A.N.
WOAH GUYS. 50 follows!? You guys are awesome and motivate me to write more often hehe. I was planning for this to be a weekly thing (like it'll be updated every single week) but maybe I'll try to post faster and occasionally have 2 chapters a week. And as for people who guessed that the liquid that spilled on Judy made her pregnant after a hug, you are, unfortunately, wrong and weird, but in an interesting way. It won't be that easy... or maybe it won't even be that twisted ;) Keep reading, and don't forget to review! It means a lot (and I definitely welcome constructive criticism).
OH and this chapter might be a little slow, but don't worry, the pace starts picking up from next chapter (I've already written it but just editing and whatever now).
They had made out in the car. Honestly, Judy didn't know what she was thinking, making out with her partner. They were good friends, yes, but that didn't mean they could just go ahead and share kisses, for goodness sake. His kisses were soft though, despite his more pointed jaw. She had a feeling he stopped mainly because he wanted more, and he couldn't really bring himself to do more to Judy, not when they were only partners, not lovers. Now both of them just sat there in silence.
"We should get back," Nick finally said.
Thinking that there was nothing better to say, Judy simply nodded and started the car. Nick turned on the music, but it didn't lessen any of the awkwardness when the song Say You're Just A Friend played. He gave a little groan and switched the radio station. This one was a talk show, and it was currently discussing "love troubles."
"So what you're saying is, you're scared to date someone because you're afraid to ruin the friendship?" A perky female voice spoke.
"Yes... and there's the fact that we're different species-"
At that, Nick turned off the radio annoyed, and rolled open the window, letting the breeze in.
"Did you mean it?" Judy asked.
Nick looked back at her with his glowing green eyes. "Mean what?"
"That joke. What if I told you I like liked you?"
"Huh?" Nick said dumbly.
"You asked me that a few days ago to get the case file from me, remember?"
Nick blinked a few times. After a few seconds, acknowledgement creeped up his face. If Judy didn't know any better, she'd just think that Nick was getting hot in the car. But she did know him, and she knew that right now he was blushing and trying extremely hard to hide it.
"Oh. That. Sort of. I guess. I dunno. Maybe. I can't believe you remember that," he said, and nervously chuckled.
"Dumb fox," Judy laughed. "When you asked me that, I was going to say I may like like you too."
"Really?" His ears slightly moved up a bit. It was adorable, she wanted to touch them so much. Realizing what she was thinking, she went a little red. She pretended to be focused on getting back to the police station.
"No. Maybe. I don't know." Why am I talking so awkwardly? OH MY GOD. I DO LIKE LIKE HIM. "What I do know, though, is that I couldn't have made it without you as I'm pretty sure I mentioned earlier." She continued to stare straight ahead.
"Okay. If you say so," Nick said after a while. "I do like like you."
Judy smiled. "I think I do too."
They drove back to the police station, and managed to think of the best way to fix the awkwardness between them: to simply pretend that nothing happened. They were Judy and Nick, the bunny and the fox. Nothing could happen anyway.
The rest of the day was rather uneventful; all the two had managed to do was to track down the rest of Professor Ploddenton's assistants. Tomorrow they were going for Amelia Grass, a deer who had worked for the turtle for over three years. recently, she was working in her own lab, making medicine or something. The two parted ways in front of the police station; Nick went back to his home under the river while Judy returned to her apartment.
Judy lay on her bed thinking. It didn't feel right to be not with him, even though both of them felt the same about each other, making them weird. When did he start feeling like that? He did seem pretty worried the other day at the lab when I accidentally spilled something on myself. Maybe from way before? How could I have not noticed? Maybe I didn't want to notice because I didn't want to chase after something I couldn't have. I can't imagine what my parents would- Her thoughts were interrupted by her ringing phone. The only people who would call her were her parents.
"Hey Judy! How's my baby?" Her mom cried, "We haven't heard from you in ages!"
"You haven't called in weeks!" Her father chimed in.
"I was busy with work. There's this case file-"
"Judy, honey, you have to take a break! Don't you have any days off?" Her mom asked, concerned.
I haven't had a weekend in ages. "A day per week, I guess," Judy lied.
"You know we're worried about you? I mean, we were married at your age and... you're so busy with work, you don't even have the time..."
Judy raised a questioning eyebrow at her mother. "To date? Is that what you mean? Is that why Ronnie's over here?"
When her mother looked hesitant, her father spoke up. "Of course not! He's just visiting Zootopia! He... err... needed to give you a message that, well, we want you back home for a weekend."
"Because you couldn't tell me yourself through a conversation like this... right?" Judy added skeptically.
"But... We'd be so embarrassed! You're all grown up, and we should give you some space... but we just miss you, darling!" Her mom said, a desperate tone in her voice.
"Well, I could go back for a day or two then... I did miss you guys. This weekend?"
Her parents nodded passionately. Judy stifled a giggle. Sometimes her parents could be so silly.
"We'll be waiting! At least call twice next week?"
Judy nodded, and turned off the phone.
Not wanting to think about her life, and how she had work all day every day, she opened the case file and began reading it again. There could be something else she missed, or a good question to be asked tomorrow. Then she wondered what Nick was doing.
The next morning came sooner than Nick wanted it to. He thwacked his alarm clock too hard that it went flying across the room. In less than ten minutes, he was ready to go out, a piece of toast in his mouth as he fumbled for his keys to lock the door. He took the train to the station and managed to finish eating. Judy was walking in front, and he could easily catch up with her. Or he could make her wait for him. But then he saw another bunny. Ronnie. He wasn't jealous, of course not -it made no sense for a fox to be jealous of a little bunny rabbit- but he felt irritated. Confrontation was too much work, and it was morning. No need to ruin a perfectly fine morning. So he just took a different route to the office and was careful not to let them see him.
"Hey cottontail, ready to go?" He asked, once she arrived at the office too. She nodded, and she looked much happier than usual.
"Guess what Ronnie just told me?"
Nick feigned interest in what that good for nothing scared bunny had to say. "What?"
"My parents started harvesting a lot of herbs that could potentially be helpful in treating many kinds of diseases. The Night Howlers were bad, of course, but they have other stuff now. It could actually treat severe diseases! And Ronnie's helping them choose which ones to plant," Judy rambled, excited. "This could actually change the medical industry!"
"Good for them, and Ronnie, of course," he said smoothly, detached, but nonetheless attentive-sounding.
They left with the car several moments later and arrived at Grass Laboratories. There literately was grass everywhere, and Nick smirked. How creative. The building itself was made of all nontransparent glass, making the building look like a giant 3D mirror. They entered the lobby and walked up to the information desk.
"Hi, is Doctor Amelia Grass here today? We just have a few questions for her." Nick showed the desk cat his ZPD badge, and the cat gestured them towards an elevator. "Fifth floor," she said, and continued to chew on her catnip.
The whole fifth floor was an office. Dr. Grass stood up as they walked in.
"I was informed that you have some questions for me? Please sit down, and I'll get some tea, and perhaps some cookies." The deer smiled and walked out of the main room.
"Fancy. She seems like a nice person," Judy grinned.
Nick rolled his eyes. "We're not here to enjoy tea and cookies, we're here to investigate. Be ready to take notes, Carrots."
Dr. Grass walked back into the room with straws and iced tea along with a platter of cookies, smiling pleasantly. "I hope you weren't expecting the traditional hot kind. I must say that it's getting a bit hot lately."
Judy smiled politely. "Maybe, but this is much better. Thank you so much."
Nick smiled as well, but couldn't shake off the feeling that this lady wasn't who she pretended to be. At least the ice tea she brought was actually ice tea and not something pretending to be ice tea. Or was it? I'm getting paranoid, Nick thought to himself and took a few sips to cool down.
"We were just wondering," he began, "if you knew about a box in Professor Ploddenton's former lab. So far, we only know that what was inside was very important. What we don't know, however, was what was actually inside."
If the deer was nervous, Nick couldn't see it. "Straight to the point... So this is why you two officers are so famous for solving crimes. I don't remember, really, but it was some sort of serum," she said calmly. "All I know is that it could be dangerous, and should not be, in any circumstances, injected into anyone."
She drank her own tea thoughtfully. "We didn't destroy it though. It was an important step in our... shall we say, project. It became the base for our future research and that's how I ended up here. I've only looked at the serum's formula once or twice, but it was enough for me to get a few hints. I got my own lab because I managed to eliminate diseases that affected one type of species, but not another type of species. I won't delve in deep there, considering that it would take more than just a morning to go over it. And I must say that I don't have much spare time."
"What project?" Nick asked.
"I'm afraid I cannot tell you the specifics, since Professor Ploddenton was in charge. If you want to know, you should ask the professor. Us assistants were the only ones who knew, but we are not allowed to say a thing."
"We talked to him yesterday, but he didn't want to tell us. We didn't want to force it upon him, considering that he's the victim and not the criminal," Judy said, after taking a cookie.
Dr. Grass smiled ruefully. "I'm sorry. But this is a matter that I cannot discuss. And it looks like I'm out of time. I must go, it was nice to meet with you. If you do not have any more questions that aren't related to the project, then I shall leave. After you?"
Slowly, Judy and Nick got up and headed for the door. Nick's thoughts were spinning. A serum that could not be injected into anyone. Why? Was it lethal? Was it something that the professor held? Could it change someone like the Night Howlers did? Or was it something entirely different? He was snapped out of his thoughts when Judy spoke.
"At least that was something. But even if we find out what's in the boxes, how will we find the thieves? If it's very valuable, wouldn't the thieves sell it? We also really need to talk to the professor again. At least try." She bit her lip. Nick thought that was adorable, but he knew she was scared. He was too.
"I don't think they want to sell it," he said grimly, "they want to use it."
Before Judy could say anything else, his phone vibrated. It was a call from Chief Bogo, which Nick found strange. It must be urgent. Something bad must have happened for the Chief to call him directly.
"Officer Wilde sir," he responded. He felt all the power drain out of him when the chief said his next sentence.
"Professor Ploddenton was murdered."
Judy watched as Nick put down his phone, face pale.
"He's dead. The professor, he was murdered." He murmured.
How could that possibly happen? We were finally getting somewhere, Judy thought furiously. She did feel a little sorry for the man, but it was hard when he had almost done something to Nick.
She felt that this was stupid, but she wanted to know whether or not Nick was thinking the same twisted theory. The murderer was the same person who stole the box. "Who could've done that to him?"
"We have to go check it out," Nick said, now determined. "Maybe the murderer left some tracks, we never know. Or... the murderer was the same person who stole the stuff. The murderer could've known that we were investigating. They didn't want us to know what was in the box."
Times like this, she loved having Nick as her partner. He was the only one who understood her.
"What are we waiting for? Let's go."
They arrived at the crime scene, where forensics were already poking around the place. There were multiple ZPD officers, whom were standing on the sidelines drinking coffee. Nick was still in the car, also packing some forensic equipment for their own use. Judy waited outside, also eavesdropping on a conversation since she had to wait.
"Creepy guy though," one of them, a rhino, was saying, "I don't see why we even work when that Hopps and Wilde take up all the interesting cases. If I didn't know any better, Bogo ships them."
The one beside him, an elephant, snorted. "And do you? A fox and a bunny?"
The rhino took a long sip of coffee. "It's a matter of fact that they like each other. Do you ever see them together? Honestly, it's kinda gross."
Judy felt humiliated, and wished she had never heard this conversation. Gross? They might have some feelings for each other but... was that how people viewed them and their partnership?
Nick was right beside her now, holding a little case. "Hey, ready to go in?"
"Yup," she said and managed a small smile. "We might be able to know more about our criminal today."
The place was as dirty as they found it last time. Except now, the second floor had yellow tape around it and blood was spilled everywhere. The professor's body was there too, covered in a white sheet. The forensic scientist, a little raccoon, was there packing his stuff.
"Can we see the body?" Nick asked.
"Yes but there's not much to see. It's pretty obvious though."
Nick slowly unveiled the body. To his surprise, there were obvious marks made by the murderer. There were two large hand marks on the turtle's neck. He was obviously choked to death by someone. Then clawed at, the four scratch marks were obvious, with dry blood around it. Judy gasped.
"I'm assuming that you already got the prints?" Nick asked the raccoon, who nodded. "Thanks for letting us interrupt your.. whatever you do. I hope that you inform us with the results once you get them."
With that, the two officers left. At least they would know who the murderer was. But now, looking at the handprints, it was impossible to think that the person could've been that sloppy. There was no way, if the murderer was the same as the thief, he or she would leave too-obvious tracks. It was purposeful.
"I don't think that..." Nick began, but Judy knew what he was going to say before he said it.
"The marks are left on purpose," she whispered, "someone knows we're investigating."
Today was a long day. Judy lay on her bed, exhausted, both physically and mentally. After seeing the crime scene, she and Nick went back to the ZPD to make a map of what they knew and didn't know, basically laying out all the information they had, which wasn't much at all. She also knew that now someone knew she was investigating. Maybe she just needed to take a break. She turned on her phone, which was left off since yesterday. Apparently she had missed a call, which was strange, since she knew her parents wouldn't call her in the middle of the day. Then she checked her voice messages. There was one. Nervously, she tapped on to listen.
"I'm sorry. I know I could've helped you, but I refused to. I want to help now. I didn't know how dangerous the situation was. There is a serum, multiple bottles of it inside the box. They make you stronger, faster, more predatory but-" multiple coughs, more and more now, "you won't" cough, cough, gasping for air "be yourself" more coughs, the voice was becoming hoarse and whispered, "control yourse..." The voice message ended.
