At last, after riding through the starry atmosphere, the Time Traveler landed back on the date that the foxes had set: June 30, 2017. The automobile came out of the portal and landed on the street, slowing to a stop downtown in a free parking lot. Finnick got out of the car first, followed by Nick. The tall red fox extended his paw out to help Judy out. The rabbit frowned at him and stepped out the vehicle herself, passing the red fox. Even though the bunny found out the truth, she was still cross with him. Why didn't he tell her earlier?
Nick had looked crushed when she refused his paw. He figured her reaction would not be good, but he didn't count on her being a little angry. His small friend broke the awkward silence.
"So uh... let's find the fuzz," Finnick coughed, awkwardly. The sooner they finish this mission, the sooner this silence would end. The rabbit directed them toward the ZPD station.
"So…," Nick began, while crossing the street. "After we reached the station, who do we talk to?" They began walking the steps of the ZPD station.
"I don't know the right mammal to go to," Judy admitted. "But I happen to know Officer Fangmeyer."
"How did you know her?"
"She and her husband, Wolford, have a daughter who goes to my daycare. They also came over to the daycare center to do a presentation of safety for kits." They went inside the station and were greeted by Officer Delagato, a lion cop, who worked behind the desk.
"Hello, may I help you?"
"I'm Judy Hopps and this is-"
Her mouth was clamped shut by a nervous Nick. "I'm Nick Piberious and this is my baby kangaroo, Finnick!" He quickly said with a sheepish smile. ("I'm not a baby kangaroo!" Finnick grumbled, crossing his arms).
The rabbit narrowed her eyes at her boyfriend. "Nick!" she hissed.
"I don't want the police to know my full name!" he hissed.
"Why?" Judy asked. Nick looked between her and a confused Officer Delegato.
"Let's say the cops and I have a dysfunctional friendship."
"Okay…," The rabbit said, skeptically. She would ask Nick questions later. Right now they need to find her officer friends. "Are Officers Fangmeyer and Wolford here? We need to ask them about a personal matter."
The bunny and the foxes were asked to sit on a bench in the waiting room. Finnick was sitting on another bench across from them, looking at a magazine that had…pictures of vixen models striking suggestive poses. ("I need to get him real magazines," Nick muttered to himself).
While Delagato was calling for Fangmeyer and Wolford, Judy believed that now it's the time to talk with Nick. "What do you mean that you and the police have a dysfunctional relationship?"
Nick swallowed and chose his words carefully. He wanted to be truthful and tactful. "I… I," he sighed and started over. "I may have made a few sales mammal jobs just to help me and Finnick survive."
"What's wrong with that? You weren't selling drugs, were you?" Judy gasped.
"No!" Nick said abruptly. "Of course not!"
"Then what were you selling that the police didn't approve?"
"It's not just what I was selling, it was how I was selling," Nick clarified. He began telling her the times that he had hustled mammals in the past. "Those pawpsicles I sold a couple of times? They were made from a Jumbo Pop bought from an Elephant cafe. I melted them in the sun, froze them into the shape of footprints (made by Finnick), and then sold them. And that special golden pinecone necklace? Garage sale."
"Then why did you say you were unemployed?" Judy hissed, crossing her arms.
"I didn't want you to think badly of me," Nick said softly. Judy's hard features softened.
"Why would I? I wouldn't care if you were a hustler or not. (Although I am not happy at how you conned mammals). I'd wish you told me that you were a hustler right away!'"
"I wanted a brand new start. I had broken off with Kathleen, couldn't find new friends or new dates. So I wanted to start anew with someone who would give me a chance and see me more than just a fox." He paused for a while before resuming his speech. "I never meant to hurt you and I really care about you. When I saved you at the party, I only was thinking of doing the right thing - anybody else would have done it too - I had no idea that my actions would bring consequences-drastic consequences. I'm sorry that I brought you into this mess. I just hope we can stop this bad event from happening." He turned his head away.
The rabbit touched his paw and gave it a squeeze. She was content to have him look at her again.
"It's all right," she said softly. "We'll get through this."
"Yeah, we will," Nick smiled. The rabbit smiled back. A moment passed between them before a voice interrupted them.
"Judy!?"
Standing at the doorway of the waiting room were tigress cop and a wolf cop.
"Fangmeyer and Wolford!" Judy beamed. She and the two officers gathered around in a big group hug. Nick knew that they were close. But he also could tell that the two officers had acted like they hadn't seen Judy in such a long time. He wondered if this had something to do with taking her out of her original timeline and into this alternate universe.
"Where were you?" Fangmeyer asked. "We missed you!"
"We haven't seen you for two years!" her husband added.
"Two years?" Judy thought, feeling her heart stopped. "Um-I…," she stuttered. What was she supposed to say?
Nick cleared his throat. "Judy Hopps was on a sabbatical leave. She had to take extra courses on Early Childhood Education so she could move up from an assistant teacher to a head teacher. Isn't that right, Judy?" He smiled and gave her a wink.
The bunny was surprised at how he could still make her heart flutter. She winked back the fox and turned to her friends. "Yes, I was on a sabbatical leave but now I am back! This is Nick Wilde and his friend, Finnick." Her muzzle showed disgust at seeing the small animal who was still reading his sexy magazines). "Anyway, we have a problems and I am not sure where to start."
"We got plenty of time," The tigress smiles patiently. "Step into our office."
In Fangmeyer and Wolford's personal office, Judy and Nick briefed them on what took place at the party (Without mentioning anything to do with time traveling).
"Do you know the name of the coyote that tried to kill you?" Officer Fangmeyer asked.
"Jerry Burnall," Judy answered.
"Wait a minute!" Nick spoke up. "Jerry Burnall!? No, it's Jeff Durnall!"
"Yeah, that's what I thought, too!" Finnick piped up, looking up from his magazine.
"No, it's name is Jerry Burnall," Judy corrected Nick. "Why do you think it was Jeff Durnall?"
"Because I-"
"Okay, okay, you two lovers," Wolford calmed them down. "We happen to have two coyotes that have similar names to each other." He and Fangmeyer pulled up a folder from their cabinet. They opened the folder which showed picture profiles of the criminals that are currently in jail. "We'll let you look at two profiles of them. Then you can tell us which one was your killer." The canine showed them two pictures of two coyotes. One had blue eyes with dirty blonde fur and the other one brown eyes and light yellow fur.
"That's him!" Judy and Nick both pointed their fingers at the picture of the one with brown eyes and light yellow fur. They both turned red, and looked away from each other.
"Okay so that one is Jerry Burrell," Wolford confirmed.
"What is his sentence?" Nick asked.
"He is meant to serve 20 years in prison on parole," Wolford answered.
"And what about this other fellow?" Judy said, pointing to the other coyote.
"Oh that is Jeff Durnall," Fangmeyer replied. "He was in jail for some time just because he forgot to pay his parking tickets. But lucky for Jeff, he is to be released today."
Nick and Judy shared each other a smile. Things seemed to be progressing well. But one question still remains. If the police knew what they were doing, how did the mix up happened (or would happen)?
In a prison cell, there were prisoners who were waiting to get out or wishing that they would go home. "I can't believe I am in jail!" An angry voice growled.
"Me too!" A dumb voice added. "I was not supposed to be in here!"
"I don't belong in here!" The vixen shouted.
"I don't belong in here either!" A sheep prisoner cried.
"I belong in here!" A cow prisoner shouted.
"Quiet, mammals!" A pig cop shouted. "This is prison, not a concert!"
Jerry plopped down on his bed against the wall. He tapped his fingers in a rhythmic beat. He cursed the police for throwing him in jail. He was drunk-how was supposed to know that he would assault that little bunny? Not to mention that he is stuck in here for a very long time!
"I want to get out of here!" Jerry barked. "I have been seeing this prison for two years, I am going to go crazy!"
"I have a solution," a feminine voice said to him. Jerry friend to the left of his cell and saw a black finger featuring to him to come closer. It was hard to see her features because the room was still dark. There was barely any light. So he did.
"What is it?" The canine whispered, so the cop pig won't hear.
"Why don't you escape?" The feminine voice whispered back.
"Um, wouldn't the police notice?"
"See that coyote over there?" The voice asked, pointing her finger at her target. There was another coyote on the other side of his cell. "He is being released today. So let him take your place while you go out and be free!"
"But how do I do that?" Jerry asked.
"Just knock him and that cop out and you will be free! Oh by the way, once you are set free, do me a favor."
"Anything."
"Find a fox named Nick Wilde. He is a red fox with green eyes, dressed up in a green Pawaiian shirt and khaki pants. Once you do, eliminate his life."
"Why?"
"Because he ruined me! He hustled me into going to jail! Do you understand?"
"I am not sure about this," Jerry thought. "I don't want to go to jail again-,"
He was interrupted by a pair of lips that silenced him. The kiss felt so good to the coyote that he couldn't resist.
"All right," he finally said. "I'll do it!"
"Excellent," the voice smirked her teeth in the darkness.
"Hey are you guys talking?" The cop pig asked as he came over to Jerry. "Just what were you-" he was suddenly punched in the nose by a canine fist and fell on his back, knocked out. That was one hard punch. Taking the keys from the cop pig, Jerry unlocked his door and came to his cell mate's next door…
"Are you sure you want to see him?" Officer Wolford asked. He, Fangmeyer, Judy, and the two vulpines were walking in the hallway.
"Yes it is important," Nick replied, firmly. "We want to make sure that he is still here so he won't go around and killing innocent mammals."
"And I want to ask him what was he thinking when he tried to attack me," Judy added.
The gang reached a room where all the prisoners were kept. Wolford took out the keys and unlocked the door. When he opened the door, he was in a state of shock.
"Wolford, What is it?" Fangmeyer asked. She gasped when her eyes laid on what her husband saw.
One of the cells was opened and a cop pig was lying on the floor unconscious!
"What in the name of Aslan happened?" Fangmeyer exclaimed.
Nick, Judy, and Finnick stared at each other, terrified. They knew what happened. The real criminal escaped! They dashed off to find Jerry and stop him before it was too late!