The first time Judy Hopps meets Nick's mother is at the presentation where he is acknowledged, publicly, as having graduated the Zootopia Police Academy as their first fox officer.
Judy's eyes scan the entire crowd as she makes her speech and the hint of a red and white muzzle catches her eye. She's had practice at talking in these situations now, and doesn't give Nick (who is standing not too far away) any clue of what she's seen sitting behind and slightly to the left of the soon-to-be-rookie giraffe cadet's parents.
The speech ends, she pins his brand-new badge to his chest, Nick salutes her and gives an honest, relaxed smile as he does it. The gathered families cheer, cadets-become-rookies throw their caps in celebration and the polite cheese-and-nibbles mingling at the nearby gazebo begins. Judy sticks close-by, smiling softly as Nick greets, charms and deflects the dozens of mammals offering congratulations, pawshakes, the occasional pat on the back and shared jokes of fellow graduates until they're pretty much at the punch-bowl. It's warm, after all, and standing beside the table the bowl is perched on is the same fox from the back row.
"Hey, mom." Nick said, lasting all of two seconds before his mother wraps her arms around him.
"Oh my stars, Nicky," she says, releasing him only to put her paws on his jawline and lift gently to make him stand up straight and proud again. "Just look at you! I'm so proud of you. If I don't get invited to a wedding in the next year I'll be very surprised."
Judy's eyes widen and she nearly starts giggling. Nick has gone from 'proud, upstanding citizen' to 'embarrassed eight-year-old' and furtively looks around as he grinds out between clenched teeth a desperate "Please, mom, not now!" before giving a rather loud laugh, stepping back a little so Judy is now acting like a defensive barrier between the pair. "Say, have you met Judy Hopps yet? First ever police-bunny and the one to get me here."
Judy schools her face back into a pleasant pleased to meet ya smile instead of the cheeky snickering one she'd been sporting while 'Nicky' was enduring motherly love. If Nick's mother noticed, she certainly doesn't show it. "Hello there, Mrs Wilde." Judy said, reaching a paw out to shake before she too is caught within a heartfelt hug.
"None of that, now, Judy; call me Vivian. Has my boy been giving you any trouble? Always getting up to something, so he was." came the voice from her shoulder. Mrs- er, Vivian let go, still on one knee and with her paws on Judy's shoulders. Vivian's eyes half-closed, her eyebrows raising slightly and a sly, slightly toothy smirk that was all Nick slowly crossed her face as she mock-whispered "Remind me to tell you about the time he took all his clothes off and ran around the park when he was a pup."
Judy let out a loud 'HA!' before clamping a paw over her mouth. Hers was swiftly joined by a larger one as Nick stepped back in to defend his honour with an almost-growled "Dammit mom, please!". Vivian stood up, the tip of her tail lazily flicking from side to side beneath her ankle-length dress and chuckled.
"You're still my little kit, Nicky. It's a mother's prerogative to make you blush and fluster. Now act like a real Reynard and get us some drinks please."
Nick moved to the punch-bowl, beginning to ladle out a trio of glasses as Judy and Vivian moved away to one of the table-and-chair sets for animals of their stature. Granted, Judy still had to keep her back a bit straighter in order to sit at a height somewhere close to 'normal', but it was worth it. "It's really nice to meet you, Vivian. Nick was a great help during my first case and I'm really pleased he's come to join us at the ZPD. We'll all look after him for you."
Vivian grinned again. "I'm glad he put himself to good use; let me guess, he was a bit of a handful at first and tried to be all gruff and play that silly 'I'm better than you so leave me be' routine?" she said.
"I- er..."
Vivian chuckled again. "You don't even need to admit it, sweetie. He's a bit rough at first, like you're scratching his ears too hard or brushing his fur against the grain but he warms up eventually."
Judy smiled, her front teeth popping out from below her lip. "That's pretty much it exactly. He's a great friend now we've had some time to get used to each other. I'm sure he'll get on really well with everyone else at the precinct too."
Nick slid smoothly into one of the two free chairs at the table, placing tall glasses filled with honey-coloured punch in front of the two ladies. The third glass he held onto, sipping it and sighing a little in satisfaction at the taste. "Yup, friends with everyone. It's my natural charm, Carrots." he said, winking at Judy. He gave a yip that was mostly surprise and a little pain when Vivian's left paw clipped his right ear.
"Nicholas Piberius Wilde, you had better apologise right now! This young lady has a name and you will use it. Now what do you say?"
Nick rubbed his ear with a paw and looked side-long at Judy. "I'm sorry, Judes- ah, I mean, Judy."
"That's alright Nick," Judy said, still watching the two foxes with a little surprise even as Vivian smiled at her son behaving and correcting himself, "and it's okay Vivian. I don't mind when he calls me Carrots. It's kind-of grown on me."
"Yeah, mom. It's not mean if she likes it." Nick grumbled, still feigning injury by rubbing the tip of his ear.
"Even so, Nicky, we're in polite company and it would do you well to be on your best behaviour. I nearly had a heart-attack seeing you in those silly glasses; I hope you're not going to be wearing them out and about." Vivian said.
"No mom." Nick said, griping a little. Those shades were cool.
The trio chatted, sharing a few stories between them. A heavily censored and edited version of the Nighthowler case was given by Nick and Judy, a few of the more hilarious and embarrassment-laden tales of Nick's youth, a couple of stories about some not-quite-cons that had been played against some of the more deserving victims and a small flurry of anecdotes about being one of almost three hundred siblings helping to pass the time and bring the three a little closer. Laughter and happiness was in no short supply during the hours that the graduation lasted and a fair share of it came from their table until, at long last, it was time to part ways.
Vivian wiped a little excess moisture from the corner of her eye as she finished telling Judy the promised tale of a rambunctiously-naked Nicky, the rabbit practically bent double as she laughed at the misadventures of her friend who seemed to be glowing red beneath his fur, eyes focused down at his lap as he hoped the ground would swallow him whole.
"Oh my. That was a great day, let me tell you. It was almost worth the feeling of horror, having every other mammal there over the age of ten looking at you in shock as your child somehow convinces every mammal under the age of ten to strip off completely to go play in the fountain. It was a warm day, in fairness, but my word..." Vivian said.
"Sweet cheese and crackers, Nick! You should have gone into politics if you were that good at getting people to do what you said." Judy said between giggles. Nick, for his part, just seemed to try and shrink into his chair more as he muttered under his breath.
"Ah," Vivian sighed, quickly checking the small watch around her wrist. "Oh dear, I've got to run. I'm sorry I couldn't stay longer, sweetheart, but I have to head out. I've got to take minutes for the meeting at the social club tonight and I honestly think if I told Judy any more about you then you'd start digging your way out under the table."
Nick looked up, standing as his mother did and giving her a quick hug while still grumbling about over-sharing information. Judy scooted off her chair as well, stepping around and accepting a final hug goodbye from the vixen. They parted after a few moments and Judy smiled up at Vivian.
"It's been a real pleasure meeting you, Vivian. I really hope we get to talk again sometime soon. I'll have to see if I can bribe Nick with some Hopps Family Blueberries."
"You do that, dear. I might even steal some away myself if he doesn't hog the punnet. I'll see you both later!" Vivian said, turning to give Nick a swift peck on the cheek before walking away, a light and airy wave a final gesture of her departure.
Nick and Judy watched a few seconds more before Vivian was swallowed by the crowd, smiling after her before Nick opened his mouth.
"If you breathe a single word of anything she told you, they won't find your fluffy, cottontailed, long-eared body, Carrots."
"Oh, Piberius... my dear, innocent Nicky... how wrong you are." came Judy's reply.
Nick had just enough time to look down, register that Judy was doing a really quite impressive impersonation of his lazy-stare-smirk at him, and that she was holding a small piece of orange plastic. His eyes widened with a pure unrestrained fear, time seemed to start moving through syrup, and the most ominous sound of all echoed throughout his entire existence.
Click.