Try as she might, she couldn't save everyone. And every time a failure left her feeling a little broken inside, he'd come along to pick up the pieces.
ooooo
JUNE
ooooo
Sometimes Judy felt as though her luck had dried up right after she graduated from the academy, the same day that Assistant Mayor Bellwether had died.
The soft-spoken ewe - who'd fallen victim to a run-of-the-mill traffic collision - had seemed like a kind, if slightly shy, mammal. However, the process of clearing out her office had uncovered evidence of a particularly vicious conspiracy – one that included the Missing Mammals case and had the devious little sheep right at its center. Judy hadn't taken part in the subsequent investigation, but when the ZPD arrested Mayor Lionheart in connection to the case, the papers said that he'd been keeping the afflicted mammals in captivity at Cliffside Asylum.
More than slightly concerned about how far the conspiracy might have reached, the city council had immediately suspended all of the major policies, programs and initiatives that Bellwether had worked on or even been vocally supportive of; naturally, this included the Mammal Inclusion Initiative.
Judy was already a member of the ZPD, and the suspension of the MII couldn't change that. The police officer's union had stepped in to ensure that she wouldn't be fired, but without the support of City Hall, Chief Bogo had wasted no time transferring her out of Precinct One and banishing her to a Community Policing office in East Savanna Central.
The Community Policing program had been the pet-project of one of Mayor Lionheart's predecessors, who had worked with the ZPD to develop a new approach to law enforcement. Dozens of small offices were established throughout the city with the intent of giving citizens a place where they felt comfortable interacting with their local officers. Unfortunately, the program wasn't very successful. Few officers volunteered to trade their patrol cruiser for a desk, and those that did were no less intimidating in an office than they were on the street.
As a result, most of the Community Policing offices sat empty, used only for storage and occasionally as a place for patrol officers to take their lunch break in peace.
When Judy had first arrived at the her new office, nestled snugly between a shoe store and a small grocer, every surface had been covered with an impressive layer of dust. Most of the space behind the counter had been taken up by boxes filled with out-of-date posters and pamphlets. To her extreme displeasure, she even discovered some pigeons roosting in the back room, making their way in and out through a broken window. Judy was no stranger to hard work, however, and after a week the office was looking quite presentable.
Even though she wasn't exactly living her dream of striving toward truth, justice and the Zootopian way, Judy tried to focus on the bright side. She got to act as liaison officer to local schools, give classroom presentations, and even patrol the neighborhood once in a while. The local mammals were polite, and she certainly didn't mind saying goodbye to the meter maid vest. Plus, the office was just a few minutes' walk from her apartment.
It wasn't all flowers and sunshine, though. She had her share of challenges, the most irritating being the mammal currently loitering in front of the community police office. Namely, a red-furred pain in her tail named...
"Nicholas Wilde."
"Officer Carrots! How nice to see you!" Standing between her and the CP office's front door, the fox chuckled at her attempted scowl. "Aw. Why so cranky this morning? Wake up on the wrong side of the burrow?"
"I'm really not in the mood today, Mr. Wilde."
"C'mon now. You'll never save the world with that kind of attitude." He smirked at the bunny as she walked around him. "Where's that glowing savior complex we all know and love?"
"Still asleep." She peered at him suspiciously. "Why are you here so early? Did you really get out of bed and beat me here just to annoy me?"
"It just so happens that I was already in the area doing entirely legal things." He leaned down to her height. "Annoying you is just a bonus."
Unlocking the office's front door, she muttered something unintelligible and took an angry bite out of her vegetarian breakfast wrap. She hoped that he would interpret that as the end of their conversation, but to her dismay the fox just followed her in and leaned casually against the front counter.
"Hey, I know a joke that'll cheer you right up. What do you call a three-humped camel?"
She'd met the fox her first day with the ZPD, and it had been quite possibly the most infuriating conversation of her life – at least up to that point. He'd belittled her, patronized her, brushed off her dreams as a joke, and ultimately lured her into a puddle of wet cement.
The next time she saw him, after she'd been reassigned to the CP office, he'd been selling those damned pawpsicles on a street corner in her neighborhood. She'd immediately resolved to dig up something on the fox that would at least scare him off. She thought she'd been on the right track with personal income tax evasion, but when she took a couple of days to verify her findings she discovered that the fox legitimately didn't have any personal income. All the revenue from the pawpsicle sales (as well as a few other shady-but-frustratingly-legal ventures) went to Reynard & Son LLC, a limited liability corporation that was co-owned by Nick and the temperamental fennec he worked with. All of their personal expenses were covered by the LLC, and its tax records were flawless.
More than anything else, it annoyed Judy to no end that the corporation's revenue was around the same amount as her own ZPD salary. If he was going to skirt the edges of the law, did he really have to make decent money doing it?
"You've told me that joke before. It won't be any funnier the second time around." She shook her head. "You must have better things you could be doing right now."
Shrugging, he began idly flipping through a pamphlet about teenage drug use. "Not really. Certainly nothing so entertaining."
"Really?" Throwing her small backpack into a chair, she spun to glare at the taller mammal. "Does getting on my nerves really entertain you that much?"
"Yup. Cheaper than a movie, too."
"You know, if you've got so much free time maybe you could try doing something constructive for once."
"I'll have you know that I'm providing a vital service."
"Pawpsicles aren't a vital service, Mr. Wilde."
He shrugged. "That depends on how hot it is outside."
"And you've never thought about doing something else? Something...I don't know...more?"
"Can't say as I have, Carrots. It's like I keep telling you..."
Sensing him preparing for an encore presentation of his 'You can only be what you are' monologue, Judy finally hit her limit. "You know what? I think it's about time you put your money where your mouth is."
Pointing that intensely frustrating smirk at her, he asked, "And how would I do that, exactly?"
"By actually trying to prove that we can both be more than what the world says we are."
"This again? I swear, you should start printing bumper stickers or something."
"I'm serious! If you never actually try to be more, than how can you say for sure that it wouldn't work?"
"Oh, I've got plenty of experience to show that it doesn't."
"Yeah? Prove it."
"I don't have to prove anything to you."
"Then if it's all the same to you, I'll just assume you've been too lazy to make the effort." She gestured dismissively toward the door. "Off you go, now. Those vital pawpsicles aren't going to sell themselves, are they?"
"I wasn't born yesterday, Carrots. I know what you're trying to do, and frankly I'm a little insulted that you thought a little reverse-psychology could trick me."
"Just what do you think I'm trying to trick you into?"
"Don't know. Don't care. Not taking the bait."
"Well, I wouldn't say bait so much as a bet."
Peering at her skeptically, he returned to leaning on the counter. "What kind of bet, exactly?"
"The kind where the loser forfeits three months of income to the winner." His skeptical expression didn't falter, but the way his tail twitched told her that she had his attention.
"I'm listening."
"Well, we'll both have a year..."
"A year?" He repeated incredulously.
"Let me finish. We both have a year to see who can do more to help the mammals in this neighborhood. And before you think you can just mooch off my ideas, if we both do the same thing than it doesn't count." She paused, considering. "And whatever you do has to be legal."
"Well gosh, that just takes all the fun out of it." He snarked, rolling his eyes. "Are you seriously challenging me to a year-long do-gooder competition?"
"Yup." She grinned, bouncing on her toes slightly. "If you're up to it, that is."
"You do realize I don't even live in this neighborhood."
"Excuses, excuses." She held out her paw. "Are you in or not, Wilde?"
"Y'know what? I am in." Smiling crookedly, he took her paw in his own and shook firmly. "And because I'm such a nice fella, I won't even make you pay when you give up on this bunny-cop nonsense and run on home."
"I wouldn't count on it, Wilde."
ooooo
JULY
ooooo
The one-year countdown had commenced on the first of the month, and their competition got off to a slow start.
For her part, Judy began by spending an hour every afternoon volunteering at the library and Sunday mornings cleaning up litter in the park. Rather pleased with herself, it took her almost two weeks to notice that there was less graffiti on the local buildings. And it wasn't that there was less appearing; the existing graffiti was vanishing as well, replaced by freshly painted walls.
Once she noticed, though, it took less than a day to find the culprits – a trio of kits with paintbrushes, a drop-cloth and a couple of small step-ladders. "Hey! What are you three doing?"
Startled by the appearance of a police officer, it took a moment for the largest of them to find his voice. "O-our job, officer."
"Your job?" She repeated, peering at the clean surface.
"Yup. We got hired to paint over these tags."
"We're gettin' paid twenty bucks a wall!" The youngest added.
"Paid by whom, exactly?" All three pointed behind her, where she wasn't surprised to find Wilde leaning against a wall, smirking at her.
"Howdy, Carrots."
"Mr. Wilde, you can't just pay children to do the work for you."
"It's called subcontracting."
"It's called cheating!"
"First, you never specified that I couldn't hire help. Second, why can't I?"
"Because...because...they're kids!"
"That's right, officer. Kids who've just gotten their first job, who're learning the benefits of hard work, and who're doing their part to make the world a better place." She could practically feel the smugness radiating from him. "But if you really think I'm cheating, I could just fire them."
She kept her annoyed stare up for a few more seconds, then relented. "No, you don't have to do that."
"Fantastic." He quipped, casually flipping a pawpsicle stick into a nearby trash can. "Now if you'll excuse us, time is money and there are other buildings to take care of."
oooooooo
AUGUST
oooooooo
Despite her best efforts, Judy found the next month particularly frustrating. The fox's keen business acumen struck again when he first set up a community carpool program for mammals that commuted to other districts, then turned around and effortlessly arranged a series of car-washes benefitting the local community center.
Deciding it was time to up her game, Judy signed up to be a volunteer Burrow Mother with the local Bunny Scout troop and took to the position like a fish to water. Her years of experience wrangling over a hundred younger siblings made handling a dozen energetic little bunnies a breeze. After taking a couple of weeks to get settled in to the role, she strutted up to Wilde and proudly informed him that she was helping to shape the leaders of tomorrow.
She'd expected him to be surprised - maybe even a little worried – but for the life of her, she couldn't understand why he suddenly looked so uncomfortable.
ooooooooooo
SEPTEMBER
ooooooooooo
Surprised by how much she enjoyed spending time with the little bunnies, Judy decided to take things a step further and put together a plan to start an after-school soccer club for at-risk youth.
In response, Wilde had over-reached by trying to organize a neighborhood-wide end-of-summer dinner at the community centre. It had been a reasonably good idea, but in his rush to get ahead he'd carelessly forgotten to specify that it was supposed to be a potluck dinner.
Standing beside him in the packed gymnasium, she felt as though she ought to be gloating as his plans came unraveled. As much as he annoyed her, though, she couldn't find it in herself to take any pleasure in his failure. Especially when the fox looked so distraught.
"I might have gotten in a little over my head here." He muttered, surveying the crowd of hungry mammals apprehensively. Glancing down at her, he cleared his throat briefly before continuing. "So, Carrots...we've been at this for a couple of months now."
"That we have."
"I think we can agree that there is a measure of selflessness involved here?"
"Of course."
"Well, in the spirit of that selflessness...maybe..." He sighed. "Are you really gonna make me say it?"
"Yup." She grinned. She may not enjoy seeing the fox's plans fail, but she was more than willing to enjoy his now irritated expression.
"For the love of..." He dragged a paw over his face. "Help me? Please?"
"Well, why didn't you say so? I'd be happy to bail you out." Doing a quick mental tally of the mammals in the room, she pulled out her notepad. Writing down a few lines, she thrust the note into the fox's paw. "Grab a couple of larger citizens, head over to the grocery store and pick up these items."
"Uh, sure." He glanced at the list. "Are you sure this is going to be enough?"
Judy grinned confidently. "Trust me, Wilde. I know a thing or two about cooking for a crowd."
ooooooooo
OCTOBER
ooooooooo
Only two months after Judy began volunteering with the Bunny Scouts, Wilde went and became an assistant Troop Leader for the Junior Rangers. She was certain he hadn't even wanted to do it in the first place, because when he'd stopped by the Community Police office that evening - probably to rub it in her face - he'd looked positively sick with anxiety. Even so, it only took him a few weeks to develop a real rapport with the kids. She would begrudgingly admit that the way their little faces lit up whenever he was around was kind of endearing.
The week before Halloween, she was pleasantly surprised when he invited her to come and speak to his Rangers about safe trick-or-treating. She was even more surprised when he followed her short presentation by reminding the kits that if they're ever in doubt, they should try to find a cop like her.
"Trustworthy, am I? That's so nice of you to say."
"Trustworthy is just another word for predictable, Carrots." He shrugged as the last of the junior rangers left with his parents. "I knew they can count on you to be, well, you. A good cop."
"Well, look at you, Mr. Wilde. So responsible."
"Please stop calling me Mr. Wilde." He glowered at her. "Mr. Wilde reminds me of my father. My name is Nick."
"And my name is Judy." She responded. "Not Carrots."
"That's different."
"How, exactly?"
"Carrots is a charming nickname." He replied haughtily. "Besides, don't you like carrots? The vegetable, I mean?"
"Sure, but..."
"I don't like my father."
Judy had no idea how to respond to the idea of not liking one's own father; it seemed so foreign to her. "You don't?"
"No." He held up a paw, forestalling her follow-up question. "I don't like to talk about it either."
"Well, okay then." She nodded. "No problem...Nick."
"Appreciate it. Now get out of here; I'm going home."
"Fair enough. You live in the Meadowlands, right?"
"Used to. Just moved to a new place."
"You did?" She asked, surprised. "Whereabouts?"
"About two-and-a-half blocks from here."
"Really? You moved into a place right here in the neighborhood?"
"That's right, Carrots." He led her out of the meeting hall, locking the door behind them. "And now I'd like to go back there and sleep."
"Okay, I can take a hint." She gave him a sugary-sweet smile as she walked away. "See you later, neighbor."
oooooooooo
NOVEMBER
oooooooooo
When Judy began volunteering with a crisis hotline and a young mother called in, trying to cope with the stress that came with having a child suffering from a terminal illness, it hit her particularly hard.
A few days later, she mentioned it to Nick when he came by the office. To her shock, he responded by bragging about how he'd be at the children's ward that very weekend. Apparently, he'd been going in on Sundays to read stories to sick kids. She'd been furious at him for taking such a terrible thing and making it part of the bet, and told him as much.
"So? What are you going to do about it?" He'd responded with a casual shrug that only stoked her temper. What the fox was doing was wonderful, of course, but she couldn't stand to see him benefit from it.
"I'll tell you what I'll do! I'm going to come with you." She answered, sounding a little more...smug...than she'd have preferred. "That way the kids still get their stories, and you don't get any points."
"Suit yourself, Carrots. Remember though, you have to come in every Sunday. Otherwise, I still get the points."
He should have known by then that she wasn't one to back down, so every Sunday from that day forward found the two of them in Zootopia General's Pediatric Wing, reading stories to the sick children. Between the two of them, they could even do all the character voices.
oooooooooo
DECEMBER
oooooooooo
"The Christmas party went really well. Where did you find that polar bear who played Santa Claws?"
"It's a long story."
Judy shrugged and gestured around the empty roof of the CP office. "I'm not going anywhere."
Nick grumbled for a minute, fidgeting with the plastic champagne flute in his paw. "You remember back in September, when I arranged that free limo service for all the kids going to the school's homecoming dance?"
"Ugh!" Groaning, she let her ears flop back dramatically. "Of course I do! I also remember the pile of thank you cards you brought in to show off afterward."
"Right. Well, I got to it a little late in the game. I'd already made promises, so in order to make it happen I had to go to the only limo service not booked up entirely." He paused, taking a quick sip of champagne. "And that meant I had to have a long overdue conversation with an old business associate."
"I'm guessing that it wasn't a pleasant conversation?"
"Without getting into details, I will admit that groveling was involved."
"I have a tough time picturing that."
"Let's not dwell on it. Anyway, the polar bear – Kevin – is an employee of his."
"Well, the kids loved him."
"Yeah, that was definitely a mark in the 'win' column for me." He remarked with a chuckle. "I gotta say though, I expected more from you over the holidays. Figured you'd have the entire neighborhood wrapped in tinsel and overrun with carolers."
"No. I decided to aim a little higher."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
She glanced at her watch. "Wait for it."
"Wait for wh-" Interrupted by an enormous and unexpected burst of sound and light, Nick found himself staring in awe as the sky above them was suddenly filled with dancing lights. "Whoa."
"So? Did I meet expectations?"
"Not bad." He muttered, watching as the fireworks marked the end of another year. Lifting his glass again, he gently tapped it against hers. "Happy New Year, Carrots."
"Happy New Year, Nick."
ooooooooo
JANUARY
ooooooooo
"You're doing it wrong."
"Go away."
"You have to move the shovel at an angle."
"I grew up on a farm, Nick. I know how to shovel snow."
"Could've fooled me. You know the idea is to move the snow off the sidewalk, right?"
"Maybe you could try helping?"
"I am helping. I'm providing useful advi-AHH!"
"By the way, watch out for that patch of ice."
oooooooooo
FEBRUARY
oooooooooo
"Happy birthday, Carrots!"
Looking up from her paperwork, she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "How did you know it was my birthday?"
"Would you believe it was my natural vulpine intuition?"
"I dare you to prove that's a real thing."
"Fine. I borrowed your wallet."
"You did what?"
"Your wallet." He repeated slowly. "I borrowed it."
"Why would you do that?"
"How else was I supposed to find out when your birthday was?" He rolled his eyes. "I brought you some cookies. Do you want them or not?"
Looking down, she expected to see a cheap box of corner store biscuits. To her surprise, the fox held a small re-useable container. "Wait, are those home-made? Did you make cookies for me?"
He scowled, looking away. "If you don't want them, just say so and I'll throw them out."
"No!" She cried, snatching the container from his paws. "Don't you dare throw out my birthday cookies!"
"Well, okay then." He blinked in surprise and gave her a little smile. "Happy birthday, I guess."
"Thank you, Nick."
"Don't mention it." He insisted. "Seriously."
"Huh..." Her smile changed to a wry grin as she leaned back a bit to gaze at him. "Well, would you look at that."
Nick glanced around a little self-consciously. "What?"
"You didn't smirk when you wished me a happy birthday."
"What? Yes I did."
"Nope. You smiled."
"I did not."
"Did too."
"No!"
"Yup!"
ooooooo
MARCH
ooooooo
"How can they be so narrow-minded about this?!" Judy cried. "I'm a cop and even I know this isn't right!"
Nick watched impassively as the enraged bunny thundered around the office. Thomas, one of the most promising students in her soccer club, had been arrested in the Rainforest District a few days earlier for possession of a dime bag of nip. The young mammal had been close to dropping out of school when Judy and the school's soccer coach came across him. Since then, he'd not only turned himself around but had actually been offered an athletic scholarship to Zootopia University. His mother had almost hugged Judy to death when they got the news.
Now, the Zootopia School Board's infamous 'Zero Tolerance' policy was sending him on a mandatory two-week suspension, the scholarship was about to be revoked and Judy been on a tear about it for the entire morning.
"He made a mistake, they're going to throw his future away, and there's nothing I can do about it!"
"So, what you're saying." The fox stroked his muzzle thoughtfully. "Is that you're a quitter."
She rounded on him, eyes blazing. "I beg your pardon?!"
"A quitter." He repeated, calmly inspecting one claw. "Someone who talks a big game and bails when things get tough."
"I am NOT a quitter!"
"Then what are you going to do?"
"Don't you get it, you dumb fox?! There's nothing I can do!" She threw her arms up in frustration. "He broke the law! It's stupid and unfair, but he still broke the law!"
"Like I said; you're a qui-"
"Don't you DARE!"
He leaned over until their noses were practically touching, his expression uncharacteristically serious. "Then what are you going to do?"
"I don't know." She admitted quietly, dropping into a nearby chair. "I want to do something but...I don't know."
Nick chuckled as he took a seat next to her. "Well, I can help you with that part. I know someone we can call."
"You know someone who could help?"
"I know everybody." He assured her, pulling out his phone. "Gimme a second."
He tapped the screen a few times, then held up a paw as he put it to his ear. "Angie? It's Nick Wilde. How's it going?" As he nodded, Judy could just barely hear the voice on the other end. "Oh, I can't complain. As much as I'd love to catch up, though, this isn't exactly a social call. I have a bunny here you really need to talk to."
He held the phone out to Judy, who took it suspiciously. "This is Officer Judy Hopps. May I ask who I'm speaking to?" Her eyes widened when the mammal on the other end introduced themselves. "O-oh. Hello, ma'am. I...er...I have to talk to you about a scholarship student from East Savanna Central. His name is Thomas..."
In the wake of that phone call, Thomas was contacted by the ZU Admissions Office and told that his scholarship had been officially revoked. They were very apologetic and stressed that it although wasn't personal in any way, it was simply unavoidable under the university's regulations and admission standards.
However, just moments later Thomas received a personal call from the Dean of Zootopia University herself - Ms. Angelika Mouskowitz - who proposed an alternative. Since he already had the grades to get in, rather than an athletic scholarship he'd be working for the university services department. When his friends were out partying or enjoying their weekends, he'd either be studying, cutting grass or mopping floors. It wouldn't be glamourous, but Mouskowitz was willing to accept it until he could re-apply for a scholarship.
Besides, it was the least she could do after the positively glowing recommendation she'd received from a pair of very well-regarded mammals in his neighborhood.
ooooo
APRIL
ooooo
"I don't think you understand. I love little league, Nick. Love it. I've played every spring since I was eight years old. This is a big deal for me"
"So, what? I should just hand the reins over to you because you want it more?"
"Yes? Please?"
"How about this, Carrots. I'll be Coach, and you'll be assistant coach."
"First off, why did you capitalize coach and not assistant coach?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I could hear it in your voice, Nick."
"No, you couldn't."
"Second, if we do that it won't count for any points."
"You could always quit."
"Not on your life, buster. But I'll be the coach and you'll be the assistant coach."
"You're kidding, right?"
"Why not? I was MVP for the Bunnyburrow Bombers six years running."
"Yeah, but you were playing exclusively with rabbits."
"Not exclusively."
"Uh-huh. Carrots, these kids need to be taught how to catch by someone who can't jump fifteen feet in the air."
"Fine. We'll just do a coin toss before each game. Winner gets to be coach that day."
"Seems fair. One question, though."
"Yeah?"
"Which one of us gets to toss the coin?"
ooooo
MAY
ooooo
"But boys are gross!"
"Sometimes, but we're going to be having so much fun that you'll barely even notice." Playfully ruffling the fur between the little bunny's ears, Judy gave her a little nudge toward the waiting train.
In previous years, Bunny Scout Troop 73 had earned their Campcraft badges on an overnight trip to Outback Island. Judy, on the other hand, had gone camping with her family countless times and was no stranger to sleeping beneath the stars.
Determined to see her scouts enjoy the same experience, all she had to do was call up her dad and casually mention that she knew a dozen little bunnies who didn't know how to start a campfire. She'd barely hung up the phone before the troop leaders got a call from the Hopps Family Farm, offering to host the scouts for a weekend camping trip at Cottonwood Lake, just outside Bunnyburrow.
She'd been thrilled at the news, but couldn't quite explain why her immediate response had been to extend the invite to Nick's Junior Ranger Troop.
"All aboard, Carrots! We're burning daylight!" Glancing behind her, Judy couldn't help but smirk at the excited fox waving vigorously from the train window.
The kids practically bounced with excitement for the trip out to Bunnyburrow. The train arrived right on time, and it wasn't until Nick began leading the line of kids across the platform that Judy suddenly realized there was something she'd neglected to do. Whether it had slipped her mind or just hadn't occurred to her in the first place, she'd forgotten to tell her family that there was going to be a fox in their group.
She rushed to where her father was supposed to meet them with one of the Hopps Farm's many yellow buses, and felt a sudden urge to panic when she saw Nick walk right up to her father and hold out his paw. The panic morphed into outright shock just as quickly, though, when Stu unhesitatingly took the fox's paw and gave it a firm shake.
"Pleasure to finally meet you face to face, Nick."
"You too, Stu. How's the planting season going?"
"Oh, not too bad. Lots to do, as always."
"What?" Judy croaked, her face a picture of bewilderment as she looked back and forth between the pair. "How?"
"What's the matter, Jude? Catfish got your tongue?"
"How?!" She repeated, gesturing emphatically at the smirking fox.
"I think your ever-eloquent daughter is asking how it is that we know each other."
"Oh. She didn't know that?"
"I may have neglected to mention it to her." The fox admitted, throwing his pack over one shoulder. "See you on the bus, Carrots."
Hustling everyone aboard, Judy made sure all the kids were in place before heading to the front of the bus, glancing over her shoulder to make sure Nick was out of earshot. "Alright, let's hear it. How do you know Nick?"
He father briefly took his eyes off the road to give her a smile. "Oh, he called the farm a few months back and we got to chatting."
"He just called you."
"Well, technically he called for your mother. Something about cookies, I think. Anyhoo, while Bon was running down to the recipe library, he and I got to talking about the farm. Just as soon as I told him who we were partnered with in Zootopia, he told me I ought to double-check the books. Sure enough, it seems the distributor we were working with in the city was taking us for a ride. Underpaid for everything and made themselves a nice tidy profit at our expense." An uncharacteristic scowl appeared on Stu's face. "I tell ya, you think you know a bunny..."
"Bunny?" Judy blurted.
"It was your second cousin Bernie, if you can believe that! What's it say about the world when you can't even trust family." Stu took a deep breath and turned the bus off the main road toward the Hopps Farm. "Well, after it ended up being a fox that told me I was getting scammed by a bunny...let's just say it got me to sit down and think over a few things."
"It did?"
"Oh yeah. Heck, later on I can tell you our latest business venture; we're getting into the pastry business. Now, go sit down, sweetheart. The road gets a little bumpy up ahead."
Shaking her head, Judy made her way to the back and took a seat across the aisle from Nick. "How did you get my parent's phone number?!"
"Oh, that. Yeah, I borrowed your phone."
"You borrowed my...oh, forget it." She sighed. "Thank you for helping my family."
"No problem, Carrots. Least I could do."
Despite his enthusiasm, she'd naturally expected Nick to become an utterly helpless city-mammal once they were out in nature. That was why she couldn't disguise her amazement when he easily guided his rangers through setting up their camp and lit the campfire with ease, all while casually pointing out the different bushes and trees in the area.
"Seems like you know your stuff, Slick." She commented as he was helping the youngest junior ranger re-tie their boots. "When did you find time to memorize the entire Junior Ranger guidebook?"
"When I was eight." The fox responded absently, fiddling with the laces.
"What?"
"Huh?" Looking up at her, she could have sworn he suddenly looked a little apprehensive. "Uh...never mind."
Curious, she was about to press for more details when she noticed one of the kids getting precariously close to the campfire with a can of butane. She sprinted to save the little one from themselves, and Nick's odd comment left her mind.
The rest of the trip was a breeze, the kids had a great time, and before they knew it they were boarding the train back to the city.
"Thanks again, dad. The kids had a great weekend."
"Oh, no thanks needed, honey. How could I refuse those little rascals?"
"Well, thanks all the same. And I'm glad you were okay with...y'know...everyone who came out." She glanced briefly to where Nick was helping the little scouts load their bags onto the train.
Following the direction of her gaze, her father shrugged. "I still might've been a little uneasy if all he'd done was tip us off to that scam. But you go on and on about Nick practically every time you call home, sweetie, and any friend of yours is a friend of ours."
ooooo
JUNE
ooooo
Swaggering into the CP office, Nick breezed right past the counter to place a small paper cup of tea on Judy's desk.
"Your usual, Carrots. Mint with a splash of honey."
"Thanks, Nick." She responded distractedly, her attention mainly focused on her computer.
"So, guess what? I'm getting an award."
"Really? For what?" She asked, taking her eyes off the screen long enough to give him a skeptical look. "Biggest ego in Zootopia?"
"For civic pride, thank you very much."
"Wait, seriously?"
To her dismay, the fox looked a little hurt at her reaction. "Yes, seriously. Why? Do you not think I deserve it?"
"Nonono! That's not what I meant at all! It just surprised me because I just got a letter inviting me to some big award dinner."
Nick blinked in surprise. "Really?"
She nodded. "It's being put on by the Neighborhood Businessmammal's Association."
"But...but that's who I'm getting an award from. Hang on a sec." He pulled the letter he'd been sent from his pocket, barely noticing Judy retrieve her own from her desk drawer. "Let's see here...pleased to inform...blah blah blah...exceptional mammals...etcetera etcetera...outstanding service to the community...yadda yadda...shining example..."
"Ooh! Here it is!" She interrupted, tapping her letter excitedly with one paw. "We will be hosting a dinner and award ceremony for this year's recipients on the evening of June 30th! Congratulations, Nick!"
"Hold on. That's next Friday. Isn't that the last day of..." He trailed off, glancing at the calendar on the wall; the last day of June was circled in bright red marker. "Well, I guess it is an appropriate way to cap it all off."
"Wow. The big day really is just around the corner, isn't it?"
"Yup." He nodded. "You ready to add up all those points?"
"Oh, yeah." She replied, trying to sound enthusiastic. "So ready."
"Yeah." He echoed.
The rest of the day – and much of the week that followed, honestly – felt strangely stifled. As the end of the month got closer, they both seemed to be simultaneously looking forward to and dreading its arrival. When the dinner finally arrived, however, they were both determined to keep that dread from spoiling the evening.
"Well, don't you look dapper." Judy hummed, admiring the fox in his well-tailored suit.
"Why, thank you." He did a little spin on one heel, then paused to take in the sight of Judy's evening gown. "You're looking surprisingly good yourself, Carrots."
"Gee, thanks." She rolled her eyes - albeit with a small smile.
"I'm serious. I half expected you to show up in uniform."
"Hey, you know perfectly well that I own other clothes and...oh, shoot!"
"Jeez. I was just kidding."
"No, I just realized I forgot to pick up my spare uniform from the dry cleaners. I needed that for tomorrow."
"Don't sweat it. You can just pick it up on your way in." He shrugged. The corner of his mouth ticked upward in a faint smile. "Or you could just go to work in your carrot-themed jammies."
"Wait, how did you know I ha-" She paused. "You didn't know about my pajamas. You guessed and I just confirmed it, didn't I?"
"Face it, Carrots. You're as predictable as the tide."
She waved him toward the ballroom. "Go find our table, Smarty-Fox. I need to go visit the little bunny's room."
"Yes, ma'am."
Watching him swagger off toward the brightly-decorated tables, Judy pulled out her phone and opened the voice recorder. "Reminder: Pick up uniform from the drycleaner before work and find some way to get back at Nick...for..."
Her voice trailed off as her sharp ears picked up a pair of hushed voices coming from inside the coat check. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she quietly moved closer to try and make out what they were saying.
"You got it?" The first voice asked excitedly.
"Oh yeah." The other replied, sounding equally enthusiastic. "It was easy. No one gave it so much as a second glance."
"Good. I've been looking forward to seeing this all week. How'd you set it up?"
Peeking around the corner to get a look at the two mammals, it took Judy a second to place the middle-aged boar as the owner of a local barbershop. The other mammal, an unusually skinny capybara, she immediately recognized as the high school's track & field coach. She watched as the boar held up a small gold statue, turning it over to reveal a false bottom in the base.
"I rigged this sucker with a pair of Fox-Away MightyMouse tasers. They're small, but they've still got enough voltage to drop that stupid fox right on his tail. He'll never even see it coming."
"See what coming?" Startled, the pair spun round to discover her glaring at them furiously.
"O-Officer Hopps." The capybara stammered. "W-what a pleasure it is to see you. You l-look lovely this evening."
Judy didn't bother acknowledging the complement, moving a few steps closer to the nervous pair. "Now, I'm certain I didn't just hear you two discussing pre-meditated assault."
"N-no! Of course not!" The large rodent shook his head vehemently.
"We would never." The pig agreed, sweat glistening on his brow.
"Uh-huh. Okay, here's what's going to happen." She jabbed a paw toward them, her tone brooking no argument. "You're going to hand me that trophy you're holding, and go grab the regular one from wherever you stashed it. Then you're going to go out on that stage and present Nick Wilde with the award he has so clearly earned. Is that clear?"
They nodded shakily.
"Good." Judy snatched the booby-trapped award from the boar's trotter. "You will shake his paw, you will smile, and then you're going to drive to Precinct One and turn yourselves in."
"W-what?! We can't just-"
"You can, and you will." She interrupted. "Because the alternative is that I arrest you both right now and walk you out of here in pawcuffs. Right through the front door, in full sight of everyone."
The boar seemed to momentarily muster up his courage, standing a little taller. "You...you haven't got any proof that we..."
"I've got a recording of you discussing your little scheme, and I'm holding the key piece of evidence in my paw. Anything else you'd like to add?"
The pair glanced at one another, and the boar shook his head helplessly.
"Believe me when I tell you that the only reason you're not in cuffs right now is because that would ruin Nick's evening. He's earned this, and tomorrow we're... Look, I'm giving you two the opportunity to show a little dignity. Do we have a deal?"
"I..." The boar's faint show of bravado vanished, his shoulders sagging. "Yes."
"Good. I'm going to consider this a prank that almost went too far, and that's what my report will say. Along with voluntarily turning yourselves in, it should go a long way toward encouraging the judge to be lenient." With a stern expression that would have made her mother proud, Judy pointed sharply toward the door. "Now get going. You have an award to present."
A few hours later, after the dinner had wrapped up, the pair of them were walking along one of the canals that led back to their neighborhood. Every few moments, Nick would hold up his award and admire it.
"Are you ever going to get tired of staring at that?" Judy quipped.
"No, I don't think I will." He replied happily. "I'm just wondering which museum I should bequeath it to in my will."
"Getting a little ahead of yourself there, aren't you?"
"Never too early to start planning your legacy, Carrots."
"If you say so." As they reached the point where Nick would turn left and Judy would go right, she turned to him and put on a decent impression of a positive smile. "Speaking of planning, what are your plans now that the bet is over? After we figure out who won, I mean."
He peered at her, not responding right away. Frowning, he turned to watch a small canal boat drift by. "I dunno. Hadn't thought about it."
"You haven't? I'd have thought you'd be looking forward to this whole ordeal being over."
"Has it been, though?"
"Has it been what?"
"An ordeal?"
"I..."
"Actually, never mind. I'm going to call it a night."
"Oh, alright. I'll see you tomorrow, I guess?"
"Yeah. Sure."
ooooo
JULY
ooooo
Glancing at the clock on her desk, Judy felt another pang of worry. It was nearly eleven-thirty, and usually Nick would have visited the office by now. At least to drop off her tea, if not waste an hour of her day with his constant chatter. She was resisting the urge to check her phone for the umpteenth time when she heard the familiar jingle of the bell she'd mounted above the door.
"There you are! I was about to send out a search par-" Turning toward the door, she discovered that it wasn't Nick who'd come in. Leaping up from her desk, she gave her visitor her very sharpest salute. "Chief Bogo, sir!"
The cape buffalo rolled his eyes, waving a hoof at her dismissively. "Put your paw down, Hopps. You look ridiculous."
"Er...yes, sir. Sorry, sir." She gestured emphatically to her empty chair. "Please have a seat!"
He eyed the bunny-sized desk chair for a moment, possibly trying to determine whether the ZPD's smallest officer was making fun of him. "I'll stand, thank you."
"Yes, sir."
Rather than explain the reason for his unexpected appearance, the Chief instead turned to examine the dozens of framed photos on the wall.
He paused to study the one of her and Bunny Scout Troop 73 on their camping trip last May, standing next to Nick and his Junior Rangers.
Next was a picture she'd taken of Nick during one of their Sundays at the hospital. He was sitting in the middle of the floor surrounded by dozens of awe-struck kids. He even had one perched on each shoulder and another three had decided to skip the story to take a nap on his tail.
Just below that was a shot of Judy dressed as an elf, standing next to an enormous polar bear in a Santa Claws costume. The bear was gently holding a small chipmunk in one paw, listening patiently as the tiny mammal listed the toys he wanted for Christmas.
"It seems you've made quite a name for yourself, Hopps. Neighborhood outreach, after-school programs, charity work. The Community Policing program hasn't been this successful since its inception." He actually let out a faint chuckle. "Did you know that your fundraising drive managed to bring in more money for the ZPD Family Support Fund than the entirety of Precinct Seven?"
"I...er...no, sir."
He laughed again, a little louder this time. "You're a terrible liar, Hopps."
"Was there something I could help you with, sir?"
"Yes, actually." Taking a knee, the buffalo regarded her seriously. "This isn't an easy thing for me to say, but I've come to admit that I was wrong, Hopps. When you arrived in the city, I dismissed you as little more than a publicity stunt for City Hall. But in the last year, you've shown me that your drive to make this city a better place is nothing less than profound.
"Not so long ago, I'd have said that the world was broken and that it needed good cops to keep it from falling apart. Looking at all you've accomplished in this neighborhood, though..." He shook his head, marveling at the collection of photos, cards, and thank-you letters. "If the ZPD had more officers like you, Hopps, I believe we really could do anything."
Try as she might, she couldn't keep her eyes from welling up at the Chief's praise. "T-thank you, sir."
"Yes, well..." The buffalo coughed awkwardly, glancing away as she took a moment to compose herself. "The other reason I'm here today is because the ZPD is going to be directing more resources toward the Community Policing program, and has recently begun hiring civilian aides for the various offices. I wanted to ask if you knew anything about a mammal who applied for the position at this office less than fifteen minutes after it had been officially posted." He glanced down at a small notebook in his hoof. "A red fox named...let me see here..."
"Nicholas Wilde?" She ventured.
Bogo raised an eyebrow. "You've heard of him, then?"
"Yes, sir." She gestured to the photo. "That's him right there."
"And?"
"Oh." Judy hesitated, searching for the right way to describe the red-furred bane of her existence. "Nick Wilde is...um...he's..."
...a dodgy business-mammal.
...a smug jerk.
...a constant thorn in her side.
"...well, he..."
...tells me corny jokes when I'm grumpy.
...brings me tea in the morning.
...made me cookies on my birthday.
"...er..."
...helps me whenever I ask.
...never lets me give up.
...is the only mammal I see every single day.
"Out with it, Hopps. I don't have all day."
Blinking in amazement, Judy realized there was only one answer that summed up Nicholas Wilde. "He's my best friend, sir."
Clearly, that hadn't been the answer Bogo was expecting. "He is?"
"Yes, sir. We'd be lucky to have him."
"Well, then. That settles it. I'll let you deliver the news." Pausing on his way out, he turned to give her an appreciative nod. "Keep up the excellent work, Officer Hopps."
The door hadn't even closed before she was pulling out her phone. A plan began forming in her mind as she brought up Nick's number, pressed the device to her ear, and waited impatiently for the fox to answer.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Nick."
"Hey." He responded shortly.
"So, today is one year."
"Yup."
"I was just looking at the score cards. Looks like that award put you over the top. Congratulations."
"Great. Just mail me a check or something."
Ignoring the sting his comment carried, Judy forced her voice to stay positive. "You know, I'm pretty sure that a lot of the things you got that award for were kind of a team effort."
"Seriously? You're trying to welch on the bet with a technicality?" He let out an annoyed snort. "Y'know what? I don't even care. You can keep your money."
"No, that's not... I was just thinking that we might need to extend the bet a little. Just to be sure."
A long silence followed, stretching out long enough that she began to worry that he might just hang up on her.
"By how much?" She was sure that she could hear a hint of curiosity in his tone.
"I was thinking for another few months? Maybe six?" She suggested, waiting nervously as Nick seemed to consider the idea.
"I don't think that'll work." He finally responded, and Judy felt her heart plummet into her stomach. "Six months would only take us to New Years. What about next year's Little League season?"
Ears snapping upright, she carefully allowed herself a glimmer of hope. "What do you mean?"
"I just can't leave those kids with you. You'll fill their heads with all that fundamentals nonsense and no one will be there to teach them how to trash-talk or spit properly."
She let out a short burst of relieved laughter. "Nick, that's disgusting!"
"Exactly my point, Carrots. You're a terrible influence. We'd better make it another full year, for their sake."
Grinning, Judy did her best to put on a serious voice. "How about two years? Call it double or nothing?"
"Oh, is that how it is?" He laughed. "Okay, Carrots. You're on."
"Alright then! You better be ready, though. Last year was just a warm-up!"
"Easy there, Carrots. Plenty of time for posturing later." He paused. "Are you busy right now? I feel like letting you buy us some pastries to celebrate our anniversary."
"I'm at the CP office, which is actually where you should be."
"Oh? And why is that?"
"Because you're late for work, Slick." She couldn't help but laugh as she imagined his surprised expression. "Don't forget my tea."
oooooooooooooooooooo
Hey all - I started a new job that's thrown my update schedule entirely out of whack. For the foreseeable future, it's going to shift from 'every Monday' to 'whenever I can manage'.