Officer Judy Hopps strolled through the double doors of the police station, her eyes lighting up as she sighed happily. It felt good to be back. Her leg was still in bandages after her injury on the night howler case, but her doctor had pronounced her well enough to go back to work and Chief Bogo had willingly accepted her back onto the force.

"Hi Clawhauser!" she called "How's it going?"

"Judeee!" Clawhauser called over to her, putting his cinnamon doughnut down on the box in front of him. "It is so good to see you! How are you? We were all totally impressed with how you handled the case! All on your own too!"

"Well, thanks," Judy said, smoothing her paw over her ear in embarrassment, "but I wasn't really on my own - I couldn't have done it without Nick."

"Oh yeah! Nick Wilde, right? He's started police training! He's one funny guy!"

"Yeah I know, he told me he'd started." Judy smiled as she thought of her fox friend – he'd been round to visit during her recovery period, sidling into her room with a big bunch of flowers. "Well, I'd better report for duty. See you later Clawhauser!"

She had started to walk over to the briefing room when Clawhauser called back to her "Hopps, wait! There's a letter for you, I almost forgot! It's here somewhere…" he rummaged around in the paperwork on one side of the desk, and then handed her a small white envelope addressed to 'Officer Hopps'. Judy took it and brushed the sugar crumbs off it before opening it. It read:

'Dear Officer Hopps,

I'd just like to thank you personally for finding my husband, Emmitt Otterton, and returning him home. The night howler antidote has worked well and he is now fully recovered. We saw you and your friend Mr Wilde on television, and we are so grateful that you took on the case.

We would both like to thank you in person, and we want to invite you and Mr Wilde round to dinner at our house. Emmitt is due to be released from observation at the hospital on the 16th, so if all goes well it would be wonderful to have a small celebration of his recovery that evening – please do let us know if you can attend.

Yours,

Evangeline Otterton.'

"Awww." Judy smiled and refolded the letter into its envelope, tucking it into her belt and jogging to roll-call.

In the briefing room she hopped onto her chair in the front row, ignoring some of the stares she received from the other officers. Chief Bogo walked into the room and glanced down at his notes "Right then. First, we have an officer to congratulate. Officer Hopps, well done on solving your first case." The room burst into noises of approval; trumpeting, howling and clapping. The rhino sitting beside her thumped her on the back – she braced her paws on the table to stop her head hitting the desk.

"Alright, alright." Officer Bogo called. "Right, now as you know it's the new mayor's inaugural speech this afternoon, and we need to check the security arrangements for it. This morning we're patrolling the route and area, keeping an eye out for anything unusual. Then we'll come back here for lunch, and back out again for the real thing this afternoon. Any questions? Good, let's go."

Judy and the other officers spent the morning strolling through Savannah Central as instructed, familiarising themselves with the parade route. It was an easy morning's work.

At lunch time Judy grabbed a tray of vegetable stew from the canteen, and looked around for somewhere to sit. Suddenly she spotted Nick sitting at the far end of the room by himself. She bounded over to him "Nick!"

He looked up and grinned "Hey Carrots! I was wondering when you would show up."

"First day back." She said, climbing onto the seat opposite him. "Managed without me?"

He rolled his eyes "Carrots, I managed on the streets for ten years before you turned up. I think I can handle a few obstacle courses."

"Uh-huh." She looked sceptically at him "so you won't be needing this muscle balm that I just happened to bring in then?" she held a tub of soothing cream just out of his reach.

"Well, I suppose I could try it…" he answered, trying to grab the little pot, and then groaning as he felt his shoulder muscles strain. "Okay, you win, training hurts, now give me the balm? Please?"

Judy laughed and handed it over "Here. If you need someone to do your back, you know where to find me."

"Ha, you just want an excuse to see me shirtless." He smirked at her.

"That depends. Have you managed to get any decent abs yet?"

"Hey! I am offended by that remark. How do you know I didn't have 'decent abs' as you say, before?"

"Fair point." She nodded, took a mouthful of stew and chewed thoughtfully. Then she looked up "Did you?"

"I don't think that's something an innocent little bunny should be wondering about." He smirked, and reached across the table to pat her head.

She was unimpressed "That's a no then."

"You're incorrigible."

She decided it was time to change the subject, so she passed him the letter from Mrs Otterton. "Here, read this. Want to go?"

He scanned the letter, and looked up thoughtfully "Could be nice. You want to?"

"Yeah," she nodded enthusiastically "Mrs Otterton is lovely. She believed that I could solve the case when no-one else did."

Nick frowned "I believed in you."

"Only after I clamped your buggy, blackmailed you, and stood up to Mr Big." She reminded him.

He tilted his head, acknowledging her point. "Anyway, the 16th is this Saturday – you'd better reply to the Ottertons to let them know we can make it."

"I will. She's put a phone number on the bottom of the letter – I'll call her later."