A/N: Tried writing something Halloween themed.
Halloween Is for Kits!
Nick dropped by her apartment to persuade her to go trick-or-treating with him on Halloween. They've been arguing for a while now.
"Halloween is for kits, Nick, we're too old to participate," Judy said with much exasperation trying to drive her point home.
"C'mon Carrots, we can get lots of free candy and just think of the money we can make." Nick decided to appeal to greed after all previous arguments had failed. "Think of what we can do with the extra cash."
"This is not only unethical, it's immoral. Selling candy gained on Halloween just for money!"
"Don't think of it like that. Think of how much good in the world you can do if you had money."
"I don't see how trick-or-treating would make us rich. It's just a few dollars saved."
"That's because you're not thinking correctly, my dumb bunny."
"How much money would you be making from this stunt?"
"A few thousand. More if there's more storage space."
Judy shot him a disbelieving glare. "How can you possibly make a few thousand on Halloween alone?"
"I will only tell you if you agree to participate."
"Agree? This is wrong on so many levels!"
"Fine, then you'll never find out."
She gritted her teeth while staring at the fox. "Just how long have you been doing this?"
"Since I started hustling."
"But you've been working at the ZPD for a few years now."
"And? Are you going to tell me that trick-or-treating as an adult is illegal?"
The rabbit grinned smugly at the fox. "Actually, it is in certain areas. Some have local laws prohibiting trick-or-treating above various ages. So, where have you been trick-or-treating?" She thought that this threat would be no different from the tax evasion one when they first met.
"I don't feel comfortable revealing such information anymore." Judy watched Nick's nervous expression. It was one of those laws that most mammals forgot about. She hadn't thought of it herself until being reminded by Nick. Nick was backing up slowly towards the door. "So, you don't want to go trick-or-treating for Halloween. Bye!"
She watched Nick leave the room hastily. She wanted to use his admission as leverage in the future. There were still a few days to go before Halloween but Nick dropped by unexpectedly today to ask if she wanted to go trick-or-treating with him. Unfortunately, he just left instead of telling her details. She decided that she would pry it out of him during the remaining days till Halloween. He revealed his plans and they were both unethical and immoral but not exactly illegal. She couldn't believe that he was still hustling. He really couldn't avoid her forever. They still had jobs to do tomorrow.
Judy pushed the unexpected encounter out of her mind. It was different today, usually, Nick would call before dropping by. They'd spend time together when off the clock. He was her best friend. She reminisced on her memories and realized that this was one day in a long time that he wasn't with her for most of the day. She tried to recall if he'd ever mentioned his activities during Halloween before. but she couldn't recall a single instance. She assumed mistakenly so that he was doing what she did: handing out treats to other trick-or-treaters. The very idea that he was trick-or-treating as an adult and selling the candy he received made her rage. She thought that he was past that.
The next day at work, Nick and Judy were given parking duty. She learned that this was a rather frequent occurrence not out of malice but rather lack of anything troublesome happening. Any day with parking duty was a good day provided everyone else was given such a task as well. Parking duty wasn't always boring because there had been a few times that spontaneous crimes occurred within their sights.
Judy was driving them block to block to ticket cars. She decided now was the time to confront Nick. Usually, he'd be bantering with her about something instead he was focused on the task at hand. She decided she couldn't bear the tension any longer. "We need to talk about what happened yesterday."
"Look Carrots, I wanted to spend time with you on Halloween. You threatened me instead and expressed disinterest about the idea in general. Just forget it. We'll pretend like this never happened. We have work to do." Nick laid out everything that had happened yesterday.
Exasperated, Judy asked, "You really don't see anything wrong with this? Selling Halloween candy gained from trick-or-treating?"
"I really don't. It was the most lucrative day back when I was actively hustling before joining the ZPD. Now, it's only one day a year. We have cars to ticket."
Filing tickets was a civic duty, not a pleasant one. There were still threats occasionally wishing they were dead but they seemed to have dropped in number compared to before. Judy was rather distracted with Nick's admission that he was still hustling and saw nothing wrong with it at all weighing on her mind thus her pace slowed considerably.
After a few more blocks. Nick said, "I'm finally beating you in parking tickets. This hadn't happened before." He was smirking, gloating at her.
She felt rage at that moment towards him. "You caused this!"
"Does me making the world a better place really upset you that much?" He said confidently. "You always said parking tickets are good for the city. Even Chief Bogo believes that."
"It's not about that. You know what I mean – your activities on this upcoming Halloween. That's what's distracting me." Judy admitted in full what's on her mind.
"At least, I'll be helping mammals instead of possibly harming them."
That remark caught her completely off-guard. "Harming them? What?"
"What do you think parking tickets actually do?"
"Help prevent future traffic violations. Help fund the city."
"Well, you aren't wrong, my dumb bunny."
"Then what was that comment about earlier?"
"Figure it out for yourself."
Why was he being so cryptic? This enraged her but she couldn't figure out what he meant earlier about harming mammals. "What can you tell me without being cryptic?"
"I can tell you that Francine is one of Finnick's friends."
"And how is that useful?"
"I never said it would be."
She decided to inquire as a friend. "How have you been getting along with Finnick?"
"Finnick still does what he and I used to do together but it's a lot slower now."
"You know, you shouldn't admit that you friend is tax evading just like you were before."
"He's not actually."
Desperate for an edge on Nick. Judy said, "Do you mind if I look up his tax records then?"
"Not at all."
"Fine, we'll go there when we're finished with our shift." She expected Nick to bargain with her not to, but this surprised her.
At the end of the day, Nick went with Judy to look at Finnick's tax records. She noticed that Finnick filed taxes until three years ago. "He hasn't filed anything for income tax for the last three years," Judy said.
"And by law, he doesn't need to," Nick said.
"That doesn't make any sense."
"Neither does our tax code."
She wanted to argue but Nick was probably right.
On Hallow's Eve after his shift. Nick proceeded with his plans for Halloween. He was going to go trick-or-treating with Finnick. He couldn't persuade Judy to join him on Halloween unfortunately. She was still vehemently against the idea. He did give a rough approximate area of where he was going with a subtle hope that she would follow. He drove to their designated meeting spot. They had a special vehicle just for storing elephant sized treats. He arrived and waited for Finnick. After a while, something strange showed up. A half rabbit, half fox, the costume was almost lifelike. Were it any other animal, he would still be waiting for Finnick and paid this kit no mind at all. It had to be a costume because something like that was just not possible. "Finnick, is that you?" Given their father and son gig while hustling, Nick found he had better results without a costume.
What came next shocked Nick, were it not for Halloween he would be terrified. "Do you not recognize your own son?"
Now, because it was Halloween and Finick had probable cause to be in the costume, that was the only reason he didn't run away. "What happened to the elephant costume?"
"Someone with vested interests paid for this costume and paid me to wear it. He insisted on being unidentified though."
"This costume seems incredibly authentic," Nick stated. The craftsmanship was superb it must have cost a fortune.
"Someone paid me to wear it. Provided the costume and everything. Now, where's mommy? He also wanted a few photos if possible." Nick was somewhat surprised at how quickly Finnick fell into character.
Nick decided it would be better off if he acted in character as well. "Mommy didn't want to come."
Nick and Finnick approached a festively decorated house. They waited for their turn until Finnick was next. "Trick-or-treat."
The elephant gasped in surprise, "What is he?"
Nick thought of a convincing sob-story to try to elicit more candy from the elephant. "An unwanted curse. That's what she thought at least. I never believed that a fox and rabbit could have kits until I found him in the orphanage during a recent mission."
The elephant was moved by the tale and gave more candy as a result.
Nick repeated the routine house after house receiving more candy compared to before. All of which they hauled back to the vehicle specifically made for this purpose.
Eventually, they came across Francine's house. Finnick having practiced this routine over and over said, "Trick-or-treat," as soon as Francine opened the door.
"Nick, I didn't realize you and Judy were together. How old is he?"
"We aren't together We aren't even dating. It's just me and Finnick as usual." Nick was surprised that even Francine seemed to be fooled. Just like previous years, Francine handed them a gigantic treat and they took their leave.
Nick and Finnick were carrying the gigantic piece of candy Francine gave them towards the vehicle. Before they reached the vehicle, they were ambushed by Judy Hopps. She cuffed him. "You are under arrest." There was no warning.
Both Nick and Finnick grudgingly marched with Judy.
"Why?" Nick asked. He didn't believe that Judy would go this far even though it was technically against the law.
"For breaking the law. Trick-or-treating as an adult is not allowed in this area."
"Actually, it is allowed on this street but wasn't on the previous one. Our law books are strange like that."
Finnick also chimed in. "Why are you doing this, mommy?"
"Drop the act, Finnick," she said.
Nick noticed the rage in her voice as she said that. "Don't tell me this bothers you?"
"You planned this didn't you?" she accused with venom in her voice. "That's why you wanted me to come, wasn't it?"
"Actually, the costume wasn't my idea. Someone paid Finnick to wear it."
They finally arrived at Judy's cruiser. They entered inside. "You're going to explain everything to the Chief. Trick-or-treating as an adult is punishable with jail time. Need I mind you? Tell him your plans for Halloween and see what he thinks."
"Did you really think I'd keep this from the chief? He knows it's going on. Now, turn this cruiser back around and join us or leave."
"I don't believe you."
"Fine, the chief will tell you himself."
After a half-an-hour, they finally arrived at the precinct. Nick and Finnick were led in by Judy Hopps. Clawhauser squealed at the sight of them. "Finnick, this looks perfect on you! Do you have any photos?"
"Not yet," Finnick replied.
"Wow, this costume is better than I expected."
Nick and Finnick followed Judy as she marched towards Chief Bogo's office.
Chief Bogo decided to wear a priest costume for Halloween. "Have you come to confess your sins?"
Finnick still acted in character. "Can you tell me why mommy is being so mean?"
Seeing this. Chief Bogo said, "Judy Hopps, would you like to confess?"
Seeing that as an invitation to talk privately, she followed Bogo into his office.
Judy entered Bogo's office.
"Judy Hopps, would you like to confess?" Bogo asked once they were in his office.
"Confess? Drop the act. Nick Wilde just broke the law by trick-or-treating as an adult and that is punishable with fines and jail time," she said while trying to control her rage. It was more due to the malignant rumors Nick decided to spread for more candy. It somehow bothered her more than it should.
Bogo sighed. "Can you tell me when this law was last enforced? Or how you've come to know of it?"
"Wilde confessed to me of his desire to go trick-or-treating. I remembered it being written as forbidden on Walnut Street while studying at the academy."
Bogo took a deep breath. "Can you tell me the last time the law was enforced?"
"I have to look that up." The nearby computer let her do just that. She was surprised that the law was never enforced even once. "No records of it being previously enforced at all."
"Can you tell me why you chose to enforce this law?"
"Sir, aren't laws supposed to be enforced?" she said although she interfered more due to a personal matter but he didn't have to know that.
"Our laws would make sense if our elected representatives didn't feel like they had to pass laws to be productive. Thus, we end up with a really extensive list of joke-laws that aren't meant to be taken seriously and no sane mammal would enforce them."
"But he sells candy he receives on Halloween."
"And? That's not against the rules. He's doing something productive with the money. I also know of this in advance and approve of it."
"Can't you see how it's unethical?" she asked. She found it wrong morally to sell treats obtained on Halloween.
"Were it anyone else, yes. Wilde has cleared it with me and I approved of his method."
"Can't you penalize him for something?" she asked more for the sake of her pride.
"Of course, I can revoke your badge and have Nick face jail time."
"Sir, I didn't do anything wrong."
"Actually, you caused a civil disturbance. You made a minor cry. I would be happy to enforce these penalties except that would make your son very unhappy."
"We aren't even dating. We don't have a son. That thing – is Finnick in a suit."
"Are you certain you want to do this? This may not only cause a strain on your friendship but your future career objectives." Bogo seemed like he was about to run out of patience. "I highly advise you to spend the rest of the day with your family and apologize to your mate."
Judy emerged from Bogo's office with gritted teeth. "Nick, I'm sorry for arresting you. Let's go spend the rest of the day as a family trick-or-treating. Of course, all charges have been dropped. Thanks to the chief's recommendation."
"Does that mean mommy is going to go trick-or-treating with us?"
Chief Bogo replied, "She should, feel free to contact me if you don't have a satisfactory experience. Family is paramount. I will see what I can do in the future. Have a happy Halloween."
Judy grudgingly entered the cruiser with Nick and Finnick.
"Are you still sulking because your plans didn't work out?" Nick said.
"We are breaking the law. Trick-or-treating as adults and you're selling the proceeds. Everything about this day is wrong," Judy lamented.
Nick drove them back to Walnut Street. Judy tried to act happy as best as she could. The chief wanted her to play along with this pointless charade. Judy tagged along with them as they collected gigantic treats from elephants. Judy was equally shocked to learn that Nick and Finnick had a special vehicle just for this event. They had a vehicle with enough storage capacity for elephant merchandise but could be driven by either of them.
House after house Nick and Finnick hauled their treats back to the truck. After five houses, Nick asked, "Aren't you going to even try to get in the Halloween spirit?"
"This is unethical. I don't even know why Chief Bogo allowed it to begin with," Judy said, clearly not enjoying this forced 'family' activity. She tagged along because she was supposed to being ordered by the chief and all.
Finnick had the audacity to threaten her by turning her in to Chief Bogo if she didn't comply with the acting. She reluctantly gave in and tried to act as the mother. It was just an act but due to Halloween, everyone was willing to suspend disbelief and act as if she and Nick were together too and that Finnick was their kit. They were partners on the ZPD but they've never even dated.
She tried to embrace her part reluctantly. Nick started acting affectionate towards her to make her more comfortable in embracing her role. She reciprocated his advances. He let her hold his tail. Something she enjoyed in the past although too infrequently. Generally, it was his way of apologizing if he had done something wrong. After a few more rounds of hauling candy, she decided to ask, "And you're really going to sell all of this?"
"I'm not, Finnick is. Halloween is where all his income comes from," Nick replied. "As a matter of fact, because Halloween candy is classified as gifts. Finnick doesn't have to report any income."
"Why would the chief approve of this? Let alone ask me to help you."
"I use the funds to make the world a better place. I wasn't lying when I told you to think about what good you could do with the money you make. The money is used for donations as well as paying parking tickets of mammals that couldn't afford them."
She felt so relieved at hearing this. It wasn't for a selfish reason after all. It was a unique way of thinking. She could now embrace the role more fully no longer needing to feel guilty about the activity.
By the end of the night. She felt sad that things would go back to normal. It was fun pretending that they were a family. Before they were about to part ways, Judy said, "We should sleep. I'll drive us to my place. It's the closest."
Finnick took off that hybrid costume. "One day a year is enough for me. I'm done pretending. Chao!"
Nick decided to take the invitation and followed her home. What could go wrong with just one more day?
A/N: Feedback welcome.