Strings and Knots
Chapter 2: From the ground looking up
Nick stood off on the corner that led into the alleyway where he had apprehended the thief. The dog was escorted out and over the shoulder by a polar bear, still dosed by the tranquilizer. Behind the bear, followed his partner, a dusty-colored wolf that was making small talk as they placed the canine into the back of the car. He could make out some words that were being said, but he wasn't really paying attention, not when other things were going through his mind currently. Something about a fox outwitting a dog or some pun that related to dogs? He didn't really care, he was just glad that it was done. Even though his job was done, Nick could feel a sigh depart from his lips as he watched the whole thing take place, still trying to understand why he would resist. He knew better than to think about why that happens, but it just bothered him to the point where he couldn't help himself. All he had to do was surrender, give himself up and that would've been it. Possibly save him from more paperwork than needed, but he still remembered what his captain said this morning.
Nothing is ever easy.
Not only that, but his mind began to wonder back to the little kit he had found. All he knew was her name, but that was it. He didn't bother asking for more information after learning her name, not wanting to overload her with questions that she probably wouldn't know how to answer, but her name was a good start. He could look her up back at the station for more information about her family and find out where she lived. Still, he couldn't help but wonder, why a kit so young as her was not in classes, like all other cubs. It wasn't the time for dismissal, so he already found that out of place to begin with.
"Alright Wilde," pulled from his thoughts, Nick looked over when his name was called, seeing the polar bear with one foot in their car. "We can take it from here. Thanks for calling us."
"Eh, no big deal. I figured you'd be bored seeing as how you guys were stuck at the station."
"We were indeed. Glad you could give us something to do to pass the time. Wish we got stationed at Tundra Town though.
"Speak for yourself, man!" They both looked towards the driver's seat. "You know how much I hate the cold!" The polar bear rolled his eyes at the minor complaint, not seeing the cold as an issue.
"Come on, Zach. How many times have we been stationed in TT? I thought you'd be used to it by now."
"Coming from a polar bear? That's not a compliment, Kaiser." The bear only rolled his eyes at the reply he was given. He turned his attention back to Nick, who only shrugged in response.
"See what I have to deal with on an almost daily basis?" a minor sigh leaving his lips.
"I clearly feel your pain." Nick playfully sneered, paws shifting into his pockets. "I thought wolves were built for the cold."
"Not this wolf," he thumbed back towards Zach, ignoring the glare he was most likely receiving. "That being said. We're gonna go place this guy in the hold. You going back to your post? You know how Chief Bogo dislikes deserters."
"I am, but seeing as what happened," He looked into the back of the squad car. "I gotta make a report about this. The sooner, the better. I'm gonna call in for a temporary replacement while I get all that sorted and everything. Plus I still need to take the stoat's statement and testimony back at the station. But before I get to do all that fun stuff, there's still one thing I have to take care of first and foremost." Kaiser was about to question that when he saw Nick side glance back into the alley.
"I get ya. Shy little thing, she wouldn't budge from that one spot, no matter how much we coaxed her. Seems like you're the only one that could get a reaction out of her."
"I tend to have that effect on Animals." A smug smile following that answer.
"I'm sure you do." Placing himself in the car and pulling the door close. The window rolled down, Kaiser stuck his head out the window. "I'll see to it, that the stoat receives her personal belongs. You make sure that kit gets back home. Her folks must be worried sick."
"Don't gotta tell me twice. Oh, before you go, can you guys do me favor?"
"Sure, Wilde. What is it?"
"Think you two can give him the shake down in my place? I already got a lot to do when I get back."
"An interrogation? Cub's play. We'll get what we need outta him easy."
"Thanks, Kaiser. I owe you one, you and Zach."
"Just get the girl home and we'll call it even."
"Can do. Catch you later, man." Watching them back out onto the street, Nick watched them drive off down the road and back to the station. Leaving him all by himself in the area, glad that his job was partially done. Standing at the entrance, he knew that the pup would be comfortable now it was just him there. "It's alright, Olivia. They're gone now. You can come out." Getting down on his knees, he waited on the kit to come out of hiding, letting her proceed at her own pace. He was technically in a rush to get back to the station, wanting to get a head start on that report and back to his post, but, civilians always came first. Especially if that civilian member of his own species. Soon enough, her head popped from around the corner, looking around to see if they were truly gone. True to his word, she willed herself from where she was hiding and slowly inched her way to where Nick was, paws still clenched together while her eyes shifted about.
"A-are they gone?" Her voice still small and fearful, but Nick only smiled with a nod following.
"Just like I promised. It's just me." He replied, keeping his voice calm and steady.
"Thank you." She shifted her paws to the overall straps, twiddling her toes together.
"How come you're afraid of them? Never seen a bear and wolf before?" He kept his question so she could easily understand him. He noticed that she shook her head in disagreement.
"N-no. they were just… really big."
"Yeah, They are pretty tall, well, the bear is. The wolf is just a little more than me. But even if they are, they won't harm you. They're police officers, just like me." Olivia looked up from the ground and into Nick's eyes.
"You're a policeman?" Her voice raised a little, learning something new.
"That's right, I am" He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out his badge. Flipping the cover over, he showed off the golden badge. He held it out for her to see it up close, letting her get a better understanding of it. She took hold of it and saw for herself. "Whenever you see a police with that, it means we're here to help any animal who needs it."
"A policeman," she repeated, bringing a smile to his face.
"That's right, Olivia." He praised.
"I never saw a fox policeman before." She handed him back his badge.
"That's right, I'm the first fox to become a police officer. Nicholas Wilde."
"Really?" She asked in a slightly enthusiastic manner. Her ears shot upright in an alert position, her posture a little more upright and her paws clenched into tiny fist. The change in her voice caught him off guard, making him stumble in surprise. When he found her, she was timid and meek, barely speaking at all and cowering from his fellow officers. But the moment he said that, she changed a little, which made things easier on his part. "Wow, I've heard of you, Mr. Wilde, but I didn't think I would get the chance to meet you."
"Well, today is your lucky day. You got to meet me. Also, feel free to call me Nick. Being called by my last name makes me feel old. Now, can I ask you a question?" She nodded simply. "Can you tell me why you were hiding in the alley, not in school?" His voice as gentle as he could make it, but he noticed that she slightly flinched at his words. The change was pretty quick as she regressed back into her shy demeanor but looked off to the side. Her ears falling to the side of her head and tail going limp again, he was even able to make out a small grimace on the side of her tiny muzzle and fidgeting her digits together, like she was stalling.
"Olivia?" Nick called out.
"...like it…" her voice was small and barely audible to the point where Nick had to lean in a bit with one ear perked.
"Excuse me?"
"...n't like it..." she repeated.
"You have to speak up, Olivia."
"I said I don't it!" Her voice was louder, to point where Nick recoiled a little. He covered the ear and stumbled a bit as he looked at her. His finger dug into his ear in an attempt to shake away the minor ringing, finding it to be a nuisance. He took into account at what she said about not liking school and inwardly chuckled at that.
"Don't like it, huh? Not a big fan of school are ya?" She shook her rapidly in disagreement. "How come?" She stalled again but clenched her fists.
"Everyone is mean to me!" Olivia started. "The kids are jerks and the teachers always mean to me! I told mama and papa I wanna change schools, but they said no. I don't want to go back there!" She gripped at her pant legs, looking down at her fidgeting feet.
"Mean kids? Trust me when I say this Olivia, it's not fun."
"No, no it's not." She agreed, seeming to have calmed down a bit.
"Right? No one likes to be bullied." Nick could see that she looked crestfallen now, and it bothered him to see the face of a sad girl. Putting his brain to work, he was quickly able to come up with an idea to change her mind. "Hey, can you keep a secret?" Nick asked.
"I can keep a secret!" Her response was instant, the moment he uttered that word, which took him aback, but composed himself.
That was fast. Faster than normal. "You see Olivia," he looked around as if on the lookout and then cupped the side of his muzzle with one paw. "Growing up, my bullies were Prey species." Her eyes went wide from what he said.
"You too?" He only nodded as an answer. "Wow, you had bullies like me" Nick could only chuckle at that and was about to say something else, but the sound of a hungry tummy rumbled the little girl in front of him, making her cover up in embarrassment, a light chuckle could be heard.
"Seems like I'm not the only who's hungry." He stood up to full height as her eyes followed him. "C'mon, let's go get something to eat. Pretty sure it's past lunchtime for you." She hesitated, her hands fidgeting again.
"R-really? It's okay?" She asked.
"Why wouldn't it be? I'm buying. I know this really good place where you fill full with every order, no matter how small the meal is."
"I mean, is it okay for me to eat?"
? "Of course. You're stomach asked for food, so let's give it food. After that we can find your parents." He saw that her lips purse and look off to the side.
"Mama is gonna be mad at me," Olivia replied.
"Seeing as how you skipped school the entire day, I don't blame her. But she'll be glad to have you back home. Let's get some grub and I'll take you home." He turned to leave, heading back the way he came, knowing that she would follow him, and sure enough, the patter of her feet could be heard right behind. Still it was a little odd that he would find a kit wondering the alleyway on his patrol, then again, she wasn't the first runaway he had taken care of. The process was simple: bring them back to the station, run them through the system, find the parents of said child and take them home, easy as one, two and three. But for some reason or another, Olivia just stood out from the rest and he didn't know why. Granted, some of the things she said struck him as odd, but he chalked it up to being the simple fact of a child just lashing out against their parents and acting out of line. Still, something just nagged at him. He could only speculate what it was, but lost his train of thought when he felt a warm paw take hold of his finger tightly. Looking down to see that Olivia was holding onto him, He could only smile as he led on, ignoring the shaking grip she had.
Time: 2:15
Location: ZPD main hall
As they made their way into the fairly noisy main hall of the Police Department, Olivia clung closely to Nick while he lead the way for them. He knew where they were going, but it didn't help how she was currently feeling and would like nothing more than to bolt out of the building and flee to somewhere safe, preferably with less animals that were bigger than her. Feeling her anxiety start to rise again, she couldn't help but whimper every time one passed by at a relatively close spacing, tightening her grip at the base of his shirt. Nick was keen to the whimpering she was doing and could only smiled. He halted his movement and took this chance to get down to her height once again and offer his warmest smile. She managed to relax a bit, but her downed ear said otherwise.
"How ya holdin' up, Olivia?" His voice calmed her down even further but Nick could see that she was still uncomfortable just being in the main hall.
"I don't like it here… everyone is too tall…" Her paw balling into a fist.
"It's something you get used to after a while. I've been for almost a year now and look at me." Her head tilted to the side
"Really? But they're bigger than you. Isn't it scary?"
"Nope. I know everyone here and they're really nice. Some of these tall animals are my friends as well." Her ears perked a little from their low position.
"They are?"
"Yep, even if they are bigger than me." A smile was on the end of that reply and he up to full height as her eyes followed, a thoughtful look on her face. Nick's reply stumped the little vixen's train of thought right then and there and she couldn't help but wonder what he meant by that. A fox being friends with animals bigger than then himself? This was something entirely new to her and Olivia found herself wanting to know more of what he meant by that, but didn't get the chance to speak, seeing as how Nick's attention was called by a voice unfamiliar to her. He began moving forward towards the desk and she followed closely while staying behind him, making sure to avoid his tail.
"Nick? You're back much earlier than expected," Olivia peaked a little bit of her face to who Nick was talking to, She could make out the face of a cheetah, his noticeably round and fluffy cheeks were lightly bouncing with every word that passed his lips. A perpetual smile on his face that was friendly, just like Nick's. But she was still weary. "I take it you're here to make a report?"
"Indeed I am, Benny boy. Pretty sure you know about the theft and assault I called in?" Nick came to a stop once again and she latched onto his pants leg.
"Well yeah, I was the one who sent you backup, ya know."
"Didn't know you could sound so professional over the radio. With a voice like that you'd have someone thinking otherwise, but I guess Bogo made the right decision."
'Bogo? Who's that?' Olivia questioned herself, generalizing him to be one of Nick's friends.
"That he did. Not to brag or anything, but I do a gosh darn good job of it."
"Indeed you do, no denying that fact."
"Right? Now, on to more important things." Nick could see his nose follow the invisible trail of the aroma emitting from bag of food he had in his paw. He could only smirk as he leaned over as if he were lead, giving him the view of watching his tail twitch. He pressed down chuckle that was trying to leave, not wanting to be rude, but whenever Clawhauser got this way around food was just too funny. Adorable, but mostly funny. "Freshly cut peppercorn fries and a cricket burger, your two favorite foods… that can mean only one thing. You stopped by The Ranch!" A snap of the fingers following the answer.
"Nothing gets past your nose. Benny. 5 points for you." Nick praised.
"I'm good at what I do, Nick. it's been over 6 months, you should know this by now."
"Gosh," a finger resting under his chin in a mock thinking fashion. "Where has the time gone?" Both males shared a brief chuckle from the response. Watching the entire scene take place in front of her, Olivia inched more and more of her fact from hiding to get a better look at the animal that was laughing with him. See could clearly see that, even though he was taller than her, he was very nice, just like Nick. She kept her gold and orange eyes on him while continuing to listen in on the two of them.
"So you think you can send a temporary replacement to my post? I gotta make a report."
"No problem! I can send some reserves there while you get that all sorted out."
"Thanks, Clawhauser. I know it won't take long to make my report, but you never know. Something else could always come up, not that I'm complaining. But after that, there's still something else I have to take care of." Clawhauser arched an eyebrow, confused that Nick would say that.
"After that? What do you mean by after-" Benjamin would've continued, but stopped midsentence when out of the corner of his eyes, he saw that a pair of eyes were locked onto him, peeking out from behind Nick. Angling his head a little more, he could make out the face and head structure of a kit that was hiding behind him. Her fur was the same color as Nick, just a lighter shade of orange and her black tipped ears were slanted down as she kept looking at him before looking down. It was then that Clawhauser understood why there was a follow-up.
"Uh, Nick, is that…?" Benjamin trailed, pointing towards the kit. A surprised but small yelp leaving her lips and she darted back behind him, out of his view.
"I see you met Olivia." Nick replied.
"Olivia? That's her name?" The question was directed at Nick, who nodded in affirmation.
"Yep, that's right. Found her in an alley a few blocks away from my post and as you can see, she's very shy."
"Oh, the poor dear."
"Hang on, I'll try to bring her out." Nick knew that she was holding onto his tail and was shaking quite a bit, clearly nervous about being spotted. He didn't want to take away her hiding spot, seeing as how she acted around the bear and wolf was a bad idea all in itself. Instead, he remained upright and looked down at her, green meeting orange. "Olivia, you wanna come out and meet Officer Clawhauser?" He asked. Her grip tighten, but it didn't bother him one bit.
"No!" Her answer quick and terse, slightly offending Benjamin.
"You sure? Cause he's one of my friends." Nick baited. Her shaking stopped and she looked up towards him, that familiar warm smile on his face. She peeked out to see that the cheetah gave a sheepish smile of his own then back up to Nick again.
"Really? He's one of your friends?" Olivia repeated him, looking for confirmation.
"He is, one of the sweetest animals on the force. He's very nice to every mammal he meets, big or small. He even shares his donuts, something that he does with his friends, very special." Olivia looked over to him, seeing the cheetah nodded in agreement. "What do you say?" Her attention back on Nick. "Wanna give him a proper greeting?" She looked over to Clawhauser who was still smiling at her and then back Nick, patiently waiting for her reply. She hesitated with her answer, still weary of the officer at the desk, but from what she had heard, he sounded nice. Not really seeing a reason to deny, Olivia nodded a few times, much to Nick's delight.
O… okay. I'll try…" Her voice was small and her grip ceased.
"Wonderful! Come on out and say hello to the pudgy cheetah." Although the start was slow, she stepped out from behind Nick and stood beside him, her paws clenching together while planted in front of her in a humble manner while she kept her eyes down on her twiddling feet. Taking in some breaths to calm herself down a bit, she spoke at her own pace.
"H-h-hello… I'm O-Olivia… it's nice to m-meet you, Mr. Clawhauser." She looked up at him, her ears still drawn back. There was a brief moment of silence, but it didn't stay that way for very long, Clawhauser saw to that.
"O… M… Goodness, You're so adorable!" Olivia saw his paws travel up cheeks, further widening his smile. The pitch of his voice considerably higher as well. While it didn't scare her, she did find a bit strange that a male could get his voice to sound that high. "Nick, she's like a tiny version of you!" The paws holding his cheeks balled into fists and his round ears folding against his head.
'A tiny version of Nick?' She looked up at him in confusion.
"You're not the first one to say that, Benny-boy. I got several comments like that back at The Ranch. Some even made passes at me." He chuckled at the post encounters.
"Well of course, that's to be expected" He rested his arms on the desk and leaned in, a bit of sass in his voice. "Single ladies are drawn to that, Nick. The scenario goes like this: Male walks in, male has pup with him, ladies think that's his daughter and swoon behind his back, ladies try to make said male their mate. That's pretty much how it goes… at least from what I've read."
"I think you've been reading too many sappy romance novels. Least they aren't trashy." A smirk on his muzzle.
"Oh whatever! My point still stands, you walked in with a child and they assumed she was yours."
"You know she's not my kid, right?"
"Oh I know that. I could easily tell by her eyes." Benjamin pointed out.
'My eyes? What about them?' Olivia wondered what he meant by that.
"Her eyes? How does that work?"
"To save you a whole convoluted explanation about genes and alleles, I'll just bottom line it. In the fox community, Green eyes, like yours for example, are the most dominant trait, whereas Olivia's aren't. Her eyes are a dusty gold color, that's a VERY rare trait, even rarer that she has two different colors on the same iris. No way she's your kit."
"I noticed that too when I found her. Not something you see everyday."
"That trait is almost non-existent this day and age. So yeah, she's very lucky to have that." Olivia could feel her cheeks tint a little as she looked off to the side, find what he said genuinely nice, even though she didn't smile.
"I have to agree to that. Now, I have a lunch break that needs to be shared with a certain bunny and you know how I'm not one to keep her waiting. So, me and Olivia are gonna get going. I'll have my report done and ready by then. Give my position to Officers Cunningham and Sutton. Explain what's going on and they'll understand the rest." He turned his attention towards Olivia and lightly nudged her shoulder. A confused look on her face when she looked up to him. "Come on, let's get going." She took hold of his finger and he lead the way. "Later Benny." Nick lead the way out of the hall and towards where he worked. "Also, send the stoat to me, I can take her statement and get things sorted."
"But, what about your lunch?"
"I can stave it off a little longer. Wouldn't be a good office if I couldn't handle my hunger, now would I?"
"Fair point." Just as they were about to go, Benjamin called out to them. "Oh, Nick, one more thing before you go, it's about the thing you asked me to look into," Nick stopped mid stride of their walk and turned his attention back to the cheetah. "It's proving difficult with little info to go on, but I just want you to know that I'm making progress. Hopefully, I can have something for you by the end of the week." Nick only nodded and a genuine smile was on his muzzle.
"Thanks, Ben. This really means alot to me. Just keep up with what you're doing, that's all I'm asking for."
"No problem, I let you know once I find more."
"Alright, me and Olivia are gone. Got a lot to cover before the end of my shift." With that said and done, both foxes traveled further down the hallway with each step from the main and down the more narrow pathways.
"What did you ask him to do?" Olivia asked, curious about what they talked about. The sudden question earn a chuckle as Nick looked down at her.
"It's nothin' important. Just asking him for a favor. Don't worry about it, it's all grown up stuff, something you'll understand when you become an adult, I promise." He only smiled while leading on past various rooms. Olivia didn't quite understand what he meant by that, but didn't press it any further. He did say that it was for grown ups after all. Nick looked down to see that she was frowning again and only let out a sigh. Perhaps someone more her size would be better company. "So," She looked towards him "you ready to meet my partner? I'm pretty sure you'll like her."
The clacking sound of digits hitting the keys could be heard throughout the cubicle as a bored Judy eyed her screen monitor, watching letters fall into place of a report that she was tasked with filling out. It was a simple 5 page report that Chief Bogo had tasked her with completing, even though she was technically done with reports for the day. It was a chance to earn a little more on her paycheck, so she didn't mind a little extra work, seeing as how that was all she could do for now. Nick told her that he had a theft to stop earlier and hasn't heard from him since then, he was in a hurry after all, so the cancellation of getting lunch in their call was to be expected. Still, Judy knew that Nick could handle himself on a simple solo patrol, both his training and her mentoring saw to that quite well, but she would still worry a bit when it was just him out there, for the part of her mind, the part that was protective of her mate, always spoke loudest out of all the others. The clicking of keys stopped suddenly as she leaned back into her chair, a brief and brisk breath left her lips.
'It's been over 30 minutes,' she reached for her phone and tapped the screen, seeing the lapse in time from when the call ended. 'And still no word from Nick. I hope he's alright.' Placing it back down, Judy placed her paws back on the keyboard, preparing to finish up. She was really looking forward to patrolling with him, making this long day rather short, timewise in a manner of speaking. She had to hand it to him, Nick always managed to make time go by much more quickly, be it breaking protocol with quick but heated, passionate romps or just sitting there and talking about various things, he knew how to keep her entertained. Just as one digit was about to hit a key, her ears twitched when she heard something nearby, but Judy's only response was a smirk. She already knew who was here and didn't bother to turn around.
"We've been through this before, Nick. You can't sneak up on me, no matter how hard you try." There was brief silence before a familiar chuckle was heard, making Judy smirk victoriously.
"Aww, and here I was trying my hardest to get you this time. Fun killer." Judy giggled when she felt his lips land squarely on her cheek, the blushing came immediately but she didn't shy away, rather, she pressed into it, knowing that they were the only ones there. Leaving his lips there a little longer, he pulled away with a smooching sound following up with an affectionate nuzzle to conclude. "Sorry about earlier, it all happened pretty fast. But I took care of lunch for us on the way back. Here you go, Carrots. To make up for it." Sorting out the three, he handed her the bag with her meal in it, which she gratefully accepted.
"You got me the Carrot salad?" Her voice raising in joyful anticipation while opening the bag, the smell of her favorite meal filling her nose, making it twitch. When she looked in, a small squeal of elation passed her lips.
"Premium." Her ears twitched at the word. "With low sodium dressing and some fresh fruits on the side. I figured I'd make it a little more special since our original plan got canned." His reply earned a coo from her.
"Aww, Nick~," She reached for his tie and pulled down to her level, passionately planting a kiss directly on his lips making his eyes go wide with surprise. The spark that he felt whenever they connected lips surged throughout his whole body, shooting his ears upright and erect, as well as puff and fluff out his tail a bit. She pulled back and smiled his way. "You're so sweet, thank you."
"So sweet, I'll make you sick?" The bunny chuckled at his poor analogy, find his attempts adorable, but was flattered nonetheless. Placing the bag carefully on her desk while keeping her grip on his tie, she placed her paw on his cheek and lovingly caressed cheeks, intimately locking her amethyst colored eyes directly with his emerald ones, eyelids covering the top half, giving off that sultry look he knew all too well. Feeling the heat in his cheeks as she continued to stroke him, he spoke up as she leaned over planted another kiss on his cheek. "Uhhh… Fluff?"
"Hmmm?" She pulled back and went for his cold wet nose this time, nuzzling the black pad in that bunny fashion, a trait passed down from her lapine ancestors .
"Wh-what's with the affection?" He wasn't opposed to this, in fact, he was all for the attention he was getting, but knew that now wasn't the best time.
"Giving you a reward after all you did today. I heard from Clawhauser that you succeeded in stopping a theft, returned priceless belongings back to a stoat and you went above by making up for our lunch plan. I believe that warrants a treat, does it not?" The knowing smirk she showed made Nick gasp internally. The paw on his cheek worked it's way towards the collar of his standard uniform, feeling him vibrate at her tender touch.
"Didn't think a few good deeds and getting you a premium salad would make you this handsy, ya know?"
"Like I said, you deserve a reward and I'm giving it to you~" She moved under his muzzle and worked her way down the trail starting from his jawline down to the base of his neck, small pert kisses and licks were planted along the way, causing Nick to gasp sensually as he placed a free paw on her desk, steadying himself. He could feel all that rousing energy work from his head to the tip of his tail, but he wasn't worried about that, there was one spot that was starting to feel the effect and he knew he had to stop her.
"Ah~ J-Ju-Judahhhh…" He had to force himself away from the pleasurable assault. "W-wait. Judy, hold up…" As much as he didn't want it to stop, it had to for now.
"What's wrong, Nick?" She looked at him in confusion that he would be the one stop something that he really enjoyed from her. He took this moment to slow his breaths and calm down even though she let out a huff.
"W-wow, didn't peg you one for foolin' around in the cubicle. For a second there, I thought you were in season… wait, you're season's not starting, is it?"
"You don't need me to tell you when it is, you have the perfect detector square on your face." She tapped it and a deeper blush appeared. "Besides, is it wrong for me to show just how much I love you?"
"No no, It's not, I just didn't think it would be in the ZPD, which is pretty daring. Even for you, Carrots."
"You said you always wanted something spontaneous." She smirked again in that smug fashion.
"When you know that the chances of us being caught and put on suspension are incredibly high?"
"Could make desk duty a heck of a lot more interesting, don't you agree?" A wink followed and Nick swore that he felt his heart skip a beat. Both surprised and turned-on by this rabbit in front of him, he couldn't help but lecherously chuckle at her idea.
"See? That, that right there, the mischievous side of you, That's the reason why I love you, ya needy bunny."
"Just that, sure there aren't other factors that make me appealing?"
"Oh, there are. I'm just responding to your advances in kind."
"Good answer, handsome fox." She planted a quick peck on his cheek once more. "But back on topic, why'd you stop? Usually you're gung-ho on mischief making in the station. Why the sudden conscious?" Pulling back, he straightened his tie, making himself somewhat presentable.
"Well, other than my need to follow the upheld rules," Judy only rolled her eyes at his reply. "The Stoat's meeting me here and I'm gonna take her statement. We're gonna see if she presses charges against the perp, which is more than likely. Also," He trailed while walking out of the cubicle.
"Also?"
"We have a guest with us today, my dear Cottontail." Judy arched an eyebrow as he got down on his knee, "Do try to be patient with her, she's very shy." He took his attention off her and on something else while Judy arched an eyebrow at the word 'she'. "Alright, Olivia. You can come out now. Come meet Officer Hopps." Judy felt a sudden surge of jealousy from hearing the name of another female leave his lips. And by her first name no less! She was about to confront Nick about that and give him a good stern talking to with a few hop kicks for added measures, but didn't get the chance to when the tiny fox walked past the walls and into her view, quashing any lingering thoughts that were hiding in the back of her mind.
"Olivia, this is Officer Judy Hopps; Zootopia's first official bunny cop and my partner. Judy, this is Olivia. I found her after the theft."
"H-Hello…" She gave a small wave, a tiny smile on her muzzle. "It's nice to meet you, Ms. Hopps."
"Well hello to you too!" She pushed herself off the chair and walked over to where the kit was. Arms falling behind her back, Judy showed off her best smile to the little girl. "Pleased to meet you, Olivia. I take it that my partner was the one that found you?" She shifted her posture into a hunching one, placing her paws on the caps of her knees in an attempt to match her height with the kit's. Olivia could see that the bunny was taller than her but by a small margin compared to the other animals she had met on the way here and felt a lot more comfortable.
"Y-yeah, he did. Nick's been really nice to me since then. He even brought me food." A quick glance toward the bags in his paw brought a smirk to Judy's face.
"Did he now?" Her eyes shifted towards the fox, looking off to the side then back to the little girl. "Did you you remember your manners and thank him?"
"Yes ma'am, I did."
"Polite little darling, isn't she, 'Ma'am'?" Nick mimicked in a teasing tone. Judy only rolled her eyes and brushed it off, knowing that he was kidding around. From the sidelines, Nick stood back up to full height and simply watched the two mammals talk back and forth about little things. Just as he predicted, Olivia was having an easier time talking to someone who was basically her height, taking away the intimidation factor and placing her in a more comforting position to open up. The only reason Nick could guess why she was okay around him was most likely due to the fact that they were the same species, despite that he was much taller than her. He was content with watching the two just talk about simple things that she could answer, seeing as how Judy had over 200 brothers and sisters, having a conversation with a kit was easy. The scene of a bunny and kit talking with each other was interrupted when a familiar voice had called out to him from nearby.
"Ah. Officer Wilde," Nick Judy and Olivia looked down the lane of cubicles to see a stoat that was walking towards them in a brisk manner. "We meet again."
"Indeed we do, Mrs... " Nick trailed, never getting her name.
"It's Williams. Nora Williams," She came to a stop when just a meter away from him. "Also, allow me to thank you once again for your help, Officer Wilde. You're a shining example for your kind."
"Just doing my civic duty, Ma'am." A light bow following.
"And you're doing a fantastic job. Hopefully we'll have another fox that becomes a cop in the future."
"The chances of that are pretty likely. Which I look forward to mentoring."
"I'm sure you'll be a fantastic teacher. Oh…!" out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a little fox cub that was standing inside of Judy's cubicle, paws behind her back and her foot tracing the tile while looking off to the side. Her ears were back but that didn't stop her from being polite. With one arm out of hiding, she waved simply and a small smile followed. Mrs. Williams was a little surprised but waved in kind before turning her attention back to Nick. "Goodness, I didn't know you had a daughter." Focusing on the kit, Mrs. Williams gave a warm smile her way. "Aside from her eyes and ears, her fur looks like yours, but lighter. She must've inherited it from the mother, adorable little darling. Did you just pick her up from school?"
Judy arched an eyebrow when the word 'Daughter' and Nick's person were used in the same sentence. She locked eyes with Nick and smirk followed, wanting to know more about that, but the fox didn't give her the chance to speculate any further. He turned his attention back to Mrs. Williams and shook his head in a disagreeing manner.
"No no no, she's not my kit." A nervous chuckle leaving his lips. "Believe me, I've been asked that loads of time today."
"She isn't?"
"'Fraid not, Mrs. Williams. I found her after the guy who stole your things was escorted to a holding cell."
"I see, that's too bad. From where I'm standing, I could've sworn she was. You definitely look like the father type." Nick cleared his throat at the thought of what she said and put it out of his mind, wanting to get started on his report.
"Who can say? Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. No one ever truly knows, but onto to the main topic. Are you ready to make your statement?" With a nod from her, Nick lead her towards his work station where he could take her statement of what happened before hand, giving both Olivia and Judy a chance to talk more about stuff to pass the time.
As a fellow officer escorted Mrs. Williams out of the working area, Nick saw her off with a wave, his job done and all that was left was to type up his report now that he had her statement written down and complete. Luckily it was something that could be done within a matter of minutes, since Waltzer volunteered to interrogate the perp that assaulted her, which worked great on his part. Now he could focus on finding Olivia's parents and take her home. The last thing he wanted was a repeat of an angry parent barging into the precinct demanding to know where their taxpayer dollars are going. His train of thought was cut short when he felt a bump at the his hip and it was accompanied with a familiar voice. He already knew what was coming and didn't bother fighting it.
"So," in his peripheral vision, a smirk could be seen. "Mistaken for her 'father' huh? When were you gonna tell me?"
"Oh you know me, I just hate spoiling surprises." He played along, knowing that Judy wasn't one to let something like this go so easily.
"Well, she's one heck of a surprise, Nick."
"Considerate her an early birthday gift then." Nick smirked when he saw a faint blush appear on her face. "Figured I'd take the initiative."
"Hmph. Well played, Fox." Nick only bowed as a response. "Joking aside, let's eat up and the sooner we take the girl home, the better. Her folks must be worried sick."
"If you had a kitten that skipped classes, of course you'd worry. I would. Last thing I would want was for my kit to be God knows where besides school on a school day."
"Is that a fatherly tone I hear?"
"If by fatherly, you mean concerned, then yes."
"I figured as much. That being said," The two of them walked back towards Judy's work area where Olivia was patiently sitting, getting a headstart on her lunch, paying them no mind. "We have a few of days off starting next week and I'm gonna go visit my family then. You wanna come with?"
"I dunno, Carrots. Whenever we go to your folks to visit, I always end up exhausted coming back."
"What? You love visiting my parents and all my brothers and sisters love you."
"I know, hence the word: exhausted."
"I see. Well, what if blueberries were involved?" His ears perked, but he kept a chilled facial expression
"If there's blueberries, I'll start packing at the end of our shift."
"How about I do you one better? When we get there, we're gonna make blueberry pies."
"D… Did I hear that right? Blueberry pies?" His tail wagged at the thought of having his two favorite snacks combined together.
"Yep. We had a bountiful harvest with some leftovers. Dad thought it would be a waste to simply toss them and the our neighbors don't want them, so, we're gonna make pies instead. Still wanna stay in the city, without me?" Nick knew that Judy had him right where she want. She playfully leaned to the side with her head slumped on her shoulder, her arms folded behind her back as she patiently waited on his answer.
"Monday can't get here soon enough." A wink followed.
"Great!" Reaching into her pocket and pulling out her phone, her digits danced across the screen with the intent of contacting her family. "I'll let my mom know and she'll set up our own room in advance. Won't be a repeat of last time, I promise."
"Please do, Carrots. I don't think my dignity can handle another scandal." Judy scoffed at his 'woe-is-me' tone and continued with the arrangements.
"Don't be such a drama vixen, my older siblings are helping out this time, so we'll have a lot more privacy than last time."
"Oh Carrots, you're so good to me."
"And don't you forget it. Either." She placed her phone back into her pocket and stepped over to her chair, taking a seat while the kit in the cubicle only watched the two adults from sideline. Placing herself back in the chair fishing out her meal that probably went cold by now, Judy went back typing away at the report now that everything was sorted with her folks. "You go get a jump on finding Olivia's parents, I'm gonna finish up this report, enjoy my lunch and then we'll head out."
"Good, because I've been craving food since this morning." Taking hold of the bag, Nick arched an eyebrow as he took hold. The moment he lifted it, something felt off. Before the next bite was taken, Judy stopped midway.
"Something the matter, Nick?" Nick looked over to the kit briefly before turning his attention back to the bunny.
"Nah, it's nothing. Just remembering something, that's all. "With his bag in paw, he left the area and walked over towards his own area. He had Mrs. Williams statement, so typing up the testimony could wait for now, it was already 10 minutes to 3 PM and Olivia was still here and not home. Nick could only imagine how furious her parents would be when he returned her, but perhaps his presence could soften things for the cub, and if what she said was true about her school, he might even be able to convince them that a change of schools would help. Reaching his own station, he planted himself in front of the screen and got a head start on the search, ignoring the fact that his bag was much lighter than before.
Time: 3:05
Location: Residential Area; 5623 SE 56th St
Area: Barklyn Grove
The drive from the precinct was a relatively quiet among the three of them. Normally Nick and Judy would talk about anything that came to mind or something that one of their coworkers would did that they found amusing and was worth going on a tangent about. It was the little things that got them going for almost hours on end, but ever since Olivia joined them, it was hard to get a conversation going. Judy tried to make small talk with her, but a word or three, she would fall silent and not speak unless spoken too. Nick on the other paw kept his eyes on the road as they made the transition from the ZPD to Barklyn. It was a long drive, nearly an hour, but he didn't mind the trip. There wasn't a whole lot of traffic on the road so that made things easier on him. Out of habit, he would sneak glances from the rearview mirror, watching Olivia from it. He noticed that her paws were constantly balled up on her lap and her head past her shoulders, making him unable to see her eyes, then again, Nick didn't need to see them to know that she was terrified. He was taking her home and more than likely, her mother was going to be pissed that her child skipped an entire day of school. Most likely grounded, but she had to get home, regardless of parental punishment. Still, to find kit in an alley on a school day and not have a parent call in they were missing, Nick found it odd they weren't notified but didn't want to jump to conclusions on a whim. But that nagging feeling just wouldn't stop, no matter how professional he tried to be.
Coming to a stop on the curb of Barklyn Grove, the three of them had arrived at the address of where the kit lived. Needless to say, they were quite surprised when their eyes fell on the house. Like all the others in the area, it was fancy two story house with flowers under every window that was within view. An overarch that was placed over the driveway, granting shade and protection from the harsh rays of the sun. The lawn was a nice healthy shade of green, showing that it was properly cared for by the family gardener. The coat was a pale beige that covered most of the house while the tiles were deep mahogany color. It was a pretty impressive house, they couldn't deny that fact but then again, it wasn't everyday they traveled out to the rich part of Zootopia.
"This where she lives?" Judy was the first one out of the car, inspecting the house from where they were parked. "You sure we're in the right place?"
"You doubt my animal finding skills? Oh, Carrots. You should know me better than that. I AM an ex-con after all." He followed her lead and stepped out and stretching his legs. He had been on longer drives than this, but it still felt nice to give his muscles a chance to contract.
"Yeah yeah, I know that much," a dismissive tone in her voice. "We've just never been here before, so I'm a little skeptical. That's all."
"I don't blame you. We are in Blue Blood territory after all."
"Blue Blood?" She repeated, confused by the term. "What's that?" Nick couldn't believe what he was hearing from his partner and feigned a gasp of disappointment, a paw landing over his heart as he leaned back
"Blue Bloods, Carrots. Blue Bloods! You know; The Bourgee, The High Ballers, Deep Pockets, The Jiggies, The Fat Cats, The 1%"
"In non 90s speak, please?"
"Ugh, you bunnies." he reached over to the rear door and took hold of the handle. "So sheltered. Basically, the rich. We're in one of the richest parts of Zootopia, which is why I said Blue Bloods. More commonly known as BBs for short."
"I see. Sounds like you've been here before, have you?"
"Nah and I prefer not to. Don't need to be feeling that ancestral itch, now do I?" Pulling the door open, Nick looked in to see that Olivia hadn't moved from that same spot since they started out. Her paws still balled up and her gaze was down while her ears were flat against her head, her tail over her waist in that protective manner, showing a vulnerable and fearful kit. Nick couldn't help but feel for the girl. No child wants to be on the receiving end of a parent's wrath, he knew that much growing up. Hopefully she wouldn't pull a stunt like this again, last thing he wanted was find again but with a white sheet over tiny frame. "Hey Sweetheart," His voice pulled her out of the trance she put herself in. Her ears perked in attention and faced him. "We're here. You're home now. The sooner you get this over with, the better it will be for you. Now come on, let's not keep your folks waiting." He held out a paw for her to take hold of, waiting on her. With her lips tightening, Olivia only nodded in agreement and took hold, latching onto his fingers and shifted herself from the car and out onto the street, her grip never loosening.
Upon reaching the front steps of the house, Nick was the one to knock on the door, giving it five solid hits and then waited for someone to answer them. There was a car in the driveway, so they knew that one of her parents had to be home. As they waited, Nick felt her grip tighten even more, to point where it was nearly starting to hurt. Not only that, but the shaking her felt from her only continued ever since they got here. Like she didn't want to be here. Just as Nick was about to try and calm her down, the door opened and revealed who was on the other side, directing their attention.
"Oh! This is quite unexpected," Once the door was opened fully, a slim yet curvaceous white furred vixen draped in a silky velvet one piece that hugged the finer points of her body in a rather… provocative manner, enough to make any male blush should he look her way. The dress had straps that fell to the side below her shoulders and the tail of the outfit rested on the edge of her calves. The top part exposed a very good amount of cleavage but not enough to fall into the excessive parts and she had the voice of a seductress. "I wasn't expecting a visit from a male in uniform, especially a handsome one, such as yourself. To what do I owe this surprise?" Her paw landing on her cheek, toying with the fur in that coquettish manner. Yellow eyes going half lidded in an attempt to match Nick's. Though he was unaffected by that. Judy on the other paw felt a slight surge of jealously run through her entire body, making her fur lightly bristle as she kept an eye on her.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Barnett." Nick started but was cut short by a paw raising in from him.
"Please Officer, call Natalia." she purred, her tail swinging from side to side behind her. "It makes talking so much easier, wouldn't you agree?" She leaned in bit, making an attempt to get into his personal space.
"I agree. Talking on a first name bases does make things simple."
"At last, another fox that understands," She reached out and pet his cheek in a tender manner. Judy clenched her paws into fist, cracking the bones on the inside as she watched this female put a paw on her mate. She wanted to ignore protocol and hop kick her across the face, but pushed back her inner desires and remained calm "Why can't there be more foxes like you?"
"What can I say?" he shrugged with his free arm. "I'm one of a kind."
"Indeed you are…"
"Keep it professional, Officer Wilde. In case you forgot, we're here for a reason." Judy interrupted, diverting attention down towards. Her foot tapping in an irate manner and a scowl on her face which was aimed at Nick. He only winked her way and turned back to the vixen.
"It's as my partner says. The reason why we're here Mrs. Barnett is because of your daughter." Nick stepped off to the side, revealing Olivia to her, the grip on his fingers never loosening. "Mrs. Barnett, were you aware that your daughter was not in school at all today? I found her hiding in an alley during one of my patrols." All attention was on the child and Nick had expected an explosion of parental authority to sound out from her and drag the girl inside to discuss a proper punishment, but the opposite happened. A sigh left Natalia's lips as she placed her paw on her forehead.
"Again Olivia? Her voice turning harsh and the kit winched. Nick arched an eyebrow at the word, finding that odd for a reprimand. "This is the fifth time you've been brought back here, yet you still continue to pull this stunt."
"I-I'm sorry, Mama…" was Olivia's reply, her eyes locked onto the ground.
"You fractious child."Contempt behind her words. "I don't know why you keep doing this."
"From she has told me, Mrs. Barnett. She's been a victim of bullying at her school. I was thinking that maybe a change would do her some good." A light but biting laugh left her lips from he said, dripping with mockery and scorn.
"Is that what she told you? Oh, darling, pay her no mind. That's just a lie only a brat would come up with to avoid school." Nick found her remark a bit disturbing to say the least, but he kept it to himself for now. "You needn't worry Officer, my Husband and I will see to it that this doesn't happen again."
"I don't know, Mrs. Barnett." Judy spoke up to the vixen, even though she didn't want to. "I know what it's like to be bullied and it feels horrible. Perhaps a change of schools is just what she needs to stop running away." Her reply was met with a chuckle.
"Oh, you needn't worry about that, Honey." She waved her paw in a dismissive manner. "She just needs to grow a thicker pelt and just shrug it off. She'll be fine. Even though I had bullies, I turned out alright. But I appreciate your concern for my daughter."
'Honey?'The thought ran through her head and she clenched even more at the attitude this vixen was giving her. "I see. My apologies, Mrs. Barnett." Clearly feeling insulted, Judy wanted to lash out at that, but knew better.
Seeing Natalia insult his mate like that was more than enough to make Nick internally growl, but he pushed it back. Instead, the smirk that was on his face had been replaced with a flat line of boredom as he kept his eyes on the vixen before him, keeping the amount of questions that he had for her held back. "Please see to it that this doesn't happen again. She has a lot of potential , that much I know."
"Of course, of course. Thank you for bringing her home and I apologize for the long drive her."
"It's fine. I needed a little get away from the big city, anyways." Natalia only smirked at his reply and sharply snapped her fingers, making Olivia flinch at the sound.
"Olivia, inside the house. We need to talk, and when your father gets home, we're going to discuss your punishment." Nick heard a faint gasp from her lips. "Now. Olivia." The grip on him instantly vanished and the kit scurried inside of the house. "You know where to go. I won't repeat myself twice."
"Y-yes, Mama… Bye Nick…" A small wave followed as she disappeared into the house, leaving the three adults behind on the front steps. A breath left Natalia's lips and she turned away from them, preparing to head inwards, but not before brushing her tail against his legs.
"I apologize that we had to meet like this Officer," she turned head in a angle where only her eye was locked onto Nick and him only, tuning out Judy. "Hopefully our next encounter will be under better circumstances, yes? Feel free to drop by anytime you wish, I implore you. I'll have snacks and drinks prepared by then. Until then," With the door about to close on them, she looked out the small space winked his way. "Ciao." The door closed, leaning the both of them alone. This was the prime chance for Judy to unload everything that just happened, but Nick didn't give her that chance yet. Instead, he took her by the paw and led her back to the car.
"Can you believe her? Who does she think she is?!" Judy fumed as she slammed the door behind once she was in the car, her foot thumping rapidly on the floor.
"Someone I hope to never meet again within my lifetime, Carrots. That was… unpleasant. And that's putting it mildly." He started the ignition, putting the car in reverse while watching his back as he backed out of the lane. "Look, let's just put this behind us and go about the rest of our day, because I really want to forget about… that." Judy could tell that he really didn't want to think about it and respected his wish.
"Fair enough. Plus we have a patrol to finish, perhaps that'll help us get over what just happened."
"Sounds like a plan. Let's get to it."
Placing the car in drive, they left the way they came and prepared for another long drive back to the ZPD, but not with casting another glance at the house, hoping that this would be the last time he would have to come back here.
To Be Continued...
