AN: Thanks for the support guys means everything and I hope you like the next chapter I have been thinking on the this story for some time and can only hope you guys love reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.
As Nick and Judy walked into precinct one. Nick looked down at the little rabbit. Only to see her with her ears down and paws over them, "Fluff, What in Zootopia are you d..."
"O M GOODNESS aren't you two just the cutest thing I've seen all week",Clawhauser squealed in his usual jovial mood, the doughnut half way to his mouth forgotten about.
As Clawhauser saw the look in Judy's eye he froze, a cold shiver working its way from the tip of his tail all the way up his back.
Still reeling from the high pitched noise that had issued from the cheetah, Nick was unaware of the turmoil playing out in front of him. As he looked up at the receptionist he realized something was very wrong.
Glancing down at his partner he thought, Is that steam coming out of carrots ears, or am I imagining it? Slowly he went to step back, only to find himself moving in the opposite direction, as the bunny gripped his tie.
"Umm Carrots can I just..."
"Don't even think about it fox" Judy interrupted pulling him over to the desk.
"I'm sorry Judy, I... I wasn't thinking, please don't hurt me" said Clawhauser shaking slightly .
Judy's face softened, and she looked slightly hurt. Peering at Nick she realized she still had hold of him by the tie.
Is that what people really think of me she thought as she let go of Nick.
'I'm...I'm sorry Ben'. With this she walked off to the bull pen.
"Judy wait" Clawhauser said trying to get up.
Nick caught his shoulder, "I'll talk to her, she'll be ok, promise."
"I didn't mean to upset her, I feel so bad" .
"She'll be fine, she's strong. But what did you mean don't hurt me?" Nick asked following Judy with his eyes.
Looking back to the rather large receptionist, he saw Clawhauser was looking down at his feet.
'Well, while you were at the academy there was an ..." incident ", with Officer Snouter, and the word cute. And well lets just say he hasn't been able to be in the same room as Judy without shaking since.'
Nick's frown lessened and he waved to his friend as he called over to her.
'Hold up fluff, cant have you getting there before me, Wouldn't look good.'
She looked back at Nick smiling, "well at least someone want to know me" she muttered under her breath.
As Nick climbed up onto the chair his mind wandered, and he thought Am I really doing this, I'm a hustler, not a cop. How in Zootopia did I end up here.
Looking around he saw Judy chatting to Francine, and then realized the answer. It was her, she did this to him. He had been an excellent hustler, and now because of that rabbit, he was now on a low wage, working for the people he had been avoiding since he was twelve. How had she done it?
As Judy walked over he caught a slight darkening in her eyes. She's still thinking about what Clawhauser said, was all he could think as she reached him.
He leaned down to help her up, but she just blinked at his paw. "Something wrong fluff?"
"No...no". Taking it she jumped up.
"Nick, you know that's not necessary" she said smiling up at him.
Hearing this he felt a twinge of something he hadn't felt in years.
"What! And allow my foxy charms go to waste?, I don't think so fluff" he said, with much more confidence than he was feeling, and gave her a slight wink.
She just huffed "dumb fox".
Nick looked as his partner, then he noticed something.
Wait is that a blush I'm seeing? no she's your partner, your friend, a rabbit for Zootopia's sake and...,
"SIT DOWN, SHUT UP" Bogo shouted entering the room.
As the assignments were handed out nick calmed down. That was until "HOPPS, WILDE... Parking duty"
The look of happiness on Judy's face dropped immediately.
"Chief... But... Sir we...".
"Hopps my office"
"It'll be fine fluff. No biggie" This seemed to cheer her up a little, but Nick could still see the slightly mutinous look behind her eyes.
"Look nick I'm sure it won't be for long. I mean after your help with the night howler case, he can't keep us on parking duty for ever. He is prob..."
"NOW HOPPS"
"Ill get the car" Nick said with a chuckle.
Entering the office Judy spoke, "Sir, you can't just.."
"SIT"
"Yes sir, but I just..." she was cut off by the glare Bogo gave her. As she climbed up onto the chair she heard a sigh from her boss.
"Hopps, Wilde has only just started and he's already giving me headaches. I have been told by the mayor, he is not to be on anything more for the moment. As a matter of fact I have had to fight to have him at all".
Judy's mouth was hanging open by this point "I don't understand Chief. He completed training, and he was a big part of solving the night howler case. We couldn't have put bellwether away without Nick."
The large buffalo rubbed his snout with his hoof, and looked down at her. "Yes he passed training, and with the highest score I have seen to date". At this Judy looked up in surprise.
"A fact you clearly weren't privy to from the look on your face" he said with a snort. "I am also well aware of what he did during that case"
"Then why..."
"I am also aware" he said, cutting off the rabbit before she could start, "of what he did before he joined us. Which is the reason I had to fight to have him sent to us instead of prison".
"The Mayor is also worried about a rabbit and a fox working together. And to be honest the thought is not particularly appealing to me either. But if anyone can keep him straightened out its you. If the two of you can prove that you are able to work well, and Wilde keeps out of trouble, then I will see what I can do."
Judy's ears had drooped behind her by this point, as she realized there was nothing she could do to help the situation, and that she and nick would just have to prove themselves all over again.
Jumping down from the chair she looked back at Bogo "I wont let you down sir"
"Don't care, just get out". As she walked through the door Bogo looked up over the papers he was reading. I know you won't Hopps, It isn't you I'm worried about.
I don't know what the big deal with carrots is. Ok parking duty is boring, but doesn't everyone start off at the bottom? Guess I'll just have to prove myself to old buffalo butt and go from there.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Nick looked at the bunny getting into the vehicle next to him.
"Tell you what? You may have to be a little more specific there fluff. There is quite a lot I haven't told you" a smirk across his lips.
Judy sighed "About the academy... you should have told me".
Nick looked confused, "What about it? I told you everything. Even about the extra training I had to do because of that...umm...thing with the flag pole".
As she glared at him, he winked at her while starting the car.
With a chuckle she asked "can't you be serious for two minutes?"
He just looked at her and stuck out his tongue making her crack up again.
"Nick I mean about your grades. You should have told me".
"Wait, I thought they were perfect, I don't understand"
Judy looked at him in frustration.
"That's the point Nick".
"Carrots I still don't... wait are you... you're upset I beat you aren't you, you're jealous." He let out a bark of laughter. "That's why your mad?" he said while wiping his eyes with a paw.
She kept glaring at him, but he could see she felt stupid for making a big deal of it. "Look, I made such an effort for you carrots, I didn't want anyone thinking I wasn't capable of doing it, and that you had made a mistake trusting me" she looked at him smiling "that and the fact I wasn't going to be outdone by some dumb bunny" he said with an even bigger smirk on his face.
She punched his arm but he just laughed, "But how did you do it? Bogo said you had the best results he had ever seen"
"Fluff I grew up on the streets of this city, and have been living on them since I was twelve. I wouldn't have lasted very long if I couldn't deal with the climates now, would I?",
"But the enormous criminal test. You couldn't con your way out of that... could you?" Nick just chuckled "could i con my way through? No... no I couldn't. But not all hustles go to plan. So you learn a thing or two about... well avoiding getting hurt shall we say".
As they drove into sahara square they split up. "Mammal with the lowest ticket count by the end of the day buys the coffee tomorrow" Judy shouted as she left.
Well I'm screwed he thought, walking in the opposite direction. Wait I buy the coffee every morning anyway!... Sly bunny.
Nick was sat on the steps of the precinct sipping coffee and eating a doughnut when Judy pulled up. "Ha you haven't got a chance fox, This was my best day yet" she said, holding out her ticket machine, '842 tickets'.
"merry mmmpressib" Nick said with his mouth full.
Judy rolled her eyes, "What was that?"
Nick looked at her, and with his mouth still rather full answered, "sorry I said very impressive". The look on Judy's face was a picture of joy. Although she didn't feel like talking to Nick too much with his mouth still full of food.
"Swallow first, then you can tell me how brilliant I am". Nick nearly choked on his food with the laugh that burst from him
"What? what's so funny?".
"Sorry, sorry, just so many jokes and so little time" he said.
As Judy suddenly caught onto what she had said, her ears started warming dramatically, and she blushed.
Nick just pulled out his signature smirk and simply said "Well done cotton tail, you did well... but you still lost"
"Thank you slick, and don't forget mine is a... WAIT... WHAT...What do you mean I lost".
As she looked round Nick was holding up his ticket machine reading '1000 tickets'.
"I thought once I reached a thousand I should stop. You know, leave some for you." Judy's face froze. Staring at the read out her eye twitched slightly.
"Sorry carrots, but I told you before, I wasn't going to lose to a bunny."
As they walked in to clock out for the day, Nick heard a very small, still rather stunned voice behind him.
"bu...but how" As Nick looked down he couldn't help but feel sorry for her.
"The DMV" he said
"What about it?" she asked
"Well have you ever thought of looking around there for cars?" Nick's reply was rather too smug, but he couldn't help it.
"no, why would... I," She looked up at his still smirking face, and punched him in the leg this time. "You sly fox you"
"Dumb bunny" he chuckled tussling her ears.
"Don't do that" she said hitting him in the arm, but also going a little pink in the cheek. What is wrong with me? I should be mad at him.
Nick walked her back to her apartment, then walked onto his place.
Well for a first day that could have gone a lot worse. Old buffalo butt even seemed impressed with the tickets. Better get some sleep, if I have to do it all again tomorrow.
As Judy arrived home she thought on the sort of day she'd had. She was made to do parking duty, was outdone by a fox, and lost a bet, all in the same day.
God I need some sleep if I have to do it all again tomorrow.
AN: Thanks again for reading this little project of mine hope to have the next chapter out tomorrow as its the weekend YAY so I can devote all my time to writing instead of rushing as I have been doing between work and writing, as always I want to hear your feedback so come on guys give me what you got the good, the bad and the ugly I can take it. Much love keep the comments, Pms, faves and follows coming.
AN2: Also if anyone would like a sneak peak at the next chapter before it comes out I am looking for a proof reader or several, if your interested PM me would love to here from you.
And once again keep your ears pointy and your tails wagging see ya.