Welcome back to those that decided to stick with us after that last chapter.
The story now deals with the fallout of Nick telling Judy he has a job lined up with Far-End (roughly a week before he has to leave). Now is when Nick is going to get a stern talking to, but he will also let Judy know what has brought them to this juncture and why he has made these decisions.
SPOILER!
I have heard some readers express concern that Nick will back out of his new job due to the need to salvage and maintain his friendship. He will not give up the job. I did not set up Far-End just to let it fall away for the sake of drama. There will be stories taking place out there, as well as some very pivotal events in the stories yet to come.
END SPOILER!
Let us begin.
Judy came back from her shift with Travis and was counting the moments until she could wish him a good evening, and confront Nick face-to-face about what had happened the previous evening.
As she came into the atrium of the precinct, and Travis said goodbye before heading to the locker rooms, Officer Punda Milia waved Judy over to the front desk. Judy diverted course and bounded over to the desk.
"Hi Milia, now's not really a good time, I'm scheduled to have an important conversation with someone."
"Oh, well then I won't keep you long, but I wanted to let you know that Nick stopped by about twenty minutes ago and asked me to give you this."
She presented Judy with a sticky note, which Judy took and unfolded right there.
Come by my apartment. No other officers to eavesdrop, and no one minds shouting.
Judy grimaced and was close to crumpling up the paper and throwing it on the floor, but she reined in her anger again and instead gave a quick 'good night' to the kindly zebra desk officer and ran to change into her spare civies. She came up to the atrium again and passed by Ben who was coming out from the gym.
"Hey Judy, how was patrol?"
"Hi Ben. It was fine, still a lot to do about those robberies. I have to get going, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Oh, before I forget," he stopped her. "I'm putting together a send-off for Nick on Friday and planning to invite everyone to Civet's Corner. Tuske is going to be back and it's tradition for him to lead the toasts for the next Liaison-Officer. I'll be seeing you there? I'm gonna try to get Gazelle to make an appearance."
Judy again held herself back from making a nasty remark and just gave Ben a quick smile and headed out the door. If the circumstances had been any other way than they were at that moment she would have thrilled at the possibility that Ben would get their favorite pop artist to make an appearance. As it was, Judy was only just keeping a lid on her seething emotions. As she left, however, she realized how close she had come to snapping at everyone today: Travis, Milia, Ben. Each had only been treating her kindly, and she had been terse and angry in nearly all of her exchanges. It made her mad to think that it was Nick and his selfishness that put her in this situation and made her so mad that things were hard on all fronts: just another thing for her to throw at him when she saw him again.
Judy hopped a subway to Nick's neighborhood and got to his apartment building even while the sun was still partially lighting the sky - though it was well buried behind the surrounding skyline in this neighborhood. Similar to her own apartment building, the downstairs lock - which was supposed to be accessible only to the tenants, and those whom the tenants buzzed in - was broken. Judy was able to walk right in and up the few stair flights between the ground floor and Nick's apartment level.
Standing in front of his door, Judy marshaled her thoughts, took a firm breath, and knocked on the door. Her knuckles stung slightly after her boxing fury from the previous night, and she felt her anger at Nick grow again.
Nick opened the door and inclined his head to invite her in, keeping his muzzle pointing down at the floor and without a word uttered. She stomped in, her large feet making a thudding sound with each step. The room was crowded with several boxes and a couple of suitcases and backpacks of Nick's few possessions. He was not wasting time. He had gotten right to packing up his things already. Once she was well inside the apartment, she whirled around and stared at Nick, who closed the door and then brought his full attention on her. For a few tense seconds the sound of Judy breathing was the loudest thing in the apartment, punctuated by the sharp intake and expulsion through her nose. Both of them knew she was on the verge of bursting and trying to hold it back, so Nick finally broke the stalemate.
"You wanna say it, so say it."
"You're a selfish jerk, you know that?" she blurted. "You've said and done some hurtful things in the time I've known you, but you never actively disregarded me or my feelings. This is a new low."
Nick sighed, and she continued to berate him.
"You should have told me about this plan to transfer when you first thought about it. We're supposed to be partners. We don't keep secrets from each other. We should be able to trust each other instinctively. Why couldn't you have brought this up with me when you first thought of it?"
Nick sighed again and answered. "Because it grew out of something very deep and personal. I was out there on the hike with you and Heather and I was thinking about my Dad: all the stories he told me about the Wild, and how it might have been where he disappeared to when I was younger. Then afterwards when I asked the rangers and officers there about the work... I was already liking the place and I liked what I heard. And they seemed to respond to me and my interests. And the more I asked, the more I wanted to know. It got serious, and by the time I knew I wanted to do something about it I didn't know how to tell you. It all came so fast."
"Why do you want to leave? This is your home, this where your friends and family are. You can really make a difference here..."
"My mom told me the exact same thing, so I'll tell you what I told her. I want to make a difference where I think it matters, and where I can grow into bigger and better things. And in a way that I'm not made to feel like a traitor to my kind or an interloper where I work."
"A traitor to your kind? Nick, what are you talking about?"
Nick looked away for a moment before he turned back to Judy and continued. "I'm talking about the fact that foxes see me in my uniform and hiss and jeer because I'm one of the oppressors now. Why do you think I was so rude to you when you came to me for help with Otterton when you started with the ZPD? It wasn't just because I saw the fox-repellent in your belt. If foxes have any natural enemies in Zootopia, it's the fuzz. When something bad goes down, we're the usual suspects. And now I'm one of the fuzz. Ask any fox in this city, they think I'm the one turning them in, blowing-the-whistle, and ratting them out. Every fox-catch, every bust, every call for questioning involving a fox... in their minds it can all be traced to me. And even some of the other cops wonder if I'm going to do something stupid in regards to those of my own species, like let a fox walk free after they've been taken into custody, or 'disappear' evidence and subvert a case because of it would help out one of my 'brothers' or 'sisters'."
Judy was unconvinced. "A few animals getting disgruntled that the law catches up to them, and a few cops showing poor judgment of character is no reason for you to keep secrets or make plans to leave. What about our partnership? What about all we've been through? How can you just walk away from this?"
"I didn't tell you because I knew this is how you would respond." He replied. "It becomes your issue, even if it's my decision. Even just a hint that I might look at a big change would have you going ballistic."
"I do NOT go ballistic." Judy snapped.
"Really?" Nick said with his eyebrow cocked in an expression of disbelief. "When I wanted to get a new apartment on the west side, you didn't want me moving because it would be a longer trip for me to the precinct, and for you to come visit. You spent the better part of a week talking up where I was living," he made a spiral with his foreclaw to indicate the apartment, "and putting down where I wanted to go so I wouldn't move. And when I go out alone, you interrogate me on my outings afterwards, and you question me for so long you might as well have come with me. Oh, and if my trip is to a bar with some friends who are actually still willing to associate with me after my new job, you check in with me every fifteen minutes to see if there's a fight, or if I see a shady deal, or I need backup... you're a steamroller, Judy. It's like you need to be in control of everything, and if something isn't just as you want it, you pounce on it and you press down on it until it fits just as you want it to and satisfies your expectations, or it gets crushed so it won't irk you any further."
Judy's mouth gaped at this lambaste. Her tone came with hurt and incredulity. "I ask about your life and try to keep you in mine because I care about you. That's what friends do."
Nick shot back an annoyed glance. "Friends also accept that their friends can make decisions for their own lives without needing to obtain your permission. And you shouldn't force your friends to meet your expectations if they aren't aligned."
"When did I force you to meet my expectations?"
"When you had me assigned as your partner."
Judy's eyes went wide again. Had Nick just said that he had not wanted to be her partner? After two years of knowing each other and over a year spent working together, this was coming out now? This was how he felt?
"Did you ever think to ask me what I wanted after I became an officer? Because I remember telling you on several occasions that I wanted to work on criminal investigations and some day take the test to become a detective. And whenever I told you about this you just seemed to get a glazed look in your eyes, and then you talked about the best part of this job would be the two of us doing work together; you just ignored the things I was saying and assumed that things would be peachy keen and perfect as your patrol partner, and you pushed for it with the Chief without asking me if it was okay. I didn't say anything when you did because I was only allowed into the academy on your recommendation. My status was entirely probationary until I finished my credits and I had no clout to refuse or voice my own desires after you had made up your mind, so what was I left with? I like being with you Judy, I do, but I would have preferred having the right to voice my own opinion."
Judy was reeling. Nick had not wanted to be her partner? After all they had been through?
Nick took a breath and explained further.
"I don't want to be the one out on the street looking to bust animals for infractions. To me it's a terrible approach to law enforcement and it's completely skewed by profiling. Remember our first case when we were looking through the 'jam-cams? You said you thought I'd make a good cop and I said 'how dare you'. That wasn't just me being snarky. I told you my kind are the usual suspects. We're not protected by the law, we're usually oppressed by it. Law is what justifies some animals to treat us foxes like second-class citizens, and I didn't want to be a part of upholding something so unfair."
Nick looked down a moment before meeting Judy's eyes again; her initial horror at these statements was still plain on her face. Nick tried a different tact.
"Okay, remember the ice cream parlor where we first met? I was asked if there wasn't a place in town that would take my type... that was the tip of the iceberg for what I deal with, not dealt with, deal with all the time. And it's what other foxes like me deal with all... the... time. The law doesn't help any of us. In that case it gave the proprietor the right to tell me to get lost."
Judy mustered her thoughts and defended what had come of it.
"We got him to serve you," she said. "The law didn't work for him in that way in the end."
"No, you got him to serve me because you spoke on my behalf and gave a slight threat to cause trouble for his business by waiving your badge under his trunk. The letter of the law was against me from the get-go, and it usually is for foxes. I couldn't make an order for myself, I needed another animal to do it for me."
She was growing concerned at his vitriol.
"Nick, you're a cop. You're..."
"ALONE, OKAY!" He snapped and Judy drew back from him in shock at the outburst. Nick pressed the point.
"I'm alone! I'm a talking point for politicians, a novelty conversation piece for the brass, and an excuse for not needing to change unfair laws because 'obviously the law can't be biased against foxes, the city has a fox officer'." He delivered the last remark in a very sardonic tone. "What they never own up to is how many foxes are on the force or even tangentially related to it. You know how many, right? I'll remind you just in case: they're all named Wilde and they sum up to one: me. And how did I get here? You, Judy. The only reason they even thought to consider me was because of you. Is it any different than when you had to speak for me in that ice cream shop? Do you know what that's like when the same words from another animal's mouth automatically hold more weight than yours ever can?"
Judy began to cow beneath his lambaste.
"Think back on our bust a little while back; the same day as our double-date. I was every bit involved in that incident as you, I gave you the boost you needed to tackle the perp and then I tripped him up. I even cuffed him and read him his rights. And how was credit for the arrest distributed? You got lauded, I got ignored, or got some backhanded comments on how I need to shape up even more because the perp could have been injured. And that was just one in many cases where my involvement was conveniently eschewed, or trampled on even when I gave it my best and got results that didn't violate police practice."
Judy had no response. Nick continued to press on.
"Put yourself in my place, okay? When you wanted to be a cop and went to the academy I'm sure you got picked on, you got told to go home, I bet you even suffered some bullying from the bigger guys, but you had a family cheering you on, and the bunnies from your community were proud of you when you graduated, right? And then in the precinct, you were marginalized and the Chief was against you, but you worked hard, got results, and earned respect, right? You know what I got for going to the academy and graduating top of my class? Hate mail. Threats by foxes I know in Zootopia who said I was dead to them. Why do you think there weren't any foxes at my graduation? A lot of them are ashamed of me. It kinda makes it difficult to feel like you're doing a good job when you're made to feel like a traitor. My mom's one of the only foxes that will be seen in broad daylight with me, and I barely get to speak to Finnick anymore because he's afraid I'm just another member of the fuzz that's looking to bust him for something. Which doesn't even compare to the kind of treatment I get in my own neighborhood for being an officer... FF is what they call me here: fuzzy fox. I may have some thick skin but hearing that everyday starts to wear on your nerves. And the department? The best treatment I get is from you, Ben, and to a lesser extent Bogo. The rest of them treat me with mild neglect and an unwelcoming air, if not outright prejudice about being a fox. I haven't become a cop in their eyes, I'm just pulling a con with a badge."
Judy was floored. She had struggled to overcome her own prejudices about foxes from her childhood and Gideon's bullying, but she never thought about how Gid' and other foxes were so systematically mistreated, or what it would be like being in Nick's position. She always knew Nick was stoic, but was it really so bad as he described? Animals like Jerry Jumbeaux Jr. seemed to be among the few openly narrow-minded animals in Zootopia from Judy's experience, but that was easy for her to say when she was an inoffensive little prey animal that suffered comparatively little prejudice. Nick no doubt was subject to consistent levels of scrutiny and mistreatment she could scarcely imagine. Now other members of his species denigrated him for his accomplishments while his fellow cops made him feel like a pariah.
She had come here ready to give Nick an earful, and instead he had one ready to give to her - and for the size of her ears, that was saying something.
Nick interrupted her thoughts again. This time his voice was calm and lacking in any anger or vitriol. He sounded almost apologetic.
"I got on the force because of you, and the only reason I have any value or respect here is as an extension of yours. You know something what that feeling is like. You didn't want to be the token bunny, you wanted to be respected for who you are and what you bring to the department... that's exactly what I want too. But I can tell I won't get it here. There are too many preconceptions about me; from the populace and the rest of the department. They laugh at my jokes, but I can feel them bristle whenever I'm near. And I don't think there's going to be another case like Bellweather any time soon where I can prove myself. The Liaison job... doing the right thing and protecting others is a big part of that. And becoming a detective, that would be great. If this job could help that then of course I want to give it a go. But it's also about earning my place too. I just want a chance to be recognized for the work I do and duly appreciated for it, and I don't see it ever happening here. Far-End, the Wild... who knows? Maybe yes and maybe no. But I want to go, and I won't be satisfied with myself if I don't try. I'm not asking you to forgive me for this decision, or for not telling you about it sooner, and I don't expect you to say 'congratulations'. But can you at least understand why I would do this and why it matters so much to me?"
Judy opened her mouth. A part of her wanted to say she understood, because she had felt some of the same need to earn respect when she started as a cop. She could even understand him wanting to go someplace where no one knew him so he could start with a clean slate. If things were as bad as he described, she could scarcely convince him otherwise with words. The matter of him wanting to be a detective she could also understand. Nick had a very keen intellect for the workings of criminals, and she absolutely agreed that he would do great in that position. If this job could help him achieve his goals and make him happier, then she had no reason to stop him, she should encourage him to be his best.
In the end, however, she could not shake her anger and sense of betrayal that had come from him keeping all of this a secret. That much in his actions she could not understand.
"You should have told me." She said.
Then, when she remembered his statements about not wanting to be her partner, giving her the sense that her friendship with him didn't matter, it became too much to bear... she had to leave. She walked passed him and when she got to the door she turned the knob slowly in case he was about to say something.
He never made a sound.
She opened the door, closed it after passing through, and took off running down the hallway, down the stairwell, out the doors and down the sidewalk. She could feel tears brimming in her eyes as she ran down the sidewalk. She wasn't even sure she was going in the right direction, she just kept running.
Some time later she stopped as she approached a bench in a park and sat down to cry.
She felt as though she had been working with a liar for her entire career as a cop. He had won her trust, he had proven himself a great and loyal friend to her, and now she learned that he had never wanted to be with her. It hurt her worse than when he first abandoned her after her statements to the press following their first case. Back then at least she could turn the blame on herself for what she had said. In this case, he had been leading her on for over a year, and when this opportunity to do something else presented itself he had gone for it, had not shared his ideas with her, and now that everything was in place he was just going to leave.
Judy put her head in her paws, and sobbed.
Wednesday came and if anything the air between Judy and Nick was even colder and tenser than the day before. Each gave the other a wide berth, focusing instead on their new respective partners and doing their best to just carry on normally.
To nearly all outward appearances they seemed fine.
Nick spent his time listening to Ben's many stories about his days on the beat before his injury and how even such a short time the city seemed almost entirely changed. It made Nick wonder what it would be like to look at Zootopia again after two years in Far-End. Ben also had to spare a few sound waves to mention that he was still keeping in contact with 'Gazelle', who seemed genuinely pleased to hear that Ben was now a full-time beat cop again. Nick had to give Ben credit for having such a strong friendship with an animal who lived in such a different world than his, but who still managed to find time to be supportive of him and wanted to include him in her own world as much as she could.
Judy spent her time going over the robberies with Travis. She had thought of bringing Nick into the issues they were investigating since he usually brought such keen insight into such problems. However, since he was leaving - and she was still mad at him - she figured it best to take their findings to one of the members of the Detective Bureau instead. She spent her time working with Travis to craft reports for the detectives to go over, and made sure that one of her regular contacts in the Bureau - Leslie Baird - was keeping them updated on the progress of the investigation and letting them know what they could do to help secure more evidence and testimonies.
Both Nick and Judy forgot to study their ZU coursework, and did not bother with their regular competitions anymore. Judy still ran and did her exercises that afternoon and evening, and Nick did his with Ben in the ZPD gym like they had promised each other they would, but without having the other one at hand to push them, their distances, number of reps and sets, even the pleasure in the post-exercise burn was greatly diminished.
Judy did her best to keep on top of training Travis properly, but she found it difficult knowing what she knew now with regard to Nick and what was coming in only a matter of days; it left her little bandwidth to deal with her rookie. Mercifully he did not seem to notice just how much this affected Judy since he had not seen how close she and Nick were as partners and friends. Travis asked about Nick now and then, but for the most part he seemed more eager to hear about police procedure and how to be a good officer. Any reminders about Nick seemed to come chiefly from Judy herself.
Nick, however, had to endure the exuberant and unintentional discomfort that Ben caused by reminding him about Judy and how his job change was going to affect her. If it was not about how Judy would fair with Travis as a new partner, and how it would never be the same as when Nick was there, it was about how much she would miss him and probably start calling him like she did her family - or maybe she would find a way to transfer to Far-End to work with him again. Ben effectively opened Nick's wounds on the matter again and again and again without knowing it, and without Nick ever telling him so.
Still, through it all both Judy and Nick carried on as professionals and did their work without complaint.
By Thursday, both Judy and Nick were sick with their thoughts and feelings on the matter and with their efforts to keep it all under wraps at work. Each decided independently that they needed to go and find others to at least share in their misery outside of work.
For Nick, that was a trip down to his neighborhood 'watering hole' where he would likely find Finnick.
For her part, Judy called up Geraldine and agreed to meet her at a special eye-to-eye café downtown after work. The place was a large indoor café where giraffes or elephants could dine with average-sized animals by reclining on long couches, or in some cases eat with their necks fully erect, while smaller animals sat in elevated booths at the eye-level of the taller customer. Judy was just small enough that she could seat herself in the small elevated alcoves and look Geraldine in the eye. Geraldine was thrilled to be at such a place with Judy, where she could look her diminutive friend in the face without straining her neck. The two of them met after hours as planned and were fortunate that the college-kit stampede was directed towards the bars and more rowdy drinking holes and away from the café. The two off-duty officers ordered some vegetarian smoothies and took some long draws of their drinks before they broached any conversation. Judy drank hers at the cup rim, while Geraldine made do with a straw. Judy was grateful Geraldine had not asked for a salad, since she would eat it by scooping up leaves with her long tongue. Judy accepted that it was Geraldine's way, and with hooves so far away Geraldine could not use regular cutlery, but it was still unsettling to see that long tongue scoop up food while Judy herself was trying to consume something.
After a long drink and contented sigh, Geraldine spoke.
"So Judy. What's on your mind? You said you were feeling down about something and needed a friend to talk with."
"Geraldine, did my partnership with Nick ever seem off to you?"
Geraldine looked askance. "'Off' in what way?"
"I mean... did you ever get the sense that Nick kept things from me, or that there was tension between us?"
Geraldine's eyebrow went up. "Like, romantic tension?" she offered with a bit of a salacious edge to her voice.
Judy's eyes snapped wide open and she immediately recoiled from the accusation.
"What? No, no, no that's not what I mean, no. I meant... did you think that maybe... maybe he was upset with us working together, or that we didn't listen to one another?"
"Doesn't this seem like something to bring to H.R.? Partner's counselling?" Geraldine teased.
"Geraldine I'm serious. Nick's leaving."
"He quit?"
"No, he's getting transferred to Far-End. He applied for the Liaison-Officer job and got it. The precinct is supposed to have some get-together on Friday as a send-off."
Now Geraldine's eyes were wide. "No kidding! Wow, I never pictured Nick in the Wild - no pun intended."
"He said he never wanted to be partners in the first place."
"Woah! That sound pretty harsh. Why would he say that?"
"He says I never listen to what he wants and I just hear what I want to hear."
"I think maybe you should start at the beginning. How did all of this happen?"
"Well..."
It took several minutes for Judy to share everything with Geraldine, and when she was done, Geraldine had taken so many nervous sips of her drink that she had to order another.
"Wow... sounds like a bad scene." Was Geraldine's first comment.
"It was terrible. And the worse part is I don't know what to think of it. I mean I want to feel righteous indignation at Nick for what he did, but... but he's Nick. He's my best friend and I trust him implicitly. And I can at least empathize with some of what he's feeling. I mean I went through some of the same things when I started, and I didn't have to keep dealing with the same prejudice after a year in uniform. By then I was at least in good enough standing with everyone that I could do my work without these kinds of problems. And the bunny community got on board with what I was doing in my life and praised me - Nick apparently doesn't have that."
"Well how about the things Nick complains about that you were a part of? You were complaining at lunch last Friday about how you thought he was being snappy at work and how you thought he wasn't taking initiative or something along those lines. Were you maybe not giving him the instruction he needed?"
"I don't know. Maybe. It's just such a mess."
"Well when you went to his apartment, did he say he never wanted to be partners in the first place? Did he open his maw, move his jaw, and say those exact words: 'I never asked to be your partner'?"
"He said that I 'assumed he would just be my partner'."
"Well, to play devil's advocate: did you ever ask him?"
"I asked him to join. I gave him the application, I wrote recommendation letters and got the Chief to vouch for him too."
"Yeah, but did you ever ask Nick if that was what he wanted? I don't mean did you ask him to join, did you ask him if he wanted to join and work with you?"
"My emphasis might not have been entirely on his wants when I said I could use a partner."
"Well, did he ever tell you about what his goals were?"
"We mostly cracked jokes and kept our eyes on our work whenever we were hanging out. Or we talked about our shared ZU assignments."
"Sounds like maybe you didn't really try to see his side of things."
Judy exhaled and took a long pull of her drink.
"What about Nick then?" Geraldine asked. "What does he want?"
"He wants to be a detective. After this he'll come back and take the test to get his shield and be in the Detective Bureau."
"And he said he always wanted to do that?"
"Be in the Bureau? Yeah. He thinks being out at Far-End will give him a chance to improve his skills and be ready to do that job when his term ends."
"And the job at Far-End - did he say how he fell into it?"
"He must have been working to get it for weeks or even months."
"Did you ever ask about it?"
"No, but consider: he had to get approval from Bogo, and an offer from the Chief at Far-End. Plus recommendations, interviews... and he had to do all of this without having a recommendation from his own partner," Judy aimed an opposable digit at herself. "It must have taken a while to arrange."
"Okay, but you said he talked to some of the officers out at Far-End a couple of weeks ago when you guys went out there for a hike, right?"
"Yeah."
"Well I've been there a couple of times - boyfriend who liked hiking, didn't end well between us, but not the point - anyway those guys run pretty fast with the rules. Maybe not loose, but they're strapped for bodies, so they take whoever is interested and they work with what they have. Sometimes they don't have much choice, so the turnaround between meeting a potential candidate and getting a hire is pretty short. I actually talked with one of the officers there, and he told me that he effectively got conscripted to work the desk one odd day that he stopped by, and then went through the training to become an officer afterwards. That group seems to value necessity more than procedure. Maybe Nick got fast-tracked. He certainly wouldn't have had competition to get that job. Hardly any officers in Zootopia actually want it."
"Then why the secrecy? We're partners, shouldn't we be open and honest with each other? Shouldn't he have let me know about his plan?"
"That I won't try to challenge, he should have said something a long time ago. Still, I can see why he'd want to leave and work somewhere else."
"Why? What's wrong with the Precinct. It's in the center of the city. We get dispatched all over, and we help in all kinds of things: political rallies, shop break-ins, visiting dignitaries - what could be better?"
"A chance to develop in a place that can accommodate you."
"Geraldine, what are you talking about?"
"Why do you think I raced off to my job in Sahara the moment it was offered me?"
"I assumed you wanted to get out on the beat again and wanted to first availability. Wasn't that why you were petitioning Bogo?"
"Yeah, but not here. It's crowded, it's uncomfortable and I don't want to be doing patrol work here. Not to mention animals make fun of me when they see how awkward I am when I try to move around town. Heck, Francine is even petitioning for a transfer to Sahara so she can have the wide-open space too."
Judy was stunned. She had always felt so proud of the diversity of animals in the ZPD, and the central precinct in particular. Francine and Geraldine were certainly on the extreme end of animals that could live and work in the tight spaces of the city proper, but there were so many citizens their size that seemed to handle it well enough she always assumed it was not a problem. When she stopped to remember, she did on occasion have to tell some rude passerby to lay off of harassing either Geraldine or Francine if they made fun of their sizes. It did not happen often from Judy's perspective, but then from Francine and Geraldine it must have seemed rather frequent.
"I guess there are disadvantages for all of us in this line of work," Judy admitted. "But isn't that why we work to get around them? I mean heck, I'm a rabbit and Nick is a fox. No one in this city or anywhere I've been thought animals like us could be police officers, much less partners. And look, we became officers and we've been partners for so long. I thought we put those preconceptions to bed."
"Some of us aren't looking to smash down everyone else's preconceptions Judy. Some of us just want to find a way to do what we love, and sometimes it means altering the arrangement. I made a big stink about Bogo not letting me be a patrol officer because that's what I wanted to be, but ultimately I couldn't do the job downtown and be happy with it. A big open place like the Sahara - that's where I can do this job, feel better about it, and not run into so many obstacles - quite literally. And maybe someday I'll move up the ranks and be a supervisor - Sergeant Maddox has a ring to it wouldn't you say?"
"So you're saying that Nick is the same way? A giraffe in Downtown looking for his own Sahara?"
Geraldine grinned at the idea of a long-necked Nick. "I'm saying that his priorities are different from yours, and the obstacles in his way may not be the ones you have to deal with; just like mine, just like Francine, and everyone else that doesn't want the same thing as you. And you had it in you to accept my decision to transfer because it was the right thing for me. Maybe you can find it in you to adopt that same decision for Nick - Far-End, and maybe someday Detective Bureau."
"But you didn't lie to me about it."
"No I didn't, and Nick has to own that, but is it worth staying mad at him over?"
Judy exhaled heavily. "I just don't know how to move forward from this. If I can't trust him to be honest with me, how am I supposed to trust him with anything?"
"Well, I think that's something that your friendship is going to have to work out." Geraldine said. "But I'm sure a friendship like yours is something you would work to keep. And I'm sure so would Nick if you could both only talk it over and try to see a way forward."
Judy and Geraldine spent the rest of their time together talking about other matters, trying to get their thoughts away from the heavy, and rather depressing issues that Judy had broached. It worked better for Geraldine than it did for Judy.
Later that night, Judy came into her apartment so engrossed in her thoughts that she did not even register the noisy arguments next door. She decided to devote some time to write up a pro-con list about what it meant for Nick to take the job at Far-End so she could really spell it all out for herself. With a pad and a piece of paper she set to work.
Pros: Nick will get to work in a different environment where he might get on better with the staff, he could then become a better officer, he'll get to take on responsibility as an independent officer.
Cons: I don't see him for two full years and neither do his other friends and family, he'll be out of touch with the changes to the city that take place, he'll come back used to working in a looser work environment, he won't be learning how to work with the officers here if he just leaves them, he may have a hard time getting a promotion if he wants one, and there's no guarantee that this kind of work he's doing will be useful for becoming a detective - plus he won't be in the Zootopia working on cases for the ZPD which would get noticed.
She counted roughly three pros and approximately seven cons; to her it seemed at first glance an open-and-shut case about what Nick's course of action should be - stay, work hard, talk with the Detective Bureau, take the test and transfer... or maybe decide to stay with her...
In mid-thought Judy suddenly realized something striking about how she had laid out the cons. Many of them were based on what she hoped were true because they fortified her position on why Nick should remain as her partner. Judy mentally chastised herself for this. She had to stop herself and really try to work away from that mentality - Geraldine had spent a while making it clear to her just how important it was to see the matter from Nick's point of view rather than her own.
Reassessing the pro-con table, Judy found there was a slight redistribution after the first pass.
New Pros: Nick would not be marginalized by the animals around him at Far-End. He would approach the work with a better outlook so he would learn even more than being here in Zootopia and being miserable.
Changed Cons: Being away does not mean he loses all contact, he can still keep involved - he and I could still do our classes and remain friends. A looser working environment may actually work better for Nick - that's what he works best with. Working with the other officers here may end up being better after this if he comes in with some more skills. If he wants to be a detective, and they can give him case work there, then maybe that could still be used to his benefit, even if it isn't in Zootopia...
The more Judy had thought on it, the more she began to see how this would benefit Nick. Still it displeased her when she recalled his decision not to tell her about his application, about his problems, about all of it. Intellectually she could see all of the reasons for him to go and all of the reasons to be happy for him - but when it came to her personal feelings on the matter and her sense of betrayal and hurt, she could not bring herself to let the issue go.
She went to bed, intellectually in better shape than before, but still upset.
While Judy had her quiet drink with Geraldine, Nick's destination was a little rowdier: a dive-bar called the 'watering hole' for no other reason than because no one cared to give the place a name other than its specific purpose. Nick came in wearing his typical off-duty green shirt and khaki slacks, and though he was met with some mocking derision by those who had seen him on the beat in his uniform, enough of the clientele in the watering hole just called him 'Nicky'.
Nick made his way to the bar, where a short fennec fox was drinking a beer from a mug almost as large as he was. Nick often wondered if Finn had a secret hole in the barstool through which he could just evacuate all the liquid he must have built up in himself when he drank here. He took the seat next to Finn and was greeted the moment his diminutive friend slammed his mug on the counter.
"Well, well, well… Wilde, and not in those nice digs we good taxpayers pay you to wear."
"Good to see you too Finn… and what's this 'we'? Since when do you pay taxes?"
"Since I got a job as a respected car mechanic, thank you very much."
"Finn, I really don't want to hear about the chop-shop. I may be off-duty, but if things get said, sooner or later cops show up and I don't want to be caught having kept secrets."
"Hey fuzz, what do you take me for? It's legit. Got a uniform, paper-trail and everything."
Nick snickered a little to think that the deep-voiced partner-in-crime of his youth was going to work in a proper establishment that gave him a uniform.
"My big guy in a uniform, when do I get to see you in it?"
"Gonna have to buy me a drink first. And for your ugly mug... gonna take me a few." Finnick spat. Under the bitter grimace, Finnick spared a good-natured smile. Nick called the barkeep to get a beer him and another for Finn.
"So what brings you to the watering hole on my off-hours? More soul-searching and finding your place?" Finn asked as the two drinks were poured and served.
"I think I might be taking the steps to get there." Nick replied. "I'm leaving Zootopia for a while."
The smirk actually faded from Finn's face.
"For real? You in some kind a' trouble?"
Nick shook his head. "No I got the job. I'm the go-between officer for the ZPD here in Zootopia and the station out at Far-End."
Finn's eyes went wide just for a moment, and then he erupted in his characteristic chuckle.
"You... chuckle... the Wilde fox... chuckle... going to The Wild? Oh, it never gets old... chuckle."
Nick grimaced, shook his head again and took a pull of his drink. "Glad to know I can still brighten your day with something for you to laugh at. They asked me to go up this Saturday to survey the general domain and get a feel for it all, then start my job officially on Monday morning. I think they want to snag me before I change my mind."
"Wow, so it's really happening for you, huh?"
"Yeah, I'm planning to come back Saturday night, grab some more of my things, then spend my first few days in one of the bunk houses while I look for a place to live. At some point I guess I need to bring all of my stuff with me. Probably gonna be a while before it feels like home."
"Home?" Finn snickered. "I don't think you'll feel at home anywhere outside the city Nicky, and I'm pretty sure the train ain't gonna haul the whole block up there to make you feel more at home."
Nick grimaced again and took a long pull of his drink while Finn laughed. When Finn stopped, and after he had finished a long pull of his beer, he put his drink down and held up his paw in Nick's directions. "Hey, in all seriousness... all seriousness...," Finn hopped up on the counter and turned around to face the bar. Foxes and badgers were shooting pool loudly on one end of the bar, while a few younger weasels were playing pinball noisily in the corner, and a few grizzled dingos were shooting darts. Finn lifted his drink and called them all to attention: "HEY LISTEN UP."
The noise in the bar suddenly dropped and a few dozen animals turned their heads to the small fennec fox with the deep, booming voice.
"I got an announcement for everybody. Nicky, stand up."
Nick took a breath and got on top of his bar stool with his beer in his hand. A few of the others in the bar, notably those who had had run-ins with the law, gave him the stink-eye. Finn continued, unperturbed.
"A lot a' you know Nicky here from the hood. And a lot a' you know he left his normal job among us to become one of the fuzz. Well I got something to say about that that I've been meaning to say for a while: I'm really proud of him for doing it. We all should be."
That caught everyone off guard; especially Nick. Finn responded to their stunned and quizzical expressions before they had time to turn to one another and start voicing thoughts.
"Nicky's one of the smartest fellows I've ever met, and I've run with some of the sharpest. This fox is doing something none of us have ever done and you know what: I think it's good that he is. Let's the rest of Zootopia know that we got as much right to be here and be a part of everything as any hippo executive, any elephant snob, and any lion politician."
A brief round of table thumping followed this statement, Finn continued.
"Well our little kit Nicky is now on his way to a new job to work as a cop in the Wild - to help out all of the brothers and sisters that go back to the old ways, and all of those that want to leave the old ways and come to the new."
Several animals turned to one another in surprise. The Wild was something they had all talked about at one time or another, but few really took the time to consider what it would mean to actually go there. Now Nick was going, not just to the Wild, but to somehow try to manage it. That was a whole different game.
"So here's to our brothers and sisters in the Wild. They got a new keeper to watch over 'em. Wish him well."
Dozens of glasses, bottles and even a few pool cues went in the air, and many animals gave sounds of approval. Nick was stunned at the positive reinforcement, but he also had to remind himself that the majority of these animals had spurned interaction with him since he received his badge. Going to the Wild may have been something they could respect, but it was a far cry from respecting him. They were probably just as pleased to be rid of him. Still, he accepted their well wishes, and to show his own appreciation he downed the rest of his beer from his perch on the stool. That got him a few cheers - you could take the fox out of the hood, but there was no taking the hood out of the fox.
Nick walked home a few hours later with a buzz that he knew did not come from the two beers he had had that evening. He had been pleasantly surprised by the send-off he received from so many of the animals he had known for much of his life. After getting into his apartment, he signed the last of his contracts and other documents with a sense of contentment on the matter of his old acquaintances and put the documents in his portable scanner. Once they were attached to an email and sent to the address at Far-End however, he remembered his closest acquaintance of all, and he grew sad.
Of all the animals in all of Zootopia that could be happy for me right now... why couldn't it be her?
Friday came at last, and both Judy and Nick came into work after having spent the previous evening on some heavy thoughts.
Judy was still feeling emotionally raw and sore and was unwilling to speak to Nick so soon after the affair had transpired. Nick, by contrast felt sad that Judy could not feel happy for him and was unwilling to go speak to her.
The morning meeting passed by without registering for them. As Chief Bogo reached the end of his talk, however, he called for all officers to pay close attention as Officer Clawhauser made an announcement. The cheetah officer came up front, taking deliberate steps now in his fitter form rather than waddling, and turned to face the contingent.
"Hey everyone, I just wanted to say that I think we owe Officer Nick Wilde a send-off before he goes to work as the new Liaison-Officer at Far-End next week. So tonight I have a party set up over at Civet's Corner. Officer Tuske is back this evening as well, so we'll be welcoming him back. I'm hoping you can all make it. Nick has been a real powerhouse in this department since he started last year and we're going to feel his absence in the coming years while he's gone. So let's all get together and leave with some fond memories until we see him again."
A mild chant of approval started from some of the canine officers: Sharp and Wolford, and gradually spread to some of the others until everyone in the room had rattled their table with their clenched fore-limbs. One notable exception was to be found in the front, but the lack of enthusiasm in one small mammal was more than compensated for by another mammal of near-equal size at her side. Nick noticed that Judy remained slumped in her chair and felt distraught to see her so down. He nevertheless nodded to the rest of the contingent for their support as Bogo settled them down again.
The rest of the day passed in a blur for both Judy and Nick. Each of them had reached almost obsessive levels of thought with regard to one another and what the actions of that last few days told them about the future of their friendship, and about one another. Judy pondered about how she would move forward, thinking of situations that included Nick and those that did not. She found the latter more depressing, but the former she could not see how to work it out. For Nick, the focus was on how to repair the damage done and if he could do anything to make things right.
Both had failed to come up with workable ideas by the end of the shift.
Nick got into the precinct and went straight to his locker in the Male's room. As he opened the locker he kept his head down so he could not see the hate-speech scrawled on the inside. He collected the last of his things - it was not much - and then closed it for the last time... for a while at least. His temporary partner manifested behind him and took the box of materiel and escorted Nick to the front desk where they left the box with the desk officer and headed for Civet's Corner. Ben talked about how much fun it was going to be and how many were coming. Nick nodded with a fixed grin, but his eyebrows sloped and he felt the worse knowing that his first partner would not be there.
All the support of the ZPD, and not having her made it seem so small.
"Here's the fox of the hour. Everyone, here he is." Ben announced as Nick came through the door to Civet's. A cheer of other officers echoed around the hall. The turnout was actually pretty good, Nick recognized at least half of his day-shift contingent, and a few other officers that he had seen around the precinct at one time or another.
Taking the lead as the host of the evening, Ben escorted Nick through the gauntlet of officers offering Nick a hearty paw or hoof to shake. One officer from the Nocturnal district even offered a wing, and another from the Marina offered a flipper. Nick learned from Ben that these last two had been Liaisons years past. Nick found it surprising that two animals of such particular environments could serve at the Glade-Station at Far-End, but apparently they each made modifications to their work spaces that made it possible. Nick could also understand why Chief Boggs might have been interested in getting an officer that could go out on patrol as easily as Nick could - these other animals probably could not be relied upon to work in the forest terrain during regular working hours.
Then again, if these were the kinds of animals that had preceded him, it suggested that the job really was something that the ZPD was not particular about filling with environmentally-suited candidates.
Nick pushed these thoughts aside and went with Ben to one of the sitting areas where who should have attended but Gazelle herself!
"Gazelle, so glad you made it," Ben said so casually as Gazelle got to her hind hooves and gave her friend an embrace.
"I was glad to get your call. We've been so busy these last few months I have scarcely heard from you."
"I know I'm sorry," Ben replied in an admonished town. "I was really focused on my training so I could get back to my job. And this week they finally gave me my position back full-time... oh, and this guy here is the one who helped me do it. You remember Nick."
Gazelle at last looked away from Ben and took notice of Nick.
"But of course, Nick Wilde. So good to see you." She leaned down and gave him a hug and a kiss on each cheek. Nick was not so given over to being star-struck, but he was surprised at such familiarity in the exchange.
"Uh, thank you Gazelle."
"We should be thanking you," she insisted. "Going to Far-End to serve the community. It is very noble of you."
This was a surprising sentiment for Nick.
"Oh, where is Judy?"
"She couldn't make it," Ben replied as Nick himself took another sweep of the room. "Said she was planning to go up to see her family early tomorrow morning. Kind of surprising she needs to go so soon. She and I both have Sunday patrol duty."
Nick was thinking of going straight to Judy's apartment to make amends after Ben told him this bit of news, but then he spotted a boar at around the middle of the bar.
"Hey Ben, is that Officer Tuske?" he asked.
Ben craned his eyes towards the bar and nodded. "Yep, that's him. Come on, I'll introduce you."
Nick followed Ben over to the bar and on the way he stopped to shake paws with Sharp, the wolf officer who had started the psyche-up about Nick in the bullpen. The wolf officer had always been very sparse in speech, but he seemed to display a certain warmth to Nick since he had been in the ZPD, and Nick thanked him for as much. Nick then excused himself as he had to go and meet his predecessor. Sharp nodded and wished him well.
"Excuse me, Jay?", Ben began once Nick had caught up. The boar looked over his shoulder. "Hey, it's Ben Clawhauser. I was your dispatcher at Precinct One. Anyway I wanted to introduce you to the officer who is taking the reins at Far-End. This is Nick Wilde."
The boar had up-ended his mug and begun guzzling the amber liquid inside as Ben gave this explanation. When Ben was finished speaking, he held up a hoof asking for a moment while he finished. Nick and Ben both waited for Jay to finish his drink. Once he had, the emptied mug was slammed on the counter and the boar officer wiped his long snout before swiveling on his stool to look at Nick.
"Hey Wilde. Don't mind me taking a long sip, the last week there felt longer than the previous two years."
"Tough going, huh?"
"You wouldn't believe. The Liaison has to be on call pretty much all hours of the day. I got a chance to take leave now and then to come to the city, but I was always hoping and praying no emergencies happened. Had to have a satellite phone on me at all times of the day and night."
Nick's eyebrows went up. "I... recall reading something like that in the contract, but wow: all hours?"
"Oh-hoh-hoh," Tuske chuckled in a knowing way. "That was the tip of the iceberg." He patted the bar stool and Nick climbed up to sit next to him. "I had to be the first to clock in and the last to clock out: something about having to keep the hours of Zootopia, and since according to them this place doesn't sleep..."
"Wow, tough going indeed." Nick whistled as he ordered something to drink. He opted not to have any alcohol since he had to be up early the next day to get one of the early trains to Far-End. If what Tuske had said was accurate, then he would probably not be able to get a train out of Zootopia early enough to be there on time once this more regimented schedule set in, so trips back here would indeed be infrequent.
"So did you get to do any of the kinds of work you wanted to do?" Nick asked.
"The work I wanted to do was here in Zootopia - putting tickets on cars at expired meters, and giving lessons to young kits who were going down the wrong path."
"Yeah, I guess that would be harder to come by at Far-End," Nick conceded. Ben by this time had excused himself to go back to Gazelle and some of the other officers. "But, what about case-work? Were there many issues with murders or kit-nappings? Things that the department needed to solve?"
"Quite a few still unsolved even when when I left earlier today. Not really anyone's wheel-house there, everyone has to be trained to handle everything, none of those guys really gets specialized training for investigative work. Someone just takes on a case, asks questions, they do the basics well-enough I suppose, but I don't think there's ever been a full-time detective there. Poor saps could really use one." Jay chuckled a bit at that last statement and took a sip of another drink he had just gotten.
Nick nodded and sensed that he had probably exhausted the stories about Far-End from Jay. The boar seemed so eminently pleased to be in Zootopia again he scarcely wanted to mention the ordeals he had just been through. Nick asked him about what he should take advantage of, what to avoid, and what Jay would have done differently. After several more stories, Nick gave Jay thanks and went around the room again. He kept his eyes low, and often at the door to see if Judy would manifest, but she never did.
"Hey Nick." Came a small voice from beside him. Nick turned but found that the speaker was below his eye-line.
"Hey Travis, good to see you."
"I never got to give my congratulations. It feels like I only just met you and already you're taking off. I wish I could have spent some more time getting to know you."
"Well I'm only gone for two years kit. You'll see me again before long. And by then I imagine I'll look like the rookie who needs guidance."
"Are you kidding? Officer Hopps keeps going on about how you're the one who always has things to teach her about this job and this city. I bet you come back and whoever you work with is going to be taking notes from you still. Rookie or veteran I bet you'll have insight for anyone."
"Well I appreciate the vote-of-confidence Travis, but give it two years and see what your thoughts are then."
"Oh, by the way... I didn't know that Ben knew 'Gazelle'. When did that happen?"
Nick chuckled. "Oh, yeah that happened at an after-party we all went to a little while after I became an officer. Judy and I pushed Ben to talk to her and talked up his love of older songs. The two of them ended up singing together."
"No way!"
"Way. After that they just kept in contact. I think she's the main reason he decided to get out on the beat again."
After sharing a few more stories from before Travis's time, and thinking about how much he missed the one animal his thoughts kept turning to, Nick had decided that it was enough for him and he went around to pay his respects to Ben and the other officers he felt inclined to speak to. Ben tried to get him to stay around another few minutes, but Nick let him know that there was somewhere important for him to be.
Having decided not to go to the send-off, Judy had attempted to enlist Francine and Jayashri in a little ladies-night-out. Both of them had already promised to go to the party and were surprised that Judy herself was not going to attend. Judy tried her best to be delicate in dissembling and said that she felt like a more relaxed and intimate evening was what she needed and that she would see more of Nick at some point. Still, she had not convinced them to go out or stay in with her - just as they were unable to convince her to come to the party.
Now Judy sat in her home, trying to motivate herself to do her exercises, read her assignments, and do all of the things she was so used to doing with Nick. Without him as a motivator it was proving very difficult. Eventually she decided to try to give her family a call - if only to break up the monotony and the feeling of impotence she had.
The phone only rang a couple of times before it was answered by her mom.
"Judy, hi good to see you. Surprised you called on a Friday night, I thought you'd be out somewhere."
"Is that Judy?" Her dad asked from just off-screen. "Hi Judy. Good to see you."
"Hi you guys. Um, actually I was wondering, and I know it's short notice but, do you think I could swing by for a night and a bit of tomorrow? I feel like I need to get out the city for just a short spell."
"Oh of course Jude-bug. As long as you need. Why not a few days?"
Judy grinned. "Thanks for the offer Dad, but I have a morning shift starting on Sunday, and I have a rookie that I'm in charge of, so I need to be here."
"Anything the matter, dear?"
Judy knew better than to include her parents in her personal problems, and since they could do little to help she decided not to mention anything. "Nothing really worth mentioning, I just need a day away."
"Well of course. I think the next train leaves in about an hour, you could be here for the late-night leftover meal."
"Ah the late-night meals. Only for the grown-ups, and it looks so mystical in the eyes of the young." Judy reminisced.
"Come on down Jude-bug. It'll be good to see you."
"Okay, let me pack my things. I'll see you all in a few hours."
"We love you Judy."
"See you soon sweetheart."
"Bye."
Judy closed the connection and went to collect her overnight bag.
The old Pangolin Arms Luxury Apartments building was sparsely lit; many of the exterior lights had been broken at one point or another and only the faintest flicker now gave Nick a view of the facade at this late hour. Given the shape the building was in, the less seen, the better.
Nick got in through the door that was supposed to be locked and made his way up the stairwell to Judy's floor. He came through the hallway, which despite its grungy and greasy look at least had no trash anywhere, and no junkies, drunks or other lay-about animals in the hallway. Judy hardly lived in a picturesque neighborhood, but at least her building did not have all of the same problems that Nick had around his own place.
He made his way to the door abutting the one where two individuals were noisily yelling, and knocked twice. He heard the hollow echo in Judy's room, the symptom of her not having purchased any additional furnishings since she had first gotten her place.
From the edge of her bed, Judy plainly heard the rapping at her door, but she knew in an instant who it had to be. She was still feeling ashamed, embarrassed and angry - too many things for her to open the door and greet her guest with appropriate hospitality. Not to mention she was in the process of trying to leave for the short weekend. Added to that fact, the last time that she had met with this animal, in his apartment no less, she had left in tears. So she resolved to not confront, though she knew she wanted to.
"Judy," came his voice. "I'm sorry."
That caused her to look in the direction of the door and direct both ears to their maximum height and receptivity. She waited still.
Nick sighed and then decided to just say to the door what he wanted to say to her. Maybe she was listening, maybe she had her headphones on, and maybe she was asleep - she might even be out - but he felt compelled to speak, even to the door.
"You're right. I should have told you. Not just about the job, but about all of it: the harassment, the name calling, the isolation... I should have let you know what was going on and how badly I was feeling. I kept to my rule about 'never let them see', and I should have made an exception for you. You should always be the exception to that rule... you're my partner, and... and you're my friend."
She stood up from her bed and walked on the tips of her toes towards the door where she could hear him more clearly. She placed her ear against the door and waited for him to continue.
"You're my friend... and I'm supposed to trust you implicitly and... and I'm sorry... I'm sorry I didn't."
He stopped for a moment and she thought he might have finished or left. Then suddenly she heard his fur rustle: the sound of him scratching his claws against the back of his neck.
"I'm going to miss you. More than anything else in this whole city I'm going to miss you."
Right when Judy felt like opening the door, who should choose to break the silence, but the two animals in all of Zootopia who she thought must have had allergies to the concept of silence.
"Hey out there, keep it down, some of us are trying to get an early night." One of them bellowed.
"Leave that guy alone," the other said in retort. "He's trying to make an apology to Judy and your ruining the mood."
"Why did you say her name so loudly? At least he was using the name quietly enough, now the whole neighborhood probably heard what you said."
"Don't turn this around on me..."
While this exchange proceeded, Nick took out a small scrap of paper and scribbled something on it using Judy's door as a writing surface. She heard the scribble clearly, but she could not focus enough to discern exactly what he had written. Once he had finished his message on the small scrap he slid the note under Judy's door. The last thing he did was call to Bucky and Pronk, who were now arguing about whether identifying an animal through their voice was a form of prejudice - Nick wondered how Judy was still as sane as she was with such neighbors. Even his were at least normal in their arguments.
"Guys! I'm leaving, would you clamp your muzzles already!"
"Hey, don't talk to my husband like that." Buck shouted.
"I can speak for myself, don't act like you always speak for me." Pronk retorted back.
"Nothing I ever do is good enough for you, is it? Always something wrong with what I say." Bucky shot back, and the argument spiraled in a new direction.
Throughout this exchange, Judy had several times reached for her door knob, but she always found herself stopped at the last moment by her uncertainty of what any further exchange between her and Nick would entail. After thinking over the things Geraldine had told her, she wanted to talk to Nick, but this just did not seem like the time to pursue it - especially with her crazy neighbors already listening in.
She picked up the message he had left her, opened it, and read.
I'll always want to be your partner. I just have different plans for me. I'll miss you.
Judy walked over to her bed with the note still in her hands, let it fall into her pack, and then proceeded to keep packing her stuff - now in tears.
Next chapter will be Nick shadowing some of the officers at Far-End before his duties officially begin. Judy will have her first weekend off without the most regular animal of her life around, so she will be heading to Bunnyburrow to see family.
Sorry if this is coming off melodramatic. I am aiming to get done with this story and move on to some other issues, but I hope the readers appreciate that this is what happens when we keep our troubles too much to ourselves. We can blow up at our friends and harm our relationships.
See you next time.
