Chapter 10: An Early Winter
Life is like a locked box. What's in store is always a mystery. It fills us with intrigue, excitement, fear. Some say the mysterious contents inside the box is the very meaning of life, but everyone's box is different, and the only problem is that nobody ever has the key. We have to find it. We have to find our meaning in life. Some never find it, while others discover it with ease. Yet, even if we find our keys, we are incapable of opening the box. Because nobody knows for certain what it means to be alive. But then again, that's what makes life worth living.
This was Nick Wilde's life. A sly con-artist turned to a still sly police officer. His best friend and love of his life, and now his three little bundles of joy. This was his box, and this was his life. A life worth living.
The morning sun cascaded across the bedroom floor through the thin curtains. The air smelled crisp and fresh of dew drops on fresh cut grass. Everything finally seemed to be at peace for the drowsy for the fox. The babies weren't even much of a hassle that night. After all the sleep had gotten, especially after the massive fiasco of the previous night, he was cheerful.
The fox's eyes flickered open, expecting to be blinded by the piercing sunlight, or perhaps to be bombarded with the cries of one of his babies. Instead, they were met with a pair of sky blue eyes looking right back at him. "Wow, your eyes really are very green." The animal said.
Nick screamed as he jolted awake. The fox fell off the bed and hit the floor with a loud thud, pulling the sheets with him. Judy awoke with a startle and looked over the edge at her husband before looking at the animal in her rocking chair. It was a vixen. Beige fur, dressed in a nice blouse and skirt, and very pale blue eyes. "Who are you?" Judy asked.
At that moment, Jack sat up, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. With a stretch, the hare spoke. "What have we talked about scaring our unsuspecting coworkers, Winter?"
The fox shrugged. I'm sorry, but I didn't do it on purpose this time. You said to be here at seven-thirty sharp. Well, if you hadn't noticed, it's a quarter past eight. Must've been some party last night, huh Jack?"
Judy was dumbfounded with this fox's presence, as was Nick, who had now got himself untangled from the sheets. He rubbed the pain from his head. "Okay! So, I'm guessing you're Jack's partner then?" He asked in an annoyed tone. "And how did you get in? All the doors are locked."
"Ah yes!" She started as she hoisted herself out of the rocking chair, completely dodging Nick's second question. "I'm Special Agent Skye Winter, but you can call me Skye for now. My partner, Jackie here is the best agent in the ZIA, you know? He and I even got shot while working on our mission. Then we killed everyone and blew the building up! It was so awesome!"
Nick sat up with a groan. Clearly, she was on a bit more of the wild side of sanity. His ear perked at the sound of his babies crying. He sighed as he left the room to go to the nursery. Skye stood from the rocking chair and checked her phone. "Okay, we have a temporary base set up in Sahara Square. I'll send you both the coordinates."
Judy was confused. How would she send it to her? A ding came on her phone. She reached for the nightstand and grabbed her hone. In the notifications, she had a text message of an address. "How did you get my number?" She asked.
"It's my job. I'm the in control of gaining intel on animals. I'm also the best mechanic in Zootopia. Well, at least the best fox mechanic."
Judy turned her head to the door, to see Nick bring in Johanna, unable to get her to stop crying. Skye's ears perked over to her, and her eyes widened. "Aaaaaaaw." She said. Nick looked over at the fox. "Can I see her?"
Somehow, he trusted her just a little bit more than Jack. It could have been because she was a fox, or maybe it was because she was a girl. Either way, he walked over to her with his kit still crying in his arms. The fox shushed the baby a couple of times, and amazingly enough, Johanna stopped crying. She reached out and stroked her fur with a single finger.
Nick was impressed. Never did he himself get any of his babies to calm down that quickly. Judy shared in the same impression. The bunny scooted herself to the front of the bed. "Well, should we discuss what happens next over some coffee and tea?"
The four of them discussed the details of how they would find Honey over coffee, tea, and a nice breakfast. The morning was not long enjoyed, however. Soon enough, the Ottertons came, ready to pick up Peter. She and Nick gave their son their final kisses for now. Nick handed Emmitt a bag with a bunch of bags of frozen milk, a pacifier and stuffed animal, a raincoat and booties, diapers and wipes, clothes, more diapers, and more clothes. Judy carefully handed Mrs. Otterton her son. The otter cradled the little baby with the up-most care, as if it were a precious diamond or priceless vase. Nick held Judy tight as the Ottertons drove back to the Rainforest District.
The process repeated itself as Fru Fru came for Johanna. A female bear carefully held the little kit as another bear took the bag from Nick. This one had the same as Peter's only a winter coat instead of a raincoat. Off they went to Tundratown.
The cycle happened one last time as Clawhauser came by. He would drop Alex off with Bonnie and Stu. He took the bag, and the little baby, and off he went to BunnyBurrow.
By the time it was finally over, Judy's eyes were bloodshot, accentuating her purple pupils which were filled with despair as were Nick's. Her eyebrows drooped, and she simply looked back down as she shakily breathed. She held back tears as she watched her babies be taken away.
The three of them walked back into the house. Skye walked out to the black car she must have driven there in. She popped the trunk and pulled out a large metal chest. It was clearly heavy. Nick noticed. He sighed and took his paw off his wife's shoulder to help Skye with the case. He grabbed a handle as did she. The vixen thanked Nick as they brought the chest in the house.
"What's in here?" Nick asked.
"The fun part." She winked.
Judy rubbed her head as she laid against the island counter top in the kitchen. Skye and Nick came in, and placed the chest on the dining table with a thud. Skye unlocked the chest and pushed it open. Inside were an assortment of guns, rifles, and knives, as well as grenades and smoke bombs and other explosives.
Judy gestured towards the display. "What is all this?"
"Protection." Jack simply said.
"W-wait a second. We're not missionaries. We don't need this much firepower. We don't use real guns."
"Well, you two are going to have to get used to it. This isn't police matters anymore. You two are temporary special agents." Jack said as he grabbed a pistol, a silencer, and a clip. He slipped the clip in the bottom of the gun and cocked it back. He then spun the barrel onto the end of the pistol.
"I won't kill anyone." Judy said sternly. "We shouldn't have to kill them. There must be another way."
Jack sighed and put the gun down on the table. He turned to the two of them and said in a somewhat dark tone.
"These animals aren't simple hooligans or some mammals stealing things like you're used to. These animals torture, rape and kill for a living and hobby. And my job calls for there to be less of these kind of animals in the world. You can't just give these guys some time out and a slap on the paw, because then their friends will come for you instead. And if they found you arrested them. They'll bring twice the mammal and three times the firepower. So who do you want dead? Them or you?"
Judy had no way to argue her story. So she went to the chest and pulled out a pistol with a shaky paw, along with a couple of clips. Nick did the same, but he kept his police equipment with him too. That included his ZASP, pepper spray, and tranquilizer gun. Judy did too. The four of them put on their bulletproof vests. The two officers kept their badges on their belts. Skye had assembled a machine gun and practiced looking through the scope. Judy did one last thing. She took off her wedding ring, leaving the wedding band on. She looked at the engraved text inside, just on the other side of the diamonds. 'Yes, yes I do.' She thought back to that day briefly, then put the ring in the silverware drawer.
With all four of them ready, Nick and Skye picked up the chest again, now being significantly lighter, and brought it back to the car. Judy was the last to walk out. She shut the door behind her, and locked the door. She put the keys in her pocket and walked with Jack to the black car. Skye tossed Jack the key, which he caught with one paw.
"Now, don't you have too much fun without me." Skye said as she winked at her partner. Jack just nodded with a stoic face. Judy crawled into the driver seat and scooted over to the passenger side. With her left paw being cuffed to his right, she wouldn't be driving in the meantime.
"We'll meet you there." Judy said to Nick.
"Okay Carrots." He replied. The two of them waved each other goodbye as he drove off.
Nick went to the Furd Fusion and pulled on the door. It was locked. He tugged a few more times a bit more forcefully to make sure, and it ended with the same result. The door did not budge. He tried the front door but found it to be locked as well. He groaned in realization. Judy must have taken the keys with her. He pulled out his phone and tried to call his wife, but she didn't answer, and it went to voicemail. Judy had left her phone on the kitchen counter.
He could not believe this. The fox paced around in circles trying to think of a solution. "What's up?" Skye asked.
"Carrots has the keys to the Fusion."
"Well why don't we just take your other car? You have the keys to this one, right?" She suggested.
"Yeah, but that car's not working. It gave out yesterday." Nick said in a ticked of tone.
"Pfft!" Skye sounded with a wave of her paw. "It's nothing that this fox can't fix. Come on and pop the hood! Let's see what makes this baby tick!" She said in a happy tone. She hummed happily and her tail swayed as she walked to the stationwagon. Nick wiped his face in angry defeat. He slowly slumped over to the car while he thought to himself. 'This is gonna be a long mission.'
