Edited by: Jeinu, LotharHex, Hunter715, Erinnyes and DrummerMax64
Thanks to my editors for the invaluable feedback to make this chapter more meaningful and to find pesky typoeos 3
This current chapter got to be really long and I needed to split it up. For those of you who have already seen the illustration I commissioned for the reveal; I'm afraid that it won't occur this chapter :(. But that chapter should be ready in about 2 weeks!
Had a bit of a writer's block for a while, but I'm back again, hope I didn't keep you waiting too long DX
Monday, August 27th, 20X8
Morning
Nick awoke, immediately feeling something was amiss. He felt around in the bed, something should be there, but what it was he couldn't remember. He slowly opened his eyes, the stray rays of sunlight making him blink. The early morning light barely illuminated the room. Normally, he kept his thick drapes closed to prevent this light, but someone had opened them slightly.
He scooted to the edge of the bed to reach for his pants, spotting the culprit.
Judy was on the floor, stretched out as if to do a pushup, but she wasn't moving, just straining to keep her position while propped up on her elbows. She smiled up at him as she noticed him give a toothy yawn.
"What's up, bunny butt?" He said in a flirty voice, leaning his cheek on a paw as he laid at the edge of the bed, half-naked underneath a white silk sheet.
"Morning, Nicky." She said, straining, "just doing my morning workout, it's been awhile since I've been able to do it."
"Oh? And what exercise is that?" He asked. He admittedly didn't know much about strength training, and that was definitely one he hadn't seen before.
"I'm planking."
" Planking ? What's that?"
"It's what I'm doing right now."
"I know that, but you're not moving."
"Yep, that's what a plank is!" She grumbled, then said under her breath, "Can we continue this after I finish?"
"What does it work out?" He grinned, knowing full well that he was being a pest.
She made a sound of exertion, "Lots of stuff, but mainly the back and the abs." She started to wobble, struggling to keep her position.
"Hmm, I think you definitely have enough abs." He glanced over her body. Quite the catch he had claimed for himself. He frowned slightly as he noticed she had put on some panties since getting out of bed, considering she had slept next to him in only her tank top.
Judy held her position a bit longer before she gave in to the muscle strain and flumped to the floor. "Oh, yeah, feel that burn." She managed, before slowly getting to her feet and coming back over to the bed. "Enjoy the show?"
"What, is that it?" Nick said, pouting, "Thought I'd at least get to see you do some sit-ups."
"You're awake now, so I figure I'd cut it short." Judy waved a paw gesturing for him to move over. She lifted up the sheet and climbed back into bed with him. "Besides, I've probably been doing squats for about fifteen minutes now, my thighs are burning. It's fox time."
"Aha, I figured you'd be clingy after last night." Nick said knowingly. He pulled her in closer, letting the sheet fall back on them together.
He lay on his back while Judy cuddled up to his side. The feeling of him being so close was still something new to her, and she relished the sensation. The fluffy orange and cream fur intertwining with her own short fur, tickling her skin.
"You haven't seen how clingy a rabbit can be yet."
"Hmm, maybe I'm ready to find out."
"I don't think you are," Judy said, the tease in her voice was apparent as she buried her face into the side of Nick's chest. "Be careful what you wish for. I can't be held responsible for what happens to you when I reach maximum affection ." Her voice was muffled, but Nick let out a laugh.
With a paw, Nick gently felt the fur of Judy's backswept ears, which were flopped lazily onto the bed. She gripped him tightly, as if she was worried that he would float away if she did not. As she clung to him, Nick couldn't help feeling a warmth spreading through his chest, with the origin being the spot where Judy's head rested on his side. "Whatever happens, I'm not going anywhere. I'm yours. So bring it on, puff puff."
"You're such a sap, Nick." She lifted up her head to give him a smile, one which Nick slowly returned. "When do we leave for Nova Ferocia?"
Nick licked the front of a canine tooth, "She texted me last night after you dropped me off. We've got about an hour or so before we need to meet her at the airport."
"Are we taking anyone else? Do you have a 'crew'?"
"Just Finnick," he explained, trying to think if he was missing anything. "I already called him after I got the text from Hood." He sighed, his expression faltered to a more remorseful one. "Carrots, I really didn't mean for you to get dragged into this, I—"
"Shh," she put a finger up to his muzzle. "I made the decision to go with you. We're partners, remember?" She again showed him the smile that warmed him, an affectionate look in her eyes swept away the doubt.
"Your smile…" Nick said dreamily, bringing up his other paw and using the back of a finger to feel the fur of her cheek.
"Yep, here comes the sap." Judy rolled her eyes, while still showing an affectionate smile.
"I figured you'd be a lot more reserved than you were last night." He said with his usual teasing cadence. "But you took right to what I was offering."
"Well, I guess I surprised both of us last night." She stood her ears up, knowing full well that Nick could see the color they were turning. "I mean, after all of your surprises, the theme park, the… 'blimp', the monster in your basement…"
Nick reached up to feel her tall rabbit ear with a padded thumb, it was warm, and getting warmer. The skin on the inside of her ear was red and turning redder.
Judy's smile could warm him up in the coldest of nights. Which would be useful in the bitterly cold tundra of the Northern Federation, provided they get lost in a blizzard somehow. His own smile faded somewhat as the memory of the task that was set before them returned to him. But he shook it from his mind. Because right now, he would lay here with Judy.
Just for a moment longer.
Nick's phone rang. If there was one sound he was beginning to detest, it was his ringtone. He groaned and let it go for a while before disturbing his comfortable position and went to grab it from his night stand.
"Who is it?" Judy asked.
Nick looked at the caller— ZOOTOPIA POLICE DEPT . He showed it to Judy, who promptly crossed her fingers and gave him a conflicted, yet encouraging, look.
"Here I go, perfect time for this to happen, right?" he gulped, preparing himself to put on his best professional voice. He cleared his throat before he answered, announcing proudly into the phone, "You've reached Nick Wilde."
"Ah, Wilde," came a gruff yet polite tone, "Did I wake you?"
"Nope," Nick answered truthfully. He recognized the accented voice, "I'm always an early riser, Chief."
"Good, good." Bogo said, "Wilde, I know this is short notice, but would you mind coming in for your interview today?"
"Oh, t-today?" He cleared his throat again, "I… could clear up my morning for that, yes." He lied, giving Judy a worried look. "Should I come in now?"
Great, he thought, If I can get this interview done as soon as possible, I can still meet with Hood on time.
"How about in the next hour?" Bogo offered in a tone that conveyed it wasn't really a question, "Does that work for you?"
Nick closed his eyes, "Uh, yeah. Yep, yes. That works sir." Was it panic that drove Nick's hasty agreement? Perhaps. But Nick was always one to think on his feet. Surely he'd be able to get Hood to wait for him while he had his interview to become a fully respectable police officer of Zootopia. She'd understand.
"Splendid," Bogo said back in a soft tone. "Better to get this out of the way as soon as possible; there's something I'd like to discuss regarding the background check we ran."
Nick's heart sank, they ran a background check? Of course. Why wouldn't they run a background check?
"R-right, you got it. I'll see you soon, then."
"Don't be late." Bogo said briskly, "Speak to Higgins at the front desk, he'll take you up to my office. I'll be doing the interview personally." The call disconnected.
Nick pulled the phone away from his cheek and stared at the phone.
"Background check, huh?" Judy asked.
Nick nodded, "Yep."
"Do you think he found something?"
He thought for a moment. Nick was a very careful mammal, almost painfully so. While he was confident that his record was clean, he still had to wonder why Bogo had brought it up.
"I don't know," he answered, "I doubt there's anything on my record worth mentioning."
"Oh, Nick…" Judy said, obvious worry in her voice. "And what do we do about meeting with 'Hood', or whatever her name is."
"Hey, hey, don't sweat it. I'm pretty sure it's nothing. Also yes, it's Hood, I can handle her."
"Nick, I looked up your background when we first met…"
"Right, I remember." He said, not sure what she was getting at.
"I wonder…"
"Hmm? Wonder what?"
"Eh, like you said, it's probably nothing." She said, scooting out of bed and starting to gather her clothes. "I hope so, anyway."
Nick followed in kind, heading for his closet to find clothes suitable for an interview. He grinned as he eyed a certain garment, "Trust me, puff. I'll nail this interview."
"You have an employment interview… with the chief of police?! "
"Yep, you see, I'm trying to change careers; Law Enforcement." Nick said, trying to steer the conversation. "The outlook for that field is looking pretty good over the next few years. You see, I've got a friend that works in economic analysis, so—"
"Unbelievable…" Hood said over the phone, her voice expressing an exasperated incredulity. It was all too amusing to Nick, but he pressed on in the most professional voice he could muster.
"I know! Who'd've thought he would want to interview me at such an inopportune time." He let out a false laugh, "Anyway, can you hold the private jet until after the interview?"
There was a silence on the line, and Nick tapped his fingers on the inside of the car door nervously. He looked over to Judy, who was trying to concentrate on the road but had her left ear aimed towards him and the phone.
"Mr. Wilde, I…" Hood was at a loss. Maybe she couldn't tell if he was lying, or maybe she honestly didn't know what to make of it. " Fine , darling." She said at last, her sickeningly sweet cadence replacing her previous tone. "The airship is already prepped, but we will wait for your… 'interview'. Call me when you're done with that, would you?"
"Yep, you bet—" but before Nick could spin the conversation further into his control, she had hung up the phone, leaving a trailing chime followed by silence in his ear. He held the phone apart from his face, checking to make sure that she had, in fact, hung up on him. She had.
"That takes care of that, then?" Judy asked, giving him a side grin.
"Mmhmm," He said, pocketing his phone. His fiendish grin had soured a bit on that ending, but he had more pressing concerns. "On to the next obstacle: my mysterious background."
Admittedly, Nick had never seen his own background report. And again, he was sure that after years of painfully careful planning, and a few data 'corrections' here and there during his more active days, that he would have a spotless record. But one thing still worried him: while his 'official' record was clear, his conscience was not.
While he was honest in that he had never hurt or caused harm physically to another mammal, he had made mistakes, made wrong decisions. After all, nobody's perfect, and Nicholas Wilde was no exception.
20 minutes before the interview
"You ready, Nick?" Judy asked, skeptical. She eyed her fox boyfriend up and down as she stopped at a red light. He was dressed in a blue button-up shirt, although the leaf pattern that was prevalent on his signature green shirt was still present, albeit in a less noticeable darker tone. His tie was purple and had an almost corduroy texture. He wore his usual tan khakis. Judy had doubts as to whether this ensemble was considered good interview attire, let alone good fashion, but now wasn't the time to start second guessing Nick.
"Hmm?" Nick came back from his daze, the car pulled forward and continued on. "Absolutely, puff. As ready as I'll ever be, c—" He coughed roughly, not realizing that he had allowed a pool of spit to collect toward the back of his throat, and he nearly inhaled it. "Carrots." He said after a moment clearing his throat.
Judy had rarely seen Nick nervous. Save for the time they were captured by Mr. Big's polar bears to answer for their crime of trespassing on his property. He normally didn't show that he was nervous, always displaying that annoying grin of his, as if the fox had no cares in the world. This time, the smile was there, but his body language told a different story. Judy still had much to learn about Nicholas Wilde, but she could at least tell this much.
Judy herself was dressed in a simple outfit, a purple long-sleeved shirt and a pair of black jeans. In the trunk of the car were more clothes and their luggage for the trip they would be taking.
"You're sure?" Judy asked again, "I know you said you've never had an interview before—"
"I've been interviewed before, just… not for a job ." Nick added quickly.
"Right, so we can always do a mock interview for practice. That helped me when I went in for my interview."
Nick gave her a sincere yet nervous smile, "How did your interview go anyway? Did you have to drive down to Zootopia?"
"Well, it was a little over a year ago." She explained. "The Bunnyburrow community college has an annual job fair, so during my final year some recruiters came to the school."
"Community college?" Nick asked, surprised, "So, you have a degree? Or did you just go vocationally?"
"Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice," she said proudly. "Don't worry, it's not necessary to get one to become a police officer."
Nick tilted an eyebrow at this discovery, "Oh? Why'd you go through the extra effort to get it then?"
"If I was going to be the first bunny police officer," Judy explained, "Then I was going to learn everything I could to give me an advantage. I was going to be the best rabbit officer I could be."
Judy turned the corner onto the main street roundabout, a trolley whizzed by as the police precinct came into view. Nick could feel his pulse quicken, this was it, time for another world first: a fox, going in for an interview to become part of the police force.
Judy pulled up on the side of the street in front of the precinct, parking in a visitor's spot. Today, she would be just that: a visitor, emotional support for her boyfriend who would hopefully follow in her footsteps. Nick looked at his lap, opening and closing his paws, his claws gliding over his pants.
"It's strange." Judy said, "…Seeing you nervous."
Nick let out an amused huff, " Nervous? Me? Madam, I'm as cool as can be."
Judy returned the huff, skeptical, "Nick, I can tell when you're lying."
"Hmm, well I'm glad one of us can." He relented, allowing part of his facade to drop.
"The first time I saw you nervous… really nervous, was when you thought our lives were at stake." She unbuckled herself from her seat and leaned forward to place a paw on his knee.
"And they were ," he added, nodding thoughtfully. "Mr. Big is a dangerous shrew."
"Yes, but this time, it's just over a job interview." Judy said, gripping his knee a few times before starting to rub his khakis comfortingly. "It'll be fine, Nick."
Nick put his paw on Judy's smaller one, taking a moment to think, "Yeah." He smiled reassuringly, "After I nail this interview, we'll be partners."
"Cops or not, we're already partners." Judy corrected, putting her other paw on Nick's. He overturned it to take her paw into his. "Let's show the chief that this fox is more than ready to be an officer."
"Is there a bathroom around here?" Nick asked, "I think I'm going to throw up."
The two sat in a small set of chairs in the foyer of the police precinct, mere feet from a door that read: "CHIEF BOGO" in large yellow letters. As if to convey caution. Or perhaps the letters were golden, the lighting from where Nick was sitting made it difficult to tell.
He always did have a habit of focusing on the irrelevant when he was nervous.
"Nick, you are going to be fine," Judy coached, "I'm more worried about this Ferocia job over your interview, honestly." She squeezed the fox paw that she held with both of hers on her lap. "Let's focus on coming back alive from that . This interview isn't going to kill us, at least."
"Carrots, I'm gonna have to disagree with you on that one. I've never been killed or have gotten any of my team killed on a job," he said, in a half-joking tone, "and I don't plan on breaking that streak. This interview on the other hand…"
Judy found this to be a source of comfort, albeit an odd one. She still had no idea what would be asked of them, but at least Nick sounded confident about it.
Walking through the police precinct felt strange for Judy. It seemed so long ago that she was here last, though it had only been two days prior to hand in Nick's application to Higgins. When she left after handing in her badge, it was so clear that she may never come back. Now here she was, a police officer once again, and sitting next to her anxious boyfriend, hoping that he could become one as well. So much had changed over the past week.
Clawhauser was still not at the front desk; his replacement, Officer Higgins was still there. Judy made a mental note to discuss this with Bogo after Nick's interview.
While in the precinct, the two had agreed to hide their little signs of affection. Holding hands, walking too close to each other, the like. While they weren't ashamed to be seen together in that light, there were definitely stipulations against dating your partner in the police force. Or fraternization, to be more precise. This resulted in the two acting rather awkward toward each other.
The two pondered on their affectionate behavior in public up to this point. In retrospect, it wouldn't do them any favors. It was perhaps a good thing that Clawhauser was not at his usual post, a fact that Judy felt guilty being grateful for. The boisterous cat would no doubt declare his approval for such a relationship, destroying any chances the couple had at remaining incognito.
Still, they had made their way up to Bogo's office, passing the occasional officer with nary a knowing look. Did this mean that none of the other officers knew of the romantic turn in their relationship? Hardly. There seemed to at least be a silent understanding that, since Nick was seeking employment, they would at least silently agree to hold off on their visible acknowledgment of the subject. Or perhaps Judy was over-analyzing every slight glance and gesture. Despite this, Judy could not resist taking Nick's paw to her lap, squeezing it comfortingly. After all, no one was around to see them at the moment; they would just act casual if a stray passerby suddenly turned a corner. That plan always worked.
They still played a dangerous game: was it possible that, despite their public behavior, and the infamous speed at which word traveled, that Bogo himself was unaware of their relationship? No, it was not possible. Bogo knew and would definitely be making this subject a part of the interview. At least to Nick's knowledge, Bogo seemed to sense the spark of romantic entanglement, despite Nick's best efforts to conceal it. At least, that's what Nick could gather from their conversation after arresting Bellwether just five days prior.
The pair continued to sit in silence, pondering what had transpired to lead them to this moment. And while, surprisingly, this was not the most pertinent moment they were anticipating to face, it was an important one. It was to come almost directly after this obstacle, that they would find themselves, again, facing the unknown.
"Any idea what Hood is going to have us do?" Judy asked, "I know I asked that already but…"
Nick thought for a moment, what were the possibilities? If Nick was good at one thing...
"She wants us to pull a hustle," Nick said confidently, "If Mr. Big really told her what my skills were, or what I used to hustle… I don't doubt that my skills would be valuable to someone in her position."
Nick's words usually had some kind of hidden meaning to them, like he wasn't saying the full story. Judy knew this all too well and had to pick her questions carefully. "So… what did you hustle before?"
"Mr. Wilde?" The water buffalo called, having appeared from his now opened door. Nick quickly took his paw from Judy and got up from the chair. The chief was wearing a pair of glasses and was holding a green dossier.
"Good luck," Judy whispered as he walked by her.
"That'd be me, sir." He said, straightening his gaudy tie.
He motioned Nick in.
As Nick entered, he remembered to center himself mentally as the towering police chief walked by him over to his chair, briefly pointing to the seat that was taller than Nick at front of the desk.
"Have a seat, Wilde." He said gruffly before taking a seat himself.
Huh, looks exactly as I imagined a police chief's office would look like, Nick chuckled on the inside to calm himself down, full of pictures of himself with VIPs, certificates, a map with red yarn on it pointing out locations of interest.
Nick hopped up on the chair, rubbing his paws together as he sat down.
"Alright, then." The buffalo removed his glasses with one hoof and plopped the heavy dossier on the desk with the other, "Any questions before we get started?"
"Actually, I—"
"Excellent, let's start with the obvious," The large mammal interrupted, "You know what this is, Wilde?" He placed his glasses on the desk and then thumped his hoof a few times on the dossier.
"Ah, I take it you found my biography, then? Good bathtub reading?" Nick was 100% sure that was his background check. He was a very careful mammal —being a fox, you had to be— but why would the chief bring it up unless there was something questionable in it? It was time to find out.
The chief simply looked at him, and raised an eyebrow.
Nick cleared his throat. He thought he had done a good job of keeping his past a secret. "Well, sir, I… is it chief, then?"
"Bogo, Mr. Wilde." He said gruffly, "Please, call me Bogo. I'm not your chief yet." He said, unsettlingly polite, smiling slightly. "When and if you are hired, you may then call me Chief."
"Bogo, well, sir, I think you'll find I don't have any secrets, no criminal record, no history of any wrongdoing, a real Ranger Scout." Nick grinned slyly, he was confident of that at least. But why was the dossier so thick?
"Well, you are right about one thing," Bogo began, putting on his glasses and opening the dossier. "You have no history of any arrests, warrants, et cetera." He looked back to Nick, showing an odd toothy smile, "Not even a parking ticket. Absolutely spotless record."
Nick wasn't reassured by Bogo's tone.
"However," Bogo continued, returning his attention to the papers in the dossier, "there is one thing in your background check that we need to discuss before we begin." He pulled a single document from the dossier and looked over it carefully. "Around four years ago, you were named a mammal-of-interest by the Zootopia Department of Home Territory Security."
Nick's heart dropped, there it is, I knew this would pop up someday… He struggled to hide this inner turmoil from the chief. There was another awkward pause, something the chief seemed well adept at producing.
"Fortunately for you, this alone is not an indication of any wrongdoing." Bogo finally relented. Nick allowed himself to relax, but kept himself on guard, skeptical at what Bogo was getting at, "However, the DHTS would not provide any details and the information kept on you is confidential. Legally, I cannot force you to provide this information, and I am assured that the case you were involved with has been closed. So I will merely take your word at face value— is there anything in this DHTS case that I should be concerned with?"
Bogo placed the sheet of paper he was looking at facedown on his desk, and crossed his hooves daintily over it, waiting for Nick's response. A small grin appeared on Bogo's face.
Does he know something he's not letting on? Nick paused as Bogo waited most patiently for his reply. Either way, that's all in the past, I don't live that life anymore…
"No, there's nothing in that case that will cause a problem, sir." Nick responded, sternly, almost aggressively.
The buffalo huffed, appearing to consider how to take Nick's response. He gave a lopsided smile, and nodded. Nick realized he was taking very shallow breaths, and consciously made his lungs fill fuller with slower breaths.
"Then, I just have one big question for you, Wilde." Bogo leaned forward, bringing his elbows onto his desk.
"And that would be?" Nick was getting nervous again, but nothing on his face would show that.
"There's no better judge for what you can amount to than yourself," Bogo began. "I can sit here asking a bunch of whacko questions about your strengths and weaknesses for hours, but I only need to know one thing in order to make my decision. This interview is merely a formality. You've already proven your own ability, and that you work extremely well with Officer Hopps."
There was a silence, Nick glanced around the room as Bogo stared at him. Was that the question? he thought to himself, do I say something?
"Nicholas Wilde, if I hire you, will you make a good officer?" Bogo asked sweetly while flashing an odd smile at him.
That's the question? Nick thought before he spoke.
"Yes, sir, I think I would make a great cop," Nick answered with his signature smug tone, grinning. He wasn't sure what the correct answer was. Maybe he should have shown humility, or pride, even hubris? He hoped confidence would win over this potential employer.
There was another pause as Bogo's slight smile slowly faded. Ohhh, wrong answer? Nick started to get tunnel vision as he and Bogo exchanged an uncomfortable gaze.
"Wilde, I didn't ask whether you thought you could be a great cop, I didn't even ask if you wanted to be a great cop."
Nick's smile faltered. His eyes flickered around to other objects in the room, he even began looking at the pattern in the carpet on the floor, as if he would find the proper answer there. He fidgeted in his seat and poked a claw into the knee of his khakis.
" Look at me , Wilde," Bogo snapped, and Nick complied, startled. "I am no stranger to the stereotypes cast upon your species. I admit I may not be the most accepting or inclusively minded mammal, and I would be a liar if I told you that I never brought your species into consideration when I agreed to interview you."
Another silence as Bogo visually sized up Nick, probably not knowing what to make of Nick's facial expressions.
"But… in my age," Bogo continued, relaxing his gaze slightly as he lowered his hooves to his desk. "I find that I am still learning. The world we live in is broken, always has been. Your real responsibility is to this broken world, not to me, not to your partner. You have a responsibility to do your job no matter what prejudices this world throws at you. Hopps is one of the first mammals to prove not only to me, but to the world, that she can be a good cop, regardless of any physical or assumed limitations." Bogo pointed a stern hoof at Nick, "You… are asking to be her partner. I know you know the broken world you and her will face, and all the dangers that comes with becoming an officer. The last thing I need on my force is another broken officer, or a mammal that became a cop for all the wrong reasons."
There was a beat between them before Nick chimed in, "Right, I completely agree with you sir, 100%."
" Do you?" Bogo said, laying both hooves flat on the desk and leaning forward for effect, "Wilde, I know that you and Hopps are close. Are you truly interested in becoming an officer ? Or are you just interested in becoming her partner ?"
Nick wasn't quite sure that he understood.
"If something were to happen," Bogo continued, taking the glasses off of his muzzle once again and setting them gently on his desk before re-clasping his hooves. "And Hopps was temporarily unable to be your partner, or perhaps Hopps gets promoted and I team you up with someone else, which is very likely considering her… tenacity, or maybe I just don't feel like giving you a partner and make you work solo— Are we going to have a problem with that?"
"Ah, well sir, I don't think that—"
" Think carefully, Wilde." Bogo warned politely.
"I…" Nick hesitated, his tunnel vision returning. What was it about this water buffalo that made him nervous so?
He had definitely been in situations worse than this. But that was just it. Nick realized something; he wasn't trying to hustle Bogo, nor was he trying to lie or otherwise misdirect him. Nick was asking Bogo to make him more than what he was. No longer did Nick desire to be a hustler, a con-mammal, a liar, nothing more than a sly, cunning, silver-tongued fox. No, Nick wanted to take his life into his own paws, to proudly proclaim that this 'broken world' no longer held quarter over what he could and couldn't be. This was his chance to make it happen.
"No, sir," he replied, and Bogo patiently waiting for him to continue, "whether I am working with Hopps, or someone else. I will do my duty and uphold the law."
Nick found this strange, never had he proclaimed such a thing so sincerely in his life. Rather, he had not proclaimed such a sincere oath since… it seemed a lifetime ago when he first stood in front of Pack 914 and recited his solemn oath. He had learned long ago that his place as a predator, as a fox, was not to be brave, not to be loyal, and most of all, not to be trustworthy. Was Nick ready to unlearn and even defy all that he had spent so long believing? Thanks to a special rabbit from the countryside, he was. Even if it meant not being by her side, he would be the very first fox police officer, and he would be the best fox police officer he could be.
"Good. Then I'll ask you again. Look me in the eye and tell me: if I hire you, will you make a good officer ?"
For the first time since he stepped into Bogo's office, Nick felt at ease. His past, tumultuous as it was, was behind him. His future, uncertain as it was, was in his control. This, he could answer in sincerity. This, he could promise.
"Yes… Yes, sir, I will make a good officer."
Noon
Zootopia Interterritorial Airdrome
"Mr. Wilde," The ermine stood with her paws behind her back, "If you expect our... professional relationship to continue any further, the least you could do is be on time. I trust that this will not be something you make a habit of."
Nick stood in the bustling terminal as mammals of all sizes rushed to their destinations. Judy stood next to him, and Finnick had yet to arrive. After dropping off their few articles of luggage at check-in, they met with an understandably impatient Mrs. Hood. Outside the terminal windows was a modestly sized private airplane.
Bogo's interview had continued on for a time and Nick was modestly late. And since the Zootopia Airdrome itself was a considerable distance away from Savanna Central towards the city limits, it had been some hours since he initially informed Hood of his interview.
Margaret was rather short, only coming up to Judy's chest. She stood dressed in her usual white suit accessorized with an expensive-looking golden watch on her wrist. Her expression was that of irritation. It was obvious that she did not like Nick in the slightest. She seemed undecided on Judy, though it wasn't favorable given her association.
"I beg your forgiveness, Ma'am." He said in the most sincere voice he could muster, "You are most kind for waiting for us. My interview went swimmingly, I might add."
Hood crossed her arms. She gave another look over at Judy, and the realization finally came to her.
"Hmm, Officer Judy Hopps?" She asked, confused.
"Yes, that's me." Judy confirmed. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Hood."
Hood looked from her to Nick, then back to Judy. "Yes, pleasure … you're quite well known in my territory."
"Ah, well I'm not surprised." She let out a short laugh, "It seems that—"
"I have questions." Hood interrupted, " A lot of them . But I'm afraid that time is not in our favor, please follow me." She turned, gesturing them to follow her into the walkway that led to her private jet.
"Uh, actually," Nick said, walking ahead of her, "I'm afraid this isn't everyone. I'm waiting for one more."
Hood groaned, "Oh, for the love of—"
"No need to wait," A deep voice spoke from behind. The group turned to find another short mammal spitting out a clean popsicle stick onto the carpeted floor. He walked up to Hood and nodded slightly. They were roughly the same height, Finnick being only slightly taller thanks to his ears. "Name's Finnick, we met already."
"Uh… yes." Hood tilted a brow at him. "I remember you… Finnick, was it? Odd name."
Finnick shrugged, "This your plane?" He walked around Nick toward the walkway, "Better have some drinks and a place to nap, ain't been sleepin' well lately." He didn't wait for a response and continued past her.
"Your friend, he's…" Hood hesitated as she watched the fennec fox disappear around the bend of the boarding bridge.
"Tired? Yes." Nick said, grinning. "Don't worry about him, he'll warm up to you after he gets some sleep. Shall we?" Nick walked over to Judy and picked up her carry-on duffel bag. With his other arm he took her by the paw and led her to follow Finnick. Judy simply gave an awkward smile to Hood as they walked by.
Hood lagged behind, an odd expression on her face as she watched the scoundrel and the police officer walk down the hallway, paw-in-paw.
In Zootopia, anyone could truly be anything.