The sun had hit its zenith hours ago and was starting to give way to the orange rays of evening. The Carrot Days Festival was still in full-swing and showed no signs of stopping. The stage play by students of the local elementary school had been replaced with a jug band playing old-time ditties. Down the earthen path from the barn, past some carnival game tents, was a secluded area of the festival. An area where a pivotal moment in the life of one little rabbit was unfolding.
"Kindly return my friends' tickets." The young doe held out her paw to the older, larger fox. While she wasn't a constant target of Gideon Grey, many of her friends and family members had fallen victim to his bullying. Normally, she would have run to find an adult after seeing Gideon and his lackey ominously follow her friends into the secluded area in the park. Not Today. Today was her first step on her becoming the first rabbit police officer. She felt it was a test, to prove herself worthy of the uniform she was wearing, regardless of it being a costume or not. So she had to confront Gideon and make him face justice.
"Come and get 'em," Gideon patted the pocket on his overalls that held the pilfered tickets with both paws. "But watch out, 'cause I'm a fox," He bared his claws at her, "and like you said in your dumb little stage play, us predators used to eat prey! And that killer instinct's still in our dinnah."
Judy stood defiantly as he leered at her in her homemade police uniform, complete with gold foil badge.
"Uh I'm pretty much sure it's pronounced D-N-A" Travis corrected.
A look of annoyance flashed over the fox's face before he swiped half-heartedly at the weasel behind him. "Don't tell me what I know, Travis," Gideon snapped over his shoulder, then turned back to the rabbit who was interfering with his plan.
Reminding herself that if she wanted to be a police officer, she would have to deal with larger and more intimidating mammals than Gideon, she steeled her nerves and took her first step forward as a police officer.
"You don't scare me, Gideon."
Between her annoying stage play, Travis correcting him, and her interfering with his fun of stealing the tickets Gideon's anger boiled over. With speed that betrayed his girth, he shoved Judy with both paws. She found herself momentarily airborne, her police cap flung off of her head. Her three friends let out a shriek before fleeing behind a nearby tree.
"You scared now?"
Sitting up with a grunt, Judy turned back to her assailant. Her bravado was lost like her cap as her ears drooped in fright. Above her frown, her nose twitched instinctively as adrenalin started coursing through her.
"Look at her nose twitch! She is scared!" Travis mocked.
Gideon leaned down with his paws on his legs, a self-satisfied smile over his muzzle.
"Cry little baby bunny, cry!"
In a blur of blue and grey, Judy's feet shot up and landed squarely on Gideon's nose, sending him reeling back in shock. Even her three friends gasped in amazement from behind the tree. It happened so fast, she almost didn't believe she did it.
He pulled his paw away from his muzzle and saw a tinge of red to his saliva. A lick of his lips confirmed the slight coppery taste in his mouth. He narrowed his eyes with menace at the purple-eyed doe rabbit.
"Aww, you just don't know when to quit, do you?"
Raising his arm, he flicked open his paws, exposing his sharp claws like a switchblade.
Judy shrunk back with a gasp, thinking that she should have tried to find a smaller first step to becoming a police officer.
Growling like his rabbit-killing ancestors, Gideon reared back to strike down at the defenseless bunny.
"Wow." A dry, humorless voice interrupted the scene.
Wrapped up as they were in the events unfolding before them, no one noticed the other fox walk up. He was shorter than Gideon and much thinner. His green uniform identified him as a member of the Junior Ranger Scouts that had been bussed in from Zootopia. Judy heard that a few Junior Ranger Scout troops were visiting from the city. There was talk amongst the adults about the city troops helping the local Ranger Scouts and even some of the Bunny Scouts.
"I heard the countryside was a little behind the times, but I wasn't expecting it to be stuck in the stone age." The new fox stood calmly, looking almost apathetic to the scene before him.
Gideon's arm was still poised to swipe at the rabbit on the ground, but his glare turned toward the new fox and he spat, "this ain't none of your business, city slicker."
Judy was puzzled by the new fox. He was dressed as a Ranger Scout but his slouched stance and insulting tone clashed with the chipper, clean nosed impression she had of the Ranger Scouts.
The scout shrugged. "True, but as a Ranger Scout, I'm supposed to be brave, loyal, helpful and trustworthy. Right now, the most helpful advice I can give you would be to return the tickets and apologize."
"You think so?" Gideon snarled at the young scout. Judy watched as his open claw changed its target to the new fox. Her heart pounded with a fresh influx of adrenaline. Being in the middle of a fox fight was well beyond the step she wanted to take.
"Oh, I know so. I'll make sure they get their tickets back." There was an edge to the fox's voice.
"You threatening me, city pelt?"
The Ranger Scout smirked. The quirk of his lips was smug but didn't hold any malevolence. Regardless, it irritated Gideon enough for him to start growling.
"No. Ranger Scouts are told not to make empty promises."
"I'll give you an empty promise!" Gideon reared back to strike.
"Wait!" The Scout held up a finger to pause the bully.
"While I'm sure their parents," he gestured toward Judy and her friends, "are used to hearing about your bullying. And I bet your parents are sick of hearing from their parents. But if you strike me, your parents will not only hear about it from the parents of everyone here, but also a Ranger Scout troop leader who might consider Bunny Burrow too hostile to allow his troop to return to help the local Bunny Scouts."
Gideon's gaze faltered. Judy knew that most families had made a call to the Grey's at one point or another, but his bullying never went more than the proverbial schoolyard. As Gideon's paw relaxed and his claws retracted, she hoped he now realized that his actions could have rippling effects that go beyond the schoolyard. At the very least that he was in for more than a few swats from his mother's wooden spoon and a grounding if he continued.
Gideon's paw dropped to his chest, grabbing the tickets. With a snort, he tossed them at the ground in front of Judy, crumpled and with claw holes.
"Ain't nothing worth getting anyway. Just a buncha stupid carrot toys." He grumbled. "C'mon Travis, let's leave the babies with their new baby sitter."
Judy's friends came out from behind the relative safety of the tree. Still locked onto the new fox, she realized his previously lax posture had changed as he watched Gideon leave, his spine straightened and the smirk on his face grew. Once the bigger fox left, he deflated, letting out a long breath.
"Are you okay, Judy?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm okay." She grabbed the tickets from the ground and handed them to her friend Sharla, one of the few literal black sheep in Bunny Burrow.
"On behalf of all foxes," The scout turned to the small group of prey, "I apologize. I hope that he's not the only example of a fox for you."
None of them said anything but a few gave shy nods.
"Then I'm doubly sorry."
As she stood, her three friends cautiously made their way to her and the discarded tickets. Even though he had scared off Gideon, the prey were wary of the fox scout.
"C'mon Judy, we should be getting back." Sharla whispered to Judy. Eugene was already at the back of the tents with little Cotton.
"I'll be with you in a bit."
Sharla gave Judy one last pleading look before joining the Eugene and Cotton and vanished into the crowd.
"He's the only fox around here, isn't he," the fox stated as much as asked, a terrible weight of sadness in his voice.
While he was not wrong, he was not completely correct either. The Grey family was the only family of foxes in Bunny Burrow, but there were a few more fox families in Podunk and Judy had heard that there were a whole bunch of them past the southern border of Deerbrooke County. Additionally, Gideon was not the only kit in the Grey family. He had a baby sister. The thought of both the Grey kits being of Gideon's disposition led to more than a few nightmares of the prey children in the area.
"In Bunny Burrow, Yeah."
Taking a deep breath, the fox straightened his stance and turned to face Judy.
"Then as a representative of my species, I apologize on his behalf. And I think this belongs to you, Officer."
In his paws was Judy's hat. He dusted off the top and held it out to her. With a small smile.
"Oh, thank you." Lowering her ears,she set it back on her head.
"I'm Nick Wilde of troop two-ten," he said, extending a paw.
She looked down at his paw and tried to hide her anxiety as she saw the tips of his claws peeking out from their sheaths. Her eyes traced the path leading from his paw, ending at his face.. His striking emerald eyes were relaxed, matching his warm smile. For the briefest of moments, his right canine stuck out over his bottom lip, only to vanish as a wave of his own anxiousness passed over him and his smile fell to hide his wayward tooth. Previously, when she had encountered the fangs of a predator, a deep ancestral fear would crept up her spine. However, she found herself giggling at that brief glimpse of white fang on this fox. It was so endearingly goofy, it teetered on the verge of being cute. At least she assumed other foxes, especially vixens, would have thought it was cute. A bunny would not call it cute. Even though they could.
"Judy Hopps."
She put her paw into his, feeling his smooth paw pads against the soft fur of her palm. After a light squeeze and two small shakes, his grip loosened.
"I have to ask. What's with the outfit?"
Puffing up her chest, she beamed at Nick and reenacted a segment from her stage play.
"I'm going to be a police officer!"
His smile widened and his eyes shined at her. Then his shoulders shot up as he put his paws over his muzzle before his laughter could not be contained any longer.
Judy's jubilance had vanished. He was just like everyone else.
"So, you think my dream's stupid too? I thought you might be different than all the others around here." Judy turned to leave, heartbroken over another mammal laughing at her.
Taking a gasp of breath, while trying to control his giggles, Nick wheezed out, "No!"
She paused and turned towards him, her brow arched in a soured quizzical look.
"It's just, I'm-" he fought back a wave of giggles, "I'm imagining you -snort- tossing a rhino into the back of a cop car."
Her sour look devolved into a full scowl as she crossed her arms. "Is my dream is just a joke to you?"
His fit of laughter was cut off so fast, she thought he might have choked.
"What? No!" He shook his head, "You should aim for your dreams. I just think the image of a little bunny arresting a giant rhino is funny."
A smile slid back onto his face, a hint of his previous smirk at its ends.
"So when you do arrest your first rhino, make sure your partner takes photos. I'd pay good money to see that!"
The ghost of a smile showed through her reluctance. She gave him points for his encouraging words, considering they were the first encouraging words she'd ever received regarding her career choice. However, she had to take some points away for the implied height joke. She was mollified by the fact that he used the word 'little' and not 'cute.'
"If I get pictures of that, I'll hand deliver them to you."
They walked back to the festival together. Her friends were nowhere to be seen. If they were not reporting Gideon's bullying to their parents, they were probably at one of the more distant game tents spending their tickets.
"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make fun of you wanting to be a cop. How about I make it up to you?"
"And how do you plan on doing that?" She cocked her head at him, the lingering half smile on her face grew by the slightest fraction. This fox was so unlike any of the other predators she had met, she was a little off balance. She was genuinely surprised by his apology and offer.
"I'll win you a prize." He waved his paw at the various game tents around the festival.
Judy let out a callous huff of a laugh, "My dad doesn't like us playing these games, says they're rigged against you."
"And he's mostly right."
Nick moved forward without waiting, passing through a cavalcade of rabbits. Judy followed, not sure what was going on. He stopped at one of the games. It was the water gun game. A row of stools sat at a counter, a water pistol for each seat. On the opposite side of the tent were a row of targets, various mammal faces in clown paint. They all had similar expressions of shock, leading their mouths to be set in a perfect O shape. Their bulbous red noses were balloons. As the contestants sprayed water into the clowns' mouths, the noses grew, and when one got big enough lights and sirens would go off signaling the winner.
"Okay Officer Fluff, if you want to know the trick to winning at these games, pay attention."
Instead of walking up and grabbing one of the water guns, the fox… no, not the fox. Nick, she had to remind herself. Nick stood back and watched several rounds being played by other kits. To Judy, nothing looked out of the ordinary. Kits came up, gave the attendant a game token, and then they shot water at clown faces and one would win.
"What's the catch? I don't see how this game is rigged."
The smugness was in full force in his smirk again, "Then I'll show you."
They moved into the line and waited their turn. Judy watched Nick who kept his eyes on the game. When they were up, Nick made his way to the seat targeting a white-faced and red-lipped cat with Judy claiming the seat next to him.
The bell rang and several streams of water splashed across the clown-faced targets. Judy zeroed in on hers. Her aim started out a little high but she adjusted and locked her position once the nose balloon started to grow. Lights flashed and the siren rang out over Nick's cat clown target. The attendant came over and handed him a string of tickets.
"If I didn't miss at first, I would have won." Judy complained.
Still smiling, Nick just shrugged and got back in line. His next round, he sat across from the clown-faced rabbit. Again, he won. Judy chalked that win up to luck. The third time he sat in front of the bear clown and won.
Getting back in line for a fourth time, Nick was hauled out by the little officer-to-be.
"Alright Slick Nick, what's the catch?"
"You don't know? You have to be more observant, if you want to be a cop, Fluff."
She crossed her arms and huffed at him. She thought she was pretty observant. Well, pretty observant for a nine-year-old. And he wasn't much older than her! Where did he get off-
"It's on a pattern." He interrupted her thoughts, putting a paw on her shoulder and turned her to face the game. "Watch, this round will be won by whoever sits in front of the fox clown."
Sure enough, at the end of that round, lights and sirens went off for the kit shooting at the fox clown.
"And now it'll be the deer. Followed by the sheep and then it repeats: cat, rabbit, bear, fox, deer then sheep."
It was so obvious after he said it. There were so many kits from so many families that no one stayed at one game long enough to notice. She would have felt ashamed if she wasn't still in awe.
Turning back to Nick, he stuffed the tickets he had won into one pocket as he pulled out more game tokens from another.
"So, wanna see how many tickets we can win?"
~oOo~
Dusk settled over the fields as the Carrot Days Festival wound down. The mob of rabbits and other mammals had been petering out for the past hour. Which meant that Nick and Judy had to wait less time in line between rounds at the water gun game.
After another successful round, Nick pulled the excited rabbit aside.
"I think we have more than enough," he pulled out his disheveled wad of tickets from his pocket and said, "it's a small miracle that the barker didn't pick up on us figuring out the pattern!" He sat back on his heels and started counting his tickets. Judy took her neatly folded tickets out and did the same.
"I got 572, what about you?" Judy asked.
"Nuts! Lost count again, hold on." Nick whined and began recounting.
"Let me."
Judy pulled at a strip of tickets from his unkempt mass. He watched her eyes dart around his pile of tickets.
"448."
"You sure?"
She nodded, "Bunnies are good at multiplication. I got an A on my last test."
Nick snickered as they walked to the ticket trade-in a few tents over.
"Well, Gideon was right about one thing." Nick let out a mirthy huff, "There ain't nothing but carrots."
The tent was lined in orange and green. There was everything from small carrot-shaped candies to plastic carrot rings and toys to carrot plushies ranging from minuscule to gargantuan.
Judy shrugged, "What did you expect from a Carrot Days Festival?"
"Point taken."
She'd never won this many tickets before and would wager that none of her siblings ever had either. Last year with the few game tokens her parents gave her, she won 23 tickets and was only able to get a cheap plastic carrot whistle after obtaining her older brother's leftover tickets from getting two pieces of carrot taffy. But as she eyed a pack of carrot-themed playing cards in her range, a wave a guilt came over her. Her father had only given her five game tokens, but after those dried up, Nick let her use his since each Ranger Scout was issued more tokens than they knew what to do with. And it was his insight on the game's pattern that allowed her to win so often. The tickets felt unnaturally heavy in her hand. It didn't feel like she earned them. He had done all the work to get them and deserved them more than her! But when she turned to give them to him she nearly smashed her face into his wad of tickets.
"You can have them." He said.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, besides what's a fox like me going to do with some carrot toys?"
A blink, a nose twitch and an impulse later, her arms were around him. Never having hugged a fox before she was shocked at how warm he was. Maybe it was because he was a predator or simply because he was bigger than her. Regardless, his warmth was comforting. It reminded her of her usual post-Christmas dinner nap in front of the fireplace. A part of her didn't want to let go. And his fur! People called rabbits fluffy, but they had never had their face smashed into a fox's ruff!
On another level, she was shocked by his generosity. Not that her family wasn't generous but their charity was directed more towards the community more than individuals. They would give a family in need enough food for thin meals through the season, instead of one hearty meal. Even presents from birthdays and holidays were generous in a communal sense. While Bobby Catmull received a brand new keyboard for his last birthday, Judy received the same thing as the rest of the six J-litter kits; an expansion to their shared room which was quickly filled with second-hand desks and school supplies. She had never received such a singular gift.
"Thank you!" She squeezed him and felt his empty paw reach up and gently pat her back, "You're a good fox." His paw stopped, mid pat as her words reached his ears.
As she released him, she wiped at her misting eyes. Nick on the other paw, seemed suddenly interested in something near his feet as his ears flattened back and he mumbled out a response: "It's nothing."
"So," he and his ears perked back up changing the subject, "What are you going to get?"
Holding a grand total of one-thousand and twenty tickets, she had quite a few options. Even though the idea of having a lot of smaller prizes was appealing, it would be hard to bring all of them home without a bag. So it had to be one prize, and it would be a big prize. A prize to commemorate this day.
"I'll take the stuffed carrot." she pointed at one of the larger but not quite gargantuan poofy pillow like carrots hanging on the far wall with a 1000 ticket price tag.
"A carrot for Officer Carrots, huh?"
"And three caramel carrots." She added. At six tickets each, she used up all but two of her tickets.
The plush carrot was almost as big as she was. The easiest way for her to hold it was to hug it against her chest with the tip at the side of her face and the green tassels on the other end almost scraping the ground. When given the three caramels, she popped one in her mouth and handed one out to Nick, who eyed it with suspicion.
"Is it carrot flavored?"
"Nah, just shaped like 'em. They're my favorite."
He took the offered candy and popped it into his mouth as they made their way back to the entrance to the festival. She could see a gathering of Ranger Scouts off to one side. One of the older Scouts saw them and cupped his mouth.
"Wilde, Scoutmaster's getting the bus. Hurry up."
He waved back at them.
"I should get going, Fluff."
In all the excitement, the fact Nick was a visitor to Bunny Burrow had escaped her. She had met so few mammals from outside Bunny Burrow it was second nature just to assume they were locals she hadn't met before. But the group of Ranger Scouts brought reality down on her.
"When will you come back? Are you coming back?" Judy tried to hide the desperation that started to creep into her mind. They had just met! She wasn't ready for him to leave. She hugged her Carrot plush to her.
Nick shrugged, "Not up to me but I hope so."
She tightened her hug on her plush prize as he took his first step away.
"Hey Fluff!" He turned back to her, a small pensive smirk on his muzzle. "Do me a favor and never give up on your dream of being a cop."
"Never." she gave a curt nod, ending in a smile of her own.
His smirk widened, showing a quick hint of teeth. The kind of teeth that were forged on flesh and bones of her ancestors. The kind of teeth that gave her spine a chill when they sat in the maw of Gideon Grey. Both times her heart began to race, but the cold fear from before was nowhere to be found. In its place was something else. Something oddly warm, like when she hugged him.
"Goodbye, Nick Wilde the Ranger Scout."
"See you later, Officer Judy Hopps."
~oOo~
"Officer Judy Hopps!"
Those three words echoed in her head all day. In her own voice out of excitement, from Mayor Lionheart's projected voice over the audience of graduating officers and their families and now from her own parents. With the main ceremony over, everyone congregated into their own little circles on the massive lawn next to the Zootopia Police Academy. Most were rookies with their friends and families, but there were a few veteran officers making the rounds.
Judy's family was still in shock. Shocked that not only had she graduated but graduated valedictorian! Compounding this was here assignment to Precinct One, the main police precinct of Zootopia! Stu was on the verge of tears, as usual, while Bonnie couldn't help but exude a mix of pride and trepidation.
"Isn't this great?!" Judy felt like she had pulled a muscle in her face from all her smiling, but even that wasn't enough to kill her mood.
"Oh it sure is, bun-bun, but Zootopia? It's so far. You know I'm sure the Bunny Burrow Sheriff's Department would love to have you."
"Yeah," Stu added as he pocketed a tear-soaked hanky, "I know a few of the deputies. Could get them to put in a good…"
Stu trailed off. His ears dropped to his back and eyes widened as they focused on something behind and above Judy. Bonnie took a step closer to him and pulled some of the kits behind her.
A familiar, yet unfamiliar voice spoke up behind her, "Well, well, well. It looks like Officer Carrots got her dream job after all." The voice made her shiver, awakening half-buried memories from her past. Of carnival lights and games, the smell of candied carrots, and the remembered hug of a new friend who presented her with her first real gift.
She turned around and saw a fox standing in her shadow. His emerald eyes were half-lidded and there was an easy smile perched on his muzzle. There was something familiar about those eyes, and the fox gazing out from them. Judy's eyes swept down, taking in the Ranger Scout Leader regalia the fox was sporting and something in her mind 'clicked.'
Her violet eyes narrowed, unsure of her hunch, "Nick? Nick Wilde?"
His eyes danced and he involuntarily squinted as his smile grew across his face, and his posture relaxed slightly.
"So you do remember me!"
"I could say the same to you! I haven't seen you in what? Fifteen years?"
"Well, I did write you, but I had no address to send the letters to! And, it didn't feel right, addressing them to 'Judy Hopps, Bunnyburrow.' Probably would've never gotten to you. Besides, you're hard to forget! Even with all the rabbits I've met over the years, you're still the only one who wanted to be a cop!"
"And when one ostensibly has only two different experiences with foxes, it's hard to forget the good one." One of her kit siblings sniffled, breaking her focus from the fox before her.
"Oh carrot sticks! I'm sorry guys," she said, turning to her folks. She took a step back and stood next to Nick.
"Mom, dad, this is Nick Wilde."
Nick leaned down to them and held his paw out, trying to seem less intimidating. Stu flinched away and only grabbed the fox's paw after Bonnie put her elbow in his side.
"Sir, ma'am. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"H-how do you know Judy?" Stu stammered.
"My Ranger Scout Troop took a field trip to Bunny Burrow during… What was it?" he said, turning to Judy. "The Carrot Fair?"
"Carrot Days Festival."
"Oh!" Bonnie's ears shot up, "I remember that year with all the scouts. The local scouts were thinking about doing some cross training with the city troupes. Different locations, different methods, different skills. Something like that."
"Yeah!" Stu's eye sparkled with remembrance, "That was the year Jude got that big ol' stuffed carrot! Why that thing was twice her size."
"It wasn't that big, Stu." She gave her husband's shoulder a pat, "But she did love that carrot. Never saw her cry as hard as when it's seam burst."
"Mom!" Judy exclaimed as she felt heat creeping up her ears. Heat that easily doubled when she heard Nick chuckle.
"And she still has it too! Patched in a few places and still a bit raggedy but fits in with her collection of plush-"
"DAD!" Her face flushed red enough to resemble a tomato.
Nick leaned towards her and whispered, "At least they're not pulling out baby photos."
She scoffed, "Don't give them any ideas! I know that dad keeps at least one of every kit on his phone."
"Hey Wilde!" A voice boomed out across the lawn. They all turned to see a grizzly bear in ZPD dress blues walking up. Bonnie and Stu on near instinct huddled closer to their daughter, regardless of the fox next to her. Even though bears weren't rare in Bunny Burrow, something that large approaching with such purpose in its steps tended to cause such reactions.
Along with the graduating recruits, several officers were in attendance. There were a few old-timers who looked like they were obligated to be there due to rank. Most were younger, possibly last year's graduates.
"What's a matter? Swooping in on the new meat because everyone else wised up and said 'no' to you already?"
Even with the wide grin on his face, Judy saw a glint in the bear's eyes that reminded her distinctly of the other fox she knew. Why on Earth was an officer trying to bully Nick around?
"Thankfully, no." Nick laughed like the bear just mentioned an inside joke. If it wasn't for the look in the bear's eyes, Judy would have thought it was.
"My appearance here is purely personal. But now that you mention it, the kits would love to have you back for fire safety week again, 'Smokey.'"
The bear's smirk flattened.
"This red devil has a wicked silver tongue, rookie. You best watch yourself around him."
Stu's worried face moved from the bear back to the fox. His arm reached behind him and grabbed at a cylinder in his back pocket. He had no plans to use it immediately, but figured it was a good idea to have it in paw based on the bear's words. Stu felt apprehensive as another paw latched onto his wrist and pulled it away from his pocket. He felt like he was a kit again, caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
Spinning on his heel without any further platitudes, the bear left before Judy could question what he meant by all that. She turned back to Nick, who was smiling at the bear's back. It wasn't a 'sly' smile. There wasn't a hint of underhandedness to it at all. It was genuine. The kind one has when thinking of very fond memories.
"What was that about?" Judy asked.
"He embarrassed himself at a joint ZPD and ZFD fire safety seminar at one of the Scout Jamborees. I'd give you the details, but Officer Wolford tells the tale better."
"So you know some of the other officers?" Bonnie inquired, her vice-like grip easing off of her husband's wrist, her point fully communicated.
"Indeed I do, Ma'am," Nick said with a nod reinforcing the statement.
The older doe couldn't help but blush at how he said ma'am. If she wasn't feeling like an old maid from hearing it from store clerks she heard it as a near militaristic confirmation of her orders or in a sorrowful acceptance of punishment from her kits. The way this fox said it made her feel regal.
He hooked a thumb in his patch covered sash and lifted it a bit. "Scoutmastering is more of a volunteering venture than a job. I actually work for the ZPD."
"You're a cop too?!" Judy nearly squealed. Thoughts of Nick as her partner, snickering and snapping a few humorous pictures of her hauling a rhino into the back of their cruiser garnered a small set of giggles from Judy.
"Um, no." He corrected. Her giggles deflated, the wheels falling off her daydream train. The hole in her hopes left by the realization he couldn't be her partner, seemed bigger than the space it occupied seconds before.
"While they might have thought a rabbit couldn't graduate from the ZPA, many think a fox shouldn't graduate from the ZPA. I'm a PR Liaison for the ZPD. I set up Smokey's fateful fire safety debacle."
While the details eluded her, she started to understand why the bear had been so antagonistic. It wasn't about Nick being a fox, or at least not only about that. It was about him making a fool of himself and blaming Nick! She started to fume a bit when Nick's voice distracted her, cutting through the red haze that her temper threw over her vision.
"And speaking of my job, I actually do have a slight ulterior motive for wanting to meet you today." He saw the suspicion rise in the older buck's eyes again causing Nick to clarify. "Professionally speaking."
"Let me guess, you want my help with the fire safety seminar?" Judy asked dryly, quirking an eyebrow.
"Not quite. I just think that your story - being the first rabbit police officer - might inspire some of the kids. Get them to see that they can be more than what they think they are, or traditionally have been."
"And to never give up." She echoed his own words from that long ago day.
Nick's smile spread a little more at that statement. "So, if it's ok with you, I'd like to take you around to some after-school programs and Ranger Scout meets."
The idea appealed to Judy. She wasn't the big, scary authority figure that would scare the children straight, but a beacon of hope encouraging them to follow their dreams. If she wanted to make the world a better place, there was no place better to start than with children.
"Now, you won't be able to do it right away with you being a rookie and all. Not to mention we'll have to hammer out what you want to say and arrange it so it'll fit our time frame, which rarely happens in short order. So no rush, it's just something to think abo-"
"I'd love to!" Judy interrupted.
"Great!" His wide smile gave a quick flash of fangs which sent a curious thrill down her spine.
"But I should get going, Fluff. I've taken enough of your time and I'm sure you want to enjoy your it and celebrate with your family."
While that was true, Judy knew she also had two weeks before she moved into the city to spend with them. Nick popping back into her life was a welcome surprise. She had spent her entire life with her family and only several hours with him. A little more time to reintroduce her to the fox that had been a generous little kit that changed her life would be healthy.
"We're going over to Mahonney's Grill for dinner, I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem if you wanted to join us."
Mahonney's Grill was a haven for cadets. Owned and operated by a retired officer, it was not only one of the few sources of food not found in the Academy cafeteria, but it was the only source of adult beverages for the cadets. Judy couldn't see how adding a plus one to their reservation would be much of an issue, as her parents had brought a fair few of the kits with them.
"I'm gonna take a rain check on that one." He looked over his shoulder and Judy followed. At the edge of the lawn was a growing number of Ranger Scouts.
"Once the police are done here, we have our own graduation ceremony to deal with. But I tell you what…" Nick trailed off as he pulled a card from one pocket and freed the pen from another. He scrawled something on one side of the card and held it out to Judy.
It was his business card. Nothing too fancy; name, title, phone, fax, email, and an address. On the back was another set of numbers.
"That's my cell number. If you need anything, give me a call. You'll be new to the city, so if you want to know anything; recommendations on restaurants, ideal parks for jogging, which movie theaters have the best seats, how to get into the clubs worth getting into-"
"What about a place to meet a nice young buck?"
The flames of embarrassment flared over her face again, "Mom!"
Nick chuckled, "Honestly, I doubt she'll have trouble finding a buck, ma'am. If anything she'll have to beat them back with her nightstick."
That seemed to have placated her mother. Finding a mate and settling down wasn't a priority for Judy but occasionally she contemplated what she would want in a mate. Unlike some of her sisters, she didn't have much in the way of specifics. No desired fur color, ear length, eye color or anything like that. The traits she'd look for, if she were to look, wouldn't be physical. The biggest hurdle is they would have to be supportive of her career as a police officer. Beyond that were just the basics; nice, funny and, other generalities. Although the idea of a mammal who was taller than her seemed appealing.
"Once you're in the city, let me know. I can take you out for a celebratory dinner then."
"Alright, I'll be sure to take you up on that."
Nick straightened up and gave her a crisp salute.
"See you later, Officer Hopps."
She saluted right back.
"See you later, Scoutmaster Wilde."
~oOo~
While Judy took care of some paperwork finalizing her instatement as a police officer, her family made their way back to the car, aiming to pick her up when she was done. Stu put the keys into the ignition but didn't start the car. After getting the kits into the car seats, Bonnie took the passenger seat, finding Stu lost in thought.
"Bon," his voice was hesitant, unsure of his words, "Did Judy just accept a date with a fox?"
Like some maternal superpower, she knew how to read her kits. All of them. She knew Judy had no interest in living out her life in the country. She also secretly feared love might have become a casualty in her daughter's quest to become a police officer. However, discovering the origin of her sacred carrot plush and her complete lack of fear towards the red furred predator, 'Nick, was his name,' that fear was riddled with cracks of doubt. She thought that the fox might be right, at least partially. Judy wouldn't need to ask him where to find a nice buck. Especially not when she had eyes on a certain todd.
"It's best not to worry about it, Stu. She'll do what she wants. Always has, always will."
~oOo~
Walking back to the troupes, a small sandy-colored fox broke off from the gaggle of scouts and headed towards Nick.
"So?" The diminutive Scout Leader's surprisingly deep voice rumbled, "Was it her?"
With the broad grin across the todd's face was enough of an answer that Finnick almost didn't ask.
"Yeah, it was." Nick had the damnedest time not sounding like some kit, pining after his teenage conquest.
"And?" The fennec fox spread his paws in question. After hearing about this mythical rabbit, he expected more fanfare. Possibly a royal herald or winged angel, clearing the way for her highness. Finnick almost snorted at the mental image that conjured.
"The ball is in her court now, Finn. I gave her my number and told her to call me when she was moved in. Said I'd take her out to celebrate."
"That's it? You just gonna sit around and wait for her to call?! I thought you were a fox of action."
"What did you want me to do? You don't just walk up to a girl, hand her a bouquet and say 'Hey, remember me? We were kids together. Will you marry me?' Not unless you want to get a restraining order."