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Judy's heart was thumping miles a minute like how her foot would when she was frustrated.
The tall mammal ahead of her—a wolf judging by his gray head of fur and tail—toppled the nearest stack of crates. She jumped over this easily, never losing momentum.
"Stop in the name of the law!" she called. It rarely worked but you can't stop a bunny for being hopeful.
"You got the wrong guy!" the wolf yelled over his shoulder. His long legs carried him faster but that didn't matter.
They were approaching the mouth of the narrow alley. There was a meter between them of which she was closing steadily. The wolf, glancing back, saw this and barreled on.
"Now, Nick!"
The wolf pitched forward with a yelp. He slammed against the pavement. Hard.
A small foot that stuck out at the entrance dissapeared to be replaced by a certain uniformed fox, swinging a pair of handcuffs. "Seems like the Big Bad Wolf is all huff and puffed out," he quipped.
Judy darted out of the alley and snatched the cuffs from him. With a satisfying click, the criminal was now subdued. He groaned when he was hauled to his feet.
She began to recite the Mareanda Rights to him as she maneuvered their way to the cruiser. His protests stopped once he saw it parked by the side walk.
He gave an impressed whistle. "Would you look at that beauty." He looked down at Judy with amusement, a small grin parting his muzzle. "Those are some impressive wheels you got there. You can drive something that big?"
She ignored him and pushed him forward.
"Ah—Hey! Look, sweetheart—"
"Officer Judy Hopps."
"Judy," he corrected, stooping down so they could be eye-level. That meant he was doubled over, hands cuffed behind his back. His fur prevented the worst of it but there were scratches visible on his nose. "Whatever it is you think I did, I didn't do it."
"You were seen nearby a bank robbery," she began, adopting her most official tone. "When you were approached for questioning, you ran without warning. Tell me, Mr..."
"Wolf."
"Wolf?" Nick interjected, joining her side with a pawpsicle stick between his jaws. "Well, isn't that the most creative alias I've ever heard."
"And who are you supposed to be?" Wolf scowled
The fox opened his mouth—likely to reply with something snarky—but Judy's patience was thinning. "Enough," she warned her partner who promptly shut his muzzle. She rounded on the other mammal. "Mr. Wolf. If you really are as innocent as you claim to be then why did you try to escape?"
"You're the one who chased first," he rebutted, indignant.
"Sounds like someone's used to running from the law." Nick smirked, flicking his sunglasses and putting them on.
"Oh, look at cool guy over here." Wolf gave him an unimpressed once-over. "Something tells me that that badge is recent. You sure you didn't steal that from—"
During their bickering, Judy went ahead and opened the door. Wolf was cut off by Judy shoving him forcefully into the backseats. He banged his shin on the side and he went cursing as she shut the door on him.
"Are you driving or am I?" she asked her partner.
"You do it, Carrots." Nick hopped into the passenger's seat with a yawn. "All that running has me beat."
Judy's nose twitched as she turned to him, securing her seatbelt and adjusting the rear view mirror. "I did all the running, Slick."
"As you should." He leaned back in his seat, gnawing on his pawpsicle. "Didn't even need to in the first place if someone didn't forget their tranq gun."
Her protest died on her lips when there was a voice behind them.
"Hey, so, uh, when can I make my phone call? You guys do that here, right?" Wolf pressed his face close to the bars separating them. "I need to talk to someone. She can clear up this whole misunderstanding."
"Sir, you may have your phone call when we arrive at the precinct."
Judy started the engine and coached the car forward, trying her best to tune out Wolf and Nick's relentless shots at each other.
~~~
Clawhauser waved them over from the reception desk as soon as they entered the station.
"Who's that?" he asked, referring to their newest arrest.
"We saw him loitering near Zooland Bank after a robbery," she informed. She let Nick lead Wolf away to their offices. "He ran as soon as we approached him to ask some questions."
Clawhauser, ever the excitable cheetah, made sounds of admiration. "Oh, speaking of wolves—" He leaned over the desk, almost spilling over it just so he could whisper in her ears. He didn't need to as a bunny's hearing was more than exceptional but she played into it nonetheless. "There was a pretty scary vixen earlier asking for one. She's back there speaking to the Chief now."
That piqued her interest just a bit but it was hardly anything she needed to concern herself with. She nodded as though it were the most scandalous thing she has heard. "You don't say?"
She was saved from thinking of something to excuse herself with when Nick showed up, calling for her.
"Hey, Carrots, Chief B wants us in his office."
She eagerly led him away from the curious eyes of the cheetah after chirping her goodbye.
Inside the briefing room, she could hear an argument from the Chief's office doors.
"I can't believe you," a female voice was saying. "I turn my back for one second and you dissappear like—"
Wolf's voice interrupted, "I panicked, alright? You try standing still while this uniformed bunny comes at you—"
All noises ceased once Judy opened the door. Chief Bogo was behind his desk, wearing an expression that said he wasn't being paid enough for this as two mammals squabbled in front of him. One was Wolf, no longer cuffed but his hands flailed uselessly as he presented his reasonings to a vixen dressed in a smart suit.
"Here she is, Chief," Nick announced. He landed a paw on Judy's small shoulder. "Now kindly start from the top. I'm afraid I didn't quite catch any of it. I was too busy spacing out."
The Chief snorted. He gestured to the vixen. "Hopps, Wilde. This is Governor Diane Foxington of California."
She stood, offering a paw to Judy which she accepted eagerly.
"A pleasure to meet you, Madame Governor," Judy greeted, enthusiastically. "Wow this is my first time meeting someone of your position. I've met a lot of mayors—three actually, two of them I helped taked down—but never a governor!"
The vixen laughed. "Call me Diane, please." She tapped a claw to her chin in thought as she regarded the bunny and fox duo. "So you're this city's heroes I've heard so much about? You even mananged to bring down Mr. Big Shot over here."
"They got lucky," Wolf whined. "You can hardly say they took me down when all they did was trip me."
"Oh, but we did." Nick stepped forward, smile dancing on his lips. "You went down. Hard. On the pavement. Do you need reminding of that?"
"You little—"
Diane's laughter seemed to simmer down Wolf's temper. The two male canids continued their silent matchup with mouthed threats and scowls from Wolf and punchable smirks from Nick as Judy turned to the vixen.
"What brings you here to Zootopia?" Judy asked.
"We were supposed to have a meeting with your mayor this week, actually," she replied, resting her hands on her hips. "But someone had to go and get himself in trouble. Again." She pointed a glare in Wolf's direction.
"Don't blame me," he scoffed. "Come on. You of all people should know that my bank robbing days are over."
"Implying that you used to," Nick observed. "I'm sure the court will love to hear that."
"I believe you, Wolf. Of course I do," Diane sighed.
"But, unfortunately, his actions have been deemed suspicious by the ZPD. He is now part of our list of suspects." Chief Bogo's voice, who have stayed silent before, now filled the crowded space. Unconsciously, all of them fell to attention.
"By them, you mean." Wolf pointed to Nick and Judy's position.
With a sigh, Chief Bogo retrieved something from below the desk and threw them haphazardly on the surface. Judy went over to inspect and saw that they were blurred images taken from a CCTV positioned outside a bank. Zooland Bank, she recognized from the golden sign above the entrance. Broken glass littered the sidewalk and mammals of all class and sizes were running away from the building. One image captured somemammal stumbling out with a fat bag of cash over his shoulders. They were wearing all white and Judy couldn't help but glance at Wolf's blanch suit. It was too pixelated to make out what kind of mammal the perp could be but they were doubtlessly not a big one. However, they couldn't possibly be as small as Judy either. That only left somemammal of, say, a wolf's size.
Her ears twitched when someone hissed beside her. She turned to see Diane staring at the photos, a pained expression on her face.
"This isn't looking well for you, Wolf."
"Let me see that."
Wolf stumbled forward and spread them over the desk to get a clearer picture. Nick joined them at his leisure, only giving the shots a cursory glance.
"If that ain't a dead ringer for our suspect over here then I don't know what is."
"Zip it, orange dog."
To Judy's surprise, Chief Bogo was the one to snicker at the namecalling. Nick threw him an annoyed look.
Wolf snatched a photo with a triumphant "Aha!". The robber is seen to be halfway inside a blue vehicle and Wolf's claw was pointed at a barely legible plate number. "How about that for a detective work, eh?"
Nick peered at it. "Wow. Are you sure you aren't part mouse because I can't distinguish a thing here with how small the letters are."
Before another fight could errupt, Judy offered, "It's still the best lead that we have. It's not entirely clear but it's still possible to guess what the combination could be."
"She's right," Diane agreed. "If I squint hard enough, I think there's a B or an 8 here."
The inside of Judy's ears warmed from the validation of this vixen with such high authority. Wolf meanwhile gave Nick a smug smirk after being supported by the two other mammals in the room.
"Congratulations on your first clue, officers." The Chief gathered the images and inserted them into a folder. Judy barely caught it when he carelessly threw it her way. "I'm leaving the case in your capable paws, Hopps, Wilde. I'm expecting only good news from you."
Judy weighed the (distressingly light) case file in her paws and straightened her back. "You can count on us, sir."
"Hold up."
All heads turned to Nick. He gestured lazily at Wolf.
"What are we supposed to do with him?" he asked. "He's a suspect, right? Do we lock him up—"
"Please don't. My back is killing me from the thing they call a mattress in prison cells—"
"—or do we set him free? My personal suggestion? We cuff him to the desk until the case is over." He concluded with an innocent smile that didn't convince anyone of his pure intentions.
"That's your problem," Chief Bogo rumbled. He sat down with a gathering air of dismissal. "In a show of respect for Governor Foxington, we won't be imprisoning any one of her companions. Take him to your house for all I care. Just don't let him out of your sight."
"Understood, sir," Judy said, far too carelessly. "Mr. Wolf shall stay with Officer Wilde for the duration of the investigation."
"What?" Nick balked. He took her by the shoulders and led her away to a corner where they won't be easily overheard. "Carrots, I'm not going to let a suspected criminal stay in my home for who knows how long."
She laid a paw over his, meeting his eyes with hers tinged with regret. "Nick, I understand." Her ears drooped behind her head. She wished she could take back her earlier words as she chewed the inside of her cheek. "I'm sorry if I went ahead and made another decision without consulting you."
His eyes softened, tail brushing the floor. "You're really trying, huh?"
"Of course I am!" She lowered her voice after glancing at the others but they seemed to be engrossed in their own conversation. "But think about it; Wolf is still a suspect so we can't just let him loose without supervision. I would let him stay in my apartment if I could but my apartment's too small to accommodate anyone else."
The scowl on his muzzle made her pause. "That's never happening even if your apartment was big enough for two. I won't let it."
She giggled. "Is that jealousy I hear?" she teased.
He rolled his eyes and stepped back. "Think what you will, Carrots. Come on."
The others hushed when they rejoined them.
Nick crossed his arms. "Alright, folks. It's been decided. I will be the gracious one and offer accommodations for our wayward pal over here."
"Excellent!" Diane clapped her paws but her cheery expression was the antitheses to Wolf's sullen one. "I myself will be staying at a hotel nearby. I've written the address and my contact information here." She ripped two pieces of paper and handed one each to Judy and Nick. "Give me a call if I can help. I'm afraid I have another meeting with an official within an hour but I'll be sure to be free if you need anything." She turned to Wolf and snarled, "Behave yourself," before departing through the door.
~~~
"Do you have your charger?"
Nick struggled to not roll his eyes at the bunny's fussing. Her foot was stamping the pavement just above the stairs leading down to his humble abode.
"You keep forgetting it at my apartment when you visit. You still have Diane's number, right?"
He plucked out the piece of paper and waved it under her nose.
"Relax, Carrots," he drawled, returning the paper to his breast pocket and patting it. "I'll be fine. You don't think I can't handle my own against someone like him?" He cocked his head at the wolf beside him.
"Sure you can, pal," Wolf snorted, crossing his arms. He eyed the towering establishment where elephants are seen to be running on gigantic treadmills or lifting unimaginable weights through the windows.
Judy shook her head. "No, it's not that. I trust you." His heart gave a pitiable flip at that. "It's just—I still can't help but worry, y'know?"
He huffed out a laugh. "Oh, you bunnies." He patted her head and her ears perked up at the contact. "Always so emotional."
Their moment was interrupted by a static buzz by her hip. "All available units nearby Sahara Square," the voice on the other end announced, "this is Officer McHorn requesting backup. Currently in pursuit of a wiry, weasel carrying a dufflebag suspected of containing illegally acquired copies of goods. I repeat—"
The two of them reluctantly stepped away from the other. "I should get that," Judy said, disappointment tinging her tone. "You help Mr. Wolf settle down. I'll be seeing you later, Slick." She gave him a two-fingered salute before bounding for their car. She hopped on and with one last nod, sped off.
Nick stood there for a second longer than necessary, watching the cruiser dissapear from sight. He was snapped out of it when Wolf broke the silence.
"So you and Judy," he began. "Are the two of you, uh, you know..."
"Yes," Nick replied. He replaced his sunglasses which he had removed when seeing off Judy and with it, slipped back on his easy-going persona. "Whatever you were gonna finish that with, my answer is yes. We are very good friends."
Wolf expressed his doubt with a sly smirk. "Oho. 'Very good friends' he says." He bounced his eyebrows as Nick led the way. "Maybe you can even say 'medium friendly', hm?"
"I'm guessing that's what you and Ms. Governor call whatever you two have going on?" They descended the stairs first before unlocking the door to his apartment with a key.
When Nick joined the taller mammal on the threshold, Wolf was eying the framed newspaper clipping by the table beside the door. It contained a snapshot of him and Judy together from their very first case. Her wide, unapologetic smile paired with his signature laidback smirk.
Wolf gave him a knowing smile. "Whatever you say, bub." He straightened and took in the basement apartment Nick called home. "This is actually better than what I expected."
Nick shrugged, an understatement of the pride he felt in himself. He wouldn't call himself the tidy sort but after Judy barged in unannounced that one time, he had been inspired to clean after himself lest she did it again. It was hard considering his 9-5 M-F work but he had been sloughing away until his place could pass off as habitable again.
He made his way to the fridge at the back and procured two cans of beer. He tossed one to Wolf without warning.
"Nice reflexes," Nick commented when Wolf just barely caught it.
"Damn, I just remembered that you never introduced yourself." The cans popped with a hiss. Wolf plopped down on the couch, sipping from his can and releasing a contented sigh.
"Yeah but is Wolf your actual name?" Nick joined him on the seat. "No way did your parents do that to you. That would be like Chief B standing for Chief Buffalo."
Wolf raised a brow at him. "I'll answer if you answer me."
"Nicholas P. Wilde." He raised his can to Wolf.
A folded piece of paper appeared in his gray paws. With a flick, it unfurled to reveal a document with Nick's full name written on top, a column of zeros penned in red besides lists of questions related to taxes.
"Tax evation, huh?" Wolf shook the paper. "I knew it. Take one to know one, am I right? Makes one wonder how you became an officer of the law."
Nick was unfazed but he was kicking himself for not hiding it better. It was a memento from Judy on one of their first interactions. The first time that darn bunny destroyed him for ever underestimating her.
He leaned back on the couch and propped his feet on the table in front. "Long story," he said, the embodiment of nonchalance.
"You can't drop that and leave me hanging." Wolf at least placed the paper on the table with care. "I mean it's not like I'm going anywhere. Lay it on me."
Nick gauged his own feelings on how much of the story he wanted to tell to this complete stranger. He was surprised to find that he didn't mind recounting the whole tale. Maybe he'll leave out some bits and pieces here but it was jarring how he much he was open to it. He guessed all that therapy with his partner really paid off.
He raised his can to his lips. "Yeah well don't think that I forgot you still haven't told me your actual name."
Wolf laughed and dropped, in the most casual tone possible, "It's Moe."
Nick almost choked on his drink. "Moe?" he sputtered. He scanned the wolf. "What kind of name is that? You don't look like a Moe."
"What did you expect? Wolfgang?"
Their eyes met for a second and they burst out laughing.
~~~
Judy dragged her feet up the stairway, down the hall, and through her apartment door. After shutting it closed, she took a couple of steps before collapsing on her bed. She had been running after perps nonstop the whole day and, while she could keep up with the lot of the bigger officers and sometimes even surpassed them, she was wrung dry from it. Nevertheless, she pulled her leaden limbs to work and press videocall on her most used contact.
"Hey, Slick," she slurred when the screen immediately showed Nick's apartment. It was cleaner than she remembered and she took a mental note to give him a visit sometimes (with or without notice because she was sure he wouldn'tbe the one inviting her first).
"Carrots?" An eyeball appeared, penetrating through the darkness of her own room. She forgot to turn on her light. "You okay? Sheesh, I take that back. You look terrible."
She let out a drunken giggle. "I'll be fine. Just maybe a little sore tomorrow." She winced when she tried to move her shoulder.
"Is that Officer Hopps?" Nick's orange fur was pulled aside to be replaced by a gray tufted face. "Heeeey. How's my second favorite cop doing?"
Through the screen, Nick looked at her and turned his eyes heavenwards. Can you believe this guy? That made her smile.
"Not bad," she chirped. She was vaguely aware of the sense that both of them could see her well despite the darkness. Canids and their night vision, she supposed. "I'll study the photos later. I'll be listing down possible combinations for the plate numbers so we could run them all with someone we know at the DMV tomorrow. After that, I figure that we could go to Finnick if he had heard news in the underworld of—"
"Woah, slow down there, darlin'."
The phone was once again reclaimed by her partner. He looked at her with concern. "He's right," he said. "You're overworking yourself again. What say you just close your eyes—just for tonight—and think of nothing else?"
She groaned. Usually it would take a lot more convincing to make her relent but she had promised him a while ago to pause and think more on account of making an effort to listen to him. And also take care of her body. As pained as she was to admit, she said, "Fine."
Her heart palpitated when she saw the relief that flooded Nick's face. "Smart bunny. I'll drop by early to get the case file from you so we'll be the ones doing the listing."
She shot to a sitting position and her ears also straightened in alarm. "But that's—"
"Nope. Nuh-uh. I ain't hearing you out on this one, Carrots." There was a knock on Nick's end and his head turned towards his door. "Look at that. Our dinners here. Gotta get going now. Bye-bye. Goodnight. Hugs and kisses. Muwah."
The screen returned to her wallpaper; a selfie she and Nick took while wearing the disguises that Mr. Big and Fru Fru provided them. After a couple of seconds of staring at it, the screen blackened, reflecting her outline and wide eyes. She placed her phone on the bedside table, thinking of ways to repay the fox for ending the call so abruptly without her saying her goodnight too until sleep dropped by to claim her.
~~~
A knock.
Judy closed the distance with a leap and opened tbe door without preamble. "Ha! I knew you would need my help sooner or later, you dumb—" The rest of her words died on her lips when she looked up, ears dropping.
"I wouldn't say I need any help," Diane said, eyes full of humor, "but you are right in thinking that only you can give what I want."
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," she stammered. She stepped aside to let the Governor in as she rambled on. "I thought you were Nick, you see. He was here earlier to get the files and he wouldn't let me help him saying that 'I need to rest' or to 'take it easy.' He wouldn't stop reminding me that it's a Saturday too. Wolf was there and he was acting like him and Nick were lifelong besties and he couldn't stop siding with Nick and—" Her muzzle shut with an audible click to stop from embarrassing herself further.
Diane didn't give any sign of noticing her distress. She strutted into the room as though she were the one who owned it, giving Judy's sparse furniture lingering glances. She turned back to give the smaller mammal a smile.
"Cosy," she commented.
Judy laughed forcefully. "Sorry." She gestured to the whole room with her arms. "It's a bit small for a guest but I have some carrot juice in the fridge if you want."
"I'd like that."
Diane looked out the only window of the room, down the busy metropolitan streets of the city. Judy had just extricated herself from the fridge with two boxes of the orange drink when she was stopped frozen by a sound from where Diane stood.
"'Love ya, partner,'" the orange pen let out.
Diane laughed and turned to the bunny who had joined her side.
"Wow, get me one of these." She accepted the drink with a knowing smile. "Must come pretty handy."
The inside of Judy's ears were becoming unbearably warm. "Oh, it has. Saved our skins too many times to count." Both physically and emotionally, she silently added.
"Looks like it's been through some stuff." She was addressing the visble cracks on the orange body of the pen.
It was Judy's turn to smile now. "It's a really long story."
"I like long stories." Diane leaned her hip to the wall, waiting.
Judy was laughing until she realized that the vixen was serious. "What brings you here in the first place?" she asked, now thinking how absurd the idea was of a Governor visiting her in her cramped apartment. If you told her this in her very first day in Zootopia, you would have been given a delicate punch to the arm and her brushing it off as a joke.
Diane shrugged, sipping from the straw of her juice box. "Just wanted to hang out with a capable bunny such as yourself and get to know you better." In the face of Judy's skeptical look, she added, "I'm sure the boys will do just fine with the case. I came here to this city to get myself acquainted with it, after all. Who better to show me the sights than the esteemed hero of it?"
"So," Judy tested, "you want me to be your tourist guide."
Diane shook her head with a laugh. "Nah. That stuff's overrated." Her eyes strayed to one of the framed photos on the desk, the one where Judy just got pinned with her badge for the very first time. "Hey, you go to the gym, right?"
~~~
The doors to the DMV building slid apart silently as Nick and Wolf made their entrance. After hours of debating whether this letter was that or if it was even a letter at all, they had successfully cobbled together a handful of possible license plate combinations at a nearby diner. The sounds of groans and complaints rose from their sorroundings as fellow patrons were subjected to the hell of slow-going official work.
Wolf leaned down to whisper to Nick. "Are you sure we're in the right place?" He was observing a tiger who looked about ready to throttle the sloth managing his paperwork.
"Very," Nick responded, cheerfully. They approached a booth without any lines and launched to his usual energetic greeting. "Flash, Flash, Hundred-Yard-Dash! How's it been?"
The familiar sloth raised his eyes and his face morphed into a friendly smile. "Hey ... Nick ..." he slowly began.
Nick was enjoying Wolf's crestfallen face as he came up to speed to what he signed himself up for.
"I did say to bring a pillow and a blanket," he lilted. "We may have to camp the night here."
Wolf did not find it funny. He snatched the paper they had written on and leaned against the counter, presenting it with his characteristic devilish smile. "Hey there, pal. Flash was it?" He waited for the sloth to turn to him. "We got a car we need to bust but we're not sure of the license plate. There's a list here and we would really appreciate your help—as fast as possible."
"No ..." Wolf's tail sagged to the floor much to Nick's amusement. "... problem."
"Great!" He slipped in the list but Nick could see how much effort it was taking to maintain that roguish grin.
"Hey, Flash. How's the wife?"
Nick ignored Wolf's sudden wave of hostility radiating off him as Flash turned to answer his question. Oh, how this brought back memories.
~~~
"He did what?"
Judy dodged the oncoming left hook and bolted to the side to deliver a few quick jabs. Diane leapt out of range.
"Yeah!" the bunny shouted through the drumming of her heart. She kept light on her feet. Diane made full use of her longer limbs, moving fast and viciously but of the two of them, Judy was objectively more agile. "After I paid for his jumbo popsicle too."
"You did not," Diane panted. She raised her guard against the bunny's oncoming barrage. "That would just be scummy."
"But he was!" Judy jumped over the vixen's leg sweep, barely catching herself. "I mean I also wouldn't suspect Wolf of being an ex-criminal."
"Really?" She delivered an extra powerful blow, nicking her opponent in her side. "I'd have thought his egoistic bravado would have given him away."
"Yeah I was trying to be polite." Judy jumped away, heaving. She doubled over with her sparring gloves on her knees but she was smiling despite her fur soaked in sweat. "You're good," she complimented the Governor.
The vixen, who had finished from her water bottle, tossed it to the bunny. "I could say the same for you."
Judy ungloved her paws and pounced for the nearest bench. She drained the rest of the water. "Phew! That one gave me quite the workout."
"You said it," Diane agreed, joining her. "Wonder how boys' night is going. You think those two made any breakthrough?"
The bunny thought it over. "Probably. If Nick had the same idea as I did then I know where we could find them. Come on. They'll likely still be there after we shower and get takeout."
~~~
The ripping of the receipt was extra loud and crispy against the quiet backdrop of the empty building. Wolf was even woken up by it, looking around with confused exclamations.
Nick recieved the paper with an unhurried "thank you". "Oof. I'm afraid the car we are looking for is blue," he said. "This one's a dud."
"Come on!" Wolf rubbed his face with both paws. "We've been here for—What? Five hours?" He glanced out the windows and saw that night has already fallen. "I haven't even had lunch yet."
As if on cue, the doors parted to reveal two familiar faces, ladened with paper bags and cups.
"Told you they would be here," Judy chirped.
"My heroes!" Wolf rushed over to them with open arms as though to give them a hug. He carried over the takeouts and returned to the counter, beaming. "I'm not joking. I was starving over here."
Judy's nose twitched. "Did Nick not feed you?"
The fox intervened before Wolf was given the chance to incriminate him to his righteous partner. "He's being dramatic," he cut in. "We had a pretty big breakfast while we worked. It's just that we didn't expect to be held up so long."
The bunny was unconvinced but she didn't press the matter further. She turned to the sloth. "Hi, Flash. We brought you a little something too."
He raised his head from a tablet, forming a lazy smile. "Hi...Judy..." She placed a wrapped sandwich and a cup of steaming hot coffee on the counter. "Thank ... you ... I ... appreciate ... it ... You ... didn't ... have ... to ..."
"Seems like you guys had an exciting afternoon," Diane commented with a smirk.
"Very funny." Wolf unpacked a burger and dug in.
"So how's the license plate," Judy asked.
Nick hid a snicker because while the small officer may be acting polite now, he knew her well enough to see how the sloth's slow pace was wearing on her. She was, after all, all about wasting no time and getting right into the heart of things.
"Just ... finishing ... up ..." Flash returned to typing on his tablet.
The fox looked down to see another burger being pressed to his paws. "Thank you, babe," he teased. He took a bite to prevent himself from smirking at Judy's furrowed brows from his use of the pet name. He would wager that the inside of her ears—which were the only visible parts where she would be seen blushing—was burning right about now. She didn't correct him, however.
While the four of them was distracted, Flash had finished up with the last combination. Judy snatched the piece of paper from him and she went over it. "Blue sedan," she read aloud. Then her face broke into a triumphant smile and waved it to get their attention. "We got it! Thanks again, Flash! Let's go!"
She ran for the doors. Nick shot the sloth finger-guns as he slipped after the bunny.
"What? No, I haven't finished this yet," Wolf protested while he was pulled along by Diane.
Flash raised his claws in goodbye. "Good ... luck ... to ... you ... guys ..."
~~~
"I ain't done nothing!" the coyote insisted.
"Save it for the judge," Judy said, letting another officer escort him to the holding cells.
"Remind me again not to mess with you guys," Wolf said. They watched the actual bank robber and his accomplice be led inside the ZPD building. "Nice work chasing the guy down."
"Nothing like a good 'ol tripping to take down the criminals." Nick leaned on the cruiser's doors, licking on another pawpsicle.
Wolf rolled his eyes at him. "You're very funny," he deadpanned.
"Thanks. I get that a lot."
Diane jumped down from the passenger seat, rolling her shoulders. "That was fun." She shared a high-five with Judy when the bunny joined them from the driver's seat. "You guys should come visit Los Angeles sometimes."
"Boy, do I," Judy exclaimed.
The girls continued their own banter as Wolf turned to Nick. "Guess that's case closed."
"Sure does," the orange canid replied. "Keep your nose clean. Wouldn't want to be the one to send you behind bars, Moe."
Wolf started. He leaned down bearing his teeth. "Hey, I told you not to call me that in public," he hissed.
Nick raised a brow. "Not even Ms. Governor knows, then?"
"She does." He averted his gaze. "She will. Eventually."
"Goodluck to you on that," the other snickered.
"Sure. Says the one pining away at Ms. Hopps over there."
The girls saw a fight brewing so they called for their attention.
"How about getting one last dinner at this place Judy's recommending?" Diane suggested.
"It's the one Nick and I have been planning on checking out," she added. "They say they serve the best drinks."
"Fine by me." Wolf turned to Nick. "You coming, Nicky boy?"
"After you, Slow Moe."