Change starts with You
by Winerp
I might just have to setup a "Go fund me" or something to pay Euphonemes... He did some amazing work with this chapter (which was re-written 3 or 4 times...). Seriously, go check him and his fic Run out.
Chapter 10 - Friends and family Pt 1
"However did you convince me to let you stay in that seat…."
Judy only got Nick's slightly wider smirk as he sped their cruiser through an intersection, beating the red light by a fraction of a second.
"If it makes you feel any better, I'll put the sirens on," mused the fox.
Scoffing, Judy was quick to dissuade her partner. "So you want to add abuse of authority to reckless driving? My, my, Officer Wilde, are you living up to your name today…."
"You know you love me." Turning towards her just a fraction, he added. "And you're one to talk, after kicking me into the limelight in front of Bogo." He didn't quite scowl, but he certainly showed his displeasure with her actions during their last talk with the Chief.
"Hum, but you did great?" She forced a hopeful smile while nervously stroking one of her droopy ears.
Nick limited himself to a raised eyebrow behind his shades. She sighed. "Okay, sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you like that after I was the one to bring up the topic of Bogo's friendships."
This time stopping at the red light, Nick brought his paw up from the gear stick and began ruffling his partner's ears. "Ah don't sweat it Carrots… though a little warning next time, please."
After fighting off the offending red appendage, Judy managed to relax a bit. No matter what happened, from almost starting a species war all those years ago or finding a blood bath inside a high-end strip club, to getting set up with a stuck-up buck by her parents or simply feeling down, it seemed talking with her partner always helped. Maybe it was the inherent trust that comes from having covered each other's backs for two years in the ZPD, or the life changing events of the Nighthowler case, but Judy always felt like she could talk with Nick about anything and everything…and she guessed he felt very much the same way. He was very sparing as far as his past was concerned – not that he tried to hide it, he was just choosy on when to shine light on it – but given what she already knew, she couldn't really blame the fox. Heck, she was still grateful he even forgave her in the first place during the Nighthowler fiasco.
Though as she pondered on the comfort they felt when they were together, something else popped into her mind: the Chief. He seemed to be on the verge of a mental breakdown when he'd asked them to leave for a moment, and yet he was as happy as she'd ever seen him when he called them back.
"Hey, Nick?"
"Hm?"
"Didn't Bogo seem a lot more cheerful the second time we went up to his office?"
He turned his head, not enough to take his eyes off the road, but plenty for Judy to understand she had his full attention. She couldn't quite read his expression, but it looked like he was gauging her own reactions before speaking himself.
"You noticed," he said.
"Well, yeah. Seeing Bogo smile is as rare as a rainy day in Sahara Square. Do you think he got some good news while we were out?" She was happy for the buffalo, really. Whatever had happened was certainly a needed breath of positivity in the midst of the last days'… revelations.
"Probably." He clicked his tongue. "I just hope it lasts. The Chief could really use a pick-me-up right about now."
She hummed in agreement as they turned into Nick's street, failing to notice how, as soon as she seemed to dismiss the subject, the fox visibly relaxed. In fact, she was far too encroached in her own thoughts to notice much of anything, at that point.
Judy had been a bit – okay, very – naïve when she got to Zootopia, both in regards to how the world worked and about the mammals that filled it. Fortunately, three years with a redeemed con-mammal turned cop who had decades of experience to share had done wonders for her. She was still a bright-eyed optimist on her worst days, but she knew better than to expect the best from everyone. And, even more important in their line of work, she'd become extremely proficient at figuring out other mammals, getting past their facades… especially regarding a certain russet trickster. Yes, in showing her the ways of mammal-reading, Nick had inadvertently shown her how to get past most of his own masks. The twitch of an ear, a muzzle wrinkled in a particular way, the occasional tic a mammal might show. All of those details which anyone might dismiss as a natural reaction to a passing car or a poorly washed mammal became so much more when one actually paid attention to which showed up when.
Casing him out of the corner of her eye, she began cataloguing those very signs in her mind, trying to get a peek behind this exceedingly stubborn mask. Judy had already seen Nick both at his most vulnerable and at his most confident; such are the demands of a good partnership and friendship. However, the last few days had been a non-stop stream of revelations and emotional jump-scares, so she'd entirely expected Nick to have put up a few new walls. To her surprise though, the only real barrier he'd begun using had been in preparation for his undercover work – and that didn't really count, since he'd be dead without it.
Pouring over their latest comings and goings, she recalled their conversation at the diner. Nick hadn't really been subtle in his desire to spare Bogo as much embarrassment as possible, and he clearly cared for the buffalo's well-being. Well, he cared more than would be expected in an employer-employee relationship.
She was brought back from her ruminations by the cruiser slowing to halt. Turning her head to look out the window, she realized they'd arrived at their destination, the creamy drab buildings welcoming them to Nick's quiet neighborhood. The rustling to her left made her look back, where she found her partner already hanging his shades on his shit's collar and making for the door handle. The moment they left the cruiser, however, she'd lose her chance to find out what was going on between her boss and her — wait. Was she really going to call him her fox?... Anyway, Nick, would most likely deflect the issue and focus on the tech gear they still had to sort through.
Reaching out, she gently grabbed him by the forearm, earning his attention but apparently not deterring him from trying to escape. He did turn his head to face her with an inquisitive eye, but he was still firmly grasping the door handle and leaning towards it.
"Nick, why does Bogo's predicament affect you so much?"
His eyes widening and avoiding her own, he began awkwardly shuffling even more towards the door.
"Errr… Carrots, we still have all that gear to sort through and – "
Her gentle grip firmed, and she pulled on his arm, preventing him from actually exiting the cruiser.
"I'm not letting this go, Nick."
She expected him to try and squirm out of her interrogation with either a witty remark or, more likely, by appealing to her softer side. What she wasn't expecting, however, was for him to pull back on the leash just as hard.
"Yes. You are."
She'd been Nick's partner and friend for long enough for her prey instincts not to kick in at the slightest hint of aggression, so her nose stayed still. Not that the fox had lashed out at her, but the sudden finality of his tone definitely caught her off guard and sent her ears sky high.
He turned and locked eyes with her. Except those usually vibrant and even mesmerizing emerald orbs were dull, tired-looking and — together with his own erect ears — made him look strung out. But he immediately softened when he was with her almost startled expression. He immediately lowered his ears and looked straight ahead, suddenly distraught.
"Ah, sorry, Judy. I didn't mean.…" Taking a deep breath, he clarified. "You've been my partner for almost two years now, and my friend for three. You know what I've realized over that time?" She expected him to continue immediately, but the small pause he introduced instead made her think he was expecting an answer, so she gingerly shook her head. "Not only do I trust you with my life, I'm also completely fine with you knowing every single sad or dirty detail of my life."
Were it not for the still somewhat tense situation she'd created, Judy was pretty sure she would have jumped him and crushed her partner in a warm and tear-soaked hug. But in restraining herself, she also got the opportunity to ruminate on Nick's statement. If he's that comfortable sharing everything, then why –
"No matter how comfortable I am with you knowing those things, however, it's still difficult for me to deal with some myself. And the last couple of days have been just about as much as I can take in one sitting, Carrots."
His explanation had gradually morphed her initial surprise into a sweet and fuzzy satisfaction at Nick's trust, though the conclusion he arrived at left a bitter aftertaste. And she had to admit, the week's revelations had certainly been hard on her partner. So she returned her paw to his forearm – now hanging limp beside him – and gave a reassuring squeeze.
Kinda like in the Gondola, she thought. As he turned to once again face her, she slowly nodded in understanding and offered a small but sincere smile. Which, much to her delight, he half-liddedly returned.
They stayed like that for a few comfortable seconds, until Nick broke the small trance with a timely reminder.
"Soooo… I was kind of trying to evade back there, but we do need to unload and set up the gear Gordon got us."
She once again smiled at him, and, bringing her paw up, gave him three little taps on the cheek. She had never seen him so flustered, and he began almost furiously scratching behind his ear and avoiding eye contact.
Satisfied, Judy quickly spun around in her seat and popped open the door.
"When you're right, you're right, Officer Wilde. Let's get to it then, partner!"
#
Watching the fluffy tail vanish behind the cruiser, Nick had to quickly shake himself to regain his composure. That rabbit is either the best or the worst thing that's ever happened to me…
Not wanting to be left behind, however, he quickly removed the key from the ignition and stepped out of the cruiser to join Judy at the trunk. With a swift paw, he swiped the duffel bag from her despite her barrage of valiant complaints.
"Judy, this bag is more than half your size, and while I have no doubt you'd lift it like it was nothing, you would also look ridiculous doing it. And I refuse to be party to such a sad spectacle."
She kept up her empowering assurances for a bit longer, taking particular care in reminding him of all the instances when she'd beaten him on the sparring ring. Simply humming in mock agreement at everything the rabbit said, Nick locked the cruiser and headed towards his building. Eventually, as they began climbing the stairs to the front door, Judy conceded and limited herself to an annoyed pout.
As they made their way into the drab structure and eventually up to Nick's floor, he figured the bunny was due for a bit of cheering up…in his own way, of course.
"Chin up, Carrots! I'm sure tinkering with all the gizmos we got from our nocturnal pals will be fun." He then waited a few seconds, spying the rabbit's reaction from the corner of his predatory eye, and as soon as he saw that glimmer in the amethyst — the shine they got when Judy had her mind set on a case — he pounced.
"Hey, if nothing else, it'd look mighty suspicious to have you looking so down on yourself after you've just been assigned a new case. I mean, not being thrilled about catching a pickpocket? Mammals might start asking questions…"
Nick always found it amusing (and for some reason endearing) how quickly and seamlessly Judy managed to switch her expressions. And when the end result was her giving him the stink-eye, it usually meant a job well done for his snarky side. Of course in this case in particular, it also had the added benefit of completely clearing their mood, since there's nothing quite as natural for them as a bit of good-natured ribbing.
And apparently Judy seemed to share that opinion since, as they approached his door, her previous pout did actually start transforming into an easygoing smirk.
"If anyone's going to be asking questions, it's me, Slick."
Entering the apartment, Nick dropped off the duffle bag next to the couch and made a beeline for the kitchenette, where he kept a fold-up garden table he used for more "formal" meals. In this case, however, it'd simply make it easier to sort through both the materials and the notes they'd gotten so far.
While he set it up in front of the couch, Judy had begun rummaging through the bag's content, laying it out next to her for ease of access. Once the table was upright and locked in position – to avoid any mishaps with stray feet or tails – Nick plopped down next to his partner and peeked over her ears at the neatly arranged devices and papers.
"So, where do we begin, Nick?"
He shrugged. "The vests don't really need sorting, I mean, we know which is whose and we know how to use them, so they can already be set aside."
"Mind if I take the duffel bag with my share of the loot back to my place? It'd be easier than carrying whatever I need back in hand."
As Nick simply nodded in agreement, Judy retrieved the bag from behind the couch where she'd put it after emptying it and, storing her assigned protective vest within, set it down next to her feet.
"Where do you want your vest?" Judy asked, holding it up in front of him.
The fox grabbed it, looked it over, inspecting the padding behind the hardened protective plates with a good squeeze or two, and then proceeded to push himself up slightly, placing the protective garment right where the small of his back met the couch. The sigh of pleasure that accompanied his descent back into the make-shift pillow had Judy looking at him in bewilderment.
"Uh, Nick? What are you doing?"
Rotating his shoulders and stretching his back until a couple of noticeable pops were heard, he explained. "I was pretty lucky in finding an already furnished apartment, given the lack of it back at the warehouse… but this couch has no lumbar support to speak of."
"Fine. Just be sure not to forget to use the vest for what it's actually for, okay?" Any other time, Nick would have noticed how the "detective glimmer" in Judy's eyes had suddenly switched to a more mischievous glint, but he was far too busy enjoying the extra cushioning on his back. "You're already the right color for target practice, so we really shouldn't take any chances."
Well played, Fluff. However… As his smirk once again began playing about his lips, he sat upright and faced the bunny.
"Ah, but that's exactly why I keep my tail this groomed and lustrous! You see, it serves a double purpose: On a regular day, it's irresistible for any vixen, but if someone is chasing me or wants to harm me in any other way, then I use it as a distraction." And, to prove his point, he swished his tail quickly across Judy's face. It barely brushed her nose, but it was enough to make it start twitching violently.
"Gah!" Gently caressing her snout with one hand, Judy still managed to swat away an attempt at a second pass by Nick's tail. "Oh I'm sure they're all lining up to marry you after being slapped in the face by that."
He chuckled, enjoying the moment for a bit, but they both eventually calmed down enough to get back to the task at hand. "Speaking of which, didn't Gordon say he had something with my tail in mind?"
Turning her head, Judy scanned the equipment beside her. "Oh yeah. This, recorder, I guess?" She picked up the device, which consisted of a thin box the size of her iPaw, attached to a long coiled wire. Said wire was, for the most part, unremarkable, looking like something you'd fine on an old telephone. It did, however, feature a number of sections where the solid rubber was replaced by a thin metal mesh. Setting it on the table where they could better analyze it, she then retrieved Gordon's notes on it and began reading.
"Tail Recording Device: Meant for use by mammals whose tails are voluminous and bushy, this recorder is intended for high-risk situations where suspects might be expecting and looking for traditional bugs. The multiple complementing microphones embedded into a long coiled wire allow it to be wrapped around a mammal's tail, beneath the fur, which functions like a natural filter while concealing the device. Additionally, by moving some of the required electronic components into the wire itself, it is possible to reduce the size of the recorder's main body, allowing it to be easily carried in one's back pocket or – ideally – glued to one's lower back, where the body's natural anatomy helps to hide it."
She twisted the end of the meshed coil in her paw. "Huh, I have to hand it to the guys down at the Skunk Works, this is pretty clever." Glancing up at her ears, she added, "I mean, it takes playing to one's strengths to a whole new level… I wonder if they have something for rabbit ears."
While Judy had been reading the description, Nick had opted for a more hands-on introduction, discovering a series of controls on the wire's base. Once the rabbit was done, he wasted no time in comparing the buttons he'd found with the diagrams Gordon had provided in his notes.
"We should probably give it a try to make sure we got it." Funnily enough, the mere mention of it made his tail instinctively twitch. As he disconnected the wire from the recorder's box to put it on, Judy unexpectedly intervened.
"I hope it doesn't ruffle it up too much…." She was now playing with a strand of fur, though Nick seemed to her some additional mumbling. Be a real shame, too… he thought she said.
"What was that, Carrots?" Wait, is she, blushing? Her ears had definitely darkened.
"I was just saying that it had better not ruffle your tail up, because mammals are so used to seeing it perfectly groomed."
That made sense, and it was a valid concern, one that he had himself shared… but he was also pretty sure that was not what she'd mumbled. Fox hearing might not compare to rabbit hearing, but it was far from the worst around. And, anyway, Judy's refusal to lock eyes with the fox told him she was more than a bit embarrassed at what she'd actually said. Nevertheless, Nick gambled.
"You're right, but that's not it, is it? You're just upset about the tail itself… aren't you?" And just for added effect, he wiggled it a bit in front of her.
If anything could confirm Nick's suspicions, the way Judy's ears shot up in alarm would certainly do it.
"Whaaat? Pfft, no. I'm just worried we… you, might give away something. I mean, why would I even get worked up over another mammal's tail… even if it is shiny, fluffy, probably a good body pillow actually, and… oh sweet cheese and crackers…"
While his face naturally settled into a smug grin, cherishing his victory, Nick felt like someone had thrown a stick into the gears of his mind, as they jerked to a halt trying to process the embarrassed rabbit's outburst. Does she really like it that much?... And wants to use it as a pillow… But she does know how intimate a tail – Fortunately, Judy tried to push ahead of the touchy topic, to which Nick was all too happy to oblige.
"Can we just, move on?"
"Let's…."
Judy very obviously relaxed, and the look she sent his way was a clear and wordless "thank you". As she went to pick up another item from beside her, Nick realized he hadn't actually gotten around to testing the tail recorder, which still sat disassembled in his lap. Not that he was planning on doing it now; anything involving the word "tail" was to be avoided for the next few hours…so he just put the parts on the table to work through them alone later.
"Want to try out the earpieces?"
#
By the time they finished going through all the gadgets and notes they'd brought into Nick's apartment, it was already dinner time. As Judy went about organizing her share of the equipment in the bag, her stomach loudly reminded her of the passage of time. Judy thanked her lucky stars Nick was in his bedroom, where there was no earthly way he could have….
"I heard that."
Of course… "Yeah, sorry. But I am starving. You want to get take out?"
At that point, her partner waltzed back into the room while flipping through a ledger.
"Sorry Carrots, no can do. I still need to work out a few things before I go talk to Patrick." Looking up from the book, he gave her a morose look, which only lasted a second before he seemed to remember something. "Which reminds me: Can you give me Fru Fru's number?"
"Um, sure?" She raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Just try not to anger a crime boss again, m'kay?"
He clicked his tongue and, as she zipped up the bag, went back to his ledger, also pulling out his phone. "No promises, Fluff."
At that point, Judy was all set to leave, when she thought of something. Recalling their conversation in the cruiser, Judy realized nothing had really changed or happened that might help Nick cope with his current torrent of contradicting emotions. Sure, they'd talked, and venting always helps, but then they'd gone straight back to work. And while work might have been the ideal distraction for her, she was all too aware it didn't quite have the same effect on her partner; she knew he would probably still be brooding at that point. So, she decided to do something about it.
"Speaking of promises, I seem to recall you promising to take me to your mom's place for dinner last week." Judy had truly been looking forward to that visit, as not only was Mrs. Wilde extremely good company, she also made some killer cheese and veggie casserole.
She caught him off guard, which she could easily tell by his sudden look of confusion. Her warm smile, however, must have adequately conveyed her intentions, since the fox quickly shed his questioning expression for an easygoing one.
"I guess I did. I'll let you know when we'll be going."
"Sounds great, I'll text you Fru Fru's number as soon as I get back home."
Setting down his book, though not his cell, Nick walked her to his apartment door and gave her a two-fingered salute as she got out and started heading back towards the stairs.
Judy thought she heard Nick's phone ring with Finnick's tune as she walked down the hall, but at that point there was no real reason to go back. So she went on her way, busying herself by going through her options as far as dinner went.
#
"Clawhauser, please have Officer Higgins come up."
"Sure thing, Chief." As the slightly distorted but nonetheless gleeful voice of the cheetah cut off from the intercom, Bogo returned his attention to the pile of documents in front of him. It was an assorted collection of case updates, department requests and the occasional personal report; essentially everything required to make sure all of the currently open cases were being properly followed up on.
Restacking them for the hundredth time, the buffalo couldn't help but remind himself that he had found no mention of what he considered their highest priority case, and no matter how many times he told himself that there was no other way, the off-the-books and somewhat reckless manner in which they were looking into MR irked him to no end.
A rap on the door quickly brought him back to reality.
"Come in."
As the door to his office opened, in came the hippo he'd just summoned, greeting the Chief with a full salute.
"Thank you for coming, Higgins." He picked up the flawlessly arranged sheaf of papers and set them down at the front of his desk, lightly tapping them with his hoof.
"These have all been sorted and dealt with. Please make sure they get to their respective departments and officers."
"Right away, Chief." The hippo grabbed the pile and, taking care not to ruffle it up too much, started making his way back towards the office's door.
"Higgins, hold on."
Stopping with his paw already on the door handle, the officer turned his head to face the Chief.
"Has there been any news about the perp who wound up in hospital?"
Shaking his head in what could be described as an overabundance of sorrow, the hippo had to disappoint the buffalo.
"Sorry Chief, he's still out cold."
Bogo nodded slowly, resigning himself to the little information he had at the moment. "Thank you Officer. That will be all."
After the hippo left, Bogo took a breath, clearing his mind and letting himself relax for a brief moment. He was just about to start thinking of dinner when his phone rang. Really? At this hour?
Click
"Bogo speaking."
"Hello again, Samuel."
The buffalo instinctively straightened in his chair.
"Quinn! Fancy hearing from you again so soon."
He could hear some indistinct chuckling before the familiar voice spoke again.
"Well, I had mentioned finding the time to catch up, hadn't I?"
"Well, yeah, but…" Did the Commissioner really want to do that over the phone?
"How does lunch this Saturday sound? My treat."
As a warm, almost familial feeling spread through Bogo, he actually laughed before replying. "If it's your treat, I would even be willing to discuss department policy." He sighed contently before continuing. "It sounds great, Alphonse."
He heard a hoof clapping on a table followed by the happy voice of his childhood friend. "It's settled then! I'll swing by the Precinct at noon or so."
"You've got a deal. Take care, Alphonse."
After ending the call, Bogo put his cellphone down and once again let himself fall into his chair. He was impossibly tired, not only from the day's workload, but also from the beating his nerves had received from Hopps and Wilde's discoveries about him. Nevertheless, he now had a chance to fix something which, until earlier that day, had no chance for a favorable conclusion in the foreseeable future.
Things might just be starting to look up….
A/N
Well then, a LOT of stuff has happened since the last update. So, here we go.
*takes a deep breath*
Zootopia had it's one year anniversary and, shortly after, won the Oscar for Beast Animated Feature! Congratulations to Disney and especially to the amazing team which brought us this masterpiece. It made me give my fiction some more time and even start posting it here.
On a more personal note, we reached - and passed - 100 followers. I am still dumbstruck by that. And the story also got featured on ZNN...
I mean, I was hoping the a dozen of you guys might find the idea interesting enough to stay with me, but I was under no illusion that this was somehow unique in it's premise. There are many stories, many GREAT stories which revolve around Nick's pat and how he deals with it, and even more with WildeHopps in them. So having this much interest in what I've come up with is mind blowing. Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Also, the story finally has some actual cover art, from the ever-talented Kungfufreak07 over on deviantart. She did an awesome job and, more than that, it was a pleasure working with her.
Until next time.
Cheers!