Chapter 16: Wants and Wishes
Flipping the next page of the book she was reading, Judy paused to look at the door, then to the clock, then back to the door again before her eyes returned to the book on her lap. The bunny's alarm radio read 6:39AM as she eagerly waited for Nick to arrive. Reaching over to the side, Judy grabbed another lupine to snack on as a small appetizer. For a prey mammal like herself, flower bouquets made for both wonderful romantic gestures and tasty treats. She didn't want to spoil her breakfast, but, having been awake for over an hour anxiously awaiting Nick's arrival was causing her stomach to growl.
Judy began to read a new paragraph but it didn't take long to become mildly distracted as the sweet taste and smell of lupine caused her to flash back to those amorous memories from last night. Just like that, everything had changed… or had it really? She couldn't imagine anything being too different between them than before, just more exciting as they both had declared their love to one another, taking their relationship to the next level.
Just as Judy impatiently checked the clock once more, her ears twitched to movement in the hallway and a big toothy smile appeared at the sounds of a playful knock on her door. Not even bothering to bookmark her page, Judy tossed the book onto her mattress and hopped to the door. Swinging it opened revealed her partner, no, now her boyfriend, standing there with a pair of drinks already in paw. Nick was leaning against the frame like he always did, dressed in his usual green Pawaiian shirt, aviators sitting atop his head, and sporting the violet tie. His smile grew even wider as he set eyes on Judy as she appeared from behind the door itself, dressed in her casual blue shirt and black leggings.
"Morning, Fluff. Decaf?" he offered.
"Good morning!" she cheerfully greeted, giving Nick a big hug. Lingering in the embrace, Judy's paw traced a line down his elongated back. When they parted, she curiously eyed the coffee Nick was dangling in front of her. Normally not a coffee drinker, Judy accepted the brew and took a cautious sip. Smacking her lips, she noticed it was lightly sweetened with a touch of cinnamon but not too overpowering.
"Hmm, thank you." Judy reached out to gently tug Nick down by his tie and gave him a small nose boop.
Wiggling an eyebrow, Nick took another chug of his own Snarlbucks coffee. "Were you up long?"
"Only a little bit," she smiled.
Nick spied the upside book on her mattress. "What're you reading?"
"Don Coyote," Judy said after taking another taste.
"Is that right?" Nick began to dramatically gesture, "Enjoying the quixotic tales of heroic Don Coyote and Sancho Panda defending the honor of fair maidens, fighting giants, and enchanters? Oh, my favorite part is when he attacks the wi––"
"Hello, spoilers! I'm only on The First Sally!" Judy interrupted as she raised her arms up.
"Whoopsie…" he smirked, tossing back the last of his own life giving brew. "Ready to eat?"
Judy's glare softened as she leaned up against him, chin on his torso looking up. "Where should we go?"
"Kodiak's Donuttery?"
"Oh," Judy began, bouncing excitedly on her toes. "Good choice!" With keys already in paw, she took Nick by the arm, locked the door, and led him down the hallway.
Accepting the assertive handling, the fox flicked his aviators on with a smile as the new couple made their way downstairs to street level, heading to catch the next subway train to Otterdam, located in the southeastern part of Downtown. The busy morning crowd packed the train to the brim, causing the fox and bunny to be squeezed between several larger mammals. Nick managed to find an unused hanging strap and took hold of it, while Judy on the other paw, decided to use Nick's shirt sleeve as her personal strap, holding onto to it with quite a grip as the two shared an amused glance.
During the quiet ride, they both checked their phones. Judy noticed several texts from her family, including a new one from her parents. They had called two days ago to check on her after she visited Mrs. Wilde. The bunny assured her parents that everything was fine and she was spending the remainder of her vacation with Nick. Firing off a quick text, Judy decided she would call her parents later that day.
Arriving at their destination, the duo enjoyed a short trek before setting foot into one of their favorite breakfast locations. Kodiak's Donuttery was a small hole-in-the-wall bakery run by a big cowboy hat wearing, jolly brown bear named Jeb. Like Judy, he moved to Zootopia some time ago to follow a dream and start a new life with his family's knack for baking. The bakery was a favorite among several of Precinct One's officers.
Entering the bakery and surveying the lengthy waiting line, Judy frowned but the fresh baked aromas tickled her nose and instantly renewed her good mood. She turned to look up at Nick. "I'll go stand in line. Find us a table?"
"You bet," he nodded. Before departing, Nick reached out to run the paw pads of his index finger and thumb gently along her right ear, causing Judy to nearly stumble from the unexpected sensation.
"Nick! Stop it!" There was no bite in her bark. Judy playfully shoved Nick's paw away for his little shenanigan before hopping in line.
Pleased with himself, the smug fox sauntered away, paws behind his back, in search of some empty seats. He could get used to this.
The bunny glanced back as she got in line, watching Nick walking away, his tail swishing back and forth. "All right, Slick Nick. Two can play this game," Judy mused to herself as she scooted along with the rest of the customers. Nick disappeared towards the sidewalk tables along the street corner under the shared awnings of the local marketplace.
"Alrighty, next customer!" came the boisterous yet friendly roar from over the counter. A stocky brown bear sporting a cowboy hat in a messy apron with a checkered shirt looked at the small space between the departing lioness who just paid and an impatient moose in a suit to the right. Tipping his hat with a smirk, he leaned over to see a familiar gray bunny with a distant yet devious look in her eyes. "Ah, well if it ain't my favorite lil' officer. Mornin' Miss Hopps! Haven't seen you around for a spell."
The sound of her surname finally caused Judy to snap back to attention and look up at the store owner. "Oh. Hi, Jeb! I'm sorry I spaced out. How have you been?"
"Busy as a cub in a honey jar! And no need to apologize, Miss Hopps. Doin' a run for yer precinct? Shall I prepare Mister Clawhauser's usual dozen?"
"Actually, we are off-duty! It was Nick's suggestion to come here for breakfast today," she cheerfully answered.
"Ah, I appreciate that. Give Mister Wilde my regards. So, what can I git for ya'll?" Jeb asked, clicking a pair of tongs in paw.
With her face and paws against the glass, tail wiggling, and rising up on her tiptoes, Judy stared at all the delicious options in front of her. Doing her best from holding up the line again, the bunny quickly pointed at a couple of pastries while Jeb expertly scooped them up.
Outside, Nick managed to snag a small table before a pair of woodchucks could claim it and leisurely leaned against it. His eyes naturally bounced from mammal to mammal, sizing them up, as they hurried along their daily morning routines. The sounds of soft, quick-moving feet and a rustling bag directed the fox's attention back to the seat next to him. Judy was already sitting next to him, emptying the contents onto the table.
"One raspberry-hazelnut galette for you… and one hazelnut and buckwheat financier with figs for me. And Jeb says hi!" the bunny announced.
"You do know the way to my heart," Nick said, wagging his tail in anticipation.
"Through your ego?" Judy supplied.
Raising a finger to counter, Nick conceded to the point instead, "Well… there is that. But my stomach counts too." Flattening his ears and a mock look of sorrow, Nick turned to Judy with puppy eyes and a pouty tone, "And only one pastry for moi?"
"I'm not having you fall asleep on me today," Judy declared, then took a hungry bite of her own food, completely unaffected by his usual theatrics.
"Guess that restraining order's already been filed," Nick smirked before diving into his galette. "Cruel bunny."
"Gluttonous fox."
The two ate in comfortable silence while enjoying their breakfast. Once they finished, Judy scooted closer to Nick, burrowing herself under his arm as the fox and bunny watched the crowds with full stomachs.
A thought entered Judy's mind as she watched a laughing hyena couple stroll by. "So… last night, you said you've wanted to tell me how you felt for a while…" she paused for a moment, suddenly feeling a little trepid as Nick fully turned his attention to her. "When did you know?"
There was a brief pause as Nick's muzzle formed a soft smile. "The night we had dinner at my Mom's."
"Really!?" Judy said, a little too loudly than she intended as her ears shot up. Several passersby glanced in their general direction.
Now it was Nick's turn to feel a little coy and scratch the back of his neck. "When I walked you to your door and you hugged me goodnight… I… um… I almost nuzzled you… I stopped myself in time so you wouldn't notice," Nick spoke quietly. Judy's eyes remained locked with his. He watched them flicker about as she scanned his own. A confident smugness reformed on his face. "You might just say that's when you cuffed my heart, Officer Fluff."
Judy's eyes and mouth went wide open as she attempted to reply, only to bury her face into his shirt with a loud snort. Nick's punchline took it over the top for her. "Oh, crusty soil… that's so cheesy!" the bunny managed between chuckles. "I love it!"
The amused fox took it in stride and just gently stroked her back while Judy tried to regain control of her laughter. When she finally settled down, the bunny remained quiet before turning her head just enough to peer at the street again, placing one of her paws on his chest. "After I went home and I started to really miss you… I figured it out."
"So, do all rabbits usually take so long to realize they're madly in love with their partner or is it just you?"
Playfully narrowing her eyes, Judy began to repeatedly jab at Nick's belly, lowering her voice in a mix of sarcasm and flirtiness. "Oh ho, very funny coming from the fox who fell muzzle over tail first!"
"No, no, no!" Nick attempted to halt the frisky assault by squeezing Judy into a tight hug, causing her to mildly fidget in response.
"Nick, you are such a…" before Judy could finish her statement, a concerned voice interrupted her.
"Miss? Miss, is this fox bothering you? Should I call the cops?"
Both Nick and Judy froze and slowly turned their heads to see a worried llama with his smartphone out ready to dial the ZPD hotline.
Exchanging a long glance with one another, the two off duty officers returned their unamused gaze back to the llama and produced their badges. "We are the cops!" they chorused.
Embarrassed, the llama took a few steps back before fleeing the scene.
"Boy, look at him go. I haven't seen a guy run like that since that time we saw those cheetah exhibitors at the MES convention," Nick said, doing his best to keep the edges of his lips from forming a frown.
Chuckling at the quip, Judy studied Nick for a moment before reaching up to pull him closer to her so that their foreheads met. She traced a finger along the side of Nick's snout, causing the fox to instantly forget the lame llama's words. "I wish it hadn't taken me so long to figure it out."
"No." Nick's soft reply caused Judy to slightly rear her head in confusion. "It wasn't the right time yet. It worked out better this way," he finished with a genuine smile, no hints of snark or jest in his voice.
Taking a moment to consider his words, Judy smiled back at Nick. "You're right."
"I know."
"Oh, don't you start again! Now c'mon… we have a whole day to spend together!" Judy said while grabbing his arm and pulling him out of his seat.
A flick of the wrist later, the aviators were back on and Nick accepted Judy's lead. "Right behind you, Carrots."
With no real set plan, the spontaneous couple happily meandered their way south along Herd Street into Acorn Heights. They took in the city sights while bantering and commenting on the various mammals they saw. Nick knew how to expertly weave between the crowds, avoiding the path of larger or oblivious mammals. Every so often, Judy found Nick being distracted by some type of amusing billboard or show being played in the window of an electronics store but nothing a quick tug of his tie couldn't fix.
Grabbing some smoothies for their journey, they found themselves back in Downtown at the main town square watering hole. Judy watched some kits running around playing tag. As she followed their swift movements, her eyes settled on a large banner that caught her attention.
"Nick, look!" Judy pointed across the small idyllic park. "The Natural History Museum is open today."
"So it is," he said while slurping up the last of his smoothie. "You're thinking what I think you're thinking, aren't you?"
"That we should go inside? Yes, I am," Judy said while walking backwards. "We haven't really been to see the exhibits and we work right next to it! It'll be fun!"
"Maybe they'll let us in for free if we show'em our badges," Nick suggested with a grin.
"Nick… c'mon." Judy shook her head and grabbed his paw. "We should support the arts. It's important."
"I support the arts," he protested with a paw across his chest.
"Is that why the empty walls of your apartment have so many paintings hanging on them?"
"I just haven't found any I like… I'm not exactly a Pigcasso or Van Goat kind of fox."
Chuckling, Judy approached the entrance. "Maybe you'd be a Rambrandt kind of fox."
"How about a nice Tigian's Venus or Cougarbet's L'Origine du monde? That would look good over the TV," Nick replied with a devilish smirk.
Judy paused for a moment when the visuals of the two famous nude paintings came to mind. She did her best to hide her innocent reaction and suppress a tiny groan as to not give Nick exactly what he was fishing for.
"You know this isn't that kind of museum, right?" Nick said, holding the door open, still watching Judy intently.
Relieved to change the subject, Judy skipped forward quickly. "Yes. I know. C'mon!" she replied, patting his chest.
"Just checking," he said with an all knowing smirk.
Purchasing two tickets at the main desk, they strolled through the giant circular lobby, passing the small pit exhibit where a large tour was being conducted. Finding a map of the museum, the fox and bunny decided to start on one end and make their way around before checking out the second floor. The first exhibit displayed several ancient prey ancestors from the Prehistoric Era.
Judy stopped next to a giant mammal skeleton that resembled something of a mix between an elephant and rhino with two giant joined horns on it's head.
"Arsinoitherium zitteli," she read aloud.
"Looks more like Arsino-don't-get-on-his-bad-side zitteli," Nick added, standing behind her with his paws behind his back. "Bet he was fun at parties."
Shaking her head. Judy moved onto to the next display.
Nick moved ahead a few displays when something in particular caught his attention. His ears raised and a gleeful expression took hold of his muzzle. "Oh, Carrots. Come check this out!"
"What? What?" Judy said, curiously hopping over.
"Look at this," Nick pointed at a large image of a ginormous brown rabbit. "One of your ancestors was the size of a tiny compact car."
This earned Nick an arm tap and a glare. Judy then looked up at the plaque. "Huh… Nuralagus Rex. It says they went extinct."
"That's a bummer."
"You want a taller girlfriend?" Judy teased.
"I like mine just the way she is," he winked before sauntering away.
With a small smirk of her own, Judy followed as they passed through several more exhibits. They soon found themselves in the Stone Age exhibit. There was a display that recreated a scene of an ancient tribe of jackalope rabbits, wearing simple loincloths and crude stone spears.
Leaning against the wall, Nick smirked as he studied the statues. "Remember when I used one of these as a decoy?"
"Yes, that was very clever of you, sly fox." Judy reminisced. It was still hard to believe that was a year ago now.
Nick reached out to touch the tip of the spear despite the 'no touching' sign. "And you said bunnies can't go savage."
"Only if you call them cute," Judy said, leaning against the railing.
"Not sure I'd call anyone pointing a spear at me, 'cute'. Glad I wasn't around in those days."
"Aw, is the fox afraid of a few armed bunnies?" Judy teased.
"A few armed bunnies with antlers and huge teeth. This fox would be afraid of becoming some kind of fox trophy over the mantle in their burrow. I, am a lover, not a fighter," he said, placing a paw over his heart.
"You do prefer using that silver tongue of yours, Slick."
"I think you might too," Nick replied in a husky tone next to her ears.
Judy's eyes widened at the implication and she playfully shoved his muzzle away, followed by a wide hip bump for his overtly flirty comment as they moved on to another exhibit. This time it was a predator-focused one.
"Maybe they have an ancient fox somewhere," Judy mused.
"Just look for the best looking mammal here and we'll find it."
With a heavy sigh, Judy continued looking through the images and statues. After some diligent searching, she happened upon a male white fox that was said to be from the snowy Himallamas region. The bunny gasped at the sight of the ancient fox's coat.
Nick came over to see what caught Judy's attention. "See. I told you…"
"Why can't your fur be that fluffy!?" she interrupted with her rapid fire question.
Pausing for a moment, Nick cocked an eyebrow. "Well, we could transfer over to Precinct Three in Tundratown then I'd get my winter coat and we could compare who's fluffier."
"That's a thing?" Judy asked now more interested than ever. "How about you transfer and I'll come visit you!"
"Yes, that's a thing," Nick began by standing next to the statue, gesturing towards it with a mock offended face. "And I see how it is. You only want me for my fluff."
"If it'll look like that," she pointed to the fake fox, giving Nick her best flirty muzzle. "You bet I do."
With a hearty chuckle, Nick placed a paw around Judy's shoulder and she squeezed him in return before moving on to the next part of the museum.
As they finished their own tour, the fox and bunny approached a tour group stopping at the large pit in the circular lobby in front of them. Nick noticed that the tour guide was a sloth who was teaching a very large, and rather impatient, group of students on a field-trip about the exhibit.
"Boy, they sure look like they're having fun," he said, amused at the children's boredom.
"Don't be mean," Judy chided him. "I'm sure the tour guide is doing a great job!"
"Right. Then maybe we should eavesdrop in?" Nick suggested.
"Oh ha-ha! No. We already know all about this one! From the inside out! Remember? We won't learn anything new..." Judy prattled on trying to find an excuse not to.
"Uh huh," Nick replied sensing a ripe opportunity. "I think we might."
Judy exhaled a mixed groan and whimper as they joined the tour. Nick simply listened intently to the ever slow speaking tour guide while Judy appeared to grow as impatient and restless as the kits around them. The sound of her foot thumping caught everyone's attention. Judy's ears shot up at the sudden multitudinous pairs of eyes that fell upon her.
One of the kits, a small cougar boy, began to jump excitedly when he recognized the gray rabbit next to the group. "Oh, oh. Are you Miss Judy Hopps!?"
"She sure is, junior," Nick answered for Judy with a smirk and stepped behind her, leaning his elbow atop her head, ruffling her ears.
"Did you really fall in the pit down here and arrest the bad mayor!? Did you? Did you?"
Clearing her throat, Judy clasped her paws together and smiled brightly. "Yes, little guy. I did. But I didn't do it all by myself. I had this nice fox to help me," Judy said sweetly, reaching behind her to grab Nick's tie and yank the fox's muzzle right next to her's. "Say hi to my partner, Officer Wilde."
A chorus of his and hellos greeted the tethered fox. Nick waved back sheepishly. Judy maintained her grip so that Nick couldn't slip away.
"Does anyone have any questions they'd like to ask us?" Judy chirped.
A tsunami of inquiries came straight at the fox and bunny officers.
"Can I join the ZPD?"
"Can we ride in your car?"
"Have you ever shot anyone with a sleepy gun?"
"How many bad guys have you caught?"
"Can you show us how you caught the bad mayor?"
Judy's ears twitched at the last intriguing question. "I think we can do that. Whaddya say, Nick?"
"Please!" came several expectant pleads.
"I think we can arrange that," Nick said, resigning to his fate, glancing over to the satisfied smirk on Judy's face.
"I'm sorry for interrupting, ma'am," Judy spoke to the sloth tour guide. "May we?"
"Sure… I… don't… mind. Please… go… ahead… Officer… Hopps."
"Yay!" sang the jubilant kits.
Judy noticed a pen in the tour guide's pocket and walked over. "May I borrow this? Thank you."
The pair began taking turns in telling the tale of how they found the evidence needed to save the city and tried to race through the museum to get to the ZPD headquarters. Naturally, they left out the exploding train part. They continued the story by saying how they were suspiciously confronted by the Mayor and suspected her treachery. Then Judy shared how they tried to run and hide but her leg got injured by a giant statue's tusk. Nick revealed how they came up with the plan to switch the ammo in the dart gun with some blueberries before making a run for the exit.
Judy took over with how Nick carried her and did his best to protect her when a ram knocked them both into the pit below.
Deciding to have a little fun, Nick gestured to the group. "Who would like to help us finish the story by playing the bad mayor? Any volunteers?"
Everyone raised their paws. Even the sloth tour guide… eventually.
"Boy," Nick mused. "This is gonna be tough. Let's see…" he placed a paw over his eyes and randomly moved his other paw through the group. "And our volunteer is…" his finger landed on the cougar kit. "Well, it's your lucky day, junior."
"Yes!" he roared.
"What's your name, pal?" Nick asked leaning forward on his knees.
"Brad Kitt, sir!"
"All right, Brad. Come stand over here and act all evil," Nick said. The cougar kit did as he was told, rubbing his paws together while attempting a wicked cackle. Nick chuckled, then whispered a few instructions into his ear.
Judy continued to dramatically narrate how the Mayor shot Nick, trying to make him go savage but she knew he wouldn't hurt her as she tried to bait the Mayor into a confession.
"That's your cue, bad Mayor," Nick whispered as he pretended to chase Judy around the group. All eyes were glued on them.
"Uh… rawr! I'm a bad a guy! I'm gonna make everyone go savage! Yeah!" Brad yelled.
Now it was Judy's turn. She let Nick catch her and he pretended to playfully pounce her, making sure not to show his teeth. "Blood! Blood! Blood!" The kids gasped at her words. "And death!"
"Don't worry, kids." Nick said once they held the pose long enough for dramatic effect, offering a paw to Judy who also sat up. "Farmer bunnies. She's a milker, isn't she?"
"Boom! And that's how we got her confession!" Judy said proudly holding up the pen!
The children clapped in excitement.
"You did good back there, junior," Nick said patting the cougar kit on the back.
"Really, Officer Wilde?" Brad looked up in awe, a slight spring as he bounced on his feet.
"One hundred percent."
"Here's something for you, little guy." Judy walked over and planted a junior ZPD sticker on his shirt.
"Cool!"
"Anyone else like a sticker?" Judy asked jovially.
All the kits crowded around the bunny officer so they could get their very own badge too. They managed to give each kit a badge, with two to spare as they bid the tour group farewell and made their way towards the museum's exit.
Turning around, Nick walked backwards and waved to the children one last time. "Remember kids, eat your blueberries!"
Outside, Nick and Judy were walking back along the town center fountain, heading to nowhere in particular again. They stopped by a food cart vendor to grab some snacks. As they were strolling on the sidewalk, Nick's phone began to ring. Judy could tell by the look on his face that he recognized who was calling him but abstained from answering since this was their time.
"It's okay, Nick. I don't mind."
"You sure?" he asked reluctantly.
"Yes. Answer the phone, silly fox."
Nick reached into his pocket and answered before it went to voicemail. "Yeah, Finn? Uh huh… uh huh… today? I can't today, I'm with Carrots right now… No. She came home early. No, I'm not gonna ask her…" A tugging of his sleeve interrupted Nick as he looked down to see Judy trying to get his attention back. "Hang on a sec."
"Nick, if Finnick needs you, you can go help him," she said in a cheery voice.
"Isn't this our time right now? I can always meet him later," Nick said moving the phone away from their conversation.
"It's fine. Really! I mean it," she said, squeezing his paw.
With a smile, the fox returned to his phone. "Alright, big guy, I'll be over. Meet you at the usual? Bye then. He says thanks, by the way, and that it's nothing illegal."
"Nick…" Judy poked him in the side. "I know that. What are you two gonna do?"
"It's a secret," Nick grinned.
"Of course it is," Judy rolled her eyes. "Can you walk home with me?"
"You betcha."
Judy found herself sitting on her bed after Nick walked her home. They said their goodbyes and confirmed that they would see each other again tomorrow. The bunny was once again flicking through several texts on her phone that she had received throughout the day from her family but chose to answer later. Remembering her mental note to call her parents tonight, now seemed as good a time as any.
It only took a few rings before Bonnie appeared on Judy's screen through MuzzleTime, happy to see her daughter from the big city calling, "Hi Bun-Bun! How was your day?"
Before Judy could reply, Stu's face found its way in front of the camera, nearly pushing his wife aside. "Hey, Jude the dude! How's it going?"
"Hi, Mom. Dad." Judy smiled warmly. "I'm sorry I didn't call you guys back sooner. I was out all day."
A worried look took over Stu's muzzle. "Are you back at work yet, honey? We just wanted to make sure you were okay!"
"Oh for beets' sake, Stu! You can see she's fine," Bonnie chided. While the matriarch had grown to worry less with time over their headstrong and independent daughter, Stu was still very much the worrywart of the pair.
"Everything's great. Really! Actually, it's wonderful…" Judy interjected, contemplating if and how she should just break the news to her parents about the recent major change in her life.
A visible wave of relief washed over Stu's face. "Sorry, I get so worked up. I know you can handle yourself in the big city. Oh cripes, look at me, I'm hogging the conversation, aren't I?"
"It's okay, Dad." Judy paused a moment, biting her lip. "There's something I want to tell you… and Mom."
Now both parents looked at the screen intently, noses twitching, waiting to hear what their daughter wanted to share.
Rubbing her lowered ears, Judy took a deep breath. "When I left home early… it was because I realized something… I missed Nick so much and I found out I lo––"
Stu couldn't help himself to interrupt. "Of course you'd miss him honey. Just like we always miss you. You two spend so much time together…"
"Dad."
"...and you're such darn good friends. Like two peas in a pod."
"Dad."
"After all he's your partner too and…"
"Dad! He's more than my partner."
Judy's admission stopped Stu in his rambling tracks. Both Bonnie and Stu exchanged glances. After a moment of silence, Stu was the first to speak again. "Judy, is he your boyfriend now?"
"Yes, Dad. He is," she replied sweetly, a true look of happiness appearing on his daughter's face. "I love him."
"Well, cheese and crackers." Stu appeared momentarily at a loss for words. "So, that means it's mutual?"
"Yes, Dad. He loves me too. Nick actually felt that way first."
"I see," Stu replied, a wrinkle on his nose as he appeared to furrow his brow in deep thought.
Bonnie watched her husband. "Stu, dear. If Judy says they're really in love then we should be supportive."
"It's not that, Bon," the Hopps patriarch said quickly. "I just wasn't expecting…" Stu trailed off, trying to find the words.
"Wasn't expecting what, Dad? Is it because Nick is a predator? A fox?" Judy asked anxiously, her lower lip quivering ever so slightly. Her worst fear manifesting that her family would reject Nick because he wasn't a rabbit.
"That's not it, Judy."
Both Bonnie and Judy kept their gaze on Stu who took a deep nervous breath.
"I was just beginning to worry because we were always introducing you to all these bucks and nothing ever worked out… I thought you just weren't interested or maybe we just couldn't ever find the right guy for you. But it turns out he was right there this whole time."
"You're really okay with Nick and I?"
Giving Judy his best fatherly smile, Stu leaned closer to the camera phone, his large muzzle nearly taking up over half of the screen. He did his best to keep his wavering voice steady. "Listen honey, we know how much Nick's always meant to you and from everything you've told us, he's always been there for you too… that's the kind of guy I expected would win my little Jude the dude's heart. Heck, next time you come visit, be sure to bring him along. We'd love to have him over. Right, Bon?"
"Oh, yes. He should come visit!" Bonnie nodded in agreement, placing a paw on her husband's arm.
"Really?" Judy's eyes widened in joy as a smile appeared on her muzzle.
"You bet, honey."
"Dad…" Judy nearly began to tear up too. "That means so much to me."
Preemptively wiping away a pooling tear, Stu looked between his wife and daughter. "I'll let you and your mother catch up before I…" Stu's voice began to crack. "Oh cripes, I better go! I love ya."
"I love you too, Dad. Bye."
A teary eyed Stu waved goodbye to the camera and left the video frame.
"Don't mind your father, he always wants what's best for you," Bonnie said with an endearing smile, picking up the conversation again.
"I know, Mom."
"So…" Bonnie put on her most endearing smile that all mother's instinctively knew how to use when they wanted to find out wonderful information from one of their children. "When did this all happen?"
"Yesterday. He brought me flowers." Judy said in a rather loving tone. "After dinner, we got ice cream and went to a park… I was ready to say something when Nick tried to say it too. He insisted on telling me first. It was so sweet."
"I suspected something when your sister bought you a ticket to go back to the city. Then two days later, he called us."
Judy blinked in surprise. "Nick called you?"
"He did," Bonnie acknowledged. "He wanted to thank us for the blueberries and asked me what kind of flowers you liked."
"Wait. That's how he found out!?"
"He was rather shy about it," Bonnie added with a smile. "That's when I knew."
"Why that bold, sly…" Judy mumbled in astonishment. The younger doe collected herself. "And you're okay with that, Mom?"
"Oh, Bun-Bun. I could tell by the look on Nicholas's face as he asked me. He reminded me so much of your father when we were younger. And I can tell by how you always talk about him that you feel the same way. And if you've taught your father and I anything over the years, it's that nothing will stop you once you've set your heart to it." Bonnie smiled.
"Mom, thank you."
"Now you keep each other safe and tell him hi from us, okay?"
"I will. I love you, Mom."
"Love you too, sweetheart. Buh-bye," Bonnie said as she tilted her head and tapped the end-call button.
With a beaming smile on her face, Judy placed the phone back on her desk and connected it to the charger. It felt like a wave of relief was lifted off her shoulders knowing her mom was okay with this recent development and although her dad seemed mostly fine about it, she knew he would come around fully in due time, especially if he and Nick spent some time together.
After slipping into some more comfortable sleepwear, she decided to lounge on the bed against her pillows surrounded by her horde of plushies and curl up to a book. It took a few moments to find where she left off in Don Coyote when she had haphazardly tossed the book onto the mattress earlier that morning. In no time at all, the bunny was lost in her imagination for the remainder of the night, only stopping later to brush her teeth and send a few goodnight texts to Nick before turning in, falling asleep with a smile on her face eagerly awaiting what the next day will bring.
The following morning, Nick texted Judy that he needed to go to the station for a half-shift. After a few short hours, the fox and bunny met up at the entrance to the ZPD and the two headed out to grab some food. With paws entwined, the couple strolled through Downtown, taking in the urban sprawl as Nick led Judy through his little known shortcuts and side streets. They pointed out various eateries to try until Nick spied a place called NINCOMSOUP. The amused fox insisted on giving it a try to which Judy agreed.
"You would stop at a place with a pun name," Judy observed as Nick held the door open for her.
"I'd be a nincompoop not to," the fox supplied.
Judy could only roll her eyes so hard. "I really should have seen that coming. But you know, Alex did tell me that the best food comes from hole-in-the-wall places with bad names!"
"Grizz is a wise wolf," Nick said walking inside behind Judy. "Maybe I should start calling him Grizzalf the white!"
"Oh, hush."
A small bell above the door alerted the family of friendly pandas working at the soup counter to greet their customers. One of the daughters came over to seat Nick and Judy at an appropriately sized table and left them with some lemon tea and menus.
Skimming the menu, Judy glanced over at Nick who was slouching in a very relaxed manner, studying the small menu with just one paw. "What did you have to do at the station this morning?" she asked.
"Paperwork," he drawled. Glancing at the bunny across the table, Nick noticed a small jitter pass through Judy when he answered the question. "That excited to get back into the thick of things, Officer Fluff?"
"Of course! I can't wait to go in tomorrow!" There was no hiding the excitement in her voice or reaction as her ears shot completely up and a smile breached her muzzle.
"It's only been two weeks." Nick casually leaned on an arm with a smirk.
"Two weeks too many," the bunny pointed out.
"Too long for the two foot tall officer?" Nick quipped in a rather baby-like tone. With the look Judy gave him, the battle was on.
"Who's too happy to ignore her boyfriend two feet across from her," Judy shot back.
"That's too bad." Nick smiled and buried his head in the menu. "He has at least two great comebacks."
Return fire, Judy… "Too much for to-day," the bunny hinted.
The waitress returned to take their orders, cutting off any possible retort Nick had ready to fire. Taking a breather, Nick signaled for Judy to order first.
"I'll have the large tomato with basil soup, please!" the bunny chirped.
"Very good miss." the panda bowed and took the menu, turning to face the fox. "And you, sir?"
Nick took the moment to lean back, his lips quickly forming a smug grin. "Let's make that two," he said excitedly, holding up two fingers. "Oh, do you think we could get those as a two-fer lunch special? I had to work too early this morning. I'm so hungry I could eat like two foxes to-day!"
"And what would like you like with your soup?"
"Two spring rolls, please. They look too tasty to pass up!" Nick smirked as he maintained direct eye contact with Judy the entire time, handing off the menu, earning himself a rather irked glare from his girlfriend.
Game… set… match, sweetheart… Nick thought with a grin.
The surprisingly stoic panda blinked twice. "Thank you, sir. Your order will be ready soon." She bowed once more, quickly escaping to the kitchen.
As the waiter departed, Nick felt a small playful kick under the table at his shin. He shot back with a small nudge of his own. Judy returned fire. Soon, the innocent physical ribbing escalated into an all-out footsie war with neither mammal relenting. It lasted until the food arrived which promptly called for a cease fire.
Nick started on the rolls while Judy sampled her soup. "What do you want to do after lunch?" she asked sweetly.
"How about we catch a flick? I know a place that's low key. Classic seating, retro feel. Tickets are only three bucks."
"Oh, that sounds fun!" the bunny bounced in her seat. "Do they play classic movies?"
"On Wednesdays. Rest of the week they like to show all the movies that won awards last year."
"Then it's a date!" Judy replied, resting her chin against her arm while taking a sip of tea.
With a wink, Nick chomped his roll before diving into his soup. The rest of the lunch remained verbally and physically tame as the new couple attempted to behave themselves, although that didn't stop the occasional bump or poke as they headed to their next destination. Nick resumed his guidance, navigating them through all sorts of shortcuts when they arrived at the old fashioned Howley Cinema. Judy observed the theatre's logo was that of a wolf silhouette howling into a movie reel designed to resemble a moon.
Standing in front of the ticket booth, the duo considered their options.
Nick scratched his chin "We've got La La Lamb, yeah, no… Hogsaw Ridge, maybe… oh, Nocturnal Mammals, how about that one?"
"What about that movie?" Judy asked pointing to the last movie on the billboard.
"Really, Carrots? Crazy Animal City? You would pick a buddy cop movie. Aren't we living that story?" Nick teased.
Not backing down yet, Judy presented her evidence. "C'mon! I heard it's really good! It even won an Oxcar!" The bunny leaned over to bat her eyelashes. "Please, Nick!"
"Oh, all right. Put those things away before you hypnotize someone with them," Nick smirked while reaching for his wallet.
"Like you?" Judy hummed at Nick, her eyes briefly flicking to the violet tie he was wearing again. The fox raised an eyebrow in response. She reached over to swat his paw away from his pocket. "My treat. Let's go." And with that the bunny tugged the fox by his tie and walked up to the booth to purchase their tickets for the next show.
A little over two hours later, Nick and Judy were aimlessly walking down the sidewalk, holding paws. Nick was still slurping the icee Judy got him during the movie.
"I dunno if I should watch crime dramas with you anymore," Judy huffed.
"Is it because I guessed the villain before you did?" Nick asked innocently.
"And spoiled it in my ear… dumb fox," she grumbled.
Despite trying to look angry, there was no real harshness in Judy's tone. She did however feel slightly annoyed but even that was dissipating quickly. The bunny knew her partner just couldn't help himself whenever he figured something out. Knowing his ability to read others and his superb quick-thinking are actually very valuable assets as an officer caused Judy to form a small smile as they strolled past a meandering herd of wildebeest.
Tossing his now empty cup into a nearby trashcan, Nick placed a mournful paw on his chest and flattened his ears. "I wasn't trying to spoil it. I can't help it if you have super bunny hearing."
Judy glanced up with a cocked eyebrow. "I can see right through your act, Slick."
Continuing on their meandering journey, Nick spotted a particular boutique and unexpectedly tugged Judy in that direction.
"Where are you going?" she suddenly asked, thrown by the sudden directional shift.
"Right here," Nick announced as they stepped up to a small sunglasses hut. Moving his own aviators to the top of his head, Nick began to hunt through the available selection.
"Looking for another pair?" Judy asked while watching Nick.
"Sure am. But not for me," he replied, disappearing behind the next rack.
Following his tail around the corner, Judy saw Nick finally pluck a smaller pair of aviators and hold the sunglasses up to examine them.
"Perfect!" Nick declared. "Carrots, come here."
Standing next to the fox, Judy's eyes followed the sunglasses in his paws as he hovered them over her head. "What are you...?"
Before she knew it, the bunny found herself looking at her reflection in a mirror the fox was holding, with the pair of shades over her face. Judy tilted her head in consideration and adjusted the earpieces. "Huh? I think I like it."
Flicking his own pair back on, Nick leaned an elbow across Judy's head, pushing her ears down and bringing his muzzle in close. "Looking good there, Officer Fluff. Just like your handsome fox of a partner. Well, almost," Nick teased and then snapped a quick selfie, a rather big goofy grin plastered on his snout.
Judy sighed. Despite the faux mocking, the bunny did like the new look. They were frequently out in the sun so having some protection would be smart and there was no reason she couldn't be fashionable about it either. Nick had removed his arm and busied himself with his phone. Noticing his wagging tail and furious tapping, Judy tried to get on her tiptoes to see what he was up to.
"Nick, what are you doing now?"
The fox held up a finger while making a shushing sound towards the bunny. Judy paused with her arms stretched out, waiting for Nick to finish whatever important task he was doing.
"And there," he said with a final thumb tap, looking too proud of himself.
"Seriously. What did…?" Judy's question was cut off when Nick's phone beeped.
Checking his phone with a smirk, Nick finally held it out for Judy to see. Apparently he had posted the photo to his FurBook account and already had received a comment. Of course, it was Clawhauser who was the first to like it and reply.
Ohhhhhhhhh-M-Goodness! You guys look so chic! Tell Judy I can't wait to see her tomorrow!
A moment later, another beep came in. This time from Finnick.
Bunny cop wears it better. You still look like a chump.
"Now it's official. Even Claws and Finn agree," Nick smiled proudly.
Shaking her head with her own smile, Judy headed to the raccoon behind the register to pay for her newly acquired accessory. After the transaction was completed, she came back to Nick and looped her paws around his arm, ready to go. Nick lifted his aviators to wink at Judy and they headed out once again, simply picking a direction at random.
A third beep came in and Judy watched as Nick checked his phone again. This time it was Mrs. Wilde who left a comment.
I love the look you two! Have a great day together.
"You're getting some quick replies," Judy said.
"What can I say? Everybody loves me. Just call me Mister Popular," Nick smirked.
Adjusting her new aviators, a devious smirk of her own formed on the bunny's muzzle. "Hey Nick." The fox looked down to give Judy his full attention. "Share that photo with me?"
A moment later, Judy's phone buzzed and she checked the photo. Tapping away on her phone, the bunny finished her task and stowed the phone away, her turn to be proud of her handiwork.
"Did you like how…?" Nick began to ask only to pause when his phone beeped again. He attempted to ask his question once more when another beep came in. Then another. And several more after that. "What?"
Swiftly taking out his phone, Nick noticed the comment section exploding with replies. One bunny after another was commenting on the photo. The pace only continued to increase as more rabbits joined in the fray. Soon it became a never ending monsoon of posts. With the proverbial floodgates opened with chime after chime, the fox glanced down at the bunny on his arm who pretended to absent-mindedly hum to herself, as the beeping continued.
Beep.
"Alright, I get it," Nick confessed.
"Do you?" Judy lifted her aviators and gave Nick a half-lidded gaze. "That's for almost making me trip at the bakery. And for spoiling the movie," the doe sing-songed as she squeezed his arm.
Beep.
"How many bunnies are gonna keep posting?" Nick sighed.
"Well, you know how many siblings I have. And I do have over seven hundred cousins, not including nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles. What's the matter, Mister Popular? Too many adoring fans?" Judy chirped.
Beep.
"There's thousands of you?" the fox asked incredulously.
"Actually, there's only one of me," Judy replied proudly.
Beep.
"Good thing. The world couldn't handle more than that," Nick winked as he savored making Judy's victorious smirk falter ever so slightly, his own gaze lingering on those large doe eyes. "And you're enjoying this too much."
"Don't do the crime if you can't handle the time," she countered with a paw on her hip.
"If my only crime is looking this good…" Nick waved the phone near Judy's muzzle, "better lock me away for life and throw away the key, Officer Fluff."
"Ugh." Judy finally sighed. "I walked into that one."
Beep.
"And I walked into a minefield," Nick said checking his phone for the umpteenth time.
Beep.
"Really, now…" he drawled in defeat.
Beep.
The bunny chuckled and pulled the fox by his tie. "Let's go, Mister Popular."
Beep.
Quite a few hops, skips and beeps later, found the two off-duty partners enjoying the afternoon sunshine under the shade of several trees at a park in Savanna Central. Nick was leaning against the trunk of a tree, an arm wrapped around Judy's petite waist as she sat comfortably in his lap, leaning against him. Their size difference making for a surprising fit. The fox had silenced his phone so they could simply enjoy some quiet time.
"Hey, Nick?" Judy spoke, craning her neck to look up at the taller fox's muzzle.
"Yeah, Carrots?" Nick replied casually, his cheek fur bristling as her long ears brushed against them.
"Do you think we need to tell Bogo about… us?" Judy asked.
There was a moment of silence before the fox replied, his voice maintaining its usual calm and cool demeanor. "There's nothing strictly prohibiting fraternization in the book."
"When did you look that up?" she teased him, squeezing the paw that was keeping her warm.
"Well, I may have double-checked it when I knew I was going to tell you how I felt," Nick replied while scratching the back of his neck.
Her nose twitched a few times. "I think we should tell him. Tomorrow before roll call. What do you think?"
"If you think it's for the best, I'll be right there with you. But he could try to separate us, you know."
A fiercely optimistic expression formed on Judy's muzzle. "I won't let him! We can present the facts to him. You and I work our best together. We're the same rank and our record speaks for itself!"
"I knew you'd say that, determined bunny," Nick said catching Judy's gaze. "If buffalo-butt doesn't approve, we'll just have to grab the bull by the horns and steer him in the right direction."
"Nick…" she chided him for his bad pun but still reached up to softly caress his snout.
"Don't worry, Carrots. I'll behave in front of Bogo," the fox promised with a two finger salute.
The two naturally leaned closer, their noses touching as their breathes mixed. They both held back, each trying to tease the other into closing the distance.
Some indiscernible chatter caught their attention. Peeking to the side, they saw several passing mammals either staring, pointing or whispering to one another.
"Seems we have an audience." Nick observed from the corners of his eyes.
"I don't care," the bunny replied with an inviting low tone, deciding to make the first move and pull the fox closer into a sweet and simple kiss.
Back at Nick's apartment, Judy was lazily nestled against the arm cushion of the large couch, her legs lay across Nick's lap, his tail resting under her arms, while he was reading a copy of Pred but Not Forgotten: Stories from the World of Sookie Stackmouse. A perk of his mom still working as a librarian was that he could get any book he wanted. It was Judy's turn to spend a little time on her phone answering several texts that she would get throughout the day from various members of the Hopps family.
Taking a moment, Nick glanced over at Judy who was apparently biting her lip and utterly lost in a rapid texting conversation.
"Looking really engaged there, Carrots," Nick said from behind his book.
"I'm talking to my sister, Violet!" Judy said as she fired off another message. "She was asking about you… well, you and me."
"Really? You are mentioning how I swept you off your feet, right?" Nick said while closing the book, his curiosity now diverted to this little conversation. "Gotta keep the facts straight."
"Oh, har-har, Catsanova," the bunny replied wryly, giving her partner a sarcastic look, before it melted into a more bashful expression. "Actually, it was Violet who noticed my feelings and kinda… brought them to my attention."
"And I thought you were the detective in the family," Nick teased.
"Shush," Judy said with a gentle tap of her foot against his waist. "After I put two and two together I almost took my dad's truck again. She bought me the train ticket to come home early instead."
Nick's ears perked from this new information. "Is that, right? Maybe I should send her some thank you flowers."
The implied gesture made Judy sit right up, ears erect and her nose began to twitch. "Oh, ah. You can't do that…"
"Huh? Why?"
"Well, when a buck… ahem, a guy gives a doe flowers, it usually means…"
"I see…" Nick said scratching his chin at the implications. Then the realization hit as the fox recalled asking Bonnie herself about Judy's favorite flowers over the phone. "Uh, Carrots… about those flowers I got you… when I said I guessed your favorites..."
"Because you asked my mom," Judy finished for him, crossing her arms with a smile. "And she told you."
A beat skipped between them. "Did I step out of any boundaries then?"
Sensing the genuine concern behind Nick's eyes, no matter how neutral he tried to remain, caused Judy to shift on the couch and lean into him. "Nick, it's okay. I told my parents yesterday."
The fox's eyes grew wider and he seemed to stiffen ever so slightly. "You did? How did they take the news? There aren't gonna be any fox tasers in my future, are there?"
Judy placed a reassuring paw against his chest. "Mom knew. Dad was a little surprised. And no one is going to tase you, silly fox. If anyone tries, I'll make them wish they didn't know me." She reached over to put her paw over his. "They know how much you mean to me. You're even invited to come out to the farm next time I visit."
Her ears twitched at the barely audible sound of his breath slowly escaping his nose. Judy felt Nick's trepidation deflate from his body at the sound of the good news. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close, slumping down to rest his snout between her ears. "Farmer Wilde does have a nice ring to it."
A small snort escaped from Judy. "Says the city fox who refuses to ever touch anything dirty and makes me handle it every time."
"But you handle it so well!" Nick praised in a rather chipper tone. "I always say, leave it to the pro."
Shaking her head, Judy mused for a moment before turning her neck to the side so she could look up at Nick. "Does your mom know?"
"Haven't told her yet," Nick replied. Feeling Judy's body language tense at his answer, he immediately followed up with more information. "Only because I want it to be a surprise. You know she was probably rooting for this to happen since the day she met you." A smug smirk formed on his lips. "Probably because she caught you always giving me elevator eyes."
"Oh, I'm sure it was so one-sided…" Judy groaned, slipping her paws between the buttons of Nick's shirt.
Nick's eyes widened at the sudden sensation at his sensitive midsection. "No, no, no…"
It was too late. The predator had become the prey once again as Judy ceremoniously tickled him for all the checks his mouth always tried to cash. This continued for a good while before the bunny declared her victory and they resumed their comfortable and quiet evening activities, only this time being even closer together.
Tomorrow they would be going back on the beat, as partners in every sense of the word.
Entering the ZPD lobby, Nick stifled a yawn. It was hard enough some mornings as a nocturnal mammal to wake up ridiculously early for work, it was even worse to fight one's own biological clock and come in even earlier than usual. But this was important. Nick's ears turned towards the chatter ahead of him as he spied a very excited Judy and Clawhauser engaged in an animated conversation. The bubbly dispatcher was clearly happy to see his favorite officer back from her vacation.
"I see you two early birds are bright and chipper this morning," Nick greeted as he walked up to the desk, taking a healthy sip of his coffee.
"Morning!" both bunny and cheetah chorused when they caught sight of the fox officer.
"Judy was just telling me all about her trip!" Clawhauser squealed. "I love weddings! I haven't been to one since I was the bridesmaid at my ex's ceremony."
Nick and Judy exchanged awkward glances.
Taking a cue from Judy's nervous chuckle, Nick turned back to their friend. "So Claws, oh buddy… is everyone's favorite Chief already in this morning?"
"Oh, he sure is! Want me to page him for you guys?" Clawhauser offered.
"It's okay, Clawhauser. Nick and I will just go knock on his door. Thank you!" Judy said and began to make her way towards the stairs.
"See ya after roll call, Claws!" Nick waved and joined Judy.
Clawhauser leaned forward on his desk watching the smallest mammals of the ZPD head up the stairs. They seemed to walk just a little bit closer than usual, tails wagging, and exchanging fleeting glances. "Awwww, they always look so cute together. Just like a real couple," the big cheetah said to himself.
Facing the rather large stained glass door, Nick and Judy exchanged one final glance and a nod as Judy approached the door and knocked.
"Enter," came the curt command.
Chief Bogo was sitting at his desk, thumbing through the upcoming day's assignments. He continued to sort the papers in his clipboard, ignoring the fox and bunny as they took turns jumping into the large seat across from him.
Neatly shuffling the papers once more, Bogo meticulously placed them on his desk and turned to the two mammals in front of him. His gaze fell upon Judy, then Nick, then back to Judy. "Hopps. Welcome back from your vacation. Wilde."
After acknowledging their presence, Judy took the lead to speak up. "Thank you, sir. I'm really happy to be back." Despite keeping a half-scowling neutral face, even the cape-buffalo couldn't stop the tiniest tugs of a smile. This didn't go unnoticed to an amused Nick. He thought it was a good idea that Judy was buttering their boss up for the news. "Anyway, Nick… I mean, Officer Wilde and I would like to inform you about a… change… in our partnership. We are…"
Hesitating to find the exact right words, Judy was about to continue when Nick gently yet assertively finished her sentence.
"We're dating now, sir," he said in a serious tone, both paws behind his back, shoulders rolled back in a posture straighter than a yard stick, showing off his immaculately pressed field blues and spit shined badge.
"We are dating." Judy repeated, mimicking her partner's posture.
There was a long silence. Everyone kept their eyes forward. With the antagonizing speed of a sloth on a Sunday afternoon drive that wasn't Flash, Chief Bogo slowly removed his glasses, nostrils ever so slightly flaring. Both fox and bunny didn't realize they were holding their breaths.
"Hopps. Wilde. While I appreciate you two informing me of your new relationship status…" Bogo began, the words rolled off his tongue as if he wasn't in the least bit surprised. "Whatever you both do on your own time, I don't care."
A wave of relief washed through the partners until Bogo's stoney face specifically turned to Nick with a glare.
"But…" the cape-buffalo snorted, his voice becoming completely stern, and pointing a hoof at them. "I expect complete professionalism on the clock. If I so much as see or hear of your new relationship interfering with your duties or affecting your personal judgement, you both will be suspended till I assign you new partners. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, sir!" the duo acknowledged in an equally serious tone.
"One more thing," Bogo said, this time turning his attention to Judy. "Hopps. You have been on the force longer than Wilde and will likely be up for a promotion before he is. You are aware that if you outrank Wilde, you can no longer be partners?"
Not backing down, Judy looked to Nick, then Bogo, and back to Nick again. "I understand, sir. But I know Officer Wilde will earn the same promotion too and I'll always wait for my partner," she declared proudly with a tiny smile forming on her muzzle. Her partner glanced down, returning the smile before maintaining his steadfast seriousness.
Crossing his arms on his desk as if he should have known without asking, Bogo waved them off. "Very well. Dismissed."
The bunny slid off the chair first, followed by the fox. As they opened the giant door together, they paused when their names were called once more.
"Hopps. Wilde," Bogo said as he stood, donned his glasses, and picked up his clipboard. "Best of luck to you both. Now get out of here. It's time for assignments."
Judy quickly hopped away while Nick slinked through sideways, giving his boss his most perfect smug grin and a lazy two finger salute before his elongated form vanished behind the closing door.
With a groan, Bogo proceeded to exit his office. "Those two are going to force me into early retirement."
Unable to contain her bouncy excitement after the door closed behind them, Judy did a binky in the hallway. When Nick caught up to her, they shared a brief hug then raced down the four flights of stairs, making sure to beat their boss into the bullpen.
Entering the bullpen, several of the officers instantly welcomed Judy back. Nick was happy to see the timberwolves back after they were out for that recent canine flu going around. After waving and greeting everyone, the small duo took their usual seat next to McHorn. Ever so excited to be back and be partnered with Nick without issue, a very giddy Judy clasped her paws, unable to contain her jittery excitement. Nick on the other hand, casually leaned forward, waiting for the day's assignments to arrive.
It started in the middle row, when Wolfard was the first to take notice. The dark timberwolf's nose wrinkled at the scent. Following his nose, he found himself looking in Nick and Judy's direction. Cocking an all-knowing eyebrow, Wolfard scrunched up some paper and flicked it at Grizzoli. The white timberwolf rubbed the back of his neck and turned around. Wolfard tapped his nose and nodded his head towards the fox and bunny.
Taking the hint, Grizzoli took a few subtle whiffs of the air and found it too. With his own wolfish grin, he turned back to acknowledge Wolfard's discovery. Next, he elbowed Fangmeyer who scowled at her usual partner for nearly making her spill her coffee. Grizzoli nodded past McHorn and wiggled his eyebrows. A few seconds later, the tigress raised her own brow and mouthed, 'no way!' Grizzoli nodded and answered her question with a double thumbs up.
Soon the silent news spread like wildfire over to McHorn, Delgato, Snarlov, Higgins, Rhinowitz, and then to the other half of the room. Judy remained oblivious while Nick began to notice all the extra shuffling, grunts, pointing, and whispers. Glancing around the room, a few officers winked or offered a thumbs up when they made direct eye contact with the fox. Turning right back around, Nick faced the front of the room, his eyes no longer in their usual half-lidded smug position.
Oh boy.
Entertaining the thought of saying something to Judy, Nick's attempt to share his suspicions were interrupted as Bogo's silhouette appeared through the glass in the door. The Chief briskly entered the bullpen, causing all the officers to stand and perform their ritual greeting of hoots and grunts.
"All right. That's enough. Everyone sit," he dismissed the room with his usual gruff.
Bogo adjusted his glasses and reported how the various efforts of the ZPD had helped reduce the crime rate in recent weeks. This news received an approving cheer from the room. Letting the officers have their moment, he then continued with the assignments. As Bogo called out his officers for their day's tasks, each one of them made the effort to walk past Nick and Judy, slowly offering obvious smiles, winks, thumbs up, fist pumps, and playful gun gestures to the pair.
At first Judy waved to everyone, thrilled to see them again but each passing gesture caught her attention and grew her suspicions, especially when Fangmeyer strolled by and gave her a playful nudge and mouthed the words 'Go Judy'.
"Hopps. Wilde." The Chief's voice snapped both mammals to attention. "Tundratown Patrol. Dismissed."
Bogo exited the room in his usual brisk unceremonious manner, leaving the two smallest officers in the bullpen alone.
"Nick, what was that all about?" Judy asked.
"They know."
"They know what?" Judy asked before it hit her, making her ears stand firm and redden. "Oh. Everyone?"
"Everyone," her partner answered rather neutrally.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
A loud and familiar high-pitched squeal pierced through the open door from the lobby, followed by a torrent of excited exclamations.
"Definitely everyone now," Nick drawled as he pointed a thumb to the door, his other paw remaining on his hip.
Feeling a little embarrassed, Judy rubbed her forehead. "I don't get it. I mean it's not like I want to keep it a secret or anything but we haven't…"
"There's still other scents. I put on some musk mask this morning after I showered but I probably still smell a whole lot like you and you smell a whole lot like me. And there's… you know..."
"But…" she began to protest.
"More so than usual, " the fox stated matter-of-factly.
"Right. Okay," Judy sighed, acknowledging the inevitable and faced the exit. "Let's just get to our cruiser."
Nick peeked from behind the large wooden door, scanning the entirety of the lobby. The reception desk was surprisingly empty. "Okay, all clear."
The officers exited the bullpen with a brisk pace, attempting to cross the large space as quickly as possible and exit the building. Just as they thought they might be in the clear, Clawhauser hopped from around the corner of his desk echoing the mother of all squeals through the entire precinct.
"Oh, oh! Nick! Judy! Is it true!? Tell me it's true!"
Sharing a sigh, the two officers exchanged glances and smiled sweetly. Slipping one paw into Judy's, Nick gestured with the other. "Yes, Claws. It's true."
"Yup," Judy added.
"Oh, this is the best day ever! I always knew it," he giggled uncontrollably. "Wait, wait, I have to get a picture!"
Humoring their jovial friend, the couple came in close for a nice little side hug.
Snapping the photo, Clawhauser admired his handiwork. "This is too adorable. Okay! You'll have to tell me all about this later! How it happened! Who made the first move! I want to know everything!"
"Alright, big guy. Will do," Nick saluted.
"Nick and I better get going on our patrol." Judy waved.
"Bye!" Clawhauser exclaimed, returning to his phone and immediately reboarding back onto the gossip train.
Making their way to the back lot, they approached the smaller cruiser parked in the far corner. A perky smile formed on Judy's muzzle, like seeing an old friend, when Z-240 came into view. The bunny clicked the key fob to unlock the vehicle. Nick made it to the passenger side door and opened it.
"See, Carrots," he announced with a gesture. "I took good care of the ol' gal."
"Yes, you did." Judy approved, tracing the outline of their cruiser with her eyes. Dangling the keys in her paw, she tossed them at her partner. "Catch!"
With a swift sleight of paw, Nick effortlessly caught the keys. Twirling them around his index finger, he made his way to the driver's side with a smirk. Both mammals strapped themselves in. As Nick turned the ignition to wake the powerful engine, the two officers looked at one another and simultaneously donned their aviators. Exiting the vehicle lot, Z-240 made its way towards Tundratown.
Judy found herself scanning all of the stationary cars full of angry drivers honking and yelling at one another in the standstill traffic. What began as a nice change of pace riding shotgun and taking in the sights of the pleasant snowfall and wintry biome turned into a hot mess. Resting her chin on the palm of her paw, the bunny glanced back at her partner.
"So, about this shortcut you said would have us skip the morning rush…" Judy began, a teasing purr escaping her lips.
Despite Nick's neutral face, she could see the tiny signs of surprise and annoyance as his ears flicked towards the sound of her unimpressed voice. "This doesn't make any sense. There's usually never any traffic on Snowcastle Way in the morning."
"I'm not so sure about that Officer 'trust me I know where I'm going'. The evidence speaks for itself."
Nick furrowed his brow behind his aviators and remained quiet. Both mammals scanned the scene around them once more. Luckily they were on the outside lane and as soon as they inched forward enough, the fox officer suddenly pulled into an empty street-side parking spot and killed the engine.
"Nick, what are you doing?" Judy asked, lifting her own glasses to the top of her head.
"Investigating the evidence, madam," he smirked while opening the driver's side door. "Something must be causing this hullabaloo." A flick of his tail and he was gone.
"Wait!" Judy yelled as she fumbled with her seatbelt for a few moments before exiting after him.
Following the shouts and honking, Officer Wilde made his way between several cars. As he passed the side of a large giraffe van, he heard some specific shouting that caught his attention.
"Hey, get off the road, you dumb kit!"
"Yeah, move it or lose it!"
"Hurry up! I'm late for work!"
Rounding the front of the van, the fox found the source of the backed up traffic. There in the middle of the street was a tiny arctic hare. The trembling white rabbit appeared to be completely frozen in place, its ears down and nose twitching, afraid to move.
"It's a baby." Nick whispered in shock. "How did…?" The incessant honking caused the officer to hold up his badge towards the impatient and rowdy drivers while cautiously approaching the kit. "All right, folks. Easy there."
Judging by the rabbit's general appearance, the small pink fluffy outfit it was wearing, and big bright blue eyes with long lashes, the officer summarized that it was likely a female bunny. Nick also noticed a charm bracelet on her left wrist. As the fox slowly inched closer, he tucked his aviators away and put a genuine smile on his face, making sure to hide his teeth. "Okay, lil squeaker…" Nick spoke in a baby voice and held out his paws. "You're in good paws here. Officer Wilde will get you home."
The little bunny locked eyes with the predator moving towards her. Judy finally caught up and skidded to a halt in the snow behind Nick. The doe immediately gasped when she saw the frightened kit in the middle of the road with Nick easing up to her.
"Nick. Nick!" Judy called after her partner in a hushed tone. "Maybe you should let me handle this?"
"Don't worry, Carrots…" Nick said with a dismissive motion. "I got this. I'm an expert with kids."
"I know you are but she looks really scared!" Judy protested.
"Just watch," he rebuked confidently.
Ever so slowly, Nick reached out his paw in a non-threatening manner as he neared the kit, making sure to keep his claws facing towards his palm. "There. There. Now. Now. It'll be alright, squeaker."
The large blue eyes remained on the fox's outstretched paw. The arctic hare's nose began to twitch even more rapidly at the sight of her ancient predator coming closer. The shivering became so intense and a low hiss escaped its tiny mouth that gave Nick enough sense to pause. By now Judy had inched closer and was right behind him, her paw on his back, signalling her proximity. "You know, on second thought, you're a rabbit with a hundred sisters. You should get her."
Finding herself quickly shoved to the front, Judy glared back at Nick. "Hmmph. Suddenly not feeling so confident there, Slick?"
"I don't want to steal your thunder on your first day back."
Turning back to the baby hare after rolling her eyes, Judy gave her the warmest smile and cooed at the kit in her sweetest voice. "Hello." She waved. "Hi. I'm Judy. Don't be afraid, little one." Seeing a familiar mammal, the little girl became more at ease, actually taking a few steps toward the other doe.
"Offer her some candy!" Nick whispered. "Kits love candy."
Ignoring her partner, Judy was able to gently wrap her paws around the other rabbit and pick her up. "See, little one. Everything's okay." The baby's apprehension began to slowly melt away as she settled into Judy's arms.
Creeping up from behind Judy, the shiny gold bracelet caught Nick's attention again. "I think there's something written there."
Curiosity got to the fox and Nick slowly reached out to examine it with one finger. He could feel the baby's breath against his paw. Lifting the small carrot charm did in fact reveal a name. "Looks like this little squeaker's name is Natalie."
Noticing the predator again, Natalie's nose twitched and she began to fidget fiercely against Judy's chest, attempting to free herself.
"Nick," Judy whispered. "I think you better…"
However, poor Nick's finger was still within an inch of the kit's muzzle. Before Judy could finish her sentence, Natalie shrieked and lunged at him.
"OW, ow, ow, ow!" Nick yelped as the baby bunny bit into his finger with all her might and latched on.
"Nick!" Judy yelled as she tried to aid her partner who was trying to yank his paw away while still clutching the kit.
The rush of adrenaline caused instincts to take flight and the little hare let go, squirming out of Judy's grasp with a powerful kick and immediately darted away.
"Oh no! Natalie, come back!" Judy called out after the little bunny. "Nick, c'mon!"
Officer Wilde was still nursing his aching finger between his lips, pushing himself into a sprint behind his partner as the two cops pursued the fleeing hare. Natalie was no longer in the street, dashing between several large pedestrians on the icy sidewalk, many of whom nearly tripped from trying not to step on her.
"How is she so fast?" Nick panted as he trailed behind Judy, who was steadily outpacing him.
The chase continued as the baby hare beelined right towards the Riverwalk, one of many pedestrian waterways where mammals could use floating blocks of ice to make their way around the tundra. Picking up speed, Natalie leaped across onto a large block with a polar bear occupant, dove between his legs, and leapt to the other bank.
Hot on her tail, Judy effortlessly leapt onto a smaller empty block and crossed the stream. Rounding up the rear, Nick slowed for a moment, hesitant to make the jump. Judy looked back and noticed the fox's hesitation. "Speed up, Nick! You can make it!"
Hearing Judy's voice, the fox grit his teeth and pushed forward with a burst of speed, jumping onto the same small block. Nearly losing his footing, Nick attempted to keep momentum and pushed himself off, barely landing on the opposite bank but lost his balance. With flailing arms and a worried scream, he began to fall toward the icy cold water, only to have his descent halted when two tiny paws grabbed his shirt with a tight grip and pulled him back in the opposite direction.
Judy groaned as she managed to lurch Nick forward with all of her weight and powerful legs but her feet slipped. The two partners fell in unison, the larger fox landing right on top of the smaller yelping bunny, burying his savior into several feet of soft powdery snow.
Petite feet and paws frantically flicked about from underneath Nick, mumbling under his collar for him to get off. Removing his snout from the snow and shaking it off, the fox officer looked up to see Natalie continue to make haste, widening the distance between them. In one swift motion, Nick pushed off on all fours, scooped Judy out of the snow, and launched them both back in pursuit. The bunny managed to gracefully land back on her feet when her partner released her, shaking the snow off her neoprene suit.
Nick shot an apology with a sheepish smile as the two partners quickened their pace. Judy gave him a mock glare, though she was thankful Nick didn't plummet into the freezing ice, before turning her attention back to the escaping hare.
Soon they were running down another street. Passing several pedestrians and civilians, a bright yellow object caught Nick's attention. With a devious grin, the fox skidded to a stop. A young lanky cheetah dressed in a red Pizza Den delivery outfit was removing his orders from the back of his yellow spotted snow scooter when a shiny ZPD badge was suddenly thrust into his face.
"Excuse me there, buddy ol' pal. Officer Wilde. Need your vehicle here, it's a police emergency. Penal code section 150 and all that jazz..." Nick ordered while hopping onto the vehicle and revved the engine.
"Huh?" the flabbergasted cheetah jumped back. "Hey! I still have pizzas to deliver!"
Quickly assessing the pizza box container on the scooter and the three large boxes in the cheetah's paws, Nick reached into his wallet and slapped a large wad of cash on top of the stack of pizzas the young feline was holding. "Keep the change, my good mammal!"
And with that, the fox officer hit the gas, swerving the scooter around with a big splash of snow and gunned it down the street.
The cheetah blinked his eyes, staring at the money before finally slumping his shoulders. "My boss is gonna kill me…"
Slowly gaining on the kit, Judy pushed herself harder, the snow making it difficult to run faster as she sunk in with every step. She glanced back to see Nick was gone. Eyes widening at the disappearance of her partner, a dinky horn caught her attention as the bunny's ears swiveled to the source of the sound. There was Nick brandishing his aviators on a yellow snow scooter quickly catching up to her and motioning to the basket above the scooter's front wheel.
"Oh for the love of cheese…" Judy panted but then positioned herself, pivoting into a tall leap, landing right into the basket with perfect precision.
"Nick!" she screamed. "Where did you get this?"
"Had to level-up our odds, sweetheart," the fox grinned.
"You are so doing all the paperwork for this later! And apologizing to the poor mammal you took this from!"
"Hey, I paid for the pizzas!"
"Just go!" Judy relented and turned around, scanning the full length of the street. She spotted Natalie just up ahead. "Over there, Nick!"
Nick carefully guided the scooter along side the tiny hare as Judy leaned out of the basket, reaching out to Natalie who was just within her reach. "Almost there… just a little bit closer..."
Seeing Judy's approaching paws, the baby arctic hare evaded to the side, tumbling down a snowy hill from the street curb into a large open field where several mammals were playing ice hockey in a small rink.
"Oh, c'mon!" Nick growled.
Thinking on her feet, Judy saw an elephant in a business suit walking with a closed umbrella like a cane. "Nick, pull up to next to that elephant and keep it steady!"
"What!?"
"Trust me," Judy ordered.
Doing as he was told, they passed by the elephant and Judy snatched the umbrella from the unsuspecting business mammal. "My word!" the affluent elephant bellowed.
"So, so sorry! I'll bring this back, I promise!" Judy yelled as she braced herself.
"Now look who's commandeering… Carrots, what are you doing?"
Before he could get an answer, Nick watched as Judy leapt out of the basket, down the hill, and popped open the umbrella. The large canopy allowed her to sail through the air as she glided in pursuit of their target.
"Crazy rabbits," Nick muttered as he skid to a stop. He surveyed his route options and quickly hit the gas.
Landing in the snow, Judy was only a few feet away from the baby bunny, much to it's surprise. Closing the umbrella, Judy tried to gently approach the kit again. "Natalie, it's okay. It's me, Judy. Come here," the older doe offered a pair of welcoming paws. Just as Judy was almost within reach of Natalie, a worried shout caught her attention.
"Hey, look out!"
Judy turned just in time to see a large hockey puck nearly collide with Natalie. Her fear renewed, the arctic hare leaped into the snow by the sideline and began to burrow. Judy dove in after her. Some of the bystanders watched as two small lumps raced through the snow. Natalie was the first to pop out on the far side, immediately followed by Judy. Unfortunately for the police mammal, a polar bear jogger came running by, nearly trampling her, forcing Judy to dive away. Lifting her face out of the snow, Judy frantically looked around, only to see Natalie disappear behind some shrubs and a mailbox next to the adjacent sidewalk.
With an annoyed groan, Judy crossed the distance and arrived at the shrubs. The officer surveyed the scene but there was no signs of the hare. "Where'd she go?"
At the sounds of squeaking and a car pulling away, Judy's ears lifted up. She caught sight of Natalie on the open bed of a snow truck carrying some cut pine trees speeding away. "Oh, no!" she gasped and flashed her badge. "Police! Stop! Stop the truck!"
Judy was unfortunately too small for the moose driver to notice her due partially to the fact he was staring at his phone instead of the road. Shoulders slumping at the truck getting away, her ears twitched once more at the sounds of an approaching vehicle. Making a flashy entrance, Nick pulled up alongside his partner, splashing some snow onto the doe. "Whoopsie!"
Sparing him the glare this time, Judy shook the snow off and quickly hopped into the basket, pointing down the street. "She's on that truck, Nick!"
Hightailing it at full throttle, Nick steered the snow scooter in pursuit. The truck had crossed two intersections ahead of them as their upcoming light was changing.
"The light's turning red!"
"Hang on!" Nick said, swerving the scooter to make a sudden right. "I know this city like the back of my paw."
The oblivious moose whistled as he drove, reaching down again to check a few texts on his phone. Hearing a male and female voice yelling, the driver looked up to just in time to slam his brakes, skidding to a halt just inches away from the two tiny police officers with their badges out. He gulped as he exited his vehicle with hooves up. Judy ran past the driver while Nick sauntered along the other side, making eye contact with the moose and held up his own phone, smirking and wagging a no-no finger warning about his use of a cellphone while driving.
Rounding the corner of the truck's bed, Judy looked all around. "She's not here!"
Hearing his partner, Nick turned away from the nervous moose and began to sniff the air. His nose wrinkled at the fading scent of fresh cut pine and he immediately dashed into the nearby alley. Noticing a red blur, Judy saw the tip of Nick's tail disappear into the alleyway.
"Am I in trouble?"
Judy turned to the anxious truck driver. "You're free to go, sir. But I'm only going to warn you once - no texting and driving!" the bunny officer sternly chastised before leaping into action where she had seen her partner vanish.
Natalie exited the alley and bounded down a set of stone steps leading into a small park nestled in between several businesses. Nick hopped onto the railing, sliding expertly down, giving him just enough speed to close the gap.
A large pair of paws descended upon the baby arctic hare. "Aha! Got ya, squeaker!"
The tiny bunny and fox slid along the snowy surface with Natalie now safely in Nick's grasp. With a high-pitched squeak, the baby began to claw, bite, and kick in every direction, particularly at his face. Nick yipped as he lost control and the bunny landed near a neat arrangement of red splotches littering the snow field.
"HEY! Watch the product or I'll..." came a very deep and angry sounding growl. Natalie cowered at the threatening voice and a small shadow loomed over her. It was enough to have the baby hare do a complete one-eighty, back into the arms of the fox officer still picking himself up from the snow.
The threatening growl was soon replaced by a fit of uncontrollable laughter. Ensuring he had a tight grip on the baby and away from those sharp buckteeth, Nick looked down to the source of the familiar baritone voice.
"Damn, Nick!" Finnick managed to huff out between gasps for air. "You a real daddy now?"
Frowning, Nick let out a huff. "Laugh it up, big guy."
"Nick!" Judy finally came hopping down the stairs. "Oh, Nick! You caught her!" she said running up to her partner and checking him and Natalie over. She gingerly eased Natalie from Nick's paws into her own before noticing the fennec fox. "Finnick! Hi!"
"Bunny cop," he greeted back. "You coppers babysit now?"
"We found her in the middle of a street all by herself," Judy replied while cradling and calming the arctic hare kit. Nick made sure to keep his distance this time, standing next to Finnick instead. The taller fox tenderly rubbed at the numerous scratches on his snout.
"Bet she saw Wilde's ugly mug and ran. I know I would."
"That's rich coming from the guy who scared her right back into 'the ugly mug's paws."
The trio noticed the baby looking around, still feeling apprehensive around the three strangers. Natalie seemed to be keeping an eye on Finnick particularly.
"You always were a chump with kids. Here. You gonna need a few of these," Finnick said holding up several freshly frozen pawpsicles.
At that moment, both officer's paw radios blared to life. "Dispatch to Officer Hopps and Wilde. Come in. Over."
Nick was the first to grab his radio since Judy's paws were occupied. "Wilde here. Go ahead, Claws."
"Oh, Officer Wilde. We just got a report of a missing mammal in your area."
"Wouldn't happen to be a baby arctic hare in a pink outfit named Natalie, would it?"
"Wow! Nick, how did you know?"
"Just call me Harry Hogdini. Tell the parents we're heading back to the station with their squeaker. Over."
"Roger, Officer Wilde. I'll tell the mother right away! Dispatch out."
Watching Natalie staring again at Nick as he was talking, Finnick tapped the pawpsicles against his friend's leg. "Here. And don't bother reaching for your wallet. I don't want your money."
"Always so charitable, Finn," Nick said as he took the three pawpsicles. The red fox turned back to the baby nestled in Judy's arms, waving one in front of her. "Here, squeaker… look what I got for you."
Natalie appeared perfectly still, her big blue eyes zeroed in on the tantalizing red treat.
"That's right," Nick cooed. "Who's a good baby bunny?"
Even Judy had to snicker at Nick's cheesy voice acting as he tried to befriend Natalie. She had to admit to herself that it seemed to be working. Now the baby hare excitedly reached out for the candy goodness, eagerly waving her outstretched paws. Nick opted to tease her for a moment, pulling back the pawpsicle a couple times until Natalie hissed again, which promptly resulted in getting her prize.
"Okay, Nick." Judy laughed. "Let's get her back to the cruiser." She offered a small wave to fennec fox. "Bye Finnick! Thank you for the treats."
Nick followed a short distance behind, giving his old friend an overhead wave. "Take care, tough stuff."
"Ciao," Finnick said, shaking his head when a different scent caught his attention. After a few whiffs, the fennec turned to watch his two friends leave, his eyes going from Nick, to Judy, and back to Nick. "Bout time, you dumb chumps," he grinned to himself. Finnick headed back to his van so he could grab the ice box and load up his latest batch of finished pawpsicles.
Back at Z-240, Judy was attempting to strap Natalie in safely but they had no special car seat for a baby. She glanced over at Nick who was still cautiously rubbing his aching snout. Natalie was chomping away, almost done with her first pawpsicle, the red sugary goodness staining her lips a bright crimson.
"Nick, do you think you could hold Natalie?"
The fox raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea."
"I think it's okay now. Just give her another pawpsicle when she's done. Come ride shotgun and I'll drive."
"If you say so, boss."
Nick was now back in his usual seat with a preoccupied Natalie in his lap. Surprisingly the baby hare really did ignore him completely. Her whole world right now was the nearly eaten delicious treat in her paws. Judy hopped into the driver seat and opened the middle cabin compartment. Digging around, the bunny found what she was looking for.
"Lean over to me, Nick," she ordered while peeling away at something in her paw.
"Why Officer Hopps… I thought we were ordered to behave while on duty," Nick smirked, doing as he was told. "And with a baby in the car…"
"You wish, Officer Wilde," she teasingly scolded her partner before reaching out and putting a few bandages on his scratches.
Looking right down the middle of his snout with crossed-eyes, Nick raised his brow. "You would have bandaids with carrots on them."
"Would you like me to rip them off then?" Judy asked in a rather pleasantly sweet but underlying threatening tone.
"I'm good."
"Good." Strapping herself in, Judy hit the ignition and merged safely into the moving traffic, making haste back to the station.
Back at Precinct One, Nick and Judy entered the rotating lobby doors. Across the busy atrium, they spotted a well-dressed white doe anxiously waiting next to Clawhauser's desk. The officers approached the rabbit.
"Ma'am." Nick announced, holding an excited Natalie out as far away as he could, who was blissfully chomping away at a pawpsicle that was half her size. "Is this yours?"
"Natalie! Oh my precious Natalie! I thought I'd lost you forever!" the mom exclaimed, grabbing her child out of Nick's paws and hugging her fiercely.
The partners exchanged a small smile.
"Officers, thank you. Thank you so much!" the jubilant mother expressed.
"You're welcome, ma'am," Judy said.
"It's no problem, Mrs..."
"Hareris. Emily Hareris."
Noticing a few carrot-themed bandages on the fox officer's snout, the mother leaned forward with a worried expression. "Oh my. Did my Natalie do that, officer?"
Caught off guard, Nick looked to Judy and back. "No, Mrs. Hareris… I um, tripped in the snow."
It was hard for Judy to suppress a chuckle at her partner's lame excuse. Nick simply put his paws behind his back and smiled.
"Oh." Emily paused for a moment before her appreciation returned. "Please tell me how can I repay you both? My husband has a fruit basket business. Would you like a lifetime supply of fruit baskets? We also make fruitcakes. Would you like those instead?"
Nick stifled a grimace at the mention of the latter option. "That won't be necessary Mrs. Hareris. It's what we do at the ZPD." He gave Judy a particular glance, which she returned with an appreciative and proud smile, gently placing a paw on his arm.
The mom reached out to shake their paws. "Thank you both again. I'll be sure to write City Hall about what wonderful officers you both are!"
Squeezing her daughter once more. "Say bye to the nice officers, Natalie." The baby hare paid no mind as she continued to gnaw viscously on her pawpsicle. The white doe gave a small wave and left. "Goodbye!"
"Bye!" Judy waved.
"Bye now. Good luck with that one!" Nick said. This earned him a light tap from Judy on his arm.
"Not a bad start to the day, huh Slick?" Judy asked, proudly placing her paws on her hips.
"Yeah… but I have this feeling we're forgetting something," Nick mused while scratching his chin.
Judy furrowed her brow in thought. "Oh my gosh!" she gasped. "The scooter! Where did you take it from!?"
"Uh… Flurry Street?" Nick guessed, shrugging his shoulders before another realization clicked in his brain. "At least we don't have to worry about that umbrella, right?"
Judy was now pulling her ears over her eyes at the reminder.
"Nooo…" she groaned. "We need to go back and return them! Right now!" Judy pointed, yanking her partner by the arm and hurriedly led Nick away to the vehicle lot.
Meanwhile back on the snowy street corner of Flurry and Arendelle, the cheetah delivery mammal sat with a pizza slice in one paw, while chewing another nearly eaten slice with a heavy sigh. "I'm so getting fired…" he mumbled looking at the next slice. "That cop paid for these. Might as well eat'em."
The end of their first shift together as more than partners found both fox and bunny back at Nick's apartment after a short pitstop at Judy's place.
Nick sighed with closed eyes, his neck craned over the back of his couch while spreading his arms across it after he unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt and loosened his tie. "All that paperwork should be a crime."
"Maybe if somefox hadn't taken that poor cheetah's scooter," Judy teased, her visible ears coming around the corner of the large couch with some drinks.
"Hey, we had the need for speed. Besides, I sweet-talked his boss and told her he was performing his civic duty," Nick said while leaning forward again. "At least we found my guy right away, little miss Evel Bunievel."
Judy frowned and aggressively placed her paws on her hips, trying to hide her embarrassment. "Hey! We found mine too… eventually."
"By the end of our shift, after asking every elephant we saw in a suit," he teased while rolling his left shoulder and rubbing the area along his neck with his other paw.
"Are you okay?" Judy asked, putting the tea down on the coffee table and hopped up onto the cushions so she could stand and be eye level with Nick.
"Just some aches. Never thought baby bunnies could be such a pawful," Nick said.
Judy laughed. "Try dealing with a couple hundred."
"I dunno how your mom must do it," Nick said with a genuine curiosity. "Were you like that?"
"I don't remember. Mom never told me what I was like at that age," Judy mused.
"You probably scarred her for life," he smirked. This got Nick a glare. He did have a quota to maintain after all.
"Keep talking Slick and we'll see how you handle my brothers and sisters when we visit my family," Judy said leaning in real close. Lowering her voice into a whisper. "Or how they'll handle you."
Raising his eyebrows, Nick's brain visualized a horde of small rabbits rushing him as he ran for his life. He decided to say nothing for once and keep rubbing his shoulder. He stopped when he felt Judy's paws clasp his own and remove it. She reached into his collar and tried to mimic what he was doing.
"Wait, wait. Not like that…" he said with a heavy intake of breath, instinctively reacting to the pressure point.
"Sorry," Judy frowned. "Can you show me how? I've never done this before."
Now it was Nick's turn to gently take her petite paws in his and placed them in the correct spot as he turned to face the other direction. "Right here. Make a cup shape with your paws." Judy did as she was instructed. "Fingers straight. Don't squeeze. Plunge your thumbs forward and pull your fingers back. Draw the muscle towards your palm. Circular motions."
With a small awkward start, Judy furrowed her brow. She was determined to get this right. As she began to get the hang of the correct motion, her efforts were rewarded as Nick's shoulders slowly slumped down, greatly relaxing into her touch.
"Mmm, yeah. That's the stuff right there," he exhaled slowly with closed eyes.
Noticing her paws continue to hit his tall collar, Judy stopped for a moment, unbuttoning his shirt further much to Nick's surprise. "Collar's in the way," she stated, earning a nod from Nick. Once that obstacle was removed, she continued to massage his neck and even moved over to his trapezius and shoulder blades. It was kind of fun and empowering to watch Nick turn into putty in her paws.
As she continued, Judy noticed the lean but firm predator muscle built into Nick's upper torso and limbs. His ZPA training and current gym routine was certainly doing wonders for him. The bunny couldn't help but stare and let her fingers feel all around his soft skin and thick fur. It reminded her of the time Nick massaged her own shoulder when that bullet had grazed it. Judy's own breath became less steady and the room was feeling a little warmer than before.
She was snapped out of her vivid memory when she felt something brush repeatedly against her legs. Looking down, Judy saw Nick's tail wagging to and fro. The distraction brought her back to the present and allowed Judy to work out all the kinks and knots she could find for several more minutes.
Nick felt so relaxed that he completely slumped backwards, gently stopping against Judy as she slipped her arms around his chest to catch him, and craned his neck to gaze at her. "That hit the spot. You're a natural, Carrots." Nick's wide smirk aggravated the scratches on his snout causing him to wince. "Ow, ow, ow."
"Still hurts?" Judy asked tenderly, looking at the bandages.
"Guess I better not smirk."
"That'd be a first. Let me see." The doe reached over and gingerly caressed around the bandages trying to soothe the pain away. "Better?"
"Mmm," Nick closed his eyes and hummed in delight at the velvety touch of Judy's paws. "Maybe if you kiss the boo-boos too."
Shaking her head at her boyfriend's cheesy sappiness, Judy did in fact lean in and plant a few tiny kisses trailing along his snout.
"Think you missed a spot." Nick pointed. He couldn't resist a tiny smirk, doing his best not to aggravate the scratches.
The doe continued with a couple more kisses.
"More."
"Now who's milking it, greedy fox?" she whispered in his ear.
"Can you blame me?" he said as he partially opened one flirty eye to meet Judy's gaze.
Her reply was a quick peck on his lips before nestling herself in front and reaching for both cups of tea and inviting Nick to take his. "I suppose I can't. But next time it's my turn."
"Deal," he winked.
Nick took the tea and sipped it, already feeling much better. Wrapping his other arm around Judy, the two mammals sat comfortably together for some time. Soon a conversation was struck and the two began a friendly debate on what show or movie to watch that evening. In the end, they decided it was Nick's turn to choose something and Judy ordered take-out. Once the two got settled in, Nick fired up a few episodes of It's Always Sunny in Sahara Square.
The week continued with several mundane assignments and less than exciting shifts, which was all fine for Officer Wilde because the big day had finally come. He sauntered into the bullpen a little bit later than usual. Judy was already in their shared seat waiting for his arrival.
WIth one smooth practiced motion, Nick landed in his half of the giant chair.
"Morning!" came the extra energetic greeting.
"Somebunny is looking really excited today," he whispered into her ear with a wink.
Before Judy could reply, Chief Bogo made his entrance sending the entire bullpen into its rowdy morning ritual chant. He swiftly silenced his officers and placed his clipboard on the podium.
"I've got several items on the docket today, so we better hop to it. Judy." Suddenly everyone's eyes were on the tiny rabbit officer, causing her to stand stiffly at full attention. Nick seemed extra amused at the chief's pun attempt and his partner's reaction. "Happy birthday."
The entire room exploded in cheers, howls, claps, roars, and hoots. McHorn gave Judy a friendly nudge and Nick squeezed her paw under the table, a gesture she happily returned as the two shared a smile.
Naturally Nick had to turn his attention back to their chief. "You really lassoed that one in, sir."
"Shut it, Wilde!"
As if the room wasn't making enough of an uproar, Nick's usual brand of snark only made it worse. Allowing the levity to run its course, Bogo was ready to get back to business.
"Enough! Number two. A few precincts are short-staffed today. Officers Andersen, Jackson, and Krumpansky, head to Precinct Two. Officers Simmers and Johnson, you two will be assisting Precinct Five."
The various offers stood and exited the room on their way to their vehicles.
"Assignments. Officers Grizzoli, Fangmeyer, Delgato… Rainforest Traffic Section. Officers Wolfard, Snarlov, Higgins… Canal Marine Patrol. Officers McHorn and Rhinowitz… Tundratown SWAT."
As the officers on the left half of the bullpen stood, they all came by the front row to personally wish Judy a happy birthday before leaving.
"Hopps. Wilde. We have some reports of increased pickpocketing on the Sahara Strip. Patrol the area and look for any suspicious activity. Dismissed."
Later that day, Judy maneuvered their cruiser through the avenue as they circled the strip, keeping an eye out for any daring thieves. Nick sat in his seat casually, window rolled down with his elbow hanging as he sipped an iced mocha.
"From the freezer into the frying pan," he spoke, watching the crowds as they milled about their business. Nick glanced at Judy. She was mostly focused on the road and watching the other side of the street. "I still can't believe you didn't take today off, birthday bunny."
"I'll have you know this is exactly where I want to be!"
"Sweating in a hundred degree borough looking for petty crooks?"
"Doing my dream job with a certain fox I know," she replied, taking her eyes off the road and leaning forward with a beaming smile.
Nick smirked at that. Happy to be there with Judy too. "Well, that certain dreamy fox wants to know if we're going to paint the town gray tonight?"
The bunny shook her head. "Actually, I was thinking a nice quiet evening would be fine. Just the two of us," Judy said. "I might have to block off an hour or two after work for my family though. I know my parents will call later."
"And you probably already have a thousand texts waiting for you," Nick said, casually looking at his paw while picking at a nail. He shifted under his seat belt to face his partner. "How about this… let me take you out for a bite. I know a place."
"And you probably know a mammal too," Judy chuckled, changing lanes to pass a slower vehicle.
"Only a bunny. The one I insist says yes. Whaddya say, Fluff?" Nick asked while leaning his chin on the top of his paw over the middle compartment, giving Judy his best disarming smile.
"You know what?" Judy began to contemplate with lidded eyes. "Yes. Let's go to this place of yours. Think we can go at six?"
Getting Judy's buy-in, Nick leaned back to his side and immediately began to type away at his phone. "Six is perfect."
Keeping her eyes forward, Judy's ear swiveled towards Nick as the fox was pecking at his phone with increased frequency. She was about to ask what he was doing when she spied a short teen wolf who appeared to be shadowing a dapper looking pair of sloths. Slowing the cruiser's speed, Judy observed the intensity of the young wolf's stare and how his eyes darted to the purse and back pockets of the slow moving mammals.
"Hey Nick?"
Nick was still occupied with his phone. "Hmm?"
"What would you say about a wolf in a hundred-degree borough wearing a thick jacket?"
"I'd say he's either trying to sweat a few pounds…" the former con began while putting the phone away. "Or he might use it to hide something."
Judy pulled the cruiser to the other side of the street behind some vehicles to avoid detection. Both officers quickly exited their patrol car and sneaked their way back across the street and through the crowd towards their suspected perp.
Back at the station, Clawhauser was excitedly sending a deluge of texts, giggling frantically to himself. He almost got caught a few times when Chief Bogo made his usual rounds of the building but the risk was worth it. Taking a break, the jovial cheetah sent out a few new reports to the appropriate units and called in some backup that was requested by McHorn.
A fresh commotion at the entrance caught Clawhauser's attention. His face lit up at the sight of Nick and Judy, both still wearing their aviators, bringing in a cuffed and somber looking teenage wolf. They arrived at the desk to begin the booking process.
"Got ourselves one bold pickpocket," Nick announced, nudging the perp forward and lifted his aviators over his head. "Right here."
"Oh, you guys caught him so fast! Let me call Annie to take him over to processing," Clawhauser said.
Within moments, a blonde female pig officer appeared to escort the thief away. The wolf was grumbling and growling some choice expletives under his breath about being caught by a bunny and a fox cop as he was being led away.
Nick leaned against the round reception desk, paws in his pockets, and met Judy's gaze. "Boy, thinking he could steal in broad daylight… it's a dog's life, huh?"
Removing her own pair of aviators, Judy crossed her arms. "Well, there's not a petty thief who doesn't have a wolf in his belly."
"Sitting in a cell tonight, won't be able to cut his wolf loose," Nick replied.
"He won't be top dog anymore," Judy pointed out.
"Just wolfin' down jail food."
"Nick... " Judy chuckled, now uncrossing her arms. "I think that's enough. You can have this round. We have paperwork to do."
"You're no fun," he winked. "Still had a few good ones on the tip of my tongue."
"I'm sure you did, c'mon," Judy said while placing a paw on his arm as she headed towards their shared cubicle desk.
Pushing himself from the reception desk, Nick twirled around to make direct eye contact with Clawhauser. The bubbly cheetah held up a navy envelope and wiggled it. Winking in confirmation, Nick pivoted on his foot and picked up his pace to catch up with Judy.
Being able to finish their shift early enough, Nick was back at home, rummaging through his closet looking for a particular article of clothing. He finally found his prize. A dusty, old, slightly tan colored blazer. Nick checked it over to make sure there wasn't any rips or tears and hung it onto one of his outside coat racks and proceeded to give it a little sprucing up.
The old coat brought back memories of when he and Finnick first got caught up with Mr. Big. Nick had used this same coat to hide a shoplifted blue rodent convertible behind a distracted moose car salesmammal that he needed to sell to one of Big's buyers. It was not one of his proud moments in life. Ears flattened at the thought before shaking it away. Now this blazer had a new job tonight.
It was about a quarter till six o'clock and Judy would be coming soon. Nick put on the finishing touches, checking himself over in the mirror. A knock at the door alerted him that the birthday bunny had arrived. A smile on his face, Nick exited through his office and tucked the envelope safely into his coat. Opening the door revealed his girlfriend with a nice dark jacket covering her blue blouse and black pair of jeans.
"And there she is!" Nick announced.
"Hey!" Judy waved. Noticing the blazer, she raised an eyebrow and slowly eyed Nick from head to toe.
"Why madam… are you already undressing me with your eyes?" he said leaning against the door frame. "You could at least wait till after our date."
Derailing Judy's train of thought, she blushed for a moment before recovering and put a paw on her hip. "Or maybe I'm just wondering what kind of awful and loud shirt you're wearing underneath," she said, poking him in the side. "I've never seen that jacket before. Won't you be too hot?"
Seeing an opportunity, Nick proceeded with his deflections. "First off, I'm always red hot. Second, I'll have you know, that my awfully loud shirts I know you secretly love are one hundred percent silk. Just lets the fur breath! Besides…" he gestured to his blazer. "This will keep me dry."
"Dry?" Judy blinked, focusing on his last words.
Nick grabbed a medium-sized umbrella leaning by the doorway and stepped out into the hallway. Locking his door, he held out his elbow to the bunny. "It's why I told you to bring a jacket. Shall we?"
Knowing Nick would probably continue to be elusive, Judy hooked her arm around his and decided to see where this evening would take them. The couple headed northwest to the edge of Downtown. Arriving at the border, the pair got in line to wait for the Rainforest sky tram. Now Judy understood Nick's suggestion to bring some coats along with his umbrella. Once they were skybound, Judy and Nick took in the vista of the urban skyline transitioning against the fading sun with the arrival of the city's nightlife beginning to dot the sky with flickering lights.
Exiting onto the pier at Canopy Lane, they proceeded through the steamy wet climate and lush vegetation among the treetop buildings, moving with the crowds along the large wooden boardwalk. The two eventually arrived at a small commercial market located on the edge of a giant east-facing tree. From a short distance, Judy's ears detected the sounds of dining activity and singing. Pushing past several hanging mossy vines and giant leaves revealed where the noise was coming from, a sign overhanging a door reading Misty's on the Vine.
The restaurant and canopy bar showcased a tiki and jungle theme with classic matching decor, large blazing torches, and vibrant floral colors.
"This place looks really fun!" Judy said, looking up at Nick who simply smiled back.
There was only a short line to the reception stand. Nick plucked his phone out when Judy wasn't looking and sent a quick text before putting it away. Greeting the jaguar host, Nick dexterously slipped a note on the desk. The jaguar skimmed the message and grinned, pointing him to the appropriate location.
With a thank you wink, Nick placed his larger paw on the small of Judy's back and led her away.
"Aren't they gonna seat us?" she asked confused.
"It's self-seating. We can find a nice view back here," Nick explained.
The fox and bunny walked up to a larger doorway with beads draping the entry. Nick paused for a moment, casually tapping his foot three times. He turned to Judy with a wicked smirk.
"What?" she asked him, curiously leaning her head to the side.
"And…" Nick began and pulled the beads apart in one swift motion.
"SURPRISE!" came a chorus of many voices, revealing several coworkers and friends inside the reserved space.
Judy's eyes and ears shot upwards while her paws found their way over her gaping mouth. There inside the room was Clawhauser, Fangmeyer, Grizzoli, Wolfard, Delgato, McHorn, Brian, Valerie, and Mrs. Wilde.
"Oh, you guys…" Judy sniffled, happy tears beginning to pool along her eyes. She snapped to Nick, an iron grip clutching his arm. "Did you do this?"
Still holding the curtain beads open, Nick simply gestured to the room with his other paw. "Can't take the credit for this one. It was all Claws. I just helped pick the place."
Running into the room, Judy gave the big bubbly cheetah quite the squeeze. "Thank you so much, Clawhauser!"
"Oh, you're so very welcome, Judy!" he hugged his favorite little officer back.
After being released, Judy began to greet and thank everyone who came one by one, occasionally wiping away at her misty eyes. Nick eventually slipped into the room and stood next to his mom.
"Bunnies. So emotional, right?" he said leaning in.
"Wouldn't kill you to show some yourself from time to time, Nicholas," she teased him. "How are you, sweetheart?"
"Couldn't be any happier, Mom."
The tone of his voice and her son's choice of words caused Mrs. Wilde's ears to flick with curiosity. Before she could further muse on the subject, Judy had found her way over to them.
"Thank you for coming, Mrs. Wilde," the bunny said with clasped paws in front of her.
"You know I wouldn't miss it, dear," the elder vixen replied and kneeled down to give Judy a warm embrace.
Brian and Valerie scooted over so they could greet Nick after saying hi to Judy before she came over to Mrs. Wilde.
"Nick!" Valerie said, offering him a brief hug. "I see you survived till Judy came home."
"Hey Red!" Brian said with a hearty pawshake.
"Val. Nose. Glad you two could make it," Nick genuinely smiled.
"This one had to con his chief into giving him the night off. I think we might be rubbing off on him," Valerie said while scratching under Brian's muzzle.
"Are you saying we're bad influences, Val?" Nick feigned. "Because if so, you're right." This earned a snicker from both the vixen and the timberwolf. "So how are Phil and EJ doing?"
"Their arraignment was a few days ago. They pleaded guilty to the crime and the trial will be coming up soon. I looked into a few charities and causes and helped EJ's father and his aunt raise enough money for bail so at least the boys aren't sitting in jail for the time being."
"Thanks again for that."
"Happy to help," Valerie nodded.
Clawhauser got everyone's attention and announced that the drinks and appetizers had arrived and to get the party started! All of the mammals shuffled about to get their seats.
"Let's catch up after some grub." With a little goodbye salute, Nick went to find his seat next to Judy.
"Hey, babe…" Brian whispered excitedly.
"Why are you whispering?" Valerie asked, leaning closer to her boyfriend.
"I think it's happened."
Valerie immediately snapped her eyes to Judy, then Nick, then back to Judy again. "Oh my god, are you serious!?" she nearly squealed.
"The Nose, knows," Brian said lamely, his attempt at some bad humor.
"You've been hanging around Nick at work, haven't you?" she nudged the timberwolf.
"You're the one who asked me to keep a nose on things tonight."
"I plead the fifth. Let's go grab our seats," Valerie chuckled, grabbing Brian by the arm before heading to the large table.
Drinks and food arrived and the small family of mammals dug in for the celebration. Fangmeyer and Grizzoli brought their police radios with them so that a few other officers who couldn't make the dinner radioed in their wishes to Judy. The bunny couldn't have been more in awe at the gesture. Soon it was time for the cake to arrive. As the elephant waitress brought in the massive carrot cake, Nick signaled a paw for her to wait a moment.
"Before we do the cake," he said aloud, standing up from his seat. "We have something for the birthday bunny!" He reached into his coat and withdrew a navy envelope.
A surprised Judy took the large envelope and tore it open, revealing a glittery ClawMark birthday card. The front cover read 'Birthday Doe on the Loose'. Curiously, she opened it and the card immediately began to play a dramatic crime drama theme followed by a very serious sounding voice.
Calling all cars. We got a birthday doe on the loose. Reports of some possible fun and party action in progress. Numerous perpetrators may be involved. Be advised, subject is to be considered cute and adorable. Over.
Everyone snickered or laughed at the ridiculous card. Judy was giggling alongside everyone too until it got to the 'cute' part which immediately made the bunny frown and shoot a glare right at Nick who was now behind her, paws resting on the back of her chair. Not denying the implication that he was guilty for choosing the card, he simply shrugged, offering one of his usual smirks.
The birthday doe in question decided to let him have that one. Returning her gaze upon the card, Judy saw so many wishes and signatures signed all throughout including a few surprise ones from Finnick and Flash.
"Thank you everyone," Judy said, tightly hugging the card against her chest after she finished reading every note.
"Shall we?" Nick waved at the waitress who set the very large cake down in front of Judy.
It was decorated with a ZPD badge in the middle and lots of carrot-shaped frosting all around with twenty-six candles. Judy needed to stand in her seat so she could even reach the candles.
The guests waited to sing, looking at Nick to signal them to begin. Noticing their gaze, Judy turned around. Behind her, Nick was fiddling with a phone. A phone that wasn't his. It was her phone. Instantly checking her back pocket and finding it empty, she raised her brow at her partner.
"Nick, what are you doing with my phone?"
A single finger silenced her question as he turned the phone around. There was a large portion of her family, all gathered around inside the main Hopps living room on MuzzleTime ready and waiting. "And…" he announced loudly for all to hear, moving his other paw like a conductor.
Everyone at the table and on the phone began to sing happy birthday to Judy. She nearly melted on the spot, one paw over her heart, the other reaching out to touch the side of Nick's snout. When the song ended, everyone - especially the young rabbits on the phone yelled for her to make a wish. Thinking for a moment, Judy glanced back, making eye contact with Nick before brushing her ears back, closing her eyes, and blowing out all twenty-six candles in one breath. A barrage of cheers and claps followed along with a very eager Clawhauser ready to cut the cake.
The cake didn't last long. At all. Every single slice was gone within minutes. The rest of the party continued in a more relaxed manner as several guests enjoyed some chit chat and a drink after filling their bellies to the brim. Nick was off to the side, leaning against a rail with Brian, Wolfard, and Grizzoli. The small pack were watching the karaoke stage as Judy, Fangmeyer, Valerie, and even Mrs. Wilde sang along to a few Catty Perry, Destiny's Cub, and Gazelle songs. Clawhauser was right there in front cheering the ladies on and occasionally joining in.
"Valerie sings really well," Grizzoli complimented. "Though I think Stephanie could use a few lessons. Don't tell her I said that!"
"Thanks buddy," Brian said while downing his shot. "Yeah, Valerie can really project. You should hear her in the courtroom. She's even made a few judges three times her size squirm. And when she's mad at me..."
This made the two timberwolves from Precinct One snicker. Nick just smirked, continuing to listen to the ladies sing. Grizzoli was right about Valerie. His Mom wasn't too shabby either. Fangmeyer was a bit out of tune and Judy… as much as he loved the sound of her voice, singing was definitely not one of her strongest traits. Not that he should probably dare mention that to her. At the very least not today.
Wolfard had remained quiet for most of the conversation, as he prefered to be low-key. However, tonight's festivities made the officer reflect on the previous year. "You know, I'm glad Clawhauser organized this for Judy."
"Me too," Grizzoli added.
Nick glanced at his fellow officers. Reading their eyes and body language piqued the former con's curiosity. "Penny for your thoughts, Wolfie?"
Downing the remainder of his drink, Wolfard leaned back on the rail as well. He contemplated his thoughts for a moment before speaking. "Dunno if Judy ever told you Nick, but this time last year was pretty rough. All those riots and protests when predators were still going savage..."
Nick did in fact remember. It wasn't one of his fondest memories either.
The darker timberwolf sighed, his ears going flat. "A lot of the guys in the bullpen weren't too happy with Judy. Word spread pretty quick around the precinct about what she said on the news. No one wanted to partner up with her after that."
That bit of information hit home for the fox. "I didn't exactly help on that front either," Nick replied in a quiet solemn tone.
"We saw her constantly asking the Chief for extra assignments she could help with, even after she finished her own," Wolfard continued. "And when we were all giving her the cold shoulder, she still offered to help us with anything. She was the first one in and the last one out. Working doubles. Every. Single. Day. Never taking a day off. Even for her birthday like today."
Nick's own ears now lay flat against his head. The fox knew about the rallies and the tension that had seeped into every corner of Zootopia at the time. He had expected that Judy would have been in the thick of it but she never once told him about her experiences during their time apart.
"As things got worse, she even got sent to the hospital once for breaking up a fight between two big mammals all by herself at a rally," Wolfard said.
Subconsciously, Nick's hackles rose at the idea of Judy being sent to the hospital.
Noticing Nick's reaction, Wolfard immediately put up his paws. "Nothing serious, luckily. She was back the next day, no complaints. Then one morning… she… just wasn't there. It was the day after Clawhauser got moved to records. Bogo told us she quit."
A reflective silence remained between the four predators.
Grizzoli was first to break the ice. "Yeah. I didn't know what to think when I heard about that. I felt bad. So did Steph."
"I think we all did," Wolfard said. He turned to Nick, a smile finally appearing on his much larger muzzle. "We were too caught up in everything to say anything before it was too late. Then you two showed up again a couple days later and found Bellwether behind it all."
"We were all thankful for that," Grizzoli said patting Nick on the back. "It made us realize how wrong we were. Especially about Judy."
"Yeah," Wolfard agreed, putting a paw on Nick's other shoulder.
"I'm sure Carrots knows," Nick said gently, sharing a smile with the group. "Besides, we couldn't let you guys have all the glory. Bringing down criminal masterminds is our specialty."
Brian, who had simply stayed quiet, intently listening to the group's conversation grinned at Nick's quip. Even Wolfard had to snicker at that one.
"Hey, how about we go join the ladies for a round?" Grizzoli suggested with a chuckle. "I can do a mean Kanine West."
"Now this I gotta hear," Nick said, ears perking up as the four officers headed over to the stage.
The evening's party soon came to an end. Everyone slowly said their goodbyes with pawshakes or hugs and made their way home. Judy and Nick were left standing outside the restaurant, Nick behind her with one paw on a shoulder, the other holding an umbrella.
"That was so nice," Judy said, leaning backwards into the fox's torso.
"Better than your idea of staying home?"
"I'll admit it was better, you sly fox."
Heading back to the gondola, Nick and Judy waited on the platform for the next sky tram to come around. Lost in thought about the party, the bunny hadn't realized they were waiting for a different tram until they boarded the sky car.
"Nick, isn't this the wrong way?" Judy asked, noticing they were heading northwest instead of southeast.
Checking the time on his phone, Nick gave her a suspicious smile. "We have one more stop to make tonight."
"Nick, this was already wonderful. You don't have to do anything else for me."
"Too late now." he smirked, leaning an elbow on the rail.
"And you're not going to tell me where we're going," Judy said crossing her arms.
"You're learning quick, sweetheart."
Judy sighed.
As the sky tram sped along its zipline, Judy watched the fake rainfall from the environmental sprinkler system that was built to mimic the atmosphere of a real rainforest. As they passed several pier stops, an all too familiar name caught her attention. Off to her side, they traveled past Tujunga.
Past memories rolled through Judy's mind. Following the lead to meet Manchas, being chased by the jaguar when he had gone savage, Nick refusing to leave her behind at the sky car even when she had ordered him to get away, cuffing Manchas in order to save Nick, swinging from the vines after they fell and nearly plummeted to their deaths, then facing Bogo when Manchas had mysteriously disappeared. Then came the moment when Bogo demanded her badge and just when she was about to unhook it, thinking her career was over, Nick had suddenly intervened, defending her and buying them more time. Everything had changed between them ever since.
Judy looked back over her shoulder to see Nick casually looking out beyond the rail, leaning on criss-crossed arms. He was lost in thought, staring at nothing in particular, just like back then. She silently moved closer and wedged herself between his arms, snapping him back to reality as he was left wondering what she might be doing. Judy took his larger arms and wrapped them around her like a blanket, nestling back into his torso.
Now the two lovers found something better to gaze upon than back then… each other. Nick gave Judy a squeeze and settled his chin atop her head, between her ears. It was becoming one of his favorite things to do. The bunny planted a few light kisses against his downier neck fur, giving him a tickling sensation that made Nick shift his weight, much to Judy's delight.
The sky car reached its apex and began its descent. Shuttling through the district, slowly the rainforest trees were fading away, revealing a clear and open night sky with the early moonlight streaking across a large body of water. They were entering the Canal District. Judy's mind raced at the possibilities of what Nick still had in store for her here. Knowing it was futile to even bother harassing him, she calmed her impatience, instead settling for gazing upon the small islands below them.
Reaching their destination, the two hopped out of the gondola. They were on one of the larger land masses in the district's large bay across from the Marshlands. A short walk through the local marketplace ended on a large dock on the north side of the island. There was a rather sizable gathering of mammals all along the shores and many were rowing about on small boats and canoes.
Making their way to one of the smaller wooden piers, Nick let go of Judy's paw. "Wait here, Carrots. I'll be right back."
Judy did as she was told, wondering what Slick Nick was up to now. There was no point in making a fuss, since she'd probably find out in the next few minutes. The bunny used the opportunity to take in her surroundings in more detail. She observed many of the mammals near her fiddling with some type of paper-made object. Some were round, others were square. Most were white but a few were adorned with vibrant pastel colors. A panda dressed in a bright red tunic suit appeared with a megaphone to politely address the crowd.
"Everyone. May I have your attention please. We will begin the festival momentarily. You may light your lanterns now but please do not release them yet. Thank you."
Judy watched as everyone on the piers, boats, and bank began to light their lanterns, illuminating the entire area in a warm glow. Her ears twitched to the sound of padded feet running towards her.
"Boy, almost didn't make it there." Judy turned to the sound of Nick's heavy voice, the fox panting from his light jog. In his paws was a lantern and a match. "They only had one left. Had to hustle some koala for it."
"Oh, Nick. Is this the surprise?" Judy said, clasping her paws over her chest.
"You bet," he said lifting a foot to strike the match against a pad before lighting the lantern.
"Okay, everyone. Get ready?" bellowed the panda announcer.
"Here you go, Fluff." Nick held the floating lantern for Judy to take. "Make one more wish."
"No."
The fox's ears perked up in surprise. "Huh? What do you mean no?"
Judy looked him in the eyes and smiled. "What I mean is… no. You are making a wish with me."
"Is it my birthday? No, no it is not."
"Well, it's my birthday and you have to do what I say!"
"Is that so?"
"It is so," Judy said firmly, crossing her arms.
"Set…" the panda said, raising his arms higher.
"Okay, boss." Nick relented and kneeled down. He and Judy both held the bottom of the lantern. They maintained a gaze upon one another before closing their eyes, fox and bunny making a wish together.
"Release!"
Nick and Judy released their lantern as did everyone else. They slowly floated skyward, decorating the night sky like a sea of stars over the island. It was truly a sight to behold.
"Oh my gosh. It's so beautiful!"
"It sure is," Nick said, diverting his gaze down to Judy, who was completely caught up in the moment, following the lanterns as they traveled across the bay. The look of absolute brilliance and happiness in her eyes brought a smile to Nick's face and a warm sensation in his heart.
Judy wrapped an arm around Nick and plopped her head against his torso. "Thank you for this."
Now seemed as good a time as any for the fox to reveal his true surprise. "Don't thank me yet."
"What!?" Judy's eyes shot up to meet his. "Don't tell me there's more!"
"Only one thing," he said, emphasizing with his index finger.
"But!" Judy began to protest but Nick placed both larger paws on her petite shoulders.
"Last one, I promise."
Taking a deep breath, Judy couldn't help but feel beyond appreciative of the fox standing in front of her. She felt so fortunate to have been able to meet someone like Nick to share her life with. "Okay."
"Turn around," he said gently.
"What?" she blinked in confusion.
"Turn around," Nick repeated, making a whirly gesture with his finger.
Turning around, Judy felt a fresh wave of anxiety rush through her body.
"Close your eyes."
"What are you…?"
"Close your eyes," Nick patiently said once more. "Also, arms down and ears up."
Now Judy was really confused. She naturally began to fidget until Nick's paws scooted her arms back in. "I don't see why I have to…"
"Nuh uh uh," Nick shushed her protest. "Ears up now."
It was getting harder to simply hold still. Judy felt Nick remove his paws. Her rabbit hearing detected the sound of him unbuttoning his blazer and reaching inside. This sort of movement caused her mind to go to a few places she didn't expect, creating a fresh reddening throughout her cheeks and ears. She desperately wanted to drop them down but Nick had ordered her to keep them up.
"Nick…" Judy's voice hitched, her heart beat just a little faster. "You're not doing something… uh…"
"Doing what?" he asked innocently.
"Something inappropriate!"
"Madam, I am nothing if not a saint to your maiden honor," came the response in a rather dry yet serious tone.
This caused Judy to guffaw, naturally attempting to cover her mouth incase she were to snort.
"What did I say about the arms?"
"They're down!" she insisted, groaning as her fists balled at her sides.
Noticing Judy's increasing anticipation, Nick purposely slowed his movement, very casually taking his time now to reveal the surprise. It almost felt too mean… almost. With nothing still happening, Judy's right foot began to thump rapidly.
"No thumping," Nick said.
"Nick, I swear if you're pranking me…"
"I would do no such thing. At least not today. Still thumping."
With a small groan, Judy forced her foot to stop. Now it was quiet again.
"Remember, keep 'em closed."
A few more moments passed between them. Thinking he had tortured Judy enough, Nick finally reached further into his blazer and removed a neatly folded piece of fabric. He delicately unwrapped it until he held it between both paws.
Eyes still closed, Judy was going bonkers with impatience. I'm going to kill him! She was coming so close to bursting like a bunny pinata that she literally froze when she felt the sensation that something moved near her ears and hovered over her head. Fighting the natural urge to drop her ears, she sensed slow and deliberate movement near her face, making her nose twitch.
Suddenly, an incredibly soft sensation touched all around her lithe neck, looping gently again and again. Judy really wanted to yank her eyes open and see what it was that was brushing against her fur. The movement halted as the fox's large paws settled around her arms. Judy's ears twitched at the warmth of Nick's breath as his muzzle hovered right next to her cheek.
"Happy birthday, Judy."
The words of Nick's thick hushed voice jolted her eyes open and Judy immediately looked down. There was a sudden intake of breath and a loss for words. Around her neck was a beautifully rich purple scarf with various sized, individually paw strewn, silvery carrot patterns whimsically designed along the entire fabric. Her paws finding their way to gently inspect the material, only to be greeted by the softest high quality jersey-knit fabric she'd ever felt. Judy ran a few fingers all the way to the hanging end and found her initials, JLH, meticulously stitched in a small silver monogram.
Judy then realized this is what Nick must have been hiding in his office, even when they were still just best friends, he had been working on this gift in secret. A gift he would have still made for her no matter what their current relationship was. Wiping away at her misty eyes, Judy spun and barreled into Nick, nearly knocking him to the ground.
"I take it you like it? I didn't know if… guh!"
The fox's words were cut off when the bunny yanked him down by his open blazer. Petite paws held him firmly by his cheek and snout as Judy kissed Nick deeply. Not resisting in the slightest, Nick tenderly wrapped his paws around the small of her back and brought Judy in closer. He could feel the tip of her cotton tail wiggle as his own wagged to and fro. Slowly, one of her paws found it's way further along his cheek, gingerly digging into his longer fur with an iron grip, keeping him locked in place if he would even dare to stop their kiss anytime soon.
Eventually they parted breathlessly, both of them keeping their muzzles close, eyes remaining locked, when Judy leaned in and rested her nose against Nick's. "I love it."
Nothing more needed to be said when Judy burrowed herself back against Nick. They turned back toward the northern sky to comfortably watch the lanterns make their way across the bay until nothing remained of them except for tiny indiscernible specks.
On their way back home, Judy remained preoccupied with her scarf, trying it out in numerous ways around her neck and relishing the wonderfully designed pattern. The inquisitive bunny asked Nick numerous questions about the material; where did he get it, how long did it take him to make it, etc. The fox teased her with a few ridiculous snarky answers before answering each one truthfully; listing off each tidbit one by one and how it took him several attempts before he was satisfied with the end result.
The hallway seemed quiet as Nick and Judy made their way to her apartment. She unlocked the door and opened it part way, turning to Nick whom she found already leaning against the wall, his piercing lidded eyes upon her.
"See you at roll call tomorrow?"
Judy didn't respond right away, not wanting Nick to go home yet.
"I know it's late..." she began bashfully, playing with the end of the scarf. "But you don't have to go right now, do you?"
The tips of his longer lips curled up into a bright smile. "I could stay a while."
Grabbing his paw, Judy led Nick inside. The fox casually took a seat on the far edge of her bed, crossing his legs while the bunny carefully removed her endearing gift and reverently hung it on her clothes rack along with her jacket.
Looking over to Nick, she extended a paw towards him. "Take off your coat."
"So, is this why you really invited me over? Well, at least you wined and dined me first," Nick winked, removing his blazer and handing it over to Judy.
Judy was tempted to throw the blazer back at him, but the implications momentarily distracted the doe. She collected herself, taking the coat and patting it down. "What was it you said? Nothing if not a saint to my maiden honor? Gosh. Did I bring the wrong fox home with me?"
Seeing his own joke turned against him, Nick leaned across the bed on one of his elbows and smirked. "Madam, I am nothing if not a perfect gentlemammal. I am only doing what the maiden requests."
"I didn't know I was dating such a big dork," Judy chuckled as she finished hanging his blazer.
"You know you love it."
"Hmm. Do I?" Judy pretended to consider it, a single finger tapping against her chin, and then hopped over next to Nick and nuzzled her face into his scruffy neck. "Maybe I do."
The photo frames on the nearby wall suddenly rattled, causing her to pause. "Hey, you two get a room already!"
"They are in a room, idiot! Why are you always killing the mood?"
"I do not! This has been going on for months! They need to get it out of their system!"
"You just wanna listen to a free show, you perv."
"Yeah, I'm sure you won't complain."
"Oh shut up!"
"No, you shut up!"
No, not those two again! "Oh, sweet cheese and crackers! GUYS!" Judy roared, propping herself up on her arms over Nick's chest, glaring at the shared wall.
"Hey, is the door locked?"
"No, I thought you locked it!"
"You said you were going to lock it!"
"You started this! Shut your mouth and lock it before she comes over here!"
"You're standing next to the door! You shut up and lock it!"
Judy was in fact just about ready to storm the room like a TUSK trooper till Nick pulled her back against his torso and reached for the remote with his longer paw and turned on her pink bunny TV, cranking up the volume to drown out the two bickering neighbors. He then placed the remote in her paws. "Pick a movie, Carrots."
Closing her eyes, Judy took a deep calming breath. When she reopened them, she smiled up at Nick and began to channel surf. "Are you sure, Nick? What if we fall asleep during the movie?"
"One hundred percent, sure. My spare uniform is in my locker," he said stifling a yawn while adjusting a pillow under his head to get more cozy before glancing down. "If it's okay with you."
An innocent blush played across Judy's muzzle. Sharing a bed if they fell asleep. They had shared a bed once under different circumstances and it didn't bother her then. In fact, her mind began to recall how warm and comfortable it was when she somehow found herself cuddled on top of Nick, not wanting to be pried away in her half-sleepy state.
And of course Nick would ask for permission. He always put her needs or desires before his own. Except her desires were slowly morphing into something a little bit more racy in their current position. The vivid imagery caused the bunny's heart to race and her breathing became more heavy. This did not go unnoticed by Nick.
"Carrots?"
A beat passed between them.
"I can always…"
Snapping back to reality, Judy took another breath to steady herself, and glanced over. "You should get more comfy," she spoke quietly cutting off his reply.
A subtle grin formed on Nick's lips as he removed his tie and placed it on Judy's desk chair. Next he unbuttoned a few buttons on his shirt before finally relaxing back into her pillow.
After a moment of thought, the nestled bunny simply reached up to scratch under Nick's chin and neck area, just like how she's seen Valerie do for Brian so many times. The action was rewarded with a low rumble of satisfaction from Nick that reverberated all the way down his elongated torso. He closed his eyes as Judy continued to tenderly scratch. Judy could feel his tail wagging through the mattress. Satisfied, she returned to her task, flipping through a few more channels before finding her choice.
Nick opened one eye when his ears detected lots of moaning followed by yelling and gunfire. "The Migrating Dead, huh?"
"Would you prefer a bunny rom-com?"
"No."
"Then shh."
"Shh-ing."
Finding himself all too comfortable with Judy against him, it didn't take long before Nick actually fell asleep while Judy was fighting heavy eyelids as well. She considered shutting off the TV right then and there until Nick suddenly shifted around her, slowly curling into a ball around the bunny. Finding herself trapped but still cozy with a little wiggle room, Judy adjusted her position and tucked her head into his scruffy neck.
Closing her eyes, her thoughts drifted how she would never forget this day. Planting one last slow kiss on his lower right cheek, she whispered softly into his ear before turning off the TV. "Goodnight, Nick."
Author's Note: Hi readers! Story isn't dead (or me) - I took a planned short break after the last chapter and that turned into a long break along with some IRL happenings.
I hope everyone had some fun and laughs with this installment and that it doesn't feel like filler or anything since I wanted things to slow down a bit and just let the characters breathe and do their thing but still plant or have some significant events now and for the future. And we finally learn what Nick made for Judy. ;) Also the Natalie portion is an homage to the comic, "Welcome to Zootopia" from the short comics collection with my own changes and additions.
Let me know what you guys think. As always I appreciate all the reviews and feedback!
Next chapter will focus on Judy and Nick's next case with two very special character appearances from the Crime Files mobile game and how that may affect our still newly minted couple. Case-based chapters often require more time and effort to write, so it may take longer to publish.
Also big thanks as always to Anistuffs and Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps for their continued help in contributing time to edit the story for grammar, characterizations, suggestions, and everything else under the sun. You can also blame them for delaying the story a bit by wanting some extra scenes added. ;) Be sure to check out their stories on AO3 or fanfiction.
P.S. I plan on eventually going back and revising the first half of the fic into a sort of "remastered edition" - basically to edit grammar and such, but also to expand previous scenes, add new ones, tweak characterizations and dialogue and expand the word count where it makes sense to match the content and quality of the rest of the later chapters. Chapter 1 alone has a list of 24 things to add/tweak while still keeping the core of what's there. My biggest question to you readers would be regarding chapters 9-10 which was the Felisky case. I love the villain and that would all still stay there but the uniqueness of that case and his special ability is just slightly out of tone with the rest of the story. Does that bother anyone? Should I try to change it? Or do you guys think it should be left as is? I'd love to hear the feedback on that too.
