Chronic depression.
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AN: Welcome back. Just an fyi, seeing as it's that time of year again I've resumed my 'Christmas Carols' oneshot series, featuring various Zoot one-shots based off of popular Christmas songs.
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It was odd to see so many polar bears, so many mammals that she knew had a connection to crime, standing in the lobby of the ZPD. The whole air frazzled with a nervous tension as she walked towards them.
The entire force was exhausted after their previous victory, and everything else that followed. They were tired but alert, weary but filled with a fiery resolve, and now, one army defeated, another seemed to stand in their home, just flaunting themselves in front of them. The ZPD forces were uncomfortable, on a hair's trigger, while the polar bears seemed none too comfortable themselves.
Judy wasn't either.
The Chief and a few others knew of her connection, they'd told her that there was nothing against her relationship with Fru-Fru Big, but it meant that she had a personal stake in anything to do with them and couldn't be allowed to investigate anything to do with her father's empire. That had seemed fair.
But, walking out towards them, the crime bears faces all turning to her and visibly relaxing, Judy began to feel just a bit more self conscious. After all, all her friends and workmates would be looking down on this scene, and they'd be able to see what was happening.
They were going to ask questions, weren't they? Or, worse than that, not ask them. After all, if they asked questions then she could reply, she could make them understand. Instead, though, they might remain silent and just judge her, maybe without her even knowing it. Without her ever getting a chance to set things straight, to put things right…
The thought made her ears droop down slightly, though the perky voice calling out did help them spring up a bit.
"Joo-dee! Gawsh, what's the matter?"
"Hi Fru-Fru," she said, feeling happy again to see her friend. Seeing her little goddaughter in the shrew's paws helped even further, and she had a stupid grin on her face as she saw the tiny little shrewlet wave back at her. "Eh-Oh!"
That felt better, and it was concreted as Fru-Fru spoke out to the crowd. "Joo-dee here saved me from a giant donut a few years ago! So I decided to be her friend after that."
Looking around, the bunny saw a ton of the officers looking at her curiously, nodding their heads, or guffawing. She could hear one or two joking about 'the crazy things that bunny gets caught up in…'
There was no outright condemnation or distrust though, which was the main thing. "Thanks for that," she said, turning back forwards. "Anyway, why are you here?"
There was a pause as a frown appeared on the shrew's face. She sighed, and looked down. "I guess you haven't heard."
"About what?"
"Daddy's in a lot of trouble," she said, before glancing up at Kozlov, the great bear carrying her. "Let's find somewhere more private," she said, before motioning him on. Judy followed, unable to help but see the tired looks on many of the bears faces. Exhausted looks. Worried looks. Fearful looks. None more so than Kozlov himself, who not only looked exhausted, but terribly haggard. He glanced around here and there, while keeping the two shrews close to his heart.
Out they went, into the plaza outside the Precinct, before they rounded the corner and arrived at a nearby cafe. There were plenty of spare seats, and the bears colonised an entire corner, drinks being ordered as Judy and Fru-Fru sat down across from one another.
The little mammal stood there, looking up at Judy and smiling, only for that smile to waver and crack. Holding onto her daughter, she ran forwards, right into Judy's paw as the bunny went to comfort her. "What's the matter?"
"It's… It's Daddy!" she whined, clutching on tight. Little Judy was crying too now, trying to ask what was wrong, and her mother tried to spare her time between her daughter and her friend.
Judy did her best, biting her lip as she tried to figure out what to say and what to do, the bunny holding herself there as the shrews worked it out of their system.
She wanted to say that it would all be okay, it would all be fine, but how could she? If Mr Big was finally in trouble with the law, she couldn't really say that it was a bad thing. Heck, she still didn't really know what had happened. In any case, despite the help he'd given, she couldn't help but feel no sympathy for Mr Big. He was a mob boss, she was a cop. He'd tried to execute her, and her best friend, and had almost certainly followed through with other mammals.
That, though, didn't mean she felt no sympathy for his daughter and granddaughter. She'd been clean, she'd planned to go into fashion and had been doing so, leaving the Big's crime enterprises behind her the second she could disband them. She hadn't asked for this life, and for her father's business, but she loved him like anyone would their father, and now she might be losing him. She was crying out in pain, and Judy felt it spread to her too. She ignored her tea when it came, staying by the tiny mammal's side, until, finally, they were ready.
Both sides settled down, took a few sips of their drink and helped themselves to some biscuits that had been brought out, before Fru-Fru spoke, looking down as she did so.
"Not that long ago, his Limo service got an inspection from the ZRCS. An accountancy firm who handles it discovered 'big tax irregularities'. Some of the workers passed this on to some investigators, and they came in to check everything out." She paused, rapping her fingers on her small cup, as she took in a shuddering breath and carried on. "Then… There… They looked at our bank accounts and invoices, and found the payments back to Daddy's main accounts. They looked at them next, and found all the little bits of evidence here and there. Lots of little leads. The Tundratown ZPD then got involved, and…"
Fru Fru choked out a sob, and Judy spoke for her. "You don't have to go on," she said, sadly knowing what would have happened next. Mr Big like to keep himself clean, certainly, but she guessed that if you looked hard enough you'd find the evidence. The tax report opened a divot, which was widened into a crack with the investigation at the limo service, then a hole when it moved onto his accounts. Now, the ZPD had marched through that hole and torn out everything inside, the whole edifice above crumbling and caving in on itself.
And here, out of the rubble, covered in the dust of misery and fear, were those who were left.
"They have him on a lot of business things," she said, hoarsely. "And linked it to some violent stuff, some of the icings as well…" Her voice trailed off. "He's on bail now, but he'll go to jail. He ain't gonna come out again…"
Sniffing some more, Fru Fru saw Judy's paw, outstretched, and ran into it, clutching it again. The bunny was silent though.
A terrible mammal was finally going to face justice.
But he still had loved ones. Ones who'd miss him.
"Is there any way to help?" she asked, eventually.
Fru Fru shook her head. "I… I got accountants who'll sort out the legitimate stuff." She choked a little, an odd bitter mirth entering her voice. "From what I gather, the limo service will be fine after this. Other legit parts too. With that, and my inheritance, we won't be left wanting. Though…"
"Though?"
Fru-Fru silently looked up at the bears around her. "I can keep a few, transfer some more where I can… But I'll have to drop most of 'em. These are just the inner guard too," she sighed. "There are many more workers and helpers. All loyal, all good… All now unemployed."
'Unemployed crooks', a small part of her thought, but it was smothered by Judy's worry for them. How many of Mr. Big's employees had actually broken the law? And even for those who had, how many families were depending on them? How much further might they fall trying to make ends meet? Did they really deserve this?
"I just don't understand though…" Fru Fru muttered, shaking her head a little.
"Don't understand what?"
"Daddy always said he kept his taxes in order," she explained. "I mean, when we learned about what you did to hustle Nick, he made it a point!"
Judy paused in thought. After the whole nighthowler business, she'd helped the fox find a tax lawyer and set up a repayment plan. Given how much he traded in goods, services, favours and cash, there wasn't that much that could be tracked down or proven. He had a cheap flat, and a good bunch of savings which took a nasty dent, but he was clear now.
Mr Big, though…
"He still says he did!" Fru-Fru sobbed, before kicking out. "Just can't admit he was wrong."
"Like Nick and his rug," Judy said, smiling a little as she saw Fru-Fru's mood lift ever so slightly. On asking about the infamous skunk butt rug, it turned out that Nick had been swindled on that one and hadn't known about it. Before presenting it, one or two of Big's attendants had queried him about it, suspecting it, and he'd acted all proud about his ware's, confident that he wouldn't have made a mistake.
Had he looked it up then, or they hadn't of suspected it and him denied it, then the old boss might have taken the error far more lightly than he had done.
Then again, it was now in with the new boss. Not the same as the old one.
A sad silence filled the air, as Fru-Fru took a breath in and out. "Thanks for… Thanks for just listening to me."
She smiled, though she didn't feel happy. "If you ever need someone to do that, I'll be the best listening you can get," she said, pointing at her ears.
Fru-Fru laughed, even little Judy squealing a little. That seemed to make it all a little bit better. They talked a little more, about more friendly stuff, trying to make things lighter. In the end, though, time was running out. They had places to go. Judy had to get back to work. Life would go on.
Kozlov coughed slightly, jerking Fru-Fru to attention. "Oh, right… Joo-Dee, Kozlov wants to talk to you, a little."
Pausing, the bunny looked up at the massive polar bear. His face looked worn out, old, sagging and forlorn as he nodded and stood up, Judy following him out. "I first came to Zootopia thirty year ago," he said, slowly. "Big Family took me in. Took many of my country mammals in." He paused, mincing the words in his mouth. "I guess many now go home. Most want to stay though."
"Couldn't you find jobs here?" she asked. They were outside, in a small alcove, and he turned to face her, one of his eyebrows raised critically.
"We were all mammals only trained to cause fear and pain," he said, painfully and wearily, a hint of shame in his voice. "First to protect the state, but then state die. Then we protect the family that took us in. Family now dead… I tried to protect many others too in my life…" He trailed off, shamefully looking away as his paws trembled. "I do not think anyone failed as hard as Kozlov."
Judy looked at him, before stepping forwards and placing a paw on his. "I wouldn't be so sure," she said. "I've had some pretty major failures too.."
He looked up at her, raising an eyebrow. "Even now, I fail to protect my bears. A few get to stay on. Most others…"
He paused, trailing off.
"I'm sorry it was that way," she said.
"Do not be sorry, not for me," he said. He glanced away shamefully. "I am not deserving of apology."
…
"Will you be helping the others, return home?" she asked.
He nodded. "I will try. Depends on where home was. In the north, I hear they need gas and oil workers. Same in the east. The east is good, the last twenty years wonderful for it, like a terrible shroud lifted. I hear a good few want to return there, I will help."
Judy nodded, before pausing. "Where did you come from?"
He smiled a little. "My family came from Lemmingrad," he said, smiling a little. "Papa and Mama sent there after war to help with rebuilding. But I move from there early. I was sent around and around. Zootopia is only city I'd call home. Same for most of my mammals. Most of them were born here, after all. I guess now they become poor here..."
…
Judy was silent, what words could be said?
"But that is not why I call you here," he spoke, his words carrying an air of caution. He looked around and knelt down. "I have sudden business to attend to in old country. To meet with old friend," he said. "Need to be gone for small time."
"So you want me to make sure that Fru-Fru is safe?"
He smiled. "You would keep her safe anyway, you are good mammal." He then sighed, before his paw went into his suit. Out came a small necklace, a small crystal-like metal pendant, coppery in colour but fused with dark spots, hanging off of it. Judy couldn't help but notice the odd divot and bump in it, as if someone had tried to chisel into it. "Is old family heirloom," he spoke. "With worry about attack on Big's, and long journey there and back, want you to look after it. Demon bunny can hold her own, yes?"
Judy laughed, before looking up and smiling. "Of course," she said, taking it off of him. "I'll keep it safe."
"Very safe," he said, before looking up. "Need to return now. Family to protect, flight to catch tomorrow."
"Back home to Russia," she said, "to see old family."
"To Ewekraine," he clarified. "To see old comrade."
Judy nodded, before pausing. "Aren't parts of there…"
"Dangerous? Yes," he said, as they walked back. "But old friend lives in far north, away from fighting. Nice town called Slavulpinch. He moved there to help out those who live there. Same reason I go there now, to help. Same reason I stay with Fru-Fru. To help. Least I can do."
"You're a good mammal," she said.
"No," he said with a dark inflection, his voice picking up a little as they re-entered the cafe. "Am not. We simply try to repay great debt that never can be." He looked at her, then back at Fru-Fru. "Look after her," he said. "I fear that wider things are playing with her, she at their mercy. Kozlov knows what that is like."
Not sure what to say, she nodded and entered back in. A few words were exchanged, goodbyes were sent, and both mammals went their own ways.
Slowly walking back into the precinct, she sat down on a chair, slumping over. Her head slid down into her paws, which covered her eyes as her ears fell down in front of her.
She felt tired, she felt sad.
She knew…
She knew that bad mammals had friends, had families, had those who cared for them and looked after them, and who would miss them when they were taken away. She knew that Big, whatever way she looked at it, was a bad mammal. Him being taken away was one big positive for Zootopia, no matter what he'd done to help her in the past. No matter how much he'd helped her, helped the city in the nighthowler crisis… It was part of the job, and things would be getting better. They would be...
But… But she was sad. Sad for his daughter, granddaughter, for his polar bears. She was sad for him. A little part of her brain put its little paw up, and smugly pointed out that he had once tried to kill her… But for some dumb reason the rest of her mind didn't really care.
The world was, on paper, a better place now. Some other mammals had seen to it, with their diligence and intelligence, and nobody was hurt or injured.
But it didn't feel like that.
Which was bad, as surely there would be a way to do that? Surely, somehow, they could have worked out a way to have a happy ending for everyone? Save the city, save the family. But that hadn't happened, she'd been busy with her own thing, and the painful way out had snapped into operation without her. It didn't even need her to pull the trigger, to do the breaking of the heart, to be the one who…
"Fluff?"
She looked up, spotting Nick next to her. He was looking over her with sympathy and bent over, putting a paw on her back.
"You good?"
She smiled. "Yeah, I'm…"
She was cut off by a finger on her mouth, as Nick looked down sceptically. "I'm not even the detective here, and I can tell that you're fibbing."
Paw away, she glanced at the floor, her nose twitching a few times before she spoke out. "My ears were droopy, weren't they?" she asked, glancing down at the tips of those big tattletails.
"That was one of many clues, yes," he teased. "All painting a clear picture of an upset bun-bun…"
She snapped to him, her nose twitching a few times, before she settled down. Tired, with one big glomp, she let her head drop down into his chest, and he responded by rubbing his paw down the back of her head. "There, there, so emotional. Now, it's been a big day for both of us, so what's the matter?"
"Mr Big got caught out on tax issues, everyone just dug further, and he's probably going to go to jail and never come out."
"Did she say Mr Big?" a voice piped up. Basil. "As in the infamous Tundratown mobster?"
"I think so yes, it certainly lines up with her story. He's been noted to be in a fair bit of tax trouble, for sure." Dave replied.
"And so the interesting question is how she knows him and why it's so upsetting?"
Judy just listened on and groaned. Of course they'd be with Nick and, looking up, she saw them in his shirt pocket. She'd just been too preoccupied with herself to notice. "I knew his daughter first, I saved her from a runaway giant donut — long story. I didn't know her dad was a crime boss until later."
The two mice glanced at each other and nodded. "I guess you're upset for her sake, then," Dave said, his voice tinged with concern.
Nodding her head, Judy stood up. "She's losing her father, and found out he lied to her too. It's rough…"
"Lied to her?" Basil asked. "Did she not even know what he was. What he was up to? That would certainly explain a lot of the pain and such."
"The poor girl must be distraught then," his husband finished.
Judy shook her head. "She was aware, planning to legitimise when she inherited it all. It's that he said he had all the taxes in good order. It turned out one of his businesses hadn't and that's how they got in."
Nick winced. "Rough. I mean, unlike lazy past me, I'd have thought he'd of been dotting all the i's and crossing the t's."
"She thought he was, turns out he wasn't," she said. "That, and the fact that he keeps on telling her that he did keep them in order."
Nick snorted, before glancing down. "Sorry, mild schadenfreude there. Seems like mama karma came back to him on that one."
"And what long story is behind that, then?" Basil enquired. Nick looked down at him and groaned, while Judy had her own enjoyable moment. Soon enough though the skunk butt rug affair was explained, alongside with their complete past with Big, much to the interest of the mice detectives.
"Well," Dave summarised. "I can most certainly say that that was certainly… something."
"Of course, this final end to his chapter should be a splendid bit of good luck for you two, drawing a final line on all that murky stuff in the past," Basil explained. "Out with the old, never to chain you down again."
"I certainly hope so," a new voice spoke up, the group turning to see Catano walking over to them. She paused, looking at Nick and Judy, concerned more than anything. But, looking down, Nick saw her tail ever so slightly fuzzed up. She paused, sighing. "I know it was a dumb bit of luck and all," she began, pausing as the words hung on the edge of her tongue. "But I was expecting better from you," she said, before sighing.
"Kii?" Judy spoke up, walking forwards.
"You two are still my friends," the cheetah spoke austerely, "but I might need some time to process this."
Judy blinked a few times, before looking away. "I'll do my best to rebuild your trust."
Catano held back a bit. "Thanks Judy," she said, before looking at the two mice. "Want a ride back?"
They agreed, and Nick handed them to her as she spoke. "At least you should be clear now. I'm guessing you being friends with the daughter is fine if she is clean."
Judy nodded, before pausing. "It should be… But her chief polar bear did ask me to for a little favour."
"Huh?" Catano asked, glancing at her, her eyes narrowing. The bunny brought out the necklace, much to her confusion.
"'Family heirloom'," she explained. "The bear wanted me to look after it while he went travelling. Said he had to do business or such, meeting an old friend who lives in the Ewekraine, in Slavulpinch. He might be trying to find jobs for all the other polar bears, given that they're out of a job now."
Nicked scoffed a little. "Best of luck to him, though he's got his luck cut out. They're not exactly traditionally employable…"
"It surely can't be that bad," Basil asked, as Nick's eyes narrowed.
"One CV I proofed for them was headed, and I quote, 'Va-Va-Vasily, Volegograd's greatest 'Vove' machine'."
"Maybe it is that bad," he muttered.
"Yup," Nick nodded. "The chances are, whoever replaces Big will take them on."
Judy deflated some more from this. There wasn't even a silver lining. She looked around, seeing Nick's pessimistic resignation to the fact, Catano's irritation at it, and the mice's sudden energy, Basil in particularly twitching around in thought.
The gears had turned all around them without her noticing, moving on, and she felt oddly helpless. Oddly useless.
"It's time to go," Nick said, sitting up.
"Cool," she replied.
The fox paused, looking at her. "I showed your little recording, you did find something."
"You certainly did," Basil replied. "Thank you very much, it might prove very useful."
"Incredibly so," Dave chipped in.
That felt a bit better, and Judy looked up and took a breath in. She still felt a bit sad, it had been a crazy day. "Thanks," she said. "I guess I'll head home now."
They all nodded and began going their ways, and as she stepped out into the open air she took a breath in. She felt… Unsure of herself. Unsure of her footing.
"Hey, Carrots?"
Turning back to Nick, she smiled. "Yes."
The fox paused. "You seem a bit off today."
"It's been a bit crazy," she replied.
Nick paused, taking a deep breath in, before smiling. "Then how about you come back to my place and relax. Work through all these things."
That sounded good. That sounded great. And Judy nodded, and they head off together, paw in paw. Today had been crazy so far, and, while she always enjoyed staying with Nick, in this moment there was nothing else she'd ever want more than it.