Disclaimer- I don't own Zootopia, yada yada yada, don't sue me. Enjoy!

Sleepless

Nick was up to his usual shenanigans, much to the annoyance of Judy.

For the entire Friday morning bullpen session, the fox seemed determined to assault Chief Bogo with all manner of jabs, jokes, and jaunts. Every officer in the room was struggling to keep a straight face, save for Judy, who was staring blank-eyed at the wall.

Bogo turned towards the pair, his brow wrinkled in clear annoyance. "Hopps, Wilde-"

"Are we saving the city again Chief?" Nick interrupted. A few muffled snickers broke out behind him.

"No," Bogo replied in his monotone voice. "You are not saving the city today."

"Well that's just disappointing," Nick responded.

"Leave some for us Wilde," a male voice called out from behind them. Nick, along with the other officers in the front row, whirled around to see the grinning face of Officer Delgado.

"Leave some for you Delgado?" Nick pointed towards the lion. "Buddy, you need to lose some," He jested, drawing a roar of laughter from the other mammals.

"You callin me fat?" Judging by the grin plastered across his feline face, Delgado was enjoying the verbal joust.

"I'm not callin' you skinny," Nick said, his grin stretching from ear to ear. The room once again burst into laughter, save for the exhausted bunny next to him.

Bogo pounded his hoof against the podium, trying to take control of his bullpen. "Quiet, quiet!" The crowd calmed down, all eyes returning to the cape buffalos broad body. Bogo's black eyes were staring daggers though Nick.

"Hopps, Wilde, you will be spending your Friday on traffic patrol."

Judy's head shot straight up, her mind fully awake. "Traffic Patrol?"

"Yes traffic patrol," Bogo sneered.

Judy opened her mouth to protest, only for Bogo to cut her off with a wave of his hoof. Judy's ears fell back behind her head.

Bogo stared at Judy, trying to reinforce his point. Apparently satisfied with the lack of argument, he cleared his throat and once again addressed the room.

"That will be all for today. Dismissed!"

Chairs scraped against the tiled floor as the officers left for their various assignments. All of them except two.

Nick grabbed his Snarlbucks cup and slid out of the plastic chair. Judy would usually be by his side, joking with him as they walked towards whatever destination awaited with that trademark, youthful smile that Nick had come to adore.

However, as he turned around to face his partner, Nick felt a knot form in his chest.

Judy wasn't smiling.

She didn't look like the happy, youthful bunny he was used to seeing every morning.

She looked tired.

Her amethyst eyes, which usually sparkled brilliantly, were dull against the fluorescent light. Her ears, which had been fully extended minutes ago, hung lazily behind her head. Small bags had formed under her eyes, and she noticeably slouching in the chair.

If this had been a single instance, Nick wouldn't have been concerned. But for the past week and a half, Judy had progressively gotten worse.

Nick walked back over to her, trying to break the ice. "Carrots, hello?" Judy didn't respond, her lifeless eyes staring into space. Nick felt an uneasy sensation crawl up his spine; something was badly off with her.

"Nick to Officer Hopps, come in Officer Hopps," he repeated, waving his claws in front of her face.

Her eyes finally gained focus as she turned towards him, a weak smile spread across her face. "Sorry, just tired Nick." She yawned to emphasize her point. "Didn't sleep well last night."

"You go clubbing or something?"

Judy rolled her eyes as she slapped Nick lightly on the arm. "No, I didn't go clubbing you dumb fox. I've just been having a hard time sleeping."

"Clubbing will do that to ya," Nick joked, trying to brighten up her mood.

Judy chuckled, a soft sound which was music to Nick's ears. "I am not a club bunny."

"Whatever you say Carrots," Nick grinned, drawing another eye roll from her. She hopped out of the chair and walked towards the door, Nick strutting behind her.

Outside, the hallway was quiet, their voices the only source of noise.

Judy gestured at his Snarlbucks cup. "I'm going to grab some coffee, want a refill?"

"Sure," he responded, taking one last sip before handing it over to her waiting paw. "You know how I like it?"

"Black as night with blueberry flavoring?"

"You're perfect, you know that right?"

"I try to be," Judy said, a genuine smile filling her face. Still, that knot was refusing to leave Nick's chest. A few chuckles and laughs weren't convincing him that there wasn't something wrong with his partner.

"Keep the car warm for me slick." Judy turned around and began slowly walking towards the break room.

"Will do," Nick called back as Judy made her way towards the break room. "'Don't get lost now."

Judy turned a corner and disappeared from view, leaving Nick alone in the hallway. He felt his grin slide away, his trademark expression being replaced with a look of utmost concern.

The knot tightened in his stomach as he slowly walked towards the parking garage.

Something, the exact cause a mystery to him, was wrong with Judy.

And deep down, he had a nagging suspicion why. A suspicion that no matter how ridiculous it sounded, and no matter how improbable it was, refused to leave his mind.

This is your fault.

Whatever mammal first placed the coffee maker in the ZPD break room had clearly never intended for it to be used by bunnies. It was perched atop a counter more than double her height and pushed back against the wall to the point where all she could see was the clear , half-full pot.

Judy stared at the machine, her tired mind attempting to figure out the easiest way to reach the black gold contained within.

She didn't consider herself a heavy coffee drinker. The whole bunny thing granted her almost limitless energy, but for the past week, she had been practically living off the black liquid.

Sleepless nights do that to a mammal.

A yawn escaped her lips as she eyed the coffee maker once again. Maybe if I just jump…. No, I'll just slip and die. Dying by coffee maker was not part of the plan.

She glanced behind her, an idea forming in her mind. A dozen or so chairs were piled around the main break table, and they were the perfect height for her tiny form.

How did I not….Forget it, let's just get this day over with.

Judy stumbled over to the chair, grabbing the shortest one she could find. With something that resembled more of a mummy's walk than a bunny's hop, she dragged the chair over towards the counter.

Come on Judy. Just a couple more steps and you're good.

The chair thumped against the counter as Judy jumped onto the padded cushion. As she steadied herself, a smooth feminine voice called out from behind her.

"Hold still for a second Whiskers, I gotta take a picture of this."

Judy whirled around in surprise, her ears sticking straight up in a panic. Standing in the doorway was the imposing figure of Lieutenant Lilly Sharpe. A predatory grin stretched from ear to ear on the snow leopards furred face. A smartphone was clutched in her paws, no doubt recording Judy's chair filled adventure.

"Sharpe!" Judy yelled out.

How did I not hear her? Is my hearing that off?

"Sup?" Sharpe said innocently, clearly trying to hold back a laugh. "Oh, didn't mean to scare ya."

"Liar," Judy hissed. Despite the anger in her voice, Judy couldn't stop a smile from forming on her face. Sharpe was one of those mammals you just couldn't hold a grudge against.

Sharpe's expression morphed into feigned innocence as she approached the bunny.

"What, me?" Taking a sip of her own coffee mug, she gestured at Judy. "The hell are you doing anyway? Trying to build a chair fort?"

"Trying to reach the coffee maker."

"And a fine job you're doing." Sharpe pointed a clawed finger towards the chair. "You want some help?"

Judy would have normally denied the leopards request due to her inflated pride. But today, that pride was hidden beneath layers of negative emotion. "Yeah," she said, sighing in defeat.

Setting her own mug onto the counter, Sharpe grabbed the two mugs out of Judy's outstretched arms.

Judy couldn't stop a jealous feeling from filling her mind. Seeing how effortlessly, how problem free Sharpe could do the simple task of refilling coffee was a painful reminder of just how short she was in this world.

Sharpe's smooth voice broke Judy's mental debate. "How do you want your coffee?"

"Two creams, one sugar, three shots of espresso." Sharpe's eyes winded at the espresso request. Judy paused to yawn, before continuing. "Make the Snarlbucks all black, and put in one of those blueberry flavorings."

"Sly's cup?"

"Yeah, he's warming the car up. Gotta love traffic patrol," she said through gritted teeth.

"I remember those days," Sharpe responded as she handed over Judy's bunny sized cup. "Never been yelled at more in my life."

"Yeah… I'm just happy it's the weekend."

That's one hell of an understatement, her mind whispered back.

"Lucky you," Sharpe said, grabbing a blueberry flavor packet from a nearby shelf. "Here you go, one blueberry fox coffee thingy," Sharpe said in a pompous accent as she handed the Snarlbucks cup over to Judy.

Bowing her head in thanks, the bunny hopped gracefully out of the chair. Immediately after her feet touched the cold tile, she took two large gulps of the coffee. It felt like the elixir of life itself was flowing down her throat.

Sharpe gazed down at the bunny, concern filling her usually happy face. "Jeez Whiskers, you ok?"

"I'm fine, just tired," Judy said weakly, taking another sip of her drink. She looked back at the leopard, the concern still evident on Sharpe's face.

Sharpe wasn't buying it.

An uncomfortable tingle crept up Judy's spine as she made eye contact with Sharpe. The snow leopards pale as moonlight eyes stared into her, seeing right through the lie.

"I'm not kidding Hopps," Sharpe said coldly. Before Judy could react, Sharpe moved in between her and the door, purposefully blocking her exit. "You look like shit, what's up?"

Judy's heart began to pound in her chest uncontrollably. A predator was staring at her, and blocking her only exit. Despite living with predators for thousands of years, some instincts were hard-wired into prey animals.

You know this predator. This predator is nice, and wants to help you, the rational part of her mind explained. The words simply fell on deaf, panicked ears.

"I'm…. I'm just tired," she hissed back. Sharpe continued to stare at her, the leopard's gaze unwavering.

Judy couldn't make eye contact with her, instead opting to stare at the floor below.

"Hopps, you're a horrible liar." Sharpe's expression changed into one of genuine concern. "Seriously, what's up? You've been acting weird all week."

No, we're not doing this right now Sharpe. I need to leave. Judy felt her mood souring by the second.

Sharpe had struck a nerve. A nerve Judy had been trying desperately to keep hidden for two weeks.

"Sharpe, I'm fine," Judy snapped. "Really, I'm fine. Just let me go to work, okay?"

"I'm not stopping you from going to work Judy," Sharpe retorted. Her pale eyes continued to stare into Judy's own.

"Then you mind movi-"

"You didn't let me finish. As an officer, it's my job to make sure my underlings, or fellow officers, are performing to the best of their ability." Sharpe paused to take a drink of coffee. Her eyes refused to leave the bunny, no doubt making sure Judy couldn't scamper away.

"So unless you'd like me to pull you off your shift, I would advise as both your boss and friend to tell me what's up."

That was a fair point. Sharpe, despite her closeness with Judy, was technically her boss. And a major responsibility of most ZPD officers was to ensure the mental well-being of their officers.

"Sharpe, I'm fine."

"Are you telling me, or yourself?"

"What?"

"That's the fifth time you've told you're 'fine'." Sharpe displayed the amount on her fingers. "Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?"

Judy couldn't argue back. There wasn't anything to argue back. The leopard was completely right, and if the victorious expression on Sharpe's face told her anything, Sharpe knew it.

Predators always knew.

"Am I right, or am I right?" Sharpe repeated her tone a gentle whisper.

"You're right, Judy responded. A warm, happy sensation bubbled in Judy's chest. It felt good to admit to it, especially to someone who clearly cared about her.

"Thought so." Sharpe took advantage of the bunny's distracted the state, and quickly shut the break room door. She motioned towards the chairs, her relaxed posture conveying the message to sit down.

Judy hopped into the nearest one, the leopard settling in next to her. "What's bothering you Whiskers?" She pointed towards the small white tufts atop her head. "I'm all ears."

Judy took a quick drink of coffee, the caffeine flowing through her veins. Inside, she had been dying to tell someone about this, but now that the time had come, her mind was blank.

"Stupid things," was all she was able to blurt out.

"Stupid things?" The confusion was evident in Shape's voice.

Stupid things wasn't going to cut it. Judy took a deep breath, readying her mind for the upcoming conversation. "Just, don't tell Nick okay?"

"Nick?" Sharpe's expression softened at the fox's name. "Are you two having… problems?"

Judy waved her arms sporadically. "No no no, nothing like that!" She paused, her mind working overtime to come up with the clearest way to explain two weeks of pent up emotions. "I've just… Okay, two weeks ago we went on a date-"

"Was it magical?" Sharpe interrupted.

"Yes, it was magical," Judy said with a giggle.

"It was great, magical, fantastic, however, you want to call it." She took another sip of coffee. "Anyway, the day after my mom called, one thing led to another and she thinks Nick is a… bunny."

Sharpe motioned for her to continue. Judy felt a whirlwind of emotions roar into existence inside of her. The same emotions that had been torturing the bunny for weeks.

"After that, it just kinda… hit me. Nick's a fox, and I'm…" She struggled to finish the sentence.

"...I'm not."

Sharpe failed to respond. The leopard's concerned expression morphing into one filled with compassion. "That hasn't seemed to bother you before. Does this have to do with Nick personally?"

"It has nothing to do with Nick," she snapped back. "It doesn't bother me that he's a fox. I like that he's a fox."

If Judy's sharp tone bothered the leopard, she wasn't showing it. "It's just?"

"It's just… I can't stop thinking about it. Every time I try and sleep, all these freaking scenarios and thoughts fill my mind. I don't know, this sounds so stupid to be obsessing over."

"It's not stupid," Sharpe said after a minute of silence.

"It's not?"

"Hell no." She grabbed Judy's paw with her own. "Tell me some of the scenarios that are bothering you; sometimes it helps talking about them out loud instead of stuck in that crazy head of yours."

"Nothing you say will leave this room, I promise," Sharpe said, noticing Judy's hesitation.

"It's my parents," Judy said quietly, her eyes staring into space.

"Your parents? Didn't you tell me they were fine with predators now?"

"They are, at least I think they are. But… the thought of the families 'golden bunny' dating a predator may be too much for them. I mean, my mom told me that dating a hare would be exotic. What's she going to say about a fox?"

"And then from that, all these other things sprung out. What if Nick's parents don't like me? What if we want to have kits? What if some reporter finds out and decides to make us the face of interspecies marriage?"

Sharpe opened her mouth to speak, but Judy was on a roll. An unstoppable, emotional roll.

"And then there's Nick." Judy felt her eyes water as her mind flashed back to the press conference.

There are some moments in life that no matter how many times you apologize, and no matter how many times someone accepts it, you will never forgive yourself for them.

And for Judy, the press-conference was hers.

It seemed so long ago, but the look of utter betrayal on Nick's face was a memory burned into her mind. The pained tone of his voice echoed forever in her head.

"What if my parents say something stupid, or I say something stupid that completely turns him away?"

Judy squeezed Sharpe's paw, her voice barely above a whisper. "And whenever I try and sleep all of these… images come up. Stuff I just don't want to think about. I haven't had a clear nights sleep in two weeks, and it's not getting any better."

She wiped a lone tear from her eye. "So that's my problem, Sharpe."

The snow leopard stared at her, her pale eyes widened in a mix of surprise, shock, and sadness. She didn't respond at first, her mind processing the information. "That's... "

Judy sniffled, trying desperately to hold back the raging torrent of emotions struggling to break free. "I told you they were-"

Her words were interrupted by a body pressing against her. Sharpe's long, lean arms wrapped around Judy's body, creating a warm, comforting vice. Sharpe didn't say anything; she didn't need to. The embrace conveyed one singular, overwhelming message.

I'm here for you.

Judy returned the hug in full, squeezing the predator with more force than Sharpe was expecting. Those dark clouds in her mind being pushed away slowly. They weren't gone, not by a long shot, but Sharpe was right. It felt so much better to get them out of her crazy head.

"Whiskers, I can't breathe," Sharpe whispered, her voice strained.

"Oh, I'm sorry!"

Sharpe chuckled as she let go of Judy, a smile beaming across the leopard's face. "You're fine."

Neither talked, both were still digesting what had just happened.

Sharpe spoke first, her tone as soft as a cloud. "I think I know why you're so obsessed over this."

Judy's ears shot up in a mix of surprise and curiosity.

"You're afraid of losing him."

That was it. That single, five-word idea activated a flurry of activity in Judy's mind.

Sharpe took Judy's silence as a sign to continue. "Nick matters to you so much that any idea that has a chance of breaking the bond you two have stresses you out. In this case, it would be your parents not liking him. You start picturing every way it could go wrong, no matter how stupid it may sound."

Sharpe was right. Every single scenario and nightmare always ended the same.

The same pained, panic-inducing way.

The thing would happen, Nick would give her that betrayed, pained stare and disappear, leaving Judy once again alone in the world.

The leopard noticed the dumbstruck expression adorning Judy's face. "Which is normal when a relationship starts getting serious. When things between me and my hubby started getting… spicy, I had the same thoughts."

A grim expression flashed across Sharpe's face. "It sucks."

"So… how do I get rid of these?" Judy pleaded. "I mean, I need my sleep, Sharpe."

"That's… easier said than done," Sharpe said after a minute of silence. A pained expression crossed Judy's face. "There's no magical pot of gold under the rainbow that cures shit like this."

"But…?"

"You're a fast learner." A grin formed on Sharpe's face. "But, I'll tell you what helped me."

Judy's ears shot up at the mere mention of a solution. "Are you doing anything with Nick this weekend?" Sharpe asked.

Judy's face scrunched up in confusion. "No. At least, I don't think so."

"Hang out with him this weekend. But, don't go on a date. Just like, have a movie night at his place or something. Snuggle under a blanket and laugh at shitty comedies."

"A movie night…" Judy's eyes glazed over.

A movie night. It sounded so simple, but yet so enjoyable. She imagined herself tucked under a blanket; leaning against Nick's warm body while her favorite movie played in the background. It was a dream, but a dream on the border of reality.

"Foxes love movies, trust me," Sharpe teased, breaking Judy out of her dreamy thoughts.

"But what if he-"

"Hopps, I've seen the way he looks at you. He's not going to say no. Besides, he's probably worried as hell about you right now. It'll be good for both of you."

Despite the high she was riding, Judy felt a tinge of sadness form in her chest. She knew Nick was worried about her, but the conversation she just had with Sharpe was a conversation she just wasn't ready to have with Nick.

The leopard's expression softened. "It will help, trust me."

It can't be this simple, Judy thought to herself. There's gotta be a catch. There's always a catch.

"It's that simple?"

"Yes, it's that simple. Shitty movies do wonders." Sharpe glanced down at her friend. Judy still looked tired as hell, but the sad aura surrounding her had started to lift. "You feel better?"

"Much better." Judy wiped her eyes, before embracing the leopard again. "Thank you, Sharpe, just… thank you."

"No sweat Short Stuff." Sharpe's grin stretched from ear to ear as she slowly broke away from the bunny. "I'm always here if you need to talk."

Judy glanced towards the clock. "Cheese and crackers, it's been that long?!"

The conversation had somehow lasted almost twenty minutes. Which meant Nick had been waiting, alone, for almost twenty minutes. Judy hopped to her feet and ran towards the door."I need to go-"

"Wait a minute," Sharpe called, stopping Judy in her tracks. "Judy, I have to be serious here for a second."

The bunny turned around to face Sharpe. The leopard's face was stone cold serious, but her pale eyes twinkled under the lights. She knew what Sharpe was going to say.

"With how tired you are right now, and well…. Everything you just told me, I don't think you're fit for being on traffic patrol."

Judy froze, her ears slowly falling behind her head. Her suspicions were right.

"Sharpe, I'm fine, really." She smiled weakly. She knew Sharpe wouldn't take 'no' for an answer, but she had to try. "I got my coffee and my partner. Nothing is going to happen."

Sharpe slid out of the seat, rising to her full height. "I know nothing is going to happen, but I can't risk having you slip up. Not only would you tail be fried, but so would mine."

...Damn it, she's right. Despite her 'eagerness', and her love of the ZPD, Sharpe was right. One slip up, one mistake and she or Nick could be hurt...Or worse, a civilian could be killed. And that was a risk Judy wasn't willing to take.

"I… I understand," Judy mumbled. "It wouldn't be fair to Nick or you."

"I'm glad you understand." A smile spread across Sharpe's face. "It makes my job a hell of a lot easier."

Judy smiled weakly back while mentally cursing at herself. "So what would I do instead?"

"How does being sent home early sound?" Sharpe replied after a moment of thought.

Judy's ears perked up. "Sent home? Doesn't Bogo-"

"Don't worry about Bogo. He may be a hard case, but he gets issues like this."

There was truth to her statement. Bogo, despite being the epitome of a 'hard case', was surprisingly caring towards his officers. The last thing Bogo wanted to do was lose an officer due to his own stubbornness.

It was a case of tough love to the extreme.

"Or…?"

"Or I can stick you on paperwork duty for ten hours." Sharpe chuckled at Judy's dismayed reaction. "And I don't think you'll like that."

Judy felt her life flash before her eyes. Ten hours of unfiltered bureaucracy. Not even Nick could help her with that.

The mention of her partner's name started another thought. What would happen to Nick? There's no way Bogo would send him home, which meant he would be stuck here alone.

But the allure of sleep and a much-needed break sounded amazing. And besides, a day without Nick would make the weekend even more memorable.

However, she still needed to make sure.

"What'll happen to Nick?"

"That… I don't know," Sharpe said, her long tail curling around a chair. "Up to Bogo."

Paperwork or sleep….

Oh stop fighting it Judy, her mind snarkily responded back. Just go the heck home. You just put fresh covers on the bed, remember?

I did. Welp, Nick's gonna have to entertain himself.

"I think I'll choose the break," she said. "I need it." She chugged the rest of her coffee to emphasize her point.

"I get it. I'll go talk to Bogo and radio Sly to stop wasting gas," Sharpe replied as she opened up the door. "Grab another cup of coffee, you need it."

"Sharpe… Just, thanks for everything."

"No problem Short Stuff," Sharpe replied with a grin. She turned and waved at the bunny as the leopard began to walk down the hallway. "Ciao."

As Sharpe's form disappeared around a corner, Judy was left alone once again. However, she felt like a completely different bunny than the depressed, exhausted one which had entered the bullpen this morning.

She felt alive.

Maybe it was the caffeine, or maybe it was the conversation, but there was a hop to her step as she bounded towards the garage.

After all, she had a movie night to plan.

Authors Note- Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I have a bit of an announcement, the next chapter will (hopefully) be the last chapter in Act 1 of Masks. I hope you guys have enjoyed the story, and I can't wait to tell you more! Cya soon!
P.S-Yes I did change my username.