Gideon was pacing back and forth in his living room, waiting for the moment Judy would arrive. When the knock on the door came the fox nearly jumped out of his fur. Quickly rushing to the door and wrapping his paw around the doorknob, Gideon looked around the living room once more before opening the door.
"Hey, Judy! W-what bring ya here?" Gideon asked, gesturing for the bunny to step inside his home.
"Well, you kinda invited me here, remember?" Judy chuckled, knowing that her new boyfriend must be feeling pretty nervous. She couldn't blame him either, the events of the last date they attempted still flashing in her mind. But she assured herself that something like that wouldn't happen in Gideon's own home. And if it did then they would have Officer Hops to deal with this time.
"I know it ain't much, but it's what I call home," Gideon stammered, taking a moment to carefully shut the door behind him.
"Oh, Gid. It-It's alright. I like it. It's very…you," Judy smiled, looking around the living room.
She's just tryin' to spare my feelings, I just know it. The fox looked around his loving room again now he could see every little flaw in every corner.
The entire look as a whole started to become more and more dreary by the minute. None of his furniture was new, most hand-me-downs from living with his folks. It wasn't that he couldn't afford it, rather the fox saw no need to replace everything he had when nothing was broken. But now Gideon was wishing that he went back on that thought process a long time ago. His eyes darted to his dust colored curtains, his beer stained rug and the 10 year old couch, decorated with claw marks and tears from years of wear.
Not only did the looks of the place slip in Gideon's eyes but so did the scent of the place. It was only when he was aware that he was not the only person in the house with him did he realize that the place reeked of stale fox. Even Gideon's nose wrinkled upon realizing the scent was heavy and was all around him. He could only imagine what it must be like for Judy.
"Uh, can I get you something?" Gideon felt like a complete fool, listening to the words awkwardly tumble out of his mouth.
"Do you have any carrot soda?" Judy asked with a smile on her face.
"Sure! Uh, just gimme a sec…" Gideon rushed off to the kitchen, leaving Judy alone in the living room.
Looking around, Judy looked around the living room, noticing the little things such as the fact everything in the living room from the curtains, to the table and even the CRT TV all looked like they had a lot of years in them. Her eyes were drawn to the many marks littering the couch. Judging from the fact that most of the claw marks were on one side of the couch, Judy guessed that Gideon spent a lot of time on the couch, maybe even sleeping on it often.
Her musings were cut short by the ringing of Gideon's phone from the kitchen. The fox lifted his phone from his pocket and answered the call. "Hey, Travis! What's goin' on?"
"Hey, hey! Slow down I can't understand a word you're saying," the fox said, trying to listen closely to the frantic ferret. "Uh huh. Alright! W-wait…What?! When?! Are you alright?! Don't worry, I'll be right there!" Gideon yelled, hanging up the phone.
"Gideon, what's wrong?" Judy asked the fox as he returned to the living room. Her voice was calm but she could tell by the sound of Gideon's voice on the phone that something serious had happened.
"It's…It's..Ah, it's Travis! I mean my shop! Someone broke into it, Judy! I would really appreciate your help if…" Gideon stammered.
Judy nodded and turned back towards the front door. "Come on, Gideon. Let's go!" She dashed out the door with Gideon quickly following behind her.
"Man, this looks stupid as hell," Finnick grumbled, slipping the hood of his new costume over his head.
"Hmm. I kinda like it. Besides, we need to change up our look from time to time. I think the zebra will bring in just as much as the elephant," Nick smiled, watching Finnick zip up his new baby zebra costume.
"Yeah, I guess but does it have to be so—"
"Cute?" Nick interrupted. "Yeah, I know. Now, come here to daddy." He stretched his arms outwards towards the smaller fox.
"..Whatever," Finnick mumbled as he got close enough for Nick to lift him up.
"See? Was that so hard?" A sly grin spread across the red fox's muzzle as he gently placed Finnick in the stroller. "Besides it's not my fault you look so adorable."
"Hey! You're pushing it, Wilde!" Finnick barked.
"Alright, alright. Look, I'll even let you pick where we go today. Who's gonna be our lucky customers?" Nick offered.
"Well, shit. How about we go… Uh, how about we go to the street right outside the rainforest district. I heard there are a lot of animals out there that got nothing but money to burn," Finnick suggested.
"Hmm. It's a ways out, but you've never been wrong about one of these before. Heh, I bet we'll make a lot just from your looks alone," Nick thought aloud.
"That's fine with me. Money is money and if I can get it with my looks then it makes it all the easier," Finnick huffed through his costume.
"Yeah, let's go." Nick nodded before his phone began to ring from his pocket.
"Shit, Judy. H-hey, Judes. What's up? Alright. Okay. Uh, slow down. I can't understand a word you're saying. Wait, really? Alright, I guess I'll have to come down there. Yes, Judy I will… I'm not home right now. And by the sound of your voice I don't think I really have time to… Alright, alright. I'm coming!" Nick said before hanging up.
"Hey, Finnick. I'm really sorry, but Judy has this emergency that she needs me of all people to come down there for. Apparently blueberry boy got his shop broken into," Nick explained.
"What the fuck does the have to do with us?" Finnick asked, obviously pissed off.
"I don't even know. But I know if I don't help her out, she'll have Bogo on my ass. She will put her job before me if she has to," Nick explained, rubbing his temples.
"Well, guess we got no fucking choice then," Finnick grumbled, pulling back his hood of his costume. Nick pulled him out of the stroller and the two of them walked back to the van.
"I don't wanna do this either, y'know." Nick said in a condescending tone as he placed in the stroller in the back of the van.
"Well, this is the career you chose. This is what you wanted, right?" Finnick shot back as he climbed into the front seat.
"No, it isn't." Nick groaned.
"And this is why you should have come to me before you joined the fuzz. I could've slapped some sense into you before you signed that damn application," Finnick chuckled.
"Sometimes I wish you did…" Nick responded, chuckling at the thought of Finnick running out of nowhere, slapping the application out of his paws and then slapping him as well.
"Yeah, cause you know I would've slapped the shit out of you and then I would apologize after you regained consciousness," Finnick laughed, starting up the van.
Now both foxes were having a laughing fit in the front seats of the vehicle. These were the times that Nick loved Finnick the most, when the fennec would turn times he was feeling down or upset around with his jokes and insults so funny that Nick couldn't help but laugh. The two of them rode through Zootopia towards the outskirts where Gideon's shop was located.
"Alright, we're here." Finnick said, stopping the van just outside of the Gideon's shop. "Wait, wait. What is that sign called?"
Finnick pointed up to the shop name of Gideon's shop, already starting to giggle. Nick followed his pointing and read the sign aloud. "Gideon Grey's Real Go-Good Baked S-stuff."
Now Nick was also laughing at the absurdity of the shop name. He hoped that Gideon didn't come up with a name like that himself. But there was no way someone else would approve a name like that, leaving Gideon the sole culprit.
Below the sign was a huge hole in the storefront window, fragments of the broken glass littering the sidewalk in front.
"Damn, somebody fucked his shit all the way up," Finnick commented as he gazed at the damage.
Nick climbed out of the van and spotted Judy surveying the damage. "Hey, Judes! I really hope this is important."
"Important?! Nick, look at the damage in front of you!" Judy pointed at the broken window, looking truly taken aback by the fox's words.
"Uh, yeah. I've done worse," Nick scoffed, earning a glare from the bunny.
"W-when I was a teenager," The fed fox quickly added, taking a step back.
"Way worse," Finnick added.
"What is he doing here?" Judy asked with no conflict against Finnick, but then general knowledge that the fennec was standing around in a crime scene bothered her.
"Well, Finnick and I were in the middle of…something before you called. And plus since he actually owns the van; and also plus, since he won't let me drive he had to come," Nick explained with a sly grin from both him and Finnick.
"Alright, but he'll have to stay out of the way," Judy sighed.
"You know 'he'll' has a name," Finnick smirked, taking a step forward.
"I mean it, Finnick!" Judy urged.
"Alright, alright," Finnick shrugged, turning around to the van.
"So what's the sum of it all?" Nick asked Judy.
"Well, it seems that whoever did this left a thorough job. But they didn't take any money, but they took all the pots, pans and silverware, though." Judy explained.
"That's it?" Nick snickered, but quickly straightened up when Judy shot him a stern look.
"Yes… But, doesn't that seem weird to you? Of all things in that shop they took only metal stuff? Who would do something like that?" Judy thought aloud.
"Some people just like metal stuff. Maybe it was a junkie trying to sell it off to a recycling plant," Finnick answered.
"Thanks for that, Finny." Nick chuckled. "Look, Judes. I gotta be a hundred percent honest with you; I don't think this 'case' is for me," He admitted, crossing his arms.
"And why not?" Judy asked, stomping her foot on the ground.
"I feel like this case is…out of my skill range," Nick lied, knowing full and well that he just plain felt like the case was just a dumb waste of his time.
"Aw, come on, Nick. With your expertise in all things criminal, I know we can get to the bottom of this one easily," Judy beamed.
This time Judy failed to sway the fox with her optimistic words. Nick respected and even admired her never ending determination to see any job through, no matter how small the job may be.
"Eh, I don't know how, Judy." Nick sighed. "And besides, I still got stuff to do with Finnick…But I think I know someone who can help you out."
"Uh, alright." Judy agreed, not fully understanding.
"Thanks, Jude." Nick smiled and turned to Finnick.
"Well, now that it's settled…You wanna get back to the ol' grind?" Nick calmly asked Finnick.
"Mmm. Sure," Finnick agreed as Nick climbed into the passenger seat.
"I'll call you later, Judy!" Nick called as they drove away.
"What was that all about?", Gideon asked, walking out of his shop.
"Not entirely sure," Judy answered, shaking her head.