Set One

Judy issued ticket after ticket. She was particularly proud of the giraffe's car she ticketed on Baobab Avenue in the Savanna Central district, where she hopped onto her cart, ricocheted off the street sign, and slam-dunked the ticket onto the windshield on her way down.

Meanwhile, Nick had a leisurely breakfast and then chose his wardrobe for the day: his favorite gray slacks, a yellow tropical shirt, and one of his dad's old ties. Which one? Well, they were all still in good shape. But he thought the one with the diagonal purple and navy blue stripes was just right to complete the look of a devoted but slightly scattered dad.

Set Two

"So," Finnick asked when he picked up Nick, "why do I gotta wear the elephant suit again? There's no way we're runnin' the Jumbo-pop hustle twice in one week."

"You're right, but there are other elephant-run businesses that can't resist an adorable little elephant wannabe."

Finnick rolled his eyes. Sometimes he wondered why he put up with Nick.

Then Nick said, "Hey, what's with the 'junior police sticker'? You know Officer Toot-Toot knows the truth now."

Finnick shrugged. "It adds to the illusion."

"Yeah, whatever. OK, here's today's hustle. We go to F.A.O. Ganesha and buy you an elephant-sized toy."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. A Slinky, a model train, it doesn't matter. But we make smaller toys out of the big toy and sell them at a huge mark-up in Little Rodentia's toy stores."

Finnick shook his head. "That sounds like a lot of work."

"Well, that's why we're getting an earlier start today."

"No, I mean it's not like melting down the Jumbo-pop and making a bunch of pawpsicles."

"Have you got a better idea?"

"Not yet."

"Well, think fast because we're almost there."

Finnick sighed and parked the van. He'd go along with this scam for now, but he had serious doubts. Nick was off his game the last couple days. Finnick wondered if Officer Toot-Toot had anything to do with it. Nick still hadn't told him about their whole conversation, but Finnick had the feeling she'd gotten to Nick more than he admitted.

They got out and Finnick got into the stroller. "Is it OK if I take a nap till we get there? I'm not used to getting up this early."

"Yeah, sure, you'll look cuter that way."

"Thanks," Finnick grumbled.

He dozed off for awhile and then woke to the sound of a police siren. Oh, crap! Well, he'd try to keep calm. After all, he looked innocent, as innocent as a baby.

"Hey, Carrots, you're gonna wake the baby," Nick said. "I gotta get to work."

"Carrots"? It must be Officer Toot-Toot again.

She told Nick his ten dollars' worth of pawpsicles could wait, so he told her he'd been making $200 every day since he was twelve, which Finnick knew for a fact wasn't an empty boast. Then she asked Nick some questions about Emmitt Otterton, but Nick wasn't admitting anything. He even called her a stuffed animal escaped from a toy store. (Hm, would making mouse-sized stuffed animals out of elephant-sized work? Probably not.)

Then she booted the stroller! Damn, she was hardcore! Finnick grudgingly admired her, although he did wonder how they were going to get anything done without the stroller. Even if they ditched the bunny, Nick was not going to want to carry Finnick all the way to Ganesha, and Finnick sure as hell didn't want to be carried. That was one of their rules, stroller or toddling short distances, nothing else when Finnick was in disguise.

She told Nick he was under arrest, but he still wasn't taking her seriously. Finnick wished the hood of the stroller wasn't down, because he would've loved to have seen the expressions on both their faces when she told him that she was getting him for felony tax evasion. She even had some kind of recorder pen that she played back with what he said about making all that money since he was twelve. And she was right, Nick had never reported any income. She said he wouldn't get the pen unless he helped her find Otterton.

"It's called a hustle, Sweetheart."

Finnick couldn't help it. He said, practically sang, "She hustled you." He threw back the hood of the stroller and laughed, a lot. "She hustled you good!" He climbed up so he could face Nick. "You're a cop now, Nick! You're gonna need one of these." He slapped the ZPD sticker onto Nick's shirt.

Nick looked very unhappy, but Finnick was loving this. Nick thought he was so clever, but he was outsmarted by the "dumb bunny."

Finnick told him, "Have fun working with the fuzz!" And he left. After all, there would be no hustle that day. He couldn't even get the stroller back unless the bunny unbooted it. Finnick would head back to the van and wait till he heard from Nick. Meanwhile, he'd catch up on his sleep.

Set Three

As the press conference began, Dawn Bellwether half listened to Chief Bogo explain the basics of the case, and half watched Judy talking to that fox friend of hers. Dawn didn't understand that friendship at all. Predator and prey! It was everything that Dawn was quietly working against. Well, at least the friendship had led to Mayor Lionheart's downfall, which Dawn had almost given up hoping for.

The bunny and the fox had unknowingly helped her in her plan to frame Lionheart. Now he was in jail and those fifteen predators he'd tried to shelter were safely muzzled. Dawn was not yet mayor but hopefully soon.

She turned her split focus away from both the police chief and the "heroic duo." Ah, good, Doug had made it and he was dressed as a reporter. She hoped he'd be able to ask leading questions to trick Judy. Then Judy said something that unknowingly would change everything. She said that all the animals in question were "members of the predator family." And Doug was right on it, with his "So, predators are the only ones going savage?" It was a subtle enough shift in phrasing, and Judy fell for it.

And the best part was, Judy didn't even realize at first that she kept putting her foot in her mouth. She tried to sound knowledgeable and scientific as she talked about a biological component, something in the predators' DNA that made them "revert back to their primitive, savage ways" and their "hunting instincts."

The press leapt on it, with lots of questions. But Dawn didn't want to start too much of a panic. This needed to be gradual. So she stepped in and brought the press conference to a close. She escorted Judy away from the microphone and assured her she'd done fine. She had, better than Dawn had expected.

Of course, the fox didn't take Judy's analysis too well. Dawn didn't catch all of their argument but he was clearly showing his anger. Dawn even saw Judy reach for the little canister of fox repellent she always wore, despite this new friendship. And that went over even worse with Mr. Fox. He stormed out, and the reporters gathered around Judy when she tried to follow. They asked her about the fox who threatened her. And it was all so lovely, Dawn had a hard time not baaaing with delight. Everything was just wonderful, and it was only going to get better.

Set Four

Nick found himself downloading and listening to Jerry Vole, for reasons he couldn't understand. And he was baffled to feel himself crying to "You Don't Know Me."

"You give your hand to me and then you say hello.
I can hardly speak, my heart is beating so
And anyone can tell, you think you know me well,
But you don't know me.

"Oh, you don't know the one that thinks of you at night
Who longs to kiss your lips and yearns to squeeze you tight.
No, I'm just a friend, that's all I've ever been.
You just don't know me…."

Meanwhile, Judy slept as well as she could with a half dozen of her energetic sisters in the room.

Set Five

"So, um, we are dating?"

"That was a joke," he said.

"So we're not dating?"

"Can we finish dinner first before we get back to that?"

"OK."

So they ate and didn't talk about anything but the food. When they were done, he took the dishes and put them in the sink. He'd do them in the morning. He went back to the couch and moved the coffee table aside. Then he asked, "You want the aspirin?"

"Yes, thank you."

"No problem." He went and got her a couple aspirins and some water to wash it down with.

After she took them, she said, "Ugh, I've never liked the taste."

"It's good for you. And be glad you're not on anything stronger."

"I guess."

"How's your leg?"

She shrugged. "It still hurts, but I'm getting used to it."

"You'll probably feel better after a full night's sleep."

"Right. But can we talk some more first?"

"OK." He sat on the couch again, closer this time.

She snuggled up against him. "Is this OK?"

"Yeah, it's nice, although I can't see your face as well."

"I can't see your face at all."

"Well, it's smiling."

"Good. So, um, I want to pursue this."

"Look out, Officer Hopps is in pursuit."

She chuckled. "Yeah. And I always get my mammal."

"Well, I think it helps that I want to be caught."

"Do you?"

"Yeah." He stroked her ears lightly.

"Mmm. Um, just so you know, I've never had a serious boyfriend before."

"I think I'm pretty humorous actually."

"Nick."

"Sorry, Carrots. Uh, can I still call you Carrots?"

"Yes, I like all the little nicknames you call me, Nick. No pun intended."

"Good to know. Go on about your non-lurid past."

"Well, I've dated but I always put my ambitions first. And I still really want to be a cop."

"I understand that."

"Right. Well, you have been working 365 days a year for twenty years."

"Just about. But I meant about being a cop."

"Do you want to? Really want to?"

"Yeah, if it's with you. I've never enjoyed myself more than solving this case, despite the various setbacks. And what's more important than making the world a better place?"

"Don't be sarcastic about it."

"I'm not. For once."

"Oh."

"But it is going to be tricky if we're partners at and away from work."

She sighed. "I know. But, well, I would hate to miss the chance for either, if it's what we both want."

"Right. Well, look at it this way, Fluff." He paused, thinking of how he'd first called her Fluff as an insult. But it did fit her. She was soft and fluffy, despite her toughness.

"Yes?"

"We're not going to be work partners right off. I've got to get approved for the Police Academy, and if you think you had trouble as a bunny, well, I don't think they'll be welcoming a fox with open arms."

"They will when they understand how much help you were with this case."

"Well, maybe. But even if I get in, that's still, what, six months of training?"

"Nine."

"So, you know, that's another thing. I'm going to be away all that time."

"You do get holidays off."

"OK. But what I mean is, it's going to be awhile till we see each other on a regular basis, once I leave."

"Oh. So do you think we shouldn't start anything till you get back?"

"Uh, Carrots, I think we've already started something."

"True."

"But we can take it slow for now."

"Kissing and cuddling is OK though, right?"

"More than OK." So they cuddled awhile longer and kissed a bit more, until Nick realized that it was almost eleven and he should let her sleep.