Now a little something for everyone's weekend reading pleasure: the morning after.
For Judy, this begins in her home after a 'not-so-bad' evening with Dan that fizzled out when he proved too neurotic to be willing to do much of anything.
For Nick, the morning begins somewhere other than where he normally sleeps.
Judy woke up in her bed feeling well-rested and eager to get out and do her job. Her alarm had gone off at just the right time and she had responded promptly as usual. She hit the off button on the noise-making clock and got to the business of brushing down her fur before dressing. She had washed her fur the night before prior to going out, and since she had not been out anywhere that would have added dirt to her coat she could afford to skip a full, time-consuming, rinse and drying cycle and just use a hygienic brush to take care of the parts of her anatomy that needed the extra attention. She rather wished that she had been done some more exciting last night, that rinse-dry cycle would have been worth it for some fun memories.
After taking care of these necessities, Judy got suited up in her uniform, polished her badge and took a moment to check herself out in the mirror and make sure she cut just the right figure for an officer of the ZPD. Once satisfied, she headed out the door and made her way towards the subway.
Nick felt a nudge and shooed it away. "Five more minutes." He said out of habit.
A mild throat clearing and Nick cracked one eye to see who was there. He saw a beautiful Tibetan fox wearing a very sheer piece of cloth that barely covered a very attractive naked form.
"Heather..." Nick asked in mild wonder. Seeing such a vision of loveliness did not seem to be entirely real to Nick in his scarcely awakened mind.
Another half second and Nick all but hopped from his position on a bed that he now recognized was not his own. As the events of the previous evening began to come back to him, Nick remembered where he was and why he was there.
"Sorry for not getting you up a little earlier. We were up pretty late, and I liked watching you sleep," she said casually. "But it's 6:15 and you said you have to be at the precinct before 7:30, so let's get you up and at 'em."
A quick calculation in his addled though sluggish head and Nick realized he was down to the wire.
"Damn I... I'll be late if I don't go... now!" He got out of bed and started collecting his things from the floor.
"Here, a quick sip of something," she offered him a warm cup of some dark liquid. It had a bitter smell, but it did not look like coffee. Nick looked up at her after looking into the mug and she shrugged her shoulders. "Better have this keeping you awake than adrenaline." She said.
He shrugged in return and drank deeply. It was bitter, and there was nothing particularly sweet to cut the taste. He choked it down and smacked his lips lightly. The aftertaste was better than coffee, he would give credit for that.
"Trust me," she replied seeing his slight distaste. "It'll help. Now come on, you should get going."
He continued retracing his steps in order to collect his clothes from the various places he had tossed them last night. It had been a while since Nick had to do the walk of shame, and he remembered now why he generally did his best to avoid it. Not because of the stares that he would get, but due to the disorder in his day that would follow from getting off on the wrong paw.
Before leaving however, he thought he should try to say something to Heather. What to say? Might as well open my mouth and just things happen. He thought.
"Heather I..."
She cut him off with a quick kiss and continued pushing him towards the door as she filled in all the things she thought needed to be shared before parting for he day.
"I had a great time last night... and given your responses I trust it was a good time for you too... and now you have to go to work: so hustle and I'll see you and talk to you again later, bye." And she shooed him out the door and closed it behind him. Nick stood there a moment in surprise at how easy this egression had been and then took off running for the nearest subway station that would take him back to his apartment.
Ben Clawhauser was still feeling a little winded after his run. Despite several months of training he still came back to his work feeling a bit worn down by his workouts. Still, he was seeing steady progression to better and better fitness. Ben walked out into the atrium of Precinct One from the locker rooms near the gym and came down the stairs to the front desk to relieve Officer Gnuton. The large ungulate was rather grouchy, and most complaints to the police in the wee hours before the morning shift would often end up including an additional complaint about Gnuton and his brusque mannerisms as well as the original complaint. Many of the regular callers asked for Maddox, but Geraldine had taken a position with the Sahara station and was now a regular beat cop like she wanted. Gnuton and Clawhauser had a decent enough rapport and these shift changes were fairly painless. The grouchy wildebeest nodded to Ben, stood, handed over a list of notes that he said Ben needed to keep an eye on, and left the desk. Ben sat down in the chair right where Gnuton had left it and suddenly found a noticeable space between him and the counter. Only the width of a few claws, but more than Ben remembered there being the last time he took notice.
Two claws narrower! He thought to himself excitedly.
Judy came through the front doors of the precinct as Ben scooted closer to the desk. His elbows were not quite over the lid of the desk when he sat upright, but he felt closer than ever. He looked down at the young rabbit officer as she walked his way and smiled down at her.
"Morning Judy!" he beamed. She looked back, she had not entered with her characteristic smile, but upon his greeting she brightened considerably.
"Hey Ben. You're looking cheery."
"I feel it too. Look. Look how close I am to my desk."
He rolled back and then forward again to show how near he could approach. Judy's eyes went up.
"Looking good. How much longer until you take the re-qualification test?"
"Soon. I'm feeling good... I mean most of my muscles are sore, and I feel super wiped out... but it's good. I'm getting back to my old strength. Anyway, you're looking less pleased than usual... and you had a date last night... did something go wrong?"
"Oh... it was all right. Better than that last guy I went out with a few months ago. At least this one kept his eyes above my neck."
"That's right, uh... oh I think you said his name was... Gary?"
"Garreth! Why does no one remember his name? I ranted about him for at least a couple of days."
"Anyway, this one was just all right? Not really a thrilling evening?" Ben brought the conversation back.
"Dan was fine and we had a lot to talk about... just nothing that I felt really meant we had any kind of 'connection', y'know? He was nice, he was attentive, and he had polite table manners, but he never really struck me as someone who I'd be anything more than 'comfortable with'."
"Mm-hmm, so another bust?"
"Not necessarily. At least I made a friend, and he wasn't that dull, just not really my type once we get passed talking about civic duty work."
"Now I'm curious, who is your type?"
Judy paused. Dating was something she was still new to, and relationships were something she never really took to as a younger animal. A type... she never really thought of that before.
"My... I don't know. I don't know that I've ever really hammered down a type for myself, never really had enough interest in dating to really bother. I guess it would need to be someone compassionate and kind, definitely would have to be intelligent, and some mean level of athleticism and adventurousness so we can go out often and do fun things."
"Huh," Ben looked at her with a crooked grin. "Well we'll have to work on that at some point, maybe narrow the field on dating material and get you some guys you really go for. Actually, you said 'someone', does it have to be a guy or can it be female? Just clarifying, no judgments."
Judy looked askance at Ben with a bemused smile at the suggestion that she was gay. Realizing she had indeed used gender neutral terms, she tilted her head to reflect and give the idea some thought. "I-I'm pretty sure it would have to be a guy. I'm trying to think of a time - any time - that I might have had feelings for a girl and I'm drawing a blank."
"So a nice guy, intelligent, and adventurous. I'll keep my eyes peeled," Ben affirmed. He then looked around. "Hey, where's Nick?"
"You know he always comes fashionably late," Judy waived off the concern. "He'll be in the Bullpen and in his seat just as Bogo adjusts his glasses."
Ben grinned. "Yeah, that sounds like the fox we know and love."
"Hey, shouldn't you be sitting in there with us? You're going back on active duty soon, shouldn't you get up to speed?"
Ben's face fell. "I'm not there yet... and who knows? Maybe I won't qualify."
Judy leapt to the desk and thumped her foot down hard. Ben snapped to.
"Benjamin Clawhauser," she said in her no-nonsense tone. "You have busted tail to get this far, you're fitter than I've ever seen you. You. Are going. To pass."
She held his gaze another moment and then relaxed.
"Now, you are going to run three more miles tonight, the varied route I gave you, for no other reason than because you can. When you're done, you're going to meet me for a protein shake before you go home, then you will shower and go straight to bed. Got it!?"
Wide-eyed Ben nodded. Judy smiled, hopped off the desk and started walking towards the Bullpen.
Inside the room, having passed the usual assortment of bears and lions doing arm-wrestling, and the heavy thumping among the other big members of the unit, she seated herself up front in the room and turned to look at McHorn at her side. He was his usual stern self, but as she or Nick did every day in the Bullpen, she gave him a smile and asked if he was excited about another day making the world a better place. In like form, McHorn rolled his eyes, but this time he gave a light smirk. Judy kept hoping that one day he'd lighten up enough that the eye-roll wouldn't be a part of the exchange, but the smirk was an improvement.
Officer Higgins called for attention and Judy stood in her seat. The chief entered and a round of good natured psyching-up chants followed. Judy looked around and grew a little apprehensive finding that her partner was still nowhere to be found. She had made the exaggeration of Nick arriving just as Bogo adjusted his glasses, but the idea of him being literally that late was not one she liked entertaining. While Bogo and Nick had a good rapport - the burly chief keeping his gruff and almost coldly-distant demeanor, and Nick answering the gruff old buffalo with cunning nonchalance - there was still the matter of needing to follow rules. If Nick was late, Bogo would come down hard on the fox officer, and Judy did not want that.
As Bogo reached the podium, Judy heard the door from the room to the lobby shut and a sound of scurrying paws approach her seat. Nick Wilde plopped himself right at her side, straightening his uniform and looking up; Bogo had just finished adjusting his glasses. Judy was half ready to give Nick a tongue-lashing for being so tardy and scaring her, but all eyes and ears had to be on the Chief.
"Good morning to everyone, we have a lot get through, so let's get to it."
Judy and Nick had made it a habit of alternating the role of driver on a daily basis when out on patrol (and of course only on days when they had a car), so since the day before had been Judy at the wheel, today she took the passenger seat. Following tradition, Judy did not initiate discussions with the driver, and Nick was glad. He was rather worn and groggy, though the drink Heather gave him seemed to be doing a decent job of keeping him alert without leaving him drained like caffeine would have by this point. Still, Nick was of a mind to observe the street and not focus on, or talk about, anything else if it could be helped. Glancing over now and then, however, he could see Judy was restless in her seat and after a few minutes Nick decided to open a discussion, if only to get her to not fidget so much as she scanned the streets.
"So Carrots, how were things after Heather and I took off?"
She looked his way a moment, startled by the sudden break in the silence. Then filled him in.
"Things were okay, but I kinda missed having you there. A joke now and then would have been nice."
"Oh... sorry. Conversations got kinda dull?"
"Not dull... just, lacking vitality. A little too... fine I'll just call it dull."
Nick chuckled before asking her the most pertinent question regarding these events.
"So are you thinking of going out with Dan again?"
"I don't think so. Maybe a lunch date or an afternoon coffee, but I don't think it's going to be more than friends. Talk is good, company is pleasant, but interests... not so aligned."
Nick looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "No? I thought he was into your thoughts on dealing with the growing crime rates near Little Rodentia. He seemed really involved in that."
"Oh intellectually I think we have a lot in common, but I asked if he was interested in going for a gondola ride through the Rainforest District and he said he doesn't like the damp air because it saturates his fur and clothes. Then I suggested going down to the piers and walking and feeling the sea breeze, and he said the air aggravates his sinuses... he just seems a little too neurotic, or at least not willing to give things a try... but hey how about Heather? I got the sense your thoughts were wandering, you weren't talking much."
"Yeah, Heather's not so much the 'talking and listening' kind of vixen... more the feeling, adventurous, 'only-live-once' type. We went for a long walk after we left you guys and she insisted we go on all fours through the park. Haven't been on my fore paws so much since the Academy."
"Wild girl, huh?" Judy teased. Nick involuntarily gulped.
"Yeah... and, uh, after that she took me to this late-night yoga class she goes to... a lot of 'om's and 'namaste's and... overall not really my thing. Though the stretching loosened a few muscles, so that was nice."
Judy nodded, neither she nor Nick were much for yoga beyond the physical benefits of stretching and toning their muscles to do their jobs better. She felt no surprise that the spiritualism was somewhat lost on him.
"...and after that I walked her home and... I stuck around for a bit to breathe some incense and... uh, just relax."
Judy looked back at him again after the abrupt end to the story and suddenly her eyes went wide. Now that she really took stock of him, aside from his slight discomfiture about the story, she realized other things amiss. Nick's fur was somewhat matted in odd places, his eyes had a tired look to them, and his uniform, though crisp, seemed like it had been thrown on without the customary adjustments he always made to fit it just perfectly. These were all minute details, but they were things she had eyes for. Nick sometimes got in to work right at the last minute like today. Usually that was because he liked to stop and say 'hi' to animals on the way, or help someone briefly when they needed another pair of paws. Though he was nearly tardy many days, he always came looking sharp... never like this. If he was disheveled, that suggested that he must not have had enough time for his morning rituals... which meant he either slept in or slept somewhere far from home last night... like Heather's apartment... which probably meant...
Judy was not sure what to think of this revelation, nor was she sure why this should be causing her to feel so stunned. Nick had been on a date after all, and just because it had been a double date did not eliminate the possibility of either of them going home with their respective companions. For Judy, Dan was friendly and charming, and provided stimulating conversation to stir her intellect, but she had not considered sleeping with him after she found him rather averse to the more active aspects of her personality. By contrast, Heather was clearly more interested in sensual pursuits; feeling rather than analyzing. She was kind, intelligent, and quite attractive, and she certainly seemed attuned to Nick. Given that perspective it was understandable that this could have occurred. Even so, Judy found herself stunned by this discovery.
She coughed to snap her mind out of it.
"So... um, sounds like you guys hit it off pretty well, she took you to an activity with her right after dinner. I guess she wants to involve you in her world."
"I don't think she and I are... all that compatible."
Judy was rather surprised to hear Nick say that. Especially after what she had deduced from her observations.
"But you slept with her..." She caught herself the moment the words escaped her mouth. She could hear the judging tone in her voice and tried to backtrack. "I mean, you came to work at the last possible instant, you look tired, you said were at her place... I-I thought you..."
"I... spent the night at her place, yeah." Nick assented without using the same terminology as Judy, but without denying her assertions either. "I mean, she's smart and pretty and we both seemed to want me to stay last night... but we both kind of agreed it's not to be. She's got that whole new-age, one-ness with the universe, free-love thing going and that's just not something I can really get on board with. That and she also might be into recreational drugs... there were some strange smells at the yoga studio. And NO Carrots, I didn't see anything at the studio, and we're not going to go bust up animals at a yoga studio just because I thought I could smell something."
She gave him the stink eye, but then relaxed.
"Anyway, it was all right." He intoned pensively. "Funny, you and I were talking about naturalists before they arrived, and I think Heather would fit in quite well with that crowd... but she and I aren't going to start anything other than I guess a good friendship."
He went silent and continued monitoring the neighborhood. He looked over at Judy after a few minutes and then decided not to break the silence a second time. The rest of the morning patrol proceeded fairly routinely. Thankfully it was a quiet day.
After work, Nick and Judy both clocked out and Judy met up with Ben. The retraining cheetah had just finished his run and was looking quite tired, but still standing tall. Judy invited Nick to join her and Ben for an after-work protein shake, and Nick fell into step with them as they walked down the plaza.
"So Ben, how do you feel?" Nick asked.
Ben grinned. "Well, I feel stronger and more solid than when I started as an officer... though nowhere near as fast I used to be. I really wish I didn't have to work so hard to get myself back in condition for the job."
Judy patted Ben's waist as they walked. "Our Ben is going to kick tail in his re-examination and be a regular beat cop in no time." She then adopted a mischievous smile and looked askance at Ben. "Won't 'Gazelle' be pleased."
Ben stiffened and Judy's grin began to infect Nick as well. He looked over his partner's ears and at his cheetah friend.
"That's right. How is that wonderful pen pal of yours doing Ben?" he asked innocently.
"Uh..." the poor cheetah always grew flustered when his friends put him on the spot about Gazelle. It was an ill-kept secret among the officers at the precinct that Benjamin Clawhauser was maintaining personal correspondence with a very popular, very attractive pop artist. This was fact was not disseminated by any one individual, merely the result of the most vocal 'Gazelle' fan among the force growing steadily more quiet and private about his icon.
"I... haven't spoken to her in about a week, but last I checked she was doing very well. She's just now renegotiating some contracts and looking to go to the next stage in her career."
"Ooh," Judy grinned. "What'll that be?"
"Hey, friendly secret." Ben retorted with a knowing grin.
As Nick walked along, letting the other two delve into their pop culture gossip, he felt his phone buzzing. He opened it and the caller ID showed Heather calling him. He decided to hang back and take it.
"Hey Carrots, Ben, go on without me. I'll see you guys later."
"Oh, okay," Judy said, realizing that it was probably Heather calling. "Are we still on for 'challenges' tomorrow?" she asked as she continued walking with Ben. Nick remembered the physical and mental challenges they put each other through and felt pleased to hear that they would be back to more of the same soon. He was on a winning streak in their competitions and wanted to keep it going.
"You know it, Fluff. See you later. Hey Ben, tomorrow you and I are doing the workout together like I promised."
Turning away from Judy and Ben after Ben gave him an affirmative on that last statement, Nick answered the phone. "Heather?"
"Hi Nick. Is this an okay time?"
"Uh yeah, my shift just ended. What's up?"
"I'm due to finish my shift at the studio soon. Maybe you could come by and we could grab a snack once I pack up?"
"Um, sure. I'll be right over."
The studio where Heather worked was actually only a few minutes walk from the precinct and in the direction Nick had already been heading. He got up to the door just as Heather was coming out. She looked a little tired, but she had an underlying perkiness to her demeanor that Nick imagined she got from doing so much stretching for so much of the day.
"Hey." They greeted one another, and by a slight tilt of her head, Heather directed him to follow her along the street. They only walked a short way until they got to a small café serving vegan-type food. Heather led him in the door, got them a table and made a quick order of a few drinks and some tapas.
Sitting down, Heather passed Nick his drink and began sipping from her own. A few minutes later their tapas arrived and they proceeded to taste them. After a few more minutes, Nick at last broke the silence.
"So... what exactly are we?"
Heather looked at him questioningly, but since she was still chewing, Nick decided to elaborate on what he meant by the question.
"I mean last night we said we didn't think we were a good match, but then we kissed and... now we're out having a bite to eat... this is not really my normal way of doing things with someone who tells me I'm not a good match for them."
She smiled, flattered to see him so innocently confused. "I told you: I like you and I felt like doing something fun, and as long as you were okay with it let's just do what we like. Seemed like you were okay with it, you had quite a lot of stamina to make it last so long."
Nick scratched the back of his neck to indicate that he was a little bashful, though not without a little pride at having been a source of pleasure.
"I just want to understand what's going on." He clarified.
"Well, what do you want out of this?" She asked. "You got set up on a date with me, you came, and then we had an honest, open exchange about what we each want and don't want. And then we just did what felt right."
"I just don't want you to feel like I took advantage..."
"I asked you to stay, and if I recall I was the one making overtures to you."
Nick nodded to the side in conciliatory agreement. He decided to approach this with a different tact.
"Okay, so where does it go now? I mean, are we just friends? Do you want more than that, but not boyfriend/girlfriend? Am I something you have waiting in the wings?..."
"Nick you sound rather mercenary about the whole thing."
"I'm in unchartered waters with a beautiful vixen, who took me to the moon and back last night but says she doesn't want to be in a relationship with me. Call me old-fashioned, but it's a bit of a mind-screw."
She smiled understandingly and pushed their food to the side.
"Look, my aunt is worried about me because she thinks I'm alone and she wants me to be with someone... and if I'm being honest, I think she set me up with you because I mentioned not having been with anyone in a while. But the point is, the date last night was more in line with what she wanted for me rather than what I want for me. I personally don't really want to have a relationship right now. I agreed to go out with you because my aunt went to the trouble of arranging it and I didn't want to be rude to her or you. Then when I met you I found you to be really nice, and we went out and had fun, and you were direct and honest with me... I found it refreshing. And ultimately, I'm not uptight about having sex with someone who's kind, smart and considerate... provided I'm in the mood and think he's worth my time... which I certainly think you were."
Nick kept his mind open and nodded. "Okay, and now what is it you want of me? I mean I'm okay with us being just friends, but will that be awkward for you?"
"I don't see why it should be. I've had lovers before that I've been able to be just friends with when the physically intimate portion of our relationship came to an end. And I know from some of my girlfriends that you've had a few lovers yourself. And as I understand it they still don't mind being friends with you. I don't have a problem being friends with you after what we've done, unless you have some issue being just friends with me."
Nick cocked an eyebrow. "I'm surprised these 'girlfriends' spoke so well of me. Given the reception I've received after some of my break-ups, not to mention the reception since I became an officer, I thought most vixens tended to hold a rather low opinion of me."
Since becoming an officer, Nick had been on thin ice with a number of foxes throughout the city. Him being effectively 'deputized' to help with a serious crime was looked on as something to laugh about - 'ooh, look at Big Bad Nick Wilde, the Hustled-Hustler who worked for a little bunny cop' - but him going to the Academy and becoming an officer had carried some serious ramifications.
Foxes were not well regarded in Zootopian society and often became the targets of criminal investigations. Among the populace, one often found foxes, weasels and rats among the 'usual suspects' even when there was little to nothing to link such animals to a crime. This created a sour relationship between foxes and the police. When Nick became a cadet and then an officer, many foxes had turned decidedly cold towards him. Among his own species, Nick had seen some vixens quite literally turned their tails towards him when he came into their presence. While Nick had no qualms about going out with Heather, he was honest enough to admit it was partly because he had not had a date in months. Also, given that her species were not so generally stereotyped, a fox law enforcement officer probably did not strike her as being an oxymoron, so she did not think him some kind of traitor.
As Nick brooded on these facts, Heather took his paw in hers.
"I know a lot of the community has been terrible to you," she consoled him. "I'm so sorry about that. It's so unfair and totally out of order. You do a great thing keeping the city safe, and you give foxes a good name with your kind of job."
"Well, glad to know not everyone hates me for it I guess," he said self-deprecatingly. "So anyway, I'm well-spoken-of?"
"Enough that I don't think you're a jerk." She teased. "And to such a degree that I think we could honestly be friends. I know I complicated it a bit by asking you to stay last night..."
"Asking me to stay wasn't bad, I think the complication came from what you wanted to do in the tub and then in the bedroom." Nick said with the mildest look of combined humor and mock embarrassment. Heather turned away with a slightly bashful look of her own, but it was mostly for show; she did not really look ashamed.
"Well you didn't seem shy once I told you what I wanted. In any case, why don't I show you that we can still be friends? I'm going up to Far-End next Saturday to go to a sort of 'conference' for yoga and other moving-meditation practitioners and some permaculturalists. Why not come along? If nothing else, you'd get to see 'The Wild'."
Nick's face lit up when she mentioned 'The Wild'. That was the term most animals used to describe the untamed wilderness just beyond Far-End, the last town far to the west and slightly north of Zootopia. That was where animals that rejected the advancements of civilization fled in order to live out their lives as their savage ancestors had many generations before. The country was rumored to be populated by herds of wild deer, thousands upon thousands of wild squirrels, voles and other smaller rodents, as well as the odd raccoon or lynx. Some reports suggested that a pack of wolves roamed those woods, and possibly even a bear... something was needed to keep down the prey population. These dangers did not stop the influx of tourists that wanted to camp in regions near the Ranger stations around Far-End. Nick had heard that officially, Zootopia was responsible for helping the police force at Far-End, particularly when it came to issues of the Wild, though he was a little flimsy on the details.
...a trip to Far-End.
"You could bring Judy along too. I'd like to see her again." Heather added.
Nick snapped from his reverie. "Oh, sure. I think that would really excite her... oh by the way, she knows that we... you know."
Heather grinned mischievously. "Had sex?" Nick relaxed his expression with a mildly exasperated sigh.
"She saw me looking tired and disheveled this morning and deduced where I was last night. She's pretty sharp."
"Clearly," Heather agreed. "Oh I definitely want her to come. Say you guys will both come."
Nick and Heather stayed there another hour and had a nice time. She then excused herself and walked herself home. Nick offered to escort her, but she insisted that she could take care of herself. He knew better than to argue.
After her protein drink and a long discussion about Zootopia's most famous popstar with Ben, Judy got to her place, cleaned up and decided to call her parents.
The phone as usual only rang twice before her mom answered. These days with so many of the kits moved out to start their own burrows, Bonnie was more eager than ever to hear from her kits, Judy in particular. Stu also came over to share the window and be part of the conversation, but it became a bit of a squeeze and Bonnie to push and shift so they could both see.
"Oh, Stu, make a little room so I can be in the view." She said.
"You guys could turn the phone side-ways and then the view will be wider." Judy suggested.
Once her parents had done so there was no more need for readjustment.
"Jude-bug sweetheart, how are you?" Bonnie asked.
"Hi you guys. I was just back from work and thought I would give you a call."
"Say you were out on a date with that pika fellow weren't you? Did it end already? Was it bad? Wait... is he there?" Stu asked each question without pausing for an answer.
"I went out with him last night Dad. Actually it was a double date; Nick brought a girl he's seeing."
"Ooh, after the part about you, tell us more about that." Bonnie suggested. Judy rolled her eyes at the gossiping ways of her parents.
"It was all right, but I don't think Dan and I have any real compatibility. I'm not planning on seeing him again for another date."
"Oh, June-bug I'm sorry," Bonnie attempted to placate her daughter. "Was it as bad as that fellow 'Guy'?"
"GARRETH! How does no one remember his name? He couldn't be bothered to talk to me and meet my eyes. Every time he even bothered to look in my direction it was at my chest or tail! I ranted about how much of a jerk he was to everyone who wouldn't run away from me. How does no one remember his name?"
Stu had backed away from the phone and gotten smaller in the phone window, while Bonnie had held the phone, but her eyes had grown rather large and her ears had drooped behind her head. Judy realized she was out of line and gave a nervous, apologetic smile.
"Oh Mom, Dad I'm sorry for snapping. I've had to correct Nick and Ben on the name already and it was bringing up bad memories."
Stu came forward again. "No... no problem Judy, we won't mention him again. But you're saying this fellow wasn't working out either?"
"Just no sense of adventure in him Dad. Not even the mildest amount of bend to accommodate me and what I wanted to do. I wanted to go down to the port and feel the sea breeze or up to the Rainforest and go to the canopy, and he just had so many neurotic complaints."
"Now Judy, he could have serious allergies." Bonnie admonished her.
"For the sea and the salt spray I could make an exception, but the rainforest because it's a little moist? I'm sorry Mom, but he wouldn't even try to give me some alternatives that I would like."
"Well, maybe you should be looking for a nice buck to settle down with. Make me a grandfather." Stu said with the characteristic smile, wink and tone of voice that said 'Could 'ya, would 'ya?'. Bonnie rolled her eyes just slightly, but she did look at Judy with her 'Give your father a listen, dear' expression.
"Dad, you are a grandfather. You've got nearly seventy grandkits already."
"But only about five are from my own stock. All your distant brothers and sisters, I love those kits, but there is a separation that I don't have when it comes to my own fur and blood. I want some more of my own, and you... you would make such a great mother."
"Dad, I've barely started on my career. I'm going to live my life for a little bit and keep my eyes open, but I'm not settling yet."
"Your father has a point dear. You're the last of your litter that's unmarried and you aren't as young as you used to be."
Judy rolled her eyes.
"Mom, I'm twenty-six, I'm not over the hill."
"You remember your Aunt Sandra," Bonnie started and Judy rolled her eyes. "Completely given over to her car-"
" '-eer and never settled down to raise a litter.' Mom, you guys have told me that story a million times. Those long, gray things on my head, those are ears, not radio antennae; I have heard what you guys tell me."
"You don't really have a history of listening to what we say, Judy." Stu admonished.
"Just don't leave this to the last minute." Bonnie persisted.
"Okay, guys you harping on me will not make me a mother or give you both more grandkits when I don't have a guy, so can we please change the subject?"
Just then the phone started buzzing and in the icon showing caller-ID Judy could see the handsome profile of her partner Nick.
"Hey, I'm getting a call from Nick. Can I put you on hold?"
"The closest thing to a regular male in her life is a fox." Stu complained.
Judy did not wait to hear a confirmation and hit the 'Answer' button on Nick's call. His face did not pop up and she found herself on a standard phone call.
"Boy am I glad you called. My parents are on the other line and giving me the usual."
On the other end Nick made the soft snort that told her he was grinning. "Did they mention the Aunt Sandra story yet?"
"Yep."
"Like the parents in a cheap, rom-com. So predictable... no offense."
"None taken. What's up, I shouldn't leave them on hold for too long."
"Oh, I just got an invitation for both of us to go out of town with Heather next week. Maybe you wanna come?"
Judy felt a little awkward given that this was an invitation to go hiking with two friends who had a little more than the average friendship going on, but she played it cool. "Uh, did she say where?"
"Out to Far-End."
"You mean the WILD!" she exclaimed. "Isn't that dangerous?"
"We're not going into the real Wild, at least not beyond the view of the ranger stations. Heather wants to go to this meeting for something called 'permaculture' and a bunch of yoga practitioners are going too: some kind of conference they're putting together. I was kinda thinking: 'Why not? I've never been to the Wild'. What'dya say? Wanna come?"
"Isn't this more of a Nick-and-Heather thing? I don't want to be a third wheel."
"Carrots, I told you there is no 'Nick-and-Heather', just friends going to hang out. You're my friend so I'm inviting you to come too. Heather even said there would be others around, so this isn't a date. And she was actually hoping you would come."
Judy still felt unsure, but a trip to the Far-End did sound like fun. She didn't really have any plans for next weekend, and if Nick was thinking of going on a trip and wanted her to come along then it certainly seemed okay for her to attend.
"Well... "
"Come on... I'd really like to go. My dad used to tell me all kinds of stories about the forests out there and I always wanted to go. The Ranger-Scouts had field trips out there and that was one of the big draws for me."
"And we'll be within reach of help if anything happens?"
"I've looked this place up online before and asked other animals that have been out there. We're right next to at least one Forest Ranger station and a Police Station. It seems fine."
"Then I'm in... hey, after we're done, maybe you should come with me to Bunnyburrow. Far-End is quite far out to the west. We'd actually be closer to my parents' place than Zootopia."
"Are you sure they won't mind me crashing there for a night?"
"No, it'll be fine. I'll arrange it after you hang up."
"Well... all right, I'm in. So next Saturday, I'll get the particulars from Heather and we'll all go."
"Okay, see you tomorrow."
"Good night Carrots."
Nick hung up and Judy observed the option to pull up the chat with her parents become available. She selected it and found them where she left them.
"Hi, that was Nick. He was inviting me to go on a hike next weekend."
"And all of her off-work activities... still with a fox."
"Dad, would you give the grandkit-thing a rest. I wanted to ask if Nick and I can come by and see you guys next Saturday evening? We'll be in the area."
"Oh," Bonnie perked up a little. "Where are you going to be hiking?"
"Before you say anything, trust me that it's going to be safe and I will take care of myself. Nick will too."
Bonnie and Stu turned a little nervous. Judy knew it was unlikely that this assurance would actually prevent them from freaking out at what she would say next, but at least she could claim that she had tried to calm them.
"We're going out to spend the day at Far-End."
Her parents needed an extra minute to stop shrieking about how there were savage beasts, dangerous creatures, and wild monsters at Far-End. Every bit of lore, no matter how ridiculous, seemed to spew from her Dad, and her Mom was quite concerned as well, though she was more concerned about 'regular' feral animals that might wander out of the woods and try to attack her. Finally, after they had worn themselves down with loud exposition and concern, Judy spoke again.
"I did tell you trust me it would be safe. Anyway, Nick's friend invited us to come because she's going up there as part of a yoga practitioner retreat or conference or some such thing. Nick really wants to go and I'd like to see it too. We'll only be up there for one day and we could probably be down to see you that night. Then we could be there Sunday and get back to Zootopia in time for work."
It took a little more cajoling and reassurances, but eventually Judy got her parents settled enough to let it go and promise to put her and Nick up for Saturday night. She left the conversation after a few more pleasantries and a few hello's and goodbye's from her younger siblings who wandered in to take part in the conversation. Her sister Janey in particular was excited at the prospect of Judy coming to visit.
"Will you tell me all about what's going on in Zootopia?" the thirteen-year-old asked.
"I will. I promise." Judy assured her.
"Can I come back with you?" Janey asked hopefully.
Judy smiled. "Someday soon, I promise."
After saying goodbye and closing her phone, Judy finished getting ready for bed and plopped onto her mattress to sleep. She and Nick both had an additional shift tomorrow, and she needed to rest. She drifted to sleep with dreams of dark forests, wild beasts, and of running through the woods among a warren of wild rabbits as they scurried through burrows and avoided the predators.
A note about the interactions between Heather and Nick and the fact that he spent the night at her place:
Yes, she invited Nick to spend the night with her and still pursued a little sensual indulgence after saying she did not see them as compatible the way their matchmakers did. That being the case, her interest in him is due to her own respect for him, and her willingness to have him stay is because she IS interested in him in her own way. Additionally, neither the characters nor I myself use the term one-night stand when describing this interaction. These are friends who felt free to indulge a little casual sex, not because they are immoral or perverted. They are simply comfortable with one another and feel like enjoying some consensual activities.
Yes that is a bit liberal and in some sense fantastical, but urban landscapes lend themselves to liberal behavior, and so do fantastical stories like the lives of anthropomorphic animals.