Fierce Kitty
"We of the city council propose that Benjamin Clawhauser should hereby be terminated from the Zootopia Police Department. All in favor say 'aye'," Mayor Bellwether said. Almost all of the members voiced an 'aye.' "All opposed say nay."
A single voice shot up. His manager, Chief Bogo. Perfect, thought Bellwether, a naysayer. "Umm, Chief Bogo," she said in a sweet voice, "While I understand that you may have an affinity for him, he is a predator and he really shouldn't be the first face anyone sees at the ZPD."
"And that's good enough reason for me to jettison the most reliable, dedicated employee I have ever hired, wholesale, without warning?" Bogo said, "It's not that I don't understand this from a public relations angle. People are, quite frankly, idiots. But is it really worth taking away his salary and his benefits? He has done absolutely nothing wrong, and he never would."
"Look, Chief, it's not like I don't trust your judgment, it's just that… well, I mean… think about some of the mammals that went feral. Mr. Otterton didn't have a record. Neither did Mr. Manchas. In fact… none of them did," Bellwether said.
"Not having a record doesn't mean not being bad. Some of the most insidious sociopaths the mammal class has ever known flew under the radar until they died. But Benjamin Clawhauser is a saint," Bogo said. "He wouldn't even hurt a fly. Considering how infrequently I've seen him eat his dietary recommendations, I might mean that literally…"
"You heard Judy Hopps' assessment. It's in their biology," Bellwether said.
"Hopps is many great things but one thing she is not is thoughtful about her behavior," Bogo said, "And correlation only guarantees causation if you're a complete moron."
"Chief Bogo, I have had quite enough of your boorish manners," Bellwether said, "Not a single animal here besides you has even attempted to oppose the initiative so it shall pass."
"Look, how about we compromise?" Bogo said, "I'll have him moved to another position. That way he can keep his salary and benefits, I can keep my stellar employee…" He continued in a very snide tone, "…and you lot will be mollified because a 'mean scary predator' won't be in charge of reception. We can hand that off to 'dainty gentle prey.'"
"Look, Chief Bogo," Bellwether said, trying very hard to maintain her composure, "If it will get you to leave and be quiet, I suppose that we could accept your arrangement. After all, we of the city council are very flexible."
"Deal," Bogo said. He had won the battle, but it was a pyrrhic victory. He knew that tomorrow would be the hardest day to deal with.
He called Benjamin Clawhauser into his office. He couldn't hide the look of pity on his face and Clawhauser registered it immediately. "Uh-oh, that's a bad news face, isn't it?" he asked.
"Clawhauser, you are a wonderful employee, just wonderful, aside from your off-kilter time management issues I have never had a single complaint about you," Bogo said. "Which is why the executive decision I have to share with you is eating me up inside."
"Oh no," Clawhauser said.
"The city council, for some asinine reason, believes you to be threatening… because you're a predator," Bogo said.
"Oh…" Clawhauser said.
"I was able to keep you on the force, but…" Bogo sighed deeply, "You are no longer the front desk officer."
"What?" Clawhauser asked, his eyes welling with tears.
"Please don't cry," Bogo said, "That'll just make this harder for both of us."
"I'm sorry, sir, I just…" Clawhauser said, before he started sobbing hysterically.
"You will still be an administrative support worker for the ZPD, just not… well, the one that interacts with people," Bogo said.
"That was my favorite part of the job…" Clawhauser said sadly between sobs.
"Dammit, Clawhauser! Do you think I don't know that!?" he snapped, "I only made this compromise to prevent you from getting sacked!"
Clawhauser looked up at his boss, and registered the words in his mind. "Well, thank you for that, Chief," he said, forcing a smile. "Yeah… it'll take some getting used to, but I mean, if that's what the city wants… I guess I'll do the best I can at the new position, which is…?"
"Records," Bogo said.
"Oh, in the basement…" Clawhauser said, "Where no one can see me."
"Yeah," Bogo said, "I'm not pleased with it either. But what is an animal to do when he's outnumbered ten to one?"
"What indeed?" Clawhauser asked. "Go hide in the basement, I guess."
"I'll get you out of there as soon as possible," Bogo said, "You have my word."
"But how are you going to do that?" Clawhauser asked.
"I… I don't know yet, but I'll think of something," Bogo said.
"Well, I appreciate your efforts," Clawhauser said politely, but he couldn't hide the disappointment on his face.
The events that followed led to Judy Hopps quitting her job on the spot, which surprised both Bogo and Bellwether. Bogo was not happy to lose one of his best detectives and unfairly punish his reliable receptionist in the same day, but Bogo was determined to make at least one of those things right, even if he had no control over the other.
He sent out want ads for an interim receptionist, predators need not apply. He also encouraged larger, fiercer herbivorous species to apply, and conveniently left out the job requirements. Bogo knew he had found the perfect candidate. He was an American bison named Biff Bisson. His resume included such gems as wrestling, boxing, and hockey. Under special skills, he had listed, "Can take a water buffalo in a fight" and "Eats nails for breakfast." In the interview, Bogo had asked him what his greatest weakness was, and he responded, "Sometimes I just like to slam into people for no reason. That's how I lost my last job." When asked for his greatest strength he responded, "I can death glare a sissy into submission."
Bogo noticed that Bisson was munching loudly on popcorn and putting his hind hooves on the desk. Perfect, he thought, if he shares Clawhauser's key weakness then… "So, I'm assuming you don't have good time management?" Bogo asked.
"Huh? Trust me, sometimes my work is hours late. And wrong. But the last time my boss gave me a hard time about it, I punched him in the nose. And that's how I lost the job before my last one."
"You are so perfect I could kiss you," Bogo said.
"Don't be gay, boss man," Bisson said.
"I can't decide who or what I… I mean, very well," Bogo said. "I trust you to make the way to the front desk." He got to the front desk and started blasting death metal very, very loudly. Bogo covered his ears and recited the mantra, "It's an investment. It'll pay off."
Clawhauser made it in to work and turned down the dial on the speaker. "Whoopsie, you better be careful, new guy. I had music playing too loudly once at a crucial time, and well, I'll be darned, it was a miracle no one died that day. You had to be there."
"Who are you?" Bisson asked.
"Benjamin Clawhauser, the guy you're filling in for. Working in records now. By the way? Word of advice? Visitors love it when you smile." He flashed a sweet grin in Bisson's direction. Bisson glared at him. "Okay, I think it might be time for me to flee now." Ten seconds later, he was in the basement.
At lunch, Clawhauser walked up to Bogo's office. "Knock, knock, boss," he said.
"Do you need something, Clawhauser?" Bogo asked.
"Yeah, it's about the new guy. Umm… how can I put this delicately?" Clawhauser said.
"He completely sucks? The worst administrative worker you have ever seen in your entire life? You're surprised he made it past the resume review? You're afraid he might kill you in your sleep?"
"Well, yeah, but… more delicately…" Clawhauser said.
"I know," Bogo said, "I did it on purpose."
"Umm, Chief Bogo, no offense but… aren't you usually very… ah, logical about this?" Clawhauser asked.
"It is logical, Clawhauser," Bogo said.
"I… I don't see…" Clawhauser said.
"They moved you because you're a mean scary predator. Now, of course, you and I both know that's complete balderdash. But the populace is convinced that predator means mean and scary and prey means dainty and harmless. So I hired a cousin. Bulls are big and tough. And bison, well, they have a reputation for being the most erratic of the bunch."
"But that's just a stereotype," Clawhauser said.
"So is the idea that gay guys are expressive and sensitive and obsessed with pop music and talk in voices like this," Bogo said, with the last two words in a false tenor with a stressed s at the end of "this".
"Touché," Clawhauser said. "So, this guy's got the personality?"
"He told me his greatest weakness was that he randomly slammed into people, and that he punched a former manager in the nose," Bogo said, trying not to laugh.
"Wow," Clawhauser said, "That's just… ah…" He started giggling hysterically. Bogo was at least happy to see his little practical joke on the mayor and the rest of the city's bigots raised Clawhauser's spirits for a bit.
"I'm sure when I call the mayor over, we'll all have a good laugh, and you'll be returned to your rightful place," Bogo said, "If Dawn Bellwether has a soul."
"Of course she does, right Chief?" Clawhauser asked.
"I have never seen a more composed animal in my entire life, Clawhauser," Bogo said, "Either she's taking Volium… or she's a sociopath."
"Oh come on, that's just nuts. She's a sweet little sheep," Clawhauser said, "She can't be a sociopath."
Bogo sighed deeply and said, "That's exactly the sort of dismissal they're banking on. You, Benjamin Clawhauser, are the most placating animal I have ever met. Which makes you a perfect victim for a sociopath. Be on your guard. This is my advice as your manager, and as your friend."
"Okay," Clawhauser said.
"Now, if you'll excuse me," Bogo said, "I've got to call our prestigious mayor over."
Bellwether went into the precinct expecting to see a sloth or a koala or some other mild animal behind the desk, instead seeing a hyper-aggressive bison haphazardly tossing case files into the trash bin and poking holes in the desk chair's back with his horns.
"Chief Bogo, uh, who's your receptionist?" she asked, trying to hide her irritation.
"His name's Biff Bisson. He wrestles, boxes, and plays hockey. He got fired from his last two jobs because of violent behavior. He's really rude and aggressive too. But hey, I figured, since he's not a predator like Clawhauser, he wouldn't be able to hurt anyone. Isn't that right, Mayor Bellwether?" Bogo asked.
"Bogo, you're ruining everything!" she let slip.
"Ruining what, exactly?" Bogo asked.
"This isn't going to be helping anyone. Hiring a terrible fit for the job isn't going to make me return your predator to the desk, because no matter how horrible his behavior is, the truth is it's still nowhere near the level of that of a savage predator," Bellwether said. "And I don't care how much you care about Benjamin Clawhauser. The truth is that he, like any predator, is liable to go savage."
"I take your words and plop them in the loo," Bogo said. "If you know what I mean. And I think you do."
Confused, Bellwether searched for "bovine idioms bathroom" on her phone. She looked back up at Bogo and asked "Are you calling me a liar!?"
"I certainly didn't accuse you of being too brutal in your honesty," Bogo said, "Of course, if I did, I'd be a massive hypocrite but… that's beside the point! The point is that Benjamin Clawhauser is a sweet, innocent, cuddly little angel who would never harm anyone in his entire life and if you can't see that you're not mammalian."
"Oh, I get it, you're in love with him, aren't you?" Bellwether asked.
"I didn't say that," Bogo said.
"You didn't need to," Bellwether said.
"You don't know what you're talking about," Bogo said.
"You have yet to deny it," Bellwether continued.
"This is irrelevant to everything," Bogo said.
"Oh, I think it's very relevant, Chief," she said, her tone darkening ever slightly, "Very, very relevant."
"Whatever, look, I can tell my ploy didn't work," Bogo said, "I guess I'll try to hire a serious interim receptionist until this whole thing blows over. And when it's done, mark my words, esteemed mayor, I will be the one who was right and you will be the one who was wrong."
"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that, Chief Bogo," Bellwether said. "See you later."
That night, Bellwether made a phone call to her hitman. "Hello, Doug. It's Dawn. I've got a new mark for you; a cheetah; he lives in Sahara Square, commutes downtown. Be very careful to make sure he doesn't see you. Because if he does he'll bolt and we all know… right, right. Yes, I know. Oh, and one more thing? He's a blimp. Just call me when it's done, okay?"
The next morning Clawhauser was at his local record store picking up the new Gazelle album to rip when he got home. Then all of the sudden, as he walked out the door, he felt a sudden burning sensation in his neck. "Ack!" he exclaimed, "I've been shot!" A dromedary looked at him in alarm, and dialed 911.
Very soon, Chief Bogo noticed the dispatch alarm blaring with Biff Bisson nowhere in sight. He picked up the call himself. "Chief Bogo, ZPD."
"Hi, this is Abdul Kamil, and I witnessed a guy get shot," the dromedary said.
"Did you see the shooter?" Bogo asked.
"No," the dromedary said, "I think it was a sniper. But the victim was a chubby cheetah."
"Chubby cheetah!?" Bogo asked. "I'll be there right away."
"Hey, buddy, are you okay?" the dromedary asked. "It's okay, the police are on the way. The chief seemed like he really wanted to help after I described you. Do you know him personally or something?"
"Actually, funny story, he's my…" Clawhauser said, before the stinging got worse. He cried out in pain and then got on all fours. He bared his teeth at the dromedary and angrily screeched, "Mrrreeeeeeoowwwww…"
"Uh… buddy?" the dromedary said, backing away, "Look if you don't want to tell me about you and the chief, that's your prerogative but I'm really not in the mood to run right now."
Clawhauser hissed and started chasing the dromedary. "HELP!" the dromedary screamed, attempting to get into his car before Clawhauser caught him. He managed to escape just in time and drove away. Clawhauser growled, spat, and hissed some more. Everyone jumped into the nearest feasible car and drove away from the area. Chief Bogo arrived just as everyone was leaving.
"Clawhauser, I heard you'd been shot," Chief Bogo said, "Are you alright?"
"Mrrreeeeeowwwww!" Clawhauser screeched again, and then he hissed at Chief Bogo and swatted at him.
"Clawhauser?" Bogo asked. "This isn't you. This can't be you." Clawhauser chomped on Bogo's hip, drawing blood. "I never thought it would happen this way," he said. Bogo shook his leg until Clawhauser fell off.
Staring down the feral feline, Bogo said, "Benjamin, I really don't want to hurt you. I know you're not in control of your actions. But… I do what I must." Bogo pushed Clawhauser over with his horns and pinned him down with his hoof.
Clawhauser trapped Bogo's hoof between all four of his paws, causing him to flinch, and escaped the grasp.
"Benjamin, please, snap out of this," Bogo said, "I don't want to hurt you. I love you."
Clawhauser looked at him curiously for a second, and for a brief moment, Bogo considered changing his entire outlook on life. Clawhauser's tail flipped rapidly and he leapt up onto Bogo's chest. He chomped into Bogo's neck, opening a vein. Bogo covered the wound with his hoof, and weakly called for backup as he faded away.
Meanwhile, in Bunnyburrow, Judy was just catching up on some silly weekly sitcom when it was interrupted for a special report. "This morning in Zootopia's Sahara Square, a feral cheetah incapacitated the city's Chief of Police."
"Feral cheetah?" Judy asked, her mouth agape.
"The feral cheetah has been identified as none other than Benjamin Clawhauser, who received an award four years ago for being the Kindest Mammal in the City, for his excellent service at the ZPD, and for never refusing help to anyone in need."
"Clawhauser!?" Judy asked. "But he's… he wouldn't…"
"It seems that all predators really are capable of going savage," Moosebridge said, as his co-anchor was forcibly removed from the set.
"Hey, what are you doing?" she screamed.
"I'm sorry, but this is for your own good," Moosebridge responded. "For all of our own goods, there will be a mandatory quarantine on predators."
"Nick…" Judy considered. "Clawhauser!? Oh, Bogo!" She saw her duty and she drove her family's pick-up truck back to Zootopia, and visited Bogo in the hospital.
"Hello, Hopps. Long time, no see," he said, smiling weakly.
"I heard that Clawhauser went savage…" Hopps said. "I didn't think… he was capable of that, to be honest."
"He wasn't," Bogo said bluntly.
"But sir, he bit you in the neck so hard you passed out," Judy said, "That's umm…"
"It wasn't Clawhauser, Hopps. I mean, it was, and it wasn't," he said.
"Oh, I see, it's just like what Mrs. Otterton said when she saw her husband," Judy said.
"No, Hopps. Well, maybe. But I'm serious. He was not in control of his actions," Bogo said.
"None of them really are," Judy said.
"No, Hopps, he was targeted!" Bogo snapped. "Ow…" he muttered and rubbed his neck.
"Targeted?" Judy asked. "Are you sure?"
"The call was from a witness who claimed he'd been shot with sniper fire," Bogo said.
"Sniper fire?" Judy asked, "But who would shoot Clawhauser? He's such a sweet guy… well, he was…"
"There are only three types of people who would shoot Clawhauser: prey who are extremely prejudiced against predators, people holding a grudge against either him or, more likely, me, and sociopaths," Bogo said. "Wait… extremely prejudiced, mad at me, sociopaths. I have a prime suspect."
"Who?" Judy asked.
"Mayor Bellwether," Bogo said.
"What makes you say that?" Judy asked.
"She's extremely prejudiced against predators, she's mad at me because I didn't play her little game as she saw fit, and I have good reason to suspect she's a sociopath," Bogo said.
"Bellwether isn't a sociopath. She's so nice," Judy said.
"That's what Clawhauser said too," Bogo said. "But Hopps, I realize you resigned, but… would you be willing to sign back on? If my suspicions are accurate, I'll need proof, but I'm sort of bedridden at the moment."
"Alright, Chief, just give me a few hours," she said.
"For what?" Bogo asked.
"I need to go apologize to my friend," she said. "That is… if I can. Any reports about Nick Wilde?"
"Who?" Bogo asked.
"The witness who helped me solve the case," Judy responded.
"Oh, right," Bogo said, "I heard that there was a small encampment of foxes right outside the city center. I would check there."
Judy found a little shack that had a sign that said, "Vulpine Safehouse." She looked inside to see several restless, but sane, foxes of various kinds. "Nick?" she asked through the window.
"I'm not talking to you," Nick said over his shoulder, out the window.
"But this is important! New developments have made it obvious that it's not biology. Bogo says it's the result of sniper fire!" Judy said.
"Isn't that interesting?" Nick asked coolly, "And yet, here I am being holed up like some kind of freakish monster, and there you are, safe and sound outside."
"Please! You don't understand how urgent this is!" Judy said, "Clawhauser already went savage!"
"The fruity receptionist!?" Nick asked, turning to face the window and losing all of his cool. "I mean, wow. Here I was, about to pretend I was still holding a grudge until you gave me a huge apology speech or something, but that just completely threw my plans."
"Well, Nick, I am very sorry about what I said," Judy said.
"Yeah, okay, we'll move on from that," Nick said. "Tell me more about how the fuzzball went savage!"
"You shouldn't enjoy this, Nick," Judy said, "It's very serious. He landed Bogo in the hospital."
Nick said. "The fruity receptionist landed your ripped boss in the hospital."
"Yeah," Judy said, "Savage behavior doesn't discriminate. We just need to figure out where the sniper fire is coming from… Bogo seems to think it's Mayor Bellwether."
"First the fruity receptionist is a savage monster and now the stammering bureaucrat is a criminal mastermind. This is getting weirder by the minute, carrots. Only problem is I'm kinda not allowed to leave the building," Nick said, "Though if donuts of all animals went bonkers, I guess that explains a lot."
"Don't worry," Judy said, "I'll work with Bogo, and when we figure it out, we can get you out of there. And hopefully… save Clawhauser, too."
"Godspeed, carrots," Nick said, saluting Judy. "Oh, speaking of carrots… you might need this." He tossed her the carrot-shaped recorder pen.
Judy headed over to City Hall. "Oh, Judy!" Bellwether said warmly, "Long time no see."
"Hi, Mayor Bellwether. We're investigating a new lead on the savage predator case, and I was wondering if I could search city hall," Judy said.
"Surely you don't mean you suspect I have anything to do with it," she said, pouting.
"No, of course not," Judy said, "It's just… you know, standard procedure. After all, Lionheart was somehow involved and there could be more evidence here."
"Yeah, of course," Bellwether said, "Search the whole premise, you won't find anything suspicious."
"Thank you, ma'am," Judy said.
Judy knew that if Bellwether had anything suspicious, it wouldn't be in the regularly accessed areas of the building. But she had been in Bellwether's old office once before, and thought no one would be clever enough to look there. She found a post-it note on Bellwether's phone, with the name "Doug" and a phone number. She dialed the number.
"Yeah?" answered a voice.
"Hi, umm, is this Doug?" Judy asked nervously.
"Who else would it be, Dawn?" the voice responded.
"Oh, haha, nothing, just checking," Judy said, still nervous. "I wouldn't want anyone else to know about our plan."
"Is there a new mark?" Doug asked.
"No, I just umm…" Judy said, "Wondering how the progress is going."
"I was just about to shoot the fennec fox you requested me to," Doug said, "Like, an hour ago. Are you feeling alright, boss?"
"Just a little nervous," Judy said, "I mean, it's very important that everything goes according to plan."
"Look, the night howler formula is foolproof, you said so yourself. You've come too far to be getting cold hooves now, Dawnie," Doug said, "I don't like working for cowards and quitters, you know."
"Night howlers?" Judy mouthed silently.
"So is everything fine, now?" Doug asked.
"Yeah, absolutely," Judy said, "Good luck, Doug." She hung up the phone, and then reported back to Bogo's bedside. "You're right. She's involved."
"Do you have proof?" Bogo asked.
"Well, I did get this" Judy said, presenting the post-it note. "This is her hitman's phone number, it was taped to her old dreary desk in the basement. I called it and he told me all sorts of stuff assuming I was her."
"Dreary desk in the basement…" Bogo considered, "You know what? I think I've recovered enough. Time to take to the field. Let's head back to the office and trace the phone. Find the hitman, see if he'll turn in Bellwether in exchange for a plea deal." He left the hospital confidently, with Judy following him close behind.
After Judy and Bogo returned to the precinct, Bogo dialed Doug's number on the police trace line. "Hi, this is Doug."
"Doug, this is very important, don't hang up the phone," Bogo said.
"Who the heck are you?" Doug said.
"I'm… a direct report of Dawn's…" Bogo said.
"Okay, is there something you need to know?" Doug asked.
"Yes, I need to know how the sniper fire works," Bogo said.
"Oh, well it's quite simple," Doug said. "I concentrate night howlers into a small pellet, and shoot it at the vics. Makes 'em go completely nuts."
"Night howlers?" Bogo asked, then, covering the phone, said to Judy in a deadpan tone, "I'm sorry about the Weaselton incident. Deeply."
"Very convincing, Chief," Judy said uneasily, "And relevant."
"If that was sarcasm, I'm writing you up," he whispered. "And don't call me that so loudly. Who knows what Doug can hear?"
"I don't think it matters anymore," Judy said, "Look!" She pointed out that the call had been successfully traced.
"Oh, excellent observation, Hopps," Bogo said smugly. "Thanks, Doug. That's all we need to put you away."
"Put me away?" Doug asked.
"Oh, yeah, when I said I was Dawn's direct report, I meant I was the mayor's direct report… the Chief of Police," he said. "And I just traced your phone to the abandoned subway."
"Umm…" Doug said.
"And conspiracy, multiple accounts of assault with a weapon, and some counts of third-degree murder, will be enough to put you away for a long, long time," Bogo said into the phone, menacingly.
"Any way I can get out of this?" Doug asked.
"Well, we may be able to get you a plea deal if you help us nail Bellwether," Bogo said.
"Heh," Doug said. "Tell you what, I'll tell her that my place has been compromised and tell her to escape with the gun and the pellets I've made. You can cut her off at the natural history museum."
"Very good, Doug," Bogo said, "That was easier than I expected. What's the angle?"
"Look, I'm a mercenary, and I really don't care who's paying me, but not going to jail forever? Pretty good motivator."
"Glad you could be pragmatic about this," Bogo said. "But just know that I take the terms of deals very, very seriously.
"Then I'll be sure to hold up my end," Doug said. "Is that enough? I'm getting tired of talking."
"If you weren't a law-breaker, I bet we'd get along swimmingly," Bogo said. "I'll get Bellwether."
"Cool," Doug said, hanging up.
"Come along, Hopps; Doug is setting her up at the natural history museum," Bogo said. "Let's see if we can catch her red-hooved."
Judy followed Bogo to the natural history museum. Soon, Judy noticed that Bellwether was trying to run quickly through the museum, holding a briefcase.
"What's the rush, Mayor?" Judy asked, causing her to jump.
"Oh, Judy," Bellwether said, "I didn't see you there. I was just on my way to a very important meeting."
"Cut the crap, Bellwether, I know you shot my receptionist," Bogo said, coming out of the shadows.
"Why, Chief Bogo, I did nothing of the sort," she said sweetly.
"You did, and you know it," he said. "Well, I mean you hired someone to do it. Doug? In the subway tunnel? Yeah, he told us to meet you here in exchange for a few years off his jail time."
"Traitor," she muttered.
"Now, whether you did it to get back at me or simply because you have no soul is beside the point," Bogo said. "You're finished, Bellwether. We're taking the city back from you."
Bellwether said, "Yes, Chief Pred-Lover, I did target Benjamin Clawhauser. And yes, initially, I did it to get back at you, but it brought me closer to total domination than I could possibly imagine. All I need to do is tell the public that you're in love with a cheetah and making up this crazy story just to protect him, and you'll be the one who's finished."
"In love?" Judy asked.
"Not now, Hopps," Bogo said. He turned to Bellwether and deeply sighed. "You're just forgetting one thing."
"Oh, yeah? What's that?" Bellwether asked.
"Hopps has a tape-recorder," Bogo said calmly.
"Huh?" Bellwether asked. Judy played the recording back. "Yes, Chief Pred-Lover, I did target Benjamin Clawhauser."
"And this added to the info from Doug," Judy said. "You're going to be spending a long time in jail. Oh, and, everyone would believe me. I'm a 'hero', remember?"
After Bellwether was arrested, everything slowly went back to normal. The sane predators were released from their encampments. Judy rushed up and hugged Nick the minute he was released.
The feral predators were given antidotes. Clawhauser woke up in the hospital beside Bogo. "Huh? What happened?" he asked.
"You got shot outside Sahara Sounds," Bogo said, "It took you a while to recover. But you should be fine now."
"Were you here by my bedside the whole time, Chief?" Clawhauser asked with a warm smile.
"As long as I could," Bogo said, rubbing his neck.
Clawhauser suddenly observed the bandage on Bogo's neck. He gasped. "Chief, what happened to your neck?"
"Umm…" Bogo said, "You know, clumsy me. I ran into a sharp edge, sliced it clean open. It's embarrassing to admit, but you deserve to know the truth."
"That is… not the truth, Chief," Clawhauser said, shaking his head.
"Okay, fine," Bogo said, "Let's just say I got into a fight I wasn't expecting to lose. But don't worry, the animal that attacked me has been taken care of. And funny story, while you were recovering, the ZPD managed to pin Bellwether as the mastermind behind the feral predators."
"Wow," Clawhauser said, "I'm just glad that I didn't go savage. I don't think I could live with myself if I ever hurt anyone, especially not someone I love and care about." Bogo locked eyes with him. "Like you, Chief." Clawhauser rubbed his head against Bogo's chest and purred.
Bogo petted him gently on the top of his head, and sighed in sadness. "I'm glad too," he said, hoping with all his might that Clawhauser would actually buy it this time.
Bogo walked into the waiting room and said, "Nobody tell him or else."
"I know, Chief," Judy said, "It would break his heart to know…"
"Good, I'm glad you get it. Spread the word, he is never to know," Bogo said.
"So, Chief," Judy said, "Bellwether said you were in love with him. How did she decide that?"
"Bellwether simply made an inference based on my language I didn't feel comfortable correcting directly," Bogo said.
"Because it was true?" Judy asked coyly.
"There were elements of truth to it, yes," Bogo said.
"Chief," Judy said, "If I may make a suggestion… you acting all jumpy is going to give him an idea that you have a secret. How about you reveal the one I'm sure hedoes want to hear?"
"But what if he rejects me?" Bogo asked.
"I saw the way he looked at you," Judy said, "He won't reject you."
"Very well," Bogo said, as he walked back into Clawhauser's hospital room. "Clawhauser, there's something I've been wanting to tell you for a while, and I did, a few minutes after you were shot, but you weren't exactly conscious so you didn't hear me…"
"What is it, Chief?" Clawhauser asked.
"You are… well, you are the best employee I've ever had. You're courteous and dependable and loyal. You're also sweeter than the food you love and have the power to make the hardest stone wall smile with your antics. And you're so cuddly and warm I feel like I'm curled up in front of a fire on a winter's day every time I'm near you…" Bogo began.
Clawhauser's face softened as he started to understand where this was going. Bogo continued, "And those eyes are so… captivating, it's no wonder the Felinae tribe were nicknamed 'honey trappers' by various prey cultures in the time of ancient history. And the way you make a sound like an engine when you're happy to see me. Anyway, I'm not used to making huge speeches, so to put it succinctly: you are irresistibly adorable. And I love you."
"Thanks for telling me that, Chief," Clawhauser said, "I could tell holding it in was making you uncomfortable."
Bless you, Hopps, Bogo thought silently. "So…?"
Clawhauser planted a soft kiss on Bogo's cheek and then squealed loudly and started purring. Bogo held Clawhauser gently in his arms, thinking about everything that had happened. He thought about how Bellwether targeting Clawhauser helped him realize his feelings for the cheetah, and how her successful strike against him was what caused him to confess his feelings so soon. And by god, Bogo started thinking that everything happens for a reason.
"Do you want to go to the concert with me?" Bogo asked.
"Huh?" Clawhauser asked.
"The Gazelle concert?" Bogo asked.
"I'd love to, don't get me wrong, but Chief, I thought that you liking Gazelle was, you know, a secret," he said.
"So was me liking you," Bogo said.
"Touché," Clawhauser said. Then he started giggling, remembering his last visit to Bogo's office. "Oh, by the way, whatever happened to Biff Bisson?"
"God knows," Bogo said. "I think eventually Higgins started filling in for him awkwardly. The guy never showed up after the first three days. I had to answer the dispatch call when you got shot myself. But never again. You'll be back at the front desk as soon as you get discharged from the hospital."
Clawhauser smiled as Bogo left the room. Judy walked in to see him. "Hopps? I went feral and attacked the chief and he's trying to protect my innocence by not telling me, huh?"
"You uhh… you heard?" she asked.
"No, he's just a really bad liar, and his vagueness in truth is noticeable," Clawhauser said. "I think it's very sweet of him to do that for me anyway. So for his sake, I'm going to pretend I don't know. That's going to be the only secret between us."
Judy nodded.
"I didn't hurt anyone else did I?" Clawhauser asked.
"No," Judy said. "Not that anyone knows of."
"That's good," Clawhauser said. "At least I know the chief forgave me. Yeah, it'll make me feel guilty every time I see his neck for a while, but, knowing that… I think I can eventually forgive myself too."
"You didn't do anything wrong, Clawhauser," Judy said, "You were poisoned."
"I know, but… I'm the kind of guy who feels guilty when I pick an abandoned dime up off the ground because it might have belonged to a destitute grandmother," he said.
"Duly noted," Judy said, opting not to tell him about the encampments following his attack.
In the months that followed, Nick was welcomed into the ZPD family, and had very quickly started playing a game with the fellow officers where everyone gets a point each time they saw Bogo and Clawhauser engaging in PDA at the office. The points became harder to earn over time as Bogo started noticing snickering, but every now and then a smart officer would collect them by sneaking to Bogo's office on lunch.
Bogo was sincerely grateful that Clawhauser's mouth contact against his neck no longer wounded him, but not nearly as grateful for it as Clawhauser was. Bogo would never know.