Chapter 4: Go the Distance

Nick wasn't exactly what one would call pleased with the current situation. He'd had a big, romantic evening planned for him and Judy, and now they were going to spend it settling Joseph into their home and keeping an eye on him.

Nick was perfectly happy to help Joseph, of course. In fact, he truly wanted to. It was just that he'd arrived at a rather inopportune time. The date he had planned for tonight wasn't going to be just any date. Tonight, Nick was planning on telling Judy exactly how he felt about her. He was going to finally go the distance. He was going to tell her that he loved her.

He'd known it for a long time. He'd known it the moment she put her paw on his arm in the gondola and told him that he was so much more than just a shifty, untrustworthy fox. No one had ever spoken to him that way before. He'd known at that moment that he loved her. His feelings hadn't been romantic at the time, but he knew in his heart that this persistent little bunny had forever changed his life.

That was why he had felt so betrayed by what she had said at the press conference. Nick knew that he loved Judy, and he truly thought that she had believed in him. She always did, of course, but those words that she'd spoken had hit Nick's heart like a thousand daggers. He'd known that she had just been nervous and had spoken without thinking. After all, she had said that he was different. But this...this betrayal had felt different from all the other ones he'd endured in his life. Why? The truth was that Nick had been scared. Scared that Judy was right. That he really was capable of hurting her, biologically predisposed to violence, especially against her kind. After all, if she thought that might be true, how could Nick believe in himself?

He didn't realize until after he'd walked away that he'd already hurt her in a much worse way than his claws or teeth ever could. He'd broken her heart.

When Judy had come to him under that bridge, he'd turned his back on her not because he hated her, but because he was scared. Scared that he would be hurt again. He couldn't, he wouldn't, live through that betrayal again. But when Judy had started crying, Nick's resolve and bitterness had shattered like cheap china. The thought of her being in pain because of his lack of forgiveness was too much. He couldn't do it. Those words, "I really am just a dumb bunny," had broken his stony heart.

Ever since the incident with the Ranger Scouts, Nick had been an expert at hiding emotion. This time was no different. When he'd turned around and taken that crying bunny into his arms, neither his face nor his voice betrayed what he was truly feeling inside: that this was the happiest moment of his life. Inside, Nick Wilde was crying and laughing all at once, because he knew that he would do anything for Judy Hopps. He would live for her, and he would die for her, a thousand times over if need be. There were no lengths to which he would not go to keep her happy and safe. She was his reason to keep trying, his reason to live.

That's what Nick was going to tell Judy tonight. That she had saved him. That he owed her not just his life, but his heart and his soul, everything that he was. That he loved her and was in love with her, and he would never desire anyone or anything but her.

Unfortunately, their new houseguest had put something of a kink in Nick's plans.

Nick made his way into what had once been his bedroom on the left-paw side of the hallway, where Joseph would be staying for the time being. Nick had stayed in the room for the months preceding his and Judy's relationship, but, soon after they had started dating, the couple had begun sharing a queen-sized bed in Judy's room, an experience that gave him no small amount of butterflies on a nightly basis.

Joseph was looking around his new bedroom, taking it all in. It was a decent-sized room, about ten feet square, with a single window immediately opposite the door looking out at the Zootopian skyline. The bare walls were painted eggshell-white, the only furniture being the full-sized bed, a night stand, a chest of drawers, and a small corner desk that had been left by the previous tennants. Several boxes of knick-knacks and what-nots belonging to both Judy and Nick were also scattered about the room. The only belongings that Joseph had were a few sets of clothes from the police station. He had left his old clothes and hunting knife on the ground in the woods, so he didn't exactly have a lot of unpacking to do.

Nick leaned against the left side of the door frame, crossing his arms casually over his chest. He'd changed out of his police uniform and was now wearing a lemon-yellow Hawaiian shirt and purple-striped tie. "Hey," he said, announcing his presence. Joseph whipped around, suddenly startled. When he saw that it was just Nick, he relaxed.

"Oh, hey Nick," he said. "Uh, thanks for lending me your spare room. I really didn't want to impose like this."

"It's no problem, buddy," Nick said, waving his hand in a gesture of dismissal. "You should have seen the hole I was living in before I moved in with Carrots. Consider this...me paying it forward."

Joseph smiled at Nick and put his hands in the pockets of the police-issue sweatpants. Nick thought as he looked at Joseph that he seemed to be about the least-threatening fox he'd ever seen. But, as he himself had proven on numerous occasions, looks can be deceiving.

"You and Judy have a really nice place," Joseph said, trying to make conversation. "How long have you been together?"

"'Together'?" Nick questioned, raising his eyebrows.

"I'm broken, not blind," Joseph responded dryly. "I can tell by the way you two look at each other that you're a thing."

"Oh," Nick said, surprised by the fox's awareness. He thought he'd been pretty discrete about his relationship with Judy. "We've been dating for a few months, now. Since June."

"And you already live together?" Joseph asked.

Nick smirked. "Actually, we've been living here for close to six months, since right after I joined the force and got assigned as Judy's partner. We both lived in pretty crummy conditions before, and we figured that since we were already partners, we might as well be roomies, too. That was, let's see…about a year after we met."

Joseph was visibly surprised. "Well, that escalated quickly. What did you do to make her fall for you so fast?"

Nick chuckled. "Oh, believe me, I fell for her first. It was right after she became a cop, and…well, it's a long story."

There was a moment of silence. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry," Joseph said.

"Oh, no, it's not that. It's just...complicated and crazy and involves conspiracies and an exploding train. Our relationship didn't exactly start off on the right foot."

"Seems to be going pretty good now, exploding trains aside. I'm, uh…I'm not keeping you two from anything, am I?"

"Well, I was planning on taking her out for a special date later, but it's not all that important."

Joseph was silent for a moment, his eyes suddenly downcast. "Dammit," he muttered, raising a paw to his face. "There I go again, getting in the way of other people's lives like the selfish piece of crap I am." Joseph plopped himself down on the bed and put his head in his paws. "God, I should have jammed that knife into my throat last night when I had the chance."

"Hey!" Nick said, crossing the room to sit at Joseph's side. "Don't talk like that. It's a date, it's not like you crashed our wedding or something. And you are not selfish. A selfish person doesn't up and leave their whole life to keep the people they love safe."

"Easy for you to say," Joseph said from behind his paws. "You're a cop. You're like the...spitting image of virtue and heroism."

Nick found that statement so utterly ironic that he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Joseph lowered his paws from his face. "What's so funny?" he asked.

It took Nick a moment to regain his composure. "Joseph, hard as it may be for you to believe, I wasn't born a cop. Before I met Judy, I was...well, I was exactly what everyone would expect a fox to be."

"And what's that?"

"Shifty. Lying. Untrustworthy. I, um..." Nick hesitated, not sure if he wanted to share his past with a complete stranger. But, he thought, it's not like it could really do any harm. "I…had a bad experience when I was a kid. I wanted to join this Ranger Scouts troupe, but I was the only predator in there. So, when I was supposed to go through initiation, the other guys, they..." Nick gulped, trying to hide the pain of the memory. "They strapped a muzzle onto my face and threw me out. Told me no one would ever be able to trust a fox without a muzzle. So, after that, I decided that if everyone was only going to see me as a lying, cheating fox...what's the point of trying to be anything else?"

There was silence in the bedroom as Nick stared down at his feet. Then, Joseph spoke, his voice full of emotion. "I'm so sorry," he said. "I know what it's like. Not being able to see yourself as anything else than what people say you are. That's been my lot for most of my life."

"Yeah," Nick said. "Well, when I met Judy, she...she changed me. Showed me I could be something better." He lifted his paw and placed it on Joseph's shoulder, the same way his father had when he was a kit. "I think you're a good guy, Joseph. Don't let anyone else tell you that you're something less."

"You don't even know me," Joseph said in disbelief. "How could you know if I'm a good guy or not?"

"That's something else Judy taught me. Always try to see the best in people. And I don't have to look very hard to see the good in you."

Joseph smiled warmly. "Thanks, Nick. Sorry about your date."

"It's fine," Nick said again. "Anyway, I think Judy would like to sit down and get to know you better. How about we give you a little time to get settled in while we make some lunch and you meet us in the kitchen in a little while?"

"Sounds good," said Joseph. "Thanks again."

"No problem, bud," Nick said, turning out of the room.

Judy was in the small kitchen attached to the living room, pouring herself a bowl of blueberries for a snack. Nick, having silently slipped through the free-swinging door, walked over to her and put his arms around her from behind, planting a little kiss on the top of her head, right between her perky ears. "Hey, Carrots," he whispered. "How ya doing?"

Judy placed her paw on top of Nick's, immediately forgetting about the blueberries. She could feel her heart racing every time he touched her, and she needed to pull away before he noticed. She slowly turned around in his arms and placed her paws on his chest, briefly standing on tiptoe to press her lips to his. She thought her heart was going to fly out of her chest.

"Not bad, Slick," she responded, a little breathlessly. "You?"

"Amazing, now," the fox said with a smirk. "Just had a little talk with Joseph."

Judy could see he was going to get right down to business. "Yeah. So, what do you think? Is he safe? Are we?"

Nick thought for a moment before he spoke. "Well, I'm not sure if I believe his whole story, but...I don't think we have to worry. If he's telling in the truth, he seems to have his...problem under control. We just have to keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't get into any trouble."

"And after that?" Judy asked. "What do we do when the tests are finished and we get this all figured out?"

Nick hesitated, then sighed. "I still want to help him. Whether or not he's telling the truth, as long as he's not a threat, I want to help him."

Judy sighed, lowering her paws from Nick's chest. "Me too," she said. "I feel like he's just been through too much. If everything he says is true...then he's got nothing, Nick. No home, no family, no friends. He's got...no reason to try."

"So, what do you want to do?"

Judy thought for a moment. "If it turns out he's been lying or is insane, we'll make sure he gets the help he needs."

"And if he's not?" Nick asked. "If he's been telling the truth?"

"Then I want to help him start a new life. Here, in Zootopia." Judy grabbed Nick's tie and pulled his face down to hers. "After all, everyone deserves their happy ending."

Nick smiled and pressed his nose up against Judy's. "I've got mine right here," he said softly as he pulled her into a full-on kiss. Judy was legitimately frightened that she was going to die of love right there in Nick's arms.

She had no idea that he felt the exact same way.


An hour later, the entire apartment was permeated by the smell of cheese and tomato sauce. Since Judy had a little more money now, she'd decided to start making some homemade meals instead of just having TV dinners all the time. Her favorite thing to make was pizza. It was simple and delicious, and it had a nice homey feel to it.

After pulling the pizza from the oven and setting it on the counter to cool, Judy went in search of her boyfriend. She looked around the living room, but he wasn't there. She began to make her way to their bedroom, but heard the sound of running water from the bathroom at the beginning of the hallway. She went and knocked on the door.

"Nick?" she called out. "You in there?"

"Yeah, I'm in the shower, Carrots!" he called back. "Whatcha need?"

"Nothing, just wanted to tell you the pizza's done and is cooling off. It'll be ready in a few minutes."

"Thanks. I'll be out soon."

Judy walked the few steps to the spare room to tell Joseph that lunch was ready. Just as she was about to knock on the slightly open door, she heard something. Soft, sweet, melodic, coming from inside the room. She looked through the crack between the door and the frame and saw that Joseph was sitting on the bed, his back to the door, looking out the window. He was softly singing to himself.

Judy couldn't help herself. She had to hear him. He paused for a moment, like he'd just finished a song. Then, in a light, smooth voice like a summer wind, Joseph began to sing.

I have often dreamed of a far-off place

Where a hero's welcome will be waiting for me

Where the crowds will cheer when they see my face

And a voice keeps saying this is where I'm meant to be

I'll be there someday, I can go the distance

I will find my way, if I can be strong

I know every mile will be worth my while

When I go the distance, I'll be right where I belong

He paused to take a deep breath and rubbed his eyes. Although the fox was still singing quietly to himself, Judy could hear the raw emotion that filled every word.

Down an unknown road to embrace my fate

Though that road may wander, it will lead me to you

And a thousand years would be worth the wait

It might take a lifetime, but somehow, I'll see it through

And I won't look back, I can go the distance

And I'll stay on track, no, I won't accept defeat

It's an uphill slope but I won't lose hope

'Til I go the distance and my journey is complete

Joseph stood up. He was still singing softly, but he was putting his whole being into the song. It wasn't like when Judy sang when she was alone because no one was watching. Joseph sang like he didn't care what anyone would think if they saw him. It was like he was singing so the whole world could hear.

Like a shooting star, I will go the distance

I will search the world, I will face its harms

I don't care how far, I can go the distance

'Til I find my hero's welcome waiting in your arms

Joseph stopped singing. Apparently, that was the end of the song. He went over to the window and placed his paw on the frame, heaving a deep sigh and gazing out at the city that was his new home. Judy didn't want to intrude on his peace, but she had to say something about what she'd just heard. She softly knocked on the door.

Joseph whipped around, looking as though he expected an attack. When he saw that it was Judy, he went beet red (or as red as an already red fox could go). "Oh, h-hey Judy!" he stuttered. "H-how long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough," she said with a gentle smile. "I, um...I heard you singing. That was...beautiful. What song was that?"

Joseph was clearly mortified that Judy had been watching and listening to him, but he answered her anyway. "Oh, that? Um, it's called 'Go the Distance'. It's, uh, from a movie I used to watch as a kid." The fox shoved his paws into his pockets and began to shuffle his feet in embarrassment. "Sometimes, when I get really down, I just…like to sing to myself a little. It makes me feel a little better, y'know? Especially, uh, Disney songs like that one. It…helps me remember that I have to keep going." Joseph blinked tears from his eyes, unsure why was suddenly saying all this to a rabbit he'd known for three hours. "Keep trying. Keep hoping that, someday, somehow...I'll find where I belong."

What Judy did next, she did without thinking. She just knew she had to do it. She ran up to Joseph and wrapped her arms around his waist, enclosing him in a tight bunny hug. He tensed for a moment, but quickly relaxed and wrapped his arms around Judy in return. "You will, Joseph," she said to him. "I'm gonna make sure of it."

"Thanks," he whispered, his voice breaking. Judy held him for a few more seconds before letting him go. "Come on," she said. "Lunch is ready. I made us a homemade pizza."

As she turned to leave the room, Joseph grabbed her shoulder. "Wait," he said.

She turned around. "Yeah?"

Joseph rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Nick, um, told me...what you did for him. How you changed him."

Judy smiled. "I think Nick might exaggerate my role in that a little."

"Either way," Joseph continued, "thank you."

Judy was confused. "For what?" she asked. "You weren't even there. Why are you thanking me?"

"Because you brought some brightness into someone else's life without thinking about yourself. You were are a star to him...like you're being to me." A glowing smile spread across Joseph's face. "I don't know how things are here, but where I come from...brightness like that is hard to come by. So, thank you."

Judy smiled once again. This fox was really beginning to grow on her. "You're welcome," she said. "Now come on. Let's eat." She turned and left the room, Joseph following her.

As Joseph left his new bedroom, he thought about the look he'd just seen in Judy's eyes. The look he'd seen in Nick's eyes when he helped Joseph off the street. They cared. They genuinely cared about him.

Joseph couldn't stop the little spark of hope that ignited inside him. He wasn't sure that he wanted it there. He'd learned too many times in his life that hope is dangerous. In the past, he'd let his hope grow, and time and time again it had been crushed. He didn't want to be hurt that way again. But he couldn't help it. In the deepest parts of his heart, Joseph wanted to hope, wanted to believe, that maybe, just maybe...

...he'd finally found where he belonged.