Been a while since I posted something to this chapter. I've actually had part of this chapter down for a while. So if you want to know more see the A/N at the bottom. Also Big thanks to TOGDOESSTUFF for proofreading and helping to get this to come out the way it did.
A/N:
"Who's the fox that clawed you?" Nick asked.
'How did he know?' Judy's mind quickly ran through everything she knew about the fox.
He's a lawyer who is now a city councilmammal and a single father...
That was it. She could see no way he could know about the incident with Gideon Gray.
"How…" unable to form a complete sentence. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, but nothing came out. She watched in disbelief as his expression changed from a serious one to a mask of indifference.
"Your paw." Was all he said.
Judy was suddenly aware of the way she brushed the area around the scars with her left paw. A subconscious habit that her family and friends had commented on before.
"You don't have to tell me. In fact, it's probably best that you don't." Nick looked back out the window again. The smell of how nervous she was, beginning to thicken.
'At least it's not fear.' Nick thought to himself.
"So, let me ask you another question. You are aware that each species has their own tendencies or customs?"
Judy nodded in response. 'Where is he going with this?' Her nerves were starting to settle as curiosity took its place.
"Then, for example, you know that a canine's growl can have different meanings depending on the pitch or intensity." He looked out the corner of his eye for her answer. She looked confused. He expected as much. Schools still only taught that predators growl, purr or wag their tails. It's up to parents to teach their young how to interpret or use their growls and purrs. Tail wagging seemed to be a little more instinctual, more socially accepted.
"I'm guessing that's the first you've heard of it?" he asked.
"Yes." she replied, "They taught us in school that certain predators still growl and purr." They told her more, but she was reluctant to share it with the councilmammal sitting across from her. To hear that rooms of bunnies were taught that felines purr for pleasure and all predators growl only when aggressive wouldn't be helpful to anyone now.
"Why are you telling me this?" Her curiosity piqued. He seemed to be trying to dance around the subject he started, she wanted to know why.
"Three things." He leaned against the table with one arm, holding up three fingers with his other. "One, you now have homework to do." This caused Judy to raise an eyebrow. "Research the meanings of canine growls. I suggest you start with wolves and make your way to foxes last."
'That's curious' Judy thought. "Two, lose the fox away." Judy stiffened before releasing a breath and looking away. Her hometown's prejudice had followed her to the city, she deeply regretted bringing the item with her. What he said next surprised her a little.
"Fox-Away is nothing more than high grade bear spray in a smaller can." Judy gave him a look that asked 'seriously?' "You can get something just as potent in a can your size, at half the price. Besides, that pink clashes horribly with the blue uniform." He finished with a smile.
This caused Judy to force a smile in return. Here he was on the receiving in of her family's- and her own, prejudice, and he was trying to make her smile. Nick's attention went back to the freshly refilled mug in front of him. Like he was done talking and didn't want to say anything else. Judy waited a moment before trying to pry it out of him.
"And number three?" she finally asked. She waited as Nick sighed into the mug still in his paws, he closed his eyes as he spoke.
"Three, whoever clawed you... It was meant to be personal."
"He was just a kithood bully."
Nick opened his eyes and saw the bunny with her ears held high, face bearing an expression of long suffering. As if she had explained it repeatedly over a very, very long-time.
"He stole some of my friends' tickets at a fair. I had just announced to everyone that I wanted to be a cop so I decided that I was going to be the good guy and confront him. He pushed me down and held me there. Taunting me until I managed to kick him in the muzzle."
She paused for a second when Nick chuckled a bit.
"That's when he clawed me." She watched as Nick's small smile became a frown and his overall expression became sullen. Judy sat up straight and beamed with pride at what she said next. "But I got my friends tickets back!"
He seemed to slip back into an act of indifference before clapping lightly. "Well done, officer fluff." Nick then reached for his wallet and left several bills on the table. "Well it's getting late. I have important meetings tomorrow and I'm sure you have another day of parking duty."
"Ugh, don't remind me."
The two left the diner and, against Judy's protests, Nick called a Zoober to take her home. "Call it an apology for putting you on the spot back at the precinct." He had said. Her ride arrived shortly and took her back to her apartment. Leaving Nick to walk the short distance to his own.
Back in her own apartment Judy began the task of removing her police gear. Stopping short when she examined her utility belt. Particularly the case with the pink can inside of it. Pulling it out to examine it closer. She could hear Nick's voice in her head.
'You can get something just as potent at half the price in a generic can your size.'
'That pink clashes horribly with that blue uniform.'
"What's his game?"
She was pulled out of her musing, surprised by the sound of her phone ringing, nearly dropping the spray bottle to the floor. She quickly pulled the phone out of her pocket and groaned at the image of her parents wanting to muzzletime. Knowing that not answering would only make things worse, she took a deep breath and plastered on the best smile she could muster.
"Oh, hey! It's my parents!" She said with false cheer.
"Hey Jude the dude!" Her dad chuckled at the old nickname. "How was your first day?"
"Oh it was great! Lots of fun and amazing, police stuff, yeah!" Even she didn't believe her tone of voice. The first clue her parents didn't was the way her mother was moving her head around as if it would allow her to see behind Judy better.
"Judy! What happened?! Something happened! Stu! Get the car ready! Don't worry hun we'll be there to bring you home in a jiffy!"
"Mom! Stop! Nothing happened! Really!" Bonnie's nose was twitching madly, but she stopped talking long enough to listen to Judy explain. "Why would you think something happened?"
Bonnie gave her one of those knowing looks only a parent can pull off. "Judy, I know you're hiding something... Your ears are drooping." Judy reached back and pulled one of the offending appendages over her shoulder.
'Traitors.' She thought to herself.
"Mom, nothing happened, really. It's just been a crazy day, is all." This time Judy's smile and tone were honest. It truly had been a crazy, long day for the country-grown bunny. The admission seemed to get her mother to relax as well.
"If you say, dear." There was a crash in the background followed by screams and crying. "I've gotta go, dear. Love you!"
"I love-" The call was disconnected before she could finish her sentence. "...You too" The small apartment was left in silence. Judy let the phone drop to the desk along with her head. "Tomorrow's another day." She lightly whispered to herself. Standing up from the chair, she pulled off her uniform and prepared for bed.
Standing by her bed she looked at it despairingly. The lumpy mattress hadn't been much comfort the night before. The only appealing feature was the small mound of plush bunnies stacked around the pillow. Judy crawled into bed and reached over to grab one. It was grey with a blue t-shirt. An old Junior Detective Sticker barely holding on. Judy pet the top of it's head, then rolled onto her side and closed her eyes. Letting the exhaustion of the day carry her away.
…
Three months later and nothing had changed. She was still being placed on parking duty. She'd given up trying to get as many tickets as possible. All that seemed to do was make the Chief Bogo all the more angry due to all the mammals clammoring to contest parking tickets. So, after a month, she switched tactics, volunteering for extra duty at events.
All it managed to do was get her a little overtime pay- even then, only when they actually accepted her, which wasn't often. She couldn't even get a spot when she volunteered for street patrol on Howlloween. She actually wasn't disappointed this time around. It was one of her favorite holidays. She had always dressed up as an officer, this time around, she was simply wearing her uniform, having a bowl of candy ready by the door for trick or treaters.
Sadly, not one knocked at her door, though she watched several walk past her building, none ascended the steps. As the evening hours passed and the sky grew dark, she settled for watching scary movies on her phone. She had to wear earphones so her neighbors wouldn't complain about the noise. She had to turn the volume up to drown out their bickering. That, being the main reason she didn't hear the knocking at her door.
It wasn't until someone was banging on the wall next to her so hard that she felt it rattle her bed, she took the earphones out.
"What!" She shouted angrily. Glaring daggers at the mammals on the other side.
"There's some shifty fox at your door, rabbit!" Came the muffled reply.
"Yeah he's been knocking on your door for like five minutes!" The second voice added just as muffled.
"Oh turnips!" She harshly whispered. Trying to think of any fox other than the only one she knew in the city that might show up at her door. 'What could he possibly want?' She thought as she reached her door. After three months of struggling to be recognized and no trick or treaters to brighten her day, she was not in the best mood.
Ripping the door open, a rebuke on her tongue, she was stunned into silence with her mouth hanging open at what she found at her door. Instead of the annoying adult fox she had expected to see, she was greeted by a short fox kit wearing a police costume, complete with hat and plastic badge. The sight, were she not stunned into silence, would have drawn out a heartfelt coo, the badge even had his name on it. Adam.
"Trick or Treat!" He said cheerfully, eagerly holding up his bag, already brimming with candy. Judy stood there flabbergasted until a familiar vulpine head poked into view.
"This is where you hand out candy carrots." He smugly remarked in a mock-whisper.
"Right!" She shook herself out of her stupor and reached for the bowl of candy on the stand next to the door. She smiled at the little fox as she shoveled out enough candy to have his little bag nearly overflowing. Causing Nick to chuckle.
"Easy there fluff, the dentist already sends us Christmas cards."
"Well you're the only ones I've had show up, so..." Setting the candy back on the table, Judy looked at Nick's attire for the first time. He was wearing a black business suite with a white shirt and red tie a couple of shades darker than his fur. His jacket was unbuttoned as well at the button to his collar. His tie hanging loosely around his neck. He was leaning on his right shoulder against the wall next to her doorway, both paws in his pockets.
"Might have something to do with your landlady actively chasing kids away." Nick offered. Judy stepped into the hallway to face him better.
"And how did you sneak past her?" Crossing her arms across her chest with a suspicious look as she squinted at him, hiding a smile.
Still leaning against the wall, he pulled out his left paw and placed it on his chest with a dramatic look of hurt. "Me? A politician, sneak? Madam, how dare you wound my honor!" He said, turning his muzzle up with a pompous frown. Only to smile slightly when he looked back down and saw she was amused.
"Har har." She mocked back but the smile she wore gave her away. "So what are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be out kissing hands and shaking babies?"
Now it was his turn. "Ha ha ha. Don't quit your day job carrots." He noticed how she looked away for a second, as if she were ashamed of something, before smirking back at him.
"Oh please! Like your dad jokes are any better."
"I'll have you know those are classics. Anyway, we came here because Ada-" Nick lowered his paw and gestured to a now empty space where Adam had been standing. Nick pushed himself off the wall and began to franticly scan the hallway for his missing son, calling his name. "Adam!"
"Hey dad! Check it out!" Judy turned to face back into her apartment while Nick leaned over to peer in. Adam was standing next to Judy's bed, gaping at the pile of stuffed bunnies.
"Adam! Come out of there!"
"No, no! He's fine." Judy said before entering back into her doorway. She walked over to the little fox tod and stood next to him. "Do you like them?"
Adam seemed to clam up when Judy stood next to him, looking hesitant to speak. When he simply nodded she took it as a queue to try and get him to open up. Nick simply stood back and watched. Since their encounter at the ice cream store, Adam had become something of a fan of the rabbit officer. Something Nick only slightly hesitated to encourage, while his mother outright opposed it.
"So what made you want to dress up like a police officer?" Judy finally asked. She watched as the little fox seemed to shrink in on himself. His ears turning a darker color than they already were.
"Adam." She turned to see Nick, still standing in the doorway, looking at his son with an admonishing expression. "Officer Hopps asked you a question. It would be rude not to answer." Judy noted that his tone was soft, yet he delivered the message firmly. Then she looked back to Adam.
"Uhm, because I like you." He said barely above a whisper. Thankfully Judy's excellent hearing picked up every syllable.
"Aww, I like you too Adam!" Adam's head raised and his tail started wagging behind him as his previously sheepish demeanor dissipated. "Tell you what-" Judy reached for one of the stuffed bunnies in the pile, adorned with a little blue shirt and gold badge. "If it's alright with your dad, why don't you take one home with you?" Adam's mouth dropped open, his eyes wide with surprise. He quickly ran over to Nick, bouncing up and down with excitement.
"Can I dad, please?!" Nick looked down at Adam for a moment with a sense of long suffering.
"Fine." He grunted out. "But you'll have to leave it at my house." As Adam jumped back over to the waiting bunny Nick called out to him again. "What do you say?"
Adam stopped bouncing for a moment and withdrew his hands from reaching for the stuffed bunny. Placing them behind his back and looked down like he was embarrassed at his own actions. "Thank you, Officer Hopps."
Judy smiled at the cute little kit and held the stuffed bunny out to him. "You're very welcome." To which his eyes lit up once more. Running up to Judy and giving her a surprisingly hard hug before releasing her and taking the offered toy. Offering another quick thank you as he started to play with the newly acquired toy- cops and robbers no less, the little bunny being his partner.
Nick had stepped into the apartment close enough to Judy to whisper without drawing too much attention from Adam. "Thank you." He said.
Judy looked up at him. Nick was watching his son scurry around the small room playing with the little bunny. For the first time, she felt the smile he was wearing looked real.
"Well." he said after a moment, "It's getting late. Adam, say goodnight to Officer Hopps."
"Aww, do we have to?" The little tod complained, causing Judy to giggle.
"'Fraid so stinker. It's getting close to your bedtime."
Judy had been expecting a simple goodbye. She was surprised again when Adam came up to give her another hug. This time, she was able to hug him back. The contact felt comforting. When he pulled away Judy reluctantly let him go. Nick had stepped forward and offered his paw.
"Thanks again." Judy took the offered paw and smiled back.
"My pleasure." She replied.
Nick then turned and headed out the door. "See you around, carrots." Closing the door behind him, they were gone. To Judy, the room suddenly felt smaller and colder than ever before.
A/N:
I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. I've been wanting to put something on here for a while. I was torn between cutting the chapter short after Judy started examining the foxaway and continuing on with how it played out here. So much that I even rewrote the chapter a different way. Big props to TOG for keeping me straight. I really like the way this chapter played out. The next chapters should come out soon. I already know what I want to do with the next one. Till then.
