The Waters of Atlantea Chapter 10

Authors Notes: Happy 2017 to everyone! Here's the next step of the journey to Atlantea. You'll get the answer to what Bogo asked Nick and Judy that was so upsetting, and start to see in this chapter and the next two coming up how all the various pieces of the plot I've laid out so far come together - plus some new (and hopefully interesting) Zootopia backstory - before their trip to Atlantea. There are a number of mind games happening here - on all sides - setting up for a lot more action (and some romance!) in the upcoming chapters.

…

Nick and Judy put on false faces of happiness over their concerns and entered the converted dining room. Adeline quickly rose from her seat, welcomed the young partners with open paws, hugged them both, and kissed Judy's and Nick's cheeks. She said cheerfully, "Nick! Judy! Here's my two favorite cops! Sorry, Adrian."

"No offense taken, Adeline," the Chief replied off hand, but was perturbed. Leodore bit his lip in amusement.

What was even more fun about the greeting was that Adeline was starting to show her pregnancy, so the hugs interfered with her liger cub bump. Judy stepped back to admire her friend's increased roundness.

She noted, "Look at you! You're radiant. I'm officially jealous."

Nick grinned and winked at his bride. It made Judy warm inside to think Nick was so anxious for her to be pregnant too. He mouthed the words so that only she could see: 'we need more practice'. In return, the rabbit gave him an annoyed look, but she subconsciously caressed her belly like pregnant females did. Nick noticed and when Judy realized what she had done, it made her ears blush.

Adeline continued with the introductions as a good hostess typically did, "I know you've met Chairman Hippo."

The massive hippopotamus towered overconfident before them, and looked indignant as Nick and Judy and shook his massive pad.

Judy said in a friendly manner, ignoring his negative body language, "Mr. Chairman, it's so nice of you to join us."

Forced into being kind to them, the Chairman responded with a little verbal jab, "Nice to see you both again too. You may have skipped our hearing, but I understand that congratulations are in order on your underwater investigation, Officer Judy, even at grave risk to you. The Mayor tells me that you unlocked a treasure trove of evidence before everything collapsed - even though it included knowledge of who the owner of the property is."

"Thank you, sir. I'm sure there's a logical explanation for that," Judy inferred without being nasty.

Happy nodded but said nothing, realizing Judy could dish it out as much as take his verbal sparring. With that, everyone sat down at the dinner table and the two females sat together, and chatted up a storm. The servers, this time all cleared and monitored by the police in the room, began to bring in the dinner.

Adeline gushed, "You've been so brave, Judy. I watch the news every day for the latest on you and your heroic husband."

Judy was a bit embarrassed, "We're just cops doing our jobs. You know that, Adeline."

She answered, "Leodore and I know that the two of you just doing your jobs in one day, Judy, is more than most public servants do in a lifetime."

A shy smile ran across the lagomorph's snout and she tried to change subjects by talking about Adeline's preparations for her cub and her own business since the attack. Bogo and Evelyn did not miss the respect Judy and Adeline had for each other and their friendship.

Dinner was filled with pleasantries and great food.

Quietly, amid the other conversations, Judy noted to the tigress CEO, "Nick and I want to tell you how much we appreciate your gifts. You know we can never really repay you. Not on police salaries. We feel so special in these wonderful clothes."

The dinner clothes had come from Yak's Fifth Avenue, the most exclusive dress and suit maker in all of Zootopia.

Adeline brushed off Judy's concern and mused, "Not to worry. Both of you look great. I just think of you as my baby sister. I can always give gifts to my 'little sister' and her husband, can't I?"

With a very amused grin, Judy quipped, "A tiger with a rabbit baby sister?"

Adeline joked, "It's no crazier than lion and tiger or fox and rabbit husbands and wives. Or a liger cub in the making. Aren't we - of all mammals - supposed to be supportive of cross species relationships?"

They snickered.

Even more quietly, Adeline inquired, "Did, did you find the other thing I gave you. For after dinner?"

Judy's ears and nose turned bright red, "Yes. Shhhh. It was kind of personal, Adeline."

The Mayor's wife kidded, "Of course it was. I kinda want us to be pregnant together Judy. I thought I should encourage Nick a little."

Judy retorted, "Nick doesn't need any more encouragement," causing both to laugh out loud, but she added in a whisper only her friend could hear, putting her paw on the Mayor's wife's paw, "I'd like that a lot too, Adeline."

"What?" Nick asked, clueless to their conversation was, but startled at their outburst of laughter.

"Female talk. Ignore us, Nick," ordered her fox coldly.

"Oh, OK," Nick responded and returned to his conversation with the Mayor and the Lieutenant.

In a returned whisper, Adeline asked, "Let me know how he likes it."

"Of course," giggled Judy, and the two continued talking about other things.

Even with a huge gulf of wealth and social status between them, plus ten years age difference, the two females couldn't be closer.

Eventually the dinner was finished, but after everyone consumed the first glass of cordials – the most expensive cognac on the menu courtesy of Adeline - the dinner mood became much more serious.

Happy Hippo was the first to speak, "Thank you for the invitation, Adeline. This was very delicious. But before you get me drunk and cloud my judgment so I'll agree to anything you say, Leodore, let's get right to it. Why did you bring us all together? Despite the pleasant evening and great food, I know this isn't really a social occasion."

Leodore took the last swig from his snifter and replied, "True, Happy. Tonight is business. This little affair is about our shared goal of catching those responsible for disrupting Zootopia without battling ourselves in the process."

Taking another sip of cognac with a long pause for effect, Happy reflected, "You and I each have a little different way of achieving that goal, Leodore."

Leodore quickly jumped on the Chairman's trivialization of their arguments, "Different enough that we are at each other's throats in public, Happy. This whole conspiracy is lot bigger than you think, my friend."

With no hesitation, Happy shot back at his rival sternly, "I know it is, Leodore."

The Mayor leaned back in seat. The Chairman knew something.

In an aside to Ida, Judy suggested, "Ida, we have some sensitive police business to conduct. Would you excuse us? We'll talk tomorrow, OK? I don't think you need to be part of this."

Ida was quite ready to leave, and had been since the start of the formalities, "Certainly, Judy. I have a book to read."

Adeline reached for the half consumed $500 cognac bottle and gave it the sweet older kangaroo, and instructed, "Take this with you Ida, dear; you earned it too. We're all sitting here alive and well because of your quick thinking."

Adeline's statement was as much for Happy Hippo, her husband, and the police who would be interviewing Ida tomorrow as it was for Ida to reassure her.

Ida blushed, "Thank you, ma'am."

After Ida hopped toward her room, Evelyn got up and locked the door, with three fully armed police guards on the outside of the door. She nodded to her boss, who gave the Mayor a positive sign to proceed.

Seeing that they were completely private, Leodore was blunt, "So, Happy. Why the public spectacle? Chief Bogo is trying to solve a vast, highly coordinated set of crimes everywhere in Zootopia. You're not helping by calling for an official Council hearing on police misconduct. We have people spread all over the city, and you're trying to hamstring our best two investigative detectives by implying that they've somehow done something wrong conducting their sworn duties to 'preserve and protect'. If they hadn't been successful – with the help of Ms Ida - we wouldn't be sitting here arguing about it."

Adeline knew her message had been heard by her husband, and suppressed a satisfied smile.

The hippo shrugged off the Mayor's accusations, but joked at his expense, "You know Leodore, when you have a hot story - run with it. Especially if it's at your political expense. It's still not clear to me Zootopia's 'finest' detectives carried out their duties properly. And then there's the matter of your secret bat squadron. That's just unprecedented, Leodore. That's a step closer to 'secret police' and a dictatorship, Leodore. I can see your new promotional slogan: 'You can be anything you want in Zootopia - until the bat squadron finds out about it and takes you out'."

The open criticism made Judy and Nick squirm and observed their boss' discomfort.

Keeping his anger in check, the Mayor reminded the Chairman, "That secret bat squadron kept a genetically enhanced elephant and rhino and nearly two dozen other thugs from squashing you and the Council flat along with the rest of us, Happy, until Officers Nick and Judy and Major McDonnell could figure out a plan of attack, Happy."

Happy bridled at the Mayor's admonishment, "Leodore, I am well aware that they saved our lives and hundreds of others. My issue is if they overstepped their authority to do so within the law to do so and what the legality of a secret police unit to 'preserve and protect' through terror tactics and mass anesthetization of perpetrators."

The ZPD officers wished they weren't there. It felt like the hearing was unofficially raging again between the Chairman and the Mayor.

Mayor sighed and shook his mane, "I can see we're making no progress here, Happy. Let me ask you something else: you had ZPD's Chief Counsel by the tail but let him go. Why?"

The hippo suddenly appeared nervous, "Well…" he rasped and cleared his massive throat, "it was… um… because…"

Leodore saw a weakness, leaned forward and drilled in deeper, "Because of what, Happy?"

The normally imposing Chairman was completely on the defensive. Even Bogo had never seen that.

Happy Hippo closed his eyes and looked up to the ceiling. He admitted, "Because of what's really under that cave collapse."

Leodore was stunned but tried not to look that way, and encouraged, "Go on…"

The Chairman looked directly at Judy and stated, "I hear that you took some videos, Officer Wilde, but nearly drowned due to the collapse. I'm sorry that happened to you on my family's property. If you have any medical expenses, please send them to me."

Judy appreciated the kind offer, but hesitated and wondered how he knew that. She glanced at her boss, looking for guidance. Chief Bogo nodded to Judy that she needed to answer the Council Chairman.

She stated with no emotion, "Yes sir, I did. But I am just fine."

"Show us what you saw," Happy requested firmly.

Bogo responded quickly, "Lieutenant?"

The black panther responded, "It'll take a minute, sir. I need to set up a laptop projector and screen."

Bogo emphasized, "Do it. Show all of it. Judy, feel free to narrate."

"Yes sir," she confirmed.

The Chairman sat back in his huge seat silently and with no reaction to the entire video, while Judy commented on whatever wasn't recorded on the audio track of the video.

Happy ran his pad across his hairless brow, wiped the sweat that had suddenly appeared, and stated, "This is much more extensive than I ever thought possible. Sorry, officers, for leaving you in the dark."

Judy was incredulous, and condemned the Chairman's inaction by shouting, "What do you mean: 'leaving us in the dark'? You knew that was all there? I was nearly drowned and buried down there. We could have raided this underground lair weeks ago. We could have prevented all of this."

Bogo and the Mayor let Judy rant. She was justifiably furious at the Chairman.

Happy understood her anger, but answered truthfully, "Officer Wilde. I know very little about what was down there. I only knew a bunch of unknown mammals were building something underneath our property in the cave when I was only a calf, and that my father was involved in it, and I have never been there since. I had no idea that they had built that much underground infrastructure over all these years."

The hippo was over 40 years old.

Leodore begged the Chairman, controlling his own rage, "Officer Wilde is right. Why didn't you tell us? Happy, nature knows you could have told me in confidence despite our differences. We could have avoided all of this chaos and killing. We may be different political parties, but we're still citizens and patriots of the same city."

At least Leodore hoped so.

Happy was blunt, "No. I couldn't have told you. I shouldn't be telling you now."

A certain question needed to be asked and only one mammal in the room could do it. Leodore narrowed his eyes and inquired gravely, "Are you part of The Movement, Henry H. Hippo?

Both Zootopian leaders were surprised that each knew the meaning of the term 'The Movement'. The hippo never flinched from his answer, "No! I am absolutely not a member of The Movement, or any other subversive ally they have. But I do know about them."

The Mayor replied in exasperation, "Then why tell us nothing?"

Happy shot back, "Simple, Leodore. Father was sworn not to. There were death threats to the family, Leodore. Death threats: to my father and mother while they were alive, and now me, my wife, my children, and my relatives. Some of those threats were actually carried out. This is one of those dark family secrets no one tells or admits but knows nonetheless."

In a pleading voice, Leodore demanded, "There's no threat any worse than what we have now, Happy. We have to know everything you know. I have grounds for Chief Bogo to arrest you, Mr Chairman. You're withholding crucial evidence to bring these mammals to justice."

In what seemed to be an offhand dismissal of the Mayor's threat, "I shouldn't be here."

Leodore got more and more frustrated at his rival's apparent detachment, "But you came to this meeting willingly. Happy, we haven't suspended the rules of law over dinner. You have to follow them and you have to know the consequences, especially if you tell us something this important."

Happy replied, "No. Leodore. You're the one who doesn't understand. I shouldn't even exist."

"What?" Leodore said in complete shock.

The Chairman rolled his eyes and insulted the Mayor, "Let me put this in terms even a lion can understand: I should have never been born."

Leodore ignored the insolence and directed, "I'm sorry that I don't understand, but you can't talk in secret code, Happy. If you have something to tell us in your defense, you have to tell us everything. We can provide Counsel for you."

Happy answered curtly, "I have my own Counsel thank you very much, but even she doesn't need to know about what happened."

The hippo looked pensively into his lap before looking directly at the lion and started to explain, "Over 30 years ago, some shadowy mammal approached my father over a land purchase. He wanted riverfront bottomland. Even then, Father was the biggest land dealer in the city, and working with a number of promising industrialists worldwide wishing to join the dream of Zootopia. He was dedicated to Zootopia being the most prosperous city in the world. This strange mammal seemed legit, at least at the time. This was a real break for my dad. It was the first big sale of waterfront property – well before the river cargo business to the coast really picked up. My dad was real estate agent on the way up the ladder of success, not a conspirator. He saw the potential in riverine cargo business years before anyone else did."

Leodore knew most of the public Zootopia business growth story and who did it so he asked, "But what actually happened?"

Happy answered, "The mystery mammal bought the property, but later my farther learned that the investor wanted what was underground more than the riverfront property. And it wasn't the mineral rights."

"What was it, then?" Leodore encouraged the hippo.

"First, Leodore, you have to understand the history of the underground cave. The Hippo Clan's home was a quiet estate on the river bottomlands for years before the City was ever dreamed about or built around it. When the river was pristine, it was shallow and filled with delicious tender reeds. The waters were clear, cool, and there was always a gentle current. There were no predators for miles in prehistoric days. It was perfect for hippo grazing and wading and raising families."

"It sounds idyllic, Happy," Adeline added to calm the arguing between her husband and the Chairman.

"Apparently it was, Adeline, from what I've read of their journals. What no one knew was that there was a huge underground cave underneath the river bed. My great great great grandmother discovered a hidden opening in the rocks away from the riverbank on a walk one day, and she and her husband explored the wonders of the cave for the first time over a century ago. So the cavern became part of the family lands. It was always wet, but never flooded. Years later, their grown up oldest son and heir built a house over the entrance to the cave and incorporated the entrance into a hidden passage in the basement of the old mansion."

"The perfect fun family hideaway," Adeline added. Happy was becoming calmer in describing the story due to her encouragement.

"Exactly, Adeline. It was difficult following the rocky path into the cavern, because the entrance was narrow and hippos are naturally large, but the family always had access to the cave – mostly for entertaining each generation's children and their families. But as the family wealth grew, and times got rough, the grotto had other purposes – it was a refuge during the violent international mammal protests that erupted to object to the free society of Zootopia being built. Later, it was a secret distillery during prohibition days of my great grandfather. He was always proud that no prohibitionist - or his competitors - could ever find the still and burn it down. He made a fortune. To help my great grandfather to get the booze in and out in cases and barrels, and protect him from Mr. Big's ancestors who were his arch enemies and rivals, he modified the entrance into a real stairway carved out of rock by him and his business colleagues. That's what you climbed, Officer Wilde. But back then, the rock staircase only opened into the cave as it was, not like you saw it a few days ago. My great grandfather called the cave: 'the Clubhouse'. After prohibition, the cave stayed unchanged for a couple of generations and gradually the family business turned away from... questionable… activities."

"Clubhouse?" Leodore puzzled.

"It was a 'hidden hootch club'," Nick blurted.

Bogo and the Mayor glared at the fox, even though everyone knew he was correct. The top cop silenced the detective, "Officer Wilde. Please. Let the Chairman continue."

Everything he said was a revelation to them.

The hippo further explained, "But the mystery mammal told my father that he wanted to completely change the natural wonder of the cave after he bought it. Father wouldn't sell the cave under those conditions. It had been a virtually untouched tradition for generations, but the mammal made Father an offer he couldn't refuse. He proposed a $10 million per year lease. In perpetuity. In cash. The mammal's only condition of sale was for Father to keep the above ground property for family purposes, but ignore anything that was going on underneath the ground. My dad was rich beyond imagination already. He used the annual cash proceeds from the riverfront land/cave sale to get richer building and selling the latest round of ultra modern ethnically-inspired skyscrapers."

Leodore was very confused, "Happy. This hardly seems like a lucrative deal. Your dad was a multi billionaire. Ten million per year is a drop in the bucket to him. He could have charged ten times that for waterfront property. Even 30 years ago."

The hippo chafed uncomfortably, "Yeah, but it was unreported cash and tax free. It was like having double that to him in pure cash."

The Mayor continued to press, feeling that much had been left unsaid, particularly in light of Happy's earlier statements, "It had to be more than just the money. Why shouldn't you have been born?"

The Chairman was very uncomfortable and stopped talking.

Leodore insisted, "Mr. Chairman. Do you really want me to send the tax auditors to get the City's 'cut' of your dad skipping 30 years of property taxes? Not to mention that we'd have to drag you into an investigation of your family's complicity with The Movement. Give me a good reason to not to."

The Mayor did have that Constitutional right if there was clear evidence of Council wrongdoing.

The threat of great public embarrassment so he continued, "Oh all right. If you have to know. Scuttlebutt in all the social circles at the time knew my mother was having trouble conceiving. Father desperately wanted an heir, but he refused to take another spouse. Monogamy laws more than 50 years ago put an end to herd mammal patriarchs anyway. Besides, he loved my mother too much to cheat on her, even for good reason. Fertility technology was non-existent then, and my mother's kind of medical problems couldn't be fixed. Doctors finally declared her barren, and it was a huge family tragedy. The shadowy figure offered something to help that. The mammal had medicines no one else had access to. Then, he promised a procedure for my mother no one had ever done before to make her fertile again. Of course Mother and Father said 'yes' to that and the $10 million a year deal for the cave. It was a dream come true. Not long after the operation on my mother, I was born."

Happy Hippo sat silently, devastated that he had to disclose the ultimate family secret. Leodore and the others were astonished, but it hit Judy even harder, as she interjected, "Oh my gosh."

She knew in an instant that this was the exact opposite of the procedure The Movement used to sterilize Sandra. It was a haunting memory. Judy shivered with the reminder that if she was ever caught by The Movement, Sandra's misfortune was a likely future for her too. Bogo gave her a glance and wondered what was going through her mind but didn't admonish her. She looked really troubled.

"The Movement performed genetic engineering on your mother to have you?"

"Yes," he confessed quietly.

The Mayor expressed his true compassion for the Chairman, "Happy. I'm so sorry this happened. Why didn't your dad say something to the authorities way back then?"

"My father and my family could say nothing about what was going on. Like I said, he was threatened by those mammals after the deals were made. We're still threatened, Leodore, decades later. Father wanted to get us as far away from The Movement as possible, but while the construction was going on in the cave, he wasn't allowed to. I can't tell you of the unending movements of strangers doing secret construction day and night for years. It was always none of my business. My father carried a dreadful burden, but I never questioned it. I was never permitted to play in the cave or the rock stairway ever, despite grandparents and aunts and uncles and older cousins' pleasant stories of playing in the grotto and wading in the underground streams and ponds. I always imagined the cave as a giant fortress filled with super heroes fighting for justice and equality. Little did I know how close I was to the truth."

"The Movement doesn't condone our kind of justice and equality, Happy," interrupted the Mayor sternly.

The hippo seemed very reserved, "I know, Leodore, I know. All too well. When the construction was finally done, Father moved to the new family mansion far way in the mountain lakes and converted the old family home to a fake office building to hide the entrance. So as a teen, I eventually forgot there was even something weird happening on the riverfront - with strange mammals coming and going all the time. I'm so… so ashamed, Leodore. I know now that all of the plans of those killings were made right there, and the assassins who attacked us planned and practiced right there the Clubhouse. I could say nothing about it. I… I'm so very sorry. The deaths of those mammals in Assembly Hall is killing me, especially Lourdes' husband Raoul – he was a dear friend... I truly regret knowing that I was in part responsible for The Movement's unholy alliance with the Species Purity Society and nature knows how many other hate groups across the city. I looked the other way thinking if I ignored this… this evil… would all go away. I thought that if I blamed all the terrible things on someone else…"

The unreasonable Council Chair's call for the investigative hearing was left unsaid. Judy was nearly in tears with pity for the Chairman. He was as much a victim of The Movement as Sandra and Melvin. Nick soothed her paw to support her. She weakly smiled at her husband.

Leodore, in a compassionate tone, offered, "Happy, you couldn't know the extent of the conspiracy. We're still learning how far The Movement's reach is into Zootopia. If you felt threatened, we would have protected you. Like we have all the others."

But Happy accused, "Oh? Like you protected that old fox and rabbit couple? That was no accident. I can guess who did it. They got burned up like my great aunt did 25 years ago. She dared to simply date a pygmy hippo."

For a moment, Happy's and Leodore's political differences were forgotten in the sense of unity of both Council and Mayor against the common threat threatening their beautiful free society and beliefs. The Hippo Clan's suffering had lasted a very long time, like Sandra and Melvin's plight had been. But Bogo couldn't tell the Chairman the elderly fox and rabbit were actually safe. Not yet. There wasn't enough trust.

Leodore tried to assure the Chairman, "At the time of that arson and murders, we had no idea about The Movement. We only understood there was the Species Purity Society and their hatred was directed against our Officers Nick and Judy. We can provide plenty of protection now."

Happy understood and had his own admission, "Until tonight, I had no idea you knew the real story, Leodore. Thus, my extreme reaction. It was all about distracting the truth of the cave and the Clubhouse and my family's role in it all so my family wouldn't get hurt. If knowledge of the Clubhouse becomes public, there is no telling what our enemy will do, and how frightened the public will be. Can you imagine what the mammals will say if they realize all this insidious conspiracy is happening right under their snouts?"

"We feel the same way," admitted the Mayor.

Happy implored the Mayor and Bogo, "This is why everything under all that rock and water has to stay buried down there. There can be no probing or core samples. That video has to be destroyed. There can't be any stories of the Clubhouse, The Movement, or the Society's involvement in it. Zootopia simply won't be able to accept the truth. My family couldn't withstand the impact of the truth. We would be in utter ruin. Or maybe worse. The Movement covers its mistakes in blood in ways that makes Mr. Big's operations look like cub's play."

Bogo, Judy, Evelyn, and Nick shifted nervously, because it was true, and they were directly involved in defeating the violence.

The Mayor insisted, "We'll protect your family secret."

"Thank you," replied the Chairman.

"But Mr. Mayor," Bogo objected, "the Chairman's family harbored the creation of The Movement's lair."

The rest of his Officers nodded in agreement with their leader.

Leodore aimed his displeasure at Bogo and his Officers, but his words were meant for the Chairman too, "What we all want, Chief, is to destroy the Movement. These mammals operate above the law. They have no rules. I realize ZPD is working outside their comfort zone - like you did remarkably well at Assembly Hall. If the movement wants to continue to play rough, we must play rougher. Until we take these mammals out, all of you and your families are at risk. You are already victims of their crimes and fortunately lived to tell about it. Adeline and I are too. Do you want the list, Officers? Extortion. Death threats. Murder and attempted mass murder. Arson. Poisonings. Assassinations. Kidnapping. Treason. Thank nature for this dinner here tonight to learn that we face a common enemy. The Movement doesn't know that that we know how they created a secret base to build power and influence in Zootopia. Surprise is truly on our side. We need to keep it that way, Officers. Even if we have to forgive past sins and bend the rules a little bit."

While the rules were more broken than bent, Nick Judy Evelyn and Bogo reluctantly agreed with the Mayor's contentions. There was no legal precedence for anything transpiring around them. All of what was happening transcended normal laws and it was more like a silent war. Evelyn had an instant headache, but not from the cognac.

Happy Hippo wondered what the allusion to kidnapping was all about, and he didn't ask, but he knew no action would be taken against him or his family.

The Chairman responded to the Mayor's words, and was humble in a way that they had never seen before, "Leodore. What do we do about all this?"

The Mayor smiled and joked, "I'm glad you asked me that, Mr. Chairman. We want you to have a hearing with Nick and Judy the star witnesses. But not like you originally planned. Here's a list of questions that we want you to ask them."

Judy spewed her cognac. Bogo hadn't begun to explain all of the details of what constituted 'going under cover' and had no idea about being in a hearing and what those questions were. This turn of events was worse than what Bogo already asked them to do. This hardly seemed like going under cover quietly as they and their colleagues often did.

Judy aimed her silent anger at Bogo and falsely apologized, "Sorry… There was a tickle in my throat."

Bogo pulled on his collar, trying to give her a scolding look, but backed off from her glare. It was suddenly hot in the dining room.

Nick nudged Judy to be quiet, and whispered, "Let it play out. Surely our bosses won't sell us out."

Judy was skeptical, remembering the pressure put on her to quit during her early days on the force.

The Chairman read the suggested questions the Mayor gave him, but he seemed displeased.

The Mayor tried to reinforce his request, "Happy, you need to keep the focus on the confusion around the original crimes at Assembly Hall."

Judy and Nick were not so sure they wanted to provide any answers without seeing that list, and gave an look of great displeasure toward Bogo.

Leodore assured the Chairman, "No one but us knows the destruction of the… the Clubhouse… was a crime. To the citizens, it's just a natural disaster, even though it happened on your family's property. Make a media statement about the situation tomorrow to eliminate any further pressure. Tell them about the accident."

Nick, Judy, Evelyn, and Bogo found it difficult to accept that these were the right things to do. Hiding the facts surely felt like collusion and cover-up by the City's two top officials. It seemed unthinkable for the Zootopian top city officials to skirt the law, especially working together on the cover-up. But in fact, the Mayor had served time over suppressing his unlawful interment of the savage mammals during the Night Howler Crisis. They gave him the benefit of the doubt that he was doing what was right in the long run - these were unimaginable times.

Chairman Hippo finished reading the list of recommended questions for the new hearing, and reluctantly understood Leodore's intent, "I can do this. This does take the heat off me and my family. But this is going to be difficult on your Officers. You went all out to protect them the other day. Why put them in the spotlight again?"

Leodore answered, "We thought clearing the air in public is the best course of action. But whatever happens at next week's hearing, we must follow the script of these questions. This will end any further inquiries against you or us. Unless you want everyone in Zootopia to know more about what's under that debris on the waterfront."

He was incensed, "That's blackmail, Leodore!"

United for a few moments earlier, the two leaders of the City were at each other's throats again.

Leodore responded calmly, "Call it what you will, Happy, but we both know it's all in our collective interests to keep things quiet while we defeat these unknown mammal threats."

The Chairman considered the Mayor's thoughts, but reluctantly agreed, "Against my better judgment, Leodore, I assure you that I will do this. But I think it's time to go. My cognac has suddenly gone bitter."

Before the Chairman departed, Leodore warned, "The hearing must go as we directed, or everything we agreed to tonight is off, Mr. Chairman. It would be our legal precedent to not respond at to any questions other than those we recommended."

The Chairman very reluctantly agreed, "In the spirit of cooperation to bring The Movement to justice, Leodore, I will abide by your wishes. At least until ZPD eliminates The Movement."

"Checkmate," Judy thought. Despite their misgivings about this plan, the ZPD participants were all glad the Mayor was so shrewd.

Despite the Chairman's agreement to collaborate with ZPD in the hearing, Nick and Judy had very worried, and couldn't hide their anxious looks from Bogo. The Mayor was not explaining everything that was going to happen at the hearing that they had been asked to do.

The hippo left abruptly, not really saying goodbye, or even expressed a 'thank you' for dinner.

Adeline took her husband by the arm, noticing Nick and Judy's extreme discomfort, "Leodore, sweetheart, perhaps we should turn in now too. I think our friends have a lot of questions only the Chief can answer for them. Besides, I'm tired. Your cub is doing somersaults on top of my soup and salad."

"My cub?" the Mayor questioned.

"Of course, Leodore. Whenever he misbehaves. Like now."

The others stifled their guffaws.

"Yes, dear. You've got this, Chief," he ordered after a huge eye roll at his pregnant bride.

Bogo agreed, "Go ahead, Mr. Mayor. I do have something important to say to these brave officers."

After the Mayor and Adeline had retired, Nick and Judy stood hand in hand anxiously in front of their boss. They didn't sit.

Bogo cleared his throat, "Officers Nick and Judy. Please understand what the Mayor and I want you to do. Everything we are asking is for your safety and to assure that we bring The Movement to swift justice, especially since we are sending you in under cover and totally alone. I know this is going to be very hard on you. It will be dramatic and openly public to deliberately mislead The Movement, and the Chairman doesn't know everything that is going to happen. Also deliberately. The Mayor only told him part of the story that Chief Bogo and I have planned. Otherwise it will look staged. He won't be happy when he finds out we used him to help your mission. But that will be our problem, not yours. We can't tell you everything either."

Judy believed his words were genuine, despite her struggle with the parts of the plan they understood so far, "Yes sir. We know. This will be very difficult. We're trying to understand."

"Do you have any questions?"

Nick and Judy whispered back and forth to each other urgently a full minute while trying to frame their concerns to their boss.

Satisfied with their side discussion, Nick began, "Boss. What you asked. About going under cover. We understand what we have to do, and we want to do that part."

A little more coldly than he intended, Bogo answered, "I know that. You told me already. So what's the problem?"

Judy responded, "But sir… the way we have to go under. It's drastic. It's against everything we believe. Asking us to resign from ZPD seems like an utterly wrong way to go under cover to save Michael and gather information on The Movement. We'd have nothing to support us under cover in Atlantea. We won't be police any more. We'll just be private citizens."

Bogo asked, "I didn't order either of you to resign."

Nick was baffled and responded, "But, sir, you specifically told us…"

Bogo corrected Nick, "I specifically told that you have to make a dramatic, very public separation from all your investigations into the crimes of the Species Purity Society. The hearing is the perfect place to do that and disappear from public view."

Judy was very upset and tried to put that into terms for their boss, "But that does mean resigning, Chief. Nick and I love being cops. We can't do that, especially in front of the entire City. Police work is our entire life. It's the only thing I ever wanted to do. And Nick has grown into it and is a great cop."

Bogo stated calmly, "I completely understand."

Judy went from sad to bitter, snapping at Bogo, "No you don't, boss. You don't understand at all. We can't lay down our badges to suit you and the Mayor and the Chairman's personal battles for power and control of the city."

Bogo said calmly, "Who said anything about laying down your badges?"

"What?"

Bogo advised, "Look, Nick and Judy. I can't say anything more. I would be coaching you. You're going to have to figure this out yourselves."

Upset again, Judy shook her head in dismay, "We… we really don't understand."

Knowing Judy was on the ragged edge of control of her emotions and her words, Nick acted protectively and cut off the discussion angrily, "Good night, Chief Bogo. We're not getting anywhere with you by talking in riddles."

Before he could say anything, the couple abruptly turned and left.

Watching them exit the room and walk down the hall in anger, Bogo blurted to no one, "I really hate this job…"

Evelyn tried to be understanding, "Couldn't you have said something more to them, Chief? They feel totally betrayed."

"The General Counsel said we're on the ragged edge of legality with this already, Lieutenant, and while it's OK to collaborate with the Chairman on preparing for a hearing, we're even closer to the edge of illegal behavior by misleading the Chairman. But there has to be plausible deniability for the Mayor and ZPD by making it look to everyone in the City that Nick and Judy acted independently, Lieutenant. That's why I've told them what I could without the Mayor present. That's why they have to figure out – on their own – that they have to appear to have resigned from ZPD to go rescue Michael because he's their family and not ZPD on assignment. ZPD can't just waltz into Atlantea and invade and disrupt The Movement without every city in the world condemning us for overstepping our jurisdiction. Or sanctioning us. Or taking us to the World Court. Or worse: take forceful action against Zootopia. Nick and Judy are smart. They'll figure this out. And then they can go do the mission without our help, because at this point, they must. And don't you dare tell them or it will cost you your badge."

"Why does it have to be this hard? Why can't you just say that to them?" his Chief of Staff asked sadly.

Bogo admitted, "Politics, Lieutenant. Politics on a global scale."

Evelyn groused and frowned, "They never taught us that at the Academy, sir."

…

Nick and Judy felt justifiably angry. Their leadership had put them in a seeming impossible situation. They walked arm and arm, leaning on each other for strength, walking slowly down the hall. Judy was crying, but angry at herself for doing so.

She sobbed, "I can't agree to this Nick. We can't resign in public. Not now. Not ever. Not even if this is a direct order."

Nick reminded her as they unlocked and entered the suite, nodding to the witness protection guard at the end of the hallway, "But Carrots - it is a direct order."

Still in her little black dress, Judy walked over to their clean, new uniforms. She held her stiff police shirt close to her bosom, and absolutely bawled.

There was no consoling her, so Nick just sate on the edge of their bed, feeling completely helpless for her. He didn't feel any less bad. He loosened his bow tie a little.

Nick suggested, "Maybe we could join the citizen's reserve with Finnick and the boys and still do this kind of work, only part time."

"Nick. No. We couldn't. It would break my heart. If we're not cops, I don't want anything to do with the legal system of Zootopia. Maybe we go back to Bunny Burrow and take over the family farm with Dad and my big brother. Like Momma and Daddy always wanted."

Nick knew this was a desperate afterthought. Growing carrots the rest of their lives and having 300 fox-rabbit kits seemed like a less stressful option for them, but it was a distant second choice to their first love of police work. In the interest of keeping the peace in the family, he kept quiet.

Judy gently picked up the badge on the dresser, and pawed it gingerly, tracing the lines of the shiny new metal shield, even though it wasn't her personal badge, which still back at their apartment. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

The rabbit was so upset that she had hiccups, but she started to look very curiously at the generic badges they'd been wearing since the morning after Assembly Hall. Suddenly her tears stopped. She wiped both eyes and blew her nose on some tissues, and her look changed from hopelessness to firm resolution as her jaw set and stiffened.

"Chief! You clever cop," she muttered and smiled.

She picked up the new badge that Nick was using, turned from the dresser, hopped over to her husband, tackled him backwards on the bed and shoved the badge not an inch from his snout.

"I know exactly what we have to do next week," she exclaimed.

Nick was truly shock at this turn of events, "What? One second you're crying. The next - you're all over me."

He had no objection to her draped across him in her scanty black dress. There was really nothing left to the fox' imagination.

She teased, "Is that a complaint, stud?"

Nick realized how crazy objecting to her affection was, placing his paws on her hips, "Well… no. But tell me: why the sudden change?"

She deflected his question, "It can wait, you great big, wonderful handsome-looking fox. Make love to me right now."

She emphasized the immediacy of her needs by planting a deep kiss on his snout and placed both metal objects on the night stand beside them, freeing both paws to hug him tightly.

"Ask me again, Carrots," he snickered and invited.

"You heard what I said, Nickie," her words flowed sensually from her amazingly broad smile. She reached for his zipper and then released what insistently wanted to be freed from the inside.

The rest of their clothes were flung everywhere but the nightstand, the lights were turned out, and the giggling increased. The negligee that Adeline had bought to accompany the little black dress would have to wait in its box - to be modeled another night. At this moment she wanted no distance to be between her and her husband, and got her wish – and his – instantly.