Idea Inspired by the song "Gold" by Owl City

I don't own Nick or Judy or Zootopia. Disney does.

Introduction:

"Please give a shout out to Stan, our evening relief."

The crowd at the bar cheered for the Black Shepherd Comedian walking onto the stage. He wore a nice blue tux tonight.

He took the mic in his paw and with a big smile addressed them. "HEEEEY! How are you guys doing tonight?"

The crowd cheered again. The shepherd scanned over them... it wasn't a big crowd... in fact, it was only about 20 animals from canines to felines alike or not alike.

"How many of you tonight are prey? Raise a paw... haha, I'm just kidding. Raise a hoof."

About 3 individuals did. A zebra, and two elk.

Stan chuckled. "I have high respect for you guys. Give yourselves a pat on the back because this city ain't easy to live in. Heh." Nobody really laughed at that. Stan looked puzzled at the audience. "Don't fret, that wasn't the joke... the joke is... how many predators in here, raise a hoof- I mean... a paw."

The other majority of the crowd did so. Stan looked disappointed. "Huh... Looks like we have a tie." A few chuckles. ... "If there was a robbery here, and they happened to be canines... just throw a bone, say fetch, and they'll chase it and forget they were robbing the place." More laughter ensued.

The special lasted another 20 minutes before he went off the stage... by the time he did, the entire crowd of now over 40 animals was on their hind feet and applauding this dog... That's why he did this... because he always knew how to END the night, but not always how to begin one...

Stan was young... only 19 years old. But he knew how to make the world smile... and that's what he did every night. From bar to bars and clubs, pleasing crowds of half a hundred or less.

It was practically perfect.

Stan took a pepsi at the counter and drank to his heart's content.

The bartender, a honey Badger named Tom, was on the counter beside him, wiping out a glass with a cloth. "Good show tonight, Shep. You really got them smiling tonight."

He may not have been old enough to consume alcohol, or even to be in the building, but he had earned the respect of every drunk animal in the room.

"Well, well... if it isn't Mr. Funny Pants..." A drunk wolf slurred next to him.

Well... all except one.

Stan looked down. "There's nothing funny about my pants."

"Oh, you think you're SOOO clever, don't cha?"

Stan smirked. "These guys do." He gestured to the rest of the animals in the bar.

The wolf smirked and he came closer to Stan. "Ya know... You ain't old enough to be here."

"Hey" The bartender, a Badger on the counter spoke up. "Leave him alone. He ain't drinking."

The wolf made a "Pfffffff" Sound, spitting on the Black Shepherd. Stan backed away. "Look, guy... I don't want any trouble."

"Oh, yeah, well you should've thought of that before you came here!" The wolf raised a paw about to strike the shepherd when the badger leaped from the counter and grabbed onto the wolf's arm, biting it. The wolf howled in pain as he dropped to the ground. The badger found his footing on the wolf's chest and bent his arm. "Get out of my bar! You're no longer welcome here!"

"What!? I can't start a simple bar fight."

"No." The Badger and shepherd said in unison.

He climbed off the wolf, who stumbled to his feet and had a crooked grin on his muzzle. "I'm warning you, Sheppy... once you step out of line again, there will be NOBODY around to protect you." He turned and headed towards the exit, but not without angrily knocking over a chair on his way out. A few other animals watched, but most didn't even realize anything was happening.

Stan turned back to the counter and tapped his claw on the surface, sighing.

The badger turned to Stan. "Don't let him get under your fur. He's just drunk."

Stan shook his head... "No..." And he lifted the glass to his muzzle for a sip, than placed it back down. "He's just a jerk."

As Stan was exiting the bar and into the parking lot, he noticed a group of wolves in the darkness of the alley... he immediately noticed the wolf he encountered inside... as well as 3 others. He dismissed them all and went to his car. He took out his keys and fiddled with the lock before realizing someone was leaning on the other side. "Well, I see you still drive the same lame ani-mobile."

Stan looked up to see none other than an old friend... a fox in a green Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses (the only fox he knows that wears sunglasses at this late hour). A wide smile crossed the fox's face as he lifted his specticles to get a good look at Stan's eyes. "How you doin, buddy?"

Stan's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't seen Nick Wilde in almost 2 years. A smile crossed his own face as he circled his car and gave the fox a big hug. The fox returned a long, tight embrace to the shepherd and even nuzzled his neck a little. Stan was like a little brother to him.

"I see you haven't changed one bit." Stan said.

"No need for change." He said stepping back and scanning Stan and his tux. "DANG, you look sharp. You got a date?"

"Very funny." Stan said. "Nah, I actually work here."

Nick's ears went back as he laughed. "Really? Aww, well isn't that simply perfect, you always wanted to be a comedian." He gave a friendly punch to Stan's shoulder.

Stan's smile faded a tad as he looked down... "Yeah..." ... He looked back up at Nick. "Where... have you been all this time?"

"Hey, I'm here now, so don't even fret about it." Nick padded Stan's cheek with his paw and opened the passanger door. "Let's just say, I had to get away." As he seated himself in the car. "Come on, let's go."

It was clear whatever happened... that he didn't want to talk about it. Stan got into the driver's seat and they went on their way...

Another night of comedy... another day of work.

He was lucky. Lately in Zootopia, finding a good job is about as easy as finding a pot of Gold at the end of a rainbow... in a flood... on Mars.

... Well, maybe it wasn't THAT hard... but it surely wasn't easy.

12 hours later

"Don't tell Bogo." Judy said to Nick. "You had the right to hold him in contempt ya know."

"He told me he worked there." Nick said in Stan's defense. "I know he's underage but he wasn't even drunk. Besides... I was off duty."

Judy pondered this... "... Just... don't say anything else about it. It would only raise suspicion."

"Trust me, I know this guy, he's no trouble at all."

Judy sighed. "You just know EVERYBODY who is anybody, don't you?"

"Indeed I do." Nick responded with a wide grin.

"I hope you realize that doesn't mean you can always let people off the hook, Nick. The law is the law, no matter who breaks it."

"Of course." The fox responded.

A few moments of silence followed that statement... in those moments of silence, Nick hoped in his heart that Stan keeps the law to the letter.

The last thing he wanted to see was his childhood best friend ... behind bars.

Thank you for reading!