A/N: I know I said weekly but last night I had all these ideas for how Nick and Judy's first meeting would go. I know that in this AU she never became an officer, but she still wanted too and she is still every bit the spit fire she was in the movie. I'm apologizing in advance for any grammatical or spelling errors. I typed this feverishly and I don't have anybody to beta read for me. I hope you like it, if you do please leave a review for me.

Chapter Three

"Can I help you?" The voice repeated.

Angelic. Nick found himself shocked by the thoughts running through his head. He quickly tried to focus on the little bun. She was quite breathtaking, short the black tips of her ears barely reached Nicks snout.

Realizing he had been staring at the young bunny for an uncomfortably long amount of time Nick finally found his voice. "Ye-Yes. I'm sorry. I'm here for some of your blueberries? I've seen your sign and blueberries are my favorite." Nick cursed himself, usually he was quick with clever responses and sly remarks. But her eyes and scent seemed to put him at a loss.

"Yes! I can help you with that. We sell them by the half pound, how much can I get for you?" Her question snapped him back into reality. Realizing a line was growing behind him Nick gathered as much of his sense as possible and steeled himself.

"I think a half pound would be more than sufficient. I haven't seen you yet, though I haven't seen much of the town. I'm Officer Nicholas Wilde, I work with ZPD. I'm here to assist the local department with the missing mammal case. Can I ask who you are?" Nick don't know why he rambled, but at least he asked what her name was. He found himself ridiculously intrigued by the bunny.

"Hopps, Judy Hopps. My parents own Hopps farm and I work the stand for them a few days a week while they kit sit for my older siblings." Judy Hopps, the friend of one of the missing buns?! Nick thought to himself. I'm going to have to hold it together long enough to interview this beautiful young bunny?

"Oh, hi Judy. I, uh, I actually have some questions for you pertaining to your missing friend, Diane." Nick felt bad mentioning it. As soon as he did, the beautiful smile that graced Judy's face slowly left.

"My dad will be here in about ten minutes. If you have fifteen minutes to spare I will gladly talk to you. And you can have your blueberries free of charge, being an officer is a big job. I wanted to be an officer when I was younger," she trailed off "I'll meet you here in 15?"

"Yes," was all Nick had the power to respond. Nick slowly made his way back to his vehicle. While quietly having his lunch of blueberries he continued thinking of Judy's hypnotic eyes. The moment he had picked up that scent of sandalwood and vanilla he seemed stuck in a haze. Nick was fascinated by this lovely young bunny. Lost in his thoughts Nick found that the fifteen minutes passed quickly and he needed to leave to meet with Judy.

As he approached the stand Nick saw Judy with an elder bunny he believed to be her father. He was of the same gray color as Judy with a large gut and overalls. He seemed serious and upset, he was gesturing vividly and speaking quickly.

"I'm just not comfortable with you being alone with a fox, even if he is an officer."

This was the only bit of the conversation Nick caught, but he was hurt nonetheless. He had to overcome a lot in his life to be an officer. A certain muzzling incident came to mind as Nick shivered. He thought it was best to introduce himself and act like he hadn't heard about the bunny's fears.

"Hello Mr. Hopps. I'm Officer Nicholas Wilde of the ZPD. I understand your discomfort. What can I do to ease your conscious about this?" Nick tried his best not to pop off, or sound condescending.

"Oh, uh- officer? Yes. I suppose I would be more comfortable if you and Judy stayed close. But I don't think she will let that happen. She is a spit fire and a very, very independent woman. She has probably made her choice already."

At the mention of her pride Judy's attitude improved. Hearing how proud her father sounded when he spoke of her was life changing. It made Nick's heart hurt for a second before he regained composure.

"Well," Nick began, feeling a little more like himself "what is your preference Judy? I can take you to get some food and we can talk there?" Nick hoped more than hope that she would say yes, that they could go away and be alone, even if for a few minutes.

"Nick. I-I think, yes, I think we can go get some lunch and talk." Judy seemed to be turning the thought over in her head as she spoke. Making the decision as it came to her. After the words came out, Judy smiled. It was a hesitant gleaming smile that spoke wonders.

"Great! Let me walk you back to my car." Nick was euphoric as he and Judy walked back to his car.

Nick and Judy quietly walked back to his squad car. Both full of curiosity about the animal walking beside them. Judy quietly gave Nick directions to a bakery she enjoyed eating at. Owned by a friend of hers. About fifteen minutes later they pulled up to a quaint store with a brick front. Gideon Gray's Bakery was in large cursive font on the store front. As they walked in Nick was overwhelmed with a plethora of different scents. Apples, pecans, peaches, cherries, tomatoes, lettuce and just about every produce an animal can imagine was in the shop.

"I occasionally work for Gideon when he needs some extra help around the shop. He is a nice fox. He has some sandwiches on the menu, but his pie is to die for. We can have a slice while we talk." Judy seemed much more at ease now than she was in front of her father. She seemed to take charge of the situation when alone with Nick, more sure of herself and what she needed to do.

"Hi Gideon!" Judy exclaimed as the store owner approached them. "How are things going today?"

Nick was surprised to see that the store owner was none other than a fox. Thick around the middle, and with a draw just as thick Gideon was another red fox. He was polite and friendly with Judy. Nick was alarmed to find himself jealous of the ease of their conversation. Judy ordered for her and Nick, a sandwich she said was delicious and two slices of pie. After ordering she led Nick to a booth toward the back of the store.

"So," she began "I know you have questions. But I honestly have some too."

"Well sweetheart, I don't have many answers about your friend. But I will give you what I can."

"It's not just about Annabeth. I wanted to be a cop, I want to ask you about that. But I also have questions about the case, though I know you cannot divulge a lot of information since it is active. Also, don't call me sweetheart. I'm Judy."

"Okay Judy, I'm sorry. I won't cross that line again. I will give you as thorough of an answer to any of your questions. Like I hope you will do for me."

"I will Nick, and I want to start." Judy wasted no time. "How long have you been an officer?"

"This is my forth year on the force. When did Annabeth go missing?"

"She was the first. So four weeks ago." When mentioning her friend, Judy got sad. "Do you have any leads on where she might be?"

"Sadly no, but I'm looking Judy. I will not stop until I know what is going on. I want to catch whoever is doing this. I want to bring back as many safe animals as possible." Nick was stopped by the arrival of their food. Judy did not lie, the sandwiches looked delicious. Gideon knew his way around a kitchen.

"What was Annabeth like?"

"What can I say that nobody else would, Nick? Annabeth was like many other bunnies. She does well in school, flirts around a bit. But she isn't in any serious relationships, so don't ask. She works hard and is always kind. I don't think I ever heard a disagreeable thing come out of her mouth. She is the better half of a lot of bunnies that live here." Judy seemed hesitate before continuing. "I think the entire town might agree with me. She is a great friend. How hard is it, being a fox on the force?"

"It took a lot of hard work for anybody to trust me, or take me seriously. But after four years and lots of hard work I get cases like this. Because they know I can do it. What happened the day Annabeth disappeared?"

"She was going to go out with a new buck, that's just a boy rabbit, she didn't tell me much about him. Just that he was in town for a bit visiting? She didn't even mention his name. I just know she texted me when he picked her up. She said 'I'll call you tonight. He just got here. Wish me luck! I really like this one.' I didn't hear from her the next day at all, which is strange but not unheard of. Two days after her date her mother called to see if I had heard from her. When I said no she went straight to the department."

Nick and Judy had finished their sandwiches, Nick had decided to take some notes on the information Judy was providing him when a tantalizing smell caused him to lose focus. Gideon was approaching with two slices of what smelt like heaven. Blueberry pie straight out of the oven with vanilla ice cream melting on top. Nick knew he was in heaven before he even had a bite.

"Gideon and my parents work together. He buys a lot of our produce, the blueberries in this pie come from our farm." Judy explained.

Both the fox and the rabbit finished their pie in peace. Thinking of the depth of their conversation. Judy's brows knit together as her thoughts turned darker, she was the first to break the silence.

"You said you have no leads, right?"

"That's correct. There are no connections between any of the missing animals, and no pattern in the disappearances. One week there was two out of the nine and one week none went missing. It's honestly very baffling. I think I will have to call in another officer."

"Or.. I could help." Judy seemed alarmed that she had said anything. "I just.. I have always wanted to be an officer and this is my town. I know I'm not an official officer or anything. But I know every inch of Bunny Burrow and every citizen. I can tell you if something weird is going on or if their story checks out. I know these people. I've always wanted to be an officer."

If Nick didn't have such good hearing he might not have heard the last sentence. His mind had been made up before Judy even finished, but her whispered reminder steeled his resolve.

"Okay Judy. I like the idea. I will need somebody who knows this town better than I do if I will be conducting a successful investigation. I'll call the chief tonight, but he usually trusts my judgment. Can I pick you up tomorrow?"

Judy's ears stood tall with the promise of Nick's words. She seemed to rocket all the way to cloud nine and a light brightened her eyes.

"Yes! I can be ready whenever you need. You can met me at the stand again." Judy looked at her watch "Which I need to be getting back to, are you ready to go?"

Nick paid for their meals, though Gideon seemed hesitant to make him pay 'Any friend of Judes is a friend of mine officer, you don't need to pay' but Nick had insisted and ultimately won. The ride back to the Hopps farm stand was quiet and quick. Nick could feel Judy's excitement and it began to excite him as well. I'll get to spend more time with her. The thought excited Nick and made him wonder what exactly was going on. Fifteen minutes after leaving the bakery Nick was dropping Judy back off. She quickly stepped out of the car and turned to him.

"So, met me here tomorrow at 8?"

"I will be here at 8 sharp for you, sweetheart."