Chapter 1: Whoever Loses, Wins
Author's Note: This short story is a direct sequel to "A Hole in The Wall" and is a small part of "The Big Cheese" saga. You can go back and read those stories if you'd like, but I will reference what happened in the recent past.
Friday Night. October 23rd 7:53pm
On the corner of of Clawmane and Hoof Vine street, is the popular bowling arcade known as "Pine Lanes". It's here that the ZPD congregate once a month to relieve the pressures of their every day job. It's here that Nick and Judy are heading towards the arcade. Judy is sitting on Nick's shoulders while they are singing.
"Oh yes, it's bowling night! And the feeling's right! Oh yes it's bowling night! Oh what a night!"
"Oooh what a niiight!"
"Wow Fluff!" Nick said. "You can hit those low notes pretty well!"
"Thanks Nick!"
"Maybe you really are 'Jude the Dude'!"
Judy pinched Nick's ears in retaliation. He just laughed. He didn't care. Nick was on an emotional high from this afternoon after Little Rodentia honored him with "Nick Wilde Day" for saving the city from being destroyed by a real nasty fox. He needed this lift to his spirits after coming incredibly close to being a dad to two mice children only for their parents to show up at the last minute.
Thanks to Judy moving in with him and "Nick Wilde Day", Nick was in a very good mood. He felt confident in himself. Confident enough that he was sick of caring what others thought of him and Judy.
Confident enough that he felt it was time to end the "friend zone".
They entered the arcade. Ben Clawhauser was already there, saving their spot while waiting for Officer Wolford, his wife and Officer Fangmeyer to arrive. He waved them over and Judy ran up to greet him. Nick was on his way when he spotted Chief Bogo at the claw machine and decided to chat up with him.
"Hey Chief! What's-u"
"NOT NOW WILDE!" The angry buffalo was trying desperately to win a plush from the claw machine. The plush was a yellow pair of boxer shorts from the hit children's cartoon "My Little Chonies".
"I'm THIS close to getting ShutterFly and completing my collection! I mean, my DAUGHTER'S collection! I've been at this for an hour!"
"I thought you had a son?" Nick asked.
"I DON'T TELL YOU MY LIFE STORY WILDE!" He went to pick up the plush toy and the claws slipped right over.
Bogo punched at the machine. "I SWEAR these things are rigged!"
Nick tried to inform Bogo. "You know you can probably buy one at the toy shop next door."
"Then where's the challenge Wilde? Where's the fun?"
"Are you sure you're having fun?"
"I'M HAVING LOTS OF FUN! BLAST IT! Now take this twenty and get me more change!"
Nick took the twenty from Bogo. "Umm...how much money have you been having 'fun' with?"
"Forty-Two dollars so far."
Nick couldn't believe his ears. He went and got the change for Bogo.
"Are you gonna join us?" asked Nick.
"As soon as I get this blasted toy!"
Nick shrugged his shoulders and walked off.
Just as Nick was approaching Clawhauser, Mr. and Mrs Wolford came through the door. "Hey guys! We made it!" Tim said, as his wife, Auburn went to talk to Nick and Judy,.Tim then waved at Bogo.
"Hey chief! Ho ya doin'?"
"NOT NOW!" Bogo shouted.
Wolford made it over to Nick and Judy. "Sheesh! What's his beef?"
"He's obsessed with winning a plush toy." Nick replied.
"Well if he don't hurry up, he's gonna miss out. How ya doin' Jude?"
"I'm good Tim!" Judy replied.
Wolford noticed Ben was looking behind them anxiously. It's obvious he's waiting for someone else to arrive. Wolford decided to tease him.
"Well, it's a dang shame Fangs couldn't make it." Wolford told Clawhauser.
"Awww! Really?!" Ben said looking depressed. He was very much looking forward to seeing Officer Fangmeyer. Ever since she arrived at the ZPD, Ben had a bit of a crush on her. Not as big as his crush on Gazelle, but close. Besides, Gazelle was always more of a fantasy while 'Fangs' was a real woman right in front of him. Fangmeyer loved chatting and gossiping with Ben and the two had become best friends at the office, but hadn't really gone on a date outside of work. Surrounded by friends, Ben felt he might have a shot of getting to know her better and may finally get the courage to ask her out.
"What are you talking about honey?" Tim's wife Auburn, an auburn-colored wolf replied. "She went back to the car to get our balls!"
"Ya got me babe!" Tim said. "I'm just kiddin' wit'cha Claws!"
Just then, Officer Terry Fangmeyer came through the door holding two bowling ball bags. She was tall, brawny and with wide shoulders. You'd almost confuse her for a male Bengal tiger if it wasn't for her large eyelashes, eyeshadow and very feminine voice. Clawhauser beamed a smile a mile wide.
"Hey guys!" Fangmeyer said. She saw Ben in the corner and beamed just as big a smile back. "Hey Benny!"
Ben sheepishly waved back. "H-Hey Fangs!" He'd known her at work for three years and was still shy around her.
"Here you go guys." Fangmeyer handed Mr. and Mrs. Wolford their bowling balls. They could have taken them in themselves, but Terry loves to help out and they were very easy to carry thanks to her immense strength. "Benny!" She shouted and gave her friend a big hug."How's my big fluff ball?"
"J-Just great!" Ben replied while blushing under his fur. "You look great too! N-Not that you don't always look great! You always look beautiful! I-I mean look well. I-I mean...we should get this game going!"
Ben yelled out for Bogo to participate. "Hey Chief! You up to play?"
"I SWEAR THIS THINGS RIGGED!"
"I'm gonna guess that's a 'no'." Benny replied.
"Well, looks like it's just us six!" Judy said. Tim then had an idea.
"Why don't we make this interestin'? Men vs. Women. Me, Nick and Ben vs. my sweet, bowlin' champ, Judy and Fangs! Loser has too...I dunno."
"Loser has to kiss the winner!" Audrey said.
"Aww babe! Yer such a romantic!" Tim said. "But umm...are you guys up for it?"
"For kissing your wife? Sure!" Nick joked.
"HEY!" Tim yelled.
Audrey laughed. "No! No! We'll divide who vs. who and tally the full score. Me vs. Tim, Nick vs. Judy and Fangs vs. Ben. Sound good?"
"I don't know." Judy said while rubbing her shoulder. "Me and Nick are close but kinda staying in the friend z-"
"I'm all up for it." Nick said.
"R-really?" Judy replied with a smile she couldn't quite hide.
"Sure! Only with one exception...The winner gets to chose WHERE they get kissed.." He then pointed at his own butt
"Bring it!" Judy said with determination. She then looked over to Clawhauser and Fangmeyer. "How about you guys?"
"Sure!" Ben said loudly, but then blushed and shrank back. "I-I mean, if it's okay with Fangs, then I'm up for it!"
Terry was really nervous and was fidgeting. "A...a kiss?! I-I mean, okay...Why not? I...I guess so."
Ben felt offended. "You...'guess so'?"
Terry realized how that sounded. "No! No! I mean...sure! That'd be fine!"
Ben felt a little better, but still wasn't sure that Terry was sincere.
"Alight!" Tim shouted. "Let's do 'dis!"
He then bowed to his wife. "Ladies first!"
"I don't need your chivalry...But I'll take it anyway!" and Auburn rolled out the first ball. A perfect strike.
Tim looked over at Nick and Ben. "I gotta warn ya guys, my wife is the Savanna Central bowling champion three years runnin'!"
"Me and Finn were five time bowling champs ourselves!" Nick bragged.
Judy chimed in. "Until I left, I was the Bunny Burrow bowling champ for eight years running!"
"I don't have any trophies, but...I do okay." Terry added.
It was Clawhausers' turn. "I ummm...don't need the bumpers anymore!...Sometimes."
Tim took a turn. Perfect strike.
Judy's turn. She decided to do a trick shot by running on top of the ball before letting go. Strike.
"Show off!" Said Nick and he set one ball rolling slowly, took another ball and let it ricochet off of that ball leading it to go faster and make another strike.
"Two balls! That counts as a spare!" Shouted Judy.
Nick pointed at the monitor. "Not according to the computer fluff. They went at the same time so it counted as one."
Judy growled. It was Terry's turn. She had the ball in hand and was about to roll it down.
"Did you guys know that Carrots moved in with me?" Nick announced. Shocked by what she just heard, Terry fumbled the ball and it went into the gutter.
Judy was both embarrassed and furious. "Th-that's cheating!"
Bogo had finally nabbed the plush when he overheard what Nick said. "You two are living together?!" He accidentally bumped the machine as he turned to look and the plush fell off the claw.
"NNNOOOOO!" He shouted.
"Why on earth would you tell them?!" Judy said angrily.
Nick looked at her calmly and said "Look Fluff, they're gonna think what they think and talk about us behind our backs no matter what. Why keep secrets from them?"
Judy argued "Because I don't want them to think the wrong things about us! I mean, look at Ben and Terry already!"
Clawhauser and Fangmeyer were already sitting together and whispering things about Nick and Judy together.
"KNOCK IT OFF!" Judy yelled and the two stopped. "Ben! Get this thing back on track and roll!"
Ben rolled and hit 6 pins, then picked up a spare.
Auburn got another strike.
Another strike for Tim.
Judy did another trick shot. "I call this one...'the bull'!" She laid the ball in front of the lane, lowered her head and pointed her ears down like a bull's horns. She then rushed into the ball and pushed it forward with her ears. She got another strike.
It was Nick's turn. "I call this one...'Flash'."He set the ball down and got it rolling using the tip of his finger. The ball rolled incredibly slow down the lane. "If anyone wants to get something, now's the time."
"I'd like some churros!" Ben said. He looked over to Terry. "Would you like some Fangs? My treat!"
"Sure!" The tiger replied. "I'd love some! Also, could you get me a drink? I'd like..."
Ben interrupted "A lactose free milk warmed up!"
She giggled. "You know me too well!"
"Yeah, it's...kinda creepy." Nick joked.
With Ben gone, Judy and Nick surrounded Terry. "Okay!" Judy said "You guys like to talk stuff about me and Nick, what about you and Ben?"
"What about me and Ben?!" Terry asked.
"Oh, come on Fangs! It's obvious you two got a thing for each other! I see the relaxed way you two talk to each other. He lets you take whatever donut you want out of his box and he NEVER shares his donuts with anyone!"
"Judy! Don't pressure her!" Tim warned.
Judy talked in a hushed tone. "He has a draft of a love letter to you on his computer."
Nick was upset. "CARROTS! That's a very private thing!
"I'm just sick of the gossip always being about us!" Judy argued back.
"Look guys, I LOVE Benny! I really do! It's just...it's complicated." Terry said and she hugged her knees to her chest.
Audrey chimed in. "It doesn't have to be. Ben's a great guy. Even if you tell him the truth, I think he'd stay your best friend at least."
"What's this all about? You guys know something we don't?" Judy asked.
"None 'a yer business." Tim said sternly. "So fugget about it a'ight?! Fangs will tell 'em when she's ready, I'm sure. I don't like my best friend feeling pressured, okay?!"
"Okay." Judy replied. "I'm sorry about that Terry. Are you ready to bowl?"
"Sure. I guess." Terry replied. Nick's ball finally tipped the first pin over and knocked over the others in a slow, domino affect.
Terry took her turn. A gutter ball followed by five pins.
Clawhauser arrived in time to take his turn.
For over an hour the game went. Mr. and Mrs Fangmeyer got nothing but perfect strikes. Nick and Judy continued with their trick shots while Ben and Terry just did okay.
"Guys! Huddle time!" Judy shouted and the girls huddled together football style. "Okay team! They're ahead just by eight pins. I know Burnie's got his and I'm awesome of course! I just need you to do your very best Terry, okay? It feels like you're holding back."
"Please Judy! I-I swear I'm doing my best!" Terry replied.
Auburn was getting upset. "I know you're competitive Judy, but it IS just a game! I don't like my friends being pressured. Besides...I've got an ace up my sleeve I've been saving all week!"
Judy was intrigued. "Ooooh! Okay! Let's do this! Sorry Terry."
"Your turn, sweetie!" Audrey said to Tim.
"Okay babe!" Tim went to roll the ball.
"Oh! And by the way dear..."
"Don't even try to distract me!" Tim said as he was about to roll the ball into play.
"...I'm pregnant!"
Gutterball for Tim. Everyone's jaw dropped. Shocked, he rushed over to his wife. "Really?! Are you sure baby?!"
She nodded her head. Tim held her tight. "I'm gonna be a dad! Bogo did you hear?! I'm gonna be a father!"
Bogo had the plush by the tag, but turned around when he heard the news. "You're gonna be a father?! He bumped the machine again and the plush dropped back in.
"NNOOOO!"
With that news, they managed to finish the game. The girls won by just two pins.
"Okay, me first!" Audrey said. She pointed to her belly. Tim knelt down and kissed her where the litter was.
"Alright you!" said Judy and she pulled Nick over by his stripped tie. Everyone was looking (except Bogo who was still obsessed with the claw machine). She pointed at her lips but as Nick got closer, she turned and pointed at her cheek. Teasing him.
"Oh no you don't!" Nick said and he gently turned her head back and kissed her right on the lips.
Tim and Auburn howled. Ben and Terry freaked out. Bogo missed the whole thing.
After a good twenty seconds, he let go.
"What about the 'friend zone'? The risks we'll face?" Judy asked.
"To hell with those!" Nick replied "Nobody can see us in our apartment and our friends already think we're in a relationship. I think this week, I've proven what a great fox I can be so...why not?!"
"Yeah." Judy said. "Why not?" and she leaned in on her tip toes and kissed him again.
"Well, I guess it's our turn!" Ben said excitedly.
Terry's ears went down. She was incredibly nervous. "Oh! Ummmm...right!" Ben leaned in but then...she backed off and started sobbing. "I'm so sorry Benny! I can't do it! I CAN'T!" She then ran off into the ladies restroom.
"Terry!" Judy shouted and ran after her.
Ben started to weep. "What did I do wrong?! She acts like she likes me so what is it?! It's,,,,,it's because I'm so FAT isn't it?!"
Tim picked up Ben by the shoulders. "Not at all! Look Benny, it should've come from Terry, but there's somethin' ya need to know. Let's let's you 'n me grab some hot bugs and have a talk, okay? Honey? I'll be back soon!"
Tim and Ben walked off leaving Nick and Audrey alone. They barely knew each other so there was some awkward silence.
"...So..pregnant hunh?"
"...Yeah."
"...I was a dad for about three days. It was a great feeling. Did you see the news? It was 'Nick Wilde Day' in Little Rodentia!"
"Yeah I saw...neat..."
"..."
"..."
"I'm uhhh...I'm gonna go talk to Bogo. Be right back." and Nick left.
Judy was looking for Terry who was sobbing in one of the stalls. She started peeking under.
"Terry?"
"EEEK!"
"I-I'm so sorry miss!" Judy shouted.
She found Terry still fully clothed and just sitting on the toilet sobbing her eyes out.
"Do you EVER give anyone any privacy?!" Terry asked.
"I'm sorry" Judy said sheepishly. "It's just...Ben is a wonderful guy! You told me you love him so why are you holding back?!"
Terry wiped some tears back. "I just don't want us to get close only to have him reject me like Tim did!"
"Why would he reject you?! Why did Tim reject you?" Judy asked.
Terry just sniffled and wiped back tears. "Well...you know what LGBT is right?"
It was starting to become clear to Judy. "Ooh I think I see now."
"Yeah well..." Terry stalled for a second. "...I'm a 'T'".
Judy was stunned. "I'm gonna take a wild guess that doesn't stand for 'tiger'".
Next Chapter: Are Ben and Terry a Washout?