Rounding the corner, the trio came upon a young, sleek otter, who was still trying to collect herself from what had made her scream.
"Allie, what's going on out here?" Layla asked, coming over and helping her friend the rest of the way up. The small aquatic animal trembled horribly, the floral headband she wore falling off one of her ears. She straightened out her striped hoodie, looking to Layla as she grasped her paw in hers firmly.
"Oh I'm so sorry Layla! I-I just thought I saw something over in the corner of my room and I thought….I thought he was after me!" The smaller-than-average otter squeaked before starting to cry again. Layla shushed her, hugging her close.
"Calm down, Allie. Everything's going to be okay…" She cooed. With a stern look, she looked up at the two officers again, who had ceased to say anything for the past few minutes. Sensing the hostility of the young fox, Judy raised her paws.
"Look, we don't want to start this off on a bad note. We are just trying to learn the facts." Judy reassured the vixen, though by the hardened look she was giving the duo it didn't seem to have worked.
"The facts are somebody's got Olivia and she's going to die!" Allie wailed, and Layla looked down on her with great concern. She patted the otter's back, hugging her close like a child to a mother.
"Allie, I think you should go lie down….you need some rest." Layla suggested starting to guide the traumatized otter back into her room. The otter squeaked, throwing herself back against the wall.
"Wh-what if he gets me? What if he gets you? What if-" Layla placed a finger over the otter's yammering lips, and shushed her softly.
"Nothing's going to happen, nobody's going anywhere. As long as we have each other, everything will be alright." Layla said firmly, guiding the otter back into her room. "Now you go back inside, make yourself some tea, and relax. I'll be there soon." Shutting the door, she turned back to Nick and Judy, resting her paws on her sides and shifting her weight to one hip with a single brow highly arched.
"Still think I'm putting on a show?" She snapped, causing Nick to cross his arms defensively. Judy raised a paw to silence him before he could say anything.
"Your friend said she was worried about Olivia….isn't she worried about the others too?" Judy inquired, quite bothered by the odd behavior.
"Allie is the youngest and newest member of our group. She's only 20." Layla explained. "She never knew Terra and Jeremy, and she had barely met Will when she joined us."
"And what about Nelson?" Judy asked.
"Nelson and Olivia started the group. Then Jeremy and Terra joined. Will was recruited by Olivia, as was I. Then I recruited Allie."
Judy nodded, jotting down the information in her clipboard. Nick continued to look back at Layla, who had busied herself straightening out her white cami she had on underneath her flannel. She was almost the exact same height as Nick, which was typical considering red foxes never outdid each other in size normally. The males were almost always a slightly darker red shade and more squarely shaped than females, but nothing too drastic in difference.
"Look, Officers, it's been a long day for me and I'm pretty sure it's been just as long a day for you as well. I really need to go comfort my friend right now and I'm sure there's other cases you need to attend to. Good night." Layla said, starting to turn away. Judy shook her head.
"No, Miss Mi-..Layla. This is the only case we have." She corrected her, and Layla stopped in her tracks. Judy continued.
"We were just assigned to it this morning, and we have 72 hours to find the victims still missing and the suspect." She rambled, and Layla looked back at them.
"72 hours?" She repeated, and Nick nodded. Layla shook her head softly.
"That's not nearly enough time." She mumbled to herself. Nick sucked in a breath, and before Judy could stop him he stepped forward.
"Well in case you didn't know, foxy, we have solved hard cases in less time than that, and we fully intend to do so with this case. Your cooperation will be most appreciated and advantageous. So how's about tomorrow, Joey's Café at 9:00 a.m. sharp?" He asked. Judy couldn't believe how abrupt he was being, but to her amazement she saw the vixen thinking about it, her gaze looking slightly downward in thought. After a few moments, she locked eyes with Nick again.
"Deal. But only because of Will and Olivia." She said firmly, before opening the door to Allie's room again, stepping inside.
"Don't be late." Nick said in a sing-song tone, and Layla looked at him with the coolest, most determined glare through the crack in the door.
"I won't be." She said with a furrowed brow, slamming the door briskly.
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"I can't believe you today! What was your problem?" Judy chastised her canine partner as they barreled down the highway back towards the ZPD. Nick, who had since clenched his teeth and was furrowing his brow into a knot on his forehead, propped a paw against his chest.
"Me? That vixen was the one with the attitude problem!" Nick said accusingly.
"Nick, you know better than to make a potential witness nervous or belittled. The Academy teaches that very strictly." Judy hissed. "You could have just blown the entire case out of our reach because you think she has an 'attitude problem'. How would you feel if you had just lost your friends to some unknown assailant? I bet you wouldn't feel very chipper either!"
"Well maybe next time we should try asking her the real questions instead of what it says in Police Questioning 101 Volume 10!" Nick retorted, smacking the back of his paw up against the large book tucked away in between the seats, and Judy huffed, throwing her back against the seat again and crossing her arms tightly against her chest.
A heavy silence hung in the air of the police cruiser for several minutes.
Nick, frustrated with how by-the-book his partner was, didn't want to admit that she did indeed make a valid point. He did not conduct himself well with Layla Michaels, and it truly could have just cost them the case. The vixen seemed to have known every single victim thus far, making her a valuable acquaintance. Thinking about how hurt she had looked by his accusation of her not being truthful made him realize how inappropriate his statement had been. The vixen had been more than homely towards them, and he had repaid the cooperation by belittling her.
Nick gave a sideways look to her, studying how rigid and tense Judy was, her head turned to the window, watching the buildings and cars whiz by. Her ears drooped behind her head, making her eyes seem even larger than they already were.
He had admitted to himself a long time ago (in their first interaction, to be exact), that she was a very cute bunny, and liked to get under her skin because he enjoyed watching her nose twitch and her tail wiggle in frustration. This time, however, it wasn't so cute, and he finally caved.
"Look Carrots, I'm sorry…..I know I wasn't on my best behavior today and I should have just let you ask the questions…..I- I'll apologize to Miss Foxy tomorrow, but in the meantime…..can you forgive me?" Nick asked.
Judy's gaze went to the floor, turning her head ever so slowly as she lifted her eyes to lock with his, the expression on her face still a little flustered. She tried to look as angry as possible, but seeing the genuine sorry state of her partner she couldn't do it for more than a few seconds.
"Okay Nick….I forgive you. But tomorrow? Let's do things the right way." Judy said, holding up a fist. Nick gave a smile and a shake of his head, meeting her fist.
"You got it, Carrot Top."
At that moment they arrived back at the ZPD, and after parking the cruiser in the garage and returning the key to Clawhauser, the two proceeded to change and exit the building.
"Whew, what a day." Judy said as they both walked in the direction of her apartment. Since his own apartment was one of many being renovated, Nick was staying with Judy for a few days. The two found it quite helpful to be living together for the time being, and not at all what people assumed when two mammals lived under the same roof.
"Yeah, I think I need a massage." Nick agreed, grabbing his neck and kinking it in a sorry attempt to stretch out the sore muscles. Judy gave a small giggle.
"Well sorry to disappoint you hot shot, but I am definitely no masseuse." Judy replied, and Nick snapped his fingers in mock disappointment.
"Darn! Guess I'm gonna have to take a hot shower instead!" He said, and Judy rolled her eyes.
Upon reaching the apartment, Judy unlocked the door, tossing her bag on the bed and flopping onto the chair in the tiny living room. Nick busied himself with rummaging through the fridge in search of a snack.
"Man is everything vegan in here?" He complained, and Judy looked over at him. He pulled out a tiny container of something, looking it over and shrugging one shoulder.
"Guess this tuna's gonna have to do." He said, popping open the tiny aluminum can with one poke of his claw, digging in. As he sat in the chair across from Judy and gulped down the contents of the can, Judy opened up the case file again and read the descriptions of the victims again. Nick realized what she was doing a few moments later and gave a small shake of his head.
"C'mon Carrots, give it a rest. We have the entire day tomorrow to figure it out. Let's just relax." He said, but his statement fell on deaf ears as Judy picked up a photograph of Jeremy Helfen where he was found. Nick sighed, placing the can of tuna on the table and standing up. Going into another room, he took off his civilian clothing and then went into the bathroom to turn the shower on.
The sound of the spouting water made Judy's ears twitch back ever so slightly, but she was far too engrossed in her reading to bother looking up.
Minutes passed, and Judy studied the case like it was the test of her life. There had to have been more to this story than anyone was letting on, whether it be Chief Bogo, the bartender, or even Layla. There was something that wasn't adding up, and Judy was determined to get to the bottom of it.
Hearing the door open and Nick emerge from behind her, she spoke out.
"There's something missing….what is it?" She said. Nick, wrapped only in a white towel around his waist, was rummaging through his suitcase he had packed for a pair of boxers. Looking back at his partner he realized she was still engrossed in the case.
That bunny is going to work herself to death. He thought to himself, then began trying to think of a way to get her distracted. Looking down at himself, he suddenly hatched an idea, beginning to feverishly dig through his suitcase again. Once finding what he was after, he ditched the towel and slipped them on before going back into the living room, plopping down in the seat next to Judy.
"Maybe you need to let it go for a bit, come back to it in a little while?" He said innocently, and Judy looked over at him. Doing a double-take, she yipped and hopped backwards.
"What are you doing?" She exclaimed, looking down at his almost entirely exposed form. Nick smirked, his eyelids drooping to his half-lidded gaze.
"What, you never seen a shirtless mammal before?" He asked, gesturing to himself and shaking around a bit. Judy tried her best not to show the blush that was creeping up on her face so strongly, not wanting to fuel the fox's fire.
"I have….but you've been wearing a cotton shirt all this time!" She pointed out, and Nick kept that sly smirk on his face as he leaned in.
"I do know that, but I thought you needed a little….something to get your mind off the case, even if it was just for a few moments." He said slyly, and Judy scoffed, trying to ignore the elevation in her heart rate at ogling the handsome fox.
"Yeah, like that would get my mind off of it." She replied, crossing her arms.
"So you're saying you don't like my distraction?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow as he watched her shuffle in her head for the right words.
"Nick, are you determined to make sure this case slips through our paws?" She snapped haughtily, ignoring the fact that he had moved even closer to her.
"Not at all, Carrot Top. I just wanted to relax and enjoy the evening before going back into it tomorrow." He said softly. This only excited and frustrated Judy even more.
"By what? Watching me get flustered?" She retorted, and Nick smirked again. Reaching up, he stroked a finger along her cheek for a moment.
"You're cute when you're flustered, Carrots." He said softly and playfully, and Judy shoved his paw away, her heart skipping a beat at him calling her cute.
"I am not cute. You know how I feel about that word!" She hissed, and Nick chuckled.
"Yeah, but we both know you are." He said low in his throat.
"Nicholas P. Wilde, this is highly inappropriate." She said, her voice cracking at the emphasized word. Nick continued to lock eyes with her, letting the fact that she had used his full name blow right over his head.
"What is? I'm just sitting here in a pair of boxers. It's you who is making this inappropriate." He said matter-of-factly with a smirk, and Judy huffed, standing up and going to stand by the window, her arms crossed again. A few more moments of silence and she heard Nick stand up again.
"Suite yourself, Carrots. Stay up all night if it will make you feel better. I'm going to bed. Good night." He said, turning the other way. Judy glanced at the clock which hung above the window. 9:30 p.m. It wasn't nearly as late as she had thought, but with the time they were scheduled to get up tomorrow, she could see it being reasonable. Looking back, she watched the very end of Nick's tail disappear around the corner. Looking over, she stared at the case file spread across the coffee table haphazardly. She groaned, slapping a paw to her face and slowly pulling it down.
What was the matter with her? Nick was only joking around and trying to get her mind off of it for a moment, and how had she repaid him? By blowing it off and pushing him away.
I really just need to calm down. She thought, but her mind wandered back to what Nick had done just a few moments ago. Out of all of the distractions he could have possibly made up, he chose sitting on her couch in only his boxers? What did he think he was doing by doing that? Not that Judy truly minded in the slightest, but it was just so upfront and random.
Maybe he….he thought I truly would like it…. She thought, and smiled a bit at that.
It was no secret that the vulpes-vulpes cared about her and the two were almost inseparable. They practically did everything together, including off duty. Eating out, running errands, everything. The past two years since his graduation from the police academy had been the best times of Judy's life, and she couldn't help but feel their bond was one of the strongest in Zootopia's.
Only for several months had her feelings toward the cool and collected fox become more intricately morphed into something far stronger than friendship, though she had always kept the notion buried deep in the conscience of her mind. Predator and prey, together romantically? She could practically hear her father's heart attack from here at the thought of introducing Nick as her significant other. Not to mention the gasps and clicks of tongues from the general public. Sure, interspecies relationships happened all of the time, but never between a predator and prey. It just wasn't ever heard of, and the thought of them being the first in that particular way both terrified and thrilled Judy.
Looking over at the doorway that lead to her bedroom, she gave another sigh.
I can't end the evening with him like this. She thought, and walking over to close the file, she proceeded to the other room. Upon entering, she caught sight of Nick, his back turned to her as he lay underneath her favorite blanket, sewn by her mother. She looked at the ground for a split second in embarrassment, then walked a few steps forward before stopping.
"Nick?" She said softly. There was no reply, but she continued.
"Can I talk to you?" She asked, her voice a little shaky. Again, no movement or sound from the fox acknowledging her question, and again she took a few steps forward.
"I'm sorry for what I said back there….and how I acted…..I just want to solve this case before anything else happens….but it's not going anywhere. Maybe you're right. This case is crazy." She explained in a hushed tone. There was a twitch of Nick's right ear above the blanket hem, and with a small shuffle of movement Nick sat up, using an arm to prop himself up as he looked over at the bunny, his face full of concern.
"Do you know who you are, Carrots?" He asked softly. Judy, slightly taken aback by the question, blinked rapidly. Of course she knew who she was. Before she could answer, Nick did it for her.
"You're Lt. Judy Hopps! The first ever rabbit officer and best officer of the ZPD! Everyone at the academy aspired to be you when I was there…including me." He explained excitedly, except the last part, where his tone softened a bit in admiration. Judy's ears shot up attentively, a slight heat rising to her cheeks. She finished the rest of the walk towards the bed, then softly sat on the edge of the bed. Nick watched her, then leaned down slightly to meet her gaze, which was staring at the floor. She locked eyes with him again.
"And you're gonna let a missing mammals case get you down?" He said inquisitively, and Judy just continued to stare at him. Nick rested a paw on hers.
"I think you're way better than that. Don't let it get to you." He said, his voice firm and certain. Judy gave a small smile at that, but it slightly wavered when she thought of Layla and how concerned she had looked.
"I just don't want to let Layla down….all of her friends are practically gone and she's relying on us to solve it." She said, and Nick shook his head.
"That vixen knows we can do it, and you should too. Something tells me tomorrow will be a new day, and you can bet she will mosey her pretty little self into that café tomorrow and tell us all that we need to know. She has no choice." Nick said encouragingly. Judy nodded before twiddling her thumbs. Nick opened up the covers.
"Now. How's about you take off your Kevlar vest and get to bed. You need it." He said. Judy began to blush again. This was the first time Nick had offered to sleep in the same bed, since she usually took the couch. Removing her chest plate and belt, Judy stood up to leave.
"Nick, I think I'll just sleep on the couch…" She said, but Nick gently grasped her wrist.
"No, no, no, you've been a perfectly good host this entire week, you deserve a night in your own bed." He said, pulling Judy down into him. The moment her fur brushed against his, a tingle shot through her entire body, and her heart picked up speed again. The warm musk of his natural scent sent her into a frenzy, her mind scrambled as she tried to act calm.
Without even thinking about it she snuggled closer into him, resting a cheek on his shoulder.
"Getting comfortable are we?" He asked softly, a hint of suggestive material within it. She gave a breathless chuckle, shaking her head ever so slightly. Just then her mind replayed the statement he had just said, and she lifted her head to look at him.
"Did you say Layla was pretty?" She asked, her tone slightly concerned. Nick smirked in his sleep, chuckling while cracking open one eye to look at her.
"Naïve bunny." He mumbled, before closing his eye again.
Judy shook the thought from her head, nestling back into her spot before closing her own eyes, forgetting about the case, the victims, everything. Tomorrow was a new day, and she didn't plan on wasting it in the slightest.
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There, Mayopotato, no cliffhanger this time! ;) LOL
Thanks so much for reading and see ya in the next installment!
Yours truly,
AleahLondon1987