Judy bursted through her and Nick's apartment door, excitement coursing through her body. She spotted Zach sleeping on the couch, and immediately jumped on top of him and started hopping on his chest.
"Zach! Wakeupwakeupwakeupwakeup!" Judy yelled, causing Zach to awake with surprise.
"Okay! Okay! I'm up! Stop trying to break my sternum!" Zach yelled, trying to get the excited bunny to calm herself. Nick looked on at the situation from the doorway, a smirk on his face. Judy noticed that he was up and jumped off of him.
"Sorry! I just got amazing news!" Judy squealed in excitement.
"Really? What?" Zach asked, feeling his chest for any bruises as he sat up.
"Well, you know how you were looking for a job?" Judy asked, and Zach nodded.
"Yeah, why?" Zach asked in slight confusion.
"Well, what if I told you that you were able to become a POLICE OFFICER!" Judy finally said, shouting towards the end of her sentence. Zach looked at her with widened eyes, an unbelieving expression on his face.
"You're messing with me, aren't you?" Zach said, not believing what Judy had said.
"She wouldn't have tried to crush your chest if she was joking." Nick stated, walking over to Zach and sitting next to him on the couch.
"And besides, maybe this application is enough proof!" Judy said, holding up the application she got from Clawhauser. Zach was handed the application, which he confirmed that it was an application from the ZPD. When he realized that he could possibly become a police officer, he was overjoyed. So much, in fact, that he scooped up Judy and hugged her.
"Thank you so much!" Zach thanked her, while Judy giggled.
"You're welcome, Zach. It seemed like you were perfect for the job." Judy said while Zach placed her back on the ground.
"You guys have done too much for me, and once I get some money I'm giving you guys something back for sure." Zach told them, looking over the application fondly.
"Hey, we said you didn't need to get us anything." Nick stated, looking at Zach.
"And you honestly thought I'd listen?" Zach replied, causing Nick to just smirk at him. "Y'know what? I'm gonna fill this out right now. I'm too excited to not do it." Zach said, pulling out a pencil from his pocket.
"So, you just have pencils in your pockets?" Judy asked curiously, and Zach chuckled.
"When you're an artist, you always have to be prepared." Zach smiled and placed the piece of paper on the coffee table. He read the first inquiry, which was his first, last name, and middle initial, which he wrote down 'Zachary Martineck' and 'D'.
"Sounds fancy." Nick said, him and Judy watching him fill it out.
"What does the D stand for?" Judy asked curiously.
"Dustin." Zach said nonchalantly, and the bunny nodded. The next question asked was if he was a citizen of Zootopia.
"I'd be a citizen technically, right?" Zach asked and Nick and Judy both nodded. Next was his height and weight, which he put down '5"6' and '130 lbs' respectively. After this, there were two boxes, one for predator, one for prey. Zach wasn't sure what he should put for this one, so he put down predator just to be safe. Species was the next question, so he just quickly write down human.
The next one asked what he was applying for, to which he checked police officer. The rest of the questions were his special skills and if he'd been arrested before, which everyone already knew. The final thing he had to do was sign his name at the bottom, which he did.
"And done!" Zach said, placing his pencil down. "I can't believe this is happening!"
"I know, it's amazing how quick things can happen." Nick said with a smile.
"It all just went by so fast, just a few days ago we met you in that plaza." Judy said, hugging Zach's side.
"I know, it's so hard to believe. I knew that I made a good choice coming here. It may have its ups and downs, but I think it'll be okay." Zach gave Nick and Judy a smile, which they returned. The three of them after this ate dinner, which Nick actually decided to cook. When they were eating, Judy explained what would happen after they sent his application in. He'd go to the training camp for about 4 months, having to pass all of the requirements to graduate from the academy. Zach had his doubts, but he believed that he had what it takes to be a cop, or at least try his very best. After dinner, Zach insisted that he could clean the dishes, but Judy told him that it was fine. Since he couldn't do that, he decided to just go out on the balcony that was connected to the living room. There he looked around at the city below him, all of the bustling animals trying to get home. He then looked up at the night sky, looking at all the stars that were there. He smiled sadly at the sky, knowing that his father was looking down on him the whole time.
"I'm making you proud, huh dad?" Zach whispered to himself, knowing that his father wanted the best for him. Zach knew that he wanted to do this, maybe his plans were slightly different than what happened, but he still had a chance of making something of himself, to prove that humans shouldn't be afraid anymore. That was a pretty big responsibility he put on himself, and he was actually managing to do it. Well, he wasn't alone of course. Nick and Judy helped him so much over the past 3 days, he didn't know how to repay them. Zach was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't notice Nick standing in the doorway.
"Hello? Earth to Zach?" Nick said, snapping Zach back to reality.
"Oh, sorry! What did you say?" Zach asked.
"What're you doing out here?" Nick asked curiously, confused by the fact that Zach was out on the balcony.
"Just...thinking." Zach replied, looking up at the sky again.
"About what?" Nick asked, still wondering why he was out here.
"My dad." Zach replied, his tone sounded slightly depressed. "I know he'd be proud of me if he was still here, he's the one that jumpstarted my interest in Zootopia. He wanted to come here so bad, but he always said that he couldn't do it. So, he started encouraging me to do it. I know he's looking down on me, smiling." Zach said, giving a small smile himself. Nick looked at Zach with a look of sympathy.
"Yeah, I know how losing a dad feels like." Nick said, Zach looking over at him with a look of shock and sorrow.
"Oh..." was the only thing Zach could say.
"I never told anyone this, not even Judy. But I know you can relate. When I was 7, foxes weren't exactly treated as normal citizens. Most were criminals, con men, but not my father. My father tried to go against the stereotypes, and he'd been pretty successful too. He owned a pretty successful tie shop. But one day, he was mistaken for a fox from a nearby gang. He was walking down the street, coming home, and he was...gunned down." Nick finally managed to say. "And that's why I wear these ties. They're my dad's." Nick found his eyes watering at the thought of his father, and he tried to hold it in.
"Nick, thanks for telling me. Like you said, you need to let out your emotions." Zach knelt down to the fox's height, opening his arms for a hug. "I know you're trying to hold it back, but you can just let it out. I won't judge you." Zach gave him a gentle smile. Nick let a few stray tears roll down his furred cheeks before accepting the hug. Zach felt Nick start trembling, a whimper or two escaping from him.
"It's alright, it's alright, let it out, Nick." Zach could tell that Nick was holding a lot of pain in. He just kept on letting the waterworks flow, and did that for another minute or two.
"Don't tell Judy about this, I know she'll tease me about it." Nick said, still hugging Zach. While Nick still had his back towards the door, he didn't notice that Judy was standing there. Zach looked at the aforementioned bunny and mouthed 'Don't tease him, please.' Judy nodded, not sure why Nick was crying in the first place. She decided not to question it as she went to her room, most likely going to sleep. After she vanished into her room, Nick broke the embrace with Zach.
"Heh, thanks. I guess I needed that." Nick said, wiping his eyes.
"No problem. If anything's bothering you, you can come to me. And, if something's bothering me I'll go to you, so we can be emotional wrecks together." Zach gave a slight chuckle, causing Nick to smirk.
"That'll be...nice." Nick said, his eyes no longer damp.
"Anyway, it's getting late. I'm gonna get some sleep." Zach said, and Nick nodded.
"Me too. Goodnight Zach." Nick said before heading to his room.
"Goodnight." Zach said, waving to Nick. Once Nick was gone, Zach looked back up at the night sky, smiling.
"Goodnight dad."
...
Two days have passed, and a big thing has happened within this time period. It was the reason why Nick, Judy, and Zach were at a train station as we speak. After submitting his application and waiting for a day and a half, his application was accepted! It was a dream come true for Zach, and he couldn't be happier. After all the prejudice he'd received over the past few days, his future finally looked bright. Granted he had to actually pass the training. Like he said before, he would try his best, and he will succeed. Zach was waiting for his train to arrive, Nick and Judy anxiously waiting as well.
"I can't believe you're going to bootcamp already." Nick smiled, playfully punching Zach in the side.
"I know, it's awesome! I'm actually doing something with myself." Zach gave a nervous, but excited, smile.
"I'm so happy for you, Zach. It's felt like we just met you in that plaza, now you're about to make history!" Judy said, jumping up with excitement.
"I can't thank you guys enough, especially after everything you did for me." Zach said, and Nick rolled his eyes and smiled.
"You say that almost everyday." Nick gave Zach a sly smile.
"And I'll say it 'till I die." Zach chuckled, both Nick and Judy had smiles on their faces.
"Oh, you have both of our numbers in your phone right?" Judy asked for the millionth time.
"Yes, mother." Zach joked. "I still don't get how you got my phone to work here."
"Nick knows a guy." Judy said, smirking at the sly fox.
"That tampers with phones and cell towers?" Zach asked, questioning Nick's choice of acquaintances.
"Didn't say he was a good guy." Nick said, a shit-eating grin on his face. Just then, the sound of a train chugging along the tracks was able to be heard.
"I guess I have to go..." Zach said, a sudden feeling of sadness washing over him.
"Yeah, I guess so..." Judy said, her ears flattening against her head. Zach knelt down and hugged both Judy and Nick, both of them returning the hug.
"Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it." Zach told them as the train arrived at the station. Zach broke the hug before standing up fully, walking over to the train doors. He entered the train and turned around, waving a last farewell before he left. Nick and Judy both waved back, the bunny seeming to hold back tears. Zach could've sworn he saw Nick's eyes watering as well, but the train had started moving before he could look closer. Zach watched as the station continued to get smaller and smaller, and finally disappearing over the horizon. He sighed and took his seat on the train, calming his already anxious nerves.
"I can do this, I know I can."
...
~I managed to write something today! Woo! I surprisingly had a lot of time to write today, I barely got any homework. I really appreciate all the people wishing me luck with high school, I didn't think people would've cared about that part, but I was surprised once again. Speaking of surprises, this story has over 5,600 views! What?! I never expected this much, Jesus! I still don't know why people like my crappy writing. But, nonetheless, I'm very thankful for the people who do.
Also, I really liked writing that moment between Nick and Zach on the balcony. I always thought Nick had hidden feelings for a very long time, so I had him let them all out. But before I write a whole essay's worth, please leave some feedback so I know how I'm doing. Thank you for reading!