A/N: Wanted a cute, established-relationship WildeHopps fic. There's nothing more to this… as of yet *wink-wink*. Set post-film and will go wherever I feel like.
Chapter One – Good Night, Shrew
Evenings were Nick's domain.
When they weren't put on a case (which, thankfully they'd had a few of in the 8 months after his graduation), they had differing (rarely joint) patrol shifts, based on their best skills. Judy, because of her morning exuberance and excellent hearing through the hustle and bustle of daylight hours, got day shifts in the various districts of Zootopia. Nick, having great night vision and cooler demeanour, got night shifts.
This fairly humid night took him into the miniaturized streets of Little Rodentia, past tiny storefronts, tiddly apartment blocks and the odd townhouse. Very few mammals were out at this time, most retired to the more suburban areas. Little Rodentia had a slight mix of old-style European architecture and Neigh York chic.
"Nicky!" Nick immediately looked down, seeing an arctic shrew laden with shopping bags at the crosswalk, "Oh, you nearly gave me a fright in that lamp light."
"Fru? What are you doing out this late?" he'd had a sort of brotherly appreciation for the heiress of the Big family since his time with them as a kit. He knelt down, already lifting the heaviest bags from her little arms, "Pretty sure mommas need their beauty sleep."
"Aw, Nick, that's exactly the reason I'm out here in the dead of night." She wiped her brow, her normally pristine hair askew, "Li'l Judy might be 7 months but looking after my girl doesn't get any easier."
Nick carried on along her path, "I sure hope her daddy isn't giving her any preferential treatment. Daddy's princesses are all well 'n' good, but it's the queens that do all the hard work." Fru Fru nodded knowingly, smiling.
"How's Judy?" Carrots went out with the female shrew whenever time in a weekday was free (that wasn't already monopolized by a certain fox), but their work time had been pretty packed lately.
"Probably asleep, with any luck." Certainly not up playing that new Meowrio Kart game without me, "How's Big and the baby daddy doing?"
She chuckled, her entire frame carrying the motion down to her toes, "Daddy's, well, daddy, and I've put my hubby to work scrubbing the baby bottles for the new day."
"Good, good…" Mr Big's limousine empire was in the heart of Tundratown, but his mansion was on the outskirts, connecting him to his Rodentia roots. He gave the bags back to their owner, "Good seeing you, Fru-ball."
Fru Fru gave the bags to the waiting Polar Bear, and clucked her teeth up at the fox cop, "Nicky, I ask this as the wife of a business-mammal. Have you eaten since this morning?"
Nick thought about it, and shook his head, "I was filing paperwork and then straight onto patrol. My shift ended 10 minutes ago."
"Well, come on in then, silly! We usually leave dinner until after we've put Judy to bed."
Walking out from the chilly microclimate into a warm foyer, Nick grinned at the older shrew that had come to greet them, "Didn't think old granddaddy would be up this late either."
"You watch your mush, Nicky." Mr Big chuckled warmly, walking into the dining room where a meal was awaiting the small family, and he clicked his tiny fingers. Within seconds, a place was set for the larger mammal.
Nick and Judy's usual dinner consisted of takeaway or microwave meals, not having the energy or the time to cook, so it was nice to have something home-cooked whenever the Big family invited them in.
Mr Big sat at the head of the table with a regal but approachable air, "Nicky, how is big Judy?"
He'd always laugh at that nickname, "Great; the same neurotically hard-worker. We have a week's leave next week to visit the family." Despite them not being married (a fact he was hoping to change), Nick was confident that Judy's huge family considered him family.
"You guys better stop by here before you leave. Little Judy misses her auntie." Fru Fru said this in the menacing Big fashion, juxtaposing that with a giggle.
The dinner descended into comfortable, mindless chatter. Nick soon bid them goodbye, walking out into the cold midnight still in his uniform. He made his way back to his apartment, thankful for the stillness in the streets. It meant he wouldn't have anything more to report back.
Trudging up and into the apartment, he sneakily walked past their kitchen (on their joint salaries they could afford a bigger place), and into the small bedroom after leaving his clothes neatly piled on the couch.
"How was Fru?" Judy asked quietly, her superior hearing catching him climbing into bed. She didn't bother turning.
Nick whispered, wrapping his lithe body around her, "Bowled under by your goddaughter."
Judy yawned.
"You shouldn't wait up for me." He saw a grey limb rearing back, only to pat him consolingly on his snout. He huffed and poked his tongue at the offending paw.
She tiredly said, "I'll always wait up for you, dumb fox." She pulled her paw back in, "…and Ben was raving about Gazelle's latest single."
He yawned out, "Uh huh." Within minutes, the two young officers were asleep.
A/N: Wrote this first chapter whilst watching the patisserie bake-off. I'll be taking about a week off from this fic to get a stable selection of chapters going so that I have plots to work with in longevity (and because I have college 5 days a week!), but I wanted to get this first, admittedly short, chapter out to get back into the swing of things.
Ponella, signing off!