Authors Note: Sorry for posting this a tad later then I intended, things happen. To make up for it, I made this chapter significantly longer then the last two, and actually intend on making them even longer! However, if I do then I will be switching over to a bi-weekly posting schedule instead of this one-two day thing I currently have going on. Which would you guys prefer? Shorter, more frequent chapters? Longer, bi-weekly chapters? Let me know!
Squished into a train car together and on their way to Tundra Town, a bunny and a fox struggle to snag an hour or two of quiet nap time before they arrive in the snowy district and go about their job. Nick tosses and turns in place, putting his knees up against the seat in front of him before deciding it isn't comfortable. He shifts to the right, turns to the left, curls up into a tight ball, all to no avail. Why did they have to take this particular train? How could anyone fit in these seats?
Judy, perfectly capable of fitting in the seats, found herself just as unable to drift to sleep as her partner. Mostly because he wouldn't stop moving, shaking the seat the two shared and upsetting any progress she had made in slipping out of consciousness. She stares at the fox for a while, Nick being too preoccupied with finding a cozy position to notice the scowl on Judy's face. The rabbit cop rolls her eyes before slamming her head back into the headrest, startling Nick.
"Can't sleep either huh?" the fox asks.
Judy looks him in the eyes for a couple moments, restless and frustrated.
"Nope"
"Well that makes two of us" the fox replies before resuming his squirming.
On the outside, any mammal would read the bunny's face and figure she would like to strangle her companion right now, but on the inside, Judy found herself slightly entertained by struggle the fox is currently putting up. They had hopped on a train primarily used for smaller prey animals, so it comes as no surprise that he isn't satisfied with their seating arrangement. Though she would rather be sleeping right now, watching a frustrated Nick was almost… cute.
Maybe not that cute.
Judy sighs in resignation before closing her eyes and curling up next to Nick. She was too tired to respect any boundaries of personal space, and she knows the guy well enough to where she doubts he would be upset at her for cuddling up next to him. What are friends for? Almost immediately Nick stops his thrashing about. Judy, so close pressed up against the fox, can hear his heart beat slowing down slightly as if he is finally calming down.
"I suppose he just gave up on trying to get comfortable" the bunny thought to herself.
Now that she thinks about it, this ride may not be so bad after all provided foxy over here just calms down and lets her get some shut eye. Judy turns slightly in an effort to bury her face in Nicks shirt, eyes still firmly shut. Of course, as soon as she does this his heart beat picks up in pace once again and she can feel his body getting warmer.
"Great, he is working himself up again and will start moving again any minute now" Judy muses. She curls up closer to him, gripping onto his shirt with both paws.
"Well, might as well enjoy the peace while it lasts"
Unbeknownst to Judy, Nick was getting strange stares from the bunnies in the seats across from them. His expression seemed to be one of mixed horror and elation.
Nick quietly thanked the stars that his fur was already red and didn't move a muscle till they reached Tundra town.
…
As the two hopped off the train Judy takes a moment to look around herself. It certainly is as beautiful as the last time she saw it. Something about the scenery of the entire district gave it a warm aesthetic, despite being one of the coldest places in Zootopia. Off in the distance, maybe half an hour's walk from the train platform, cubs can be seen playing in the snow, sledding down the hills atop sleds, seemingly homemade and finely crafted at that. The little rabbit never was much of one for playing in the snow, but seeing the kids running wild warmed her heart.
"Hey, that looks kinda fun" she said, turning back to look at her partner.
Nick was stretching, clearly still uncomfortable after their long, uncomfortable train ride. Across his mug was a slight frown, his eyes narrowed slightly as if he were upset for some reason.
"Hmm, what's up sour puss? What's the look for" she asks, mildly concerned. She had half expected him to be in a better mood now that he wasn't confined to the claustrophobic space that the train provided.
"Sour puss? I am a fox for your information, not a cat. Also, what was the question?" he says. He had been lost in his own thoughts moments ago before the bunny had spoken.
"It wasn't a question, just an observation. Those bear cubs are sledding over there, and I thought it looked like fun".
The fox straightens out his back, probably trying to work out a crook in his spine before shrugging his shoulders and looking out in the distance, the light snowfall making the cubs playing on the hills an almost picturesque scene.
"You know what, you're right."
"Whadaya say we give up on this case and join them?" the fox asks, already knowing the answer.
"Nick! Earlier today you were chomping at the bit to go take on a new case. What gives?" the bunny answers with a question of her own, not even taking the opportunity to castigate him.
The Reynard simply shrugs and looks away.
"Just feeling lazy lately I guess. Better get a move on. Don't want to miss a chance to meet that Lynx. Felix, was it? Seems like a great guy."
"Is this because of the mammal we're chasing? Why does it even matter that he is a Lynx? Are you prejudiced against Lynxes or something?" the pair begin walking as they talk, Judy recognizing the truth in Nick's previous statement. Tundra Town is a large district, so they better start searching as soon as possible.
"I wouldn't call it prejudice. It's just that, in the past I had a few bad encounters with Lynxes, I'm just cautious is all."
"Nick, that sounds like prejudice to me. Just because you have had bad encounters with a specific species in the past doesn't mean you need to be distrustful of their entire race. Whatever that Lynx had done to you in the past, couldn't have been bad enough to hate them all." Judy reasoned.
For a few moments the two remained quiet, the only sound they could hear being the busy townsfolk, rushing in and out of shops and playing in the streets.
"He followed me home when I was a kit because I was a fox. Roughed my mom up pretty bad…" the fox said, breaking the silence.
"And I don't hate them. I wish I didn't feel this way, I just do."
Judy wrapped her paw around her own arm, ashamed at her poor choice of words.
"O…Oh"
"Well, this isn't the same Lynx. Just, try not to let that get in your way here, okay Nick?" the bunny's voice was quieter this time, less indignant.
"Okay Judy" the fox breathed out slightly after his last breath, the warm air he just expired become a thin vapor when released out into the chilly air of the snowy district they are now walking through.
…
For hours the pair walked the streets, asking around to see if anyone had caught a glimpse of the culprit. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, several mammals had. If anybody appeared to be in rough shape, then that was a pretty good indicator that they had encountered the Lynx. The problem was, all of them claimed to have been attacked in places all across Tundra town. By the looks of it, this illusive "Felix" character got around. Luckily, the threat of some brutal attacker had not gotten to too many of the locals yet, so the public was not afraid to go out and enjoy themselves despite the constant threat of an attack. What was this cat's modus operandi? When would he strike again? These thoughts swirled in Judy's head. At least the attacks haven't deferred any one from playing around outside. As they walk through the streets, plenty of animals of all ages seem to be enjoying the snowy environment, creating a magical atmosphere amongst the place.
The rabbit looked back to her partner, who seemed to in deep thought himself.
"What's up slick?" the rabbit was walking backwards in front of him now.
The fox rubs his side slightly.
"Just don't like being teased I guess..." was what Judy thought she heard.
"Huh?" the bunny asked, turning her head to the side slightly.
"What?! Nothing, I was just thinking to myself. Still tired from that trip." He said fumbling over his words, adjusting his police issued blues.
His rabbit companion giggled into her paw before taking him by his tie and pulling him into a nearby restaurant.
"Maybe a nice break is all you need! Any idea what they have here?" the bunny asked, chipper as always.
The fox shrugged off his solemn attitude and put back on his cocky smirk. "
Well why don't we go get a menu? Because I'm starved."
…
Nick stretches his long, slender legs under the table the two share, almost kicking Judy in the process. She looks up from her menu and glares at him slightly, too which he replied with a slight "sorry" glance before going back to his own menu. It was never a good idea to interrupt Judy when she was about to eat.
Nick looked out the window. It was dark now. They had been searching for hours and are no closer to finding this cat then they were when they got here. The fox shivered slightly, the sooner this case was over, the better. It just gave him a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"See anything you like carrots?" he asks, trying to take his mind off of the case for at least a moment.
"The salad wrap sounds pretty good I guess. I don't have a stomach full enough to be picky right now. What about yourself?" she asked, paw to her chin as if she was trying to decide if she really did want the salad wrap.
Nick could help but watch her as she did so. Her nose twitching slightly as she pondered. That nose twitch kills the fox. How many mammals did he know that made the simple act of ordering off of a menu as cute as she did. Her amethyst eyes eventually rose from the menu in front of her to meet his emerald ones.
"Hello? Earth to Nicky here?"
"What?" he asked, as if he was being accused of something.
"What can I get for you sir?" the waitress asked.
Woah, when did she get here? How long had he been staring at Judy?
"Oh, sorry. Can I get the Fried beetle meal?"
"Coming right up" was the only reply as the Menu was all but wrenched from his paws and the Waitress made her way to the Kitchen, slightly annoyed with the fox.
Judy waited for Nick to initiate conversation again, he usually did. All he did was play with his thumbs under the table as they waited for their food.
Eventually, there meals arrived and the need for conversation was swiftly brushed under the table for the next few minutes. Both mammals tore away at their respective meals, scarfing down as much as they could as quickly as they could. Judy had missed breakfast and Lunch earlier, and Nick was still feeling sick from yesterday after the conversation with Judy he had come to regret having. For just a little while, the Fox was able to think of something other than his phobia over the Lynx they were chasing. He just had this little slice of heaven in front of him and this delicious plate filled with fried beetles and other critters. The fox took a moment to stop eating and stare off into the distance, a content little grin placed upon his usually sly mug.
Judy couldn't help but notice.
"Better, huh?"
"Yeah, guess you have your good ideas every now and then Carrots" he confessed.
Across the street a building lit up with flashing, neon lights accompanied by the heart thumping bass of club music, flooding into the streets. Judy's eyes lit up.
"Hey! Why don't we dance off these calories we just worked up! Come on!" she said, standing up in a hurry.
Nick, surprised by her proposition, stuffs his cheeks with the rest of his meal and stands, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his uniform.
"Nick! Gross" Judy scolded him.
"What!? What?" the fox fumbled around, confused, nearly choking on the food he still had stuffed in his mouth.
"Cheese and crackers…" she said, pulling out a handkerchief and wiping her partners face down.
"Such a child".
And with that she took off across the street, leaving a dazed fox in her wake.
"What the hell?" was all he thought.
…
Mammals stomped and pranced to the music, making the entire building rumble. Judy almost immediately joined in on the festivities when they got inside.
Weren't they looking for somebody? Nick chose not to bring it up, happy to not be on the lookout for a dangerous criminal for once. He continued to just stand there with his paws in his pockets before Judy grabbed hold of them and took him for a spin. He forgot how much energy the little bunny had in her. She practically took them around the entire dance floor, hopping around to the music with a wide smile on her face. It was kinda adorable.
Hand in hand, waist to waist the animals grooved to the music, Nick occasionally lifting her up in the air, much to her amusement. The close contact with his partner created a dull kind of pain in his chest. This was beautiful, everything he could possibly want, but she just thought of it as having fun with her friend. Before yesterday, a night like this would end in him going to bed and cuddling with his pillow, his heads filled with thoughts of "she is totally into me" or "Tonight was amazing, I need to pour my heart out to her tomorrow". But instead, tonight he was made to face the facts that sometimes when people dance they are just having fun, no strings attached. In the end, he did love her, so that would be enough for him.
Time flew by as the two danced around the room for what was probably hours. Nick never was much of a dancer, so he just allowed himself to just go along with whatever dance moves Judy decided they were doing next and enjoyed it. After a while, he started to get a little tired, and told Judy he needed to sit outside for a moment and clear his head.
The refreshing night air of Tundra Town made him fill better almost immediately. He sat down on a nearby bench before realizing maybe he could just go back inside, but the shape of his favorite bunny exiting through those doors and sauntering over to him forced him back onto the bench.
"Well, glad to see I tired you out." She said, taking a seat next to him.
"Me? No way, I have plenty of energy left in me." He replied, offended that she would insinuate that he, one of the laziest mammals she knows, could be tired out by a roaring dance club.
"That so?"
The fox nods.
"Well, then how about we go for a walk"
…
The pair made their way down the dimly lit streets. Judy had wanted to go check out the spot where the kids were sledding earlier to see if any of them were still there. The wind chilled the animals bones as they walked, but Nick didn't mind very much after being stuck in that one room with all those sweaty mammals, heating up the room to head ache inducing degrees. Judy on the other hand, shivered slightly as they walked, her teeth chattering.
Nick couldn't just stand there and let her freeze her cute little tail off, so he opened up his police jacket and allowed her to slip in, huddling close for warmth.
Now satisfied, the two continued walking down the path to the snow crested hills. They leaned up against each other as they walked, gingerly taking in the sights of the city as they go. Judy couldn't help but notice the smell of that bug Nick had just ate before they got out on his breath. She wasn't a fan, but since it was Nick, she didn't mind all that much. Mixed in with the bug smell however, was a much lighter, easier on the nose scent of blue berries.
Nick snapped her out of her reverie by pointing out that the cubs were, in fact, still sledding. It should be past there curfew, but instead of talking to them the pair opt to sit on a nearby hill together and enjoy the view. Judy sits, snug in Nicks coat, braced up against his furry body. Content.
"They sure seem to be having a good time, almost wish they had gone home and maybe left a sled" the fox said.
Judy said nothing but just smiled. Up on the hill, they had a nice view of both the natural landscape and the town a short distance away. The stars above them helped illuminate the dark hill they were on, the artificial light of the other buildings picking up any of the slack left. She was thankful for this, because it allowed her to look her fox partner in the face and see most of his features. She looked up to him as he stared off into space, lost in thought again. Why did he do that so often lately? She wasn't complaining all that much however, as he did look kinda handsome when he wore that solemn, thoughtful look. Still, she was concerned, what was wrong? Could he still be upset about her rejection of him?
"Oh" the bunny thought to herself.
Yes, it would likely take more than a day for someone to get over another mammal, so her constant displays of affection are probably just coming off as teasing…
But she couldn't stop. She liked being close to him like this. She understood that she couldn't be with him, but she still wanted to be close to him. She wanted to cuddle up to someone, feel their heartbeat next to her own, dance into the grim hours of the night with them, and she didn't want to do that with anyone but Nick.
Despite this, she couldn't be with him. She was a bunny and he was a fox. She was a police officer now, and he was a con just a little over a year ago! What would her parents think if she let him into her life like that?
But on the other paw,
What was Zootopia supposed to be? A place where anyone could be anything? She always admired it for that. Who was to say that predator and prey couldn't be in love if anyone could be anything? And he wasn't a con anymore. Now he is her partner, and she is snuggling up next to him. Would she be in this situation, climbing all over him if she didn't trust him.
However,
She doesn't really have time for love anyways. She is a very busy bunny, and getting involved with Nick would only cause her problems, right? Laughing so hard they cried, kissing him every time the two met, kissing him every time they separated to go about their buisness. Cooking him meals, romantic candle lit dinners. It all seemed like a lot of work...
"Nick?" the bunny spoke, raising her head up to look him in the eye.
The fox said nothing, simply looking down at the bunny swaddled in his jacket next to him with a puzzled gaze.
"Maybe I-"
She is immediately cut off when one of the cubs skid a little too close to the couple, showering them in snow and dirt as he swerved to miss them.
"Good thing I'm prepared for this sort of thing" the bunny said with a chuckle.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out wipes and handed one to Nick, allowing the pair to brush off anything that may have gotten on their uniforms.
"Wait do I have anything on my ear?" the bunny asks, trying to look up at her own ears.
The fox looked at her for a moment before nodding, taking a wipe and clearing off her ears, her cheek cupped in his paw so that he could turn her slightly and get a better angle.
After he finished cleaning her up he set the wipe off to the side. Judy looked at it for a moment, and though it was hard to tell do to the darkness that engulfed them, it almost looked like it was still clean. The two locked eyes for a moment, before bursting into a fit of laughter. This entire thing was stupid, they were supposed to be tracking down a dangerous criminal, but instead they were taking a break on a hill in the middle of the night. They were tired, which probably contributed to the comedy of the situation. Judy buried her face in his shirt, but was a bit too forceful, sending the pair rolling down the snowy hill. This seemed to only make their laughter more vigorous however, warming them despite the fact that they were now lying in the freezing snow together. Dumb bunny, dumb fox.
…
The two lay there for a while, lost in the world, the previous events of the day melding together in a haze. The children had all gone home by now. In the complete silence of the night, Judy realized that maybe she does have enough time for nick.
Nothing lasts forever. Cries of pain could be heard coming from the outskirts of town. Immediately the rabbit hopped up, brushing herself off.
"Get up Nick!" she shouted under her breath.
"Really? I was just beginning to enjoy our stay here…" he mumbled, standing up and wiping off the excess dirt and snow left on him after the roll down the hill.
"I heard screams, think it could be our guy?" she asks.
"Geez, uh, I hope not?"
The bunny ignored his last comment as she took off, chasing the noise. Nick sped off after her.
…
A single lantern is the only thing that illuminates the clearing in which the Lynx sits, baseball bat in hand, a pig laying in the snow before him, softly whispering:
"Why?.. Why? Why?"
"Don't take it personal, I just gotta do what I gotta do" the feline said before standing up and taking another swing at the boar.
The prey animal circled around his victim, occasionally taking swings at the other mammal, some connecting, some missing as if intended to scare the pig. His entire demeanor was cold and nonchalant. For committing a crime, he didn't appear to be very invested in the act. The pig seemed sort of tough when he first caught the Lynx's eye, but he quickly proved himself not to be. It made for a very boring experience. Nothing was special about this, there wasn't any chemistry between the two of them. He would eventually get bored and leave the poor guy alone, but he needed to take out his frustrations somehow. Maybe he would be less inclined to be a jerk and beat him with a bat if he actually tried to put up a fight instead of curling up into and immediately begin cowering, he needed someone braver
Someone like
From the clearing a small bunny could be seen, tranquilizer drawn and tired fox companion in tow.
"Drop the weapon buddy, we won't be needing that" she spoke, confident.
Her
The Lynx locked eyes with her.
"Felix, right? I'm gonna need you to drop the weapon, no one else needs to get hurt. Ill shoot if you don't, and these darts hurt a lot more than a pin prick."
Felix held onto the bat, his grip only tightening, his stare intensifying.
Nick didn't like the way he was looking at her, this just didn't feel right. His hands trembled slightly as he tried to steady the tranquilizer on the non-moving mammal in front of him. He told himself it was just the cold.
Realizing that this was going nowhere, Judy took a shot at the Lynx, dropping him in the snow. The hero cop wore a disappointed expression on her face. She hated doing that, she always feels the urge to apologize after watching her target fall back on the floor. That can't be comfortable.
The two made their way over to the pig and helped him up. Undoing his bindings with only the light of that lantern proved to be a difficult task, but together they managed. The boar slowly stood up, still woozy from the blows to the head but otherwise in better condition than most of the Lynx's victims. Nick leant a shoulder for the pig to lean on as he began to tell the two officers the story of how he wound up there. After seeing how much pain he was in standing, Nick decided it would be for the best to let him sit down for now. The pig continued on, the duo listening intently.
The pig's story was horrifying.
"All I remember is being knocked out behind my home, and when I woke up I was… here" he speaks, Judy closing her eyes and nodding.
"I couldn't call for help, I didn't think anybody would ever find me, if you two hadn't shown up I-…" the pig's eyes widened in horror, unable to finish his sentence, presumably because of the horrifying thought of what could have happened to him.
"You are going to be fine sir, why don't we get you back into town?" Judy consoles the wounded mammal, one paw on his shoulder.
The pig's finger pointing behind them revealed the true reason for his terrified expression. Felix had stood himself back up, holding the dart in his hand. Nick could clearly see now that the hoodie had been padded with something, and whatever that something was, it prevented him from being pierced by the tranq dart.
Before any of them could react he quickly turned tail to run off into the nearby dense forest.
"Wait!" Judy shouted, chasing after him.
Nick wanted to follow her, he wanted to so bad, but he just couldn't move his legs. What would happen if the Lynx attacked him? The thought horrified him. He stared off into the forest, looking in abject horror at the thought of what could await him amongst those trees.
Judy had gone.
Nick took off sprinting into the woods, leaving the previous victim behind.
…
Judy zipped through the branches, her agility proving an important aspect of keeping up with the illusive cat. Or at least she assumed she was keeping up with him, she couldn't really see him in this lighting. She glanced back to see if Nick was with her, he wasn't. Where was he? She needed his nocturnal vision for this, the Lynx could veer off at any point here and she would be none the wiser!
Her point was proven when a swift kick from her side knocked her off her feet and into a nearby tree, dazing her. Her head pounding, she could do nothing to fight off the Lynx who cradled her in his arms and took off running with her.
…
Several yards back a fox could see his bunny being stolen away by his worst nightmare. Part of him wanted to stop, turn around and scamper off.
He was scared out of his wits
But he was still going to get Judy back. He didn't really have a choice in the matter, his feet would not stop, and so he continued, indulging himself of a game of "cat and mouse" with a mammal that has haunted his dreams for far too long. He was scared, but heaven helps the fox who fights his fears.
...
The next chapter is going to be a bit more angst filled. If that isn't your thing, sorry! I'll make it up to you in chapter 5 : ). If you DO enjoy angst ridden chapters however, I would love for you to come back for chapter four. Cya next time!
