Hey guys and gals, welcome to chapter 4! hope you enjoy

AN: So since nobody voted on me using a posting schedule of sorts I'll just keep going like I have been, also if anyone was curious as to how long it takes to write a chapter I timed myself on this one, 17.5 hours total, 4 hours of editing, 13.5 hours of writing, roughly. These times are purely working hours, time spent at the computer typing only.

Still looking for an editor and or someone to storyboard with, if anyone's interested message me

Lastly as always Thanks for reading,

Disclaimer- Do I really need to do this? No, No I do not. Will I do it to cover my ass? Yes, Yes I will.

Just so you all know I don't own Zootopia, or any of these characters... Yet, Disney does... For Now

Chapter 4 - When the future rings will you pick up the phone?

Precinct one, Bogo's office, Saturday morning, 5:00 am

Chief Bogo sat at his desk hunched over, and rubbing his temples with his hooves, trying desperately to relieve the pounding headache that had been plaguing him since the arrest of Bellwether. The resulting pandemonium of arresting the second mayor in less than four months, was enough to drive any mammal crazy. The city council was in disarray, trying desperately to find a new mayor and bring the city back from the brink of chaos. Bogo's headache didn't end with the council however, he also needed to prepare a press release, coordinate security for a pro-pred rally, finish a mountain of paperwork, and to top it all off, a fox decided to apply to the ZPD. It was this last point that had Bogo's headache pounding the worst, the council would get itself together, they just need a good kick in the tail, Bogo knew how to coordinate his officers and handle the press better than any other chief, but he couldn't help but be concerned that a fox was trying to join the academy. There had to be some angle, some con this fox was running, foxes were sly, untrustworthy, petty criminals, these weren't prejudices, just facts, facts that Bogo had learned from his years walking the beat. So why would a fox try to join the ZPD if he wasn't planning some con or prank.

When Clawhauser had brought the application to him yesterday Bogo had almost let out a laugh; but seeing the strangely serious look on the cheetah's face stopped Bogo in his tracks. Bogo had just taken a pause in writing up the report on Bellwether's arrest, reaching into his desk Bogo grabbed his bottle of Tomatin 36-Year Single Malt Scotch and poured himself a double. The Whiskey was an expensive gift from Lionheart, and as much as Bogo disliked the maned politician he wasn't about to pass on a fine scotch. Bogo rarely drank, it dulled the senses, made mammals act foolishly, and with the pain it brought the next morning, the drink really wasn't worth it in Bogo's opinion; however, after the day he had, it was definitely needed. As Bogo was taking his first sip of the fine amber scotch before him, he heard a knock at the door. Setting the glass down on the table Bogo couldn't help but sigh, hopefully whoever was on the other side of the door had some good news for him.

"Come in," Bogo said, his deep voice rather subdued, revealing just how exhausted he really was. Looking up to see who had decided to disturb his moment of rest, Bogo was surprised to see Clawhauser. Benjamin Clawhauser was definitely one of his more boisterous officers, prone to squeegeeing, shouting, and gossiping, but even though Bogo always appeared annoyed by Clawhauser antics, Bogo secretly enjoyed having Clawhauser around. The normally giddy cheetah was nowhere to be found though, this cheetah, was serious, not even a hint of a smile, instead the look on his face was indignant, and in his paw was a sheet of paper. Is that his resignation? Bogo thought to himself fearing the worst. He had lost quite a few officers in the recent weeks, some felt unappreciated, some were concerned that they were making prey mammals anxious when they patrolled, others were just scared, so to protect their families they either stayed home, or moved out of the city, just trying to find somewhere safer for them and their kits.

Maybe I can convince him to stay, talk to him, explain how much the ZPD needs him, or maybe give him the front desk job back, Bogo pondered, as he waited for Clawhauser to speak. Looking at Clawhauser, Bogo noticed that the cheetah seemed to be struggling, as if he needed to say something but couldn't. Fearing the worst but wanting to get it over with, Bogo broke the silence.

"So Clawhauser, what can I do for you today? If this about some new Gazelle app or something she posted on Muzzlebook I don't have the time right now," Bogo said, prying that's all that Clawhauser wanted to say, but judging by the look on his face today wasn't Bogo's lucky day.

"Well Chief, now that you mention it, I did hear some interesting news about the angel with horns, but that's not why I needed to see you." Clawhauser said, his tone switching from bubbly to stern as he quickly changed topics.

"First, I came here to give you this," Clawhauser said, sliding the paper across the mahogany desk to Bogo.

Looking at the paper, Bogo kept his features calm, determined not to react as he came face to face with… an application to join the ZPD. Bogo was slightly confused, why was Clawhauser handling this application, and not the new front desk officer Stripes? What had the Cheetah looking so serious? And why did this application need his personal attention?

Applications normally went to the Candidate Assessment Division, after receiving an application the mammals of the C.A.D would perform a background check, then, if that came out clean, they would scour social media to search for anything dubious, risky, or things that just didn't fit with the image of a ZPD officer. If anything was found, it would then be reviewed by multiple mammals, and possibly disqualify the applicant, after a final decision had been reached they would send out an acceptance or rejection letter accordingly. As the chief he had almost no interaction with applications, unless a unique situation arose, and in his ten years of being chief he had only personally dealt with three applications, most notably and recently was in the case of Judy Hopps, with some "persuasion" from the mayor he had reluctantly accepted her to the academy figuring she would give up and drop out. It had been one of the few times he had been wrong, after solving two cases that none of his veteran detectives could figure out, Bogo couldn't deny she had a bright future, and her enthusiasm and kindness was refreshing, not that he would ever say any of this to her.

Thinking maybe the application would stand out in some way if he actually looked at it, Bogo quickly skimmed over the paper. Name, Nicholas Wilde, not someone recognizable, he is a Zootopian citizen, only 4ft tall and 80 pounds, maybe it was because this was a smaller mammal, but he hadn't dealt with any small mammal application since Hoppes's case had set a precedence for the Mammal Inclusion Initiative, so it probably wasn't that, going back to the application Bogo continued, This Nicholas Wilde is a predator, still nothing unusual, seeing as about half of his officers were predators. As Bogo continued onto the next question the answer he saw written there gave him pause, species, fox. Was this some sort of joke? Before Bogo could let out a hearty laugh he caught the look in Clawhauser's eye and stopped, Bogo realized this was no joke. Figuring he needed more information Bogo decided to play it cool, quickly skimming the rest of the paper for more information, Bogo noted that it this fox wanted to become a cop, how ridiculous. Bogo prayed that Clawhauser would suddenly break into a smile and say it was all a big prank, or some sort of clerical error; but looking back at Clawhauser and seeing just how earnest the cheetah was, Bogo realized this was no joke, prank, or error of any kind.

"So, a Fox, this, Nicholas Wilde, wants to join the ZPD, while I find that extremely, interesting and all, I don't see why this needed my personal attention Clawhauser, why didn't you just submit this to the C.A.D like you're supposed to?" Bogo asked choosing his words very carefully, as he raised one eyebrow slightly, face devoid of emotion.

"Well chief… it's just…I wanted to make sure... it was handled… properly" Clawhauser said cautiously, trailing off slightly at the end. Bogo just silently stared at Clawhauser gesturing for him to continue, Clawhauser stayed quiet, nervously looking around the room, trying desperately to avoid eye contact. Realizing he would have to prod a bit more to get to the bottom of this Bogo sighed.

"Clawhauser, would please explain exactly why you believe that I needed to be given this application, to ensure it was properly handled?" Bogo asked, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. Clawhauser, realizing that there was no way he could lie, silently apologized to Nick, sorry Nick I was going to let it go because you asked me too, but I have no choice. Preparing himself to say what he knew needed to be said Clawhauser inhaled sharply.

"The reason why I brought this to you specifically chief, is because of the reaction the fox, Nicholas, got when he tried to get an application" Clawhauser explained. Bogo, seeming rather interested gestured for Clawhauser to continue his story.

Getting the hint Clawhauser continued, " well sir, officer Stripes laughed at Nick when he first asked for an application, then when Nick asked again Stripes still refused to give him one, going so far as to tell him off for trying to joke around so much, so after I got Nick an application to fill out I realized that unless it was given to the proper person it might "go missing," Clawhauser said making air quotes before continuing

"So, after thinking about it for a bit ,I realized there was only one mammal I trusted to make sure everything was done properly, since you would never let bias affect the rules, bringing it to you was the best choice," Clawhauser said smiling.

"Well, thank you for bringing this to my attention Clawhauser, I'll make sure Stripes is spoken too and that this application is handled properly, if that's all I have a lot of work to do," Bogo said gruffly.

"I knew I could trust you chief, and don't be too hard on Marty I'm sure he didn't mean any harm," and with that said Clawhauser left a much happier mammal. Bogo quickly downed the scotch on his desk and went back to work; however, even as he worked on more urgent matters, his mind kept wondering back to the fox and his application. After finishing his work for the day, Bogo went home, deciding that after a good night's sleep to clear his mind, he would be better able to deal with the issue of the application.

Even after going home and getting a good night's sleep however, Bogo hadn't been able to figure out what to do. Looking at his watch Bogo groaned it was only 5:15 and he already had a pounding headache, today would not be a fun one. Turning back to the problem at hand Bogo tried to figure out what he was going to do. You could always shred the application, nobody would know, A little devil version of Bogo whispered, as he appeared on Bogo's shoulder wearing a blood red robe and wielding a pitchfork. Bogo contemplated it for a moment before discarding the idea, what if Clawhauser asked the fox about it later, there would be no way to explain it without either getting caught or throwing some innocent mammal under the bus. If you don't want to shred it you could always just reject it now, just make up some reason and be done with it, the devil Bogo said. It was a tempting idea, but before Bogo could even decide whether or not to do it, an angel Bogo appeared on the other shoulder, wearing a pure white robe with golden halo floating over his horns. You know that would be wrong and remember how much faith Clawhauser had in you. The angel shot back almost mockingly, as Clawhauser's words played in his head over and over again.

"That may be so, but I'm still concerned as to why this fox wants to join the ZPD" Bogo said, before realizing how crazy he must look talking to himself. Well why don't you do a quick check on him, and if that doesn't satisfy you then you can interview him yourself, and if you're still worried after all that you can dig deeper into his past. The angel reasoned. What a great idea, why didn't I think of that, well I guess in a way I did, Bogo thought to himself, with his moral dilemma solved, both the images on his shoulders vanished in identical puffs of smoke.

Searching Nick's name in the ZPD's database was easy enough, and with a few taps on his keyboard Bogo had all the information about any crimes the ZPD had connected to Nick. That being said, Nick had always taken great care to fly under the radar and with how little was on his file he had done a good job. Looking at the file Bogo was astonished, this Nicholas Wilde seemed like the perfect citizen, no arrests, no tickets, no complaints of any kind. Bogo scrolled through the file some more, looking for something, anything, out of place. The more Bogo looked, the less he felt he would find something, and after looking through the whole file twice and not finding anything Bogo sighed as he realized there was nothing here to find. As Bogo was about to close out the page he noticed an odd red flag next to Nick's name. Bogo clicked the flag, curious as he had never seen a flag like that on a file before. The flag was linked to a page filled with notes and rumors from officers and detectives, all centering on a mammal known as Nick Wilde. Reading further Bogo found that although none of his officers had ever met this mammal, all their contacts in the underworld knew of him, there was nothing concrete, no evidence to back up the rumors, but the tales listed in this document were an interesting read to say the least. Now Bogo was even more suspicious as to why this mammal would want to join the ZPD, looking over all the crimes he may have committed Bogo noticed something strange, none of his dealings really harmed anyone, and some weren't even crimes, but skirted the blurry line of legality. This Nick Wilde wasn't all bad. However, Bogo decided he needed to meet this fox in person, Bogo knew if they talked in face to face he would know for sure what type of mammal Mr. Wilde was, and if he was serious about becoming a cop. Looking at his phone and seeing that it was already 6:00 am Bogo decided to call the fox and set up a meeting.

Judy's Apartment, Saturday morning, 5:30 am

Nick was not a morning mammal, his morning routine usually consisted of turning over and falling back asleep multiple times before actually getting up. This morning however, Nick was wide awake, as soon as he realized he was in an apartment and not laying on his chair under the bridge Nick jolted into a sitting position. After a moment, memories from last night came back, and Nick relaxed slightly. Worried he might have woken Judy up, Nick glanced over at the bed. Seeing the slow rhythmic rising and falling of the sheets informed Nick that Judy was still sleeping. Nick figured now was as good a time as any to get up, so he did, and then Nick started to gather up his things. Grabbing his phone and charger off the nightstand, Nick quickly threw both into his pocket. Glancing over at the bed again to make sure Judy was still asleep Nick was suddenly stopped in his tracks. The sun had just begun to raise, the early morning light had just started trickling in through the window, bathing Judy's face in a warm orange glow. Nick couldn't take his eyes off of Judy, taking in every detail, he was captivated, the way her ears fell down along her back, the way her eyes were closed, her face relaxed, looking so peaceful and carefree, how the light made her gray fur shine almost silver, or the small smile on her muzzle. She looked breathtaking, Nick couldn't resist taking a quick picture, sliding his phone of his pocket Nick quietly unlocked it and snapped a picture. With a small click the picture was taken, and at that moment Judy shifted in her sleep. Worried that Judy would wake up and catch him staring at and taking a picture of her, and be weirded out, Nick swiftly turned around and pretended to be on his phone. Nick didn't know how much time he had been watching Judy sleep, it could have been a few seconds or twenty minutes. After having almost been caught Nick decided to leave right away, he needed time to think. and to get his head on straight. So as quietly as possible Nick opened Judy's door and walked into the hall, carefully closing the door behind him, Nick then made his way outside.

As Nick walked back home he tried to distract himself from what had just happened, however to his displeasure Nick couldn't stop his mind from wondering back to thoughts of Judy.

"What is it about this rabbit that has me so mixed up?" Nick asked himself, trying to get to the source of his dilemma.

"It's not like I haven't had crushes before, this should be no different, once I just accept the fact that I have no chance I can move on, no reason to ruin a good friendship and make it awkward," Nick reasoned with himself.

This had been Nick's approach to every crush, once he had rationalized in one way or another that the relationship was impossible or wouldn't work out, he would be able to forget the growing feelings, and eventually he wouldn't feel that way anymore.

"It's not like Judy would like me anyway, she's cute, smart, kind, overall just amazing, and completely out of my league, hell I bet she probably has bucks lined up around the block just waiting to date her, she wouldn't want a fox like me, someone who's got a checkered past, no real future, not much to look at, and nothing to offer her other than snarky comments and street smarts, she definitely wouldn't like me back, so I can just shut off those feelings," Nick said, continuing to talk to himself, happy that there wasn't anyone else around.

As Nick continued down the sidewalk he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Nick wasn't expecting any phone calls, not many mammals had his number, and those that did would never call so early in the morning. Taking the vibrating phone out of his pocket and looking at the screen Nick saw a number that he didn't recognize, thinking it could possibly be an old acquaintance who had changed numbers Nick answered.

"Hey, if you're a telemarketer trying to sell me something, I've got four little words for you: do not call list…" Nick said preemptively, figuring that if it was a telemarketer then it was better to get that out of the way quickly.

"Hello, may I speak to a mister Nick Wilde." The mammal said with a voice that was deep, smooth, and rang out with the clear air of authority. Not recognizing the voice Nick decided to play it casually and see what the mammal wanted.

"You've reached him, who are you, and what can I do for you today?" Nick asked

"Well Mr. Wilde I'm Adrian Bogo, chief of Precinct One and I was wondering if you would be able to come to the station today, I wish to discuss your application to the ZPD." Bogo said, trying to stay polite and professional.

"Sure, I'm free today, what time did you have in mind," Nick asked,

"Well I'd like to meet as soon as possible, so how does 9 o'clock sound?"

"That doesn't really work for me, I have some things I need to take care of right now, how about 12 o'clock?"

"12 o'clock works just fine, I will see you then Mr. Wilde, just come to Precinct One and let the front desk know who you're here to see, have a pleasant day," and with that Bogo quickly hung up leaving Nick with only silence.

Throwing the phone back in his pocket Nick continued on his way. About 10 minutes later Nick was back at the bridge that he called home, realizing that he should probably clean up if he was going to have a meeting with his future boss Nick headed over to a small grouping of trees nearby.

The trees were nothing special really, tall, brown, with green leaves, and some small bushes gathered around the bases, they were unassuming, and that's exactly why Nick chose them as his hiding spot. Nick, being poor and homeless, didn't have much, just a few boxes filled with a couple of his pawaiian shirts, some pairs of shorts, toiletries taken from various hotels, a small stash of cash, and some miscellaneous personal items. Taking out a new shirt and shorts, along with some fur shampoo and a white towel, Nick then headed over to the nearby warehouse.

At the warehouse, Nick had managed to set up a makeshift shower by using a large black tub on the roof, some PVC piping, and a cutoff valve. The way the shower worked was rather simple, the tub would catch rain water, and given time in the sun, even heat it slightly, then when the cutoff valve was opened the water would go through the pipes and onto Nick. Now Nick didn't use the shower much as it used a lot of water; and getting his fur completely dry was a pain in the tail, but Nick knew he needed to look and smell clean if he was going to meet with a possible employer. Nick made full use of the shower, taking care to wash every part of himself and making sure to be thorough getting the shampoo all the way down to the skin. After an extensive drying off Nick threw on his clean clothes, grabbed his stash of cash and headed out.

Nick made several stops while taking care of his business, heading to a wide array of places from thrift stores and malls, to convince stores and a candy shop. Nick ended his trip at the Zootopian Postal Service building, Savannah central, carrying two boxes, both taped up and ready to be sent out. Behind the desk sat an elderly brown bear, wearing the standard light blue button up uniform shirt of the ZPS, the bear slowly moved through the line handling each customer with a kind of tired politeness that bordered on indifference. Nick waited in line, one headphone in his ear listening to the Fur Fighters on Ewetube. Soon enough he was at the front of the line and was being called up to the desk.

"Next," the bear said with an enthusiasm that rivaled a sleep deprived sloth. Nick stepped up to the desk carefully placing the packages on the counter. Looking up at the old bear before him Nick threw on his award-winning smile

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Berenstain, might I say you're looking lovely today," Nick said, still holding his smile. Mrs. Berenstain looked down at the fox, taking a moment to recognize him, before breaking out into a smile as well.

"Nicky my dear, how good to see you, you flatterer," Mrs. Berenstain exclaimed, enthusiasm and joy suddenly radiating out from her, as she looked over quickly at her calendar "I should have expected you, first Saturday of the month, just like always,"

"Mrs. Berenstain, you know I never flatter, only speak the truth, you know that, and yep first of the month just like always, however I also have another package going somewhere else as well,"

"Well I'll thank you for the compliment then, this graying fur isn't really in style you know, anyways Nicky I already know where one is headed, just tell me where to send the second."

After explaining which package was going where and some pleasant conversation Nick looked up at the clock behind the desk and realized he needed to hurry up if he wanted to make his meeting.

"Well Mrs. Berenstain, as much as I would love to stay here and chat some more, I sadly have to head out, so how much do I owe you this time?"

"For you, that would be 23 zollars and 45 cents dear,"

"shouldn't it be more?" Nick asked confused "23.45 is how much it usually costs."

"Oh I know dear, but since you are a regular and such a kind young mammal I gave you a little discount"

"You don't need to do that for me Mrs. Berenstain, just tell me how much it really is, I have plenty of money," Nick lied, "plus I don't want to get you into trouble"

"I know I don't need to Nicky, I want to, you're always so kind to this old bear, even though you don't need to be, so let me do this kindness for you," Mrs. Berenstain explained. Nick reluctantly accepted, realizing there was no point in arguing. After paying for the shipping Nick said his goodbye and turned to head out, but before he could leave Mrs. Berenstain stopped him.

"Nicky, are you sure you don't want to put a name or return address on either of these, I know I tell you this every time but if they get lost or sent to the wrong place nobody will know where to send them back to,"

"I know, Mrs. Berenstain, but I have faith that the wonderful mammals at the ZPS will get it right, no need to give a return address, and the packages will be better received without my name on them."

"If you say so Nicky, thanks for coming in, it's always brightens up my day, don't be a stranger," Mrs. Berenstain said waving Nick off.

Precinct 1, Bogo's office, Saturday afternoon 12:00pm

Bogo had lost track of time, it happens to everyone, you get really focused on something, and before you know it, time has jumped forward. Right after his conversation with Nick, Bogo had gone right back to searching everywhere he could, trying to learn as much as possible about the fox before he showed up to the meeting. In the middle of his search Bogo was interrupted by a phone call, looking at the phone in irritation Bogo picked it up.

"What," with that one word Bogo was able to convey exactly how he felt, letting the mammal on the other end know to get to the point or else.

"sorry to bother you Chief, but I have a fox here who says he has an appointment with you, a Nicholas Wilde, should I send him up?" The voice on the other end asked, a slight tremor in his voice. Looking at the clock in the corner of his computer screen Bogo saw the time and nearly shouted, 12 o'clock! how the hell is it that late already.

"Yes, send him up," Bogo said, retaining his composure. Bogo quickly closed out the tabs on his computer and organized the files on his desk, hiding out of sight any evidence of his search.

After being told where Bogo's office was, Nick climbed up multiple flights of stairs until he stood in front of the door labeled Chief Bogo in big gold letters. Nick was nervous, although he didn't show it on his face, on the inside he was terrified, this was potentially the most important meeting of his life, one screw up and his new life would end before it even had a chance to start. Knocking on the door Nick felt an enormous pressure, as a deep voice instructed him to enter, Nick's instincts were telling him to run, hide, or do anything other than open the door. Ignoring his instincts, Nick stretched his arm up, grabbed the handle, and pushed the door open. Stepping into the office Nick was surprised at how mundane it looked, the walls were mainly bare, with only a few medals, a picture of the Chief with former mayor Lionheart, a couple of plaques, a map of Zootopia and its districts, and an over-sized police badge, were hanging up.

The room may have been bland and unremarkable, but the mammal behind the desk was anything but. The barrel-chested bull before Nick was quite the impressive figure, unwilling to make a snarky comment just yet, Nick climbed up onto the too big for him chair and sat down. Nick was unable to get a read on the buffalo that was sitting stone faced and silent in front of him, deciding to try and break the silence with humor Nick went for a greeting and a joke.

"Good afternoon chief Bogo, so do you know why fish live in salt water?"

Bogo sat silent, his mind racing, trying to place where exactly he had seen the fox seated in front of him before. As the fox greeted him Bogo was able to remember precisely where he had seen him before, this was the fox who had helped Hopps during the Missing Mammals case, and the Nighthowler conspiracy, and most importantly, this was the fox who had stood up to him when he tried to take Hopps's badge. Bogo hadn't gotten his name the other day because he figured a fox's testimony wouldn't count for much. Now, here was the same fox trying to join the ZPD. Realizing he still hadn't greeted the fox or even acknowledge his presence Bogo quickly tried to remember what exactly the fox had said.

"Good afternoon Mr. Wilde, I'm sure you're wondering why I called you in," Bogo said, trying to play off the fact he couldn't remember what the fox had said.

"It's because pepper makes them sneeze," Nick said flatly as he finished his joke

"Pardon?" Bogo asked, wondering who "Them" were and what sneezing had to do with anything.

"That was the punchline, do you know why fish live in salt water?, It's because pepper makes them sneeze, I figured I would finish my joke even if you weren't going to acknowledge it," Nick explained.

"Ah I see, so anyway Mr. Wilde, I called you here to discuss your application to the ZPD, why exactly would someone of your... background, want to join the ZPD?, surely you would be better suited to something else?" Bogo asked before quickly adding, "Police work is very physically demanding, not many smaller mammals can handle it."

Nick felt his stomach drop, he knew exactly what those words meant, having heard variations of them his entire life. The Chief of the ZPD was tacitly asking why a sly fox would want to be a cop. Why did you think it would be different? you should just tell him it was a joke and forget this pipe dream, just go back to hustling. A little voice whispered to Nick, the urge to quite was strong, while his life wasn't the best he had managed so far, he could still turn back. But in that moment of doubt something stopped him, it was Judy, the image of her face as she bounced around in excitement at just the possibility of working with him, filled Nick with a warm feeling of happiness. How could he just turn his back on that, on her, on one of the few people who believed in him and wanted to be around him. After realizing that, Nick found a resolve he never thought he had, in that moment Nick vowed to himself to see this through to the end, if not for himself, then for Judy.

Turning back to Bogo Nick couldn't resist messing with the bigoted buffalo just a little bit. Leaning back in the chair, sly smirk growing on his face.

"well chief it's like this, normally joining the ZPD wouldn't cross my mind, but my previous line of work can't compete with having such a steady income, medical benefits, paid vacation, job security, and best of all, the fact that ladies love a mammal in uniform," Nick said, waiting for a reaction from Bogo. Chief Bogo's did not disappoint, the look on his face was priceless, the look of sheer indignation, and anger that flashed across his features was perfect. After a moment however, Bogo settled down, and even started to smiled. Nick was not expecting the buffalo to start smiling, and he was also not expecting a smile to unsettle him so much.

"Well Mr. Wilde, I can say for sure that the ZPD is not the place for you, if those are the only reasons you want to become an officer I don't really see a place for you here, so if that's all I wish you good luck in the future, have a nice day,"

Nick stopped in his tracks realizing his mistake, Bogo was looking for a reason to deny him, and Nick had just handed him one on a silver platter. If he was going to have any chance at fixing this Nick knew he would have to choose his next words carefully, and really show his sincerity.

"WAIT," Nick shouted, startling Bogo, "I'm sorry about that, honestly I was nervous, and when I get nervous I try and cover it up with humor,"

Bogo almost told the fox to leave, but his curiosity got the better of him, so Bogo decided to see where the fox would go with this,

"Continue Mr. Wilde," Bogo said, pinning Nick in his chair with only a stern look

"Thank you Chief," Nick said as he took a minute to compose himself. Pausing for a moment, Nick took in a deep breath, held it for a moment, then exhaled, deciding to lay his cards out on the table Nick spoke.

"The main reason I want to join the ZPD is actually pretty selfish, I do actually want to make the world safer and better place, but only for one person, to have that person be proud of me, and I only want to make a better name for myself, so I can become a person who's worthy of her, now don't get me wrong I still want to help others and make the city a better place for everyone, but that's all secondary, because at the end of the day as long as she's safe, happy, and even the slightest bit proud of me, that's all I really need"

Nick had prepared a heartwarming speech about being a better mammal and making the world safe by putting away the bad guys, but found under Bogo's gaze he couldn't lie. Nick had actually let slip far more then he had intended. lowering his head Nick readied himself for Bogo to tell him that the ZPD didn't need selfish cops like that, surprisingly Bogo said not a word. Lifting his head to get a look at Bogo, Nick found the buffalo's face was far from being harsh like he had expected, but instead had softened slightly.

Bogo had been prepared for a stream of honeyed words, he was in no way expecting the honest expression and emotionally charged speech that came from the mammal in front of him. Bogo was taken aback, he had never expected that the fox's reason for joining the ZPD would mirror his own. Bogo had joined the ZPD many years ago, the desire to protect and make proud the mammal he loved was a powerful driving force for him, and looking into the foxes eyes Bogo could tell that Nick was equally if not more driven then Bogo had been. Bogo knew that as long as that force was there pushing Nick he wouldn't stray. I guess I can give him a chance, if he's really motivated like I was he'll be top of his class, no matter the struggles.

"Well Wilde, if you're really sure you want to put yourself through the ringer for a flimsy reason like that I won't stop you, however, you won't be able to work with Hopps…"

"Hold on a sec, why not?" Nick nearly shouted, interrupting Bogo mid explanation, "she and I make a great team, we've already proved as much solving two cases together,"

Bogo waited for Nick to stop his rant then held up a hoof,

"First of all, DON'T, interrupt me again," Bogo said darkly "If you had waited for me to finish I would have been able to explain, you won't be paired up with Hopps unless you qualify to get into Precinct One, that means you need to be in the top ten percent of your class, and if you don't make it then you will be placed somewhere else, those are the rules, no exceptions, do you think you can handle it?"

"Yes sir, I think I can manage that, I apologize for interrupting you,"

"Not a problem Wilde, just don't let it happen again, now the academy starts a new class at the beginning of each month, you unfortunately missed the start of this month's so you'll have to wait until next month, before you go you will need to sign these papers, and here take this packet it contains, general information about the academy like, location, duration, what to bring, what to expect, and other important things to keep in mind, use the next three weeks wisely." Bogo said as he handed Nick the packet, and the documents outlining his employment. After looking through the paperwork and signing where necessary Nick said goodbye and after hopping off of the chair headed out the door.

Alone in his office Bogo started the paperwork to fast track Nick's application. As the Chief of Precinct One his signature held enough weight to push any applicant through, however Bogo still decided to make a few calls, Major Friedkin would definitely want to know about this new recruit. As Bogo went about all this he couldn't help but think fondly of the fox remembering the look of pure determination in Nick's eye, maybe he won't be so bad, even if he's a fox, but first he's gotta make it, the academy is no cake walk, he'll need that determination if he's gonna make it, Bogo thought to himself suppressing a shudder at the memories of his time at the academy, before continuing his work.

As Nick walked down the precinct's steps he felt the tension leave his body in one big wave and nearly collapsed.

"Well that could have gone better," Nick said to no one,

"It could have gone a lot worse too, so look on the bright side you're in and on your way," an optimistic voice commented, sounding strangely like Judy. Thinking of Judy Nick pulled out his phone figuring he might as well text her the good news. Pulling up his contact's he didn't even need to scroll through to find the contact name he had picked for her, looking at it Nick couldn't suppress a smile "Carrots", complete with a little emoji carrot. Nick shot off a quick text informing Judy that he had been accepted and would be going to the academy next month. Before he could even put his phone back in his pocket it had started ringing. Not even needing to look at the caller ID Nick answered the phone,

"Sup Carrots,"

"NICK," Judy shouted nearly blowing out Nick's ear drum,

"I can't believe you got into the next month's class that's unheard of"

"Is it really that big a deal?" Nick asked

"Nick, normally it takes at least five to six months to handle all the administrative work, we need to start training you right away,"

"Isn't that a bit extreme Carrots, I'm sure I'll be fine as I am, I'm more athletic then you give me credit for,"

"Unless you can run five miles in under 40 minutes, do 40 push-ups in 1 minute, 60 sit-ups in 1 minute, and that's not even taking into account the obstacle course, then no you will not be fine."

Nick gulped "Alright you may have a point, when would you like to start training?"

"Today, meet me at Grove Park, at 3 o'clock"

"Sounds like a plan fluff, should I bring anything special?"

"Just normal workout attire and a water bottle, but actually Nick I just remembered, I kinda need a favor from you,"

"Sure what do you need?" Nick asked slightly concerned,

"It's not anything big, I'll just need you to get the truck after the workout, do you remember where we parked it?" Judy asked, hoping Nick remembered because she couldn't for the life of her recall where they had parked it. In all the days excitement it had slipped her mind. It took Nick a moment to remember exactly where they had parked the old truck but after thinking about it for a minute he had remembered the location.

"Yah I remember where it is, after the workout I'll run over and grab it, no problem."

"Thanks Nick, you're the best," Judy said sighing with relief,

"Yah, I know I am pretty great aren't I," Nick said smugly

"Don't get too big of a head there Slick, we'll see how great you feel after you get done with the workout I have planned," after saying their goodbyes Nick hung up and headed out. Feeling a vibration in his pocket Nick took out his phone, seeing a text from Judy, Nick opened it wondering if she had forgotten to tell him something

Judy: Hey Slick, I forgot to tell you how psyched I am that you got in, can't wait to be partners,

/) /)

( ^.^ )

C (") (")

Putting his phone back in his pocket Nick continued walking down the street, Grinning like a fool.

Thanks for reading, if you enjoyed it feel free to drop a review down below, tell me what worked, what didn't, what you want to see, ect. I love hearing from you all.