Zootopia: The Tail of Jack Hopps

Chapter 1

The wail of the police siren echoed through the practically empty roads of Zootopia while the flashing red and blue lights illuminated the shadows that arrived as soon as it became nighttime. As some nocturnal predators and prey walked up and down the sidewalks, happy to be up and about for once, the police car whose siren was currently on zoomed down the street.

Inside it were the ZPD's newest and best cops; Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps, who was currently behind the wheel as they made their way towards their destination.

"Ok, we're almost there." Judy informed her partner.

"Great, but uh… you mind if I ask a question?" Nick inquired.

"Sure, go ahead." Judy shrugged, casually.

"Exactly why are we going to a flower shop in the middle of the night again? I forgot." The fox admitted.

The bunny's face fell flat before she sighed and face palmed in annoyance. "Nick, were you even paying attention to what Bogo was saying?"

"Of course not." Nick replied.

Judy groaned, aggravated. "Well, to recap; Bogo said that they got a call about a supposed intruder at a ferret's flower shop in Savvana Central and since most of the other officers are asleep, he picked us." Judy stated. "Ring a bell?"

"Vaguely, yes." Nick nodded. "And you know… I think he's actually starting to warm up to me."

"Not unless you keep acting like you're paying attention during the briefings." Judy pointed out. "And if it looks like he's gonna yell at you for it, don't count on me to save you."

"Ah, relax, you know me, I got it under control." Nick assured her, confidently. "Besides, I have full confidence that even if that were to happen you'd save me anyway."

The bunny raised a brow. "Oh? You think so?"

"Yep." Nick smiled. "Don't forget; I know you pretty well too."

Judy couldn't help but smile at that before refocusing her attention back on the road. "Ok, let's go over what were gonna do once we get there,"

"Which is…?"

"If there is an intruder, we stay quiet, try to sneak up on him or her and if it looks like we're out of our league we call for backup."

"And if there isn't… we go home and catch a movie?"

Judy's face fell again. "No. We check to see what made the ferret think it was an intruder."

"Right, even better…" Nick said, sarcastically.

"Just be on guard if there is one." Judy told him.

Nick saluted her. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good." Judy said, pleased as she stepped on the pedal and zoomed faster towards their destination.

The pair soon parked their squad car in front of the shop and approached the door before knocking on it. The owner of the flower shop, which also appeared to be a home as well, a ferret, opened the door a crack and was a bit startled when he saw the two cops.

"Hello sir, I'm Officer Hopps, this is my partner Officer Wilde, we're here about the possible intrusion of your shop?" Judy said.

"Oh! Yes! Thank goodness you've come!" The ferret breathed in relief as he opened the door fully for them, so that they could enter.

"So, sir, when did you first suspect that there was an intruder where you worked?" Judy inquired, taking out a notepad and her carrot pen.

"And sleep, apparently…" Nick added as he held up an apparently smelly shirt with a disgusted look on his mug.

"Uh, yes, um… right around the time I started hearing… very odd noises." The flower shop owner revealed.

Judy tilted her head a bit in surprise. "Noises? What noises?"

Then a strange noise was then heard in another part of the store, spooking them all and making them turn in the direction of yet, but none of them could pinpoint exactly where the sound was coming from, not even Judy with her super hearing, due to the shop being full of echoes.

"Uh… you all heard that too… right?" Nick inquired.

"What was that?" Judy wondered.

"That's the noise I was telling you about!" The ferret said, panicky.

More sounds then began to go off all over the shop, and as they continued, Judy and Nick's uneasiness grew and no amount of words or comfort could stop either of them from shaking fearfully.

Suddenly, loud wails met Judy and Nick's ears, surprising them both her greatly.

"What the…?" Nick remarked

Judy then listened closely. "Is that a… baby?"

Nick turned to the ferret. "Uh… you sure someone didn't leave their baby here by accident when you were closing up?"

"No! There-there wasn't anything here, or anyone! No baby, nothing!" The ferret stated, fearfully. "Besides, who would leave behind a baby, anyway? Huh?"

"Can't argue with that logic." Nick admitted.

"Then… how did a baby get here?" Judy asked.

"I don't know! Honest!" The shop owner insisted. "Like I said; those noises just came out of nowhere!"

"Noises don't just appear out of nowhere…" Judy muttered as she began thinking. "So who or what could have…"

"Ok, I can't believe I'm saying this, but uh… instead of contemplating it, why don't we go actually see what it is?" Nick offered.

"Good idea. Come on." Judy said as she began to lead the way with Nick following her close behind.

Judy and Nick soon found themselves in a part of the store where the more exotic flowers were kept, with moonlight shining on some of them from the small windows. Judy glanced around but saw no one around.

"Uh… hello?" she called out. There was no answer, for some reason the cries had stopped. "Anybody here?"

The bunny continued to gaze around, cautiously minding her surroundings. While the crying seemed to have stopped she knew deep in her heart, that it the source of it was close by. They crept slowly and quickly while turning their heads left and right while holding their breath, not wanting to scare whatever it was off without knowing what it was just yet.

"Uh… carrots?" Nick spoke up.

"Yeah?" Judy responded.

"Isn't this usually the part… where the psycho killer appears from behind and kills someone?"

"Nick, that's a movie, this is real."

"Which only makes it worse."

"Oh, stop being a baby…"

The cries suddenly restarted once more, startling them and causing them to freeze up the second they heard it.

"Sure I can't be scared now?" Nick inquired, nervous.

Judy began to use her ears to pinpoint the sound till eventually she turned to Nick. "It's coming from over there," she whispered as she began to move on ahead with Nick following her and nibbling at his claws.

The two went around another corner and right away they both spotted something at the very end of the path; a small wooden basket just sitting there between two plants.

"Now what do we have here?" Judy muttered to herself, as she approached the basket.

Once she got close enough and stopped at the basket she could hear the cries coming from the basket clearly and could also see something small, roughly about the size of a kit or another small animal, with four limbs wiggling around and crying underneath what appeared to be a blanket.

"Uh… is there something alive under there?" Nick remarked.

"Well… the crying is coming from it so…" Judy began as she slowly reached for the blanket and pulled it off wiggling creature and she and Nick were greatly surprised by what they found underneath.

The creature had absolutely no fur, except for the small amount of top of its head and had pink skin. It also possessed a small muzzle, blue eyes and had five fingers on the end of each of its paws. The creature also only wore a single diaper and she assumed it to be a male due to observation though neither wasn't fully sure.

The two cop didn't have a clue what to do or what to make of the situation, especially Judy, she was completely lost in thought while the little creature before her just blinked at her with a blank expression of its face.

Judy continued to stare at the creature befuddled and he continued to stare stared back at her.

"Ok… I give up, what is that?" Nick asked, pointing at the creature.

"I have no idea… I've never seen a mammal like this before." Judy admitted.

"If it is a mammal." Nick pointed out.

"Something tells me that he is…" Judy mused as she got closer to the creature.

"Careful! We don't know if it bites!" Nick warned her.

"It's a he, Nick." Judy told him, firmly. "And look at him; he doesn't have any teeth. I really don't think he's dangerous."

"Looks can be deceiving." Nick reminded her.

Judy ignored him and locked eyes with the creature before waving and smiling a nervous smile. "Uh… hi there!" she said. The creature just blinked at her and didn't responded. "What are you doing here? How did you get here? Can you understand me?"

It became quickly apparent to Judy that the creature could not talk, only babble unintelligibly at her. . The duo exchanged confused looks before Judy reached forward and tickled his belly with one of her fingers, making him laugh again, which made her laugh also.

"He's so soft and… squishy." Judy remarked.

"Of course he is, he doesn't have any fur." Nick pointed out. "And you thought the animals at the Naturalist Club were naked. This… this is just disturbing."

"Nick, don't be like that." Judy scolded before glancing at the smiling little creature again, fondly.

"But Carrots, we don't know what he even is. He could be… radioactive, or something." Nick said.

"You ready way too many comics." Judy rolled her eyes.

"So, what's your point?" Nick inquired, not getting it.

Judy resumed staring at the creature again and as she did so, a familiar feeling began to resonate within her, along with a certain memory; the memory of seeing yet another batch of new baby siblings gazing up at her just like this creature was. It was then that she gained a good idea of what they were dealing with.

"I think… I think it's a baby of some kind," she realized.

"A baby?" Nick echoed, surprised before looking at the little creature again, who seemed to look at him curiously. "Well, that would explain the diaper. Which I am not changing by the way."

"Oh, grow up." Judy said, rolling her eyes in annoyance before gaining a look of concern on her face. "I wonder where his parent's are…?"

Nick then began to look worried also as he wondered that same thought. "You don't think they could have left him here, do you?" he asked.

"That's horrible!" Judy gasped in horror. "Who would leave their own baby behind?"

"Now, now, Carrots, calm down, we don't know anything yet." Nick reminded her. "Now they could have left him here or something could have happened to them."

"Yeah… but either way… he's alone." Judy noted, sadly with tears forming in her eyes. She then noticed the little guy shivering as he felt a slight breeze blow by, which made Judy's heart ache and her ears droop. She then got an idea before covering her face for one second and then revealing it. "Peek-a-boo!"

This seemed to make the little guy laugh a cute little laugh as Judy covered her face again and showed it a few second later.

"Peek-a-boo!" she said, the baby laughed even more this time and watching him suck his thumb while staring and cooing at her made Judy smiled a big and warm smile. Having made up her mind, she began to reach towards the baby with both paws.

"Uh… Carrots? What are you doing?" Nick asked, surprised.

"We're taking him with us, that's what." Judy stated, firmly as she put both her paws on the baby's waist and prepared to pick him up. The baby's eyes widened as he stared at her while she gently lift him out of the basket.

It was then, as she briefly held him above her head, that she felt just how heavy the baby and it much more then what a baby bunny weighed so she struggled somewhat to hold him in her paws. But luckily, Judy was stronger then she looked and was able to keep herself from buckling under the baby's weight, though she couldn't hold him in the air for long and had to let him rest on her shoulder for a second.

"Whoo… he's a heavy one…" she remarked as she held him in front of her while the little baby began to babble while drool dripped from his mouth.

"Not to mention slobbery…" Nick pointed out a little grossed out.

Judy then whipped the saliva from his mouth, the feeling of her fur brushing against it made the little guy laugh before feeling her face with its chubby little paws, looking very curious and playful.

"Aw… he's adorable!" The bunny gushed.

"A little weird, yes, but… yeah, I guess he is kinda cute. Hope he doesn't mind being called that." Nick said.

"Something tells me he won't." Judy admitted.

"If you say so. Now the real question is… what do we do with him?" Nick asked.

"Easy, we report to Bogo and talk to him about this little guy, see what he thinks." Judy stated.

"Yeah, that'll be fun…" Nick remarked, sarcastically. "Hey, I'm gonna go let that ferret know that everything's cool, he's probably freaking out back there."

"Ok. Meet you outside." Judy inquired.

"Sure thing." Nick nodded before turning and leaving Judy alone with the unknown baby mammal, whose legs were now wrapped around her chest and his little paws on her shoulder.

"So… what are we gonna do with you?" she asked it, even though she knew he couldn't answer.

The baby just cooed and then let out a long and cute yawn before wrapping his arms around her tighter and putting his head on her shoulder and falling asleep, much to her surprise, though she quickly accepted it and that's when she felt her heart beating faster as she smiled brightly. She wrapped her arms around the creature and pressed him against her chest tightly as she rocked him gently.

"Sssh, there you go…" The bunny said, soothingly before turning and beginning to walk away also, with the creature sucking his own thumb as he continued to rest on her. "You'll be alright… I promise…"

As she left with the baby in tow, she failed to notice that at the spot where they found him, little sparks of energy started to pop up briefly before fading away in an instant.