-Boxes-
A cool mist hung over the parking as Nick and Judy sat in their cruiser. While they were used to the occasional early shift this was something else entirely. The sun had not even begun to rise over the series of training fields and even Judy had to agree with Nick that it was almost criminal having training this early.
After their interview, which had not exactly gone to plan, the two had been rushed through a kind of preparation process for their training.
Apparently, there would normally be 2 weeks between the interview and training. Gear would be acquired, shifts would be traded and covered, and anything related to Judy and Nick's positions as officers would be transitioned out as they prepared for their new role.
Instead, they had been told in a rather cold manner to report on Monday at the tactical training facility at 0400 and await further instructions.
This meant the two had to wake up especially early in order to get to the ZPD and pick up a vehicle and then drive roughly an hour outside the city.
The thought of training at the ZPD tactical facility though had given Judy some hope.
While the ZPA had some great facilities it paled in comparison to the tactical facility.
The tactical facility, or Tac site as some called it, had to be away from the city mainly due to all the odd training that would take place.
Heavy weapons cert, advanced crash training, explosive detection, the list of classes was enough to make most officers drool with envy.
Nick however had kept his normally cool demeanor while Judy gushed over all the training they could get at the Tac site.
That was until they had arrived.
A series of tall street lights cast the parking lot and surrounding area in a warm glow, other than that the facility looked deserted. Save for a lone ZPD truck.
Unlike the academy, the Tac facility did not have housing on site. Mainly due to the fact that most of the mammals coming to train there had already been through the academy and were visiting for some kind of advanced specialty training.
The lack of activity concerned Judy who had wondered if they had missed something.
Maybe they were supposed to arrive next Monday, or maybe they were at the wrong place, or maybe-
"Finally," Nick grumbled from the driver's seat as he nodded at a pair of lights approaching from the main road.
"Someone is eager to start training," Judy teased, knowing full well the exact opposite was true.
"Someone is eager to get this done and curl up in bed," Nick chuckled as he took a long swig from his Buckbucks coffee cup.
The fox set the cup down and proceeded to exit the cruiser.
Judy did the same and stretched her arms before fixing her shirt.
Since the training was so last minute neither Nick nor Judy had been given uniforms yet. Due to the fact they were some of the smallest mammals to join the team, it meant their uniforms had to be custom ordered.
Judy had managed to look somewhat professional having gone with a pair of blue BDU pants and a dark blue ZPD t-shirt.
Nick on the other paw had gone a different route.
While Judy had convinced him to wear some proper pants the fox had still gone with his signature green pawiian shirt.
At least he left the tie back at his apartment.
The headlights they had spotted earlier made a lazy arc as they entered the parking lot and drove in Judy and Nick's direction.
The vehicle turned at the last minute and parked a few spots down from Nick and Judy's cruiser right under one of the street lights.
Judy noticed that this was another ZPD cruiser similar to their own.
Would think they would be in a K-9 cruiser.
The new vehicle shut off and a second later two canines stepped out of the vehicle.
A painted dog in green BDUs and matching olive green shirt stepped out of the driver seat and yawned before smiling at Judy and waving eagerly.
Judy couldn't help but smile back at the stranger.
Another mammal on the other side of the vehicle came into view.
It was a gray timber wolf who, like Nick, had a large Buckbucks coffee cup in his paw.
"I'm calling the ZPD union about how criminal it is to train this early," the wolf grumbled.
"I don't mind mornings, it's kinda calm and cool, plus the dew on the grass is so neat and refreshing to the paws. It reminds me of when I was a pup-" the female painted dog said in rapid succession.
As the painted canine continued to talk the wolf casually walked over and then did something rather surprising.
He reached out, wrapped his paws around the painted dog's muzzle, and then squeezed so the smaller canine had to stop talking.
Well, she didn't exactly stop talking, but her words were now muffled as her tail-wagger rapidly behind her.
"Guess you can see why we are a minute or two late," the wolf said slyly. "Ember here has a way with words...and by that I mean she doesn't shut up."
Judy snickered as she watched the painted female out both paws on her hips and glare up at the larger canine, only for expression to immediately soften as she wiggled in place.
"Oh trust me I know the feeling," Nick chimed in which was immediately met by a slug in the arm by Judy. "Ack! See and she hits me. Wanna trade partners?"
Another slap on the arm from Judy made everyone share a laugh.
"Think it might be hard for two detectors to work together. Unless you are the handler and your bunny partner has a sharp sense of smell."
Nick raised a brow before shaking his head, "yeah I guess so."
"So you are the detector?" Judy asked as she smiled up at the wolf who nodded.
"Names Ace and this bundle of energy is Ember."
"Nice to meet you, I'm Judy and this morning mammal is Nick."
"Morning mammal," Nick grumbled under his breath before taking another sip of coffee.
Ember tried to speak but Ace still had a paw on her muzzle. She glared up at the wolf who finally let go, which opened up the floodgates.
"Well of course you're Judy Hopps, I mean unless we hired another bunny but I think that would have made the ZNN or at least the ZPD newsletter. No offense but there still aren't a ton of bunnies in our industry unless you count dispatch which I kind of do because they are just as important as-"
Ace slowly and calmly put his paw back around Ember's muzzle, silencing the painted chatterbox once more.
Judy giggled which made Ember gaze over at the doe with her warm amber eyes. Her tail wiggled and she gave the bunny an eye roll before letting out a sigh.
"So," Ace said before taking another sip from his cup and looking around. "Looks like we have a packed class."
Judy crossed her arms and stared around the vacant lot as well, her foot starting to tap impatiently.
"Well we must be in the right place, otherwise we would be the only ones here," Judy pointed out.
"Did your all's emails say anything specific?" Ace asked, finally letting go of Ember's muzzle.
"Just to meet here at 0400…" Judy said, trailing off as she noticed someone approaching from a series of shipping containers by one of the training fields.
Everyone else picked up on her gaze and looked over at the mammal slowly limping their way.
A gray timber wolf slowly materialized into view, passing under one of the towering streetlamps that surrounded the parking lot.
From the looks of it the wolf wasn't exactly in the best mood, a scowl on his muzzle and his narrowed eyes told them all he was not the type to mess with right now.
The wolf continued to limp in their direction, eyeing the odd assortment of officers as he approached.
He stopped and put his paws on his hips before speaking.
"Alright, the field is unlocked, training locker is funny locked, not sure why you all just had to come out this early but…" the wolf trailed off as he looked around the confused faces. "Wait...your all K-9 right?"
"Well we just got hired and-" Ember began to explain.
"Wait new hires? What in the world are you all doing here?"
"We were told to be here for training at 0400," Ace pointed out.
The wolf's expression softened before he threw his head back and let out a loud laugh.
When he looked back at the other mammals he had to wipe a tear from his eyes.
"Wow, you must have ticked someone off to have them start you this early," The wolf chuckled.
Several uneasy looks were exchanged before the new arrival raised a paw.
"I am just messing with ya, the big wigs are just trying out something new I am sure," the wolf caught his breath before his eyes widened. "How rude of me, the names Ty, I normally work at the armory in precinct 2 but I also assist in maintaining the training fields here at the Playground."
"The playground?" Ember asked with a smirk.
"I mean where else do you get to use all the fun toys?" Ty chuckled before glancing over at Judy who had a pensive look on her face. "How does the vest fit officer Hopps?"
Judy felt a wave of relief with a slight pang of guilt as she suddenly realized why the wolf looked so familiar.
They had only met once in passing but it had been a unique experience.
Ty was the one who had helped get Judy equipped for her first week at the ZPD.
Being a bunny meant that she couldn't exactly use standard issues gear which was far too large for her.
This meant everything on her uniform had to be custom-made.
While some mammals would have simply shrugged her off Ty had greeted the challenge of making a bunny-sized uniform vest with vigor.
He had been rather proud of his work when presenting the vest to Judy who had been ecstatic about the protective bit of equipment.
"Ty! Oh gosh, I didn't recognize you," Judy admitted as she smacked a paw to her forehead.
Ty chuckled, "probably the fur, started graying out a couple weeks back."
"Well you still look fit," Judy pointed out.
"Has that handsome dignified aged look," Ember piped up.
"Ladies please, I am taken," The wolf chuckled before letting out a cough which was soon followed by two more. The wolf took a second to pay himself on the chest before looking around. A concerned expression came across the canine's face as he furrowed his brow. "So besides reporting at an ungodly hour what else did they tell you?"
Judy looked over at Nick who shrugged, the two then looked over at Ember and Ace who had equally worried looks.
Ty let out a low hum as he looked between the two pairs of new teams. He then held up a paw and pulled out a cellphone from his green BDU pants.
He stared at the screen for a second, the time was a glow on the screen showing it was still only 0410.
"Well, whoever is late is the reason I have to do this I guess," Ty grumbled as he began to fidget with the small device before bringing it close to his muzzle.
There were 3 rings before an annoyed voice came over the phone.
"What's up Ty?" The voice asked and though they tried to sound friendly it was obvious they did not exactly enjoy being woken up.
"Hey, Tak so I have your new hires here at the playground but no trainer has shown up."
"What? Why are the new hires at the playground?"
Someone spoke up in the background of the call which made Ty look around nervously, a smirk on his muzzle.
Judy's ears perked up as she heard a male voice chatting with Tak on the other side of the line. She becoming particularly intrigued when she heard a name: Hopps.
"Oh ok, well Ty we are going to have you run them for now until we figure out what we are going to do with them," Tak responded, obviously stifling a yawn.
Ty's eyes went wide and he looked at the recruits.
"Excuse me?"
"Just make them run some drills or something, I am sure we will figure something out for their program. To be honest, Ember was a favor hire and that bunny won't-"
"Does she know she's on speaker?" Nick asked rather loudly which nearly caused Ty to drop his phone.
"What was that?" Tak asked, sounding concerned.
"Nothing Tak," Ty said as he made a slicing signal towards Nick. "Um last I checked I was taken off the trainer roster and you didn't want-"
"We have a problem here Ty?" Tak asked in a low growl.
Ty's eyes twitched and Judy was surprised to see the old wolf tense up as he bared his canines.
"No, no problem at all."
He didn't wait for any further instruction and simply pressed the hang-up button on his phone before looking at the others. His eyes eventually going to Judy.
It was no surprise to see all of them looking a little down.
Judy couldn't help it as her ears drooped.
Sure this had only recently become a dream of hers but it still felt like a punch to the gut knowing that a few of them had been written off already.
"Normally it takes a new team around 6 months to learn that our leadership team is a bunch of brain-dead idiots," Ty said with a chuckle.
Everyone froze in surprise and looked at the old wolf as he folded his arms.
"Looks like you lot are ahead of the curve now."
"Well I am pretty sharp after my coffee," Nick said snarkily as he sipped at his Buckbucks cup once more.
"So this is pretty much a waste of time," Ace growled as he drained his own coffee cup. He looked over at Ember who looked to be hurting the most out of the bunch. Her ears were low and her tail remained perfectly still behind her. "Hey now, don't look so down, we are still partners, after all, we can just go back to patrol work."
"And why in the world would you go back to patrol work?" Ty asked as he began to scroll through his phone. "Last I checked you have been placed in my capable paws and I have no intention of letting you down."
All eyes went back to the wolf.
Nick glanced at The before smirking over at Judy.
"He sounds like you," the fox said with a chuckle as Judy rolled her eyes.
"I take that as a compliment," Ty said with a smug smile, his eyes glancing over at Judy who beamed.
Ty found a number he was looking for on his phone and held up a digit as he strolled casually away, leaning up against Ace and Ember's squad car as he listened to a series of rings play over his speaker.
Judy looked out at the training fields, the sky above them starting to turn from a dark navy to a warm baby blue as the sun prepared to rise.
"You have been oddly quiet," Nick said as he gave his partner a gentle nudge.
Judy blinked before glancing up at Nick, she didn't even try to bother hiding the disappointment she was feeling, he would have seen right through her anyways.
"Just a little annoying ya know," Judy grumbled. "You would think the Missing Mammals case would have eliminated such speciest ideas."
"Speciest?" Nick asked with a raised brow.
"Nick look around," Judy pointed out. "It's obvious that they think some of you belong here while some of us don't."
The fox glanced at the others before looking down at his partner, "All I see are 4 officers who were tricked into waking up this early and one stubborn old dog who normally wakes up this early."
"I heard that!" Ty barked from his spot in the parking lot.
Judy smirked as Nick winced, not daring to look back at Ty.
"Thanks, Slick," Judy said with a sigh. "Sometimes I just need a reminder-"
"Of how you caused a bunch of protests and nearly brought the city down because of an interview?" Nick asked, causing Judy's eyes to go wide. "You think they all remember that too?"
Judy waved her paws and started to shake her head but Nick was already turning around.
"Hey, do you all remember-?" Nick began but Judy suddenly jumped on the fox's back and clasped his muzzle shut with her paws.
Ty was too busy on his phone call but Ember and Ace turned to look at the fox and bunny duo and laugh.
"See I am not the only one that muzzles their partner," Ace pointed out, causing Ember to let out a gasp of annoyance and slap the larger canine on the chest.
Judy remained on Nick's back, her head resting on one of the fox's shoulders as she kept her paws on his muzzle. She smirked as she felt Nick's free paw hold up one of her legs which was now wrapped around the fox's waist.
Moments like this were just made all the problems of the day just melt away.
For a moment the doe forgot all about the phone call she had overheard. Even if things didn't work out she would still have Nick as a partner and they could just go back to making Zootopia a better place one call at a time.
The group's antics came to an end however when Ty hung up on his phone and strolled over, looking rather pleased with himself.
"So I called in a few favors and we will have a team come out and meet us to help run drills and show you all some techniques to start becoming the K-9s I know you can be."
"Anyone, we know?" Ace asked as he smirked at the news.
"Nick probably does," Judy chuckled as she looked over at her sly partner. "What was it again? You know everyone."
"He actually does know them," Ty interrupted with a smile. "And apparently so do you."
Judy's ears went up as she tilted her head before a look of realization came over her.
"Oh no...not those two.." Nick grumbled as he rolled his eyes. "Ty please tell me it's not-"
"It doesn't count as a hug unless it lasts at least 30 seconds Nick!" Delta shouted as he leaned against his K-9 vehicle.
Nick shouted something the others couldn't exactly hear due to the fact he was clear on the other side of the parking lot.
The reason for this had been the fox making a mad dash when Delta and his partner Atom had finally arrived at the Playground.
While Delta was a bit of a jokester he was rather calm and collected. His partner on the other paw was always extremely energetic and affectionate.
As soon as Delta had put his vehicle into park a light-furred painted dog bolted out of the passenger side of the vehicle, darting for Judy before plucking her off the ground and wrapping her into a warm hug.
The doe laughed as she was lifted off her large feet and twirled around, the painted dog currently holding her close burying his head between the bunny's ears and letting out a happy snort.
Ember and Ace, who had actually not met Atom before, received a similar greeting. The painted dog in half BDUs not seeming to care as he hurried over and gave each recruit a hug.
When he finally let go of Ace's waist, the old wolf laughing as he patted the smaller canine on the back, Atom looked around frantically as his nose twitched rapidly.
His eyes fell on Nick who was hiding behind his and Judy's cruiser.
The fox's bright green eyes widened when he realized he had been spotted.
Everyone laughed as they watched the fox hurry down the parking lot, an open-armed Atom snorting as he chased after the vulpine.
Eventually, Atom returned, his arm wrapped over Nick's shoulder.
The fox was at least a good sport and even smiled as he gave Atom a pat on the shoulder before strolling over to Judy.
"So the bosses screwed up again?" Delta asked as the canines and bunny gathered around in a loose circle.
"No comment," Ty chuckled.
"Oh I got comments," Delta grumbled. He then looked around the group of new arrivals. He studied each of them individually before he continued. "So you are now getting a brief taste of what it's like being a K-9 team in this operation. The leadership, or whatever they call themselves, do this a lot."
Everyone shifted nervously.
Delta made eye contact with Judy and his lips curled, "But I promise you that you won't find a more tight-knit team of mammals in any other department. We look out for each other. It doesn't matter if you are a handler, a detector, or one of our support team. We all step up when called to help."
The mood seemed to lighten slightly, everyone becoming a little more excited at Delta's tone.
"So I am here to make a deal on behalf of the true K-9 Teams here in Zootopia. If you are willing to work hard, listen, and help out your team then we will make sure you are never alone and will be there for you no matter what."
Judy glanced around as everyone nodded in agreement.
"Hey, Judy did you see that?" Delta asked which caused the doe to look up at the grinning painted dog, her head tilting in slight confusion as her ears went up. "That's how you make a speech without causing a riot."
Judy blinked a few times before letting her jaw slowly fall open.
Delta slowly turned and began to jog away, laughing as he looked over his shoulders.
The other canines joined in as they watched Judy dart after the painted dog. Her teeth gritted into an evil grin.
"Come back here Delta! I have something important to tell you!" The doe lied as she began to catch up with the predator.
Once Delta had been put into his place and introductions had been made Delta helped Ty get a series of boxes from a shipping container with K-9 written in giant letters on the side.
They then drove Delta and Atom's vehicle onto a grassy field, everyone else flowing on foot with Atom actually carrying Judy on his shoulders.
The sun was now rising over the horizon and the fields were covered by the warm sunshine.
When they arrived at the edge of the field Delta and Ty began to unload the boxes in a straight line.
Everyone chatted and watched before Delta trotted to the back of his truck.
The back door was open and Judy caught a glimpse of a series of black metal boxes. All of them were labeled with the various types of equipment inside.
Delta opened one and pulled out a small airtight case from one of the boxes before putting a set of blue gloves on his paws.
Judy's nose wiggled as she stared at the painted dog who opened the airtight case and began to mess with something just out of view.
"Alright, everyone! Gather round!" Ty barked which made everyone hurry over.
"Alright gang, so unfortunately I don't have the starter training aids," Delta began as he finished with what he was doing. He turned and held up a metal cylinder with a series of holes in the side. "This right here is the stinkiest odor I have right now but even then it's borderline trace so if you have trouble with it don't worry, practice makes perfect "
Ty grinned before taking over, "Today is not about finding the smallest odor you can. It's about establishing the Handler Detector bond and relationship."
Judy grinned when she felt Nick give her a nudge.
"Oh finally, a relationship I can tell my mom about!" Ember teased which made Ace close his eyes and chuckle.
Even Ty smirked before he continued, "Delta here is going to work with you Handlers and give you tips on how to set up training while the detectors hang out with Atom and me."
"Before I do," Delta said as he held the cylinder up. "Detectors, take a whiff."
Nick and Ace both looked at one another, the wolf nodding to the fox who then turned to Delta and took a step forward. He looked at Delta who gave him an encouraging nod.
Judy watched as Nick closed his eyes and took a long sniff of the cylinder.
"Smell familiar?" Delta asked with a sly grin.
Nick nodded.
"It's the base compound you sniffed out at the Rainforest center."
"Awww, no fair, Nick has a head start," Ember chuckled.
Ace took a turn sniffing the cylinder, looking a little hesitant at first but he nodded nonetheless before Delta looked at Ember and Judy, giving the ladies a nod for them to follow him.
Delta turned towards the boxes and began to trot over. Judy and Ember stepped forward and followed the painted dog, hurrying to catch up.
"So you are going to have to try and set up training daily at first," Delta explained. "It will help them develop their noses for what we want them to find."
Judy and Ember hung onto every word as Delta spoke.
He proceeded to explain how they would always wear gloves so they didn't put their own scent all over the training aids, how to best hide the aids, how often they should train, and even a few locations throughout the city they could practice.
"If you ever have downtime don't hesitate to call in that you are doing some quick training. Sometimes Atom and I will be at a shopping mall and talk to the owners who let us set up under a vehicle or even in a shop. Every day is a good day to practice. Oh and if you are sharing a district with another team keep them posted. They may be looking to join the training or already have something set up."
"Is that how Atom got so good?" Judy asked as she watched Delta take the small cylinder and hide it under one of the boxes.
The painted dog snorted as he looked up at the bunny from his spot on the grass.
"Don't let him hear that now, his ego is already so big he has trouble getting through doors."
The girls both giggled as Delta stood up and brushed the grass from his BDUs.
"Now don't let them ever see where you hid it, otherwise it's not really training. They have to do this themselves when they train but when we are working a call with them you do everything you can to help them."
The girls fell silent and looked rather serious as they listened.
"Push comes to shove, they are the most important thing in your world, you got that? I don't care if you have a fight the day before or you aren't feeling well. When on a call…" Delta looked over at the truck where the others stood, the detectors facing away from the boxes so they didn't know where the aid was hidden. "It's just you and them. So protect them."
Judy felt her heart skip a beat as she looked over at her fox, his russet-colored fur blowing in the slight breeze.
"Hey, no cheating on the wind!" Delta shouted which made all the detectors tense up. Delta grinned as he looked down at Judy. "I doubt it will matter but sometimes it's fun making them jump "
As it turned out the training aid had to "sit" for a bit, the odor spreading out from the cylinder to mimic an explosive device.
"Isn't it bad the longer it sits though? Like shouldn't we try and find it quickly?" Ember asked.
"Are you in a rush to get close to a bomb?" Delta chuckled, causing his fellow painted dog to look nervous. "Take your time, don't rush or you might miss something, and when it comes to some training aids they need to be exposed to the air for a bit. This is a trace amount after all...would not even be a bottle rocket's worth of bang."
Once a few minutes had passed Delta and Atom stepped forward. Atom doing a series of odd stretches before Delta turned to the class.
"So we are going to show you how to do a low find, then we will rotate the box so the detectors do not know where it is," Delta began. "Ty, you mind explaining what we are doing?"
Ty grinned and gave the painted dog a nod. He then turned to the others.
"While K-9 training has changed through the years one thing stays true and that is how we first start out training you all. This is not just about finding the bomb but also creating a closely bonded team."
Judy watched as Atom actually got on all fours and wiggled his rear as he stared at the boxes. Oddly enough Delta did the same, his head close to the other painted dog as he whispered something into Atom's ears.
"Oh..wow...umm.." Ace mumbled as he watched. "All fours? Bit...old school."
"This is how our ancestors worked," Ty chuckled. "And it's also how we work sometimes. You need to throw pride out the window. Embrace your more primitive side because it's those ancestral senses that we are trying to use. Canines were made for this."
Atom suddenly sprung into action, literally running on all fours as he charged at the boxes.
Watching an animal act so primitive was a little awkward to watch at first.
They had all evolved to walking on two paws that seeing someone use all four was a little odd.
Atom approached the first box and began to sniff loudly as he checked the corners.
Judy glanced at Nick and realized the fox was looking a little nervous. Was he worried about missing the device or that he would have to be seen like this by others?
Atom continued, to the next box, then the next, until he finally reached the box with the aid in it.
The painted dog tensed up and his tail wagged from side to side rapidly. His breathing increasing until he finally stood up, brushed his paws, and then struck a pose while pointing down at the box that had the device hidden inside.
While no actual explosion went off Judy still nearly jumped at what happened next.
"AWOOOOOOO! That's my boy!" Delta hollered as he charged Atom.
Judy was dumbfounded as Delta ran forward and wrapped Atom in a hug, actually lifting his partner into the air and spinning him around.
Atom meanwhile snorted while putting his paws together and shaking them like some kind of sports star.
"Another thing," Ty chuckled. "When you find the aid you tell the trainer. At which point the handler-"
"Best detector ever!" Delta shouted, drowning out Ty.
"-Will praise their partner."
"Is all that really necessary?" Nick asked with a nervous chuckle.
"Studies have been done on this Wilde, it is very necessary for Hopps to shower you with embarrassing levels of praise if you find the aid."
"Ummm...not that I don't mind being loud," Ember chuckled. "Why though?"
"It's another part of our canine ancestry," Ty began as Delta fell over in the grass, still holding onto Atom who wiggled and snorted. "We are pack mammals. Or at the very least family mammals. We want to work with others or with a small tight-knit group. By being praised it actually helps strengthen the bond."
The two teams looked a little hesitant but Ty just smiled, "Listen you don't have to go crazy like those two. It will do you good though to get a little praise."
Nick glanced down at Judy, a worried expression on his muzzle.
Judy however looked especially pleased about all this, which made Nick worry even more.
"So now that you have seen how it's done, any volun-" Ty began but was cut short by Judy whose paw shot up into the air.
Nick blinked a few times in disbelief before slowly looking over at Ty.
"Thank you Hopps," The old wolf chuckled before turning to Delta and Atom who had finally gotten up off the grass, Atom still looking very pleased with himself. "Delta, relocate the box."
Delta nodded before looking at Nick who groaned and turned around.
"Hopps for now you will also do this blind, it will be good practice for you," Ty instructed.
Judy eagerly nodded and turned away, glancing at Nick and smirking at her annoyed-looking partner.
The annoyance in Nick's expression though soon vanished, a disbelieving smirk forming on his muzzle as he glanced down at Judy who beamed smugly.
After a second or two Ty gave them the all-clear to turn back around.
The boxes had been moved about and rearranged.
"Now don't worry, this is the first run. Take your time, check the corners. These boxes are old and probably have been worn down on the sides so the odor will be escaping that way," Ty explained as Nick and Judy took their position at the start of the row.
"Wilde," Delta barked, which made the fox look over. "Don't hesitate to get low."
Nick nodded before looking at Judy.
The fox slowly got on all fours and shook his shoulders, his large russet-colored tail puffing out at the back.
Judy didn't even hesitate as she got on all fours.
"She looks more canine than you Delta," Ty teased which made everyone chuckle.
Nick awkwardly hurried on all fours, obviously getting used to using both sets of paws for movement again.
Judy was close behind.
When she started to lose ground though she tensed her muscles up on her rear legs and sprang forward, easily closing the gap. Hopping after her partner.
"Oh my gosh it's so cute," Ember whispered before being shushed by Ace.
Nick reached the first box and with a quick awkward glance looked over at Ty before back at the box.
Judy caught up and remained on all fours next to her partner.
"Check the corners Slick," The doe whispered which seemed to be enough to convince Nick to lean down.
The fox gave a series of sniffs before shaking his head.
The two hurried to the next box, then the next, Nick repeating his checks.
Soon they had covered almost the whole row.
"Don't tell me we missed it," Nick grumbled.
"Still one box left," Judy said with a smile. "If it's not there we will just go down the row again and check."
"What was that?" Ty asked with a grunt.
"Nothing!" Judy shot back as she gave her partner a confident nudge.
Nick smirked before hurrying to the last box.
Judy watched, her eyes widening excitedly as Nick seemed to tense up, his tail swished once or twice at the tip.
After a few firm sniffs, Nick turned to Judy and let out a sigh.
"Don't embarrass me too much ok Fluff?"
With that, the fox stood up and pointed at the box.
The seconds ticked by before Ty reacted.
The old wolf let out a disappointed sigh and shook his head which made Judy's heart slump into her stomach.
"Hopps…." Ty said as he looked over at the bunny.
She prepared for the worst. Wondering if she should have made Nick go back down the row, or had she not supported him enough, or maybe-
"I want you to embarrass the hell out of Wilde because he just completed his first successful find," Ty finished with a grin.
The others were ecstatic and cheered as Nick took a bow.
As the fox stood up he turned to Judy only to let out a yelp in surprise.
The bunny had propelled herself off the ground and through the air, colliding with the fox as she wrapped her arms around his waist.
"What I tell ya Slick?!" Judy cheered. "You got the best nose!"
The bunny proceeded to climb behind Nick and up on the fox's shoulder.
"Watch yourself, everyone! Got the best darn fox on the force sniffing out the bad stuff!"
Nick rolled his eyes as Judy continued to try her best and embarrass the fox.
Judy actually enjoyed herself. She had to be so reserved while working as an officer in the ZPD but now she could just let up all that pent-up energy out.
"Best partner, that's right, number one!" Judy continued as she even reached down and ruffled the fur between the fox's ears.
"Hey now, don't mess with the fur," Nick snorted but continued to hold onto Judy's legs so she wouldn't fall off.
They approached the others who all looked rather proud of the duo.
Ember giving them two thumbs up, Ace applauding as he grinned.
Atom looked as if his tail would suddenly fly away with how fast it was wagging.
"Nice one," Delta said with a toothy grin. "Next time you should bring streamers, Hopps."
"Oh, you think I could fit some on my duty belt?" Judy asked playfully before she slumped off of Nick's back, her paws landing in the warm grass.
Ty cleared his throat which brought all eyes back to the old wolf.
"So what was it you said at the end there Hopps?" The large canine asked, his grayed fur parting around his muzzle as he smiled down at the doe.
Judy raised a brow and pointed back at the boxes, "I um...well I was going to suggest we double back and check in case we didn't find it on the end."
Ty grinned as he looked over at Delta who chuckled as he shook his head in disbelief.
"Well what do ya know," Ty said casually as he looked back at Judy who became a little worried she had something wrong. "Looks like Wilde isn't the only natural part of this duo."
Judy's ears went up and she couldn't help but smile confidently.
Nick gave her a nudge and she looked back up at the fox who gave his partner a wink.
Damnit why is he so handsome?
"So if we ever come to the end of the row with no alerts it's ok to double back?" Ember asked, glancing at Delta and then to Ty.
"If you know for a fact the aid is in the row and you miss it don't focus on the miss," Ty said firmly. He then glanced over at Delta, "How does the new saying go?"
Everyone looked over at the painted dog who crossed his arms, "Focus on the find, not the fail."
Atom scooted closer to his partner, mimicking him and folding his own arms, and nodding rapidly.
Judy put a paw to her mouth as she stifled a laugh.
"At the end of the day this is about learning, its ok to mess up here as long as you are willing to learn from it," Delta continued before his expression turned solemn. "Mess up here, not out there...otherwise...well…"
Atom suddenly looked to the ground, a sad expression on his normally cheery face.
After a few seconds, Ty put his paws together and got everyone's attention once more.
"Alright, now that Delta has inspired you," The wolf said which caused Delta to chuckle. "Ember and Ace, you two are up."
"Question?" Ember asked as Ace began to turn away so the boxes could be moved.
"Go ahead Ember," Ty said as Delta trotted over to the row of boxes.
"Since Ace is so much taller would it be better if I rode on his back so I could get a birds-eye view of the boxes?"
The group roared with laughter as Ember looked up at her partner who scowled playfully.
"Tell you what," Ty began before Ace turned and pointed a finger at his fellow wolf.
"Don't you dare," Ace barked before turning back away from the boxes.
"Awww, but Judy got to climb up on Nick."
"Carrots earned that privilege," Nick chuckled.
Ember tensed up and slowly looked over at Nick and Judy, an adorable smile on her face.
"Carrots?" The painted female asked.
Judy felt a blush go up her ears and she could no longer look at her partner.
"Why don't I have a cute nickname?" Ember asked as she nudged Ace.
"We aren't dating."
"Neither are we," Judy grumbled, the words slipping out of her mouth before she could stop herself.
She winced immediately after speaking and looked up at Nick.
Nick raised a brow before letting out a sigh.
"Nick I-"
The fox though put a paw on the doe's shoulder and gave a squeeze.
Judy closed her eyes, the smallest of smiles gracing her lips as she reached up and placed her own paw on Nick's.
"Alright enough chatter!" Delta barked as he moved away from the boxes. "Ace, show Ty how a real wolf works."
"Oi!" Ty barked as Ace and Ember stepped up.
Judy smiled as she watched the other team step up, Nick's paw still gently resting on her shoulder.
Hey all!
So training has begun. Gosh, this takes me back :P
Really sorry it has taken me so long between chapters. Work and life stuff, you know how it goes.
I hope to get more writing done soon because there is a ton of silliness coming soon involving our favorite duo's training. Oh... Nick and Judy's training too ;P
Till next time!
-Blue