Bits & Bytes … and Bunnies, too

Disclaimer: Disney owns all the original characters and all rights to Zootopia and it's universe. This is a work of fan-fiction.

Author Note:

Before we embark on the journey this story will tell, I really want to thank Selaxes, whose words and stories encouraged me to start on this project. Without him I wouldn't have attempted this and he also agreed to help me out as a mentor and editor. Thank you for your kind and wonderful support.

Further I want to add that this story would be after Selaxes story "Cry for the children" accepting the events in his story-arc starting with "Nothing to fear" through "Cry for the children" as canon events in regard to my story. This is with permission of Selaxes as author of said stories.

There will be a few references to events in those stories, so I recommend people to read those great tales.

Chapter 1

"Attention!"

The loud proclamation heralding the entry of Chief Bogo rattled the young officer out of his thoughts. Chris Longpaw was a serval, a smaller wildcat with markings similar to a cheetah, but more prominent markings in his face and larger ears – ears that were twice again as high as his head, now focusing towards the front of the room. He was also the newest addition to the police force of the ZPD's 1st precinct. The newest rookie fresh out of the Academy joining his fellow officers in the bullpen for the first time.

Chris knew he was nervous. Very nervous. With all the telltale signs of his species in the form of a trembling and lashing tailtip and erect ears scanning the area like radar bowls, it would take only a small noise or unexpected movement to have the wildcat jump out of his fur. His gaze went over the towering form of the cape buffalo and felt himself gulp. Chief Bogo had the reputation of being a hard-to-please boss, especially towards rookies, and Chris felt pangs of fear gripping his stomach.

The Academy had been hard on the smaller cat. Roughly a little bit taller than a fox, mostly because of his comparably long legs and arms and almost rabbit tall ears, he couldn't compete in sense of brawn and strength with his fellow students. His physical advantages where fast reflexes, agility and precises pounces, which gave him advantages with smaller or same size mammals, but not with anyone bigger. To this day he tried to find out how Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde had mastered this hurdle in their education. He had heard that Judy had defeated a Rhino while sparring, which only raised her eminence in the feline's eyes, but it was something he failed regularly to do. He scored enough points in the physical test to pass, but excelled in all things theory and research. His natural predisposition to wait, observe and pounce, plus an uncanny talent with electronics made him a computer whiz and let him finish in all those courses top of the class.

Chris' ears twitched nervously as he noticed that the whole room had gotten totally quiet. He felt all the blood rushing towards his face and ears, letting them shine like reddish-pink beacons, when he noticed that all officers and the chief's eyes and attention were directly on him. His woolgathering about his Academy time had made him miss the chief addressing him or introducing him. His eyes wandered over the faces of his fellow officers, most with a barely hidden amusement about his situation, or angrily clouded like the chief's. He raised a paw slightly from the now desperately held pad in front of him and tried to fix a shy smile on his muzzle. His usually purring mellow voice sounded like a mouse as he squeaked a careful "Hello!" which only resulted into everyone starting laughing and turning their attention back towards Bogo, who at this point was rubbing the bridge between his eyes as to ward off an upcoming headache.

With a sigh, that echoed the years long struggle of dealing with rookies and mammals under his command, Chief Bogo continued: "Officer Longpaw, as I was about to say, you'll be partnered with Officer Wilde for today's patrol of the Savanna Central." He held up a hoof, "Shut it, Wilde! No smart ass remark changes the fact that you will, and have to do, shifts with rookies. And I don't care about your objections!"

Chris noticed that the fox and the rabbit in the first row turned their heads to look at each other and started to silently discuss something, while the chief continued his role call. The wildcat felt hot and cold shivers running over his body. True, he had expected to be partnered to an experienced officer, that was the usual case for a rookie. True, that partnering him with someone his own size made even more sense, but he still felt shell-shocked that his partner for today's shift would be Nick Wilde. The Nick Wilde, ZPD's first and only fox officer so far, partner and husband to ZPD's first and only rabbit officer. Heroes of the city for the solving of the Night Howler Case, public celebrities for being the spokespersons of prey-pred relationships. The list went on and on in Chris' mind as he stared at the backs of his two heroes, the two very reasons why he had tried for the Academy to become a cop. To follow the example those two had set to make the Zootopian dream a reality, to make a change for the better, to show that everyone could be everything with everyone.

Again woolgathring Chris missed the end of role call and everyone leaving the bullpen, only to wake up out of his thoughts when he suddenly was face to face with his heroes. In front of him stood Judy Hopps-Wilde and Nick Wilde, the first with an open smile, the other with half smirk, half smile under hooded eyes, that seemed to be a trademark for the fox as most pictures and posters showed him with that look. Most of them, except those where he was looking at his partner and wife, when that sarcastic smirk was replaced by expressions of love and adoration. The feline slipped half graceful, half clumsy from the big chair he had been sitting on and now stood in front of them. The rabbit stretched her paw out towards him with a radiant smile that brightened the room:

"Hi, I'm Officer Judy Hopps-Wilde, Judy to my colleagues. Welcome to the ZPD! I am happy to have you join us on the force, Officer Longpaw!"

Chris clutched his pad tightly to his chest in a sudden rush of increased nervousness. Slowly he extended his paws and shook the offered paw of the rabbit officer. "H-hi. It…it is really an honor to meet you Officer Hopps-Wilde, eh … Judy. You … you and your partner represent everything this department and city is about. Really you are an inspiration to us other mammals to try and be better..." he continued to shake her paw as he rambled on.

He was interrupted by a amused snort from the fox who had watched the scene so far silently, his sardonic smile always staying on his muzzle, "Whoa! Now kid, tone down on the hero worship a little bit. True, this glorious couple saved the city once or twice, but that is nothing more than you would have done in our place." He winked in humor towards his wife, "You know, Carrots, this assignment might even turn out to be fun, when I will receive adoration and praise from the rookie I am supposed to show the ropes. Don't you think?"

This brought him a cuff in the side from his rabbit partner, who had freed her paw from the continued shaking. "Nick, be nice!"

She turned her attention back towards the feline in front of her. "He's right, you know. You made it through the Academy and into the 1st precinct. That alone shows your drive and determination. Given the chance you would have done, and will do, the same as we did, making Zootopia a better and safer place." The smile she gave him once more eclipsed the room's illumination and Chris felt he had difficulties to swallow the lump in his throat. The fox again broke the somewhat awkward situation in starting to leave the room. "Come along, kid. We have to get our tails on the road! I'm not keen of our dear Chief Buffalo Butt finding us here loitering about and reassigning us to papercut detail instead."

They followed Nick into the big foyer to Clawhauser's desk, Judy next to her partner, Chris somewhat dragging behind, again self-consciously clutching his pad to his chest, too tongue tied to say or add anything more. His tail was lashing behind him and his ears a bit drooping as he watched the couple ahead of him chatting about plans for the day after work. It seemed so normal, so totally natural and so totally impossible at the same time. A rabbit and a fox acting so close next to each other, being partners, being married. Each time he thought about it, now even seeing it right before his eyes, Chris had trouble understanding it. It went against everything and still was so wonderful.

"Hey, kid!" The cat looked to the fox who had reached the front-desk and had turned around to him. "Want to fill our names before we leave on patrol. What is yours again?"

The feline smiled shyly, "It's Chris! Chris Longpaw!"

~o~

Reviews and constructive critics are of course always welcome.