Chapter One
Two weeks.
Two entire weeks since Officers Hopps and Wilde had been assigned to practically babysit ZPD Headquarters. Some sort of turf war was going down across the city, and Chief Bogo had almost all of the available officers in the field working on it.
Except, of course, Judy and Nick. Instead, they had been volunteered to pick up the bureaucratic slack by filling out reports for all of the officers involved in the case. Every morning, straight to the cube farm to meet-and-greet a huge stack of files, no briefing necessary.
Nick wasn't sure exactly how to feel about it. He figured the old bull had his reasons, whatever they might be, and if it meant he and Judy were out of immediate danger then that was just icing on the cake. And he certainly didn't mind being able to sleep in before work. What he did mind, however, was the all-encompassing, soul-crushing, mind-numbing boredom that accompanied their imposed monotony.
Nick dropped his head into one of the dozens of open files on his desk, letting out a groan that fell considerably short of communicating the depths of his suffering. Nick wasn't made for this; he loved the constant daily activity of being an officer. Sitting in near-silence for hours on end typing reports was beginning to tear at his sanity.
A small part of him was actually beginning to miss working the meters in the hot sun wearing that ridiculous vest.
Nick passed his half-lidded gaze across the cubicle toward his partner. The little rabbit was filling out reports like they were going out of style. Her nimble grey paws were flying across her keyboard as she tapped out the spirit-sapping symphony of office work. She was focused intently on her computer monitor, her eyebrows scrunching together and the tip of her tongue sticking out as she concentrated. Even her ears were up and alert. The sight brought a tiny smirk to Nick's face.
"Hey, Carrots." He called out quietly.
*tap tap tap tap-tap tap*
"Carrots." Nick tried again, slightly louder this time.
*tap-tap tap tap tap-tap*
Nick narrowed his eyes at the back of her head. Anyone else and he would just assume they hadn't heard him, but not with those great big ears of hers. Nick couldn't swear under his breath within a dozen yards without some admonishment from Judy. There were, of course, occasions where he would do it anyway just to see her reaction.
"Are you ignoring me?"
"I'm working, Nick." Judy responded quickly, and with a little more bite than he expected.
Nick had known Judy for a little over a year, plenty long enough to know when she was feeling off. He definitely wasn't the only one fed up with this assignment; her right eyelid always twitched a little when she was particularly stressed out.
"You've been at it for hours, Carrots. How about we take a little siesta, grab some coffee or something? Not like these reports are going away anytime soon."
Judy sighed through her nose and continued working, "Nick, as much as I'd like to-"
"They need to be done, I know." Nick interrupted carefully, "But they don't need to be done in the next five minutes. C'mon, you look like you could use a break. I know I could."
The tapping of the keyboard slowed for the space of a few seconds, then stopped entirely. Judy inhaled deeply through her nose, and heaved another sigh, her ears and posture drooping to match Nicks own. She turned in her chair to face the fox with a tired smile.
"Is it that obvious?"
He would never actually tell her, lest he incur her wrath, but Judy looked almost as bad as he felt. In other words, like ten pounds of misery in a five pound, mammal-shaped bag. Even her usually bright and attentive violet eyes were dull and barely focused.
"Only to me, Carrots. I won't tell nobody." His smile spread wider as he spoke.
"Okay then," Judy chuckled and ran a paw down one of her ears and lifted the other in a half-hearted attempt to point at Nicks chest, "But you're buying this time."
"Deal." His smile split into a weary grin.
At once, they heaved themselves out of their chairs to stretch out their stiff muscles. A series of grunts and pops echoed through the nearly empty office as they shook the lethargy from their limbs. Rabbit and fox exchanged weary nods, and together they set out in search of the holiest of all refreshments: coffee.