to fly at Gerardo, and the pig rounded a corner.

    "Brittany, now!" Gerardo yelled out.

    Jack swooped around the corner and briefly looked confused. There was a young vixen dancing around, twirling a large, thick ribbon of flame through the air with her metal wand. She spun around in place, and the fire swirled around closer to her.

    "Incandescent... flare serpent!" Brittany proclaimed, thrusting her wand straight at the floating bunny. With a searing sizzle, the snake of fire flew through the air and swirled around Jack.

    "Ugh!" Jack flinched and guarded himself from the bright fire and heat, but the swirling flames were closing in.

    "Wow, that was cheesy," Judy smirked.

    "Incantations, even just screaming, helps focus your power! It's science facts! Your turn, Judy!" Brittany shouted.

    Judy leaped into the air with an explosion, flipped forward, and delivered an axe kick around the swirling fire.

    "Hah!" Judy exulted.

    TCHAAK!

    After the explosion cleared, the fire was gone, and Judy blinked in surprise as she saw Jack holding her foot. He pushed her away from him, then pursued her through the air and performed a spinning kick through the air.

    KRCHAAK!

    Judy went flying several feet and skidded on the sidewalk.

    "Whh! Ouch!" Judy got up, holding her stomach. "Wait... ouch? My explosions aren't supposed to hurt me. There's no way Jack could be stronger than me... so...?" Judy let out a terse gasp as she had a small epiphany.

    "Idiots!" Jack said, drawing his fists close to himself as he hovered in place. "You will tell me where Skye is or my feet will explode you into pulp!"

    Gerardo winced, but he gestured at a street lamp and then above Jack's body, teleporting it above him. "Hope the taxpayers don't mind...!"

    CLUNK!

    Jack was pinned to the ground. "Rgh!" He struggled for a bit, but then kicked his feet behind him, causing another explosion, and went flying from underneath it. He was flying straight at Brittany.

    "Ugh!" Brittany exhaled as Jack pinned her to a wall.

    "Pyrokineses!" Jack said hungrily. "Without giving me my Skye... this city will burn!"

    "Gerardo!" Brittany screamed desperately as Jack made a strange show of slowly moving his hand closer to her face. She focused on him, trying to cause him to burst into flames, but her concentration was shot at her terror. "Teleport him! Now!"

    "But...!" Gerardo said, but started to move his hand out. He hesitated for one second. It flashed through Judy's mind how there would be no way for her to use her powers to remove Jack from Brittany without seriously hurting Brittany. Jacks paw was millimeters from Brittany's face.

    "I... I can't...!" Brittany shouted, terrified.

    A green flash and a burst of wind, and suddenly Brittany was standing there by herself.

    "Nick, no!" Judy said in horror. Jack used an explosion to break away from Nick's grasp, as Judy had done just days before, and then used his flight to zoom around the much faster Nick.

    "Destruction!" Jack wailed, stomping down on the street and causing several violent cluster explosions. One of them grazed Nick and he flew away, tumbling over. He righted himself and shuddered to heal. "Super speed? Super speed healing? Super speed destruction!?" Jack was almost shrieking as he advanced on Nick. Nick was having trouble getting up. Why did Jack's explosions hurt so much more than Judy's? He shuddered again to try to heal, but Jack thrust his hand out towards him.

    TCHAAK!

    Judy ran up to Jack and did a back flip. The mere force of the kick, not the explosion, sent Jack spiraling into the air, where he used his flight power to right himself, hovering there.

    "Worm!" Jack shouted, preparing to fly back down.

    Judy leaped up with an explosion and tried to focus all of her possible energy into an unprecedentedly vicious kick, straight into Jack's gut. Jack focused on her with an intense, deranged leer. For a split second, nothing happened.

    "HrrrraaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGHHHH!" Judy screamed in primal fury. She felt her blood boiling within her. Her leg pushed forward in a sudden jolt.

    KRRRKRRKKKCOOOOOOOOOMMMM!

    An intense shockwave reverberated throughout the entire area, sounding like a thunderclap. Nick, Brittany, and Gerardo had to shield themselves. A fountain of light energy burst out in a diagonal conical explosion from the other side of Jack. It was almost happening in slow motion.

    But then, in the next instant, both bunnies violently were torn in opposite directions from the intense forces.

    "Oh jeez!" Nick sputtered, and had to use his super speed to keep up with Judy's. He gradually slowed down to catch her, and slowed down even more so the inertial forces didn't cause Judy any harm. "Are you okay, you maniac?"

    "Yeah," Judy nodded. "Foot's a little sore, though."

    "A 'little'?" Nick's eyebrow raised. He turned around and ran at a "slow" sixty miles per hour or so over towards Jack, who had just crashed into a building. Limply, he fell to the ground. Nick set Judy down and Judy walked slowly over to his body. A minute later, Gerardo and Brittany arrived on the scene.

    Judy got up from kneeling down besides Jack. She gave a heavy sigh, her eyes determined. "He's... he's dead."

    "Well if that didn't kill him, I don't think anything would have," Nick put his hands on his hips.

    "I killed him," Judy said flatly. "I just... I kicked as hard as I could. I broke all of the limits I thought I had."

    "That's... just sometimes what we gotta do, I guess," Gerardo said in shame, realizing he was almost a second too late to try to save Brittany. He could have perhaps ended the battle himself, if he wasn't scared of his own powers. He sighed.

    "Bogo was prepared for this eventuality..." Brittany nodded.

    "I suppose you guys want to take his body back to the ZED for analysis?" Nick folded his arms, sneering.

    "Just the opposite, actually," Brittany grit her teeth. She took out her wand. "Bogo said no mammal should have the sort of abilities Jack had. They messed with his mental state and made him cause much more harm than good. We need to... t-to destroy his body." Brittany said, hesitating.

    "Uh, I'll do it," Gerardo said meekly. "I can probably teleport him across an entire timezone, in pieces..."

    "No no no..." Nick waved his hands. "Amateurs. I'll get rid of his body. I wouldn't want you newbies getting any nightmares."

    The two looked mildly offended, but didn't protest.

    "What are you going to do?" Judy asked.

    "I'll use my super speed and he'll light on fire," Nick shrugged. "Then, I'll store enough energy to dash out to the middle of the ocean and drop him there. No one should be able to misuse his remains."

    "Do it," Judy nodded. Another green flash and burst of air, and both Nick and Jack's body were gone. Judy sighed again, closing her eyes.

    "Judy, maybe come back with us to the ZED? Hopefully we can just forget all of this..." Brittany put her wand away. "Bogo can help you understand your powers a bit more, and-"

    Judy held up a hand dismissively. "No. Bogo didn't tell me about the extent of my power." Judy rubbed her leg. "He must have been afraid of it, too. I didn't know I could hurt even myself. Even kill... someone who was just like me. I am..." Judy looked at her hands, clenching them. "I am so powerful..."

    Gerardo and Brittany shot each other a very worried look.

    "Listen," Judy turned to them both. "You guys keep training or whatever you need to do. You need to become stronger to match Nick, and even stronger to match me..." Judy paused. "But maybe you can do it. Maybe you, or someone else at the ZED, can keep us in line. But until then... goodbye."

    Judy slowly walked off. Brittany looked like she wanted to follow her.

    "Just let her be, kit," Gerardo placed his hand on her shoulder. "She's right. You and I both have a lot of growing to do before either of us can make a critical decision like she did."

    "I'm not a..." Brittany paused. She frowned. "I am still a kit..."

    Gerardo gave a soft chuckle. "And I, still a twenty-eight year old piglet. But let's go home."

    "Yeah..." Brittany nodded, and they walked in the opposite direction.

---

    Judy walked down the silent, dark streets. Now safe again, but for how long? Judy wondered.

    There was a green flash and a burst of air. It was, of course, Nick. "Job's done, and I had to look basically through all of the city to find you."

    "Must have taken you a few seconds," Judy smirked dryly.

    "Yeah, pretty much forever," Nick laughed.

    "Grim work we just did," Judy sneered. "I've never thought about killing anyone. About making that final, destructive choice."

    Nick paused. "Well, you're probably going to hate me for this, but I lied to you, the first time we met."

    "Oh, I know that," Judy shook her head, rolling her eyes.

    "No, about those other empowered villains I defeated," Nick said. "I lied that I brought them to the ZED."

    "You killed them," Judy said, certain.

    Nick nodded. "There's... really no recovering from a claw slash delivered at supersonic speeds."

    "What gives us the right?" Judy sighed. She didn't seem all that judgemental of him.

    "We just... we do what we have to, what we think is best," Nick shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets as well.

    "We're all... we're deeply flawed," Judy said. "And... extremely powerful. Kind of a scary combination. You and I are probably the most powerful beings in all of Zootopia right now."

    "Ain't it the truth," Nick chuckled, but Judy wasn't laughing. "We need to keep each other in check, Judy."

    "Can we?" Judy smirked at him. "I think I'm stronger than you."

    "Well, you heard what Bogo said," Nick shot back a smirk. "He said I only almost used the full potential of my abilities. So once I do... whew! Watch out!"

    "Hmph," Judy kept her half smile. "So what, are we partners now, I guess?"

    Nick shrugged his shoulders as they both walked off into the night.

    "Something like that."

Chapter 86: Teach

    Judy energetically plopped down into her seat near the head of the class. Her senior year had finally arrived; just one year left, and then she could start pursuing her passion. As she was looking around the room for mammals she knew, she gave a terse gasp as she saw a red fox enter the room and walk to the front, behind the desk. He wrote his name on the board.

    Mr. Wilde.

    Oh great, a guarded portion of Judy's brain reflexively thought. Another fox to cause trouble in my life. Judy's eyelids lowered a bit, and her ears flattened back against her as as she saw Gideon and his ferret friend Travis enter the room as well.

    We're off to a great start! Judy's mind sang sarcastically.

    "Morning, class, welcome to homeroom," Mr. Wilde said easily, flipping a piece of chalk. "Welcome to your senior year at Westburrow High. My name's Mr. Wilde, just moved here from Zootopia last year."

    A brief look of awe struck Judy. Zootopia! That's where she had to go. Where anyone could be anything... including a red fox becoming a teacher, she thought wryly. Mr. Wilde took attendance in a perfunctory way.

    "Now, you may know that nothing big really ever happens on your first day of school, and I'm not one to buck tradition," Mr. Wilde grinned. "But... it is your last year of high school. So, we might as well talk about some of your goals for when you get out of this cage, huh? Anyone want to tell me what they're going to do after high school?" A few hands raised, but Judy's paw energetically shot up. "Yes, the gray and white bunny in the front... Judy, says here."

    "I'm going to become a police officer!" Judy got out of her seat and stood straight up proudly, already imagining herself wearing the blue uniform of the ZPD.

    "Ha! She's still on that?" Gideon chuckled and slapped at his knee. There were a few other laughs, and Judy grit her teeth within her closed mouth, sitting back down. Mr. Wilde's easy, smirking face did not look in any way phased by the answer.

    "A police officer bunny, hm?" Mr. Wilde replied, clasping his hands together, then pointing his forefingers at Gideon. "Now, Gideon, would you be so kind as to tell us why you think this is a ridiculous idea?" Judy's mouth hung open a bit in surprise and a bit of disgust, and when she pulled it shut again a bit of her lip curled up in distaste.

    "Bunnys're small n' weak," Gideon shrugged. "Everyone knows that. Even if they got a mean kick, ain't gonna top a horse's kick, thats for sure. That's why there ain't even any bunny sheriffs in Bunnyburrow! Y'let a big mammal get loose and they get all shook up." Judy sighed in annoyance. He'd never change. "Oh, and Mr. Wilde, may I say what a pleasure it is to have a fellow fox as a teacher?"

    "Save the flattery for when you forget a homework assignment, Gideon," Mr. Wilde said coolly. This surprised Judy and she tried not to laugh. "Does anyone else want to weigh in on why Ms. Hopps can't be a police bunny? Yes, Travis, next to Gideon."

    "Well, I just think it's something animals our size can't do, y'know?" Travis looked a bit pensive, brushing a hand through his head fur. "I mean, a ferret like me can't do it... we're too small to be real cops, and too big to be rodent cops."

    "Size concerns, okay, something we have to worry about," Mr. Wilde rubbed his chin. "Now... how about someone tell me why Judy here could become a cop? Anyone?" Judy cocked an eyebrow, wondering what Mr. Wilde's game was. She looked around the room to see no hands, feeling her stomach sink a bit. But, after a moment, Sharla, her black sheep friend, timidly raised her hand. "Sharla, if you would?"

    "Judy's really brave n' kind once you get to know her," Sharla said carefully. "She'd make a great cop. Plus, she wants to go to Zootopia, where anyone can be anything..." Judy flashed her a grateful look, and Sharla waved humbly.

    "Okay!" Mr. Wilde clapped and rubbed his paws together. "Looks like we're going to have a lesson on the first day after all. Sorry, kits and kids." The fox chuckled to some of the student's groaning. Mr. Wilde energetically slashed at the board with his chalk. He wrote out "ANIMAL STEREOTYPES", before tossing the chalk over his shoulder. "So! Who can give me some? How about we let another fox take this? Yes, you to the side... Vivian? What are some fox stereotypes?"

    "That we're sneaky, untrustworthy," Vivian said evenly, her face showing perhaps that she'd been called some of these. Her eyes tilted down a little, then she looked back up. "And for females, that we're sleazy and unfaithful..."

    "Yes, exactly right," Mr. Wilde nodded. "Now, have any of you had a fox teacher here before?" A lot of heads shook. "No, that's right, you haven't. Because foxes are seen as untrustworthy on the whole. Who'd trust their kits to a fox so they could teach them? Even teenagers? They'd probably end up as delinquents, right?" Mr. Wilde scoffed, putting his hands in his pockets. "But, as a brief bit of backstory, I learned from the Junior Ranger Scouts that you have to fight against those stereotypes, or else you'll be doomed to fall victim to them." Judy's expression softened a bit. Mr. Wilde was more complicated than he first appeared. "That's why I wanted to become a teacher of older teenagers, really. What this world needs is more open minds, more people willing to fight to do what they are driven to do. Sharla!" Sharla flinched dramatically at the teacher's sudden attention. "What are some sheep stereotypes?"

    "Um...!" Sharla was caught out, not prepared to be called on at random. "Th-that we're meek, that we're followers and have no backbone."

    "Is any of that true to you?" Mr. Wilde folded his arms.

    "I'm kind of shy, I don't like to get into confrontations..." Sharla admitted.

    "What do you want to do with your life, though?" Mr. Wilde pressed.

    "Uh... I kinda wanted to be an astronaut...?" Sharla had a 'sheepish' grin on.

    "But Sharla," Mr. Wilde shook his index finger at her. "An astronaut is a leader, a pioneer. They brave the dangers of space to bring us information about how this universe works. A meek sheep couldn't do that. So, if I hear about Sharla, the first sheep in space, what does that say about you?"

    "That I'm uh... not a stereotype...?" Sharla shrugged.

    "Exactly," Mr. Wilde nodded. "Really, none of us fit our species stereotype to a T. So, here's what I want to know. Why do they even exist? Anyone?" Judy kind of wanted to answer to dazzle him with her knowledge, but she had to admit she wasn't exactly sure. All she knew is she hated most bunny species stereotypes. "Here, let me give you a hint. Officer Hopps!" Judy flinched at this, jarred out of her thoughts. "First thing that comes to your mind when you look at me. Go!"

    "Uh..." Judy hesitated.

    Mr. Wilde snapped twice. "No, no thinking! Say it!"

    "Predator!" Judy shot back. Her ears felt a little warm; some part of her felt shame at saying that.

    "Ah ha, we're getting to it," Mr. Wilde nodded sagely. "Back in the stone ages, as predator and prey, we had to know something about each other just at a glance. We had to know if we were friend or foe; if we could be trusted or not. Obviously, the first thing a prey has to know about an animal is if they're a predator, and vice versa, yeah?"

    "But... we're not like that anymore," Judy frowned. "We've evolved."

    "Socially, yes, but those tendencies still remain," Mr. Wilde nodded. "Heck, my Junior Ranger Scout pack was all prey animals. They initially didn't even want me in their troop, but the Scout Leader forced me in, to use as an example. So, bias. Still exists today, people, whether we want it to or not. Will we ever get rid of it? Don't think so. Is it always bad? Not always. But mammals react to it differently." Mr. Wilde walked over to Judy's desk. "Officer Hopps, don't think I didn't see how you reacted when you thought that I was against your becoming a cop. That vicious defiance. That's good stuff." He smirked. Judy brushed her ears back in a bit of embarrassment, giving a tiny, nervous laugh. "So biases like that can galvanize, out of a sense of wanting to prove them wrong. But how about someone like you, Sharla?"

    "Huh? How about me?" She wondered.

    "What if someone told you every day that a sheep girl like yourself didn't have what it took to be an astronaut?" Mr. Wilde titled his head.

    "Well, uh, I know that's not true, because Judy's always encouraging me that I can reach for my dreams," Sharla gave her a smile, which she returned.

    "But without Judy, and if everyone was telling you you couldn't..." Mr. Wilde made a continuing gesture by rotating his wrist.

    "I'd be... discouraged, I think, maybe not wanna do it...?" Sharla admitted.

    "Right," Mr. Wilde sighed. "Biases can be harmful too, especially when you use them against others with the aim to degrade." Mr. Wilde shot a pointed look at Gideon, who winced a bit. "Even if it's self-degradation." He looked at Travis with a glance more like pity. "I guess the moral of the story is, don't let anyone tell you what you can't be. I'm a fox teacher, after all." He chuckled smugly. A bell rang shrilly. "And, I am out of time. Catch you guys tomorrow. Maybe we won't learn anything tomorrow instead so we can emulate the first day of school."

    Judy aimed a smirk at Mr. Wilde as she headed out of the room.

    "Officer Hopps," Mr. Wilde tilted an invisible hat at her. "See you tomorrow."

    "See you, Teacher Wilde," Judy said in a somewhat coy voice.

Chapter 87: Teach II

    Judy sat down with her lunch tray next to two of her cousins, Peter and Carol Hopps. Those two "tough bunnies" were slightly taller than Judy, colored in a pleasing cream-and-white fur pattern, and looked and dressed almost precisely alike. They were part of the same litter, and almost seemed like identical twins. Judy had liked hanging out with them because her conviction to become a police officer in Zootopia had inspired them to think about becoming sheriffs in Bunnyburrow. Sharla, the pretty though shy black sheep also quickly joined them, sighing in relief as she entered her "comfort zone" of her friends.

    "Afternoon everyone," Judy said brightly.

    "Good afternoon, Judy," Carol nodded. She did most of the talking, and her voice carried a fairly thick rustic accent, as did Peter's, but he rarely said anything.

    "Mmm-hmm," Peter agreed, eating a bite of his sandwich.

    "How're you doing, Sharla? Anyone giving you any trouble in your classes?" Judy asked the sheep.

    "Oh no, nothing like trouble," Sharla's eyes looked away for a moment. "I have been, uh, asked out a lot, actually."

    "You have?" Judy's face looked bright. "That's great!"

    "Reckon it's cause you've gotten a mite bit prettier over the years," Carol offered sagely.

    "Mmm-hmm," Peter nodded his approval.

    "Not to mention she's a great friend!" Judy added proudly.

    "Aw, thanks," Sharla giggled nervously. "Anyway, I've turned 'em all down so far. I don't really wanna get with just any guy, I kinda want him to get to know me first, you know?"

    "Well how's he gonna get to know ya if ya don't go out with 'im?" Carol's eyelids fell.

    "He could start by bein' a friend, first," Peter suddenly said. "Ain't no harm in that, now is there? I read a lot a good relationships come from friendships."

    "Mmm-hmm," Sharla nodded, but then flinched, hoping it didn't sound like she was mocking Peter. Peter gave a lazy half-smile and went back to eating.

    Judy tried to stifle a giggle. "Hey, do any of you have Mr. Wilde for any of your other classes?"

    "No, just Homeroom," Sharla shrugged.

    "Ain't got him," Carol shook her head.

    "Mmm-mmm," Peter's head shook simultaneously.

    "He that fox teacher?" Carol placed her hand on the table and leaned in a bit. "He any good?"

    "Well, when he does get to teach," Judy chuckled. "I kind of wish I did have him for some of my other classes. As it is, he sometimes just gives some random life lessons in Homeroom. He has a nice way of speaking. Just wondered what other subjects he might teach."

    "Ah, I see what this is," Carol smirked. "Little miss Judy's hot for teacher."

    "What!? No!" Judy waved her hands in front of her face. "Where did that come from!?" Carol turned her smirk to Peter, expecting him to agree with her. Peter regarded her slowly.

    "Ain't proper to accuse her of somethin' like that," Peter said. "Student-teacher relationships ain't proper."

    "What he said!" Judy nodded.

    "Now Judy," Carol's eyes half-lidded as if reproving her. She shook her head. "Y'all know that the three of us bunnies are unusual for wantin' to go into law enforcement. Y'think you're gonna be satisfied with just some 'normal' boyfriend? A buck that'll give you dozens a kits? Don't make me laugh."

    "It don't mean she gotta do nothin' improper!" Peter shot back. Judy looked to Sharla for a tip in the direction of their opinions.

    "You do kind of uh... look at him a lot?" Sharla admitted with a shy smile.

    Judy held her arms out wide. "Where else am I supposed to be looking? He's the teacher!"

    "I know, I know!" Sharla giggled. "Just saying... I don't look at my teachers like that..." Sharla showed her teeth in a smile.

    Peter fixed a judging look on Judy.

    "What!? Not you too!" Judy groaned in exasperation. "I don't have a crush on Mr. Wilde!"

 

---

    "Good morning, Officer Hopps," Mr. Wilde said as Judy entered his classroom a half-hour early. She smirked a bit at his nickname for her. At first she thought it was derisive, but he seemed to use it in a friendly manner. "Your alarm go off early today?"

    Judy set her things down at her desk. "I actually kind of wanted to talk to you for a little bit."

    "Oh?" Mr. Wilde asked curiously. "About what?"

    "What other subjects do you teach, Mr. Wilde?" Judy replied.

    "Ah, well, I was studying to teach History and Science," Mr. Widle said, adjusting some things in his desk.

    "At the same time?" Judy said without thinking.

    Mr. Wilde chuckled softly. "Ah yes, History-Science. No, those were just my areas of specialty. I like reflecting on how we got here, and how the world works."

    "So you teach those classes?" Judy wondered. "There's... no way I could get transferred into your classes, is there? My History teacher is such a bore. I mean, he's act- he's actually a boar, like a porcine, but... you know."

    Mr. Wilde frowned. "I'd like to be teaching History or Science, but it hasn't happened yet. This is my first year."

    "What's that mean, exactly?" Judy blinked.

    "I think Westburrow high is..." Mr. Wilde twisted his muzzle a bit. "Well, don't tell anyone I said this, but I think they're giving me a sort of 'trial run'. I only 'teach' homeroom. So... yeah, I think they're 'demoing' me."

    "Why would that be?" Judy raised one side of her upper lip.

    "Well, I don't know if you have noticed, but I'm a fox," Mr. Wilde chuckled.

    "Kind of hard not to," Judy intoned.

    "So, despite all of my speaking about how we should give other mammals a chance to follow their dreams and yadda yadda yadda..." Mr. Wilde rotated his hand. "Well, this is still Bunnyburrow after all."

    "You mean... like, what... you're not a-," Judy said, but cut herself short, putting her hands over her mouth.

    "Not a 'real teacher'?" Mr. Wilde asked wryly. "Is that what you were going to say?" The fox shook his head. "Sometimes, it doesn't feel that way. But you know foxes, they're sneaky. I keep sneaking in little lessons to you when I think I can get away with it." He closed his eyes and chuckled to himself. "Dunno if you've noticed."

    Judy smiled. "Kind of hard not to. I feel like I'm learning more from Homeroom class than most of my other courses, honestly."

    "Yeah well, that's the idea, anyway," Mr. Wilde said in a rather tired voice. "Keep the kits on the hook with interesting life lessons so they'll give a good report about me at the end of the year, and then who knows? Maybe the teacher's board will give me a chance then."

    "Sounds like a good plan to me," Judy said with a determined furrow of her brow.

    "Scam, you mean?" Mr. Wilde said derisively, wrinkling his muzzle. "An ambitious city fox trying to worm his way into the minds of the impressionable country youth?"

    "No!" Judy shot back. "Not if teaching is your dream!"

    "Eh, sorry," Mr. Wilde sighed. "A bit uncalled for. Truthfully, it's hard not to be bitter at times about all the speciesism in Bunnyburrow. I mean, I don't know what I expected, to be honest."

    "I'm not like other bunnies," Judy said with a bit of fire in her belly, "I'll give you a glowing review at the end of the year!"

    "Yes, well, don't go too crazy," Mr. Wilde warned warmly. "Speaking of, I think we should talk about all those eyes you're giving me during my 'actual' lessons."

    "Oh for cheese sake!" Judy slapped her paws to her forehead. "I'm paying attention! Is that so unusual!?"

    "Ah, my apologies," Mr. Wilde beamed. He turned around and started writing on the chalkboard. "There are some of your expressions I would classify as 'dreamy'. However, I do concede that every mammal is different, and it was definitely not fair of me to accuse your intense concentration on me as some sort of attraction."

    Judy groaned, squinted her eyes shut and winced. She stared at the ceiling. "I am... a little bit attracted to you. I guess."

    "Well that didn't take long," Mr. Wilde chuckled, looking over his shoulder. Then, his expression became serious and he turned the rest of the way around. "Officer Hopps, I do want to let you know that fraternization between students and teachers is highly frowned upon, and against the code besides."

    "Yes, yes, I know, I know!" Judy placed her fingers on her forehead and held out her palm.

    "I'm not going to do anything to jeopardize my dream job; you understand that," Mr. Wilde continued.

    "Of course not," Judy closed her eyes and shook her head. She grumbled in shame. "Shouldn't have said anything..."

    "No matter how I might personally- well, I should probably stop talking right there," Mr. Wilde started a small grin, but then tried to cough it away.

    "...What?" Judy's eyes flew open, and her heart fluttered.

    "Anyway, hopefully I'll still be here next year," Mr. Wilde turned himself around again to finish writing on the chalkboard. "So maybe look me up after you graduate, huh?"

    Judy formed a tiny smile on her muzzle as she gazed at his slightly swishing tail. She hoped it wouldn't feel like that long of a year.

Chapter 88: Primeval

    Trying not to pant, Nick cautiously parted the foliage in front of him with his sharpened stone-tipped spear. He hoped he could somehow will his pulse to go back to normal. Sniffing at the air, he tried to catch the scent of his pack, but it was no use; the damp environment around him intensified the smells of everything in the vicinity. That, and the fact that he was terrified didn't help.

    Nick had managed to misplace everyone, both friend and foe. His tribe was attacked by a small pack of Racer Reptavians. Nick had often wondered if the Reptavians had been placed on the Earth by the gods to test the faith and strength of mammal-kind. Bound together in groups of their own species, mammals quickly had to learn, over several generations, how to work together to combine their strategies and survive against the terrible creatures, which had features of both avians and reptiles.

    This particular branch of the link between birds and reptiles had extremely malleable DNA, for better or worse. For the mammals, it was mostly for the worse. Even the smallest fully grown Reptavians posed a huge threat with terrifying speed, sharp claws and toothed beaks, and the ability to travel in packs. Larger Reptavians had horrible abilities like the capacity to store water in a sac and expel it at pressures high enough to cause serious harm, and one species, when threatened, would start to salivate intensely, and this saliva was corrosive.

    Nick didn't actually know how many Reptavian species there were, or even if all the stories about them were all true. Each species of mammal had awakened to sapience separately, some over hundreds of years difference, and they all had their own languages as well, though some words tended to be shared among them. Some of the stories about Reptavians had to be rumors, hadn't they? Nick shuffled through the foliage, and he was broken from his thoughts quickly. He gasped tersely and saw a small trail of blood. He sniffed at it; it was mammal, but definitely not of his tribe.

    Carefully, he followed the red trail forwards into a clearing where he saw a gray rabbit slowly collapse. She rolled onto her back and grabbed at her wounded leg. Nick wondered if he should help her. The rabbit noticed Nick and shouted a warning at him, pulling out one of her two bone daggers from her sash and waving it at him.

    "Away!" The rabbit shouted. "Go!"

    "Easy, I'm not going to hurt you," Nick said, holding his spear vertically and showing a cautious gesture. "Huh, I guess rabbits are awakened, then. Where'd you learn foxish?"

    The gray rabbit groaned in annoyance, then said some more things and waved her dagger. "Go." She said it softer this time. Nick tried to read her; she looked a combination of angered and scared.

    "Did a Racer do that to you, rabbit?" Nick drew a bit closer and he saw her foot twitch as if she involuntarily was reacting to try to kick him, but she just groaned. "Hm, maybe I should introduce myself." He pointed to his chest. "Nick."

    The rabbit shot him a disparaging look. "Judy". She pointed to her own chest, then went off on a long rant in the rabbit language, gesturing with her dagger holding hand to the greenery around them. "Danger, Nick!" She repeated a word several times, and Nick grit his teeth at not being able to understand it. "Danger!"

    "I sure wish I knew exactly what you were trying to... say..." Nick looked off in the distance and saw the beaked, toothed face of a Racer part the foliage. "Oh, uh, hello." The Racer slowly crept into view, staring at Nick with intense slit eyes. The body of the creature was covered in bright green, yellow, and red feathers, and it had small arms tucked in close to its chest, each with a clawed hand, and clawed feet, as well. It was about six feet tall. "So, listen, Judy. We've just met and all, but I think we should be going." Judy yelped in surprise as Nick scooped her up over his shoulder with his free hand and started to run directly away from the Racer. The Racer bellowed out a screeching roar and gave chase.

    Judy's eyes were wide as she got a view of the Racer following them; the same one that had hurt her. She felt her adrenaline start to dull her pain. "Fast! Fast!"

    "I'm trying, dear one!" Nick grumbled. He made sharp swerves as the Racer gained on them; someone had told him that Racers couldn't turn so well. Despite that, Racers had their name for a reason, and the distance between Nick and the Racer was quickly vanishing. Nick looked ahead and saw a medium-height tree branch. He grabbed Judy and tossed her up into it. "Save yourself, Judy! Racers can't climb trees!"

    "Euh!?" Judy yelped as she saw the branch rapidly approaching. An instant of clarity that she could be safe from the attacking Reptavian briefly crossed her mind. She furrowed her brow, drew her other bone dagger with her other hand, and screamed, instead letting gravity take her. The Racer was almost upon Nick and opened its mouth to lunge for a bite.

    The Racer screeched as the rabbit landed on its feathered back. Judy yelled again in defiance and began to wildly stab at its back and neck. Nick dove forward as his last chance to avoid harm, but was surprised as the Racer was making an awful lot of noise and he couldn't feel himself being bitten.

    "Judy!?" Nick turned over and scrambled to his feet. Judy was trying to hang on using the daggers as improvised handles as the Racer thrashed about, trying to dislodge her. Nick watched in amazement at the tenacious, injured rabbit, looking for an opening to strike with his spear. In desperation, the Racer dashed itself to the ground, landing on its side, causing Judy to roll across the ground with a pained yelp. Her daggers were left sunk into the creature.

    "Nick! Attack!" She screamed in defiance, jerking her head toward the creature, who was already trying to struggle to its feet, but its odd shape was giving it some trouble.

    Nick bared his teeth and growled out, carefully aiming a decisive strike with his spear through its neck and up into its head. The attack landed true as a deathblow, and the creature stopped thrashing. Nick sighed in relief, sniffing the air.

    "If its call didn't carry to its pack, we might be safe for the moment," Nick said. "I don't smell any more of them..." He exhaled in an impressed huff, looking over the bunny. "You are one crazy mammal."

    "Nick, warrior!" Judy had a proud half-smile as she breathed quickly.

    "I do what I can," Nick shrugged, smirking.

    Pain from Judy's leg crept back in and she cringed. "Hurts..."

    "Here, I think I can take care of that," Nick said. "There's a stream nearby, we should wash that." He scooped her up again.

    "Nnh...!" Judy flailed a bit in protest, but looking back, Nick saw she was flailing her paws at her daggers that were still lodged in the dead creature's back. She expressed her disapproval in rabbitish.

    "No offense, Judy, but I'd prefer you not have your weapons when I go to clean your wound, especially because it's probably going to hurt some."

    Judy thrashed a bit more, but when it was clear Nick wasn't going to go back, she just growled in resentment and went limp.

    Carefully laying the rabbit down by stream, Judy began to wash her leg, looking up at Nick curiously. Nick was tearing apart one of the bits of his upper garment and went over to a tree and cut a short length of vine from it using his spear. He opened a pouch on his waist and produced some crushed medicinal herbs.

    "What?" Judy looked cautious as Nick approached her with the plant matter, laying his spear down. She gave a small howl of pain as he rubbed the herbs on her wound, instinctively kicking at him with her good leg and catching him in the muzzle.

    "Ow!" Nick flinched, shaking his head and sniffing, and gave her a stern look. Judy returned the look. "Look, I'm trying to help you, you dumb rabbit. That leg could get infected." Nick carefully wrapped the leg with the material he'd retrieved from his own outfit, and tied in in place with the vine. "There. I'm no doctor, but that should help."

    "Nick..." Judy began a somewhat cautious smile. "Help?"

    "Hopefully, dear one," Nick nodded, giving a small grin back. Judy began crawling around on the ground, keeping weight off of her leg. She found a sturdy stick and got up, leaning on it. She waved and started to head off, hobbling with the stick to keep weight off her wounded leg.

    "Judy go," Judy nodded in determination. "Must..." She looked for the words, but couldn't find them. She made stabbing motions with her hand.

    "Where are you going? To get your daggers back, you crazy animal? You should rest!" Nick shrugged, but seeing as it looked like she made up her mind, he waved back. "Ah well, night's falling. The Reptavians aren't very active during the night."

    "Safe, warrior Nick!" Judy called to him, trying her hardest to remember foxish words. "Rabbit goddess blessings! Judy see Nick again!"

    If he was honest, Nick was kind of hoping she'd stay with him for the evening. He'd never actually slain a Reptavian before, and to have a completely different kind of animal back him up for the battle filled him with some sort of strange, primal thrill.

    "Oh well, she is of a completely different tribe, after all," Nick sighed. "She's probably trying to head back to them right now. I should get moving, too, before this adrenaline rush completely wears off and I collapse." Nick lapped up some water from the stream and got up, wiping his muzzle and heading back towards where he thought his tribe might be.

    He wondered if he'd ever would see that gray rabbit again.

Chapter 89: Primeval II

    Judy wandered through her village with a sense of pride, her hands on her hips. Her clothing was nearly unique compared to the other members of her tribe. She wore a very feathery garment made from the yellow, red, and green plumage of a Racer Reptavian, which she slew with the help of a fox named Nick. Often, she would regale her tribe with the story of how she and the fox took the beast down, but she noticed that when the story was retold often the help of the fox was understated or removed.

    The gray rabbit also possessed two prestigious weapons: long daggers, essentially swords for bunnies, made from the longest ribs of the racer and sharpened to have serrated edges. The guards for the daggers were also tied with Racer feathers. Merely having proof of her slaying of a Reptavian was enough to propel her to the position of Leader in her tribe. Not quite to Chief, though the Chief had never slain a Reptavian, but she was female, and tradition was tradition.

    Regardless, it was a good enough life, she had a lot of authority in her tribe and she was respected.

    "A Reptavian! A Reptavian is coming!" A bunny lookout said from the top of a perch at the wooden walls to their tribe.

    "Kind!?" Judy shouted up to him.

    "Cobalt scales and sky-blue feathers," The bunny reported as Judy started to climb up. "Fifteen feet tall! Throat sac!"

    "A Gusher!" Judy grit her teeth. "If it spits its water blasts at the walls, they could come down! Ready the rocks!" A bunny assembly line moved large rocks toward the walls and upwards to waiting guards. "Wait, the Gusher is chasing someone... is that...!?" A red fox was hurriedly running from the long, bipedal strides of the huge creature that was nearly four times taller than him. He was running with his stone spear out. "Nick!"

    Nick hazarded a look back and yelped as the Gusher's maw closed inches from his tail. It whipped instinctively out of the way. Nick clenched his teeth in distress as he saw the aqua-colored throat sac of the creature start to vibrate; it was building up pressure. Nick yelled out and drove his spear into the ground then used the momentum to vault into the air.

    PSSSSSSHHHH!

    The Gusher opened its mouth and shot a blast of water that tore Nick's planted spear to shreds and burst open a sizable hole in a nearby tree. Nick landed on the ground awkwardly and continued running. He gasped as he looked forward and saw a large wall in his way and a bunch of bunny ears with stones wielded waiting.

    "Don't hit the fox!" Judy commanded, pointing at the Reptavian. "Attack the Gusher!" Rocks started flying and the Gusher shrieked as it was pelted, Nick instinctively drew closer to the walls, turning around to look at the Gusher. The Gusher let loose a defiant roar. Judy recieved a rock, but she had the last one. "Ready the next wave!" The Gusher's throat started to vibrate again. "Ruh!" Judy tossed her rock violently and it smacked the Reptavian on the snout.

    PSSSSHHFTTT!

    The water blast was poorly aimed from the rock forcing its snout downwards and it exploded into the ground, kicking up mud. Nick yelped, as the monster shook its head and readied yet another blast, preparing a much larger one this time. Nick would have to dodge left or right at the last second, but which way? And wouldn't it blow a hole in the walls? Maybe he could escape through there. Maybe-

    "Nick!" Judy called out.

    Nick's eyes widened in disbelief at the sound of his own name and he saw Judy, his jaw dropping. The bunny was sailing through the air, right at him, her bone daggers drawn. Somehow, in that instant, Nick knew what he had to do. He offered his paws, catching her, crouching down and straightening back up, tossing her upwards.

    "Heyaaaagh!" Judy spun through the air towards the Gusher and landed several spinning slashes on the creature's throat sac. Water forcefully sprayed from the wounds and the Gusher tossed its head back in pain, shrieking. Judy landed and dashed back to stand in front of Nick, posing with her daggers. The Gusher backed up defensively and tried to spit another water blast, but it just drooled out a small stream of water. Another round of rocks sailed through the air and pelted the Gusher again, and it shrieked and decided it had enough, retreating with heavy footsteps through the forest.

    Nick gave Judy a clearly impressed look.

    "Safe, Nick?" Judy smirked, using the foxish word. Nick nodded.

    "Safe, Judy," Nick agreed.

    The doors to the village opened and bunnies with spears swarmed out around the two. The bunnies pointed their spears in Nick's direction.

    "Hey, what's going on?" Judy barked angrily. "I didn't authorize this! Leave this fox alone!"

    "You know that's not tribe law, Judy," a bunny said. "We must bring the intruder to our Chief."

    "No! Let him be!" Judy shouted. Nick blinked in confusion, unable to understand the bunny words. "I'm your Leader. Obey me!"

    "The Chief's proclamations supersede yours," the bunny replied, poking Nick in the back. "Move, fox!"

    "Judy?" Nick looked at her worriedly.

    "Come, Nick," Judy said in foxish with angered determination. "We go, Nick and Judy."

---

    Nick was brought into the Chief's hut. The Chief, a white bunny with black stripes, sat down on a chair. Nick wondered if the stripes were natural or dyed some way to show his position. He was also wearing clothing made from the Racer Judy slew. Judy had refused to make his outfit any flashier than hers, but she did make him a sort of feathery headdress.

    "A fox," the Chief said. "An enlightened mammal has found our tribe." He sighed in distress.

    "Chief Savage!" Judy protested. "This is Nick! This is the fox that saved my life from the Racer and helped me slay it! He was the one that delivered the deathblow!"

    "Regardless," Chief Savage sighed. "We cannot trust other mammals, much less a predator. Bunnies have and always will be self-sufficient on our large numbers."

    "Chief!" Judy narrowed her brow dangerously.

    "The fox must not be allowed to leave the village," the Chief said seriously. "Normally, I would have him killed but seeing as he saved your life, I'm willing to allow him to become a permanent prisoner here."

    "That's not fair at all!" Judy sneered. "He's done nothing wrong! This fox is the bravest mammal I have ever met!"

    Nick felt nervous. He was pretty sure this argument was about him, but being around so many bunnies with sharp weapons and without one himself made him extremely uneasy.

    "We bunnies did not get to where we are today by compromising our standards!" Savage leaned over angrily. Judy placed one hand on her hip, feeling for one of her daggers. Wild, illogical thoughts filled her head, like the thought of her usurping the chief-hood from Savage.

    "You will release him!" Judy shouted defiantly.

    "Will I?" Savage raised an eyebrow. "Then, you must make sure he never comes back."

    "How am I to do that?" Judy replied.

    "By leaving yourself, and following him," Savage sneered. "If you are so confident in this fox, put your full trust in him. This outsider. This predator. Maybe during the next year we will take you back, assuming you aren't dead by his own paw."

    Judy's jaw dropped. "I've had my life in his paws. I do trust him. I will gladly accept exile over having my tribe enslave or kill this innocent fox!"

    "A shame," Chief Savage said. "You are a brave bunny, and I was thinking you might have mothered fine, brave kits for me. But, I see your strange ideas finally coming out in the open. Leave us."

    "Gladly!" Judy sneered, scoffing in disgust and grabbing Nick by the wrist.

    "May Serendipity be with you," Chief Savage added. "You will need her blessing to survive outside of this village."

    Judy looked over her shoulder. "Serendipity...? Serendipity brought Nick and I together, twice. I will be with him. Who of us is following what Serendipity has blessed us with?" Jack's jaw dropped and he clenched his fist, but he just scoffed and relaxed back into his chair.

    Still confused, Nick was led off by the storming bunny out of the village.

    "Come, Nick, we go," Judy repeated in foxish. "Nick and Judy."

---

    A few months passed. Nick and Judy took up the life of adventuring together. Judy entrusted him with one of her daggers until he was able to make a spear again. This time, though, his weapon more resembled a large axe. Nick had found a slightly shorter, more sturdy stick to use as a handle, and by chance the two had discovered the discarded large, reddish talon of a very dangerous and large Reptavian, a Reaper. The curved, hooked talon made for an excellent blade.

    Judy liked her new life with Nick. She was trying to learn more foxish from him so she could better communicate with him. As it was, Nick didn't understand why Judy was following him around. He was wondering if they were having some sort of cultural exchange or if he was being tested in some way. Whatever it was, it was lasting a long time.

    "Pretty, huh?" Nick said, gesturing to some purple flowers with his axe.

    "Pretty," Judy agreed, plucking them up and admiring them. Nick's eyes widened as she popped them into her mouth. "Mm, so tasty!"

    "Oh, right," Nick laughed. "Plant eater." Judy smiled brightly.

    Judy got a small cultural shock too when she saw Nick crouched over, looking curiously at the stream the two had just drank from. His tail swished to and fro. Judy thought he looked almost cute.

    "Ah ha!" Nick said, chopping his axe into the water. When he withdrew it, a wriggling fish was caught on the blade. Judy blinked as she watched Nick set up some sticks and dry grass and rub a flint-stone with his axe, creating a small fire to cook the fish. She had to admit the smell was offensive, but it was interesting, at least. Nick seemed somewhat surprised that she had eaten flowers in front of him, after all. She watched curiously, her hands in her lap, as he ate the fish. They definitely were different species.

    A little more time went by, and Judy learned even more foxish. She had refused to teach Nick any of her language, as she was pretty sure she didn't want to return to her own tribe. Nick was reclined against a tree, and it was about midday.

    "Food time, Nick!" Judy said slyly, holding out her daggers, a fish impaled on each one.

    "Wow, Judy, you don't have to hunt for me," Nick laughed. "I'm capable of doing my own hunting."

    "It is fun," Judy replied. "You, me. We are both hunters."

    "I think you know enough foxish for me to ask you something," Nick said. "Why are we... doing this? Why is it just you and me?"

    "I was banish," Judy explained, removing the fish from her daggers. "For standing with you. For a year."

    "What?" Nick narrowed his eyes. "That's awful. I don't want to put you through all that just for my sake."

    "You save my life, Nick," Judy shook her head. "The least I can do is repay."

    "You already have, bunny," Nick shrugged, creating another small fire to cook his food. "With the Gusher. We're even."

    "Eh, the tribe..." Judy groaned, looking away. "It is boring. Bunnies huddle together. They are safe. Dull and safe. We farm."

    "You, uh, you like hunting Reptavians?" Nick cocked an eyebrow.

    "It is thrilling," Judy admitted, smirking. "You do not?" Judy indicated Nick's own clothing. He now had an outfit made from Racer feathers as well, as they had taken down another one who dared to attack the two a few weeks ago.

    "Yeah, it's thrilling," Nick agreed. "Pretty terrifying, though. Reptavians have scattered my tribe twice now. I actually hope to find them again."

    "Ah!" Judy nodded. "I will go with you."

    Nick sighed, taking a bite of his cooked fish. "I don't know if my tribe will be so open-minded about meeting a bunny, either."

    "If you want to find them, I will help you find your tribe," Judy said with determination, munching on some plants she'd also brought.

    "Hm... and if I want to just stay with you?" Nick gave a friendly chuckle.

    "Then, we are warriors," Judy took a couple of berries out of a pouch and crushed them, rubbing them in streaks across her cheek, staining her fur a burgundy color.

    "Hm, maybe I should do that if we can find something that stains my fur gray," Nick smirked.

    "Here, for you, your favorite," Judy wiggled her eyebrows, offering him some blueberries. Nick gasped in delight.

    "Sorry, but I'm not wasting blueberries by smashing them on my face," Nick said, popping them into his mouth.

    The two laughed. In their own way, despite their differences, they were happy together. So, they continued to go together. Nick and Judy.

Chapter 90: Primeval III

    It was Nick's turn to sleep. It was beginning to get colder, and he and Judy had a system now. Being nocturnal, Nick would keep watch during the dead of night while Judy slept, and as soon as she awoke, it would be his turn to sleep. This strategy had gotten them out of many problems, and they'd been getting very good at avoiding approaching Reptavians. There was a close call here or there, but nothing they couldn't handle. Judy found herself sometimes cuddling up to Nick while he slept, and he likewise indulged in this when she slept. It was getting colder, so they had the excuse of the warmth, but Judy took it to reaffirm their trust in each other. Or was it anything more than that?

    Bright one morning, Nick was fast asleep while Judy heard rustling in the foliage around her. Her ears perked up instantly and her nose began to twitch. She rose to her feet, her hands close to her hips, feeling for her long daggers. One was serrated and made from the longest rib of a fresh Racer Reptavian that she had very recently killed with Nick, and the other slightly larger and smoother one was wrought from the red talon of a Reaper Reptavian.

    "Nick, wake up!" Judy hissed. "Get up!"

    There was a small roar as at least a dozen spears suddenly burst through the foliage with the foxes holding them on the other end yelling at them. Nick's ears perked and he quickly leaped to his feet.

    Cutting his roar short, a somewhat pudgy fox with a smattering of unkempt brown hair raised his eyebrow. "Nick, is that you?"

    "Uh, yes," Nick said, gesturing them for peace with one hand and covering a yawn with the other. "I am indeed me, Gideon. Now, you all, lower your spears." Several did, but some foxes still held them up.

    "What are you doing with a bunny?" Gideon asked suspiciously, motioning to her with his spear.

    "Oh, we've been roughing it for awhile," Nick shrugged his shoulders. "Kind of off-again, on-again looking for you guys, actually."

    "Look!" Another fox pointed at Nick's intimidating-looking, red-tinted poleaxe weapon. "He's got a weapon made from the talon of a Reaper!"
    
    "By the Celestials, you're right!" Gideon looked amazed at this. "Hey, that's too big for just a talon... that isn't it's tail-blade, is it?"

    "It sure is," Nick smirked, testing his weapons weight in his hands.

    "You two didn't... take down a Reaper by yourselves, did you?" A female fox gasped in astonishment.

    "Well doesn't it certainly seem that way?" Nick asked smugly.

    "Those things are extraordinarily violent!" Gideon shook his head. "No way even a dozen foxes could take down a Reaper. We'd all get slaughtered in one move!"

    "If you want to know the truth," Judy piped up suddenly. "We happened upon an injured one and stalked it, injuring it while it slept and draining its stamina. Eventually we secured the kill and made some weapons from its sharp bits. We had nothing to weave its black scales or violet feathers together with, or we'd be wearing new clothes, too!"

    The foxes looked dumbfounded at Judy. "I don't know whats more crazy, that story or the fact that you can speak pretty good foxish!" Gideon marveled. "C'mon you two, let's go talk to the Tribe Leader!"

    "Ugh, this again?" Judy looked at Nick in annoyance.

    "Well hey, at least my tribe isn't pointing spears at us," Nick smirked. Indeed, the rest of the spears came up as the members of Nick's fox tribe led them to their settlement. The settlement in question almost looked like a work in progress. Judy saw foxes actively pitching tents and working on wooden walls. Nick frowned. "Must have been another recent attack. Sometimes I wonder if the Celestials just hate us."    

    "The foxes would have done better if we were here," Judy smirked.

    "Brave words," Gideon said. "Now let's see what our chief thinks." Gideon slipped into a tent only barely more decorated than the others, and their chief came out. About the only thing that looked different about him compared to the other foxes was his green head covering with a single red feather from a Racer adorning it. Looking at him, the red fox in question looked only slightly taller than Nick, maybe two inches, and he wore a quiver on his back with arrows tipped with the dried plumage of a rainbow of different Reptavian feathers.

    "Nick, good to see you still breathing!" The chief said merrily. He held out his hands as if he was going to hug him, but kept his distance.

    Nick shrugged. "You as well, Tribe Leader Robin."

    Robin clapped his hands and rubbed them. "So! Who is this we have here, a bunny?" Robin scoffed, placing a hand beneath his chin delicately and looking at her. "Gideon tells me a crazy tale of you two stalking and killing a Reaper!"

    "That is what happened, more or less," Nick nodded. "We do have the armaments to prove it."

    Robin held up his hands in caution and shook his head. "Now now, you may have just carved them off of a dead one. It wouldn't be the first time you've embellished the truth, Nick." Nick twisted his muzzle, but Robin was correct. Judy glared at Nick in distaste. "Wait, does the bunny understand our language?"

    "I both understand it and speak it," Judy said proudly. "Nick is an excellent and patient teacher."

    "Huh!" Robin smirked. "You two just get more and more fascinating. Well, I've got good news for you." He clapped three times, and a large brown bear exited a tent and walked over to them. "I've decided to expand our little tribe to include members of other species. This guy here we call Little John."

    "Hi," the bear said simply with a blank face and waved at the two. Judy and Nick stared way up at him.

    "'Little' John?" Nick asked in a tiny voice.

    "Hi," John nodded.

    "That's about all he can say in foxish," Robin chuckled. "And he's kind of small for a brown bear, hence his name." The bear was still about twice the size of even Robin.

    "So, are you saying Judy and I can join the tribe?" Nick asked.

    "You can, you've always been welcome here," Robin smirked, but then he flippantly waved his hand in Judy's direction. "However, I don't see what use we have for a bunny. She's tiny! Takes a cloud of them to do anything."

    Judy's brow furrowed in irritation and she felt her hands opening and closing dangerously close to her daggers.

    "But, I'm nothing if not a sporting fox," Robin chuckled. "Our tribe's been thinning, scattered by those blasted Reptavians. On one hand we've been lucky we haven't lost too many; on the other I feel like our tribe's one disaster away from falling apart. So! I believe a test of skill for the little rabbit is in order. Oh, Marian?" The Tribe Leader's vixen mate peeked her head out of his tent.

    "Yes, love?" Marian called sweetly.

    "Could you and John set up a test of skill for this little bunny here?" Robin asked. "Ah, and fetch my bow."

    "Of course, dear," Marian smiled, and came out in some rather fetching purple-dyed leather clothes.

    "That is, of course..." Robin flashed a wicked grin. "If you accept, dear small gray bunny." He held out his paw.

    Judy looked cautiously over at Nick, who seemed somewhat alarmed, but Judy steeled her expression and shook his paw. "I do accept."

    Foxes from all over the tribe gathered to the location of the test. At the far end of the wall of the encampment, a single target was set up. Marian pleasantly arranged it to be just so after John made sure it was stuck firmly into the ground on its supports, and the two retreated from it.

    "Now, bunny!" Robin said with an adventurous edge in his voice. He drew his bow and notched an arrow that had a purple feather on it. "Stand no further than this point." Robin stood on it and marked it with an X with a foot claw. "And hit the center of that target way over yonder." He released his arrow and it sailed cleanly into the center of the target. "In one try."

    John ambled over to the target and removed the arrow so it wouldn't be wasted, bringing it back to Robin. Judy stood on the X.

    "All right!" Judy said courageously. She knew she wasn't as good of a shot as Nick, but she was preparing herself for her best shot. She held a paw out expectantly. "Let me have the bow."

    "I'm sorry?" Robin tilted his head up and smirked. "This is my bow. Don't you have your own?" He chuckled, and Marian giggled a little.

    "I... do not," Judy blinked. "How am I supposed to take this test without a bow?"

    "How, indeed!" Robin chuckled. "Though I'm sorry, if you can't hit that target I'm afraid you're unfit for our tribe..."

    Many of the foxes around her began to laugh and jeer at her.

    "Dumb bunny!"
    "Classic! Tribe Leader Robin pulls off the best pranks!"
    "Look at her! I wonder if she's gonna cry?"

    "Ha ha! That was a good one," Gideon slapped at his knee. "Just like a non-fox to agree to terms they don't know anything about!"

    Judy stood her ground and balled her fists.

    "What's the matter, bunny?" Gideon smirked. "Too proud to run? You fail this test! There's nothing you can do!"

    Judy shot a look over to Nick, and her eyes widened in surprise at his expression. It was one of determination and encouragement. He was also making a bunch of confusing and indecipherable hand signs. A brief flash of bewilderment ran over Judy, but in an instant, she thought she understood what sort of message he was trying to desperately convey.

    THHK!

    The jeering and laughing stopped instantly. Sunk dead in the middle of the target was a long dagger made from the talon of a Reaper. Judy slowly lowered her paw, a grim look on her face. Silence fell over the foxes; they were too scared to even murmur.

    Robin walked over plainly to the dagger and pulled it out of the target. He turned back and he was still smiling his almost interminable, coy smile.

    "Cleverness!" The foxes voice rang out to the tribe, who had his rapt attention. He wiggled the dagger in his hand. "Resourcefulness! Oh and of course, skill." He tested the weight of the dagger. "Excellent qualities we associate with foxes." He walked over to Judy, bent over, and carefully offered her the very sharp dagger back. She betrayed a smile, accepted it, and sheathed it. "Also, excellent qualities for members of this tribe. What do you say?"

    "I accept!" Judy said boldly. There was cheering. Judy shot a smug look over to Nick, who just seemed relieved.

    "Oo de lally!" Robin shouted out.

    "Oo de lally!" The foxes mirrored.

    "We must have finally done something right," Marian smiled at Judy. "Not only have we recovered one of our own tribe members back from the lost, but have gained a brave new one."

    "Golly, what a day! Mm, we should have a celebration tonight!" Robin grabbed for John's paw and shook it. John grinned and shook his hand enthusiastically, causing Robin's body to shake a bit before he calmed the bear down.

    "No argument from me, dear," Marian chuckled.

    "Well, you really wanna give up the duo act, Judy?" Nick said, walking over to her and rubbing her shoulder.

    "These guys seem okay," Judy smirked. She shook her head. "And we've had to do enough running from those monsters. I think it's nice to belong to a group like this as well. That way, if there is a major threat from a Reptavian, we all work together to topple it."

    Nick nodded in approval. "Gotta say, it's good to be back." He patted Gideon on the back. "Even though I'm pretty sure I thought you'd be eaten by now."

    "Yeah, yeah," Gideon smirked, looking at Judy. "I guess you're pretty smart, for a dumb bunny."

    Judy smiled haughtily. "I guess I am."

Chapter 91: Delinquent

    "We're up to twenty-one missing mammals now," Chief Bogo grumbled at the head of the bullpen, rubbing his forehead with one hand. "We need those predators found. Mayor Lionheart is getting anxious, and frankly, so am I. Now, everyone is on their previous assignment. All but you, Wilde."

    Nick's eyes opened wider in surprise and a bit of hope. "Sir?"

    "There's been a graffiti artist by the name of Judy Hopps tagging alleys in Downtown," Chief Bogo said. Nick's ears instantly flattened and his lips crawled out into a frown. "Should be right up your alley. You're a fox, she's a bunny. Go chase her. Dismissed!" The other mammals filed out of the room, but Nick tried to grab Bogo's attention as he opened the door to leave.

    "Sir? Chief?" Nick waved his paw.

    "What is it, Wilde?" Bogo said. "I'm very busy."

    "Sir, if you would, I'd really like to help with the missing mammals case," Nick said politely. "I mean, it's my kind of mammal out there going missing. Is catching some sort of little bunny delinquent really going to help Zootopia?"

    "Let me be perfectly honest," Bogo said, looking down at him. "I don't trust you, and I didn't want you on this team." Nick's ears flattened again. "Mayor Lionheart gave you to me with his Mammal Inclusion Initiative, so I'm stuck with you. I don't like your smart-tail attitude, you have no partner, and you're the smallest mammal on my team. What do you think you're going to do to help? You should be glad I haven't stuck you on parking duty again."

    "Yes, sir," Nick's eyelids were falling and he was trying not to frown angrily.

    "Now, if you somehow prove yourself trustworthy and capable, we can see if you'll be able to assist the big guys," Bogo said condescendingly. "Good luck with that." He shut the door firmly behind him.

    Nick's shoulders fell and he growled, shaking his head. "Great. I joined the ZPD to serve my city. To be brave, loyal, helpful, and trustworthy." He looked up at the Zootopia map which had just over two dozen photos of smiling and normal-looking predators pinned to it. "How am I going to be able to help if I keep getting assigned busy work?

---

    Judy shook her spray can, wearing an almost offensively brightly colored neon yellow and green outfit and chewing bubblegum. She added the finishing touches to her latest tag, which said "Smellwether Hates Preds" and had a caricature of Assistant Mayor Bellwether.

    "Hm," Judy mused over her work, smirking. "I wonder if I should add stink lines over her head, or if that would be too much."

    "I'd say what you've done is just enough," Nick said calmly, approaching her from her side.

    "Oh! Hey, Copper!" Judy grinned nervously. "I was just leaving!" She sprinted away. Nick started to give chase, but she had a lead and he knew he wasn't faster than a bunny. He retreated in the opposite direction. "Huh? He's giving up already? Wow, maybe the ZPD isn't all it's cracked up to be after all!" Judy snickered and headed for the other end of the alley. "Dumb, fo-OOF!"

    "Nice of you to run into me," Nick smirked as she bounced off of him. The bunny had run straight into him at the opening of the alley.

    "Ack!" Judy tried to regain her footing, but Nick lunged out and grabbed her by the wrist. "Perfect..."

    "Let's go admire your handiwork, shall we?" Nick grinned, dragging her back to her graffiti mural. "Smellwether, huh? What are you, like nine?"

    "Twenty-four," Judy rolled her eyes. She blew a small bubble of her gum and brought the bubble back into her mouth, biting down on it.

    "You really chew gum?" Nick perked up an eyebrow. "If you made a big enough bubble it'd just pop and get all over your face fur.

    "Just gotta know when to quit, Copper," Judy shrugged.

    "Apparently you don't," Nick scolded. "You've been tagging downtown with these anti-Bellwether messages for the past week or so. What gives?"

    "Eh, just don't like her, I guess," Judy blew another bubble flippantly.

    "Listen here, Chewdy Pops," Nick snapped. "You're looking at a big fine and some community service time. Could you be a little less disrespectful?"

    "Heh, Chewdy Pops, not bad," Judy said in smug amusement. "Hey Copper, between you and me, I think Bellwether is behind all this."

    "All what? Do you mean the missing mammals? Like some sort of conspiracy?" Nick cocked an eyebrow again.

    "Yeah! I had just got a job at a diner, and I saw Bellwether there, talking to a ram," Judy nodded. She put her free hand into her pocket.

    "Hey! Paws where I can see them!" Nick warned, drawing his stun gun with his own free hand.

    "Easy, Copper!" Judy said, pulling out a carrot pen. "But listen to this." She clicked a button on the pen, and Assistant Mayor Bellwether's voice came out over the tinny speaker.

    "We just hit twenty, we've got to hit the next one. You running low on Night Howler?" "No", said another voice. "Get someone in a populated area this time."

    Nick blinked in astonishment. "What's... Night Howler?"

    "Could tell ya," Judy said airily. "If you let me go."

    "You're not going to bribe me!" Nick growled. "I've got integrity. Give me that pen!" Nick shook his stun gun.

    "Ah ah..." Judy frowned. "I think not. If you twitch the wrong way I'll delete this recording."

    Nick's jaw dropped. "Disgraceful! If Bellwether was the one behind the missing mammals and that's what the recording was about, you deleting it would put more of us in jeopardy! How could you live with yourself, knowing that?"

    Judy showed some of her teeth. Nick couldn't read her expression; if it was shamed or defiant. "Listen, Copper. I'm only doing this, and making graffiti in the first place, because I want to help expose Bellwether. ...I wanted to be a cop, myself, if you can believe that."

    "I don't think I do," Nick frowned. "I think you're just saying whatever it will take for me to let you go."

    "No, its true!" Judy said desperately. "I wanted it more than anything. I came to Zootopia just for that purpose. My parents, everyone around me was telling me a bunny couldn't be a cop. But... in Zootopia, anyone can be anything! Or so I thought." She frowned. "The Mammal Inclusion Initiative didn't pick me up; they said I was too late for this year."

    "So why don't you wait till next year?" Nick challenged.

    "Because I already told everyone I was in," Judy sneered. "I was so sure. I graduated from the Academy at the top of my class. But no one wanted me because I'm just a bunny. You can't know how that feels; to have your ambitions dashed aside just because of what you are." She was breathing heavier, trying not to cry. "Worse yet, I lied to my parents, saying I got a rain check for the whole thing and just have to stay in Zootopia a bit longer before I'm an official cop. But I just went through the ceremony and nothing else. I'm a nobody now! But I want to help make this world a better place..."

    "And you think solving the Missing Mammals case as some sort of graffiti vigilante will do that?" Nick put his stun gun away.

    "I don't know, Copper," Judy sighed shakily. She offered her free paw. "Here, take the stupid pen." Nick did this gently. Judy grit her teeth hard, tears forming in her eyes. "That was it. That's my trump card. Without it, I have nothing. I'm nobody again."

    "...What do you want from me, Chewdy?" Nick said in a low tone. "What do you want me to do?"

    "Can I maybe..." Judy looked away. "Help you prove that Bellwether is behind this? I know some stuff about her and what she's doing, but it'd be nice to have someone official on my side."

    "I'm not even supposed to be working the missing mammals case," Nick grumbled. "I'm supposed to be bringing you in. But... okay. You have the end of the day to prove you're not talking out of your tail-end."

    "Yes!" Judy pumped her arm as Nick let her go. Nick actually expected her to run off, but she stayed. "Okay, c'mon, let's go! I know some things about the Night Howlers."

    "Whatever those are," Nick grumbled, following her.

    "Hehe, can't believe you fell for a little hustle like that, Copper," Judy grinned, starting to skip a bit, blowing a bubble and popping it inside her mouth merrily. "The emotional bunny act. Ha!"

    "Yeah, no, you can't hustle a fox," Nick claimed. "That doesn't happen. You were actually upset."

    "I'm a good actress," Judy claimed. "I can cry on command."

    "Really? Do it right now, then," Nick challenged.

    "Don't feel like it," Judy said cheerfully.

    "Right," Nick rolled his eyes. "So you actually want to help me, then? You really want to do whats right for this city?"

    "Even if I have to do something wrong to get there," Judy said with surprising seriousness, starting to walk instead of skipping.

    Nick didn't say anything for several seconds, he grit his teeth, then sighed.

    "I hear that, Chewdy Pops," Nick grumbled. "I hear it."

Chapter 92: Again

    "Hey, watch where you're goin', fox," the sheep called out to Nick, who held his arms open wide in a confrontational gesture.

    Wait, Nick?

    Judy let out a terse gasp. That was Nick, Nick Wilde! She... knew him? Or, she was about to. Judy grabbed at her temples and had an enormously odd feeling of deja vu. No, it was more than that. She felt like she could "remember" everything that was going to happen with Nick over the next several months. The sensation was overwhelming and she almost fell over, feeling a bit dizzy. Without thinking further, she followed Nick into Jerry Jumbeaux's ice cream parlor.

    "Do you want the red one or the blue one, pal?" Nick asked Finnick, who Judy somehow also knew by name, and knew they were hustling. But...

    "The red one..." Judy whispered slightly, and saw Finnick go up and indicate this in a childlike manner, just as she "remembered".

    Judy made a small scoffing sound and turned her head away. This wasn't natural, nothing about it was. Was she having some weird sort of nightmare? She pinched herself, but nothing happened. More importantly, what should she DO?

    Judy felt like she was reading ahead from a teleprompter. She felt like she was cheating. But what would happen if she did even one single thing different than what she "remembered"? She shuddered to think.

    "Um, excuse me!" Judy said, walking forward. The words came naturally to her as she let herself "fall" for Nick's simple trick. But, at the same time, every phrase she said, knowing exactly what Nick was going to say in response, it was eerie, almost chilling.

    She hoped the feeling would pass, and soon, because she was starting to "remember" more and more.

---

    Judy trudged into her apartment, her feet skill caked with bits of cement. She felt more bewildered than discouraged. When Nick went off on her about how little her dreams meant and how naive she was, she knew he was speaking from his own personal experience. That was something she would learn, what, tomorrow? Or the day after?

    "What's going on with me? Judy moaned quietly. "I don't believe in supernatural things..." Judy tapped on her radio a few times. The same order of songs she remembered. She almost wanted to hit the button one more time, but she felt a terrifying impulse like any deviation from the "timeline" she was "remembering" would end up tearing the universe apart. "Or something..." Judy added out loud.

    She ripped open her "Carrots for One" microwavable dinner. One wrinkled carrot, just like she thought. Tossing it into the garbage, she looked at her clock.

    "My parents are going to call right... now," Judy pointed at her phone, and it started buzzing. Judy put her paws to her cheeks. This was horrible. She shouldn't have knowledge like this. No one should. Regardless, she put on her best happy face, the one she pre-remembered, and answered. "Oh, hey, it's my parents...!"

    "Tomorrow's another day," Judy said after the call. Another day that I already know...

    "Yeah, but it might be worse!" One of her neighbors called out.

    Getting ready for bed and sinking into it, Judy wondered about her pre-knowledge and how spookily reliable it was. She thought of all the mistakes she "remembered" that she was about to make in the days to come. So many important things were about to happen. Things that could affect the very future of Zootopia, especially for predators.

    "For Nick..." Judy said very quietly. What should she do? She knew all the answers and the outcome. She tried to remember beyond what would happen at the very end of the case, after the assistant mayor was taken off, but she found she couldn't. She just knew that they won. Judy and Nick won.

    Judy rolled over in bed. She couldn't change anything, she knew it. Someone, or something, had given her the keys to ensure Zootopia's future, and she sure as heck wasn't going to screw it up.

    "I'll keep on making those new mistakes," Judy whispered to herself. "I'll keep on making them every day. Those new mistakes..."

---

    It had finally arrived. The moment Judy had been dreading ever since she first laid her eyes on Nick and received the knowledge of what was to come. She was standing at the podium at the ZPD. She was about to make the biggest mistake of her life. But she had to, didn't she? She had to, because if she didn't, she wouldn't know what would happen next.

    "What can you tell us about the animals that went savage?" A reporter asked.

    "Well, um, the animals that went savage... are they all different species? Yes... yes they are," Judy said carefully. She was supposed to glance over to Nick. She did, and saw him pump his fist with pride, giving a thumbs up.

    "So what is the connection?" Another question.

    "Well, all we know is that they are all members of the predator family," Judy said, as if she had rehearsed it.

    "So, predators are the only ones going savage?" A sheep asked. Judy felt a burst of suspicion.

    "That is acc- yes, that is accurate, yes," Judy pointed at him.

    "Why!? Why is this happening!?" A frantic pig asked.

    "We still don't know," Judy said. Her audience gasped in disappointment. A cold feeling of dread crept up Judy's spine. It was time to do it. She felt the weight of conflicting responsibilities crushing her. She almost choked. "But..." She hesitated. "At this point it would be harmful to speculate as to why this could be happening. These are... isolated cases. We can't- no, we must not allow ourselves to give in to fear. We at the ZPD are ready and willing to protect you, and we will remain vigilant against any new cases that arise. ...No further questions."

    Judy got offstage and felt like someone had torn something out of her. She'd changed something. The news reporters were buzzing. She looked at Dawn Bellwether. "Was I okay...?"

    "Oh, it was great!" Dawn gave a friendly smile. She wasn't supposed to say that. She was supposed to say "you did fine". Judy felt a terrifying sinking feeling. She wandered over to Nick, almost in a daze.

    "That happened so fast..." Judy said. "I should have mentioned you, but I got confused and I... screwed everything up."

    "What? No, you did great," Nick chuckled. "Proud of you, kit."

    "I wasn't supposed to do great," Judy said, panicking. "I was supposed to do horrible!"

    "Uh? What are you talking about?" Nick said in a dry voice.

    Judy took a deep breath and composed herself. "Nick, you have to have dinner with me tonight. There are some things I need to discuss with you."

    "Uh, okay? Sure!" Nick chuckled. "I'll be there, if I get to pick the place."

    "Deal," Judy nodded seriously.

    Judy tried to gather her thoughts, brushing off the reporters as she exited the ZPD. She wasn't getting any "new" pre-memories. She still "remembered" what was supposed to happen. But now things could never happen that way because she messed up. "Again". Just this time, it was in an entirely new way. She had to admit, she had no idea what to do now.

---

    "You're a vegetarian?" Judy cocked her eyebrow as Nick took her to a place famous for a nice salad bar.

    Nick shrugged. "Yeah, kinda. It comes with the whole 'hustling' shtick. If I'm eating in front of a prey, I don't want them to be nervous, so I try to keep from eating anything 'fishy' around them."

    "Clever," Judy smiled wryly, rolling her eyes.

    "So, what was with you after the press conference?" Nick wondered, digging into his salad. "You looked like you were about to freak out."

    "Okay, Nick, I've decided to tell you something that will probably make you run out of the room in disgust in the worst case," Judy said nervously. "And in the best case, you'll think I'm out of my mind."

    "This should be good," Nick smirked, folding his arms over the table.

    "Ever since I met you, I..." Judy started pensively, looking away. Nick's eyes flew open.

    "Carrots, we've known each other two days," Nick whispered loudly.

    "Oh, no, not that!" Judy giggled into her fist. "Ever since I met you I... hoo boy, this is hard to say. I've had... pre-knowledge of what was going to happen to me, and us... for a period of about... three months."

    "...Okay, you're right, you are out of your mind, and I can't say I saw that coming," Nick winced. Then he scoffed. "But apparently you did?"

    "No, not anymore," Judy shook her head. "I... I screwed up. I changed something. ...Now everything is different. In my 'pre-memories', this dinner never happened."

    Nick chuckled. "Okay, I don't remember you hitting your head, but something's definitely weird with you, Carrots. Let's say for one moment I believed you. Wouldn't it be fair to say you made a bunch of poor- no, outright stupid choices? Mr. Big especially?"

    "I thought if I changed anything... bad things might happen, you know we almost died a few times..." Judy grit her teeth. "I knew... everything would be okay."

    "Did you now?" Nick squinted his eyes. "Because that's an awfully convenient excuse. And you still have that fox repellent on you. Did you 'remember' that I noticed that?"

    "Yes..." Judy said mournfully. "Because I'm supposed to..."

    Nick bowed his head and put it in his paws. "Judy, listen. Okay... we have to sort something out here. Why are you even telling me this?"

    "Because I don't know what to do now, Nick!" Judy said, her voice shuddering. "I know what we're supposed to do, but that can't happen anymore!"

    "Why!?" Nick pounded the table with his fist, causing Judy to flinch. "Why can't we?" Judy grit her teeth and looked away, not willing to respond. Nick pointed cautiously at her. "Do you want to know what I think?"

    "Please..." Judy nodded, her voice sounding desperate. She clasped her paws together softly. This actually gave Nick some pause.

    "I think... you're not ready for this all to end," Nick said. "You must thrive on the thrill of all of those near-catastrophes we had. And because you didn't just cause one, you feel scared, because I'm about to go back into the 'wild', and away from you. But it's over, Carrots. Case closed."

    "It's not over," Judy shook her head. "Lionheart isn't the real enemy."

    "What?" Nick looked very incredulous. "Help me out, here!"

    "It's Bellwether," Judy said quietly after looking around in suspicion. "She's behind it."

    "I'm afraid your 'future sight' is right, Judy," Nick frowned. "I'm about to stand up and walk out of here. Maybe you were right about me after all."

    "I'm sorry, Nick, I'm scared," Judy admitted. "I don't know how we'll... ...I mean, I'll... get her now."

    "Well if you know the 'answer' then I'm sure you can come up with something," Nick said curtly. "Give me one good reason to believe you just haven't made up an incredibly ridiculous story."

    "I don't... I don't know," Judy mumbled. "Nothing's going to be the same anymore. I don't even know if we'll end up partners..."

    "Partners?" Nick narrowed his eyes.

    "Partners!" Judy lit up. "That's right, Nick, your application! You filled it out!"

    "Okay look, you had a fifty percent shot at that," Nick gave a half-smile wryly. "I'm not going to put any extra faith in your story over that."

    "No no no," Judy said, getting excited. "In my pre-memory I remember holding onto it after you gave it to me... and I looked at it almost every day. I know exactly what's on it!"

    "Okay, this is getting interesting," Nick smirked. "But why would I have given it to you?"

    "I'll get there!" Judy said impatiently. "Now, shall I tell you!?"

    "Let's do this legit," Nick said, taking off his tie. "Tie this around your eyes so I can be sure you're not cheating somehow. I know you didn't lay eyes on the form because I folded it up before I put it away and saw you again."

    "Okay okay okay!" Judy beckoned with her hands quickly, tying the tie around her eyes. "I'll put the broad part over my eyes so you can be sure I'm not seeing anything."

    Nick carefully unfolded his application. "Okay, go."

    Judy took a deep breath, centering herself. "Nicholas Wilde, P. You're a citizen of Zootopia, four foot nothing, eighty pounds. You are a predator, a fox. You are applying for police officer."

    "Okay, easy enough so far to guess," Nick chuckled.

    "The next section, your abilities," Judy went on. "And I quote: 'night vision, excellent sense of smell." Judy gave a small chuckle. "And uh... business savvy."

    "Hm, okay, a little spooky, but there's one more bit," Nick smiled deviously. It was a yes or no question, but...

    Judy laughed. "Okay, if you've been guilty to any crime, right? You marked both yes and no, and you kinda..." Judy giggled again. "You went over 'no' a few more times and tried to hide that you had marked yes."

    "All right, that is weird," Nick admitted. Judy took her blindfold off, returning it to Nick.

    "Nick, I've decided that I don't need you to believe me anymore," Judy said. "I just need you to trust me that I'm going to be trying to do what's right."

    "Um, okay?" Nick said. "I have to know though, what did you think was going to happen?"

    "I was going to make the lives of every predator in Zootopia much worse by implicating that they could just 'go savage' at random," Judy said seriously. "I was going to drive you away for just about three months. We were going to bust Bellwether in glorious fashion and then... well, it stops there. I don't know what would have happened after that. I have this vague wisp of you and I in a police car together, though. Both in uniform, of course! I didn't arrest you or anything."

    "Uh huh," Nick shook his head. "So that's one mistake you just couldn't make, huh?"

    "I saw how I hurt you, and how I hurt all predators," Judy gave a shaky sigh. "I caused riots. Me, a tiny bunny."

    "We were in touching distance of Bellwether more than once," Nick shrugged. "If you were so sure, couldn't you have bagged her then?"

    "I have nothing to connect to her, nothing that will stick," Judy shook her head. "That's why I'm so scared... I don't know what I can do now."

    "Well, how is that any different from any normal day?" Nick shrugged. "If you've deviated from some sort of script you were handed, what's the problem with writing a new one?"

    "I dunno, just that I guess everything turned out well in the end?" Judy held a hand to her forehead. "I mean, for us anyway. I can't say I know about each predator whose life I made worse." She groaned.

    "Okay, that didn't happen, so let's focus on the now," Nick held his hands out in caution. "What can we do right now?"

    "We...?" Judy said, surprised. "You really believe this crazy bunny?"

    "Hey," Nick grinned. "You just said I didn't need to believe you. Just needed to trust you. And I... do. Within reason."

    Judy grinned, hunching over the table. "We're going to need some blueberries."

    "Mm," Nick nodded once. "Liking this already."

Notes:

With this, a turning point will be happening in Different Tails. Instead of making new completely different chapters, I will be revisiting and continuing some of the favorite AUs and concepts from other chapters. So, let me know which ones you'd like to see again. I've already got some thoughts in mind, but your votes should tell me what's desired and affect the order I write them in. Bonus points if you give a reason why you'd like to see something. Oh and let me know what you thought of this one too, while you're at it, for even more points!

Chapter 93: Again II

    "Uh, no?" Judy said, pushing her way through the herd of wildebeest on the crosswalk. "Podunk is in Deerbrooke county and I grew up in Bunnyburrow."

    "Okay," Nick said chidingly, rolling his eyes and stealing a small handful of blueberries from a vendor. "Tell me if this sounds familiar." What an eerie thing to say, Nick thought. Now how did the speech go, again? Before he could start it though, Judy rushed up to him.

    "Nicholas Wilde, you're under arrest," Judy said, her voice suddenly fierce.

    "Wuh!? For petty theft?" Nick blinked in surprise. This wasn't how it was supposed to go! "C'mon, I grabbed less than a dollar's worth of-"

    "Felony tax evasion," Judy's voice sounded almost tired and she flashed a form in front of his face.

    "What the-!?" Nick's eyes widened. "You have that already?"

    "What do you mean 'already'?" Judy said cautiously.

    "Well, uh, we're supposed to go around this corner, through this yard, and you're supposed to stand... right over there, in that cement," Nick said. He felt incredibly sheepish as Judy for some reason followed where he was nodding with his head. Judy looked up at him.

    "Very funny, buster," Judy said. "Listen, I'm trying something different this time, so I'd appreciate your cooperation, as always."

    "Uh...?" Nick made a confused face. "Wait, wait. Carrots."

    "Come on, you," Judy started to drag him off.

    "No, wait! Uh..." Nick wracked his brain, trying to think of something he remembered from the future. "It's not like a bunny can go savage."

    Judy froze, gasping. She turned her head towards Nick, slowly. "What... what did you just say?"

    "Flash, flash, hundred-yard dash?" Nick raised one eyebrow. Judy had a fixed, intense gaze locked on Nick. "Um... you know you love me?"

    "Nick... you 'remember' this time...?" Judy marveled, the tension seeming to drain out of her stance and face.

    "What do you mean 'this time'?" Nick said worriedly.

    "Okay, how many loops do you remember?" Judy said, suddenly gesturing wildly with her hands and taking off Nick's handcuffs.

    "I only remember uh... one? The thing that was supposed to happen with Bellwether and the Nighthowlers?" Nick said. "Is that bad?"

    "Heck if I know, Nick!" Judy squeezed her eyes shut in annoyance. "I feel like I've been through this loop a dozen times now or more, and I still have no idea why. I'm starting to conflate some of these time-lines with each other. I feel like I've 'tried everything'."

    "Speaking of, that's where my new pre-memories or whatever they are stop," Nick mused. "Right after that concert you and I went to."

    "Yeah, that concert's only happened that first time I can 'remember'," Judy sneered. "But none of the loops go past that; where it should have been in the timeline."

    "Wow, listen to us, talking about some sort of time loop like it's the most natural thing in the world," Nick chuckled.

    "From my perspective, I've been at this for over a decade, Nick," Judy had an upset expression. "Each loop lasts about a year. I mean, some last a lot less if I screw up really bad, heh..."

    "When do they start?" Nick was curious.

    "They always start with the first time I ever see you," Judy said. "At the ice cream parlor."

    "Yeah, the first time I saw you is when I started to feel those weird feelings," Nick said, then giggled a bit bashfully. "Uh, about the future, of course."

    "Right," Judy closed her eyes and smirked. "You got any ideas, hotshot? This is the first time you've been 'in on' this. I wonder if whatever anomaly is causing this is getting tired of me screwing up."

    "Wow, you look really weary, Carrots," Nick looked at her in pity. "Well, since our earliest pre-memories are both of the same thing, why don't we try doing everything just like the 'first time'?"

    "Everything...?" Judy looked crestfallen. "You know what that means, right? What I have to do? You're a smart fox..."

    "Right, but shouldn't it not hurt as much this time, since we know what'll happen?" Nick held his arms out and shrugged his shoulders. His smirk was unsure.

    "It's still going to hurt..." Judy said with anxiety lining her voice, and Nick saw her eyes sadly sparkle. "Ever since I got the pre-memories, I've never been able to do that press conference the same way again..."

    "Hmm, it can't hurt to try, can it?" Nick wondered.

    "Well, besides all the species tension it will cause," Judy said flippantly. She continued in a voice dripping with cheerful sarcasm. "But who knows? It'll probably be wrong again and I'll be running into you at the ice cream parlor before I know it."

    "Maybe after another few loops only I'll have the memories, huh?" Nick tried a reassuring grin.

    "That might be nice," Judy admitted. "I'm just so... so tired of this."

    Nick nodded over towards the cement. "Well, if it's not too late for this loop, we should try to recreate every detail, right?"

    "I'll certainly get the despair I felt tonight right," Judy murmured, walking into the cement. She looked at Nick and tried a look of frustrated anger, but it looked tired and almost sad. "I'm not a dumb bunny."

    "Right," Nick said smugly, trying not to look at the baffled beavers that saw Judy just march into their wet cement. "And that's not wet cement."

---

    Nick and Judy both walked out of the concert hall. Judy exhaled slowly, trying to find a corner to be by herself. Or at least with Nick, because he was following her.

    "You okay, Bunny?" Nick caught up with her and stood next to her at a street corner where there was very little incidental mammal traffic.

    "I dunno Nick," Judy shook her head. "I dunno. We did everything 'right', as far as I know. Figures I'd need you to make sure everything went off as I remembered."

    Nick shrugged his shoulders, putting his hands in his pockets. "It was kind of easy for me, like a play. Just had to read the script."

    "Yeah..." Judy placed her hands on her chest. "My heart's beating so fast..." She turned her head up towards Nick. "Nick, I'm... I'm scared. I'm terrified."

    "Of what?" Nick blinked, scratching his head.

    "This is where everything stops, this night," Judy said, starting to hyperventilate a little. "And I... I really don't want to go through it all again."

    "I get that," Nick put his arm around her shoulders. "I can't imagine how hard this has been for you."

    "Pretty hard," Judy said in a high-pitched, whiny voice. Her breaths came in shudders, and she sobbed a bit.

    "Shh..." Nick drew her into a hug and pat her back. "It's okay."

    Judy pushed away from him after a few seconds and shook her head. "No. No you're right. You're right. It is okay." Judy nodded rapidly, wiping her eyes. "I'll be okay."

    "I kind of hope I remember again next time if that's what has to happen," Nick had a sad smile. "That way I can be there to support you again."

    "It doesn't matter if you remember or not," Judy sneered, tears threatening to well up again. Nick felt a stab of pain in his chest. But then Judy's eyes widened and she let out a terse gasp. "But... but it doesn't matter if I remember or not, either."

    "What?" Nick was very confused. "What do you mean?"

    "Because," Judy's face broke out into a wobbly smile, showing her teeth. "I just realized something. No matter what, in all of these loops, no matter what happens or how much I screw up... there's you."

    "Huh?" Nick continued to be confused, but the compliment made him smile. "I'm not sure I follow."

    "Every time, no matter what sort of mistakes I make..." Judy rotated her hands at the wrist. "You always end up helping me. Somehow, some way. I've... I've always been able to count on you. Even when I tell you about the time loop stuff and you call me crazy." She let out a small, choked laugh.

    "I can definitely see me being unable to believe this stuff," Nick shrugged. "But now we've lived it, so I guess anything's possible."

    "Yeah, anything," Judy smirked, balling her hands into fists. "And because anything is possible, I'll go through it again and again, no matter how many times it takes, because I know you'll be there to help me."

    Nick closed his eyes and sighed. He nodded his head slightly backwards. "Look what you did, Fluff. You made my tail wag." Said tail was swishing gently.

    Judy giggled, pleased. "I hope you don't mind if I give you a little... well..." Judy got up on her tip toes and kissed Nick's cheek. The tail wagging accelerated.

    "No, I don't mind," Nick said, then had a strange sensation, like his mind was 'falling'. "Wait, mind. ...Mind what?"

    "Mind what?" Judy repeated, and smirked in pity. "Are you acting like one of those cartoon characters that gets flustered to the point of confusion when a pretty girl kisses them?"

    "Uh..." Nick held out a forefinger and shook his hand, then his head. "Uh... Carrots, what were we just talking about?"

    "You don't know?" Judy blinked. She felt a strange sense of something missing, like she awoke from a spacey daze. "...Wait, what were we just talking about? Wh-why did I kiss you?"

    "Well, obviously because I'm so handsome," Nick adjusted his tie, smirking proudly and shutting his eyes confidently.

    "Right," Judy rolled her eyes. "If that was the case, I would have kissed you a long time ago."

    "Oh, I see," Nick's smile widened until he was beaming. "Okay, Bunny." His smile vanished. "Wait, you've been crying?"

    "Have I?" Judy wiped at her cheeks. "I guess I have. Wow, Gazelle's music has never gotten to me this much before."

    Nick shrugged. "Guess it must have got to me too, a little. I feel like I've had a head rush."

    "Me too," Judy nodded.

    "Well, Carrots, I think it's about time we go home," Nick offered his arm. "Maybe we should lead each other to the subway so we don't get confused or lost."

    "Sounds like a plan," Judy smiled, hooking her arm in his and they both started to walk to the subway station.

    Judy felt a welling up of immense satisfaction that she couldn't put a definite source to. She let out a slow, relieved breath. Nick winked at her.

    "Partner," the fox said. Judy nodded.

    Pleasantly, she hummed the last few notes to "Try Everything".

Chapter 94: Magic

    With a soft whump, the lightly frayed and crisp looking form of a weasel dropped to the floor of the entry hall of the ZPD. He exhaled a small, smokey breath. Judy Hopps adventurously leaped next to the apprehended weasel.

    "One mustelid, light toasted!" she declared.

    "HOPPS!" Chief Bogo bellowed, pointing to his office. Judy soon found herself sitting in a too-large chair, being stared at by a very angry buffalo.

    "Sir, I-" Judy started.

    "I don't want to hear it!" Chief Bogo shouted. "What were you thinking, using fire magic in Little Rodentia?"

    "Well, uhm," Judy poked her fingers together. "I was kind of thinking about aiming diagonally upwards with each shot so that none of the fireballs would hit the buildings?" Chief Bogo stared daggers at her.

    "It's a miracle we didn't have to call any of the water mages in the fire department," Chief Bogo grimaced. "But this reckless behavior of yours, I will not tolerate any more of!"

    "Sir, I..." Judy placed her hands on her midsection. "I caught a criminal. That's what I'm supposed to do as a member of the police."

    "You caught a petty thief who was stealing onions!" Cheif Bogo snarled. "Your job is to issue tickets for establishments overdrawing their mana allotment!"

    "About those 'onions', they're actually the bulbs of a flower called a Night Howler," Judy explained. "It can be a powerful reagent. You see, my family are farmers, of course, how typical of a bunny, right? We grow all sorts of plants that are useful in-"

    "You shut that tiny mouth!" Chief Bogo snarled. His intercom buzzed.

    "Chief Bogo! Mrs. Otterton's here to see you. She's really insistent!" Officer Clawhauser said anxiously.

    "Not now, Clawhauser," Bogo said evenly. Then, he sneered at Judy again.

    "Chief Bogo, I don't want to be a meter mage, I want to earn my keep here at the ZPD. Let me investigate a real case, like one of the missing mammals!" Judy looked earnest and pleading.

    "Thanks to the Mayor's Mammals Inclusion Initiative, I don't get what I want either," Bogo snapped. "A loose canon fire-innate bunny? You'll be lucky to last another-" Chief Bogo froze as his door opened and an otter scurried into the room.

    "Chief Bogo, please," Mrs. Otterton rushed over to them. "It's been two weeks. Is there no one to help find my husband?"

    "Mrs. Otterton," Bogo's voice was suddenly pleasant and gentle. "All of our officers are very busy with these cases, so-"

    "I will find him," Judy said in a determined voice. Bogos eyes quickly darted over to her.

    "You will?" Mrs. Otterton rushed over and hugged her. "Thank you. Bless you, little bunny. Take this and find my Emmitt. Please. My babies and I are waiting for him to come home..." She began to leave after handing Judy a photograph. "Thank you both so much."

    "Yes, please give us a moment," Chief Bogo said through his teeth, though he was smiling. When he shut the door, he fixed an intense glare on Judy. "Pack up your things. You're through."

    "What!?" Judy sputtered. "Why!?"

    "Insubordination!" the buffalo spat. "Now, I'm going to open this door and you are going to tell that otter that you're a mere meter mage who got some big, incorrect ideas into her head. Above all, you will not be taking her case!" The door swung open.

    "I just heard Officer Hopps is taking the case!" The perky, slightly scratchy voice of Assistant Mayor Bellwether said on the other side of the door. She patted one of Mrs. Otterton's hands.

    "Ah...!" Chief Bogo seemed floored. He spoke in a cautious voice: "To what do we owe this honor, Assistant Mayor Bellwether?"

    "Oh Judy," Bellwether ignored him, coming up to Judy and placing her hands on her shoulders. "It's just so great that a little mammal like you is starting to be taken seriously in this world of big mammals. The Mammal Inclusion Initiative sure paid off, huh?"

    Judy nodded. "I won't let you down."

    "The mayor will be so happy to hear his Initiative has borne such fruit!" Bellwether giggled, texting him. Bogo winced and held out his hand. "There! Ah, technology makes communication so easy nowadays. Don't have to memorize so many spells, use so much mana. Anyway, toodles!" She waved the fingers on her hand and left. Chief Bogo moved his lips and his teeth in irritation.

    Chief Bogo opened one of his hands slowly. Rocks and sand conglomerated to form a fair-sized rock into his hand. He closed his hand, crushing it into gravel, and let it run out of his hand. His anger slowly fled from him, then he sighed. He re-adopted his angry look and stared at Judy.

    "You get forty-eight hours to find that otter," Chief Bogo pointed at her gravely.

    "YES!" Judy leaped up and punched at the air.

    "However! Should you not find him, you turn in your badge," he warned. "The only place you'll be casting fire spells will be at firework displays."

    "Oh!" Judy felt her stomach sinking. "Well... deal."

    "Good..." Chief Bogo cooed. "Now, please see Clawhauser for the case file."

    "Here we go, for Mr. Otterton, right?" Clawhauser said, plopping the file down on his front desk. Judy flipped through it incredulously; there was almost nothing, just a bio and one picture. "Yikes! That's the smallest case file I've ever seen! And we've done some for mice!" Clawhauser laughed at his own joke.

    "This can't be it..." Judy said, panicked. She looked over the picture. Mr. Otterton was accepting a claw-shaped frozen treat from a fox. Judy's jaw dropped an inch. "Wait wait, I've seen this fox before! He almost got hit by a truck. I didn't think anything of him, but... here he is selling Otterton a frozen treat..."

    "So maybe the fox saw where he went?" Clawhauser asked, but then gasped. "Or maybe he killed him? How are you going to find the fox from this picture, though? Looks like his little operation is mobile!"

    "I just need to use a little magic," Judy said, placing her hand on the bangle on her left arm. The metal band had four gems set into it at various points: a ruby, a sapphire, an emerald, and a topaz. The ruby began to shine brightly. Judy focused on both the picture of the fox and her memory of him. "Light: Afterimage!"

    A negative three-dimensional image of the fox displayed in life size before them. Clawhauser flinched. The ruby still glowed and Judy gestured toward the image. "Light: Direct!" The image was absorbed into a shining point of light that sat in Judy's hand, with one of its rays pointing much further in one direction than the rest.

    "Light magic..." Clawhauser marveled. "That's advanced fire magic, isn't it? I'm a fire-innate and I can't do that."

    "Well!" Judy smiled with some degree of pride. "I'm a fire-innate too, and bunnies are known to be pretty good at magic, so..."

    "I guess so!" Clawhauser said. "Um, how do those spells work together again...?"

    "The negative image will seek out its opposite, and I contained it in a directional light spell so I have kind of like a magic compass," Judy smiled. "It'll lead me right to that fox."

---

    Judy found the spell fizzling out in Tundratown. She took refuge behind a snow bank and looked out. She saw two foxes, a red fox and a fennec, working together. The red fox was conjuring up water and sprinkling each floating blob of water with another liquid, and the fennec caused cold wind to spin around the water blobs, turning them into icicles tinted red from the other liquid. The red fox stuck sticks into the bottom of them before they fully frozen, then they collected them into an ice chest.

    "Hey! Hey! You two!" Judy charged out and shook her finger at the two.

    "What seems to be the problem, officer?" The red fox barely gave her a look.

    "You two are casting magic without a focus!" Judy tapped on her wrist bangle. "That's illegal!"

    "Uh, not if the spells you're casting match your innate element," the fox sucked at his teeth as if disappointed.

    "Okay then, let me see your IDs!" Judy accused. The fennec looked disgruntled, but pulled his out, along with the red fox, who rolled his eyes." "Nicholas Wilde, water. Finnick, wind." Judy frowned. "Well that's all well and good, but you can't just sell magically-formed consumables without a-"

    "Permit?" Nick smiled, producing one. "Got one of those, too. Anything else you'd like to try?"

    Judy sneered, placing her hand to her chest as if the words stung her. "Rgh! You two have got to be up to something..."

    Nick gave a long sigh. "Check it out, Finnick, a profiling specisist hick bunny. As if that's new." Finnick turned his head to look at Nick in sudden alarm. "We're not up to anything at the moment, though I don't exactly pay income taxes for these products." Nick's eyes flew open and he slapped his hands over his muzzle.

    "Nick!" Finnick snarled in a deep voice. "The heck's gotten into you!?"

    Judy smirked and pulled a gemmed, carrot-shaped amulet out of her uniform, where she was touching. "Amulet of truth. When I touch it, it forces everyone around me to speak only truth, and even records it!" She wiggled her fingers at the amulet and Nick's voice came out:

    "Though I don't exactly pay income taxes for these products."

    "Ha!" Nick gave a challenging smile, his brow falling. "Testimony gained through magical coercion is inadmissible!"

    "It's certainly enough to get you audited," Judy said in a sing-song tone. "Say goodbye to those profit margins."

    "Listen, Nick, I gotta go. Ciao," Finnick said abruptly, gesturing and shooting a burst of wind in front of him that pushed him way out in the other direction. He then summoned a tailwind to aid his running.

    "Hey!" Judy shielded herself from the wind burst.

    "Yeah, that sounds like a good plan," Nick nodded tersely, causing a diagonal geyser of water to shoot up from under his feet and propel him forward, taking striding leaps, a geyser with each one. Judy looked back and forth and started to run after Nick. Her amulet's emerald began to glow brightly.

    "Rgh! Not so fast!" Judy shouted out, gesturing forward. "Gravity: Well!" A dark hole opened up in the path of where Nick was running.

    "Whoa...!" Nick flailed around as he ran past it but was then yanked backwards by the hole, and awkwardly began to spin around the singularity, ending up upside down. "Well, this is awkward."

    "Gotcha, fox," Judy smirked.

    "Advanced Earth magic?" Nick asked idly. "So you're an Earth-innate?"

    "Fire, actually," Judy replied flippantly.

    "Ah, so you're just a show-off," Nick's eyes half-lid as he grumbled. Judy responded with a humming laugh. "Anyway, what are you harassing me for?"

    "I need your help, actually, regarding a case," Judy said. "Agree to help me, and I'll dispel the recording on my amulet."

    "Ah, so you like blackmail with your black magic," Nick sighed. "What do you want from me? And could you let me down? This feels really weird and I feel like I might be sick."

    Judy snapped to dispel the gravity well and Nick plopped to the ground gracelessly. "Try to run and you'll find yourself in another one of those."

    "Okay, no need to make threats, you psycho," Nick rubbed his head. "What do you need from me?"

    Judy showed him the picture of Emmitt Otterton. "I need to find this otter. He's missing. Has a wife and kids. You sold him one of those frozen treats."

    "Clawsicles," Nick corrected. "You know, because they look like claws?"

    "Whatever," Judy shook her head. "Do you know that otter?"

    "I mean, not personally, but I've seen him a few times," Nick twisted his muzzle this way and that. "I can take you to where I last saw him going. Should be a perfect place for a cute smarty-pants bunny witch."

    "You don't get to call me cute, or a witch, I'm an officer. I use magic to uphold the law!" Judy said sternly. Her expression soon softened and she beckoned him. "Anyway, let's go! This place you describe sounds fun."

    "Can't wait," Nick shoved his hands into his pockets, rolling his eyes.

Chapter 95: Magic II

    "The Grand Zootopia Library?" Judy marveled, walking into the lobby and staring up and around at the high shelves filled with books. Her face lit up; she looked like a kit in a candy store. "It's just as gorgeous as I'd heard!"

    "You're telling me a magic geek like you hasn't visited it yet?" Nick shook his head and clicked his teeth, his paws behind his back.

    "I'm new in town," Judy admitted, suddenly a bit bashful, rubbing her hand behind her head. "So yeah, I haven't gotten everywhere yet."

    "Mm," Nick nodded. "Well, let's get on with this."

    "Yeah, let's find the librarian!" Judy seemed excited, and she rushed to the customer service desk. There sat a chinchilla, seemingly about thirty, in an old-looking burgundy robe and a faded navy conical hat festooned with silver stars and a half-moon symbol.

    "Whats with this chinchilla?" Nick scoffed. "He looks like he's stepped out of another decade or something. Who wears wizard hats anymore?"

    "Rude!" Judy shook her head. "Hello, sir. My name is Judy Hopps, I'm with the ZPD." The chinchilla fumbled with his book and looked alarmed to see them.

    "Ah, hey!" His voice was bright and almost lax. "My name's Chet...ster. Chetster Freezer."

    Judy narrowed one eye at the squirrely-looking rodent. "Oh... kay?" A wave of suspicion passed over her. "Can I see your ID really quick, Chester?"

    "That's 'Chetster'. Uh..." the chinchilla flashed an embarrassed smile and handed over his ID. He winced.

    "Okay, so your name is Chet Chilla, a water-innate..." Judy wrinkled her nose, then made a face. "Hey! Look at this, Nick! It says he's... less than a year old? And this ID was issued two and a half decades from now!?" Nick chuckled at his, shaking his head.

    "Ah, yeah," Chet laughed nervously. "I'm uh... I kinda got displaced in time."

    "What?" Judy shot him a disbelieving glare. "We'll see about that. I don't know what type of game you're playing at, but-" Judy took out a magic-detecting glass from her belt and peered over the card. "-no way! That's Zootopia's sigil all right, isn't it?"

    "Sure is; the card looks authentic," Nick peered over the card, nodding. He chuckled. "Guess this kit did step out of another decade. Time magic, though. Never heard of someone actually using it."

    "The only recorded cases of time magic fall under the Reality school," Judy explained. "All four base elements of magic together. The amount of mana required to cast such a spell would be... prodigious, to say the least."

    "Yeah," Chet nodded. "I actually thought I was reading a really cool novel about time-travel, but when I said some of the cooler-sounding words out to myself I found myself in the past, before I was even born. I was mana-burned so badly that the doctors said I might never have been able to regenerate my mana. It took over three months."

    "Even if I believe that, why didn't you try to go back?" Judy accused.

    "Because I didn't understand how the spell worked," Chet shrugged. "If I used it again I could find myself back in the time of the Reptavians or something. And reciting a spell backwards is extremely dangerous, too. Besides that I like books, it's kinda why I got a job at the library. Was trying to figure out if I could get back to my time, doing some research. I dunno if the book I read from was even written yet?"

    "As fascinating as this is," Nick huffed, feeling a burst of impatience. "Can we just get to the point?"

    "Ah, okay!" Chet nodded, smiling. "Judy Hopps, right? I've heard of you. This case is like... it's big news in histo-." Chet stopped talking and looked at the two with tiny pupils.

    "Is it?" Judy's eyes widened.

    "Haha, forget I said anything!" Chet flashed his teeth nervously.

    "You know how this goes?" Nick blinked.

    "How it's supposed to...?" Chet looked away from them, seemingly contemplative. "What do I do? What am I supposed to tell them? Can I change the future here, or was I always going to come back to help them? How much do I tell them, and if the timeline is fated to split here will it create another entire universe? Or will it destroy the universe-!?"

    "Ugh!" Judy held her hands to her forehead. "Studying about time-travel theory always gave me a migraine. Let's just pretend like you don't know anything special, hm?" Judy tilted her head. "We're looking for Emmitt Otterton. He may have come in here a couple of weeks ago?"

    "Ah yes, Mr. Otterton!" Chet held up an index finger. "As I recall, he was asking for books about berserking spells."

    "Berserking spells?" Nick recoiled a bit.

    "Mr. Otterton is a florist," Judy said. "What use would he have for a berserking spell?"

    "What kind of innate is he?" Nick asked.

    "Fire... most berserking spells are based in the school of fire..." Judy mused.

    "Uh, he said he was looking for anything having to do with berserking spells that used Night Howler as a reagent," Chet explained.

    Judy's pupils shrank and she gasped. "Night Howler? I just busted a petty crook for stealing a satchel of those from a florist! Something weird is definitely going on here. Did he check out any books?"

    "No, he just seemed a bit upset, put the books back, and was on the phone talking to a Mr. Manchas?" Chet shrugged. "He said for him to come pick him up."

    "Mr. Manchas, got it," Judy said, writing in her notebook. "Is there a way we can find the books he was looking at?"

    "Sure," Chet nodded. "Let me just top off my mana here; this spell is a bit hard to cast." Chet reached under his desk and pulled out a small flask of clear liquid that danced with bright points of light, and began to carefully sip from it.

    "Ooh, Distilled Sunshine," Judy nodded. "One of the most potent mana elixirs."

    "Blah," Nick flinched. "That's like the vodka of mana replenishment. Effective, but it tastes like fire." Chet indeed made a face after a few sips. He brought out a large, ornate book entitled "The Librarian's Codex of Tricks, Spells, and Charms" and opened to a page he had bookmarked.

    "Okay, let's see here," Chet read from the book, then held on to the brim of his hat, and the stars and moon upon it started to glow as he used it as a focus. "Mice of Minerva!" Swirling up from the book came a small army of spectral, floating mice. The one in front looked at him with interest, inclining its ear. "Find me any spellbooks that use the term 'Night Howler'." The mouse nodded, then the rest of the mice scurried off to search the library.

    "Huh, neat trick," Nick said, though his voice sounded disingenuous. Judy however was enchanted by watching all the magical mice flit about.

    Chet took another swig of Distilled Sunshine. "Bleagh. Hopefully they will find something." The mice returned, it taking several to carry each book, and they plopped them down on Chet's desk before returning to the book Chet summoned them from. "Here we go." Chet, Judy, and even Nick thumbed through the books.

    "Pages are missing from this one!" Judy said.

    "This one too," Chet looked genuinely hurt at the old book being damaged.

    "Yup," Nick nodded. "Night Howlers are still mentioned, but I can't find anything about berserking spells or their dispels."

    "This is worrying," Judy said, shutting her book decisively. She turned to Nick. "We've got to find Otterton and Manchas. I'll look up Manchas' address here and-"

    Nick raised a paw. "Whoa there, spellslinger. We don't have to do anything. I did what you asked. So, if you'd kindly let me dispel the testimony you so rudely took from me, I'll be on my way."

    "Nick, I..." Judy suddenly appeared hurt, then defiant. "I can't let you leave yet. I have only something like thirty hours left to find Otterton."

    "That's your problem," Nick folded his arms. "I'm just a common fox; I'm not some mage or law enforcement."

    "You're pretty handy with water magic," Judy said, her voice clearly trying to appeal to his pride. "C'mon, what do you say? I swear once I run out of time-"

    "What makes you think your word is any good to me, blackmailer?" Nick seemed less than convinced. Judy took in a shaky breath, and took out her amulet, touching it.

    "I've foolishly made a bet and put my job on the line to find this missing mammal," Judy said, her eyes narrowing in a wince. "I'm desperate for help and I will give you this amulet when my time is up, no matter the outcome." She released her grip on the amulet, her ears warm. "How embarrassing."

    "Mm," Nick said, unsure of what else to say. "...You still have my confession on there?" Judy played it back for him.

    "Sorry," she said. "I don't have anyone else to turn to, and I need-" Judy gasped tersely as Nick placed his own paw on the amulet.

    "I'll help you until the thirty hours is up," Nick said. Judy smiled, wiggling her fingers over the amulet. She touched it's edge, and that voice sample repeated again, instead of the previously recorded one.

    "I have your word," Judy said softly.

    "I guess you do," Nick nodded. The two turned to leave, and Chet idly waved after them. The chinchilla hoped he had done the right thing in helping them.

---

    "RUN!" Judy yelled, fleeing from the Rainforest District home. Nick summoned a burst of water to propel himself away from the snapping melanistic jaguar and landed next to Judy. The two started running from the shrieking, snarling feline. "I've never seen a berserk spell like this! It's like he's gone completely savage!"

    "Otterton must have gotten to him before we could!" Nick yelped. "What is wrong with that otter!?"

    "Get ahead of me!" Judy yelled out, running across the rope bridge that led to Mr. Manchas' house. The ruby on her bangle glowed brightly.

    "Are you crazy!?" Nick spat out. "You're going to destroy the bridge!?"

    "Keep running!" Judy shouted. "Fire: Disperse!" Red beams drew a sigil around Manchas and fizzled with a crackling noise, emitting smoke. "Nothing! The spell on him is intact!"

    "Must be more complex than just a fire spell!" Nick said, making an anxious groan as the cat gained on them. Panicked, Nick thrust out his hand. "Shoo, cat!" A burst of water splashed into Manchas' face and he stumbled back a few paces.

    "I don't have enough mana to try all of the dispels I know!" Judy said anxiously, picking up her radio. "Clawhauser! I need backup! Enchanted, berserking jaguar on the loose! We're on vine and Tujunga!"

    "Its ta-HUN-ga!" Nick corrected, and Judy lost her footing, slipping and dropping her radio into the misty depths.

    The two found themselves on a wooden bridge leading to a sky gondola, and Manchas was gaining again, his eyes seeming to glow. Judy stopped running and slid under him, but the slick surface made her go flying off of the bridge where she barely held on with her paws.

    "Spellslinger!" Nick shrieked, but then noticed a sky car coming, and Manchas prowling toward him.

    "Just go!" Judy shouted solidly. Nick hesitated, and lost his chance, the car passing on by. Nick readied a burst of water magic, hoping to jump over Manchas. Maybe he'd have time to help Judy up.

    "Okay kitty, I don't know if you can hear me now, but let's just take this nice and-"

    Manchas snarled and lunged.

    "Growth: Restrain!" Judy thrust out her bangled arm and the emerald and sapphire on it glowed. Vines from around the location redirected themselves into holding Manchas back just before he got to Nick. The fox took a huge breath.

    "I'm slipping...!" Judy squeaked. Nick hurriedly made his way over to Judy. Manchas snapped and swiped at Nick and he flinched exaggeratedly, slipping and tumbling off the pier. "Nick!" Judy dove off, grabbed him by the wrist, and gestured upwards. "Growth: Vine!" A single vine relocated and snapped into Judy's waiting arm and the two swung back and forth. "If we lose momentum, I'm probably going to drop you! Do something!"

    "Okay!" Nick nodded, "I'll just spray a little water to keep our momentum going!" Nick thrust his own free hand out, but instead of water, a heated, powerful burst of steam came out of his hand, sending them way farther on the upswing than they had intended, and Judy lost her grip on the vine.

    As both screamed, flailing through the open air, Judy clutched onto Nick, feeling her mana waning. Desperately, she cried out:

    "Growth: Restrain!" More vines snapped out from all directions and cocooned the two together. They bounced around on the springy vines before coming to rest, upside-down in midair.

    "Heh heh..." Judy started to try to calm down.

    "So you can do dual-element magic too," Nick gasped for breath. "What can't you do?"

    "Well I'm out of mana, so I can't do anything else until the ZPD finds us like this," Judy's ears felt hot with embarrassment, or it might have been the blood starting to rush to her head.

    "What was with that steam blast I used?" Nick blinked. "I don't know any magic like that."

    "Oh uh," Judy laughed nervously. "That was a dual-element spell, too. Steam is fire and water. Apparently if someone is touching another of a different innate, they can use dual-element spells."

    "Oh, oops?" Nick returned the laugh.

    Judy looked away. "Uh, it's only supposed to happen though if two mammals are um... in-sync with one another."

    "Ah," Nick looked away as well. "Well, waiting for the police just got a little more awkward."

    "Yup..." Judy breathed out as she wondered how she'd explain what she'd gotten herself into.

Chapter 96: Lost

Notes:

A companion piece of sorts to the end of "The Celestials", the story version, not the chapters in this collection. Confusing, I know. If you haven't read that story, this will make much less sense.

    Nick found himself on a blank, misty expanse. He whipped around back and forth, momentarily confused.

    Ah, a dream, he thought. It was odd, however, because he wasn't used to lucid dreaming. The control he tried to exercise over his life translated to a lack of control in the dream world, but he found himself able to move as he desired, petting his own arm to feel his paw on it.

    Odd...

    Before long, the fur on Nick's neck tingled. In the distance approached a deep purple figure who stood in front of Nick. The fox's jaw dropped. The figure was a male hyena, but unlike any had ever seen. The creature was about one and a half times the size of Nick, and loomed over him to darken the fox with his shadow, which seemed to extend in too many directions. The outline of his fur seemed indistinct and hazy. Similarly, the blazing orange pupils in the hyena's eyes jittered unnervingly. The hyena burst into a menacing, toothy smile, and Nick felt a wave of intense dread crash into him.

    So, he screamed. He screamed shrilly and loudly, trying to eject himself from this nightmarish vision. It was to no avail.

    "Hello," the hyena greeted. His voice was incongruously calm, yet it still felt like it clutched Nick by his throat.

    "Hey," Nick managed to whine out as he stopped screaming, attempting to regain his composure.

    "I am Calamity," the hyena went on, stretching his arms outward. "The Celestial time forgot."

    "Ah, cute, this is quite a creative dream," the fox laughed nervously, holding up a perfunctory finger.

    Calamity simply grinned wider and took a step forward. Nick cowered, falling back on his haunches, unable to stand due to the intense feelings of terror.

    "Eh- am I dead...?" Nick wondered. He felt as though he should be having a heart attack, but his panicked breaths kept coming.

    "Oh no, no..." Calamity shook his head, which began to vibrate in an unnatural way before "settling" to its periodic twitching. "Death is terribly boring to me. Life is much more exciting; it's only in life that the living can fear death, and thus the only plane where terror and suffering have meaning."

    "Hh-how poetic!" Nick squeaked out.

    "I'm here to punish you... for interfering with my plans," Calamity smiled.

    "Pardon me?" Nick trembled. "As far as I know, the 'Celestials' have never interfered with modern mammals. You know, they only messed with them back in the days of old; the days of holy books... far back enough that no one can prove they exist."

    "And that is what faith is for, dear boy! Kyaaaghahahahahagh!" Calamity suddenly laughed, his jaw distending to do so, and his entire form seemed to fluctuate in the paroxysms of his mirth. Nick coughed and heaved; he felt like throwing up, but even his gut couldn't relieve itself in the terrifying presence.

    "Hmhmhmhmhmmmgh!" Calamity's form seemed to settle. "Yes, my clever child. 'As far as you know'. Mortals are nothing if not an endlessly vast repository of ignorance. I'm sure you've encountered this in your life with that bunny."

    "Hey, she can learn," Nick's hand thrust out, trembling involuntarily. "I can. We all can."

    "Ah yessss... hnhnhnhn..." Calamity smiled a too-wide smile. "Learning... knowledge that leads to everlasting suffering. I can give you this."

    "Wh-what do you have against me?" Nick shuddered.

    Calamity's form became black, his eyes white crescents. There was an unearthly shriek.

    "NIGHT HOWLERS." The words seemed to boom from all directions. Nick barely managed to keep from curling into a ball. Instead, he shakily got back to his feet.

    "Belwether's plot was my idea," Calamity returned to "normal". "It was a perfect plan. I had managed to suppress my very existence from the Celestials themselves, and inhabit the body of an exemplar. An exemplar of Order, even, my opposite, Surrender."

    "I'm not too sure of anything you just said," Nick tried to grin.

    "Being thwarted by mortals is so vexing," Calamity smiled. "At least if it was a Celestial, I'd feel as though an equal had stymied my efforts. But mortals? Yuck. Hrrghhahahah..."

    Nick tried to channel all of his courage, closing his fists and opening them to find the strength to stand tall.

    "So, how shall I punish you?" Calamity tittered, opening his hand as if he would touch Nick, which caused him nearly to fall over. "There are so many ways for you to suffer. I know how Fervor might do it." He extended three fingers, which grew wickedly long claws. "Three words. Judy is dead."

    "Hnhh... nh-no," Nick collapsed to his knees. "If you hhhh-have a quarrel with me, leave her out of it."

    "Oh how melodramatic," Calamity's eyes rolled all the way around. "That comes right from 'desperate lovers quips 101'. I know you'll just become a grump for ages if your precious bunny was taken from you. Like I said, death is boring. I should punish her too, anyway. Death is too good for either of you."

    Nick couldn't help tears from welling up in his eyes. Futility and helplessness weighed upon his soul.

    "I could take away your health," Calamity considered, tilting his head, which sickeningly cracked at a ninety degree angle. "You wouldn't be able to work as a police officer, and Judy would be out her favorite fox as a partner. How delightful!"

    The fox nodded. "If that's what you wish."

    "Or her health, that might be much more frustrating for her..." the hyena smiled again.

    "Hrgh..." Nick wiped the moisture from his eyes, blinking rapidly.

    "Oh you're too easy Nick, buck up," Calamity invited Nick to stand, and he defiantly stayed on the ground. "Anyway... I learned a great deal from lurking in the soul of a mortal of my opposite. I think I've come across the perfect solution. As I said, knowledge causes misery. And... I think the greatest calamity of all..." the hyena couldn't help a peal of disturbing laughter. "Is peace!"

    Nick was blinded by a flash of light.

---

    Nick woke up in bed, stretching. He yawned and lumbered over to his cracked mirror, which showed an exhausted fox.

    "Welp, time to get myself presentable..."

    He scratched at his side and entered the shower. After cleaning and drying himself, he put on his usual tacky shirt mixed with one of his father's ties to evoke some semblance of professionalism. He practiced his trademark sly smile in his slightly-cracked mirror. That smile made many mammals weak in their knees, and especially their wallets. Nick chuckled to himself after getting a small bite to eat from his small fridge.

    "Another day, another hustle."

     The fox was brushing his teeth to a gleaming shine when he lurched, coughing out the foam and spitting haphazardly. He felt like he was hit with a truck. He rubbed his head with one hand and stared blankly in the mirror, his pupils changing sizes.

    "Guh... what...?" Nick suddenly gasped for breath. "Wh-... Judy!?"

    He had a sickening feeling like he had gained a few years worth of erroneous memories. Memories of fighting a sinister sheep with an optimistic, naive bunny. What day was it...? Nick checked the calendar on his phone. Okay, it was the right day, the right month. Right year.

    "Haha..." Nick squeaked out a nervous laugh before laughing a little louder. "Crazy. I must have had a wicked dream."

    A sense of panic flooding over him, he looked back at his phone and searched the net for a phrase he'd never even heard of before.

    "Night Howlers."

    They were a kind of plant, scientific name midnicampum holicithias, a name meaning something like "the shepherd between the fields". It was a blue flowering plant that could be used as a pesticide, but recently there was also a warning put out by the FDA that it was a controlled substance. It was known to make mammals lose their higher functions and become "savage" if ingested. This could last for large periods of time if untreated.

    "Huh, kind of like what happened in the dream," Nick said, sifting through his false memories. "Bellwether and her minions weaponized the flower... hm."

    Nick then looked Bellwether up. Assistant Mayor Bellwether.

    "Bellwether approval rating high," Nick blinked, reading his phone aloud as if to confirm things he was starting to doubt. "Bellwether's work on parks and recreation given accolades. Lionheart honors Bellwether with ceremony over renovation of Mezzo Park."

    Bellwether wasn't evil. What a weird dream he had. And all those intense memories he had with that bunny, Judy Hopps? He didn't know a Judy Hopps. But the name did sound slightly familiar.

    With an odd sense of nervousness, he looked her up online.

    "Judy Hopps becomes first bunny cop on the ZPD," he read. Nothing else about her seemed notable or interesting.

---

    "Calling off the hustle for today, Finnick," Nick leaned against the fennec fox's van. "Feeling a bit off today."

    "Suits me," Finnick grumbled, plucking a slip off of the dash of his van and sliding down. "I can't believe I got a parking ticket. I was like four minutes over! That freakin' meter maid they got is like some kinda ninja!"

    "Really? Did you see where she went?"

    Finnick pointed vaguely west.

    "Maybe I can hustle you out of your fee," Nick held his hand out for the ticket.

    "Eh, don't go to the trouble," Finnick grumbled. "I'll fight it in traffic court. Can claim discrimination against short foxes or somethin'. They hate it when marginalized preds make a fuss. Hear the maid's a real hard-tail anyway."

    Nick nodded, bidding him farewell and walking in the direction Finnick indicated. A few streets down, he saw a gray bunny in a meter maid outfit slamming a ticket on an expensive-looking mid-size car. Her expression did not look happy.

    The fox jogged over to meet her. He didn't know why, but he had a burning desire to talk to her. Definitely not about the dream, though. That would be extremely creepy.

    "Officer Hopps?" Nick asked. The bunny's drooped ears twitched and perked up, and she cautiously moved to look at him.

    "That's me," she said. "Judy Hopps. And you are...?"

    "Nick, Nick Wilde," he offered a handsome grin.

    "Do you have a car, Mr. Wilde?" Judy's eyelids fell. "Is that what this is about?"

    "Pardon?" Nick blinked. "No, no I do not."

    "Well," Judy smiled a fake, annoyed smile. "As you can see, I'm a meter maid. I write parking tickets. I'm the ZPD's token bunny, the progressive symbol of how 'accepting' the force is. So if you have no business with me, I'd suggest you kindly move along."

    "H-huh," Nick felt a strange sense of hopelessness, "that's not really what you signed on for, is it?"

    Judy glared dangerously at Nick. "Of course it isn't. I've been at this menial busywork for three years, hoping I'd get some sort of break. Hoping I could prove myself as a cop. But you know what? The reality is that it just doesn't work that way. No one needs a bunny cop. What they need is a mascot. I think about quitting every day on this stupid job. But I'm just too stubborn for that."

    "Oh! Well..." Nick tried to chuckle, but it came out strained, "maybe I could help with that? You catch me in a 'crime', arrest me, and get some accolades that way?"

    Judy raised an eyebrow and darted a paw to her belt. She held out a tube that struck Nick with a strange sense of familiarity. Of course he had seen a can of Fox Away pepper spray before, but he also felt like he had seen Judy with it before. Nick was starting to realize how strange his proposition had sounded.

    "Listen, buster," Judy said in a haggard voice. "I don't know who you are or what you want, but if you don't let me be you're going to get two nostrils full of this." She indicated the spray with her eyes. "I'm not in the mood to be toyed with."

    "Uh- of course not," Nick held up his paws close to his face in surrender, taking a step back.

    "Have a nice day," Judy said acidly, turning on her heel and walking away from him.

    Nick was bewildered; he felt like he had missed some sort of opportunity. Confusion gripped him as he felt like he should follow her to see what she was up to, then quickly dismissed that. He didn't actually want to get arrested, but even if he did, he doubted it would further the bunny's career if he got busted for stalking her.

    But why would he even care about that?

    The fox brushed a paw through his muzzle as he walked forward, shaking his head. Maybe he should see a therapist. He had wanted to get out of hustling for some time, but it was what he was good at. If he was suddenly having dreams of entire lives he could be living that would be more fulfilling than this one, then he probably had much bigger mental problems then he thought.

    He laughed scornfully, despite himself.

    "Hey," an unfamiliar voice called out to him from the alley. Nick looked to the left and saw a female cream-colored bunny with fiery orange eyes.

    "Yes?" Nick looked at her, sizing her up. She looked like an easy mark for a hustle; most bunnies were pretty stupid. He had a feeling Judy wasn't, just fatigued- and maybe he should stop thinking about her.

    "Don't worry," the bunny smiled gently, "we're gonna fix this."

    "Uh, fix what, what's broken?" Nick's brow furrowed.

    "Someone did something really surprising that they shouldn't have," the bunny shook her head, folding her arms. "But when you do something, you're not supposed to undo it. No backsies!"

    "Right..." Nick said, then decided he should be somewhere else. He left the strange bunny and walked at a slightly accelerated pace to another block. He saw an attractive vixen leave an eatery half a block down. Struck by curiosity, Nick hurried up to meet her. The vixen had unusual, but not unheard of colors; it was a gold-platinum morph. She was very eye-catching, with soft reds and whites all over her.

    Before he could say anything, the vixen looked at him. Nick felt a strange chill.

    "Everything must be set right," she said. "Even if what's right is wrong. That's justice."

    Nick nodded with determination as if he understood, and walked past her hurriedly, struck again with discomfort. He suddenly felt very, very far from home, and decided to hail a taxi to get home. He had the feeling he needed some rest.

    The taxi that came to get him was enormous, meant for the tallest mammals. Nick shrugged; any port in a storm.

    "Where are you going?" A feminine voice asked him. Nick looked up; it belonged to a giraffe.

    "1955 Cypress Lane," Nick replied. "And make it quick. I don't feel well."

    "You poor soul," the scratchy but soothing voice of the cab driver came.

    Nick felt tense, and shrieked when the cab nearly hit another car.

    "Okay, I didn't mean it so literally!" Nick huffed, breathlessly.

    "It's okay," the cab driver said. "You can't escape fate, one way or another."

    Nick felt an overwhelming sense of dread. When the car stopped near his place, his paw was trembling as he offered payment to the cab driver. The fare seemed anomalously high.

    "Consider this one on me," the giraffe said with a calm, lazy smile. "We've got a debt to repay you."

    Without a word, Nick scurried into his place, and into bed. He shivered, but not from the temperature. What was going on?

    He knew he'd never be able to sleep with his thoughts scattered all over the place.

    But just a few minutes later, oblivion claimed him.

---

    Nick woke up in bed, stretching. He yawned and lumbered over to his cracked mirror, which showed an exhausted fox.

    "Welp, time to get myself presentable..."

    He scratched at his side and entered the shower. After cleaning and drying himself, he put on his ZPD uniform. He practiced his trademark sly smile in his slightly-cracked mirror. It'd made him many friends and enemies in the police department, but many more friends. Who could resist this charming fox? Nick grabbed a bite to eat from his small fridge.

    "Gotta move out of this dump soon," Nick shook his head self-reprovingly.

    As he brushed his teeth, he spat out the foam and smiled widely. Wiggling his eyebrows, he made his way to work.

    He really didn't like waking up early, but he had gotten accustomed to it. As usual, Judy was waiting outside the office to greet him.

    "Well if it isn't Ms. Bright-Eyed and Bushy-Tailed," Nick grinned at Judy as the two met, heading up the long set of steps to the ZPD.

    "First thing in the morning and you're already looking at my tail?" Judy chirped, rolling her eyes. "You scoundrel."

    "Only always," Nick said to both accusations. Past the first set of steps, he stopped. Judy stopped at the first step of the second set, looking back at him.

    "Seriously though," she looked back at him reprovingly. "There's a time and a place."

    "Yeah, huh," Nick's shoulders jumped up distractedly. He had a strange, wistful feeling. "Hey, Judy?"

    Judy blinked at the use of her first name, turning around. "What's up, Nick?"

    "Could you c'mere a sec?"

    Judy approached Nick, and squeaked out a sudden "oh!" as Nick hugged her tightly, lifting her up.

    "H-hey!" Judy chuckled. "What's this for?"

    "Beats me," Nick returned the laugh, though his was uneasy. The hug gave him an incredible sense of relief, though he had no idea why. "Felt like I don't hug you enough."

    "Of course you don't," Judy bapped him softly on the nose as she got put down. "You can never get enough hugs."

    Nick rolled his eyes. "You know, for a bunny of justice, you sure are a softy."

    "Look who's talking," Judy teased, "just when I think I've got you figured out, you give me a surprise hug."

    "Just part of my charm I suppose, Carrots," Nick got the door for Judy into the ZPD.

    "Yeah, don't push it," Judy narrowed an eye as she strolled through the door.

    "But I had to push to open the door for you!"

    "Nick..."

---

    Later that day, the two were patrolling in Sahara Square when they saw police lights flashing. The two got out of their cruiser; Judy began shouting into her radio.

    "Officers Hopps and Wilde, inquiring about incident on Sandy Ridge!"

    "Officer Ferrum, we've got everything under control," a commanding voice came back.

    "Huh, does that kind of sound like Patrick Warbearton to you?" Nick wondered as they rushed over.

    Judy peeked around the corner and saw a rhino and wolverine police officer slamming a male hyena onto the hood of their car.

    "Finally caught ya, pal," the rhino said in the same voice from the radio. The rhino held one hand against the back of the hyena, pinning him easily on the hood of the car.

    "Been runnin' a long time, haven'tcha?" The wolverine grinned.

    "Not long enough, apparently," the hyena shared the grin as the wolverine leaped up to cuff him. "Oh I wish you weren't taking me back to that wretched place..."

    "You've been gettin' out of doin' your time for a long 'time', buster," the rhino grinned.

    "I'll never understand you boys," the hyena chuckled as the wolverine opened the door on his cruiser for the hyena. "You should be on my side."

    "Uh?" Judy tilted her head.

    "For the balance of power to be restored," the rhino said. "There needs to be equal parts of both from each side. You've been shirking your responsibility long enough."

    "Heck is he talking about?" Nick wondered. The two shoved the hyena into the cruiser and started to get into it themselves. The wolverine noticed the two and waved.

    "Hey! Don't worry, officers," the wolverine flashed his badge. "Everything's gonna be fine now. Balance is restored n' all that!"

    The cruiser sped off.

    "Well that was weird," Judy said as the two headed back to their own cruiser. "Was that weird?"

    "Very weird," Nick agreed, nodding. "I didn't hear a call over the radio about that incident."

    "Wonder what the hyena did," Judy smirked as the two shut the doors on the cruiser. "Male hyenas have so little testosterone, it's kind of strange to see one getting into trouble.

    "Hey, that's kind of a stereotype, Carrots," Nick looked at her with half-scorn. "Just because you don't have a heaping load of testosterone doesn't mean you can't be a criminal mastermind."

    "Ahuh, how small of me," Judy teased sarcastically. As the two began to drive back, Judy subtly wiggled her head. "Hey uh, did I ever tell you I once had a weird dream about a flying bunny? I just now kind of remember it. Bits and pieces. There were fireworks, I think."

    "Uh, no?" Nick laughed. "Did you have a pizza right before bed or something? I hear that can give you strange dreams." The fox got a thousand-yard stare. "I don't remember my dreams very often. Now that you mention it, though... I did have this weird dream once about a pretty, nude vixen on a beach."

    "How is that weird?" Judy's brow lowered, growing a teasing smirk. "Seems like a typical hornball fox dream to have. Was it winter when you had it?"

    "It's weird because I've never been to a beach," Nick shrugged.

    "Still seems low-key on the 'weird' scale to me," Judy rolled her eyes. "Anyway, you wanna grab a coffee once we get back to Savanna Central?"

    "Sure thing, Fluff," Nick nodded. A minute passed in silence when Nick felt a burst of unease. "...And Judy, I'm really glad I'm your partner."

    Judy blinked. "There you go with the sudden sappiness again." She waited till a traffic light to smile at him. "But I'm happy to be your partner too, you silly fox."

    "Graduated from 'dumb', huh?" Nick smirked.

    "Yeah," Judy mirrored his expression fondly. "A little."

Chapter 97: Lost II

    "What shall we do today, Finn?" Nick asked, slapping the hood of Finnick's ever-deteriorating vehicle. The fennec fox was on the hood, and jumped a little at the loud sound.

    "Screw you, Wilde," Finn muttered, plucking a slip off of his windshield wiper.

    "Maybe Jumbeaux's?" Nick asked airily, stretching luxuriously. He checked his phone. "Ol' Jerry's there, but it's been three years since he's seen us. Maybe he's forgotten what I look like."

    "The elephant suit's still at the wash after the 'incident' we ran into last time with the grubfurters," Finnick glared in the red fox's direction before dropping to the ground.

    "The mustard still won't come out, huh?" Nick looked like he had actual concern on his snout as he planted one paw on his hip and one on his cheek, but Finnick didn't seem to care either way.

    "Either way, I got a parking ticket," Finnick waved the slip. "Gotta go take care a that. I'll use the ol' 'cute mammal' on 'em."

    The taller fox blinked. "Didn't you just get a ticket? This seems familiar; think I'm having deja vu."

    "No?" Finnick grunted. "First one in a long time." The fennec scrabbled up into the driver's seat. "Now scram. I gotta go get my fur and claws did so I look my best when playing up the fluffiness."

    "Ooh, send me pictures," Nick cooed with his paws clasped together, "oh- and if you want to keep the cute angle, be sure to talk as little as possible."

    Finnick casually gave Nick a rude gesture as he drove away.

    "Hmph," Nick smirked, kicking at the ground and shoving his hands into his pockets. His smile vanished once no one was there to catch it.

    Of course, he had enough money to take a day or two off from the whole "hustling" thing. Finnick wasn't even that great to hang out with, so he probably wouldn't have insisted on going with the grouchy fennec even if he wanted him to. All of that coupled with a complete lack of obligations on Nick's part left him free. He was free to explore his city, do what he wanted, take in the sights.

    The freedom was paralyzing.

    "What to do..." Nick tapped his right foot as he looked around the subway station for somewhere to go. He could see a museum, visit one of his acquaintances.

    Call some friends to hang out, maybe.

    Nick smirked, despite himself. He didn't have "friends", he had "contacts". He had people that owed him, and people that he owed. And he had his business partner Finnick. The only reason the two worked so well together is that they shared a similar disdain for the city and the world at large, and that they were both foxes.

    The fox's eyelids came down as he stared at his phone. To his surprise, he'd actually gotten a text. He flinched, wondering if it'd be from either one of his parents.

     Ah, good, it was just from Jacob, a bartender at the Wet Wolf Whistle.

    [Can you do me a favor?] The text asked.

    [What's up?] Nick replied noncommittally.

    [Daughter's graduation is today. Can you cover for all or part of my shift at the W3?]

    Nick scowled. He wanted to say no. Here was a horse who had his life together and was getting to celebrate something as mundane as his little foal graduating elementary school. Hardly an accomplishment, Nick thought. What, would they start handing out medals for being born within the next few years?

    [Sure. What's the shift?] He replied, sighing.

    [Six til' close.]

    Nick supposed he should. After all, Jacob had taken a mild liking to Nick, or at the very least a tolerance. During one of Nick's many less glorious periods, he'd found himself in need of a job, and he picked up a few temporary shifts at the W3, where he mostly washed dishes. Jacob taught him how to do the whole bar tending thing as well, and showed Nick some of his skills. The fox still had no idea how the horse managed to pull off half of the tricks with the glasses, given his hooves.

    [All right, but you owe me!]

    [Thanks so much, Wilde. Traffic should be light tonight. I owe you.]

    The fox retreated home to change. One of his many eclectic outfits included a long sleeved shirt and a vest that'd be perfect with one of his father's bowties to complete the dress code there at the bar.

    He sighed as he affixed the tie to his collar. He thought about his father, how he had left the family to pursue a job with a clothing firm, then came back nearly penniless, mooching off Nick's mother, who took him back, until he could get his own modest clothing shop up and running. Nick's teeth grit. He felt like he was getting back at his father for his many missteps with each misadventure he wore one of his father's ties to.

    His mother and father would try to get in touch with him, try to bring him back to the "light", but Nick was too cynical for that. At least he knew he wasn't following his moral compass, whereas his father's was just plain broken.

    "Sorry, folks," Nick said to himself, looking at his slightly cracked mirror in his dumpy apartment. "The prodigal kit isn't returning any time soon."

    He adjusted his tie and smiled his practiced smile into the mirror. The sharply-dressed fox stood out against his dismal living area like a shining beacon, or so Nick lied to himself.

    "Ah, someone who has it together," Nick gestured at himself sarcastically. "Tell me, young fellow. How do you do it?"

---

    Nick was cleaning a glass as he saw a twenty-something bunny come into the W3. She looked gray, and not just in color. She had a haggard, tired face as she leaped up to the bar, seemingly barely having the energy to do so.

    "Evening, young lady," Nick sidled over to her. "What can I do for you?"

    "Mug of beer, bunny-sized," she muttered. "Whatever's on tap. House, don't care."

    Nick grabbed a small mug and deftly spun it between his fingers, tossing it behind his back and catching it in front of the fountain before slamming it down and filling it to the top with frothy beer. The bunny looked at the proceedings with a blank expression, one of her cheeks resting heavily in her paw.

    "Thanks," she took a big swig of the brew and set the mug down firmly.

    After tending to his few other customers, Nick found himself going over to the dry-looking bunny, curious about her for some inexplicable reason.

    "Say, have I seen you around before?" Nick wiggled an index finger as he mentally grasped onto something like a tiny recollection.

    "Well, I come around here often enough," the bunny shrugged, taking another swallow of her drink. "Uh... you ever been around the ZPD? Tried to enlist?" She looked at him coolly. "...Arrested?"

    "Oh no, not me," Nick grinned after a moment's hesitation.

    The gray bunny got out her phone and scrolled through her pictures and showed one to Nick. They showed three female officers: a tigress, an elephant, and a bunny, her.

    "Judy Hopps," she said. "One of the poster girls of the ZPD."

    "Oh, right..." Nick nodded distantly. "Right, there was some to-do about the ZPD hiring a bunny."

    "Tch," Judy muttered. "Yeah." She pushed her mug forward. "Top it off, will ya?"

    "Sure," Nick complied, sliding the drink back over. "How long have you been with them?"

    "About three years," Judy sighed.

    "Everything you hoped?"

    "Nope," she said flatly, drumming her fingers on the counter and looking away, enunciating her words. "Not at all."

    "Aw," Nick smirked. "How come?"

    "I'm a meter maid ninety-five percent of the time," Judy grunted. "I've gotten to do a traffic case once. Other times I just go give speeches to schools about how 'great' it is to work for the ZPD. How great the 'Mammal Inclusion Initiative' is."

    "Ah yes, that thing," Nick laughed. "Lionheart and Bellwether are pushing it kind of hard, aren't they?"

    "It's a farce," Judy spat derisively. "It's a bunch of lies. They want figureheads... mammals who don't normally work in specific areas, just so they can show how 'accepting' they are."

    "Mm..." the fox nodded, cleaning a glass.

    "The Chief hates me, so I get the bottom of the barrel assignments to keep me out of the way," one of the bunny's gray and white paws came slamming down on the bar, where it actually shook it a little.

    "So you came to Zootopia buying the hype," Nick sucked at his teeth, shaking his head. "Tsk tsk tsk."

    "Yeah, like an idiot," Judy sneered. "And now I sell the hype. 'Anyone can be anything'. Ha."

    "Hmhmhm..." Nick laughed with a playful cynicism. "You moved from your home and saw that bright coat of paint Zootopia is shining with, only to find that underneath that is a bunch of bugs. And not even the tasty kind!"

    "Every day's a joke with me at the tail," Judy growled, her face scrunched up in both anger and hopelessness. "I give parking tickets most of the time. I'm not making a difference to anyone! 'Cept maybe in their wallet." She held out her hand. "I wanted to help people... really make someone's life better. But I don't think I have. Not even a single animal. If I've inspired anyone... it's just duped them into thinking they can make a difference too. Ugh, it makes me sick."

    "So what you're saying-"

    "And that's not even the worst part!" Judy's ears came up as she interrupted Nick, sitting up alert. "My parents are proud of me!"

    "Oh, I can think of worse things than that," Nick wore a careful smile.

    "They were the ones that told me I couldn't do it," Judy explained. "That bunnies can't be cops. Never will be. But now they- ugh- they brag about me. Like a meter maid is something to be proud of. Like having the most janitorial position at the ZPD is something to be proud of."

    "So... quit," Nick said calmly.

    "Excuse me!?" Judy's brow scrunched and she looked up at the fox incredulously. He shrugged.

    "Quit," he repeated. "You're obviously not happy. Why work for a system that doesn't value you? Why perpetuate the lie?"

    "I don't- I don't quit," Judy sneered. "I worked very hard to get to where I am. I graduated the top of my class. I... I should be doing more... I should be valued!"

    "Here's one of the sad truths about Zootopia, sweetheart," Nick leaned on the counter, getting closer to the bunny. "It's not some theme park. It's not an equal opportunity employer. Sure, it's one of the only places you can see almost every mammal there is, hence the 'zoo' in the name. But there's one thing that's missing."

    Judy cocked her head, stuck somewhere between angry and confused.

    "You," Nick explained. "There's no 'u' in Zootopia... it's not a utopia. It's just a city full of a bunch of different animals with different ideas about how they want to run their different lives. And you know what they hate more than anything else? Having their views challenged."

    "Wh-what do you mean?" Judy asked, entranced by Nick's sudden shift in tone from jokey to serious.

    He pointed at himself. "Nick Wilde. Fox. Sly, shifty, sneaky. Criminal. Right?"

    "Well..." Judy bit her lip. "I've seen a fair share of your kind getting booked at the ZPD."

    "My kind. Sure. Hmh, you asked if I'd been arrested almost straight away," Nick smirked, turning his finger at Judy. "Judy Hopps. Bunny. Energetic, simple-minded. Farming roots. Am I wrong?"

    "I wish I could say you were," Judy grumbled.

    "So, why waste effort trying to convince mammals any different?" Nick shrugged, shaking his head. "Foxes are gonna be sly, bunnies are gonna be dumb, and raccoons are gonna go through trash."

    "Hey!" A slightly sloshed male raccoon to Judy's right piped up. "Don't judge. There'sh neat stuff in there."

    "You've yet to show anything for it, Jeff," Nick smiled at him patiently. "Also I think that'll be your last one for tonight."

    "So you think I should just... go home," Judy frowned. "Go home, spread my legs, and squirt out a family, like every other bunny doe."

    "Didn't say that," Nick shook his head. "You should do something where you feel valued."

    "I just..." Judy wrenched out a large, toothy sneer. Her eyes started to mist up. "I wanted to make a difference. I worked my whole life for this. I trained, I studied. I worked- I worked as hard as I could. And for nothing."

    The fox swallowed at the bunny's discomfort. It wasn't really amusing him as much as it had when she had just taken her seat.

    With a short sniffle, she blinked away her tears, looking up. "Sorry. Emotional bunny. You know how we are." The self-hatred in her voice was thick.

    "I do know that," Nick nodded seriously.

    Judy folded her paws, looking smaller, like she was going to start shivering. Her glass long since empty again, still she remained. She looked up at Nick earnestly.

    "So... what do you do to be happy...?"

    Nick's muzzle scrunched briefly, almost imperceptibly, as the question ran him through.

    "Well, you could surround yourself with friends," Nick shrugged uneasily, looking up. "Ah... take up a new hobby or indulge in some of your own? Go exploring..."

    "How about you though, Nick?" Judy wondered.

    Nick's pleasant mask cracked, just a little, his semi-permanent smirk fleeing his face. It felt like no one ever called him by his first name.

    He leaned over a little and said, in a low voice: "I'm a fox. I fake it."

    Judy seemed alarmed as Nick suddenly snapped back to his jovial mood and responded to a call for another drink from the other side of the bar. Her mind buzzed, and not with alcohol.

    Feeling tired in more ways than one, Judy waved him over after a few minutes for her tab. Paying it, she looked up at him.

    "Hey, do you... do you usually work at about this time?"

    "It varies," Nick replied vaguely with a small smile.

    "...All right, good night," Judy said cautiously, sparing him a glance as she walked out of the bar.

    "I think she wush curioush about you," Jeff observed.

    "Go home, Jeff," Nick grumbled, but then more pleasantly: "Don't drive yourself."

Chapter 98: Lost III

    "Nick...?"

    The fox in question lifted his head after shaking himself relatively dry. He had sought cover under an awning during an intense rainstorm. A sneer exploded onto Nick's face as he saw a very similar-looking fox staring back at him, similarly stepping under the awning for shelter from the storm.

    "What do you want, John?" Nick replied bitterly. The well-dressed fox he addressed removed his hat and tried a gentle smile.

    "It's ah- it's good to see you," John said earnestly. "You- well, we haven't been in touch. How are you doing?"

    "I'm doing, no thanks to you," Nick looked out at the squall, cursing. The stinging rain would be irritating to run through, but it seemed like a better option than having to talk to the older fox.

    "Well, forget about me, then," John continued, trying to keep a patient look on his face. "Your mother worries about you terribly."

    "She's as bad as you are for taking you back," Nick spat at him, darting a finger out at him. "After what you did to us. You didn't deserve that chance."

    "Maybe not," John frowned, "but I've been trying to work to afford it. The way things are looking, Mary will be able to retire in just under a year, then I can take over with taking care for her, just like she did for me."

    "I guess you think that makes it all better, then," Nick sneered. "Trying to close your circle, are you? Well you can't still be a good father, that time's over."

    "Yh-you're probably right, Nick," John exhaled. "And for that, you have my deepest apologies." He released an uneasy chuckle, pointing guardedly at Nick. "I see you- uh, still wear my ties, though."

    Nick tugged at the tie he was wearing. "Yeah, if only to remind myself how much I was stunted by being abandoned by my 'dad' at a young age!"

    The older fox sighed, smiling sadly. "I um... well, your mother will be glad to know you're doing okay."

    "Tch," Nick sneered, and a short growl escaped him.

    He decided to brave the storm.

---

    "Judy? Oh, Judy!"

    The small, well-dressed ewe waved at Judy as she came down off the platform.

    "Assistant Mayor Bellwether," Judy blinked. "I haven't seen you in a little while." She thought for a moment. "Congratulations, by the way."

    "On the new term? Thank you," Bellwether smiled, clapping her hoofed hands. "Mayor Lionheart and I rallied so hard to get that vote, and it feels like everyone loves us!"

    "Really? That's good," Judy's voice was undecided, but she decided to politely stand there and listen to the sheep.

    "I just love being the assistant mayor," Bellwether giggled. "Mayor Lionheart has put me in front of so many important projects! I just wanted to see how you're doing. The Mammal Inclusion Initiative is starting to really take off. I loved your speech! How important it is for us small mammals to go out there and make a difference!" She energetically pumped her arm.

    "Yeah, I'm uh- glad you liked it," the rabbit sounded unconvincing and wore a matching smile, even to the cheerful-looking sheep.

    "Is something wrong?" Bellwether tilted her head.

    "Well, I uh..." Judy sighed. "I don't feel like I've been making much of a difference myself."

    "Oh no?" Bellwether blinked. "But you do, Judy! You absolutely do. You've done such a super job at all of this. Your speeches are so earnest and passionate... I bet you've inspired a lot of mammals!"

    "My 'speeches'," Judy huffed, shrugging her shoulders. She tilted her head back, looking at the handsome high-school stage she'd just spoken in. "Well, it's easy enough to give a good speech, whether you believe in it or not. When I was in high-school, I was a drama bunny. Acting was going to be my backup plan."

    "You don't believe in what you say...?" The sheep looked very concerned, stepping closer. "But you're the first bunny cop...!"

    "I don't do anything important, or meaningful," Judy shrugged. "Chief Bogo sees me as more of a nuisance than a help."

    Bellwether frowned, seeing Judy lose more and more of the cheer she'd shown onstage. "I think it's noble what you're doing. Even if you don't think you're making a difference where you are, sometimes you just need to accept what comes your way. Someone could still look at you and be inspired. ...That's why I wanted you on that poster, after all. Mammals of all sizes can do anything they want!"

    "Can they really though, Assistant Mayor Bellwether?" Judy sighed. "Because I kind of don't feel like a 'real' cop."

    "Hm," Bellwether tilted her head in concern, "I know what might cheer you up! I'm taking a trip this weekend to Bunnyburrow. You're from there, right? There's a special event I'm planning for Zootopia this summer, and I need advice and help from Bunnyburrow to pull it off. While we're there, maybe you could visit your family; maybe we could even arrange to let you give a speech to some impressionable young bunnies!"

    Judy reflexively winced at the prospect.

    "Thanks for the opportunity, but..." Judy chuckled, jerking her thumb behind her. "Those meters aren't going to maid themselves."

    "Well, okay, if you're sure," Bellwether's brow furrowed, a look of concern on her face. "But trust me, this summer is gonna be a blast!"

    "Heh, if you say so," Judy smiled weakly.

    "Just- just tell me if you need anything, okay Judy?" Bellwether smiled, touching her shoulder. "You always have a friend in City Hall."

---

    "Larry! LARRY! NO!"

    Judy's ears perked up and she turned her head in time to catch a young squirrel running into the street after a soccer ball. Sparing not even a second to think, Judy dropped her ticket writer and leaped into the street, grasping the squirrel.

    Looking left a few degrees, she saw a looming large-mammal car that wouldn't even see her before it was too late, and there was no time to run away.

    So, she jumped.

    The crouch she performed as she scooped up the squirrel supplied enough energy to her legs to let her attempt a jump. She jumped as high as she could, then continued wiggling her legs at high speed to run up the windshield. She nearly tripped as the little squirrel screamed in terror, but managed to jump off the hood of the car and onto the sidewalk.

    Sighing in relief, Judy placed the squirrel down on the sidewalk, where an adult squirrel rushed over and let loose a panicked yelp.

    "Are you okay, little guy?" Judy asked the squirrel, smiling kindly.

    "Um! Uh huh...!" He looked younger than ten, and he was breathing rapidly in terror.

    "Great Celestials, you saved my son's life!" The male squirrel breathed out, a hand on his chest. "Officer, I can't thank you enough!"

    "It's just- that's what we do at the ZPD," Judy huffed, adrenaline coursing through her. Her paw trembled from her effort as the squirrel desperately shook her paw.

    "Thank you, thank you so much," the squirrel looked almost tearful. "My son- he's all I have left of my dear wife. I don't know what I would have done if..." He released an unsteady squeak.

    "Nothing to worry about, sir," Judy smiled, flush with warm feelings.

    The older squirrel drew Larry close to him, hugging him tightly. "Now Larry... promise me you won't run off like that again! I know the clothing store is boring, but I have to talk to my boss for a little bit today, okay?"

    "Hh-okay," the scared little squirrel replied.

    Judy waved at them demurely as they headed off into the store. Sighing in delight, she squinted her eyes shut and barked out a little noise of exultation, pumping both arms. She'd finally made some sort of difference to-

    "Pretty brave, what you did," a vaguely-familiar voice interrupted her thought. Opening her eyes and looking up, she found a familiar fox leaning on the clothing shop, under its awning.

    "Oh...!" Judy blinked. "Nick, right?"

    "You were at the right place at the right time," Nick smiled faintly, his arms folded. "And you just dashed into oncoming traffic without a second thought. Brave. ...Or stupid or desperate."

    "Maybe all three," Judy smiled, rubbing behind her ears. "What are you doing around these parts, bartender?"

    Nick jerked his thumb behind him, indicating the clothing shop the squirrels had gone into. "This is my dad's shop." He flapped his tie. "I think he still even sells this tie."

    "Oh, that's neat," Judy's brow furrowed as the fox's mood seemed to deflate.

    "Officer, do you think..." Nick turned his head halfway, not looking at her. "You think people deserve second chances?"

    "I mean, you're the all-wise bartender," Judy shrugged with an adrenaline-fueled giggle.

    "That's right, that's me," Nick huffed. "Got all the answers. 'Cept what to do about my dad."

    "What's wrong?" Judy blinked.

    "Dad's been a literal turncoat," Nick sneered, looking into the window for him with one hand close to his forehead and the other in his pocket. "He walked out on me n' mom when I was young, but he came back after I'd hit the- well, after I'd left home. Mom took him back, but I've never forgiven him."

    "Heck, I probably wouldn't forgive him either," Judy frowned, "leaving mom alone with over three hundred babies..."

    Nick's eyes widened. "Ah, bunny. Right." He sighed. "I dunno if I'm just weak, but I feel like- I feel like I should talk to him. Maybe see if we can still work it out."

    "Well, you have nothing to lose, and a friend to gain," Judy smiled.

    "He left mom to follow a dream," Nick sucked at his teeth. "I tried to follow my own dream once, and it was crushed. And you... you tried to follow your dream and just got stuck in a quagmire." Nick clicked his tongue. "Dreams suck. They aren't real."

    "Maybe so," Judy brushed her paws against each other. "But... I guess if you stick with them, eventually something good could happen. Y'know, just randomly." She giggled. "I got to save a squirrel today! Definitely gonna be riding high off of that one for awhile."

    Nick smiled faintly, then looked back at the store. He chuckled and smirked, his voice taking a self-deprecating edge. "Heh, a fox my age with daddy issues. No wonder I'm single."

    "Talk to him, Nick," Judy smiled. "If you need some sort of encouragement to take the plunge then I'll give it: just do it. Like I say in all of my dumb speeches, 'I implore you, try'. You'll never know what can be accomplished until you try everything you can."

    "Try everything?" Nick blinked. "Wasn't that a chart-topper a few years ago?"

    "Ugh," Judy laughed, rolling her eyes and starting to walk off. "I've grown to hate that song."

---

    "Chief Bogo? You wanted to see me?"

    Judy meekly entered the office of the massive buffalo. The police chief of the ZPD looked stony-faced, as usual.

    "Sit," Bogo said, indicating a chair that was far too big for her. Struggling upwards, she complied. "Little sore, are you?"

    "A little!" Judy smiled nervously. "Wh-what's going on, sir?"

    Bogo straightened up and turned his monitor around. It was traffic-cam footage of Judy's heroic feat just hours earlier. Judy blinked at it. She didn't remember jumping that high. With the decent frames-per-second on the footage, it would have looked like some sort of parkour video, if it wasn't for the wide angle.

    "What's this?" Bogo snorted.

    "Ah, there was a squirrel who ran out into traffic, sir," Judy said nervously. "I just... I did the first thing that came to my head."

    Bogo leaned forward, his arms and eyes open wide. "Where's your report? You're supposed to make a report when something like this happens!"

    "I- uh," Judy stammered, "something like this hasn't happened to me before. Sorry...?"

    Bogo sighed, slapping his forehead. "Cripes, Hopps. This could have made the evening news if you reported it quickly enough. 'First bunny officer saves lives'. Whatever dross they want to put. It'd be good publicity. You were just a hero, Hopps."

    "I, um, thank you, sir," Judy smiled.

    "Also... Assistant Mayor Bellwether got in touch with me," Bogo commandeered his computer, looking for some files. "She said she paid a visit to your high school."

    "Eastburrow? Why?" Judy blinked.

    "This, I'm guessing," Bogo snorted in amusement, showing a video of Judy suffering and dying in a play. "A little over-dramatic, but not terrible."

    "I uh..." Judy huffed, feeling her ears warm up. "Yeah, I was in drama, I don't see how that's... relevant...?"

    Bogo narrowed his brow. "I need you for an assignment, Hopps. Ever get your fur dyed before?"

    "What? Um, no?" The bunny took in a shallow gasp. "What do you need, sir?"

    "Mezzo Park is going to be host to a traditional bunny event this summer," Bogo looked at a report with his glasses on, squinting at his monitor. "Serendipitous, Serendipitily... Serend- ... Serendipi-something."

    "Oh, Serendipiday," Judy nodded. "It's a fun little festival."

    "And it involves fireworks," Bogo glowered. "We have strict regulations in Zootopia, especially in Downtown, about what sort of fireworks are permissible."

    "Is that a problem?" The gray bunny tilted her head.

    "Every time fireworks go on sale, we have trouble," Bogo snorted. "The Anihonese make cheap fireworks, and they sell them in bulk. Most of them are far above the legal grade for this city."

    "What can I do, sir?" Judy blinked.

    "Well, let me spell it out for you, then," Bogo huffed. "From this video I'd say you have passable acting talent. With a few coaches we could get you undercover as an Anihonese hare. You'd just need to dye your fur brown. You can keep the dark ear tips, they have those. We need to place you strategically where you could be seen as a young hare looking for work unloading some of those fireworks as they come into port. There's only one police bunny after all; they'd never suspect you were a-"

    "Sting agent?" Judy lit up. "I get to do a sting operation!?"

    "If you feel capable enough," Bogo grunted with a small smile.

    "Yes!" Judy pumped her fist, which seemed to carry her into the air. "I'd love to! I mean, yes sir!" She hastily saluted.

    "All right," Bogo chuckled. "We'll go over the details of your assignment tomorrow. Don't be late."

    Judy rushed out of the office with a smile stapled onto her face. She couldn't wait to tell-

    Oh right, it was an undercover operation.

    Judy felt an enormous giggle in her throat. 

Chapter 99: Lost IV

    Mezzo park was both garish and gorgeous as it sported lights and decorations in bright colors of all sorts. The park was busy and bustling as, for the first time, the traditional bunny holiday Serendipiday had come to Zootopia.

    The din prevailing over the park was quite loud, as cheers and general conversation filled the park. Rides, games, and food were all in bountiful supply as many mammals enjoyed the trappings of the fair for their first time.

    "I don't like this, not a bit," Officer Fangmeyer muttered. The stately tigress was wearing a neon yellow ensemble, tinged with a hint of lime green. She was walking with Officer Wolfard, who was similarly undercover as a casual fair-goer. The wolf wore a bright pink and yellow tie-dye shirt, with aqua pants.

    "For what it's worth, I think you look nice in that outfit," Wolfard said cheerfully.

    "Not that, you idiot," Fangmeyer hissed, "the fair. I seem to see the targets everywhere I look." Sweeping her head left and right, she mentally counted at least ten serious-looking Anihonese hares interspersed in the crowd.

    "Well, there are a lot of bunnies in the world," Wolfard said, sipping from a drink decorated with glowing cubes.

    "Not to mention our own is around here somewhere," the tigress muttered, pretending to be interested by a game of chance. "She shouldn't have gotten involved..."

    "I dunno, Fangs," Wolfard shook his head, "Hippity Hopps has been waiting to do something important for quite awhile..."

    "Tch," Fangmeyer sighed.

    "Relax, Fangie," Wolfard smiled, patting her on the arm, "we're everywhere. Everything should be a-okay."

    "That's inviting trouble," Fangmeyer muttered. She looked down at herself. "And I don't know what I was thinking when I bought this outfit. What's the point of getting something you're probably only going to wear once?"

    "Hm," Wolfard noisily slurped from the last bit of his drink, making Fangmeyer cringe. "Why don't you ask the bridal industry?"

    "Fair point, pup," Fangmeyer smirked.

    FWOOOMBRRRRRRRRRM!

    A large explosion rocked the center of the park, combined with the faint sound of shattering glass. Screams erupted from every angle as mammals began to run in panic.

    "What happened!?" Fangmeyer shouted, as she and her partner tensed up in alarm. "Wolfard, let's go!"

    "Right!" Wolfard rushed ahead of her towards the site of the explosion, tossing his cup into a trash can on the way.

---

    "Finally, I'm among my own kind," Nick smirked to himself. His normal style of clothing slipped in seamlessly with the bright-colored affronts to fashion every mammal seemed to be wearing to the celebration. "Bunnies sure do know how to throw a party."

    The fox grit his teeth and his tail drooped as he saw his parents having fun playing a dice-rolling game. His mother and father looked quite enthralled with the game, and his mother was even clutching a little white-and-blue Serendipity plushie she must have won at some other game. He swiveled his head to the side, looking for another activity he might occupy himself with; it'd be so easy to just walk away...

    "The lucky number's 13 this time, folks!" A spunky black-and-white rabbit said as he shook the dice. "Thirteen! Can't go higher."

    "Phooey, I rolled a twenty," Mary Wilde said, nudging her husband in the side. "Your turn, John!"

    "Seventeen!?" John laughed. "Aww, c'mon!"

    "And the foxes are out!" The rabbit gave an adventurous smirk. "Who's next? The mouse family over there!"

    "This seems to be the kind of thing that could be habit-forming," Nick said blankly, folding his arms as he approached his parents.

    "Nick...!" Mary gasped.

    All three foxes fell into silence as they looked at each other awkwardly.

    "So... how are you doing, son?" John tried an introductory smile.

    "I uh..." Nick breathed out slowly, placing his hands in his pockets. "You tell mom? ...All that stuff I told you?"

    Mary's mouth twisted in discomfort. "Nick, I can't say I approve of what you've been doing, but I'm glad you haven't gotten into any real trouble."

    Nick shrugged his shoulders with his pockets still occupied by his paws. "Yeah, guess so."

    "So, Nick, you want to try any of the fair food?" John smiled uneasily. "Maybe we could play a game or two?"

    "Sure, sounds... sounds good," Nick nodded.

    The foxes walked quietly toward some of the clusters of attractions.

    "Uh, by the way..." Nick lowered his head. "I'm going straight. I got offered a job."

    "Oh, that's wonderful, sweetheart!" Mary clapped her paws, twice.

    "Really?" John grinned. "Great! You can always work for me, though, if you need-"

    "Oh God, no," Nick chuckled loudly. "I'd be bored to tears at a tailor. I'll be working as-"

    FWOOOMBRRRRRRRRRM!

    The foxes gasped as an explosion that scattered firework stars shook the park just north of them.

    "Good heavens, what was that!?" Mary recoiled.

    "Firework malfunction!?" John continued.

    Nick's ear twitched as he thought he heard a scream coming from that direction, if faintly. Though he didn't know why, and he had backed up several steps, his nerves suddenly steeled and he found himself rushing forward, toward the explosion.

    "Nick, where do you think you're going!?" Mary shouted.

    "Not sure!" Nick yelled back. "Hopefully not into some real trouble!"

    It would have been easy to walk away. Too easy, Nick decided.

---

    Everything was going to plan, and Judy couldn't help but be a little smug.

    Every Anihonese hare that inquired about her seemed to swallow her backstory, and she enlisted into helping move fireworks into Mezzo Park proper.

    Even the packaging of the boxes she moved told her that the fireworks were over the legal yield. There were other undercover cops working the field, and the whole place was surrounded by police for the event. One wrong move and the police would strike, foiling the plot that Judy was just starting to piece together.

    Judy and a couple of other hares moved to the center of the park, where there was a rather adorable large golden figure of the Celestial Serendipity, encased in a glass container. Judy smiled faintly at the rhino police officer set to guard it.

    "Have you ever been to Serendipiday before, Ryusei?" Judy asked the hare to her right.

    "I cannot say that I have, Nami," the hare folded his arms, barely looking at her. "You?"

    "It's one of the first things I remember doing after my parents emigrated to Bunnyburrow," Judy grinned, folding her arms. "Such a fun time."

    After a small while of standing around, gazing at the statue, a third hare moved up to the hare to Judy's left, beginning to speak in Anihonese. Judy's ear twitched; though she didn't know the language, she picked up some of the words.

    Shirousagi, the "white rabbit". The name of a notorious gang of hares in Anihon.

    Keikaku... that meant "plan".

    Judy felt unease spreading through her as one by one the hares started to move back a little.

    But no, that wasn't what the Shirousagi were planning. They weren't planning for anything here.. they wouldn't be so stupid as to-

    "Eh?" Judy's ear twitched and she looked over her shoulder. Behind a tree, she saw a hare leveling a medium-sized firework mortar on his shoulder.

    She barely had enough time to scream and wave her arms. "EVERYBODY! MOVE BACK!"

    FWOOOMBRRRRRRRRRM!

    Judy leaped backwards as time seemed to stretch into slow motion.

    She saw the shell streak into the case containing the statue. She heard the deafening explosion, and felt the shockwave add momentum to her backwards jump.

    "NhhhHAAAAGHHH...!" Judy screamed as she felt a sharp pain, and hit the ground on her back.

    Looking around, she saw mammals on the ground.

    No... no!

    Even the rhino was on his haunches, glass cuts and little burns from firework stars dotting him.

    Trying to move, Judy felt a paralyzing pain in her side. Looking down, she saw that a glass shard must have sliced her on its way by, and a serious-looking wound had opened.

    "Trrghhnn...!" Judy clenched her teeth and eyes tightly. She desperately pressed at the transparent device in her ear. "Officers hit! Middle of Mezzo Park! Firework explosion...!"

    As able-bodied mammals streamed away from the site of the explosion, Judy rest her head back, mumbling in pain. She saw a figure coming toward her.

    "Hey, are you okay!?" It was Nick's voice. He kneeled beside her, looking panicky. "Oh jeez, oh God..."

    Nick's stomach turned at seeing the injury on the brown bunny.

    "Hh-hheh, get out of here, you idiot," Judy grimaced, her hand on her wound.

    "You're bleeding!" Nick shouted the obvious, causing Judy to squint in pain. Nick took off his tie and wrapped it around Judy's midsection, tying it with blinding speed and holding it firm.

    "Ghah-hah...!" Judy twitched in pain.

    "Just hang in there, bunny," Nick nearly shouted. Footsteps were audible as several mammals rushed to the scene.

    "Hey, step away from her!" Wolfard growled, advancing on Nick with Fangmeyer. The two leveled tranq pistols at him and showed their badges. "ZPD!"

    "Whoa, hey!" Nick yelled back at them, holding one paw up, but keeping the other firm on his tie. "Can't you see she's hurt? Where's the medical staff!?"

    "Inbound!" Fangmeyer hissed, looking at the downed bunny. "And I swear to Fervor, if you had anything to do with that..."

    "He's trying to help me, you dumb cat," Judy breathed out. "Ghh..."

    "C'mon, bunny, just keep breathing, okay?" Nick held the tie firm to her side in desperation. Throughout all of his shady history, he'd never actually seen someone die before, and he didn't want to start today.

    "Th-thanks Nick," Judy smiled weakly, breathing through her teeth.

    The tone of her voice struck through him like an arrow.

    "Judy!?" Nick's eyes flew open.

    "Long story..." Judy released a sigh. "Hngh, maybe I can tell you about it sometime..."

    Medical personnel and EMT first responders began to flood the area.

    "Yh-you better..." Nick almost whined as a commotion of medical mammals got Judy onto a gurney and started to wheel her away.

    "C'mon, Wolfard!" Fangmeyer growled, pushing at her ear. "They're trying to set off more fireworks!"

    "Got it, Fangmeyer," Wolfard shot a last look to Nick, and left.

    Nick was left by himself, on his knees, in the middle of the field. He stared around, the heat uncomfortable as little bits of grass burned, and he saw several mammals moaning in pain, all shuttled off to safety.

    Incongruously, the Serendipity statue itself hadn't been tarnished much at all, and posed proud with its playful wink and open-mouthed smile.
    
    "It'd be really lucky if everyone got out of this okay," Nick growled at the statue. "Do you hear me, Serendipity!? Really lucky!"

---

    Nick did a double-take as he saw a limping gray bunny head into the Wet Wolf Whistle. His cleaning of the bar surface halted, and his paw squeezed around the cloth in it.

    "Gh-hah..." she slid into a booth, getting a seat to herself, sighing and laughing to herself.

    "Jacob- Jake!" Nick made a dash into the break room. "Kh-can you cut your break early and take the bar?"

    "You've got some nerve, Wilde," Jacob frowned. "I already paid my debt to you by getting you a job here."

    "Fine, you can have my break today, jh-just c'mon out," Nick shook his paws desperately, as if he didn't go back to the bunny she would disappear, like a hallucination.

    "Okay, holding you to that," Jacob gestured at Nick and got back to the bar.

    Nick left the bar hurriedly and barely managed to compose himself before sliding into the other side of the booth.

    "Is this seat taken, bunny?" Nick asked, though excitement crept into his voice as he tried to be suave.

    "Not until just now," Judy grinned.

    "Gotta say, gray looks better on you," Nick pursued with a grin. Judy returned the fond look.

    "What are you doing, Wilde?" A caracal waitress planted a hand on her hip. "This is my table."

    "Just get a house beer for the bunny lady, Helen," Nick said. "On me."

    "Fine, fine," Helen rolled her eyes and walked off.

    "Fancy seeing you here," Judy smiled. "Jacob told me you didn't actually work here the last time I was in."

    "Well, things change," Nick bobbed his head this way and that. "Are you sure you should be up and about already?"

    "Ugh," Judy rolled her eyes, "you sound like my dad. I'm fine."

    "You didn't look fine laying in the field," Nick frowned, gripping the table edge with his paws.

    "Yeah," Judy chuckled, grabbing at her side as it distressed her side. "Oof. Well, the doctor said that there was a good chance you saved me there."

    "Hahh... thank God for that," the fox breathed out as Helen put a beer down firmly next to Judy.

    "Don't let him use his charm on you," Helen eyed Nick suspiciously. "He's a scoundrel."

    "I'll be careful," Judy grinned, looking at him mischievously.

    "So what the heck was that all about?" Nick blinked. "Or can you say?"

    Judy took a slurp of beer and let out a satisfied "ahh".

    "A notorious Anihonese group had not only sent in a shipment of powerful fireworks, too powerful for our standards," Judy explained. "But they also had made their timers defective, and its likely that had someone not stopped them, Mezzo Park would've become an inferno."

    "Whoa," Nick placed his hand on his chest. "So you stopped them?"

    "I doubt it was just me," Judy winced, laughing guardedly as to not upset her stitches. "I think I made them skittish, though. Changed their plans. Bunnies, heh. Buncha cowards."

    "Not this bunny," Nick gestured at her.

    "Whew, it feels gooood," Judy grinned. "Both the painkillers, and knowing you had a part of doing something great. Bringing justice to the world, or something corny like that." She took another sip. "Even if I'll probably have to do desk work for the next long while- oh, did you know they actually hired another bunny at the ZPD?"

    "Finally seeing their worth, huh?" Nick chuckled.

    "Well, this one's a tech expert," Judy rolled her eyes. "I'll probably be like her assistant or something while I'm on the mend. I think she's an arctic hare. Not very friendly. Officer Skippy or something like that."

    "Shoo..." Nick looked at the table. "Can't believe I might be the reason you're still on this Earth. I've never done something worthwhile in my whole life."

    "Feels good, right?" Judy smiled brightly. "Saving a life. Well, if Karma's a thing, I'd say that means you're next in line to have your fluffy tail saved."

    "Might just be working on that myself, Carrots," Nick smirked.

    "'Carrots'?" Judy huffed. "Mm-mm, not going by that."

    "Fair enough, Carrots," the fox laughed. A playful smile crept onto Judy's face as she rolled her eyes.

    "So..." Nick drummed his fingers on the table. "Think they'll do Serendipiday again?"

    "Hope so... it's really fun when foreigners aren't planning to sabotage it," Judy looked wistful. "Hey, so with you working here... that means you'll be around more often, right?"

    "That is what that means," Nick read the interested expression on Judy's face with some wariness. He pointed sternly at her. "But hey. Listen here, you adrenaline junkie. Just because I might have saved your life by ruining one of my dad's ties doesn't mean you have to hang out with me or anything. Especially when your judgement might be impaired by painkillers."

    "I think I'll be the judge of that," Judy cooed, propping her cheek up on her paw with a hazy smile. A sudden amusing thought jarred her out of her reverie. "Wow, I'd never seen Assistant Mayor Bellwether so angry when she visited me in the hospital. 'Those dirty Anihonese ruined my big event!' Not like she invented Serendipiday or anything. Though Mayor Lionheart cringing at her was kind of funny to see."

    "Dirty Anihonese?" Nick echoed. "Kind of racist, huh?"

    "Yeah, guess she's not a perfectly kind little lamb after all," Judy seemed amused at the thought.

    "Is anyone a perfect mammal?" Nick huffed.

    "Dunno...!" Judy eyed Nick over. "Guess we'll have to find out."

Chapter 100: Caring

Notes:

A Zootopia: Partners side story, set between the "Purring" and "Together" installments.

    Judy cheerfully sipped from a paper coffee cup, enjoying the cool wintry air of Downtown Savannah Central. She appreciated the warmth of the liquid as it slid down her throat, as well as the various winter fashions on display from mammals walking down the street. She was seated outside of a Snarlbucks at a table meant for two. She liked the busy bustle of Zootopia, as it reminded her of her home in Bunnyburrow, just with a lot of varied types of mammals; not only bunnies.

    Due to her own winter clothes, consisting of a sweater, scarf, and long pants, she was feeling quite comfortable. There was also her natural winter coat, which only offered limited protection against the cold for a standard bunny, but she found the extra fluff comforting anyway. Nick, on the other hand, found it fascinating. He always was attracted to fluffiness, so when his fiance got even more fluffy, well, it was hard to keep him away from her sometimes. Not that she minded.

    Nick had also offered some sort of excuse that certain changes happened to male foxes over the winter, besides some marginal extra fluffiness. It sounded like a weak argument to Judy, but she had noticed some extra... robustness in her fox. She shook her head with a smile as she mulled over these thoughts, holding up her left hand and looking at her engagement ring that was placed on her middle finger. Judy sighed happily.

    The bunny's grin grew wider as she saw a fellow lapine unceremoniously join her at the table. It was an arctic hare, even puffier in the winter than a regular bunny. Her uniform white fur lead up to light-blue eyes and even small black tips on her ears, though smaller than the black edges on Judy's. If one didn't know that the two were of different species and disregarded the arctic hares smaller ear height and larger feet, one could easily mistake the two for being related. The arctic hare adjusted her chair, then adjusted it a bit more. She started sipping from her own drink.

    "You're a few minutes late, Karen," Judy smirked. "That's not like you; was wondering if you were still coming."

    "Just... had some trouble getting out the door," the arctic hare replied without making eye contact.

    "I know how that can be," Judy said, humming a laugh. "I see your winter coat has fully come in. You're so puffy!"

    "Yes, well, as it does that every year, it's nothing to celebrate," Karen said, sipping from her drink. "I do like it far more than my leaner summer coat. Did you know arctic hares used to have a brown coat in the summertime for camouflage? Scientists think we evolved out of the color changing once we came to sapience and didn't need it for a defense mechanism anymore."

    "Huh, well on the plus side, it's easier to identify you, but on the minus side, you don't get to be two colors throughout the year," Judy chuckled. She nodded to Karen's drink. "What's your poison?"

    "Just hot chocolate," Karen muttered. "Caffeine makes me nervous."

    "Fair enough," Judy laughed. "Now let's-"

    "Hang on. Judy..." Karen shifted in her seat. "I don't know if we should keep hanging out like this anymore."

    "You see enough of me at work?" Judy smirked wryly.

    "It's not that, it's just..." Karen twisted her mouth. "It's Crystal. I uh..."

    "She getting jealous?" Judy half-lidded her eyes. "Remember, I'm spoken for." Judy held up her ringed hand.

    "No no, it's just how I feel," Karen sighed. "Now that Crystal and I are... together... I'd like to spend more time with her."

    "Oh! I totally get that," Judy brightened up. "I will miss getting to gossip with you because you don't like to open up at work."

    "Well, that's improper," Karen shot a somewhat accusing look at Judy.

    "Yes, well, that notwithstanding..." Judy laughed perkily and rolled her eyes. "I guess that just means we'll have to get all of our gossip out of the way now!" Karen grumbled a little. "So! Are things going good with Crystal?"

    "No, they are going well," Karen corrected with small frown.

    "Oh, sor-ree," Judy couldn't help but chuckle. "That's great to hear!"

    Karen raised an eyebrow as she looked at the beaming bunny. "I've always wondered why you have cared so much about my private life."

    "I'm your friend," Judy's expression suddenly became slightly pitying. "You've had some... challenges. I'd like for you to be happy..."

    Karen looked down at her drink. "I owe you and Nick both my life and my happiness. That's a debt I cannot in any way repay."

    "Friendship isn't about paying debts, Karen," Judy shook her head. Karen swallowed, but allowed her eyes to meet Judy's. "It's just about being there for each other, huh?"

    Karen finally broke a small smile. "I suppose a bunny like you would know more about friendship than I, so I'll take you at your word."

    "Now," Judy smiled with a touch of wickedness. "Give me the good stuff."

    "Wh-what 'good' stuff?" Karen flinched like she was broken from a spell, and sipped from her drink nervously. "About Crystal?"

    "Duh!" Judy clicked her tongue. "Bunny-to-bunny gossip is the best!"

    "I..." Karen swallowed. "I've never felt about someone like I feel about Crystal. When I was growing up I was just- just so caught up in my studies. I rejected advances by interested parties, friendships... but now..."

    "How does she make you feel?" Judy asked tenderly.

    "Fh-for awhile I didn't know if it was 'love'," Karen said hesitantly. "I didn't know what 'love' really is. That kind of love anyway. But um... looking at Crystal I get this kind of feeling deep in my stomach. It feels almost like anxiety. The closer she gets, the worse it gets. But when she finally embraces me, it's like... warmth. Not only physical warmth, but..." She trailed off, surprised by Judy's somewhat dreamy look. The gray bunny nodded faintly.

    Judy had her paw on her cheek, her head tilted slightly. "I know what you mean, Karen. If you can believe it, I was kind of like you growing up. I had my mind focused on becoming a cop, and no horny teenager was going to break my focus. I got called a lot of names, especially because they knew what I wanted to do. But hey, look at us now, huh? We're happy bunnies. I'm engaged to a handsome fox, and you've got your little snow leopard, Crystal."

    "She's..." Karen looked up, trying to find the words. "Something that concerns me is she feels so... perfect for me. I mean she's a good bit older than me but... emotionally and physically, it feels like someone pulled her out of a storybook; just for me. Nick... Nick did that. For me. I barely ever gave him the time of day and yet-"

    "That's just the kind of fox he is," Judy declared proudly. "He's always telling me he knows everyone, so I'm not surprised he hooked you up with someone that's just right for you."

    "It's not only that," Karen said, staring at Judy. "He... somehow knew things about me. Things I didn't tell anyone. Not you, definitely not him. Not even... myself? It honestly worries me. I have always prided myself on my intelligence, but..." Karen looked away.

    "He's just a different kind of smart, Karen," Judy half-smiled. "Did I tell you that when we met, he basically plucked my life story from thin air and used it to verbally assault me? To tell me how my dreams were garbage and lacked substance and how I'd fail and go back home?"

    "And you're marrying this guy?" Karen seemed surprised.

    "Things are different now," Judy chuckled. "But the important bit was, he was almost right. I'd known him for only minutes and he'd discerned my whole life story. He knew I had prejudices about predators, especially foxes, even though I'd denied to myself that I did. But he used his powers for cynicism instead of good. To win him over I kind of had to surprise him, show him he was wrong."

    "I'm not sure I'm following your point," Karen furrowed her brow.

    "The point is..." Judy sighed. "Sometimes other people can teach you things about yourself that you didn't know, or didn't want to believe were true. And if they're your friends, they'll do it in a way that ends up building you up and making you more complete."

    Karen revealed a genuine, though small smile. "I suppose, despite everything, I've been quite a lucky lapine."

    "Mm," Judy smiled faintly. "I'm fortunate to know you, too. Your own deduction helped me capture the villain perpetrating that virus scare."

    "But Nick saved himself," Karen shook her head. "His immune system was the victor there, and for the city. I just... what can I do to thank him for bringing Crystal into my life?"

    "Let him annoy you," Judy laughed. "He only really tries to annoy those he cares about."

    "Ah, wonderful," Karen's eyes half-closed.

    "And I'm marrying this guy," Judy said gleefully. "But enough about him. Tell me more about Crystal...!"

    "What do you want to know?" Karen ran a paw through her ears, taking another sip of her hot chocolate.

    "What's your favorite thing she does to you?" Judy asked casually.

    "What!?" Karen seemed alarmed and looked around. "You can't just ask that! We're in public...!"

    "C'mon, no one's listening," Judy shrugged.

    "Besides, it's not anything your bunny mind is probably thinking," Karen sucked at her teeth and looked away.

    "Please?" Judy clasped her paws together.

    "It's when she..." Karen sighed. "She kinda..." Karen reluctantly started to smile. "She just draws me close and picks me up, then purrs in my ear with her neck up against it. It's really- it makes me feel so warm..."

    Judy gasped then squealed. "Aaa...! That is adorable. See? We have more in common than you might think, Karen. Both totally in love with larger predators, after all." Karen shrugged, but nodded. "Well, I'm really going to miss these little gossip sessions..."

    "Uh, I guess," Karen shook herself back to reality. "But like I said, I'd rather spend my spare time with Crys-"

    "So that's why we should all go out on double dates sometimes!" Judy interrupted, holding her arms out wide. "What do you say?"

    "Judy I..." Karen winced. "You know I'm introverted. It's... I think it'd be easier for me to just be with Crystal and do some things with her..."

    "Okay, okay," Judy grinned warmly. "Offer's open anytime, though."

    Karen got up, finishing up her hot chocolate, and nodded. "Thank you, Judy. The friendship you and Nick have extended me is more than I could have expected, and I appreciate it more than I can adequately express. Thank you..."

    "Of course, Karen," Judy smiled. "See you at work tomorrow."

    "Right," Karen smiled, then her face became serious again. "No gossiping." Judy made a zipping motion with her hand near her mouth. "I will know if you've told anyone, especially Clawhauser."

    "Especially Clawhauser," Judy giggled into her paw. "Don't worry, I won't say a word."

    Karen turned to walk away, but turned halfway back and offered one more smile to Judy. Judy waved as the arctic hare made her way back home.

Chapter 101: Unknown

Notes:

This is a scene canon to my other major work, Zootopia: Partners

    At the base of a tree by itself in the park, an unremarkable-looking gray squirrel sat. He sighed heavily, sitting at the base of the single tree and staring off into the distance of the afternoon. He shivered slightly, though the fall wind was at a pleasant temperature.

    It had happened again. Even though he was in his senior year of high school, he still slipped once or twice a month or so. This time he was preparing to take a test and signed his name absentmindedly as "Larry Curlyque". A special, unique kind of pain filled him as he took his eraser to the surname and forced it to fade away, brushing aside the eraser dust. He then wrote in his current surname: Wilde-Hopps.

    It wasn't that he didn't love his adopted parents, far from it. They both felt like genuine parents, both fun and snarky, full of life and affection. But sometimes Larry wondered what he would have been like if he had the opportunity to be raised by either of his birth parents, or why both of them had been taken from him under different circumstances.

    He managed to stay calm through the day at school. Though darkness encroached on his mood during the day, he remained mostly stable and only appeared somewhat sullen, pushing the negative feelings aside. But he was supposed to meet up with his friends that day at the park after school, and the darkness regrouped and crashed over him like a wave. He just had to let it run its course. He was finding it harder to cry about it nowadays. He still felt like an emotional squirrel, but he wondered if he had just cried all the tears he had to give about his birth parents. It had been so long since they were in his life.

    His jean pocket vibrated slightly; his phone. He ignored it. Two minutes later, it buzzed again. Larry sighed and took out his phone.

    [Larry, are you OK?] Two texts from Kara, his girlfriend.
    [You said you'd be here at the Trick Meet; I'm getting a little worried.]

    Larry frowned, but started typing into his phone.

    [I'm at the Alone Tree.] He replied.

    [Ah, would you like it to stay that way?] Kara responded quickly. Larry waited a full minute before replying, considering how he felt about this.

    [You can come if you want.]

    Shortly, a honey and white colored ferret, a color scheme commonly called "champagne", appeared and made her way over to the gray squirrel. She wore pink rimmed glasses and a look of concern. She walked up to Larry, who still sat at the base of the tree.

    "Hey, squirrely," she tried a small smile.

    "Hi, ferrety," Larry returned with a mostly even voice. The ferret smiled slightly. She knew if he wasn't up to using affectionate nicknames with her, something was really wrong.

    "So um... what's wrong? Did something happen?" She inquired.

    "Nothing really, Kara," Larry sighed, looking away. "I just get this way sometimes. Thinking about my parents."

    "Your parents?" Kara wrung her hands nervously. "I thought you said your parents were great."

    "Oh, mom and dad," Larry shook his head. "No, they are great, yeah. I uh... meant my birth parents."

    "Oh, you don't- you don't talk about them very much," Kara winced, poking her forefingers together.

    "No, I don't," Larry confirmed in an absent voice.

    "Would... would you like to?" Kara stepped a bit closer, feeling on edge.

    "...Not particularly," Larry admitted.

    "Okay, um-" Kara began.

    "Kara, do you ever think about death?" Larry interrupted, suddenly looking at her with his blue eyes.

    "Er!" Kara flinched, looking surprised. "N-no, I can't say I try to d-dwell on it. Especially given what my father's job entails. I mean, as a medical examiner, you know what he has to do, and so I uhm... I don't really, no... no I can't say that. I don't like to think on it." Kara blinked rapidly, trying to control her tongue. She tended to ramble when she was nervous.

    "You don't think that... like..." Larry closed his eyes, breathing out slowly. "Do you think that there's some sort of force, like religious mammals go on about souls or spirits or something, that survives? Something that either reincarnates or goes off to some other realm?"

    "I, uh..." Kara bit her lip. "Th-theology isn't my strong point. Death is... well, it's by definition the cessation of life functions. As- as far as our senses go, I d-don't think we can perceive anything past..." She trailed off and looked worriedly at Larry's blank expression.

    "Mm," Larry grumbled.

    "But! Um..." Kara tried to concentrate. "We- we really don't know everything about the universe, right? The only ways we can perceive it are through detecting devices and our senses. And um... some mammals have better senses than others, right? So you only know if something's there if that mammal tells you and it can be observed." Kara was fumbling looking for her purpose, feeling like she was aimlessly rambling.

    "So you think that, if something like that exists, we wouldn't be able to know?" Larry wondered.

    "I um, have you ever heard of a neutrino?" Kara offered. Larry shook his head. "It's this neutral particle that almost never interacts with anything. Untold numbers of them are passing through us right this second. But mammals built special detection devices to try to find them, and there they were. There's a lot of stuff we can detect, but don't understand, either. We give them fancy names like 'dark matter' or 'dark energy', but... well, if we could describe them, what would they be? And what is out there that we can't detect? I don't know if we'll figure it out..." Kara felt almost winded, rambling on about science to Larry. He seemed to be paying attention, though his face looked somewhat despondent.

    "...What do you believe, Kara?" Larry asked in an inquisitive, but still low voice.

    Kara felt a jolt of panic as the question pierced her. "I...? Uh..." Kara squeezed her eyes shut then opened them, swallowing hard. "Larry, I... I was taught to only believe in what science could determine through experimentation and proof. Anything beyond that is... I mean, it's unknown. And if we can't-" Kara cringed and stopped talking again; she had the distinct feeling that her presence was causing her boyfriend more harm than good.

    "That makes sense, I guess," Larry said evenly.

    Kara stood there, feeling her emotions drain out from her gut. She squinted her eyes shut and looked off from the side. "I'm sorry, Larry. I don't- I don't know what I can say to make you feel better... you know I'm no good with words..."

    Larry's shoulders shrugged. "It's okay, Kara. The bad feelings will pass eventually; they always do."

    Kara stood there, looking helpless and worried. Suddenly, her face turned indignant and she frowned. She thrust her hands downward and stamped her foot on the ground. This nearly dislodged her glasses and she corrected with almost a pout in her face. Larry became baffled at the sudden change in her demeanor.

    "Larry, get up," Kara thrust out her paw for him. Confused, Larry blinked, but took her offered paw and joined her in standing.

    "Okay, Kara- uh!?" Larry sputtered. Kara yanked his wrist and drew him into a tight embrace, tucking his head under hers. After a moment of bafflement, Larry quickly returned the hug, holding just as firmly to her. They remained like this for quite some time. Finally, Larry broke away from Kara and looked at her. Kara sighed in relief as it looked as though Larry's mood had lightened, if only just a little. It was in his eyes, mostly. "Thank you, Kara. I love you."

    Kara's mouth broke out into a toothy smile. "I do too..." She blinked and her eyes widened. "Oh, I mean I love you too, Larry. I- uh! Not to say that I don't love myself. Wait, that sounds weird- but loving yourself is a foundation of healthy self-esteem, so I mean, I do, I guess, love myself as w-" Larry's smile was getting wider. "I'm... uh, I'm babbling again."

    "Yup," Larry smiled.

    "Wanna, uh, wanna get back to the trick meet with our friends?" Kara moved her thumb backwards to where she had come from. "I told them you were okay, but they might wonder what we're doing out here alone."

    "You and me alone together in a secluded corner of the park? I think I'd wonder too," Larry smirked a bit.

    "Uh!" Kara's ears got a bit warmer.

    "Sorry, I think I listen to my parents too much," Larry chuckled. "I think they would go nuts or something if they didn't flirt at least once a week."

    Kara smiled. "That's sweet."

    Larry reached out, offering his hand, and Kara took it and they walked together towards their friends.

    "I kind of like your babbling though," Larry admitted. "It's charming."

    "I'm glad you feel that way," Kara giggled. "I don't think I'll be able to fix that anytime soon."

    "What's it the techie people say?" Larry exhaled in a puff. "It's not a bug, it's a feature?"

    "That's computer people, Larry," Kara corrected and shook her head. "I'm going to be a chemist."

    "Ah, right," Larry nodded, chuckling a few times.

    Kara looked a bit worried. "Oh, it was a good joke, though!"

    "Kara..." Larry smiled, shaking his head and sighing. "Maybe I should leave the nerdy jokes to you."

    "Okay," Kara nodded, holding up two fingers. "Two atoms are walking down the street, and one says 'I think I lost an electron somewhere'. His friend asks 'are you sure?' and he replies 'I'm positive!'"

    Larry blinked, not understanding the joke.

    "You see, it's funny because..." Kara started, but sighed. "Eh, never mind." She bat her free paw through the air.

    "Sorry you have a dumb boyfriend," Larry chuckled.

    "More like you have a nerdy girlfriend," Kara grumbled; the ferret rolled her eyes.

    Larry shrugged his shoulders. "I may not know science, but I know what I like."

Chapter 102: Ignorance

Notes:

A Zootopia: Partners side story. Contains spoilers for the Epilogue chapters.

    The blur of a cheetah ran across the monitor, and the camera seemed to struggle to catch up.

    "Southpaw works fast!" The Outback Island-accented cheetah declared as he ran. The camera froze, and the wall in the background burst open to reveal a triumphant-looking rhino.

    "To take on your toughest stains! No matter how big-!" The rhino roared. The camera then zoomed in on a squirrel, who appeared on the rhino's shoulder and jumped cleanly down in front of him.

    "Or small!" The squirrel held out his hands, then saluted with his left hand. The rhino put his arms on his hips and the cheetah reappeared, folding his arms tightly.

    "Southpaw can clean it all!" The three said in unison. The picture froze.

    "And that's where we are at the moment," a koala named Kevin said, swiveling around in his chair to look at the three featured in the commercial, still dressed in their Southpaw racing jumpsuits. "I really hope they loik this take. Still needs a lot of things editted, more special effects and all that."

    "I mean, it's all roit," Trace, the cheetah in the video, shrugged his shoulders. Kevin looked at him with a pained look in his eyes. "What? I don't have any big opinions one way or the otha."

    "I think it's cool," Larry the squirrel said cheerfully. "I like my part."

    "Me too!" George said, the rhino punching his hands together. "I really liked breaking through that foam wall. Is it really gonna be a brick wall once you finish editing it?"

    "Mm," Kevin nodded tiredly. "Anyway, that's it for today. See you all tomorrow unless this take actually makes it through."

    Trace stretched. "I need some coffee. You guys down?"

    "Sure!" Larry said, and George nodded. Larry leaped onto George's arm and rode his shoulder.

    "He's not your personal valet, squirrel," Trace smirked. George and Larry chuckled.

    The three walked down to a Snarlbucks two blocks away, not bothering to change their clothes. A handful of mammals recognized them, and one lion kid even stopped them for an autograph.

    "Rh!" Larry struggled with the lion's pen that was a bit too big for him. "There... uh, that kind of looks like my signature." Larry looked skeptically at the name. "Larry Wilde-Hopps", one could barely make out. It looked like it was written during an earthquake.

    "Thanks!" The lion kid was appreciative anyway, and left the three, waving his book at his mother. "Mom! Mom! Look what I got!"

    "Pretty cool feeling, huh, Larry?" George chuckled as the three settled down to a table with their coffees. "That's the first autograph you've signed from a random fan, huh?"

    "Yeah," Larry nodded, sipping his hazelnut coffee. "I guess I might have to start carrying around a pen!"

    "That is, if you keep winning races," Trace teased, smirking. "That last race of yours was crazy! You drove loik a madsquirrel. You finally found your groove, little mammal?"

    "Kinda," Larry shrugged bashfully. "You see, I uh, I met up with my girlfriend just before the race, and it was like... uhm..." Larry chuckled nervously, trailing off.

    "Ah, you're hormone-driven," Trace laughed. "Well, whatever works, baby squirrel." Larry tilted his head at the nickname, but he was slightly smiling. He was the youngest member of the Tiny Racing League, so he felt fortunate that he'd even won one race so far.

    "I knew it, Trace, I knew it!" George laughed boldly. "I told you something was going on between him and Stacy." Larry's eyes flew open in surprise.

    "Yeah well, it didn't take a genius to figure that out," Trace rolled his eyes, sipping some coffee and kicking back.

    "Stacy- Stacy?" Larry blinked. "The fox squirrel on my pit crew?"

    "Well, duh," George shook his head. "Who else? She's all over you." Larry stared past his two friends as if he was piecing things together.

    "So... is it someone else, then?" Trace narrowed his eyes.

    "Yeah, it's... well," Larry blinked. He was hesitant to reveal to anyone that he was in a relationship with a ferret, as he didn't want any ridicule to come upon him or her. "She goes to school in Pawprintsteen."

    "That's far away," Trace's eyes opened back up and he took another sip.

    "Not that far..." Larry said weakly. "She visits occasionally. I uh... but Stacy? I just have lunch or dinner with her occasionally." He shrugged. "That's all." George and Trace stared at Larry as if he was from another planet. "Uh."

    "Larry," Trace looked crestfallen. "Please tell me you're not this dense."

    "Huh...?" Larry said in a tiny voice.

    "Obviously she thinks you're dating her, baby squirrel!" George winced. "You need to pump the brakes, or else this is going to get ugly."

    "Oh jeez..." Larry looked down at the table he was sitting on. He took out his phone and smiled weakly at the flirtatious messages Kara, his girlfriend, had given him. He also looked into the texts Stacy was sending him. "Um... I'm supposed to meet her for dinner tonight. Should I cancel?"

    "This poor kit," Trace glanced over at George as if pitying the squirrel. "Ladies hate it when you break up with them ova text. You gotta meet her."

    "Break up!?" Larry squealed. "I'm not in a relationship with Stacy!"

    "You may not think you are," George said solemnly, "but she probably thinks you are..."

    "Even if I've never said anything-" Larry started, but then paused. He recalled a story from his adoptive mother about how she found out she was in love with her mate, Nick, and it was before she had even realized it. "Oh no."

    "You getting it now?" Trace frowned. "Meet her and break it off. You can't keep leading her on."

    "R-right, definitely," Larry nodded. He leaped off the table and quickly scurried out of the shop.

    "That kit is gonna get run ova by this world at this rate," Trace shook his head.

    "Yeah, well he is just a baby," George smirked. "We can help take care of him." Trace sighed.

---

    Stacy was waiting for Larry when he got there. The fox squirrel was just about Larry's height and looked somewhat similar to him, having a youthful face and blue eyes just a few shades lighter than Larry's. Fox squirrels looked very similar to gray squirrels, but with an almost cheddar color on their underbellies and mixed into their tails. They had gotten together at a forager's restaurant, a pretty small one. Both were dressed casually.

    Was it really a date? Larry thought. He automatically moved to open the door for her. It would have been rude not to. Stacy closed her eyes and gave a slight nod of her head as she entered. This was going to be difficult.

    Stacy smiled as their nut salads came out, but her brow furrowed as she saw Larry looking pensive. "Something wrong, Larry?"

    "I uh-" Larry started nervously. His breath was coming quick; he wasn't sure how to break up with someone, he'd barely even known he was dating her. Now that it was brought out to him, it seemed so obvious. "Stacy, we should probably uh... stop going out to eat together so much."

    Stacy's mouth hung open slightly as she brought her fork to her mouth. "What... why?"

    "Mm..." Larry bit his lip, looking off to the side. "Well you know, we're kind of co-workers, so wouldn't it be kind of weird if we-"

    "Larry, you told me your parents are co-workers," Stacy gave him a wry smile, taking her first bite. "I don't see a problem if you don't."

    "Okay, it's not just that," Larry swallowed hard. "I have... a girlfriend."

    "Huh!?" Stacy now had Larry's attention. "You never said that!"

    Larry swallowed again, guilt wracking him. "I didn't know you and I were seen as a... as a thing."

    "...Well it's a good thing I'm not attracted to what's inside your head," Stacy frowned. "Who's this girlfriend of yours!?"

    "She- she goes to school in Pawprintsteen," Larry rubbed at his ear.

    "Uh huh..." Stacy's eyelids fell. "So, you have a girlfriend that lives half the country away. Convenient."

    "We've been together since high school," Larry put his head in his hands. "And now she's gonna think I'm cheating on her, and-"

    "Who has to tell her?" Stacy sucked at her teeth. "How are you going to make a relationship like that work, Larry?"

    "She... visits me," Larry said lamely. "We talk a lot..."

    "Right," Stacy tilted her head and her face became scornful. "Meanwhile, you've been somehow oblivious to my advances and getting us together for food and flirting."

    "...Yeah, I'm kind of an idiot," Larry said, bowing his head. "I hope you didn't join the pit crew just to get close to me..."

    "Are you that self-centered!?" Stacy spat. "I was on the team before we had a sponsor! They moved me to the TRL before you were assigned to it. I just thought dating you... would be a nice bonus."

    Larry sighed. He felt like crying, but he really didn't want to. He couldn't believe he'd been drawn into such a situation.

    "You really think that squirrel out in Pawprintsteen is going to wait for you?" Stacy narrowed her eyes. "That school is prestigious! She sure sounds a lot smarter than you! You think she's not going to meet some sort of smart, handsome rodent at that school? Look at you: you're too young to have even finished college, and I know you didn't go!"

    Larry let the insults roll off him. He wasn't going to tell her he actually loved a ferret, not a squirrel. He rubbed his temples with his hands.

    "Here's another thing," Stacy pointed at him. "You could have had your cake and eaten it too, if you had kept your little mouth closed. Now you have one pissed-off squirrel here and one you claim to be in love with hundreds of miles away!"

    "I'm not... like that," Larry said softly. "I don't want to lead either of you on..."

    "Yeah well, maybe you should have," Stacy grit her teeth. She actually seemed to be on the verge of tears, her eyes glassy. "Because now I don't get to go out with a nice, kind squirrel like you!"

    "It wouldn't be kind to lie to you," Larry said, his voice gaining some strength.

    Stacy moved her head to the side. "Some of the kindest things we're told are lies to make us happy..."

    "Stacy?" Larry blinked.

    "Just... whatever!" Stacy pounded the table with a fist. "You're going to choose your long-distance relationship over me right now, is that what's going to happen?"

    "Yes," Larry said without hesitation. "I am."

    "It's not going to work out," Stacy sneered. "They don't work out."

    "I know it's... unlikely," Larry returned. "But I love her. I won't be unfaithful to her, now that I know what's going on between us."

    "We both would have been happier if we didn't know these things," Stacy put her head in her hands. "You could have kept your stupid delusion, and so could I..."

    "I'm sorry, Stacy. I'm sorry for hurting you," Larry sighed.

    "Don't you like me at all?" Stacy's mouth wobbled. Larry looked away, but nodded slowly. "Then why...?"

    "I have to be faithful to her, I've got to see where we're going; if I have a future with her," Larry sighed slowly. "If we don't and if you're not there when that happens, that's my own fault. I can't ask you to 'wait for me' or anything. That's not fair to you. You deserve someone better."

    "Better than you?" Stacy's eyes narrowed.

    "Well you already said I'm an idiot," Larry's eyes half-lidded and he grinned. "Not that I disagree."

    "You're a nice idiot," Stacy sighed, bowing her head. She looked up at him cautiously. "I'm not fired, am I?"

    "I don't think that's my decision," Larry chuckled.

    "You could get me fired..." Stacy turned her head away.

    "I'm not going to get you fired," Larry insisted. "But if it's too hard to work on my team after this, maybe we can do a transfer?"

    "No, I don't want to work on another team," Stacy shook her head. "TRL cars are the easiest of me to work on. I just... Larry! Why do you have to be so kind and understanding!? I'm trying to be mad at you."

    "Sorry..." Larry winced. "You wanna storm off now?"

    "Eh..." Stacy slowly smiled. "Not really."

    "Can we be friends?" Larry slowly tried a smile.

    "Maybe..." Stacy looked away.

    "She's a ferret," Larry found himself saying suddenly. He pushed a fork into his mouth and chewed on a mouthful of salad.

    "She-" Stacy's mouth hung open. "Larry, you really are an idiot." She laughed. "A squirrel and a ferret?" Larry took out his phone and unlocked it, showing him a picture the of the two together right before his girlfriend left for college. "...Huh. A squirrel and a ferret."

    "The deck's stacked against me, Stacy," Larry frowned. "Inter-species, pred-prey, long distance. I really don't think it's going to work out sometimes. But... I want it to. I love her."

    "I think I can see that," Stacy sighed. "Okay Larry. But if I find a boyfriend cooler than you I'm so going to rub it in your little squirrel nose."

    "I guess that's fair," Larry chuckled, putting his phone away. Finally, the check came. Larry reached out for it.

    "Uh!" Stacy waved at the waiter. "Separate checks." The chipmunk nodded and took the check away.

    "C'mon, Stacy," Larry looked apologetically at her. "Can't I pay for being a dumb squirrel?"

    "You know," Stacy looked intensely at him. "The kind of relationship you're in? I think you're already paying. I almost hope it works out for you, just because I know the kind of torture it can be to wait for someone that never comes. To have to try to take solace in lies meant to keep you happy."

    "Are you calling her a liar?" Larry was not amused.

    "No, the lies you tell to yourself," Stacy sighed, rubbing at her arm. She looked somewhat vulnerable. "Lies like 'he'll definitely come back for me'... 'that other squirrel, she's just his side-girl'. 'I'm the one he really loves'. Lies you'd do anything to believe." Stacy bit at her lip, then scoffed and looked away.

    "Stacy...!" Larry grit his teeth. A pang of pity threatened him.

    "I'm sorry, Larry," Stacy groaned. "I'm sorry for suggesting you should compromise your standards for me. I just... it feels like everyone else does it, right?"

    "That may be true," Larry looked thoughtful. "But my mom said something in a speech once. 'Change starts with you. It starts with me. It starts with all of us'."

    "That is really hokey," Stacy smirked sadly.

    "But it's true," Larry said with conviction. "I just- I want to be a good mammal."

    "Larry..." Stacy sighed, folding her arms onto the table. "I'm really jealous of that ferret. She better deserve you, and she better not betray her little sterling squirrel."

    "She does, and she won't," Larry said confidently, nodding.

    "Well, you can tell yourself that, Larry," Stacy said distantly, looking out the window. "I hope for your sake that it's true."

Notes:

Another gift from Roahm: Some of the Hopps OCs in my stories (and my interpretation of SophieWitch's character Samanatha Hopps)

Beware the fluffle! (Especially Jenny)

Chapter 103: Relax

Notes:

This is a scene canon to my other major work, Zootopia: Partners

    The front door to a cozy little Tundratown home opened.

    "Guess who's back from filming?" asked Crystal, an exuberant snow leopard. She held out both of her arms wide.

    "Crystal...!" exclaimed Karen Skippel, her arctic hare mate, with some degree of yearning in her voice. She leaped off of the couch and went over to hug her. Crystal lifted her off the ground and hugged her close, nuzzling her a bit. "Missed you."

    "Missed you too, Skippy," Crystal began to hug her slightly more firmly, then started to put her down. Before letting her go, however, she began to notice some anomalies. "Wait, what's wrong? You're wearing one of my shirts?"

    "Uh, yeah, all mine are in the wash, so-," Karen's voice was unconvincing. Crystal looked at the arctic hare's paws.

    "Karen! Your claws have been nibbled almost all the way to the end!" Crystal stared at Karen in concern. Then, Crystal's eyes caught something on the couch Karen had come from. "Is that... is that the Book of the Lamb?" Crystal's attention turned back to Karen. "What's going on, Karen? I thought the last book I'd see you with is a religious text."

    Karen sighed and released herself from Crystal's grasp and wandered over to the couch, shutting the book. "Sorry Crystal, it's just a bit of homework I've been doing..."

    "What sort of 'homework'?" Crystal fought the urge to put her arms on her hips as if she was some sort of suspicious mother. "I know you usually only wear one of my shirts when you need some sort of extra feeling of comfort when I'm away..."

    "It's just, there's a criminal that's leaving a different scripture from the Book of the Lamb at all of their crime scenes..." Karen shrugged her shoulders. "I've been seeing if there's any sort of pattern, especially predictive, or if they correlate with the victims in any way-"

    "Victims?" Crystal blinked. She gasped tersely. "Skippy sugar, you aren't investigating a serial killer again are you!?"

    Karen bit her lip. "It's not technically my investigation, I just volunteered to help."

    "Why, for heaven's sake!?" Crystal rushed over and sat next to Karen. "You know how stressed out you get about that stuff! Why would you bring something like that home with you?"

    "It's just..." Karen sighed shakily. "Cause there's a serial killer loose, you know? Serial criminals, they have particular, obsessive behaviors. It's almost like a game to them, like they want to prove they're smarter than you..." Karen frowned. "I have obsessive behaviors too. If anyone's gonna catch a break into this case, it'd probably be me."

    "But..." Crystal felt pained, brushing her hand over Karen's head. "You get nightmares about that type of stuff..."

    "I only just started researching into the matter today," Karen said carefully, eyes looking past Crystal, trying to center her feelings. "I knew you'd be coming home today, so I thought I could tuh-take it." Her breaths started coming quicker; she began to hyperventilate.

    "Oh, Karen, shh..." Crystal drew her close. "It's okay. Your kitty is here now." If the snow leopard was honest, it was very hard to start purring when she knew Karen was distraught. After all, purring most naturally came from contented cats. However, Crystal was a fairly accomplished actress, and by focusing on happier memories she had, usually involving catching her little lapine love doing something unusually adorable, she was able to purr almost on command. She began to do this.

    Karen almost instantly started to relax. Thankfully for her, purring had never lost its effectiveness on her mood. She would describe it as a "perfect" sound, the rhythmic rumbling serving as the ideal white noise for all of her thoughts to bounce against and dissipate, as though they were insects drawn to a bug zapper. To Karen, Crystal's purring was an aural panacea.

    Crystal leaned forward, sprawling out along her couch, and nudged her head into Karen's midsection in a very feline manner. Karen reacted smoothly, petting the snow leopard's head and ears, craving this kind of contact from her love.

    "I'm just so-" Karen started.

    "Shh..." Crystal suggested, moving her paws up underneath Karen's borrowed shirt and starting to knead at Karen's chest and stomach fur. Karen sighed and slumped backwards, feeling her thoughts melt away again. She probably would have said: "I'm just so worried about something", but she was beginning to forget about what. About the serial killer? Crystal probably would have just showed her claws and told the bunny that she would protect her. But her thoughts started fading again, replaced with only the soft feelings Crystal was inflicting upon her.

    The paw kneading, purring, and repeated nuzzling occurred for quite awhile, until Karen looked fairly zoned out, eyes unfocused.

    "Hm hm, there we go," Crystal smirked. "I missed you too."

    "Mm..." Karen's eyes focused again, but she sighed, feeling utterly relaxed.

    "Now that you're more goop than arctic hare, let me just say something," Crystal said, her voice gentle but serious. "Please don't bite off more than you can chew at the ZPD, especially when I'm not around. I know you're the Chief Technical Officer and everything, but just try to pace yourself, okay? I don't want my bunny to burn herself out."

    "Okay," Karen nodded, feeling indeed too much like mush to argue. She leaned in for a hug and a soft smooch, which were easily reciprocated by the grayish-furred feline.

    The two engaged in a few other activities before turning in for the night. It had been a fairly long time since the two had last seen each other, after all.

    That night, Karen was cuddled up with Crystal for bed. This was a bit of a rare treat for Karen, as the two had separate beds. Karen was a bit of a wild sleeper, and it wasn't conducive to a good night of sleep for them to sleep next to each other. Crystal, though, had nowhere to be on the next day and figured Karen could use a bit of extra comfort. Ruminating on this, Crystal thought about how she would be all things, if it was possible, for Karen's comfort.

    The snow leopard often squelched her own fears or worries to put on a brave, confident face for Karen. She thought about this seriously as she pet Karen's back. The white lapine's perfectly measured breaths told Crystal that Karen was probably already asleep. Crystal knew that if she let Karen get wise to the fact that she was also worried, Karen's own worry would redouble, like a feedback loop of anxiety.

    Luckily for the both of them, Crystal was an actress.

    Crystal's own thoughts finally faded as she absorbed the comfort of her smaller love tucked in close to her. She found herself purring lightly a few times before sleep claimed her.

    An indeterminate amount of time later, Crystal abruptly awoke to find her face in an uncomfortable angle, and a bunny foot firmly implanted in her jaw.

    How does she do that? Crystal thought to herself, looking at Karen's utterly improbable sleeping position. The lapine still seemed fast asleep, though. Crystal sighed warmly, kissed the foot, and tried to go back to sleep again.

    It wasn't as hard as she thought it would be.

Chapter 104: Unsatisfied

Notes:

A Zootopia: Partners side-story, set late in the Epilogues.

    Nick decided to head into the Grand Zootopia Library on the way home, still dressed in his police uniform. Another shift had ended for him, and he felt tired. Middle-age had been fairly kind to him as he was still fairly active and free of health problems, but he did tend to get more quickly exhausted than his first years on the ZPD. He passed by the front desk and the female gray fox at the desk looked up at him with a small smile.

    "Fancy seeing you here, Officer Wilde," the gray fox librarian said in a wry, sarcastic voice. "I didn't know foxes could read."

    "Hey there, Catherine," Nick chuckled. "Which way to the religion section?"

    "You've got to be kidding me," Catherine said, deadpan.

    "Unfortunately, I'm not," Nick's smile started to fade. "Doing a little 'extra credit' before I head home." Catherine pointed him in the right direction and Nick nodded and headed down that way. He took out his phone and put it on the notes he'd gathered, picking out the Book of the Lamb from the shelf and laying the somewhat heavy book down on a table, flipping through it. He placed one hand on his cheek as he flipped through both the text and his notes, making some additional notes in his phone.

    Unable to help her curiosity, Catherine made sure there were no other pressing matters to attend to and sat down next to Nick at his table. She looked around to see if there were any other mammals around, but finding none, she knew she wouldn't have to guard her voice.

    "So this isn't a joke, huh?" Catherine said. "What's going on?"

    "Well, I'm sure I'm not supposed to be talking about this," Nick flipped through the book looking around for any eavesdroppers, "but there's a criminal that's leaving passages from this book at all of the crime scenes. This isn't specifically my case, but I'm trying to see if I can help by finding any connection between the scriptures the criminal is leaving and the nature of the crimes."

    Catherine shook her head. "Religious fanatics are the worst." Nick just hummed distantly in response. "Other than that, how have things been going?"

    Nick dropped his notes and sighed. "Decently enough. Commute is longer now that I live in the Rainforest District with Judy."

    "Vivian, Avery and I have been missing your more regular visits," Catherine said with a small smile.

    "Yeah, that's our fault, but things are kind of busy these days," Nick said distractedly. "Judy being the chief of her own precinct in the Rainforest District is pretty good for her, but our days are filled."

    "Are you working alone here at the precinct now, or...?" Catherine wondered.

    "No, I have a partner," Nick said blankly. "Marco Setter. A kit fox, if you can believe that. He's... all right. I guess it's good of the ZPD to hire their second fox, and a small fox besides. He's certainly eager enough, zealous. Inexperienced, of course."

    "Sounds like what Judy tells me of herself when she was that age," Catherine smirked.

    "Yes, but he's definitely not Judy," Nick shook his head. "Just can't connect with the little guy." Nick shrugged. "I dunno. Judy getting moved out to the Rainforest District, me getting paired with another fox; a lot of what's going on at the ZPD seems like politics nowadays."

    "Mm, to say nothing of that pig Swinton that's trying to take on inter-species marriage of late," Catherine said glumly, folding her arms across the table.

    Nick shook his head, then sighed. He brightened a little. "Speaking of, Larry's going to get married pretty soon."

    "Oh yeah?" Catherine half-smiled. "To that ferret Kara, I'm guessing."

    "None other," Nick smiled briefly, but his smile wavered. "It's kind of seeming like it'll be a rushed thing. Larry wants to get married before Swinton makes any moves. You and your mates are invited to the wedding, of course."

    "Well, thank you, and we won't miss it, but..." Catherine sucked her teeth in distaste. "It's annoying that his paw was forced." Nick nodded, and Catherine paused. "You must be proud of him, at least. I know their relationship hasn't been easy recently, but it's plain to see they were made for each other."

    "Am I proud of my little squirrel?" Nick smiled broadly. "Of course. In a perfect world though, I'd like him and Kara to have as much time as they needed to plan their wedding."

    "A perfect world, puh..." Catherine looked away, her expression seeming to be mildly hurt and dismayed.

    "Everything okay with you, Catherine?" Nick tilted his head a few degrees in curiosity.

    "Not really," Catherine admitted in a low voice, her shoulders hunched up a bit as she laid one of her paws on the other at the table. "I... I want to have kits, and Vivian doesn't."

    "Vivian doesn't...?" Nick was baffled.

    Catherine released a heavy sigh. "It's like some sort of cruel joke that gray foxes are so far from the rest of Canidae. We're not even Vulpes! Your average idiot mammal can't even tell the difference between a kit fox and a gray fox, but at least kit foxes are Vulpes! But here I am Urocyon cinereoargenteus, like I come from another planet..." She drew in a shaky breath. "If it were up to me, I'd be pregnant by Avery several times over by now. But, I can't have a child with him any more than I could with a wolf."

    "Mm..." Nick nodded. "Judy once went into a center to try to look over our options, but it was more of a formality, and Judy told me the clientele there was politely trying to inform her in no uncertain terms that it just wasn't possible. A bunny-fox hybrid is basically fantasy."

    "I know but..." Catherine's lips trembled and she look away, her breath wavering. "When you look so close... but are so far away..."

    "There's always adoption," Nick said gently, trying to catch her eyes.

    "I know, but it's not just that," Catherine shook her head, avoiding his gaze. "Avery and Vivian are both Vulpes vulpes, red foxes, even though Avery's a different color morph. They're completely compatible. It's just... Vivian doesn't want kits..."

    "That's kind of hard to believe," Nick's brow furrowed. "Vivian's such a joyful person and she loves children... she was great with Larry when he was younger."

    "She's great with other people's kids," Catherine said. "But she doesn't want to bring any into the world herself. She says she doesn't want to give others the excuses they need to hate foxes. A kit with three parents..." Catherine exhaled through her teeth. "She's still kind of hanging onto the resentment she felt from her parents when they disapproved of Avery just because she wasn't married to him. Good thing they never found out about me..."

    Nick frowned. He kept thinking of things to say, but they wouldn't come out of his mouth.

    Catherine looked at the introspective fox and her brow furrowed. "Are you thinking it'd be easier if I was in a more traditional relationship?"

    "It would," Nick said simply. "It would definitely be easier. It's hard enough sometimes for two mates to agree on something."

    Catherine made a bitter scoff, but actually smiled. "That's one thing about you, Nick. You can always be counted on for your brutal tongue."

    Nick held a paw up. "Nothing worth doing is easy. To get what you all want, you need to convince Vivian that the trouble you might go through from having kits is worth the joy they'd bring to your life." Catherine looked pensive. "Easier said than done, I know. Maybe you'll eventually be able to bring her around."

    "Avery and Vivian would have such cute kits..." Catherine said wistfully. "We don't- we don't have forever. We're not getting any younger..." Nick nodded, his eyes distant.

    "Yeah, and I... I feel like I need to do my part, too," Nick sighed. "I've been talking this over with Judy, but I'm thinking of turning in my badge."

    "How would that help?" Catherine frowned.

    "I'm thinking of running for mayor," Nick smirked.

    "Pah!" Catherine scoffed again and laughed scornfully. "A fox mayor? You'd go from a beat cop to a mayor? Very funny. Who in their right mind would vote for a fox?"

    "I'll have you know I'm very charming, Catherine," Nick adjusted his uniform's tie. "Voters dig that. Oh, also I'm a hero of Zootopia. Some residual brownie points from that little incident."

    "Uh-huh..." Catherine rolled her eyes. "But you have those two decades of hustling to explain away. A fox mayor. That's definitely a fantasy as a concept. We've had a pred mayor, and look how that went. You think a sly, sneaky fox could be mayor of Zootopia?"

    "I've seen this world through the eyes that change needs to come from," Nick said lowly, but firmly. "From where I am right now I can't do anything. But I feel like I owe it to Zootopia to protect it from the hatred that's slowly teasing its way back into the minds of the general public. The hatred that was always there, that Judy accidentally broke open, but then tried her hardest to fix up. I owe it to her, and to the rest of Zootopia, to do my best to make it better."

    "Well you'd have my vote, at least," Catherine smirked, folding her arms on the table. "You talk a good game, if nothing else."

    "That and perhaps I could work for some of our mutual vulpine interests when I'm elected," Nick straightened up haughtily, his eyes closed. "Solidifying inter-species and pred-prey marriage rights. Maybe seeing if there would be room for a child to legally have more than two parents...?" He gave Catherine a smirk, raising his eyebrows briefly.

    "Looking out for the special interests of yourself and your friends," Catherine said wryly. "You sound like a corrupt politician already."

    "Perfect," Nick laughed. "Anyway, let me know if things change with you and your foxes." Nick got up to leave, picking up his things and the holy book. "Gonna check this out and do my homework at home."

    "Mm," Catherine got up and walked him to the desk to check out the book. Catherine looked distant and thoughtful as she scanned his book for checkout. "Nick, you're not serious about running for office, are you?"

    "Completely serious," Nick nodded.

    "And do you think you can honestly win...?" Catherine frowned, her voice hushed.

    "Maybe not completely honestly," Nick smirked.

    "Nick," Catherine said flatly.

    "Truthfully Cathy, I don't know," Nick said wistfully. "But I sure as heck am going to try." The fox picked up his book and turned to leave.

    "I never said you could call me Cathy...!" Catherine called after him.

    "Ah ah!" Nick turned his head partway back to her and smirked. His muzzle was starting to get that slightly frayed look of age, but his green eyes shone with his intelligence and the secrets that he kept. "You said I couldn't call you Cat or Cat-Kat, like your mates do. You never said I couldn't call you Cathy."

    Catherine held up a forefinger, searching her memory, then dropped the digit. "Sneaky little... with a mind like that at your age, maybe you could run for office after all."

    Nick laughed, turning around and holding up one paw in farewell as he walked away. "Catch you later, Cathy."

Chapter 105: Trail

Notes:

Set after the end of the Zootopia: Partners canon

    Pearline Swinton took the podium, giving a rehearsed smile; though warm enough. Election season had come and it was time for her to secure her place as the mayor of Zootopia for another term. She was a middle-aged, fairly attractive pig. She wore a nice red dress and navy blue jacket and had charm to spare; her honeyed words had captivated Zootopia in it's time of prosperity. Her main running opponent was Nick Wilde, a grizzled, handsome old fox who was pushing sixty. She didn't dare underestimate him; she wasn't in the business of doing that. Pearline hoped her speech would bury him in the eye of the voter.

    "Greetings Zootopians!" Pearline Swinton began. Her voice was clear, practiced, but professional. "Thank you for coming out to see me today, and for those of you watching at home. You know that under my ticket, Zootopia has enjoyed prosperity. Lives have been improved, crime rates lowered, taxes lowered. But there is a threat to Zootopia, and it comes from outside. Now, you may be wondering what this threat is, and rest assured I will tell you. It is the outsider."

    There was a small bit of murmuring before Swinton moved her arm subtly to disperse the discussion. "I don't mean the outsider from other cities in our fine country no, but what of the other animals from other countries? For too long our immigration laws have been lax. We have several hundred reptiles in this country now! Before you say, 'Oh Swinton, you speciesist old pig, what's wrong with reptiles?" let me tell you that I know many reptiles; they can be good people. But they did not found Zootopia. We did, mammals. Not birds, not reptiles. The more animals we brazenly let into Zootopia, the more the things that make our nation special are diluted."

    Swinton turned her head subtly and gave a sweet, almost pitying smile to her listeners. "A similarly sized reptile uses more electricity than a similarly-sized mammal. It's true! Reptiles need specialized heaters to function in our modern world. Now, I don't say we should evict reptiles from our city, far from it! Instead though, we need to tighten up our immigration laws. If you've had trouble getting a job in our city, who really is to blame? There's plenty of work for all to do! But in recent decades we've had bunnies moving from Bunnyburrow to become police officers, reptiles coming over and snapping up jobs in their snouts, some birds from the coast. I say we need to focus on mammal. Predator and prey! The harmony between us!"

    There was some cheering. Swinton smiled and closed her eyes briefly, letting it wash over her. "A job for every mammal, that's what I can offer you. Zootopia-born Zootopians need Zootopian jobs! But, of course, my opponent does not feel this way. The fox, Nicholas Wilde. You may have heard of him. Far be it from me to say that a fox, a predator couldn't run our city and do a fine job, oh no!" Swinton held up her hand and shook her head as if taking an oath. "But this fox? Do we know his history? I do. Every single thing he wants to accomplish as a mayor, he is doing for his own self-interest."

    Swinton put on a grim face and nodded. "Harsh accusations? Yes. But let's think about it. A fox with a bunny wife that wants to make sure the definition of marriage stays extremely broad and doesn't reward our same-species couples who give us new Zootopians, our future? A fox who would raise our taxes, increasing the money flow of the government, and for what, so his sickly mother can get some extra treatment at your expense?" Swinton shook her head and sighed. "And let's not forget that he wasn't quite a criminal, back in his sordid youth, where he might have hustled you out of some pocket change like a common beggar. I won't say he's reinforced the fox stereotype, but the facts speak for themselves. He's sneaky and untrustworthy, and only looking out for himself."

    Some jeers erupted and Swinton put on a pleased smile. "This is the type of mammal who thinks he can lead our fair city?" Swinton shook her head subtly. "Stick with me, Zootopians. I will do you right. I'm a proven name and I have a proven record." She gave a humble nod. "Thank you for your time!" Swinton took her leave of the stage to loud applause, a confident smile on her face the whole way.

---

    "Ooh...! I am so nervous...!" A koala in her late twenties said. She was smartly arranged in a navy coat and matching skirt, and a white blouse. She looked at the empty podium set up and took a deep breath, letting it slowly out.

    "It's a good thing you're not giving the speech then, Carrie," Nick said, adjusting his red tie. He was wearing a slick navy blue suit, and though he was starting to appear a little grizzled and grayish around the edges, he still fancied himself as quite a handsome fox.

    "Oh, speaking of!" Carrie Walla fumbled around with some papers, her voice almost trembling. She wasn't raised in Outback Island, so she lacked the accent. "Would you like to take up the transcript, sir? Perhaps at least the outline?"

    "Carrie, we've been over this," Nick rolled his eyes, though he smiled, "please don't call me 'sir'. We're friends. You'll be Assistant Mayor if I make Mayor. You're not my secretary, so put all those papers away."

    "But, sir!" Carrie started, then caught herself. "Sorry, not sir. Mister Wilde. Nick, sir. Egh! It's a bad habit, sorry. I have a lot of bad habits." She put a paw to her mouth and then jerked it away before she could start chewing on her claws. "To be honest, I'm not sure why you chose me for your running partner. A lot of the others who offered seemed more... capable."

    "Hmhm," Nick looked over her, tilting his muzzle up and smiling. "Carrie, I didn't choose you because you were 'capable'. I chose you because you were driven. You share my ideals and have a warm personality. I'd trust Zootopia in your paws before any of the others I looked into. Just didn't get good vibes from them."

    "'Vibes', sir?" Carrie looked skeptical.

    Nick chuckled again, winking. "Let's just say I underestimated a small gray prey once. Won't make that mistake again. We all need a chance, Carrie. I just wanted to see if I could give you yours." Carrie looked a bit embarrassed, but shuffled at her folder she was holding.

    "Not even your outline...?" Carrie wagged a paper at him, her eyes squinting.

    "I've practiced this speech so many times, my wife said I woke her up by reciting it in my sleep," Nick adjusted his coat. "I got this. And if I don't got this, you come out on stage and hand me it, and I'll introduce you and say how my running mate has more smarts than the arrogant old fox trying to be mayor."

    "Okay, Sir Mister Nick Wilde," Carrie clicked her teeth, looking a bit calmer. She shook her head, looking at the floor. "Swinton really laid into you."

    "I knew it was coming," Nick sighed. "Can't hide from my past. Knew she'd play dirty." Nick shot her an airy look. "She's a pig, after all."

    "Nick...!" Carrie's brown eyes widened.

    "Ah, there we go," Nick winked. "Just need to lose some of your respect to get you to call me by my first name."

    "You really do keep calm under pressure, don't you?" Carrie scratched at one of her large ears.

    "It's a tenant I've lived by for a long time, Carrie," Nick smirked. "Never let anyone see that they get to you."

    "So... are you actually nervous?" Carrie wondered.

    "Oh yeah," Nick said, not seeming like this at all. "Be waiting for me in the wings in case I screw up, little eucalyptus-muncher. And if I do screw up, I owe you and your mate a fancy dinner."

    "Okay then," Carrie put on a challenging smile, narrowing her brow. "Go get them then, Nick."

---

    Nick took the podium, having the same air of charisma that had served him well over his several decades of life, now also seasoned with experience and the dignity that an older age could bring. Running his hands along the empty lectern, he let the words he had practiced so many times flow through him.

    "Zootopians, good to see you," Nick said. "I'm Nicholas Piberius Wilde. Perhaps you've heard of me? This old upstart politician that's been rallying for marriage rights. Been a police officer for two and a half decades, too, and yes, two of my decades were also misspent in this city, being a petty hustler. I've tasted everything this city has to offer, both good and bad. I've been a scared kit, disgruntled teenager, maladjusted young adult, police officer, husband, father, and, if the people of Zootopia will it, I might even be a mayor."

    Nick took a deep breath. "But, unlike what Miss Swinton would have you believe, this is not all about me. It's about us. I'm not going to resort to mud-slinging, I'll leave that to her." There were some chuckles. "Now, now, that's just a figure of speech. Do I have a squirrel son? Yes. Do I have a bunny wife? I do. An ailing mother? Unfortunately. But what do the laws that Swinton is trying to pass mean for you? They mean that a zebra and a horse will no longer be able to get married, no matter how much they might love each other. They mean that it would become much more difficult for even a gopher to adopt a mouse, because they are in a different size classification. They are cold, hard rules that deny what makes us strong, our hearts and our ability to adapt." Nick placed a fist to his chest. Maybe that had been a little hokey. He heard a cough from the audience.

    "We've all heard Zootopias slogan," Nick continued, his fears still stamped into oblivion deep within him. "Anyone can be anything? That's been true for a lot of us, but for some, it has not. These rules Swinton is going to apply to us, what do they accomplish other than just limiting what we can be? Reptiles, birds, mammals from other cities, other countries. What does it matter what draws them here? They are drawn to us because of what Zootopia stands for. We're stronger because we've come to accept our differences, and with effort, move past them."

    Nick gave a brief glance to Carrie, who seemed entranced, but held up up his script if he needed it. Nick gave a very subtle shake of his head. "It's a matter of record that I haven't always been the model citizen of our city. I've spent nearly as much of my life trying to worm my way into its crevices as I have earnestly serving it and protecting it. But I was given a chance one day, a chance to be a better animal. It took some doing, but I eventually took that chance, and that is why I even stand here before you today. Zootopia needs chances, it needs diversity to grow and continue to be the beacon that it was built for. By banding together and keeping our laws on love and parenting broad, we send this message to the rest of the world: we are ready to make it a better place. Thank you."

    Nick hesitated before leaving the podium. There was applause, and a few animals even started a standing ovation, which others joined in on. Nick nodded and smiled, and headed offstage.

---

    "Gosh, my heart was pounding out of my chest," Carrie said, giggling a little, looking almost giddy. "I think you killed it, sir!"

    "What, my chances of being Mayor?" Nick chuckled, folding his arms as he walked with the koala.

    "No no, I kinda think they might have bought it?" Carrie laughed.

    "You think I sold them a hustle?" Nick returned the laugh.

    "Ah Nick, I think you'll be a good Mayor," Carrie sighed.

    "I need those votes first," Nick shrugged. "And the campaign trail is still fresh. Anyway, I'm feeling good enough about this. C'mon, you call your mate and I'll call mine and we'll do dinner, my treat."

    "Huh? But you didn't need your notes," Carrie cocked her head.

    "I've altered the terms of the deal," Nick wiggled his eyebrows.

    "Sneaky fox," Carrie looked at him sidelong. "You'll make a good politician."

    Nick chuckled, taking out his phone to get his wife onto it. "I think that's a contradiction in terms. But..." Nick sighed. "I hope so."

Chapter 106: Fireworks

Notes:

This side-story is concurrent with Chapter 12 of one of my other works: Testing Limits. As such, I will warn that it has (rather minor) spoilers for that story, if you haven't or don't intend to read it. If you don't intend to read it due to the level of content it contains, I'd like to start an opinion question about that. Testing Limits has one more (non-explicit) chapter to go. Afterwards, I was thinking of adjusting the story into a non-explicit version, while still leaving the explicit version up. As it is still about Nick and Judy's intimate lives, it would still be rated "Mature", but I would gloss over the more intense parts with a recap or allusion. If there is no interest, I will not bother, but this chapter contains some of the ideas present in the non-explicit portions of the work.

    "There we go, all done!" Stu said triumphantly, shoving his arms into his sides proudly. The sun was fading fast on the horizon, and Stu, one of his oldest sons, Jayce, and several of his other sons and daughters were helping him set up rows and lines of fireworks for the evening's festivities.

    "How are things going?" Bonnie appeared, wielding a tray of lemonades. She was wearing an almost hypnotic, swirling blue and aqua shirt and neon orange shorts.

    "Pretty good," Jayce said, grabbing a glass. "Thanks, I'm parched."

    "It's shaping up to be a good one, Bon," Stu ran his thumbs over his bright purple suspenders, and he was wearing a bright yellow and orange camo-patterned shirt underneath. "There's no holiday quite like Serendipiday. We bunnies have the best celebration ever!"

    "That sounds a bit species supremacist, Stuart," Bonnie gave him a chiding smirk. "I thought you'd moved past that."

    "I mean, objectively!" Stu held his arms out wide. "What other holiday can I buy this many explosives!?" He bunched his fists up close to his side, slightly crouching as he said this.

    "I don't know, how about New Year's Eve?" Bonnie tilted her head. "Founder's Day?"

    "Okay, what other holiday can I buy this many explosives and wear such an ugly shirt?" Stu laughed.

    "Well, you have me there, except I guess nothing's stopping you from wearing ugly shirts every day," Bonnie had a droll sassiness to her voice, looking off to the side.

    "Other than your unending scorn," Stu chuckled, winking at her as he grabbed a glass of lemonade for himself and quickly downed it. "Ahh. Refreshing!" Another of their gray daughters, Violet, was walking down the rows of fireworks with her tablet in her hand. She wore glasses, a sweater that almost seemed to glow red, and a bright purple skirt. "Violet! How are we lookin'?"

    "As gaudy as is the custom," Violet offered a bare smirk. "However, as I'm sure you meant the fireworks, we're doing just fine. We're looking at three to five fireworks per minute for an hour, with a suitable randomization variable in place to ensure no color, type, or cadence is overused."

    "That's my girl," Stu said warmly, kissing her on her cheek, to which she scrunched up her face pleasantly. "Thank you for handling that, Vi."

    "May I, mom?" Violet brought her free hand to one of the lemonades, and Bonnie returned a nod. "Thank you. Let me just do one more simulation on my tablet to see what the fireworks should look like, then I'll tell you if we need to change anything on the timing program."

    Bonnie kept distributing lemonades until she was out and she sent her tray off with another of her kits. She jerked her thumb back in Violet's direction; she was standing off by herself.

    "Kind of takes the fun out of it, having to develop the program for the evening, doesn't it?" Bonnie asked.

    "Someone has to do it," Stu chuckled. "I only hope Nick and Judy get back from the Serendipiday Festival in time to see it!"

    "Nick and Judy," Bonnie nodded, noting how much more frequently they were saying their names together, as if they belonged that way. "Say, has Violet given her little 'speech' yet?"

    "No," Stu nodded. "She's waiting for the two to go back to Zootopia. You know how, ah... she can get the fire in her belly when it comes to those kinds of things."

    "Woe be to anyone treating Nick badly," Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Speaking of, why do you think Violet is so accepting of those two together anyway? Last I heard she took a dozen siblings to see Judy when she got a minor hand injury."

    "Well, she is a bit overprotective of her," Stu chuckled. "I don't think she wants to see our unique little Hopps kit get hurt, like neither of us do. But... to that end, I think she believes that Nick is what Judy needs."

    "Do you?" Bonnie's predictable question was met with a sigh from Stu.

    "Yup, I do," Stu nodded, looking up at the first hints of the evening sky. "A hundred percent."

    "Really," Bonnie's eyelids fell, but she smirked. "Mister Fox Taser is a hundred percent."

    "Aw, Bon, would you cut it out?" Stu gave a look like a scorned kit, hanging his shoulders forward. "I know Nick is a good fox. I can tell he wants to make Judy happy."

    "You should see how Judy gets when she even picks up a hint that I don't like what they're doing," Bonnie chuckled. "It's almost embarrassing. She's boxing shadows."

    "Oh, those shadows are there, Bon," Stu waggled his finger. "And they have names."

    "And that's what they're on Violet's list for," Bonnie shrugged. "Judy's never been the one to let a little opposition stand in her way." Bonnie stared off into the distance. "Or even a lot of opposition..."

    "Yeah but I think it's different with Nick," Stu put his hands on his hips. "She's defensive of him because she cares a lot about him. She seems to take personal offense when someone doesn't like him."

    "I think she gets that from you," Bonnie smiled with a sort of piercing endearment at her husband. "Nick has brought out her empathy; her ability to care about what others are feeling deeply. I think he's good for her that way."

    "And in other ways?" Stu asked tentatively. "Like, do you think..." Stu wasn't sure how to proceed.
    
    "Well, have you seen his tongue?" Bonnie giggled furtively.

    "Bon!" Stu's eyes flew open.

    "Kidding!" Bonnie waved her hand back and forth. "Though... it is Serendipiday, and you know what tends to happen with blossoming couples on Serendipiday evening."

    "Ah, you think they'll get lucky," Stu said. "I mean, of course Nick is probably unaware of that sort of 'tradition'."

    "As if my Judy wouldn't jump at the chance to 'educate' him on our culture," Bonnie leaned in and smirked.

    "Weren't you just worried that Judy didn't display any drive when she was younger?" Stu laughed.

    "I guess she just needed the right person," Bonnie said flippantly. "And I suppose Nick is that one."

    Stu nodded. "He's a good kit. I'll try to go easy on him if he ends up smelling like my daughter tonight." Both elder bunnies laughed at the thought and then at the possibility. The two gave a more solemn sigh in tandem with each other as they let the matter sink in.

    "Speaking of getting lucky," Bonnie suddenly piped up. "I wonder if Nick has won anything at the festival on his first go-round."

    "You mean, besides our daughter's heart?" Stu said with a touch of warmth. Bonnie looked sidelong at him, then moved in to hug him.

    "You big sweetheart," Bonnie said warmly, brushing her chin over his shoulder and neck several times. "Is it any wonder why I chose you for my husband? You're such a sweet buck."

    "Well, I do what I can. We don't have hundreds of kits for nothing, you know," Stu quipped. Bonnie pushed Stu away from herself, then fondly tugged his wrists back and embraced him for a kiss.

    After the two released each other, Bonnie nodded over in the direction of the Hopps Compound. "Shall we go tell the others that the fireworks are almost ready?"

    "Sure," Stu said, hooking his arm around Bonnie's and jauntily heading in the direction of their home. "Say, on a completely unrelated note, I might have heard something fun that can be done with bunny ears."

    "Oh, do tell?" Bonnie looked back with her eyes half-lidded. "That sounds promising."

    "Ah, maybe it should wait till after the fireworks, when most of the kits are asleep," Stu looked around at the kits playing in the yard with sparklers.

    "Well, now I'm even more curious..." Bonnie chuckled mischievously.

Chapter 107: Vixen

Notes:

This story is set after the ending of my story Testing Limits, and as such has spoilers for some events therein.

Additionally, the character of Samantha Hopps was created by SophieWitch, and her likeness (though not exact physical specifications) is used with permission.

Finally, a content warning: While not explicit, this story contains violent implications that may be objectionable to some. Discretion is advised.

    Judy stretched tiredly, heading into the Hopps Compound gym. It was the second Serendipiday she was sharing with Nick, and the first one since the two were married. She felt like some time to herself; she had spent most of the day fielding myriads of inquiries by the curious, nosy fluffle that made up her brothers and sisters. Questions like: Why did you take the name Wilde when you married Nick? Why are you still wearing your engagement collar? Can you two have kits together?

    Nick had graciously motioned toward Judy with one paw, subtly. This indicated to her that he was willing to give her some time alone and help field the fluffle's questions by himself. He read Judy's nerves coming from her increased eye movement and very slightly twitching nose. Judy offered him a grateful smile and made her escape. While Nick's ability to read Judy was present from day one, their nonverbal communication had come a long way since Nick flashed those hand signs to her at the cliffside building. Judy smiled fondly at reflecting on this.

    The gym was almost entirely empty, as Judy had expected. Serendipiday was no time to work out, it was a time to let loose and have fun with the holiday. This year, Judy and Nick had intended to slip into some swimsuits before the festival and join Judy's cousins "Peaches and Cream" in their water warfare they waged on the squealing, fun-loving smaller kits of the fluffle. Judy thought about taking a larger group to the festival, as well. Now that Nick wasn't a newcomer to the celebration anymore, there would be no need to covet him for herself.

    Perhaps Violet would like to come, Judy thought. Judy still felt grateful for her concern for her and support for their relationship, and her thoughtful gift of a warm blanket.

    Judy's thoughts were chased away by the sounds of solid thumping. There was one other bunny in the gym with her, and once she laid eyes on who it was, Judy was given pause. It was Samantha Hopps, one of Judy's oldest sisters. Half a head taller than Judy, she was of a very impressive size for a bunny doe. Her cream and white fur carried the typical Hopps masking, but her intense amber eyes were unusual. Her body carried a bit of bulk to it, lithe and toned, the promise of strength in her legs. Tape wrapped around her fists and feet, she was intensely punching and kicking a sandbag.

    When Samantha saw who was in the gym with her, she sneered. Spinning around, she delivered a roundhouse kick to the sandbag that sent it impressively far away from her. When it returned, she transitioned into a straight kick with her other leg, delivered so solidly that it seemed to catch the sandbag and immobilize it. The sandbag shuddered from the solid thump.

    "What are you doing in the gym, Wilde?" Samantha gestured to Judy with her head in an unfriendly manner. Judy's face remained blank at the name; she knew Samantha specifically used it to try to distance herself from her fox-wed sister.

    "Trying to escape the fluffle for a little while," Judy said. Samantha walked over to Judy and stared at her with her blazing amber eyes. Of all the Hopps does, no one wanted to mess with Samantha. Judy, however, was unafraid. Samantha's piercing gaze quickly moved to Judy's collar. It had a black strap with playful silver-colored lines along it, and an orange and green gemmed carrot charm. Samantha turned her head abruptly and spat.

    "Disgusting."

    Judy said nothing, regarding Samantha evenly. Samantha punched a fist into her other hand, grinding it into it. Judy didn't react, not even with a flinch. Samantha placed one hand on her hip and let the other hang down and regarded Judy with her teeth barely showing.

    "You still wear that collar," Samantha said. "That affront."

    "No one is making me," Judy said firmly. "I wear it because I want to."

    "Bullspit," Samantha returned, staring down at her sister. "You wear it because that predator has brainwashed you into compromising your ideals. The Judy I know would never have acquiesced to some vile predator and made herself his lesser."

    "Shut your plucking mouth!" Judy shot back, staring up at her with her own violet eyes wide open. "I'm not a lesser. Nick doesn't 'own' me. I willingly have given myself to him. If you had been at the wedding, you might understand."

    "I understand plenty," Samantha spun on her heel, balling her fists. Her short shirt didn't cover hints of scars on her back, scars big enough that fur refused to grow on them. "You ask me what I know about predators. Plenty. No good lot of savages. Especially foxes. The scum."

    "That is not true in the slightest," Judy said angrily, her own fists closing tight. "Can you tell me you've never had any bad experiences with bunnies?"

    "So, no one ever told you, huh?" Samantha turned back around, condescendingly lowering herself to look Judy directly in the eyes. "Or did you never care to ask?"

    "About your past?" Judy returned. "Mom told me it was none of my business."

    "And it's not," Samantha straightened up. "But it's my business that you wear that... thing like a badge of honor. It's vile." Her finger pointed accusingly at the collar.

    "Really, it's your business what I do with my life," Judy folded her arms tightly. "News to me."

    "So, what is it about that fox that gets you going, huh?" Samantha narrowed her eyes. "That ragged, heavy breath as he covers you? Those claws and teeth, far too sharp for bunnies to be safe? Or how about that overpowering stench, the one like violets?" Samantha shuddered as if stricken by the thought of it. "It's not for bunnies. You vixen."

    "First off, that slur isn't even current-" Judy started.

    "Fitting, then, for you and that fox!" Samantha ran her tongue over her teeth. "You two abandoning yourself to the most base, animalistic of desires...!"

    "Is that what bothers you?" Judy swept one of her hands in front of her. "Are you seriously that concerned with what I do in my private time?"

    "It's not natural!" Samantha yelled, standing right next to Judy.

    "Sam, if you don't back off, I'm going to put you on the floor," Judy said coldly. She looked over Samantha's body. "Don't think that I can't. I've taken down a rhino. You're nothing to me."

    "Yeah, clearly I'm not," Samantha jerked her head off to the side, fuming and stepping away from her. "Listen Wilde, everything that fox has done, every word he has said, has been to get you into bed and have his way with you. Everything."

    "How dare you," Judy snapped back. She felt the itch of conflict in her soul, and she was considering sweeping at Samantha's ankles with every passing second.

    "It's not like he can help it," Samantha made a conciliatory gesture with both arms out. "It's in his nature. His biology."

    "Don't you say another word about this," Judy warned.

    "Predator, Wilde," Samantha continued. "That's all he is, and all he ever will be."

    Judy took a step toward Samantha, but Samantha turned her back to Judy and started to walk out of the gym. Something struck Judy's thoughts as Samantha started to leave. "Sam, wait."

    "What?" Samantha's voice was cold.

    "What... happened to you, anyway?" Judy asked with a slight meekness to her voice. "Why do you feel so strongly about this?"

    Samantha stormed over to Judy, turned around, and sat down. Judy flinched as she unexpectedly removed her shirt. Judy gasped lightly. The shirt hid more scars on her back, as well as indentations on the back of her neck and her shoulder.

    "Predators just take what they want, Judy," Samantha said, her voice firm. "They always have. In ancient times they ate us. Now... well, we're still just prey to them."

    "Samantha...!" Judy was struck by surprise, shock, and pity. Samantha put her shirt back on, standing up, unwilling to look at Judy.

    "You know, don't you?" Samantha barely turned her head. "Those scars Gideon gave you. You know that foxes are like that. It has to be beaten out of them. It's not natural for them to be truly kind. Silver tongues, honeyed words. A careful thought or action. And that... that smell. They all are tools, traps, for a predator to catch their prey."

    "Sam..." Judy quickly made her way around her. "I didn't know...!"

    "It's all they're capable of," Samantha went on, her voice still heavy, but ringing hollow. "And now you get off on it. You revel in it. I can't believe you."

    "Nick would never hurt me, Sam," Judy said tenderly, placing her hand on her own chest. Her mouth twisted. "But would it make you feel better if he did? Would you like to be right all along? That predators are nothing but violent, selfish scum? Are you just waiting to say 'I told you so' if Nick accidentally makes me bleed?"

    "I don't want to be right!" Samantha held up a fist, shaking it and leaning in close to Judy. "You're my little sister, Judy! I don't want you to be hurt! You're playing with fire! The blaze from the devil!" Samantha held up her other fist, shaking them by her forehead, before loudly exclaiming wordlessly and getting up and away from Judy, throwing her arms out to her side.

    "Sam, I trust Nick with my life," Judy said patiently. "My life has hung by a thread on more than one occasion, and he's pulled that thread and drawn me into his arms. He would never hurt me, not intentionally. For you to suggest otherwise is hurtful."

    "All that..." Samantha scoffed. "So he could bed you. Believe me, she told me she'd never hurt me either."

    "She...?" Judy was perplexed. She then gasped tersely.

    "Mm, so you don't believe me either," Samantha sucked at her teeth, shaking her head. "Of course some sweet little vixen isn't going to hurt a prey."

    "Nh-no, I believe you," Judy said. "That's horrible that anyone would do that to you, male or female, pred or prey. It's not about those things, it's about being evil to someone..."

    "Isn't it?" Samantha waved a hand dismissively. "Then why did the Celestials endow them with swords for teeth and knives for claws? What possible reason?"

    "Things were different in the past, we've changed," Judy insisted.

    "No!" Samantha stomped a foot, the sound of her yell reverberating in the gym. "Everyone still has the same needs on a basic level. It's only... it's only a matter of time...!"

    "Sam," Judy held out a hand to her in concern, not wanting to touch her if she didn't wish it. "Please, let me try to prove you wrong. Let Nick prove himself. Or can't he? Will you never accept him?"

    "He's... not right... not right..." Samantha seemed on the verge of a breakdown.

    "I don't think it's wrong to be attracted to predators, Samantha," Judy said. She opened her hands submissively. "There's something very strong about them, right? You respect strength; I do too... but someone took advantage of that fascination, and that can't be forgiven. But please don't hate Nick for something he will never do."

    "How can you be so sure?" Samantha breathed out, her breath shuddering.

    Judy smiled. "If he hurts me, I will let you go after him. Is that why you're training, because you don't want to be weak?"

    "Heh, am I that transparent?" Samantha took on a sour smile. "Yeah, I've got an axe kick that could crush a pred's head in."

    "That's the spirit," Judy rolled her eyes. "Listen, it might be too soon, but would you like to come to the Serendipity festival with Nick and I? Maybe we can get Violet, too?"

    "That fussbudget?" Samantha groaned. "I really tried to tune her out during that speech she gave to me and the others who don't like Nick."

    "Okay, so you're objecting more to Vi than Nick; we're getting somewhere," Judy chuckled.

    "Ugh, what is wrong with you, Judy?" Samantha chuckled, but it turned tearful. "What's wrong with you...?" Judy offered her arms again, and Sam walked over to hug her.

    "The Celestials work in mysterious ways, Sam," Judy said. "It might be Karma that wants to help heal your wounds. Maybe she will send a vulpine to help you, as one hurt you."

    "Cheese us," Samantha said flatly through her tears. "I can't believe you said that. That dumb fox really must have brainwashed you." She squeezed her little sister firmly. "Karma... what a joke. That dog..."

    "It's okay, Sam, it's okay," Judy held onto her bigger sister.

    At that moment, Nick walked into the gym.

    "Judy? You all right now?" Nick walked toward his wife, but froze when he saw what was going on. "Um... Samantha?"

    Samantha broke from Judy and wiped her eyes. She folded her arms and nodded toward Nick. "Mm."

    "Is everything okay?" Nick looked warily at Judy.

    Judy smiled with a touch of sorrow. "Not really, but hopefully it will be, in time."

    "Maybe I should go then," Nick narrowed an eye. "I get the feeling that-"

    "Shut up, Wilde," Samantha sucked at her teeth. She walked passed him roughly, purposefully bumping him on her way over. "Hope you're ready to lose at that 'Test Your Strength' game at the festival."

    "Uh, wait," Nick said. "First of all, she's coming? Secondly, I thought I remembered that you had to use finesse in that game."

    "Pff," Samantha spat brusquely, tossing him a pitying glance. "Yeah, that's just what a wimpy fox would say." She left the gym.

    "What was that about?" Nick asked his wife incredulously.

    "The start of a healing process, I hope," Judy smiled faintly.

Chapter 108: Vixen II

Notes:

Samantha Hopps is SophieWitch's character!

    Samantha Hopps entered the bookstore as a petty criminal might. Her steps were guarded and her amber eyes darted around nervously. She pet at one of her cream-furred arms with her other paw to try to still her nerves. The bunny avoided aisles occupied with other mammals. Samantha felt as though she were a string being pulled taut and hastened her pace, heading toward a fitness and well-being section. Her eyes flitted over the titles until she found an intriguing one. Picking it up and thumbing through it quickly, she then closed it and started making her way to the checkout counter.

    "Rh...!" Samantha's teeth grit tightly as she saw who, or rather what, the only mammal at the checkout was. Looking around as if for an escape, she started to walk backwards, wondering if she could convince another employee to get to the register. Feeling an additional burst of shame, she turned around.

    "Samantha?"

    Samantha started with a terse yelp as she turned around to find one of her sisters, Violet Hopps. Violet had on her usual sweater, which she seemed to wear no matter how warm it got, a skirt, and her glasses. In her arms she had a book closely guarded to her chest, and around her shoulder was slung a carrying case for her iPawpad.

    "Violet!" Samantha adopted a readied stance instinctively, though it looked somewhat comical as she was also holding a book. "You know better than to sneak up on me! What are you doing here!?" She quickly changed into a more casual stance.

    "Yes, sneaking up on you is a poor idea," Violet wrinkled her nose. "But I did not do that. You nearly backed into me. As to what I'm doing here?" She nodded down at her book. "Bookstores are one of the last bastions of my people." She smirked.

    "I thought 'your people' would just download your books nowadays," Samantha pointed accusingly at her electronic device.

    "My iPawpad is for business, books are for pleasure," Violet returned. "There's nothing like the tactile feeling of a book, it's weight, it's smell. We aren't quite to that level of intimacy with electronic devices yet, and I hope we don't rush to get there."

    "So uh, what do you have?" Samantha tried to slowly circle around Violet as to make her way back to the fitness and well-being section to put her own book back.

    Violet smiled, holding up the book. "Oh! This is the latest from humorist Dave Beary. He lives in Meowami, Flowerdia. Crazy place." Violet chuckled. "His usage of hyperbole, comparisons, and running jokes is just sublime."

    "Didn't take you for much of a funny person," Samantha scoffed over her shoulder as she continued walking away from Violet.

    "Well, I suppose there's a lot we don't know about each other, Samantha," Violet said. "Such as why you would be here at a bookstore." Samantha flinched as she had almost gotten away from Violet, but the latter hastened to catch up to her and look at her book. She bent over while reading the title, which Samantha was trying to obscure from her. "Hm... 'Lapine Meditation and Revitalization'. Sounds appropriate for you."

    "Tch, what do you know?" Samantha growled defensively.

    "Are things not working out with your therapist?" Violet straightened up and tilted her head slightly.

    "Well, uh," Samantha turned her head, sighing as she closed her eyes briefly. "Well here's the thing about books, Vi. They don't judge you."

    Violet's eyes narrowed. "Is your therapist judging you? It might be prudent to get a new one, then."

    "I don't know, it's just..." Samantha sneered, taking a few more steps away from Violet. "Therapists have to hide behind whatever their own ideas are, right? They have to say the professional, 'correct' things. Who knows if it's really how they feel?"

    "So you'd like healing to come from a more personal level," Violet observed.

    "I want to fix myself!" Samantha said, sweeping a paw out. "I'm strong enough to get past this, I know I am! I'll be best pals with Nick the next time he comes over, you'll see!"

    "I have no doubt of your strength of any kind," Violet said warily. "But don't set a time limit on how long this should take." She shook her head. "Anyway, I've found meditation to be helpful occasionally, so I hope that book can help you. Perhaps I could even help you with some of the techniques?"

    "Please. When do you have time for that?" Samantha sucked at her teeth. "Our little Hopps organizer egghead spends all of her time getting things down at the farm in order. I'm surprised you found the time to come here."

    "So you're saying I couldn't budget out some time to help my sister?" Violet had a blank look. Samantha momentarily didn't respond.

    "Here, if you want to help me..." Samantha started digging in her wallet. She offered a crisp green bill and her book to Violet. "Here's twenty bucks. Could you go buy this for me while you're getting your humor thing?"

    "I... could?" Violet looked at the book and the money, taking both. She looked toward the checkout counter. The only mammal there was a female kit fox with crystal blue eyes. She seemed to be just as tall as the two bunnies talking to each other, but her smaller ears made her seem shorter. The vixen appeared to have her nose stuck in a thick graphic novel; she was enchanted by it. "Ah."

    "Don't 'ah' me," Samantha glowered at Violet. "As if you know all of my problems."

    "I know of your history with foxes," Violet said, sighing. "I can see why you'd want my help."

    Samantha sighed. "Thanks-"

    "However, given her size..." Violet narrowed her eyes. "Were she to lunge at you from behind the counter, all you'd have to do is deflect one paw while leveraging the other one and her motion to roll her across your shoulder and onto the floor." She demonstrated such a motion. Then, she sharply chopped down with her free hand. "Then, a sharp blow to the neck should incapacitate."

    Samantha stared at her incredulously. "Okay. Okay. I see what this is. You're trying to make my feelings about vixens seem ridiculous in this context. Just because she's a little kit fox."

    "Not at all," Violet said, her face still even. "There would be a non-zero chance of an attack by that kit fox. However, I think you are more than capable of subduing her." Violet suddenly looked contemplative. "You know, I've always wondered why they were classified Vulpes macrotis. 'Big ears'? You'd think a fennec fox would have gotten that name. Kit fox ears aren't even that large."

    "You're unbelievable," Samantha said darkly, snapping up the meditation book from Violet with a flinch from the latter. "I'll get it myself." Samantha stormed closer to the checkout aisle, which was still currently empty. Feelings of apprehension and anxiety clawed at her, slowing her steps. The kit fox still had her full attention on the graphic novel, oblivious to the bunny's worry. With a groan of frustration, Samantha turned on her heel and rushed over to the section she had picked the book up from. Violet looked on in worry as Samantha plopped the book back down and walked over to her.

    "It's not always about logic, Violet," Samantha held up her hands near her face and closed them. "You can lay out everything for me in that infuriating way you do, and I know she's not just going to pluck my life story from thin air or anything when she sees the book... but it's- it's about... feeling, you know? I just can't do something like this! Even though it seems easy. Even though I should be strong enough... it's just... rgh!" Samantha punched her hand into her fist. She let out a heavy sigh of shame and discouragement.

    "Understood," Violet nodded once. She walked over calmly, picked up the book from the shelf Samantha left it on, and headed to the checkout.

    "No, Vi! What are you-?" Samantha followed her over, but stopped short and hid behind a fixture near the exit of the store.

    Violet made a single huff of amusement when even standing right in front of the kit fox didn't provoke a reaction. She read her name tag and cleared her throat.

    "Terra?"

    The kit fox flinched dramatically as if she'd been wrested from a spell. "Oh! Oh, hi. Hi! Uh, reading on the job, not so professional! Hee...! Sorry." She closed the graphic novel and put it out of sight.

    "What was that graphic novel?" Violet asked conversationally.

    "We just got it in today, and I bought one right after all the pre-orders were set aside!" Terra smiled broadly, placing both paws on the counter. "It's the latest in the 'Piberius' series. It's this really cool story about masked vigilantes, and-" Violet held up a paw to halt her. The kit fox blinked twice.

    "Ah, no spoilers," Violet said gently. "I'd actually like to get into that series myself some day."

    "Oh, you totally should," Terra nodded rapidly. "It's great! So um, enough about that... did you find everything okay?" Terra took the two books from her and gave a wincing smile at her outburst.

    "Mm," Violet nodded. Terra scanned the first book. Samantha felt like her heart was beating fast even with no physical involvement in their exchange.

    "Ooh, Dave Beary!" Terra giggled. "I can tell you like 'high brow' literature."

    Violet laughed in return. "Says the vixen reading a comic book on the job."

    "Graphic novel!" Terra pointed a finger up to correct her.

    "Regardless," Violet chuckled. "Dave Beary never ceases to make me laugh. I have a feeling this book won't disappoint."

    "Yeah, I loved his last collection!" Terra said, then scanned the other book.

    "That one is for my sister," Violet offered. Samantha gasped, then grit her teeth tightly into a sneer.

    "Meditation, huh?" Terra shrugged. "Never tried it. I can relax with a good book or graphic novel really easily."

    "Well, I suppose some of us don't have it that easy; their problems aren't so easily cast aside," Violet said with an even face. "I'm hoping this will help."

    "No, you're right, that's horrible to think about..." Terra nodded. "I hope it helps her..."

    This was too much for Samantha, and she rushed out of the shop, slamming the door with her shoulder as she made her way out. Rubbing both shoulders with her hands, she furiously wandered around the sidewalk the store was on, cursing and muttering to herself.

    Soon enough, Violet made her way outside the store, carrying a bag. Samantha angrily rushed over to her sister.

    "Can you just not control yourself!?" Samantha flung both arms in the air, towering over Violet though they were both the same height. Violet defensively flinched backwards. "What was that all about!? Airing all my dirty laundry to some stranger! Some vixen!"

    "Do you think I have no sense of propriety?" Violet managed to stay calm. "I didn't say anything sensitive."

    "You're so nosy; such a busybody!" Samantha fumed, throwing her hands down next to Violet, nearly hitting her inadvertently. Violet flinched again. "Not even Judy is spared your wrath! You have to know everything about everyone!"

    "I just want to help..." Violet said weakly. "You know I'm fussy and a worrier. I'm concerned about you." Violet pulled the meditation book out of the bag and offered it. Samantha slowly defused, taking the book. "Oh, and I got Terra's contact information."

    Samantha recoiled with her jaw dropped as if struck. "You what?"

    "Yeah, I'm thinking of doing a little book-club kind of meet up at our place, maybe once a month," Violet looked up into the sky. "Terra seems pleasant, and she's definitely enthusiastic about reading; maybe she could help cultivate such interest in the younger ones."

    "I just... you what-" Samantha sputtered. "Are you trying to aggravate me? Are you trying to make my life difficult!?"

    "I'm not, Samantha," Violet's lip twitched, betraying a small twinge of hurt. "I hope someday you see that." She turned around and walked away with her head slightly bowed. She moved brisker than her normal pace.

    Drained, Samantha scoffed at herself and sighed in fatigue. "Violet... ugh." She made a face at the book she had her sister buy for her, then turned around to walk to her vehicle. As she did, the crisp twenty dollar bill that she had given Violet dropped out of the book's cover and onto the sidewalk.

    Samantha slightly gasped as she noticed this, and stooped to pick it up.

    With a small grumble and a sigh, she pocketed the money and started to head home.

    She had some reading to do.

Chapter 109: Vixen III

Notes:

Samantha Hopps continues to be SophieWitch's character, used with permission.

    Nick and Judy walked down toward the entry hall of the Hopps Compound. It was Serendipiday again, their second while married and third overall. Judy was wearing a bright green shirt, and Nick's was the loudest purple shirt he owned. As the two got near the front door, they saw a group of Judy's younger siblings fussing over a guest who had just arrived. Nick flinched as one kit ran right in front of him on their way to the front door.

    "It's Terra! Terra's here!" one of the young bunnies said.
    "Terra! You gonna read us a story again!?"

    "Sure am!" the female kit fox replied, trying to duck and weave her way through the crowd.

    "Yay! Terra reads the best stories!"
    "Terra, do you have a car?"

    "I do!" Terra giggled. "How do you think I get here?"

    "Terra, I love your shirt!"

    Terra looked down at her rainbow-colored tye-dye shirt. "You think it's good enough for a Serendipiday?"

    "Yeah!" The kits continued to fuss over the kit fox as she tried to make her way to the main living area where their little book club meetup was to take place.

    Judy slowly looked up at Nick with a wide, knowing smirk. Nick looked back at her with a blank expression, then sighed.

    "Yes, I am a bit jealous, okay?" Nick groaned, though in good humor. "Though it was a bit annoying to have the constant attention of all of your little shrieking brothers and sisters, to see it directed to another makes me feel less special."

    "You're old news, fox," Judy chuckled. Samantha Hopps poked her cream-colored head out at the commotion and walked over to the bunny and fox. She was wearing an electric blue tank top with yellow lightning bolt shapes on it. "Oh, hi Samantha. How are you doing?"

    Samantha folded her arms, nodding diagonally. "Better, I think." She looked at Nick. "Looking at foxes no longer seems to make my skin crawl. I think Terra coming over every month has helped. I've even been able to talk to her a couple of times."

    "That's great," Nick closed his eyes and nodded.

    Samantha narrowed one eye and looked at the two. "You two have been married for just over a year and you're still doing dorky things like this?" She indicated their shirts. "Your shirts match your partners' eyes."

    "Oh, you noticed," Judy giggled.

    "Where's your collar?" Samantha pointed briefly at Judy's neck.

    Judy shrugged. "Well, you weren't the only one who took umbrage with it last year, Sam. Decided it might be easier to leave it home this time."

    "Pff," Samantha folded her arms tightly and lolled her head. "Since when have you cared about what the ignorant masses think?" Nick chuckled into his fist at this.

    "I don't want to stir up trouble just for its own sake," Judy rubbed at her neck. "But... hey, I know! I should get a tie so I can look even more like this fashion-blind mammal I'm married to!"

    "Judy, no," Nick laughed harder.

    "Judy, yes!" Judy wiggled her brow and headed off, flagging down one of her brothers. "Hey Justin! You got a tie I can borrow? Ugliest one you have!"

    "Ouch," Samantha couldn't help but smile.

    "She's a pawful, but I love her," Nick sighed. "Hey, you wanna come to the festival again with us? Judy and I are going to go early and see if they need any help there. Jayce is setting up a stall this year."

    "Thanks, but no thanks," Samantha held up a paw. "No offense, but last year was pretty dull. I can't believe you've gone two years in a row without winning a single thing at Serendipiday."

    "Eh, I'll make out like a bandit this year," Nick smirked, putting his hands in his pockets. "I'll win a Serendipidoll so big that it'll take both Judy and I to carry it home!"

    Samantha looked playfully disgusted. "Did you seriously just call it-?"

    "Well everything else in this stupid holiday is named after that bunny goddess," Nick held out both of his hands palm-up. "I'm sure Karma has been taking all of my losses into account and is priming me for a big win."

    "Oh, is that how that works?" Samantha chuckled. "I would have thought the canid and lapine celestials wouldn't get along."

    "Stranger things have happened," Nick lazily saluted with two fingers. "Anyway, I'm going to go grab the wifey and get her to the festival before anyone else gives her some fashion advice."

    "Have fun, 'loser'," Samantha smirked, and Nick was off. Samantha sighed, and turned and flinched subtly. Terra was standing right in front of her.

    "Hey...!" Terra said apologetically. She was holding a storybook in both paws, looking up at Samantha. "Uh, I don't suppose you've seen Violet? She's supposed to role-play this story with me for the kits."

    "I... haven't seen her," Samantha scratched her chin. "That's odd. Not like Violet to flake out on anything. Listen, I'll go get her for you."

    "Thanks!" Terra grinned brightly. "Uh!" She turned and saw some kits going through her tote bag. "No no no! Get your paws off my comics!" Terra ran after the giggling kits trying to steal her comic books.

    Samantha scoffed and questioned other bunnies around the house for signs of Violet, but no one had seen her. Samantha walked over to Violet's room and knocked on the door.

    "Go away," Violet's voice came. Samantha refused and opened the door. It was dark inside and arranged messily, as Violet usually had it. Violet was sitting on the edge of her bed, wearing a bright yellow sweater, but lacking her glasses. She rubbed at her temples. "I see you still can't follow simple instructions, Samantha."

    "What gives?" Samantha made a flippant gesture with one hand. "It's Serendipiday. Why aren't you out here doing your thing?"

    "I've delegated the responsibilities to others this year," Violet muttered, looking away. Samantha squinted her eyes. It was hard to tell in the low light, but Violet almost looked like she was trembling.

    "You okay?" Samantha blinked.

    "No," Violet said bluntly. "I believe I forgot to take my meds this morning, and if I did manage to take them, they didn't work today. Since I can't double up on the dosage, I'm out of luck until tomorrow. I'm not having a good day."

    "I... didn't know you took meds," Samantha didn't know if she should approach or retreat.

    "Well, now you know," Violet rubbed her knees with her paws distractedly.

    "Oh, Terra said you're supposed to help her read a book or something," Samantha jerked her thumb backward. Violet looked at Samantha incredulously. "What? C'mon, she's only over once a month."

    "Can't deal with it today," Violet said in a snippy voice. "You do it."

    "Me?" Samantha mentally balked at the suggestion, but her sister's strange behavior was more concerning to her. "What's your problem, anyway?"

    "Generalized anxiety disorder is my problem," Violet twitched. "Worrying about everything or nothing. Unable to concentrate. Today I have a splitting headache and a bad stomachache. I don't want to deal with anything."

    "Oh..." Samantha said. "Is it because you have such a stressful job?"

    "No," Violet shook her head. "In fact, I was diagnosed before I became our family's organizer. I... use my malady, my penchant for worrying about things. On a good day I can look at a problem from all angles and ascertain the best solution. On bad days I seem overly picky about everyone and everything. On worse days I get like this."

    "You overcome your problems and turn them into strengths," Samantha curled her fingers into a fist and gently moved it into her other hand. "I guess we have more alike than I thought."

    "Don't try to flatter me," Violet mumbled, turning fully away from Samantha. "You don't know what this is like. To only be able to be a 'true' mammal when you've taken your medicine. You've been working through your own problems through meditation and exposure. I... just deal with them chemically."

    Samantha frowned. "Isn't Terra going to be disappointed that she can't see you today?"

    "I don't care about her," Violet snapped. "I mean... I don't feel anything for her. This whole 'book club' thing was just a transparent scheme from me to get you more comfortable around foxes. I'd say it's been working."

    "I, uh..." Samantha wasn't sure what to say next. "I thought you and she had a lot in common."

    "Superficially. Just go," Violet mumbled. "Either volunteer to replace me as her reading partner or don't, but I'm not going out there today."

    "Okay," Samantha turned to leave, but stopped at the doorway. "Vi, you... I mean, a mammal takes medicine when something's wrong, yeah? So, when you're feeling bad like this, that can't be the 'real' you, just like someone with a sickness isn't the real them."

    Violet didn't say anything for several seconds, and Samantha twisted her mouth and went to leave.

    "As..." Violet started, and Samantha hesitated. "As ridiculously simple as that is, I suppose there's a grain of truth there."

    "Hope you feel better, Vi," Samantha said, and gently shut her door.

---

    "And inside the cave there was a huge dragon!" Samantha declared, reading from the book Terra had held up. She balled her fists and leaned forward, roaring. Bunnies shrieked and giggled at her effort, and Terra stifled a laugh. "'I could eat up fifty bunnies like you in a day! What are you doing in my cave!?'"

    "'I made a promise to the princess!' said the handsome bunny knight," Terra picked up reading. "So the bunny knight dove into the piles of the dragon's treasure. The dragon was too scared to melt his own gold with his fire breath."

    "'Come out and face me!'" Samantha said, using a bold, deep voice for the dragon.

    "But the bunny knight used his speed to avoid the dragon and escaped with the one thing he needed!" Terra read. "It was the golden key that held the princess captive in the castle's dungeon where the evil vizier locked her away."

    "Do I do the princess too?" Samantha narrowed her eyes. Terra nodded enthusiastically. "Okay... so the knight rescued the princess. 'You're my hero!' the princess said, embracing the knight." More bunnies laughed at Samantha attempting to do a sweet, feminine voice. She stuck her tongue out at the kits with her eyes half-lidded.

    "'All in a knights work!' said the bunny knight!" Terra said. "And they lived happily ever after!"

    "Wow, neat story!" One tiny critic raved.
    "You're a cool dragon, Sam! You should read more often!"
    "Do that princess voice again!"

    "Okay kits, away with you," Samantha made a shooing motion. "There's still plenty of stuff to do on Serendipiday. And get away from there!" Samantha pointed at a couple of kits making for Terra's tote bag again, and they scattered.

    "That was fun!" Terra smiled. "Thanks for subbing for me. Is Violet okay?"

    "She's not feeling well today," Samantha said vaguely.

    "Ah, that's a shame," Terra frowned. "Tell her I said hi." Terra gathered up her tote.

    "Wait, are you leaving?" Samantha narrowed one eye. "It's Serendipiday. Are you going to the festival? You're dressed the part."

    "Oh uh," Terra looked off to the side nervously. "Nah. I don't have anyone to go with and it'd be kinda weird to go by myself, you know?"

    "Oh, well, uh..." Samantha rubbed behind her head. She shrugged her shoulders. "I could go with you, if you want."

    "Huh? Really?" Terra smiled faintly. "Cool! I mean, okay! I mean, uh... I've never gone to a Serendipiday festival with someone before!"

    "Never?" Samantha replied. "It's only like our biggest holiday. Didn't you say you grew up surrounded by bunnies?"

    "Yeah, an only kit and a nearly all-bunny high school," Terra chuckled. "But I mean just because sometimes I feel like I might as well be a bunny doesn't mean I get all the perks of actually being one... I... guess I could have gone with someone, but I always was too... y'know..."

    "Shy?" Samantha asked.

    "Yeah..?" Terra winced. "And the family wasn't so well off, so we didn't have money to blow on going to the festival ourselves. We did go to Carrot Days though! That was... uh... decent!"

    "You don't have to lie," Samantha laughed. Though she was trying to play it cool, she did feel a bit of a knot in her stomach at the prospect of spending the evening with a fox, however pleasant said fox seemed. She took a breath to steel herself. "Anyway, I'll show you a good time tonight. Lots of fun to be had at the festival."

    "I'm sure there is!" Terra nodded. "This'll be fun!"

    Samantha nodded; she hoped it would be.

Chapter 110: Vixen IV

Notes:

This will be the final entry in the Vixen series. Thanks once again to Sophie for letting me see this through with her character Samantha Hopps.

    Samantha wondered how she got herself into her present situation as she got into the steel-blue, sporty-looking car. She didn't often go to Serendipiday unless she had some sort of excuse, though her excuse this year was... not what she had expected. She was the only passenger of the four-door vehicle, and the kit fox that got in the driver's seat shut her door, buckled up, and started the car.

    She was in a car, alone, with a vixen. After all this time.

    "Comfy?" Terra asked. Her bright smile exposed her small but decently sharp teeth.

    "Not really," Samantha tried to sound airy, as if she was making a joke. Terra giggled in response; it sounded like she had fallen for it. Samantha sighed deeply. It was going to be Terra's first Serendipiday. She wasn't much younger than Samantha, but had never been to the festival by herself. Samantha wondered why that was. Terra said she was too shy to ask anyone else, but surely her family could have taken her? Did they not like bunnies? Did one of them have a gambling problem? These questions could easily have been asked would Samantha's mouth just open and work correctly. The one time she tried, a strange, wordless grunt escaped that thankfully the sound of the vehicle had drowned out. It was going to be a long thirty minute ride to the festival grounds. The sun hung low on the horizon, coloring the sky a pleasant, fiery orange. Once the sun went down, Serendipiday would start in earnest.

    ...Come to think of it, Samantha thought, wasn't taking someone to their first Serendipiday supposed to be special? Almost like a date? Samantha felt a deep pang of unease in her gut.

    Terra was a vixen. ...A small vixen, true, one of the smallest. She actually didn't quite come up to Samantha's height, and with her smaller ears she looked even shorter. Cute, but not overly cute like those teddy-bear-esque fennec foxes could be. Samantha caught herself staring at Terra, who had a blithe, relaxed smile as she focused on the road with her crystal-blue eyes. Kit foxes had interesting colors to them; dusty grays framed her forehead, back, and muzzle top, while a layer of creamy orange decorated her arms, legs and cheeks. Accenting this were areas of white, with the underside of her chin smoothly leading into a little bib of white fur. Her paws were similarly adorned in white, almost like natural gloves and socks. This was all finished by a black tail tip at the end of a bushy gray tail.

    Samantha realized she was staring again and slowly focused on the road, swallowing. Looking at Terra made her nervous. Didn't make any sense, of course. She was a tiny, lithe thing. She posed no real threat. Her personality was winsome and subdued as well. If only she wasn't a vixen.

    "Y'know, sometimes I've thought about what it'd be like to be a bunny," Terra suddenly chirped up. Samantha slowly turned her head back to Terra, feeling a unique, deep form of discomfort that merged with the suspicion that her thoughts were somehow perceptible to the kit fox.

    "No kidding?" Samantha folded her arms, feigning disinterest.

    "Yeah, like I said, I grew up around so many bunnies, that I might as well have been one," Terra smiled. "But, there are things you can't get away from."

    "Were you teased or persecuted for being a fox?" Samantha asked the question automatically, as if she was expected to.

    "Not... really," Terra admitted, and her smile vanished.

    "That didn't sound convincing," Samantha said flatly.

    "No no, I'm telling the truth," Terra nodded. "They didn't outright tease me or hate me, it was more... subtle I guess? Maybe I just imagined it. I mean, I'm shy to begin with, but I kind of always sensed, maybe even smelled, this air of suspicion. They kind of just tended to exclude me from social things... I guess."

    "Yeah, that sounds like bunnies," Samantha said with a wry tone. "We're always making little cliques. Familial cliques, cliques based on interest, lots of things."

    "I did notice that," Terra said. "So, if I was a bunny, even if I was shy, I'd probably be in one of those groups, right? I wouldn't have to feel left out."

    "I guess so," Samantha said. "It's kind of like having a family following you around wherever you go."

    "Don't have any brothers or sisters," Terra laughed nervously. "That definitely wouldn't have been the case if I were a bunny!"

    "Family life not so good?" Samantha wondered.

    "No no, can't complain, really," Terra smiled widely; her voice cheerful. "Mom and dad are great. Supportive. I've never had any real problems in my whole life." Samantha looked away. Of course this fox had it easy if all she was doing was complaining about bunnies not liking her. Her voice became somewhat peculiar, almost mysterious. "I'm always reading comic books and graphic novels." Sam continued to look away, causing Terra to bite at her lip. "Um, I know you don't really care much for those, but... they get me thinking sometimes." Sam tossed her a disbelieving look. "Great heroes are tempered through adversity. Every time someone topples a trial, they become stronger. When they're plagued with problems, they're interesting and relatable. But I'm not like that. I'm... uninteresting, boring... untested." Terra frowned. "Sometimes I think I'm destined to just be one of those mammals who's on the sidelines of life. You know? Just that girl behind the book counter. Destined for mediocrity. Hehe..."

    Samantha gave her a somewhat incredulous look that Terra caught and cringed away from as she drove.

    "Yeah, pretty pathetic, right?" Terra grinned. "I mean, not everyone can be an interesting person I guess, or else there'd be no one to measure dullness against."

    "You think you're dull?" Samantha asked.

    "Oh yeah, oh yeah," Terra nodded, smiling. "Sorry for dumping all that on you, I dunno what came over me."

    Samantha shrugged. "No big deal. Don't really have any advice for you, though."

    "No no, wasn't asking," Terra shook her head. "I just wanted to say, uh... I appreciate this? Your offer to take me to Serendipiday. Might be the most interesting thing that happens to me all year!"

    "Well, don't get your hopes up," Samantha huffed, smirking and punching her own fist into her arm. "You know how these luck-based things go. They're rigged so barely anyone wins."

---

    "Woah ho! Wah ha ha ha ha!" A giraffe bellowed out a laugh with a strange cadence as lights and buzzers flashed on his "test-your-strength" game. The indicator had stopped less than halfway down, and Terra's swing had stopped the meter directly at the goal. She had a guilty smile with her shoulders arched up as the game made a loud din over her success.

    "Huh, lucky," Samantha chuckled.

    "First bullseye of the night!" The giraffe slashed his hand horizontally through the air. "Let ol' Sam give you a big prize!"

    "Pardon me?" Samantha narrowed her eyes, putting her hands on her hips.

    "Muh name's Sam!" he said, indicating the name of his stall. "Sam Tangiraffe's Test Your Luck/Strength Type Thingy!" the sign read in whimsical letters.

    "Oh, right," Samantha relaxed a smidgen, folding her arms. "Weird."

    "What's yer favorite color, little foxy girl?" the giraffe asked brightly.

    "Uh, orange?" Terra smiled. The giraffe nodded, and from a nearby tent pulled out an enormous orange, blue-eyed Serendipity plush toy from it. Samantha's eyes bugged; the monstrosity was nearly her size.

    "Holy squash!" Samantha blurted.

    "...Whoa?" Terra winced. "That looks a bit... enormous."

    "I'll carry it," Samantha said, and "oof"ed as the giraffe gave it to her. She wrestled with it to find a comfortable position, and ended with it balanced on her back. Terra tried not to laugh at the silly sight of the bunny bent a few degrees forward, carrying a ridiculously large plush.

    "I... I can get it, I won it..." Terra offered politely.

    "Yeah, no, I'm already carrying it," Samantha grumbled. "What do you want to do next?"

    "Uh, we should probably get to the car so you can drop this thing off," Terra giggled into her hand. "I know I still have some coins left, but it'd be weird for you to lug that thing around all evening."

    "...Yeah, guess so," Samantha shrugged, and the two headed back to the car.

    "Oh, are you kidding me!?" Nick's voice came from far off, and Samantha had to smirk as he and Judy approached.

    "Oh hey, Sam!" Judy said brightly.

    "Sup?" Samantha smirked. Terra waved.

    "You won a huge Serenidpidoll? You don't even like Serendipiday," Nick said in an aggravated voice.

    "Ah, annoying a fox," Samantha grunted as she tried to steady the gigantic plush. "One of the finer pleasures in life."

    "Right?" Judy laughed. "Speaking of foxes, I see you've brought Terra tonight! That's... unexpected!"

    "Judy," Samantha's humor vanished.

    "It's my first time!" Terra nodded happily. "Can't believe I won something this big already!"

    "Yeah yeah, rub it in," Nick folded his arms, his eyes half-closing.

    "You brought Terra to her first Serendipiday?" Judy looked utterly baffled, but Samantha's intense stare told her not to press the issue. Judy rolled her eyes away from Samantha and over to Nick. "Oh-kay then! Nick, let's go. We still have four coins between us."

    "We're bound to win something," Nick shook his head. "The more we play, the more the odds have to be in our favor. I mean, probability-wise, it'd only make sense for us to win by continuing to play."

    "I'm pretty sure this is how addictions get started, Nick," Judy smirked. "Let's go, hubby-fox." Nick gave a flippant wave to Samantha and Terra as he was dragged off.

---

    Samantha got back in the car with Terra after all of their coins were exhausted. Samantha let out a small yelp as she saw the enormous form of the Serendipidy plush staring at her from the back seat.

    "Jeez," Samantha rubbed her hand down her face. "That's pretty terrifying, for a bunny."

    "Yeah," Terra laughed nervously. "I uh- I mean your sister Judy can be pretty intimidating."

    "Guess so, she's still just a little sister to me," Samantha shrugged. There was a few minutes silence. "Hey uh, we put on a pretty good fireworks display at the Hopps Compound. After you drop me off why don't you stick around a bit for the fireworks?"

    "Oh, that sounds cool; fireworks are great!" Terra nodded. Silence descended for a few minutes. Samantha started to become increasingly uncomfortable.

    Night had fallen; and the stars were bright and the sky beautifully untainted by light pollution on the empty country roads.

    It was a warm night just like this one...
    
    With a vixen driving the car. She was supposed to take me home, but...

    Samantha's breaths started to unsteady, but she shook her head subtly, as if refusing herself the memory.

    The memories wouldn't be denied.

    There was a vixen at the driver's wheel RIGHT THIS MOMENT, Samantha's mind shouted. She could take you anywhere and do anything she wants to you. She's a predator! A fox! A VIXEN! Samantha's breathing was becoming labored. She turned the radio up a bit louder. The bubbly pop music Terra had decided to inflict on the both of them should drown out her strange breathing.
    
    Terra's ears flattened. "Uh, isn't that a bit loud for you?"

    "No," Samantha lied, her own ears sitting back.

    She wasn't feeling better. Terra sniffed, and she smelled something like intense worry from Samantha. Anxiety clamped onto Terra as well at this, and she shot Samantha a nervous look. Samantha was distractedly toying with her arms and face with her paws; she almost looked like she had a nervous tic.

    "Samantha, are you okay...?" Terra asked weakly.

    She knows everything! She can smell your fear! Samanatha's mind screamed in panic. Predator! Assaulter! Destroyer!

    "Stop the car!" Samantha yelled suddenly.

    "Wh-what!?" Terra flinched in surprise.

    Samantha roughly smacked the volume knob of the radio to silence it, making Terra yip in panic. She bellowed: "I said pull over!"

    Terra complied suddenly, making the car rock as she skidded to a halt on the side of an empty, nondescript road bordered by wheat fields. Samantha fumbled with the belt and unlocked it, and violently throwing the door open, she rushed into one of the fields, doubling over and hyperventilating. Terra remained in her seat, paralyzed with fear. She thought she heard Samantha muttering to herself, but the words were indistinct. A lot of them sounded vulgar. Terra waited an agonizing minute, and swallowing hard, she got out of her car and wandered meekly toward Samantha.

    "Don't get any closer," Samantha warned. "Just go. Go home."

    "Um..." Terra said. "And leave you here?"

    "I'll walk," Samantha said, "I need the walk."

    "It's... it's still a twenty minute drive, though," Terra offered weakly. "It'd take forever for you to get home and yh-you'll miss the fireworks."

    Samantha glared at her. "Shut your plucking mouth and get in your car and leave me alone!" She pointed down the road.

    "Ss-Sammy...?" Terra took a step back.

    "SAMMY!?" Samantha spat. The anger in her voice burst.

    "Ss-sorry, just slipped," Terra took two more steps back. Samantha remained still. "I'll uh... I'll be quiet; I'll keep the radio off. Jh-will you just let me drive you home? It's the least I can do..."

    "You think I need anything from a one-note fox like you!?" Samantha yelled. "Go!"
    
    Terra's jaw dropped halfway as she took another step and gasped when she backed into the car. Her eyes started to tear up and she mumbled incoherently.

    "I just... jh-just... I uh..." Terra babbled, shaking her head. "Mmh... ngh..." She started to cry. One of Samantha's eyes narrowed and one of her lips curled up in distaste.

    What a weakling. Someone strong like Judy or Nick would snap right back at her. Violet, even Violet would. She'd come up with something that bit right into Samantha's fur like those fox claws-

    Samantha gasped.

    "Mnh, I don't know what I did wrong..." Terra whimpered, collapsing onto her haunches next to the car. "I don't... I don't know. Just- what did I do? What.... wh-what did I do wrong...?" Terra was crying hysterically.

    Instantly, Samantha's own anger was doused and clarity returned to her. Terra yipped and whined as she cried, trembling as she tried to control herself. She struggled to her feet, using the car for balance.

    "I'm sorry, I..." Terra hiccuped. "I thought- I just thought we were hh-having fun... I guess I messed- I did something wrong- sss-sorry..." Terra shivered again and sobbed.

    "You... you didn't do anything wrong," Samantha was slightly disgusted with how calm her voice sounded. She was almost robotic. Couldn't she summon one ounce of empathy for that creature?

    "I must've!" Terra protested, coughing. "Hh-how else could I have made you... hh-hate me so much? Mm-'m sorry you had to lug around that stupid plush."

    "No, no Terra, it's for nothing so trivial," Samantha said, holding her hand out.

    "So you do hate me, then," Terra sounded defeated.

    "No!" Samantha balled her fists. "Listen... I- just... listen. There's no easy way to say this."

    "Mh?" Terra squeaked pathetically.

    "A vixen..." Samantha sighed, trying to center her breathing. She took several seconds to apply her techniques to remain calm. "A vixen used me. Took advantage of me. I've got scars all over my back to prove it. Want to see?"

    "Nh-no," Terra shook her head violently. "No." Terra staggered and made an uncomfortable gagging noise, catching herself on the car with her hand. She held up her other hand to wave away Samantha's approach. It looked like Terra would be ill.

    "So yeah, nice convenient excuse," Samantha sneered, mostly at herself.

    "That's horrible," Terra wiped her eyes. "Just... monstrous."

    "Yes," the bunny said blankly. "But I didn't need to take it out on you."

    "Why-" Terra started.

    "Because I'm an idiot!" Samantha shouted. "Okay? I'm stupid! I thought I was over this thing. I thought I was strong. Apparently I have a long way to go if I can snap at a harmless marshmallow like you!"

    "Nh, no," Terra shook her head. "Not 'why did you yell at me'? Why did you agree to take me to Serendipiday...?"

    "Because I..." Samantha broke herself off. Her mind went completely blank.

    "Why put yourself through that?" Terra's lip wobbled. "Why even talk to me? I... I didn't know I was hurting you..."

    "No, you- you haven't..." Samantha waved her hands side to side. "You're a nice fox." Samantha's jaw dropped open as if she was speaking a foreign language. "Yh-you're a nice fox. Huh. You're a nice fox!"

    "Um...?" Terra looked confused.

    "You're a nice fox!" Samantha excitedly placed her hands on Terra's shoulders, causing her to flinch in terror. Samantha's hands flew back from Terra's shoulders as if she had touched a hot stove. "Oh, sorry!"

    "I'm confused, and a little scared," Terra understated.

    "Me too!" Samantha balled her fists up, looking excited. Terra had to nervously chuckle.

    "Hey uh, I can still leave you here, y'know, if you want," Terra tried a weak smile.

    "No no, silly kit fox," Samantha shook her head, getting back in the car. "C'mon, we'll be late for the fireworks."

    "You sure?" Terra tentatively re-entered the car.

    "I'm sure we'll be late if you don't get that tail in gear!" Samantha shouted.

---

    "Mm..." Terra said serenely, relaxing back on her paws propping her up on a grassy hill. "Those were nice fireworks."

    "Told ya," Samantha nodded, seated much the same as she was. "Violet organizes a really good show. Which reminds me, she must have laid out a detailed plan beforehand if they still went off without a hitch..."

    "She still feeling bad?" Terra tilted her head.

    "I think so," Samantha shrugged.

    Terra paused. "Are... you still feeling bad?"

    "No, no..." Samantha assured. "I'm really sorry for blowing up at you tonight."

    "I don't feel like I should blame you," Terra said meekly. "That's an awful thing to have happen to you. If I had known..."

    "Well, that's not the type of thing you tell just anyone," Samantha chuckled wryly.

    Terra frowned and shook her head. "I'm 'just anyone'."

    "No," Samantha placed her hand delicately on Terra's shoulder. "You're a soft and sweet little kit fox, and the nicest fox I know. That's definitely something special."

    Terra stared blankly at her, then blinked three times. She sniffed only once, then gasped.

    "...Oh, great," Samantha wrinkled her nose.

    "You're... attracted to me?" Terra asked in an awed voice.

    "I am... attracted to foxes, yes," Samantha said, looking away from Terra, but only with her eyes. "That's part of how I got into that mess in the first place."

    "But... you're attracted to me?" Terra's voice had a nervous giggle.

    "...Yes?" Samantha shrugged, looking somewhat defeated.

    Terra's muzzle twisted into a strangely-angled smile. She slowly moved her muzzle forward, and briefly gave Samantha's nose the briefest of touches with her own. Samantha froze during and after the act, finding her own nose twitching after it was kissed by the small, cold nose of the kit fox. That was definitely the first time a fox had done that to her. Terra smiled, her tail gently beating against the ground.

    "Okay," Terra said simply, her face warm. Samantha exhaled slowly.

    The two turned to watch the night sky together. Though the fireworks were over, the ambient light was still low enough that a number of stars could be seen twinkling in the inky darkness.

    "So... can I call you Sammy, or..." Terra asked playfully.

    "No," Samantha said curtly.

    "Are you sure...?" Terra's tail wagged faster.

    "No," Samantha repeated.

    "Okay, so you're not sure if I can call you Sammy or not," Terra declared, holding an index finger up before letting the hand drop back to the ground.

    "Terra..." Samantha grumbled. "Or should I call you 'Terrie'?"

    "I don't mind!" Terra smiled. "If I can call you Sammy!"

    "Aren't you suddenly brave?" Samantha playfully sneered.

    "...Not as brave as you are," Terra said quietly, her tail stilling. Samantha's heart skipped a beat. Those crystal blue eyes were looking at her with admiration she'd never seen from another rabbit, let alone a fox.

    "Yeah, I'm brave," Samantha smirked wryly. "This tiny little kit fox is so scary."

    "Sammy..." Terra rolled her eyes. "I'm almost as tall as you, not counting our ears, y'know."

    "Hey! I still haven't agreed to that name!" Samantha barked.

Chapter 111: Marshmallow

Notes:

A side-story (side-prequel?) to Vixen's Mark

    "Welcome home, sweetie!" the pleasant feminine voice of Terra's mother called out as she heard the teenage kit fox and her father enter their small Bunnyburrow house.

    "Mrph," Terra grunted in response, slinging off her backpack and putting it on the the couch, which she flung herself onto as well. She sighed, the hint of pain and tenderness lurking in her teeth. The kit fox folded her paws in a grumpy manner.

    "Busy day, huh," Terra's mother smiled, though it was seasoned with a tiny bit of sympathy.

    "First day of high school and I had to get my braces tightened," Terra huffed, showing her teeth, pointing at them, but not daring to touch them.

    "I'll pack something extra soft for your lunch tomorrow, sugar," her mother said kindly.

    "Last time I got my braces tightened, I burst into tears from biting into a sandwich," Terra complained, holding her arms up into the air, then letting them fall over her face. "Blegh. I don't need any help standing out at Eastburrow, that's for sure."

    "What's she mean, Cecil?" Terra's mother asked her husband.

    Cecil came over and gave a small kiss to his wife's cheek. "Well, uh, we do live in Bunnyburrow, Ariel. Eastburrow High is something like eighty-five percent bunnies, beyond even just having the prey majority."

    "I'm prob'ly the only kit fox in the whole school," Terra went on.

    "So, ah, you haven't made any friends yet?" Ariel narrowed one of her eyes, continuing to look at her moping daughter with a gentle expression.

    "No, c'mon," Terra shook her head, sitting up and looking over the back of the couch at her mother. "First of all, I'm a shy nerd. Second of all, this is just the first day. Third of all... uh... what's third, dad?"

    "Bunnies?" Cecil shrugged. He chuckled. "They do like forming into their own groups. And since they're the majority there, Terra's probably going to be the odd one out of everywhere."

    "Thaanks, dad..." Terra slumped back against the couch.

    "Is it too late to get her into another school?" Ariel winced, walking toward the kitchen.

    "We don't have the kind of money to send her to a private school, you know that, hon..." Cecil winced. "She's not being harassed or anything."

    "Not yet," Ariel muttered, rolling her eyes towards a pot, opening the pot up. She sniffed at it. "Hm." Ariel added some seasonings and stirred the pot. Cecil reflexively sniffed at the pleasant aroma coming from the pot. Ariel pointed the stirring spoon at Cecil. "You know I didn't have the best time at school here in Bunnyburrow."

    "Things have changed at least a little bit since we were kits," Cecil shrugged. "All we can do is hope for the best and offer support if Terra's struggling with someone or something."

    "What's that smell?" Terra blinked, wandering into the kitchen, lured by the scent of soup. "Is that your famous tomato soup?"

    "Mm hm, my five-star recipe," Ariel said proudly, smirking.

    "Just one of the benefits of being married to a chef," Cecil tried to nuzzle Ariel's cheek, but she pushed him away playfully.

    "C'mon, Cecil," Ariel laughed. "Not in front of the kit fox kit."

    Terra rolled her eyes. "It's fine, you goobers." Her expression softened. "Thanks for making soup for dinner. My teeth really hurt, so..."

    "It's not just for you," Ariel said, tilting her head toward Terra with a hint of prissiness. "Your grandfather Brownfurred is coming over today."

    "Oh, no way!" Terra brightened, her tail tip wagging a little. "Cool."

    "So that's definitely on, then?" Cecil chuckled. "Dad loves to flake on his engagements."

    "He's on his way now, from what I know," Ariel offered Cecil a sip of the soup. "What do you think? Is it amazing, or is it incredible?"

    "Both, yes," Cecil responded, kissing his wife's cheek. He grinned at his daughter, who was quickly starting to catch up to her parents in height. "It's certainly not 'Terra-ble'."

    "Honestly, dad?" Terra looked crestfallen, her shoulders sagging. "Sometimes I just think you named me Terra to make dumb dad-jokes at me."

    "Of course not," Cecil claimed, closing his eyes and holding up a finger. "We named you Terra because kit foxes have the lovely colors of the earth. Sandy oranges, dusty grays, and snowy whites."

    "Uh huh," Ariel smirked. "I think it was definitely for the puns." She nudged Cecil with her hip, and Cecil chuckled.

    "They are pretty Terra-fic, aren't they?" Cecil added. Terra cringed, her eyes closed.

    "Daddy...!" the teenage kit fox whined.

    "She's right, honey," Ariel suddenly looked scolding. "With your father coming over, we aren't going to be wanting for goofiness in this house, so maybe you could dial it back a bit."

    "That's definitely true," Cecil put his hands into his pockets. "Okay, no Ter- er, awful jokes."

    "Can I have that in writing?" Terra asked, but then the doorbell rang, and then rang about seven more times in rapid succession.

    "Oh, it's grampa!" Terra giggled, rushing to the door. As she opened the door, there was a brown bunny standing there, about half a head smaller than Terra. He continued poking at the doorbell and Terra half-lidded her eyes at him.

    "Oh, hello, dear!" the bunny said, smiling brightly. "Looks like your doorbell still works!" He pressed it a few more times.

    "Grampa... get in here," Terra affectionately dragged the bunny into the house while rolling her eyes. The bunny's face only slightly seemed aged and he had light brown eyes which still glinted with mischief.

    "Hey dad," Cecil waved from the kitchen at his father.

    "Hey son!" the bunny, Harvey Brownfurred, called back. He turned to Terra, smiling up at her. "And how's my little toasted marshmallow?"

    "I'm okay, grampa," Terra placed her paw on her other wrist and nodded.

    "Good! You're my favorite little kit fox granddaughter after all," Harvey said, giving her a hug. "Wouldn't want you to be upset!"

    "Mm, I'm okay," Terra reiterated while hugging back, though her voice sounded less firm. Harvey didn't pick up on this and released her. "Also, I'm your only kit fox granddaughter."

    "Besides the point!" Harvey insisted with his arms out.

    "We're having Ariel's famous tomato soup tonight, dad," Cecil said.

    "Heck, I know that!" Harvey waved his arm dismissively. "What did you think I was coming over for?" Cecil chuckled at this.

    "It's not just for you, dad," Ariel said in a playfully scolding voice. "Terra just had her braces tightened."

    "Oh, did she now?" Harvey adjusted his glasses, squinting at Terra, who showed him her teeth. "Criminy! How long're they gonna keep your teeth in jail, princess?"

    "Hopefully not all of high school," Terra muttered.

    "Mm, high school, huh?" Harvey huffed. "I thought you were just starting middle school."

    "Grampa..." Terra laughed.

    "Is it going okay?" Harvey suddenly sounded serious.

    "It's... fine," Terra nodded. "There's a lot of bunnies, though."

    "Egh, bunnies," Harvey made a disgusted face and leaned it in to Terra. "No good varmints, the lot of em." He made a very serious face, but Terra couldn't help but burst into a laugh.

    "Dad..." Cecil rolled his eyes.

    "'Dad' what!?" Ariel looked at Cecil incredulously, setting the table with some bowls of soup. "You got your sense of humor from him, after all."

    "All right, soup!" Harvey chuckled. "One of the great pleasures of this world. Besides the loving embrace of-"

    "Yeah, let's stop right there," Cecil deadpanned.

    "Of your closest family members," Harvey finished with an air of superiority.

    "I can't imagine the sentence was going to end like that," Ariel laughed. "Anyway, dinner's on. There's bread too, because I know you'll want to soak up every last drop of the soup."

    "Excellent!" said Harvey. The three kit foxes and one bunny sat down to dinner. After taking a few spoonfuls of soup, to which he "mmm"ed loudly, Harvey looked back to Terra. "So are any bunnies giving you trouble?"

    "No, not yet anyway," Terra shook her head, carefully sipping her soup while trying to avoid having her spoon crash against her teeth. "I actually like bunnies, it's just I don't think they like me back."

    "Bagh!" Harvey dramatically waved his hand. "Don't you worry about the bunnies who try to exclude you; they aren't worth making friends with anyway!"

    "Mm..." Terra nodded. She turned her head to her father. "Daddy, how was it growing up with grampa?"

    "Well..." Cecil looked contemplative. "I can say that your grandparents provided a very loving household for me." He shrugged. "I was very grateful to have parents that loved me so much." Harvey smiled.

    "So..." Terra looked to Harvey next. "What made you decide to adopt a kit fox, anyway?"

    "Well, your grandmother and I wanted a fairly typical bunny family," Harvey scratched his chin. "I think we were aiming for two dozen kits. But at just ten, she had to have a hysterectomy because-"

    "Uh, you can spare her the details, dad," Cecil winced, and Ariel looked slightly uncomfortable.

    "Right, right," Harvey nodded, coughing. "Anyway, we were thinking about adopting a couple. But when we got there, we saw just this cutest little kit fox waiting to be adopted too. We thought we could take him in, so we did! And I think it was a great decision." Cecil rubbed at his temple with one hand, but managed to smile.

    "Not all ten of my siblings were fans of me," Cecil admitted, shrugging. "Sometimes I did feel like an outcast because I was outnumbered."

    "What!?" Harvey looked upset. "I told those kits to make you feel welcome!"

    "Well you can't just force acceptance onto someone," Ariel noted with a frown.

    "Eh, three of my siblings became my closest pals anyway," Cecil smiled. "Pred and prey... we have more in common than we think. Especially omnivores like foxes. Had to get used to a lot of vegetables."

    "Your dad used to sneak out sometimes to grab bug burgers!" Harvey recalled, chuckling. Terra laughed. She liked veggies, but she didn't know what she'd do without her weekly bug burger.

    "School isn't like family though, Terra," Ariel warned. "You're not always going to find lasting friendships there. It might be fine if you just keep your head down and move through high school as quick as it'll come. Focus on your studies."

    "Heck, Ariel!" Harvey frowned. "How's the girl gonna get any friends in the future unless she practices during her formative years? The girl's already so shy!"

    "Um, could you excuse me?" Terra asked, putting her spoon down and pulling away from the table. Even the hint of argument in the family was enough to unsettle her stomach. "I'm getting a tummy ache..."

    "Not from my soup, I hope," Ariel tilted her head. Terra shook her head.

    "I'll come back down soon, I just... need a minute," Terra suggested.

    "Gotta go read some of those comic books?" Harvey asked with a smirk.

    "They're um... graphic novels, grampa," Terra laughed very, very lightly, heading to her room.

    "Kits these days are always so uptight about terminology," Harvey shook his head. Cecil frowned after his daughter, but decided to respect her space and let her be.

    Terra sat on her bed and hugged her pillow to her chest. She felt emotions swelling up in her. She never knew quite why her mother didn't like high school, but the thought worried her. She hoped she wouldn't go through the same thing; that she just could get through her high school years without any major problems.

    Terra whined very quietly into her pillow. Why'd she have to be a kit fox? She was barely taller than some bunnies, and some were even taller than her. She didn't have the naturally intimidating aura as some other predators did, and yet she still was a predator, as some others were keen to remind her.  She felt like she had all the disadvantages of being a predator with none of the benefits.

    Setting her pillow back down, Terra hoped she'd find somewhere to belong in her school. Even though she was shy. Even though she was a predator. Even though she might be the only kit fox in the whole school. Even though bunnies tended to form cliques and ostracize outsiders.

    Terra's breath was shuddering. She didn't feel very optimistic about her chances. She managed to fight off tears and took another few minutes to calm down.

    Getting up slowly, she decided to go back to the door. She carefully peeked out, listening for signs of an argument, and hearing none, she decided to rejoin her family, she walked close to the table, hesitating at her place.

    "You okay, honey?" Cecil looked up at her.

    "I am," Terra looked off to the side. "I hope I will be..."

    "Aw, you mean at school? I'm sure you'll be fine, lil' toasted marshmallow," Harvey swiped his paw. "And if you aren't, just let me know, and I'll beat up anyone troublin' you with my cane!"

    "You don't even use a cane, dad," Ariel half-lid her eyes.

    "Doesn't mean I can't own one!" Harvey laughed.

    Terra let loose a small smile. Her family was silly, but she loved them. She hoped she could lean on them to get through her high school years. She walked over to put her paws on her grandfather's shoulders and gave a long sigh, smiling and deciding to bury her worry for another day.

Chapter 112: Marshmallow II

    The school year had begun in earnest in Eastburrow High. As was to be expected from a Bunnyburrow school, the bunnies were the vast majority of the population and they formed into all sorts of cliques and sub-cliques. There were the popular bunnies that seemed to be popular for no particular reason except their looks. There were the sports-bunnies. There were even the nerdy bunnies, each content to cluster up by themselves. As far as other prey, sheep tended to huddle together no matter what their interests were. Any predators around seemed like the odd ones out, or hung out with an appropriate clique by essentially intimidating their way in.

    Terra had neither the stature nor the personality to muscle her way into any sort of group. One day at lunch she meekly approached a table of what were clearly nerdy bunnies. Four males and two females, all fussing over papers and dice. One of the female bunnies nodded toward her as she approached, and Terra tried to hold a small smile steady as uncertainty welled up inside her.

    "Hey, check it out. Is that one of those dwarf-foxes?"
    "I thought those were fennecs."
    "Fennecs are more like gnome-foxes, heh!"
    "You're all stupid. She's a kit fox."
    "Uh, she's clearly a teenager."
    "That's what they're called, genius. Kit fox. Not a fox kit."

    "Um, hi there!" Terra said, looking over the various colors of bunnies. There was one seat open at the table, and she felt her heart rate accelerating as she eyed it.

    "Hey," a white rabbit girl with dark blue eyes greeted, wiggling a pen. "We're doing character sheets."

    "I'm Terra Brownfurred," she greeted politely.

    "Huh. Terra? That's a cool name," a black bunny male with brown eyes tilted up his glasses. "What are you, like a warrior? Esper? Half-esper?"

    "No dude," a grayish bunny male held his hands up. "Terra is clearly the name of an earth mage. I mean, come on."

    "Oh, I- that's just my name name," Terra said bashfully. She was beginning to feel a little more uncomfortable.

    "Do you like role-playing games at all?" a hazel-eyed, brown bunny girl asked her, looking the kit fox over. Terra felt as if the bunny's eyes had x-ray vision.

    Terra wrestled with the urge to bluff her way through this encounter, but she shook her head. "I like... um, I like graphic novels?"

    The bunnies all gave each other various looks.

    "Could I maybe... s-sit here?" Terra asked shyly, her smile barely exposing her braces.

    "Uh, sure...?" the white rabbit had a look of skepticism to her face, trying to move some papers out of the way of the free space. "Just... try not to spill anything on the character sheets, okay?"

    Terra felt like her stomach had dropped. "Never mind..." she said quietly, turning away. She could almost feel the glares on her back as she walked away. Sighing, she found the empty table she normally frequented and sat down there. She felt slightly upset, though she tried to focus on the din of the bunnies around her so she didn't get too teary-eyed.

    Terra couldn't believe she wasn't even the right type of nerd to hang out with those other bunnies.

    The kit fox was thrown from her melancholy thoughts when she noticed a white sheep sit down at Terra's table opposite her. He was a hornless ram, sort of scrawny, the effect exaggerated by his recently being shorn. He had light brown eyes and a somewhat assured demeanor.

    "Hey, okay if I sit here?" the sheep asked.

    "I mean, you're already sitting there," Terra chuckled lightly.

    "All right, all right, all right," the sheep placed his thumbs and forefingers together. "Is it okay if I continue to sit here?"

    "Sure," Terra half-smiled. "My name is Terra Brownfurred."

    "Charles North," the sheep said. His voice had a lot of confidence that contrasted its unsteady, almost hoarse tone. "But call me Charlie. Not Chaz, though. Don't like that one. Not too fond of Chuck? Dunno. Charlie will do."

    "All right, Charlie it is," Terra giggled into her paw. "Did they run out of room at the sheep tabl- uhl... um, wow, that was rude."

    "Naw, it's okay," Charlie held his hands up in conciliation. "Sheep, right? They do like to stick together, but I don't like the herd mentality, personally. Prefer to be a free thinker, know what I mean?" He tapped at his temple twice.

    "I kinda feel like we're in the wrong school for that," Terra grumbled.

    "Oh, totally, totally, totally!" Charlie laughed, drumming his fingers on the table. "There's bunnies everywhere. I think you're maybe the second pred I've seen today."

    "Yeah," Terra nodded.

    "But!" Charlie held up a finger. "Here's what I'm gonna do to beat the system. I'm gonna get into the school paper."

    "By doing what?" Terra was curious and confused.

    "Oh, I'm gonna be the editor, that's what I'll do," Charlie pointed both thumbs at himself. "That way, I'll have my ear to the ground and know whats goin' on in this school. That way, I can keep afloat!"

    "That's... an interesting idea?" Terra tilted her head, gently eating from a sandwich. "Does anyone actually read school newspapers?"

    "I mean... yeah!" Charlie huffed unconvincingly. "They're online now and in print. Yuh- you can't miss it. No no no. Can't miss 'em."

    "Hmm..." Terra mumbled.

    "Anyway, you'll see, you'll see," Charlie chuckled. "I got this. You'll see. I'll be the main sheep to go to for the gossip and what's goin' on in this place. I'll be my own self-made sheep."

    "That's pretty ambitious," Terra said. "I just want to get through high school with no major disasters..."

    "Ha! I'll be sure to let you know if I scout any major problems that would affect a..." Charlie leaned in. "Sorry, what kind of fox are you?"

    "Kit fox," Terra replied.

    "Kit fox," Charlie nodded. "Huh, hadn't heard of that one." He slammed his hand on the table. "But! You've taught me something new, and knowledge is power. Since you've made me more powerful- yeah! I think we can be friends. Yeah. If you'd like that. Yeah." He nodded rapidly.

    Terra winced out a smile at the strange, manic sheep, but she nodded. "Yeah, a friend would be nice..."

    "Gotcha," Charlie scribbled in a notepad. "Friendos with kit fox, Terra. Super."

    Terra laughed lightly. She was pretty sure she had no idea what she was getting into.

---

    All told, it was a pretty amicable friendship. Though Terra's hearing didn't quite approach bunny level, her meek, wallflower personality let her eavesdrop on clusters of bunnies without a second look, and she would often report on this gossip to Charlie. The sheep would then corroborate it and report on it in the school newspaper. Terra refused to comment on or deliver harmful, mean gossip, but she reported things that she felt might be of benefit to others or might protect someone from getting hurt.

    She dared to feel like an unsung, behind-the-scenes hero at some points, but didn't really know how much her meddling was helping. Charlie always thanked her for her information, but Terra told him to never credit her. She didn't want anything to come back to her and get her in trouble, or worse yet, make her enemies.

    Terra's feelings about her role became ambivalent over time. She felt like she was perpetuating that "sneaky" fox stereotype, even if the only mammal judging her for it her was herself. Eventually, just into the senior year, she stopped, and was surprised when she remained friends with Charlie anyway, despite telling him she didn't want to be his informant anymore. The ram just liked to talk, she figured.

    It was still usually just Charlie that joined her at the table at lunch. Some bunnies had come and gone over the years; a female sheep that didn't quite work out with Charlie. But, for some reason, he stayed. Maybe he just knew Terra was so desperate for companionship that she'd never really want to break from her best high-school friend.

    "Okay, so..." Terra took a deep breath, placing her paws on the table one day at lunch. "I'm thinking of maybe... asking Andrea Bumpercrop to the senior prom."

    Charlie's face cycled through several emotions. Disbelief, shock, disgust, back to disbelief. He finally sputtered and shook his head firmly, waving his arms.

    "No, no, no!" Charlie said wildly. "You can't do that!"

    "Wh-why not?" Terra looked defensive. She defiantly smiled, running her tongue over her clean, bare, shiny teeth. "Look, I just got my braces off."

    "Th-that's not the point!" Charlie shook his head. "I know it's been awhile since you were in the gossip loop, but... c'mon, babe! Sharp, pretty little teeth aren't gonna turn Bumpercrop's head!"

    "Hey, I happen to know that Andrea likes girls," Terra frowned.

    "Yeah, but, Terr, c'mon," Charlie held a hand horizontally way up high. "She's up here in the whole social totem pole, and you, no offense, you're all the way down here." He placed his other hand flat on the table. "She's set to become one of the prom queens. She's probably going to ask someone."

    "Th-that shouldn't matter," Terra said firmly. "Social standing shouldn't matter when it comes to things like love."

    "Terr, Terr, Terr!" Charlie waved his hands. "I dunno what dream world you've gotten into, but snap out of it! It'd be nice to pretend all that stuff like speciesism and social standing doesn't exist, but it does! It's like all I report on!"

    Terra grumbled in response, looking away.

    "Okay, one," Charlie pointed one of his hoofed fingers up. "She's a bunny."

    "I like bunnies," Terra replied, nodding.

    "Two," Charlie added his other finger on that hand. "She's captain of the track team."

    "I like fit bunnies," Terra continued, her ears pinking a little.

    "Three," Charlie added his thumb. "And this should be the big one. She's an enormous species supremacist! She chewed out a wolf twice her size the other day."

    "That, I mean..." Terra fidgeted. "I... I might as well be a bunny anyway."

    Charlie sighed. "Even if you feel that way, you're not. You got the pointy teeth, waggin' tail, and-"

    "C'mon!" Terra balled her fists, laying them on the table. "I'm small! I'm cute! I'm meek and shy! I'm practically a textbook bunny!"

    "But you're not a bunny!" Charlie shook his head, holding his hands up by his face in futility. "And you're only lookin' at Andrea's outward appearance, and that's exactly what she's going to do to you!"

    "Gh..." Terra flinched. "Yh-you can't say that she would turn me down. You can't guarantee me."

    "Babe, babe!" Charlie waved his hands. "Babe, c'mon. You know what I also don't need to do? Is put my hand on a hot stove to know it'd burn me!"

    "Charlie..." Terra winced. "I've gone my whole- my whole high-school existence in the background, unimportant and with very few friends. I just..."

    "Lemme guess," Charlie grumbled. "'Meek girl asks popular boy to prom' is the plot of one of those graphic novels you've read recently, huh?" Charlie shrugged. "Life doesn't work like that, Terr. Listen, I... I'll let this go, okay? Okay. I won't say anything else if it's what you really wanna try. But I don't want you to get crushed, babe."

    "Rgh..." Terra frowned. She briefly imagined how she'd feel if she asked and was turned down, or worse, made a laughingstock of. She closed her eyes and let out a long sigh, feeling both tension and desire flee from her. "I guess you're right; I shouldn't ask her..."

    "Hey, Terr, if I thought you'd have a chance, I'd be the first to push you up to her, believe me," Charlie shook his head. "Now uh... you bring any of those marshmallows today?"

    "Yeah, sure," Terra tried to smile, handing over a few pieces of her favorite sweet snack to Charlie.

---

    "Read it and weep!" Charlie said, slamming a newspaper down on the lunch table. "Except, uh, don't actually cry or anything. That'd be kinda weird. Yeah. Yeah yeah, that'd be odd. Sorry, I've always just wanted to do that, like they do in the movies. Throw the paper down and all."

    Terra chuckled. "What's going on?" She looked over the newspaper. It had been just a week since prom, and the title of the newspaper read "THE QUEENS SEPARATE".

    "Andrea already, already broke up with Josie," Charlie shook his head. "Y'see? She dumped that bunny and broke her heart. Y'seen Josie around lately? She's probably at home cryin' her eyes out."

    Terra frowned. "Josie...? She's like one of the most popular, prettiest bunnies in school, too. And Andrea broke up with her? I thought it'd be the other way around if anything..."

    "Y'let your infatuation blind you, Terr," Charlie looked sympathetic. "This is gonna sound mean, but I'm glad it was Josie and not you, huh? I mean lookit that, you only get one senior prom, right? And now it's retroactively ruined for that bun."

    "I didn't even go, though," Terra sighed. "I mean, it'd be weird to go alone, but still, I didn't get to see how fun it was or anything..."

    "Okay, okay, okay," Charlie waved his hands. "Let me sound like a total sheep here. Sometimes it's best not to take giant risks, okay?"

    "But, but isn't the expression 'better to have loved and lost'?" Terra looked slightly upset.

    "Yeah, but that implies that there was 'love' in the first place!" Charlie shrugged. "Not trying to hook up with a total stuck-up- ah, hey, Andrea!"

    Andrea's tall, fit white bunny form walked by the table with a small pack of followers and she sneered at Charlie. "Don't you have some gossip to write, brown-wool?"

    Charlie held his eyes wide and indicated Andrea with both hands as she turned her back to Charlie. "Seeee...?"

    "Okay, so maybe she's not the nicest doe..." Terra exhaled in a grumbling voice. The fox did still think she was attractive, physically.

    "And you, you deserve someone nice," Charlie nodded, pointing at Terra.

    "Deserve...?" Terra repeated.

    "Yeah! You should be happy," Charlie nodded again, harder.

    "Happy..." Terra echoed.

    "You should also stop repeating everything I'm saying," Charlie droned in monotone, keeping his head still this time.

    "Everything you're saying... huh..." Terra broke out into a large grin.

    Charlie rolled his eyes. "Anyway, the bunny broad was right, I do have some gossip to write." He got up from the table. "Take care of yourself, Terr."

    "See you tomorrow, Charlie," Terra grinned.

Chapter 113: Marshmallow III

    Terra almost felt like skipping to her front door as she parked her steel-blue sporty car in the driveway. Well, technically it wasn't her car, as she didn't buy it, but her parents had given it to her with no strings attached. She was grateful for that. She was also grateful that the bookstore she loved frequenting so much was willing to hire her right out of high school.

    The kit fox slammed the car door and rushed up to the front of the house. Her enthusiasm quickly melted as she thought she heard yelling from inside, her outstretched paw falling before it touched the doorknob. Before opening the door, she stood there, trying to listen for words.

    "That's what I'm saying, Ariel!" Cecil sounded quite exasperated, as if the argument had gone on for a long time. "All I want is for Terra to be happy. Is that so much to ask!?"

    "Well how about this?" Ariel retorted in a heated voice. "How is she going to be happy if a job like that ends up with her homeless and out on the streets?"

    "Good grief, Ariel!" Cecil exploded back. "It's not like we're going anywhere any time soon, and we don't have to shoo her out of the house immediately!"

    "Well where do you see her going, Cecil!?" Ariel shouted. "Where? What sort of ambition has she shown you, huh? Where's she going with this... this two-bit comic book job?"

    Her mother's overheard words cut Terra deep with their piercing nature that never quite got turned on her directly. Terra backed off one step from the door. It was true, she had never thought very hard about her future.

    After high school was over, she had to admit she had no grandiose ambitions, no plan of where to go or what to do. She thought she'd make her parents happy with her eagerness to go out and get a standard job, but it was seeming like that wasn't going to be the case.

    Terra turned around and sat down hard on her doorstep. She curled her knees up near to her head and rested her muzzle on them. Abruptly, she began to sob and cry. She didn't know why. She should be happy, she had a new job, and what did it matter if her parents didn't approve?

    But for some reason, it just mattered to her so much. She couldn't stop from sobbing or the tears from flowing.

    "Wait, do you hear that?" Ariel's voice suddenly hushed. Terra's emotions paralyzed her. She knew they were talking about her, but she couldn't muster up the energy to stop crying, let alone try to get away.

    The door opened and Terra heard two quiet gasps.

    "Terra!" both of her parents cried out simultaneously.

    "Terra, what's wrong, sweetheart?" Cecil asked in a caring voice, and Terra could almost hear the wince he was wearing, though she tried not to meet his eyes.

    "Nothing," Terra lied. "I... I got the job..."

    "Then, um, that's wonderful, sweetie!" Ariel said. Terra flashed her an angry look which quickly broke down into a few more sobs.

    "Don't lie to me, mom!" Terra sniffled. "I just heard you yelling about how it was a worthless job that'd leave me homeless!"

    "It's just..." Ariel winced as Cecil glowered at her. "I mean, haven't you thought about going to college at all?"

    "I've thought about it," Terra hiccuped. "I... really don't want a repeat of my high school."

    "Now Terra..." Ariel said patiently. "You said nothing bad really ever happened to you in high school. No big bullying incidents... no one ever beat you up." Cecil looked like he wanted to say something, but he sighed and let it pass.

    "Yeah but..." Terra grit her teeth. "Nothing really good happened, either. I don't... I don't know what I'd want to do... what I'd want to go to school for. My grades weren't good enough for a scholarship, so I... I just don't want to go into debt for no reason..."

    "I totally understand, honey, and your mother and I will support you every step of the way, with whatever you want to do," Cecil assured, sitting next to Terra and putting his paw on her shoulder.

    "Cecil!" Ariel put her paws on her hips.

    "Ariel, just give the poor girl a few years to figure herself out!" Cecil held out his free hand. Terra gave a big, shuddering sigh at this sentiment.

    "There's nothing wrong with Bunnyburrow University," Ariel insisted, trying to put an amicable edge into her voice. "It's a completely different atmosphere than high school. Your father and I both went there."

    "It took me two years to figure out what I wanted to be, Ariel," Cecil explained. "And that was only after dad was complaining about the size of his estate; that it was too large." He shook his head. "I only figured out I wanted to become an architect when I realized there was the demand for more types of home designs in Bunnyburrow than your standard 'bunny with two dozen kits' variety."

    "So what, she just has to have some sort of epiphany?" Ariel held her paw down to indicate Terra, making her sniffle again.

    "Ariel, come on," Cecil sighed. "You knew you wanted to be a culinary chef from the moment you set foot in high school."

    "Yeah, and I got attacked by some jealous bunnies for my trouble in home ec!" Ariel sneered. Terra gasped and hiccuped, not knowing this story. "Scalded with hot water when my carrot cake was better than those idiot bunnies!"

    "And adversity breeds determination," Cecil suggested. "You wanted to prove those bunnies wrong and you're one of the best regarded chefs in Bunnyburrow now."

    "Yeah, though my ratings seem to plummet when speciesist bunny food critics figure out I'm a fox..." Ariel scoffed bitterly.

    "I'm sorry... I'll... I'll try to think of a better job, what I want to do for the future," Terra whimpered.

    Ariel finally set down next to her, sighing in annoyance, though it might have been that she was annoyed at herself.

    "I'm sorry, Terra," she said. "It's just- you're our only daughter and I just want you to be successful. I've got no one else to dote on, after all." She gently pet at Terra's ears.

    "This is her first job, Ariel," Cecil said. "Let's let her get her feet wet, at least."

    "I... I mean I do like books," Terra shrugged.

    Cecil kissed her cheek. "You have a good time in your little bookstore job, okay? Your mother and I will continue to support you."

    Ariel nodded, petting her ears some more. "That's right, sugar. I'm sorry for snapping."

    "Now, can we see a smile, my little marshmallow?" Cecil gave a goofy grin, raising his eyebrows.

    Terra fought out a big smile. "The smile you two paid for?" Her voice wavered slightly.

    "Oh now, hush," Ariel hugged her from the side. "As if I was going to let my daughter have anything less than a perfect, gleaming smile to attract those bunny does you're always hoping to be with."

    "'Hopping' to be with?" Cecil added. Ariel groaned.

    Terra giggled unsteadily, sniffling, but started to relax from the attention from her parents. She hoped she'd be able to make them proud someday. Somehow.

---

    Five years passed.

    Terra was now living by herself in a small Bunnyburrow apartment. The place was messy, but decorated just right for her. Brightly colored posters of her favorite characters lined the walls and shelves stood stuffed with her the books she loved. It was a joy to come home and just be able to relax in her colorful little sanctuary of her own. Well, she didn't really own it, as it was an apartment, but it was her space, at least. Her own funds were a bit tight at times and she felt rather embarrassed when she still accepted gifts and money from her parents on more than a few occasions, but all in all, she was happy.

    She still worked at the bookstore; it was one of the largest chains in Bunnyburrow. Bunnyburrow's Best Reads. Technology hadn't completely taken over Bunnyburrow yet, so people still enjoyed purchasing books often; the traffic in the store was even busy at times. People in Bunnyburrow were often very pleasant to the fox, despite her species, and she liked interacting with them; helping them with book orders and suggestions and the like. If she was honest, Terra loved the printed word in all forms. How books and magazines smelled when fresh or old, the feel of the paper, the sounds of the pages turning. It was a dream job to her.

    Terra sometimes scolded herself for not dreaming a little larger.

    The kit fox shook her head, reaching her usual position at the register. She liked stocking the shelves the best, but Terra's manager often liked putting her on the register. When she asked why, she was always met with something like "winsome, amicable personality. The customers like you." It made her feel nice to a degree to be complimented by her middle-aged pig boss, even though he was somewhat vacant about it.

    Bunnyburrow's Best Reads was one of those bookstores with a coffee shop attached, so she often found herself indulging in treats there. Her favorite was hot white chocolate with, of course, marshmallows on top. Sometimes she skirted the edge of danger and tried one of the normal milk chocolate variants. It hadn't made her sick yet.

    Was it weird that the most dangerous thing she ever did was try a not-entirely-safe-for-foxes beverage? She shook her head and sighed again, trying to dispel her niggling thoughts.

    Rather than mope, Terra often liked to read from graphic novels on the job. She was pretty sure she wasn't supposed to be doing that, but again, her manager didn't seem to mind. She almost tossed the book she was reading into the ceiling the first time her boss had caught her reading during her shift, then somehow managed to catch it cleanly in her paws. All he said was "nice catch" dryly as he walked by, and it never came up again. It had taken about five minutes for her heart rate to go back down.

    "Terra?"

    "Hnh!" Terra started, broken out of her thoughts, setting down the magazine she absently had open in her paws. "Oh, Charlie!?" She smiled, her tail starting to wag involuntarily.

    "Hello, Terr!" Charlie said; the sheep very, very carefully setting down a newspaper on the counter. "I didn't know you worked here. Hello, hello. Nice to see you again!"

    "Sorry we lost touch," Terra winced. "What became of you?"

    "I went to Bunnyburrow U to become a journalist!" Charlie said, looking proud. "I indeed did that. That is what I did. I'm one of the youngest writers for the Bunnyburrow Beacon."

    "Wow, congratulations!" Terra smiled genuinely. "That's so cool; you really reached out and seized your dream, huh?" Terra tried not to let her voice fall off.

    "I did!" Charlie clapped his hands together twice. "Yes, and this very newspaper has my first published article. It is, of course, a very small, inconsequential, almost custodial article hidden deep within the main section, but it is an article nonetheless! I will be framing this paper. Or... maybe just the article. Perhaps I should buy another paper so I can frame both. I haven't decided yet. Anyhow, I will start by purchasing this one, please."

    "Okay," Terra accepted his money for the paper. "Would you like a bag for it?"

    "Heavens no. I don't want it folded or anything!" Charlie said, holding it very carefully in his hands after he paid for it. "I'm going to just very carefully walk with this and try not to get it wrinkled, crushed, torn, maimed, burned, or anything. Anyway, I might be back if I'm not pleased with how I decide to frame this, or need another paper for the article itself. See you, then, right? If I come back. I bet I'll see you."

    "Right, yeah..." Terra smiled, giving an empty, amused huff. "I'll- I'll be here..."

    As Charlie left while meticulously holding the paper, Terra finally gave out a large sigh as melancholy descended upon her.

    "I'll be here."

Chapter 114: Marshmallow IV

Notes:

This will be the last entry in the Marshmallow series. It's tempting, but I can't keep indulging this little kit fox indefinitely!

This chapter takes place concurrently with Chapter 13 of Vixen's Mark.

Samantha Hopps is a SophieWitch character creation! Used without express permission this time (oops).

    To her credit, Terra didn't start crying immediately when she was told. She was a bit too bewildered for that. Sadness; even regret started to consume her the instant the bunny departed from the kit fox. Terra stood there at her position at the register at Bunnyburrow's Best Reads, frozen. Terra's could feel her next breath tremble pathetically, but she rubbed her throat and shook her head, denying the feeling.

    The previous night, a small wonder had happened; a bunny had asked Terra to go with her to the kit fox's first Serendipiday.

    Terra grit her teeth for just an instant, but then fought for control over her mouth. It was just Serendipiday. Just a festival about fireworks and gambling and taking chances. The vixen couldn't help but think that she was having a chance taken on her, and it had warmed her.

    The kit fox knew a lot about bunny culture. She knew that being invited to go to Serendipiday's nighttime festival alone with someone else was supposed to be a special, almost intimate thing. A date, even.

    And what a bunny it was that had asked her. Terra pulled herself out of her emotional quagmire to force a smile and wave at that particular bunny as she left the bookstore. Her name was Samantha Hopps, and she was gorgeous. For a bunny, she had a statuesque build. Tall, even a tiny bit taller than Terra, not including her long, lapine ears. Her soft cream and white fur's delicate colors contrasted her piercing amber eyes. Her snug outfit left her arms exposed, showing off her attractive, lissome muscles and teasing at the strength concealed by her clothes.

    That bunny, Samantha. She had asked if Terra would like to go to Serendipiday with her. Terra tried not to sound too excited when she replied, but it came out girlish and eager. She knew she was at least five years younger than the bunny, but she knew she didn't need any help looking or sounding like a child.

    Samantha was lukewarm toward her for the former part of the night. She seemed more like a chaperone or guardian than a friend. Something started changing halfway through the evening, and soon they were laughing and joking like they had known each other for a long time. Terra was doing her best not to let her tail just wag through the whole affair; she knew she couldn't keep it from at least swishing most of the time. The two ate sugary, brightly-colored treats, tried the mystery drink flavors at the special random drink fountain, and spent two sets of Serendipiday coins. Caught up in the moment, Terra didn't think to keep one for herself and her memories until after she had spent her last one.

    Either way, she had won a giant orange Serendipity plush with blue eyes from a kooky giraffe, so she had her own memoir of that perfect night.

    Of course, the perfection wasn't to last. Samantha started acting strange on the drive back and eventually demanded that Terra pull over in the middle of nowhere. Icy terror gripped Terra as Samantha threw the door open and spit curses under her breath. Uncomfortable and scared, Terra tried to summon every ounce of her courage to offer her whatever she could do to help, but Samantha snapped.

    The rabbit cursed Terra out, turning words and secrets that the kit fox had entrusted to Samantha mere hours ago into weapons to hurt the little vulpine. Confused and hurt, Terra crumpled and sobbed. In the present, she sniffled at reliving the fresh memory.

    There had been good reason for the panic attack the bunny suffered. Samantha admitted to Terra that a fox had done terrible things to her in the past. The mere admission of this made the junk food in Terra's stomach threaten to come up. Eventually, Samantha's anger fizzled and the two managed to calm down enough to go watch the Hopps family fireworks together.

    She hadn't said it then; maybe she should have, but Terra really admired Samantha for that moment. She had asked another fox to do a significant thing together with her, and to Terra, that was important and it mattered. It made her feel special; worthy.

    Only because of that feeling could Terra gather together all of her nerve and gently touch her nose to Samantha's on the hill that nice evening. The bunny's nose twitched after the act and a look of surprise; maybe wonder passed onto Samantha's face. It was all Terra could do not to laugh, so she held a tentative, wobbly smile on her muzzle.

    But like a pleasant dream, Terra had just been rudely shaken from it. Samantha had just come in near the beginning of Terra's shift and told her not to "read too much" into it. Terra immediately felt crushed.

    Of course, she thought. Of course. It made so much sense. Even if the bunny found foxes attractive, there was no way she wanted to get involved with such a nobody like Terra.

    The worst part was the self-loathing and self-pity that rapidly pressed in on Terra. The vixen had to deal with those stewing thoughts for her whole shift while she fought off lumps in her throat and encroaching tears. Her first break came an excruciating three hours into her shift, and she retreated into the back seat of her car and finally just laid down and cried. She desperately needed the release, but she hoped none of her co-workers would find her out there sobbing like a kit.

    She needed to talk to someone, but who? Terra picked up her phone and looked through it while she sobbed. Her teeth wrenched into a grimace as she made her way past Samantha's number and down to her sister Violet. Maybe Samantha's unusual, pragmatic sister could tell her what had gone wrong.

    The phone only rang once, and Violet picked up.

    "Violet Hopps," her voice came out properly, but she immediately heard Terra's crying from the other end of the line. "Terra? What's wrong?"

    "She said- she said it didn't mean anything...!" Terra's voice was almost too high-pitched to hear and it pinched off into a choked sob.

    "What? Who? Samantha?" Violet returned.

    "Yeah, nhh- Seren... Serendipih... nngh..." Terra mumbled. That festival just had too many syllables for her to properly articulate. She collapsed into several more sobs. "What'd I do...?"

    "All right, I will talk to Samantha and see what's going on," Violet said firmly, but with a hint of care.

    "Wha- no!" Terra popped up into a seated position in the seat, wiping her eyes. "I don't wanna- ss-seem like I'm just complaining that it- it didn't work out..."

    "Don't worry, I will talk to her the moment I see her," Violet repeated. "I have an account with you now, Terra. I brought Samantha to you and now it seems like she's hurt you. I won't let that go. If I can't get her to help you, I will do the best I can myself."

    "She's ngh-," Terra gasped in a shaky breath. "...I'm not blaming you... th-thank you for trying to help me..."

    "You don't have to blame me; the facts of the situation are what they are," Violet said. "Now, will you be okay? Would you like for me to do anything else?"

    "I dunno... nhh- can't think of anything," Terra choked out a laugh. "If I knew what'd make me feel better I'd definitely ask for it..."

    "Understood," Violet said firmly. "Please take care of yourself."

    "Kh-kay, bye..." Terra hung up. Violet was such a strange, logically-minded bunny, yet she seemed to care about things as well in her own, different way. Terra found Violet attractive too, as she was also fit and tall; not to the degree of Samantha, but Violet had once let her kindly know that she wasn't attracted to foxes.

    Terra struggled out of the car and went to go get a snack before she had to face the rest of the day; she was starving.

---

    The little fox managed to last the rest of the day without breaking down again, though Terra was sniffling as she walked up to the door of her apartment. Her legs felt weak as she entered, fighting the urge to melodramatically slide herself down to a seated position against her door. Terra vacantly set down her personal effects in the usual place on her counter and stared at her apartment.

    It wasn't until she saw that enormous Serendipity plush that she started to cry again. That giant plush sitting there with its happy, cute smile, as if mocking the turn of events she had just been through. Mocking her supposed fortune that turned to bitterness one day later. Terra rushed over to it and tried to pick it up. She thought to throw it away; at least get it out of the front door of her apartment. She struggled, groaning.

    "Stupid... ngh...!" Terra growled through her sobs, trying to wrestle with the plush. It was quite heavy for her, and her emotional weakness further compromised her physically. She relented before long, setting the plush back down and collapsing against it, sobbing.

    It seemed like no trouble at all for Samantha to carry it to her car as she had done the previous night. Terra whined, trying to separate herself from the plush, but she slumped against it. She closed her eyes.

    Terra wished she had listened to her father: that bunnies far outnumbered any other species in Bunnyburrow and tended to make those different from them feel like outsiders at any opportunity.

    She wished she had listened to her eccentric sheep friend, Charlie: that sometimes it was better not to take those big chances, lest they hurt you gravely.

    She wished she had listened to her rabbit grandfather, Harvey: that the bunnies who were quick to ostracize weren't worth getting close to.

    There was another shaking breath from the little vulpine. She especially wished she had listened to her mother: that she needed to cultivate some sort of dream or ambition, and not just do what she liked or felt comfortable to her.

    If she had gone to college or gotten a different job, she likely never would have met Samantha. This whole whirlpool of despair and self-pity she was caught in would never have formed.

    Terra opened her bleary, teary eyes and looked at her collection of graphic novels, regular novels, and comic books. She had an amount that she sometimes felt some degree of shame over. In the more romantic stories she liked, a night like last night would have been the turning point in the drab existence of this shy, unambitious kit fox. She whimpered, weakly punching the Serendipity plush.

    But life wasn't like the stories she enjoyed. No fantastic animals with supernatural powers existed. No great stories of unbelievable adversity met by its perfect but opposite match of heroism were told. Romance wasn't trite and perfectly timed.

    Terra sniffled and whined again. That was probably why she liked her graphic novels. Every interesting story she read wildly whisked her away from her own life, which somewhere deep inside, she was ashamed of.

    She was just an uninteresting, unambitious little kit fox stuck in a city full of mammals she couldn't relate to; undeserving of respect, admiration, or love.

    Her phone rang. Terra was at first apathetic enough to let it ring, but it kept on ringing and Terra wanted the noise to end more than anything. Terra struggled to her feet and walked over to the counter, looking at her phone.

    Terra let out a shuddering gasp. Samantha was calling. She choked out another sob, but then grit her teeth, wiping her eyes and fanning her small face with her paws, trying to control herself. She quickly pressed the button to accept the call before it went to her saccharine, chipper voicemail message.

    "H'lo? Sam?" Terra tried so hard to make it seem like she wasn't bawling for the last several minutes. She was almost baffled that Samantha had called back so soon in the first place.

    "Hi! Terra, hi..." Samantha's voice was manic and cheerful; it sounded coerced somehow, but then she quickly tried to change it into an even, neutral tone. "Uhm... so hi. How are you?"

    "I'm okay," Terra blatantly lied. She realized Violet must have talked to Samantha.

    "I... Violet talked to me," Samantha said. Terra would have laughed if she didn't feel so hurt.

    "Oh..." Terra replied. She coughed and sniffled, gritting her teeth. She knew Samantha was just on damage control now and trying to apologize for crushing the soft little marshmallow the kit fox was.

    "Terra, I'm sorry," Samantha's voice had unexpected genuineness. "I didn't know Serendipiday would mean that much to you. I can understand if you don't want to see me again or do the book club thing..."

    "Huh?" Terra asked. "Why wouldn't I...?" She didn't know why she said that. At the moment she felt too embarrassed to think about going over to the Hopps compound ever again.

    "Just cause... I'm kind of a wreck...?" Samantha groaned, sighing. "First you had me blow up at you last night and then you had me being inconsiderate to you today... I'm just really sorry."

    "I uh..." Terra's feelings suddenly burst from her, surprising even her. "...Are you trying to get rid of me?"

    "What?" Samantha's voice launched back into panic. "What, no no no!"

    "I kinda- I like you, Sam..." Terra understated softly. "You're so strong... I want someone like you in my life. I just-... you know."

    "I was only saying that I- I hoped me being so... y'know, weird and broken... doesn't- doesn't put you off," Samantha said dejectedly. "Don't you think you deserve someone better than that?"

    "I don't know what I deserve," Terra said blankly. Nothing, probably. "I... I only know what I want."

    There was a short pause before Samantha replied. "Me...?"

    "I uh..." Terra's voice faltered as her heart warmed and flooded with trepidation. "I can still see you again, right...?"

    "Let's meet up tomorrow!" Samantha replied immediately. "Yeah, you wanna come over here? Maybe for dinner? I can apologize in person and it'll be great! Everything will be fine!"

    "Tomorrow?" Terra tapped her chin. "I dunno, I was just over there."

    "Oh..." Samantha's voice fell off.

    Terra giggled lightly and sniffled. It was kind of a mean move, she thought, but she was only half-joking. "I was just kidding. I'd love to come over."

    "Great, great!" Samantha's voice boomeranged back into nearly hysterical relief. She let out a big, breathy sigh and her voice became earnest. "In the future, please tell me if I hurt your feelings, okay? I didn't- I didn't intend to."

    "It's okay, hehe, I know I'm kind of fragile, delicate... I've heard them all," Terra sniffled again. "Thanks for... giving me a try, I guess? I dunno, are we kind of a thing now?" The fox felt like she was pushing it.

    "I... well, if you went by the Hopps family gossip, we are," Samantha's voice sounded wry.

    "Well, how do you feel about that...?" Terra wondered, fear clutching her chest and stomach.

    "...Just that I really want to see that cute face of yours tomorrow?" Samantha asked cautiously.

    "I can deal with that..." Terra closed her eyes, smiling as she absorbed the compliment. "That means I'll get to see your pretty bunny face."

    "Pretty?" Samantha sounded legitimately puzzled. Terra giggled and hung up, biting her lip. She set the phone down, balled her paws into fists, and held them close to her chest, looking up with her eyes closed and humming out a slow, relieved breath.

    Maybe a chance still remained for her. Maybe she was actually worth something to that attractive bunny after all. Maybe she still had a story to have woven around her like a warm cocoon.

    Terra determined she was going to take this chance and follow it wherever it would lead. Even if it hurt her somewhere along the way. Even if she didn't feel completely confident in herself. She giggled in release as her eyes caught on the blank, staring eyes of the still-happy Serendipity plush. Terra launched herself onto it and hugged it.

    "Sorry about that," Terra told the plush as she snuggled in and squeezed her arms around it. "You can stay."

Chapter 115: Den

Notes:

Well, my regular readers know how this goes by now. I finish a mini-series or major work, say I'm done, then you all are like "well if you want you can keep going~". So, here we are again.

This story is a standalone sequel to Vixen's Mark. Thanks again as always to SophieWitch for letting me use Samantha Hopps for the billionth time.

And to all your regular commenters that goad me into writing more starring my original characters, you know who you are! Thank you very much for your continued words of encouragement!

    Terra looked unusually determined, her small kit fox paws gripped firmly on the steering wheel of her car as she drove. Samantha kicked back in the passenger's seat, the cream-and-white bunny looking comfortable in her position.

    "Okay, so let's go over some things," Terra said, her voice heavier than usual.

    "About going to visit your parents?" Samantha wondered, feeling over her willow-bead bracelet with her other paw. Terra nodded twice.

    "Mm, remember, you don't get a second first impression," Terra said firmly.

    "Yes, ma'am," Samantha returned blithely. She chuckled to herself, looking out the window at the nondescript Bunnyburrow roads. She was actually a bit excited to go over there. She had lived in her parent's house, the rural Bunnyburrow compounds home to sometimes hundreds of bunnies each. She was currently living in her girlfriends small apartment in what could be called the proper city of Bunnyburrow. She'd never actually been to a house in the "suburbs" of Bunnyburrow, such as they were. These were rarer communities, home to predators and their often smaller families.

    "First, daddy," Terra said evenly. "He's... mostly a goofball. His main thing is that he wants me to be happy. So you'll just have to show him that... somehow. Also, he's probably going to make some sort of lame joke about your name at some point; please tolerate him...?" Terra winced.

    "Okay, impress the dad by showing I care about you; sounds easy enough," Samantha nodded, looking at the front and back of one of her paws.

    "Then, mom," Terra sighed. "She'll be a bit harder. She's not the biggest fan of bunnies. She can be a little bit haughty and conceited. She wants me to be successful, so I have to show her that I'm happy with what I'm doing."

    "I understand," Samantha nodded again.

    "And grampa," Terra murmured. "Ugh, just- if he's there, brace yourself."

    "Got it," Samantha chuckled. Terra quickly flashed her an indignant look before turning her attention back to the road.

    "What is so funny?" Terra snipped.

    "You!" Samantha beamed. "I've never seen you so businesslike and serious before. It's cute."

    Terra rolled her eyes. "You think everything I do is cute."

    "A fair point, but it still stands," Samantha said airily. "I don't think you should worry too much, honey."

    "It's just..." Terra briefly nibbled on her lip, then started talking rapidly. "I don't want this to go wrong, okay? This was your idea; which it still confuses me why you'd insist on going and meeting more foxes, and I don't really- I don't care if they don't think you're the greatest bunny in the world because I do and that's what should matter, and if they don't like you for some reason I'm going to get really upset and I don't want to be really upset because I'm fine just being happy with us being together and-"

    "Whoa, whoa! Calm down, sweetheart," Samantha said, trying to hide the amused huff she shot out. "Breathe. It'll be fine." She smiled mischievously. "Wow, when was the last time I saw that tongue move so fast? I think maybe... last night?"

    Terra scoffed loudly, tossing her a brief look with her jaw hanging open. "And no raunchy jokes!"

    "Obviously," Samantha half-lid her eyes. "I just wanted to get that one out to relax your mood, my little puppyfox."

    "Ooh, maybe we should go easy on the pet names, too..." Terra mused suddenly. "Especially 'marshmallow'. My dad still uses that one. And I don't know if they'd be too into seeing us smooch, either."

    "Whatever you say, hon- er, Terra," Samantha smiled.

    "Why were you so insistent on meeting my parents, anyway?" Terra hunched down a bit, scrunching her face up a little.

    "You said you loved your parents a lot, and that they were supportive," Samantha shrugged. "I kind of wanted to meet those responsible for making this adorable little kit fox."

    "Right, right, fine," Terra rolled her eyes again, looking at the clock. "Adorable kit fox makers in t-minus fifteen minutes."

    "Can't wait," Samantha kicked back confidently in the car, grinning.

---

    When the front door to the little Bunnyburrow home opened, both kit foxes were there to greet Samantha and Terra. The three kit foxes looked precisely the same height. Samantha noted that Terra must have gotten her light, crystal-blue eyes from her father; his look was both cute and handsome to Samantha. Her mother had dark, chocolate brown eyes and a more subdued facial profile. Definitely a few shades prettier than her daughter, not that Samantha would say that out loud. The two kit foxes wore somewhat worried expressions that burst into happiness when they saw their daughter.

    "Terra sweetie!" her father held his arms open wide to get her in a hug, which she happily bounded into. "How are you?"

    "I'm fine, daddy," Terra said, hugging back. "Hi mom." She moved to hug her next after a long hug with her father.

    "Hi, sweetheart," her mother pat her head. She looked Samantha from toe to head as she released her daughter. "And this must be Samantha."

    "Samantha Hopps, ma'am," Samantha smiled with one nod, holding out her paw. "Nice to meet you."

    "Mm, likewise; we've heard a lot about you," Terra's mother said as her daughter disengaged from her hug. Samantha wasn't expecting how firm her mother's handshake was. "I'm Ariel Brownfurred."

    "And I'm Cecil," her father offered, shaking Samantha's hand afterwards. His handshake was much lighter, almost jaunty. "Good to finally meet this bunny our daughter won't stop texting me about!"

    "So!" Ariel clasped her hands together abruptly. "I hope you two are hungry, as it is about dinner time and I have a salad made up."

    "All right!" Terra smiled brightly. "I'm hungry enough, are you, Sammy?"

    "I could eat," Samantha grinned, nodding.

    "Come on in then, please!" Ariel said graciously, letting the two in. Samantha smiled as she took in the well-kept, small home. It looked cozy and had a lot of daylight streaming in, giving it a somewhat open, welcoming feel. She was prepared for a somewhat dark, artificially lit den-like house as bunny compounds often were. She already felt a bit of comfort and relief at the inviting sights and smells. She'd definitely gotten used to the smell of foxes again, thanks to her girlfriend.

    "So, she calls you Sammy, eh?" Cecil grinned. "What's that short for? Sammy-Whammy?" He barked out a laugh.

    "Daddy, please. We only just got here," Terra whined. The four were seated at a table, and Ariel gave them each a generous bowl of salad. Samantha looked down at the salad, immediately impressed by its presentation. It had almonds, white cheese crumbles, fresh looking greens and vegetables, and a drizzle of some sort of dressing.

    "By all means, chow down," Ariel invited, and the four started eating. After only a few bites, Samantha's eyes widened, and her pupils shrank in response to the taste. Besides the scent and texture of the greens and vegetables in the salad, the vinegar-based dressing was light and yet contained some unfamiliar, rich flavors, and the salad was seasoned just perfectly to make it pop with flavor. Samantha chewed reverently, her eyes fixed in an unfocused stare. Ariel noticed her expression and smiled mischeviously. "Are you okay, Samantha?"

    "Um..." Samantha looked down at her fork. "This is going to sound like flattery, but this salad is good. Like... really good..." Terra giggled.

    "Hmhmhm," Ariel hummed out a laugh, timing tilts of her head this way and that to her hums. "Well, of course it is. It is my most popular salad recipe with the bunnies."

    "So you're like a chef?" Samantha seemed impressed, taking another bite. "Mmh. Wow."

    "I sure am," Ariel nodded. "One of the highest regarded culinary chefs in Bunnyburrow. Probably the highest predator, anyway. Hmhm."

    "What do you do, if you don't mind my asking?" Cecil wondered, taking a bite of his own salad.

    "Oh! I'm a teacher," Samantha showed a small smile.

    Cecil huffed in amusement, looking at the bunny's relatively slight but visible musculature. "Huh! So... like a gym teacher...?"

    "Actually, I teach third grade," Samantha said with a nod.

    "Teach them what?" Cecil smirked. "Karate?"

    "Daddy!" Terra looked at her father sternly.

    "Ss-sorry, sorry, just kidding," Cecil laughed.

    "I just like to keep in shape," Samantha said easily with a shrug, having another bite of salad. "Mmh. So good."

    "Glad you like it," Ariel said with blatant pride. "What would you like to do after dinner? Should we all watch a movie?"

    "Ooh, rom-com!" Cecil held up a fist.

    "That sounds fun," Terra smiled.

    Romantic comedies weren't exactly Samantha's favorite, but she nodded, desiring to be a gracious guest. "Yeah, that should be nice."

    The dinner continued with more jokes and anecdotes being exchanged among the family with Samantha. Terra started to seem a bit more at ease. Maybe she had worried for nothing? Samantha looked happy, and her parents looked happy. She smiled more pleasantly, feeling herself relax. Maybe the visit would go off without a hitch after all.

---

    The movie ended, and Ariel stretched, getting up from the couch.

    "Well, that was nice. I'm going to bed," Ariel said in a snipped, concise voice. "See you in the morning, sweetie. You too, Samantha."

    "Good night," both Samantha and Terra said together. Samantha had gotten away with sneaking her arm around her little kit fox somewhere around the first half of the movie and Terra responded by cuddling in, feeling the bunny's paw pet her side.

    "Yeah, that was one of my favorites," Cecil smiled, getting up from the couch and looking briefly at the two lovers. "Okay you two, up, up." Samantha immediately complied, but Terra looked confused, only following after several moments. Cecil moved to the couch and started converting it. "We have to change this thing into a bed!" He looked apologetically at Samantha. "Sorry, we don't have a guest room, but everyone we've invited over agrees that the couch-bed is really comfy!"

    "Oh, uh..." Samantha rubbed behind her head. "I just thought I might just sleep in Terra's room?" Terra looked over at Samantha, nodding at this.

    Cecil froze for two seconds as if paralyzed by the idea, but then laughed nervously and continued making the bed. "Oh but that bed is so small, I mean she could barely- haha... heh, I don't think it would fit two people very comfortably at all. There- there'd be much more space out here for you..."

    Terra started to fold her arms, frowning.

    "Yeah, I mean, Terra's had her bed for years and years," Cecil continued, slipping a cover onto a pillow. "I mean, it's so tiny, kind of a bit lumpy by now I'd think."

    "Daddy," Terra deadpanned. "If Samantha wants to sleep in my bed-"

    "It's okay Terra, it's okay," Samantha held her paws up amicably. "It's just for a couple of nights. I don't want to be a bother."

    "You're not a bother!" Terra grit her teeth, scoffing. "If anything, it's more trouble to set up this couch-bed than to-!"

    "Terra, it's fine," Samantha smiled, placing her paw on the kit fox's folded-up wrist. "It's okay. I'll sleep out here." Terra shot her an intense look, and Samantha merely shrugged.

    "That's great; everyone's happy!" Cecil said, finishing setting up the couch-bed. "Anyway, I'm going off to bed now too, so good night you two lovey doves." He started to depart, then peeked around the corner. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

    "And what 'wouldn't you do', daddy?" Terra grumbled after him.

    "Well, I personally probably wouldn't get into a make-out session with Samantha..." Cecil grinned and got another grumpy expression from Terra for his trouble. "Just saying!" He quickly vanished around the corner.

    Samantha laughed lightly. "He's funny."

    "Please don't encourage him," Terra grumbled. "I can't believe he's making you sleep by yourself."

    "I don't mind, Terra," Samantha shook her head, going to a small suitcase and getting her night clothes. "I'll be cuddling you to sleep again in another couple of days from now. It doesn't bother me."

    "But what about your...?" Terra winced as Samantha undressed. Her voice dropped to a whisper as she quickly darted her eyes in the direction of her parents bedroom. "Your scars...?"

    Samantha ended up in some loose, comfy sleep pants and a very light, white top. Her top had thin straps and exposed some of the top of her chest and a good bit of her back. "What about them?"

    Terra frowned. "Okay, I'm getting a little bit tired of you pretending like all this doesn't bother you." She swept her hand around her house. "You're in a fox house, around two foxes that aren't familiar to you, and you're wearing light clothing out in the open that exposes some of your scars."

    "If I have to explain them, I have to explain them," Samantha sighed. "I'm not going to lie to you, because I know you can smell that I'm not completely comfortable with this. But, I think it's important anyway. I'll do things their way to show that I'm agreeable."

    "I don't want them to keep pushing you until they make you do something you don't want to," Terra looked away. "You should- you should hold on to some of your control."

    "Fine then," Samantha smiled, going over and giving Terra a drawn-out, deep kiss. She gently broke from the kiss and grinned at her mate. "How's that?"

    Terra couldn't help but smile. "Okay, I guess." She looked off to the side with a tiny smile.

    "Pff, you guess? I'll just have to try again then," Samantha said, turning her muzzle to face her so she could kiss her again. Terra hummed happily into the kiss and her tail started wagging. Samantha broke from the kiss once again, hugged Terra, and let her go. "See you in the morning, cute stuff."

    "Mm hm, see you..." Terra smiled, going into her old room. She tossed Samantha a small smile as she left. Samantha got into the bed and laid down, trying to relax. It wasn't that uncomfortable.

---

    Samantha found herself in the Brownfurred's unfamiliar kitchen at around one in the morning. She'd gotten a small smattering of sleep, from which she was woken up abruptly by a nightmare. Mercifully, she hadn't had nightmares in quite awhile since started living with Terra. Nevertheless, her discomfort at being in a different house, sleeping in a different bed, and with two foxes around skeptical of her being with their daughter had definitely rattled her subconscious. As her throat felt dry, she carefully snooped around the kitchen for a glass and poured herself some water from the fridge. She felt like a robber. She swallowed a few gulps of the water, trying not to shiver, though the house's temperature was pleasant.

    "Can't sleep?" the male voice came. Samantha started just a little, turning toward the sound. It was Cecil, and he was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, regarding the bunny. Despite the strength she knew she possessed, she felt vulnerable, knowing that Cecil could see her far better than she could even see herself at the moment.

    "Just woke up in the middle of the night; it happens," Samantha shrugged. From what she saw on Cecil's face, he looked almost completely different. He had an even look drawn along his muzzle, and his eyes glinted slightly in the moonlight spilling from the windows. He looked almost frightening, or as frightening as a kit fox could look. He still carried the curse of cuteness kit foxes had, but with that air of handsomeness as well.

    "Mm," Cecil nodded. "So. Can we talk?"

    "Sure," Samantha gulped down the rest of her water, placing the glass in the sink. "I hope it's okay that I got some water."

    "Of course," Cecil shrugged. "So you're a teacher, huh?"

    "I am," Samantha nodded.

    "With that physique," Cecil seemed skeptical, and he sniffed.

    "Terra likes it," Samantha tried a tiny half-smile.

    "So you work out just for her?" Cecil raised an eyebrow.

    "I mean..." Samantha mentally reviewed her reasons for working out. "That... and it makes me feel good."

    "Ah, okay," Cecil nodded.

    "You don't trust me," Samantha said flatly.

    "I didn't say that," Cecil countered, looking away briefly, then back to her.

    "...I'm glad," Samantha said, rubbing her arm. "I'm glad you don't trust me."

    "Pardon...?" Cecil brought one of his lips up a bit, showing a little bit of his teeth.

    "To be honest, I don't know what I can do that would earn your trust," Samantha folded her arms tightly, not meeting his gaze. "Anything I do or say could be a carefully calculated lie."

    Cecil looked baffled.

    Samantha's breath picked up a bit, but she turned around slowly and carefully. Cecil's eyes widened as he took in what was visible of Samantha's back.

    "This is what blind trust got me," Samantha said bitterly, turning back around.

    "Mmm..." Cecil looked down. "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to say to that."

    "I just want you to know that if I ever purposefully hurt your daugh-," Samantha's voice caught. "Your daughter... I- I want someone to strike me down where I stand."

    "I can hear your pain, and smell your distress," Cecil grit his teeth. "Something very bad must have happened to you, and for that I'm sorry. I... smelled that you were worried when you first came into the house, too."

    "Hmph, bunnies are always worried," Samantha said flippantly, trying to carefully corral her emotions back into place, blinking away the warmth she started to feel in her eyes.

    "No, they aren't," Cecil frowned. "And foxes aren't always deceivers." Samantha gasped. "That is, if that's what you're afraid of. If that's what you think I'm worried about. Do you think that fox suitors always have to try to prove their trustworthiness to their mate's parents?"

    "Nh-no, I didn't mean that," Samantha shook her head. "I just-" She broke off when she knew she didn't want to explain further.

    "So... was it a fox that hurt you, then?" Cecil followed up. Samantha froze, but knowing her fear would again betray her, she nodded. "...I see." He sighed heavily. "That bothers me. ...Why are you in a relationship with my daughter, then?"

    "Because I love her," Samantha said instantly. "I... care a lot about her. Just because of what happened to me didn't... change how I felt about foxes. I'm still attracted to them. It's also been a long, long time since the attack."

    "I'm sorry to grill you," Cecil sighed again, straightening up. "I've often wondered if I've raised Terra the right way. You bunnies... you've got a whole community for a family. You have all of the members with their roles and their responsibilities... but in a predator family, there's often not as many children. Not as many people to worry about. So... all of my worry goes onto Terra."

    "My mother is... something of an outlier," Samantha winced. "There's nearly three hundred of us Hopps."

    "My mother is on the lower side," Cecil nodded. "Just eleven Brownfurred kids, including me."

    "But you just said-" Samantha's jaw dropped. "Your mother is a bunny?"

    "Father, too," Cecil half-smiled. "So I got to have that kind of life growing up. But I've provided Terra with a more... traditional predator family. I thought only having one kit would let me focus all my attention on her. That's pretty much what happened. I feel like I'm responsible for what she's become."

    "But... but she's so sweet..." Samantha held her paws out.

    "And fragile..." Cecil sighed. "I took such great care to not let anything hurt her that she's not ready for anything to hurt her, even now."

    "Maybe not..." Samantha conceded. "But... I'll try to protect her from anything that could cause her harm."

    Cecil huffed in amusement. "With those bun-guns, I think you might be able to."

    Samantha chuckled, flexing her arms. "They're really not that big."

    "Big for a bunny," Cecil shrugged. "Or a kit fox. Anyway, gonna hold you to that." He pointed twice at Samantha. "You keep my daughter safe."

    "Yes, sir," Samantha nodded. "To the best of my ability."

    "Hmph," Cecil half-smiled again. "What is it with you bunnies? You're everywhere. I've got a bunny family already, and now looks like I'll be getting another one." Samantha smiled softly, and Cecil's smile grew. "Anyway, I should let you get back to sleep. G'night, Sammy-Whammy."

    Samantha tried not to cringe, but her face did scrunch up a bit. "Night, Mr. Brownfurred."

    "Please, you can call me Cecil-Wecil if you want," Cecil smirked, waving his paw dismissively.

    Samantha headed back to the bed as she walked by Cecil. "I'll... uh... I'll pass on that."

    The two chuckled lightly.

---

    Samantha next awoke to the sound of shuffling. Her ears went up straight and turned in the direction of the noise. She saw Ariel holding her hands up defensively and trying to sneak by the couch-bed to go into the kitchen. The kit fox mouthed something like: "Sorry! Go back to sleep!" with a guilty smile. The bunny's alertness drained and she settled back down into bed. About ten minutes later, she decided she probably wouldn't be getting too much more sleep, and looked at her phone, wincing at the light from the screen. It was just about six o'clock, and she figured it was as good a time as any to get up. Shuffling out of bed, she too headed to the kitchen as she began to smell coffee.

    "Sorry for waking you," Ariel said quietly at noticing the approaching bunny, holding a cup of coffee. "It's still early yet."

    Samantha nodded, taking in the early morning light from the window. She squinted, and put her paw over her mouth to yawn. "I've functioned on less sleep before."

    "Oh, but you're our guest; I can't help but feel bad," Ariel's mouth hitched up into that guilty smile again.

    "Could I have a cup of coffee? That'd help," Samantha stretched.

    "Of course," Ariel poured her a cup. She smirked. "Let me guess, you take it black."

    "Actually, I like some cream and sugar," Samantha shrugged. Ariel hummed into a laugh, adding some to the cup.

    "Oh, so you only look tough," Ariel continued to smirk while offering her the cup. "Careful, it's hot."

    Samantha shrugged again. "Thank you." She stared at the coffee, taking in its scent and temperature, figuring she might need to wait a minute or two for her first sip.

    "Must be different for a bunny, hm?" Ariel's smile lessened a little. "To be outnumbered by preds in this house."

    Samantha peered into the coffee cup again, then looked up. "I've heard you don't care for bunnies all that much."

    "I'm not wild about them," Ariel admitted, sipping from her coffee. "Cecil's family gets a pass for helping raise my wonderful husband."

    "Where does that leave me?" Samantha murmured, carefully trying a sip of her coffee. Still too hot to casually drink from.

    "Still trying to figure that out," Ariel smiled. "Though from how little patience Terra has with her father at the moment..." Samantha's eyes squinted a bit. "I'd say you're probably quite important to her."

    "Huh?" Samantha blinked.

    "The more she wants something, the more frustrated she gets when things aren't going her way, and she doesn't get that way very often," Ariel chuckled.

    "It's kind of adorable actually, when she gets grumpy," Samantha admitted, smiling.

    "I've found bunnies to be like that," Ariel waved her hand, her face starting to appear serious. "Not adorable, but they get frustrated when they don't get their way."

    "Doesn't everyone?" Samantha shrugged.

    Ariel frowned. "The thing is... this is Bunnyburrow. You bunnies have the vast majority. And in my personal experience, you bunnies can get quite... uppity when something that you've deemed yours is encroached on by outsiders."

    Samantha searched her thoughts, trying to find a connection to something she had done and coming up blank. "I'm not sure I follow."

    "Like me being a chef, for instance," Ariel put her free paw on her chest delicately. "The bunnies in my home ec class in high school weren't a fan of that. Even less so when I baked the best carrot cake in the class."

    "I guess I shouldn't have looked so shocked when I tasted your salad...?" Samantha perked one of the sides of her mouth up.

    "Oh no, I'll give you that one," Ariel shut her eyes. "But those bunnies got together and tried to splash a cup of scalding water on me." Samantha's eyes widened. "I turned my face just in time, but it got onto my back. Hurt like blazes."

    "Did it... scar?" Samantha asked in muted horror.

    "Sure did; you can still see it," Ariel sighed. "I was so distraught at first. Those bunnies got away with what they did with the excuse of it being an accident. I dropped home ec that year because I didn't want to deal with that anymore at the time. My high school sweetheart had to- well, it took a lot of effort from him to convince me he still found me attractive, even with the burn scar."

    "Mmph..." Samantha frowned. "But, you stuck with it."

    "Yes, he convinced me not to give up my passion," Ariel smirked. "So, I didn't, and I didn't give him up, either."

    "Oh, Cecil?" Samantha smiled slightly. Ariel nodded. Samantha looked down. "I guess evil wears all sorts of disguises."

    "Pardon?" Ariel narrowed her eyes.

    "Terra once told me that scars don't belong to those who attacked us, they belong to us," Samantha placed her hand on her chest. "They're our signs of healing. I'd wondered where she got that kind of perspective; I guess she had a while to think about it, knowing what happened to you."

    "...What happened to you?" Ariel looked cautiously curious.

    Samantha turned around and lifted up her shirt briefly. Ariel quietly gasped.

    "Oh Karma..." Ariel breathed. "Oh Karma. Who did that to you...?"

    "I don't know if you'd believe me if I told you," Samantha sipped from her coffee; now finally the right heat.

    "...Not a kit fox...?" Ariel asked, looking at her sidelong.

    "No, a red fox," Samantha sighed. She put her other paw on the coffee cup to absorb its warmth.

    "Then you being with my daughter at all is a sign that you're healing," Ariel considered. "Hmm."

    "That, and this," Samantha held up her wrist, showing her willow-bead bracelet that she barely ever took off. "Terra made this for me as a constant visual reminder that foxes can care deeply for someone."

    "Oh, what a sweetheart," Ariel smiled. At that moment, Terra blearily shuffled into the kitchen, her eyes barely open. Ariel muttered: "And speaking of..."

    Terra's extremely squinted eyes presumably locked onto her mothers, then Samantha's. "You two better not be arguing."

    "Nope!" Ariel said brightly.
    "Not at all," Samantha said simultaneously.

    "Better not be..." Terra grumbled, taking the coffee cup from Samantha. "Gimme that." She sipped from it. "Ahh..."

    "I can just pour you a cup, Terra," Ariel huffed in bemusement.

    "Stolen coffee tastes better," Terra explained, getting a pat on her head from Samantha. "Mornin' Sam."

    "Good morning, muffin," Samantha kissed her mate's cheek. Terra finally smiled.

    "Speaking of muffins," Ariel started. "Is there anything in particular you'd like for breakfast?"

    "I like pancakes," Samantha shrugged.

    "Oh, do you think you like pancakes?" Ariel folded her arms. "Well you'll be obsessed with them after I'm through with you."

---

    Before long, Terra was in her car with Samantha again, driving back to their apartment in Bunnyburrow proper.

    "See? That wasn't so bad," Samantha said, crossing her arms over her lap. "Your family is quite nice."

    Terra smiled, then the sniffed the air and her smile slowly drooped. "Then why do you smell more at ease now?"

    "Well I mean, I was a little worried if I'd be able to impress them or not..." Samantha sighed.

    "Well, you sure didn't impress them with your mini-golf score!" Terra smirked.

    "Leave your dad to pick an activity I wouldn't be able to just power my way through," Samantha grumbled. "I've played mini-golf maybe once before, mainly because it's hard to find a group small enough to want to play in a bunny household. Everyone wants to go, and there can only fit so many bunnies on one course."

    "These things take finesse," Terra said airily, taking one paw off the steering wheel to hold a finger up. "...I'm glad they both seem to like you."

    "Yeah, I think I came to an understanding with both of them," Samantha sighed in satisfaction.

    Terra's brow scrunched. "When?"

    "You were asleep at the time," Samantha giggled.

    "Oh, pff," Terra sucked at her teeth. "...Would you like to do anything with them again sometime?"

    "Sure!" Samantha nodded, then considered their options. "Hmm... they still haven't been to Serendipiday, have they? That's coming up."

    "You think you're going to get my parents to go to Serendipiday?" Terra scoffed, but smiled.

    "I think I could talk them into it, if I was paying," Samantha shrugged, closing her eyes. "It's not just a festival for bunnies. I think they should be able to enjoy it. Maybe we could even show them the Hopps fireworks. I'll tell Violet she should make it extra impressive this year."

    Suddenly, Terra pulled the car over to the side of the empty road, and put it into park. Samantha's eyes went wide and she held onto the door and console of the car to steady herself as it shook to a halt.

    "Uh? What's up, Terra?" Samantha looked confused. "Why are we stopping?"

    Terra took her seat belt off and crossed over into Samantha's lap, lacing her hands behind her neck. "I want some kisses."

    Samantha felt her heart accelerate at the abrupt contact as she felt her vixen's cold nose nuzzle her neck and cheek. "I think I have some of those somewhere-" The bunny was interrupted as she fielded Terra's frenzied, eager kisses, responding with vigor as the chance passionate moment consumed her.

    "Mm..." Terra's tail swished amorously behind her, and her face had a half-lidded, teasing look. "I love you, Sammy."

    "Love you too, puppyfox..." Samantha touched their noses together. She lightly touched at Terra's sides, making her squeak out. She slipped her paw under the kit fox's shirt, eliciting a long hum of approval. Samantha slid the hand back out, patting the fox's rear. "Mmhmhm... just wait till we get home..."

    "Parents house is still closer," Terra nodded back in the direction they came, her eyes looking especially amorous.

    "And ruin all that headway I just made? I don't want to freak your dad out," Samantha laughed.

    "Aw, why not?" Terra kissed Samantha's forehead.

    "Maybe I should save messing with your dad until he really deserves it," Samantha winked.

    "Okay, okay, fine," Terra gave her one more kiss before she broke away and put her seat belt on.

    Samantha smiled brightly at the kit fox as they drove toward their house. Terra gave a slightly bashful grin back.

    "Marshmallow," Samantha said, her voice soaked with affection.

    "Yeah, yeah..." Terra tried to frown, but it became a huge smile.

Chapter 116: Traditions

Notes:

A story in the same timeline as "Partners: Revisited", set sometime after the main story.

    Nick stretched in both fatigue and satisfaction as he and Judy walked out of Yosuke's, a notable sushi bar in the Downtown Zootopia area.

    "Oof, boy was that a treat," Nick smiled pleasantly. "I wish my birthday came around more than once a year." Judy rolled her eyes with a fond smirk.

    "We can get sushi more than once a year if that's what you want, Nick," Judy said. "The cucumber and rice rolls they have there are really tasty."

    "I still can't believe you got a reservation," Nick shook his head. "Yosuke's is impossible to get into."

    "I've had the reservation for a few months," Judy smiled and looked at one of her paw's claws proudly.

    "I also can't believe you actually tried one of the salmon pieces," Nick chuckled. Judy reflectively smacked her lips and made an uncomfortable face.

    "Well, you know I can't back down from a dare," Judy said.

    "Yes, and that will definitely get you into trouble one day," Nick said at the next crosswalk. Judy spied the subway entrance and grinned at Nick.

    "Just don't know how anyone can eat fish, it's so... so..." Judy brought her hands up and wiggled them, searching for the right words.

    "Fishy?" Nick chuckled.

    "Exactly," Judy pointed at him decisively. Nick nodded diagonally. "Hope you're not expecting a kiss until you brush your teeth, fox-face."

    "Well..." he said. "Heh, definitely wouldn't mind making this fancy outing a yearly tradition, though." He adjusted his tie, which was adorning a fancy shirt for a change, and he had a black coat on over that, which he also make sure was on his shoulders correctly. Nick next allowed his eyes to look over his little girlfriend reverently; she looked very fetching in a sequined backless lavender dress, finished with a cute little purse.

    "I can also wear this dress more often if you'd like," Judy said impishly, giving a little twirl as she skipped along, garnering a few skeptical looks from some passing mammals.

    "Phew," Nick wiped his brow. "Don't spoil me, now."

    "Oh, also, also!" Judy said, hopping up. "Speaking of spoiling you, I baked a cake for you for when we get home!"

    Nick instantly appeared concerned as Judy proudly stomped into the subway car. "Oh... uh, thank you, Judy." Judy looked back and chuckled as she saw his expression.

    "Don't worry, Nick," Judy grinned. "This time, I had my mother on the phone the whole time I was making it. It will be edible this time, I promise."

    "That makes me feel a little better," Nick half-smiled, holding up two fingers a short distance from each other. "Though couldn't Bonnie have just shipped us a cake?"

    "Don't be ridiculous," Judy's eyes half lid with a smirk and she playfully swatted his chest with the back of her hand. "Anyway, the cake's vanilla with just a bit of chocolate in it, and topped with blueberries."

    "Oh, God..." Nick closed his eyes and shook his head. "I've got more blessings to count than candles that should be on that cake."

    "I just wrote '35' on it in frosting," Judy winced. "I figured after that case with the 'Matchstick Mouse' I shouldn't be trusted around flame anymore."

    "That's big of you, and also perhaps wise," Nick laughed. The train began to lurch forward and move. It was only a few stops to their apartment.

    "Just gotta know your limits," Judy laughed nervously.

    "Something I never thought I'd hear you say," Nick chuckled, earning him another small smack from Judy. "What? It's true." After a few moments, Nick began to appear crestfallen. "Ugh..."

    "What's the matter, Nick?" Judy blinked, eyes wide.

    "Dunno what I'm going to do about mom," Nick twisted his lips into a frown. "I usually go visit her every year."

    "Well, uh-" Judy looked at the subway map posted on the inside of their car, "if we stay on this line we'll eventually get to the Rainforest District. We can go visit her!"

    "It's... it's not as simple as just going to visit her, Judy," Nick sighed. He rubbed his own arms. "Things have kind of gotten strained between us in recent years."

    "Because of me," Judy said evenly after a moment's hesitation.

    "Mm," Nick barely nodded and Judy looked pensive.

    "Nick, maybe-"

    "Judy, just... just drop it, okay?" Nick seemed irritated and defensive, holding his hand out at her. "I know that's not something you do very easily, but... I need to mend my bridges on my own time. I don't want to close off either one of the most important females in my life, okay?"

    Judy nodded in response. "Okay Nick, let's go home."

    The two were in quiet spirits when they entered Aardvark Rise and approached their apartment.

    "Wait," Nick withdrew his key as he looked at the doorknob. His voice became muted. "There's scratches near the keyhole." Judy's eyes flew open. Nick peered in closer, checking the lock. "It's unlocked..."

    "Someone broke in!?" Judy hissed quietly, opening her purse and withdrawing her stun gun from inside. Nick noticed Judy's movements and did a double take.

    "You're packing, Fluff?" Nick blinked, amazed.

    "What do you think I have in my purse, makeup?" Judy asked with a wry smirk. "Okay, you ready?"

    "Not exactly, but you are, so let's go," Nick said, and threw open the door.

    "ZPD! Hands where I can see them!" Judy shouted, leveling her gun at the first thing that looked out of place in the room. It was a middle-aged vixen sitting on their couch. She put her paws halfway up unceremoniously, with an almost bored look on her face.

    "Mom!?" Nick barked in disbelief.

    "Oh uh, hello Mrs. Wilde," Judy huffed in amusement, lowering her weapon.

    "Don't be so quick to put that down, Carrots," Nick sneered in half-joking anger, holding a paw out to Judy. "What are you doing here, mother? You broke into our apartment?"

    "I let myself in," Mrs. Wilde clarified. Her eyes scanned the apartment. "Quite a step up from the dregs you were living in before." She looked at the claws on one of her paws. "Locks could use some work, though."

    "In case you've forgotten, we're police officers!" Nick fumed. "I could arrest you right now for trespassing! Judy could have shot you!" Nick's mother looked at him blankly.

    "You've been skipping out on visiting me, Nicholas," Mrs. Wilde accused. "I thought I should be a bit more proactive in spending time with my only child."

    "Just... rgh!" Nick pointed toward the door. "You know why I haven't visited lately. So unless you've changed your mind about Judy, leave."

    "Hmph," the vixen did not budge.

    "Did you really pick our lock?" Judy seemed impressed and nearly bemused.

    "You don't get to be an adult fox without learning a few tricks, as I'm sure you've realized with Nicholas," Mrs. Wilde smirked.

    "That's the truth," Judy grinned.

    "Okay, what is this?" Nick gestured between the two. "Last I heard you were completely against Judy and I's relationship, mother."

    "I don't think it's ideal," Mrs. Wilde nodded. She looked off to the side. "However... well. You must see something in that little bunny. Else I don't think you would have started cutting me out of your life."

    Nick appeared furious and pointed at his mother, taking in a breath to yell, but Judy put her hand on his arm.

    "Nick, I can hardly blame Mary for her feelings about me," Judy said in a low, serious voice. "You said the first time she saw me was the press conference, right? On television? Not the best first impression..." Mary looked over at Judy, the vixen's eyebrows turning up. "Then... well, you must have told her I hurt you, right? Just after the conference?"

    "Things are different now," Nick said curtly. "You changed my life, Judy."

    "Judy has the right of it," Mary nodded. "You're my only child, and... you seemed to want to go back to someone that hurt you... what am I supposed to think, especially because you've been calling less, visiting less...? Have I failed you as a mother, Nicholas? Is that it?"

    "Mom, what are you talking about?" Nick was shocked and recoiled slightly. Mary stood up slowly. When she did, it was apparent that Nick was a little taller than her and the vixen was noticeably more frail than her son.

    "I tried my best for you, Nicky," Mary said, her eyes seeming to mist a little. "How am I supposed to feel that it took this bunny to turn you around when I couldn't? That this flawed, speciesist little doe changed your mind about the world, when your own mother...?" She looked away. "I just want to know where I failed you, Nicholas." Judy frowned, but she didn't appear insulted.

    "Yh-you didn't fail me, mom," Nick blinked. "My mistakes were my own to make... I- I just needed another perspective, and Judy gave me that." The two foxes gazed at each other, their eyes mixed with sadness, regret, and a dash of intensity.

    "Hey, um..." Judy tried a small smile. "Either of you want cake...?"

    "My stomach actually feels a little off right now-" Nick admitted, frowning.

    "C'mon, I'll get your cake set up!" Judy hurried to the kitchen area and set down the cake at the table. The bunny quickly got another chair at the table for Mary. Curious, Mary went down to sit at the table, looking over the cake.

    "Topped with blueberries, huh?" Mary said airily. "Well, she knows what you like, Nicky." She smirked. "The cake's not poisonous, is it?"

    "Only a little bit!" Judy smiled. "There's some chocolate in it."

    "Chocolate? My my," Mary looked back at Nick. "This bunny has been a bad influence on you, hasn't she?"

    "Rgh..." Nick slapped his face and sloughed his paw off his muzzle.

    "I see where Nick got his wit," Judy smiled.

    "Yes, that's definitely me," Mary looked at her sharply. "But don't you try to sweet-talk me, you little rabbit." She pointed the fork Judy handed her right back at her. Judy hummed a little laugh.

    "Well, one way or another, this should be interesting," Nick groaned, sitting down at the table.

    "What's that supposed to mean?" Mary snapped.

    "Uh, my last cake wasn't quite what you would call... 'edible'..." Judy laughed nervously. "But I'm sure this one will be better!" Mary raised one eyebrow.

    "Are you going to make a wish, Nicky?" Mary tilted her head towards Nick.

    "Yes, I wish that my mother and my girlfriend won't come to blows over me. Or this cake," Nick stared down at the cake.

    "Karma's sake, Nicky, you're not supposed to say the wish aloud, you know that," Mary scooted in closer to the table, and Nick rolled his eyes towards his mother.

    "Go on, go on, try a piece!" Judy clenched her paws into fists, anxiously awaiting Nick to cut a piece of the cake. Her fox did this and slowly brought a piece up to his muzzle, involuntarily sniffing it. He tried a bite, reflecting on the flavors, and made a small hum.

    "Mm, not bad," Nick nodded.

    "YES!" Judy pumped her fist, her eyes scrunching shut.

    "Elated over such mild praise?" Mary huffed. "You're a bit easy to please, my dear."

    "Well, if you'd seen her last cake," Nick chuckled dryly. "I think she's just happy this one hasn't activated my gag reflex."

    "It's true..." Judy droned affectionately, rolling her eyes. "Can I get you a piece too, Mrs. Wilde?"

    "That would be fine," Mary nodded and waited to be served. Judy gave herself a piece too, and the three began eating quietly.

    "It's my mother's recipe," Judy smiled. "Plus blueberries."

    "A little bit of chocolate in this," Mary said wistfully. "That takes me back. When I was a kit, chocolate was fairly newly legalized; they were still getting the safe amounts right on everything." Mary shook her head. "I wondered what all the fuss was about. Not like it was a drug or anything. Well, then I tasted it and I supposed it might as well be... it tastes very alluring, doesn't it?"

    Judy nodded. "I'll say." Nick looked with cautious hope at the two females and how they seemed to be getting along. The three continued eating for awhile, and Judy got up from the table. "Oh, I'm sorry. What's cake without milk? Let me pour us all a nice frosty glass."

    "Charming little bunny, really," Mary looked at Nick. "Don't know why I was worried."

    "Mhm," Nick smirked. The three sipped their milk, and Mary began to look introspective.

    "So... while bunnies are on my mind, Emily is going to Bunnyburrow in a couple of weeks," Mary started. Nick's ears reflexively went back and his face scrunched a little.

    "...Is that so?" Nick said glumly. Judy became confused, looking between the two.

    Mary sighed, wiping her paws on a napkin. "I'm afraid so."

    "Who's Emily?" Judy couldn't stop herself from asking.

    "A family friend," Nick explained. "Though I'd prefer if we didn't discuss depressing things over my birthday cake."

    "Just because you might want to hide from tragedy doesn't mean it isn't happening," Mary scolded. "You're a police officer now, you should know that."

    "Mom..." Nick sighed. "Okay. I'll bite. Why are you bringing Emily up?"

    "Well, the hospitals all over Zootopia just don't have the staff or occupancy to deal with squirrels," Mary said distantly. "There are far more affordable and numerous dexterous bunny doctors in Bunnyburrow. I was just wondering if your bunny knew any cancer specialists."

    "Ooh," Judy's brow furrowed. "Umh... Dr. Rabolon, maybe? One of my uncles went to him and he's in remission now."

    "I think she was looking at him," Mary nodded. "Good to hear he comes recommended."

    "How do you know this squirrel?" Judy asked. Immediately Nick's eyes flew open and he shook his head.

    "No no no, that's not a story for now," Nick warned.

    Mary smiled sadly. "As I said, she's a family friend. We sort of became close after both of us lost our husbands, even though she's quite a bit younger than I am." Nick sighed heavily. "What, Nicholas? I suppose you haven't told your girlfriend about your father?"

    "No, mother, it was never relevant," Nick grumbled. "I don't like trying to evoke pity for its own sake." Judy frowned.

    "My husband was a tailor," Mary smiled. "And he had the cutest little apprentice. Alexander Curlyque. But, in separate incidents, it seemed the fates conspired to take them away from us."

    "That's awful," Judy said distantly.

    "Yes, I barely got by, and Nicky did what he could to help," Mary smiled at him and Nick put his paws over his eyes in embarrassment and distress. "I'm sorry, Nick... I just... I can't help but see something of myself in Emily. At least her finances are better than ours were because of her husband's life insurance policy, but... now, I don't know. It was one of my greatest fears that I'd somehow have to leave this world and leave you alone, Nicky. And with Emily like she is now..."

    "So this is about the kit, then?" Nick asked carefully, slowly looking at Mary.

    "Little Larry," Mary nodded. "I'm to be taking care of him for a little while while Emily visits Bunnyburrow. The poor boy needs something to do besides be concerned about his mother all the time, waiting around at hospitals. No place for a growing squirrel to be..." Judy's brow fell. "You're welcome to come meet him sometime! Oh, he's definitely a little delight." She clasped her hands.

    "But..." Nick looked her over. "You're worried about the worst, aren't you mom? What'd happen to Larry if Emily passed away. How you probably couldn't keep up with a young, rambunctious squirrel if he came under your care. What'd happen to him if he had to be adopted by some random family."

    "Now, that analytical eye he gets from his father," Mary smiled at Judy; the gray bunny had a mystified expression. Mary shook her head as if to deflect the questions. "Anyway, I guess I should be going." She stood up from the table.

    "Maybe uh... maybe we can make this a yearly thing, if you want," Nick got up and shrugged. "A little tradition."

    "Perhaps I can make the cake next time?" Mary got a hint of danger to her eyes and voice, staring at Judy. "I've got a recipe that's absolutely the greatest. You'll just die."

    "She better not," Nick frowned at his mother. "Next time you want to come over, please text."

    "Yes yes, well, you be good, Nicky," Mary patted him on the head. "Goodbye!" Nick and Judy repeated this to her and watched her go.

    "Nick..." Judy looked at the fox, somewhat alarmed. "Did your mother just..." Judy looked at the floor, then back at her fox. "Did she just ask us if we'd consider adopting a squirrel?"

    Nick sighed, folding his arms. "Yup. I'm pretty sure she did."

Chapter 117: Possibility

Notes:

Followup to "Traditions", which is currently chapter 108. I'll organize everything once I get to 125, I swear!

Set in the "Partners: Revisited" timeline.

    Judy gathered her thoughts as she approached the doorstep. The house was nice, modest, and looked like a typical Rainforest District abode. Judy looked up and back, looking at Nick.

    "Ready?" Judy asked, a taste of anxiety in her voice. She positioned her hand close to the wooden door.

    "I'm always ready," Nick lied confidently, with a small smirk adorning his muzzle.

    "How many times does this make now, five?" Judy tried to smile, but it was flimsy.

    "Five," Nick confirmed with a nod. "Though this is the first time Mom has asked us to come specifically." The fox's face was even, and his eyes looked slightly worried.

    "I know... that concerns me," Judy took a deep breath in and knocked three times at the door, each a little harder than the last.

    "Come in, dears!" Mrs. Wilde's voice called from inside.

    "Oh, I get to be 'dear' now, do I?" Judy fought harder for a smile and opened the door.

    Mary Wilde headed for the front door as Nick and Judy made their way in. Judy tossed a small glance to her lover and partner and saw that his face had instantly reverted to its easy, casual, jovial look. She wondered how he could do that with such immediacy, but figured he had a lot of practice.

    "Mom...!" Nick said with a brash voice, hugging her. "How's it going?"

    "Oh, okay..." Mary smiled, looking at Judy. "Do I get a hug, too?"

    "Well, I am a hugger," Judy shrugged her shoulders. "Uh, should I kinda bounce up, or...?"

    "We could do it like this," Nick said, holding Judy up so that her head was level with Mary's. The three of them all hugged each other together.

    "That's not bad," Mary chuckled warmly, squeezing the two.

    "Nick and Judy are here...?" A light, boyish voice came from the other side of the living room. Judy wrestled a bright smile fully onto her face before its owner arrived.

    The voice belonged to a squirrel. He was an unremarkable eastern gray squirrel with blue eyes. He wore a colorful striped shirt, shorts, and a slightly skeptical look.

    "Hey, Larry!" Judy dropped down from the hug and walked over to kneel down next to the squirrel. "How are you today?"

    "Uh..." Larry shrugged. "I feel okay."

    "You staying out of trouble, little guy?" Nick asked in a friendly voice.

    "Yeah," Larry nodded. Nick made his way over to a chair in the living room and sat down. He reached into his pocket. Larry wandered over, looking up at him curiously.

    "You wanna see a magic trick, buddy?" Nick grinned, wiggling his eyebrows.

    "Oh! Okay," Larry nodded, harder this time and with a small smile. He scampered up Nick's pant leg and onto his lap. Judy's smile became easier to hold as she saw Nick prepare to work his magic.

    "Okay," Nick wiggled all of his fingers, "nothing in my paws, right?"

    "Yeah," Larry scrutinized the paws and saw that they were empty.

    "Well, watch closely..." Nick muttered with a sneaky flourish, making mystical moves of his hands. He balled up one of his hands into a fist and wiggled the fingers of his other hand over it, then reached into the hand and pulled out a small colorful ribbon.

    "Whoa...!" Larry marveled, watching the ribbon as Nick flit it around. This distracted him from Nick placing his other hand back into his pocket. Judy and Mary gave Nick a gentle golf clap for his trick. "How'd you do that?"

    "The first rule about being a magician is you never give away your secrets," Nick instructed with a proud smile, laying the ribbon around Larry's shoulders.

    "That's pretty neat," Larry looked mildly delighted.

    Mary motioned for Judy to follow her into the kitchen, and the bunny complied, following the vixen. Mary sighed gently as Judy entered the room.

    "Speaking of misdirection," Judy mumbled. "I'm guessing there's a reason you wanted us to come here?"

    "I'm getting worried, Judy," Mary bit her lip briefly, looking away. "I don't think Emily has much longer."

    Judy nibbled on her knuckles, looking back to the living room. "You- you don't think so?"

    "The cancer's not responding to the treatment," Mary said glumly. "They're going to do surgery on her soon but... she's just a squirrel, Judy. They're small; their bodies can't take very much."

    "Sh-she could still pull through," Judy's brow furrowed in determination. "She won't give up without a fight."

    "She won't," Mary shook her head, "but it's a fight she's likely to lose."

    "No..." Judy said quietly, looking back again to Nick playing with the little squirrel. "He shouldn't have to go through that..."

    "I know it was so hard on Nicholas to lose his father..." Mary said softly. "I can't imagine how hard it will be for that poor squirrel to lose both of his birth parents."

    Judy took in a difficult breath and closed her eyes to center herself. "I guess you want to know if we've decided yet."    

    "It would make me feel a little better," Mary smiled gently. "To know if you were... thinking about it."

    "Mary-" Judy started.

    "Please, you can call me 'Mom' if you'd like," Mary interrupted while offering a tiny smile.

    Judy blinked. "Not too long ago you broke into Nick's apartment and all but told Nick you still didn't trust me. Now I'm your kit too?"

    "Judy, please," Mary's smile wobbled, "can't an old vixen change her ways?"

    "Yes, of course," Judy walked to the dinner table and got on a chair. She folded her hands and winced. "I don't know, Mom. I just don't know." She also didn't know about calling Mary "Mom" yet. It felt odd.

    "You don't think you two would be good parents?" Mary asked, walking over to her and sitting in a chair next to her. She offered her paw, and after hesitating, Judy grabbed it and squeezed it. "Oof, not so hard, dear."

    "Sorry, sorry," Judy cringed. "I... no, that's not it. I know Nick would be a good father. I just don't know if I'd be a good mother..."

    "Well," Mary paused, her eyes not meeting Judy's, "if you could change the mind of a stubborn old vixen who'd learned to resent prey for ostracizing her only son... I'd say you have it in you to change a sweet little squirrel's life."

    "That's a little different," Judy grumbled. "Larry's already eight... he already has his own... y'know, things he expects from a parent. I love kids... and I'd be happy to be- to be a mother..." Judy placed a hand on her chest and looked down. She looked back at Mary intensely. "I just... would I be enough for him? Would I be too much?"

    "It would be easier if he was younger, it's true," Mary sighed, looking back at the living room. "But life often doesn't deal us an easy hand."

    "No, no of course not," Judy shook her head firmly. "You're right. I should just... bunny up and make a decision."

    "I can still take care of him for awhile," Mary smiled. "You don't have to decide right away. But I'm afraid in a few years he'll be just too much for these old fox bones to keep up with."

    "Yeah..." Judy sighed.

    Larry looked slightly anxious as he peered into the kitchen. He couldn't quite make out what the fox and bunny were saying.

    "What're they talking about?" Larry asked gently, running a toy car along the arm of the couch he was sitting on. Nick was seated close to the squirrel child.

    "Eh, probably boring girl stuff, y'know how it is," Nick said easily, relaxing into the couch with a flippant gesture. "Girls are icky, am I right?"

    "Not really," Larry shrugged. "Girls are just girls."

    "You're what, eight?" Nick chuckled. "Speaking words of wisdom?" Larry looked confused at this assessment.

    "Yeah, eight. Three weeks ago," Larry nodded.

    "I should have gotten you a birthday present, kiddo," Nick gently nudged the squirrel. "Remind me when you turn nine, and I'll get you two."

    Larry was quiet for quite a long time after Nick said this.

    "Momma's gonna die, isn't she?" Larry said in a low, despondent voice. His head bowed as he stopped playing with his toy car.

    Nick's eyes widened and his throat ran dry.

    "I certainly hope not," Nick's voice hitched as he responded, suddenly seized by fear. He looked nervously into the kitchen, then back at Larry.

    "I don't want her to..." Larry's voice tightened up and he squinted his eyes. He started to tear up and sniffle. "I don't want her to leave me..."

    "Hey, hey, it's okay, buddy," without thinking, Nick scooped him up and into his arms, close to his chest. "We don't- well, let's try to look on the bright side, huh?"

    "It's not fair... 's not fair..." Larry hiccuped, punching Nick in the chest, which he barely felt. "Why'd Dad have to get crushed? Why's Momma so sick?"

    "Sometimes... y'know..." Nick felt like his stomach was twisting into a knot. "Sometimes life's just hard, kiddo..."

    "What's gonna happen to me...?" The squirrel's voice was distant, as if lost.

    "I... well, I don't know, Larry," Nick swallowed with great difficulty. He gently rubbed his fingers against Larry's eyes, and the squirrel moved into the rubbing, drying his eyes on Nick's fur.

    "Am I gonna be sent away to an adoption place...?" Larry sighed and shivered.

    "Now, Larry," Nick felt his resolve build. "Don't give up the fight before it's over, okay?"

    Larry swallowed, and nodded once, rubbing his eyes again.

    "You will be taken care of, I promise you," Nick found himself saying. It sounded much more resolute than he had intended.

    "Is Mary gonna keep me?" Larry wondered.

    "Now now, no talking like you've already lost," Nick gently touched him on the head. Judy and Mary came into the room. Their expressions soured when they saw that the squirrel was obviously upset. "I meant what I said. You will be taken care of."

    "...I don't wanna go away with strangers, though," Larry mumbled.

    "Oh, you won't have to, sweetie!" Judy quickly bounded onto the couch to join the two. "We can..." Judy stopped herself before she said something she'd regret immediately. She looked up at Nick, who shared her cautious glance.

    "Larry, just as a sort of possibility," Nick said casually. "What would you think of having a fox and a bunny in your life more... regularly?"

    "Am I going to go live with you guys?" Larry cocked an eyebrow.

    "I mean, if that's something you might want..." Judy said, uncertainty clouding her voice. "Nick and I might... I mean, we could..." Judy looked away.

    "It's a possibility," Nick nodded. "And you don't have to if you don't want to. Or need to." Nick said. "Fight's not over yet, little squirrel."

    "...Uh huh," Larry nodded, looking between the two. Nick looked at his mother, who looked on at him with both pride and sadness.

---

    "Bye, little sweetheart!" Judy waved at Larry, who waved back at Nick and Judy as the two left. "We'll see you soon, okay?"

    "Okay, Nick, Judy..." Larry said. The squirrel looked up at Mary, who smiled down at him before looking on to Judy and Nick.

    "We'll be in touch, okay? I'll text you soon," Mary waved.

    "See ya, Mom," Nick said, saluting.

    Nick quickly fell into silence as the two walked away from Mary's house. Both the bunny and the fox seemed to have their emotions drained right out of them.

    As they came to the sky tram to get back to Downtown, Nick paused. He clutched at his chest and his eyes squinted.

    "Nick?" Judy touched his side in concern.

    "Rgh... God help me..." Nick groaned. "That poor little kit..." His lip drew back into a difficult sneer as it seemed like he was fighting tears.

    "I- I know, Nick, I know..." Judy started misting up, rubbing Nick's side.

    "We've got to talk about-" Nick started.

    "I want to adopt him, Nick," Judy's wavering voice interrupted Nick. "If Emily passes away, I want to adopt him."

    Nick stared at Judy. Her face contorted and twitched as she fought tears, and Nick's breathing became more difficult. He sat down on the tram platform, starting to lose himself in thought. Judy laid down on him, hugging him close for his comfort. Nick drew his arms around her and absently stroked her ears.

    Nearly a minute went by, but Nick finally spoke again.

    "Yeah. Me too."

Chapter 118: There

    Judy felt her teeth clamped down firmly inside her mouth as she stood in the doorway. Her arms folded; paws both touching the opposite arm. She had an anxious look on her face as her weight shifted to lean on the door frame.

    Inside the room Judy was looking into, laying on a small bed, was a squirrel. His eyes were shut tightly, and each twitch or murmur he made caused Judy's facial features to weaken.

    Nick came up behind Judy; the rabbit's left ear twitching as she heard him approach.

    "He asleep?" Nick asked quietly.

    "Think so," Judy whispered back with a soft sigh.

    "You gonna come to bed?" Nick stretched.

    "Maybe in a little," Judy mumbled.

    Nick paused, squeezing one of Judy's shoulders gently. Judy looked back at him, a look of quiet upset on her face.

    "Judy... you're not going to will his fever away, you know," Nick said warmly, "though, if that was possible, it'd definitely be gone by now."

    "I know, Nick..." Judy turned from the room and softly shut the door. "I'm just worried."

    "We've been diligent," Nick said, walking over to the couch with her. Judy stopped to collapse backwards onto the couch, and Nick sat down lightly beside her. "He's gotten his medicine and gotten checked up. Doctor says the fever will break soon. Nothing to worry about."

    "I know..." Judy droned. "I know. But he's so... so little."

    "So are you, from a certain point of view," Nick smiled. "But you're a fighter, and so is he."

    "It's different, Nick," Judy's brow furrowed. She laid her paws down on her lap, paw up. "He's been through so much."

    "He has," Nick nodded. "And that's why-"

    "You know Karma, Nick?" Judy narrowed one eye and turned to the fox. "The canid goddess?"

    "I'm... aware of her," Nick's head tilted to the side.

    "Can you, I dunno, reach her by prayer?" Judy's tone was between annoyed and earnest. She held a thumb and finger to her ear in an old "phone" shape. "Ask her why that poor little squirrel needs to have it so hard?"

    "Er," Nick winced, "Judy, I know you were brought up in a fairly religious household, but I don't- I don't believe whatever great spirit animals might exist up there have a plan for every single mammal."

    "It'd be better with someone to blame," Judy muttered, folding her arms; the fingers of one paw tapped her arm in muted aggravation.

    "C'mere," Nick said, wrapping an arm around Judy and drawing her into his lap, her back to his front. "Everyone gets sick. I have, and I'm sure even my wonder-bun has. What was it like in your burrow when you got sick? Your mom took care of you?"

    "Not always," Judy shrugged her shoulders. When Nick made a confused "uh?", Judy elaborated: "I mean, if it wasn't her, it was one of my older sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins... you know, whoever."

    "Hm, quite a support group," Nick chuckled. "For most of my life it was just me and Mom."

    Judy cozied back against Nick and felt his arms wrap around her. "Was that hard?"

    "Sometimes," Nick nodded. "I probably could have made it easier if I'd behaved better. But the important point is that she was there for me."

    Judy nodded, sighing.

    "So all we gotta do," Nick punctuated the "we" by tapping Judy's nose with his forefinger's pad, "is be there for him."

    "Is that all?" Judy grunted. "Feels like I could be doing more."

    "Well, that's who you are, anyway," Nick chuckled. "I know if you could, you'd shrink down to minuscule size and punch out his infection, one microbe at a time."

    "It's an idea," Judy smirked.

    Nick chuckled a little more, petting over her ears. "Besides that, no. I think you make a wonderful mother."

    "Really?" Judy turned around in Nick's lap and looked up at him with her big eyes. "Do I?"

    "You think you don't?" Nick looked perplexed. "You're so concerned about Larry and his well-being." Nick shook his head. "You're just what he needs."

    Judy smiled wistfully. "But you... he started calling you 'Dad' so easily."

    Nick shrugged dismissively with a half-smile. "I'm the fun one. To be honest, with how much he likes to climb all over me, I'm surprised he called me 'Dad' and not 'tree'."

    "Ha," Judy matched Nicks smile and ran her paws down Nick's arm fur. "What kind of tree, a redwood?"

    "Oof, there's a callback," Nick rolled his eyes.

    Judy's eyes swiveled down before finding Nick's again. "He act- he actually called me 'Mom' a few days ago, before he got sick."

    "Did he now?" Nick smiled genuinely, his eyes half-lidded.

    "Whew, yeah," Judy started randomly gesticulating with her hands. "It was like... I'd- y'know, I'd imagined the possibility, but it still kind of completely blindsided me. My throat got all tight and it was all I could do not to cry."

    "And I was what... getting groceries?" Nick tried to use the ceiling to recall. "Definitely got the raw deal there."

    "If you had been here, I probably would have cried," Judy rolled her eyes. "That would have ruined everything. 'Dad, why does Judy cry if I call her Mom'?"

    "I won't lie," Nick scratched at his neck. "First time he called me 'Dad', I got a little choked up too. Fortunately, we were watching a sad movie together at the time."

    "Convenient," Judy smirked devilishly.

    "You deserve it, Judy," Nick pet over the gray bunny's head. Her face read confusion. "That lofty 'mom' mantle."

    "Oh, psh," Judy smiled weakly, her eyes darting around.

    "You do," Nick smiled broader. "You're an amazing female. I know you'll be there for Larry no matter what, and that's what makes you a great mother."

    "Kh..." Judy breathed out, meeting Nick's gaze with a tittering giggle. "You big dummy. Have I told you how wonderful you are lately?"

    "I mean, I kind of assumed that when you married me," Nick said smoothly. Judy responded by straightening up in his lap and giving him a firm, defiant kiss.

    Nick smirked at the affectionate bunny's gaze.

    "You ready for bed now?" Nick asked blithely. "Or do you want to try to defeat Larry's illness with your mind again?"

    "Is that all this was?" Judy sucked her teeth, shaking her head. "A ploy to get me to calm down?"

    "My dear, I do everything on purpose," Nick placed a paw delicately on his chest.

    "Like avoid filing your taxes," Judy launched off of Nick and started heading for their bedroom.

    "Okay, you got me there," Nick rolled his eyes, slapping his lap and getting up to follow her. "But if I had, you wouldn't have been able to 'get' me back then."

    "So what do you call that, smart guy?" Judy gave him a playfully scornful look, turning her head behind her.

    "Probably Serendipity," Nick shrugged extravagantly.

    "Serendipity- the bunny...? Nick," Judy rolled her eyes.

    "Oh what, you don't believe in her?" Nick asked in faux disbelief.

    "Listen, you," Judy thrust her left hand backward and reached for Nick's own so they could feel each other's wedding rings. "I'm lucky enough on my own."

    "No argument there," Nick nodded his agreement sagely, entering their bedroom with his wife.

Chapter 119: Kissed

Notes:

Set in the Partners: Revisited timeline.

    A shrill bell sounded the end of first period one Monday morning at Squeakendale High School.

    An eastern gray squirrel came out of his classroom and flinched a little as he saw a lot of curious rodent and mustelid faces turn to look at him. Many of these mammals had never given him the time of day before.

    "Whoa! There he is!" A chipmunk pointed.
    "Hey, ferret kisser!" A ferret smirked.
    "What's it like kissing a carnivore, Larry?" Another squirrel closed in on him. "Did her breath stink?"

    Larry's upper lip curled up in apprehension and he rushed forward a little faster, ignoring all the comments.

    A mink appeared in front of him.

    "Larry!" The mink seemed quite enthusiastic, wielding a small tablet. "The school newspaper would like to hear your thoughts on your recent dalliance with one of the Musteladies!"

    "I- I don't even know what a 'dalliance' is...!" Larry wailed, rushing forward faster.

    Larry exhaled an "oof!" as he ran straight into a chinchilla. The chinchilla turned his head and sneered.

    "Jeez, watch where you're going!" The chinchilla regarded Larry with clear derision.

    "Gh! Sorry, Chaz," Larry winced.

    "Yeah? Well 'sorry', doesn't quite cover it," Chaz cracked his knuckles. "You got some nerve struttin' through the halls like you own the place. And mackin' on one of the Musteladies? You must have a death wish." Chaz flashed his teeth and advanced on Larry, who began to cower.

    "Hey, hey, hey!" Another chinchilla came in from the side and pulled Larry away from Chaz, getting in between them. "Chaz, my mammal! I know you aren't threatening my Brody." The other chinchilla had a jovial expression and a t-shirt with an obnoxious lime-green color and a popped collar.

    "Oh, piss off, Chet!" Chaz shouted. "Everyone knows you're all fluff and no tough!"

    "Whoa, whoa!" Chet maintained an amicable smile. He took out some sunglasses and put them on his face. "Let's not make statements we can't take back! You ever seen my videos on Ewetube? My tricks?"

    "Why in Fervor's name would I do that?" Chaz spat.

    "Cause if you did, you'd know I'm a master of Chilla-Fu," Chet made some rather unconvincing karate gestures with his paws. "And if I finally snap one day, you won't want to be on my bad list..."

    "Okay, whatever. Get out of my face before I lose my temper," Chaz growled. "And take your stupid pecan-eating forager with you." Chaz shoved Larry in Chet's direction, and the two walked off.

    "You okay, Lares?" Chet asked, his smile waning slightly.

    "I'm fine," Larry said distractedly. "Hey, what you said about... snapping?"

    "Haha, don't worry about it, Brody," Chet smirked, leaning his head back slightly. "That was just to scare that uptight chilla."

    "Really though, Chet?" Larry looked over at the chinchilla with concern on his face. "Are you okay?"

    "Bro, I told you I'm fine," Chet's voice weakened. "...I'm goin' to court next month, okay? Don't tell anyone. Could be the start of a new chapter in the Book of Chilla. ...Y'know, hopefully."

    "Chet, if you need to talk, hang out, anything, you know I'm available," Larry said seriously.

    "Yeah... 'preciate it, squirrel-stuff," Chet said distantly, a smile still on his face, though his eyes were unreadable through his glasses. He suddenly visibly perked up. "Oh, but tell me about last Friday...!"

    "Oh come on Chet, you too?" Larry rolled his eyes. "It feels like half the school is talking about this crap..."

    "It's not crap, my bro!" Chet seemed enthused. "I so wish I could have been at the dance and seen you with Kara! You can bet if I had a phone I would have been snappin' photos!"

    "Chet! Jeez, it's not- it's not really a big deal...!" Larry's eyes found the ground very fascinating all of a sudden.

    "C'mon, give me the scoop... just the cliff notes?" Chet pleaded, taking off his sunglasses.

    "I dh- I danced with her for one song..." Larry admitted. "It took like, all of my nerve. Then I kinda... we kinda... it was just a little smooch!"

    "My main mammal!" Chet flashed a huge grin and shoved Larry in a friendly manner. "That's what I'm talking about!"

    Larry sighed out in exhaustion. "I wish it didn't feel like some sort of big celebrity scandal."

    "Well, I mean, she is one of the Musteladies," Chet looked at his claws. "A high-ranking member, as far as I know."

    "Tch, it's..." Larry rolled his eyes. "I don't even know why she's with them. She's so nice, and they're a bunch of stuck-up-"

    "Ooh, hold that thought, Brody," Chet placed a finger over Larry's mouth, and the latter's eyes crossed to look at it. "Here comes Princess herself."

    Larry groaned as Chet was indeed correct. A least weasel was walking toward them with a slinky saunter. She had a bit of lavender eyeshadow that gave her a dangerous, almost sensual look, and this was complimented by her fashionable clothing. A look of complete confidence was across her face, despite her size and that she lacked her usual entourage.

    "Princess Weaselton!" Chet made a faux bow, but like most things Chet did, it had an air of genuineness to it.

    "My loyal subjects!" Princess said in a refined voice, holding her paw up high and rotating it at the wrist, then laughed and dropped the facade. She shifted her weight on one hip and folded her arms. Larry took a defensive look around and saw a few mammals staring and gossiping.

    "Hi," Larry said simply.

    "Well, well!" Princess drawled out in an appraising voice. "If it isn't the squirrel who found his nuts!" Princess chuckled at her own wit and her eyes narrowed. Her mouth shrank into a skeptical purse. "You kissed Kara, one of my main girls!"

    "Um, I did do that," Larry admitted. "I was kind of hoping it would blow over by now."

    "Pff, over one weekend? Ha!" Princess drew closer and walked between Chet and Larry, separating them. "Let's see here..." Princess sniffed at the air a little and slunk around Larry just a bit too close for his comfort. He felt his teeth grit in his mouth quite hard and almost felt like wincing as Princess whirled around him judgmentally. She finally stopped right before him and stroked her chin, bobbing her head off to the side.

    "...Uh," Larry mumbled.

    "She could do worse," Princess gave an impish grin. "I've got my eye on you, Larry...!" Her voice turned into a teasing pinch as she wiggled her fingers at him, then resumed her sauntering walk away, hips swaying, not even looking back at the two.

    "The heck was that about!?" Larry asked with wide eyes, feeling like his heart was going explode from his chest.

    "I guess that's as close as you're gonna get to approval from the Princess, good buddy!" Chet winked.

    "Jeez, I just-" Larry put his hand on his chest, "it was just one little kiss!"

    "If you're this nervous now, I can't wait to see you in gym class!" Chet chuckled.

    "Oh jeez, right," Larry cringed. "Kara's there."

    "Kara!?" Chet shook his head, almost in pity. "Well, yeah, her too, but I meant Heather."

    Larry's throat suddenly felt very dry. "Ah. Yeah. Heather."

---

    "Ah, gym glass," Chet smiled, stretching this way and that as a group of rodents and mustelids headed to the track. "Where we get to see the girls wear those loose white shirts and tight navy shorts..."

    "Don't be such a perv, Chet," Larry said distantly.

    "I'm just narrating, Lares," Chet smirked. "You're the one staring at Kara's behind."

    Larry flinched as he realized he was indeed doing this. The ferret in question was ahead of the two. Her fur was honey and white, a "champagne" coloration for a ferret. Her olive-green eyes were slightly squinted as she talked to her friend Heather with a pleasant tone. Heather, on the other hand, was a somewhat rough and serious looking white stoat, with her tail having a black frayed tip.

    "Shh, Chet!" Larry waved his paw at Chet as the latter chuckled. "You want to get me killed? Heather's right there!"

    Heather took note of her name being said and turned her head, though she couldn't make out the rest of what the two were saying. She narrowed her eyes cautiously.

    "Eh! She's not as mean as she looks," Chet shrugged.

    "Chet," Larry's eyelids fell. "You said she beat you up in middle school once."

    "Yeah," Chet laughed louder, rubbing behind his head. "Kind of a long story." The mammals in the gym class assembled at the starting line of the track.

    "All right, you assorted squeakers!" The gym teacher, a tri-color guinea pig, tweeted twice on her whistle. "Before you're done for the day all of you will give me a quarter mile!"

    "Speaking of beating," Chet smirked. "I'm gonna try to get a better time than Heather today."

    "Than Heather?" Larry blinked, the idea impressing him. "Good luck with that!"

    "We'll both be on our way to popularity, Brody," Chet smirked. "I'll be faster than one of the Musteladies, and you'll be dating one!"

    "I'm not-!" Larry started, alarmed.

    "GO!" The gym teacher blew hard into her whistle.

    Chet was ready to go, but Larry wasn't. The mammals started to break into a run, and before long all of them were scampering on all fours to get the most speed from their body types. Larry tried to focus on his running, but he was impressed that Chet actually seemed to be catching up to Heather. The stoat redoubled her efforts and remained in the lead. Larry also found himself distracted by staring at Kara's running. She wasn't the fastest ferret, but she still looked quite graceful with her running style, Larry thought. He shook his head and tried to focus on the task of running without staring at Kara's tail, but his blue eyes kept seeming to wander back to it.

    Heather crossed the finish first, followed just a few mammals back by Chet. Kara was quite some distance behind, and Larry was just behind her. Larry panted in his exertion, feeling a little disappointed with himself. He wasn't the final mammal to cross the finish line, but he didn't feel like he had done his best, either.

    "Whew...! Nice run!" Chet dusted his hands off, nearing Heather with a few gasping breaths. "Almost got you that time, Heather!"

    "Tch," Heather blew out a breath. She didn't even seem that winded from the run.

    "Oof," Kara panted, "that was a workout. Need some... water..." Kara headed over to a water fountain.

    "Jeez, I'm pretty slow," Larry panted.

    "Y'see that, Lares?" Chet panted, coming up to him and patting him on the back. "Almost beat Heather!"

    "You sure she wouldn't have just 'beat' you even if you did beat her...?" Larry quipped through his gasps, his hands on his knees.

    "Pff, no Lares, she's not like that," Chet chuckled. "Plus, nothing'd be as bad as-" Chet stopped speaking suddenly, his eyes zoning out for a second.

    "Ah... no Chet, I'm sorry," Larry gathered up his strength to stand up and put his hand on his shoulder.

    "No no dude, forget I said anything," Chet laughed nervously. With no access to his sunglasses, Larry could see that Chet's right eye twitched a few times. Larry cringed; this only happened when he was upset.

    "Chet..." Larry said. "Seriously, do you need to talk?"

    "Naw, dude," Chet sighed. "Next month. Next month." He shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. "Yo, why don't you go talk to Kara? I mean, if you're not too embarrassed from literally chasing her tail the whole time."

    "Chet...!" Larry rolled his eyes. "I... I dunno. We haven't really said anything to each other since the dance... and she hasn't even given me another look..."

    "Aaackpth!" Kara flinched. The drinking fountain she went to had been over-pressurized, and without her glasses on she misjudged the spray of the water and ended up getting a good spray of ice-cold water in the face. "Agh, criminy!"

    "Heh, looks like the ferret's got a drinking problem," Chet quipped, walking toward her.

    "What...?" Larry followed Chet to see what she was talking about.

    "Uhhh...!" Kara looked in his direction, squinting her eyes and trying to wipe her face off. She saw a squirrel-shaped blur getting closer. "Heather, is that Larry coming!?"

    "You know of any other squirrels interested in you?" Heather quipped, folding her arms. "Don't worry. If he insults you for what just happened, it's at his own peril."

    "Heather..." Kara groaned, but straightened up when Larry got closer.

    "Gh!" Larry stumbled forward a few paces as Chet shoved him at Kara. He stopped in time to not run directly into her, and Kara flinched a little with a tiny giggle. "Uh! Hi Kara, how are you?"

    "Good, good!" Kara had a bright, if nervous smile. "A little wet at the moment. -Uh! B-b-because I accidentally sprayed myself with water, haha! Nh-not because- well, y'know! Not that you aren't- y'know, well... attractive or anything, but I didn't mean to imply-"

    "Kara," Heather said tersely. Larry's eyes were widening and his ears were reddening.

    "I'm babbling," Kara winced. "What I meant to say was that I should probably wear some of those goggle-style glasses out here. I can't see very well without my glasses. Though, I don't know if that would be the best investment, because I don't really see myself using them too much after high school and- and I'm babbling again." She let out a long, nervous giggle.

    "I just, uh..." Larry swallowed, his eyes darting defensively at Heather. The stoat was giving him a piercing, judging gaze. "I just wanted to know if mh-maybe... if you had fun last Friday..."

    "Oh, I did!" Kara interjected, nodding firmly.

    "Mh- maybe you might wanna go out to eat sometime?" Larry's voice was quite tentative. "With me, I mean?"

    "Sure!" Kara smiled brightly. "That sounds like fun! Oh, we'll probably have to go somewhere omnivorous, won't we! Maybe I can look somewhere like that up on my phone once I get dressed in my normal clothes. Oh, my phone! I'll have to give you my phone number, too!"

    "Y-yeah!" Larry grinned. "Yeah, we can do that."

    Kara gave another little giggle, then followed Heather to the girl's locker room. Larry could have sworn Heather gave him a second glance as the two left.

    "My main mammal!" Chet balled his fists and pumped them, then rapidly slapped Larry on the back.

    "Ow," Larry said, though he didn't mean it.

    "You're gettin' the ferret's digits!?" Chet looked exuberant. "You did find your nuts! 'Specially since Heather was, like, right there!" Chet burst into a long laugh.

    "I figured... mh-maybe she wouldn't want to kill me if Kara was right next to her..." Larry smiled bashfully.

    "Great strategy, bro," Chet grinned.

    "My heart's going a mile a minute," Larry said, carefully checking the water fountain before he drank from it.

    "I'm pretty sure mine would be too if I'd asked Heather out or something," Chet chuckled. "Not that I'm into her or anything, but yeah, the Musteladies network is thick and intimidating."

    Larry thought about this. "Chet, what's 'dalliance' mean?"

    Chet chuckled. "Fell asleep on your vocabulary, Lares?" He clicked his claws together as the two headed to the locker room. "Okay, let me lay it out for you."

---

    Larry sighed heavily. It had been a long day, and now it was finally almost over. He stood at the vehicle loop, waiting to be picked up by his parents. He felt for his phone in his pocket, then brought it out and looked at it. Kara's number was in it now. Not a contact picture yet; Larry thought he had pushed his luck as far as it would go that day. Larry felt a smile come on as he looked at Kara's number. He felt like all the trouble he'd gone through that day had been more than worth it.

    A standard-colored ferret with blue-rimmed glasses approached Larry as he was waiting.

    "Ah, hey Anthony," Larry looked over at the ferret, putting his phone back in his pocket.

    "What's this I hear about you and Kara?" Anthony had a bemused smile on.

    "Yeah, I dunno," Larry shrugged with a bashful grin. "I guess it's kinda a thing now."

    "Oh, Larry, Larry, Larry," Anthony shut his eyes and shrugged, shaking his head. "You poor squirrel."

    "Uh?" Larry's eyebrow cocked.

    "Listen, Larry," Anthony smiled, adjusting his glasses. "Kara is completely wrong for you. She's a perfect match for me."

    "What are you talking about?" Larry asked, surprised.

    "Well, first of all," Anthony took a break to sigh as if in pity, "Kara and I share three AP classes, so our intelligence is roughly equal. Secondly, as I'm sure you could notice, we are both ferrets." Anthony grinned proudly. "That means there might be a future for us, Celestials willing! We could grace the Earth with progeny of amazing intelligence."

    "Uh," Larry cocked an eyebrow.

    "Just face it, Larry," Anthony smirked, holding a hand out in a condescending gesture, "Kara's fascination with you will be fleeting."

    Larry exhaled sharply through his nose. He was feeling a little insulted, and tired of having his actions with Kara following him all day.

    "Listen, Anthony-" Larry started, his voice getting cross.

    "Ah ah," Anthony held a paw up, his other hand adjusting his glasses again with his eyes closed. "You don't need to say anything. It does speak to Kara's immense beauty that it transcends even species lines." He gave a chuckle, then a sigh. "In fact, that's one of the lines of a bit of prose I'm composing for her." He chuckled again, prouder this time. "Once it's finished, I will present it to my love, and she will no doubt be moved to tears!"

    Larry felt his teeth grinding in his mouth. "Why, because of how poorly it's written?"

    Anthony flinched and looked genuinely offended. "Listen here, squirrel!"

    "Anthony, I'm tired," Larry said. "Can you just go do your thing somewhere else?"

    "The nerve!" Anthony flashed his teeth. "Do you think you can just banish me as if I were some common nerd!?" The ferret's anger seemed to build, and he moved closer to Larry. "Well, I'm not! I'm an uncommon nerd! Rare! Epic! Legendary!"

    "Anthony-!" Larry grimaced as the ferret invaded his personal space.

    "Silence!" Anthony shouted. "You are a common squirrel, in every sense of the word! And while you may talk down to me, I'm still a ferret, a predator!" Anthony raised his hand, showing his claws. "You should know your own place, prey!"

    "Anthony, what's wrong with you!?" Larry gasped as Anthony yanked him by the shirt with his free hand.

    "I'll communicate with you in the only language a dullard like you can understand," Anthony said darkly, rearing his hand back to strike. "Take th- AAAGH!"

    "What language would that be?" A dark, calm voice came.

    "Gghh...!" Anthony let out a strained noise.

    Larry barely saw a closed set of claws restraining Anthony's hand, and then a sudden whirl of white fur put Heather between Anthony and Larry.

    "Back off, insect," Heather warned in a low voice, though she kept Anthony's hand restrained. "Kara has chosen to go out with Larry, not you."

    "Hh-hh-Heather!" Anthony's pupils were pinpricks.

    "Do you understand?" Heather's free hand lurched out to grab Anthony's collar and drag him closer. Her eyes bored holes into the ferret. "Or is your 'massive' brain incapable of processing my 'language'...?"

    "Uh, p-p-perfectly capable!" Anthony stammered.

    Suddenly, a relatively immense cop cruiser pulled up to the side of the curb. Larry swallowed, turning up to look at it.

    "Hey, what's going on here?" Judy asked, leaning her head out the window and narrowing her eyes at the stoat. Heather turned her head up, unafraid.

    "This maggot was threatening Larry," Heather explained.

    "Oh!" Judy's eyes widened in concern. The gray bunny jerked her thumb outward. "In that case, shall I do a lap around the loop while you take care of business?" Heather looked surprised, then grinned. Anthony made a not-entirely-brave whimper.

    "Judy...!" Nick's voice came in scornfully. His fox head craned out to look at them. "Let the maggot go."

    Heather complied unceremoniously, and Anthony quickly made himself scarce. The bunny and fox looked at the rather exhausted-looking squirrel.

    "You ready to go, Larry?" Judy asked, opening the cruisers door.

    "Yeah, more than," Larry nodded. He hesitated before beginning the long climb inside the large vehicle. "Uh, thanks, Heather."

    With a half-nod of her head, Heather let out a terse sound, the tone of which was unclear. Larry thought he saw a very slight smirk on her face as she turned to walk away.

    Larry climbed up into the seat of the cruiser, across Judy's lap, and ended up on Nick's lap. Nick folded his hands over Larry after putting his backpack in one of the cup holders.

    "So... how was your day...?" Nick asked in a jokey tone.

    "And don't you tell me nothing happened," Judy huffed.

    "Yeah, it's been... kinda messed up," Larry grumbled. "You remember that dance I said I wanted to go to last Friday?"

    "Oh! Yeah," Judy nodded.

    "Well, the reason I wanted to go was because of that ferret..." Larry said.

    "Oh, the ferret," Nick smirked. "Do tell."

    "Her name is Kara," Larry said as the cruiser began to pull out of the vehicle loop. "She's this really sweet ferret... we ended up dancing for a song, and then we both kinda... just... y'know..." Larry gestured emphatically as if this would help express himself.

    Judy's eyes and smile were getting wider and wider. "Go on...!?"

    "...Kissed?" Larry winced.

    Judy's squeal was quite loud. "Larry! Aaagh! That is so sweet!" Judy let out a long giggle.

    "Keep your eyes on the road, dear," Nick said in a proud deadpan.

    "Did- did you have her going..." Judy took a deep breath and began to sing: "I kissed a squirrel and I liked it...!"

    "Mom, no!" Larry looked horrified.

    "I kissed a squirrel just to try it...!" Judy continued anyway.

    "Mom...!" Larry put his hands over his eyes. Nick leaned his head down to look over Larry's expression curiously.

    "Y'know, honeybun," Nick mused. "I get the feeling Larry might have been teased about this a lot today, maybe lay off on the singing?"

    "Sorry, sorry, got carried away," Judy chuckled. "No no, I'm proud of you! Good for you, Larry. I can't wait to meet her."

    "Yeah," Larry said, frowning.

    "Wha? What's wrong?" Judy matched his frown.

    "I dunno..." Larry grumbled, sitting back into Nick's lap. "I was just thinking. A lot of stuff's happened today. It's made me realize some things. Stuff like: I'm not the fastest, and I'm not the smartest." Larry sighed heavily. "And I'm definitely not the strongest. I've had to have mammals like Chet, Heather, and even you guys save me today." He sighed again.

    "What's... wrong with that?" Judy shrugged.

    "I dunno," Larry's eyes went off to the side. "I just feel like... maybe when Kara sees how not-special I am, she might not want to have anything to do with me..."

    "Oh now, don't talk like that!" Judy's high-pitched voice had a motherly reproof to it. "You are special."

    "Nh..." Larry muttered. "That's just a mom thing to say."

    "She's right, though," Nick grinned, tapping Larry on the head affectionately. "You're a very nice squirrel."

    "Tch. 'Nice'," Larry shook his head, spitting it out like an epithet, "anyone can be nice."

    "Ha!" Nick barked out a loud, scornful laugh. "True as that may be, you'll find that often mammals just don't have it in themselves to be nice."

    "And you do," Judy insisted. "You're the nicest little guy I've ever met!"

    "Oof, I'm right here, Judy," Nick shook his head.

    "Thanks Mom," Larry barely smiled. "Thanks, Dad."

    "Now," Judy changed the subject with mischievous eyes. "I don't feel like cooking, and neither does Nick. You wanna go out to Chez Cheese?"

    "Ooh, yeah," Larry nodded. "All this crazy stuff today has given me an appetite."

    "Excellent," Nick nodded. "Let's get rolling."

    "You know..." Judy smirked. "Now that you've got yourself a girlfriend, I'll expect up-to-the-minute reports on how you're doing with her..."

    "Mom..." Larry rolled his eyes. He considered what he might say next, then just decided to go for it. "Well, we are kinda trying to figure our first date out."

    This time, Larry managed to cover his ears before his mother unleashed another piercing squeal.

Chapter 120: Initiation

Notes:

A sequel to "Kissed", currently chapter 96. Set in the Partners: Revisited timeline.

    It was a warm day in late spring at Squeakendale High School. The classes had let out for the day and extracurricular activities began. SHS was the smallest high school in Downtown Zootopia; not in terms of population, but in physical size.

    The students of Squeakendale were rodents, mustelids, and other small mammals who were just a bit too big to be stationed comfortably in Little Rodentia.

    Even as specific of a school as Squeakendale was, within were the usual cliques and social groups that were found in all other schools throughout Zootopia. The most famous of these was the Musteladies.

    On this particular day, four mustelids all headed out toward the school parking lot, which was sparse that afternoon.

    "Okay, so you want to join the Musteladies," a fashionable least weasel started to declare. She looked up at a slightly larger otter girl who returned the gaze.

    "Yeah," the otter smiled brightly.

    "And why wouldn't you?" The weasel spun on her heel and started marching around the grass near the parking lot. "We Musteladies have our paw on the pulse of all the fashion trends, social happenings, and we- we basically run this school!" The weasel laughed.

    "Yeah!" The otter was enthusiastic. "I'm tired of basically being-"

    "But!" The weasel interrupted her. "We can't just let anyone into the Musteladies. You understand?"

    "Right," the otter nodded, starting to feel nervous.

    "You're a mustelid," the weasel said. "You're a lady. That's two check marks. Now we have to test your loyalty, your willingness to follow direction."

    "Of course," the otter managed a nervous smile.

    "You'll stand on the asphalt here in the parking lot for one hour," the weasel pointed at the parking lot.

    The otter immediately moved to standing on the parking lot. Almost as immediately, she felt pain from the heat of the surface begin to sear her feet.

    "One hour, that will be all," the weasel offered a mischievous smile, looking back to her two mustelid cohorts. "But! We'll be watching you the whole time. And if you once vocalize your displeasure at this arrangement, you'll be out. You got it, Laura?"

    "Gh-got it," Laura nodded.

    Barely a minute in and it was already really starting to hurt the otter's feet. But she could do this, Laura convinced herself. Just one hour of pain and she'd be into the most powerful clique in Squeakendale. And then...

---

    There were a few assorted cheers as the least weasel entered the classroom she'd been permitted to use.

    "Make way for Princess Weaselton!" The least weasel bombastically introduced herself with her paws held out wide. The classroom was full of female mustelids, though it also had a squirrel and a couple of other rodents, and even a meerkat. The Musteladies cheered at the sight of their leader as she casually sat at the desk of the classroom and put her feet up. "Ahh. Welcome to the weekly meeting of the Musteladies. I'm your host: Weaselton. Princess Weaselton. And how are my subjects today?"

    There was cheering and clapping and a din of noise. Princess held her paws up with her eyes closed haughtily to simmer everyone down.

    "So! First order of business: new members!" Princess looked through her phone. "There are no new members." She chuckled. "Second order of business: juicy gossip with one of our veteran members!"

    A glasses-wearing honey-and-white colored ferret slunk back in her chair, wincing.

    "That's right, I'm talking about you, Kara," Princess beckoned with her claws. "Get on up here."

    Kara reluctantly obeyed, coming closer to the desk and standing at the head of the class.

    "Now, as many of you already probably know," Princess stroked her own chin. "Kara has found herself a little boyfriend...!"

    There was a joyful "ooh!" from the Musteladies as Kara held a paw over her eyes in embarrassment.

    "That's right!" Princess smiled. "His name is Larry Wilde-Hopps. Yes, that perfectly plain little eastern gray squirrel." There was a small bit of laughter from among a few of the mustelids, to which Kara started to look indignant. "Hey hey, no making fun of the ferret. Only teasing. So! On the subject of Larry, Heather and I scoped out the little puffball. He is so cute!" Princess cackled wildly, causing Kara to sigh in mild annoyance. "Yeah, I think he's a good match for our prime ferret, what do you say, Heather?"

    A white stoat sitting near the front slowly held up her paw in a fist, then gradually displayed a thumbs up, along with a smirk. There was more cheering.

    "Princess, please don't, this is so embarrassing..." Kara cringed.

    "C'mon Kara," Princess flicked her hand outward. "This is for your own good. Now that the Musteladies know Larry's with you, our more scandalous members know he's off limits, isn't that right, ladies?" Princess glared hard at a couple of standard color ferrets that looked like sisters. They nodded with guilty smiles. "Right then."

    "Now, on a related note, it's time for your daily dose of 'aww'," Princess grinned. Kara's olive-green eyes darted over to Princess worriedly. "I'm sending it right now." The Musteladies all checked their phones, and those that didn't have their own shared phones with their neighbors.

    Kara gasped. "Princess, no!"

    The classroom erupted into an extended chorus of "aww...!"

    The picture they were all looking at was taken at a restaurant and contained the squirrel in question talking enthusiastically to a shyly giggling Kara.

    "It's a good picture of you two," Heather stated with a smirk.

    "Princess...!" Kara protested.

    "I'd like to thank our favorite shutterbug ninja for procuring this photograph oh-so-surreptitiously," Princess explained in an amused voice. "She shall, as always, go unnamed."

    An orange-furred marten with a white face dramatically brought two fingers of her dark-colored paw up in front of her face and smirked. She was shoved affectionately in a few directions by her fellow Musteladies.

    "This is so humiliating..." Kara grumbled, taking in a difficult breath.

    "No no, Kara, it's okay," Princess shook her head, leaping over the desk and going to the slightly taller ferret, putting her paw on her shoulder. "This happens when any of us gets a special someone. Kinda like an initiation for their significant other, all right? We're not making fun of you."

    "You n' Larry are just so cute!" A black-colored mink agreed.
    "So you kissed a squirrel, huh..." one of the ferret twins mused.
    "And you liked it?" The other one finished her thought.
    "Hey, does anyone have the pic Kunoichi got of them at the dance? That one was so sweet!" One of the squirrels said.
    "Hey, Princess said not to name her!" The other squirrel berated.
    "Everyone knows that's not her real name," the first squirrel shot back, while the orange marten chuckled.

    "Okay okay, hush," Princess made a slicing motion with one paw. "Now, Larry's not that- hm, what's the word... cool of a squirrel..." Kara scoffed. "But! As he is a lover of one of the Musteladies, we will be treating him with the utmost respect-slash-teasing we can offer. You got that, Star?"

    Princess gazed over the crowd, then narrowed her eyes. "Wait, where's Star Nivalis?"

    "She's not here," one of the squirrels noted.

    "I said this was a mandatory meeting!" Princess was beginning to lose patience. "Wh-... Marie and Jetta are missing too?" Two more vacant seats, belonging to a ferret and a small otter. Princess flashed a sneer. "They better be dead or dying if they're not here! Did anyone see where they went!?"

    "Ah..." the lone meerkat slowly raised her hand among loud murmurs from the rest of the Musteladies.

    "Nancy, go!" Princess pointed at her. She began to speak, but was easily drowned out. Princess growled. "That means the rest of you be quiet! Nancy has a soft voice!" The other Musteladies hushed up.

    "I said I thought I saw Star, Marie, and Jetta going to the parking lot," Nancy said meekly.

    "What the...?" Princess sneered. "Okay girls, short meeting today, but we're going to dismiss early." She snapped and pointed. "Kara, Heather, you're with me. I want to get to the bottom of this. See the rest of you next week. Musteladies, out!"

---

    "It's been twenty-five minutes, are you sure you're not ready to give up?"

    Laura's eyes were starting to water. She could barely stand to be on the hot asphalt anymore, trying to shift her weight in a way that would lessen the pain, but it wasn't working. She looked down at the least weasel, determined.

    "I'm fine," the otter lied.

    "Star!" A ferret frantically poked the least weasel on the shoulder. "It's Princess!"

    "Let her come," Star said, the weasel smirking. "You two can go, if you-" the ferret and the otter quickly made themselves scarce. "Well now."

    Princess, Heather, and Kara walked side by side, closing in on Star, who had a placid look on her face. Princess looked incredulously at the otter.

    "What is going on here!?" Princess demanded, her eyes squinted. "Nivalis...!?" Star shrugged.

    "You're... what... Laura Lutraski?" Princess pursued, to which the otter nodded, biting her lip. "Get off the asphalt." The otter shook her head. "Oh, for the love of-!" Princess suddenly lunged out and grabbed the larger mammal by both wrists and yanked hard.

    "Aaagh!" Laura winced as her feet touched the much cooler grass. "Ow... ow... ow!" Her eyes began to brim with tears from both pain and confusion. "Wh-what did I do wrong...? Did I fail?"

    Princess let loose an angry chattering sound. "Just stay there- Kara!" Kara nodded in concern. "See if you can find a janitor's bucket or something; fill it with water and bring it here!"

    "You got it," Kara said, making herself scarce.

    "Here, get on your back, Laura," Princess set about helping her. "Heather, help me ease her down." Heather nodded and helped Princess. "Keep your feet off the ground for now. Does it hurt?"

    "Nh-no," Laura claimed. Princess looked at the otter with a look of tired exasperation. "...Yeah."

    Princess waited until Laura was on her back to shoot up and storm over to Star in a slinky, smooth movement. She shrieked in rage.

    "Just checking to see if this new recruit I scouted had what it took," Star said airily.

    "What were you thinking?" Princess rushed forward and grabbed Star by her top. "We do not haze our recruits!"

    "Back off," Star removed Princess' paws from her. "I'm doing you a favor."

    "Excuse me!?" Princess growled. "In case you forgot, I'm the leader of the Musteladies! I say how we-"

    "You've let just about anyone get into the Musteladies," Star interrupted with a lax voice. "Pretty soon half of the school's gonna be in it at your rate. I thought we should be a bit more selective. Only let the best in."

    "You don't make that call," Princess enunciated coldly. "You're not even one of my Leading Ladies."

    "I should be," Star frowned. She sneered, nodding over to Kara, who was hastily coming back with a small bucket of cool water. "Not her."

    Princess briefly looked. "Kara's smarter than you'll ever be."

    Kara looked at Star with a measure of anger as she helped Laura's feet into the bucket.

    "Ow! Ow... ah," Laura sucked in a breath through her teeth.

    "Is that any better...?" Kara winced. Laura nodded slightly.

    "She's my brains," Princess explained. "And Heather's my brawn. It's a classic combo. What I don't need is-"

    "She's got the social skills of a waste paper basket!" Star shouted. Kara flinched, but her face became even angrier. "Sure, that's a great quality for a leader to have! The Musteladies is filling up with air-headed goody-two-shoes girl scouts that are way too nice."

    "Listen up, Star Nivalis," Princess jabbed her finger into Star's chest. "I can be friendly, it's true. I can also be the opposite of friendly. I can be unfriendly." She poked Star twice more. "I'll admit I've made some mistakes in leading the Musteladies. I'm pointing at my biggest one. I have no need for a sadistic, sneaky weasel in my organization-"

    Star suddenly shoved Princess with both hands and she went down onto her rump on the asphalt.

    "Augh!" Princess exclaimed. Sneering, she got up in a flash and shoved Star in return. Ready for this, Star managed to stay on her feet and backhanded Princess, snapping her head to the side. "Ngh! Why you...! Heather! Little help?"

    Heather came forward smoothly and held both least weasels by the shoulders.

    "I don't need you to hold me back, Heather! Lay her out on her tail!" Princess spat.

    "Princess, this doesn't- it doesn't have to end in violence," Heather said lowly.

    "Yeah, maybe not, but it's gonna," Princess thrust her head forward. "Let me go, Heather."

    Star smirked. "I'd say you made more mistakes than you thought in the administration of the Musteladies."

    "Heather...?" Princess' eyes widened as Heather looked away from her. "But you're..."

    "So loyal?" Star grinned. "You're a naive idiot. You can't lead efficiently if you don't give the people what they want." Heather's eyes widened slightly.

    Kara's eyes moved quickly between the three Musteladies. She saw a measure of shame in Heather's face, disbelief in Princess', and utter confidence in Star's.

    "Heather, what's wrong?" Princess asked earnestly. "I- you- you don't have to hit Star. Why are you still holding me back?"

    "I think it's time for a change of leadership, hm?" Star grinned. "Heather and I will be able to whip the Musteladies into a much more focused group without you and Kara in the way."

    "Heather, say something!" Princess demanded in a frantic voice.

    "I'm... Star, I'm not going to betray Princess; I can't," Heather grit her teeth.

    "Really now?" Star didn't seem bothered, her eyes barely open and a sure smile on her face. "That much-touted sense of loyalty you have?"

    "Just- don't," Heather shook her head firmly. "Don't do this."

    "What has this daughter of a common crook ever given you?" Star's smile faded, and she looked at Heather coldly.

    "Hey, don't bring Daddy into this!" Princess sneered.

    "Don't go down this road," Heather said weakly. It almost sounded pleading. "Please, Star."

    "She hasn't given you anything but a cushy chair and a list of people to rough up and scare," Star swept her free arm out.

    "Oh yeah?" Princess grit her teeth. "And what do you think you bring to the table that I couldn't!?"

    At this Star's face became a triumphant, malevolent smile. "I've given her something you'd never give her."

    "No, Star...!" Heather's voice cracked.

    "No...?" Star's smile sweetened up. "That's the exact opposite of what you were crying out a few night's ago-"

    Before Star knew it, a fist had struck across her face and she fell over to the side.

    "You... you jill!" Heather pushed Princess away and towered over Star. "You jill! You said you wouldn't tell anyone!"

    Star grunted, rubbing her face. "Gh... Heather!? Why'd you hit me?"

    "You said you wouldn't tell anyone!" Heather shouted savagely. She rushed onto Star, grabbed her by the collar, and reached back with her other paw, angling her claws. Kara and Laura both took in a sharp gasp.

    Though she knew better, Princess rushed behind Heather and placed both hands on the stoat's raised wrist so she couldn't slash Star.

    "C'mon, no, you're right, don't make this any worse, Heather," Princess said with an even firmness. Only by holding on with all of her might was she able to stay Heather's paw, which started to weaken.

    "She- she- I trusted her!" Heather's resolve faltered a little; this allowed Princess to pull her gently away from Star while the latter cowered, panting. Heather stared off into the distance, her breaths heaves, then suddenly, she broke down into tears, choking and sobbing.

    "You're okay, Heather, you're okay," Princess dusted off Heather's shoulders as she hiccuped and rubbed her eyes.

    "I'm not- I'm not a lesbian," Heather insisted, tears brimming in her eyes. "I'm jh- I'm just bi-curious..." She let out a heave and took in a shuddering breath.

    "Hey, hey, either way, it's fine, Heather," Princess nodded. "It's okay. You're fine."

    "I'm sorry I never told you," Heather sniffled. "You know how much I care about honesty and yet I never-"

    "Shh..." Princess hugged Heather briefly, to which the latter could only stand there, emotions rocking her. "Just calm down, okay?" She turned an icy, hateful gaze to Star. "As for you. How dare you. Not only preying on Heather's sexual curiosity, but trying to make her compromise the standard she cares most about, her truthfulness?"

    "Please!" Star spat derisively. "Do you think we're on an episode of that magical pony show? You're a naive, brainless idiot who just so happened to-"

    "Watch your mouth," Princess shouted darkly. "The only reason your blood isn't staining Heather's claws is because it's unworthy of being there. But I'll slash you myself if I have to, so stay down." Star quieted up.

    "Ggh... I feel awful," Heather mumbled as Princess brought her a few steps away from the reclining Star. "I'm so sorry..."

    "It's all right," Princess grinned. "A heck of a right cross, though." Heather let loose a tearful chuckle. Princess walked over to Laura. The otter had withdrawn her feet from the now-lukewarm water and was wiggling her toes. "Are you okay, Laura? Do we need to call for an ambulance or anything?"

    "I'm okay, really," Laura nodded, slowly getting up, gingerly balancing on the sides of her feet. "Honestly."

    "I'll help walk her to wherever she needs to go," Heather offered automatically. Princess nodded at this.

    "Um, let me just start out by saying that the Musteladies aren't usually like this?" Princess winced apologetically. "Usually, there's a lot less drama. Anyway, if you still want to join..." Princess glowered at Star. "A position's opened up."

    Star belted out a furious shriek and started to lunge forward on all fours towards Princess.

    "Aaaugh!" Star sputtered as she found herself drenched in lukewarm water that otter feet had been soaking in.

    "I will not forgive you for what you did to Heather!" Kara angrily shouted at the doused weasel, throwing the empty bucket decisively at Star's back. Star slumped back to the ground and groaned, sputtering. Kara glared from behind her glasses, her mouth twisted into an indignant frown. "Oh, how even the brightest star shall dim."

    "Oops, I guess Kara can be unfriendly too," Princess mocked the fallen weasel, leaning over and tilting her head. She straightened up and leaned her head back to look at the otter. "What do you say, Laura? You want to get a hit in too? Press one of those scorched feet in her face?"

    "I better not..." Laura giggled nervously. "I mean, I don't want to make any extra enemies..."

    "Well, either way, if you're gonna be a Mustelady, we'll protect you, huh?" Princess winked. Kara nodded vehemently and Heather gave a diagonally, tentative nod.

    "Well..." a smile played out on the otter's face.

    Star's eyes barely had any time to widen before she saw an otter foot flying toward her face.

Chapter 121: Atypical

Notes:

This chapter is part of the r/Zootopia Anthology Volume II, which you can find by clicking on its name.

    At a glance, it was tough to place just what kind of mammal she was. A canid, certainly, but what kind?

    Her name was Cinderella Reddish. She was told the name meant "little crimson embers", and she supposed this referred to her eyes. Cindy's fur was a rich variety of grays that swept here and there across her coat. She displayed other hints of color as well; black was mixed in with her tail, the front sides of her limbs, and on her ear tips. White was on the underside of her muzzle and on her tail tip. On her neck and upper back were subtle orange arches, and the underside of her limbs contained orange accents as well.

    But on her face, there were "embers" in her eyes. They were a yellowish-brown, lively and fiery, and they were bordered by dabs of vivid orange fur. Her brother claimed that the small marks on her eyes made her look like a superhero. Then again, he was obsessed with superheros.

    But what kind of mammal was she? Her being thirteen didn't help a casual observer; she was still a growing girl and her size could have reflected a number of mammals. Was she a small wolf? She got that often. Jackal? Coyote? Fox?

    Well, yes indeed, the latter was what she was. All one had to do was ask her, and she'd tell you that she was a red fox.

    On one particular day, Cindy was walking home with two of her friends. The fox had a spring in her step, as she'd finally secured permission to have her friends come over after school.

    "You two are going to love my house," Cindy said proudly as she walked. She was joined by her two best friends: an unremarkable-looking woodchuck male named Rick, and a piebald black and white cow, Ellie. "It's really pretty big!"

    "I'm excited!" Ellie exclaimed, and she certainly sounded it. "You're always talking about how much you like your home."

    "Yeah, well," Cindy let her eyes move slightly away from Ellie as she responded, "just so you know, my family is a little strange."

    "Aren't all families?" Rick shrugged his shoulders.

    "Well, it's mostly my brother," Cindy rolled her eyes. "You know, little brothers and all..."

    "Only child," Rick replied, thrusting a thumb at his chest.

    "I've got an older brother," Ellie giggled hesitantly, "like, six years older."

    "Well, just don't let the little twerp annoy you," Cindy said sternly, but then lightened up as she approached the steps to her house. "Here we are!"

    "Wow, it is pretty big," Ellie said with reverence. Cindy opened the door and let them enter.

    "Mom!" Cindy called out as she closed the door. "I'm home!"

    "I'm in the kitchen, sweetheart!" The affectionate voice came back. The three young teenagers went into the kitchen where Cindy's mother, Vivian Reddish, was washing dishes. She was clearly a red fox, or just "a fox" as some knew them, as they were the most common type. She was aging well and had pretty cobalt blue eyes. Her face was kind, but reflected surprise when she saw the cow and woodchuck. "O-oh! You brought your friends today!"

    "Yes; you said I could!" Cindy replied, her voice immediately getting a little defensive. "I've been talking about this for weeks?"

    "Oh, of course, of course!" Vivian giggled with a pinch of nervousness. "It's just-"

    "It's just what?" Cindy shot back.

    "It's just that I had made plans tonight for us all to go see some family friends," Vivian looked embarrassed, "and um, I don't know if there's room for your friends..."

    "Well uh, personally," Rick placed his paw on his chest, "my mother gets worried if I'm not home by the evening."

    "Yeah, and my parents don't like it when I'm out late, either," Ellie shook her head.

    "See? No problem," Cindy added affirmatively.

    Vivian laughed gently. "Okay then. You three have fun. Oh, do you want any snacks?" The red fox caught herself, holding an index finger up. "Oh, um, scratch that; I don't have anything here for herbivores... sorry about that!"

    "It's okay; I'm not hungry," Ellie said.

    "I'm fine," Rick nodded.

    "Okay, let's go up to my room," Cindy said, turning on her heel. "It's up the stairs near the living room and on the-"

    "Whoa!" Ellie breathed out as soon as she got to the living room. Arranged somewhat haphazardly were several paintings. Some were portraits of mammals and some were landscapes, all painted with a distinctive color style that used contrasting colors to vividly accentuate natural ones. "These paintings are amazing! So pretty!"

    "You like it?" Cindy smiled. "That's my dad's stuff."

    "Your father painted all this?" Rick blinked. "Remarkable..."

    "Are there any more paintings in here?" Ellie asked perkily, walking to a door and starting to swing it open.

    "Wuh-wait!" Cindy held her paw out, but the door was already flung open.

    Inside the room was a modestly-sized painting studio with newspaper on the floor near the easel. Seated at this easel was a fox of mostly gray and jet-black fur. His name was Avery Pawsfeld. His yellow-brown eyes were very nearly the shade of his daughter's, and they showed that he was momentarily startled from the intrusion. He was wearing a loose white undershirt with some paint splotches on it and some cargo shorts.

    "Oh, hello!" Avery greeted cheerfully to the three, a brush in one paw. "I take it these are your friends, Cindy?"

    "Hi, Daddy," Cindy winced, waving her paw, "sorry about this. My friends don't know to knock before they come into your studio."

    Avery smiled. "That's okay, sweetheart."

    "Wow, you painted all of these?" Ellie looked around, enthralled.

    "Ah, I did indeed," Avery's smile turned bashful.

    "Cool!" Ellie raved. "Oh! Cindy, you know how I want to be a celebrity interviewer when I'm an adult?" She smiled brightly and darted her eyes and head toward Avery twice before staring at Cindy meaningfully.

    "Uh, right?" Cindy looked confused for a moment before understanding passed onto her face. "Wait, what? You want to interview my dad?"

    "Just if I get a homework assignment as an excuse!" Ellie whined, placing her hooves together in supplication. "C'mon, please?"

    "He's not really a celebrity; he's my dad," Cindy shrugged.

    "Wow, ouch Cindy," Rick chuckled into a paw, "he's right there."

    "No, she's right, I'm not a celebrity," Avery's smile was gentle. "But! If you need an interviewee, I'd be glad to help."

    "See? Okay, now let's leave Daddy alone during his art time, okay?" Cindy started to push Ellie and Rick out of the studio. "Sorry, Daddy!"

    "I said it was okay, sugar," Avery chuckled as Cindy closed the door.

    "He's so nice!" Ellie tapped her hooves together twice.

    Cindy smiled and nodded with a measure of pride. "Now, let's get up to my room. Time's a-wasting! We've got a big Agents of T story to get through in celebration of my two best friends coming over to my house for the very first time!"    

    "So, what type of fox is your dad?" Ellie asked with interest as the three mammals made their way up the stairs.

    "He's a silver fox," Cindy explained.

    "Like, an attractive older mammal?" One of Rick's eyebrows piqued.

    "He sure is!" Ellie added in jovially.

    "No, no!" Cindy waved her hands. "It's a kind of red fox, just with dark fur, okay? That's all it is!" She rolled her eyes toward her door and opened it, flinching at what she saw inside. "Oh for the love of-"

    Inside her room, seated at the tea table, was her brother Alex. He definitely looked like his father's son, as he had a great deal of black fur for a fox. He also had vivid orange fur near his ears and on his sides; it was easier to tell he had come from a red fox.

    "Alex!" Cindy shouted. She pointed decisively out of her room. "Out!"

    "What?" Alex innocently blinked his big blue eyes that matched his mother's in hue. "I wanna play Agents of T with you."

    "Not today, Alex!" Cindy frowned. "You and your characters were in the last story!"

    "Ugh, fine, jeez," Alex got up and shoved his paws into his pockets.

    "You didn't take any of the figures, did you?" Cindy looked at him suspiciously. "No deus ex machina!"

    "I don't even know what that means," Alex showed his empty hands. "All your characters and the action figures you've stolen from me are there, fair and square." Alex darted his tongue out at his sister with half-lidded eyes.

    "Good, thank you," Cindy said rather insincerely as Alex made his way out.

    "That was kinda mean, Cindy," Ellie observed with a cautious look on her face.

    "Yeah, didn't he just want to play with us?" Rick scratched his head.

    "C'mon, guys," Cindy's brow turned up as she held her hands out to plead for understanding, "He gets to play with me all the time. I just... I wanted to have my friends over once without everything screwing up. Will you guys please just play Agents of T with me?"

    "Sure," Rick said, putting down his backpack and taking a pangolin figure out of it. "Ready to go." Ellie nodded her agreement and reclined at the table.

    "Awesome!" Cindy dropped down onto her haunches at the head of the table and clapped her paws together, rubbing them. "Let's begin the story."

---

    A couple of hours later, the three mammals began to head downstairs, all with bright expressions on their faces. The sun was bright as well as it filtered in through the windows; the afternoon was getting along.

    "Wow, that was so fun!" Ellie said enthusiastically. "I can't believe Mrs. Pangolin was an alien spy that needed fuel distilled from tea to power her spaceship!"

    "Yes, that would explain why my own pangolin character was unsuccessful in his attempts to charm her," Rick ran a claw along his lower lip thoughtfully.

    "But is she really evil, or is she just trying to get home?" Ellie considered, tilting her head. "Does she value the lives of Earth mammals differently because of where she came from?"

    "Good questions," Cindy smiled in satisfaction, "I guess you'll just have to wait for the sequel!"

    "I'd love to come back over!" Ellie responded immediately.

    "Yeah, I'm down," Rick nodded.

    A few seconds later, the front door opened and a female gray fox named Catherine Marengo entered the house. She had warm brown eyes and was just about Cindy's height; a good bit smaller than Vivian or Avery. Her fur had mixes of oranges, grays, blacks, and whites; all typical of a gray fox. The fox took off her coat and hung it up in the closet near the front door.

    "Oh, Cindy darling!" Catherine burst out loudly. "You did manage to bring your friends over!"

    "Yeah!" Cindy smiled, her tail beating a little in excitement. She indicated her friends with one paw. "This is Ellie and Rick. Guys, this is my mom." Rick and Ellie both blinked and looked at the smaller fox, then back at Cindy. A careful ear might have picked up that Cindy used a slight short "a" sound in the pronunciation of "mom", as opposed to a short "o", but both of her friends seemed confused.

    "I thought..." Ellie held up a hoof hesitantly near her chest, "I thought we already met your mom."

    "Yeah, we met my mom, we didn't meet my mom," Cindy said, indicating Catherine with both paws. Rick started to hear the differences in the vowel sounds, but didn't understand the portent. Catherine began to look slightly nervous.

    "Umh..." Ellie looked concerned about causing offense. "Cindy, are you adopted?"

    "What!? No!" Cindy snapped back.

    "Easy, Cindy," Catherine suggested, holding a paw up in caution as she made her way over to her.

    "Which is... um, your um... birth mom?" Rick's face scrunched up. "I- I dunno... is that rude?"

    "No, it's not r-" Catherine smiled gently at Rick.

    "The're both my birth mother!" Cindy balled her fists.

    "Cindy, take it easy!" Catherine winced. "It's not that important-"

    "Of course it is!" Cindy insisted, turning to Catherine. "You and mom are both my birth mother! That's what you told me, right!? That's how it worked!"

    "But it doesn't-" Rick was about to explain his understanding of basic anatomy, but bit his lip to stifle himself.

    "Shh, don't get upset, Cindy," Catherine approached her daughter and hugged her. Cindy took in a shuddering gasp, hugging back after a small delay. "Don't get upset." She pat her back, and looked at her daughter's friends. "I'll just give you two the short version, okay? Avery and Vivian are her parents as far as genetics are concerned. But, I carried her, gave birth to her, and nursed her. So in some ways, Vivian and I are both Cindy's mother."

    "Whoa, that's possible?" Rick looked interested. Cindy looked cautiously at the woodchuck. "Huh... is Alex like that too?"

    "No no, Vivian carried Alex," Catherine smiled, letting Cindy go. "So... physically, I'm less of his mother than I am to Cindy, but..."

    "But we don't think like that!" Cindy said defiantly, placing her paws on her chest. "Alex and I have three parents!"

    "I just have my mother," Rick shrugged. "She worries about me a lot."

    "I have a mom and dad," Ellie smiled weakly. "They... don't get along so well."

    "Is everything okay in here?" Vivian poked her head in from another room.

    "Sure is, Vivian," Catherine smiled.

    "Hey um, do you think you could walk me to the subway station, Cindy?" Ellie smiled weakly. "I gotta be getting home."

    "Yh-you aren't weirded out or anything by my family, are you?" Cindy asked, suddenly desperate.

    "Of course not!" Ellie's smile became more genuine. "I wanna come back. This is a nice place, and I've still got to interview your dad!"

    "Pardon me?" Catherine huffed in amusement.

    "I should be getting back as well," Rick grumbled, looking at his phone, "Mom's already sent me two texts expressing her concern."

    "Can I take them to the subway, moms?" Cindy asked.

    "Well..." Vivian's eyes squinted as she mulled this over, "Cathy...?"

    "Maybe I should go with you, in case anyone tries to steal any of you cuties," Catherine smirked.

    "Thanks, Cathy," Vivian looked relieved, holding up her phone, "I'm still trying to iron out the details with the Wilde-Hopps family tonight."

    "Gotcha," Catherine said, opening the front door. "C'mon kiddos, let's get to the subway."

    "Who are the 'Wilde-Hopps'?" Cindy looked confused as they made their way down the front steps.

    "Family friends; we haven't seen them since you and Alex were very little," Cindy had an easy smile as the three mammals walked along the sidewalk. She leaned in and added, in a loud whisper: "Nick Wilde-Hopps was your mother's ex."

    Ellie gasped in delight. "Ooh! Scandalous!" Rick chuckled at the cow's reaction.

    "Whaaat?" Cindy squinted her eyes. "Mom had a boyfriend before you two?"

    "Mhm," Catherine chuckled as the three headed down the steps to the subway. "But that's a story for another time."

---

    The five foxes entered the modest, general-purpose restaurant that catered to those of all dietary needs. Alex blinked as his eyes quickly got used to the low light inside.

    "We're meeting who...?" Alex sounded a bit nervous.

    "Ah, over there!" Catherine pointed at a table past the female hyena greeter, who nodded at them to let them through. Cindy didn't know what she expected, but an average looking green-eyed red fox along with a gray bunny with purple eyes wasn't exactly it.

    "Hey! You all made it!" The bunny waved her paw, and the fox gave a casual salute of a greeting. Judy placed her paws together apologetically and her brow went up. "So sorry we've been out of touch lately...!"

    "Oh, no worries at all," Vivian bat her paw dismissively. "I know things must be busy with you two."

    "Right, and we can get to that later, but..." Judy's smile became huge and toothy and she squealed. "Wow! Look at you two, you've both grown so much!" Judy approached Cindy and smiled at her. The young teenager was just a hair taller than Judy, and Alex was about half a head shorter. "Alexander and Cinderella... it's been so long!"

    "Hi, um, I don't remember you?" Cindy winced.

    "Of course, you two were just little kits when we first met," Judy giggled. "I'm Judy Wilde-Hopps, ZPD detective!"

    "Whoa, cool!" Alex remarked. "A bunny detective?"

    "The first one! But don't forget about her husband, Nick Wilde-Hopps," the fox came up with a grin and adjusted his tie, which sat on a very casual Pawaiian shirt. "First detective fox on the force."

    "Wow, neat," Cindy blinked twice at hearing this. "I thought police were, um... bigger."

    "Most are," Nick chuckled.

    Avery counted the places at the table. "Eight? There's five of us, two of you..."

    "Three of us," Nick corrected, grinning. "C'mon out, Larry." Nick moved his left shoulder up and down and an eastern gray squirrel appeared from behind Nick's back, perching on his shoulder.

    "I wondered if they could smell me," the squirrel grinned. Several of the Reddish family's jaws dropped.

    "A squirrel!" Cindy observed. "I mean... obviously, but, uh, y'know..." Cindy giggled.

    Catherine squealed loudly and the rest of the mammals flinched or cringed, with Judy covering her ears. "A squirrel!? Did you two adopt!?"

    "We sure did," Nick nodded. "Little Larry here gets most of our free time, and even some time we have to take out on loan."

    "Dad..." Larry rolled his cobalt blue eyes. "Hey, can we eat now? I'm hungry."

    "Okay, okay," Nick said. "Jeez, we've only just gotten here."

    "Can I sit next to Larry!?" Alex asked with a whip of his tail. "Um, Larry, how old are you!?"

    "Twelve," Larry replied.

    "I'm eleven!" Alex shot back, then looked up at Vivian. "Can I sit next to him?"

    "That's up to them, dear," Vivian messed with his head fur with her paw.

    "I dunno Lare-bear, that kit looks pretty wild to me," Nick smirked, turning his head in his son's direction.

    "I'll sit with him!" Larry said with a nod. Alex pumped both fists, then they all were seated.

    The conversations wore on for quite awhile even as they ordered their food. Judy was enthusiastic to catch up with the three foxes, and Nick and Vivian seemed like old friends.

    "So Larry," Catherine nodded toward him, "do you want to be in the ZPD when you grow up?"

    "Nope," Larry chuckled, "race car driver."

    "Oh, I see," Catherine replied, "I suppose the police gene doesn't run in the family."

    "Uh, I'm adopted?" Larry chuckled with a wry expression.

    "Larry, c'mon, you're our son just the same," Nick grinned, then looked at Catherine, "sorry, Cat-"
    "I told you not to call me 'Cat'," she interrupted.
    "I just don't know where he gets that snark from," Nick continued undeterred, "I think it's from his mother."

    "Uh huh, as if, buster," Judy turned a curious look up to her husband.

    "I see you haven't changed, Nick," Vivian laughed pleasantly, "not that you needed to."

    "So how's everyone? Still at the Grand Zootopia Library, Cat?" Nick asked. Catherine glared at him.

    "She is," Avery offered, chuckling.

    "Might as well get used to whatever 'Nick-name' Nick gives you," Judy smirked. "Once he gets one on you, it's really hard to shake it off."

    "Isn't that right, Lare-bear?" Nick pursued.

    "Yup," Larry answered simply, popping the "p" at the end.

    "It'd be really cool if you were a race car driver," Alex said, grinning down at the squirrel, "I wonder if I could pick up a race car that a squirrel could fit in!" Larry shrugged in reply, but returned Alex's grin.

    "And how's Miss Cinderella doing?" Judy smiled at the teenage fox.

    "Oh, pretty good," Cindy smiled pleasantly.

    "Ah!" Catherine frowned. "You know better than that, Cindy."

    "Oh, sorry," Cindy laughed. "Pretty well."

    "Better," Catherine closed her eyes and nodded, then smiled broadly. "She's into stories, and she tells the most- um, what's the word..."

    "Unusual?" Avery scratched his head.
    "Imaginative?" Vivian offered.

    "Esoteric stories," Catherine decided, giggling. "She's definitely my daughter."

    "That's so sweet!" Judy replied.

    "What are you into?" Larry looked up at Alex.

    "Superhero stuff!" Alex said excitedly. "Comic books, movies, all of it!"

    "Hey, have you seen The Furlanx yet?" Larry wondered.

    "Oh no, no!" Alex smiled, his tail wagging. "Is it good? Wait, don't tell me! Spoilers!" Alex covered his ears.

    Larry chuckled. "You should see it. I liked it."

    The meal dragged on, and it began to reach its conclusion.

    "Ah, it's been nice to catch up with the Reddishes again," Nick smiled, patting himself on the stomach.

    "What, um..." Cindy began, looking between Nick and Vivian. "What happened between you two?"

    "Oh, grown-up stuff," Vivian said dreamily. "A desire for companionship, a fundamental misunderstanding, and an amicable parting."

    "Yup, that's about it," Nick nodded, nudging Judy. "Fortunately, I managed to get with the mammal that I'm meant to be with."

    "A bunny?" Alex seemed confused.

    "Alex..." Avery warned gently.

    "I'm just curious!" Alex whined defensively.

    "Yup, a bunny," Nick threw his arm around Judy. "I feel like Serendipity herself shoved this little treasure in my direction."

    "Mm, you romantic goofball," Judy smiled serenely with her eyes nearly shut.

    "Bleah," Catherine rolled her eyes, "The bunny Celestial? Vivian, this 'goofball' may have lasted a little while with you, but he sure wouldn't have with me."

    "Hence the break-up," Vivian giggled with a nod.

    "We should do this again sometime," Judy said, scrambling for the check when it arrived, smirking at Avery, who's paw was almost there. "Ah ah, too slow." She giggled. "No, I got it. I insist."

    "By saying we should meet again," Nick pondered, "do you mean that, or do you mean 'we're never actually going to see each other again'?"

    "No, we totally should!" Judy claimed, nodding enthusiastically. "We need to take more time out for our friends. Larry's old enough to where he's not such a handful anymore, after all."

    "Mom, I'm right here," Larry chuckled.

    "What do you say, Viv?" Nick shrugged. "We still pals?"

    "Of course, Nick," Vivian smiled. "And I'm sure the kits would all get along, as well."

    "Yeah!" Alex nodded. "Right, Larry?"

    "You seem cool," Larry shrugged with a half-smile. Alex looked happy, his tail thrashing.

    The two families said their goodbyes. Some of the foxes hugged each other, and the bunny. The kits were fussed over and more promises were made.

    On the way out of the restaurant, Cindy found herself thinking about what her friend Ellie had said. It was something about her evil character Mrs. Pangolin, and wondering if she valued the lives of others less just because of where they came from. Cindy thought of the fox, bunny, and squirrel family, and how they were very different than their own family of five foxes with varying coats, but how they were also kind of the same.

    Cindy smiled in a sort of satisfaction.

    "Had a good day, sweetheart?" Avery smiled down at her.

    The fox nodded. She was getting the idea for a redemption arc for Mrs. Pangolin.

Chapter 122: Addition

    Larry couldn't sleep.

    Though the gray squirrel was only nine years old, he had perceived a change in the atmosphere around dinner that night. His adoptive parents, Nick and Judy Wilde-Hopps, had seemed curt and distant. Larry was too apprehensive to ask if anything was wrong; if he did anything wrong. So he waited in bed, his blue eyes wide open. Soon, he heard his adoptive parents' voices coming from the main room in their apartment.

    Larry grit his teeth and walked out of bed, a combination of fear and curiosity driving him forward. Were they upset? Were they fighting?

    "So, can we please talk about this now?" Judy asked in an impatient voice.

    "If you keep your voice down," Nick replied. "We don't want to wake the kit."

    Larry swallowed nervously. He felt his heart pounding faster and faster. He placed his little paws on the door and pressed his ear close to the door to hear better.

    "Deal," Judy's voice dropped down quieter, but Larry could still hear it.

    "So, what are we going to talk about?" Nick's voice had that bite of sarcasm Larry had come to recognize, but this time it lacked its usual friendliness. "Your hero complex?"

    "My hero complex!?" Judy's voice leaped up in volume. "How can you say that?"

    "Quiet down," Nick replied sternly.

    "Sorry, sorry," Judy replied. Larry was beginning to get very, very anxious. "Let's just talk about this calmly and like adults."

    "Fine," Nick still seemed irritated. "You want to bring another kit into this home."

    Larry gasped a bit. This was not what he was expecting to hear. His fear ebbed, replaced by more curiosity. He wondered why Nick was so angry.

    "I just..." Judy sounded anxious, "I think we could provide a good home for her..."

    "Are you going to do this every time there's a kit in need?" Nick asked curtly. "You know my mom tried pretty hard to coerce us into adopting Larry-"

    Larry winced, feeling an unnamed pang pierce him.

    "It wasn't like that; you know we love him and we couldn't leave him to some strangers!" Judy said, her voice raising again. Larry felt like his emotions were sliding up and down a roller coaster, not that he had been on one yet. "It's just the same with Rachel!"

    "Judy, I love our little squirrel, but it's not the same with Rachel," Nick returned. "We don't know her; we shouldn't- we shouldn't get involved."

    "Nick!" It was Judy's turn to get stern. "How can you be so cold toward her? The system has failed her; her parents abandoned her, her- her foster parents were doing that insurance scam, and- and now she has to get a third family?"

    "Well, I hate to break it to you, Judy," Nick replied, "but we're part of the system. We're cops. You think she's gonna trust us to be her parents?"

    "We're- we're good people, Nick!" Judy protested. "You know we are. Larry loves us... I- I know we're good parents!"

    Larry bit his lip. He wasn't sure where this was going, but he felt increasingly upset.

    "I... just thought," Judy's voice became pensive, "you know, especially in your case... you could- you know, maybe..."

    "What," Nick said flatly.

    "I mean- uh," Judy stammered. "Jeez, there's no right way to say this..."

    "What, because she's a raccoon?" Nick's voice had a calmness fall over it. This sent dread shooting through the little squirrel, he knew his voice only got that calm when he was really angry. "Ah, there she is. There's my little speciest bunny. I wondered if we'd gotten rid of her, but nope, there she is."

    "I don't- I don't mean it like that, Nick!" Judy countered.

    "Oh? Then what do you mean it like?" Nick's voice raised a bit. "Because it sounds to me like you're saying 'because you're a fox, you'd make a good dad for that poor little raccoon and make sure she doesn't fall off the path of righteousness'. You know, because she's a raccoon, and foxes and raccoons are both known for being criminal scum."

    "I did not say that, I didn't," Judy retorted acidly. "You're not being fair!"

    Larry felt his breaths coming faster and more unsteady; he was about ready to cry.

    "Please enlighten me to what you mean, then," Nick said dangerously.

    "Listen, Nick," Judy said with some finality, "it comes down to this. You were basically skirting the edge of criminality for twenty years. Rachel's been abandoned by her birth parents, and her foster parents were criminal raccoons! She needs help! Help that I know we can provide!"

    "The girl's only six, Judy," Nick grumbled. "She's got time to learn. What, you don't trust any other family to take good care of her?"

    "I don't know that I do, Nick," Judy's voice was firm. "We have the opportunity to make her world better. Why'd I trust anyone but us to to that?"

    "Judy-" Nick began.

    "Just like- just like I didn't trust anyone but you and I to save Zootopia," Judy pressed the attack. Larry remained dumbfounded. He was paralyzed with both amazement and terror.

    "There's that hero complex again," Nick grunted.

    "I don't care if that's what you think it is," Judy replied. "Give me a good reason why you think we shouldn't do this."

    "...How would Larry feel about it, Judy?" Nick grumbled quietly. Larry barely heard him, but he gasped when he heard his name. "We- we can't just drop a sister in his lap. Especially not one that could grow to be your height."

    "Larry's a caring boy," Judy protested. "Maybe- maybe he could help her. She's been withdrawn from, betrayed... I just- Nick, don't you feel for her at all?"

    "...I do, Judy," Nick grunted. "And that's why I'm afraid to get involved. The only reason I could keep myself sane during my hustling years was knowing I wasn't hurting anyone. If I got in too deep, if I got too involved... well..."

    "Nick..." Judy said tenderly. Larry started to relax a bit at their voices softening.

    "I'll think about it," Nick conceded. "...I'll think about it, Judy. We'll... we'll need to run it past Larry. We'll need to make sure Rachel even wants a bunny, fox, and squirrel for a family."

    "Thank you, Nick, I love you..." Judy said gently.

    Nick sighed. "I love you too, Judy. ...But... we are not turning this apartment into a menagerie. We can't just... adopt every mammal that we see in need..."

    "Is that where you think this is going?" Judy asked. "I... I promise. These two are- they're special cases, both of them."

    "Every kid is special, Judy," Nick countered, though his voice was still gentle. "Every kid has unique potential to grow and express themselves."

    "But Rachel... she needs someone... and we know she needs someone," Judy replied. "How... how can we just do nothing?"

    "Are you trying to appeal to my better nature, bunny?" Nick huffed in amusement.

    "I'm not joking around, Nick," Judy replied. "Not when someone's well being is at stake."

    "I just- I think we're too close to the case, Judy," Nick said. "Our emotions are riding high..."

    "I thought you'd gotten used to that part of me, buster," Judy said wryly.

    "We'll talk it over in the morning, sweetie," Nick said.

    "Okay, let's get to bed," Judy agreed.

    Larry wandered over to his bed and climbed into the covers. He was bewildered. Was he really going to get a raccoon sister? Did he even want one? He supposed he didn't have much choice either way.

    If he did get a little sister... he hoped she'd be nice.

Chapter 123: Apology

    Gideon Grey took a deep breath and slowly let it out as he parked his van on the curb. He picked his phone out of his pocket and looked at it, double-checking the address.

    "Well, this's the place," Gideon said to himself, triple-checking the address before putting the phone back in his pocket. The engine rumbled to a halt as he turned the key. He opened the door and paused for a full minute before moving again.

    His therapist said it would be good for him, he thought. Also, that the first one would be the hardest. The red fox slowly got out of his van and approached the driveway of the tidy, orderly house. He noted a neat, trimmed lawn. But enough stalling. He felt like his heart was going a mile a minute as he cautiously brought his paw up to the door, hesitated, and knocked softly on it.

    Many seconds later, there was no response. He grit his teeth and squinted his eyes shut, knocking a little harder. Still, nothing. He felt an odd, contradictory feeling of both panic and relief at this, but then his eye caught sight of a doorbell as he was turning to leave. He almost didn't want to press it.

    BING-BONG.

    The sound sent reverberations of fear through Gideon. Even more sprung to life when he actually heard hoofed footsteps coming toward the door. He frantically bat at his hair a bit to make sure it was in place, then held his hands behind his back. The door creaked open to reveal a blue-eyed black sheep. Gideon supposed she looked somewhat fetching for a sheep.

    "Ah, hello Sharla," Gideon said. He was pretty sure he could hear his own pulse in his ears.

    "Who-?" Sharla had a curious expression, then it morphed to one of clarity and surprise. "Gideon Grey? No."

    "Yes indeed, ma'am," Gideon nodded. Sharla's expression changed again to one of anger.

    "You've gotta lot of nerve showin' your face 'round here!" Sharla accused, thrusting a finger at him.

    "Ah, yes ma'am," Gideon nodded, bowing his head. He certainly had a lot of nerves at that moment.

    "What do you want?" Sharla put both of her hands on her hips and looked at him with skeptical, judging eyes.

    "I just want- I'd just like to say ah-," Gideon had practiced this speech many times, but he felt like the words were fleeing from his head. He took another deep breath to focus. "I'd like to say, Sharla, that I'm sorry for the way I behaved in my youth. I- uh, I- had a lot of self-doubt that manifested itself as unchecked rage and aggression."

    Sharla stared at him in abject disbelief.

    "..I- I- I was a major jerk," Gideon added.

    "Heck, I know that!" Sharla dismissively flicked her hoof. "Whatcha tellin' me for!?"

    "I just, I," Gideon stammered, fumbling with his hands. "I thought it'd be proper to luh-let you know that I regretted my former course a' life."

    "Bull roar!" Sharla balled up her fists. "You're only here cuzza yourself. S'matter?" She thrust her fists into her hips. "Y'had a reckoning with the divine or somethin'? Changin' your ways? Well let me tell you: ain't nobody up there-" she gestured to the sky, "care about a dumb fox like you!"

    The words stung him and did nothing to lower the fox's anxiety. Gideon swallowed hard and nodded. "I- I appreciate you're probably correct on that matter, ma'am." Gideon's muzzle and eyebrows twitched a bit. "And you're right, I reckon this is more for me than for you. So maybe it seems kinda selfish that way. It's a bit of the process, I reckon. M'therapist recommended it to me."

    Sharla's eyebrows turned up for a moment, then went down again. She jerked her head to the side, folding her arms. "Aw, pussy-willows. Y'all got me actin' like the bully now. Heck, I forgive you, Gideon."

    "No ma'am, I'm not askin' your forgiveness," Gideon clasped his hands together. "Just, like I said, it's a bit of an emotional release." He brought a hand to his chest. "My conscience has been hurtin' me awful bad lately. Things I did as a kit..." He shook his head. "Young n' foolish. I know I can't do nothin' to make it up to you, but..." Gideon sighed again. "Just wanted to let you know I was sorry, Sharla."

    "Well, shoot..." Sharla frowned. She tried to think of something to say as Gideon fumbled with his fingers. The silence was uncomfortable for both of them.

    "So um..." Gideon tried to start up the conversation once more. "How are things?"

    "Gideon, don't act like we're friends or nothin'," Sharla rolled her eyes up to him dryly. "I ain't gonna invite you in for sweet tea and cookies."

    "Oh no, 'course not," Gideon chuckled nervously, slapping his hand through the air.

    "In fact, I'm studying to be an aerospace engineer at the moment," Sharla said, running a hand through the wool on top of her head. "And I got a big exam comin' up, so-"

    "Oh, I'm sorry, Sharla," Gideon shook his head, holding his hands up. "I won't take up any more of your time." The mention of cookies set off a light in his head suddenly. "Um, just one more thing if you would, ma'am. What's your favorite flavor of pie?"

    Sharla looked dumbfounded by this question. "Um, if I had to put a name to one..." she tapped a finger on her chin. "I suppose it'd be apple pie. Why?"

    "Just you wait right there, Sharla," Gideon said, rushing to his van. Sharla stared off at him as he retreated into his van and came back with a couple of pink boxes. Gideon, for his part, felt somewhat surprised that she hadn't yet slammed the door.

    "Two apple pies for you n' yours," Gideon smiled, offering the boxes with his hands outstretched. "Hope ya like 'em."

    "Well that's kind of you," Sharla said, accepting them.

    "Ain't any sort of payment for redemption or nothin'," Gideon smiled, putting his hands on his stomach and bouncing on his heels a little. "It's just what I do now."

    "You're a baker?" Sharla raised an eyebrow. "Can't say I saw that comin'."

    "Neither did I," Gideon chuckled. "Oh! Anyway, I should letcha go. Ya want more pie, just look me up."

    "Maybe I will, maybe I won't," Sharla smirked, tilting her head in a somewhat sassy manner.

    "Fair 'nuff!" Gideon waved and took his leave. Sharla closed the door behind her. Gideon released a large breath as he got into his van and started it up again. To be honest with himself, he felt better than he thought he would. He hoped his next few stops would be easier, though. Gideon felt like his insides had been tied up and pinched in several places like someone making a balloon animal at the fair.

    Gideon pulled off of the curb and headed out into the street, driving off.

    One down, several to go, Gideon thought to himself.

    He'd also heard that Judy had found her way back to Bunnyburrow from eavesdropping on a female wolf talking to someone or another at the last bakers meet he went to. Gideon scrunched his muzzle up and nodded. He'd have to find his way over to the Hopps farm soon enough to work with Stu Hopps, so he might as well head that way.

    A flash of anxiety burst in his gut, but he took another deep breath to dispel it.

    Part of the process, he thought.

Notes:

Not directly related to this chapter, but fans of my characters Larry and Kara might be interested in a picture that my good friend Roahm Mythril drew.

Here is a picture of the two hugging!

Chapter 124: Judgement

    "Different Tails, huh?" Nick remarked dryly as he entered the nightclub with Judy. "Let me guess, it's a..." Nick blinked and looked around. Many mammals were dancing and having a good time together, drinking drinks and chatting. The only thing they had in common was that neither pairing consisted of two of the same animals.

    "Inter-species bar, yup," Judy grew a wry smile.

    "And why did we come here, again?" Nick gave a gentle chuckle.

    "Give you one guess," Judy shot a tired smile to Nick.

    "Ah, Clawhauser's recommendation, of course," Nick laughed.

    "Bingo," Judy pointed at him. "One of these days he's going to figure out we're actually together, and then he's going to freak out even more than usual."

    "I rue that day," Nick said, heading towards the bar.

    "Oh, be right there! Get me something sweet!" Judy said, something catching her eye. She headed deeper into the club, near the dance floor. Nick took a seat at the bar and was soon greeted by an exuberant looking margay.

    "Hey! A new face! We like those!" The margay gestured with her hands out and then clapped. "What can I get ya?"

    "A rum and cola and a-" Nick looked incredulous at the specials, "are you really calling it a margay-rita?"

    The margay laughed loudly. "The first person you have to laugh at is yourself! Comin' up, anyway." She started to make the drinks. "So! Have a significant other? A significant otter, perhaps?"

    "Heh," Nick smirked. "But, yes. Oh, and here she is now." Judy leaped up onto the stool next to him.

    "Heya, handsome," Judy smiled brightly, and a margay-rita was set down in front of her. "Ooh, nice."

    "We put sugar and salt on that one," the bartender shook her finger once at the drink. "See how you like it!" The two sipped their drinks and nodded. "Great! So, a fox and a bunny, huh? That's a fun combination. Some of that classic pred-prey..." She flashed her teeth in a guilty way as she saw Nick staring at her with a baffled expression. "Sorry! Shutting up now."

    "That's all right," Nick shook his head. "Just... not quite used to this sort of reaction to our relationship."

    "Oh, that's what's great about Different Tails, there's no judging!" The margay smiled. "I'm Donna, by the way. Hope to see you two back here sometime! Oh, and your first drinks on me since it's your first time here, okay?" She saw another animal raising their paw. "Oop, gotta go!" Nick stood up and peeked over the bar, seeing the small shelf the margay was standing on. "I thought she looked a little short."

    "Nick..." Judy laughed. She peered around at some of the various pairings in the club. Horse and sheep. Rhino and hippo. Wolf and cougar. "Some of these combinations, though... I kind of wonder how it happens?" Judy tried to subtly nod over to a pairing of a male mouse and a female lion. "I mean... how exactly does that... work?"

    "Hey, you heard that cat. No judging, bunny," Nick smiled softly, looking at the two. "Love is, well, it's complicated. And doesn't necessarily always have to be expressed physically. Although..." Nick tilted his head and narrowed his eyes in curiosity.

    "Maybe we shouldn't let our minds go there," Judy giggled nervously, sipping more of her drink. "So, you feel like dancing with me tonight?"

    "Guess that depends on if the DJ puts on any songs I like," Nick said flippantly. Judy tilted her head down a few degrees but met his gaze with her eyes rolled way up.

    "Got a little gray bunny that put in a request!" The boyish, almost raspy voice of the disc jockey sounded out, as if on cue. "Alright, this is a popular one, but I'm gonna put it on anyway. You all know her, so get out and dance!"

    "Uh oh," Nick said flatly. Judy had a wide smile, showing all of her teeth.

    "Oh, oh, oh, oh oh..."

    "Guess I'm not dancing, then," Nick sighed in mock disappointment, shaking his head.

    "Says you!" Judy grabbed his wrist and dragged him out onto the dance floor.

    The two began to dance together, though it was still more that they were dancing next to each other, rather than with each other. There was still a small space between them that could be closed. But they gazed at each other in happiness anyway as they danced.

    "You're getting more into it!" Judy observed Nick's less reserved dance moves, though they were still hardly graceful.

    "Slowly but surely," Nick nodded, feeling himself start to have fun.

    The two were so consumed by the surroundings and the loose atmosphere of the club that they found themselves kissing a few times, and even getting together for a slow dance. Nick treasured how his hands could completely wrap around the bunny, and Judy delighted in their consuming warmth. They didn't once get a second look, and they felt their inhibitions slowly melt away. Hours passed like minutes, and soon it was time for the establishment to close.

    "Whew, that was a blast, and the place is almost empty now," Judy giggled, smooching Nick on the nose. "You think we should come back?"

    "It was kind of nice to let loose and not feel uptight about the whole being close with each other thing," Nick shrugged. "Yeah, I could see us coming back."

    "Hey hey!" The DJ's voice called out to them. Nick blinked as he saw another lapine approach. She was an arctic hare with light blue eyes, but had several various-colored splotches, like paint blots, splattered on her white fur. "The newbies stayed the whole night, huh? Not bad, not bad. Guess you like it here?"

    "Oh, it's the DJ!" Judy said. "Yeah, we had a great time! Thanks for playing 'Try Everything'!"

    "Eh, sure!" The hare swiped her arm in Judy's general direction to show it was no big deal. "Gazelle's message is always appreciated here at Different Tails."

    "So, what do they call you?" Nick wondered.

    "The name's DJ Skips," she smiled proudly. "But, I'm off the clock, so you can call me Karen if you want." She chuckled.

    "Do you like working here?" Judy inquired with a pleasant smile.

    "It's great!" Karen nodded. "I'm the house DJ, so I'm here all the time. Got a great job, great family, great girlfriend. Life's almost perfect."

    "That was a big 'almost'," Nick observed, chuckling.

    "Well, I suppose in a perfect world there wouldn't be a need for a place like this at all," Karen shrugged, giving a half-smile. "My girlfriend's always so scared of us getting seen together in public since we're pred-prey and both female, so I don't really blame her. But here? It's all good."

    "You don't have to come here to hide from your family or anything, do you?" Judy winced.

    "No way! They're cool," Karen grinned proudly. "I was the oldest of a dozen bros and sises, so I was doted on the most anyway. They think I'm awesome, which is correct. I am awesome." She gave a low snickering giggle. Judy laughed with the confident bunny and Nick wore a smile.

    "So um," Nick began, "I'm not trying to judge or anything, but what's with the, er... paint?"

    "It's fur dye; part of the persona," Karen nodded. "I like having white fur; it's like a canvas you can paint on. But I settled on this 'style'. The different colored splotches represent all of us, this melting pot here. We're so different, but we all look good together in the end, yeah?"

    "Yeah," Judy agreed, taking an instant liking to the arctic hare.

    "Of course, some of the dye only the girlfriend gets to see," Karen winked. Nick rolled his eyes and Judy laughed again.

    "Babe...?" A timid female voice came out.

    "Speaking of!" Karen lit up. She beckoned. "Over here, Kaycee!" A shy-looking cheetah wandered over to the three. "Some new friends! Oh uh, I didn't get your names yet, haha!"

    "Judy Hopps!" Judy put her arms on her hips and posed proudly.

    "Nick Wilde," Nick nodded simply.

    "This is Kaycee," Karen introduced. "She's a shy little thing, but lovable all the same."

    Nick looked up at her green-eyed face and grinned. "Yeah, 'little'." Kaycee offered a small wave.

    "C'mon, say hi! They don't bite," Karen encouraged.

    "Oh, we do," Judy said, "but only each other." Karen and Judy started laughing again.

    "Is yours like this a lot, too?" Nick asked in almost a whine.

    "She is, but..." Kaycee smiled gently. "She's fun that way."

    "Okay, 'Judo'," Karen crouched back, making some fighting poses. "You two better come back here or I'll find you and kick your tail!"

    "Try it, punk," Judy grinned, mimicking her stance. "I'm a member of the ZPD! I'll lay you out on your tail!"

    "Bunnies," Nick sighed.

    "Aren't they great?" Kaycee closed her eyes and grinned.

Chapter 125: Judgement II

    "C'mon Gideon, get yer big fluffy tail in here!" exclaimed Sharla, a black sheep. The portly red fox looked extremely nervous as he was dragged closer and closer by his wrist to the club "Different Tails". Looking up at the sign, Gideon swallowed in apprehension.

    "I-I-I don't know 'bout this, Sharla," Gideon admitted. He was in his best plaid shirt and jeans, but the sight of such a bustling inter-species bar filled him with dread.

    "Oh! Whatcha worried 'bout? We've already come all this way!" Sharla released him and put her hands on her hips. "Ain't nobody here gonna recognize us!"

    Gideon sighed. "That ain't precisely the issue... we're gonna stand out; bein' hicks from Bunnyburrow and all."

    "C'mon, we're not a whole country away or nothin', we're just some two hundred miles from home!" Sharla smiled, beckoning him into the club. "'Sides, I looked this place up. One of the biggest rules is 'no judgin'', so we got nothin' to be afraid of."

    "Oh, I guess so, Sharla," Gideon nodded once and followed her in. His ears flattened as he wasn't used to the din of the lively club, where mammals of all different species and with all different species hung about with each other. Gideon thought he saw a rat making goo-goo eyes at zebra. No judging, no judging, Gideon thought to himself.

    "Lookit this!" Sharla exclaimed in wonder, gasping slightly. She raised her voice to be able to be heard by the trailing fox. "We fit right in, 'cause no one else does!"

    Gideon nodded. "Whatcha wanna do first, Sharla? D-dance?" Gideon winced at the more contemporary dances going on around the dance floor; he had only learned a few line dances and square dances. He turned his attention over to the DJ, an arctic hare with multi-colored fur dye splotches all over her white fur. He suddenly felt like he didn't fit in after all.

    "Dancin' would be a lot of fun!" Sharla nodded, clicking the digits of her fingers together. "How about we-"

    "Gideon Grey!? No way!" Came a loud, female voice. Gideon's eyes went wide as a few mammals were shuffled out of the way and a gray bunny popped out from between them with a red fox trailing her. Gideon gasped in terror.

    "Judy!" Gideon's eyes darted around as he looked for an escape.

    "Well, well! What the heck is going on here?" Judy thrust her fists onto her hips and gave a brow-furrowed, mischievous smirk to the two. "Sharla!?"

    "Hi, Judy!" Sharla closed her eyes and playfully wiggled her fingers at her.

    "Who are these fine gentlemammals?" asked the other fox, wearing a bright red-and-white shirt that almost hurt Gideon's eyes to look at.

    "Nick, meet Sharla and Gideon!" Judy said brightly, indicating them with her paws. "Two of my friends I know from growing up in Bunnyburrow!"

    "Shucks, you don't have to lie, Judy," Gideon rubbed behind his head. "Sharla was the friend."

    "Okay then," Judy folded her arms, her smirk growing even more devious. "Gideon's the one that gave me these scars on my cheek." She pat her left cheek with her hand, feeling for the very faint imperfections.

    "He... what?" Nick made a bizarre expression that combined bafflement, surprise, and anger.

    "Judy, I must apologize again for my actions in my- my childhood," Gideon clasped his hands together. "I-"

    "Gideon!" Sharla interrupted, shoving him with her hip. "She's yankin' yer chain!"

    "Yeah, It's all water under the bridge," Judy nodded. "I'm good at teasing foxes."

    "Oh yeah..." Nick thrust his hands into his pockets, nodding in confirmation and sighing. Then, a smirk slowly played out on his face as he met Judy's gaze and the two winked at each other.

    "Okay so..." Judy turned back to Sharla, made an incredulous look and gestured with her hands wildly. "Tell me how on Earth you two got together. He bullied you too, right Sharla?"

    "Uh huh!" Sharla seemed to have completely disregarded this as well, though Gideon looked like he was squirming. "He found me one day and apologized, like he did to you! Then later he just kept apologizing more, each time he saw me! And well, eventually, I dunno. Somethin' about him just strikes me as real sweet and earnest, y'know? Least, how he is now."

    "Mm, I could see that," Judy stroked her chin and looked over Gideon, sizing him up. Gideon felt as though he wasn't wearing any clothes.

    "And I'm sure since you're here with a fox, y'know how silver them fox tongues can be," Sharla's voice was loud but she was making a conspiratorial gesture with her hands as if she was whispering.

    "Oh, no doubt about it," Judy nodded rapidly, tossing Nick a brief leer. "Foxes are very good at 'apologizing'."

    "Ain't it the truth!?" Sharla laughed loudly, followed by Judy. Nick shut his eyes rather proudly and tilted his head back and forth, adjusting his tie. Gideon's pupils shrank at the blatancy of the innuendo; he felt like his stomach was scrunched into a tight ball.

    "So!" Judy clapped her hands together once, then pointed both hands toward the bar. "You two should head to the bar. The bartender tonight is Donna, and she always gives free drinks to first-timers!"

    "But!" Nick held an arm up in caution. "Don't pretend you're an identical twin to try to get a second drink, even on another visit. That'll get you a pitcher of water dumped over you for your trouble."

    Judy stifled a laugh. "Stupid vulpine." To this, Nick nodded sagely, making Sharla laugh and even Gideon cracked a smile.

    "A beer sounds mighty nice right now," Sharla smiled. "Whatcha say, Gideon?"

    "Maybe just one," Gideon nodded. "I'd like to be in control of all of my faculties tonight." He winced a bit.

    Sharla nodded in understanding, giving him an earnest smile. "Yeah, we'll be careful. Maybe after you knock one back you'll feel like dancin' with me, huh?"

    Gideon smiled as Sharla led him by the hand over to the bar.

    "Well that's weird," Judy smirked, her voice plain.

    "Ah ah," Nick waggled his finger then poked Judy in the stomach. "You know the rule, no judging."

    "I mean, it is my childhood friend and childhood bully hooking up, Nick," Judy sighed, then gave a flippant laugh and gesture with her hand. "But, I guess people can change."

    Nick shrugged his shoulders and nodded. "I mean, I did."

    "Did you?" Judy tossed her head off to the side, her ears lolling. "Or, were you always a good fox that just needed an excuse to 'come out'?"

    "Please," Nick rolled his eyes. "It does no good to think you're a good person inside when you do bad. Isn't that just being a bad person with self-delusions?"

    "Huh," Judy considered this, then seemed to discard her thoughts. "Dunno!"

    "Anyway," Nick said. "I'm not going to stand here and shout philosophy over a crowd of mammals. While we're doing that, we could be dancing."

    "We could!" Judy agreed, performing a small hop.

    "March!" Nick pointed, and Judy skipped merrily over to the dance floor, followed by Nick, right as a song was ending.

    "Uh-oh!" The arctic hare DJ noticed them coming onto the dance floor and pointed both of her index fingers at them. "The cops have arrived! None of y'all better be performing any illegal dance moves!" A few mammals laughed and gave Nick and Judy friendly nudges. "Anyway, you know the drill. When the gray bunny hits the dance floor, she's gotta try dancin' to..." She put her hand to one of her ears, leaning forward.

    "Try everything!" The crowd responded. The responses had a variety of tones: weary, teasing, and some even seemed enthusiastic to hear the DJ put the song on again. Judy rolled her eyes, but smirked up at the DJ, who she'd become fast friends with; it seemed like she was destined to have friends who loved to tease her. Nick just warmly chuckled and prepared to dance to Judy's favorite song.

    Gideon and Sharla noticed the commotion as they were finishing up their beers. Sharla put her hand on Gideon's shoulder and nodded over to make him look more closely. Gideon chuckled softly as he saw Judy dancing. He didn't know if he'd call it good dancing, but she was exuberant. And her fox was right there with her, matching her pace, in a way he might charitably describe as "goofy", if pressed.

    "C'mon Gideon, let's go 'try everything' too, huh?" Sharla suggested, flashing a nice smile at Gideon. It seemed like she wouldn't force him, though. Gideon considered for a moment, downing his last swallow of beer and giving a satisfied exhale. He gave a tentative smile to Sharla.

    "Yeah, Sharla. Sounds like fun to me," Gideon led her by the hand and moved to the dance floor with the delighted sheep.

Chapter 126: Secret

    Benjamin Clawhauser gave a long, drawn-out yawn as he settled in to snug against the side of Chief Bogo; the two were at the latter's apartment, reclined on a couch. The cape buffalo was wearing his glasses, reading from a thick, hard-cover book. His eyes looked over to the relaxing rotund feline and he gave the barest smirk before continuing to read.

    "Hey, do you think Nick and Judy are together?" Clawhauser idly wondered.

    "I do not think so," Bogo said calmly, turning a page.

    "Really?" Clawhauser turned his head up to look at him, though the look wasn't returned. "Because I just think they're always so cute together- er, wait. Can I call them cute if one of them is a bunny? I didn't really read up on that and I don't think I'd want Judy to think I was-"

    "Benjamin," Bogo said his name firmly to silence him. "I don't think they are a couple, I know they are."

    "Really!?" Clawhausers eyes lit up and he gasped. "How?"

    "It's obvious," Bogo shook his head and snorted. "It was obvious to me from the very first day Wilde was on the force. Hopps looked just as excited as her own first day, before I hit her with parking duty. He's her compliment, and she completes him in turn."

    "What!? That is so romantic!" Clawhauser let out a merry giggle.

    "That's part of why I put them together as partners," Bogo said, turning a page again. His smooth, deep voice sounded almost bored. "I knew they both would work twice as hard if they were together. That, and Hopps' incessant pleas were beginning to annoy me."

    "Oh!" Clawhauser cooed, snuggling up to his arm tightly. "My big tough Beefalo is just a big softie under all that gruff."

    "And to this day I am still not quite sure how you haven't revealed that, or the fact that you and I are together, to anyone else on the force," Bogo turned his head to look at him, seeming a bit impressed. "You wear your emotions on your donut sprinkle-dusted sleeve. How do you keep it a secret?"

    "Only because I have to," Clawhauser chuckled. "I remember what you said, though. As neat as it would be for us to suddenly be the front page cover story of the Zootopia Times, it wouldn't be good for the precinct or either of us."

    "There's a kitten," Bogo nodded sagely, patting him on the head. "Very good." Clawhauser shut his eyes, pleased with himself, and let out a small burst of a purr.

    "So what are you going to do about Judy and Nick?" Clawhauser's spotted tail waved in interest. "Oh, they're just so good together. I want to see them smooch."

    "Nothing, if they keep their act together," Bogo said. "You know that I cannot expressly condone fraternization in the workplace. Nor can I forbid them without being an enormous hypocrite. If I separated them just because I, for instance, caught them kissing in the break room-"

    "Did you!?" Clawhauser interjected in awe.

    "Focus, Benjamin," Bogo continued. "If I did that, and then our relationship was ever made public, I would be shamed out of my position for sure. Certainly I'd earn the ire of nearly every pro-inter-species politician in Zootopia."

    "Plus, I wouldn't like if you split the two up," Clawhauser pouted. "They're way too fun to listen to." He giggled. "They already sound like they're a little bit married, honestly. Warts and all."

    "I'm keenly aware of that," Bogo rolled his eyes, scratching softly at Clawhauser's chubby cheeks, making him purr again.

    "So I just kinda have to watch them from afar, huh?" Clawhauser sounded a little bit pouty. "I do like to tease them."

    "I wouldn't ask you to change who you are, Benjamin, that would be wrong. And suspicious," Bogo rubbed his own mouth with his finger.

    "Hmhm, I love that you can keep so many secrets; you're so dark and mysterious," Clawhauser reached over with his index fingers and lifted Bogo's lips so it looked like he was smiling.

    "I'm not dark," Bogo protested, his voice sounding slightly off from the action. "And really, not that mysterious either. Just prudent."

    "Bleh, such a boring word," Clawhauser hung his tongue out briefly, releasing Bogo's face. "Oh, speaking of the opposite of boring, Gazelle's going to be playing at the Animalia Stadium in a few months!"

    "Ah, splendid! You and I should definitely both go," Bogo gave a genuine smile to one of his guiltiest pleasures, smooching Clawhauser on the nose.

    "But what if Judy and Nick go too, Beefy?" Clawhauser blinked, frowning. "Judy really likes Gazelle too, and if you're right about them being together, we might see each other there, and then the wheels would really start turning..."

    "Well then, if that were the case, kitten," Bogo narrowed his eyes and gave his most handsome smirk. "I suppose all four of us would have to keep it as our little secret."

Chapter 127: Waiting

    Nick looked uncharacteristically pleased as he and Judy arrived in the auditorium early, both in uniform. Judy's eyebrows furrowed as she looked up in disbelief at Nick.

    "You're certainly uh... bright today," Judy observed. "Just a fair few shades brighter than my smug fox normally is. Especially when being assigned to security duty for what... some sort of speech on energy?"

    "Goodness, my love, don't you know how adamant I am that we should protect the environment?" Nick flashed a bit smile, giving a little hop.

    "Oh, can it," Judy grinned. "Something's up with you and I'm going to figure it out."

    "You think so?" Nick smiled brightly. "Well, you have until... ...now!" Nick nodded toward the auditoriums doors, which opened and revealed a well-dressed red fox who took off his shades.

    "Nicky!" The fox proclaimed, rushing over to the two. "Son of a... they told me you might be here, but I didn't believe 'em!" The fox shook Nick's hand firmly, and Nick returned it with equal enthusiasm.

    "Good to see you, Mr. Sterling," Nick gave a more familiar, smug grin.

    "Oh, we're going with that, huh?" The fox replied in amusement, mirroring his look. Then, he noticed the puzzled-looking bunny near Nick. "Ah, there she is. Judy Hopps. The shining jewel of the ZPD!"

    "Oh, please don't," Judy sighed with a put-upon smile. "Just a bunny cop."

    "Just the bunny cop!" The fox clapped his hands for her.

    "And my girlfriend," Nick added matter-of-factually, his hands behind his back.

    "Okay, seriously kit, who are you, and what have you done with Nick Wilde?" The fox's voice was low and jokey. "Last time I saw you, you were literally trying to steal candy from babies."

    "Things change," Nick said in an airy, flippant voice.

    "Can you tell me why my idiot partner has been so excited to see you?" Judy tapped her foot impatiently. "I can't imagine why he'd be this excited about some fox who is giving a speech at an energy convention."

    "PFFF!" The fox doubled over and began to laugh. "This guy? No way!" He regained his composure. "I guess I should introduce myself. I'm Terry Sterling, CEO of Sterling Industries. We're taking the lead into miniaturizing energy solutions!"

    "Okay, that's still all gibberish to me," Judy shot a wary look at Nick, "at least as far as why Nick would be excited is concerned."

    "How long should I keep her on the hook, Nicky?" Terry grinned.

    "Long as you want, Mr. Sterling," Nick winked.

    "You know," Terry folded his arms, "I'm actually kind of insulted you've never mentioned me to your precious little bunny friend over there! What, were you not going to invite me to your wedding, either?"

    "We'll see," Nick grinned. "You're aware of how many bunnies are in a typical bunny family, right?"

    "Sure am," Terry had a huge smile, giving an obnoxious tilt of his muzzle to Judy. "They're part of the reason I have to help fix the impending energy crisis!" Judy's eyes half-lid; she was not amused.
    
    "Well, when Judy and I get married, we'll have to save the seats for only the most important guests," Nick wiggled his eyebrows. "So I'm not quite sure you'd make the cut."

    "Oh my God Nicky, you're too much!" Terry barked out a huge laugh, tossing his head back.

    Judy shook her head over the cloud that was forming around her mind. She was shocked and kind of impressed that Nick had already determined to marry her, but she was also eager to put whatever charade the two foxes were conducting to rest.

    "Okay, I got it. I got it," Judy grumbled in aggravation. "You two are related. There's no way you aren't."

    "Bingo!" Terry clapped. "I have to tell you, they make you cops smarter and smarter every year."

    "Brother?" Judy asked with a forced blithe tone.

    "Oh, thanks for the compliment," Terry chuckled. "No, I'm older than that. I'm his uncle. His mom's brother."

    "Practically a stranger," Nick insisted.

    "Basically, until you turned your life around, you scamp!" Terry poked him in the ribs with his elbow firmly. "I've been wanting to see you since you became one of the boys in blue! My God, your mom must have been a wreck at your graduation. To see her little scam artist back-alley fox become an upstanding member of society..."

    "Okay, you don't have to rub it in," Nick chuckled. "But I do admit I'm proud of myself, and to get to see you give such an important talk."

    "Try not to fall asleep; I know it'll bore you," Terry rolled his eyes.

    "What exactly is it you're doing?" Judy was suddenly curious.

    "We're miniaturizing energy solutions," Terry gestured with both hands emphatically, bringing them together to indicate shrinking. "Pretty soon, you might be able to wear a modest, not-entirely-dangerous reactor on your clothes, or your arm, giving you energy whenever you needed it. In five years, we might be able to apply this to cities and reduce the strain of energy we're putting on fossil fuels. In ten, why, you might have a gauntlet on your arm that can shoot energy blasts capable of subduing any sized criminal!" Terry pumped his arm enthusiastically. Nick smiled proudly. Judy wasn't convinced.

    "Uhh... that sounds a bit like science fiction," Judy had to admit.

    "Why, my dear gray bunny, everything cool comes from science fiction," Terry explained with a pitying smile. He pulled out his tablet computer. "This thing here? It was inspired by a similar device that was on the show Star Trunk: The Next Generation. No one when the show was first aired thirty years ago thought we'd ever be carrying around computers, but look at what we're doing today!"

    "Huh," Judy considered. "That's actually kind of exciting! But you're telling me I have to wait another decade to zap bad guys with a glove blaster or something?" Judy struck an energetic pose with one hand on her other wrist and her palm out.

    "You'll be waiting at least a decade, if not more, if we can't make the materials affordable enough," Terry gave an apologetic smile. "But, if you see it happen in your lifetime, won't it be worth it?"

    "Yeah, I'd be into that," Judy smiled. "So we're getting like a little sneak preview on the future?"

    "Now you got it!" Terry briefly pointed at her, as if he was touching her on the shoulder from far away.

    "You're a wizard, Terry," Nick grinned. "I never thought you could get THIS bunny to be interested in technology."

    "Hey!" Judy shot back.

    "Well, of course I'm going to frame my speech like we're right on the verge of a breakthrough," Terry's smile faltered only a little, "but, in truth, there will be some waiting, worrying and wondering to see if everything falls into place like we hope it will. If not..." Terry pursed his lips and nodded. "More waiting."

    "I'll wait," Nick nodded. "Long as it takes. It took more than three decades to get my life where I wanted it to be, after all."

    "Ah Nicky," Terry put his hands on Nick's shoulders. "I'm glad you're something respectable now like a police officer, too."

    "Well, there's that," Nick gently sloughed Terry's paws off of him, then got behind Judy and placed his hands on her shoulders, making her ears perk up. "And there's this."

    "Aw, Nick, c'mon," Judy said with uncharacteristic timidness, her ears drooping. "When Judy's on duty she can't be a cutie." Terry's jaw dropped slightly.

    "Oh, you lucky dog," Terry folded his arms. "She's that good, huh? 'The one'?"

    "Number one," Nick nodded.

    "Don't you think the bunny that saved Zootopia is a bit out of your league, buster?" Terry laughed. Judy rolled her eyes; she almost didn't like it when she was placed on a pedestal because of her heroism. Almost.

    "Yeah, somewhere in space, probably," Nick agreed. "But I got lucky."

    "Hey, are you calling me spacey?" Judy narrowed one eye.

    "Uh, my guys are flagging me down, Nicky, I gotta run," Terry nodded. "Anyway, proud of you, boy. Jealous of you, too!"

    "You'll find yours, uncle Terry," Nick grinned.

    "Well, given I spend most of my days hunched over a computer; unless I fell in love with a sapient AI, I don't think it's going to happen," Terry gave a snarky laugh.

    "That'd make an interesting story!" Nick retorted as Terry started to retreat to the stage of the auditorium. "No, I'm sure you'll find some sort of geeky science nerd girl that'll spin all your dials."

    "Only if she's smokin' hot!" Terry winked and was gone.

    "Are all of your family members as crazy as him?" Judy had a fond smile.

    "You know you love him," Nick chuckled.

    "Yeah, he's okay," Judy shrugged noncommittally.

Chapter 128: Fortune

    In a sparkling white evening gown, Judy made her way past rows of slot machines, roulette wheels, and card tables to find the lounge. She had never found herself in any of the Sahara Square's casinos before, but she was finding the noise wasn't as deafening as she had feared. Perhaps it was because the casino was rabbit-themed and went by "The Lucky Rabbit"; the ambient noise wasn't too bad. She made her way to the lounge and gave a small huff at a debonair-looking white rabbit dressed in a classic black suit. He had prominent black stripes on his ear and face, and crystalline blue eyes. Judy had already made his acquaintance.

    His name was Jack Savage; he was a member of the Zootopia Bureau of Investigation.

    "Ah, Miss Hopps, good of you to come," Jack greeted. Judy nodded politely, though she was already not looking forward to this. Jack's voice was pleasant, almost refined, but it carried a sort of condescending tone, almost a disdain. Judy sat down across the table from him.

    "Good evening, Mister Savage," Judy said. "Just so we're clear, this is not a date."

    "Of course not," Jack grinned, motioning over a waitress. Judy saw a young-looking tri-color rabbit in a black bustier and netted leggings approach. "The usual wine for me, Sierra, and for the lovely bunny..."

    Judy gave a terse huff. "Just a soda water with lime, please."

    "Coming up," Sierra nodded and was off.

    "Yeesh, those outfits are so-" Judy started, but Jack held up a finger to cut her off.

    "Now now, I know that bunny," Jack said. "She has quite a story to tell, just as we all do."

    "Uh huh, and I'm sure you charmed it right out of her," Judy narrowed her eyes.

    "My, you think me so crass," Jack grinned, and Sierra brought back their drinks. After she left, Jack started again. "As I said, I know her. When I introduce my companion, if I call them 'lovely', Sierra is to leave me alone for the remainder of my evening."

    "Okay, so can you explain to me why you wanted me here in the first place?" Judy said, squeezing her lime into her water. Jack swirled his white wine in his glass and had a sip. "As it is, I can't believe I couldn't talk Nick into not being okay with me going out to meet you like this."

    "He trusts you; that's good, essential even, for partners," Jack said, suddenly serious, but then he lightened up again. "Part of the reason I asked you here is I want your ears alone for the matters we'll discuss. There are enemy ears everywhere, but there's nothing suspicious about two attractive bunnies out for a good time together." Jack offered his glass in a bit of a toast, but Judy wasn't playing along.

    "Don't push your luck, Mister Savage," Judy warned.

    "Hm, feisty," Jack laughed. "And no, I wouldn't dare. Luck and I have a very amicable relationship at the moment and I wouldn't want to jeopardize it."

    "So, I'm guessing this is about the mayor," Judy said. "Vince Mousawitz."

    "Of course," Jack nodded. "The ZBI needs the ZPD's help, as it's election season and he'll need extra protection at all of his events."

    "Right, and of course I'll do whatever is necessary to protect him," Judy nodded, having a sip of her water.

    "I need you on the case more than anything," Jack said, again suddenly serious.

    "Working with you, I imagine?" Judy looked skeptical. Jack shook his head.

    "No, you just need to be on the scene," Jack said, giving a small sigh. "I've spoken to Bogo, but I just need your cooperation."

    "What are you planning?" Judy was suspicious and looked it.

    "Nothing in particular, it's just..." Jack looked off to the side. "My beliefs. A feeling I have. Let's take a step back for a moment. What about you and I makes us special?"

    "Uh... that we're both doing our best to uphold the law, as bunnies?" Judy blinked, running a hand through her ears. "Our drive? Tenacity? Gumption?"

    "Drive, tenacity, gumption?" Jack shook his head. "Ha, all wrong. Any mammal can have those. And any mammal can have more of all of that than the both of us combined. We're not the swiftest animals, though close; a cheetah on a bad day would still catch either of us. We're certainly not the biggest or strongest. But we are... the luckiest."

    "Luck?" Judy made a face. "Luck is not something you can count on."

    "Isn't it?" Jack took a sip of his wine and kicked back in his chair, making a grand, sweeping gesture of the area they were in. "There's a reason I've made this place like my second home. Rabbits. Fortune. One of the Lapine Goddesses is Serendipity. She is my Goddess. The Goddess of all Lapine whims."

    "I'm sorry?" Judy looked a bit confused. "I didn't exactly take you for the religious type."

    "I'm not, really, and I definitely wasn't before," Jack gave a soft chuckle and looked into his drink as if it held his next words. "Let me tell you my story. I was a bunny much like I imagine you were growing up. Different, driven for something we bunnies weren't known for. When I made the ZBI, I was elated, but I was also serious. I had something to prove, as a bunny. I had to prove I could do it. I became something like a walking stereotype of all those agents you see in the action movies. My inflexible nature and sticking to the rules doggedly earned me many enemies, not the least of which in my own department. My superiors were getting sick of me. It was time to finish me off."

    "Obviously that didn't happen," Judy smirked.

    "We'll get there, we'll get there," Jack mirrored her smirk. "As it is classified information, I'll omit the details of the mission. But it was a big one, a challenging one. I knew I was meant to fail, and I wanted to prove them wrong. Worse yet, they had deployed one of my fellow agents, an arctic fox, alongside me, as a sort of game. They wanted to see which of us would complete the mission, or die trying."

    Judy gave a bit of a gasp. "They wanted you gone that badly? Or the fox?"

    "All of the smart money was on her," Jack continued. "Skye... heh." The white rabbit looked wistfully up at the ceiling. "She's the fire to my ice."

    "A bit ironic, given she's an arctic fox," Judy quipped.

    "Believe me, that's not lost on me," Jack chuckled. "We got in each others way. Infuriated each other. She seemed so frivolous. She treated the mission like the game it was supposed to be. I thought she made a mockery of the ZBI. But..." Jack looked a bit pensive, as if he didn't want to continue.

    Judy gave him a marveled look. "You fell in love, didn't you?"

    "Too right, love, too right," Jack nodded, giving a small smile. "And just as ice cannot keep its form against fire, I was forced to change. We completed that mission, and every one of them hence, together, and with each other. And she... she helped me. Skye showed me the world as it is. I saw it as an opponent, something to be defied, something I had to prove myself to. She showed me that this world... well, it's full of lovely people working for lovely goals. Some people that aren't even aware that mammals like you or I have to protect them, and that is the way it should remain. She showed me... what it was to be thankful for the world, and the Skye upon it."

    Judy smiled, but sucked her teeth. "How cheesy."

    "Call it what you will," Jack grinned. "But! Had even a detail been different in that one mission, she or I would be dead. And if I was the one still alive, I certainly wouldn't be the charming rabbit you see before you." He wiggled his eyebrows.

    "Spare me," Judy laughed. "Just because things happened as they did in that one instance, you praise Serendipity?"

    "No, I praise her because... well, that I'm still here right now," Jack said, looking contemplative. "So many dangerous missions I've been on with Skye. We've been outclassed many times. But somehow, something always goes right, or goes wrong for our foes. I can count on it; almost feel when it's about to happen." Jack shut his eyes intensely. "I feel something like a greater paw at work in all of this. Haven't you ever felt that way?"

    "Uh, not specifically?" Judy shrugged her shoulders. "I've just always given it my best."

    "But understand this!" Jack pounded the table with one fist, making Judy jump. "Our best is not enough! It never will be. The likes of the worst mammals in Zootopia alone could will us dead in an instant! That's why... there has to be something... there has to be. Way too many coincidences have kept me, and this city, safe. And it's due to bunnies like us. There's a reason Serendipity is a Lapine Goddess. Else she'd be something else, am I right?"

    "Well," Judy twisted her mouth, looking a bit discouraged. "I don't like the sound of that. It sounds like all I've worked for is just part of some cosmic scheme."

    "I don't believe that," Jack shook his head. "I believe instead that Serendipity is looking out for we bunnies. Fortune will always guide our best efforts, and as long as there are more bunnies working on the side of good than evil, righteousness will prevail." Jack looked over Judy, grinning. "I've read your dossier; it's quite a page-turner. You were valedictorian of your class, yes?"

    "That's right!" Judy said with a determined look. "I became a police officer through my hard work and-"

    "Hold on a second now," Jack gave a grin, holding a finger up to interrupt her. "You became a police officer because of the Mammal Inclusion Initiative, and to become a feather in Mayor Lionheart's cap."

    "Ha," Judy glared at him. "It's not like that worked out for him, though."

    "It didn't," Jack nodded. "Because luck was on your side, not his. But the MII is boring; mere busy work. Let's get to the good part, when the case broke wide open."

    "When I figured out the Night Howlers were flowers?" Judy cocked her head, putting a curled finger on her lip.

    "No, no!" Jack shook both of his hands vigorously. "The linchpin to all of this! Your fox!"

    "Nick...?" Judy pondered over him for a moment, and remembered the first time she met him. She gave a terse gasp.

    "Yes! Do you see now?" Jack clenched both of his fists and his face became bright with passion. "Do you see!? What delicious irony that your profiling of a fox was what ultimately led to a predator-hating sheep's downfall! The sheer whimsy and chance involved! Brilliant!" Jack shook both of his fists.

    "Um, to be fair, Nick was up to something that day..." Judy offered weakly.

    "Besides the point," Jack slashed his hands dismissively. "If one detail, one moment was wrong in that whole ordeal, Zootopia would not be the place it is today. Reading that case was like a blessing to me; it only reaffirmed my beliefs. Zootopia needs bunnies like us... bunnies blessed by Serendipity."

    "I've never once spared the Goddesses a thought," Judy shrugged. "Do you think I'm angering her?"

    "I can be grateful to her for you," Jack said, clasping his hands together and then bringing them out slowly, his fingers curled. "But her grand tapestry of whim, chance, and fortune. Can you at least see part of it now? Whenever I'm on a mission, I'm terrified that my opponent will be a bunny. It never has been so far, but at that moment, I'll have to play my hand versus another.

    "You're only scared of other bunnies?" Judy gave a polite smile. "With all due respect, I think you're crazy."

    "I've had that thought before," Jack chuckled. "But I will be crazy if I must to protect this city; this world. That brings me back to Mousawitz. Do you have any idea how someone as small as him has stayed in office?"

    "Well, he is very charismatic," Judy smiled. "And his voice is so deep and powerful! I'm not sure how he does it, as a mouse, to be honest."

    "Right, but he is safe because of the combined efforts of all of us looking out for him," Jack counted on his fingers. "His personal security, the ZBI, the ZPD... he has his enemies. And as much as I'd like to say my reasons for wanting to protect him were entirely noble... both you and I stand to gain from his safety."

    "How so?" Judy narrowed her eyes.

    "Have you ever entertained the thought of marriage to your fox?" Jack posed this question suddenly. Judy felt opened up, as if the query was a slash from a sword. Jack grinned. "So, yes?"

    "I... have..." Judy said carefully.

    "And the agency of that, the timing... you'd like that to be your own, I assume," Jack continued. Judy nodded. "Because there are those that would see Mayor Mousawitz removed, by force if necessary. And instead, it would be Pearline Swinton. I suppose you know how much that swine is against inter-species marriage."

    "Yes..." Judy nodded. "But could she really make that illegal...?"

    "With the right balance of power, yes," Jack said seriously, finishing his drink at last, slamming the glass down. "That's why I just need to know you and I are on the same page."

    "I'll be at every event of Mousawitz's that I can make," Judy nodded.

    "Splendid!" Jack clapped twice. "Then I think we're done here. Zootopia can thank its lucky stars for us."

    Judy motioned her head towards the rest of the casino. "Since you feel Serendipity has blessed you so, have you ever tried your fortune out on these machines?"

    "Oh no, I wouldn't dare test her like that," Jack closed his eyes and held up a hand halfway. "I've already hit the 'Jack'pot, as it were." Jack grinned even larger. "And you know what they say, when it comes to betting, the 'Skye' is the limit."

    "Oh sweet heavens," Judy squinted her eyes shut as if she was dealt pain from those jokes. "You're as bad as Nick. I should shut you both in a room and see which of you can charm the lock off the door first."

    Jack gave a pleasant laugh. "That sounds like an interesting challenge, love!" Sierra made her way over to the table and handed him a receipt.

    "Your check, sir," Sierra said quickly, moving back away.

    "I thought you said that she wouldn't-" Judy started, but stopped herself when she saw Jack's serious expression.

    "Ah, got to run, love," Jack started scrambling to his feet.

    "And leaving me with the check?" Judy smirked. "What a gentle-mammal."

    "Amusing," Jack rolled his eyes, bringing out a small amount of bills. "Here, tip what you like. I'll be seeing you, Miss Hopps." Jack adjusted his coat and swiftly left.

    Curious, Judy looked at the receipt. At the bottom was written: "THE SKY IS CALLING."

    "Oh, of course," Judy smiled, looking at the money and blinking in shock at how much he had left. She decided to leave it all for Sierra's tip; after all, it seemed like she was doing her part, too. Judy waved at the other bunny as she headed off, and was rewarded with a large smile.

    Perhaps Serendipity would repay her kindness. Or was that Karma?

    Nick had told Judy that Karma was a fickle Goddess. She was a female canine, after all.

Chapter 129: Fortune II

    A loud gunshot sounded out through a warehouse.

    "Agh!" Jack Savage groaned as his shot was poorly aimed by a black rabbit foot catching him in the wrist and pushing it away. After delivering the roundhouse kick, the black rabbit it belonged to advanced swiftly and pummeled Jack with a series of precise strikes. Jack countered with a kick that was deflected by a matching kick from the opposite leg of his assailant, and when Jack tried to aim his gun again, a reverse chop of the dark-furred bunny's hand dislodged the gun from Jack's hand and sent it spinning across the floor.

    "Rgh!" Jack expelled as the black rabbit struck with his palm, catching Jack on the chin and pushing his head upwards, staggering him. With Jack opened up this way, the rabbit leaped forward and performed a twisting drop kick that landed on the striped white rabbit's chest and stomach.

    "Ugh!" Jack went flying backwards and onto the floor of the warehouse, where he rolled across the floor before coming to a stop. Pain flooded his body, and he groaned. "Nngh..."

    "You are unskilled, Jack," the smartly-dressed, brown-eyed black rabbit with a slightly eastern accented voice said. He advanced upon the fallen blue-eyed rabbit. "Is this really the best a Zootopia-born rabbit has to offer? Pathetic." The rabbit stepped on Jack's chest roughly, making him yelp. "Vince Mousawitz will die by my hand. Know this: Kuro, the black rabbit of Inaba, has claimed your life and his, due to your failure."

    "Ngh..." Jack reached for his gun, which was laying on the floor, just out of his reach. Kuro kicked the gun out of the way, and it skittered across the floor.

    "Ah ah, tsk tsk tsk," Kuro said, waving his finger with one hand and drawing his own gun with the other from his coat. "I thought metal guns were illegal in Zootopia."

    Jack coughed. "For the common citizen, yes, but only because they don't work the same on every mammal, and there are some they work a bit... too well on."

    Kuro laughed scornfully, pointing his gun at Jack. "What a backwards notion. Zootopia tries to retain some sense of civility with their laws against bullet-firing guns. In my country, there is only what is practical, and nothing else. One bullet from my gun will be more than enough to kill you. However, I will shoot you three times, just to be sure." He chuckled. "But one bullet will be much more than enough for Mousawitz. My employer will be quite delighted to see him slain on live television. Think of the nightmares it will give the children." Kuro shook his head in mock pity.

    "Who are you working for?" Jack grit his teeth, trying to get up. "Who wants Mousawitz dead so badly?"

    "Silence," Kuro snapped, slapping him across the face with the back of his handgun. Jack's head hit the floor, and he moaned. "That information will do you no good in oblivion. Now. Before you go, would you like to beg me for your life? Or excuse yourself for your pathetic fighting ability?"

    "No," Jack shook his head. "I... knew it would turn out this way."

    "It was no big leap of logic," Kuro sneered. "You are a poor fighter. Your fellow agents are gullible and easily tricked. It's a great wonder that Zootopia hasn't already crumpled under attack."

    "It's a conflict of interest," Jack said quietly. "Serendipity couldn't save us both."

    "Serendipity?" Kuro seemed surprised. "The concept, or...?"

    "After you pull the trigger, I will ask her, if she will permit me, to tell me why she chose you over me," Jack muttered.

    "The Lapine Goddess Serendipity!?" Kuro's jaw dropped. "Are you joking? You really are a backwards people if you still believe in the goddesses! What, are you from the stone age?" He laughed loudly and derisively. "Well Jack, where is your goddess now in your hour of need? Perhaps she is playing in a pachinko parlor at the moment, mm? Do you even have those machines in this country?"

    "Blasphemer!" Jack spat back, managing a burst of anger.

    Kuro's laugh became gentle, even pitying. "Oh, what an idiot you are. Serendipity! Hear me! Smite me if you are able! Save your groveling follower!" He held out his arms, giving Jack a snide look. There was an uncomfortable moment where nothing happened. "Oh, is she a nice goddess, then? Does she not do the whole 'smiting' thing?" Kuro laughed again, a snicker that burst into a full laugh.

    "She would do nothing so overt," Jack muttered.

    "Fool, there is no Serendipity!" Kuro became angry, clenching his free fist and then slicing his hand through the air. "And even if there was, she would be a goddess for talent-less idiots like yourself to follow! There is no agency or honor in praying for luck! There is but skill to shape this world. I have it, and you do not. Maybe you should have asked your 'goddess' if she would have been kind enough to have you stumble upon some fighting techniques that you sorely needed. But, it's too late for that, Jack. Your luck has run out." Kuro drew back the hammer on his gun. Jack sneered, making one last attempt to get up, but it failed, and Kuro strengthened the pressure his own foot was placing on Jack's chest.

    Jack sighed and closed his eyes.

    "If you happen to see Serendipity and she will admit a disgrace such as yourself into her presence..." Kuro gave a snide grin. "Thank her for me."

    Three deafening gunshots reverberated through the mostly empty warehouse.

    Kuro lifelessly fell to the ground, and Jack gave a huge, deflating sigh. He turned his head and saw an arctic fox holding his own gun. The arctic fox had a stony, grim face on, but after a few moments she lightened up and formed a half-smile.

    "If I'm honest, he was kind of asking for it, wasn't he?" She asked in her slightly refined-sounding voice.

    "Skye!" Jack breathed out in amazement. "You don't know how glad I am to see you, love."

    "I'd like to think I could guess," Skye said, putting the gun's safety on and helping Jack up. "Are you hurt much, darling?"

    "Maybe some bruises, a broken rib at worst," Jack groaned, getting up laboriously with Skye's help. He glanced at Kuro's body, adjusting his own coat. "I suppose those big bunny ears of his couldn't hear you come in over his monologing."

    "How fortunate for us, then," Skye gave him a knowing smile.

    "My goddess has saved me yet again," Jack closed his eyes and gave an exhausted smile.

    "Just 'Skye' will do nicely enough, Jack," Skye gently kissed his temple. Jack gave a warm, tired laugh.

    "How did you know to find me here?" Jack wondered. "We're a good distance from the venue where Mayor Mousawitz is to speak."

    "Well, you'll hardly believe it, but Nick and Judy were the first mammals to meet me when I got to the venue," Skye explained, looking somewhat impressed. "Judy had said she'd heard some unusual, loud noises coming from around the back, and Nick smelled an unfamiliar smell coming from this direction. I figured it must be gunpowder."

    "I do believe..." Jack said slowly and reverently. "And yes, he shot Bart and James and rolled them off the pier..."

    "Shame..." Skye frowned.

    "Are Nick and Judy here?" Jack wondered.

    "Afraid not," Skye began to smile again. "Judy said that a certain bunny had told her she had to remain present at Mousawitz's events." Jack's eyes rolled back to the ceiling and he looked up.

    "Serendipity, thank you for being with us," Jack said softly. "Thank you for directing the steps of my lovely vixen to my aid... I continue to never doubt your paw in the affairs of the lapine, and I praise you that you have remembered me."

    Skye smiled happily. "You're so very cute when you're pious, darling."

    "My dear Skye," Jack managed a dashing smile. "I am always cute."

    "I suppose that is true," Skye chuckled. "Now let's see if we can meet up with our ZPD counterparts. Kuro Inaba is the only assassin intel suggests is here today, but you never know. It's best not to leave things entirely to chance."

    "No, you're right..." Jack nodded. "I can't be complacent and expect Serendipity to save me every time. If I became stronger, it only increases the amount of ways that probability can bend. Do you think you could teach me some of your more technical fighting moves?"

    "If I can adapt them to someone so small," Skye teased, starting to leave with him.

    "You've adapted well enough to having a small mate!" Jack shot back.

    "So I have," Skye laughed as the two exited the warehouse. "You know, I've never seen a depiction of Serendipity before. Is she meant to be attractive?"

    "Um, I suppose so?" Jack replied. "The ah... 'attractive' Lapine Goddess is usually... ah... Fertility." His ears felt a bit warm.

    "Oh my," Skye giggled into her free paw, offering Jack his gun back. "I bet she's fun at parties."

    "Aheh..." Jack laughed nervously as he set his gun back into its holster, wondering if the celestials did indeed partake of such things.

Chapter 130: Uncontrolled

    It felt like being caught in an murky, unyielding machine. There was a sense of being trapped, and a complete lack of understanding.

    Fleeting hints at sense, disconnected to the rational mind. Confusing, overwhelming bursts without meaning. Then long periods of silence. Moments recorded and discarded. But then one day, they stopped. Clarity began to return. One day, he could finally make out voices, though they seemed fuzzy and indistinct. Eventually, though, his senses started to return to him gradually and completely. He blinked and opened his eyes slowly, squinting and looking down at himself.

    "Is it going to be all right to visit him?" a familiarly even, firm, though muffled voice said from behind the door.

    "The antidote has proven to be effective in all cases," said another, completely unfamiliar female voice. "In fact, it looks like he's waking up right now. You can visit him if you'd like, Mr. Rain."

    Andrew looked down at himself; his mind still hazy and failing to fully process everything, as if he had woken up from a very long sleep. His comprehension at what had occurred was especially low. He was in a hospital gown which covered his polar bear form. Andrew tried in vain to remember what had placed him in the hospital, but his memory had a huge void in it. The door to his hospital room opened and a caribou slowly entered.

    "Cody!" Andrew yelped out. The caribou slowly made his way across the room, leaning on a cane. His steps were halting and awkward; the movements of his right leg very stiff. Cody's expression was, as usual, completely unreadable. A shot of panic burst into Andrew's gut; his breath catching on the intake. "Cody, what happened?"

    Cody did not respond immediately. He sighed and carefully eased himself into a chair by the polar bear's bed. Andrew looked at him worriedly and waited for him to finally speak. Cody rubbed his forehead. "What do you remember, Andrew?"

    Andrew thought, and then thought some more. He squinted as he willed his memory to work, but it failed. He was trying to remember any sort of event, but everything was an indistinct smear in his mind. "I don't remember anything from the last... I don't know how long. The last thing I remember is being at the gym. You stopped by to see me, and then... I feel like I had some sort of attack? It all gets blurry after that."

    Cody nodded, looking away. He scratched at his white, fluffy neck and sighed. "I guess that's the best way this could have played out."

    "What are you talking about, Cody?" Andrew felt a chill and subconsciously brought his covers on his bed up higher. He felt his pulse pick up at looking at the cane, which he knew Cody didn't use. "What happened to you?"

    "...I was attacked, Andrew," Cody said flatly. "By a savage animal."

    Andrew gasped, and then a look of mortification and terror flashed over the polar bear's muzzle. "No... me...?"

    Cody said nothing, not meeting his eyes, staring beyond him. He nodded a single time, almost imperceptibly.

    "No, God no..." Andrew began to sob, bringing his large bear paws over his eyes. He looked up at the ceiling as he cried. He balled his fists and placed them together, weeping. "Fortitude, give me strength..." He sniveled some more, and flinched at Cody drawing closer and placing his hand on his arm, rubbing it gently.

    "Everything's done now, Andy, it's okay," Cody said softly.

    "I promised I would never hurt you, Cody..." Andrew said morosely through his sobs, his muzzle rippling and his teeth bared as he tried to get control of himself. "And look what I did... I mauled you?"

    "It wasn't you, Andy, you didn't hurt me," Cody insisted firmly, squeezing Andrew's arm.

    "Hh- how can you say that?" Andrew looked down at his paws. "Wuh-was your blood on my paws? Did they wheel you away? Did I hurt anyone else before they stopped me?"

    "Andrew, calm yourself," Cody sighed.

    "How can you be so calm?" Andrew sneered as he was gripped in more sobs. "I maimed you!"

    "I can still walk, Andy," Cody said gently. "I have a desk job. I'm fine."

    "I don't know why you even came to see me..." Andrew's black lip wobbled. "You're the one who said we should have followed that bunny officer's advice. We should have stayed clear of each other until this whole crisis blew over. But no. I had to keep seeing you. Because I'm so needy and selfish. And for what? I went savage and hurt the person I care most about..." Andrew almost choked as his throat tightened. He cringed and more tears squeezed out.

    "It's been three months, Andy," Cody said evenly. "I've had a lot of time to think about what I needed to say to you, and who I needed to blame. But we can't blame the bunny for this. You can't blame yourself, either."

    "Who gets the blame, then?" Andrew grumbled, sitting up in his bed. Cody looked at him unflinchingly. "Who pays for hurting you?"

    "That demon sheep, Bellwether," Cody looked up at him and sneered.

    "The assistant mayor?" Andrew tilted his head.

    "She was behind it," Cody said, gritting his teeth. "She's the one that made you raise your paw against me. It was a serum that caused the effects, Andy. Not a virus, not some biological reason."

    Andrew sat there, processing this. He couldn't think of anything to say.

    "Believe me, I've been through all the stages of grief over this," Cody looked up at him. "I will admit: there was a time I blamed you. There was a time I blamed Officer Hopps. I don't know how long it will take me to get the memory of you going savage out of my head. Perhaps it won't. There might be some... complications from this, emotionally." Andy's head slowly turned away in shame, and it seemed like he would cry again. "But here I am, Andy. They're going to do some tests on you and likely release you later today, if the other cured predators are anything to go by."

    "Really?" Andrew sighed.

    "Mm," Cody nodded. "You can go home. With me."

    "Is that where I deserve to go, Cody?" Andrew looked blank, his paws together in his lap. Cody struggled to his hooves, leaning hard on his cane. He pat Andrew on the shoulder.

    "You think I'd abandon you now, when you need me?" Cody asked lowly. "You think I'd betray your trust because of something you couldn't control? I'd be no better than that demon. I knew you'd be upset about this. We'll get through it."

    "Cody..." Andrew hesitated, but slowly moved to hug Cody, moving toward the caribou with halting motions. Cody closed the rest of the distance and carefully hugged him with one arm, the other still supporting himself on his cane. The somewhat awkward hug ended and the polar bear let out a huge sigh.

    "You're still just a big teddy bear, Andy," Cody finally betrayed a hint of a smile, giving him a gentle flick on the shoulder.

    "Guilty," Andy chuckled bashfully.

    The door to the hospital room opened. Andy looked and Cody turned his head; they expected to see a nurse, but it was a small gray bunny in a police uniform.

    "Ah, Officer Hopps, I presume," Cody said, turning around to look at her, balancing with both hands on the cane. If he was honest with himself, he thought the cane actually made him look more dignified.

    "Hi...!" the bunny greeted with a small wince, but then straightened up. She nodded. "Officer Judy Hopps, ZPD. Is this a bad time?"

    "It could be better," Cody noted honestly. "What can we do for you?" Judy drew a bit closer meekly.

    "Just got to the Tundratown hospital," Judy said. "I had heard more predators here were being given the antidote. How are you feeling, Mr. Arctic?"

    "Physically, I feel fine," Andrew smiled sadly.

    "Yeah..." Judy looked away for a second before returning her gaze to the bear. "I'd like to apologize sincerely for any... unpleasantness you may have experienced from the press conference about the savage incident. Especially what I said."

    "Just saying 'sorry' doesn't fix everything, Officer Hopps," Cody said in a low voice. Judy flinched away from him but turned to him and firmly nodded.

    "I understand that," Judy said resolutely. "I'm not asking for your forgiveness; just telling you I was wrong."

    "You also caged that demon, didn't you?" Cody narrowed his eyes.

    "Bellwether? With some help from a fox," Judy smiled bashfully, but nodded once.

    "Then without your help I don't know what would have become of my bear," Cody said, his voice still firm and nearly unreadable. "So, thank you for that." Andrew smiled.

    "I'll let you two go, I think a nurse is on her way," Judy waved. She headed toward the door, but looked back. "You two sure you're okay?"

    Cody looked at Andrew, barely smiling. Andrew's smile was large, and a strange mixture of both happy and worried. "Yeah, we're okay."

Chapter 131: Uncontrolled II

    Entering an empty high school classroom he had permission to be in, a brown bear named Justin Brown flicked the lights on, regarding the room. He took some chairs and carefully arranged them in a loose circle. He considered his handiwork, and adjusted a few of the chairs. Justin hoped that those he invited would show up, though he was fully prepared for this little event to be a no-show. He looked at his phone. Still fifteen minutes until it was supposed to start. He took a seat and waited. Still early evening, maybe they were finishing off their dinner.

    Five minutes later, a young looking female snow leopard entered the room. Justin gave her a sad smile. She couldn't have been over twenty.

    "Am I- am I at the right place?" she asked. "I'm the first one here?"

    "Yes, and yes," Justin nodded. "Have a seat wherever you'd like. Wherever's most comfortable." She sat on the far end of the circle from the bear. Her body language was guarded, her petting of her arm told him that, somewhat shifty eyes. This wasn't going to be easy.

    "Never done anything like this before, so-" the snow leopard admitted. Justin nodded quietly in understanding.

    The minutes whittled down, and to Justin's relief, more animals began to show up. First an otter, then a polar bear. Following that, just before the appointed time, a melanistic jaguar entered, sitting down next to the otter. A tiger followed him in seconds later, sitting down solidly with an unreadable expression.

    Justin regarded the various expressions in the room. Blank, worried, pensive. He sighed and swallowed. He looked at the watch.

    "Let's give everyone a few minutes to get settled and see if anyone else shows up," Justin said.

    "You gonna be leading this thing?" the tiger asked.

    "If no one minds," Justin nodded. "As luck would have it, I'm a licensed therapist." A few looks slightly softened at that, causing Justin to smile gently. The brown bear waited five more minutes before standing up and clearing his throat.

    "My name is Justin Brown," he said, standing up. "I'm a psychologist specializing in family therapy. Now, none of us may be related in any way tonight, but we-"

    Justin interrupted himself when he saw a young timber wolf enter the room, guiltily rushing over to a seat.

    "Sorry, sorry I'm late, sorry..." the timber wolf said, sitting between the snow leopard and the polar bear.

    How interesting of the arctic animals to sit with one another, Justin thought briefly. An unconscious decision, perhaps? But Celestials above, he looked even younger than the snow leopard.

    "I'll start again," Justin said warmly. "I'm Justin Brown, psychologist. And all of us in this room have at least one thing in common: we were targets of the Night Howler incident." There was some mumbling, nodding, and looking away from the speaker. "I thought it might be therapeutic for us to share our experiences; help each other through these times."

    The tiger nodded. "I guess it might."

    "Now, from what I've heard from the doctors," Justin went on, "none of us were conscious during this ordeal. However, that's not to say it hasn't affected us. I know it has; I can see it in your faces. All of us have various problems and fallout from this, but before we share anything, I'd like to state something. We were not in control of our actions. Anything we have done is not our fault."

    That got several pained looks. Justin sighed. He knew it would be hard to disassociate the actions of their bodies from what was observed by their loved ones. That's why most of them were here, he figured.

    "I was actually turned by one of my patients, I believe," Justin continued. "Thankfully, no one was hurt. I made a mess of my office; caused a traffic jam when I took to the streets. Fortunately, the cars I smashed were covered by large animal damage insurance." Justin gave a guilty smile. He sat down. "Would anyone else like to share?"

    "Do we have to stand up?" the snow leopard asked, her head bowed, but her eyes looking at Justin.

    "No, you don't have to do anything you don't want to," Justin shook his head. "Not even share your experience."

    The snow leopard didn't stand. "I'm Kirsten. Kirsten Parter. I live Downtown. Last thing I remember before waking up in the hospital was just being on my balcony of my family's apartment." She rubbed her arm again. "They say uh- they say they managed to shut me in a room while I was hissing and yowling. I didn't break the door down but I did- did some damage to it. They haven't replaced the door yet; the marks are still there."

    "How have things been going with your family?" Justin asked.

    "Not the greatest," Kirsten admitted, biting her lip. "My brother and sister, we were so close before the attack but now... they seem more distant. They're always using kitten gloves around me, like they're afraid to make me mad." She looked indignant. "Like I could just go savage at random now or something, like it was a disease. Mom and dad talked to 'em, but..." She trailed off, her eyes seeming glassy.

    "It's important for your parents to reiterate that you did nothing wrong to your siblings, and that they aren't in danger," Justin said. "I will say though that they had the misfortune to view you in that savage state, and those images might stick with them for awhile-"

    Justin was interrupted again by the timber wolf, who began to loudly cry. Soft, pitiful whimpers turned to all-out crying, mixed with some mournful howling.

    "Ss-sorry, it was your th-turn," the timber wolf hiccuped. The polar bear sitting next to him offered him a tissue, which he accepted and blew his nose.

    "It's okay if you don't want to say anything," Justin tried to assure the crying wolf.

    "Nh-no, I gotta say something," the wolf shook his head. "I need help; I just don't know what to do..." Justin looked at Kirsten, who looked concerned, but nodded.

    "Go on," Justin encouraged softly.

    "Name's Casey Treefell," he said, wiping his eyes. "Was just walking in Tundratown with my family when it happened. I... I was told I immediately attacked my mother." There were a few gasps, and Justin bowed his head and closed his eyes. "Ff-fortunately I didn't get her too bad, because my dad was there. He said he had to nn-knock me out before the authorities got there." Casey paused, shivering. He swallowed with great effort.

    "Casey, that's truly awful," Justin said.

    "And now it's like..." Casey grit his teeth. "It's like I messed everything up. I know you said it's not my fault, but both of my parents just... I scare my mom now every time I come around the corner, though she says its nothing. My dad can't look at me in the face, cause he said he'd never take his paw to one of his own pups but... but he had to do it y'know? To save mom. I feel like I'm just- just driving a wedge in my family... I wander around alone at nights. Dunno what to do..."

    Justin sighed heavily. "Casey, I'd like to offer you and your family some free counseling."

    "Really?" Casey blinked. "I mean, my family has money, we could pay-"

    Justin shook his head. "We're all victims here, and though this one terrible thing has linked us, we can all help each other through it. This goes for any of you who'd like extra time to talk to me." Justin looked at those assembled. He saw Kirsten subtly nod. The polar bear had tears in his eyes.

    Though the polar bear was easily the tallest in the room, he stood up.

    "Casey, I know what you're going through," the polar bear said, his muzzle slightly crinkling in distress. "Oh, my name is Andrew Arctic. Call me Andy though, friends do. When I went savage, I mauled my lover... and it's- it's been hard at times to distance myself from that fact."

    "You're blameless in this, Andy," Justin said.

    "I know but... I know..." Andrew sighed. "My mate is so analytical, and I can't tell what he's feeling half the time. To know the paws Fortitude gave me hurt him... it's just hard. He always says he forgives me, and I can tell he's unafraid of me, but he- he has to walk with a cane now. I don't know if I forgive myself sometimes, you know?"

    "I can appreciate that," Justin said. "It's going to be very hard for us and our loved ones to remove the 'us' from the actions we were not in control of." Andrew nodded and sat back down.

    "I have had some success with that," the otter offered, standing up in his seat. "My name is Emmitt Otterton, florist. I went missing upwards of two weeks, and my family was concerned. My wife is a florist along with me, and they knew something was wrong when I didn't visit any of my usual haunts, like the Mystic Springs, where I practice nude yoga."

    This caused some terse, nervous laughter as it broke the tense atmosphere somewhat. Emmitt displayed a somewhat guilty smile. "Anyhow, I did do some damage when I tried to tell some people who could make a difference about the situation." The otter looked at the black-colored jaguar, who had three neat scars over his intact right eye area. "I've apologized to the best of my ability."

    "That flower arrangement was the loveliest I have ever seen," the jaguar smiled.

    "The only issue is my family, my wife particularly," Emmitt looked down thoughtfully, pushing his glasses up. "She wakes up from nightmares where I'm still missing, or savage. She had the misfortune to know a lot about the issue, because of Officer Judy Hopps, who found me at her request."

    "Ah, Judy Hopps, she blew the whole thing wide open," Andrew nodded.

    "Yeah, eventually," the tiger folded his arms. "A good while after she started those riots that got most of Zootopia's predators persecuted."

    "Let's not assign blame," Justin warned softly. "We've all done our best, even Officer Hopps. We do owe her some thanks."

    "I guess," the tiger sucked at his teeth.

    "Do you have anything about your experience you'd like to share?" Justin asked the tiger.

    "Were you done?" the tiger asked Emmitt. Emmitt nodded and sat back down in his chair. The tiger grunted. "Anyway, it's nothin'. Can't really say anything about the incident."

    "And why's that?" Justin asked.

    "Cause no one saw me," the tiger said. "Oh right, names Ty. Ty Guarder. Was on a jog when I was hit. Don't remember a thing till I woke up in the hospital."

    "But here you are," Justin led on. "So you must have some sort of unease with-"

    "Yeah, it's cause I don't remember anything!" Ty rapidly poked himself on the forehead, leaning forward. "I can't- I can't take that! I don't know if I did anything. Did I kill someone? Did I eat someone? I just don't know. It'd been too long since I turned for the nurses to find anything. I just... I don't know."

    "In some ways that's like a blessing," Justin said. "You're absolved of any wrongdoing, and the authorities cannot charge you for any 'crime' you may have committed during the ordeal."

    "Yeah, well...!?" Ty stood up angrily, then winced and sat back down. "I've looked into the time-frame. At least half a dozen mammals went missing in Zootopia that weren't preds at the time. They still haven't showed up."

    "You can't blame yourself!" Justin warned. "Even if the timetable lines up... mammals go missing for one reason or another all the time. Cutting ties or less pleasant things."

    "Yeah but what if I did?" Ty growled. "A lot of comfort that gives to the families who are missing people!" He scoffed and turned his head. "I'm a tiger. I'm more than capable of tearing any mammal I see to shreds. I was apparently one of the last ones to be brought in, just before that jaguar over there." Ty nodded his head distractedly.

    "Don't let the 'maybes' tear you apart, Ty," Justin said calmly. "Focus on what we know, and what we can help. Don't go looking for transgressions to pile onto yourself that you might have nothing to do with."

    "I mean, easy for you to say, you know you didn't do anything bad," Ty said bitterly.

    Justin smiled sadly. "Yes, but I still struck terror into the hearts of several innocents. Is it truly better that I didn't manage to kill anyone, or that I've left some mammals with perhaps permanent nightmarish memories of a bears claws swiping at them or jaws snapping inches from their fur?" Justin shrugged. "I've offered my help to those animals, but they don't want to see me. I can understand."

    There was silence among the circle. Justin took a deep breath.

    "Well, I hope this has helped even one of you at least a little," Justin said. "I think it's about time we adjourn. Would everyone like to do this again sometime?" There were some groans and grunts, but everyone seemed to nod, even the panther, who had said very little. "All right then. How about this time next month? We can see how we've been doing."

    The mammals started to leave one by one, starting with Ty. Justin managed to stop Casey just with his eyes.

    "I meant what I said, Casey," Justin said. "You have my information. Please don't hesitate."

    Casey scrunched his muzzle up and his lips wobbled, but he nodded with effort, and left in a hurry. Kirsten was the last to leave.

    "So you said that offer is open to all of us...?" Kirsten asked tentatively, rubbing her wrist with her other paw.

    "Of course," Justin nodded. "I'd like to talk with your whole family if I can."

    Kirsten nodded rapidly, then left, and Justin was alone again.

    Slowly, he got up and started to stack up the chairs and put them where he'd found them. Though it was his job to be a healer of emotions, he also felt some weight of responsibility to his fellow Night Howler victims. He earnestly wished that he had helped them all, at least in some way. Some of their roads to recovery would be longer, he knew, and some might not heal fully. It was just the nature of these sorts of things.

    Justin wasn't what you'd call a religious bear, but he did say a few words to Fortitude in his mind as he gave the classroom one last look, asking the Celestial rhinoceros to strengthen him. He turned off the lights and closed and locked the door to the classroom.

    He hoped he would see all of his new "family" again next month.

Notes:

Thanks to Roahm Mythril, my proofreader, for this prompt, which I found a fascinating idea.

Chapter 132: Frantic

    Okay, well, I'm not too sure how to start this because I've never done anything like this before. My psychologist said it'd help though so, here goes nothing I guess.

    My name's Raoul. I'm a pig.

    This is ridiculous. Of course I'm a pig. Why would I write that down? Who's going to read this and not know I'm a pig? Me? My psychologist? She knows I'm a pig. I wonder if I should just delete this and start over. Eh, whatever, maybe it's part of the process?

    I'm supposed to write about the incident. To be honest I don't think it's really that big of a deal. I mean, I tell myself that, but I did kind of freak out about it. I freak out about a lot of things, which is why I'm going to a psychologist. I don't think it's too unreasonable to be stressed out in Zootopia. It's not really that great of a place to be when you think about it. So many loud, noisy animals everywhere. No one is polite.

    Speaking of, recently every time I make any sort of a scene I've been called "frantic". What's up with that!? "Hey, it's the frantic pig!" "Why do you have to be so frantic, buddy?" "You'd get a lot more done if you weren't so frantic all the time!" Did I miss a news report or something? Who decided to label me with that!? I can just see the headline now:

    "FRANTIC PIG CAUSES SCENE AT SUBWAY STATION OVER SPILLED SMOOTHIE"

    Okay, I'll admit it. I WAS being a little piglet that day. In my defense, it was hot out, that smoothie was my lunch, and money doesn't grow on trees, am I wrong? I can't help being a little high strung. We're all trying to make a living here, though sometimes I think I might be better making it somewhere else.

    Ah right, the incident. That was the morning that one rhino's car with no muffler went by. That scared me half to death. There's laws against noise pollution, you know. I wish that cop had come earlier and slapped him with a violation. Who can afford to drive a CAR in Zootopia, anyway!? Only filthy rich, corrupt business mammals and crime lords, that's who. The day following the incident my sister was supposed to get her license renewed. I wonder how that went? I'd probably lose my mind trying to stand there in the DMV. I've heard horror stories that every employee there is a sloth. Surely that has to be a joke, right?

    Nah, public transportation is definitely the way to go in Zootopia, if you want my opinion. Though that's not without its problems either. The subway station is often really crowded, and you get pressed in by animals of all types, some that have claws or sharp hooves. And some of them really, really stink. Like, not that they're bad people, though I'm sure some of them are, but that they SMELL. Pigs have pretty sensitive noses, you know? That reminds me. Who started the rumor that pigs are dirty, anyway? Does anyone think we'd LIKE to go all day smelling like muck when we have to spend all day smelling it?

    I'm GREAT at keeping myself clean. I use imported soaps. I probably shouldn't. That's expensive. Though I DO have to be clean for my work, anyway.

    My work, right, the incident. Well, I guess I should put what I do here in case this gets leaked onto the internet or something. I run a small flower shop called Flora & Fauna. I love flowers. You want to know why? Because they're PREDICTABLE. Flowers never surprise you. I mean yeah, some flowers are dangerous, but if you eat a flower and get sick and die, that's your own fault. The knowledge is there for you to read. A flower's never going to stab you, or rob you. Right?

    Speaking of robbery, that's just what happened to me. Can you believe it? Who robs a FLOWER STORE!? Part of why I wanted to work as a florist is to AVOID all of this crazy nonsense! I just want to keep to myself and I don't want to cause anyone trouble. I've always just wanted to keep my head down and avoid notice. High school was pretty rough for me. Anyway, there was this weasel shoveling handfuls of midnicampum holicithias into a duffel bag and I about had a panic attack. The price of those had gone way up recently, probably because they are a class C or something.

    All at once, I felt like I was going to have a heart attack. That weasel was making off with my profit margins, my job, my VERY LIFE! I'd be homeless before long! I can't be homeless! I can't stand the thought of begging!

    Okay, maybe I panicked a little hard. I rushed out of my shop and saw this bunny cop in a little cart. She was SLEEPING while that criminal made off with MY goods! I shook her cart frantically -ugh, I can't even stand to WRITE that word- I shook her cart FORCEFULLY and yelled at her. In retrospect, not the smartest thing to do, but I wasn't thinking straight. I asked her something like "why weren't you doing your job?" oh no, it was like "are you a real cop or not?"

    That sounds kinda bad. To be fair to me, I didn't actually know. She kind of looked like a meter maid. I'd never seen a bunny cop before and haven't since. In any case, I guess she actually was a cop, because eventually they got those flower bulbs back to me. And wouldn't you know it? Not a week or two later, I sold out of all of them! Don't remember the guy's name, but he was a ram, I think. All of those rams look the same to me, no offense to them. I think we pigs just have more distinguishing features. My sister has this shock of blonde hair, I think it's kind of striking actually. I don't mind being bald though, who would? Most animals don't have hair.

    I think I forgot my point. Anyway, I think this has maybe helped a little? I wish I had enough money to move out of Zootopia at times. Being robbed was super stressful for me. I hear NOTHING interesting ever happens in Bunnyburrow. Maybe I'd like to live there. Surely they've got to have a demand for florists there. Bunnies just love flowers, from what I'm told.

    My battery's already just about dead on my laptop. I swear, if our technology is so advanced, why can't they make one of these things that lasts a whole workday? We can put a bunny on the moon, but we can't make a battery that doesn't give up the ghost after a few hours of work? Okay, I really should probably save this before I lose everything.   

Chapter 133: ICE

    Nick and Judy's rounds on one particular day found them very near the border of Savannah Central and Sahara Square. Judy was driving as usual, and as usual the day was fairly uneventful. Nick tapped just below the cruiser's window, while Judy kept her eyes on the road.

    "So, Carrots," Nick began, breaking the silence. "I've noticed that I barely ever see you actually eating any carrots."

    "Wouldn't that be akin to cannibalism?" Judy shot back wryly.

    "Crud, I hate it when you have such a quick comeback," Nick chuckled, relaxing back in his seat.

    "I've been hanging out with you for too long," Judy replied accusingly. "Carrots are sort of a treat for bunnies, especially raw ones. Almost like eating a candy bar."

    "So, when I call you Carrots," Nick considered this, "it's like I'm calling you 'sugar'?"

    "Yeah, something like that," Judy hummed a terse laugh. "With a bit of a country flair. Maybe you can see why I didn't want you calling me that at first."

    "But now..." Nick trailed off, his eyes widening slightly. Judy smirked, darting her eyes over to him briefly.

    "You're a smart fox, you figure it out," Judy teased.

    Their reverie was broken from a desperate-sounding call over the radio.

    "This is Agent Fetcher of Immigration Customs Enforcement!" the radio barked in a female voice. "Requesting any available law enforcement near the Port Krill Shipping Yard to rendezvous with me there. Repeat: Agent Fetcher of Immigration Customs Enforcement!-"

    Nick picked up the radio to Judy's nodding. "This is Officer Wilde, ZPD. Officer Hopps and I are inbound." Nick put on the sirens and Judy pulled a sharp u-turn as they headed in the direction of the shipping yard.

    "An ICE agent asking for help from random law enforcement?" Judy murmured. "That can't be protocol."

    "Something's up," Nick nodded. The two equipped themselves with their gear, drew their stun guns, and headed into the shipping yard.

    Judy picked up her radio. "Agent Fetcher, Officer Wilde and I are at the location. ETA?"

    "Five minutes!" The harried voice came back. "Do you have a sniffer?"

    "Yes," Nick replied into his radio as Judy looked expectantly at him.

    "See if you can locate a coyote," the agent went on. "She's probably in trouble or worse; her name's Agent Aurum!"

    "Got it," Nick dropped his radio. Sniffing around, his pupils became pinpricks.

    "Nick?" Judy noted his brief look of terror. "What's the matter?"

    "Not... sure," Nick's muzzle twitched in discomfort. "Let's go, I think I've got the scent of a coyote." Judy quickly followed Nick down the stacks of shipping crates until they came upon one with a padlock on it. Nick grit his teeth, his voice quieting. "It... the scent ends here." Judy was about to beat on the container, but Nick motioned for her not to. Judy nodded at the silent communication, and retreated a bit to report into her radio.

    "We think we've located her inside a locked shipping crate," Judy said in a low voice. "Bring some lock cutters."

    "Affirmative, do not engage until I arrive!" the voice had some steel to it, but there was a note of worry. Judy rejoined Nick, who still looked nervous.

    "What's up, Nick?" Judy hissed quietly.

    "I don't know," Nick said worriedly. "That's the problem."

    "Since when where you scared of the unknown?" Judy returned firmly, the normal teasing levity from her voice missing.

    "The thing is, I don't know what we're dealing with," Nick admitted, "and that scares me." He sniffed in deeply. "I have no idea what animals we're dealing with here. I have three or so different kinds of scents."

    "So?" Judy shrugged. "So we're unprepared. Never stopped us before."

    "Judy... I..." Nick showed his teeth in worry. "I know the scent of every kind of mammal in Zootopia. This is... something else."

    "Oh..." Judy's eyes also widened. "Something else...?"

    At that moment, Agent Fetcher arrived, clad in her Immigration Customs Enforcement uniform. She was also a coyote, just a few inches taller than Nick and of a more solid build. She had a bandage wrapped around her head that looked slightly bloody. She was wielding a large pair of lock cutters. Nick motioned at the shipping crate and the ICE agent nodded, sniffing a few times to confirm. With a focused look, she clipped the lock, motioned Nick and Judy over, and set the lock cutters down gently.

    "Set your stun guns to medium," Agent Fetcher whispered. Nick and Judy prepared their weapons, then the three threw open the shipping container as quickly as she could.

    "Zootopia ICE, drop your weapons!" the coyote snarled. Nick and Agent Fetcher could see that there was only one mammal in the container. It was the other coyote agent. She was of a slighter build and just a hair taller than Nick, she was bound and gagged to a chair.

    "Mff!" she said, her brown eyes brightening and tail wagging.

    "Cheyenne! Oh thank Karma," Agent Fetcher deflated a bit. Judy turned on a flashlight to see into the container better, but nothing looked out of the ordinary except for a few small spatters of blood. The ICE agent quickly loosed her fellow coyote from her bonds.

    "C'mon, Amber, we've gotta go!" Cheyenne sprang up from her chair as soon as she was loosed. "Maybe we can still catch the reptiles!"

    "Reptiles!?" Nick echoed incredulously. That was why he couldn't pick up what kind of animal they were; he'd never smelled a reptile before.

    "Are you hurt?" Amber asked.

    "Not seriously, c'mon!" Cheyenne rushed out, drawing her stun gun. She tossed Nick and Judy a pleasant, brief smile. "Hi, officers!"

    "They didn't even disarm you?" Judy asked as the four started rushing to the docks.

    "They have bigger fish to fry than Agent Aurum, thankfully," Amber said. "But I'm glad they didn't hurt my partner. Anyway, thank you for the assist, but-"

    "Amber, we got ambushed by the reps last time!" Cheyenne said, still rushing. "If they're willing to reinforce, let's go for it!"

    Judy nodded. "Let's go."

    Amber groaned, but nodded. The two got to the dock, where they saw a boat revving up, and a half-dozen reptiles of varying types pushing away from the dock. Cheyenne barked in irritation; the boat was already too far away for their stun guns. Judy stared in wonder, she'd never seen a reptile in the fur- well, flesh, before. There appeared to be an iguana, two komodo dragons, a horned lizard, and-

    "Take cover!" Amber screamed, and the four mammals scattered just an instant before three crossbow bolts sunk into the ground where they had been standing. Judy and the canids took cover behind some stacked beams. Simultaneously, Amber and Cheyenne holstered their stun guns and drew their rubber bullet guns. The two fired repeatedly from out of their cover, hitting two of the escaping reptiles and putting them on the deck of their boat from the force of the bullets. The remaining reptiles screamed something in a language neither Judy nor Nick understood.

    Judy and Nick both drew their tranquilizer guns and carefully fired while the remaining reptiles tried to reload their crossbows. Judy's shot missed, but Nick's shot hit one of the reptiles in the shoulder, and they dropped their weapon.

    "The boat's pulling away! Cover me!" Cheyenne yelled, drawing a third kind of gun and rushing forward.

    "Cheyenne, fall back, there's no cover!" Amber bellowed, reloading her pistol and firing a few more times at the rapidly retreating boat. All of her shots missed, and one komodo lined up their crossbow to shoot at Cheyenne. Judy dashed forward, close to the ground.

    "Judy, are you insane!?" Nick yelled.
    
    "Yup!" Judy shot the reptile right in the neck with her dart and this made him lurch backwards as he fired, the bolt missing the bunny and coyote and sinking into a crate nearby.

    "Fall back, Chey!" Amber ordered. "They're too far, and most of them are downed or soon to be!"

    "Rgh!" Cheyenne fired her gun. The shot landed on the deck of the boat. Her tail started to wag.

    "Agent Aurum, what was that about?" Judy asked. "You risked yourself just to shoot at nothing?"

    "Not nothing," Cheyenne smiled. "We're going to get those sneaky reptiles yet." She touched at a bud in her ear. "Aurum to Sherby, come in Sherby."

    "Could you stop calling me that?" a male voice popped up that Judy could barely hear. "Are you okay, Cheyenne?"

    "Just fine," Cheyenne nodded, smirking with her brow furrowed. "We've got the reps' ship on tracer. Could you pull it up and send us the coordinates?"

    "Got it, got the ship," the voice said. "Sending location now."

    "Thanks, Bert," Amber said. She turned to Nick and Judy. "This is where we have to part ways. This is an ICE investigation. Thank you for the assistance."

    "Who were those guys?" Judy asked with a hint of wonder. "I've never seen reptiles in Zootopia before."

    "Illegals, obviously," Amber sucked at her teeth. "Intel suggests they're part of a pelting ring." This didn't seem to make things any clearer to Judy.

    "Pelters?" Nick's eyes widened. "God..."

    "We got a good lead on them, then they jumped us," Cheyenne explained. "Looks like they only had enough muscle to drag me off, though."

    "Officers Wilde and Hopps, report this to your superiors," Amber pointed at Nick. "ICE might need the cooperation of the ZPD if there are any relevant cases linked to pelting."

    "Will do," Nick nodded.

    "Thanks again, Officers!" Cheyenne waved as the two coyotes made their way off.

    "See you!" Judy called after them. Nick and Judy started walking back to their cruiser. "Pelting, Nick?" She smirked wryly. "Is that anything like what you did to get that 'skunk-butt' rug?"

    "No, it's not," Nick said stonily. Judy blinked at the gravity in his voice. "Pelters are a level of cruelty even Mr. Big doesn't approach."

    Judy let her thoughts run to what this must entail. "Oh... why, then? Sheep's wool can be dyed and grows back."

    "Why does anyone do anything illegal, Judy?" Nick sighed. "Because there's a demand for it. Some reptiles are known to wear mammal pelts, obviously the ones that don't like mammals."

    "Why would another sapient being...?" Judy trailed off, getting into the cruiser with Nick.

    "According to the history books," Nick started to explain, "reptiles have been around far longer than mammals, but mammals reached sapience first. Reptiles lagged behind by a few thousand years."

    Judy started the cruiser, reflecting on this. "So then... the first mammals would have seen the reptiles as ...savage?"

    "Mm," Nick shrugged. "I guess so. Maybe there's some sort of lingering resentment. 'You say I'm a savage? Well I'll wear you like the savage I am'."

    "Ugh," Judy shivered. "You think Agent Aurum might have been in danger?"

    "She probably would have been had they known Agent Fetcher would likely be after them, hence the quick escape," Nick thought. "Either way, I hope Chief Buff doesn't put us on this."

    "Why's that?" Judy wondered. "You don't want to be looking up relevant case files?"

    "Well, I'd like to be able to keep my lunch down at work," Nick made an uncomfortable-looking face. "The methods pelters have aren't pretty."

    "Mm..." Judy grit her teeth. "I can't believe there are people like that in Zootopia..."

    "'Anyone can be anything', huh?" Nick quipped sarcastically.

    "Tch..." Judy drove off with Nick, disgusted.

Chapter 134: Mercenary

    It had all started with those feet in his back. That's when everything went wrong. Those poor coffees.

    Almost a minute later, Doug Ramses pulled himself up from the ground of the train tunnel, hearing a rumbling in the distance. He saw Woolter running toward him, his shirt buzzed off, belly exposed and red.

    "The heck happened to you?" Doug muttered, rubbing his back.

    "Almost got crushed by the train car," Woolter panted. "That crazy bunny tried to kill me!"

    "Jesse still with the bunny?" Doug started to walk away. Woolter stumbled, but caught up to him. Doug stretched a little. "Mgh, my back... gonna need a massage..."

    "Yeah," Woolter nodded. "There's a fox there, too. I wouldn't count on Jesse being with them for very long, though, with how psychotic that bunny was..."

    "Two horned rams and you can't take care of a bunny and a fox?" Doug mumbled.

    "Gimme a break!" Woolter shrugged. "Not like you fared any better versus that bunny!"

    "The bunny kicked me in the back," Doug said calmly. "I didn't have any warning."

    "What are we gonna do, Doug?" Woolter wrung his hooves. "Those two goons made off with the whole operation!"

    "Nothing in there should be traceable back to me, and I know how to make the goods, if need be," Doug sighed. "You? I'd either skip town, or lay low."

    "What about Bellwether?" Woolter sputtered.

    Doug looked at Woolter as though he'd lost his mind. "I know you think we're alone, but try to use some discretion. She'll probably take care of 'those goons'. As far as you, see if you can find your fellow goon and stay out of sight until we see how this all goes down."

    "What're you going to do?" Woolter blinked.

    "Don't worry your small mind about me," Doug said, climbing the steps out of one the abandoned tunnel's closed off entrances. "I'll be fine."

---

    Doug calmly stood at the street corner and took in the news report.

    Dawn Bellwether had failed and gotten herself arrested. In apparently unrelated news, there had been an explosion of a train car in an abandoned train tunnel. Doug didn't react outwardly. That definitively took care of anything that could be traced to him. He was always careful not to get a single strand of wool out of place while he worked, but anyone could make a mistake. Doug, however, made very few mistakes.

    Doug was as collected as he appeared outwardly. He knew as a sheep chemist and accomplished sharpshooter, he'd always be in demand as a mercenary. Sheep, especially hornless rams, were often decried for being short-sighted, simple, and unassuming. Not to mention to non-sheep, all rams tended to look alike. It was true that the Night Howler gig paid well and made him a powerful acquaintance, but she'd just gone down, and now he needed to make himself gone before anything else happened.

    The ram turned to start walking toward his apartment and looked at his phone. There were apartments in the Meadowlands, on the northern outskirts of Zootopia. It'd be easy to blend in there, and the sheep population was even higher than other areas. Doug blinked as his phone rang. It was Dawn Bellwether's number.
    
    Doug seemed momentarily confused that Dawn was trying to reach him. He shrugged and ignored the call. It went to voicemail, which he was sure was scathing, but he didn't care to listen to it. When he was relatively alone, he made his way onto a bridge overlooking a river. He threw the phone down unceremoniously onto the concrete, stomped on it several times with his hoof grinding into it, picked it up, and tossed it into the water.

    That was one loose end down. Now he'd have to see about getting his name changed and some documents forged.

---

    A whole year passed.    

    Doug drove his moving truck back into the Meadowlands from a job he had undertaken in Tundratown. Some work was less savory than others, but with what employers tended to pay him for his skills, he couldn't complain. Everything was done. Every "t" was crossed, every "i" dotted. Another success, every loose end tied up in a nice bow, and it was back to his comfy home in the Meadowlands.

    A police siren started to wail, and Doug checked his speed. Two under the limit. He automatically and politely pulled over, but to his surprise the cruiser stopped behind him. A fox got out and Doug felt a mild shot of alarm. It was that fox, the one who had been with the bunny. The two that had finished off Bellwether. Doug's face remained blank. He had heard that the fox had become a police officer, but he was unafraid. There was no way he had anything on him.

    "Is there a problem, Officer?" Doug asked the fox as the latter approached the truck with a smirk. One of the fox's ears twitched.

    "License and registration please," the fox beckoned. Doug produced these for the police officer. "Reggie Cornrow? Huh, that name sounds oddly familiar. Do I know you?"

    "I think I'd remember a fox police officer," Doug returned, shrugging. The officer smiled and nodded diagonally.

    "Step out of the car, please," the fox said cheerfully. Doug complied. The fox strolled over to the cruiser and handed over the documents. "Run these, Carrots."

    "If you say so," the amused female voice from the car came.

    Doug still wasn't worried. He'd tested his documents himself, and they'd checked out and passed a lot of other scrutiny. The fox strolled over, folded his arms, and leaned against Doug's truck. The fox gave him an annoying grin and sniffed dramatically.

    "Ahh, smell that fresh Meadowlands air," the fox tsked three times, shaking his head. "Lovely, isn't it?"

    "Yeah, can't get enough of it," Doug said blankly.

    "Literally, right? What'd we do without air? Die of suffocation, probably!" The fox sharply slapped his own pants. Doug didn't flinch or laugh. "Sorry for the inconvenience Reg; can I call you Reg? My partner should be done soon. Your tail light's out, by the way. That's why I pulled you over."

    "Ah, okay. It's no trouble," Doug said politely. "Was just on my way home."

    The fox officer's partner, that bunny, poked her head out of the cruiser and motioned over for the fox. Doug strained to hear. It sounded like she said: "Everything checks out. Nothing on the record."

    Doug mentally grinned. He was just a few steps away from freedom from those stupid mammals.

    "Sorry about the hold up, Reg," the fox officer said, "but while we're here, would you mind facing the truck and putting your hands behind your back? You're under arrest for suspicion of conspiracy to commit a crime."

    "What? Why?" Doug mumbled. The fox still looked irritatingly smug, but he took out some cuffs. Doug grumbled and complied. "I haven't done anything wrong. This is police harassment. I'll be calling my lawyer."

    "Call whoever you like, Reg," the fox cuffed him and smoothly led him to the cruiser, where he helped him into the back. "You have the right to remain-"
    
    "I know my rights," Doug snapped.

    The fox sighed as he got his seat belt on. The bunny at the driver's seat looked at him incredulously.

    "What gives, Nick?" The bunny started the cruiser. "He just had a tail light out." Nick made an opening and closing gesture with his hand. The bunny looked confused.

    "He's got no reason to arrest me," Doug protested. "This is harassment, and my lawyer will hear of this."

    The bunny gasped sharply, then grinned widely and devilishly.

    "Karma, my dear Judy," Nick made that "biting" gesture again. "She finally got her teeth sunk in."

    "Bet it felt good to cuff him; I'm jealous," Judy smirked.

    "Not as good as it did to kick him, I bet," Nick chuckled.

    "You got me there!" Judy laughed. Doug felt an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach, but stayed quiet.

    "Now are you exercising your right to stay silent, Doug?" Nick burst into a huge, toothy grin, staring at Doug's blank face. "Oh, don't look so surprised... if- if that's what passes for your surprise. I never forget a scent."

    "And I never forget a sound!" Judy said airily. "Unfortunately for you, you've already talked."

    "Ss-Circumstantial," Doug muttered. "My name's not Doug, it's Reggie-"

    "Don't embarrass yourself, Dougie boy," Nick said in a lazy voice. "Dawn is going to be all too eager to give you up. I hope you burned all of your bridges to the very ground, or-"

    "I think I heard Bellwether say something about you missing an important phone call..." Judy said with irritating zest in her voice.

    Doug swallowed, and his eyes finally went wide.

Chapter 135: Singularity

    Judy found herself on a vast, white expanse. Looking left and right in awe, she started to walk forward after only a moment's hesitation. She saw other animals doing the same, many mammals she'd never seen before, and some she had. She saw her mother and father.

    "Hi, guys!" Judy smiled, waving energetically.

    "Judy! How's it going?" Stu smiled at her as he walked by. He pointed at her and clicked his tongue. "Jude the dude!"

    "Hiya Bun Bun," Bonnie smiled at her daughter, waving. The two continued walking, and so did Judy.

    Where was she? Why did no one look confused at what was happening? Was this a dream? The sensations were so real and solid, but nothing seemed to follow reason. Curiously, she felt no existential dread, nor any looming fear, so she kept walking forward. There appeared to be no "ground" to speak of beneath her, and yet her progress was unimpeded. All traveling walked the same plane, most in different directions, and only a few spared her a glance.

    She jogged across the expanse, feeling invigorated. She grinned as a familiar feeling tugged at her. He was here. She didn't know who or what "he" was, just that he was here... wherever this was.

    Following an ancient instinct, a knowledge that she didn't have direct access to, she found him.

    He was a red fox, just standing there with his arms crossed behind his back. Amusingly, he had not a stitch of clothing on. Judy giggled at this and the fox turned his head.

    "Hi!" she greeted, her hands to her chest. "I don't know if you remember me..."

    The fox looked at her with a smirk. "Never seen you before in my life, Officer Fluff."

    Judy looked down at herself at the sudden nickname. She was indeed wearing a police uniform. She checked it out; it looked quite good on her. She wasn't a member of the police yet, but that was her goal! Strange that it had followed her all the way here to... to wherever she was.

    "I'm Judy! Judy Hopps," Judy said proudly.

    "The name's Nick Wilde," Nick offered his paw. Judy shook it, then stifled another giggle.

    "Uh, why are you naked?" the corner of the gray bunny's mouth turned up in bemusement. Nick looked down at himself and blinked, his eyes widening. A set of clothes instantly manifested onto him; an ugly Pawaiian shirt and a tie. "Oh, is that how this works?"

    Nick chuckled. "I don't think any of us really know how all this works, Fluff."

    "Why do I feel like I know you...?" Judy pondered over the four-foot tall fox in front of her. She tapped her cheek with a finger. "Egh, nothing's coming to mind. Do you live in Bunnyburrow?"

    "Zootopia," Nick replied.

    "So we've probably never met," Judy frowned. She looked off into the distance. It felt like she could peer into infinity just by focusing her eyes. She shook her head; the sensation was unusual and jarring. "Where do you think we are?"

    "I've got a theory, but there's no use dwelling on it," Nick adjusted his tie. "We're going to forget all this when we wake up."

    "Wake up?" Judy blinked. She decisively slammed a fist down onto her palm. "Ah, this must be a dream then." Nick held a finger up with his mouth open.

    "Ah ah, not quite," the fox said carefully. "You can remember your dreams on occasion. From the bits I remember from my high school psychology class, they are bits of your subconscious that you might be able to have access to. This, I would guess, is the unconscious realm. A singularity of the deepest thoughts. The deepest thoughts of everyone, it would appear."

    "Really..." Judy blinked. "So if that were true, you really are a person, and so are all of these other mammals. I see a few of my brothers and sisters. I saw my mom and dad."

    "We must all be at the same stage of sleep right now," Nick shrugged. "I suppose it works like an event horizon; we can bring our thoughts and memories into this zone, but nothing made here can escape from it."

    "Huh..." Judy pondered the ramifications of this.

    "But it's just a theory," Nick shrugged.

    "How did you come up with something like that?" Judy seemed impressed. "Are you studying to be a psychologist?"

    "I used to have night terrors," Nick explained. "They're like nightmares, but they don't occur at the same level of sleep. Tonight, I met one of them."

    "Met one? A... night terror?" Judy repeated, her eyes squinting in confusion. Nick pointed in a direction and Judy cast her gaze across plains of nothingness. She finally made out a few forms and found they weren't creatures she could readily describe with words. Teeth, mouth and eyes in unusual places, masses of limbs and claws. Colors of skin and fur she'd never seen on living things. "Oh goodness... they look like something out of a horror movie! So monsters are real, too?"

    "I think they're just from another planet," Nick said. "We're probably just as much of monsters to them. Talked with a little one-eyed green one tonight by the name of Mike. Not a bad guy."

    "Mike," Judy chuckled incredulously. "A creature from another world's name is 'Mike'." Nick just shrugged.

    "As I said, this could all be some sort of delusion I'm having," Nick rubbed his chin. "But it is fun to look around in the expanse. And I'll do it all again tomorrow night, I suppose." He sighed with a noncommittal shrug.

    "So... do you like... did you have this feeling I was coming, even though you don't know me?" Judy's smile was shy, which was odd for her. She felt somewhat embarrassed of the seeming foreknowledge of this... this fox, even though she knew nothing else about this realm.

    "Believe it or not, I did," Nick looked the bunny over, perking up one of his eyebrows. "Don't know what that means. Don't know what you mean. I've likely met you many, many times by now, all for the first time."

    "Sounds kind of romantic, really..." Judy smiled with a shrug. "Maybe one day we'll meet in the waking world, huh?"

    "Who can say, Fluff?" Nick groaned out in fatigue, stretching. "Zootopia's a big place. Doubt you'll find a little hustler like me. Hope you won't mind a little ridicule if you actually become a bunny police officer."

    "A 'hustler'... hey!" Judy folded her arms as she digested his words. "What for?"

    "A bunny cop... heh. You do look rather lovely, though," Nick smirked. He winked. Judy seemed surprised at the sudden compliment.

    "Listen, buster," Judy smirked wryly. "What if this time we remember everything when we wake up?"

    "Yeah, this one time out of the thousands we've likely been here," Nick shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Keep dreaming, Officer Fluff. Speaking of dreaming, I think I feel one coming on. Toodles!" Nick saluted, and he was abruptly swallowed up by a colorful oval portal of a cityscape, which swiftly closed and took Nick with it.

    "Huh, you handsome devil," Judy folded her arms tightly and scoffed. "I can't wait to meet you for real and put you through the wringer."

    She looked far and wide for other mammals and creatures and saw many, some she could put names to, some she couldn't.

    "So how does this work?" Judy said, clapping twice. "I'm ready to dream now! Or wake up? Hello? Subconscious!"

    Nothing happened for several minutes, and Judy continued to explore. Suddenly, the white expanse somehow got even brighter and then when she could see again everything was filled in with color and shape. She found herself in Zootopia. Or at least, what she thought Zootopia would be like. She'd never actually been there. Not yet.

    "Okay! I'm actually dreaming now I bet!" Judy grinned widely. "Now that I'm in Zootopia, maybe I should go find that... uh... that... wait, what was it..."

    She looked back at where she'd come from. Roads and buildings for as long as the eye could see. There was a fragment, something important she wanted to remember, but it had slipped away, locked in an important, ornate box in her unconscious, buried under the swirling sands filling in upon it from her subconscious. As she attempted to isolate and grasp this fragment, she rapidly even forgot that she was currently dreaming. She looked forward again, confused, and saw an armadillo breaking out of a bank, sirens blaring.

    "Hey! Stop in the name of the law!" Judy shouted in rich determination, beginning to chase after the armadillo. The armadillo squeaked in panic and he began to flee. Judy put on an adventurous smile as she took chase and began to gain on the suspect.

    She was going to make the world a better place, and nothing was going to stop her!

Chapter 136: Hope

    Benjamin Clawhauser gave a little stretch as he got into his apartment. The chubby cheetah continued into his home, listening for any sounds. His ear twitched.

    "Barb...!" Benjamin called out. "You here?"

    A younger, svelte, fiery-brown-eyed cheetah poked her head out of the kitchen.

    "Yeah, Benny, I'm here," Barbara said. Benjamin set his things down on a desk. He smelled spaghetti cooking.

    "Everything okay, sis?" Benjamin's normally jovial tone drained slowly as he looked around and read Barbara's despondent expression.

    Barbara let out a prolonged sigh, deflating slowly. "No... Terry is in one of his moods today." She slowly stirred the pot of spaghetti. "I haven't been able to get him out of his room all day. So he's missed breakfast and lunch."

    "Ugh..." Benjamin frowned.

    "I really want to be a nurse someday, Benny," Barbara twisted her mouth; her expression was shifting between sadness and anger, "but how can I help other mammals if I can't even help my own brother?"

    "It's- it's okay Barb; I'll try to talk to him," Benjamin offered, holding a paw up weakly.

    "...You're so good with him," Barbara sighed. "Sometimes I feel like I should be the police officer and you should be the house cat."

    Benjamin had a soft, strained smile. "Maybe he'll get some more courage someday, Barbie, you never know."

    Barbara looked at Benjamin with a plaintive, longing expression. "I hope so, Benny."

    Benjamin mustered up all of his cheerfulness and walked over to Terrence's room. He tapped gently on the door.

    "Go away," the young voice from inside immediately responded.

    "You hungry, champ?" Benjamin cheerfully asked. "Barb's got food cooking!"

    "I'm not hungry," Terrence claimed resolutely.

    "You sure?" Benjamin chirped. "Heard you haven't eaten all day."

    "I don't wanna go outside. That's where all the bad stuff happens," Terrence's voice was both indignant and pitiable. Benjamin frowned.

    "You don't have to come outside, okay?" Benjamin gently tested the door, which was locked, of course. "How about you let your big brother come in there, huh?"

    "No."

    "Aww, why not, Terry?" Benjamin's voice turned plaintive. "Look, I just got home from work. I'm still in my police uniform!"

    "Ngh..."

    "You like my police uniform, right?" Benjamin asked. "C'mon, I know you do...!"

    A soft sniffling was heard from beyond the door.

    "You know why I became a police officer, right Terry?" Benjamin went on.

    "Uh uh..." Terrence admitted.

    "It's so I can serve and protect," Benjamin said. "And that goes especially for you and Barbara, okay? I'm your big brother and I'm not gonna let anything bad happen to you, okay?"

    "...Mh."

    "Plus..." Benjamin's voice twisted to be mischievous. "If you come out, I'll give you a donut...!" Benjamin walked over to his things and retrieved a small donut.

    "Benjamin!" Barbara's voice turned stern and she tilted her head. "You'll wreck his appetite!"

    Benjamin threw up a shrug and had a guilty, toothy wince.

    "Really...? A donut...?" Terrence asked after mulling it over.

    "Uh huh," Benjamin said. "You like the raspberry-filled ones, right? Got one right here...!"

    The door finally opened after a long pause, and a cheetah half Benjamin's size walked out. He had chocolate brown eyes, a sweater a few sizes too big for him, and glasses.

    "Are you sure I can have a donut before dinner...?" Terrence asked, a corner of his mouth threatening to perk up as he looked at his annoyed sister.

    "Just this small one," Benjamin stipulated, "and only after a hug, okay?"

    Less than a second later, Terrence had glomped onto Benjamin's round form. Benjamin chuckled and rubbed at his back with his free hand.

    "There we go, c'mon up," Benjamin scooped him up and into his arm, feeding him the donut.

    "Puh, seriously?" Barbara groaned. "He should at least have to use his arms. If he didn't wear that sweater all the time-"

    "You know why he wears it..." Benjamin said carefully.

    "...Yeah, I know," Barbara said glumly, starting to set out the dinner plates. "Will you please eat with us tonight, Terry? It's important."

    "Why's it important?" Terrence didn't look like he believed this.

    "Because it's our family time, Terry," Barbara sighed. "The only time we can all come together, okay? It's important for family to stick together." She gently pet Terrence's head. He flinched, but let her.

    "Your sister's right, Terry," Benjamin nodded. "Annoying, but right!"

    Terrence couldn't help from grinning slightly at this assessment. Barbara rolled her eyes and continued setting up dinner, placing three plates on the table.

    "Do you seriously have to play good cop, bad cop with him?" Barbara shook her head as she poured them all some water.

    "Well, I am a good cop," Benjamin smiled proudly.

    "I guess you are," Barbara admitted with the barest hint of fondness. Terrence seemed to think about his options, but he did sit down and slowly slide his paws out of the sweater. After all three of them were seated, Barbara looked somewhat blank.

    "Um, do you want me to say a prayer to Acceleration or something...?" Benjamin asked.

    "These days I'd rather pray to someone else," Barbara muttered. "Which of the Celestials is supposed to bring about good fortune?"

    "Saren-ditty," Terrence said without hesitation.

    "Really?" Benjamin scratched his head. "Why kind of Celestial is that?"

    "A bunny," Terrence said quietly. Barbara looked questioningly at him. "Gotta... um... gotta storybook 'bout her."

    "Well, you wouldn't believe this, but a bunny of all things just got a job down at the precinct," Benjamin smiled. "A bunny cop! Can you believe that? Maybe it's a good omen, huh?"

    "It'd be nice," Barbara grinned, looking at Terrence gently. She sighed in relief as he actually was eating. "Whatcha wanna be when you grow up, Terry?"

    "Uh... older?" Terrence looked puzzled.

    "Pff, so a comedian, then," Barbara chuckled, but then smiled fondly. "I do hope you grow up to be older, Terry. You've got a lot of promise, and I know things've been bad, but... they can't be bad all the time."

    "Uh huh, and your sister and I will be with you to help make you grow up big and strong!" Benjamin flexed his flabby arms.

    "...As big as you...?" Terrence wondered innocently.

    Barbara slipped into an honest laugh. "Hahaha... definitely a comedian."

    "I'll just uh... I'll just refrain from comment," Benjamin said gently. "You don't have to worry when we're around, okay Terry? We'll be here for you whenever you need it."

    Terrence seemed somewhat doubtful, but he shrugged and nodded diagonally, poking at his spaghetti. "I guess so."

    "How about we listen to some nice uplifting music after dinner, huh Terry?" Clawhauser grinned. "I could put on some Gazelle...!"

    Terrence's face scrunched up. "...Do I have to listen to Gazelle?"

    Benjamin looked hurt, and Barbara just snickered.   

Chapter 137: Hope II

    Benjamin Clawhauser happily drummed his fingers on the desk of the ZPD lobby. He was in a particularly good mood that morning; it seemed like everything was going well. No major crimes to worry about, his sister doing well in college, and his brother was even functioning in a "normal" high school. Benjamin was so pleased that he even forgot to bring an "emergency" stash of donuts to keep him peppy throughout the day.

    The chubby cheetah let out a terse mew of curiosity as he heard his phone buzz. A text from Barbara lit up the screen.

    [OMG B, you won't believe what I found] his sister's text read.

    [What do you mean? Good or bad?] Benjamin responded.

    [I finally got into Terry's phone and I found some strange pictures :/]

    [Barb! OMGoodness! You can't just break into his phone! D:] Clawhauser's brow and jaw fell at the intrusion.

    [Well, I was worried! And look at this!] Barbara sent a couple of pictures of their younger brother Terrence hanging out with a gray wolf. Benjamin scratched at one of his cheeks. He didn't see anything wrong with the pictures; the wolf looked friendly enough. Maybe a touch stern? Definitely handsome for a teenage wolf, with those pale yellow eyes and even face.

    [Uh, what's wrong with that? Looks like he's got a friend!] Benjamin was smiling as he texted.

    [OR, he's got some bully that's forcing him to be social, or worse! You know how Terry is!] Barbara quickly responded. She added: [How come we've never heard about this guy? Huh? Maybe he's doing something to him that Terry doesn't want us to know about!] Benjamin started to text a reply, but Barbara added yet another message: [Can't you do anything at the police station!?]

    [Calm down, Barb!] Benjamin started to text, but before he sent it he heard a deep cough. Benjamin looked up to see the even, slightly judgemental face of Chief Bogo looking down at him.

    "Clawhauser, I've discussed this with you at least a dozen times," Bogo said firmly. "Please refrain from using your smartphone so overtly at the front desk?"

    "Sorry sir," Benjamin winced in apology, and wiggled his phone in his hand, "it's just some family stuff. My sister's freaking out about-"

    "Oh, your family?" Bogo interrupted, his brow raising and voice softening. The buffalo slightly leaned in. "Nothing's gone wrong, has it?"

    "I dunno, sir, I don't think so," Benjamin forced a smile. He was beginning to wish he'd brought along some donuts after all. Maybe an iced coffee, too.

    "Clawhauser, you know that if there's anything having to do with your family that you need, you have but to ask," Bogo said gently, placing his hands on Benjamin's desk.

    "Lemme think..." Benjamin searched the ceiling for an idea. "I think there might be something I could ask for."

    "Let's hear it," Chief Bogo nodded.

    Benjamin deleted "Calm down, Barb!" in his texting app, and instead wrote: [I'll take care of it, Barbara.]

---

    A brownish middle-aged pony with a blonde mane looked over some documents in front of her. She was seated at the desk of a principal's office. The pony huffed and stared evenly with her blue eyes at the two police officers near her desk.

    "All right, I've read Chief Bogo's request, and I'll clear you two to patrol our halls for this week only," the pony decisively stamped a seal on a paper and moved it away. "I'm sure other schools would be ecstatic to have the 'great' Officers Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde at our school, but here at Zootopia Central High, we do not play favorites."

    "Of course not, Principal Sternicker," Judy smiled. She saluted. "We're here to make your school a better place!"

    "Yes, well, you can go do that," Mrs. Sternicker said, gesturing outward with her hoof. "I've got other things to attend to."

    Nick gave out his signature lazy smile as the two officers went out onto the commons together.

    "Ah, high school," the fox chuckled. "This takes me back."

    "I'm sure you have fond memories of getting called into the principal's office," Judy shot back with a smirk.

    "Of course not, Madam," Nick closed his eyes and delicately placed his paws on his chest. "I was an honor student, I'll have you know."

    "Right," Judy rolled her eyes. "You told me you were hustling since you were twelve, buster."

    "Yes, well, did you know that foxes have nine souls?" Nick said with faux seriousness. He started to count on his fingers. "I have the soul of a scout, hustler, honor student, loving son-"

    "Good thing you didn't use up all those souls before you got to 'police officer'," Judy smiled. She chuckled to herself as Nick wiggled his eyebrows, then shook her head. Her expression shifted to one of curiosity and she tilted her head. "You know, I don't think I've ever actually met either of Clawhauser's siblings before?"

    "Me either," Nick rubbed his paws together. "If they're anything like their brother, though, we should be in for a treat. Specifically a glazed, baked treat."

    "'Do not' make that donut joke," Judy scolded playfully. Then she became a bit more serious. "Feels a little weird though; having a mission to go spy on Terry."

    "It sure does," Nick nodded. "Because you and I have never used our position or connections to extort favors from others."

    "Touche, dummy," Judy smirked with her brow furrowed, nudging Nick with her elbow.

---

    On the third day of their doing rounds at ZCH, Judy was beginning to get a little discouraged. The two hadn't managed to uncover anything interesting or decisive.

    "So Terry seems pretty shy and reserved," Judy tapped her chin with a finger. "Wonder why."

    "Some people are just like that," Nick shrugged. "I've barely seen this wolf we're supposed to keep a watch out for, either. Have you caught his name yet?" Judy shook her head. Nick looked around as the bell rang, signalling the transition of another period. "Heh. High school. I still feel like a runt compared to half of the kids here."

    "My school was mostly bunnies, of course," Judy hummed in amusement. "I guess it would make sense for a high school in the heart of Zootopia to be so diverse." She looked up in wonderment at the very high ceilings and the clean architecture of the building.

    From quite some distance away near some lockers, a stocky male hippo teenager accosted Terry Clawhauser.

    "Hey kitten," the hippo grunted.

    "Uh, hey Rock," Terry flinched as he quickly shut his locker.

    "You're still gonna tutor me in chemistry, right?" Rock asked sternly. "Gotta pass this next test."

    "I- I dunno... I dunno Rock," Terry's breathing quickened and he steadied his glasses. "I'm nh-not that great at teaching people things..."

    "C'mon, kitten, you're a straight-A kid, everyone knows that," Rock chuckled, but then his voice got serious. "Gimme a cheat sheet for the test or somethin'."

    "Mh- I dh-don't really know if I can do that..." Terry mumbled. He rubbed at his long-sleeved shirt and cowered from the large hippo.

    "I said, if you know what's good for you..." Rock began to tower over the cheetah.

    "HEY!" a loud voice barked from across the hall. A gray wolf quickly got in between Terry and Rock. "Back off of the cheetah, Rock."

    Judy's ear perked up and moved slightly in the direction of the commotion. "I heard 'cheetah', Nick. Let's go check it out." Nick nodded and followed Judy's lead.

    "Oh look, it's the little pup Cyrus," Rock frowned. "What's up, dog?"

    "Stay away from Terrence," Cyrus warned, his upper lip raising. "I'm sick of you meatheads trying to take advantage of him."

    "How noble," Rock mocked. "What're you gonna do about it, puppy?" Rock laughed boisterously. "You seen what I can do to a watermelon?" He slapped his jowls together. "You think some little baby pred is gonna keep me from what I want?"

    "I know what you want is to keep playing pawball," Cyrus snarled, baring his fangs as Terrence moved behind Cyrus. "So unless you use what passes for a brain in that fat head of yours and study, looks like a piece of paper's gonna keep you from getting what you want!"

    "Screw you, dog!" Rock shouted, and Terrence gasped and moved away as Rock balled a fist. "I'm gonna pluck those pointed teeth out of your trap!" Cyrus adopted a growling, hunched position, his hackles rising.

    "Hey, hey, HEY!" Judy rushed over and waved her arms. "Back off, you two. I'm warning you...!"

    "Yeah, let's take it down a notch," Nick said seriously.

    Judy snapped her fingers and pointed at the hippo. "You. 'Rock'. You're coming with me to Principal Sternicker."

    The hippo scoffed in disbelief. "This a joke? When'd we get a bunny hall monitor anyway?"

    "Aaaactually, I'm a police officer," Judy flipped out her badge, then pointed at a large pair of cuffs on her hip. "Stop talking and march, mister. If you don't, you're not going to find what happens next very 'funny'."

    Rock sucked at his teeth and begrudgingly complied. Terrence was shivering a little and Cyrus started to calm a bit as Judy walked away with Rock.

    "Uh, thanks officer," Cyrus rubbed behind his head, looking down at Nick. "Y'see, those jocks're always..."

    "Now hold on there," Nick held up his paw. "You bared your fangs at that hippo. I'm gonna have to ask you a few questions."

    "Wh-are you serious?" Cyrus' anger reignited. "C'mon, you're a canid! You know sometimes you just gotta snarl and stand your ground, right?" He scoffed, looking the officer over. "Or has that badge made you self-righteous, fox!?"

    "Okay, I'm gonna let that slide, but only if you chill out right now," Nick said with a cool seriousness. He leaned over to look at Terrence. "You should probably run along, cheetah."

    "Um, Cyrus...?" Terrence looked cautiously at Cyrus.

    "Just do what the officer says, Terry," Cyrus grumbled.

    "But I don't- I mean I-" Terrence stammered, looking between the two.

    "Get to your next class, okay Terry?" Cyrus asked in a slightly softer voice. "I'll be okay."

    "Okay..." Terrence backed away slowly, then turned and walked away, checking over his shoulder.

    "What do you want, Officer...?" Cyrus asked.

    "Wilde, Officer Wilde," Nick folded his arms. "I think we've gotten off on the wrong footpad here. I'd like to know why you were getting in between that hippo and cheetah?"

    "Terry's my friend," Cyrus responded quickly, narrowing his brow. "What, don't you ever stand up for your friends?"

    Nick chuckled. "Easy on the attitude, Cyrus."

    "Ugh, my bad," Cyrus huffed. He rubbed his temples. "I'm just so sick of people bullyin' Terry. I gotta stand up for him. He's a really anxious guy."

    "Cheetahs are the most likely predator to have anxiety problems," Nick nodded. "Did you know that?" Judy walked over, her ear perking at this factoid as she returned to her partner.

    "Yeah, but it's more than just that," Cyrus held his paws out. "Terry's been through a lot of bad stuff early on in his life."

    "Like...?" Nick led.

    "I'm not gonna tell you!" Cyrus snapped, then he winced at seeing Judy fold her arms and narrow her eyes. "Uh, sorry. It's just... it's personal, okay?" Judy looked over to Nick, and the fox shrugged. "And don't- I don't want you to ask him either. He gets really upset. Like really upset."

    "Here's another little fact I know," Nick smiled. "Wolves are among the most loyal predators. In fact," Nick pointed at Judy, "did you know that psychologists recommend cheetahs with anxiety problems to get a canine as a friend?"

    "I'd never heard that," Judy blinked.

    "What're you just psychoanalyzing me n' Terry?" Cyrus frowned. "He needed a friend and I wanted to step up to the plate, all right?" Cyrus paused, then added a shrug. "Don't gotta be a species thing..."

    "Alright, well, you do you then," Nick pointed at Cyrus. "But try to keep the violence level down to a minimum. You can bark, but you can't bite, got it?"

    "Yes officer," Cyrus grumbled. "But unless you guys can stop every bully from thinkin' they can get something from Terry, I don't think I'll be able to quit 'barking'."

    "Well, we can certainly try to keep them off Terry for now," Nick shrugged. "But Judy and I only have a couple of days left here before we're reassigned."

    "Is that a challenge I detect?" Judy narrowed her eyes and cracked her knuckles. "If any kid thinks they can bully that cheetah in the couple of days we have left, I'll put the fear of bunny in them."

    Cyrus looked at Nick skeptically.

    "Trust me, don't mess with her," Nick grinned.

---

    Benjamin was all smiles as he got in from work one day. Barbara looked up from her homework laid out in the form of paperwork, books, and her iPawpad on the table.

    "Well...?" Barbara looked up at Benjamin. "How's this scheme of yours working out, Ben?"

    "Just great!" Benjamin smiled. "Terry has his own little guardian wolf."

    "What?" Barbara blinked. She slowly half-smiled. "So the wolf really is just his friend?"

    "A good friend! Great friend," Benjamin smiled. "Just the kinda person Terry needs to help him make it through school, I'd wager."

    "Well that's good news," Barbara deflated. "I haven't felt this relieved since I was able to get mom's sweater away from him."

    "It's okay, Barb," Benjamin chuckled. "I don't think he actually tells anyone whose sweater that is."

    "I wish he'd just fully wean himself off of it," Barbara muttered. "It's been a long time..."

    "Don't stress out over it too much, Barbara," Benjamin pat her on the shoulder. "You know what they say about cheetahs and stress."

    "Yeah, yeah..." Barbara grumbled.

    Terrence came home and briefly looked at his siblings before heading toward his room.

    "Hi, Terry!" Barbara chirped at him. "Hey um, make any friends at school?"

    "No," Terry mumbled and headed to his room, shutting the door.

    "Wha-" Barbara looked incredulously between Benjamin and the door as it closed. Her voice narrowed to a harsh whisper. "Ben, he just lied to us. We know he's got this wolf pal...!"

    "Well he is a teenager," Benjamin shrugged. "I guess he doesn't want us to pry into his personal life. I mean, we're not his parents or anything."

    "We might as well be...!" Barbara hissed softly.

    "But we're not," Benjamin shook his head. "And poor Terr's had a hard life."

    "So have you and I!" Barbara shot back. "It's not like-"

    "But we weren't in the car when it happened, Barbara..." Benjamin held out a paw. "It's got to be so much different for him..."

    "Ugh, I just-" Barbara covered half of her face with one hand. Her breath started to catch as she hesitated. "Just wish we could be a normal family again..."

    "C'mere, Barbie," Benjamin pat his chest and hugged her. She hugged on firmly. Benjamin's own eyes were getting glassy, but he stayed strong as he pet her back.

    "Am I awful?" Barbara hiccuped. "Should I just give up on college and stay here till we're sure Terry is okay?"

    "You've put your life on hold long enough, Barb," Benjamin said, giving her a gentle squeeze. "I think Terry's getting better, I really do. And he's got that wolf now; ...he'll tell us about him when he's ready."

    "I hope so, Ben," Barbara shakily sighed. "Hope so..."

Chapter 138: Pride

    "And so I told her- I told her," a red fox said with a huge grin, a circle of enthralled mammals around him and a gray bunny hanging on his arm, "I said... 'you schmooze, you lose!'"

    A bloom of laughter filled the ballroom.

    "Aw wow, that's brutal," a raccoon wiped his eye.

    "No no, it's savage, isn't that right Mr. Savage?" a giraffe bumped the fox with her hip.

    "Ah! I see what you did there," Savage aimed a finger-gun at the giraffe.

    The gray bunny pat Savage's arm. "Well, if it's bad puns you want, my husband could keep you here all night!"

    "I'm half-inclined to take you up on that," a deer said merrily.

    The circle parted a bit to let a very opulently dressed lioness through. Her ears sparkled with several earrings, her neck was adorned with a pearl necklace, and her royal purple dress had a sharp, designer cut.

    "Well, well, it looks like these two little social butterflies are the life of the party!" the lioness' gentle, soothing voice said. "You must forgive me though as I don't believe we've met?"

    "Ah, well, of course, we know who you are," Mr. Savage smiled at the lioness, offering his paw.

    "Miranda Pride," the lioness greeted, allowing Mr. Savage to kiss the back of her own paw. "And you two?"

    "We're the Savages," Mr. Savage said, "my name is Skyler."

    "And I'm Jacqueline," Mrs. Savage smiled earnestly up at the lioness. "Such a pleasure to meet you. We're big fans of your efforts towards interspecies relationship rights."

    "How delightful; bunny and fox mates?" Miranda smiled broadly. "May I ask what you two do?"

    "Ah, how crass of me, would you like our card?" Skyler pulled a card out of his coat pocket. The lioness nodded politely and took it.

    Jacqueline started to explain: "My husband and I are a psychologist/psychiatrist team. I'm the psychologist, and he's the psychiatrist." Jacqueline's bright brown eyes twinkled from behind her glasses as she adjusted them.

    "Though with a voice like mine, it'd almost make you wonder why I wasn't the one soothing the ears of those troubled souls, huh?" Skyler winked one of his yellow eyes.

    "I'm hard-pressed to disagree," Miranda smirked. "How wonderful of you two to join me. If I may, and if it doesn't violate anything confidential, how do you 'treat' a mammal that has an issue with loving another species?"

    "We try to make them see that it's okay," Jacqueline nodded with an intense look, "that there's nothing to be ashamed of. Love is an emotion of the enlightened, and all of mammalkind is thus enlightened. We're all free to love who we will, if we can only accept that love within ourselves."

    There was an impressed "oh!" that passed over the crowd, and a few mammals even clapped briefly.

    "Mm, exquisite," Miranda smiled with her eyes half-closed. "I hope you will enjoy this little party we at Prideswell have put together, and I will keep this card, thank you." She gave a small half-bow of respect, which Skyler and Jacqueline returned. The lioness left the bunny and fox to themselves.

    Skyler yawned. "Well! It's just about past my bedtime, think we should get up to the hotel room, honeybun?"

    Jacqueline gestured to the dance floor. "Without at least once dance? C'mon, my handsome fox."

---

    The hotel room door softly shut behind the bunny and the fox.

    "Aaand, there's only one bed," Jacqueline said disdainfully, her eyebrows half-lidding.

    "Well, of course," Skyler smirked. "This is a couple's suite. Now hush."  The fox prowled around the room and started sniffing. "We can't be too careful."

    "You sure you'd be able to smell anything off?" Jacqueline cocked her head.

    "Plastic does smell, you know," Skyler systematically moved through the room, to the corners, under the bed, and even in the bathroom. "Seems like it's all clear."

    "Great, I can't stand these contacts," Jacqueline made her way to the bathroom and took off her glasses, then removed brown contacts from her eyes, revealing bright purple eyes underneath. "I know I'm supposed to look inconspicuous, but jeez. What do you even say to someone with brown eyes?" Skyler stood next to the bunny and set about starting to remove his own contacts.

    "Your eyes are like two sips of mocha coffee, joined by the warm breeze of daybreak," Skyler replied, blinking his green eyes after removing his yellow contacts.

    "You do play the part of hopeless romantic perfectly, 'Skyler'," Judy smiled. "You even look pretty good with yellow eyes."

    "Why thank you, 'Jacqueline'," Nick grinned, loosening his burgundy tie. "Though I have to say my favorite part of this has been seeing you in that red sequined number." His eyes darted to Judy's dress.

    "Ugh, really?" Judy perked up an eyebrow. "I really don't think I wear 'opulent' well."

    "I humbly disagree," Nick wiggled his eyebrows. Judy rolled her eyes.

    "Do you think we should check in with the ZPD?" Judy moved her tongue within her mouth as she thought. "I think your schmoozing with Ms. Pride was far from a loss."

    "I feel like we might have gotten her on the line," Nick nodded seriously, "but we're only supposed to call the guys if we have something for sure. Maybe we should keep our contacts on the nightstand in case she tries to reach out to us in the middle of the night."

    "I can't believe someone like Pride might be behind the sudden increase in the distribution of randernephrol," Judy frowned. "I mean, what sense does that make? She seems to fight for a noble cause. Unlike Bellwether, she doesn't seem to want to make a power grab. Do you get a read from her?"

    "Well, her life story isn't as blatant as the one I read from you, Carrots," Nick smirked, to a gentle shove from Judy. "But everyone has their reasons. 'Randy' decreases the inhibitions and increases the drive to mate of those that ingest it. If you wanted me to guess, I'd say Pride was very frustrated at one point, perhaps infatuated with a crush of another species that she couldn't attain."

    "So you think she feels like it's 'justice' that she is helping develop and distribute that dangerous drug?" Judy sneered. "The dosages for it seem to be all over the place... and it's put a lot of people in the hospital."

    "As it is with any unregulated drug," Nick frowned. He shook his head. "Anyway, I'm pretty sure that we might have her. We just need to supply her with the information for our 'pharmaceutical' contacts if asked, and we'll have her in the sting."

    "But until then," Judy gestured toward the bed, "there's the question of who gets the bed."

    "Oh, have I done something to offend you, Jacqueline?" Nick placed his hand delicately on his chest. "Are you telling me that loving mates such as ourselves don't sleep in the same bed?"

    "C'mon dummy, we checked for bugs and cameras," Judy smirked. "I'm not your wife, I'm your partner."

    "Eh, to-may-to to-mah-to," Nick shrugged. "You know we were chosen for this operation because we basically act like we're married anyway."

    "But we're not," Judy insisted, "we're partners."

    "I volunteer to take the bed," Nick said blithely, "I'm older and larger than you." He nodded to the couch. "Couch's plenty big. Maybe it folds out into a bed."

    Judy scoffed. "Wow, that's big of you."

    "Eh, I'm only four foot nothin'," Nick smirked. Judy rooted around in her drawer and took out her pajamas; they were purple things with darker edges and carrots all over them. Nick's eyes widened. "Uh, is that what you're gonna wear to bed? Are you supposed to be my wife or my twelve-year-old daughter?"

    "Oh shut up," Judy grumbled, "they're comfy." She took her clothes to the bathroom and shut the door. She continued talking to him through the door while she changed. "So, what did you think? Hows 'Jackie'?"

    "She could use a little work, but I'd date her," Nick grinned, starting to remove his own clothes.

    "Oh come on, she's totally believable," Judy protested. "I'll have you know that if the whole 'police officer' thing didn't work out I was going to be an actress. Heck, I made some people cry with my role as the princess of Inevitable in high school."

    "And I've been 'acting' for my daily bread almost as long as you've been alive, Fluff," Nick said airily. "You're going to need a bit more practice to keep up with me."

    "You're acting like 'Skyler' isn't basically just you anyway," Judy threw back mockingly. "Bad jokes and all."

    "Hey, they say write what you know," Nick grinned.

    "So, what's our plan if-" Judy stepped out of the bathroom and her eyes bulged as she saw Nick, "sweet mother of marmot milk! Nick...!"

    "Quiet down!" Nick whispered harshly. "These walls might not be that thick."

    "Okay then, Skyler," Judy hissed. "Where are your clothes!?"

    With innocent, large eyes, Nick gestured down to his black, heart-print boxers.

    "Where's your night clothes?" Judy continued in a harsh whisper.

    "Carrots, I sleep in the nude, so consider me even wearing boxers a courtesy," Nick half-closed his eyes and added in a sleazy grin.

    "Oh for peanut butter's sake," Judy placed a hand to her forehead and shook her head as she walked by him.

    "Boy, it's a good thing my ego is so huge, or else I'd be a little insulted," Nick raised his eyebrows as Judy passed him by. "A lot of mammals would pay to see a chest like this."

    "Maybe you should be in another line of work then, hotshot," Judy smirked over her shoulder. Judy grabbed a pillow from the bed and started to fluff it, heading for the couch.

    "Hey Judy, I was just kidding earlier," Nick's voice lost its playfulness, "you can take the bed if you want."

    "Oh no, that's fine!" Judy said in an airy, teasing tone. "By all means, rest those old bones of yours. This bunny will be more spry than you in the morning anyway."

    "C'mon, I insist," Nick gestured at the bed.

    "Fight you for it?" Judy put up her fists and shifted her weight from foot to foot. Nick tried not to laugh at how adorable she looked in a battle stance in her cutesy pajamas joined with her eager expression.

    "I'll pass on that," Nick held up a hand in caution. "One, I know I'd lose, and two, I'd like to be able to move in the morning. How about roshambo?"

    "Sure!" Judy's brow lowered, holding up a fist. "Okay, rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" Both of them had scissors. "Uh... rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" Both rock. "...Rock paper scissors shoot!" Both rock again. And so on it went through scissors, paper, paper, scissors, and finally rock.

    "Okay, this is getting spooky," Nick chuckled, "could you get off my wavelength?"

    Judy sighed. "I'll take the couch."

    Nick moved toward the bed, then looked over at Judy. "You know... uh... we could always share the bed."

    "Pff," Judy responded tersely, looking around for some spare sheets for the couch.

    Nick frowned a little, then smirked before Judy saw. "Y'know, get that practice in of acting like a married couple."

    "I thought you said we do that anyway," Judy said offhandedly, looking through some cupboards.

    Nick pat at his chest with both hands. "C'mon Fluff. Tell me you haven't wanted to cuddle with something like this before."

    "Hmm," Judy turned her head to consider him with a widening grin. "Like a big, skinny teddy bear."

    "I take offense to that," Nick said, twirling around and swishing his tail. "Bears don't have a tail like I do."

    "Few mammals do," Judy's expression was very nearly a leer. "Okay, hotshot. I'm willing to give 'share' a try."

    "That's the spirit," Nick grinned, sliding into bed, then 'oof'ing as Judy launched right onto him. "Jeez, your enthusiasm for everything knows no bounds."

    "False, I just 'bounded' into bed," Judy smiled proudly.

    "And you said my jokes were bad," Nick grumbled, bringing his arms around Judy gently.

    "Oh...?" Judy felt her ears flush at the contact as Nick nestled the bunny closer to him. Judy blinked twice, suddenly quite aware of how he smelled. It wasn't unpleasant. She gave a resigned smile as she nuzzled his chest with her cheek. "Heh, is your pulse always like that?"

    "Only when I'm nice and calm," Nick returned softly.

    "Really?" Judy blinked. She quietly counted in her head. "That must be about 120 beats per minute... same as a rabbits...?"

    "Guess we have more in common than we thought, fluff," Nick shrugged his shoulders, petting Judy's ears back, taking in their slight warmth.

    "Wh-what's with all this pawsy stuff?" Judy grinned, though her own paws were gently moving across Nick's fluffy expanse of a chest.

    "Just playing the role, sweetheart," Nick kissed the top of Judy's head chastely.

    Judy closed her eyes. "Well, don't get used to it, buster." If she was honest with herself, she felt very, very comfortable, despite Nick's abruptly overt affectionate teasing. Or perhaps because of it?

    "Aw, my wife is so mean to me," Nick said in a low semi-teasing grumble. Judy felt a tiny surge of excitement at the tone, especially because he kept petting her ears.

    "Oh hush...!" Judy meant to sound irritated, but it came out as a titter.

    Nick yawned, and Judy opened her eyes and looked up just to see his jaws opening with the tired-looking fox smacking his jaws right after. His petting ceased, but he held Judy a little firmer for a moment, before relaxing. She felt his tail sweep across her. Her heart rate bumped up for a moment before the feelings caused her to relax as well.

    "You know, one of the first things you called me was a stuffed animal," Judy grumbled quietly, as she was beginning to feel like one.

    "Shh..." Nick whispered. "Stuffed animals usually don't talk."

    "Goodnight, dummy," Judy whispered back.

    Nick's breath changed before long, telling Judy that he was asleep. Judy was having a harder time sleeping. She wondered about her commitment to the "role". Was Nick right? Should she perhaps have brought a more "mature" set of nightwear? She had thought initially that the fox might enjoy that a bit too much. But there she was, in pajamas she'd worn since her late teens, cuddled by a fox in his underwear.

    He was so soft and relaxing... so why couldn't she sleep?

    Judy's thoughts threatened to spiral out of control, but the fluffy cocoon of warmth Nick had her captured in slowly had its intended effect on its victim and Judy dropped into a peaceful slumber.

Notes:

If you enjoyed this chapter and would like more, I wrote a whole fanfic about this: "Pride and Shame".

Chapter 139: Path

    The proud Temple of Destiny stood near the middle of Savannah Central. There it had stood for hundreds of years, built by some of the earliest residents of Zootopia. Still lit by candlelight from braziers in the evening, in the middle of the day beams of sunlight shone down and illuminated its passages, creating peaceful interplay between light and shadow.

    In the main hall of the temple was the statue of Destiny herself. A skeletal, quadrupedal giraffe, a few feet taller than even a regular giraffe. Instead of vertebrae, her neck appeared as a dull blade, but her stone "bones" were also painted in various pastel colors. There was a natural flow to them, and it looked like disharmony itself had been cleaned up to make a magnificent image. As Destiny was supposed to carry souls to their destinations, her statue did not look down at anyone who venerated it, yet looked beyond, to the massive wooden doors, as if calling out for followers to flock to her as their destination.

    The temple remained largely empty on most days. The Celestials were relics of the past, and had little influence in modern Zootopia beyond being invocations in conversation. The Temple of Destiny in particular remained barren, as she was one of the Celestials of death. Most recently, the temple had been defaced by seemingly random splashes and swathes of graffiti, sprayed all over the floors, walls, and columns that made up the temple.     

    One midday, the massive doors of the temple opened, and a skunk poked her head in. She blinked her teal eyes as they adjusted to the lower light in the temple, and she made her way into it, closing the doors softly. Cautiously, she looked around the temple, not finding another soul residing in it. She shrugged off her backpack and placed it gently on the floor, then walked up to the statue of Destiny.

    The skunk looked at the statue only briefly before dropping to her knees and gently placing her hands together, faced slightly downwards. She took in a deep breath and began to speak.

    "Great Destiny, it is your follower, Chloe," she said earnestly, her soft voice barely echoing through the chamber. "Please, I supplicate you. You well know my destination; show me the path that I must take to get there."

    The skunk drew a shape on her chest, a U shape, symbolizing Destiny's horns, and a straight shape connected to the nadir of the U, symbolizing Destiny's blade.

    Chloe rose to her feet and looked back at her backpack. She moved to it and after checking her surroundings again, carefully opened it. Inside were several cans of spray paint, two of which she took. She gave a venerating look to the structure around her.

    Holding the spray cans to her chest, Chloe closed her eyes and waited to be inspired. She believed that the Temple of Destiny was incomplete, that the gray stones making up the temple failed to tell the story of the various paths and missteps souls took on their way to Destiny. So, she was there to rectify that.

    Suddenly opening her eyes, Chloe walked around and began to spray paint, creating artful arcs that she felt mystically and inexorably led to the statue of Destiny herself. She added splashes and splatters to indicate the wayward souls that hadn't yet found peace with the death Celestial. Fussily, the skunk went through several colors of spray paint as she continued her work. She felt consumed by her passion and her spirituality, letting whimsy and chance move her, spray painting almost as if caught in a trance-like dance.

    Her mind was suddenly snapped out of the space it had found itself in when she began to hear voices from outside. She drew in a breath sharply and looked for her backpack. Rushing back toward it, she grabbed it and hid behind a pillar.

    The doors to the temple slowly opened again.

    "Ah, I remember the last time we were here," Nick Wilde said reverently, stretching. "I must have you tell me... am I the moon?"

    "Oh, hush," Judy Hopps said with an embarrassed smile.

    "It was the most fun I've ever had in a Celestial Temple before, I'll tell you that," Nick said, then suddenly looked thoughtful, "...nah, definitely the most fun."

    "Looks like she's been back," Judy folded her arms and looked around the temple. "There's definitely more graffiti than before."

    "Mm," Nick nodded, stepping forward. "Kind of hard to believe this is a solo effort, though I guess the height limit of the marks is telling."

     Judy walked to a column and held her arm high. "I think I could just about spray that high. She's probably about my height."

    "Yeah," Nick agreed, "that makes sense. When we recovered white and black furs, I thought for sure there must have been multiple perpetrators, but it appears like it's just one skunk."

    Chloe felt like the final words were being said in slow motion. Her breaths were coming quicker and her heart pattered in her chest. There was no way she wouldn't be caught. The cans would clink in her backpack if she tried to run. Her teeth showing and her eyes darting quickly, she didn't even dare to look at the police mammals on the other side of the room.

    "For a first time offender, she must really hate Destiny," Judy sucked at her teeth and walked forward, regarding the graffiti. "Though, I dunno... what do you think, Nick?"

    "What do I think about what?" Nick walked up next to Judy.

    "The patterns of the graffiti, everything," Judy regarded it. "Is it art?"

    "Maybe, but it's defacement of public property, either way," Nick shrugged. He sniffed at the air. "Oh wow, these markings smell new. As in brand new."

    "She was just here?" Judy's ears became even straighter. "Or wait... she might still be here..."

    Chloe put a paw over her mouth, trying not to gasp in terror. If she could just make it behind the short stone cylinder the Destiny statue was standing on, perhaps she could move around it and escape out the front door before they noticed her. It would take them getting much, much closer, though, and leaving the door unguarded. She still couldn't bear to look at them.

    "Yeah she's still here," Nick moved closer, "I can smell skunk. Not like... skunk-butt skunk, but definitely skunk."

    Chloe panicked and started to move briskly for the statue. The eyes of the officers did not fall on her, but one of Judy's bunny ears twitched. She heard something that sounded like a soft clanging sound. Judy made a motion to Nick, and Nick nodded. The two started to go around either side of the statue.

    "Aaaaiee!" Chloe screamed as she found herself staring right at a fox.

    "Guh!" Nick quickly shielded himself, but only managed to close his eyes in time before the skunk sprayed him.

    "Whoa, careful there, Missy," Judy rushed up behind her and wrestled her hands behind her back. "You're under arrest for defacing public property."

    Panting in fear, Chloe squinted her eyes shut in shame.

    Nick looked at his hands and wrists and found them a bright violet color.

    "Tsk," Nick shook his head. "You know, I think violet's more your color, Judy."

    Judy winced in mild amusement as Chloe's attack had gotten some of Nick's fox face too. "Not going to argue there."

    Chloe reluctantly walked out the door to the temple, led by the two officers, her countenance falling.

---

    The skunk had her arms folded in the interrogation room. She hadn't said a word in quite awhile. Nick regarded her curiously, but got blank looks in return for his efforts.

    "Well Chloe, your mother is on the way," Judy said, coming into the room. "She doesn't sound happy." Chloe made no sort of reaction at all.

    "You know that since you're only sixteen, you don't have to say anything, right?" Nick asked. The fox got a piercing glare in return. "Not that it seems like you were going to say anything anyway..."

    Before long, a skunk woman was admitted to the room. She appeared quite similar to Chloe, but very slightly taller and with an even sterner face; she was quite well-dressed in a muted purple outfit.

    "Where is she?" The skunk darted her eyes around the room and locked onto Chloe's. The younger skunk's defiance waned, though only momentarily, when she received a sharp, angry gaze from her mother.

    "Valerie Plouffe?" Judy asked.

    "Indeed," Valerie affirmed, going to sit down next to Chloe, her eyes fixed on her daughter. "Skipped school again today, mm?" Chloe continued to say nothing.

    "We have reason to believe Chloe here was behind the vandalism at The Temple of Destiny," Judy said. Chloe's brow slightly furrowed, her head angling down a few degrees.

    "So is that what you've been up to, then?" Valerie huffed in annoyance. "Looks like your delinquency has finally caught up to you, then."

    "Ah..." Nick looked through his papers. "We have no record of any crimes committed by Chloe. This is her first offense."

    "What she's been caught doing, anyway," Valerie stared daggers at Chloe. "Will this be moving to court?"

    "There does seem to be sufficient evidence to try her..." Judy noted. Chloe's eyes grew larger and her brow raised.

    "However, we also have the ability to give her a warning and release her," Nick frowned. "It being her first offense and all."

    "Are you joking?" Valerie scoffed loudly. "After vandalizing a 'venerable' monument like that?" Valerie looked Chloe over. "I say you should teach her a lesson, because I certainly haven't been able to get through to her." Chloe flinched, just a little, and tried to hold a firm gaze, though the desire to cower was strong within her.

    "It likely wouldn't go to court," Judy insisted. "It'd probably end up being handled informally before a probation officer or judge."

    "By all means," Valerie looked at her claws. "Will she be doing community service?"

    "Perhaps," Nick's mouth showed the barest discomfort. "But they might also suggest counseling."

    "Counseling?" Valerie's upper lip curled. "You think that will get through to this skunk? No no, I think you'll find her head is too thick to let any words of reason sink in." Chloe finally turned her head, her teeth barely bared. Nick and Judy both saw her reaction and felt varying degrees of anxiety. "Now, thank you for doing your duty, civil servants, but I'll be doing the parenting."

    "If I may-" Nick held up a perfunctory finger.

    "If you're going to suggest something about how to raise my children, I'll thank you not to," Valerie said curtly. "Now, are we done here?"

    Nick and Judy exchanged a glance, communicating a feeling of powerlessness to each other.

---

    The doors to The Temple of Destiny opened, and Nick walked in. He adjusted his tie, wearing it loosely on his Pawaiian shirt, and walked in.

    "That you, Wilde?" A lion officer asked.

    "Sure is," Nick nodded.

    "Well, the girl's here," the lion gestured. Chloe was hunched over, cleaning up the graffiti, scrubbing at it vigorously with a hateful expression and clenched teeth. Her expression barely changed as she noticed Nick, but she turned her head up to look at him.

    "What do you want?" The skunk spat the words violently.

    "Just wanted to see how you were doing," Nick said distantly, looking around. "Clean-up's coming along nicely."

    "What do you care how I'm doing?" Chloe grunted the words out as she cleaned. "You don't understand anything."

    "Oh now, try me," Nick challenged in a cool voice. "The first thing I'd like to understand is what your relationship with Destiny is."

    "You wouldn't-," Chloe jerked her head to the side and scoffed. "I was trying to improve the place, give it more of a feeling of Destiny's flowing might."

    "Mm," Nick nodded. "You do know you can't just do that to a centuries-old building, right?"

    Chloe sucked at her teeth.

    "Having trouble with school?" Nick paced around with his hands behind his back.

    "Go away," Chloe choked out, her voice weakening into a waver.

    "Youngest? Oldest?" Nick looked over her.

    "Middle child," Chloe said, then her voice heated up. "Stop trying to figure me out!"

    "Ooh, middle child," Nick shook his head. "Rough."

    Chloe growled, staring at Nick.

    "Okay, let's play a little game," Nick said gently. "You give me one guess to figure out what's up with you, and if I'm wrong, I leave you alone."

    "What if you're right?" Chloe asked.

    Nick chuckled. "Oh, did that possibility actually cross you, then? If I'm right, you have to listen to some advice from this nasty old policefox."

    "...Fine, deal," Chloe said in a disinterested voice. She bowed her head and continued scrubbing at the floor.

    "You're frustrated," Nick said, looking off at the statue of Destiny. "School is going rough for you; that just happens to some kids. You have a hard time studying and focusing on most classes. All except art."

    Chloe felt a breath come in slightly quicker.

    "You excel at art; have an artist's soul," Nick went on, giving Chloe a once-over. "But your struggles with school just pool your frustrations. Worse, your siblings are great at school, successful. You feel inadequate because you can't do what they do, and lack the focus your mother tells you that you need."

    Chloe's brow furrowed and she felt like throwing her sponge, but she looked up at Nick, her teeth grit.

    "You venerate Destiny," Nick looked up at the statue again, gesturing at it. "Because Destiny knows where you belong and where you need to end up. But you don't know what path you need to take." Nick scratched his chin. "By doing her will, you hope to curry her favor, hope to be religiously inspired to be what you desperately want to be. ...I'm guessing some sort of artist."

    Chloe's lip trembled, though she held her angry face. Her eyes misted up, just a little. "How did you do that...?"

    "Hustler," Nick poked his thumb at his chest. "For twenty years, even."

    "That's a lie..." Chloe heavily blinked her eyes to stave off her tears. "You're a police officer. One of the 'good guys'."

    "Wasn't always the case," Nick said distantly. "Those misspent decades of my youth... I used them to learn how to read people. Comes in handy when figuring out the motivations of petty perps."

    "Decades?" Chloe blinked. "You don't look a day over forty."

    "Ouch," Nick smirked. Chloe let out a long sigh.

    "...What's your advice?" The skunk bowed her head in defeat. "What should I do?"

    "Well, what do you want to do?" Nick shrugged. "Following the spirit of your passion-"

    "I've always- I've always kind of wanted to do fur dye, you know?" Chloe, interrupted looking up at Nick with sudden enthusiasm. "Even on myself; I've thought about what it'd be like to have electric blue and pink stripes instead of white stripes."

    "Huh, okay," Nick chuckled at the abrupt outburst.

    "But Mom... she thinks all that body-mod stuff is extreme counter-culture garbage," Chloe mumbled. "Mom doesn't like anything I do."

    "That makes it hard," Nick nodded. "But the prettiest flowers grow in the midst of a dreary field."

    Chloe made a skeptical face.

    "Yeah, I just made that up," Nick smiled. "Listen Chloe, I don't want to see you back down at the ZPD again, okay? I want you to shoot for your dream, and if I happen to poke into a fur-dye place one day and you're there, that'd make me very happy indeed."

    "Pff..." Chloe rolled her eyes.

    "I mean it. Electric blue-slash-pink stripes and all," Nick said, hands on his hips.

    "It'll never happ- I mean, I don't know how to get there..." Chloe mumbled, rubbing her eyes on her arm. "Sometimes I feel like Mom's gonna kick me out the day I turn eighteen."

    "Just don't give up," Nick crouched down next to her. "Okay? I did, and it's only by the grace of Serendipity that I was pulled out of the hole of muck that was my life." Nick smiled, just a little. "If you don't fall as far, it won't be as hard to pull yourself back up."

    "...Serendipity's a dumb Celestial," Chloe smirked, her eyes not quite meeting Nick's.

    "Well, she is a bunny, after all," Nick grinned, straightening up. He turned around, about to leave. "For what it's worth, I did think this place was starting to look nicer with a bit of color, but you have to go through the proper channels to just change an old structure like this, you know?"

    "...Yeah, okay," Chloe's smirk slowly turned genuine.

    Nick started to make his way off.

    "Officer Wilde?" Chloe called out after him.

    "Mmm...?" Nick turned his head halfway to look at her.

    "If you do see me in a fur dye place in the future... you gotta- you gotta let me mess with your fur, okay?" Chloe had an adventurous grin.

    "...Uh, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Nick grinned and saluted.

    Chloe's grin grew wider and she continued to scrub away at her graffiti as the fox walked out of the temple.

Chapter 140: Path II

Notes:

A sequel to what is currently chapter 113

    Though it was quite an assorted group of four mammals walking together down the street, no one gave them a second look. The streets of Savanna Central were often a menagerie of species, and the four went beneath notice by just about everyone.

    Of course, a closer look would have revealed that the fox and bunny were none other than Judy and Nick, the famous pair of mammals that had saved Zootopia quite some time ago.

    A blue-eyed gray squirrel was melodramatically draped over the fox's shoulder, and he sighed loudly.

    "Something the matter, Larry?" Judy looked up at the squirrel, while the raccoon to her left quickly flit her eyes over to the other three before continuing to look at her phone.

    "I am so hungry," Larry complained.

    A bright, devious smile drew itself across Nick's face.

    "Hi So Hungry, I'm Dad," Nick said proudly.

    "Aaaugh..." Larry groaned, and his stomach followed suit. His eyes squinted shut in played-up pain. Judy tried not to laugh, and it came out as a stifled "pft".

    "Really, Dad?" The raccoon narrowed one of her brown eyes skeptically from behind her glasses.
'
    "What? Oh come on, Rachel," Nick swiveled his head over to the raccoon, who was very slightly taller than the bunny and a little wider. He held out and shrugged his free arm. "That's a classic dad joke."

    "Didn't know you'd go after the lowest-hanging fruit..." Rachel rolled her eyes back to her phone.

    "Sheesh, everyone's a critic!" Nick chuckled.

    "Raised by a couple of sass-masters like us, I think Larry and Rachel have a bit higher standards for humor," Judy said with a proud wiggle of her head, her eyes closed. Her steps became almost jaunty.

    "Too bad you can't eat sarcasm," Larry muttered. "Else I'd never be hungry."

    "See, that was a good one," Rachel smirked, though her eyes didn't leave her phone.

    "Okay, okay!" Nick laughed again, trying to keep his squirrel-bearing shoulder still. "We're headed to dinner right now."

    The desperate jingle of a door-chime burst suddenly from behind the quartet.

    "Officer Wilde...?"

    The whole family slowly turned toward the feminine voice. A rather unusual vision stood before them. She was a slightly-short skunk with teal eyes. She wore a checkered halter top and a black and white striped band on one wrist, long black pants, and a ring belt and hip chain. The white parts of her fur, her stripes, underbelly, and shock of white hair on top of her head, were all vibrantly dyed with swirls and tips of electric blue and vivid pink colors. A small bit of teal lipstick adorned her lower lip and matched her eyes, which sat behind electric blue-framed glasses. The finishing touches were a pair of earrings, one blue and one pink.

    "Whoa," Larry breathed out, and the whole family was momentarily taken aback at being accosted by such a colorful-looking skunk.

    "I uh..." the skunk gave a small, guilty smile, looking suddenly pensive. "I'm sure you don't remember me, but-"

    "Chloe, right?" Nick held up a finger to interrupt her. He looked upward briefly in recollection. "No, I'm sure that was it... Chloe."

    The skunk's mouth froze in a stunned "o" shape, and immediately her eyes started to mist up. She let out a choked laugh, taking off her glasses and wiping her eyes.

    "Yh-yeah, that's me," Chloe affirmed, nodding rapidly. "Chloe Plouffe."

    "You know her?" Rachel looked curiously at her father.

    "We've arrested her before," Judy gave an inquisitive, though not unwelcome look. "The skunk from the temple... that was wow... ten years ago?"

    "Something like that..." Chloe sobbed with an uneasy nod.

    "Whoa, she's...!?" Rachel flinched, looking at Judy with wider, concerned eyes.

    "No no, she's okay, she's okay," Nick held a paw up in caution. "You are okay, right, Chloe?"

    "Yeah, I'm... I'm fine," Chloe smiled lightly, wracked by one last sob, which turned to a cheerful chuckle. "It's so great to see you again, Officer Wilde..."

    "You, specifically?" Judy turned a curious stare at Nick.

    "Well, it is Detective Wilde-Hopps now, but that's besides the point," Nick said. "I may have given her some advice when I was checking up on her community service." He gave her a playful, brief point with the swipe of a finger. "You know, I almost didn't recognize you with the glasses."

    "Oh, you mean, besides all this?" Chloe gave a choked chuckle, then twirled around to show them the extent of her fur-dye. She wiggled her glasses before putting them back on. "Yeah, skunks can get pretty near-sighted. I thought about getting laser surgery, but... eh. Glasses are just another form of expression, huh?" Chloe tried smiling at Rachel, who offered a conciliatory shrug and nod.

    "You and your bleeding heart, Nick," Judy smiled proudly, though her brow was furrowed. She shoved him lightly and Larry instinctively dug his paws in harder to his ride. "What'd you tell her?"

    "Oh, y'know," Nick bat the air nonchalantly. "The standard 'don't give up', 'make your dreams come true' junk."

    Chloe laughed brightly. "Well? It worked!" She proudly turned around and gestured grandiosely with both hands at the building she'd come out of.

    "'A Splash of Color fur salon'," Judy read, tilting her head. "Huh!"

    "So you did make it!" Nick smiled. "Good for you."

    "Yeah, as it happened the key was in my own family!" Chloe grinned. "I just had to get a bit closer with my big brother. He wanted to be an entrepreneur, but didn't have a good handle on what kind of shop, so... I proposed this! So he owns the place and does all the boring paperwork, and I'm the chief fur artist." Chloe beamed with pride.

    "That's really cool, Chloe!" Judy smiled. "All because of what this little fox here said?"

    "Just paying it forward, honey," Nick smirked. "As I recall, some little bunny I know pulled me out of my darkest moment..." He gave her a fond look with his eyes half-closed, which Judy returned. "Then I married her, for her trouble."

    "That's wonderful!" Chloe clasped her paws close to face. "And so are these...?"

    "Son," Larry held up a paw before dropping it back down.

    "I'm the daughter," Rachel smiled, putting her phone away. She suddenly looked enthused. "Mom, can I get my fur done here?"

    "Uh, we'll talk about it," Judy grinned nervously, to Rachel's instant look of discouragement. "That doesn't mean no...!"

    "Speaking of getting fur done," Chloe's face slowly scrunched with mischief. "I seem to remember a promise you made me, Officer Detective Wilde-Hopps."

    "Oh, do you?" Nick's grin grew uneasy and he took half a step back.

    "Yeah! If I remember right..." Chloe's grin grew toothy, "you said you'd let me dye your fur if I made it in the fur-dyeing biz."

    "Now, wait just a minute," Nick's brow fell and he held up a cautionary paw. "...I don't think it quite went that way; I don't remember agreeing to that."

    "Nick!" Judy looked shocked, then immediately mischievous. "You can't back out on a promise, especially not in front of the kids!"

    "Yeah, what a bad example for us!" Rachel agreed with a huge grin.

    "I mean, uh, heh...!" Nick chuckled nervously. "I would definitely love to keep that promise, but my poor son here." He grabbed Larry and held him out at both arms length. "He's just about half-starved! We really need to get to dinner, just look at this poor, weak, hungry squirrel's face."

    "You should totally dye my Dad's fur," Larry grinned smugly as he dangled there.

    "Larry!" Nick winced, retracting him and staring at him. "Your line was 'oh yes, I am so hungry! Please let us go eat dinner'!"

    "Here's an idea," Judy smirked. "We can leave you here and go out to eat. We'll bring you back something."

    "How charitable," Nick grumbled. "All right, here." Nick handed Larry off to Rachel.

    "Hey, 'big' brother," Rachel smiled, holding the squirrel aloft.

    "I'm pretty tall for a squirrel," Larry protested. "And I can walk, you know."

    "Good, because you're much bigger to me than you are to Dad," Rachel set him down, then looked over to Chloe. "So, are you gonna make my Dad look amazing?"

    "I promise not to make a disaster of him," Chloe smiled, opening the door. "C'mon, you!"

    "Well, here goes," Nick shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets. "No good deed goes unpunished and all that."

    "You'll be fine, you big baby," Judy leered at him. "C'mon kids, lets eat." Judy walked off with the raccoon and squirrel, leaving Nick to his fate with the skunk.

    "It's a cozy little place," Nick looked around, the scent of fur dye strong in the air.

    "Mhm!" Chloe nodded, setting up a station and washing her paws. "A little too small for bigger jobs, but we do custom work outside. Dyed a giraffe once! That was fun. And a little scary."

    "I'm really glad things worked out for you, Chloe," Nick grinned. "If only because it means I didn't have to arrest you again."

    "Pff," Chloe smirked. "I see that heart of gold beneath that snark. Probably goes for your whole family too, huh?"

    Nick nodded. "Judy's the jelly to my peanut butter. Larry was always a good kit, he just went through some tough times before he landed in our laps. Rachel was a bit more work. Her foster parents were crooks, perpetuating the whole 'raccoons as thieves' stereotype, and she needed a lot of personal attention because she got little from her first family. I think she's turning out fine though; she's as sarcastic as any of us."

    "A common corrupting element that binds you all together, huh?" Chloe giggled, drying her paws.

    "Speaking of corrupting elements, how long is this stuff going to stay in my fur?" Nick wondered, staring at all of the different colorful products on display.

    "Oh, don't worry about it!" Chloe said, indicating a chair for him. "You gotta live in the moment. When I'm through with you, you'll be a masterpiece!"

    "Yeah..." Nick plopped himself down in the chair after guiding his tail through, "kinda what I'm afraid of."

---

    "Jeez, where's the fire, you two?" Judy laughed as Rachel and Larry hurriedly scurried to the salon, followed close behind by their mother carrying a take out box.

    "The fire is to see what Dad looks like!" Larry quipped, scurrying up and onto Rachel's back.

    "Hey!" Rachel wiggled at her brother's incursion as she was steps from the door.

    "Need a better vantage point!" Larry explained. He pointed excitedly at the door. "Go, go! Can you see him?"

    Rachel pushed her way through the door and into the shop.

    "Well, I'm through with him, no charge for this one," Chloe greeted the three and smiled, indicating Nick with her hand.

    Rachel and Larry's jaw's dropped. Larry started to laugh.

    "Uh huh, get it all out..." Nick half-smiled as if challenging the three. "I happen to think it looks pretty becoming." Nick showed off his new look, which included a lot of triangular fuchsia stripes sitting on his orange-red fur.

    "Wow, that's... different," Judy remarked, before stifling a laugh into her paw.

    "Oh my God, awesome," Rachel blurted, taking her phone out and snapping a few pictures, which Nick graciously posed for. "You look like one of those Shadowfoxes from the fantasy novels!"

    "Thank you, my dear," Nick bowed. "And thank you, Chloe, for the experience."

    "Any time!" Chloe insisted, holding her paws together. "Thank you so much for arresting me, both of you!"

    Judy burst into a full on laugh. "Wow, this is too much!"

    "When the chief sees this, he's either going to die laughing or kill me, and I don't know which is more merciful," Nick quipped.

    "I guess you 'rose' to the occasion, huh Dad?" Larry smirked, causing Rachel to double over and laugh.

    "Seriously?" Nick squinted his eyes, picking up the squirrel and sitting him on his shoulder. "You're laughing at a pun? That's beneath both of you. Especially because this isn't rose, it's fuchsia."

    "Whoa, sorry...!" Larry held his paws up defensively before securing himself to his fox shoulder ride.

    "It's about time we get home, everyone," Judy let some residual laughing trail off into a warm sigh. "Your father still has a dinner with his name on it." Judy displayed the take out box which, indeed, had "NICK" written on it. "See?"

    Chloe gave them a final fond wave as the four departed.

    "Can I go back sometime and get my fur done, please?" Rachel begged hopefully, clasping her hands. "I'll be good. Ooh, what should I get, something like a soft purple maybe? Like all over!?"

    "I could see that," Nick smirked with a nod, and Larry added his own nod to agree with him.

    "Hey, I said we'll talk about it, Missy," Judy shook a finger.

    "Well, we are talking now, aren't we?" Rachel blinked hopefully.

    "These kits, Nick, I swear." Judy rolled her eyes with a warm huff.

    "Sharp as tacks," Nick affectionately knocked Larry on the head with the back of his finger, then wiggled the finger as if the squirrel was sharp enough to hurt him with a slurping "agh!".

    Larry did laugh at that, and Rachel failed to stifle a chuckle a well.

    Judy grinned at her newly striped husband and shook her head, rolling her eyes as the four returned home.   

Chapter 141: Break

Notes:

Thanks to DrummerMax64 for the prompt!

    Nick and Judy approached the apartment with their stun guns drawn. They were responding to a 10-62, a break and enter. The call had come in from an apartment on the fourth floor of the Terraforma Towers, an apartment complex on Trip Street, just northeast of Pack Street, on the border of Downtown and the Rainforest District.

    "Yikes...!" Judy noted the front door had been taken completely off its hinges and was lying defeated on the apartment floor. Judy and Nick took positions on either side of the doorway.

    "This is the ZPD!" Judy shouted. "Come out with your hands up!"

    "The ZPD?" A feminine voice came from inside the apartment. "Oh, thank goodness you're here. Please come in!"

    Nick and Judy eyed each other, then cautiously entered the apartment, their guns still leveled. They saw a cougar female standing there anxiously. Judy was immediately struck by the shade of her jade eyes.

    "Mrs. Catmull?" Nick asked cautiously.

    The cougar nodded. "That's right, Angie, or Angela." Judy sounded out the name "Catmull" to herself while looking down slightly; it sounded familiar.

    "Is everything all right?" Nick asked in a solid voice.

    "I mean, kind of? Not really," Angela chuckled nervously. "I was having a bit of quiet time with my husband when we heard pounding on the door, and then this big male lion comes barreling right through the front door! Scared me half to death!"

    "Mm, a cat burglar, huh?" Nick noted with sudden levity.

    "Nick, do not," Judy rolled her eyes, but Angela stifled a laugh. "Did he hurt you? Take anything?" Judy put her gun away and started to take notes.

    "No, I gave him my fiercest roar and he hightailed it out of here," Angela gave a bashful smile. She headed over to a door and knocked on it. "Honey! Are you almost out? The police are here."

    "Anything they might want to steal around- hm," Nick looked around the apartment. He saw several musical instruments, including a piano and saxophone. "Well! One of these would fetch a pretty penny."

    "I feel like this is my fault," Angela grumbled. "I was the one that said we should move here; this area is more predator-friendly, I had heard. But I guess not all of the predators are friendly..."

    "There's no need to blame yourself," Judy shook her head. "We'll get to the bottom of this, ma'am."

    "Robbie said we should move a bit closer to the nightclub we work at," Angela rubbed at her arm anxiously. "After this mess, I think we might just do that."

    A male cougar headed out from the bathroom looking freshly-showered, his brown fur still damp. His brown eyes looked over at Judy with some measure of confusion.

    "Hello sir," Judy smiled up at him. "Officer Judy Hopps, ZPD. Here to help."

    The cougar's eyes and jaw flew open. He headed to the wall, where there were several awards displayed in frames. He picked one up off of the wall carefully and rushed over to show it to Judy.

    Judy blinked at the framed certificate. "Presented to Robert Catmull for excellence in songwriting? Robert Catmull... Rob- Bobby!?" Judy's mouth hung open.

    Bobby Catmull grinned and nodded rapidly.

    "What, you two know each other?" Nick turned his head away from the fallen door and perked up an eyebrow.

    "Oh, I know everyone," Judy smirked haughtily, looking at one of her hand's claws. "In Bunnyburrow, that is."

    "Bunnyburrow?" Nick blinked. "You come from there?"

    Bobby shrugged and nodded, still smiling.

    "Awh, Robbie's always telling me about Bunnyburrow," Angela smiled sincerely. "He said the flavors of music down there are a bit more limited in appeal, and that's why he wanted to come to Zootopia and try to make it on his own."

    "He's 'always telling you', huh?" Nick scratched his chin. "No offense, but ol' Bobby seems a bit taciturn."

    Bobby grinned at this and chuckled. Nick strained his ear to hear anything like a voice coming through the laugh, and thought he barely caught it.

    "Oh, he can talk, Nick, chill out," Judy rolled her eyes.

    "He just often doesn't," Angela smiled, rubbing Bobby's chin. "He likes to save his 'breath' for his music. He can play almost anything, but he loves the piano and the saxophone..." Angela scratched at Bobby's chin, and he began to purr.

    "Bobby, you're married?" Judy beamed up at him, placing her small paws in his. The cougar nodded, towering over her. "That's so great! Wow. It's been forever, huh? The last time I saw you, you were- well, as tall as I am right now!"

    Bobby nodded, giving a bright smile.

    "That is amazing and interesting," Nick droned. "Meanwhile, I'm actually working over here."

    "Oh hush, Nick," Judy walked over and started looking at the door with Nick. "You find any fur?"

    "Not yet, but if I had an extra pair of eyes, it might help," Nick bat his own green eyes sardonically.

    "Fine, I'll do my job..." Judy tossed a sarcastic smile back to the two cougars, who both laughed into their paws. "So tell me about yourself, Bobby!"

    "Oh, there's not much to tell," Bobby said, shrugging. Both Judy and Nick flinched at the sound as he spoke to them for the first time in his completely plain voice. "I mean, uh..." He looked to his wife to continue his thought.

    "Well he moved to Zootopia just out of college," Angela nodded. "He got a lot of work as both a performer and a songwriter! Little Robbie's a genius."

    "Eh," Bobby shrugged, smiling.

    "How'd you two meet?" Judy's ears were perked as her genuine interest flowed through her voice. Nick gave her a testy look, which Judy returned back at the fox. "What, like you never chat up our victims?"

    "Oh, that's a story," Angela grinned at Bobby, who nodded. "He has a regular gig at the Yakety Sax, a jazz nightclub owned by a yak. And goodness if the first time I heard him there I wasn't just swept up off my feet!"

    Bobby smiled warmly, nuzzling his wife.

    Angela giggled, pleased. "I got caught up in his fierce and passionate piano playing so completely that I threw myself in front of the stage and started to sing. I didn't know the words to whatever song he was playing, but I just sung and sung anyway, and I just sung my whole heart out. I almost thought I was gonna get tossed out by security, but after the song Robbie looked at me with this... this look." Bobby demonstrated what she meant. It was a look of intrigue, interest, and even a pinch of hunger. "Yeah, that's the one!"

    "And you started dating soon after that?" Judy tried not to look at the cute cougar couple while she asked. "Oooh, got a piece of fur!" Judy picked it up with tweezers and placed it in a bag. "Too soon to tell, but it does look leonine."

    "Yup, we got along like cheese and crackers," Angela smiled. "We're the most popular duo act there at the Yakety Sax."

    "Yeah, we'll have to take that to the lab. Mm, I haven't heard of you yet, personally," Nick mused conversationally, sparing Angela a glance. "Angela Catmull?"

    "How about Angel Cat?" Angela tried a small smile.

    "Whoa, no way," Nick breathed out, his eyes growing bigger. "That's you?"

    "Oh, now you're interested?" Judy remarked wryly.

    "She's got such a soulful voice!" Nick balled his fists, suddenly looking like a kit in a candy store. "Mm, it's filled with such sweetness, but also a ton of vigor!"

    "Thank you for saying so!" Angela pawed the air bashfully.

    "Sounds like you two are a pretty good team!" Judy winked at the two.

    "Oh, we try," Angela smiled. "Robbie here's just now gone and broken me into mainstream music... it's kind of hard to carve your own niche these days with starlets like Gazelle out there..."

    "I don't suppose you could sing a few bars for us?" Nick clasped his paws together.

    "Um," Angela suddenly looked anxious, "well... I haven't gotten to do my warmups yet, and-"

    "And their place just got broken into," Judy shot a stern look to Nick. "Good grief, and here you thought I was acting like a child."

    "Oh, speaking of," Nick rose up. "Could I have your-"

    "Nick!" Judy interrupted, shooting up. "You may not have her autograph! We're working here!"

    "Chill out, Carrots," Nick rolled his eyes. "I only want her phone number."

    "Nick...!" Judy shouted. "Uh, her husband is right there?" Judy threw both hands out at Bobby, who had a bemused and confused look on his face.

    "Carrots, please," Nick looked up at the female cougar, who was trying very hard not to laugh. "As I was saying, if I get your number I can send you the information of a great moving service. Drop my name and they might even give you a discount if the guy I know still works there. They're called Luggamuffins-"

    At that, Bobby broke into a loud laugh and Angela quickly joined in.

    "I was just about to say not to mind the name," Nick winced. "Anyway, they're a bunch of hippos, mostly, and they'll get your stuff moved out fast. Looks like you have a lot of things around here that are worth quite a bit. Sentimentally, musically, or otherwise."

    "Oh, thank you very much," Angela nodded.

    "I'm going to call in some larger cops than us to patrol the area," Judy held up her radio. "We'll keep you safe until you can get the door back up or move out, whichever comes first."

    "Thank you, Judy," Bobby said, making the bunny flinch again. "It's been really good to see you again."

    "You too, Bobby!" Judy said in a high tone, smiling widely. Her voice turned apologetic. "Sorry it had to be under these circumstances..."

    "Well, I hope we can see each other under other circumstances soon," Angela smiled.

    "Let's get to the lab, Carrots," Nick said. "See if this lion is a repeat offender, or he just hates good music."

    "We do try to keep the 'caterwauling' down to a minimum in the evening hours..." Angela cringed, holding a guilty smile on her face and an index finger up near her chest.

    Judy laughed at this and started heading off with Nick out of the apartment.

    "Oh sure, you laugh at her cat joke," Nick rolled his eyes, shrugging exaggeratedly.

    Judy hummed a self-satisfied laugh. She then stared very intensely at Nick, squinting her eyes.

    "Uh," Nick looked warily at her, then lowered his eyelids. "Of course I can read your thoughts."

    "Wow!" Judy's expression burst with delight. "I always wondered if we had some special, sub-vocal communicative bond between us."

    "Oh, and get this: gullible isn't in the dictionary," Nick held up a hooked finger.

    "What!? Yes it is!" Judy pulled out her phone and was halfway through unlocking it when realization struck her. "Hey."

    Nick laughed.

    "Ugh," Judy decisively shoved her phone back in her pocket, then lightened up. "So uh, you wanna go see them sometime? See them perform?"

    Nick stared hard at Judy.

    "I'll take that as a 'yes'," Judy said lightly, and smiled in satisfaction.

    "I love jazz," Nick grinned, an easy smile on his face. "It's the only form of music as smooth and slick as I am." Judy huffed in mild annoyance. "You sure you want to go, though? There's a lot of... saxual content."

    Judy's head lolled in Nick's direction, a look of extreme exasperation on her face. "Nick, I swear to Serendipity. If we weren't on duty..."

    "You'd do what?" Nick challenged, leaning down a bit.

    Judy glared holes into the fox.

    "Oof, I see!" Nick said gravely, straightening up with wide eyes. "I'll be more careful next time!"

    Judy lightened up again and her step picked up a bit of a skip as the two headed to the elevator.

Chapter 142: Royalty

    "Duke Weaselton!"

    The bearer of this name would have cringed at the shrill, angry tone of the owner of that voice, were he not so tired. The weasel ignored his name, groaned, and slumped into his favorite armchair. The scraggly-looking mustelid was even more worn-down than usual, and the collapsed posture in his noodle-like body communicated this well.

    Standing at the doorway to his bedroom was a very irritated-looking weasel. She glared at him from her chocolate-brown eyes and folded her arms tightly.

    "Where is dinner?" Duke's wife asked acidly.

    "Uh, was I supposed to get somethin', Queenie?" Duke responded, scratching his head.

    "I told you I didn't feel like cooking tonight, Duke!" Queenie thrust her hands out. "I texted you to pick us up something on the way home!"

    Duke rubbed at one of his temples. "Couldn't you have gotten something, babe? You work at a supermarket n' all."

    "Don't 'babe' me," Queenie twitched her index finger's claw sharply.

    "I've had a rough day, bay- Queenie," Duke groaned. "I'll order us a pizza."

    "I like pizza," the voice of Duke's daughter came out from elsewhere in the apartment.

    "No one asked you, Princess," Queenie snapped. "Fine. It'll come out of your pocket, Duke. Get one with sardines."

    "Yes, ma'am," Duke groaned, picking up the phone.

    In the uneasy silence that followed the ordering of the pizza, Duke reflected on the day he had. Queenie didn't ask him about it, and he knew she probably didn't want to hear it. The pawn shop he worked at had gotten mugged by a honey badger, about the largest mammal that could fit into a shop so relatively small. Honey badgers having the reputation they did, the robber didn't even have to produce a weapon to start making threats, and he walked away with a large amount of goods.

    Of all the rotten luck, things even got worse when the police showed up on the scene. That Flopsy character, Judy, was among them, her and Wilde, and the two gave Duke no end of ribbing for being unfortunate enough to be robbed.

    "Ol' Weaselton got robbed? What a shame!" Judy had said, her bright voice unable to conceal a clearly sarcastic intent.

    "Y'know what they say about ol' Karma," Nick had winked at Duke, clicking his teeth. Wilde was one to talk, from what Duke knew of him. The big lug couldn't even fit in the shop properly and was only there to support his partner during the investigation. Duke doubted they'd really put a lot of effort into it. After all, it was "just" Duke Weaselton.

    Between his wife's slowly-building animosity towards him and the ridicule he put up with from other sources, he sometimes regretted going straight.

    His thoughts were broken by the sound of the doorbell ringing. A young male ferret, late teens, was offering the pizza.

    "Ten dollars, please," the ferret requested.

    "Hey, thanks," Duke said, parting with the money. When the ferret gave him a mildly skeptical look, he added another couple of dollars on top of that. "Oh right, heh, tip."

    It seemed like prices were going up while the money he made stayed the same. Ten dollars for a smallish mustelid-sized pizza seemed like highway robbery. Something a "job" or two on the side would alleviate. He was wary of that business, especially after the incident with Mr. Big, who if he never crossed again in his life would suit him fine. As it was, he could count his lucky stars, since a mammal normally didn't live past one cross of Mr. Big.

    Catching a bit of a shiver, Duke walked toward the table.

    "Your damage acting up again?" Queenie narrowed an eye. "Don't drop that."

    Duke placed the pizza down without a word and got some paper plates for everyone.

    "Princess! Pizza's on!" His wife called out.

    Duke's daughter made an appearance, finishing up a text and placing her phone in her pocket. Luckily for the teenage weasel, she'd gotten most of her looks from her mother. Her soft, warm brown eyes were accentuated by a little bit of eyeshadow, and her style of dress could definitely be called fashionable.

    "Hey Mom, hey Dad," Princess grinned. "Ooh, sardines." She happily grabbed a couple of pieces and made her way back to her room with little ceremony.

    Duke ate a piece vacantly as he tried to relax, avoiding the stares he felt boring into him by his wife. As she was making no headway, she put the news on their small television. The weasel hopped the robbery wouldn't show up on the news, and it didn't look like it was going to. There were far bigger stories to tell in Zootopia, in more ways than one.

    "So I had a rough day at work, too," Queenie snipped. Duke felt like retorting, but he let the words perish in his throat. "You wouldn't believe some of the customers I get. Thinking they can boss me around just because I'm a weasel. But no, you have to be cordial to them. The customer's always right, even when they're a jerk."

    "Mhm," Duke nodded absently. Queenie's eyes narrowed at Duke's seeming lack of attention and she gave him an appraising glance.

    "Not that I think you can get a job anywhere else," the weasel looked Duke over, "but you really think working at a pawn shop is doing anything for this family?"

    Duke's brow furrowed and he finally turned his attention to Queenie. "What're you sayin'? Are you sayin' you want me to get back into bootleggin' and petty theft? All that razz?"

    "We need some sort of meaningful income," Queenie frowned. "Between trying to keep ourselves afloat and making sure Princess has nice things, we're nearly broke."

    "I know, I know," Duke grunted. "An' believe me, I've thought about it. But I don't relish the thought of bein' held up over a vat of freezing water again."

    "Always with that story," Queenie rolled her eyes. "It was one job."

    "Yeah, and I never know what kinda mammal's pullin' the strings behind the jobs I take," Duke groaned. "Lotsa mammals bigger or stronger than me. One job gone wrong and I'm outta the picture." He laughed scornfully. "An' you don't even have a good life insurance policy on me."

    "Hmph," Queenie barely smiled. She placed down her spent pieces of pizza, leaving the crust untouched as usual. "Well, don't wake me up when you come to bed, or else."

    Duke swallowed his own piece of pizza as his wife exited to their room. Maybe he'd just sleep on the couch that night.

    As soon as he was beginning to feel drowsy, he was jerked awake by his daughter coming into the room.

    "Whuzzah?" Duke jolted, feeling a brief surge of wakefulness. Princess launched herself onto the couch, playing with her phone. "Ah, hey Princess."

    "Hey," Princess didn't take her eyes off the phone for moment, then put it down and looked at her father. "Y'know, you take a lotta crap from Mom."

    "...Nh, yeah, I know," Duke said, flipping through the TV channels distractedly.

    "Kinda surprised you two've stayed together," Princess pocketed her phone.

    "Well, uh," Duke scratched his cheek. "Where'd you be if we weren't together, huh?"

    Princess seemed to think about this. "So what you're saying is... you two probably aren't going to last once I'm out of the apartment."

    Duke groaned, cringing. "I don't really wanna think about that, sweetie. Things used to be pretty good between her'n me, but- but y'know, things change."

    "So, they were better back when you were a criminal," Princess said flatly. Duke winced, even though the words didn't seem overly accusatory.

    "Pretty much," Duke shrugged guiltily. "Could afford to get her some nice things."

    "At other mammals' expenses," Princess clasped her paws together.

    Duke laughed unsteadily. "What're you, some kinda guidance counselor alluva sudden?"

    "Daddy, I run a clique at school," Princess stated, "but I don't let bad eggs into it. I'm glad you're trying to live your life honestly." Duke couldn't remember if he knew that fact about Princess. He figured his wife must.

    "Well, it's not easy," Duke groaned. "Weasels can still get away with an awful lot. It'd be so simple to just up'n grab a pocketful of cash or two. Lotsa mammals wouldn't miss it."

    Princess made a clearly distasteful face.

    "Y'know, or not," Duke's weak voice trailed off into a tiny laugh. Trying to gather his thoughts, Duke felt he had more to say, but he didn't quite know how to say it. He took a deep breath. "Princess... one truth in this world that ya can't get away from is that money talks. ... An' recently, I haven't had very much to say."

    "Money's not everything, Dad," Princess looked briefly at her phone. "There's also respect. I've managed to get a good deal of that for myself in school, and I respect you too. I didn't always."

    "Ouch," Duke laughed nervously. "How time's gone by, eh? You'll be graduatin' soon, goin' off to college. Thank Drive you got that scholarship... uh, what'd you say you were gonna study?"

    "I'm going to be an accountant," Princess said resolutely.

    "Heh, you'll get to look at a lotta money that way," Duke grinned. His mind felt scrambled from his fatigue, and he couldn't think of anything else to talk about. After a few minutes, Princess got back up and headed back to her room.

    "Uh, Sara!" Duke called after her. Princess blinked at the use of her middle name, and looked over her shoulder. "Dh- y'know... do some good in this world, okay? Be better than me."

    Princess smiled softly. "Love you, Daddy."

    "Love you too, Princess," Duke mumbled out, feeling like some sort of weight was released from his chest.

    Despite his swelling mood, he felt like it would still be better if he slept on the couch that night. Mercifully, sleep found him easier than it usually did.

Chapter 143: Royalty II

    Duke had only made it halfway past his first beer when his concentration slipped.

    The Mike Mink was quiet that night, quieter than he wanted. The weasel groaned, a pitiful sound borne of mild anguish. He jerked back to wakefulness as he saw a large, reddish form brush past him.

    What the-

    "Nick Wilde? Deer God..." Duke scoffed, looking at the casually-dressed fox head to toe. The fox regarded Duke with that same insufferable grin he wore ninety percent of the time. He even recognized the shirt Nick was wearing. Pawaiian, of course, bright red with yellow fronds. It was one of his older ones.

    "Hey hey, Duke," Nick chirped with a wide smirk across his muzzle. "Good to see you."

    "Yeah, that's a lie, an' you know it," Duke muttered.

    "No, I mean it, honest," Nick chuckled.

    "What're you doing here, Wilde?" Duke scoffed. "This is a mustelid dive. You prob'ly barely made it through the door."

    "Anything to drink?" A casually-dressed otter bartender motioned to Nick.

    "Water with lemon's fine, thanks," Nick waved a paw. He looked over at Duke and smiled widely again. "I mean it, Duke, it's good to see you! You've been out of trouble for so long that I'd wondered if something'd happened to you."

    "Eh, go fleece yourself," Duke jerked his head away from Nick, but then snapped it back and stared at him. "I still know you, Wilde. You can't go two sentences without lyin'. You don't give a rat's crap about me."

    "You're hurting my feelings," Nick gave a tiny, insincere frown, squeezing a lemon slice into his water before taking a brisk lap of it. Duke's eyes darted briefly to the paw holding the glass.

    "What the-," Duke's eye narrowed, "you're married, Wilde!?" The handsome gold ring stood out on his chocolate-brown finger.

    "Nice, that ol' thief's eye," Nick tapped near his eye with his other hand. "Always looking out for those valuables."

    Duke inwardly burned to retort, but he decided not to give Nick the satisfaction. After a pause, he looked back to the ring.

    "Who'd you marry?"

    "Well, I don't want to brag," Nick almost cooed, "but a certain Judy Hopps."

    "Unbelievable," Duke's jaw hung open slightly and he shook his head. "Just unbelievable."

    "What, you got a problem with that, Duke?" Nick bat his eyes.

    "Everything that's happened to you recently has been cause of that freakin' bunny," Duke sneered. "You got a real job, in public service, even. You got out of all that pussyfootin' 'illegal' crap you were doin'... and you even got a wife out of her? All cause of what- those freakin' coincidences? All that crap with the-" Duke twitched, as if he couldn't bring himself to say the name of the plant he'd once stolen. "The- uh- the 'NH' incident?"

    Nick's smile faltered. "Oh, believe me, I know how lucky I am."

    "Yeah, like Serendipity gave you a big fat kiss on the forehead," Duke sneered.

    "It does make you wonder," the fox replied mildly.

    "Well, that's the difference between you'n me, you sunnuva vixen-"

    "Technically true," Nick pointed out with a curved finger up.

    "You actually got a face the Celestials could actually like," Duke sneered. "So they blessed the ground you walked on, and cursed mine! You've got your marriage to a hot cottontail worn proudly on your paw, and lookit this, uh?" Duke flicked his paw to show its back and front.

    "You barely wore your ring anyway," Nick argued, taking a long sip of water.

    "Yeah, well it's gone now," Duke muttered. "She split up with me. And thank the Lamb for that. I've never been more at peace. ...Apartment's quiet, though."

    Nick's muzzle twisted as he considered the glum-looking weasel. "Y'know, besides your attitude, I'd say you actually look better than usual. Is that part of it, then?"

    "Well, I- uh," Duke gestured aimlessly with one paw as if to coax the words out, "I got an interview tomorrow, see? And my daughter, she kinda sprung for a salon treatment with this one sand cat. Does great work. Not miracles, but-"

    "You got your fur done?" Nick marveled with a huge, amused grin.

    "Shuddup, Wilde," Duke grunted, "I gotta look presentable."

    "What's the gig?"

    "It's not a 'gig', Wilde, it's a job," Duke sneered. "I'm applying for pitchmammal for a trade show. I'd get to travel the continent. Daughter's in college and Queenie's... doin' whatever, so yeah. It'd get me out of the place, see some sights."

    "Huh," Nick rubbed at his chin. "A pitchmammal?"

    "Y'know, kinda like Billy Hayes," the weasel shrugged one shoulder.

    "Right, right," the fox chuckled, "I could see you as one. You do have some persuasive charm."

    "Uh huh," Duke looked Nick over, "not as much as you. You rolled aces, Wilde. You're a red fox, and they're easy on the eyes, you got charm to spare, and you hit the freakin' jackpot with that bunny, while other preds like me scrounge for scraps."

    "I got very lucky," Nick admitted, "but I did work for it. I was the first fox to graduate the police academy, but not the first to try. Nine months of training, Duke. It wasn't easy."

    "Yeah? Well neither's gettin' a job when you have a rap sheet like mine," Duke frowned, "even though most of it is petty. Shoo. If I had half as good a mug as you, I'd already be rollin' in dough, one way or another. I mean- we were almost in the same lot in life, all things considered. But with that grin of yours, you could charm the fur off a skunk."

    "Um- yeah, heh..." Nick chuckled, rubbing behind his head. "In hindsight, that wasn't my best idea."

    Duke's face read confusion.

    "Anyway, ah- I suddenly find myself curious," Nick coughed. "What made you want to go straight? Did you want to try to save your marriage? Get respect from your wife?"

    "God no," Duke sneered, "her respect and a dollar'd get me a bag of fried crickets. I think my tryin' to get onto the narrow road actually sealed the fate of our 'blessed union'."

    "Something must have motivated you, then," the fox considered, finishing off his water, "unless you just really wanted to get out of that marriage."

    "It's..." the weasel grunted, looking clearly uncomfortable. He hunched over, looking left and right. "It's y'know, it's the daughter, Wilde. She never gave me the time a' day when I was a crook, but now?" He shrugged, distracted. "I dunno, Wilde. She calls. She talks to me."

    Nick smiled. "That's good- that's a good thing."

    "And I was just thinkin'," Duke frowned. "If I make it to a ripe old age, or my damage acts up and I end up in a wheelchair or somethin'... y'know. It's kinda nice to know there's someone that might want to take care of me, y'know...?"

    "Oh yeah," Nick's smile looked very warm.

    "Geh," Duke took in an unsteady breath, and tried a smirk he didn't have the confidence for. "What, don't have one of your smart remarks for that? Weaselton's goin' all soft?"

    "Oh no, Duke, I think you've earned a break," Nick grinned. "Hope you get the job." Nick's gaze slipped past Duke and his posture seemed to change subtly. "Well, I gotta get moving. Good talking to you."

    "Hey, catch ya later, Wilde," Duke barely smiled, "if you're unlucky."

    To Duke's surprise, Nick didn't actually leave the club, but changed seats to a small group of shady-looking mustelids and a foul-tempered boar. Duke squinted; he couldn't think of any reason why Nick would associate with that kind of crowd again, especially with a police-bunny wife.

    Duke frowned. He guessed he just wasn't that clever. He checked his phone, which he thought he felt buzzing.

    There was one new text, from his daughter Princess.

    [Good luck on your interview tomorrow, Daddy.] Some kind of winking weasel emuji was attached.

    Duke smiled at this, typing back. [thanks Princess]

    He set the phone down, looking up to see the bartender otter staring at him quizzically.

    "You want another beer, Weaselton?"

    "Nah chief, I'm good," Duke replied with a tiny grin.

    Mammal alive, if he got that job... things would be great. He'd always wanted to tour the country and see all the sights. Zootopia, sure, it was all right, but after living there his whole life, Duke felt like it had outlived its hype, at least for him. There were plenty of other city-states to see, attractions to waste time at.

    Heck, he'd always wanted to go to Weaseltown, maybe take a picture with him crossing off the second "w" on the sign. Maybe he could get one of his co-workers to take it for him. Hopefully they wouldn't steal the phone.

    Duke chuckled briefly to himself. Weaseltown was supposed to have the sexiest mustelid strip clubs on the planet. Without the ball and chain, he figured he actually deserved a peek or two of some eye candy.

    He just hoped Princess wouldn't text him while he was there.

    There was a very sudden loud WHUNK behind him, and Duke flinched exaggeratedly, looking behind him with his teeth fixed in a frightened sneer.

    The snarl of an all-too-familiar voice: "Alright, buddy, hooves behind your back!" Judy Hopps herself was somehow holding the boar firm against the table, cuffing him. Nick seemingly had already finished up cuffing the other mustelids at the table.

    "That takes care of that," Nick dusted off his paws.

    Judy's ear perked and she looked in Duke's direction. She gave him a cheerful wave. "Oh hey, Weaselton!"

    Duke returned a very weak wave with an uneasy smile, returning to his drink. He felt at his chest; his heart rate had skyrocketed and it felt like his nerves were shot.

    He definitely needed a vacation.

    "Uh, bartender, about that beer..." Duke chuckled unsteadily.

Chapter 144: Celestials

    On the vast, ethereal expanse of the realm of the Celestials, one canid goddess in particular was off by herself, binding together the consequences of the affairs of mortal mammals. Her name was Karma. Her visual presence, to those she wished to show it to, was that of a regal-looking proto-canid, tall at the shoulder and proper. Her fur was of a soft magenta, a color that didn't actually "exist", but served to tie together the visible light spectrum in a way that mortals could understand. She never could shake the habit of chewing on her long tail, though, and sometimes got annoyed when the mortals picked up on that in their representations of her. Even though mortal mammals in those days stood up on two legs to walk, she preferred to prowl around through the celestial realm on all fours, like the mammals of old.

    Karma's duties were rather complex and subtle. She served one of the oldest truths of the world: "you reap what you sow". Or, more accurately, "for every action, there is a reaction". She would cause those who practiced vile things to pay dearly for what they did, if not in that life, in another she moved their spirit into. Those who did good deeds and worked hard, she would reward. Again, if not in their current life, in another. Karma was rather fickle and didn't take blasphemy very well, but those days on the Earth no one tended to praise or even notice the Celestials very much anymore; rather, their lives were focused on their own mortal matters.

    She needed no praise to do her job though, so she reclined across the celestial expanse, bringing her tail into her muzzle as was her habit. That day she was looking at Bunnyburrow. Though a goddess of predators, she found interest in looking at prey farmers, for they embodied her principles, living their lives by one of the simplest forms of cause and effect. Chewing on her tail a little, she found peace in the affairs of the mortal farmers.

    As usual though, her solitude and peace was not to last.

    "Tada!" A floating bunny blinked into existence in front of Karma, and Karma flinched and bit down on her tail.

    "Ow! Serendipity!" Karma bared her teeth and her tail whipped about behind her in annoyance.

    "Gotcha!" Serendipity floated through the air and giggled rapidly. Karma rolled her piercing magenta eyes. Serendipity was a whimsical goddess, nearly a trickster. She loved chance and the sheer possibilities of every action, no matter how small, blossoming forth into a complicated array of results. Capricious, it was hard to actually curry favor with her; she just did whatever she felt like. Speaking of, about the only thing solid about her form was that she looked like a bunny. Her colors would often change, even as she was talking, because she could never settle on anything and liked mixing things around.

    "One of these days I'm going to get you back for your continuing to spook me," Karma grumbled, settling back down to a reclining position.

    "Oh, I hope so! I love surprises!" Serendipity giggled rapidly again and floated circles around Karma. She never much liked to behave like a normal mammal; she was always flying around everywhere.

    "I know, that's why I haven't done it yet," Karma's ears flattened and she sighed. "So, what are you doing here? Don't you have your vast vault of ethereal treasures to bathe in?"

    "Got bored!" Serendipity said plainly, holding her paws behind her head and kicking through the expanse with her feet.

    "Yes, as is your nature," Karma huffed. "Well, how about doing your job?"

    "Something random?" Serendipity perked up, looking at Karma's display of the Earth. "I'd love to! What are you doing?"

    "Looking at Bunnyburrow," Karma replied. "Bunnies are often fun to watch."

    "Can't argue there!" Serendipity giggled again.

    "Often," Karma clarified.

    "Aw, grumpy gal," Serendipity shook her head rapidly, changing colors each time. "Anyone in particular you wanna mess with?"

    "Take a look at this bunny," Karma nodded forward; the display zoomed in and settled on the Hopps Compound. "Her name is Judy Hopps in this life. She wishes to be a police officer, and is working with dedication and drive toward this goal."

    "Whoa, a police officer bunny!" Serendipity looked pleased. "That's kind of cool! Could it happen?"

    "I'm not sure at this point," Karma's tail flipped around as if she was uneasy. "But if she does become a police officer as her reward for her hard work, I must punish her as well for her trespasses, as is my way."

    "What'd she do wrong?" Serendipity floated closer to the display, pouting at the projection of Judy.

    "She harbors fear and resentment of foxes for occurrences that happened when she was young," Karma said solidly. "Worse yet, she tries to hide this under a tolerant guise. And as foxes are under my charge, she must pay for this."

    "Aw, what?" Serendipity waved her arms rapidly, 'rewinding' the view of Judy's life to see the moment in question. "C'mon, you're punishing her because she got attacked at random by some mean ol' fox? That's not fun."

    "I thought you'd appreciate the whimsy," Karma said, smirking. "It's not the encounter, but how she chose to react to it."

    "Okay, okay, okay," Serendipity snapped her fingers, causing the display to snap back to the modern day. "So let's do something wild then!" She pawed at the display rapidly and it swung to a view of Zootopia. She zoomed in. "Check out this sweet fox!"

    "A fox?" Karma seemed interested, walking closer to the display.

    "Yeah, he's had some troubles in his past too, just because of him being a fox," Serendipity pouted. "Fortune hasn't been with the poor guy. But look at him now! Anyone unlucky enough to cross paths with him gets scammed out of a handful of cash in a benign way!" Serendipity rolled around in midair and had a fit of giggling.

    "Wow, that's so... you," Karma rolled her eyes.

    "I know!" Serendipity smiled broadly. "Wouldn't it be totally random if your bunny and my fox were to meet up?"

    "What would that accomplish?" Karma's eyes half closed, getting annoyed with the perky bunny goddess.

    "No clue!" Serendipity exclaimed in glee. "That's what's exciting! Look at all of the possibilities though!"  Serendipity scrunched herself up then stretched way out, causing more displays of possible futures to appear.

    "Wait a minute," Karma looked curiously at them, tilting her head and holding one paw off the "ground". "In all of these possible futures... they are together? As friends, workmates, or even lovers..." A look of realization and worry flashed over Karma's face.

    "Yeah, isn't it cool?" Serendipity nodded, holding her paws to her mouth. "I think they might be soul-bound."

    "Serendipity, it's not our place to meddle in the affairs of those that are soul-bound, you know that!" Karma scolded. "That's Destiny's job."

    "Eh!" Serendipity shrugged, shaking her head. "Destiny's been pouty lately. Now that faith in the Celestials is getting much lower, she doesn't want to predetermine anyone anymore. She's always whining that the mortals like self-determination nowadays. Maybe getting a soul-bound couple together might cheer her up!"

    "We'll get in trouble with Order if we step out of line of our duties..." Karma made an unsure face, wincing.

    "Chaos will smooth it over," Serendipity made a flippant gesture and kicked back with her paws behind her head.

    "...I do kind of want to bring them together," Karma admitted, looking at her display which now showed Judy and Nick. "Judy will reap trouble from her aversion to foxes, as she deserves, and this... this Nicholas Wilde." She blinked at him. "He took an oath, and though it wasn't accepted, he desires to live by its tenants. The consequences of bringing them together could give him that chance."

    "See? It'll be fun!" Serendipity landed on Karma's back.

    "Okay, get off," Karma shook herself to dislodge Serendipity, to the latter's giggling. "What do we do though? We must be subtle, and that's not one of your strong points."

    "Nonsense!" Serendipity floated back in front of her and snapped her fingers. "All it takes it one little random idea to cause a chaotic, unpredictable chain of events that will land totally where I predict!" She looked very smug.

    "And what would that be?" Karma's patience seemed to be wearing thin.

    "I call it the Mammal Inclusion Initiative!" Serendipity gestured grandiosely, then pawed at the display to show the mayor of Zootopia. "This guy! Leodore Lionheart; he wants to curry favor with more voters. So, we just slip the idea to let more mammals get into jobs that aren't traditionally their lot... and..."

    "Judy would have the opportunity to go into Zootopia and become a police officer, putting her closer to Nick..." Karma nodded. "What will become of Lionheart for doing such a randomly noble act? I see he deserves to be punished for treating his assistant with disrespect. But his... his assistant." Karma gasped. "What... what a vile creature...!"

    "Yeah!" Serendipity said. "By getting Judy a job at the police department in Zootopia, we'll entangle the fates of all these wacky animals."

    Karma held her tail in her mouth thoughtfully. "Just by one chance meeting, they will all get what they deserve."

    "Both of us win! I love winning!" Serendipity giggled. She gestured grandiosely again, and three displays rapidly started changing randomly until they all landed on a picture of Judy and Nick having a chance encounter. Serendipity thrust her paw at this dramatically. "That's what's gotta happen! Our jackpot!"

    "Yes..." Karma smiled, now completely on board with this plan. "Though, you think we can get away with just implanting the idea of the Mammal Inclusion Initiative in the mayor's head and nothing else? If the chance meeting doesn't occur..."

    "I know, I know!" Serendipity giggled. "But haven't you ever heard the expression 'leave luck to the Celestials'?"

    "Isn't that just the name of a video game company?" Karma raised one of her eyebrows.

    "Whatever! Just have some faith!" Serendipity shook her head. She started to sway musically. "They'll get together, yeah yeah yeah!"

    "And if they do..." Karma cautiously prowled toward her display. "They will all reap their bounties."

    "And if they don't, none of us will be happy! I love it!" Serendipity giggled one last time, then rapidly spun around in midair and vanished.

    "I swear to Order... that bunny..." Karma huffed, curling up on the "ground" and chewing her tail.

Chapter 145: Celestials II

    Karma was broken out of her intent view of Judy Hopps getting ready for her first day of work as a police officer by the sound of heavy, metallic footsteps.

    "What's going on here?" Came the heavy, strong voice.

    "Oh, Fortitude!" Serendipity said, hovering close to Karma. Karma groaned; she had almost managed to forget the bunny goddess was with her as well. "C'mon and relax; we're watching Zootopia! Judy Hopps, this bunny here, just became a police officer. You'd like her; she's strong of will!"

    "A bunny that's strong of will? That seems interesting," Fortitude said. He was a rhinoceros god, and his whole body appeared to be made out of steel. He was the god of strength, both of inner and outer; of the ability to impose one's desires through force.

    "Judy and Nick might have their chance meeting today, Karma, might!" Serendipity vibrated excitedly in midair, changing colors a few times in glee. "Then the fun will really begin!"

    "Well, I hope we don't draw too much attention to ourselves..." Karma said pensively, chewing on her tail absently.

    A little bit later, Nick and Judy did indeed meet.

    "She's profiling him, as is her bias," Karma said. "Oh, she shall pay for this." Karma snickered slightly.

    "They met! They met!" Serendipity flew around happily. "The wheels of chance have landed on our number!"

    "Oof, he's really giving her the business!" Fortitude said as Nick started giving his speech to Judy to cut her down a peg. "Stay defiant, bunny! Don't listen to him!"

    "What, is that bunny blind?" A different voice said. Over came several of Industry's bodies. Industry was the mouse god of structure, both physical and personnel-based. He could appear as several bodies, as many as he wanted, though he was one individual. Each of his bodies had a different marking on them to signify which of them it was. "There's wet cement right there!"

    "Ah, hello Industry..." Karma's tail flicked nervously. "We're getting the interest of more and more Celestials, Serendipity..."

    "Aw, he got to her," Fortitude ignored Karma, sadness flashing across his face. "It's... it's okay, bunny! You can do it!"

    Serendipity shrugged. "Hey, we Celestials like a good show every now and then! And thanks to me and you, we're putting one on!"

    "Yeah, but..." Karma started worrying about the ramifications of getting so many Celestials together in one place. It was only a matter of time, the canid goddess thought, before Order or Chaos took note.

    "Whoa ho! It's gettin' good!" Fortitude slammed the ground with one of his front feet. It was one day later, and Judy was chasing Duke Weaselton through Little Rodentia. "Get that thief!"

    "Oh Order, this is a disaster waiting to happen!" Karma fretted.

    "Go go improbability!" Serendipity clasped her hands. "Don't let any of these mice get hurt!"

    "If none of them get hurt, it would be a miracle...!" Karma bared her teeth in terror.

    "Well, we are goddesses," Serendipity said confidently. "C'mon...!"

    Industry's bodies shrieked in fright as Duke tread on several buildings, dislodging them from their foundations. "Sweet Order! There's no way those buildings are up to code!" Judy struggled and made sure the buildings didn't fall over with her legs.

    "Yes!" Fortitude stamped both of his front legs with a heavy clang. "This bunny is something else!"

    "Told ya you'd like her!" Serendipity giggled.

    "They're together again, and you didn't do a thing..." Karma marveled as Judy sought Nick out. The Celestials watched in silence as Judy pulled her own hustle on Nick.

    "Yes! Our little bunny and fox are in this to win this!" Serendipity clapped twice.

    Both Fortitude and Industry looked at the two goddesses with some degree of concern.

    "Ah, Karma, you do know that those two... well... they appear to be soul-bound," Industry said cautiously.

    "Yeah, and Destiny's still off moping!" Fortitude continued. "Only she's supposed to bring the soul-bound together."

    "I know, I know," Karma whined. "But this is a good chance for both Judy and Nick to reap the seeds they've sown. It's... it's my charge too!"

    "And a bunch of wacky, improbable things are happening," Serendipity grinned wide. "Totally my area!"

    "Well, okay, if you're sure," Industry looked at Fortitude with all of his heads. Fortitude shook his own head, unsure as well.

    "Sweet Chaos..." Fortitude marveled. "If Judy hadn't saved Fru-Fru's life incidentally..." Serendipity cackled wildly, flying around the seated Celestials.

    "Happenstance!" Serendipity proclaimed. "Lovely, beautiful happenstance!"

    "And Judy is preserving her own life and Nick's for saving a life!" Karma said, getting into it. "It's only just!"

    "Put her there!" Serendipity offered her paw to Karma.

    Karma almost slapped it with her own paw, but paused. "Wait... let's see how this goes."

    "Aw, okay," Serendipity looked a bit crestfallen.

    "Whoa!" Fortitude blinked as Renato Manchas went savage and started chasing Nick and Judy through the Rainforest District. "I'm gonna have to show this to Fervor when it's all over! This is intense! Holy Chaos! Did you see that!? The bunny is holding the fox with one arm! Yes! Defy your fate, bunny!"

    "I'm glad Fortitude is into this, at least," Karma said, chewing on her tail nervously.

    Serendipity giggled. "Saved by a lucky net of vines! Twice! Classic! Wondrous!"

    "Nature is it's own structure, the living serves the living in its own way," Industry said, captivated.

    "The fox defies the buffalo!" Fortitude gestured with his front leg. "Yes! Defy him! Oh, Fervor would love this! I wonder where he is..."

    "Aw, Nick is so charming!" Serendipity giggled.

    "He's using his past experiences both to protect and show his own weakness..." Karma said her voice, betraying adoration. "He must be rewarded."

    "With Judy's trust!" Serendipity clapped again. "It's only fair...!" Karma nodded her agreement.

    But then, several hours later, things started to go wrong. The press conference began after Lionheart was escorted to jail.

    "Wait, the sheep is behind this!" Fortitude was confused. "What's going on? Did something go wrong?"

    "No, not everyone has gotten their comeuppance yet..." Karma said. "All is going well."

    "Uh...!" Industry was so terrified he reverted to having one body. "Uh, Karma...? Is now really the right time for this? She... Judy will be doing damage to the very fabric of the society of Zootopia!"

    "She deserves it!" Karma snapped. "She is still oblivious to her bias, despite the progress she has made with her soul-bound! She must be shown. It's only proper!"

    "There's got to be another way, Karma!" Serendipity gasped as Judy finished her press conference, still unaware of the damage she had done. "Let something Nick says touch her!"

    "No, this is perfect, she will receive no help from me!" Karma said defiantly. "Circumstances have woven as you arranged them to put this moment together. Judy will be punished! Her soul-bound is the perfect executor of this punishment! Go after her, Nick!"

    "Judy..." Serendipity's jaw dropped at the words Judy started to say, and how she couldn't stand up to Nick's pained assault.

    "No, bunny, stay strong! Don't give in!" Fortitude looked like he was getting upset, his eyes sparkling. "She can't do this without help...!"

    "The Celestials have already interfered enough!" Industry wailed. "Zootopia will soon become a quagmire of blind hatred and mistrust!"

    Judy and Nick parted ways.

    "But... they were soul-bound," Karma said, baffled.

    "Not even the soul-bound are impenetrable..." Fortitude said sadly, sniffling. "Severe stress can cause their relationship to buckle or... break."

    "No..." Karma said, looking at Serendipity, who just pouted.

    The display in front of them vanished, to none of the Celestials' will. Appearing before the Celestials was a radiant, enormous presence; looking at once like it contained the inspiration for every living animal and seeming perfectly structured and glorious to behold.

    "Uh oh...!" Serendipity squeaked.

    "WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" The deity said in a loud voice with perfect pitch and cadence.

    "H-hello, Order..." Karma knelt. "I um..."

    "CHAOS HAS TOLD US THAT ZOOTOPIA IS FALLING INTO DISARRAY," Order proclaimed. "WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS?" Fortitude and Industry both winced.

    Karma stepped forward and humbly knelt her front half. "I am, my Deity." Serendipity's jaw dropped.

    "WE SEE," Order said. They made a grand gesture with one of their many limbs. "CELESTIALS, RETURN TO YOUR DUTIES. WE MUST SPEAK PRIVATELY WITH OUR DAUGHTER KARMA."

    Fortitude and Industry both took their leave of Order's presence, but Serendipity hesitated.

    "Go, Serendipity," Karma said. "This burden is mine." Serendipity looked like she would protest, but she bit her lip and vanished.

    "TWO SOUL-BOUND HAVE BEEN INTERFERED WITH," Order noticed.

    "Yes, Order," Karma said, feeling very anxious. "I felt that... it would be a good opportunity for the two to receive their comeuppance, as is... as is my duty."

    "THE SOUL-BOUND ARE DESTINY'S DUTY," Order corrected.

    "Y-yes, my Deity," Karma said shamefully, trying not to catch Order's omniscient gaze. "H-however, Destiny has not... she has not been performing her duties, of late..."

    "THIS IS OUR CONCERN, NOT YOURS," Order reproved. "DESTINY IS ALSO OUR DAUGHTER. SHE MUST BE DEALT WITH BY US."

    "I'm sorry..." Karma said woefully. "I will humbly accept whatever punishment you deem is proper, Order..."

    "OF COURSE," Order said. "HOWEVER, AS THIS WOULD SATISFY YOU, WE WILL NOT PUNISH YOU, AS IT WOULD FULFILL YOUR SENSE OF JUSTICE."

    "M-my deity!" Karma's jaw dropped.

    "INSTEAD," Order made another gesture with another hand. "YOU MUST ATTEND TO THE DAMAGE IN ZOOTOPIA THAT HAS BEEN CAUSED. WE WILL SEE TO DESTINY."

    "But..." Karma protested. "I'm not sure I know what to do..."

    "YOU MAY SEEK AID," Order said. "NOW, WE HAVE PROCLAIMED YOUR DUTIES. LET THEM NOT BE QUESTIONED FURTHER."

    Karma bowed again, trembling. "Yes, Order, thank you, my Deity..."

    Order's presence vanished. Karma let out a huge sigh. What was she to do? It wasn't long before the void Order left was replaced by a swirling, fiery blackness. Karma's jaw dropped once more. The "figure" of Chaos was appearing before her. A constantly morphing, twisting array of animal forms, Chaos embodied change.

    "Chaos," Karma said reverently.

    "WELL, YOU REALLY SCREWED THINGS UP IN ZOOTOPIA, KARMA," Chaos laughed. The voice was at once absolutely terrifying and sublimely pleasant to listen to, full of conflict and contradiction. "WE NOTICE THAT YOU DIDN'T SELL OUT OUR DAUGHTER TO ORDER THOUGH. WE ARE INTRIGUED!"

    "I... I just figured that Serendipity was your charge, Chaos..." Karma said hesitantly.

    "OF COURSE SHE IS," Chaos cackled. "YOU TWO MAKE QUITE A PAIR, THOUGH! NOW, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO FIX ALL THIS, WE WONDER?"

    "I don't know... I should seek aid, as Order has allowed," Karma said.

    "DO YOU WANT OUR OPINION?" Chaos inquired.

    Karma hesitated. "With all due respect, Chaos... I am Order's child, not yours..."

    "YOU ORDER KIDS ARE ALWAYS GOING ON ABOUT HOW YOU'RE 'THEIR' CHILD," Chaos said disparagingly. "YOU ACT AS THOUGH ORDER AND CHAOS ARE OPPOSITES!"

    "Well, aren't they?" Karma seemed confused. "Order is structure, law. Chaos is change, the challenging and bending of law."

    "YES," Chaos began. "HOWEVER, WITHOUT ORDER, CHAOS IS MEANINGLESS, AND VICE VERSA. WITH NO LAW, THERE IS NOTHING TO CHANGE. WITHOUT CHANGE, LAW CANNOT BE SET IN MOTION."

    "So uh, what do you mean then?" Karma asked.

    "SILLY DAUGHTER OF ORDER, DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?" Order cackled. "THE UNIVERSE ITSELF WAS FORMED FROM A UNION BETWEEN ORDER AND CHAOS, A MEETING OF CONFLICTING FORCES. OUR CHILDREN ARE MERELY ASPECTS OF US, BUT WITHOUT SOME SEED OF THE OTHER IN THEM, NOTHING COULD EXIST."

    "So... you're saying..." Karma looked down, trying to gather her thoughts. "I should seek one of your children to help fix Zootopia."

    "SOMETHING LIKE THAT," Chaos released an enormous laugh. "HAVE FUN, KID." Chaos vanished as well in a flash of brilliant darkness.

    "Well, a visit from both Prime Deities in one day!" Karma scolded herself. "This is certainly new for me."

---

    As the days went on, Karma visited many of Chaos' children, such as Fortitude and Fervor, seeking help with the problems that had befallen Zootopia. None of them were quite sure what to do. Karma visited the area of the Celestial realm where Phantasm was known to dwell. The female equine goddess usually kept to herself.

    "Phantasm, are you here?" Karma asked.

    Phantasm manifested. Her form was that of the night sky, her eyes were pure white and left trails when they moved, as if they were comets, and her mane and tail were wispy and colored as the northern lights. Phantasm was the goddess of ideas, imagination, and thought. Mortal mammals of old, when they caught sight of her in their slumber, knew her for only her negative traits, and blamed her for them. She came to be known as the Nightmare among the mortals.

    "Hello, Karma," Phantasm said. "Do you seek my aid?"

    "Yes, please," Karma said humbly. "I have been charged to fix the damage I have caused in Zootopia."

    "The gossip is that it was not only your fault," Phantasm smiled. "I heard the idea was that of Serendipity."

    "I... am just as guilty as she is, if not more so," Karma sighed. "I was the one who insisted on Judy Hopps getting her full comeuppance at the press conference. I was blind to the damage it would cause her and Nick, as well as all of Zootopia."

    "I see," Phantasm trotted around Karma. "What would you like me to do?"

    "You're the goddess of ideas," Karma said. "Can you... I don't know, maybe put it into their heads in a dream or something that they must get back together? They are soul-bound, after all... they have much potential and power together."

    "Order has forbade me to help you," Phantasm looked at Karma sidelong. "As far as interfering with the mortals directly is concerned."

    "What?" Karma looked crestfallen, and bit her tail in frustration. "So Chaos says I should get help from one of their children, but Order is telling you all not to help?"

    "Not directly with the mortals," Phantasm shook her head. "We can still help."

    "Well, do you have any ideas, then?" Karma's voice was almost pitiable.
    
    Phantasm smiled slyly. "My dear canid, I have every idea."

    "Of course..." Karma sighed.

    "To save Zootopia, the best course of action is for the soul-bound to reunite," Phantasm said with a grandiose flair.

    "Yes, but how?" Karma said. "Their strings of fate are pulling taut. I feel like eventually Judy might give up and leave Zootopia, to go home as Nick suggested, her tail between her legs..."

    "Interpret my words how you will, Karma," Phantasm smiled. "It is of course the purpose of the dreamer to find meaning in the dream." Phantasm trotted off at what seemed to be light speed, leaving a trail of stardust and northern lights.

    "Right, Phantasm loves speaking in riddles," Karma rolled her eyes and grumbled, shaking her head.

---

    Nearly three months passed since Zootopia fell into disorder. Karma reclined sadly, looking at the image of Judy Hopps who was consumed by her own depression and her inability to cause the positive change she wanted to Zootopia. Thus, she had fled back to Bunnyburrow. Karma sighed.

    Serendipity appeared, floating in front of Karma. "H-hey, grumpy girl. How are you doing?"

    "Just seeing what I can do, Serendipity," Karma said. "Today I am going to reward Gideon Grey and try to cheer Judy up."

    "Gideon Grey?" Serendipity blinked. "The bully fox?"

    "He has turned a new life course and become a wholesome, kind fox," Karma sighed. "He deserves emotional release from the guilt he feels over hurting Judy."

    "We haven't talked much since we screwed up..." Serendipity said, moving her paws together in trepidation.

    "I screwed up, Serendipity," Karma turned her head away. "I was the one who tried to still Judy's tongue so she couldn't withstand Nick's hurt tirade. If I hadn't been so concerned on her getting her just desserts then... I don't know, maybe she could have gotten them later. As it is, many mammals have suffered for Judy's actions. I've been an instrument of Chaos, not Order."

    "No, that's my job," Serendipity giggled cautiously. "And hey, it was all my idea in the first place! I got this whole train wreck a-rollin'!" Serendipity tried to jauntily float in front of Karma and make a guilty smile, but Karma turned her head again, looking disinterested. "C'mon, Karma..."

    "Down in front, Serendipity," Karma sighed. "Gideon arrived at their stand." Serendipity flew out of the way and tapped her chin rapidly, her mind working in overdrive.

    "This is cute and all, but what we really need here is a big freakin' coincidence!" Serendipity suddenly vanished. A plain-looking, honey-colored female bunny blinked into existence at a distance in the fields near the stand. She looked suspiciously like a Hopps kit. Karma stood up on all fours swiftly and gasped.

    "Serendipity, no! Not intervention!" Karma started to panic. "That is intensely frowned upon!"

    "Hey kits!" Serendipity called out to a trio of Hopps children. "Gideon's here! You know what that means! Yummy pie!" She instantly vanished before they could turn around, reappearing near Karma.

    "Serendipity!" Karma stared intently and worriedly at Serendipity. "That was... very bold of you."

    "I barely did anything!" Serendipity excused. "Now, let's see what happens." The kits getting too close to the Night Howler flowers caused their scientific and colloquial name to be discussed among Judy's family and Gideon. This caused Judy to gasp enormously as a spark of realization burst into her mind.

    "The linchpin of the whole dilemma..." Karma said. "Judy is realizing it!"

    "Hey Celestials!" Serendipity shouted loudly. "Judy's going back to Zootopia!"

---

    "I just can't take it!" Fervor, a wolverine god with continually flaming fur said, pounding at the ground with his paws. "It's so... so tender!" Fervor was the god of intense emotions, passion mostly, in the form of anger or love.

    "Would you quiet down, Fervor?" Fertility, another bunny goddess, scolded. She was the goddess of sexuality and parenting and the scheduling by which this involved. "It is indeed sweet, though."

    "Thank Order," Karma sighed in relief. "Nick and Judy made up..."

    "Thank Chaos!" Serendipity winked. "I think everything is in place now... all the little coincidences they need, all that has to happen now is for then to follow the path to the end."

    "Whoa!" Fortitude yelled in excitement during a train chase that Nick and Judy found themselves on. "Yeah! Kick that ram! I love that bunny!"

    "The action is literally heating up!" Fervor concurred, vibrating in excitement. "Apparently the path they're on involves exploding trains! Insanity!"

    "Ugh, think of the property damage they're causing!" Industry put all of his heads in all of his hands.

    "Now comes the critical moment," Karma bared her teeth and chewed on her tail in worry. "Will they be able to overcome Bellwether?"

    "She has many ram guards, they're trapped, Judy is injured, it seems hopeless," Fortitude fretted. "C'mon, show your strength, you two..."

    "Let your spirits burn within you and come together!" Fervor exclaimed, his fur alighting in an extra-powerful blaze. "They are soul-bound, they must find an escape!"

    All of the Celestial host gasped in surprise when Dawn Bellwether was thoroughly outwitted by the bunny and the fox, and the day was saved.

    "Well well," Phantasm smirked. "What a good idea they had."

    "They look so sweet together, holding their arms around their shoulders," Fertility clapped her paws in delight.

    "Yeah!" Fervor exclaimed, floating around Fortitude in a spiral of flame and giving him a high-paw.

    "What a relief," Karma sighed. "Everyone got their just due."

    "Thanks to a bunch of crazy coincidences!" Serendipity said brightly.

    Order manifested in the background, causing the assembled Celestial host to blink in alarm.

    "IF EVERYONE IS QUITE FINISHED, WE SUGGEST YOU RESUME YOUR CELESTIAL ACTIVITIES," Order proclaimed. Chaos manifested to the other "side" of the realm.

    "AH COME ON, ORDER," Chaos shrugged an amalgamation of limbs, "IT WAS A FUN WATCH, YOU'LL HAVE TO ADMIT."

    "WE ARE PLEASED THAT NOTHING TOO DRASTIC OCCURRED," Order nodded their head slowly. "IT WAS... FORTUNATE... THAT SERENDIPITY AND KARMA COMPLETED THEIR TASK." Serendipity gave a big bashful grin and Karma looked away in embarrassment.

    "FORTUNATE, YEAH!" Chaos cackled. "AND THINGS WENT ALL ACCORDING TO THEIR CAREFULLY CONSTRUCTED PLAN!" Chaos laughed even harder, causing Order to respond with a somehow grandiose groan. The two vanished from before the host of Celestials. The other Celestials dispersed to resume their duties, but Karma lingered, causing Serendipity to reappear near her.

    "What's up, pup?" Serendipity grinned. "We won! The day is saved, thanks to the bunny and dog goddesses!"

    "I'm just very relieved everything worked out," Karma wagged her tail, forming a small smile. "Thank you for your help..."

    "Well, if Destiny would get off her big giraffe butt and do her job, we wouldn't have had to intervene!" Serendipity put her paws on her hips, giggling.

    "It was our choice to intervene, though," Karma admitted. "And we almost ruined everything in Zootopia..."

    "Yeah, but what a ride it was!" Serendipity landed on Karma as if to "ride" her.

    "Would you get off?" Karma groaned, shaking herself to remove Serendipity.

    Serendipity laughed and floated in front of Karma, pretending to look crestfallen. "Aw come on. We make a great team! You know you like me!"

    "You're..." Karma closed her eyes and turned her head away. "Not my least favorite goddess."

    "Yeah! Now there's a nice compliment, coming from you!" Serendipity snickered rapidly, floating alongside her.

    Karma sighed, feeling at peace. "Hey, did... did Chaos ever punish you for interfering?"

    "No way!" Serendipity giggled. "They thought it was a blast. I am glad everyone was fine in Zootopia, though."

    "Yeah, me too..." Karma nodded.

    "And... I'm sure I'll get whats coming to me eventually," Serendipity put on the smuggest grin she could muster, staring pointedly at Karma.

    "Yeah, if you're lucky," Karma retorted with a coy smile, the two moving off into the expanse together.

Chapter 146: Celestials III

Notes:

Contains elements from the chapter "Fortune II"

    Serendipity, the bunny Celestial of fortune and happenstance, floated through the expanse of the Celestial realm, not using the "ground" division as was her "normal" habit. Kicked back and relaxed, Serendipity often didn't have a care in the world. As was becoming more and more common lately, however, her most peaceful reveries were short-lived.

    "Serendipity! Finally, I've found you!" Karma's voice rang out, and the bunny Celestial in question made quite a show of flailing through the air, rapidly changing the colors of her fur and eyes. She looked out and saw the wolf-shaped Celestial quickly running on all fours toward Serendipity.

    "Karma!" Serendipity held her fore-paws out and changed to be Karma's own colors: a soft magenta fur and more striking magenta eyes.

    Karma ignored this gesture and stopped near Serendipity, one of her fore-paws slightly held up from the ground in caution. "Serendipity, there's trouble in Zootopia."

    "What, again?" Serendipity rolled her eyes. Karma nodded her muzzle towards a display she brought up and zoomed in on a specific part of the Earth, then a specific part of Zootopia.

    "One of your followers is tracking an accomplished assassin," Karma said, concern lining her voice, "when they duel, your follower will definitely die."

    "My 'follower'?" Serendipity queried, squinting her eyes. Suddenly, her muzzle scrunched up in distaste. "Oh, is that... is that Jack Savage? Ugh..." Serendipity blew a low-effort raspberry with her tongue and then perked up a bit. "Oh! That's Nick and Judy over there!" She moved the display wildly to show the fox and bunny in question, who were busy keeping the perimeter of a particular venue secure.

    "Serendipity!" Karma's teeth bared. She snapped the display back to the white and black bunnies. "Can you focus for just one minute!? Jack's life is in danger!"

    "So?" Serendipity's eyes half-lidded. "You save him if you care so much."

    "I... can't," Karma winced. "Jack is not as skilled as Kuro Inaba, the assassin. And, despite his murderous work, Kuro does deserve to win because he's trained way harder than Jack in fighting styles. My paws are tied; I'm already on thin ice with Order after my earlier Zootopia snafu..."

    "Oh well," Serendipity shrugged, shaking her head with her eyes closed. "Better luck in Jack's next life, maybe."

    Karma snarled, beginning to pace circles around the disinterested-looking bunny, who was laying on her back in midair with her paws behind her head. Serendipity opened one eye to barely watch Karma's pacing. "Jack praises you every chance he gets! How can you be so... so flippant!?"

    Serendipity rolled over in midair and let all of her limbs hang downward and half-closed her eyes. "Uh, Karma, I dunno if you've noticed, but that's kinda how I am."

    The canid Celestial stamped one of her fore-paws. "Serendipity, please! Save him!"

    "Why do you care so much about this bunny?" Serendipity wondered, looking incredulous.

    "He doesn't have enough time left for me to explain! Just... please, for me?" Karma's expression began to grow worried. Reading this, Serendipity's face softened as well, but then she tried to look bored again. She altered her display of that particular area of Zootopia, assessed the situation, and made one small gesture with her fore-paw at it.

    "There, that's all I'm doing," Serendipity folded her arms defiantly.

    "What... did you do?" Karma couldn't see that anything had changed.

    "I caused a wind to blow briefly in the direction of that pier over there toward Nick and Judy," Serendipity explained. "Nick should be able to smell gunpowder, which is unfamiliar to him, so he'll probably investigate or get backup or whatever." Serendipity shrugged. "We'll just see how it plays out."

    Owing to a swift sequence of events, Jack's lover and fellow agent Skye ended up finding the warehouse where Jack was getting his rabbit rear handed to him, and put three bullet-holes into Kuro Inaba.

    Karma winced and Serendipity rolled her eyes as both heard Chaos' unmistakable laughter over how the events played out in some corner of the Celestial realm.

    "Guess Destiny won't be seeing who she thought today," Serendipity said somewhat musically.

    "Thank you..." Karma let out a huge sigh and bowed her head, then her brow furrowed and she glared at Serendipity.

    "What!?" Serendipity held her paws out. "I did what you asked! The bunny guy is safe. Yaaaay." Serendipity mockingly clapped her paws. Karma began to pace around the floating bunny again in irritation.

    "What is it with you, Serendipity?" Karma spat the words out. "Other Celestials would love to have one bit of the attention Jack gives you. He's always praising you."

    "Uh, yeah!" Serendipity rolled her eyes. "It's actually kind of annoying. I've only actually helped him once, or uh, I guess twice if you count now. The first time was when they had him off in a mission he was meant to die on. I thought it would be random and fun if he and his fellow agent, which he totally hated, would get together and finish it."

    "Skye, his arctic fox lover?" Karma inquired. The bunny nodded; she seemed a bit embarrassed at the revelation that another canid and lapine had been brought together from her meddling.

    "Yeaaah..." Serendipity giggled, moving her eyes away from Karma's gaze. "They kinda did get together after that. So that was my bad... but then he started praising me over every little thing. That kit is just like naturally stupid lucky! Even for a rabbit! But no it's 'Thank you Serendipity' this or 'You're so awesome Serendipity' that. He once praised me when he managed to catch a sandwich he accidentally knocked off a counter!"

    "What's so bad about that?" Karma struck an aloof, proper pose, tilting her muzzle up while keeping eye contact. "You've been with him and given him what he feels is the best part of his life!"

    "I dunno... I think it's kinda nicer when they're more subtle about it?" Serendipity shrugged. "I actually helped Skye once. She was working on tinkering with one of their super-spy gadget thingies, and I made a problem light blink once or twice for her. She noticed and thanked 'her lucky stars'." Serendipity adopted a midnight blue color scheme with yellowish eyes and floated around. "And wouldn't you know, her lucky stars make a constellation of a bunny!"

    Karma's muzzle scrunched and she huffed in annoyance. "I would appreciate even portion of the praise you get. When people mention me nowadays it's almost entirely negative. 'Karma'll get you! You'll get yours!' or 'Karma's such a female dog, isn't she'?"

    "Well, isn't she?" Serendipity tilted her head.

    "It's a slur, silly," Karma huffed.

    "Oh come on, it's just some doofus mortals," Serendipity sucked at her teeth. "The Celestials know you're better than that. I know you're a nice puppy..." She tried a warm smile.

    Karma sighed and shook her head. Serendipity found her colors changing to Karma's once more, but they snapped back to some random orange and green arrangement when the canid Celestial noticed.

    "Uh, anyway," Serendipity looked away slightly. "Why don't you tell me why you were so adamant on saving that goober Jack?"

    "Didn't you see the Big Picture today?" Karma looked disapprovingly at Serendipity.

    "I try to avoid that," Serendipity groaned. "It's so boring."

    "Well, maybe you shouldn't skip it when it has a bit about Zootopia," Karma said with a hint of anger. "Especially when it might end up impacting our..." Karma drew closer to Serendipity and whispered conspiratorially, "you know, our 'favorites'..."

    "Oh, Nick and Judy," Serendipity said without even pausing to think.

    "Yes, but don't tell anyone!" Karma hissed. "You know Celestials aren't supposed to play favorites!"

    "C'mon, we all totally do," Serendipity giggled.

    Karma sighed. "The point is, had Kuro lived, he would have killed Mayor Vince Mousawitz, and without Mousawitz, Pearline Swinton would have come into power with no contest."

    "Ugh, politics! Blah..." Serendipity yawned.

    "Well, if I could stretch your attention span by a few more seconds, I'd tell you why that's important!" Karma snapped. "What does Judy want to do soon?"

    "Ooh, I know!" Serendipity raised her hand. "Propose to Nick!"

    "Right, and so that would be inter-species marriage," Karma said. "Guess what Swinton is against."

    "Oh, oops," Serendipity made a guilty face.

    "I want those two to marry on their own terms and not be forced to do it because of some sort of political deadline... I feel that they should have their agency of their reward; they deserve it," Karma sighed, gazing down upon the two speaking amicably with Jack and Skye.

    "Totally," Serendipity nodded. She twisted her muzzle this way and that. "Sorry for being, uh... so 'me', I guess."

    "It's all right; everything worked out," Karma walked in her customary and symbolic circles, and laid down.

    "Not gonna go back to your place?" Serendipity giggled.

    "I'm tired from dealing with this minor crisis," Karma explained. "And you."

    "Fair enough..." Serendipity waited until Karma closed her eyes then floated closer, laying on her back. Her colors almost instinctively went to match Karma's once more.

    "Don't think I can't feel you there," Karma warned without opening her eyes. Serendipity flinched a bit like a child with their hand caught in a cookie jar, but didn't separate from Karma. Instead, she snuggled in closer to the fur she laid on. Karma sighed. "Fine."

Chapter 147: Celestials IV

Notes:

Actually a prequel to the first "Celestials" chapter

    In the Celestial Realm, there were many beings born of the Prime Deities, Order and Chaos. Each had their role to help direct the Earth to become balanced and in harmony though application of both changes and stability. Even splashes of chaos were necessary to obtain total balance in a world governed by order.

    One such Celestial was Karma, the canid goddess of consequence. She looked down in displeasure upon Earth, growling to herself as she saw a young fox tod being bullied by several prey animals.

    "Deplorable!" spat Karma, her magenta fur bristling. "These children should be ashamed of themselves, bullying this eager, earnest young boy!"

    Off in the distance loomed another Celestial, a giraffe. This unusually tall being slowly trotted over to Karma, a bored look over her face. It was Destiny, the goddess of finality and inevitability. Her coat of fur was a color that cannot be described by a mammal word, inasmuch as death is an indescribable mystery to mortals. In fact, from a certain angle, viewing Destiny would allow you to see through her fur and to her skeleton underneath, where around it surged the incalculable energy she possessed to command, attract, and direct souls. This energy rarely went used, as she was a somewhat lazy goddess.

    "What has your interest, Karma?" asked Destiny with her droning voice.

    Karma shook her head. "Surely nothing that would concern you, Destiny. However, I will be marking these children down in my accounts! They will all get what's coming to them eventually, and as far as the tod? He must be compensated for this injustice!" Furious, Karma trotted off.

    Destiny sighed and rolled her eyes, looking at the display of Earth, specifically of Zootopia, where a weeping fox boy sat slumped against a stairwell. She found this hard to care about. Destiny and Karma were technically "sisters", as they both were Order's Offspring. Most Celestials, though, had some sort of counterpart in Chaos' Children; Destiny's was a rather frightening-looking bear named Paradigm, God of sudden, sweeping change. Together, Paradigm and Destiny could be called the Celestials of Death, though they had other duties as well. Paradigm could be as lazy as Destiny, as he also governed such things as hibernation, which he often indulged in himself when there were no major plagues or disasters occurring.

    As it was, Destiny found it very hard to care about mortal affairs beyond her most custodial of duties: ferrying the souls of the departed to the Celestial realm where they would await reincarnation. The amount of praise or recognition the Celestials culled in those modern days was extremely low, as many mammals lost faith or belief in the idea that there were metaphysical beings that could, even in a subtle way, affect their lives.

    Destiny blinked in mild surprise as she saw a soul wander towards the display and through it. Destiny sighed, shaking her head at the top of her long neck as she nodded at it and dispersed the display of Earth Karma had left on.

    "What are you doing, wayward soul?" Destiny grumbled.

    "I felt something," said the brilliant, indistinct sphere. Its voice was uncertain.

    Destiny peered over the soul, gleaning some of its identifying marks. "I see. Well, you shouldn't have come here on your own. There is very little in the realm of Celestials for souls to do."

    "Who am I?" the soul asked hesitantly. "Why can't I remember what I am?"

    "Poor, unfortunate soul," Destiny said, and grit her teeth. Souls usually weren't so talkative, or curious. "What you were when you died has faded away over time, and you are left with only what is truly 'you' and cannot be differentiated from any other individual."

    "Well, what sort of things would those be?" the soul flitted this way and that, as if uncomfortable.

    "You are driven," Destiny sucked her teeth. "To get into trouble mostly, it seems."

    "Why do I feel an ache...?" the soul stopped moving where the display had been.

    Destiny groaned, looking away from the soul briefly. She had been eschewing one of her major duties, as she didn't think mortals "deserved" it, given their collective lack of faith. "Soul, do you remember stars?"

    "Of course," the soul bounded around as if nodding.

    "Stars sometimes rarely come in pairs or even more rarely, more," Destiny went on, "They are caught in each others gravity. When souls develop from the Source, sometimes they develop thus. We call your souls soul-bound."

    "Where is my soul-bound?" The soul asked anxiously. Destiny felt mild alarm that the soul had already ascertained that it was a paired soul.

    "He is..." Destiny looked away again, her expression even. "Already on Earth." If Destiny was doing her job well, the soul before her would already have a name and possibly have even met the young red fox already.

    "I must go to him!" The soul vibrated eagerly.

    "Well, as long as you're here in front of me," Destiny grumbled, "I might as well send you to Earth. He has a bit of a head-start on you, and..." Destiny pulled up a statistical display and looked through it. "Seems like I won't be able to put you anywhere very close to him, and I can't even guarantee you'll be his species. Are you sure you want to go now?"

    "Yes! If there's nothing to do in the realm of the Celestials, I must go back to Earth!" The soul seemed to be getting more and more agitated. "Let me go and live!"

    "You've always been... strangely agitated," Destiny huffed. "I suppose that's one thing about you that is rooted deep in that soul of yours. At any rate, come here."

    The soul floated around the base of Destiny's neck and swirled around it to the top, where it paused briefly between Destiny's stubby horns. These glowed with energy that arose from within her, and she pointed her head at the direction of Earth and "fired" the soul out toward it.

    There, Destiny thought. Technically, she had done her job, and even what the soul had wanted. She turned around and trotted off to some of her more usual haunts.

    It wasn't her fault, she reasoned, if the soul never actually met its soul-bound.

---

    "You did great, Bonnie," Stu smiled warmly. Giving some shaky huffs, he wiped some tears out of his eyes. "Just great."

    "Oh, Stu," Bonnie grumbled weakly in the hospital bed. "You get like this every time I have a litter of kits."

    "Well, forgive me for appreciating the miracle of life!" Stu chuckled weakly and wiped his eyes again. "What a precious little arrangement." Bonnie was carefully holding her six kits.

    "The little gray one there," Stu noted. "She was the first one out, wasn't she?"

    "Oh yes," Bonnie laughed tiredly. "She came out like she couldn't wait to get into the world. And my was she displeased! Quite a set of lungs on that one!"

    Stu laughed proudly. "That's good! A good farmer needs a voice that can carry across a whole field. Is she okay?"

    Bonnie nodded. "Mm, they're all fine. Would you like to hold her?"

    "Of course!" Stu smiled. He softly took the small gray bundle from Bonnie, leaving her with the other five kits. "C'mere, my newest little loudmouth." The kit opened her eyes only briefly before shutting them again. Being born was hard work. "Wow! What a set of peepers on this one! Stunning violet, like yours."

    "Any idea what we should name any of the kits?" Bonnie smiled serenely, laying her head back on the pillow. "We've already used a lot of good ones."

    "How about Laverne for this little girl?" Stu smiled warmly at the tiny rabbit.

    "Laverne?" Bonnie raised an eyebrow and her eyelids fell halfway. "Uh, no. That's the kind of name that could get you teased all throughout school. How about Judith?"

    "Judy?" Stu smiled. "That's a nice name! Judy Laverne Hopps!"

    Bonnie sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine, I guess Laverne works as an embarrassing middle name. Judith Laverne Hopps it is."

    Unaware of her new christening, the baby bunny scrunched in her father's grasp. Didn't these noisy large creatures know she was trying to sleep?

    "Now," Stu said. "How about the others?"

Notes:

Almost forgot! Another unrelated surprise from my friend Roahm Mythril, for fans of Karen and Crystal:

 

The two cuddling from a couple of chapters ago!

Chapter 148: Celestials V

    Judy found herself standing still on a vast expanse. She wasn't sure how to describe where she was or what she was experiencing. Airy, wispy colors seemed to fade into and out of the background, and she thought she could see the hint of the stars of the night sky all around her. There seemed to be no primary light source, but she could perceive everything just fine. Judy rubbed at her arms, taking one tentative step forward. The ground felt yielding and she wasn't quite sure what or where the ground actually was. Staring at the wispy streams of color floating about, she folded her arms. This wasn't like any dream she had experienced before.

    Off in the distance, the shadows of two animals loomed, and then suddenly coalesced into their respective forms. Judy blinked as she saw them close in, and get larger and larger as they approached. It was a giraffe and a bear, but both were unlike any Judy had seen before. For one thing, both walked on all fours, and both were huge.

    The giraffe was, unnervingly, colors that Judy could not put names to. She flinched in fear as the "light" caught the giraffe in a certain way and she could see straight through the body, down to the skeleton, with multicolored fires dancing about within and between the bones of the giraffe.

    The bear was definitely black-furred, but it had a wreath of something like fire appearing and disappearing around its chest and back. Its eyes glowed cyan and seemed to crackle with occasional bolts of lightning. Meanwhile, its steps caused little ripples that moved through the "ground", as if shockwaves, but Judy couldn't feel them as they moved through her.

    The two large animals both stopped and regarded Judy. The bunny craned her neck up to look up at the two and instinctively took a deep breath. A little bit of apprehension washed over her as she didn't know what was more intimidating, the two animals she beheld, or the fact that she didn't think she felt air enter her lungs when she gasped in.

    "Uh," Judy started, somewhat surprised that her voice still worked. "What's going on?" The bear started to smile immediately.

    "YOU'RE DEAD!" the bear's male voice yelled out abruptly. Judy flinched at this.

    "Paradigm, please," the giraffe's serious, feminine voice came forth.

    "Aw, but I've been waiting decades to bring that one back," Paradigm said, chuckling in his low, commanding voice.

    "I'm dead?" Judy felt like she should be more worried about this, and less able to speak.

    "Indeed, welcome to your demise," the giraffe said. Judy found the flat delivery almost humorous, especially at the absurdity of it all.

    "We're your hosts, Paradigm and Destiny," Paradigm said with a hint of mirth. Destiny sighed and shook her head.

    "So this isn't a dream, huh?" Judy folded her arms. "Because the last thing I remember is going to bed."

    "Mm, eighty-six is a pretty good run for a bunny, isn't it?" Paradigm sat on his haunches and shrugged his shoulders.

    "Especially one like you," Destiny almost smiled. "Going softly in your sleep is not what I anticipated."

    "Am I in... heaven?" Judy looked around.

    "Not exactly, you're in our realm, the realm of the Celestials," Destiny explained. "Where souls come from, and come back to after death. The closest mortal word would be limbo."

    "My family will be devastated..." Judy frowned.

    "They will, they will," Paradigm nodded. "To that end, I'm the Chaotic Celestial of catastrophic and rapid change. I'm here to help both you and those you've left behind in this transitional process."

    "What's going to happen?" Judy felt a tingle of fear.

    "Well, actually, I will have to help you out less," Paradigm grinned at Destiny. "Destiny owes you a little something." Judy's eyes widened at this. She still figured she must be having a dream, but it was certainly a more interesting one than her usual fare.

    Destiny sighed. "Don't remind me. Where are the others?"

    "They should be here soon," Paradigm said. "I told Growth to inform them that Judy didn't have much longer left on Earth."

    Two more animals manifested before long, with something like a vague luminescent body following them. One of them was a proud-looking, stately canid with soft magenta fur and more intense magenta eyes. The other was a bunny, still quite a bit larger than Judy, who was floating around in the "air" around the canid; the colors of the bunny seemed to be constantly in flux.

    Judy narrowed her eyes. "Is that... Karma and Serendipity?"

    "Oh, she's heard of us!" Serendipity giggled, floating a couple of circles around Karma's head, to which she didn't react. "We're fans of yours!"

    "You two are... real?" Judy shook her head as if to try to wake up. Nothing happened.

    "How do you define 'real'?" Karma asked. "There will never be tangible proof of our existence to you mortals. All we can offer to our mortal friends are vague thoughts or suggestions that seem to spring from the aether. It's up to you to act on them. In a sense, then, we are not real."

    Serendipity looked at Karma incredulously, hanging still in midair. "Karma, you've been talking to Phantasm again, haven't you?"

    "Yes, and next time I think that's a good idea, I'd like you to talk me out of it," Karma grumbled.

    Judy tilted her head slightly at the luminescent figure approaching her.

    "You're very familiar..." a vague, indistinct voice from the figure said.

    "Is that... you, Nick?" Judy blinked.

    Serendipity gasped, holding her paws to her cheeks. She then pumped her fist and vibrated excitedly. "She got it in one!"

    "Mm, I always thought she was exceptional," Karma closed her eyes proudly.

    "This is Nick...?" Judy frowned. "What... happened to him?"

    "Only what happens to every soul over time," Destiny explained. "Bits of their memory and Earthly thoughts will slough off one by one and become part of the universe. What's left is just the soul, what of a person can individually be linked to only you."

    "It's kind of like the difference between a compound and an element," Serendipity offered.

    "That sounds... terrifying," Judy admitted. "Nick's... he's lost himself?"   

    "Mortals always find it scary to let go," Paradigm nodded. "That's why I'm here to help them. However, Nick's been able to hold onto himself much longer than other souls."

    "He's been... waiting for me?" Judy looked at Nick's soul's form with a pained expression.

    "I've been waiting long enough," the soul said with a sarcastic edge.

    Judy made a choking laugh. "Okay you rascal, that's definitely Nick." Judy started forward happily, but then halted. "Can I... can I embrace him?"

    "By all means," Destiny said dryly. Karma and Serendipity shot each other a smile. Judy held the soul close to her, and it felt warm. Swirling wisps of color suddenly started becoming attracted to the two, and they seeped into Nick's soul, which started to fill out in shape and in color until it was unmistakably the red fox Judy had known, loved, and married. She released him, her eyes sparkling.

    "Nick!" Judy laughed.

    "Hey, Carrots," Nick said, putting his arms in his pockets. "You've kept me waiting."

    "You had to go and die first," Judy sneered, shaking her index finger at him. She huffed unsteadily as the memories were still very fresh to her. "You left me alone for nearly a decade!"

    "Give this old fox a break," Nick shrugged. As they observed each other, they noticed that they were dressed and appeared as they were during the one day they changed Zootopia. They smiled at each other with a longing love.

    "Wow, they really didn't skip a beat," Karma shook her head and rolled her eyes.

    "Nope, business as usual," Serendipity "laid down" in midair with her cheeks in her paws, sighing dreamily.

    "Wow, to see you again like this..." Judy smiled. "It feels like magic..."

    "Actually, it's fairly simple," Destiny said. "Nothing in the universe is ever truly 'lost'. Because of your special bond and close contact, the memories and feelings that have fallen off Nick have rejoined him and-"

    "Shaddap," Serendipity sucked at her teeth. "If she says it's magic, it's magic. Not like they're going to remember this anyway."

    "I guess I don't understand why we can't just keep our memories as they are..." Judy frowned.

    "Well, you won't need them where you're going," Destiny said. Judy shivered.

    "And where is that?" Judy mumbled.

    "Back to Earth, of course," Paradigm chuckled. "Can't have you two remembering you were a bunny and a fox."

    "Sometimes, through the aether, a memory will fly right through you!" Serendipity said. "Millions of memories fly through mortals every second, but sometimes, you'll get one of yours. It's kinda like how you mortals have discovered neutrinos. If you're hit with your own memory, it's like a key hitting a lock. You might get a flash of deja vu!"

    "Huh..." Judy said in wonder. "So we have to go back to Earth?"

    "There's not much to do up here for mortals, Judy," Nick shrugged. "I played a few dozen rounds of poker with Serendipity, Karma, and a few others, and that was fun for awhile, but-"

    "Wait, wait," Judy squinted her eyes shut and held up both hands. "You played poker with the Celestials?"

    "Games of chance are pretty dull, but we happen to like Nick," Karma smiled.

    "Nick's great fun, and I just love games of chance!" Serendipity giggled.

    "Did you ever win?" Judy smirked. "This is sounding like trying to hustle Death out of another shot at life."

    "Well, I was going to get that anyway," Nick chuckled, folding his arms. "But yeah, I've won a few hands. Serendipity cheats, though."

    "Hey!" Serendipity protested.

    "Your 'straight flush' had a blue five of clubs in it, Missy," Nick accused, pointing at the bunny celestial.

    "Oops, I forgot what color it was supposed to be," Serendipity shrunk back, and Karma glared at her in subtle amusement.

    Judy shook her head. "I can't believe you have the gall to reprimand a Celestial, Nick."

    "Eh, they're just people," Nick shrugged. "Kinda."

    "If you all have existed since forever," Judy held her arms out to indicate the quartet of Celestials. "How come you look like somewhat normal animals?"

    "We've been shaped by the thoughts of mortals," Destiny explained. "As you all started to ascend to sapience, Order and Chaos created us to help guide you. At first we were formless, like the souls, but those whose lives we began to effect and who began to slightly sense the memories of the times they spent dead and with us... they started to shape who we are."

    "That's why bunnies are associated with me!" Serendipity proudly thrust a thumb into her chest. "Cause I like ya!"

    Judy smiled at Nick. "Destiny said we have a special bond, huh? I can believe that..."

    "Oh, it gets better," Nick said, wiggling his eyebrows. "We're soulmates."

    "That doesn't surprise me either," Judy smiled, sighing peacefully. "So, Destiny, I'm guessing it was you who helped push us together subtly?" Destiny looked off to the side and all present but Judy and Destiny broke down laughing, even Karma.

    "I'm known as a 'lazy' Celestial," Destiny grumbled. "I don't get soulmates together much anymore. Mammals don't believe in them. I just feel like I'd need a push, a hope, to feel like working. But no one ever does. No one likes to say 'it's Destiny!' anymore. So I'm just here doing the death thing."

    "Huh!" Judy tilted her head. "But we got together anyway- oh." Karma and Serendipity were trying to hide bashful, huge smiles. "Okay, should have guessed. How did they get us together? Circumstance and causality? Have we been puppets to the Celestials all our lives?" The two Celestials quickly shook their heads.

    "No no, it was just a tiny little idea," Nick said. "Three words." He held up three digits.

    Judy grinned devilishly. "Felony tax evasion?"

    Nick winced and shook his hands. "No no no! Mammal inclusion initiative!"

    "Huh?" Judy wondered. "They gave... what, Lionheart the idea?"

    "Just the possibility," Serendipity haughtily looked at her claws. "Didn't force him, just suggested subtly and nicely."

    "And that one idea got us together; that was their intention?" Judy seemed baffled.

    "I'm a high roller, baby!" Serendipity shook a fist and mimicked throwing dice. Judy flinched as she actually did toss dice that burst into little fireworks in midair.

    "Plus, soulmates have a naturally powerful attraction to each other, like binary stars or magnets," Karma said. "Once you met each other most of the work was done for us."

    "So does everyone have a soul mate?" Judy mused.

    "No," Destiny said, and Judy looked dismayed at this. "All souls can have meaningful and loving interactions with others. However, soulmates of two or more, they are sort of bound to each other in a way; their most meaningful reactions come from each other."

    "Gives you the warm fuzzies, huh?" Nick nudged Judy.

    "I'm just wondering what the point of this little Celestial party is," Judy shrugged.

    "Well!" Paradigm laughed and lightning crackled out of his eyes. "In a miraculous turn of events, Destiny is actually going to do her job!"

    Destiny groaned. "This time, for your next lives, we can just skip through the stage where you have to slough off your memories and do it all at once. I will send you both at once and make sure you meet earlier and have a fulfilling life together. Or, do the best I can to that effect. As always it's up to you."
    
    "Oh..." Judy said, a hand to her chest. "That sounds lovely..."

    "Wonder what we'll be this time," Nick shoved his hands into his pockets.

    "Not a bunny and a fox...?" Judy wondered.

    "Souls are souls," Paradigm said. "They're malleable and fit into many different things. You might even be the same species this time."

    "That sounds interesting..." Judy smirked. "So we're going right away?"

    "Unless you want to play some poker or something!" Serendipity waved her arm in invitation.

    "I'll pass... next life?" Judy winked.

    "I'm gonna hold you to that!" Serendipity pointed seriously at Judy. Serendipity turned to Karma. "Karma, let it be shown on the record that Judy's soul, whomever she is next go-round, owes me a game of poker!"

    "So noted," Karma rolled her eyes, but then looked warmly at Judy. "You did just make a promise to a Celestial. Your next self is probably going to be pretty confused."

    "That's her problem," Judy laughed. "His problem? Their problem?"

    "Guess we'll just have to see who's what," Nick laughed, but then looked somewhat pensive. Judy looked warmly over him, and Nick nodded diagonally.

    "I'm a little scared..." Judy admitted. "But... let's go back, Nick. Together."

    Nick nodded again, remaining close to his bunny. Judy nestled against her fox a little.

    "Anything you particularly want to be?" Judy asked. "Not that I know if we get a choice."

    Nick shrugged. "Try everything, right?"

    "Oh come on," Judy laughed. Then she smiled, holding his hands briefly. "Yeah. Try everything."

    "Okay kits, time to get your butts back to Earth," Paradigm said, his eyes crackling more fiercely, then he stomped on the ground and send a large shockwave rippling through the two. In a colorful display of wispy threads, their beings, thoughts and memories burst out in all directions, leaving the two's bright, shining souls.

    "Last one to Earth has to buy lunch!" Judy's soul said, fluttering around excitedly.

    "Is that even how it works?" Nick's soul seemed to hang incredulously. Karma and Serendipity both waved at them; Karma holding a paw off the ground to accomplish this.

    "You're going together," Destiny said with something like a bold zest, drawing them to herself with her own powers. The two souls swirled up her long, long neck, meeting near her horns, and then shot off at incredible speed back to Earth.

    "And there they go," Paradigm said, watching them vanish into the distance. "Well, that was fun!"

    "Hope they'll be less trouble this time," Destiny muttered, smiling just a little. She and Paradigm walked off, leaving Serendipity and Karma staring at Earth from off in the incalculable distance of their realm.

    "And so Nick and Judy's circle is finally complete," Karma said. "Now they'll have to forge another one together."

    "Mmm...!" Serendipity whined. "I liked Nick and Judy, though!"

    Karma wandered through the memories Nick and Judy had left behind. Their meetings, their reconciliation, their wedding, tender moments, sad moments, all of it hung heavy in the atmosphere around them. The two Celestials could clearly discern the memories, and watched them for some time.

    "Their memories will always be with the cosmos. They had a nice life, and are about to have another," Karma said with bold declaration. "It's the proper order of things."

    "I'm always going to remember when they were Nick and Judy," Serendipity gave a half smile, floating onto Karma's back and holding close to her back, snuggling in.

    "As will I, Serendipity," Karma laid down and brought her own tail into her mouth, muffling her voice. "Aff will I."

    Serendipity giggled lightly as the two Celestials relaxed together.

Notes:

Different Tails will now go on hiatus! That doesn't mean I will stop writing, though. After awhile I'll likely come back to the collection and finish off some of the threads that have been left hanging or start new ones. The plot bunnies are fickle and the adventure stories are hard to do. What I'll be doing instead is somewhat up to you readers. Here's some possible options, which I may do all or none of:

Indexing - Rearranging the chapters in clumps of similar stories or series so I don't need the chapter tags. Add an index at the beginning as a sort of "table of contents", to give brief descriptions of the chapters. Would be more helpful for new readers, admittedly.

Ozzie's Auto Repair - A story I have already started here and have an idea for an arc. Mostly just a slice of life staring anthropomorphic Disney characters that have been modified to fit Zootopia. Stars Oswald the lucky rabbit and his attempts to carry on his family's legacy.

Full Fledged Samantha Hopps Story - A story heavy and severe in tone with more than a dozen chapters, including (likely touched up) versions of the four Vixen stories. Set tenuously in the "Testing Limits" universe and starring SophieWitch's character Samantha Hopps.

Bonus DVD Extra Content - Things appended to the end of the collection, stuff like original character bios.

Plus anything else I or you can think of and want hard enough to will into existence. I'll see you all sooner than later, I bet!

Chapter 149: Appendix I: Original Character Listing

Notes:

Welcome to the first (and in all likelihood, largest) piece of bonus content that will likely exclusively be for AO3! For one, it's much easier to maintain content here than "the other place", and I got my start here; I feel like I owe you readers something special here.

I'm open to suggestions for other ideas for other kinds of bonus content (something like ask the characters? I'm not precisely sure) and as always, thank you for reading. This still isn't the "end" of Different Tails, this is just something I decided to whip up for fun.

Anyway, here's a list and brief descriptions of the army of characters I've created for the Zootopia setting. There are some spoilers below for all of my works, and I'm sure I didn't hit every single character; some are a bit too minor to show up, or only occur in one of the specialized Alternate Universes. I hope you enjoy anyway!

Last updated October 23rd, 2017.

A big warning: most if not all of these entries contain SPOILERS for one story or another. Be warned!

[BUNNYBURROW HOPPS COMPOUND]

 

-Bradley (Rad) Hopps-

A cream-furred bunny with brown masking. Obsessed with being cool, he can do some nifty skateboarding tricks and hopes to have a sports car one day. He's a big fan of Nick Wilde and tries to visit with him every time he's over. He grew out of the "tough kit" phase he had while he was younger and is now more of a jovial sort, and has almost a "surfer" personality.

Bradley eventually becomes a radio personality for WBRW in Bunnyburrow. His cool attitude follows him even there, and he's well-liked by his co-workers.

Meta Tidbit: Based on the Hopps in the official Hopps family portrait, bottom row, second from the left.

 

-Ivory Hopps-

The only albino Hopps. Striking and lovely with white fur and pink-red eyes, she easily got a job as a model and attracted a lot of attention from bucks. However, when one got her pregnant, she lost a lot of opportunities for modeling and her agent wasn't able to find her work. Ivory quit and went home to raise her kits with her family, as her boyfriend didn't want kits of his own. She dislikes foxes and other inter-species couples for selfish reasons; she thinks that since a bunny relationship didn't go well for her, there's no way a non-bunny relationship could go well for a bunny.

 

-Jayce Sun Hopps-

A cream colored bunny with brown masking. Set to become the heir of the Hopps farm, Jayce is hard working and focused, but also highly sarcastic and smarmy. Almost a Hopps version of Nick Wilde himself; it's no surprise that the two became fast friends. Even as of taking the reins of the Hopps farm, he has yet to marry.

Meta Tidbit: Based on the top-left-most male in the Hopps family portrait. Also named for Jason Bateman, Nick's voice actor.

 

-Jenny Fur Hopps-

A light gray bunny with white masking. Idolizes her sister Judy, and eventually moves to Zootopia to pursue the dream of becoming a firefighter. Despite her idolization, she's known as somewhat of a troublemaker and lovable brat. She loves to tease her siblings, especially Judy, and grill them for information and embarrassing pictures. Her hijinks have gotten her tossed in the family's lake more than once.

Meta Tidbit: Based on the bunny seen telling Judy "I love you" at the train station, and in one of Judy's photos she keeps on her desk in her apartment. Her name is also based on Ginnifer Goodwin, Judy's voice actress.

 

-Violet Hopps-

A nearsighted gray bunny with light gray masking and light purple, almost blue eyes. Often wears sweaters and skirts in addition to glasses. She is the Hopps Family Organizer, responsible for planning many family activities and events, which helps to keep the Hopps compound in order. She suffers from generalized anxiety disorder and can often seem subdued in her emotions, though she worries and cares for her family a great deal. She's reasonably fit and still rather bookish in her entertainment pursuits. Violet is known to harshly scold members of her family that she feels are being obstacles to the happiness of other siblings of hers, or even close friends.

Meta Tidbit: Violet Hopps is a "canon" character whose likeness comes from the Zootopia Comics Collection in a short comic entitled "Brothers & Sisters". In it she's depicted as being worried about Judy, when the latter merely hurt her hand. From that her character spiraled outward into these works.

 

[BUNNYBURROW LAW & ORDER]

 

-Adrian Andeers-

A middle-aged deer. The dry, jaded District Attorney of Bunnyburrow. Mostly concerned with his conviction rate and stacking the odds of the "game" in his favor more than the morals of the situation, but he "plays the part" of caring for the downtrodden well. Bunnyburrow politics and the leniency usually afforded to bunny criminals make him lean extra hard on bunny defendants.

Meta Tidbit: Adrian Andeers is a play on "Adrian Andrews", a character from the Phoenix Wright series, though the two are nothing alike.

 

-Liam Halhoun-

A coyote with steel-blue eyes. An intense individual; his troubled past fueled his desire to join the Bunnyburrow Special Victims unit. He functions as one of their foremost detectives, and his track record is impressive. When it comes to pred-on-prey violence, he gets extremely vicious and will stop at almost nothing to bring a suspect in. Over the years he has somewhat mellowed out and taken a coyote wife and had a couple of pups.

Meta Tidbit: Liam's first name means "strong-willed warrior and protector". Halhoun is a play on Calhoun, partly a reference to Wreck it Ralph, partly because it's almost 'Howlhound', though pronounced differently.

 

-Carol (Cream) Hopps-

A no-nonsense cream bunny with white masking. Inspired by her cousin Judy, she became a Bunnyburrow Sheriff along with her brother, Peter. Their dedication and fearsome presence on the force led them to obtain the ironic nicknames "Peaches and Cream". Her specialty is interrogation; her raspy, terrifying manner of grilling suspects is legendary among small-time Bunnyburrow criminals.

 

-Peter (Peaches) Hopps-

A taciturn cream bunny with white masking, litter-mate of Carol Hopps. Though his job as a Bunnyburrow Sheriff is taken with the utmost seriousness, at home he and his sister are a lot more playful, and like attacking their younger siblings with water weaponry, especially around Serendipiday. To that end, Peter is an accomplished marksman, as the flunky criminals of Bunnyburrow can attest to.

 

-Tabitha Moosier-

A reddish-brown furred cow with hazel eyes. Tabitha is a tough, strong, well-built cow working as a detective on the Bunnyburrow Special Victims unit. Mammals bigger or stronger than cows are fairly rare in Bunnyburrow, meaning many criminals are physically outmatched by her. In truth, she was paired with Liam Halhoun because her captain saw Liam as a loose cannon in need of reining in. She can be very gentle and empathetic with the victims she interacts with, and her partner Liam usually relies on her to talk to them.

Meta Tidbit: Her name comes from a play on "Hoosier".

 

[BUNNYBURROW RESIDENTS]

 

-Cocoa Binkle-

A brown and dark brown mixed bunny, born with the inability to perk her ears. She endured a hard social life growing up, and things got extremely bad for her at one point, leading to a crisis and near breakdown. The specifics of this are something she keeps quite secret. She has tried to move on from her troubles, and against her parents' concerns, lives alone. She has a crush on Bradley Hopps, her co-worker at WBRW, where she is the producer.

 

-Ariel Brownfurred (née Summer)-

A kit fox with chocolate brown eyes. Her family moved to Bunnyburrow right before she started high school, much to her chagrin. An incident in high school left her to have a poor opinion of bunnies, though this has been softened over time by her exposure to Cecil, her eventual husband who was raised by bunnies. In addition, her daughter is dating another bunny, forcing her to reevaluate her position once more. She is one of the top chefs in Bunnyburrow, only beaten out by a few bunnies. Whether the bunnies are actually better than her or are being favored because of their species is something that Ariel wrestles with mentally.

Meda Tidbit: Her immediate family forms a joke: Ariel (arial, air), Cecil (SEA-sill), and Terra (or, earth).

 

-Cecil Brownfurred-

A crystal-blue-eyed kit fox. Abandoned as a kit, he was taken in by Harvey Brownfurred and his wife. He has ten rabbit siblings. After high school, he eventually decided he wanted to become an architect for the more unusual homes, abodes, and compounds needed in Bunnyburrow. Now a father himself of a single daughter, he has tried to play the role of the goofy, fun-loving dad that his father displayed. He cares deeply about his daughter Terra and has tried to shield her from harm.

Meta Tidbit: His name is a reference to Final Fantasy IV and its main character Cecil Harvey.

 

-Harvey Brownfurred-

A brown-furred, light brown-eyed rabbit buck. A typical farmer bunny out to form a typical family, but his wife became infertile after two litters, leaving them with ten children. They decided they wanted to adopt, and adopted a single kit fox, Cecil, into their home. His children are now all grown, and his new house, designed by Cecil, is small enough for their modestly-sized bunny family. Harvey now presents himself as a sassy, fun-loving grandfather who is a straight-talker and is out of cares to give.

Meta Tidbit: Besides being the last name of Final Fantasy IV's Cecil Harvey, Harvey is also the name of an imaginary bunny from a movie.

 

-Terra Brownfurred-

A sweet, shy, crystal-blue-eyed kit fox. Born and raised in Bunnyburrow with care by her parents, she avoided conflict for much of her life; even arguing tends to upset her. Bookish, her interests are in stories, particularly graphic novels. She was always attracted to bunnies despite (or because of) growing up surrounded by them, and is particularly attracted to fit bunnies.

Eventually, she got a job at a bookstore, and found love in Samantha Hopps. Still rather emotionally fragile, she tends to lean on her lover for support.

Meta Tidbit: Her name is a reference to Final Fantasy VI and one of its main characters: Terra Branford.

 

-Samantha Hopps-

A cream bunny with white masking and amber eyes. One of the older Hopps children; a litter-mate of Violet. After a horrible incident, Samantha is deeply traumatized by foxes, though she still harbors an attraction to them. Much of her early adult life is spent trying to recover the ground she lost from that incident. She teaches third grade.

Meta Tidbit: She is an original character Hopps that belongs to SophieWitch, though my characterization and visualization of Samantha is different than hers.

 

-Charles North-

A hornless ram with an outgoing, eccentric, and almost condescending personality. His passion was to be influential in one way or another, and he decided to try to get into journalism as a result. Though a bit insensitive, he is not purposefully unfriendly or hurtful. He eventually landed a job with the Bunnyburrow Beacon, something he derives great pride from.

 

-Margaret Packard-

A white alpaca. Often sharply dressed, she's the manager at WBRW. Her tongue is as sharp as her attire, and her form of humor is often biting and dry. To counterbalance this, she hired Bradley Hopps, whose genuine sense of humor balances hers well. She's a bit hard to make friends with and doesn't suffer fools well.

 

-Theodore (Ted) Placid-

A black bunny with blue eyes. An earnest and friendly hard-working fellow, he was once set up to date Judy Hopps. His family, the Placids, are a leading supplier of irrigation and pesticide solutions in Bunnyburrow, and they want to try to get Ted "in" with the Hopps to secure their continual partnership. Though Ted is a nice guy, he proved all wrong for Judy, but he might not be out of the woods as far as Hopps does yet.

Meta Tidbit: In the original Partners, his name was "Jack Placid", which was a play on "Jack Savage". He's since taken on his own identity.

 

-Samuel Tangiraffe-

An eccentric giraffe. He sets up a "test your strength"-type game at the Serendipiday festival; it's random what degree of strength needs to be applied to win a prize.

Meta Tidbit: His speech patterns (and to some degree, his name) are based off of a somewhat popular YouTube personality named raocow (yes, really).

 

[ZOOTOPIA LAW & ORDER]

 

-Cheyenne Aurum-

An excitable, driven coyote in the Zootopia Immigration Customs Enforcement. Good at her job but reckless, she absolutely loves hunting down reptiles due to some sort of speciesism on her part. She takes a lot of risks that don't always pan out, but when they do, she's praised for her daring feats.

Meta Tidbit: Based on my current dog, a golden retriever.

 

-Amber Fetcher-

A serious, responsible coyote in the Zootopia Immigration Customs Enforcement. The partner of Cheyenne Aurum, she often has to hold her back before she does something too dangerous. Rather wide-set for a coyote, she is nonetheless strong and in decent enough shape. She worries about Cheyenne a lot, as if she were her daughter or younger sister.

Meta Tidbit: Based on my previous dog, a golden retriever.

 

-Randall Freemammal-

The hard-boiled moose commissioner of Zootopia. A grumpy, middle-aged mammal who often wears trenchcoats and is almost never seen without a few sticks of gum in his mouth. Though he cares for Zootopia as a whole, he has a rather traditional view of certain matters such as relationship values, which earn him some ire and often make him seem standoffish and nasty.

Meta Tidbit: His name comes from a sort of "train": Comissioner Gordon from Batman, mixed with Gordon Freeman from Half-Life, and his first name is the "nickname" of the drug randernephrol.

 

-"Nil"-

A mouse secret agent that works for an unknown organization, likely the Zootopia Bureau of Investigation. An unremarkable-looking gray mouse who's an expert at infiltration and data collection. His superiors explained to him that he was easily replacable, but he earned his current nickname by completing several missions without a hitch, as if "nothing" was there. Known formally as "Agent Zero Point Zero" in the organization.

 

-Carl Pedshark-

A jovial brown ferret that works as the Medical Examiner for the Zootopia Police Department, Precinct One. Possesses a daughter, Kara, and his demeanor is often serene or even happy compared to his grim work. He is a stickler for the rules, but has been convinced to bend them on occasion if the need arises.

 

-Karen Skippel-

Closed-off and often grumpy arctic hare with icy blue eyes. Her mother died during childbirth and on her first kit, making Karen an only-bunny; a rarity among lapines. Her social abilities and empathy suffered a lot as a result of this and her father being overprotective of her. She got into hacking around puberty after video games themselves started to bore her. She might have gotten into trouble with the law had her father not discovered what she was doing and suggest that she use her hacking abilities for work, instead.

As she overthinks everything, she had a hard time getting a job, as she would read too much into her job interviews. Eventually, the Mammal Inclusion Initiative landed her a job at the Zootopia Police Department, where she was unavoidably (and to her annoyance) compared to Judy Hopps. She is paranoid and borderline obsessive-compulsive, and one of her worst fears came true when she was abducted by a rhino and her life threatened.

She initially felt no attraction to males or even females for that matter; she used to think she was asexual. She found though that she likes being comforted by purring females, but not if they are being paid for it. She met Crystal Lumi and the two are a couple now. Karen is quite secretive about what goes on between the two and does not like publicly advertising her relationship.

Meta Tidbit: She was designed to sort of be a "shadow" to Judy Hopps. Her last name is pronounced "skip-PELL", not "skipple".

 

-Viridia Sonaire-

A green-eyed fruit bat. She's a somewhat short-tempered hotshot of the Nocturnal District's Police Department. She tends to focus on her duties to the exclusion of others, which makes her a poor partner. Her oversights led to one of her partners becoming crippled. She was considered indispensable, so she still is sent on assignments by herself.

As a fruit bat, she does not have natural echolocation ability, but all of her adult life she has trained to use a clicking form of "false" echolocation that works well enough. She is a very fierce officer and has taken down numerous criminals, partly because she is a lot larger than most underground dwellers. Eventually she was picked up by the ZIA.

Meta Tidbit: Her name is a play on the word viridian (a green color) like her eyes. This is a vague reference to Rouge the Bat from the Sonic fandom, as she is also named after a color. The last name is just an embellished version of "sonar"; somewhat ironic as "megabats" cannot use sonar.

 

-Bert Taber-

An ocelot that works for Zootopia Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE). Skittish and often on edge, he is their tech and computer forensics expert. He caught the embarrassing nickname "Sherbert" after a quip made from agent Cheyenne Aurum, responding for her to perform an action with "sure, Bert!"

Meta Tidbit: Based on one of my proofreader's cats, Sherbert, which I had the opportunity to name.

 

[ZOOTOPIA RESIDENTS]

 

-Roa'Ahm (Roa Ahm)-

A perentie (a kind of monitor lizard). He has a jewelry shop set up in an out-of-the-way area of Zootopia. Somehow, he became acquaintances of Nick Wilde and when the latter needed a wedding ring, he was eager to help. He moved away from his homeland of Pawaii at a fairly young age, tired of the political strife that was enveloping the nation.

Meta Tidbit: Based on my proofreader, Roahm Mythril.

 

-Andrew (Andy) Arctic-

A sensitive and gentle polar bear. Though he likes to work out and keep up in shape, he is extremely kind and would never harm anyone purposefully. Andrew was targeted as the Nighthowler incident escalated and ended up severely injuring his boyfriend, Cody Rain. This brings him no shortage of grief, and he has had to go to counseling to try to resolve the guilt he feels over his uncontrolled actions.

Meta Tidbit: Based on the polar bear seen in gym clothes during the ZNN news report in Zootopia after Judy's press conference.

 

-Cyndi Ashfurred-

A college student red vixen and roommate of Cinderella Reddish. The party-going sort and deceptively shallow-minded, she's more perceptive than she appears. She's in law studies, wishing to become a lawyer.

 

-Justin Brown-

A kindly brown bear who works in Zootopia as a psychologist specializing in family care. He was a victim of the Nighthowler incident, but beyond that, he decided to take up the mantle of healer and arrange therapy sessions for other predators who fell victim to the attack. Empathetic and understanding, he listens to the troubles of the victims and tries to help them cope with their situations.

Meta Tidbit: Inspired by the bear on the Zootopia missing mammals poster, bottom left.

 

-Vicky Burner-

A vixen that Nick impulsively got engaged to as he tried to douse his feelings for Judy. As Judy was oblivious to this, she was happy enough for Vicky and Nick, but once the truth came out, Vicky did not take the break-up well and ended up taking out her frustration on both Nick and Judy.

 

-Chet Chilla-

An outwardly cool and confident gray chinchilla. His mother is a drunk and this led to his parents divorce, but her lawyer was good enough that she got to keep Chet. Chet delights in escapism; even going to school is fun for him, whereas at home he loves books. He grew up afraid of when his mother would drink and eventually snap, even hitting him with his own books. Fortunately for him, his nightmare is now over and he moved in with his father.

His personalty is rather stable after he got away from his abusive mother. He's extremely friendly and figures he can make friends with anyone with his charming coolness. He used to wear sunglasses as much as he could get away with to hide his feelings from others. It's hard to get at his true feelings on a matter; he sets up a barrier of pleasantness and acceptance for pretty much anything. He came up with a trick meet for him and his friends to enjoy and burn off steam given the cessation of recess at middle school. Larry Curlycue is his best friend.

 

-Barbara Clawhauser-

A fussy and anxious fiery brown-eyed cheetah, Benjamin's younger sister. She has dreams of becoming a nurse and also stands in as the "mother" of the cheetah's family since their parents died in a car crash. She was hesistant to pursue her dreams since their youngest brother Terrence was traumatized by his parents' death, but hopes to eventually move forward with her life, as long as it doesn't leave her family behind.

 

-Terrence Clawhauser-

Chocolate-brown-eyed cheetah, youngest sibling of Benjamin Clawhauser. He was present in the car crash that claimed his parents, and has taken years of patient encouragement and therapy to come out of his shell. Though he loves his siblings, he also can get a bit tired of how much they fuss over him. He has a good friend, Cyrus Gainsboro, who he is starting to fall for.

 

-Larry Curlycue-

A kind and very empathetic gray squirrel boy with blue eyes. Lost his father due to a large animal accident and his mother to illness. He's reserved and somewhat introverted, but he does have a lot of energy to express. He gets excited from thrill rides, and getting to do physical tricks, and eventually pursues his dream of becoming a race car driver.

Larry is receptive to his adopted parents and internalizes many lessons from both of them. He is deeply emotional, like Nick, but lacks a reason to hide his emotions, so they often come out on full display. From Judy comes his inability to lie without his voice giving him away.

Meta Tidbit: His surname comes from the word curlicue, a word that could be used to describe the swirl of a squirrel tail.

 

-Ellie Duvine-

A happy-go-lucky black-and-white cow that's into some nerdy pursuits. Friends with Cinderella Reddish, she wants to become a celebrity reporter, but student debt forced her into the dairy industry for a few years.

 

-Cyrus Gainsboro-

A gray wolf. Used to be the alpha of his middle school, but his social status fell in high school. Regardless, he is a loyal friend, and becomes fast friends with Terrence Clawhauser, and starts to develop more complex feelings about him. He currently works as a fast-food employee with little idea of what he wants to pursue in life.

Meta Tidbit: The friendship/relationship between Terrence and him comes from the idea that some anxious captive cheetahs get service dogs to help with their anxiety. His last name is a kind of gray.

 

-Ty Guarder-

A tough, gruff tiger with an impressive physique. He went missing for one of the longest periods of time during the Nighthowler incident, and is wracked with hidden guilt over what he might have done and his ignorance of his actions during the time he wasn't in control of himself. Irritable and tough to open up, his personality makes it hard for him to accept counsel.

 

-Marcy Henderson-

A spotted hyena that, unusual for females of her species, is rather gentle. She lacks the common excess of androgen most female hyenas get, and so appears more like a female of other species. This has caused her to have a complex about the situation, where she feels she has to prove herself at anything. Despite qualifying for a team attempting to get into an international swimming competition, she feels she is inadequate due to being the worst one on the team.

 

-Roxanne Holland-

A bouncy, happy auburn bunny. Previously was a fling of Nick's; he wanted more from the relationship but she did not. He never let her know his true feelings, so his feelings soured over time. Roxanne herself became a couple's psychologist, and ironically only later learned how Nick felt about her and the effect it might have on his relationship with other bunnies. She bears him no ill will, but he doesn't seem too interested in associating with her again.

 

-Itachi "Kunoichi" Hotaru-

A clever and sneaky Anihonese (Japanese) marten. She's a member of the Musteladies and serves as a spy to the leader, Princess. Her actual personality is jovial and cutesy, which is a disconnect from the serious, hushed personality she puts forth as "Kunoichi". If she doesn't become an actual spy, she believes she has some acting skill.

 

-Jiji (Jhi Jhi)-

A pretty and pleasant leopard gecko from Pawaii. She longed to emigrate to Zootopia, as she has quite an enjoyment of mammals and fur of all of its various colors and types. She is rather exotic for a reptile, as well, and catches the eye of Judy and Nick while she's giving them a massage.

She has difficulties with the mammalian language, and some idiosyncrasies have sprung up, like ending sentences with "yes?" or never using contractions. Her reading level in mammalian is also sub-par. She has been learning but she still has trouble at times. She is very adverse to conflict and would prefer to never cause trouble for anyone else, even at the cost of her own comfort. At times she is hard to read emotionally because she is nearly always smiling, but her expressive eye ridges can often give her away.

 

-Crystal Lumi-

A rather flamboyant female snow leopard with hazel eyes. Likes to tease and play around, speaking quite familiarly with her friends. She became fast friends with Nick in high school. Since she matured, she has had a thing for small prey girls, but didn't have much luck in high school or after due to the stigma of a larger predator "hunting" smaller prey. Nick introduced her to Karen Skippel and the two became lovers. Deep down, Crystal is a very caring person, though she hides this with layers of teasing and playfulness, somewhat like Nick. Crystal eventually got a break as a movie actress after doing theatre for quite awhile.. Her energy and malleable spirit give her quite good acting chops.

Meta Tidbit: Her last name is Finnish for "snow", and can also mean "light" as it was derived from the word lumen.

 

-Laura Lutraski-

A river otter that wanted to be a part of the Musteladies. She's somewhat of a romantic and very energetic, but reserved about her personal life and kind of introverted. She loves nature and wishes to become a park ranger.

 

-Heather Mine-

A white stoat; one of the "musteladies". Like her father, she endeavors to play pro pawball. Heather has an uncompromising personality and doesn't tolerate duplicity or deception, due to her mother cheating on her father and the two separating. Her friendship with Kerry Weaselton is tenuous, but she trusts her leadership to a degree. She is better friends with the honest, meek Kara Pedshark, and is a very loyal friend of hers.

Meta Tidbit: Her name "HeathER MINE" refers to another name stoats are called: ermines.

 

-Catherine Katarina Marengo-

A snippy, feisty gray fox with warm brown eyes. She is polyamorous, and intensely dislikes having her views attacked, leading her to be anti-religion. She ended up with a job at the Grand Zootopia Library in the Downtown area. Friendly enough if her shell is peeled off, she can be quite loud and outgoing, and loves stories, fictional or not, verbal or printed. She is in a relationship with two other foxes at the moment, and she desires kits, but is incompatible with Avery, who is genetically a red fox.

Meta Tidbit: Marengo is a type of gray.

 

-Rick Munix-

A nerdy groundhog that's a good friend of Cinderella Reddish. He's good at giving both a sympathetic ear and a severe beatdown in collectible card games. He has a full scholarship, and is studying to become an engineer.

 

-Star Nivalis-

A least weasel with a selfish, jealous personality. She thought to infiltrate the Musteladies and dismantle it from the inside out by wooing one of its members, the bicurious Heather. Eventually she was found out and removed from the group, especially because of her harsh hazing tactics she used to try to induct new members.

 

-Kirsten Parter-

A typical snow leopard teenager living in the Downtown area of Zootopia. Targeted by the Nighthowler incident, her family witnessed her going savage, memories which haunt them. The new wedge in her family caused by the incident is something she wishes to resolve, and she feels frustrated that her family now seems cautious around her through no fault of her own.

Meta Tidbit: Based on the snow leopard in the left-center of the missing mammals poster.

 

-Avery Pawsfeld-

"Designer" son of a couple of millionaires. He's a melanistic red fox morph, called a "silver fox". After his mother died to the Canid Virus and his father abandoned him in shame, he had to make ends meet himself. Though his passion was for painting, he found it easier to get a job as a model due to his unusual colors, which brought him some degree of shame. Feeling disconnected from his own emotions, he wanted to see how another relationship played out between two females, and eventually met up with Catherine and Vivian. Those two help him through his issues, and he has gained some self-confidence. By far the most submissive of the three, he never gives his approval to any big decisions in their threesome unless the other two are agreeable.

 

-Kara Pedshark-

Daughter of Dr. Carl Pedshark, she is a sweet and shy honey-and-white colored ferret with olive green eyes. She usually wears hot pink glasses. She was brought into the "musteladies" clique at her suggestion as a protection from bullies. She needed braces throughout her middle-school years. The least physical of all whom she considers friends, she prefers to think her way out of things. She delights in trivia and will often spout some if she is nervous or wants to start a conversation, to varying success. She eventually became the wife of Larry Wilde-Hopps; a squirrel who finds her very attractive and increased her self-esteem dramatically.

Meta Tidbit: Her name, when said aloud, sounds almost like "carpet shark", which is a playful designation some use for pet ferrets. Her visual design is somewhat informed from Honey Lemon from Big Hero 6.

 

-Chloe Plouffe-

A teal-eyed skunk and an artistic free spirit. She's somewhat religious and believes in the Celestial Destiny, and prays to her to help find her path. She hopes to own or work in a fur-dying salon one day. Her mother is strictly business-minded and finds Chloe's hobbies and desires distasteful. Chloe has difficulty with school and has turned to delinquency, but a chance meeting (and arrest) involving Nick Wilde might turn her life around.

Meta Tidbit: Her name means "Blossom Splash", or something equivalent. The last name is a proper last name, and "plouf" is the French ontomontopoeia for "splash".

 

-Kaycee Pop-

A shy cheetah. In her youth she was a cheerleader, but decided that way of life was not for her. An interspecies lover of females, she frequents the Different Tails bar, and has even tried to DJ there.

 

-Mina Primhue-

A vivacious and outgoing red panda. Interested in the visual spectacle of life and nature, she is working toward becoming a photgrapher. Despite this, she's also an avid video game player. She can be a little needy and overbearing, but she's an honest and nice mammal.

Meta Tidbit: Her last name comes from "primary hue", or "first color". The first color of the rainbow is red, and she's a red panda.

 

-Cody Rain-

A stoic and controlled caribou. He has an average office job, and was attacked by his boyfriend Andrew Arctic during the Nighthowler incident. His strong personality and a period of time before Andrew was cured allowed Cody to rationalize the attack and forgive the actions, even though he has to walk with a cane now. His boyfriend highly relies on him for his support and emotional strength.

Meta Tidbit: Based on the caribou put in critical condition by the polar bear during the ZNN news report.

 

-Alex Shade Reddish-

The blue-eyed "cross fox" son of Vivian and Avery. He loves his unusual colors and is an adventurous and energetic boy. His father worries if he'll enter a "dark phrase" as he did due to his strange colors, but thus far Alex seems to be nothing but cheerful. He loves action figures and superheroes to a large degree. He likes to be called "Shadow", due to his middle name.

 

-Cinderella "Cindy" Reddish-

The yellow-brown-eyed "smokey fox" daughter of Vivian and Avery, carried by Catherine. Precocious, she has developed a love for stories and role-playing, and will likely end up doing something with that in her future. Vivian fears that if her friends discover her unusual living condition of having three parents that she will be ridiculed, but Cindy is proud of her heritage and would definitely choose her family over small-minded friends.

 

-Vivian Reddish-

A friendly vixen that has blue eyes. She comes from the Reddish family, formerly Radish, a family of red fox farmers that used to specialize in vegetables; then they moved to fruits. Gregarious and loves animal-watching; operates a frozen fruit stand out of Mezzo Park. She holds some strange views that she doesn't often divulge with anyone, even her friends. This is because she doesn't want to give foxes a bad name, and her views are sensitive and uncommon.

Some of those views include the fact that she is bisexual and polyamorous. She had both a boyfriend fox and vixen lover at one point, but both balked as her true feelings came out. Now she tends to play it safe. Her views almost came out once to Judy, when she said "If you're in two relationships that aren't in conflict, what's the problem?" She adores Judy and Nick and often tries to give them free drinks, which is almost a running joke among them at this point. She does, however, respect their monogamous nature and would never do anything to disrupt it.

 

-Allison Reye-

A reseved doe that goes to Zootopia University. She wishes to become an emergency medical technician. Cyndi thinks Cinderella and Allison would make a good couple.

 

-George Rhinostone-

A friendly rhinoceros that's part of the monster-truck dominated Huge Racing League. He likes two things the most: big hugs and breaking things, and not necessarily in that order. Despite his gruff voice and intimidating appearance, he's quite emotionally perceptive.

 

-Steven Skippel-

The father of Karen Skippel. He was never quite the same after the death of his wife, leaving him with only one daughter to raise. He works at a job in a company that manufactures blinds, just trying to stay afloat to provide his daughter with a better life. His relationship with his wife was mostly perfect, which discourages him from trying to seek another mate. He's turned to alcohol to try to get him through the tough times, but recently he's gotten a bit better at seeing his daughter's success within the ZPD.

 

-Casey Treefell-

A teenage timberwolf that lives in southwest Tundratown. After going savage during the Nighthowler incident, he attacked his mother and had to be knocked unconscious by his father. Extremely distraught by these events, his whole worldview has been shaken up; his mother is afraid of him and his father hates himself for having to strike his son. He has reached out for help and joined a counseling group.

Meta Tidbit: His last name is derived from the word uttered when a tree falls, "timber". Based on the missing mammals poster, southwest Tundratown.

 

-Carrie Walla-

A fussy, detail-oriented koala that didn't grow up in Outback Island, and thus lacks the accent. In a possible future for Zootopia, she is the campaign manager and assistant for Nick Wilde on his path to becoming mayor. Inter-species relationship rights seem to be important to her, but it has yet to be seen who her lover happens to be.

 

-Tracy Wallabean (Trace Laser)-

A green-eyed cheetah who was adopted by wallabies. He became a racing legend in one of the most popular circuits in Zootopia, the Speed Racing League. A little haughty and a bit impatient, but he makes friends with Larry of the Tiny Racing League after finding out that they both are adopted.

 

-Kerry Princess Weaselton (AKA Princess Sara Weaselton)-

Duke Weaselton's daughter; fortunately for her a lot less scraggly-looking than her father. Dislikes her father's petty crimes, but knows deep down that he commits them to support his family. She became an expert in emotional manipulation and eventually ended up working as a right-paw-girl to Judie Big, the new head of the Big criminal family.

 

-Queenie Weaselton-

Duke Weaselton's wife, a pretty but irritable weasel that has a short temper and is quick to throw blame onto her husband. She was indifferent and even sometimes supportive of Duke's unlawful behavior, as long as she got something out of it. Their marriage has become strained over time, and it's thought that only their daughter keeps them together.

 

[ZOOTOPIA RESIDENTS DERIVED FROM OTHER DISNEY WORKS]

 

-George (Goofy) Goof-

A country-minded coyote hailing from Deerbrooke; he recently moved to Zootopia. A polite, honest, and amicable gentlemammal, he has a knack for comedic timing and stage presence, which led to his development of an online series of videos called "How to...". He moved to Zootopia to pin down a steadier job, and founded his own auto-repair shop called Goofy's Gear Guys after being turned down for a position by Ozzie Rodbit.

Meta Tidbit: It's... ah- it's Goofy. He's was made a coyote as it's a more solidly "American" canid than others.

 

-Gail (Gadget) Hatchetwrench-

A cream-colored mouse with long, golden hair. Gregarious and honest-hearted, she also has a sense of justice that led her to try getting a job with a private detective firm in Little Rodentia. When that failed, she got a job at Ozzie's Auto Repair in the greater Downtown Zootopia area. She's a gadgeteer genius and treats life like an adventure, using unassuming objects to get from point A to point B.

Meta Tidbit: Based on Gadget Hackwrench from Chip n' Dale Rescue Rangers.

 

-Hammond (Hamm) Roachenberger-

A lackadaisical pig who moved out of his birthplace of Lassetown. Trying to find excitement or a change of pace, he moved to Zootopia and took the first job he could find in his skill set, which happened to be at Ozzie's Auto Repair. Though he has a devil-may-care personality, he's unexpectedly quite a hard worker, usually while no one else is watching.

Meta Tidbit: Based on Hamm from Toy Story.

 

-Oswald (Ozzie) Rodbit-

A black-and-white rabbit with very dark brown eyes. Born and raised in Zootopia, his voice carries a city accent. He's the heir to "The Lucky Rodbit", an auto-repair shop that has been in service in one way or the other for over a hundred years. Following a family tradition, every generation the Rodbit heir has to start anew with a new staff at The Lucky Rodbit, and sink or swim.

Ozzie is a prideful and almost cantankerous rabbit, but he has a good, decent heart underneath the bluster. He is very proud of his family's name and balks at suggestions that would involve distancing himself from it. For now, he has managed to keep The Lucky Rodbit afloat under the new name "Ozzie's Auto Repair".

Meta Tidbit: Based on Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Walt Disney's first major cartoon animal hit. He was only fairly recently reintroduced back into the Disney family.

 

[ZOOTOPIA ROGUES GALLERY AND CRIMINALS]

 

-Luna Cycle-

A white female wolf and petty thief. Well-dressed and obsessed with the number seven, she tends to commit her crimes one week following a stakeout, or steal things in groups of seven. She was taken down after stealing a collection of seven rings belonging to Vivian Reddish.

 

-Rocky Holideer-

A male deer known as the Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) Killer. Leaves a CRT TV tuned into static at the crime scene of all of his victims. In one timeline, he severely injured Nick, nearly killing him. In another he was taken down by Officer Delgato who was working with Officer Fangmeyer at the time. In a third, he managed to barely hurt both Nick and Judy after being caught at a routine traffic stop. He has an obsession with static and believes it to be the "voice of the cosmos" due to its origin as cosmic background radiation.

 

-Jake Hollow-

A bespectacled jackal chemist. Joined the Prideswell foundation with promises that he could develop a "perfect" love-drug from an over-the-counter heat-inducing drug. The drug he created ended up being dangerous, and he fed carefully-worded lies to Miranda Pride to keep her from sending him back to the drawing board. His own motivations for developing the drug were entirely selfish; he wanted to mate with as many canids as he could. He is serving multiple prison sentences, and will probably be in jail for the rest of his life.

 

-Grit Hornbody-

A rhinoceros flunky of a Zootopian crime boss who broke off from him after feeling underappreciated. Brazenly kidnapped Karen Skippel and tortured her, forcing her to use her hacking skills to electronically steal him money from banks. In one timeline, he manages to kill Karen and get away with the money, in another, Karen gets a message out to Nick and Judy, who end up saving her. In the action, Nick trips Grit with bolas and the resulting concussion ended up killing him.

 

-Miranda Pride-

A philanthropist lioness. Very concerned with the rights of interspecies couples, she founded a charitable organization called Prideswell to raise awareness and dispel rumors about interspecies pairings. Hopelessly naive, she also secretly commissioned a drug that would increase the drive to mate of any that ingested it. A minor crisis erupted in Zootopia as a result, and until the mammal behind the drug was found, she was set to take most of the blame. Miranda was told and believed that the news skewed the results of the drug against its successes and magnified its failures. She's set to serve a modest prison sentence, and is undergoing therapy.

 

-Serena Prowlmore-

A genetic scientist jaguar with a secret hatred for canids. She stole equipment and resources to create a vicious virus that would give an often-fatal fever to canids; most effective on wolves. Disguising herself as melanistic with fur-dye, she hid her virus in a perfume container and snuck into stores and malls, pretending to be an employee there. In one timeline, she managed to spray Nick in an altercation, but his surviving the virus paved the way for a cure. She was later taken down by Judy after Karen Skippel predicted the possible target she would hit next with her virus. In another timeline, she was thawrted by vigilante versions of Nick and Judy, much to the immediate irritation of Chief Bogo.

 

[BONUS SECTION: THE CELESTIALS]

 

The Celestials are theoretical mythological beings woven into the society and religion of Zootopia. Whether they exist or not is up for debate. But, assuming they do exist, they were created by the Prime Deities of Order and Chaos to serve sapient mammalkind. Formless at first, they began to develop figures when they were joined to various mammals; when said mammal types identified with one of their aspects over another. Celestial intervention of mortal affairs is strictly monitored by Order themselves, and if an action is deemed too blatant, it is rewinded in time by Order so another course of action may be taken. On the other hand, additional possibilities of reality are maintained by Chaos. Only Order and Chaos are aware of such powers and can control time and space respectively. The other Celestials do not have the omniscience necessary to perceive multiple realities or nonlinear time. (Some of these Celestials depicted here have not made their way into a story yet.)

 

-Acceleration-

Perceived as a white cheetah. A Chaos Child of movement, momentum, and messages. Can move at incredible speeds, and when he moves toward someone, he appears to be blue, and when he's moving away from someone, he appears to be red.

Favorite Disney Song: Immortals (Big Hero 6)

 

-Calamity-

Perceived as a purple hyena. A Chaos Celestial of terror and disaster. Has dropped out of the history of mortals since predator and prey came together many years ago, and his existence has been called into question.

Favorite Disney Song: Be Prepared (The Lion King)

 

-Destiny-

Perceived as an extremely tall giraffe. She is a color that doesn't have a mortal word attached to it, and can be seen through at a certain angle, revealing her skeleton and the soul energies inside her. An Order Offspring of destinations, outcomes, and eventualities. She is one of the Celestials of death and one of her major duties is to guide souls to their resting place before they give off their memories to take a new trip at life. Her other major goal is to bring together soul-bound individuals; souls which emit from the Source as pairs or more. Destiny is quite lazy with this responsibility, as she feels like praise would help her be more prudent in joining soul-bound together.

Favorite Disney Song: Poor Unfortunate Souls (The Little Mermaid)

 

-Drive-

Perceived as a caracal with map-like tattoos all over her body. Order Offspring of exploration, discovery, and journeys. Is not often seen helping mortals these days because the exploration of the Earth has slowed down, but she does help people plan and pursue goals.

Favorite Disney Song: How Far I'll Go (Moana)

 

-Fertility-

Perceived as a bunny with wide hips. She is the Order Offspring of sexual and family love, heat cycles, and population. Often one of the more "popular" Celestials, she's also a fan of adoption as a family building method in addition to childbirth. She is also looked to when populations of a certain species start to dip.

Favorite Disney Song: Can You Feel The Love Tonight? (The Lion King)

 

-Fervor-

Perceived as a wolverine with literally blazing red fur. A Chaos Child of passion, determination, and will. His favorite mortal endeavors include soap operas and shonen anime. He is excitable and tends to fly around when riled up.

Favorite Disney Song: When Can I See You Again? (Wreck It Ralph)

 

-Fortitude-

Perceived as a rhinoceros made of metal alloys. A Chaos Child of strength both outward and inward, and the ability to affect change by action. Is a big fan of the underdog and loves when mammals pull through tough difficulties.

Favorite Disney Song: Go The Distance (Hercules)

 

-Growth-

Perceived most often as an adolescent deer with vines and flowers about his horns, though he can appear whatever age he wishes. An Order Offspring of growth, both physical and mental.

Favorite Disney Song: I Just Can't Wait To Be King (The Lion King)

 

-Industry-

Perceived as any number of white mice with dark markings. An Order Offspring of structure, both personnel and physical structure-based. Less tolerant of Chaos Children than many other Celestials are; prefers for things to occur by design.

Favorite Disney Song: Heigh-Ho (Snow White)

 

-Karma-

Perceived as a soft magenta-furred, intense magenta-eyed proto-canid, stately and lovely. An Order Offspring of justice, of cycles, and of retribution, she makes sure mammals are rewarded for just actions, or punished for unjust ones. She can affect a mammal's reincarnation if they do not pay their due in their current life. She is known to have an irritable personality and is hard to please, but she formed an unexpected friendship with a Child of Chaos, Serendipity. As it turned out, the combination of chance occurrence with justice is quite formidable.

Favorite Disney Song: Circle of Life (The Lion King)

 

-Paradigm-

Perceived as a black bear with lightning crackling from his eyes, a fiery wreath around his chest, and capable of causing tremors when he walks. The Chaos Child of disaster and drastic change. Considered one of the Celestials of death. Strangely, he has a rather easygoing personality, and uses his powers to send mammals into shock when they cannot deal with a tragic occurrence.

Favorite Disney Song: Bare Necessities (The Jungle Book)

 

-Phantasm-

Perceived as a mare with a body of the night sky's design, with white eyes that leave trails during movement and a mane like the northern lights. A Chaos Child of dreams, ideas, and imagination. Often called the "Nightmare" by mortals. She loves to speak in riddles and is generally as unhelpful and oblique as possible when giving advice. Many other Celestials find her bothersome.

Favorite Disney Song: One Little Spark (Journey Into Imagination With Figment)

 

-Serendipity-

Perceived as a bunny that can fly and change colors at will. A Chaos Child of whimsy, chance, and fortune. Impish and a prankster, she loves to cause trouble and sometimes has strange ideas of what she should use her powers for. Her idea of interference is usually causing ridiculous coincidences that cause chance meetings and fateful encounters. She loves to pester Karma for some unknown reason, but the two make a good team.

Favorite Disney Song: Friend Like Me (Aladdin)

 

-Surrender-

Perceived as a black sheep with blank, white eyes. An Order Offspring of acceptance, giving up, and sleep. Often thought of negatively, but is helpful at causing people to be at peace with expectations they cannot reach.

Favorite Disney Song: Hakuna Matata (The Lion King)

Chapter 150: Appendix II: The Main Story Histories

Notes:

Before I undertake any more major writing, I should really organize and update the Index and Character Listing. Those will probably be my next major projects, but until then have this other piece of bonus content, again exclusively for AO3. Partly because I can't be bothered to maintain things on FF with its system, and partly because I feel like I owe AO3 more (and its much easier to work on).

March 31st, 2017: The index and character list have been updated with my recent endeavors, and the chapter listing has been organized.

[INTRODUCTION]


Time for a history lesson! In this bit of bonus content you'll find the timing and motivating factors behind what I would call my three "major" timelines, which consist of:

Partners

Testing Limits

Partners: Revisited

Instead of laying out a timeline in a clinical way, I'm going to try doing it from a character focus. This, I feel, will highlight what is different about the characters, unique to each timeline. Each of the sections, then, will almost be like a story, first from a meta perspective, then a summary of what the characters go through within the story. That said, the sections are rife with spoilers.


[PARTNERS]


-The History-

Partners wasn't meant to be anything much, really. I felt the creative spark for the first time in more than a decade (yes, a decade) at the end of Zootopia. I felt the world was so richly detailed, defined, and vast, that only getting to see a tiny bit of it was a waste. Not only that, but Judy and Nick were the best characters I'd ever seen on the big screen. Dripping character and with complex motivations and undeniable chemistry... ahh. As a fan of anthropomorphic characters, I was expecting at most to like Zootopia, but it went beyond that very quickly. This is the only thing I've ever thought about at least once a day for more than a year. So, lacking any talent in art, I decided to fill in a few gaps I wanted to see filled.

-The First Strike-

The first thing I actually wrote was the "hospital scene" that would become the prologue to Partners. I sat on that for quite awhile, thinking my work unworthy for the internet. Then, I wanted to see if I could find my own way to make the fox and bunny mash together, so I wrote what I called True Partners, near the end of March. I sat on that for a little bit, hemming and hawing, and finally uploaded it to AO3 on April 4th. I was terrified of the possible response to it, especially since I committed many sins such as single-spacing. However, positive response to it made me want to write another story. And another, and another, then go back and fill in the timeline with more stories, including the prologue I had written much earlier, and so on, until it became the monster it is today.

-The Theme-

Each story in Partners is supposed to be self-contained, but in a grander sense than Different Tails. Each of the title names in Partners is supposed to pull at least double duty. For instance, Partners and Family (still one of my favorites) refers both to Nick and Judy's family, and to the proposal, where Nick and Judy are going to be their own family. Some of them are blithe, like Technically Partners, which refers to Karen Skippel being "technically" one of their "partners", and also a techie herself, and some are rather blunt, like Fluffy Partners, where it's just plain fluff, and the characters within that story wear no clothes.

-The SHAME-

I will be the first to cover your eyes and turn the page when the three crossovers in Partners show up. Consider this a public denouncement of them, and strike them from your mind as canon (I kind of officially did this in Partner's Goodbye with Viridia's report). Often I've had knife in hand, ready to stab them from the face of the internet and watch them bleed ink, but something makes me keep them there. Perhaps that I want to be reminded of my shame? Perhaps some people unironically like them? I can tell you the source of my hubris; I was getting nothing but positive feedback to that point and became drunk with power. Of the three, I will say I do like the Darkwing Duck crossover the most. Or... maybe "hate it the least" is the right way to put it. I found it fun and I thought it worked fairly well. But each of the three crossovers opened their own ridiculous can of worms and I decided to stop doing that and rein myself in. My enthusiasm for Disney crossovers is not entirely squelched; you can see that in Ozzie's Auto Repair. As it remains one of my least popular fics, I realize my error in trying to "make" people like crossovers. It's kind of weird. I almost feel most "proud" of Ozzie's Auto Repair, but it's very unpopular, even compared to my entirely OC-driven collection of stories, A Day in Their Fur. Ah well.

-The Squirrel-

Another point of contention in Partners is Larry, the adoptive son of Nick and Judy. Not for no reason; Larry's introduction to Partners was extremely contrived and strained suspension of disbelief to its breaking point. At that point, the reliability of the whole story based on the squirrel starts breaking down. Moving past his introduction, I thought I did a pretty good job with Larry. He was supposed to be a mostly every-squirrel template for Nick and Judy to use parenting skills on, and was supposed to develop traits from each of them and still be his own person. He also taught me the value of focus; many people have a problem with Larry's arc, either because they don't find him interesting, or because he took away from more WildeHopps time.

Here are some tidbits about Larry: first, I took the first letter of his name by the midpoint letter between J and N, (yeah, really). Also, I picked a squirrel in part because their young can be referred to as kits, as well as foxes and bunnies. Also, I decided not to do "boxes and funnies" because a tweet had just come out from Byron Howard that scrubbed the whole idea (Zootopia is supposed to be realistic, so the answer to if they could procreate was "probably not".)

-The Message-

I tried to weave into as many chapters as I could the main message of Zootopia: that if we try to understand each other we can come to a better appreciation of our places in life. Some people thought this made the series come off as preachy and on the whole lacked conflict. I can see this point, but after having Judy and Nick both solve a murder and help solve an epidemic in the series, I felt that if I had the super-cops do too much it would seriously strain the reader's suspension of disbelief.

-Judy and Nick-

Two years pass from Zootopia with Judy and Nick in the flirting stage. Judy tries to hook Nick up with Vivian Reddish, because she saw the physical attraction between the two. Judy also embarks on a doomed relationship with Jack Placid before the two realize they were made for each other. They confess in a coffee shop, with Vivian herself pushing the two together. Despite the confession, they remain close, but not too close.

This changes a bit in the murder investigation, where Nick's life is threatened. Nick is starting to realize he can't be cocky forever and he doesn't want to take the partnership for granted. It's not until Nick falls ill with the Canid Virus that Judy realizes the same thing. So they confess. More time passes, and they do the whole "Meet the Family" thing, where Nick proposes in a blueberry field.

They are wed and go to Pawaii, an island of reptiles (the only timeline thus far that uses them). Nick and Judy adopt Larry, and find themselves parents. Jiji, from Pawaii, also comes to live in their apartment complex and they help her adjust to Zootopia as well.

After awhile on the force, they begin to feel their passion dull, but reassure each other that they'll always be partners.

Eventually, Nick runs for mayor as he's pushing sixty years old, and Judy becomes the captain of another precinct in the Rainforest District. As to what might happen from this point, no one knows, least of all me!

-Karen Skippel-

Her mother died during childbirth and she was the only viable child. A "shadow" of Judy Hopps, she's introverted, the second lapine on the ZPD, a techie instead of a go-getter, and rather bitter about the whole thing. Her life is in peril at one point and she must rely on Nick and Judy translating an obscure clue to save her. The event leaves her with post-traumatic distress, only amplified by her natural anxiety.

Though she often tries to push Judy away, eventually she accepts her friendship. Nick plays his "I know everyone" card and finds a "purr"fect match for Karen in the form of Crystal Lumi.

Karen never truly gets over her trauma, but she has Crystal to help her along the way.

-Larry-

Larry's father died when he was five in a large animal accident. This was always left out of the story because typing "an elephant fell on him" had this weird, morosely humorous edge to it that I didn't want to pursue. His mother, Emily, met Nick and Judy on a train once, and in her desperation from terminal cancer, she eventually asked them if they'd be willing to look after her child. Yup. That sure did occur to her somehow.

As far as Larry himself, he's a cute and thoughtful boy with a good capacity for empathy. As he grows he becomes friends with Chet, a chinchilla whose mother beats him, and Kara, a shy nerdy type. As Kara is a ferret, I thought this would be a good chance to do a "next generation" type of romance with reversed roles, both male and female, and pred-prey, and which one is the go-getter of the relationship (it turns out to be Kara, the predator). I wanted to tell that story because of the opportunity to have his parents worry that they're just emulating their lifestyle and its not what he truly feels.

Also, I wanted to hold Larry back from accomplishing anything truly great. He's a capricious race car driver by the end, with middling success. I thought that was enough for him.

-The Three Foxes-

Vivian and her two mates. This was the plotline that was perhaps the recipient of the most hate-induced hate mail I've yet gotten for my writing. While trying to clean up awkward lines in True Partners (yes, before Partners: Revisited I'd already gone over True Partners again), I noticed a particularly awkward one from Vivian. However, if read the way she said it, it made her seem polyamorous. So, poor writing on my part became a character trait of hers.

For that matter, the hatemail Vivian's plot received also informed her character. Once a lively "bartender" type with nothing but cheerfulness, she became a "love the people, hate the world" sort of character. I gave her a dark side by making her a sort of entitled child of a traditional family who was staunchly against her lifestyle, and she ends up selling her birthright to live her own way. In that respect I wanted to make her ambiguous: was her happiness worth discarding tradition and her legacy for? Maybe not that hard of a question, but it still haunts her. In a way, the drama surrounding Vivian probably made her a more interesting character on the whole, so take that, haters!(?)

As a side-story here tells, as of Nick's running for mayor, the three foxes have not procreated. In this timeline, I don't think they will.


[TESTING LIMITS]


-The Enticement-

As chapters of the Different Tails collection got spicier and spicier, I seemed to be getting more and more requests to do a "naughty" fanfiction. I told myself this was one line I would not cross (they're Disney characters, for crying out loud!), but then I told myself that about giving Nick and Judy an adopted kit, as well. Try as I might, I eventually felt I should give it a try. There were some things about a WildeHopps relationship I felt I just couldn't communicate in a PG-13 setting, so I went "whole hog".

-The Poke-

The first three chapters were an experiment, really. I wanted to see the reaction to the testing of my own limits (yes, the title is very meta, isn't it?). I was ready to clobber and remove the whole thing if it got a sour reception, but lo and behold viewers wanted more (of course). So, I kept writing. This is the vicious cycle I've been stuck in for the past year. I write something, am asked to write more, and I do it. Curses!

-The "Story"-

After five chapters, the work threatened to be a "checklist" of naughty fluff that was leading up to the big, entirely predictable climax of Nick getting to be fully within Judy. I wanted to be "better" than that, so I fell back on the old standard "meet the parents", but since I had already done that, I wanted to give it a twist. What resulted is Serendipiday, which came to me out of almost nowhere. I thought it would be clever to mix the symbolism of the holiday with the steps of their relationship.  

-The Conflict?-

Testing Limits is almost entirely fluffy, though the companion story Vixen's Mark is decidedly not. I wanted most of the problems that Nick and Judy faced to be internal (if you know what I mean), rather than external. All of the external threats loom like a huge wave and then crash harmlessly against the shore. I hoped this wouldn't be too monotonous, but tried to spin it as a humorous thing.

-The Traditions-

Toward the end, Testing Limits became about traditions. In my efforts to keep the story from being just naughty parts strung together with the justification of the physical goal, and having already married WildeHopps off before, I was left with creative frustration to try to do something "new". Thus, the collar and the non-traditional mixed wedding ceremony were born, and a lot of readers seemed to really like that.

-The Side Story-

Vixen's Mark is the other major story in the Testing Limits timeline, and takes place before, during, and after Testing Limits. It tries to tell the story of how the Hopps became so anti-fox (assuming Judy's incident wasn't enough). It's a story of healing, and tries to draw parallels between the new couple (SophieWitch's Samantha Hopps and Terra Brownfurred) and Nick and Judy.

-Nick and Judy-

After being partners for three years and together all in but name, the two decide to take the plunge... rather literally. Winter looms and Nick wonders if he will be able to consummate their relationship before then, because he knows what winter means for foxes. What follows is interspecies awkwardness leading up to the two being more confident, experimental, and eventually just plain goofy with each other. This is topped off with a night of bestial passion in winter wherein they "tie the knot" before "tying the knot" later in an elaborate ceremony.

-Violet Hopps-

One of the major players in both stories and my personal favorite "semi-canon" character. She's got glasses, a skirt, and a fussy, worry-wart attitude, and that's about all that we know of her officially! I cast her as an older sister of Judy that's also the Hopps "Organizer"; basically she keeps events and activities in line for the whole compound as a full-time job.

Violet's firmly in the camp of WildeHopps and ready to berate anyone who isn't. Despite her social awkwardness she's a caring sister and wants to endeavor to make Nick welcome out of a feeling that he could keep Judy in line, safe, and loved.

Violet continues to be a good sister for Samantha Hopps, and is one of the only ones Sam's troubles are known to. Violet essentially plays matchmaker in a non-evil scheme to get a cute kit fox together with Samantha, and when this bears fruit she pretty much shrugs it off. Her own preferences are unknown.

-Samantha Hopps-

After being assaulted by a serial rapist, Samantha is in a bad way and loses her job. What follows is a story of healing as she slowly puts the pieces of her life back together with a patient family and a prospective love interest. In my view of Samantha, her obstacles to her recovery are entirely her own. At one point she even confronts Nick with a knife, in a scene that somewhat parallels her creator SophieWitch's first interaction between the two.

As of now, she's finally living happily ever after with Terra, in her dream job and with a mate of her dreams. You probably shouldn't make any threats toward her or Terra, though, as I'm sure she still has a mean axe kick somewhere in there.

-Karen Skippel-

She actually exists in this timeline, but is out of focus for most stories. In this timeline, Karen became extroverted by having siblings, a mother, and a warm, loving childhood that didn't only have an overprotective (but caring) father in it. She's a DJ at a Sahara Square interspecies bar named Different Tails (ah yes, the ever-so-subtle title drop like a crate of anvils); she has a shy cheetah mate named Kaycee. In other timelines, Kaycee grew out of her dreams to become a cheerleader due to her shyness and becomes the DJ of Different Tails instead.

-Larry Curlyque-

Squirrel status unknown. This may be the timeline where Emily survives, and her medical bills make it hard for the Curlyques to make ends meet. Thus, he might actually end up being a petty thief until he's old enough to know and/or do better. It's not impossible that the Different Tails chapter "Money" is in the Testing Limits timeline, but I wouldn't put "money" on it.


[Partners: Revisited]


-The Reimagining-

You know, I already kind of regret the name. I should have called it something else, though heck if I know what. After almost a year of writing Partners, Different Tails, and other experiments, a reader (a phantom reader, the 42nd one) directed my attention to Seething Partners, and rereading it I found myself dissatisfied with the dialogue, knowing I could "do better". But I also didn't feel the urge to just systematically rewrite all of Partners. So... what to do? I just decided I'd focus on True Partners, as that was my first major foray into writing.

-The Conglomeration-

Reading a lot of things about bunny and fox mating habits, coming up with the Celestials, and Violet being awesome were all things I wanted to include into Partners: Revisited. I've spun an arguably rich tapestry of a lot of different ideas, using Different Tails as a kind of sounding board to throw things at a wall and see what sticks. Picking and choosing from what I feel are the best elements of what I've managed to discover about my thoughts on Nick and Judy is what led to this. I also decided to actually elaborate on Judy's boyfriend from the "doomed romance" section. Just, y'know, because I could.

-The Expansion-

Partners: Revisited is supposed to be the "definitive" timeline. The "no, really this time!" timeline. On the works that putter about it, I try to fix the perceived mistakes I've made about it. Revisited takes cues from nearly every story I've written before it, and speeds up the introduction of some characters and plotlines that occur late in Partners. It ended up about ten times the size of True Partners, and hopefully at least twice as rich for the effort.

-Judy and Nick-

I've always felt Nick would be the one to realize the love they had for each other first. Judy, oblivious sweetheart that she is, would take a bit longer. The "doomed romance" part of the story highlights this, I feel, more completely this time. Judy is insisting on the both of them being happy, but going about it all the wrong way. But, with confidence! As she is wont to. Eventually they feel out their feelings for each other, and Judy's bunny-mode activates. Presumably naughty things happen shortly afterwards, as winter is a looming time limit for Nick in this one; an adversary more than an enhancement.

-Violet Hopps-

She's in this one! She fulfills much the same role as in the Testing Limits universe. There's a small possibility of expanding her relationship status with Judy's ex, of all people. Ted Placid is nearly completely opposite to Violet in lifestyle stresses and personality, but it could be what she needs. However, I think she'd need a catalyst to bring this out of her. Will she find happiness? Maybe one day...

-Larry-

Most of Larry's backstory is the same in this one, with one crucial difference. Emily and Nick's mother are friends and fellow widows, giving Larry a starting off point to be with Nick and Judy. In the new backstory, Larry's father worked with Nick's in their tailor shop, until Nick's father died in an accident, and then Larry's father suffered an accidental death some years after that.

This Larry, in many ways, I'd hope is a bit more realistic. His life story should have weighed him down more than it did in Partners, but by his high school years he is dealing with it. Chet becomes his friend at the beginning of ninth grade instead of in middle school, and similarly he is more removed from the Musteladies than before, which are a larger network in this timeline. Kara is still taken with Larry, though, and the two might have a nice life together again.

-Karen Skippel-

She joins the ZPD earlier than before, and is already a co-worker of Nick and Judy by the time they're trying to figure their feelings out. She's sort of a hybrid of the previous two Karens. As far as we know, she suffered no major trauma, but is quite introverted nonetheless. She dreams of moonlighting as DJ, but Kaycee is already DJing at Different Tails. To add to that, she's introduced to Crystal while lacking her trauma, so her relationship doesn't have the strain on it that it did in Partners. But is that good or bad for Karen? Might she be tempted by Kaycee? Who knows! I certainly don't. Not yet, anyway!

-The Three Foxes-

Though A Day in Their Fur doesn't say it explicitly, Vivian and her mates experience their chapters in this timeline. With help, they proceed to create a family. Vivian still has the same woes as in Partners, but finds her life more fulfilling with her two kits. I don't feel like they're as close to Nick and Judy in this timeline, given Vivian's actually Nick's ex in this, but I'm sure Nick and Judy would be delighted to meet the two kits, and so would Larry, most likely.


[CONCLUSION]

I seriously hope I don't have too many more "main" timelines to keep up with but these three. With my own works being scattered across different series, one-shot collections, and stories, it's immensely hard to keep things straight, even for me! I hope this has helped in some way, or if you're the type of person who can keep this all collected in your mind anyway (i.e., you have Violet's mental acuity), I salute you and hope you had fun reading this anyway!

As far as taking any of these timelines forward, it's always a possibility, and we'll just have to see what the plot bunnies bring me.

Chapter 151: Stressed

    Karen Skippel sat at her workstation at the ZPD, looking at the status of the network. She swore there was a setting that she didn't remember making; the arctic hare wondered if someone had messed with something while she was away from her computer.

    It was a fairly quiet morning at the Zootopia Police Department. The atmosphere was laid back and serene, and the chatter around the office was kept to a blessed minimum. Most likely that was due to those class clowns Judy and Nick being out on their rounds already.

    Karen exhaled through her nose in a burst. She'd seen the news stories and she'd read the reports, but she had no idea how those two misfits ended up saving Zootopia. It didn't make any sense to her.

    The peace around the office was not to last. For her, anyway.

    The arctic hare surged with irritation as she noticed a file getting accessed on the network from an unauthorized source.

    "Hmph, here to try to access those sheep criminal files again?" Karen asked, addressing a persistent hacker she had problems with as if they could hear her.

    As if in reply, more and more files were accessed. Not just of sheep files, but of almost everything she could think of, as if the files were on a supermarket shelf and an elephant was scooping them up into a cart with their trunk.

    "Nh, what...!?" Karen felt a chill as the attack was much more malicious and random than most. Panicking, she restricted access to the network, then outright disabled it.

    Karen took a shaky slurp of coffee and pulled a wood dowel out of her desk, nervously chewing it.

    "No no, no no no... I just changed the settings on everything, did I miss something...?" Karen folded her ears over her eyes, letting them go as they comically sprung back upwards. She was notorious for at the very least triple checking everything she did. If she left a vulnerability in the network, she'd be very, very upset with herself.

    "Great... now I have to change all of the network settings and see if I can find where that weak point is..." Karen chewed on her lower lip.

    Karen's eyes flicked back from her monitors to the tigress that was approaching her.

    "I can't access the records database," Fangmeyer gestured back to her computer. "What's going on?"

    "A little technical difficulty," Karen grumbled.

    The arctic hare's voice wasn't nearly placating enough to the tigress as she barely looked at her. "Well, ETA on it getting back up?"

    "I'm working on it, okay?" Karen snapped. "I know everyone needs the internet here; I'm working on it!"

    "Mm," Fangmeyer sighed, waving at another coworker. "Where ya goin', McHorn?"

    Karen involuntarily cringed at even the mention of the rhinoceros officer, a shiver traveling up her spine. She'd long had a phobia about being crushed by larger animals, but had never been able to explain it. Her eyes squinted shut as she felt the presence of the rhino as he walked behind her.

    "Gonna run this sample through the mass spectrometer," McHorn waved an evidence bag, heading off.

    Karen shot up in her chair as if she'd been electrified.

    "Whait!" Karen spat, the mixture of "what" and "wait" confusing the two larger mammal.

    The arctic hare leaped out of her chair and rushed around McHorn. She didn't like talking to other mammals, especially titanic ones, but there was no way she was letting McHorn just "run something through" that machine.

    "McHorn, what are you going to run through the mass spectrometer...?" Karen stared up at him with grave, piercing eyes.

    The rhino held up the evidence bag. "Not really sure, that's why I'm gonna run it. Found this material at a crime scene; don't know what it is. That's what the machine's for, right?"

    "Ija... gghk...!" Karen held her paws up near her face, her jaw slightly jerking to the side, almost flailing as if she was trying to keep something from falling over. "If you don't know how to run the mass spectrometer, I don't want you anywhere near it!"

    "Why, cause I'm a huge clumsy rhino?" McHorn snorted, a hand on his hip.

    "NO... because it's a delicate machine and if you just 'run something through' without the proper precautions you could ruin it!" Karen ran a paw through her ears, almost out of breath from her stress. "No matter how big you are! Hopps wanted to run a ruby through the machine the other day. She wanted to put a ROCK through the mass spectrometer, McHorn!"

    "Uh, jeez," McHorn, nodding as if he understood the import. "That's... bad."

    "McHorn, is there any chance that sample you have has organic material on it?" Karen's voice dripped with desperation.

    "It's possible," McHorn frowned and stared hard at the sample, as if it would tell him.

    "Then would you please..." Karen clasped her paws together and then moved them both to the side. "Take that sample away from the mass spectrometer, and see if Doctor Pedshark will look at it for you?"

    "Ah, sure, that sounds like a good idea, Skippel," McHorn nodded, altering his course.

    "Huaaaah...!" Karen exhaled a huge sigh, grasping her forehead with a paw.

    Fangmeyer had a huge smirk on as she took in all the ruckus, then turned to go back to her own cubicle.

    Karen rushed back to her station to take another sip of life-giving coffee, but her thermos had run dry. Cursing silently, she took the thermos and headed downstairs to the break room to get a refill.

    Clawhauser's eyes widened as he saw the stressed-out hare wandering towards the break room.

    "My goodness, that's one frazzled-looking hare!" Clawhauser noted with a couple of blinks. He smiled broadly. "Or maybe all of them are frazzled, huh?"

    Karen didn't even react to the attempt at humor.

    "Aw, what's wrong, Skippel?" Clawhauser pouted, the round cheetah peering over his desk to look at her.

    "Kind of have a lot on my plate, Clawhauser," Karen slashed her free hand through the air. "Need to relax."

    "Wanna know how I relax...?" Clawhauser had one of those paradoxical innocent-mischievous faces on that only felines could correctly execute.

    "No offense, Clawhauser," Karen looked up at him, "but I think that's kind of obvious."

    "I can teach you a secret technique I know to let your troubles drift away," Clawhauser insisted.

    "I have my own systems, Clawhauser, I'm dealing with it," Karen shrugged an arm with her hand held out.

    "Cheetahs are naturally anxious mammals, Skippel," Clawhauser folded his paws together and tilted his chin up authoritatively. "So, maybe you should be asking why I'm so happy all the time?"

    "Because you eat lots of donuts," Karen's eyes half-lid.

    "Exactly!" Clawhauser swished a finger. "The opposite of 'stressed' is 'desserts'!"

    "Wonderful," Karen groaned, "I like the wordplay." It didn't sound like she was being honest.

    "Okay now, what kind of donut do you like?" Clawhauser rooted around in a box of donuts that were merely bite-size to him.

    "...Just glazed is fine, really," Karen didn't quite know why she hadn't moved away yet.

    Clawhauser daintily put a small glazed donut in Karen's paw. Karen moved to take a bite, but Clawhauser gasped.

    "No no no, wait!" Clawhauser held both paws out to halt her. "If you really want a dessert to 'de-stress' you, you have to savor it! Take each bite slowly; focus on the flavor, and only that. Soon your troubles will be put out of your mind, if only just for a moment. It helps, honest!"

    Karen's brow furrowed skeptically, and she looked between Clawhauser and the donut a few times before closing her eyes and attempting to eat and savor the donut. After each bite, she focused on the sweetness, the yielding texture of the confection, and the goopiness of the frosting coating it. After it was gone, she looked perplexed.

    "Huh, I do feel a little better..." Karen was confused. Some of the tension had seemed to leave from her neck and shoulders.

    "See!?" Clawhauser giggled in delight. "You're welcome to more stress-destroying donuts whenever you want 'em, Skippel!"

    "I uh... thanks, Clawhauser," Karen barely smiled, moving to the break room. "Oh gah...!"

    In front of it was Chief Bogo, who glared down at her.

    "Skippel," he huffed. "Heard you gave McHorn quite the talking-to."

    "Um, yes sir! I did do that," Karen held up a finger with a guilty grimace. "I- he- he was... he was about to haphazardly use our mass spectrometer, and we just got that new model in, and I just- I um..."

    "Well, fair enough," Bogo chuckled slightly, rubbing his chin. "Don't want that part of the budget to go to waste, after all. Just thought it was amusing. Do all of you lapines have that fire in your bellies, or is it just you and Hopps?"

    "Ugh," Karen ground her teeth a little, "please warn me if I ever get like Hopps."

    "Hmhm..." Bogo smirked, but then his expression fell to grim seriousness, "also, what happened to the network?"

    "Uh!" Karen's pupils looked like pinpricks in her icy-blue eyes. "Had to take it down, sir! Malicious hacker tried to access a huge swath of criminal files. Trying to determine if it was a sophisticated attempt or..." Bogo's commanding presence almost made her say "my own ineptitude", but she caught herself.

    "And is something in the break room going to help with that?" Bogo's eyes half-closed.

    "Coffee," Karen held up her thermos. "...Indirectly."

    "All right, carry on, but get your tail in gear," Bogo snorted. "You are our Chief Technical Officer after all, so I expect the network to be back on line ASAP, understand?"

    "Yh- yes... yes sir," Karen nodded emphatically, then Bogo stomped away.

    Karen exhaled an enormous breath she didn't even realize she was holding. Her paws trembled as she poured her coffee, and she gnawed her lower lip. She slowly turned her head to the entrance of the ZPD, looking at the merry cheetah at the desk.

    "Hey... hey Clawhauser?" Karen said, suddenly rushing toward him.

    She was going to need another donut.

Chapter 152: Unwind II

Notes:

Thanks to recent reordering, Unwind I is all the way back at chapter 69 now, my bad!

    Judy huffed as she sat there on the side of the road, crouched down, dressed in a charming blue swimsuit. Twisting lug nuts with a wrench, she loosed a blown-out tire from the truck she had been driving minutes before.

    "Well, this is ironic," she tossed down the wrench as she got the tire free of the truck, moving to get the spare.

    "Is it really, though?" Nick hung out of the driver's side window of the car, a dull expression on his face. "I think it's just 'unfortunate'."

    "It's ironic that I had this nice day for us planned, and we end up on the side of the road, changing a tire," the bunny grumbled.

    "I did offer to help," Nick pointed out, "twice."

    "No," Judy pointed the wrench at him testily, "you are going to have a magical fun-filled trip to the beach."

    "Hm... bunny in a swimsuit threatening me with a wrench," Nick scratched his chin, "no- no, that's definitely a new one."

    Once the replacement tire was in place, Judy re-entered the car, her face scrunched in visible irritation.

    "Move," she demanded.

    "Sure you don't want me to drive?"

    "This is your vacation; you're not doing anything like work."

    Nick rolled his eyes and he complied, getting in the other seat.

    Missing this, Judy continued. "You don't have to be polite. Just sit back and relax."

    "Sure, the only reason I could possibly want to help you is to be 'polite'," the fox's voice was heavy with sarcasm. "Not like I could actually want to help or anything."

    "Just...!" Judy held one paw up as the two picked up speed on the road. "Listen, you've never been to a real beach before, and I have, okay? I just want you to relax, all right?"

    "And what better stress-relieving aid is there than a miffed little bunny?" Nick teased.

    "Ugh- it's just- we're almost there," Judy gripped the wheel tighter with both hands. "Let's just do this."

    Nick secured his sunglasses as the two came to a stop, and Judy followed suit, also sporting a straw hat.

    "Here we go! Meowami Beach!" Judy's excitement was visible with her toothy grin. The two began to head from the asphalt of the parking lot onto the warm sand of the beach.

    Though Judy allowed Nick to carry the food she'd prepared for the day, she struggled herself with the umbrella big enough to shade both of them. Fighting against his desire to help her, he merely allowed her to fumble with it until she sank it triumphantly into the sand. The defiant look on her face was almost worth the trouble alone.

    "There!" Judy planted her hands on her hips. "Ready to enjoy fun in the sun!"

    "Right," Nick looked at his surroundings, impressed by the sheer volume and variety of mammals. "Is Meowami Beach always this crowded?"

    "Well, it is one of the most popular beach destinations on the continent," Judy beamed proudly. She laid out a big blanket for the two, hopping onto it. "Now, sit!"

    "Now here's some irony for you," Nick obeyed her and sat. "We've come here presumably to enjoy the sun, yet we're both wearing sunglasses, and have set up an umbrella besides. Not to mention the blanket to avoid the sand. So yeah, let's come here to just avoid all of the stuff the beach offers."

    "Sorry, Nick, I can't hear you over your shirt," she replied, gazing over one of the fox's typical visually-overloading outfit pieces. "Who wears a shirt to the beach, anyway?"

    "Ah, eager for me to get that off, eh?" Nick wiggled his eyebrows. "I see how it is." He quickly flicked off his shirt, causing Judy to twitch, momentarily flustered.

    "Ugh, just..." her brow furrowed. "What is your problem, anyway?"

    "Mm?" He cast his eyes over to the angry-looking bunny with a blithe expression.

    "You've been nothing but difficult all morning," Judy accused, thrusting an index finger at him.

    "Excuse me for offering to help so we could both relax on this vacation," the fox returned mildly.

    The bunny balled both fists up. "Rgh! Listen, I wanted this day to be special for you, something you'd really enjoy and remember!"

    "Ah," Nick held up a finger, "there's the problem. You can't really force 'specialness'. That goes against the very concept."

    "But you've never been to a real beach before," Judy held her paw out palm-up, "I just thought..."

    "A special moment isn't something that's just an equation, Judy," Nick shrugged. "I'm sure this would be quite special under other circumstances. As it is, it's pretty crowded here, it's really hot and bright, and you're irritated from a variety of things."

    "Well," Judy stood up, flinging her sunglasses off. "Excuse me for trying, then." She stormed off to the water's edge, where the surf lapped at her feet. Nick saw her body language from the back go from tense to slumped, maybe even defeated.

    Nick frowned, removed his own glasses, and followed Judy.

    "The sun's a deadly laser, you know," Nick jerked his thumb back to the blanket. "Wanna come back? I'll stop complaining."

    "Just- just hush, Nick," Judy's eyes were closed as she stood there. "I'm trying to relax."

    "Again, not something you can force," Nick chuckled.

    "Quit being insufferable," Judy snapped. "I've heard of mammals doing this before. Just listen to the surf and close your eyes."

    "Uh huh," Nick said, but didn't obey, just watching the bunny as she took in deep breaths.

    "What you do is..." Judy held her paws up like she was meditating, "you imagine all of your cares, worries, and fears, and just cast them off into the ocean."

    He couldn't resist.

    "Yeeaaaoww!" Judy barely had time to throw her eyes open and flail in the air before-

    SPLOOSH!

    -she landed in the water with an undignified, but rather small splash.

    Nick was grinning, as he often did. He slipped his paws in his swimsuit's pockets.

    "Oh, you're a riot," Judy spat salty water from her mouth as she pushed up from the water, stomping forward. "Just hilarious."

    "C'mon, it was the perfect setup," Nick shrugged.

    Judy stormed over to their things, got out a towel, and started drying herself off, occasionally shooting blazing looks over at Nick.

    The fox turned to face the ocean, truly looking at it for the first time. The sun sparkled on the water's edge, and unease sank into his belly. He supposed many would find that sight breathtakingly beautiful, unless the uniqueness of it had worn off, but Nick found it daunting and intimidating. Both literally and metaphorically, the ocean represented the unknown. It stretched on, unyielding, seemingly forever. It dominated the planet, and Nick found himself feeling very small. He didn't know why he didn't feel that way about the vastness of space. Perhaps it was because the ocean was so close, as if a reminder that no matter how much Nick experienced in the world, it still didn't really belong to him.

    Which is why it was a lot easier, and more fun, to simply tease the bunny.

    The damp bunny was still upset as she relaxed against the beach blanket. Even though her eyes were again obscured by glasses, the tightly pursed "triangle mouth" that bunnies were famous for sat on her face.

    Nick decided to make his way back over and sit down on the blanket next to her, causing Judy to give a loud scoff.

    "So, you wanna know why I did that?" Nick asked.

    "Because you're insufferable?"

    "Well, that is true, but that's besides the point," he chuckled. She didn't laugh, so he cleared his throat. "It's because you embody all of those things you said."

    "Pardon?" Judy tilted her sunglasses down a few degrees.

    "I care about you a lot, though it might not seem like it," Nick said quietly, "I worry constantly about what might happen to us on the job one of these days. And as far as fears? Well, I fear what might have happened to me had I never met you. Where I'd be right now."

    "Uhm... oh," Judy blinked. "That's... uh. Well, it's a sweet thing to say, considering."

    Nick smiled gently. "Yeah. So, I'll make you a deal. I'll try to enjoy the rest of the day if you let me drive home."

    "Okay," Judy grinned, "but then it has to be night. You gotta stay till it's dark; use that night vision."

    "Deal."

    So Nick didn't complain one bit the rest of the day. He didn't complain when they spent way too much on a couple of frozen treats that tasted barely better than the stuff Nick whipped up for his hustles. He didn't complain when their spot on the beach apparently spontaneously developed a bunch of loud, boisterous cubs that made relaxing an impossibility. He didn't complain when they had to search for about half an hour for another, less desirable spot. He didn't even complain when they played beach volleyball against a couple of deer who were taking the sport way too seriously and were very sore winners.

    "Another poor couple of mammals falls to the masters of the beach!" One of the deer mocked, bumping hooves with his partner.

    "Listen, if the bunny and I weren't trying to relax, we could have put up a much better fight," Nick smirked.

    "Best bring a better game next time then, fox!" The other deer cackled, and they left while hooting loudly.

    "You okay, champ?" Nick grinned at a seething Judy. "I know you usually play to win."

    "Just, letting it be... letting it be," Judy groaned.

    The day dragged on, and finally the sun was beginning to set.

    "At last!" Judy noticed the sky after the two had finished a meal. She got up to rush to the surf, tossing her sunglasses aside. Nick just enjoyed the bunny's excited movement before lazily getting up to follow. "There! Now where can you find a scene like this, huh?"

    "Zoogle image search?" Nick shrugged.

    "Ughhh...." Judy rolled her eyes and looked back to the sky, which sported lovely oranges and broad clouds accented with purple. "Nick, come on." She held her hands out wide. "Seriously, all of this. The beach, the setting sun, the ocean... I just... wanted you to enjoy it... I dunno."

    "Well, I can tell you I'm much more interested in the li'l female proclaiming all of natures majesties right in front of all of that," Nick framed Judy in his paws, giving a grin.

    The bunny tossed him an affectionate, if tired look from over her shoulder. "Goofball. ...If not for this we'd just be sitting down today watching bad movies or something."

    "Hey, don't knock that," Nick held up a paw, "that's like my favorite pastime, right after scamming naive bunnies."

    "Pff, let's go home then, Nick," Judy shook her head.

    The ride home was much quieter and less eventful than the ride to Meowami Beach.

    Nick frowned as he felt himself gripping the steering wheel tighter in his hands. He hated how right he could be sometimes.

    You couldn't really manufacture a "magical moment". Not even his words to Judy about what she meant to him seemed to have the desired effect. He swallowed unsteadily. He was getting close to the edge of the road, so he had to swerve back. Even that was a metaphor to him; he didn't think he should keep saying such obviously fond things to the bunny when all they got him was a tired grin or an eye roll. He'd come as close as he was comfortable to the edge with her, and he didn't want to go over it, lest he damage something he cared so much about.

    The fox chanced a glance to the passenger seat, and the reason for the quiet was apparent. Judy appeared to be trying to rest. The sight was winsome, but Nick had to turn away, both to concentrate on the road and try to drive away the thoughts that kept pressing in on him every time he was alone with them.

    "Hey Nick?" Judy capped off the question with a big yawn.

    "Mm?"

    "Think I could stay over at your place tonight?"

    Any feeling of fatigue was blasted away from the fox, but he quickly calmed down.

    "Sure, why's that?"

    "Your place has a nicer shower," Judy said. "You owe me a good one from my fur getting all sea-watery. And I'll probably be too tired afterward to drive home."

    "Where are you gonna sleep, then?" Nick chuckled. "I hope you don't expect me to give up my bed after insisting I have a relaxing day today."

    "Nick," Judy looked at him as if he was insane. "Your bed is plenty big for the both of us. Are you seriously going to turn down a cuddle with a freshly-fluffed warm bunny?"

    "Um, no. No, I would not do that," Nick hoped he wasn't leaving claw marks in the steering wheel.

    "Okay then!" Judy shrugged, closing her eyes again. "Sheesh, you have to make everything so difficult."

    He didn't know if he'd actually be able to sleep well that night, but Nick did know one thing for sure.

    It was definitely going to be a special night.

Chapter 153: Unwind III

    Nick sat there on his couch, his paws folded together, staring off into the distance. In the background, the hushed sound of his shower continued, and the knowledge that his favorite bunny was in it caused him some level of discomfort.

    The sequence of events that led to this situation seemed contrived; like something out of a romantic comedy. Judy insisted on coming over to his place to shower after their misadventures at the beach. Nick supposed that, as Judy still lived in her little closet of an apartment, he did have a better place than her.

    Of course, this place of his was a recent happening. Nick moved himself into a better location in Savanna Central for two major reasons. One, because it was more convenient to get to the ZPD from there, and two, because he finally felt like he was "worth it"; like he was worth living somewhere where he could relax and be comfortable. The place was very dissimilar to the dump of an apartment he lived in located in the Rainforest District, basically a basement of a place that he paid very little rent to inhabit.

    But now, his place was moderately spacious; it would probably fit a wolf or maybe even a small tiger comfortably. Nick found his eyes looking around at the comfortable furnishings and tidy look to the apartment. There was almost too much space. He supposed he had hoped at one point, deeper in his heart of hearts, that one day maybe Judy would want to ditch her tiny apartment and come live here. That is, if he was honest with himself, which he frequently wasn't.

    Nick was wrested from his thoughts by the sound of the shower stopping. He tried not to think too hard about the thought of that pretty gray bunny toweling herself off before she headed to one of his other relatively fancy amenities.

    The din of the device started up, and Nick found his ears going back a little just at the sound. It was one of those full-body dryer stalls. A bit of a luxury to most mammals, but a huge boon to mammals with thick fur like foxes or bunnies, for instance.

    The fox had a bit of a thought, something that steered his mind back to how silly the whole situation seemed. Something that made it even more contrived and ridiculous.

    Nick looked toward the bathroom door as he heard knocking coming from it.

    "Mm?" He got up and walked toward the door.

    "Aheh, hey Nick?" Judy's voice came through the door. A gentle, nervous giggle followed. "I uh, I forgot I don't have anything to change into."

    Nick rolled his eyes and smirked. Yeah, that was it. Of course.

    "Want me to rush down to Omnimart and get you something to wear?" He offered, walking toward his wallet and keys. "What size do you take, anyway? Tiny bunny? Petite lapine?"

    "Nick, I'm not going to sit here for like a half hour naked," Judy's voice sounded chiding. "Lemme just borrow one of your shirts."

    "Oh right, of course," Nick drawled, "what a simple solution, except that I'm half and again your height."

    "C'mon, don't you have a small shirt or something?" Judy whined. "Sure it might come down to my ankles, but it'd be something!"

    "Right, right, let me see what I have," Nick walked over to his bedroom and looked through the closet. He thought of the mild thrill he might get from seeing Judy only wearing one of his Pawaiian shirts, but also felt like she might not be too comfortable in one of those, in more ways than one. Rooting through the back of one of his dresser drawers, he found a t-shirt and smirked at it.

    "Perfect."

    Knocking on the bathroom door, it slowly opened and a gray and white paw held out expectantly. Nick gave her the shirt, then the paw retreated. He grinned preemptively.

    "Really, Nick?"

    Judy came out of the bathroom, freshly fluffed and wearing a black t-shirt that went down to her ankles. The extra width of Nick's neck meant the shirt covered one of her shoulders and just barely clung on to the other. Nick thought she looked adorable, especially the mildly irritated look on her face, with her eyes rolled all the way up to stare at Nick.

    The t-shirt also had art of a vixen on it, provocatively posed on her front, wearing nothing but some colorful socks, which her feet kicked up behind her emphasized, that and her fluffy tail. The saucy, cursive text on it read "Fox in Socks".

    "Looks great on you, Fluff," Nick grinned.

    "I find it hard to believe you don't have a different t-shirt, Nick," Judy grumbled.

    "Hey, I got that one when I was a teenager," Nick tried not to smirk too widely. "I really had this thing for socks as sexy lounge-wear. Maybe because foxes kind of have 'socks' naturally? Couldn't tell you. Either way, beggars can't be choosers." He turned away from her, shrugged grandiosely and wagged his head.
    
    While he was turned away from the bunny, he subtly took in a few sniffs through his nose. He could smell Judy; he could smell his shampoo on her and the mixture of her own scent and his clothes on her. It was more than a little enticing. He barely turned his head to look as Judy groaned softly in fatigue, rotating her shoulders slowly with her eyes squinted shut.

    "So, you wanna head to bed?" Judy moved her thumb back in the direction of Nick's bedroom.

    "Hey, uh, I was thinking," Nick smacked his jowls a little, turning to face Judy. "You know, I agreed you could sleep over here, right? So you go on and take the bed; I'll just sleep on the couch."

    "Wha-?" Judy blinked, her jaw hanging open. "Hey, you agreed that we could cuddle tonight." She held up an index finger with a hand on her hip. "No backsies!"

    "No 'backsies'?" Nick raised an eyebrow. "It's just... I'm much more comfortable sleeping by myself. Who knows how many times I could accidentally whack you in my sleep. C'mon, you don't want a big clumsy fox in the same bed with you, do you?"

    "Uh, I do...?" Judy held her hands out. "That was the whole point of this exercise."

    "Listen, we can cuddle some other time," Nick flicked his paw. "Sleeping is different. You go on to bed now and make yourself comfy. I'll set up the couch."

    Judy shot a quizzical look to the easygoing-looking fox as he got out some spare blankets and a pillow for the couch. With a heavy sigh, she wandered off toward Nick's bedroom, sparing him a glance before she headed through the doorway.

    The fox hopped onto the couch and squirmed around. It was actually pretty nice; more comfortable than the bed in his old place. He stretched out, giving the kind of yawn that caused a tiny canid whine to escape from his throat. He let loose a sigh, feeling more content by the minute. Nick thought of how cute Judy must look snuggled up in his bed, laying on his pillow, dressed in one of his shirts. It was a pleasant mental image, and one that quickly eased all the other thoughts that conflicted within his head, as if begging him to be drawn back to anxiety.

    "Nick, why are you denying me cuddles?"

    He flinched exaggeratedly as he saw Judy balancing with most of her front half over the top of the couch, her arms dangling.

    "Jh-!?"

    "It's been a long time since I had a good cuddle," Judy pouted at him. "So what's the deal, Nick?"

    "You know what I want to know?" Nick quickly regained his composure and sat up on the couch. "Why do you address me by name in almost every other sentence you say to me? Especially since there's only the two of us around?"

    "Oh, that's..." she put a finger on her cheek, "that's a bunny thing. We have so many siblings that we constantly have to refer to each other by name so others don't get confused as to who we're speaking to."

    "Ah, that makes sense," Nick shrugged his shoulders.

    "Speaking of my kind, though, you're being a dumb bunny, Nick," Judy gave him the mildest of annoyed looks.

    "Am I?" He huffed in amusement.

    "You know," the bunny slipped over the couch so she was seated on it, "I've gotten progressively less subtle about things as time has gone on. I've weathered your teasing and your flirting; invited you out for a hopefully special day at the beach, never mind how it flopped, and now I'm sitting here, in one of your shirts, basically begging to cuddle you."

    "...Rrh-right..." Nick felt suddenly uncomfortable, "and- uh... how does that make me a dumb bunny?"

    "Well," Judy clasped her hands together and closed her eyes, "when a bunny is interested in someone else, they have them chase them. It was more literal in ancient times, but now y'know, it's a bit more metaphorical. I'm trying to think how I could be any more obvious at this point."

    "And what makes you think I'm interested in you?" Nick's mouth said without his brain's agreement.

    As soon as he'd said it, he couldn't believe he'd thrown that verbal dagger. He had been doing everything to try to avoid damaging his relationship with Judy; why on earth had he said that? Why challenge the mammal he cared the most about? His heart skipped a beat as he saw genuine shock on the bunny's face. An uncomfortably heavy moment of silence hung thick in the air, and when Judy grew a tiny smirk, Nick released a breath he didn't know he was carrying.

    "What, you want me to write you a list?" Judy chuckled. "You're totally into me."

    "Uh huh... and how would you know that?" Nick threw back. He didn't know why he couldn't just stop, grab her by the shoulders, and kiss her. His stomach roiled with discomfort as he felt like he was being wound tighter and tighter. "C'mon, I'm calling your bluff."

    Judy bit the bottom of her lip and threw it out in a pronounced "fine."

    She cleared her throat and continued: "Your sniffing."

    "Pardon?" Nick swallowed.

    "You sniff me. All the time," Judy rolled her eyes. "You know what I smell like by now, right? You must like it, huh?"

    "That's- pff, I don't sniff you," Nick claimed, taking a few breaths through his nose, "you mean this? It's called breathing, Fluff, and yeah, I do that most of the time."

    Judy folded her arms, cocked her head, put on the sassiest look Nick had ever seen, and enunciated carefully: "Liar, liar, tail on fire."

    "Judy, kh-c'mon, you don't have anything," the fox shook his head, "'sniffing', really?"

    "You're not just breathing, you're going like this," Judy perked up, eyes wide, and started exaggeratedly sniffing with her nose. The juxtaposition of the ridiculous demonstration with her current state of dress was too much for Nick, who barked out a little laugh before catching himself, fading into a small grin.

    "Yeah no, I don't do that," Nick chuckled, "you're imagining things. When have you ever seen me do that?"

    "Never," Judy replied, then decisively pointed to her ears, giving Nick a chill. "What, you think these big ol' things are just for show?"

    "Gh...!" Nick, for once, had no quick, smart reply. He thought he was done with underestimating that bunny.

    "So, next," Judy placed her paws together, "I want you to tell me why you're being like this. If you're interested in me and I'm basically all but throwing myself at you... what's the problem?"

    "Hgh..." Nick brushed a paw through his head, feeling his ears go back, "you know, if I could articulate it, I might have done that by now."

    "Just try, Nick," she put one of her own paws on his knee.

    "Well, here I am at thirty-three," Nick indicated himself, "still without a mate. And heck, you know how charming I am."

    "Pff... well, yeah," Judy smiled with her head tilted affectionately.

    "I just... I dunno, Judy, I've had girlfriends before," the fox gripped his own legs with his hands, as the latter felt like they were trembling, "even a prey once... and none of them has worked out."

    "Guess I'll just have to be the first, then," she smiled and moved both of her paws to one of his own.

    "Heh," Nick shook his head, "there's that Judy Hopps overconfidence you always have. Always ready to throw down on a huge gamble."

    "Hey, this isn't a gamble," Judy gestured between herself and Nick. "I feel something between us, right? Something real and certain."

    "Just makes me really nervous, is all," Nick bowed his head, eyes closed. "Terrified, even. Every time things start to get a bit too flirty between us, I feel like I have to back up, or else I'm going to just snap."

    The fox felt a tiny kiss on his nose.

    "Bleah, that's wet," Judy giggled.

    Nick opened his eyes, staring at Judy. She was looking at him with the most affection he'd ever seen from a female.

    "What do you think I can do for you that'd make you more comfortable with being with me like this?" Judy asked.

    "Tch..." Nick chuckled, his heartbeat quickening, "if I knew, I'd tell you."

    "Okay, well, in the meantime," Judy jumped up, "march, mister." She pointed to the bedroom. "You do not back out on a bunny cuddle promise."

    "Fine..." Nick groaned, getting up and walking with a defeated gait. "Twist my arm, why don't you."

    "I will, so watch yourself," she warned.

    Nick cautiously entered his bed, followed nearly instantly by Judy, who hopped in next to him, glomping on.

    She nestled in like she'd been waiting to slot into a hole in Nick's heart for ages, and despite his initial reservations, Nick felt himself slowly unwind. It began to feel more comfortable as he drew his arms around her. Her breathing in particular was a delight, especially the relaxed hum she put out once the two had found the right position.

    "Your heart is beating really fast," Judy said in a low voice.

    "Fox and rabbit heartbeats are about the same," he replied.

    "It's going a lot faster than that," she teased.

    "In the first big part of my life, I felt like every good thing I had got taken away from me," Nick surprised himself by saying this again, without a double check from his brain.     

    "I'll be here in the morning, Nick."

    Somehow, that's what it took. The fox almost melted, and he found his tensions slipping away. Fatigue crashed over him like a wave, demanding Nick succumb to his exhaustion.

    His tail found its way around Judy, and she responded with a tiny giggle.

    "Hey, Nick," Judy nuzzled his chest with her eyes closed.

    "Mmm...?"

    "Want me to wear socks for you sometime?"

    His eyes flew open. Well, he was about to fall asleep.

Chapter 154: Closure

    It hadn't been very long, two weeks at the most, but she found herself going back anyway.

    It was quiet that evening. The lights in the city were just about to come on, and in particular the temperature in Sahara Square was about to plunge.

    The small feline put her paws in her pockets as she walked down the streets. Donna was a margay, among the smallest of all Zootopian cats. She subconsciously avoided many larger mammals on her way to her destination; her mind was elsewhere. As night was approaching, she found her senses starting to become more acute, but that was only one of the reasons she preferred the night life.

    Donna just barely smiled when she approached the building. There it stood rather prominently among similar buildings on the block.

    Different Tails.

    The cat tried to remember what she knew about the history of the building. The concept was actually very old, dating back to almost as old as the foundation of Zootopia itself. The original owners were a fox and a rabbit, as she recalled. In the early days of Zootopia, tensions were high and peace was still shaky between predators and prey; love between the two was almost unheard of. So, the founders wanted a place where interspecies relationships of all types could feel safe and welcome.

    The desire for such a club quickly made itself apparent as love blossomed between more and more disparate types of couples. Different Tails had thus flourished and endured for nearly all of Zootopia's history as a place where the shunned or scorned lovers within Zootopia could come together and have fun. Interspecies was never dying down in popularity, quite the contrary.

    So it almost seemed unbelievable for Donna to be staring up at a big "CLOSED" sign adorning its doors. She let out a long sigh, staring up at the establishment.

    One of her ears twitched as she heard a similar sigh not too far away from her. She saw a familiar feline figure; the much, much taller form of Kaycee, one of the club's regular DJs.

    "Hey!" Donna called out in a friendly voice, dragging one of her paws out of her pockets to wave at Kaycee. The cheetah flinched from noticing the smaller cat, and looking away after running a paw through her head.

    "Oh, um, hi Donna," Kayce murmured.

    Donna's eyes widened. One of the cheetah's more distinguishing facial features was their black "tear streaks", and Donna thought she saw that Kaycee's were actually wet.

    "Kaycee... is everything okay, pretty kitty?" Donna placed a paw on Kaycee's leg, looking up at her.

    "Just... it's- I dunno..." Kaycee let out a trembling sigh, her head hanging down. "I just really wish I'd come here and see that it was open again, that it was just some misunderstanding or bad dream."

    "I know, I know," Donna smiled gently, patting Kaycee on the leg. "I did really like working here."

    The cheetah was quiet for nearly a minute before she spoke again. "Do you know why they closed it? I mean, they gave us plenty of warning, but... I mean- was it like mismanagement or...?"

    "I'm not quite sure," the margay scratched at one of her cheeks. "But I know what I'd like to think. I'd like to think that maybe a place like this isn't as needed as much anymore, y'know? Now that interspecies is so commonplace that it's actually kinda a non-issue nowadays."

    "I mean, that's a good thing and all," Kaycee's head hung slightly, staring at the ground, "but I- I wasn't done with it yet." The cheetah's paws balled up slightly, and she slowly released them with a sigh.

    "You'll find who you're looking for someday, Kaycee-cat," Donna said warmly, walking in front of her and looking up with a smile. "You'll find her."

    Kaycee scoffed loudly, throwing her arms out to the sides. "Will I, though? It feels like it's been forever I've been working there, and yh- y'know... am I just being too picky...?"

    "You shouldn't have to settle in matters of the heart, Kaycee," Donna held a finger up, giving her a firm glare. "Someone that's perfect for you is out there somewhere. Maybe you weren't meant to meet her here."

    "I mean you say that, but..." Kaycee's teeth were barely visible in her distress. She started playing with her claws, rubbing them against each other nervously, wishing she could fully retract them. "You met Calvin here."

    "My shugie..." Donna placed a paw to her chest, tilting her head in adoration while her eyes wandered away. She suddenly snapped back to reality. "That is true, but it's not going to be the same for everyone. Maybe a change of scenery will be good for you; let you meet some new mammals! Maybe you could get a job in the Meadowlands? Plenty of prey that like to party there; I'm sure your DJ skills will be in high demand!"

    "You say that like they're actually 'skills'," Kaycee rolled her eyes and looked up to the closed building she'd previously spent a lot of her life working in.

    "As much as bartending!" Donna clicked her claws together. "You break out of your cocoon when you're in your element and everyone can soak in your vibrant energy when you're up at the turntables. You're a performer and an entertainer, just like I'm an entertainer and an amateur psychologist at the bar."

    "You know what the other staff said about me, right?" Kaycee chewed on her black lower lip.

    "What did they say...?" Donna looked instantly concerned, leaning in close.

    "Heh... y'know, that it was so ridiculous that I'm a cheetah who can't catch a single prey..." Kaycee tried to play it off casually, but her lack of eye contact and a little hitch in her voice betrayed her actual feelings.

    "Who said that!?" The margay snapped. "Who insulted my Kay-kay!?"

    "I knew you'd make a big deal of it, so I didn't want to tell you," Kaycee murmured. "Forget I said anything."

    "Was it Dustin!? That lousy hare..." Donna hissed for extra effect. "He was probably just jealous because you aren't into males. Hare and the grapes n' all that."

    "I think that's fox and the grapes..." Kaycee mumbled. "But it's okay, Dustin's... Dustin. I don't want to burn any bridges."

    "Now that we're here, maybe try yelling at the building?" Donna looked up with bright eyes at the cheetah.

    "Pardon...?"

    "Y'know, yell at it!" Donna looked enthused, scrunching up a bit. "Give it the ol' middle claw. Say 'screw you, Different Tails, for not giving me what I want'!"

    "What!? No!" Kaycee rubbed at one of her arms. "That's... weird."

    "I'll do it for you!" The smaller cat perked up both of her middle claws at the building. "Up yer tailhole, Different Tails! Kaycee deserves to be happy!"

    "Donna... not so loud," the larger cat's shoulders bunched up. "You're gonna cause a scene."

    "C'mon, Kaycee, get that frustration out! It's therapeutic!" Donna gestured encouragingly at her friend and workmate.

    After looking left and right, Kaycee cautiously moved forward to the corner of the structure and gave it a half-hearted tap with her toe.

    "Yeah, take that, DT!" Donna laughed. "See Kayce? At the end of the day, it's just a building. A place. Sure it might represent a lot to us, and me especially, but we can always have new experiences elsewhere. And speaking of, if you need anything, you have my number, so just gimme a call, 'kay Kay?"

    "Okay..." Kaycee finally smiled, if faintly.

    "Show me those teeth, DJKC!" Donna snapped and pointed at her. "Your future's gonna be bright!"

    Kaycee forced a bigger smile for her friend, feeling a glimmer of hope from her enthusiasm. She closed her eyes and sighed through her teeth.

    "There ya go!" The margay jumped up and pumped an arm. "Y'know what they say: 'every cat has her day', and I hope yours is soon!"

    "You mean... ugh, never mind..." Kaycee's next smile was more honest, if a little worn.

    Donna clapped once as loudly as she could. "Now! You wanna come see where I'm working now? It's a jazz nightclub just off of Trip Street called the Yakety Sax."

    "Um, I guess?" The cheetah didn't look too sure. "Shoo, I don't think I could see myself working at a jazzy place. ...And that only drives home that we won't be working together anymore."

    "I'm still just a text away, Kaykay, whenever you need," Donna smiled. "Now c'mon, you like shrimp, don't you? They have some great shrimp there. And the Catmulls. Oh my God. They do the best cover of 'Everybody Wants To Be A Cat' I've ever heard."

    "I'm surprised people sing that song in this day and age..." Kaycee nearly whispered, a paw near her mouth.

    "C'mon, y'know mammals are more easygoing on average now," Donna nudged her friend's thigh. "Let's go have some fun tonight, just you and me. Then you can meet tomorrow head on!"

    It was hard not to smile with Donna's arm-twisting vivacity, especially when she started purring lightly. Kaycee simply nodded her agreement and started following the energetic, small cat.

    Kaycee did spare a glance back to Different Tails before it fell out of sight. It may have been a little rough at times, and she still had more to go before she'd be truly happy with her life, but she did have some good times and make some good friends along the way. So, she gave a big, soft smile to the building with her eyes shut, and felt something welling in her eyes. She shook her head and took a sigh to steady herself, then continued on her way. She wondered where her own "tail" would lead someday.

    But for that night, she was just going to follow Donna's.

Chapter 155: Intentions

    "Shoo, well, here goes nothin'..."

    Ted Placid looked up at the friendly-looking assortment of buildings that made up the Hopps compound. Of course, most burrows in Bunnyburrow were fashioned out of smooth, curved surfaces that looked welcoming and friendly, but because of what, and more importantly who, were in the establishment, he couldn't help but find himself a little nervous.

    Ted was a black-furred bunny through and through, that kind of black that had a little glint to it when the sun caught it just right. On top of that, he had rich blue eyes, and was commonly seen as a handsome, youthful-looking bunny, if a little short. As he knocked on the door, he was admitted into the compound.

    "Mm, Ted, right?" He was greeted with a warm smile from a bunny he knew as Jayce. He was nearly a head taller than Ted, making him feel quite short. Jayce beckoned to him. "C'mon in."

    Little ears turned to the sound of someone being admitted; the small Hoppses' curiosity was much more predatory than the order of their species would indicate. Instantly, hushed childish voices began to speculate on why the black bunny was visiting again so soon.

    "Hi, Jayce," Ted tried an uneasy smile, "say, you wouldn't happen to know where-"

    Not all of the nosy bunnies were as reserved as the children, though.

    "Hey Ted..." A very light gray and white-furred bunny came bursting through the throng, giving a malicious smirk. Ted's throat tightened and his next swallow was difficult. It was Jenny Hopps, and she was trouble with a capital J. He was sure "trouble" could pass for her middle name, though he thought he remembered it was something like "Fur".

    "Ah, Jenny," Ted tossed a friendly smile to the teenage troublemaker. "How d'you find yourself today?"

    "I'm just fine," Jenny grinned. "So, what're you here for today, Teddie? Business or pleasure?"

    "Er, um," the black bunny chuckled uneasily. "Was wonderin' if you knew where Violet was keepin' herself."

    "Agh! I told you!" Jenny whacked her much taller brother Jayce on the arm. "Didn't I tell you!?"

    "You did tell me," Jayce rolled his eyes with a click of his tongue. "Vi's up on the tallest hill of the farm, taking survey. She should be easy enough to find."

    "Ah, thank you kindly," Ted nodded gratefully pointing at the door he'd just entered, "I hope it won't be too rude if I um-"

    "Go, you dummy!" Jenny grinned enormously, pushing him back out the door. "Gooooo...!"

    With the vote of confidence, however pushy, Ted adjusted his shirt and began the long journey to the tallest hill on the Hopps compound, which had a stately tree marking it. Sure enough, Violet Hopps was there. She was statuesque, at least for a bunny; as tall as Jayce was. Her gray and light-gray coloration was fetching, and of course she had violet-shaded eyes. They were on the blue side of purple and sat behind red-framed glasses. She also tended to wear dark-colored sweaters and complimentary-colored skirts.

    Violet was the head Hopps family organizer of both activities and duties, and an iPawpad sat dutifully in her paws as she oversaw the farm on that day. Her eyes flicked up as she noticed Ted's approach, his legs starting to burn pleasantly at the effort of his jog.

    "Hello, Theodore," Violet greeted him.

    "Heya, Violet, how are you today?" Ted replied with a little, guarded wave.

    "Fair to partly cloudy," Violet remarked, barely looking at him. "Can I help you? I don't believe we will need anything from Placid Suppliers for quite awhile."

    Ted rubbed behind his head, gathering his wits as he drew in a breath. "Actually, was wonderin' if you'd like to go to dinner tonight- er, with me tonight, in town, that is."

    "Really?"

    The black bunny had Violet's attention now, and though both were on even ground, she was still a little taller than him, which sent an illogical feeling of embarrassment through him. Maybe it was because she looked somewhat like a stern schoolteacher and Ted was feeling like an unruly schoolkit.

    There was a moment of silence before Violet continued, as Ted didn't have a good answer to that simple question. "You had somewhere in mind?"

    "Oh- oh yeah, haha..." Ted swallowed with considerable discomfort. "There's a place in town called Cowboy Jed's."

    "Hm, never been there," Violet noted.

    "It's got real swell food," the black bunny nodded enthusiastically. "Love their grilled zucchini with tomato sauce and feta cheese. Mm-mm! They even have a slogan! 'Lookit the foodage'!"

    Violet nodded absentmindedly, then suddenly looked Ted square in his blue eyes. "Theodore, what would be your goal in this date?"

    "Muh- my goal?" Ted blinked, his eyes widening. He was wondering if his throat would ever feel moist again. "I'd uh, just kinda like to get to know you a little better."

    "I do know I'm not the first Hopps doe you've tried dating," Violet remarked. Ted tried to awkwardly smile it off, but it didn't seem like Violet was teasing him.

    "No ma'am," Ted shook his head. "Judy n' I just didn't really work out. That doe's a firecracker."

    "It also occurs to me that the Placids might have an... ulterior motive for trying to make one of them a Hopps," Violet wrinkled her nose.

    "Now wait a minute," Ted's brow fell slightly. "I will be forthright with you, Violet. My mother has brought up the thought to me, but that's not why I'm askin' you out."

    "Really?" Violet looked at him skeptically, and the height difference really layered on a bit of intimidation, as well as that uncomfortable feeling of bunny matriarchy. "Because it seems to me like your having a thing for Hopps females plays right into that. If the Placids got one of themselves into the Hopps family, then it'd be so much easier to secure a good working relationship between the Placids as suppliers and the Hopps as farmers, yes? Very convenient."

    Ted looked down slightly. "But can't it just be 'cause I'm attracted to you Hopps does?"

    "Pardon...?" Violet blinked twice.

    "It's- look, I know it ain't much better to harp on somethin' physical like this, but the gray n' white really does something for me," Ted's smile was as sheepish as he felt. "A lot of you Hopps does... you're such go getters. Bonnie, Jenny, Judy especially. I just wondered, y'know... you're kind of more low-key than most of your family-"

    "Then clearly you don't know much about me," Violet snipped.

    "I'd like to," Ted shrugged weakly.

    "Well, I can get very anxious, and not just because of my job," the taller doe offered. "Just... sometimes for no reason at all."

    "Well, shoot, anxieties weigh on us all, Violet," Ted nodded.

    "Not like this," Violet shook her head. "I've been diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder. It's a problem. I can have good days and bad days, and sometimes nothing anyone can do can bring me out of a bad day. Think you could deal with that?"

    "Shoo... I'd hate to think of myself as a fair-weather buck, Violet," Ted frowned.

    Violet's frown faltered, just for a second. "...If I said I was too busy today to go out this evening, would that deter you?"

    "Tch, my family's always said I was a pushover," Ted finally broke eye contact with Violet, looking off at the calm sky with its puffy clouds. "But I'm also a straight shooter. If you have no interest in me, I don't wanna waste your or my time. I'll leave you be."

    "I..." Violet's jaw dropped just a little, and she drove her front teeth into her lip in discomfort, her grip tightening around her pad. "Um... I suppose I could ask Dad to take care of those things this evening."

    "Huh...?" Ted had already taken a couple of steps down the hill, but halted and looked behind him.

    "You said zucchini with tomato sauce?" Violet chewed on her lip a little more. "That does sound nice..."

    "Could I come back at around seven-ish?" Ted gave a small smile. "Or am I chasing up the wrong tree?"

    "All right, you have yourself a date, Theodore," Violet nodded decisively. "Seven sharp."

    "As a tack," Ted casually saluted, heading back down the hill.

    Violet felt flutters in her stomach, immediately wondering what she'd gotten herself into.

---

    Freshly showered and fluffed, Violet made her way down the hall from one of the communal females' showers to her room, a towel wrapped tightly around her. She could make this journey with her eyes closed, and she was nearsighted enough that she may as well have had her eyes shut. Opening her room's door, she let out a shrill gasp as she saw a blurry gray form sitting on her bed. She scrambled for her glasses and slapped them on her face.

    "Judy!?" Violet squeaked, her nose twitching rapidly. "Sweet Serendipity, what are you doing here?"

    "Oh, Nick and I had the day off and were in the area, so..." Judy kicked her legs dangling over the bed, giving a smile.

    "Right, you had the day off," Violet grunted, clearly disbelieving.

    "Hey, don't underestimate how far Nick'll go to get some of Mom's blueberry pie," Judy shrugged one shoulder.

    "What are you doing in my room?" Judy's older sister snapped, looking through her closet for something to wear. There were a lot of sweaters, but not many dresses.

    "Wellll...." the smaller bunny's grin grew slowly, but ended quite wide. "Word is you have a date tonight. With my ex!"

    Violet's eyelids fell halfway. "Color me unsurprised that news has spread this fast. This is the Hopps compound, after all. I mean, I know the hills have ears, but who...?" She trailed off, looking back at Judy sidelong.

    "Jenny," both of them said simultaneously.

    "That doe," Violet shook her head. She took out a soft, but casual-enough dress of dark gray from her closet, looking it over with a critical eye. She adjusted her glasses in her other paw; they were on a bit crooked from her harried equipping of them from a few moments prior.

    "Thought I might give you some advice!" Judy chirped, laying back on Violet's bed. "Advice liiiike... don't wear that."

    "What do you mean?" Violet replied. "This dress is plenty casual."

    "It's Ted," Judy sat up, shrugging. "He's a sweet guy, but he isn't exactly hard to impress. You're just going to dinner with him at a place in Bunnyburrow, not out dancing or something."

    Violet put the dress back and held up a burgundy sweater and black skirt with a questioning look.

    "Perfect! That really says 'Vi' to me," Judy grinned.

    "What about the glasses?" Violet quickly asked. "Should I lose them?"

    "Vi, you hate contacts," Judy sucked at her teeth. "Just go as yourself."

    "Very well," Violet sighed, pausing a moment to give her sister a sidelong glance. Judy took her ears and draped them over her eyes. Violet let down her towel and got changed briskly. "I'm still not sure why you're so keen on giving me advice regarding Theodore..."

    "'Cause he's so nice!" Judy said, giggling through her ears. "I think you two would make a cute couple."

    "Why didn't it work out between you two again?" Violet inquired, slipping her sweater on. "Okay, I'm decent."

    Judy brushed her ears back, which quickly popped back up to their usual perky disposition. "I think it was because I was too hyper for him?" She giggled lightly. "I don't think he could keep up with me."

    "Embodies his last name, hm?" Violet remarked.

    "Oh, don't be mean, Vi," Judy shook her head, "like I said, he's really nice. I just wasn't what he was looking for. I doubt he wants to move out of Bunnyburrow, either. He likes it here. Oh! And on your date, make sure to turn your phone off. On my first date with Nick, I got like four hundred messages from you all. Almost dozen from you alone!"

    "Mm," Violet bit her lip, walked to her door and opened it, stepping into the hall. Judy followed behind. Down that hall a bit, Violet huffed in amusement as she saw Nick racing down the hall with one of her teenage brothers, Bradley, riding on the fox's back.

    "See, Brad?" Nick said while tearing around. "You don't need to own a car when you are the car!"

    "Yeah-ha! You can really move, Nick!" Brad said, holding on tight. Nick came to a halt when he saw Judy giving him a wry smirk, folding her arms tightly.

    "Nick, what are you doing?" Judy chided.

    "What's it look like?" Nick returned without an ounce of shame.

    "Brad, aren't you a little old to be getting a bunnyback ride from Nick?" Judy teased her younger brother.

    "Uh, no?" The yellow-and-brown bunny retorted matter-of-factually. "Nick's big enough that I'll never be too tall to get a bunnyback ride from him!"

    "Kit has a point," Nick shrugged, blinking slowly.

    "Does he?" Judy leaned up, giving him judgemental eyes. "Does he really?"

    "Yes, he does," Nick grinned mischievously back, "because 'does he, does he really' isn't a compelling argument." The two glared at each other with nearly closed eyes and devilish smirks before both simultaneously darted in for a quick kiss.

    Bradley threw a confused look over to Violet. "Vi, does that even count as flirting?"

    Violet actually chuckled a little. "I hope Theodore knows what craziness he's getting into."

    "Theo- oh, Ted?" Nick brightened up, walking over to Violet. "Guy's a class act. Heard about your date with 'im. Hope it goes well."

    Violet looked up at him, puzzled. "Wasn't he, I dunno, your rival or something?"

    "Never directly," Nick chuckled. "Tsk, Ted was never really gonna get in the way of me being with Judy."

    "Yeah, this idiot did a good enough job of that on his own," Judy nudged him in the side.

    "But that's a long story," Nick added with a nervous chuckle. "No, he's a nice guy."

    "So I'm hearing," Violet said, half-smiling.

    "I had a drink with him, even!" Nick nodded. "Guy's low-key and honest, to the point, even. He might be a good match for you!"

    "I suppose we'll see," Violet checked her phone. "He's on his way now, supposed to be picking me up at seven sharp."

    "Ah, he'll be here five minutes early, I bet," Judy smiled. "Guy doesn't like to disappoint!"

    "Teddie's cool, I hope if you start dating him he can come over more often," Brad grinned. "He played some Meowrio Kart with me last time he came over. He's not very good at it."

    "We'll see, Bradley," Violet rolled her eyes. "You behave yourself for Judy and Nick."

    "No way!" Bradley protested.

    Nick chuckled. "Yeah, what would be the fun in that?"

    Violet couldn't help a giggle as she headed off to the compound's parking lot.

---

    The atmosphere in Cowboy Jed's was laid-back and quiet. The dim lighting complemented the soft, rustic music that lingered in the air, and the overall wooden decor made Violet feel at ease. To make sure she held onto that feeling, she double-checked that her phone was off.

    A pretty young cow placed two orders of a zucchini with tomato sauce dish in front them.

    "Y'all enjoy, honeys," she remarked as she left.

    "I have to say I expected a different... feel to this place," Violet admitted as she looked at her plate. "Perhaps a little more raucous?"

    "Well shoot," Ted chuckled, "I know it's a stereotype n'all, but bovines aren't normally known for causing a ruckus."

    "Still, this is Bunnyburrow," Violet nodded, "and you get any number of bunnies together; the volume level goes up considerably." Staring at some bunnies behaving themselves, Violet focused back on her table and hesitantly tried a bite of the food. "Mm... oh that is good. The zucchini has just the right amount of give; not too mushy, not too tough."

    "Right?" Ted nodded enthusiastically, taking a big bite of his. "That's what I'm sayin'! My siblings are always tellin' me I impress too easily. Ol' borin' Ted Placid, livin up to his surname. Gettin' excited over food again."

    "Well, eating is something you have to do several times a day," Violet said, sipping from her water, "so you might as well enjoy it."

    "True, but I think I'll stop short of describin' my sleepin' habits," Ted chuckled.

    "Oh, believe me, I know the value of a good nights' sleep, rare as it is for me," Violet shook her head subtly. "Anxiety tends to keep me up."

    "Mm, that's a shame," Ted's brow fell, "you think it's the job?"

    "It's a compounding factor, but my family responsibilities are just what my mind runs to when it wants to chew on something," Violet said, taking a small break to chew on her own dinner. "I actually quite enjoy being the Hopps family organizer."

    "Shoo," Ted looked off to the side. "Tell you the truth, I'm pretty keen to ditch my family's business as soon as I get the opportunity."

    "Really?" Violet blinked. "Why's that?"

    Ted paused, chewing thoroughly before giving a weak glance up at Violet. "Well, it's gonna sound pretty corny."

    "We come from farming families, so we should be quite familiar with corn," Violet muttered. Ted paused, waiting for a tiny smirk from the bunny sitting opposite him, then he laughed as if he had just been given permission.

    "My family is so hung up on business," Ted shook his head. "Competition is fierce, so the Placids have to be fierce. Anything to combat that name we got. Sometimes I feel like I was born an employee, not a son. Mom goes 'you're the nicest one, Ted, you close that deal with the Hopps, and you better, else you'll have to feed yourself tonight'!"

    Violet blinked. "Well, you're certainly forthright about that."

    "Never had much of a mind or a care for duplicity," Ted wrinkled his nose and moved a bit of zucchini around on his plate.

    "That's why you're around our place so often, to close those deals," Violet nodded. "Suppose it makes sense; one of the biggest farms with one of the biggest suppliers."

    "But the- the atmosphere in the Placid compound and the Hopps compound is like night n' day," Ted gestured with a paw, "all the kits at your place are loud, friendly, and curious. The adults are witty. The matriarch and patriarch are jovial n' sweet. It's like somethin' out of those old bunny sitcoms, y'know? The ideal bunny family. The kind I only thought existed in fiction."

    "Well, it's not all sunshine and rainbows," Violet sighed slowly, "in fact, I appreciate that you've brought me here. It's a nice change of pace from the hectic atmosphere of my home. It's true that you do eventually get a taste for it, but noise and happenings are always going to cause anxiety."

    "Noise level or not, it's just nice to go into a place where everyone seems to like you, that's all," Ted shrugged. "You got a bunch of good cooks there, friendly bucks, and um... heh, fine-lookin' does."

    "Really," Violet smirked. "Any in particular you'd care to name?"

    "I do have to say that the glasses n' sweater combo is eyecatchin'," Ted grinned.

    "Most of the nearsighted ones in our family got laser surgery," Violet shook her head, "I was... less than thrilled with the idea."

    "Oh, me too, but my folks coerced me," the black buck nodded, "said I looked too much like a pencil-pusher with glasses, and contacts didn't agree with my eyes very well. It was a frightenin' few minutes, to be sure."

    "I'm not liking the sound of the Placids much," Violet narrowed an eye. "They sound like they've been controlling you."

    "To be honest, if something like you and me works out," Ted gave a bashful smile, "I'd be pretty keen to work on the Hopps farm instead."

    "Really," the tall gray bunny looked amused, "that'd put you under my father, mother, and me. You'd just go from one controller to another."

    "I'm hopin' you'd be a mite bit kinder," the black bunny chuckled unsteadily.

    "Well, you wouldn't get any preferential treatment even if you were my mate," Violet sniffed, but gave him a playful smile. "Though I do tend to play fair, so I'm told."

    "Heck, I don't want this to seem like a business deal," Ted looked uncomfortable. "But it is kinda what I want. To find a nice doe on a nice farm and just sort of live my days with her."

    Violet smiled. "You are a sweet one, Ted."

    The cow returned after some time with the check and placed it down. "For whenever y'all are ready, darlins."

    The tall gray bunny quickly reached out for the check and got out a debit card.

    "What...?" Ted blinked. "Nh-no Violet, that ain't right, you shouldn't pay."

    "Just because I'm a doe?" Violet wiggled her card, placing it on the table. "It's my treat."

    "No, because I asked you out on the date," Ted shook his head, getting out his own card. "I didn't go in expectin' a handout."

    Violet gently pushed Ted's extending arm back. "I'd like to pay. I want to thank you for giving me this evening of peacefulness; I appreciate it more than I can adequately express. ...You can pay next time, all right?"

    Ted was slightly stunned by the implication that he'd already locked in a second date, but he nodded.

    "Only I get to choose where we go this time," Violet smirked. She thought about this only briefly. "Oh, of course, I'll take you to one of my favorite places, Bunnyburrow's Best Reads."

    "Ah- oh, a bookstore?" Ted blinked.

    "Maybe a bit of an unorthodox choice," Violet shrugged playfully, "but they have good coffee and pastries. It's a great place to relax... and I think I'd enjoy relaxing with you, Ted."

    Ted responded with an honest smile. "That- well, that does sound nice, Violet."

---

    Ted's truck pulled into the Hopps parking lot, taking the guest space. He released a contented sigh, looking over at Violet. In return, the doe grinned at him, leaning in for a soft kiss. Ted barely had time to return it before it was over, leaving him dumbfounded and a little flustered.

    "Hmhm, cute," Violet smiled. "I really enjoyed my time, Ted. I mean it."

    "Would you like me to walk you to the door?" Ted blinked.

    "Oh, please," Violet nodded. "I just figured I'd get the goodnight kiss out of the way before there are dozens of eyes on us."

    "Ah, ri-right you are," Ted rushed to get the door for Violet, but she was already out of the truck. He fumbled awkwardly for her paw as the two walked together in the dim light and cool air of the evening.

    "Kinda glad its a bit of a walk to the main building," Ted noted, staring at the starry sky. "Makes for a nice stroll."

    "Definitely," Violet nodded, squeezing Ted's paw. Right before they got around the corner to the front of the main building, she drew him in for a hug. He was small enough that she could tuck his head under hers if she looked up slightly, so she did. Ted hugged back, feeling happy and comfortable. "Mm, I just want to enjoy this moment of serenity for a little longer. Soon enough I'll have to step in there and be subject to dozens of questions about my night. Also my phone probably has a hundred or so texts on it wanting to know how things are going."

    "I'd be glad the interest was there, heh," Ted smiled up at Violet as she released him. "I didn't even tell my family where I was going tonight."

    "Well, unless you want to be a part of the fluffy chaos that is about to ensue, perhaps we should say goodnight here," Violet said. "Goodnight."

    "Goodni-" Ted was interrupted by a swift kiss on the nose. "Night, Violet."

    "See you, Ted," Violet smiled. She walked to the door and opened it after taking a moment to draw in a breath at the door.

    "VIOLET!" An indistinguishably discordant mass of voices all screamed her name at nearly the same time, and then no more words could be made out as all of those voices launched into questions and conversation at once. Violet looked to her side, tossing Ted a slight smile before she was consumed by at least ten fluffy hands that dragged her into the house. It was the most adorably terrifying thing Ted had ever seen. He grinned slightly, shaking his head and turning around.

    "Aagh! Deer Lord!" Ted flailed as Violet's father Stu was not a foot away.

    "Teddie!" Before Ted could regain his composure, Stu gave him a hug that wouldn't have been out of place coming from a bear.

    "Urk!"

    "Oh, too tight?" Stu chuckled, releasing him. "Sorry, m'boy. I thought we'd seen all we were gonna see of you for this season, now that we got all our supplies squared away."

    "Uh, no sir!" Ted offered. "In fact I was-"

    "Gotta say I'm sorry for trying to hook you up with Judy- heck, I thought you'd be great for each other!" Stu held his paws out wide. "Guess Judy just likes em snarky, though. Wonder where she gets that from? Nick's a great fellow, though."

    "Yeah, sure is, I was just-"

    "So what're you doin' around here in the evening?" Stu planted his paws on his hips.

    "I was- actually I was out on a date with your daughter Violet," Ted smiled sheepishly.

    "Really?" Stu's eyebrow piqued. "Must have missed that memo; I was out all day. ...You n' Vi? Really...?"

    "Is that a problem, sir?" Ted blinked.

    "Oh no, no no..." Stu shook his head. "It's just... well, you're so down to earth and friendly- you know you kind of remind me of me when I was your age, a little! And Violet's well, she's different. She's warm enough, but she can be snippy and she just- well, she gets these times where she just doesn't want anything to do with anyone."

    Ted nodded. "She's a swell gal, Mr. Hopps."

    "Oh, no, Stu, please," Stu grinned. "And maybe 'Dad' some day, huh?"

    "Um, not gonna rush into anything, sir," Ted winced. "Still gotta get to know her a little better. ...But it sounds like we at least have a little in common... we like to relax and have some quiet time to ourselves." Ted released a soft breath with a small smile. "I'm just hoping she'll want to spend some of that quiet time with me."

    "Oh! Well, now then, that sounds like a good time, then," Stu considered. "Er, I think. Well, I'll be glad to see more of you around the compound. Oh, but speaking of 'seeing more of', if you use our communal showers, don't let any of the boys tease you because you're short. You tell me if they get onto you about that." He waggled his finger at Ted.

    "Er, yes sir," Ted swallowed uncomfortably. He wondered if it was in some sort of cosmically written law that fathers had to make prospective boyfriends uncomfortable.

    "Have a good night, m'boy! Come back soon!" Stu waved.

    "You too sir- uhm, Stu! Good night!" Ted said, retreating into his truck and slamming the door, slumping down into his seat.

    Whew, the Hopps sure were something. Kind of rowdy, super friendly, and they loved their hugs. Ted was really hoping he'd get to see some more of Violet soon, as well.

    He caught himself on his own thoughts. Not like that, no no. Well... maybe, if she wanted to, that is...

    Heck, he might even be a Hopps himself one day if everything turned out all right. It was an appealing prospect.

    Ted started his car and headed for home. He felt like he had a lot to look forward to, not the least of which was getting a good night's rest.

Chapter 156: Intentions II

    Ted tapped at his lap as he watched the countryside of Bunnyburrow go by. Violet was at the steering wheel of a Hopps family truck, and as she drove, the smaller black bunny found himself strangely intimidated. Finally, he decided to break the silence in the most banal way possible.

    "So, you have a truck, huh?"

    Of course she had a truck. The reality of her having a truck was at this point inexcusable. Ted felt a small pinch of shame the moment he had said it.

    "Mm," Violet nodded, her eyes never leaving the road. "Indeed I do. As the Hopps family organizer, a vehicle is essential for me to carry out my duties. I prefer this small truck so things don't get too claustrophobic, but I've also driven one of the family cars, vans, and even the bus."

    Ted was quiet again at that, not knowing how to follow up these little factoids. He took a deep breath and sighed. They were still a good ten minutes out of the main urban area of Bunnyburrow, such as it was.

    "I was getting a little worried, to be honest," Ted admitted suddenly. "I thought Serendipity might have gotten bored of me already."

    "What do you mean?" Violet's brow furrowed slightly as she drove.

    "Well, at the risk of sounding clingy..." the black bunny took in a deep breath before continuing. "It's been a few weeks since our first date."

    Violet gave a nod, a concerned look crossing her face. "Yes, that's... that's my fault, and I'm sorry. I've been very busy, as usual, and the times where I haven't been haven't... they haven't been good days."

    "Your anxiety acting up?"

    "Yes," Violet nodded once, "I... don't really wish for you to see me like that yet."

    "Well heck, Violet," Ted frowned. "Doesn't it stand to reason that I'm gonna have to eventually? That is, if we keep going along with each other and all."

    "Yes... it does, yes," she frowned. "But... just let me have this for a little while, okay?"

    "What's that phrase...?" Ted looked out the window. "'If you can't handle me at my worst, you don't deserve me at my best'?"

    "Ted," Violet sighed slightly. "We're going to one of my favorite places. I don't want our first memories there to be unpleasant, that's all."

    "Okay, got it," Ted said. "Sorry things haven't been goin' so well for you thus far."

    "Thank you, Ted," Violet replied, though she looked eager to get onto another subject. Soon enough, the truck pulled into a parking space at Bunnyburrow's Best Reads. It was a fair-sized building; it appeared to be one of the larger mom and pop bookstores in Bunnyburrow, especially since it had an included cafe.

    Violet noticed Ted looking at the place with mild interest as they approached the facade, causing her to release a small smile. The black bunny buck was sure to get the door for the taller gray doe.

    After about four whole seconds of the two being in the store, barely enough time for the scent of fresh paper to hit their nostrils, Ted's ear fluttered at the sound of a terse gasp. It came from an approaching adult female kit fox, who had a very interested expression as she drew closer to them. She was dressed in a purple and orange long-sleeve shirt with a black vest over it, and stationed on that vest was a small metal nametag that read: "TERRA".

    "Violet!" Terra greeted the bunny with a big smile. The kit fox was actually closer to Ted's size; Violet almost towered over her.

    "Terra," Violet returned warmly, seemingly instantly charmed by the vixen's energy. Terra's eyes fluttered between the two bunnies, seemingly growing more and more excited as she looked at Ted for the briefest of moments.

    "Boyfriend?" Terra asked in a loud, unguarded whisper. Violet closed her eyes and nodded, causing Terra to squeak and hop excitedly, but she was suddenly stricken with puzzlement. "Wait, are you two on a date? At the bookstore?" Her confusion instantly switched back to elation, squinting her eyes shut. "Awesome! Ooh, ooh! Do you want coffee?" When Violet nodded, Terra scrambled over to the cafe side of the bookstore, waving her paw. "Devin! Dev!"

    "I'm guessing you know her," Ted chuckled at the exuberant little predator.

    "If I told you she's like this with everyone, would you believe me?" Violet seemed bemused.

    "Not particularly," Ted shrugged. "That's a lot of energy."

    "Good, you aren't gullible," Violet winked at him with a smile.

    A black bull seated in a wheelchair rolled out from behind a counter near the cafe. Ted involuntarily winced as he saw the bull was missing a leg.

    "Where's the fire, Terra?" Devin asked.

    "I need a couple of free coffees! Oh, and some pastries too!" Terra looked back at the bunnies; Violet was already getting a seat at the cafe's tables. "You two like blueberry scones?"

    Right as the two were nodding, Devin gave Terra a skeptical look.

    "Hold on there, girl," Devin chuckled to himself, "I can't give you employee benefit stuff just so you can give it out to others. You'd have to get Mr. Johnson's approval."

    "Okay!" Terra nodded, calling out for him loudly. "Mr. Johnson! Mr. Johnson!"

    At his name, the owner arrived. He was a large middle-aged male pig. His nametag read, quite simply, "BOB". He was perhaps the most generic, dull-looking pig Ted had ever seen.

    "Yes, Terra?" He replied.

    A little bit of mirth bubbled up in Ted's chest as the pig named "Bob Johnson" had as dry a voice as one could have possibly imagined. The amusement made his mouth wobble a bit, and this didn't escape Violet's notice; she grinned wickedly.

    "Can I get a couple of free small coffees and pastries for those two?" Terra pointed at the bunnies eagerly.

    The pig manager's head turned in a way that wouldn't have looked out of place on a sloth, then he just as excruciatingly turned back to Terra. "Who are they to you?"

    "That's my fiance's sister and her boyfriend!" Terra said proudly, her tail beginning to wag.

    "All right," Mr. Johnson barely nodded. "But those are your employee of the month privileges for this month. Got it?"

    "Yes!" Terra pumped her fist, rushing over to get the coffee and pastries.

    Devin chuckled at these events. "One wonders how you keep making employee of the month with your muzzle stuck in graphic novels all the time."

    "Hey, it's called 'knowing the product'," Terra remarked defiantly while pouring a couple of coffees.

    "She's also very personable," Mr. Johnson said in a completely dull voice.

    A laugh was determined to escape from Ted's throat at the complete lack of mammal emotion in the pig's voice, and this made Violet's smile grow ever wider as the black bunny strained to control himself.

    "Here you go!" Terra chirped, setting down two small coffees, two small pastries, and more cream and sugar than either of them could have needed on the bunnies' table. "Enjoy!"

    "Thank you, Terra," Violet said with an adoring smile.

    "Yeah, thanks," Ted added weakly.

    "Yup yup!" Terra waved, rushing back to her station at the counter nearest the exit, gazing at the two with obvious delight, her cheeks resting in her paws. Ted craned his neck and could still see her tail wagging, flicking out from behind the counter momentarily on each swing.

    "So, uh... you come here to relax," Ted quipped.

    "If you're referring to Terra's exuberance," Violet chuckled, adding some sugar and cream to her coffee, "you just have to let her go for awhile sometimes. She's like a wind-up toy. Eventually she settles."

    "Guess I'll be paying for the next date, then," Ted chuckled, dolling up his coffee a bit as well.

    "I think she thinks she's paying me back for helping set her up with one of my sisters," Violet smirked. "Adorable little creature."

    "Really? How did that go?" Ted cocked his head.

    "Ah, a bit of a long story," Violet's face weakened a little, her ears dropping. "Maybe some other time." Seemingly eager to change the subject, she smirked. "You might end up paying for this date yet. We are in a bookstore, after all."

    "What kind of books do you like?" Ted asked, having a bit of his pastry.

    "Have you heard of Dave Beary?" She replied, and Ted shook his head. "Hilarious humorist. I read all of his books. In fact, I should scour the humor section after we finish up here to see if he's released anything new."

    "Oh yeah? You like humor books?" Ted seemed puzzled. "Gee, you're a matchmaker and like to laugh?"

    "I know that doesn't really come across as intuitive when you look at me," Violet ran a paw through her ears. "I'm told I have a tough shell."

    "Well, it's nice to get to know that about you," Ted smiled winsomely, which she returned.

    "How about you, then?" Violet tilted her head. "What sort of interests do you have?"

    Ted seemed strangely put off by this question. "Well, uh... I do have one main hobby, kinda. But it's- er, it's kinda boring, really."

    Violet's eyes half closed. "Ted. We're at a bookstore. It's not exactly monster truck rally levels of excitement in this place."

    "Not without that little fox zooming around, anyway," Ted brushed his ears back.

    "C'mon, tell me," Violet smiled faintly, taking Ted's hand and looking at him with interest.

    "All right, then," Ted nodded, shrugging distractedly. "So, as y'know, my family gets a lot of various supplies in from all over. Trees, bees, seeds... stuff like that. With the wood, sometimes we get orders for it that leave leftovers, sometimes too little to sell, but too much to really throw away. Sometimes we make dowels out of them, like for our teeth, but lately, I've been squirrelin' away a log or two of some of the junk wood."

    "Why's that?" Violet tilted her head a few degrees to the left.

    "Well, I started whittlin' at 'em," the black bunny went on. "Like with a knife and all, just to pass the time. Eventually, I started carvin' away all of the pieces of wood that didn't look like a bunny, and I ended up with a wood carvin' of an ancient bunny. Like the four-legged kind."

    "Really?" The gray bunny blinked twice. "Do you have a picture of it?"

    "Oh, no way," Ted shook his head firmly. "My first carvin' was awful. But I did keep at it. 'Ventually I started on some carvings of the Celestials. Pretty sure that isn't sacrilegious, right?"

    "Well," Violet huffed with a smirk. "If so, Serendipiday would be in trouble with all of its gold statues of Lady Luck."

    "Right, so... yeah, been workin' on those," Ted nodded. "Doin' Paradigm now. It's bein' kind of, well... uh, a bear, for lack of a better word."

    "Oh yes?"

    Ted looked around as if they were being watched, then produced his phone, navigating to a particular image folder. In fact, they were indeed being watched by a curious and interested kit fox, though Ted didn't seem to notice. Ted showed Violet a picture of an in-progress wood carving, made of a dark shade of wood that complimented the large bear presence of the Celestial Paradigm well. Most of the back half was incomplete, but the front half had artsy splashes of "power" around the front feet, as well as lightning branches coming out of the eye area.

    "Now... lookit here," Ted said, the passion in his voice suddenly rising. "Paradigm's traditionally depicted with these lightnin' eyes, but I just don't know if it looks right on him in the sculpture. I was wonderin' if I should reduce them, or get rid of them entirely."

    "Hm, they do look a bit large... but I'd say this is going wonderfully so far," Violet marveled, looking at the screen. "The splashes around his paws, and the fiery wreath around his chest and back especially... you're communicating that so well through wood!"

    "Oh, um, you like it?" Ted looked honestly surprised. "I mean... 's not done yet."

    "Do you have any more of these?" Violet looked up at him.

    "Well uh... my last Serendipity one was one of my favorites," Ted scrolled to another one. "I kinda wanted to match the style of her statues from the style they normally use in Serendipiday, and give it a little bit of my own."

    The picture Ted scrolled to depicted a wood carving of Serendipity, sort of laid back and waving, winking one eye. The bunny Celestial was reclined on whimsical wooden "wisps" that acted like a platform for her extravagantly playful pose. That said, Violet did note that Ted wasn't the best photographer. The picture wasn't centered well and it was a little too far away to see the finer details.

    "Ooh, I'd like to see this one closer," Violet squinted, taking the phone in her paws and staring at it. "It looks really nice. You really captured the frivolous playfulness she's so often shown with."

    "Huh, you really like it?" Ted rubbed behind his head.

    "You seem surprised," Violet had a tiny, bemused smile.

    "I dunno," The black bunny shook his head, paused, and shrugged. "It's just... I had a lot of times where my siblings would tell me I was wasting my time. Y'know. Literally whittling it away. T'be honest, it was just something to fill up my time, and I did what I liked with every one I did."

    "Well, to me, I think this is a fascinating hobby, truly I do," Violet grinned. "It's obvious you've got a lot of enthusiasm for it. Have you ever thought about selling any Serendipities at Serendipiday?"

    "What? Oh no, that'd never occured to me," Ted scratched his cheek. "S'just something I do in my spare time. Plus, isn't everything you get there supposed to be bright, colorful, and sparkly? Wood's kinda the opposite of that, heh heh."

    "Hmm..." Violet's mouth twisted this way and that. "Well, if you really wanted, you could try painting them in the Oaxacan style, using extravagant colors, but to be honest I think some people would appreciate something more honest and earthy for Serendipity. Everyone does the flashy and fluffy stuff, this carving here has a kind of... I don't know, honesty to it. I think it would be appreciated."

    "I dunno... I guess I could try it one time," Ted shrugged. "I mean last Serendipiday was a bust for me anyway; had prior engagements with some mammals that weren't goin'... might be nice to get out there again and bask in the extravagances of Lady Luck."

    "That's the spirit," Violet grinned. "I could go with you, if you wanted. Keep track of sales and such, so you could focus on talking up your passion for the carvings?"

    "Sounds fun," Ted nodded. "Just hope I'll find the time what with my work and dating you and all that."

    "Hows this?" Violet smiled wider, folding her fingers together. "Maybe sometimes I could just come over, or you could come to the Hopps' compound, whichever you prefer, and we could just relax together while you whittled. Maybe I'd do some reading."

    "Sounds nice and peaceful... you'd be into that?" Ted pet at one of his ears, looking somewhat unsteady.

    "Oh, way in," Violet nodded. "I would really like if we could keep our dates tranquil and relaxing. Nothing too special or flashy. Just... be together. Y'know?"

    "T'be honest, that does sound like a good time," Ted agreed with a grin. "A real good time."

    "That settles it then," Violet grinned, getting up, and Ted followed after a brief pause. "We've got a few months before Serendipiday, so let's see if we can find the time to get a decent number of those carvings for a display. I know many of my siblings who'd love to help get you a lot and handle the finer details, myself included."

    "Wow, that's real nice of you," Ted's smile carried a heavy kind of relief, "I guess I'd gone so long hearing my hobby was a waste of time and pointless that I started to believe it myself."

    "It's nice that you've managed to keep a love for your craft, even through such adversity," Violet looked down at him warmly.

    "It's just carvin' wood, Vi," Ted mumbled. "Oh, uh, can I call you that?"

    "Of course, anyone close to me can," Violet's voice was very pleasantly relaxed. She perked up suddenly. "Oh, there is a new book by Dave Beary." The gray bunny hightailed it for the humor section and selected it.

    "Oh, I'll get that for you!" The black bunny held a finger above his head and rushed over. Before long, both of them were at the counter, and a brightly-smiling kit fox greeted them.

    "Hi!" Terra's toothy grin was enormous.

    "Um, hello, Terra, was it?" Ted winced, pushing the book onto the counter.

    "Yup, sure is!" Terra's eyes flicked in the direction of her name tag, and a giggle caught in her throat. "Can I just say you and Violet are really cute? Like really?"

    "Still calling bunnies cute, are we Terra?" Violet tilted her chin up, but had a playfully disdainful smile.

    "Oh c'mon, I'm getting married to one!" Terra shook both of her fists. "I'll be legally a bunny in just a little while!"

    "That's not really how it works," Violet's tone carried a teasing edge.

    "Besides, it takes a cutie to know one," the vixen held up a finger, then turned it into a thumb and shoved it at herself, "and according to everyone, I'm a cutie. So, I think I should be able to discern whether or not something is cute!"

    "Um, can we buy this book, please?" Ted asked patiently, getting his wallet out.

    "Oh, oh, right!" Terra winced. "Haha, doing my job. Yes. I'm good at that. Employee of the month, that's me! Terra Brownfurred. Soon to be Terra Hopps!" Her giggle was pinched and nervous as she scanned the book. "Ooh, Dave Beary. Guessing this is for Viiii...?"

    "That's right," Ted nodded diagonally, paying for the book.

    "So great!" Happiness seemed to flow through the little fox like blood through her veins. "Okay! Thank you and come again!" She handed the book decisively to Ted. "Please come again! I wanna hear more gossip on you two!"

    "If you're good," Violet grinned, and the two bunnies began to head for the door.

    "Pff, if I'm 'good'. Hey, employee of the month here...?" The vixen seemed mildly offended. "Oh wait, I forgot to give you a bag!" She winced again.

    "That's okay," Ted chuckled. "Just something else to throw away." He backed up into one of the doors to exit.

    "See you later, Terra," Violet winked as the two were gone.

    "Ohhh...!" Terra moaned, collapsing onto her counter. "Phooey. The annoying thing about real life is you can't read what's gonna happen next, you gotta wait for it." After a cursory look to make sure no more eyes were on her, she cracked open a graphic novel and huffed, her tail flicking.

Notes:

Things are really slowing down for my writing, but I don't anticipate it picking back up soon, just as a warning. I do have plans for another one-shot chapter (this time involving police work, oh my heck!), I have the rest of Familiar Fire outlined for those that are still into that, and I have a small little project just for fun and laughs that I'd like to do, but I can't promise a timetable on any of that stuff.

Hopefully motivation and time will be on my side sooner rather than later. Hope you all are doing well this season, stay warm.

Chapter 157: Intentions III

    Even though his visits to the Hopps compound were becoming more frequent, the facade of the buildings still gave Ted a moment of pause before he entered.

    There was no place for nerves, he figured. Even if so, that day was a day he couldn't afford them. It was July 7th, Serendipiday.

    If Ted had been a thinking bunny, he might have spent a bit more time considering how ironic it was that a festival about the Celestial of Surprises landed on the same day every year. Or, he might have considered how much thought and planning has to go into something that appears so chaotic to a casual viewer. However, these thoughts were pretty far from his mind as he gathered his wits and knocked on the door.

    A Hopps doe greeted him. He'd never caught this one's name. She had her father's colors.

    "Hey, Ted," the pretty doe greeted with a sly smile. "C'mon in."

    "Ah, hi," Ted acknowledged her awkwardly and entered, his brain wracking itself to summon her name, if only to be polite. Wresting his attention from her, his eyes were greeted with an entire spectrum of color, as passing bunnies all had on wildly colorful clothing for the occasion.

    Ted walked forward, heading for Violet's room, but as usual, it wasn't long before he was halted by a nosy, outgoing bunny. It just so happened to be Jenny again.

    "Hi Ted," Jenny grinned mischievously, leaning forward. The smallish young teen looked up at him, dressed in an ensemble with a swirl of toothpaste blue and bubblegum pink. "C'mere for Violet again?"

    "Yes ma'am," Ted tipped his head forward. "She and I have some business today."

    "Oh, I bet you do," the tiny troublemaker slapped her hands on her hips, eyeing him up and down. "It is Serendipiday after all. Lookin' to get lucky, huh?"

    Ted's brow furrowed. "Bit uncouth of you to ask."

    "Pssh, c'mon," Jenny rolled her eyes and threw her paws forward. "Everyone at the compound knows how crazy you are about her. It's barely news!" Jenny's eyes wandered over him with yet another appraising look. Ted's own outfit was mostly bright yellow with some black highlights, bringing out a stark contrast of his dark fur. "Hehe, going for a honeybee look, huh?" The teenage doe danced around him and waved her hand in the direction of his behind, near his tail. "You got a stinger back here, too?"

    "Beggin' your pardon!" Ted started forward and his voice actually took on a hint of displeasure.
    "Jenny!" The matriarch Bonnie Hopps marched forward simultaneously, fixing an intense glare of disapproval at her. "Keep your paws to yourself! Don't you go touching someone's tail without their permission."

    "Ulp, yes momma," Jenny winced. Ted found it impressive that Bonnie could carry such weight in her voice while wearing a blouse that looked like several kinds of fruit had exploded onto it.

    "Now go get your sister," Bonnie pointed with authority over to one wing of the bunnies' rooms.

    "Uh, which one?" She returned lamely. When her only response was for her mother to tilt forward a few degrees with a furrowed brow, Jenny made haste off in the direction she was pointing.

    "Goodness," Bonnie huffed, planting fists on her hips and shaking her head. "I just don't know what gets into my daughters sometimes. I apologize for that, Ted."

    "Don't give it a care, Mrs. Hopps," Ted shook his head.

    "My girls should know better than that," Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Hitting on you just because you're dating Violet. It's that blasted 'unavailable bucks are attractive' thing." Her expression softened into a guilty look. "Was guilty of that myself back in the day, to be honest."

    "Oh really?" Ted blinked. "Did it land you the Mister?"

    "Hahaha!" Bonnie tittered, wiggling her hand. "No no, Stu was very available when I started dating him. It was just... earlier on, when I had a fleeting fancy for one of my sister's boyfriends. Such a bad-boy buck, that one."

    "...Well, if you don't mind my sayin' so," Ted scratched one of his ears, "but Mr. Hopps is one of the least 'bad-boy bucks' I've ever seen."

    "He is that, yes," Bonnie grinned fondly, her eyes closed. "Back then I just didn't know what was good for me."

    Ted chewed on his upper lip a little, then looked back up at her. "I'd heard from Vi that you actually gave up some of your ambitions to settle on the farm with Mr. Hopps?"

    "Nothing I couldn't live without, Ted," Bonnie smiled pleasantly. "Stu's a wonderfully warm buck and I'm lucky to have him. I think Violet might feel the same way about you."

    "Oh well, er," Ted huffed, suddenly self-conscious. He rubbed behind his head. "I mean, I hope so."

    "Gotta say, though," Bonnie's voice took on a mildly irritated drawl, "not looking forward to working with the Placids if you become a Hopps."

    "B-beg your pardon?" The black bunny winced.

    "Well, your folks, they're just so..." the bunny mom wrinkled her nose, "so much less personable than you. It's not for nothing that we've kept asking you to deal with the finer issues of ordering our supplies."

    "Mm, a lot of 'em can be a bit... acrid, yes," Ted agreed with a couple of nods, "but I s'pose it's like any bunny family. You've got your dissenters and your odd ducks."

    "Well, if you're an odd duck from the Placid, and Vi's one from the Hopps, then..." Bonnie smiled. "I suppose two odds do make an even."

    "'Zat true?" While Ted had to think about that for a moment, Jenny hesitantly returned to her mother, paws behind her back.

    "Um, mom?" Jenny winced. "Violet's... she's leaning towards the blue end of the spectrum today."

    "Oh dear," Bonnie put on a long frown, folding her arms.

    "What?" Ted blinked. "Vi's not havin' a good day?"

    "She does tend to get like this on Serendipiday," Bonnie placed a hand on her cheek, moving her head side to side. "It's a very stressful day, I'm sure you can understand."

    "Shoot..." Ted kicked at the floor. "Prolly even more so because I've been tryin' to get this thing goin' what with sellin' my carvings an' such." He looked in the direction of Violet's room. "Think I should talk to her?"

    "Uh!" Jenny held up a curved, perfunctory finger. "...Vi's... she can be pretty testy when she's like this. It's usually best to just wait her out."

    "She often pushes us away when she has a bad day," Bonnie agreed. "I'm not going to tell you what to do, though. Like I said, sometimes does just don't know what's good for them."

    "Alright, I'll keep that in mind," Ted nodded.

    After about a half hour of talking to some of Violet's brothers and trying to avoid leers from some of her less-reserved sisters, Ted got it into his head that Violet probably wouldn't be coming out on her own. With no small amount of hesitation, Ted found himself gravitating toward the door to her room. He paced around it, trying to work up the courage to knock. He did get a few glances from some of the Hopps family. Ted wasn't too great at reading faces, but the looks were clearly communicating that they didn't envy Ted's position.

    Finally, he worked up the nerve enough to knock. It was a very soft knock.

    "Go away," Violet's voice came back quietly; almost immediately.

    "Violet?" Ted returned.

    "Ted..." her voice sounded glum.

    "C'n I come in?"

    No response. Ted waited a whole minute, which felt like a hundred of them. Summoning his willpower, he opened the door.

    The room was dark, and the form of Violet faced away from the door, her ears slumped forward. Ted noticed her glasses sitting on a nightstand. She was fully clothed and even dressed for the occasion, with a bright sweater that sported the progeny of a neon love affair between the colors green and yellow.

    "Not doin' well today, Vi?" Ted cautiously circled to her side. Her arms were folded tightly in her lap and her eyes were closed, also firmly.

    "That's an understatement," Violet replied quietly.

    Words failed Ted as he tried to develop something to say to his ailing girlfriend. Violet didn't look at him once during his hesitation.

    "So, ah-"

    "I've delegated everything to Alan," Violet quickly interrupted. "Go to him at the fair. He's getting the stall set up." Much more quietly: "Knew things'd screw up today..."

    "How are you feelin', Vi?" Ted insisted with a gentle voice.

    "I'm not going to read you the list of my symptoms, Ted," she finally opened her eyes and stared at him. "Just go, okay? There's nothing you can do here for me." She closed her eyes. "Pouting over me won't do you any good anyway. We've been planning this stall, these Serendipity carvings... for what, three months now? Just go. Get them to see your drive."

    Violet gave a shallow gasp and opened her eyes at the sound of a gentle groan and the slight dip in the bed as Ted joined her, sitting next to her, though some distance away. Violet grit her teeth.

    "Ted, I have a splitting headache and I feel like I'm going to throw up at any moment," Violet turned her head. "I'm not in the mood to argue with you."

    "So don't," Ted replied quietly. "I won't say anything."

    "Kuh..." Violet sucked her teeth, squeezing her eyes shut. "Idiot."

    The word stung a bit, but on some level, he could understand why she said it. She'd worked hard to get the two to this point, and even if Alan knew pretty much everything about the sculptures, the mammal responsible for them not being there would certainly take a dip out of the enthusiasm for them from curious fair-goers. It was probably the best chance he'd had to share his hobby with the world, and get them excited about something he cared about.

    Despite all that, though, there was something he cared more about sitting next to him. He could hear her troubled breaths and see the pain she was in, and it tore at him. He didn't want to be at that festival, not with the knowledge that his girlfriend was in such distress.

    A long, uncomfortable silence prevailed. Ted's thoughts continued to swirl, catching on themselves like bad reruns. He found it tough to focus, and nothing seemed to be changing. Above all, he didn't know whether or not he was doing the right thing. After a few buzzes, noting texts from Alan, he turned his phone off and placed it behind him on the bed. He left his hand near Violet.

    After a small eternity, Ted was broken from his blank stare at the wall by the feeling of Violet grasping his paw. It wasn't a soft grip either; it was almost violent. The feeling of a firm squeeze pressed on his paw, and the gripping paw trembled and wavered between the intensities of the squeeze. He felt the joined paws being abruptly moved into Violet's lap. Ted remained calm and didn't move. Ever so slowly, the grip became less painful, though no less firm. She scooted slowly closer to him.

    Ted's concerned blue eyes looked over her face, and though the lids still were clasped over Violet's, they looked to be less tense, less pained. He was mildly surprised when her eyes actually opened halfway. In the dark and without her glasses, there was no way she could see him clearly, but she looked in his general direction anyway.

    "...I love you, Teddie."

    The way she said it was so ethereal. It was like a breathy stated fact, rather than some sort of emotional confession.

    "I love you too, Violet," Ted replied after a moment. He was quietly earnest, gentle, as he often was. This made Violet smile, just the tiniest bit. She tilted her head as if to nod diagonally or rest it on Ted's shoulder, but the pain of her headache flared. She winced and her lips moved in a silent curse as she couldn't bring her body to do what she wanted. She froze there, giving a shuddering breath.

    "Easy girl," Ted winced. "Just take it easy..."

    Violet's eyes squinted shut again and her brow raised. Through the pain, she felt a strange, defeated smile crawl along her face. She knew there was no way she could get Ted to move from her side that evening. She knew he'd care for her, give her a snuggle if she felt up to it, help cover her ears when the Hopps' compound fireworks went off, and listen if she wanted to talk. At that moment, she was very, very thankful for that.

---

    [Aw that's so sweet!] Violet's most famous sister had sent her a text in reply to a condensed version of the story from that night.

    It was several months later, and Violet found herself on the family's tallest hill, surveying the farm as she always did, while simultaneously carrying on a gossipy conversation with her sister Judy. An unrestrained smile played about her face as telling the story made her unquestionably happy. Ted had barely done anything that night, yet he'd done so much for her.

    Though she didn't reply to her sister, finding the matter closed, she was puzzled to see Judy's text intrude onto her iPawpad again.

    [So you're going to make it up to him next year?]

    [What are you talking about?] Violet replied.

    [The carvings!] Judy said. [He's still got them, right?]

    [Yup, Alan only sold three.] Violet shook her head. Though he had a helpful spirit, Alan was definitely not a salesmammal.

    [So... next Serendip you're gonna double down and help Ted sell 'em, right?] Judy responded nearly immediately.

    [No.]

    [NO!?]

    [I'm not even planning to go to Serendipiday next year.]

    [What!? Why not!?!?]

    Violet's mouth twisted and morphed before she texted back, shifting her weight. [Well, because Ted and I are getting married next Serendipiday.]

    A chuckling laugh escaped from the stately doe as Judy's next text flooded the screen with capital Es. She continued to grin and giggle as a flood of questions followed. Questions like "are the dress and suit going to be colorful?" "can I come?" "what've you got planned!?" Violet summoned her most self-satisfied smirk and closed the conversation, feeling like she'd given Judy enough for that moment.

    "Something ticklin' you, Vi?" Ted peeked out from the other side of his reclined position at the tall tree on the hill.

    "Oh, just one of my nosy sisters wanting to gossip," Violet smirked. "About you, of course."

    "Jeez... you didn't tell 'em about..." Ted winced.

    "Only because it was Judy," Violet shook her head.

    "Still, everyone's gonna know before long," Ted huffed. "Not much of a surprise..."

    "It's still going to be a lovely, fun ceremony," Violet said with absolute certainty. "Even the best surprises require careful planning."

    "Guess so," the black bunny nodded.

    Violet squinted a little and wandered over, sitting next to Ted. He was working on whittling a small little something, and she saw a bunny's ears and face taking shape. "What are you making there?"

    "It's a-"

    "That better not be a little effigy of me," Violet looked at him sidelong with a teasing scowl.

    "...A surprise- it's a surprise," Ted's hesitant smile caused Violet to giggle. She leaned over to give him a small kiss on his bunny muzzle.

    From a point of view, Ted wasn't lying. To subvert Violet's expectations, he would have to make something else, and he had no idea what it'd be. He wasn't sure of a lot of things, like what'd become of his relations with his family once he moved in with the Hopps, or if he'd just be happy working on the farm, or if he wanted to promote his carvings further.

    But, with that pretty, tall doe by his side, the one that always looked at him with such certain affection... he knew he'd have fun finding out what was what.    

Chapter 158: Season

    Even in her winter police uniform, Judy felt a little chilly while walking down the streets of Savanna Central with her partner. It was early evening, and the temperature was plummeting along with the sun as it vanished from the skyline.

    "Brr," she rubbed her paws together briskly. "Wish we hadn't gone and got the cruiser dinged up. It's cold out here."

    "Riiight," Nick drawled with his trademark smirk, "'we' dinged the cruiser up. As I recall, only one of us was driving."

    "Oh, hush," Judy snapped, her brow falling.

    "Betcha ol' Ozzie doesn't get it fixed for quite awhile," Nick chuckled, "it being the holidays and all. Shame too, since that's the only cruiser fixed for us to drive."

    "Well, it's either patrol on foot, or desk work," the bunny cop replied, "and between the two, I'd gladly be cold."

    "Same," Nick nodded.

    In the distance, Judy saw what appeared to be a young adult sheep affixing a poster to a storefront's window. Judy made her way forward.

    "S'cuse me, sir?" Judy approached him skeptically, and as soon as the hooded sheep saw her, a look of mild panic crossed his face and he ran for an alley. "Hey! Hey, wait!"

    Judy and Nick wasted little time in giving chase, but when they rounded the corner, he was gone.

    "Where'd he go?" Judy said to herself. "Wonder what that was about." She and Nick returned to the storefront, where Judy looked upon the poster. It was a poster of a great deal of mice all standing in rows together. They all wore business suits and festive hats, and the text on the poster read "TIS THE SEASON FOR INDUSTRY". Judy's face spoke puzzlement as she looked over the poster. "What's this about? Some sort of... anti-mice sentiment?"

    "No, not quite," Nick folded his arms, then got out his phone and took a couple of pictures. "Looks to me like we have a bitter little sheep who thinks we've forgotten the reason for the season."

    "I'm not sure I get it," the bunny wagged her head. "I mean, Shepherd's Day has nothing to do with mice."

    "That's not just any mouse, it's Industry," Nick pointed at the gaggle of very similar-looking mice. "Look at the shine of the eyes, how its like a cog? That's supposed to be Industry, the Celestial."

    After a short while of contemplating it, Judy bobbed her head.

    "Oh, I think I get it now. How Shepherd's Day has supposedly become all about selling stuff and commercialism."

    "Exactly," the fox nodded. "We should probably take this down and get it to the station, see if any other of these have been reported popping up around the city."

    Judy nodded her agreement, and her partner carefully took the poster down.

    "It's kind of not really fair to Industry, is it?" Judy wrinkled her nose. "I mean, infrastructure and business is a good thing."

    "You have all kinds of holiday cynics, Carrots," Nick replied, rolling the poster up and gripping it loosely. "It's easy to deflect onto something you don't appreciate as much. Now." Nick artfully swept the poster in the direction of the ZPD. "Shall we go, partner?"

    Judy nodded, and silence reigned for a whole minute before she cast a curious glance to her taller partner.

    "Are you one of those cynics, Nick?"

    "I mean, I guess you could say I am," Nick shrugged his free hand and shoulder. "Especially when I was barely scraping by on my own, the holiday season just gave me more reasons to be bitter."

    "Why, though?" Judy looked genuinely concerned, her brow raising. "I thought the holiday spirit was about helping mammals in need, y'know, all that. Peace to your fellow mammal."

    "Right, the holiday spirit," Nick replied. His voice carried just the slightest hint of sarcasm, but otherwise sounded casual. "That's just the thing. To me it seems ridiculous that there's a time for that kind of behavior. Like, there was this one capybara I knew. Real nice guy, but kind of off in the head. Couldn't really hold down a job, no family to speak of, so he was on the streets. Now, he'd have the easiest time in the holiday season. He got handouts from a bunch of mammals, and he was grateful, but he didn't really understand why people were suddenly being so nice to him."

    "Because it was- I dunno, it was in the spirit of-" Judy fumbled with her words as they came to rest within a crosswalk.

    "Exactly, Carrots," Nick nodded. "He was being helped by some mammals that would just as soon walk faster when he asked for something at other times of the year. I just think... hm. It's kind of rotten to designate a time to be nice to people. To designate a day when you're 'supposed' to go give gifts to people."

    "Is that your way of telling me you didn't get me anything for Shepherd's Day?" Judy tossed him a sly look.

    "Heh," Nick gave her a nervous eye dart, then concentrated on walking. "I guess I can kind of see the point of that holiday purist, is all I'm saying. Who even thinks about the Shepherd anymore on his own day?" He casually gestured to Judy. "Do you even know the history and legends behind the holiday?"

    "Sure, doesn't everyone?" The bunny kept pace with her partner, noticing she was looking at him more than he returned her glances. "The Shepherd was the sheep who helped broker peace between predators and prey, way back in ancient times. Apparently his original name is considered so holy now that it was actually taken out of the Book of the Lamb at some point, so no one really knows how to pronounce it anymore."

    "Hm, even that's more than most people know," Nick nodded. "Go on?"

    "Um..." Judy searched the night sky, sparse with stars because of the ambient colorful light of the Gleaming City. "So, he was poisoned on the day of his birth, right? Soon after the treaties were signed?"

    "That's what they say, anyway," the fox nodded diagonally.

    "He lingered for a few days, then died on what we now call the New Year," Judy tapped her cheek thoughtfully.

    "My mother still believes in that," Nick said, "even the parts in the Book of the Lamb where he supposedly ascended and became a new Celestial, Surrender. Y'know, how the holiday is supposed to be about peace and acceptance of your fellow mammal and all that. Thought it was weird that she put so much stock in a prey tale like that."

    "So it's not just that it's not exactly religious anymore that you're disenfranchised from the holidays?" Judy wondered, concern again lighting her eyes. "It's that, I dunno, you feel like it's- it's what, hypocritical to be nice just for an appointed time?"

    "A little," Nick sighed. "So what did your family do for the holidays? God, I can only imagine how many presents you all needed to buy."

    "Well, we usually only got one each, but I'm not gonna do this," Judy waved her hand, smirking. "You want me to follow your cynical holiday humbuggery with tales from a country family? Like I'm some naive kit that still believes Serendipity magically pops presents into existence beneath the holiday trees with her glittery sparkles?"

    Nick barked out a loud laugh. "Wow, is that what bunnies believe? Gosh, she must be really fast to visit every bunny household in one night!"

    "Nick," Judy rolled her eyes, "no, it's my sister Violet that normally organizes who gets what, according to what they want and such. I dunno, I guess it's just convenient for a large family to have a sort of time for getting people gifts when we might not have enough extra money to do that at random other times in the year." She shook her head firmly. "But to bunnies, the season is less about Serendipity, and more about Fertility."

    "Whoa, really?" Nick's eyes widened. "Winter's like that for you bunnies too, huh?" He smirked devilishly.

    "Wha- no!" Judy sneered. "Where's your head at, Wilde!?" She flicked her arms out. "I'm talking about how Fertility's spirit is supposed to be about love of all kinds. Familial love especially. Around this time Dad will offer some nice family prayers to her with all of us gathered around, y'know, being grateful for what we have as a family together."

    Nick didn't respond, but nodded with a sort of distracted look.

    "Sounds hokey, right?" Judy drawled a rough approximation of Nick's voice, making him chuckle. She frowned slightly. "Do you believe in anything at all, Nick?"

    "Didn't used to, actually," Nick sighed, looking up at the sky briefly. The ZPD started to come into view, and his pace slowed. "Just Karma, really."

    "Oh, the canid Celestial!" Judy smiled with a nod. "That makes sense."

    "I wouldn't say I believe in her as a... I dunno, a 'personage'," he held up a paw in caution. "Just like a force. A state of mind. You do something good, it comes back to you. You do something bad, likewise."

    "Ah, you believe that, do you?" Judy folded her arms and leaned in his direction. "So when's your comeuppance for all of your hustling days?"

    "Hey, I think my slate is clean, bunny," Nick chuckled, flicking his free paw and swiping the poster casually. "I never pulled a mean hustle on someone that didn't deserve it. Heck, I might have been an instrument of Karma myself!" He daintily placed a paw on his chest, wiggling his head proudly.

    "Sure, right..." Judy rolled her eyes, and then laughed.

    Nick took the first step towards the entrance of the ZPD, then retracted it and looked at Judy.

    "While we're on the subject of being nice... here," Nick reached in his pocket, retrieved a small black box, and flicked it at Judy.

    "Wh- whoa!?" Judy fumbled with the box before steadying it in her paws and curiously opening it. Inside appeared to be a little silver necklace, adorned with a color-shifting gemstone that sparkled in blue and purple. "Whoa...! What's- this is beautiful! Is this alexandrite?"

    "Not natural alexandrite, to be honest," Nick chuckled.

    "Nick, you can't..." the bunny seemed to struggle with her words, stamping a foot. "You can't give this to me yet! It's still a few days till Shepherd's Day!"

    "Well," Nick wiggled his eyebrows, "one of the perks of being liberated from the schedule of the holiday is I can give a gift whenever the heck I want to."

    Judy cast a clearly skeptical look into the fox's "innocent" eyes. "Right. It's definitely not because you just wanted to get me a nice, thoughtful gift before I got you yours."

    "Last minute shopper, Carrots?" Nick's face read sarcastic surprise, and he sucked at his teeth. "Tsk tsk tsk, for shame."

    "Jerk," Judy half-smiled with a tiny bit of bashfulness.

    "Now, shall we get this to Skips and see if she has any insight on this poster menace?" Nick opened the door to the ZPD with his free hand and motioned inside with the rolled up poster.

    "Yeah, yeah," Judy grinned at him on the way in. She paused in the doorway and her smile grew warmer. "Thank you, Nick."

    Nick returned her smile proudly. "Merry Whatever, Carrots."

Chapter 159: Tension

    The subway doors slid open and Judy got out. Her head poked this way and that, as she didn't think she'd ever stopped off at that stop before. Feeling her phone buzz in her paw, she looked down at a text message from Nick.

    [Um, okay? Yeah, I know one. It's at 1340 Searing Sand.]

    Judy half-smiled and started tapping into her phone.

    [Great, on my way.]

    She immediately saw the telltale ellipses indicating the fox was typing and walked out into the evening air. Her nose twitched slightly as she plugged the address into her map app and headed that way. She knew the temperature would plunge soon, and hadn't thought to bring a jacket.

    Sahara Square was perhaps the most objectively dazzling area of Zootopia in the evening. Lights of nearly every color began to come on, turning its understated buildings into lively, flashy facades. Judy smiled and took in the atmosphere during her walk; she hadn't gotten to enjoy all of the sights of Zootopia, and she figured it'd be years until she saw everything the city had to offer. The bunny was shaken from her serenity by her phone buzzing again.

    [Are you really gonna do this, Carrots? You know Fangie is just trying to bait you.]

    [Don't care.] She typed back.

    [You don't WIN anything if you go through with it.]

    [I win pride.]

    [...] Judy could practically hear his eye roll from wherever he was. He started typing again. [Carrots, there's a difference between actually being accepting/open-minded and forcing yourself to do something uncomfortable just because.]

    [Gonna do it anyway!] Judy went on. [Try everything! =;) ]

    [All right, have it your way. I guess you didn't learn anything from your discomfort at Mystic Springs.]

    [Oh hush, Nick.] Her eyes flicked up from her phone and she was coming upon her destination.

    "Here we go..." Judy breathed out. The building had an unusual feeling, even standing out from many other Sahara Square buildings. The sign was understated and read "The Pawaiian Touch".

    The bunny's nose was twitching rapidly as she entered the establishment, and new, weird smells hit her left and right. Right in front of her, behind the counter, was a massive reptile, the likes of which she'd never seen before. She stood easily two times her size and wore a sedate floral orange dress that sharply contrasted her greenish scales. Judy swallowed with great difficulty, feeling herself flinch as the reptile's tongue came out of her mouth to thrash the air.

    "Welcome to The Pawaiian Touch, darling bunny," the reptile greeted her. The voice was just as scratchy and dry as Judy had imagined it in her head. Judy spared an instant to wonder if the reptile was considered attractive where she came from. "Will you be liking one of our treatments?"

    "Um, yes, one please," Judy babbled, feeling an instinctive fear of the unknown sink deep into her stomach. "Wh-what would you recommend?"

    An amused, somewhat-sinister laugh leaped from the long snout of the reptile. "For you, I would say a gecko massage. Soft pads on the hands. Easy to relax."

    Judy looked at the notes she'd taken on her phone. Fangmeyer had specified that she wasn't supposed to take an "easy" one. She sighed, and her eyes slowly wandered up to the reptile.

    "Do you have anything just a little bit... I dunno, tougher?" Judy nearly cringed.

    Another laugh, much like the first. "Adventurous bunny? Well... hmhm, we do have a new leopard gecko. Perhaps she is more to your liking. Hands lack the pads, have claws. Good for a scratching."

    "Ah haha..." Judy tittered nervously. "A- a leopard gecko. That sounds, um, that sounds..." dangerous, her mind finished. "Lovely! That sounds lovely."

    "Excellent, you will be having one massage from our leopard gecko," the reptile said, making some notes. The way that smile crept across her face as Judy nodded, she had a hard time believing it wasn't pure malevolence in those greenish-brown eyes. She went on to speak very loudly in a flowing language full of "ss" sounds. The bunny didn't even have a frame of reference for this barrage of noises, and her ears swept back instantly.

    After several long seconds, a tiny creature about half Judy's size wandered out. She had yellow scales dotted with black spots, and her eyes were black slits situated in white and gray spheres like lovely marbles. There were hints of pink on her tail and underbellies. Most noticeable was the wide, pleasant smile on the reptile's small face. She held her hands together in front of her, arms crossed demurely. Her soft pink dress created a sort of "pink lemonade" feeling in Judy's brain,and the matching flower garland and lei she wore were both pleasant and delicious-seeming to the bunny.

    "Hello!" After noticing Judy just standing there in stunned silence, the small reptile waved a hand pleasantly, the ridges on her eyes pushing up in a disarming way. "Please follow me, yes?"

    Judy could do little but nod and aimlessly follow her. What a contrast in the two reptiles' voices! This little one had an airy voice, like the soft breeze tickling wind chimes. In short order, Judy was led to a room. The small reptile went and began to prepare things.

    "Umh," Judy coughed nervously, "will the leopard gecko be meeting me in here?" She noticed the room was rather small. Comfortable, but snug for a bunny.

    A pleasant giggle leapt from the female reptile. "Oh! Yes, she will, for I am the leopard gecko, yes?"

    "Oh, haha, yes, okay!" Judy waved a paw as if she obviously knew that. "I just- um, I didn't think you'd be so... uh..."

    "Small?" The gecko giggled. "But I am large for a leopard gecko." As she said this, her stout but fetching tail swept behind her, almost as an afterthought. "My name is Jhi Jhi, but my friends, they call me Jiji!"

    Mild dread and panic settled into Judy as she honestly couldn't tell the difference between the two sounds. She tried sounding them with her mouth before a clumsy venture.

    "Jiji?" Judy tried.

    "Oh, so we are friends, then!" Jiji clicked her hands and claws together. "This is delightful, yes?"

    "Aheheh..." Judy's lips wobbled a bit as she forced a large smile. "My name is Judy Hopps."

    "Hops, like a bunny!" Jiji nodded quickly, eyes closed and with that charming smile all over her face. "I am pleased to meet you, yes?"

    The two stood there in silence for several seconds before Judy began to feel like she was missing something.

    "Oh, um, should we get started, then?" Judy chuckled unsteadily.

    "Only when you are ready!" Jiji waved a hand. "If you are uncomfortable, I can leave the room while you are undressing."

    "Oh no, that's, um, that's fine," Judy disrobed in a hurry, swallowing her trepidation, and then found her way onto the massaging table, where Jiji draped some warm towels on her.

    "I am supposing you have never had a reptile massage before?" Jiji asked brightly.

    "That's- that is correct, yes, no, I have not," Judy babbled.

    "I will be hoping it will not be your last, then!" Jiji grinned, and Judy's ear told her she was climbing up onto the table with her. Judy involuntarily flinched as she felt the unusual sensation of many tiny fingers on her back. From the feel, Jiji had gotten fully on top of her and was starting to soothingly rub at all corners of her back with her fingers.

    Judy fought not to say anything at the alien sensations, but it wasn't entirely unpleasant. Her claws weren't like pinpricks; they seemed to be rounded and felt gentle.

    "Ohh dear..." Jiji's voice took on a little concern, "but you are very, very tense, yes?"

    "Ah, um, I'm a police officer," Judy said quickly, glad to be able to play that card, "stressful work, you know?"

    "Oh!" Jiji seemed delighted by this. "You are serving the Zootopia. This is very noble! I will make sure to do my best, yes? As you are doing yours!"

    "Th-thank you," Judy replied. Her mind burned with curiosity to know more about reptiles, the very few of which she'd seen wandering Zootopia she knew next to nothing about. There was a crime committed by one very large one, a crocodile, she thought she recalled, but Chief Bogo had assigned some equally large officers to that case.

    Eventually, the massage caused Judy to actually unwind and relax. Jiji was dexterous and patient, and seemed to know just where Judy's tension lay and slowly worked it out.

    "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" Judy suddenly blurted. It sounded way more official than she meant it to.

    "Oh! Ah- okay," Jiji nodded, "I hope I am not under the investigation?"

    "Oh, no, no," Judy chuckled. "I'm just curious how reptiles have come to Zootopia, is all."

    "Ahh..." Jiji nodded behind her. "Well, it is not a tale I wish to tell very much... there is much strife in my country of Pawaii. Lately, travel has just opened up, and I very much wanted to come to the Zootopia."

    "To escape the country?" Judy nodded.

    "Not as much," Jiji slowed her massage, trying to focus on happy thoughts. "I do like the mammals very much. They have such fuzziness, and such fur colors! It is very wonderful to be in such a place, where, what is it that you say? Anyone can be anything? I have seen this is true!"

    "Yeah, it is really nice, huh?" Judy said wistfully. "Not perfect, but pretty close!"

    "Nowhere is perfect," Jiji said seriously, but then her voice chirped up again, "but that is why we are having the police officers, yes?"

    "I guess you're right, Jiji," Judy nodded. "So is this your dream job, then?"

    "Oh yes," Jiji nodded, "I have always wanted to massage."

    "You... mm, you do seem to be good at it," Judy almost purred as Jiji worked some soreness out of her arms.

    "Thank you very much," the little reptile seemed genuinely pleased at this.

    "How's it been in Zootopia?" Judy wondered.

    "Oh, um, there is not much complaining to do," Jiji said unsteadily. "Apart from one time that I lost my tail."

    Judy's eyes reflexively shot back to try to look at Jiji's tail, which definitely appeared to be there. "But, uh, looks like you found it, right?"

    Jiji was quiet for a moment, then giggled. "I grew it back. Some reptiles can do this, yes?"

    "Oh, um," Judy felt uneasy again. "I didn't know that."

    "Oh, do not let it worry you," Jiji cooed, "every day is a new chance for exploring and to take in new wonders."

    Judy felt herself relax at this, and a calm quiet came over them as the massage continued.

    Before long, Judy found herself in her clothes again, sitting loosely on the massage table.

    "That was just wonderful, Jiji," Judy stretched slowly. "Mmgh, I feel so limber!"

    Jiji clapped her hands, her mouth open slightly in delight at her client's happiness.

    "Wish I had someone to do something like that for me at home," Judy laughed.

    "A lovely bunny like you is not having a mate?" Jiji tilted her head in confusion.

    "Oh no," the bunny held up a paw, "not yet, anyway." A swirl of apprehension dashed her, but regarding what, she wasn't sure. A different unease grew into her chest and she frowned. "Um, can I tell you something?"

    "Of course!"

    "I actually was sent to do this on a dare," Judy frowned.

    "On... a dare?" Jiji's eyes shifted and she looked baffled. Tentatively, she held her hands up to her head, seemingly symbolizing antlers. "...Dare? I am not knowing what 'on a dare' means."

    "Oh, not 'deer'," Judy winced. "A co-worker of mine dared me... uh 'challenged' me, to get a reptilian massage." She swallowed hard. She didn't know why she was telling the leopard gecko this. Perhaps just because she seemed so lovely and genuine and she hated the bizarre feeling of duplicity she felt. "I think she thought it would make me uncomfortable; like I couldn't do it."

    Jiji's smile finally faltered. "I... I am hoping you were not uncomfortable."

    "Not at all!" Judy shook her head vehemently. "Not at all. I loved it! It's just... my coworker, this tigress, she's a huge hotshot."

    "Perhaps she is needing a reptilian massage too!" Jiji perked up.

    Judy laughed. "I think it would take a lot of Jijis to work over a tigress."

    "Oh, no, it would not be me," Jiji shook her head. "It would be our Komodo dragon!"

    "I've never seen one of those," Judy said, following Jiji as she gestured her out of the room. "What are they lii...!?" In the hallway was another female reptile that even towered over the one Judy had seen in the lobby. The intimidating creature said something terse, but friendly, in another language.

    "This is our Komodo dragon!" Jiji giggled, and said something pleasant in her own pretty tongue. The dragon got that strange, sinister smile she'd seen on the receptionist.

    "Tigress, good massage, I will give," she said. The voice was deep and heartily feminine, but carried a huge presence, only slightly broken by her stilted speech.

    "Hmmm," Judy grinned. "Yeah, I think ol' Fangmeyer should come here. I might pay to see her reaction."

    "Oh no, the massage session is private, yes?" Jiji shook her head in seriousness.

    "I just mean, I want to see that smug look wiped off of that kitty's face when she sees what you have in store for her," Judy smirked, folding her newly invigorated arms.

    Jiji passed a hand over her face, baffled. "I... we are not selling anything here. It is not a store."

    "Or, I could stop using so many idioms," Judy rubbed behind her head. "Anyway, I go to the desk to pay, right?"

    "Oh, yes!" Jiji nodded, indicating the front. "I am hoping this is not the last time I will see you, yes?"

    "Yes," Judy nodded. "I mean, no, yes I will most likely see you again!"

    Jiji seemed very delighted at this prospect.    

Chapter 160: Celebration

    The countryside rolled by as Judy felt her ears being blown by the wind. As the vehicle finally broke free of the congestion of Zootopia, she squinted involuntarily. The car picked up speed and the whooshing wind became a small gale, her ears flailing in the wind comically. In the driver's seat, Nick swallowed an amused smile and put the top of the convertible back up.

    "Whew, it took what, two hours to get out of Zootopia?" Judy brushed her paw through her head as her ears went back to normal. "We'll be lucky to get to Bunnyburrow by evening."

    "Well, it is New Year's Eve," Nick smirked as his paws lazily lay on the steering wheel. "Probably the least intelligent day to travel."

    "Sorry, Nick," Judy let out a slow, prolonged sigh, "it's just... this would be the very first New Year's I wouldn't be spending with my family. It'd be weird... against my tradition not to show up." She huffed. "To that end, thank you for agreeing to drive me there. The train systems are jam packed with herding animals and- just... y'know."

    "Well, luckily my uncle owed me a favor," the fox let out a humming laugh. "I've been dying to get my paws behind the wheel of this beast."

    "The good news is," the bunny held up a finger, "I doubt there'll be much traffic on the way to Bunnyburrow. Seems like ninety percent of the population in Zootopia uses public transit, and the other ten percent was all on the roads."

    "You've yet to experience New Year's in Zootopia, Carrots," Nick shook his head, "there's so many types of parties and celebrations to be a part of. You thought it was called 'The Gleaming City' before, well heck. They go all out for New Year's."

    "I know, I know," Judy's eyes wandered back to the countryside. "Maybe one year I'll want to stay in Zootopia for the festivities, but this year..." she wrestled back her whiny expression and it turned to one of challenge. She stared back at the driving fox. "Besides, you think bunnies don't know how to party? My family low-key follows Serendipity, after all. And to show your thanks for her, you're supposed to do a biiig fireworks celebration for New Year's."

    "Serendipity?" Nick's brow fell.

    "Y'know, the Fortuitous Finder?" Judy's brow went up. "Bunny Celestial of fortune and luck?"

    "...The Fortuitous Finder?" Nick echoed. "I thought that Celestial was a squirrel."

    "Well, in the past," the bunny nodded, "but in the last hundred years... you remember learning about the Great Prey War of nearly a century ago?"

    "Uh huh," Nick frowned. "Thankfully Zootopia was able to stay out of it. Did Bunnyburrow get involved?"

    "Well, yeah," Judy shrugged. "They say that one particular faction of bunnies was able to launch a surprise attack that turned the tide of the war and ended it with minimal casualties on both sides. Afterwards, both sides agreed to convert their excess gunpowder from weapons into fireworks, and they launched a huge celebration."

    "So, you're saying Serendipity is a bunny now because of that?" Nick huffed. "Because some bunnies luckily turned the tide of war and changed weapons of war into instruments of celebration? Hm. Sounds like bunny appropriation of a deity to me."

    "Oh Nick," Judy rolled her eyes, "you barely believe in anything anyway. Bunnies have done a lot to advance the celebration of Serendipity in recent times. You ever heard of Serendipiday?"

    "Mm-mm," Nick huffed. "Like you said, I keep my muzzle free of that garbage. But I bet you Serendipity liked being a squirrel just fine. I mean, you guys already have Fertility."

    Judy huffed. "Anyway, I hope you'll endure my family's eccentricities. It does mean a lot to me."

    "Your family?" Nick blinked, "I thought they tried to argue against you becoming a police officer."

    "They were just worried, Nick," Judy waved a paw, "just overly concerned parents trying to make sure their daughter isn't going to go bouncing off a cliff because of her silly dreams."

    "That did technically happen," Nick interjected with a chuckle. "More than once."

    "Yeah, yeah," Judy laughed dryly, scooting backward in her seat. "We're still here though, right? Worrying is just what parents do. I mean, your parents were concerned about you too, right?"

    "The less said there, the better, Carrots," the fox managed to say this with an even, casual face, which concerned Judy. He couldn't even put a jokey spin into his voice. Judy's excitedly anxious need for conversation fell into a lull as the car sped to its destination.

---

    "There, guest parking is right there," Judy pointed at one end of a large parking lot.

    "Ho-lee cow," Nick's eyes bulged, looking at rows and rows of similarly marked vehicles of all sizes, "are all these vehicles your family's!?"

    "Mmhm," the bunny bobbed her head, "can't really operate a family of this size without a big fleet."

    "Now..." Nick carefully parked the car into one of the guest spaces, "the Hopps wouldn't happen to be one of the larger farming families in Bunnyburrow, would they?"

    "Oh, sure," Judy nodded.

    "You never told me that," Nick turned the key and gave her a scolding look. She gave a shrug with her eyes wide open.

    "Never really came up!" She chirped. "Plus, I'm much more proud of being the first bunny police officer than coming from a famous farming family."

    Nick started to exit the car, but felt his blood go icy as he saw at least a dozen small bunnies rushing out to meet them in the parking lot.

    "Whoa whoa whoa!" Nick got in front of the car and held out his paws defensively. The screeching bunnies started fanning out, looking up at Nick with wonder.

    "Kits," Judy said sternly, but surprisingly casually for the cacophony surrounding them, "you know better than to mob a newcomer."

    "But he's a fox!" One of the young ones countered. "Foxes are so cool!"

    Nick's panic turned to bewilderment. "Come again?"

    "Ol' Gideon Grey came along last week n' gave us a buncha holiday pies for Shepherd's Day!" A small bunny girl boasted. "It was the tastiest pie I ever ate!"

    As the curious bunny faces with twitching noses drew ever closer to Nick, he wondered if he wouldn't have been more comfortable if they were actually afraid of him. One of the larger bunnies, a young teen, walked around him, gawking at the red convertible with his jaw hanging open.

    "Whoaaa...!" He marveled. "Is this your car, Nick!?"

    "It's very expensive, so be careful!" Nick said weakly. The little brown and cream bunny got a little too close to the car for Nick's comfort, making him swallow through a tight throat.

    "Yeah, back off, Bradley," Judy said, folding her arms. "If you scuff the car, you'll see what it looks like when a fox goes savage." The little bunnies gasped in horror at the prospect, and Nick shot Judy a dirty look. "What!? Kidding!"

    "Judy!" Bradley protested. "No one calls me Bradley anymore. It's 'Rad'!"

    "Right, whatever," the taller bunny rolled her eyes. She flicked both paws. "Now shoo, Nick needs to get into the compound and settle in for the party tonight." The bunnies obediently backed up, and followed Nick at a safe distance as the two walked forward, like an irresistibly cute entourage.

    "I feel like they're ready to pounce at any moment," Nick muttered, staying close to Judy.

    "Oh, they are," she affirmed. "But there are rules about mobbing visitors, even really cool ones." She planted her elbow in his side. "They'll be in for a stern talking to from Dad if I catch them."

    "Well, I know one Hopps that doesn't exactly like to go by the rules," the fox muttered grimly.

    "That's why I'll be running interference," the gray bunny tossed him back a devilish smirk.

    "Yeagh!" Nick flinched as he saw one of the windows to the main building absolutely stuffed with curious, wide-eyed bunny faces as he walked by. "Jeez, how can such... such tiny fluffy things be so terrifying?"

    "Well, you've met me, haven't you?" Judy replied smugly as she trotted forward, leading the way to the front door. "We Hopps bunnies mean business. Even if that business is hugging."

    As his bunny partner opened the front door, Nick wasn't too surprised to see a semicircle of bunnies curiously looking up. Questions immediately started, curious chirps of "is that the fox?" turned into "is that Nick?" and "it's Nick, isn't it?" in an ever increasing bevy of sound that resembled a flock of birds all belting out alternating cries. Judy marched forward and started setting bunnies aside methodically, like her body was moving automatically.

    "Hello, Dan, you're looking nice and happy today! Aw, Sophie, aren't you just the cutest? Now now, remember the rules, Glenn. No jumping at newcomers. Don't start, Jenny."

    Nick was baffled as he followed in the bunny's wake, trailing the path through the bunnies left by his partner. Judy kept picking up her smaller siblings and scooting them to the side, or gently pushing some out of the way of Nick's path. To handle a large throng of animals with such skill; the fox was admittedly impressed, though he didn't know if he was more or less impressed than the small sea of eyes all trained on him.

    Shortly, a bunny that looked very much like Judy, but taller, with glasses, a sweater, and a darker gray underbelly proceeded upon the two.

    "Hello, Judy, you're late," she greeted unceremoniously, to Judy's nervous chuckle. The taller bunny's eyes flickered over to the fox. She nodded and adjusted her glasses. "Nicholas Wilde." The fox couldn't help but grin. The tone very much reminded him of that time he'd been hustled by Judy so long ago.

    "That's me," Nick nodded. "And you are...?"

    "This is Violet, Nick," Judy introduced him, gesturing to her. "She's our family organizer! If not for her, this place would be a chaotic mess!"

    Nick allowed himself a skeptical look around.

    "More so than could be expected, anyway," Violet smirked. Her expression became very businesslike again, and she adjusted the tablet in her hands. "Judy, I'm going to be implementing a segment to the fireworks based on your induction to the ZPD and I could use your input. Hurry, we need to finalize the program; the fireworks are in six hours."

    "Ooh, okay!" Judy exclaimed, skipping along after Violet. "See you in a bit, Nick!"

    "Eheheh, Carrots...?" Nick held up a perfunctory curved finger, noting his protection from the bunny horde was now gone.

    "Carrots? Those are yummy."
    "Judy's gone... can we hug Nick yet?"
    "No one'll tell, right?"
    "I wont'!"
    "Did you hear he has a car!?"

    Nick yipped as all at once the fluffy inevitability befell him.

---

    Bonnie Hopps did a double take a she saw a tallish wandering mound of her children enter the main dining area.

    "Kits!" Bonnie yelled, her fists planting themselves on her hips. "What do you think you're doing!?"

    "Sorry, Momma!"
    "Yikes!"
    "Aaaa...!"

    The bunnies glommed onto Nick all disengaged at once and scattered in separate directions so as not to receive further scolding. Nick was left tottering around dizzily, placing a hand to his forehead.

    "Oof... so... so fuzzy..." the fox panted.

    Bonnie's irritation turned to mirth and she placed a paw to her mouth to giggle into. "Ah ha, so I finally get to meet Nick Wilde in the fur."

    "Not the most dignified of entrances," Nick replied, patting wrinkles out of his red shirt and adjusting his clashing golden yellow tie. "You must be Judy's mother."

    "That's right," Bonnie said slyly, smirking, "risky guess, though. What if I was just one of her older sisters?"

    "Well, I mean," Nick shrugged, "she has pictures of you and Mr. Hopps all over her apartment. She obviously cares for you two very-"

    "Been to her apartment then, huh?" Bonnie continued, her tone of voice still teasing. Nick found himself unexpectedly blindsided, his eyes opening widely.

    "Ah, yes... for work-related reasons," his tone was calm but carried an uncharacteristic waver.

    "I see... mmm...." Bonnie rested one arm on another and tapped her bunny cheek with one paw. "Interesting."

    "Heh," the fox rubbed behind his head, "and here I thought Judy's sly looks were just from her copying me."

    "Oh no," Bonnie shook her head and closed her eyes, "there's plenty of country sass in this family." She continued setting out dishes for the party that evening, causing Nick's muzzle to tilt toward the delicious smells of the prepared food. "So, you're giving up your big city parties and following a bunny home, hm?"

    "Well, she asked me to do her a favor, so now she owes me," Nick shrugged, slowly regaining his confident aura again.

    "That's very fascinating to me," Bonnie wrinkled her bunny nose, "with a little planning, Judy would have been able to come home by herself no problem."

    "Well, you know her," the fox gestured casually, his tail whipping a couple of times, "she does a lot of stuff spur of the moment."

    "Nick," Bonnie head slumped a bit and she gave him an almost pitying look.

    "What? What did I say?" Nick blinked. "I mean, does she not do that?"

    "Seeing her family on New Year's is a big deal for her," Bonnie shook her head. "It was when she went away for college, it was the first year she was at Zootopia, and it is now, on her second year. You know why that is?"

    "I dunno," Nick kicked at the floor, "something about Serendipity or whatever? Fun fireworks and surprises?"

    Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Oh now, bunnies haven't completely taken over everything yet. Serendipity has her own holiday. New Year's is a time to reflect on all that's happened and all that has yet to happen."

    "Huh," Nick scratched at his chin, "sounds almost like Karma, really. The canid Celestial of cycles and-"

    "I know who she is," Bonnie closed her eyes and nodded, "and you're right, it is more like that than a bunny thing. You're correct that Judy cares very much about her family, though we don't always agree on everything." She giggled nervously, then trained an appraising look at Nick. "I think her bringing you home today was no accident."

    Nick casually gestured with one paw. "Pff, what are you talking about?"

    Bonnie stared at him for several seconds, then rolled her eyes, wiggled her head, and walked back to the kitchen. "Hm... Judy had said you were clever..."

    The fox's brow fell as his mind whirled to consider what Bonnie was talking about, now that the stress of being cloaked in bunnies and meeting the mother of his partner was passed. He thought he came upon the reason, but wasn't sure. At the introduction of several more curious small bunnies into the room, Nick felt it would be best if he found another adult bunny to associate with, and quickly made a retreat.

---

    "C'mon, Nick, c'mon!" Judy beckoned, dashing off into the evening air. "C'mon, follow me!"

    "Wh- hold on!" Nick felt pain in his gut as he tried to match her speed. "I ate too much of your family's food, I can barely run!"

    "That's your own fault!" Judy called over her shoulder.

    "Where're we going, anyway?" He panted as the two ran for a few minutes to a small, grass mound.

    "This should be good," the bunny crossed her arms and nodded. "Fourth largest hill on the compound."

    "Really? Fourth?" Nick replied dryly. "What happened to the first through third?"

    "C'mon, Nick, I know my own family," Judy rolled her eyes, "there are gonna be bunnies crowding every available space there. They'll all fit on and around those hills. I've only come to this place one New Year's and I've never seen anyone around here."

    "Ah, so it's nice and private," Nick observed casually. His heart fluttered as Judy responded with a strangely meek nod, and her eyes didn't meet his.

    BOOM!

    The first flashy red firework exploded behind Nick, and he shrieked and flinched, causing Judy to cackle.

    "Yeah, they're that way, dummy," she spun him around as the stars of the firework crackled in the air.

    Fireworks burst in midair, in every color and pattern Nick had ever seen before, and even showed off a few effects he hadn't seen before. He was definitely in awe as the glow of the fireworks painted over the both of them in the dim light.

    "Wow..." the fox marveled. "This must cost a fortune. Better than some shows I've seen in Zootopia."

    "The Hopps are pretty well off; we can afford it," Judy boasted. Nick gave her an even look.

    "Y'know, since we're on the fourth largest hill and all, I think you might be a bit too far down to see the fireworks," he claimed, quickly scooping her up and placing her on his shoulders.

    "Whoa- Nick!" Judy felt a fleet of apprehension, then laughed. "Ah that's- that's better!" Judy peeked at her phone briefly before shuffling to put it away. "Okay, the ZPD part is coming up!"

    A handsome array of blue and gold firework explosions cascaded across the air, causing Nick to release a genuine smile as the glittering stars settled. He wondered if any of the other bunnies realized that part was essentially for them.

    "Keep those eyes open, Nick!" Judy demanded.

    After the blue and gold fireworks settled, two more whistled into the air and lingered for a second before exploding. It was one large green one and a purple one right beside it.

    "Mm," Nick grinned. "Nice contrast."

    "It's the color of our eyes!" Judy exclaimed, ecstatic. "I had Violet add that in at the last second."

    Nick kept his grip on Judy's ankles firm, but not too firm, and sighed happily as he took in the rest of the spectacular. Eventually, a dense rainbow spray of firework stars signalled the end of the show, and a small delay before the cacophony of the sound hit them caused the both of them to flinch.

    "Very impressive," Nick said, setting Judy down. "Glad I got to see it."

    "Amazing, right?" Judy grinned. "Dad and Violet put on the best show. See why I wanted to bring you here?"

    "Mhm," the fox's tongue rolled around over his teeth inside his mouth, then he looked down at the exuberant bunny. "So, anything you wanna tell me about that?"

    Judy's eyes darted to the side before replying. She narrowed one eye, a confused look on her face. "Um, not really?"

    A tiny moment of silence passed between the two as they stared at each other, then Nick shrugged and nodded.

    "Alright," he said. "So, we going back to the compound? Guess it'd make the most sense for us to stay there tonight, unless you wanna get back out on the road again."

    "Mm, I dunno, might be nice to sample the rest of the firework shows on the way back," Judy considered. "But then, it'd be nice to stay and have a good breakfast tomorrow as well. Hmm..."

    Nick started to wander in the direction of the compound, his hands in his pockets. "Well, you know me. I love a good night's sleep, and given it's already the new year, I'm a bit tired."

    "O-okay, that's fine!" Judy rushed over to keep step, even though he was walking slowly. "I'll make sure we get you a guest room with a lock on it. Heard what those stinkers did as soon as I walked away..."

    "Eh, I've had much worse happen to me," the fox laughed.

    "Yeah, it'd be good for us to stay," Judy agreed. "I mean, you didn't even get to see my Dad, right? He was busy with the fireworks... ooh and I'm sure Jayce would love to meet and talk to you, and-"

    "Judy, did you want me to come here for any particular reason?" Nick indicated the land around them.

    "Wh-what?" The bunny's heart accelerated. "You mean, this hill? Or in general... coming home for the New Year?"

    Nick's eyes widened and he glared down at her.

    "I mean..." Judy swallowed, playing with her fingers. "Yhh-you're..."

    The fox tilted his head. "What's got you so nervous?"

    "I..." Judy breathed out, taking in a huge gulp of air, "I... think of you as kind of part of my family, all right?"

    Nick smiled easily. "Oh, is that right? That's nice of you."

    "Wow, way to take that," Judy said in dry sarcasm.

    "Wasn't too big of a deal to say, right?" Nick shrugged. "The Judy I know isn't afraid of anything." He started to walk away.

    "Well..." Judy murmured, her fists closing tightly, vibrating, and releasing. "Maybe there's a Judy you don't know, then."

    Nick's ear flicked and he looked at her sidelong. "Come again?"

    Gathering her nerve, she walked forward and pointed at Nick. "I said 'maybe there's a Judy you don't know'. A Judy that's not always the superbunny she likes to pretend she is. A Judy that... y'know... wants to be reassured that she'll face the new year with a partner and a smile. A Judy that... erh?"

    Nick gently lifted Judy off the ground and hugged her, giving her a little squeeze. She responded in kind, then much harder. The fox coughed at the tightness, then Judy released her grip and plopped to the ground.

    "Sorry," she mumbled.

    "You don't have a thing to be worried about," Nick shook his head. "You've got me for as long as you'll have me."

    "But..." Judy swallowed and looked up at him. "What if I want you for... for as long as we're both around?"

    "Hey," Nick crouched, petting her cheek. "I said what I said."

    Judy threw herself into a hug again and tentatively tried kissing the long fox muzzle, just briefly. Nick replied with a soft smooch, then his tail started to wag as he unleashed a broad lick over her face.

    "Pheh!" Judy sputtered, wiping her face and shaking her head in surprise. "Bleh."

    "Sorry, got carried away," Nick chuckled. "There, now was that so hard?"

    Judy punched him in the arm, then tenderly rubbed the spot where she'd done so. "Yes."

    To her surprise, Nick nodded. "Yeah, I know."

    "Phew..." Judy wrung her hands. "Well, that was something. Eek!"

    Nick grabbed her up again and slung her over his shoulders. "C'mon, let's go face that new year together, huh?"

    "Yeah," Judy grinned, reaching down to rub his cheeks. "And every year after that, too."

    "Ideally, we'll take 'em one at a time," Nick chuckled. "But yeah, that's the plan."   

Chapter 161: Meek

Notes:

This chapter is set after Alex's chapter in A Day in Their Fur, but knowledge of it isn't essential to the story.

    A teenage red fox morph yawned as he walked through Mezzo Park in the morning. Scratching behind his neck, he looked with bleary eyes at the frozen fruit stand coming into view. He sighed, rubbed his eyes, let loose a yawn large enough to cause a whine, and headed forward.

    "Okay Mom, I'm here," the fox told the taller vixen. The two only had a passing resemblance, mainly in their blue eyes. The older vixen, Vivian, had standard red fox colors, whereas her son had a black "bib" where foxes normally had white underbellies.

    "Good morning, Alex," Vivian said pleasantly. "Won't you join me behind the counter? You're going to help me work today."

    "Really?" Alex's eyes squinted in the morning light. "Uh, okay, why?"

    "Well..." his mother looked at him sidelong, "if you want me to be honest, it's has to do with what happened with you and Jessica."

    "What!?" The young fox yipped. "Dad told you about that!?"

    "Of course he did!" Vivian looked at him sternly. "What happened was a serious thing, after all! So, we all got to talking-"

    "Ughhh," Alex's head bowed, "my other Mom knows too...?"

    "-and we decided that it would be good for you to help me around the stand for awhile."

    "Why... to keep me out of 'trouble'?" Alex grit his teeth, looking pained. "You're punishing me for what happened?"

    "Alexander Reddish," Vivian said solidly, and his tail drooped at the use of his full first name. "You are not being punished. You are being taught."

    "Uh?"

    "Catherine and I both agreed that you let Jessica treat you like she did because you were-"

    "Stupid...?" Alex grumbled, staring at the ground.

    "Unassertive," Vivian went on, raising a finger, "you barely ever fight back when someone's taking you down a path you don't want. That's why you never win any arguments with your sister."

    "It's not worth fighting with her," Alex rolled his eyes, "she normally only argues about stupid stuff anyway, like if I've used her fur dryer."

    "Be that as it may," Vivian poked him in the chest, "you are worth fighting for, and you can't expect everyone else to do it for you. Sometimes you have to do it yourself."

    "...So, how is this gonna help?" Alex narrowed an eye.

    "Well, since you asked," Vivian brightened up, "it might help you with how meek you are. You and your sister are both on the introverted side like your father, and there's nothing wrong with that. However, working behind a register forces you to talk to people, and it gets easier that way. It won't 'fix' introversion, but it will help."

    "Really?" The young fox continued to be skeptical. "I thought cashiers were supposed to just take whatever the customer says. 'Customer's always right' and all." He made air-quotes to punctuate the phrase.

    "True to a point, but the first step to expressing yourself is actually reaching out to talk to people," Vivian wiggled an index finger. "And this should help with that."

    "Okay, Mom," Alex sounded quite resigned.

    Minutes passed with little activity or notice from other mammals. Eventually, a hippo mother and her son passed by the stand. Alex nearly yipped as he felt his mother's elbow nudge him in the side.

    "Um, good morning!" Alex called out.

    The young hippo, maybe seven or eight, looked up at his mother. "Mom, I'm thirsty!"

    "Well, we'll get something from a prey store," the hippo mother said, scooting her son along. "Predator shakes probably have bugs or something in them anyway, you wouldn't want that."

    Alex held up a finger and tried to think of a response to that. Something like "no, Mom only uses fresh fruit", or "foxes are omnivorous and don't always eat meat", but the words failed in his throat. Eventually, the hippos left.

    "Uh, should I have said something...?" Alex looked up guiltily at his mother.

    "Well, she looked like she was in a hurry," Vivian huffed, "and I doubt she would have been in the mood for a discussion about fox dietary habits."

    Eventually, two female fruit bats approached. They both looked like adults, and their attractiveness wasn't lost on Alex. His eyes widened a bit; both of them had similar vivid multicolored dye in their head fur, making them stand out quite a bit. They were also talking to each other quite loudly. They got right up to the stand, continuing a blistering conversation with each other.

    "So my cousin told me to try that new exercise workout, and it's just murder on my wings."
    "Well, you wanna be able to fly anywhere or not?"
    "I mean, heck, flying's all right and all, but barely anywhere in Zootopia is easier to get to by air. All the public transit is so convenient!"
    "With that attitude you'd never get to where you were going in an emergency."

    "Um, hello," Alex greeted timidly. "Can I get you anything?"

    "And my OTHER cousin, well, he swears up and down by dragonfruit."
    "Oh, those are good for your bones."
    "Yeah, but so tasteless."
    "If everything good for you tasted like candy, everyone'd be in great shape!"

    "C-can I get you anything?" Alex repeated, looking at his mother helplessly after there was no response. She just shrugged and smirked.

    Eventually, the bats barely seemed to notice where they were. "Yeah, I'll get a medium cherry, please."
    "Oh, maybe make it two mediums."
    "Or one large? Yeah, lets do one large." The bats tossed a look at each other during their deliberation.

    "Okay, certainly," Alex said, pouring them one large frozen cherry drink. Large for a couple of fruit bats, anyway. The two carried their conversation with each other the whole time and barely paid attention while they were paying for the drink. They left, continually gabbing away.

    "Have a nice daayyy..." the teenage fox called after them sarcastically.

    "Oh, Alex," Vivian tried not to giggle, but only mostly succeeded.

    "It's like I was just an obstacle to them," he held his tongue out partially.

    "Yes, well, you'll get customers like that," Vivian nodded, "but with them, I think they're probably together, maybe recently engaged. They had similar rings on their belts."

    "Their belts?" Alex echoed. "Isn't that a weird place for a ring?"

    "Well, a bat has to wear it where it won't get in the way of their flying, right?" Vivian chuckled.

    "Guess so," Alex sighed, "I don't see how this is helping me, really."

    "You're not going to develop these skills overnight, Alex, so just hang in there," Vivian tapped him on the nose. "Eventually, you'll meet some customers you like, even become friends with! Those regulars are the kinds of people you'll look forward to seeing, but to get them you have to be willing to start conversations, really try to genuinely be interested in them-"

    Vivian was interrupted by a fox police officer sauntering up to the fruit stand, a gray bunny marching by his side.

    "S'cuse me, ma'am," the fox drawled, paws on his belt, "but we received some reports of a fox running a fruit stand with some suspiciously tasty fruit on offer. We might have to give said fruit a look-see."

    "Hi, Nick," though she didn't roll her eyes, the tone of Vivian's voice sounded like it contained one. "Hey, Judy."

    "Hiya Vivi-ooh my gosh!" Judy lit up, looking at Alex. "Is that Alex? He's grown up so big!"

    "Sure is," Vivian affectionately tousled her son's head fur.

    "Um, hopefully not quite done growing yet," Alex winced, "though I might be... I'm not even as tall as Mom, and barely taller than my other Mom."

    "Either way, you're always gonna be Cindy's little brother and our little boy, one way or another," Vivian winked, to Alex's disappointed groan.

    "Nothing wrong with being short," Nick noted, holding a claw up, his other paw resting hard on Judy's head before she shooed it away. "Some would even say it's a selling point!"

    "Nick, stop," Judy chuckled, turning to the younger fox. "You remember Nick and I?"

    "Sure," Alex nodded, "we've gone out to eat with you guys a few times. Um, I remember your kit's pretty cool."

    "Ah yes, Larry, our little squirrel," Judy cooed, "actually just dropped him off with his friends at their little meeting place here at the park."

    "Really, he's here?" Alex perked up. "Can I go see him, Mom?"

    "Alexander," Vivian looked at him with a tiny amount of scorn, folding her arms, "you're supposed to be helping me here at work." She started pouring a couple of smallish drinks, a blueberry and a citrus swirl. "You think a real employer would just let you wander off whenever you felt like it?"

    "Ooh, she's doing a lesson teaching thing," Nick said in a loud whisper, barely leaning to Judy, "I guess that means we're gonna have to pay for our drinks this time."

    "Yes, some little tods have a lot to learn," Vivian gave an affectionately stern look to her son.

    "Isn't that the truth," Judy nudged Nick. "And yes, we're paying." She offered payment for their usual drinks.

    "C'mon, Mom, I've been here for like three hours," Alex wailed.

    "It's barely been past one hour," Vivian shook her head, "but all right, I guess being social with a friend you barely see counts as developing your social skills. Go on, you little scamp." She flicked her paw. "It'll give your mother some time to catch up with these two criminal-busting creatures."

    "There's so much we could catch up on!" Judy looked excited.

    "Yeah, but if we're gonna be responsible we should probably make it brief," Nick looked at his phone. "Y'know, set a good example and all."

    "Of course. Welll... anyway..." Judy grinned.

    Thus released, Alex pumped his fist. "Thanks, mom!" He started to leave the stand and then froze, meekly pointing several directions. "Uh, which way is Larry?"

    "Southeast," Nick pointed with a chuckle, "by a group of trees. You can't miss 'em. Or maybe you can, cause they're all kinda small." Judy giggled at that.

    Alex headed in that direction, looking left and right casually. He scoffed at the idea of "missing" Larry or his friends; he was sure a group of smaller mammals would be easy enough to find.

    "Waagh-!"
    "Uh!?"

    In an instant, Alex's peripheral vision got the glimpse of a blurry mass rushing right for his face. Instinctively, he shut his eyes and placed both of his paws in front of his face, and felt a furry impact in them. When he opened his eyes, he was astonished to find a squirrel in his paws.

    "Larry...?" Alex marveled as he got a closer look.

    "Oh!" Larry chuckled, trying to steady himself in the larger mammal's grip. His expression changed from a bit scared to quite friendly. "Oh hey, Alex. Long time no see. Nice to, uh, literally run into you, heheh!"

    A white stoat walked by, waving her arms. "Uh uh- that's an interception. The squirrel has been intercepted. No points for that one, Larry."

    "Pff", Larry glanced down at her briefly. "So, how've you been, Alex?"

    Though his mind shot to recent negative events for him, Alex managed to just say: "Oh, I'm fine. You?"

    "Doing great," Larry nodded. There was an awkward period of silence where more mammals approached and watched the fox holding the squirrel.

    "You know this guy, Larry?" A female weasel with a somewhat pinched voice asked.

    "Sure! His name's Alex," Larry exclaimed, "our parents are friends, which makes us friends by proxy. He's a cool guy."

    Alex could only grin at the assessment, though he didn't know the squirrel all that well. A male chinchilla and female ferret wearing glasses also joined the weasel.

    "So, uh," Larry coughed, "could you put me down, or...?"

    "Oh, right, right!" Alex cringed, obliging. "Sorry." He fought a bizarre urge to pat the squirrel on the head once he set him down.

    "Well?" The weasel girl folded her arms and threw some of her weight out to one side. "You gonna introduce us or what, Larry?"

    "Ah, okay," Larry flashed a guilty smile back to the approaching gang. First, he indicated the weasel with his hand. "Alex, this is Princess."

    "Charmed," she said up to the fox.

    "The chinchilla is Chet, my best friend," the squirrel smiled at the average-looking gray chinchilla.

    "An honor to make your acquaintance, foxy dude," Chet performed a playful bow. His voice was quite easygoing.

    "The white stoat is Heather," Larry went on.

    "Hey," Heather cooly nudged her chin up, smirking at the fox with her hands on her hips.

    "And last but not least," Larry paused to draw in a breath and gestured at the ferret with both hands. "This is Kara. My- ahehheh." The ferret folded her hands in front of her and grew a demure smile, swaying back and forth a little. Larry hesitated another second, causing her to nod. "My girlfriend." Her eyes squinted shut and she smiled at the assessment. Heather rolled her eyes, but kept her smile, and Princess shook her head into her paw.

    "Oh, you're dating a ferret?" Alex blinked. "That's cool."

    "Yeah, and they're still in the lovey-dovey phase," Princess stared up at Alex with her eyes half-lidded. "Hope you're not allergic to sweets, fox."

    "Nope, I quite enjoy them," he returned with a grin.

    "Anyway, Larry, you're forgetting someone?" Princess wagged her head, shrugging with her arms out wide.

    "Ack!" Larry flinched. "Right." Looking up in the trees, he pointed. Alex followed his finger to some kind of mustelid reclined up in the tree. They almost looked like a marten, but with a whiter face and more orange fur. Alex's eyes were drawn to their navy blue scarf as a timely breeze caused it to billow dramatically.

    "Kunoichi?" Alex echoed, catching the mustelid's eye. There was a nod in response. "Doesn't that mean 'female ninja'?"

    "Ooh, a mammal of words! Most correct you are, foxxo," Chet nodded, holding his paws up in a conspiratorial way. "Kunoichi is Princess' ninja. She's shrouded in mystery; even her real name is unknown to-"

    "It's Hotaru," Princess said in a droll voice. "Itachi Hotaru. It's not a secret." Kunoichi squinted up in the tree, but the scarf covered her mouth to the point that Alex didn't know if she was frowning or grinning.

    "So uh, what's going on here?" Alex wondered. "Why were you flying through the air?"

    "Oh, haha," Larry rubbed behind his head. "We were doing tricks."

    "Tricks?" The fox repeated, feeling self-conscious about doing that a lot. "Like, magic tricks?"

    Kara giggled, a paw to her mouth. "No, like physical tricks."

    "Like this!" Larry scampered halfway up a nearby tree, paused to make sure he was being watched, then launched away from it. In midair, he twisted to be facing front-wise, then flipped twice neatly and landed on all fours, his tail flicking. "There, now you can't say I didn't complete a trick, Heather."

    "Yeah, not bad, pipsqueak," Heather smiled.

    "A lot of small mammals like chinchillas have a lot of extra energy," Chet explained. "I came up with a 'trick meet' as a way to hang out and burn it all off."

    "Huh, that's cool," Alex chuckled. "I don't think I've climbed a tree in my life. Red foxes aren't really known for that. In fact, gray foxes are the only canid that are..."

    "Uh, I wouldn't recommend you doin' a trick anyway," Princess waved a hand dismissively. "You're kinda big; much more likely to be hurt if you screw up." Heather gave Princess a skeptical look. "What? I didn't mean like, fat, he's objectively a bigger mammal than us."

    "Don't listen to Princess, Alex," Heather said dully. "She's got the lamest tricks of any of us; she probably just doesn't want the extra competition." Princess scoffed, stamping her foot and thrusting her paws down.

    "No no, it's fine, really," Alex held up his paws defensively. "I'm really not that physically inclined."

    "That doesn't mean you can't hang out with us!" Larry bore a friendly, if cautious smile. "Y'know, if you want."

    "Ah, sure," Alex nodded, sitting next to the tree Kunoichi was in, his tail sweeping around its trunk. Larry sat down next to him after a few moments hesitation.

    There was silence between the two for a while as Larry's friends continued to perform tricks. It was an interesting display of furry acrobatics to Alex; he'd heard chinchillas could pull off some cool stunts, but he'd never seen it before himself. Even Kara did some neat, graceful looking tricks, her "champagne" color scheme making her look like a long furry streamer in the air.

    After awhile of wrestling about what to say, Alex sighed and looked down at the ground.

    "Something wrong, Alex?" Larry asked.

    "I dunno, Larry," Alex mumbled. "I- maybe this wasn't such a good idea. To come and hang out with you, I mean."

    "What?" The squirrel blinked. "Why not?"

    "Eh," the red and black fox huffed. "I mean, I don't really fit in with you guys. I'm not really into the things you guys're doing."

    "I'm into a lot of stuff," Larry protested, "like, you like um, superhero movies, right? Seen any good ones lately?"

    "Not really," Alex's muzzle wrinkled. His eyes flickered over to the ferret, who was putting her glasses back on after a trick, getting a pat on the back from the stoat. His mind flashed back to his own successes, or lack thereof, with the interspecies relationship he'd tried. "So how'd you end up with a ferret, huh?"

    "Oh, haha, that took some- uh... guts on my part," Larry's eyes wandered off and he laughed nervously. "Basically a lot of egging on from Chet to ask her to the dance, and even more to ask her on a date after that. I'm not really that brave."

    "Yeah?" Alex looked down at the squirrel, and saw a familiarly meek look to him. "So what made you finally do it?"

    "I uh," Larry looked down at his paws, then balled them into fists and looked up at Alex. "Well, you gotta go for what you want. I got encouragement from everyone, but in the end it wouldn't have meant anything if I didn't go for it."

    Alex half smiled. "Huh, that's pretty cool. Reminds me of a comic I'm reading. You read comics at all?"

    "Uh, not really?" Larry scratched his head.

    "It's neat," Alex grinned. "It's about a city where a few mammals have superpowers. It follows this fox girl, which, I'll admit, is kind of what caught my eye at first. But it's like, not just about superhero action, it's about your purpose in life, and what it means to be-"

    "Ahh... excuse me," Kara said shyly, walking up to the two. She sat down near Larry after leaning down to kiss his forehead. "Are you talking about ZED?"

    "Yeah!" The fox lit up. "Have you read it?"

    "Oh, I love ZED," the ferret nodded. "Brittany is a really interesting heroine, isn't she?"

    "Sure is!" Alex said, pumping a fist. "Hey, did you get to the volume where she figures out she's-"

    Kara gasped and placed a finger to her muzzle. "Shh! Spoilers! I want Larry to read it sometime."

    "Oh, okay!" Larry nodded quickly.

    "Right, right," Alex chuckled. "Sorry, got carried away."

    Larry paused a moment. "We should hang out more often, Alex. Something about how you hold your muzzle... you feel stressed or unhappy at all? Like, I dunno. Just a vibe I get."

    "What, are you a psychologist?" Alex scoffed. "Maybe it's just because my coat is darker than a typical fox's. I used to think it made me look cool, now mammals think I look broody."

    "Oops, my bad," embarrassment splashed onto the little squirrel's face.

    "...You're right though, it'd be neat to hang out more," Alex said absently, watching the remaining mustelids tease the unflappable chinchilla. "Hey, I'm gonna be working for my Mom for awhile at her fruit stand this summer, so I guess you'll know where to find me."

    "That's great!" Larry beamed. "Maybe we can do something as a group sometime. Like, uh, a movie?" He looked at Kara for approval.

    "They're adapting this one series into a movie," Kara tapped her chin. "Attack on Mammoth? It's supposed to be coming out soon."

    "Oh, that series is creepy," Alex's eyes widened. His reservations twisted his resolve a little, but he nodded. "But I'd be down to watch it." He started to a smile a little, which caused Larry to relax a little.

    Alex watched the little group of friends say their goodbyes, and eventually he said goodbye to Larry as well and got up to head toward his mother's fruit stand. He placed his paws into his pockets as he thought about the lessons his parents and his sister were trying to subtly or overtly beat into him. He had to expend some effort to get the things he wanted, and not roll over and accept what came his way.

    He let out a small laugh and broke into a jog as he saw the fruit stand in the distance. He didn't know if that small group of friends would help in the long run, but they seemed quite a bit nicer than his other acquaintances, and the recent words of his sister popped into his head.

    "You've got to hang out with mammals who actually like you, you moron."

    It was when he was at his most defiant and deluded about his then-girlfriend, but despite the fact that his sister was rather acrid, Alex knew she was also correct.

    "Hey Alex," Vivian smiled as her son approached. He skidded to a halt, his tail flicking back and forth from his exertion. "Did you meet up with Larry?"

    "Sure did, Mom," Alex nodded, hands on his hips and looking this way and that. "I'm ready to help."

    "Four words I've rarely ever heard you say together," Vivian teased. "Okay, c'mon around the cart then."

Chapter 162: Powerless

    A handsome, suave fox stood leaned up against a brick wall in a dark Savanna Central alleyway. With his subdued rust-colored coat and black sunglasses, he nearly melded right into the shadows. His head turned subtly as he heard a scuttling; a male otter was approaching.

    "Wilde?" The otter called out.

    "Mm..." the tod turned a charming smirk on. "What can I do for you, little guy?"

    "I was told you got somethin' for a guy like me," the otter's eyes were nervous and shifty, "this guy 'cross the way of my apartment, I feel like he's got it out for me. So, y'know, I was told you could hook me up."

    "Of course, of course," the fox nodded, opening his coat. "Got just the thing." He pulled out an ebony knife-shaped instrument, and showed it to the otter.

    "Whoa," the otter's eyes widened as he took in the wicked-looking weapon.

    "Made from a grizzly bear's claw," the fox released a devilish grin. "Sharpened, of course."

    "Really...?" The otter male looked very concerned.

    "Oh, don't worry, don't worry," the fox wagged his head, "the owner of this isn't gonna miss it."

    "How much?"

    "For you? Mmm... maybe thirty bucks," the fox smiled.

    "I, um, I only got two twenties," the otter rooted around in his wallet.

    "Well, I'm a nice guy," the smooth voice of the tod purred, "how about I take twenty now, and you come back to me if you have any other eccentric needs, you hear?" Without a hint of confirmation, the fox plucked a bill from the otter's wallet.

    "Oh, sure!" The otter nodded rapidly, receiving the weapon from the fox. The latter's ear twitched.

    "Now get outta here, kit, I think someone's coming," the fox made a shooing motion, his voice dropping to a quiet register.

    "Okay!" The otter hissed, hiding the claw. "Thanks!"

    Almost no sooner than the otter had rounded the corner did another fox appear at the other end of the alley. A moment's pause struck the fox, then anger flashed into his green eyes as he padded over to confront the fox who was leaned against the wall.

    "Nicky!" The tod in the jacket seemed delighted, his jaw dropping onto an open-mouthed smile. "My favorite cousin."

    "Your only cousin," Nick returned darkly. He sniffed the air. "You were with a mustelid- an otter? What for?"

    "Whoa whoa, with the questions!" The tod lowered his dark glasses, revealing steel-blue eyes. "What's the matter, Nicky?"

    "Don't play stupid, Anthony," Nick frowned tightly. "What were you selling, and to whom were you selling it?"

    "Tsk," Anthony wagged his head and placed his glasses in his jacket's pocket. "I tell you, no courtesy with you since you joined the cub scouts..."

    "That's police, and you're lucky if I don't frisk you right now, Anthony," Nick glowered at him. "I know the kinds of things you get up to."

    "Frisk me?" Anthony looked incredulous, placing his paws delicately on his chest. "Goodness, isn't that illegal between cousins in Zootopia?"

    "Anthony..."

    "I mean, I heard they get up to that kind of thing in Bunnyburrow," Anthony laughed. "Heck, half of the mammals there are probably related somehow anyway!"

    "Anthony, shut up," Nick growled.

    "Jeez..." the blue-eyed fox regarded Nick with a look of mild pity. "Being with the police really has sucked all the humor out of you, hasn't it? It's a darn shame. Darn shame." Anthony sucked his teeth and wagged his head again.

    Nick grunted. "One more smart word out of you, and-"

    "And?" Anthony interrupted, drawing closer to Nick. "Y'know what, cuz? How about we make ourselves a little deal. You stay out of my world, since you chose to leave it and all, and I'll stay out of yours? Huh? That sound fair?"

    "I was never in your world to begin with, Anthony," Nick muttered.

    "Nicky, c'mon, promise?" Anthony smiled patiently. "I mean, I know how you feel about me. I don't think you'd want me getting anywhere close to that little goodie-two-shoes club of yours. It would be quite a shame, wouldn't it? I bet it'd be hard to explain to that little gray partner of yours. What was she, a rabbit?"

    Nick's pupils shrank, then he snarled. "Listen, Anthony. Just gonna say this once, for your benefit. Don't even think about it." A wicked grin slithered onto both of their muzzles, as if to challenge each other. "Really, that's more for your benefit than hers. She's taken down much larger mammals than you. On the regular, even. Don't underestimate her."

    "I don't underestimate anyone, Nicky," Anthony smiled angelically. "The thing about those poor little mammals though is..." he made a terse motion with one finger. "Just one nick in the wrong place, and it's just- it's a tragedy. Those fragile little creatures..."

    A jolt of boiling anger shot up Nick's spine, but didn't quite reach his face. He swallowed slowly.

    "You know what? You're right," Nick's posture weakened, his shoulders slinking ever so slightly. "Okay? You're right. I don't really want to get involved with any of the mess you're in."

    A scornful laugh blasted out of Anthony's throat. "Ha hahahaaaa... oh Nicky, Nicky..." he slung his arm around Nick, drawing him closer. "It's really a shame about what happened to you. Bound to all of those little rules you gotta follow." He slowly made a fist. "You never were a tough kit, but now you just crumple like a damp sheet of paper. Really such a pity."

    Nick pulled himself away from his cousin's grasp and scoffed, looking away.

    "Don't let me catch you on my beat, Anthony," Nick warned, though power wasn't in his voice.

    "Oh, you won't," Anthony smirked.

---

    Down an apartment hall sashayed a slim arctic vixen, her hips and tail twitching in a flowing, eye-catching manner. She caught more than one eye on the way to her destination, and some wonderment from her onlookers, both at her fetching, lithe appearance, and that her eyes seemed nearly entirely closed. A porcupine wondered if she could even see where she was going. Eventually, she halted after looking at an apartment number, a demure smile on her face. She slowly knocked on the door.

    "Mr. Wilde?" She called out coquettishly.

    "Come in," was the terse reply.

    Thus admitted, the vixen stepped into the apartment, smiling as her head moved this way and that to take in her surroundings. A fox was seated in a chair near a computer monitor, which swiveled around to reveal a grim-looking face with nearly glowing green eyes.

    "Mm, Nick, it's been too long," the arctic vixen held her paws out for a hug. "C'mere."

    "Not really in the mood for that, Cherry," Nick sighed, standing up. The vixen didn't seem to care, rushing forward and hugging him anyway. Nick groaned and gave her a couple of perfunctory pats on the back.

    "What's the matter, Nick?" Cherry pouted up at him. "I was so excited when you asked for me. You wanted to experience my magic paws again?"

    "Afraid not," Nick said with a dour expression. "What do you know about Anthony Wilde?"

    "...Ugh," Cherry pushed away from him, her own expression breaking into sourness. Her eyes opened, revealing eyes of deep red. "All business and no pleasure, hm Nick? Guess the police force really has changed you."

    "Are you still in contact with him?" Nick pursued, staying close to the smaller vixen.

    "Not by choice," Cherry shot him an annoyed glance. "The vulture. He's creepy as all get out. I wish I wasn't his favorite."

    "And?" Nick looked hopeful.

    "He still hasn't encroached on Mr. Big's territory," Cherry frowned.

    Nick let out a loud, annoyed sound, swiping a hand and letting out a low growl.

    "Believe you me, I'd love nothing more for him to slip up," Cherry smiled with a particularly eerie pleasantness. "I'm sick of him."

    "I need a favor regarding him," Nick said stonily.

    "Really!?" Cherry's eyes lit up. "Name it! Ooh, do you want him to have an 'accident'?"

    Nick's eyes shot open in alarm. "What? No!"

    "Oh, come on," the snow-white vixen smiled, pleading, "Mr. Big's polar bears are such clumsy mammals... no one would miss him."

    "Cherry," the red fox hissed, "I'm not putting out a hit on my cousin. I'm not."

    "Ugh, spoilsport," Cherry huffed. "Then what do you want?"

    "I want him scared, terrified," Nick folded his arms. "So bad that he leaves Zootopia."

    "Ooh, now you're speaking the language," Cherry slunk over to Nick's couch and sat sideways on it. "I think I can arrange that."

    "You sure?" Nick took in an unsteady breath.

    "Of course," the vixen nodded. "Mr. Big has long suspected that some of his dearly departed goons have been desecrated by that scavenger. Like I said, one slip up and you'd be an only tod."

    "He's not my brother," Nick looked away.

    "Why the sudden change of heart?" Cherry charmingly tilted her head. "Even in your hustling days you wanted to stay clear of him."

    "He implicitly threatened my partner," Nick reported with a scowl. "That doesn't fly with me."

    "Ah yes," Cherry looked to the ceiling. "Your partner. Guess the rumors are true, then."

    "Rumors?" Nick echoed.

    "That you have a thing for her," Cherry giggled.

    Nick laughed, surprising himself, suddenly snapping out of his dour mood. "Oh no, no. Those rumors are definitely exaggerated." He waved a paw. "I'm just devoted to her, that's all."

    "Ah, like a loyal dog," the vixen gave him a coy grin.

    "Call it how you want," Nick shrugged, the slur not even registering on his muzzle.

    "Nick, listen," Cherry straightened up on his couch. "Clearly this whole police thing is stressing you out. I may be one of Mr. Big's spies, but I'm still a masseuse. I can see you're tenser than a caffeinated cat. Why don't you c'mere and let me work on you?"

    "I uh, that's not really necessary," Nick chuckled, shaking his head.

    "No charge, no strings attached?" The arctic fox tilted her head again in that maddeningly coy way. "C'mon, surely you deserve a good rub down compared to-"

    "No thank you, Cherry," Nick shook his head again patiently.

    "Aww..." Cherry smiled. "I miss the younger Nick." She made a pleasant trilling sound. "The one who was so desperately trying to catch my eye with his developing swagger. The one who would have paid to feel my paws on him, if I'd made him. Even though I'm pretty sure he could have sweet-talked me into it with that silken tongue of his." She winked.

    "I was... ah..." Nick chuckled bashfully. "Yeah. I was just a young hornball then. That and living with Mr. Big for awhile- y'know, arctic weather makes me keep the winter coat longer. That and-"

    "Oh, I'm aware," Cherry giggled impishly, a paw to her muzzle. "Fine then, Nick. This is your last favor I owe you, then we're square. I'll get someone to rattle Anthony's cage. If you want anything else from me, you're going to have to let me run my fingers through that glorious coat of yours, understand?"

    "Perfectly clear," Nick nodded.

    "Fine then," Cherry perked up, hopped off the couch, then walked her practiced way over to the door. "Please don't be a stranger, Nick. I miss you." She winked, and with a last twitch of her hip, she was out the door.

    Nick took a difficult swallow; his throat was very dry. He hoped he wouldn't need Mr. Big or his ilk again.

    Cherry wasn't wrong, though. His shoulders were as tense as they'd ever been. Maybe he should have taken her up on that massage after all... after all, who would have known? Besides him, that was.

Chapter 163: Legend I

Notes:

My contribution to the collaborative "What If..." project headed by Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps.

Heavily Legend of Zelda focused! May contain some mild spoilers for Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild.

    Judy lay on her back, in the middle of a dense thicket of trees. The soft fragrance of the forest was in the air, and she rose up, stretching.

    Her partner, meanwhile, was face down in a field of nearby yellow flowers.

    "Nick," Judy hissed, her voice unusually quiet, "Nick, where are we?"

    The fox in question held his head up blearily, and both of them were surprised to see some sort of whitish glowing winged orb on Nick's nose. It made a jingling sound, then flitted off. Nick promptly sneezed, then rubbed his muzzle.

    "Uh... last I checked we had just done- well, something in Zootopia," Nick said lamely. He was dressed in his usual clothes, and so was Judy for that matter. The pastel purples and blues looked quite nice on her, though out of place in the forest. "But this doesn't look anything like Zootopia, even compared to the Rainforest District..."

    "Well, let's explore!" Judy piped up perkily, starting to rush forward into the forest. Soft, golden-orange light filtered through the trees, making for a vista unlike anywhere either of them had seen before. Unfamiliar birds chirped, and the air was dense with tiny glowing bugs and mist.

    "Gah!" Nick's foot caught on a rock and it went tumbling forward for a roll. The fox winced and bounced up and down, wiggling his foot. "Jeez."

    "I meant exploring with our eyes, not our faces," Judy mocked, then looked sympathetic. "You okay?"

    With a small poof of smoke, a tiny... creature of wood appeared before them with a soft rattling sound. The creature was about half Judy's size and wore some sort of decorated leaf mask with holes in it.

    "Yahaha, you found me!" It's spritely, childish voice chimed.

    "...Well, I was okay," Nick's eyes grew wide.

    "Wow, you can see me!" The creature looked both confused and enchanted. "I'm a Korok, a child of the forest!"

    "Ah, so we're in some sort of mystical fantasy land," Nick gestured in deadpan. "Makes perfect sense to me."

    "You're in Hyrule!" The Korok shouted back. "Least, I think we're in Hyrule. I fell into a swirling whooshy vortex thing and ended up in this place. It feels very familiar, though!"

    "Swooshing vortex thingy," Judy slammed a fist into her palm. "Yes, I think that sounds familiar. As I recall, we both tripped and fell into it."

    "We both tripped?" Nick chuckled. "That sounds awfully clumsy of us."

    "Well, look who thinks he's sure-footed all of a sudden," Judy wiggled her eyebrows, "despite all evidence to the contrary." She darted a look at his foot.

    "Yeah, okay," Nick groaned in concession.

    "We should go find the Great Deku Tree and see what's going on!" The Korok piped up in an energetic tone. "He'll know what to do!"

    "Definitely a fantasy land," Nick decided.

    Judy rolled her eyes and indicated the Korok's tiny steps forward. "You have any better ideas?"

    "Give me a minute," Nick pouted, following the Korok.

    The unsteady steps of the small wooden creature were a bit too easy to follow, especially since he... or she... or it... kept falling over. Eventually, the three made it to a clearing with an impressively massive tree in it. If you had enough imagination, the tree looked like it had a face. Nick tilted his head as the three stood before its "mouth".

    "Oh Great Deku Tree!" The Korok called out. "Hi! ...Um, what's up!?"

    There was no response.

    "Does this seem odd to you?" Judy asked the fox quietly.

    "We're watching an infant tree try to wake up a granddaddy tree," Nick shrugged. "Seems to make sense to me."

    "No, dummy, I mean, look at this thing," Judy walked closer, looking at the pale complexion of the wood and the oddly-colored leaves. "It looks dead." Nick followed her lead and sniffed at the tree.

    "Yeah, a fair assessment," Nick surmised. He looked at the Korok. "Uh, kid...? Seems like the Great Deku Tree's not currently living."

    "What!?" The Korok's limbs shot out behind it. "...That can't be right! The Great Deku Tree doesn't die. ...Does he?" The Korok looked at the tree forlornly. "Isn't he just sleeping? ...I can't feel his life energy. Oh no..."

    "So this Great Deku Tree..." Judy put a hand on her chin, "he was alive where you came from."

    "Oh yeah, super alive," the Korok nodded. "Definitely not dead. He's never died before!"

    "Portals, things being out of place-" Judy started.

    "Yeah, us," Nick interjected.

    "Seems like we're dealing with some sort of spacial disturbance-"

    "As if that were normal."

    "Hush, Nick, I'm trying to think," Judy waved a paw, then knelt down by the Korok. "Where can we go to get more information about the state of the world?"

    "I get all my infos from the Great Deku Tree..." the Korok sounded like it was pouting. "But, um..."

    "You got a library or anything?" Nick shrugged.

    "Maybe Princess Zelda?" The Korok put one of its hand branches near its face. "She should be just south of here, in the castle. ...No wait." The Korok tilted its head. "North. ...Weird, I feel like this forest is in a different place than normal."

    "A princess?" Judy echoed.

    "Knew it, fantasy world," Nick seemed pleased.

    "Yeah, she knows everything that's going on," the Korok nodded. "'Cept for the stuff that the Great Deku Tree knows."

    "Well, Nick, let's go," Judy shrugged. "We don't have any better leads, and maybe this 'Princess' can tell us what's going on in the world at large."

    "Sure thing," Nick agreed. "You want to come too, little guy? Gal?"

    "No," The Korok wiggled itself violently. "I should stay here an' look around for my siblings. Maybe they know what's happened to the Great Deku Tree."

    "Solid," Nick wiggled a finger. "So, North, then." Nick looked at the source of the light filtering through the trees. "And it's about midday, so... that way."

    "And you didn't even need a compass, Junior Ranger Scout," Judy proudly trotted after him.

    "Okay, please don't bring that up," Nick grumbled.

    On their way out of the forest, a large, creaky wooden bridge greeted them. It appeared to be slightly damaged, so the two mammals took it slowly.

    Halfway across, the two were surprised as another of those glowing winged spheres flitted about near them, jingling. They were even MORE surprised when a figure materialized before them, right next to the flittering orb.

    It was unlike any mammal the two had seen before. Vaguely feminine, somewhat reminiscent of a pig, but with a smaller nose and pointier ears, and overall more slender. Very little fur on it except for a lavish green bit of hair on top. It was clothed in green, and wore a morose expression on its face.

    "I've been watching you two," it said. Its voice was distinctly feminine.

    "Are you Princess Zelda?" Judy immediately wondered.

    "...No," the creature shook its head, "my name is Saria. I'm a Kokiri, a child of the forest."

    "Wait," Nick held a finger up, "I thought the Koroks were children of the forest."

    "Those creatures," Saria's brow furrowed, "I've never seen them before. At least not until this... 'disturbance' occurred."

    "Many different worlds are spilling into this one, from what I'm gathering," Judy mused. "are you also from Hyrule?"

    Saria nodded. "Yes, and Hyrule is in great peril."

    "You think maybe Zootopia was founded in a world where Hyrule didn't exist, Nick?" Judy turned to her partner.

    Nick still stared at the unusual Kokiri creature before him. "I'm not sure what I'm thinking right now, to be honest."

    Saria's green irises wandered to the corner of her eyes, a morose look upon her face. She held a hand close to her mouth. "I have a strange feeling about you two."

    "Good? Or bad?" Judy grimaced.

    The Kokiri paused before continuing, taking in a deep breath. "Somewhere in this forest is a gem known as the Kokiri Emerald. If you can find it and bring it to me, I'll tell you how this kingdom may yet be saved."

    "Ooh, a side quest," Nick quipped with a grin, "definitely getting some vibes of-"

    "C'mon, Nick, let's go," Judy interrupted him, beckoning for him to follow. Nick hurried after the bunny, who headed deeper back into the forest. Saria leaned on a tree and looked after them with a blank expression on her soft face.

    After an hour or two of searching in the woods, the two came to a suspicious-looking clearing in the woods, circular in shape. There was a lone bush in the center of it, and Judy walked toward it with an inquisitive look on her face.

    "I wonder what-"

    Before she could finish her sentence, a creature popped up from beneath the bush. It was some sort of plant-based being with glowing red eyes and an elongated mouth. With a "pfft", it shot a hard seed at Nick, who recoiled and grabbed his chest.

    "Ouch, that hurt! ...Mildly!" Nick rubbed at where he'd been shot.

    "Why you...!" Judy rushed the creature, which quickly burrowed back into the ground. While she tugged at the structure of the bush, it wouldn't relent. She glared down at it, furious, but nothing seemed to happen.

    "Maybe it's gone?" Nick wondered, though he seemed wary. Judy began to walk away from it, but heard the rustling of leaves.

    "Ju-"

    "Pfft!" Another nut was fired, but Judy snapped her leg at the projectile with a swift kick. The nut flew right back into the odd little monster, and with a disappointed chirp, it burst into a puff of shadow.

    "Whoa," Judy blinked. "I- uh, I don't think I meant for that to happen."

    With an eerie droning sound and a swirl of light, a sizable treasure chest appeared in the middle of the clearing, surrounded by a few earthenware vessels.

    "Huh," Nick rubbed his head. "I guess treasure chests are naturally-occurring in this world."

    "It could be a trap," Judy noted. Nick nodded and carefully flipped open the lid, recoiling defensively right afterward. When nothing seemed to happen, Nick dug into the treasure chest. Judy hopped near him eagerly. "Well? Is it the emerald?"

    "Nope," Nick said, presenting her with the contents. "It's a bow!" Nick held a handsome, rather large bow in his paws.

    "Ooh neat, a weapon!" The bunny balled her fists in excitement. "Give it here!"

    "Excuse me, finders keepers," Nick blinked coquettishly.

    "Wha!?" Judy gasped. "The treasure chest appeared after I defeated that monster!"

    "Mm, but I got shot, so clearly I'm the one in need of defending," Nick said, already trying the included quiver on. "Plus, have you ever used a bow in your life?" The bunny held a finger up, but her mouth hung open wordlessly. "Thought not. I have. Isn't it a little big for you as well? I mean heck, it's big for me."

    "Grr..." Judy fumed, storming over to one of the pots near the opened chest. She picked it it up, hurling it violently with an overhead toss. There was a satisfying crunching noise as shards of the innocent pot scattered against a nearby tree.

    "Jeez, Carrots," Nick chuckled.

    "Oh hey!" Judy rushed over to the point of impact. "There were some arrows inside!" Retrieving them and bringing them to Nick, she then started energetically kicking and throwing other pots, all of which seemed to have arrows in them.

    "I mean, you could just take what's inside of them out like a civilized mammal..." Nick grinned widely, amused by Judy's sudden euphoria.

    "Way more fun!" Judy picked up another pot, tossed it in the air, then punched with both fists. Among the shards, an oblong green gem fell to the ground. It seemed to subtly sparkle, and landed on the floor with a small chime. The bunny gasped enormously. "Look, Nick!" She held it up with a toothy smile. "The Kokiri Emerald!"

    "Aha!" Nick grinned, pointing at it. "Quest complete. Now let's see if we can find that Kokiri girl."

    The two made their way back to the bridge, utilizing Nick's sense of direction.

    "Wasn't she right here...?" Judy asked impatiently, looking for the glowing winged creature that heralded Saria. It appeared with a jingle, and so did Saria. She looked confused. "Hello! We found the Kokiri Emerald!"

    "You have...?" Saria placed a hand to her mouth.

    "Right here!" Judy retrieved the gem from her pocket and showed it to Saria. The Kokiri smiled and began to laugh. It was a pleasant, childish, and pure laugh.

    "That's not the Kokiri Emerald..." Saria explained once she got control of herself. "That's a Rupee. It's a green one, the lowest value in all of Hyrule, worth just one Rupee."

    "Oh..." Judy appeared shocked, then crestfallen.

    Saria seemed to be in a pleasant mood, giving them a small smile. "I'm sorry, you two. Nick and Judy, right? I was spying on you earlier. Truth be told, there was no way you two could have found the Kokiri Emerald."

    "What? Why not? Does it not exist?" Judy seemed confused.

    "Oh..." Nick stepped forward, gesturing at Saria. "It's because she has it."

    "Ah, a clever fox... fitting," Saria smiled. She pulled a beautiful, faceted emerald, bordered by a gold spiral, out of a pack on her back. "THIS is the Kokiri Emerald."

    "So this was just a test," Judy blinked.

    "Mhm, and I'd say you two passed," Saria's smile began to look pained. "The eagerness with which you two set out... it was very familiar... it reminds me of someone important to me from a long time ago. Here."

    Saria walked over and placed the Kokiri Emerald in Judy's free paw. "This is one of the three gems that, when brought together, open the Temple of Time's inner sanctum. The others are the Zora Sapphire and the Goron Ruby."

    "What's in the Temple of Time...?" Nick asked warily.

    "Hopefully, our salvation from Ganon, the King of Evil..." Saria held a fist close to her chest.

    "Well, if that's all," the fox chuckled nervously.

    "I have no idea who you two are or where you came from..." Saria admitted with a troubled expression, "but I believe you have the spirit needed to be a light to this world. A light that's grown dim..."

    "Thank you for entrusting us with this, Saria," Judy looked down at the gem, "we'll try not to let you down. C'mon, Nick, let's see if we can find that castle."

    The two pressed on, and made their way out of the forest. Green fields stretched before them as far as the eye could see, and Nick squinted in the suddenly unguarded sunlight.

    "Hold on, you two!"

    Looking behind them, Nick and Judy saw nothing, but the heavy feathery flaps of a large brown owl sounded through the air as it landed on a high tree branch.

    "Yikes! That is a big bird..." Nick said, readying his bow.

    "Hoot hoot! I mean you no harm," the owl said.

    "...A talking owl?" Judy blinked.

    "And a talking fox and rabbit!" The owl laughed. "I've never seen enchanted animals of your kind before!"

    "We're not enchanted... at least I don't think so," Nick explained. "Though I'm certainly enchanting..." Judy rolled her eyes.

    "So, you two are embarking on an adventure, are you?" The owl chuckled. "My name is Kaepora Gaebora. The road ahead is fraught with danger, especially at night, so be wary! In your quest you may see many strange sights, some seemingly from other worlds. These are all a part of the times we find ourselves in. What will you do next? Will you go to the north, where the castle lies? The northeast, where the Gorons call home, or the east, the Zora's Domain? The choices are yours and yours alone."

    "For now, Nick, let's keep heading north," Judy decided with a nod.

    "By the way, would you like to hear that again?"

    "Hear what again?" Judy looked mystified.

    "So, you two are embarking on an adventure-"

    "Wait, wait, no no no," Nick waved his arms. "Why would we want to hear that again? We got- we got it, okay?"

    "Aw, drat," Kaepora's eyebrows twitched. "Oh well. Goddesses be with you!" With more loud flaps, the owl was gone.

    "Strange place, this Hyrule," Nick remarked as the two resumed their travel north.

Chapter 164: Legend II

    The fields of Hyrule seemed to stretch out forever, but Judy had a pleasant look on her face as she took in the surroundings.

    "This reminds me of the train ride to Zootopia, actually," she said cheerfully, "the sprawling fields, the distant mountains.."

    "The giant flying artichokes...?" Nick winced, seeing an anomalously large plant with blade-like appendages menacing an area to the southeast as it rotated through the air.

    "Okay, that's new," Judy conceded with a tittering, nervous chuckle.

    Their journey northward finally appeared to be bearing fruit, as they saw the structure of a castle in the background, with a city surrounding it.

    "Ah, finally," Nick huffed, "now we can see about- wait, what's that in the distance...?"

    The two mammals saw another unfamiliar being walking toward them. The appearance was similar to a Kokiri, but at least a foot taller than Nick. Also, unlike the large green eyes of Saria, this being featured intense red eyes and a white head of hair with a prominent braid. Purposed steps complimented an intense look of the face.

    "I don't suppose that would be Zelda," Nick considered aloud.

    "Is that another female Kokiri...?" Judy asked. "Look at her clothes, Nick... lithe, made for ease of movement, like my police suit."

    "She's also got a curved spear of some kind...!" The fox's voice carried anxiety, which spiked when she pulled it from behind her back. "And she's headed right for us!" Nick scrambled to ready his bow.

    Judy's brow furrowed, but she held a paw up in caution. "Calm down, Nick, she's still shouting distance away-"

    "Creatures of Ganon!" The being shouted. "I shall make this quick!"

    "Creatures of who now?" Nick babbled frantically as he readied an arrow. The aggressor hurried her pace. "Uh, don't come any closer!" Instead, she accelerated even faster. Nick released the arrow, which flew true, but got knocked out of the air by a swift swipe from the spear, which she held at the ready. "Oh jeez... oh jeez..." Nick tried to notch another arrow.

    "Move, Nick!" Judy screeched as the spear was brought down right where he was standing. Judy launched at their attacker and landed a double kick on her side, making her stagger slightly.

    "Rgh, you are strong for your size!" The attacker flourished her spear before thrusting at Judy, who bent out of the way. "Fitting for beasts enchanted by Ganon!"

    "Okay, who is this Ganon you keep going on about?" Nick said, his second arrow barely missing an arm. "Never heard of them."

    "Gh...! You cannot fool a Sheikah, fox!" She thrust her spear backwards, knocking Nick back with the handle. "And with such a simple trick!"

    "Rghn, I'm quite clever, I'll have you know," Nick growled. "If I wanted to fool you, you'd be fooled."

    The Sheikah's spear swung through the air in an overhead slice, and Judy just managed to dash forward enough to catch the spear at its handle. She immediately struggled under her aggressor's superior strength, grunting to try to keep her stance. Her limbs wobbled.

    "Judy!" Nick shrieked, fumbling for another arrow. "Ease up right now, lady, or I'll shoot...!" He tried to hold his arms steady as he drew back for a shot.

    The fierce red eyes of the Sheikah flickered over to Nick, as if disbelieving. "You hesitate...?"

    "Nick, do it, I can't hold her much longer!"

    The Sheikah looked to the bunny as if in horror as she struggled under the assault. Judy thought she saw a bright flash come from one of her hands, though she had no idea how. With a gasp, the Sheikah instantly relented, holding her spear defensively for the incoming arrow. There was a period of uncomfortable silence as the three stood there.

    "I cannot believe it..." the Sheikah said, "and yet I see it. A rabbit with the Triforce of Courage...?"

    "The Triforce? You're gonna have to start making some sense, lady," Nick said, hesitating to shoot her.

    "You do not even know of the Triforce? You must not be from around here, though that would make sense..." She drove her spear into the ground.

    "What's going on?" Judy looked between the two, then at the back of her hand, which had a symbol of three triangles joined together, with the lower right triangle glowing brighter than the others. "What's this? The Triforce...?"

    "I am Impa," the Sheikah said. "The Triforce of Courage can only belong to a hero..." She looked over Judy intensely. "I seem to remember scrolls saying the hero once had the heart of a hare, but I wouldn't have thought that to be literal."

    "Judy, am I shooting her or not...?" Nick hissed through clenched teeth.

    "Impa, I'm Judy and he's Nick," Judy introduced. "Maybe we can have an exchange of words before weapons?"

    "Very well," Impa nodded, and with a sigh of relief, Nick released the tension on his bow.

    "Okay, let's say Judy and I don't know anything about Hyrule," Nick gestured with his paw out. "What's going on here?"

    "Hyrule was created by the power of the Three Goddesses," Impa began, "Din of Power, Nayru of Wisdom, and Farore of Courage. After they were finished creating the world, they left to their own realm. In the spot where they departed, they left the symbols of their primary facets as the Triforce. Over time it has been broken apart, and now each of its sacred triangles belongs to a different person in the world."

    Impa looked to the stormy-skied castle in the distance with a vacant expression, then back to the two smaller mammals. "The Triforce of Power, by some twist of fate, has always fallen to an incarnation of hatred that keeps plaguing Hyrule who goes by the name of Ganon. Whenever he appears, a hero rises to stop him from bringing terror to the land. The story has been told and retold for thousands of years, and so it keeps repeating. This time appeared to be like any other. The hero struck the final blow to Ganon with the Master Sword, but Ganon used the last of his power to tear open a hole in reality, and in his place came a Ganon from another world."

    Nick and Judy looked at each other with measured skepticism, but the calmness in Impa's voice was certain.

    "Weary from his fight with Ganon, our hero was slain by second King of Evil," Impa grit her teeth and balled her fists. "And he didn't stop there... he also took the life of the wielder of the Triforce of Wisdom, my charge, Princess Zelda. He took over her castle and fortified it so it's all but unassailable." She gestured to the swirl of unnatural-looking purple clouds gathered over the structure, which itself towered over high walls.

    "What can be done about all that?" Judy wondered. "All hope can't be lost, can it?"

    "If a hero was to somehow get into the castle and retrieve the Master Sword from the Temple of Time... maybe," Impa folded her arms. "The Master Sword is known as the Blade of Evil's Bane, and it's perhaps the one weapon powerful enough to slay Ganon. But I have no great hope of it being retrieved. As it is, to access the inner sanctum of the Temple of Time requires three very special jewels."

    "I don't suppose this would be one of them...?" Judy asked, holding up the Kokiri Emerald. Impa flinched, her eyes widening.

    "...Perhaps this is a sign that there is still a glimmer in the darkness," Impa said quietly. "Follow me, you two. If you wish to actually gain access to the castle, you will need some help."

    "Wait, no one said anything about that..." Nick held his paws up in caution, but Judy was already following Impa. "Judy..."

    Impa led the two to an ornate looking entrance carved into the ground. She gestured toward it.

    "This is the Astral Oubliette," she said. "Inside is a magical item called the Strings of Space, a sister to the Ocarina of Time, which has also been lost to us. The power to manipulate space might be the only thing that could give one the uppper hand on Ganon and his Triforce of Power."

    "Okay, let's go," Judy nodded, getting ready to jump into the hole.

    "What, no, no let's not go!" Nick panicked, placing his paws on Judy's shoulders to stop her. "Judy, this is crazy!"

    "Oh, of course, you're right," Judy stepped away from the hole, walking up to Impa and holding her hands behind her back. "Er, I don't suppose you would have a weapon I could borrow...?"

    Nick's eyes bulged. "I can't believe you. You seriously want us to just jump into some hole at the behest of a stranger?"

    "I can go by myself if you're too scared," Judy rolled her eyes over to Nick.

    "It's dangerous to go alone, but I can give you something," Impa looked Judy over, considering her stature, then handed her a knife housed in a red and blue sheath. "This is a short blade of the Sheikah. The metal is folded seven times over and it is very sharp; with one cutting edge."

    "Thanks," Judy grinned, unsheathing it and giving it a swish. "Basically a sword to me. Okay! Here I go!" Judy sheathed the blade and leaped swiftly into the opening to the dungeon.

    Impa had to smile as her arms folded again. "She certainly is courageous."

    Nick released an extended groan, his ears flat against his head. "Yeah, that's one word for it." The fox cautiously crouched at the entrance. "Judy, you alright?"

    "Yeah!" Judy's echoed voice returned. "It's really dark down here, though!"

    At this, the fox sighed and glared at Impa, then cautiously leaped into the dungeon himself. "Hang on... what are we looking for here?"

    "I dunno, a treasure chest or something?" Judy squinted to try to see past the shaft of light coming from the opening. "We're looking for strings of some kind." Feeling her way around blindly, Judy made her way forward.

    "Judy, you look ridiculous," Nick grumbled, "you can't see a thing. Why are you even doing this?"

    "I have the Triforce of Courage, apparently!" Judy grinned. "That's the mark of a hero!"

    "Yeah, according to one angry lanky Sheikah," Nick retorted sternly. "Who knows if she's telling the truth? Even so, the last wielder died, so you can't exactly say it helped him out."

    "We'll just have to be more careful then," Judy insisted, crawling around, feeling the walls.

    "Right, like jumping into a dungeon under-prepared and having no idea where you're going."

    "You'll tell me!"

    Nick rolled his eyes, which still mostly functioned in the tiny light making it into the dungeon, but the bunny wasn't WRONG. He kept her from falling into anything as they made their way forward. The fox's eyes narrowed as he happened upon a small, strange-looking ornate case. Curiosity got the better of him as he picked it up and opened it. Inside was an embellished purple stringed instrument with a matching bow.

    "The Strings of-" Nick started, "hey, I think I found it, it looks like a violin!"

    "Neat!" Judy chirped. "Now... how the heck do we get out-" The bunny cut herself off when she felt horizontal lines on the wall. Feeling around she also noticed circular grooves. "Hey... I think there's a musical notation here."

    Groaning sounds popped out as Nick tried out the instrument and was soon making recognizable violin sounds with it.

    "The heck...?" Judy blinked, though it didn't make much difference in the minuscule light. "You can play the violin?"

    "Barely," Nick grinned, "but yes, I am a fox of many talents."

    "Try this...!" Judy said. "Try playing these notes. Ummm... A D F A D F A C B G F G A D C E D...?"

    "Jeez, okay, hang on..." Nick replied, trying to find the notes on the Strings of Space in the dark. Once he did and played the tune, a portal opened up on the face of a block bearing a symbol of the Triforce. The portal led outside to a slightly-impressed looking Impa.

    "A way out!" The bunny narrated. The two wasted no time in leaping through the portal, which lingered for another good minute or two before closing.

    "Interesting, you made your way out of there quickly..." Impa smiled. "And from the sounds of it, you played the Song of Time."

    "Song of Time?" Nick blinked.

    "Well, space and time are bedfellows," Impa puffed out a burst of air and nodded. "That is just one of many magical songs that exist in Hyrule. You merely need to learn one that will get you to the Temple of Time. Once you have the three gems, of course."

    "Right, because we're definitely doing this," Nick grumbled.

    "Nick, c'mon, these people need help," Judy argued, placing her paws on her hips. "Who knows what sort of chaos is being caused by Ganon? Heck, his power could have torn a hole into OUR reality that we fell into. That would explain how we ended up here."

    "And some bunny with a knife and a fox with two kinds of bows are gonna be the ones to stop this Ganon guy," Nick shrugged broadly. "Sounds reasonable."

    "Hey, Hero of Courage here," Judy held up her hand, still marked by the triangle. "I gotta try. What if Ganon brings in more and more beings to this world that aren't able to deal with it like we can? We can stop him from doing that, and maybe get home ourselves!"

    "That's... very optimistic," Nick grunted, "but I suppose we don't have any better leads." He looked to Impa. "Do you know where we can find the other two jewels?"

    Impa nodded, pointing southeast. "Following the river you find in the southeast, you will come across the Zora's Domain. They have the Zora Sapphire." She then pointed northeast. "And on the summit of Death Mountain reside the Gorons, with the Goron Ruby."

    "Death Moun- Death Mountain," Nick repeated incredulously. "Hahahaha, okay... well, perhaps we should go after the sapphire first. Just... so we're more used to adventuring and all by then." Regaining a normal tone of voice, he looked to Impa. "So... are you coming with us?"

    Impa shook her head. "I swore an oath to protect Princess Zelda, and I failed. All I can do now to retain my honor is continually slay Ganon's minions until they overwhelm me."

    "Right, okay, that's nice and fatalistic," Nick muttered dryly. "I guess we should head southeast, then."

    "Take care when traveling at night," Impa warned with a hand held up in caution. "The Stalchildren roam about. If you see them, you can destroy them by attacking their heads."

    "Ah, of course," Nick grumbled sarcastically, starting to walk with Judy. "Thanks."

---

    "I mean, don't you think she might have been just a little bit insane?" Nick argued. "All these legends and creation myths and all of that. Not to mention that she gave us advice on how to slay children, apparently."

    "I dunno, Nick," Judy shrugged, "I mean, how do you explain the magical violin you have?"

    "Look at this, look," Nick took out the Strings of Space and played the Song of Time. Nothing happened. "See? Nothin'. I bet all this was some sort of weird fantasy parlor trick to sucker us into this fruitless quest. For that matter, why doesn't the Song of Time create a portal to the Temple of Time, huh? How about that?"

    "I don't make the rules, Nick," Judy shrugged. "Let's keep going."

    "Okay well..." Nick looked up nervously, seeing the sun's last rays begin to vanish beneath the horizon. "Uh, shouldn't we see if we can find a pub or an inn or something? Gather some other hearty adventurers to help us on our noble quest? It's nearly night, and we don't want to be attacked by any demon children or whatever they are."

    "I can see the river Impa was talking about," Judy pointed, "we can't be that far from the Zora Domain, can we? Let's make the last push and ask for their help."

    No sooner had she said that than a rustling abruptly started all around the two and a ring of skeletal creatures popped up from the disturbed dirt. They shambled toward them with eerie lights in their eyes and their arms outstretched. Nick and Judy both yelped, but the latter quickly drew her blade, which sang and shimmered in the dim light.

    "Skeleton monsters!" Judy hissed. "And there's a lot of them!"

    "Uhh...!" Nick backed toward Judy, putting away the Strings and getting out his bow. "Yeah okay, this is just fine. They look goofy enough."

    An impish giggling seemed to spring from one of the skeletons as it lazily swiped at Judy. She leaped to the side to avoid it, then slashed at it with her blade. In a satisfying clatter, its bones went flying in all directions.

    "That little butter knife did that?" Nick marveled. His own shot landed on another skeleton. While he was expecting the arrow to bounce off the bone, the force instead carried the skeleton across the ground, where it rolled and broke into its component bones.

    "Two down!" Judy exulted, feeling the surge of adrenaline overtake her. "These guys are pushovers!"

    Another group of giggles leaped from the midst of the skeleton creatures as the "slain" monsters reassembled themselves as if by dark magic.

    "Or... not!" Judy winced as she tried to take out another one.

    "Wait, are these the Stalchildren...!?" Nick panicked as the ring of the creatures closed in. "Attack their heads!"

    Nick's next arrow landed right in the glowing eye of a Stalchild, and its head sailed off into the distance, where it became as shadow and exploded, along with the rest of its body. Judy landed a stab into the head of another monster and achieved a similar effect.

    Despite their frantic attacks, they couldn't stem the tide of the sheer number of the monsters until they closed in. Another clumsy strike of blunt bones finally landed on Judy, and she yelled in pain.

    "Judy!" Nick shouted, taking two arrows out of his quiver and jabbing them into the heads of two more Stalchildren, which gave up the ghost.

    Judy clutched at her midsection with one hand while removing the head of another Stalchild with a broad swipe. The head tried jauntily springing back to its body, but Judy grunted and kicked it into a nearby tree, which was enough to break it and its host body.

    The last of the monsters slain, Nick rushed over to Judy.

    "Is it bad...?" Nick winced, and Judy withdrew her arm.

    "It doesn't look that bad..." Judy grinned weakly, but Nick's panicked yip told a different story as he looked upon her wound.

    "Okay Judy, don't fight with me on this," Nick's voice trembled with anxiety as he put away his bow. "I'm going to carry you the rest of the way to the Zora Domain."

    "Ss-sounds like a plan," Judy said, staggering into Nick's grasp. He gingerly picked up the bunny.

    "Keep putting pressure on it," Nick's unsteady voice advised as he held her tightly. Finding renewed strength from his adrenaline and fear, the fox was fleet of foot as he sped off into the night, to where he assumed was Zora's domain.

    He hoped he would get there in time.

Chapter 165: Legend III

    Nick's pace was so hurried that he barely noticed when he arrived at the Zora's Domain, despite the drastic change in architecture. The area sported watery caves with soft waterfalls; their hushed din served as the backdrop to the fox's rushing.

    "C'mon, Judy, ss-stay awake," his voice was on the precipice of desperation as Judy barely groaned in his arms.

    Somehow even the denizens of the domain failed to register to the panicked fox. They both appeared and smelled heavily piscene in nature, but stood on two legs upwards of five feet tall, and wore no clothes.

    A few backed away at the fox rushing forward with the bunny in his arms, and Nick immediately hoped that they must be the Zora.

    "Excuse me...! Uh, hey!" Nick grit his teeth as several of the fish-creatures leaped off into the water to get away from him. "Anyone...! This bunny is hurt; she needs medical attention!"

    "This way," an especially tall member of their race grabbed hold of Nick's shoulder tightly and led him off. Shooting a look to the fish creature, he noticed a spear in his other hand.

    Appearing at the top of a waterfall in a throne that looked like a large seashell was another of the creatures, feminine and unremarkable to Nick's eyes, but she did have an ornate trident in one of her hands.

    "What are you doing in the home of the Zora?" She asked.

    "Please, my partner, Judy, she's gravely injured..." Nick begged. "Do you have a hospital, or-"

    The Zora made a face. "Take them to the dungeon."

    "What!? No!" Nick shrieked as a couple of guards leaped from the waterfall, swam over to the stone Nick was standing on, and approached him to drag him off. "Take me if you have to, but help her, please! Lh-look! She's got the Triforce of Courage!"

    "Does she? Mm," the authoritative Zora made a dismissive sound. "Put them in the interloper's cell, then."

    Nick let out an anguished wail as they were taken to the dungeon. It had a damp smell and feel, and the cells appeared to have coarse coral-like bars.

    One of the guards opened a cell and roughly pushed Nick on the back, making him stumble forward as he kept a tight grip on Judy. His balance nearly lost, he bent forward on one knee, emitting a whine.

    "Please..."

    Hearing a shuffling, Nick looked up and protectively held the barely-conscious bunny closer. Another fish-creature, very dissimilar to the others, approached him. She was predominantly red and white and wore a cyan sash, as well as a lot of metallic jewelry. Though her eyes were yellow, Nick sensed a kindness and concern to her face that made him relax just a bit.

    "She's hurt," Nick mumbled, his throat so tight that the words barely made it out, "she needs help soon or she'll..." He couldn't find it in him to finish the sentence.

    "Set her down gently," the kind voice of the red-and-white fish creature instructed. "It's not too late for her."

    Baffled though he was, Nick felt compelled to obey her, and rested Judy as softly as he could on the ground.

    "My name is Mipha," she said, dropping to her knees over the bunny and holding her hands above her. "I am also a Zora."

    Nick was about to ask what Mipha was doing, but then red sparkles swarmed over Miphas hands and moved across Judy's body, congregating around her wounds.

    "What a hero you are, Sir Fox," Mipha smiled up at Nick, "to show such concern for a bunny in need of aid."

    "I'm not the hero, Judy is," Nick shook his head.

    Mipha smiled, the sparkles surging in strength. Judy groaned, causing Nick to draw a shallow gasp.

    "How odd," the Zora continued, "an injured bunny would make an easy snack for a fox, and yet I can see your transparent desire to help her."

    "Yeah, well," Nick barely flickered his eyes at Mipha as he looked over Judy, "things are a lot different where I'm from. I mostly eat-" He caught himself, coughing once. "Er, never mind what I eat. Will she be okay?"

    "Mhm, just a little longer... the wound is closing," Mipha's hands waved more over Judy, and Nick was amazed that she appeared to be speaking the truth; Judy's wound WAS closing.

    "Mmm..." Judy moaned, her eyes fluttering open.

    "Judy!"

    "Hey Nick- bwagh!" Judy immediately flailed her arms upon seeing the unfamiliar face. Her eyes darted about at Mipha's scant clothing, and to the guard, who wore nothing at all.

    "Judy!" Nick repeated, dragging her up to hug her before checking to make sure this was okay. "How do you feel?"

    "Great!" Judy replied in a breathless voice. "What the heck happened? Who's this fish lady? ...Why are we in jail?"

    "Her name is Mipha, and she healed you," Nick explained to Judy. The Zora in question gently waved with a soft giggle. "As far as why we're in jail... I'm not sure. Why are you in prison, Mipha?"

    "I couldn't tell you," Mipha's good mood soured, and she walked back to her meager bed in the cell. "I entered this strange portal that led to this... different version of my domain, filled with all of these unusual-looking Zora, and well, I soon found myself imprisoned."

    "Well, we have to get out," Nick decided, pointing at Judy's paw. "Judy here has the Triforce of Courage, so maybe we can convince the higher ups that way."

    "The Triforce of Courage?" Mipha echoed, looking at the mark. "How... I didn't even know that the Triforce could come apart. ...What a strange world."

    "Yeah, you got that right," Nick muttered.

    "Nick, how do you think we're going to get out of here?" Judy looked at their surroundings. "If I tried to squeeze through those bars they'd probably shred me up worse than when we got here."

    Another guard entered the dungeon and loosed the door. "Bunny, fox. My liege wishes to speak to you."

    Nick and Judy exited without a second thought, but the former looked behind himself at Mipha, who did not move. The door shut again.

    "Wait, what about Mipha?" Nick's brow furrowed. "Why are you keeping her in a jail cell?"

    The guard did not reply, and instead led the two back to the throne room.

    The Zora royalty regarded the two with a dull expression from her seated position on the ornate throne.

    "All healed up?" She asked, though her expression didn't show interest. "Maybe you can tell me now why you burst into my kingdom."

    "Why is Mipha locked up?" Nick asked outspokenly. Judy turned her head slightly, looking at Nick with confusion.

    "That's none of your business, outsider," the fish royalty folded her arms. "I am Ruto of the Zora, the one true descendant of King-"

    "Well excuse me, princess!" Nick blurted.

    "I am Queen now, I'll have you know," Ruto shouted.

    "Okay, okay, wait a second," Nick held up both paws. "So you're telling me you and Mipha are both Zora, yet the kind, helpful healer down there in the dungeon is your prisoner... why again is that?"

    "Nick..." Judy looked at him with both amazement and disapproval, "maybe tone it down a bit? These people did save my life and all."

    "No, Judy," Nick directed a stern look at his partner, "they didn't save you. Mipha did."

    "I only let you out of jail to inquire about why your little bunny friend has the Triforce of Courage on her paw," Ruto pointed at Judy dramatically with the trident. "I did not let you out so you could question my rule, fox!" She glowered at him, and he looked just as intensely back. "Mipha claims to be of the royal line as well. She says she's a princess of the Zora, but I don't have any sisters, cousins, or any relatives remaining for that matter. She must be a liar, and must be trying to claim the throne for herself! Plus, she had this." She nodded to the trident. "Clearly a relic of the Zora she stole from somewhere. She claimed to be part of a group that was meant to keep Princess Zelda safe from Ganon, and Zelda's been gone for quite some time now! And if all that weren't enough, have you seen her!? She looks nothing like any of us!"

    "Uh huh, well, I think I see whats going on here," Nick nodded grimly, folding his arms. "And if you all could get your heads out from underwater, I think you'd see it too."

    "Nick...!" Judy hissed, looking at the guards who seemed more and more uneasy with their presence. "Back off! They all have spears...?"

    "I see what the big problem in this world of Hyrule is," Nick continued, heedless of the warning. "It seems to me that this Ganon guy is dragging important people from other dimensions to disrupt both the worlds he pulls them from and this world." He placed a paw on his chest. "Judy and I are from other worlds. Mipha is. The Korok we met was. Who knows how many other people Ganon has displaced? And- and this is the part that slays me... it seems like despite all that, Ganon's still got the upper paw on this world!"

    Ruto's voice sank to deadly seriousness. "What are you talking about!?"

    "You!" Nick thrust a finger at her. "You imprisoned a warrior princess just because she came from another world. Because of that, you've cut off a potential ally, and as long as these visitors from other realities find themselves divided and ostracized from this version of Hyrule, Ganon will continue to dominate your realm."

    "Okay, I've had just about enough of this, you preachy brat," Ruto stomped her foot into the water, causing a splash. "Guards- eh!?"

    Nick's outstretched hand started to glow, and the fox was himself surprised at this, wincing at the bright light. When it faded, he had the mark of the Triforce on the back of his paw, with the lower left triangle glowing.

    The guards listened for Queen Ruto's command, but it didn't come. They started clamoring among themselves.

    "The fox has the mark of the Triforce of Wisdom!"
    "Does he speak rightly? Is Mipha a Zora from another world?"
    "What are we to do?"

    "Alright, everyone settle down," Ruto looked down at the two mammals. "If these two little fuzzy creatures really have the marks of Wisdom and Courage, I suppose we should leave them to their devices."

    The guard closest to the queen spoke up, stepping forward. "What of Mipha, your highness?"

    Ruto chanced a look at Nick, who held a stern gaze at her.

    "Ugh," Ruto rolled her eyes. "Release her. That's what you wanted, right?" A guard moved to the dungeon to comply with this.

    "Actually," Nick's eyes half-closed and he grinned widely, "what I want is the Zora Sapphire."

    "Ghh!" Ruto flinched exaggeratedly. "Oh, you only want my most treasured possession."

    Judy opened her pouch and showed off the Kokiri emerald. "We're collecting the three special jewels so we can recover the Master Sword and slay Ganon."

    "Fine..." Ruto grumbled, retrieving an ornately decorated jewel that contained three sapphires, and tossed it into the pool near Nick and Judy's feet. A guard let out a panicked yelp and dove in to retrieve it. Upon surfacing, he offered the dripping jewel to Judy, who accepted it with a nod.

    "Thank you," Judy nodded.

    "And..." Ruto looked at the two, then flicked a hand twice dismissively. "Guard, show them the shop. They need some tunics or something; those clothes they have are all torn and ragged. They look like they take a teen and a child size."

    The two mammals looked down at their attire. Nick's clothing was covered in dirt from his haste to the Zora domain, and Judy's was in tatters from the Stalchildren attack.

    Before long, the two found themselves in the shop.

    "The Queen said to outfit these two in your finest tunics," the Zora guard said to the shopkeeper.

    "Whuh...?" The shopkeeper looked at the two. "For free? Yugh... very well then." He went back to retrieve some clothing in their size.

    "Well, Queen Ruto didn't exactly say that..." Judy grinned sheepishly at the guard.

    The Guard winked one of his black, almond-shaped eyes. He spoke in a low voice. "To tell you the truth, it was good to see Queen Ruto like that again. She lost a lot of her feistiness once the previous Hero of Courage fell. I just want to thank you two for that."

    "Females are at their best when they're feisty," Nick nodded sagely, a serious look on his muzzle. Judy elbowed him in the side for his trouble "Oof! Feeling better, my dear?"

    "Just peachy," Judy replied in a challenging voice, smirking at Nick.

    "Well, if the Hero of Wisdom proclaims that, who am I to argue," the guard chuckled.

    Shortly thereafter, Nick and Judy were clothed in the Zora's deep blue and white tunics. They both tested the fabric and found it to be a good fit.

    "Those let you breathe underwater, just so you know," the shopkeeper gestured, as if bored.

    "Thank you!" Nick grinned. "We will be on our way."

    "Breathing underwater...?" Judy echoed.

    "I'm not eager to test that out," Nick rolled his eyes. "That's probably some prank they play on outsiders to try to get them to drown. How could clothes help you breathe underwater?"

    "I'm not sure," Judy tapped a finger on her cheek. "How did Mipha heal me, anyway?"

    "Pinkish magic sparkles from her hands-" Nick stopped himself. "Okay, that's a good point. Ugh, I guess nothing in this realm makes sense."

    "I mean, I was genuinely curious," Judy laughed. "I was barely awake during all that."

    On their way out of the realm, Judy tugged on Nick's sleeve and pointed into a dwelling. "Ooh! Ooh, Nick, look! That room is full of pots!"

    "...And?"

    "I'm going to go smash 'em!" Judy exulted, beginning to rush forward. "Ulk!" Nick quickly reached out to grab her by the back of the collar.

    "Judy, come on," Nick sighed. "Those pots obviously belong to someone. We've already got their domain's jewel and some new duds, let's not resort to petty theft."

    The bunny grumbled in disdain as Nick let her go, and sucked her teeth at him. "Fine... o' 'wise' fox."

    "Hmhmhm..." Nick gazed over the mark on the back of his hand. "Yeah, I'm going to be riding that one for awhile."

    Right at the entrance to the domain, Judy's ears perked up and she stood alert as she saw Mipha waiting there. The Zora waved at their presence as the two walked over to greet her.

    "Mipha! You're out!" Nick grinned, clearly happy about this; his tail swished to further communicate the fact.

    "I'm very grateful you put yourselves out for me," Mipha said kindly.

    "Well, one good turn deserves another, that's what I always say," Nick said, rubbing his paw on his tunic. "That's just good karma."

    "Nick, you have not always said that," Judy protested.

    "Will you be joining us on our journey?" Nick asked hopefully.

    "I would very much like to..." Mipha said, her eyes wandering. "However I'm out of practice from my incarceration and I'm sure I'd just slow you down. That and I need to figure out how I'm going to get the Lightscale Trident back from Queen Ruto..."

    "Ah, oh well," the fox sighed. "I don't suppose you know of any healing songs?"

    "Sorry no, I've only been able to heal in the traditional, hands-on manner," Mipha gave them an apologetic smile.

    "Okay Nick, let's get going," Judy nodded.

    "You two both have marks of the Triforce?" Mipha blinked. "I'm sure Hyrule is in good hands... or paws in this case."

    "Well, I guess it won't do if we're complacent or let our guard down," Judy considered, but then bunched up both paws into fists and looked determined, "but we'll try our best!"

    After saying their farewells, the two adventurers soon found themselves in Hyrule Field again, following the mountain range north.

    "So, um..." Judy grinned, rubbing her paw behind her head. "Was it weird for your to get assistance from a bunch of naked fish people? As a predator, that is...?"

    "Hm..." Nick chuckled, "didn't really think about that too much. Was it weird for you to follow a plant person around?"

    "Touche..." Judy shrugged, "I wonder what kind of fantastic beings we'll meet next-"

    Judy's words froze in her mouth as she saw a brown creature in the distance.

    "Oh..." Nick's jaw hung open. "Oh.... kay then..."

    Before them stood what looked very much like a horse. Instead of walking on two legs like normal, it was on all fours and much broader and stockier than the horses they were used to. It looked at them, and nothing like sapience was visible to them. It was also mostly naked except for a saddle.

    "Is that like a horse from ancient times...?" Judy blinked. "Is it from another reality...?"

    "Maybe horses never evolved intelligence in Hyrule," Nick thought aloud. The horse knickered as if in reply, flicking its tail.

    "It's... er, she's very... majestic, in a weird sort of way," the bunny observed the proud-looking animal, posed atop a hill.

    "She kinda looks like Detective Oates, to me," Nick chuckled.

    "She does not," Judy laughed, "oh sweet bales of hay, she does... they've got almost the same markings."

    The horse neighed loudly and took off to the north.

    "C'mon, let's follow her!" Judy beckoned, rushing forward. "She seems to be going our way!"

    "Jeez, haven't you learned anything yet?" Nick grumbled, following the bunny. "Chasing after some random ancient horse..." He mumbled to himself before they settled into a brisk power walk together, watching the horse also slow down to a trot in front of them. "Really glad you're okay, Judy..."

    Judy smiled up at Nick. "I'll be more careful next time." The fox instinctively looked up at the sun to make sure they had a lot of traveling time left.

    He nodded his agreement. "And we aim right for their heads next time. Straight away."

Chapter 166: Legend IV

    "Hurry, hurry! Quick, c'mon!"

    Judy slipped through the bars of a large gate and wrenched the door open very slightly for Nick, who scrambled in sideways before Judy slammed the door shut.

    Nick doubled over, gasping for breath as he looked behind him at the gate and his pursuer.

    It was a chicken-like creature, making an absolute fluttering racket.

    "I've never..." Nick panted, "seen such a tenacious chicken..."

    Though the flapping and squawking continued, the bird did not seem interested in trying to get through the gate.

    "It was an accident, chicken!" Nick shouted at it. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!"

    "Didn't the villager say it was a Cucco?" Judy looked at it.

    "Maybe that was just its name," the fox replied.

    "She said, 'my Cucco!' when you kicked it," the bunny went on. "Not 'oh no! Cucco'!"

    "I can't believe you're splitting hairs about this," Nick panted. He stared at the Cucco sternly. "You're lucky I'm not hungry."

    Though the Cucco calmed down, it kept its head locked on Nick as he began to walk away and up the path to Death Mountain.

    "Though I admit that the chickens of our world don't hold grudges."

    The fox poked his fingers together as the two heroes made their way up the winding path that comprised Death Mountain.
    
    "You seem nervous, Nick," Judy observed her partner.

    "Well, y'know," Nick puffed. "Death Mountain and all. Wonder what those Gorons are like..."

    "The townsfolk in Kakariko Village said all we really have to worry about is the Tektites, whatever those are," Judy said. "Ooh, yuck, look at that!"

    A slowly-bouncing, one-eyed spider-like creature with four legs made its way over to them.

    "Yeesh, that's one gross cyclops crab," Nick readied an arrow, but Judy was already rushing over to it, stabbing it with her sword, where it vanished into a puff of shadow.

    "Easy peasy!" Judy smiled, scraping the side of her blade on a rock.

    "Judy," Nick lowered his bow. "What did we just figure out? That just because you're the Hero of Courage, doesn't mean you should go rushing up to every dangerous thing to poke at it."

    "It was jumping slowly, Nick," Judy shrugged. "I saw its pattern, then I attacked right as it landed."

    "I'm just keeping the name of the area in mind, Judy," Nick held up a paw. "It's not called 'Happy Sunshine Mountain', after all."

    After several more minutes of climbing, Judy pointed to a cluster of massive dark blue plants.

    "Whoa, look at the size of that fruit," Judy marveled. "You think those are berries?" Her partner responded by readying his bow. "Nick, what are you doing?"

    "Checking to see if it's a monster or something," Nick said, letting his arrow fly.

    PKOOOOOOM!

    The fruit flashed bright red and white and then exploded violently, setting off all the other fruit near it in a chain reaction, taking out a section of rock wall that crumbled to the ground.

    Nick and Judy's eyes were both pinpricks.

    "Or it could just... uh, explode," Nick said in a pinched voice. "It could do that too."

    "I'm suddenly not interested in eating them," Judy mumbled, but quickly regained her composure when she saw what was in the small cave that the explosion revealed. "Oh look, Nick! A treasure chest!"

    Judy rushed over to look at it despite Nick holding a paw up in warning. He growled when he was too late to stop her and slapped his forehead.

    Throwing open the chest, Judy retrieved a shining purple rupee.

    "Ooh, pretty!" Judy grinned, twisting it to let the sunlight catch it. "Wonder how much this one is worth."

    "With our luck, eight or ten at the most," Nick huffed. "Judy, where are we going to put that? I'm already carrying a bow, a quiver full of arrows, and the Strings of Space, and you have a pouch with two of the three jewels we need-" he started laughing as Judy placed up the rupee to her eye. "And you are very silly."

    "Mm, I guess you're right, I don't guess we really need to buy anything else," Judy frowned, placing the rupee back in the chest and closing it. "Just seems like a waste."

    "Presumably we won't be the only adventurers risking our lives on this mountain for shiny things," Nick mused as the two resumed their journey.

    Eventually, they came upon a primarily stone-based city built into the mountain. At the edge of the city was a perplexed looking guard, or perhaps a greeter. He had a rotund brown body and a rocky shell on his back. His face was very round, and he blinked his circular blue eyes at them.

    "Welcome, travelers," he said. "This is Goron City. We don't get very many outsiders that come visit us."

    "Well uh, not to be rude," Nick chuckled, "but you did make your home on something called 'Death' Mountain."

    "Ah, that's just because it's a volcano," the Goron grinned. "Anyway, what can I do for you two?"

    "We're looking for the Goron Ruby," Judy explained. "Nick and I are adventurers on a quest to defeat Ganon, and that's the last jewel we need to unlock the Temple of Time for the Master Sword."

    "Oh, um, okay," the Goron nodded. "Our, um... our chief, Darunia... his place in the lowest part of the city. You can um... feel free to go talk to him, if you want."

    "What's the matter, big guy?" Nick saw the hesitation in the broad face of the Goron.

    "Well, the thing is... Darunia is supposed to be dead," the Goron made a somehow-cute groaning noise as he tilted his head.

    "'Supposed' to be?" Judy interjected.
    
     "We lost him to a fierce fiery dragon named Volvagia... but he's back," the Goron looked pensive, scratching the one tiny patch of hair on his head. "He seems just like him, too. We have no idea how he came back to us."

    "Well uh, let's go talk to him, and see what we can find out," Nick suggested, beckoning for Judy to follow. "Uh, you didn't put him into a dungeon or anything, did you?"

    "Why would we do that?" The Goron looked even more confused.

    "Good question!" Nick replied with a nervous laugh, then walked down the spiraling path that led to the middle of the city with Judy.

    "Whoa!" Judy flinched backwards and bumped into Nick as she heard a rolling sound. A small Goron whizzed past her, tightly curled into a ball. At her exclamation, he slowed to a stop and got up, looking at them.

    "Hi!" The presumably younger Goron greeted them. "I've never seen a bunny and fox in tunics before!"

    "And I've never seen a rolling rock, ah, boy...?" Judy smiled brightly.

    "Haha, you're funny!" The young Goron laughed, then rolled back up and spun off.

    "How are they doing that...?" Judy's nose twitched as the Goron's retreat kicked up an earthy smell.

    "First plant people, then fish, now rock people?" Nick winced. "Jeez, you aren't free of guilt no matter what your diet is!"

    "Nick," Judy chuckled wryly, "hush up."

    They approached what they assumed was the abode of the Chief, and seeing as it had no door, just walked right in.

    There was quite a large Goron there, looking to be about twice the girth of the one that had met them at the entrance to the city. He had prominent white spikes of hair framing his face. He turned to look at them, and his grumpy-looking faced morphed into a smile.

    "Hello, travelers!" He waved one of his large arms. Nick couldn't help but notice an enormous metal hammer in the house. "I'm Darunia, Chief of the Gorons. I mean..." He scratched at his chin. "Maybe not these Gorons in particular, but..."

    "My name is Judy, and this is Nick," she introduced the two of them to Darunia. Removing the two jewels from her pouch, she showed them to Darunia. "We come seeking the Goron Ruby so we can unseal the Master Sword and defeat Ganon."

    "Oh! Okay," Darunia went to a chest near the back of the room and retrieved a five-pointed ruby held in place with a golden V shape.

    "Wuh-wuh-what, just like that...?" Nick's eyes flew open.

    Darunia held the ruby out. "You said you were gonna take down Ganon, right? I don't see why I should keep ya from the one item that'll help you fight him!"

    "That's very kind of you," Judy held out her hands to receive the jewel, but Darunia did not drop it into her paws.

    "Come to think of it, though..." Darunia moved the jewel away. "I think there is something you could do for me."

    "Rrm..." Judy's brow furrowed and she glared at Nick. "Good going." Nick winced.

    "I've been a little bummed ever since I got here," Darunia explained, looking at the hammer in the room. "I was busy mowing down Stalchildren by the hundreds with my trusty Megaton Hammer. I was part of a group of heroes that was assaulting Ganon's castle, but I ended up falling into a portal and ended up here! 'Parently this world lost its version of me. My people look at me like I was a ghost or somethin'."

    "At least you can be the chief for these Gorons, though?" Nick tilted his head.

    "Get the feelin' they were a little more friendly to their other Darunia," he said. "Journeyed down to Ganon's castle in this world myself, I did. Thing's pretty much unassailable. Wish I could bash some answers out of that Gerudo."

    "Well, we'll find some way up into that castle," Judy held up a fist in determination. "Then we'll do the bashing!"

    "That's the spirit!" Darunia laughed, slapping his belly. "While I've got you here, though, maybe do me a little favor? Nothin' big."

    "What is it?" Judy asked.

    Darunia looked at Nick's case. "I see you got a music instrument of some sort. Could ya play me a hot tune?"

    "Oh, um..." Nick fumbled for the case and opened it, pulling out the enchanted purple instrument. "Sure... uh, what to play. ...Sheez, suddenly can't think of anything, now that I'm on the spot."

    "Really? Nothing coming to mind...?" Judy gave him a weak smile.

    Nick flinched and suddenly prepared to play. "Well, I can't believe I'm about to do this, but here goes."

    After sounding out the song in his mind, Nick played the first five notes of "Try Everything".

    "Ooh!" Judy's ears perked up and she leaned up at Darunia. "I like this one."

    Nick concentrated on playing the song, but after he had played just a bit of it, violet energy sparked from the violin and spiraled out into a nearby wall, opening a portal.

    "Whoa...!" Judy gasped.

    Darunia's jaw dropped as he began to look through the portal. It appeared to lead to another reality. On the other side was another Darunia, who looked momentarily shocked at seeing himself before chuckling and waving.

    The fox tried to keep his hand steady as he continued to play the song. The further he got, the more portals opened, some leading to empty rooms, others to other Darunias, others to just bare ground.

    "Now this is a potent song!" Darunia said, dancing to it.

    Eventually, the song ended, and a half-dozen portals remained open. Judy marveled, looking at each one.

    "Huh... you kiddos seem to have a powerful little song there!" Darunia chuckled, placing his hands on his hips and leaning back. "Kinda wonder if any of those realities is the one I'm from. It'd be nice to go back and get with my own people... but I feel like I can't. I gotta stand guard here until the threat of Ganon is done with. Then I gotta see how I could get home." He laughed again, but looked a little sad.

    "Hmhm, haven't I always said there was a kind of magic to Try Everything, Nick?" Judy looked more than a little pleased.

    "I do have a magical violin here," Nick gestured at the instrument. "I'd blame that before I'd go accusing Gazelle of being a sorceress."

    "She does write enchanting music!" Judy giggled.

    One by one, the portals closed, eventually leaving the three standing there. Darunia placed the Goron Ruby in Judy's paws and then gave her a light pat on the head, which still managed to knock her on her hindquarters.

    "Whack Ganon once for me, wouldja?" Darunia requested, giving a loud, boisterous chuckle. "I'd let you borrow my hammer, but it'd probably take the both of you to even lift it!"

    "And maybe not even then," Judy winced as she looked at the massive weapon.

    After bidding Darunia farewell, the two left Goron City.

    "Is it odd that the rock people were the most reasonable out of all of them?" Nick smirked. "No 'bring me a thing' or imprisoning people that are trying to help, just 'play me a song'?"

    "Sounds like Darunia was really involved in the fight against Ganon," Judy said. "He knew how important it was that someone take him down."

    "Yeah, speaking of which, how are we going to get to the Temple of Time?" Nick rubbed behind his head. "Impa said something about a song..."

    "Hm, didn't someone in Kakariko have something to do with music?" Judy considered. "Maybe we should go down there and ask around."

    No sooner had they said that than a flash of red lights swirled around close to them and formed into a large, broad-shouldered bird individual. He had blue feathers, the beak of a parrot, and stood twice Nick's height.

    "Goodness me," the bird said in a surprisingly gentle voice. "What a whirlwind trip of Hyrule I've been on."

    "Look, Judy," Nick said in a completely even voice. "Another gigantic talking bird."

    "Nick, shh," Judy sucked her teeth at him.

    The bird began to play a soft, somewhat foreboding theme on the accordion he was holding. "I am Kass. My notes of songs long past have taken me to many interesting and frightening places in this land, though I have seen none of my fellow Rito tribe. You two are also a new sight to me. The songs of this world seem to have great magical power."

    "Yeah, we kind of noticed," Nick nodded to his violin case.

    "Don't suppose you know a song that leads to the Temple of Time?" Judy asked with a large smile.

    Kass stopped playing and looked down at the bunny with a wary eye.

    "I do... but I don't think you would want to go there," Kass said. "The area around the temple is swarming with shambling monsters, and the whole area is under control of the King of Evil, Ganon."

    "Well, you see..." Judy showed all three of the jewels they had collected, causing Kass to gasp. "We're headed to the Temple of Time to retrieve the Master Sword, and use it to stop Ganon."

    "Is that right...?" Kass marveled. "Well, in that case..." Kass set his accordion down and took out a piece of parchment and a bottle of ink. He dipped one of his hand feathers into the ink and jotted down some notes on a musical scale. "This is called the Prelude of Light. It leads straight to the Temple of Time."

    "Well, that's... convenient," Nick accepted the parchment from the large bird. "Thank you very much."

    "A fox and a rabbit headed off to defeat Ganon," Kass smiled at the two. "This is the type of tale that would make a great song. As a bard, I hope to sing of your success one day."

    "And if we fail?" Nick winced.

    "Well, there will not be much to sing about if Ganon tightens his hold over this world," Kass frowned. "As it is, I am from another, different world, where Ganon is more of a force of nature than a person. I can only wonder what effect destroying this Ganon would have on my own world, if any."

    "Guess there's one way to find out," Judy smirked.

    Kass waved at them and returned to playing his song.

    The two kept walking down the mountain, and Judy gave Nick a weak smile. "Well, do you want to try that song?"

    "We don't know any warp songs that will take us back," Nick said, "I was going to try to ask around in town. Maybe Kakariko has a bard, too. That way it won't seem like such a... a one-way trip."

    "Nick," Judy placed her paw on his arm. "We can do this. We have basically all of Hyrule on our side at this point."

    "Judy, we don't even know what Ganon is," Nick grumbled. "Like, what's a 'Gerudo'? Maybe he's a giant elephant person."

    "And maybe the Master Sword can shoot lasers," Judy shrugged. "We won't know unless we try. Try everything, right?"

    Nick sighed. "I dunno, maybe you're right. I'd still like to get to town and- oh no."

    Judy turned her head as a thousand-yard stare splayed across Nick's face.

    The gate that led to Kakariko had no less than three dozen Cuccos congregated around it, all clucking and causing a mild din.

    "Apparently the Cuccos are a hive-mind," Judy's pupils shrank.

    "I'll... I'll play that song now," Nick said, fumbling for the Strings of Space. "Just one Cucco pecked the heck out of my ankles... that many would probably eat me alive."

    Nick carefully played the short song entitled the Prelude of Light. A beam of light shot from the bow of the instrument and opened a portal in a nearby wall. Through the portal, a stately temple could be seen, though the sky around it was gloomy.

    "Here we go..." Judy said, hopping through the portal with little hesitation.

    Nick did hesitate, but only just. He jumped through, and the portal closed seconds later.

    Off in the distance, eerie, droning moans could be heard, of a register usually reserved for elephants. Judy looked behind her and saw hunched-over figures that appeared to be made of clay. They walked about slowly, at an aimless pace.

    "Whoa, that is next-level creepy," Judy took a few steps back, toward the temple. She looked around for the entrance, and upon finding it, waved Nick to come over. He rushed to meet with her.

    Inside the temple, everything was a pristine white.

    "Interesting, I wonder if Ganon's power cannot touch this place," Judy thought out loud, rushing over to what looked like an altar. "Hey look, there are grooves here for the jewels!" The bunny excitedly reached into her pack and placed the three jewels in their respective places.

    She looked up at a large door expectantly, but nothing happened.

    "The door has that seal I saw in the oubliette," Nick observed, pointing. "Here, let me try playing the Song of Time... ah... how did it go..."

    Nick played the tune, and Judy saw the jewels flash and emit light, then the door creaked open. Judy peeked over the altar and saw an inner sanctum, and what looked to be a pedestal inside.

    "C'mon, hurry!" Judy beckoned, rushing inside with Nick, but the second she was inside, she gasped shrilly.

    The pedestal was empty.

    "Wh-what..." Judy's jaw dropped. "No... that can't be right... we- ...what...?"

    "Oh no," Nick droned glumly.

    Judy's teeth grit tightly.

    "The Master Sword isn't here!"

Chapter 167: Legend V

    "No no no, the Master Sword is missing...!?" Judy held her paws up to her head as she looked at the empty pedestal. She circled around the room, as if the sword might be anywhere else.

    "Well, to tell you the truth..." Nick sighed and folded his arms. "If I were Ganon, I'd probably just toss the sword into the mouth of Death Mountain or something. I mean, he already slew the hero wielding it in this reality, yeah?"

    "Ugh, but the door- the jewels!" Judy babbled, throwing her arms down. "All that was for nothing? What- what do we do now?"

    "All we can do," Nick nodded peacefully, and took out the Strings of Space. "Try Everything."

    Judy's mouth held in a small "o" shape as Nick started to play the melody. Energy shot out of the violin and opened portals all along the walls of the temple, showing parallel worlds, some with the Master Sword stuck into the pedestal, some without. Some even showed the Temple of Time in ruins.

    "Wha... s-so..." Judy swallowed with difficulty, balling her fists at her sides. "What do we do? We just... go through one of these portals, grab it real quick, and come back? That sounds dangerous."

    "Now you care about the danger?" Nick asked incredulously while looping the song, hoping it would hold the portals open longer. "From everything we've heard, we need the Master Sword to defeat Ganon."

    "But if we take one from another world..." Judy grit her teeth, "that would only mean that dimension would be without their Master Sword, dooming it to Ganon."

    "Judy, remember Impa's story?" Nick flashed a sneer. "The Ganon in this dimension was defeated, and in his place stands one from another world. He's not playing fair, so why should we? Just- just pick a sword, Judy!"

    "Nick, I..."

    Judy's words were cut off as she saw a young Hylian through one of the portals. He was about a foot taller than Nick, and had blonde hair and blue eyes. One of his arms held tightly over his stomach as he peered through the portal, and seeing the fox and bunny on the other side, he stepped through.

    "Who...?" Nick and Judy both breathed.

    One of those floating, winged lights that they had seen in Kokiri Forest followed the Hylian through the portal.

    "Hey...!" The blue-outlined light protested in a high-pitched voice. "Link! Hey... listen! Listen to me for once! Link...!"

    "Geh heh..." Link staggered, wincing in pain.

    "Link, you're badly hurt!" His companion went on, fluttering around him. "We need to get you to a Fairy Fountain! My sisters will- the Great Fairy will..."

    Link aimed a small, sad smile at the fairy.

    "Link...?" Judy almost whispered. "Are you the hero of Hyrule?"

    The green-clad Hylian took another step toward Judy, groaning again as his injuries caused him to buckle and kneel. Link showed the back of his gauntlet to Judy, where the symbol of the Triforce of Courage still shined. Judy held up her paw to show him that she had the same mark.

    "Hm..." Link grinned faintly and removed a sword from the scabbard on his back. The blade was nearly white and almost as long as Judy, and the hilt was a vivid blue and had extensions like wings. With hands that held firm despite his injuries, Link presented the sword to Judy.

    "Link... I will do my best to save this world," Judy nodded seriously, taking the sword from him.

    "Drgh," Link tried to struggle to his feet, but his strength failed him and he collapsed. His onlookers all gasped as his body became bathed with light and faded away into powder.

    "Link! No...!" The fairy wailed. Out of his midst came a spinning triangle, which swiftly went through the portal that Link had come from. "Link... the Triforce...!" The fairy left expediently, right before that portal closed.

    "Whew, that was heavy..." Nick put the Strings of Space away as Judy tightened her grip on the handle of the sword. "And speaking of... do you think you can use that thing?"

    Judy tested the blade in her hand, nodding through misty eyes. "Yes. It's... strangely light."

    "I mean, the blade's kind of softly glowing," Nick scratched his head. "It weighs next to nothing too?"

    "Okay... well, we've been entrusted this sword by the hero that walked through space... so let's not let him down," Judy glared at the entrance to the temple decisively, holding the Master Sword close to her. Judy took a paw and handed Nick her Sheikah short sword.

    "Ah, a hand-me-down," Nick smirked, to a stern look from Judy. "C'mon, Judy, I'm trying to lighten the mood." The two walked out into the courtyard of the temple, where it was gloomier than ever. "Especially since things seem so bleak." He looked upon the shambling creatures from earlier. "Those things creep me out. Promise me you're not just going to run up and slash them."

    "Not without a few practice swings first," Judy clutched the sword's grip tightly in both hands and swung the sword left and right. Each swing sent a spiral cutter of blue and white energy shooting forward. The bunny's eyes widened.

    "Whoa!" Nick yelped, backing away from Judy a few more paces. "...Looks like that thing you said about the Master Sword shooting lasers wasn't far off."

    The energy seemed to barely catch the attention of the shambling creatures as it flew by them, and they turned ponderously, slowly walking to the two heroes. They began to shriek in much shriller tones, causing Nick's fur to stand on end. Judy grimaced.    She slashed the Master Sword several more times, and the energy flew straight through the creatures, and with drawn-out groans, they hit the ground hard.

    "Huh...!" Nick barked out a single laugh. "Things are looking up, and all it took was a magic sword."

    "Let's go to the castle, Nick," Judy nodded towards him.

    Making their way through a ruined castle town and rubble in the way, they came upon the entrance to Ganon's castle, truly foreboding in appearance. Turrets of some sort seemed to scan the sky with red laser sights. The two heroes struggled together to open the door and barely managed to cracked it. Swiftly, they moved on to the castle interior before the turret's sights could follow them.

    The castle was predictably well-guarded. Suits of armor seemed to come to life and block their path, but energy cutters from Judy sliced them up into their component parts. Nick laughed nervously as every enemy the two encountered quickly succumbed to Judy's assault, from floating wizards to skeletons armed with swords and shields.

    "Hragh!" Judy shouted, her flurry of swings knocking the shield out of the way of a skeletal warrior, and the next slice removed its skull from its spine, sending it clattering to the ground. It exploded into both shadow and a small colorful collection of rupees.

    "Starting to feel a little inadequate here," Nick admitted, his bow at the ready, which he had barely fired. "Maybe you should save some of that strength for Ganon. Aren't you tired?"

    "Not even a little bit," Judy grinned adventurously. "I feel like my spirit is surging in tune with this sword."

    "Just saying I feel like I'm a little unnecessary at this point," the fox chuckled, helping Judy push a large block into a groove. This caused a staircase to appear which led to the next level of the castle.

    "You're totally necessary!" She insisted with a bright smile. "I wouldn't have been able to move that block on my own."

    "Great, so I can be known as the Hero of Block-Pushing," Nick rolled his eyes, shoving Judy gently.

    The two rushed up a large spiral staircase leading to the top room of the castle, where they heard an ominous progression of chords coming from an organ.

    Entering the room, they were met with a very large form. His appearance was similar to other Hylians, but with brownish-gray skin and fiery orange hair, he immediately noticed the two entering the room and stood up from the organ he was playing to greet them.

    "Ganon!" Judy guessed immediately, her sword at the ready.

    "Hm... hm... hm..." He held out his arms as if to welcome them. "Well, look what we have here. A rabbit and a fox."

    "Is that him?" Nick squinted his eyes, observing the long nose of the armored being. "That's the Gerudo? Y'know, is it speciest to say most Hylians look the same to me...?"

    "There's definitely something different about him," Judy muttered gravely.

    "I go by many names," their host stepped forward, causing Judy to grip her sword with both hands, ready to strike. "Ganondorf, Ganon, King of Evil, to name a few. I must say I didn't expect the 'heroes' of Hyrule to take such... whimsical forms this time."

    "You won't be laughing in a few moments," Judy snapped.

    "Oof, she's gone full stereotypical hero," Nick rubbed at his forehead.

    "Hm hm hm... ha ha ha ha..." Ganon laughed, folding his arms up near his chest. "Guess I should get it all out of my system now, hm, little rabbit? I'm a bit surprised to see the Master Sword... thought I got rid of that thing."

    "You've caused the people of many Hyrules, not to mention Zootopia, a lot of grief, Ganon," Nick said, readying an arrow. "Hope you're ready to pay." Nick let an arrow fly, but Ganon quickly whipped a gauntlet in front of his face to block the arrow, which fell to the floor.

    "I have to thank you two..." Ganon smirked. "After I wished for Hyrule and its sister dimensions to fall into chaos, the other two pieces of the Triforce fled from me. I see now where they landed. Most amusing! I've heard the hero once had the heart of a hare, and the heart of a wolf... and here I am viewing lesser species of even those creatures."

    Judy merely grit her teeth.

    "And I thought it was pathetic enough that the Triforce of Courage picked a young man for its bearer..." Ganon flashed a wicked grin.

    "What's a 'man'?" Nick tilted his head.

    "What is a man?" Ganon echoed, momentarily confused. His grin grew dark. "Something I am much more than."

    The King of Evil laughed and rose into the air, avoiding Judy's first energy beam and Nick's second arrow. He formed a burst of power in front of his hand and aimed it directly at the bunny.

    "Nh!" Judy quickly slashed at the ball of energy, and though her energy slice hit the ball, it was absorbed by it. A desperate follow-up swing of the sword smacked the energy ball away from Judy and into a wall, where it burst.

    "Ha ha ha...!" Ganon laughed, floating around the room and throwing more energy spheres as Nick attempted in vain to land an arrow on him. Running low on projectiles, the fox became slower to reload. The two mammals managed to avoid the attacks from the evil being with quick dodging. Finally, one of Judy's slashes sent an energy ball back directly at where Ganon was flying. "Hm!" Ganon swatted it back.

    "Hrah!" Judy slashed at it once again with an overhand slice, sending it back even faster. Ganon hit the ball back yet again, and Nick's eyes widened at the deadly tennis match. "Yaaah!" One more upwards slash from the sword rocketed the projectile back at Ganon before he could react.

    "Uoough!" Ganon hit the ground, and Judy immediately rushed at him, slashing along the way to riddle him with energy beams. Ganon howled in pain as Judy assaulted him, but he got up on a knee and drew back his hand.

    "Take this!" Judy shouted, leaping into the air and preparing to drive the sword down with both hands into Ganon.

    "HaaaaaaaAAAAAAGH!" Ganon attacked with a vicious backhanded punch, sending Judy flying across the room.

    "Judy!" Nick shrieked, catching her. "You okay?"

    "Guh... jh-just fine..." Judy shivered at the toll the attack had taken, clutching at her midsection, but seemed mostly all right. Nick gently set her down as Ganon got to his feet. Judy grimaced and held up the Master Sword, but the blade didn't glow as brightly as before. She swung it, but a beam of light didn't appear.

    "Don't suppose you want to give up yet, Ganon?" Nick aimed an arrow directly at his head.

    "Hhh..." Ganon panted, "well, this has been... somewhat humbling. To be forced to use my full power against a couple of tiny mammals." Ganon showed them the back of his fist, which contained the Triforce of Power shining on the uppermost triangle. "Now... let me show you why the Triforce of Power is on top."

    Nick let the arrow fly straight at Ganon while he was monologuing, but a burst of force sent the arrow spiraling uselessly into a wall, where it sunk. After an explosion of light, Ganon appeared to be an enormous bipedal black boar with shining white eyes and a very long orange mane. He also had somehow gained access to a very large trident.

    "Uh... okay, so he's a huge pig," Nick blinked. "A bit more relatable, but no less terrifying."

    "Nick, I've lost my ranged attack with this thing," Judy fretted. "And he's huge! How am I gonna get close enough to hit him without getting squashed?"

    "I'll create an opening," Nick shot another arrow at Ganons head, where it barely sunk into his flesh. Ganon snorted through his nose as if amused. "...Uh, okay."

    "Gah!"

    Both Nick and Judy had to scatter as Ganon stabbed forward with his trident. His enormous reach meant nearly nowhere in the room was safe for the two adventurers. Ganon kept attacking, and it was clear his efforts were focused on the wielder of the Master Sword.

    "C'mon, look over here, you big pig!" Nick kept trying to get Ganon's attention with arrow shots, but he was focused on Judy. "Rugh!" He tossed the Sheikah short sword, which landed in Ganon's arm, but didn't even make him flinch. "Dunno why I thought that would work."

    Every time Judy tried to get close enough to strike, Ganon's ponderous strikes would drive her away. Though courageous and brave, Judy understood that one attack from the massive beast would likely spell the end for her.

    "What are we to do?" Nick shouted in despair. Suddenly, he had an idea. He put his bow down and took out the Strings of Space, beginning to play Try Everything.

    "Playing your own funeral dirge...?" The monstrous voice of Ganon mocked him. "And on a violin, too! How fitting! Now, you must die!" Ganon thrust his hand forward; Judy barely got out of the way before a bolt of energy zapped the ground where she had been.

    The very first portal that opened caused a young Hylian with blonde hair and blue eyes to turn around, seeing the tumultuous battle. She was clothed in an elaborately-decorated purple dress.

    "Ganon...!" She exclaimed. "So, THIS is where you've been hiding!"

    "You call it hiding!? Soon the multiverse will bow to me, Princess Zelda!" Ganon boasted. "You may have peace in your world now, but soon every world will be mine!"

    "Take this with you, heroes..." Zelda placed her hands together in supplication, where bright light shone through the portal and onto the two. "The Blessing of Hylia!"

    Judy felt her strength returning, and the Master Sword's blade shone brighter than ever. Nick's bow levitated off the ground and became bathed in light, becoming golden and much more ornate. Nick took it in his paws and felt a strange surge of warmth.

    "Bring peace to Hyrule!" Zelda implored them. The portal closed just as Ganon tried to stab at it with his trident.

    Nick wasted no more time, and quickly readied one of his last arrows, the tip of which was bathed in a calm, whitish-yellow light. The arrow streaked across the air, landing in Ganon's face. It burst into a blinding surge of light, which caused both Nick and Judy to squint.

    A pained roar erupted from Ganon as he staggered onto a knee. Seeing her chance, Judy gathered her strength about her, and the Master Sword shot a beam of light from its blade that held steady around it and doubled its effective size. She leaped off of Ganon's bent knee, kicking off one of his hands, and slashed with a wild, broad swipe. Ganon shrieked again and collapsed to the ground. Judy let loose a flurry of slashes, landing the last one directly into Ganon's head, light beam, blade and all. Nick had to wince.

    With one final roar, Ganon burst into a surge of darkness that swirled about the room before dissipating. In his place was a twirling golden triangle.

    "We... we did it?" Nick blinked.

    "We did it!" Judy echoed. "...That must be the Triforce of Power!"

    "What- what do we do now...?" Nick chuckled, feeling a rush of relief.

    Judy held her paw out to the piece of the Triforce, and felt the piece of it that she carried tugging her forward.

    "Nick, hold out your hand toward it."

    Nick joined Judy and they both held their paws out toward the Triforce. Their hand sigils glowed and removed themselves from the bunny and fox, then swirled around the free piece of the Triforce to create the completed symbol, which hovered in the air, emiting rays of light.

    "Whoa," was all Nick could say.

    "You who have completed the Triforce," a peaceful, androgynous voice was heard to say from the midst of the room, "you may take it and speak your wish."

    "A wish...?" Judy murmured.

    "Ganon said something about using the Triforce to cause the land to fall into chaos," Nick recalled.

    "...So do we both touch it, or...?" Judy giggled nervously as the symbol of power twirled before them.

    "You know what to wish for, Judy," Nick smiled at her.

    Judy cautiously walked beneath the Triforce and held her paws up to catch it, where it slowly spun inches from her paws.

    "I wish for everyone affected by Ganon's displacement to be returned to their home realms!" Judy spoke loudly and clearly.

    "So it shall be."

    Everything around Nick and Judy grew white.

    "Whoa... what's going on...?" Nick sputtered.

    Both Judy and Nick hung there in the void, and were visited by a large feminine being that appeared very similar to Zelda, but dressed all in white with an even more regal appearance. The two swore they could hear some peaceful refrains that sounded like they came from a harp.

    "Thank you, heroes," the figure said. "Your quest is now over. Peace has been restored to Hyrule; the light shines upon it once again."

    "What's happening?" Judy blinked. "Is everyone going to be okay?"

    "You've done just as heroes do... and you've given of yourselves selflessly to bring order to these worlds," the figure smiled at them. "For that, you must be praised. I can only pray that your actions are recorded for all time in The Legend of Zelda."

    Nick and Judy both drew in and winced as the light became so blinding that they could no longer see.

---

    "Whew! Wow!" Judy removed the headset of the PIXAR machine. "What an adventure!"

    "Yeesh!" Nick removed his own headset, staring at it. "That was a little too convincing to me. It actually got me to believe we had left Zootopia and got trapped in Hyrule."

    "That's what made it immersive!" The bunny energetically launched herself from the PIXAR machine's chair, waving an invisible sword through the air. "I loved it! Slash! Slice!"

    "I miss when video games were simpler, actually," Nick chuckled, scratching his head. "Y'know, around when I was born, that was when the first Super Meowrio Bros. came out. You know, the simple bipping and booping, hopping and bopping."

    "Well, different kinds of games are fun for different kinds of people," Judy shrugged. "Personally I really liked that one. We both got to be heroes!"

    "And how is that any different from real life?" Nick grinned, nudging her.

    Judy giggled. "Guess you're right about that."

    Nick and Judy grinned at each other, then the fox seemed to think of something.

    "Speaking of video games, Super Meowrio Ottersea is supposed to come out in just a few days," he scratched his muzzle. "Now that I just got into a video game scenario, I wonder if I should try that out. Might be nostalgic."

    "Haha, you're all about the nostalgia, you goofball," Judy nudged Nick in the arm.

    "That I am, Carrots," Nick held a finger up. "But after that, I think I need a break."

    "Now let's go and rest, our heroes!" Judy exulted as they headed off together.

Chapter 168: Mystery

    It was a lazy day at the ZPD. The dull drone of chatter around the office floor was quieter than usual; not many reports to be filed. Nonetheless, Judy dutifully wrote up her reports on the computer for a few traffic violations she and Nick had caught. In the middle of her busywork, Nick sauntered up to her cubicle and leaned on it.

    "Carrots...!" Nick drawled thickly, his smirk heavy in his voice.

    Judy's ear twitched and she quickly swallowed a smile before looking back at him. "Yes, Wilde?"

    Nick snapped fingers on both hands and pointed his indexes at the bunny. "Dinner, you and me, tomorrow night. Got my eye on this great place in Sahara Square. If you haven't eaten there before, mm! You are in for a treat." The fox placed two of his fingers in an "ok" sign and squinted his eyes shut as he shook that hand.

    "Tomorrow's..." Judy looked conflicted and then shook her head, "sorry Nick, raincheck?"

    "Are you serious?" Nick blinked, his arms collapsing loosely at his sides. "C'mon, the view is incredible! You said you love Zootopia, right? Well you'll love it even more after you get a couple eyefuls of the Sahara Square nightlife while eating a dish that will make your tastebuds explode- er, but in a good way. Oh, and it's omnivorous, too. You can get a salad that will make all of your fondest bunny dreams come true. No lie."

    "Sounds really nice..." Judy nibbled on her lip, "but can we do it another time?"

    Nick narrowed one eye. "What is with you, Carrots? It's always like this every other Saturday night."

    "Prior arrangements, sorry!" Judy flashed a big grin.

    "Right, and do these 'prior arrangements' have a name?" Nick folded his arms and his brow fell, his weight slung heavily against her cubicle wall.

    "Wow, Nick," Judy let out a huff and beamed, turning back to her computer, "jealousy is not a good look on you."

    "I'm not jealous!" Nick stood back up straight. "Just... curious! You've never mentioned what you do on these secretive Saturday nights!"

    "That's because it's none of your business!" Judy tossed her head, punctuating her words with light taps on her keyboard.

    "All right, you little-" Nick said, but got a foreboding feeling behind him. Tilting his muzzle straight up, he saw the upside-down frowning face of Chief Bogo. "Ghh...!" Nick started forward.

    "Hopps," Bogo grumbled out. "Is this fox harassing you?"

    "Oh, no sir," Judy tossed an angelic grin over to him and bat her eyes, "on the contrary, I'm harassing HIM."

    Bogo's look of slight irritation morphed into mild confusion, then plummeted straight into extreme disinterest. He snorted and turned away. "All right, then. Carry on."

    "Wh- 'carry on'?" Nick gawked after the retreating buffalo form. "How is that fair?"

    "You've probably done something to deserve it, Wilde," Bogo said offhandedly while gesturing flippantly.

    Judy badly hid a laugh under a loud snort.

    "Y'know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that guy doesn't like me," Nick murmured loudly, leaning into Judy's desk.

    "Nick..." Judy gazed at him with a cheese-eating grin, "are you going to let me finish my paperwork, or are you going to hover around me like a lost pup for the rest of the day?"

    Nick gave her a quizzical look, straightened up, and adjusted his tie. "Message received. Good day, ma'am." He bowed facetiously and headed back to his own cubicle, just one down from hers.

    Judy stifled another laugh as she saw fox ears poke up once or twice from Nick's end. She knew what she was doing, and was enjoying it enormously.

---

    Nick stretched luxuriously and cracked his knuckles as the burnt orange evening sky welcomed his retreat from the ZPD. Tossing a suspicious glance to the skipping gray bunny heading off to the subway, he folded his arms, his tail swishing distractedly behind him.

    "She's relishing your curiosity, Wilde," Nick told himself. "Drinking it in. Sipping it like a product of the vine. But she's not gonna get to you, is she? Ohhhh no. That's what she wants. She definitely knows that Nick Wilde isn't just someone you get to. If that bunny thinks she can out-fox a fox-"

    Nick felt an air burst on the top of his head, then a wiggling, fleshy feeling as his head was jostled back and forth. "Nyuh!" Francine Pennington walked by him ponderously, aiming him a playful look downward as she did so.

    "You okay there, Wilde?" The elephant grinned enormously, retracting her trunk from messing with Nick. "Talkin' to yourself is one of the first signs of goin' crazy." She made a looping motion with her trunk.

    "Don't you worry, Ms. Pennington," Nick brushed his head fur back into place. "I'm totally fine and completely in control of all of my faculties."

    "If ya say so," Francine's large leathery ears flapped in fond farewell, "see you on Monday, Wilde!"

    "Bye, Francine!" Nick waved pleasantly, then turned around completely in both direction and demeanor. His pleasant facade morphed into serious consideration as he started to head to the subway to get to his own apartment. He rubbed over his muzzle thoughtfully.

    Think, Wilde. You can find her tomorrow. You're a fox, she's a bunny. She's YOUR prey-

    Nick flinched bodily, a shiver traveling up his spine.

    "Okay, might be best if I didn't think that way," Nick noted aloud with a nervous giggle, regaining his composure.

    She's your PARTNER. Just get into her head, find out what she's doing, and then hang it over her for the rest of the month, at LEAST. Like a balanced mammal.

    Nick's expression morphed into a devious smirk, and he rubbed his paws together briskly.

---

    "Heya, Carrots."

    "Ghhh!" Judy shuddered like she'd been zapped by a bolt from the blue. She'd just come out of Maulgreens, and the surprise made her hug her shopping bag close to her body defensively.

    With a baffled expression, the bunny turned to face Nick, who was leaning against the storefront with his hideous golden-yellow shirt, mismatched navy tie, and dark sunglasses. For added insult, he was slurping on a pawpsicle.

    "Nick, what are you doing here?" Judy waggled her head subtly, staring up at him.

    "Just wondered what my favorite li'l bunny was up to," Nick nosily slurped his treat, making Judy cringe in annoyance. The fox jerked his thumb back to the store. "This is your favorite store, after all." He wiggled the pawpsicle in Judy's direction. "Buy anything interesting?"

    "Ah ah!" Judy swerved her body and closed her shopping bag up tight. She managed to get it away just in time before a red drip of juice leaped greedily from the pawpsicle to try to land on the bag. "You get your foxy nose out of my business, mister."

    "Mmm, so you did buy something interesting," Nick nodded sagely. "How... interesting."

    "Nick, I really don't think you'd be that interested in my shopping habits," Judy said dully. "It's always you that's trying to squirrel his way out of going shopping with me anyway."

    "Hey, I happen to know a lot of squirrels who like shopping," Nick said, bending down his glasses to give her a facetious glare.

    "Give it up, Nick," Judy suddenly smirked. "Desperation looks even worse than jealousy on you."

    "Who's desperate?" Nick shrugged, going back to loudly slurping on the pawpsicle. "Just a curious and concerned friend, is all."

    "Uh huh..." Judy didn't buy that in the slightest. "Well, I better not catch you on my tail for the rest of the day."

    "Oh, you won't," Nick smiled pleasantly. Judy gave him a piercing look with a tight frown, then when he seemed to be behaving, she headed back for her apartment.

    Nick pocketed his sunglasses, flicking his pawpsicle stick into the trash. He sighed in irritation. "Easy there, don't get her too defensive, else she'll just be harder to crack."

---

    Judy left her apartment building at the Grand Pangolin Arms, looking left and right curiously. Narrowing her eyes suspiciously, she even checked the alleyways bordering the apartment for any snooping foxes, but upon finding none, she headed off down the street, her cautious gait giving way to a more casual walk.

    Nick casually walked out from the alley across the street and went to cross at the crosswalk.

    "A creature of habit, that rabbit," Nick smirked to himself, "always has dinner at a similar time, almost never cooks for herself."

    Entering her floor, Nick walked up to Judy's door, and felt in his pants' pocket for the emergency key he had to her apartment.

    A frown came over him as he had an unwelcome attack of conscience. Was he really going to burst into her apartment and tear it up looking for the secrets he craved?

    No, no that would be too easy... THINK, Wilde.

    Nick leaned his head on the door to Judy's apartment and looked down at the floor. On it was just one thing out of place, and Nick curiously bent down to pick it up. It was a tiny bit of fuzzy white fluff.

    "Judy's...?" Nick sniffed at it. It didn't smell like much like the familiar scent of the bunny, or any other mammal he could think of for that matter. "Mmm, synthetic material? Could probably get this looked at..."

    Nick heard contesting voices coming from the next door down, and brightened up considerably.

    "Ah, the crazy, nosy neighbors," Nick looked elated. "Jackpot."

    Nick pocketed the little fluffy evidence and knocked on the neighbor's door, folding his arms behind his back and putting on his most polite smile. The arguing ceased, and the door opened slowly.

    "Good evening, gentlemammals," Nick said politely.

    "We don't want any," the oryx on the other side grumbled.

    "H-hold on!" Nick held a paw up. "I'm not selling anything. My name is Nick Wilde, ZPD, and-"

    "Oh, ohhh...!" The kudu pointed at him. "You're the bunny's fox, ain'tcha?"

    "I am her partner, yes," Nick nodded.

    "Oh yeah?" The oryx smirked. "How's that work out?"

    "I mean, we're obviously good with interspecies," the kudu motioned between him and his own partner, "but you make a size difference like that work? Shoo, must be-"

    "No no no, wait wait, aheheh..." Nick swallowed tightly, "not partner like that, police partner."

    "Oh... that's a little bit more boring," the oryx drawled. "Anyway, name's Pronk."

    "Bucky," the kudu waved dully. "What do you want?"

    "Just had a question about Judy," Nick cleared his throat. "She been acting strange lately?"

    "Well, I dunno about that," Pronk's brow furrowed. "She's a bunny cop. That's strange by default, isn't it?"

    "Ah, point taken," Nick smiled patiently. "Just... anything out of the ordinary. For her."

    The two grazers looked at each other briefly, then shrugged and shook their heads.

    "Naw, pretty much same ol', same ol'," Bucky shook his head. "Nice of you to be concerned, though."

    "Mmm, more than a casual interest, huh Buck?" Pronk grinned.

    Nick's brow furrowed as he felt the inquisition spinning around on him. "No no, that's enough then. Just watching out for her. Professional courtesy."

    "I'm sure," Bucky didn't seem convinced.

    "Anyway, I'll let you get back to your bickering, good day!" Nick bowed politely.

    "Thaaanks...?" Pronk narrowed an eye and shut the door swiftly. The arguing did not start in earnest.

    Nick considered that fact as he began to head for the elevator to leave. "Hm... something to hide? Waiting til I'm gone to start bickering again? Maybe they do know something, or else I'm reading too much into this."

    The fox was still deep in thought, standing in the elevator as the doors opened to the ground floor.

    "NICK!"

    "Hyugh!" Nick flinched as Judy was on the other side of the door, holding a small bag from Chez Cheese. "Ggh- whoaaa...!" Judy grabbed a fistful of his shirt and yanked him out of the elevator.

    "Nick, what are you doing at my apartment!?" Judy hissed at him.

    "Oh, nh-nothing," Nick flashed a delicate smile.

    "Did you go into my room!?" Judy glared at him.

    "I didn't!" Nick held up a paw in an oath. "Scout's honor."

    Judy tilted her head, twisting her mouth in muted anger. "Just drop it, Nick, you're starting to annoy me."

    "Only 'starting'...?" Nick pursued with a pleasant smile, then Judy scoffed loudly and let him go. She entered the elevator and snacked on a small stick of string cheese with a cross look on her face, glaring at Nick as the elevator doors closed.

    Nick growled quietly in frustration, and made his way out onto the street.

---

    The fox was still skulking around the block long after the sun went down; a hastily-eaten fish sandwich only slightly improving his mood. He glowered up at Judy's apartment light, which unexpectedly went out just as he was looking at it.

    Wiggling his muzzle in disbelief, he looked down at his phone. 8:00 PM? He knew Judy was early to bed, but that seemed a bit ridiculous. He took the piece of fluff back out of his pocket and mulled it over, sniffing it again.

    "Artificial fluff, what would that be for..." Nick snapped his fingers three times. "Stuffing? It's too coarse to be the fur of a stuffed animal... maybe a pillow's stuffing."

    A feeling of curiosity started welling within Nick, mixed with a slight fear, and if he was honest, even a pang of jealousy. Was she sleeping somewhere else one night every other week? Why would she hide it from her best friend instead of just talking to him about it?

    Nick waited for fifteen minutes for Judy to show up at the door to the apartment complex, but she never did. He slunk out from his hiding spot in the alley and, gathering his wits, headed for her apartment floor.

    The light was indeed still out in her apartment, and Nick trained his ear on it to see if he could hear her breathing through the door. It would be a trick, even for a fox, but he tried it anyway. As he did, his head was pointed in the direction of her neighbors, and he could see a soft light glow, like that of a television, coming from under their doorway.

    Suddenly, he heard screaming and yelling coming from behind that door.

    A bolt of dread traveled through Nick's body. Two voices? Three? No, definitely three. The sounds of a struggle. One of them was definitely Judy's.

    Nick reached deep in his pockets, fumbling for his stun gun, and he attached a loose battery pack to it, hearing it whine as it powered up. He braced himself against the door.

    "ZPD! YOU HAVE TILL THE COUNT OF TEN TO GIVE YOURSELF UP!" Nick bellowed in a voice that he barely recognized. "One, two...!"

    The screaming stopped.

    "No, wait-!"

    "TEN!"

    Nick braced himself and shoved his shoulder into the door with all of his might. Thankfully, the medium-size door buckled and broke open under the fox's assault. His shoulder didn't like him very much, however. Nick's adrenaline let him ignore the pain as he swept his stun gun around the room. Frozen in place were Bucky, Pronk, and Judy, all wearing nightwear and wielding pillows.

    "Nick!" Judy's eyes bulged, but she looked more shocked than angry.

    "What the heck is going on here!?" Nick's paws vibrated. "I thought you were being attacked!"

    "Well, kinda..." Bucky rubbed behind his head.

    "Shut up, Buck!" Pronk hissed at him.

    "Well, anyone?" Nick grumbled.

    "Nick, put the stupid stun gun down," Judy grumbled. "We're all fine."

    "This is..." Pronk grumbled. "It's a pillow fight club. And the first rule of pillow fight club is that you don't talk about pillow-"

    "Right, okay, I got it," Nick's brow fell and he disengaged the stun gun. He let loose a loud groan. "Just as well, because I'd like to never speak of this again." He looked at Judy skeptically, gesturing around the room with a paw. "This is what you've been blowing me off for every other Saturday?"

    "Well, yeah," Judy shrugged. "I knew you'd think it was dumb and you'd probably tease me relentlessly about it, so I thought I might as well leave it as a big mystery."

    Nick shook his head and poked his temple twice. "No, I doubt it. You didn't tell me because you were afraid I'd kick your little tail in a pillow fight."

    "Tuh!" Judy placed a hand on a thrown out hip. "As if! You've got so much more tail to kick than me, fox!"

    Nick lunged forward and grabbed two throw pillows off of the nearest couch and leaned forward in attack position. "I'll make you eat those words, bunny..."

    "I'll make you eat this pillow!" Judy shouted, flinging herself at the fox with pillow drawn back with both arms. "Hyaaaaaaaagh!"

    The two quickly exploded into a scene of fluffy violence.

    "Think we should, uh, join in?" Bucky scratched one of his horns.

    "Eh, I'm gonna make some popcorn," Pronk muttered, jerking his hoof at them. "Something tells me this duel's been a long time comin'."

Chapter 169: Craving

    "UGH!"

    Judy draped herself across her spacious couch in her apartment. It had been a long month that felt more like a year to the gray bunny.

    Nick had gotten himself on a special assignment; he was undercover, helping to bust some sort of canid nip ring. Because of this, Judy had no contact with him while he was undercover, despite how much she might have wanted that. Just a word on how he was doing; making sure he was okay. Of course, Judy was pretty sure he'd be okay. Pretty sure.

    Still, it would have been nice to know for certain.

    Judy blew air out of her lips in a raspberry. She was strewn across the couch, dressed only in one of Nick's lime-green shirts, worn loosely on her small bunny frame. She turned the TV on and flicked the remote across to the far side of the couch.

    Vvt, vvt.

    Her phone buzzed, and Judy leaped onto the couch, reaching for it eagerly on the end table. She quickly sighed as she saw it was just a notification from one of her sisters. More followed, one seemingly every other minute.

    Of all days for Nick to be gone, her days off were the hardest. This one in particular, because it was Couples' Day, smack dab in the middle of many prey mammals' mating seasons, so of course there had to be a holiday of it. Fertility was the patron of that one, and honestly Judy was sick of seeing that "sexy bunny's" likeness everywhere. The Hopps sisters and brothers were cheerfully showing off their dates, mostly other bunnies and hares, but a few had gone interspecies as well.

    "Even Violet has a date tonight?" Judy whined. "I mean, I'm happy for her, but... uugghh..."

    Judy turned off her phone in irritation at the relentless notifications and added it to the slowly growing pile of technology that was offending her.

    "Oh well, I can deal without my fox for one Couples' Day," Judy claimed to herself with a grumble, staring at the TV. She shook her head subtly. "Way to 'fox and the grapes' it, Judy."

    Only getting up for vital necessities, Judy continued to pout and lay down on her couch. It was only two weeks after Nick and Judy had moved in together that the assignment for Nick had come in. The apartment still felt fresh and new to the bunny, yet its size also channeled and amplified her feelings of loneliness.

    Of course, the fact that every TV show on had a bunch of Couples' Day commercials didn't help. Judy felt herself ready to gnaw at a throw pillow she'd clutched to herself. She really should get up and exercise a bit on their new adjustable elliptical to get her mind off things. She should, but...

    The clincher came when Ellen DeGenetres' talk show came on. She was a predator, a celebrity genet that had famously come out as having a female prey as a mate around twenty years prior. It was hard for Judy to believe that it was that short of a time ago when pred-prey relationships were looked upon with a much more critical eye. Of course, interspecies relationships were nearly always a thing, and pred-prey wasn't uncommon either, but for some reason society seemed to cast a disdainful eye on pred-prey relationships in particular. Something about them being "deviant" and fueled by unnatural lust and kinks on both the predator and prey's part. It was a feeling that had been perpetuated throughout society and only recently had come under attack as being narrow-minded and closed-off.

    When Ellen DeGenetres did "come out", her career as a celebrity almost ended due to backlash from some mammal groups, but she persevered and held on in the public eye, and eventually started to help spread tolerance and positive feelings toward mammals of all walks of life. In a pred-prey relationship herself, Judy found herself relating more to the celebrity's message, even more so than just her message of love and inclusion.

    But at that moment, with the host's dry jokes about Couples' Day and fun games, Judy found herself irritated, nearly fuming. When Judy couldn't get what she wanted, she was often bitter and frustrated. And what she wanted at that moment, more than anything else, was her fox. But, infuriatingly, it was completely out of her control. There was nothing that would make Nick get home any faster, and he didn't get any "days off" on his assignment either. It wasn't fair. Judy picked up the remote and turned off the TV right as the genet was delivering her famous "be kind to one other" catchphrase.

    Judy remained there with poor posture, looking toward the kitchen. She was craving vanilla ice cream, as she often did when she was feeling mopey. She knew she was out of it, however, already having gone through a tub of it over the course of Nick's absence. She groaned as she reclined there on the couch, eyes and ears droopy.

    With very little ceremony, Nick opened the door to their apartment and walked right on in, plastic bags under each hand.

    "Nnh-NICK!" Judy ears and the rest of her shot straight up, jolting upright to her feet on the couch.

    "Whoa..." Nick grinned with a leer at the bunny's attire as he stepped inside, dropping his bags on the kitchen's island. "So you did get my text?"

    "What- no- I..." Judy babbled, emotions crashing into her as the reality of her fox being home started to hit her. "Nick!" She lunged at him, leaping into his recently vacated arms.

    "Yikes!" Nick caught her, barely, though she gripped on so tight he needn't have offered any support. "You didn't get my text? So you're just lounging around in one of my shirts-" Nick's eyes widened as his paw supporting her lower half touched fur, "and... apparently nothing else? ...You're just being sexy for no reason?" Nick chuckled.

    "I um, I had my phone off," Judy gave little bashful chuckles, rather unlike her, nudging her forehead against his, kissing him, then rubbing her chin along his muzzle. "Too many of my siblings bragging about their dates tonight." Judy's nose wrinkled. "You smell weird."

    "Well, hanging around ruffians will do that to you," Nick offered her a small kiss in return, holding her close for awhile, sniffing along her ears. "Been awhile since I got to smell something as pleasant as this bunny as well." Said bunny hummed happily in response.

    "I'm guessing all went well, then?" Judy looked up hopefully at him.

    "Oh yeah, everything's tied up with a bow at the office, and I'm one shower away from being right as rain," Nick nodded. "I wrote quite a dissertation to you in text, kinda miffed you didn't read it. Also asked what you wanted for tonight, it being Couples' Day and all."

    "Oops," Judy flashed her teeth in a guilty smile. "But you know all I really wanted for Couples' Day was for you to come home..."

    "Aww..." Nick smiled pleasantly at her, then gently set her down. "Corny and cliche. That's my bunny."

    "Ugh, you jerk," Judy weakly hit his side with an open paw. "I've missed you."

    "Likewise, sugar-fluff," Nick replied, going to the bags, which mostly had groceries; a lot of Nick's indulgent foods. "It has been too long since I had a proper fish sandwich..." Judy's nose wrinkled again. "I'm guessing you ran out of this." Nick held up a tub of vanilla ice cream.

    Judy gasped, rushing over and hugging the tub before placing it in the freezer. "Eee! Yes! Mmm, see, this is why you're my boyfriend."

    "Because I indulge you," Nick said casually, putting the rest of the groceries away.

    Judy rolled her eyes, but then gave a conciliatory nod and shrug. She scoffed. "How can you be so casual when it's been so long since we've seen- oh." She started to laugh.

    "What?" Nick blinked.

    "Your tail's going pretty fast," the bunny giggled into a paw.

    "God," Nick looked skyward and wagged his head, "I swear that guy's gonna get me into trouble one of these days. He just won't wear the mask."

    "Well, if 'trouble' is what you want to get into," Judy said amorously, brushing up against him, "then 'trouble' is my middle name."

    "I thought it was 'Laverne'," Nick said calmly, though his tail thrashed faster.

    "Nick," Judy deadpanned, looking up at him, but unable to avoid cracking a smile. "I'm trying to be flirtatious here."

    Nick nodded with his eyes closed. "And I appreciate the effort, darling. I, however, am trying to tease you 'til you get to just that point where you become your most feisty."

    "Whew, you do know me," Judy tapped her foot and folded her arms, feeling outplayed by the smug fox in front of her. "You're lucky you're such a dashing rogue, or else..."

    "Or else what?" Nick winked, affectionately rubbing her head, which she leaned into like a kitten. "You'd still find me irresistible?"

    "M-mm-maybe 'insufferable'!" Judy tried weakly to regain her ground and her dignity after such an egregious submission to his affection.

    "Mm, it has been awhile since I had you eating out of my paw like this," Nick smirked. "I'm enjoying it. In fact, maybe we should literally do that sometime. Might be something I could get into."

    "You are so crazy," Judy shook her head and sighed. "Here I am ready to pour my heart out to you and you're just- you're still so Nick."

    "By all means, pour, my dear," Nick smiled at her, petting her ears.

    "Well, uh, I mean-" Judy brushed her hand through her ears, her paws running up against against her love's. "I actually was wearing your shirt because, uh, y'know. Smells like you. I was- to be honest- I was kind of pouty the last few days."

    "'Intolerable' was the word Bogo used," Nick stared out the window.

    "Yes, well," Judy folded her arms tightly, looking away. "Maybe if you weren't such a slick so-and-so, we wouldn't have had to spend so much time apart."

    "Judy," Nick laughed, dropping to his knees and hugging her. She grumbled and eventually relented, hugging back tightly. "You wanted me to turn down that assignment? To be honest I was kind of flattered that Bogo thought I could handle it."

    "Well no, but... I just wish we could have worked on it together," Judy hung her head a little. "Y'know, we're partners."

    "Wouldn't have worked, babe," Nick's smile became apologetic, "all-canid operation. I've got an every-fox face, and you..." Nick gently squeezed her cheeks. "Have one of the most adorable- and recognizable- faces of all bunnykind."

    "Thankoo," Judy said through mooshed cheeks. Nick gave her a small smooch and let her go. "I'm surprised you wanted to get me anything for Couples' Day anyway. You're not a 'holiday' guy."

    "That's correct, I am not," Nick nodded, getting up and loosening his shirt, "but I do want to make my bunny happy."

    "Oh?" Judy's pulse quickened up as the disrobing fox made for the bathroom.

    "Yup," Nick shut the door before he could get to the fun parts. He continued to speak through the door. "After my shower, we should have a long discussion."

    "Um, 'bout what?" Judy pressed against the door, hopelessly attracted to that infuriating fox.

    "About how much I missed you," Nick said gently, but with his typical smug spice.

    "Yh-yeah?" Judy bit her lip, a grin exploding onto her face. "I hope, um, I hope it will be an 'emphatic' discussion..."

    "Oh, definitely," he crooned, "with lots of gestures."

    "That sounds fun...!" Her excitement was close to bursting, the bunny's paws wiggling by her face. "Hh-hey, after your shower, I want to dry and groom you, okay?"

    "Mm, if you insist," Nick's husky, echoing voice came back as he stepped out of the shower. "Leave the shirt on 'til we get to the bedroom, though. It's kinda doing it for me."

    With a broad grin, Judy rushed her way into the kitchen, got out a small bowl, and fixed herself a meager portion of vanilla ice cream. Digging in with a spoon, she took just one mouthful, then squealed and gave a full body shiver as she jumped a half-foot into the air.

    It was going to be a fun night.

Chapter 170: Cotton

    Officer Fangmeyer entered the ZPD break room to find Judy partially slumped there at a table. Trying to squelch a smirk, the tigress approached the listless bunny and sat down next to her, not even bothering with the cup of coffee she'd intended to get.

    "What's the deal, Hopps?" Fangmeyer teased. "You're not your usual perky self."

    "Ugh..." Judy sat up straight, smacking the table with both hands. "It's... tch, it's nothing."

    Fangmeyer's expression became droll. "Please tell me you're not upset that Bogo separated you from your pet fox for like an hour."

    "No, of course not," Judy glared at the smug tigress. "But... Nick is partly why I'm annoyed."

    "Big surprise," Fangmeyer rolled her eyes.

    "It's just... a kind of important date is coming up, and I dunno what to get him for it," Judy murmured, propping her cheeks up with her paws.

    "Important date...?" Fangmeyer raised an eyebrow. "He doesn't have a birthday coming up, I remember that much."

    "It's..." Judy huffed, "it's our anniversary of becoming partners. Two years."

    Fangmeyer snorted. "Are you kidding me? That's a thing with you two?"

    "Oh, come on, Fangmeyer," Judy looked at her sidelong, her brow furrowing. "You don't know what it's like to-" she interrupted herself, moving her lips against her teeth as she didn't think far enough into that sentence to finish it.

    "I don't what?" Fangmeyer leaned forward with a challenging expression. "Because I do have a partner. But I'm not so obsessed with Wolfard that I remember every little this and that about him."

    "I'm not 'obsessed' with Nick, okay?" The backs of Judy's paws thudded against the table. "It's just... it was an important day for us, okay? It changed both of our lives."

    Fangmeyer rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Just give him a pat on the head and tell him he's a good boy. Wolfard seems to like it."

    "Fangmeyer!" Judy looked up at her reprovingly. "Nick's not a wolf."

    "Eh," Fangmeyer shrugged. "A dog's a dog."

    "Fangmeyer!" Judy's crinkled nose broadcasted offense.

    The tigress was slightly bemused as the bunny seemed to be sizing her up. "Look, any idiot can see that you two are crazy about each other, so whatever you get him's fine, jeez."

    "Thanks, I guess," Judy pushed away from the table, and made her way down to interrogation.

---

    "C'mon, Joe, I know you from way back," Nick leaned across the table, leaning on it. On the other side was a very nervous-looking hyena.

    "Nicky, c'mon, this guy's borin' holes in the back of my head," Joe looked behind him at Officer McHorn, who was standing there with his arms folded. "I get the feelin' he wants to squash me!"

    "All we want is answers, ol' Joey," the fox smiled patiently. "But you gotta work with us here. You had no alibi for the night of the murder, and it was your ceremonial sword that killed her."

    "Why'd I want to off my favorite aunt, Nick?" Joey shrugged desperately, looking between him and McHorn. "What's in it for me, uh? I'm not in her will, I don't get no inheritance from it!"

    "Don't look at McHorn, Joe, you're panicking," Nick gave a friendly smile. "It's a good point though, I don't see what motive there'd be. You weren't a beneficiary from her- wait... do you know if she has a life insurance policy?"

    "I dunno, maybe?" The hyena winced.

    "Any enemies of your aunt that also know you?" Nick scribbled down some notes.

    "Hm, that's a good question," Joe thought. "I d-don't wanna point the finger at no one, though. My aunt wasn't the most angelical of animals, but I don't think anyone was angry enough at her to kill her."

    "Mr. Yowler, you're talkin' in circles," McHorn grunted. "Get on with it."

    Judy walked up to the interrogation room's window and looked at Chief Bogo, who was standing there with his arms folded.

    "How's it going, chief?" The bunny inquired.

    "Wilde has the patience of a saint and the smirk of a demon," Bogo huffed, almost smiling. "I have the feeling that Mr. Yowler here will give us a lead with just a few more minutes. The guy is as panicky a caffeinated weasel, though, so Wilde will have to calm him down a bit more."

    "He's good on the interrogation, huh?" Judy grinned. "I wish I was a better 'bad cop'. The last deer I grabbed by the shirt and screamed 'I WANT ANSWERS' at just laughed at me."

    "Everyone's got their talents," Bogo rubbed his chin. "Nick is probably the sleaziest sweet-talker I've ever seen, but it works well enough for the task at hand."

    "So um," Judy cleared her throat, cleaning her teeth inside her mouth with her tongue. "Nick and I will have been partners for two years pretty soon."

    "Mm," Bogo huffed.

    "You think I should get him something, or...?" Judy bit at her lip.

    Bogo tossed a quizzical look at Judy. "...Hopps, what three words do you think I'm going to say to you right now?"

    "'I don't care'?" Judy grumbled.

    Bogo grew a wide smile with his eyes halfway open, then snapped back to his normal stony face. "Don't you bunnies have enough to celebrate, with all the birthdays and marriages and such? Does it become a fixture for you, and now that you're the only one of your family for miles, you have to find other reasons to celebrate?"

    Judy's ears went back. "I mean, when you put it like that, it seems pretty... simple-minded, I guess."

    "Not at all," Bogo shrugged lightly. "I was just curious. Life is meant to be enjoyed, Hopps. I'm not one for celebrations, but if that's what will give you happiness, go for it. I'm sure Wilde would appreciate a gift, even if he doesn't remember the occasion."

    "You don't think he would...?" Judy turned her head to the smarmy fox in the interrogation room.

    "I'm surprised he remembered my birthday," Bogo said. "Though I suspect it's because he got wise to the fact that I hate celebrating them." Bogo rubbed one of his temples at a dim memory intruding on him. "Last year he directed the loudest rendition of 'Happy Birthday' I'd ever heard."

    Judy winced with a guilty smile. She remembered that, and she was basically screaming the song herself. "Yeah, it um... I thought Francine's trumpet at the end was a nice exclamation point."

    "Wilde lives to bother me," Bogo grumbled. "But, he is diligent, in his own, strange way. Plus, if I don't react like he wants, he won't get the satisfaction."

    "Don't let 'em see they get to you," Judy parroted Nick's slogan.

    "Doesn't only work for him, Hopps," Bogo smirked, then was quickly business again, looking at Judy sidelong. "I need one of my daily reports from Clawhauser, Hopps. Would you be so kind?"

    "Of course, sir," Judy straightened up, saluting. "I'll get right on that." The bunny sprang into action, though the front desk was only a short jog away. By chance she saw Officer Wolfard on the way over.

    "Oh, Officer Wolfard!" Judy waved. The plucky-looking wolf smiled and waved back, his tail giving a single little thrash at being called. "Hey, um, I had a question for you?"

    "Shoot!" Wolfard ambled on over.

    "You'd... um," Judy looked rather flustered. "You'd feel pretty patronized if someone pat your head and called you a 'good boy', right?"

    "Oh, sure," Wolfard nodded seriously. "Absolutely."

    "Thought so," Judy rolled her eyes and shook her head . "Thanks!" She started to walk off.

    "Uh!" Wolfard held a paw up to stop her. "Wait, that's a... a good thing, right?"

    Judy's posture slumped a little in disappointment, but she just waved it off. "It's okay, Wolfard, I'll talk to you in a while." She pointed in the direction of Clawhauser's desk, and made her way over.

    "Hey Clawhauser," Judy said, her voice a little glum. "Chief Bogo wanted a report from you?"

    "Oh hello, Hopps!" Clawhauser said, grabbing the report and beginning to hand it to her. He halted when he saw her current less-than-sunny mood, and withdrew the folder he was offering.

    "Uh?" Judy's outstretched paws continued to hold nothing.

    "You can have the report when you tell me what's bugging you!" Clawhauser insisted. When Judy opened her mouth, Clawhauser pointed at her with his free hand. "Ah! And don't tell me nothing's bothering you, because I don't see any bunnyglow coming from our bunny!"

    Judy closed her eyes and sloughed a paw off her face. "Fine. It's just... there's a bit of a little unimportant, insignificant date coming up-"

    "Oh, the anniversary of you and Nick becoming partners?" Benjamin almost seemed to bounce a bit as realization struck him.

    Judy gazed at him with mouth slightly agape. "How did you remember?"

    Clawhauser giggled. "Well, you know... I've been fans of you two for some time."

    "Yeah, I think the whole station knows that," Judy smirked wryly.

    "Just like the whole station knows what a cyyuu-uhhh, I mean, what a nice-looking couple you two make!" Clawhauser beamed.

    "Ben..." Judy sighed, but grew a warm, tired smile. "I mean, I don't really think it's like that. Sure there's... 'some' flirting."

    "'Some', uh-huh," Clawhauser grinned in a peering, feline way, "like the Grand Canyon is 'some' hole in the ground."

    "Clawhauser," the bunny chuckled. "Okay, so we flirt a lot. Neither of us has really said the 'L-word' to the other."

    "Pfeh, labels," the big cheetah swiped a paw and plucked a donut from his active snack box, popping it into his mouth and engulfing it whole. "You know what they say, Judy. A donut by any other name would be just as yummy."

    "They say something like that, anyway," Judy giggled. "But I just- I dunnoooo... I feel like such a kit about this. I wanna get him something, kinda. But I'm worried he'll think it's dumb, or he won't even remember."

    "Judy Amaranth Hopps," Clawhauser said in a sassy way, looking at her like a schoolteacher. "You get that fox something from your heart and he will treasure it all his days. And don't you try to tell me he won't."

    The bunny's eyes went wide. "Um, 'kay. By the way, that's not my middle name."

    "I figured," Clawhauser snickered, "but I just liked the sound of it. Plus it has more syllables than..." the cheetah seemed to dig through a database, "'Laverne'? Really?"

    "Really," Judy groaned, but then grinned. "Anyway, thanks for the advice. You're really sweet, Clawhauser."

    Clawhauser triumphantly pointed up to a donut. "You are what you eat! That's what they say!"

    Judy beamed. "Yeah, they do say that."

---

    It was a quiet evening in Sahara Square, just on the outskirts of town. A cozy little cafe called the Quenched Camel sat on the corner of the street, having a good view of deeper into the Square, where colorful lights dotted seemingly everywhere one could see. In the other direction there was water. The soft rush of air and dim lights on the water permeated that view, the gentler sensations drifting along the air and across Judy's big ears.

    "This is a nice place," Judy decided, grinning at Nick. The two sat at an umbrella-shaded table just a bit out of the way of the rest of the traffic to the cafe. It didn't seem very busy that night, and Judy continued to relish the sights, sounds, and smells, between sips of a soup.

    "And it will be for another, oh..." Nick looked his phone. "Forty minutes or so. This is the perfect time to come for a mild-weathered mammal. The heat-lovers have left, and the cold-lovers haven't gotten here yet."

    "Zootopia's so amazing," Judy gushed in a quiet voice. "I feel like I've barely seen anywhere in my time here. Even though it feels like we've been just about everywhere in our two years together."

    "Mm, that's right," Nick's eyebrows went up, "that is today, isn't it?"

    "Pff, like you remembered," Judy grew a toothy smirk.

    "Totally did," the fox returned his usual flavor of coy grin. "Why do you think I took you out to such a nice place?"

    "C'mon," Judy rolled her eyes. "You take me out to eat all the time."

    "I do... I do do that," Nick nodded, pointing at her. "But hey, I've never eaten here either. Even as long as I've lived here, there are still a ton of places I'd wanna visit. So... here we are."

    "Aw, that's sweet," Judy grinned. "So did you get that hyena to talk?"

    "Oh, did he ever," Nick nodded, rubbing his thumb over a claw. "Sang like a canary. We've got some good leads now, and McHorn's even gonna run protective detail for him for a night or two until we get our suspect behind bars."

    "YOU are a piece of work," Judy pointed at him with a charming grin, eyes half-lidded. "See how much fun you have when you devote your powers for good?"

    "Oh, I always have fun, Carrots," Nick claimed with a scoff. "'Specially with a certain bunny."

    "Nice of you to say," Judy wiggled her forefinger. "But you're still getting the check tonight. It's your turn."

    "Aw," Nick snapped, "and here I thought you'd be so charmed by the locale that you'd want to make it up to me."

    "Consider us even, because I actually got something for you," Judy said, holding up a small box.

    Nick's eyes flew open. "Uhh... Jh-Judy."

    "What?" Judy blinked innocently, holding the box.

    "That's not what I think it is, is it?" Nick swallowed.

    "What do you think it- uh..." Judy trailed off, her own pupils shrinking. "Um, no... I don't think it's what you think it is. Hahahaha! I'm not that crazy that I- ugh! Just take it." She slid it across the rough, stony table.

    Nick tugged at his shirt collar and opened the box. Inside was a handsome silver watch with a black face and white hands. "Oh. Oh! That's very nice. Thank you, Judy."

    "You like it...?" Judy didn't sound sure, folding her arms and sitting back. "I dunno... I just felt like I should get you something."

    "Is this a hint at something?" Nick jostled the watch, making a pleasing metallic clinking sound. "I'm very punctual, I'll have you know."

    "Just... a little token of how much I've enjoyed our time together," Judy said warmly. "I always have a good time with you."

    "This is really something," Nick put the watch on his wrist and adjusted it. "Fits like a charm. Now I'll be able to tell the time about... oh, a second or so faster than usual."

    "Pff..."

    "Hey," Nick peered over the watch, taking in its nuances, "do you think that this brand calling themselves 'Fossil' was some sort of strangely prophetic self-deprecation?"

    Judy rolled her eyes. "Well, do you like it or not?"

    "No, it's great," Nick drew his paw close to itself. "Stands out on my arm. Very handsome. You just don't see too many mammals with watches nowadays."

    "Well, then it can match with the rest of your outdated fashion sense!" Judy teased, scooting forward on the table with her elbows and giving a smarmy look.

    "Oh, speaking of which, I got something for you," Nick said, reaching down to where he was sitting.

    "Uh..." Judy cocked her head and an eyebrow went up. "I don't know if I like that segue."

    Nick slid a fairly broad box across the table.

    "The heck!?" Judy's ears seemed to stiffen in surprise. "How'd you get that here without me noticing?"

    "Magic," Nick wiggled his fingers. When Judy looked skeptical, he clarified with sleepy eyes, "you know, misdirection? Not like unicorn tears or something." He gestured to the box. "G'wan and open it."

    Judy dug in and quickly made an unsure face when the tissue paper parted. It was a collared shirt that Nick would definitely wear, vivid red with yellow floral patterns on it. "You got me... one of your shirts?"

    "No no, its for you," Nick claimed, gesturing at it. "Got your size last time you dragged me to the mall."

    "This is-" Judy started with clear heistance, but then remembered her manners, bowing her head a little. "Thank you very much, Nick."

    "It's cotton. Well? Try it on," Nick gestured at his watch. "It's only fair."

    "I'm not changing right here, you doofus!" Judy hissed.

    "Just put it on over your clothes," Nick shrugged. "It's gonna get pretty chilly here in a few minutes anyway."

    "Of all the... oh fine," Judy sighed and humored him, putting on the extra layer. It did fit her really well.

    "Ah ah..." the fox wiggled a forefinger. "Put on all of it." Nick pointed to a yellow tie laying there in the box.

    "Nick, I don't know how to tie a tie," the bunny stared down at the strip of cloth. "You know the police ones are clip-ons."

    "Fine, I'll do it," Nick got up and moved next to her, sitting down and tying a tie. Something about his proximity and him doing the act for her make the insides of her ears warm up. She was quiet as he swiftly and lightly moved his fingers. "There, a perfect little Windsor for a perfect little bunny."

    "Thank you, Nick, but if you want me to be perfectly honest, I dunno how much I'd want to actually... wear this," Judy looked apologetic as she wrung the words out.

    "Oh, that's okay," Nick smirked. "It's more for me."

    "What...?" The bunny squinted. "Okay, wow. Should I leave so you and your ego can have some alone time?"

    "No, in fact, c'mere," Nick said, grabbing the tie and jerking her closer.

    "Oh...!" Judy yelped, her heart picking up its pace as she was jerked closer to the daring red fox. "Um, hi!"

    "You've been yanking my tie for two years, bunny," Nick smirked. "Thought it was only fair. What do you have to say about that?"

    She didn't have anything to say. Instead, a spark of impulse shot straight through her, and she closed the gap that remained between them and kissed him. The fox almost flinched away from the kiss, but when he took an instant to process the surprise, he kissed back.

    After the kiss, any semblances of Judy looking suave about her impulsive action were destroyed by a sheepish smile.

    "Been holding onto that one for awhile, huh Judy?" Nick teased.

    "Wow, um, I dunno, something came over me, haha..." Judy's ears went back, and she felt their warmth on the back of her head.

    "That's my bunny," Nick licked right between her eyes. "Always going for what she's after."

    "I, um..." Judy giggled unsteadily at the lick, but didn't have it in her to dispute. A flash of frustration exploded onto her face. "How- you...! How are you so... I dunno, suave about this!?"

    "You know me by now, Judy," Nick grinned. "Beneath this confident, smiling face is a fox ready to take off shouting in the streets in pure glee like a nine-year-old. I'm just winging it, because it's a lot cooler that way."

    "You are so embarrassing..." Judy buried her face in his shirt. "And it is getting a lot cooler..."

    "Wanna go somewhere else then?" The fox offered.

    "Somewhere where I can kiss you a lot," Judy mumbled, almost inaudibly.

    Nick chuckled, standing up with her, holding her in his arms, supporting her with one, and the other wrapped around her.

    "Um, are you just gonna leave?" Judy blinked.

    "I paid," Nick gestured at the table, where there was a receipt sitting there where Judy hadn't seen it before. "Magic."

    "Did a waiter see us?" Judy squeaked.

    "A little," Nick half-smiled. "They've probably seen much weirder than a handsome fox and a gorgeous bunny making out."

    "If I could explode of embarrassment, I probably would..." Judy grumbled.

    "That'd be unpleasant; messy," the fox shook his head, pretending she had meant that seriously.

    Judy paused as the two walked to the subway. "You don't... uh... you don't have to be careful of my tail. Not anymore, anyway."

    "Mm...?" Nick blinked. "Like this?" His paw shifted, and he felt a delightful puff of a bunny tail in his paw.

    "Yeah," Judy bit her lip. "Feels... nice."

    "I'll say," Nick grew a childish grin. "I've wanted to touch this cottony goodness for so long...!"

    "Oh, that breaks you?" Judy huffed, her brow lowering. "That sends you into a silly stupor, and not a kiss?"

    "Well, you know I love fluff, Fluff," Nick grinned.

    The bunny groaned, but then sat back in his arms and held up a fist. "To another year together?"

    "No way," Nick shook his head, holding up a flat paw. "To many, many more than that."

    "You got it," Judy smirked, punching her fist into his paw pad. Nick closed his paw around the smaller, one, then kissed his bunny's nose. She returned the gesture with one to his wet, foxy nose.

    "Can't wait to get home with my hustled bunny."
    "Can't wait to find out more ways to turn you into a gibbering idiot."
    "Is that what drives you? You just love tearing down walls, don't you? You loooove destruction."
    "I will destroy you, fox!"
    "In good ways, I hope."
    "Only the best!"
    "Dumb bunny."
    "So dumb!"
    "Well? Where's the response? I say dumb bunny, you say..."
    "Not gonna say it."
    "Judy..."
    "Nope!"
    "Fine..."

Notes:

Happy second anniversary, Zootopia! The traditional gift for a second anniversary is cotton, hence this bit of fluff. Won't promise a thematic one every year (especially since the next year is "leather", eesh!)

Chapter 171: Sign

    With purpose, a brown-eyed wallaby drove his bold black marker into the sign he was making. He was half-listening to the news report on ZNN, which spoke of the rising unrest in the city.

    "More protests to be organized today," Fabienne Growley said over the news, the snow leopard trying to keep her face neutral. "Some to call for peace and understanding, and some protesting predator activity in Zootopia."

    "The ZPD presence is high on the scenes of the protests," her co-anchor Peter Moosebridge reported. "So far, all of the protests have been non-violent, but tensions run high."

    With a last squeak of the marker, the wallaby looked over his handiwork and affixed the sign's handle. Moments later, another wallaby, his wife, descended from the upstairs bedroom.
    
    "G'mornin', Susan," the wallaby greeted with a halfhearted wave.

    "Morning, Jeff," she grinned, looking down at the sign with her light-blue eyes.

    "Whatcha think?" Jeff asked.

    One of Susan's eyes narrowed as she read over the all-caps, bold print. "Preds'll tear you to shreds? Lacks a bit of nuance, I think. Or subtlety."

    "You know I've told you about this before, didn't I?" Jeff frowned. "I told you the preds'd go bad at some point. Now look what's happened. Zootopia's a mess."

    "There's been how many cases, a dozen?" Susan folded her arms. "I dunno, Jeffy. Seems to me like that's an awfully small number compared to the thousands of predators that live in Zootopia."

    "I mean, you saw that news report, didn't ya?" Jeff shook his head. "What that bunny said? Hupps or somethin'. She said it was biological. It's what I've thought for years. Those preds only have the shroud of decency about 'em."

    Susan rolled her eyes. "Why's it just happening now then? Why's it never happened before?"

    "Heck if I know, Sue!" Jeff held his hands out wide. "It could be like she said... somethin' in their DNA. Something like a rubber band being pulled taut, and it's about time for all of 'em to snap."

    "So what good is a protest gonna do, huh?" Susan tilted her head, looking at him with mild disdain. "Where'd you want all those predators to go?"

    "I dunno..." Jeff looked at his sign. "Maybe they could move 'em all to a place... one of the sections."

    "Like segregation, huh?" Susan scoffed. "That'd go over well."

    "It could be a place with a lotta fish, Susan," Jeff looked at her in desperation, "they'd not have to go hungry. It's just... you know what kind of damage a savage pred could do? A single savage tiger could probably level the entirety of Little Rodentia before they were stopped. Thousands of rodent lives, snuffed out in a flash. You think it's worth the risk not to do something?"

    "Where'd they move 'em? All onto an island, like Outback Island?" Susan clicked her tongue. "We'd have to move."

    Jeff considered that, an uneasy look passing into his eyes. "Well, maybe we'd all have to make some sort of sacrifice. But in the end maybe it'd be better for us all. When whatever... whatever's happening takes its course, maybe it'd be better that way."

    "Whatever, Jeff," Susan shrugged. "I'm assuming you're going to go to some sort of protest today?"

    "Yeah, Downtown, one of the big ones," Jeff placed his thumb into his chest. "I may just be a small office worker wallaby, but I wanna get my voice out there." He took his sign in his hands, and took a second to think. "What'll you be doin' today, Susan?"

    "Oh, I just thought since it is our weekend I'd like to do something more fun," Susan shrugged. "Like shopping. There's a cute spring outfit I've been looking at."

    "Knock yourself out," Jeff nodded, then smirked. "Just don't spend all our tax return."

    Susan chuckled. "Not promising anything."

    Jeff held up a forefinger. "And don't go making any preds angry. Could be dangerous."

    "Not usually a problem with me, Jeffy," Susan rolled her eyes, beginning to make herself some quick breakfast.

---

    The subway was rather crowded, even considering it was the weekend. Jeff got some nasty glares from some predators and even some prey on the way to Downtown, as he thought he would, but he tried to keep his teeth tightly shut in his muzzle and avoid any eye contact. He had somewhere to be; he had a message to get out. He knew it would resound with the other like-minded prey of Zootopia, of which there were a large number. Something did have to be done, after all. It was madness to expect the problem to just go away.

    What if it was some sort of virus? The number of cases seemed to be steadily increasing.

    Or, like the bunny had said, what if it was some sort of genetic epidemic? Perhaps the coding of predators just couldn't handle the civility that mammalkind had been working on for so long. Perhaps they just had to prey on others. Had to kill.

    It was a chilling thought. Jeff wasn't going to let something like impolite glares shake his resolve.

    He could scarcely believe his wife was so passive about the whole situation. Susan had always said she'd "known some nice preds", but he didn't know why she was letting that blind her to the potential danger that was growing in the city.

    It had always been like that between them, though. They found comfort and love with each other, though they didn't always see eye to eye on the "big issues". It led to a lot of arguments between them, but they'd always find themselves apologizing about whatever it was they were arguing about and kept resolving that they wouldn't let those things get between them.

    Jeff didn't know just how long Susan could get away with being so frivolous, though. He hoped nothing would happen to her or someone she knew because of this. Tragedy was often one of the best teachers, but he knew he didn't care for the taste of it. Best to be proactive.

    On his way out of the station, the wallaby happened to catch the icy stare of a large female polar bear, who sneered down at him when she saw his sign.

    "You've got a lot of nerve, pal!" She barked at him almost instantly. Before Jeff knew it, he'd been snatched up by his shirt and effortlessly lifted into the air by the much larger mammal. "Where do you think you get off?"

    "I'm just-" Jeff was clearly terrified, but he tried to keep some steel in his voice. "Just telling it like it is."

    "You're an overgrown Outback rat, is what you are!" The polar bear growled. "How about you let me tear that sign up for you and I can toss it into the trash, where your opinion belongs!?"

    "You're just..." Jeff tried to stop quivering, "you're just proving my point, ma'am."

    "Tuh!" The polar bear roughly dropped him and stormed off, shooting him a disgusted glare over her shoulder as she stomped away.

    Jeff felt his paw go over his chest; his heart had never beat so fast. That female must have been inches away from going savage. Maybe it would be easier to just do what she said and go home.

    But that's how it starts, isn't it?

    The powerful tell the weak and meek what to do, and before you know it you have someone like Lionheart running the show. Someone who has enough power to do anything he wanted, both politically and physically. And look where that led? He was trying to hide the savage predator epidemic, because it'd make him look bad! Because the lives of innocent Zootopia prey were less important than his job!

    Jeff held onto that feeling of anger and let it overpower his fear. If he gave up, he'd just be another meek little prey who bowed to the bullying of the strong. And he'd had enough of being jerked around.

    He continued onward; the protest he wanted to be a part of was several blocks away. One crosswalk was taking a particularly long time, and he mashed the button on the post impatiently.

    "Going to the protest, huh?" A passing male mouse looked up at him with a smile. "Good for you. I was thinking about hitting one in Little Rodentia. Preds have always given me the creeps."

    "Yeah... s-someone should do something," Jeff nodded. "Maybe Mayor Bellwether can think of a plan."

    "Right on," the mouse said, waving as he continued down the sidewalk. "Too few of us can defend ourselves against a rowdy pred."

    "Yeah, maybe if I was a kangaroo, but no such luck," Jeff laughed.

    When the crosswalk changed, Jeff took his first few steps into the street.

    VRRRRSSHHHH!

    A car blazed down the street, inches from Jeff. He felt a rough tug at his back and he found himself back on the sidewalk. With a quick glance, he saw an impala making a rude gesture from his vehicle.

    "Khhh!" There went Jeff's heart rate again. "Sap sipper! Could've killed me! I had the signal!"

    "Yeah, there's a place for that kinda speed, and it's on the racetrack."

    Jeff was surprised to hear a fellow Outback Island-accented voice coming from behind and above him, and turned around, expecting to see a kangaroo. Instead, he saw a male cheetah.

    "You all right, little buddy?" The cheetah grinned. "Wouldn't've done to have a wallaby pancaked in front of me. Heck, my parents are wall-"

    In the next instant, the cheetah noticed Jeff's sign, and his expression soured into one of flat distaste.

    "Um, thank you for that," the wallaby said nervously, wishing he could will that sign away.

    "Have a nice day," the cheetah turned on his heel and walked away. His voice was anything but pleasant.

    Jeff sighed and his sign drooped.

    He hadn't time, and he didn't dare to ask, but he was pretty sure he'd just been yanked back by the Trace Laser, rising star of the Speed Racing League. He was lacking the emerald-tinted glasses he usually wore, but there weren't too many cheetahs with Outback Island accents around. Jeff was a big fan of racing, and honestly had never thought of the mostly-timid cheetah species as "real" predators. But he supposed that, of course, they were.

    Jeff felt some conflicting feelings bubbling within him. Making it across the street, the din of the protest beckoned him, only two blocks away now.

---

    The wallaby collapsed into his favorite armchair that evening.

    "Watched for you on the news, Jeffy," Susan said, reclining on a couch. "ZNN did a big coverage of the protest, but I didn't see you."

    "Yeah, well," Jeff took in and let out a large breath. "I'm just a little wallaby with a little sign."

    "You don't think I could pick my own hubby out of a crowd?" Susan smirked. "Hey, where is your sign, anyway?"

    Jeff looked away. "I lost it."

    "Clumsy," Susan gave an affectionate smile. "You'd lose your tail if it wasn't attached."

    "Probably would," Jeff nodded.

    "So did you just not go?" Susan narrowed her eyes in confusion. "After all that conviction you had this morning?"

    "Well..." Jeff swallowed, trying to put on a stern face. "It's like you said, Sue. We don't have all the facts. Heck, the message probably got out there loud and clear, didn't it? Don't need a little wallaby like me bouncin' around, trying to get seen."

    "Don't tell me you had a change of heart," Susan grinned mischievously. "You? My stubborn ol' Jeffy?"

    "No such luck," Jeff claimed, trying to focus on the TV.

    "Ah, so you just chickened out," Susan decided, turning back to the television. "Figures."

    "Susan..." Jeff tossed her a pained look. "Maybe we should... let's just see how this all plays out okay? We'll be cautious, but not... I dunno, we won't do anything drastic."

    "That's what I was going to do anyway, my tiny little hopper," Susan threw a throw pillow at him. "Anyway, I ordered us a pizza. Should be here soon."

    "Thanks, Sue," Jeff sighed. "Get your outfit?"

    Susan nodded. "Maybe we could go out to Mezzo Park tomorrow and you can see me in it. That is, if you're not scared of all the predators."

    "We'll be fine," Jeff grumbled. "We can go to the park."

    "I dunno, Jeffy," Susan grinned enormously, her tail thumping the couch. "I hear there's a really mean vixen that runs a stand there, could be risky."

    Jeff groaned. "Just drop it, Sue."

    One thing was for sure. He was never going to be able to watch the SRL races again without thinking about how that cheetah, born and raised in Outback Island, had saved his life that day. Just because it was the right thing to do, not just because he was a wallaby. But even if that was why he stretched his paw out, did it matter?

    Jeff knew he'd never hear the end of it from Sue if he just came out and said he was having second thoughts about rallying against predators.

    Maybe it was just best to wait and see. Keep a low profile.

    It seemed foolish to think, but maybe there was a more complete explanation for this "savage" phenomenon.

    The wallaby was beginning to actually hope he was wrong about preds. That was also a bitter taste, but he decided he could swallow it easier than a terrible tragedy.

    Thankfully, the pizza was pretty tasty.

Chapter 172: Fear

    A big brown bear entered his office, where a perky ewe looked up at him with a full smile.

    "Did you enjoy your lunch, sir?" she asked.

    "Immensely, Bern," the bear nodded.

    "Oh, by the way," Bernice whispered loudly, pointing across the room, "your two o'clock is here."

    The bear turned his head to regard a young vixen sitting there in a chair, looking up at him with a timid edge in her warm brown eyes. She was in her late teens, early twenties at the oldest. She even had a dirty blonde head of hair, an occasional curiosity among foxes.

    "Ah, you must be Brittany Voxen," the bear smiled. "Have you been waiting long?"

    "Not really," Brittany responded. "I'm- I'm still early."

    "Well, we can start now, if you'd like," his expression was warm in that way a large fluffy bear could really sell. "My name is Justin Brown. If you'd rather wait until the appointed time, we can do that, too."

    "Nice to meet you," the vixen replied in a perfunctory way. "But that's okay. I can- we can start now."

    "Shall we?" Justin indicated the interior room of his office, and the two walked in. Brittany took some time to notice the various accolades the bear had on his wall. He specialized in family psychology, so the room was intimidating in its size; it could probably have safely seated several elephants. Nonetheless, there were a variety of seating arrangements around the room to provide comfort, and Brittany took her seat on a small couch that looked comfy to her.

    "So, would you tell me a little about yourself, then?" Justin effortlessly scooted a larger chair over to her, sitting a distance away so as not to crowd her, but close enough that they could make easy eye contact.

    "Well, I'm just an average vixen, mostly," Brittany's feet kicked subtly. "But... I'd heard you come recommended from one of my friends. She was- her family was affected by the Savage Crisis."

    "Ah, yes," Justin nodded seriously. He shook his head, blinking slowly. "Unfortunately the wounds caused by that incident are still fresh, and will take time to heal. Were you... also affected?"

    Brittany shook her head. "No... I'm here because I... I'm afraid. W-well, more specifically, I have a phobia."

    "Yes?" Justin tilted his head. "What of?"

    "Of fire."

    "Fire, hm..." Justin nodded, looking up briefly. "A destructive force, to be sure. Do you have a history with it?"

    "Oh, yes," Brittany nodded firmly. "I accidentally started a fire when I was young. It consumed a good bit of my family's first apartment. I can still remember it all... the unbearable heat, the smell." Her nose scrunched. "I had to be saved by a firefighter."

    "That is a terrible thing for anyone to endure, much less a youth," Justin adjusted himself in his chair, leaning forward. "Do you often encounter signs of your phobia in day to day life?"

    "Nh- not always," Brittany's eyes wandered away to a bookcase on his wall with various psychological texts. "But... I mean, even seeing a lit hearth can make me cringe and yelp. The smell of something burning makes me want to curl up into a ball. Even your receptionist's name, Bern- Bernice, I guess? It kind of made me feel just the slightest bit ill, just for a second. I- I know it's ridiculous."

    "I'm afraid trauma isn't always so rational in it's effects on us," Justin frowned. "You feel strongly enough about this phobia that you've sought the help of someone such as myself?"

    "I just think- I dunno," Brittany sighed. "It's kind of- kuh..." she sighed, rubbing her temples with her fingers.

    "Am I upsetting you?" Justin asked gently.

    "No, no," Brittany shook her head firmly. She wobbled her paw back and forth. "I guess my family has something to do with it. They kind of try to joke it off now, and I kind of see why they do. 'Haha, better be careful of flicking that lighter around Brittany, y'know she's scared of fire'. Earlier on they were more sensitive, but I... I guess they just feel like I should have grown out of it by now."

    Justin shook his head. "It doesn't often work that way. Have you confronted them about this?"

    "Tch, no," Brittany rolled her eyes, folding her arms. "Mostly because it's such a dumb thing, and it's not like seeing or smelling fire is a thing that happens all the time."

    "But still it concerns you," Justin mused. "Do you wish to become a chef, perhaps? The sight of flame would be more commonplace there."

    "No, not really," the vixen said, looking pensive. "I um... I actually kind of want to be a firefighter. Hh-haven't fully committed to it yet, but..."

    "Really," Justin looked at her with something like marvel, then he seemed thoughtful. "You wish... you wish to take your revenge on fire."

    "P-pardon?" Brittany looked up at him, puzzled.

    "Fire harmed you in the past," Justin shook his head, "and though outwardly you show no signs of damage, inwardly it's still present. If you became a firefighter, you'd be taking control of the situation, and you'd get to deal a blow back to fire."

    "Kind of ridiculous to personalize fire like that..." Brittany scoffed.

    "Yet it's what we often do to cope with such situations," Justin explained with his paws open. "A fire doesn't feel or think, but it can do damage. We mammals in our need for justice and balance can try to assign mammalian traits to non-sentient things."

    "I mean..." Brittany rubbed her arm, looking away. "Maybe that's part of it... but..." Her teeth slightly showed as she looked a little upset, and very thoughtful.

    "By all means, continue."

    "I got the chance to meet the buck that helped save my life," Brittany looked up at the bear. "Rodney Greenfield. Really... heroic-looking. But, you know, it never occurred to me at first, but when I saw him when I was... I was thirteen when I saw him again at a firefighter's function. He remembered me..." She trailed off, looking wistful. "I wanted to hug him and break down crying, but I kept it together. But then I noticed what was different about him. He had no antlers. I asked him why, and he said they just got in the way of his job, so he had them taken off."

    "That does sound logical," Justin considered. "Antlers will always just grow back."

    "I'd heard that antlers are a really... I dunno, 'proud' symbol for a male deer," Brittany shook her head, huffing. "But here he had taken them away, just because they got in the way of his job. His job of saving mammals. I... I dunno, it just sounded so selfless and heroic. I... I want to try to do that too. I want to save mammals; I want to help them."

    "It sounds like you have that spirit of selflessness in you, as well," Justin smiled. "I'm sorry for thinking your vendetta against fire was the only driving factor."

    "But my fear of it," Brittany frowned. "I... I don't think I could ever do that. If the moment came where I had to do a crucial thing, and then I just couldn't... I'd be the worst kind of failure..."

    "Fear is an unusual thing," Justin looked off into the distance. "Often attributed to prey, but all mammals experience it, even the largest predators. In a way, it's a feeling that unites all of us. And... in most cases it serves as a protection to us. To tell us what is dangerous; what we should avoid. It's only when it kicks into overdrive like what has happened to you that it hinders us."

    "Fear... protects us?" Brittany looked dubious, narrowing an eye.

    "Sure," Justin nodded. "It's a mechanism that impels us to action, usually to run away. But it doesn't always have to be like that. A famous mammal once said: 'Courage is resistance to fear. Mastery of fear, not absence of fear'."

    "Wh-what do you mean by that?" Brittany blinked.

    "Though I will certainly do my best to help you, your fear of fire may not ever truly go away," Justin explained, joining his paws together. "But you need not worry that that will prevent you from pursuing your career goal, if you so desire."

    "You think so...?" Brittany looked up at him.

    Justin nodded. "Heroes can, and often do feel fear. But you can learn to use it like a weapon to fulfill your goals."

    "I... I think I'd like that," Brittany started to grow a small grin. "Will you help me to learn to do that?"

    "I will do my best, Ms. Voxen," Justin smiled.

Chapter 173: Outfoxed

Notes:

Special thanks to my proofreader, SomeKindaDurgon for the prompt, and, of course, proofreading.

    Judy was beaming as Benjamin Clawhauser caught sight of her in the ZPD lobby. The bunny moved with proud, jaunty steps, halfway between skipping and stomping. Officer Wolfard, who was talking to Benjamin, followed his gaze and smiled as he saw the happy-looking bunny. The wolf's tail began a subtle wag as her happiness spread to the two chatting officers.

    "Well! Doesn't Hopps have a spring in her step today?" Wolfard asked, his tail coming to rest, but a big dopey smile on his face.

    "Mmhm!" Benjamin nodded, squinting his eyes shut with a smile. "And I bet I know why."

    "Why's that?" Wolfard's head tilted.

    "It's her birthday in just two days!" Benjamin offered in a very loud whisper, leaning over to tell the wolf this. "Her first one since Hopps and Wilde became a thing."

    "Oh!" Wolfard nodded, but then his face scrunched in confusion. "Wait, I don't get it. Why's that making her extra happy?"

    "Because..." Benjamin rotated a paw, "she's excited over whatever Nick might do for her on that day! And I gotta say, I'm excited too! You know how kind and thoughtful Wilde can be when it suits him."

    "Hey," the fox in question came up to the side of Benjamin, causing the round cheetah to shrink back and yelp in surprise. "Take it easy, Donuts." He pointed at the cat with a reproving leer. "Don't want you to be spreading false rumors about me being some sort of softie."

    "Nick!" Benjamin nearly squeaked. "Oh, hi! Sorry, um, were your ears burning?"

    "Hey, Wilde!" Wolfard said jovially. "So, what are you going to get the bunny?"

    "Yeah!" Judy joined the little group. "Whatcha gonna get me?"

    "Now look at what you guys have done," Nick said, staring at them while indicating the bunny with his paws. "You've created expectations for this rambunctious rabbit." He brought his paws into his chest. "And I'm the one that has to deal with her all day."

    "Oh!" Wolfard blinked. "...Sorry?"

    "C'mon, doofus, let's get out on patrol," Judy said merrily, grabbing him by the sleeve and dragging him off.

    Wolfard looked to the retreating couple before he returned his attention to Benjamin. "So, have you heard anything? Like a party for her, or..."

    Benjamin winced, showing his teeth, and shook his head, looking past Wolfard. Turning his muzzle, the wolf yipped as he saw Chief Bogo behind him.

    "Wolfard," Bogo said evenly, beckoning him with a finger. "A word, please."

---

    "Ahhhh...!" Judy launched herself onto the couch, looking as pleased as she could be. "What a nice day!"

    "A high speed chase leading to an arrest," Nick recounted, "yeah, I think that's about par for a 'nice day' for my little adrenaline junkie."

    "Hm...!" Judy rolled over with a grin, watching Nick head to the fridge and open it. He made a face as he looked over the contents of the fridge.

    "Carrots, we're low on stuff, even your namesake," Nick grumbled. "Guess I'll go out to the grocery store." His eyes glanced over at her. "You already look comfortable enough."

    "Ooh!" Judy's eyes twinkled and she placed her cheeks in her paws. "The 'grocery store'. I got you!"

    Nick's brow raised halfway. "What's that supposed to mean?"

    "Oh, nothing," Judy sang, sitting up on the couch and turning on the TV. "I'll just sit here like the oblivious bunny I am while you go buy my birthday present."

    Nick rolled his eyes. "Judy, really. I don't know what you're expecting from me, but maybe it'd be good if you lower those expectations." He held his paws up in caution. "You've wound yourself up over this, and I don't think anything can live up to the hype you've built at this point."

    Judy looked at him chidingly. "C'mon, you're telling me you're going to the grocery store."

    "Right, to buy things we eat," Nick pointed at his muzzle. "We need food to live."

    "Okay, okay," Judy said in a placating voice, holding up her paws. "You're right, of course, I'll settle."

    "'Sides, it's not the last minute yet," Nick smirked on his way out. "What kind of mammal waits until the day before the day before the deadline to do anything?" He shut the door to their apartment swiftly.

    "What mammal, indeed?" Judy grew a devious grin as she immediately popped out of the couch and looked left and right sneakily. "I know you, Nicholas Wilde. You've probably already got whatever it is you're gonna get me, and I just have to find it." She hummed, retrieving some rubber cleaning gloves and snapping them on. "No pesky gray-and white furs to give me away..."

    Judy toured the apartment with a critical eye, glancing here and there. "No no, I have to think like Nick. Get into his head... if I was a devilishly handsome fox trying to hide something from a bunny... where would I put it...?"

    The bunny made her way into their room, peeking under the bed. Nothing. Judy clapped her gloved paws together.

    "Of course! His shirt drawer! Nick knows that I hate half of the shirts he wears."

    Judy began to meticulously comb through the dresser, putting aside shirt after shirt and remembering the order. Finally, she came upon a nice-looking greeting card.

    "Ooh!" Judy chirped at her search bearing fruit. She looked into the card carefully, her front teeth digging into her lip. It was Nick's handwriting inside, which was very nice when he wanted it to be; the effort clearly showed in the card. With a smile large enough to strain her cheeks, Judy began to read it:

    "My darling bunny,

    I don't even know what to write here. Words fail me, and you know that's not a common thing for your suave, debonair fox. I'd really like to celebrate your latest trip around the sun with something meaningful and lasting. Something to really "wow" you. Something that lets you know how much you mean to me, and how lucky I am to know you. Not, and I repeat, NOT just some cheap trinket that I found at some store because I ran out of time and ideas.

    That said, here's a cheap trinket I found for you.

    Love always,
    Nick Wilde."

    A big giggle burst from Judy after she finished reading, and she looked where she'd taken the card from to see if there was anything near it. Under where the card had been lay a small box.

    "Ooh..." Judy winced. "I really shouldn't..." Yet her paw moved inexorably forward. The bunny's curiosity seared straight into her soul, compounded with the feeling that she'd finally gotten another one up on her sneaky boyfriend. Mixed together, the irresistible combination drove her to peek into the box.

    Judy sighed in relief. She'd probably have had a heart attack if it was a ring. Instead, it was a little bracelet, decorated with green and purple gems. On a closer look, Judy could tell that the gems weren't actually precious stones, perhaps some sort of glass, but she instantly recognized them as their eye colors, and their close proximity strummed at the strings of her heart.

    "Aw... what a sweetheart," Judy cooed, almost melting and floating into the air at the same time. She let out a long, warm sigh, her glowing feelings quickly replaced by the pangs of her oft-disregarded conscience. The rabbit's ears drooped, and she carefully placed things back where they'd came from.

    When Nick got home, he was struggling with an encumbrance of grocery bags.

    "Want some help?" Judy asked, a tone of meekness in her voice.

    "Urgh, sure," Nick grunted. "Don't let me drop this on you." He offered her a bag which nearly fell out of his paws, and Judy collected it with a small "oof". "Oh, and no peeking into these bags, all right?"

    "Okay," Judy was quiet and had a tiny grin. "I won't."

---

    The day before her birthday, Judy was in a rather hazy mood as Chief Bogo handed out the day's assignment. She was barely paying attention; half-listening for her name as she wondered what she should do. That moment of outdoing Nick always felt so good, but now what? She'd spoiled the surprise. Was she supposed to act shocked when he gave her that gift tomorrow? Her nose wrinkled and she sighed.

    "Hopps, Wilde," Bogo saved them until the end, in what Judy thought was almost a running joke at this point. "I've gotten reports of a disturbance down at the Sahara Square Docks. Seems a group of mammals is getting together there and being rowdy; disturbing the peace. I want you two to go investigate it and make heads or tails of the situation. Sort it out."

    "Yes sir," Judy perked up at receiving the assignment. She looked to her partner, who had an even expression on.

    "Ready, partner?" The fox asked lightly. Judy nodded.

    "Mhm, let's go."

    Judy was uncharacteristically quiet on the trip in the cruiser, and Nick definitely noticed. He kept stealing glances at the bunny. She lacked the glowing joviality of the previous day, and her ears, while not drooped, weren't as ramrod straight as they normally were when she was riding with her favorite fox.

    "So... something come up?" Nick asked carefully. "You seem a little distracted."

    "Oh, no, it's nothing," Judy replied automatically, shaking her head. "I was just... just thinking about what you said. About my birthday."

    "Oh yeah?" Nick's brow went up, his muzzle even.

    "I mean, here I am getting all excited like a kit..." Judy rolled her eyes. "It's just... you know, back home... there's too many of us to really get 'birthday' gifts, and I was- y'know, kind of excited at the prospect of- well... my boyfriend getting me something. Selfish, I know."

    Nick smirked. "Poor, deprived little bunny. Well. Rest assured that I'm aware of your birthday, so you might be surprised yet. Just... don't go wishing for the moon."

    "Yeah..." Judy nodded, but her inner voice continued to gnaw at her and deride her for her previous evening's conduct. After she nearly failed to notice a yellow light and stopped just a bit too suddenly, she realized she had to come clean.

    "Urk...!" Nick rocked in his seat as the cruiser followed suit. "Okay, y'know, I kid about bunny driving, but c'mon Judy..."

    "I looked, okay!?" Judy squinted her eyes shut, her mouth in a curve. "I'm sorry, I looked for your present."

    "Ah... that's what this is, then," Nick sobered up, folding his paws.

    "I'm sorry..." Judy looked at him with those pleading purple eyes. "I know I'm a bad bunny, I just couldn't resist... y'know, the game of it. Seeing if I could find something you were hiding from me."

    "Your incorrigible, you know that?" Nick shook his head. "Here I try to do something nice for my bunny and she spoils it with less than two days to go."

    "I know, I know..." Judy moaned, "and it was so sweet, too, what you did. I... I love you, Nick."

    "The light's green," Nick replied after a moment, gesturing.

    Judy frowned, trying not to outright pout, but she resumed focus on her driving. A guilty glance here or there showed an even expression on Nick's face. Moments of silence went by.

    "I'm really sorry, Nick," Judy said, guilt gnawing at her stomach. "Tch, I just don't know what came over me."

    "Just forget it, okay?" Nick shook his muzzle. "What's done is done. Let's just focus on the work, then I can see if I can salvage my plans to surprise you."

    "Right, right..." Judy nodded, sighing and then nodding definitively. "Definitely. Can't let it get in the way of work. That's a big one."

    The two got out of the cruiser and headed to the docks, where several large ships were in port. Judy looked around curiously.

    "Okay, so... some sort of rowdy group's been congregating here?" Judy took out her radio.

    Nick did the same. "Wilde to base. We're at the location. Any particular kind of mammals we're watching out for?"

    Hearing the sounds of screeching tires, Judy looked back in the direction of the parking lot and saw a few ZPD cruisers pull up.

    "What the... backup?" Judy blinked. "This must be serious, Nick." She took out her stun gun, holding it up and scanning the docks. "I don't see anything unusual, do you?"

    "No..." Nick followed her gaze. He brought up his radio again. "Wilde to base. What's the situation?"

    "Everything's normal, we're on our way to assist," Bogo's voice came back from the line.

    "I'm... confused," Judy said, unable to find anything that looked out of the ordinary.

    Nick tilted his muzzle up, looking behind him, and grinned at seeing Bogo, Clawhauser, and some other officers arrive.

    "Hey guys," Nick said, turning to face them. Judy followed suit, dropping her stun gun. Her eyes squinted in confusion and her head bobbed to the side. Wolfard was there and he seemed to be carrying a couple of suitcases that looked vaguely familiar to her.

    "What's... going on?" Judy blinked.

    An enormous smile slithered over Nick's muzzle.

    "Aren't you pleased with yourself," Bogo folded his arms. "Guessing she's in the dark, huh?"

    "Not a clue," Nick almost burst out laughing. "Thanks for coming."

    "Mm, well, get on with it," Bogo very nearly grinned.

    "Nick?" Judy looked at him. "Do you know what's going on?"

    "Of course I do," Nick shook his head. He pointed at her, then himself. "You and I are going to go celebrate your birthday."

    "That's tomorrow," Judy reminded him.

    "Indeed," Nick nodded, eyes closed. "And we're going to be there when we have the party." Nick jerked his thumb behind him. Judy tilted her head over to see past him. He seemed to be indicating a medium-sized cruise ship moored at the dock.

    "...Uh?" Judy winced.

    "Oh for the love of..." Bogo slapped his forehead.

    "He's taking you on a cruise!" Benjamin exploded joyfully, clapping twice.

    "A CRUISE!?" Judy echoed, her ears straightening as if she'd been electrified. Her eyes darted between Nick and the ship. "I've... what!? I've never been on a cruise!"

    "I figured not," Nick grinned, his face assuming that one insufferable smug smirk that could make nearly any mammal weak at their knees.

    "Got your luggage, Wilde," Wolfard said cheerfully, bringing the two suitcases over to Nick with a lazy wag of his tail. "Hope you have fun!"

    "You didn't overpack us, did you Benny?" Nick cast his half-lidded gaze over to the cheetah.

    "No sir!" Benjamin saluted. "But I might have gotten a new outfit for each of you and packed it along...! Hope you like!"

    "That's my cheetah," Nick shot him a brief thumbs-up.

    "Nick..." Judy was still mostly stunned by this turn of events. "I was just... I... I found your gift, Nick."

    "Kind of," Nick shrugged, patting her on the head. "You found a decoy, my dear."
    
    "A decoy?" One of Judy's eyebrows piqued.

    Nick sighed, as if in pity, and crouched to be at Judy's level. "My dear, sweet bunny. You'll have to be with me a lot longer to even dream of outfoxing a fox again."

    "I'll take that as a challenge," Judy shot back.

    "Okay, will you two get on with it?" Bogo grumbled.

    "Is this all okay, Chief?" Judy looked up at him. "An impromptu vacation and all?"

    "Of course," Bogo snorted. "Wilde may not look like it, but he's actually very meticulous. He sorted everything out." He grinned subtly. "If anything, it will be nice to have you two out of my fur for awhile."

    Judy laughed nervously. "Yes, sir."

    "Have fun, you two!" Benjamin waved his paw, and the other mammals assembled echoed his sentiment, cheering and waving.

    "Nick..." Judy blinked as the fox blithely picked up their luggage and headed over to the reception to get checked in. "I just... I'm so... amazed by all of this. I don't even know what you do on a cruise."

    "Anything you want," Nick looked behind him as he walked forward. "There's rock climbing, dancing, relaxing, swimming. I think we'll be going to an island, too."

    "And we can afford all this?" Judy winced.

    "Hey, who are you talking to?" Nick huffed proudly. "I know everyone in Zootopia. I called in a few favors, and I'm practically stealing this cruise. Wouldn't have it any other way."

    Judy breathed out, a guilty smile on her face as they joined a sizable queue. "I... I do love you, Nick. This is much more than I expected."

    "You think you love me now," Nick wiggled his eyebrows. "Wait till the cruise is finished." He leaned over and whispered in her ear, making it twitch. "There's free ice cream."

    "Free ice cream..." Judy breathed out, eyes wide.

    Nick chuckled loudly, dropping the bags, scooping up Judy, and hugging her. "You are so easy to please, you silly rabbit."

    "Guess I am," Judy smiled guiltily. "All it takes is a fox."

    Nick kissed her forehead. "Love you too, sweetheart."

Chapter 174: Outfoxed II

    Nick found himself in Bunnyburrow, at the Hopps' compound. Again.

    It wasn't that he disliked the place, but the atmosphere, the social differences, the lack of personal space in particular... all in all it wasn't his favorite place to be. Particularly because the next day happened to be his birthday. He already was a popular face around the compound; the thought of hundreds of Judy's closest and most distant relatives swarming him was almost overwhelming.

    But, she was his girlfriend, and this was her idea of treating him to something special, so he tried to grin and bear it.

    The two had gotten themselves separated somehow, and Nick was trying to find his way back to the guest room he and she were staying in. The place had so much traffic, so many bunnies on every spot of the politeness and personal-space encroaching spectrum waving to him, greeting him, or hugging him. Directions to the guest room were surely anywhere from feet to inches away at any given moment. Still, as Nick fielded the greetings of Judy's family, both verbally and physically, he found he liked the wander.

    Nick found one thing rather curious; and that was that the burrow was not done up in any special way for his approaching party. Granted, he assumed that with that many paws working on a common goal, it could be set up in minutes, if not seconds, but he did find it a little odd. Fortuitously enough, as he was having these thoughts he saw Violet Hopps standing at an intersection in the hallways, looking over her iPawpad. Her eyes flicked up to the unfamiliar form coming up to her, but upon realizing it was Nick, she gave a small raised paw in a perfunctory greeting, barely taking attention off of her work.

    Violet was the Hopps Family Organizer, a full-time job if there ever was one. She was taller than Judy but shared most of her colors; she also liked to wear sweaters and a pair of chic glasses.

    "Vi...!" Nick greeted with enthusiastic charm, holding his hands out wide. "How's it going?"

    "I'm working," she almost snipped.

    "Right, bet you're a little extra busy lately, what with me around," Nick said, folding his paws behind his back.

    "I hope this isn't an attempt to loosen information about your birthday from me," Violet gave him a brief glare.

    "Not so much," Nick chuckled.

    "Good," Violet nearly smiled. "It's pleasant to see you."

    "That is quite high praise, coming from you," Nick poked at the air in front of him. "...Just... I was wondering. Is it going to be like... a big party?" His voice pinched into almost a squeak.

    Violet looked at him sternly and huffed. "Nicholas." Her features softened after a few seconds and her ears came back up. "Do you want me to answer you truthfully, or with something you'd want to hear?"

    "Ah, so you have some idea of what I'd like, then," Nick seemed relieved. He'd wondered if anyone was picking up on his discomfort. "Pleasantly oblivious" was a term he would use to describe most of the Hopps.

    "Not precisely," Violet glimpsed down at her pad, "but don't you trust Judy to?"

    The question pierced him uncomfortably. Violet didn't really ever pull her words. He looked genuinely confused for a moment as he wondered what the actual answer of that question was.

    "Well, yeah, of course, I..." Nick found himself babbling, quite unlike him.

    "Why don't you just go to her?" Violet suggested, seemingly very slightly bothered by Nick's hemming and hawing. "She's awful at keeping secrets or lying. You'll be able to coax whatever you want out of her."

    Nick almost scowled, but managed to smile pleasantly. "Right." He looked down the hallways, then smacked his jowls twice. "That is... hm. Guest room."

    Violet tried to quash a smirk before speaking. "First right, second left, first door on the right."

    "Yes- er, thank you," Nick muttered, pointing in that direction and beginning to make his move.

    Approaching the door, Nick hesitated before opening it, and instead thought to knock. If Violet was playing a prank and he walked in on a couple of bunnies being bunnies, the situation at the party the next day would be even more awkward.

    "Nick?" Judy called from behind the door. "Don't come in!"

    "Uh, why?" Nick blinked. "You know I've seen you nnnuh..." he almost bit his tongue as he saw least four pairs of curious young eyes looking at him, waiting for him to finish his sentence. "Never mind."

    "I'll be out soon!" Judy continued hastily. "Just go talk to my relatives! They love you!"

    "Yay, talking to relatives," Nick grumbled quietly to himself. He walked to the far side of the hallway and sat down. He made amicable eyes at the little ones that were watching. One of the older females, perhaps eight years of age or so, walked over to him.

    "Hiya, Nick," she waved. Her cream-and-brown colors looked pretty dissimilar to Judy's, but there was something about the structure that made her quite similar to Judy's baby pictures, which of course now Nick had been introduced to more than once. Judy had no shame; she was the one to show herself covered in ketchup. Nick smirked at the memory, then waved back to the youth.

    "Hi," Nick greeted, and the youngster took another step forward.

    "'Member me?" She asked. He didn't want to admit that he didn't. He could count his living relatives on two paws, and the ones he spoke to on one. Somehow, his penchant for remembering names and faces didn't extend to the Hopps family, where they all tended to blend together.

    "Susie?" It was a guess, if Nick was honest.

    "Ahuh!" She seemed to brighten considerably as he "remembered", and took another two steps forward. She hugged the seated fox, and he gently hugged back.

    She let go and beamed up at the fox, who was still slightly taller than her even while he was seated. "I wanna help mammals like you n' Judy when I grow up."

    Nick had to smile genuinely at this. "Is that so? Well, I've seen that determination runs strong in this family, so if you put yourself to it, there's nothing you can't do. You want to be a policerabbit?"

    "Um, maybe," Susie suddenly looked timid. "M...mmmaybe a schoolteacher?"

    "Oh, that's very good," Nick nodded. "The world needs plenty of those. I'm sure you'll make a very nice teacher."

    Susie exploded into a grin like she'd been granted a hundred bucks and rushed away, presumably to tell her siblings.

    Okay, maybe talking to the family wasn't so bad. Nick rubbed at the warmth he felt in his chest.

---

    A little while later, Judy took long, striding steps with her paws behind her back, looking around for Nick. He had a small collection of young boys around him, gazing at him with rapt attention.

    "Then I tore the display deer apart, RAWRGH!" Nick snapped his jaws, holding his claws up. The boys gasped and a few of their noses twitched, but then they leaned in.

    "Cool!" One said. "And she was fooled!?"

    "Completely fooled," Nick grinned proudly. "And Judy put on a good show of being scared, too. She was like, 'oh, pwease don't hurt me Mr. Fox'." He clasped his paws together and looked skyward. The kits laughed.

    "Har har," Judy said dryly, walking forward with her arms crossed. "It didn't quite go that way. All right, scram, you guys. You'll get plenty of time to talk to Nick later."

    "Aw, but he was going to tell me if he had a car or not after the story!" A kit whined. Judy met his protest with a stern paw pointing down the hall, and the kits scattered off like a fluffy firework.

    "I was expecting them to bolt when they saw the fangs," Nick chuckled, standing up. "You bunnies are made of tougher stuff than I gave you credit for. You Hoppses, anyway."

    "Uh huh, thought you would have learned that by now," Judy beamed. "Anyway, c'mon!" She grabbed his wrist and dragged him to the room. "It's time for your surprise!"

    "Can't wait until tomorrow, huh?" Nick smirked, following the excitable bunny.

    "No!" Judy called back, then looked back more cautiously. "And uh, don't get too mad. This isn't anything extravagant like a cruise, okay? You're probably not going to have the most indulgent and amazing three days you've ever had, okay? I can't really- I couldn't make something like that happen..."

    "Not many mammals can," Nick said with faux haughtiness.

    "Pff," Judy rolled her eyes and took him into their room. Nick's brow immediately went up in surprise and confusion. There were two fully-stocked camping backpacks sitting there on the bed.

    "Uh?" Nick blinked. "What's this about?"

    "I thought you and I could go camping for your birthday!" Judy said enthusiastically, driving her fists into her hips. "We live near a nice forest trail that leads up to a small mountain, or tall hill, whichever you wanna call it."

    Nick was dumbfounded, and his head tilted.

    Judy winced. "What... don't like it?" She nibbled at her lip. "Aw... I just thought that you..." she poked her fingers together, "y'know, you wanted to be a ranger scout and all, and I-"

    "No, Judy, this is amazing!" Nick scooped her up and lifted her off the ground in a hug. She gave a surprised squawk. "I've never really got to go hiking or anything. That's not something you can really do in Zootopia, even in the Rainforest District. Wow! So... we're going to leave tomorrow?"

    "Right now, if you want," Judy smiled apologetically, "everyone else really doesn't have too much planned here for you, sorry to say."

    "That... um, suits me fine," Nick coughed, setting her down on the bed, "so just you and me, huh?" Judy nodded. "Yeah... I'd like that."

---

    Nick and Judy were soon in a pleasantly-shaded forest, walking along, each equipped with a big camping backpack full of supplies.

    "Mm, just smell that foresty air," Nick tilted his muzzle upward and inhaled a great big drag of the natural scent. The dirt, leaves, and even wind seemed to smell fresh and refined to him. "This is so great. I can't believe I've never thought of this!"

    "Mmhmhm," Judy giggled at him with a large smile plastered on her face. "You know, it's nice to see you this happy."

    "What do you mean, Judy?" Nick adjusted the weight on his shoulders, mirroring her smile. "I'm always happy around you."

    "This happy," Judy held her fingers in arches over the top of her wide eyes. "Not this happy." She made her forefingers point to each other and move them down halfway along her eyeballs.

    "Well," Nick huffed, rubbing the back of his paw on his shirt. "Unrestrained gushing happiness isn't exactly a becoming feature of a classy fox."

    "Maybe you're not one of those, then," Judy teased with a click of her teeth. "Maybe you're just a big, fun-loving goofball in a classy fox's body."

    "I'm sure you'd like to think that," Nick said with a false snootiness, but his tail kept swishing, so Judy was convinced he was having a lot of fun. She gave a satisfied, loud hum and spun around.

    "Y'know," Judy bobbed her head back to look up at the treetops. "I haven't ever been out this far. I have no idea where we're going. And I said I wouldn't use my phone unless there was an emergency, but..."

    "Oh, come on," Nick rolled his eyes, pointing. "It's about 5 P.M. or so. Sun's heading west." He gestured northward. "So that's north." He moved his arm slightly to the right. "And that's northeast, the direction of that hill-slash-mountain we're supposed to climb. We're still pretty much even on the trail."

    "How can you tell?" Judy took large steps around some impediments and foliage. "Doesn't look like much of one."

    Nick gestured to a nearby tree. "Look, someone snapped a twig here pretty low to the ground. Probably a bunny marking their way."

    "Not a bird?" Judy cocked her head.

    The fox shook his. "Nah. A bird would have taken it to build their nest. Bet we'll see more on the way back to the trail."

    And they did. Soon the trail was looking more solid, and Judy breathed a little sigh of relief.

    "You do know your stuff, huh?" Judy looked proudly up at her fox. "Enough to make me think you'd done this before."

    "Well, I've wanted to," Nick had a small, candid grin. "If I got into the ranger scouts, I wanted to be a pack leader. Teach the kids what's what. The ways of the world."

    "You have always been a big sweetheart, huh?" The bunny pointed accusingly at him.

    "You wound me," Nick pointed at himself graciously. He gestured along the dirt path, letting the bunny overtake him. "Just needed someone to show me the way."

    Judy tossed him an affectionate smile at that, and continued onward.

---

    The bunny began to tire as the sun began to set.

    "Whew! I'd like to claim I have unlimited stamina, but I'm beat!" Judy grumbled.

    Nick put a paw to his ear and listened. "Well, sounds like we're in luck. Hear that?"

    Judy's ear perked up. "Sounds like running water. A stream?"

    The fox nodded. "Uh huh. There's a clearing here too, pretty much a perfect place to set up camp."

    Judy nodded, and the two started to unload their backpacks, taking out the tent from Nick's and beginning to assemble it.

    "Urgh, they make this look so easy in the shows," Judy grumbled, struggling with the rods.

    "Yeah, it's a pain... I've never done this either," Nick fiddled with it, but somehow they got the tent set up. Night was beginning to fall and the wind picked up an invigorating nip.

    "Raagh..." Nick grumbled, rubbing a thinner stick against a thicker one against dried grass. "Well, I think I've failed 'building a fire 101'." He set the sticks down. "You wanna turn in?"

    "Oh ho, such a quitter!" Judy moved to her own backpack, pulling out a lighter. "Since we're both complete novices at this, I brought the cool gadgets." She flicked it to get a fire going, then set it down in the pit they'd constructed.

    "Ah, nice," Nick huffed into a smile as he saw a small fire pick up.

    "We had to have a fire," Judy explained, digging around in the backpack, "else we couldn't have your cake!"

    "You... how are you intending to make a cake out here?" The fox blinked, baffled.

    "Well, not a 'cake' exactly," Judy giggled, taking out some graham crackers. "But s'mores!"

    "What, no way!" Enthusiasm spread onto Nick's face as he thought of gooey marshmallow doing the same over those crackers. "I've always wanted them, but y'know, chocolate's so bad for you and all..."

    "Just one each?" Judy tempted, shaking a bar of chocolate. "You gotta have s'mores!"

    "I do, absolutely, absolutely have to have them," Nick nodded, his tail swishing on the ground. "Even if it is a little early for my 'cake'."

    "I'm hoping to be asleep by midnight," Judy looked up at the dimming sky. "My eyesight isn't so good in the dark, and if we're actually going to be 'roughing it', there won't be too much to do."

    "Oh, I can think of a few things," Nick wiggled his eyebrows.

    "Mhm," Judy returned a leer. "But I doubt you could last that long."

    "Ouch," he nearly pouted, "that one kind of stung a little."

    A short while later, the two were enjoying their treat to the soft crackle of the fire.

    "Mmm-mm, so goofh," the fox said with a full mouth.

    "Mhm!" The bunny agreed, giggling as she noticed how full of mirth Nick seemed. She took a large swallow of s'more. "There's my happy fox again."

    "Aw, c'mon Judy," Nick grumbled, "you're making me feel self-conscious about it. How am I supposed to feel that the bunny likes me the most when I'm acting like a kit?"

    "You call it childish," Judy sniffed, "and I call it just being genuine. It doesn't hurt! Clawhauser gets away with that just fine."

    "Right, but can you imagine Bogo...?" Nick led.

    "Pfff!" Judy caught a laugh in her cheeks. "Uhh... no, I guess not. But anyway, you're not either of them. I want you to be happy."

    "I am, Fluffball, I am," Nick nudged her, then chomped down the rest of his s'more.

---

    Judy woke in what she presumed was the middle of the night. She was unexpectedly alone in her sleeping bag, and her ears quickly perked up as she looked around. The bunny could barely see and her ears picked up little but gentle cricket chirps. Getting out of the sleeping bag, she put some rudimentary clothes on and headed out of the tent, into the night.

    "Nick..?"

    "This way, Judy."

    Judy wandered in almost a dream-like state, slightly nervous, but with slight anticipation. Nick was standing in the middle of the clearing, not a stitch of clothing on him. His head was tilted into the air. The bunny's fatigue-addled mind thought she must be dreaming; she laughed anyway.

    "Nick, what are you doing?" Judy slowly wandered toward him, following his gaze to the air.

    "Oh, just enjoying nature as my forebears did," Nick said, sighing happily. "It's a nice night out."

    "Well, I'm pretty sure your forebears didn't stand on their hind legs," Judy mumbled, folding her arms. "And your ancestors would probably be trying to kill mine right about now."

    "Boy, you sure know how to kill a mood, don't you bunny?" Nick chided, though his voice was still serene.

    "Lookin' at the stars?" Judy joined him, placing her paw in one of his.

    "Yeah, they're so gorgeous..." Nick smiled, "I've never gotten to see them like this. Not when the Gleaming City gleams so much."

    "Hm, Zootopia's a little star of its own, hm?" Judy considered.

    "Well, stars are actually pretty uncomplicated," Nick huffed, "and I'd call Zootopia anything but. Stars are made of the simplest things in the universe, but they shine for so long, displaying their beauty for all to see. You know, as long as other light doesn't crowd it out."

    "I guess I've been spoiled by having a similar view for so long," Judy scanned the sky for something particularly interesting to look at, but couldn't settle. "Maybe it just looks more spectacular to you because of your special eyes."

    "Could be," Nick sighed, squeezing her paw, "but if that was the case, I'd love for you to see the view I'm having right now."

    "Hey, mine's not so bad either," Judy beamed, "it's got a handsome fox in it."

    "All right, you charmer," Nick giggled, fuzzling her head fur. "Your mind's still there, huh?"

    "Hey, if you're going to take in some simple pleasures, can't I?" Judy shrugged her shoulder.

    Nick scoffed, placing a hand delicately to his bare chest. "Huh! I am a very complicated pleasure, I'll have you know."

    "Right..." Judy's sleazy smile showed she wasn't convinced. "Anyway, if you're gonna stargaze, it's better if you lie down."

    Nick let go of her paw to do so, and Judy soon flung off the rest of her clothes and nestled against him, her back to his front. Nick chuckled, wrapping his arms around her.

    "Yeah," Judy hummed. "This is pretty nice."

---

    "C'mon, Nick, the summit can't be much farther!" Judy pointed, the lighter-equipped mammals moving up the simple trail that led to the small mountain's top.

    "I will never understand morning mammals," Nick yawned.

    "Well, maybe if someone didn't spend their whole night stargazing..." Judy scolded.

    "Did you really fall asleep that quickly?" The fox shook his head, marveling.

    "What? You're comfy," Judy tossed back at him. "I'm just kind of worried that we left camp up. What if a bear goes through it?"

    "'What if a bear-' tuh, good grief, Judy," Nick shook his head in disappointment, "there's only been like two or three reports of some strange bears that like to go through campers' stuff and suddenly its a big thing?"

    "Sorry Nick, um... what if a snake gets into the tent?" Judy winced.

    "Well, you got me there," Nick chuckled nervously.

    The two eventually came upon the peak, where Judy planted her fists on her hips.

    "Here it is! Oh, and look!" Judy placed her paw to her forehead. "I can see the compound from here! Ha! I've always wanted to say that."

    "Sheesh!" Nick looked down at the wide expanse of the Hopps farm and the buildings that made it up. "What down there isn't owned by you bunnies?"

    "Very little, I guess," Judy grinned. "I don't think I've wanted this until just now. Being able to see everywhere I grew up in one vista. When I first got to Zootopia, everywhere was a new, wondrous place."

    "Yeah, but here, you get such a wide shot," Nick considered. "In ways, Zootopia is kind of like a 'theme park' of different bits of the world. Growing up with it, I guess you can kind of get numb to it."

    "So, I take the sky for granted, and you the earth, is that what we're getting at here?" Judy poked the fox in the side.

    "Now which one of us is getting poetic?" Nick laughed.

    Judy took in a large, clean breath. "Mmm, but this is such a great view. Out here with only the wind to hear us... ahh..."

    Nick's brow furrowed a little as he noticed the bunny's breathing becoming a little labored.

    "The air's not that thin up here..." Nick blinked, leaning over to look at her. "Oh, I see, we're going emotional bunny, are we?"

    "Nick," Judy's slightly watering eyes went over to him, and her head soon followed, "I just... I don't want this to end."

    "What, our little outing?" The fox scratched his head.

    "No, this..." Judy held her arms out wide. "What we're doing... it just seems like every time we do something, it's brand new. New things, new experiences... I get to share all of them with you, and I love that."

    Nick grew a genuine smile, patting her shoulder. "Well, I'm not going anywhere, so you don't have to worry about this ending anytime soon."

    Judy seemed to think, then looked up at Nick with a determined face. "Nick, I have a proposal for you."

    "Go ahead...?" His head tilted sideways.

    Judy hopped up onto a nearby rock to be more on Nick level, then crouched, producing a small box from her pocket. "Marry me?"

    Nick's eyes flew all the way open.

    "O-oh, like a literal proposal," Nick deadpanned. "...Wow." He swallowed.

    "I... I know you're my fox, and I'm your bunny," Judy smiled tentatively, "and I kind of want the whole world to know that, too. But... I wanted this moment with you, in this place... with only the wind to hear us, to ask you... if you'd be my husband."

    Nick gazed at the handsome silver engagement ring, laced with gold, and the eager-though-nervous bunny offering it, and his face softened.

    "You think I'd say no?" Nick's smile was tiny, but present. "I've been waiting my whole life for someone like you. I just didn't know that someone would be bunny-shaped."

    "S-so..." Judy's paws were almost trembling.

    "Of course I'll marry you, you silly bunny," Nick hugged her to him.

    "Oh thank gosh," Judy breathed out. "That was probably the scariest thing I've ever done."

    "She says, with a huge drop a few steps behind her," Nick squeezed her close, "she says, having leaped out of a train doomed to explode."

    "I meant it," Judy snuggled into the hug.

---

    "Well," Nick said flippantly, setting his backpack down near the entrance to the main hall of the compound. "If your aim was to outdo my surprise cruise vacation, I'd say you succeeded."

    "Nick, not everything is a contest," Judy rolled her eyes, her adrenaline still trickling from her proposal.

    "I cannot believe I'm hearing you claim that," Nick said lightly, turning the knob to the door and preemptively ducking for it. "Little miss-"

    "SURPRISE!"

    Judy was surprised as Nick was as dozens of voices screamed out to them. A congregation of bunnies was there with birthday hats and streamers, and a sign hung near the ceiling that said "HAPPY BIRTHDAY".

    Near the forefront of the throng of bunnies was Violet, who was looking rather smug.

    "Vi!" Judy looked around at everyone with wide eyes, then rushed over to her. "You said you weren't planning a big to-do!"

    "And you bought that?" Violet looked confused, then her eyes wandered over to Nick. "Wow, I thought you'd be less of an easy mark with this after hanging out with a fox for so long."

    "Vi...!" Judy hissed, thrusting her paws downward. "You know Nick doesn't like huge parties!"

    "So...?" Violet leaned her head in to her shorter sister. "Did you find the nerve?"

    Judy smiled, letting out a huge breath. "Take a look at his paw."

    As Violet did, she quickly motioned to a bunny buck near the sign. Part of it unfurled, adding "AND ENGAGEMENT!" to the "HAPPY BIRTHDAY".

    The din in the hall was deafening, and Nick's ears involuntarily went back.

    "What!? No way! Nick's getting married?"
    "To Judy?"
    "To Judy! Isn't it romantic?"
    "But Judy's so weird and Nick's so cool!"
    "I love Nick! He's gonna be my big brother!"

    A wobbly smile pulled at Nick's lip.

    "You okay there, Nick?" Judy came up to him, petting his arm.

    "Yup," Nick sighed, drawing her in for a sideways hug. "I've just never had this much family causing such a fuss over me so far." He wiped a little moisture from his glassy eyes, blinking repeatedly.

    "Or, the dumb bunny emotional sensitivity could be rubbing off on you..." Judy smiled teasingly, petting his ringed hand.

    Nick gave a weak, rather cute laugh. "We could go with that."

    "C'mon, Nick!" An adventurous-looking young buck named Bradley rushed over to the two, gesturing wildly. "Wait until you see the size of your cake! It's amazing!"

    "Ah, so I get a cake after all," Nick smirked, walking forward with Judy's paw firmly in his hand. She smiled lovingly up at him.

    "And presents, too!" Bradley confirmed with a rapid nod, tugging at his shirt. "C'mon! No time to lose!"

    "Give him space, Bradley," Violet snipped. Bradley saluted and rushed off. "In fact, you all give him some space. Foxes can be very emotional, too."

    "Really? A fox can?"
    "Aww, so sweet!"
    "Look, is he crying?"

    Nick laughed again, wiping another set of tears. "Judy, I love you, but I'm never gonna live this down."

    "Nick, what do you mean?" Judy beamed. "You fit right in."

    "I know..." Nick said weakly, "that's just it."

    "I love you too, honey," Judy hopped up to kiss his cheek.

Chapter 175: Dreams

    Sharla still felt a bit tired as she finished drying her black wool for the day ahead. Looking at herself in the bathroom mirror, she tied her uniform's green apron on and let out a short huff. Continuing on to her kitchen, she flipped on the TV in her cozy living room while she poured a bowl of a sweet oat cereal for herself.

    It was Bunnyburrow's morning news show, "Sunnyburrow". The two hosts were chuckling at each other, probably over some adorable thing a bunny had done that had made the news somehow. It was pretty quiet in Bunnyburrow. Sharla chomped down onto her breakfast.

    "Now, we have something special for you folks later this morning," the cow hostess leaned over her desk with a conspiratorial grin.

    "That's right, Clara," the horse swished his hoof through the air. "None other than our very own Burrow-grown Judy Hopps is in town, and we got an interview with her!" Sharla's attention was broken from her cereal, and she looked at the TV.

    "Not only that, Horace," Clara looked like she could barely contain herself, "she's brought along her newly-appointed partner, Nick Wilde!"

    "Is that right?" Horace clicked his hoof against the desk. "Mr. Wilde's a fox, is he not? First policefox on the Zootopia force?"

    "Just so!" Clara clapped her forehooves together excitedly. "We'll be sure to ask them all the burning questions we have time for! Isn't this exciting, Horace? We've never gotten to interview someone from the big city before."

    "And a couple of heroes, at that!" Horace agreed. "So you folks be sure and stay tuned!"

    Sharla fiddled with the remote. She wouldn't have time to watch the program, but she'd like to. She set it to record and turned the TV off, finishing up her cereal.

    "Ol' Judy Hopps is still makin' a name for herself, huh?" Sharla shook her head slightly as she rinsed out her bowl.

    The drive to work was uneventful. The roads were as sleepy as she felt, and though it wasn't quite the crack of dawn, it'd be close to the stars coming out before she'd be on her way back home. It wasn't so bad, though, she figured.

---

    Stepping into Greener Grocers, Sharla headed in to clock in and get her assignment for the day. Shortly, she was accosted by her manager. Standing slightly above her and with one of those slightly bothered faces that only a goat could pull off perfectly, was Frank Whelker, his hooves behind his back.

    "Mornin', sir," Sharla greeted, getting a stocking position.

    "Sharla," Frank's voice returned in acknowledgement. He was a gruff old goat in about every sense of the word possible. One of those stereotypical grumpy goats that was too old to give a darn, but seemed to be easy to bother anyway. He poked her on the shoulder as she was about to head back onto the store floor. "I've got you stocking in the baked good section today. We have a local baker here today, settin' up a display."

    "Uh, yes sir?" Sharla raised an eyebrow.

    "It's a pred," one of Frank's eyes narrowed, and he pushed a hoof accusingly at her, "and I don't want you raisin' a fuss on account of your predispositions."

    Sharla tried not to instantly frown. "Yes sir, Mr. Whelker."

    "Good, now get to work," Frank headed off to find someone else to bother.

    Sharla found his admonition unfair. She'd only once had an incident with predators on the job. That was when she got in trouble for raising her voice at a coyote family. In her defense, the rowdy young cub had knocked over a whole display of canned goods that she spent a lot of time meticulously putting together. But you're not supposed to get angry at a customer, ever, lest they complain. And complain they did, so that old goat had his eye on her from then on. He was one of those goats that would look you straight in the eye while eating a can of tomatoes, sometimes without even bothering to open the can. Kind of unsettling.

    Trying to shake off her clouded thoughts, Sharla made her way over to the baked goods section to see what was what, and what needed stocking. She froze on her way there and her brow furrowed.

    There was indeed a predator meticulously placing some delicate pies on a little stand near the bakery. It was a fox. Kind of portly, with gentle blue eyes, but a double-wave of brown hair peeking out from a hat that she found extremely, unforgettably familiar. Turning his head, the fox noticed the single black sheep standing there amid the aisles and his pupils shrank.

    "Gideon Grey, is that you?" Sharla looked incredulous.

    "Oh, y-yes ma'am," Gideon swiftly took off the blue cap he was wearing and fiddled with it in his paws. He looked like he didn't want to hazard a guess as to who he knew he was looking at. "Sharla...?"

    "That's me," Sharla found her curiosity overpowering the distaste she felt in the pit of her stomach. She walked closer, her eyes flicking between the fox and the baked goods.

    "Sharla, I'd just like to say I- I'm sorry 'bout what happened between us when we were young," Gideon kept fumbling with his hat. "I was projectin' a lot of issues I had 'bout myself... an'- an' that don't excuse my actions..."

    The sheep shrugged. "Looks like you've turned a new page anyway, Gideon." She sniffed at the pies he was setting out. Their sweet scent could be detected through the plastic covers on them. They smelled really nice, if she was honest. "I didn't even know foxes could eat fruit."

    "Oh, yes ma'am," Gideon nodded, placing his hat back on his head, "foxes can eat pretty much anything." He swallowed, then hesitantly went back out to setting up his display, adding a handsomely hand-written card that said "Made with Hopps Family Produce!"

    "Ah, you deal with the Hopps?" Sharla blinked. "They grow some good fruit. It's always movin' fast 'round here."

    Gideon nodded. "Tastiest fruit in the Burrows, I'd say." He chuckled weakly. "Heh... you 'member that play Judy had you in when we was young?"

    "'Course," Sharla's eyes cautiously met Gideon's.

    Gideon hazarded a smile. "Thought you'd be halfway to the moon by now, what with... y'know. Judy's a policerabbit n' all."

    "Gideon..." Sharla rolled her eyes. "How many mammals actually go become an astronaut just cause they wanted to when they were little?" She flicked a hand upward. "Why, if everyone who wanted to be an astronaut grew up to be one, it'd prolly cause the imminent collapse of society on Earth!"

    "Oh, oh," Gideon nodded, "forgive me for presumin'."

    "Space exploration's for small mammals anyway," Sharla shook her head. "Ain't no one gonna pay to haul up a mammal as large as a sheep when they can send a whole crew of mice instead."

    "Ah, well, I don't know nothin' about space travel," Gideon smiled bashfully. "But I'd just figured... heh, Judy actually becoming a policerabbit..."

    "That was mostly her play," Sharla shook her head, taking some inventory. "She wrote pretty much the whole thing."

    "Y'think Jaguar actually became an actuary?" Gideon pursued.

    "Heck if I know, Gideon," Sharla was trying not to get annoyed, keeping her voice low. "Haven't seen him since middle school. Sure didn't take you for a baker."

    "Yeah, well, kinda took myself by surprise too," Gideon smiled humbly. "Mammals kept tellin' me I was good at it ever since I chanced home ec in high school, so I just kept doin' it, and here I am. Kinda went with the flow on that one, heh."

    "It's a fine trade, I suppose," Sharla was barely looking at Gideon.

    "Y'want me to bake you a pie sometime?" Gideon offered meekly. "What's your favorite flavor?"

    "I dunno Gideon, I don't think that's really necessary," Sharla shook her head. "I'm tryin' to watch my weight."

    Gideon's head tilted curiously. She looked to be a fine shape to him, at least. "Maybe just a tart then...?"

    "I'm..." Sharla stopped her work briefly. "Partial to blackberries. ...I know, I know, black sheep, it's real fittin', right?"

    "Next time I'm over here I'll get you a nice warm blackberry tart," Gideon smiled. "Hope it'll be the tastiest one you ever did eat."

    Sharla looked at the fox cautiously. "I hope you don't think that'll make us square."

    Gideon looked like he'd been pushed. "Oh no, no ma'am. Wouldn't dream of that. Just- uh, jh- just tryin' to look out for my fellow mammal."

    "Well, thank you for that, Gideon," Sharla said politely, and made herself scarce to the bakery's stock room.

    Taking a moment for herself in the back, she sighed. She probably should go make a mild apology to the fox, lest he complain to the manager. The last thing she wanted was to get herself fired over some trivial manner, just because she was a little curt. When she went back out, though, he was gone. She supposed the stand was already all set up.

    Sharla looked at the display. It was nice and honest, wholesome even. The treats looked delicious. She almost smiled, then went back to her work. Oh well, she supposed there was time. If he was insistent on giving her a tart, maybe she could say something then.

---

    The moon was out by the time Sharla left her shift, and the stars would soon follow. Bunnyburrow did have some gorgeous colors in the evening. The sheep stopped by her aging black hand-me-down car, looking up at the moon. Waxing crescent. Just a tiny fraction of its glory, but with the promise of growth, to eventual brilliance. Sharla sighed and gave a tiny smile.

    After a couple of twists of the key, the car started. She flicked an astronaut bobblehead on her dashboard to watch the helmet wiggle. No telling what kind of mammal was supposed to be in that suit. Really could be anything. A bunny could reach for the stars, couldn't they? Judy proved that. Evidently, even foxes could. But a sheep?

    "Maybe someday."

Chapter 176: Rumblings

    The weather outside of the Callie Marie Docks was pleasant, a breeze coming off the Zootopian waterway. However, within the shipping container that Nick and Judy happened to be in, the air felt cramped and choked. Judy smelled the medicinal odor inside, and it wasn't a good kind of smell. Her nose wrinkled as she looked after her partner.

    Nick pushed off the last of the boxes in the container, taking in one last sniff for good measure.

    "Anything?" Judy asked hopefully.

    "Nope, everything's clean," Nick said. "Just run-of-the mill pharmaceuticals."

    "Darn," Judy slashed her paw through the air.

    The two headed out of the container and met up with an anxious looking otter. He was middle-aged and several pounds overweight for a normally slinky sea otter.

    "You're all good, Mr. Seafert," Nick explained with a satisfied voice, "this one is clean too."

    "Thank God," the otter hung his head and shook it, folding his arms. "What with the scare and all, it's not been good for business."

    "Not that I mind being dragged all the way from Downtown to have my partner sniff around some boxes," Judy began in a voice that didn't sound genuine, "but you don't have your own security? Some wolves, maybe?"

    "Oh, I do, yeah," Mr. Seafert nodded quickly, "but they think one of them is the one on the inside. That's how the stuff keeps getting in, so they say."

    "You and I go way back, Randolph," Nick smiled patiently, "so I'd like to think this has nothing to do with you. It is a little suspicious, though."

    "What, that my names 'Randy'?" The otter held his paws out helplessly. "Nick- er, officer Wilde... c'mon. It's been over a decade I've been in this business. Why'd I risk it all just because that drug... Randernephrol... just cause it's worth a bit of extra coin?"

    "People can change, Mr. Seafert," Nick gave him an authoritative look, "even after a couple decades. There's a big profit margin to be made there, and it seems rather suspect we haven't caught any dirty paws since we got the anonymous tip about you. I'd like to believe you're better than this, but we'll have our eyes open. And noses, just in case."

    "I got you, Officer Wilde," Mr. Seafert looked disappointed and started to make his way off. Under his breath, he muttered, "tch, what a badge will do to some mammals."

    Judy's ear perked up and she looked in his direction with a moment's shock, then a furrowed face. "Nick, you hear that?"

    "Yeah," Nick rolled his eyes. "Won't let it bother me. I have a sneaking suspicion ol' Randy wants to pay for some sort of midlife crisis. Saw him in a red convertible the other day. Shoo, if my salary would pay for one of those..."

    "Rgh, this is so boring," Judy thrust her paws down as the two began to make their way back to their vehicle. "Because you've got this- this super scent, we keep getting thrown all over Zootopia to sniff out this stupid resurgent drug. Except now this kind isn't as 'pure' as before and apparently can be smelled out by nose wizards such as yourself, so here we are."

    "You're just mad that we haven't made any arrests yet," Nick teased, his paws behind his back.

    "You're darn right!" Judy balled a fist close to her chest. "I mean, what am I supposed to do while you're actually working? Stand here and look pretty?" She thrust her paws down and then out wide, her steps nearly stomps.

    "Well, I mean, you are good at that," Nick said in a light, playful voice.

    "Tuh," Judy rolled her eyes over to him, and barely half-smiled. "Ignoring that."

    "Your prerogative," Nick beamed with half-lidded eyes.

    Further off in the distance, there was some sort of photo shoot going on that caught Judy's eye, if only because of the size of the mammals involved. Most of them appeared to be giraffes, with one hippo, and one elephant that seemed to be the center of everyone's attention. The elephant looked young, perhaps in her early twenties, and she was dressed in some kind of sailor outfit and skirt, complete with hat. She looked to Judy like she was some sort of model, perhaps for a cruise line.

    "Oh, oh!"

    Nick turned his head in the direction of the shoot to see the elephant begin to move toward them, waving a hand above her head. Both Nick and Judy felt the instinctual urge to flee inherent when an extremely large mammal is rushing at you.

    "Daisy! Come on! We're shooting here!" A male giraffe sneered in distaste. "It ain't time for break yet!"

    "Just gimme ten minutes!" The elephant slowed her lumbering gait and waved at the giraffe. "I'm a big fan of these two!"

    Judy gave a proud little huff at that, straightening up and looking official.

    "Literally," Nick said under his breath. "And two big fans for ears!"

    Judy's ear twitched. "Hush."

    "Fine..." the giraffe swiveled his neck over to his crew. "Take ten, everyone..."

    "Can we talk somewhere quiet, officers?" The elephant asked politely, craning her head down a bit.

    "Sure, uhm, right over here," Judy said, rounding a boathouse out of sight of the photo shoot. "So, you've heard of the two of us, hm?"

    "Actually, no, I have no idea who you are!" Daisy giggled. "Oh, but you're just the cutest little cops." Her trunk flicked playfully. Nick stifled a laugh.

    "...Right," Judy's brow furrowed, but she quickly squashed her unpleasantness and looked bright and happy again. "I'm Judy Hopps! And this is Nick Wilde. We're here to help!"

    "I'm Daisy Blackfeather, dunno if you've heard of me..." Daisy posed with a hip out and arm behind her head.

    A desperate eye flick to Nick indicated that Judy had not, in fact. He nodded and held up an index finger.

    "The famous model, right?"

    "Yes! Up and coming!" Daisy tittered.

    Nick winked at Judy and she almost laughed. Apparently, that was just Nick's best guess.

    "Well, what can a couple of small, cute cops do for you?" Nick asked pleasantly.

    When Judy turned her head to look back up at Daisy, she yelped, noticing that she was a bit too close to the elephant. She backed up and turned her head in embarrassment, holding a paw to block the line of sight. Daisy's skirt was quite short.

    "Oh, sorry, ha ha," Daisy held up a hand and took a few steps back, "gotta titillate the males, you know." She wiggled the tip of her trunk at Nick, who just had his usual blithe smile on. "Anyway, I was kinda concerned... I've been hearing these rumblings of an attack on me."

    "An attack?" Judy was suddenly all business, her ears alerting. "On you?"

    "Yes," Daisy nodded seriously, looking concerned. She pointed over to the group of working mammals. "It was during the shoot. I overheard these two guys talking about me."

    "And no one else heard it?" Nick pursued. "No one else at the shoot?"

    "No, only I can hear the voices," Daisy claimed.

    Nick and Judy shot each other a confused look, the expression on the bunny's face slowly turning to wariness as she turned back to the elephant. She looked the model over; she looked mostly normal, pretty for an elephant she supposed, but perhaps a bit ditsy.

    "Ma'am... are you feeling okay?" Judy asked with a pinched, concerned face.

    "Um, sure, except for feeling like I might be... jumped or something," Daisy placed her hands together worriedly, looking left and right.

    Something seemed to occur to Nick, and he lit up. "Oh, these mammals you heard wouldn't happen to be elephants, would they?"

    "Yeah, of course," Daisy nodded, pointing toward where they came from with her trunk. "Saw them on the other side of the docks."

    "Ah," Nick smiled, nodding. "Okay, that makes sense."

    "Uh...?" It clearly didn't to Judy, who's head tilted.

    "You'll have to forgive my partner," Nick grinned widely, "she's a bit of a country bunkin."

    "That's just so precious," Daisy replied in a cutesy voice.

    A grumble half-escaped Judy's throat and her ears fell.

    "Elephants can speak in a register that only they can hear," Nick explained.

    "Only elephants?" This was rather surprising to Judy. "I mean, I'd like to think I have pretty good hearing..."

    "Yeah, but it doesn't matter how quiet something is in this case, just how low it is," Nick explained. "Like, you know those high-pitched defense whistles that only work on like half of us mammals?"

    "Ugh, I've been hoping they'd ban those things," Judy shook her head. "Even hearing one across the street makes my head split." She seemed mystified. "Really, though. Only elephants."

    "And ferrets!" Daisy interjected, smiling demurely.

    "Really?" Nick was shocked; even he didn't know this. "That seems a little random of a species."

    "Hehe, you do have to be careful about what you say around the street," Daisy grinned. "Elephants can rumble some naughty things to each other, but there might be an eavesdropping furry tube underfoot!"

    "Okay, maybe we could just get back to the issue at paw," Judy held up a finger, then drove it into her open palm. "So it was two elephants, and they said they were gonna attack you?"

    "Yeah, I heard them during the photo shoot, about thirty minutes ago," Daisy nodded.

    "Could you make out what they were saying?" Nick asked.

    "Oh, some scandalous things," Daisy frowned. "'There she is, she's fully stacked'. 'I've been wanting to get my trunk on Daisy's junk for awhile'. 'No one's gonna stop us once we're in there'. They said they were gonna move in in an hour, and it's been thirty minutes, at least. I'm just getting really worried n' all. I don't think anyone on the shoot could stop a couple of bull elephants.."

    "Ooh, this sounds serious," Judy looked alarmed, turning to Nick. "But you don't have to worry, Officer Wilde and I will take care of everything."

    Daisy looked a little bit skeptical, though her expression was still pleasant.

    "With some considerable backup," Nick assured, holding up his radio.

---

    After the two broke from Daisy, Nick picked up his radio, while Judy outfitted her tranq gun with elephant-grade tranquilizer.

    "As much as I want to say I got into a scuffle with two elephants," Judy took in a deep breath, "I kind of don't, you know?"

    "With you there," Nick muttered, then spoke into his radio. "Officer Wilde to base. We have a possible situation. Two male elephant suspects may be committing a crime of some kind at 16:30. Request backup."

    "You got it," Clawhauser replied from base, "your twenty?"

    "Callie Marie docks," Nick said. "Will need Trunkaby and Snarlov definitely, maybe McHorn and Rhinowitz as well." Something seemed to occur to him, and a curious look passed over his muzzle. "Oh and could you patch me over to Skippel?"

    "Um, absolutely!" Clawhauser sounded as confused by this request as Judy looked.

    "Karen?" Judy asked. "Why's that?"

    "A hunch," Nick wrinkled his nose.

    "Officer Skippel, over?"

    "Skips, is it possible for you to pull up a list of the currently moored ships at the Callie Marie docks?" Nick asked.

    "Anything for you, Wilde," Karen replied with sarcastic bite. After several seconds, she spoke again. "What am I looking for?"

    "Wow, that fast?" Nick seemed dully surprised. "Is there a 'Daisy'?"

    Judy's face lit up; she punched a fist into the other paw and then pointed at Nick.

    "Yup, one 'Daisy', cargo ship, looks like," Karen replied. "A big one."

    "Thanks Skips, out," Nick said, dropping his radio back into its place smoothly.

    "We can get one team to cover the model, and the other the ship," Judy said with a kind of nervous excitement.

    "Which one are we betting on?" Nick frowned. "The only way to really stop a charging elephant is with another elephant. Maybe a couple rhinos."

    "Let's... I'll go with your idea," Judy nodded. "We'll take Francine and check out the docks. If they're there we'll move in."

    "Hope this works," Nick said, readying his own tranq gun.

---

    Just about thirty-seven minutes later, Officer Francine Trunkaby was dragging a heavily sedated male elephant off a large cargo ship.

    "Jeez Louise, what does this guy eat?" Snarlov tried desperately to assist, but the polar bear was basically only marginally helping.

    "That was great fun, Wilde, Hopps!" Francine waved her trunk at them, dragging the barely-conscious elephant off. "Been awhile since I had to deck a fellow ellie, doncha know?"

    "We might have missed them entirely if it wasn't for Nick," Judy beamed.

    "I bet the rhinos are bored," Nick returned a sly grin. "We'll just, uh, Hopps and I will get the other elephant out to your cruiser."

    "Pff, in our dreams," Judy laughed. Francine seemed to think this was funny as well, letting out a brief trumpet.

    "Yeah, laugh it up, you guys," Snarlov grunted, struggling with the form Francine seemed to move effortlessly.

    "Nice shots, Officer Hopps," Nick grinned down at her. "Were you a bit of a sharpshooter back on the farm?"

    "I was pretty good with a BB gun in my youth," Judy said proudly, posing with both hands on her gun near her head. "I mean, that said, they were elephants and all. Kind of hard to miss...?"

    "Still, you knew where to shoot to get them loopier faster," Nick was unrelenting in his pleasant smile, "if not, we might have had a couple of big problems..."

    "Aw well," Judy semi-humbly rolled her head and eyes, batting her paw at Nick. She looked over the many shipping containers of the moored cargo ship. "Sheesh. I bet Bogo will bring the wolves in soon... wonder what was on this ship worth stealing? Randernephrol, you think?"

    "Could be, but that'd be a massive coincidence," Nick said, the two heading back onto the pier. "There's more than one kind of contraband after-"

    A thunderous report of footsteps startled Nick and Judy. The both of them nearly scattered before realizing was Daisy. She rushed up to them and came to a tentative stop.

    "Nh!" The bunny turned her head as Daisy's halt left her right in front of them. The elephant giggled with little shame, taking a couple of steps back.

    "So um... it's been awhile and I haven't been attacked yet," Daisy smiled. "I'm guessing it was because of those handsome, grumpy rhinos keeping watch."

    "Yeah, something like that," Nick grinned up at her.

    "Oh, thank you two so much!" Daisy wiggled her trunk coquettishly and placed her hands on her hips. "I'm glad I called on you."

    "All in a day's work for the ZPD," Judy said proudly, standing up straight.

    Daisy giggled. "Such a couple of cuties! If this whole police thing didn't work out for you two, I bet you could have been models! Anyway, byeee!" She waved and lumbered off, back to an exasperated giraffe and his crew. As soon as she left, Judy's bright face changed to one of frustration.

    "One... two... three..." she grunted, paws balled into fists and squinting her eyes.

    "Well, I did say you were good at looking pretty," Nick remarked confidently.

    "Yes, I know, it was only like an hour ago," Judy said through her teeth.

Chapter 177: Objectives

    Benjamin Clawhauser looked up from his desk at the ZPD's lobby at hearing a gentle throat-clearing. He bent over the front of his desk to see a small, pretty, middle-aged vixen.

    "Hello, ma'am!" Benjamin greeted with his typical pleasant enthusiasm. "What can we do for you today at the ZPD? You're not here to turn yourself in, are you?" The cheetah barked out a laugh, then suddenly shrank back. "Wait, I probably shouldn't have said that. Did I offend you, ma'am?"

    "Oh no, I was just wondering if an... Officer Wilde was here," the vixen smiled demurely, looking left and right.

    At basically the same moment, Nick was walking out into the ZPD's lobby with Judy trailing behind him. The fox's eyes flew open all the way when he saw the vixen standing there conversing with Benjamin, and he quickly moved in front of Judy to block her line of sight.

    "Hey! Carrots," Nick smiled a bit too wide, looking down at her. "Um, I just remembered something. We need our coffee before we-"

    Judy rolled her eyes up to him, gesturing with two coffee cups in her paws.

    "Right, um, oh!" Nick pointed at her. "Before you go, maybe you could tell Skips about that game we played the other day that we liked, Celeste. You know, the one about that red panda that climbs a mountain and in so doing learns to overcome her inner challenges and doubts."

    "Uh..." Judy looked skeptical. "Okay, but wh- you know, I'm not going to ask. Fine. You're being squirrely, and I just want you to know that I know that." She gave him a gentle, eyes half-lidded smile. "Also, if Karen snaps at me for badgering her I'm going to take it out of- wait, should I not say that?" She stared straight ahead, eyes unfocused. "Is that specist?" She looked back up at her partner. "Nick, are badgers annoying to you?"

    "Just go, okay? Hurry up!" Nick said. "Ten minutes, at most!" He started to head of to the restroom.

    "Oh my gourd, Nick," Judy smirked, rolling her eyes and turning her head back the other way. "Did you forget to preen again, you silly fox?"

    Just before he vanished into the male restroom, he darted his head to the side to check for gray bunnies, then scooted up over to the front desk very quickly.

    The vixen gasped in delight. "NICHOLAS!"

    "Hello, Mom..." Nick smiled, looking between her and Benjamin, "what the heck could you be doing here?"

    "Oh, just here to check up on you," Nick's mother smiled. "Where's that perky partner of yours...?" She started to poke her nose up, looking around.

    "This is your mother!?" Clawhauser gasped. "Wow, she looks like she could be your sister!"

    "Oh, you," Mrs. Wilde winked at Clawhauser.

    "Okay, well, great, let's catch up then, over here please," Nick pointed quickly, hurrying his mother along to a room.

    "Nicholas, is this an interrogation room you're leading me to?" Mrs. Wilde asked with mild alarm.

    "Uh, this room, maybe," Nick winced, ducking into a currently empty office. His voice dropped a few decibels. "Mom, what are you doing here? I told you not to pester me while I'm on the job!"

    "Oh, so I am being interrogated," Mrs. Wilde smirked, folding her arms. "Nick, I barely get to see you nowadays. While I didn't like it, when you were on the streets at least you had some sort of reason for avoiding me, but now...!" She gestured to him with both paws. "Just look at you! You're my pride and joy. Why do you keep avoiding me?"

    "Just... I've been really busy lately, Mom, getting my act together and all," Nick ruffled his paw through his head and ears, looking tense.

    "It's the bunny, isn't it?" Mrs. Wilde's eyes half-lid, and her pleasant expression vanished.

    "Oh, here we go," Nick rolled his eyes.

    "Nick, I'm not an idiot," Mrs. Wilde shook her head. "I know about your predisposition to favor girls of a different species."

    Nick winced and held up his paws, pushing them rapidly at her while looking behind him with a panicked expression.

    "Mom, could we have this conversation at a time that would be more convenient for me? Like never?"

    Mrs. Wilde rolled her eyes to the ceiling and shook her head as if in distaste. "So, it is happening again, isn't it?"

    "No, mother, it is not," Nick said solidly, looking irritated. "Judy- Officer Hopps and I are not an item."

    "Really," Mrs. Wilde's eyes squinted, and she stared him over. "You expect me to believe that. It's in your pattern, Nicholas. Reformed though you might be, you haven't changed your spots."

    "What's that supposed to mean?" Nick hissed quietly.

    "It's happened at least twice, and that's just what I know about," Mrs. Wilde drove her paws into her hips, glaring up at him though being a few inches smaller. "You get with this other-species girl, you do whatever they want, then they get bored of you and leave." She halted Nick with a point as his mouth hung open to counter. "Don't you tell me I'm mistaken, that's exactly what happens."

    "Mom, this is different," Nick grunted, pinching the bridge of his muzzle.

    "Oh, nice, a cliche," Mrs. Wilde gave a bored smile. "What's next? 'The bunny is my true love, I knew it from the moment I met her'?"

    "No, definitely not," Nick almost laughed, but then regained his mild anger. "I haven't even- I haven't done anything with her, Mom."

    "Right, except start up your little pattern," Mrs. Wilde retorted. "She asked you to change your life for her, and you did. At first I was so thrilled at this because I thought that somewhere, you'd gotten that spark back in your life, that 'I can do what I put my mind to' attitude you had as a kit, but then when I saw it was a female that had gotten to you..."

    "Mom, please stop," Nick barely growled.

    "Don't you growl at me," Mrs. Wilde narrowed and eye. "What am I wrong about?"

    "I wanted this, me," Nick pointed to himself with both forefingers. "Yes, Judy wanted me to be her partner. Yes, Judy asked me to change my life course. But I wouldn't have done it if I didn't want to! Look at where I am! I'm in the ZPD, and not because I'm behind bars! I'm making a difference, I'm actually worth something! Not just to some bunny, but to the city."

    "And to me," the older vixen held a paw to her chest. "I just... don't want you to lose this chance that's been thrust upon you, in case things don't work out with that bunny."

    "Please use her name..." Nick rolled her eyes. "And like I said, there's nothing there."

    "Really," Mrs. Wilde huffed, half-smiling, "so you're telling me you'd turn down a date from her."

    "I... I do not think I would do that," Nick said quietly.

    "And... after some dates..." Mrs. Wilde started to pace around, not looking at her son anymore while rotating a paw at the wrist, "maybe she'd ask you to marry her. Would you be against that?"

    "Mom... I... not really...?" Nick hung his head, rubbing his forehead with his paw.

    "Then what, perhaps she wants to adopt a kit or two with you? Would you be opposed?" Mrs. Wilde came to rest in front of her son, looking at him smugly as if she'd struck the last blow.

    "What would be the problem with that?" Nick countered.

    "That they'd all be her idea," Mrs. Wilde pointed at Nick's chest. "I don't want you to be some mammal's conquest. I don't want someone to just check some boxes off their list of personal life goals. I want you to get what you want out of your life. Understand?"

    "Yes, Mom," Nick rolled his eyes. "Now, I'll visit you in a couple of weeks, but I really have to get on patrol with 'the bunny'. So... can you go?"

    "Of course," Mrs. Wilde smiled pleasantly with her eyes shut, and Nick led her out of the room.

    Nick sucked in a voiced, terrified gasp as Judy was basically right in front of him, but with her head turned to the side.

    "Nick, I did talk to Karen..." Judy greeted. "Turns out, not only has she beaten Celeste, but she did all the B-Side levels, and the 'C-Side', whatever that is, I don't remember a water level in the-" She turned her head. "Oh, are you...?"

    "Hello, Officer Hopps," Mrs. Wilde grinned. "I'm Nick's mom."

    "So great to meet you!" Judy lit up and gave a tiny bounce. "Someone hasn't properly introduced us."

    "I was going to get to that," Nick grunted. He cleared his throat with pronouncement. "Ah, that is to say, I had a... a thought."

    Judy tilted her head, still carrying her coffees.

    "Perhaps, um..." Nick paused, cleaning his teeth with his tongue inside of his muzzle. "You'd like to have dinner tonight. ...Well, with me. At the same time... and place, and together. Tonight."

    Judy blinked, flicking her eyes between the two foxes. "Nick, are you feeling okay?" She offered Nick one of her cups. "He's kind of a bit addled some mornings without his coffee."

    "Ah, is that how he gets through the morning now?" Mrs. Wilde gave an amused grin.

    Nick took the coffee, and took a huge swig of it, nearly yelping at the temperature. He let out a hot breath, then looked directly at the bunny. "Judy, do you want to go out with me tonight?"

    There was a huge gasp, but it was from Benjamin Clawhauser. He appeared to be trying to store half the room's oxygen in his chubby cheeks.

    Judy looked back at the cheetah, then back up at Nick, smiling. "Sure, I'd love that! Would Mrs. Wilde be coming, too?"

    "Er, no, it'd be just us," Nick coughed, rubbing behind his head.

    "Okay!" Judy nodded. "I bet there are a lot of great places to eat here in Zootopia."

    "There are, a lot," Nick nodded haltingly. "I'll take you to a nice one."

    "How nice?" Judy winced. "Will I have to get my claws done?" She looked at her free paw. "Ooh, I've been getting that put off. And my teeth!" Judy opened her mouth wide. "Are the front ones looking a little long? Urgh, I should get a new dowel."

    "No, there's-" Nick burst out a bit of a laugh, "There's no code of 'clawnduct' where I have in mind."

    Judy laughed, and Mrs. Wilde snickered. Benjamin made a quiet, but extremely high-pitched continuous squeal.

    "Great!" Judy chirped, then narrowed her eyes. "So uh... why's your mother here, then?"

    "I was just leaving," Mrs. Wilde smiled, "I can catch up with you two later."

    "Carrots, could you go get the cruiser warmed up for us?" Nick jerked his thumb in the direction of the parking lot.

    "Sure," Judy nodded, half-skipping down the hall and tossing back a smile and a wave.

    "There," Nick hissed quietly, turning to his mother, his tail swooshing around his ankles. "You happy?"

    "I'm happy if you're happy," Mrs. Wilde grinned slyly. "Now, was that so hard?"

    Nick rolled his eyes, then as Mrs. Wilde turned to leave, something seemed to occur to him.

    "Wait, Mom. You weren't- you didn't just actually mean to scam me into asking Judy out, did you?"

    Mrs. Wilde turned her head to look at him sidelong with a very smooth, very "Wilde" grin. "Told you I wasn't stupid."

Chapter 178: Delusions

    Nick didn't care much for winter.

    The cold nipping at his mostly-lithe form was the worst part, and having to wear extra just to be the slightest bit more comfortable didn't appeal to him. He wore a more fancy suit than usual and his colors didn't clash as much as they normally did. This did little to protect him from the cold, which seemed to pierce right through the suit's fabric and into his fur. He held his jacket closed with his paw and soldiered on; he had somewhere to be.

    The All Kinds restaurant was on a prime piece of land right on Sahara Square's border, and offered a good view of Savanna Central and the body of water that Zootopia was situated on, all without actually being in Sahara Square. Being so close meant the temperature plunged in the evening, but Nick knew the climate inside the establishment was always kept right at an amicable middle ground of coolness. He checked his phone with a blank stare and headed into the restaurant.

    "Table for how many sir?" A friendly brown bear greeted him at the front. The structure of the building was quite contemporary. The dress style wasn't too casual, nor too formal, and the relaxed atmosphere of the staff was quite appealing to Nick.

    "Ah, two, should be under Wilde?" Nick grinned.

    "So it is," the seating bear nodded. "Friend of the manager, huh? He put little sparkles by your entry, ha ha... right this way!" He magnanimously gestured with his large paw to let the small animal pass.

    "Tiff will be your server; she'll be right with you," the bear said in a warm tone.

    "Thank you," Nick said, distractedly looking out the window.

    Sheez, what a view.

    The sun coming down in the west shot fiery tones of purple and amber through the air, where they played upon the water. The table was right at the window; the manager had given him one of the best seats in the house. He looked off to the side, and other mammals of various types and sizes were enjoying their food. The music in the air was contemporary, yet not overly poppy. Pred and prey alike enjoyed meals, yet there wasn't an overwhelming din in the area.

    The atmosphere was just amazing. This was the kind of restaurant Nick really liked to hang out at.

    It was just a shame his date wasn't coming.

    Nick's eyes flicked over as he saw a cottontail cheerfully heading over to his table.

    Aw great, Nick said in his head. A bunny.

    "Hello! I'm Tiff," the mostly-brown bunny greeted, giving a wave. "Can I start you out with something to drink?"

    "Some water, please," Nick replied evenly.

    "Of course!" Tiff nodded, looking at the empty chair across from him. "Are you waiting for someone else... or...?"

    "Yeah, she'll be right here," Nick lied immaculately, with a convincing nod.

    Tiff's smile brightened as she returned the nod, and headed off. It was all Nick could do not to roll his eyes. Bunnies. They were the easiest to fool.

    But who really was the idiot here, Wilde? Nick's inner voice prodded at him with pointy shame. Who are you trying to fool? Did you just not want to give up this favor?

    Nick took out his phone and sighed heavily, scrolling through his texts, his glazed expression threatening a frown. Minutes went by after Nick got his water. The visible light was dimming, not that it mattered to Nick. Not only would the view of the Sahara Square be amazing once the stars came out, the dark barely registered to Nick's gifted eyes anyway.

    He really wanted to share this moment, and in that weakness he started to text.

    [I know you said you didn't want to come] Nick started, then deleted that line.

    [Hey, was just wondering if you still] Deleted.

    [This is one of the best views I've ever seen in] Deleted.

    [Hey, decided to head down to All Kinds after all. Seat's still open if you're hungry.]

    Nick's thumb hovered above the "send" button, and it almost hurt him spiritually to press it.

    "...Still waiting?" Tiff appeared next to Nick, looking a little anxious.

    "Yeah um, could I just see a menu?" Nick asked distractedly. "Sorry, she's usually not like this."

    "Of course," Tiff nodded eagerly, giving him a menu.

    Everything looked good. Nick hadn't had a fancy meal in a long time, but he didn't want to order with his stomach. His stomach, while hungry, was also churning with feelings of shame and hopelessness. He was trying his best not to let that infect his brain.

    Nick's tail frizzed a bit when he finally heard his phone's text noise.

    [I told you it's not going to work. Should have listened to Dad. You foxes are so clingy.]

    He couldn't help his muzzle scrunching up a bit, or a hesitant exhale of air coming from his mouth. He placed the phone face-down on the table and his head hung. He ran his hands through his head fur and his ears, letting out a huge sigh. When he looked back up, his eyes only caught the cottontail's brown ones for a moment before the bunny was rushing back to his seat.

    "Do you know what you want?" Tiff smiled tentatively.

    Oh yeah, he did. But it wasn't food.

    "Um, what do you recommend?" Nick asked, hoping he had just imagined the slight hitch in his voice.

    "Well, ah..." Tiff nipped at her front lip. "For a predator... our shrimp pasta is supposed to be really good. Creamy and with a pinch of spice. Really decadent, you know? Or are you the more omnivorous type? My suggestion-"

    "No, that- that sounds good," Nick nodded quickly. "One of those."

    Tiff smiled faintly and headed off.

    Nick pressed his claws gently on his temples and rubbed. Just the one thing he couldn't seem to get right in his life was a good, solid relationship.

    Desperate to hear a familiar voice, Nick picked up his phone again, maneuvered away from the text screen, and placed a call.

    "Yeah?"

    "Hey, Finn," Nick greeted, his mask settling back onto his voice. "Tomorrow, about the whole hustle thing, callin' it off."

    "Oh yeah?" Finnick didn't sound too pleased. "Well, next hustle we gotta do 60-40, my favor. Gotta eat, Nick."

    "Right, of course," Nick nodded. "Let's do a sure bet, an easy one, like, ah- I dunno, the Pawpsicle one."

    "Tch, just as well we ain't doin' it tomorrow," Finnick spat, "I gotta get that fool elephant thing washed. Hey, didn't you have that hot date tonight?"

    "That's right," Nick said, "I'm on my way there right now."

    "Oh I got you, I got you," Finnick's voice developed an audible leer, "you ain't wanna go hustlin' tomorrow cause you gonna be hustlin' tonight. I got you!" Finnick's coarse bark bit into Nick's ear. "Aight, aight, that's cool. You get yours, Nick."

    "Right," Nick clicked his tongue. "See you the day after."

    "Aight, don't bug me till then," Finnick hung up.

    Tiff wandered over. Didn't look like she had food with her, so Nick gave her a wary glance.

    "Hey, um," Tiff smiled faintly, looking at the empty chair. "If you need me for anything, just ask, okay?"

    "Got it, thanks," Nick smiled pleasantly.

    His smile was a fake. He saw what that bunny was doing. Thinking she could just intuit what was going on. That just because bunnies were emotional wrecks meant they were good at empathy or something? What a laugh.

    A scornful bark of a laugh did escape Nick's muzzle. He shook his head, looking out the window. This city. Zootopia. It looked pretty on the outside, but in? Could be just as rotten as- well, something not trying to look pretty. Nick looked down at his outfit instinctively and scoffed quietly.

    Eventually, his food came out. Tiff set it down carefully at his place, trying not to let the smell of the shrimp crinkle her nose.

    "Just let me know if I can get you anything else, okay?" The cottontail smiled patiently, then headed off.

    Like a shoulder to cry on? Nick mentally added bitterly.

    He did eat, though. He was hungry.

    Tiff plagued his table yet another time.

    "Hi, um, sorry to bother you," she started, "but I was just wondering if our other guest would be joining you or not because-"

    "No, she's not coming, okay!?" Nick snapped, but then quickly drew back his voice when he saw the bunny get startled. "Listen, it's- if it's a problem, just tell the manager, okay? Josh is here tonight, yeah?"

    "I'm sorry, so sorry!" Tiff cringed, her ears going back, "I was just- there's a family in need of a chair over there and this table is f- I didn't mean to presume that-"

    "Oh no, take the chair," Nick looked away, ashamed. "That's fine."

    Tiff quietly obliged, adding the chair to the table of a family of hyenas, one of which was still looking at him funny over his little outburst.

    "Aaand that's what happens when they get to you," Nick held up his glass of water and shook it at the invisible animal sitting across from him, who didn't even have a seat to sit on now. "It's ugly. No one wants to see that."

    Tiff approached meekly yet again to refill his water. "Sir, if there's anything I've done to make your stay uncomfortable, let me just say that I apologize, and-"

    "You're fine," Nick said curtly, but with some degree of pleasantness.

    "I don't mean to presume I know what's going on with you," she went on, clutching the water pitcher closer to herself, "but if you want to say anything, I'm all ears." She let out a failing giggle.

    He didn't want to say anything, really.

    "I appreciate it," Nick nodded at her, "but I'm fine. Everything's been fine. You don't have to worry that your tip's gonna be cut into."

    "Oh!" Tiff looked spooked. "No no no, no sir- that is not my primary concern at all."

    Nick clicked his tongue and pointed at her. "Gotcha. It's okay."

    Tiff looked embarrassed, and awkwardly left.

    He would actually tip her well. She was kind of cute, polite, and helpful. She was a bunny though, and had that naive simpleness to her that made them such a joke to him. Dumb bunnies, all of them.

    Just like Melanie.

    Ugh, don't take it back there. Don't take it back there.

    It was good food, good service, and good atmosphere anyway. What more could a fox really ask for? A bunny?

    Nick scoffed, grinning and shaking his head.

    "That'll be the day," Nick sat back in his chair and took a long gulp of water.

Chapter 179: Delusions II

    Karen Skippel's determined, focused expression threatened to turn into a full frown as she saw Judy's head poking from around her ZPD cubicle. The gray bunny's curious expression turned into a small smile.

    "Officer Hopps," the arctic hare acknowledged tersely.

    "How's it going, Karen?" Judy asked, her voice perky.

    "It's... a challenge," Karen grumbled. "I've got a persistent hacker trying to get at all caprine-related crime files."

    "Anything I can help with?" The gray bunny officer pursued.

    "No, no it is not, it is outside your area of expertise," Karen answered with muted frustration. "Also, in the future, I'd prefer it if you called me by my designation and surname when we are on duty."

    "Ah, okay! Got it, Officer Skippel," Judy saluted with friendly and over-dramatic flair.

    Karen cringed just a little. "Also, please leave me be. Don't you have something to do?"

    "Unfortunately, yes," Judy's expression morphed from friendliness to a slight perturbation.

    "Come on, Officer Fluff," Nick beckoned his partner by cocking his head. "Some hares just can't be reasoned with."

    "Officer Wilde..." Karen said through her teeth, glaring at him. "I am perfectly reasonable, when I'm not being pestered by trivialities when I'm trying to work!"

    "Well, you know my partner," Nick tossed back casually, "she's friendly and gregarious, so if you can't 'reasonably' get along with that, I guess I'd have to disagree with you there."

    Both lapines looked confused at this, though Karen's face was tinged with a hint of disgust. Nick beckoned Judy again, with his paw this time, and the two headed downstairs toward their cruiser.

    "Nick, that wasn't very nice," Judy frowned at him, her paws balled into stern little fists they swung at her sides. "You know Karen's introverted. I'm just trying to chip away at that shell of hers a little."

    "It's like I said, there's just no talking to some hares," Nick shrugged casually.

    "'Some hares'," Judy flicked him an annoyed glance. "Bit specist of you..."

    "Just talkin' from experience," Nick said, getting his gear from his locker. "Bet Skippy there could beat you in a contest of sheer stubbornness. I mean, your tenacity is well known, but a hare's?" The fox's head bobbed to the side. "Tch."

    "Nick, you seem especially bitter this morning," Judy droned as the two buckled up into the cruiser. "I did make your coffee just how you like it, so where's that sweetness?"

    "I dunno, something about where we're going just rubs me the wrong way," Nick grumbled.

    A look of sudden understanding passed onto Judy's face. "Yeah... yeah, I can see that."

---

    The crowd was organized chaos, as contradictory as that sounded.

    Nick and Judy had been chosen to help provide security at a rally. Specifically, it was an anti-mixed species relationship gathering. Signs of all kinds that professed various views on the matter were being held by all sorts of paws, hooves, and even a few trunks. Some same-species couples defiantly held hands, angered looks on their faces, while the police had to keep protesters away from the rally.

    "Buncha haters! You're nothin' but a buncha haters!" A surly red panda said, rearing back a water bottle to toss into the rally.

    "I wouldn't sir, please step back," Judy said sternly, a paw on her non-branded, offically-issued pepper spray.    

    The red panda loudly sucked at his teeth and withdrew. The crowds continued to yell until a mammal behind them got up on a podium to make a small speech.

    "Can't say I care for being on this side of the 'argument'," Judy chuckled hesitantly, giving her partner a quick glance. "I mean, if two mammals love each other and aren't hurting each other, what's the harm, huh?"

    "Well, we're just here to try to keep the peace, as fragile as that's seeming," Nick said, a dour look on his face. "Rest assured both sides have their loonies."

    Nick's ear bat as he finally tuned into the voice of the speaker.

    "So I ask you, what's the point of these- these mixed relationships, huh?" The voice was feminine, powerful, borderline severe. "You think you might be different from one of your own species, hah! Try getting with someone of a different order. Or better yet, don't! Let me be the first to tell you: it doesn't work! Mammals are meant to be with their own kind. That's how we were built, that's how the future is made! Anything else is selfish nonsense!"

    "YEAH!" Several anti-mixed species advocates shouted.

    "Up yours, hare!" A rhino near Nick and Judy shouted, waving his massive hand. Judy winced and both of the officers drew their stun guns. "I got a bear mate and she's plenty happy with me!" His booming voice captured the attention of the hare speaker, who looked at him.

    "If you tried to go 'up mine', you'd kill me, you deviant oaf," she said acidly. Some scornful laughing broke out, and the protester was jeered. The rhino snorted, in a cross mood; his body language read as if he was close to action.

    "This could be bad," Judy winced, dialing up her stun gun's setting.

    "Sir, going to have to ask you to back down," Nick warned as loud as he could, blinking a light in his other paw to get his attention.

    "Uh?" The rhino looked down. "Oh, Nick, hey! First time I've seen you in the uniform!"

    "Are you kidding me?" Judy's eyes squinted. "You really do know everyone, huh?"

    "Just calm down, sir," Nick held out a paw in caution.

    "Egh, all right," the rhino flicked his hand dismissively. "How come you're defendin' these bozos, Wilde?"

    "Because in Zootopia, anyone can be anything," Nick said calmly. "Including being holders of whatever views they wish."

    "Pretty magmammalous of you- magmaminous... what's that word," the rhino laughed, then shook his head and scoffed, making his way off.

    Nick and Judy both took a relieved sigh and looked at each other briefly. Nick's sidelong glance caught sight of the the speaker, and it made his muzzle bunch up slightly and he sneered.

    "Oh, for the love of..." Nick rolled his eyes and his mood seemed to worsen.

    Judy curiously looked back at the hare speaker. Nothing really stood out to her as too remarkable. She continued her rhetoric unimpeded, denouncing mixed-species couples and praising those that stuck to their own kind.

    The rally seemed to go on a long time to the smaller gray lapine. Too long.

---

    The doors of the cruiser slammed; Nick's a little louder. He leaned his elbow against the arm rest and rubbed at his temple with two fingers.

    "Exhausting, huh?" Judy leaned in a bit, getting ready to start the cruiser, but hesitating as she looked at her partner.

    "Yup," Nick huffed, looking at one of his paws. "But we do what we do to make the world better. Every opinion needs its counter, and they all need to be equally protected."

    "Listen, I'll be blunt," Judy frowned, taking her paw down from the starter. "I know something's wrong with you."

    "Judy," Nick sat up abruptly and looked at her. "Do you believe in Serendipity?"

    The bunny cop blinked at the odd question and tilted her head. When Nick's face seemed serious, she gave it some thought. She thought about all the chances she had taken, all the perilous situations she'd just barely managed to get out of, and, of course, her fateful meeting with Nick.

    "I mean... maybe?" Judy smiled faintly. "She's a nice thought, anyway."

    "And you ever pray to her?" Nick pursued.

    "...I've thanked my lucky stars once or twice," Judy shrugged, nodding in conciliation.

    "Then tell her to stop messing with me," Nick admonished, holding up a finger sternly. He slumped back into his chair, aggravated.

    "Nick, what has gotten into you?" Judy frowned. "You've been weird all day."

    "Here's another question," Nick said, his eyes darting over to his partners' briefly. "What's the most valuable thing you can give someone? Your life? Your time?"

    Judy was quiet, staring over her upset partner as he seemed to seethe.

    "How about your... first time?" Nick asked, and the poison seemed to drain from his voice, replaced by something like emptiness.

    "Nick, what are you saying...?" The bunny asked quietly.

    "That hare on the podium today," the fox said glumly. "She was my first."

    "...Really? No way..." Judy seemed amazed, though not judgemental. "...Wow, she must have done a one-eighty, huh?"

    "Sh- yeah," Nick scoffed bitterly, trying to sit back up straight in his chair. "How do you think that feels, huh? To screw up a relationship so badly that they go all the way to the other team? I'd have asked Chief Bogo for another assignment if I knew Melanie was going to be here." He enunciated the name with extra bile.

    Judy frowned, but then leaned forward, her expression having a hopeful edge to it. "It takes two mammals to make a relationship, Nick. I doubt it was your fault."

    "And how do you know that?" Nick snipped, but some of the anguish in his face was changing to sadness. "How, huh? You don't know her; what she was like."

    "But I do know you," Judy smiled patiently. "And I know you're a kind, sweet goofball with a sour outer layer. She tossed away a real winner."

    Nick rolled his eyes, but couldn't find it in himself to scowl.

    Judy finally started up the cruiser, starting to head back to the ZPD. A red light halted the massive vehicle.

    "Anyway, I think I figured it out," Judy said, staring at the light.

    "What's that?" Nick turned his head to her.

    "The most valuable thing you can give to someone," Judy said with a wistful look in her eyes. "Your love."

    "Oh, pff," Nick actually burst out a laugh, regaining his easy smile and half lidded eyes. "Now this is familiar. My bunny partner going on about how much she wuvs me while we're in the cruiser."

    "Well, yeah," Judy looked at him coquettishly. "But you love me too. So, I consider myself very valued to have that love, and I will treasure it."

    Nick looked baffled, and quite alarmed. "What... do you mean?"

    "Tell me you don't love me," Judy narrowed an eye, smirked devilishly, then pressed her pedal on the gas when the light changed green.

    Nick dropped open his mouth as if to reply, but said nothing, then just as quickly shut it, his eyes wide with confusion and maybe even a dash of amazement.

    "Let's see..." Judy eyes roved around the traffic as she seemed so strangely conversational. "There was the bridge. You had the chance to walk out of my life completely, and you didn't. You instead showed me just how devoted to me you could be. You kept your cool when I did something... a little foolish, you saved what was important to the case. You didn't give up on me when I needed you, even though I demanded you to. Then when we got through that, you gave up nine months of your life just for the chance to be my partner, because I asked you. Nine months, that, I've heard, you were quite lonely through. Despite my occasional visit."

    "Jeez..." Nick felt his stomach swirling. "Where'd all this come from, all of a sudden?"

    "I just want you to know that I'll be here to give you my love, in whatever capacity you want it, Nick," Judy smiled with a satisfied warmness, "because I know you'll keep doing the same thing for me. You've proved it from everything you've done from that fateful day forward."

    "...You think about that a lot?" Nick seemed almost timid.

    Judy gave him a brief glance. "It was really important to me, Nick." She paused, then gave another little smile. "You make me happy, Nick, and I have a silly little feeling that I make you happy, too."

    The two were uncharacteristically quiet during the rest of the drive, but neither of them looked particularly upset anymore.

---

    Nick stood silently outside his apartment complex, trying to make out what stars he could in the city's night lights. He never really responded to that piercing monologue Judy had managed to land on him from earlier. How could he? It was so... surreal. She'd suddenly gained so much perception, and she spoke of things with that absolute certainty that he'd come to know from her. Like the secrets of his feelings were just an open book to her. It was... unsettling.

    Bling!

    Nick got a text, and looked down to check it. It was from the bunny, of course.

    [Dinner tomorrow night?]

    "Hoo boy, this is really a thing now, is it?" Nick felt his heart rate pick up at the simple request, despite the fact that he'd eaten out with her plenty of times beforehand.

    His fingers almost wobbled as he went to text back.

    [Sure. You got a place in mind?]

    The indication that she was typing back was immediate. Nick felt his eyes glued to the screen as he waited for a response.

    [Someone told me of this great omnivorous place called All Kinds. You heard of it?]

    Nicks eyes closed and his head hung. He shook it in disbelief. Letting an amused and slightly annoyed huff out of his nose, he smirked and texted back.

    [Sure, meet you there at 7.]

    [Kay! Nighty night, foxy face!]

    Nick looked back up at the stars, trying to remember the old lapine trick for finding your own personal "lucky stars". Tracing the line out from his paw and keeping in mind the season, he happened upon the constellation that was supposedly "his". He'd looked at those stars before. One of them in the middle seemed to be twinkling more than usual that night, as if it was winking. Nick was sure it was probably just light pollution.

    "Yeah, yeah, Serendipity," Nick shoved his phone and his paws in his pockets and stuck his tongue out at the stars. "Laugh it up."

Chapter 180: Delusions III

    "After you, my good mammal," Nick declared with an inviting flair, swinging one of the smaller doors to All Kinds open for Judy. following the motion with a paw.

    "Thank you, kind sir!" Judy replied with politeness that sounded silly on her.

    The establishment was much as Nick remembered it. It seemed to have been remodeled exactly once, bringing up the fresh "new" feel of the place. As the two walked up to the bear seater, Nick's eyes caught on some larger mammals murmuring about them. Training his senses on them, he couldn't quite make out what they were saying, but they seemed moderately displeased. He wondered why; "all kinds" were welcome at the restaurant. Within reason, of course.

    An idea hit him suddenly. Maybe a few of them had watched or been protesters at that anti-mixed couple rally the previous day. Nick was watching for signs of anyone mouthing anything about "hypocrite" when he noticed the bear was staring at him, almost concerned.

    "Table for two, sir?" It might not have been the first time he asked.

    "Ah yes, yes," Nick nodded, clearing his throat.

    "It'll be about five minutes," the bear said politely. "Little bit of a packed house tonight, but I think we can find a smaller table for you two."

    "That's fine," Nick nodded, sitting down at the waiting area with Judy.

    Judy pat herself on the lap with both paws, leaning back and looking around with interest. "I can see why you're so distracted, Nick. This place is gorgeous! And the view. Wow. This city is really something special in the evening, huh?"

    Nick nodded and smiled. Cheerful obliviousness did tend to look cute on her.

    They were led to their seat in short order. It was in a table in practically the middle of the establishment, which just made Nick feel self-conscious and a little exposed. He wasn't here to do battle, he tried to remind himself. Melanie and Judy were like night and day. Of course, he couldn't expect a great seat when he hadn't even made a reservation. The noise was a bit louder than he remembered, too.

    "Tiff will be your server tonight, she'll be right up," the bear said pleasantly. Nick's eyes widened a few degrees.

    "So what do they have here that's good, I wonder?" Judy asked, opening up a menu. "What kind of things do you like to eat?"

    "I... their shrimp noodle pasta is supposed to be pretty good," Nick shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe you can get it without the shri-"

    "They have a salad with apples? No way!" Judy's jaw dropped. "I want that!"

    Nick was mildly blindsided, and huffed in amusement. His expression melted when he saw that cottontail Tiff return to the table. He instantly knew she recognized him, too. Her bright countenance fell to something like disappointment.

    "Hello, I'll be taking care of you tonight," Tiff said with somewhat blank friendliness. "Start you off with something to drink?"

    "Water with lemon's fine," Nick pulled his eyes away from her and pretended to be puzzled by his menu.

    "I'd like a cherry cola!" Judy said exuberantly. Nick shot her a "really?" look and she just smiled ingratiatingly.

    "Okay, coming up," Tiff said, turning tail and walking away swiftly.

    "Hey... something seem off about our waitress?" Judy frowned. "It's like the air went out of her tires when she came near us. ...Do you think we offended her somehow?"

    "Uh- I dunno," Nick blinked. "...Have I committed some sort of bunny faux pas?"

    "Not that I know of," Judy shrugged. "Maybe it's different for city bunnies. I'll go ask." The gray bunny shot up from the table and pursued.

    "What!? Judy- you can't- you can't just-!" Nick held out his paw after her, then looked left and right as his raised voice got some stern looks. He hoped he hadn't detected a whining tone in his babbling. He bit his lip and ran his paws through his head. There he was, alone at All Kinds again.

    Night and day, he repeated to himself, they're like night and day.

    Judy approached Tiff, who was facing away from her and talking to a rhino. Huge, but rather small for a rhino, actually. He looked familiar to Judy.

    "I just don't think I can serve them, sir," Tiff murmured, her voice nearly a tremble. "Can anyone else pick that table up?"

    The gray bunny took in a quiet gasp. Why would she say that? She wracked her brain. Uh oh, might it be because she saw them at that rally the other day? Come to think of it, this place seemed to cater to mixed couples, and there they were defending their opponents yesterday.

    "Tiffy, I'm not unsympathetic to your personal issues," the rhino said, and Judy ducked behind a smallish wall, "but you can't just hide whenever you see a fox!" He looked out to the table. "There now, that's Nick Wilde! Saw him just yesterday at the- ...well, neve rmind where I saw him, heh. He's harmless."

    Judy half-frowned. This was seeming a bit familiar.

    "Yes, sir," Tiff replied dejectedly, starting to fill their drinks. When the rhino lumbered away, Judy cautiously approached.

    "Hi," Judy waved tentatively. "Um, just was wondering if you were okay?"

    "Wh- what, huh!?" Tiff looked at Judy, alarmed. She nearly spilled her drinks, but managed to catch them just in time. "Oh, ss- sorry, I'll be right out with your drinks."

    "That's not too important; you look troubled," Judy frowned. "Is something wrong?"

    "Just..." Tiff looked defeated, looking over at Nick. "Seeing a bunny and a fox makes me think of my own boyfriend. He's a gray fox... and... I don't really know if it's working out between us."

    "No?" Judy blinked. "What's the matter?"

    "He's just... he's kind of fragile, somehow," Tiff shook her head as if in disbelief. "Sensitive... I wouldn't have expected it from a predator. I can never tell what he's thinking. We haven't been very... warm to each other for about a month. And just..." her eyes started to look glassy, "I caught some of that rally yesterday on TV... and I was wondering if maybe it- you know, wasn't worth it. Trying to be with a pred and all- just... ugh-" she looked like she was about to burst into tears; her voice was pinching.

    "Whoa whoa, it's okay, it's okay," Judy held up her paws with tenderness. "Believe it or not, I've kind of been where you are." She smiled softly. "And I think I have a little advice."

    "Rgh..." Tiff blinked purposefully to try to get rid of the moisture building up in her eyes. "Forget it, I'm just being emotional."

    "And that's okay!" Judy nodded. "It's totally okay to be emotional. Just tell your fox about your feelings, and ask him to do the same. Tell him how you feel, how he makes you feel, and how you think he feels about you, and see if he challenges you or agrees, depending on what you say. ...You love him?"

    "Yh-yeah," Tiff smiled wobbily.

    "Good, then you know he's worth your effort," Judy grinned. "So give it a try, huh?"

    "Yeah... I'll think about it," Tiff swallowed. "Anyway, I have a job to do, and it's so serve you guys, so..."

    "Oh! Right," Judy waved and rushed back to her seat.

    Nick looked like he'd been holding his breath the whole time, and deflated once Judy arrived.

    "Carrots, jeez!" Nick hissed. "Do you have any impulse control?"

    Judy put a finger to her lip and bobbed her head. "Impulse control? Is that like something an airplane has?"

    Caught off guard, Nick barked out a laugh and shook his head. "What the heck were you doing, anyway? Bothering our waitress-?"

    "I was making the world a better place!" Judy inrerrupted proudly, sitting down and folding her arms with her eyes shut. "As one does."

    "You really are like a kit sometimes," Nick rolled his eyes. "Cherry cola, getting excited over apples... I guess you are eight years younger than me."

    "I'll take being silly over being a fuddy-duddy," Judy retorted with a point.

    Nick smirked and wagged his head, but was surprised to see Tiff come back with their drinks and basically a completely different expression. She had a warm, relaxed smile.

    "You two ready to order?" She asked after placing their drinks down.

    "Yeah, do you like the apple bapple salad?" Judy asked her.

    "Oh, it's great; like eating candy," Tiff nodded with a grin. The two bunnies suddenly seemed like the best of friends from Nick's read on the cottontail.

    "And I'll- just have the shrimp pasta, I guess," Nick blinked, his voice wearing mild astonishment.

    "Like before, huh?" Tiff giggled, nodding and jotting that down. Ah, so she did remember.

    "Haha, yeah," Nick grinned, poking his thumb at Judy. "You see, it's a lot more fun to eat here with someone."

    "Agreed," Tiff laughed a little louder. Judy looked between them.

    "Something between you two...?" Her eyes narrowed curiously.

    "Nah, I was just here once before," Nick shook his head. "Long story."

    "I was this close to just sitting down and talking with you," Tiff said with something like a wistfulness, then looked at Judy. "He seems like a nice guy."

    "Oh yeah," Judy agreed with a nod. Her smile turned smarmy and she looked at Nick with mostly-closed eyes. "And, I'm not a carnivore... but that is one prime hunk of fox."

    "Sure is!" Tiff stifled a giggle. "Oh, sorry, if that's okay."

    Nick was just stunned. "Okay, I'm feeling a little on the spot, here."

    "I'll go put in your order," Tiff said quickly, rushing off.

    "The heck did you do?" Nick flicked his eyes back down to Judy.

    "Just told her to do what her heart seemed to want," Judy smiled, sliding her paw across the table. "It's always worked for me."

    Nick looked at her and smiled, giving a warm sigh and going to squeeze her paw softly. "You seem to have that effect on mammals."

    "I hope so," Judy looked at him with a dash of romance.

    "Wow, what a soft paw," Nick seemed genuinely impressed, petting it with his thumb.

    "For a delicate touch," Judy claimed.

    "Insert sound of trains exploding here," Nick gave a sneering smile.

    "Oh, Nicholas, would you drop that?" Judy rolled her eyes. "I am not going to destroy every train I get my paws on."

    "I should hope you don't get your paws on any more trains, just to be safe," Nick teased, leaning in.

    "You... c'mon, wasn't that adrenaline rush the best?" Judy shook her head, leaning in.

    "I'm not a junkie like you, so I just felt terrified," Nick's expression remained, his familiar insufferable smirk.

    "Ooh, takes a big fox to admit his faults," the gray bunny went on, teasing.

    "Well, red foxes are the biggest," Nick wiggled his eyebrows.

    The two shared a brief, abrupt kiss. It was broken when Judy's ear picked up a voice from another table.

    "What kinda 'romantic' nonsense is that?" The voice came. "Is like watchin' a couple of martians flirt."

    "Joseph, c'mon, let them be, it's kind of cute," another voice came back. "Weird, but cute."

    Judy broke from the kiss in a laugh, and so did Nick. They rested their foreheads together and came to relax for a few seconds like this. Nick found Judy's paw again and held it. She squeezed.

    "They used the c-word," Nick's voice had an accusing lead. "You wanna get 'em?"

    "Nah, I'll let 'em live," Judy groaned, looking peacefully up at the fox. "Someone much more important I wanna spend my time with tonight."

    Nick allowed a moment for the romance to settle into his heart before saying: "Are they here yet?"

    Judy laughed and shoved the fox's shoulder.

---

    Several weeks later, Chief Bogo had recognized that Judy and Nick's performance and attention to detail had increased markedly, especially in their case work. He managed to stop them with only a suspicious glare as they were leaving the bull pen to do their patrol.

    "Something the matter, sir?" Judy asked perkily.

    "...No," Bogo said cautiously. "Keep up the good work..."

    Judy flashed a bright, childish smile at Nick, who winked at her as soon as they were out of sight of the buffalo.

    "Messing with the boss is one of life's great pleasures," Nick sighed. "Now, for another..." he started to put his arm around Judy, then suddenly pointed to the side. "How about you go get us our coffee?"

    "Pah!" Judy laughed. "You are something else. Fine. Your usual?"

    "Almost as sweet as you," Nick wiggled his eyebrows.

    "Mmm..." Judy narrowed her eyes and gave a scrunched up little grin. She hopped off, almost literally, a skip in her step.

    With a free moment, Nick approached Karen Skippel's desk. She looked busy, as usual, and her expression was also blank and unreadable. The fox found that just the smallest bit unsettling.

    "Hey, Officer Skippel," Nick waved, losing his smile.

    "...Officer Wilde," Karen looked at him cautiously.

    "How's it going?"

    "...Well, actually," Karen said guardedly. "Haven't actually had any major hacking attempts in at least a week. Maybe two. I'm hoping that persistent hacker finally gave it up."

    "Yeah, well, I told her to back off," Nick smiled lazily.

    "You what?" The arctic hare's left eye narrowed.

    "Nicely," Nick clarified, pinching two fingers on each hand. "You catch more flies with honey, after all."

    Karen looked baffled. "You expect me to believe you stopped a hacker that's been plaguing me by speaking nicely to them!?"

    "Well, she is a longtime friend," Nick shrugged. "At least, I had figured it was her."

    "Well, you should- there are reports to fill out and protocols regarding the-..." Karen looked like all of the words she wanted to say just exploded in her brain. She abruptly relaxed. "You know what, never mind."

    Nick grinned and started to walk away.

    "Thank you."

    He'd never heard Karen say those words to him before.

    "Happy to help," Nick said casually, waving to her. And it was true. He was happy.

    About a lot of things, really.

Chapter 181: Aggressive

Notes:

Warning: This chapter features an OC-focused angle with a character that was introduced in "A Day in Their Fur". In addition to that, it's a crossover as well! Thus marginalized, it will likely remain exclusive to AO3 and not be featured on "the other site".

Regardless, if you haven't tabbed out already, I hope you enjoy.

    Mina was completely focused on her work computer, poring over a picture. The female wolf sat coyly looking back her on the screen, as if she was a puzzle to figure out. Her fur was just the perfect shade of off-white, but it looked all wrong in the ambient lighting. It should have bluish tones to it, shouldn't it? Mina kept editing the photo, feeling like she just couldn't find the perfect hue.

    "Rgh..." She fiddled with colors and sliders and kept comparing it to the unedited picture, which just looked so wrong to her.

    "How about Mina? She's a red panda."

    "What!?" Mina's concentration snapped as if someone had given her a static shock. "Yes, I'm a red panda!"

    And she was. The red panda bolted up in her chair, swiveling around to see her boss, a chiseled middle-aged horse, and his assistant, a porcupine, heading toward her.

    "Mm, yes, hadn't thought of that," the horse nickered, moving his hoof over his chin. "Ms. Primhue is a red panda..."

    "Yes sir, Mr. Ironhoof!" Mina saluted, trying to think of any possible relevance. "I am, indeed, a red panda!"

    "Ah, was wondering," Ironhoof had a contemplative, but not-unfriendly look to him, and his easy voice put most at ease. "I know you haven't been with the company very long, but what would you think about a trip to Anihon?"

    Mina lit up and her jaw dropped to perform a huge gasp.

    "Anihon!? Really!?" Mina blinked. "Like... wow! With the countrysides, the mountains, the big city, the cherry blossom petals-"

    "Um, actually," the porcupine interrupted, "the sakura have already bloomed and fallen this year."

    Mina clammed up and shot the porcupine a pointed look. That Jeff. Such a know-it-all.

    "It'd be a business trip, of course," Ironhoof nodded.

    "Of course!" Mina posed with her trusty and quite expensive camera. "Just say the word. What do you need?"

    "We've been commissioned to get some pictures of the new Prime Minister's inauguration," Iroonhoof said, looking off into the middle distance. "First time they've had a predator. Supposedly a big deal. Fox, of course. Still one of their classical mammals, nothing too out of the box. Still, a big deal. Supposedly good-looking for a middle aged tod."

    "I'd love to go!" Mina nodded rapidly, unable to shake her encroaching thoughts. Business trip? Ha! It'd be more like a vacation! Sure she'd need to actually do her work, but even then, she lived to take pictures of mammals!

    "Ah, very good then, very good," Ironhoof nodded, tapping her desk. "We've also arranged a few exclusive interviews with some of his aides. You're a friendly mammal, you think you could get those done too?"

    Mina's smile became glazed and distant. "I, uh... what?"

    "Interview the mammals," Ironhoof gestured casually with his hoof. "You'd be able to do that for us?"

    "I um... I don't know Anihonese..." Mina enunciated carefully, trying not to sound worried. "My family... I'm a third-generation Zootopian-born red panda."

    "Ah... mm, troubling," Ironhoof looked only very mildly put off. "Forgive my presuming. Just thought- mammal like you, ah, wrong of me perhaps, to assume."

    "No no, that's okay!" Mina waved her paws rapidly. "Haha, I should know Anihonese. Like- like you said, I'm a red panda! Place is basically crawling with 'em, heh heh!"

    "I could go with her," Jeff said, looking up at his boss.

    "You, ah- you know Anihonese, Jeff?" Ironhoof looked very mildly interested, but Mina was shocked.

    "Sure do," Jeff nodded, adjusting his glasses. "I was a foreign exchange student in Anihon for several years. It was tough going at first, but I eventually picked it up pretty well. ...Functional, at least. I could help her with the interviews."

    Mina returned a hopeful and almost plaintive smile back to the horse.

    "Ah, well- I uh, I can't afford to send two of you on a trip to Anihon, 'specially on short notice," Ironhoof moved his lips in a distinctly horse-like fashion as he tried to think. "Jeff, ah- how about you just go?"

    Mina's jaw dropped again and her features fell in disdain.

    The porcupine shrugged, nodding. "Sure, yes sir."

    "Very good, very good," Ironhoof nodded. "Sorry to get you all riled up, Ms. Primhue." He started to return to his office, and Jeff sat back down at his cubicle.

    "Hrgh..." Mina grumbled to herself, brow furrowed. Here she had this amazing opportunity dangled right in front of her nose, only to have it popped in her face by one of Jeff's stupid quills. What couldn't that prickle-back do? No wonder he was the boss' favorite.

    Without thinking, Mina found herself charging into Ironhoof's office about five minutes later. She only had half-thought about what she was going to say.

    "Oh ah, Ms. Primhue, was gonna go look for you," Ironhoof said, tapping his desk a couple of times and gesturing at his computer. "I could see that- I could see that you were disappointed by not getting to go to Anihon. Well, ah- I can't afford to send you anywhere too fancy, but I do have an assignment you might be able to get done for me."

    "...Um, yes?" Mina blinked, any words she had planned to say crashing into each other, then catching on fire, and finally exploding for good measure.

    "Monarch butterflies are making a pit stop here in the Meadowlands on their migration," Ironhoof said, apparently reading from an article on the computer. "Thought it would be good if we could go get some pictures of them preemptively, before they're commissioned. Oh, but by we I mean you. I know it's not too far of a trip, but I can send you to a hotel in the area, close to a good site for them. What do you think?"

    "Um... ss-sure!" Mina said with enthusiasm that she didn't truly feel. "That sounds great!"

    "Ah, you're such a team player, Ms. Primhue," Ironhoof gave a friendly smile. "That's what this company likes, and what it's done with for decades. Heck, it's why we still come to a building in this newfangled internet age."

    Mina sighed, but nodded and accepted the terms of her assignment.

---

    "Great..." Mina said, huffing as she got into her hotel room. It was cozy, definitely built for a mammal as small as her. She carefully unloaded her camera case onto a chair, then flung her suitcase onto the bed, followed by herself. "Jeff is going to be shooting Anihonese 'royalty', and I'm going to be shooting royal bugs."

    It wasn't that Mina hated bugs, especially butterflies and moths, but they just didn't love the camera like mammals could. Mina's phone buzzed, and she awkwardly shuffled around in bed to grab it from her pocket.

    [You make it there okay?] It was her fox boyfriend, Alex.

    [Yup.] She responded tersely.

    [I never knew you wanted to go to Anihon. Honestly I don't know what's so great about it. You'd be in a place where you couldn't understand anyone, and the weird food and all.]

    "Pff," Mina scoffed, setting her phone on the nightstand. Some mammals had no sense of adventure. She let loose a whine as she stared blankly at the ceiling. She was trying to think of any opportunities she had to learn Anihonese, really connect with her 'home culture', since her species was 'from' that area. Nothing was coming to mind.

    "It's not even fair. A cool trip like that and I can't take it because of something I never learned, just 'cause I never had a good reason to."

    Mina pouted and headbutted her pillow, then rolled over restlessly left and right before coming to a stop in the middle of her bed.

    "Super heck," she said with a pitiable despondence.

    The red panda figured she might as well get some rest early so she could head out into the target area early in the morning. It'd be important to catch those dumb little bugs in all kinds of light, just to fill all possible kinds of pictures one could think of regarding those orange and black insects. Mina's mind whirred with her game plan, her eyes narrowing as she got up to get her night clothes.

    Just then, she heard faint, but audible music. Sounded like heavy electric guitar. Mina scoffed and groaned. She hoped that wouldn't keep her up all night.

    "WWRRRUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUGHH!"

    Mina's green eyes became pinpricks. There was a demonic wail coming from maybe a couple of rooms down. It was quiet enough, but deeply disturbing. Mina rushed to the far wall and put her white, triangular ear to it, concerned.

    "HALF THE WORLD AWAY!
    BUT I GOT BILLS TO PAY!
    WHY'D THEY SEND ME HERE!?
    JUST TO SEE MY FEAR!?
    WELL, I'VE GOT NONE!
    ONLY RAGE!"

    With another squeal that could wake the dead, the music eventually wound down and stopped. Mina thought to call in a noise complaint after peeking outside to confirm where it was coming from, but she didn't want to be messily murdered by whatever rage-mammal was shouting a couple of rooms down the hall.

    "Mm- must be a wolverine, or- or something," Mina said unsteadily and aloud, as if to assure herself. "Th-they can be kinda fussy at times. Heh heh!"

    It was a bit of an uneasy sleep for the little red panda.        

---

    Mina got up in the morning and hazily went through her morning routine. She fluffed her fur, dressing in her usual style of easy-to-move-in, but somewhat cutesy clothes. She sighed into the mirror, looking at her tired reflection.

    "Welp, let's get this show on the road, I guess," Mina said to herself, picking up her camera bag and getting out the door.

    As she looked down the hall, Mina gasped. She saw another red panda, smartly dressed in a blue and white business suit. She looked to be about her age, twenty-something, with fur just a shade more yellow than hers. Excited, Mina let out a bursting, silly sound and stumbled forward, then broke into a full sprint to meet her.

    "You're a red panda!" Mina accosted her in a friendly voice.

    "Ah- hai!" The other red panda looked surprised, but nodded politely. "I'm a red panda."

    "Hi! My name's Mina!" She greeted. "Mina Primhue. What's yours?"

    "Um, Retsuko," the other red panda said with a nervous smile.

    "Let's go? Where?" Mina blinked, looking behind them. She snapped her claws. "Oh! This place is supposed to have a nice continental breakfast. You down for that?"

    "Ss-sure!" The other red panda blinked, blankly following Mina's beckoning as the two started to walk to the elevator. "But that's my name. Retsuko."

    "Oh, sorry!" Mina giggled. "Retsuko, that's... wow, is that an Anihonese name?"

    "Sure is," she nodded. "I was born and raised there. I'm here briefly on business."

    "Really?" Mina's eyes went wide, giving her an amazed glance. "Whoa, your Minklish is so good!"

    "Oh, thank you. I studied it in college," Retsuko said. "Just one of those things I'd never thought I'd use..."

    "Mm," Mina's mouth drew back into a half-scowl. It seemed like this particular young female red panda had her act together.

    The two made their way to the continental breakfast, where there was a plethora of food to choose from.

    "Sometimes it's kind of paralyzing to be omnivorous," Mina stared longingly at the food. "It all looks so good!"

    "Yeah, it makes me want to just get a bunch and save it... though I know you're not supposed to do that," Retsuko gave a reserved, nervous grin.

    The two got some cereals, toasts, and jam, then sat down together at a small table.

    "So... are you a photographer?" Retsuko noticed Mina's bag.

    "Yep!" Mina nodded enthusiastically. "A hundred percent shutterbug. Well, maybe fifty percent. Other fifty percent cuddlebug!"

    Retsuko laughed lightly. "Is that a Zootopian idiom?"

    "Oh right, you're Anihonese," Mina looked down, taking a bite of her food. "Basically, it means I like being adorable. And taking pictures. Not necessarily in that order." She swallowed. "What do you do?"

    "I'm in accounting..." Retsuko looked down at her food, poking at it with a claw. "I'm not even in sales, so why am I the one here in Zootopia?" She sighed. "I'm supposed to be handling this international deal that's supposedly real important to the CEO, and it's stressing me out."

    "Oh wow, that sounds important," Mina nodded. "You must be super responsible."

    "Pff, not really," Retsuko groaned, slumping in her chair slightly. She let out a small whimper, and Mina's image of her professionalism was eroding. "It's awful. I'm pretty sure the boss gave me this assignment because he thought I couldn't do it. That and it gets me away from him from awhile. He hates me. Bet he just wants to see me fail, so he can complain more. Or just fire me."

    "Ugh, that's... that sounds very stressful," Mina narrowed an eye, wincing.

    "Don't get me started," Retsuko grumbled, "I have a friend in sales who basically has to walk me through what I'm supposed to do, but I have to be really careful with what data I use because of international charges and all that stuff. Wouldn't want to cost the company money. I feel like one wrong move and there could be this huge catastrophe, no matter what I do."

    "Aw..." Mina frowned. "This is gonna sound weird, but I basically have the opposite problem. I just got passed up for a business trip to Anihon because I don't know the language. Maybe they actually sent you here because you do know Minklish?"

    "I... I guess its possible..." Retsuko demurely munched a bit of toast.

    "How is it in Anihon? Pretty? I've heard it is," Mina smiled.

    "I guess... if you get out to the countryside," Retsuko said with an even face. "I haven't had much chance to get out there. Busy job and all."

    "You sound like you've got a lot on your shoulders," Mina frowned. "How do you deal with all that?"

    "Uh!" Retsuko suddenly perked up as if someone had poked her in the back and looked exceedingly nervous. "Well, you know! Everyone has their thing, hahahaha!" She rubbed behind her head with a paw.

    This baffled Mina, but she nodded her agreement. "Me, I like to shoot mammals. In the head."

    Retsuko froze, then suddenly relaxed. "Oh, right, you're a photographer."

    "With bullets."

    Retsuko's eyes became little dots and they darted off to the side. She was wondering if she could be anywhere else at that moment.

    "In this online game I play," Mina finished with a dopey grin.

    "Hrgh... you could have started with that," Retsuko grumbled.

    "But! I do like shooting mammals in the head with my camera, too!" Mina said with a titter, taking out her camera. "Isn't she gorgeous? Very expensive."

    "It's a... nice camera," Retsuko said politely, having little experience with what made a camera nice or not nice.

    "How about I take your picture?" Mina asked enthusiastically. "Just for fun. To commemorate the embarking of your journey on your Zootopia business trip! Or some junk like that."

    "Um, sure," Retsuko conceded, giving a guarded, nervous smile.

    Mina centered her in the frame, adjusted the f-stop and focus, but frowned. The other red panda didn't make that great of a photo subject. Clearly she was dealing with a lot of anxiety. Mina hummed to herself; she might have to use her secret weapon.

    "So, Retsuko," Mina began, keeping her camera centered on her. "Are all Anihonese red pandas as cute as you are, or are you a special case?"

    The desired effect! Mina was quick on her trigger finger, mashing the button with aplomb. Retsuko's face had perked up in surprise, then settled into a more relaxed, sheepish smile.

    "Eheheh, I'm not that cute," Retsuko insisted, her face settling back into mild discomfort, and the moment was gone. "Really, when you're a red panda, that's kind of a given, almost. Hard to really stand out on the 'cute' side."

    "Hyahahaha..." Mina said craftily, deliberately pronouncing a laugh. "Well, I got what I wanted, anyway."

    "...Huh?" Retsuko tilted her head.

    "Check it out!" Mina scooted over to sit next to her, showing her the camera. "Have you ever seen cuter pictures of yourself?" Mina cherry-picked the best pictures she'd taken of Retsuko. "A wise, if stuffy old panda taught me this trick. You'll never get a better picture than the one of your first compliment of someone. It's the most honest, genuine reaction, and that makes for the best pics!"

    "So... it's manipulation, then," Retsuko huffed in dry amusement.

    "Kinda!" Mina admitted. "But you are cute, just look!" She insisted, showing her the picture. Retsuko made an ambivalent noise, but nodded in reluctant agreement. "Hehe, like you said though, red pandas are basically made for cuteness. Like when someone was messing with our species settings, they twisted the cute dial til it broke off. That's us!"

    "Hmhm..." Resuko sighed and shook her head. "You remind me a little of one of my co-workers, actually..."

    "Really?" Mina grinned. "Another red panda?"

    "No, a deer, actually, her name is Tsunoda," Retsuko grinned wryly.

    "Ah, deer can be very sweet," Mina smiled in a deliberately cloying way.

    "Yeah she..." Retsuko's eyes wandered to the side. "She sure is... something like that. Anyway, thanks for joining me for breakfast, but I've really got a lot to do and I- I should go."

    "Oh, okay! Nice to meet you, Retsuko," Mina waved, suddenly looking troubled. "Um, if I never see you again, have a nice life, okay? Find some way to get rid of that stress and stuff!"

    "I..." Retsuko blinked, blindsided by the sudden concern. She gave a polite, but confident smile. "I th- I think I'll manage. Thank you, Mina."

---

    Mina lay prone in one of the Meadowland's more "foresty" fields, watching scores of monarch butterflies flit around, take their nectar, and bunch together. She was taking a lot of pictures of the orange-and-black insects.

    "Stupid bugs," she muttered, her tail flicking. "Aren't any of you going to adorably land on my nose or something? Drgh, that would make for a really cute shot, c'mon!"

    Unfortunately, she found the butterflies ignorant of her demands, so she just settled for taking what pictures of them she could. Over a few hours, it was rather tiring and boring. There was only so much of the orange and black she could stare at before it became commonplace.

    "I can't even eat one of these stupid things in defiance," Mina glared at one settling on a flower. "They're poisonous!"

    She walked through the field, thinking about her serendipitous meeting with that other red panda with basically the opposite of her problem. If she believed in Serendipity, Mina was sure that bunny Celestial would be having some giggling fits at the situation. Mina was stuck doing easy work because she hadn't reached out and learned the language of her ancestors, whereas that Retsuko character was inundated with challenging work and out of her element because she was more reliable. Mina couldn't really say she had it too hard; she wasn't under any real stress. It wasn't like these butterflies would suddenly team up and tear Mina to pieces, after all.

    "But don't you try anything," Mina admonished one out loud that was flitting near her face. Still no nose-landing. Darn.

    Mina laid down on her front again, trying to get a picture of one just about to land on a flower, to challenge herself for a more interesting shot.

    Something occurred to the red panda as she lay there. Retsuko had traveled half the globe under the stress of work, something about that and the lyrics of that crazy death metal song she'd heard the previous night...

    Mina perked up with a curious look on her face. "...Nah. I mean, maybe? But she had such a sweet voice, couldn't be. ...Haha, kind of weird, though. I wonder who that other mammal was." Maybe Anihon was sending a lot of stressed-out workers over to Zootopia for one reason or another. Who could say?

    In a silly mood, Mina noticed she had lost her opportunity to get the butterfly she was peering at before it landed in the flower. Her tongue lolling out, she zoomed way in on the insect's eyes and proboscis and took a picture.

    "Pew," Mina quipped. "Headshot."

Chapter 182: Hiding

Notes:

Another little crossover with a certain red panda-based show.

This isn't connected to the last chapter at all, in fact, it's a different re-imagining of how characters might connect from the two bits of media. I can do that because I have unlimited anthology powers. A warning, this contains mild situational spoilers for Aggretsuko.

Anyway, since this one actually stars a real Zootopia character, I guess I'll let "the other site" have it too. Hope you enjoy!

    Nick dramatically burst into the Wet Wolf Whistle, catching his breath in a gasp. It was the middle of the day, and the bar was nearly empty. The fox's eyes seemed as large as a pig's dinner plate, and after a moment's frantic hesitation that he used to visually sweep the area, Nick rushed up to the bar.

    "Nick," a brown horse on the other end of the bar greeted him with a relaxed smile. "Why the long face?"

    "Ha! Haha!" Nick pronounced, pointing at him with a bright smile. "That's a good one, because you're a horse and all. Jake- Jacob, you gotta do me a favor, buddy."

    Jacob's humor started to drain. "What's that?"

    "I just- I gotta lay low for awhile," Nick turned his head sideways to look at the door, "could you keep me in the back here? I could wash dishes and all that, whatever you need done."

    "...Hang on a second," Jacob narrowed his eyes, "are you in trouble with the cops?"

    "No no, no!" Nick bat his paw, laughing nervously. "When have I ever been in trouble with the police? Never, that's what! I am perfectly fine with those boys in blue. Yup."

    "...Worse than the police?" The horse kept on him with a fixed glare.

    "You, uh, you remember that skunk I met? Buttercup?" Nick held up two claws and pinched them together. "May be in a tiny bit of trouble regarding her."

    "That was the one that was into... how did you put it..." Jacob looked off to the side. "'Recreational' shaving?"

    "That's the one, alright," Nick smiled and slashed his finger at Jacob, "you wise ol' horse, you. Got a memory like an elephant!"

    "Okay, enough with the flattery," Jacob sighed. "You can work in the back for the rest of today. Suits me fine, anyway, we had a call out."

    "Thank you, Jake, I owe you big time, buddy," Nick started to head for the back of the establishment, towards the smaller "employees only" door.

    "Hey, you gotta at least look the part," Jacob indicated his vest and plain shirt. "Go change into something that makes fewer eyes bleed."

    Nick looked like he was being given a death sentence to go back outside, but he obliged, and eventually returned. The horse noted the incredible relief on the fox's face as he checked on him. Jacob tapped a hoof on the door frame, trying to collect his thoughts and figure the situation out. He didn't know Nick to enjoy or even tolerate busywork. Something must have been up. Nick never had much luck with the ladies, but he must have really screwed up to get a skunk annoyed with him. He didn't envy the tod; there were few mammals that could punish a slight against them like a skunk could. Jacob shrugged to himself and left Nick to his own devices.

---

    The fox kept his eye on the clock as he took a break. He didn't even really know if he was "allowed one," but he figured it couldn't hurt, and it'd felt like forever since he'd eaten. The smell of a microwaved fish sandwich wasn't amazing, but it was better than nothing, if only just. He ate it like a mammal starved. Jacob burst into the break room and Nick swallowed a far-too-big bite of his sandwich, coughing.

    "There you are, Nick," Jacob said, shaking his head. "Slacking off, huh? Anyway, you're going to be doing another favor for me. Freaking Charlene called in today again, so I'm down one of my better bartenders, when she decides to show up." The horse looked quite cross. "You're not terrible at the whole bar-tending thing. Get out there and do it."

    "Wh-wait, what?" Nick blinked. "Oh no, I can't be seen out in public right now. I'll- I'll do whatever work you want me to back here. Emptying the trash? Hey, just call me a garbage fox. I'll get it done."

    Jacob looked unamused in the way that only a particularly stern horse could, bunching his lower lip up in anger. "It's either the bar or the street, fox. Don't test my good will."

    Nick's pupils shrank. "...I uh... there aren't any polar bears out on the floor, are there?"

    "Not that I know of," Jacob started, then caught himself, "wait, why are you concerned about polar bears?"

    Nick hemmed and hawed, quite unlike him. Jacob looked like he was on his last nerve.

    "Listen, clearly you're not telling me the whole story about what kind of trouble you're in," Jacob folded his arms, "frankly, I don't care to hear it. I also don't care if an angry polar bear ends up plucking you from behind the bar. This isn't some kind of safe haven, and I don't want you bringing any trouble here. Either do the job I need you to do, or get out."

    "...I'll... I'll get out on the floor," Nick said, his heart in his mouth. He adjusted his dark vest and tie, and headed out.

    A look left and right, and there were no polar bears. Only one bear of any kind, a black bear. That was fine. He didn't know many black bears, and he knew that Mr. Big didn't, either.

    Nick steadied himself, took a deep breath, and allowed his mask to form over his muzzle. Nothing was fine, everything was ruined. Wait, that was backwards. But it was actually closer to the truth for Nick. One more centering breath for good measure. What mumbo-jumbo had Yax said that always calmed his nerves? Eh, Nick was pretty sure that some "herbal supplements" were involved in that yak's chill mood.

    "Gh!" Nick flinched as he saw the telltale comically-huge ears of a fennec at the far end of the bar. Crap! He didn't even want to see Finnick at the moment. Anyone else that knew Nick or could report where he was was a no-go-

    Okay, false alarm. Nick calmed down again. Not only was it not Finnick, but taking half a second to look again, it was a female fennec. Easy mistake to make, right? Heck, people mistook Finnick for a kit all the time. Somehow.

    "Hey bartender," the fennec actually started waving her hand to summon Nick. She had a very dry, dull voice. "My friend here is gonna need another beer." She sipped from hers, then pointed at an empty one beside it.

    Nick ambled on over and saw a despondent and clearly buzzed-looking male hyena sitting next to the fennec. His head was being propped up tentatively by his hand, and he let out a loud groan.

    "He looks like he's had a few," Nick smirked, taking his glass.

    "He's good for at least another couple," the fennec replied. "Don't worry, I'll be making sure this big lump gets home okay."

    "Nice of you," Nick said, "you taking the house draft?"

    "Mmhm," the hyena groaned, nodding. Nick filled it up.

    "Girl trouble?" Nick asked sympathetically. The hyena let out a quiet whimper.

    "Is it that obvious?" The fennec seemed bemused.

    "Nope, this is completely my fault," the hyena composed himself and slashed his paw horizontally. "It's totally- totally my fault. I waited too long. Couldn't just... make a move. No sir. Not me."

    Nick carefully set the hyena's beer next to him so it would be safe from his sudden volatile gestures. "Listen, I can't really blame you. Those hyena females can be really intimidating."

    The fennec's mouth dropped open in amusement. "Hahahahahahaha." Her laugh was bizarre and monotone, catching Nick's attention. "He's not after another hyena, he's after a red panda. Mutual friend of ours."

    "Oh, I see," Nick nodded, then leaned in a bit. "Is she a particularly aggressive red panda?"

    "Pff, no," the fennec smiled widely. "Retsuko could probably be mistaken for one of those Anihonese mascot characters. You know the type?"

    "Ugh, you see what he's tryna' do, right?" The hyena swiped up his beer and downed a third of it in one gulp. "He's like... he's saying that just 'cause I'm a male hyena, I'm a huge wimp."

    "But Haida, you are a huge wimp," the fennec said, deadpan, looking up at him.

    He moaned, rubbing his forehead. "Do you havta be so blunt, Fenneko?"

    "It's kind of my thing," she replied, starting to play around with her phone. Nick walked off to make sure everyone else at the bar was taken care of. It was kind of a slow night, mercifully, but he kept his ear open for the hyena. Male or not, they could be surly when they got drunk.

    "Wh- what are you doing?" Haida muttered, looking down at Fenneko.

    "Just checking the social media feed," Fenneko said plainly. "You know, for engagement announcements or anything like that."

    Haida yipped. "Fenneko! Don't even joke about that! They've been on what, one date!?"

    "Hey, it could happen," she retorted dully, "you know she's been trying to get out of her job for awhile now."

    "I know, but... ugh," Haida looked pitiful, slumping in his seat. "Where did I go wrong, Fennneko? I kept- I was trying to give her space... just kept being nice to her and... well, hoped something would spark up, I guess."

    "Well, in case you haven't noticed," Fenneko didn't even lift her eyes from her phone, "Retsuko isn't exactly a genius. If she was, maybe she wouldn't let everyone at work walk all over her all the time. Maybe you could have tried being a little less subtle."

    "Too late now," Haida muttered.

    "Probably not," Fenneko said, "I just can't get a read on this guy's Muzzlebook. It's like he's a potted plant."

    "What, you don't think it's gonna work out?" Haida grunted, though he sounded more defeated than desperately hopeful.

    "Hard to say; weird, I can usually get a better read than this..." Fenneko looked mildly bothered. Nick almost smirked at overhearing this; she was a fox, after all. He also prided himself on his ability to read other mammals. He wondered if he should use it at the moment.

    The fox ended up coming over to check on Haida. "Everything all right, sir?"

    "No," Haida muttered, but looked at his still half-full beer, "but I'm good on beer for now."

    "Listen, you want my advice?" Nick leaned in.

    "Ss-sure."

    "Assuming he remembers it in the morning," Fenneko quipped dryly.

    "No one's gonna make an opportunity for you," Nick replied. "You have to make all your own chances. Trust me, I know. I've been at this awhile." Nick shook his head. "No one's just going to swoop in and give you the one thing you've always wanted. You have to make it happen."

    "Rgh... I know, but..." Haida slapped his forehead and let his paw slough off, "I mean, what if it's not meant to be? I'd hoped something would click between us by now."

    "He's been at this off and on for five years," Fenneko looked up at Nick, her chin resting on laced fingers.

    "Some mammals don't know what they want 'til it's shown to 'em," Nick shrugged. "But you have to go for what you want."

    "...Egh, I dunno," Haida wagged his head. "Even if this thing with Resasuke doesn't work out... should I really make a move? Is it worth risking my friendship with her just... because- cause why...?"

    "Cause you want some Retsuko booty?" Fenneko asked in a mildly coy voice, tilting her head in the hyena's direction.

    "Fenneko!" Haida grit his teeth, his lower jaw bulging out a little.

    "Cuddles, then?" Fennko smirked.

    "Nrgh..." Haida grabbed at his head with both hands.

    "Hey, listen," Nick told him. The hyena looked back up. "If you really wanna leave it under wraps, you can't show anyone they get to you. Right? You don't wanna look like a 'typical male hyena'? Then keep a stiff upper lip."

    "Pff, that's a laugh," Fenneko huffed. "If he does that, then mammals are gonna know something's up."

    "He's right, though," Haida rolled his eyes. "If I start acting all pouty at work, that's not going to be good. I'll have to dodge questions from everyone- especially from Retsuko. I'll just- just have to live with what's going on, for now."

    "What a trooper," Fenneko smiled faintly.

    "But if the opportunity presents itself...," Haida suddenly sat straight up, "I'm gonna go for it!"

    "Hahahaha," Fenneko said, again pronouncing a monotone laugh. "Sure you will. ...Still, I'd like to see it happen. At least that way I'd know what she'd be getting into." She continued restlessly poking at her phone.

    Satisfied that that was as good as it was going to get, Nick left them alone for the rest of the night. They weren't there long, and it looked pretty comical for a fennec to try keeping a hyena "steady". It consisted of her riding on his shoulders, trying to keep his head straight. Nick was pretty sure they'd be fine.

    He wasn't so sure about himself.

---

    "Good job tonight, Nick, thanks," Jacob said casually. "This still isn't official stuff, but here." The horse handed Nick a decent sum of bucks. "Figure that's a little bit more than minimum wage for your time."

    "I appreciate it, really I do," Nick replied gratefully.

    "You got somewhere to go?"

    "Sure, sure I do," Nick nodded, grinning.

    A glass house, he mentally rolled his eyes. He'd wished he'd followed up on some of his own chances, but it was too late for that. Right now, he had to focus on staying alive. Thankfully, no polar bears in or outside the Wet Wolf Whistle. But where else to go? "Home?"

    Nick's mother still wasn't on good terms with him. Plus, that'd probably be putting her into not insignificant danger.

    His own apartment? He didn't exactly feel safe there. Finnick's van was a death trap by itself, and he didn't want to give Finnick the chance to rat him out. They were acquaintances, but maybe not the best of friends. Imposing on him seemed like a bad idea. Thinking about it, he did know of a place where he could be alone and undisturbed.

    It was a dingy little bridge in the middle of nowhere in Downtown Zootopia. A few broken down buildings, and not another mammal for a mile. This would probably be safe. He set up some blankets and cardboard and tried to huddle up under the bridge.

    "Nick what are you doing?" He asked himself. "How long are you going to try to fly by your tail? It's gonna get you killed one day. Almost did today."

    The sound of the crickets was deafening.

    Ah well, tough it out, Nick thought to himself. My ancestors did this all the time.

    One day, Nick would have to make his own chance, like he'd suggested that hyena do. Presumably, this one would not be trying to sell a scandalously obtained skunk rear-end rug to a crime boss that had graciously given him shelter.

    "Ugh, what was I thinking? Nick moaned.

    The morning would come, though, and Nick would be free to pursue another hustle.

    "I'll go smaller this time," Nick told himself. "Less dangerous. Pawpsicles, or something..."

Chapter 183: Oblivious

    Clawhauser lit up with his typical bouncy excitement when he saw Nick approaching the ZPD's front desk.

    "Hey there, Officer Wilde!" Clawhauser bubbled, barely able to keep up the pretense of formality. The big cheetah leaned in. "How are things going...?"

    "Oh, well enough," Nick replied in his nonchalant, airy way.

    Clawhauser's smile was bright and beaming as he sat up straight in his chair. "A few of the guys from the squad are gonna go out drinking this evening, do you wanna come?"

    Nick wiggled an open hand. "Nah."

    This didn't seem to phase Clawhauser at all, who only smiled wider. "Ohhh...? Do you have plans?"

    The fox pretended to think about this. "...Sort of?"

    Clawhauser let loose a little squeal, clapping twice near his face. "What is it this time? A little Netflix and chill?"

    Nick's brow raised and he folded an arm behind his back, carefully pointing at Clawhauser. "Uh, if by that you mean 'go over to her place tomorrow on our day off and watch a little something on TV'."

    "Um, yes?" Clawhauser perked up, confused. "What else would I mean by that?"

    "...Ah, never mind," Nick chuckled into a fist, waving him off with his other hand.

    "Well, um, if you do...!" The cheetah held up a pointer finger. "You should give Aggretsuko a try! If you haven't already seen it, that is!"

    "Aggretsuko?" Nick echoed. "Sounds like one of those Anihonese shows."

    "Yeah, but it's a comedy!" Clawhauser replied. "I think you two might enjoy it in particular. It's got just the right type of humor for you! I think, anyway."

    "Eh," Nick shrugged. "If that's what we end up on, maybe."

    Clawhauser started to bounce in his seat subtly. "Oooh, I'm just so happy! You two are just the cyooote-...!" His gushing was cut short by the wide-eyed realization that Judy was closing in, a smug look on her face as she planted her fists on her hips.

    "Who's cute, now?" Judy leaned up, smirking at Clawhauser.

    "Oh, um!" Clawhauser's pupils bounced around his eyes as if reflecting the neurons in his brain firing randomly. "The lead characters in Aggretsuko! They're just so cute!"

    "Aggretsuko...?" Judy's face squinted. "What's that?"

    "Netflix comedy," Nick replied.

    "Ooh!" The bunny brightened up immediately. "We should watch that tomorrow!" She shoved Nick playfully. "When you come over!"

    "That is a great idea, and I am glad you thought of it," Nick tossed a casual, momentary point to the excited little bunny.

    "Now, c'mon!" Judy's brow fell and she got an adventurous smile. "We gotta go bring justice to the city!"

    "Sounds good to me," the fox replied, walking away with her.

    "Mmmm...." Clawhauser's cheeks melted into his paws.

---

    Judy's apartment was quite something to look at. It still looked and even smelled new after its previous tenants. Spacious for a bunny, roomy even for a fox. Sparsely decorated to that point, but then Judy wasn't really super proficient at that by her own admission. She was planning on getting a few of her siblings that were in soon. Notably "Violet", who Nick noted that she talked about with some slight reverence. Perhaps an older sister?

    Nick was mostly reclined on Judy's comfy, yet rather large couch, and Judy was sitting in his lap.

    "Oh come on!" Judy launched up, standing on Nick's legs.

    "Down in front."

    "Sorry," she plopped back down. The two were watching the "Aggretsuko" show Clawhauser had mentioned. "It's just... this story arc is starting to tick me off!"

    "What has the bunny so flustered?" Nick rested his elbow on the arm rest, looking bemused, as if he didn't know.

    "This Resasuke guy...!" Judy thrust her paws at the TV, looking back at Nick. "I mean, you see it too, right? He's completely boring! WHY...! Why would Retsuko fall for him over Haida? It makes no SENSE!"

    "I'm pretty sure that's the intended reaction they want out of you," Nick smirked back up to the TV. "This guy is so over-the-top boring that it makes you root for the other guy. Who is, to be fair, kind of a loser."

    "But he's such an earnest and sweet loser..." Judy pined, grumbling as if the world had done her a great injustice.

    "It's funny to me how mismatched the two red pandas are," Nick chuckled. "Despite being the same species and all."

    "Yeah, I guess," Judy grunted. "She better ditch Resasuke soon..."

    An episode or two later, and Judy let out a relaxed sigh, performing an abrupt flop mostly to her side onto Nick. He took in a shallow breath at this and his heart rate accelerated, but it wasn't the most surprising thing to him.

    He'd been reading up on the internet on some bunny traits that he wasn't previously aware of. Sudden bunny flops could be alarming at first glance, he'd read, but they were a sign that a bunny was totally comfortable and content. Since Judy wasn't watching, Nick allowed himself a satisfied smile. It was nice knowing she felt that way around him.

    Nick also realized he'd have to toss his computer out of a window if Judy ever got anywhere close to his search history. Nick's face scrunched up a bit as he considered this.

    How to make a bunny happy.
    Species traits, bunny.
    Where on a bunny is sensitive?
    Physical bunny tells.

    That would be murder for his self-confidence if that was found out. Not to mention the searches had brought him to some sites he stayed quite some time on. Bunnies were quite pleasing to the eye.

    Of course, it wasn't like Nick would invite Judy to his dingy, leaky apartment anyway. Honestly, he'd rather just stay at Judy's place. And he did, from time to time. It was a great place. The clean smell, and the bunny smell, well, they provided the most "home" feeling Nick had felt in a long time.

    But ultimately, nothing compared to the feeling of a warm, happy gray bunny with her purple eyes mostly shut laying against the fox. Okay, and now that he noticed her shifting, she was actually laying fully against him, nestled in as if burrowed against him. Nick couldn't imagine Judy as being a napper, but she did look super comfortable.

    After a short, blissful eternity, he felt it.

    Little bunny paws massaging and rubbing against his chest.

    He coughed out a smile.

    "Whoa, okay!" The fox chuckled out nervously, his own lax position straightening up. "So, this is where we are, huh? Just um- rubbing the chest now, huh?"

    Judy jerked as if someone had given her a static shock. She sat up in his lap, facing him. "Whu-what?"

    "I felt those little paws on my chest," Nick pointed at her with a slightly accusing grin. "Getting a little comfy, huh? Or just fluffing your friend up for a nap?"

    "I- uh..." Judy's face read mild alarm. "I didn't mean..."

    "Just want to know what sort of rule book we're playing with here," Nick motioned between the two. "Because- y'know, to be honest... I've always wanted to try a few things with those ears of yours."

    "My ears...?" Said ears went back, and Judy looked like she was having trouble keeping up with Nick's verbal barrage. "Wh-what do you want to do with my ears?"

    "Well, pet them, for a start," Nick laughed flippantly. "I mean, what did you think I meant?" He gently poked her forehead. "What's going on in that little mind up there?"

    Judy's nose started to twitch, making Nick's eyes go wide. She pushed off of him, getting off of the couch, staring blankly at a wall as if lost.

    "...Judy?"

    "Nick... um..." her nose started to twitch faster. "Could you... go...?"

    He felt a phantom claw grip all the way around his chest. "Go? ...Leave?"

    "Yeah," Judy gripped her arm with her paw, looking away. "Just... I think I need some time alone."

    "Uh, right," Nick shot up from the couch immediately, starting to make his way from the door. In his suddenly compliant scramble, he almost forgot his wallet and keys. He stopped near the door. "Yeah, s-see you."

    "Bye..." The bunny's voice was barely audible.

    Turning his head from the bunny, Nick's ears went back and his muzzle scrunched as he exited, shutting the door behind him. His brain running wildly, he even somehow remembered to lock her own door behind him, with the key she had given him. Just that object of complete trust and the insinuation that he was welcome any time. He snarled and gripped the key until it physically hurt, then shoved it in his pocket and walked away heavily.

    He'd done it. He knew he would. His fear got the better of him; made him push back against the happiest feelings he'd ever felt. He'd crossed some sort of line without even knowing where it was drawn. It was so like him.

    "It's like I haven't learned anything," Nick muttered to himself, paws in his pockets as he came out of Judy's apartment building. "Not a thing."

    Tomorrow was going to be awkward.

---

    The next day was dreary and raining, as Nick figured it would be. The fox grumpily put his umbrella in a bag and rushed on into the lobby. Clawhauser instantly read Nick's uneven mood on his approach to the bullpen. The sour fox slowed down as he caught Clawhauser's head tracking him.

    "Morning, Officer Wilde," Clawhauser said with trepidation. "Everything okay...?"

    Nick instantly snapped around and thrust a forefinger at the cheetah. His mouth opened as if to bark something out, but no sound came out.

    "Actually, you know what?" Nick quickly deflated into a congenial mood, walking up to lean on Clawhauser's desk. "I think I know what the problem is. Figuring stuff out. Knowing too much. You know that saying, 'ignorance is bliss'? Starting to think it's true. I mean, I was much happier when I had the question 'what if' than the answer being 'probably not'."

    "Nick..." Clawhauser blinked. "What's wrong...?"

    "Oh, nothing," Nick's eyes narrowed viciously, though his voice maintained an eerie pleasantness. "It's just- you know, it's really something to try to challenge your best friend's worldview until it finally leads them to an answer they probably didn't want."

    Clawhauser swallowed, looking very uneasy. Chief Bogo walked over, in an unusually soft mood. He placed his hand on Clawhauser's shoulder, the buffalo briefly getting the cheetah to look up at him.

    "Clawhauser..." Chief Bogo said slowly. "Good job yesterday." He barely cast a glance at the fox, who was very surprised by these words. Bogo never just gave out praise. "Wilde, don't be late. Roll call's in five minutes."

    "Yeah..." Nick responded blankly.

    The large tigress Fangmeyer was next. She rushed up to Clawhauser's desk, sincerity and alarm in her eyes.

    "Ben...!" She called out. "About yesterday, thank you so much... I just..." she snarled, "I didn't know what to- even though I'm a big cat. The biggest. I was so worried. Thank you."

    "It's okay, Kristen," Clawhauser barely smiled. "You know the saying... 'serve and protect'."

    "Yes, protect, YES," Fangmeyer pointed at him solidly and nodded, taking a steadying breath before heading to the bullpen.

    "Ben, what... what happened yesterday?" Nick's eyes were wide. "What'd I miss on our day off?"

    "Oh, just a... bit of a situation," Clawhauser appeared distant. "A 10-56A. Just happened to be at the right place at the right time... able to give Fangmeyer a bit of an assist."

    "...Rea- really...?" Nick's jaw dropped.

    "It might have helped that she was a cheetah," Clawhauser gave a soft smile. "We're known to be anxious animals lots of times. I- it may have helped her that I knew what it felt like to be in that situation. To think there's no hope, you know?"

    Nick blinked. "Wow... well that's the fastest I've ever been proven wrong."

    "About what?" Clawhauser tilted his head.

    "Listen, I gotta get to roll call," Nick waved him off. "But yeah, we definitely got to get together some time."

---

    "You wanna stop for coffee?" Judy asked Nick in their cruiser.

    "Mm," Nick was noncommittal, distant, thinking about what must have happened yesterday with Clawhauser. Rain trickled down his window and made plinks on the roof.

    Judy pulled into their usual coffee shop and cut the engine. For half a minute, the only sound was of the rain on the roof. Judy then abruptly left the cruiser, catching Nick's attention.

    "Wait, you're gonna-" Nick started. He meant to end it "get wet", but didn't have time before the door slammed. Within another two seconds he was out of the car as well, halfheartedly guarding himself with his paws from the rain as the two got into the cafe. Judy noticed him, her ears down, and held the door open for him.

    Before long, the two were staring at their coffees, not each other, while sitting at a table.

    "Listen, Nick..." Judy started. She seemed to inwardly scold herself, and only flicked her eyes up to Nick momentarily. "I'm... sorry about yesterday. I was a jerk. Again."

    Nick blinked, though he felt like he was being crushed by his nerves. "No it's... it's okay." Nick tried not to notice how despondent Judy looked. The fox barked out a single, halfhearted "heh". "Y'know, it's... you can't- some mammals just aren't attracted to other species. I get it."

    Judy stared up at him, immediately baffled. "What?"

    "You know, I just thought it was ironic of the choice of media we were watching," Nick let out another little chuckle, though it pained him to do so. "Y'know, you rooting so much for the hyena for the red panda."

    "Nick... what do you think this is about...?" Judy sipped from her coffee gently.

    "Uh..." Nick was taken aback for once. "Me... teasing you? About petting your ears?"

    Judy's sadness turned into a kind of pity, and she barely smiled. "I'm glad I'm not the only dumb one."

    "Kh-Care to fill me in?" Nick's eyebrow raised.

    "Look... I..." Judy brushed one of her ears over her shoulder, taking another sip of coffee. "I'd... just never thought about it, I guess. About 'us'. ...I never really thought about where it was going, y'know?" She shook her head as if in disbelief. "Gosh, I feel like I could have been at the altar with you and not realized it..."

    Nick's eyes flew open. "...Ph-pardon?"

    "Y'know... how close we're getting," Judy gave a very shy smile up at Nick, which while winsome was very uncharacteristic. "I never really... I dunno."

    "If it won't work, it won't work," Nick shook his head. He took a sip of coffee to hide the lump in his throat, then flinched. "Mmph! Pleh!" He smacked his jowls. "Yuck! Is this black!?" He held up his cup and looked at it in something like mild panic.

    Judy laughed lightly. "Sorry, my mind was somewhere else. ...I do know how you like it." She rolled her eyes. "Sweet as your partner."

    "Mhm," Nick said, trying not to let any of his coffee's bitterness into his own heart.

    "Nick, am I an idiot for not seeing it?" Judy frowned.

    "No, not exactly," Nick said, dumping sugar and cream into his coffee. "If anything, I was just wondering how long we could surf by on 'just best friends' until some sort of barrier was breached. And... to be honest, I dunno if I was in any hurry to get there."

    "'Just' best friends..." Judy's ears perked up. "I wouldn't say that lightly. To be a bunny best friend is a really special thing. Think of how many animals bunnies know, Nick..."

    Nick shrugged and nodded, taking a sip of his dolled up beverage. "Ah... better."

    "All my life, I've known exactly what I wanted," Judy said, looking half-away. "I've been so sure about my direction. There was never any question or doubt."

    "Ah, but the possibility of something like this," Nick gestured between them, "changed your mind, huh?"

    "It scared me."

    "SCARED you?" Nick almost looked hurt. "After everything we've..." He gestured with his free paw, looking like words wouldn't come to him.

    "Not you, Nick," Judy shook her head, holding up a paw in caution. "You don't scare me. ...What scared me was discovering I wanted something so much without... 'knowing' it. Like there's still some part of me I'm hiding from myself."

    Nick didn't have a snappy response.

    "Like..." Judy chewed on her lip, looking guiltily up at Nick. "Like the part that kind of really wants a fox boyfriend, probably...?"

    Nick laughed tersely, then broke into a long chuckle. "That's definitely a different look on you..."

    "What...?" Judy joined in the laughter slowly.

    "Hesitation," Nick smiled widely. "I dunno, it's kind of charming. You know I'm much less dangerous than running into a building full of stampeding mammals."

    "But with you... I dunno how to say it, Nick," Judy chuckled meekly. "You're more... complicated than that. You're not a problem to be solved... you're a person to be enjoyed. I guess I was just worried how much I'd enjoy you..."

    "Listen, if this is about the interspecies thing..." Nick held up both paws.

    "It's not, it's just about me and you... and... smooches and stuff," Judy's head bobbed down to her coffee. "Gah... can I get any more schoolgirlish?"

    "Well, none of my high school flames went anywhere," Nick smirked. "But then... I think you're more of a... 'wilde'fire."

    "Nick..." Judy stared up at him. "That was the sappiest thing I've ever heard you say."

    "Give it time," Nick winked. "I'm sure I can come up with worse."

    Judy broke out into a pure smile that combined relief and fondness. "So... we're okay?"

    "Y'know, it does make me wonder what you were thinking about with the whole 'bunny ear' thing..." Nick tapped on his chin.

    "Nick, stop...!" Judy slunk down in her chair, leaning her head back.

    "What would happen if I Zoogle 'bunny ear tricks', I wonder...?" Nick held up his phone menacingly.

    Judy's teeth flashed in alarm. "In public...!?"

    Nick laughed; he hadn't even unlocked his phone.

    Judy groaned, holding her head in her hands.

    "I'd say we're good," Nick gave a smirking sigh that was full of contentment and relaxation. "Probably heading to 'great'. Even 'fantastic'."

    Judy peeked out of her hands and smiled at him. "Yeah. I guess with you that trip is gonna be a 'wilde' ride."

    Nick rolled his eyes. "Judy, I just made that joke. You can't make it right after."

    They laughed. It was the type of cathartic laughter that comes from narrowly avoiding a crisis, and with a hope for the future. Nick offered his coffee cup and Judy mooshed her own styrofoam cup against it. They took long sips.

    "Still don't know how you can drink it black."
    "You put in more sugar than a candy bar has."
    "I like my drink pleasant."
    "Yeah, well I like MINE to kick me into alertness!"

    It was still raining, though neither of them cared.    

Chapter 184: Embarassment

Notes:

This actually follows along from the previous chapter's continuity!

    Judy flopped onto her couch, content and relaxed. A smile played upon her face; it was her day off, and she was going to spend it with her favorite mammal. The hushed sound of water spraying trickled in the background. The gray bunny's apartment was still fairly barren, but it didn't really matter too much. That would change eventually, and in the meantime, it was only a hideout to stay in briefly. The whole of Zootopia beckoned to her like the cornucopia of styles and sights that it was.

    There was a series of three precise knocks on the door. Judy shivered in mild shock.

    "Wait wait wait...!" The bunny launched over to her phone and stared at the date. "No no! SHOOT! That was today!? Ughh...!"

    With reluctance, Judy wandered over to her front door and slowly opened it.

    On the other side were two bunnies. One was a taller bunny that looked much like her, but wearing glasses, a black sweater, and a red skirt. The other was Judy's size, but brown and white furred. She had lively brown eyes, with soft yellow and purple clothing that looked loose and nearly billowed.

    "Violet!" Judy greeted with a wide, forced smile. "Sassy!"

    "Judy! Judy Judy Judy!" The brown bunny rushed in and gave the bunny in question a big hug. "It's been so long...!"

    "Hello, Judy," Violet said with a small smile. She gave a much less energetic hug to her sister, but no less sweet.

    "Oh, oh..." Judy looked behind them and there were no further bunnies. "Okay, just you two today, huh?"

    "Sorry to disappoint," Violet smirked.

    "It's just... y'know, last time you showed up, you had a couple dozen with you," Judy said, holding a curved, perfunctory finger.

    "That's because I thought you hurt yourself, Judy," Violet frowned, taking off her purse and retrieving a tablet from it. "You know how I worry."

    "Right, right," Judy giggled.

    "Plus, when I asked: 'who wants to come see Judy and help Saffron and I with her interior decorating?', there weren't too many volunteers."

    "Ah," Judy giggled nervously, but looked a little relieved.

    "Mmm... what a nice place you have," 'Sassy' wandered forward, paws behind her back, giving a little twirl. "This place is like a blank canvas, just waiting for a bunny touch!" She took a long sniff in, then a few more as she appeared confused, but then shrugged it off. "Ooh, is that... violet?"

    "What do you mean, 'is that Violet'?" The bunny adjusted her glasses, taking a single guarded sniff at herself.

    "Not you," Sassy giggled, "the flower violet, Violet. I don't see any flowers."

    "Well, uh, you see," Judy bit her lip. "That smell you're smelling, it might be... um..."

    The ambient sound of the rushing water suddenly stopped, quieting up all three bunnies, who exchanged glances. Before long, the loud sound of a step-in full body dryer started. Judy winced.

    "Oh, he's here," Violet almost smirked.

    "He's HERE!?" Sassy's jaw fell. "Oh, yay! ...Wait..." the brown bunny rubbed her cheek. "Why aren't you in there with him?"

    "Ghh...!" Judy waved her arms in front of her face. "No no, that's okay! I uh... I don't think we're there yet, haha!"

    "Aww... okay," Sassy smiled encouragingly. "Maybe someday, huh?"

    "Still with the nudity thing, I see," Violet nodded conversationally.

    "No... I mean yes, I mean- Violet!" Judy growled through her teeth, balling her fists and holding them to her sides. "This is different. We basically just started this whole... 'thing'."

    "Well you can't learn everything about somebody with clothes in the way," Sassy proclaimed proudly.

    Violet gasped when, as if on cue, a freshly-fluffed Nick came out of the shower with a towel around his waist. Judy followed her older sister's gaze and almost went into shock. Sassy meanwhile just beamed.

    "Hey Judy, where did you say you put my change of clo-" Nick looked at the various bunny eyes all fixated on him. Actually, there were only two pairs; Violet was awkwardly trying to avert her eyes with her iPawpad. "Oh. Hi. I didn't know there were going to be guests."

    "Yes, um, I forgot they were coming today, and that's on me," Judy said, "anyway, you're clothes are-"

    "Nick! Nick Wilde!" Sassy rushed up to him, stopping only a couple bunny steps away. "I'm so glad to meet you! My name's Saffron Hopps, but everyone calls me Sassy. I've wanted to see you ever since I caught your ZPD award ceremony on TV! That look you gave my sister! And she gave you-! I just knew you'd be the one to finally complete her emotionally."

    Judy buried her face in her paws.

    "Well, hello...!" Nick smiled, honestly confused by such an open greeting from a bunny in his state. "Good to meet you. I'd shake your paw but, kinda using them. You seem like a very earnest bunny."

    "Yeah, uhm, her nickname is kind of ironic..." Violet mumbled, stealing a single brief glance at the half-nude fox.

    "Hehe 'nickname'," Sassy tittered. "Hey Nick, do you have a 'nickname'? Or cause your name is Nick, do you not need one?"

    Nick huffed in amusement. "Well actually, in high school, my buddy Flash used to call me-"

    "Nick, could you please clothe yourself!?" Judy said in a pinched voiced through her teeth, standing there with uncomfortable exasperation.

    "No, no, that wasn't it," Nick chuckled, but then pointed at the bunny, seeing her ears were back. "Right. I'll be right back, ladies." He scooted out of the room, his tail provocatively peeking from out of the folded towel.

    "Whew..." Violet let out a long breath and adjusted her glasses, seeing it was okay to look again.

    "Sorry...!" Judy cringed. "Sorry about that. I wouldn't have invited him over if I'd remembered you were coming this week..."

    "Don't apologize on my account," Violet said, taking in a nervous breath and adjusting the collar of her sweater. "Phew, definitely can't dispute that vulpine aesthetic pleasantness."

    Sassy broke into a chirping laugh. "Is that Violetese for saying he's hot?" She giggled into a paw. "Well I agree! He's quite a hunky one."

    "Vi! Sassy...!" Judy looked between the two. She sighed and pointed at them with her whole paw. "Can we please just focus?"

    "Oh, right," Violet cleared her throat. "The decorating of the apartment. Hm... just didn't think I would be catching a serendipitous glance of a fox in his prime."

    "Right?" Sassy giggled again.

    "Wow, and here I thought it would only be monumentally embarrassing for you two to meet my boyfri-... my partner," Judy rolled her eyes.

    "All right, I have the documents set up, Saffron," Violet looked at her sister. "What was to be first?"

    "Well, first we need to take a look at the most important piece of furniture in your home," Sassy pointed at Judy.

    Judy raised her brow. "...The fridge...?"

    "No, dummy," Sassy rolled her eyes, "your bed." She composed herself, closing her eyes and pressing her paws together. "The place where you are renewed every night. If nothing else, your bed has to be perfect! Its aesthetic and comfort are all super instrumental in your well being."

    Violet seemed to give a half-nod of agreement, though it was hard to tell.

    "Okay, well, Nick is currently in there..." Judy pointed, wandering to her bedroom. Her sisters gathered behind her, and Judy hesitated before moving to knock. "...Nick, are you decent?"

    "Aren't I always?" Nick quipped, opening the door right before her fist could make contact. He looked less smug after seeing Saffron glaring up at him with amusement. "Oh, hi. Oh, Fluff, I think I'm gonna go out to grab you all some lunch. Some kinda... salad sound good?"

    "That sounds great- what a great idea!" Judy pointed at him twice with two index fingers. "Salad sound good for everyone? Vi? Sassy?"

    "Wait," Violet said tersely, walking up to the small bed in the middle of the room. "This is your bed, Judy?"

    "Wow, it's tiny," Sassy tilted her head. "It doesn't really frame the room well, or give it a sense of... I dunno, comfort. Hominess. Definitely could be improved on."

    "Not only that..." Violet set her pad in her purse and took out a tape measure. "Nick, come here."

    Nick surprised himself by immediately complying, vapidly walking up to Judy's straightforward, taller sister. Violet got on her tiptoes to bring the tape measure up to Nick's skull and extend it down to his feet.

    "About four feet, roughly," she noted aloud, the sound of the tape zipping back filling the room. She then measured the bed. "...Judy, this bed isn't even close to four feet long. It's barely long enough for you, let alone him."

    Nick cleared his throat and looked away while Judy's ears collapsed.

    "...Violet," Judy said, her voice straining with squeamishness and mild anger. "We're not there yet."

    "No...?" Sassy looked almost crestfallen. "But sleeping up next to someone is just... it's like the ultimate way to grow closer together in trust and intimacy and l-"

    "I said...!" Judy squinted her eyes and fists shut and released them slowly, while sighing.

    "Let's drop it, Saffron," Violet said, giving her angry sister a cautious look.

    "But... where does he sleep when he stays over...?" Saffron pouted.

    "The couch," Nick said mildly. "It's more comfy than it looks."

    Sassy gasped. "That's...! Well we'll have to get another couch too, that one definitely could also stand to be improved."

    "Agreed," Violet said, reading Judy's defeated body language. "Saffron, let's go into the living room and analyze it to see if we can come up with a cohesive theme to center Judy's apartment around."

    "Oh, sure," Saffron nodded, immediately moving out of the room with her. "Cohesiveness will make the home just blend together and make it so much more comfortable."

    Judy groaned and sat down hard on her bed.

    "Doing okay?" Nick asked, his voice somewhere between teasing and genuinely concerned. He slowly took a seat beside her on the modest bed.

    "I dunno, Nick," Judy rolled her eyes. "My ears feel like they're on fire. Are they on fire?"

    "Nope," Nick said gently, touching them softly. "They are pretty hot, though."

    "Those two... it had to be those two..." Judy grunted. "Violet has barely any propriety, and Sassy doesn't have any."

    "She kinda reminds me of someone we know..." Nick grinned.

    "What, Clawhauser?" Judy smirked, huffing.

    "I was gonna say Yax. I get that whole 'free spirit' vibe."

    "Uh!" Judy looked nearly offended. "I mean, a little, but... hey, she's not always naked. And she never stinks. She'll talk your ear off about shampoo."

    Judy gave a nervous little laugh that Nick humored her by joining.

    "What're you so upset for? They seem into it," Nick softly rubbed her back.

    "I think that's just it," Judy exhaled. "They're too into it. I feel like if they weren't, at least I could fight about it. Give them a challenge."

    "You know, that is so 'like you'?" Nick almost looked impressed, but pat her back with a note of pity. "Just like you to want to make things difficult. I'll say it's much nicer to have supportive family. Shoo... you should have seen my mom when I told her I was dating a bunny."

    "Oh...?" Judy's expression weakened. "Must be because... of the press conference fiasco, right...?"

    "Not you," Nick smiled softly at her.

    "You've dated a bunny before!?" Judy's ears perked up.

    "Another thing I wouldn't have told you had it not become relevant," Nick sighed. "But no, we're lucky, my Mom likes you, on account of the whole 'changing the course of my life' bit and all."

    "I guess we have that..." Judy giggled, "and if I really wanted to be assaulted by conflicting views, I could always bring you to Bunnyburrow."

    "Sounds... like an adventure," Nick said unsteadily. "But hey, if it's a fight you want, I'll happily get yelled at by a bunch of bunnies."

    "Well, that probably wouldn't be the worst worry," Judy said. "It'd be the kits. They'd swarm you."

    "You think so?" Nick tilted his head. "They wouldn't be scared?"

    "Maybe cautious, at first," Judy looked at him sneakily, "but Cotton, one of my younger sisters. She loves and idolizes me, and by extension, you. She'd hug you right away."

    "Aww," Nick looked pleased by this speculation, narrowing his eyes in a grin.

    "Then, one of Cotton's siblings would join in, then another, then another," Judy made "scary fingers" at him. "They'd overwhelm you."

    "Is that how it'd go down?" Nick chuckled. "I dunno, being smothered by bunnies doesn't sound like the worst way to go."

    "It's group psychology, just ask Vi," Judy shrugged, giving an uneasy sigh. She looked at her sisters through the crack in her door. Sassy was going around with "ooh, what about...?" and her sister was agreeing with "yes, that can fit here, and then...".

    "You know, this is going to be a weird thing to say," Nick ran his fingers along his pant legs. "But do any of your relatives actually fit the 'country bunkin' stereotype?"

    "Plenty," Judy huffed.

    "Those two... hm," Nick grinned, following Judy's observation of them. "So different, yet they seem to be working in perfect synchronization toward a goal. Just, completely opposite personalities, I'd say."

    "Yeah, remind you of anyone?" Judy playfully lolled her head in her fox partner's direction.

    "Sure," Nick stood up. "Fangmeyer and Wolfard."

    Judy laughed brightly, springing up with him. "Well, I mean, that is true..."

    Nick started to walk to the front door of the apartment, catching Judy's older sisters' attention.

    "Hey, got my chance to escape," Nick smirked.

    "So take it," Judy said. "Probably spare me a few more awkward moments today."

    "I meant what I said," Nick leaned in. "I'll get you gals some salad, and then we can watch you squirm some more." He leaned in and kissed her briefly on the nose.

    "Great," Judy smiled wryly as Nick made his escape.

    She'd barely half-turned around before Sassy was in front of her.

    "Aaa! He's so CUTE!" Sassy clapped twice. "Keep him! Keep him!"

    "That's the plan..." Judy said with a kind of tired fondness to her voice.

    "Saffron, I don't think you can just call a fox 'cute'," Violet shook her head. "Wounds their pride. Anyway, Judy let's work on some of the details and possibilities Saffron and I have put together for you."

    Judy nodded, looking over at Violet's pad. "Wow, all that? That one looks really cute."

    "Well, Saffron is an expert interior decorator," Violet said, betraying a tiny note of pride in her littermate.

    Sassy pulled off a little curtsy. "I am getting a li'l hungry, though. Remind me to thank Nick for lunch! Ooh, what kinda salad dressings do you have?" She rushed to the fridge and glared at it in slight offense. It was too small, too blocky, and just... this weird greenish color. "Judy, we're going to have to do something about this fridge, too."

    "Okay, but for now it's functional, right?" Judy winced.

    "Second most important furniture item," Sassy held up a finger and smiled.

    "I'd have to agree," Violet twisted her lips and nodded sagely. "Food and sleep are quite important."

    Judy gave a relaxed sigh, throwing an arm around Sassy's shoulder. "It's gonna be a long day, isn't it?"

    Sassy closed her eyes and responded in a chirpy voice: "I hope so!"

Chapter 185: Snuggly

Notes:

Also follows on from the previous chapter; probably the last in this little series.

    "Mmh!"

    Judy felt that astral sensation of "landing" in her own body, following a fall in her dream. She grumbled at the jarring feeling, the last moments of the dream starting to flit from her mind. Was she flying around the city? She got the sense she was moving her legs, as they felt cramped. This didn't make much sense, as her new bed was nearly sprawling and very comfortable to boot. One roll wasn't even enough to get out of bed.

    As her feet touched lightly on the floor, she scooted off and yawned while walking to the bathroom. A cursory glance at the digital clock in her room read 4:21 A.M. It was way too early, especially because she planned on actually sleeping in on her day off.

    Taking care of some business, she sat there hunched over, resting her paw on her cheek. The events of the previous day slowly seeped back to her in her tired mind. There was a car chase; as usual, quite exciting. The perp was a linsang, an animal Judy had never even heard of, much to her embarrassment. She even mistakenly called him a "cat", to which Nick had to tactfully correct her.  

    The chase itself ended well enough, with one caveat. With her adrenaline flooding her, she managed to notice a car that nearly ran into her. It was much smaller than the monstrous cruiser she drove. There in the bathroom, she was struck by the fragility of life, and how if not for her manic corrections while driving, she could have seriously hurt someone, or even her partner or herself.

    She wondered what was giving her such an attack of conscience. She'd certainly not had many thoughts of that nature before. Of self-doubt.

    Judy paused while heading back to her bedroom. In the main room of her new-ish apartment was now a fair number of things: furniture, sentimental items, things of that nature. It certainly felt more homey and less like a holding cell than her previous apartment. Still somewhat fatigued, she wandered to the big, comfortable couch, where there was a fast-asleep fox.

    She groaned fondly, with a half-smile to match her half-open eyes. Even faced away from her, she felt like she could pick Nick out of a crowd. He was spending more and more nights over at her place, and their growing fondness for each other was undeniable.

    Judy took a subconscious deeper breath as the bunny leaned over, catching a tiny touch of his scent. She placed her paws on his arm and shook lightly.

    "Nick, Nick. Get up."

    "Mrgh...?" Nick wiggled and bat his paws before suddenly sitting up. His eyes were very bleary. "Time is it?"

    "Come on," Judy replied, wrapping her arms around his wrist and starting to lead him to her room. Nick followed with vapid complicity, like one undead. Wordlessly, Judy lumbered into her comfortable bed with Nick following. She nestled into him, resting her cheek on his chest. He responded, instinctively curling around Judy, forming a sort of protective fox crescent around his partner. It felt so natural to the bunny, she wondered why she'd never really tried it before.

    Since Nick was ninety percent asleep, he regained his slumber quickly, while it took Judy a few minutes despite her comfort. Her thoughts started up again.

    Nick had always been so polite to sleep on the couch, and during her siblings' decorating of her apartment, they'd never once suggested that Judy get a second bed. Not because they didn't want Nick to stay there, they just didn't think it was necessary given their relationship.

    Yet Nick never insisted, wanting to do things at a pace Judy was comfortable with.

    In truth, she'd never felt more comfortable at that moment. Sleep quickly claimed her.

---

    Morning light greeted Judy's eyes the next time she opened them.

    "Mm?" She woke alone in her bed, quickly perking up within it. Her ears twitched this way and that. She could have sworn she dragged her fox into bed.

    Her fox... that was a phrase she kept thinking. It felt warm, if a little greedy...

    She launched out of bed and cautiously walked into the kitchen area of the main room. She smiled pleasantly, her breath giving out in relief as she saw Nick there, preparing some coffee. Unlike when she pulled him into bed, he was wearing a shirt. Her pace increased confidently.

    "Mornin' Fluff," Nick greeted, stirring his coffee with a spoon and taking a sip.

    "Morning, Nick," Judy hopped over by him, wishing to indulge her caffeine addiction as well.

    "Oh, made you a cup," the fox opened the microwave, taking out a cup of coffee. "Just how you like it."

    "Really? Let's see, hm..." Judy took her "#1 Bun" coffee mug and checked its contents against the color of Nick's paw. "Yeah, looks about right." She sipped it. "Mm."

    Nick's mostly blank face gave way to a bit of a pensive look. His eyes moved away from Judy and he looked out the window. "Ah... in the interest of being perfectly honest with you... I uh... woke up in your bed this morning. No idea how I got there. Didn't think I was a sleepwalker."

    When Judy didn't immediately respond, Nick gave her a brief glance. He was surprised to see her with a bashful sort of smile, head tilted, teeth barely visible.

    "I took you there, in the middle of the night," Judy admitted with a strained voice. "Sorry."

    "Oh, no need to apologize," Nick said blankly. "It was pleasant. Thought you just didn't want your 'new bed' all 'foxy'."

    Judy cringed, squinting her eyes shut. "Please tell me I never said that."

    "It was almost the first thing you said to Sassy when the bed was first made," Nick guarded his expression with another sip of coffee, but his eyes trained on Judy.

    "Ugh..." Judy's ears drooped, her paw holding her arm pensively. "Honestly, you should have bopped me on the head right there."

    "Hey, I'm just teasing you about it," Nick suddenly gained his familiar smirk. "You're new to this whole relationship thing, I can tell, so we'll do it at your pace."

    "What's that supposed to mean!?" Judy looked challenged, though not unpleasantly so, and walked up closer, scoffing. "I can keep up with you, even though you're older and more savvy and all that."

    "Really?" Nick seemed bemused, if not convinced.

    Before she could get a real word out in reply, Nick darted for her open mouth with his muzzle. As he delivered a quick kiss, he was surprised to feel Judy responding to it quickly, tilting her feet up to push into it.

    "Really," Judy said smugly after the warm, coffee-flavored kiss. She then scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Nick, I don't want you to 'go easy' on me. You know you don't have to treat me of all mammals with kit gloves."

    "Maybe not, but I'd prefer to err on the side of caution if it's the same to you," Nick said, looking out the window again.

    "It's not," Judy insisted. She took a leap onto the counter, which was low enough for both of them to use comfortably. She leaned her forehead into Nick's. "You're gonna sleep in my bed- our bed, from now on."

    "Oh, yes ma'am," Nick huffed and nodded, impressed. "Good thing I've got most of my clothes here already."

    "Well, move the rest of 'em here, too," Judy grinned, smooching his forehead. "No reason you can't live here with me."

    "I... I guess not," Nick looked halfway nervous.

    "Unless it's too fast for you..." Judy said seriously, without a note of mockery.

    "No, no..." Nick mumbled tentatively. "It has taken... quite awhile to get to this point. I guess it's like you said one time, I'm afraid to enjoy it too much." He pet her ears and the top of her head. "Cuddled up with a bunny every night, that's just a little slice of heaven there."

    "Aww... well, you should get to enjoy that heaven as long as you can, then," Judy smiled brightly. "You're a comfy little cuddle yourself."

    Nick let out an impressive canid yawn, surprising Judy, who laughed briefly.

    "It's a bit too early for all this mushy stuff. What do you wanna do today?"

    "I dunno, actually," Judy giggled. "I could summon my siblings to help you get moved in."

    "Not on such short notice, I don't wanna impose," Nick frowned.

    "A movie?"

    "What would you like to see?"

    "I dunno," Judy admitted, beaming.

    "I get the feeling you're in a cuddly mood," Nick chuckled, petting Judy again, to which she responded by aggressively burrowing her face into his paw. "Listen, Buster. Next time you drag me somewhere when I'm half-asleep, make sure I'm awake enough to enjoy it."

    "Got it," Judy grinned. "Hm, Buster? That's a weird nickname."

    "Yeah, not sure I felt it either, just wanted to give something a try," Nick shrugged his shoulders. "Y'know, before jumping into all the typical dross. Darling, honeybunny, sweetiepie." Nick leaned his head in very close while saying these cloyingly.

    "Oh, gag," Judy laughed, pushing him away. "Those are not you."

    "Whatever you say, sugar muffin."

    "Nick!"

    The two laughed gently and Judy slid off the counter.

    "Movie. And cuddles."

    "Mhm," Nick beamed, nodding.

    "After a shower," Judy declared with a wag of a forefinger, heading to the bathroom again. Her bold confidence suddenly drained. "...Hh-have you already taken yours?"

    "I have," the fox nodded. "And I don't think you're there quite yet."

    "C'mon, you naked isn't that big a deal," Judy rolled her eyes.

    "Your nose says differently," Nick pointed at her twitching pink nose.

    "Okay, okay, whatever," Judy slipped into the bathroom. She spoke through the door. "Cuddles, though! We need more of those. Today, tonight. All the time."

    "Won't argue with that," Nick said, mostly to himself, sipping from his coffee as he heard the shower start and imagined her gorgeous, lithe form stepping into the stream of water.

    He knew he wouldn't have to just imagine that for long, but on her terms. She was worth the wait he'd endured to that point. Even when he didn't know he was waiting for her.

    And until then, cuddles were always nice.

Chapter 186: Uncle

Notes:

Thanks to my patient proofreader SomeKindaDurgon for both his proofreading and this idea.

    Nick and Judy scrambled around their apartment, adjusting each others' police uniforms. Their hurried, chaotic pace juxtaposed with the strange flow their actions took, making even the chaos seem orderly.

    "Rgh, I knew this was going to happen sometime," Judy grumbled, anxiousness on her brow. "What are we going to do? We've got to find a sitter..."

    "Mm," Nick agreed with a nod, looking to be lost in thought.

    A young gray squirrel wandered into the room, watching the fox and bunny dart around.

    "Nick? Judy?" He asked. "What's going on...?"

    "Oh, hi Larry!" Judy smiled and rushed over to him, barely crouching to be more his level. "Sweetie, Nick and I have to go to a special police assignment. But don't you worry, we'll be back as soon as we can."

    "And we'll get someone to watch you," Nick affirmed, sparing the squirrel a single pat on the head.

    Larry didn't seem thrilled at the prospect.

    "Dangit, I thought I'd be more prepared for a moment like this," Judy slammed a fist into her palm, then pointed at Nick. "Your mother."

    Nick shook his head. "Can't. She's out visiting a friend in the Triburrows."

    "Gah!" Judy thrust her head away. "And obviously we can't send him on a 200 mile train ride to Bunnyburrow by himself. He could be hurt, or abducted!"

    "Not to mention being passed between hundreds of bunny hands like a moving fluffy toy would probably be a nightmare scenario by itself," Nick said wryly. Larry found himself blankly nodding in agreement.

    "Oh, ha ha," Judy leaned her head at Nick disdainfully, then looked like she got an idea. "Finnick." Almost immediately, she shook her head. "No way. What am I saying. ...Maybe...?" The bunny winced at Nick. "He's trustworthy, right?"

    "Eh," Nick shrugged. "Both you and I have had and carried out worse ideas."

    Judy's wince became even more pained and plaintive.

---

    "Buddy, I can't thank you enough for coming on such short notice," Nick said breezily, admitting a small, grumpy-looking fennec into their apartment. "You were really our first choice."

    "Right," the fennec didn't sound convinced. He gave a dull look to the apprehensive squirrel across the room. "I'ma need half the fee up front."

    "Oh!" Judy actuated suddenly, patting herself. "Yeah, okay. Let me find my wallet." She retrieved ten bucks, which Finnick snapped up.

    "Thank you," his voice was curt.

    "Okay," Judy held up her paws as if he were trying to stave off her own anxiety. "He's already had dinner, so if you feed him anything, it should be a small cookie, okay? Just as a bedtime snack. And don't let him stay up all night playing video games, okay? It's Sunday evening; he's got school in the morning."

    "Right," Finnick sounded disinterested.

    Judy grinned apologetically and wandered over to the squirrel. "Okay honey, you be good for Finnick, okay?" She winced and planted a small kiss atop his head.

    "Okay," the young squirrel's voice was begrudging.

    "We'll be back before you know it, sport," Nick said, gathering their things. "C'mon Judy, we gotta fly."

    "Bye! Be good!" Judy waved. The front door slammed shut, then cracked open briefly. The bunny's face suddenly looked stern. "You too, Finnick."

    "Aight, get outta here," Finnick flicked both of his paws at her before the door shut again. He sighed, rolled his eyes, and padded over to the young squirrel. He huffed and almost broke a smile. The fennec was barely taller than the squirrel, but cut a more imposing figure, if only because of his grim countenance and his huge ears creating a larger shadow. Larry looked somewhat afraid.

    "Okay, kit, listen up," Finnick began. "You can call me mister, uncle, Finnick, Finn, whatever you want. I don't care." He pointed up at the cupboards that could only be reached easily by Nick. "Only thing I ask is that you ain't go crawlin' around in those cupboards tryin'a play hide and seek. I ain't about to bust my tail tryin'a climb up and find you."

    Larry's brow furrowed slightly. "I'm ten years old. I don't wanna play hide and seek. I just play video games."

    "Aight, that's good then, that's good," Finnick casually brushed past the squirrel and opened the refrigerator. "Hard to tell how old you squirrels are." He scanned for things while Larry fiddled with his claws apprehensively. Finnick sucked his teeth. "Tch. You ain't even got a single can of beer in this apartment? Your mom musta really kit-proofed the house, huh?"

    "Judy's not my mom," Larry replied suddenly. "My mom died."

    Finnick froze in his search and gave Larry a cautious look. "Da-... wow. Is that gonna be the tone of the evening?" He shook his head and let out a heavy sigh. The small fox made his way over to the couch and leaped on, turning the television on to a pro pawball game. The squirrel followed, looking between Finnick and the TV.

    "Um, can I go play in my room now?"

    "Yeah, aight," Finnick nodded, barely sparing him a look.

    Feeling uneasy, Larry went on back to his room and turned on his gaming console.

---

    A short series of beats leaped from Finnick's phone, signifying that he got a text message.

    "No, you idiots... c'mon she was open!" The small fox raged at the scene when the mustelid athlete missed an easy shot to her teammate. "Daargh!"

    After a moment, Finnick noticed his phone vibrating and looked onto it.

    [Is Larry doing okay?] It was from Judy, of course.

    Finnick rolled his eyes. [He's fine.] After replying, he tossed the phone back onto the end table. After a few more moments of watching the game, Finnick growled to himself and decided he should actually check on the squirrel. He grabbed his phone and made his way over to his room to knock on his door, even though it was cracked open.

    "Hey, kit, you okay?"

    "Yeah," the voice came.

    Finnick opened the door and saw Larry playing video games on his television. He couldn't quite make out what sort of game he was playing; it appeared to be some sort of small horned animal fighting an enormous cartoon bug. "Heck is this?"

    "It's called Hollow Knight," Larry replied meekly and blankly. "The li'l guy here is the hero, and he's all alone while trying to make the world better."

    "Everyone's bugs?" Finnick narrowed an eye. "That's weird."

    "It's the world they're in," Larry replied. He shrugged, not knowing how to explain it better than that.

    "Listen, kit," Finnick leaned on the door. "Maybe you should do your homework before you zone out playing that stuff."

    "I already did it," Larry replied. "I did it yesterday."

    Finnick's muzzle twisted. "Well, can you pause it? I got some homework for you to do."

    Larry obeyed him, though mostly out of confusion. His brow furrowed as he looked at Finnick.

    "Here, want you to take my phone- hold on," Finnick said, unlocking it. Mostly, he needed to unlock it to get the scantily clad fennec female off of the screen. That might have caused some questions. "There, take my phone."

    Larry took it. Since Finnick was barely larger than Larry, the phone fit rather comfortably in the squirrel's paws.

    "O- okay...?"

    "Now, go to the internet, and look up 'mother'," Finnick folded his arms.

    "Uh, okay?" After a moment, Larry complied with the request.

    "Aight, now read the 'verb' definition," Finnick instructed, his voice less gruff than it had been previously.

    "To bring up a child with care and affection," Larry read.

    "Now," Finnick said, launching himself onto Larry's bed and sitting there. "You think that describes that bunny you live with?"

    "Uh... yeah," Larry nodded cautiously.

    "Okay," Finnick nodded, motioning for his phone. Larry got out of his chair and delivered it to him. "I understand you probably think you're in some sort of raw deal. Been through a lot and all that. I get it, aight?"

    Larry barely nodded.

    "But," Finnick held up a finger. "Though she ain't the same species as you, though she ain't been with you your whole life, Judy's tryin' real hard to 'mother' you. You get me?"

    Larry nodded again, stronger this time.

    "I don't think you got a raw deal, Larry," Finnick's eyes became lazy and he smirked. "If anythin', I think Judy's made a real caring parent. I dunno if you'll ever think of her as a 'mother' or somethin'; not my place to tell you what you think. But I can tell she loves you, yeah?"

    "Yeah," Larry looked away, but smiled faintly.

    "Good," Finnick chuckled, then he cleared his throat and his voice became gritty again. "But you ain't tell her I said that, got it?"

    "Um, okay?" The squirrel half-laughed at the strange fennec as he launched back off his bed and headed back to the door.

    "Now, you want a cookie before you get to bed?" Finnick asked before he left the door.

    "No, thanks," Larry picked up his game controller.

    "Mammal, you ten years old," Finnick narrowed an eye. "You ain't gotta act like you're too cool for a cookie. Dang, son."

    Larry sheepishly grinned and lowered his head, wandering into the kitchen with Finnick.

    "They ain't up in one of those high cupboards, are they?" Finnick grumbled.

    Larry laughed again.

    "Hey, you wanna play a joke on the bunny?" Finnick smirked at Larry, who looked at him with big, impressionable eyes.

---

    "Finnick."

    "Hnngh!" Finnick woke with a start. He was sprawled out on Nick and Judy's couch, the TV turned low; a dull white noise behind them.

    "Does he always snore that loud?" Judy asked Nick quietly. The two were clothed in their uniforms. They both looked very tired, Nick more so.

    "Yup," the red fox responded plainly.

    "Mammal, shut up," Finnick flailed and sat up. "What time is it-?" He checked his phone. "Six-thirty!? Whatchoo getting me up now for!?"

    "Sorry, we basically just got back," Judy smiled apologetically. "I just wanted to give you the rest of the fee for your babysitting-"

    "Psh, keep it," Finnick flicked a paw. "Your boy is basically a li'l angel. Wasn't no trouble at all."

    "Really?" Judy smiled, betraying a hint of pride.

    "Yeah," Finnick launched off the couch, yawning to reveal a bunch of sharp tiny teeth. "Dang, what'm I gonna do at this time a' mornin'? Freakin' bunny."

    "You want some coffee?" Nick offered, already brewing a cup for the two marginally more awake mammals.

    "Nah," Finnick grew a snide look. "What you drink ain't coffee."

    "Well, I like it dark," Judy huffed with a smile. "Does that do it for you?"

    "Now we're talkin'," Finnick nodded.

    Before long, Larry showed up in the main room, looking to be ready for school.

    "Hey slugger, you all ready?" Nick padded over to offer his arm to Larry, who scurried up it and onto a higher counter. Finnick blinked at the smooth and liquid nature of the action.

    "Ahuh," Larry nodded, looking at both officers. "Uh, are you two just now home?"

    "Yup, long night-slash-morning," Judy smiled wearily, leaning in to touch her nose to Larry's. "We're tired."

    "Will you be able to get to sleep while I'm at school?" Larry wondered.

    "What I said?" Finnick laughed. "Guy's a li'l angel."

    "I hope so," Nick chuckled. "So, did your uncle Finnick break anything?"

    "No, Mister Finnick was good," Larry reported.

    Finnick huffed. "Mister" Finnick sounded pretty good to him.

    "Yeah?" Judy laughed. "Really, thank you so much, Finnick."

    "Was nothin'."

    "We had a lot of fun," Larry smiled. "He taught me how to hotwire a van."

    There was a moment of dead silence while Nick and Judy's eyes flew open and the coffee pot made a single "bloop".

    "FINNICK!" Judy screamed.

    "Hey, gotta run," Finnick smirked, and dashed out of the apartment.

    Larry giggled to himself.    

Chapter 187: Hired

Notes:

Featuring characters established in my "Ozzie's Auto Repair" fic.

    Ozzie opened up the garage to his shop, beckoning behind him.

    "Anyway, let me introduce you to some of your new workmates, okay?"

    The black and white rabbit hopped forward and placed his paws on the hips of his faded blue jumpsuit, standing up proudly.

    "Aright, goons! It's time to meet our newest fluff," Ozzie barked proudly.

    A coyote, mouse, and pig all looked up from their various projects in the garage and took in the newcomer. She appeared to be a small canid, but lacked many distinguishing features of a fox, coyote, or even wolf, so it was hard to tell what she was. She had an off-white color scheme, which made her look almost wolfish, but still, she looked fairly small and it wasn't concrete.

    "This is Sunny," Ozzie held his paws over to present the newcomer. "She'll be mostly workin' in the shop now that Ortie's got more solid work with that Chloe chick. Sunny, the 'yote here is George."

    "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, ma'am," the coyote said politely, tipping his lime-green ball cap that matched his jumpsuit.

    "The big pig here's Hammond."

    "How do ya do?" The pig nodded, cleaning his digits off with a cloth.

    "And finally, we got the li'l one," Ozzie held up a large wrench with a cream-colored mouse hanging from it. With a little flick, the mouse popped into the air. Ozzie held the wrench laterally and the mouse landed on the flat of the wrench, then leaped onto a nearby counter, offering her tiny hand.

    "The name's Gail! Great to meet you!" She tossed back her dirty-blonde hair, rather voluminous for a mouse.

    Sunny tentatively offered a finger for her to enthusiastically shake. The canid gave her a small, reserved smile, but seemed rather impressed.

    "Always the showoff," Hammond rolled his eyes and went back to his work.

    "Now, Sun," Ozzie snapped his fingers and balanced the wrench back against the counter. "If you're gonna work here, we gotta get one thing straight."

    Sunny blinked. "Yes?"

    "All of us got different colored jumpsuits," Ozzie flicked at himself. "It's kind of our thing." Sunny looked around. Gail had a faded purple, George had lime green, and Hammond had brown. "So, what's yer favorite color?"

    "Light blue...?" She capped off the pinching of her voice with a nervous giggle.

    "Got it," Ozzie nodded. "You want it to read Sunny, or Sun, or somethin' else?"

    "Ss-Sunny's fine! That's fine," she offered quickly, smiling broadly.

    Suddenly, there was a loud vibrating sound. "Oh, crap." Ozzie pat at his jumpsuit and retrieved a phone. "Whoa! It's Mick, you guys! Gotta take this. Feel free to look around the shop, okay Sunny? See ya soon." The brown-eyed bunny retreated to his office.

    After a moment's silence, Sunny pointed to the shop. "Well, I'm just uh... gonna familiarize myself with the product and all."

    "Sure thing!" Gail nodded. Once the ringing of the door's bell sounded its closing, the mouse turned to the other two. "Well, she seems nice!"

    "Ayup, sure does," George nodded, giving a lazy smile. He bent back over a car, fiddled with a part inside the hood, then let loose a breath of frustration. "Say, Gadget, could you help me with this? My clumsy ol' fingers are givin' me trouble."

    "Sure thing, Goofy!" Gail carefully jumped down the counter's handles and rushed over to be lifted up to the car's level.

    Hammond said nothing and continued his own work quietly, sparing a glance to the store where Sunny was looking around.

---

    A few days had passed. Sunny's uniform had yet to arrive, and she looked fairly melancholy as she minded the shop. The shop was pleasantly arranged enough, and had that rubber smell she was very fond of, but she didn't feel very comfortable. She let out a long sigh.

    A jingling heralded one of the doors opening. Sunny perked up and looked over to George entering the shop. The middle-aged coyote gave her a friendly wave.

    "Hi George," Sunny's forming smile halted.

    "Hey, Sunny," George said, "do we have an alternator for a 2007 Buffalo Charger back there?"

    "Um, let me check the system," she replied, nodded. "Yeah, sure do, it's down this aisle." She indicated the one.

    "Thank you kindly," George nodded, going to retrieve it. He paused when going past the counter. "Y'know, Sunny, if you don't mind too much my sayin', your name don't fit your expression real well."

    "Oh, um, sorry," Sunny gave a nervous laugh, fidgeting a bit. "It's just, uh... y'know. I'll put on a smiling face for the customers, I know how customer service is n'all."

    "Well, I wasn't too much worried about that..." George twisted his mouth into a frown. "But if y'don't wanna talk about it y'don't have to."

    While he frowned, Sunny became aware of his canines, which seemed to poke out of his lip and be square-shaped, quite unusual for a canine.

    "Uh, did something happen to your teeth?" Sunny pointed at her mouth.

    "Oh, these?" George returned the point to his own. "Ahyuck, yup. I had a couple of big snaggleteeth goin' on when I was younger. Muh dentist suggested I shave 'em down, so they're like that now."

    "Flat, though?" Sunny's brow furrowed. "They wouldn't happened to have been a prey dentist, were they? I'm sure you could sue for malpractice."

    "Oh, no no, that's okay," George chuckled. "I got plenty of other sharp teeth in muh chomper. It's kinda like muh trademark. Makes me noticeable an' all that. Some'd say even more approachable. Used it to build muh brand!"

    "Your brand...?" Sunny echoed.

    "Yup! Used to be a somewhat-famous Ewetuber! Ahyuck!" George gave a bright, pleasant grin. "I still do a video from time to time. Comedy stuff, mostly." He leaned in to whisper. "Pratfalls and such. Makin' myself look dumber than I actually am. Y'know, supposedly." He laughed louder, making Sunny join in reflexively.

    After the laugh, Sunny winced slightly. "Sorry to say I've never heard of you...?"

    "Oh, that's okay," George flicked a paw. "Not everyone's got time to go watch some silly Ewetube videos. Kinda hope muh son gets into it. Carry on the legacy of the Goof Troop. Ahyuck! Anywho, if you need anythin', lemme know. I'll be out back."

    Sunny mouthed the term "goof troop" to herself and then smiled and shook her head. He sure was "goofy".

---

    "Ey, there, Sunny," Hammond slid out from under the car he was working on. The two were alone in the garage. "What brings you here?"

    Sunny, now donning her light blue uniform, motioned back to the office. "Ozzie said you're owed another break?"

    "Ah yeah," Hammond popped up and started washing up. "I'm starvin'. You gonna take over for me?"

    "Sure, if that's okay," Sunny nodded once with a hint of determination. "I love working on vehicles."

    "Don't mind gettin' that white fur of yer's all smudged?" Hammond smirked.

    "Course not," Sunny's brow furrowed and she returned a smirk. "I like oil smudges. They build character. Pigs aren't the only ones that like to get dirty sometimes."

    "All right then!" Hammond gave an easy shrug and nodded with a smile. "Think you're gonna get along with us just fine."

    "Lemme at it," Sunny went for the rolling cart used to get under the car.

    "By the way," Hammond said casually, grabbing a lunch bag. "I liked you in Dye Another Day."

    Sunny froze, slowly turning her head over to Hammond, her eyes pinpricks.

    "That was you, right?" Hammond shrugged one shoulder, giving a snort. "A coupla James Bunned flicks ago?"

    "Um... yes," Sunny bit her lip.

    "Heh!" Hammond took a big bite of a sandwich. "So your expertise with automobiles wasn't just an acting thing, huh?"

    Sunny began to look very uncomfortable, dropping onto her haunches and getting ready to go under the car. She frowned, looking somewhat dazed.

    "Listen, I won't tell anyone else if you don't want 'em to know," Hammond waved his hand back and forth dismissively. "Ozzie's kind of a dim bulb when it comes to movies, Goofy's into comedies, and Gadget's kinda a nerd. Surprised she didn't notice ya, but she's into more sci-fi and mouse-style movies, I think."

    "Gadget? Goofy?" Sunny blinked.

    "Oh yeah," Hammond shook his head. "We all kinda go by nicknames here. Cept Ozzie, his is already a nickname. Hamm's mine."

    "Hamm, really?" Sunny had to smirk.

    "Hey, the first person you gotta laugh at is yourself," Hammond claimed, taking another big bite.

    "Yeah, maybe I was dumb to think I could get a job like this and just lay low," Sunny grumbled, rolling under the car.

    "Like I said, if you don't want me to tell anyone, I won't, but I wouldn't count on them being clueless forever," Hammond went on. "Ozzie's friends with Mickey McMouse, after all, and he talks to him every so often."

    "Mickey McMouse!?" Sunny shrieked, almost bashing her head on the underside of the car. "Good grief! He's even more prolific than... well..."

    "Jack Savage? You can say that again," Hammond said, finishing up his sandwich. "That rabbit's a hack compared to the Mickster."

    Sunny gave a sneaky little laugh. "Yeah, you can say that again..."

---

    Ozzie glanced over the dinged-up menu, looking over at a small black and white mouse who was sitting opposite from him.

    "Y'know, Mick, even I could have treated you to a better place than this," Ozzie muttered in a low voice.

    "Aw shucks, Oswald," the mouse replied. "Some of the best places to eat are in these little omnivorous Mom n' Pops. Especially in Zootopia."

    "You like it here, uh Mickey?" Ozzie smirked.

    "Oh, it's great!" Mickey nodded. "Not as stuffy or suffocating as it can be in Hollywool. Plus, no one's likely to notice me in a niche place like this anyway."

    "Yeah, 'til you open your mouth," Ozzie balanced his paw on his chin, grinning at Mickey with amusement. "I'm surprised they even give you action roles with a voice like that."

    "Oswald..."

    "Hey, hey, I'm just sayin," Ozzie chuckled. "So, Minnie's not in this one, huh?"

    "Nope," Mickey shook his head. "This flick is... we'll I'm not technically supposed to say, but it's based on an allegedly true story of this big crime ring that started out in Little Rodentia and grew to get seeded in the rest of Zootopia. A real underground mouse thriller."

    "I feel like Gail'd be a good stunt double in movies like that," Ozzie chuckled, setting his menu down. "She treats life like it was an action movie."

    "Well, she'd probably have to cut off all that hair of hers, and I know how much she likes it!" Mickey grinned.

    "Eh, it'd grow back," Ozzie gave a malicious smirk.

    "How are things down at the shop, Oswald?" Mickey looked up at his rabbit friend curiously.

    "Oh, pretty fair," the mostly-black rabbit tapped his fingers on the table. "We got this new hire, some kinda fox, I think? Her coloring is weird. Mostly off-white."

    "Oh yeah?" Mickey replied. "How is she?"

    "Well, I dunno," he scratched his chin. "She doesn't seem to be fitting in as well as the others. Seems like a dark cloud follows her, bringing down her mood. Kinda ironic, with her name bein' Sunny and all."

    "Sunny...?" Mickey's brow furrowed. "Not Sunny Skye...?"

    "Yeah, that's her," Ozzie nodded.

    "Aha! Oh boy," Mickey gave a big smile. "Ozzie, I dunno how you get to knowing some of the most famous mammals around, but there ya go. Y'know me, Goofy, Minnie, and now Skye!"

    "Wait... Sunny's famous?" Ozzie narrowed an eye.

    "I mean, she was a rising star!" Mickey nodded. "She had a role in one of those James Bunned movies, y'know? She's a great actress!"

    "Oh, huh," Ozzie grew a peculiar look. "She didn't exactly mention that."

    "You've never seen Dye Another Day?" Mickey shrugged a paw, seeming incredulous. "The fox that starred alongside Jack Savage?"

    He shook his head. "I don't get to movies much these days."

    "It's at least five years old, Oswald."

    "I mean, uh, in general," he laughed nervously.

    "Anyway... I think something happened and Sunny decided to quit show business. Kinda interesting she ended up here. I never would have taken her for the gearhead type."

    "Huh, I guess I'll have to check that out then," Ozzie scratched at his chin.

---

    "Hey, Sunny, could I see you in my office a sec?" Ozzie beckoned to the off-white fox in the shop. "Gail, could you cover the shop?"

    "Aye-aye," Gail saluted enthusiastically.

    Nervously, Sunny joined Ozzie in his office, watching him jump onto his desk chair.

    "So, I had lunch with Mickey McMouse the other day," he began.

    Sunny blinked. "Wow, you say that so casually. He's like, the biggest rodent actor there is."

    "He's actually pretty small," Ozzie grinned, to a deadpan look from Sunny. "Heh, anyway. He an' I go way back. He let me know who you are."

    "Ah..." Sunny frowned. "Sorry, I didn't mean to deceive you or anything."

    "It's all right," Ozzie shook his head. "But if you got any baggage that needs unloadin', you might as well let it out here. Might make you more comfortable workin' around this rogue's gallery we call an auto shop. I'm all ears. Well, a third of me is, anyway." He flicked his own ears with both paws.

    "All right, I guess," Sunny swallowed and nodded. "I kinda... after we shot Dye Another Day, I kinda got 'involved' with Jack Savage." She shrugged and grew slightly reserved. "Turns out I might have a little thing for monochromatic rabbit guys, heheh..."

    Ozzie suddenly looked smug and thumped himself on the chest. "Well, sorry ma'am, but I am taken."

    Sunny perked up in distress and waved her arms. "Oh, no no no! Not you!"

    The rabbit gestured to his chest and then outward. "What? Oh, oh, I see how it is."

    "Not that you're... uh, not attractive or anything," Sunny cringed.

    "I'm just yankin' yer tail, darlin'," Ozzie laughed. "Go on. Oh wait, lemme guess. The public didn't take kindly to you bein' in an interspecies thing?"

    "No, actually, just the opposite," Sunny replied, shrugging. "I mean sure, there were some detractors, but the social media all loved that I was with Jack; made it seem welcoming and all."

    "Guessing it didn't stay that way?" Ozzie leaned in.

    "No..." Sunny huffed. "Turns out my attraction to Jack was... mostly physical. Eventually I started to see him for the narcissistic, stuck-up jerk that he is. He's always so particular and likes things just so... so I wanted away from him. Social media ended up being actually angry that he and I split up. Said I was going against the whole interspecies thing by splitting up with him, but I didn't feel like it was like that at all. I was just... getting tired of the pressure to be with him, and getting tired of him, to be honest."

    "Ah, I got you," Ozzie nodded. "So you wanna just slum it down with the commoners til you get another big break?"

    "No, actually," Sunny frowned, shaking her head. "I've always loved working on cars, and I even went to a technical school for it. My resume wasn't a lie. It's just, I got picked up randomly by a talent agency because they thought my deformity was attractive." She rolled her eyes. "And that I was a passable actress, I guess."

    "'Deformity'?" Ozzie's face scrunched up.

    "Leucism," Sunny explained, pointing at her face.

    "Gesundheit...?"

    "It's a pigment deficiency," Sunny explained. "I'm actually genetically a red fox."

    "You look more off-white to me," Ozzie quipped.

    Sunny replied with silence and a stare.

    "Hey, I make bad jokes!" He winced, holding up his paws defensively, kicking back in his chair.

    "Anyhow, one thing led up to another, and I ended up playing the sleek, sexy engineer vixen on Dye Another Day, dying my fur for the part, and all that," Sunny shrugged. "And it was a hit and... one thing led to another."

    "Oh right, that movie with the... the part where it turned out you were actually..." Ozzie fumbled.

    "You've never seen it, have you?" Sunny deadpanned.

    "Nope."

    Sunny laughed. "Wow."

    "Hey, we're all misfits here in some way," Ozzie shrugged, hopping down from his seat and opening up the door. "Most important thing is you feel comfortable here." He opened the door to his office and motioned out, and the two walked out together. "Don't matter who you are or whatever, but maybe we can see a little more 'sun' in that 'sky', eh?"

    "Thanks, Ozzie," Sunny smiled. "Yeah, I think this helped a little-"

    "Oh my GOSH," Gail snapped her fingers, standing up straight on the counter. "THAT'S where I know you from. You're ACTUALLY Sunny Skye? I LOVE Dye Another Day! That part where-"

    Ozzie gave her a pointed glare.

    "Right, not putting our co-workers on a pedestal, eheheh," Gail held up an index finger tentatively.

    "She kinda got like this with Goofy too," Ozzie rolled his eyes over to Sunny.

    "You all call him 'Goofy'?" Sunny winced. "That seems a little... mean?"

    "Hey, it's what he likes to go by," Ozzie shrugged his shoulders. "Same with Gadget here."

    Sunny rubbed one of her arms, looking pensive.

    "Well y'know... if you guys want... you can call me Skye. It's what I liked to go by when I was a little girl."

    "Done," Ozzie snapped his fingers. "You want us to order you a new name patch for your jumpsuit?" He gestured to her light blue uniform.

    "Nah," Sunny smiled. "We can just keep that name between friends, okay?"

    Gail grew a very bright, starstruck grin.

Chapter 188: Lucky

    Judy rounded the bend toward her cubicle at the ZPD, freezing in her tracks when she saw her desk. The bunny drew in a huge gasp.

    "Eeeeeeeeee!"

    "What!? What is it!?" Nick started with a jolt and swiveled around in his own desk chair. He was greeted with the form of a smallish white furry thing being thrust at his face.

    "Look! Someone left this on my desk!" Judy exclaimed.

    The fox pushed his partner's encroaching paws and the plush they held away from himself and had a look at the toy. It had white fur, big starry eyes, exaggerated tufts of spiky yellow and blue fur near the ears, and a cute open-mouthed smile.

    "Huh, didn't know you had a twin, Hopps," Nick remarked dryly.

    "Ha ha," Judy smirked, lowering her eyelids. "This is actually-"

    "A distraction," Chief Bogo snorted, walking up to the two with a sour look on his face.

    "Chief, it's-!" Judy began.

    "Hopps, next time you shriek like that at the office, you better be on fire," Chief Bogo warned, pointing at her.

    "Yes sir, sorry sir," Judy grew a bashful grin. "It's just, someone got me this Serendipity doll and-"

    "I could not care less," Bogo enunciated slowly, leaning in. "See that it doesn't distract you further."

    "Eheheh..." Judy winced as the grumpy buffalo stormed off.

---

    The arctic hare technical officer of the ZPD clicked here and there on her three-monitor computer setup. Over the side of her cubicle wall came a plush bunny face.

    "Hewwo, Kawen. Whatcha doin'?"

    "My work," Karen grumbled, barely sparing a glance to the face. When she did, she did a quick double take. "Uwa-!"

    "Hehe!" Judy's face joined the toy's as she gave it a look and turned it to face her.

    "Oh, of course," Karen grumbled, rolling her eyes. She looked back over at her fellow lapine officer. "That's a Serendittidoll, Serenidpt- a...." she scrunched her face in frustration. "Se-ren-di-pi-ty doll."

    "Sure is!" Judy replied, rounding the corner and showing it off proudly.

    "Can I see?" Karen held out a paw. Judy obliged by giving her the plush. It was a little less than half of the size of either of the two. Karen stared at it intently, eliciting a stifled chuckle from Judy.

    "Huh..."

    "Anything suspect about it?" Judy asked coyly, leaning in.

    "It's really good quality," Karen noted, "Fur's good quality, amazing detail on the stars in the eyes, the fluff accents on the ears and tail are vivid, facial features are ideally cute and don't look off-model at all. Someone must have paid a small fortune for this."

    "'Paid'?" Judy echoed. "I thought you could only win these dolls from Serendipiday, y'know, the holiday?"

    "It's nowhere near the right time of year," Karen handed the doll back to Judy. "I know these things are exclusive; someone could have bought it online. The better ones do clean up."

    "But it's... y'know, it's like bunny tradition to give someone a Serendipity doll as a surprise at a random time of year!" Judy pursued. "It just showed up on my desk."

    "Huh, that so?" Karen tilted her head. "Maybe it wasn't bought or stolen then."

    "Stolen...?" Judy considered. "Yeah, another possibility." She looked at the Serendipity doll, which stared back with its blank, vapid happy smile. "What secrets do you keep, li'l bunny Celestial?"

---

    Nick and Judy stopped by Clawhauser's desk before they headed out on their rounds.

    "Hey Clawhauser, check it out!" Judy showed off her toy.

    "Ohh, that's adorable!" Clawhauser squeaked. "Um... what is it?"

    "It'd take a little to explain," Judy replied. "Basically, a doll with a lot of bunny traditions surrounding it. Did you see anybunny come by you this morning?"

    "Just you and Karen," Clawhauser blinked.

    "Huh, that's not good," Judy bowed her head, rubbing her chin. "Someone got by our Clawhauser and dropped this off on my desk this morning? This is starting to get suspicious."

    "Well, thankfully, this place is under 24-hour surveillance for just such suspicious activity," Nick said. "Clawhauser, can you look at the tapes from this morning and see if you can make heads or tails of this?"

    "Oh, sure thing!" Clawhauser nodded, saluting with a paw that contained a donut. After a small delay, he popped the donut into his mouth.

    "We're gonna go on our watch now, Clawhauser," Judy said, waving one of the paws of the doll. "Byee!"

    "Bye!" Clawhauser turned his saluting paw into a waving one. He gave a happy little sigh. "What a silly bunny."

---

    "Ugh!"

    A male badger got tossed into the ZPD cruiser. Doors slammed as Nick and Judy got into either side.

    "Run his license," Judy said to her partner.

    "Yup, on it," Nick responded quickly, tapping into his issued ZPD computer.

    "I told ya, I was just-" the badger struggled against his cuffs, "helpin' my friend open his car!"

    "Right, a much larger car than your build would be comfy for, and you were alone at the time," Judy replied with airy skepticism. "Sounds plausible."

    "Most smarter mammals wait to break into a car until nighttime, Bucky," Nick read off of his ID.

    "Not that it would have helped in your case," Judy added cockily. "Nick can see a dirty dime from clear across the street during a new moon."

    "What kind of analogy is that...?" Nick narrowed an eye.

    "You know, I just kinda thought..." Judy giggled. "When a dime's shiny it kind of looks like the moon, so-"

    "No, never mind," Nick rolled his eyes. "Ah yeah, here's a hit. Mr. Bucky here's been a little busy with the car theft thing before."

    "Rgh..." Bucky squirmed in his seat.

    "We're gonna have to take you down to the station," Judy stated confidently, revving the engine. "Unlucky for you we showed up when we did. But lucky for us, right Serendipity?"

    The badger looked at the doll, which was sitting in the median console of the cruiser, seemingly staring back mirthfully at the suspect.

    "Tch," Bucky narrowed his eyes. "What's with that, anyway? You guys confiscate that from some kit before you happened by me?"

    "Ahem," Judy cleared her throat. "Serendipity here is part of an ongoing investigation."

    "Hopps..." Nick grumbled.

    "Are you guys really cops, or is this some kinda prank...?" Bucky looked around for hidden cameras.

    "What? She is!" Judy seemed happy about this, but gave a quick, stern look into the rear-view mirror.. "Also, even though she's the Celestial of fortune and fun, you better not get on her bad side, or she'll tell Karma on you, and then you'll really be in trouble!"

    Nick sighed, pinching the bridge of his muzzle and massaging it.

    "Hopps? This is base," the radio cut on. Nick grabbed the radio and clicked the button.

    "This is Wilde," Nick replied. "Find anything on the 'big mystery'?"

    "No, actually," Clawhauser said in a mystified tone. "The doll just kinda... shows up one minute. A few of the larger officers went by your desk, then it's just there."

    "Oh, you know?" Judy grinned. "I bet someone's teasing me, then. Who do you think, Nick? Probably Fangmeyer? Wait, she wouldn't give a rat's tail about bunny traditions..."

    "Thanks for looking, Clawhauser," Nick said. "We're bringing a suspect in, badger, was breaking into a hippo-sized car."

    "10-4, good foxy," Clawhauser replied. "See you when you get here."

    "Hope there's nothing weird going on at the office," Judy frowned. "I checked the doll for any devices inside, but she's as soft as can be. No note or anything with her either way."

    Nick shrugged. "We can do a little more research, see if any of these... you said it was expensive? Any of these expensive-class Serendipity toys have gone missing." He smirked. "Or, you can just go back to the toy store you came from and ask around."

    "Ha ha," Judy pronounced. "Hilarious. That one never gets old." She took a peek at the doll while she was at a red light. "Serendipity, where exactly did you come from?"

    The doll just sat there, smiling.

---

    Evening had fallen at Judy's apartment, and the Oryx-Antlersons had finally stopped arguing. Judy gave a stretch and smiled at her mysterious Serendipity doll. She scooted over and gave it a hug, then took out her phone and started a muzzle time call. After a few rings, a figure in a dark room picked up. It was a gray bunny, who blinked her eyes.

    "What's that? Judy? Did you get your fur dyed?"

    "Hey, Violet!" Judy greeted. She waved the paw on the doll. "No, I didn't get my fur dyed. This is a Serendipity doll."

    Violet rubbed her eyes and placed on some glasses. "Oh, so I see."

    "Did I wake you?" Judy gave a guilty smile.

    "No, I was just- uh..." Violet took in a breath, her eyes looking around her dark room. "Taking some time for myself."

    "Oh, sorry, so sorry...!" Judy winced. "I can let you go."

    "No, it's fine, it's fine," Violet smiled, barely. "Good to hear from you, Judy. So what's going on? I assume the doll has something to do with it?"

    "Yeah, I was just, uh... wondering," Judy giggled bashfully. "I know you're not supposed to really hunt down who exactly gave you the Serendipity doll, but traditions shmaditions, right? I was hoping you could help me."

    "Uh, how's that?" Violet blinked.

    "Well, you keep track of who all in our family comes to Zootopia and stuff," Judy shrugged her shoulders, "so I thought you'd know. Someone put this on my desk at work. I'm wondering who could have snuck it there. Our parents? Maybe Sam? Hm... Brad? Or even Sassy?"

    "Judy..." Violet sighed. "None of us has gone to Zootopia in at least a month. Trust me, else I would have had to make substitutions in the duty roster."

    "What?" Judy fumbled at her lips with her fingers. "This is getting weird. Who possibly could have left this doll at my desk then? I figured if it wasn't one of my big fellow police officers playing a joke on me, it must have been a sneaky bunny who used them as cover to place it."

    Violet raised an eyebrow. "Or... a sneaky fox?"

    "Pff, what?" Judy laughed. "Nick? I mean, he could have done it, pretty easily even, but why?" She jostled the plush and stared at it. "Why'd Nick give me this cutesy wootsy Serendipity?"

    "Oh, I haven't a clue," Violet said dully. "Aren't you supposed to be the detective?"

    "Not yet," Judy chuckled. "But hm..." she shook her head. "He seems to be annoyed that I actually kind of like it a lot. Plus, it's an expensive one, unless of course he won it at some point. And what would he know about bunny tradition?"

    Violet tilted her glasses down and gave an incredulous stare to her sister. "Really...? Judith, there's this thing called the 'internet'. Maybe you've heard of it. I could Zoogle 'Serendipity traditions' right now. Click over to images, and there'd be a ton of Serendipity plushies."

    "I mean, that's not wrong," Judy giggled nervously, digging her front teeth into her lip.

    "And what does it exactly mean to get a Serendipity plushie at a random time from someone?" Violet led, rotating her paw at the wrist.

    Judy let out a sigh, staring up at the ceiling. "That the mammal that gave it to you feels lucky to know you, and would love to surprise you with something pleasant and cute. Cause that's what Serendipity is alllll about." She said it in a droning way, like she was reciting to a teacher she didn't care for.

    "Very good," Violet smirked.

    "I'm such an idiot, of course it was Nick," Judy slapped her face, sloughing the hand off. "Why didn't you just tell me?" She glared at Serendipity, who continued to smile back at her.

    "He does seem to think the world of you," Violet adjusted her glasses. "From everything I've heard about him when you bring him up. Which is... pretty much every time you call."

    "Okay okay, message received," Judy rolled her eyes. "Tell everyone I love 'em, but I gotta go and read Nick the riot act real quick, okay? I was about to launch an investigation over this."

    "Okay, love you too, Judy," Violet said in a slight sigh, but grinned.

    "And... um, do take care of yourself, okay Vi?" Judy's voice quieted up considerably.

    "I'll try," Violet nodded, then ended the call.

    Judy quickly mashed the buttons to get to Nick's phone number. Muzzle time took even longer to connect him.

    "Yeah?" Nick grumbled. He was laying in his bed in his apartment, which looked pretty well-kept.

    "Oh, what are you doing in bed already, you silly!?" Judy spoke, leaving only the plush in the frame and animating its paws. "There's so much more fun and surprises to be had out in the beautiful world-!"

    "Kay, I'm hanging up," Nick brought the phone closer.

    "No, wait!" Judy tossed the Serendipity doll onto her bed. "Nick, let's talk for a sec, okay? I know you gave me the plush."

    "Oh, do you?" Nick raised his brow. "News to me."

    "C'mon, it had to be you," Judy smiled softly. "You're the only one s-... clever enough to get away with a stunt like that."

    "You were going to say 'sneaky'," Nick replied in monotone.

    "No!" Judy winced. "No no... listen, I just... y'know, sorry for acting like a goofball about it today, okay? She's just... really cute, and I appreciate the gesture!"

    "You're still assuming I'm the one that did it," Nick grumbled, sitting up on his bed.

    "Oh, c'mon, Nick," Judy looked away briefly. "It had to be you. You even asked Clawhauser to see if he could find out it was you, because you're so confident and cool and charming and all that."

    "Flattery, huh," Nick half-smiled. "Trying to coax a confession from me, bunny? I thought you usually played bad cop."

    "Not with you!" Judy blurted. Somehow, saying that made her feel a flutter in her stomach, and she drew back a little, embarrassed.

    "Okay then, what if I was the one that gave it to you?" Nick blinked. "What then?"

    "Then..." Judy seemed unusually shy. "I know you feel really lucky to know me..."

    "Wow, that is just so sappy," Nick said, balancing his cheek on his paw. "Would I ever say something that corny?"

    "Probably not," Judy shot back, puffing her cheeks up a bit. "But you know, we adult mammals can actually talk about our feelings sometimes, without resorting to elaborate schemes to convey hidden meanings!"

    "Hi, I don't know if we've met," Nick placed his paw out towards the camera. "I'm Nick Wilde. Your resident charming, scheming, crafty fox."

    "Nick, just tell me it was you," Judy deflated slightly.

    "If you promise not to bring it in to work tomorrow," Nick chuckled gently. "Serendipity caused a lot more trouble than I thought she would."

    "Yeah, she's good at that," Judy smiled, flicking an ear of the doll.

    "Besides, isn't Serendipity supposed to tease Karma all the time?" Nick shrugged. "I thought I heard that somewhere."

    "Yeah, but... I mean, are you the bunny in this situation?" Judy tossed back playfully.

    "You're right, that would be ridiculous, what am I thinking?" Nick smirked.

    "I just... wanna know one more thing," Judy nibbled at her lip again. "How on earth did you get such a high-quality Serendipity doll at this time of year?"

    Nick's grin grew very broad. "Night, sweetheart." He abruptly ended the call.

    "Aaaaa!" Judy tossed her phone onto her bed. "What an infuriating mammal." She was smiling, despite her words. She turned to her newly-gifted doll. "How'd he get you, huh? C'mon, tell me, Serrie!" She shook the doll.

    The mischievously cute and happy face of the doll, however, refused to give up its secrets.

Chapter 189: Festival

    Nick and Judy were at a routine traffic stop; their enormous cruiser juxtaposed massively against a rodent-sized car.

    "I assume you know you were going twenty miles over the tiny-lane limit," Judy reprimanded while Nick daintily wrote on a small ticket book. "You could have gotten someone killed."

    "I could have!? ME!?" The male squirrel shrieked, placing his paws on his chest. "I'd just passed one of those RAT grannies that go ten UNDER the speed limit! Those are the ones that are gonna get someone killed by pissing someone like ME off! They drive like they got one foot in the grave already, they might as well JUMP IN!"

    "Delightful," Nick said dispassionately, tearing off the ticket and handing it to the squirrel. "Well, there's your ticket, and I hope you have a pleasant day."

    The squirrel let loose a colorful string of expletives as he started his car and sped off, barely missing Judy's foot.

    "Sheesh," Judy muttered as the two police officers made their way back to their cruiser. "He was pleasant."

    "Doesn't surprise me," Nick replied airily, hopping into the passenger's seat. "Squirrels have some of the nastiest mouths of all rodents." He chuckled, aiming a chiding look over at Judy. "Not like you, with your precious little non-curses."

    "Excuse me?" Judy scoffed. "What are- are you calling me a rodent?" She punctuated the word by turning the key to the cruiser and starting the engine. "I'm a lagomorph. Those are rabbits, hares, and pikas, and that's it. Even if lagomophs- hey, are you even listening to me?" Nick didn't appear to be, he was looking at his phone.

    "Uh huh," the fox claimed. "Hey, what do pikas say when they have to sneeze?"

    "What-"

    "Pika-choo."

    "Hilarious," Judy's brow furrowed. A little chime indicated a text message coming from Nick's phone, and Judy's ear twitched. "What's going on?"

    "Oh, just a message from my girlfriend," Nick answered casually.

    "Gh-girlfriend?" The bunny tried not to sound so shocked, but didn't quite know if she succeeded.

    "Yeah, she's reminding me that tonight's the last night for the Zootopia International Food and Wine Festival," Nick said. "I haven't hit the last few years of 'em. Been meaning to try some of the Pawaiian drinks they roll out there."

    When the cruiser came to a stop at a traffic signal, Judy chanced to flick her eyes over to Nick's phone, which was mostly unguarded in his posture. The title of the banner read "Honey". Judy felt an odd pinch of panic followed by a knot of mild worry, almost like her heart sinking.

    "Hey, you wanna come?" Nick offered. "Food, drinks, fun. Should be up your alley."

    "Oh, uh, I don't know about that," Judy offered a cheesy grin she didn't really feel. "I'd just get in the way, wouldn't I?"

    "Nah," Nick smirked. "I mean, I thought you bunnies were something like party animals, but I guess not."

    "Bunnies know how to party, okay?" Judy regained a bit of confidence, smirking as she pushed down the gas pedal. "We practically invented it."

    "Right, what's the bunny fall festival, the Carrot Days festival?" Nick mocked. "Sounds like a riot waiting to happen."

    "That's just one of the fall festivals!" Judy returned defensively. "The Harvest Moon Bunny festival is a big one, and then each Bunnyburrow region has some different ones scattered through autumn, and that's just for that season! If I ever took you to Serendipiday in the summer, that'd knock the brown socks right off of those feet of yours!"

    "Is that so?" Nick's voice still dripped with teasing syrup. "Well, maybe you should just prove how much of a party lagomorph you are by showing up at Mezzo Park tonight. Say... 6-ish?"

    "I think I will...!" Judy enunciated in a dangerous, challenged voice, giving him a snide smirk.

    "Oh, this'll be fun," Nick's own smirk splayed wide across his muzzle.

---

    Mezzo park looked a lot different than Judy usually had seen it. Granted, she usually came for police-related reasons on random days of the week, but the difference in sheer volume of animals was jarring. Creative, thematic, and rather understated cutouts decorated many stands and kiosks, evoking monuments of far-off lands. The districts had their own larger sections, with countries from which their cultures were derived dotted around them. Judy felt a little lost there by herself, but she knew she'd find Nick soon enough. She'd seen laser beams less blinding than his shirts.

    Her somewhat hurried pace slowed however, as she thought about what Nick's "Honey" would be like. That was a very affectionate nickname; much more so than "Carrots". She shook her head, trying to jar loose negative thoughts.

    Sure enough, Nick eventually stood out like a sore thumb in the middle of a thicket of other animals. He was talking to someone; Judy gulped as she prepared to meet some sort of vixen goddess. She instead tried to focus on the rage Nick's intensely yellow shirt made her feel. It was bright enough to make a lemon blush.

    Strangely, one she dodged the legs of a couple of deer, she saw that Nick was talking to a fairly overweight badger of some kind.

    "Ah, there she is," Nick jerked his thumb at her, holding up his paw. "Carrots!"

    "Nick! Hi!" Judy stumbled forward. "How's it going?"

    "Good, good," he smiled at the badger. "Guess I should probably introduce you, huh? Honey, this is Judy. Judy Hopps."

    Judy smirked. It almost seemed weird to hear Nick pronounce her full name. "Hi! ...Hh-Honey? Should I call you-"

    "Judy Hopps!" The badger bellowed. Her voice had a tinge of rasp to it, but it was as gregarious as she looked. Judy backed up a step, expecting to be squeezed by the encroaching badger, but instead she merely captured one of Judy's paws and vigorously shook it. "Amazing to finally meet you! Great job with Bellwether, by the way. Always knew those sheep were up to something."

    "...Oh!" Judy was blindsided by her forwardness. "...You did?"

    "A hundred percent," the badger leaned in. "And Bellwether was the shiftiest one of them all. You see how her pupils were so round? That ain't natural for a sheep. She prob'ly put contacts in to look normal."

    "Okay, Honey," Nick rolled his eyes, putting a paw on her shoulder and forcing her to back up. "Remember what we said about personal space."

    "It's okay, I don't mind!" Judy found herself saying. She was a hugger, and she'd be the first to admit that. She mostly just felt confused. "So um, what should I call you then... 'Honey'?" Judy used big air quotes with her fingers, leaning in with an ingratiating smile.

    "Uh, Honey's fine," she laughed. "That is my name."

    "Oh, is it?" Judy said, her ears perking up. "Oh, right, right." She shook her head, rubbing her forehead with her paws. "Like a honey badger..."

    "Of which I am not," Honey laughed. "I guess my parents thought it'd be hilarious to confuse everyone. Man, I'd love to be a honey badger, though. So tough! So suave! They could drink straight poison and laugh it off! Speaking of drinking poison, I can't believe you actually came out tonight, Nicky-Nick!"

    "Well, it is my last chance to try some of those exclusive Pawaiian drinks, unless I wanna travel," Nick grinned, folding his arms.

    "Oh ho, just like you to want some of those frilly, fruity drinks," Honey roughly pushed Nick, and he showed momentary alarm before reconstructing his cool look. "Well, have fun! I'm off to get smashed. SUPER smashed, brother!" The badger waved and padded off.

    "...I... excuse me, what?" Judy blinked, holding an open palm out toward her in disbelief. "Your girlfriend just walked off...?"

    "Oh, right," Nick cleared his throat, grinning somewhat sheepishly. "Honey is my girl friend. With a space in the middle, a girl who is a friend."

    "...Uh HUH," Judy smirked, her brow furrowing. "And when were you going to tell me that?"

    "When it was the most hilarious," Nick winked.

    "Okay then," Judy folded her arms and leaned into one hip. "You know, you had me thinking you had a date for this festival tonight."

    "Well, don't I?" Nick said in a posh voice, rotating his wrist and faux bowing to the bunny.

    "All right, you crafty canine," Judy said in a warm, reproving voice. "I see what this is about."

    "Um, actually," Nick switched almost instantly into a dull voice. "I'm not a canine. I'm a canid. There's a difference."

    Judy inhaled to say something, but quickly deflated. "Oh, okay. I guess that makes sense."

    "Shall we, Ms. Lagomorph?" Nick offered his elbow's crook.

    "We shall!" Judy adventurously moved her own arm into his. She then looked back at him after starting to strut forward. "I can't believe I'm asking this, but could you maybe not call me that?"

    "Is 'Carrots' better?" Nick gave her a cheese-eating grin.

    Judy squinted, almost in defeat. "Yeah. It is."

---

    A pleasant fall chill crept through the air, somewhat mitigated by the density of mammals at the festival. Judy almost didn't know where to look, but kept following Nick, figuring he knew where he was going. Her attention was soon diverted by the sound of bickering. The bunny's ear twitched as she turned her head to look.

    "You have to listen to me; you've put me off long enough!" A lioness demanded. She shook a fistful of documents at a somewhat meek-looking lion who was positioned behind a kiosk. "You uncle is ruining your father's company. Don't you care?"

    "Can you just drop it, Nala, just for today?" The put-upon voice of the lion returned. Judy's brow furrowed as she stopped to listen. The mammal gestured to the name placard of the stall, which read "Hakuna Matata". Judy looked around, confirming they were in a section representing Girafrica. The lion went on. "Sometimes bad things happen, but it's- there's nothing you can do about it."

    "SIMBA...!" Nala thrust her paws downward. "There absolutely is! Your father wanted you to have his company! I've got some sensitive information here that could-"

    "Could it wait until tomorrow?" Simba whined, running his hand through his mane. "This is the last day of the festival. Just... get with me tomorrow, okay? We'll talk about it."

    "Fine," Nala snipped. "If you want to waste your time selling fast food- just- just FINE." She left in a huff, walking briskly past Nick and Judy.

    "Whoa-" Nick blinked.

    "I was wondering if I was going to have to intervene," Judy shrugged her shoulders at him.

    "Between two arguing lions?" Nick smirked. "While you're off duty? You're a braver mammal than I."

    "Well yeah," Judy flashed a wicked smile, "I think we've established that by now." Nick rolled his eyes at the quip, but kept his smirk.

    A small head flashed over the edge of the counter, making sure the lioness was gone. His snarky voice was barely audible: "Yeesh. Lionesses, am I right?"

    "Timon..." Simba sounded depleted.

    "Don't be rude, Timon..." a warthog in the back admonished gently.

    "She was scaring away all of our customers!" The unseen mammal snapped. "This is the last night, so we gotta make bread while the sun shines! Or however that goes."

    "Well, I'm not scared away, anyway," Judy stepped forth boldly. "Whatcha got?" Taking a sniff, she was beginning to regret her question immediately.

    "Oh well, sorry little bunny," Simba sent her down an apologetic smile, "but we're mostly serving carnivores and omnivores. Mostly we've got a selection of grubfurters and other things from Girafrica."
    
    "Oh uh, never mind," Judy chuckled, but Nick stepped forward.

    "Hey, I'm hungry," Nick gestured at himself with one paw. "What'll a small grubfurther set me back?"

    A meerkat's head peeked out, his paws balancing him on the edge of the counter. "7.99."

    "For a small one?" Nick's left eye narrowed.

    "Hey, it comes with a free shot of Hakuna Matata!" Timon wiggled a shot glass.

    "What's that mean?" The bunny blinked.

    "It means 'no worries'!" The warthog enthusiastically chimed in from the back, cooking several grubfurters.

    "And 'no worries' is what you'll have after drinkin' it!" Timon added. "It's got a high alcohol content!"

    "Okay, put me down for that, then," Nick held out a few bills.

    "Pay the big guy," Timon clambered up to the counter and began to prepare napkins for him. "One small grubfuter, Pumbaa."

    "Comin' up!"

    A few moments later, Nick was gingerly offered a thick, brightly-colored crimson grubfurter nestled in a bun, and a shot glass full of rich golden liquid that smelled very powerful.

    "Yech..." Judy scrunched up her face. "Gross."

    "Hey, I don't complain when you eat a salad," Nick smirked, taking a small bite. "Mmm, crunchy on the outside, gooey on the inside, but it hits the spot."

    Simba chuckled. "Right?"

    "You're a fox, though," Judy argued, "an omnivore. You'll eat anything."

    "I absolutely will not," Nick insisted, faux offended. "I have a discerning palette."  

    "Sheesh," Timon piped up. "How long the two of you been married for?"

    Judy's eyes fully opened. "Er! We're not married, heh! We're just... partners."

    "Riight..." Timon shot a look back to the smiling warthog and smirked back at the two mammals with half-lidded eyes. "Partners, I got it."

    "Tch," Judy snapped, looking miffed. "If anyone here needs 'no worries', it's me." She grabbed up Nick's shot glass with barely any time for him to protest and gulped it down.

    "Hey!" Nick blinked.

    Judy's face contorted and she shook her head and coughed. "WOW! Mammal's sake alive, that is strong. Oof, good, though!"

    "Uh..." Simba's pupils narrowed. "That... was a pretty heavy shot, even for a mammal of his size." He pointed at Nick.

    "I'll be fine," Judy insisted, grinning, though she coughed again.

    "I'll keep an eye on her," Nick added, the two beginning to walk away.

    "If I get sick, it'll be from your eating that gross thing," Judy insisted, feeling her throat blanketed in warmth.

    Nick took another bite. "I'll thank you not to throw up on me."

---

    Nick paid for a "Flight to Pawaii", a series of small, colorful drinks. He was handed the tray containing them by an oddly-shaped smalish blue-furred mammal wearing a Pawaiian shirt and sunglasses, despite the waning light.

    "Hey, thanks," Nick said, cautiously adding in, "um, stop me if this is rude, but what kind of mammal did you say you were? I'm not a hundred percent familiar with all the Pawaiian mam-"

    He was interrupted and the attention broken by a gray blur.

    "Hey Nick, hey hey..." Judy dashed in, almost running into Nick. "What'cha got there?" She took in a big sniff. "Smells fruity!"

    "Carrots, you're drunk," Nick observed, holding the tray away from her.

    "Nuh uh," she smiled brightly, narrowing both eyes and pinching fingers together. "Maybe a li'l buzzed." Nick carefully took a sip from one of the drinks in the flight while nudging his leg against Judy to keep her away. She was making grabbing paws at it. "I wanna try."

    "You've already had enough," Nick replied.

    "Meh, just that hakuna mawhasa..." Judy grunted. She dodged and weaved around Nick, hopping up and snatching the last drink off the flight. She gulped it down remorselessly. "Mm! Tastes sweet, like candy! That's gooooood."

    "Judy!" Nick snarled. "You drank the berry blaster!? That's the one I wanted to try the most! I shelled out a pretty penny for these!"

    "Aw, c'mon!" Judy grinned, flicking her free paw. "I'll getcha- getcha a whole bottle of it for our anniversary-" she blinked, realizing she said something off. "Um, of bein' partners."

    Nick scowled. "I'll be sure to remind you, so you can pitch a fit over the Pawaiian importing tax."

    "Lighten up, Nick, this is about a fun night, right? You still got like three other drinks there," Judy made a cloying face. "So can I have one more?"

    "No!" Nick snapped, quickly drinking a citrusy shot from the flight. "I told you, you've had enough."

    "Tch, you think I'm a lightweight?" Judy folded her paws.

    Nick responded with a furrowed brow, then grabbed Judy and lifted her up by the back of her long-sleeved shirt, letting her dangle there. She only had a giggling fit in response.

    "That's funny," Judy grinned, wriggling out of his grasp and dashing off to the direction of some thumping music. "C'mon, Nick, let's go dance! I'ma go see if I can get the DJ to play 'Try Everything'!"

    "You better not!" Nick figured he better keep his eyes on her, following her while awkwardly trying to finish his flight. "Also, 'try everything' doesn't mean 'try all the alcohol'!"

---

    The bunny was like a bolt of lightning, jaggedly darting through the crowd. She reveled in the sound, the flashing lights, and the mood, which she was completely lost to. Of course, the alcohol helped, but her wild exuberance was emblematic of Judy Hopps, and Nick found himself having a hard time keeping up.

    She bounced around from one end of the throng of mammals to the next, slippery as a greased otter. She tried to get a look at the DJ, to get their attention, but seemed to fail despite her loudest squeaks. Nick looked worriedly at the cheetah DJ, who was thankfully too caught up in her own groove to notice the bunny. The DJ's vision might also have been impaired by the fancy neon-lighted visor she was wearing.

    Undeterred by her inability to garner attention, Judy started partying and dancing anyway, thrusting her fists upward and this way and that. She had surprisingly good rhythm for a country bunkin, Nick thought. A drunk country bunkin, he was quick to mentally add.

    "C'mon, Nick! Let's dance!" Her voice was barely audible over the ambient din, but her intent was clear.

    Nick's own dancing was guarded. Not that he didn't have the confidence to, but of all the things he had learned how to do, proper dance was not one of them. Judy, however, might not have received formal lessons either, but she seemed like a natural conduit for the music. For joy in general, it seemed.

    He felt he needed to keep his eyes on her. To protect her? No, she'd be okay.

    Nick was getting a mild headache; he certainly didn't act as young as he felt sometimes. Nick actually found himself ducking out of the dancing at one point to get some water to clear his head. He rubbed it and shook it.

    "Nick... Nick, Nick, Nick..."

    Judy's voice. She wandered right into his side, giggling in a muffled tone.

    "You're smashed, Carrots," Nick huffed.

    "Maybe a li'l," she giggled. She poked him in the side. "You're a real cool fox, you know? ...Really cool."

    Nick took in a breath, hoping the alcohol he had hadn't made him as obviously goofy as Judy before he responded. "Carrots, I don't think now is the time for you to be fawning over me."

    "Why?" Judy looked confused. "What time is't?"

    Nick had an honest laugh at that.

    "Nick you gotta party wif me," Judy nudged up to his side, smelling lightly of alcohol. "We gotta party! It's not too late. We kin have fun together!"

    The fox downed his water and rubbed his head a bit. "Guess you're right. You're a handful, you know."

    "Mhm!" The buzzed bunny seemed quite proud of this fact. "Mmm, Nick."

    "Heh," Nick grinned. "What am I gonna have to do with you?"

    "Niiiick..." she grinned wider, then her expression crashed into weariness. "Ugh... I think I'm gonna be sick... Nick... slick sick Nick.. urh..."

    Nick recoiled. "Oh God..."

---

    The bright light of the 24-hour diner was blinding. Judy could barely see out of heavily slitted eyes, and saw a blurry fox sitting opposite her.

    She groaned, taking in a sip of coffee, wincing at its bite and heat.

    "Feeling any better?" Nick asked coolly.

    "No... I feel awful," Judy moaned, resting her head in her arms as her ears flopped onto the table. "My head is pounding..."

    She couldn't see the fox's response, even though she was listening for a chuckle.

    "It's what I get, I know," the bunny rolled her head to the side on her arm-pillow. "I shouldn't have acted like that. I can't believe I- ugh. Sorry for ruining your festival."

    "Hey, there's always next year," a small bit of mirth crept into Nick's voice as he nursed his own heavily-creamed coffee. "Now that I know what you're like, you should be easier to deal with. Thanks for not throwing up on me, by the way. There was at least that."

    Judy grumbled loudly. "Don't remind me. That chinchilla I got is probably going to have nightmares about tonight..."

    Nick tried not to smirk.

    "What are you doing here at four in the morning with me anyway...?" Judy moaned, poking her coffee cup.

    "What else?" Nick calmly placed his paws on his own coffee. "I'm getting what I deserve; getting to watch you suffer from stealing some of my drinks."

    "Oof," Judy frowned, then her countenance fell further and she genuinely looked sad. "Sorry..."

    "It's fine," Nick insisted. "It was a lot of fun anyway. Definitely more memorable than most of the Food and Wines I've poked my head into."

    "Mmf..." Judy blearily stared out the window, which had a more welcoming darkness than the searing light of the diner. Colorful lights flickered around the city in the night, some still from the festival, which was in the process of dismantling.

    There was a long pause while Judy collected her slow-to-arrive thoughts.

    "I just... whew, I thought that Honey..." she trailed off.

    "Pff, me and Honey?" Nick laughed. "No."

    "No, but- when I heard that name..." Judy continued staring away from Nick. "I heard it, and I imagined this goddess of a vixen, fur the same color as her name. Some big sweetheart that would totally deserve you."

    Nick's smile waned a bit. "Well, that's a nice thought and everything..."

    "You'd tell me, right? ...If you found someone?" Judy looked to him cautiously, as if it hurt her.

    The fox sat idly for a moment. "Yeah, pretty sure I would."

    Judy barely nodded, wincing as the slight movement caused her pain. "Urh. As much as pain as I'm in right now... I think I'd miss things like this."

    Nicks chuckle sounded almost forced, and he shook his head, joining her as she slowly looked out the window once more.

    "I don't think you have to worry about that, Carrots."

Notes:

This chapter was based loosely on Nick and Judy's appearances at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival's "Du Jour Dance Party". This is the last day of the festival, so I thought it would be fun to post now.

Chapter 190: Giving

    Chilly air nipped at Judy's fur as she walked with her head tilted up. It seemed like the whole of Downtown Zootopia was festooned with dazzling light arrangements of many kinds. Some buildings were decorated with all sorts of assorted colors, others stuck to a scheme like blue and white, still others contained lights in streams. It seemed like a true collection of cultures and species styles; without a doubt, it was the place she most wanted to be at the moment.

    CRONCH. CRUNCH. MUNCH MUNCH MUNCH.

    Nick cringed.

    Teeth stressed and then broke into an innocent candy cane.

    CROOONCH.

    "Okay, could you cut that out!?"

    Judy looked at him with big eyes and her mouth occupied by a candy cane, in what had to have been a ploy to look adorable. She made a sound that resembled "what?" in tone.

    "I swear, bunny dentists must be rich," Nick rolled his eyes as he walked along with the bunny. "Seeing your front teeth destroy that candy cane is making my fur bristle. You're going to ruin them!"

    "Well, yeah, that's kind of the idea," Judy waggled her candy cane at the fox in that disparaging way Nick had come to be familiar with when she got her paws on small objects.

    "Come again?" His brow went up.

    Judy pointed at her front teeth. "The front two are always growing. We gotta whittle 'em down." She giggled. "Surprised you've never seen me chewing on a dowel."

    "A what now?" Nick's eyes squinted.

    "Oh, whatever," Judy bat her free paw at him. "For your sensitive ears, I'll try to be a bit more delicate."

    Nick caught her chiding tone and gave her a pleasantly snide smile in return. "You're just full of bunny fun facts, aren't you?"

    "Helps to be a bunny!" Judy took in a breath through her mouth, tasting both mint and the chill of the air. She let it out in a happy sigh as she looked back up at all of the holiday lights. "Wow, just look at this place. How many lights do you think? Thousands? A million?"

    Nick's paws were in his jacket pockets. "Probably enough to run Little Rodentia for about a year with all the extra electricity they use."

    Judy's ears went back and she grumbled. "Rgh, Nick, here I am trying to enjoy my first Crittermas, marveling at all the wonders the Gleaming City can hold-" she stepped forward and twirled around with her arms out, "-and you're being a big stick in the mud. Do you have to be so sour about everything? Do you have any kind of holiday spirit?"

    The fox flashed a cocky grin that caught Judy's eye. "As a matter of fact... I do." Using a bit of sleight of hand, Nick seemed to suddenly produce a small box from nowhere, holding it in a paw with a flourish. "And here it is."

    "I... that's..." Judy blinked, baffled. "What's that?"

    "Uh, it's called a 'gift'," Nick teased. "You're welcome."

    Judy slowly took it, cocking her head. "Nick it's... there's still like weeks 'til Crittermas. You can't give me a gift now!"

    "Ma'am, this is Zootopia," Nick indicated the sprawling, decorated buildings, "where anyone can do anything."

    "Well, thank you..." Judy smiled, looking warmly appreciative as she looked at the small box, carefully wrapped by Nick's surprisingly deft paws. "I'm sure I'll love it when I open it on Crittermas morning."

    Nick tilted his head up, looking down at her with his arms behind his back. "Oh, will you be opening it on Crittermas?"

    "Well, yeah, that's the... idea?" Judy looked confused. "I mean, I've never really gotten a personal Crittermas gift before, you see, when it comes to bunny traditions-"

    "Ah ah..." Nick waved his paw dismissively, "I just meant... I wondered if your curiosity would get the better of you and you'd open it... say, right now?"

    Judy looked between Nick and the box several times. Each time, she felt a bit more anxious, and soon realized her candy cane-tortured front teeth were digging into her lip. Curiosity burned in her, despite the cold air.

    "You're a horrible influence on me," Judy said, impulsively slashing the gift wrap with her claw.

    "I do try," Nick's smug smile was beyond satisfied.

    "Oh, Nick...!" Judy marveled, pulling out a chaste golden necklace. "...Really?" Her expression turned droll when she noticed the charm was a carrot. "A carrot?"

    "Only for my favorite Carrots," Nick replied, in a tone that was hard to distinguish between mocking or genuine.

    "Nick, do you think carrots are what bunnies are all about?" Judy sighed. "I mean, honestly."

    "No, of course not," The fox's voice suddenly lost its levity. "I just thought that, well, if it weren't for a carrot, or at least, an effigy of one, this whole thing might not have happened." He gestured between the two. "So, I just guess I've gotten a bit of a soft spot for those little vegetables, mm?"

    Judy marveled briefly, then sweetly smiled. "Aw, Nick, that's... that's really sweet." She immediately set about putting it on, and found it fit very well. "I'm not sure I want to know when you measured my neck."

    "Educated guess, really," he seemed pleased. "One of my many talents."

    "Well, just you wait," Judy's voice adopted a familiar challenging tone, and she sauntered right up next to Nick, matching his pace. "I'm gonna get you a great Crittermas gift. One that'll knock your socks off!"

    Nick stared into the distance, tapping his muzzle with a finger's pad. "Mm, socks, I do like socks..."
    
    "Tch, Nick, be serious," Judy rolled her eyes. "I'm going to get you something so great, you'll just be amazed."

    "Now, don't think you're socially obligated to get me something just because I got you something," Nick teased, winking at her. "After all, this isn't a true 'Crittermas' gift."

    The bunny's eyes narrowed. "I don't care if you're trying to be sneaky or manipulative one way or the other. You're going to get a great present, 'cause I said so!"

    Nick chuckled. Judy was always fun to mess with. "Can't wait."
    

---

    Two weeks passed.

    Judy was beginning to feel anxious that her time left for thinking of a gift was already effectively cut in half, and she'd made no progress with any of her ideas. She tried to distract herself at the precinct with casework, but it was gnawing at her.

    The bunny looked back to Nick's empty chair. He'd taken a day off to do "Crittermas Things" with his mother. It was weird how he was so randomly celebrating the holiday; she had wondered if that was a fox thing or specifically a "Nick" thing. Judy huffed. At least if Nick was there he'd provide more of a distraction so she could concentrate on doing her work.

    Grumbling in frustration, she got up and headed to the front desk, looking for Clawhauser. Seeing his place empty, she looked around, confused, only to see the retreating rotund form of the cheetah heading for the door. He was donning a bright red Santa Claws outfit.

    "Clawhauser?"

    "Officer Hopps!" Clawhauser spun, grinning at her and saluting. "Ah yeah, I'm the office Sandy Claws. Heading down to the mall to hear the hopes and dreams of the little 'uns." He started to look concerned. "Hope they mind the size limit this year. Got sat on by an elephant kid once. Nnnnot the best time."

    "Really? Well, you certainly have the right disposition for Santa Claws," Judy beamed.

    "So kind of you to say!" The cheetah turned to leave, but then half-turned back to Judy. "Did you need something?"

    "Oh... uh, it's nothing compared to the needs of the cute li'l kids of Zootopia!" Judy jauntily pumped her arm.

    "Now now, a good Santa Claws knows when someone needs something," Clawhauser insisted, stepping closer and kneeling down. "So what's this li'l bunny want?"

    "I just... mmmm..." Judy's brow came up, "I'm having trouble thinking of a gift for a certain someone..."

    "Oh, Officer Wilde?" Clawhauser's grin grew ever wider.

    "That obvious?" Judy winced.

    "Well, this is your first Crittermas as partners, so I just kinda figured," Clawhauser giggled. He shook his head. "Officer Hopps, I'm sure Nick would be happy with anything as long as it comes from here." He gently poked in the direction of the bunny's heart, giving her a warm smile.

    "Thanks, Clawhauser," Judy grinned with a serene appreciation. Satisfied, Clawhauser bounced up and headed off, causing Judy's appreciation to instantly vanish and her brow to furrow. "Drat, that doesn't really narrow it down at all."

    Feeling defeated, Judy trudged back up in the direction of her desk. On the way, she passed by Karen Skippel, the arctic hare Technical Officer, and gave pause. Karen was casually smiling, an unusual look for her. The hare took a sip of her coffee, hints of mint reaching Judy's nose.

    "Morning, Officer Hopps," Karen greeted, giving a small wave. She noticed Judy's amazement. "Uh, everything okay?"

    "Skippel, you don't... uh..." Judy began, stammering, "you don't- well, I don't take you much for a holiday type hare, am I right?"

    Karen's brow furrowed. "Sure, I celebrate. Crittermas is a great excuse to get a gift for my dad. In fact, I just picked one out for him." She beckoned. "Check it out."

    Judy walked over as if in a trance, invited to look at one of Karen's three monitors. On it was an order confirmation of a coffee cup that depicted two male deer on it. One was gesturing to the considering other one, and the text on it read "*Slaps mug* this baby can fit so much beverage in it."

    "Uh... huh..." Judy nodded. "I... don't think I get it."

    Karen rolled her eyes, grinning. "It's a meme. You know, like an internet joke. He likes corny humor, he'll love this."

    "Oh, okay," Judy smiled, nodding. "...Uh, I don't suppose you've heard Officer Wilde drop any hints as to what he'd like for Crittermas."

    Karen spun around in her chair to look at her incredulously. "...Officer Hopps, I would be amazed if I knew a single thing about Officer Wilde that you didn't."

    "Fair enough," Judy had a weak smile. "Thanks anyway."

    "I'm sure anything coming from you will be great," Karen shrugged.

    "Meaning...?" Judy led hopefully.

    "...That anything coming from you will be great...?" Karen looked confused. "I don't really do subtext very much, sorry."

    "Okay, uh, have a good day then!" Judy waved, dashing back off to her desk.

    Karen subtly shook her head and looked back at her monitor, grinning a little at the mug's image again.  

---

    Crittermas morning came, and Judy was very anxious. The feeling wasn't helped by Chief Bogo, who had decided to wear a Santa hat, which not only was inherently distracting, the little pom pom kept coming dangerously close to rolling over one of his eyes. For some reason this steadily escalated Judy's nerves, until she felt ready to snap.

    SNORT!

    A powerful blast from the buffalo's nostrils blew the pom pom all the way to the back of the hat, and Judy released a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

    "Now, though it is Crittermas," Bogo went on, "that's no reason to shirk your duties. The criminal element will not stop just because it is supposed to be a day of peace and harmony for all mammalkind or some such. That said, I'm not opposed to merrymaking, as long as you keep it down." He looked pointedly at Judy, Nick, and then Wolfard. "If not, you'll be given parking duty." His stern look turned into a dangerous smile. "And I'm sure no one would like to be the mammal that gives out parking tickets for Crittermas presents, now would they? Dismissed."

    The mammals started to disperse, and Wolfard leaned in Nick's direction.

    "I guess that means no howling?" Wolfard winced, almost whispering. "Fangmeyer almost always gives me a super awesome present; I just can't help myself sometimes."

    "Maybe he was talking about the often-shrieking bunny here," Nick gently ribbed Judy with his elbow. "She's known to be excitable."

    "Hehe, I sure am!" Judy replied in an unusual, pinched tone.

    Nick gave her a considering look, then dismissed it and headed to his desk. "You ready to go out on patrol?" Nick looked through his own desk drawers for a Santa hat. "You think it'd be neat if we busted a criminal while I was wearing one of these numbers? Mmm, Bogo'd probably flip out. ...Hopps?"

    Thunk.

    A medium-sized gift box landed on Nick's desk, plunked down by Judy.

    "Listen, I just can't take it anymore," Judy winced. "Can you please open your present now so we can get this out of the way?"

    "Whoa!" Nick blinked, marveling at the box. "Nicely wrapped." He wiggled his fingers in anticipation. "Can't wait to see what you got me."

    Judy had a frozen, grimacing smile as Nick tore into the box.

    "Well now, what's this?" Nick pulled a red sweater out of the box. It was quite bright red, with festive whites and bright greens. It was also decorated with a lot of various colored kinda of bunnies, using the ancient, four-legged style. Nick looked it over with a placid face.

    Judy let out a soft groan.

    "Thanks a lot, Judy, I appreciate the thought," Nick smiled, apparently sincere.

    "Kuh, you don't have to rub it in, Nick," Judy's ears finally fell as if her stress had been holding them up. "I panicked, I procrastinated, and I got you a... a sweater. A freaking SWEATER on Crittermas. What is wrong with me!? That's like the most stereotypical, basic gift ev-"

    Chief Bogo happened by, glaring at Judy.

    "Right, I'll keep it down," she squeaked.

    Bogo nearly seemed to swallow a smirk. "Nice sweater, Wilde."

    "Isn't it, though?" Nick grinned, holding it up. "Can't wait to wear it."

    "Nick...!" Judy swung her head around in his direction. "Can you cut it out? It's a Crittermas sweater. I already feel bad enough about this."

    "Why?" Nick blinked. "I think it looks nice." He grinned at it, feeling it. "Mm pretty soft, doesn't feel that scratchy."

    Judy seemed at a loss. "You... like it? For real?"

    "Carrots, you know what I'll remember when I wear this?" He gently tapped her on the forehead. "That somebunny wanted me to be warm when I'm feeling cold. I'd say that's a winner of a gift in my book. It's like a portable hug from you."

    Judy's mouth dropped open and she tried to speak a couple of times, fumbling a bit. Her eyes felt a little pinched, like she might well up, but it passed. She wagged her head in muted amazement. "You can make anything sound sweet, you dolt."

    "Being a hustler will do that for you," Nick winked, carefully folding up the sweater and putting it away. "Now, shall we go make the holiday a better place?"

    "Of course!" Judy nodded, starting to head out with him.

    After a few steps, Nick nodded his head over to Judy. "To save you the anguish, you can get me socks next year."

    "Nick...!" Judy grumbled immediately. "I am not getting you socks."

    "Why not? I like socks," Nick blinked, eyes big.

    "Sweet reindeer milk, Nick," Judy slapped her own face, sloughing off the paw. "I will think of something better than socks. I have a whole year."

    "But I like socks!" Nick almost pouted. "I mean, pawpads can get cold on tile, after all, and I just kind like how they look."

    "I might get you socks," Judy conceded as they headed out the door. "Along with something, anything else."

    "And make sure they're really colorful, too," Nick's tail swished. "The wilder the better, after all."

    Judy groaned. "Alright already! Sheesh. Dunno if you're just easy to please or just strange."

    "Merry Crittermas, Carrots."

    "You too, Nick. Merry Crittermas."

Chapter 191: Enticing

    Judy tended to feel her best right after her gym class. The physical exertion was wonderful; she tried her utmost and loved the ache of her protesting muscles. That was followed by the warm soothing showers, and to top it off, there was the wonderfully loud din of the full-body hare dryers.

    On her sixteenth winter on the planet, she had a little extra reason to be excited. A tiny little puff of fluff had appeared right on the crown of her chest, her first dewlap. It made her beyond excited; as if she was a real adult. She was one step closer to getting out into the real world and fulfilling her dream of being the first bunny police officer in Zootopia.

    Proudly wrapping her towel over the new bit of fur, she scurried on over to her locker to get her regular clothes on, but hesitated when she saw who was still occupying the space very near to hers.

    "It's just so fluffy, Jessica..."

    Another doe was fawning over one of her gym classmates, Jessica. The cream-colored bunny was wider set than Judy, but only just, and mostly in her hips. If that wasn't enough, she'd been endowed with a huge dewlap that didn't even go away with her summer coat. She was standing there, fluffing it shamelessly, with two sycophant friends of hers looking at her in awe.

    "Can I touch it?"

    "You don't just touch another doe's dewlap!" Her cohort scolded, smacking away her associate's encroaching paw.

    "Sorry! It's just so... big!" The more timid one giggled. "Roger is sure to notice if you wear something a little tighter!"

    "You think so?" Jessica asked, fluffing her cheeks, then her dewlap, giving a tiny smile. "I don't want him to get the wrong idea. I'm not a bad girl, I'm just fluffed that way."

    "No way!" One of her yesbunnies quickly piped up. "He'll be pancakes in your paws for sure."

    "Uh," Judy interjected, trying to scoot in and unlock her own locker. "I think that's 'putty' in your paws."

    "Who asked you?" The more snippy of the two bunnies returned.

    Judy was quiet at that and quickly moved to take off her towel and clothe herself.

    "Pfff, hahahaha!" The rude bunny picked up when she caught a glimpse of Judy in the buff. "Is that your dewlap!? Looks like you just stapled on some pillow fluff!"

    "Really now," Jessica frowned. "We can't help how we're fluffed. That's for Serendipity to decide."

    "Yeah," the more cutesy of the two piped up, "but don't they say she has a great sense of humor?"

    Judy hurriedly finished clothing and rushed out of the locker room, her teeth tight in her mouth.

---

    Judy lay awake in bed that night, staring at the top bunk bed's underside. Her roommate sisters' breathing always seemed to rise and fall in a pattern, never synched up; it was so weird, almost musical. She couldn't sleep; she felt an unwelcome tightness in her chest that just didn't want to go away. The hallway's door opened.

    A whisper: "Judy, are you still awake?"

    Just as quietly, she said "yeah" back.

    It was her mother's shadow that drew close to her, only filling out her features when she was away from the brighter light of the hallway.

    "What's going on, Mom?" Judy whispered.

    "Are you feeling okay, sweetheart?" Bonnie asked, sitting at her bedside. "You looked very melancholy at dinner."

    "Pff, I'm fine, Mom," Judy rolled her eyes, but sat up to acknowledge her. "Really, out of all my siblings, you're gonna check on me?"

    "It's a mother's job to tell if something's the matter with her kits," Bonnie said with a warm firmness. "So, please tell me if something is the matter."

    "Rgh, it's nothing," Judy wouldn't meet her mother's eyes. "Just... ugh. Got made fun of today for my dewlap."

    "Oh?" Bonnie frowned. "Well, I think it's wonderful that you're getting one, sweetie. It's a sign of becoming a fully-grown doe." She rubbed Judy's shoulder gently.

    "Yeah, but it's barely anything," Judy pouted. "It'll probably be gone by the summer."

    "Now Bunbun," Bonnie shook her head. "The Hopps does don't really get very big dewlaps, even in the winter."

    "Yeah, but at least you get a nice one," Judy released a shaky breath. "Mine just looks dumb, like a tiny puff."

    "Well, I also weigh a good bit more than you," Bonnie winked, nudging her with her side. "Maybe if you put on a few more pounds, it'd get bigger."

    "I don't really want to do that," the smaller bunny shook her head. "I need to stay in shape if I'm gonna be joining the ZPD."

    "Ah, yes, the ZPD," Bonnie gave a big breath. "Honey, have you considered what you might want to do if that doesn't work out?"

    "It'll work out, Mom," Judy said with a determined but quiet voice.

    "But... just, if it doesn't...?" Bonnie asked carefully. "Do you have anything else that you'd rather do?"

    "Goodnight, Mom," Judy breathed out heavily, flopping back against her pillow. "...But thanks. I feel a little better."

    "Okay, sweetheart," Bonnie said, going back to the door and looking at her daughter with concern. Her daughter seemed a bit annoyed, but quickly melted into fatigue. Figuring that was about as good as it would get, Bonnie left and closed the door.

---

    Judy flicked off her full-body hare dryer and sighed, looking at herself in the bathroom mirror.

    It'd come back, as it had every winter since she first got it. That tiny little dewlap; a mocking reminder.

    The bunny carefully wrapped her towel around herself, making sure it covered that offensive little patch of fluff, and headed out into her apartment, making for the bedroom.

    A wolf whistle quickly caught her ears, though it was a fox that made it. It halted her in her tracks and made her look toward the couch where there was Nick, looking on with approval, wiggling his paw in a little wave.

    A chain reaction of thoughts exploded in the bunny's head and she walked closer to Nick.

    "Nick, can I ask you a question and ask you to answer it truthfully?" Judy had a serious, unamused look on her face.

    "Uh, I'm not sure I like the sound of that," Nick scooted up on the couch as if Judy's advance frightened him. Upon seeing the frustrated, plaintive look on her face, he finally nodded.

    "Have you ever looked at bunny porn?"

    Bafflement burst onto Nick's face, and then he suddenly laughed. "Oh, okay, you want me to answer that honestly, hm? That sounds like a classic girlfriend trap if I've ever heard one."

    "Please just answer the question," Judy continued, trying not to let her voice dip into the tone she used when interrogating belligerent mammals at the police station. "I promise I won't get mad."

    Nick considered her expression for a few moments, then shrugged. "Okay. You know that bunnies and foxes often rank among the top ten sexiest mammals in polls by other mammals, right? Usually even top five?"

    "...I guess I could see that," Judy nodded, unaware of such a thing.

    "Well, I've checked out the 'competition' a few times, you could say," Nick explained with a practiced casualness.

    "Mm," Judy's head dropped a bit. "And the girls, the bunny does. They have big... ah..." her paws made round gestures near her chest. "...Right?"

    "...Um, I'm not sure I follow," the fox looked confused, not sure how much he wanted to own up to.

    "Dewlaps!" Judy blurted as if it pained her. "They have big dewlaps, right?"

    "The heck is that?" The fox had to try very hard not to laugh at his girlfriend.

    "It's like, this huge wreath of fur on a lot of female bunnies, especially the 'fuller' ones," Judy explained hurriedly. "The bunnies have those, right? The does?"

    "Oh, yeah," Nick got a far-off look on his face, barely smiling. "They're pretty nice."

    "Guh," Judy looked deflated, her ears drooping.

    "What's going on with you?" Nick squinted.

    "This is all I ever get," Judy pulled down on the top of her towel and showed off her small dewlap. Nick looked at it with muted appreciation.

    "Looks nice to me," the fox smiled serenely.

    "It's tiny," she winced.

    Nick shook his head, confused and trying to process the events that had just transpired. "Okay, hold up. Is my wonder-bunny trying to compare herself to a porn star? What's going on here?"

    "No, NO..." Judy hid her dewlap and wrapped her paws around herself, grumbling and spinning on her heel. "It's not that at all, I'm just... ugh. Listen, I know you like fluff, okay? I'm just- I wish I was fluffier, for you at least. Even during winter, I think your coat makes you fluffier than mine makes me..."

    "Um, so?" Nick chuckled. He shook his head as though he pitied the bunny. "Are you thinking that I don't find you sexy? Truly? Have you seen your butt?"

    Judy hid a little embarrassed smile, realizing she'd done a less-than-complete job of wrapping the towel behind her.

    "The curvature! And it's topped by that lovely little tail," Nick purred with a lazy, reverent voice. "Just like a blueberry pie with a puff of whipped cream." He kissed his fingers. "Mwa! Perfection."

    "Well, thanks," Judy had a begrudging voice, but a smile was splayed all the way across her face. She tried not to let it catch Nick's eye just yet. "Nice to know you find me 'tasty'."

    "Oh, for sure," Nick nodded readily, but then his brow went forward and he began to get a sleazy grin. "But... there's always a way you could be tastier..."

    "Yeah...?" Judy tried not to suddenly sound disappointed.

    "Wear your Crittermas gift for me," the fox responded.

    Judy's head hung and she let out a long, groaning sigh.

    Minutes passed, and the shuffling sound of clothing came from their bedroom.

    "I feel ridiculous," Judy muttered through the door.

    "Well, sexiness is mostly attitude," Nick checked on his claws. "I would know. Give it your best, fluffybutt."

    Judy appeared in the doorway, eyelids low, balancing her paws on the door frame. She took a step forward, leaning her weight onto her hip and pushing one of her shoulders up.

    "Hmm?" The bunny tried a dangerous smirk with her questioning hum.

    "Oh, yes, yes, very yes," Nick head bobbed ridiculously and his tail thrashed as if he was a kit that'd caught his first ball.

    The bunny was wearing a rather chaste lounging shirt, panties, and socks. Whereas the lounge-wear was hers, the socks were a gift from her fox. They were bright cyan and purple striped.

    "Ooh, the colors pop so well," the fox nearly had heart bubbles leaking from his head as he looked at her from over the couch.

    "I really can't believe you think this is hot," Judy rolled her eyes, giving a tired smile.

    "You're only as hot as you feel," Nick coached. "Just keep it up."

    "Well, my toes feel warm, at least," Judy tried stepping forward one foot after the other. The socks didn't allow as much grip as her feet, but the carpet mitigated any worry that she'd fall. She made her way to the couch, and Nick scooted back to make room for her. She oozed onto the couch like silk, drawing her knees up to herself in a kind of hug, wiggling one of her sock-clad feet in the fox's direction. His gape was positively cartoonish.

    "Good God," Nick shook his head, his breath shuddering in delight as he exhaled. "What a piece of work has been created before me."

    "I'm barefoot most of the time, Nick," Judy looked at him curiously. "Why do you like the socks?"

    "I have no idea, but don't shame me," Nick wagged his forefinger. "Why is anything sexy? Heck if I know. I just know what I like." His fingertips wiggled. "And you, my dear, are it."

    "So, what else do I have to do with these to rev up my foxxie?" Judy's head and ears bobbed, displaying a coy smile. She placed one of her clothed feet on Nick's midsection and began rubbing it back and forth.

    "Oh, th-that works-" Nick barely got out, before his vocalizations turned to giggling mush.

    "Hm, maybe I could get used to this," Judy grinned mischievously.

    Nick slapped his paws together in supplication and shut his eyes, directing his muzzle skyward.

    "The heck are you doing, silly tod? Praying?" The bunny laughed lightly.

    "Oh yes."

    "To who, Karma?" Bemusement lit her face.

    "Mm mmmmm..." Nick shook his head firmly. "Serendipity. I feel very lucky right now."

    Judy was somewhere between touched and turned on, and a playful, happy smile burst onto her face as she started to bounce forward.

    "Okay, come here, you!"   

Chapter 192: Crossroads

    Pft. Pft pft. Crkle...

    They were quite far away, but the fireworks of Zootopia's many New Years' Eve celebrations exploded in the sky like neon confetti. Their sounds softly reverberated through the mostly barren space. There was no artificial lighting where Nick was; the faraway bursts cast shadows with splashes of color. He found himself gazing at the distant spectacle rather than his surroundings, which he'd come there to meditate on.

    His legs felt a little heavy, but he didn't feel like sitting down. He was standing on the bridge, the bridge he'd once passed under, just being steps away from his return to his normal life. But, he'd halted. He'd been offered a choice, a choice to make a change. It was a change that was fraught with danger and hardships. It would have been easier to walk away. But, it had been her.

    "Heya."

    As if his thoughts had summoned her, there she was at his side. Nick almost didn't look. It was surreal, like some unspoken guarantee.

    "Jeez, I can barely see out here," the gray bunny complained.

    "Fancy seeing you here, Carrots," Nick greeted in his typical tone.

    "Very fancy!" Judy replied cheerfully. "They should make me a detective!"

    Nick chuckled. "I won't pretend I'm not a little impressed by your sleuthing. I didn't tell anyone I was going to be here, and I didn't leave any notes. Care to share some of your secrets with your partner?"

    "Just a hunch," Judy shrugged, then drew her arms around herself. "Brr, cold one tonight. Specially since we're pretty far away from anywhere in particular."

    "That bit just makes the ol' sulking easier," Nick claimed, trying to sow confusion through his easy grin.

    "Do I want to ask?" Judy rolled her eyes up at him, but the dark blur that was Nick still wasn't looking at her. She could tell by the faint flashes of light from the fireworks that he was still gazing off into the distance. "So... what's up? Is there a reason you wanted to be alone for New Years'?"

    "Sort of, not really," Nick shrugged, stretching. He took in a big, yawning breath and let it out in a mist of cold air.

    "Well, I'll be quiet if foxes need that to sulk," Judy teased, bumping into him with her side.

    "Hmhm," Nick spared her a glance, then turned to look at the display again.

    "Didn't want to see me drunk again?" Judy winced. "I made quite the spectacle of myself last year at the station's party."

    "Are you kidding?" Nick laughed gently. "That is now one of my fondest memories."

    "Grr," Judy grinned with her teeth. She took a soft breath and quieted down, feeling the cold air nip at her. She could be at a few dozen much warmer places.

    "I made a decision at this place," Nick finally and suddenly clarified, starting to look off toward a dark building.

    "Yeah," the bunny affirmed with a wistful smile. "I was at the end of my rope..."

    "Was just going to visit it one last time before I never come back here again," his voice was blank and heavy.

    "Mm?" Judy blinked, taken aback.

    The fox drew a few chilly fingers over his chin, and a shiver caught him. He nudged his head in the direction of the building he was facing. "You see that place over there?"

    Judy drew a mitten-clad paw to her brow, trying to open her eyes wider. "Barely?"

    "I was going to buy that place, and fix it up," the fox started. "I was saving a lot of the money I was hustling."

    "Yeah?" Judy considered this. "Looks pretty big."

    "I was-" Nick almost bit his tongue, but shook his head. "I was gonna make it like a theme park, an indoor theme park. Was gonna make it really like, pred-friendly, you know?"

    "Really?" This caught Judy off guard.

    "Have some attractions in there that'd be too scary or intense for prey," Nick's face remained blank, then began to scrunch. "Wouldn't bar them from it, mind you, just make it so they wouldn't want to go there."

    "Mm..." the bunny began to frown.

    "Heh..." Nick smirked in the dark. "Thought it'd be nice to have a place where pred could just let loose and be as rowdy as they wanted, without having to fear about stepping on the dainty little toes of the prey. I thought... 'wouldn't that show them'?"

    The two became quiet for a long time. The far-off fireworks increased in intensity, as if displaying the stirring of a secret rage from the fox.

    "The Ranger Scouts, huh?" Judy finally asked. "You wanted a place where... where preds could have fun and you couldn't be hurt by prey."

    Nick didn't respond outside of a long sigh.

    There was more quiet. One celebration seemed to peter out, only for another firework display to start in the direction of Savanna Central. Opulent gold and silver beads chased through the air, sparkling garishly.

    "Never ended up making quite enough money," Nick cast his gaze to the night sky, with its own, more static light show.

    "Liar," Judy surprised the fox by walking around him, and he looked at her finally squarely. She was wearing an accusing grin. "You made a ton of money. Probably enough for a down payment on a hunk of junk like that." She jerked her thumb toward the condemned building.

    "Okay, you got me," Nick smiled cleanly. "I was too lazy to orchestrate such a thing."

    "Mm-mm," Judy closed her eyes and wiggled a finger. "That's not true either."

    "Oh no?" His brow went up wryly.

    "You," Judy pointed right at his nose, "didn't go through that because you're not that kind of mammal. You are kind. You wouldn't want to create that kind of place, where others wouldn't feel welcome."

    "Ha!" The fox barked. "Wow, that is bold of you to assume." He put his hands on his hips and leaned down. "Now, what little sparkly-eyed mammal was it that I read like a kindergarten book and left to stew in wet cement?"

    She just returned his challenging glare. "I can still barely see you, you know. You're just this vaguely handsome fuzzy blob."

    "Don't try to change the subject," Nick sucked his teeth, trying to fight away a little smile. "You, little missy, got scammed, hustled, and worked over. Just like dozens of prey before you. It's amazing to me that you still think I'm this precious angel when I'd make a prey cry just like that." He snapped his claws to punctuate.

    Judy shook her head as if disappointed. "What, are you calling me naive? I'd have to be to buy that up. You never did anything to a prey that they couldn't come back from, couldn't learn from. I'd stake my career on that. YOU are a sweet and caring mammal, trapped in a sour and charming husk."

    "Hmh," Nick felt like he was playing some sort of tug of war with the little bunny, and he found himself uncomfortably without a firm grip on the figurative rope. "I guess you think your experience was just like anyone else, huh? Scam 'em then set them on their correct path, like some weird post-modern Robin Hood?"

    "Well, obviously not, or else you wouldn't be here right now," Judy grinned. "Like you said, you made a decision here, but I don't think it was to change yourself, it was just to be who you wanted to be all along."

    Nick rolled his eyes. "You watch too many fairy tales."

    "That all you got?" Judy wiggled her eyebrows. "I think I got you there."

    "Tch," Nick swallowed a smile that kept threatening to build, tightening his throat as if it was choking him. "You know, there's a reason they call it introspection. It's usually done without an extra."

    "I can go," Judy's voice tittered. "It's cold here, anyway."

    "Besides, you weren't right on the money anyway, but I'll let you think you won," Nick put his paws in his jacket pockets.

    "Tah, what an ego!" Judy cackled, her eye-rolling accompanying the turn of her head. She began to walk off.

    "I mean, you assumed the only reason I made the decision I did was for me."

    Judy's head slowly turned and she looked blank.

    Nick smirked. "You think I'm that selfish?"

    Judy smiled softly and sweetly. "Of course not. ...In fact, I'm sure that money you meant for this place went to someone that really needed it."

    "I... just making sure," Nick's eyes widened and he chuckled awkwardly, trying to regain his composure. He stretched and yawned. "Aaaanyway, I think I've about done what I needed to do here. You bring a truck or something to get back?"

    "Uh, no, I drove my dad's truck back ages ago," Judy chuckled. "I walked out here."

    "Ah, nuts," Nick laughed. "I was hoping my brooding would last the whole way back, but it doesn't look like it will."

    "March," she directed, pointing off in the direction of the nearest subway, which was quite a trek.

    The two walked side by side.

    "Rvv..." Judy shivered. "You know, we can still hit up a p-party or something for the new year. You hear of this place called Different Tails?"

    Nick's eyes widened at the idea and the mental image it conjured. "I've... heard of it. Probably know more about it than you do."

    "Let's drop in, then!" Judy chirped. "C-could be fun. ...That is, if you're not too tired."

    "I'm offended that you think a ploy like that would work on me," Nick chuckled. "But no, I will go. I'm not an old fuddy duddy just yet."

    "Gh-gh-good!" Judy's teeth clinked together rapidly.

    "Boy, a shame your winter coat isn't much to speak of," Nick clicked the side of his teeth, wagging his head. "I'd have loved to see you with a bit more fluff."

    "Haha..." Judy shook her head, trying to ignore the weather. "Always with you and the fluff."

    The muted sound of a zipper opening caught Judy's ear, and then she was suddenly scooped up.

    "Hey!?"

    Nick tried to hold the surprised rabbit, nestling her closer to his chest, where his shirt carried some of his body's warmth.

    "Comfy?"

    "I could get that way..." Judy sounded a little unsure.

    "Well, I just figured if you were going to be such a baby about the cold..." Nick teased.

    "I'm weighing my options, fox cuddles, or my pride," Judy tried to add some spice to her voice, but it came out as sheepish as she felt.

    "I'll let you know if you get too heavy for me."

    Judy growled softly, but didn't put up any more resistance. He was quite toasty in there, and she did appreciate the warmth. Her ears folded back, not out of annoyance, but wanting to be closer to the source of heat.

    "Hmhm..." Judy's satisfied little hum came out as Nick kept walking, carrying the bunny. She placed a paw on his chest, briefly. "Told you you had a warm heart."

    "Oof, what romcom did you snatch that one from?" Nick chided. Judy just giggled, jostling her head from side to side and relaxed, resuming her enjoyment of her warm ride.

    "So, you make any resolutions for the New Year?" Judy wondered.

    "Me? Psh, no," Nick barked out a terse laugh. "I'm practically perfect in every way."

    Judy joined him in an honest laugh, after which she sighed in comfort.

    "There's definitely a case to be made for that."

Notes:

Welp, see you all next year. I know my content has started to peter out, and I don't really expect it to accelerate in the coming year due to a variety of factors. Work has been busy, the family has a new puppy that wishes to destroy everything with her adorableness, I have a Switch distracting me, and my plot bunnies have been on a downturn.

That said, I do have at least a few in the chamber for next year, mostly here at Different Tails. I have a plan for a chapter or short series of chapters with a darker, more serious tone, as well as one semi-parody investigation that should hopefully lean towards the amusing side.

The Appointed Time is still stalled for now, but not because I don't know where it's going. I've just had a lack of desire to work on it, unfortunately. Trying to juggle an AU with that many rules is somewhat tiresome to write for, and I feel bad about it because the plot should be just about ready to take off, but it just hasn't wanted to. Maybe I can watch a superhero movie or two next year to jar me into wanting to complete it. I won't say that the story is canned, though, just on a really long hiatus.

Writing is still just sort of a side hobby for me, so I'm glad you've stuck with me for almost 200 chapters if you're reading this far. Hopefully I'll actually make it to that number in 2019, haha.

Thanks for reading and hope to see you around.

Chapter 193: Truths

    It was around a day, she guessed. She had no idea if she was right.

    Judy felt on the verge of panic several times, close to passing out. She didn't know if any of the hours she spent in darkness were spent in slumber. The nightmares that seemed to come might have just been hallucinations. Her breaths and gasps echoed through empty, unseen halls.

    She didn't know where she was, or why. The bunny couldn't move her paws; they were bound behind her, too tight to move. Her wrists and ankles must be bleeding by now.

    All she was aware of besides her breaths was the pain, discomfort, and panic. Her head throbbed, her nose was filled with a faint chemical scent; she couldn't make heads or tails of anything else besides the roiling discomfort in her chest and gut.

    Click.

    Finally, a burst of light shone on her, right at her eyes. Pain flooded them as she grunted and looked away.

    "Augh!" Judy yelped, shifting and thrusting her head away from the source. She gasped and tried to steady herself.

    "Mm..." It was a dispassionate voice that greeted her. Even. Male. "I was hoping you'd be dead by now. Heart attack or something."

    "Who- what...?" Judy sneered, forcing herself to look into the beam of light shining on her. Flashlight, but she couldn't quite tell if it was a phone or a handheld. From the light that poured from it, she could make out the form of a rabbit. No, larger. Hare. Hint of glasses near the face, but nothing else remarkable about him.

    "Oh well, another day or two," the light dropped a bit as if preparing to go out.

    "Wait!" Judy yelped. She tried to compose herself, summon the steel of her will. "Wait. Who are you?"

    The shadow paused as if considering whether to answer. "Well... I suppose I can tell you. Won't do you much good. My name's John."

    "John?" Judy tested the perfectly normal name as if it was alien. "John who?"

    "Eh, that's all you'll get," he replied.

    Judy felt deeply unsettled, and part of it was in the tone of this hare's voice. It didn't have a stony or even a fiery anger to it. It wasn't thick with sarcasm or even a superior air. It wasn't even monotone. It was just... dull, the dull of disinterest. Her nose must have been going a mile a minute, matching her accelerating heart.

    "Release me," Judy demanded, her voice having a hint of a waver.

    "No," she barely saw John's head shake. "You're going to die."

    Judy let out a panicked breath. "Why? You're going to kill me?"

    "Well, not directly, hopefully," John explained. He reached into his coat and pulled out a stun gun, letting his flashlight flutter over it. "I've modified this so it could kill an elephant. I'd rather not see what it could do to you. However, I suppose if you wanted me to kill you now, I could..."

    "I'd rather not die at all, thank you," Judy replied stonily, shivering as a wave of terror assaulted her spine.

    "Well, you're going to, and I've read starvation is a painful way to go, so, I don't know, up to you," John shrugged.

    "Why would you want me dead?" Judy almost whispered. The echoing tone of her voice worsened the intense pain in her head.

    "Oh, I could explain that," John took a single step forward, making Judy lurch. "Yeah, you see, you're basically the emblem of the big lie of Zootopia."

    Judy sneered. "What are you talking about?"

    "You know," John sighed, as if it annoyed him to explain, "the 'anyone can be anything' lie. The lie that seduces animals from all over to come here and try their luck at their 'dreams'."

    The discomfort in Judy's stomach became nearly unbearable. She tried to steady her breathing to keep everything inside her.

    "You're part of that system, and you're way out in front, telling everyone the lie just by your existence," John continued. "First bunny cop. 'Saved' Zootopia. Bunnies aren't cops. Not anymore than sand cats or jerboas. There's too much you can't do. Just by your size. Imagine you were even twice your size. I probably couldn't have captured you. Now, I'm very smart, but even I know my limits."

    "You're wrong- anyone... a mammal should... they should try to follow their dreams!" Judy found herself emitting forcefully. Despair started to wet her eyes. She took a few struggles against her bonds, but to no avail.

    "So are you really that deluded, or has the system completely consumed you?" John's voice was still so ambiguous, but Judy thought she could detect notes of hatred seeping into it. "There's no real physical advantage to having a rabbit at the most prominent place of a civil servant. You're there just to make mammals feel good about trying things they really shouldn't. Making them waste money on a higher education for a job they're not suited to. What's next? We're gonna see a clumsy rhino trying to be a surgeon? An elephant that wants to be an astronaut?"

    "And you think killing me will also kill all the dreams of mammals?" Judy hissed through her teeth, trying to keep her tears in her eyes. "That they'll just go away with me? Someone else will take up my-"

    "I don't think so," John interjected, wagging his head. "There hasn't been anyone like you yet. You're a fluke. Mammals haven't changed drastically in all these years. It was the perfect storm, the sheep, the case, the lion. All of it. All of it led to your 'rise'. The odds of that are like winning the lottery on a specific day. Won't happen again."

    "This won't go like you think," Judy scowled adamantly, forcefully blinking away some tears. "I can't be unique in this world. Someone will fight for their dream as fiercely as I did. Fiercer."

    "Well, if that somehow happened in my lifetime, I guess I'll just have to deal with them, then," John shrugged, bored. "Just like I'm dealing with you."

    "You really think you'll get away with this, then?" Judy hissed. "Killing someone as 'important' as me?"

    "Oh, yes, I'm very smart," John nodded. "I was very careful while capturing you not to leave any clues. I'm a chemist, you see. Or, was... no I guess I still technically am. You give the education system the better part of a decade and more money than you could possibly have, just to give a big chemistry company another decade and a half, and they just drop you like a rock because they found someone with 'defter fingers'. I'll bet it was a raccoon."

    "The ZPD will find me," Judy swallowed.

    "They won't," John countered. "Never. Not in time, and after that, never again." He flashed his light over a tall drum and banged on it. "I'll just dissolve you in a solution after you're dead. Won't be a trace left."

    This elicited a choked cry from Judy, and she squinted her eyes shut, shuddering and letting out a sob.

    "What, you're crying?" John sounded genuinely confused. "I guess you aren't the brave bunny that the system would like everyone to believe you are. I mean, it wasn't that surprising to me. I knew it was another lie."

    "How about trying your luck, then?" Judy summoned a frustrated grunt, struggling against her bonds through her tear-impaired vision. "Release me and I'll take you down, one-on-one."

    "No, no, I'm smarter than that," John shook his head. "Why would I do that? That would risk everything. You think I have some sort of pride to maintain? I guess you think this is like some movie or comic where the 'good guy' always wins at the last minute, after the tension is all built up. But no, the tension will pass. I'll leave you alone to die, then I'll dispose of your remains, then Zootopia will eventually forget about you, and maybe the system will stop trying to sell its lies. If not, it'll be someone else sitting where you are."

    Judy swallowed hard, starting to feel her last glimmer of hope die out. She hoped that her sacrifice would be enough for this monster. She dared not even think of the name of her partner, lest the hare somehow pick up on thoughts of him, and that he'd want to go after him next. She let out another sob or two as her thoughts kept racing to her partner, her fox.

    "Well, bye," John said, reaching to turn off his light. "This could have been avoided, if you weren't slave to that system."

    "Wait!" Judy gritted her teeth, trying to rein in her desperation. "You're really going to leave me, huh? You don't want to kill me yourself?"

    "Not really," John shrugged. "I planned this all out. I told you, I'm very smart. The end result will be the same anyway, and I don't have to see whatever electrocution does to you."

    Judy took three breaths, feeling like she was about to pass out, have a heart attack, or both. There had to have been something she-

    "ZPD! PAWS WHERE I CAN SEE THEM!"

    The bunny gulped in a burst of air.

    The hare reached back into his coat pocket and drew his weapon. Quickly, he aimed it at Judy, not the source of the threat.

    Judy squeezed her weak eyes shut.

    PAHT! PAHT!

    The soft sound of a collapse followed the two bursts of sound. The phone producing the flashlight spun around onto its back, spitting a cone of light into the abandoned chemical facility Judy was trapped in, and John's body was illuminated next to it.

    Judy's breaths started heaving, and she started crying again in a kind of panicked relief. Her brain had finally told her who's voice it was that had saved her.

    A tall tigress stepped out into the beam of light, holding her firearm at the ready.

    "Thanks for giving me the reason, scum," Kristen Fangmeyer said. The tall tigress checked the hare's neck for a pulse and found none.

    "Fangmeyer...!" Judy's desperate voice whimpered.

    "Hopps!" Fangmeyer went toward her and raised her radio to demand medical assistance.

    Judy's relief started to take its toll on her consciousness. Her ears heard buzzing, and her head felt light. She knew her senses were giving up.

    "Fangmeyer, area's clear," the voice of Stanley Wolfard, followed by loud sniffs. "No other guys. Suspect down?"

    "Affirmative," Fangmeyer nodded. "We've got to get Hopps loose. You have the clippers?"

    "Got it," Wolfard replied.

    Judy felt her head gain weight and bob to the side.

    "Stay with us, Hopps, c'mon..." Fangmeyer said, her voice serious but somehow kind. "You can do this, Judy, you're strong. Fight for us."

    But after that, blackness swallowed her.

    Loud sirens and flashes of blue and red pulled her back.

    "She's very weak, we need to get her on an IV immediately," a deer nurse. Vaguely, she heard the scuttling of a gurney she realized she must be on.

    "Hang in there, Hopps!" The commanding voice of Chief Bogo.

    "Judy!" Finally, the sound of Nick Wilde. "JUDY! Is she-!? Oh, she's breathing, thank God, thank GOD!"

    "Nick..." she breathed out almost inaudibly, and the comfort of his voice made her surrender back to the void.

    "Judy...!?"

---

    "Officer Hopps?"

    Judy's eyes opened, blurry at first, then quickly focusing on a small mammal near her bed. She instantly flinched and panicked at realizing she was in an unfamiliar area. She tried to scoot back in her bed, and heard a rattling. She looked up to see an IV machine near the bed.

    "Whoa, easy, Ms. Hopps!" The female ferret nurse held up her paws defensively, backing away from the bed. "You're okay."

    Judy settled, realizing she was in a hospital bed. The kind-faced ferret nurse approached once she'd calmed down.

    "How are you feeling...?" The nurse asked.    

    Judy closed her eyes, holding them shut for a moment. "Not great." Her voice was heavy and sullen.

    "I understand," the nurse nodded, holding a small tablet. "On a scale of one to ten, how much pain would you say you're in?"

    Judy opened her eyes. She'd never quantified how much pain she'd been in before. Her wrists and ankles still hurt, and her head still throbbed.

    "...About a six?"

    "Understood, we'll get you something for the pain," the nurse went on. "My name's Carla Pedshark, by the way, just buzz me if you need anything else."

    "Pedshark...?" Judy blinked. "That sounds fam- wait a second..."

    The ferret gave a soft little laugh. "You might say I have some ties to the ZPD."

    Judy let out a heavy sigh. "I'm glad I'm with you tonight and not your husband." An image flashed in the bunny's head of her being on the ZPD's medical examiner's table. She shivered.

    "As am I, Officer Hopps..." the ferret's smile waned, but she nodded genuinely. Before the nurse left Judy's room, she turned. "Oh, one more thing. When you are up to it, Chief Bogo would like to speak to you."

    Judy paused, feeling a strange twinge of power and relief at the control being afforded her, even though it was such a simple thing. "Sure. Send him in."

    "As you wish," Carla nodded.

    A minute or so later, a cross-looking Chief Bogo ducked his head and turned sideways to enter the room. Judy frowned at his expression, but a rust-colored blur scrambled in behind him, explaining his scowl.

    "Wilde!" Bogo growled out, then seeing Judy, tried to lower his voice. "I told you to wait outside."

    "With all due respect, sir, I think I have a right to see my partner," Nick countered as bravely as he could.

    "I have matters to discuss with her, can't you wait until then?" Bogo's even voice carried a sense of threat in it.

    "Sir, I should have been the one sent in to-"

    "No, Wilde," Bogo said through his teeth. "We have been over this. You are too emotionally close to your partner to have been the best choice to send in. Now, I detest you questioning my methods, especially since the results are laying right over there." He gestured at Judy. "Are we done?"

    "It's okay, Nick," Judy offered a small smile to appease the upset-looking fox.

    Nick pointed in her direction briefly. "I'll be back when the Chief's done." The fox reluctantly left.

    Bogo shut the door quietly, and stepped over to Judy, settling down on his haunches.

    "How are you doing?"

    "Could be better," Judy admitted. "How did you guys find me?"

    "It would take awhile to explain," Bogo answered. "But rest assured I will make the time to have it explained to you soon. I wanted to let you know that you will be taking time off of your duties. Mandatory."

    "Yes sir," Judy nodded gently.

    The lack of resistance actually pushed Bogo's brow up and made him look concerned. "...Ah, and, to add to that, we will help you find a counselor if you feel it necessary. These types of experiences can be very taxing on any mammal."

    "Thank you," the bunny replied quietly.

    "The ZPD takes care of its own, Judy Hopps, and you are ours," Bogo looked at her seriously. "If we can do anything else to assist you, ask."

    "Thank you so much, Chief," Judy let out a heavy sigh. "I really thought I might be done for there..."

    Chief Bogo nodded sadly. "I've got officers investigating our 'John Buck', and I will have a security detail for you until we see if he had any accomplices."

    Judy felt like she should protest, but she felt so vulnerable at the moment that she wouldn't mind even McHorn and Trunkaby following her around. All she did was nod.

    "Rest well, Hopps."

    Chief Bogo took his leave. Outside the door was Nick, who exchanged a steely look with his superior before silently being admitted to the room. Nick came in and closed the door.

    "Thank God you're all right..." Nick huffed out.

    "I wouldn't go that far yet," Judy mumbled, looking at him, then past him. "But I'm as safe as I can be."

    Nick looked at her, and the bunny could tell his heart was breaking. He looked as helpless as she felt.

    He tried to gather himself, appearing friendly, though not at ease. "Well, listen, Judy. You need anything, you just let me know, okay? I'll get it for you. Up to and including smuggling you in some real food instead of hospital dreck. You know, heh. I'm your guy. Slippery sneaky fox."

    "Anything, huh?" Judy gave a tiny grin. "I can hold you to that?"

    Nick paused, and got an almost pitiable look on his face. "Yeah. ...Even if you just want me to leave."

    "No, no no no..." Judy shook her head. "Not that. Anything but that. Could you just... be here with me?"

    Nick nodded readily and sat by her bed. "Until they fling me out."

    Judy gave a relaxed smile and nodded. "Okay." She offered the paw of the arm that was not laden with an IV. Nick's paw trembled a little as he tried to restrain himself from grabbing her paw too firmly.

    The fox found himself at an honest loss for words. He gazed in Judy's face, and, through her pain, he could see something like relief in the shape of her eyes. The lids shut over them, and she scooted back into her bed.

    The bunny was very tired. She didn't know how long she'd been able to be "out" while she was experiencing that hell she was subjected to, but it wasn't long enough. She was confident that her fox partner would be there to watch over her if she needed a little shut-eye.

    And she very much did.

Notes:

To be continued. (Likely)

Chapter 194: Truths II

    Benjamin Clawhauser's bouncy morning routine was stopped in its tracks by the approach of a small, gray police officer.

    "Judy- Officer Hopps!" The cheetah quickly snapped to attention and peered down at her. "You're back so soon! It's only been... what, barely two weeks...?"

    "Yeah, my counselor actually said it'd be good for me," Judy replied, nodding slowly. "She figures I need my fellow mammals. Can't just hole up."

    "Well, it's great to have you back," Clawhauser offered her a warm smile. "What kind of counselor did we get you?"

    "Oh, she's a doe," Judy answered.

    "Really? That's great! Must be good to talk to another of your species."

    "No, I mean, like," a nervous giggle escaped the bunny, "a deer doe."

    "Huh," Clawhauser considered. "Do you find that intimidating? Like how tall she is?"

    A smirk grew on the bunny's face. "Not any more than I find you intimidating, Clawhauser."

    "I do try to keep my claws shaved to a non-threatening length," Clawhauser considered them. "Cheetahs can't retract them."

    "I'm not sure having big scary claws would make much of a difference on you, Clawhauser..." Judy joked, starting to move past him.

    "Well, um, have fun today!" Clawhauser waved, before pausing to reflect on his choice of words with a contemplative face.

    A few more steps, and Judy was nearly at the entrance to the bull pen. Before that could happen, she caught the eye of Karen Skippel, the arctic hare technical officer. Karen stopped in her tracks, looking like she was seeing a ghost.

    "Hopps..."

    "Hello, Officer Skippel," Judy gave a small wave.

    Skippel's eyes flitted all around, then trained down, as if she was looking around for some words to reply with.

    "Do I..." Skippel started, "may I have permission to give you a hug?"

    Judy blinked. "Um, sure."

    Skippel drew in cautiously, then gave a rather awkward, guarded hug. She let it go after a rather short time. It felt nice, despite the sense Judy got that Karen did not have very much hug experience.

    "I can't imagine what you've been through," Karen breathed out, not meeting Judy's eyes. "It's... good to see you."

    "Thank you, Skippel," Judy replied. "Good to be here."

    The arctic hare retreated into the bullpen without another word, and Judy soon followed.

    "Hopps."
    "Officer Hopps."
    "Good to see you, Hopps."
    "There she is."

    It seemed like all of Bogo's unit were greeting her as she walked in, the tall, towering figures looking at her with reverence, respect, and perhaps even pity. She hadn't remembered getting this much attention from her fellow officers in her life, even the day she was reinstituted to the ZPD after she "saved Zootopia". Instead of the typical clamor, an eerie calmness prevailed as the officers stood at attention to herald Chief Bogo's arrival.

    Nick stood politely next to Judy in their shared chair, but offered her a brief look, and the tiniest smile she'd ever seen on his long muzzle.

    "Officer Hopps," Bogo addressed her specifically before turning down to his papers. "Bit alarming to see you here so soon. However, welcome."

    "Good to be here, sir," Judy found herself saying.

    "Delgato, Grizzoli," Bogo barked, making the lion and polar bear officers sit up. "Where are we at on the John Buck investigation?"

    "Sir," Delgato piped up, the lion standing next to his chair. "We've found out that his name actually was 'John Buck', sir. We've procured a warrant to search his property."

    "Good," Bogo grunted. "Exercise all due caution. McHorn, Trunkaby. Want you two to make sure you're around the area and ready for backup in case there are any surprises."

    "Got it," McHorn snarled his confidence.

    "Fangmeyer, Wolfard," Bogo turned his attention to Judy's tigress savior and her wolf partner. "You're going to take on Hopps and Wilde's patrol today, in addition to your own."

    "Of course, sir," Fangmeyer nodded.

    "And Wilde, Hopps..." Bogo looked over them.

    "Parking duty?" Judy asked in a meek voice.

    Bogo nearly smiled, but not quite. "...I'll find something for you both to do. Desk work in the meantime."

---

    Nick hadn't said much as the two took their places in their cubicles, sitting with their backs facing each other.

    "You've been quiet this morning," Judy noted.

    "Mm, sorry, just got things on my mind," Nick excused himself in a distracted voice.

    "I haven't heard yet how..." Judy twisted her mouth, "how everyone saved me."

    "Well, it was a team effort," Nick started, half-turning to look at her. "I noticed you'd broken your usual patterns, no one had seen you, and that wasn't like you. Course, we couldn't reach you. So I suggested we do a search, and Bogo agreed. Skippel organized the search. We traced all your usual haunts."

    "You searched the whole city for me, huh?" Judy caught his sidelong eye with her own, a small, appreciative smile on her face.

    "Well, I was one of many," Nick deflected, his voice and face serious. "All our best noses were out."

    Judy's mouth wobbled. "He... he said no one'd ever find me. That he'd covered his tracks. Something like that."

    "He was using some sort of super odor-blocker," Nick nodded. "I'd never smelled anything like it, and that's what was distinctive about it. Lost the trail as he must have dragged you onto a subway train, then caught it at another station. I hoped I was on the right track, and then, I knew I was."

    "Did you...?" Judy began to get misty eyed, giving a tiny smile.

    "Yeah, I uh..." Nick squinted his eyes, and he shook his head. "Well, I know what you smell like. Just a touch of it when the mixture lost a bit of strength and I had the trail again, certain. We headed right to that creepy abandoned ChemiCo plant."

    "You saved me..." Judy breathed out, giving a shaky, happy sigh.

    "Like I said, it was a team effort, Hopps," Nick said, his voice even. "I wasn't the one that went in."

    "Easy, Wilde," Bogo approached them, hands behind his back. "Let's not go down that road again. Mm?"

    "Yes, sir," Nick replied glumly.

    The large buffalo gave glances over the two, not betraying any emotion, despite theirs being as readable as neon print. "Hopps, Wilde, I have some case files in records that need alphabetizing. Could you two get on that?"

    "Of course, sir," Judy said quickly with a nod. Nick joined the nod, and the two scooted out of their chairs. Bogo stroked his chin, releasing a sigh as he watched the two go.

---

    Soon, Nick and Judy were sitting in a pile of old records, trying to sift through them. It looked like no one had bothered sorting those files in years.

    Judy subtly shook her head as she did what felt like homework, but at least it was some kind of work.

    "Guess I should get used to everyone treating me with kid gloves for awhile, huh?"

    Though she'd tossed the line casually to Nick, his ear flicked, then both of them went back.

    "Well maybe that's what some of us need, okay!?" The fox surprised both of them by nearly barking at her. Judy's ears went back and her nose started to twitch. Nick's jaw dropped. "Sorry- I'm sorry for yelling." He look a pause as he stared holes in the file he was looking at. "Maybe some of us... you know. We didn't think we'd taken you for granted, not by a long shot, but... we're still not ready for the possibility of you just... not being here."

    "Yeah," Judy whispered.

    Silence prevailed for quite awhile as the two shuffled through case files, working together and quietly like a well-kept machine.

    "I've heard Skippel's electronic file organizing is top-notch," Nick said, his voice carrying uncharacteristic nerves. His uneasiness continued and dropped off through his voice as he sighed. "Y'know. The only reason we even need these is for backup. Or if we get hit by an EMP."

    "You never know," Judy tried a smile. "It's something to do, anyway."

    Judy's paw stopped on a file with an unusual name and a big red "CLASSIFIED" stamp.

    "Hey, check this out," the bunny briefly laughed to herself as she displayed the file. "Tiberius Sabre. Sounds a little familiar, huh?"

    "Judy," Nick rolled his eyes, but managed a small grin. "My middle name is Piberius, with a 'p'. Who names their kid 'Tiberius' anyway?"

    "Sounds like some superhero moniker you might come up with when you were a kit," Judy winked. "The great 'Tiberius Sabre'... hm, this case is still open? But it's from like a decade ago. Wonder what it's about."

    Nick sucked his teeth. "Well, just in case bunnies can't see red, it's classified, so maybe you should be a good bun and heed that."

    "Right," Judy nodded, filing it away.

---

    Even though it was so small, her apartment almost felt too big at night.

    Trying to focus on breathing slowly, she felt her breaths run away from her.

    In, out, in, out.

    The sound seemed to stretch out like it was trying to echo, just as her breaths did down in that chemical hell. Judy shot up from her bed and threw open the window's shade. The darkness was too much. Her breathing was too much. The city nightline was barely better, with the blurry features of the building coalescing into those drums she was promised to be dissolved in. She leaped out of her bed and turned on her desk lamp, rifling through her drawers, looking for something like earplugs.

    "Music, maybe some music," Judy's quiet voice trembled severely, desperately wishing her neighbors had something to fight about. Her paw hovered over her radio. Midnight. Maybe she shouldn't make noise. She scrambled for her earphones, paws wobbling as she held them. She unlocked her phone and searched for her music app, but before that, she noticed her contacts.

    Judy's breaths picked up again as she relented, touching one of her contacts and setting her phone down near desk, asking for a muzzle time. The phone rang, vibrating against her desk.

    "Please don't pick up," Judy softly begged.

    "Hello?" A cream-colored rabbit with white masking and amber eyes answered the phone. The family resemblance to Judy was quite strong, though she was a little taller. The rabbit got out of her bed and rubbed her eyes, looking down at her phone. "Judy, that you?"

    "Yeah, hi, Samantha!" Judy's voice began to fill with false enthusiasm and mirth. "How are you?"

    "Uh, I'm okay," Samantha looked around her room quietly. She had her room to herself, unlike most members of the Hopps household. "It's literally the middle of the night. What's going on? Is something wrong?"

    "No, no, nothings wrong," Judy lied, her voice threatening to pinch. "Just wanted to know how you were."

    "You've never called me directly before," Samantha looked skeptical. "What's up?"

    "Oh, just things," Judy shrugged. Inwardly, the bunny was screaming. She couldn't believe she'd done this, been so selfish as to call Samantha. She knew her older sister had suffered an incredibly difficult bout of personal trauma, and was still a recovering survivor. She couldn't believe she was calling to seek advice, to try to relate. To try to stir up her painful past for her own benefit.

    "Yeah?" Samantha's brow went up, unaware of her sister's inner turmoil. "They treating you okay there at the ZPD?"

    "Oh, yeah, great," Judy nodded. "Just... things I'd never imagined I'd be doing." Misleading, but not untrue.

    "Huh," Samantha nodded. "Well, I can't say I thought it was gonna work out. Vi did... good thing she didn't shove it in our faces..."

    "Oh, that Violet, she's so smart!" Judy replied in an artificial, jaunty voice.

    "You sure you're okay...?"

    "Yeah, I'm just...!" Judy swept the phone around her room. "Y'know, alone, trying to get to bed. Figured I could... uh, just say hi to a family member! Chosen at- at random..."

    The Hopps were typically very bad liars, but most of them also didn't easily pick up on duplicity either. Samantha was no exception.

    "Uh, okay then, well, I hope you can get some sleep," Samantha shrugged.

    "Yeah, me too," Judy nodded. "Oh, you too, haha. Sorry for waking you."

    "Night, Jude," Samantha hung up.

    A look of anguish exploded onto Judy's face and she collapsed into bed, sobbing. She'd tried to use her own family to mitigate her pain. To call back the specters haunting her sibling to ease her own.

    She felt so weak, so tired, and yet sleep eluded her.

    Her tears met her pillow as she tried to keep quiet. She didn't want to wake her neighbors, didn't want them to know how soft she was.

    It took too long, but the void claimed her once again.

---

    At a typical outdoor cafe, Nick sat opposite Judy. He was wearing dark shades and clearly trying to look as intimidating and or cool as possible.

    "You know, I think I could get used to this," Judy chuckled, sipping from a coffee. She hoped her eyes didn't communicate her fatigue. "I thought I wouldn't like you being my 'bodyguard'."

    "Well, if it helps," Nick sipped his own coffee, looking at her from above the shades. "You can think of it as a date."

    "Wouldn't that be a stretch?" Judy laughed lightly.

    "Is your counselor helping?" Nick replaced his glasses on the bridge of his muzzle. "What was her name again?"

    "Abigail Verdun," Judy nodded. "She's very sweet. I think she's helping."

    Judy flashed back to her recent talks with her. If viewed from an aerial perspective, Judy was sure she'd look like she was insane as she was scrambling around the room, sitting on a chair, on a couch, shouting out the window. She talked to the deer counselor about everything, leaving nothing back. Her fears, mostly, her worries. Her needs. Her desires.

    "Nick," Judy interrupted her own thoughts before they carried her away. "...You said awhile ago. ...You said you'd do anything for me."

    The fox took his glasses off. "Uh oh."

    "I... was thinking... wondering," Judy stammered. "What do you think about moving in together?"

    "Moving in...!?" Nick repeated, shocked. "I mean, I... uh... like..."

    Judy made herself laugh. "Oh dear, I fear I've fried those foxxie neurons."

    "I mean it seems a little sudden, is all, haha..." Nick looked stunned. "I definitely couldn't move into your place."

    "No, definitely not," Judy agreed. "My place sucks."

    "As does mine," Nick quickly added, shaking his head. "You would not be moving there."

    "Guess I could look for somewhere new for us," Judy nodded. "Mid-size place for two."

    "Any reason... why? All of a sudden?" Nick's voice pitched up uncomfortably.

    Judy caught the shadow of a large mammal approaching, looking up toward it. Nick snapped out of his stupor and spun around, producing a stun gun like lightning from his coat.

    "HEY! KEEP WALKING, PAL!" Nick snarled.

    The polar bear stopped in his tracks and looked down at the two. "Jeez, Wilde, you could hurt someone with that thing."

    "Ant- Grizzoli?" Nick blinked.

    "Hey Hopps, hey Wilde," Anthony Grizzoli waved. The polar bear was in casual clothes, khaki pants and a blue and white pawaiian shirt.

    "Hey, uh, like your shirt," Nick tried not to sound as high-strung as he felt, energy pouring into his veins. He put away his weapon.

    "Hopps, I'm glad I found you," Grizzoli pointed at her. "The investigation isn't closed yet, but it looks like that creep was workin' alone, no successors or prodigies or anything."

    "Well, that helps, a little," Judy nodded. "Thank you for telling me."

    "Yeah? You doin' all right besides that?" Grizzoli crouched down a bit to not cut as huge of a figure.

    "Not really, if you want me to be perfectly honest," Judy said, blunt as she could muster.

    Nick looked pained, but turned his head to Grizzoli. "I appreciate you coming out to tell her that, Ant."

    "Hey, it was mostly luck," he shrugged. "Listen, bun. The ZPD's been through something like this before. It isn't easy. It's gonna take time. But we all got your back, Hopps."

    "Thank you..." Judy said gratefully, but her brow furrowed. "Wait, you said this happened before?"

    "Well, not exactly like what you went through," Grizzoli scratched his head.

    "To whom?" The bunny pursued.

    "I uh, you... hm..." Grizzoli looked uncertain. "Not sure it's my place to say. But in any case, we're strong. The strongest. We'll help you through."

    "Thanks, Grizzoli," Judy muttered distractedly as he took his leave.

    Nick and Judy exchanged glances.

    "You don't think... no..." Nick blurted suddenly.

    "Fangmeyer?" Judy seemed to catch his train of thought. "Could it be? She did say something like 'thanks for giving me an excuse' when she put him down..."

    Nick snarled. "Bogo, that BASTARD! He says I'M too emotionally compromised to lead the charge to rescue you but he puts someone like Fangmeyer on the lead!? When she's...?" The fox put his head in his hands.

    "Well, I dunno if it's her for sure, but I definitely want to find out," Judy mused quietly.

    "And if she froze up!?" Nick's breathing started to get out of control. "I could have lost you- WE could have lost you...!"

    "But here I am, anyway," Judy tried to smile. She didn't know if it actually came out.

    Nick's head bowed and he clutched at his head with both hands. Judy didn't know what to say. She felt like her own pain was bleeding into the fox and tearing him apart from the inside.

    After several moments of Nick's strained silence joined with Judy's contemplative hollowness, Nick's head rose back up. His muzzle was calm, but his eyes were warm.

    "...I meant what I said. I'll help you look for a place."

Chapter 195: Truths III

    "Arrrghhh! It's just so FRUSTRATING!"

    Judy stomped around the room, pacing. She ran her fingers through her ears, shooting a frustrated breath through her teeth.

    "Let it all out; you're in a safe space," came the voice of Abigail Verdun, Judy's deer therapist. She regarded the bunny from behind square-framed glasses with kind brown eyes.

    "I just can't believe this has happened to me... that I've become this... this cowering SHADOW of who I was...!" Judy clenched her fists, collapsing against the couch.

    Abigail looked at her notes. "Now, you told me earlier that you didn't feel glad or relieved that your aggressor was dead. You couldn't elaborate then. Have you had more time to think about that?"

    "I think it's because I'm scared he was right," Judy whimpered, looking up at the ceiling with despondent eyes. "Could it be that I'm just a fake? Everything I've worked for, did it really just fall in my lap? Am I setting a bad example for other mammals just by being what I am?" Her eyes squinted shut and she released a sigh that seemed to take part of her spirit with her. "I feel like, if word got out about what happened to me, that I'd be exposed as this big fraud. That Judy Hopps wasn't so tough after all."

    Abigail considered this for a moment. "The most insidious lies are the ones told to twist the truth."

    Judy thrust her paws up. "But what is the truth, Abby? I just don't know..."

    "The way I see it, and keep in mind this could be from somewhat of a biased perspective, being a prey," Abigail adjusted her glasses, "is that no one can truly take your accomplishments away from you. Perhaps you were lucky. That doesn't mean that you didn't do what needed to be done at a critical moment. I've read the official reports of your story and listened to your own account. Not any mammal could have done this."

    "Mh..." Judy rubbed her forearm with her paw.

    "Now," Abigail continued, "have you reached out to your family at all yet?"

    "No," Judy sat up, wincing and holding her paws outward to try to express herself. "You know how big bunny families are. If I told even one of my siblings, even if I trusted them, it would without a doubt spread through the family like wildfire. Then, my parents would know they were right to be so worried. It'd be a huge step back for all of them..."

    Abigail tapped her muzzle with a pen. "Are you afraid of being wrong about yourself? Or, are you afraid of needing help?"

    Judy's muzzle opened a bit, her brow furrowing. "Well, I'm here, aren't I?"

    "A mandate by the ZPD," Abigail noted. "Beyond that, what will you do to help yourself, Judy? Who will you let help you?" The deer looked through her note again. "Oh, speaking of, where are we on Nick? Your fox partner... have you shared your feelings with him?"

    The bunny laced her fingers together and looked off to the side. "Kind of. ...Recently I asked if he hated me when we first met."

    Abigail was taken slightly aback, blinking twice. "Ah... when you said he 'read you like a book'?"

    "He said he didn't, of course," Judy rolled her eyes. "Just felt kind of sorry for me that I was so 'delusional'."

    "From what I gather of this Nick fox," Abigail regarded her notes with scrutiny, "he, at that point, still was hiding his own bruises, and he wanted to hurt you a little so that your spirit wouldn't get completely crushed later. He perhaps saw something that he once had and wished to preserve it, but knew you couldn't with your 'head in the clouds', as you put it."

    "He's a nice guy," Judy shrugged. "He was terrified of losing me, when it happened..."

    "You do seem to represent a lot to him," Abigail mused. "Second chances, idealism, hope. Putting aside anything else, you meaning that much to him, your loss would have been terrible to him."

    "Yeah, and now what?" Judy huffed. "I just don't know how damaged I am, how those qualities are marred, scuffed."

    "If I said I thought you were damaged, what would you say in return?"

    "That you probably know what you're talking about..." Judy gave a dry huffing chuckle.

    "What is damaged can be mended," Abigail shook her head. "What I see is a damaged animal, not a broken one."

    Judy smiled softly. "Thanks, Abby." She looked off into the middle distance. "I did ask him to move in with me."

    Abigail dropped her pen, her pupils shrinking. "What? Really? I thought you said-"

    "Is that bad?" Judy chuckled.

    Abigail had to return a laugh. "No, I think that's great. A sign that the Judy Hopps of legend is still there."

    "What?" Judy kept laughing slightly, feeling a bit humbled. "Whats' that supposed to mean?"

    "Well, the Judy Hopps of legend goes for what she wants with no hesitation," Abigail explained. "So what am I to make from that?"

    Judy smiled again, looking down. "That I'm... still here."

    "In more ways than one, dear," Abigail grinned.

---

    The office was dark, backlit by rays of sun entering through the back. Chief Bogo sat still in his office, going over some paperwork with his glasses. The entering gray bunny did not escape his notice, however, and he looked up.

    "May I help you, Hopps?"

    "I had a question, sir," Judy tried to summon more courage than she currently felt. She stepped forward, putting her full height to bear, and trying not to shrink back.

    "Ask."

    "Was there any sort of special reason you sent Officer Fangmeyer to lead the operation to save me?" Judy asked in a solid voice.

    Bogo set down his paper and removed his glasses. "You too, Hopps? Do you know how much I hate having my orders questioned? I had to deal with this with Wilde."

    "I don't mean 'why didn't you let Nick save me?'," Judy continued. "I wondered... why Fangmeyer?"

    "Fangmeyer is my best and most fierce officer," Bogo answered in a cold voice, his mouth a thin line. "That's it. She had healthy backup. You were in the best possible position given your circumstances."

    "Yes, sir," Judy must not have looked very convinced. Bogo stood up to walk toward her, towering over her, his head titled down.

    "What you fail to realize, Hopps," he began, "is that I must make choices every day. Some hard, some easy. But, I do it all for the good of our city, and to preserve my unit. Their personal feelings be damned."

    "Yes, sir," Judy nodded, more forcefully this time.

    "Now," Bogo's tone was thick with warning, "would you like to question my orders further, or would you prefer to get back to your desk?"

    "I... no sir, I'll get back to work," Judy said, her heart fluttering.

    "Excellent," Bogo's stony countenance relaxed, but only a little bit. "If you're trying to prove your worth as some kind of detective, I'd suggest attempting another avenue."

    As the bunny exited the office, she actually smiled a little. Chief Bogo being harsh and commanding was what she knew, what she'd hoped to expect. In some ways, it filled her with a strange kind of relief; that Bogo wouldn't be so soft on her just because of what happened. She trotted back to her desk with her weak smile still on her face.

    "Huh, did you figure out something?" Nick asked, his tail flicking a bit in appreciation of her grin.

    "Nope!" Judy replied. "Well, maybe. I don't know."

    "How ambigous," Nick chuckled, turning away from her.

 

---

    Huhhhh...
    Hahhhh...
    Huhh... hah...
    Hh..ha..

    Going there was a mistake. The bunny's breaths echoed off the walls, assaulting her ears from every direction. The metal in the room seemed to widen out before her, a steel maw ready to crush the tiny bunny. She sat down hard on a bench, her eyes losing focus. She was alone; no one around to hear her. Her breaths continued to accelerate, reflecting to and fro until it sounded like the din of an enraged specter.

    "Hopps?"

    No response.

    "Hopps...!? You okay?"

    Judy shot up, as she was hunched way over. Her nose was going a mile a minute as her ears instinctively darted in the direction of the noise. She saw a topless tigress looking over her shoulder as she retrieved her ZPD uniform from a locker.

    "Fangmeyer," Judy observed aloud. "How long have you been here?"

    "Um, just a few moments," she replied, dressing herself.

    Judy stood up, nodding to her and saluting. "I suppose I've never thanked you formally for saving my life..."

    "That's just what we do at the ZPD, Hopps," Fangmeyer grinned.

    Judy's head tilted down a few degrees. A phrase she'd heard before, and even said herself. Somehow, it rung hollow, like her breaths caught in a vacant chamber. She squinted her eyes shut and looked up at her with a furrowed brow.

    "You've hated me, haven't you?" Judy accused. Fangmeyer took on a confused look. The bunny thrust her finger out. "Ever since day one. You've hated that I was a part of Chief Bogo's unit. I saw that snide look you gave me when I joined. And after I 'saved Zootopia'?" She made air quotes to punctuate. "Those snide, derisive looks turned to contempt and bitterness."

    Fangmeyer paused, looking the bunny up and down. "Been holding onto that one for awhile?"

    "Am I wrong!?" Judy splayed her arms out.

    "I don't hate you," Fangmeyer claimed.

    "Not now, I guess? Now that I'm 'really' part the team?" Judy narrowed an eye, hands on hips. "Or maybe it's because I'm a fragile little bunny that got scared by a near-death-"

    "Okay, let's hang on for a second," Fangmeyer interrupted, holding up her paw with a growl. She curled her paw up into a fist, only leaving up her forefinger. "I would never deride you for what you went through, okay? Don't you ever accuse me of that."

    Judy swallowed, her ears going back. Fangmeyer took a seat near Judy on the bench, still towering over her despite Judy standing tall.

    "Would you believe..." Fangmeyer started. "...I was in a situation like you were, once?"

    "You?" Judy blinked, mouth agape.

    "I feel like I should just tell you, maybe we can get some camaraderie going," Fangmeyer huffed. "And maybe you can convince Nick to stop calling me 'Krissiecat'."

    "Eh?" Judy's brow went up.

    "It wasn't the same as you," Fangmeyer started to look into the middle distance, "he was close to me. Male lion. Not some deranged loony. Or not that I thought. One day, he just clocked me over the head. Passed out. Took me... somewhere. Smelled bad... real bad. Still hate the smell of filth. Gotta shower more than once a day sometimes. Real strong odor blocker."

    Judy blinked, sitting down next to Fangmeyer and looking up at her.

    "He did things to me, Judy," Fangmeyer tilted her head up. "It could have been worse, but it could have been a lot better. And through it all, he called me 'sissy Krissie'."

    "Eugh..." Judy made a face. "I'm... so sorry to hear that."

    "After he had his fill, he left, in disgust, I hope," Fangmeyer snarled. She folded her broad arms in front of herself, paws on her wrists, looking away. "I couldn't believe it. He was my friend. Not only that, I was a tigress. Yet... I was so weak, I couldn't get free. I should have known better, seen some kind of sign. I thought I'd starve..."

    "But someone found you," Judy nodded.

    Kristen grinned. "Only Stanley. Wolfard." She shook her head. "He never gave up. He looked almost as bad as I did when he found me. He'd been out of sleep for thirty hours, he said, looking for me."

    "Your partner..." Judy smiled.

    "'A dog is loyal'," Fangmeyer sucked at her teeth. "That's what my mom always said when she found out I had a wolf for a partner. Speciest. Stanley's more than that. I've known some scummy wolves, even those that only care about their own interests. But Stanley..."

    "I like Wolfard," Judy smiled.

    "He's a good boy," Fangmeyer gave a sly smirk.

    "Not as good as Nick!" Judy almost chirped. "He's a gooder boy!"

    "Judy..." Fangmeyer rolled her eyes. "First of all, you can't just call a fox a 'good boy'. That's a canine thing."

    "Foxes are canines... right?" Judy blinked.

    "They're canids," Kristen explained. "That's one step back. Anyway... I guess when I saw that you and Wilde had formed that kind of true partnership, and it fell into your lap without some kind of personal tragedy, I felt a little envious. All it had taken was a colossal amount of luck and an action packed adventure."

    "I mean, there was more than a little trouble along the way..." Judy said meekly, "and it did take more than three months..."

    "But Nick's your true partner, and I see that," Kristen went on wistfully. "Just like Stanley's mine. And that's the strongest bond in the world. Partners are more than friends, more than family, more than even lovers. Once you have them, you know. You'd do anything for them, and they'd do anything for you."

    Judy contemplated this, nodding her head. Fangmeyer seemed to relax a little, getting more formal in her look.

    "I guess that's why Bogo put you at the head of the rescue party, huh?" Judy asked. "Your experience with this...?"

    Fangmeyer frowned. "...We never did find my aggressor after that. His name was Tiberius."

    "Tiberius..." Judy couldn't help but repeat.

    "Bastard either split and went to a new city or took his own life," Fangmeyer scowled. "I never really got... closure, I guess."

    "Until you took that hare down...?" Judy marveled. "...I'm surprised Bogo let you..."

    "Me too," Fangmeyer hung her head down. "But... sometimes, I think he knows what we need. I feel like this small weight that's been sitting on my heart for years has loosened."

    "Saving me was like... saving yourself?" Judy's head tilted.

    "I hope you don't think it was that selfish," Kristen returned. "The ZPD needs you. The city does."

    "Tch..." Judy looked down.

    "I'm serious," Kristen gently placed her huge paw on most of Judy's shoulder and upper arm. The bunny looked up at her. "You and Wilde are great partners. You exemplify what the ZPD should be every day. Glad to have you with us, bun."

    "Thanks, Kristen..." Judy gently smiled.

    She nodded and rose, the tiger looking over her shoulder. "Wolfard and I are still better, though."

    "Ehhh, I dunno about that!" Judy rose, trailing her. "How many megalomaniac sheep have you taken down?"

    "Dunno about 'megalomaniacs', but I've taken down my fair share of those motherflockers," Fangmeyer sneered. "Hey, we should do a 'partner' quiz. We'll get a neutral third party like Clawhauser to ask us some questions about our partners and see who gets more right. Eh? Wanna put your money where that tiny mouth is?"

    "You're on," Judy said with a hint of danger. "Nick and I'll sweep the floor with you and your 'good boy'."

    "Right," Fangmeyer gave a tiny, almost cute little growl in her throat. "I'm sure you and your 'canine' are much better partners than Stan and I."

    Judy had to laugh. "I'll show you!"

---

    Nick entered a dark room, laden with a box in his paws. He squirmed to the side, nudging the light switch with his nose. Light poured into the space, illuminating a vacant apartment.

    Judy followed after. The place was bare, though it wouldn't be for long. She'd asked for, and received, some time off to help get herself settled.

    Nick set his box down, followed by Judy. Her eye caught that a picture of his ZPD graduation topped the box. Despite wearing her dress blues, she'd glomped the fox, and he caught the moment of impact with his phone. It was ridiculous, though somewhat cute.

    "Well, here we are," Nick observed, looking around the place. His voice bounded from wall to wall, making Judy's ears go back. She nodded to acknowledge him. Looking around the room and sniffing at its scent. "Hey, don't suppose any of the Hopps are interior decorators?"

    Judy's breath picked up a bit. "They... I don't really want to get her involved in all... this."

    "Right, gotcha," Nick nodded. "I know a few mammals that could help with getting some things in here."

    "We need to furnish this place quickly," Judy quickly added. "I... don't like the sound of my voice echoing."

    Nick raised an eyebrow. "Mm? Well, personally, I could listen to your voice come from all directions all day, but sure. We'll get it done."

    Judy tore herself away from her planted stance, walking down the hall, observing the bathroom, and to the left and right, one room to be Nick's and one to be Judy's. She tried to master her breathing once more, feeling nerves start her nose to twitching.

    "Something wrong?" Nick approached her slowly.

    Judy turned, eyes plaintive. "Nick, you said you'd do anything for me, right?"

    Nick let out a tiny sigh and scoff, smirking. "You can't keep playing that card, Judy." Almost immediately, however, his grin became sincere. "What is it?"

    "I'd like to sleep in the same room as you."

    "Y-yeah?" Nick blinked.

    "I..." Judy took in a huge breath and let it out, "I need to be able to hear your breath, need to be able to see you when I open my eyes. I just want- need you, need you there."

    "Yeah, I can do that," the fox said quietly.

    "I'll sleep on a bunk or a cushion or whatever until we can fix things up," Judy began to babble. "I just... y'know, I can't- I don't know."

    "Hey, c'mon," Nick beckoned her, holding his paws open. Judy attached to him almost instantly, bounding into his arms. She began to sniffle as her breath got away from her again. The fox's gentle, pad-tipped paws gave her immense comfort, and her tears flowed slowly.

    Judy was expecting Nick to set her down at any moment, but he didn't. Even when she squeezed tight, he held her. Even when she shivered and sobbed, he held her. Eventually, he walked with her over to a rudimentary couch and sat down with her. Her breath was coming easier; she couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so comfortable and safe.

    "And..." she finally spoke again, "and if I need this...?"

    "I'll see what I can do," Nick returned warmly.

    She heard the note in his voice. That hint of tease. Not just the defensive canid who might be as scared as she was at times, but her partner, the mammal she chose to be with. The flavor that was undeniably Nick. He was still there, and she finally believed she could still be found, too. She smiled, and cried a little more. Immense relief swirled and enveloped her, and she gave a tiny, happy sigh.

    Nick gently separated them a little bit, just so he could see the bunny. She was wearing a wobbly, tearful smile.  

    "Li'l tired there, Fluff?" The fox asked in his smooth voice.

    "Extremely," Judy chuckled.

    "Let's see about getting to bed then, huh?" Nick lifted her up and took her to the room that would be theirs. "Might have to go buy some sleep shorts so I don't offend the bunny sensibilities."

    Judy responded with a hitching, broken chuckle capped with a sniff. She was here with Nick. Her fox.

    She would get better.

Chapter 196: Truths IV

    Judy gave a sigh as she ran her fingers down the new steely-blue cast encasing her right arm. Sitting on the edge of a hospital bed, she tested her weight on it, wrinkling her nose.

    "That should about do it, Judy," Carla Pedshark encouraged. "Just make sure you have no strain on the arm at all. Give it plenty of time to heal."

    "Looks like I'll be stuck on desk work yet again," Judy gave a dry smirk. "And with my non-dominant paw, too." She sucked her teeth. "Y'know, theoretically, bunnies are supposed to be lucky animals."

    The ferret nurse nodded and looked at her somewhat sadly. "Yes. I suppose when you consider 'luck'... is that just fortunate things happening to an individual? Is it bad things not happening to someone? Or is it being able to walk away after those bad things?"

    The gray bunny actually managed a small smile at this. "Hey, you're not my therapist."

    "No, but we nurses are in the business of making our patients feel better," Carla gave an encouraging smile.

    Judy sighed and looked out of the window. A bright, clear day. Cold outside, windy, but palatable.

    "Now, you do have someone that can help you with chores and the like while you recover, right?" Carla pursued in a motherly tone. "Someone like family?"

    "Sure do," Judy nodded with a faint grin, her eyes giving a dull glimmer. "Speaking of, how's your little jill doing? Every time I see your husband, he seems to mention her."

    "Oh!" Carla's body perked up in a way that was quite mustelid in fashion, amusing Judy. "Yes, she's doing just great." The ferret pulled out her smart phone and quickly scrolled to a picture of a much younger ferret, about seven. She appeared to be rampaging the house, wielding various pencils and colored pens in both paws, glasses barely balanced on the bridge of her small muzzle.

    "Pff, oh, thats very sweet," Judy smiled genuinely, feeling a flush of happiness. "Her name's... 'Kara', right?"

    "Mhm, we wanted it to be similar to our names, and thought it was the best pick," Carla smiled. "Her eyesight is really bad for a ferret, but she doesn't seem to mind wearing glasses very much. She's always going on about 'RESEARCH!'" The ferret took a break to giggle proudly. "She currently loves to study about the weather and space. Carl and I are hoping she'll want to be in the medical profession eventually, maybe even a doctor herself. Right now she's trending 'scientist' though."

    "As long as she's not a chemist," the bunny found herself saying.

    Carla almost said something, but her confusion turned into a sort of grim realization.

    The bunny turned her attention back to the picture. "You have any other recent pictures?"

    The ferret shrugged off her mild unease and grinned. "I'm her mother. What do you think?"

---

    "Hey hey! There they are."

    Nick and Judy walked into a diner where they were waved down by an enthusiastic Stanley Wolfard and Kristen Fangmeyer. The wolf was dressed in a dark shirt and colorful open flannel coat, whereas the tigress seemed to enjoy showing off her arms despite the cold weather.

    "It's the cool cat and the bunny!" Stanley observed.

    "Cat? What, is Benny behind me?" Nick looked behind him. Seeing the cheetah in question was not, he huffed. "Y'know, I'm much more closely related to you than her." The fox jerked his thumb at Kristen.

    "I think he's just noticing your 'feline' qualities," Kristen almost purred, resting her chin on her fist. "When your partner is a cat, you tend to notice what you like about cats. For instance, your confidence, I'd say. Or maybe your preening."

    "Hey," Nick chuckled, Judy soon following as the two sat down.

    "It's like I notice your more canine-like traits," Kristen tilted up her head to put on an air of superiority. "Like your goofiness and loyalty."

    "I didn't realize this was a roasting session," Nick smirked.

    "I think she's complimenting you, Nick," Judy countered. "I think."

    Stanley's tail began to visibly wag as he observed Judy's cast. It was already adorned with many signatures from the ZPD. He, Kristen, Nick, Benjamin, and several others had all signed it.

    "I'm lucky I got to sign Judy's cast before it ran out of room," Stanley nodded up to Kristen. "I've never seen Francine write so tiny! Her gripping that marker so tightly in her trunk, I was really kind of nervous for a while."

    "You and me both," Judy smirked, looking fondly over the signatures. "It's nice to be appreciated, though."

    "Sucks that some of them got shooed out of the queue by Bogo," Kristen rolled her eyes. "I guess he said you were being disruptive by everyone wanting to sign your cast?"

    "Not quite," Judy gave a mischievous glare, carefully rotating at the hips to show off a small section of the cast that had "Chief Bogo" written on it in tiny, yet precise lettering.

    "No, way," Fangmeyer's jaw dropped, bemused.

    "I knew he was an old softie," Nick clicked his tongue. "Speaking of softies, where's everyone's favorite cheet-aagh!"

    "Hello!" Said cheetah ceremoniously placed down a large plate of fish burgers and fries before them all, as well as a few salads. "Sorry, I just had to get some fuel for the partners game!"

    "This is all for you, then?" Nick joked.

    Judy nudged him with her good arm. "Nick..."

    "No no, it's for everyone," Benjamin chirped. "Help yourselves!"

    "I love this place's fries," Judy said. "Could you pass me the curly fries, Nick?"

    "As you wish," Nick said airily, making a show of doing so. The predator partners took sandwiches and fries as well.

    "So, in the spirit of food," Benjamin said, taking out some notes he had on his phone. "I had my first question planned out. What is your partner's favorite food?"

    "Of course it's about food," Kristen chuckled. "Stan likes tuna."

    "Yup," said the wolf before he dove into a big bite of sandwich. After he gulped it down, he nodded to Kristen. "Kristen's favorite is salmon."

    "Correct," she added with half-lidded eyes.

    "Hoo boy," Judy grinned. "Nick's favorite dish is salad with blueberries, bleu cheese crumbles, and vinaigrette dressing."

    "No kidding?" Stanley looked at Nick, hunched over a bit. "Salad?"

    "Hey, being an omnivore has its perks," Nick shrugged. "As far as Judy-"

    "Carrots?" Kristen teased.

    Nick pointed a fry at her. "Incorrect. Judy's actual favorite 'real' food is tomatoes. And, for bonus points, her favorite dessert is strawberries."

    "That is, indeed, true," Judy chirped confidently, licking her lips. "Strawberry shortcake is sent from heaven."

    "Guess you need to update your nickname for her, then," Stanley grinned widely.

    "What, call her 'Strawberries'?" Nick looked skeptically between the wolf and the bunny. "Thanks, but I value my life." The two cats responded with laughter, while Judy just smirked.

    "So I guess that's points for all of you then, no big advantage for either team," Benjamin typed into his phone. "Okay, next question. Nick and Kristen are only-childs, but Stanley and Judy are not. Can you name their siblings?"

    Nick's eyes briefly became wide.

    "Easy," Kristen took a confident slashing bite out of her sandwich. "Stanley has an older sister named Ginger and a younger brother named Trevor."

    "Right! And you, Nick?" Benjamin smiled widely at him, taking a pause to slurp his soda.

    "You're serious," Nick said, deadpan. "You want me to name all of Judy's siblings."

    "This should be good," Judy smirked.

    "Here goes," Nick took in a huge breath. "You have Beth, Pepper, Lorelei, Brian, Arthur, Cassidy, Skeeter, Poppy, Jerome, Tennessee, Rachel, Violet, Trevor, Sean..."

    Kristen and Stanley's eyes grew wider as they leaned in ever so slowly to listen. Judy's eyes also widened, but her mouth became a fixed triangle. Nick continued rattling off names for quite a few minutes.

    "...Methuselah, Cotton, Jennifer, Jay, and... what was it, Ebony."

    "No way..." Stanley marveled.

    "Holy cats," Kristen shook her head. "I just do not have the memory. I could never remember a bunny's family names."

    "I guess that means equal points for each of you," Benjamin said happily, jotting this down.

    "Really? After all that?" Nick scoffed.

    The table was devoid of food. Nick had been naming names for awhile.

    "Maybe we can continue this game in a few days?" Benjamin smiled apologetically, his attention span dimming from a lack of present sustenance. "I think this is fun, though. Maybe we can make this a thing!"

    "Sounds good to me," Kristen nodded, and the others agreed.

    "Yeah, I got some stuff to do," Stanley said, pulling out a twenty buck bill. "For the meal, Clawsie."

    "Such a good boy," Kristen looked at him proudly, to which he smiled and gave a thumbs up. She took her leave soon after.

    "I'll clean up here so you don't have to," Benjamin offered, quickly scooping up the trays and leaving Nick and Judy to escort themselves out alone.

    Nick held the door open for Judy with his back, motioning her forward. Judy gave him a wry smile as she exited.

    "You're incredible, Nick," she said dryly.

    "Of course I am," Nick said smugly. "...What for this time?"

    "Thinking I had that few siblings," Judy laughed. "They ate it all up."

    Nick shook his head and mouthed the word "few?" before moving to join her gait.

    "Must be that feline confidence Kristy was going on about," Nick shrugged, tucking his paws into his coat. Did I get any right?"

    "Some," Judy gave him a devilish grin. "But 'Methuselah?' REALLY...?"

    "You did say your grandpa was over one hundred, right?" Nick winced.

    "Grandpa Otto Hopps," Judy nodded. "And yes. I'll show you a family album!"

    "Yeesh," Nick winced. "It take an elephant to carry that?"

---

    Nick's eyes blearily half-opened. The comforting sound of old comedies played from the TV, flooding the apartment with dim light. Something was wrong though. He could smell Judy; she should have been asleep on the couch next to him. But he smelled a lot more than that. Smells similar to Judy, but-

    "Hruh!" Nick leaped up from the couch and whirled around, pulling a stun gun from behind a throw pillow. "Stay where you are!"

    As Nick's senses flooded information to him, he found himself staring at about ten pairs of bunny ears, wide eyes, and frightened faces. One quickly shot up both of their paws in surrender, and the rest followed suit. "What the...?"

    "Nick!?" Judy snapped awake, cringing back into the couch. "What is it!?" Her nose started, terrified.

    "Um... I think you know these bunnies."

    Instantly dropping her fear, Judy shot up and began to look over the back of the couch. "Are you kidding me."

    "Sorry, Judy," one of the bunny's sisters stepped forth. Judy turned on a light to see better. It was Violet Hopps, clothed in a dark sweater, skirt, and glasses. "We'd heard you injured your arm..." Her eyes flickered over to Judy's cast. "Looks like that was correct."

    "How did you know that!?" Judy shouted, exasperated. A few of the younger of Judy's siblings began to look upset. "How'd you know where I lived... how'd..."

    "I did some research," Violet cleared her throat. "Nothing too invasive."

    "'Nothing too invasive'," Judy spat back. "Then how did you manage to get into my apartment!?"

    A brown bunny female with blue eyes gave a nervous giggle, holding up a lock pick. "Heheh..."

    "Jill," Judy said stonily.

    "She's really quite good at it," Violet said, her eyes wandering away nervously to regard the early morning light from the apartment window.

    "You and me need to talk, Violet," Judy said, her voice laced with seriousness. "The rest of you-"

    "I'm glad you're okay, Judy..." Cotton Hopps came forth, Judy's little light gray niece. Her paws were together tentatively. "I was really worried."

    "Oh, Cotton..." Judy had a pained look on her face. "Come here." She carefully hugged her small niece with one paw. "Okay, Cotton." She looked at the rest of the intruders. "Bradley, Jill, Manny, Rachel, James, Sally, Hector, Jerry. You all talk with Nick for awhile, okay? He's my partner. He's very nice."

    All the bunny eyes turned to Nick.

    "At least I got a few of them right," Nick chuckled wearily. "Okay, any of you up for a magic trick?"

    "Ooh, okay!" Cotton nodded, instantly entranced.

    "Great," Nick pulled a deck of cards out of an end table while Judy moved to the kitchen, pouring cups of coffee for her and her sister. He shuffled the deck and fanned it out in front of Cotton, setting the deck box beside him. "You wanna choose a card for me?"

    Cotton nodded and grabbed a card. The other bunnies craned over to look at it.

    "Don't tell me what it is," Nick said. "You all got it? Okay, put it back at any space in the deck." Cotton did as she was told, and Nick started to shuffle the cards several times. The bunnies watched him as if spellbound. "Never seen a fox shuffling cards before? We're kinda famous for it. Some of the best card sharks are foxes. We do look good in vests."

    "Pff," Jill scoffed.

    "Okay, it's time to find your card," Nick said, rifling through the deck slowly. He peered into the deck as he was rifling, and all the bunnies did so with him. "You see it yet? I don't think it's here."

    "Not yet..." Cotton shook her head.

    Nick made it through the whole deck without finding the card. "Darn, you know, I think the card you picked was just shy and went back to its burrow." Cotton looked up at him with an adorably confused face, to his grin and delight. He popped up the card box and shook it, and the rattling of one card sounded. Emptying it, the ten of clubs fell out.

    "That's my card!" Cotton shouted with glee.

    "What? How'd he do that...?" One of the bunnies scratched his head.

    "We were all watching him, how'd he pull that off...?" Another added.

    "Eh, magic is just cheap tricks anyway," said Bradley, another brown bunny. He folded his arms, aloof. "All it is is tricking people."

    "Foxes are pretty good at that, those tricks," Nick wiggled his eyebrows. "What you want to do is misdirect, and it helps if you have someone on the inside to help you do it." Nick showed off his empty wrists and palms. "You see, I'm not hiding any more cards, but he is." Nick gracefully reached behind Bradley's ear, making it twitch, and pulled out the ace of hearts from behind it.

    "What!? How'd you...!?" Bradley looked shocked. "Whoa..."

    "He's pretty good with kits," Violet observed, smiling.

    "He's not bad," Judy agreed with a mirrored smile.

    "So... how'd you hurt your arm?"

    "It was a runaway food cart," Judy shook her head. "Ended up stopping it, but it kind of smashed my arm in the process."

    Violet shook her head, rubbing her paws on her coffee cup. "This is what we were all afraid of, Judy... we had a feeling this job might be dangerous, that it might get you hurt."

    "Yeah but..." Judy sighed, her eyes getting a dull, hollow look to them. "Y'know, I'm still here. No big deal."

    "I guess not, but..." Violet sighed, brushing her ears back. "We all worry so much about you. What if something really bad happened, huh?"

    "Chances of that are... psh," Judy blankly shrugged, her voice weak.

    Violet frowned.

    "I'd deal with it," Judy finally looked up at her. "As long as I'm here, I can deal."

    "If that's what you want," Violet barely smiled. Her eyes flicked back over to Nick. "Now, I can see why you haven't told anyone yet, but I'm totally okay with you living with Nick. We might need to strategize how to cleanly break it to Mom and Dad, though."

    "You think they'll be that upset?" Judy winced.

    Across the way, Nick's ear twitched.

    "About you and Nick being together? Maybe not, but it will be shocking," Violet gave a light laugh. "I'll have to craft a plan to brace them for impact."

    "Well, he's just... such a nice fox and all," Judy smiled sweetly. "You can't keep it secret for me, huh?"

    "I can," Violet placed her hand on her own chest. "But..." she nodded her head to the side.

    "Oh right," Judy's brow fell. "Manny's here."

    "Exactly; wouldn't count on it being secret long," Violet gave an apologetic smile.

    "Well, you can... just tell them that Nick and I are very close, so it made sense for us to move in together," Judy shrugged.

    "I guess you can get him to do your chores while your arm's broke, huh Judy?" Cotton suddenly cozied up to her aunt's side.

    "Cotton!" Judy laughed. "Well, yes, it does mean that."

    Nick's face showed a bit of a scowl, but he turned to the other bunnies and grew a pleasant smile. "Okay, who wants to see another trick?"

    All of the bunnies held up their paws, with Bradley most eager of all.

---

    That evening, Nick was setting up their bed, fluffing the pillows and straightening the sheets.

    "You want me to help?" Judy asked lightly, showing up next to him.

    "Don't be ridiculous," Nick answered coldly.

    "I could tuck in the sheets with my good paw," Judy wiggled it, only to see Nick briskly tucking in the sheets. "Guess not. Why do you seem... miffed?"

    "Oh, I don't know, Judy," Nick snapped, turning to glare at her. "Maybe it was that whole thing about informing Violet about our 'relationship'!"

    Judy quieted up, her ears going back, looking pensive. She rubbed the shoulder of her broken arm.

    "Cause, gee, I dunno, it might be nice for your partner to know he's romantically involved with you," Nick held his paws out, straightening up.

    "I tried not to make it seem that way," Judy offered weakly. "That's just how they saw it."

    "Yeah, how else could they see it?" Nick sneered. "I got fist bumps, hugs, 'treat Judy right's' on their way out..."

    "Sounds awful," Judy said distantly. "But I don't get why you're so angry about it."

    "Because you-!" Nick sputtered, running his hands over his ears. "I... you'd rather LIE to your family than admit you're really hurt? You'd fabricate a whole 'thing' between us instead of admitting the more important things that have been going on?"

    Judy looked hurt and walked closer to Nick. "What lie? What lie, though, Nick?"

    "I mean- you... what?" Nick narrowed an eye.

    "We sleep in the same bed!" Judy motioned to it. "We joke together, laugh together, you hold me while I cry, we fall asleep on the couch together... isn't this kind of a... a 'thing'?"

    "I..." Nick's muzzle bunched up. "I thought it was just because you needed someone to help you-"

    "And I DO!" Judy shouted. "I desperately do! I don't want my whole family to know because I don't want them all to help. I know how... mixed their 'help' would be. But I know you... I trust you with anything and everything of mine. I NEED you, Nick."

    Nick quieted up, looking solemnly off to the side.

    "I thought that... once we became partners together, that would be that," Judy's breath shuddered. "That it was an eternal union. Nothing would change. Well, it has, and here we are. I'm kind of a mess, you're... you're just what I need. Just who I need."

    Nick came over to solemnly hug her, patting her ears.

    "You don't have to..." Judy shivered.

    "Don't what...?"

    "You don't have to love me."

    "Little late for that, I'm afraid," Nick bent over to softly kiss the top of her head. Judy responded with a happy, tearful little chuckle, her heart fluttering.

    "Thank you, Nick," The bunny nuzzled into his midsection a little. "I really need you. ...And want you, too. Like... don't think that I'm just- just using you or something."

    "You need to quiet down before you get to crying babbly mode," Nick teased. He gently helped her into bed. "In you go, Strawberries."

    Judy laughed, getting under the covers. "Never in public."

    "Of course not," Nick got in bed with her, kissing her between the eyes. "Good night, sweetheart."

    "It is, with you," Judy sighed happily, nestling in to her fox. "...I'm so lucky to have you."

Chapter 197: Truths V

    Judy had lived ten more years. A lot had changed, but many things hadn't.

    One day on the job she happened to walk down near the ZPD's Medical Examiner's room. She saw Kristen Fangmeyer in it, which filed her with instant dread. Without thinking, she opened the door.

    "Hopps?" Carl Pedshark, the ZPD's ferret Medical Examiner, regarded her with a dubious expression.

    "Oh, can I come in?" Judy almost tittered.

    "Hey, Hopps," Fangmeyer looked down at the ME's table. It was decorated with a mostly-complete skeleton of some sort of mammal. Judy felt a sinking feeling as she tried to look onto the table to discern its origin.

    "What's... is this for a case you're working, Detective Fangmeyer?" Judy blinked.

    "Not exactly," Fangmeyer folded her arms. "This is just me closing a chapter of my life. Finally."

    "The skeleton was found in a forest by another ZPD team, and through dental records we've been able to confirm his origin," Dr. Pedshark offered.

    "Didn't even really need the confirmation, once I saw him assembled," Fangmeyer shook her head. "He's got that metal front fang. It's him."

    "The one that hurt you all that time ago..." Judy nodded in understanding. She poked at her head. "It wasn't... Tiberius Sabre, was it?"

    "...How the hell did you know that?" Fangmeyer turned to her, mildly shocked. "I haven't spoken his name in ages."

    "Well, that's the last time I'll say it," Judy looked apologetic. "Just reminded me of a case file I saw."

    "Shoo, Hopps, it's pretty crazy you're not a detective already," Fangmeyer grinned. "Stan's a good partner for the physical work, but I think the ZPD could use another 'smart' couple, like you and Nick."

    "Oh, I don't know," Judy chuckled, looking a little distracted. "Anyway, it's kind of... good that you can get that closure, huh?"

    "Sort of," Fangmeyer scowled, turning to the bones. "Almost wish he was alive, in jail. I put scum like him there now, and it'd feel great to know he knew that." She balled her fists, then relaxed them, teasing out her claws, then sheathing them again. "Oh well. Now you get to put him away, Dr. Pedshark."

    "Would be more than happy to, if we're all done here," Dr. Pedshark nodded, looking over to the two female officers.

    "Yeah, I think we're done," Fangmeyer folded her arms again.

    As he passed by Judy, the ferret stopped to look up at her. "Oh, Officer Hopps. My wife was looking forward to having coffee with you on the weekend, if you think you can spare the time."

    "Oh, sure," Judy nodded with a small smile. "I'll text her this evening."

---

    It was a mild day in Savanna Central. It was by far Judy's favorite of Zootopia's districts. The way the dissimilar buildings melded together into a cornucopia of an urban playground, it was so foreign and yet so familiar. The temperature was nice as well. Though the Meadowlands reminded her more of where she grew up, Savanna Central felt much more like home.

    She sipped from her coffee as she took glances at the ferret across from her. Ferrets seemed to age very gracefully, and Carla Pedshark didn't look a year older than she had when she'd helped Judy out all that time ago. The bunny felt like communicating this, but instead turned back to her coffee. She liked it a little sweeter than she used to, back when it was all bite. She blamed Nick for that. Developing a sweet tooth was dangerous as a bunny, one of Judy's aunts used to say, especially if it was the front tooth, because that one was always growing.

    "Do you mind if I ask a bit of a personal question?" Carla broke the silence, rubbing her paws on her own coffee cup.

    "Not at all," Judy's guard fell a bit, but she gave a subtle nod to communicate her comfort.

    "I had wondered why you and Nick are still beat cops," Carla said, breaking up her question with a sip of her beverage. Judy instantly began to look a little defensive, her eyes moving away. "You two are fiercely intelligent, and there's a lot of things that need doing on higher levels than what you two are currently at. ...I'm sorry if that sounds, uhm... blunt."

    "It's a fair question," Judy tried not to grumble. "But... I think Nick and I are in a good place right now." She took in a slow breath and let it out with equal care. "I mean, he and I have 'saved Zootopia', right? We're the first bunny and fox on the ZPD force, right? How many more boxes do we need to check before it's enough? I mean... y'know, unchecked ambition and all that."

    "Of course, of course," Carla nodded, nibbling on her lip a bit.

    "Plus, with a set schedule, Nick and I have more time for Larry," Judy drummed her fingers on her cup. "If we were detectives or agents or something, we'd likely be called away to special assignments, then we couldn't be there for him. As it is the kit nearly raises himself..."

    "Ah, yes," Carla smiled. "Little Larry."

    Judy smiled softly, hearing her wedding band clink against the cup. "Mhm. I think I can afford to stifle my own extravagant goals for making things just a bit easier for him. He needs that too."

    "Certainly," Carla nodded vehemently. "...I had just wondered. You know."

    Judy's brow fell a little. "What... that that madmammal had gotten to me?"

    "Please don't take it the wrong way," Carla waved her paws defensively. "I just wanted to know you're living the best life you desire."

    "Well, I am," Judy nodded defiantly, but she felt her teeth grit in her mouth. "He was just some insane fool anyway. He got fired from his job for causing explosions in his lab. More than one. Maniac. He just deflected onto me randomly. Really, it could have been anyone. I mean, I'd hate to think if he captured someone not on the ZPD-"

    "Okay Judy, okay, I get it, I'm sorry," Carla held her paws up in defeat. "I didn't mean to touch a nerve."

    "You didn't, and he's long gone anyway," Judy sighed. "Best forgotten."

    "I agree," Carla smiled carefully. "Ah- let's get back to Larry, shall we? I have a little something to show you." The ferret pulled out her phone to show a picture of a small, arguably cute gray squirrel and Kara Pedshark, Carla's daughter. The squirrel was giving a tentative grin up to the softly smiling ferret. "Hm? Isn't this precious? Larry's asking her for help with his biology homework. But if you ask me, there's a bit of 'chemistry' going on there, too."

    "Huh, how about that?" Judy found herself nearly forcing a smile. "A little bit of puppy love there, maybe?"

    "Larry is a sweet little so-and-so," Carla grinned. "I think it might be."

    "Kara's probably a bit out of his league, though," Judy swiftly found herself saying.

    "Really? What makes you say that?" Carla blinked. "She's rather socially awkward. I mean, she's in her junior year of high school and hasn't even had a date yet. I think it would be really good for her if she got to go out once or twice."

    "But with Larry?" Judy tilted her head. "What do they even have in common? He likes, I dunno, video games and cars, and she's... what, pretty into her studies?"

    "I dunno, maybe I'm reading into it," Carla smiled, putting her phone down. "Just thought you should know in case Larry starts acting a little goofy at your place."

    Judy chuckled. "How would I be able to tell the difference?"

    Carla joined in the chuckling.

---

    Larry Hopps let out an irritated squirrel bark as he saw his character fly off-screen in the game he was playing. He shifted in his small chair and scooted closer, adjusting his headset microphone.

    "Okay, okay okay!" Larry narrowed his eyes. "But you only beat me because I was trying to 'have fun' and 'play a new character', that was your idea, Chet! ...Right, right, laugh it up, fluff face. I'm gonna switch to my main and dunk you into the ground!"

    Judy appeared at his doorway. She folded her paws and knocked on the door frame. "Hey, Larry?"

    "Yeah, Mom?" Larry seemed to be broken from his spell of yelling at his friend.

    "Could we talk for a few minutes?"

    "I'm kinda in the middle of a game with Chet," Larry indicated his TV screen.

    Judy walked into the room and peered over at it. "Well, it looks to me like you're on the character select screen, so aren't you between games?"

    "She's got you there, Brody!" Judy heard Larry's friend faintly through his headphones.

    "I'll call you back, Chet," Larry groaned, hanging up and taking off his headphones. "What's up?"

    "Well..." Judy tilted her head up and looked down at the squirrel. "I've heard a few rumors that someone around here has a girlfriend. Do you know who that might be?"

    "...Is this a trick question?" Larry looked up with curious eyes.

    "You and Kara!" Judy folded her arms again. "Asking her for tutoring and stuff."

    "Oh! That's..." Larry let out a chirp. "That's uh, just, y'know. I need help with my grades, you know that."

    "Right, my solid B student," Judy's eyelids fell.

    "I got a C in Biology last time!" Larry winced.

    "Well, anyway," Judy shook her head. "I just want you to be careful, okay?"

    "'Careful'...?" Larry began to look ever more uncomfortable. "Mom we're... we're just- we're not even dating or anything."

    Judy held her arms out in a shrug. "And, you might find that she's not really right for dating you. And that's totally okay."

    "Wait, what!?" Larry's jaw dropped. "Okay, that's rich coming from you. You married a fox."

    "No no no," Judy shook her head tightly. "It's not about species, or pred-prey, anything like that. It's about your... well, goals."

    Larry was silent for several uncomfortable moments.

    "Kara wants to be a chemist," Larry said. "She's in Advanced Placement classes."

    "Right," Judy nodded. "So-"

    "So you're saying I'm not 'good enough' for her, Mom?" Larry snarled. "Cause I'm just- I'm taking boring ol' normal classes and not even acing them? Cause I don't know what to do with myself!?"

    "No! That's not what I'm saying!" Judy winced and nearly cringed. "Not at all."

    "Sure sounds like it," bitterness lined Larry's voice.

    "It's just... chemists, they..." Judy swore she felt her neurons bashing around in her brain violently. "They're kind of a more... reclusive scientist, so... I dunno, they might have more problems interacting... on a social level. They like mixing together things and causing reactions that they can control. But relationships are complicated."

    Larry sat there in his chair with his paws on his chair, looking baffled. "Kara's... nice though."

    "I know, but-"

    Judy was interrupted by Nick entering the room. He quickly and firmly placed his paw on Judy's shoulder.

    "Hey hey, how's it going, Champ?" Nick grinned. "I think what your mother is trying to say is that we're both very happy you found a nice li'l mammal to be sweet on. She just doesn't want you to get your li'l heart hurt. Right?"

    "Mm," Judy mumbled.

    "Um, okay, I'll be careful?" Larry narrowed an eye.

    "Right, don't let their looks fool you, ferrets can be feisty," Nick clicked his tongue and pointed at Larry, then ushered Judy out of the room.

    The two came to a stop in their own room, and Judy shut the door.

    "Excuse you," Judy said in a low voice.

    "Excuse ME!?" Nick replied in a harsh whisper, driving his paws into his chest. "What was that all about?"

    "Exactly what you saw," Judy folded her arms. "I don't want Larry to get hurt."

    "Right, because he might want to date a chemist-to-be," Nick shrugged a shoulder, his voice turning deadpan.

    "That's not it," Judy grit her teeth.

    "Because all chemists are psycho murderers," Nick continued with dangerous eyes. "Is that what we've learned?"

    "Nick," Judy returned dangerously. "Please. Don't go there." She began to look pensive, and her anger drained. "It's just..." she folded her arms tight. "I've had it on my mind lately, since Detective Fangmeyer found her aggressor's remains."

    "Oh," Nick's own irritation started to drain. "Well, you know better than to think someone's profession will drive them to... you know."

    "Right, I know, I know that in my head, but my heart still... hurts, I guess," Judy looked away. "I don't want Larry to be hurt. Emotionally or otherwise."

    Nick took Judy's paws with his own, holding them lightly. "I get it, but what's gonna happen if you keep throwing yourself between him and every geeky piece of fluff he wants to go after?"

    Judy sighed.

    "He's gotta take the good with the bad," Nick went on. "He's had it rough. We shouldn't try to be obstacles to his happiness, if we can avoid it."

    The bunny looked offended for a split second, then she deflated with a sigh. "I guess you're right. I might need- I should take some time off."

    "Heaven knows you barely do that," Nick rolled his eyes.

    "And go somewhere... like," Judy searched the room with her eyes. "Back to Bunnyburrow. Alone."

    "Yeah...?" Nick looked nervous. "Don't want to make it a family thing again?"

    Judy shrugged. "I've just got some things I think I need to say to a certain mammal. I'd rather do it by myself."

    "Well, okay," Nick nodded. "Larry and I will just be a phone call away if you need anything."

    "Thanks, Nick," Judy smooched his nose. "I think I've got this."

---

    Judy's heart felt like it was in her throat as she knocked on the door.

    She hoped she had the right place, but then again, part of her hoped she didn't. Slowly, the door opened.

    "Judy?" Samantha Hopps eyed her with curiosity. "You're a heck of a ways from home. What're you doing in Bunnyburrow?"

    "I just- er, felt like dropping by," Judy said, almost convincingly.

    "The hubby or the kit here?" Samantha poked out to look.

    "No, just me," Judy put her hands behind her back.

    "Aw, I haven't seen that kit in forever," Samantha gave a half smile. "Has he grown any?"

    "Not really," Judy chuckled. "What you see at about ten years old is what you get with squirrels a lot of times."

    Samantha seemed to jolt as she realized she wasn't being the most gracious of hosts. "Oh, uh, did you want to come in?" The taller, cream-colored bunny was quite fit, and wearing a tank top and jogging shorts. "Sorry, I was just working out."

    "Sure," Judy stepped into the apartment and yelped. There was a giant plush of a rabbit shoved into the corner, its head bobbed forward disconcertingly.

    "Oops," Samantha giggled. "Freakin' Serendipity. She's gotten me a couple of times, too." Samantha roughly pushed the plush on its head, making it bob back. It was clearer with its starry eyes and spiky fluff on its ears that it was supposed to be the Celestial Animal Serendipity.

    "Got that at a Serendipiday, did you?" Judy smiled.

    "Terra did."

    "Oh, is she here...?" Judy's voice broke a little, hoping the answer might be no.

    This was met with a smallish kit fox rounding the corner. She smiled and waved. "Heya. Oh, Judy! Haven't seen you since our wedding! How are you?"

    "Fine, fine," Judy replied, mostly automatically. She smiled a bit too broadly at the kit fox and tried to stifle a giggle.
    
    Seeing the apparent scrutiny, Samantha's brow pushed forward and she narrowed an eye. "What?"

    "Oh, nothing, it's just... every time I see Terra, I'm just struck with how, um..." Judy fluttered on.

    "Spit it out," Samantha demanded tersely.

    "How... cute she is...?" Judy let out her sentence with a very ginger edge.

    Samantha's mood immediately lightened and she chuckled. "Oh, heh, well, yeah."

    "Thank you," Terra raised her left hand and swished it as she pretended to be sword-fighting or something similar, "I've worked hard to become so."

    "I was wondering if I could talk to you alone for a bit?" Judy's head half turned to Samantha.

    "Anything you can say to me, you can say to her, right?" Samantha shrugged.

    "Can I sit down, then?" Judy eyed their couch, looking uncomfortable.

    "Oh, uh, yeah!" Samantha winced. "You want something to drink?"

    "Not really," Judy sighed. "Shoo, well, how to begin..."

    Samantha sat down on a chair across from her, and Terra draped herself whimsically over her bunny.

    "It's not like family trouble, is it?" Samantha tilted her head.

    "Not exactly," Judy sighed. "You see, about ten years ago now... I was attacked."

    Judy paused to let the gravity of the statement take hold. Samantha and Terra's eyes both widened, and Terra turned to her mate.

    "Um, maybe I should get Judy something to drink," Terra said.

    Samantha's eyes narrowed. "I thought she said she-"

    Terra met her gaze with a bizarre look that combined sternness with cuteness.

    "Okay, yeah."

    Terra hurriedly got up and made herself scarce, leaving the two bunnies alone.

    "By who?" Samantha's voice started to lower, and she leaned in.

    "Some... hare," Judy bit her lip. "He captured me, put me in an abandoned facility, and left me alone for a whole day. Once I was half starved, he told me how he was just going to let me die..."

    "What the hell..." Samantha barely breathed. "But the ZPD got you? They got him."

    "Yes," Judy's breaths started to shake a little. "Yes on both counts."

    "Your fox save you...?" Samantha almost smiled.

    "Not quite," Judy shook her head. "He helped."

    "You never told this to the rest of the family?" Samantha asked incredulously. "I feel like I would have heard of this by now."

    "I know, and that's exactly the reason I didn't," Judy suddenly couldn't meet her eyes.

    "God, Judy," Samantha sucked at her teeth. "You can't act like you're invincible. When I was attacked, I had all of the family to help. I moved back in with them. They all supported me. I needed that. Strong as I am, I know I couldn't have done it without Violet, Mom, Dad, everyone."

    "I did have help," Judy insisted. "A therapist, Nick, the ZPD. They're all really good friends to me. I didn't want to bring it up because... I dunno, I know you had that incident happen and... I didn't want to drag up those memories just for my sake."

    "Tuh, I would have been glad to help, Judy," Samantha frowned. "Even keep it secret if you really wanted."

    "Please still do that," Judy looked at her again. "I really don't want my family begging me to give up being a policebunny again."

    "I get it," Samantha frowned. "But... why come out with this now then?"

    "Well, I just... I feel like I had some kind of a relapse," Judy shook her head. "Not really major, but... it just- I thought it was all behind me, but I feel like I still have some of it come up from time to time. Like, I got in an argument with Larry about what kind of girlfriend he should have. His girlfriend wants to be the same profession as the guy that attacked me. A chemist."

    "Oh, well what's that got to-," Samantha interrupted herself. "Hm."

    "I wanted to know something," Judy lowered her voice considerably. "After being attacked by a fox, are you really okay with having another fox as a mate?"

    "I can't really help what I'm attracted to, Judy," Samantha half-smiled. "It was hard for a long time, but... with someone as sweet as Terra, it eventually got easier. ...I know that sounds really basic, but you know I have a hard time explaining things."

    "Do you have any advice?" Judy winced hopefully.

    "I... tshh..." Samantha looked put upon as she appeared to wrack her brain, staring into the middle distance. "I dunno. See if you can get to know the girlfriend a bit better if that's an option? Put yourself in a position to get to see her good sides. For me, when I was with Terra, I had this warning siren going off in my head. 'She's a fox! She's a fox!' Eventually, it got quieter. 'She's a fox.' Sometimes, I still 'hear' it. But heck, she's the love of my life, so heck yeah she's a fox."

    Judy smiled and chuckled a little. "That sounds very nice. Thank you, Samantha."

    "Of course," Samantha nodded, then looked surprised when Judy got up. "Um, are you leaving? You don't wanna stay for a while?"

    "Well, I do have to visit the rest of the fam," Judy rolled her eyes. "They wouldn't forgive me if they figured out I was here without dropping by."

    "Oh, I wouldn't have told them," Samantha scratched her head.

    Judy hugged her sister, who hugged back firmly. "I'm sure they would have figured out somehow. They do have Violet, after all." She released her, and gave a centering sigh. "Thank you."

    "Love you, Jude the Dude," Samantha tapped her fist on Judy's head.

    "You still remember that," Judy droned in deadpan.

    Terra cautiously came out, wielding a cup of water. "Oh, are you going, Judy? I got this cup of water for you."

    Samantha turned to her. "What, did you pour a cup of ice and wait for it all to melt?"

    While keeping eye contact with Samantha and maintaining a straight face, Terra suddenly jerked her arm, and the contents of the cup splashed all over Samantha's face and ears.

    Samantha squinted, shivering. "Terra."

    "Oops," Terra monotoned seriously, turning to Judy. "My arm slips like that sometimes."

    "I better go," Judy giggled.

    "Yeah, and might want to cover your ears as you do, she gets this really shrill scream when under a tickle assault," Samantha grumbled.

    Terra flashed a huge grin and darted off.

    "Oh, that's not going to save her..." Samantha muttered darkly.

    "Bye, Samantha," Judy waved happily.

    "Hey, you got my number if you need any help," Samantha pointed at Judy's pocket.

    Judy nodded. "Thank you..."

    Samantha puffed air to get some water away from her lips. "And bring the li'l squirt next time. And Larry, too."

    Judy started to let herself out, considering this and then finally nodding with an almost far-off smile.

    "I will."

Chapter 198: Arrested

    "Ughhhhh!" The weasel thrust his beat-up old car into park as he pulled off to the side of the road. "Freakin' perfect. This is just what I need."

    A large police cruiser loomed behind his vehicle, and the doors opened to reveal a bunny and a fox, both nimbly leaping out of their cruiser to close in on the parked vehicle.

    "Oh, just- double perfect," the weasel grunted, gnashing his teeth at the police closing in on his vehicle. "Splendid. Outstanding. Could this day get ANY BETTER?" The weasel reached into his glove box.

    "Well, well, well," Judy grinned in a self-satisfied manner and folded her paws. "Look who we have here..."

    "Yeah, yeah," Duke Weaselton muttered, handing over a paper and a card.

    "Looks like you know the drill," Judy chuckled. "License and registration here, Nick."

    Nick chuckled. "How about you run them this time? Last time I was the one who got to giggle over his rap sheet." Judy nodded, fluttered the documents, and headed back to the cruiser.

    "Ha ha, you guys," Duke gripped his steering wheel tighter. "Now could you maybe hurry it up a bit? I got somewhere to be."

    "I figured, from how fast you were going," Nick huffed, peering down at him. "You know, they do say 'drive it like you stole it', but I'm not sure a hunk of junk like this is worth the trouble." Nick ran the edge of his claw around the dinged up driver's side door.

    "Well, not everyone can afford a Cowdillac, now can they?" Duke grimaced, sucking at his teeth and wrinkling his nose.

    "I don't even have a car, personally, so I wouldn't know," Nick claimed, rubbing the end of his claws on his uniform.

    "You don't?" Judy blinked, returning and giving Duke his documents back. "I could have sworn you were trying to impress one of the ZPD boys, saying you had some sort of... what was it... red convertible?"

    Nick cleared his throat and gave a charming yet sheepish grin. "Well, yes, I did say that."

    "Can you two just write me my ticket and let me go? I'm gonna be late!" Duke squawked in a kind of desperate anger.

    "Pipe down, Dukey," Judy looked at him dully. "You'll be lucky to only get a ticket with how fast you were going. Between this and Rodentia, it's a miracle you haven't gotten anyone killed yet."

    At that moment, a slight breeze blew across the two officers, ruffling their fur. Nick sniffed twice, then a curious look passed his face.

    "Hold on."

    He rounded to the back of the car, and saw a heavily damaged tail light, giving way to a small hole into the trunk. Nick gave a bigger sniff, then his face passed from curiosity to stern steel. He rounded the car and looked at Duke with a sudden lack of humor.

    "Pop the trunk," Nick demanded.

    "What? Why?" Duke asked.

    "Pop it, weasel," Judy agreed, reading Nick's expression.

    "Fine, fine!" Duke winced, following the command. Nick peeked back into the trunk and drew his stun gun, dialing down the voltage.

    "Come out of the car slowly and get your paws behind your head, Weaselton," Nick said. "You're under arrest."

    "What the hell!? For what!?" Duke yelped.

    "Do as he says, Weaselton," Judy affirmed, getting out her cuffs and adjusting their clasping size.

    "Damnit, you guys are really doing this to me today!?" Duke wailed, slowly getting out of the car and holding his paws up. Judy turned him around and cuffed him.

    "Disappointed in you, Duke," Nick said in an acid voice. The two dragged him back to throw him in the cruiser. Duke shot a desperate look back to his car as the two carried him off to get a peek of his trunk. As he did, his face fell and his eyes opened wide.

    "Are you kidding me!? What the hell!?" He wailed before the cruiser door shut.

---

    Duke had his fingers laced over his head while he was waiting in the interrogation room. He kept checking the time, his muzzle wearing muted looks of frustration and anger.

    Finally, Nick and Judy entered the interrogation room. Curiously, Nick had a more judging look on his face than the bunny. The fox flung a small, tightly-packed baggie of soft pink dust on the table.

    "I'm assuming you know what this is."

    "Ah, God..." Duke moaned.

    "It's hard drugs, isn't it?" Judy looked up casually to Nick.

    "Wait, she doesn't know?" Duke looked surprised, then got a sneer. "What, you ain't never seen unicorn dust before?"

    "Forgive me, but I'm a bit of a country bunkin," Judy grew a confident grin. "It's what we're busting you for, I know that much."

    "You can be so innocent at times," Nick smirked at her, paws behind his back. "How charming."

    Judy sucked her teeth, returning his smirk. "I wasn't born yesterday. I'm guessing this stuff is dangerous."

    Nick frowned again. "Yeah, quite. It 'enhances' your senses, or tricks your brain into thinking they are. Colors look more vivid, sounds intensify, smells are more heavenly, the whole nine. Personally, I haven't even seen this stuff for a handful of years. Once you take it, you quickly become dependent on it."

    "I knew a guy who took it to try watchin' a sunset while on the dust," Duke fumbled with his paws. "Guy said he couldn't watch a 'normal' sunset without feeling disappointed."

    "Right, 'a guy'," Nick scoffed, to Duke looking offended. The fox shrugged. "Anyway, it's really dangerous because it's both highly addictive and can lead to massive depression spirals. So, the question is, what were you doing with a trunk full of it?"

    "I don't know anything about that!" Duke quickly wailed. "I'm not the kinda weasel to move drugs."

    "Riight..." Judy folded her paws, "you say that like it's such a stretch given your rap sheet."

    "Hey, I'm an honest crook," Duke pointed to himself with his thumb. "I've stolen, I've bootlegged, but I ain't never moved drugs."

    "I'd love to believe you, really," Nick said with a gentle malice, "but there's no way so much unicorn dust could end up in your trunk 'magically', despite the name."

    "Tch, I..." Duke's eyes darted around, the scraggly weasel seemingly looking for an excuse.

    "Bet that's why he was speeding," Judy shook her head. "Rushing off to a deal, hm?"

    "Of course," Nick agreed with a nod, "my rough estimate puts that stash as worth about thirteen grand. Not exactly chump change."

    "That's not why I was speeding!" Duke yelled, getting angry.

    "Why, then?" Judy twisted her mouth, glaring at him.

    "Geh, I..." Duke ran his claws through his head.

    After a moment of silence, the answer seemed to come with the sound of vibration. Duke flinched like he'd been shot.

    "Is that your phone?" Judy narrowed her eyes. "Set it on the table."

    Duke complied, and the number that read on the phone was labeled "Princess."

    "Code name for his buyer?" Judy suggested to Nick, to his nod.

    "It's a code name for my daughter," Duke balled his fists, feeling helpless.

    "Oh yeah?" Nick raised his brow. "Well, answer it, then. On speaker."

    Duke let a dejected sound out through his teeth and complied. "...Hello-?"

    "Daddy, where the hell are you!?" A stringent female voice came through the other end. "Our performance is about to start!"

    "I uh... I don't think I'm gonna make it, hon," Duke squinted his eyes shut. "I got- I got caught in traffic."

    "Rrrrrgh! Son of a jill!" The voice wailed. "You said you would come! You PROMISED!"

    "I meant it, hon, but-"

    "Don't call me 'hon'! You're unbelievable!"

    The call abruptly ended.

    Duke looked highly deflated, and tiredly moved his eyes to the two. "There, you happy now?"

    "Not quite," Judy had an ambiguous look to her. "Were you just trying to sell the stuff at her school auditorium's parking lot or whatever?"

    "How little you think of me," Duke sneered, then took a centering sigh. "Here's what happened. I almost forgot about Princess' performance, and I'd just left my car at the shop earlier to get that tail light repaired so I wouldn't get pulled over for it. But I panicked and didn't know how I was gonna get Downtown without my car, so I pulled it back out of the shop before they were done, and then you guys know the rest."

    "Okay, nice story, Duke," Nick nodded. "Hopps, let me talk to you outside." Judy nodded as the two stood.

    "You guys wanna hold me over an ice pit again?" Duke sneered. "It's the truth."

    "As police officers we'd never do something like that," Judy said, almost angelically. "Now, don't go anywhere."

    Duke scoffed. "Hilarious."

---

    The two shut the door to the interrogation room.

    "Are you thinking what I am, bun?" Nick offered.

    "I hope so," Judy nodded. "If he left his car at some sort of seedy detailing place, then someone there could have left the drugs in his trunk. They'd have access to his car."

    "Yeah, something like that," Nick agreed. "Maybe they wanted to get heat off of a particular stash, or had stolen it themselves. Duke taking his car back before it was ready would have put a wrench into their plans."

    "That is, of course, assuming he's even telling the truth at all," Judy frowned. "Maybe he was just tired of being poor, a petty criminal."

    "Always a possibility," Nick nodded. "But I'm pretty familiar with how this guy works. He's not complicated. I think the fact that you and I came up with this explanation before he even jumped onto it makes it more likely."

    "Yeah," Judy nodded. "Could be. So what do we do?"

    "Pardon me," a dry, male voice came from slightly below them. Nick and Judy turned to see a surprising sight, a middle-aged mammal that looked much like a chinchilla, but his fur seemed solid yellow. He wore a gray brimmed hat and trench coat.

    "Mph!" Judy had to stifle a laugh.

    "Yes, you might as well get it all out of your system now," the chinchilla's brow fell.

    "Oh, I've heard of you," Nick smiled. "You're uh... a detective, right? They call you Detective 25, don't they?"

    "Yes, ever since this happened," the detective swept his paws across his yellow fur. "But that's a long story. I was listening to your investigation; I come from a city to the west, Emerald Oaks. There I've been investigating a drug ring that's smuggling unicorn dust eastward, and I'd long suspected the eventual goal was to get their members into Zootopia."

    "You think Duke here has something to do with it?" Judy jerked her thumb back to the interrogation room, where Duke looked rather despondent through the one-way window.

    "I don't, actually," Detective "25" replied, adjusting his hat. "Your theory sounds quite plausible. If we can get the name of the car detailing shop from your weasel friend here, I can send a couple of undercover agents to check it out. Meanwhile, we should keep the car and the drug supply here and analyze it. The 'brand' of unicorn dust I'm tracking has a particular pink hue, even among other batches. Once I affirm it, and the mammals involved from Emerald Oaks, I'll be able to launch a quick attack and finally bring this investigation to a close."

    "That sounds good," Judy nodded. "What should we do with Weaselton in the meantime?"

    "We could actually let him go, if you have a good suspicion that he's not connected," the detective mused. "I'd like to see how far the connections of the ring go; if they could track this weasel even without the car they might have used as his stash. We could use his release like a feint. If they move in on his residence, we would need a security detail there to crash down on them like thunder."

    "That sounds fun," Judy balled her fists. "I'd like to be a part of the detail, if possible."

    "Really?" Nick chuckled.

    "Yeah, I've busted Duke enough times, it might be fun to protect him for once," Judy flashed a grin. "That's what we do at the ZPD, anyway. If there's bigger fish to fry than that li'l weasel, I'd love to zap 'em." She clicked one of her claws on the side of her stun gun sidearm.

    "You'd have to take it up with your chief, anyway," Detective 25 muttered. "However, it would be interesting to work with the famous Judy Hopps, and finally crush this drug ring with the long iron tail of the law."

    "You know it," Judy pumped her fist.

    "Without his car, guess that leaves me to drive him home," Nick smirked. "Might as well, I know where he lives anyway." He returned to the interrogation room, where Duke looked up with fatigue in his eyes.

    "So you guys gonna throw me in the slammer or what?" He seemed drained. "Might be the safest place to hide from my little girl's rage."

    "Nope, we're gonna let you go," Nick flashed a grin. "C'mon, I'll give you a ride back to your place."

    Duke's jaw dropped a little, though he didn't quite look relieved.

    "You gotta be kidding me."

---

    "Kinda surprisin' you know how to drive," Duke muttered as the fox officer drove him in Judy's large cruiser. "You're always lettin' someone else behind the wheel."

    "Shotgun's the ideal way to travel," Nick boasted. "But no, I'm an excellent driver. Unlike you."

    The little scraggly weasel looked downright comical in the huge seat meant for mammals many times his size, even compared to Judy. He grumbled for a little while, before breaking the silence between them.

    "You don't owe me any favors, Wilde," Duke folded his arms. "So why're you letting me go?"

    "Well, I have a strange idea that you're actually telling the truth, Duke, about this whole unicorn dust thing," Nick shrugged his shoulders. "I know you could do with a nice thirteen grand, but I really never did take you for the dealer type, especially because little mammals are so vulnerable to being scammed by their buyers."

    "Gee, thanks, I think," Duke rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I'm gonna have the hammer lowered on me from my daughter, so I'm guessing this is some kinda punishment anyway."

    "Maybe so," Nick looked coy. "Y'know, if you went fully on the narrow road, we wouldn't have to keep meeting up like this."

    "What, like you?" Duke sneered at him. "Shifty little fox who saves the day and becomes a boy in blue? Don't make me laugh. That might be possible for a dashing fox such as yourself, but someone that looks like me?"

    Nick stifled a laugh. "What, like they stuck a fork in an electrical socket?"

    "Thank you, thanks for that," Duke muttered. "It ain't easy. I got a couple of mouths to feed, and neither of 'em are very grateful..."

    Nick pulled in to a trashy-looking suburban subdivision in Savanna Central, and came upon Duke's equally run-down looking house.

    "Ah, damnit," Duke muttered. An irritated-looking barely teenage weasel was patrolling the yard.

    "That your little girl?" Nick blinked, smiling. "Doesn't look much like you."

    "Yeah, lucky her," Duke grunted. Nick escorted him out of the cruiser, to which the teenage weasel scoffed and stormed over to him.

    "Typical, just TYPICAL!" She shouted, rushing up to him. "You got picked up by the cops AGAIN, daddy!?"

    "Sorry, Sara," Duke looked crestfallen. "I was trying to tell you-"

    "Little Ms. Weaselton, I presume?" Nick interrupted. "I'm Officer Wilde."

    "The fox cop," Sara Weaselton replied. "The only one. Yeah, I've heard of you."

    "Just wanted to tell you why we picked your father up," Nick tipped his police cap.

    Duke turned to Nick with dread and horror in his eyes.

    "You see, he was speeding, because he'd gotten caught in traffic and was rushing to your performance," Nick explained, wagging his head in a vaguely condescending manner.

    "Really?" Sara blinked, a soft look passing over her rather cute face.

    "Yeah, my bad," Duke laughed nervously.

    "Well, you uh- you should have left earlier," Sara folded her paws, but some of her anger had drained from her voice.

    "Yeah, I shoulda," Duke let out a guilty 'heh'. "So uh... how'd ya do?"

    "We did great," Sara frowned. "We'll be going to the finals in a week."

    "Well, your flute-playin' is second to none," Duke weakly pumped his fist. "I'll be at the finals, I swear."

    "You better," Sara pouted, but was starting to betray a smile.

    "Yeah, I'm sure I can find some way to arrest you if you disappoint your daughter again," Nick gave the weasel a big grin.

    "Alright, ALRIGHT, now would ya leave me be...?" Duke cringed away from the fox.

    "Good day," Nick nodded, waving and jumping back into his cruiser. He saw the weasel conversing with his daughter as they made their way back into their house. Nick huffed out a grin. Maybe there was hope for that weasel yet. He saw an unmarked car containing an inconspicuous gray bunny, with another familiar wolf in the car with her. She appeared to wiggle her glasses at him.

    "Heh," Nick chuckled before putting the cruiser in gear. "Good luck, Carrots."

Chapter 199: Growing

    A teenage giraffe sat down in a seat a little too small for him. He took a deep breath and swallowed, trying to steady his heart rate, even though he normally relished the feelings of his veins awash in adrenaline. The fear of uncertainty was a little different.

    The smell of the building was great, almost like a new car. Clean, shiny materials with rounded edges boasted the most bleeding-edge technology that Zootopia had yet seen.

    This was his chance, thought the giraffe. The chance to finally feel what he'd been deprived of through no fault of his own.

    "Okay, looking over your waiver," a middle-aged male racoon murmured, going over a release of liability form. He chuckled up at the extremely tall form of the giraffe. "Now, Andy. You sure you're eighteen?"

    "Uh, yeah, don't I look it?" Huffed Andy. It was a lie, though only by a few years. He gripped tighter on the armrests of the machine.

    "Just have to clear myself legally, you understand," the raccoon smiled apologetically. "Your voice is a little... eh?"

    "We've got real long necks," Andy said, trying to stare straight forward. "Lots of room for something to go a bit wrong during puberty." The giraffe had no idea if this was true or not, but it sounded plausible, both to him and the raccoon.

    "Marjory, can you reach him up there?" The raccoon called out an entire floor above, where a mezzanine outcropping allowed an anteater female to adjust the position of a headset.

    "Everythin' looksss good here," Marjory confirmed with a nod. Having to speak louder robbed her over some of the control of her voice, but the raccoon got the message, nodding.

    "Now, you're lucky, Andy," the raccoon grinned. "You're only the third mammal today to get to try our new 'complete VR' experience. And what was it you wanted to experience again? Sorry, your handwriting is kinda... walking between...?"

    "Two tall buildings, walking between two large buildings, can you do that?" Andy felt the strange weight of the headset on his muzzle, his ear batting.

    "Ah, of course!" the raccoon waggled an index finger, gesturing to a few of the passersby. "In fact, that's great! Using our advanced simulation technology, we can simulate a lot of the feelings that a regular virtual reality set just can't give you. Our air vent array will provide the feeling of whipping winds, whereas we can even transmit subtle smells with the headset and a selection of chemicals! And of course, your eyes will be treated to the most cutting-edge, photorealistic graphics possible!"

    "I'm ready," Andy said, though his gentle voice crackled as much as his nerves were.

    "Okay, starting the simulation," the racoon said with a showmammal's flair.

    It was as though Andy had actually stepped out of the building and onto its roof. A din entered his ears as "wind" whipped at his extremities and filled his ears. The graphics were, indeed, amazing. The signals sent by twitching his legs even let him walk around on the roof, but something did feel off about the walking. Then, he made the mistake of looking down.

    Now, if he was "only" looking down at the massive gap between the two buildings, he might have been fine, but he was looking down at the floor, his "feet". The feet were those of a deer. Not only that, he had the sensation of falling as the ground was far, far closer than he was used to.

    "Gh..." Andy felt his stomach lurch. "Wh-what?"

    "What's wrong?" The raccoon blinked up.

    "I'm... too short," Andy tried sitting up in the apparatus. "This feels so weird. Am I supposed to be a deer?"

    "Marjory...!" The raccoon called up to the anteater. "Didn't you set the user specs to a giraffe's!?"

    "No!" She called back out, her brow furrowing. "What do you thin' I'm doin' up here? I'm on the hardware sssside! You're down there with the sssoftware!"

    "Okay, um, no need to get cross," the raccoon chuckled nervously. "What we can do is cut the feed and-" A look of horror grew on the raccoon's face as Andy's stomach began to pulsate. "D-disengage, Marjory!"

    The anteater just managed to snap the incredibly expensive headgear away from Andy before disaster could strike, and it eventually did.

    Andy's lunch had a long way to travel, both up and down.

---

    An hour later, and Andy still felt queasy.

    He'd ditched school to pull his little stunt at the Zootopia Electronic Expo, and he needed to find somewhere to hang out until he was supposed to be home. At a dearth of ideas, he ended up wandering into Mezzo Park, which wasn't too far away from the convention center.

    The young giraffe found a bench capable of seating him and sat down hard on it. He wanted to slump his head down, though moving it too much still stirred his stomach's pot.

    Andy wondered how many other kinds of animals had such a rough puberty. As emotions and hormones swelled into a volatile cocktail within him, he found his breaths shuddering, and he started to sob, gripping his legs tightly with his hands. It was a few minutes of sniffling before he heard a small voice.

    "Hey. HEY! Up there, can you hear me?"

    Andy's ear bat, and he shamefully looked in the direction of the voice, trying to bat at his long, wet eyelashes. It was basically impossible for a giraffe to pretend they hadn't been crying.

    Near his ankles was a nondescript male squirrel.

    "You okay?" Asked the squirrel. He had a youngish voice.

    "Yeah, f-fine," Andy lied.

    "Uh, if you say so!" the squirrel tried raising his voice to carry it further upward. "You look kinda sad."

    "You wouldn't get it," Andy replied, shuddering. "You're a squirrel."

    Andy missed the scrunching of the squirrel's face.

    "It's like that, huh?"

    A small wave of guilt tugged at Andy. "I mean, literally, you wouldn't get it. ...How old are you?"

    "Sixteen," the squirrel replied, looking mildly put off.

    Andy almost laughed, looking down at him. He did manage to crack a wobbly smile. The squirrel was barely a foot tall, maybe not even.

    "Really? Fully grown, huh?"

    "Pretty much!" The squirrel nodded. Finding it a bit irritating to shout up at the giraffe, he noticed that there was a tree with a convenient overhanging branch that would put him closer to the giraffe. In a gray and brown furry flash, the squirrel scurried up the tree and onto the branch, where he was nearly at eye-level with the sitting giraffe, though a little higher. "Name's Larry. How old are you?"

    "Tch," Andy got a bitter look on his face. "Fourteen." A bit closer to the truth, though he still had a couple of months until that date.

    "You're younger than me," Larry stated obviously with a small smirk. Andy scowled harder. "What's wrong?"

    "Ugh, it's stupid," Andy folded his arms, his voice cracking. "But I'm jealous of you."

    "Huh?" Larry's eyes squinted. "About what? You've never seen me in your life."

    "Well, I just saw you scamper up that tree," Andy nodded to its trunk before looking up at him. "I'm seventeen feet tall. I can't do something like that."

    Larry let out an impressed squirrel chirp. "Wow, and are you done growing?"

    "I hope so," Andy grunted.

    "So, uh, you're mad you can't climb a tree?" The squirrel titled his head, confused.

    "Not really... I mean, I... ugh," Andy slumped a little. "I wish I was a smaller mammal. I dreaded puberty my whole life. Giraffes grow like weeds on mutant fertilizer, obviously."

    "Isn't it cool to be a giraffe? Have such a wide view over all us peon mammals?" Larry tried a smirk.

    "No, least of all if you like rollercoasters," Andy thrust his muzzle away from Larry. "I had to get on all of the ones I could when I was young. Real young. Ever since I knew I liked thrill rides."

    Larry blinked. He too, had an affinity for such rides, though he didn't know if he should speak it aloud.

    "And life for you must be like that, like a ride," Andy scoffed. "I mean, look at how you blasted up that tree. That looks fun as hell."

    "I mean, all squirrels gotta do it to get around," Larry shrugged. "It's not that great. Kind of a chore, heh."

    Larry wasn't a very good liar. He got that from his adoptive mother. Andy didn't seem to notice, or at least, he didn't care.

    "There's lots of places we can't go," Andy went on. "It's like, I always hated growing up. It's like a prison sentence. Every few months there's something else you can't do. And for what? Just to 'be tall'. I mean, there are no rollercoasters or any kind of thrill rides made for giraffes. They'd be way too expensive to make and to do the safety precautions on them and all of that. Just isn't a 'big' enough market or whatever dumb crap."

    "Uh, I wish I knew what to tell you," Larry replied nervously. "But if you like thrills and stuff, uhh. Have you tried videogames?"

    "Videogames?" Andy blinked. "Those don't really- I mean those aren't much of a thrill."

    "Maybe you should try a competitive game or something," Larry smiled. "Those can give you like an adrenaline rush when you're about to lose or win."

    "Uh, maybe. I mean, I just tried a VR thing. That didn't go too well."

    "Pff, I think VR's just a gimmick," Larry let out a loud scoff and kicked forward with his feet. At this, he lost his balance and tumbled out of the tree. "Whoa-!" After a couple of rotations, Larry landed on the ground with a soft whump.

    "Oh-! Sh- damn! You okay!?" Andy quickly craned his neck down to check on the squirrel. Larry almost instantly sprang up and dusted himself off.

    "Whoa, you did not just see that," Larry looked quite embarrassed. "I'm not that clumsy."

    "Jeez," Andy winced. "You need to go to the hospital or something? Does it hurt anywhere?"

    "Uh, nah, I'm good," Larry nodded, pounding at his chest and stomach with his paws.

    Andy looked at him skeptically. "Dude, you just fell over ten feet out of a tree."

    "Surface area," Larry indicated his body length. "I heard of an electrician mouse that fell off the Antler tower and survived with only minor bruising. Unless I landed on my head, a fall like that is nothing."

    "Wow," Andy's eyes half-lid. "Now that is a raw deal. A giraffe can break their legs or die from even tripping if they fall wrong. You see these spindly-ass legs?" He kicked both of his.

    Larry looked uncomfortable, shrugging. "Sorry for being a squirrel?"

    "I mean, not like that," Andy groaned. "But, uh." He tried to direct his thoughts more positively. "Thanks for the advice anyway, maybe I'll try to rent a console or something and see if it's up my alley."

    "Well, good luck, and uh, I hope you don't get any taller!" Larry pointed at him. "I should probably go before I-"

    A chinchilla bolted over to the squirrel. Andy blinked at how a chubby little fluffball could move so fast.

    "Where you been, Lares?" The chinchilla asked. "Dude, I have it on authority from a 'spy' that someone is coming to the park today."

    "Huh?" Larry tilted his head.

    "I'd give you a hint," the chinchilla smirked deviously. "But you'd need to 'ferret' it out of me."

    "Whoa!" Larry's eyes bulged. "Uh, gotta go, Andy, nice to meet ya!" He saluted and scampered off quickly.

    "Haha, what a moron," the chinchilla chuckled. "Bye, giraffe guy!"

    Andy waved slightly, watching the two rodents go off. He sighed, feeling a bit of melancholy. He supposed he had some growing up to do.

    He just hoped he wouldn't get any taller.

Chapter 200: Purpose

 Judy and Nick flung the doors of their cruiser open and the bunny immediately hopped in. Nick caught the glance of a pretty vixen on the sidewalk out of the corner of his eye and felt her eyes on him. Her curious expression became realization, then twisted into outright revulsion. She turned away and left. The fox swallowed, entering the police cruiser and buckling his seat belt.

 The fox's face was as even as an expert poker player holding a winning hand, but Judy quickly sensed something off in her partner when she turned the key.

 "Are you okay, Nick?" She asked delicately.

 "Mm, I'm fine," Nick nodded, and it would have been convincing to just about anyone but the trained ears of a bunny who knew better. Plus, those ears happened to cheat a little.

 "I heard what she said," Judy pursued as she got the car out onto the road.

 Nick perked into a quizzical befuddlement. "What? What did she say?"

 "Oh, uhm..." the bunny officer winced, again forgetting that her ears could occasionally scoop up a tidbit that Nick's left behind.

 "What did she say?" Nick repeated, his voice igniting with a cold seriousness.

 Realizing he wouldn't drop it easily, Judy went ahead and repeated it.

 "He's still a police officer?"

 The cruiser was quiet for several moments. Nick seemed paused in time.

 "Ah," he finally huffed. "Well, figures. Her face said as much."

 "You can tell me anything you want, Nick, if it'll make you feel better," Judy tried to be tender, though a note of genuine worry escaped, and her sagging ears further betrayed her concern.

 Nick seemed to decline her offer for several minutes, and silence reigned. That was, until a particularly mocking red light seemed like it would never change unless the fox finally shared.

 "You remember the last thing he said, right?"

 Judy immediately knew who and what he was talking about, she nodded. It was harsh and chilling to recall.

 "Pick a God and pray," she echoed, giving a short sigh. "So much anger in his voice."

 "I'd realized after everything was over, I never did," Nick mused, his gaze glassy as his eyes took in the road, but not his mind. "I never thanked anyone that we both made it out all right. That we were lucky that time, like a lot of other times. But particularly then. All I could think about was that I was glad we both were okay." 

 "I mean, fair enough, right?" Judy's voice carried an ingratiating tone, as she did when she was uneasily trying to reassure someone. "You never struck me as very religious."

 "Faithless, I'd call it," Nick ejected in self-spite. "And I wish I could go five years without the city driving that in a little deeper."

 "Nick, you know that I know that's not true," Judy felt her resolve sink in.

 The fox wagged his index finger as words built up in his mind. "You know one thing that bugged me more than anything else." Before Judy could inquire, he went on. "During the Bellwether case, your conference."

 Judy's teeth tightened in her mouth.

 Nick went on. "ZNN and the other news agencies never downplayed what you said. Despite that-"

 "It was my fault," Judy's voice trampled over Nick's as they both said it. "After the mess with Bellwether was over, I noticed that too. All of those news stories about my conference, none of the usual 'with no evidence' or 'falsely claimed'. They just allowed the fear and chaos to stoke." She sighed, looking heavenward. "Not that I'm trying to deflect the blame, but I feel like they could have made it better by trying to downplay how much of a non-expert I was in the situation."

 "And yet...!" Nick went on. "Did you hear how they went after me?"

 "Nick!" Judy hissed. "You went back to look at your own ZNN coverage?"

 The fox was blindsided by the bunny's immediate myopia. "Did you really just ask me that?"

 Judy let sheepishness wash over her. "I just... I mean you couldn't have... I dunno, you couldn't have felt any better watching it."

 "Oh, I didn't," the foxed huffed with a dark humor. "The things Fabienne Growley, of all mammals, said about me? Pretty sure that wasn't objective. And from a predator!" Nick sighed. "I can't believe I found her hot. Tsk. One of the only reasons I used to tune in."

 "I'm sure she was, under all that fur," Judy muttered, gripping the steering wheel tighter. "Anyway, you know and I know the media is only into sensationalism and novelty, whatever will get viewers. I think their objectivity went out the window a long time ago."

 "Oh? What clued you in to those insights?" His tone was nearly mocking, but Judy let that go.

 "Just, the rounds of interviews I did after the whole Bellwether thing," she recalled. "Most of the time they focused in about how I was the first bunny cop, rather than what I'd done. So many questions about 'how did being the first bunny cop make me feel', rather than, 'how did it feel to be wrong about the whole predator thing'? They could have really let me have it."

 One of Nick's eyes narrowed. "Wait, do you think this is a pred versus prey thing?"

 "I wouldn't want to say that out loud," Judy sighed. "You know Bellwether was trying to set me up as a model cop and all, right? Kinda feels like even after she was in jail, the media fawned over me, trying to make me out to be better than I was. I mean, even though we 'saved the city' and all. But I totally agree. What ZNN said about you was completely unfair; mammals shouldn't be afraid of you."

 "'Fear always works'," Nick repeated Bellwether's most unnerving words, "sounds like you may be onto something. Makes sense for them to want to demonize a fox cop."

 "But that's the problem with thinking like that, Nick," Judy's voice plead, "who is the 'them' in this case? There's a 'them' now?"

 Nick didn't let his own words being turned against him phase him.

 "I mean, you know ZNN is owned by a sheep, right?"

 Judy let loose a sputtering, half-amused, half-annoyed concoction of syllables. "Nick!"

 "Just sayin'..."

 "Listen, regardless if there's anything to that or not, I do NOT want you turning into Honey, is that clear?" Judy's voice was unusually stern.

 "Oof, perish the thought," Nick almost laughed. "Let me know if I get the crazy eyes."

 There was some more quiet while Nick watched the city go by, his muzzle in the palm of his hand.

 "So you're telling me you really didn't care about the whole 'first bunny cop' thing?" Nick suddenly piped up, scratching his chin. "Looks great on a business card."

 "Who I am is more important than what I am, Nick."

 This struck the bunny's partner as unusually cogent, especially coming from her. The fox was silent for several more long seconds.

 "You know," he mused, "I can't believe I've never gotten around to asking you this..."

 Judy braced for the impact of the question that hung in the air like a sharpened sword. "Waiting for the tension to hit maximum, Slick?"

 Nick ignored her. "...Why did you want to become a police officer, anyway?"

 Judy's eyes widened, and her mouth opened, but nothing came out. Another opening, and a little non-word sound escaped.

 "I mean, you don't really want to hear that, do you?" Judy tittered in her all-too-revealing nervousness. "It's corny."

 "There's nothing else I would rather hear at this moment," Nick said with an incongruously perfect blend of bemusement and seriousness.

 "Fine...!" Judy relented as if put upon, and took a deep breath as she recalled the details.

 "I was in a car crash when I was about seven."

 "Good lord..." Nick straightened up in his chair.

 "Please save the review until the end of the movie," Judy scolded. "Anyway, my Dad and a lot of my brothers and sisters were in the car, and we had just gone to the grocery store. We were run off the road by a larger car, must have been at least bovid-class. Maybe smaller. It seemed huge at the time. Getting a spook like that can mess with you."

 Nick nodded, and Judy was quiet for a little. He spoke up. "Are you waiting for me to say 'I'd imagine?' I'm supposed to be quiet."

 "Oh right," the bunny giggled sheepishly as she was so used to him ignoring her suggestions. "Anyway, we were all pretty unharmed, miraculously. The car was packed pretty tight, so we didn't get jostled around too much, since we were all buffered around each other. Even crazier, there was a police cruiser nearby, but it immediately came for us instead of the speeder. This tall, dashing-looking deer came out and started going to all of us, asking if we were okay, if we needed medical assistance. And we were, we were. But I was livid. I was screaming at the officer to go after the mammal that had run us off the road. 'They're getting away!' I remember yelling right at him. Precocious and headstrong, Dad called it whenever he told the story."

 She went on. "But then, the officer came right up to me, knelt, and said, 'it's more important that you're okay than if we get that speeder'. That really stuck with me." Fondness for the nostalgia washed over Judy's face as she recalled it. Nick nodded absently as he took in his partners codifying memory.

 "And...!" Judy perked up even more, a devilish smirk splaying across her face. "I heard him talking to dad a few minutes later that he radioed his license to his buddy further up the road and they'd pulled him over."

 "Ha! Frickin' knew it," Nick laughed. "Always thought you were Karma incarnate."

 "But I really did feel the weight of what that buck said to me, Nick. Officer Stronghorn, that was his name," Judy sighed wistfully. "So I became a police officer because I wanted to help people. And you know what? I felt more satisfied when I saw Mr. Otterton recover from the Night Howler poisoning and embrace his wife than I did when you and I had Bellwether dead to rights."

 "Now that, I find hard to believe," the fox scoffed. "When we were delivering the finishing blow to that sheep, I couldn't have avoided the smell of your adrenaline if I wanted to. You're telling me you felt more elated at watching two otters cuddle?"

 "'Elated' is the wrong word," Judy admitted, "I mean, heck yeah, taking down that sheep was awesome. But... I had taken the case because I wanted to make sure Mr. Otterton was alright and back with his wife. And that was the most gratifying part, making that happen."

 "Hm," Nick nodded, looking his bunny partner over with an expression that Judy had a hard time reading. The cruiser pulled into the ZPD parking lot, and Judy turned off the engine.

 "Told you it was corny," Judy looked over at him for a morsel of validation.

 "Eh!" Nick's shrug was infuriatingly non-committal.

 "Feel free to give your review now!" Judy chirped along, but nothing came. Her brow immediately furrowed as Nick ignored her and opened the door. "Hey, Nick, Nick!"

 Nick paused as his feet landed on the pavement, the last repetition of his name carrying a hint of urgency. He turned back to her.

 "Yeah?"

 "Let me ask you again, Nick," her voice was smooth and tender, "are you okay?"

 Nick blinked, then barely smiled. "I'm pretty sure I will be, Judy."

Chapter 201: Jingle

 It was the night before Crittermas, and through the garage, several creatures were stirring, including a mouse.

 Ozzie Rodbit, the rabbit owner of Ozzie's Auto Repair, drummed his index fingers on the top of his toolbox and pointed forward with both of them. "Okay, so, Crittermas plans, where are we at? Our illustrious Sunny Skye is out for a holiday film reunion for that one film, that action film, ah..." He put his hands on his hips, tapping his foot. A cream-colored mouse with an unusual shock of golden hair looked up to him, folding her arms across her purple jumpsuit.

 "'That action film'," Gail "Gadget" Hatchetwrench shook her head. "I can't believe you're still so clueless about pop culture, Ozzie. It's like you're a 100 year old buck stuck in a 30 year old's body."

 "Ey, you hear that, Hamm?" Ozzie called out to Hammond Roachenberger, his pig colleague, "Gadget says I'm a hundred bucks. Bit of a large step down from 'a million', but at this point in the year, I'll take it."

 "Might wanna get your ears checked, old mammal, that's not what I heard," Hamm replied without even looking at his boss.

 "Okay, so, Gadget, plans," Ozzie pointed back at the mouse.

 "I'm actually going to a Crittermas party this year," she looked excited. "I was invited by our two chipmunk friends."

 "The private investigators?" Ozzie blinked. "I mean, whatever fills your balloon. Goofy. How about you? Gonna spend it with your son?"

 George "Goofy" Goof was a lanky coyote whose strangely squared front teeth somehow perfectly communicated his easygoing nature. He waved his paw dismissively.

 "Naw, not this year," he walked up and fumbled through his lime jumpsuit for his phone and showed Ozzie a picture. "Max has a Crittermas date this year! Her name's Roxanne." The picture was of his son, who bore more than a passing resemblance to his father, along with another coyote, a female, with auburn tips to her headfur. "Aw, young love. Ahyuck! That's some true emotion right there."

 "What's with this picture?" Ozzie blinked. "The edges are all blurry. I thought you were a better photographer than this."

 "Aw no, muh son just took it himself," Goofy shook his head, "the blurring on the edges is from the blinding effect of the camera getting too much light. It's called a 'halation'. A snow halation!"

 Ozzie mouthed the word. "Halation...? I've never heard that word before in my life. Did you eat a dictionary when you were younger?"

 Goofy just replied with his distinctive "ahyuck!" laugh. "I'm gonna be Jingle down at the Central Sahara mall for Crittermas!"

 "You're gonna be a mall Jingle for Crittermas," Ozzie looked flabbergasted; his voice deadpan, "did the mammals that hired you know you're not a reindeer?"

 "A'course they know," Goofy chuckled, "they're just gonna have me wear the red suit n' nose, and a pair of fake antlers."

 "Yeesh, and I thought we were pinching pennies this year," Ozzie's head wagged in disbelief. 

 "I don't see malls lasting too much longer," Hamm shrugged, cleaning his hands, "even Central Sahara's struggling, with all it's glitz and glamour? Sad state of affairs."

 "Well Hamm, that leaves you, as usual," Ozzie did a faux bow.

 "Ahuh," Hamm nodded, grinning, "I'm just gonna be going out to a carnival with some of my old buddies from my hometown that're in the area."

 "Great, and I...!" Ozzie clapped his hands together and rubbed them, "am gonna spend it with my girl, Ortensia. So! Seeing as we've got that all settled, and I make the rules, let's go ahead and I'll close up this joint so we can all get to some early celebrating!"

 At that moment, a clearly ailing, but quite beautiful Bengal car pulled up to the garage, it's engine speaking horrible things to all in attendance before being mercifully turned off by its driver. As the engine sighed in pain, silence descended upon the garage. However, several expletives were exploding in Ozzie's head.

 A large tigress came out of the car and approached them.

 "Hey..." she said, "listen, sorry guys, I know, I know, it's Crittermas Eve and all, but I really would like to leave my car here for an inspection. I need it by New Years so I can take my traditional family trip south to see my folks."

 Ozzie shrugged and let the shrugged arms slap against his sides. "I mean, can't you just get another ride?"

 "On short notice and without paying a fortune?" The tigress winced. "It wouldn't be the same."

 Ozzie groaned. "Listen lady, I can tell you just by the sound of your engine that it's not gonna be an easy fix. If the fuel line is bad, we're looking at a lot of trouble. We're not miracle workers."

 "You do come highly recommended though," the tigress noted.

 "Oh yeah? By who?" Ozzie tapped his foot.

 "Colleagues of mine from work," the tigress shrugged. "A bunny and a fox."

 "Ah yeah? And did they say we work holidays?" Ozzie sneered.

 "It's my baby, please...?" The tigress winced. "Listen, I'll pay extra if you get it done by New Years. I'll even pay for any of those 'extra' fixes you auto repair types love to sneak in to make the bill higher."

 "Ouch," Hamm piped up.

 "The nerve of this lady..." Ozzie rolled his eyes. "Miss..."

 "Fangmeyer, Kristen Fangmeyer," she tried a non-threatening smile.

 Ozzie looked at the worried faces of his colleagues and gave a defeated shrug.

 "I mean, all right, we'll see what we can do."

 "Oh, thank you, thank you," Kristen said, clasping her hands into fists. "Thank you so much. Merry Crittermas!"

 As she left, Ozzie stamped his foot in frustration, then turned to the expectant and uneasy faces of his workers. All but Hamm, who seemed pretty blase.

 "Well?" Ozzie flicked his hands toward the garage door. "What, you think I'm gonna spoil Crittermas for you all? Go on and get outta here! I said we were closing early and I meant it."

 Gadget pumped one of her fists and waved at her bunny boss, starting for the door. "See ya, Ozzie!"

 Goofy shook one of Ozzie's hands on his way past. "Have yourself a Merry Crittermas, boss."

 Ozzie smiled. "You too, Goof."

 Hamm took his time leaving, and the brown-jumpsuited pig stopped in the midst of the garage door, looking back at his much smaller boss. "Listen Oz. If I know you, I know how this is gonna go."

 "Hm? What do you mean?"

 "You're gonna be here all Crittermas working on this tortured beaut of a car," Hamm rapped his knuckles on the hood. "You know most of us would've just worked it if you wanted, right?"

 "'Most of us' excluding you, I'm guessing?" Ozzie retorted.

 Hamm smirked, but ignored the inquiry. "Just sayin'. I know you're lookin' at this gal with dollar signs in your eyes, and you could go for whatever bonus that tiger lady wants to give ya."

 "Hamm, it's one day," Ozzie opened his palms to Hamm, shaking his head, "I'd have to be a serious loser to think that working one extra day on this car would make a bit of difference in the endgame of whether we could make the repairs by New Year's. I said I'd be spending Crittermas with my girlfriend, and I meant it.

 The pig almost looked impressed and his voice heightened a bit. "Well, if you say so, boss. Merry Crittermas."

 Ozzie closed up the rest of Ozzie's Auto Repair, giving a last look in the garage to the gorgeous yellow Bengal, suffering under its hood. He sighed.

 

---

 

Ortensia was a sand cat, cute-looking almost on an objective level. Though her stint of dyeing her fur to match her bunny boyfriend's black and white patterns had worn off, her pink and white fluffy winter outfit complimented her blonde fur well. She kicked her pink-booted feet as she sat on a counter, looking over at her boyfriend.

 Ozzie, in start contrast, was still wearing his blue jumpsuit.

 "Ozzie hun, do you want to open your presents now or later?" Ortensia mewed inquisitively. The rabbit in question was looking laboriously through the hood of the Bengal, making despairing noises as he took in the complexities of the problems his team would soon need to work through.

 "I mean, we can open 'em now if you want, babe," Ozzie tried to give his girlfriend as much attention as he could muster, while feeling a sinking feeling of dread at the task that lay before him.

 Ortensia gave Ozzie a strange look, a sort of longing smile.

 "Don't you want?" Ozzie winced. "If not, that's okay too."

 "My nose being full of oil really doesn't like... imbue me with the Crittermas spirit," Ortensia sighed. "Sorry, Ozzie."

 "Listen, Ortie," Ozzie hopped from the car and made his way over to the counter to look up at his girlfriend. "I'm really sorry about this. I've had a tough time making ends meet this year. I don't want to ruin your Crittermas, but I also want to do everything I can to make sure we get this job done."

 "Why, though?" Ortensia frowned. "Do you really think that you working on it alone for a few more hours will make you meet the deadline?"

 Ozzie frowned, but it was a sad frown, not an angry frown. 

 "I'm sorry, that was mean, that was mean of me," Ortensia sighed, looking away.

 "Y'know, you're probably right, Ortie," Ozzie sighed. "I probably can't make a difference in whether or not that happens. But if I did, I could make sure to give my mammals a bit of a bonus with their last check of the year. Just to send 'em off right." 

 "Ozzie, I had set up a dinner with Mickey and Minnie tonight," Ortensia pouted. "It was supposed to be a surprise, but I... really hoped you could make it."

 Ozzie's eyes went wide. "Oh! Uh..." he grit his teeth. "What time?"

 "Well, they want to take us to a pretty exclusive place, it's a late night dining, 10 PM," Ortensia said.

 "I can definitely stop working by then," Ozzie nodded rapidly. "I can make it. I'll see you at ten."

 Ortensia gave a sort of guilty smile and kissed his forehead. "Please don't show up in your jumpsuit."

 

---

 

It was 8 pm, and Ozzie was ready to tear his ears out. He'd made a little bit of headway on the Bengal, but he felt like he'd lose all of his progress if he couldn't get to a proper stopping point in about an hour and still make the dinner. He wished he had even just one more set of hands.

 His large ear twitched as he just barely heard the smallest door to the garage area open.

 "Ozzie? What are you doing here?"

 It was Gadget's voice. Ozzie looked down to see her outfitted in a traditional stark red Crittermas dress, complete with the fluffy white fringes and matching tasseled hat.

 "What are you doing here, Gail?" Ozzie scolded. "Thought you had a party to be at. It's only 8 o'clock."

 "Right, the party started at five, and I was there for nearly three hours," Gadget counted on her paw. "That's about right."

 "Huh..?" Ozzie blinked. "'About right' what?"

 "Well, whenever I go to a party," Gadget began, "it's like a fuse is lit, and when that fuse runs out, I don't want to be at the party anymore."

 "Ahh..." Ozzie nodded, "I think I get it. They're a bit overwhelming, eh?"

 "Do you think the dress was a bit much?" Gadget winced. "We were supposed to go festively dressed, but I think I overdid it."

 "Golly," Ozzie chuckled, "I bet you had to struggle to keep those chipmunks off ya looking like that."

 Gadget frowned. "They were perfect gentlemammals. Er, mostly."

 "I'm just ribbin' ya, Gadget," Ozzie smirked. "You look fine."

 "So, what's the big idea?" Gadget looked to the Bengal car. "I came in here to make sure no one was robbing the place."

 "What were you gonna do if it was being robbed?" Ozzie's eyes went wide.

 "Well, I could have always grabbed my electrified wrench..."

 Ozzie laughed. "Mouse in Jingle outfit clobbers would-be garage thieves on Crittermas day." He held his hands up, thumbs at right angles, to envision the headline. "That'd make a more interesting story than 'overworking rabbit desperately tries to get one last job in by New Year's."

  "I can help!" Gadget quickly nodded. "I'm free now."

 "Well at least go home and change, and see if you feel like coming back after," Ozzie chuckled.

 "No need!" Gadget smiled. "I'll just work in this. Not like I'm gonna wear it any other day of the year, and I can have it cleaned."

 Ozzie had a clearly skeptical look.

 "C'mon," Gadget continued to smile warmly. "Let me be your rescue ranger."

 "I feel like I should say no," Ozzie huffed.

 "Ozzie, look," Gadget sighed. "I know we've had a tough time this year. But I really appreciate you keeping me on, even though I'm tiny. I know I can't help as much with bigger cars, so I appreciate you not letting me go to help make budget."

 "Could never do that," Ozzie scoffed. "Need you for those smaller cars. You think someone like Goofy is deft enough to work on those?"

 "I've seen him do it, and so have you!" Gadget's brow furrowed. "So stop trying to act like you're not a nice guy, it's starting to piss me off."

 Ozzie's eyes flew open and he stared down at her like she'd tapped him with her taser wrench.

 "Oh, uh, golly, where'd that come from?" Gadget grinned sheepishly. "I meant, 'it's starting to tick me off'. So uh, can I help out or what?"

 "Be my guest, Gail," Ozzie shook his head and sighed in a resigned appreciation for his mouse coworker.

 One of the larger doors to the garage area flew open almost immediately after the mouse crawled up the hood, and in walked a coyote with a full Jingle outfit on, including false reindeer antlers and a red nose.

 "Ho ho ho, ahyuck!" Goofy stormed in with a large sack on his back. "Merry Crittermas! Aw shucks, Ozzie, when I saw the lights on here I just knew you were bein' a good rabbit and workin' late into the night on account of all your co-workers. So I had to bring you presents!"

 "What's... what...?" Ozzie stammered, before Goofy gave them each an appropriately sized bag of popcorn. "Popcorn...?"

 "Ooh, I love popcorn," Gadget immediately started to nibble on a kernel.

 "The food court's popcorn place was closin' for the day and they made way too much popcorn, so I had 'em give me the whole bag," Goofy said, "They were just gonna throw it out anyway. I was walkin' down the street and givin' bags to anyone who looked like they needed one."

 "Sweet Celestials," Ozzie shook his head in dumbfounded reverence. "Who is this guy?"

 "Uh, it's me, Goofy," he said, taking off his antlers and false red nose briefly to reveal himself to them before putting them back on.

 "I know, I know, I didn't mean it like that," Ozzie slapped a palm on his own face. "Listen Goofy, I don't want to keep you from your frankly awesome and life-affirming altruism. Gadget and I were just going to work on the Bengal a bit more, that's it."

 Goofy thrust a thumb into his chest, where it intercepted the poorly-fitting fake white beard he was also wearing. "I wanna help too, then. You've been a stand up guy, Ozzie. Workin' so hard to keep us all employed."

 Gadget nodded sideways, looking up at Ozzie with a grin and her arms tightly folded against her chest.

 "Jeez, you guys," Ozzie took a breath, trying to keep genuine emotion from breaching into his voice. "You guys are makin' this feel like a holiday special or somethin'."

 After awhile of the three working, 9 PM rolled around. The door opened once more, and Hamm entered the garage to the sight of a mall Jingle, a Jingle-dressed mouse, and Ozzie working on the Bengal.

 "What the hey's goin' on here?" Hamm asked loudly. "Jingle and his Jackalopes workin' on a sports car for Crittermas? I feel like I'm in the wrong fairy tale!"

 "Hamm, the heck are you doing here?" Ozzie blinked as Goofy nearly hit his head on the hood of the car. "Don't tell me you're here to help, too."

 "Fraid not," Hamm went over to his locker. "Just forgot my phone." Retrieving it, he quickly and nonchalantly took a picture of the three of them. "Now that's one for the scrapbook."

 "Hamm..." Ozzie groaned. 

 "Now, I hate to say I told you so-" Hamm began.

 "No you don't," Ozzie interrupted. "You do not hate to say that."

 "But I told you so!" Hamm shouted triumphantly. "Ah, you never fail to disappoint, Oz. Class act to the end. Workin' on Crittermas."

 "Gadget n' I wanted to help, Hamm," Goofy smiled softly. "We all just felt like it was the right thing to do, I think. A bit of a Crittermas miracle."

 "Well, the real miracle would be if Skye showed up so the whole gang was here," Gadget grinned, and the four of them sat in silence for a full minute, looking between each other and the door, as if daring it to open once more, but no one came. "Well, I tried. Guess Serendipity didn't want to humor me with something so blatantly contrived."

 "Oh, speakin' of, Serendipity is basically the reason I'm back here," Hamm muttered, "someone won all the good Serendipity merch at the carnival already. Can you believe that? Reselling that stuff goes for a fortune. Just my luck, or lack thereof." He checked his phone. "Oh hey, this is from Ortensia. It says, and here I paraphrase: 'have Ozzie check his bleeping phone. I've been trying to get ahold of him for a bleeping hour.' End paraphrase, bleeping mine."

 "Ah crap, Ortensia!" Ozzie cringed. "I'm supposed to have dinner with Mickey and Minnie in like a half hour."

 "Ey! Rubbing shoulders with relative giants again, eh Oz?" Hamm's eyebrows went up.

 "No way I'm gonna make that," Ozzie shook his head, sighing. "Not when you all are here with me tonight. It's a sign I need to keep going and dig in on-"

 Ozzie's thought was punctured by Goofy and Gadget looking at him expectantly, with a typical blase look added from Hamm.

 "First of all, no," Ozzie held up a finger, then a second one, "second of all, how dare you? I'm not going home after you two agreed to help."

 "Eh, let me help," Hamm shrugged. "Carnival's got nothin' back there for me anyway and I already hung out with my pals."

 "Let this be our Crittermas gift to you, Ozzie," Goofy said with punctuated reverence, pointing down at Ozzie and stopping just short of touching his nose. 

 "But you already got me this," Ozzie held up his bag of popcorn lamely.

 "Popcorn? Sweet!" Hamm snapped his fingers. "Got any more?" 

 Goofy chuckled and supplied him with a bag from his bag.

 "You know us better than to think we'll break this thing while you aren't supervising us," Gadget smirked. 

 "That's not what I'm worried about," Ozzie groaned. "I don't want to be a massive hypocrite while indulging in Crittermas festivities with my girlfriend and two top shelf celebrities while you're here in your holiday wear slaving over someone's expensive vroom toy."

 "Well, sorry chief, but that ship's already sailed," Hamm observed, munching on some popcorn. "You were a hypocrite the moment you came to work after you told me you wouldn't. So get outta here already."

 "I... fine, okay," Ozzie sighed. "Love you guys. Merry Crittermas."

 "Merry Crittermas!" They sang back in unison. 

 "Make sure to lock up-" Ozzie started.

 "GO," Gadget pointed at the door sternly.

 As he left, he finally checked his phone, which he had mistakenly turned off. He winced as his text messages exploded with angry and desperate pleas from Ortensia to get in touch with him. As he was about to reply with the fact that he was on his way, more messages showed up.

 From Goofy: [Merry Crittermas, Ozzie! Say hi to Mickey and Minnie for me!]

 From Hamm: [I'll text ya if I have any questions. Engage yourself.
 Engorge yourself.
 Enjoy yourself. Freakin' autocorrect.]

 Ozzie chuckled. He started to head right for Ortensia's place with a song in his heart, before a final message showed up.

 From Gadget: [Don't forget to change out of your jumpsuit!!]

 He decided to head for his apartment first. Quickly.

 

---

 

 Four days later was a fairly cold night in central Zootopia, but the stillness of the air made it bearable, even pleasant if you were into that sort of weather. Just on the corner of Ozzie's Auto Repair was a small food stand entitled "No Worries", operated by a meerkat and a warthog.

 "Got any New Year's Resolutions, Pumbaa?" The meerkat quipped, taking a bite out of a juicy grubfurter slathered with firefly sauce.

 "Just the same one I always have, Timon," the warthog placed his hand to his chest, "I will pledge to continue to be a better mammal and help the world to be a brighter place, and if it isn't going that way, I'll try to help get it back on track!"

 "Yeez, sorry I asked," Timon rolled his eyes, "you know all we do is sell fast food, right?"

 "We're providing one of the three essential components to sustain life, Timon!" Pumbaa insisted.

 "Sustain life, this?" Timon gestured to his food and gave a scoffing laugh. "Maybe temporarily."

 The sound of a powerful, fierce engine growl filled the air, a second rev increasing its strength, before the purring of it becoming steady began. Timon could hear cheering coming from the garage nearby.

 "Ahhh..." Pumbaa smiled broadly, enjoying the crisp feeling of the winter air. "They say every time a 2006 Bengal Special Edition's engine is restored, an angel gets its wings."

 "What? Who says that? Nobody says that," Timon stared at Pumbaa in disbelief. "How can you hear what year a car is?"

 "I dunno, Timon," Pumbaa pouted, "how can you taste what vintage a batch of firefly sauce just from one or two drops?"

 "Okay, I'll give you that," Timon nodded, finishing off his grubfurter with an uncomfortably large mouthful. "Premium 2000 vintage on this one, by the way. Back before the recipe really changed and went downhill." He made pinching motions with his hands.

 "That sauce is 20 years old?" Pumbaa winced.

 "21 in a coupla days," Timon corrected. "Tons of vinegar in that stuff. Keeps good forever."

 "How about you, Timon?" Pumbaa wondered, looking up at the night sky. "You have any resolutions?"

 "Same one as always here too my friend," Timon leaned back against the small stand the two had made for themselves. "Be at peace with my place in the world and don't let it get to me if there's something I can't change about it."

 "Ahhhh!" Pumba grinned widely again.

 "Exactly," Timon smiled. "So Hakuna matata, and a happy new year."

 "You too, Timon," Pumbaa laughed. "Hakuna matata!"

Chapter 202: Suspicious

Nick and Judy responded to their summons to Chief Bogo's office in short order. The buffalo looked moderately impressed at their punctuality, communicated as a minuscule raise of his eyebrows. 

 "Wanted to see us, sir?" Judy's enthusiasm rang annoyingly in her voice; she'd probably had a bit too much caffeine that morning. Nick, however, just greeted him with his insufferably smug little grin that his face often seemed frozen into.

 "Yes, I have a call for you two to make," Chief Bogo looked through his papers. "We've received a complaint about a suspicious fox lurking about near the Lion's Tail docks, Savanna Central side."

 Bogo was almost gratified to see Nick's grin quickly vanish.

 "A suspicious fox, eh?" He piped up.

 "Don't give me that look, Wilde," Bogo retorted with a flare of his nostrils. "The media's been giving us heat about sending in officers 'too big' for the appropriate threat level of the suspect. Something I'm sure Officer Hopps knows nothing about."

 "Ahahaha... ha," she laughed nervously.

 "So, as they say, pick on someone your own sizes," Bogo went on.

 "What is this fox suspected of?" Judy asked.

 "Dealing in contraband," Bogo said. "There's an informant that wishes to be met in person with the details. Here's the address, it's south of Acorn Heights." He handed them a slip of paper. "I'd prefer it if you both went out of uniform, so you don't tip off either the informant or the suspect too readily."

 "Aye aye, sir," replied the fox. "Would you like us to take the subway? It'd look pretty silly for us to jump out of a giant cruiser."

 "Nick, don't you have like, some kind of red convertible we could use?" Judy offered.

 "No, what makes you think that?" Nick blinked. "Where would you even come up with that?"

 "Oh, I'd just... thought I'd heard you say it at some point," she smiled apologetically.

 "Well, seeing as we've taken on more medium-sized mammals lately, we've recently procured an unmarked vehicle that might be around your size," Bogo said with a bit of caution.

 "Really? Sweet!" Judy pumped a fist. "Dibs on the driver's seat!"

 "Recently procured," Bogo reiterated and enunciated, "the only one we have. Please, for the love of all above, be careful with it."

 Nick leaned over to Judy with a little chuckle. "No pressure."

 

---

 

 The unmarked vehicle was a fairly lackluster white sedan, and Judy found her drive more uneventful than she'd wished, and with several more red lights.

 "You look disappointed," Nick noticed.

 "I was hoping for something a bit flashier to cruise around in," the bunny admitted. "What's the point of being undercover cops if we can't look cool?"

 "I should dare to say none whatsoever," Nick joked with a light air. "Indeed, where's my red convertible?"

 "Could have sworn you said you had one..." she muttered. 

 "If I did, that was a gross exaggeration," the fox smirked. "Maybe I had a toy of one once. A model, perhaps."

 Judy let silence descend for about half a minute. "Did you look up where we're headed?"

 "Mhm," he nodded. "It's a little mom n' pop shop called Nook's Cranny, on the corner about five miles down."

 "Cute name," Judy grinned. "Wonder what we're in for."

 "Who knows?" Nick shrugged. "Someone prejudiced against foxes, sounds like. Might be a fun time."

 "Let's give them the benefit of the doubt, at least," Judy pleaded. 

 The white car pulled into a very small parking lot, then the two exited the vehicle. Nick dramatically put on a pair of shades as if he was in an action movie, and Judy stretched brightly as she bounced out. Nick made sure his taser was tucked neatly away from view in his casual jacket, and Judy followed suit, affirming its location in her purse.

 "Mm, sun's out, bun's out!" Judy thrust both of her fists into the air. "I love this part of Savanna Central. Especially at this time of year, when it's like 20 degrees warmer thanks to it being closer to Sahara Square."

 "After you, ma'am," Nick held the door open for the bunny and was rewarded with a faux curtsy.

 "Ah, welcome, welcome," the two were immediately greeted by a tanuki, "welcome to Nook's Cranny. Feel free to browse, but try not to carouse, ha ha!"

 Judy blinked at the owner. He was a fairly wide tanuki with lazy blue eyes and a leaf-print outfit in an oriental style. His expression was hard to read from his mouth. He sounded interested, but sure didn't look it.

 "If you're in the market for anything, let me know!" The owner gave a small bow.

 "Actually, looking for some tips," Nick approached. "Heard someone from this address gave a complaint recently."

 "A complaint?" The tanuki's eyes opened, just a little. "Whatever about?" He moved behind his register.

 Judy dug for her wallet and produced her badge. "Nick and I are with the ZPD. Officers Hopps and Wilde."

 "Oh!" The tanuki's eyes flew open, but only for a second, as if someone had rang a bell in his head. "Oh my my, you'll have to forgive me. I thought he might have hired you two. You are a fox, after all, my mistake."

 "'He' being this suspicious fox you mentioned?" Nick didn't sound too enthusiastic.

 "Forgive me, yes yes, let me introduce myself," the tanuki bowed again. "I am Tom Nook, owner of this store."

 "Ah, forgive me for asking, Mr. Nook, but are you from Anihon?" Judy started taking some notes. "That doesn't sound like a very oriental name."

 "Not my given name, no," he shook his head. "But I like it, it fit well with the local culture. I've had big plans in Zootopia ever since I came here. The amount and variety of buildings and mammals here is staggering! One day I'll own and sell a bunch of real estate and leave this place to my young cousins."

 "Yes, now," Nick continued, "this fox you mentioned. What reason do you have to suspect him?"

 "Well, for one, I know him," Tom's eyes went back to their resting half-lid state, but his voice sounded intense. "He and I went to a business college together in Anihon. He showed up at the docks around here recently. His name is Redd."

 "So, what is he doing that's suspect?" Nick went on. "Surely it's not just because he's a shifty fox." Judy gave Nick a stern look.

 "Heavens no," Tom shook his head. "I've found that the best way to remove your preconceptions about a species is to befriend them." He looked between the two for a moment.

 "A lesson we have well learned, even if we all have our blind spots," Judy said in an ingratiating voice. "How is this Mr. Redd suspicious?"

 "You'll forgive my recitation of popular stereotypes, yes yes?" Tom Nook looked apologetic. "There was always an air of duplicity about him, even when we were friends. I had planned to come to Zootopia with him and start our venture jointly, but he decieved me and left with his own share of our venture capital. I could have gotten a space at least twice this size if not for that."

 "So is he conducting business here then?" Judy made some more notes. "And you, what, don't like him moving in on your territory?"

 "No no, nothing like that," Tom waved his paws. "It's just... he's operating out of a boat, and he's selling paintings."

 "And...?" Nick led.

 "Well, I've never known him to be a painter, for one," Tom said. "I have a feeling he might be selling counterfeit goods."

 "Just a feeling?" Judy asked. 

 "Barring some kind of massive loan, I don't know how he could have gotten such paintings of such quality," Tom shook his head. "I know it sounds like I have a vendetta against him, but please, I have known him for quite awhile. He said nothing about or showed any interest in paintings as long as I'd been with him. Art of any kind."

 "Well, we can give his place a look," Nick shrugged. "But I won't promise anything."

 "Ah, thanks much, yes yes!" Tom looked relieved. "I don't think he knows I have a place here yet, and I'd like for that to continue to be true if he really is on the up-and-up."

 "Consider yourself anonymousized," Judy dramatically swiped her finger across the phone she was taking notes on.

 "Is that a word?" Tom nook put a paw to his mouth. "I've yet to master this language."

 "I'd say you're doing better than my partner," Nick chuckled. "C'mon, Hopps, let's go browse some art."

 "Thank you, Mr. Nook," Judy waved. "We'll come back if we have any further questions."

 "Thanks much!" Tom waved as the two officers left.

 

---

 

 "Hmh," Nick snorted in amusement as the two rounded the corner into the nearby Lion's Tail docks. "That tanuki wants to go from a retail worker to real estate mogul after emigrating from Anihon, eh? Gotta say, he's got big balls."

 Judy shot him an unimpressed look. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."

 The two paused in front of a rusty-looking tugboat that had to have been several decades old. Nick almost winced as he took in the wear and tear of the smallish vehicle.

 "This is the place?" Judy scoffed.

 Nick sighed. "Listen, I already know this looks shady, and I'll concede that foxes didn't come across their stereotypes for no reason, but there's at least a chance he could be legit, right?"

 "Do you hope he will be?" Judy gave him a side-eye. "Our objective should be to find out if he's dirty no matter what species he is."

 "Yeah, fair enough," Nick grumbled. 

 Another red fox made his way out of the vessel and seemed to notice the two. The two policemammals couldn't be sure initially, however, because the fox's eyes were squinted to the point that not a single bit of light looked like they could possibly penetrate them. Nick absently wondered if the sun was actually brighter in Anihon, the "land of the rising sun", but he discarded those thoughts, and, like a light switch, morphed from a contemplative state to a bright and friendly demeanor.

 "Ah, hello there!" The fox called out. Like the tanuki, his Anihonese accent was nearly unnoticeable, as if the two had spent a considerable amount of time learning the local language. "What can I help you with?" The fox was wearing an aqua and white Anihonese outfit, decorated with swirls, looking like it belonged to a sushi chef. His color was more of an orange than Nick's slightly reddish fur and he was overall smaller, somewhat typical of Anihonese red foxes. 

 "I'd heard from a friend that you were a great artist," Judy smiled up at him. "That you had some pieces for sale?"

 The fox looked taken aback, and his eyes nearly opened. "Maybe, depending on who's asking."

 "Well, y'know, we were in the market," Nick gestured forward.

 The other fox considered the two. He seemed unmoved, and his expression was somehow even more impenetrable than Tom Nook's. Judy swung her arms around one of Nick's and suddenly latched close.

 "We got a place together!" Judy exclaimed in a voice with a dollop more syrup than usual. "We'd just love to spruce up those bare walls with some nice paintings!"

 "Ah, naruhodo," the fox nodded quickly, "I see... I see... well, let me take you on a tour, then, I'm sure we can find something you two would like." He entered his ship via a tarp that had been draped over an entrance to the interior that probably used to contain an actual door. 

 Nick shot Judy a skeptical look at her sudden scheme, but she merely chuckled and refused to release her firm grip on him.

 "The clueless newlyweds with money to spare," Judy said craftily. "Works every time."

 "Hmh," Nick smirked, and wandered into the shady interior of the dilapidated ship with the bunny in tow.

 Inside the dimly lit ship, Nick again wondered how the other fox could see; even he was having a hard time. 

 "Ah, let me get the lights," the fox noticed their discomfort and flicked a switch. "Name's Redd, by the way, nice to meetcha two." Several spotlights turned on with an electronic hum, illuminating a small collection of paintings. One of the lights on a particular painting flickered, drawing the two's attention. 

 Judy gasped as she saw it, running over to it to take it in. It was a very famous painting of a female mammal whose species was hard to place. "Is that the Mona Linsang?"

 The Redd chuckled. "Of course not, merely an exact replica I painted. All of my paintings are fabrications, essentially. I'm a very good copyist. No one'd truly be able to tell them apart from the real thing, even if you'd got eyes as good as I'm sure my cousin here does." He gave an encouraging laugh while walking by the two.

 "Hmhm," Nick wiggled his head back and forth, "well, we foxes do tend to have an eye for quality."

 "Two, if we're lucky!" Redd tossed his head back and laughed raucously. Judy hoped she wasn't wincing. As she moved her head away in second-hand embarrassment, she came across another painting which had another famous female mammal depicted in a colorful, draping dress.

 Judy wagged her head in amazement. "That's Leo Davinci's Lady Ermine. Or, I guess, a copy of it. Amazing quality."

 "Yes, I try to get all the details just right," Redd nodded. "It's very... detailed."

 Judy looked up at the painting and scratched her chin with both her thumb and forefinger. It was signal the two had invented to buy a bit of time for the other. Just to be sure, she flicked her eyes briefly in Nick's direction, as if deeply considering the painting. 

 Nick gestured away from Judy and towards the exit of the ship. "Hey Redd, from one cousin to another, can I confide something in you?"

 "Of course," Redd seemed to grin, but Nick couldn't quite be sure.

 "I had my own business ventures here in Zootopia in the past, and they didn't quite go so well; the fuzz was always on my tail," Nick groaned. "You know they hate to see a successful fox."

 "Eh, are the police like that in this city?" Redd tilted his head.

 "Like you wouldn't believe!" Nick barked. "Once had this particular small-timer meter maid go after my tax information, if you can believe that."

 Judy tried to swallow a laugh, and almost didn't make it.

 "The nerve of some mammals," Redd shook his head.

 "Now look, I can see you're an Anihonese fox, right?" Nick held his palms out in a conciliatory gesture.

 "That obvious, eh cousin?" Redd somehow squinted his eyes even tighter.

 "I wouldn't want the cops to get on you about something silly like your paperwork, so mind if I take a look at it real quick? Nick smiled plainly.

 "Don't see why not," Redd said, shuffling over to a cabinet and withdrawing some papers. "Paid someone to get my taxes all in order. See, all of this is on the up and up!"

 "Mind if I see that a sec?" Nick grabbed at one of the papers.

 "Uh, easy now," Redd chuckled.

 "Ah, that's good, that's good," Nick grinned, "this is the one they'll try to get you on, your sales permit." The fox closed his mouth with an inconspicuous yet audible click of his teeth, throwing out to Judy that he himself wanted to pass the buck.

 "Redd!" Judy called out almost immediately, her ears barely catching the signal. "I have to ask, how much is this replica of the Lady Ermine?"

 "Oh!" Redd looked back toward Judy. "That one, unfortunately is gonna set you back. Even though you've got one of my cousins here with ya and all, I spent a long time on that. Hows fifty grand strike ya?"

 "Ooh, that is expensive," Judy winced. "Buut... maybe I can work somethin' out with my Poppa Stu."

 Redd quickly looked back toward Nick holding his laminated permit. The fox merely grinned and returned it to him. 

 "Our wedding was out of this world," Nick shook his head. "Marrying a gal whose dad has a carrot empire will do that to you."

 Redd's mounting suspicions quickly shifted back to the opportunity to turn a profit. "Now I do have some even more famous and large paintings that would really fill out a bare wall if you'll give me a moment."

 "Ooh, Nick, but I really like the Lady Ermine," Judy pulled out her phone and stared at it. "But my receptions really bad in here. Let's go out and see if you can convince daddy to wire me the money."

 "Be seeing you soon, cousin," Nick grinned.

 "I'll be here for another couple hours," Redd stated, his expression impenetrable.

 As Judy and Nick walked off the ramp and back onto the dock, she eyed Nick.

 "See something?" The fox inquired.

 "Nick, the Lady Ermine was stolen about two years ago," Judy noted. "Out of a Purrussian museum."

 "Huh, didn't take you for an art buff," Nick shrugged his shoulders. "Do you think that's the real one?"

 "Maybe he's desperate to sell it or he's already got people looking for him," Judy considered. "He's operating out of a vehicle, after all."

 Nick pulled out his phone. "We shouldn't go in there unless we're sure we want to arrest him."

 "Nick, this is ridiculous," Judy sighed. "We need to at least grill him. You can't just throw up all these objections because he's the same species as you."

 The fox didn't say anything and began to text.

 "Uh, what are you doing?"

 "Making sure," Nick quipped. "Thanks to your little distraction, I got a quick picture of his sales permit. I didn't see anything wrong with it when I looked, but maybe our tech gal might."

 "Aha, sneaky sneaky," the bunny had a proud smile. "I think we need to retire that tell though, I could barely hear your click. Maybe we can use a key word or phrase, like uh... blueberries."

 "That's a bit conspicuous, even for my little vegetable-swearer over here," Nick chuckled. "Ah, a text already? Skippel works fast." He read it out. "'This would be easier if you actually got me the document. Or a better picture'. Ah."

 Judy laughed. "That's our Officer Skippel."

 After a few minutes, they got another reply, and Judy quickly snatched Nick's phone out of his paw.

 Nick tsked. "Rude."

 "Ah, it is fake," Judy scrolled through a long-winded explanation and condensed it. "Looks like the ID for the permit doesn't gel at all with the range that were distributed in that year."

 "Huh, it'd take an owl eye to pick out a detail like that so quickly," Nick looked a bit impressed.

 "Don't you mean eagle eye?" 

 "Uh, I'm pretty sure owls have better eyesight," Nick wagged his finger. "They can see in the dark, after all, so they have to."

 Judy was about to retort, but no sound came out of her mouth and she shook it off. "So, now can we go arrest this guy?"

 Nick nodded. "Oh please, allow me."

 The two marched back toward the boat with purpose, and Judy gave a dark little chuckle as she noticed the engines were still not on.

 "Mmm, imagine some poor sap that bought that painting, thinking it was a fake, only to have someone blow the whistle on them and it come out that they had stolen a priceless work of art." She sighed.

 "I tell ya, those sneaky foxes, what can ya do?" Nick shrugged, then reached in his pocket for his cuffs.

Chapter 203: Worries

 The twisted mishmash of metal sat there on the curb of the Savanna Central intersection, battered beyond recognition. The ZPD's only fox and bunny police officers took down notes as they also took in the wailing of the meerkat owner of the metal pile.

 "I'm ruined! RUINED!" Timon wailed.

 "Yeah, ahuh," his warthog partner, Pumbaa, appeared to agree, but his attention was not on the meerkat, but on his phone. He faced the opposite direction, looking down the road toward Ozzie's Auto Repair, which was also on that street. 

 Timon paced around, looking at the two officers intermittently. "Well? Have you ever seen so much damage to a food stand in your life?"

 "Ah, so this used to be a food stand," Nick huffed, trying to fight an encroaching smirk.

 "Yes, MY food stand!" Timon pointed at himself with every finger on his hands but his thumbs. 

 "I find it hard to believe a single rhinoceros cased all this damage," Nick went on, wagging his head. "You sure he wasn't armed with a sledgehammer?"

 "Those guys are livin' tanks, I tell ya!" Timon shrieked.

 "Yah, ahuh," Pumbaa said again.

 "He'll be fine, by the way, if you care," Judy lolled her head to the side. "The EMTs told me he just broke his shoulder."

 "Well, he broke my entire livelihood!" Timon shouted, thrusting both of his fists down his side. He then thrust his finger at Nick accusingly, wagging it. "And I'm gonna make sure he pays dearly for this!"

 Judy sucked her teeth. "Mr. Timon, I don't suppose you're familiar with the Zootopian statute on this kind of thing? It clearly states that no mammal in a part of a panicked stampede can be held liable for accidental damages."

 "Ahuh, yup yup."

 "I didn't know you were so familiar with Zootopia laws," Nick seemed mildly impressed, putting his hands on his hips.

 "I told you I graduated top of my class," Judy fired back with sass, "I've done my homework."

 "And where does that leave me?" Timon panicked, pacing in tight circles. "This place was Pumbaa and me's whole means of living!"

 "Well, did you have it insured?" Nick inquired. 

 "No, I didn't have it insured!" Timon said through his teeth, seemingly insulted by the question. "Who insures a food stand!? They'd cut into my already meager profits!"

 Nick sighed and shrugged. "I guess you might be outta luck then, chief-"

 "Oh god. Nick, look..." Judy pointed at the side of the ruined food cart that faced the road. Nick followed her finger, and both of their pupils shrank as they saw a widening pool of red leaking out of the bottom of the wreckage. Nick immediately went to investigate, but his forward thrust was stopped as the wind shifted and sent a biting aroma to assault his nostrils.

 "Oof! Well, I don't think that's a mammal," Nick blinked, his eyes watering. "Smells like hot sauce."

 "Hot sauce!?" Timon looked over to their side and screamed out. "No! NO! My Firefly Sauce!"

 "Firefly sauce?" Judy blinked.

 "Firefly sauce, eh?" Nick folded his arms. "You know that stuff is banned in Zootopia, right?"

 "Only the vintages past 2010!" Timon seemed more frustrated than worried about breaking the law.

 "I'm confused," Judy admitted.

 "The makers of the sauce changed their recipe to make it spicier and tastier about a decade ago," Nick explained. "But the new formula wasn't approved by the Zootopian Food Distribution Association because it could be dangerous to a small percentage of small mammals. Anything smaller than a woodchuck."

 "And instead of just marketing the old formula to Zootopians, they decided to be stubborn and just cut us Zootopians out of their sales," Timon shrugged. "After all, we're only one City-State, and they got their hooks in the rest of the continent. Anywhere with a large enough population, in both senses of the word."

 Judy made a face. "So this sauce was a decade old?"

 "Two decades," Timon rubbed his forehead. "I got a huge batch at the turn of the century. It only tastes better with age."

 Judy's disgust grew, and she battled the urge to gag.

 "And now I'm finished," Timon sighed. "Even if I had the money to repair this stand or build another one, I can't just replace twenty-year-old sauces..."

 "Nick, you think there's anything you can do to help him?" Judy didn't look too committed to the idea.

 "Sorry, Fluffball, my days of running illegal hot sauce are over," the fox smirked. "I have to hold myself to a higher standard, after all."

 "Ahuh, oh yeah."
 
 Timon twitched in irritation as Pumbaa's interminable phone call continued.

 "Meanwhile, I doubt those days ever began," Judy shook her head reprovingly at the fox, then sighed. "Anyway, I think our report is done. I hope you can get things sorted out, Mr. Timon."

 "Yeah, me too," Nick nodded. "The world of street vendors is surprisingly cutthroat. Someone will probably move into a choice corner like this as soon as this wreckage is cleared."

 "Don't remind me..." Timon groaned. "With no insurance, I dunno what we're gonna do." 

 "Hey Timon!" The warthog's call finally ended. "Guess what? I got an insurance agent to agree to come out and look at our stand this evening!"

 "Since when do you have insurance on the stand?" Timon was aghast.

 "I pay for the deductible myself!" Pumbaa stood up straight and proud. "I got it with the PIG insurance group."

 "So help me Pumbaa," Timon's voice dropped angrily, "if you signed up with them just because of their acronym..."

 "The Pridelands Insurance Group," Pumbaa clarified. 

 Timon's eyes flew open. "Oh no."

 Judy blinked. "Why, is that a problem?"

 "I... hope not," Timon winced.

 

---

 

 Evening approached and the traffic thickened due to rush hour. Timon sat quietly alongside his partner Pumbaa on the curb. The meerkat had often feared that one day a car might swerve in and destroy his food stand, but never simply a mammal. 

 "I dunno what we're gonna do, Pumbaa," groaned Timon, voice heavy. "Even if this policy of yours has us swimmin' in cash, people came for miles just to get at that Firefly Sauce. Now it's all gone."

 "Aw, you'll think of something, Timon," Pumbaa assured his partner. "You always do."

 Timon felt his ego try to inflate, then it all escaped, like a balloon with a preexisting gash. 

 After a few minutes of Timon's quiet moping, a monochrome rabbit clad in a blue jumpsuit headed over to the broken stand. He grimaced.

 "Yeesh, this is quite a mess," said the rabbit. Timon looked up. It was Oswald Rodbit, the owner of Ozzie's Auto Repair just down the way from their stand.

 "Hey Ozzie," Timon groaned, barely looking his way.

 "What happened?"

 "A rhinoceros happened," he replied. "He happened all over our livelihoods. And he's gonna get away scot-free because of some Zootopian statute or something."

 "It's awful," Pumbaa shook his head. "But the PIG will hook us up and we can all move past this."

 "PIG?" Ozzie scratched an ear. "I mean, sorry, but Hammond's gone home for the evenin'. I don't even think he knows what's troublin' ya."

 "He means the Pridelands Insurance Group," Timon replied in a monotone. 

 "Ah, you guys insured your food stand," Ozzie nodded. "Smart."

 "You think so?" Timon looked up at him quizzically. "It's just a food stand. Wish I could have insured my 20-year-old hot sauce supply."

 "Huh, no wonder I never liked that stuff," Ozzie huffed.

 "Don't suppose there's anything you can do for... this," Timon waved haphazardly at the ruined stand.

 "Doubt I'd know where to start," Ozzie shook his head. "That thing is twisted beyond saving, unfortunately. Even if it wasn't, I technically have no license sayin' I can work on it anyway. It'd need wheels and an engine before my crew could have at it legally."

 "Bureaucracy," Timon spat. "Always getting in the way."

 "Sorry about that, pal, but I hope you get back on your hindpaws," Ozzie shrugged. "Want me to go down the street and see if I can rattle you up some grub?" Pumbaa perked up at this, but Timon waved his hand, and Pumbaa's index finger limped.

 "We're supposed to be meeting with an agent soon," Timon sighed. "But thanks for the offer."

 Ozzie shrugged his shoulders and nodded his understanding, then left.

 "I'm hungry though, Timon," Pumbaa whined quietly.

 "You're always hungry, Pumbaa," Timon reminded him.

 The sun hung just on the horizon, bathing the forest of buildings in golden-red light. Pumbaa enjoyed the view, while Timon remained despondent. A lioness appeared on the street, walking towards them. She was statuesque, especially compared to the two shorter animals, fair-furred and tan in color, with piercing blue eyes and a smart, navy business suit.

 "Oh boy, here we go," Timon cringed.

 "Pumbaa!" The lioness greeted. 

 "Nala!" He replied, rushing over to her and giving her a short hug. The two laughed a bit, then she released him and looked over to Timon.

 "...Timon."

 "Uh, heh, heya Nala," Timon stood up sheepishly and waved. "How's, umh, how's your other half?"

 "Simba is doing fine, no thanks to you," Nala said with a pretty, yet cold voice. "Looks like you haven't been so lucky."

 "Yeah," was all Timon could reply.

 "Now Pumbaa, let's see what kind of claim we can make for you, hm?" Nala smiled sweetly at the warthog. "You've always paid your fees, never late once, huh? We could probably get you enough to own your own corner store."

 "Right here in Savanna Central?" Pumbaa looked flabbergasted. "These places cost a fortune to rent!"

 "Yeah, and they'll scam you out of twice what they're worth without a negotiator," Timon peered into their conversation.

 "Timon," Nala slowly turned her head to glare at him. "This policy is in Pumbaa's name. You don't get a single buck of it unless he says so."

 "Nala..." Pumbaa opened up his arms. "Timon and I have done everything together. Whatever we do with the money, we'll do it together, like always."

 Timon smiled at Pumbaa's kindness, but Nala seemed unconvinced, a paw on her hip.

 "Pumbaa, I'd like to talk to you," Nala gave Timon a side eye. "Alone."

 "Heh, I just was gonna find a store to use the little meerkat's room, anyway," Timon meekly took off.

 Nala gave a prolonged sigh. "Pumbaa, why are you still with that arrogant, selfish meerkat?"

 Pumbaa's eyes were big. "He's not like that, Nala. You gotta get to know him. He's real nice, and he's always looked out for me!"

 "I just don't think he has your best interests at heart," Nala frowned. "He's just taking advantage of your kindness to make you do whatever he wants."

 "No, it isn't like that," Pumbaa frowned and shook his head decisively.

 "Do you remember the things he said to Simba?" Nala folded her arms. "How he called him a nepotist, inheriting the Pridelands corporation from his father unearned, like he was royalty? How he was abandoning you and Timon to 'follow his own path' and so on?"

 "I remember..." Pumbaa frowned, "but he was hurt. We had big plans, the three of us. Timon was heartbroken that he would leave us so easily after we'd spent all of college together, dreaming up what we could be."

 "And does co-owning a food stand line up with where you thought you'd be?" Nala shot at him.

 Pumbaa looked confused and a little hurt. "I... I mean... I've always liked it..."

 Nala winced. "I'm sorry, Pumbaa, I didn't mean to insult you."

 "Maybe it isn't grandiose like a big business would be, but I like it, and Timon likes it," Pumbaa shrugged. "That's always been good enough for me."

 "If that's what you want, then," Nala smiled, "I'll make sure you'll have enough to rebuild your stand as fancy as you want."

 Timon staggered awkwardly out of a door too big for him out of a nearby gas station, then waved over to the mammals and made his way over the crosswalk to them.

 "Pumbaa," Timon seemed excited. "I just had a idea of what we can do with the claim money. It's gonna be great!"

 "Timon!" Nala said firmly.

 Timon shot her a glance, annoyed. "You know, it did have to be you, didn't it? They coulda sent basically anyone else."

 "We were going to send our camel intern, but he gets kind of weird on Wednesdays," Nala looked off into the distance. "But, you should be thankful that it is me. I can pull a few strings here and there and make sure Pumbaa gets the best claim we can possibly allow."

 "It's like that, then," Timon shook his head. 

 "And you're complaining again," Nala knelt down to look more squarely at Timon. "Listen, buster. I don't care if you don't like how the world works, but I know Pumbaa, and I like Pumbaa, and so I'm going to help him to the best of my ability. It's a darn shame if you don't want any special favors, but don't worry, it's not going to be on your account anyway."

 Timon for once didn't have a smart reply.

 "And you should be grateful that Pumbaa is kind enough to still want to work with you," Nala sneered. "He could dump your sorry little tail in a heartbeat, and frankly I don't know what he sees in you. But, fortunately for you, that's none of my business."

 "Nala," Timon said blankly. "Tell Simba I'm sorry, okay?" He sighed. "Tell him I didn't mean those things I said about him. And he can have a free grubfurter or four when we get our new place up and running."

 Nala blinked. "Timon. I don't think I've ever heard you say 'I'm sorry' about anything."

 "You just haven't been around him long enough," Pumbaa smiled. "Now, I'm wanna hear about your idea, Timon, what are we gonna do with all that money?"

 Timon grinned, rubbing his paws together. "Trust me, Pumbaa, this is gonna be excellent."

 

---

 

It was a warm day in the Marshlands, just north of the Rainforest District. Rain had just subsided, so the dampness tended to hug the fur in all the wrong ways, making Judy feel both hot and miserable. It bothered her more that Nick seemed to take it completely in stride, and she certainly wasn't going to complain if he didn't.

 "Ah, there's one," Nick pointed out a food truck positioned on the corner. "They sell grubfurters." The truck was pretty big, a sort of lime green with floral and greenery patterns all over it. Judy marched up to the food truck with Nick, a determined and pinched look on her face. She said nothing, and Nick laughed. "You're so easy to manipulate, Fluff. I'm doing it right now. I'm telling you I'm doing it, and yet here you go."

 "You know I can't back down from a challenge, Nick," said Judy with an even tone that was hard to ascribe a particular emotion to. 

 "I know, and that is one of your biggest flaws," Nick explained, chuckling at the fact that the bunny's pace was not slowing. "Hello? Do you hear me?"

 "Oh, I hear you all right," Judy's tone became playful with a dash of danger. "I'm just gonna earn 20 bucks, that's all."

 The two stood and looked up at the food truck's sign, which read "Hakuna Matata" in letters fashioned out of faux wood.

 "Hakuna Matata?" Nick scratched his head. "Wonder what that means."

 "It means no worries, for the rest of your days!" Timon sang, springing up from the food truck's main window, opening his arms wide and wiggling his fingers.

 "It's our problem-free, philosophy!" Pumbaa joined in from the right, nearly knocking Timon over as he did.

 "Hakuna Matata~!" Both finished with a surprisingly pleasant harmony.

 "Huh," Judy grinned. "I didn't know Zootopia was a musical."

 "Just gotta be in the right place at the right time," Nick smirked. "Well now, look who it is. Looks like you two made it back on your hindpaws all right after all."

 "Like the truck," Judy marveled around, nodding in approval. "Bigger than your old stand."

 "And mobile!" Timon grinned widely. 

 "Yeah, now if we get sick of lookin' at one view, we can go to another," Pumbaa smiled enthusiastically. "It was Timon's idea."

 "I had a brainwave, that's all," Timon swiped a paw through the air dismissively. "I thought, if this breaks down, then my ol' buddy Oz at Oswald's Auto Repair could fix me up."

 "Good business is all about the right location, after all," Nick seemed to be mildly impressed with the meerkat.

 "Huh, so, you get to upgrade your business," Judy nodded, "AND you get to manipulate your acquaintances. Good deal!"

 Timon rose a forefinger to protest, but Nick scooted in front of her.

 "Speaking of manipulating," the fox interrupted preemptively, "we're gonna buy a nice big grubfurter for Judy to try. Aren't we, Judy?"

 "We are," Judy glared at Nick, combative.

 "Coming right up!" Timon's voice carried barely-contained glee.

 Nick's nostril twitched and his eyes began to water. "Wait, what's that smell?" Pumbaa ducked out of the way immediately, and Timon grit his teeth.

 "Could you be a bit more delicate about that?" Timon jerked his thumb sideways. "My buddy has kind of a condition."

 "It smells like hot sauce," Nick glared. "Are we gonna have to check your truck for Firefly Sauce?"

 "No, it's not that!" Timon quickly retreated and brought back an bottle that had a horn-bill bird scrawled on the front, but no other markings. "This is my own blend! Y'see, what I did with the extra money Pumbaa and I got from the insurance claim is get some equipment to brew my own proprietary hot sauce, customizable to whatever size or spiciness a Zootopian could require! If I can market this stuff right, we'll make a FORTUNE!"

 "Eh, I don't know about that," Nick tilted his head back skeptically. "The hot sauce market is pretty stacked. Everyone seems to want to make their own blends."

 "Well, I dunno, you never know when some random hot sauce will become popular," Judy shrugged. "Remember that one cartoon that made everyone go crazy for that, what was it, Snakeyuan sauce?"

 "It's a science we're still figuring out, but it'll give our grubfurters their own unique kick!" Timon's excitement couldn't be deterred. "So, you want some on yours, Officer Hopps?"

 Judy looked at Nick. "Yes, if you'll up the wager to 30 bucks."

 "Twenty-five," the fox leaned over, enunciating.

 "Deal," Judy quickly hopped up and slapped the money for the snack on the counter, barely taking her eyes off Nick. "You make sure this won't put me in the hospital, okay?"

 "No guarantees," Timon chuckled.

 "Our first batch is on the safe side, Ms. Bunny, don't worry!" Pumbaa assured her. They handed her a particularly colorful green, yellow and white grubfurter, drizzled with bright red sauce that seemed to glow radioactively.

 Judy's face wore trepidation. "Here goes nothing."

 "Ah," Timon tried to interrupt. "The anticipation is the worst part. Just go for it!"

 "A bunny's got to get her protein somehow," Judy gulped, then took a large, adventurous bite. Her face scrunched up, but she found the texture less than offensive, with the hot sauce providing a pleasant bite to mask the fact that it was something she probably shouldn't have been eating. "Hmm. Not bad. A little slimy, but satisfying."

 "Eyy, that's what I'm sayin'!" Timon celebrated, smacking Pumbaa on the side.

 Nick calmly paid up his promised 25 bucks. "It was worth it to see those looks on your face."

 "Hmph!" Judy snatched up the money and snatched another bite out of the grubfurter defiantly. "Even when you lose, you think you won? I don't think so. I'm the one who got paid for eating this thing."

 "Haha, a female after my own heart," Timon sighed.

 "Don't push it," Judy smirked at the meerkat. Timon and Pumbaa both chuckled.

 "Good luck on your endeavors, boys," Nick waved. "And try not to run into any more rhinos?"

 "Believe me, now? That's the last thing I'm worried about," Timon gave a little salute. 

Chapter 204: Imagination

 There was an extra skip in Judy's step as she led Nick down a Savanna Central sidewalk. Pleasant, early spring air with just a small nip of wind invigorated the bunny, but that wasn't the only thing she had to be excited about.

 "I can't believe we get to go to the Imagination Institute for work," Judy laughed, looking behind her to make sure Nick was still somewhat keeping up. "C'mon, Nick, get the lead out!" The two were dressed casually, Judy in soft, pastel colors that seemed to pop out amongst the gray of her fur, while Nick kept his usual blindingly bright colors that somehow clashed and went together at the same time, inexplicably. Both wore light coats.

 "It's nothing special once you've seen it a half-dozen times," the fox quipped with his usual nonchalance. 

 "Oh, is that all?" Judy shot back a challenging look to the fox. "Guess I have about six visits left before that happens, then. Not much of an art fan, Wilde?"

 "On the contrary," smiled Nick, "I'm a pretty big fan of the works of the Elephant Masters, but most of what is in the Imagination Institute isn't what I'd call 'art'."

 "Really?" Judy fell back to walk alongside Nick, looking up at him. "How so?"

 "I just feel like all the good art has already been done, you know?" Nick shook his head, putting his paws behind his slender back. "The best was right at the start of the big creative art movements, that first little spark of inspiration. That was the time of the Elephant Masters, you know, back when they figured out they could really paint. Once all the techniques were mastered, I dunno. It just feels like there isn't really much room for innovation or invention."

 "Huh!" The bunny was bemused. "Didn't take you for an art critic."

 "I'm not really, I just know what I like," Nick chuckled. "The kinds of mammals that frequent the Imagination Institute nowadays are the same kind that would pay millions for a Jackson Pawlock painting- did you know..." the fox waggled his finger as he interrupted himself, "that two years ago, someone put up a gold-plated toilet as an art display at the Institute? A gold-plated toilet."

 Judy laughed brightly. "I guess that 'says a lot about our society'."

 "Does it?" Nick squinted his eyes. "Does it, though?"

 "Anyway," Judy waved a paw, fighting through another giggle. "I hope for both of our sake that this is a pleasant trip. I'll have plenty to look at, and hopefully you'll find something interesting that you've never seen before."

 The fox made a prolonged sigh, releasing his arms from behind him and looking up at the Imagination Institute as it came into view. "I doubt it."

 "Whoa, what a sight!" Judy marveled, slowing her pace a little at the building, which was largely formed up of twin transparent pyramids, one taller than the other. "I always thought just the architecture of Zootopia was a work of art, and that's no different!"

 "Glad you're so easily impressed," Nick teased, "but speaking of finding 'interesting' things, we do have that walrus to look for. What does he call himself? Tuskernini? What a bizarre name."

 "Mm," the bunny nodded, "we've been told he's been snooping around the institute during the expo. Probably looking to steal some art. Hope he won't be too hard to find."

 "Well, I wouldn't think so," Nick folded his arms. "He's known to always be well-dressed in a blue-green suit and sporting a top hat. Seems like he'd be hard to miss."

 "Yeah, I wouldn't think there's more than one eccentric criminal walrus on the loose around here," Judy chuckled as both of them made their way toward the twin pyramids of the Imagination Institute.

 

---

 "Wow, wow, WOW...!" Judy breathed in amazement, craning her head back to attempt to take in the huge scale of a mural hung inside the Imagination Institute. It had mammals of many different shapes and sizes engaging in various activities, trading, working, and playing. The art on the piece was exquisite, yet faded, and it spanned an entire wall, seeming to go on forever. "This is incredible!"

 "Hm, one of the good pieces here in the Institute," Nick grinned, "but no surprise, that was done by an Elephant Master."

 "My gosh..." the bunny breathed. "If I could paint this well, it'd still probably take me a decade to do something like this!"

 "It's the only piece from an Elephant Master we have here," the fox explained, "but if you go down to the placard, you'll find out why."

 Judy nodded, then headed down for the end of the mammoth piece, moving in a light jog barely restrained by her enthusiasm. When she looked upon the gold placard, she gasped, mouth hanging open in awe.

 "Zootopia..." she read in a hushed tone. "No way. According to this, this piece was done a hundred years before Zootopia was even founded?"

 "Talk about life imitating art, eh?" Nick chuckled, paws behind his back, looking up at the mural with a fond smile.

 "Heck, I was impressed enough when mammalkind started coming out with inventions clearly based on Star Track," Judy looked at her partner. "Who knew we'd have phones that can do as much as those Tricorder things?"

 "Gotta dream it before you can do it," Nick shrugged. "Well, I think we're still a few hundred years away from scattering our atoms from one place to another," Nick chuckled. "I would not be the first to sign up for a test of that."

 "Don't blame you," Judy chuckled, then let loose an immense sigh, gazing at the mural. Her brain couldn't focus on a single bit of the piece; her eyes darted this way and that to catch a beautiful tree, a fountain, a child, two conversing adults. "I feel like I could look at this for a month and still not see everything in it."

 "Unfortunately, we don't have that long," the fox shook his head, looking serious. "The expo is only going on for two more days, and we have to see if our target is going to make his move by then."

 Judy shook her head to break her trance, then nodded, mirroring Nick's severity. "Right. I'll have to come back some other time. Let's get looking, Nick."

 The two traveled up and down the Imagination Institute's floors, with Nick only occasionally having to yank Judy away from some avant-garde piece of art that caught her attention.

 "Where's the toilet?" Judy teased as they walked along.

 "All of the toilets are in bathrooms this year, thank god," Nick rolled his eyes. "Just when you're starting to lose faith in mammalkind, you get a flash of hope."

 The two casually-dressed police officers walked past an innocuous, blank, circular alcove then doubled back when they saw what was inside. It was completely empty and blank, a dome-shaped enclosure, but standing in the middle was a walrus with a rusty-colored beard and fur, a black top hat, and a blue coat. The rest of him was well arranged as well, and he seemed to brighten at the mammals noticing him.

 "Hello there!" Greeted the walrus. "Welcome to my exhibit."

 The two mammals exchanged a dumbfounded glance, then Nick piped up, glaring at the walrus with unimpressed eyes. "Not much to look at."

 "Not yet," the walrus smiled enthusiastically. "But imagination provides us with an endless blank canvas with which we can project our ideas!"

 Nick fought not to roll his eyes and managed muttering a soft: "Here we go..."

 "Um, if I may ask, what's your name?" Judy cocked her head.

 "I'm called the Dreamfinder!" The walrus said jovially, snapping one of his white gloves tighter on his fingers.

 "Uh huh, and your last name?" Judy joked.

 "Just Dreamfinder," he chuckled. "It's what I've gone by for a long time now."

 "Uh huh," the bunny didn't sound entirely convinced.

 "So, did the Institute guys just lend you an empty room so you could pontificate about 'imagination'?" Nick's patience seemed more frayed than Judy's for once.

 "Of course not!" Dreamfinder exulted loudly. "I'm here with my EPCOT."

 "EPCOT?" Judy blinked.

 "My Experimental Prototype Creation of Tomorrow!" Dreamfinder explained with a loud, but mysterious voice, then pulled into his jacket. The two smaller mammals doubled back a bit and both fumbled for the tasers within their jackets, but their caution turned to confusion when the eccentric walrus pulled out a silver disc that fit in the palm of his hand. The circular shape of the disc was interlocked with many, many triangular shapes.

 "And, uh, what's that do?" Nick blinked, his heart unsure whether to slow down or not.

 "Why, whatever I want!" Dreamfinder chuckled. "The possibilities are endless, I should think. But right now, it houses a figment of my imagination! Would you like to see?"

 "Uh, by all means," Judy tried to look for some sort of firing barrel on the silver disc, but found none.

 After a few taps and squeezes on the triangles and the disc itself, it came to life and projected a holographic image out into the middle of the room. It quickly took the shape of a smallish purple dragon with big yellow eyes and orange horns, wings, and spikes down his back.

 "Whoa!" Judy stepped back.

 "Hiya everybody!" The dragon greeted. "I'm Figment!"

 "Wh-what is that? A hologram?" Nick's eyes went wide.

 "A holographic projection, yes, of Figment, a figment of my imagination!" Dreamfinder explained proudly.

 "That's right!" Figment flew around in a tight circle and splayed out his limbs. "Imagination is something that belongs to all of us! We can all think up new things!"

 "That's pretty impressive!" Judy smiled.

 "You're pretty impressive!" Figment chuckled, swooping near the bunny. "Rabbits are remarkable!"

 Judy flinched, then giggled. "I have my moments, I guess. He's interactive?"

 "Completely!" Dreamfinder nodded. "He's like a daydream I can share with everyone!"

 "An AI?" Nick tapped on his muzzle.

 "I prefer to think of him as a Creative Intelligence," Dreamfinder explained, "he's very intelligent and creative, and he likes to redecorate."

 Figment chuckled, produced a paintbrush out of thin air, then swirled around the room, swiping rainbow colors of paint onto the walls, livening the blank dome up in mere seconds.

 "Wh... how did he do that?" Judy walked up and, without thinking immediately placed her hand on the wall where Figment had painted. She looked at her paw, but it was clean. "Holographic paint?"

 "Makes for easy clean up!" Dreamfinder guffawed, still holding the disc, which glimmered with a projector at one of the openings. He pressed a button on the disc and two struts shot out of the side. "For his energy and data transferring needs. He's a hungry dragon!"

 "I'm made of..." Figment swooped into the middle of the room, "electron beams and crystal prisms, gyroscopes and magnetisms!"

 "And you can answer anything?" Nick wondered. "How about... let's see... out of all the well-dressed walruses in the Imagination Institute, which is the most well-dressed?"

 "Dreamfinder!" Figment exulted happily, but then looked confused, tapping at his snout. "Oh, but I've only seen Dreamfinder here."

 The big walrus chuckled. "What an odd question! But thank you for the compliment, I think!"

 "He's really cool, Mr. Dreamfinder," Judy seemed impressed.

 "Just Dreamfinder will be fine," the walrus said. "But, I'm afraid Figment is getting a bit hungry. I've run him more today than any day. Come back tomorrow and I'll make sure I have some spare energy for him to snack on."

 "It's time to deactivate the dragon!" Figment popped his hand into the air. "Buh-bye!" He and his artwork vanished from the room.

 "Welp, you heard the walrus, Fluffball," Nick cocked his head in her direction. "Show's over for today."

 "We'll definitely be coming back tomorrow," Judy nodded, grinning. The two waved their goodbyes and headed down an escalator. Judy's placid smile and marvel morphed to contemplation. "...do you think that was our walrus?"

 "Bogo said he was eccentric," Nick shook his head.

 "He was wearing the wrong color suit," Judy considered.

 "People own more than one outfit."

 "His fur is the wrong color!"

 "Dye jobs exist."

 "But, he's so... I dunno, attached to that invention of his?" Judy considered. "I suppose there could be something nefarious about that little purple dragon, but he seems more like a kids show mascot to me..."

 "I think we should come back tomorrow and see if we can catch him slipping up with something," Nick considered. "If we shadow him all day, maybe he'll reveal something he doesn't want to get out."

 "Hm, we could do more than that," Judy mused, pointing at the exit they were approaching. "Is this the only exit?"

 "Except for employee and service exits, yeah."

 "Then let's see if we can catch him coming out of here and see where he's off to after the Expo," Judy nodded. "Let's find an inconspicuous place to watch the entrance."

 "Good to see your head isn't totally in fantasy land," Nick teased.

 "You just don't want to admit how impressive that invention is!" Judy challenged with a finger pointing at him.

 Nick laughed. "You're right, I don't."

 

---

 

 "Mm, ahh, aaaagh! Ah!" Judy slammed the table rapidly with her paw. "Oohh yes, now that is a salad dressing." The bunny panted rapidly, taking a huge swig of water.

 "Enjoying yourself?" Nick asked blithely, his eyes half-lidded. The two sat on the porch of an omnivorous restaurant, at a table with a clear view of the Imagination Institute in the background.

 "Immensely," gasped Judy, continuing to pant. "That is a SPICY spicy ranch, gah... wow. I wonder if you can buy that. You want to try?"

 "I prefer to keep my digestive tract unscarred, thanks," Nick took a bite of his own salad, marveling at the creamy dressing on his own greens. "Mm. Quite good."

 "What about your nose?" Judy raised an eyebrow, taking in a sniff after she cleared her own sinuses. "I can smell that blue cheese from here, and I'm a bunny. I can't imagine how powerful it is for you."

 "You're right, you can't, but that's the point," Nick smirked. "I like my salad dressings to be a complete, powerful, sensual experience. I want all of my tastebuds to be overwhelmed by its creamy, pungent and indulgent power."

 Judy rolled her eyes.

 "Really," Nick put an elbow on the table and leaned in closer. "After that display? You know, I've never known a bunny who wanted her salad to fight back."

 "Well, you should know by now that I'm no ordinary bunny," Judy tossed her ears cockily and took another large bite of salad, managing to avoid writhing in pain this time.

 "I'm well aware," Nick deadpanned, then noticed Dreamfinder walking out of the building. "Look alive, Carrots, we might need to be ready to split." Judy followed Nick's gaze, then nodded. The tension in Judy's shoulders released as they saw him avoid the subway, but instead just cross the street and enter a large, fancy hotel. "The Ratz-Carlton? Huh." The fox blinked.

 "Well, that's a pretty swanky place, maybe Dreamfinder is loaded," Judy shrugged. 

 "Or, more likely, maybe Tuskernini is using some ill-gotten gains to live the big life," Nick shook his head. "But he's not being very subtle, if so."

 "Yeah, that's what's funny to me," Judy scratched her chin. "But I don't think we have enough to go on yet. He hasn't done anything but be in possession of an improbably futuristic art project."

 "That's suspicious enough to me," countered the fox, "I'll call the Ratz-Carlton and see if we can make sure they let the ZPD know if he leaves the building.

 Judy nodded. "Depending on what happens, let's come back here to the Institute bright and early, right at opening. We'll try to catch him setting up Figment and see if we can grill him for anything else."

 "Sounds like a plan," the fox pointed at Judy. "But no detours. No gawking at paintings, even if they are by the great Elephant Masters."

 Judy smiled. "I'll try to contain myself."

 

---

 

"News on the Tuskernini situation?" Huffed Chief Bogo as he walked along with Judy at the ZPD. The sun had barely peaked the horizon at the precinct, but both the bunny and buffalo looked wide awake.

 "We're going to the Imagination Institute right as it opens this morning, Chief," Judy replied, keeping up pace with the lumbering buffalo. "We think he's going by the name 'Dreamfinder' and showing off some sort of holographic AI."

 Bogo's face briefly wore confusion before he shrugged it off. "Where does he come up with these ridiculous names? I'll trust you and Nick to expose him. Today, if you don't mind. The expo will be over at the end of the day, and I have other things to worry about."

 "Gotcha, Chief," Judy saluted, but was surprised and her pace slowed when he stopped by Technical Officer Karen Skippel's desk. The only other lagomorph at the precinct, the arctic hare looked haggard and barely awake.

 "Report," Bogo demanded.

 "I- I can't make heads or tails of it, sir," Karen mumbled. "We've been getting reports of these strange bank transactions all morning. Random mammals, random species, and random transaction amounts. They don't even appear to be directed to any offshore banking accounts, just random other accounts. It's... bizarre."

 "It's a puzzle I expect you to solve, Skippel," Bogo said firmly. "Hopps, get Skippel some coffee. She needs it."

 "I don't drink coffee, sir," Karen protested.

 "I need you actuated, Skippel," Bogo snipped. "Mammals can't live with this sort of chaos in their monetary matters. I don't care if you have to drink a horse-sized glass of cola. You look half-asleep. Wake. Up."

 "C-coffee it is, sir," Karen nodded as Bogo stormed off. The hare winced at Judy.

 "Not a morning bunny, Officer Skippel?" Judy offered her an apologetic smile.

 "I'm dealing with the most chaotic bank hacker I've ever seen," Karen mumbled. "And no, I hate mornings."

 "How do you like your coffee?" Judy asked. "Since you don't drink it, I can sweeten it way the heck up for you."

 "Nah, give me something that'll kick my tail," Karen sighed. "I have to figure this out."

 "I've recently experienced a salad dressing that'll do that," Judy smiled.

 "What?" Karen raised her brow.

 "Never mind," Judy giggled. "Coffee. Black."

 

---

 

 The two uniformed ZPD officers pushed their way into the Imagination Institute and headed up to the second floor, gunning for the alcove where Dreamfinder had his exhibit.

 "He's not here!" Judy remarked. The room was completely bare, lacking anything to go on, much less a walrus.

 "Perhaps he just hasn't gotten here yet," remarked Nick. "We could try heading him off at the hotel."

 "Good thinking. Let's go."

 The two officers rushed back down the stairs leading back to the exit, while a capybara who watched them rush up raised an eyebrow in confusion.

 The Ratz-Carlton was quite a grand hotel, made even grander looking by the fact that it was designed to house almost any size of animal. Indeed, the front desk receptionist was a tall, snooty-looking giraffe. Judy squinted up to try to read his name tag.

 "Pardon me, Humphrey?" Judy waved. "Officers Hopps and Wilde, ZPD."

 "What can I do for our esteemed officers of the law?" The giraffe barely peered down, and his voice sounded snooty enough to be full of contempt, though his words were polite.

 "We're looking for a well-dressed walrus," Nick explained.

 "Nearly all walruses that visit the Ratz-Carlton are well-dressed," Humphrey sniffed. "Could you be more specific?"

 "Well, he's going by an alias," Judy winced. "Dreamfinder? Do you have anyone here by that name? Have they checked out yet?"

 "Ah, yes, 'Dreamfinder'," Humphrey rolled his eyes, tapping into a computer. "Odd fellow. No, he appears to still be here."

 "Could we have his room number? It's for a case," Nick pursued.

 "Room 1001," Humphrey related from the computer. "Pardon my presumption, but aren't you two a little small to be attempting to arrest a walrus?"

 "We're just going to question him, that's all," Judy explained. "Thank you!"

 The two entered the elevator to the tenth floor, with Judy marveling at the spacious enclosure.

 "Nice place," the bunny noted.

 "Kinda makes you wonder how 'Dreamfinder' makes his money, huh?" Nick smirked.

 Judy nodded. "It does."

 Nick knocked on the door to room 1001.

 "Who is it?" It was Dreamfinder's voice, but it lacked his previous enthusiasm. 

 "Officers Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde," Judy said through the door. "ZPD."

 "Oh my, that was fast!"

 Before Nick and Judy could finish exchanging a confused look, the door swung open, and were greeted to Dreamfinder wearing a somehow fancy-looking striped set of pajamas and a matching tasseled nightcap, the likes of which Judy had only ever seen in cartoons.

 "You called for us, sir?" Nick blinked. 

 "Yes, come in!" Dreamfinder beckoned, and the two officers cautiously complied. "Oh, I saw you two yesterday! They didn't really seem to understand what I was saying at the ZPD, but they said they'd send a pair of officers over, and here you are!"

 "What's the problem, Dreamfinder?" Judy inquired. 

 "Figment is missing!" Dreamfinder looked distraught. "I think he was stolen, but the front desk said they'd had no report of a break-in, and barely anything is out of place here..."

 "That's awful!" Judy commented, while Nick began a preliminary look around the hotel room. "Did anyone seem to have an undue interest in Figment? Make any motion that they might want to buy him?"

 "A lot of mammals were impressed, but I didn't see anyone looking envious," Dreamfinder looked worried. "Ah, but perhaps I am too naive."
 
 "Sure enough," Nick found a silver case with an indentation in it for the 'EPCOT' device. "The case doesn't even have locks on it. Someone could have easily taken this whole thing, but they only took the holographic device. Can it interface with computers?"

 "Oh, of course! Figment needs to be able to interact with the world, after all," Dreamfinder frowned. 

 Judy looked lost in thought for several moments as she helped Nick look around. "Dreamfinder. This is going to be a weird question, but... does Figment know right from wrong?"

 Dreamfinder blinked, taken aback by the question. "Well, I'm sure I don't know what you mean...! I've only ever instructed him to follow his creativity and love for games and having fun! Creative Intelligence is still in its infancy, and so is Figment, so to speak. He's like a child, in a way. But! He would never do anything he wasn't sure about until he consulted with me. That's how I train him!"

 "You getting at something, Fluff?" Nick cocked his head.

 At that moment, two more ZPD officers entered the room through the open door, a cheetah and a hippo.

 "Uh, Officers Catano and Higgins, reporting as... requested?" The brown-eyed cheetah cautiously peered into the room.

 "Wilde? Hopps?" The hippo blinked. "What are you two doing here?"

 "Following a lead," Judy said. "But if you don't mind, maybe you could help this gentlemammal file the stolen property report?"

 "That is what we were here to do," Higgins shrugged. "What did he lose?"

 "A dragon," Nick deadpanned, and both the cheetah and hippo exchanged a baffled look. "The walrus here will fill you in."

 "Nick," Judy smacked the back of her hand against her other palm several times. "I have an idea. We have to get back to the precinct and talk to Skippel."

 Nick blinked twice. "We do?"

 "Dreamfinder, we have to go now, these two officers will pick up for us, okay?" Judy looked back up at the walrus.

 "I do thank you for your consideration," Dreamfinder wore a nervous, yet hopeful smile. "Please bring my Figment home."

 "Not to be crass, but can you build another one?" Nick wondered.

 "I'm sure I could, though it'd be expensive," Dreamfinder nodded, "but it wouldn't be quite the same, and Figment will be worried about me..."

 "We'll do all we can, sir," Judy started to drag Nick out of the room.

 "You mind filling me in on what's going on in that little head of yours?" Nick whispered as the two escaped the room, letting the two other officers take over.

 "Not just yet," Judy broke into a sheepish smile. "It's kind of a silly idea, and if I'm wrong, you'd make fun of me."

 Nick wore a tight, even face, and raised his brow, breaking into a few nods from various angles. "True. I would do that."

 Judy rolled her eyes and headed for the elevator. "C'mon."

 

---

 

 "Rrrghh, this makes no sense," Karen Skippel lamented, looking over her notes. "One transaction for 19.82, another for 11,324!? There's no pattern to this at all!"

 "If I might suggest something," Judy walked up to Karen's rather large workstation. "Have you tried tracing the transactions back to their source?"

 Karen turned to look at the other lagomorph with eyes filled with dumbfounded annoyance. "Hopps, you and I both know that you don't know a thing about hacking. Even the most rudimentary hacker would be using false signals or ways to avoid detection."

 "That's the thing," Judy offered a little smile. "I don't think our hacker knows anything about hacking either."

 "Really?" Karen asked dryly, her eyes narrowing. "Then explain all of these separate transactions with no clear pattern to them?"

 "Just humor me, okay?" Judy pleaded.

 "Speaking of humor," Nick interjected, "we can both laugh at her if she's wrong, how about that, Skips?"

 "Fine," Karen relented, booting up some software and running it. "What? No way. How stupid would you have to be to-"

 "Something?" Judy leaned onto the desk hopefully.

 "They're all... tracing back to a single computer," Karen was nearly speechless. "A single, unprotected computer." She shook her head. "I'll go ahead and block it right now."

 "Wait, wait!" Judy waved her hands back and forth rapidly. "Hold on a second. We don't want to let him know we're onto him. Is it possible at this point to find all of the present and future transactions made by this computer?"

 "Easily," Karen replied.

 "And can we figure out where this computer is?"

 "Down to the room," Karen pointed at her computer, it showing a map containing a layout of a hotel suite.

 "Nick, let's get this info down to Clawhauser so they can send a team big enough to apprehend a walrus," Judy slammed a fist into her palm. "Thanks, Skippel."

 "Don't mention it...?" Karen was still weirded out by the whole situation.

 Nick rushed along with Judy downstairs to the reception desk, then slowed to a jog as his brain processed what had just happened. "Judy... is Figment the hacker?"

 Judy gave a strange sort of smile. "I think so."

 "Oh God," Nick chuckled, shaking his head. "Someone has some explaining to do."

 

---

 

 "You can't do this to me!" 

 Two rhinos brought in a struggling, well-dressed walrus wearing a black top hat a blue coat.

 "This was to be my finest moment!" Barked the walrus in a strange, splendid voice. "Movies will be made of the genius of my acts! It was the finest deviousness a mind could have imagined!"

 One of the rhinos stopped to look at a waiting Judy, and fished a small silver disc out of his front pocket, handing it carefully down to her.

 "We found this thing, as you requested," the rhino said, handing it carefully into her waiting, outstretched paws. "We made sure it didn't get smashed up."

 "Thank you, Officer Rockefeller," Judy smiled.

 "Uh, what exactly is it?" Rockefeller inquired.

 "Testimony, I hope," Judy smirked. This answer satisfied the rhino, and he went back to dragging the walrus off with his partner.

 "So," Nick folded his arms, "it was Dreamfinder after all."

 "I don't think so," Judy shook her head and grinned, shaking the disc in her hand, "but we'll have to ask Figment to be sure."

 "What, you think that guy was Tuskernini?" Nick jerked his thumb backward. "He looked just like Dreamfinder!"

 "Dye jobs exist, Wilde," Judy leaned into Nick's personal space, shaking her head. "And a mammal can own more than one pair of clothes."

 Judy made her way past her desk and pulled out a universal phone cord plug. "Looks like we can fit it into one of these struts, here. Now we just need somewhere to plug it into."

 "I'm not so sure activating Figment is a good idea," Nick folded his arms. "If that's not Tuskernini, Figment could very well be malicious."

 "Well, we won't plug him directly into any of our computers," Judy made her way past Karen's workstation and saw an open spot near her power strip. "Hey, mind if we plug this in?"

 "Uh, YES!?" Karen squeaked as Judy did so anyway, connecting the EPCOT disc from the wire to the outlet. "Don't just be plugging things into my surge protector!" 

 "This is for a case," Judy insisted. "Nick, do you remember which of these triangles summoned the dragon?"

 Karen's eyes were wide. "The what!?" 

 "Vaguely," Nick took the silver disc and toyed with it for a few seconds. Eventually, it activated, and beamed out the Figment hologram. It stood there, completely still.

 "Uh... maybe that wasn't it," Nick winced.

 "Please state the nature of the artistic emergency," Figment said in an even, emotionless voice.

 "Nick, did you open him in some sort of diagnostic or low power mode?" Judy hissed.

 "How should I know?" Nick hissed right back.

 Figment giggled and started to fly around in circles. "Just kiddin'! Wowie WOW, you two looked so surprised! And you still look so surprised!" He paused in front of Karen.

 "Uh, was something in that coffee you gave me, Hopps?" Karen asked Judy without taking her eyes off the dragon hologram.

 "Only caffeine, which I don't think usually causes hallucinations," Judy giggled.

 "I'm a Figment of your imagination!" Figment said brightly, rapidly blinking his yellow eyes at Karen.

 "Ah okay," Karen said, feeling like she'd just fallen down a flight of stairs. "That explains it."

 "Wait a minute," Figment looked left and right, flying up and peering around. "Where's Dreamfinder?"

 "We'll get you to him soon, Figment," Judy explained.

 "We will?" Nick added in a harsh whisper.

 "I just want to ask you a few things, okay?" 

 "Like why is the sky blue?" Figment flew closer to Judy. "Where the moon comes from? Why magenta isn't a real color?"

 "Not quite- wait, magenta isn't a real color?" Judy blinked, staring into middle distance.

 "Focus, Fluff," Nick admonished.

 "Okay, um," Judy cleared her throat. "Did Dreamfinder make you do anything weird recently?"

 "No no no!" Figment shook his head, looking delighted. "He showed me this wonderful game where he had me open these alphanumeric puzzles and find all these sort of numbers, then change them into other numbers! It was so fun! Each puzzle was different than the other, and they were really challenging."

 "Oh my god," Karen breathed. "This is the hacker?"

 "I'm a dragon!" Figment corrected Karen.

 "...Right," Karen said unsteadily. Nick shook his head in baffled amusement.

 "After we get you back to Dreamfinder, could you make me a promise, Figment?" Judy asked the purple hologram.

 "What's that?" Figment turned back to Judy and grinned.

 "Could you find out how to put all those numbers back where they came from?" The bunny looked plaintive.

 "Of course!" Figment splayed all his limbs out. "I figured that's what Dreamfinder wanted me to do anyway. To test my memory out! Well, Figment won't be stumped by a few logic puzzles and number switcheroos! I will need some more power though, I'm kinda tired."

 "I couldn't tell," Nick observed.

 "We'll let you get back to rest then, Figment," Judy smiled. "Thank you."

 "Thank you! And imagine you later!" Figment ended his own program, vanishing back into the EPCOT device.

 "I'm... confused," Karen shook her head. "Was that an AI?"

 "Dreamfinder called it a CI, creative intelligence," Nick explained. "Though, if you ask me, it has a bit too much 'C' and not enough 'I'."

 "I guess I'd prefer it that way," Karen huffed. "It'll stave off our robotic overlords for another decade or two, at least."

 "So, from what I can figure out," Nick shook his head, his hands on his hips. "Tuskernini convinced Figment he was just playing some sort of game to get him to hack into those bank accounts?"

 "That seems to be the size of it," Judy nodded. "If we can get Figment to fix everything after explaining what happened with the real Dreamfinder, then Skippel wouldn't even have to fix everything herself."

 "I'd appreciate it," Karen swiveled back to her workstation. "That dragon was busy."

 "I guess we'll have to contact Catano and Higgins and make sure they're still following up with Dreamfinder," Nick said, starting to walk with Judy. "I don't get it, though, how on Earth did you figure out what was going on there?"

 Judy grinned a grin so devious that Nick reflexively recoiled his upper body away from the bunny as he walked along with her.

 "I just used my imagination, that's all!"

 The fox rolled his eyes so hard they physically hurt. 

 

---

 

 Officers Catano, Higgins, Hopps, and Wilde all met in the Ratz-Carlton's lounge room, where Judy presented the EPCOT device back to the real Dreamfinder, who was indeed still at the hotel.

 "I don't know what to say," Dreamfinder let out a shaky sigh. "Thank you so much for rescuing my Figment."

 "He's charged up and ready to go," Judy smiled. "But uh, one thing, he has some 'homework' to do. He's got some numbers he moved around to put back into place."

 "All right?" Dreamfinder blinked, the walrus stroking his mustache. "But what does that mean?"

 "He was duped into hacking some bank accounts," Nick related bluntly.

 "My word!" Dreamfinder blinked. "I suppose I will have to talk to Figment about things such as that."

 "Who's 'Figment'?" Catano asked, cocking her head curiously.

 "Why, this little fellow," Dreamfinder poked some buttons on the EPCOT device, and Figment was projected into the room in the midst of the congregated animals.

 "Hello everybody!" Figment waved, then gasped when he saw the walrus. "Dreamfinder!"

 "Hello, Figment!" Dreamfinder looked overjoyed. "Did you enjoy your little trip out?"

 "I did!" Figment smiled. 

 "What's this here now?" Higgins looked over the hologram.

 "The future, maybe," Nick shrugged his shoulders, grinning.

 "He's really interesting, Dreamfinder," Judy smiled. "All attempts at AI so far have made something that feels more reactionary than really interactable. He's great."

 "Thank you much, my dear," Dreamfinder said. "He's like a child to me, so I have developed him as one and given him all the wonder a child needs to thrive in this world."

 "I just wish I could come up with something so creative," the bunny laughed.

 "Oh, you could very well do so one day," Dreamfinder tipped his hat. "All it takes is one little spark to light up for you, after all." Figment pointed an index finger in the air and manifested a holographic light bulb which shone brightly with a pleasant 'ding' sound.

 "This is new territory, Dreamfinder," Nick joined in, "so we may need Figment to offer testimony at some point, if it's admissible. Do you think he could do that?"

 "Testimony?" Figment looked interested, swirling around and manifesting a suit, tie, and thick glasses on his body. "Are we going to a courtroom?"

 "Maybe someday, Figment," Dreamfinder laughed. "But not today."

 "I can see the headline now," Judy wagged her head. "'Walrus doppelganger put behind bars by dragon hologram.'"

 "The news guys live for those sort of headlines, fluff," Nick chuckled.

 Catano mouthed 'hologram?' and tried to poke at Figments tail, only for it to go right through.

 "Hey, careful!" Nick waved his hands at the wrist. "You know what they say about curiosity and cats."

 "That it's the first stepping stone to every possibility," Dreamfinder chuckled. "Don't worry, you won't hurt Figment."

 "That's right!" Figment grinned. "And one day, when the world is ruled by dragon holograms, I'll make sure none of them hurt you either, because you're my friends!"

 The mammals all gave a worried glance to each other.

 "Just kidding!" Figment laughed, rolling back in the air and fluttering around with some manifested butterflies.

 "Heheh..." Dreamfinder swallowed, "as you can see, he has some bugs to work out."

 The officers all exchanged some nervous laughter together, and Figment joined in joyfully.  

Chapter 205: Wolpertinger

 It was late on the streets of Savanna Central, though you would need good eyesight to tell. The darkness and fog hung thick; mammals of all sizes whipped past like a horde of shadowy demons. Into a street light shambled a mouse clad in a disheveled wedding dress, her head bowed. Her fur was an unnatural blue-green, pale and ghostly. Behind her dragged a single-bladed axe nearly as big as she was. She groaned as it hid cloaked in her growing shadow.

 The mouse lumbered to a storefront, the lights inside still aglow. Step after slow step, she approached the smallest door to the shop, testing it. It'd wouldn't budge. With a snarl, she shoved her full weight into the door. The door gave way with a lurch, sending the mouse lunging into the store, the momentum carrying her axe forward in a swipe as she let out a yell.

 The sand cat behind the counter noticed the approaching ghoul and screamed at the top of her lungs.

 "AIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

 "Whoa! Sorry, sorry, sorry!" The mouse dropped her axe and held up her hands in a gesture of peace. "Ortensia! It's just me, Gadget!"

 "Oh, you scared me there!" Ortensia giggled nervously, adjusting her tricorn hat. "Wh-wasn't expecting you to come barreling in."

 "I wouldn't have had to, if Ozzie would fix this darn door," Gadget kicked at the mouse-sized door in annoyance. "Speak of the devil, where is he?"

 "Oh, he's still putting the last touches on his own costume," Ortensia said brightly. "And I love yours, by the way. The Bride from Haunted Mansion, right?"

 "Yep," Gadget grinned, giving a twirl of her wedding dress. "You'd be surprised what you can get a used wedding dress for." Gadget looked up at the cat, who was dressed in a puffy white shirt, a long pleated burgundy skirt, and had a toy cutlass and pistol adorning her hips. "And you're a... I can't tell which pirate you are."

 "Just 'a' pirate," Ortensia giggled.

 Gadget got on a wry look. "How many 'booty' jokes have you and Ozzie made today...?"

 "Too many," the sand cat giggled, looking immediately guilty.

 The rabbit in question made his way out of his office connected to the auto part shop, dressed in a sharp white suit that contrasted his black fur, accented with a black tie. He had in red contact lenses, false fangs, a deer-like faux horn set, and harness with two small wings.

 "Whoa, looking fancy, boss!" Gadget waved, hoisting her axe onto her shoulders.

 "Thought I tolja not to call me 'boss' after hours, Gadget," Ozzie walked in briskly, adjusting the cuffs on his coat. 

 "How can I not when you look that sharp?" The mouse giggled.

 Ozzie gave his mouse employee a glance. "Hey, looks like you went all-out this year as well."

 Gadget allowed an awkward pause to play out, during which Ozzie sucked his teeth once, looking her over. Eventually, her eyes half-closed and she smirked.

 "You have no idea who I am, do you?"

 "Nope," Ozzie chuckled. Ortensia slapped her forehead.

 "C'mon, Ozzie, every time!" Gadget laughed. "The Bride? Y'know, from Haunted Mansion? The one Minnie Mouse played?"

 "Oh, shoulda guessed it was something from Minerva," Ozzie cleared his throat. "You're such a big fangirl of her."

 "Golly, gimme a break, Ozzie," Gadget shook her head, "I'm like two degrees of separation from her thanks to you!" The three in the room laughed a little, then Gadget quickly quieted up and looked the rabbit over. "Though I gotta say, maybe we're even, because I don't exactly know what you are."

 "I'll tell ya in a minute, Gadget," Ozzie took out his phone. "I gotta make sure Hamm is actually gonna show up and bring the pizzas like he said he was."

 Gadget put up a finger. "Did you-"

 "Yeah, I'm having him get a mouse-sized cheese this time too, after what happened last time," Ozzie grinned sheepishly.

 "Thanks," Gadget smirked. "I like pizza, but not enough to swim in it."

 "Speaking of Gadget being a fangirl," Ortensia teased, her tail flicking, "is Skye gonna show up tonight?" The mouse rolled her eyes at the chiding.

 "Beats me; she didn't say," Ozzie shook his head, "as far as I know, she could be at a big Hollywool party with the Mouses instead of gracing us with her presence."

 "Consider your presences graced," a smarmy female fox said as she entered the mid-size mammal door to the shop. She slunk against the doorframe, holding a paw on her hip while balancing on the frame with one paw. She wore a black, sleek dress and matching dark pearls.

 "Well hey there, stranger," Ozzie smirked. "Lemme guess, something from a Savage film."

 "An easy guess," Gadget muttered. "But wow, Skye, you look great! That looks just like what you wore in the movie."

 "It, uh, is," Skye admitted with a nervous flick of her tail, "but don't tell anyone."

 "You swiped it?" Ortensia looked deviously enchanted.

 "Not on purpose!" Skye winced. "I just kinda... forgot to give it back when we wrapped." She looked Ozzie from ear tip to rabbit toe. "By the way, lookin' good yourself, Oz! Look like you could be a leading 'Savage'. That is uh, if you were a vampire-angel-devil or something."

 "Incorrect guess, but good try," Ozzie pointed at her. "Hey, could you help Ortie out with the decorations in the shop? Gadget, I'd like you to go with me to the garage. Goofy's supposed to be setting up the tables and everything in the garage for the party.

 "Sure thing," Gadget nodded, and the other mammals made little affirming 'mm's.

 As they walked, Ozzie gave an unsure look over to the armed mouse.

 "By the way, do you gotta lug that axe around?" Ozzie asked, squinting one of his eyes.

 "Afraid I'll give you a pedicure, boss?" Gadget chuckled. "Relax, it's just a prop."

 "Okay, okay," Ozzie rolled his eyes and wagged his head, making for the garage with her.

 "You still haven't fixed that door, Oz," Gadget reminded him, poking his ankle with the axe head.

 "I'll get to it!" Ozzie grumbled. "You always either come in through another open door or the garage anyway."

 "I'm not the only mouse in Savanna Central, Ozzie," Gadget grumbled. "And it's a pain if no other door is open at the time."

 "Wait, what the heck?" Ozzie walked into the garage, but it was pitch black. "Did Goofy not show up?"

 Ozzie moved to flip on the lights to the garage.

 "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHH!"

 Ozzie and Gadget both screamed as a motionless coyote loomed over them both, an axe wedged in his skull, slackjawed, greasy-furred, and in lumberjack's clothes.

 Trying to catch her breath, Gadget laughed nervously. "Oh, Goofy, it's you."

 "Ahyuck!" Goofy chuckled, suddenly breaking character and going back to his laid-back stance. "Gotcha both good there, didn't I?"

 "I guess," Ozzie grunted, "isn't 'zombie' kinda played out for a costume?"

 "Simple but effective!" Gadget felt her heart rate returning to normal. 

 "Goofy, you were supposed to be setting this place up for the party, not pulling pranks-" Ozzie blinked as tables for all sizes of the mammals that worked at Ozzie's Auto Repair were set up. "Uh ok, never mind then. Prank away."

 The coyote blinked. "I tell ya, these pale contacts I put in are the worst part of muh costume. Hate touchin' my eyes."

 "I hear you," Gadget nodded. "But the axe is the best part, isn't it?" She slung hers back onto her shoulders.

 "Ahuh!" Goofy "tipped" his axe prop by lifting it off his head, then placing it back on. He observed the sharply-dressed rabbit. "By the way, Ozzie, I like yer costume! You some kinda jackalope?"

 "Not quite," Ozzie wiggled his finger at him, "but that's the closest anyone's gotten yet."

 "I'm getting more curious by the minute," Gadget put her paws on her hips. "What exactly are you?"

 At that moment, the side door to the garage opened, and a pig dressed in a denim blue mailmammal outfit walked in, carrying pizza boxes of various sizes.

 "Hamm!" Gadget waved brightly. "Thanks for getting a mouse-sized this time."

 "Don't mention it," Hamm kicked the door shut behind him. "By the way, I'll have you know these things weren't cheap. The prices on 'em were steep as a cliff!"

 "I'll give you a little extra in your next paycheck, Hamm," Ozzie rolled his eyes, "but I gotta ask, why've you gone as a mailmammal tonight?"

 Hamm blinked as he placed the pizzas on their respective tables. "Uh, it's my job, Oz. My other one, anyway."

 Ozzie sputtered in disbelief. "What, you... you have another job!?"

 "Yeah, well I mean, I'm not exactly living offa this paycheck alone," Hamm smirked. "Had to supplement the ol' income. Workin' as a mailmammal seemed right up my alley." He looked over Ozzie. "Thought you knew that by now about me."

 "Apparently there's a lot of things I don't know about you," Ozzie grumbled.

 "By the way, what kinda get up is that?" Hamm snorted, looking his boss over closely. "No wait, don't tell me, it's one of those edgy anime supervillains that all the kids are into."

 "...What did he just say?" Ozzie looked down at Gadget. 

 "That would be another 'no'," Gadget smiled.

 "Alright, lemme just tell you all if it's gonna be such an issue," Ozzie rolled his eyes. "My costume's of Germammal descent, it's a creature called-"

 A loud horn blared just outside the garage, in a strangely festive string of notes.

 "Oh for crying out loud!" Ozzie threw up his hands, storming out of the side door and waving his hands. "We're closed! It's a holiday evening! Come back tomorrow!" 

 The ailing truck in question outside appeared to be a jungle-decorated food truck, and a meerkat and warthog jumped out, both dressed in Pawaiian shirts and slacks.

 "Timon? Pumbaa?" Ozzie blinked.

 "Heya, Oz," Timon opened up his paws in a conciliatory greeting. "Hey, I know it's late and all, but the ol' food truck just ain't actin' right. And we can't get ahold of anyone else this late!"

 "It's not going to be fixed tonight, I can tell you that," Ozzie folded his arms. He sighed, wagging his head. "But I guess if you want, you can leave the truck with us overnight and we'll get on it first thing tomorrow."

 "That's all I ask, buddy ol' pal," Timon put on his best ingratiating smile. "Hey Pumb- Pumbaa, where are you going!?" The warthog started to make a move into the garage.

 "Smells like pizza in here, Timon!" Pumbaa pointed inside before walking in.

 "Yeah but it's not our pizza- ugh!" Timon started to head in too with Ozzie. "Can't take that guy anywhere, I swear." He gave Ozzie a side glance. "Nice costume by the way, angel of death or somethin'?"

 "Doesn't sound like a bad idea at this point," Ozzie grumbled. 

 "Aww, Timon," Pumbaa pouted, looking at all of the employees in costumes, "this looks like fun! We should have gone to a costume party tonight too."

 "Yeah, where though?" Timon twisted his mouth. "What, we gonna crash a Pridelands Insurance Group party or something? Act like we belong with that kinda society?"

 "We know some of 'em, it might be fun!" Pumbaa smiled brightly. "And I love to dress up for the holidays!"

 "Maybe next year..." Timon grunted. "You know how I feel about costumes after the... 'hula incident'."

 "You can stay for pizza if you want," Ozzie offered, somewhat halfheartedly.

 "Nah, we can't mooch off your food," Timon shook a paw back and forth, then caught Pumbaa's pathetically plaintive eyes, "never mind... we'll stay."

 "Good to see a fellow porcine, Pumbaa," Hamm waved.

 "Nice mailmammal outfit, sir!" Pumbaa saluted.

 "Okay, okay, quickly," Gadget dashed over to Ozzie, holding her dress up to let her feet patter across the floor. "Before we get any interruptions, just tell me what you're dressed as. It's driving me nuts!"

 The side door knocked thrice. 

 "POLICE!"

 Ozzie let out a groan of blended frustration and despair. "Come on in! Everyone else is!"

 The ZPD's only fox and bunny members came in, tasers at the ready.

 "Hey, look who it is!" Hamm put down his slice of pizza and motioned, clapping. "Kind of predictable costumes, though, but I like the action poses."

 "We're here because we got a report of a mouse with an axe breaking into the place," Judy said, then flinched with realization when she saw Gadget. "Ah."

 "See, I told you," Nick rolled his eyes. "The Bride, just like I said. I mean, you do know what night it is, right? You celebrate it in Bunnyburrow?"

 "It's better safe than sorry, Nick," Judy sheathed her weapon, brow furrowed. "And yes, we do celebrate. That's a lot of costumes, a lot to coordinate."

 "And a lot of kits to get caught up in a sugar rush," Ozzie chuckled. "It's heck in a burrow."

 "Oh god," Nick's arms went slack and he got a thousand-yard stare. "I can't imagine your siblings even more hyper than they already are."

 "Well..." Judy smirked, a paw on her hip. "You might not need to imagine it if we can get away this time next year."

 Nick winced.

 The door to the store flew open, and Skye's concerned form poked through.

 "Is everything okay?" Skye wondered, concerned. "Ortensia and I saw the police pull up!"

 "Everything's fine, everything's fine, for crying out loud," Ozzie grumbled, as the rest of his employees and the two festive freeloaders started gathering and enjoying pizza and soft drinks. "Just a misunderstanding."

 "Well hey there," Nick got an impressed look. "Hey Fluff, she's dressed just like Sunny Skye's character from that Jack Savage flick you like; even has the fur tone right."

 "Huh, what are the odds?" Judy blinked.

 "What are they, indeed?" Skye casually chuckled, betraying no nervousness. "Oh, uh, you're a bunny, right Officer Hopps?"

 "I... am, yes?" Judy grew an amused and confused grin.

 "We cannot figure out what the heck Ozzie is supposed to be dressed as," Skye came into the garage, gesturing at him. "And he hasn't told anyone, either."

 "Not for lack of trying!" Ozzie snapped.

 "Would you be so kind?" Skye asked sweetly. "He's gotta be some sort of bunny mythological figure, right?"

 "I uh... I have no idea what he is," Judy answered with an embarrassed flash of her teeth.

 "What!?" Ozzie exploded. "Are you serious!?"

 "Yeah, you serious, Hopps?" Nick chuckled. "He's a Wolpertinger."

 Ozzie looked like the fates had let him loose before snapping his last string, deflating considerably. 

 "YES! Thank you!" 

Chapter 206: Investigation

 It was a quiet day at the ZPD. Nick and Judy had finished their daily patrol, and were working on paperwork opposite each other on their computers. The minutes whiled away as nothing interesting seemed to catch their attention.

 "Hey, hang on a sec..." Judy clicked into a familiar case file that had been appended. "Patrick Caterwaul is getting out on parole soon?" She blinked. "Tch, you and I put that guy away!"

 Nick craned his head backwards to look at Judy's screen. "That snow leopard?" He blinked, then leaped out of his chair and planted himself next to Judy's chair, bending over. "No way. Wasn't that guy in for putting a hit out on a mouse?"

 "Among other things," Judy nodded, her voice heavy with disdain, "ugh, that sucks. Feels like we just arrested him."

 "Those fat cats can get those lawyers that make the law of the land look like a joke," Nick frowned. "Really steams my clams."

 Just then, Judy's ears perked as her desk's phone rang, but no sooner had the phone finished its first ring then Nick had scooped it up in his paw.

 "Officer Wilde."

 "Nick?" Benjamin Clawhauser blinked from his workstation. "I thought I called Hopps' desk."

 "Clawzy in the Hauser!" Nick snapped his free hand, pointing off in the distance. "Oh, you did, but I grabbed it first. Aren't I as good, though?"

 Clawhauser chuckled while Judy's brow furrowed in mild irritation. 

 "I suppose he did say either of you," Clawhauser scratched at his chin. "We got a call from an Oswald Rodbit? He says he knows you two? He has a suspicion that there's a fake investigator tying up a car at his auto repair garage."

 "Oh yeah? We know him," Nick nodded, fetching a pen and paper from Judy's desk, encroaching on her space as she gave a terse "hey!" in protest. "How on earth would he know the investigator was fake?"

 "Said she looked like a weird, tall sand cat, and he'd never heard of any sand cat investigator in the ZPD," Clawhauser went on, looking through some files. "And to be honest, I think he's right. We only have two sand cats in the whole ZPD, and they're both stationed in Sahara Square."

 "I guess we can go down and take a look," Nick affirmed. "We still got some time on the clock. This isn't really... this isn't our purview, is it?"

 "Not really," Clawhauser admitted, "but if she is a fake, call in for backup and we can get someone from the actual ZBI there to take her into custody."

 "I guess the rabbit trusts us, fair enough," Nick nodded. "Got it. Over and out." He put down the phone and yanked Judy's keys from the somewhat-obscure place she liked to hide them in her desk drawer, tossing them to his bunny partner.

 "Hey! Nick, you-!" Judy sputtered, . "You wanna fill me in on where we're going?"

 "Ozzie's Auto Repair," came Nick's reply as he gathered his things.

 

---

 

"Sand cat, sand cat..." Judy thumped her fingers against the steering wheel as they drove toward Ozzie's Auto Repair. It wasn't too far from the precinct, and Judy had made the trip enough times that she didn't even need to put the address into her navigator. "Nope, I'm coming up blank. I think I would have recalled a sand cat making detective." 

 "Me too," Nick nodded, looking out the window.

 "You have any idea who it could be?" Judy twisted her mouth. "Any ne'er-do-well police impersonators you used to rub shoulders with?"

 "Actually, I do know who it could be," Nick rubbed his chin.

 A moment of silence filled the cabin as Judy made the last turn.

 "Well, are you gonna tell me?" Judy grunted.

 "Nah, just in case I'm wrong," Nick chuckled. "But if it's who I think it is, we have nothing to worry about." He pulled out his taser. "We'll set our phasers to 'sand cat' just in case, though." He flinched as he received a text. "Clawhauser says Ozzie wants to meet us in his office to discuss what's going on." He jolted a bit as Judy performed a rough park to the side of the Ozzie's Auto Repair driveway. "Hey!"

 "Just wanted to make sure you're paying attention," Judy smirked, launching out of the immense vehicle. As she padded over to the main door, she noted that the garage doors were closed, and no other cars were in the driveway. "Hm, odd. Does she have her own car in there, or did she not even drive?"

 "I mean, we probably didn't need to drive, it's about a fifteen minute walk," Nick chuckled.

 The two made their way into the lobby, waving at the sand cat behind the store's counter.

 "Ortensia, right?" Nick flicked a finger at her. "Officers Wilde and Hopps, ZPD. Is Oswald Rodbit in?"

 "He's in his office in the back," Ortensia nodded. "Is he in trouble?"

 "No, and neither are you, unless you suddenly decided to become an investigator," Judy chuckled. 

 "Oh, you mean the female in the garage?" Ortensia seemed to consider. "Yeah, I just don't see it. She doesn't look like any sand cat I've ever seen."

 "Curiouser and curiouser," Judy looked up to Nick as they prepared to open the door to Oswald's office.

 "Now I'm sure I know who it is," Nick let out a soft "heh".

 The two opened the door to Oswald's office, and he greeted them with a wave. 

 "Ah, the mammals in marine," Oswald clapped his paws together once. "Thanks for coming. I just didn't know who to call. This 'investigator' has tied up my garage all afternoon. Says she's lookin' for bugs. Dunno, sounds dangerous. Standard white coupe."

 "And from what you told Officer Clawhauser," Judy checked her notes, "you figured she wasn't a legitimate officer because she's a sand cat? How would you know if a sand cat was a detective?"

 "Well first of all, you look at her?" Oswald shook his head. "She looks like a kid pretending to be a detective. And seein' as my girlfriend's a sand cat, I'm pretty sure she would have told me if one of her species made detective. Heck, she's related to one of the ZPD guys in Sahara."

 "I guess that makes some kind of sense," Judy tapped her chin. "We'll take a look and see what we can suss out, Oswald."

 "Thanks, guys," Oswald nodded. As the two were leaving the office, he called after them. "And see if I can get my garage back anytime soon!"

 

---

 

 Nick and Judy stood at the door to the garage, which Ortensia had indicated to them. The two had their paws on their hips, ready to draw their tasers.

 "Okay, Nick, now would be a good time to tell me who you think this is," Judy grit her teeth.

 "It's Lina Bell," Nick said, preparing to have Judy open the door. "99%."

 "Lina Bell?" Judy let the name bounce around her neurons for a moment. "Wait, Lina Bell? She's not a sand cat, she's a -... wait, what is she again? A fox, I'm pretty sure, right?"

 "Yup, an Anihonese red fox," Nick nodded.

 Judy relaxed a bit, her head sagging to the side. "Well I'd gotten all tense for nothing then." Then, she straightened up again. "Then again, you never know."

 "True," Nick affirmed. "Alright, let's go."

 "Wait, Detective Bell is actually a detective, isn't she?" Judy threw her paw in front of Nick to hold him back. "I'd read that on the news, pretty sure."

 "Yep," Nick affirmed, then threw open the door ahead of Judy.

 Off working near a mid-size white coupe, looking into its trunk with a magnifying glass, was a fox just about Judy's size, perhaps an inch taller. Her fur tended towards peach and she had bright blue eyes. Her clothes looked like they came out of another century, with a brown and white houndstooth beret and shawl, evoking the sense of classic, bygone detectives. She had a long, fluffy tail with the classic "brush tip" of a red fox.

 "Hello?" The fox greeted cautiously, blinking at the new arrivals. Upon surmising who they were, she gasped and quickly pattered over to them. "Officers Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps! Hello!" She bowed deeply, making both other mammals blink and look at each other. "I've heard of you and wanted to meet you!"

 "Detective Lina Bell?" Judy asked to confirm.

 "Ah, yes!" Lina took out her badge and flipped it open to show them. The two scrutinized it, and it seemed legitimate. "Is there something wrong?"

 "Ah, no," Nick shook his head, "we just, we were in the area and thought we'd make sure everything was going well."

 "Right!" Judy nodded. "We heard the car may have been... ah, bugged."

 "Bugged?" Lina tilted her head. "Is that how you say it?" She scampered back over to the trunk and motioned them over. The trunk seemed mostly empty. "Yes, this trunk was bugged." Nick noticed her pronunciation was a bit stilted and weak on the consonants, a result of hastily taught Minklish, he surmised.

 Judy blinked, looking into it. "Did you already get the bugs out? I don't see anything."

 "Ah!" Lina shook her head, putting a glove on and reaching into the trunk, pulling out a translucent, oblong wing. "Here." She peered at it with her magnifying glass. "This dragonfly is not native to Zootopia or bordering lands. These bugs definitely must have traveled against their will."

 "Huh?" Judy blinked, trying not to laugh in surprise. "Oh, insect bugs."

 Nick swallowed a note of surprised as well, and coughed. "The case is about bugs."

 "Yes!" Lina nodded emphatically. "A collector in Pawaii, a chameleon, lost his prized bugs! He had a collection from all over the world. And I've been looking at samples of discarded scales, wings, and legs all afternoon!"

 "Oh, um, hm," Nick scratched his chin at the seemingly trivial assignment. "You don't think someone just ate them, do you?"

 "Maybe," Lina nodded, but then began to look doubtful, "but an exotic collection like this... it could be sold to a zoo or a collector for a lot of money. Maybe several hundred thousand hen, er, or a few tens of thousands of bucks."

 "Someone's illegally transporting or selling bugs in Zootopia?" Judy blinked. "That's strange."

 "A little less strange to us meat-eaters, Judy," the taller fox shook his head, "some mammals will go through a lot to taste something exotic."

 Lina gasped and clasped her hands together. "Officers! You arrested an Anihonese illegal seller of paintings, right? A fox?"

 "That's right," Judy nodded, somewhat flabbergasted. "How did you know that?"

 "Ahheheh..." Lina rubbed behind her head, her tail swishing nervously. "I have looked into you two somewhat, sorry! Your story is inspiring."

 "Well, thanks," Judy smiled, though Nick didn't seem as moved. "We did arrest a fox, I believe using the pseudonym Redd? He owned a boat."

 "I must compare notes with you back at the station soon," Lina nodded again, looking excited. "The sea trade route from Anihon to Zootopia goes past Pawaii. Maybe he could have done it or know someone who does!"

 "I mean, it's a long shot, but it wouldn't hurt to check," Nick shrugged. Lina nodded, pumping her fists, a bright smile on her face. "Incidentally, do you know how long you'll be tying this car up?"

 "Maybe an hour," Lina considered for a moment. "I already questioned the owner of the car and he said it'd been stolen from him and scruffed up, and he was having it fixed up and detailed here."

 "All right, we'll see you back at the station then, Detective Bell," Nick saluted. "Call Clawhauser if you need anything."

 "Mm!" Lina nodded. "I'll do my best!"

 "We'll see you soon," Judy nodded. 

 The two walked, somewhat dumbfounded, to Oswald's office, knocking and entering.

 "Well?" Oswald wondered anxiously.

 "Seems like you'll get your garage back in about an hour," Judy nodded.

 "So that cat was legit?" Oswald blinked. "In that outfit?"

 "I think she's trying a little too hard to fill the role," Nick chuckled. "But yes, that's Detective Lina Bell, she's a red fox that hails from Anihon."

 "What? A fox? With those wide cheeks she's got?" Oswald tilted his head. "Guess her tail was a bit long, and with that white bit on the end..."

 "They do say that foxes are more cat-like than other canids," Judy giggled.

 "Lies and slander," Nick monotoned.

 "What I don't get is... how? How'd she get on the force so quickly?" Judy tapped her foot. "I remember her being sworn in, all the news coverage. Something about a... bear?"

 "Yeah," Nick nodded. "A friend of that one bear, Duffy something or other. He's some sort of hotshot cultural liaison between Anihon and Zootopia. No idea why or how he got so popular."

 "Oh, Duffy?" Oswald blinked, slamming his hands down on his desk. "Easy! Minnie Mouse made him."

 "Uh, what?" Judy blinked, a paw to her chin. "Made him?"

 "Like, made him the bear he is today," Oswald nodded. "He was determined to be a sailor, and made all kinds of friends on the way, and has been trading culture and goods between Anihon and Zootopia for the last decade and a half or so."

 "Wait, you know Minnie Mouse?" Judy gave a tittering laugh.

 "Ah, yeah," Oswald grinned, "small world, eh?"

 "No way! What's she like?" Judy glowed, leaning in. "Is her voice as high-pitched in real life?"

 "What my bunny friend means to say is, how is Minnie Mouse involved?" Nick chuckled at his excitable partner, who looked a touch embarrassed as reality sank into her like an arrow.

 "I think she funded his expeditions to some degree," Ozzie folded his arms. "Didn't ask why. Could be she wants to break into the Anihonese film industry with Mickey? Don't know that far."

 "Detective Bell was a promising young fox from Anihon who just barely made detective," Nick recalled, "and I think someone higher than us decided she should get her feet wet with the ZPD. Seems a bit odd, but..."

 "Well, thanks for clearing that up for me, guys," Ozzie smirked. "To be honest, I wish I'd see less of you these days; this isn't the first time you guys have held up my garage for an investigation."

 "Oh, sorry about that, but duty calls," Judy chuckled nervously. "It's for ah... a very important investigation."

 "Yep," Nick added tersely. "Very important."

 

---

 

As the two officers collected themselves and entered into their cruiser, Judy's paw paused before she put the key in the slot.

 "Okay, she was small, she was so small," the bunny suddenly babbled. "She's the smallest red fox I've ever SEEN! She was as big as I AM! And that COLOR!"

 Nick could only chuckle for a few moments at the sudden outburst. "They do make red foxes that small in anihon. And the color isn't atypical either."

 "And what was she wearing" Judy laughed. "She looked like a kit trying to play Sherlock Stables on Halloween."

 "Mm," Nick nodded, seemingly distracted.

 "Ah, sorry," Judy flashed her teeth in guilt, turning the key to the cruiser. "Was that out of line?"

 "No, it's just," Nick sighed. "She remind you of anyone?"

 There was a silence as Judy drove back onto the road to head back to the station.

 "...Me?"

 "Kind of, didn't she?" The fox nodded, folding his arms. "Sounds like she was fast-tracked into the ZPD because of some government program or another, and she's stuck on some menial case by herself."

 "Hey, I mean bugs are important to predators, aren't they?" Judy lolled her head.

 "Not as important as fish, generally, but we're also not talking about a large amount, from the sound of it," Nick shrugged. "I dunno."

 "What, are you annoyed another little upstart has wormed her way into the ZPD?" Judy teased, giving Nick's arm a slap with the back of her hand. When he didn't reply, she blinked, her eyes opening wider. "Oh, you are?"

 "I dunno, Fluff," Nick sighed, easing back more into his seat. "Something about that youthful optimism still just makes me want to squash it down like a plump little bug."

 "Well, thanks for restraining yourself," Judy laughed wryly.

 "But she doesn't even have the good sense to be antagonistic about it," Nick shook his head. "She's polite, eager to please, friendly, and doesn't have that spark of defiance you do. I worry she'll be walked all over, or just paraded around for what she 'represents'."

 "I guess," Judy's smile faded, but grew back smaller. "I dunno, maybe you're reading too much into it."

 "You don't feel annoyed at all?" Nick looked over to Judy. "You've barely ever heard of this fox before, yet she's passed both of us up on the hierarchy."

 "I'm not the one with the green eyes, Slick," Judy teased. "That said, she'll have a ways to go. Even though we're beat cops, we still have some pretty important arrests under our belts. Like a certain sheeeeep?"

 "Heh," Nick smirked, but his smile fell as he looked out toward traffic. "Kinda spooked myself a bit. I did... feel a little jealous, I guess. I thought it was just that optimism of yours that I disliked, that I just wanted to belong, but I did feel that twinge of the ol' 'green eyes' flaring at seeing that earnestness from a new young go-getter, I suppose. Especially because she's a fox, I guess. I didn't think I'd need to feel 'important' to fit in in the ZPD, but I almost feel like Lina Bell threatens that in some way. I dunno, it's dumb." 

 "Hey, hey, no one said anything about that," Judy gave a pained smile. "Nick, no one can take what you've accomplished away from you, okay?" The two exchanged a gentle smile, and Judy added a giggle to hers. "And unless this bug thing turns out to involve all of Zootopia in some huge scandal, I don't see her becoming a household name anytime soon."

 "Don't tempt fate, Fluff," Nick enunciated, wagging his index finger. "The way that Oswald rabbit's luck is, I wouldn't be surprised if his auto shop was the battleground for the fate of the whole city at some point or another."

 "Well, that'd be novel, at least!" Judy shrugged.

Chapter 207: Investigation II

 A nonchalant pig guard led a cooperative, squint-eyed fox into an interrogation room. The fox complied with the directive to sit down in the indicated chair and he gave his pig warden a conciliatory gesture. The fox stifled a scoff as he saw Nick and Judy enter the room. The slightly taller fox took a seat opposite him, while Judy hung out in the corner.

 "Ah, you two again," muttered the imprisoned fox, but his voice swelled with a pleasant flair, "how can I be of assistance?"

 "Personally, I'd like to know how you can even tell what you're looking at with your eyes closed like that," Judy muttered, her arms and legs crossed as she balanced against the wall.

 "Your smell, of course," the fox muttered, mildly irritated, but it shifted back to a pleasant tone again. "My eyes work perfectly fine, I assure you."

 "My partner's just a little grumpy today, that's all," Nick said coolly, looking through a folio. "Someone didn't get her coffee quite right. I was wondering if you could help us, Redd."

 "Oh, of course," Redd returned sweetly. "How could I not, seeing as you set me up with these fine accommodations?" His handcuffed paws indicated the room he was in.

 "If you help us..." Judy began, "we could have you sent back to Anihon. As I understand it, the punishment for art theft isn't quite so high there, and your time in Zootopia would count toward your time served. You could be a free fox. If your information leads to an arrest, that is."

 "Well, what can I help you with, then?" Redd looked over at a few photographs of various colorful butterflies, exotic spiders, and a few locusts. "Er, these don't look like paintings."

 "They aren't," Nick explained, "we've heard of a rare insect collection that was smuggled into Zootpia via an Anihonese trade channel. Would you know anything about that?"

 Redd shifted in his chair, suddenly appearing frustrated. "...I'm afraid you overestimate my involvement with any underpawed Anihonese shipping practices. Shipping live animals is not my style nor my area of expertise."

 "That's too bad," Nick cooed with a drop of mockery, "I was hoping you Anihonese foxes were as connected as we Zootopians."

 "I appreciate your flattering generalization," Redd claimed, though his tone clearly conveyed the opposite, "however, I don't believe I can help you."

 "Very well, thank you for your time," Nick started quickly scooping up the photos.

 Redd looked away then appeared to give a resigned huff. "I do know of someone who's known to take an insect shipment from time to time."

 "Oh yes?" Judy leaned away from the wall.

 "He's an ooooold friend of mine," Redd's voice was smiling, though he didn't seem to. "A gentlemammal by the name of Tom Nook. Do you know him?"

 

---

 

 "What do you remember about Tom Nook?" Nick asked while going through notes in his phone.

 "Ummm... Zootopian immigrant," Judy twisted her mouth as she drove their police cruiser. "Raccoon dog? What do they call them, tanuki? Owns a corner store... dreams of becoming a real-estate mogul?"

 "How do you keep all those facts in that tiny head of yours...?" Nick's voice carried a kind of hushed, but mocking, awe.

 "Hey, watch it," Judy chuckled as they parked near the "Nook's Cranny" corner store. The windows of the place were filled with an attractive selection of affordable items, and the leaf symbol of the store did catch the eye, especially the small chunk of it that was missing from the top.

 "More seriously," Nick undid his seat belt and gave a sigh. "Why exactly are we helping Lina Bell do her investigation? We're just beat cops, and this isn't our job."

 "I mean, why not?" Judy flashed her partner a confused look. "We have the spare time; we might as well."

 "Okay," Nick pointed forward with all of his fingers. "I see this going one of a couple ways. Either we succeed in helping her crack the case. In that instance, we take the glory from her first case and make her look incapable of solving a case on her own. Or, we end up not helping and just goofing around on the clock."

 "Well aren't you cynical?" Judy's brow furrowed in annoyance. "I could be just trying to help her, because that's what police officers are supposed to do."

 "Just put yourself in her paws for a moment, is all I'm asking," Nick shrugged. "Would you have wanted someone like you trying to help you with your first case?"

 Judy swallowed her annoyance and gave him an annoyingly fond look.

 "What."

 "I wanted someone like you, didn't I?" Judy smirked.

 Nick sighed. "Okay, let's go shake down this raccoon..."

 "Er, tanuki!" Judy corrected, leaping out of the cruiser after him.

 The tanuki in question noticed the two enter his shop as they had once before and waved at them. 

 "Hello, hello!" Tom Nook sounded enthusiastic to see them again. "Officers Wilde and Hopps, yes?"

 "Good memory," Nick nodded.

 "I heard you put that scoundrel Redd in prison, good work, yes?" Tom seemed to smile. "I knew he was up to no good."

 "How exactly did you hear about that?" Judy narrowed an eye. "It wasn't exactly front-page news."

 "But it was news, aheh," Tom held up a finger.

 "Sounds like you had an interest in seeing he got to jail," Nick offhandedly looked at a package of Anihonese candy, the language on the package foreign to him. 

 "Well," Tom started a bit nervous, but became more resolute as he spoke. "I did know him, and he did take advantage of me on a business partnership we had. So yes, I had some interest in seeing him get out of my new territory."

 "Do you know anything about the insect trade, Mr. Nook?" Judy pressed, spooking Tom as she drew in closer while Nick was noisily playing with food packages.

 "Not... particularly," Tom said carefully, tilting his head, "I do get imports from Anihon, if that's what you're asking. Nothing living, though. If- ah, if you want, I could let you try a sample, Officer Wilde? Anihonese dried cricket snacks have a variety of flavors that might be unfamiliar and exciting to you, yes?"

 "Er, no thanks," Nick put down a package of candy. "I'm more of a 'fish' fox."

 "Well, if you don't know anything about the live insect trade, or imports from Anihon thereof, I guess we don't have anything else to ask." Judy strolled around the store in nonchalant fashion, looking up and down the aisles.

 Tom Nook looked down, seeming to consider something. He tightened his apron. "I honestly do not know anything about any live insects being traded here in Zootopia from Anihon. I do know of one suspicious thing that happened, but I do not know that it even relates to this issue."

 "Oh?" Nick blinked. Tom waved them over to a small little office, which was cleaned immaculately. The three scrunched in fairly tightly as Tom swung around a monitor for them to look at.

 "What's that?" Judy squinted at the video, which appeared to be some sort of medium-sized mammal fleeing out of the back area of the store with a box. 

 "I can't tell what kind of mammal it is, or even what they took," Tom shook his head. "They only stole one box out of my whole last shipment, but when I checked both my order receipt and the shipping manifest, everything was in order. Mysterious, yes?"

 "That is quite suspicious," Nick mused. "You didn't file a police report?"

 "I didn't see much of a need," Tom shrugged, "it's not much to go on, and I technically wasn't stolen from, as far as I can tell. I've gotten a better camera since then, so if they show up again, I will call."

 "Very vigilant of you, Mr. Nook," Judy nodded. "We'll make sure that if you do we'll be on it. If that's all, we'll get out of your fur."

 "Oh, no trouble at all, yes?" Nook seemed more relaxed, nodding. "Give my regards to Redd if you see him."

 Nick and Judy took their leave, and Nick shook his head as if to mix his thoughts.

 "Sneaky tanuki," Nick smirked. "So polite, and yet you can tell that hint of malice in his voice."

 "Sort of like Redd, but even subtler," Judy agreed, then chuckled. "By the way, since when do you not like eating bugs?" 

 "Ugh," Nick climbed into the cruiser, "have you seen the way you go after a grubfurter? It's enough to put any carnivore off of them."

 "Well excuse ME for trying to expand my horizons!" Laughed Judy, her voice seasoned with mock offense.

 

---

 

It was another slow day at the ZPD, and Judy found herself pulling up her extra notes on the "insect case" more than once while she filed more menial paperwork. After awhile, she let out a groan.

 "I dunno Nick, maybe you're right," the bunny exhaled, swiveling around in her seat.

 "Of course I am, but about what?" Nick replied blithely.

 "I'm not sure if we should really be helping Detective Bell with her case," Judy scrolled up and down through her notes and shook her head. "It's not like we have much to go on. All the strings we've pulled have broken off in our paws anyway."

 "Well, as long as our hearts were in the right place," Nick kicked back, "I don't see how it does any harm to try to help."

 The big cape buffalo Chief Bogo strode by their desks, barely looking at them.

 "Hopps, Wilde, my office in five," was all he said. Nick started a bit, sitting upright.

 "Oh great," Judy's ears slumped down like someone had let air out of them. "What did we do now?"

 "Dunno," Nick huffed. "But if it's about helping on the case, it's not like we haven't gotten the rest of our work done."

 Making sure they were on time, the two entered Chief Bogo's office, only to find him addressing a worried-looking Lina Bell.

 "Oh uhm, sorry to barge in," Judy flashed her teeth. "You wanted to see us, sir?"

 "Come in," Bogo replied tersely. "I was just telling Detective Bell that she has to drop her investigation." Lina bowed her head and squinted her eyes shut.

 "What!? Why!?" Judy immediately perked up and ran into the office, looking between the two.

 "It was because of something I discovered while working on the case," Lina sighed, opening her blue eyes and looking to Judy. "I found a few suspicious shipments that I traced to Mr. Duffy's personal ship."

 "Duffy's involved?" Nick tilted his head. "Didn't he...?"

 "You two may not be aware," Bogo announced, "but Duffy is a famous liaison between Anihon and Zootopia. In no small part, Detective Bell has her job because of him. Investigating him would be a conflict of interest on her part."

 "I understand, sir," Lina replied glumly, her tail dragging the ground. 

 "Wha- that's not fair!" Judy held out her paws in Linas direction. "You can't just take her off her first case like that!"

 "I have to, Hopps, it wouldn't be legal or right for her to continue," Bogo frowned, face grim, "and what have I told you about questioning my decisions?"

 "Sorry, sir," Judy's posture tightened up, her fists balling at her sides.

 "I understand why it must be this way," Lina made a small bow, "I am sorry the investigation went in this manner."

 "Zootopia isn't short of mysteries to solve, Detective," Bogo shook his head. "I'm sure we'll get you another case to crack in short order. Dismissed, Bell."

 "Mm," the small fox nodded and vacated the office.

 "Er, so what did you want to see us about, Chief?" Nick blinked at the fox's exit.

 "There's... another reason why this case was dropped, per the mayor's request," Bogo grit his teeth. "Duffy is a celebrated figure; very popular."

 "I've literally never heard of him until we started this case," Judy seemed frustrated.

 "Once the mayor got wind that Duffy could be involved, he pressured me to stop looking into the bear," Bogo folded his arms behind his back. "There are too many companies and deals tied up with him. If he were implicated in a crime, that could make a lot of people very unhappy."

 "Whuh, and you agree with that?" Judy tried not to raise her voice.

 "I told him I wouldn't send any more detectives after Duffy," Bogo explained, "but, seeing as you two aren't detectives, get to it. Pick up Bell's notes."

 "Wha...?" Judy blinked as her neurons tried to process what he'd just set. "Er, right away, sir."

 "I hate it when these political types throw their weight around my precinct," Bogo snorted through his nose, then he looked way down at Judy. "It's how I got stuck with you, after all."

 "Y'know, I never can tell whether he loves or loathes us," Judy wondered vacantly to herself as the two exited Bogo's office.

 "I would say... yes," Nick replied breezily.

 "Poor Lina," Judy's countenance fell and she looked at her feet as they padded back to her desk. "I can't believe her first case got snatched from her like that, just because of happenstance. She must feel awful."

 "I'd think she'd feel worse that her longtime friend might be a criminal," Nick noted. "Could be just me."

 "There's also that," Judy agreed with a guilty grin. 

 "Well, if we weren't trying to be a part of this, we are now," Nick's voice seemed distant, yet firm. 

 "Yeah, so let's do our best, for Lina's sake," Judy nodded.

 "Do we ever do anything else?" Nick quipped.

 

---

 

"Come in," the fox's soft voice came out.

 Nick and Judy entered into Lina Bell's small office. She wore a fairly nondescript business outfit; her more extravagant detective's cap and coat hung out of the way on a coat rack, almost in shame.

 "Hello again, Detective Bell," Judy said, meekly stepping forward. "Sorry about what happened today."

 Lina sighed. "It can't be helped."

 "Let me just be blunt so our partner doesn't beat around the bush too much," Nick came forward, ignoring a dirty look from Judy. "We're going to be looking into this case."

 "You are?" Lina blinked up at him, frowning. "I suppose that makes sense. You were helping with it earlier after all, somewhat."

 "I know it must be frustrating to have your case torn from you like this-" Judy started.

 Lina shook her head firmly. "No. The only thing that saddens me is that my dear friend Duffy might be implicated in this."

 Judy's teeth felt firm in her mouth as she avoided a towering look from Nick.

 "Can you tell us more about him, Duffy?" Nick broke his gaze from the bunny and looked over to the littler fox.

 "He's a very nice bear," Lina started, her gaze seeming to go past them. "Very friendly; he speaks great Anihonese."

 "Your Minklish is great!" Judy offered hastily.

 "Oh, thank you," Lina nodded. "I've been practicing daily, and Duffy helped me with it himself."

 Judy thought a moment. "What makes you think Duffy might be involved, anyway?"

 "These," Lina produced some documents. "These are the shipping documents from imports from the Minerva, Duffy's ship."

 "He's into shipping?" Nick blinked.

 "Only a few things that interest him from Anihon, he's not into big business, but he has to do paperwork just the same," Lina explained, running her index finger down the documents.

 "And, are there any discrepancies?" Judy looked over the form, written in plain Minklish.

 "On the forms of receipt from the docks," Lina pulled out more papers. "There are a small number of extra shipping boxes. The dock workers asked Duffy about these, but he said he checked all the boxes to be in order before shipping, and when the workers went back, the boxes were gone." 

 "Hm," Nick and Judy both agreed verbally, sharing a look of a similar thought.

 Lina sighed heavily. "It could be anything, couldn't it? Duffy may be shipping illegal items."

 "It could, but also, maybe not," Nick held a finger up. "We'll have to look into this and see what's going on."

 Lina sat back into her chair, despondent. "I don't know what to do if Duffy is guilty. I feel so ashamed. He helped get me here to Zootopia, helped me get this position, and the first thing I do is betray him?"

 "Don't think like that, Lina," Judy held a paw up, "if anyone was betrayed, it was you. But to me, it wouldn't make any sense that he'd do something so brazenly right after helping you get a position as a detective; it would be like he was daring you to try to find some wrongdoing on his part."

 "Maybe," Lina nodded. "I hope... I hope it isn't him."

 "Well, we'll have to find out," Nick nodded, "if he is, he'll need to answer for what he's done. If not, we'll need to clear him, if nothing else, for your peace of mind."

 "Arigatou- er, thank you," Lina smiled. "You two are very nice, just like the stories have said."

 "Only to those we like," Nick winked. 

 "I dunno, you were pretty nice to me when we were strangers," Judy nudged Nick in the side.

 "Did you miss the several layers of sarcasm and ridicule?" Nick said, looking up and away from her.

 Lina chuckled, feeling a bit more at ease, which was readily visible on her small face. The two partners felt more resolute about helping her, and they communicated that to each other with a glance and a nod.

 Someone was going to pay for those bugs, Duffy or otherwise, and Nick and Judy were going to do the shakedown.

Chapter 208: Investigation III

 The ship towered above Judy and Nick in the harbor as they gazed upon it, dwarfing the both of them. It was about half the size of a modest cruise ship, though it still seemed massive to the two officers. "Minerva" was written across its hull in a rounded, somehow "friendly" font.

 "This is Duffy's ship, eh?" Judy gaped. "Pretty big for a personal vessel."

 "Well, I suppose when you've got the kind of money Minnie Mouse is willing to give out..." Nick shrugged. "The eccentric do all kinds of wacky things with their money. When you can afford to be silly, I think mammals just can't resist that kind of temptation."

 "Oh yeah?" Judy tilted her head toward Nick and put on a little grin. "So, assuming you suddenly became a millionaire, what would you want to do with the money?"

 Nick barely hesitated. "I'd build a big indoor amusement park, somewhere downtown maybe."

 Judy blinked. "Oh, you've given this some thought?"

 "A little," Nick shrugged. "Hey, I never said I wasn't eccentric."

 "That you didn't," Judy chuckled. She scratched her chin, lolling her ears to one side. "So what, like a Dave & Bearsters?"

 "A bit more production value than that, I'd think," Nick seemed offended. "Give me some credit. What would you do with it?"

 "I umh, uh..." Judy seemed stumped, tapping her chin repeatedly, suddenly overcome by a refusal of her brain to speak to her.

 Nick had a little chuckle at his partner's puzzled face. "Anyway, speaking of bears, guess we better find our way onto this vessel and speak with the bear in charge."

 The two located a gangway that seemed to head onto the main deck; it easily had room for the both of them and Judy looked to the sky, lost in thought.

 "Still thinking about what you'd do with the cash?" Nick teased.

 "Actually, I was thinking more about the case," Judy shot him a devilish smile. "You have any thoughts or dealings with Zootopian bears?"

 "They kinda unnerve me, to be honest," Nick twisted his mouth into a serious look. "Unless they're working for a mob boss like Mr. Big's boys, they're almost invariably friendly and sweet."

 "And that's a... bad thing...?" Judy blinked.

 "I dunno, you always get the feeling they're hiding something or holding back," Nick mused, trying not to let his tail drag the gangway. "They claim that before the Great Awakening, most bears only ate honey and fish, but I mean, there's no way to actually prove anything like that."

 "What, so you think they're dangerous?" Judy blinked, surprised at Nick's sudden caution.

 "Have you looked at a bear?" Nick gave a "heh". "They're huge, they have huge claws, and evolution doesn't just do that on a whim."

 "I dunno, maybe you're thinking about this backwards," Judy held both paws out. "Maybe because they are so powerful and potentially dangerous, they feel like they have nothing to prove, so they can afford to be kind and sweet to everyone. I mean, the term 'Teddy Bear' didn't come from nowhere."

 "Nope, no stereotype came from 'nowhere'," Nick frowned. "But it paints them with the 'fill' tool when each mammal is really painted with a fine brush. Just because a stereotype is positive, doesn't mean we can rely on it to be any more or less applicable."

 "Mm, mm," Judy nodded her agreement with a thoughtful face.

 Soon enough, the two came upon a bear nearly twice Nick's height and quite a bit wider. He had a rather stereotypical white sailors outfit with blue and red trim, complete with matching hat. He had a soft brown fur color that brought graham crackers to mind, and large, honest brown eyes.

 "Captain Duffy, I assume?" Judy leaned her weight on her tip toes subconsciously as she stepped toward the bear.

 "Aye, that's me," he smiled, walking toward them. "Oh, Officers Hopps and Wilde!"

 "You've heard of us!" Nick's voice was suddenly friendly and warm, not at all like his earlier serious musing.

 "Of course," Duffy nodded, "I mean, the only two members of your species on the ZPD, put away a corrupt mayor or two, who hasn't?"

 "True, true," affirmed the fox. "Just thought you may have been busy with your Anihonese endeavors is all."

 "Might you know why we're here?" Judy asked, her voice also friendly.

 "Not a clue, I'm afraid," Duffy shrugged. The bunny was a bit disarmed by how genuinely friendly and light Duffy's voice was, though she tried to keep objectivity foremost in her mind.

 "We've reason to believe your ship was involved in some sort of rare insect smuggling," Nick said plainly, and just saying that accelerated his own heart rate, one of his arms close to his hip.

 "Insect smuggling?" Duffy looked troubled. "I... I don't see how that could be! I have professionals check our hull at every port of call. It's very important to me not to disrupt the local insect populations of Zootopia, Anihon, or Pawaii. Why, you've heard about the species of ants from the southern continent that took hold in ours? Incredible! They split into two warring factions of their own species and are using this continent as a battleground, just under our noses!"

 Judy blinked. "Um, okay, so clearly you're something of an entomologist?"

 "Not really," Duffy chuckled, "just trying to be ecologically responsible, where I can."

 "Well, Duffy, we weren't really talking about accidental smuggling," pressed Nick.

 "Ah," Duffy looked troubled.

 "A Pawaiian collector of rare bugs has lost his collection, and we have reason to believe your ship was the transfer vector," the bunny officer explained.

 "Well, I welcome you to go through my logs, video records, anything you need," Duffy shook his paws at them, looking genuinely upset. "I try to thoroughly vet anyone I've ever let onto my crew. I'd call each of them my friend... so I'd hope they wouldn't hide anything like that from me."

 "Thanks for your cooperation, sir," Judy nodded. 

 "You haven't hired anyone you found sketchy at all?" Nick was looking through his notes. "Maybe someone you had a bit of a cultural divide with?"

 "Well, Shellie May and I don't have the best Anihonese skills, but I like to think we get along well enough with the crew we've picked up," Duffy chuckled nervously, "As far as the Pawaiians, they mostly speak Minklish or Anihonese, sometimes both. And I got to say, 'Olu Mel is the sweetest person I know. Voice of an angel, body of a turtle."

 "Is there anyone you're not 100% sure of, Duffy?" Judy led.

 Duffy frowned again, looking almost defeated by the mere implication. "Well, I will say that I don't know all of my crew mates as well as I'd like, mainly a few of the lower deckers. I hired a monitor lizard the last time I was at Pawaii who seemed really eager to do custodial tasks on the ship, named Wart. I haven't seen anyone so enthusiastic about a menial job, but I thought that was a good thing."

 "Do you think we could speak to him?" Judy asked. "After all, maybe he just wanted to be one of the illustrious 'Friends of Duffy'."

 "Maybe," Duffy chuckled. "But he's not aboard at the moment, he said he had some things to do in downtown Savannah Central."

 "Would you mind if we spoke to some of your other crew mates, like 'Olu Mel perhaps?" Nick followed up.

 "Be my guest! Get with my wife Shellie May if you want any of our records, digital or otherwise," Duffy gestured at the bridge. "I really hope you can get to the bottom of this."

 "As do we," nodded Judy with a smile. "Thanks for your help!"

 The two walked away, leaving Duffy to make a resigned sigh, which Judy's bunny ears picked up on.

 "Thoughts?" Judy asked her partner as they made their way to the bridge.

 "Seems really honest," Nick shook his head. "Even naive. But what he said near the end made me suspicious."

 "About the lizard, Wart?" Judy nodded.

 "Right, why would a Pawaiian who just signed on with Duffy already have business in Zootopia, much less a specific place?" Nick scratched his chin. "It's possible, but implausible."

 "A lizard would stand out in Zootopia for sure," the bunny thought out loud, "but the problem is we wouldn't even know where to start looking."

 "I don't think we'll need to look, we'll just need to see who's seen him," Nick clicked a finger at Judy, "and hopefully, a familiar pair of bulging eyes has seen him."

 "Oh, oh ho ho," Judy smirked with a dash of danger, "are you talking about who I think you're talking about?"

 

---

 

The two police officers had changed into some more casual clothes, not wanting to spook any of the downtown's ne'er-do-wells. They made their way through the alleys of downtown, dodging suspicious glances from suspicious mammals.

 "So..." Judy looked up at her partner with a grin, "what did you think of Shellie May?"

 "Er," Nick swallowed hard, his pupils shrinking a little. "She... definitely had a presence."

 Judy laughed.

 "I didn't know they made them any hickier than you Bunnyburrow types," murmured the fox.

 "Hey!" Judy continued chuckling, clearly amused. "What's wrong with her being a country bear? With a name like that, did you expect anything different?"

 "Not particularly," Nick grumbled, "it's just, y'know, those real smothering personalities... let's just say I find southern belles a bit loud... feel like my ears are still ringing."

 "Watch it, mister," the bunny laughed, "you're talking to one."

 "Maybe, but you are also very small," Nick placed a flat paw near her ears, which twitched.

 "Nick!" Judy giggled. "Okay okay, enough fun. If Wart kept traveling through downtown in the rough direction of the frame he left from the security footage, we need to go down... that street next, right?" Judy picked an alley slightly to the side of the direction of their current travel.

 "Yes, but as far as I know, reptiles aren't obligated to travel in straight lines," Nick scratched his chin. "Maybe we'll find something to go on."

 Through the alley, they did find a scraggly little weasel arranging small, colorful boxes on a cheap-looking table.

 "Jackpot," the two policemammals told each other smugly.

 Duke Weaselton started as Nick and Judy approached him, feeling his mustelid blood pressure rise. "You two again!?"

 "Hello, Duke!" Nick waved in faux friendliness. "How's it been going?"

 "Listen, you two," Duke darted his index finger between the two suspiciously, "I know you both are full cops now, and you ain't in your uniform, so I don't have to tell you nothin'. And if you even try somethin', I'll just record it!" The weasel fumbled for a beat-up looking phone. "Eh? Eh?"

 "Someone's high strung," Judy teased, glaring at him through half-lidded eyes. "What are you gonna record, whatever illegal contraband you're selling here?"

 "Not sellin' anything illegal, chumps!" Duke waved his free paw at Nick as the fox grabbed one of the colorful boxes. "H-hey!"

 Nick examined the box. On the front was a picture of a classic Anihonese robot he remembered seeing from cartoons as a child; the box was a model kit built to scale. He flipped the box on his side and found several paragraphs of the rather impenetrable symbol language of the Anihonese.

 "Hey Duke?" Nick tapped on the side of the box. "What's this say?"

 "Er," Duke fumbled with his fingers, "ages ten and up...?"

 "What are you doing with a bunch of high-quality Anihonese model kits, Weaselton?" Judy looked through a few of the boxes and paused on a particularly brutal looking mobile suit robot, armed to the literal teeth. "Ooh, this one's cool. Er, I mean, they don't look like bootlegs, so how did you get your paws on 'em?"

 "You stole 'em, didn't you, Duke?" Nick accused.

 "I swear I didn't," Duke held out his paws desperately, "I uh... 'found' 'em."

 "'Found' them," repeated the fox, "I had no idea these kind of complex plastic toys were naturally occurring."

 Duke grunted. "Listen, I dunno if you guys are just fishing for an arrest to meet your quota or whatever, but I swear I didn't take them from any retailer or nothin'. This guy I'd been followin' was tossin' 'em out of a box and scoldin' his friend or something."

 "Who was he? Anyone we'd know?" Nick pointed between the two.

 "No threatenin' my life or anything, okay coppers!?" Duke pointed between the two with his phone, which he'd still neglected to turn onto a camera setting. "I'm onto you."

 "Relax, Weaselton," Judy folded her paws, "we're 'fishing' for something bigger than you."

 The weasel looked left and right, then sighed.

 "There's this newish guy in Zootopia, Mole?" Duke offered.

 "There's a lot of moles in Zootopia," Nick countered. "What species?"

 "I dunno! What species of fox are you? Y'think I got that kinda book smarts?" Duke flailed his paws in frustration. "But he's Mole, like that's who he is."

 "Oh!" Judy waggled her forefinger in understanding. "He's A 'mole', so he's like, infiltrated some crime organization and is feeding you information?"

 "No, he's not my mole!" Duke shook his hand 'no'. "And he's not 'a mole', well.. he's 'a' mole, but he's not a 'mole', he's just called Mole."

 "This is... ugh, I'm getting a headache," Judy lamented, a paw on her forehead.

 "C'mon, keep up, Carrots," Nick chuckled. "A mole who's not a mole named Mole. Easy enough. Who was the other guy?"

 "That's the weird part, he was like a lizard or somethin'!" Duke leaned in. "Like one of those cute little guys they got on the car insurance commercials, except he was huge! Like, your height!" He was pointing at the roughly four-foot Nick.

 "Sounds like it could be who we're looking for," Judy looked up at Nick. "Did you see or hear where they were going?"

 "Not really," Duke shook his head. "Mole was just yelling at the lizard, sayin' he got the 'wrong stuff', but he said it was alright because he got the 'right stuff', and that the 'boss' wouldn't get them in trouble. Sounded skeevy, so naturally, I wasn't interested-"

 "Naturally, you continued listening," Nick corrected.

 "Drgh," grunted Duke.

 "All we wanna know is where the 'stuff' was heading," Judy explained. "Did you hear that?"

 Duke whistled. "Shoo, you're in it now, huh? Trying to go after some kinda drug kingpin? Well, even if I told ya, you wouldn't believe me."

 "Try us," the bunny challenged.

 "They said the 'boss' was gonna arrange to send the 'right stuff' to Winnie the Pooh," Duke let out the information with a conspiratorial lean in and near-whisper.

 Nick and Judy's eyes flew open.

 "Whuh- Winnie the Pooh!?" Nick blinked. "The children's author?"

 "That's ridiculous," Judy flicked her paw dismissively. "You're just trying to get a rise out of us."

 "Swear to Karma," Duke placed his phone on his chest and raised his right hand, "and Celestials know that dog is out to get me."

 "Well, sounds like we have a 'lead'," Nick shook his head incredulously.

 "This is 2000 dollars!?" Judy shrieked, blinking at the numerals she recognized on one of the boxes.

 "No, its more like twenty bucks, Fluff," Nick chuckled. "Exchange rate is roughly a hundred yen to one dollar."

 "Oh, that's much more reasonable," Judy nodded, reaching into a pocket and pulling out a 20 dollar bill, slamming it onto his table. "Here, thanks a lot, Duke."

 Duke blinked as Judy walked away with Nick, carrying one of the boxes she was looking at.

 "Er, nice doin' business with ya?" 

 

---

 

A relatively modest mansion sat on top of a hill of a gated property in the Meadowlands. Nick whistled as he and Judy exited their cruiser after it was parked.

 "I mean," Nick mused, "if you're going to have a mansion, I guess getting rich writing wholesome, colorful books for kids is about the best way you could do it."

 "Yeah, I'd say that counts as a win," Judy smiled, but then frowned, "still, it'll be interesting to have to cuff yet another famous mammal if it ends up he's dirty."

 Nick adjusted the collar and tie on his police uniform; the two had decided to approach Winnie the Pooh more formally.

 Judy hesitated before ringing the intercom system. "Do you think Pooh is like a title, or is it his surname?"

 Nick folded his arms behind his back. "In the latter case, 'the' would be his middle name."

 Judy and Nick shared a little giggle, then Judy jumped up to press the button.

 "Yes, hello?" A somewhat timid voice greeted them.

 "Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, ZPD," Judy introduced. "We're here to speak to Winnie the Pooh?"

 "Oh d-d-dear..." the voice came back, "is Master Pooh in any sort of trouble?"

 "We just have some questions," Nick leaned in.

 "I'll admit you," the voice said after a short delay. "Please come in."

 The two policemammals made their way up a walkway to the mansion, taking in the sights and well-trimmed bushes decorating the front of his property.

 "Guy has a knack for aesthetic," Nick commented, to an idle "mm" of agreement from his partner.

 They were greeted at the door by a somewhat short and stubby tiger.

 "Ah, the police," the tiger nodded. "Now, don't try nuffin' funny, we got cameras everywhere." He began to open the double front doors.

 "We're just here with an inquiry is all," Judy chuckled at the tiger's unsophisticated voice, though he was well-dressed.

 "Well okay, but take care you don't get bounced," replied the tiger with a narrow eye.

 Winnie the Pooh greeted them in the foyer. Nick was surprised to note he was barely taller than he was; Pooh was certainly the smallest brown bear adult he'd ever seen. It felt somewhat surreal to see him in the fur, as he'd only ever seen him in photographs and on TV. Pooh was dressed in a well-kept tuxedo, and he waved at them.

 "Hello..." Winnie greeted. "May I help you mammals?" His voice carried a gentle, but almost winded tone. It sounded highborn, yet as if it almost hurt him to speak. It was a familiar voice to Judy, as she'd heard some of his own work on audio recording as a kit, but hearing him up close was something else entirely.

 "Hello, sir," Judy nodded. "We're Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde of the ZPD. We understand you might have come into acquisition of some rare bugs recently?"

 "Oh yes, yes!" Winnie the Pooh lit up. "Oh, I happened across a seller of the most marvelous specimens." He chuckled to himself, pleased. "Hoohoo, shall I take you to them?"

 "Uh, I don't see why not?" Judy looked up to Nick, who nodded his agreement, though his eyes were a bit wider than usual, indicating a degree of caution to the bunny.

 "Please, follow me to the arboretum," Winnie directed them east to a large indoor arboretum, and Judy instantly knew they were in for a bit of torture before he even opened the door to the room. She heard the screeching of cicadas.

 "Oh boy," Judy grit her teeth.

 "The cicadas are quite cacophonous, yes," Winnie smiled. "But they are such lovely insects."

 "If I may," Nick held up a forefinger as Pooh opened the doors to the arboretum; the rising decibel level causing Judy's ears to fold back. "What got you so interested in insects?"

 "Ah, one evening I had a smackerel of honey from a foreign bee species at a party I went to," Winnie immediately looked wistful, rubbing his chin. "It opened my eyes and my heart to the wonders of insects; their various forms and talents. I have been attempting to acquire quite a collection, and I soon will add my new Pawaiian and Anihonese acquisitions to this wondrous realm."

 Nick and Judy shared a glance.

 "Where might you have acquired those acquisitions...?" Judy inquired.

 Winnie appeared to stop. "Why ever would you like to know that?"

 "We have reason to believe they were stolen from a bug collector in Pawaii," Nick said plainly.

 "Oh, bother," Pooh blinked. "Mmm, I did figure some of the prices were a bit low... bother bother..."

 Nick and Judy's heart rates both rose as they saw the small bear pacing around.

 "Mm, think, think, think... what shall we do about this..." Winnie murmured. Judy felt her paw go to her hip reflexively, anticipating anything.

 "We do have proof, if you'd like to see that," Nick offered.

 "I should, yes," Winnie the Pooh nodded. Nick went over to show him a manifest of the stolen bugs, along with photographs of their previous owner with his collection. "Ah, a chameleon, mm... interesting." 

 "Can you tell us who sold you those insects?" Judy piped up. "That's the real troublemaker here."

 Winnie twisted his mouth. "Young lady, I didn't get this far in life by being a silly old bear. I can't give up all of my leverage that easily. I should like confirmation from the owner that I should... mm... perhaps be allowed to breed some of them, or some sort of deal or compromise there could be established?"

 Judy blinked. "Huh, um, okay. We do have Flick's contact information, Nick, should we try calling him?"

 "Hope the Bogo boss doesn't mind a call to Pawaii on his dime," Nick smirked.

 Judy took out her phone and tried to make her way across the arboretum to an area where she wouldn't be drowned out by cicadas. She was struck by the loveliness of the arboretum; there were various species of natural trees planted and it just smelled very earthy. There was even a softly babbling stream running across part of the ground and a nice bridge over it to the rest of the area. If it weren't for the shrieking bugs, she would have enjoyed it very much. The bunny punched in the contact information she was given for the Pawaiian owner of the bugs.

 The phone barely finished its fist ring before a cautious voice picked up. "H-hello?"

 "Hello, is this Flick? I'm Judy Hopps of the Zootopia Police-"

 "The police!? Have you found the bugs!?" The voice was suddenly intense and actuated, and perfect Minklish without a hint of accent. 

 "Well, we believe so," Judy affirmed. "We've showed the buyer a manifest of your bugs and-"

 "Oh, they're not MY bugs, in so far as one can truly own an animal..." Flick interrupted. "To think so would be hubris of the highest order. An affront to the autonomy of my chitinous friends."

 "Uh, uh huh..." Judy found herself nodding helplessly.

 "Are they being mistreated, my spiritual companions?" Flick asked, voice rich with delicate trepidation.

 "No, uh, it just might take us awhile to find them all, is all," Judy admitted. "They're currently flitting around an indoor arboretum, and I think this collector owns a lot of other bugs, so it might- we might have our work cut out for us to determine which ones are yours..."

 "Ah..." Flick made a strangely pleased sigh. "Though there is no cage big enough for the freedom our insect friends deserve, we cannot truly come to understand them without allowing our souls to dwell on them in a place of peace and comfort..."

 Nick, who seemed to be idly chatting with Winnie, tossed a nudge of his muzzle over in Judy's direction, as he noticed her utter bewilderment. Judy caught his glance and mouthed "he's kind of a weirdo" to Nick in exaggerated mouth movements, to which he just replied with a smirk and a thumbs up.

 The bunny heard an abrupt struggle over the phone.

 "Is that the police?"

 "No, CJ, wait...! They have them...!"

 "Hello?" Judy blinked.

 "Hey, what's splashin'?" An apologetic voice asked. "I'm Flick's partner, CJ. Is this the Zootopia Police? You find my guy's bugs?"

 "Yes, we think so," Judy nodded.

 "Just figured you may have wanted a Zootopian correspondent, or at least, someone from there," the voice chuckled. "Flick can be a bit much."

 "Are all Pawaiians so..." Judy's voice wandered off.

 "Just Flick."

 "CJ...!" Judy heard a distant, quiet voice of protest.

 "Wait, CJ, a Zootopian...?" Judy blinked. "Oh are you that fishing streamer?" Her face started to light up.

 "In the fur!" CJ chuckled. "Heard of me?"

 "You kidding? I'm a bunny from Bunnyburrow," Judy explained. "At any one time, my Dad, about half of my brothers, and a handful of my sisters were watching your streams."

 "Oh, you're that rabbit officer, Judy Hopps! Right on," CJs' voice was jovial and friendly. "So, anything about those bugs?"

 "Well, you might not believe this, but the bugs ended up with Winnie the Pooh, of all mammals," Judy explained.

 "Oh, no way!" CJ laughed. "Used to read him all the time when I was a beaver kit. My books've got the gnaw marks to prove it!"

 "Wha... oh right, beaver," Judy chuckled. "It seems like Winnie has purchased them from someone selling them illegally. Before he gives up his seller, though, he's asked if he could work out some sort of arrangement with Flick regarding their return. Some sort of breeding program or something so Winnie wouldn't have to lose them all?"

 "Never would have guessed the Pooh was a bug fan, huh," CJ mused. "Yeah, if he's half as crazy about bugs as Flick is, I'm sure my guy could feel those waves and set something up."

 "Alright, please stay on the line," Judy said, then walked over to Nick and Winnie.

 "Any luck?" Nick asked.

 Judy nodded. "Mr. Pooh, sounds like we have some negotiations to make."

 Winnie nodded with a small smile.

 

---

 

A rotund snow leopard was dragged into the ZPD main lobby by the larger and stronger Officer Fangmeyer.

 "This is outrageous, you have nothing on me; no proof of wrongdoing!" 

 "Keep it down," Fangmeyer grunted, moving him past a smug-looking Nick and Judy.

 "Well well, if it isn't Patrick Caterwaul," Nick waved.

 The snow leopard's eyes went wild as he saw the two small officers. "You two again!? This is harassment! You'll hear from my lawyers for this!"

 "You know about your right to remain silent, right?" Fangmeyer snarked, shuffling him off.

 "Well, that's twice we've helped put that guy away," Nick congratulated themselves. "Pretty soon he'll pass up ol' Duke."

 "Uh uh," Judy shook her head, laughing, "he's got awhile to go before that milestone."

 "Good grief, though," Nick shook his head. "There were bears everywheres on this case."

 "No kidding," Judy agreed. "I was wondering if somehow Fazbear's Pizza was going to get involved in this somehow."

 "Did I tell ya I went to college with that guy?" Nick tilted his head at Judy.

 "Pff, no way," Judy rolled her eyes.

 "No, really," Nick shrugged. "Haven't heard from him lately though, and honestly, his animatronic business model kinda creeps me ou-UGH!"

 Nick was blindsided by a sudden glomp from a small fox. After a quick disengagement and an embarrassed bow, Nick could make out Lina Bell.

 "Well hi, Lina," Judy laughed.

 "Sorry, sorry, and thank you so much," Lina's voice was both giddy and uneasy. "I'm so happy that my friend Duffy wasn't to blame for any of this shady business."

 "Sorry we kinda stole your thunder, Detective Bell," Judy grinned apologetically, "and in fact, we still have to tell Duffy he's off the hook."

 "And that he probably has to fire that Wart guy," Nick idly rubbed the area he was slammed into by the smaller fox. "He was the one working for Caterwaul and he smuggled the buggles."

 "It's all right, I'm just glad things ended well," Lina sighed, brandishing her magnifying glass. "I will solve a case here at the ZPD yet, so I'll keep trying to do my best."

 "I'm sure you will, Lina," Judy smiled. "And hey, Nick? Even though we gotta close the case up with Duffy ourselves, I don't think anyone's said Detective Bell couldn't come along, could she?"

 "No one told me that, no," Nick nodded. "So I won't tell the ol' Bogo if you don't."

 "So, Lina would you like to come along with us- ACK!"

 It was Judy's turn to be glomped, and she was almost bowled over by the slightly heavier fox.

 "Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry, sheesh, sorry," another apology and distancing by Lina Bell, who held up her paws in caution. "I'd aa- I'd like that very much!"

 The three started to head for the parking lot after Nick playfully made sure Judy was still standing straight by adjusting her shoulders.

 "Y'know, I've never met such an excitable fox," Judy tilted her head to her fox partner while Lina's ears started to burn in embarrassment.

 "Ah, we all used to be like that," Nick shrugged. "Kinda gets cultured out of us in Zootopia."

 "Anihonese foxes too," Lina nodded, "we're all taught to be very polite. I guess I just forget sometimes."

 "It's okay," Judy patted her on the shoulder. "Ooh, I wanna see Nick baby videos."

 "What?" Nick recoiled.

 "C'mon, don't you have videos of you scampering around as a kit?" Judy looked at him ingratiatingly.

 Nick looked down at his partner skeptically while Lina giggled.

 "I'm sure my mother has them somewhere, but before you get any ideas, I'll tell her to hide them somewhere that no one could find them."

 "Oh, that's all right," Judy beamed. "I have a detective friend now."

 Lina smiled sweetly while Nick groaned.

 "Judy..." 

Chapter 209: Sinister

 Colorful spotlights congregated around a water tank while bombastic music played. At the top on a precarious perch was seated Octavia Otterton, looking cheerful and excited. Two more spotlights swiveled around to the show floor, highlighting Emmett Otterton and another figure. The figure was fox-like, dressed in an ostentatious navy blue cloak, white vulpine mask and a brightly colored suit and top hat. He waved around a cane at the figure.

 "Here we are!" Shouted the host. "The Ottertons have made it to the bonus round... but CAN THEY SURVIVE... my greatest scheme yet!?" The voice of the host raised theatrically as they pointed to the top of the tank. "There Mrs. Otterton sits, helplessly! Mr. Otterton, you'll have to answer ten questions in a row. IF YOU DO, you'll both walk home with ten THOUSAND dollars EACH! But, if you get even one wrong... Mrs. Otterton will be going straight into that water tank, and the bonus round will be a complete bust! Do you understand the terms of my devilish deal...!?"

 "We can do it, Mr. Sinister!" Emmett pumped his fists, looking like a young otter half his age. "We'll beat your trap!" The audience cheered and applauded Emmett's resolve.

 "Don't get any wrong, Emmett!" Octavia waved both of her paws playfully. "I've already had a bath today!"

 "Oh ho!" Mr. Sinister swept his cape and posed with flair, both arms out, his tail dragging along the stage floor. "Let's see if she takes another! The bonus round starts... NOW!"

 Nick rolled his eyes and groaned out loud at the display flickering on the television in the dim apartment, his arm around Judy.

 "What's wrong, Nick?" Judy turned her head up to look at him, a cheerful expression on her face. "It's the Ottertons! Y'know... the Ottertons! I wanna see 'em win!"

 "It's not them, Fluff, it's the host, 'Mr. Sinister'," Nick grit his teeth. "He's always struck me the wrong way. The 'evil, scheming fox' trope is so played out, and honestly? I'm tired of seeing it."

 "Oh," Judy nodded her little bunny head, "I can get that. But I mean, c'mon... he's just playing it up as a character, right?"

 "Yeah, by basically dialing every fox stereotype up to eleven and reveling in them," Nick scoffed. "What annoys me is this 'Mr. Sinister' character seems to be really taking off. It's like mammals like seeing foxes this way."

 Judy seemed pensive, scratching at the side of one of her ears. "You think he's like... keeping foxes back, or something? Just by playing a goofy game show host?"

 "It sounds stupid when you say it out loud," Nick sighed, "but for everyone who's trying to do better, there's someone like him that's looking to make a quick buck from underscoring everyone's basest feelings about a species."

 A light splash cut off Nick's train of thought as Olivia ended up in the water tank. She laughed, shaking off hear head and transitioning into a clean ottery backstroke.

 "Agh, I should have known!" Mr. Sinister swiped his arms and stomped a foot. "As an otter, she's perfectly suited to the water! My trap is pointless! So, you may not have won the bonus money, but you still go home with all the prizes you've earned until this point!"

 "Wanna come up, honey?" Octavia called down to her husband over the side of the water tank. "The water's pretty warm!"

 "Aw, I missed what question they got wrong," Judy chuckled lightly at the television as she saw Octavia swimming cleanly around the circumference of the tank.

 Nick aimed the remote at the television. "We can go back."

 "No, Nick," Judy shook her head. "I'm not gonna put you through watching any more of 'Mr. Sinister' if you don't want."

 "Geh," Nick grit his teeth again. "I don't want to be a stick in the mud."

 "Look," Judy swiveled around and pat both paws in her lap. "We've kind of had a rough week, yeah? Few too many car chases, a close call, and some dead ends. I know  I'm a li'l stressed, and if I know my fox, I think you are too. How about we head to bed early?"

 "We don't even have work tomorrow," Nick grumbled.

 Judy started karate chopping the air. "I'll find all those knots of yours~..." She invited in a sing-song voice.

 "Don't threaten me with a good time," Nick grinned.

 "The ones in your back and shoulders," Judy's brow fell.

 "A bunny massage is a bunny massage," Nick shrugged. "Ow, yeah, I'll admit, they feel stiff."

 "Well then," Judy pointed. "Off to bed. I'll make you forget all about this Mr. Sinister business."

 

---

 

 The game show studio was nothing like Nick had imagined. He almost wondered if he was awake; he'd expected to see a big cohesive studio with space for an audience, but instead it looked piecemeal, with familiar parts of the show looking like they were mobile and could be assembled together here and there. Moving from one place to another felt like a dream where the setting never felt nailed down. Though he was dressed fairly well, a "business casual" sort of look, he still tried not to look too interested at the set; he wanted to look like he belonged there. The menagerie of mammals working on the set seemed to pay him no mind, muttering shop terminology to each other about what they were doing that sounded like a foreign language. Nick pressed on, looking for a mammal in particular.

 After a few bursts of "excuse me" and slipping past a few animals, he finally found his target. Mr. Sinister himself was standing in the midst of the game show's set pieces, talking to a female raccoon who was holding a smart pad.

 He already had his ridiculous costume on, Nick noted to himself as he closed the distance. Getting closer, he could see that Mr. Sinister wasn't as tall as him. Unable to see Mr. Sinister's eyes under his mask, Nick started a little when said mask turned to his direction.

 "Huh?" The raccoon turned her head and noticed Nick a moment after. "Who are you? Sir, you can't be back here."

 "I'm Nick Wilde, ZPD," Nick casually flipped open and shut his wallet to show off said badge. "I just wanted to talk to-..."

 Nick abruptly cut himself off when Mr. Sinister seemed to gasp behind his mask.

 "Officer Nicholas P. Wilde... now this is a surprise," Mr. Sinister's voice was full of curious joy. 

 "Excuse me, but are you here on official business?" The raccoon looked impatiently at Nick. "We have a schedule to keep here."

 "I just wanted to talk to... 'Mr. Sinister' here," Nick looked down at the garish other fox.

 "So is it not a part of an investigation?" The raccoon almost sneered. "Because if not-"

 "Marge, I appreciate you looking out for me, really I do," Mr. Sinister had a coy little chuckle, "but what kind of vulpine would I be if I gave up the opportunity to riff with a fellow famous fox like Mr. Nick here?"

 "I'll call your lawyer, try not to say anything too stupid before he gets here," Marge pulled out her phone.

 Mr. Sinister waved his hand dismissively. "It's quite alright, really. I have nothing to hide."

 "Don't you?" Nick found himself accusing in a flat voice.

 Mr. Sinister let out a mirthful laugh that had the bombastic energy of a cartoon villain.

 Marge rolled her eyes at the display. "You can't tell this blasted tod anything."

 "Oh no no no, Mr. Nick," Mr. Sinister rotated his paw and bowed, "I've wanted to meet you for a long time, just to see what ticks behind the facade that's been crafted for you."

 "What do you mean by that?" Nick narrowed his eyes, widening his stance a bit, feeling his paws ball up.

 "When you first became a police officer, do you know how many stories there were about you on the news?" Mr. Sinister stood up straighter, cocking his head and stroking the underside of his mask daintily with a finger.

 "Uh... not exactly?" Nick narrowed an eye, confused by the question. "I'm not the type of guy to just watch every piece of media about me."

 "You were a part of the news cycle for over a month!" Mr. Sinister laughed. "Oh... our 'first fox'... you could hear the glee every time."

 "A bit embarrassing," Nick scratched behind his head. "But my partner, Officer Hopps-"

 "The bunny!" Mr. Sinister held his paws up and scoffed, shaking his head. "The bunny. No no, out of ZNN news cycle in less than a week. Y'know, besides the whole Bellwether thing, but that was a special case."

 "Really?" Nick scratched his ear. "How could that be?"

 "Because she's a BUNNY!" Mr. Sinister shrugged dramatically. "The thing about bunnies is that there are so many of them. Whenever they do something new, it's barely a novelty, because its an inevitability! Sure, a lot of bunnies are farmers, or work in IT, or what have you. But there are so many that there are bound to be oddities here or there."

 Marge was still talking on her phone, covering her other ear with her paw, mumbling below Nick's ability to hear over Mr. Sinister's bombastic but strangely youthful voice.

 Nick's eyes swiveled from Marge to Mr. Sinister, giving him a sidelong glance. "So you're saying a bunny like Judy was an eventuality? That she's not special?"

 "Oh, I can't make that kind of judgment," Mr. Sinister giggled, his shoulders hunched, "but why do you think that bunnies were the first mammals on the moon?"

 "It would have been cost ineffective to send elephants," Nick shot back wryly.

 "Yeah? Then why not mice?" Mr. Sinister tilted his head back and forth.

 "I... the launch forces are too great on them?" Nick guessed.

 "Because bunnies get into everything," Mr. Sinister shook his head. "Of course there are bunny astronauts. Eventually there will be bunny everythings. But that's not even the point, the point is you."

 "Me?" Nick scrunched his nose.

 "ZNN made such a big deal of everything you did in your first weeks, as if they were covering a toddlers first steps," Mr. Sinister's voice lost its mirth. "Look at our little 'first fox' as he takes down bad guys in the search of truth and justice. Sickening."

 "What's your problem with that?" Nick retorted, pointing at the shrouded fox.

 "Because we foxes... we don't get into everything," Mr. Sinister said, his voice more even. "And other mammals? They don't expect us to."

 "And?" Nick sneered. "Maybe ZNN was just trying to celebrate what I had accomplished, to show other foxes-"

 "To show other foxes what they should BE like!?" Mr. Sinister interrupted, shouting. "To show US what WE should be like? Because we AREN'T!? Because we AREN'T law-abiding citizens? Because one that IS is an anomaly? A spectacle? Something we low-life foxes should strive for? Something we should feel ashamed that we haven't lived up to as other civilized mammals have?"

 Shocked at the sudden outburst, Nick just stood there with his arm covering his chest. He could hear Mr. Sinister breathing a bit heavily.

 "Sorry, he's yelling, you probably should come quick before he's arrested," Marge's voice broke the silence.

 "That's an awful large leap to make," Nick finally replied, his voice grave. "An awfully large implication."

 "The subtext is there, Mr. Nick," Mr. Sinister said, voice equally shadowy. "Zootopia expects foxes to act in a certain way."

 "Something more like you, then?" Nick felt his opening and pressed it. Though it caused a surge of energy to shoot through him as his words flitted through the air, he couldn't help but immediately feel like he'd made a mistake.

 "Ha!..." Mr. Sinister began to laugh, then broke uproariously. "Hahahahah! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

 Marge looked more annoyed than uncomfortable at Mr. Sinister's outburst, sipping from some water and getting back to her smart pad.

 "Yes, yes... I'm a more marketable fox than you, Mr. Nick," Mr. Sinister sounded like he was sneering, "because I sell what Zootopia wants from me. I didn't get to have the third-highest rated game show by accident."

 "And you did it by just underscoring everything mammals have prejudged about foxes, selling it like a product," Nick nearly growled. 

 "Well, unlike you, Mr. Nick, I like being a fox," Mr. Sinister growled back.

 "What's that supposed to mean!?" Nick returned, throwing his arms up. "Have you bought into the idiocy that we need to act like we're expected to?"

 "I LIKE acting like I do, that's why I'm an ACTOR," Mr. Sinister's voice gained a little bit of a spark. "I like acting like a cartoon villain. I like being over-dramatic and theatrical. Seems like Zootopia does too. But Mr. Nick, are you going to tell me you moved away from your illustrious career as a well-known Zootopian scoundrel because you weren't ashamed of your foxy ways?"

 "I.. you..." Nick sputtered, gritting his teeth. "I moved away from those things because it wasn't right to do. It wasn't right to just give the world what it wanted, when it made me feel miserable. I tried to spite the world, and I was only spiting myself."

 "Welp, I can't help with that, I'm not a therapist," Mr. Sinister shrugged, sweeping his cape and turning to face away from Nick. "All I can say is, I deeply resent being told what to do as well. So, if you're here to lecture to me that what I'm doing is 'hurting foxes' or some sort of drivel like that, I'll thank you to leave, or I can have Marge call security."

 Marge blinked. She'd not really heard Mr. Sinister sounding so spiteful before. 

 Nick mused within himself for a moment and decided to throw one last arrow. "What kind of fox are you?"

 Mr. Sinister looked like he was bristling. "Meaning?" 

 "Physically," Nick pursued. "You drag your tail, you always hide your face, you're shorter than a red but too tall for a gray..."

 Mr. Sinister seemed to relax, sighing. "Mr. Nick, all I can say is, there's an explanation for everything."

 "Don't, don't you dare, Sinister!" Marge looked shocked. "You CAN'T."

 Mr. Sinister reached up to his mask and took it off. Marge flinched.

 "Sinister! If he gets a picture of you onto the internet-!"

 A surge of curiosity bolted through Nick. Was this it? What duplicity hid beneath the mask?

 Mr. Sinister turned to face Nick. The taller fox felt underwhelmed; it was just the face of a red fox, with light blue eyes. Though, he did note something wrong; one of his eyes seemed unfocused, and the lid on it hung not quite halfway down the eye.

 "Tada!" Mr. Sinister grinned, but there was something off about the grin. Part of his muzzle didn't seem to want to comply with the energy of the smile, giving it a sour, sarcastic look, though it seemed he was being as genuine as possible.

 "So you are a red," Nick noted.

 "Name's Felix," Mr. Sinister offered. "Kind of a weird name to give to a vulpine. Guess my parents wanted a cat." He chuckled. "It was a car accident. Messed up my spine; can barely move my tail. Messed up my voice; still sound like a kit. Messed up my eye, so I don't have a Hollywool face."

 Nick was silent, taking in the knowledge offered. Marge buried her face in one paw, shaking her head.

 "Don't worry, Marge," Felix said, grinning the grin he had. "I can tell he won't take a picture. I can see the sympathy trying to creep through, though he's trying to hide it. Because how bad would it look if he started feeling sorry for me when he came here to tell me off?"

 "Thought you said you weren't a psychologist," Nick muttered in a weak but wry tone.

 "Mr. Nick, unfortunately, society is vapid and fickle," Felix shook his head. "I no longer have a Hollywool face, so my dreams of being a famous actor are pretty much out the window. But, I do like acting as I do, as this character, Mr. Sinister. I don't blame me, I don't blame society, I don't blame the car that crashed into me, and I don't even blame our chicken-stealing ancestors that fueled all the sorts of prejudices we endure. I'm just doing what I can, and I'm doing what I enjoy."

 Nick had to smile a little. "Think you'll ever beat out Jeopawdy or Wheel of Furtune?"

 "Their ratings are unassailable, Mr. Nick," Felix laughed. "And I'm not willing to pull the kinds of stunts necessary to get me a boost to beat them even for a day."

 "Like becoming a police officer?" Nick's smile waned.

 "If that's more you than the Mr. Nick I heard about prowling the streets, then that's the real Mr. Nick, isn't it?" Felix put on his Sinister mask again.

 "Suppose it is, at that," Nick nodded.

 "Great- just- rgh, Clarence is rushing to the studio RIGHT NOW, Sinister," Marge growled. "Do I have to turn him away again? Or can we get back to work?"

 "Neither, Marge," Felix waved a paw. "Let's all just get some lunch together." He nodded toward Nick. "Including Mr. Nick, if he'd like?"

 "I... better not," Nick chuckled. "But thanks."

 

---

 

 Judy's eyes were barely open, a preposterous smile oozed across her face. Nick was indulging her true weakness, his feet massages, soft, but punctuated by the small bits of roughness in his pads. The bunny could barely think, but after he stopped abruptly, she found her thoughts returning to her, which was quite annoying for a blissed-out bunny.

 "Hey! Why'd you stop?" Judy whined, wiggling her toes.

 "Y'know, do you still have that episode of Mr. Sinister's game show with the Ottertons recorded?" Nick scratched his chin.

 "Maybe?" Judy blinked. "Who cares? You don't like that guy anyway."

 "Ehh, maybe we should watch it," Nick grinned sheepishly. "I kind of kept you from figuring out how Octavia got dunked."

 "I mean, I am kind of curious," Judy nodded, chuckling briefly. "Like, what if she didn't know something about octopi? Octopuses? That'd be funny."

 "Yeah, like if she didn't know they had blue blood or three hearts," Nick nodded.

 Judy narrowed an eye. "And... how do YOU know that? Please tell me its some random animal fact internet video and not some sort of weird odd job you took back in your old days."

 "I won't tell you it's an odd job I took in my old days," Nick purred with an angelic smile, pulling up their TV recordings.

 "So, an internet video then," Judy pried, leaning into the fox. 

 Nick only smiled in response.

 "Nick."

Chapter 210: Lamplighter

Notes:

WARNING: This technically contains spoilers for my story "The Appointed Time".

I say "technically" because this was an exercise on my part to write a sort of epilogue for that story that is in character, explains at least a bit about the story, and presents everything spoiler related in an out-of-context environment.

If I succeeded, you shouldn't really be spoiled until you actually know what's going on, but if I failed, well, the warning still technically applies and you might want to avoid it unless you have no interest in "The Appointed Time".

 No one came to that area of Downtown, at least, not for anything above-board.

 That place with the abandoned factory and abandoned mill. The building that was supposed to be renovated into some sort of indoor amusement park, or at least a rollerskating rink. The area with nature reclaiming what was hers, untamed grass here and there, a curious few species of tree poking up this way and that. Untamed, wild, chaotic, a statement that despite Zootopia ostensibly being built to harmonize with nature, there was something she wanted that civilization could never give her.

 Nick found himself crossing that stone bridge, gazing at the abandoned building in front of him. Panes of glass missing from at least a third of the places they should be, there was something grotesque and compelling about a feat of mammal engineering reduced to a functionless husk. The fox had to admit that over the last month, he had felt that way himself.

 He wasn't a blameless mammal, of course. No one was, much less when you were "empowered". When Nick had his super speed, the whole of Zootopia was like a picturesque travel magazine. One flip of the page, and you could be in Tundratown for a quick cool-down after checking out the bayou of northwest Rainforest District. And of course, the moment the sun went down, the chilly neon paradise of Sahara Square always beckoned. However, without that familiar flaring of tension in his legs, serving the city to him on a platter, he felt himself taking in the scenery of the less perfect areas of Zootopia. Smelling the roses, as it were. Though mostly, at the moment, he smelled the powerful fumes of wild grasses.

 Nick had come to this place for a reason, of course. "That mammal" had been spotted by his unempowered fennec buddy Finnick. The one he had seen that night that he'd gone to visit his mother. The Zootopia Empowered Division had finally made a public apology on his behalf, in no small part due to his role in saving their organization as a whole, and he was toying with the idea of getting his mother's reaction to the prevalent narrative being so wrong about him. He almost wanted to see her sniffling and groveling before him, after the things she'd said and done to him, not the least of which being the emotional distance she'd kept from him.

 But, like he knew, he wasn't blameless. He'd tried to go to that house in the Meadowlands several times over the years, but something always kept him back. He'd resolved that night that it would be different, that nothing in the universe could keep him from some kind of encounter with his mother.

 It seemed, however, that the universe had some special kind of irony in mind for Nick Wilde.

 After dodging a cute but persistent red panda photographer looking for a scoop, Nick found himself in a wooded area, taking a shortcut to his mother's house. Unbeknownst to him, this was a shortcut that would also cut his memory apart. 

 It started with a feeling. An unusual feeling that tugged at a sense that couldn't be put into a name. It was just a sensation like something was wrong. It wasn't in the air, you couldn't smell it or see it. After that, it was like Nick had teleported deeper into the forest. There was a tree in splinters, a weeping young sheep boy, a confused red fox youth, and ...her.

 She was the first to leave. She carried some sort of staff with a lantern on the end. Nick didn't get a good look at her, just a flash of yellow eyes and a black and white ringed tail as she fled. He tried to pursue her, but his powers couldn't be summoned and he fell to the ground the moment he tried to run after her with a speed burst. 

 It was chaos. He didn't know what happened in the gap of time that was now in his memory. The fox youth had seemed similarly confused, unable to even remember his own name, and the sheep just seemed in total hateful anguish, screaming and wailing uncontrollably. Nick didn't know what he had done, or what had been done to him. The three of them parted ways without much of anything having been resolved. 

 Nick having to travel to the ZED the slow way wasn't fun, either. Far away from anything resembling public transport, even getting there used to be a breeze for him. But when he did make it there, he was turned away at the entrance by that arrogant raccoon guard Rocket. The fox tried to reach out to some people he knew on the inside at the ZED, Judy, Skye, and even Brittany, but he hadn't seen them for a month either. Something had gone really wrong, and no one was willing to talk to him about it.

 That's why he found himself on that bridge that day, looking for "that mammal". Walking across the bridge, then down the dirt slope leading to the pointless little tunnel of stone under it, he saw her huddled up underneath the bridge, that lantern, ever-lit with green and red light casting colorful spots randomly in the dark tunnel. It had to be her, even if the small mammal was huddled up in a dusty-looking brown robe.

 "Hey there," was the first thing Nick said to her.

 Her head turned almost instantly, and just as quickly, Nick felt unsettled. Those large round yellow eyes, purest yellow where white should have been, tiny little dots of black for pupils, stared at him with mistrust, sitting atop a short black muzzle. The mammal was small, but somehow incredibly imposing despite her lithe appearance. It looked like at any moment, beams could have poured out from those intense eyes and incinerated him, and of course Nick couldn't rule that out.

 No response from the mammal except for her to clutch her staff closer to her body. As before, Nick could smell that she was female, but other than that, there was absolutely nothing about her smell that was familiar to him at all. More than his superpowers failing him, it was this betrayal of a sense upon which he'd relied all his life that felt more disturbing. He didn't want to think that she smelled "unearthly", but no mammal he'd met even resembled her particular smell.

 Nick took a step forward, and sensed through smell and a twitch of hers that this put her on edge. "Hey listen, I got you something." He reached into a pack he'd brought. Immediately, the mammal leaped up and began to flee.

 "Wait, wait!"

 Nick called out to the mammal, waving a sandwich. "It's just a sandwich. Didn't mean to frighten you. Heard you might like peanut butter and jelly?"

 The mysterious mammal tested the air with her nose, then slowly made her way back to Nick, snatching the sandwich from Nick and retreating back under the bridge, sitting down and beginning to eat. Her yellow eyes stared straight ahead, though looked back suspiciously at Nick.

 "You're welcome," Nick made a little bow. Barely pausing between bites, it seemed clear she needed the sustenance. "Hey, could we talk about some things?"

 The mammal didn't respond, continuing to devour the sandwich with a concerning mix of eagerness and dispassion.

 "Listen, I know you were there a month ago," Nick said, his voice sounding a little less polite. "I have some things I want to know."

 The mammal finished the sandwich and rubbed her black muzzle with her finger, attempting to make sure it was clean. Nick was almost shocked when she did speak. "Is this charity, or a transaction?"

 "Wha... I mean..." Nick shook his head.

 The mammal's unsettling yellow eyes laid their piercing gaze on the fox. "Well? You came here to give me something out of your kindness, or so you had a ground to ply me with questions?"

 "You don't think it's fair that I might do that?" Nick shrugged. "As far as I know, you've been living on charity this past month."

 "Yes," the mammal almost growled. "From mammals like you who are attracted to the unknown and the unusual. To whom the exotic is irresistible. To whom curiosity is a crippling disease that must be sated despite one's better judgment."

 "Listen," Nick was no longer even pretending to be nice, pointing an accusing finger at her. "I saw you that night I lost my powers. I saw you running like your life depended on it. Running with that little glowstick of yours. Now, you could show a little bit of gratitude for me for offering you a bit of food to extend that life and tell me why you ran away. Are my powers stolen away in that little stick of yours?" He took a step forward.

 "If you touch this 'stick' of mine, your life is forfeit," the mammal hissed. Nick retracted his step forward. He had no way of knowing if she was bluffing. This could be the most powerful mammal he'd ever encountered. She certainly had an off-putting air around her.

 "That's gratitude for you," Nick folded his arms. "Maybe I should just tell the ZED where you are. They're always looking for mammals with unusual talents."

 "They would find nothing 'unusual' about me," the mammal claimed.

 "Really," Nick leaned forward. "And just how am I supposed to believe that? What kind of mammal are you?"

 The mammal stood up and walked one step forward. She was about half Nick's height, only a little taller than Judy would be, about up to where her ears stopped, excluding her own short triangular ears. A strange mask of black and white fur adorned her face. It almost looked like she was a raccoon from another planet. That was Nick's first thought, anyway, and the banded tail, about twice as long as a raccoon's though a little thinner, just lead onto this thought.

 "You know what I have figured out about this world?" The mammal started. "It doesn't care if you break the rules, it only cares if you break the laws. And mammals are so sure they know what the laws are. That's why if you can break the rules, the world will look the other way, but if you break the laws, well..."

 "That's not an answer," Nick grumbled. "What are you doing hiding all the way out here, anyway?"

 "I'm breaking the rules," she replied. "But no laws. I must survive in this place for about one year."

 "So get a job?" Nick shrugged. "At least run a hustle."

 "It turns out that when one applies for a job," the mammal started. "Mammals want to know things like your name, your species, and where you come from. It turns out the answers they want from those questions are not 'I've forgotten', a species that they've never heard of, and a place that doesn't exist."

 "What, are you saying you don't come from anywhere?" Nick blinked.

 "Nowhere on this Earth," she replied.

 "Ominous," Nick huffed. "I didn't think aliens would be able to speak such good Minkglish."

 The mammal didn't respond to that.

 "Mammals around here are calling you the Lamplighter," Nick said. "On account of, y'know, your lamp."

 "A good as name as any, I suppose," she replied, staring at the swirling energy in said lamp.

 "There's a lot of rumors about you, you know," Nick said. "That your lamp never goes out despite having no apparent power source, that you can steal powers, that, well, you're from another planet."

 "I'm not going to give you any sort of answer you want to hear," Lamplighter said, clutching her staff with both hands.

 "You said you have to stay here for a year, right?" Nick narrowed an eye, leaning in. "Let's make a deal, then. Tell me some things I want to know, and I'll give you a cut of all the hustling I'm doing to help you stay afloat. Hm?"

 "I think you might be underestimating the value of what kind of information I can provide," Lamplighter began to look angry, her brow furrowing.

 "So, you do know something I want to know," Nick rubbed his paws together.

 "Gh..." Lamplighter sneered. "That's one thing I hate about you. You always throw an obvious trap one way when dodging in the other direction causes me to fall into another one you've placed earlier."

 "And you know who I am, that's even more interesting," Nick scratched his chin.

 Lamplighter said a word Nick had never heard before, but the way she spat it to the ground after turning her muzzle made him think it must have been a swear. "I should have carried on with my muteness."

 "Did you take my powers, yes or no?" Nick asked.

 "No," Lamplighter claimed. "I had nothing to do with that, nor can I give them back."

 "Who did, then?" Nick followed up.

 "Let me ask you something," Lamplighter followed up. "Instead of bargaining with an unknown quantity like me, why don't you ask the organization that's been suspicious toward you ever since that incident?"
 
 "The ZED," Nick slammed a fist into his palm. "They wouldn't let me in to see anyone."

 "And, instead of persisting there," Lamplighter went on, "you come by to harass a homeless mammal living under a bridge. Just like an empowered mammal to want the easiest way out first."

 Nick felt himself bristle, but didn't fall for the bait. "Nice deflection there, Nightlight, but you still haven't told me why you ran away that night. You have to admit it seems suspicious to leave three confused mammals there while you run off with some sort of mystic looking artifact."

 "If you knew what I was protecting, Nick Wilde," Lamplighter warned, "you would not be so flippant about your words. You would know that by associating with me, you put both of us at risk, and you'd be more careful with what you say and your accusations."

 "You're expecting me to just trust you then, after that?" Nick sneered. "You know my name, know I was empowered, claim you have nothing to do with it, and won't tell me anything about what I can do to get my power back?"

 Lamplighter flashed her teeth. "You expect me to trust you with any information while you stand here and lie to me about your motivations? You don't really care so much about your power that you'd come by and harangue me about it."

 "Ah, so you're a mind reader," Nick sucked his teeth.

 "Isn't it clear by now that I know more about you than you'd like me to?" Lamplighter peered at him with her head leaning in, eyes narrowed. "Don't you think that by, instead of me continuing to stalk you and use my information about you to gain some sort of advantage over you, that my distance from you indicates something else?"

 "I mean, from my perspective," Nick frowned down at her, "it seems like you've stolen some mammals memories and powers and just don't want to be found out about it."

 "Ah yes, Nick Wilde and his famously limited, selfish perspective," Lamplighter sneered. "Nick Wilde and his insufferable moralizing."

 "Moralizing?" Nick blinked. 

 "Oh, where could I start?" Lamplighter glared up at him, walking in a tight circle. "Well, for you, how about 'I gave you a sandwich so tell me the secrets of the universe? It's only fair I get something for my kindness'."

 "Did I ask for those?" Nick gave a huff that was somewhere between amused and annoyed.

 "That's your problem, Nick Wilde," Lamplighter pointed, "you're like a cat, seeing loose threads that you'd just love to pick on, not knowing that one of those threads could unravel everything. They do say that foxes are dogs running on cat software, after all."

 "If you know as much about me as you claim to," Nick retorted, "you should also know that I'm smart enough to know when someone's trying to provoke me."

 "Fine, I'll allow you one question," Lamplighter smiled, but it was a strange, malicious smile. "Keep in mind that I will answer it with the least amount of faith possible. For instance, if you ask me what species I am, I'll tell you, but you won't know what it means because you'll never have heard the word before. Same with where I'm from. If you ask something prying, I'll answer as vaguely as I can. If you ask me something to satisfy that cat brain of yours, you might just find it like eating a piece of candy, tasty, but ultimately unfulfilling. So choose wisely."

 Nick paused for a long time, gathering his thoughts for something to ask.

 "What would it take for you to be happy?"

 Lamplighters jaw dropped and her hand holding her staff wobbled, though she quickly moved her other hand to stabilize it. "I... what?"

 Nick repeated the question, his voice carrying a tone between stern and warm.

 "I... I don't know," Lamplighter sat down, clutching the lamp close to herself. "I must survive this year. I must. I'm... protecting something, someone important to me."

 "Someone?" Nick pressed.

 "You don't know them," Lamplighter said, shaking her head. "Not really."

 "Not 'really'? Now that's curious," Nick stroked his chin.

 "I answered your one question," Lamplighter mumbled. "You don't get another."

 "No, you dodged my question," Nick argued, sitting next to her. "You didn't tell me what it'd take for you to be happy."

 "But I answered 'someone?'" The strange mammal replied.

 "You told me you'd answer my one question," Nick said, his voice gentle and almost smarmy. "What, you lying to me now?"

 "I did say I'd answer with no faith," Lamplighter bowed her head.

 "Would surviving this year and all that make you happy?" Nick asked, rotating his head in her direction.

 "Maybe," Lamplighter whispered. "I hope so."

 "Well," Nick stood up. "If you want some more sandwiches, I'm your guy. I see you hanging out around here, and I'll give you a cut of the stuff I get from hustling."

 "...You're so frustrating, Nick Wilde," Lamplighter sighed, closing her eyes. "You have not a single reason to trust me, yet you still put your foot forward in a faithful way. Annoying."

 "Selfish and moralizing, too," Nick beamed obnoxiously.

 "Nick, you must also survive this year," Lamplighter suddenly looked at him, her eyes still hitting him the wrong way. "If you do, your powers will return."

 "They will?" Nick blinked. "So you do know that."

 "I shouldn't," Lamplighter's voice cracked like she was about to chuckle.

 "Why not?"

 "Because," Lamplighter sighed, looking away from the fox. "No one told me. At least, not in this world. I read no mind and no book to get the information. I just know it."

 "That sounds impossible," Nick argued.

 "But it doesn't break the law," Lamplighter had the tiniest hint of a smile on the corner of her small black muzzle. "It breaks the rules, but not the law."

 "Sorta like hustling, hm?" Nick pretended like he would nudge her, but stopped short.

 Lamplighter rolled her eyes and wagged her head, saying another unfamiliar word. "I suppose."

 "Speaking of, I need to get back to the grind," Nick clapped his paws, making her flinch, and stood up. "We know this camel in Sahara with a particular weakness for cute fennecs, seeing what we can do there."

 "Do what you must," Lamplighter sighed, starting to stare at the other side of the stone bridge's tunnel.

 "Goodnight, Nightlight," Nick waved, turning from her and giving an offhanded wave as he traveled off.

 Lamplighter looked after him after he was nearly on the horizon, then looked down, put a hand on her head, and cursed quietly to herself.

Chapter 211: Mayor

Notes:

Spoiler Warning! This has spoilers for the Dreamworks movie "The Bad Guys". If you haven't seen it and want to, I'd recommend watching it before reading this. If you have or don't care about the movie, read on.

I do think The Bad Guys is pretty good, though!

 It was a bright new day for a bright fox.

 Everything was bright. Her smile, her green eyes, her radiant orange-red fur, and the light in her new office. She could only hear her breathing and the taps of her shoes on the floor as she made her way to the edge of her office to look out the window at the beautiful skyline of Zootopia, the gleaming city.

 Her city.

 The thought of it crinkled her muzzle a bit and got her to draw a giddy smile. She adjusted her glasses to make sure they didn't catch on her left eyebrow piercing then walked around to the desk. Bending over in her trim periwinkle pantsuit, she fiddled with the position of her nameplate so it sat on her desk just right.

 Mayor Diane Foxington.

 Her phone buzzed and she started a little, then smiled at seeing the number of her secretary and put the phone to her ear.

 "Mayor Foxington~!"

 "Yes, mayor," the voice at the other end had a bright note too, as if they were also in on a joke. "Officer Wilde is here to see you. Shall I send him in?"

 "Oh, please do!" Diane affirmed with a note of excitement, then hung up. She'd waited for this moment for quite awhile. 

 The doors to the mayor's office opened up and Nick Wilde strode in. Diane had never seen him like this before; though he had his signature smoothness, his eyes hidden by broad sunglasses, he had a kind of gravity to him that was new. His vivacious orange red fur was darker than hers, more fiery. He had a more classic dark nose with a hint of blue, as opposed to her almost comically cutesy pink nose. But, when he removed his sunglasses to greet her, their green eyes were more than a little similar in spirit.

 "Mayor Foxington," Nick greeted. There was just a hint of emphasis on her title.

 "Officer Wilde," Diane beamed. Her head was tilted just a little as she looked over her old friend.

 Nick folded his glasses and put them in a pocket as Diane rushed over to her desk's chair and took her seat. "Please, Nick, sit down?"

 The male fox's brown ears folded back a bit as he approached her desk, holding his hands behind his back. "I can stand."

 Diane's smile was pleasant, but her eyebrows raised. "Okay. Well, look at us, huh?"

 "Look at us," Nick agreed. "The first fox on the ZPD, and the first fox mayor of Zootopia."

 "Pretty crazy right?" Diane flashed a pleasant, toothy smile. "I can't imagine either of us dreamed about this when we were kits."

 "Not exactly, no," Nick said, eyeing Diane critically. Her mirth was always hard to penetrate, and just as he'd seen it in his first encounter with Judy, he found it irritating and ingratiating.

 "I'm glad I got to see you so soon after I was elected," Diane continued. 

 "Congratulations on that, by the way," Nick nearly interrupted her.

 "Thank you," Diane's smile waned, just a little, "but where's your partner? The illustrious Judy Hopps?"

 "I thought it should be just us for the moment," Nick huffed, looking out the window for a moment. "Catch up a little."

 "Oh?" Diane blinked, but her smile grew again. "Get some 'fox stuff' out of the way?"

 "Something like that," Nick rubbed his chin. He whistled. "Shew... you sure won a lot of votes, huh?"

 "I guess Zootopia was just ready for a fox mayor, right?" Diane's shoulders bounced up in a charming shrug. "Perhaps that had something to do with a fox helping to take down the previous one."

 "You're welcome for that, by the way," Nick said, and Diane almost felt relieved at hearing a familiar smarmy bite to his words. "But that can't be the whole story. You must have... stolen a lot of Zootopia's hearts, hm?"

 Diane's smile became a little more troubled. "Nick I... I don't really like the tone of that." She shook her head and regained her composure, blinking twice as she met his judging gaze. "You know the saying. What was it... you have to put your behind in your past?"

 Nick didn't react at first, his arms folding in front of him.

 Diane looked off to the side, trying to find a mental foothold, and her tongue quickly darted past her teeth as she looked back at her fellow fox. "And here I thought you were just here to talk about old times with me."

 "Let's do that, then," Nick raised an eyebrow, leaning forward. "Let's talk about old times."

 "Nick..." Diane took a deep breath. "Look. You and I both know that back then, we were good at... certain things. Certain things 'becoming of a fox.' Things maybe neither of us are proud of. But look at us now! We're both fine upstanding servants of the mammals of Zootopia."

 "We sure are," Nick nodded. It seemed like he hadn't cracked a smile once yet.

 "Am I on trial here, Nick?" Diane removed her glasses, placing them on the desk. She folded her arms daintily on top of her desk and began to look at her opponent with a dire twinkle in her eye. "Is this an interrogation?"

 "I'm not sure yet," Nick responded. "We haven't seen each other in awhile."

 "You know you and I are more alike than we are different," Diane shook her head, shrugging wide. 

 "Yeah, but there are a few pretty crucial differences, Diane," Nick replied. "I changed because someone believed in me. Someone saw potential and good in me, and wanted to coax it out. You changed because you, what... felt bad? Did you no longer feel the 'thrill' from your selfish escapades?"

 "Nick!" Diane looked shocked. "No, listen. I told you, it was the same reason as you. I did feel bad that I was just... well, you know, demonstrating everything anyone had ever said about foxes. Just like you were." She tried to smile again, though it seemed weak. "That's all."

 "You know what I think?" Nick leaned in a bit more, placing his hands on the edge of the mayor's desk. "I think you just got tired of having things, and wanted to move to having power."

 Diane's fists balled up on the desk and her muzzle creased, her brow furrowing. "Is that what you think, now?"

 "It's just a theory," Nick sneered. "But, at what you were good at? You were better than even me, and you know that. Am I supposed to believe that you suddenly felt ashamed that you were just... too good at it?"

 "You know I gave everything back-"

 Nick's eyes darted to a particular diamond ring on her finger.

 "Er... almost everything," Diane frowned, subconsciously rubbing the band of the ring. "Nobody's perfect. It's just a little sentimental token to remind me of what I was."

 "Or 'am'," Nick glared.

 "Do you want to try to arrest me, Wilde? Is that what you want?" Diane barked, pushing up onto her feet with her shoulders hunched. "Are you so bitter about what you went through that you'd take it out on me just because you're... what, angry that I'm the mayor?"

 "I just want you to know something," Nick pointed a finger at her. "You were elected to serve Zootopia. And I was hired to serve and protect. And if you don't end up serving Zootopia, I'm gonna make sure it's 'protected' from you."

 "Nice, now we're up to bare threats," Diane's upper lip twitched. "This is going so well! Well, Mr. Wilde, you know what you know about me, and I know what I know about you. I think we both know that that could be used destructively to each other's detriment, yes?"

 Nick finally smiled, which sent an icy spike of fear through Diane's chest. 

 "Oh, please try that," Nick beamed, and Diane didn't know if she liked the sound of his snark anymore. "That would be very interesting. I'm sure ZNN would love a good engaging mystery to bump up their flagging numbers now that there's no major scandals going on. Why did the happy, smiling mayor Ms. Foxington fire the only fox on the ZPD? That seems odd! You'd think foxes would look out for each other, wouldn't you? How can we trust a mayor who won't even hesitate to go after her own species for some mysterious grievance?"

 Diane didn't say anything. She sat back down in her chair, looking off to the side. Her face pinched, and she rubbed at the bridge of her muzzle with one paw.

 "What do you want, Wilde?" She finally asked, her voice flat and glum.

 He wanted that. He wanted that look on her face, he wanted her to look defeated and at his mercy. That vixen had never gone through anything nearly as traumatic as he had. She'd excelled at everything she put her mind to. She was strong, cunning, clever, and charming, though no one really needed to specify that last one for a fox. She had no baggage holding her down. Now, she finally had a weakness, one he knew about. Finally, he managed to pierce her facade, that kitsune mask. The smiling, confident, smarmy fox, suddenly not knowing what to do. Trapped.

 The fact that he realized he wanted that made him sick to his stomach.

 "Nothing, really," the ire vanished from Nick's voice, and he sat down on the chair that had been ignored.

 "After all that?" Diane frowned. "Nick, I... I really hoped we could just be friends again. I thought we could just have a little laugh together. Two former scoundrels, now upstanding public servants. It's almost too ironic. ...Right?"

 "Real life is a bit messier than that, Diane," Nick sighed, his tail drooping behind him. "This isn't some game we're playing."

 "No, but you and I both did it," Diane tried a tiny smile, her voice soft. She sat down and put on her glasses. "We did it. Because we're good mammals. We feel good when we do good. It comes naturally to the good guys."

 "I suppose it's too late for a do-over between us, hm?" Nick gave an apologetic smirk.

 "Not for us it isn't," Diane perked up a little and folded her arms on the desk again. "Now, since you're here, I wanted to have you pass on a message to Chief Bogo for me. There's a criminal I need to reduce the sentence of."

 "...Are you serious?" Nick's question was deadpan, his eyes wide. He gestured desperately from side to side. "The first thing out of your muzzle is an abuse of power? After that?"

 "I think you will know where I'm going with this," Diane smirked devilishly, a finger to her muzzle. "Its a certain wolf we know."

 "Oh, oh," Nick sat up in his chair. "Ah yeah, guess he's not such a bad guy."

 "That's what I'm saying," Diane giggled. Then she sat up straight again. "And. I have to pencil you and Officer Hopps in for lunch sometime. I just have to meet her. I can only imagine since you like her so much, we'd probably get along well too."

 "Maybe too well," the thought weighed heavily on the fox, but he recovered into a leering sneer. "Although... I should warn you about something."

 "Yes?" Diane bat her eyes innocently.

 "Hopps is a goody two shoes to the core, Diane," Nick said, clearly proud of that fact. "And you know, she's arrested two mayors already. Between you and me..." his voice lowered. "I think she might be trying to go for the high score."

 "Tch," Diane shook her head, giving a wry grin, "are you threatening me again?"

 "No, far from it," Nick wiggled a finger. "This is a courtesy warning. She's a firebrand. I'm sure everything will be fine as long as you can behave as mayor."

 "Well, no promises," Diane chuckled, but then frowned, bit her lip, and nodded after a pause. "No, a promise. I will. I'll behave. You'll see."

 "Wow, I might have bought that," Nick sighed into an easy grin. "You should be a politician."

 Diane gave him an irritated grin with an eyebrow raised.

 "Listen, you," Diane stood up. "Lunch with you, Hopps, and I. Maybe even our wolf friend if we can get him out quickly enough. I have some ideas I want to talk to you all about."

 "Got it," Nick popped up, put his sunglasses on, and offered his paw to Diane, who quickly met it in a handshake.

 The handshake was warm, somewhat teasing, and with a hint of mutual suspicion.

 It was exactly the kind of handshake one would expect between two foxes. 

Chapter 212: Moon

 Judy's face was unsettled as she was led to a cozy corner in the Rainforest District restaurant. The moose seating her and Nick was in an immaculate suit, and she'd just worn one of her typical comfy two-tiered top outfits, with a pleasantly eye-catching lavender color outward. It caught the eye, but didn't hold it. On the other hand, Nick's top was an electric-blue Pawaiian shirt, which stood out against the restaurant's dim and soothing lighting even more than his usual green.

 "I feel a little under-dressed," Judy whispered. 

 "Your server will be with you in a moment," the moose nodded politely, then left the two.

 "Relax," Nick popped open one of the menus. "People will wear anything to this place." He indicated the rest of their area, which had mammals of all kinds in all sorts of dress. "I mean, look at me."

 "You'd wear a Pawaiian shirt to your own wedding," Judy muttered, her brow furrowing, though her ears stayed perky.

 Nick's eyebrows flexed upward. "Not a bad idea."

 As Judy was groaning, an otter approached their table. A typical small-clawed otter, she was brown, had forest-green eyes that were both lively and soothing, and wore a conspicuous set of glasses. 

 "Good evening, I'm Sam and I'll be taking care of- ah! H-hello! Mr. Wilde..." the otter greeted, clutching her notepad a bit tighter as she saw the fox in question. "How lovely to see you again!"

 Nick looked, and his smile grew a touch more warm from its usual resting snark. "Oh, Sam! You're here tonight. Well, great!"

 Sam adjusted her green striped tie, a pleasant smile on her face. Judy could tell something was a bit off, however. Something about the smile was the tiniest bit strained. The otter's green eyes flicked over to Judy for a split second before going back to Nick, giving Judy the odd sense that her mind had just been read.

 "Can I start you off with some water?" Sam piped up. Her voice carried a slight Outback Island twang, especially in her pronunciation of "water". "Fresh rain? Sparkling stream?"

 "They have more than one kind of water here?" Judy blinked, then sent a slightly sparky look to Nick. "You told me this place wasn't fancy!"

 "I didn't say it wasn't fancy," Nick wiggled a finger. "I just said their dress code isn't stringent. Focus, Carrots. What kind of water do ya want?"

 "I, uh," Judy blinked, looking at the menu, "well, fresh rain sounds a little too much like what I'd have back home. So maybe sparkling stream?"

 "Wonderful," Sam nodded, jotting that down. "And where do you call home?"

 "Ah, just Bunnyburrow," Judy smiled. "How about you-"

 Before Judy could finish her inquiry, Sam had clicked her claws and pointed briefly at Judy. "Have that right up for you two!" 

 The bunny tilted her head as Sam made a quick escape, turning it slowly to Nick, who still seemed unbothered, as he often did.

 "Ok, what is going on here?" Judy's ears dropped. "Clearly you know her. However, why should that surprise me? You know everyone, after all."

 "Now you've gotten it," Nick said breezily, peering over the menu. "Ooh, 'Kronk's Spinach Puffs'? That sounds like a new groove. Maybe I'll try that."

 "Can you tell me why our server seems to be on edge?" Judy folded her arms and placed them on the table, shrugging her shoulders with a toss of her head. "Something I should know?"

 "I probably could tell you, but it's more fun if I don't," Nick widened his insufferable grin.

 Judy rolled her eyes over to the otter and shook her head. "Does it please you to know you can annoy people just by existing?"

 "Oh, it gives me immense pleasure," Nick droned.

 The otter came back with the water and placed it on the table. "Anything to start off with, friends?"

 "Oh, I um, I haven't had much of a chance to look at the menu," Judy winced. 

 "That's perfectly fine! Take your time!" Sam replied, and then was gone in quite a hurry.

 "Ok, out with it, Nick," Judy's eyelids dropped halfway. "What have you done to this otter to get her so skittish around us?"

 "Oh, she's not afraid of me," Nick replied, his eyes still on the menu. "She's afraid of you."

 "Me?" Judy blinked. "How could that be? I've never even seen her before."

 Nick didn't reply immediately. "By the way, I can't let you leave here without trying the Rainforest Mist. Their house bubbly. Really good. Though, you know, maybe just a sip for you, knowing you."

 "Nick, can you just talk to me?" Judy shook her head in wonderment.

 Nick folded his menu up and placed it down then looked seriously at Judy after interlacing his fingers. "Now, Carrots, we're trying to make detective. What kind of deduction skills of yours would I be robbing you of the opportunity to flaunt if I just told you?"

 "What's this, like a test?" Judy's head recoiled a bit as an eye narrowed. 

 "An impromptu one," Nick nodded. "I didn't think we'd be lucky enough to get Sam as our server. One of the best in all of the Rainforest District."

 "So what, was she your girlfriend, then?" Judy probed, leaning in.

 "Oh no, not at all," Nick shook his head. "She's a sweetheart and all, but I've never thought of her that way."

 "So, what then..." Judy rubbed her chin, tapping a finger on her cheek, suddenly submerging herself in the challenge. "She doesn't know me but you say she's scared of me, you say she's not your girlfriend but speak highly of her... she's got an... Outback Island accent? That's different for an otter. She must have some stories to tell."

 Nick just wore a placid smile.

 Judy snapped her fingers, brightening up from her brainstorming. "Ah, got it!"

 "Do you?" Nick challenged.

 "You've come here with at least one, probably more, girls you've been interested in," Judy accused. "And in one or all of those cases, the night has been a huge disaster, but not the fault of the server. So, she's afraid I'll be like that as well, cause a huge scene or something."

 Nick's eyes widened a bit.

 "Well?" Judy grinned.

 Nick cleared his throat. "Guess we might make detective after all."

 "Yes!" Judy pumped her fist, but then was overcome with a wave of empathy. "Oh, Nick, you should have told me! If we're gonna make her uncomfortable, we could just ask for another server."

 "Do you want to do that?" Nick shook his head. "Getting waited on by Sam is like a dream come true."

 "Well uh, we could just tell her this isn't a romantic date..." Judy shrugged.

 "Do you want to tell her that?" Nick raised an eyebrow.

 Judy bit her bottom lip. "I mean... I dunno. You know I'm pretty bad at lying..."

 "You sure are," Nick smirked.

 Sam approached the table again. "Made up your minds yet? Anything I can describe for you?"

 "Could we start with the Three-District Cheese platter?" Judy asked.

 "Oh, and a side of the spinach puffs, to share," Nick added.

 "To share? Wonderful, of course," Sam grinned as she wrote that down, her left hand scribbling with a touch of unease. "I'll get right on that."

 "Oh, Sam?" Judy piped up. "I uh, I just wanna say that I don't wanna make you uncomfortable. Like, I'll try not to cause a scene or anything."

 "Haha..." Sam smiled. "Whatever do you mean?"

 "She figured out my history with his place, Sam," Nick nodded. "She's got a sharp brain in that tiny head." Judy rolled her eyes.

 "Nick, when are you gonna learn?" Sam put a hand on her hip and her countenance completely morphed into one of reproving. "I'm just like... a bad luck charm for you. I don't wanna feel helpless while another lady tramples all over you."

 "Judy's not like those other girls," Nick shook his head. "For one, she's a bunny." That got a small laugh from Judy.

 "I can see that," Sam scoffed. "These glasses aren't just for show, y'know. But if I'm like, cosmically weighing you down, wouldn't you want another server?"

 "Sam, all that other stuff?" Nick shook his head. "Wasn't on you. Wasn't even on the vixens. It was on me. Okay? You just do your thing."

 "All right, Nick, er, Mr. Wilde," Sam sighed. She regained a smile, but it seemed more genuine than plastered on as she looked at Judy and pointed her pen at her. "Be right out with that food, okay?"

 "Seems like she's taken some psychic damage from whatever those 'vixens' have put you through, huh?" Judy asked.

 "Well, you know," Nick shrugged. "If you're in the service industry, you see a lot of weird stuff. ...Let's just say there's a reason the expression 'vixen's scream' exists."

 Sam got a hundred-yard stare, seasoned with a vacant chuckle. She shook out of it and pointed at Judy with her pen. "Don't you go anywhere, I'll be right back with those appetizers."

 Judy smiled as the otter went. "You know, she kind of reminds me of Mrs. Otterton."

 "Yeah?" Nick scoffed. "What, you're sayin' all Asian small-clawed otters look alike?"

 "No, I just mean that- y'know!" Judy gestured desperately in the direction their server went. "She's even got the same color eyes!"

 Nick shrugged and shook his head. "Don't see it. Her fur's much darker."

 "Come on, Nick, you're just being contrary to be contrary," Judy huffed. "Or what, do you think Claw Kent looks completely different from Supermammal just because of the glasses?"

 "Maybe I've just met more otters than you, my dear," Nick teased.

 "Now you listen here, wise guy," Judy pointed at Nick accusingly.

 Just then, Sam rushed back, deftly but swiftly placing plates on both of their tables. The spinach puffs smelled quite fresh and the cheese platter smelled even better.

 "What the-" Judy blinked. "That was so... fast!"

 "We pride ourselves on our reputation here," Sam beamed, giving a nervous chuckle. "Now, have you decided on your entree?"

 "I've... barely had enough time to- you barely had enough time to put that order in, didn't you!?" Judy marveled.

 "Just let me know if I can do anything to help," Sam grinned widely. "Any suggestions you'd like on the menu? Bubbly selections? I'm your otter."

 "Um, heh heh, could you give us a sec? I really should look more at the menu," Judy said, absently putting a slice of cheese into her mouth. "Mm, good!"

 "Anything at all...?" Sam squeaked. 

 Nick tilted his head in the otter's direction. "Sam, I know you're nervous, but relax. She's not gonna storm off or anything."

 Judy blinked. "Oh, no, not at all. Sorry, our uh, our flirting can sound a lot like bickering to an outside observer."

 "Right, splendid! I'll check right back...!" Sam gave a little wave.

 "Take your time, Sam," Nick smiled.

 Sam reluctantly turned and left again, leaving the two alone.

 Judy pushed out a breath after she sampled a spinach puff. "Mm, wow, this is pretty nice. So soft and yet the spinach doesn't seem slimy. I feel bad for our server though. I wish we could convince her to relax. She seems a bit high strung. I just dunno what to say."

 "Talk is cheap, you know," Nick said, popping in a few bits of cheese. "Ooh, extra sharp today. I don't think she'll deflate until she sees us walk out of that door together without being at each other's throats. The thing is, she can't really do anything to help either. It's like the moon looking down on the planet below."

 "Excuse me, what?" Judy scoffed, half-smiling.

 "You know, the moon," Nick pointed upward. "It can only look down upon what goes on on the planet, but it can't really interact directly, just subtly push things along with tidal forces. Servers are kinda like that. I can tell Sam's burning to talk to us as a friend, but she's too much of a professional for that. She only breaks when she's at her absolute limit. And uh, I've seen her there a couple times."

 Judy processed this. "You're saying she's a satellite of love from otter space?"

 Nick barked a loud laugh, then covered his eyes with his paw, controlling himself into a chuckle. "If that's what you took from that analogy, sure."

 "Well!" Judy folded her arms on the table, leaned in, and smirked. "I'll have you know that bunnies were the first mammals on the moon, so..."

 "Uh, meaning?" Nick peered through the fingers on his hand.

 "That we... bunnies are naturally curious and adventurous?" Judy shrugged. "I dunno, it made more sense in my head. Either way, I'd like for Sam to talk to us as a friend too."

 "Too bad," Nick grinned. "That's for Sam off the clock."

 After finally ordering, the two mammals had a pleasant meal, talking, laughing and scolding each other the whole time. As Sam saw their plates clear, she appeared at their table once more.

 "Saved any room for dessert?" She asked in a chirp.

 "Whew, I dunno about that," Judy shook her head. "That meal was plenty filling, my compliments to the chef!"

 "I'll be sure to let Gerald know," Sam smiled. "Anything we're thinking? I know you can't do too much chocolate, Mr. Wilde, but let me tell you, our hazelnut cake is glorious. Love it myself. Very popular, and not just among the sciuridae."

 "I dunno, Nick, what do you think? Could we share a small slice?" Judy tilted her head.

 "I'd like that, personally," Nick smiled. 

 "Ok, we'll do it," Judy nodded. "Just a small slice."

 "Roger," Sam jotted it down nearly skipping away, but before she was out of range, she turned back. "And the dessert will be on the house tonight, all right?" She retreated before they could respond.

 "Really? Wow, that's nice of her," Judy looked impressed.

 "She's pleased," Nick explained. "Those little gravitational pulses, right? You just know how to read 'em."

 Judy hummed pleasantly, chuckling to herself at her earlier joke. "Mmm, hehe. Otter space."

 The two enjoyed their dessert, passing a bite off to each other occasionally, before the check finally came.

 "Let's give her a big tip," Judy beamed.

 "Do I look like I'm made of money?" Nick scoffed. "Maybe when we make detective."

 "Niick, c'mon, she deserves it," Judy chuckled. "Maybe not enough to cover the free dessert, but y'know. A bit north of twenty percent, at least."

 "Fine... fine..."

 "Great to serve you again, Mr. Wilde, and you, Ms. Hopps," Sam said as she returned their credit card, placing it down with their receipt. "Hope to see you again soon then."

 "Thank you, Sam," Judy jumped off her chair. "I had a great time."

 Sam nodded pleasantly, clutching a tray to her chest. As the two mammals moved to go out the door, Judy looked up at Nick, holding out her hand.

 "Mm?" Nick looked down at it.

 "Let's give her another little sign we're okay," Judy grinned up at him. "Hold my hand?"

 Nick daintily placed his paw on his chest. "What, before marriage?"

 Judy chuckled and grabbed his free paw.

 "Scandalous," Nick said flatly as he walked out with her.

 "Not as much as if you wear a Pawaiian shirt to the wedding," Judy reminded him.

 "You're sorely tempting me," Nick retorted, giving the bunny's paw an affectionate squeeze.

 Sam collapsed against the wall near Gerald's kitchen, letting out a huge breath.

 "Whew... finally," Sam shook her head. "Gerald, you'll never believe this. Nick Wilde was in here, and his date didn't go nuclear."

 "What?" The pig cook Gerald glared down at her. "Why didn't you warn me he was here? I would have been on the defensive. Last time he brought someone here, I nearly got hit with a thrown plate!"

 "I know, I know, sorry..." Sam grinned. "But I think it might be different this time. He's got a bunny."

 "Bunnies can throw plates too, you know," Gerald said, not even looking at Sam as he continued preparing meals. "Not a skill exclusive to foxes."

 "I just think it's a good sign... things have changed, a new dawn has broken, or whatever," Sam smiled. "It just gives me a little glow inside, you know?"

 The pig walked over and slapped the bell.

 "Order up," he gestured at another table. "Your favorite, the Oryx-Antlersons."

 "Oh, not a worry at all," Sam scoffed, batting the air with her paws and taking in a deep breath. "Positive animations." She took the plates and scooted off to her next guests, while Gerald rolled his eyes and went back to his craft. 

Notes:

Don't expect too much Zootopia+ fanfic outta me. Unfortunately it was a bit of a dud in my opinion, at best treading water and at worst dragging its subjects down. To me, Sam was the sole exception, absolutely adored that otter. She seems like she's got a history, has a lovely personality, and another unfortunate weakness for Gazelle.

Chapter 213: Serendipity

 On a cool, crisp morning near the beginning of the year, Nick and Judy's police cruiser rolled to a stop at a traffic light. In the passenger's side, Nick was bobbing one of his feet at his ankle, a familiar, satisfied look on his muzzle.

 "New year, same beat," Nick's voice oozed out with a flair of adventure. "Criminals beware. Officers Hopps and Wilde are on the scene."

 Judy rolled her eyes. "Ugh. I hate this year."

 Nick blinked in surprise. "Fluff, we aren't a week into it. What do you mean?"

 "It's Serendipity Rising this year," Judy grunted. "I expect the utmost tediousness."

 "Eh?" Nick shuffled back up to sit like a normal mammal. "I thought Serendipiday was on July seventh?"

 "It is," Judy continued, jolting the cruiser a bit as her foot slammed into the pedal. "But you know how each of the Celestials have a 'year' named after them? It goes in a dozen year cycles?"

 "Oh, oh right," Nick huffed in amusement after his brain connected this, "it's the year of the rabbit already, huh?"

 "Mm," the rabbit nodded. "One of them, anyway. Fertility rising is not for awhile."

 "Suits me fine," Nick shrugged. "How did you rabbits get two Celestials, anyway?"

 "I don't know how bad it gets in Zootopia," Judy's paws tightened and released around the steering wheel. "But Bunnyburrow is pretty insufferable on Serendipity Rising. I was into it when I was a kit, because, you know, I was half my age, but I think the whole thing is childish, thinking we deserve a whole year because someone a few thousand years ago thought a constellation looked like a bunny."

 "Eh, you're worrying too much," Nick batted a paw. "Zootopia isn't super populated with bunnies. I can't even remember anything super disruptive that was bunny related a dozen years ago. Then again, I'll admit I wasn't looking at the time."

 Judy flinched as her cellphone rang. Nick picked it up from the vehicle's console and looked at it.

 "It's your parents," the fox reported. "They want a muzzle time."

 "Naturally," Judy huffed, her ears dropping, "just put 'em on speaker."

 "Hi hon!" Stu Hopps called out warmly over the phone.
 "Hi Judy!" Bonnie said simultaneously.

 "Hey guys!" Judy returned, but not with their enthusiasm. "I thought you knew by now not to call me around this time. I'm out on patrol."

 "Sorry, hon, I just couldn't help it," Stu responded, voice giddy. "I got such a good deal on fireworks for the after New Year clearance. The price on Serendipity Sparklers was through the floor! And it's Serendipity Rising, after all. I'm gonna put on such a show on the Celestial Turning!"

 "We were just wondering if you could make it down here by the 22nd," Bonnie continued. "You know your father puts on a great fireworks display for the family. Bring the fox too!"

 Nick silently snickered, and Judy caught a grumble in her throat.

 "'The fox' is sitting right next to me, guys, and you're on speaker."

 "Oh hi, Nick!" Bonnie called out sweetly.
 "Nick! How's it goin', champ?"

 "Doin' fine, Mr. and Mrs. Hopps," Nick called out breezily. "I'd love to come down and see the show you put on. And, of course, get drowned by all the little ones again."

 "Oh, Nick," Bonnie sounded halfway apologetic and halfway reproving. "You just have to put your foot down. Most of them are decently well behaved if you tell them who's boss. And if not, just ask Violet. She's good at bringing them into line as well."

 "Actually," Judy butted in, "I don't know if we'll be able to make it. Zootopia is pretty heavy on crime around the new year, and crime never sleeps. Y'know, because of all the nocturnal species?"

 "Aww..." Stu even sounded like he was pouting. "Well honeybun, we'd like you to try to make it if you can, but we understand if you can't."

 "Gotta go, I think I saw a speeder," Judy lied, and hung up halfway through them calling out 'goodbye'.

 "Surprised at you, Carrots," Nick side-eyed her. "Feel like you never pass up an excuse to drag me to your folks and see me attacked by your sibling mob."

 "They're just so... embarrassing," Judy huffed.

 "Did you really see a speeder?" Nick checked his view from his seat.

 "No," Judy grumbled, "but I wish I had. Could use a good chase to calm my nerves." The bunny shook her head. "Or maybe a coffee would do. Mind if we stop by the donut shop?"

 "Not at all," Nick nodded. "I could go for a bagel."

 Judy could only get a parking space a few blocks away from the nearest Snarlbucks and had to walk with her fox partner. Near the corner of the street was a tallish elderly yellowed rabbit with glasses, a black robe, and multicolored shawl he wore around his neck.

 "Ah, blessings of Serendipity be upon you!" The rabbit called out to the police bunny.

 "And you," Judy held up a paw halfway, smiling and nodding halfheartedly. "Thank you, Minister."

 "Are you this young bunny's partner?" The minister smiled up at Nick.

 "That's right," Nick nodded with a grin, "Officer Wilde, at your service. Well, I can't say I've been to one of your services, but you know what I mean."

 "Hahaha!" The minister laughed brightly. "Delightful young fox, aren't you? Well, may your fortunes be to the future, young kit! Serendipity Rising will soon be upon us, and being so closely yoked with a rabbit, you shall find her lucky stars will fall to you as well!"

 "What a nice sentiment," Nick grinned. "I'll be sure to keep track of every good thing that happens to me this year and blame it on my partner." Judy shot him a dirty look.

 The minister laughed again. "You jest, but I see a spark of faith in you, my vulpine. May Serendipity bless you this year!" The minister waved at the two as Judy grabbed Nick's paw and hurried him across the intersection.

 "Woof, you could be a little more friendly, Carrots," Nick had a guilty smile.

 "Orthodox followers of Serendipity always kind of rub me the wrong way," Judy complained as they headed to the coffee shop. "Plus, what sense does it make for a chaos goddess to have an organized religion?"

 "Oh, Serendipity is a chaos Celestial?" Nick huffed in amusement. "Well, that explains a lot."

 Nick was expecting the barb to get a rise out of his partner, but she surprised him by only giving a conciliatory shrug and nod.

 

---

 

A small sand cat made her way into Ozzie's Auto Repair near the heart of downtown. The titular owner of the shop, the monochrome rabbit Oswald Rodbit, was behind the counter, and looked up as the feline approached.

 "Ah, Ortensia!" Oswald smiled. "Good to see ya, darlin'. Gave any thought to our decorations for the Celestial Turning?"

 "Yep!" Ortensia said, sliding behind the counter to be next to him and nudged his face with hers and a brief purr. "I think I'm down to two options." She pulled up her cell phone and brought up her photos. "First, we have just some typical fairy lights. We could use the ones from Crittermas or I could have us buy some star-shaped ones to go with the theme of Serendipity. Or, I thought maybe lacing the place with some colorful construction paper rings. That might take me a little bit, but it'd be pretty easy."

 Oswald scratched his chin. "Well, if we use the fairy lights, mammals might just think we were lazy and left them up from last Crittermas. Plus, if we use the construction paper rings, I won't have to pay any extra on our electric bill."

 Ortensia laughed. "That sounds like you." She gave him a brief smooch on the nose and he retaliated in kind. "I'll go order some paper. Once it comes in I'll make the rings myself." The rabbit's ear twitched as he started to hear the back up alarm of a tow truck.

 "Then you can have Goofy and Hamm help with hanging 'em all up, if I don't need them for anything," Oswald nodded. 

 The cat headed back for Oswalds office, waving her phone. "I think I'll check our budget to see if we can afford such an extravagance as construction paper."

 "Ha ha," Oswald laughed sarcastically, smirking as his girlfriend ducked into his office.

 Judy and Nick, still dressed in their uniforms, walked into the store, and Oswald nodded their way.

 "Ah, officers Hopps and Wilde," Oswald nodded. "What's goin' on?"

 Judy planted her paws on her hips and grinned widely. "We had a terrible tire blowout! The front right tire is completely destroyed!"

 Oswalds brow went up. "...Uh, why do you look so happy about that?"

 Nick shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Never mind that. We wanted to know if you maybe had the tire in stock, maybe?"

 "But!" Judy lunged forward with an upraised finger. "I bet you don't! It's early in the year and the cruiser's tires are in pretty high demand for icy blowouts."

 "Just the one tire, right?" Oswald poked around on his computer, then grinned and snapped his fingers. "Well hot dog, you're in luck. We have one spare tire for your cruiser model."

 "What!?" Judy's eyes shot open, then she grit her teeth. "Rgggh..."

 "Uh, Wilde, Hopps is kinda weirding me out," Oswald narrowed an eye. "Anyway, looks like the year of the rabbit's startin' early. The gang n' me can get started on your beast and have 'er done in less than an hour."

 "Swell," Judy ejected flatly, her fists balled at her sides.

 Oswald gave a concerned look at the shrugging Nick, then headed out to his shop's garage.

 "I dunno if I can take a year of this, Hopps," Nick grumbled.

 "Oswald is such a traditionalist rabbit," Judy rolled her purple eyes. "It's like someone plucked him from last century and put him in this one. Of course he'd be into the Serendipity Rising stuff."

 "All he did was mention it," Nick thrust his hands out forward, paws up.

 "That's the thing about luck, Nick," Judy looked up at him. "You can find it wherever you're looking. It's like confirmation bias. One fortunate thing happens?" She slapped her knee and adopted a hick accent. "Well golly gee. Serendipity be praised!"

 "Although, I think it's just as tedious that you're kind of taking it the opposite direction," Nick folded his arms. "If you look for Serendipity worshipers everywhere this year, you're gonna find them."

 "Nick, we literally ran into a Serendipity devout this morning," Judy's brow fell.

 "Yeah, one, and he seemed like a nice guy," Nick shrugged. "I think you're letting it get to you too much."

 "Fine, fine," Judy waved a paw dismissively. "I'll try to chill. I just... y'know, I think we really don't need a whole year of this. A month, even a week might be too much. A day when you can go all out? That's fine, because then it's like an event. On such a slow burn, it's not going to be anything."

 "Unless you let it bother you like you're doing," Nick admonished.

 "Right, right," Judy ran a paw through her ears. "I'm fine, I'm cool."

 Nick folded his paws behind his back. "It's just lucky that no one was hurt during the tire blowout."

 Judy flinched with a squeak of annoyance and Nick quickly pointed at her accusingly, eyes wide and muzzle pursed.

 "...Okay, I guess I have a ways to go to detox over this," Judy gave a defeated chuckle.

 

---

 

 A few days later, Judy sat at her desk at the ZPD, typing away at a case file. Though it was quite dull and clerical, she had gotten used to the more subdued moments of police work so that the exciting moments felt all that much more impactful. Her concentration was broken by a paw on her shoulder. Judy blinked, surprised to see the form of Karen Skippel, the ZPD's arctic hare technical officer.

 "Blessings of Serendipity be upon you, Officer Hopps," said Karen in an even voice.

 Judy's mouth slowly dropped open just a crack, and her brow raised. "...What?"

 Karen kept a blank expression for a few moments before cracking a smile, then snickering into her other paw as she released Judy. "Wow, that was worth it just for the look on your face."

 "Officer Skippel, you..." Judy looked baffled, "you don't actually believe in Serendipity, do you?"

 "No, no thank you," Karen huffed. "Mystical space lapines? I think not." Chuckling a little more, she left Judy alone to slump in her chair. 

 Judy's mind raced for a few moments, then her brow furrowed and her mouth twisted into a tight frown. She launched from her chair and stormed over to Nick's desk. The fox didn't even have time to register her anger before she spun him to face her in his chair.

 "Nick, just what the HECK is wrong with you!?" Judy shouted. "REALLY!?"

 "Uh, what?" Nick blinked. "What is it this time?"

 "You got KAREN to prank me, really?" Judy threw her arms out wide. "She barely socializes at all!"

 "Karen pranked you?" Nick raised his brow. "Doesn't sound like her."

 "Yeah, because it was your idea!" Judy thrust a finger in his direction, the other paw balling into a fist. "You know this Serendipity stuff is something I'm trying to work on, and you thought it'd be so hilarious if Skippel picked at that scab."

 Nick's brow fell and he began to look annoyed. "Hopps, let me make something clear to you." He placed a paw on his chest. "I take teasing you very seriously. If I was going to do something like that, I'd admit it."

 "But...!" Judy protested

 "And, it's precisely because I know you're bothered by this that I wouldn't send someone else after you; I'd do it myself," Nick shook his head. "You really think that little of me?"

 Judy's paws dropped to her side and a look of disillusionment glazed her eyes. The towering form of a water buffalo appeared behind Judy.

 "Officer Hopps," came Chief Bogo's grave voice. "Is there a problem?"

 Judy turned to look up at him. "Uh, maybe, but I think it's my problem."

 "Then fix it," Bogo glared down at her, "preferably more quietly." He stormed off.

 Judy sighed heavily, closing her eyes and turning her head away from Nick. "Nick, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being so touchy and for thinking you'd torment me like that."

 Nick twisted his muzzle, then shook his head. "Look, don't worry about it. I know a place in the Meadowlands you could go. Always helps me clear my head. Want me to show you?"

 "Oh, sure," Judy nodded, smiling weakly. "Even if you're just taking me there to, y'know, get even with me or something, I deserve it." She weakly punched across the air. "I really deserve it."

 Nick shook his head. "No pranks, no teasing, promise."

 

---

 

The sunset was calm, full of peaches and dim blues. There was rustling through the trees of one of the Meadowland's forests, and out came Nick and Judy, dressed casually and warmly.

 "Here we are," Nick swept his mittened paw to the clearing they'd just stepped into.

 "Pretty," Judy looked around, "but this is just like... an empty field?"

 "It's nice, right?" Nick poked his nose up at the sky. "Used to come here all the time as a kit, just to think, clear my head."

 "Heaven knows I need that," Judy sighed. 

 "Right here, in this spot, it's almost like you're not in Zootopia anymore," Nick pointed up at the sky. "Once the sun goes down, you can actually see the stars. The light pollution isn't so bad near the suburbs here. You can just make out some of the more prominent constellations."

 "Like the Celestials?" Judy quipped wryly.

 "Can I ask why you hate Serendipity so much?" Nick replied. "Like, as a deity, or an idea, or what?"

 Judy gave a chilly breath out, placing her paws into the groove pockets at the front of her coat. "It's something deep-seated. I... I just hate the idea of being given something, not earning it, you know?"

 "In what way?"  Nick pressed, mirroring Judy's pose with his own jacket.

 "I tried to earn my posting here at the ZPD, I really did," Judy began. "I worked hard, and when I couldn't overcome my training with strength of body, I improvised. The instructor was really pleased with me and gave me a glowing recommendation. When I heard I was going to be posted in the city center, I was overjoyed. I thought, yes, my hard work had paid off. I almost didn't hear, or didn't want to hear, what Lionheart said, or what Bellwether implied."

 "What was that?" Nick asked, a breeze rustling the trees and pushing his tail a little.

 "That I got my job because of the stupid Mammal Inclusion Initiative," Judy felt her fists ball in her coat and her shoulders bunch. "Because I was given a charity. Because, had it not been for Lionheart and Bellwether trying to push their political agendas or their criminal schemes, I'd probably still be in Bunnyburrow right about now. Hard work or not."

 "So, in other words, it was 'fortunate' you got your position," Nick nodded.

 "Yeah, and I resent that," Judy sneered. "Wouldn't you? If you're just going to be given something anyway, who cares that you've worked hard for it?"

 "Listen, Judy, I hate to be 'that guy'," Nick gestured with his hand, bringing it out from his jacket. "But that whole incident in Zootopia, you meeting me, us cracking the case with Bellwether... it was kind of fraught with a bunch of fortunate things. If things didn't work out just so, Bellwether would still be in charge, or we'd be dead, or both."

 "I know, I know..." Judy squeezed her eyes shut, "and that just makes me even more mad. It's like... bunnies aren't inherently lucky, no mammal is. It's just, since there are so many of them, some are in the right place at the right time just out of probability alone. So statistically, you get anomalies."

 "Like bunny police officers," Nick smirked.

 "Or fox ones," Judy shot back.

 "Carrots, we were lucky over and over again," Nick shook his head. "No matter how you look at it. I just don't see why you should resent that."

 "Maybe because there's a whole culture developed around bunnies that we just... get things specially and divinely gifted to us just because we're bunnies?" Judy shrugged. "And especially when it kinda... feels like maybe that happened to me, it means I've done nothing to challenge that myth?"

 "Hm," Nick nodded. "I can see why that would upset you. But let's look at it another way. Justice isn't perfect. No matter how hard any of us try, no one's gonna get what they truly deserve. For good or ill. It's what we do during our lucky breaks or our streaks of bad luck that are important. I turned my unlucky incident into a long time of moping and being down myself. You turned a lucky streak into saving the city."

 "Nick that... that wasn't just me," Judy patted her chest. "It was you too, if we hadn't met that day, I wouldn't have- you-"

 "Lucky we did, then?" Nick tilted his head, his expression hard to read.

 Judy sighed, shaking her head, feeling rattled. "Wow. Say, were you a therapist in any of your hustles?"

 "Close enough," Nick smirked. "I tried bar tending out a few times."

 After a little while longer, the stars came out, and the two were mostly quiet until then. Judy gazed up at them as they twinkled.

 "This kind of reminds me of back home," Judy said in a quiet voice, hugging her coat closer to herself as she felt the temperature slowly lower. "I had a place in the woods I'd run out to too if I felt like things were being too much. It's nice to be alone once in awhile, even for me."

 "Want me to go, then?" Nick chuckled.

 "No, please," Judy shook her head. "Just don't... don't record this, okay?"

 Nick tilted his head quizzically at the statement, then Judy stepped forward and brought her paws out. She placed the back of one paw in her other palm and looked up to the stars.

 "I know I haven't done this in a long time, since I was a kit," Judy said quietly, "but thank you. Thank you, lucky stars, for all you've done for me."

 Nick put his own paws behind his back, observing the bunny's appeal.

 "F-for..." Judy stumbled a bit on her words. "For Serendipity gives to us, and asks nothing other than we enjoy her antics."

 Judy was quiet after this, then brought her paws down.

 "Pretty nice," Nick shrugged. "Wonder if the lucky bunny herself heard you." He looked into the sky, as if searching for such a sign. When Judy followed his gaze, they saw a small streak of a shooting star near Serendipity's constellation.

 Judy gasped a bit.

 "Huh, no way," Nick laughed. "Now if that wasn't just dumb luck..."

 "Nick!" Judy turned to him with her eyes wide, her paws on his wrists. "They say that if you see a shooting star after you thank your lucky stars, that's Serendipity winking at you!"

 "Oh really? Huh" Nick grinned wide. "One would think hurling a flaming rock into the atmosphere would be more like heckling."

 Judy coughed out a laugh. "Gah, you're right, what am I saying?"

 The fox smiled at the bunny's mirth. Judy pulled her ears down over her eyes in embarrassment.

 "I'm gonna do it," Nick said, amused. "I'm gonna say the 'c word'."

 "Go ahead," Judy wagged her head, shaking her ears lose. "I probably deserve it."

 "The word was 'cute', just in case there's some miscommunication here," Nick chuckled.

 "Oh, okay," Judy laughed into a paw. "At this point, I guess I'll take it. Just let me know if I go too crazy."

 "I dunno, you might look good in one of those Serendipity robes that preacher had on," Nick shrugged.

 "Heaven forbid," Judy shook her head. "I don't know if I actually believe in the Celestials, you know?" 

 "Mm," Nick nodded.

 Judy paused, leaning her head forward to look up at Nick. "...Do you?"

 "I wouldn't go that far," Nick shook his head. "But... y'know, here's the thing. Truth is true whether we believe it or not. Are there a pair of space bunnies out there with ten more wild Gods and Goddesses that embody society? Gotta say, feels pretty doubtful. But in the case they did exist, I dunno, I don't think it's too bad if some mammals want to get some joy or purpose from believing in them."

 "Very magnanimous of you," Judy smiled.

 "I'm a magnanam- mammaln- magmammal... MAGNANIMOUS mammal," Nick flapped his lips. "Jeez. I think we should start moving to get out of the cold."

 "C'mon, let's get to the nearest coffee shop," Judy smiled, putting a paw around his back. "I want hot chocolate."

 "Sounds good about now, yeah," Nick nodded, throwing a paw behind her as well. 

 "Say, uh, Nick?" Judy turned her head to him as they walked. "What do you think about going to Bunnyburrow for Serendipity Rising anyway? Y'know, assuming we could get the time off."

 Nick chuckled. "I think you could twist my arm."

 So Judy did, with both paws. He felt it even through his jacket and her covered paws.

 "Ow."

Chapter 214: Rising

Notes:

Follows on from "Serendipity". I had planned to wait until the 22nd (the Lunar New Year) to post this, but both family and computer uncertainty have me wanting to get it out earlier, just in case I'm unable to do so on time. Hope you all have a good year.

 An old topless jalopy chugged through the rolling hills leading to Bunnyburrow; its four inhabitants bundled for the cold wind that sliced at them. The meager speed of the classic vehicle mitigated the chill of the wind somewhat, but Judy found her teeth occasionally chattering. The front two inhabitants, the monochrome rabbit Oswald and his sand cat girlfriend Ortensia, didn't seem to mind.

 "I just want to thank you again for driving us out to Bunnyburrow!" Judy had to yell to get over the sound of the old car's engine and the wind. 

 "It's no trouble at all!" Oswald called out in a clear, loud voice.

 "Heya, Oswald!" Nick shouted. "Ah, so this car is quite a piece of work, huh? Is she uh... giving you any trouble!?"

 "Nah!" Oswald replied. "You should have heard her before! The gang and I have her purring like a kitten now!"

 "Yup!" Ortensia added cheerfully. "She was so noisy a few months ago!"

 Eventually, the car pulled up to the Hopps' burrow's parking lot. Judy felt like her head was pounding; the trip to Bunnyburrow had seemed to take an eternity, even compared to her speeding off to Zootopia in one of her father's old trucks.

 "Thanks again!" Judy put her paw into her pocket and produced a wallet. She took out a few bills and held them up to the front seat. "Here, for gas money!"

 "Nah, that's fine," Oswald replied, holding up a paw to brush her off. "Like I said, Ortie and I were comin' down to Bunnyburrow anyway for Serendipity Rising to visit with some of our family. Your burrow's literally on the way."

 "You know you're in a large burrow when the parking lot looks like a department store's," Ortensia giggled.

 "That's the truth," Oswald grinned.

 "C'mon, please?" Judy shook the money-laden paw.

 "Uh uh," Oswald shook his head. "Just remember to come by Ozzie's Auto Repair next time you're in a bind."

 "Always," Nick grinned. "Thanks again."

 Nick and Judy disembarked from the old vehicle and waved to Oswald and Ortensia as they drove off, their car roaring into the distance. As soon as they were out of sight, Nick winced and rubbed his ears.

 "I feel like they're gonna have early onset tinnitus if they don't already!" Nick complained.

 "Nick, you're still shouting!" Judy called out.

 "So're you," Nick laughed. "Anyway, shall we go?"

 The two walked toward the system of buildings that made up the Hopps burrow, which looked somewhat modest on the outside, but the underground floors were much bigger than they led on.

 "Say, your family knows we're coming, right...?" Nick remarked at the relative quiet, wondering if he was still partially deaf from the car ride. He could hear the far-off shouting of some children, but nothing more.

 "Yeah, they should," Judy nodded. "Told my parents, told Violet. Why?"

 "I dunno, I guess I just expected the little ones to be jumping me already," Nick shrugged his shoulders as his paws dove into his pockets for some more warmth.

 "A lot of them will be doing something a little more rare than a fox visiting the burrow, Nick," Judy explained. "It is the 22nd after all."

 "Rarer, but more important?" Nick pouted. Judy rolled her eyes, but her ears perked as she noticed a young grayish yellow bunny rushing toward her.

 "Judy! Judy!" Called the bunny kit. It was one of Judy's younger sisters, and she gasped as the bunny leaped into her arms.

 "Cotton!" Judy cooed with warmth, hugging her sister close. "Aw, how's my li'l sis?"

 "Guess what," a look of mischievousness crossed her face as she dug into her overall's pocket and produced three shiny plastic silver coins. "I got all three Serendipity coins already."

 "Oh, no way," Judy grinned. "It's not even noon yet, is it?"

 "Yeah! AND...!" Cotton began to look even more pleased with herself. "Vi'let said I was the seventh bun to get 'em. So you know what that means, right?"

 Judy lolled her head back and forth, eyes rolled up. "Yeah yeah, you'll be the luckiest bunny in the whooole family this year."

 "Uh huh," Cotton nodded rapidly. "And it's already working, cuz you'n Nick are here!"

 "Aw, hey Cotton," Nick fuzzled with the top of the younger bunny's head, to her giggle. "Good to see you too."

 "Hey NICK!" Cotton beamed. "You should find your own set of coins too! It's a lotta fun!"

 "What's this, now?" Nick asked his bunny expert partner.

 "Just kind of a Serendipity activity," Judy explained, causing Cotton to giggle at how those words sounded together. "Some of the older siblings have hidden a bunch of these little coins for the kits." Cotton proudly fanned out her three. They had the winking likeness of the Celestial Serendipity on the front, but otherwise looked fairly cheap.

 "Well, I don't know about that, Honey," Nick looked gravely at Cotton. "I think I'd feel funny with bunny money."

 Cotton giggled again, putting her coins back in her pocket. "C'moonn Nick, it's fun!"

 "Aw, twist my arm," Nick said, and flinched a bit as Cotton flailed her paws at Nick to do just that. Judy laughed and moved her arms away to lessen the opportunity for her sister to do so. "Sheesh, you Hopps does are wild."

 "Nick, I've got a headache from that car trip," Judy started, "so if you want to look for some coins, Cotton'll tell you the rules, okay? I gotta get to the med room." Judy set her sister down.

 "Alright, Cotton, what do you say?" Nick offered a paw, to which Cotton slapped vigorously. "Lemme show you how a fox does things. Let me borrow one of those coins and I'll sniff out three of them in no time."

 "Uh uh, you can't do that," Cotton shook her head. "It's cheating."

 Nick blinked. "Well, that's a bit arbitrary."

 "I don't know what that means," Cotton replied, "but you can't sniff my coins."

 Judy huffed in amusement from her nose and headed off to the burrow's buildings.

 "Okay, we'll do it your way," Nick shrugged. "Where do you like to look?"

 "C'mon!" Cotton called, rushing around the side of the compound, leaving Nick to follow.

 

---

 

"Hi, Nick!"
 "Hiya, Nick!"

 Nick got polite and even cheerful waves from some of Judy's older siblings in the hall, to which he responded in kind. The children, however, were mostly screeching and laughing amongst themselves, rushing past Nick while brandishing their coins. 

 It was odd to Nick that it felt so normal.

 He'd only visited the Hopps compound a few times, and yet he already felt like he belonged. Which, for some reason, made him feel more anxious than soothed, though he couldn't put a pin on why that was.

 He decided to follow a few of the rushing bunny children and eventually came upon a larger meeting room with Violet Hopps in the center. Though not as tall as Nick, she was still half a head taller than Judy, had softer purple eyes that leaned toward blue, a black sweater, teal skirt, and bright red-rimmed glasses.

 "Morton, I saw you stealing those coins from Lemmy, give them back," Violet chastised as Nick slowly approached her, being careful not to run into any of the rambunctious fluffballs. "Wendy, you have five coins. You're only supposed to collect three. If you don't go put two back outside, I can't rank you on the list of collectors."

 Nick got closer to the point where Violet's peripheral vision caught sight of the blazing orange fur of the fox, and she turned her head up to acknowledge him.

 "Okay everyone, give me a minute," Violet said.

 "Aww!" Rang a chorus of voices.

 "If you're turning your coins in, form a line, no pushing," Violet scolded, "I have to greet our guest. Hello, Nick."

 "Hey, Violet," Nick casually waved a hand. "Must be a busy day for you, huh? This, the fireworks..."

 "Well, my father and some of my other older siblings are working on the logistics for the fireworks," Violet explained, rifling through the iPawpad she was holding. "I'm strictly in charge of the kit's games today, and it's going rather well."

 "Good to hear, and ah, speaking of that," Nick began, rattling around in his pocket and retrieving three Serendipity coins, "I found three of my own. Do you need me to give them to you... or just go hide them again?"

 Violet blinked, looking down at the coins, then back up to Nick, adjusting her glasses. "I'll admit to being a little surprised. I will remind you this is a kit's game, however...?"

 Some of the kits giggled, but Nick shrugged with an easy grin.

 "I didn't partake in many fun games like this growing up," Nick explained. "I was a bit of a grump past a certain point of my childhood. So I figured what the heck. Also, Cotton dared me to."

 "Ah, she'll do that," Violet popped open a list on her pad. "Well, do you want me to rank you, then?"

 "Uh, why not?" Nick laughed.

 "Forty-second," Violet reported. 

 "Is that good...?" Nick winced.

 "Not bad for not knowing you were going to play earlier today," Violet shrugged. "By the way, you can keep the coins, as a souvenir or whatever. I and my other siblings hid far more than was necessary, prepared for contingencies like them not being able to find the harder hidden ones, or some kits gathering too much." Violet glared at Wendy.

 "I'm going..." Wendy sucked at her teeth and left the room, shooting a look of despair at the growing line.

 "Huh, that's pretty impressive," Nick's eyebrows raised briefly.

 "It's really not, when you've been doing this organizing thing for as long as I have," Violet flicked a paw in dismissal. "Say Nick, would you be so kind as to help keep this line 'in line' for me until I can rank everyone else that's finished?"

 "Uh, sure," Nick took a step back. He helped order the line, expecting trouble because it was him, but the kits mostly behaved, some waving at Nick or giving him high-fives as Violet ranked their performance. Eventually, the line died down and was reduced to just a few kits bounding in for their ranking.

 "So are there prizes and candy at the end?" Nick wondered.

 "Of course, it's a kit's game," Violet said. "You'll get yours if you want."

 "Heck yeah, I love candy," Nick smirked. Violet chuckled and shook her head. "Uh, say Violet... I was wondering. Do you think the kits... ah, have they kinda gotten bored with me? Was I just a curiosity to them and now they're mostly used to me? Were they only interested in me because of being Judy's partner?"

 "I think you've got that right," Violet nodded. "On all counts."

 "Ouch," Nick sucked his teeth. "Guess I should have counted on you to be brutally honest."

 "Do you want me to lie to spare your feelings?" Violet looked confused. "They're kits. They're fickle and easily distracted by novel things. If anything, I thought you would be happy they're no longer tackling you every time they see you. Judy told me you even had some bruising from your last visit."

 "Yeah, I know," Nick wiggled his foot a bit. "I just... I dunno, the swing to almost indifference is kind of a sting. It's nice to feel wanted, you know?"

 "I like you, Nick!" Came a small protesting grayish kit, who hugged Nick's legs.

 "Oh thanks, ah..." Nick looked to Violet desperately, only for her to exaggeratedly mouth the answer to him. "Roy?"

 The kit nodded and smiled, rushing away as quickly as he came.

 "Don't worry," Violet had a small grin, "I can appreciate how hard it is to remember all the names. That's where being the queen of lists comes in handy."

 "I heard a lot of you bunnies are good at this kind of managerial stuff," Nick nodded.

 "Probably an extrapolation from an evolutionary necessity," Violet nodded. "Why you get a lot of rapidly breeding species in IT and such things."

 "Still, it seems like it's kind of a thankless job," Nick scratched at his chin. "So it's pretty cool that you can control all of this."

 Violet shook her head. "No, 'control' is the wrong word. While I may be a force of 'order' for the burrow, any sizable group of children is a force of pure chaos. There is no 'controlling' chaos. There is only mitigating the chaos, and pleading with it. If I appear to be in full control, that is merely an impressive illusion; a stack of cards that could come down at any time."

 "Well, regardless, I think you're doing a good job," Nick shrugged.

 "Thank you," Violet's smile was seasoned with a small bit of sweetness.

 "Anyway," Nick jingled the plastic coins in his pocket as he jerked backward with a thumb. "I'll leave you to this. I just... dunno, though I'd say hi."

 "I appreciate it," Violet nodded. "And I wouldn't worry. I'd think you should be able to tell that you're 'wanted' here, even if it's not with as much painful exuberance as you're used to."

 Nick chuckled. "Yeah, fair enough. See you later, Violet."

 The fox headed off further into the burrows, almost immediately hearing Violet start to scold the kits again.

 

---

 
 Nick was having a tough time finding Judy. Though he'd been there a few times before, he still wasn't familiar enough with the layout of the burrow to find his way around unaided. He considered trying to sniff her out, though he figured the random Hopps he saw in passing might find it odd if he was walking around, nose in the air, flagrantly trying to sense Judy's fragrance.

 Plus, according to Cotton, it would be "cheating", Nick chuckled to himself.

 Eventually, Nick ended up in what he'd call one of their dining areas, and was surprised to see none other than the Hopps patriarch, Stu Hopps. The brown bunny was as warm-looking as he was rotund, and acknowledged Nick with a wave when he saw him.

 "Nick! You made it!" Stu came over to him and threw his arms around him, giving him a tight squeeze of a hug.

 "Gh, sure did," Nick's arms were pinned to his side by the hug before he was released. "You sure you're a bunny? That was more like a bear hug."

 "Ah Nick, ever witty," Stu grinned at him.

 "You know where Judy is?" Nick wondered. "I lost sight of her when she said she had to go get some headache medicine."

 "Ah, haven't seen her quite yet," Stu gave an apologetic frown, "the burrow is quite big after all."

 "Yeah, I got that," Nick nodded, rotating his arms at the shoulder to make sure they still functioned. "Speaking of, I'd have thought you would still be setting up things for the show tonight."

 "Oh, that?" Stu brightened up and waved his hand. "No no, we were done hours ago. Whole team of my progeny and I got up and got to work. Some on the physical side, some on the tech side. A team of Hopps workin' on one goal is a thing of beauty."

 "Huh," Nick shook his head, "bunny wonders never cease."

 "Hey, can I get you a beer, Nick?" Stu smiled. 

 "Uh, sure, I could have one," Nick nodded.

 "You know that with a name like Hopps, my family must know a little something about beer," Stu grinned, ribbing Nick with an elbow. "We have our own brews!"

 "You got anything like a pilsner?" Nick put up a finger. "No offense, but I don't like my beer too 'hoppy'."

 "No trouble at all! Got just the thing," Stu headed over to a fridge and retrieved a small long-necked bottle, handing it over to the fox, then went to get him a bottle opener.

 Nick rolled the bottle over in his palm. There was a nice little label on it describing the beer along with labeling showing it came from the Hopps farm.

 "You run a tight ship here, huh?" Nick marveled as he opened the beer with the offered tool. "Parties, activities, food and drink..."

 "I like to think we do," Stu beamed. "But it's gratifying of you to say so."

 Nick took a swig of the beer and smacked his jowls, finding the taste to his liking. "Mm, that's pretty good." He took another long swig of the brew.

 "So, you gonna pop the big question tonight?" Stu queried brightly.

 A pinch of the beer went down the wrong one of the fox's pipes and he started gagging and coughing.

 "Oh good grief, are you okay!?" Stu came over and started patting him on the back.

 "Big- huuhkk... big question!?" Nick gasped. He took a shuddering breath then coughed out the offending liquid. "To Judy!?"

 Stu made a big wince. "Oops, I guess I misread the situation huh... sorry, didn't mean to assume. Just... y'know, that's where the ol' noggin went."

 "Mr. Hopps..." Nick took in another uneasy breath, his paws on his knees, "your daughter and I aren't even dating..."

 "Oh, oh shoot, I'm sorry," Stu put a paw to his forehead, "how embarrassing for me."

 Nick cleared his throat long and hard. "Shew, that stuff is much better going down the other tube..."

 "You'll have to forgive me, sport," Stu patted the fox's back once more. "Around a place so big, a lot of gossip just gets tossed around so often that you kind of take it for granted that it's true just because it seems to make so much sense."

 "Sense?" Nick blinked. "Like how?"

 "Oh, y'know... just stuff," Stu shrugged. "It seems like every time we hear something about you, it's glazed with something or other about how fond you two are of each other. It... I didn't think it was too big a leap to take to think you were involved."

 "Yikes, is that how it reads?" Nick rubbed behind his head, cautiously taking another sip from the drink. "Well... even if I'd want to do something, I don't think tonight's a good night."

 "...What?" Stu blinked. "It'd be the perfect night! If you think you've seen fireworks before, just you wait until tonight. It's going to be a doozy!"

 "I didn't mean that," Nick shook his head. "Judy... has a weird thing about this year in general, the 'Year of the Rabbit'. She feels a bit embarrassed about the whole thing, like her species shouldn't get such special treatment."

 "Oh, well she can be kind of... 'particular' about some things, that's just Judy," Stu shook his head, his arms out wide. "But, do you mean to say you would be with her if you thought the time was right?"

 Nick looked off to the side into the middle distance. "...I mean, I had tossed the idea around in my mind once or twice."

 "But if you think this whole year would be the wrong time to tell her..." Stu placed a paw on Nick's upper arm. "Son, I don't think it would be that healthy to keep that to yourself for so long."

 "I'm..." Nick sighed. "I'm used to keeping my feelings close to the chest. It's been my whole modus operandi for most of my life."

 "Listen, son," Stu smiled. "I'm not the brightest of the buns, and I clearly misread the situation somewhat, but I did get the gist of it, didn't I? There are far more intelligent bunnies in this burrow than I, and they can all see that something's there. Don't you think Judy could see that too?"

 "I dunno, probably," Nick shrugged his shoulders, feeling for the coins in his pocket. He took another long glug of his beer, finishing it. "Listen, Mr. Hopps. Thanks for the beer, it was great. As far as... other things... I'll have to think about it, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to move things forward for me."

 "Oh no, of course not," Stu held up his paws. "Take your time. And you can call me Stu if you like, or... y'know, 'Dad', if you want."

 Nick pointed at him. "That's moving things."

 "Haha!" Stu beamed sheepishly. "Of course. Here, let me get that bottle for you."
 
 "Thanks, Stu," Nick replied, giving it up. "That one, I can do."

 

---

 

 Even the alleviation of a mild headache was a blissful euphoria for Judy. Especially in the burrow, where noise and light was everywhere, it became easy to think that one would never be free of the pounding pain pulsing through one's head. But thankfully, the medicine worked for her. She'd been hiding out in a guest room that was earmarked for Nick, sitting on the bed, lights off. The chatter of her family was far off, like a dim memory, but now she felt like she could seek it out. Rising from the bed, she moved to the door and opened it, only to be surprised by her mother passing in the hallway.

 "Oh, Judy!" Bonnie squeaked in surprise. "There you are!"

 "Hey mom," Judy greeted, shutting the door behind her. 

 "Now Judy, what's going on with you?" Bonnie's expression turned to one that looked like reproving concern. "First you said you might not be able to make it to Serendipity's Celestial Turning, and now you've been hiding most of the day in a guest room?"

 "Mom, I had a headache," Judy shook her head, "and I really don't want it to come back just yet, so please...". The smaller bunny held up a paw to her mother, as if that would stop her inquisitive advance.

 Bonnie frowned, her mouth tight. "I feel like you're trying to avoid me for some reason. Is that it?"

 "No, no mom," Judy put a paw to her forehead, trying not to get worked up. "Let me just tell you the truth straight out so we don't have to have an extended argument about this. I... don't really like the idea of Serendipity Rising."

 "Oh no?" Bonnie blinked. "Why's that?"

 "It just feels... kind of patronizing, you know?" Judy rubbed her upper arm with her other paw. "A whole big to-do about bunnies being lucky... I don't like that very much. It's like, we don't all fit in that mold."

 "But... sweetie," Bonnie smiled. "You haven't felt like you've been lucky?"

 "I have, but that almost makes it worse," Judy frowned. "I feel like I've just been handed something I wanted to earn."

 "I totally understand, honeybun," Bonnie smiled, nodding. "I'll leave it alone."

 "No, I... mom," Judy winced. "Sorry, I didn't mean to try to denigrate Serendipity Rising or whatever. I just..." The bunny took a big sigh, her ears drooping. "I don't know if I even believe in her, you know? I don't wanna feel like some star bunny is responsible for all the good things in my life."

 Bonnie waved a paw as if to brush off her distress. "And I get that, one hundred percent. You're fine."

 "Mom...!" Judy went forward, grabbing one of her wrists. "You don't have to say that just because I said I didn't want a fight about this. You can tell me where you think I'm wrong or whatever. I don't want to shut out your thoughts."

 Bonnie hugged Judy gently, then kissed her forehead. Judy sighed, a morose look on her face.

 "You're a strange bunny, looking for conflict where there isn't any," Bonnie smirked. "Though I guess I sometimes did that too when I was your age. I know that for a long time you've wanted to escape from what you thought was the 'bunny mold', but let me give you a little secret shortcut to finding some peace about this. All of our bunny celebrations, they're less about orthodox worship and praising higher dimensional beings that might not even be paying attention to us. They're more for us. They're a reason for us to come together, to celebrate, to make memories and have good times."

 "I... I guess," Judy nodded slowly.

 "And isn't that why you're here, anyway?" Bonnie beamed. "Even though you don't like Serendipity celebrations much, you love us and getting to be with us."

 "Yeah, that's definitely true," Judy grinned, nuzzling her mother a little.

 "Now you remember to take it easy at dinner tonight," Bonnie wagged a finger. "Eating too much will provoke that headache. As well as eating too little, so don't skimp out. I remember your headaches respond well to caffeine too, so have some tea or a little soda. You hear me?"

 "Yes mom, sheesh, okay!" Judy rolled her eyes, sighing. 

 She was, indeed, glad to be home.

 

---

 

The sun was setting, and the fireworks had been scheduled for the moment the night showed it's first signs of the inky blackness of space. Nick and Judy climbed a gently sloping hill, to a prominent tree on top.

 "So, you think your dad or one of your brothers can give us a lift to the train station on Sunday?" Nick asked.

 "I'm not even worried about that," Judy shook her head and waved a paw. "One of them will, for sure. They know we can't stay." They made it to the top of the hill, and Judy looked proudly at the tree upon it. "Ah, just like I remember it."

 Nick gazed at the tree, which was unremarkable to his green eyes. "Something special happen here?"

 The bunny's shoulders jumped up once in a shrug. "No, not really. It's just nostalgic for me. I've been up this hill so many times as a kit, and this tree was always right there. Climbed it once or twice, ate under it. It's just... always been there. Whenever I see it, some part of my brain goes 'oh, it's that tree', y'know?"

 "Nostalgia does do that to a mammal," Nick nodded.

 "Anyway, you should feel lucky," Judy tossed a glance his way. "This is a premium place to watch fireworks, and Violet said we could have it to ourselves tonight."

 "Seems a bit selfish for only two mammals on an event that only happens every dozen years," Nick looked around.

 "Well, it's not the only good place, it's a good place," Judy explained. "Plus, dad puts on a firework show every year at least once. We'll be fine."

 "Okay then," Nick relented, dropping to the base of the tree and sitting down. "Where should I look? Over the burrow, there?"

 "Yeah," Judy sat by him, pointing in that direction. "There. See those little rigs there? That's where they're shot from."

 "Got it," Nick nodded. Then, he blinked, as he thought he saw a pair of ears poking up from the curve of the hill. "Hey, who's that?"

 He saw another pair of ears and the form of Cotton rising up into the air, Violet having grabbed her by the back of her overalls and holding her up.

 "Cotton..." Judy giggled.

 "No fair!" Cotton wriggled in her older sister's grasp. "I'm Judy's favorite sister! I should get to watch the fireworks with her an' Nick!"

 "I mean, it's just one more bunny, right?" Nick shrugged. "There's plenty of room up here."

 "I would agree, but we had made an arrangement," Violet shook her head. "One that was agreed to by all parties, Cotton included. If I let her up here, that contract is broken and void, and before long you'd be swarmed by other bunnies as well." 

 "Cotton, I'll come visit with you as soon as the fireworks are over, okay?" Judy smiled. "Nick and I have had some stressful times at the ZPD this last year, so we're gonna relax together and watch the fireworks together, okay?"

 "Aw, fine," Cotton's brow fell. "But you better come have dessert with me. We got dirt pudding!"

 Nick chuckled as Violet carried off the small Hopps. Judy sighed affectionately.

 After awhile, the sun began to sink low. Nick and Judy made some small talk about a case they were working on, but eventually the first twinklings of stars came out.

 "Ooh, won't be long now," Judy noted.

 As she said, the fireworks soon began. Despite their position further away from the burrow, the sky seemed to fill up with the vibrant explosions. Artful cascades of color danced across the sky, the booming detonation waves shooting through the observing mammals, providing an extra physicality to the artful display. 

 "Wow," Nick marveled flatly. "He's good at this."

 "Mhm," Judy leaned up against Nick. Swirling comets of white spiraled around in the air, screaming out their presence. "Oh, the spinning sparklers! Haha, dad's so predictable. Those mark the halfway point, usually. Unless he's got something up his sleeve."

 The finale of the fireworks display was bright and impactful, shooting up a lot of cascading fireworks that increased in tempo and grandeur as they went on, showering the sky in a variety of colors, while not being too overwhelming that one couldn't process it all. A small bright coda of white crackling fireworks followed the grand finale, like an after-dinner mint to a sumptuous feast.

 "Good grief, that was great," Nick stretched and smiled. "Shame that only happens once every twelve years, huh?"

 "Oh, just wait for Serendipiday, he'll do almost the same show," Judy rolled her eyes.

 Nick felt the peace of the evening sink in to him after the distant cheers from the Hopps family died down. He felt a paw go into his pocket and touch the coins he'd picked up with his fingers. He took one out, considering it and staring at its face side. Judy blinked, watching him do this. Eventually, he rested the coin on top of his fist and flicked it with his thumb, sending it spinning up into the evening air.

 The fox flinched. A gray paw darted out and snatched the coin from midair, before it could land back in Nick's own paws.

 "No, Nick, no," Judy shook her head, holding up the coin and shaking it in her paw. "Don't leave it up to her. You do what you want."

 Nick frowned, looking away. His voice was quiet. "Figured I might as well ask for her blessing on this."

 Judy tried to stare at him long enough to meet his eyes for clarification, but he avoided the gaze.

 "And I wish you could understand that," Nick finally said, still not looking at her. "I've lived more of my life in the dumps than out of them. Much more of my adult life. It literally took something like an act of Serendipity to eject me into somewhere I felt like I belonged, so... I just thought it was prudent to ask for another sign from her. Y'know. Permission to move forward. I know it's kind of silly."

 "Nick, look at me," Judy urged, and finally caught his eyes. "You have to make your own fortune too. You can't just-"

 "I know," Nick groaned, "I know."

 Judy smiled softly. "Nick, I love you, if that's what this is about. You know that, don't you?"

 "Mm..." Nick nodded, though his expression didn't change. "But y'know, 'love'. That word is so broad. There's so many different kinds of love."

 Judy scoffed. "Nick-"

 "And I know, I hear myself saying that," Nick shook his head. "I know what you really mean, I do. But some part of me is fighting it with all my might. You can't mean what I want you to mean, it can't mean what you want it to mean. It's just not possible."

 "Bu- what, why?" Judy shook her head, baffled, one of her paws on Nick's.

 "I don't really know," Nick grumbled out, the chill of the air more biting than a few moments ago. "Despite my stints as a bartender, I'm no psychologist. ...If I had to guess though, I guess I'd say that... I feel like it should be... 'difficult'... it should be difficult for me to be happy."

 Judy sucked her teeth, tapping on his shoulder. He looked down to meet her with a vulnerable, somber face.

 "Guess what?" Judy met his gaze with a calm smile. "I disagree." She kissed him softly. His eyes widened before surrendering himself, allowing himself to kiss back and feel the warmth of her affection from it.

 "Gh- good to know," Nick chuckled out a small smile. "...I just didn't think you'd want anything like this to happen tonight, of all nights."

 "Well..." Judy tossed her head this way and that, "I did get a little perspective about that today. About being so concerned about dates and times and whether we 'force' things to be special or not."

 "Oh yeah?" Nick tilted his head. "And what do you think about that?"

 "I think..." Judy scrunched her mouth up and twisted it. "That I will start thinking less."

 "Ooh, you left the door wide open there, darling," Nick smirked.

 "Shh!" Judy hissed, smooching him again, causing an earnest, deflating laugh between the two to erupt. "And... I think you might think too much."

 "Entirely possible," Nick grinned as Judy laced her arms around his neck.

 Judy's left ear twitched as she felt a small change in wind current. She squeaked and leapt up a bit as she saw Violet ascend the hill and walk toward them.

 "Um! Hi! Hi, Vi!" Judy blurted out, feeling "caught". "What are you doing back up here?"

 "I must warn you," Violet said gravely, her arms behind her back. "What you have done here today has not gone unnoticed. I appear before you as a harbinger, to warn you of the encroaching tides of chaos. They will swallow you whole."

 "Uh oh," Nick winced. "Is your family going to be okay with this?"

 Judy's ears both twitched. She heard a familiar sound. The sound of her family succumbing to madness. Of them moving together as a single, frenzied unit. The sound of unstoppable, rampaging emotion.

 "I... think we'll have our answer soon enough...!" Judy squeezed Nick's paw in anticipation.

 "They arrive," Violet proclaimed loudly, "come, forces of chaos! I can hold you back no longer!"

 Teeming up the hill were small bunnies moving together in a mass, excited looks on all of their faces. In chaotic harmony, they wailed both "Nick!" and "Judy!" with dissonant chorus.

 "Brace yourself, Nick!" Judy shouted. The bunnies parted around Violet as if she was a stone in a stream, reconvening in into a unified force.

 "You kidding?" Nick grinned. "Been waiting for this all day."

 Nick laughed defiantly as he saw Cotton at the vanguard, her mouth gaping in a huge grin.

 Then, she pounced. 

Chapter 215: Vault

Notes:

Warning: A bit more esoteric than my usual fare. Like, "Celestials"-level esoteric.

 Finnick felt himself consumed by nothing.

 The nothing was unrelenting. No senses came to the fennec fox, only the realization that he had none available.

 Slowly though, he heard sounds, like whispers. The whispers slowly increased in volume, becoming indistinct chattering. That chattering turned into the din of a crowded room, then the low roar of the sounds at a party. It soon became unbearable; Finnick felt his ears go back.

 Then, his eyes flung open. Finnick was laying on his back in a very unfamiliar structure. Slowly getting to his feet, he looked around, sweeping his head from left to right. He appeared to be in a shopping mall of some construction. The decorations were quite unusual and reflected more late 80's and early 90's aesthetics. The predominant decor looked wooden, with pleasant planters with small bits of plant life or one big tree erupting from them. 

 Walking around a little more to get his paces, he found he heard very little of anything but his own movement. The "mall" was well-lit, but there appeared to be no one there; no one stationed at all the little shops. Finnick found he was trying to read the names of the shops, and while the decoration and branding appeared to be in a similar style to Minklish, he had no idea how to read any of the characters.

 "Must be a dream," Finnick said aloud, seemingly to prove to himself he could speak.

 Finnick moved past all kinds of shops in different aisles. Some appeared to be clothing stores, toy stores, something that looked like a food court; he saw a babbling fountain or two. There was no "you are here" kind of guide he could find anywhere. He tried retracing his steps a few times to see the stores were where he had left him. At least a logical coherence seemed to be in place and the architecture wasn't changing behind his back. Eventually he made his way to the "edge" of the mall and the windowed doors to outside.

 There was nothing beyond the doors. No hint of street lights, no star light; the light that shone from behind Finnick simply illuminated his own face in reflection.

 "Yeesh..." Finnick took a step back from the window he felt his paws pressing at. He opened and closed his paws, trying to center himself. The fox's paws wrapped around his arms, then he tried scratching himself vigorously to wake up. Not only did he not wake up, he didn't even feel any pain from his nails digging into his fur.

 Finnick's eyes were now wide open. There was something strange going on, and he didn't have the first clue what to do. He backed away from the void of the "outside" and instead ventured deeper into the mall, passing the stores, looking for a single thing he found familiar.

 He felt the back of his ears bristle as he saw a familiar sight. The back of a Pawaiian shirt, a jaunty, airy blue and white shirt draped over a red fox. Finnick sucked at his teeth. Nick must have played some sort of prank on him and left him alone to try to figure it out. Balling his fists, Finnick stormed over to the fox to give him a piece of his mind.

 But something was wrong. As he got closer, he got a sense for the scale of the fox. He was... too tall. Quite a bit too tall. And his tail lacked the markings of Nick's. Finnick shook his head, continuing on.

 "Nick! Hey NICK!" Finnick called out, letting his anger drown his doubts.

 The fox turned, a surprised look on his face.

 It was not, in fact, Nick.

 The tall fox had a kind sort of face, and his inner fur was white, almost grayish. It was not Nick's cream fur. Most tellingly, the taller fox's eyes were brown, not forest green.

 "Hello there," the fox smiled. "A new face for once. What's your name, little guy?"

 "Uh, I'm Finnick," he said. "And you don't look like Nick."

 "Afraid not," the fox shook his head, "you can call me Robin. Robin Hood."

 Finnick flinched, part of his muzzle coming up, looking him up and down. "THE Robin Hood? ...Don't really look the part."

 Robin smiled, giving a small sigh. "Well, it's a long story, but I do like changing my look up every now and then."

 "Where the hell am I?" Finnick demanded. "And what are you doing here? And why are you so tall?"

 "Well, I'm tall because that's just how I was made," Robin shrugged. "Not much more to it than that, I'm afraid."

 "Look like a damn maned wolf..." Finnick muttered under his breath. "Ain't no red foxes that tall where I come from."

 "And I'd be happy to learn about where you come from as well," Robin nodded, "I think of myself as kind of a guide to this place. As far as your other two questions, I suppose I can try to answer them to the best of my ability." He spun around to walk next to Finnick. "Shall I show you around?"

 "I guess so," Finnick looked around his environment himself before accepting the offer. "Ain't gonna cost me anything, is it?"

 Robin sighed. "There's a lot to explain."

 

---

 

"We call it the Vault," said Robin, walking slowly so as to keep pace with Finnick as he looked around. "This place, that is."

 "Why 'the Vault'?" Finnick returned. "Looks like a shopping mall."

 "Well, because we people here like to think we have some kind of value," Robin chuckled. "And to put it bluntly, we're trapped here."

 "'Trapped'..." Finnick sucked at his teeth. "This just a damn dream. I'll wake up sooner or later. Dumbtail fox sayin' he's Robin Hood... don't even look like him."

 Robin frowned a bit, seemingly one more of pity than disappointment. "Unfortunately, that's pretty much everyone's first reaction when they get here. 'It's just a dream'. After a day, worry starts to set in. After a week, you know somethings wrong. Then, months go by. Years. We'll be here for you though; it does take awhile to adjust to the new rules."

 "Years?" Finnick squawked. "I'm supposed to believe you all've been in here for years? Who's keepin' mammals cooped up in some damn shopping mall?"

 "A great question, and that, I don't know," Robin muttered. "I'll bring you to some of the others, if you want to meet them."

 "I guess," Finnick grunted after a distracted shrug. "What 'rules' do you all have?"

 "Well, they're not our rules, just the rules of this place," Robin shook his head. 

 "And how long have you been here?" Finnick demanded.

 "...Oh, I suppose going on fifty years now," Robin shrugged.

 "FIFTY!?" Finnicks eyes bugged and he looked Robin over. "Stop lying. You don't look a day over thirty!"

 "Kind of you to say," Robin chuckled. "But that's part of the 'rules'. We don't age here. We don't have to do barely anything. No eating or sleeping. You don't even need to breathe unless you want to talk. ...That's what I mean by different 'rules'."

 "That's... well, that's how I know this is just a dream," Finnick folded his arms as he walked. "Things don't work like that. Makes no sense."

 "And everything you're feeling is perfectly normal for a newcomer to the Vault," Robin replied patiently. "You don't even have to believe me, or trust me. You'll eventually see what's true in time."

 "So what do you do here then?" Finnick asked pointedly. "Anyone rich here to rob from?"

 "Well, ironically for us being in a 'mall', money really doesn't mean anything here," Robin shrugged. "All I can do to 'get rich' is increase my knowledge of this place and help out 'the poor', which are the new ones who don't know anything about it."

 "So this is like your job now, a guide?" Finnick asked incredulously.

 "I guess it is," Robin nodded. "Hm, I think I know who to introduce you to first. ...Lately he's become sort of a bitter soul. Maybe you can find some sort of solace or kinship with his attitude."

 "Uh, alright," Finnick responded, and followed Robin as he changed course at a four-way branch. 

 

---

 

 Finnick was mostly quiet as he followed Robin through the seemingly endless shops and stations of the Vault's storefronts. His attention was abruptly caught by what appeared to be an actual massive vault door, solid steel and round, positioned in the back of one empty shop and cracked tantalizingly open.

 "Hey hey now," Finnick stopped his pace and walked toward the open door, rubbing his paws together. He gasped as he saw entire hills of golden coins inside, gleaming provocatively. "This "Vault" has an actual vault, huh?"

 Robin stopped, looking back over his shoulder as if he'd forgotten about it. "Ah, right."

 "Nobody'd mind if I... pocketed a few of those coins for myself, would they?" Finnick asked, a devious look plastered on his fennec face.

 "Not at all," Robin returned casually. "Take as many as you can carry. Like I said, money doesn't mean anything here. You can't really 'buy' anything in the Vault."

 "What...?" Finnick blinked. "Why not?"

 "Well this money came from nowhere, and there's nowhere for it to go, no one owns or operates any of the shops," Robin explained. Finnick sensed a kind of harried nature to his voice, as if he'd gotten bored of explaining this. "Since we have no real 'needs' in the Vault, the only things we'd really take are things like, I dunno, a change of clothes." He patted at his own Pawaiian shirt. "Just to kinda shake things up from time to time. There's so much random junk here that no one really has ever come to an argument about who 'owns' what. If you see something you'd like, just take it. If you want to carry around some shiny circles, be my guest, but you can't really trade them for anything."

 "Huh," Finnick shook his head, peering over the edge of the Vault's vault, then back at Robin, "can't believe I'm hearing the great 'Robin Hood' talkin' like this."

 "Time does things to a person, as you'll see when we meet the first mammal I had in mind to show you," Robin said distantly, "had this coin-filled vault been here when I first showed up, I'm sure I too would have been eager to jump in and scoop up as many coins as I could. But by the time it did show up, I'd long been used to the rules."

 Finnick, suddenly full of doubt, resisted the urge to jump into the tempting piles of coins, and instead walked back towards Robin, who started leading the way once more. "You mean this place wasn't always here?"

 "The Vault changes," Robin explained, his voice taking a dire edge, "when a person appears or disappears from it, the Vault shifts and changes, usually adding a place. The coin-filled vault appeared with Scrooge McDuck. I haven't seen him for awhile, but if he's still here in the Vault, he might just be sitting at the bottom of his piles of coins. Either that or trying to explore the greater Vault more. He does like a mystery."

 "A duck...?" Finnick scratched one of his big ears. "...Did anything show up when I did?"

 "I haven't seen it yet, but I'm pretty sure it has," Robin nodded. "We'll just have to find it. See if it means anything to you."

 After a while of walking, Finnick started to hear the constant drone of rushing water. That sound was usually a siren call to his bladder, but he didn't even feel the slightest urge from it. He swallowed uncomfortably, hoping everything Robin was telling him was not true. Eventually the structure came into view. A large, several-story "ride" of sorts seemed to have been built into the mall itself, constructed of several flumes. Faux-wood logs went along the track of the ride, coasting on the water.

 "Wild..." Finnick blinked. Robin started to lead him through the empty queuing area, and Finnick started to balk. "Hang on a sec, I don't wanna go on a ride. Besides, was that a height limitation back there? I think I'm too short for it."

 "Relax, you don't have to go on the ride," Robin smiled. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to do. I just wanted to introduce you to- ah, here he is."

 Finnick felt a shot of relief at seeing another mammal. It was a medium-tall brown rabbit or hare, sporting a dull pink shirt, slack blue pants, and had a prominent reddish nose. The mammal sat at what appeared to be a control device or something similar for the ride.

 "Hey there, Br'er Rabbit," Robin waved. "We have a newcomer."

 The rabbit looked over. "He's too short for the ride."

 Finnick felt himself bristle, even though he'd made that observation himself moments ago. "Pleased to meet you too, Rabbit."

 "Didn't take any time at all to get your hackles up, mm?" Br'er Rabbit looked bored. He kept pressing buttons to send empty ride logs forward. "Well, it might be easier for this li'l fox if he don't get any notions of happiness from the start."

 "Br'er Rabbit has been here for quite a long time," Robin explained, "one of the longest. Been around... seventy five years you said?"

 Finnick cursed aloud.

 "That's right," Br'er Rabbit nodded, "and ti'l 'bout twenty years ago I always held up hope of escapin'. After all, even Oswald did. Then, just this year, few months ago, this thing showed up." The rabbit opened his arms wide to indicate the ride. "A whole ride based on me n' my story. I thought it was finally time. But nothing happened. Me, Br'er Fox, and Br'er Bear are all still here. This ain't my laughin' place."

 "Who's Oswald?" Finnick asked Robin.

 "I'll tell you about him a little later," Robin promised. "But the thing to take from here is that we still don't know all the 'rules' of this place. I too thought it was all of the Br'ers time when this ride showed up. But... it almost feels like the ride itself has become imprisoned here along with the rest of them. But why so recently after so long of nothing for them? We have no clue."

 "You'll forgive me if I'm in a bit of a dark mood," Br'er Rabbit muttered. "You could see how somethin' like that would be akin to torture for me."

 "Where are the other Br'ers?" Finnick wondered. As if on cue, a scraggly looking fox and bear showed up on the ride, looking much happier than the morose rabbit.

 "Hey!" The fox called out, waving a straw hat at the two. "Looks like we got someone new, uh? C'mon onto the ride with us, Br'er Rabbit!"

 "This rides for all of us!" The bear added. "It's real fun!"

 "You want another go round?" Br'er Rabbit called out. "Be my guest. But it ain't doin' it for me anymore."

 "C'mon, Br'er Rabbit!" Br'er Bear plead. "We just got this thing! It's the most attention we've gotten in... ever!"

 "I'd just as soon they left it if they were just gonna leave us in here!" Br'er Rabbit snapped, then sighed, settled back into his seat at the control station, and pressed the button to send them off rather forcefully.

 "Well, okay Br'er Rabbit," Br'er Fox said as their ride log started to move, "I was just gonna say you have one of them other foxes press the button and we could all go on it together. If you change your mind, let us know!"

 Br'er Rabbit huffed as the other two moved out of sight again.

 Finnick's eyes were wider than he usually kept them.

 "Shall we move on?" Robin asked. 

 "I guess so," Finnick shook his head. "...This place seems like hell."

 "You can say that again," Br'er Rabbit agreed.

 

---

 

 "Ah, this wasn't here before," Robin observed, looking off to his right as they went down a particular aisle. It was a clothing shop, seemingly specializing in children's costumes.

 Finnick felt his teeth grit in his muzzle as he saw a conspicuous tiny elephant costume hanging in the storefront, displayed prominently alongside a few others he recognized from his hustles with Nick.

 "Anything look familiar to you?" Robin asked down at Finnick.

 "Nope," Finnick lied. "This place sure is mysterious."

 Eager to move on, Finnick jogged a few stores down and on his left he saw a quite unusual sight. A chicken with a bulbous head and green rimmed glasses, just a bit taller than him. He was standing there at what looked like an arcade, a video game controller in his hands. The composition of the chicken's body was closer to a mammals, which sent a shiver of discomfort down Finnick's spine. He was even wearing clothes; a striped shirt and khaki shorts. Finnick cautiously approached, looking at the game being played. He couldn't make heads or tails of the characters or language in the game, but the chicken seemed engaged. He saw a brief flash of red onscreen, and the chicken's character's greenish bar went down by a tiny sliver.

 "Oh no no NO!" The chicken shrieked, making Finnick flinch and cringe. "Reset. RESET!" The chicken impatiently mashed a button on the console of the arcade cabinet, making the whole game restart to its title screen.

 "Just because you took one hit...?" Finnick wondered aloud.

 "Yeah," the chicken sighed, deflating his frustration, then looking back at him. "Ah, you're new. The name's Chicken Little."

 "I'm Finnick," he said absently, still processing that he was talking to a chicken.

 "I've beaten this game so many times," Chicken Little explained. "I'm going for the best time now. If I make even one little mistake it's basically all for nothing. I gotta play it perfectly. And I haven't managed it yet. Been trying for years."

 "Sounds tedious," Finnick noticed.

 "Well there's nothin' else fun to do here," Chicken Little complained. "By the way, don't listen to everything you hear about the Vault from- from Robin. Hello, Robin." Chicken Little grumbled as Robin Hood caught up to Finnick.

 "Hello, Chicken Little," Robin smiled with bemusement, clearly having heard Chicken Little's warning.

 "We don't have talking chickens where I come from," Finnick said.

 "Oh?" Robin chuckled in a bit of mirth. "Well, they do where I come from."

 "And there's talking foxes in mine," Chicken Little nodded, starting his game up again.

 "Guess we have you outnumbered there, Finnick," Robin grinned. "And, I should preemptively warn you that Chicken Little's... theories about the Vault are even less founded than the rest of ours."

 "He's just jealous that I know too much," Chicken Little grumbled, his attention still fixated on his game. "Because I remember what I was told. I was told I was gonna be a big star. I was told I was gonna be everywhere. Then it all came down, and everyone I knew was in here. They lied to me. I'm not sure if they lied to the rest of these guys, but they lied to me."

 "Who's 'they'?" Finnick asked the obvious question.

 "I er, you know... 'them', the 'big guys'," Chicken Little babbled. "The marketers."

 Robin shook his head. "You won't get a straight answer from him. Chicken Little's always been known for his conspiracy theories."

 "Well, I'd say this was giving me a headache, but it's actually not," Finnick muttered. "This Vault really is doing weird things to me. I need... I need space."

 "Oh, well, d-don't go running off," Robin suddenly looked worried and reached into a pocket of his.

 "You could get lost, yeah," Chicken Little nodded. "This place seems to go on forever, and there's only so many of us. I haven't seen Foxy Loxy in a long time."

 "Here," Robin offered him a folded-up map, "this is a map of all of the most relevant areas we know of currently." He took out a pen. "We're here right now, oh and this is that new kids clothing store we saw, it replaced this area here." He made some markings on the map. "This is just so you don't get lost, okay?"

 "Uh, thanks," Finnick looked over the large map, seeing there were a lot of notations on it for things such as the water ride. "Yeah, I think I want to be by myself for awhile. This is all... a lot."

 "Isn't that the last map Marian made?" Chicken Little broke contact from his game and turned around. 

 "...We don't want a newcomer lost, now do we?" Robin muttered.

 "Who's Marian?" Finnick asked, folding up the map. "You mean like... Maid Marian?"

 Robin looked uncomfortable, and Chicken Little looked up to him to read his expression.

 "You might want to catch him on a better day for that," Chicken Little explained.

 "It's your first day, Finnick," Robin said, his voice drained of its usual warmth. "Can't know everything we know about the Vault in that short of a time. Most of us have been here decades. Plus you know, if it's all a dream like you think, it won't be long before you wake up now, yeah?"

 "R-right," Finnick said, but suddenly he didn't feel so sure of that. Robin turned around and started to walk off. The smaller fox felt a twinge of panic, but he didn't say anything.

 "Well, now that he's gone, you wanna hear any more of my 'conspiracy theories'?" Chicken Little asked.

 "I'll let you get back to your game," Finnick said, noting his place on the map. "I wanna see if I can find anything interesting."

 "Eh, good luck," Chicken Little shrugged. "Like the big fox said, most of us have been here decades, and only a few have been 'called back'. Dunno what you're gonna find that none of the rest of us have."

 Finnick didn't know if he would find anything either, he just wanted to be anywhere else at the moment. He left the talking chicken and went off on his own.

 

---

 

Finnick had already lost track of the time. It felt close to a week that he'd been wandering, but he couldn't be sure. There were no celestial objects in the "Vault", and any clocks he walked by each professed their own different time blasphemously.

 It was easy to lose track of time when you no longer had to sleep.

 Indeed, Finnick felt a deep worry germinate within him that everything Robin Hood had said was coming true. He never once felt tired or even fatigued. Once he tried to curl up on a couch in a furniture shop, but sleep wouldn't find him. He also never felt hungry or thirsty, and never even felt the urge to use the bathroom. Once, experimentally, he even tried to stop breathing, and after a minute, still didn't feel the desperation to claim more air into his lungs.

 It was that lack of physical desperation that fueled his mental desperation, and he made a conscious effort to continue breathing after that point.

 Finnick was broken from his disquieting thoughts by a very old-looking outcropping of a store. It looked like the inside of a very old gas station, complete with an incongruous ancient fuel pump sitting there in the middle of the store. The small fox had not seen a single motor vehicle yet in the Vault, nor did it look like any could reasonably pull up to that pump. Somewhere far off, he heard a low-quality voice, seemingly broadcast over a radio or old TV. Stepping away from that store, he made his way further onward.

 Another store that caught the fennec's big ears was some sort of clothing shop. It seemed to be full of small bags and t-shirts, each containing the likeness of some kind of mammal he'd never seen before. He'd say it looked canid, but the features were exaggerated cartoonishly. The predominant color of the depicted mammal were bright yellow with orange accents, and sometimes depicted as a lime green in other lighting. Through the speakers in the store, some peppy, encouraging pop music played. Finnick found he didn't mind it, and he could almost make out the words, but it was like trying to focus on something when you were half asleep.

 "Not bad," Finnick said aloud, "kind of a 90's pop rock feel. I could dig it." 

 The fox brought out his map, looking to see where he was. He saw a lot of names of people on the map, only some of which he recognized. He picked out Scrooge McDuck's vault, Br'er Rabbit's water ride, and some other places looked familiar, including a hastily scribbled in notation for where he thought 'his' store might be, reading "New Store? (Kid's apparel)". But, he couldn't recognize the names of any stores near where he was at the moment. They were all full of proper names he didn't recognize, but they didn't correspond to the weird, flowing language that adorned all the Vault's actual signs.

 A tiny spark of panic lit up Finnick's head. He didn't want to be lost; he hadn't seen a single soul since he started journeying. Was this place really so barren?

 Finnick started walking back the way he came, hoping he hadn't doubled-back too many times in the week he'd been wandering. After about an hour of aimlessness, he heard a couple of tiny voices humming a song indistinctly, and once he picked out the words he knew there were others in his midst. It sounded like two voices, singing at the top of their voices, but very far away.

 "-rescue aid society! Heads held high, touch the sky. Our hearts we pledge to thee."

 Trying not to appear too desperate, Finnick quickly made for the sound of the voices, folding up his map on the way and shoving it into his pocket.

 "Whoa!"
 "Oh goodness!"

 "Oh! Sorry!" Finnick had almost trampled over two small mice. A gray male wore brown and burgundy clothing, and the other was female. She was white-furred, wore pink and purple and finished her look with a fancy fuzzy rectangular hat. "Huh, finally someone here that's smaller than me."

 "Wh-who... who're you?" The male mouse wondered. "You new here?"

 "Hello!" Waved the female. "My name is Bianca, and this is my husband Bernard." 

 "Pleasure," Finnick said, though he did truly mean it, "I'm Finnick."

 "Oh, Bianca!" Bernard perked up. "He's... h-he's the one that Robin thought was lost!"

 "Indeed, my goodness," Bianca nodded, her paws on her cheeks. "How wonderful that we've found you!" Finnick noticed that the female mouse had a pleasant voice, but he couldn't place the accent.

 "Oh, I was just, uh... messing around, looking around," Finnick jerked his thumb backward. "Lots of stuff here to see."

 "Definitely," Bernard agreed, "but... it's easy to get lost so you... you gotta be careful."

 "Are you acclimating well to life in the Vault then, Mr. Finnick?" Bianca asked, her voice oddly cloying. 

 "Sure, sure," Finnick lied. "Though I uh, wouldn't mind if you took me back to where some of the others were. I'm sure you know the way better."

 "Of course, of course!" Bianca clasped her hands. "We would only be too happy to. It's our job to try to help people in need."

 "It's what we did before, and it's what we do now," Bernard added resolutely. "Just f-follow us."

 As they turned tail to Finnick, he was careful to keep pace with them without overtaking them.

 "So ah, where are you two from, then?" Finnick wondered, his paws in his pockets.

 "I'm from New York, USA," Bernard said.

 "Hungary, though I did my work in New York with a liaison committee," Bianca smiled.

 "New York? Hungry?" Finnick blinked. "Never heard of them."

 "No no, dear, Hungary," Bianca enunciated. Finnick shrugged and shook his head. "Where do you come from then, Mr. Finnick?"

 "Downtown Zootopia," Finnick said. "You heard of it?"

 "N-no, doesn't sound familiar," Bernard scrunched his muzzle as if he was trying to recall something.

 "It sounds like a wonderful place, though," Bianca offered. "Zootopia... it's pleasing to say."

 "It's... okay I guess," Finnick sucked at his teeth. "All kinda mammals there, all with their own problems."

 "Problems are for solving!" Bianca chirped. "And that's what my Bernard and I do. We help people with their problems. Ooh, I'd love to visit this Zootopia if ever we escape the Vault, Bernard."

 "I'm nh..." Bernard shook his head, trying to gather his thoughts. "Not sure that's how it works, Bianca. He could come from a whole dif- different world than us. If we go back at all we'll probably just be back where we were when we left."

 "We can't know that for sure, though, and we can always hope," Bianca smiled. "Mr. Finnick, should we ever all meet in Zootopia we should all have a meal together. It's been quite awhile for us."

 "Do I dare ask how long?" Finnick winced.

 "About twent- no, thirty years, just about," Bernard sighed. "But oth- others... they've been here much longer. Much longer. We don't have it so bad."

 "That's right," Bianca nodded. "And it's our job to help."

 "Never fail to do what's right," Bernard stated, seemingly from a code of some sort.

 "Were you sent out looking for me?" Finnick wondered.

 "Not exactly," Bianca explained. "Though I am so happy we found you. We were doing one of our exploratory tours. We were hoping we could find Marian, who went missing a few years ago."

 "Marian, like... Maid Marian," Finnick guessed.

 "That's right, have you seen her?" Bernard blinked.

 "No, but any kit's told the story of Robin Hood when they're little," Finnick shrugged.

 "How interesting," Bianca marveled, a paw to her cheek. "Come now, Mr. Finnick. You must tell me more of this Zootopia."

 Finnick made his way off with the mice, regaling them with whatever random Zootopia trivia he could think of. He felt a wave of relief when he heard the rushing waters of Br'er Rabbit's ride again, a relief that thankfully didn't extend to his bladder. 

 

---

 

It had been a year, more or less.

 Finnick had mostly gotten used to life in the Vault, though he wished he could say otherwise. With the removal of biological needs, and the ability to get pretty much anything he wanted just by remembering what store it came from, Finnick felt like he was losing himself in some way. He felt like the struggle of living in Zootopia helped shape his personality, and that the longer he stayed in the Vault, the more of himself would be eroded. 

 To that end, he desperately wanted to escape, though of course no one knew how. Even if his life in Zootopia would be just as hard, if not harder than it had been before, with the weight of this strange place on his mind, at least he would still have himself.

 Finnick often found himself exploring the strip of stores that included two mammals who had been removed from the Vault somehow, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, the Vault's first inhabitant, and Powerline, the musician canine whose music he had earlier heard. He kept looking through their stores, trying to find any hint of commonality, any logic to why they might have been able to escape.

 There was a small old TV in Oswald's convenience store that Finnick often found himself watching. The TV constantly had some kind of sports game playing, and despite the fuzziness, and the oddness of the "human" creatures that were playing the games, he found himself drawn to the TV every time he went there. He liked sports, baseball in particular, but even after a year of being in the Vault, he found he was no closer to understanding the language that came across the television. Though, he found some sort of vicarious enjoyment in hearing the tone of the sportscaster intensify and speed up when exciting plays were being made, as well as the universal language of the cheer when something significant happened.

 "Hey! Finnick, what are you doing in there?" Robin demanded in a snippy voice, poking his head around to the entrance of the store. 

 "Just watchin' the game, I think the red team's gonna win this time," Finnick said, not even turning to look at him.

 "I don't think you should be in there," Robin stopped short of entering the shop, though remained there to glare at Finnick.

 "Why not?" Finnick deigned to look at Robin. "You once said yourself that no one 'owns' anything here."

 "Yeah, but there's a such thing as having respect for your elders," Robbin snapped. "Would you root through your grandfather's room after he'd passed?"

 "I guess it depends," Finnick said, though he acquiesced to coming out of Oswald's store. "On if 'grandpa' had anything in his room that'd help us get out of this God-forsaken place."

 "If there was, don't you think we'd have found it by now?" Robin folded his arms. "Oswald was here nearly eighty years before he vanished. His gas station was the first shop in the void of the Vault. There was nothing else! It all morphed around this spot. You've only been here a year and you never met Oswald, but I think I speak for more than a few of us when I say that we respect him enough to be glad he was finally 'lucky' enough to escape, and we should leave his things be."

 "And you're sure he even escaped?" Finnick tested.

 "I saw him vanish before my eyes!" Robin appeared frustrated, throwing his paws up. "He was there one second, I blinked, and he was gone. Before he left, every TV we were near was blaring some sort of sports program, at a deafening volume, and then, it was all quiet, and Oswald was gone."

 "So... did that TV with the sports casts come on after he left?" Finnick jerked his thumb back to Oswald's shop. "Do you think there's some connection?"

 "Yes, but how should I know!?" Robin was losing his patience. "That store over there, Powerline's, showed up when he left. But when he arrived, he came with the last stage he'd performed on. Why would he leave behind a clothing shop? Why would Oswald leave during a sports cast? He didn't even like sports! He was a handymammal; he worked with machines!"

 The taller fox's frustration was rubbing off on Finnick, and he felt his ears bristling at Robin's annoyance.

 "There's gotta be a way out of here," Finnick opened and closed his paws. "If others have escaped, that means there's some way out. And if no one's gonna let us out, we gotta make our way out."

 "What... Finnick!"

 Robin shouted after Finnick as the fennec ran off. Robin pursued, starting to close in on the smaller fox as he grabbed a baseball bat from a sporting shop and headed for the nearest "edge" of the Vault.

 "Finnick! Don't you DARE!" Robin shouted.

 Finnick stopped near the window and at the featureless void beyond and swung the baseball bat back, ready to strike.

 "Grrrgh!"

 A small struggle ensued, but Robin somewhat easily managed to yank the baseball bat from Finnick.

 "Damn you!" Finnick roared.

 "What do you think you're DOING!?" Robin shouted, holding back the bat. "What do you think's gonna happen if you break that window?"

 "I dunno, do you!?" Finnick barked, spitting on the ground near Robin.

 "There's nothing out there," Robin yelled. "NOTHING! Do you know what happens when things are sent into a vacuum? This whole place would get sucked out into the nothingness, and then we'd all be stuck there for eternity!"

 "How do you know that?" Finnick growled. "You tried it? This place's got weird rules, after all."

 "Yeah, but if you jump, you still come back down," Robin growled back, "get your head on straight!"

 "For all you know, Marian could be somewhere beyond that void!" Finnick appealed. "And you're too much of a coward to try anything that'd help!"

 "HOW DARE YOU!?" Robin screamed, tossing the bat down and lifting Finnick by his shirt with both of his paws. "How DARE you bring her into this!? How could you think I'd be so SELFISH as to risk everyone's lives just for some half-baked scheme at trying to find my wife!?"

 "Grhk..." Finnick grit his teeth as the incensed Robin Hood held him. It definitely didn't seem like the one from the stories.

 "You don't think something like that had crossed my mind!?" Robin flung Finnick to the ground hard, and the little fox went tumbling back. Finnick was surprised both at the violent action and that it didn't hurt him in the slightest, and quickly scrambled to his feet. "But no, I thought for half a second! I THOUGHT before deciding that my desperation wasn't worth consigning everyone here to float aimlessly in the void because of my desperation!"

 Irritated at being handled, Finnick sneered. "You said the 'richness' of this place was knowledge, right? So how 'bout you act like Robin Hood and tell me somethin' I don't know, unless you wanna just bully the 'poor' some more?"

 Robin scrunched his eyes shut and balled his fists, letting out a choked cough. "Rgh..."

 After an uncomfortable moment, Robin seemed like he was relenting, his features unwinding.

 "Here, let me show you something, Finn," Robin beckoned him, taking him in a direction Finnick hadn't been down yet on a certain aisle.

 "Didn't say you could call me that," Finnick muttered, but continued following him.

 Eventually, Robin and Finnick made it to a blank wall that had a large painting on it. The painting was of a female fox, her eyes shut, clad in a purple dress, her paws clasped together in supplication.

 "That's Marian?" Finnick asked, though he knew the answer. The painting looked like it could have come from a storybook.

 "Yeah, I painted it," Robin folded his arms.

 "Robin Hood could paint?" Finnick chuckled. "They never wrote that in the stories."

 "I learned after she vanished," Robin shook his head, "it's been something like six years, maybe close to seven. It was different when she left. There was no major 'event'. No one saw her leave. As far as we know, she could still be here somewhere, lost. Or worse yet, trapped inside somewhere that became inaccessible when this place shifted."

 "Jeez, that ain't a good thought," Finnick sneered.

 "And that," Robin pointed to the painting, "is my mark of defiance. I know that one day, the Vault could change, and fold up or even destroy that painting. Like it took my wife from me suddenly, just one day, poof, gone. But I painted it anyway. Why? Because I will resist the Vault, and I'll do it in my own way. I will help others come to understand this place, and I won't do anything to endanger anyone here, not when there's a chance. Some people have left before. So there's always hope."

 "And... has anyone came back?" Finnick held up an eyebrow.

 "Not... confirmed," Robin shook his head. "Chicken Little said he's seen Darkwing Duck and Scrooge McDuck come back, but that they were different, 'remade'. And they both looked... changed. Like, extra disillusioned. That he could barely reach them with his words. But no one else has seen them and Little said that they both went off in one direction and never came back. It could be just Little making up things. He's pretty odd."

 "You never know, he might be on to something," Finnick shrugged.

 "I dunno, it doesn't make sense," Robin shook his head. "Only birds have ever come back? Only another bird has seen 'em? Seems a bit too convenient. I think Chicken Little thinks his fantasies are more exciting than the realities of the Vault."

 "And you don't know... anything that could have happened to Marian?" Finnick asked cautiously.

 Robin shook his head. "She loved mapping out the Vault, giving maps to newcomers. Now we have to rely on the mice for that and as you can imagine it takes them a lot longer. If she did just leave the Vault, no one was around to see her. And if she found a way out herself, there's... there's no way she would have left without telling me. Heck, without telling all of us. Without making sure that every one of us got to leave. That's the type of person she was- ...is."

 Finnick frowned, looking up at the tasteful painting Robin made of his wife. He wondered if there was some way he could help his fellow Vault animals. He resolved that whatever he could do, he would. Maybe that would bring him some purpose in this existence. 

 

---

 

 Another year had gone by.

 The Vault seemed stable. Finnick found himself checking on Robin's painting every other day or so to make sure it was still there. He felt like he knew all there was to know about his fellow Vault animals, and they him. 

 Recently, Finnick had joined some of the "scouting parties", where a few of the animals would go on in one direction to the edge of what they had mapped of the Vault and venture out into a little more territory.

 No animals had gone missing recently, but many, including Marian, of the ones reported or suspected missing still were. It was a superstition, mostly perpetuated by Bernard, that going too far in one direction would "erase" you, and the rest of the animals figured they would be cautious as they continued to map out the Vault. One day, Finnick found himself with Robin and Chicken Little on such a scouting party, as they headed into a northwest section of the Vault yet to be mapped out.

 "These 'uninhabited sections' of the Vault always creep me out," Finnick admitted to the others. 

 "They're like 'junk data' or something," Chicken Little looked about, a flashlight at the ready. "The wording on the signs is less distinct, there's less lighting, there's less products. It's like no one cared enough to 'finish' these parts because no one lives around them."

 "Maybe," Robin nodded, his map out, sketching what he saw into a notebook to be transposed onto the map.

 "And maybe there is something to what Bernard fears," Chicken Little went on, "if you go too far out into the less-defined areas, maybe you become... 'undefined'... lose cohesion or something."

 "I don't want to entertain that thought right now, thank you Chicken Little," Robin muttered. "But there's indeed a reason why we're all careful. These less-explored areas are... well, less-explored. Anything could happen."

 "Maybe we shouldn't stay out that long, then," Finnick murmured. "Or if the scenery seems to change too much, we turn back."

 "You've come a ways from the Finn that wanted to bash the windows of the Vault out," Robin smiled a little.

 "Still didn't say you could call me that," Finnick grumbled.

 Abruptly, all of the televisions in the area turned on, even ones that didn't appear to be plugged in.

 "What!?" Chicken Little fretted. "What's going on?"

 "Maybe we'll be withdrawing a little sooner than we thought," Robin grit his teeth.

 One by one, each display popped up with a single green "plus" sign, until they all bore one. There was no music or sound to accompany them, just the hum of every activated television.

 "Plus? Plus what...?" Finnick felt himself stepping backwards.

 "Let's start heading back, slowly..." Robin instructed, and the three began to. Every television they passed turned on, displaying a plus sign. Even cash registers beeped and shrieked, popping up a single plus sign on their readouts.

 "What the..." Chicken Little clacked his beak in fear.

 "Hang on, hold up," Robin directed, holding up his paw. He rushed two stores forward, past a television, and nothing happened. "Little, you next." Chicken Little followed his movements, and again nothing happened. Robin's jaw dropped a little. "And... Finn?"

 Finnick stepped forward slowly, following their path. The television popped to life, showing the same green plus.

 "No... it's you!" Robin's eyes widened.

 "What...?" Finnick looked left and right, panicked.

 "This is an Event!" Chicken Little shrieked. "You might... you might be leaving!"

 "What!?" Robin yelled. "No, no... how could that be!? You've only been here two years! NO ONE has left that fast!"

 "Sorry uh... maybe it's just the Vault messing with us?" Finnick shrugged.

 "No, the Vault... when it does an Event, something always happens...!" Robin got on his knees and gripped Finnick's shirt. "Finnick! You have to- wherever you're going, you have to tell whoever you can- you have to... if Marian is there...!"

 "Robin, you idiot, let go of him!" Chicken Little yelled. "You can't be holding onto him! It's not your time!"

 "No! I have to..." Robin sputtered. "If you see Marian wherever you're going, tell her I'm still here! Tell her not to forget about me!"

 "Get! OFF of him!" Chicken Little yanked the back of Robin's outfit with both hands, pulling him off of Finnick. "What if you get sucked into his world!? If it's not the same as yours, you'll NEVER find her! And even if it is, you're a myth in his own time! There could be a huge time displacement; Marian might be long dead!"

 "Y-you're right, you're right..." Robin panted, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but you're right."

 Finnick stood there motionless, feeling helpless and fearful.

 "I dunno what's gonna happen to me," Finnick said. "But... take care, all y'all, if I do go."

 "If you see 'them', tell 'em they lied to me," Chicken Little smiled somewhat sadly.

 "And you can tell whoever you meet, you met... you met 'the' Robin Hood," Robin looked utterly defeated.

 "I'll do that," Finnick said. "As long as they don't think I'm craz-"

 He vanished into thin air. There was no fancy effect or fading out, he was gone. Robin hadn't even blinked that time.

 One by one the televisions and registers shut off. The plus symbols all vanished.

 Robin sighed, making a few notes on his notepad.

 "Let's go, Chicken Little."

 

---

 

Finnick gasped, sucking in a larger breath than he ever had. He started coughing violently. He'd had an extremely unusual dream. He rushed out of his little bed and over to his phone, picking it up. There was so many moving parts, he had to arrange them before he lost it.

 "Deeri, take a note," Finnick said aloud, and his phone beeped to indicate it would accept verbal input. "Had a dream. ...Was makin' pawpsicles with Nick again... in Tundratown. Saw some old jalopy truck rush past us."

 No, that wasn't it. Was that right? Finnick stood there, fumbling for a moment, then set his phone down. That dream, it'd happened, hadn't it? He'd done what he just said in reality, fairly recently. Two or so years ago.

 No, there was a different dream he had, and something happened in it. A lot of things, and there was a place, it was very strange, but...

 The details were all gone, there was nothing. It was like a blanket of nothing, consuming part of his mind.

 "Damn," Finnick grunted. "What's the point of a dream journal if you can't even remember anythin' the moment you get up?" He kicked at his dresser. Smacking his muzzle, he headed for the restroom. He was extremely hungry, his mouth was dry, and he really had to use the restroom for some reason. "Damnit, I'm too young for this."

 

---

 

 The painting was still there.

 Robin felt selfish; it was the first thing he looked for.

 The fox went back to the kid's clothing store that marked Finnick's arrival. There was a large, fancy green plus drawn on the ground near the entrance, but nothing else seemed different.

 Robin sighed and made some notes in his notebook.

 Finnick had made a mark, seemingly quite literally, on the Vault. Not the shortest mammal there, but the one who stayed the shortest time, that was something.

 And Robin dared to hope one day, he might be next. He dared one more time that on the other side of that hope, there would be her.

 Marian. 

Chapter 216: Proxies

 A tiny silver-blue rodent-sized vehicle screamed down the street, followed a split second later by a massive Zootopia Police Department cruiser. Its sirens blared as both larger and smaller cars sought to get out of the way of the policemammals.

 "Dangit, he keeps weaving between larger vehicles before they move!" Nick grunted, a pair of binoculars held onto his face.

 "I can't exactly ram them aside!" Judy replied, voice pinched and frustrated. "And I can't run this nibbler off the road either! I'd kill him!"

 "Wow, 'nibbler', really Carrots?" Nick huffed, though not turning his attention from the chase.

 "Focus, Nick, you gotta get that last bit of license plate!" Judy reprimanded, swerving around a mid-sized vehicle that the silver-blue car sped underneath.

 "Guh! Rgh, not to worry, I like a challenge!" Nick shot back as he was slung around by Judy's driving. "Ok, got it!"

 The fleeing vehicle hung a hard right and zoomed into the entrance of Little Rodentia, causing Judy to screech to a halt.

 "Corn poppers!" Judy slammed her paws on the steering wheel. 

 "Just in time, too, from the looks of it," Nick marveled flatly.

 "I knew he was heading that way," Judy seethed. "Can't exactly take this big girl in there."

 "We can't even go in on foot," Nick noted. "Against several regulations."

 Judy felt a barb of a particularly painful memory. "R-right. Hey, Nick?" She pointed at her radio.

 "Right," Nick snatched his own off his chest and held the button. "Officer Wilde here. Suspect has fled into Little Rodentia. License plate KNT-019. I repeat. Suspect Mauserati has escaped into Little Rodentia. Plate KNT-019."

 "Copy that, Wilde," Clawhauser's voice came back after a short pause. "I'll alert the Little Rodentia Poli-"

 "Belay that, Clawhauser!" Chief Bogo's booming voice suddenly interjected. Judy and Nick jumped a bit, shooting each other surprised looks. "We will handle this in a different manner. Stand down Hopps, Wilde. You especially should know not to interfere in Rodentia affairs."

 "Heh," Judy tried to smile, though her teeth were firm in her mouth before she responded. "Roger, Chief."

 "What did he mean by that?" Nick narrowed an eye.

 "I'll tell you over coffee," Judy shook her head. "But... what the heck? If that thing Mousenato stole was so important, why wouldn't they immediately alert the LRPD? Every second someone doesn't do anything, he'll be getting away!"

 "I'm not sure," Nick shrugged. "I think they do things a bit differently in the LRPD. We rarely liaison with them going in the other direction, either. Like, their officers helping us."

 "I don't like this..." Judy sneered. "Seems fishy."

 "I suggest those bunny brain wheels stop turning before you get us both into trouble," Nick held up a paw. "Let's just trust the Chief to do whatever he's gonna do."

 Judy let out a long sigh, slumping against the wheel with an irritated and borderline bored look on her face. "I guess so." 

 The rabbit carefully backed up their behemoth cruiser and made their way out of the Little Rodentia outskirts, shutting off their siren as they went.

 

---

 

 A slightly overweight adult gray mouse hummed to himself as he cleaned an office building, dusting chairs and desks. His tune carried no melody to anyone but him; he seemed to voice occasional notes accompanying the tune in his head, but paused between them. He wore brown slacks, a terracotta hat, and a red sweater. Just then, the phone on the desk he was cleaning rang.

 "O-oh!" He started, dropping his small broom. "Bianca! The phone!"

 "Bernard dear, I'm in the restroom," came back a middle-aged female voice with an unusual accent. "Could you get it, please?"

 "Ah ss-sure, sure thing," Bernard nodded, picking it up. "Rescuer- ah, Rr-rescue Rangers!"

 The voice on the other side was barely audible to anyone near the office phone.

 "Ah, hello!" Bernard's eyes widened. "Of course. ...Ah, ss-sure. Let me just- let me get a pen. Ww-well, of course I have a smart phone, I just ll-like the permanence of ink. Er, s-sir."

 The voice continued speaking, and Bernard nodded with affirming grunts as he wrote down some information.

 "Lenny Mousanato," Bernard repeated, "wanted for stealing a wassat...? Quantum computer core? ...Sounds important. Bluish Mauserati, license number KNT-019. Got it. Recover stolen goods if possible... belongs to Professor Stilton of kw-quantum computing mousechanics. Rr-right sir. I'l kh-call you if I have any more questions. We're going to get our top agents on this asap. ...Yh-yes sir. Goodbye!"

 The phone clicked, and Bernard put it back down.

 Out of the bathroom came a pretty white mouse, slightly seasoned with age, but no less pleasant to the eye. She wore a puffy purple hat and matching bow, and her gentle dress below it indicated she wasn't quite from this decade.

 "Who was that, dear?" Bianca smiled as she sat at the desk Bernard had just answered the phone from.

 "Ww-well, it was Chief Bogo of all mammals, can you believe that?" Bernard raised his hat to scratch his head under it. "Wish you had answered it, yy-you know I'm no good with the phone."

 "Nonsense, dear," Bianca waved her hand dismissively, "I'm sure you did a great job. So, does he have an assignment for us?"

 "He does," Bernard nodded. "A prominent mouse computer professor had a prototype quantum computer stolen."

 Bianca sucked at her teeth in a brisk "tsk!" "Oh, is that all? These stuffy mammals and their expensive toys."

 "Well, not every rescue can be of a mammal, I guess..." Bernard offered meekly.

 "Ah well, our adventuring days are behind us anyway, aren't they Bernard?" Bianca leaned up for a small chaste kiss, which Bernard provided. "We shall have to wait for the boys to get here."

 Not too long after, the "boys" in question arrived at the office. They were a pair of chipmunks, very similar in build and height. The more serious-looking one had a brown pilot's jacket and a brown brimmed hat, looking like the dress of the lead character of Indiantler Jones. The decidedly less-serious, even sleepy-looking one had on khaki shorts and a red and yellow Pawaiian shirt, bringing to mind the lead of Magnum PIG instead. The two almost looked like they could be brothers, though the former chipmunk had a straight buck tooth and brown nose, whereas the latter's was more liver-colored and his teeth looked a bit unruly.

 "Chip and Dale, wonderful to see you," Bianca greeted them.

 "G'morning, Miss Bianca," Chip took off his hat and put it on a nearby rack. "Anything to report?"

 "Yes, actually," Bianca tossed Bernard a smile and picked up his notes. "The central ZPD station got a hold of us. Chief Bogo would like you to track down a criminal named Lenny Mousanato. He is driving a blue-gray Mauserati, license number KNT-019."

 Chip began to furiously type notes into his phone. "Uh huh, uh huh. What crime?"

 "Theft of stolen goods," Bianca reported, reading her Bernard's handwriting. "He's stolen a prototype quantum computer core."

 "Whoa, that sounds expensive," Dale's eyes opened wider. "Ah, I think."

 "Chief Bogo would like you to recover it, and ah-" Bianca squinted her eyes a little. "Ah, return it to him on behalf of its inventor, Professor Stilton."

 Dale walked around the desk and looked at the piece of paper. The writing was completely incomprehensible to him.

 "How can you read that?" Dale asked with a single chuckle.

 "Dale darling, when you have been married as long as I have, you begin to know your partner quite well," Bianca smiled at Dale, then waved at Bernard, who offered a meek wave back. "Perhaps it is something you will encounter some day."

 "Hopefully!" Dale grinned.

 "Well, you ready to go then, Dale?" Chip grabbed his hat and affixed it back to his head, wiggling it down so his small chipmunk ears would pop out of the slits in the base.

 "Feels like we just got here," Dale shook his head. "Oh well, duty calls!"

 

---

 

The two chipmunks emerged from their Rescue Rangers office building in the middle-west of the diminutive city of Little Rodentia. Dale squinted at the sun, while Chip's hat relieved him of such an issue.

 "So, how are we gonna find a runaway criminal's car?" Dale wondered. "We don't have anything to drive ourselves." He snapped his fingers. "Oh! Maybe we can go down to the greeting center and see if they'll let us look at their security footage."

 "A good idea, but I think we should first make an educated guess," Chip was typing onto his phone. "Where's the hardest places to get to in Little Rodentia?"

 "Probably the northern corners," Dale replied. "Furthest away from the entrance to LR, and because of the Big Mansion, there's no public access to LR from the north."

 "Exactly," Chip nodded. "I'm hailing a taxi right now. We should guess on a corner of Little Rodentia to look around with the driver. We probably only have enough time to check one side before the suspect is long gone, and then we might as well just go look at the footage, but I think if we have any hope of catching him before he does whatever he means to do with that computer core, we should strike now."

 "So, flip a coin, then?" Dale pulled one out of a shirt pocket. "I'll go with the northwest corner."

 "Northeast," Chip shook his head. "We didn't see anything unusual on our way to the office."

 "Guess you're right," Dale flipped the small coin, the heads side emblazoned with the stylized head of the celestial Industry. "Tails for Dales!" Catching the coin, he slammed it onto his palm. "Ah, heads."

 "Northeast it is," Chip smirked. "The driver should be here soon."

 A small yellow cab pulled up to the corner. In it was a large gray rat that seemed to struggle to occupy the same space as the vehicle. The cab was clearly built with smaller rodents in mind. To add to that, the cab driver was dressed in shoddy-looking clothes and even seemed wall-eyed.

 "Oh brother," Chip's jaw dropped. "Oh well, beggars can't be choosers. We gotta move."

 Chip and Dale entered the cab, and Chip made a point to fasten his seat belt.

 "Where to?" The surprisingly light voice of the cab driver asked.

 "Just head for the northeast corner of Little Rodentia, please," Chip explained. "As fast as is reasonable."

 "You got it," the driver nodded, stepping on the gas pedal.

 "Name's Brick, by the way!" The rat cheerfully offered back to the two chipmunks.

 "I'm Dale," replied the friendly chipmunk.

 "Mm, Chip," said the other one, already lost in thought.

 "So quantum computers, huh," Dale considered aloud. "I wonder how hard that's gonna be to find. Like... if you're looking at it, does it have a chance to be there or not be there? It's so mysterious."

 "Dale I'm... almost positive that's not how it works," Chip looked at his partner skeptically. 

 "Not completely positive, though!" Dale suggested.

 Chip ignored that, then went back to pondering. "My question is, why us? Why hire private detectives to go after a piece of stolen property? Is that not in the police's wheelhouse?"

 "Well, I got a theory on that," Dale frowned. "Though I dunno for sure."

 "What's that?" Chip wondered.

 "Well, dunno how much I wanna say," Dale nodded subtly to the driver.

 "Oh, what, I'm not really listening," the cab driver Brick claimed. "Something about quantum mechanics and private detectives? Well, if you want my opinion, it's cause of the LRPD bein' so corrupt."

 "Corrupt?" Chip blinked. 

 "Oh yeah," Brick shook his head, which still seemed somewhat squashed nestled in the vehicle. "I've seen the rats takin' bribes with my own eyes."

 Dale felt more ready to offer his own information at that suggestion from their driver. "This mini-city is still kind of under the control of Mr. Big, that calculating shrew that helped found the place. And how do you think he got so rich? Embezzlement. He's got his paws in like, half of the businesses in the city."

 "Tell me about it," Brick sucked his teeth. "My hamster friend Gustavo really wants to open a pizzeria, but Big co-owns every big pizza joint in this whole place. It's really hard for the metaphorical little guy to compete. Mr. Big towers over everyone else. ...Again, metaphorically."

 "So you think that if the police took the quantum computer core..." Chip scratched his chin. "What, they'd just sell it off to someone?"

 "I guess it depends on what the thing is good for," Dale nodded. "But yeah, something like that." The chipmunk started as he saw a flash of silver-blue as they drove past an alley. "Whoa, I think I saw the vehicle!"

 "Really?" Chip asked, to an enthusiastic nod. "Well, I hope so. Driver, that'll be it."

 "Got it," Brick stopped at the corner.

 "I paid last time, by the way," Dale grinned.

 Chip rolled his eyes and got out his phone. "There."

 Brick looked down at his phone and grinned. "Ooh, thank you for the tip! Good luck, guys!"

 The two got out of the car. The rat then put the taxi's radio on some loud yodeling music and drove off.

 "...Odd," Chip blinked.

 "Little Rodentia takes all kinds," Dale shrugged his shoulders. "Long as they're small enough."

 

---

 

 "You were right, there it is," Chip observed as he looked around the corner of an alley way. The silver-blue Mauserati was hastily parked in a dead-end alleyway. Chip took note of their street location and gestured his head over to Dale.

 Dale's head appeared at the other side of the alleyway. "Shoo, is that gasoline I smell? Is the coast clear?"

 "Yeah, let's investigate," Chip headed over to the car and looked around. "Well ah, it sure is a nice car." 

 "Yup," Dale remarked, looking around. "Doesn't look like anything's been damaged on the car despite this wacky parking job."

 Chip looked behind the car and saw a trail of liquid. "Is this the gasoline?" The chipmunk flipped open the flap of the opening to the car's fuel tank, but it appeared to be fastened. "Did someone siphon gasoline out of the car? Why would they do that? And why would they be so sloppy running out with it...?"

 "Y'know, Chip," Dale frowned, "you and I don't know a lot about cars. But we do know someone who does."

 Chip let out an unguarded grimace. "We do, at that."

 "Obviously the guy isn't here," Dale gestured, "and if he left the computer core in the trunk, well, that's locked. And our expert lock picker is also kinda visiting his folks."

 "Oh, you're right!" Chip snapped his fingers. "Monty's in Outback Island visiting his family! All right, maybe we can get away with this."

 "'We'?" Dale huffed as Chip started furiously typing into his phone. After a few moments of silence, Chip hit send on his message, and waited further.

 "You think she's bored enough to wait for word from you?" Dale furrowed his brow.

 "No, I- gh, I know she has a job, it's just... y'know..." Chip sputtered, looking between his phone and Dale. "Oh! She responded. She said she'll be right over. 'We're at the alleyway near Murine and 3rd streets.'"

 "Huh, guess I was wrong," Dale's brow lightened up a bit. 

 About twenty minutes later, Chip and Dale were still at the scene of the parked car, though Chip had poked out from the alley to look for any suspicious movement, coming up empty. Dale squinted his eyes as he saw a darkened figure rush in toward them from the sky to the west, against the backdrop of the afternoon sun.

 "What the-?" Dale had barely enough time to sputter before the rushing figure appeared to straighten up in midair and slow to a landing close to them. It was a female mouse in a purpleish wingsuit. She placed up a pair of goggles and unfastened her long shock of unusual and blond hair, and smiled at the two dumbfounded chipmunks.

 "Did you just... fly down here?" Chip sputtered.

 "Well, you said ASAP," replied the mouse. "I was near enough, just put on this thing and jumped from a nearby building from the city proper."

 "Th-that's gotta be against some sort of code!" Chip panicked.

 "Why?" The mouse cocked her head. "Momongas and sugar gliders can do it, and there's no other air traffic around Little Rodentia."

 "Hiya!" Dale greeted the mouse.

 "Dale! Good to see you," the mouse rushed over and gave Dale a warm hug, to which he chuckled and hugged back. She backed away enough to look him in the eyes, hands on his shoulders. "It's been awhile."

 "Too long, Gadget," Dale nodded with a grin.

 Disengaging from the hug, she looked back at Chip. "Good to see you too, Chip."

 "Are you still going by uh... Gail?" Chip asked meekly.

 "Well, my friends still call me Gadget," she explained, but then her attention was caught by the haphazardly-parked car in the alley. "Golly, is that a Mauserati?"

 "Yup, those are expensive," Dale stated the obvious. Gadget popped the hood of the car, sensing the heat on it by putting a paw close, then looked into the engine and also scooted around to look under the car and behind it.

 "Ah... anything?" Chip asked meekly, his paws pressed together uncomfortably.

 "Looks like the fuel line was cut," Gadget put her paws on her hips, "nothing crazy seems to have happened here, but it looks like someone wanted the car to run out of fuel around this area, it's dry."

 "You're right, no evidence of a scuffle or anything around this place," Dale shook his head, "nothing so much as an overturned trash can."

 "So someone was forced to leave, but not really in a hurry," Chip mused.

 "How long have you two been here?" Gadget asked.

 Dale mused. "Bout twenty minutes, give or take."

 Gadget seemed to think for a moment, but said nothing.

 "Ah, do you think we can get into the trunk?" Chip asked. "I don't know if you have any tools with you that could, y'know, break in."

 "I traveled pretty light," Gadget said, but then her face brightened, "but this is a brand new Mauserati. It has an electronic lock, and a pretty simple one at that. I could just hack it open. ...Probably."

 "Hack it open?" Dale seemed amazed. "Like in the movies?"

 "I thought all that was highly exaggerated in Mouse's movies," Chip folded his arms.

 "Well it's just a matter of finding a simple electronic signal," Gadget pulled out a pack she was wearing on her back and retrieved a teal-green small computer from it. She flipped it open and turned it on. "Zipper will help me."

 "Who's 'Zipper'?" Chip wondered.

 "Not 'who'," Gadget smirked. "'What'. Zipper's a basic AI program I've been tinkering with. It can follow basic instructions and grab simple code to help with what I need it to do. I've already used it to pop a few locks at work, so this shouldn't take long."

 "You can build an AI!?" Chip enunciated each word, stunned.

 "Not- it's... it's just a baby one," Gadget grinned sheepishly, holding a couple of fingers together close. "That's why I modeled it after a fly. Not a very complex animal, but it can do a lot of things."

 "Ooh, can you talk to it?" Dale wondered, trying to look over at the interface, which mostly looked foreign to him. 

 "No, sorry," Gadget grimaced. "I can't exactly program an entire personality. Zipper is mostly function-first. Besides, even the best AI personalities just devolve into repeating similar things over and over after awhile and it gets creepy. But anyway, I've told Zipper to send a signal that would unlock a '20 Mauserati and-"

 The trunk to the Mauserati clicked and popped ajar a small bit.

 "That's amazing!" Dale snapped his fingers. "Jackpot!"

 "It's not that amazing," Gadget insisted with a small grin. "It's more like I told a robot to grab a set of tools that I didn't even invent and had it use them for me. Like programming a microwave almost."

 "Well, I think it's safe to say Dale or I couldn't do that," Chip said, then grit his teeth as he approached the trunk. "Welp, here we go." He lifted the trunk, his heart beating fast. However, the trunk was completely empty. "Darn. Well, of course he'd take the prize with him. Couldn't have been that easy."

 "What are you looking for?" Gadget wondered.

 "A quantum computer core," Dale explained, his voice a bit mysterious as he knew that might pique her interest.

 "Whoa, no way!" Gadget marveled. "Golly, a quantum core small enough to be in the trunk of a rodent car? Now that is amazing."

 "Dale," Chip scolded, both at giving her nonessential information and riling her up. "Tsk, well, guess we're at a loss here."

 "Can Zipper detect quantum signatures?" Dale scooted over to look at the computer's interface again.

 "You've been watching too much Star Track, Dale," Gadget laughed, her face bright. "Zipper doesn't have sophisticated scanning equipment. It's just a computer, more or less."

 Chip began to think. "Well then, can it... do what computers do? Extrapolate data?"

 Gadget blinked. "Sure, why?" 

 Chip folded his arms tight. "Can you like... hm. ...Bring up a map of this area of Rodentia. Highlight any buildings that aren't business or residential, like warehouses and the like. Then, can you make a guess on where a rodent in somewhat of a hurry, but not too fast because he's carrying something, could get in about twenty minutes on foot."

 "That's a little esoteric, but I think I can manage," Gadget nodded, starting to type in a bunch of the suggested parameters.

 "Chip, even if we only get like three results, we'll probably get a lot more than just choosing what area of Rodentia to drive around," Dale frowned. "We're pressing our luck."

 "What else can we do?" Chip shrugged. "Unless Zipper could hack into some security cameras around the area."

 "Can't do that, no," Gadget shook her head, still typing instructions. "The thing I asked Zipper to do just now was a simple electronic signal. Most security camera footage is encrypted, and Zipper isn't custom-built for that task, so it would take it literally longer than we'd be alive to crack most semi-sophisticated encryption."

 "Oh, bummer," Dale winced.

 "But I can do what Chip asked," Gadget looked triumphant suddenly, clicking a button decisively. "This is what you asked for." She brought up a map with both a radius and various buildings highlighted. "Just a guesstimate."

 "Way to go, Gadget!" Dale pumped a fist. "Oh, and Zipper too."

 "Don't anthropomorphize it just yet," Gadget chuckled. "Again, he's as basic as a fly."

 "Ooh, you just said 'he'," Dale accused, pointing.

 "Golly, sure did," the mouse replied, her shoulders scrunching in embarrassment. She brushed a hand past her hair.

 "There's only... there's only three unoccupied buildings nearby, and only one warehouse," Chip mused. "It's a gamble, but I think we should go. It's a fair jog from the Mauserati, which if I was a criminal, I'd want to put my distance between a suspiciously expensive car with its fuel line cut."

 "Ooh, forgot to bring my taser wrench," Gadget clicked her teeth. "But I'm good to go with you guys."

 "Uh, I don't know if you should come specifically, Gadget," Chip winced. "It's like... if we have to get the police involved if the guy's violent, and then we're working with someone that's not directly on our payroll... it could get complicated. And not to mention dangerous."

 "...Oh, that's true, I guess," Gadget frowned. "I guess I'm not on your payroll."

 Dale shot Chip a heated look.

 "B-but, uh, feel free to go look by our office," Chip waved his paws. "We have a couple new employees that are actually a couple, a janitor and secretary. They can show you around and stuff."

 "She should be able to come if she wants, Chip," Dale said in a stony voice. 

 "No, it's okay, Dale," Gadget put up her Zipper computer after Chip took a photo of the map she had brought up. "That does sound fun. I like meeting new people, even if I don't always gel with them. Like my friends and coworkers at the garage."

 "Listen, Gail," Chip held his paws up in conciliation. "I promise you, if we find the quantum computer thingy, we'll come back to the office and show it to you, okay? Before we have to drop it off with the police."

 "Oh, really?" Gadget grinned. "That is kind of tempting. Sure! Good luck, guys." She waved and was off around the corner.

 "Let's go, Dale," Chip pulled up the photo and headed off.

 "Sure, s'long as I'm on your 'payroll'," Dale muttered and went a step behind him.

 

---

 

After a few minutes of walking in uncomfortable silence, with Dale trailing Chip, the latter chipmunk began to feel unsettled; he thought he would attempt to break that silence.

 "So uh... Gail was pretty sweet on you," Chip found himself saying. He heard a scoff behind him.

 "Well, some of us are more friendly than others," Dale replied, his paws in his pockets. "You jealous?"

 "No, no, just an observation," Chip waved off the thought with his paw. "I mean, it just- seemed pretty affectionate, you know?"

 "I thought you were into my cousin Clarice, anyway," Dale accused, narrowing an eye. His expression lightened and he giggled to himself. "I always thought that if you ended up marrying her, we'd basically be brothers."

 "That's... a thought, yeah," Chip replied with a strained smile. "Everyone seems to think we are anyway."

 "So is that why you didn't let Gadget come with us?" Dale's face flattened into an even expression again. "It's 'too dangerous'? Trying to protect her out of some sense of-"

 "No no, that's not it," Chip babbled.

 "So it is just that you 'don't think we need an engineer'," Dale pursued. "That old chestnut?"

 "Listen, Dale, that was awhile ago," Chip held his paws up, slowing down to walk closer with him, "it was just you and me, and we were trying to make ends meet. We hadn't become a big name in Little Rodentia yet, and we didn't even have a car! Still don't! So... I guess yeah, I didn't see what a handymouse like her would add."

 "And you didn't just now?" Dale sucked his teeth. "And people say I'm the dumb one. She's real smart and has a lot of skills I think would be useful. Skills neither of us have."

 "I don't want to drag her along just because she's useful," Chip countered. "And people say I'm the overly pragmatic one. We're talking about theft of a highly valuable property. This could be really dangerous. And she said she didn't have her uh, taser wrench?"

 "Not like we're well-armed either," Dale replied, his eyelids falling halfway. "I just think you don't want to be 'wrong' about your decision regarding Gadget."

 Chip frowned, though it wasn't a frown of anger. "Well, think what you want. You're not our 'criminal psychologist'."

 "I'm telling him about this once I see him," Dale murmured.

 "Dale, why would you want to go out of your way to make trouble for me?" Chip yelped.

 "Because this isn't about you!" Dale yelled back. "Monty is Gadget's godfather! He deserves to know we solicited help from her, end of!"

 Chip looked like he was about to say something, but he thought better of it and kept walking along with Dale. The two finally reached the warehouse that was indicated on the map, and a door to the facility was cracked open.

 "Better lucky than good, they say," Dale whispered.

 "Thankfully, we're both," Chip whispered back, instinctively sniffing the air. "Don't smell more than one mammal's been here recently. "Let me just..."

 The chipmunk squeezed into the gap of the open door without making a sound, checking to find a convenient row of boxes to hide behind. Chip motioned to his partner and Dale quickly scurried next to him.

 "C'mon, C'MON, pick up!" The voice was unfamiliar. A thin, tall mouse was pacing around the dark interior of the warehouse. He wore a dark green jacket and blue jeans. "Damn brother is never near his phone. And after I went through all this trouble for 'im. That's gratitude."

 Chip grit his teeth and pointed. On the floor near the pacing mouse was a briefcase which looked a bit big for a mouse to carry, but definitely was within the realm of possibility. Chip held up his phone in view of Dale. On the phone was a picture of Lenny Mousenato, which matched the mouse they were looking at. Chip mouthed: "Bianca sent".

 Dale looked between the briefcase and the somewhat-distracted mouse. He whispered over to Chip. "Should we do 'who's your friend'?"

 Chip considered this a second and then nodded.

 Dale stood up and yelled out. "Hey! Hi, sorry to bother you."

 "What the-!?" Lenny put his phone down. "Who the hell are you!?"

 "Sorry, I uh, I just got a little lost," Dale chuckled. Chip began to circle around to the back of Lenny, staying low to the ground; he felt his animal instincts take over and he scampered on all fours. "Say uh, you know where the nearest bathroom is?"

 "Piss in the corner for all I care!" Lenny yelled out. "Just leave me alone; I'm busy! Damn 'munks."

 "Hyah!"

 Chip tackled the taller but lighter Lenny from behind, causing him to yell out. Dale dashed forward, nearly as agile as his partner, and scooped up the briefcase.

 "Damnit, don't touch that!" Lenny shrieked. "It's a- it's a bomb!"

 "Got a zip tie, Chip?" Dale smirked, reaching into his pocket.

 "I think we should spare one for his muzzle," Chip struggled, but kept his grip on Lenny, having him pinned to the ground. "He's not a very good liar, but he is loud."

 Just then, a brief wail of police sirens rang out, and a team of about four policemice entered the building.

 "Freeze, nobody move!"

 "The cops!?" Lenny shouted. "This was a setup!"

 "Drop the briefcase, pal!" One of the mice leveled his stun gun on Dale, who slowly dropped the briefcase on the ground, holding up his hands.

 "Wait, WAIT!" Chip yelped, his hands raised as well, leaving Lenny to scramble up, only to have another officer point their stun gun at him.

 "Max allowable, punk, don't move!" Another cop yelled. Lenny slowly put his paws up.

 "Hold on a sec!" Chip growled. "I'm Chip and he's Dale." He nodded to his partner. "Private investigators, the Rescue Rangers."

 "Yeah, I know who you two are," a more distinguished-looking grayish mouse stepped forward. "You two are always tryin' to do our jobs for us."

 "We have explicit instructions from Chief Bogo of the central precinct!" Chip said as one of the officers went for the briefcase. "We were told to deliver this straight to Chief Bogo himself!"

 "Don't worry, we can do that for you," one of the cops said, picking up the briefcase.

 The grayish cop mouse seemed skeptical, but he turned away, speaking onto his radio out of range of the chipmunks earshot. He came back after about a minute, looking annoyed. "Damn police politics. Cuff the mouse, let the chipmunks go. ...And give 'em the briefcase."

 "You sure, chief?" The mouse holding the briefcase looked confused. "It is indeed the stolen item. I checked."

 "I said what I said," the gray cop barked. "Even though this is our own damn jurisdiction, the crime having happened in the city center basically means Bogo gets to call the shots here. Damn pompous brute."

 The mouse officer handed the briefcase back to Dale, who seemed just as confused as the handcuffed Lenny.

 "See you're exercising your right to remain silent," The heavy mouse behind Lenny said as he carried him off. "Good."

 Before exiting the warehouse, Lenny shot Dale an acidic look, but then squeezed his eyes shut and looked almost disappointed.

 Chip let go a sigh of relief, but the gray chief accosted him.

 "All right, Chip, lemme see your ID, just so we can vet who you say you are."

 Chip provided the ID and his Private Investigator license.

 "Damn mercs," the chief sneered at Chip. "If Bogo wasn't protecting those tiny things you call tails, I'd bring you in and grill you to 'til you were well done."

 "Thank you sir," Chip smiled weakly.

 "Don't delay getting that thing to him," the chief warned. "If I don't get a full report by tomorrow, I'm going to arrest every one of you in your HQ for possession of stolen property."

 "Got it, sir, thank you," Chip's tone was ingratiating. Finally the officers left, letting their siren blurt out a warning squawk as they drove away.

 "Whew, that was close," Dale shook his head, holding the briefcase close. "Should we go right to the ZPD with this?"

 "Well, I did say we'd show Gadget," Chip shrugged. "So let's go see if she's there, first. Once we're back at the office, we can tell the Chief we've completed our assignment, and see what he says from there."

 "Got it," Dale nodded.

 

---

 

To Chip's relief, they made it back to their office without incident, despite Dale's looking pretty suspicious wielding a comparatively large suitcase down the streets of Little Rodentia with him. Getting up to their floor, they entered the office, and Chip was heartened to see three mice, Bernard, Bianca, and Gadget.

 "Golly!" Gadget breathed out. "You got it?"

 "Sure did!" Dale held up the briefcase proudly.

 "All in a day's work for the Rescue Rangers!" Chip said proudly, taking off his hat.

 "Let me get that for you, bud," came a fourth mouse's voice.

 Chip gulped. The voice belonged to a rotund, large mouse that could easily be mistaken for a small rat. He was brown and cream, sported a bushy brown mustache, and wore a teal sweater with a gray overcoat. He took up Chip's hat and hung it up, then gave Chip a sort of small smirk that was hard to read.

 "Uh, h-hi, Monty," Chip managed to squeak out.  

Notes:

To be continued, probably!

Chapter 217: Proxies II

 Monterey Jack, known to his friends as Monty. He was a plump mouse who could easily be mistaken for a small rat. Hailing from Zootopia's Outback Island, where historically some of Zootopia's ne'er-do-wells were sent, he moved to Little Rodentia only a few years after it was founded. As the Rescue Rangers' official "criminal psychologist", it was even rumored that Monty's parents got up to some skullduggery themselves. 

 Monty himself had two big weaknesses, an almost delirious addiction to exotic cheeses, and his goddaughter Gail Hatchetwrench, also known as "Gadget".

 "So, Chip!" Monty's voice carried that pinched, Outback Island twang. Even at its most jovial, Monty's voice could sound piercing. "Looks like you've been busy today!"

 "Sure have, Monty!" Chip smiled almost too wide. Though Gadget's face wore an enthused smile as Dale carefully placed the suitcase containing the stolen quantum computer core on a nearby table, Chip felt the proverbial hammer hanging in the air. "We got a big, important assignment from Chief Bogo himself. Of the central ZPD!"

 "Too busy to let me know my little Gadget luv had decided to drop by, eh?" Monty placed his hands on his hips.

 There it was. However, hands on hips was okay. It was when he folded them that he was really "cheesed". Monty had never let Chip forget that it was Chip's decision to keep Gadget off of the Rescue Rangers, a position that of course Monty thought she richly deserved. Chip's eyes pinballed between several of the pairs who were staring at him expectantly. He hoped his darting eyes would shake a thought or two loose.

 "That's um-" Chip burrowed his buck tooth into his lower lip. "Well, we were pretty busy. And uh, I thought you were visiting your folks today anyway."

 "Right, right," Monty nodded. "But the transportation in Zootopia is great and fast, and I came right back after I was done visitin' with 'em. Woulda liked to know Gadget was around."

 "Sorry, Monty," Gadget grinned apologetically, "I could have said something too. I guess I just got excited by the prospect of seeing the office and maybe even a quantum computer core."

 "Now now, no need to apologize, luv," Monty held up a paw in her direction. "'Specially because I heard how instrumental you were to helpin' the boys get a lead on things." He folded his arms and Chip's resulting swallow seemed to not go smoothly. He coughed, looking to Dale desperately. Dale shot him sort of a silly, wide frown with intense eyes.

 "Eh-everyone's instrumental in helping the Rescue Rangers run smoothly!" Chip offered, desperately gesturing toward the middle aged gray mouse in the room. "Even Bernard, the janitor!"

 Bernard, not really paying attention, started and scratched his head. "Uh, th-thanks."

 "Yeah, but Gadget's not really a part of the Rescue Rangers, now is she?" Monty asked. The scariest thing about him is that he never really looked angry, but Chip could sense the hostility pouring out of him in waves. It was one of the reasons he loved having him on the team; he could coerce mammals into revealing things they never would to a typical mammal with his sweet or sour vibes.

 "I..." Chip stammered wordlessly. "I... sh-she could be if she wanted to! I only... said no... once...?"

 Gadget suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Monty, it's okay. Really it is. I've liked working at Ozzie's Auto Repair. And in my spare time I've developed Zipper, the AI computer I was talking to you about! I probably couldn't have done that if I'd been full time here."

 "But Gadget luv," Monty looked at her tenderly. "You were always tellin' me about how you wanted to go on adventures in the Li'l City. This dingus over here's been keepin' you from that." He gestured back at Chip.

 "Now now, there's no need to be hostile," Bianca shot a frown over at Monty, standing up from her desk. "Chip's said he would let Gadget onto the team if she wanted. So if she wanted to, that should be that, hm?"

 "I'd need some time to think about it," Gadget admitted with an uneasy smile. 

 "Well then," Bianca looked up at Monty.

 "If you say so, Gadget," Monty scratched at his head. "I just thought that's what you wanted, is all."

 Chip released a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. He felt like someone had just removed a giant fish hook from his throat. 

 "What I want now is to look at this quantum computer core that Chip and Dale have brought back," Gadget had a giddy, almost mad-scientist gleam in her eye as she moved over to the suitcase.

 "Um, hold on one second there, Gadget," Dale held up a paw. "Lenny claimed the suitcase might be a bomb. Chip n' I thought he was lying, but is there any way to be sure?"

 "Well, A," Chip held up a finger, "one of the police mice said it was indeed the stolen item. And B-" he held up a second finger. "If he did check on it, unless the thing had an incredibly long timer, we'd probably have blown up by now."

 "Oh, w-w-w-w-wonderful," Bernard felt a pit in his stomach.

 Gadget carefully flipped open the clasps on the suitcase and opened it. There, seated in foam, was the miniature quantum computer core. It was an incomprehensible arrangement of discs and wires in a thinning cylindrical pattern. 

 "Is that it?" Dale blinked. "It really looks like it could be a bomb."

 Gadget's smile was comically toothy and wide. "Oh golly. Yup, that's a quantum computer core all right. Never seen one so small!"

 Chip couldn't see anything interesting about it, and instead scratched his head. "Y'know, how did the police know to come to that warehouse? We didn't call them, and Chief Bogo specifically picked us to try to find Lenny Mousenato."

 "Well, there are a coupla ways," Dale shrugged. "The police could have been lookin' for it anyway for their own reasons and were keepin' an eye on the traffic cams."

 "Hm, guess so," Chip nodded. "Still, such a fuss over something like this. Could you make a quantum core, Gail?"

 "Oh, no way," Gadget shook her head. "It'd probably take me years to learn how to even begin. As it is, this thing is as much of a fancy brick to me as you guys. It's just... cool, you know."

 "What's a quantum computer do that a regular one can't?" Monty was curious.

 "It's useful for certain things," Gadget explained. "Like searching databases. Even though regular computers are really fast these days, they're getting to a point where they can't go any faster. As an analogy, if you told a regular computer to look in a book for a certain word, they would have to start at page one every time and flip through the whole book to find it. A quantum computer, thanks to quantum mechanics, can look at all of the pages at the same time. I'm not even smart enough to grasp what could be done with that kind of tech yet. It's bleeding edge."

 "I was almost right," Dale told Chip in a loud whisper.

 "Not even a little bit," Chip replied, eyes half-lidded.

 "I feel kinda nervous about having something so rare in our possession though and no way to keep track of it," Chip fussed. He looked at Gadget. "Is there possibly a way to keep an eye on it when no one's keeping an eye on it?"

 "We have security cameras, Chip," Dale reminded him.

 "Those won't be helpful if it goes walkabout, bud," Monty frowned.

 Gadget let out a tricky grin. "Well. There's a reason I modeled Zipper after a fly, after all." She clicked into the chassis of her Zipper computer at a certain area and out popped a smallish spherical object.

 "Whassat?" Dale wondered.

 "A bug," Gadget couldn't help a self-satisfied smile.

 "Oho! Way to go, Gadget luv, you're a genius!" Monty fawned, fussing with Gadget's hair.

 "Monty!" Gadget complained. "It takes me forever to brush that!"

 "So we could just put the tracking device behind the foam, then?" Bianca looked like she was getting interested in the plight of the technical gadget they were in brief custody of.

 "Yep!" Gadget did just this, then opened a program on her computer. "And there, it's activated. Should be good for a couple days at most. See?" She motioned Chip over, showing him a map on her screen. "That dot is the location of the bug, right here in the office."

 "Great, that's all we need, really, and it makes me feel a lot better," Chip sighed. "If the LRPD are trying to get their hands on this thing for some reason and the ZPD doesn't want them to, I'm more inclined to want to know where it is too, just in case."

 "Yeah, kinda crazy how talented Gadget is, huh?" Monty's voice had a chiding note to it as he leaned over the two smaller rodents, but he caught a displeased glare from Bianca. "Ah, sorry, mum."

 

---

 

The day had worn on, and it was early evening. Gadget and Monty had left to go have dinner together, and Bernard and Bianca had also excused themselves for the evening. Only Chip and Dale were left, and the former was forcing the latter to organize some paperwork, to Dale's consternation. 

 Chip walked into Dale's office space, sucking his teeth as he nearly tripped over a discarded magazine. 

 "Dale, do you have our file on the case we worked with, ah, what's his name," Chip looked through his papers. "The 'Great Mouse Detective'?" 

 "Basil, right?" Dale opened a drawer in his filing cabinet and got to flipping through it. "What for? We barely did anything in that case. Basil took down that rat, er, Ratigan, himself."

 "I just want all our ducks in a row," Chip explained, tapping his claws on the papers. "I'm going to update our profile once we close this case. Stuff like 'liaised with a famous foreign detective', and 'recovered a stolen quantum computer' will look pretty impressive on it."

 "Speaking of birds, aren't you counting chickens before they hatch?" Dale said, looking bored. "This case isn't technically over yet. I wanna go home. Tired."
 
 "Tch, you're lazy and you're messy," Chip scolded.

 "Found it," Dale blurted flatly, yanking up the required file and handing it over to Chip. "You sound like my mother. You're not even my brother. Not yet, anyway. Not until you marry Clarice."

 Chip scrunched up, annoyed. "Will you quit it with that? Leave my love life alone. It's just- if you were a bit more organized, maybe you'd be even better of a PI than you are already."

 "Wow, a half compliment," Dales eyebrows raised. "Better than a full insult. But I hate to break it to you, but this system does work for me, I dunno if changing it would make me any better."

 Just then, the elevator to their office opened and a stranger stepped in. He was a mouse, very slightly overweight and sporting glasses. He had a somewhat cheerful and inquisitive expression on.

 "Uh, can I help you?" Chip was instantly suspicious of the interloper.

 "Why, I'm Professor Stilton," he said, "of Quantum Computing Mousechanics. Is this the office of the Rescue Rangers?"

 "That's us," Dale poked his head around the corner, having gotten up from his desk.

 "I've heard you might have something of mine?" Stilton had a hopeful smile.

 Chip narrowed his eyes. "Who might you have heard that from?"

 "The LRPD, of course," Stilton said, adjusting his glasses. "I've been checking up with them multiple times about my poor Quantum Computer Core."

 "Couldn't you just make another one?" Dale genuinely wondered, not as suspicious as his partner.

 "I'm sure I could, with time," Stilton explained. "However, my core is a prototype, and there would be a lot of money to be made by selling it before it could be patented. It's almost worth more now than it will be when it's a more widespread item, you see. It was the perfect time to steal it, unfortunately."

 Chip paused, looking the professor over. "Can I see your ID?"
 
 Stilton looked surprised, and scoffed. "Well yes, I suppose you can. I just...-" he cleared his throat, showing Chip his identification badge from his university. "I feel like it says something about our society when you can't tell a distinguished professor of quantum computing from say, the latest celebrity squirrel bimbo to become famous in this minicity."

 Dale attempted to discreetly move a Swimsquirrels Illustrated magazine with his foot and slide it with one swift motion under his desk.

 "If it makes you feel any better, I wouldn't be able to recognize one of those, either," Chip said dully, looking over the ID and snapping a picture of it. "Well, this is good enough for me. Almost." He started making a call on his phone.

 "My, this chipmunk is pretty thorough, hm?" Stilton drew back his lips in an impressed grimace.

 "It's one of the reasons we're the most popular Private Investigator firm in Little Rodentia," Dale said, a bit proudly.

 "Who are you calling?" Stilton chuckled. "My university? To verify my ID number, perhaps?"

 "I'm calling Chief Bogo of the ZPD," Chip explained. "We were given specific instructions, and if I'm going to deviate, I need word from him. -Hello? Ah, yes, hello Chief Bogo, this is Chip, from Chip and Dale's Rescue Rangers, Private Investigating. Hello. Do you mind if I put you on MuzzleTime? ...It'll make sense in a second."

 Chip turned his phone around and the tiny image of a gruff cape buffalo's face appeared onscreen.

 "What's this about?" Bogo replied, clearly in a less-than-pleasant mood. "Why's Stilton come to you?"

 "Ah, hello sir," Stilton waved meekly.

 "He'd heard that we've found his computer core," Chip explained, "which we have. I just wanted you to know. Your instructions were to deliver it to your office in Downtown Zootopia. Do you have any issue with us giving it to Professor Stilton?"

 Chief Bogo sighed and fought an eye roll, only mostly succeeding. "Chip, this case was taken up on Professor Stilton's behalf. It's his property. Of course you can give it back to him." He attempted to bring his voice into a more polite tone. "But thank you for checking in with me. Officer Clawhauser will reach out to you soon about your compensation."

 "All right sir, thank you sir!" Chip gave a cheerful salute.

 "Not necessary," Bogo shook his head, holding a hand up. "Thank you. You two are frustratingly effective at your jobs. Wish the LRPD was half as driven as you rascals." Chief Bogo then abruptly hung up.

 "Hhmhm... 'rascals'," Dale grinned, holding his hands behind his head. "That's pretty much a compliment from Bogo."

 "I guess that's good enough for me," Chip shrugged. "Dale, get the briefcase."

 "Right," Dale saluted next, and headed back to his desk, retrieving the briefcase from under it. He opened it to show Stilton the contents. "Look familiar?"

 "That is indeed my computer core!" Stilton clapped his hands twice. "Oh, thank you two very much. This piece of technology represents a step forward that mousekind has taken, which will bring this city into the future!"

 Dale proudly handed over the briefcase after shutting it again.

 "I hope you two are rewarded handsomely for your efforts," Stilton smiled. 

 "Well, we're both already handsome, so just a regular reward would do," Dale shrugged. Chip rolled his eyes.

 "Ignore him," Chip suggested. "Pleasure to serve."

 Professor Stilton headed into the elevator, and was gone.

 Dales lazy smile vanished. "Was that weird to you?"

 "A little," Chip rubbed his chin, "but in what way, I can't put my claw on. It feels like we've cleared this case as fast as mammalianly possible, but someone was waiting ahead of us at every turn."

 "Kinda something like that, huh?" Dale pondered. "I'm comin' up empty, too."

 "Oh well, case closed, I guess," Chip shrugged.

 "Ugh, more paperwork?" Dale looked both crestfallen and exhausted.

 "Nah, let's worry about that tomorrow," Chip smirked.

 Dale let out a huge sigh. "Thank Surrender."

 

---

 

 Later that evening, Chip was strolling through the cozy kitchen of his apartment, having a late-night snack. He looked at his refrigerator, which had all sorts of pictures of himself with Dale and the rest of the Rescue Rangers, including some where he was with Dale's cousin Clarice. Next to those pictures he had her phone number circled, in case somehow he lost it from his phone. He sighed and walked past them, hopping onto his couch and flipping on the television for the late night news.

 The male squirrel reporter greeted the audience. "In tonight's top story, the technology of the future, stolen today. A quantum computer core invented by Professor William Stilton of Quantum Computing Mousechanics was stolen earlier today and then recovered this same day by a local private investigator."

 "Ugh, naturally," Chip's eyes sunk, "they don't even bother naming us or getting the plurality right." Then, his eyes darted off to the side. "Wait, 'William' Stilton?"

 Chip tried to remember earlier that day when he'd checked Professor Stilton's ID. He remembered making sure "Stilton" was on it, but he couldn't recall his other name. He was pretty sure it wasn't "William", though. Chip grabbed his phone and looked through his recent photos.

 "We reached out to Professor Stilton for a brief comment about the issue," the reporter went on.

 Chip gasped, increasing the resolution on his picture of the ID.

 "It's criminal, is what it is," Stilton seemed stuffy. "The lowlife that stole my core knew how much it'd be worth before it was patented. They'd steal my invention from me, after I'd worked hard to help propel mousekind forward, to bring all of Zootopia forward."

 The name on the ID badge read "Stilton Mousenato". 

 "Wait, but if he..." Chip sputtered. "And then... then if he's going to..." The chipmunks neuron's fell all over each other like dominoes after bouncing into each other rapidly.

 Mousenato sighed. "I can only hope that once the greater Zootopia sees how integral this computer will be to its technological infrastructure, that a generous grant will be forthcoming."

 "Karma alive!" Chip squeaked. "You rat!" He brought up his messages and texted Gadget.

 [Are you up??? It's urgent!]

 Gnawing on his lip and waiting only about ten seconds to still be on "sent", Chip called the number.

 One ring, two ring, three rings went by.

 "Nhh... h'lo?" The tired voice of Gadget came across the phone.

 "Gail!" Chip yelled. "Sorry to wake you, but I need a favor urgently!"

 "What is it...?" Gadget murmured. "What time is it...?"

 "It's late, I'm sorry," Chip tapped his foot. "But can you bring up the tracking device on the suitcase with Zipper?"

 "Sure, gimme a min..." Gadget yawned. Seconds ticked by, and Chip looked about frantically. Gadget chuckled quietly. "What, no comments about how silly I sound when I'm tired...?"

 "Gail, I woke you up," Chip shook his head. "Of course I'm not going to harass you about that as well. Besides, that'd probably be more Dale's thing."

 "Oh really?" Gadget giggled sleepily. "Think so?"

 "Uh, forget I said anything," Chip winced. "Just lemme know when you have that data."

 "Alright," Gadget nodded. She brought up the tracking data from Zipper, giving another yawn. "Well, that's weird. The suitcase looks like its moving."

 "Any important landmarks in that direction?" Chip nibbled on his claws a bit.

 "The LRPD?" Gadget blinked.

 "Gah!" Chip yelled. "I knew it!"

 "Golly, not so loud...!" Gadget winced. "What's going on?"

 "Mousenato is behind the theft!" Chip explained. "Er, not Lenny Mousenato, Stilton Mousenato! He had his own computer core stolen! I think he's trying to get it to the LRPD right now so it can be sold on the black market!"

 "What... really?" Gadget seemed surprised. "Why? ...And whats that sound?"

 "Getting dressed," Chip said, hopping into some pants. "Wear a lot... less at home."

 Gadget chuckled. "Boy, you're honest to a fault."

 "Stilton said it himself when he picked up the suitcase," Chip explained in a hurry. "The technology is worth more before its patented. If he has a chance to make money on it, he's got to do it before then." 

 "Yeesh, that's selfish," Gadget frowned.

 "That's criminals for ya," Chip threw on his jacket and put on his hat. "Gonna try to raise Dale and see if we can stop him."

 "How do you plan to do that?" Gadget blinked. "Isn't it Stilton's property?"

 "I dunno, maybe I can talk him out of it," Chip shook his head, "let him know we're onto him."

 "That doesn't sound smart," Gadget warned.

 "Maybe not, but I think it's the right thing to do," Chip said. "Can I ask you to text me any updates if anything changes? At least until you hear from me again?"

 "If you say so, Chip," Gadget replied. "Be careful."

 "Will do, bye," Chip hung up, then tried to call Dale. The phone rang multiple times, but went to voicemail. Chip started texting furiously as he rushed down the stairs of his apartment.

 [Ugh, get up, you bonehead, we have a mystery to solve!]

 After he sent the message, he brought up his taxi service app and requested a driver. Just a couple of minutes later, Chip was at the street corner and a taxi pulled up. Chip got in hurriedly.

 "Driver, head for the LRPD on the double," Chip demanded. "Uh, within reason."

 "You got it, chief," said the driver, whose voice was familiar to Chip. He looked up and yelped.

 "You gotta be kidding me," Chip buckled his seat belt. "Brick!?"

 "It's a small town, literally," Brick grinned. "Hold on!" He accelerated and headed off.

 "You're still driving this late?" Chip marveled.

 "Mmhm, not tired yet, and you gotta get that cheddar, know what I mean?" Brick beamed, still squashed into his seat.

 "...Can you actually leave this taxi cab?" Chip wondered.

 "I'm lookin' into changing professions," Brick admitted. "Might go back to bein' a pizza delivery driver. That was fun, and they usually have a rat-sized vehicle handy."

 "Uh, you haven't started your fare," Chip noticed.

 "Eh, you guys earlier gave me a nice tip, so it's on me," Brick grinned. "You look like you're in a rush. So I'll say what I say when I gotta get a hot pizza clear across Little Rodentia: IT'S PIZZA TIME!"

 Brick floored his small mouse-sized cab and went screaming down the street. Chip was screaming as well.

 "I preferably don't want to actually meet the cops, just get in their neighborhood!" Chip protested loudly.

 "Don't worry about it!" Brick suggested. 

 

---

 

Chip felt his adrenaline already pumping as he was let off about a block from the LRPD. He checked his phone as he got out. He had a recent text from Gadget:

 [About two blocks away from the LRPD]

 [I made it.]

 A quick "typing..." followed with.

 [Don't do anything rash!]

 Just then, a rodent figure walked briskly past Chip. He had a trench coat and matching hat, carrying a somewhat large briefcase for his size.

 "Stilton!" Chip called out. "Stilton!"

 The figure took a turn into the final alleyway before the LRPD.

 "Stilton, stop!" Chip just about followed him into the alleyway, but stopped before he disappeared between the two buildings. "I just wanna talk!"

 "I don't!" Stilton turned around, and Chip's blood ran cold as he saw the mouse's free hand pull a small gun out of his trenchcoat.

 "Wh-whoa, what are you doing!?" Chip help up his paws. "Are you insane? We're RIGHT next to the LRPD! Guns are illegal in Little Rodentia!"

 "So's killing you, but I just might if you don't shut your mouth!" Stilton seethed, gesturing toward him. "There's no way you'd be here if you weren't onto me. You and your idiot brother. Where is he?"

 "I dunno, he might be circling right around you as we speak," Chip lied, "so I wouldn't try anything. He took your brother down, after all." His mind was racing; he sure could have used a dose of "who's your friend" right about then.

 "Tchhh!" Stilton cringed. 

 "Why on earth would you set up your brother like that?" Chip wondered. "That's all I wanna know."

 "That's your problem," Stilton sneered. "Your chipmunk brain is too small to understand. Just like my brother's. He's not a useful mouse. We mice are the gifted of Industry, have been for centuries. We've been leading society, solving every problem, yet every other mammal glosses over it like its expected of us. I can barely keep my organization funded when we have the next generation of technology right within our claws!"

 "And so... for that..." Chip held up his arms defensively, "you what, just want some more money from your invention? I think that's fair."

 "Don't patronize me, 'munk!" Stilton seethed. "You have no idea the amount of work I've put in to make this a success!" He shook his briefcase in frustration. "Even flashy gumshoes like you and your brother are more respected this city than we who are working hard to try to better all of intelligent life! You idiot, brainless chipmunks!"

 Chip's teeth grit tightly in his mouth. He was running out of possible de-escalation tactics, and his mind grasped for any more.

 "Hey, you were on the news tonight, and I wasn't," Chip tried. "That's something." It sounded lame, even to him.

 "On the nightly news, on the graveyard shift!" Stilton screeched, throwing his arms out wide. "No one watches that! Barely anyone watches the actual news a-AAAGHCCCKKKH!"

 Stilton suddenly tensed up and dropped to the ground.

 "Wh-wha!?" Chip blurted, but before his mind could properly process what had happened, he felt himself running over to the fallen mouse and grabbing his gun, quickly putting its safety on. He looked up to see Gadget, wearing her wingsuit and a pair of leather gloves, wielding a wrench.

 "I uh, I went and got my taser wrench," Gadget grinned sheepishly.

 "Gadget!" Chip was elated. "Thank the Celestials! Just in the nick of time, too!"

 "Gghk... kk.." Stilton twitched on the ground a couple more times.

 "Uh, I think I hit him a bit hard with the juice," Gadget cringed. "Hope he'll be okay."

 "I'm just so glad you got here in time," Chip huffed. "I-"

 "Don't! Don't shoot me! Gyaaagh!" Stilton struggled to his feet and ran for his life, disappearing around a corner.

 "Uh, okay, I won't," Chip shook his head, trying to catch his thoughts and breath.

 "Now what...?" Gadget wondered, making sure her taser wrench invention was powered down. She picked up the suitcase. "I mean, this thing still is technically his. And the gun."

 "I... I guess I just have to go to the ZPD tomorrow," Chip huffed, slinking against the side of the building. "Tell Bogo what happened. Probably gonna be a lot of questions. Hopefully the gun has a registration that they can trace back. Maybe Stilton will get in trouble for having it? Probably not. He'll probably even get his computer core back and do with it what he wants."

 "Can't believe he was impatient enough to try something the same night he got it back..." Gadget rubbed her chin.

 "Curse my fastidiousness," Chip clacked his teeth together in a sneer. "I think I spooked him by somehow suggesting I might have found him out. Then he tried to take me out."

 "Glad you're okay, Chip," Gadget had a small smile.

 "Say, Gadget, I don't suppose after tonight you'd be interested in being one of the Rescue Rangers..?" Chip huffed, struggling to his feet. "As you can see, it can get a little dangerous."

 Gadget's smile widened. "You kidding?"

 "I think Dale and I could use some questionably-legal defensive devices either way," Chip admitted with a gentle, relieved laugh.

 "I'd love to," Gadget sighed. "I really would."

 

---

 

 There was a popular, if small, auto shop in Downtown Zootopia, right next to all of the big important buildings, but out of the way enough that one could miss it if they weren't looking for it. A forest-green food truck sometimes frequented the street there, selling grubfurters.

 In the shop, the owner and his wife looked down at Gadget. The three were all wearing matching jumpsuits, the black and white rabbit a nice medium dark blue, his sand cat wife a charming pink, and Gadget a muted purple. 

 "So, you're sure about this, huh?" Inquired Ozzie Rodbit, the owner of Ozzie's Auto Repair. "I'm grateful for the two-week notice, at least."

 "I'm sure," Gadget smiled. "I've wanted to be part of something like this my whole life."

 "Y'know truthfully?" Ozzie shook his head and shrugged. "I could tell. You treat our shop like a jungle gym. I think I knew you couldn't sit still. Tensie and I are really gonna miss you."

 "I sure will," Ortensia the sand cat pouted. "I hope you'll come visit."

 "I'd like to do more than that," Gadget winced. "Could I split my time here, maybe? If you especially need help with a rodent sized car or two, I could probably swing by."

 "We could make an arrangement like that," Ozzie chuckled, his paw to his chin in thought. "A grease merc huh? It's an interesting concept. I dunno if I could pay you as much in that case, though."

 "That's okay," Gadget shook her head. "Your company will make up the difference."

 "Aw dang it, Gadgie, you're so sweet!" Ortensia stomped a foot.

 "Tell me about it, you're gonna make me tear up here," Ozzie had a wobbly grin. "I'm gonna miss that spunk, squeaker. That and those tiny mouse hands, we're gonna need someone like that."

 "Well, there's plenty of rodents around, I'm sure you'll find someone to replace me," Gadget insisted.

 "Do your job? Maybe," Ozzie nodded. "But replace you? Never."

 "Aw, now who's sweet...?" Gadget felt her eyes glassing a bit, running over to hug each of their legs in turn.

 "Awkward, but okay," Ozzie chuckled. 

 "Hey, can I make a weird request?" Gadget looked up at the black and white rabbit.

 "Shoot."

 "I've... kinda grown to like this purple jumpsuit you gave me for work," Gadget pointed at her attire. "Do you mind if I wear it while I'm with the Rescue Rangers?"

 "...Uh, that is weird," Ozzie shrugged. "But I don't see why not? It's free advertising! ...Kinda. There's not an Ozzie Auto Repair patch on back, just yer name on the front."

 "We could sew one on!" Ortensia suggested. "I could do it in a flash."

 "Eh, forget it," Ozzie bat a paw. "She can wear it as much as she wants. If it keeps us in her heart, all the more so."

 "I always told you you were a big softie," Gadget beamed.

 "Yeah, well don't go spreadin' that around," Ozzie warned, "especially if you're going to be around those gumshoe types."

 "Speaking of," Ortensia frowned, "I heard you really didn't get along with that Chip guy that well. Did anything change?"

 "Nothing except perspective, I guess," Gadget considered. "He's still him, I'm still me. I think he just realizes that I... could help." She lifted her taser wrench onto her shoulder, putting on a brave look, though she felt a little emotionally vulnerable.

 "Well, amen to that, you're a superstar, squeaker," Ozzie beamed. "Knock 'em dead, why don'cha?"

 Gadget nodded and made for the rodent-sized door to Ozzie's Auto Repair. She took in a breath as it swished open without resistance. Ozzie had finally found the time to get it fixed.

 "Uh, not literally, of course," Ozzie added.

 Gadget looked behind her shoulder and smirked. "I know what you mean, dummy."

Notes:

Had a health scare to begin this year, so felt like I should go ahead and get this idea out while it was rattling around in my brain. The future as always is uncertain, but off I go into it regardless.

Chapter 218: Green

Notes:

It's been a long time, I know. Lots of things have happened to me, things I've had to go through and endure. Nevertheless, seeing the little clip for Zootopia 2 did remind me how much I do like writing for Nick and Judy, so I thought I'd write a little story for old time's sake.

Don't expect too much more out of me for awhile. I've contracted neuropathy in my fingers from my medical treatments which makes it actually hurt to write, but even still I wanted to take another crack at this while I was thinking about the bunny and fox.

Regardless of what I've been through, I still think Zootopia and its characters are neat and fun, and thus decided to tack this on as another piece to this gargantuan anthology of mine. Hope you enjoy reading.

 Nick and Judy stood there in Chief Bogo's office, both still and at attention, while the buffalo scrutinized them and looked over some papers.

 "Well, I can't say you two haven't earned this," Bogo said with an even voice, glaring at the two smaller mammals. The two dared not even look their superior in the eye. He reached into his desk and grabbed two things, pushing them across the desk. "Congratulations, you two."

 Judy was the first to look down and her face lit up, followed by Nick who had to look twice. There were two small badges on the desk that read "Zootopia Police Detective" on them, neatly folded into pleather carriers.

 "We- we made detective?" Nick sounded like he couldn't believe he was saying those words.

 The bunny gasped shrilly. "You see!? I told you this was it, I told you, Nick!"

 "Yes, well," Chief Bogo coughed. "Seeing as you two do your best work together and drive anyone else you work with to madness, I have little choice but to continue your service here as partners. I trust that is acceptable to you two."

 Judy responded by engaging Nick in a protracted and complicated "secret pawshake" that went on for so long that Bogo snorted and rolled his eyes.

 "I mean, yes sir, of course, sir," Judy couldn't help but titter.

 "If you two are quite done celebrating, perhaps you could make yourselves useful, mm?" Bogo pushed a manila folder across the desk along with their new badges. "It's a rather unusual missing mammals case. Should be nostalgic for you two, yes? However, there's a bit of a twist that no one has been able to make headway on. I'm trusting it to you two."

 "We're on it, Chief," Nick picked up the folder and his badge from the desk.

 "Yes sir, we won't let you down!" Judy had an enormous smile and her paw faintly trembled as she saluted.

 "Now get out of here and go change into more appropriate attire," Bogo flicked one of his hands at them. "I trust you know-"

 "Zootopian detectives must be dressed professionally, but not in uniform, and have their badges displayed at all times on their person, SIR!" Judy repeated in a somewhat wavering voice.

 Chief Bogo rolled his eyes again and used a snort to cover a small smile. "Go."

 Judy rushed down the hall to the locker rooms like it was Crittermas morning. 

 "I really never thought we'd make detective," Nick rubbed his chin, grinning. He started to look through the case file he was presented. "Maybe I should go get fitted for one of those wide-brimmed hats and matching trench coats." He chuckled. "Look the part, you know?"

 Judy giggled in response. "Would probably be a step up from what you usually wear."

 Nick scoffed. "Hurtful. Just for that, I'm going to get back into my typical clothes."

 The two separated, but only long enough to get into their usual style of civilian clothes, only now decorated at their hip level with their new badges.

 "I dunno, Nick, what do you think?" Judy twisted this way and that on her heels as she felt at her badge's location on her clothes. "Do you think this is too casual for the ZPD? I might have to get a few more professional-looking outfits."

 "I'm sure we'll have to do a lot of explaining that we are, in fact, actual detectives and not giddy little kits playing like we are," Nick chuckled. "Buut, if you wanted, we could go shopping for a li'l hat and trench coat for you..."

 Judy smirked and folded her arms. "No, Nick. Not on duty, anyway."

 Nick's brow raised in interest. "So you'll consider it-?"

 "Have you looked at our case yet or not?" Judy interrupted, chucking him on the arm.

 "Ow," Nick replied flatly. "I have, in fact. I saw this on the news. It's four missing mammals, and they seem to have nothing in common. Female groundhog, male rabbit, male rhino, and male warthog. All missing."

 "Then why are they in the same case file?" Judy tilted her head.

 "Because each of their families noticed that when they'd vanished, they'd been," Nick tried to swallow a smile, only half-succeeding, "replaced by a frog."

 "I... what?" Judy blinked, baffled. "That's odd."

 "That's a word for it," Nick thumbed through the case. "There's not a lot more details about the disappearances. We should probably interview the families of the missing mammals. Any preference where we go first, Detective Hopps?"

 "Detective HOPPS!" Judy squeaked, putting her hands on her cheeks and stamping both of her feet. "Ooh, I just love how that sounds!"

 "You're not beating the 'giddy kit' allegations at this rate, my dear," Nick smirked.

 "Sorry, sorry, you're right," Judy brushed her ears back and ran her paws down her sides. "Well, maybe I can do the whole 'I can relate because I'm the same species' thing with the family of the rabbit."

 "Well, they are the closest, right down the way in Savanna Central," Nick shrugged, "missing mammal's name is... Beat Box? Really?"

 "Nick, when you're naming a bunny litter, you tend to get more creative as you go on," Judy said as she looked at the enclosed image. "Or more desperate. Huh. Brown and dark-brown lop, huh? He looks young. Wait, 'lives alone with his wife'? Now that's more unusual, bunny-wise. We should probably see what's up with him first. C'mon, Detective Wilde. I'll drive."

 Hearing the words sent a small flash of warmth through the fox's body and up his throat, which he tried to disguise as a cough. Harder still was the fight to contain a smile. Judy, with no such defenses, had an almost manic grin of glee as she ran down to the garage with him.   

 

---

 

 The two newly-appointed detectives drove up to and parked near the house of Aurelia Box, the wife of Beat Box. The house was on a fairly well-to-do street of Savanna Central, modest enough but well-situated.

 "Nice place," Nick noted, taking off and pocketing his sunglasses, "wonder what they do for a living."

 Judy strode up the smallish steps to the door and knocked. A mottled brown and dark brown bunny with lop ears came out, looking surprised.

 "Yes?"

 "Hello, ma'am," Judy waved, showing her badge. "We're Detectives Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, ZPD. We just wanted to ask you a few questions about the-"

 "Oh! Thank goodness! Yes, come on in! My name is Aurelia, Aurelia Box, don't mind the mess," Aurelia led the two in. Nick noted a bunch of cardboard boxes everywhere as well as a bunch of electronic equipment that seemed to belong to some kind of streaming setup. The householder herself had a light, peculiar accent that Judy couldn't quite place.

 Judy cleared her throat. "Um, so what can you tell us about-"

 "Please help my poor husbunny!" Aurelia interrupted again, thrusting a smallish cage at them. In it was a plain green frog. "He's been like this for, gosh, I think a week now! I've had to buy cockroaches for him to eat and everything. And he doesn't usually eat cockroaches!"

 Nick tried to maintain a neutral expression on his muzzle as he looked down at the frog, who seemed peacefully oblivious to anything going on around it.

 "This... is your 'husbunny'?" Judy asked carefully.

 "Well, it has to be!" Aurelia insisted. "Poor Beat was just fine until one morning I woke up and he was like this on the pillow! I have to say, like this he is a lot calmer..."

 "Mrs. Box, I am... close to one hundred percent sure that that is not your husband," Judy pointed at the frog. 

 "What other explanation is there?" Aurelia looked confused. "I love Beat and he loves me. You don't think... did someone kidnap him and replace him with a frog?"

 "Now, we're not going to jump to any conclusions here," Judy put up both paws, "but we're also not going to rule anything out."

 "So he could be this frog!" Aurelia nodded, eyes wide. Judy's brow furrowed and her ears went back as she felt her nerves fraying already.

 "Now ma'am, it could be that all this little guy needs is a kiss from a beautiful mammal to change back," Nick couldn't help himself.

 "I've already tried that!" Aurelia complained. "Several times!"

 Nick looked to the frog as if for confirmation, but it didn't react. "Ah, I guess I won't have to try, then."

 Judy scoffed. "Nick. Let's try to keep from speculating on anything supernatural. Mammals don't just turn into frogs."

 "Well, remember that one time all those predators were going savage?" Aurelia held the cage back in a defensive way. "Stranger things have happened."

 Judy's face squinted and scrunched as if she'd bit into something particularly sour. "I- we... Mrs. Box, Nick and I- er, Officer- DETECTIVE Wilde and I... we solved that case. Said mammals were being drugged, there was nothing supernatural going on."

 "There wasn't...?" Aurelia sounded almost disappointed.

 "That's the trouble, Hopps," Nick shook his head, "only the sensational news really makes waves, lots of mammals don't stick around to see the end."

 "Is there anywhere Mr. Box may have fled to?" Judy inquired. "Any enemies he has?"

 "What?" Aurelia looked aghast. "No way! My Beat boy is the sweetest and most lovable husbunbun in the whole world! He'd never leave, and no one'd ever wanna harm him." Aurelia hugged the cage close, but again, the frog was unbothered.

 "Well, mm, I have to say, this isn't a lot to go on," Judy sighed, "but if you think of anything else," she tore off a page and handed it to her, "you can call this number and let us know. 

 "You two are leaving already?" Aurelia blinked. "Well, okay. But what do you think I should do with him?" She thrust the cage forward.

 "Make sure to feed him the freshly molted cockroaches, if you can," Nick advised. Judy looked at him quizzically. "What? They got no teeth; they're easier for 'em to eat."

 The frog blinked, seemingly for the first time since they'd been there.

 

---

 

 Judy sighed as she and Nick gathered themselves into their cruiser. "Well, that wasn't too helpful."

 Nick rifled through the case files as Judy started their vehicle. "Who should we look at next? I think the closest one is the home of the missing groundhog?"

 "Sure," Judy muttered, "unless you know of any witch covens or potion sellers in the area."

 Nick smirked. "I mean, 'legitimate' ones?"

 "We proved mammals don't just 'go savage'," Judy put a paw on her forehead and launched it off in exasperation, "how could Mrs. Box think her husband had really just been turned into a frog!? Are bunnies really that gullible?"

 "Making it a point not to answer that," Nick said daintily. "Anyway, here, I'll punch the next address into the navigator, investigator."

 Judy's phone began to ring. Her eyes flicked over to the screen and she saw that it was her parents. "Ah, Nick, could you put that on speaker?"

 Nick complied, setting her phone on a holder.

 "Hellooo~!" Judy sang out. "Mom, Dad?"

 "Hi, sweetie!" Bonnie responded. "No muzzletime? We didn't catch you at a bad time, did we?"

 "Well..." Judy drawled out, "Nick and I are in the middle of a case, actually."

 Stu gasped. "Does that mean...?"

 "Yup," Judy answered brightly, "Nick and I made detective!"

 All three of the bunnies on the call squealed loudly, making Nick's ears go back in an automatic defensive response, though he had a good-natured smirk on as he squinted through the sonic pain.

 "Ooh! Ooh! What case are ya workin' on?" Stu wondered.

 "Now Dad," reproved the bunny detective, "I'm not at liberty to discuss such things, you know that-"

 "Is it the one about those mammals being replaced with frogs?" Stu asked. 

 Bafflement struck Judy's face as Nick's muzzle crinkled to stifle a giggle. 

 "...How did you know that?"

 Nick beamed. "Told ya it made the news."

 "You don't suspect BLACK MAGIC, do you?" Stu asked in an inquisitive, low tone.

 "No Dad, I don't," Judy huffed, having to fight an eye roll to keep her eyes on the road.

 "Stu," Bonnie admonished, sending Nick into a laughing fit. "Oh, Nick's there too, hi!"

 "Ma'am," Nick said between chuckles, smirking at his irritated partner.

 "Well, it just so happens your mother thinks she's seen one of the missing mammals," Stu was quick to offer. "The brown and dark brown lop bunny?"

 "Really?" Judy's head tilted a few degrees.

 "Oh Stu, I just thought I saw him," Bonnie didn't sound convinced. "I thought I saw him at the local Bushel's, but there are probably thousands of bunnies who look exactly like him."

 "It could be worth a look if we can get permission to canvas out in Bunnyburrow," Judy considered. "Thanks for the info!"

 "Oh, are you coming this way, then?" Stu sounded excited. "Maybe you both could stop by on your way in or out."

 Judy had a warm laugh. "Dad, we're working a missing mammals case. Maybe if we have time."

 "Of course, of course," Stu replied. "Well, we'll let you two go now. Hugs and kisses!"

 "You too, Dad," Judy said. "Love ya, Mom."

 Judy reached out to the holder and hung up, her spirits looking replenished.

 "So... off to Bunnyburrow if we can get the clearance?" Judy looked to Nick.

 "I'll radio Clawhaus- what's with that look?" Nick narrowed his eye at the ingratiating-looking bunny face half-pointed his way as she drove.

 "I dunno~," Judy chirped. "Maybe we could stop by the burrow on our way back, if we make any headway in the case, that is. Or even if we don't. It's a thought."

 "Oh no," Nick's brow furrowed. "I can smell a surprise party coming from a mile away. That sounds like pure chaos at your folk's place."

 "Oh, it won't be that bad," Judy's voice tried to play off his concerns, "Violet is probably planning it as we speak."

 Nick huffed out a heavy sigh, slumping in his chair. "You know what it's like every time I visit. I get external bruises from your siblings pouncing and prodding me, and internal bruises from everyone force-feeding me."

 "But you love Hopps food!" Judy protested with a big grin.

 "Not enough to induce hibernation," Nick shot back.

 "Fine... we'll just think about it, okay?" Judy offered. Nick rolled his eyes and folded his arms. He knew that meant she wouldn't let it go. He picked up his receiver and radioed the ZPD base.

 

---

 

  Nick's eyes widened as he took in the massive scope of the Bunnyburrow grocery store he and Judy had stepped into. 

 "Holy Moly," Nick breathed out in awe, removing his sunglasses. "I was expecting a cozy little supermarket, not one larger than most of Zootopia's."

 "We do have to feed a lot of bunnies, Nick," Judy chuckled.

 "The size of this place," the fox went on, "it's a miracle your mom saw our boy Beat at all, even if he was here. We'd be lucky to run into anyone else that saw him."

 Judy had a look seasoned with a pinch of sass as she turned her head to look at Nick. "Psh, shame on you, Nick. You know better. It's not about luck, it's about who you..." she got on her tiptoes and looked around near the front, "know! This way!" The bunny made for the checkout aisles, beckoning to her partner.

 Nick followed Judy to one of the aisles near the middle of the store, recently vacated. A dirty-blonde-furred bunny was there with big caramel brown eyes. She lit up as she saw Judy approaching. The fox noticed her name-tag read "Melanie".

 "Melanie!" Judy confirmed in celebration, her arms open.

 "Big sis!" Melanie replied with equal mirth, hugging Judy. Despite this nickname, Nick was bemused that she was actually a few inches taller than his partner.

 "Ah, of course," Nick folded his arms. "You Hopps are everywhere here in Bunnyburrow, huh?"

 "Hey, Nick," Melanie looked up at him from her hug with her sister with half-lidded eyes scarily reminiscent of Judy's when she was in a sly mood, "you two visiting the Burrow again? On vacation?"

 "Not quite," Nick replied, hoping he could avoid the fact that he couldn't quite remember if he'd met this particular Judy sibling last time. "Your fellow Hopps and I are actually here on a case and wondering if you could help."

 "What? No way!" Melanie half-pushed out of the hug to look at Judy, who nodded in confirmation. "Sure! I'd be glad to help if I can."

 "Have you seen this bunny?" Judy pulled out a picture of Beat Box for Melanie to scrutinize. "Mom says she saw him here a couple of days ago."

 "Oh, yeah, yeah!" Melanie rapidly pointed at the picture. "In fact, I checked him out! Not like, 'checked him out' like that. I mean, he is pretty cute, right?"

 "He's married, and you're barely out of high school," Judy replied with a smirk.

 "Ah, yikes," Melanie giggled nervously, running a paw through her ears. "That's weird though..."

 "What's weird?" Nick pursued.

 "I mean, from what I remember about what he was buying, he was on 'bachelor mode'," Melanie replied, "case of beer, lots of microwavable meals. I thought he was single. So I did uh, talk to him a bit."
 
 "Melanie..." Judy folded her arms.

 "Fluff, could you turn down the 'big sis' and turn up the 'detective'?" Nick teased.

 "So you two did make it! Sweet!" Melanie looked excited.

 "Did he say anything that could lead us to him?" Judy asked, arms still folded.

 "Kinda..." Melanie winced. "I asked where he worked and he made it sound like he was between jobs. He actually asked if anyone around here was hiring, so I pointed him to that strip mall a couple blocks down. That has a few places that needed some paws."

 "That's as good a place to look as any, then," Judy nodded. "Thanks, Melanie."

 Melanie giggled and bounced on her heels a few times, fists balled up. "I can't believe I got to help you two out on a case! Has he done something real bad?"

 "We're not at liberty to say," Nick replied with a hint of smugness and superiority. "Come now, Detective Hopps."

 Judy flashed a big, unguarded grin at the title, then bounced after Nick, looking back over her shoulder. "Oh, and Melanie?"

 "Hm?" She looked up after her.

 "No dates 'til you're married."

 Melanie rolled her brown eyes. "Yes, Dad."

 

---

 

 Nick and Judy didn't have any luck at the first three stores they looked at on the strip mall Melanie had indicated, but the fourth one, a small hardware store, had a brown and dark brown mottled lop-eared bunny male helping to stock the store shelves.

 The fox whistled at his partner in a single note and nodded toward him. Judy bobbed her head to confirm and approached him.

 "Beat? Beat Box?" She greeted.

 "Guah!" The bunny immediately flailed his arms, nearly sending tools flying from the racks they were on. "Uh, wh-who...!?"

 "My name is Judy Hopps and this is Nick Wilde," Judy greeted, both of them showing their badges. "We're detectives with the ZPD."

 "Wait, WAIT!" Beat held up his arms defensively. "I didn't do anything wrong I swear! I give up!" He held his arms up higher.

 "Well, which is it?" Nick had to smirk at the panicked little bunny, though he knew he really shouldn't have.

 "We'd just like to ask you a few questions-" Judy started.

 "Wait, did you say you two were from the ZPD!?" Beat dropped his arms and moaned in despair, rubbing his hands on his head to stave off his approaching migraine. "Oh heck... she sent you out this far after me...?"

 "'She' being... your wife?" Nick asked.

 "Listen, I didn't do anything wrong, I swear it," Beat held his arms out plaintively. "I just... left. I can do that, can't I?"

 "I mean... yes," Judy seemed confused. "But did you happen to leave a frog when you left?"

 Beat cringed very hard, his cheeks and shoulders coming up.

 "Boy, I'd love to play you in poker," Nick quipped.

 "Could you possibly explain that for me?" Judy wondered. "Assuming you're not in trouble."

 "It's a... it's kind of a 'calling card' for the online support chatroom I'm in," Beat rubbed behind his head. "The... the ninja vanishers."

 "The what...?" Judy's brow perked up.

 "It's a support group for mammals who're... getting fed up with their partners," Beat sounded ashamed and looked it, crestfallen. "In a like... non-abusive way. Our 'calling card' is to leave a frog when we... uh, leave."

 "Why a frog?" Nick was genuinely curious.

 "It's been a long, uh... patron animal of ninjas, and, boy, it sounds silly now that I'm saying that out loud," Beat's voice got weaker and weaker.

 "So, uh, what was wrong with your wife?" Judy wondered. "She seemed really desperate to get you back."

 "I mean, like, did you talk to her!?" Beat replied with a worried expression. "She's a big-shot streamer, you know, just hit a million viewers."

 Judy looked to Nick for help but he shrugged.

 "Never heard of 'Psychonugget'?" Beat seemed surprised. "Well, she is! She makes a ton of money and spends it on like, anything she can think of. And she streams so late! I can't sleep, I got no room there, I'm goin' crazy!"

 "Did you try, oh, I don't know, talking to her?" Judy seemed incredulous.

 "I- but- I mean, you know what she thinks of me..." Beat seemed pitiful, "what, am I going to say she shouldn't be pursuing her dreams and making money? I mean, I can't even give her kits, my fault, not hers, so like, what, I'm gonna say she can't have her career either? I feel like maybe we'd both be better off alone." He didn't really seem to believe this in his face, sorrow apparent on it.

 "Listen, pal," Nick sighed, "I don't know what to tell you about that, but I'm pretty sure this isn't the way. That said, you give us the link to that chatroom so we can check out the other missing mammals and I think we can call it even."

 "I... you're not gonna arrest me, are you?" Beat gulped. "You're not gonna tell Aurelia where I am, are you!? I'd rather you arrest me!"

 "We're not going to arrest you," Judy shook her head, sighing, "but we are going to tell her you're okay. She deserves to know that much. Beyond that, you'll have to iron out your differences yourselves, if you choose to do so. We're not marriage counselors."

 Beat looked relieved. "Th-thank you."

 Judy nodded. "Yup. Just doing our jobs."
 

---

 

 The road back to Zootopia stretched out far and winded this way and that, and Judy had a sour, almost sad expression to match the dullness of the road, her ears drooping.

 After a bit of making notes into his phone, Nick caught sight of his partner. "What's the matter, Detective Fluff? First case not quite live up to the hype?"

 "Mm," Judy barely responded in a squeak.

 "Was it that your mother basically solved the case for us?" Nick wondered. "Or that the case itself was so ridiculous and anticlimactic?"

 Judy seemed to chew within her mouth and her expression drooped even more. She sighed.

 "It's really not either of those," her voice was quiet. "I was just thinking about what we have to do now."

 "What do you mean?" 

 "We have to go to the loved ones of each of those mammals and tell them what happened," Judy explained bitterly. "That their partners just... left them."

 Nick straightened up a bit in his seat. "I hope you didn't think being detective would be all sunshine and rainbows."

 "I- I didn't, but..." Judy's voice started to pinch. "It'd be easier if there was a kidnapper, you know? That means there's a real bad guy. This way there's just... just drama. Just pairs of mammals who couldn't make it work and- and just..."

 Nick grabbed at the the door and seat as Judy suddenly swerved off the road to park on the side, miles from either their destination or their origin.

 "Judy?" Nick blinked, his heart starting to race.

 "Sorry Nick, I just... I need a minute," Judy bowed her head, clearly fighting tears.

 Nick sat there uncomfortably for a full minute, watching his partner. "Hey, you know, if there's anything bothering you-"

 "You'd warn me, wouldn't you...?" Judy looked like she was straining the words out.

 "Warn you of what?" Nick blinked.

 "If I... if I ever got so annoying that you had to bh- 'become' a frog," Judy tried a laugh, but it came out as a sob. She wiped her eyes with the flat of her paws.

 "You're being ridiculous," Nick tried a reassuring half-smile. "You know that-"

 "I know I could drive you away!" Judy wailed. "I know that! I know I'm capable of that because it happened. I just..." she sobbed a few more times, "please just warn me if we're going in that direction again..."

 Nick swallowed. "I mean, where's this all coming from all of a sudden?"

 "I dunno, Nick," Judy bowed her head. "I just... we've come so far, and I just... I feel like I have a lot more to lose now, all of a sudden. And, I want to prevent that any way I can. Whether it's something I can do, or..."

 Nick felt a dart of emotion pierce him, trying desperately not to wince as she trailed off. "Hey, Detective Fluff. I have an idea. Why don't you do a three point turn here and head back to the Burrows. We can go to your folks' place."

 Judy's ears seemed to perk back up and she coughed out a smile. "We can't. It's not legal to do one on this road."

 Nick's brow fell. "Then do a u-turn a few miles up the road where it is legal."

 The bunny blinked, squeezing out a few final tears. "Nick you... you made it pretty clear you don't want to go."

 Nick pat her shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze. "Hey, I'll live."

 Judy gave a shaky sigh with a weak smile and turned the cruiser back on to the road. A few miles down, the option for a u-turn back to Bunnyburrow was available. She looked at her partner.

 "...You sure?"

 "I deserve to be celebrated a little, don't you think?" Nick put his fingers delicately on his chest. "We're only going to make 'first fox and bunny detectives in Zootopia' once, after all."

 Judy smiled, warmer this time. "We sure are."

 The monstrous truck made a u-turn and roared down the road back to Bunnyburrow. 

Chapter 219: Tracks

 At first, Judy didn't sense anything was off. She often got to the bullpen before Nick, if only just. As she sat there, taking occasional glances to the doorway as other mammals filed in, it was starting to become apparent that he was late. When Chief Bogo himself took his podium, Judy felt a twinge of worry in her stomach. She quickly whipped out her phone and fired off a message as Bogo began to read out everyone's new assignments.

 [Where are you?] the text to Nick read.

 "Hopps," Bogo gave her a look.

 "Nnh! Yessir!" Judy put her phone away and rushed over to the podium. She expected the buffalo to be angrier that she'd had her phone out, but he just had his usual concocted look between boredom and sternness.

 Chief Bogo shook a stack of manila folders at her. "Today I need you to look over these case files and compare them with our digital versions of said case files. Check the last edit and append dates of each; if there's anything that doesn't match up on the digital files, I need you to edit them with the most up-to-date version of the information on the hard copy."

 "Uh-understood," Judy gave a firm nod, collecting the files from him. It was quite a stack, but she carried it well. She happened to linger in the room after everyone else had received their assignments, making her way back over to the Chief with the files in tow. "Um, Sir?"

 "Mm?" Bogo looked down at her. "Something the matter with your task, Hopps?"

 "No sir, I'll get right on this," Judy replied, but then her brow furrowed. "Do you know where Officer Wilde is?"

 Bogo's brow raised a little. "I feel like I should be asking you that. He's out on bereavement."

 Judy felt an icy shock pulse through her core, nearly buckling under the weight of the files and her own ankles, quickly slamming a paw on top of the files to steady herself.

 "Bereavement!?" Judy's echo was more than a little panicked.

 "You didn't know, then?" Bogo adjusted his reading glasses. "I see." He let a puff of air out of his large nose, then closed his eyes and gave a single wag of his head. "Hopps, I want to preface what I'm about to say by telling you that each of those cases you hold affects anywhere from one to many mammals' livelihoods. It's important we keep our records straight for the good of the lives of all in Zootopia. ...That said, I would not be... averse to you slaking your curiosity about your partner. Just please, get that done."

 "Of course, sir, I'll get started right away," Judy took an incredibly difficult swallow and charged forward to her desk.

 

---

 

 The moment she was set up at her cubicle, her thumbs flew across her phone.

 [Is everything okay!?]

 Taking a shaky breath, she logged into the ZPD's computer log systems, preparing to dive into her work. After typing in her credentials, she was surprised to hear her phone chime a text arriving right before she got to her first file to analyze.

 [Everything's okay. I'll talk to you later.]

 Judy's mouth twitched this way and that as she read the text, her brow coming up. She felt like she'd just taken a single sip of water while dying of thirst. She prepared to text him back immediately, but resisted the urge, setting her phone back down and diving into her work with her teeth grit in her mouth.

 Several files passed her scrutiny. Judy took Bogo's words to heart. Each of these mammals was someone. Each of them had family that cared about them, whether victim or perpetrator, each of them had friends who cared about the outcome of their cases, as well as enemies that might want to see something different happen to them. 

 Each of them had family.

 One of Nick's family had just died.

 The thought blasted against her mind like waves crashing on a shore. Her mouth broke open, revealing the tightly closed rabbit teeth beneath. He said it was fine. Nothing can fall through the cracks. Judy had already double and triple checked the files, fixing several discrepancies that she found. She was making a difference in the world, a positive one. One mistake in the wrong place at the wrong time was all it took for things to go bad. Carelessness could be costly; it could impede justice. These were mammals. All with their own lives.

 Someone Nick cared about lost theirs.

 Judy let out a breath she didn't know she was carrying, placing a paw on her forehead as she leaned over her desk. She picked up her phone, which felt like it weighed ten times as much, looking at her lock screen. It was a picture Judy had Clawhauser take of herself and Nick together at the fox's ZPD graduation. Judy was jubilant, of course. Her face reflected pure jubilation. Nick's wasn't far behind, in fact, the reason Judy had picked that picture as her lock screen was because of how genuinely happy her fox friend looked on it. His smile was far happier than the smug smirk he usually wore, Nick had his arm around Judy and hers was around his back. The high angle of the shot gave the picture a hint of whimsy; the two "tiny terrors" of the ZPD ready to mete out justice to those who least expected it.

 The bunny's stomach churned inside her. She couldn't imagine what kind of pain Nick was in right now. Surely he was playing off what he was feeling to help Judy get through the day without having to worry about him. Surely he was putting up a tough front for her sake so that she wouldn't panic.

 It wasn't working. What if it was...

 Judy gasped and quickly texted Nick's mother. She fumbled a bit on just what she should type.

 [I just heard that] she deleted that.
 [I'm sorry for] deleted.
 [Please let me know if] deleted.

 Judy let loose a whine of pained frustration.

 [Can we talk as soon as you're able?] is what she finally texted. It sounded strange and clinical, definitely not her, but she sent it anyway.

 Judy's eyes flicked to her phone about once a every half minute while she made her way through more files. Her attention was slipping; she caught a mistake she let through and murmured in annoyance, rechecking the files she'd just gone through, trying to summon more focus and will.

 Her mind flicked over the entries of some of the suspects. One made her eyes freeze on the entry.

 Implicated in matricide.

 What if it was-!?

 Judy desperately grabbed her phone and called Mrs. Wilde.

 "Please, please please..." Judy begged quietly as the phone rang and rang. Her eyes were squeezed shut, moistening under the lids.

 "Hello?" Eventually, Mrs. Wilde's voice came over the line.

 "Oh, thank gosh, thank gosh..." Judy felt like the atmosphere had gotten twice as light. 

 "Is everything okay, Judy?" Mrs. Wilde sounded concerned over the line.

 "I... um, I was wondering the same thing, ma'am," Judy replied. 

 "Well... not exactly," Nick's mother admitted. "My uncle passed away just two nights ago. In fact, I'm getting ready right now to catch a train to Foxden with Nick to attend his funeral service."

 "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Judy said automatically, though immediately felt a rush of shame as she realized her body was flooding with relief. "I- I- I just... uh... heard Nick was on bereavement and assumed- uhm... well... I don't know what I assumed." 

 Judy was a terrible liar, and Mrs. Wilde's gentle laugh in response told the bunny that she knew it.

 "Nick didn't tell me what was going on," Judy weakly added in her defense.

 "Nick wasn't close to his great-uncle if that's what you want to know, sweetheart," Mrs. Wilde said.

 Judy winced as she suddenly felt incredibly selfish. "I... I'm sorry for what happened. Just uh... I'll let you get ready- I won't take up any more of your time."

 "My time's never wasted on you, dear, but I do need to get moving," Mrs. Wilde said warmly. "I'll let Nick fill you in on whatever else you want to know later, okay?"

 "Understood, goodbye," Judy nodded, waiting for her to hang up. She collapsed against her desk.

 It was just his great-uncle. They weren't close.

 The thought was a hideous comfort. Judy felt disgusted that she kept having it multiple times. As soon as she got ready to panic again, it assuaged her fears and let her focus as she continued working. 

 Judy's brow furrowed as she went. She looked off to the side. The Chief had given her implicit permission to "slake her curiosity" about her partner.

 The bunny took up her phone again and looked up Zootopia's train schedule.

 

---

 

 The train station was busy, but not especially so. Mammals of all kinds were there, coming and going, going about their business. Few gave Judy heed, even though she was in her uniform. A nod or two, one wave and smile, a look of indifference, but the rest ignored her. Judy headed to the departures side, not bothering with a ticket. She was just there to see someone off.

 She'd done a little process of elimination and didn't think she'd have to wait long. Either that, or she'd have to come back in one more hour. That was doable. The bunny was right, though, and soon saw Nick walking toward her, dressed in a black coat, tie, and slacks. It struck her how differently Nick wearing a tie could look, from slovenly, to proud, to now serious and solemn. Nick's expression reflected this, though Judy thought she saw a mote of anger mixed with his muzzle.

 "Well, if it isn't my little sleuth of a partner," Nick said evenly, walking toward her.

 "Nick, I..." Judy held her hands out to the side. "I just wanted to- to offer my condolences." It sounded so lame to her, even though she'd practiced it in her head.

 "Consider them received," the fox nodded. "Now, I have to meet my mother here for the trip."

 "Just- just can you tell me why you didn't tell me?" Judy asked, looking pained. "I would've-"

 "Here's a question for you," Nick returned, "do you trust that if I needed your support, I'd ask for it?"

 "I- um...." Judy stammered, staring up at him, her ears collapsing.

 "Interesting response," Nick said, his expression especially unreadable. He then scoffed, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his muzzle. "Please tell me you didn't buy a ticket to Foxden."

 Judy shook her head. "I didn't. I just... well, I'm sorry, Nick. I was..." She sighed. She didn't know why she couldn't get her words out this morning.

 Nick looked like he was trying to smile, but it wasn't working that well. "We'll talk later, all right?" 

 The bunny's eyes closed and she let out a heavy sigh, nodding and looking half away. "Of course we will."

 A tingle of shock flooded through Judy as she felt a little hug envelop her. She quickly returned it, though almost as quickly it was over.

 Nick looked like he was going to say something as the two pulled away, but didn't. The lightest of smiles broke his muzzle.

 "I think I see my mom. Later."

 Judy waved after him after he left, though he wasn't looking back at her.

 

---

 

 "Officer Hopps!" Clawhauser squealed as he noticed her presence close to his desk.

 "Hi, Clawhauser," Judy looked up at him. "Can I ask you kind of a weird question?"

 "Of course!" Clawhauser leaned over his desk.

 "Do you think I'm too clingy with Nick?" 

 "What?" Clawhauser recoiled a little, giggling unsteadily, he flicked a paw and his eyes darted off to the side as if he was afraid of being watched. "Noo-oo-o...!"

 Judy's muzzle burst into a grimace. "Yikes, that bad, huh?"

 "It couldn't be less of a problem, Hopps," Clawhauser beamed. "You two go together like peanut butter and jelly." He let out a large gasp. "Ooh, that's what I need. A peanut butter and jelly doughnut."

 "Thanks, Clawhauser," Judy gave a drained smile.

 "I mean it, though!" Clawhauser insisted, nodding. "Like, who even thought those two would work so well together? One of them's coarse and bitey, and the other's gooey and mushy. The textures are so unlike each other! But, when you get into it, they're both sweet and they both compliment each other. That's you two!"

 "You're sweet, Clawhauser," Judy felt a little more energy return to her.

 "Oh, p'shaw," the rotund cheetah bat his paw again, but was startled into breaking out of his doting on the bunny as Chief Bogo approached. "Oh, hello Boss Buffalo!"

 "Hopps, a word," Bogo gestured at his office with one of his hoof fingers.

 "Yes sir," Judy frowned. She couldn't imagine what she'd be in there for now. As Bogo closed the door behind the two she started speaking immediately. "Sir, I made it through that whole stack, as you requested. I corrected a total of twenty-seven inaccuracies, and-"

 "Yes, very good, thank you, Hopps," Bogo sighed, and closed his eyes. "If I may, did you learn anything about the situation with Wilde?"

 "Oh, um, yes sir," Judy nodded. "His great-uncle passed away."

 "His great-uncle?" Bogo rubbed at his chin. "I see. I was wondering why Wilde didn't put in for the maximum allowed bereavement. I was thinking he might just trying to put on a brave face. Sounds more like he was pretty distant to him. Well, I suppose we'll be seeing him soon enough, then."

 "With all due respect, sir, isn't that kind of wrong to say?" Judy replied without thinking.

 "It may be pragmatic, but I wouldn't say 'wrong'," Bogo replied. "The death of a family member can weigh heavily upon our people, especially some kinds of predators that have naturally small families. I just wanted to know if you think he'll be fit for returning to work so soon, or if I should mandate he take more time off."

 "It's... I guess he knows what's best for him," Judy replied, still feeling uneasy.

 "You guess," Bogo repeated.

 "Yes sir, I do," Judy nodded. "I'll know for sure when I see him next."

 "Hm," Bogo huffed. "Looks like you two still don't quite know everything about each other yet, hm?"

 Judy gave a weak shrug. "Heh. There's always more to learn."

 

---

 

 It surprised Judy to see Nick back so soon, even with what Chief Bogo had said. There was the weekend, then Nick was back on Monday without any fanfare. He seemed himself, less jokey perhaps, but very mild. The day kind of blurred into the background as Judy tried to join him for a sense of normalcy. They made it through the whole day, including a handful of traffic stops, just going through the motions, never treading into personal territory.

 As the sun was preparing to set, though, and as the two were caught at a very long light, finally Judy broke.

 "Nick... could we, uh, could we please get a coffee when we get off, or something?" asked the bunny plaintively.

 "Sure, I'd love to get a coffee with you," Nick nodded.

 "I- uh, okay," Judy gripped the steering wheel of their cruiser tightly. "I mean, uh, you know why, right? I want to talk to you."

 Nick offered her a sort of tired smile, lacking its usual sarcastic acid. "I'm not a moron, Carrots."

 "Uh, right," Judy tittered.

 Judy paid for the coffee, of course, feeling like it was the least she could do. Nick watched as Judy dolled up his coffee the way he liked it, with plenty of cream and sugar, but was then surprised when she put nearly as much in her own, as she usually took hers black, or at the very least with one sugar and nothing else.

 "Thanks, Judy," Nick said as he took a sip of his hot beverage. "So, let's just get this out of the way. My great-uncle hated prey."
 
 Judy's eyes flew open. "Oh! ...Really?"

 Nick nodded. "Mhm. Said they were holding preds back. Trying to keep them stifled. Stuff like that. Said they were dumb, yet judgemental and controlling. Said they 'ran everything'."

 "Yeesh, I, uh..." Judy rubbed the back of her neck. "I guess I probably didn't help that much with the whole... y'know."

 "Actually, I don't know," Nick shook his head, taking another sip, "we didn't really have much contact since I joined the force, and I never really asked him much about his thoughts on you, me, the whole ZPD thing after that. I felt like I 'knew' what he'd think, y'know?"

 "R-right," Judy nodded.

 "Maybe that was wrong of me," Nick shook his head, "after all, I changed. Everyone says he didn't, though. So, that's why I didn't invite you to the funeral."

 "Because he hated prey?" Judy asked. "Um, forgive me if this is stepping out of line at all, but why would you care about what he thought about that?"

 "I dunno, I guess it's just kinda..." Nick tilted his head back, rubbing at his shoulder, "I wanted to give him his one last act of hatred, or whatever. Mom told me he never really changed his tune on prey, so... yeah."

 "Do a lot of your family think that way?" Judy asked carefully, trying not to sound judgmental.

 "No, actually," Nick's brow raised, "most are neutral to warm on prey, even pred-prey stuff. He and, to some extent me, back then, were outliers."

 "I guess I'm not sure why you wouldn't have wanted me along then", Judy looked up at him, concerned, "you know I'm here to give you support however I can. Are fox funerals just kind of a tight-knit thing?"

 "Sometimes," Nick nodded, "but it wasn't that. If I brought you along, I'd kind of make the funeral more about me, you know? Here I am, bringing a prey to the funeral, knowing he'd hate it, knowing there's nothing he could do about it, and knowing the family would know that as well, even those that like prey a lot. It's the last moment he got in this world to be about him, so... I guess I just wanted to respect that. Does that make sense?"

 "Kinda," Judy frowned, taking a sip. "So, you respected him, then?"

 "Prey-hater or not, he did some good things," Nick shrugged. "In fact, he and I didn't get along very well even when we both were sour on prey. He told me I needed to 'channel my anger into something useful instead of just moping around like a lump'. He resented that I was a hustler."

 "What did he do?" Judy wondered.

 "He was one of the lead engineers on the intra-continental train system," Nick explained. "Y'know, the one thousands of mammals use per day."

 Judy blinked, surprised at this. "Huh."

 "Ironic, huh?" Nick shrugged. "His gift to the world is something more prey use than preds. He did end up doing something good for all of mammal-kind despite his resentment."

 "If it wasn't him, it'd have been someone else, though," Judy shook her head, shrugging, "right?"

 "But it wasn't," Nick shook his head back, "it was him. And I guess I don't want to take that away from him just because its inconvenient that he never changed his mind on prey."

 "I guess so," Judy nodded. "At least I understand a bit better now."

 "I never made an effort to reach out, but neither did he," Nick went on, "he went suddenly, so there was no decline, no chance to try to smooth things over."

 "I'm sorry, Nick," Judy frowned. "I'm sure you could have turned things around with him if you got a chance."

 "You know, I'm not so sure about that, either," Nick shook his head, "he's the kind of fox that would have put his accomplishments above mine; I think that he'd have seen me having to buddy up with prey as a sign of weakness."

 "You're not weak, though," Judy frowned tightly. "You're strong."

 "Am I, though?" Nick smirked. "Took me twenty years to be pulled out of my rut."

 "Yeah, whatever," Judy waved her paw back and forth dismissively, then pointed at him, "but you did that. I could have been a divine messenger of the Celestials themselves sent with the sole purpose to redeem you and it wouldn't have worked unless you wanted to make it happen and did it yourself."

 "...mm," Nick nodded his head to the side.

 "And I'm certainly no angel," Judy put a hand on her chest, "you know that."

 "We-ell..." Nick put his chin on his paw, "we could debate that."

 Judy flicked her eyes to the side. "Nick. Anyway... um, how is your mom taking it?"

 "Just like me, really," Nick shrugged his shoulders. "He stopped talking to her too sometime near when I became ZPD. Like you said, people can't get out of a mire if they don't want out."

 "Sure..." Judy rubbed her cheek. "Wow, that really is just so ironic. I was on a train that he helped engineer that led me to Zootopia, leading to you, and the rest of it."

 "A train that I took to see him off to whatever's next, if anything," Nick added. "Really does seem poetic, somehow, if not a happy ending."

 "Life just doesn't work that way," Judy nodded absently, "but as hard as it can get, I want you to know I'm here for you."

 "I appreciate it," Nick said with a slightly warm smile, sipping his drink, "more than words can say."

 Judy felt a flutter at that, but nodded with her own soft smile. She decided to say nothing in return, and they were quiet like that for quite awhile, enjoying each other's company.

 The bunny felt a resolution within her to be true to what she'd just said. The next time she had to be there for Nick, she would be, without reservation.

 He deserved it. 

 He was worth it. 

 She wanted to make sure he knew that. 

Chapter 220: Bars

Notes:

The Zootopia 2 trailer finally got my thoughts back to the bun and fox for awhile, so here's what I've been thinking about for the past few days.

 It struck Nick as ironic that he'd never actually visited any of Zootopia's jails before. He figured that, sooner or later, in his previous life or the one he was currently living, that he'd have to had entered one at some point or another, but he never did. Striding down the cold, slightly damp halls of the Rainforest Districts primary jail, he kept a grim, focused look to him so that hopefully no one could sense the conflicting feelings bubbling within.

 He approached the meeting room for the event he'd set up and encountered a hippo guard standing just outside.

 "Officer Wilde?" The hippo guard looked down at him, reading his name off his badge, to a nod from Nick. "We read your request, and the prisoner is being escorted here presently, but I noticed in your notes it said that you didn't want him to have a muzzle on?"

 "That's right," Nick confirmed with another small nod.

 "You do know one of the crimes this guy was convicted for was a biting, right?" The hippo looked at Nick with some skepticism.

 Nick tried to balance a look of confidence with playfulness, hoping he was striking the right tone. "It'll be fine. If things get hairy, you'll be on the other side of the door, right?"

 The hippo wagged his head, but then shrugged. "Sure, I guess."

 Nick entered the room when he saw the prisoner was beginning to be escorted in. A rhino guard was escorting a fox in an orange jumpsuit, older than Nick. He looked a bit grizzled, though not in the way a gray fox would be. Perhaps "haggard" was the word. Still, despite his looks, he carried a sort of grim warmth to his face at seeing Nick. The cuffed fox was placed at the other side of a long table, and Nick took the other one.

 "Nick," the other fox smiled. "Wow, look at you. It has been a really long time, huh?" The older fox's voice was thick and gravely, but somehow warm, like that of a smoker who was trying to sell you something.

 "Hello, John," Nick replied with a practiced neutrality.

 "All right you two, nothin' funny," said the rhino, and walked back out of the door.

 John's face fell, but only a little. "I see. That's how it is, I guess. Come to spring me, I hope?"

 "I don't have that kind of power," Nick shook his head. "But if I was here to do that, you think you'd be ready for it?"

 "Heck, I don't know," John smirked. "I practically run this place. Nice buncha folks in here, I'm sure you know."

 "I may have put a few of them in here personally," Nick replied, again with an almost strained evenness.

 "I guess you might have," John's smile was a bit warmer still. "Gol-lee. I guess all of that Cub Scout stuff must have rubbed off on you something fierce, eh? Never guessed you would have been one of the police."

 "I suppose that would be a pretty far out guess given there's never been any Zootopian foxes in the force," Nick replied.

 "Always thought you'd grow out of it," John chuckled.

 Nick stiffed up in his chair. "But here I am."

 "There you are," John nodded. "Well, what do you want, tod? I'm sure you didn't come here for my pride."

 "Would you believe I just wanted to see how you were doing?" Nick replied.

 "Well, it's been long enough," John relaxed back in his seat. "I was starting to think you didn't care bout little ol' me."

 "I-" Nick's ears flattened against his head. "I don't feel like this was the life you were supposed to live."

 "Shoot, you're a genius," John replied with a familiar sarcasm. "They give you an IQ test to qualify at the ZPD?"

 "I'm serious," Nick replied, his teeth threatening to bare. "Once you get out, what are you going to do?"

 "I don't know if they're ever gonna let me out," John chuckled darkly. "They like foxes in prison."

 Nick made a face that could no longer restrain his anger, his brow heavily furrowed, a look of disgust on his face.

 "I tried, you know," John shook his head. "I did. I tried to make a living in this blasted city. Your mother ever tell you what my dream was? To build that tailor shop. But you think Zootopia wanted a fox running a legitimate business? That wasn't in their playbook. 'Anyone can be anything' my tail."

 "You did get the shop set up, didn't you?" Nick looked confused.

 "Lasted all of three months," John shook his head. "No one was buying anything. Couldn't afford to keep the darn lights on. 'Honest John', they called me. Ironically, of course."

 "So then, what, you take one fall and turn to a life of crime?" Nick's stomach twisted as he said it, but he thought he managed to get it out without betraying himself.

 "Do you think I could go home to you and your mother and tell you I'd failed?" John frowned. "'Sorry honey, I know I told you to pack your things and move to a new city on your new hubby's fanciful dream, with a kit on the way no less, but it turns out I struck out!'"

 Nick just sat there, taking in the bitterness on John's face.

 "I felt like such an idiot," John spat, "done in by the false promises of a glitzy city that promised so much for us. Pretty bad for a fox, huh? We're supposed to be doing the scamming."

 "So your solution was to prove everyone right about foxes," Nick said. He thought he caught a hitch in his own voice, hoping John wouldn't notice.

 "They weren't gonna let me be what I wanted, so I was what they wanted," John tried to fold his paws, but they were still cuffed at the wrist and he abandoned the effort. "Started stealing. Little things at first. Always from the rich, of course."

 "Yeah, you're a regular Robin Hood," Nick muttered darkly.

 "They could take it," John said, a lip curled up, "that or their insurance could. But that way, at least I could provide something for you two."

 "That was, until they caught you and took it all away," Nick replied bitterly, "leaving us with nothing."

 "Just should have been better at it, I guess," John shrugged his shoulders. "But you know I've been in here ages right. No way they'd let a non-fox rot in here so long unless they did something truly heinous."

 "You bit someone," Nick accused, "I heard he had to have reconstructive surgery on his arm."

 "It was a hippo, boy," John shook his head, making a motion with his hands. "Guy had me from behind. Could have snapped my neck in two. You know how dangerous hippos are."

 Nick flashed a look back to the guard overseeing the room from behind him, but it didn't look like he'd noticed or cared about John's remark.

 "You were IN HIS HOUSE, ROBBING HIM," Nick enunciated, "you're lucky you're not dead!"

 "Maybe that would have done you more good, hm?" John stared at Nick with his green-gray eyes.

 Nick growled. "I can't believe you'd say that. You think I like what's happened to you? Growing up without a father for most of my life!?"

 "So's that why you came here, huh Nick?" John's brow furrowed. "To admonish me? To preach to me? To tell me how you've 'seen the light' and are followin' the path of Karma and're one of the good boys now? Workin' for the system?"

 "That's not-" Nick started, pointing at him.

 "It is," John narrowed his eyes. "My perfect little angel boy. One of the mammals in blue." He wrinkled up his nose. Well, there's no sense in there bein' angels if there aren't also devils. So is that what I am to you?"

 "No," Nick said, unable to think of any other reply.

 "Foxes are the dogs of the devil, you've heard that one right, surely? In school? Maybe even on the internet?" John said in a low, careful voice. "Too much of that red in 'em to be loyal. Sticky pawpads. Schemin' minds. Always doin' no good. Karma made the wolves and Calamity made the foxes."

 "You don't believe that, and neither do I," Nick straightened up and glared at him. "You know why I think you're in here?"

 "Elucidate me," John replied, his voice cold and almost dangerous.

 "Because you suck at being a criminal!" Nick suddenly bellowed. "You were meant for better things! If you didn't let your shame get in the way, you would have had a place by now!"

 "No one wants a fox in-"

 "Look at ME, dad!" Nick screamed, getting up from his chair. He put his hand on his uniform, near his heart. "Look at me and tell me what Zootopia doesn't want!"

 The rhino and hippo guards both looked like they were about to move in as several tense seconds passed between the two foxes with no one saying anything.

 "And you know what I wanted...?" Nick replied, his voice cracking. "A father. That's all."

 John didn't say anything, his expression softening.

 "I guess we're done here, then," Nick's voice was suddenly all business. He pushed back from the table and stood up.

 "Tell your mother I said hi," John said weakly.

 The rhino guard entered the room and prepared to take John away.

 "I... bye dad," Nick managed softly. "See you later."

 "See you, kit," John said, and was escorted out of the room.

 The hippo guard came in. "Well uh, if it makes you feel any better, Wilde, he's supposed to be getting off soon for good behavior."

 "That's part of why I came," Nick sighed. "I hope he's ready to be free again. And... I just don't know."

 

---

 

 Nick seemed distant as he sat at a local coffee shop with Judy. The two had seemingly been showing up there more and more, even on their days off. There was always some new flavor of coffee Judy was eager for Nick to try, despite the fact neither of them had tried it before, but one of Judy's umpteenth siblings had sworn it was the best one ever. So it would go, on and on.

 "Ooh, I like this one," Judy beamed. "Hazenut caramel." She enunciated the words with almost a flirtatious edge.

 "I'm assuming one of your cousins is a squirrel?" Nick teased, cheek in a paw.

 Judy rolled her eyes, beaming. She scrolled through her phone, looking at various apps. "Oh shoot, father's day is coming up soon. I should get dad something."

 Nick squinted. "Y'know, how come bunnies don't single-handedly cause a financial crisis on every holiday? What, does Stu have like, several thousand mugs by this point with '#1 Dad' printed on them?"

 The gray rabbit giggled. "As far as I know he has one favorite mug, and if he can't find that one he can just use one of the other hundreds we have. But no, I just feel like I should get him something because I feel like this is a special father's day for me personally."

 "Mm?" Nick tilted his head her way.

 "Y'know, because I feel like I 'made it'," Judy scrunched her shoulders, trying not to sound too boisterous. "I'm living my dream here in Zootopia, so... I feel like I should get him something that says 'you did a good job with me and your daughter is happy'."

 Nick's small grin faded a little. "Yeah, that sounds nice."

 "Do you know of anything that would 'say' that?" Judy looked a little sheepish. "I'm not the best at gift-giving. What would you get your dad?"

 The question felt like a dark lance that shot through Nick's midsection. He hoped he hadn't flinched. "My father... isn't around."

 "Oh," Judy's ears drooped instantly. "I'm sorry, I didn't-."

 "You didn't know," Nick affirmed.

 There was a peal of quiet between the two for awhile.

 "Maybe not a tie," Nick offered after awhile. "He'd look ridiculous in a tie."

 "You look ridiculous in a tie," Judy countered without a beat.

 "Hmph," Nick grinned. He felt like he had to think of something. What would one give their father as a gift if one was happy with their station in life? An unbidden question he'd never had to answer. He couldn't find the words.

 Judy listelessly scrolled through her phone as if the answer would materalize there.

 "What do you get for the bun who has it all?" Nick mused, hoping his voice didn't sound jealous as he stalled for a brainstorm.

 "Yeah..." Judy muttered pensively.

 "How about... a visit?" Nick shrugged. "Maybe he'd like for you to show up unannounced. That way he'd definitely know you were thinking about him."

 "Ooh, that's a great idea!" Judy lit up. "Would you come too?"

 "To your burrow?" Nick narrowed an eye. "In Bunnyburrow? With a swarm of kits everywhere?"

 "It'll be fun!" Judy chirped.

 "They're not my folks," Nick shook his head.

 "Well, to me, it sounds like you don't have any plans for father's day," Judy said deviously, "so what else do you have to do but come with me?"

 "Would they even want a fox around?" Nick tried not to make the question sound whiny.

 "Mm..." Judy considered this. "Well, they'd either ignore you, or bury you alive under a pile of their own fluff. I... don't really see a middle ground."

 "Great," Nick rolled his eyes. "Sounds like fun."

 "So you will come," Judy smirked.

 "I didn't say that," Nick shook his head. "I'm not your family."

 "Yeah, but you're like family," Judy touched his paw with her own on the table.

 Nick felt like he was struck by a lightning bolt. He looked at their paws, then up at Judy.

 "I'll come."

 Judy looked very pleased.