Is it morning already? Give me like, five more minutes. Daniel had slowly woken up from his much-needed sleep, but he opted to keep his eyes shut in hopes that he could coax himself back asleep. It was fruitless, of course, as he was wide awake by now. Eventually, he gave up and eased himself up off the couch before trying to stretch. A sudden pain from his left forearm interrupted his morning routine, however, bringing his attention to a surprisingly long cut that circled around the top of his arm. Must've gotten caught by the knife and I just didn't notice. Thank God it isn't too deep. Hope I didn't stain the couch. Daniel quickly looked down at the sofa and, to his relief, Nick's furniture was still the same color as before, completely blood free.

He shrugged the upper jacket of his jumpsuit back on, making sure that the sleeves covered as much of his arms as possible. Can't let Judy see this or she'll figure out what happened last night. After confirming that he was suitably concealed, Daniel took a moment to look at the time. 8:48? Guess I must've really been out of it last night huh? I was definitely expecting either Nick or Judy to be up way before me though. Speaking of, I thought Nick was supposed to out here in the living room? His musings were cut short by his stomach's obnoxiously loud rumbling, the relative silence of the apartment only emphasizing the noise.

He began making his way over to the kitchen, which ended up taking a considerable amount of effort as a result of the dim lighting in the apartment. Due to the lack of any proper windows in the living room, the only way to brighten up the place would be to turn on the lights. Though, he didn't want to start flipping switches while Nick and Judy were still asleep, so he opted to just do his best at avoiding hitting anything that might be hidden in the dark.

Daniel was finally able to reach the kitchen outlet, but the sound of jarringly loud snoring interrupted his train of thought. He turned towards the cracked open bedroom door, which he could have sworn was closed shut before they went out last night. He ultimately decided to investigate the room, not only to find out who was snoring so loudly, but also to see if his suspicions about where Nick actually was were true.

Daniel slowly opened the door and stuck his head inside. He didn't expect to find that Judy was the one he had heard back outside, finding it rather incredible that such a small rabbit could make so much noise. However, he was even more surprised to see both of them entangled on top of the bed. Judy was wearing what looked to be one of Nick's oversized shirts as a nightgown, and had stolen all of the bedsheets as well as Nick's tail. She held it with an iron grip, using it to supplement her already massive accumulation of blankets. Meanwhile, Nick was still in his clothes from last night and had draped an arm over Judy, holding on to one of her paws that was clutching his tail. All in all it was adorably hilarious, and Daniel had to stifle a laugh or else risk getting caught.

He closed the door as quietly as physically possible, smiling to himself like an idiot as he made his way back to the kitchen. I can't help but wonder if they're more than just friends, but I'm not exactly one to pry. Lost in thought, Daniel wasn't paying enough attention to where he was walking and stubbed his toe on the baseboard just as he was rounding the corner. He suppressed an annoyed groan before flipping the light switch and hobbling over to the small refrigerator. To his surprise, he found milk, eggs, and several other animal-dependent products alongside the expected assortment of fruits and vegetables. I am definitely asking about that later.

Daniel decided to do something nice for his hosts and make some of his home-famous buttermilk pancakes, pulling out the needed ingredients from the fridge before heading over to the pantry and to search for pancake mix. While the pantry itself was at his height, only about half of it was actually being used, and everything was placed below his waist level. He finally found a box labeled 'Uncle Jeremy's Original Pancake Mix' with the portrait of a graying otter in the top left corner of the box. Finally, he began searching for a mixing bowl in one of the low hanging cabinets when he heard the faint sounds of shuffling bedsheets. A high pitched yelp followed by "Oh cheese and crackers!" confirmed that Judy had finally woken up.

Nick was stirred awake by Judy's flustered apologies, and it wasn't long before he was adding to them. "Carrots! I'm so sorry! I was so tired that I must've just wandered over to the bed-"

"And I didn't mean to grab your tail! I know how much that bothers you-"

"And I dozed off by accident…"

"Yeah…"

They shared a nervous chuckle before Daniel burst out laughing, their uneasy smiles turning into mortified embarrassment. He was still trying to calm himself when Nick and Judy walked into the kitchen with equally sheepish expressions. "Um, how much of that did you hear?" Nick asked.

"Every. Word. But that isn't the worst of it."

Judy quickly caught on to his implications. "You actually went into the bedroom and spied on us?!" she yelled.

Daniel held his hands up in mock surrender. "In my defense, I was just minding my own business when I heard the loudest snoring in history. I had no choice butto investigate."

"He isn't lying Carrots. You snore like a freight train," Nick joked, his cool demeanor slowly returning.

"Nick!" Judy scolded indignantly. Nick merely shrugged in return.

"Anyway," Daniel redirected, "I was just about to start making some of my world-famous pancakes. I mean, if you didn't mind me using your kitchen that is."

Nick shook his head. "Go ahead. I honestly want to see if you can make better pancakes than the master himself."

Judy looked at him with a skeptical smirk. "And just who might that be?"

"Why, Finnick of course! You wouldn't think it at first, but the big guy makes some of the best pancakes I've ever had."

Daniel shook his head and smiled to himself. "Well now I have to meet him. No one has ever beat me when it comes to making flapjacks, and I've gone up against quite a few people over the years." Nick and Judy went over to the living room to watch the morning news while Daniel began mixing the batter. Luckily the kitchen was designed for multiple species in mind with two sets of counters and stoves, one that was at his knees and one that was at his waist. It wasn't long before he was properly cooking, with breakfast being ready soon after. He emerged from the kitchen with a stack of ten fluffy, light brown pancakes on top of a stack of three porcelain plates in one hand, and a bottle of maple syrup in the other.

Soon, all of three of them were lounging around the living room and eating breakfast while watching the news. "Ok I have to admit," Nick began after swallowing a bite. "You definitely give Fin a run for his money. These are some of the best pancakes I've ever had."

Judy nodded in agreement. "This beats my dad's by a mile, but don't tell him I said that."

Daniel chuckled, clearly proud of himself. "My mom taught me some of the basics for cooking breakfast, but I felt that it never tasted quite right. So, I started doing some research, experimented in the kitchen a little. Next thing I knew, I was making breakfasts that would have made Gordon Ramsey jealous." He shook his head when Nick and Judy gave him confused looks. "Chef that was famous for his fine dining, as well as getting royally pissed at anyone who thought they could cook but really couldn't," he clarified. They both nodded before going back to enjoying the unbelievably satisfying pancakes.

"I was meaning to ask," Daniel started as he eyed a forkful of fluff. "Where does the milk come from anyway?"

"Donors mostly," Judy supplied. "A lot of cows opt to donate excess milk after their calves grow up. Although, no one really knows why since it's still a pretty closely guarded secret."

"Weren't they recently trying to make it into a business model?" Nick asked.

Judy nodded, unable to answer right away with a mouthful of pancakes. "Yeah, but they've been meeting a lot of resistance from the government."

"I mean, it makes sense. Cows could set a monopoly on the dairy industry by setting prices on milk," Daniel reasoned.

They continued to eat and watch the news which, in all honesty, was rather bland. A tiger cub won the annual spelling bee, a local diner recently failed an inspection, a kit got stuck in a tree. Daniel was somewhat relieved and yet also disappointed that the news hadn't changed that much from the past. I guess when there's no news there's no news, no matter who it's about. I'm just surprised they haven't been covering the Nighthowler Case on every channel. Maybe there just isn't that much information out yet?

As if on cue, a monotone report on the public opinion of interspecies relationships was interrupted by "Breaking news! Police Chief Bogo is about to begin a press conference regarding the recent arrest of Mayor Bellweather." The channel cut to a live feed of Bogo at a wooden pedestal outside the front of the precinct, reporters of various species all surrounding him with outstretched microphones.

"Good morning everyone," he began calmly, his voice still containing a steely edge. "I'm here today to clear up any questions regarding Mayor Bellweather's recent arrest to the best of my ability. To begin with, Bellweather is now a prime suspect in the savage cases that have been occurring over the past few months. She is accused of leading a terrorist network that was dedicated to generating fear and distrust by infecting various predators with the toxins from plants colloquially known as 'nighthowlers.' This substance is capable of greatly increasing aggressive behavior in any mammal that is exposed to it, causing said mammals to become 'savage' in sense. Rest assured, this is not a 'return to primal instincts' or a result of 'genetic behavior.' Researchers are certain this is the primary cause of the savage cases and are actively working on creating a countermeasure, as it appears that it can take weeks for the body to fully clear out the toxins naturally. Now, any questions?"

The reporters began bombarding the chief with a slew of questions, but he didn't even bat an eye as he waited for the right one. "Can you confirm that officer Judy Hopps was once again involved with the Nighthowler case?" one reporter asked, their inquiry seemingly rising above the others.

"Yes. Officer Judy Hopps, along with the help of Nicholas Wilde, was directly involved in Bellweather's arrest. Any other questions?"

"Some reports say that an unknown mammal was seen exiting the crime scene. Could you elaborate?" another reporter asked.

Bogo pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered something the microphones couldn't pick up. "Yes. A human was present at the crime scene is now a key witness in the case." The crowd of reporters went silent for moment as they all processed the new information, although it didn't last long.

"Does this human pose a threat to Zootopia?"

"Are there more humans out there?"

"Was the human working with Mayor Bellweather?"

"Is the human responsible for the destruction of the museum railway?"

"Enough," Bogo commanded coldly. "The human has been thoroughly debriefed and we are certain that he does not pose a threat to Zootopia or its citizens, and he was assuredly not working with Bellweather. Additionally, the human is currently being considered for full citizenship as well as having a place in the ZPD due to former training. Any other questions regarding this will be disregarded. Now, is there anything else that needs clarification?"

Nick hit the mute button on remote as the reporters began another round of questioning. "Well, I guess the news is out now," he noted simply.

Daniel shrugged. "I wasn't going to be able to hide in your apartment forever. I was just hoping that they wouldn't already assume that I'm here to cause trouble."

"I know the feeling," Nick muttered.

"That makes three of us," Judy added. "How many bunnies do you see on the police force? Nobody thought I would ever make it in, and here I am now."

Daniel smirked at the comment. "I guess we're all just a band of misfits, huh?" They all shared a laugh before finishing breakfast while watching the unmuted press conference. It barely lasted more than a few minutes before returning back to the same mundane reports, motivating everyone to get moving in an effort to avoid dying of boredom

"I call shower first," Judy chimed as she carried the plate back to the kitchen.

"I'll go last since it'll take me the longest," Nick offered.

Daniel shrugged. "Works for me. Though, I've gotta ask, are mammals the only animals that are sentient?"

"Yep. Birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians are all still feral."

"I was just curious is all. There's so much that's changed since I went on ice, I'm just trying to play catch up on how things work these days."

Nick scratched the underside of his muzzle in thought. "I've got an old laptop in the office if you want to look up some stuff. Password's 'wildstyle89', all lower case and no spaces."

Daniel grinned at the cheesy password and gave a quick "Thanks" before heading over to the office. He was greeted by a classic oak desk with a few papers scattered across its surface, a wheeled office chair, and a generic looking laptop with the familiar "Dell" logo on it. At least it isn't a pun this time.

He sat down in the chair and rolled himself up as close to the desk as possible without pressing his shins against the wood before flipping open the laptop and typing in the password. His curiosity got the better of him as he waited for the computer to boot up, and began looking through some of papers scattered across the desk. Most of them were instructions for what he assumed were some of Nick's more elaborate hustles, while others were informal finance reports regarding Nick's monthly profits. Nick was bringing in some big money if these are accurate. I guess that explains the apartment, but he definitely isn't being smothered in cash. I wonder where it's all going…?

However, one particular paper piqued his interest. It was a printout of directions to Judy's apartment, or at least as far as he could tell. So he has been there before. Why didn't he just tell me before? His thoughts were interrupted by the short jingle from the laptop. I guess I'll ask Nick about it later. Right now, I have a whole lot of other questions that need answers.

About half an hour later, he emerged from the office with much more knowledge about the new world he was in. And while the majority of time was actually spent trying to memorize a map of Zootopia, he also knew things like how the city was located on top of the remains of Washington D.C. The older city had fallen into disrepair after humanity died out, and many of the monuments had long since weathered away. It was all rather interesting to say the least, as there were almost no records of what humanity actually looked like, but there was an abundance of information about their history up to the point just before the virus. Definitely explains why there are so many businesses that have the same names as our old companies.

Judy walked out of the bathroom at about the same time, still wearing her raggedy clothing from yesterday. Nick was back on the couch browsing his phone, although looked up to see them come out of their respective rooms. He smacked his forehead as he saw Judy in the same outfit. "My bad Carrots. I forgot to tell you that I stopped by your place last night to grab some stuff from your apartment. It's in the suitcase by the far corner in the bedroom."

Judy stared at Nick for a moment before confusedly shaking her head. "Wait, how do you know where my apartment is?" she asked bemusedly.

Nick looked away and scratched the back of his head. "Well… about a month after the press conference, I started looking for you. I wanted to say I was sorry for… you know…, but I couldn't find you at the precinct. I asked around and eventually someone told me your address. When I got there, the clerk said that you had taken a trip out of town. I stopped by every now and then, but I didn't know that you had actually moved on…"

Judy ran up to Nick and tackle him with a hug. "Nick, I'm so, so sorry! After everything that happened, I tried to stay in the city for a while but… I just couldn't. Being surrounded by all these people whose friendships were torn apart by my stupid mistake… it reminded me of how I had driven you away. I was just so worried that my best friend hated me and-"

Nick placed a clawed finger to her muzzle. "Judy, I could never hate you. Hearing you say that stuff at the press conference hurt, but it didn't even come close to losing you. But why didn't you tell me that you'd moved out when we came back?"

"I knew that I'd have to sort it out some time, but I was just so glad to have you back and- and I didn't want you to have to worry about me..."

"Carrots, your problems are my problems. You don't have to try to do these things alone."

Judy sniffed and gave him a small smile. "Yeah… I guess you're right."

"Of course I am. Emotional bunny."

"Protective fox."

Nick and Judy hugged each other again before looking over at Daniel, only to find that he had long since left the office doorway. Rather, he had already made his way over to the bathroom, eavesdropping on their conversation as he let the water warm up. I'd like to ask about them, but it's definitely none of my business. I just met them after all. He made his shower quick, being mindful not only of the remaining hot water, but also of how much of Nick's soap he was using.

After just a few minutes, he stepped out of the bathroom while drying his hair with a towel that was a tad bit too small for him. He had tried put his old jumpsuit on, but the discomfort had quickly convinced him to shed the upper jacket. The cut wasn't nearly as bad he initially thought, as the water had washed away the dried blood to reveal a considerably smaller patch of tender, red skin. I don't think Judy will notice, will she? His hopes were quickly dashed when Judy looked over at him, her eyes widening.

"What happened?" she asked worriedly.

"Well…" Daniel trailed, looking anywhere but at Judy. "When we went to go grab the stuff from your apartment we kinda got… mugged."

Judy pulled on her ears in frustration. "Danny, you could've been seriously hurt! You're lucky it was just your arm."

"Carrots, you should have seen him. He laid this guy out in ten seconds flat, then sent the other one running away like a scared pup," Nick defended.

Judy shook her head. "That doesn't change the fact that you guys could have died, and you didn't even tell me!" She turned to Nick and looked him straight in the eyes before continuing. "Nick, you know how you said that my problems are yours? Well your problems mine too, but you have to tell me about these kinds of things. After all, that's what friends are for right?"

"Yeah, you're right," Nick admitted.

"Of course I am." She winked at him before adding, "Dumb fox."

"Sly bunny."

Judy gave him a smile before turning to Daniel. "Be more careful next time, yeah? I don't want to lose a friend I just met."

Daniel nodded solemnly. "Didn't mean to make you worry. I just figured that I could spare Nick the embarrassment of telling them we were broke," he finished with a smirk.

Nick gave him a toothy grin before getting up off the couch and stretching. "So, did you leave me any hot water?" he asked.

"Did you see how fast I was? You should have enough for two showers before it even gets warm."

The fox amusedly shook his head before strolling over to the bathroom. He made an effort to take off his shirt just as he walked inside so that Judy could see his fur, causing her to scoff and turn away as her ears burned a light shade of pink. Daniel chuckled at the display before taking a seat at the couch and flipping through the channels. "Good luck finding anything," Judy joked as she went over to the bedroom.

She wasn't kidding. There's almost nothing on that's worth watching. He groaned in frustration as he switched to yet another station, only to end up with yet another commercial. "You've got to kidding me," he mumbled to himself, angrily pressing on the remote again. Daniel finally gave up and tossed the remote to the other end of the couch, leaving the TV on a documentary about the history of predatory birds. He barely even noticed when Judy came back to the living room and set down next to him, now wearing a lopsided lavender tank top with a different pair of jeans.

"Thanks for keeping Nick safe," she began. "I know he can take care of himself, but I'm just afraid that one day he might get into something he can't talk himself out of…"

Daniel nodded, oblivious to the TV at this point. "He could've handled it, probably a whole lot better than I did. I guess I just… snapped. Back then, when everything started going to hell, my mom was among the first boots on the ground to arrest looters and scavengers. One day she didn't report back after the end of her shift, and four hours later they found her dead in an alleyway with her head caved in by a lead pipe. I thought that I had gotten over it, that I had just gone numb to it all, but after last night… I don't know." Was I ever truly numb? Every time someone died, someone I cared about, did I really feel nothing at all? I'd like to think I was, that eventually I was able to just ignore everything. But I was never really truly gone, was I? "God I'm a mess…" he mumbled absentmindedly.

Judy looked up at him with remorseful eyes. She didn't know what to say, or if there was anything that she could say. Instead, she settled with just leaning against him, placing her paw on top of his bare hand. Daniel looked down at her, a mixture of confusion and contentment swirling around in his head. It felt so off to be comforted by a talking bunny rabbit of all things, and yet it felt no different than if a person had been the one sitting next to him. The latter feeling finally won over, and for the first time he felt as though he had real friends in this new world.

By the time Nick finally got out of the shower, Daniel and Judy had already gone about trying to pass the time. Judy was impatiently pacing back and forth behind the couch while browsing her phone, her ears twitching every now and then as she looked at something that sparked her interest. Meanwhile, Daniel decided to sneak in his morning exercises and was currently hammering out sit-ups in front of the TV. "Looks like you two aren't very eager to get going," he noted sarcastically while adjusting his tie. Judy smirked and shook her head while Daniel forced out a fake laugh.

"I was hoping you were exaggerating when you said it take a while, but I should have known better," Daniel complained as he picked himself up off the floor and dusted his jumpsuit off.

"I have to wash and dry two layers of fur, while you humans barely have anything to begin with," Nick retorted jokingly.

"Yeah, I guess so," Daniel admitted before looking over at Nick, who was still wearing the same outfit as yesterday. "How many of the same outfit do you have anyway?"

"Enough for every day of the week and then some. When you're constantly hustling, the first and last thing people remember is your clothes. If I ever need to lay low, I can just lose them and become a whole new fox."

"Well, you're not hustling anymore, so guess what we're doing today?" Judy chimed while putting away her phone. Daniel and Nick looked at each other, knowing full well what was coming next. "Shopping!"

Despite their initial reaction, Nick and Daniel were still as eager as Judy to get out of the apartment, so they didn't offer too much resistance to the idea. "Come on you guys, we're gonna have to do this eventually," Judy reasoned as they strolled down the sidewalk. "Danny, you need something to wear other than that. And Nick, you need to know how to dress." Daniel held his hands up in mock surrender while Nick just shoved his hands in his pockets and faked a scowl, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

With the sun out, the streets were much livelier than they were last night. Unfortunately, that also meant that Daniel was in full view of every mammal that was out and about, and it wasn't long until everyone was gawking at him like an exhibit at the museum. Cars slowed down as drivers rubber-necked to see him as long as possible, and pedestrians stopped to take pictures and talk to others in hushed whispers as if he wouldn't notice. All in all, it was somewhat embarrassing and extremely irritating. "Jesus Christ, it's like I'm an exotic animal at the zoo," he thought out loud.

"I mean, you are an exotic mammal in Zootopia if that counts," Nick quipped.

Daniel shook his head in frustration as he heard another camera flash. "Judy, how much further until I can at least get out of the street?" he asked impatiently.

"The Downtown Mall is just a couple more blocks, but I don't think it'll get much better," she admitted.

It seemed like centuries had passed before they finally reached the mall, and it definitely wasn't what he was initially expecting. The Downtown Mall was all outdoors, with individual outlets being separated by a plexiglass walkway that ran throughout the entire area. An entire network of waterways ran under the glass, allowing aquatic mammals to traverse the mall as well. "This is just… wow," Daniel muttered to himself.

"I know right?" Judy gushed, obviously pleased with his initial reaction. "When I first came here, I stood in this exact spot for almost half an hour. It's just so…"

"Amazing," Nick finished, his gaze lingering on Judy a bit longer than intended, although no one noticed.

It didn't take long for the other citizens to ruin it, however, with many of them quickly forming a crowd in front of the trio. Daniel groaned in frustration and began making his way down the walkway, the crowd dissipating as he walked past. Nick and Judy looked at each other worriedly before catching up with him. "I'm sorry Danny, I didn't realize it would be this packed even on a Thursday," Judy apologized as she approached his side.

Daniel shook his head. "It's not your fault, and it really shouldn't bother me this much."

"Give it a couple weeks and people will stop staring. Maybe less if you're extremely boring," Nick reassured humorously.

"I hope so, or the headlines might start saying 'Human goes crazy and attacks group of citizens'," Daniel threatened sarcastically.

Judy took the lead once again and brought them to a shop called 'Urban Designs', swearing that she bought almost all of her clothes there. The store didn't look extremely large on the outside, but almost no space was wasted, with an extraordinary array of clothing covering almost every inch of the store. The only things that didn't have racks of fabric on it were the forgivingly large walkway that ran through the shop and the checkout counter in the center. Almost immediately after they walked in, an overly eager hare clerk began making his way over to them.

"Judy! Good to see you again!" he called flamboyantly, bounding over to them. His beaming smile turned into awe as he got closer to the group and spotted Daniel. "Who are your friends?" he asked before quickly turning to Judy and whispering, "Is that the human they were talking about on the news this morning?"

"This is Nick," Judy said, gesturing to the fox before moving on to Daniel. "And this is-"

"Daniel. Just, Daniel," he finished flatly, cutting her off.

The other rabbit caught on quickly. "Oh where are my manners! Richard Hopps at your service! Although you can just call me Rickie," he supplied enthusiastically.

"Rickie is a cousin of mine," Judy explained. "He was technically the first Hopps to come here, but he's pretty out there on the family tree."

"I can imagine," Nick remarked.

"So what can I help you guys with?" Rickie asked, his right foot tapping with energy.

"We need to find these two something other than what they're wearing right now," Judy answered.

"Well you're in luck! We just brought in a new selection of fox-sized attire, and I'm sure I can find something for Daniel too. Follow me!"

Rickie led the group to a group of racks with clothes that looked about the same size as Nick's, identifying it as the latest threads from Fox Hollow. Judy opted to stay with Nick as he looked through clothes, as she, "didn't trust him to make good fashion decisions after seeing his clashing fashion." While they were browsing through the newer apparel, Rickie guided Daniel over to another group of racks near the front of the store.

"This here is the wolf section. Now, I know you're obviously not a wolf, but I think all of this is about your size. Let me know if you need any help!" he chimed before practically skipping back over to Nick and Judy. Daniel began looking over the selection and was surprised to find that the hare was right. While some were a bit too small or disproportionate, many of the shirts were about his size. Additionally, many of the pants with tail slots were designed to where the fabric still covered everything, regardless as to whether the slot was being used or not. I guess I never quite realized how human-sized wolves are if they stand up. All the better for me though. After about an hour and a half of trying on various sets, Daniel finally made his way back over with the group.

Nick was the first the notice him and waved him over with his free hand, his other arm covered in hangers. "Don't worry about paying for it, I'll cover it," Nick offered.

"Don't you mean we'll cover it?" Judy asked.

"He saved some of my cash from being stolen last night. Least I can do is pay him back right?" Nick reasoned, already fishing his wallet out of his pocket.

Rickie waved it away. "Oh please, you guys are family! I'll cover this one, but you gotta promise me that you'll come back with more juicy stories alright?"

"Are you sure? I can't imagine how much this all costs…" Judy trailed, obviously not putting up much of a fight as she normally did.

The other rabbit shook his head. "It's the least I can do for you Judes. Besides, you're the only other Hopps out here in the city! We gotta look out for each other right?"

"Aww thanks Rickie!" Judy chimed before enveloping him in a hug.

"No problem! Now, let me ring you guys up."

A couple minutes later, Daniel had changed into a textured dark green shirt and black jeans and was following Nick and Judy out of the store, bags clothing in hand. "Did you know he would cover for us?" he asked once they were back outside.

Judy looked off to the side before slowly answering, "He might have covered for me a couple times before… why do you ask?"

"How many?" Daniel pressed.

She hesitated before answering, "…Seven?"

Daniel let out a low whistle while Nick doubled over laughing. "You sly bunny!" he coughed out with tears in his eyes.

"I never get that much! A couple shirts here, a pair of pants there. I'm just as surprised as you guys are that he covered for all this," she defended.

Nick was still chuckling as he said, "I'll have to keep that in mind in case I ever find that I have family members in retail."

Daniel smirked and shook his head. "Well, at least I don't look like a mechanic anymore. All I need now is a phone and I just might be able to fool someone into thinking I'm a normal person."

The fox waved the issue away. "I've got a couple spare phones that I swap between. Just make sure if you ever get a call from someone, don't answer it. Ever."

"Angry customers I assume?" Daniel asked amusedly.

"…Something like that."

It had taken quite a bit of time to make it out of the apartment and even more time to walk all the way to the mall, so the sun was already beginning to set when they reached the sidewalk. "I'll get us a cab real quick," Nick offered.

"Now hold on just a minute. You covered the taxi yesterday, so I should cover it today," Judy rebutted.

Nick knew he wasn't going to win this one and shrugged in defeat. As they all climbed into the backseat, Daniel reminded them that he and Nick still had to drop by the precinct to submit their applications, so they quickly altered their trip's priorities. It wasn't long before the driver was navigating the streets of Zootopia, the setting sun causing the sky to turn into a mixture of pink and orange. It made for a beautiful backdrop against the towering skyscrapers, and he finally felt as though everything was going to be ok.

6/13/17 Update: Another A/N that is now completely different, so if you're new this won't make any sense. The beginning and very end of this chapter changed quite a bit, with Daniel now being a bit less of a creeper and a bit more of a nosy idiot. Also added some general fluff to the dialogue and changed how Daniel interacts with Judy before the line break. So, this is definitely worth a quick review, at least up until they leave the always, music below.

M: Perturbator - Electric Dreams; Everything is Going to be Ok - Mick Gordon (latter half/city)
N: Above songs; Tin Soldiers - Ed Harrison (probably more than is healthy)