Running

Chapter 2

Judy was in high spirits as she walked into the ZPD and she smiled when she saw Clawhauser dancing away to what no doubt was a Gazelle song. The song ended when Judy reached the reception and the cheeetah greeted her in a cheery tone "morning Judy. O M Goodness, you're never going to believe this!" Ben exclaimed in excitment.

Curious Judy's ears perked up , "what is it Clawhauser?"

"Gazelle's got a new album coming out soon, I can't wait!" The cheetah giggled.

Judy chuckled and nodded "I've heard, I'm looking forward to it myself." Judy shook her head at the cat with smile, she then decided to look around for her partner. "H-hey, Clawhauser is Nick in yet?" She asked spotting no sign of him coming in the door after her like he usually did.

"Oh...Y-yeah he was in pretty early this morning, which is a first. He's usually in just after you." Clawhauser explained, Judy's eyes widened in shock as she heard this.

"Nick was in early this morning, h-how come?" She asked in surprise.

Clawhauser leaned back in his chair, "he said something about having to see the chief, before roll call, he wouldn't tell me why though."

The rabbits eyes widened again she frowned in thought as to why her partner may want to see the chief so early. Judy checked her phone and saw the time "well, better get to roll call, guess I'll find out. See ya Clawhauser!" Judy waved as she made her over to the bull pen, but as she did Nick appeared by the door and was just about to go inside.

She smiled and called out to him, "Nick?!"

She watched as he stopped and he looked as though he froze for a second, she was about to call out again when the sound of the chief startled her, "Hopps, I need to see you after roll call, once the assignments have been called out okay?!" The buffolo bellowed as he made his way towards her.

Judy's ears drooped behind her head, "um, of course, sir."

The chief grunted and watched as she made her way into the bull pen, he grabbed the assignments off of Clawhauser and made his way inside. Judy had took her ususal seat at the front, but was confused when she saw that Nick was sitting at the back of the room. She raised her eye in confusion as she made her way in, she climbed the seat at the front and turned her head slightly to see the fox, who was lazily leaning back against the chair with his sunglasses hanging on his head as he was looking out the window.

Many officers in the room gave them weird looks Wolford leaned over to Nick since he was setting beside him, "what's up Wilde, you and Hopps fall out or something?"

Nick shrugged "nope."

"Attenhut!"

Chief Bogo made his way through the doors and to the podium "alright everybody shut it!" Silence filled the room as the buffalo put on his glasses and began reading out the assignments there were no big cases for that day much to Judy's disappointment, "annnd finally officer Wilde, as discussed you'll be on desk duty...You're dismissed." Nick nodded pulling his sunglasses down and made his way out the room.

Judy's ears drooped as she tried to quietly get the foxes attention by reaching out and trying to tug on his tail but she just missed it as he flicked it away and her words fell on deaf ears, "nick..?" She whispered as the fox shut the door behind him.

"And Now officer Hopps." Bogo said getting her attention.

Judy sadly looked up at the chief her ears still droopy, "um, yes sir?"

"Due to unforeseen circumstances, officer Wilde has saw fit to dissolve you're partnership."

Judy's eyes widened at this "w-what...w-why?!" Judy exclaimed feeling slightly distraught and annoyed.

"It is not my place to discuss. Now Hopps would you be interested in taking on another partner?" Bogo said as he sorted through files.

Judy couldn't believe what she was hearing why would Nick all of a sudden dissolve their partnership? As far as she knew she hadn't done anything wrong or they hadn't fallen out over anything in fact they'd been getting pretty well. She breathed in and out to try an calm herself, she shook her head, "I'm sorry sir, but I can't take on another partner. Are you really sure can't tell me why?!" She asked with a pleading look.

Bogo sighed as he down looked at the rabbit, he knew she wouldn't take this well and had been dreading telling her. "Hopps, I am sure that I can't tell you why. Anything discussed between me and other officers in my office is strictly private, as you'll no doubt be well aware of. But by all means feel free to ask Wilde himself, I doubt he'll tell you anything. Now I'm afraid I'm going to have to assign you a new partner unless, you want to be the meter maid since that is the only role, that doesn't require a partner?"

Judy sighed in defeat she really didn't want to be a meter maid during her whole career, "ok chief I'll take a new partner."

Bogo nodded "alright then, it should be organised for you in about a week, you're dismissed!"

Judy nodded and left the room her ears still droopy, she was more angry than upset just now. She looked around the ZPD entrance for any sign of the fox but he was nowhere to be seen. "the nerve of that fox...How could he just do that without even telling me why?!" Judy muttered under her breath as she made her way to the room where she could pick up the meter maid vest.

An elephant named Francine attempted to talk to her but Judy was too mad to notice. She grabbed the keys to the joke-mobile and made her way outside she flung the machine used for giving out tickets and flung on the floor of the car. she then began her shift noticing that all the angry comments aimed at her weren't really getting to her as much as they normally did when doing this task.

Judy's ears had been droopy all day she'd attempted to call Nick during her lunch break but of course as she expected he didn't pick up. Judy sighed as she placed a ticket on a very black fancy looking car. It's ticket had been up for an hour, as she placed the ticket down on the windshield a voice called out to her.

"Uuuuh excuse me meter maid, before you ticket my car I believe we can strike a deal? You see I just can't be seen to be receiving one of these."

Judy hadn't looked up at who was talking to her as she was punching in the numbers in the machine "I'm sorry sir, but your car has been park here for over an hour. I'm afraid I have to give you the ticket, and I won't be accept any bribes." Judy said firmly.

"Hm, well that's a first from any officer in this city." Mumbled the person before her.

"Hey bunny, do you know who you're dealing with?!" Said another voice which had come of a shop that they were just in. It sounded pretty annoyed with the rabbit officer.

Judy slowly looked up "no...Should I?" she asked in a bored tone, her eyes did widened slightly at the tall fox standing before her, he wore a black suit and red tie, he had icy blue eyes and a scar across his left eye. Judy almost thought it was Nick for a moment but she realised pretty quickly that it couldn't be Nick as he wasn't wearing a suit and he was on desk duty.

The taller fox made a "hmph" noise cause the smaller male raccoon growled "why you little fuzzball how dare you disrespect...?!"

"Ah, Ah, Ah come now Jazz we don't want to waste any more time here we have things that are needing done."

"Yes sir." Said the raccoon getting into the front of the black car.

The fox turned to Judy "guess there is no changing you're mind, huh?"

Judy shook her head and held out the ticket "sorry sir, I have to give you this ticket."

The fox sighed and reached out and took "alright meter maid, you've made you're choice...see ya around!" The fox saluted as he slid into the back of the car and drove off. As

They drove off the fox kept his eye on Judy as long as they could before she was out of sight, "Jazz, would that rabbit happen to have been Judy Hopps? The cop that saved the city?"

"Uhhhhhh, let me check," The raccoon said scroll down his phone as he stopped at a red light, "yeah it was, as a matter of fact..She got some nerve giving you a ticket boss she didn't even consider a bribe?!"

"Yeeesss I agree. I think she might be perfect for my plan. Jazz txt Doug and get him find out where this rabbit officer lives and anything else he can about her." The fox chuckled as he watched out the window of the car.