Chapter 1 Ski Patrol

Written by Johnsoneer

Edited by Cimar

104 degrees...

Judy was about ready to resign herself to the sweet embrace of death. Zootopia was experiencing one of their worst heat waves on record and the air conditioning decided to break now of all times. She laid sprawled on her sofa, an ice-pack on her neck that had already melted away into a sickly warm and wet towel. She kept herself hydrated well enough, but the fan seemed to do little to cool her off. She even got into her workout clothes to stay cool, even though she had no intention of going outside.

She was already not feeling well before the air conditioning broke. It was only Nick insistence that she take a sick-day that kept her home and not at the precinct that day. What helped her feel productive was that she was able to sign for the delivery for their new fancy couch, which she was now using as a respite from any physical activity. How ironic that a sick-day ended up being the one day their apartment was uninhabitable.

Zootopia had climate-controlled districts, but even those were subject to the ebbs and flows of the greater climate around them. Some days Sahara Square was actually pretty brisk, despite the heat wall. Others, the snow in Tundra Town would melt and become rain before it ever hit the ground. Tundra town was located right along the river so that any snowmelt could run off easily without causing any flooding.

Today was especially bad though, the news reporting that only the areas close to the climate wall were actually holding any snow. The mayor urged those with thicker fur to stay inside where the air conditioning was working. Chief Bogo no doubt sent all his thicker-furred officers into Tundra town or on desk duty, which meant Nick was as snug as a bug in an ice bath. She rolled her head and looked at the thermostat one more time.

105 degrees.

"Screw it," she said and quickly pulled out her phone. She dialed her husband and kept her head against the couch. He picked up after a few rings.

"Heya fluff, how're ya feeling? Still nauseous?"

"Kill me," she groaned.

"Ah. I take it the air conditioning broke. Did they drop off the couch yet?"

"Yeah."

"And where are you now?" Nick asked.

"On the surface of the sun."

"You're home? Fluff, I'm just as excited for that new couch as you are, but it's not worth you getting heatstroke."

"The delivery guys doubted whether or not I could put it all together myself . . ." she explained, quickly realizing that talking made her feel even hotter somehow.

"And my crazy bunny just had to prove them wrong, didn't she?"

"Euugghh," Judy groaned again, making her discomfort even more prevalent in her tone.

"Did you call a repair guy for the A/C?" Nicked suggested.

"Euugghhh!" Judy groaned louder. Thankfully, her husband knew her well enough to understand her when she communicated in groans.

"They're booked till tomorrow, aren't they? Well, temperatures are supposed to go down to the 90s tonight, so you should probably spend the rest of the day somewhere with A/C."

"I don't want to risk getting any of the neighbors sick," she argued and pinched her fingers on her brow. "Can you please take a break from work and come kill me please?"

"Fluff," Nick scolded her.

"I leave everything to Clawhauser."

"Carrots."

"I'd tell you to cremate me, but I'll probably be a pile of ash by the time you get home anyway."

"Alright, alright, Judy. I've got an hour lunch break coming up that I'm supposed to spend at the precinct, but I'll sneak out. I'm coming to get you and I'm taking you to Fitwik's to get your mind off this heat, my treat."

Judy's eyes widened as Nick's suggestion earned her attention. She grew an excited smile and sat up straight on the sofa, despite it causing her to feel a bit dizzy. It had been some time since their last excursion on the PIXAR machine, and her current reality seemed hell bent on melting her into a puddle. Perhaps this short break would be just enough to hold her over until things cooled down.

"You're a genius, Slick!" she said with an excited giggle.

"Of course I am. And hey, if you're feeling better, maybe after work could be a good time to 'break in' that new couch?" Nick suggested, his voice dripping in ribaldry.

"That PIXAR session better be pretty darn amazing if you think I'm going to be in any mood in this heat."

"Challenge accepted, Carrots," Nick said. She could practically hear the smile on his face. "I'll pick you up in 10."

Nick was over in half that time. He picked her up and she immediately started to feel a little better as the police cruiser had the A/C on full blast. Normally she would disapprove of using ZPD property for personal use like this, but she was desperate. They quickly made their way over to Fitwik's establishment, which was thankfully not very busy in the middle of a weekday.

"What'll be today, you two?" he asked them as he guided them to the chairs under the alternative-reality device. Judy always thought the PIXAR machine felt a bit like the dentist's office because of the way the chairs leaned backwards and held them still.

"Something that will cool us off," Nick said to the panther and gave Judy a wink.

"I think I've got just the one for you. Care to see it first?"

"Surprise us," Judy said and laid her head back. Despite the air conditioning in both the cruiser and the building they were now in, Judy's head was still light from the intense heat before. She was eager to escape.

"Alrighty then, enjoy!" he said and executed the startup. Nick took a hold of her paw before the visors lowered down and covered both of their faces.

"Love you," he said softly.

"Love you too," she said, before the world went black.

The van jostled as it rolled over another pothole, arousing Nick from his third consecutive road trip nap. The road was getting rougher and rougher as they ascended higher into the mountains. The other passengers were more talkative now, discussing how beautiful the scenery was as they passed by the mountainous terrain. The entire earth seemed to be covered in crisp white powder, save for the occasional tree or rock formation. He yawned and brushed the fur on his face to shuffle out any nap-fur.

"Ah, he lives!" a friendly voice said from his side. Nick groaned and remembered why he took so many naps on the way up the mountains. He was not in the mood for any polite small talk with a stranger.

"No he doesn't," Nick said and closed his eyes again, wishing for sleep again.

"Hey, you don't wanna fall asleep right now. We'll be there in a minute and we're going to hit the ground running. Or, I guess, hit the slopes skiing," his neighbor said. The tall deer tweaked his glasses and smiled down at Nick from the isle seat.

"Hmm, I figured we'd be getting some kind of orientation at the resort," said Nick.

"First time at Royal Peaks?" the deer asked rhetorically.

"Do I look like I am swimming in cash?" Nick asked back.

"I figured you wouldn't be up here as a patrol officer if you could afford the lift tickets. Why else do you think this van is filled with university students?"

"Because a seasonal job like this lets you ski for free and drink like crazy once the lifts close," Nick stated flatly.

"True," the deer said with a nod. "But you're not a student. If you were, you'd be hitting on those wolf twins in the back."

Nick peered over his shoulder towards the back of the van where two rather attractive sisters were having fun teasing a rather buff cougar who was trying his darndest to impress them. "Looks like muscle-beach back there is way ahead of me," Nick mused. "Besides, maybe I will later. The night is young," Nick said and rubbed his eyes.

"It's 10am."

"The night is very young," Nick corrected himself. "What about you? I don't see you making any moves. Unless you're into foxes and waking me up is your way of breaking the ice."

"Foxes yes, dudes no. I'm a grad student, and it's not exactly kosher for the T.A.s to flirt with the undergrads. Though there are plenty of opportunities up at the resort. This'll be my third winter break here and I haven't struck out yet."

"You have expensive taste in girls," Nick said with a scoff.

"Nah, I just use them to get into the jacuzzis. Everything else is a bonus," the deer jested.

"Such a swindler," Nick mocked. "Myself? I'm not here for the company."

"You're not here for vacation either. You're here to escape something," the deer concluded. This made Nick's brow furrow as he looked up at his deer companion.

"What makes you so sure?"

"Six hours in this van and you haven't called, texted, or even spoken with anyone until just now. I also spoke to the driver when we passed Bunny Burrows. He says you weren't added to the list until this morning. I doubt anyone even knows you're gone back in Zootopia."

Nick could not help from being a little impressed as this deer was able to figure out a lot of truth just by observation. It was true that he did not fancy returning home any time soon, though there were not exactly many back home who would come looking for him anyway.

"Can't say I blame you," the deer continued. "A job like this, with crew this young? It's a great way to start fresh. We'll all probably part ways and never see each other again after this, so there's no pressure at all to be overly polite or concerned about appearances. It's like a two month long hall-pass on life."

"What's your name?" Nick asked him with a cocked eyebrow. The deer smiled and extended a hoof.

"John."

"Nick Wilde," he said and shook his hand firmly. "Lookin' forward to the hall-pass you're talking about. Any advice for a new guy on the block?"

"Well, how's your skiing?" he asked.

"Been a while, but I used to ski all the time, so I'm sure I can teach these college kits a thing or two."

"Good. The only other things to watch out for are the owner and the Ranger. If you see a tall lion with a red scarf and a golden mane that shimmers in the sunlight, that's the owner of the resort so be especially nice to him. He likes flattery."

"Good to know. What about the 'Ranger'? Who's that?"

"That'll be our boss for the season," John explained.

"He a stickler on the rules?"

"No no, she is lovely and an absolute joy to be around. She's got policy to follow, sure, but she's always been cool about us having some fun after hours."

"Then why watch out for her?"

"There's always one or two young males on the trip who try their luck at scoring with the Ranger, and it never ends well."

"So be nice to the owner, and don't try to nail the boss. That's some real 'insider scoop' there, Johnny," Nick said sarcastically.

"And have some fun too," John said with a light shove to Nick's shoulder. "Otherwise, what's the point, right?"

"Sure," Nick said and gazed back out the window. He saw the shimmering lights of a beautiful hotel resort nestled at the base of one of the most beautiful mountains he had ever seen. It looked designed, like a skilled smith had crafted it somewhere and placed it on display. Even the chairlifts that normally looked jagged and out of place on other mountains seemed woven in with the scenery beautifully. It was also taller than anything Nick had skied before, but that only got him anxious to stretch his legs.

They drove up and finally piled out of the van, picking up their ski equipment on the side and grouping up. After strapping on their boots and wandering about aimlessly for a minute, John finally got everyone's attention.

"Up here, everyone."

They followed him to an area nearby the closest ski lift. The snow crunched satisfyingly beneath their feet, and the cold breeze blew through the fur on Nick's neck soothingly. The others all seemed eager to chat about the after-work activities and jesting at each other's expense. Let the kids be kids, Nick thought.

Soon enough, they were all grouped around the bank of a decent sized cabin that looked a bit like an office building above the lowest chairlift. Home base, if Nick had to guess. Though there seemed to be no one there to greet them. Just as everyone began to wonder where the welcoming party would be, Nick could hear the unmistakable sound of ski's carving through groomed snow, starting off softly and quickly growing louder.

Nick heard a yip, and looked up as a small figure catapulted off of the roof of the cabin and soared over the crowd. Everyone stared upward in awe, a few ducking down as the jumper flew over them and landed on the other side of the group on powerful legs. The skier stopped abruptly, kicking up a wave of fresh snow and slammed her poles into the ground.

"Wow," Nick muttered under his breath as the skier removed her goggles. Looking closer, he saw that the skier was a bunny, wearing a thick winter jacket and purple scarf that complimented her violet eyes nicely. She wore an energetic smile on her face as she surveyed the group of recruits for the season.

"Hi everyone!" she said with a wave of one pole. "Welcome to the Royal Peaks Ski Patrol."

The crowd gathered around her closer and a few of the taller mammals got down on a knee to respectfully listen as the bunny continued to explain things. She looked over the crowd with a satisfied smile, right up until she found Nick. Her smile wavered, looking surprised at first, then cocked an eyebrow.

"Hey John, who's the fox?" she said and pointed a pole in his direction. Well she's direct, he thought.

"Joined up last minute," John explained. "He's not a student."

"Huh," the Ranger said and eyed him up and down again.

"There a problem?" Nick ventured as politely as he could.

"Not really," she admitted. "Just didn't have time to look you up, so you're a bit of a wild card."

"Hmm, 'Wildecard', I like the sound of that." John shot him a sour look, clearly annoyed though he could not fathom why. Nick shrugged him off, knowing full well it was meaningless flirt from a fox to a bunny. The bunny looked around at everyone else and resumed smiling.

"Alright everyone, there are a few things we need to go over, like your responsibilities, hours, lodging, and all that important stuff. But first things first, I need to know you can ski. So, if you'll be kind enough to buckle in and head over to this ski lift over here, we'll go up and meet back here at the office for orientation. Any questions?"

"Yeah," one of the wolf sisters said with a raised paw. "How are you testing out our skiing ability? Should we stick close to you on the way down?"

"Great question Darcy. The lift behind me goes to Glass Edge Peak, and the only way down from there are double black diamonds. If you make it down in one piece, you pass," she said and confidently smiled at the recruits, some of whom looked more than a little nervous. "If you are not confident that you can make it down, then please walk back to the van and head home. No shame in it, this is a tough job. But, if you go up there and need rescuing, then you'll need to spend the night in the infirmary which will cost the same as a night in the presidential suite in the resort. So please, for all our sakes, if you're not a strong skier, the van is waiting."

Nick was more than confident that he could hold his own, but he was still surprised the bunny would put new recruits through such a gauntlet this way. A few of the others nervously looked at each other. The only one who shared his confidence seemed to be John, so Nick guessed that he was the only there one who had done this before.

To Nick's surprise, the buff cougar stepped forward and bashfully made his way past the bunny and towards the parking lot. After talking a big game to those wolf sisters earlier, apparently he was more bark than bite. Though, he was probably wise to take the embarrassment now rather than risk injury and further embarrassment later, so Nick had to give him credit for that.

"There's one every season," the bunny said with a nod. "Any more questions?"

"Yeah," a nearby raccoon said. "Who are you exactly?"

"Oh! How silly of me. I'm the peak ranger for this mountain. If you ever need help, just call for 'Ranger' in your radios," she said and gestured to the insignia on her jacket proudly. There was a shining mountaintop emblazoned in yellow on her chest that she wore like a police badge. Nick eyes shot up to John, who gave him a knowing smirk. No wonder he had been annoyed at his flirt earlier. It was literally the only thing he warned him not to do.

"Any more? No? Alright, Skis on!"

Nick was quick to jump into his skis and follow the bunny down the short hill and towards the lift. She was surprisingly fast, and caught a chair all to her own before Nick could catch up to her. John fell in behind Nick and joined him on the trip up the mountain. The wind was a little stronger a few meters in the air above the slopes. Despite the beautiful landscape, Nick could not tear his gaze away from the bunny sitting alone one chair ahead.

"You idiot," John laughed. "I told you not to fall for the ranger."

"You said not to bang the ranger, and I'm not doing either. She's a bunny," Nick said and gestured to her chair.

"And?" John said with his arms folded across his chest.

"And bunnies and foxes don't have a long history of getting along."

"That won't matter to her. Did it not strike you as odd that she's the only bunny we've seen so far? How many males do you think she gets to see up here?"

Nick blinked. He did not realize it, but John had a point. The majority of mammals in the van were all thick-furred mammals like wolves or bears that could handle winter winds easier. In fact, he couldn't remember ever seeing a bunny on the slopes before, assuming it would be too cold for them. Bunnies did, however, hang around in large groups for the most part, so it was odd to see a bunny so isolated out in the mountains.

"Hold on there, Johnny. I thought you didn't want me to hook up with the boss. Why are you suddenly trying to get me to cross species lines here?"

"I'm just saying she wouldn't write you off because you're a fox."

"What's the deal with her anyway? She into females or something?"

"I don't think so. It's just that whenever I saw a guy make a pass, she shoots them down."

"Maybe she just hasn't met the right type yet. I am carrot colored, after all," Nick said with a smirk.

"Okay, she might write you off for being a smartass," John said and slugged his shoulder again. Nick was beginning to like this deer.

"Relax, I didn't take this job to get amorous with a cute girl . . . . though if her tail wiggles like that regularly, I might change my mind," Nick said as he caught a little shuffle from the small of the Ranger's back. John could only roll his eyes, resigning his efforts into an 'at least I tried' attitude.

Eventually they ascended the steepest part of the mountain, and Nick began to eye the icy slopes with a mounting sense of unease. As capable a skier as he was, he usually liked to warm up before getting to the dangerous stuff. But then again, they might need to be called into a dangerous situation without warning, so the exercise did seem appropriate, albeit bold. By the time Nick and John made their way to the edge of the first run, the bunny was gone.

"Huh," Nick said looking down what was essentially a cliff-face. "She wasn't kidding about the whole sink or swim thing."

"Age before beauty," John said and gestured for Nick to go first.

"Are you blind? Beauty is already halfway down the mountain," Nick said before he lowered his goggles over his eyes and kicked off after her.

God it felt good to get the wind in his fur again. The howling wind rushed up to meet his ears as he banked turn after turn. Thankfully there were not many other skiers on the slopes that morning, so Nick had all the freshly groomed snow he could handle. After a few more turns, the path flowed to the right past a few trees before leveling out a little.

Nick spotted the Ranger waiting around the bend at the top of the next slope, watching him closely. He figured he'd give her a taste of what he could do, since she seemed apt on observing his skiing ability. He abruptly turned and jumped off of a nearby tree stump, landing backwards and finishing out the rest of the run in reverse, looking over his shoulder to see where he was going. He turned again, swooping around the bunny and stopping just at the tip of the next slope, shooting her an arrogant, yet pleased glance.

"You get points for being fast," she admitted with a nod. "But none for being a show off."

"And here I thought you were looking for strong skiers. Maybe you were just eager to see me in action," Nick said with a sly smile on his face.

"You've got skill, I'll give you that. Where did you learn to ski?" she asked him sincerely.

"Never skied before. I just strapped on the boots and hoped for the best. I'm just naturally gifted I guess," he jested, causing her to roll her eyes adorably. She crossed her arms over her chest and waited for him to really answer her question. He smiled and shook his head. "I spent a few years living with my uncle, who was a lift operator at Deer Valley. He got me a job as a waiter at the lodge that was halfway up the mountain, so I got good at getting from point A to point B," Nick explained. In truth, Royal Peaks reminded him a lot of his teenage stomping ground, only less crowded and more expensive.

The Ranger gave an impressed whistle. "Free lift passes at Deer Valley? You were a lucky kid."

"I wouldn't call my circumstances 'lucky', but the skiing was a nice perk."

"So you took this job to stretch out old muscles?" she guessed.

"Something like that," he said and decided to change the subject. "We waiting for everyone else?"

The Ranger was about to answer before the radio on her shoulder chimed and blared to life.

"Hey Hopps, you on the mountain yet?" a voice called out. She leaned into her microphone and hailed back.

"I'm halfway down Glass Edge, what's going on Mark?"

"We've got a pair of medium snowmobiles missing at the resort this morning," the voice said through the static.

"You think they were stolen?"

"I have a feeling it's a joyrider. The hotel staff says we've got a group of rich college kids that are raising all kinds of hell. Wouldn't put it past them to think they're above the rules, eh?"

"We'll keep our eyes peeled, Mark," the Ranger said confidently and signed off. Nick raised his eyebrows at her.

"That kind of thing happen often?" he asked her.

"Not too much, but we're the ski patrol, so it's our job to find them and bring them in," she said, letting a few ounces of pride shine through her voice as she spoke about her job.

"And if they run?"

The Ranger smiled wickedly. "Then we catch them."

As if on cue, Nick saw the rabbit's ears twitch and turn down the mountain. Nick followed her gaze and heard the distant sounds of screaming two-stroke engines cascading up the mountain side. He saw two tiny black dots as small as ants emerge from the trees at the bottom of the run. They were speeding up an easier run where there was much more skier traffic and recklessly veered from side to side.

The ranger kicked into gear immediately and leaned back into her shoulder. "Mark, I got a twenty on our snowbike jackers! They're headed up Fluff Bluff, I'm engaging."

"Roger that, I'm calling the sheriff's office now," Mark answered. The rabbit looked seriously at Nick, who was waiting for her to make the first move.

"There's a red plastic cord tied to the keys of the snowmobiles. If they try to run, yank on that cord and it will kill the engine. Got it?"

"What if they go up a slope? We can't chase snowmobiles uphill," Nick argued.

"Glass Edge is too steep for them to go up, and the next uphill route is a half mile away. Get those keys before they make it there!"

Before Nick could get another word in, the Ranger kicked off and zoomed down the mountain with blinding speed. He quickly fell in behind her and kept his nose low as the wind filled his ears again. This time, his speed and turns were much more careful and focused, rather than the fun trip he had down the first half of the peak. He saw the bunny's ears flutter in the wind like two small flags as she sped forward. Nick noticed her powerful legs and long feet made her a natural speed demon on skis.

They finally hit the bottom of the steep run and followed the two snowmobiles down a flatter path surrounded by cliff walls on either side. They caught up to them easily, and the Ranger saw fit to shout at them instead of sneaking up behind them.

"Hey!" she bellowed. "Pull over and stop the snowbikes!"

Nick saw both riders, a sheep and a rather large sea otter, look back at them over their shoulders. Their eyes widened as they saw the seal on the bunny's jacket, realizing they were in trouble.

"Gun it!" the otter shouted to his friend, and they took off. The engines screamed to life even louder and they accelerated. Nick pumped his skis a little harder, but since they exited the steeper slopes, he had a hard time keeping up. Thankfully, the path veered downwards and he was able to get some speed back up. The Ranger pursued the sheep, so Nick focused on the otter.

"You're only making this worse," Nick shouted as he got closer. He pulled the same move he did to show off for the Ranger earlier and bounced off a snowbank, turning around and skiing in reverse. He skillfully brought himself to the side of the snowmobile and rested an elbow on the front console as if they were completely still.

"Come on, buddy. I love a good time as much as the next guy, but don't you think you're pushing it?" Nick said calmly. The otter looked both stunned and aggravated at Nick's maneuver and turned the snowbike to one side hard, trying to shake him off. Nick held on and got himself in front of the vehicle, shaking his head in disappointment.

"Tried to be nice," he said and, in one fluid motion, swiped his paw over the console and yanked the key from the ignition. The engine immediately sputtered and died, coming to a stop so quickly, the otter actually lurched forward and flew off the seat, rolling onto the snow a few times. Nick continued to glide smoothly down the hill with one paw clutching the key and the other gently waving at the miscreant. With cliff-faces on either side of him, there would be nowhere for him to go but back down to the resort.

The he turned himself around and watched as the Ranger held onto the seat of the other snowmobile. The sheep tried in vain to shake her off a few times, swaying from side to side and break checking hard. When nothing worked, he grunted angrily and swiped his paw at the rabbit, trying to land a hit. His paw struck her shoulder and caused her to lose her grip.

"Hey!" Nick barked, suddenly very cross with the sheep as he sped forward. He pumped his skis harder and joined up beside the Ranger, who was catching back up with him. They sped by a few other skiers, some of whom yelped as they got out of the way of the belligerent thief. They were nearing the next crossing and would lose him uphill if they didn't kill the engine soon.

"Get his attention!" the Ranger shouted, and Nick nodded. The pathway rounded a turn to the left and Nick cut across the bend through a dense set of trees. He popped back out onto the path ahead of the snowmobile and reversed his skis again, starring the thief down. The sheep grunted and gunned the engine, seeming intent on running Nick over. Before he could, the Ranger pulled a stunt that Nick would describe as, 'crazy but effective' for years to come.

The bunny zoomed forward around the snowmobile and curled up the side of a nearby ice block. She used it as a ramp and leapt into the air, rolling upside down and flying towards the sheep, who ducked his head reflexively. She reached out, still upside down in the air, and snagged the key from the ignition before completing her roll and landing steadily on her skis on the other side. The engine died again, and the abrupt stop caused the sheep to fly from the seat and over the machine. He rolled and bounced on the snow with painful yelps before he finally came to a stop.

"Geughhh," he groaned with a face full of snow, looking up to find two ski patrollers looking down at him disapprovingly. He finally surrendered and dug his face back into the snow shamefully, not wanting to meet their angry gaze any longer.

"Good work," the Ranger said, turning to Nick. "Sneaky move cutting through the trees like that."

"I can be slippery when I want to be," Nick mused.

"Really," she said with cocked eyebrow. "You got a name, Slick?"

"Wilde. Nick Wilde," he said confidently.

"Huh. No wonder you liked the sound of 'Wildecard'," she realized. She removed her goggles and looked him over one more time. "So, Nick, I'll need a partner this season, and you're the only trainee in my height category."

"You want me to be your partner because I'm short?"

"You want the the spot or not, Slick?" she said and offered her paw. Nick looked over the bunny again, noting the fiery energy behind her eyes and the sincere expression on her face. Normal mammals would not have noticed, but Nick caught the slightest tremor in her paw, which struck him as odd. He was very good at reading mammals, and he could not help but think she was putting on a front. Deep down, there was something that was making her nervous. Curiosity for this new mammal drew him closer, and he shook her paw firmly.

"You got it, Ranger," he said and smiled at her. She smiled back.

"Call me Judy. And for the record, my tail only shakes when I'm excited."

Nick's eyes widened and he promptly bit down on his tongue. His bashful expression seemed to be just what she was looking for as she confidently smiled at him with satisfaction.

Ears, Nick noted for future reference. She's got very good ears.