Remastered - 10/03/2017

My name is Nicholas Wilde, I am 35 years old, the year is 2019, and I am going to die.

Nick awoke to the sound of his alarm clock beeping. Mondays... he thought to himself. He had always hated Mondays. Nick never had to get up to go to work in his life, at least not until he had met that clever bunny. Judy... his partner, his girlfriend, his everything, really, lying right next to him, only just now being woken up by the sound of the alarm yawned and stretched her arms as she was brought into the reality of being awake. Nick reached over to the nightstand and slammed his fist down on top of the clock to shut the alarm off.

"Have I ever told you how much I've come to hate Mondays, Carrots?" Nick said, yawning away the last bits of grogginess in his voice.

"Only every Monday, you dumb fox," Judy said jokingly.

"Well, it's true. I have a burning, fiery hatred for Mondays. I mean, I just get light-headed thinking about getting up on Mondays. In fact, I'm slightly light-headed now that I've done it."

"Oh stop it. You know you only make them worse by complaining about them all the time," Judy said sarcastically. "I'm sure today will go down in history as the worst Monday ever, just like last Monday?"

"It will, absolutely, one hundred percent," Nick said.

"Well at least try and make it enjoyable. We've got a big day today."

Judy always said that whenever Nick was less than thrilled to get up in the morning, no matter what they were to do that day as if she was secretly telling him that he still had to try to make the world a better place. Judy opened the door to their apartment and they walked out, Nick following her. They walked down the many steps and then out onto the sidewalk and began the journey to the subway station a couple of blocks away.

"Did you hear that the chief is thinking of retiring?" Judy said.

"Really?" Nick said with quite a bit of surprise in his voice. "I would have thought he'd keep at it for at least five more years."

"No, he thinks he's getting too old. But honestly, I think it might be for the best if he does. I wouldn't want him to work himself too hard."

Nick couldn't argue with that. He figured that job was stressful enough to age anyone enough to eventually force them to quit sooner than expected. But if that was the case, Bogo sure didn't show any signs of wear other than some gray furs, but Nick felt that he had a pretty big part in those.

"It is probably the best for him," Nick said. "And probably for the rest of us, too. Have you noticed how much he seems to have slowed down? I honestly don't think he even minds my constant picking on him. That should tell you it's time to retire more than anything," Nick joked. Judy agreed, knowing how much Bogo disliked her partner when he first started. But even as much as he appeared to hate him, she figured Bogo still had a bit of a soft spot for Nick.

"Who do you think should take his place?" Judy questioned.

"I don't know, DelGato maybe. He's always seemed like a pretty good leader."

"I could see that. He's got the characteristics of a police chief," she said.

Nick and Judy made it to the station just in time to board. They took their places in the middle, standing up. The subway began to move, rocking everyone on the subway back a little bit. Nick stood, feeling a bit light-headed still. Was he tired? Sick? He couldn't quite put his paw on it. He had stayed up later than usual last night, but then again, there had been a cold going around the ZPD for the last few days. That's probably it… Nick thought.

The thoughts left Nick's head as the subway made it to their stop. Nick looked up, realizing that he had spaced out for the entire duration of the commute. He shifted his head back and forth, wondering if he was maybe confusing this for another stop, but he wasn't. The trip that usually took about fifteen minutes felt to him like mere seconds. Nick stepped off the subway with Judy and they walked together the rest of the way to the precinct, greeting a group of officers standing outside as they opened the door to the expansive lobby. Taking in the sights for what felt like the millionth time, their eyes instantly went to Clawhauser, who was currently distracted by the box of donuts sitting half-empty on his desk.

"Morning Ben!" Judy said, "Have a good weekend?"

The big cat leaned over the desk to actually see the two tiny officers, smiling upon meeting their eyes. "Oh, it was pretty typical. I pretty much just sat around, doing nothing like usual. Oh! Did you hear? Chief Bogo was going to announce something today. Have any idea of what it could be about?"

"We both think he's about to retire. He'd mentioned something about it last week to us, but we weren't sure how serious he was about it." Judy said.

"Well, be sure to let me know what he says!" Clawhauser exclaimed. "Have a good rest of the day!"

"You too!" Nick and Judy said at the same time. Giving Ben a wave, they started off towards the bullpen. Walking into the room, Nick and Judy instantly felt much smaller than they were. It was a feeling that had plagued them both ever since they started, but never seemed to go away, but they figured getting used to a massive size difference wasn't really possible. Even so, it never really bothered them. Nick and Judy both took their seats at the front of the room as usual as they waited for the chief to do roll call. As they became situated in their seats, Chief Bogo walked into the room.

"Alright, everyone shut it!" Bogo yelled as he got up to the podium, the veins in his neck seeming to bulge out even more than they normally did. The first time Nick had verbally pointed that out, he received a pretty good yelling at later that day.

"We've got a few items on the docket today. First off, I want to put the rumors to rest. I am not going to be retiring… before the end of the year. At least that is the plan. But it is likely that after the first of the year, I will be seriously looking for someone to replace me. Second, there will be a meeting for…" Nick stopped listening at this point. He began to feel like he was going to pass out, his head buzzing and his vision blurring to the point of seeing nothing but mushed together colors. What was going on with him? Why did he keep feeling like this? Despite him being puzzled by the strange feelings he was getting, he remained vigilant in staying awake, shaking his head a little to keep his attention.

"...And finally, assignments! DelGato, Higgins, Wolford… Sahara Square Swat! Hopps, Wilde… Savannah Central Patrol!" As Bogo said their names, both Nick and Judy stood up, saluted, and then walked out while Bogo continued giving out assignments. Arriving at their car, Nick hopped in the driver's seat and turned the key to hear the engine roar to life while Judy struggled into the passenger seat. Nick put it in drive and began to drive away from the station.

Judy looked at Nick. "What was going on in there?" she asked.

"What?" Nick asked, puzzled by her ambiguous question.

"You were pretty much asleep throughout most of that. Are you feeling ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit tired."

"You were the same way on the train, too. When did you get to bed last night?" she asked.

"It was about eleven… maybe eleven thirty. Later than usual but still… I wouldn't have expected to feel like this." Nick said with a yawn.

"Well just be careful. We don't need you falling asleep at the wheel."

"I'll do my best," Nick said

"Nick…" Judy said with that tone Nick always hated. Judy seemed to be able to sense when something was wrong like she could smell it. As far as Nick knew, nothing was out of the ordinary other than him being a little tired. But the way she said his name… she sounded so disturbed. It reminded Nick of his mother when she said his name that way. He recalled the countless times he'd gotten in trouble as a kit. He would always hear his mother say his name with that tone, and he would immediately know that she'd found out about whatever it was that he did.

I really was troublesome... Nick thought to himself with a silent chuckle.

The rest of the day went by without incident. A couple speeding tickets and a noise complaint were pretty standard for the area, leaving no surprise that they were able to leave at a pretty standard time. Nick and Judy drove back to the station to end the day.

"Is it still the worst Monday in history?" Judy asked.

"No, unfortunately, I was wrong about that," Nick said. "I guess next Monday will just have to be worse."

"Let's not have that be true. I'd rather have my Monday's be enjoyable."

Nick pulled the patrol car into its spot in the garage and turned the car off. Both Nick and Judy got out of the car at the same time. They walked into the station and into their separate locker rooms to gather their belongings before going out to eat. Nick walked up to his locker and twisted the combination into the lock. He opened the door, grabbed his bag and shut it.

"So how'd things go today, Wilde?" said a mysterious voice.

Nick turned around to see Officer Faxon Howlson had also entered the room.

"Oh, it was pretty standard. Nothing interesting to report. How about you?"

"It got a bit interesting around 3 o'clock today. We received a report of a very intoxicated mammal walking in the middle of Main and Forrest Avenue. We got there and the first thing I saw was a weasel fall flat on his face he was so drunk. He got back up and kept trying to walk but we stopped him before he hurt himself too badly."

"Lucky you. Sounded like a good time." Nick said while putting the lock back on his locker.

"Oh it was, trust me. Hey, are you doing anything tonight? The guys and I were going to go to the bar and hang, interested?"

"Sorry, I can't. Today makes three years Judy and I have known each other. She likes to go out to eat every year to celebrate."

"I gotcha, hoes before bros, totally..." Howlson said jokingly.

"Oh shut up, dude. You know how it is with us." Nick said slightly irritated.

"I know, I know, I'm just messing with you. Everyone at the station thinks you two are perfect for each other. I personally can't think of a better match myself. Don't let that kind of stuff get to you too much."

"Thanks, man. I'll see you tomorrow?" Nick said.

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow."

With that, both of them left the locker room.

Judy walked into the locker room, opened her locker and grabbed her stuff. She shut the door and saw Officer Jackson enter the room.

"Oh hey! How was today?" Judy asked

"Oh don't even get me started. I've never had to deal with so many complaints from people in my life," she said.

"Don't worry, Jessie, I was in your position about three years ago. I know exactly how you feel.

"Yeah, but parking duty is just the worst. Everyone thinks you're out to get them and purposely make their day bad."

"That's just what people think. You shouldn't worry about parking duty too much longer anyway. You've been on the force for what, almost three months?" Judy asked.

"Yeah, hopefully, I can get some proper assignments soon. Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to do something tonight?" Jessie asked.

"Oooh, I can't. Nick and I are going out to Ray's Tied House for our three year anniversary. We met three years ago today, but it seems like it was just yesterday though."

"Really, I had no idea you two knew each other that long. How long have you been official though?"

"Only about a year, but what a year it was. Mostly filled with weird looks, but everyone here thinks were perfect for each other."

"That's because you are perfect together. I've never seen any two mammals who were more made for each other than you."

"Thanks, Jessie. I need all the encouragement I can get. Nick can be irritating, but I think that's what I love about him the most." Judy said.

"Yeah, that's great, Judy. I'm really happy for you two. Well, I've got to get going. I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Yup! You too!" Judy said as they walked out of the locker room. Judy saw Nick leaning against the wall, on his phone waiting for her to get out.

"Ready to go?" she asked. Nick looked up and put his phone in his pocket.

"I'm always ready. Let's do this." Nick said excited for what was to come.

Nick had made a tradition of going to Ray's Tied House since Judy mentioned they should celebrate them knowing each other for one year. This was Nick and Judy's favorite place to eat, even if it was outrageously expensive. It was a good place for special occasions. Judy grabbed Nick's paw and they left the station.

"Are we going back the apartment before Ray's?" Judy asked.

"Yeah, our reservation isn't until seven," Nick said.

"Ok," Judy said. She took hold of Nick's arm and squeezed it tightly as they walked towards the subway station. They hopped on the subway and began the journey back home.

"Who was that wolf you were talking to?" Nick asked.

"Oh, that was Jessie Jackson. She's been on the force for three months so you probably don't know her." Judy said.

"I've never even seen her around."

"That's because she's got the privilege of driving the joke mobile. I kinda feel bad for her because she reminds me of myself when I had to do that."

"Wait! She has to drive that!? How does she fit in it? She's like ten times your size!" Nick exclaimed.

"The ZPD has more than one of those, silly," Judy said.

"I guess that would make sense."

"Dumb fox…" Judy said under her breath. Nick gave Judy a look. He had definitely heard that. Judy looked out the window as if she had not said anything and was completely oblivious to the situation.

"You, are a not-so-sneaky bunny," Nick said.

"Oh, shush. You can handle it." Judy said.

" Oh, I don't know if I can anymore. I might just keel over right here because of how offended I am!" Nick said with plenty of sarcasm. The subway began to slow down and a female voice announced the next few stops, theirs being next. It came to a stop and the doors opened with a hiss. Nick and Judy stepped out of the subway and began walking towards their apartment.

"I think I'm going to take a nap when we get back. I feel like I'm going to pass out." Nick said.

"You go ahead. I'll be getting ready for tonight." Judy said.

"You've got almost two hours before we have to leave. Is it really going to take you that long?"

"Do you want me to look like I just left work, or do you want the beautiful bunny you can't resist?" Judy said.

"Good point. But can we have a little time before we leave?"

"Why?" Judy asked.

"Oh, you'll see, Carrots." Judy looked at Nick and their eyes locked. They stood in front of the door to the apartment, just looking into each other's eyes. Nick pulled out the keys, opened the door and they both walked inside, Judy going straight to the bathroom. Nick walked over to the couch and laid down closing his eyes. He heard Judy shut the door to the bathroom, the sounds of music leaking through the door, a small voice singing along with it.

Nick looked up at the ceiling, thinking about the night to come. There was something about Judy that just made Nick feel like the luckiest fox on the planet. Maybe everyone is right... Nick thought. He recalled what Howlson had said to him. Maybe they were perfect for each other. Nick loved Judy, but he didn't see them as the perfect match. They had plenty of arguments, but together they just seemed to work.

Not everyone saw them that way, though. Over the year they had been official, Nick had seen plenty of dirty looks, pointed fingers, and overall confused looks from other mammals. Nick was a fox, and Judy was a rabbit, predator and prey, fire and gasoline. Most people saw complete polar opposites, typically dangerous if too close to each other. Nick and everyone at the station saw things differently. They worked well together. Like peanut butter and jelly... he thought. Nick let out a soft chuckle when he thought of the metaphor. It caused him to momentarily think about both of them dressed as a jar of peanut butter and jelly. Nick's eyes began to slowly close, him at first protesting, but then letting them shut, and all went to black.

Nick's eyes shot open. How long had he been asleep? He looked at his phone, reading just a little past six o'clock. Perfect timing... he thought to himself. Nick sat up on the couch. He glanced over at the bathroom door, still closed, but now only silence came from the small room. She must have been almost finished with her preparation for the evening. Nick stood up and walked over to the coffee table and plugged his phone into the wall charger. As he did this, the door to the bathroom opened up. Judy walked out, looking like nothing Nick had ever seen before.

"Wow… maybe I should let you take your time more often," he said, stunned by the beauty that stood before him. Judy never really liked getting all dolled up just to go out to eat, but today was clearly special.

"So, Officer Wilde. What was it you wanted to do before we left?" Judy said with a flirtatious tone. Nick walked up to Judy. She grabbed his tie and pulled him down to her level. Nick leaned forward, their lips making contact. Nick's paws moved up to caress Judy's shoulders. Judy held his tie in one hand and one hand under his chin. They moved apart from each other, seemingly staring into each other's souls.

"You read my mind," Nick said.

"Well, I am a pretty clever bunny."

"You speak only the truth Officer Hopps. Now let's go eat. I'm so hungry I could eat an entire rabbit." Judy looked up at him with a smile on her face.

"Wait, you're not going to change?" Judy asked.

"I suppose I probably should…" Nick said, still slightly groggy from sleep. Nick walked into their room and Judy followed him. She stood in the doorway while he looked through his closet.

"Do you like this shirt?" Nick asked, holding up a simple short sleeved, dark grey button up.

"Yeah, but only if you wear your new jeans. It looks better with the dark ones."

"Good looking and a sense of fashion? How did I get so lucky?" Nick said.

"You just happened to be in the right place at the right time," Judy said, only realizing the truth behind her statement after she spoke it. Nick put on the shirt and pants and grabbed his phone.

"Alright. Let's go eat!" Nick exclaimed.

Judy opened the door to their apartment. Nick walked out after her and he shut the door, locking it and walking away. They walked down the stairs to the main floor and out the door into the cool evening air. Nick began to feel light-headed as he did earlier that day, but this was hitting him more like a freight train.

Nick stopped and stood still. His mind pondered frantically for what could possibly be happening, but it was all fading away so quickly. His conscious was clouded with an uncertainty and fear that he had never felt before, one that managed to put fear in his heart.

Judy had continued walking, only realizing that Nick stopped after she had made several more paces away from him. Finally noticing that her fox wasn't by her side, she turned around, confused with a hint of fear seeing him standing completely still and eyes wide with panic.

"Nick…" she asked fearfully, not fully understanding what was going on. That made both of them.

One quick glance toward Judy was all he managed before he fell to his knees. Judy watched in petrifying shock as her partner's eyes rolled into the back of his head and fell to the sidewalk unconscious. She ran to his side, tears streaming down her face and screaming for help.

Update: 10/03/2017 - Hope things seem a little cleaner this time around. I gotta say, it is nice to relive the days when I was a young, inexperienced writer, even if it does make me cringe seeing how bad things were. A little clarification: I'm going to be keeping the plot all the same, only fixing mistakes and making things sound better. It will still be the same story ;)