Now taking bets to see if I finish this before the 25th.
Zootopia is property of Disney. Rated T for language /minor viol/suggestive themes.
The atmosphere within the Meadowlands tavern was as far from the holiday spirit as one could possibly be. Christmas was still more than a week away, yet the entire city of Zootopia was bounding with the holiday spirit. Shopping, partying, sharing smiles and laughter with family and close friends. Couple that with a nice sheet of natural snow that stretched across all of the city's districts, and you found yourself with a holiday no mammal was bound to forget.
The exception being the poor mammals sitting in the lonely bar on the edge of the frozen wasteland that was normally the lush, grassy green Meadowlands during any other time of the year. The bartender wiping drink glasses behind the counter was a middle aged pig in a plaid shirt and had more lines on his face than a railroad map. There were only a few patrons in the bar on that cold December night, two reindeer shooting pool in the corner, a hyena and mule watching the hoofball game on the television while chain smoking, and sitting at the bar itself dressed far too nicely was a red fox.
He was dressed in a high class black vest with a white under shirt and red tie. Complete with steel gray slacks and an equally gray trench coat that was wadded into a ball on the stool to his left. Slumped over the bar top, he had an elbow propped on the bar with his chin resting in his paw, eyes lazily watching the dancing liquid in his glass as he swirled it around. The collar of his shirt was popped, his tie half done. The medium sized scotch bottle next to his elbow was almost half-empty.
"Owned this bar far too long not to notice a busted heart when I see one" came a rough voice.
The fox looked up to find the pig bartender standing in front of him. The fox chuckled without humor.
"You're not far off" the fox replied.
"It helps to talk about it" the pig went on. "Ain't the season to be alone is it?"
Nick Wilde eyed the bartender slowly and huffed lightly through his nose.
If only you knew...
Normally at this point Nick would throw up his trademark smirk and dish out a smarmy quip. His natural arsenal of deflecting any chance of revealing his heart to the world. But hey, Christmas only comes once a year right? Might as well be charitable for once...
"I've made a lot of mistakes throughout my life. But three of them really take the cake"
"Let's hear him then"
"Number one, selling a rug to a noted crime boss made from the fur off a skunk's ass"
The pig could barely hold back a snicker at the fox's comment.
"Second, I was stupid enough to fall in love with the greatest person I've ever met, my best friend"
The bartender nodded. Already sensing the end of the fox's fable.
"The third fuck up?" he asked gruffly.
"And whoopsie number threesie, I was stupid enough to tell her"
"How'd she take it?" the barkeep asked with a snort.
The fox slowly raised his glass, his emerald eyes staring deep into the dark amber liquid.
"She ran..." he mumbled.
"Yeah, that's about how it-" the pig began.
"...literally"
The pig snorted again and shook his head slightly.
"Salt in the wound my friend, that's what that is" said the pig.
The fox shrugged. He finished off his glass only to have it filled by the bartender with the scotch bottle. Deep in Nick's pocket, he could feel the vibration from his phone alerting him of a new text message. The twelfth in the past ten minutes. He again chose to ignore it. His eyes focusing back on the pig who began to speak.
"I served in the Army for nearly thirty years. Got to lay my hands on every weapon imaginable. Grenades, landmines, anti-air guns, hell, even drove a tank on a dare once."
The bartender placed a few empty glasses back in their place on a shelf before continuing.
"But I ain't never seen a weapon that can ruin a mammal's spirit better than a woman who snaps a man's heart in half. Forget bullets, poor thing's already good as dead. Without it, there ain't much left. Simple nature of the heart my friend. "
"Yeah...nature" Nick grumbled into his glass, taking another swig.
"But at the same time, there ain't nothing that can stop mammal when he's got fire in his soul. In my opinion, that's all a woman does for a man. Just gives him a sense of purpose he didn't know he needed."
"Don't you mean wanted?" Nick asked pointedly.
"Hell no. Don't matter what we want. We don't matter. Sun comes up, sun goes down, every damn day. We are born, we live, we die, and we get replaced. Ain't nothing we can do about it."
"You're a ball of holiday cheer aren't you?" Nick quipped with a smile.
The pig snorted and continued.
"But when a mammal has his heart fixed on something he cares most of all, the rest of the world can go to hell. Nothing else matters. That's what love is for anyways, gives meaning to the whole damn riddle. Your hurtin because the one person that gives you purpose up and left. Makes you feel empty. Incomplete"
Nick slowly raised himself in his seat at the pig's words while pouring another glass.
"So maybe this girl don't like you, maybe she does. That ain't the point, point is you need to reclaim what your heart got out of her. Your sense of meaning. Only that will pull you out of the hole you're drinking yourself into"
"That ain't much help barkeep. What if she is the point? She is nothing but the point? How can I go on if she isn't there with me?" Nick complained.
"You just answered your own question smart guy. I said you need what your heart got out of her, and you just said you can't be without her. You want her to love you, but what you need is to be with her. Maybe not as lovers, just with her. It ain't about what you want, it's about what you need. Figure it out what it is you need out of her, then it all makes sense"
Nick slumped in his seat, not entirely convinced the pig was making any sense. He knew he loved Judy, he knew he was madly in love with her. Known for quite some time now. He wanted nothing more than for her to love him back in the absolute worst way.
He needed her love...Gods above did he need her love...
But maybe having Judy love him back wasn't the point, maybe what the pig said was true and all he needed was just being around her. Being involved in her life. In whatever way he could.
He simply didn't know. Nothing made sense anymore.
Well, he did know one thing.
"You're way too good to work in a bar" Nick joked, emptying his glass again.
"Poetry don't pay. Booze does" said the pig.
A small chortle escaped Nick's lips as he focused back on his drink. The bartender wisely decided Nick was done talking for the moment and moved off to serve some other patrons. Pouring himself another glass, Nick barely noticed the new prickly attendee that seated herself down at the bar two stools away.
"Bartender, I would like a Hard Hart's Clover" the porcupine asked.
"Coming up" the pig replied, reaching under a counter.
Nick's eyes moved left without turning his head to study the porcupine. She barely looked old enough to be out of high school. Red, thick rimmed glasses, nose and lip piercings, black and white striped hoodie, and several strands of artificially colored needles on the top of her head. She looked miserable.
Nick couldn't help but notice the way she gingerly nursed her right arm every time she shifted in her seat. Her stuffy red eyes and occasional sniffle was evidence enough she had had a poor evening experience.
"Rough night?" he asked.
"What's it to you pal?" she sneered.
"More than you realize" he replied.
It was true in a sense. As little as two years ago, he would've looked away without a second of hesitation. He was a hustler, a mammal out for your money, not your well being. And certainly not someone who cared. But a byproduct of living as an officer of the law, you learn to care, and once you do, it never goes away that easily. Nick rapped twice on the bar with his knuckles and jerked his head in the porcupine's direction.
"Hey barkeep, she's on me"
The porcupine gawked at him but said nothing. Gratefully accepting her clover tasting beer without question. Neither the fox nor porcupine said anything for several minutes. Each absorbing the silence like oxygen to a fire.
"Thanks" she finally said.
The fox raised his glass at her in acknowledgement.
"Nature's own painkiller"
"Something I could really use right now..." she said taking a sip.
"I would too, If I had bruises coming in"
The porcupine nearly choked on her beer at the fox's remark. She coughed twice then did her best to avoid the fox's gaze.
"Who did it?" he asked sternly.
Somewhere in his head, he registered he had slipped into interrogate mode. The reason for it, he couldn't quite place. The porcupine stared fearfully at the fox, his emerald eyes boring right into her spirit. She failed to hold back a sniffle as she spoke.
"My...boyfriend. Anton, he gets a bit...rough, when he's angry." she replied meekly.
Nick's eyes hardened as he watched the porcupine rub her right arm absentmindedly. A fire that had been brewing in his heart for the past hour began to grow.
"How often?"
"I-"
"How...often" he said more firmly.
The porcupine squirmed in her seat.
"Once or twice...a week" she said quietly.
What happened next, to this day Nick couldn't explain. Perhaps it was the alcohol muddling his judgement, or maybe the atom bomb that was Judy's rejection had obliterated all sense of his inner emotion. His common sense included. But what came next out of his mouth, he said without thinking.
"You know what, let's go" he exclaimed.
"H-huh?"
Nick threw back the last of his scotch and opened his wallet to slam down a couple of twenties on the bar.
"Let's go see your boyfriend, have a nice little chat" he declared.
Slipping on his trench coat, Nick marched out of the bar and into the cold world outside. Back inside the porcupine looked fearfully at the barkeep hoping desperately he had an idea on what to do next. The barkeep had none and simply shrugged in defeat. Taking one last gulp of beer, the porcupine nervously followed the fox out into the streets. Where she found him waiting with both paws in the pockets of his coat.
"You have a ride?" he asked casually.
"Y-yes, this way"
She led him down the street where a small cargo van was parked. Despite some rust around the wheel wells, the vehicle looked halfway decent. It even occurred to Nick that her van was a slightly newer model of Finnick's. Only painted white and actually clean. Clambering inside with the porcupine at the wheel and Nick in the passenger seat, they soon rejoined the main road to head out of town.
"I deeply apologize, but what is your name?" Nick asked.
"Anna"
"Pleasure to meet you Anna"
"Likewise, mister...?"
Nick hesitated for a brief moment. Debating whether revealing his name was a good idea given the circumstances. He was about to say something when the van hit a bone jarring bump, causing something large and heavy in the back to fall over with a thump.
"What the heck is back there?" he asked.
"Costumes..." Anna whispered, seemingly embarrassed.
"Costumes? Really? Are you a stage performer?"
"Sort of, I work as a costume and make up designer for the Meadowlands Civic Drama Theater. I sometimes take stuff home to finish"
Nick's eyes slowly took in the large amount of fabric, props, and miscellaneous items stuffed inside cardboard boxes. The whole affair creating more questions than answers in his head.
"That's a lot of material to go through for just one mammal" he said simply.
Anna squeezed the steering wheel a little more tightly. Her eyes drifting out the side window.
"I sometimes make costumes, for some...clubs around town. I need the extra money to..." she replied.
Nick huffed through his nose. The scotch was beginning to leave a bad taste in his mouth.
Pay your boyfriend's rent...hopefully
To Anna's surprise, the fox climbed out of his seat and disappeared into the rear of the van. The sound of items being moved around soon met her ears.
"Mind if I borrow a few things? Don't worry, I'm not keeping anything. Oh, and some makeup too?" he called out.
Anna tried to find the fox in the rear view mirror, but could make nothing out of the darkness of the rear compartment.
"S-sure help yourself" she said confusedly. She was really our of her depth.
Three red stop lights later, the fox reemerged and took his spot in the passenger seat. The porcupine had to do a double take to be able to recognize he was the same fox she met in the bar. His shirt, vest and tie had disappeared and been replaced with a dark green polo and brown faux leather jacket. His gray slacks giving way to a pair of black jeans.
But the distinct change, was the heavy use of makeup which changed his rusty red and cream fur color into a dirty blonde and smoky gray mix. Complete with golden brown tipped ears. The perfect example of the color scheme for a gray fox.
"You look amazing! I don't recognize you!" Anna exclaimed.
"My old job sometimes needed a lot of dress up. New one does as well. Scares me sometimes the skills of one job keeps showing up in the other" Nick groused, buttoning his jacket.
"Why are you doing this? What do you want? I barely know you!"
"No, you don't barely know me, you don't know a single thing about me. And that is the point my dear prickly friend" the now gray fox said with a smirk.
"But why then?"
It was a long time before Nick finally replied.
"Truth is Anna, I need to blow off some steam."
-
The odd duo soon entered the Downtown district of the Meadowlands and finally arrived in front of a dilapidated apartment complex. The architecture suggested the building was at a least a century in age and had certainly seen better days. Trash packed in corners, worn window frames, and only a few lights could be seen on in the entire building.
"This is the place?" Nick asked.
"Y-yes"
"You don't have to see this, just tell me his apartment number"
"N-no, I'm coming with you"
Nick didn't protest as he exited the van, Anna soon following close behind. Climbing to the third floor, the pair soon found themselves standing in front of apartment number thirty-three. The frame looked scratched and busted from previous, violent openings. Nick raised a single eyebrow and cocked his head at the door. Anna simply nodded at his gesture. Nick motioned with his hand for her to stay back, then politely knocked twice. They waited for four minutes then Nick knocked again with a little more force.
"I'm coming already!" called a voice.
The sound of several locks and deadbolts being opened could be heard from the other side. As the door opened with a nasty creak, the boyfriend, Anton, was revealed to be a chubby praire dog wearing a death metal band t-shirt and ripped jeans.
"Who the fuck are you?!" he snapped.
"Pizza delivery" Nick replied with a smirk.
"I didn't order any fu-"
POW!
The blow from Nick's fist sent the prairie dog reeling back into the apartment. Where he ungracefully knocked over a coffee table on his trip down to the floor. A small gasp came from Anna as she swiftly covered her mouth in shock.
"You have a nasty habit of hitting girls when you're upset" Nick said, stepping inside. "I think we ought to fix that"
"I'm gonna fucking kill you!" Anton shouted.
"Bring it"
The prairie dog lunged toward Nick with his fore claws fully extended. The crazed rodent swiped at Nick from the left but missed as Nick smoothly stepped to the side. Bringing his elbow down on the side of the prairie dog's head hard. Nick then followed up with a swift kick to the praire dog's gut, knocking the wind completely out of the mammal.
As Anton wheezed and sputtered, Nick noticed at that moment there was an open box filled with a certain type of dried, green foliage of dubious legality stuffed in a corner of the apartment. He smiled a little on the inside knowing the ZPD was going to receive an anonymous tip very soon.
POW!
Hot, electric pain danced over Nick's skull as Anton's fist connected with his right eye. For a chubby, abusive moocher, the prairie dog had one hell of a gun on him. Before Anton could continue his assault, Nick expertly blocked the next punch then proceeded to dislocate Anton's jaw completely with a punch of his own. Those extra boxing sessions Judy put him through were really paying off.
Judy...
Nick's blood ran hot. He delivered two more blows to Anton's face, one's much harder than before, then dropped the prairie dog completely with a roundhouse kick to his mid section. The sound of something cracking was apparent as Anton collapsed to the floor, his breathing ragged. With both fists still tingling, Nick loomed over the mammal and gripped him firmly by the top of his shirt, lifting him up just enough to look him square in the eyes.
"Listen here scumbag, tonight you're going to clean up your act once and for all. You're going to find a job, pay your own bills, and work out your anger management issues. Deal? Otherwise, I'm very sure the authorities would love to haul your fat ass in for abuse. Or perhaps I'll just beat you again." Nick stated.
"O-okay" the prairie dog whimpered, blooding dripping off his face.
"Good, now you're going to apologize to your girlfriend Anna, and swear to her on your life you will never lay another claw on her in anger ever again for as long as you both live?"
"S-sorry..."
"Not to me! HER!" Nick shouted pointing at Anna.
The prairie dog began to shake. He slowly rotated his face to find the equally shaking Anna standing in the doorway.
"S-sorry Anna..I-i promise I won't hurt you agaAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
Anton's wail of agony filled the entire apartment as Nick slammed a fist on the prairie dog's already bruised rib cage.
"Sorry, I couldn't hear you!" Nick shouted.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I promise! I PROOOOMIIIISSSEEEE!"
Nick finally smiled, dropping his voice back into a pleasant tone.
"Excellent"
Releasing his grasp, Nick left the wounded mammal to groan pitifully in a heap on the floor. For a brief moment, Nick felt a twinge of regret in his actions, but the thought was quickly cast aside when he remembered the reason for his appearance. In two years as an officer, he had seen worse. Grabbing the shell shocked Anna by her shoulders, Nick slowly shuffled the porcupine out of the apartment.
"Come on" he ordered.
The two mammals retreated back to Anna's van and made a clean break back into town. Not stopping once until Nick asked to be let off at the ZTA line transit station. He had no other mode of transport as Judy used the Cruiser they borrowed that night to flee from him and his feelings. Stepping out of the van, now wearing his own clothing once more, he paused a moment to give a pointed look at the porcupine.
"If he ever tries anything again, you run. You hear me? You run away and call the ZPD"
"Ok, though I think he'll treat me better no-"
"No you're not. Your never seeing him again, am I clear?"
"But you made him say-" Anna began, surprise filling her eyes.
"That was his punishment. I highly doubt one beating will get him to change his behavior. The actual smart thing to do, is to stay away and never give him the time of day again. And to avoid all others like him from now on."
"B-but I-"
"Anna listen, you seem like a nice girl. But you can do better than hangout with scumbags like that."
The porcupine shrunk a little in her seat.
"I thought he really liked me...made me feel attractive, even though I'm not..."
"Hey now, it's not that bad, you're a good looking gal. You're just starting out, you still have plenty more Christmas's to burn before you find your special someone. There's no need to rush. I know I didn't"
"Did you ever find someone?" she asked softly.
It took all of Nick's willpower to keep a straight face.
"Oh yes, yes I did. And she was totally worth the wait" he said with a genuine warm smile.
Anna slowly smiled back at him, her eyes just a little misty.
"Take care Anna. Oh, Merry Christmas by the way" he called as he back to walk away.
"Merry Christmas to you too sir! And thank you!" she called back.
Still smiling, he waved at her one more time before disappearing up the steps of the train station. It took nearly another hour before he finally reached his apartment in Savannah Central. What with avoiding late-night shoppers and narrowly falling victim to being the audience of a group of traveling carolers.
Arriving at his medium sized apartment, Nick dumped his trench coat, phone and keys before stepping into his bathroom to wash off the gray fox makeup. Wincing a little as the throbbing pain around his eye began to make itself noticeable.
Grabbing a pack of frozen peas from the freezer for his eye, Nick slumped down into his couch and spent the next half hour staring blankly at the ceiling. The events of the night slowly replaying in his mind...
Driving Judy to the holiday festival on the edge of the Meadowlands in their own Cruiser, right where the river meets the ocean. The high class dinner of white wine, baked gourmet vegetables, a platter of steaming salmon for Nick, and a nice, smooth dark chocolate cake for dessert. He even decided to be bold and offer Judy a dance on the outside, pavilion ballroom floor amongst a sea of waltzing couples. It was all so perfect.
He remembered everything. The smell of her perfume, the way the light danced on her lavender dress, the feeling of her soft paws in his own. The way her eyes shined like exotic gems every time he looked at her. Her heavenly voice as she talked. He couldn't hide it anymore. It needed to be said.
I love you Judy, with all of my heart...
Suddenly it all came tumbling down. The sparkle in Judy's eyes vanished, her smile slid into a frown. Confusion and apprehension replaced what was joy and merriment only moment's before. Tears slid down her cheeks as she stuttered something in response, but Nick didn't need his acute vulpine hearing to make out the words 'I don't'
Pulling herself from his grasp, she turned on her heels and bolted into the night.
She didn't stop. No matter how loudly he screamed her name.
She didn't stop running.
Nick's body jerked violently as he sobbed. With the adrenaline from the brawl wearing off, the alcohol was finally doing it's trick and loosening up the dams he had spent years crafting to hide his emotions from the world. An hour had nearly passed again when Nick finally pulled himself together and started to get ready for bed. Dumping his clothes in a heap on the floor, he dropped into bed ungracefully and closed his bloodshot eyes. It had even started to snow outside.
Tomorrow's another day...
As he drifted into a restless sleep. somewhere inside his head he noted the voice he heard wasn't his.
A/N: What will happen between Judy and Nick? Stay tuned!
Before anyone asks, the barkeep's twisted sense of romance and world views come from an older cousin of mine whose ramblings are far too crazy not to use for writing.