Authors Note: This Story takes place just after the movie or maybe a year later. I am going down the fork route of Nick and Judy NOT being in a romantic relationship. There's much evidence to suggest otherwise but I decided to take this route because it seems different and I have an idea for a plot to maybe contort their relationship. Or perhaps it will be the thing that finally binds them. Who knows? I am a bit of a sadist writer but I'd like to assure you that I want to be courteous, humble, and loyal to the orginal material. Nothing super outlandish and crazy. This also applies to how the characters look and city aesthetic. Speaking of which, if any of you amazing artists out there want to draw characters or maybe even the cover art for this Story, I'd love to see it. So I hope you enjoy.
Edit: This Story is being revised. It needs massive touching up. So please forgive grammatical or sentence fluency errors. It is my first story after all. But I hope you enjoy regardless!
I do not own Zootopia or characters from the movie. All rights go to the amazing creative team at Disney.
Prologue: Legacy
In a dreary pine forest is an utter silence that seemed to have a deathlyness to it. No wind to brush the spines, not a breath to give the forest life. Snow was coated amongst the ground in patches, some puddles, and some seemingly oceans. In the snow were imprinted tracks leading further within. The trail led to noises that were of a major loss. A distant sob. On approach, a silhouette of a rabbit kneeling over a motionless silhouette of a fox was present in a slight clearing; the light blue lunar moon bathing the bodies. The rabbit began to lift their paw with something in grasp.
Chapter - The Beginning
Judy's P.O.V.
Nick and I scan the icy Tundra Town streets looking for trouble to serve with justice. We were in a cruiser and it was late afternoon but it wasn't dark yet. And there's a tense spot in the center of my upper back in between my shoulders that's really starting to ache. It's starting to get on my nerves a bit.
"What's the matter, Carrots? Don't like working a little over time?"
I ignore the sassy comment and reply.
"No, I have a tense spot in my back from sitting in here all day," I wince while rubbing the spot.
"Aw, do you need the good ol' masseuse Nick to rub out the tension with these magical paws?" he says lifting his paws and wiggling all of his digits with a devious look on his face.
I give him a look of annoyance and I roll my eyes before looking back to the snowy road ahead.
The streets were iced over with mounds of snow near the sidewalks since the plow came over them. But we still had to drive slow over it which was kinda annoying, but it gives you some time to admire the architecture of the city. It had an almost labyrinth type dynamic in certain areas. Yet many mammals navigate it without issue. Towards the middle of the city but at the end of the district is where the main buildings with neon lights and skyscrapers are. We were driving in an area that had many homes which were buried in snow with the rare apartments littered about. Thankfully it wasn't the glacial area either with the curvace type roads. Nick told me that most derelict type areas; supposedly around here, had the most potential for criminal activity. It made sense and I believed him.
It wasn't long before we ended up in the more compact area of the district with more buildings. I scanned alleyways briefly when we occasionally passed them but found no activity.
I notice it was more of a darker grey than usual outside because of how late it was getting. Or maybe because it's winter. Either way, I'm willing to take scrap assignments even if I get off work later than normal.
I touch the screen on the dashboard and check the time while glancing at the road.
"7:53," I say aloud.
"We should head back to the precinct to clock out."
"Greatest news I've heard all day," Nick exclaims enthusiastically.
I drive over a pothole and it made us both bounce a bit.
"Ow, my tail."
"How do you even control that thing?" I ask.
"This?" He said leaning to the side a bit.
"It's kinda like something that has a mind of its own to be honest."
Maybe I have perverted mind but I could only assume he was gonna say one thing and Nick would not pass up the opportunity for a joke.
"Like a- Nick," I cut him off giving him a warning tone.
"What? I was gonna say like a bunny's ears nose and your own cute tail," He said and I could feel his smirk emanating from beside me.
He said cute but I knew he didn't mean it in a degrading way. And at this point, I'm not going to nark him out for it. I'm fine with him saying it.
"What? Did you think I was gonna say like a- Nick!"
He chuckles.
I did not need things like that on my mind.
I continue to drive in the now comfortable silence.
I hear Nick rustle in his seat and hear him begin typing on his phone. Figures.
I was getting bored without his company after a bit of not finding anything and I just decided to ask who he was texting.
"Who ya texting?" I chirp.
"Oh, my girlfriend."
"Really?" I say with a hint of curiosity.
Nick didn't trust really anyone and for all I knew he only somewhat trusted Finnick and to think he might have changed that much was a surprise. But it made me happy he's seeing other mammals.
A smile crept to my face.
"What's her name?" I ask.
"Do I smell jealousy, Carrots?"
"Really?" I ask bored at his attempt to somehow fluster me.
"No, I'm just kidding," He said chuckling.
"I'm not looking for any dates," He said reluctantly giving up on the teasing.
"Well you should find one," I say hopefully.
He's thirty three and hasn't found anyone yet. Which is surprising considering his status for the past year. But I want to see him happy. To have a family.
"Because you could hang out with more mammals than me."
"And I wouldn't mind seeing you be a dad."
"Get in line sweetheart. But unfortunately, I'm good where I am now," He states.
I suddenly remember when I spotted that arctic vixen when we were driving earlier. I pointed her out to Nick and he looked out the window of the cruiser, pulled his aviators down his snout, looked at her walk for a few seconds, then pulled his aviators back up to his eyes and just murmured something and responded with "What about her?". Perfect tease material.
"Well, what about that vixen we saw earlier?" I say in a teasing matter of factly manner.
He groans.
"This again Fluff?"
I can feel the smile tug at my lips at being able to pluck at one of Nick's nerves. Not in bad way.
"Yeah, you should have totally hit her up," I say mockingly.
I look both ways before I take a turn down the street, staying at the same speed due to the ice.
"Didn't know you wanted me to have a girlfriend so bad," he said now leaning back into his seat.
My eyes dart to him with a half lidded smile then back to the road again and repeated a few times as I examined his reaction.
"Well, if you're gonna want to have any experience with girls and get married, best to start now," I amend.
Nick snorted before he mumbled, "I'm not gonna have a girlfriend or get married anytime soon since what happened with the last one."
That caught me off guard and completely diminished my joking banter.
I see a light up ahead and begin to slow to a stop.
"What?" I say quietly looking over at him.
He was looking out the window with a frown. It looked like his eyes widened since his eyebrows lifted above the aviators when he saw me look at him with concern. He looked out the window then to me fast a couple times before settling on speaking while looking out the window.
"I said, you're one to talk."
Looking back to the road, I see the light was still red. I look back to him.
I knew he was lying but I didn't want to hurt him. He had girlfriend? What happened between them? I don't want to open old wounds. It's likely another thing that would add on to the reasons Nick built his walls. I'll let it be for now.
"Yeah, maybe I should look," I say lowly looking back to the road.
Truth is, I didn't want one and I'm fine where I am now. Perfectly content and happy. But my parents thought otherwise. They would ask a lot if I picked up any lucky rabbits in the city and I would get annoyed at the usually random pry and reply with a "no". I mean it is normal for bunnies to get married and.. mate right away. With rabbit traditions and all. But I have my dream job. I have a decent apartment, and I'm happy where I am even if it isn't what I exactly thought it was from the start. I don't need a boyfriend but if one came up then fine, but I had Nick as company.
I look back to the road to see the light turn green and I ease forward on the gas and we slowly propelled forward again.
The cruiser was filled with a seemingly serrated silence until he spoke up as we reached another stop light.
"You know Carrots, I still think you're a bad driver."
He's trying to cut the silence which is good. Though, I still feel tension. A physical one too.
"It's not like I see you driving Officer Wilde," I say lingering on the name smiling.
I roll my shoulders a bit to try and release some of the tension in my back.
"Well, I'll have you know I like to use my keen sense of sight to lurk for perps. And since I know how important that is to you, I prefer to take shotgun," He exclaimed like it was fact.
I roll my eyes and keep my one sided smile as I look back to the road and drive forward again.
Suddenly, I hear what sounds like screeching fill the air, outside the car. I stop the cruiser immediately and look to Nick for confirmation. He had the same stern expression looking at me. A rumble fills the air and I look around the cruiser and my ears flick in its direction like sonnar panels. Then, the sound of a loud groaning of metal can be heard. I look to Nick with wide eyes and he looks to me and I begin to unbuckle immediately.
I exit the cruiser to look around and feel the cold bite my fur as my eyes scanned the street.
I begin to walk towards the front of the cruiser and see Nick staring in the distance. A cloud of fog escapes his mouth when he breathed and he had his eyebrows furrowed. I just looked in the direction he was looking to see a mist past my available sight and regular buildings with streets vacant of mammals. I look back to him to watch him observe whatever it was he was looking at and there was just an eerie silence. Another breath escaped his mouth. He decided to speak.
"The origin of the noise is coming from the conditioner of the district," he said pausing.
"It might be going under maintenance or something because that sounded awfully unsettling,"
I looked back towards the fog and could feel the pads of my feet starting to get an aching cold feeling. I repose with my hip popped out and the back of my paws curved on my sides for support. I watch a little longer before I look back at him and he spoke.
"Maybe we should just head back to the precinct," He says, his eyes still scanning the distance.
I thought of investigating it but I was really worn out and sore from work today so maybe some rest was the best thing. But my job is to make the world a better place so I gained a look of confidence.
"No, we-" I was cut off by the sound of a crash and a rumble under our feet making us stumble a bit.
We both looked at each other for second before I looked back to the source. I saw nothing but when I looked to Nick, his eyes widened.
"Run."
He began to back up slowly.
"What? What is it?" I say looking at him with confusion.
"Run!" he said as he started to run back to the cruiser.
I looked back towards the fog to hear what sounded like a wave. I squint my eyes to see better. A wall of fog with twirling smoke was approaching fast.
My eyes widen as I walk backwards slowly in horror.
"Carrots!"
My instincts rise above all within me and I run back to the cruiser and immediately open the door and climb in.
"Hit it!" Nick exclaims.
I hit the gas and perform a slidefest of a U-turn and begin to speed off.
"Where are we supposed to go!?"
I knew the place a whole lot better, but he knew Zootopia better than me.
It was a few seconds before he spoke.
"I don't know."
"We're blocked off from the exit because of the fog and-" he paused.
"It's gaining ground fast."
I look up to the rear view mirror and adjust it to see it indeed gaining ground; the houses and buildings disappearing as they get enveloped leaving just a wall of white.
I speed up and gain a confident look as I drive ahead. I feel the engine growl as I try to get away as fast as possible.
"Look out!"
I look ahead to see a pothole and a parked car on the other lane. I had not option.
I braced for the impact. We hit and were airborne for a few seconds before slamming down and sliding across the icy road. My ears picked up loud grinding as we spun around before I feel another crash again. A brief pause of rushing wind before another crash as my head was tossed around in circles. All I saw was a vortex of motion until I see the ground approaching outside my window.
...
I feel my consciousness come back. It was faded into a haze. I feel bars of something under my knees and one behind my upper back holding my bicep. It was like arms carrying me, and those arms were swaying as we…walked?
My face felt cold but my body felt normal. I winced then groaned at how much movement these arms were making as they carried me.. I notice the arms were shaking sporadically as they swayed. Whoever was holding me was in a hypothermic state. My ears pick up the sound of crunching snow at an odd rate like a pause, then a double step.
A limp.
A voice filled my ears strained but familiar.
"Don't worry, Judy, I got you," It said before lifting my back up and cradling me so that my face rested on its chest.
That voice sounded so familiar…. Nick… Nick!
"Nick," I murmur and groan and stir my head in his chest.
"Shhh, it's o-kay, I'm r-right-here."
Did he not have a shirt?! His fur was cold against my face.
"Nick," I try to start again.
"We're almost there, Carrots."
His voice sounded frail, strained with pain. He was limping and we...
"Nick?" I try and say louder with concern.
He didn't reply but I felt his arms tighten as I hear what sounded like a door opening.
"Help! Is anybody here!"
I winced at how loud he shouted and it made my head churn.
"It's okay we're almost there-" his voice was frail before suddenly my body fell and I landed on something firm.
The surrounding air was a decent temperature and I found it was comforting. I soon felt weak and ready to drift off. His voice soothes me and I lull off again; too weak to stay energized for long.
Music: Nine Inch Nails - Closer (Precursor.)