A/N - 12 MAR 17 In my haste to get this story going, I neglected to review them beyond a cursory glance and forgot the usual disclaimer: I do not own Zootopia and misspelt some character names. Past that some minor editing of the chapters posted, and additional a/n on Chap 6.

Chap 1 Bad Start

Monday

Nick sighed. It was the third night where the dreams awoke him. The third night where he found himself laying flat on his back. Nick hated laying on his back almost as much having his sleep interrupted.

"Fuck my life," he muttered.

Bad knees, elbows, and hell all the rest of his joints made him hate sleeping on his back. It would be minutes to warm up enough to move. Woe betide him if he tried to speed up the process. That's why he slept on his side. Curled around just enough to slightly flex his joints before sleep took him.

With a grunt, he slowly closed his paws, hearing and feeling the knuckles pop, "So far, so good."

He bent his forelimbs and winced when his elbows grated and then finally popped. Next was raising them over his head. With a silent snarl he managed to get them there. Now was the test. It would determine how his day would start. Holding his breath he quickly sat up and swung hind limbs down off of the bed. The movement was accompanied by faint whimpers and watery eyes.

"Bad start then."

Nick slowly made his way to the bathroom, turning the shower to hot. It would take a moment for the water to heat, so coffee was made. As he moved around the apartment, the hunched over shuffle slowly changed to a confident saunter. The last of the aches and pains banished by coffee, two painkillers and a hot shower.

Donning his pressed uniform, he happened to catch the digital clock by the bed, "Shit on a stick. Fucking 3:24 in the fucking morning."

Two hours before the alarm. Three hours before he had to be at the precinct. He contemplated laying back down, "Fuck it."

Nick soon found himself walking down the sidewalk. It would take close to an hour to get to the precinct, but he had time. Paws jammed into pockets against the morning chill, his thoughts wandered to his dreams. He shook his head trying to think about something else, anything else. The dreams were a constant. Ebbing and flowing but never going away. This time of year, they always intensified. They were so real. The smells, conversations and the mammals within. Of course they really weren't dreams.

"Father grant me courage to face the day. Mother grant me patience for what the day brings," it was meant to come out as a declaration, but ended up as a small if reverent whisper.

Catching himself before running into the precinct's glass doors, he watched his reflection mutter, "Miranda."

"Hey, Slick! Your early. Who's Miranda?"

Nick took a small breath and a sly smile curled his muzzle before turning to the grey rabbit standing behind him.

"Hey, Fluff. Eager to start the day?"

"Yep, and you're blocking the door."

Nick smirked as he stepped aside opening the door, "Your castle awaits. The large one who stands guard is once again distracted."

Judy giggled and rolled her eyes as she stepped past. The giggle turned into a chuckle once she saw the Clawhauser performing his patented happy food dance.

"Ben!," Judy shouted as she hopped onto the reception desk.

Ben startled and dropped his spoon into a bowl of Growl Flakes, splashing milk onto his tie, "Judy! What did I tell you about interrupting second breakfast?"

"Ah, Ben. You know I'm your favorite."

Ben tried and failed to scowl at Judy. Turning his head he caught sight of Nick.

"Ben, mornin'. No time to chat. Need more coffee. Bad start," Nick waved as he wandered over to the break room.

Ben watched him confused. Turning back to Judy, "Bad start?"

"No idea. He's been a little off since last Monday and won't tell me why."

"Is that so? Hmmm. Come to think of it, he said something about a Miranda when he came in Saturday. Do you know who Miranda is?"

"No, but he did say that name before we walked in."

"No, no, no! Nick can't be seeing anyone right now. Heather would be crushed! Not to mention my favorite bunny!"

"Ben, what are you talking about? We aren't, I mean why would Heather be crushed?"

"Ummm..they have a date this Friday."

Judy stared at Ben opened mouthed.

"Judy? Hello?"

"Right, right. A date with Heather Fangmeyer this Friday," Judy's ears slowly wilted.

"Yes! It was weird how it came up. We were just talking, then the subject turned to interspecies relationships. I mean wow did Nick have a list going. Heather said something about him not being able to handle a tiger."

Judy nodded, "Which Nick took as a challenge."

"And he said why not see if he could make her purr. Heather said Friday after shift. Then Nick said he would meet her at my desk. Half the day shift had gathered around by that time and witnessed the whole thing."

Judy had lapsed into silence as Ben wiped the milk from his tie, distracted enough to miss what he had been saying. He has a date? He's only been here six weeks, how can he already have a date? I mean sure he is older and charming and rather hot in a foxy sort of way. No he was just hot. Wait, since when did I think Nick was hot?