As they were speeding down the road, the otter pups curled up together under her left arm, it occurred to Judy that, for the first time in a while, she didn't know exactly where they were going. That was because she usually drove. Come to think of it, she was pretty sure Nick had never actually driven the interceptor before. It occurred to her that she was not completely sure he actually was licensed to drive. Surely he was? He drove that tacky orange van. No, that was wrong. That van belonged to Finnick, not Nick. Oh, CARROTS. What if Nick didn't have his license!? Judy winced and brought a paw to the gash on the back of her head. All this worrying was giving her a headache.
Nick noticed Judy touch her head wound from the corner of his eye.
"You alright there, Officer Hopps?" Officer Hopps? Judy wondered why Nick was being so formal. Then one of the otter pups shifted against her and she remembered. Witnesses. That would explain it. Then his question sunk in.
"I'm fine, Officer Wilde. Just a little sore." Nick had this way of rolling his eye and then looking askance at you that made you feel like he just called you an idiot. All without uttering a syllable or even fully turning to look at you. Judy hated how effective it was at riling her up. She crossed her arms and huffed after she spotted him doing it. Doing so pressed her wound against the headrest, however, which brought with it an entirely unexpected stabbing pain. Judy hissed and jerked her head away away from the seat. She reached back and touched her throbbing cut with a paw. Then she spotted Nick still watching her from the corner of his eye. Only now the 'you're an idiot' look was completely replaced with concern. For some reason she couldn't explain Judy hated that look more. Nick opened his mouth, but the otter pups beat him to it.
"Are you alright lady?! Er, ma'am?" The young male asked/blurted. Judy looked down to see both pups were looking up at her with concern written all over their adorable otter faces. She felt her ears heat up with embarrassment at having been caught in a vulnerable moment by civilians. And children, no less! She thought a direct answer might be best to assuage their fears.
"Oh, don't worry about me! This is nothing a band-aid won't fix. I'll be fine." Nick marveled at how good with kids Judy could be. Still, he had to resist the urge to snort. That would have to be some band-aid. Then the little girl pup spoke up.
"Oh, we have band-aids at our house!" She said brightly. "You should come, we'll give you all the band-aids you could want. Please?" The little girl looked up at with her big brown eyes and Judy almost melted. Would have, but having as many little brothers and sisters as she did gave Judy lots of experience with the so-called 'puppy-dog eyes'. Still, this might be an excellent chance to get the kids home.
"Sure! That's a great idea. Do you know your address?" Both pups looked at each other. From the confused looks on their faces Judy could guess what the answer was going to be. The girl glanced down, looking ashamed. The boy looked at Judy with embarrassment written all over his face.
"Uhh.." Judy hated seeing two young animals looking so down. She smiled brightly and waved her free paw (the one not wrapped around the pups) and laughed it off.
"Oh, that's alright! We don't need that, anyway. We have some really cool stuff in a police car. Like this nifty computer…" Judy leaned forward and flipped down a blank panel on the dash, revealing a little computer monitor and keyboard. "See! With this all we need is your name. Why don't you tell me your names and we'll see about getting you home?" Judy poised her right paw over the keyboard. The girl hardly heard any of that, she was still checking out the computer. How cool was a computer built into your car? Did it play games? The boy answered for them both.
"My name is Harvey! And my little sister is Gretchen!" Judy laughed, happy with little Harvey's enthusiasm.
"Well, it's nice to meet you Harvey. My name is Officer Judy Hopps. You can call me Judy, alright? Now, why don't you tell me your last name?" Nick had never heard Judy tell someone to call her by her first name on the job before. She must have a soft spot for kids. Thinking back to when they first met, it seemed rather obvious. What the kid said next completely derailed his train of thought.
"Otterton!" Judy's paw froze over the keyboard, but Nick's reaction was much more noticeable. His paw slipped on the steering wheel and the interceptor swerved suddenly to the left. He immediately regained control, but was chagrined to notice that his three passengers were staring at him. He coughed into a paw to cover his embarrassment. When that didn't work he started talking.
"Uh, pothole? Any way, Harvey, was it? Did you say 'Otterton'? You wouldn't happen to know Emmett Otterton, would you?" Little Harvey was not sure what to say, having been almost literally jerked from his previous conversation. It took a moment for him to gather his flustered thoughts and process Nick's question. Wait, did he mean..?
"Uh, Uncle Emmit? Yeah. We see him when we visit Grandma Alice's house for Family Holiday. Why? Did you hear his name on the news?" Little Gretchen rolled her eyes.
"Harvey! This is Judy The Rabbit and Nick The Fox. Don't you remember what Aunt Hetty said? They're the ones that saved Uncle Emmet from being a monster!" Nick spared the little otter pup a surprised glance. Well, he certainly never heard it put that way before! Judy was just as surprised as Nick, though she was probably more pleased. Judy The Rabbit, huh? Sounded kinda like a hero. Judy had always wanted to be a hero.
Smiling a little, she leaned forward to type in the pups' names and get an address. Just one result. That was good. It wasn't far either! Just a few miles away, toward Animalia. Judy's smile fell away. That made this more difficult. Animalia was the most popular entertainment district in Zootopia, and rather heavily targeted because of that. It might too dangerous for the pups there, even hiding in their home. Nick immediately noticed his partner's change in mood.
"Something wrong, Officer Hopps?" Nick spoke softly, knowing Judy's sensitive ears would pick up on his voice, even over the squabbling pups. Judy turned her head to face Nick. She watched him for a moment, then shook her head.
"No, Officer Wilde. Turn left at this intersection."
By the time the little group made it to the Otterton residence, it had become clear that the city was in chaos everywhere. Nick had to jump the curb and drive down the sidewalk twice before they made it to the little pups' residence. The streets were becoming congested with abandoned vehicles. But they did eventually pull up to a little duplex on the southeast edge of Downtown.
"Alright kids, we're here." Nick said as he backed the interceptor into the barely big enough driveway. Just a glance showed the house was custom built for smaller animals. While that probably lowered the cost of rent and air conditioning, it also made it a pain for larger animals to visit. Nick continued.
"Now, I want you to stay in the car with Officer Hopps. I am going to go make sure the house is safe." After he parked the interceptor Nick looked to Judy. Judy nodded her consent. Then Judy took out her flashlight and presented it to Nick. Nick looked a little embarrassed but took the flashlight anyway. Nick got out of the interceptor. He studied the house as he approached the front door. Squat, brown, two front doors. All in all it looked like every other suburban duplex Nick had ever seen. As he stood in front of the door Nick took note of the shrubs to his left. He knocked and announced himself.
"This is the ZPD. Is anyone home?" Nick knocked again, a little harder. "Hello?! We're here to drop off Harvey and Gretchen!" Nick knocked for a third time. He sighed when there was no answer. Nobody was home. He tried the doorknob. Locked. Nick was used to locked doors and had some experience getting around them. He immediately turned to the little garden plot that held the shrubs and spied a little pile of smooth rounded rocks. Revealing a claw as he crouched beside it Nick began tapping each stone. Click. Click. Click. Thud. Nick grabbed the revealed fake rock and glanced at the bottom, finding a little panel. Fiddling with it briefly Nick got it to open, revealing a bronze colored house key. Nick took the key and dropped the rock back on the pile. Turning back to the door he took his newly discovered key, turned the lock and ducked inside.
It only took ninety seconds to check the entire two bedroom. Satisfied the house was clear, Nick went back to the interceptor, pausing to put the key back in its place in the shrubs' plot. Judy was waiting patiently, chatting with the pups to keep them occupied. Nick opened the door and motioned to the pups to get out.
"Alright kids, it's all clear. Come on. Here, let me help you." Nick helped Harvey out of the car. The little pup took off and disappeared inside the house almost immediately. As Nick was helping Gretchen she asked him a question.
"How did you know where the key was?" Nick stiffened when he heard someone clear her throat from behind him.
"Yes, Officer Wilde. How did you know?" Nick turned to find that Judy was standing behind him, arms crossed, hip cocked, foot tapping. This was her 'annoyed with Nick' pose. He called it that because he never saw her do that to other animals. He looked back to Gretchen's upturned face, mostly so he wouldn't have to look at Judy.
"A friend of mine does the same thing!" Nick told the little girl. The girl shrugged and ran inside, apparently satisfied by that answer. Nick made to follow but found Judy standing in his way, 'annoyed with Nick' pose going full blast.
"Who is this friend, exactly?" The question was asked in a reasonable tone of voice at reasonable volume. Somehow, it still felt like she was yelling at him. Nick didn't like that.
"Let's just call him 'Experience' and leave it at that, okay?" Nick's reply was terse. He pushed past Judy and followed the kids into the house. Judy's gaze stayed on him until he was inside. Then she stood on the lawn and stared at the door, foot tapping. She was annoyed with Nick, but mostly she was annoyed with herself. She had known Nick for nearly two years. Had been friends, no, best friends, with him for most of that time. Yet there were things she still didn't know. Important things. Things like how could he know how to break into suburban homes without a trace. That sounded important and she didn't know! Judy was disappointed with herself. Some friend she was.
Meanwhile, Nick had the pups gathered on a little otter sized couch and was kneeling before them. He had told them that this was important and now both were staring at him attentively. Nick put one paw one each of their shoulders and began.
"Now, kids, this is important. The city is in a lot of trouble right now. There are a lot of frightened animals out there. Scared animals can do scary things. This is what I need you to do. Keep the lights off. Keep the windows covered. Keep the tv volume low. Be very, very quiet. Always lock the door. If someone knocks, do not answer, unless they call you by name. If you think someone is trying to break in, hide. In fact we are going to practice a little before I go, okay? You understand?" Both otters nodded. Nick smiled for them. "Good! I am going to go outside and count to ten. When I come back you need to be somewhere I can never find you. Alright? Here I go." Nick stood and went outside. As he stepped out, Nick noticed Judy leaning against the wall by the door. Her paws were in her pockets. She smiled at him.
"Are you really playing hide-and-seek with those kids?" Her tone was playful. Nick appraised her coolly.
"Of course. This could be important. I know you would feel bad if you left them unprepared. Isn't that right, Carrots?" Judy rolled her eyes, smiling.
"I think you just want to play a game you know you can win. Huh? Sly Fox?" Nick frowned at that. Judy's smile fell away in confusion. Had she said something wrong?
"I hope I can't find them. If I can find them, others could find them too. That could be… bad." Judy was alarmed at Nick's tone. That sounded like it came from experience.
"Nick-" He interrupted her.
"NINE, TEN, HERE I COME." Nick shouted through the door. Then he ducked back inside, leaving a frustrated Judy Hopps leaning next to the door. It was only her wound that kept her from throwing her head back in frustration.
Nick found both pups in under thirty seconds. He gave them some advice and they tried again. A minute this time. Some praise and some more advice. Another attempt and it took Nick nearly five minutes to find them. Nick said they were ready to practice on their own. Then he asked if they could have that band-aid for Judy. Little Harvey ran to the bathroom and retrieved a yellow case from under the sink. It was the kind fishers used, a tackle box. It was full of a variety of bandages, gauzes, medical tape, and disinfectants. There was even an epinephrine autoinjector. Nick retrieved Judy from outside and sat her at the little kitchen table with the tackle box. He pulled his chair up close behind hers. Gretchen and Harvey had volunteered as assistants and were standing next to them. Nick immediately noticed he was missing something and turned to Gretchen.
"Hey kiddo, mind getting me a warm washcloth?" Gretchen was happy to do so. Nick studied the wound more closely while he waited for Gretchen to return. The cut was about two inches long. But it wasn't as deep as he originally feared. Probably wouldn't need stitches after all. Still, they needed to take care of it now. If they waited any longer they risked infection. Gretchen returned with the a wet red and white plaid rag. Nick took it with muttered a 'thank you' and washed the fur around the cut. Judy hissed and flinched away from the contact. Nick grabbed her shoulder to keep her still and continued to wash the wound with his other paw.
"Don't be a baby. If you think this is bad, just wait for the disinfectant!" Nick admonished her.
"I think you're enjoying this a little too much, Officer Wilde." Judy griped. Nick's answer caught her off guard.
"I would never enjoy hurting you, Officer Hopps." His sincere reply made Judy's ears feel hot. She was glad he couldn't see her face. "Now, that being said, this next part is going to sting." Judy rolled her eyes.
"I grew up on a farm you know. I'm no stranger to cuts and bruises." Now Nick rolled his eyes.
"If you say so." Then he took the disinfectant paste and squeezed a bit onto a digit. Then, carefully, he smeared it on the cut. Judy's reaction was immediate. Her entire body stiffened and she sat ramrod straight in the kitchen chair. She was trying to keep her head still but she stomped one of her feet in an attempt to quell the urge to jump out of her chair. Nick patted her shoulder and shushed her.
"Hey. Take it easy. The worst of it is over. Some gauze and wrap and we'll be good to go."
After thanking the kids for helping with the 'operation', Judy had given the kids her personal phone number and told them to call her if there was an emergency. Nick told the pups to keep practicing hiding. Judy said they had important work to get back to and ushered Nick out the door.
Now Judy was once again in the passenger seat. Nick had adamantly refused to let her drive and told her that he would be driving for the rest of the day and probably tomorrow.
After letting dispatch know what happened Clawhauser made it clear they were to return to base. Now they were driving back to Precinct 1 Headquarters. It was going to take a while so Judy decided ask Nick some questions that had been bothering her.
"Nick, why did you have those tranq-guns? They are not standard issue." Nick glanced at Judy from the corner of his eye, then put his eyes back on the road.
"I thought it would be obvious. After Manchas went savage and nearly killed us I thought it would be a good idea to be able put a big animal down. Why?" Judy shook her head.
"Oh, I just wanted to know." Judy paused for a moment, not sure how to proceed. "...Nick? What did you mean when you said it would be bad if other animals found the kids?" Judy asked this quietly. She was fiddling with her paws and looking at her toes. She looked up and found that Nick was watching her from the corner of his eye. His gaze lingered on her for a moment. When he finally looked back to the road he spoke.
"I told you once that I have been hustling since I was twelve. You ever wonder why I started so young?" Judy thought about it. No, she hadn't given it much thought.
"Shouldn't you have been in school?" Nick nodded slowly.
"Yeah. I should have. I told you about what happened with the Junior Scouts, right? What I never told you is what happened afterward. I started by hustling kids at school out of their lunch money. Bootleg music, classmates' secrets, even 'pawsicles'. If they were willing to buy it I was willing to sell it. This went on for a couple years. I got pretty good. I was more focused on hustling than on my grades. My mom was furious. She told me there was no way I could live like that. That I needed to focus on school. Get a career. Be somebody. I got mad right back. I thought she didn't know what she was talking about. I thought 'I'll show her'." Nick chuckled, but it wasn't a happy sound. It made Judy's heart ache.
"I was such a little fool. Some local gang had offered me money to get info for them. I was stalling before, but after my fight with my mom I threw myself at the chance. I was going to bring in more money by hustling than she ever could by being an 'upstanding citizen'. For a few months it actually worked. But I wasn't happy. Me and my mom were growing apart. She told me again and again that being part of a gang would bring nothing but misery and I told her over and over that it didn't matter. That I had no other choice. Hm." Nick stopped there for a while to gather his thoughts. He took so long Judy began to wonder if he would continue. He finally did.
"I decided that to really show my mom I was right, I had to bring in even more. If one gang was worth so much, why not another? I started selling secrets to rival gangs. It worked at first. For about two months I brought in three times my mother's wages. I showed her how well I was doing. You know what? She was absolutely terrified. This much illegal money would cost me, she said. She told me to throw it away, get rid of it as fast as I could. I didn't understand. Here was proof that I could take care of her. But she was right in the end." Nick went quiet again. Judy reached and touched his arm to show him her support. Nick took a deep breath and continued.
"The gang I worked for, the first one anyway, found out what I was doing. They didn't like it. Not one bit. They sent an enforcer to my house. Middle of the night. I wake up to the sound of a moose smashing through the front door like it was styrofoam. I run to my mother's room and tell her to hide. I don't remember how, but I found myself in the attic. The moose found my mother first." Nick's eyes were tight as he recalled this memory. Judy, completely enthralled by his story, barely held back a gasp.
"Since he couldn't find me, the moose beat my mother. He shouted that this would end if I came out. My mother screamed to stay away. But she was my mother. I couldn't leave her like that. When I came out though…" Nick's vision was starting to get blurry. He slowed the interceptor. Then he pulled over and parked. Nick put both paws on the steering wheel and squeezed his eyes shut, his entire body tense. His body trembled and he gasped. Judy tried to interrupt.
"Nick, you don't have to-" Nick cut her off.
"No! No. I'll tell you. When I came out the moose stomped my mother. Right on her back. The sound she made. Judy, that sound will haunt me for the rest of my life. The moose roughed me up until I told him where my money was stashed. He took it and left. I barely made it to a phone. I called an ambulance. My mother died in surgery." Nick covered his eyes with his arm and leaned back against the headrest for a while. Judy let him collect himself. Judy was watching Nick intently as he started talking again.
"A social worker picked me up at the hospital. They put me in some home. But I was a fox and a known gang affiliate. No one cared when I left. I had to live somehow. But I couldn't stand the thought of working for a gang. So, I went to work for myself. That's how I started hustling at the age of twelve." Nick brought his arm down and let it fall limp at his side. He turned to look out the window, or maybe at his reflection in the glass, Judy couldn't tell.
"Pretty pathetic, huh?" Nick turned at the sound of a seat belt being unbuckled. When he did he found he was looking directly into the determined violet eyes of Judy Hopps.
"You are not pathetic, Nick." Judy threw her arms around his neck and hugged him for all she was worth. Nick froze for a moment, stunned at this show of affection. Then he smiled. His eyes closed and he wrapped his arms around Judy's slender body, holding her to him tightly. He pressed his face to her neck and allowed himself a moment to just enjoy her warmth. Nick took in a long, deep breath.
"You're the best, Judy." Judy chuckled into the thick fur of Nick's neck.
"Ah, where's my pen? I need to get that recorded for posterity." Now it was Nick's turn to laugh. He pat her back and she let go. As Judy returned to her seat and put on her seat belt Nick smiled at her.
"You'll just have to wait until next time. Now, let's get back to work!"
