Hello everyone!
First off, I know that this isn't the winner of my poll by a longshot, but I didn't put that poll to decide what to write: I wanted to see what my readers wanted, and be sure that I will be writing the top voted stories soon enough. Like I said on the poll, what I write is ultimately up to me, but your opinions have been taken into consideration.
Also, this is dedicated to my good friend, Blenderguy15 whoose birthday is today, writer of The Strongest Bonds, Family Ties and some of the best guest stories in Cimar of Turalis Wildehopps' "One Hundred Kisses". So, please check him out.
Also, to clarify, this takes place some time after "Paw Wrestling"
Judy got up from the bed without a single groan or flutter of the eyelids as she heard the alarm. This was always her when she got up in the morning: every bit as energetic as she was in the middle of the day. She barely had to move through her tiny studio apartment in order to retrieve her uniform and few items she took with her: one of the few advantages of living in what was pretty much a hole in the wall.
That didn't mean that she couldn't wait to move out. All the nights she spent at Nick's apartment felt like heaven and it wasn't just because of the fact that he was there or what they… did there… but also because it was a proper home. All the times she woke up next to Nick she realized that this is how she wanted to wake up every day for the rest of her life, with Nick by her side, everything from his snores to his canine tongue lolling out lazily as he was sleeping to the way his tail was wagging in his sleep and brushing past her small frame completing the perfect picture.
Judy chuckled and blushed slightly as she thought about her best friend, partner and boyfriend. Moving in with him would have been the obvious choice, but with how often her parents called on Muzzletime… she wasn't ready to tell them… yet.
Her ears drooped as she thought about whether she'd ever muster up the courage to tell them about her relationship with Nick. They liked Nick, and were grateful for what he had done for Judy and the way he changed his ways and the several times he came to visit Bunnyburrow were quite a success, especially with the dozens of buns that were still small and young and tackled Nick and hung off his tail every time… She chuckled as she thought just how quickly her smaller siblings had come to trust a fox, and it was truly something of a celebration among them whenever Nick came around.
Whether it was playing tag with them, reading them stories or being overpowered by the horde of her little sisters and forced to wear their horrendous pink bow ties, he was their favourite. And as much as Nick vehemently denied it, Judy knew that he loved every single minute of it…
He would be such a great father one day…
Judy shook her head and blushed deeply as she realized what she was thinking about. She really needed to get to work, stop thinking about all this.
Thankfully, Bucky and Pronk never were awake at this early in the morning, so their usual "encouragement" was not to be heard.
As soon as she went outside the Grand Pangolin Arms into the streets of Zootopia that were already bathed in the yellow-orange glow of the sun despite the early hour, the greater part of Zootopia, visible in the distance, seeming to be just within arms' reach, she was face to face with Nick Wilde, leaning against his blue sedan, sharp, perfectly fitted uniform on him, aviators on his forehead and two steaming cups of Snarlbucks coffee with two bagels on a cardboard tray in his paws.
Judy blinked. Usually it was her that had to give Nick a wake-up call, he was claiming that it was because he was nocturnal, but Judy knew that it was mostly because he was a couch potato who stood up all night watching Netfurix, gaming and stuffing his face with cricket-chips and sickeningly sweet soda.
"Donut and coffee, officer Fluff?" asked Nick, his signature smirk plastered on his handsome face. No, it wasn't his smirk, it was his smile. His smirk was just way to tell the world that he was 'just fine, thank you', it was his own way of shutting out everything that the world said and thought about him, it was his mask of indifference. His smile, was something that was reserved only for her.
Small details like the way his forest-green eyes also focused on her, the way his fur wrinkled around the edges from the fact that the smile was genuine and that cute nose twitching (hey, bunnies can also call other animals 'cute'!) was what differentiated his smile from his smirk.
She launched herself at him for a bone-crushing hug, catching the still steaming cups and bagels before they fell with the grace of an acrobat.
"Just thought I wouldn't give you the satisfaction of waking me up once again." He said smiling, sipping at his coffee and taking a nip out of his blueberry-cheese bagel.
"And I thought, 'hey, as long as I'm going to mock my favourite bunny, why not throw her in some free breakfast while we're at it?'. I mean why not?" he said, earning a playful punch in the arm from said bunny as she was chewing on her carrot bagel.
God, bunnies looked so cute when they were eating… especially her… it took all his self-control not to call her the "C" word. While being her boyfriend earned him a few rights, the "C" word was only allowed on VERY special occasions. And he knew better than to anger the bunny who was able to take down thugs ten times her size and who could beat him in sparring without breaking a sweat.
"Officer Hopps…" he said, holding the door open for her, just like he had on the sky tram all those months ago.
After the ride to the ZPD, the two already nourished officers entered the halls of the ZPD.
"Hey, if it isn't the two lovebirds!" said one of the officers. Nick's ears flattened in embarrassment. Ever since Chief Bogo caught them making out after Nick and Wolford's paw-wrestle, the entire precinct knew about their relationship. And while their fellow officers were obviously glad for them, that didn't stop them from playfully teasing them any chance they got.
Remarkably, the public still hadn't found out. Their comrades may have been immature at times, but not so much so that they'd sell them out to some shifty tabloid journalist. Especially since their respect for what the fox and bunny had done was incredibly high, no matter what ridiculous position they put themselves into.
"Hey, if it isn't ZPD's power couple!" beamed Wolford as he greeted them, ruffling Judy's ears. Judy scowled slightly. While the ZPD was finally treating her with the respect she deserved, they still tended to treat her like their little sister, but she put up with it.
"Hey, Wolfy! Thought it was your day off!" said Nick, shaking the taller wolf's paw.
"Naw, that's tomorrow. My ex-girlfriend is coming over to pick up some of her things from my place, she's still got her key. After that I'll change the lock, can't take any chances with that crazy broad." He said laughing.
"Well, we should get to the bullpen." Said the wolf.
"And I think it would be best if we avoided paw-wrestles this time, Wilde, don't wanna get caught by Daddy Bogo again!" he said, punching the fox in the shoulder with what he thought was a light punch, but it made Nick stumble back a few feet.
"Two more minutes left." The wolf said, looking at his phone. His main screen was a picture taken at the Christmas party. Wolford had Judy propped up on his shoulder while Nick was leaning with his elbow against the large wolf, his aviators on, his smirk dwarfing the one of Wolford or Judy. Judy was smirking devilishly, holding a stun gun aimed at the camera. It reminded Wolford that he had his two best friends no matter what every time he turned his phone on.
"Kept that picture didn't you?" chuckled Nick looking at the phone. Nick glanced back at Judy, making sure that she was out of earshot. She was now struggling to get water from the comically oversized water cooler.
Perfect…
He then tiptoed to whisper something close to Wolford's ear, which considering that Wolford was even taller than an average wolf, was pretty difficult.
"By the way, Carrots looks like a badass with that gun. But she also looks so damn cute on your shoulder! Just don't tell her I called her that to someone else, she'd-" Nick was cut off by a grey blur of a torpedo slamming into his stomach, feet first, tossing him across the hall.
Judy let go of a war cry that could have made a lion wet himself and quickly pinned Nick while attempting to literally strangle him. Wolford half-laughed and half-howled.
"Don't worry, Slick Nick. I won't tell her..." he said chuckling just before leaving the soon to be dead Nick.
"Don't you EVER call me 'cute' to anyone else ever again!" she yelled as they entered the bullpen. Nick was lucky that while the force-of-nature bunny was beating the crap out of him, McHorn and DelGato happened to be close by and were able to scoop Judy up while Nick made a run for it. Nick had to remember to buy those two drinks later.
"Come on, Fluff, he's our best friend. He was pretty much the one who encouraged us to start dating! And besides, you know that I always mean cu-, I mean… the "C" word as a compliment." He said, helping his lover up the chair. Judy's ears drooped in sudden shame.
While she was fine with Nick calling her cute occasionally when they were alone at his or her apartment, calling a bunny 'cute' was a diminishing term.
She sure had to fight that stigma when everyone in the police force just saw her as a cute ball of fluff trying to play cop. In fact all bunnies had to fight to become relevant when the first thing that came out of most animals' mouths was 'Oh, aren't you cute!'.
But Nick meant no harm by it, and neither did Wolford at the end of the day, one of their best friends on the force.
"Sorry about that. Just… don't do it in public again." She said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek, making some of the cops around chuckle in approval and giving them a thumbs up. Nick refrained from leaving his seat now. Last time he had paw-wrestled with Wolford it resulted indirectly in Bogo and the rest of the precinct finding out about their relationship.
Sure enough, the bufallo's imposing form entered the bullpen earlier this time, having learned his lesson of not letting his officers alone too much…
All the cops shut up and stood up, Nick and Judy having to do so without leaving the chair due to not being visible otherwise. Bogo glared at the irregular couple, motioning two digits of his hoof to his eyes and then pointing at them in a 'I'm watching you' motion.
"Alright, SHUT IT! City Hall has just agreed to make a joint operation with Bunnyburrow PD due to their upcoming Carrot Days Festival needing some tweaking." He said. Judy's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. She had to spend last night on Muzzletime apologizing to her parents that this would be the first Festival she wouldn't be there…
Her heart was torn as she watched her emotional father struggling not to break down as he said how many preparations they had done and how happy her little siblings would have been to see her again… Maybe she'd get to go after all?
"Pff. Who cares about those fluff-nuggets' vegetable show?" snickered out a rookie hyena who had his feet propped up on the desk in spite of the Chief's presence. He quickly stood in an orderly fashion when Chief Bogo slammed his hoof on the desk, steam coming out of his nostrils.
"Shut your mouth, Hyenason!" he yelled. It was one thing for the Chief to yell, but when he slammed things… the officers knew they were in trouble.
"I should like to remind you, Hyenason that one of our top officers comes from Bunnyburrow. In fact, she is the one who cleared the name of your kind. And if I am not mistaken, she is also the one who made you set a new record in how quickly an officer was knocked out in sparring!" he said with a satisfied expression, the hyena blushing as he remembered how that bunny had beaten him with one roundhouse kick to the jaw, keeping him out cold for half an hour.
The officers around snickered and half-whispered "Serves you right!" as the over-confident young hyena was put in his place.
"Anyway… Assignments!" Chief Bogo began handing out files to all of the cops. Well, in a manner of speaking, as it was quite a slow day and most of them were put on patrol duty.
"Hyenason… parking duty!" he said to the hyena who was now cursing his inner-speciesism against bunnies.
"Sir, look… I'm…" the hyena began, looking at his feet.
"You're off to Clawhauser to get your meter maid uniform and keys to the Parking Inspector vehicle. If you need any help, I'm sure Officer Hopps can give you advice. The quota is a hundred tickets." He said, motioning for him out the door. Nick smirked devilishly at the insulting hyena walking out the door like someone on the way to their execution. Wolford himself looked quite satisfied, his large bushy tail swishing behind his seat.
"Chief! we haven't received any assignments!" said Judy to the buffalo that was about to leave.
"Right, almost forgot." Said Bogo, fixing his spectacles around his snout. Judy swore she saw a half-smile playing on Bogo's stone cold face.
"Well, Hopps, I know that this is the first time you won't be at your town's festival and that your family wishes for you to be there. And despite what you may think, I am not a heartless brute." He said, looking at a file in his hooves.
"I know that you are in fact a very kind mammal, sir!" said Judy excitedly, hopping over to him.
"Shut your tiny mouth!" he snapped, holding a hoof up to silence her.
"As you've heard, we need to help with their festival as the new mayor is looking to improve relations with neighbouring towns. Their police force is… lacking, to say the least. There were quite a few thefts and vandalisms reported at the last year's festival and each precinct has to send some of their officers there. I thought it would be a good excuse to give you a few days off while still keeping you working." Said Bogo, now smiling at his smallest cop, who was joined by Nick and Wolford.
"YES! Thank you so much, sir!" she said, jumping in joy until her legs were a blur.
"You will of course take Wilde with you, though I suggest you keep… your relationship and your PDA to yourselves when your parents are around…" scowled Bogo, remembering when he had found them smooching in the bullpen. Nick and Judy cringed slightly, and even Wolford looked compassionately at them. He never told anyone, but he felt responsible for them getting busted…
"You will stay there for the duration of the festival and assist local PD in their tasks. I expect your family to provide accommodation, as they had when your partner came with you for visits, and yes, I do know that he visited your family with you repeatedly!" he said, dropping a bomb the fox and bunny weren't expecting. Still, they figured it would be best not to question it…
"Furthermore… Wolford… you're going too." He said. The wolf's small eyes widened and the fur on the back of his head stood up.
"I need to send at least three officers and you're the one who works best with Hopps and Wilde. I expect the Hopps family to provide you with accommodation. Dismissed!" he said, turning to leave.
"Sir!" said Wolford sheepishly, approaching the buffalo.
"Sir… I'm a wolf…" he began.
"So? Wilde is a fox and goes there nearly monthly." He said.
"Yeah, well, you know… I don't think I'd be seen as… trustworthy there… you know… all the stories bunny kits love… "The Big Bad Wolf"…" the wolf stuttered nervously.
"You don't need to worry about that." Said Judy smiling to her large (well, large for her) friend.
"A few months ago on one of our visits, Bunnyburrow City Hall proposed a law that banned all 'speciesist' books that portrayed foxes, wolves etcetera as blatant villains. Most inhabitants opposed this law as… well… they're pretty old fashioned and still want to teach their kids… outdated morals…" said Judy, referencing her speciesist fellow residents. Wolford cringed slightly, remembering his childhood back when most stories portrayed him as the bloodthirsty villain.
That law had existed in Zootopia for years, but some still claimed that the law violated free speech, and most other towns saw it this way.
Except that there was a difference between free speech and blatant hate-crime.
"That was until Carrots here held a speech in front of the protestors, saying how this handsome fellow…" Nick gestured to himself.
"Helped her save Zootopia. She also mentioned you, how good of a cop you were. You should have seen her. She sure evolved in speeches since the press conference." He said, rubbing her ears tenderly, preventing them from drooping at the mention of the blasted press conference…
"She ended by saying that by teaching our kids these blatant hateful morals, we'd be no better than Bellwether. And… well… that struck a chord…" said Nick, trying to kiss the top of her head, stopping when he saw Bogo's scowl at them.
"As I was saying…" Bogo began, Nick backing off, chuckling nervously.
"You will be going to Bunnyburrow. You shall contact the sheriff there for official tasks, Hopps I'm sure you know where he is. You will be leaving with this evening's 6 PM train. City Hall has provided tickets." Said Bogo, taking three train tickets out of his breastpocket, handing them to each cop.
"Furthermore, you are exempted from any of today's tasks, as to give you time to prepare. Dismissed!" said Bogo, walking out of the bullpen before his cops could ask another question. Wolford simply had a dumbstruck expression, taking it all in.
"I am going… to a town… of bunnies…" said Wolford as slow as a sloth.
"A town… of… wolf. Hating. Bunnies." He said, putting his paw to his forehead in a desperation signature.
"Nobody there hates wolves, Crane!" soothed Judy, using Wolford's first name.
"Hell, Nick has been there countless times! Right, Nick?" asked Judy.
"Right. They don't hate predators, they're just… old fashioned and… cautious…" chuckled Nick nervously while Judy facepawed muttering 'not like this, Nick…'
"Wow… I feel better already…" muttered Crane Wolford sarcastically.
"Look, Nick may be treated like friend by your family but I'll be a public figure! I'll be a cop there, someone you're supposed to trust! Plus, don't tell me that the few times Nick stepped out of your house to walk around the town he didn't get stared at! 'Oh no, little Timmy, stay away from that big bad mammal, because you know what that is? That's a wolf, the bad guys from the stories I read to you!' " said Wolford in a deliberately high-pitched and over the top voice.
Nick looked down and Judy's ears drooped. He was right, in a way… While most bunnies from there didn't shun predators due to Zootopia's influence, Judy's achievements and several retired predators coming to Bunnyburrow for a quiet life, the people there, especially bunnies… were 'old fashioned'…
"It's not that bad, Crane. There are even a few wolf families! Came there for a more quiet life. My dad even served them at the stall a couple of times, really nice fellows!" continued Judy.
"And the most successful pastry chef there is a fox! Bunnies trust their kids to go there alone and buy sweets from him! Doesn't that say anything? It's no Zootopia, but it's evolving!" said Judy, seeming to hold a speech. Wolford seemed to calm a little at Judy's words. He then went out for a minute into the locker room with a briefcase in his paws.
"What's that?" inquired Nick. As a response, Wolford opened the briefcase and put on a fake 'fat sheep' jacket and a sheep mask. It was his "undercover" disguise.
"I know it's hot as heck in Bunnyburrow at this time of year, but I might need this!" he said through his ridiculous, yet surprisingly realistic suit. Nick and Judy burst out in laughter.
A few hours later, Judy had packed her few belongings and was in Nick's apartment. He himself had already packed everything he needed for two weeks at what was now his vacation getaway.
If someone had told him a year ago that his favourite place in the world would be a farmhouse filled with several hundred bunnies, dozens of which were below the age of ten, he'd have started laughing like a hyena.
Nick's apartment was fairly large. A living room\kitchen combo, a bedroom (which now had a double bed since he started dating Judy…), a bathroom complete with a fur drier and a balcony. Well, fairly large compared to her hole in the wall at least. Being a former con artist did have its perks…
"Ready to meet the 'Bunnyburrow rioters', Mr. Wilde?" asked Judy, setting her phone up on the desk to speak with her parents.
"Ready as always, Officer McFluff! We just need to wait for Wolford to call- ah, speak of the devil!" said Nick as he heard the doorbell. Sure enough, Wolford was standing in the door, one briefcase in his paw and a backpack being his luggage. Despite being off-duty, the wolf was wearing blue jeans and a dark-blue polo shirt, badge strapped to his belt. He looked as ready for action as he did in his uniform.
"Glad you could come here, big guy! Come in!" said Nick, motioning the fellow officer to leave his luggage where he and Judy had also left it.
"So… Judy, you said I should come here before we left. Why?" said Wolford, dropping his briefcase and backpack.
"Well, I have to inform my parents that we'll be coming at the festival after all! And they need to see… whom they'll need to accommodate." Said Judy. Wolford's entire fur now looked just like the patch of white he had underneath his muzzle and his small eyes were as wide as onions.
"Come on, Crane, it'll be alright! My parents are business partners with a fox, everything will be fine!" said Judy, grabbing her wolf friend's forearm in an effort to comfort him.
"Yeah…" said Wolford nervously. Nick could barely contain his laughter as he looked at the wolf. Crane Wolford, the cockiest cop in Precinct One, the one whose sarcasm, witty jokes and self-boasting rivalled that of Nick Wilde, the wolf that was able to subdue a tiger thug without breaking a sweat, one of the only officers that was able to hold his own for more than one round against Judy Hopps in sparring, was trembling in fear at the mere thought of seeing some rabbits that were hundreds of miles away.
"Alright! Come on, you two, into the bedroom!" said Judy. She leaned the phone against Nick's computer and she flicked her Muzzletime app. It was noon, and usually at this hour, her mother was getting started in the kitchen while her father put his paws up for half an hour after his morning chores.
This would be the perfect time to call. After just a few beeps, her mother answered. Judy heard Wolford breathing heavily and she swore she saw him cross himself out of the corner of her eye, even though she knew for a fact that Wolford wasn't religious.
"Judy! What a pleasant surprise!" Bonnie Hopps beamed.
"Hi mom!" Judy greeted back.
"Honey, aren't you supposed to be at work now? Did something happen?" Bonnie asked with sudden concern in her eye. Judy smiled kindly.
"No, mom. Just… they gave us another task." She said, smiling mysteriously. Bonnie smiled back.
"Well, I've been baking cakes with carrots, blueberries and chocolate for the past few hours for the festival." Bonnie said, gesturing to the massive amounts of dough, mixing bowls and cake tins on the table.
"Of course, I'm sure your brothers and sisters will devour half of them before we can put them all on display, but… you take what you can get, right?" Bonnie asked rhetorically.
"It's a shame you can't come this year. I'm sure Nick would have loved my blueberry pies, if he could have come along as well, of course. I'll be sure to send you two some after the festival, though!" Said Bonnie.
"That won't be necessary, Missus Hopps!" beamed Nick, coming up behind Judy.
"Oh, Nicholas! What a pleasant surprise! Oh wait, this is your apartment after all…" said Bonnie, her ears flushing red at not realizing that the walls behind Judy weren't the same from her tiny apartment.
Then disaster struck.
"-Was that Nick?
-Guys, guys, Nick is with Judy on Muzzletime!
-Come on, it's Nick!"
and dozens of other tiny voices could be heard from afar, and then a blur of tiny bunnies burst open the kitchen door and snatched the phone from Bonnie's paws.
"-Let me hold the phone!
-Nick, are you gonna get us candy?
-Nick, are you gonna buy me that new Haredevil action figure?"
the cluster of demands to see "uncle Nick" was something to behold. The camera swirled around to the adorable faces of multiple tiny kits as they wrestled for control over the phone.
"Alright, kids, that's enough! You'll break my phone!" scolded Bonnie Hopps as she regained control of her device.
"But, momma, we want to see Nicky!" the pleading chorus of several dozen small buns nearly breaking the built-in microphone.
"Well, you can all see him, but stand back and just watch. And remember, one question at a time!" Bonnie said as she showed the phone's screen to the six-to-twelve-year-old bunnies. They could all barely contain themselves as Nick came onscreen next to Judy.
"Hey, if it isn't my favourite litter of bunnies!" greeted Nick, all-wide smiles and gleaming green eyes, opening his paws, grateful that he wasn't actually there for the horde of Judy's smallest siblings to tackle him to the ground, bombard him with questions, propose games and all-around straining the fox to the max, the day always ending with Nick fast asleep on the massive Hopps family couch, storybook dangling from his paws, with a dozen bunnies asleep on him, around his arms, on his head and the ones that could get there first, on his tail. Still, that was his favourite part of going to Bunnyburrow…
"-Nick, sister! Did you two catch anymore badguys?
-I bet you two are better than Haredevil and Batmammal combined!
-Nick, are you gonna come here?" they began asking in a (somewhat) orderly fashion.
"Well… Nick and I have an announcement to make!" said Judy excitedly. The kits' eyes began gleaming.
"OMG, guys! I was right! Nick is Judy's boyfriend! That's what she wanted to announce!" one boy jumped up in joy. Judy and Nick's eyes widened and Judy's ears flushed bright pink.
"Hey, no fair! I wanted Nick to be my boyfriend!" said one of the female kits with sadness in her small blue eyes.
"No, no, no, no, it's not that!" stammered Judy quickly and nervously, silencing her hyperactive siblings.
"-Well… mom, Zootopia has decided to help Bunnyburrow with its security during the Carrot Days Festival.
-Oh yes, the mayor did mention something like that!" said Bonnie.
"Well… guess who Chief Bogo chose to be the country cops for two weeks…" said Judy, her and Nick smiling at the camera. Bonnie gasped in surprise, a huge smile on her face. She couldn't say anything before the kits once again stole her phone.
"Yes! Guys, Nick and Judy are coming! Nick and Judy are coming!" soon it was an all-out chant, the kits dancing in the massive kitchen, the phone's camera filming only a blur of dancing bunnies, kitchen walls and furniture, all interchanging in less than a second each.
"Alright, kids, that's enough!" Bonnie's voice cut through them, her precious phone finally back in good hands… again…
"We're coming tonight, mom! Well… us and one of our colleagues." She said, pointing the camera at Wolford. For some reason, Nick burst out in laughter. What was going-
"Huh… didn't know you had any sheep officers…" said her mother with a puzzled look.
What? Oh no he didn't…
Wolford was standing in the room, a stuffed sheep head and fake belly being enough to make him look genuine.
"Wolford! Seriously!? What the hell!?" yelled Judy.
"Uhm… yeah… I admit, Wolford is a funny name for a sheep, but-" the wolf in sheep's clothing was cut off by Nick taking his mask off from behind and ripping the midsection of the disguise off in the next second.
Wolford was left in nothing but his boxers in front of the entire Hopps family.
He thought of punching Nick, but he remembered that there were nearly 100 pairs of eyes on him.
"Now, buddy, I suggest you pick your next words very carefully…" said Nick with barely contained laughter as Wolford was desperately trying to cover himself. Judy had her paw over her eyes and her ears were flattened against her back in embarrassment. Bonnie Hopps and her younger litter of kits were looking slack-jawed and eyes wide at the now half-naked wolf.
"Oh shit… think of something to say, quickly! Come on, you're gonna lose your 'badass cop' card if you don't!" the wolf's mind screamed at him.
"Uhm… hi?" he said, raising his paw halfway up. Judy groaned and slammed her palm against her face. Bonnie Hopps half-smiled nervously and raised her own paw in a greeting gesture.
The bunny mother was trying to take in that this guy would be staying with them. Nick was standing next to him, snickering and she could see that the wolf was more than a head taller than Nick and at least three times broader in the shoulder.
"Uhm… I was just… trying to demonstrate proper ZPD techniques… uhm… that's my undercover disguise! Good enough to fool you, right? A must on the streets!" Wolford said slightly more confidently. Bonnie's shoulders seemed to relax.
"Are you like one of those cool undercover cops on TV, mister wolf?" one of the kits, a tan bunny with a sideways cap looking to be about ten asked.
"Yes that's right!" he answered, confidence back in the wolf scared by bunnies.
"Alright! This is gonna be the coolest visit from Nick and Judy ever!" another kit exclaimed and soon they seemed to be chatting about how cool it would be to have a wolf-cop over. Wolford sighed in relief. Looks like his charm and good looks saved him once again…
"Wolford… Pants!" whispered Judy. It was then that the wolf finally realized that he was still naked in front of the camera.
"Alright… hope you guys enjoyed the presentation… more to come!" he said rushing out of the room. Silence fell upon them once again.
"He seems like a nice fellow…" said her mother sceptically with a 'what the hell happened?' expression.
"He is, mom! I told you about him! He just wanted to show how the ZPD operates with disguises and covert ops! Something our own PD should have been doing, right?" she said, defusing the situation.
"He looks like a total badass! I bet he could whoop a polar bear's ass!" yelled a slightly older kit.
"Richard, language!" her mother scolded.
"Alright, mom, we'll be coming in with the 6 PM train. See you in the evening!" said Judy, waving at the camera.
"Bye, bun-bun! Your dad is gonna be so happy! He cried the whole night that you weren't coming, you know him!" her mother said, pressing the end call button. Nick and Judy sighed in relief. Wolford had come in, fully clothed.
"Well, that could have gone better…" the wolf muttered.
"Could have gone worse too…" replied Judy.
"Sorry about that, Judes. It's just… country bunnies up until recently read their children stories about murderous wolves and taught them songs about getting away from and killing predators!" he shouted.
"I know it's now better, but prejudice is not something you just turn off like a switch! There's always gonna be something! Do you know how nervous bunnies are when I pull them over? How many times a small prey civilian accused me of 'trying to prey on him'?" Wolford almost shouted.
"Crane, the world is better than you give it credit for, and so is my family." Judy comforted her friend.
"Well, I may have acted a little childishly…" Crane Wolford reflected.
"Alright, we've still got time until we have to go. What do you wanna do?" asked the wolf. Judy suddenly flashed a strangely predatory grin toward Nick. She pulled him down by his tie and kissed him deeply.
"Well, I don't know about you'll do, Wolford, but… a bunny doe has certain needs. Especially when she'll have to hide her relationship for a week…" she purred to Nick, who was now visibly nervous. Wolford laughed.
"Alright, lovebirds, I'll leave you! Have fun, Nick!" laughed the wolf hysterically as he left the apartment and Judy was dragging Nick to her bedroom…
It was 5:45 when Wolford met up with Nick and Judy on the train platform. While Nick's fur was combed smoothly, it was easy to see that it had been a mess only a little bit earlier. Nick's eyes showed clear tiredness from… physical effort as he dragged his suitcase behind him, wheelie suitcases be blessed.
However, Judy didn't even seem winded. Wolford now supposed that some bunny stereotypes really were justified.
However, he was sure that Nick didn't mind that in the slightest…
"Less nervous?" asked Judy cheerfully, clearly still not out of the euphoria of expressing love in the most intimate of ways to her friend, partner and lover.
"Yup! Now I'm finally just as comfortable with meeting your folks as I am facing a crime boss!" Wolford joked. However, he was right, he launched himself into danger without a thought and gruesome crime scenes or criminals that were ten times his size didn't even make the iron wolf blink. He lived for danger. And now, the mere prospect of meeting some bunnies terrified him…
As soon as the train arrived, Judy grabbed Nick by his tie and ran into the car, Wolford struggling to keep up with them as he shoved against smaller and larger mammals alike. Judy and Nick had reserved one of the "observatories" for themselves. Judy loved going through all of Zootopia's climates when going to her parents, and had transmitted that to Nick. Judy shoved her earbuds in her ears as the train started.
"Ohhhh-oooo-ooo!" Judy began singing along. Wolford groaned internally. He liked Gazelle, he really did, but Clawhauser playing that song over and over again had really grinded his brain.
"I messed up tonight, I lost another fight!" she continued singing as the train entered the Rainforest District, grabbing Nick's paws and spinning him around in an awkward dance. Wolford could now see why they always paying thirty extra bucks to reserve this place when they travelled… Truth be told, Judy was actually a pretty good singer and an even better dancer, Nick struggling to keep up with her as Judy hopped around and twirled the heavier Nick to her will.
"Oh my God, Nick, it's so beautiful!" she exclaimed as the district's heavy rain peppered the glass celling. Wolford had to admit, it was quite the sight. The few times he had been out of town, he had driven it through the highway, missing all the sights.
This, he had to admit… was amazing. Zootopia was amazing.
The sly bunny and the dumb fox had once again shown him that the world was beautiful…
"I won't give up, no I won't give iiiiiinnnn!" she continued singing while dancing with Nick. While the fox was clearly uncomfortable, it was easy to see that he was enjoying this. He was looking down on that sly bunny with that infuriating smirk and that con-artist gaze that was reserved only for her… Wolford had to admit they were the cutest couple he had ever seen (although he'd never say the "C" word to Judy).
The wolf had had quite a lot of girlfriends himself, and even once had an "interspecies" relation with a vixen. However, he had only dated her for her looks, it had been a fling, like most others.
He only had one or two girlfriends whom he had actually cared about and was actually heartbroken when the relationship ended. Looking at the ZPD's power couple made him realize how much he needed a soulmate… Thank God he was still only twenty-five, he had time…
"Try Everything…" Judy ended the song as they got out of city limits, Nick finally getting the upper paw over her and holding her in a tango position, frozen in that perfect leaning pose. Nick suddenly became aware that he wasn't alone and glanced at Wolford.
"Go ahead, Slick. Don't disappoint your girl." Said Wolford smiling. That was all Nick needed as he dipped his head down to kiss his bunny.
"When I get into a serious relationship I'll be sure to take her on a train ride." Wolford thought. Everything from the stainless glass window to the nearly silent train to having an entire room just to yourself was something that the folks at Zootopia's Public Transportation deserved a pat on the back for. He had lived in Zootopia all his life, all the different biomes he went through was something he had taken for granted as he patrolled the streets.
But this ride through all the different districts in quick succession made the wolf see them in a different light. It was as if the track had been specifically designed to go through the most beautiful sights Zootopia had to offer.
He could only recall a handful of times he felt genuinely proud to be a Zootopian, last time was when Judy held that speech at Nick's graduation party. And now he was feeling proud once again.
"Thanks to those two again." He thought fondly as he looked at his two friends. The city soon became smaller and smaller until it was replaced by green meadows and empty, yet lush forests. A different smell he had never felt before snuck through the open window and struck the wolf's snout.
It was the smell of… nothingness. Just clean, fresh air mixed with the smell of lakes, ponds and forest flowers.
For all his life, Crane Wolford was used to Zootopia's polluted air, and even though it was "cleaner" than other cities, the difference was outstanding. Wolford got up and filled his broad chest with as much of the purifying air as he could. It was heaven. Maybe this trip wouldn't be so bad after all…
"Wow, another city-slicker's first taste of the country. Don't worry, I was the same on my first trip." Said Nick smiling, as he too was savouring the fresh air, albeit, a lot quieter. The empty forests and mountain ranges that could be seen in the distance were later replaced by lush fields of corn, grain, and of course, carrots.
"Oh boy, we're in hick-town land now." Thought the wolf with an eye roll. The train slowed to a crawl as the loudspeaker announced their arrival at Bunnyburrow.
"Come on, come on, you've got to meet my parents!" Judy said, dragging Wolford behind her with so much strength that the wolf-cop was fairly certain that if he hadn't started moving, Judy would have just dragged him behind her. He had always known Judy to be a small powerhouse, but goddammit, it felt like he was being dragged by McHorn!
The heat struck Wolford's thick pelt and he had to fight his own instincts to not pant.
He remembered that in a small town like this with next to no air pollution, the moon was most likely always visible. He gulped at the thought of not being able to contain himself and starting to howl at the moon in front of Judy's family…
He didn't know why wolves did it. Back in high school he and his wolf buddies had get-togethers in which they just climbed up on a hill in the park and began howling at the moon until they heard sirens from cops answering the noise complaint. He didn't know why, it just felt too damn good…
"Huh… no welcoming committee…" said Nick thoughtfully, whipping out his aviators and planting them on his snout with a swift move.
"Well, they're all busy preparing for the festival, but one of my younger sisters, Jenna is coming to pick us up." she said. The train station resembled something out of a pastel-coloured children's storybook. A very bright yellow was what dominated the station which shined even in the dying evening light, the roof being brown, but not plainly so. The pillars were carrots and every roof arch had white bunny ears (which made Wolford roll his eyes. Seriously, was this some kind of fairground ride?)
However, what caught the wolf's attention was the "Welcome to Bunnyburrow" sign. Population… what the hell? His legs felt like jelly as he looked at the constantly growing number… Images of a massive horde of angry bunnies chasing him with torches and pitchforks, yelling that he had been sent here to "eat" them went into his head before he could stop it.
"Don't worry, that's fake." Intervened Judy.
"Really, the population is only about ten million. Only families that are really into carrot farming like my own have hundreds of kits. We just put that there as a little joke" Said Judy, smiling up at the predator to calm him down.
"The rest only have… about two or three dozen kits…" said Judy as if she was saying one or two.
Wolford had been an only child, and the thought of this many bunnies… How did they eat? How did they remember everyone's names? How big did a house for such a family need to be?
How did you take family pictures? How did the parents spend enough time with each and every single one of them?
His parents had trouble splitting work and time with their son even though they were only a family of three.
"Admiring the sights?" asked Judy, seeing Wolford's blank expression.
"Just… thinking about the logistics…" said the wolf, unbuttoning his polo shirt in an effort to fight the heat. God, why did he choose to wear dark clothes?
"Yeah, I did the same the first time, bud." Said Nick dryly, looking around at the empty train station, only a couple of elderly female rabbits standing on a bench, waiting for a train to be seen. It was then that Wolford noticed a dull rusty blue truck, with yellow writing on the door. Squinting his eyes, Wolford made out the words "Hopps Family Farm". A female rabbit came out the door.
The wolf couldn't believe the way the doors opened.
"Seriously, Judy? Suicide doors?" scoffed Wolford at the reverse-opening car doors. He groaned as he felt a sharp pain exploding in his stomach. Judy was looking cross at him, foot thumping, her fist being ready to hit him again.
"Those trucks have been in my family for three generations and they never broke down! I drove one straight to Zootopia without stopping!" said Judy through gritted buckteeth.
"Right…" was all Wolford could breathe out as he rubbed the (very) sore spot in his ribs.
"Jenna!" Judy exclaimed, rushing to hug the black-furred bunny. Jenna was a head taller than Judy, most likely thanks to jack-rabbit genes. Her black fur was contrasted by a splash of white on her muzzle.
Her green eyes shone in the dim light. Her heart shaped nose twitched as she hugged her sister tenderly. Jenna looked more of a club girl than a country bunny. Her bright green T-shirt complimented her eyes and went with her dark skinny jeans.
And even from a distance, Wolford could see that she was wearing quite a generous amount of make-up. This was usually the kind of apparel that would have made a hick disown their daughter.
But then again, Judy had told him countless times that her parents, and Bunnyburrow for that matter, was far more accepting than he gave them credit for. Maybe the best way to not be judged is to not be prejudiced himself, he thought… Everything would be alright…
"Hey there, Officer Hopps!" she greeted after realising her sister from the hug.
"Brought your boyfriend too!" she said, launching herself at Nick, hugging him so tightly that he groaned and his sunglasses fell, thankfully saved by Judy, catching them in the last second.
"Jenna is the only one who knows about me and Nick." Judy explained.
"And jealous as hell! But you brought me my own handsome pred, didn't you, sis?" Jenna said, looking at Wolford in such a way that he began to feel uncomfortable. He swallowed a lump he didn't even realize he had.
"Uhm… Officer Wolford, at your service, m'am!" he said in his rehearsed way.
"Don't call me m'am, I'm younger than you!" she said, approaching him in a way that made him back off. It was a good thing there wasn't anyone around, the sight of a massive wolf being backed into a wall by a slender bunny would have been pretty pathetic.
"Yeah… I should have warned you, she's… weird." Said Judy sheepishly.
"I'm not weird, bunny-cop! I'm just into pred-prey stuff, so what? You think you're the only one who can have a sharp-toothed handsome pred as mate?" she said. Wolford felt his entire fur beginning to resemble that of an arctic wolf.
He felt the need to get on all fours and run back into Zootopia as fast as he could, following the railroad tracks. If there was a rabbit-repellent existent, he wanted it right now.
"I already have a girlfriend, sorry." Said Wolford. It wasn't exactly a lie, he still chatted with her and she talked about getting back-
"No you're not, you broke up, remember? Wanted to take my Judy away with that?" said Nick with his goddamn smirk, reminding the wolf about the tease that landed him and Nick into the now infamous paw-wrestling match.
"Ohhhhh… so you're into bunnies as well, Officer?" purred Jenna.
"It's a long story." Intervened Judy.
"Come on Jenna, enough of this joke!" said Judy, getting inbetween him and Jenna.
"I wasn't joking one bit…" she said, not taking her eyes off Wolford. Unfortunately, Wolford was convinced that she was 100% serious.
"Come on, Jenna, let's be realistic. Look at him, he's enormous!" reasoned Judy. Jenna's eyes narrowed into slits, looking at her "prey"
"Oh, I bet he is…" she whispered. Nick and Judy's jaws went slack.
"Oh my God, Jenna, how were we raised by the same mother!?" Judy said in shock. She had always known her sister to be… irregular, but this crossed the line.
"Come on, Judes, I was kidding!" said the black bunny, finally using a normal voice. Judy seemed dumbstruck.
"You… were?" she said robotically. Jenna rolled her eyes.
"First off, if I wanted to have a thing with him, I'd have taken my time, not thrown myself at him like some sort of hoe! Second, yes, he's handsome, but I don't even know him!" she said laughing.
Both Nick and Judy sighed in relief.
"Well, I bet Wolford is laughing too! Wolford? Buddy?" Judy said, looking around for him. He was gone, all that was left of him being paw prints in the dirt.
Judging by the distance between them, the wolf had run as fast as he could, not looking back…
Meh... Not my best work. But fear not, I will be writing whenever I can, and the antics I have planned for the next part of this mini-series are hilarious!
I really feel like I dragged on and on with some scenes. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to revise my chapters much lately because... college is coming.