ARC I - Something Begins
Chapter 01 - Decision
"We make our decisions, and then our decisions turn around and make us." - F.W. Boreham
Judy - A glance of the future
"Are you ready?"
"Pretty much born ready," Nick replied with the same old sentence that he had used a hundred times in their daily work, but this time it felt different. This time his words felt serious and full of tension. Almost as if he feared what laid ahead of them.
Judy had a bad feeling, when she and Nick entered with raised guns the massive balcony on one of the highest buildings in the middle of Zootopia. Both of them wore their daily black suits with a white shirt underneath. Judy was neatly buttoned up, while Nick had the highest button open and no longer a tie around his neck, something Judy allowed her long-time partner only on casual Fridays.
Her gaze hushed over the massive balcony and tried to take in whatever was there, not that there was a lot to see. Except for a red fox in black trousers, a black belt and a white shirt. His sleeves were rolled up to his upper arms while his jacket hung lifelessly over the office chair they had passed on their way out. With wide eyes, Judy gazed upon the massive balcony in front of her.
That damn thing would be big enough to hold a Hopp's family reunion.
Judy thought for a second but focused immediately back on her target when she saw him turn towards them. The red fox's green eyes looked incredibly tired as he stood in the middle of the balcony. He was ten meter in front of her but still fifteen more meters away from the edge.
Something wasn't right. He was really here. He had called them and wanted to be arrested and that after six long years of every imaginable mentally and physical rollercoaster that existed in this world. After six years of fighting and giving all they had, Judy thought she would be relieved to end this game. But somehow she wasn't. Everything about this felt incomplete and if any emotion she felt could describe her state of mind at best then it was disappointment. All the efforts and fights they had and now he gave up? Just like this? One call and everything ended? That wasn't like him. Something was wrong but she didn't know what.
"I'm glad you two could make it." The red fox said and smiled weakly but in no way hostile at them. Judy could just guess how much sleep he had in the last days and assumed that it couldn't be more than a couple of hours, "There's a storm coming and we three will witness it first hand. A storm that will change the world."
He was right about the first thing but Judy wasn't sure about his second idea. A front of dark and terrifying clouds that hung deep, was moving towards the city. They looked like a range of black mountains painted into the sky. To look at felt almost surreal. Rumbling thunder already marked the beginning of the storm. But regardless of the impending tempest, Judy moved her focus back to the old fox.
Nick did the same but no words left his usually so eloquent muzzle.
What came next was on Judy. She knew that for a long time, while she took a quick look at her partner. Nick was way too nervous for this, the best evidence was the shaking gun in his paw. Judy didn't blame Nick at all. Many bonds and friendships were created over the years and somehow he managed to threaten all of them at once.
"Kingfisher," Judy began, while roaring thunder was coming from the dark clouds in front of her. She tried to appear as confident as possible, "We're here to arrest you for a multitude of crimes against the mammals of this city and other cities as well. You have the right to remain silent but everything you say can and will be used against you."
Her words hung in the charged air but nothing happened. The red fox remained unmoved.
"Don't worry. That will not be necessary, my dear. I will soon get the punishment I deserve...but not from this town but from a far higher authority." the red fox replied in a calm voice that annoyed Nick to the point that he snapped out of his stupor.
"Cut it! Whatever you tried to do, it failed and we will end it here. Please... you've already done enough damage to all of us and you know that."
For a moment, both foxes looked at each other as if they tried to reach a conclusion with the exchange of looks. In the end, the old fox just smiled apologetically and turned his gaze down.
"I guess I did, Nicholas, and I'm truly sorry about this but... it's a grave mistake of you to think that it ends here. Nothing ever ends and I still have to finish what I once started or all those years...all those sacrifices would've been for nothing. Not just mine...yours as well." the fox who called himself Kingfisher replied and turned his back towards them, looking at the dark clouds.
"Unfortunately, I underestimated all of you and because of that, I have to rely now on the riskiest plan I could come up with which should be nothing but a last resort. But...it's too late for complaints now. The dice have been cast and we have to deal with what we have. You two should be preparing yourself and get rid of your guns."
"Why should we do that?" Judy asked louder than before, to fight against the roaring thunder above her.
"Because it's nothing they would like to see in their presence." the fox replied.
"They? Whom are you talking about?" Nick asked while his confused gaze met Judy's.
"You two know very well whom I'm talking about. You've found the clues and connected the dots."
"Maybe we do...But what you imply is simply not possible! You're talking about legends and ancient stories...not actually real events! They simply can't be true!" Judy almost screamed at him to fight against the rolling thunder above her that came closer with every passing second.
"And who do you think created those legends, Judy? You know the saying, Judy, history is written by the winners and if that's the case then there existed just one winner in the last two thousand years of this planet. They decided what's a nice story for children and what's history based on facts. And those…," Kingfisher said but stopped to look around him. Judy did the same and could swear that she saw something flying over from the lake.
"Nick did you…?"
"I'm not sure what I've just saw." Nick replied and began to look around.
"Dammit...they're too soon." Kingfisher replied surprised. Judy heard the first detonation underneath her feet somewhere in the streets of Zootopia. But it wasn't just one explosion; there were multiple ones in various places and all of them followed loud screams that echoed through the streets of Zootopia. Panic was rising in the inner city.
"What's happening here…," Judy asked towards Nick, when she saw how something hit the ZNN building, which was the next building to the one they were standing on. What followed was another detonation, right behind Nick and strong enough to blind the three of them for a moment. Concrete began to rain down and steel beams started to scream as the highest part of the building with all it's transmission pylons began to slide down. It looked surreal how the burning part of the building was slowly vanishing from their sight, falling into the streets of Zootopia and landing there with an earth-shattering sound. What followed were even more screams and Judy's urge to help kicked in.
Judy wanted immediately to go down and save as many mammals as possible but she couldn't. She had no idea what really was going on and she needed to know because going down there without a plan or knowledge was suicide. Her heart was beating like crazy when she turned back to the only mammal in town who could maybe explain what was going here, when something hit two other high buildings around them. This time it was further away and not as distracting as the destruction of the ZNN tower.
"WHAT'S GOING ON?" Judy screamed at Kingfisher, who stood there with a cold gaze on his face, analyzing the situation around them as if he had waited for this to happen. Again and again hit something, that neither Judy nor Nick could see, the buildings around them. Almost like a wonder none of the attacks hit their building but to their horror followed every strike and explosion more screams from the mammals of Zootopia.
"They are here." The elderly red fox replied in a calm voice, his eyes fixed on something near the lake that surrounded large portions of Zootopia. Judy's and Nick's eyes followed his until they saw what he saw.
None of them couldn't take their eyes away from the lake. What they saw was the view of a lifetime and so surreal that they thought it was an illusion.
"That...that can not be real. THIS can not be real. Why are they hitting every high building in town but not this?" Nick said with wide and open eyes. Realizing that this attack was no mindless killing spree but a well-prepared take down of critical infrastructure. Nick's gun hung lifeless from his right paw. Judy understood just too well his feelings of powerlessness from the things that happened all around them.
"But it is," Judy said and grabbed with a shaking paw Nick's free left paw, "...and you know what that means, Nick."
With flattened ears he looked down to her, not completely willing to hear the answer.
Even so she wanted to reply, in the end it was Kingfisher, who turned to them and answered for Judy.
"It means that they're coming for us. Are you two ready?"
The bunny and the young fox shared a quick gaze at each other but in the end it was Judy who spoke for both of them.
"No, but has that ever stopped us?"
The old, red fox chuckled about Judy's words, "No, of course not."
Together they waited for the storm to arrive.
Nick
His gaze was fixed at the large balcony of a skyscraper in Central Zootopia, asking himself what for a view you would have when you stood up there with all of the town underneath your feet. And what sparked Nick's interest even more was the question, what for a mammal would choose such a place for his workplace? He'll maybe never know but he could imagine what this mammal it would be. It was for sure some snob in a fancy suit. The idea changed his muzzle into an oblivious smile.
"Hmmh," Judy cleared her throat to change the fox's attention back to her, "Earth to fox? You're still here with me?"
He felt her need for an answer and the desperation she showed was just too sweet for Nick. But not just this, the need to exploit it for his very own satisfaction raised with every second. And while Judy continued to wait for an answer closed Nick his eyes and enjoyed the warm sun on his fur.
They sat for almost two hours now, in the newest and also fanciest coffee shop of Zootopia. The Burned Bean, a place which Judy would have never found without Nick's knowledge, stood on top of a little hill in the Zootopia Central Park.
Like so often, it was an idea from Nick but Judy was immediately a fan of the place and not once she had declined the offer to spend time with him in the last weeks. The day was good, there was no question about it but Nick knew that Judy needed a little bit more to make it a great day.
"Nick?" Judy asked again.
"Yes, Carrots?"
"You know, I'm thinking for a while about something important and it's driving me slowly crazy that you never answer me. In fact...it's something you owe me," Judy said with crossed arms in front of her chest and her purple eyes were locked on the fox in front of her.
"Oh? Is that so? What is it then? I'm all ears." Nick replied grinning and enjoyed the view she was offering him, with her blue dress, the floral pattern at the edge of the skirt and of course, to top it all off, a purple fur clip in the form of a ribbon on her right ear. Not for a second he wanted to take his eyes off her and of course he knew already what she wanted from him.
With the same confidence that Nick always admired at her, Judy stood up from her chair, smoothed her dress and pointed with her right index finger towards the grinning fox.
"You still owe me an answer, Mister! Don't even try to mess with this bunny," Judy replied with a smug smile on her muzzle.
Nick raised his right paw to his chin and played the old 'well-let-me-think' game. The teasing made Judy even more eager to hear his answer. She was standing on the edge of her chair, her mouth slightly open, revealing her pure white front teeth.
He loved seeing her going crazy over that question. Would he join her as her partner in the ZPD? Well, of course he would, in fact he had already registered himself for the ZPD Academy long ago. He was finally ready to end his old life in any aspect and began a new one. No more hustling, no more tricks, no more living on the line between right and wrong. Well, maybe there would be the possibility to bend the laws of Zootopia a little bit from time to time.
Nick smiled bright over his face and said, "Carrots, you know that I'm a well-known business mammal on the streets of Zootopia. What would my customers say if I disappear just like that?" The fox emphasized the last words with a snap of his fingers and grinned.
"Mmhmh, yes business mammal, of course. You know what? I think someone else can sell those pawpsickles to other mammals." said Judy with a giggle and rolled her eyes. Smiling she continued, "And Nick, this is just a crazy idea from a countryside bunny, but maybe the ice-cream mammal could sell those. What do you think, Slick?"
This time it was Nick's turn to roll his eyes, "Okay, you got me. Maybe those guys could do the job." He took another quick sip from his black tea and heard how Judy's short claws clacked rhythmic on the table. Nick heard it and knew that wasn't safe yet. She would ask again.
"Okay, so you dodge my question again? Fine, I can also do other things to get my information. You know, I learned something about interrogation techniques in the Academy," To his surprise Judy came up with something new and put on the cutest puppy face he had ever seen on her. It wasn't very creative but it worked. Nick melted internally but tried not to show too much of it.
„Oh no, Carrots, not this again and by the way, what is that for an interrogation technique? Whom do you want to make talk with that? Desperate bucks in their twenties to forties?" Nick said and chuckled over his own joke. Judy kept looking at him with her big eyes and he decided to change his plans. He prepared himself for a little play. Putting one paw to his head, he did as if Judy would use a telepathy mind control on him," Oh no...bunny...tries to...break...my…mind. Must...resist...her...cuteness."
Her adorable face died in an instant when she heard the word, that always triggered a reaction from her. Two puffed up cheeks and two dangerous half closed eyes showed Nick that he had gone slightly too far. The fox remembered that Judy had once arrested a hedgehog, who constantly called her cute during her lunch break, during which they both had spent time together. Truth to be told, she looked indeed especially cute on that day with the pushy hedgehog, mostly because of her complete meter-maid-dress. From time to time, Nick asked himself how far he could play this game before she would arrest him. However that would not happen, at least he hoped so.
"Nick! You used the c-word again. In public and without permission! How many times do I have to explain this to you," Judy said and pressed her little arms into her sides. It was her way to try and look more intimidating. Something that never really worked for Nick because...imagine a bunny in a blue dress, with some stitched flowers on it as decoration, together with a purple fur clip on her right ear that looked like a ribbon. The problem should be clear and Nick could just adore her for this sight.
"Oh, so there is a way to get permission to use this? What do I have to do, Whiskers? Two weeks of a straight carrot diet? Or do I also need to become good at multiplying?" Nick said with a smirk. He wiggled his eyebrows and waited for the predicted reaction. And there it started, the fur around Judy's muzzle slowly turned from a pure white, into a rose like color. Her ears and nose seemed to lighten up.
Of course she wanted to play it down. She sat back; and took a sip from her carrot cappuccino with extra vanilla flavor, looked to her left and remained silent for a moment. She pretended to watch some mammals playing football between some trees in the park, not far from the place they both sat.
"Jerk," Judy replied without looking back to Nick, still gazing at the playing mammals and trying to avoid Nick's look.
"Oh come on, Carrots. You know you love me…," Nick said. For him it was a slip of the tongue, an imprudent sentence and maybe even more a wish than a real statement. But this was the moment, when Nick internally facepalmed himself and prayed that she would not stand up and run back to her tiny apartment with the two noisy neighbors. No, to his surprise, she was even smiling at him.
"Do I know that? Yes, yes I do," Judy replied and smiled back at the fox – teasingly of course.
Nick exhaled deeply as he recognized that Judy didn't take him seriously. She had learned quickly, maybe even too quickly, how she had to handle the sneaky, red fox.
A look on his phone showed him that they were now nearly two hours in this little coffee shop. Nick was always fascinated by the fact how fast time passed when they were together. He could swear that it had been until now not more than a half hour, that they had spent together.
"Nick, you are trying to dodge it again. Please, I just want an answer to my question. Am I asking really too much of you?" Judy began to beg.
Her voice changed a little bit. She almost sounded sad and the least thing Nick wanted to have was a sad bunny. And there it was again, a little sting in his heart which made him weak, really weak. No request, and it didn't matter how big or small it was, Nick couldn't turn it down when it came from Judy.
In fact, there was no real question, if he would join her and work with her in the ZPD. She could be a garbage collector and Nick would say yes, without a second thought to her proposal. What should he regret? Leaving his old life? As if anything would make him happier than leaving that piece of dirt behind. Having a dangerous job as a police officer? Well, his life until now was not exactly free from danger and when he thought about those dangers, he realized that all greater ones were initiated by a mammal with long ears. It was either Judy or a grumpy hare with the name Jack. His mind wandered back to the times when he had worked as a 'consultant' together with the hare and another vixen.
What is old Jack probably doing right now? Nick had no idea and the longer he thought about him, the less he wanted to know. Damn... Jack still owes me a lot of money and even more important - an apology for our last departure. It wasn't his nicest move to let me almost drown in the Canal District and don't even look for me afterwards. Or maybe he did search for me? Forget it Nick! Those are questions for another day.
Stupid hare. Nick thought concluding and smiled to himself and felt that he missed the old, black striped long ear. Jack was always a good target for jokes of any kind and he never complained about it. Maybe one day he could tell Judy about all of this. About his past and what he did before they met.
What else should he be afraid of? Surviving the academy? Nick had overcome worse things than that but he also had the slight feeling, that something was coming. Something huge that neither of them had any idea of by now.
To overcome the academy would be no problem for Nick but being apart from Judy for six months? This was unthinkable for the fox. Three weeks ago, she took a small break from her daily trouble and went for some days back to Bunny Burrow. Back then, Judy had almost talked him into joining her. She said that there were more than enough free rooms in the burrow of her parents but Nick didn't feel comfortable enough to meet over two-hundred-fifty bunnies at once. Especially with him as the only fox in the mix. He also thought that they didn't know each other well enough for something like this. A fact that had changed dramatically in the last weeks. Back then he had the same problem of missing her and he had the feeling that by now, it just got worse. Besides his discomfort on meeting dozens of bunnies, he had needed the time to submit his police academy application and of course to say goodbye to his old hustler life. Or at least he had tried.
He had planned nothing big, just some small tricks on some innocent mammals, maybe a card trick or selling some good old pawpsickles with Finnick. But all the fox was capable of doing was to sit on a bench here in the Zootopia Central park, looking for possible mammals and...nothing. He couldn't do it. Every time he had made a decision and picked someone, his mind had gone blank and all he could think of was Judy in the gondola after the attack of Mr. Munchas. How she had laid her paw on his arm and said, 'Nick you are so much more than this.' He had felt that she meant what she had said that day.
One sentence spoken by her sweet little voice and he was fallen, maybe that had been the moment he saw more in her than just a bunny with high ambitions and unreachable dreams. And it had been the first time that someone besides Nick's mother and sister believed in him. She was someone he didn't want to disappoint, somehow she had become important to him and somehow he had started to like her and that a lot. Some mammals would probably say even too much.
All of that had happened, despite the fact that they were the complete opposite sides of the same coin. A bunny cop and a fox hustler. Maybe it was their differences, which let them work so well together. Maybe it was something else that made it feel as if they knew each other for ages. As if they had met before in another life, but that was nothing but a feeling.
He knew one thing for sure, he needed her in the academy. In his thoughts, he wouldn't survive six months without Judy. So, Nick needed a solution and he needed it fast but he also needed to be careful. The grey doe was smart, very smart.
"Judy." Nick replied. There it was, all the tension and her anticipation was back but to Nick's relief there was also a smile on her face. She knew that it meant serious business when he called her by her first name. Nick smiled soothingly to Judy, this time without sarcasm or any second thoughts.
"You know that we spent almost every day in the last two months together, right?"
"Yeah, that...should be about right," Judy said and she looked now a little bit afraid, probably because of the sudden change in Nick's behavior.
"Do you really think I would just leave you? I mean, we spend eight great weeks together and then just poof and I disappear? Nah, whiskers. That's not my style. Of course I will join you on the streets. I promised you. Didn't I?," Nick replied with a soothing smile.
At this moment many things went probably through the head of Judy Hopps at the same time, so that she couldn't hear what Nick continued to say. All she could do was speak out all those things that were in head at once, "I hoped so too...but look...there is just one more week, till the next academy period starts..."
"Judy…"
"...and you didn't tell me how you decided..."
"Judy…"
"...and we need to register you and pack your things and…"
"Judy…"
"I wanted to instruct you and and…,"
Judy had one paw on her head and the other clenched to a fist, which was lying on the table. Nick carefully laid his paw on Judy's. The bunny slowly relaxed her fist and looked up into Nick's eyes.
"Relax whiskers. It's all done," the fox said with a soothing smile.
"You...did? I mean when? But...like you said we spent everyday together in the last weeks? I mean besides the time in those annoying interviews. So...When have you done it?" Judy asked with a slightly open muzzle.
"The two days in which you made a visit to Bunny Burrow, I went to the ZPD in Savannah Central to deliver my application. There was this guy, I think Clawhauser was his name? He seemed to know about me, joining the force. Anyhow...We talked and he wanted to know some things about y-."
Nick couldn't even finish his sentence; Judy jumped over the table and hugged him tight with her little arms around him and her head on his chest. His nose was now right between her ears and for the first time he could smell her sweet scent very clearly. Deep down in the ancient parts of Nick's brain, Judy should be prey for him. But the smell he had now in his nose was sweeter and better than that of any vixen he ever knew. It was almost as if he knew the smell. It seemed so familiar, but still he couldn't put it to a certain memory.
Carefully Nick stroked over her ears, while she kept pressing herself onto him. She was light, warm and the only thing that filled Nick's mind in this moment.
Almost whispering, she spoke to him, "Thank you Nick! That was what I wanted to hear."
He could almost hear her smile.
With his muzzle between her ears, which he softly stroked back when he quietly heard her breath, he knew that she inhaled his scent as much as he inhaled hers. She was sitting on his lap and if Nick could decide, she could stay forever, he had nothing against it.
Quietly, he spoke into her ears, "Well carrots, as much as I enjoy you sitting on top of me, I must say our neighbors are not so delighted about our current… let's say 'Exchange of gratitude'."
With widened eyes, Judy jumped back on the table and looked over to the other mammals. All of them looked with concern and some even with disgust over to the fox and the bunny. She held her paws up and tried to explain the situation with cliche sentences, directly out of every second Dollywood movie.
"W-wait, it's not what you think. We're just friends, okay? Ehm," Judy exclaimed loud and sat fast down, after the last mammal lost interest. Nick sat there with his head leaned on his paw, smiling like someone freshly in love.
Judy needed some moments to collect her memories and just continued to talk about the last information, she still had in mind, "Wait, you said you talked to Clawhauser? About me?"
"Yeah, you know the two of us talked about the standard things, like which of the boys in the department you like most, your favorite Gazelle songs and so on. You know, typical boy chit chat."
"What? Nick?!" the bunny protested with a smile on her face. Nick saw that the mammals around them still glanced from time to time over to Judy and he knew what they were thinking. Is that really Judy Hopps? Is she still spending her time with that fox? Are they maybe even closer than the news reported? He didn't like those thoughts because none of them were their business.
Judy looked around her as if she was searching for something but Nick knew she was looking for the same reason he was, other mammals who could still watch them. It was just because of her new celebrity status, which was something she hated and somehow liked at the same time.
The mammal, Judy Hopps, was now a symbol of hope, trust and safety for everyone in this city and the fear of failure was a heavy burden on Judy's shoulders. Sometimes, Nick hoped he could take some of this pressure onto himself but right now, he didn't know how.
Despite all of that, Nick never saw her waver because that was not how Judy Hopps worked. If she had made a decision once, then she would follow her way, come hell or high water; giving up would never be an option for her.
Privacy was another thing that the little gray doe could only dream of in her current life. She had to watch every step she took and needed to look out for every meeting and where and with whom it took place, at least here in Zootopia. With time the news about her would cool down and the mammals would probably lose interest in her. But not now.
Their uncomplicated relationship was one of the reasons why Judy loved her time with Nick. He didn't mind if there was a paparazzi or a fan who wanted an autograph from her. Often, mammals were even shocked when they saw the two of them together. It seemed like a lot of mammals didn't understand that there was really a friendship that was binding them together. Most mammals probably thought that this whole fox and bunny friendship thing was just some PR stunt for the public.
"Don't worry. I just told them good things. You know me, Carrots," Nick responded with a smile.
"That's why I'm worried! You have to know he's the biggest chatterbox of the Precinct One. And you have no idea how worried I was! The last two weeks, I've been asking myself again and again if you really want to team up with me and become my partner. I also had the fear that you would go back to your old life and continue in the illegal ice cream business. And one day I'd had no other option than to arrest you!" Judy said and finally stopped. Sheexhaled deeply and Nick was sure that these thoughts gave her at least one or two sleepless nights in the past days.
"For you, Carrots, always. And to be honest, I thought you would know that by now." Nick said with a little bit of hurt pride in his voice.
"Well...heh...Maybe you're right," Judy replied and scratched her neck awkwardly. She seemed embarrassed about Nick's reply.
Nick wasn't finished and continued to calm Judy down, "Besides, you think way too much about all of this and one day you will break your sweet little head over something, that isn't worth the time and that maybe will never happen." Nick said and watched how she blushed again.
"Maybe. You know, I was so afraid. I even feared you would start hustling again," Judy replied with a giggle.
"What should I say...maybe a pawpsicle here and there for the sake of the good old times," Nick replied and waited for Judy's reaction. It took not even a second, in which Nick could see her jaw slowly opening and her gaze turn to an angry one, but he knew that it was nothing too serious. They were playing just their usual game, like always.
"You promised me to stop it!" Judy said in a high voice.
"It was a joke, Carrots. Geez, I mean... I couldn't even find a meter maid to pay for my Jumbo Pop," Nick replied with a smile.
Her eyes lost slowly their deadly sparkle and a smile appeared not long afterwards on her muzzle. From here on, Nick knew he was safe.
"Dumb fox." Judy said.
"Sly bunny. You know, as soon as I'm on the streets with you, I can show you all the dark and shady places of this city. And trust me, there is more than enough for us to do as cops," Nick said with a grin, not knowing that one of the rare and serious things he said today, was taken lightly from her.
"Nick, come on. I'm a cop now. I know the dark sides of this city. You know, we had a little case with a lot of missing mammals not too long ago." Judy said, her gaze was on her almost empty cup while the index finger of her right paw slided over and over in circles around the edge.
"Believe me, Whiskers, you ain't seen nothing yet. I mean, what do you think is that over there?" Nick asked and pointed with his right paw at the skyline of Zootopia behind them. Judy looked confused and didn't know if she should smile or be serious with him at the moment.
"Well I see skyscrapers, some other huge buildings, apartments,...Okay I'm not sure what your point is."
He made a last smirk and prepared to be serious.
"It's a facade, nothing more. A big play to trick mammals; you could also call it a hustle, Sweetheart. Nevertheless the inner core of this city is rotten. You saw it all by yourself. Bellwether would have sacrificed you without a second thought and even Lionheart put the savage mammals into Cliffside Asylum to find a solution without a second thought of transparency. What his solution would have been in the end or if there even would be one, well...nobody knows. Both of them, Bellwether as well as Lionheart, were ready to sacrifice mammals for their own good. And this Fluff...is just the tip of the iceberg. There are many more mammals and organizations who will try to corrupt, hurt or maybe even kill you." Nick ended without a smile on his lips and watched her, as the words sank into her mind. He hoped that something of this reached her.
"When everything is so rotten, then maybe it is good that I, as a police officer, am here to tear it out and compost it? You can call me the new Zootopia crime gardener and, between the both of us. I think I know a thing or two about plants." Judy said and chuckled like a little child. Deeply exhaling thought Nick to himself, Come on Wilde, play along. You don't have to burst the bubble just now. We know that It won't last forever. And so he played along to her optimism and smiled.
Judy, on the other side of the table, ended her sentence with a wink to him and a big smile on her muzzle. Whatever she did, Nick couldn't keep straight and started laughing about the image of Judy as a gardener. Satisfied with herself, she sat on her chair, which was at least two times too big for her, and grinning she took the last sip of her cappuccino.
Not long and Nick wiped away his tears of joy and said, "Oh, Carrots, I tell you, one day you will die because of those optimism but don't worry, I will be there either to go with you or to save you. But one thing is for sure, you will not be alone."
"Well...If you are by my side, then I have nothing to fear, Nick." Judy said and looked happy over to him. For a while both of them sat there in silence and enjoyed their drinks, when it was at Judy to become serious.
"Nick, wouldn't it be better if you made a clean cut with your past? I mean to inform everyone who is important to you about your decision? I...I mean, you don't have to, it is just the idea of a dumb bunny...nothing more," Judy said and kept her eyes on the empty cup, with which she was still playing with.
"What? I thought you knew the news about my future plans already," Nick asked back. His gaze still on her and there it was again, this little blushing from before. Embarrassed, but happy, Judy looked over to him.
"Nick that's… nice of you. But you know what I mean."
And right then it continued, the inner dialogue of a conversation, which was way too long on hold. A clean cut? I'm not sure if this will work with every one. Of course, some will be happy to see me again but others will hate me for what I want to do. However, she is right on a certain level, I can't just disappear for six months and then return as a police officer. This would be even crazier, than what I plan to do anyway. Maybe she is right? Maybe not? Can you really deny her that request? She just wants to help you...idiot.
He smiled but Nick was sure that Judy saw that she initiated an honest thought process. Maybe even a change.
"I will think about it Carrots, okay?" Nick said and a relieved smile swept across her face. The crazy thing was that Nick really thought about the whole clean-cut idea. The old Nick would've put it aside, made a half-assed promise and never thought about it again but this was before Judy.
Nick suddenly changed the topic and tried to excite her for a new idea, "Come on Fluff, I like to have some fun and I can see the seasonal funfair from up here. And, don't ask why but I can feel that there is a bet that I can win against you in the shooting galleries."
From the table they were sitting at, they both had a magnificent view over the Central Park with its many trees and the Ferris-wheel and other attractions which seemed to grow out of the green. Bright, they lightened up and blinked in many different colors. A worthy aim for couples and mammals in love from all over Zootopia or for a fox who wanted to trick a little bunny.
"You know that I'm a cop, right?" Judy asked with a raised brow.
"Yes, and?"
"We have shooting training and I'm not so bad at this. So I decline."
"Oh, come on Fluff, you are just frightened that tonight you'll find your master. Well...at least when it is about sending little metal ducks to heaven," Nick replied and felt confident that he would win this little bet.
"No, not really. But I'm frightened that you will cry the whole night because you lost against a little bunny." Judy shot back at the fox
The grin on her face was bright when Nick paid for their drinks. Together they walked through the warm evening here in Zootopia Central Park. They strolled along a path that led directly to the area of the funfair and Judy was not aware that Nick's aim was still the shooting gallery.
Okay Carrots, you are begging to be hustled. No problem. You tease the hustler, you will get the hustler.
"I was thinking, Fluff, that we have known each other for almost two months now, but we don't really know something about the other so…" Nick began and Judy became suspicious about his behavior,"...so, Mr. Wilde, you thought you could ask me out and I would tell you everything about me. So you'd have something to tease me with?"
Her answer came quickly with a devilishly smile on her face. She wanted to play with him and Nick would like nothing better as to do her that exact favor. Like many times before he put up his fake pride and laid a paw on his chest to respond.
"Miss Hopps, I'm hurt. How can you say something like that to an honest citizen of this town? It almost sounds as if I want to blackmail you, with a carrot that is in truth a recording device. Tststs. Who would do something like this?"
"Fine...Slick, what's on your mind?" Judy said and rolled her eyes to award his acting skills, while Nick beside her began to speak like an overenthusiastically little kit.
"A game of course! It's pretty simple. We will tell each other a surprising fact about our life. The one that is more overwhelmed by the fact of the other loses. But remember, I said a surprising fact. So please don't come with the fact that you wanted to become a police officer from a young age or that you like carrot cake, okay?"
"Okay sounds good, but not really like a game?" Judy said and crossed her arms in front of her chest. The doe looked confused up to Nick, but she could see that he still had something to tell her.
"Ah-ah-ah Whiskers, hear me out," Nick said with a grin and her gaze told him that she knew that he was up to something.
"If you can't name a surprising fact about yourself a small wish is granted for a certain fox, okay? But like I said, the main point is, that your story is more interesting than mine."
"Wait and what is with me? I would say, the same rules for me right, Nick?"Judy asked.
"Clever bunny."
"Sneaky fox"
"To make things clear. If, but only if and I don't think that this will happen, a certain bunny can tell a surprising anecdote of her life but this handsome fox here can't, then little bunny girl, you are free to wish for something and I will fulfill it." Nick ended his explanation and folded his paws behind his back.
"Mmmh I don't know…" Judy replied and began to think about the idea. Both mammals walked side by side over a wooden bridge in the heart of the Zootopia Central park. Mammals, tall and even smaller than they are, crossed their way. Nick, who was waiting for an answer, watched a group of ducks swimming underneath the bridge the two of them were standing on. In the end, with Judy still thinking, he decided to take things into his own paws.
"Don't worry, Fluff, just say no. I'm not mad at you. I mean...let's face it. We both know that you can't win this game. Just remember, all the things I witnessed in the past and well… your time in Bunny Burrow," Nick said and kept walking with a devilish grin on his face. Nick got her and both knew it.
And there it was, she stopped walking and started to think about his words. Nick could almost hear her little head overheating. In her mind she was fighting a battle, she could only lose after all her honor was insulted. Nick still kept walking with his arms behind his back and waited for her sweet little voice to speak up.
"Okay, deal!"
With lightning fast reflexes, the red fox turned around and shook her paw. At first, she seemed a little bit scared about his fast reaction but she regained her posture rather quickly. Both stood there for almost a minute shaking their paws and grinning at each other like two demons who formed a sinister pact. Nick slowly drew his paw back and waited for her anecdote. Judy, however, had now her paw on her chin and was back in her mind to come up with something and Nick hoped it was something good.
"I think it's only fair if we say ladies first, Carrots. Don't you agree?" Nick said, grinning down to Judy, both continued to walk beside each other. Nick, with his sharp eyes, saw the shooting gallery in the middle of the funfair. The fox became slightly nervous but just on the inside, his outside representation was as calm as a lake in the morning. No wave distorted his surface.
A deep exhale came from Judy before she started to talk, "Okay, I never told this story to anyone, but when I was eight years old, I joined together with some of my sisters at the ballet school in Bunny Burrow…," Judy said, her gaze was no longer focused on Nick. She looked down at her paws, which she was constantly rubbing, as if she would wash them right now. Nick understood, the heroine of the city was embarrassed, but for Nick's taste not embarrassed enough.
"Mmh, I can't even imagine the little Judy Hopps in ballet cloth, dancing to swan lake...oh wait, I can," Nick chuckled about the image he had in his mind. He also thought it would look incredibly cute but he banned this one thought for the moment back into his mind and saved it for later. Judy's inner ears and nose went like so often these days to a bright red color. Nick saw that she needed a little push, to continue with her story.
"So, I think that was a great story and I'm happy that you sha-."
"It's not over! I have to concentrate," Judy said with a little bit of anger in her voice. She closed her eyes, took her little fist to her mouth and coughed calmly.
"Okay, okay, keep going," Nick replied with his paws defending up in the air.
"So after two months of training with our ballet teacher, an old female Russian rabbit of the worst kind, we had a dance performance….and I was very nervous…"
"And?"
"And couldn't sleep too well…."
"Yes..."
"And during the performance I..."
She really tried and it seemed to be a very embarrassing memory.
"...puked on my sisters."
"What?!" Nick shouted, that was definitely something, even the red fox didn't saw that coming.
"...And another kid in the first row of the audience." Judy added quickly.
Nick was walking to her left side and she was facing straight away from him to not have any eye contact with Nick. Nevertheless, it was just too good, Nick couldn't keep it together and burst out in laughter. Judy. however, kept walking and holding her left arm with her right paw. Anybody could see that she was totally embarrassed but Nick kept on laughing.
"Carrot . . . I . . . oh god . . . I'm sorry. I'm truly glad that you shared this experience with me." Nick said and laid his paw on her shoulder.
For some time the chuckling of the fox about the shared story was the only thing passing mammals and Judy could hear from him.
"So I think I won," replied Judy calmly with a winning smile on her face.
"Sorry Whiskers, I think I can top that."
As soon as he said that, Judy was back and ready to defend her victory. She was sure that even he couldn't top her story. Or could he?
"What? How? This is the most embarrassing story I know about myself. And you are the first one I told!"
"Whiskers, I'm honored that you shared this memory with me. However, we have to keep it fair...with that said...now is my turn." Nick chuckled and looked at her depressed face.
"Come on, Whiskers, I will never ever tell anyone about this. So please don't be mad. Future police officer promise."
Nick gave her a little wink and hoped that this would make it a little bit better for her and to it did but Nick also made an internal note to himself. If I'm ever able to travel with her to Bunnyburrow, I have to ask her father if I could get a copy of that video about this performance… Just for... reasons. I mean every father does something like that, okay most of them, I think.
"So Carrots, the first thing you have to know about me is that I'm a pretty good guitar player and singer. Oh, what am I saying, I'm great! Well, how did I achieve that, you want to know? I had a lot of free time because of my hustling and I needed a hobby."
Nick watched her out of the angles of his eyes and he could see her jaw-dropping like a mature apple from a tree.
"You...what? Nick, we said no lies!" Judy replied, and Nick could hear the disbelief in her voice.
"Oh sweetheart, I don't lie, one day I will play a whole performance just for you and you'll love it! I promise." Nick answered with a big grin on his muzzle and enjoyed her confused state.
"You know, you can land some pretty decent scams when you can play guitar and know some songs about love and broken hearts. However, the scams are in the past now but music is still a big part of who I am." Judy's confusion seemed to deepen but so did her interest in the story.
"Where do I start? Oh yeah, I know. Mhmm... it was seven years ago and there was a city-wide competition about who was the best singer. I tell you I gave everything. Thousands of mammals were standing there to cheer you up. It was great. Unfortunately, some mobster had an eye on me during this time, so I couldn't take my place in this competition under my real name. So…"
Judy watched him, still in disbelief but with a smile on her muzzle, "So you took another name for the competition? But why did you enter it?"
"Because of the only reason I knew at that time: money and maybe a little bit of fame. The winner would gain 100,000 Zootopian dollars. Besides Carrots, I was doing well. Very well. However, in the end, I couldn't win the final for myself. I became second behind a lion with the voice of an angel . . . or so they said. I would say he had the voice of a 14-year-old boy before he hit puberty. But I'm fine. And yeah, this was my little story . . ."
She still walked beside him with her mouth wide open. Nick raised his paw and closed her muzzle slowly. She looked confused for a moment but there was still a question that Judy needed to ask him.
"Wait, what was your name in this competition?"
"I still think that's the best part of the story! You know the famous bunny guitarist Buck Berry? Yes, okay. Well, I named myself after his most famous song 'Johnny B. Good'. Because, what could possibly be farther away from the truth than that? Especially at that time." Nick said and sent another wink towards Judy.
It was now Judy's turn to laugh and she did from the bottom of her heart. She stood there in the middle of the path, mammals walking left and right around her and she was laughing and holding her stomach with tears in her eyes.
"So, what would you say about my little story, Carrot?"
"Blueberries and I mean complete blueberries! I think I won this one…"
I always forget that she isn't able to curse...
Nick took out his phone. He searched on Zootube for the video they recorded on that day. 2,5 million views until today.
Too bad that no one will ever know who this amazing guy was. Nick thought.
Grinning, he held the little screen directly under Judy's muzzle and watched as her jaw dropped again and her face turned from joy to disbelief.
What she saw was Nick together with some friends performing a famous rock song and the audience was going crazy over the performance.
"Sweet cheese and crackers! That's you! I mean not exactly you, but a younger version of yourself. It's oh my, holy carrot cake! You didn't lie to me. You really can play an instrument and sing…," Judy said with a still open muzzle.
"Miss Hopps I'm deeply hurt!" Nick said with a fake expression, that seemed to work on Judy.
"I'm sorry Nick…"
"It's called a hustle sweetheart, so now stop being so uptight and wait for my wish. Or do you want to argue against the fact that I won?"
Judy knew that she had lost, but she seemed to acknowledge her defeat slowly. But she did. And it seemed that Judy decided that it was on here now to play with the fox. For this, she held both of her paws in the air beside her ears and tried to sound as mysterious as possible for a girl from the countryside.
"Okay Mr. Fox, this bunny is all yours; do with her as you please. No more uptight talk from me," Judy said in an alluring tone.
With these words, she crossed her stretched out paws in front of her chest and closed her eyes. For that he was not prepared for at all. He was of course prepared for the prudish and uptight Judy but not the one with light makeup on her eyes and a seducing smile around her lips.
Makeup? By the three goddesses where were his eyes the whole time? And how could such a detail pass his attention unnoticed? Nick tried to cover his insecurity by acting like the hustler he once was, but the moment Judy opened her eyes, he knew he had lost. He swallowed heavily and could just act like a schoolboy, who stared too long at his crush until she noticed it and turned his head away in embarrassment. Not prepared to be hustled by her, he took some time to collect his thoughts. Still, with a shaking voice, he continued his talk with her.
"O-okay little bunny, eyes closed and paws to the back."
"Mhm, Mr. Wilde, I didn't know you already learned the police talk or do you know such talk from somewhere else," Judy said and teased the fox even further.
Nick's paw went to her back, from where he tried to guide her to his target. But somehow his gaze crept over and over again down on her back, over her sweet little tail which wiggled from time to time. He had no idea if she did this on purpose or not. Why was it suddenly so warm?
"Do you see something you like?" Judy asked with a smile and her eyes still closed.
"Hhm...What?" Nick asked, startled for a moment.
"You're breathing in my ear, which is not bad… but which means you look to the left. Do you see an attraction at the funfair that you'd like to take a closer look at?" Judy asked in her heartwarming way.
Taking a last look over the bunnies back, the fox started to smile and said, "Oh yeah, there is one attraction, I would like to take a closer look at but maybe later…."
They stopped right in front of the shooting gallery and Nick finally got his confidence back. He laid his paws on her shoulders and said, "Okay, you can look now."
Judy opened her eyes and she scanned instantly the whole attraction in front of her. She put her paws on her hips and exhaled with a shaking head.
"Oh Nick, really? I don't want to take you out," Judy said with a disappointed smile on her muzzle. For a moment both stood in front of the shooting gallery, hypnotized by the movement of the little ducks and the blinking of the colorful lights. All in all, it was one of those typical tents, in blue and red, with four rows of ducks, 4 or 5 meters behind the counter. Even a little staircase for smaller mammals had been installed so that they could enjoy some rounds of shooting or could win something for their loved ones. The ceiling of the tent was tightly filled with stuffed animals of all kinds but Nick had long seen the plush he wanted to win for Judy.
"Okay Carrots, new game. Since you are so confident about winning then there should be no problem, right? Each of us gets fifteen bullets, the one with more dead ducks on the score wins. How does this sound?"
"Good, but what does the winner get?" Judy asked.
"If you lose you have to visit me once a week in the academy," Nick said and saw how Judy''s facial expression slowly changed into a neutral one.
"Oh...okay."
"And you? What is your wish..."
"No idea...but I will come up with something as soon as I know."
Something had changed; Nick felt it but couldn't say what. It was as if the whole atmosphere had changed and he didn't like that, not one bit. Did he say something wrong? Had he been too forceful? Nick tried to ban those thoughts in the background of his mind.
He turned to the owner of the gallery, a maybe 40-year-old tiger, who seemed to know, nothing else than his life as a carny. The tiger had a scar over his left eye, wore jeans, a white shirt, a camouflage jacket and nothing else. Nick knew him, of course, he did, he knew everybody. His name was Carlos, a guy who liked two things more than everything else, drinking and fist fights. Especially fist fights were something which Nick liked to avoid. Especially after he remembered, where he left him the last time...or better in which company.
So, he did what he always did best, put on his best hustler smile, played along and hoped for the best.
"Okay, Sir we like to have two of your best guns with fifteen bullets each."
"Aye Sir, that makes 10 $ together...say do we know each other, fox?"
"Good, Sir. I don't think that we have met until now...wait maybe in church?"
"No,...I don't think so. But hell, it doesn't matter…," the tiger replied and went some steps back. He leaned on a pole and rotated a toothpick from one side of his muzzle to the other but kept an eye on Nick. He seemed as if he was trying to remember who that fox was.
"Okay, Whiskers your turn," Nick said and pointed with his paws to the counter of the shooting gallery.
"Say...do I have to worry about you and the...tiger," Judy asked with a confused look on her face and Nick tried to avoid the subject, "What? Him? Pffft, nothing to worry about him or me, Whiskers...but if you would be so nice...just, don't call me by my name here, okay?"
Nick handed the gun over to Judy. She took it quickly and after a couple of seconds, she started to shoot the little ducks. The first shots did not go well; she missed but could get accustomed to the gun in her paws. In the end, she still had a very impressive score of eleven out of fifteen ducks. She was fast and precise but Nick knew he could top that. She handed him the gun without any expression.
"Here fox, impress me," Judy replied and stepped back.
A short exhale and Nick started.
*Klack*
*Klack*
*Klack*
*Klack*
*Klack*
The first row was clear. Five out of fifteen.
Nick needed to top the first, he put on his smile and aimed for five ducks in a certain order, "Every second duck in the second row and you have to give me a kiss. What do you say, Judy?"
It was just a joke from Nick to tease her a little bit. But after she processed his teasing and got the control over her dropped jaw back, she began to smile and said, "Fine but I decide where and when...but just if you can pull that off, Mr. Wilde."
"Deal," Nick replied with a dirty grin and began. Inhale, exhale.
*Klack* - stop - *Klack* - stop - *Klack* - stop - *Klack* - stop - *Klack*
Even the second row was clear now. Ten out of fifteen.
Judy's eyes began to widen as she saw, that he didn't miss a single duck on his way and she knew what that meant. Nevertheless, she still kept on smiling. Nick looked for a short moment at her and said, "You owe me, Whiskers."
Nick wanted to end this game quickly now.
*Klack* *Klack* *Klack* *Klack*
The sound of dropping metal ducks came fast and marked the clearing of the third row. Fourteen out of fifteen metal ducks were down and Judy watched with wide eyes how Nick took aim at the last duck.
Okay...the last one is difficult but I'm sure I can do it. Inhale…, exhale…. and shoot... *Klack*!
Without any other word, Judy turned around and left the shooting gallery with crossed arms. Nick shook his head about the sore loser; he would soon follow but wanted at first to claim his price.
"Okay hotshot, you did , now choose whatever you want." The Tiger said, still leaning against his pole and watching the fox.
Nick's gaze wandered over the army of cuteness that hung over him, waiting for their new masters, just to rediscover the right thing he saw for Judy. A smile flashed over his face as soon as he spotted the right plushie.
"Oh, I think I found it. Could you please give me the last item on the right side and could you please put it in a bag? That would be really nice of you."
"You sure? But that's not even the biggest, cutest or fluffiest mammal to choose?"
"No, but it's the perfect stuffed animal for a certain bunny," Nick replied chuckling.
"Here, hope she'll like it."
"Oh, believe me, she will," Nick said and just for a short moment Nick's mind seemed to skip a thought. Still caught in his daydream, about how he wanted to give the present to Judy, he said, "Alright. See you, Carlos."
Not even realizing his mistake, Nick turned around and walked away but the tiger recognized it. Again he took a closer look at the red fox.
"Wait a moment, I never told you my first...Nick? It's you isn't it?" Carlos asked, slightly angry about the sudden realization.
In shock, Nick stood still on his feet and thought about a way out of his current predicament. He also had to check why his mind always went blank as soon as he thought about Judy. Nick needed to find her, but at first, he had to solve his problem with the Tiger behind him.
"What? Ehm...No...I don't know anyone by that name…," Nick said but Carlos seemed to remember him. "It's really you,...I can't believe it. Did you really think, I wouldn't recognize you, Wilde? Sometimes I need a little time...but you. Damn, you just tried to ignore me."
His paws were up as if Judy took him in arrest. Nick turned slowly around and exhaled deeply. Still frightened, the fox began to talk, "Fine Carlos, you got me. What do you want? Money? How much do I owe you?"
"What? Nothing or at least an apology, for trying to ignore me," Carlos said, now with a grin on his muzzle. His toothpick hung from his right side and Nick felt that the tiger waited for an explanation.
"You...you are not mad at me, big boy?" Nick asked with confusion. The red fox was careful, he knew how fickle the Tiger could be.
"What? For ignoring me? Well, a little." Carlos replied.
"You still know, where we saw each other the last time, right?"
"Yeah, in the rain forest district, in the 'Blue Oyster Bar'. I'm a regular guest by now. Why don't you come over from time to time? Have some drinks, dance a bit, have fun you know?"
Nick slowly became suspicious about the situation and looked dazzled to his left and right, just to check if there weren't more mammals, which were maybe waiting for him. He still didn't understand what was going on here. He walked the last steps back and was now directly standing at the counter of the gallery.
"You know this is a club for male mammals, right? And with that, I mean special male mammals?"
"Yes, and?"
"And, you like it there?"
"Yeah, great place."
"Aha, you're sure?"
"Yeah, why do you ask?"
"Nothing, all good and hey whatever floats your boat. So, sorry for my bad behavior from before and a good day to you Carlos; maybe we'll see each other again," Nick said and knocked two times on the counter of the shooting gallery. He left the confused Carlos in his tent and waved a last time over his back, Carlos leaned just back at the tent pile and shook his head.
Smiling to himself, he looked at the bag and tried to follow Judy's weak but sweet scent over the area of the funfair, which was not so easy in a place with popcorn, sugar-coated apples, cotton candy, and other delicious things. Nick was sure that his sister would love it here, the sugar-addicted vixen. A lot of mammals were visiting the funfair. Nick saw couples, families, and groups of youngsters, all with the aim to have a good time. He also passed a lot of booths, most of them containing games, food and in one he even saw a fortune teller. All of them would make a good bargain today.
After some minutes, Nick finally found Judy's scent again. It wasn't strong but it was enough for him to follow her over the yard. It didn't take long and Nick found her standing beside a lantern with her ears up, like always when she was curious about something. It was easy to tell that Judy was interested in the huge Ferris wheel in front of her but her ears dropped as soon as she saw the huge crowd in front of it, waiting would take a long time...on the normal way but she forgot that she was here with Nick. He needed not even 3 seconds to understand what she wanted and stood himself behind her and said, "Hey Whiskers, do you want to take a ride on the Ferris wheel?"
"That would be great but...it's already late and I have an early shift coming up in the morning...and the queue in front of it is just too long…and NICK...WHAT DO YOU-?! LET ME DOWN!" Judy shouted at Nick, who just grabbed her by her waist and took her over his left shoulder. She was light and Nick grinned over the tantrum she threw at him. Her feet into the front and her head over Nick's back she tried to come free but it was no use, the fox held her tight, his paw just some inches over her tail on her back.
"NICK...LET ME DOWN! EVERYONE IS LOOKING," the bunny screamed with a red head. What should Nick say? Yes, everyone was looking. However, who wouldn't, if you heard a little bunny screaming and it turned out that this little bunny was also the famous police officer from TV, who everybody knew and loved. And that the fox who held her captive, was also the one, with whom she solved the case. Nevertheless, why should anybody be worried? Everyone would see just two friends, having fun...or at least one of them had.
"Of course everybody is looking, Whiskers. I mean, you scream like crazy, on a funfair, where everybody tries to have fun . . . you know that's why it's called a 'fun' fair," Nick said, smiling to Judy. He walked with her on his shoulders through the aisle between the booths, in towards the exit of the Ferris wheel.
Her protest kept coming but her voice was now quieter, almost whispering she said to Nick, "Please Nick, let me down. I think they can peek under my dress…."
"Don't worry Carrots; do you really think I would let them do this? They can just see your pretty legs, that's all," Nick replied and heard no more complaining from his shoulders. However, he did not need to see but knew that her ears and cheeks would be decorated by a bright red.
Nick went directly to the exit of the Ferris wheel, where he searched for Dustin, an old friend of his, who worked like Carlos on the same funfair. Shortly before reaching him, Nick put Judy back on the ground. Her big eyes looked directly at Nick, as she wanted to hear something from him.
"Everything okay, Carrots?"
"Do...do you really think that?"
"Think what?"
"That I have pretty legs?"
"Well, you also have a pretty tail but yes, I really think that. Something's wrong, Whiskers?" Nick said to Judy and grinned. Blushing and obviously happy with the answer, Judy turned to the exit of the Ferris wheel and walked slowly in this direction; well, hopped would be the better description for her behavior.
Nick followed her to a massive warthog who waited for the next gondola of the Ferris wheel to arrive. Dustin was doing his job, which consisted of standing there and helping mammals out of the gondolas. He was probably the warthog on this planet with the slowest reaction time ever but he was a good guy and that was what counts.
"Hey, Dustin! How are you doing?"
The warthog turned around and needed a moment to realize who the red fox was. When the memory returned to his mind a big smile formed on his muzzle.
"Nick! How long has it been? Three years? Oh man. Great to see you, how are you doing?"
"Well, it's been seven years since I worked here but we met about 6 months ago or so, during the Spring Festival. You worked there on the auto scooter, remember?" Nick asked. Dustin seemed confused but nodded after some seconds of thinking.
"Yeaaaaah, riiight. Sorry, my head...you know. So, what can I do for you and your little girlfriend?"
With these words, he looked at Judy and gave her a little wink. She still didn't understand what was going on and why they stood at the exit of the Ferris wheel.
"Thanks for asking, Buddy. Say, Dustin, do you think there's one little gondola left for the two of us? And don't worry I owe you one for that favor." Nick said and gave a little salute to the warthog, who just stood there and grinned.
"Sure Nick and don't worry, you two can stay as long as you want on the ride. Just give me a sign when you come down and I let you out." Dustin said.
"Thanks, Buddy, you have my number if you need something."
Nick nodded at him and gave a little wink to Judy to calm her down. He could already imagine that she wasn't okay with his approach of taking a ride on the Ferris wheel, not when so many other mammals had to wait. Dustin opened the next arriving gondola for them and Nick held his paw to Judy to help her into the cabin. With light feet, Judy stepped in the gondola and sat on the right side. Nick followed her and sat across her.
Dustin closed the door of the gondola and after a first jolt, the Ferris wheel began again to move. Silence fell over the odd couple. For a while, they just sat and enjoyed the great view they had from their places. But after a while, as if their eyes were two opposite poled magnets, both of their looks found each other. They couldn't do anything about this.
Nick, who wore like so many times his green Hawaii shirt and brown pants, spread his arms over the backrest of his seat.
Surprisingly for both of them was that the silent moments they both shared never felt awkward. It was more a calm time where both could gather their thoughts, or enjoy a short moment of silence without the force to say anything, and knowing that the other was still there waiting to continue their conversations whenever they felt like it.
The gondola slowly rose above the trees of the park and presented them the illuminated skyline of Zootopia. Judy seemed to enjoy the warm evening, the light breeze and the view over the city. She turned her head to the skyline of the inner city.
"Why did you hustle me into visiting you?" Judy asked with a sad sounding voice. She caught him on spot with his paw in the cookie jar, like his Mum did when he was a little cub. And like always she was too clever, as if she wouldn't recognize what Nick was doing. That again confirmed Nick's theory, that her sweet and cute face was just a facade for all of her talents.
We all wear masks, right Judy? Some of us look sly and others look cute but still, we are all wearing masks. Nick thought with a smile on his muzzle.
"What do you mean, Carrots? We just had some fun during the day and..." Nick started to explain but Judy's gaze allowed no further flimsy excuses. The doe looked at him, like a mother who knew which of her kids broke the vase and who was tired of hearing any more lies about it.
"Don't play dumb with me. I'm not in the mood for this. The moment we left the cafe, I knew you were up to something. You pulled the first move with the surprising fact game, just to force me into your little shooting game, in which you were amazingly good at...but that doesn't matter right now. Nonetheless, that led to your wish, that I shall visit you in the academy. Am I right Mr. Wilde?" Judy said, and Nick could see how she stomped nervously with her right feet on the ground.
"First, thank you for the compliment, that I was amazingly good, you know, I like this sentence from females; and second, don't you want to visit me?" Nick asked, confused. He thought she would do it, despite the fact that they had known each other just for some weeks.
"That is not the point Nick. To be honest, I was quite impressed with the plan you worked out and shared your memories with me, just to see a bunny from time to time in the academy." Judy replied, and gave him a smile. Nick exhaled deeply, only the truth was something that could save him now.
". . . Fine. Do you want to know? I was embarrassed and thought you wouldn't visit a grown-up fox like me. I just need my weekly dose of Carrots; I mean, who else would I tease the whole time?" Nick tried to smile but it wasn't one of his best smiles today, he felt that, at the moment, Judy was pretty damn serious.
"Nick, in half a year, you will be my partner on the streets. Our lives depend on the trust we share and so does our friendship. It is not something that can be taken lightly." Judy said with a serious gaze and her arms crossed in front of her chest.
"I know... I'm sorry." Nick replied and dropped his head, watching to the floor of the gondola.
Judy started to lean over to Nick and took his snout into her paws. Her face was just some inches away from his. Nose to nose.
Nobody knew it, not even Judy but at this moment Nick was so nervous about the closeness to another mammal, like never before in his life. He had to concentrate on his feelings or his head would easily close the gap between them. A hard fight was taking place in his head, the one side screamed 'Come on, do it. Kiss her, that's what you want and she probably will too!' but the other cried almost as loud as the first one 'NO! Stop it, you risk the best friendship you ever had, you idiot! What if she doesn't like you like you like her?', but none of them seemed to win and so he remained silent and waited for her to reply.
"So please, never do this again."
Nick had no cool or catchy answer, or even something elaborated, so he just stuck to the obvious.
"Never."
And with this word out, she gave him a little spank with her paws on his muzzle and began to laugh like a little kid who tricked his best friend.
"Good! Because, twice a week, I will work as an instructor at the academy. Of course, I will visit you on the weekends. You know, Bogo didn't want me to work alone, so I'm up to three days of paperwork and two days in the academy."
Now the time had come for Nick's jaw to drop. His gaze faded to pure disbelief. After a moment of silence he asked the only possible but also rhetorical question.
"You tricked me?" Nick said in utter disbelief. Unable to understand that this little and cute face had fooled him? Her? Miss Righteousness?
"It's called a hustle sweetheart and I know you would like it." Judy purred into his face, her smile wider than ever before. It took him some time but he regained his normal expression and was ready to shoot back.
"I can't believe it. You . . . Well, actually. . . . You know you would make a pretty good hustler? Don't you?" Nick said with his smug face.
"Oh, I dare you!" Judy replied and played the hurt police officer.
"Sly Bunny."
"Dumb fox."
Both chuckled and continued watching the skyline again. They were by now on the highest point of the Ferris wheel. The town was slowly switching into its nightgowns. A majestic view for the too, which silenced both for a moment.
"Say, Nick, you didn't sell just pawpsickles to mammals, right?" Judy asked and he could hear that she didn't want to hear another sly comment from him, just the truth.
"What, for so long? No, I worked here and there, met mammals, sold things and did some jobs for other mammals. How do you think I could know so many of them? Like I said, it was no understatement, when I said I knew everybody." Nick replied. The fox still watched the skyline, while he leaned with his left arm on the railing of the gondola. His head laid on his arm.
"So like Dustin?"
"Yeah, like him for example."
"He seems to be a nice guy? Why did you stop working here?"
"Oh, he's the best. Maybe a little bit slow but hey, at least he didn't work for the DMV. The funfair events...well, let's say the boss of the funfair and I had different opinions on a specific topic and he kicked me out"
"Sounds pretty unspecific..."
Nick smiled and went into deeper details about his mysterious past. A past with so many stories, that he would need half his life to tell Judy every one of them.
"The boss of this place was in a leading position for mammal trafficking. Because this funfair changes its location every eight weeks, it is very suitable for hiding mammals as a layover and no, I had nothing to do with this. I heard the whole news about this place from Dustin and decided to shut it down. I too had my limits and something you can call a code: no drugs, no weapons, no money and of course no mammals. Most of the time I took from mammals who had more than enough." Nick explained.
"Like a modern Robin Hood?" Judy asked, smiling.
"Because of this restriction, I was dead for most of the criminals in this town, I mean in terms of business. So, the only things I could do to earn my daily meal was to do half legal things, like the one you caught me with." Nick explained. His head still rested on his arm but he looked now directly at Judy.
"So, this code is the reason you walked on the fine-line between honest citizen and street hustler?" Judy asked carefully and with her best smile.
Nick leaned a little bit over the railing of the gondola, to enjoy the breeze of the warm summer evening and looked again over to the skyline of the city. The ZNN tower was glimmering in the red sunlight, while Judy watched how the fur on his muzzle moved slowly in the wind.
"Exactly, that's what happened...Well, at least until some cute little bunny came along and accused me of tax evasion." Nick said and winked to Judy, who thought for a moment about scolding Nick for using the c-word but decided otherwise. At least this time.
"Anyhow, there were these two girls, bobcat sisters, and the owner saw them as personal property. One night, after Dustin had told me everything I helped them to escape. Together they went to the ZPD, made a statement, got protection from the ZBI and got the director into jail. That was seven years ago...How time flies by."
"Yeah…," Judy agreed.
"Do you know what I never understood about the story I just told you?" Nick asked, still watching the skyline.
"Shoot."
"Why did I do that? I mean... Why did I help those two? There was nothing in for me," Nick said and turned to Judy.
He closed his eyes and waited for a reply from the doe, but after some time he felt something on his right paw. Judy had grabbed for Nick's right paw and enclosed it with both of hers. Happy like a little child beamed Judy up to the fox, who couldn't understand what she wanted from him.
"I know why because you have more in you and you have the urge to help mammals. That's why I want you as my partner and nobody else! But tell me, was this the same incident that led to the music competition and you changing your name?" Judy said and drew her paws back.
Nick was tipping his nose with one of his fingers to show her that she was on the right path. After that, she laid her paw on his and was watching him again with those big amethyst eyes. If this was one of those romantic movies, in which Nick had been with Judy one or two times, they would kiss now and say how much they loved each other. But this wasn't a movie, this was their reality.
It was not the right time, Nick decided, and he broke the romantic moment, despite the fact that he liked the atmosphere. Like a month ago, where he had been in the nearly same situation with Judy, Nick exhaled deeply and drew his paw back.
"Oh come on Carrots, let's not be so emotional. Besides, I have something for you."
Judy looked disappointed about the changed atmosphere but as soon as she saw the gift from Nick, her curiosity won over the feelings from the little always when something interested her, Judy raised her ears.
"What? For me?"
"Yep, just for you. I think it's not bad, that you have this one for the time the real deal isn't around."
The nose of the little doe twitched fast, as she followed Nick's paws with her eyes, while her own paws clasped the blue fabric of her dress over her thigh tightly. Like a magician, Nick pulled a stuffed animal out of the bag, more exactly a little red fox, half Judy's size. In seconds her eyes began to lighten up and confirmed the correct choice of the plushie.
"Oh my god, thank you, Nick! That's so . . . I mean I never got a present from someone at a funfair! Thank you!" Judy said and gave Nick a quick hug and another dose of her sweet scent.
"What? There's not some happy memory between you and a buck your age, strolling arm in arm over the funfair in Bunnyburrow? Eating cotton candy on this both and driving an auto scooter on the next?" Nick asked with a questioning gaze on his face.
But Judy just kept on smiling. She turned the stuffed fox in her paws, inspecting every inch of him. The red of the stuffed mammal almost matched perfectly the one of Nick's. To all of this came that the little guy wore brown pants and a green shirt, just like another fox she knew.
"No, not once," Judy replied, still inspecting the gift. She didn't seem depressed about the answer she gave.
"Geez Carrots, I'm sorry to hear that," Nick replied.
"You don't have to be. Until now, I was never really interested in any relationship. So don't worry. To become a cop was my number one wish and, besides that, I was like an outsider in our school." Judy said as if it was nothing but Nick knew just too well how it was and what it did to you to be left alone.
"Why's that?"
"I stood up for everyone who had problems and tried even back then to make the world a better place. But some of the other mammals made fun of me and tried to bully me because of my odd behavior." Judy explained with no trace of remorse.
Nick noticed her statement about relationships and asked himself what she meant with that. Judy, however, placed the fox on her lap and hugged him from behind. Nick could see how tired she was, as soon as she placed her head on the stuffed fox. Never before in his life had he wished so much to change places with a stuffed animal.
"Don't worry, Carrots, from now on, nobody will make fun of you, or they'll get problems with me," Nick said and Judy replied with a little smile, "Oh, Mr. Wilde becomes protective for a little bunny…. That's nice of you Nick but I'm a big girl and I think I can protect myself."
"Well, it's never bad to have a fox to watch your back," Nick said with a grin and leaned back, watching the skyline slowly disappear, as the gondola went down.
Judy was still in a good mode and teased him a little bit longer, "You mean like you did shortly before we got to the shooting gallery?"
For a second Nick lost control over his facial expression. It wasn't for long but it was enough for Judy to confirm her thoughts. Like a schoolboy, Nick turned his head away from her and looked over the dark park, "I don't know what you're talking about, Whiskers."
Both mammals rode another round on the Ferris wheel before Nick saw that Judy almost fell asleep on the head of the stuffed fox. She closed her eyes slowly but still looked over the funfair, the park and the town in the background; Nick knew that it was time for her to call it a day.
"What do you say, Carrots? Another ride on this crazy wheel?" Nick asked and slapped with his paw against the metal frame of the gondola.
"Nah, I think I'm fine. Tomorrow is another long day, so I think I will head home. Would you mind accompanying me to my train station? To protect this meek, little bunny?" The sleepy bunny asked as she stretched her paws over her back.
"It would be my pleasure to escort you," Nick replied with a smug grin.
They stood up and waited for the help of Dustin to get down from the gondola. After a short thank you from the two and an autograph from Judy, after Dustin had finally realized who she was. They both made their way from the funfair over to the nearest Metro Station. Talking and joking they both walked through the Downtown of Zootopia. It was an incredibly quiet and warm night, the perfect conditions for a stroll in the evening.
Unfortunately, for Nick was the stroll not really long enough for his taste when they already arrived at their destination. Again he felt a little sting in his chest but he knew this one would stay a little bit longer than the others had, at least until they would meet again.
Standing on the platform of the Metro Station, there were still some minutes until Judy's train arrived and both started to say their goodbyes to each other.
With crossed arms, Nick stood in front of Judy and said, "So, hustler bunny, I wish you a good night and dream of some carrot cake. Will I see my favorite bunny tomorrow?"
A giggle came as a first reply from the doe.
"Thanks, Nick and yeah, I should be free for dinner...but please call me before," Judy said and looked to the nearest timetable for the trains. After she confirmed the time, Judy began with her little plan.
"And I wish you a good night as well, Mister Wilde and don't forget, no hustling," Judy said with a stretched out index finger to underline her statement but she was also smiling up to him.
Only a minute until her train arrived. Judy looked slightly dazzled up to Nick and said, "You have something in your fur Nick...no not there...on your right cheek."
Judy, who knew of Nick's obsession with his appearance by now, saw that even after half a minute of correcting his fur he wasn't done. In fact he couldn't be, because there was nothing to fix. Nick wasn't the only one, who could play tricks on others to reach a goal; Judy had learned more than a few things in her time with him.
"Still there?" Nick asked, a little bit annoyed. Judy's train was already entering the Metro Station, when she leaned forward.
"Wait, Nick...bow down...I will fix it for you…," Judy said smiling. However, as soon as Nick's head was on her heights, she wrapped her paw around his right cheek, drew him closer to her and gave him a short kiss on the left cheek. Confused about the sudden interaction, Nick forgot even his last words, the only thing he could do was standing there and looking after her with a slightly open mouth.
Judy, on the other paw, took her stuffed fox, walked over to her train and turned a last time around to Nick. Smiling to him, she said, "Don't look so dazzled dumb fox, a debt is a debt. Don't you think?"
"Yeah...I just hoped you'd forget it and I could wait for interest rates…," Nick replied with a weak voice and waved with his right paw. It was almost too gorgeous how she was standing there, waiting for her train to start in her blue dress, still hugging her stuffed fox. Both waved a last time at each other before the doors of the train closed.
Alone and confused, Nick stood still for a while in the Metro Station and thought about the kiss. Minutes passed before he could decide what he should do now. He knew that he should go home but it took him another minute before he started to move.
Exhaling deeply, he made his way to his apartment. It took him almost ten minutes longer to return home than normal and that was just because he took for some stations the wrong train.
This had never happened to me, why am I so rattled? Just because of the kiss from a little bunny? Maybe….maybe not.
Finally home, he poured himself a white tea, like he always did. He stood on his balcony, watching the moon, thinking about the day and what Judy told him today. A short message arrived, that she had returned safely home, which Nick just answered with a good night and a fox smiley.
"A clean-cut, huh?" Nick said to himself, taking a sip from the tea in his left paw and rotating his phone in the right. Grinning, he said to himself, "Maybe Judy is right and it's time for the lost son to return home."
It wasn't fear that kept him from going back to his mother, nor was it something he couldn't fix. The more he thought about it, the more he knew, there wasn't anything broken, that it was just a terrible mixture of hurt pride, shame and guilt. Pride for the things he wanted to accomplish but never did. Shame for the things he had said to her and guilt for the things he had done afterward, the hustling, the searching and keeping himself away from his mother because he had taught himself that he was no good for them. After all those years, he wasn't proud of his mistakes but he was somehow thankful for some of them.
With quick fingers, he went to the contacts app and scrolled through the almost countless phone numbers, names and pictures of other mammals, that he had gathered over the years and even more important, the notes he had made for each of them. Most of those mammals still owed him a favor or two.
Nevertheless, there it was, the number he was looking for, the one of the restaurant of his mother. It was now almost midnight and he knew that she would be sitting in her small office, planning the next day, maybe even drinking a glass of wine or chewing on some licorice as a reward for the hard day.
After some hesitation, he dialed the number and it took not even two rings until he heard the familiar but also long missed voice of his mother. She sounded like a typical female vixen in her 50s, confident and with a little smile at the end of every sentence.
"Emilia Wilde, how can I help you at this unholy hour?"
"Hey, mum… I know it's been a while…"
Slightly annoyed, Emilia Wilde interrupted her son, which she seemed to mistaken for her daughter, "Honestly Patricia, it's no longer funny to call me and pretend to be Nicholas. I know, yes, you are good at imitating his voice but these calls have to stop. We had our fun and laughed one or two times but now it's fine, okay?"
Nick exhaled deeply and shook his head, smiling. Nick maybe hadn't seen his mother for several years but he was still close to his sister. She was the connection between the two. Patricia Wilde, his beloved younger sister. She was on the verge of becoming a medical doctor and both shared a deep connection to each other. But he loved her because his sister Patricia was different. A cheerful mammal if you knew how to take her but sometimes even on the edge to insanity or far beyond. And the imitation of me seems to be Patricia's latest trick she played on others. Nick thought and sighed.
His mother was more like him, to be exactly she was like a 50-year-old, female version of Nick, just with the big difference that she hated crime and everything illegal. She had worked for everything she had in her life and she would defend it just as eagerly.
"No mum, it's really me. Nick."
A short silence before Nick heard her voice again. She sounded surprised but, more than that, happy.
"Nicholas?"
"Please mum, just listen first. I...I know I did a lot of things wrong and I want to change...but for this I need to talk to you two in person...So, I wanted to ask if it's okay to meet you and Patty tomorrow evening? Maybe for dinner?" At first, there was just silence, but it was fast replaced by the heartwarming laughter of his mother.
"Oh you dumb fox, of course, it is okay. I told you my door will always be open for you, no matter what happens. But why the sudden change?"
"Let's just say, things will change in the future and I want to tell you and Patty about this in person. And…"
"And?" Nick could almost hear the grin on her face through the phone. Somehow, she already knew what he wanted to tell her or so it felt to Nick.
"And...I want you two to meet someone important in my life, with whom I will spend a lot of time in the future."
Something rumbled in the background of Nick's mother's office. He had an idea what this could be and put his tea on the floor.
"Nicholas...please wait a second I put you on speaker, your sister just walked in." Emilia Wilde pressed a button and after a short interference, Nick could hear the ongoing conversation on the other side of the phone, "Patricia, you'll never guess who decided to call at this unholy hour of the day!"
"What? No...mum. Mum! Mum? Wait, that's..."
However, Nick couldn't or wouldn't stop her from letting Patricia into the conversation. He could almost feel how both vixen stood now grinning around the phone, waiting for him to answer. All he could do was sit on one of his chairs and try to survive this conversation to the best of his possibilities. One of his paws massaged slowly his temples while the other one held his phone in place.
"Hey,prince Charming! How are you doing?" Nick's sister Patricia tweeted through the phone with undeniable joy in her voice.
"Hey Patty, I'm fine and I hope so are your patients in the hospital?" Nick replied to her and he felt how he slowly started to smile.
"Well . . . some of them, yes. What's up bro? I heard you're finally ready to come back?"
Emilia answered the question faster than her son did.
"Oh yes, Patricia. He is. Nicholas will come tomorrow to us for dinner and then even in the company of a young lady."
"No way! Wait that means...I lost. Damn it!"
Nick knew his mother and sister good enough to know that something was going on on the other end of the phone. Patricia seemed to walk around the little office, cursing like an old sailor in Spanish.
"Hey? Aren't you happy to see me back at home with mum. Isn't that what you're bugging me about for years?" Nick asked
"Oh! She is! You must forgive her, Nicholas, but we two had a little bet running on your behalf."
The red fox leaned back and looked up to the moon; he had almost forgotten how much he loved the conversations with his mother. They were sometimes exhausting but always entertaining. Nick wasn't mad at the two for the bet. Oh no, he would have done the exact same thing, in their position.
"Okay, what was it about?"
"Well, Patricia said that you would come back on your own behalf and I said, older and wiser as I am, that only a young lady with a lot of persuasion could fix this problem...Oh please Patricia, don't sulk like that." Emilia on the other end of the phone said to her daughter.
Patricia's little tantrum seemed to slowly come to an end because all that Nick could hear from her now was a loud exhale of defeat.
"It's fine, Mum! You've won... Listen, Nick. I may have lost this bet because of you but I still love my big brother. Do you hear me?"
"You sound tired, Sis."
"That's because I am...I just had a long day in the hospital. But, whatever...Nick, I'm going home now and I'll see you tomorrow! And I warn you, don't forget to bring your bunny along. But enough of that I'll now have a date with my wardrobe, from which I need to choose the right dress for this historic event." Patty said and her voice trailed slowly off until Nick couldn't hear just the slamming of a door.
"What? Patty...wait," but it was too late, Nick's sister was long gone and only he and his mother stayed behind. Now, where only one mammal was left, Nick asked, "What does she mean with my bunny, Mum?"
"Oh Nicholas, do you really think we two beauties live under a rock? We saw, of course, your interview with Miss Hopps on TV. So, who else could you bring to us tomorrow?" Emilia Wilde replied with a chuckle.
"You got me, Old Lady, I bow down before your wisdom," Nick said and chuckled himself about his mother's words. A short silence passed between her and Nick. After some seconds, his mother's voice changed. It became softer and almost loving with no hint of sarcasm in it.
"Nicholas…?"
"Yes, mum?"
"I'm happy that you are coming back...I missed you."
Another short silence took place between mother and son before Nick replied.
"I missed you too, Mum...I...I see you tomorrow, same old house and same old time, I guess?"
Another heartwarming laughter of Emilia echoed through the speaker of Nick's phone. It was just now, that Nick understood and even more important, felt, how much he missed it.
"Oh son...You know that I hate it to change things Nicholas. Of course it will be the same time and the same place. You know your old room is still untouched. Well...cleaned but untouched. If you want to stay overnight for the sake of the good old times..." Emilia Wilde replied and Nick could again hear this typical smile from her over the phone. Of course, the red fox understood the allusion of his mother.
"Thanks, mum, but I have my own place."
"Of course, of course. I always forget how old you already are. The times of my little cub are long gone...Well, I wish you a good night my son."
"Good night, Mum."
The call ended, but for a while longer he held the phone in his paw. Nick stood up and grabbed the cup from the floor. In it remained only the last, bitter part of his tea. He drank it in one gulp. Fascinated by the view in front of him, he stayed at the railing and asked himself what Judy would say about his family. If she would accompany him tomorrow? Sure she would...or not? The thought about his mother and sister made him smile while he entered his apartment.
Judy
The grey bunny was making herself ready for bed. After a hot shower, Judy laid on her bed in her purple sleeping shorts and top. Tomorrow, she awaited a full day of patrolling on the streets of Zootopia, but at least she could hope to meet Nick for dinner. A ray of hope for a probably dull and uneventful day.
Nick… Why can't I get you out of my mind? Judy asked herself and went in her mind over all the events of the current day. No matter how she turned it, this day was one of the best in her time here in Zootopia. Not that the other days were bad. Everyday with Nick was somehow special to her. Judy could already feel that there was another discussion in the back of her mind that she still tried to repress.
Why is he always so nice to me? He doesn't have to do that. Judy asked into the depths of her mind, waiting for her own inner voice to reply.
Maybe because he likes you? Have you ever thought about this possibility? The voice replied.
Of course, I did! But...he is a fox and I am a bunny. How should that work?
Maybe it would work but just if you would let it happen.
But what if I don't like him enough?
Really? You ask yourself that question? You are into him since the end of the Night Howler case! Or better since the moment you know that he could close his fangs around your throat without anything happening to you. You can trust him blindly and you know that. You even wanted to invite him to your home.
Since when is trust alone enough for a deeper relationship?
It's not all, but it is the foundation on which everything else will be built. But If you don't like him enough, then tell me why did you give him the kiss? You know it was just a joke from him and nothing more. Even he forgot about it. So why did you do it? The voice asked and Judy knew she was right. Beaten by herself.
Because...I don't know! Why does my own mind has to be so annoying! Judy grunted and threw herself on her back. Her paws were clenched to fists, with which she covered her eyes. It took her some time and some controlled breathing to relax.
I'm so annoying because I am you. And you can't accept that you don't know the answer to the question.
To which question?
You know which question…
You are no help…
Judy sighed and was interrupted by her phone. She thanked the three goddesses that it wasn't her parents. It was a message from Fru and it seemed that she was more than curious how the day of the grey doe went.
Maybe Fru can help you with the question? Her voice said and went silent. Judy sighed again, turned to lay on her stomach and began to respond to her rodent friend.
Fru: Hey Judy! How was your date with Nick? (^w^)
She could feel how the heat spread over her cheeks and ears but she tried to ignore the feeling for now.
Judy: Fru, it wasn't a date! (-_-')
Fru: Okay, okay. If you say so… But, what did you two do?
Judy: The usual stuff, visit a coffee shop together, walking through the park, strolling about the funfair...Oh, Nick shot me a stuffed animal and he got us a ride on the Ferris wheel.
Judy had just hit the send button when she realized how everything she had just written would sound to someone else. What she described was a perfect date and she didn't see it. Not one moment. Fast she began to type before Fru could respond to her.
Judy: I know how that sounds but it wasn't like that!
Fru: Of course not...(^w^)
After the last reply of the rodent, Judy dropped her head and phone to the bed. She didn't expect another reply and right now she also wanted no continuation of the conversation. But like so often are wish and reality two completely different things. The ping tone of her phone brought her back and she looked at the small screen.
Fru: Judy, can I ask you something?
Judy waited a moment before she began to type.
Judy: Sure
Fru: What is Nick for you?
Judy stared just at the bright screen, when a voice echoed from the back of her head.
See? She knows the question.
The grey doe damned for a short moment her own thoughts but continued with typing.
Judy: I don't know, I think we are just good friends.
Her eyes wandered from the phone to the stuffed animal, which sat in front of her and seemed to watch her texting. Judy laid on her back and looked up to the fox.
"From down here you seem almost to grin at me or do you remember me just of another fox I know, mmh?" Judy said with a smile to the fox, who looked with his black button eyes down at her while continued to stare back in silence. Her phone made again a little ping sound, which drew her attention back to the conversation.
Fru: Judy why are you so worried about the fact that you could be more than just friends?
( • • ?)
Judy: I know, it shouldn't but isn't it odd that a bunny and a fox...you know...
Fru: Not long ago it was odd that bunnies could be police officers. I don't know any predator-prey relationship myself but why shouldn't you two be the first? And maybe you aren't?
She had a point there but still, it was such a tricky situation and they weren't even partners in the ZPD yet.
Judy: I don't know Fru. I need time to think about...all of this.
Fru: Don't worry, Judy, if you need someone to talk I'll be there for you. And remember if you really want to know, ask him what you two are. For your sake and his.
Judy didn't think that the answer was so easy to find. She sat by now with her back against the wall, the stuffed animal in her lap. She hugged the small fox from behind and watched the moon travel over the clear night sky. Slowly, her head sunk to the head of the little fox.
"He is just a friend, everything else would make it just more complicated, or not? Do we really have to hide what we feel? I wish you could be here with me and see what I see right now."
With those last words in her mind ended her thoughts for the day. She grabbed her fox even tighter and drifted into a deep sleep.
Woodpecker
The snow leopard closed the door to his car and stepped directly into a puddle. It was halfway filled with muddy rainwater. It was no good start for his work here and an even worse ending of a work day. Moreover, one thing was already sure: for tomorrow, he needed a new suite and Woodpecker knew that his wife wouldn't be delighted to clean mud from his trousers.
A half-loud growl escaped his throat but there was nobody around him who could hear him. But he knew one thing for sure: Trogon, the mammal who planned this last co would pay for this. Woodpecker thought about the black wolf with his stupid grin and could already imagine that he did this on purpose; he used every opportunity to make his stupid jokes and little pranks. Clown would be a better suiting job for Trogon and not the one he had, as a leading mammal in a professional organization. Woodpecker, which was of course not his real name, went in the direction of the bar which stood for many years here in the Meadowlands of Zootopia. Right now it was just an old scrap yard, filled with old cars, bikes, and other discarded metal. In the middle of this metal graveyard was 'the Broken Pipe', a bar made out of huge metal plates, car parts, and other junk. It provided shelter for the lowest of the society. Thugs, addicts, and thieves were the normal clientele. No mammal with good intentions would ever go to this place.
The bar was still some meters away but the thick fog got worse. Right now Woodpecker's fur was almost completely damp and if there was a thing he hated, then it was damp fur, and of course, mud on his suit – Trogon would pay for it, so much was sure.
Without hesitation, he walked into the rustic bar and looked around; the only other mammal in the room was the barkeeper, an old raccoon with a big scar on his right cheek. He was also a member of the organization and knew what he had to do. Tables, chairs and all other old interior stood abandoned in the room and Woodpecker was never sure if the inside or the outside of the 'Broken Pipe' was sadder to look at.
"Are they already here?" The Snow Leopard asked, his voice was rough and informed everyone that he was not in the mood for jokes.
The Raccoon didn't answer, all he did was nodding and going back to his daily work while Woodpecker went on. It seemed that the bar would end in some meters in a metal wall consisting of several metal plates which were welded together, but behind a huge and movable part of the wall laid another room, and just visible if you stood in the right angle. That room was almost as empty as the other one. However, there was a big difference here: at the last table sat two timber wolves. One had laid his head on the table and was sleeping, the other was reading something on his smartphone. Both seemed to be in no good physical conditions and the only ones who had followed the call for work. Sometimes it seemed for Woodpecker as if all capable criminals were already part of The Company, and everything that was now left on the streets were either cowards or idiots. He asked himself to which category those two belong but he guessed that he would soon know.
"Are you two here because of the rumor?" Woodpecker asked, still walking towards them.
The wolf with the smartphone looked up to the Snow Leopard. He had a skeptical look on his face and as if life had taught him already to be better safe than sorry with the ones who stood in front of him.
"Who wants to know that?" The gray wolf with the smartphone asked and looked at the Snow Leopard from head to toe, unsure what he should think of the huge and intimidating feline. Both were obviously brothers and wore some dark blue and worn out sweat suits. The clothing looked cheap and the mammals in them were more than tired.
"You can call me Woodpecker."
The other brother woke slowly up from his slumber and answered with a chuckle, "Woodpecker? Pfft, what a stupid name."
The wolf who answered the snow leopard first seemed to understand the situation. The tone against his brother became much tougher when he yanked him up by his collar. He looked unsure about what just happened.
"B-Billy, what's wrong? Who is that?" The wolf stammered to his brother. Fear and confusion were visible in his eyes.
"Shut up, Jim. Obviously, it's a code name. Here, take this and get us something to eat." The smarter of the duo replied.
"But, but that is our last money…," Jim said.
"For the sake of the three goddesses, just do what I say, Jim!" Bill yelled at his brother, who turned around in defeat and walked towards the front part of the bar. Woodpecker could feel that the remaining brother was obviously embarrassed by his sibling.
"You'll have to excuse him, he is not… the sharpest knife in the drawer," Bill said and cleared his throat.
"It's no problem, as long as you can keep him under control and he'll do as we say."
"Yes, yes, yes! He will be no problem. By the way, my name is Bill Meyer and the idiot who got us something to eat is my brother Jim. Please take a seat."
His shaking paw pointed over the table, to another chair. Woodpecker took it and sat directly in front of Bill. The wolf was afraid and Woodpecker could smell that very clearly. But he continued, he had work to do and the Snow Leopard wanted eagerly to go home.
"Do you know why you are here?"
"Y-Yes, you are looking for new members for your organization, but this is all I know," Bill answered nervously. He knew he had a dangerous and influential mammal in front of him, one wrong word and everything could go south.
"Okay, first thing, if one word of our conversation leaves this room, then you and your brother will die."
Bill gulped but nodded as an answer.
"Good, I think you understand what is on the line for you. I will make it quick for you and me. What we want is that you join the ZPD, graduate from the academy training and work for us in the rows of the ZPD. As soon as we say it, you will execute every command we order, you will give us import intel, weekly reports and so on. Do you understand me, Mr Meyer?" Woodpecker explained and laid the briefcase on his thighs.
"Yes, I guess so. We are basically snitches, right?" Bill asked, but dared not longer than some seconds to look into Woodpeckers gray eyes.
"All in all, yes." The Snow Leopard replied.
"Okay, that's no problem. We can do that." Bill assured.
"Second, and at the moment the most important thing you'll do is to observe and report."
"Observe?" Bill asked.
"Yes, and to be precise you will watch very closely Officer Judy Hopps and Nicholas Wilde…" Woodpecker explained but was interrupted by Bill.
"Wilde? Nick...Wilde? But he's a street hustler? He has nothing to do with the cops." Bill explained. Woodpecker just ignored Bill's manners and went on.
"He was but joined the ZPD some weeks ago. Hopps is still without a partner and because of that she'll train the recruits in the academy. When Wilde ends his training, he will be assigned to her. Do you understand?"
"Yes of course. But why those two?" Bill asked but was still dumbfounded by the fact that someone like Nick Wilde could become a cop.
"I'll give you a good advice, Bill. Never ask questions, as long as you have no code name or a reputation. We have our reasons for monitoring Wilde and Hopps."
"Of course, I-I'm sorry," Bill replied and dropped his gaze back to the table.
Woodpecker nodded and searched in his briefcase for the papers. Quickly he found what he was searching for and Bill looked with widened eyes at him and the two heavy contracts, with at least fifty pages each. Woodpecker laid both of them in front of him. The wolf surely awaited something else than standard paper contracts.
"We are an organization and with that we have contracts. Read it carefully and if you have finished it, read it again," Woodpecker said and tapped with the claw of his right index finger at the paper, "This contract binds you to us and that's until death. No exceptions, no turning back; once into it, only death can free you. Think about it and make your Decision."
No answer from Bill, he just nodded and took the two contracts in his paw. Woodpecker's time here was over, so he stood up and said his last words.
"You have three days to think about joining us. During this time you can stay here. Eat and sleep are on us during this time. If you sign, give the contracts to the barkeeper, he will inform us and we will talk about the upcoming task." Woodpecker said and closed the button on his black suit.
"We will...and thank you," Bill answered with a smile.
"Don't thank me too soon. You have no idea what awaits you in the case of failure. Goodnight Mr. Meyer."
Woodpecker turned around and walked back into the first room. The barkeeper looked at him and this time it was the Snow Leopard who nodded to him. The raccoon replied with the same gesture and everything seemed to be clear. Jim, the other sibling, fell asleep on the bar while he was sitting on a high chair at the counter. Besides him stood two plates with undefined soup. Woodpecker looked down at the food and thanked the three goddesses for the cooking skills of his wife.
When he thought about his wife and daughter, he was glad that this was his last task for today and he could finally drive home. At the door, he took a quick look back at the sad scenery but he decided rather quickly that the view was not worth it. The door opened and he looked right into thick fog. Woodpecker sighed a last time before he stepped into the disgusting weather and towards his home.
