Hey guys, welcome to the new story! I'll save the chit chat so you can enjoy the read. I just want to let you know this will be kind of a lengthy story and I plan to update at least once a week. This not just a romantic plotline but also another case on the side. In a sequel, which I plan on creating afterwards, it will turn to an adventure plotline with romantics on the side. Thank you again for reading and leave a review! I hope to have this next chapter out asap!

Chapter 1

Lonely

Zootopia: A city where animals could live in harmony together, where anybody could be anything they wanted, and where prejudist thoughts went to die. Judy Hopps was one of the many of the population who discovered the wonders of Zootopia. She was unlike the rest of her family, becoming the first bunny cop and breaking the tradition of becoming a carrot farmer. She took the city's motto and lived by it, becoming anybody who she wanted to be and promising to herself that she would never be anything less.

And that is exactly what she did. Nearly a year from uncovering the prey domination scheme led by Belleweather, ex-mayor, Judy remained at the top of her class, befriending all that she knew, and never went out of touch with her family. Everything seemed to be perfect with the occasional minor troubles. Ever since she made a life for herself at Zootopia, her career and social life was set. There was nothing left to conquer but her future.

Yet, something felt missing. Judy would live out her day as happy and energetic as she could be, but once it was time to hit the hay, a sensible loneliness would well up in her chest as she curled up to her pillow. Judy had never felt this way before and she knew it wasn't normal.

This feeling came about a few months after things began to settle from Judy's first case. She thought of every possible reason for what was happening.

Was she missing the idea of being so important? No, that wasn't it, Judy didn't do her job for the fame. Perhaps she was unsatisfied with the excitement of her job lately. On her first case, she had been spoiled by the mission to find Mr. Otterton and later a much larger case. Her tiny heart beat a million miles per second with each step further she came in the situation. It felt great being on the run: such a rush, the great chase for justice. That's what she was meant to do, who she was meant to be. And she was there.

So why in the name of Zootopia was she feeling so small?

Judy didn't know and there was no way in figuring out how. She was just forced to live out her days hoping the feeling would go away one day. It really helped on extended work days or nights out with Nick. Anything that kept her from laying in bed subjected to her thoughts.

In fact, on the anniversary of their first meeting Nick and Judy sat at a restaurant giggling over memories they had made in just the past year. Each sat on either side of a booth on a dead Tuesday night drinking the night away as the clock neared midnight.

For a usual weekday, it was odd to find the two cops out so late, but Judy had one of her rare day-offs. Due to her working overtime (more or less for her own sanity), the Chief found her actions notable and insisted she took the day off - no exceptions. Nick, on the other hand, was still forced to wake up at the break of dawn. But he stayed anyway since Judy persisted. Besides, what could a few less hours of sleep possibly do?

A lot, he knew, but Nick decided to wait and eat those words another time. For now, Judy was in front of him and his near future behind, but there would need to be an end to the night somewhere.

As their final conversation came to a close, a couple of comical tears slid down Judy's cheeks from a joke made by her partner and then both parties went silent. Nick took one last sip of coffee (decaf, of course) and stared at his bunny counterpart with a tired smile. "I think it's time to head home."

Judy's smile had now faded and her eyes refused to leave the table. The thought of going home alone made her shiver. She wasn't ready just yet. But Nick did have work the next day, it wasn't fair for her to waste his night like this. She did not reply but rather forced a smile and hopped out of her seat leading Nick outside. The two turned to each other as Judy practically jumped into his arms.

"All right, fine, you don't have to keep asking. I'll walk you home." Nick grinned, staring down at the giggling bunny. "C'mon, Carrots, I'm down to five hours of sleep."

It was a short walk and Judy was reluctant to watch Nick leave. As she gave him one last squeeze before setting a hand on the door, her gaze followed his lone figure - hands in pockets and tail swishing back and forth like he did whenever he had a song stuck in his head.

The way to her apartment room was treacherous and the dark hallways seemed even lengthier as it drained her of the day's light. Judy was tired of feeling this way. There had to be a change.

First thing the next morning, Judy was up and ready to catch the first train to Bunnyburrow. Even after a late night, she managed to wake herself up at six and prepare to hit the train before it got too busy. This was a last minute decision made amongst her mostly unintelligible thoughts of the night before. Out of desperation, it was the best move she could make. Besides, her parents almost always had a cure for her sicknesses. Maybe they would have a cure for this mental sickness as well.

On her agile walk, Judy covered ground quickly regardless of how early she was running. There was no point in wasting a day. In fact, she couldn't quite remember the last time she had visited her parents so why not make this meeting last a while? After all, she only had a day before the next break in who knows how long?

As she dabbled on her phone, a familiar bitter scent caught the nose of the disgruntled rabbit. Her stomach growled forcing Judy to stop in her tracks. The time on her phone read "6:52." She really wasrunning early. There was no reason why she couldn't grab a quick bite at the pastry shop.

The corners of her lips turned to the sky and at the twinkle of her nose Judy pranced out the doors with two coffees and the jumpstart of a new day. She was still making good time and decided to grab one for her partner who was most likely "inconspicuously" sleeping at his work desk.

Just like any other day, Judy strolled into the police station with a plastered grin, throwing Clawhauser a donut as always but skipping the confrontation; she didn't want to let this early thing get to her head. The terminal was always packed before 8:30. As Judy found herself in her partner's cubicle, she was quiet at first, discovering Nick to be in the usual working position of comatose. The back of his black rolley chair faced her and his matted head held up by his left hand blocked the computer monitor. Judy rolled her eyes but then glued them to the scrolling finger of his right hand on the mouse. Was it possible Nick Wilde was actually awake before seven on a weekday after staying up so late the night before?

With eyebrows raised high, Judy positioned her head over the fox's shoulder to see what he had been viewing and immediately burst into a fit of laughter. Nick's body jerked from his seat and the keyboard went flying along with his good morning's rest. He turned to Judy with bloodshot eyes and drool soaking the side of his mouth (also unadmittedly in the palm of his hand which he tucked under his leg). "J-Judy, what are you doing here? It's your day off."

Judy refrained from giggling at his cowlick that had formed where his hand had supported his sleepy state. She noted not to talk him into going out with her on a work night ever again; never had she seen him so unprepared for duty.

"Well, I was on my way to my parent's today and I decided to stop by the cafe and grab us a couple of coffees. Looks like you need one." Judy inhaled the sweet scent before placing it on his desk feeling the eyes of her partner follow her.

"Why are you doing this?" Nick glared at her with shame. "You're not supposed to be here. Go enjoy your day off."

"I'm not here for work, Nick," Judy frowned. "Y'know, even I need my space from this place. I just thought that I would say good morning before I left off to Bunnyburrow."

Nick realized his grumpy attitude and patched up his words with an easy smile. "Thanks, Carrots. 'Precciate it."

Before she knew it, Judy was peering through the glass of the train, still wowed by the sight of her home. The trip was relatively short on the way to Bunnyburrow considering it was an island just off the coast from Zootopia. Nose-point with the window, she watched in awe as city buildings and paved roads turned to the roaring waves of the canal that separated them, then the nostalgia-inducing sign of Bunnyburrow signaled for the entrance of a more rural area. Farming plots of blueberries and carrots and anything else scrumptious to the rabbit-kind was inevitably spotted making Judy's heart do a flip flop. She couldn't believe how much she actually missed this place. It hadn't changed even the slightest.

At the stop, Judy inhaled and smiled. Cranberry pie lightened the air and sunshine began to rise from behind fields of blueberry bushes. The whole place was already up and running: most bunnies gladly hopped out of bed around this time in the morning.

One foot out of the train station and Judy had to take in her surroundings. With a proud beam, she made her way to the home in which she enacted her dreams since a little kit. As she stood in front of the familiar door, a fist lightly knocked the heavy wood and the excitement could hardly be contained by the enthusiastic rabbit: "Mom, Dad, it's me! Judy!"

There was hardly a breath to take when the door opened to reveal Bonnie and Stu Hopps who were immediately engulfed by their eldest daughter. "Judy!" the two cried in unison. "It's been forever. How are you, sweetie?" continued her mother.

Judy let out a chuckle of relief. "Oh gosh, I've missed you guys. Uh," she finally released her parents from her hold, "I've been doing great. I have a day off today and I realized I haven't seen you guys in months." From inside the house, Judy could practically feel the aroma of carrot cake and cinnamon which resided there whether or not Momma Bonnie was cooking or not. "H-How are you guys?"

Her mother was already on her way inside and her father placed an arm around the shoulders leading her inside himself. Apparently the family had been working on breakfast as they wandered towards the dining room which contained a verylong dining table filled to the brim with her brothers and sisters. Judy's heart rate skyrocketed as they turned towards her with laughter and squeals of excitement, rushing to greet their older sister.

The family reunion lasted another hour whilst gobbling down on a load strawberry covered waffles, one of Judy's favorites. She sat down at the end with her parents and discussed work, friends, and anything interesting that had occurred in the past few months (she cared enough to leave out the dangerous parts), every once in a while being interrupted by a sibling wanting to share an art project or asking advice on career advancement.

Judy felt young again being under this roof, except now everybody looked up to her.

As the hour flew by, most of the family had scurried off to school or outside to play leaving just Judy and her parents sitting in the silence of faded laughter. "Well Jude, it sounds like you've got your life made. We're so proud of you."

A nervous gulp echoed in Judy's throat. Her father's words hit a soft spot in her chest reminding her of the real reason she took the trip over here. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you guys about something…"

A movement in their stature changed and Judy saw the new perk in their ears. "What is it, dear?"

Knowing she could tread without judgement being set upon her, Judy poured out about the emptiness she had been feeling at nights when she was alone. Even getting to the point of restlessness if the day had been slow. Never had she cried over the situation but Judy found herself tearing up the slightest as she explained everything. The impact these nights had on her were finally tumbling after being built up in over months of preparation.

She wiped away the tears that threatened to spill. Her mother and father looked upon her with sympathy and grasped her in their arms once more. As they sat upright again, the two glanced at each other, water glistening in their eyes and then they grinned.

"Oh Judy," Bonnie started, "it's normal to feel this way. In fact, I was a little worried it wouldn't happen to you at all. As many grandbabies as we'll have it's almost impossible to believe so, but, the more the merrier, right?" Her mother started with a light giggle that turned with elation.

This confused Judy. "W-What are you talking about?"

Bonnie turned to look at her husband one last time before back to Judy and blindly entwining her paw with his. "Darling, let me give you one last lesson: there is somebody out there for everybody. A soul mate, perhaps, to help us with the planting when your arms are too tired - or to sit there in those struggling days when the rain drowns out the carrots and comfort you."

The incredulous bunny cop felt like a child again. Was her mother implying that she needed a boyfriend? That was ridiculous. She didn't need another bunny to make her feel whole. She was strong and had made it this far on her own. But the problem still stood: Judy was feeling lonely and she had no other resolution to the problem.

"So you want me to…?"

"Judy! You are in a whole village of bunnies. Go out and explore. I'm sure you will enjoy yourself and find many familiar faces. You're bound to find him here. Fate has a funny way of bringing us together. This feeling brought you here. Now go find somebody who fills that hole."

"How did fate bring you and Dad together?" she asked curiously.

"That's a good one," Stu intervened. "It was a warm spring afternoon and I was out looking for blueberries at the local market. I had always hated blueberries, but I woke up one morning craving them like there was no tomorrow. So I up and left to get some blueberries. I'll tell ya, I passed five different shops before I reached one where I spotted the perfect basket. Little did I know, the beauty of BunnyBurrow had her eyes on that exact same basket. Her hand landed right on top of mine and now the rest is history."

Judy's heart leaped. Was it that easy? Just the touch of one's hand and love would occur? That sounded odd but what else did she have to lose?

"In fact," Bonnie chimed in, "I need some carrots for some carrot cake I'm making specially tonight for a special guest. And some extra vanilla juice just how she likes it." Judy's mouth watered at the thought.

"I'm already out the door! I'll see you guys tonight." And with the exchange of a shopping list for her dessert, her legs stumbled out the door as fast as she could go. Judy didn't know what to expect when she left the house but she felt greater than she had in the past six months.

As she made her way through the day, she had met new and old faces throughout the town. This including the infamous Gideon Grey. Their conversation was brief but more meaningful than she expected it could.

"Afternoon, Gideon, how have you been doing?" Gideon offered a predictable answer "Great," but as he handled bottles of honey at the shop, his hands shook and he maintained a slight quiver of tone almost like aggravation. Judy turned to him, "Is that the truth?"

A heavy sigh of reluctance and a simple shake of the head made Judy focus her concentration on him completely. "No, actually, I'm having some home trouble. I've got four little ones right now, all as beautiful as their mother." Judy was shocked by how soon he had started a family. Her parents' story seemed to prove true. "But the eldest...oh my, she's growing up too quickly, Judy. Falls in love with everything she sees. And, well, I understand we live on an island with more you bunnies than anybody else but you'd think she knew right from wrong. She's had her mind on a particular bunny and they've been getting along well lately. Too well. My wife thinks it's just a phase, but I'm just worried about her."

The tip of Judy's nose twitched. She wasn't sure how to respond. The thought of interspecies relationship had never crossed her mind as a problem. "Well, I don't think you should overwhelm yourself too much. After all, she's still young. She will find her way. But Gideon - " she rested her palm on his, "whatever she chooses in her life always be there to support her." She tried at a smile and he returned it.

"Thanks, cottontail. You bunnies always know what to say. Say, have you got a special person in your life?"

Judy nibbled on her bottom lip. "No, not quite. So far I'm quite content with my family and friends."

Gideon nodded, "That's all right. Love will find you when you least expect it. You'll see. Take care, Judy. Let your parents know I'll be there first thing tomorrow morning."

Judy continued to jump from shop to shop, rediscovering people she hadn't seen since primary school. She covered so much of the past in just a few sentences that it started to become second nature. It got to the point where Judy listened in for the signaling phrases that set off automatic responses. While pilot mode played on, her thoughts wandered elsewhere.

What was Nick doing right now? He was on his lunch break. Was he still taking the trip to the usual bakery they stopped at every day? Judy was tempted to call and see how he was, but she strayed away from the idea. He sees you every day, give him the day off for once, she giggled to herself. As she reached the last shop of the day though, another voice inside compelled her into just a 5-minute phone call. They usually had their days off planned together. There was no harm in checking up.

With a phone in one hand searching for Nick's contact, Judy reached for any old basket of carrots. And as her hand lowered deeper into the sea of vegetables, her palm landed on something rather fluffy and warm. Her instinct was to recoil and apologize, but Judy remained still and stared down the hand that had crossed her path.

"Hello?" Nick echoed through the phone, charm voiced smoothly like always. His Carrots didn't hear him this time, however, because that fluffy and warm thing was the beginning of a revolution for Judy. This was the day Judy Hopps, with never before a doubt in her mind, finally had no way of compiling these new feelings all at once.

"I'm going to have to call you back."