That nightmare again.
There was Judy, a crumpled little lump in the street, her face a smashed and torn ruin, a fast growing pool of blood around her, and he was paralyzed, unable to approach, as the blood spread and spread.
And Nick awoke, gasping, again.
Seeing the body cam images of the other officers on scene had been the worst decision of his life, as brain bleach was not a real thing, and the memories would not go away.
Judy wasn't at his side in the bed. It didn't happen every time she wasn't there, but never happened when she was. Thank goodness for that. He wasn't about to admit that he was having Those Dreams. Not and give her something more to worry about.
That she was not there likely meant she was with the twins, and that immediately cheered him. He got up to see for sure. And there she was, with Mabel at her modest breast. Martin was cuddled in her crossed legs, drowsing. Judy had taken hormone treatments to induce lactation, and was now nursing the two skunk kittens.
Nick watched for a moment. Even though it was a little grey Hare and a pair of skunks, he felt a deep atavistic joy in seeing his mate and kits together in that most basic of mammalian acts. Those weren't tears of joy; he was too much a crotchety old fox for that kind of thing anymore. Must be an allergy, as it happened every time they were like that.
Judy blessed him with a smile, reflecting the joy she saw in him. Even though is, argh, two in the morning and he had a an early roll call, being up and awake at this time, under these circumstances, was ever so worth it. He wobbled over to her and gave her a little kiss on the top of her head. As he did, he paused, and drew in the scent of her, in her nursing condition, with Mabel, the little one's own scent mingled with her Mother's.
This was Heaven.
Four hours later it was the routine hell of another day with his partner, Detective Lieutenant Post. The Coyote had no great love of foxes in general, and had a particular hard-on for Detective Wilde. He simple could not let go of the notion that Nick was in the ZPD on some long game con. So he made it a point to keep an eye on him.
Perversely, they actually worked well together. Post was a bit like Judy in how he analyzed the available evidence, while Nick was more speculative, using what he thought the evidence implied for a wider range of possibilities. While both got hits and misses, the net was a rather good arrest and conviction rate.
Even with the often obvious distrust his superior had in him, Nick wasn't given to resentment, recognizing that some of Post's hostility was due to his personal life, his two eldest Sons were on the cusp of advancing from troublesome juvenile delinquents to full on criminals and best not even think about his troubled marriage.
Post was proving to be one of those who were too focused on being a good cop, but only at the expense of the rest of his life. And in that, Nick felt that Judy had dodged a bullet by leaving the force when she did, least she fall into the same trap.
And thinking of Judy and her cop-sense, he had to ask a favor of Post. "Sir, I'd like to request a personal day."
Early on, Nick discovered that the Coyote Did Not tolerate any kind of snark, putting him up on formal charges of insubordination and conduct unbecoming at his first little quip. So, instead, Nick became obnoxiously officious, with tediously unnecessary by-the-book procedures and conduct. That likely infuriated Post more, though he could not act against it. Finally, they settled on a 'don't twist my tail and I won't twist yours' truce, though Post would be the only superior in the department to whom Nick Always addressed formally.
"And what would you want that for?"
"Want to check out some background on the Twins."
"There is a reason the Agency doesn't like too much old family information to be passed on. Its usually all bad news."
"I know, but Judy is all twitchy to know more. I had to lock-out my home work station to prevent her from using the police access." Nick hated to use the Judy card, but it Was all about Judy. And Post's admonishment was exactly the same thing He had told Her.
As much as the Lieutenant hated him, he had nothing but the highest admiration for her. And in that was one of his great contradictions. He himself was of a disregarded minority species, and was a champion of the MIA and other outreach efforts to help end species and gender discrimination. Yet he had that one blind spot in his prejudice of foxes.
"Well, we aren't busy, for the moment, so take the four door but keep your comm on and take your tactical."
So, Nick got to use the regular passenger sedan rather than one of the over-size cruisers and was still on the clock. Not a problem, as he didn't expect any trouble between there and the Sticks. Yes, the jurisdiction lock-up he had to visit was literally out in the town of Sticks. At least it was a nice day for the drive.
For a small town in the middle of nowhere, it really was a small town in the middle of nowhere, and well outside big city Nick's comfort zone. The regional all-purpose municipal building appeared to be the only structure in town that looked like it had built less than a century ago. Everything else looked like age of steam, and early at that.
After showing his badge to the front door, he was directed to the back of the building where they still referred to it as the county jail.
"Detective Wilde, ZPD. I'd like to see a prisoner, a Warren Cooper."
The Jailor, an old Boar, was impressed. "So, what did Stinky do to get the ZPD interested?"
"Nothing special, just some loose ends in a civil matter. Is he here?"
"Long drive for loose ends."
"Bureaucracy needing their Is dotted and Ts crossed."
A knowing snort, "Yeah, he's here. Come on."
Through a secure door into the cell bay, the Boar picked up a plastic chair to bring along. The bay was empty, aside from the first cell with an old bull elk who lay on his cot, face to the wall, apparently asleep. "Our local D&D regular. At his rate, we might as well give him his own key."
At the far end was the only other occupied cell.
"Warren Cooper, a year in for aggravated assault." The Boar dropped the chair in front of the bars and indicated he would be right outside if needed.
Nick sat down and regarded the prisoner who sulked in the far corner of his cell. "I'm Detective Nicolas Wilde of the ZPD."
At the mention of ZPD, the prisoner leapt up, "Is it about the twins!? Are they okay?!" He was a scrawny youngster, only eighteen, his black and white coat dull and unkempt. He was Martin and Mabel's Father.
"They're fine. They've found a new home with a loving couple. I've got some paperwork for you, but more importantly, I'd like to know the whys and hows of their circumstance, if you're willing to talk about it?"
While the skunk was clearly relieved to hear about his children, he was still very agitated, pulling his paws though his coat nervously as paced around the cell, which, considering his small stature, was fairly roomy. After some moments he settled down a bit.
"We were just stupid, stupid kids. Crazy in love, but no idea what we'd actually have to face as a couple. Liz got pregnant last quarter of our senior year and we got married right after graduation. I didn't have a job, and we didn't have a place. Our folks couldn't really help, not and have us stay together."
"I was going out and getting drunk, then into trouble, and poor Liz was fretting so about how we couldn't take care of ourselves or the coming babies. Then, when they did come."
He had to stop and collect himself. Nick made it clear he was willing to wait.
Finally.
"It just killed her. Even before... She fell apart. Then, when she did try... She couldn't nurse. It was terrible. And I didn't see any of it. Just too confused. Overwhelmed. Then, she ... "
Nick knew what happened next. His search of the various birth and death records listed the birth of the twins, Martin and Mabel Cooper to an Elisabeth and Warren Cooper. Then a death by suicide of an Elisabeth Cooper five days later. The two foundlings appeared two days later in Zootopia, and three days late a Warren Cooper was arrested on a variety of charges, with a history of lesser charges as a juvenile in the months leading up to that. He was now just eighteen years and a month old.
"It's aright. I see were this is going." Nick gestured that Warren need not continue. Then collecting himself, Nick continued, "Well, like I said, Martin and Mabel are doing fine. The couple really love them, and have an extended family to help support them as needed."
He pulled out some paperwork. "Though it may seem a bit petty and obnoxious, but this is for a formal relinquishing of parental rights, so you could not, at some point in the future, make a claim on them." Nick could not help but grimace at the notion. "If you want, I can get you a lawyer who can walk you through all of what that means. And you do have the right to refuse, you are their Father, after all."
The young Skunk sighed. "No, I know what it means, and I could never be the kind of father they deserve, so its better that I give them up totally." He took the documents and signed them off.
"This does not mean you're totally cut off from them, if you want. W- they can keep you updated on their condition and, some day, they can meet their birth father." Nick could tell Warren was already suspecting something, then had caught that little slip.
There was a pause.
"You really love them?"
"As if they were my own blood."
"I can't ask for more than that."
Nick gave Warren his card, and a current photo of the twins, and shook hands though the bars.
He walked back to the entry door, carrying the chair. As he passed the old elk, he heard a guttural "Thanks."
Back at the precinct, Nick found Post. "Sir, thank you ever so. Got it all cleared up."
"How bad was it?"
"About what I figured, bad enough. But I'm glad that I know. And I think Judy will be too."
Post looked at his watch. "Its close enough, so go take care of your Bunny." Was that almost a smile? Well, it was in regards to Judy.
"Yes Sir, thank you Sir." And Nick was off. As that was said in front of some of the beat cops who knew Nick from his earlier days, they were stunned at his respectful address and gave the Lieutenant a serious double take.
The Coyote smirked, "What? A subordinate giving his superior his due respect?" And walked off, chuckling ever so quietly to himself.