Chapter 17: Fish Out of Water

The sensation of a steady rising and falling motion stirred Judy awake, her eyes slowly fluttering open in the still dim apartment. There the bunny lay, her lithe body completely stretched across the full length of Nick's warm torso as he continued to sleep. Peeking at her clock in the rising morning light informed her that it was 5:21AM. She stifled a yawn, allowing herself a welcoming stretch before laying her head back down once more against the furrier tuft of Nick's chest, exposed through the top of his unbuttoned navy shirt.

Judy remembered falling asleep with Nick nearly encasing her completely but sometime in the middle of the night they both had shifted into a supine position. Judy must have naturally scooted closer, making it her turn to wrap herself around the larger fox. Her ears perked at the sound of a low rumble that nearly resembled a growl followed by a whimper.

"No. No, just a few more minutes…" he incoherently mumbled. "Pretty please with carrots on top…"

Nick's sleep induced plea caused Judy to bring a paw over her mouth to dampen the sound of her chuckle. The noise made Nick shift slightly; his outstretched right paw now grasping about as if searching for something. It landed squarely below her tail and squeezed. This made the bunny suddenly blush and raise her brow. A beat passed. Judy had to admit she rather enjoyed the touch, continuing to lay prone and closed her eyes briefly.

After a few more minutes of bliss, Judy carefully lifted herself up as to not wake Nick, studying his face. He was laying perfectly still, a rare peaceful non-smug expression across his snout. Hmm, he looks cute sleeping like that.

With the clock now reading 5:28AM, the alarm would soon blare. Deliberating for a second, Judy slowly shifted over, carefully stretching out her arm to silence the upcoming alarm. She paused for a moment and glanced at his smiling face once more.

Shaking her head, Judy shuffled herself back against Nick into her previous position with a smile. Okay. I'll give me… him... ten more minutes.

Fifteen minutes later a small line of sunshine peeked through the blinds and ran its way across the sleeping fox's eyelids. Without his sleeping mask, Nick frowned, instinctively turning his face from side to side, trying to escape from the offensive morning ray of light. Finding it futile, he relented, grabbing the pillow out from under his head with a groan and mashed it over his face. A muffled snicker caught his attention and his semi-awake brain registered a fluffy weight resting on top of him. His ears flicked forward at the sound of a sweet melody as Judy began to hum a little tune.

Lifting the pillow off his face, Nick was greeted by amorous half-lidded eyes and a beaming smile. Judy was resting her chin on her crossed arms, looking directly at him. "Hey," she said sweetly.

Nick's immediate reply was a smile of his own. "Was I doing something funny?"

"Only… you know, refusing to get up on time like always," she smirked.

His eyes darted to the left for a second. "Then why does the clock say 5:46? Somebunny is guilty herself."

"I am not! I let you have a few more minutes," she hummed.

"Speaking of… ten more minutes," Nick stated, gently squeezing Judy closer as he dropped his head back onto the small pillow and closed his eyes.

"Up. Up, lazy fox. I already gave you fifteen!" she ordered, squirming out from his hold.

"Five minutes."

"Nick!" Judy demanded and grabbed the pillow out from under him and began to gently swat him with it.

"Hey! No fair! I'm sleepy and unarmed," he yelped, shielding his face with his paws while half-heartedly attempting to snatch the pillow away.

"Maybe you should wake up then!"

Nick timed the gap in Judy's pillowy assault and lunged forward to bear hug her, before rolling over and gently pinning her down with a grunt.

"Gotcha," he proudly declared.

"Oh-ho! You sure about that?" Judy challenged with a cocked eyebrow.

The fox snorted. "As sure as… what…"

Judy carefully slid her paws down his lower waist, unleashing a burst of tickling. Nick's immediate shift gave the bunny enough space to position her legs for a sweep. Nick was back on his back with a triumphant Judy pinning his larger arms above his head.

"You were saying?" she taunted in a low tone with a tiny victory tail wiggle, her face hovering just above his snout as her hanging ears touched his cheeks.

A beat passed while the two mammals stared at one another. Nick's eyes flicked down, then back to Judy's and raised an eyebrow of his own, speaking with a confident tone. "I still win."

"How do you figure?"

"Maybe I'm exactly where I want to be," Nick replied, his voice a little thicker than before.

Judy blinked and gazed down to see just how seductively she was arched over Nick. Her blouse from the previous evening hanging low right in Nick's field of view as he shot her a devilish smirk.

Rather than giving in to the heated blush, Judy lowered herself, allowing their noses to touch. "Maybe I planned this from the start…" Now it was Nick's turn to blink as his eyes widened. Seeing Nick's reaction, Judy planted a quick peck on the lips with a smirk of her own and hopped off the bed. "Time to get ready. C'mon."

Nick propped himself up on his elbows with a satisfied grin. "Are you sure we can't stay in bed a few more minutes?" Judy's only reply was to toss Nick's blazer at his face, completely covering his muzzle. "That's a no."


The sounds of small restless fingers drumming across the steering wheel caused Nick's ears to flick as he aimed the radar gun at a pair of medium-sized vehicles passing by traveling the speed limit.

"Somebunny is gonna wear out the rubber at this rate," he smirked, keeping his eyes on the near empty Meadowlands Highway.

Judy sighed, squeezing the wheel to force her paws still. "I know I shouldn't be so restless, but…"

"But little miss crime fighter is itching for a real case," he supplied, leaning his elbow out the cruiser window in the shade of the brush he chose for them to park under. Nick reached over with his free paw and took another drink of his Snarlbucks. Crime had been at an all time low this week and they'd been assigned to traffic duty for three straight days.

"Oh, shush," Judy shot back. They sat in silence for a few moments when Judy's ears flicked at the sound of an approaching loud motor. "I think I hear a speeder!"

"A potential customer, you say?" Nick steadied his aim at the bend. "All right. Get ready, Carrots."

Readying her foot on the pedal, they watched as a dinky little moped appeared around the corner, engine whirring loudly as an oversized ram on an undersized rickety scooter sputtered past.

Nick smirked at his partner as Judy disappointedly put the cruiser back into park.

"Driving slow in an unroadworthy vehicle is just as bad. Wanna pull him over?" Nick asked, resting his chin on his paw.

"No," Judy replied in resignation, leaning forward onto the steering wheel.

A few quiet moments fell between the two partners. Nick began to hear Judy's foot thumping against the floor panel. He peered back to the highway to see a dapper looking polar bear approaching in an expensive brand new looking ZMW going eight over the limit. As soon as the driver noticed Nick pointing the radar gun at him, he slammed his brakes — now doing five below with both paws tightly gripping the wheel and avoiding eye contact — much to the fox's amusement.

"Wanna hear a joke?"

Judy dreadfully glanced in Nick's direction. She had come to learn that if Nick asked to tell a joke it was either going to be really awful or really lame. "You're going to tell me anyway, aren't you?"

The fox casually leaned forward. "What's the difference between ZMWs and porcupines?"

Their brief moment of direct eye contact, despite Judy's eyes pleading 'no', was enough for Nick to continue.

"Porcupines carry their pricks on the outside," he laughed while giving her a playful arm tap.

Oh my gosh! The bunny glared at her partner, rolling her eyes back to the windshield. Silence returned. Judy knew Nick meant well, enough that a tiny hint of a smile curled the edges of her lip. Maybe it was a little funny. Another lone car whizzed by as Nick studied his partner for a moment. He knew she was definitely craving some real action.

"Game of I spy?" Nick asked lazily looking out his window again.

"Pass."

"How about some Words with Mammals?"

"Not on the clock, Nick."

"How about a coffee run?" he asked shaking his now empty cup.

"That was your third one!"

"How about I jump naked into traffic and see what happens?"

"Go ahead," she mumbled before her ears and eyes went skyward. "Wait… no!" she blurted out as she grasped his left arm with both paws just to make sure he wouldn't dare.

Nick took the opportunity to lean in real close, their noses barely touching. "How about…"

"Okay, look…" Judy interrupted, grabbing the comm and playfully tapping his snout with it. "If I can find us a case, will you stop?"

"How about… maybe," he smiled.

Shaking her head, Judy lifted the comm to her muzzle. "Z-240 to Dispatch."

"Dispatch reading you loud and clear, Officer Hopps," came the expected jovial response crackling over the radio. "Go ahead."

"Clawhauser, has anything come in that we can investigate?" she chirped, unable to hide her slight fidgeting at the prospect of getting a real assignment.

"Hold on a second, I'll check. Oh! The Chief is calling." Nick and Judy both leaned in closer together in anticipation. There was a brief pause before Clawhauser spoke again. "Looks like something just came up! He says the Zootopia Marine Life Aquarium has been robbed and doesn't care who gets it. He just wants to get the mammal who reported it out of his office. It's all yours if you guys want it."

"We'll take it!" Judy declared. "Thank you, Clawhauser."

"Copy that, Officer Hopps. Take some pictures of the cool fish! Dispatch out!"

Z-240's engine roared to life as Judy turned the ignition.

"Well, that's not something you hear everyday," Nick spoke up. "Who robs an aquarium?"

"We are going to find out," Judy said putting on her aviators.

Nick mimicked her action as Judy hit the gas, merging onto the highway heading east.


A short drive later, Judy pulled into the half-empty parking lot, backing into the closest spot she could find near the building. The officers exited their cruiser into the warm Saharan air that blew across the Big Dune district from the Lion's Tail river as it drained into the nearby bay. They proceeded under a large archway that read 'Zootopia Marine Life Aquarium' toward the modern-looking multi-level building, lined with several rows of palm trees around its sides. A large advertisement informed incoming visitors of the newly reopening Pawcific Ocean Exhibit.

The duo strolled by the ticketing entrance, flashing their badges to the bored-looking platypus behind the window who waved them through. Entering the spacious lobby, Nick and Judy walked up to the guest information booth where a hippo was occupying herself with a copy of Mammals magazine. The fox and rabbit simultaneously removed their aviators.

"Hello," Judy began, eagerly looking up. The hippo was lost in whatever celebrity gossip article she was currently reading. Judy cleared her throat. "Hi. Hello?"

No response except for a page turn.

Feeling a gentle double tap on her shoulder, Judy turned to a hunched Nick, pointing to his shoulder with his thumb. Smiling, she hopped up, the newfound height allowing her to clear the top of the five foot tall desk counter with ease. "Hello!"

The occupied hippo, finally realizing that someone was trying to get her attention, turned her head, only to be nearly startled out of her chair when coming muzzle-to-muzzle with what appeared to be a six foot tall gray rabbit.

"So sorry," Judy said. "I didn't mean to scare you. I'm Officer Hopps with the ZPD, here with my partner, Officer Wilde." A dark paw appeared next to the rabbit's hip, rising from below the counter and waved. "We received a report about a robbery."

"Right. Yes," the embarrassed hippo collected herself, quickly stuffing the magazine away. "Director Loustreau is expecting you. I'll let him know you're here. Please wait."

"Thank you!" Judy said, hopping down from her partner's shoulders.

As they waited, Judy prepared her notepad and carrot pen, while Nick put his paws behind his back, casually surveying the surroundings. To his right was the only exit that went right through a large posh-looking gift shop.

Naturally, the business-savvy mammal smirked to himself.

Beyond the shop, along the northern area was a diving exhibit with an ocean voyager cinema that played documentaries in 3D. Following the banners, Nick noticed escalators going to the upper level food court, then his gaze focused upon a large colorful banner advertising the newly updated Pawcific Ocean Exhibit again. Additional text said it would be opening in three days.

Satisfied with his observations, Nick was about to say something to Judy when his eyes landed on an otter walking briskly toward the two officers. He turned back to give the otter an appraising one over; lean with some pep in his step, gray muzzle, a snug red beanie hung over his brow, wearing a pair of loose thin-framed spectacles, with a fitted blue blazer hiding an interesting purple flower pinned to his shirt.

"Ahoy, officers!" he exclaimed with a cheerful accent, extending a paw to Judy first. "Greetings to you both. I hope you weren't waiting long. Jacques Loustreau, Director of the aquarium."

Judy shook the offered paw. "Not at all, Mr. Loustreau. Officer Judy Hopps. This is my partner, Officer Nicholas Wilde."

"Pleasure, sir," Nick said with a hearty pawshake.

"I am so glad you came," Jacques said, returning the pawshake. "I was not sure if the ZPD would take this seriously."

"We're always here to help. Can you show us the scene of the crime, sir?" Judy asked.

"Yes, of course. Right this way, please," Jacques gestured and began to lead the officers towards the entrance below the banner. Judy followed the otter as Nick stepped in line behind her, paws behind his back. "Have you ever had the pleasure to visit us before, officers?"

"No, Mr. Loustreau. We've haven't had a chance. But it looks amazing!" Judy said.

Jacques' face lit up at Judy's compliment. "I helped design and build this aquarium many, many years ago. I wanted to bring my love of the sea to Zootopia!"

After crossing the lobby, the three mammals stepped into a wide winding hallway with lots of informative electronic kiosks and panels. Soon they entered into another large atrium that branched into several different exhibits.

Unable to help himself, Jacques naturally went into a pseudo tour guide mode. "Here you will see our many exhibits." They passed many entrances leading to various habitats as Jacques continued his little history lesson and personal biography with animated gusto.

Walking past the Antelantic Ocean section, gave Jacques a moment to reminisce. "I will always fondly remember the expedition to study the Antelantic herring. We were many weeks at sea! Did you know they can form schools in the tens of millions! Astounding, no? They use their eyes and a row of pores we call the lateral line that runs all along the side from head to tail, to hold their places in the school. These tiny little hairs in their pores can sense changes in water pressure from the movements of the other fish to predators! We taped this in one of my old documentaries." Jacques turned to view his guests. Judy was following along while Nick kept a neutral expression. "Ah, my apologizes. I am rambling again."

"Oh, it's okay Mr. Loustreau. That was really interesting!" Judy said.

Judy's acknowledgement made the older otter smile and adjust his spectacles up the bridge of his muzzle with two fingers. "Wonderful! You will really love this marvelous fact, it is one of my favorites. You see in this habitat over here…"

Nick continued behind Judy in silent amusement. They walked under another large banner that informed them they were entering the newly re-done Pawcific Ocean Exhibit. They passed several new aquatic habitats with colorful schools of saltwater fish and other various sea creatures. Soon, they arrived at a particular tall tank that appeared to be devoid of any fish swimming about. The habitat was surrounded by a unique showcase of lights that were currently turned off.

"There's no fish?" Judy asked as the pair of officers looked all around the tank.

A heavy sigh was the initial response followed by an open palm gesture. "This is what was stolen, Officer Hopps. Our latest addition. A newly discovered small school of Annuluscanthus aureola or the dwarf halofish. I named them myself. I believe they may be a distant relative to the Pomacanthus imperator, the Emperor angelfish. Very rare and now gone."

Judy just finished jotting down the species of the fish on her notepad and was ready to begin asking more questions when her ears twitched to the sound of another pair of feet. She turned to see another mammal appear, a slim athletic beaver with a tuft of wavy bleached hair, wearing a necklace with a large single tooth, dressed in a bright red floral Pawaiian shirt; exactly the kind a certain fox she knew would wear with no shame. He appeared studiously lost into the clipboard covering his face.

Nick and Jacques turned to face the approaching newcomer.

"Ah, William!" Jacques exclaimed, catching his employee's attention.

"Yeah, boss mammal?" the beaver said looking up from his printed documents.

"Come, come. Meet Officers Hopps and Wilde," Jacques waved him over before turning to the fox and rabbit. "William is our water systems specialist."

Nick couldn't help but smile. "Greetings, sir. May I say you have impeccable style. A mammal after my own heart."

The compliment piqued William's interest. "You love these too, officer? Don't you just dig how they…"

"... feel like a second coat of fur? So soft you can sleep in them? Are great for any occasion? You betcha." Nick smirked.

"My dude!" They shared a high-four. "Wife bought me this one for our anniversary last week."

Oh no… there's two of them, a horrified Judy watched from the side.

"Really? Boy, I wish my girlfriend appreciated my sense of fashion. She keeps telling me I should throw my shirts away," the fox replied with a sullen look.

"Whoa! That's bogus bud," Will said, crossing his arms.

"Very bogus," Nick said matching Will's posture.

"Excuse me Officer Wilde," Judy interrupted sweetly but not without shooting her partner a glare. "We do have some statements to take when you're finished."

Nick simply winked back. She smiled before returning to the director. "Okay. Mr. Loustreau, let's start with telling us how many of these fish are missing, please."

"There was over a dozen. Sixteen to be precise. William was the first to discover them missing, later confirmed by our lead aquarist."

"What do these halofish look like, sir?"

"Small. About four inches in length. They are dark with brilliant ring patterns on their scales that shimmer like an angel's halo when the light kisses them," Jacques said gesturing with both arms over his head for emphasis.

"Do you have a picture?"

"Yes. I will bring you one from my office," Jacques said.

"When did this happen, sir?" Judy continued.

"In the early morning. Around three, I believe."

"Was anyone on shift at the time of the incident?"

"Yes. My security monitor, Victor, and my custodian, Philip, were both working the night shift. Philip called, waking me and my wife in the middle of the night, barely able to speak. He was a complete mess. When I arrived, I found them both in the security office."

As Judy was asking the questions, Nick was hanging back silently absorbing the information. A new scent alerted the fox's nose that another mammal was drawing near. From the corner of his eye, the officer noticed another otter arrive. She was wearing a loose pink summer dress that draped off her slender form with a matching thirteen petal flower on her right ear and a pink scarf oddly tightened around her neck. The otter was the same height as Judy, her large green eyes staring attentively in his direction.

Noticing that Nick was glancing her way after he observed her eyes slowly moving down and back up, the otter smiled seductively at the fox officer with an approving nod. Nick quickly turned back toward the other mammals with a raised eyebrow.

Must be imagining things, he hold himself.

"Why didn't you call the police right away, sir?" Judy asked.

Jacques adjusted his spectacles again. "Ah… We have never had something like this happen before, my dear. I did not know what to do. We could not find anything missing until this morning. Then I immediately sent one of my staff to the ZPD."

"Sir, you should have reported…"

Judy was cut off when a loud speaker rang out in the exhibit, causing her long ears to recoil. It notified the room that Jacques had an important phone call waiting for him. They noticed Jacques wince when he checked his watch.

"Please excuse me, officers. I really must take this call. Very, very important. You are free to explore the facility… my staff will help you with anything you need and answer any questions you have. Farewell for now," Jacques said with a courteous bow.

Before Judy could stop him, the older otter departed with surprising energy into the hallway that led back to the lobby. It was then that Judy noticed the newest arrival.

"Oh, hi! Officer Judy Hopps, ZPD. And my partner, Officer Nicholas Wilde."

"Hello, Officer Hopps. I'm Kris Ottley," the otter greeted back before turning her complete attention to Nick, batting her eyelashes. "And hello to you, Officer Wilde."

"Ma'am," Nick replied in a friendly tone like Judy. He offered a pawshake which Kris gladly received, holding on tightly with a lingering grip. When he was able to finally squirm it out of her grasp, Nick noticed some type of device in her other paw. "Are you a staff member?"

"I'm the lead aquarist, in charge of all the new habitats you see here in the exhibit," Kris answered proudly, moving closer to the fox.

"Aquarist, you say? You were the one who confirmed the fish were missing?" Nick asked.

"Yes. I was called to come in right away."

Judy continued to scribble down information. "How did you confirm this, ma'am?"

Kris maintained eye contact with Nick. "I dove into the tank. They were all gone…" her voice wavered as her ears fell flat.

Nick shifted a small distance from Kris. "You dove into the tank? Were there any signs of a forced entry or anything suspicious?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary. No."

The fox officer turned to the beaver. "How about you, Will?"

"Nothing either, dude. I came in around seven after catching some mondo surf this morning. Found a note from boss mammal saying to double check everything. Started my systems check, everything was looking tops. When I got down here I saw the tank looking a little empty… thought maybe the little dudes were spooked behind a rock or something. When I couldn't see them, I called boss mammal over. He called Kris."

"What happened then?"

Kris stepped in again. "When I discovered they were gone, I told Jacques. He immediately sent me to the ZPD. I didn't know which station to go to, so I drove to Downtown."

Looking over her notes, Judy poised a new question. "Mr. Loustreau mentioned a Victor and Philip. Are they still here?"

Will dug his paws into his pockets. "Victor ought'a be hanging in the security office. Second floor, across from the food court. Think Philip might be in the back somewhere, probably trying to find a quiet spot to get away from all the fuss, poor dude."

Kris' face suddenly lit up as if she remembered something important. She came between Nick and Judy, paws on both their arms. "I forgot I came to tell Will something! Please excuse us for a minute, officers," Kris said sweetly, looking to Judy then to Nick with lingering half-lidded eyes.

The otter grabbed the beaver by the arm and shuffled him a few meters away.

"Everyone here seems so nice and friendly," Judy chirped.

"Yeah… real friendly," her partner drawled.

The two employees promptly engaged in a rather hushed but animated conversation about something, frantically whispering back and forth. Judy's ears naturally swiveled toward the pair, however, movement in the corner of the bunny's eye, turned her attention to Nick instead.

Judy raised an eyebrow when Nick began to sign rigorously with his paws with a particular emphasis to his eyes and ears leading somewhere and he formed his paw into a fist, palm toward her with his thumb in between his pointer and secondary fingers, shaking it slightly side to side. The bunny blinked in confusion. Nick repeated himself and then waited expectantly for Judy to respond.

Rolling her eyes, Judy put her paws on her hips. "Nick, I don't know…" the frustrated rabbit began to perfectly recreate her partner's motions. "... what this means!"

Hunching over his knees to meet Judy at eye level, Nick smiled. "I was asking if you can hear what they're saying. We should also go visit the security office next… and I have to go to the bathroom."

"No, because somefox is distracting me. And it's rude to listen in on someone else's conversation! But I did catch Kris mention something from Victor about another room," Judy said before pointing a finger a Nick. "And didn't I tell you, you shouldn't drink all of that coffee at once?"

Before Nick could reply with something swarmy, Kris and Will yelled over to them that they needed to take care of something very important and disappeared in a rush.

"I wonder what got those two going?" Nick pondered. "Shall we go find Victor?"

"Yes. Will said he's upstairs. Let's go."

Returning to the lobby, the information booth hippo pointed the two officers toward their next destination. They rode the large escalator, walked down a hallway opposite the food court, and soon arrived at a closed door that read Security Office.

"Mr. Victor? This is the ZPD. May we come in?" Judy asked after knocking on the door.

An electronic clicking sound alerted the officers that the door was now unlocked. Judy entered first, followed by Nick. Inside they found an opossum in black clothing hanging upside down from a giant desk lamp, clearly intended for a much larger mammal, watching several security monitors in the small dimly-lit room. Stacks of papers littered his desk, laying on top of a plaque that read Victor O'Posson. Next to it was a pill bottle.

The gray furred opossum yawned before slowly swiveling toward the two officers with a small wave. "How many I help you?" Victor said, in a rather quiet sloth-like tone, his words nearly slurring together.

With carrot pen in paw, Judy was ready to begin. "Mr. O'Posson, we just want to get a statement from you, sir. We were told you were on shift during the night of the robbery."

"I was," Victor quietly replied, stifling another yawn.

"Tell us what happened, sir."

Turning back to the screens, Victor dropped down and began to type on his security system. "I was up here in my station. Philip was downstairs cleaning the new exhibit floor when someone scared him."

"You saw the intruder? Why didn't you act or call the ZPD?" Judy asked.

"Because… because…" The opossum paused when a yawn managed to escape him, gesturing one moment to reach over and grab the pill bottle. He popped a pill before continuing. "Because I was asleep."

"You were sleeping on the job?" Nick chimed in.

"I took my pills on time, I swear," Victor said shaking the bottle at them. "I was watching Philip clean, then… I don't remember. I woke up laying on my desk with Director Jacques shaking me. He thought I was dead. Everyone always thinks I'm dead. Philip was over in the corner whimpering that something bad happened. We went through the tapes and found this."

Nick and Judy huddled together behind Victor as he brought up footage from the security camera that was in the tank room. Victor let out another big yawn. This time it was contagious. Nick did his best to keep his trembling jaw shut but Judy just rolled with it.

Taking the opportunity, the fox playfully pretended like he was going to stick his finger into the bunny's lingering yawn, causing his partner to recoil and slap his paw away. The two shared a flirty chuckle before getting serious and returning their attention to the monitor when the footage began to play.

They watched as a lone jittery groundhog in overalls went about his cleaning duties. As Philip neared the edge of the frame, a light going out caught the groundhog's attention offscreen. Suddenly he jumps and passes out in fright on the floor. A few moments later a blurry paw is seen disabling the camera at 2:47AM before the video feed became scrambled.

"And there was no signs of entry?" Nick asked.

"None. Director Jacques had us check the other video feeds and the premises."

The officers exchanged a glance. Nick pointed to the screen. "Is there any more footage?"

"Only this," Victor said, nodding to a different monitor.

The officers watched a new set of footage that showed Philip running past the other exhibits, through the lobby, up the escalator, and frantically beating on the security office door before unlocking it and jumping inside at 4:19AM.

"Listen pal," Nick said, placing a paw on Victor's shoulder. "We're gonna need a copy of these tapes for our case file. All of them."

"I'll get started on that right away," Victor yawned.

"You're the best," Nick said patting him on the shoulder and standing up. The fox officer left a card on the desk. "If you find anything else, here's our number."

"Thank you so much. We really appreciate it." Judy smiled, following Nick out of the office. Victor waved goodbye.

Nick opened the door, only to suddenly pause, causing Judy to run into the back of him. The bunny glared at her partner and followed his gaze down the hall. Kris was standing there, paws clasped, waiting for them.

"There you are!" Kris said approaching the duo. She slinked her way between the fox and rabbit, forcing Judy to step back. Grabbing Nick by the arm, she began to lead him down the hall, completely ignoring Judy. "I found Philip if you still need to talk to him, Officer Wilde. I can take you there."

"Uh… I'm sure we can find our way if you point us in the right direction, Miss Ottley. Wouldn't want to be a bother while you work…" Nick said, uncomfortably trying to pry himself away. What is with this otter?

"I don't mind! You can call me Kris, cutie."

Judy's nose twitched rapidly and her ears shot skyward as her muzzle scrunched into a wild mix of emotions. Cutie!? Did she just call my boyfriend cute?

Her eyes focused on Kris' grabby paws clutching Nick's arm. The same way she should hold him when they were off-duty. A surge of anger and jealousy began to bubble underneath as the doe frowned. She hopped into a brisk walk to catch up to the pair. Nick finally managed to separate himself from Kris and stepped back in line with Judy. He glanced down to his partner who kept her eyes trained on the otter, a forced neutral line stuck on her lips.

The three mammals returned to the first floor as Kris escorted them to the restricted staff-only fish life support area. Kris would occasionally turn to steal a glance at Nick who would instantly divert his gaze anywhere else. Judy wasn't thrilled everytime she noticed the act but needed to remain professional, reminding herself of Chief Bogo's words. Just let it go, Judy.

Coming around a series of protein skimmers that helped remove debris in the huge water treatment and reclamation system, revealed a short and plump groundhog cleaning the floor with an oversized mop. A tight grip on the stick helped to steady his fidgety composure; loose overalls hung over a yellow t-shirt that clung to his brown fur. Nervous beady eyes met the group as Kris gently called out to Philip.

Philip seemed to visibly shrink at the sight of the three mammals approaching him, maintaining a firm grip on the mop. "Hello," he greeted in a meek tone.

"Philip, these nice officers would like a word with you," Kris said gently. The otter turned to the officers, specifically to Nick as expected. "He doesn't do well with large groups. I'll just be over there if..." A notification made the otter pause mid-sentence and she brought up her phone. A groan escaped her muzzle. "Looks like I need to help Will again. I'll be in the closed exhibit if you need me! Bye!" Kris departed but not without offering Nick a blatant wink.

Scratching the back of his neck, the fox turned to their next inquiry. He noticed a tiny book with chew marks tucked away into one his pockets. Keeping proper distance with an open relaxed posture and friendly tone, Nick took the lead to greet Philip. "Hello, sir. Officer Wilde and Hopps. A fellow bibliophile, I see. Whatcha reading there, buddy?"

"Oh… it's just a self help book." While Victor had a small slur to his words, Philip fought with a natural stammer, doing this best to articulate his words properly. "Boxing Your Shadow: The Groundhog's Guide to Managing Fear."

Judy tried to join in the small talk with her bright and chipper voice to help put Philip at ease. "Can you tell us about it, sir?"

"Nope." There was a pause after the groundhog's curt reply before he added, "I can't talk about it."

"How come, big guy?"

"I'm nervous and it makes me scared. I bought it to help me but I get so worked up, I chewed on the cover… now I can't return it," Philip sighed.

"I'm sorry, sir," Judy said, offering a sympathetic smile. "I know this might be hard, but we need to ask you a few questions about what happened last night. Is that okay?"

There was several seconds of silence. "Okay… I'll try."

"Take it as easy as you need, buddy," Nick said, offering a genuine smile of his own.

The small talk helped ease the groundhog into a more calm state. After wringing his paws for a moment, Philip worked up the courage to recount the incident. "I was cleaning over by the new exhibit when… one of the lights went out. I got so scared. I forced myself to look and then…"

A beat passed between the three mammals. Judy was patiently waiting, pen at the ready. The moment grew longer to the point where the rabbit's foot almost began to thump. Nick's paw landed on her shoulder.

"Take your time, pal."

"Then… I don't remember."

The officers exchanged a glance. Judy stepped a little closer. "You don't remember, sir? You weren't able to see anything?"

"Nope. Some shadow jumped at me and I… I blacked out." Philip looked away in shame. "I'm sorry. If I hadn't lost my binky, maybe I could have seen what it was…"

"Your binky?" Judy asked.

"My… baby towel," he shared in an embarrassed tone. "Has little drawings of bark on it. My shrink calls it my anti-fear totem. I didn't know if I was able to work without it, but I couldn't miss a shift so I forced myself to come in… I thought since no one is around at night, It'd be okay… and then... "

At the signs of Philip beginning to shake, Nick dared to offer a gentle shoulder tap. "It's okay, pal. We know it's tough on you. Can you tell us what happened when you woke up? Take your time."

"S-sure," Philip said collecting himself by making fists with his paws. "I didn't know how long I was out. I looked around but no one was there. I did the first thing I could think of… I ran to Victor's office. When he wouldn't open the door… I used my own key and found him just… laying still on his desk. I didn't know what to do so I just huddled in the corner and called our boss. He told me to sit tight and he'd be on his way over…"

"No one called the police?" Nick asked gently. The fox wanting to get Philip's side of the story.

"Nope. I barely managed to call my boss… when he came in, he was able to get Victor to wake up and then told us to help check the area."

"I see. Thanks, pal," Nick said gently. "We'll see ourselves out."

"Yes. Thank you, sir," Judy added.

Philip waved at the departing officers as they backtracked their way toward the lobby. Judy was flipping through her notes, tapping her carrot pen to her chin as they walked side by side.

"What are you thinking, Carrots?"

"I can't help but keep thinking they should have called us right away," Judy replied. "What if Philip or Victor would have been hurt?"

"You're right. Let's go have another chat with ol' Captain Nemo."

Judy's reaction at the nickname was a tiny snort; her lips curling into a barely discernible smile as she gave her partner a light shove. When they arrived, the door to Jacques' office was closed, his loud but muffled voice indicating that the otter was having a heated conversation with someone.

Nick was unable to peek between the blinds of the office windows. "Can you make out what he's saying?"

"No," Judy said, as her perked ears twitched. "The walls are fairly soundproof. And we shouldn't listen in. Let's just wait till he finishes."

Casually leaning against the wall, Nick put his paws in his pockets. He still couldn't help himself from trying to make out the conversation, even though he had no hope if Judy couldn't pick up on it. It still didn't stop him from trying, or even prevent the occasional glance between the blinds. Judy went back to reviewing their notes, flipping from page to page. As the lengthy phone call continued, both officers found themselves growing impatient. Even Nick began to think they were losing valuable time from all the waiting around.

"Why don't we check the tank again and come back after?" he suggested.

"You have an idea?"

"Sure do. Let's check the spot Philip was cleaning. I want to ask Will some questions too. And I have to use the bathroom," he smiled.

Judy shook her head at Nick's last reason and they strolled back to the exhibit. No one seemed to be around. Spotting a restroom, Nick excused himself and sauntered over to it but not before his eyes curiously settled on an open rectangular tank with various raised steps bordering the habitat. Looking past the surface of the water, the fox noticed there was quite a few sea creatures inside. The nearby sign informed him that this was a tide pool petting tank.

Unable to help himself, he stuck his paw into the cool water, gently petting the various critters. They weren't fluffy like he preferred but surprisingly smooth as he ran his index pad over a starfish. Nick turned to call Judy over so she could see this when he heard a tiny splash and something small land on top of his paw.

Nick's eyes went wide and he stiffened. He slowly turned to find himself eye level with another pair of green eyes. Kris offered him a sweet smile. Nick could feel her paw brush against his under the water.

"Do you like touching, Officer Wilde?" Kris asked, batting her eyes. "I meant what I said earlier. You're awfully cute and I'm awfully single. I could show you a few other things you can touch."

The fox forcefully yanked his paw away, splashing water all over the floor. Nick was about to say something but stopped when he heard a small object hitting the floor. The fox turned to find Judy staring at them with narrowed eyes and drooped ears, her carrot pen rolling to a stop near her foot. He hadn't seen her make a face like that since the time she confronted him after he hustled her the day they had met.

Oh boy! He quickly came over and picked up the pen, shaking his other paw vigorously as if he could shake away the incident.

Judy looked Kris straight in the eyes, approaching the otter in an almost territorial posture. The bunny forced herself to stop, pausing to take a deep breath that lasted three seconds before addressing Kris in a stern police tone. "Ma'am, we're looking for Will. Have you seen him?"

"Oh. I can get him for you! Be right back!" the otter squeaked as if nothing happened and left the two officers alone.

Releasing a sigh of relief, Nick held out the pen for Judy but she wasn't taking it right away. Instead the rabbit looked around, checking to see if they were actually alone.

"So… awfully cute… awfully single… I can show you a few other things you can touch? And I see she had her paw on yours when you said you were going to the bathroom," Judy stated, looking up at Nick, a mixture of emotions waging war across her muzzle.

Of course she heard that, Nick inwardly sighed. He looked directly into his partner's eyes. "Carrots, she snuck up on me. I stopped to look at that little petting tank thingy and before I knew it, she was right there. Like some sort of otter stalker ninja."

Judy crossed her arms. "Why didn't you tell her to back off?"

"What? Because I didn't expect her to go that far. You think I've been enjoying this?"

"Do you think I have been, Nick?"

"Seriously? Of course not. What do you want me to do? I was hoping she'd take a hint earlier and back off on her own. I was trying to keep it cool while we interviewed everyone. For all we know she may still have useful information."

"So it's okay if she asks you out and gropes you the entire time as long as it helps us solve this case?"

"That's not what I'm saying."

"Then what are you saying?"

Now Nick put his paws defensively on his hips. Before he could explain himself, he spotted something slinking behind Judy on the nearby glass. He'd never seen an eight legged red creature like this before. Judy's full attention was on Nick, waiting for his response, however the response she got was not the one she was expecting at all. The wide-eyed fox began to frantically sign again, then realizing it was pointless, made several pointing motions behind her.

"I don't understand these signs!" she said, angrily waving her arms all around her.

The animal was coming closer. Nick leaned down slowly so he could whisper. "Behind you, behind you, behind you!"

"Really, Nick? I'm not falling for that prank again this week! Are you even taking this seriously?"

It was Judy's turn to suddenly stiffen when an odd sensation touched her ear. She yelped and instinctively jumped straight up, grabbing whatever it was and defensively hurling it over her shoulder. The creature flew straight at Nick, who caught it with his chest and slipped onto the floor. The two of them grappled each other in a comical manner.

"What is this thing!?" he grunted, keeping the tentacles away from his snout.

"Oh my gosh… Nick! Hold on!" Judy said, running to his aid.

Suddenly a large net, followed by two extra pairs of paws, landed on Nick, freeing him from the red animal. Will and Kris had returned and secured the sea creature, both looking pleased at its capture.

"Thanks for finding this little troublemaker, officer! He's quite the escape artist," Will laughed as he secured the animal. He looked over at the bewildered look on Nick and Judy's faces. "Never seen an octopus before?"

"Not when it's trying to acquaint itself with my face. He could at least buy me dinner and a movie first," Nick drawled as Judy helped him up and checked him over. "I'm okay," he told her while patting his clothes down.

"Hang tight," Will said and took the octopus away. "Better get this dude back in his tank before he dries up."

They were left alone with Kris again. "Are you okay, Officer Wilde?" she asked studying his face.

Judy made sure to put herself between Nick and Kris, acting like a shield to the otter's advances. Nick made sure to step behind and keep his paws behind his back.

"Not to worry, Miss Ottley, I'm good," he replied in a strictly neutral tone, raising his paw for emphasis.

"Are you sure?" the otter persisted.

"Positive," Nick insisted.

"Alrighty, sorry about that..." Will said as he returned to the group, noticing the atmosphere was a little tense. "Did you need anything else, officers?"

Judy tugged at Nick's paw to retrieve her pen, which he relinquished and she prepared to take more notes. "Actually, could you take us to the spot where Philip was scared?"

"Of course we can!" Kris chimed in, looking too excited.

As they walked, Judy first asked Will if he was working the day of the crime. He told her that he had the day off and spent it with his wife and friends at Sandy Cove, even bringing out his phone to show them some FurBook posts of their outing at the beach. He then provided phone numbers of all the mammals who could vouch for his presence.

When Judy turned to Kris and asked the same question to note her alibi, the otter looked like she became visibly upset as her fur bristled, causing her to draw her scarf tighter and look away, quickly crossing her arms. With some reluctance, Kris said she went home early because she wasn't feeling well and then later that evening, decided to go out. They could verify this with her landlord and the pub she visited. The otter then promptly excused herself in a huff, saying she needed to go check on her live habitats again.

The three remaining mammals circled around the tank toward the back and arrived at the area. Looking around they could see the disabled camera.

"Has anyone touched the camera?" Judy asked.

"No, Officer Hopps. Left it just like like you see it," Will pointed.

Nick took his paws out of his pockets and gestured to the camera. "Got a ladder we can use to take a closer look?"

"Sure thing, dude."

Will retrieved a ladder from Philip which he and Nick held while Judy inspected the broken camera. She dusted it for any pawprints but to no avail. However, she did see traces of claw marks on the side. Judy snapped a few photos and then carefully removed the scratched side panel with the aid of some tools from Will, placing the piece into an evidence bag.

They proceeded to dust the floor where they estimated Philip had blacked out but the only thing they found was traces of what looked like groundhog fur and pawprints. Judy collected a few hairs and Nick took some photos just to be sure. The fox also inspected the light and respective light switch and found no additional clues.

As they wrapped things up, Jacques appeared, carrying a small box.

"Ahoy again, officers! I brought the photo and the tapes you requested. Victor finished copying them but looked very tired - I thought he was about to fall over and sleep, so I sent him home."

"You sure that wasn't his resting sleepy face, sir?" Nick joked, accepting the evidence.

Will and Jacques shared a chuckle while Judy shook her head. Recomposing himself, Jacques' demeanor turned quite anxious as he noticed Judy holding some evidence bags.

"Will you be needing any more assistance, my dear?" he asked Judy directly.

"We just need to take an alibi from you as well, sir."

"Certainly. I was here working till nine then I spent the rest of the evening with my lovely wife, Simone. Our home number," he provided with a hastily scribbled note.

"Thank you. I think we have everything we could find, Mr. Loustreau," Judy began. "However, you really should have called the ZPD right away, sir. You're staff could have been injured."

"I do apologize again, Officer Hopps. I was not thinking clearly," Jacques said bringing his paws together. "May I ask something of you?"

"What is it, sir?"

"Those dwarf halofish were very important. I know you must be busy with much more important matters, but please… if you could find them before the next three days, I would be so grateful!"

"Is it because of the grand reopening?" Nick asked, remembering all the advertisements he saw when they first arrived.

"Yes, Officer Wilde. Business has been slow. Very slow. We poured a lot of money into my expedition. When we returned, I had high hopes so we marketed the exhibit aggressively in hopes of bringing visitors back in. Even though the fish are insured… they were our centerpiece. If we cannot open the exhibit and the news outlets find out, it would be…" the otter paused with a heavy sigh, "devastating."

Judy's ears drooped at the director's plea. The bunny reached out with a sympathetic gesture. "We'll try and find them, Mr. Loustreau."

"Officer Hopps and I found a dozen missing mammals before, sir. We can find your dozen missing fish," Nick said.

"Thank you both so much from the bottom of an old otter's heart," Jacques said as he placed his paws on Judy's shoulders. "Fair winds and following seas to you both."

The officers made their way back to the main entrance, having to pass through the gift shop to make their exit. Just before they reached the door, Kris called out to them. Nick really wanted to keep going but barely glanced behind him when the persistent otter caught him by the arm.

"I just wanted to say goodbye. It was really nice meeting you," Kris said keeping her eyes on Nick. "If you ever decide to visit, give me a call. I'll make sure they let you in for free and give you a special tour!"

Seeing as how Nick's paws were full with the evidence box, Kris slipped a business card into his pocket, waved and disappeared back into the lobby. The fox's ears flattened when he picked up Judy's groan. She was not happy seeing this again.

They made their way back to their cruiser and loaded the evidence into the trunk. Judy hopped into the driver's seat and started the engine. Nick closed the back door and joined her, buckling himself in. The ex-hustler picked up on the bunny's mood. Judy hadn't pulled out of the parking spot yet. An awkward silence clung in the air between them.

"Fluff, listen… about what happened back there…" Nick began, trying to find the right words.

"Nick," she sighed heavily. "I know it's not your fault." Judy steadied herself with another deep breath. "Look, we can talk about this later, okay? We need to get this evidence to the station first."

"Actually, there's something I wanted to run past you," Nick said, looking rather serious.

"What is it?" Judy asked, leaving the cruiser in park and turning to fully face her partner.

"If you don't need my help back at the station, I was thinking you could drop me off at my place. I still know a few guys in the Black Fur Market… Thought I'd change and go pay them a visit. See if they've heard anything about these fancy fish."

"That's… actually a good idea… Okay. I can handle the rest," Judy agreed. She placed a paw on his leg.

Nick returned the gesture, giving her smaller paw a gentle squeeze. "You sure? I can always go after our shift."

"Yes. I'm sure," she offered a reassuring smile. "C'mon, let's go. We only have two and a half days left to crack this case."


Nick made his way under the dripping canopy, shaking his damp fur. He had spent a few hours visiting a few seedy places in Sahara Square, made his way over to Savanna Central, then north to Tundratown. No one had heard or seen anything. On a hunch, he crossed over to the Rainforest District, passing the corner of Haymarket and Vapor Road. Not expecting a trip to this biome and needing a coat, the fox snapped off a large leaf to use as a makeshift umbrella.

Walking along a raised roadway, Nick watched as a drawbridge stopped local traffic for a cargo blimp to pass through. A lengthy trek soon found the fox officer casually hanging around a blimp landing pier littered with a series of warehouses; behind them a pristine waterfall cascaded into a thick mist. Having ditched his umbrella for now, Nick patiently leaned against a storage hangar under a dry spot he found listening to the patter of artificial rain on the metal roof.

The dock workers moved the cargo to and fro, largely ignoring the fox. Nick took a moment to fetch his phone and send a text to update Judy on his progress. A minute later the bunny texted back that she was still at the station reviewing the tapes and finishing paperwork after dropping off the fur and claw marks to the lab.

Soon a particular mammal caught the officer's eye. An agile red panda with orange burnt fur, wearing a thick black hoodie and sporting a large fanny pack. Nick left his spot and nonchalantly sauntered toward the smaller mammal, paws firmly in his pockets. He seemed to be completely occupied with some cargo he was inspecting.

"My dearest Mister Wilde," the small honeyed voice of the red panda acknowledged the approaching fox without taking his beady dark eyes off a tiny package he was currently enthralled with. "Or is it… Officer Wilde now, hmm?"

"Le Rouge," Nick greeted. He stopped a few feet from the red panda, giving the nearby cargo a few taps with his knuckles. "Business is looking good."

"Business is always looking very good. Perhaps I can interest you in something? Wholesale, of course!" Le Rouge clicked his tongue and finally turned to face the fox.

It took considerable effort to keep a poker face when Nick spied a familiar purple flower pinned near the hood of the red panda's top. "Another time. However, I was wondering if a business mammal such as yourself might have been looking to expand his market reach recently."

"Oh?"

"Maybe some interior design. I hear having an aquarium is all the rage lately. They say it really eases the stress after a hard day's work."

"Ho-ho-ho, my dearest officer," Le Rouge scoffed, looking rather insulted. "I am simply a successful entrepreneur as you can see. I do not deal in such trivial business. Now, if there's nothing else, I have an advisory board meeting to attend. A pleasant evening to you."

Le Rouge slipped past Nick as several workers came by to begin loading the cargo they had been standing next to. Nick stepped out of the way and watched the red panda swiftly disappear around the corner.

Eager to get out of the rain, Nick made his way back down the dock, retrieving his little leaf umbrella and shook his wet fur, ready to head back home.


Once he had blow dried his fur and combed it meticulously, Nick was in his kitchen tossing a large portion of washed leafy greens into the air, letting them mix before putting them into a large tapirware bowl. He then vigorously shook a jar mixed with olive oil, apple vinegar, and sugar and poured it evenly over the salad. Satisfied with the results, he layered the top with several pawfuls of sacha inchi seeds for a little extra crunch. The final touch was a little artisan decoration of lupine to complete the meal.

Sealing the freshly made dinner, the fox checked his phone for the time. Judy had texted him earlier that she was heading home to freshen up. By now, Nick estimated that she should be done showering. Just as he grabbed the food and his keys, a light knock sounded from his door. The curious fox made his way over and opened it. To his surprise, there was Judy carrying a large plastic bag in both paws.

The fox and bunny eyed the contents the other was holding. A mutual chuckle was shared, along with warm smiles.

"Hi," Judy spoke softly, lifting the bag up. "Surprise!"

"Looks like great minds think alike," Nick smirked, his nose detecting the delicious smell of a spicy cricket burrito.

Judy skipped forward and wrapped her paws around Nick, who accepted the embrace by completely engulfing his petite girlfriend; careful not to drop the salad he had prepared for her.

Nick stroked the base of her ears as they lingered in their embrace. "Hope you worked up an appetite. Looks like with all this food, we're eating like kings tonight."

"Hmm. Well, you better be helping me with that salad. You made so much!" Judy said, finally looking over at the enormous bowl, not wanting Nick to stop his caressing.

"No promises," he said, booping the top of her head with his nose while still whiffing the aroma of that burrito in Judy's bag.

They made their way over to the kitchen. After grabbing some plates and utensils, Nick motioned to the patio with his snout. Judy bounced at the idea and they ate their dinner together in the large outdoor folding patio chair; enjoying the cool evening air with a view of the downtown skyline.

When the hungry pair finished, they reclined in the shared seat, bellies fully stuffed in satisfaction. Nick stretched himself along the entire length, while Judy lay to his side, snuggled under his left arm; her chin resting atop his torso. Nick was very lazily tracing a claw up and down the small of her back.

"You were at the station awhile," he stated, looking to start some small chat.

"After I finished all the paperwork, I was going through the mammal database checking everyone's records. All clean except for a few outstanding parking tickets."

"Oh boy. Someone is gonna have to deal with the wrath of Officer Toot-Toot," he teased, giving Judy a playful squeeze.

"Hush." Judy swatted his snout to the side gently. "Anyway, Chief Bogo came by and I updated him on what we found. He's letting us stay on the case unless something more important comes up."

"Chief Buffalo Butt sure is getting soft. Maybe he likes fish too."

A few beats of comfortable silence passed. Judy's paw moved over to Nick's heart.

"Nick." The sound of the fox's name brought his full attention to Judy. She looked up to meet his gaze. "About what happened earlier… I'm sorry I took it out on you. I've just never felt that way before. And the way she was touching you and what she said..."

"Judy," Nick interrupted, a sincere smile and genuine softness in his voice, making Judy perk up. "I should have told Miss Paws-a-lot to back off right from the start. I'm sorry too."

Judy snickered into Nick's shirt, scooting further up so their faces would be closer.

"If that ever happens again, I'll make sure to put a stop to it immediately. You know there's only one bunny in uniform for me."

"Is that so?" Judy asked, sitting up on his torso, hovering over Nick. There noses barely touching while her long ears fell across her face, looking down at Nick with amorous eyes.

Nick stopped running his claw along Judy's back and parted her left ear away before gently cupping her cheek. The way he looked at her caused the bunny to ease forward and the two entered into a slow kiss. As the kiss deepened and the passion became heavier, Judy broke away for a moment, planting small kisses along Nick's snout. With closed eyes, she made her way along, feeling his smile against her lips. When his warm paws slid down her back, she instinctively drew even closer. A strong need took over, spurring Judy to rub her chin against Nick in intimate desire.

The realization hit of what she was doing, prompting Judy to slow down and stop. The bunny pulled a short distance away to recover her breath, both paws scrunching up the fox's shirt. When their eyes locked, Judy's ears nervously folded behind her back. "Nick… I'm so sorry, I… I shouldn't have done that without asking or making sure you wanted…"

The fox gently caressed two fingers across the bunny's smaller mouth, effectively silencing her. In one swift motion, Nick gently lifted her so they could both sit in a more upright position before he drew closer, paws on her hips, sweeping his snout under Judy's chin, nuzzling her lower neck. Judy closed her eyes as she craned her neck in response to allow him easier access as Nick brushed against the bunny with his cheek, slowly moving upwards. She knew what the gesture meant and it only made her heart beat faster, clutching the scruffy fur at the back of his neck to pull him closer.

When he finished, Nick rested his forehead against Judy's. "Shall we turn in?"

"Okay," she replied quietly, a thought flashing across her eyes. "I don't really have any sleeping clothes here. And my uniform's back at my place."

"There's plenty of shirts in the closet," Nick said. "And we can swing by your place in the morning while getting my second round."

Him and his coffee, Judy smiled to herself. She rested her chin on his snout and gave Nick's chin a scratch. "You're going to give me one of those Pawaiian shirts, aren't you?"

"I thought rabbits loved soft and silky material."

"Not when it makes me look like a traffic cone!" she teased.

"Wow." Nick pretended to look offended, despite keeping his paws around her. He gave Judy a a playful pinch. "I should make you sleep on the couch for that one."

"Oh. Would you?" she asked in a more sultry tone, gripping his paw still because it began to feel ticklish.

"No."

"Good. Because I'd take you with me. Now come on," she said, hopping off the chair.

Judy guided Nick back inside with both paws, as he stretched an arm behind him to close the sliding patio door. They didn't bother to worry about tidying up as they disappeared into the bedroom.


"I made you another cup," Judy said, coming by to drop off a fresh brew from one of the ZPD breakroom coffee machines.

The two officers had come in earlier since they needed to swing by Judy's apartment to retrieve her uniform. Mornings that began even earlier weren't always Nick's cup of tea, and sometimes the fox would struggle in starting his day till a sufficient amount of coffee was consumed. Judy had been catching Nick up on her findings from the previous day in their shared cubicle as they waited for their lab results.

"Thanks, Carrots." Nick scribbled a thought on a slip of paper as he continued to watch the footage from the aquarium. He was double checking it at Judy's request, noting the activity of all the employees at particular time stamps.

"Find anything?" she asked, hopping into her small red seat and swivelling it towards him.

"Nothing new. Sleeping Beauty was pretty much locked in his office the entire time except for some bathroom breaks and Braveheart looked like he was doing his usual rounds till the incident."

"Nick…" Judy chided him with a small arm tap at the nicknames but smiled anyway.

"Next up… our new favorite mammal left early like she said. She pass the alibi?"

"Not entirely," Judy replied. Nick raised an eyebrow at her answer, waiting for Judy to continue. "The landlord did verify Kris coming home around noon, then leaving the building after nine… but didn't see her when she came back home since they went to sleep. I called the bar and talked to some of the staff who were on shift that night and no one could give me a straight answer. They all claimed it was too busy for them to remember some little otter."

"So hard to find good help these days," Nick mused, resting his chin on a paw before moving on. "How about my twinsie?"

"Rest assured… your twinsie," Judy chuckled, "Checked out fine. Mrs. Beeve was really sweet and answered all my questions. And well…" Pausing for a moment, Judy looked a little hesitant, trying to find the right words to explain. "Let's just say… he was definitely home the entire night."

"Atta boy, Will," Nick smirked proudly.

Judy just shook her head.

"And last but not least…" Nick began dramatically, checking his notes. "Looks like Captain Nemo stayed pretty late that day. Almost a seventeen hour shift. You said his missus checked him out too, right?"

"She did. But the thing is, Mrs. Loustreau told me he actually didn't come home till after eleven. She mentioned him being very distracted and making several calls, even though it was late. And then he just stayed in his study. She went to bed without him and when she woke up in the morning, he was already gone."

"Guess that grand reopening is really taking the wind out of his sails," he commented, considering the information.

"Funny you should say that… I did some more digging and found this." Judy took out a folder with some old articles and documents. She pulled out an old newspaper article about Jacques and the aquarium. "Look here. He wasn't kidding about business being slow."

The title gave away how the aquarium was steadily losing money. Then Judy revealed another article. "And this one mentions how several of his last expeditions for the new exhibit came out of his own savings."

Nick glanced over the article with a whistle. "He really did go all in. Looks like there's more at stake here than just his fish zoo. Wonder if that insurance he mentioned will bail him out."

"What do you mean?"

"Just a hunch but… let's say we don't find these fish and that ruins their opening. Lost advertising money, poor turnout, bad publicity…" Nick ticked off each point with a finger. "Maybe they'll have to close their doors. Then Captain Nemo might plead to City Hall for a bailout, file a chapter 11 bankruptcy, and try to start over but this time with cash in paw."

"But he's so genuine and passionate about his life's work? What makes you think otherwise?"

"Part of me thinks it could just be an act to save his tail."

Judy frowned at Nick's words. For everything she loved about him, he still held a much more cynical view of the world.

"And that pin he was wearing," Nick added.

"What pin?" she asked.

"Under his blazer he had a purple flower lapel. Exactly like the one I saw last night when I met an old… acquaintance, who's known for being in the borrowing-permanently business."

"What? Who?"

"A red panda named Le Rouge. He denied it, naturally."

"Le Rouge… Le Rouge... " Judy rubbed her chin, then suddenly almost jumped from her seat. "I've heard that name before! He's been suspected in so many theft cases but…"

"But never caught red-handed? Yeah… he's earned his reputation."

Judy suddenly considered all of this new information, appearing to be in deep thought. "So, not calling the police right away, no signs of breaking and entering, a matching pin linked to a suspected master thief, knowing to scare Philip, disabling the right camera, and to hit the most important exhibit..."

"Right before the reopening? Yeah. Too many coincidences," Nick added as he turned off the video footage. It reminded him of the other evidence. "What about the fur traces and claw marks we submitted?"

"Oh! Let me check with the lab again," Judy said, reaching for her phone. "They sent me an email earlier that it should be done soon."

Nick leaned back lazily in his chair as Judy talked to the technician. He watched as she grabbed her notepad and scribbled down some notes and thanked the tech. She immediately swiveled her seat back toward her partner. "You won't believe this, Nick! They found traces of otter fur mixed in with the groundhog fur I collected where Philip was scared. And while they couldn't ID the claw marks, they match with small to medium-sized predator claws."

"This is sounding more and more like…" Nick said, looking at his partner with a smirk.

"... an inside job," Judy finished.

"Sounds like we have a date at the fish zoo," Nick said, sliding out of his seat and adjusted his tie. Judy did the same, grabbing her notepad and pen. "After you," he gestured and followed his partner to the vehicle lot.


The officers arrived at the aquarium and made their way to the entrance. This time getting the attention of the bored hippo at the information booth in a more timely manner, Judy and Nick requested to see Will if he was on shift. The hippo sent a notification to the beaver who told her to have the officers meet him in the exhibit room where they met yesterday.

Inside the closed exhibit, Judy eyed some of the other habitats with her usual curious awe while Nick's face was buried in his phone, leaning against the empty tank, as they waited for Will to arrive. Luckily, Kris was nowhere to be seen. Growing slightly impatient after a few minutes, the bunny noticed the same petting tank from yesterday. Curiosity took hold and she decided to pet a few sea creatures.

Glancing up from his phone to see what Judy was doing, made Nick smirk. He always enjoyed seeing that wide-eyed look of wonder on his girlfriend with her contagious bright smile. Catching some of her enthusiasm, he walked over to a different nearby habitat and watched some striking and colorful fish swim around, darting to and fro around their reef. He found it quite calming.

Lost in the moment, Nick suddenly felt a light touching of his tail, causing him to mildly stiffen at the caressing motion. He raised an eyebrow, drawing a devilish grin on his snout as he closed his eyes in amusement. "Why Officer Hopps… I didn't think you'd ever be naughty on the clock," he exclaimed.

"What are you talking about, Nick?"

The fox's eyes shot open when the sound of Judy's voice was heard off to his distant left, around the edge of the tank as she stepped into his view, wiping her paw dry.

"Now wait a minute… if you're there, then who…" Nick mumbled then twisted his torso to look behind him. He was greeted with the sight of a familiar red creature currently being fascinated with his bushy tail.

"Oh my god!" Nick jumped backwards in a scared stance, clutching his tail tightly to his torso, with Judy bracing him from behind so he wouldn't fall over. Just as the octopus was about to run away, a net came down to once again catch him, followed by boisterous laughter.

"He really loves you, officer!" Will laughed heartily, securing the escapee.

Even Judy couldn't help but snicker which turned into genuine laughter when she saw the look on her poor partner's face as he looked protective of his tail. Judy reached around Nick to give him a quick comforting belly scratch.

"Real funny, you two," Nick drawled, his ears falling flat as he scowled at the octopus. "How does he keep getting out?"

"We think he's learned to open the hatches after watching us come and go. Heck, we even found him in the pipes once. Almost got loose in the bay." Will turned to face one of the cameras giving it a thumbs up.

"Victory pose?" Nick questioned.

"Was hunting this little dude for awhile after I saw he got out again. Victor told me he saw him running through here."

Looking at the camera as it swiveled in their direction, Nick raised his thumb too. "Thanks for the heads up there, Vic. Appreciate it, pal!" he shouted, his voice laced with mild sarcasm. The camera responded by moving up and down like a nod.

"Hang tight, officers!" Will chuckled and disappeared with the red octopus.

Judy was still giggling from the scene.

"What're you still laughing at, Fluff?"

"Oh, did my big brave fox get scared?" she teased by ruffling his shirt some more.

Nick just crossed his arms, still feeling scandalized. Before Judy could tease him some more, Will returned, now chewing on a wood chip.

"Alrighty then! What's up?" Will asked cheerfully.

With the renegade octopus locked away, Judy noticed that Will was wearing a green Pawaiian shirt, much like Nick's favorite one. This made her smirk. Twinsies indeed.

With pen and pad at the ready, Judy took the lead. "We have some more questions if you can spare a few minutes, Will?"

"Totally. Lay it on me, law-mammals," he said with a smile.

"We were wondering if there's any other way in or out of the tanks?"

"Other than the hatches? There's the filtration system, I suppose," Will said as he casually chewed on his chip. "We remove them weekly for cleaning."

"How does it work?" Judy asked.

The beaver removed the wood chip from his mouth, using it as a pointing stick. "Each tank has a special filter, kinda like a pool, where we collect all the fish business and impurities. Some of these little dudes require a lot of care to keep 'em healthy. We move a lot of water, purify it, test it, then recycle it to the tank to keep it as close to their natural environment as we can."

"You mentioned the octopus almost getting into the bay earlier. Was it through the filter?" Nick asked as he looked around the edges of the habitat.

"Yeah, we suspect he did. They are removable. The filtration system does connect with the drain pipes out back," Will said pointing behind him with his thumb.

"Really?" Nick mused, scratching his chin, recollecting the time he and Judy flushed themselves down a toilet and into a waterfall. "How big are these pipes?"

"Decent size. You and I could swim through them if we had to," Will said.

The two officers exchanged a quick glance. "Do you have blueprints of the pipe system? Can we see them?" Judy asked.

"Yeah, sure. Come on over." Will beckoned Nick and Judy to follow.

The beaver led them further back into another storage area that also looked like a locker room. Will unlocked a file cabinet and rummaged through several folders till he found what he was looking for. He spread the blueprints out on the floor as all three mammals kneeled down over the large map.

"Here's our tank," Will pointed to the location then traced a finger along the schematic. "Goes here… to there… and that's the main set of drains."

Nick shot Judy an expectant look and she nodded. "Will, we want to take a look outside."

"No prob. There's a shortcut right over here." The beaver pointed at a door on the blueprints, before rolling them up. "I'll get the door for ya."

After opening the back door, Will stayed behind as Nick and Judy walked along the outside perimeter by the shore of the Lion's Tail river. Soon they came upon a set of drainpipes that emptied into the river where it drained into the bay.

Nick climbed to the top of the pipes jutting over the water and looked around. "At least it's only a twenty foot drop instead of a two-hundred foot one."

Judy chuckled at the memory before focusing back on the task at paw. "This pipe here… is the one Will showed us." She pointed to the leftmost drain.

Standing over the pipe in question, Nick turned to look around to survey the building. "I have an idea. Stay right there."

Doing as she was told, Judy watched as Nick walked a short distance ahead. He was looking up and down the walls until he spotted what he was looking for. An outside security camera. He took out his phone, pointing to it while waving at the camera.

Within a minute, his phone rang. "Hey Vic. How's it hanging? Listen, pal… can you do me a solid and track us by the pipes over here? Great! Let me know if we step out of view."

Returning over to Judy, Nick held his phone as he sauntered around the pipes area. Victor informed the fox officer to stop when he was no longer visible on camera. Nick motioned for Judy to walk around and she tested the other direction. With the opossum's help, they learned that there was indeed a blind spot at three of the drains, including the one leading to the Pawcific Exhibit. Nick thanked Victor for his assistance and hung up.

"So someone could have swam up from the river and entered this pipe," Judy said, looking at the water and then the drain.

"Well, we've got five suspects, right?" Nick said, thinking out loud. "One of whom would probably fall asleep and drown… another who'd probably blackout the moment he put his pinky toe in the water… which leaves us with three semi-aquatic mammals… one of whom has a solid alibi while the other two are shaky. And the fact that we found traces of otter fur, leaving us with two otters..."

"...who could have entered the tank through the filter," Judy finished.

"One way to find out!" Nick smirked. "Wanna do the honors? I know rabbits love burrowing into deep places."

"You'd love that wouldn't you, Nick?" Judy stuck her tongue out at her partner. She stepped closer and began to fiddle with his tie, giving Nick a rather wishful look. "Besides, wouldn't a slim nocturnal mammal such as yourself be much more suited for the job? Will said you'd fit, hmm?"

"Uh… you know, Will did show us that this pipe goes to the tank," Nick said, shoving his paws in his pockets, avoiding her gaze. "No reason to doubt him, right? We should just go ask him about that filter."

"Good idea," Judy smiled with satisfaction. She gave her partner's tie a playful tug and headed back to the aquarium. "Maybe something could have gotten stuck in it!"

Back inside, Will locked the door once Nick and Judy stepped in.

"Find whatever you were looking for, officers?" he asked.

"Actually, we have another question. Did you find anything in the tank's filter?" Judy asked.

"Have to ask Philip on that one. He empties them out into the trash," Will said, scratching his cheek. "I'll take ya over to him."

"Thank you so much for your cooperation today, Will," Judy said cheerfully. "We really appreciate it. And please keep this visit between us."

"Sure thing, Officer Hopps."

Will dropped Nick and Judy off at the other storage room past the skimmers where Philip's station was located. He was in the process of emptying a medium-sized bin. Judy approached the sensitive groundhog with care while Nick hung back to give Philip a little more space.

"Philip. Hi," Judy spoke softly with a small wave. "It's me again, Officer Judy Hopps."

"Oh. Hello," he replied meekly.

"Officer Wilde and I have a question for you if it's okay."

"Okay," he simply replied, holding onto the trash bag from the bin.

"Will said you clean the tank filters. Did you notice anything unusual when you cleaned the one the halofish were in recently?"

It took a moment for the groundhog to recall, his brow furrowing in thought. "There… there was a clump of fur. I mean… there's always some when the staff go into the tanks but never that much."

Judy glanced back at Nick who raised his brow, giving her an 'oh really' face. She turned back to Philip. "Philip, do you know who usually goes into the tanks?"

"The aquarists and cleaning divers. And sometimes Mr. Loustreau likes to go inside too."

"Is the trash still here?" Judy asked.

"Yeah… yeah it is. I was just going to the dumpster," Philip said, tying up the bag. He then headed to another of the back doors, Judy following with Nick behind her.

Unlocking the door, Philip swung it open. A large blue dumpster sat against the east-facing wall.

"You're lucky. Trash pickup is tomorrow," Philip said as he used a stepping ladder to reach the top and looked inside. "I dumped it into a hipplock bag. It's in there… somewhere."

"Thank you so much. We can take it from here!" Judy said, preparing her tweezers and evidence bag.

Nick perched himself against the wall and whipped out his phone, already thumbing away at some app. "Well Carrots, hop to it. Lemme know if you find anything."

"Oh-ho, I don't think so, Nick! If I'm going in there, you're going in there with me," Judy said, glaring at him with both paws on her hips.

"Uh… officers…" Philip's timid voice came from the door before either of them could argue further. "I got you some gloves."

"Grab those gloves and let's go," Judy ordered.

"But there's icky things in there and I just had my nails done! And I dry-cleaned my uniform," he stood upright and flashed his paws while making excuses. "See? Would you really want these ruined?"

Judy's glare only intensified, her foot going into a high-speed thump. "You aren't playing the delicate flower card with me."

Nick sighed. "Okay, okay! Wouldn't want to spontaneously combust where I'm standing." He pushed himself off the wall and grabbed the two pairs of gloves that Philip was offering. "Hey Philip, ol' pal. Do you think I could get another pair? Maybe in an extra large? I wanna double wrap it just to be safe. Maybe throw in a nose clamp if you have one? Thanks!" Nick requested.

Glancing over at Judy, he didn't think she could look any more annoyed at him. She stomped over and grabbed his tie. "On second thought, we're good!" he managed before getting yanked away.

Several minutes later, both the fox and bunny continued to rummage through the dumpster in search of their potential clue under the hot Saharan heat.

"Well, this brings back some memories," Nick commented as he meticulously dug through a rather unpleasant-smelling pile.

Judy was sifting around in her side of the trash. Her ears drooped a little when she looked over at Nick while wiping her brow. Judging by his strained face and body language, he seemed to be putting in a considerable amount of effort into forcing himself to dig around. It made the bunny wonder if this reminded him too much of his former life. Judy internally kicked herself and made a mental note to make it up to him later.

"Boy, mammals sure throw away perfectly good stuff. I mean look at this thing." Nick held up what appeared to be a very small soft-looking towel in good condition with a whimsical bark pattern on it. "One hundred percent Supuma cotton… so fluffy. I once had to wear a..."

With a gasp, Judy immediately sat upright, shaking excitedly as she recalled Philip's missing binky. "Oh Nick! I think that might be Philip's baby towel!"

"What?" he paused and looked over his find.

Jumping up to the edge of the dumpster, Judy waved over to the groundhog. "Philip! Could you come here, please? I think we found something."

The groundhog cautiously wobbled over. "What is it, officer? What did you…" Nick held the towel up over the edge so he could see it. "Oh… oh my… oh my… that's my BINKY! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Nearly grabbing at it with excited paws, Nick released the towel so it could fall into Philip's embrace. He didn't seem to care at all how dirty or smelly it was as he hugged it tightly.

"Say, pal. Didn't you say you lost that towel earlier? Guess you must have thrown it away on accident, huh?" Nick asked peeking over the edge at the groundhog.

"I would never throw it away on accident!" Philip said. He seemed a whole lot less timid now with his anti-fear totem. "I have no idea why it would be here in the trash!"

The officers exchanged a questioning glance.

"Let's keep digging," Judy suggested.

With renewed energy, both officers searched harder. Judy pushed apart a bunch of soda cans to reveal a clear plastic bag with a clump of fur and dried sediment. "I think I found it!"

Nick smiled, happy that they found what they were looking for and quite ready to jump out of there. Judy held up the bag so Philip could see it.

"Is this the bag, Philip?"

"Yeah. That's the bag I threw out the other day," he said.

Judy nearly did a happy binky at the confirmation. Just as Nick was about to stand, he spied another curious item near his left foot. A familiar looking pill bottle. He picked it up and shook it. "This bottle is half-full."

Perking up at his words, Judy offered him an unexpected beaming smile. "Aww, Nick! You called the bottle 'half-full' instead of 'half-empty'. You're making progress."

Naturally, he couldn't help but return a smirk. "Well, you're half-right."

Shaking her head, Judy crossed her arms. "And just like that, the magic is gone," she teased. Looking a little closer at the bottle, Judy narrowed her eyes. "Wait! Nick! What does that label say?"

"Huh?" He turned the bottle around in his paw and his eyes widened. "Victor O'Posson. Modafinil 200mg. And the expiration date is still good…"

"Why would he throw these away? I thought he needed them to stay awake?"

Gesturing to get out of the dumpster, Nick climbed out, followed by Judy. She watched as Nick moved away from the trash and brought the pill bottle up to his nose. He cupped the top before popping the lid and took a few whiffs.

"There's two different smells here," Nick declared.

"You don't suppose… We need to go see Victor!" Judy said, already tugging at her partner's arm.

The officers thanked Philip and ran back inside the aquarium, leaving the blissfully happy groundhog with his most treasured item. They arrived at the upstairs security office and knocked on the door, quickly going inside once Victor unlocked it remotely.

"Officers," he greeted in his usual upside down position. The opossum looked much more lively than on their previous meeting. They noticed his nose wrinkle from their newly-acquired scents. Victor seemed to struggle to remain polite about the smell now wafting in his office. "Did you need something?"

"Actually, pal… we wanted to ask you about these," Nick said as he flashed the pill bottle from the dumpster. "Any reason to throw away perfectly good pills?"

"Perfectly crappy pills if you ask me," Victor replied with a huff and crossed his arms. "I've been falling asleep constantly the past couple days. When the boss sent me home yesterday, I passed out on the bus ride home. When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed wearing a patient gown. The passengers thought I was dead! Do you know how embarrassing that is? Thank god no one stole my watch this time. I thought those days were behind me!"

"So you got new pills?" Nick asked, spying a fresh bottle on the opossum's desk.

"Yeah. I demanded to see my doctor and told her what was happening. She gave me a new prescription and I tossed that bottle in the trash."

"Well, now… this just keeps getting better and better," Nick mumbled to himself. "Thanks for your time, buddy!"

"That's it? You just came to ask about my pills?" Victor asked in a confused tone.

"Yup. We really appreciate it, Victor. Thank you," Judy said. "We'll be going now. Goodbye!"

"Bye now," Nick waved and the officers let themselves out.

They quickly made their way back to their cruiser. Judy opened the trunk and retrieved their portable fur sample kit. She held the fur clump against the samples. It was nearly identical to the otter fur but they needed to be completely certain.

"C'mon, Nick. Let's get back to the station," Judy said hopping to the driver's side door.

Nick closed the trunk and followed. "Right behind you, boss."


"Okay, I just submitted the evidence to the lab and asked them to expedite it," Judy said returning to their cubicle.

Her partner was pecking away at his keyboard updating their case file. "Who's handling it?"

"Hurriet."

This made Nick swivel around in his chair with a smirk. "She's no Flash but she'll get the job done."

A few officers passed by, noses wrinkling and shot glances their way, before quickly putting some distance between the not-so-fresh fox and rabbit.

"We should shower while we wait. Wanna go first?" Judy offered after taking the hint, knowing Nick would probably be dying to freshen up and change.

"You go. Ladies first," he said, turning back to his keyboard and working on the file.

"Hey," Judy said, walking up to his chair and putting both paws on his leg. The two mammals gazed upon each other. "I know you didn't like going into that trash. I'll finish this up, okay?"

"You drive a hard bargain, Madam," Nick smiled and slowly stood. Judy caught a small wag of his tail.

"Good." Judy pulled him down by the tie to plant a quick nuzzle to his cheek. "Now go, stinky fox!" she said, playfully shoving him out of the cubicle.

Soon Nick was back, all clean and wearing his backup uniform that he kept in the ZPD locker room. Despite trying to be quick so Judy could take her turn, he returned to find that his partner already finished the case update and got him a small surprise. A heart-shaped blueberry tart which Nick graciously accepted. He offered a piece to Judy who refused and hopped down the hallway to take her turn in freshening up.

Once the bunny returned, Judy found Nick on the office phone talking to someone. He appeared to be listening intently and nodding every so often. "All right. Thanks a mil. You're aces!"

Judy couldn't help but eagerly skip a little if that was Hurriet calling. Nick's nose alerted him that his partner had returned.

"Good, you're back," Nick said excitedly. "Just got the results. One hundred percent otter fur. And it matched the fur we found mixed in with Philip's."

"And the pills?" Judy asked.

"Over the counter Aspirin."

Judy's jaw dropped. "Someone swapped his pills? No wonder Victor was falling asleep!"

"And now who could that someone be? We've got two possible otters on our paws," Nick said leaning over his legs on his elbows.

"But you still think it's Jacques, right?"

"That's where I'd put my chips right now," Nick said. "He's got the most going against him. And the most to lose."

"We should go and bring him in for questioning," Judy said grabbing their cruiser keys.


The officers moved with purpose as they headed down the hallway that led to Director Jacques Loustreau's office. When they arrived, they heard quite a heated shouting match behind the closed door. Nick and Judy glanced at each other and waited. It wasn't long before the door suddenly burst open, causing them both to start and jump to the side, followed by an enraged Kris storming out.

"I can't believe you wore that!" she roared.

"Kris, wait, my dear! I didn't know…"

"Don't 'dear' me! You… you… big jerk! I'm going home!" she yelled, completely ignoring the officers and stomped away, angrily running her paws through her fur.

"Wait! Kris!" Jacques shouted, appearing through the door, nearly out of breath. "Oh! Officers? This is an unexpected surprise. I must apologize for that scene…"

"May we come in, sir?" Judy asked gently.

"Yes. Please…" Jacques moved to the side and gestured.

As they stood behind the desk, Nick caught the shiny glistening of the purple flower lapel pin under Jacques's blue blazer.

With a heavy sigh, Jacques slumped into his large leather seat and grabbed a half-empty glass of scotch that he must have poured earlier. He noticed the two officers watching him. "Forgive my manners. May I offer you a drink, officers?"

"Not on the clock, sir," Judy replied.

"Yes, of course. What was I thinking… I seem to be quite aloof lately," he muttered to himself. "How can I help you both today? Has there been any progress in finding our dwarf halofish?"

"Unfortunately nothing yet, Mr. Loustreau," Judy replied. "However, we need you to come down to the station with us."

"Beg your pardon?" he asked in complete surprise.

"Sir, we need to go over your statement regarding your alibi again. We would really appreciate your cooperation," Judy said gently but with an undertone of authority.

"Very well," he said quietly, finishing the last of his poured scotch and stood with dignity, keeping his paws behind his back.

The three mammals exited the building and headed back to Precinct One.


"Here you are, sir," Nick said, sliding over a glass of water to the otter.

"Je vous remercie, Officer Wilde," Jacques said.

They were sitting in Interview Room #2. Making sure their potential suspect was comfortable, Nick and Judy were ready to begin a round of questioning use the Reid technique to 'pick holes' as the cops liked to call it against Jacques' given alibi. Judy was sitting across from Jacques, her notepad spread in front of her as she reviewed her facts.

"Could you describe to us again what happened the day before the crime and when you're staff called you, please," Judy said, notepad open to the notes taken from that day.

"I spent most of my day in my office, making calls. When I could finally get away, I checked on my employees and walked through the aquarium. I find it calms me down when I can sit and just watch the ocean life quietly. So beautiful! Sometimes I like to suit up and go into the tanks and swim with the fish." Realizing he might start to ramble about sea life again, Jacques sat up and cleared his throat. "I stayed until almost nine, said my goodbyes to Philip and Victor, and then I went home. I spent some time with my wife and then the phone rang around 4:30AM when Philip called about the robbery."

"Are you sure it was nine o'clock when you went home, sir?" Judy asked after glancing at her notes.

The older otter paused for a moment. "Positive, my dear."

"According to our records you live only fifteen minutes away and your wife told me you didn't come home till after eleven. You said you spent time with her but she said you seemed distressed that evening and spent the rest of the night alone in your study. She also told us she never heard the phone ring and you were already gone when she woke up. You originally said Philip's phone call woke you both."Judy stated her facts calmly.

"That can't be… She must be remembering a different night," Jacques sputtered.

"Sir, I only asked your wife about the night of the crime, two days ago," Judy said sternly, adopting a more authoritative tone. Is there something you aren't telling us? I can have her come down to the station and verify what she told us."

"Please, no!" came the unexpected outburst. There was a pause as Jacques rubbed his weary eyes. "Dear me… I really do not want her to find out about our financial situation… It is true I did not go home right away. I drove down to South Shore, to watch the waves on the beach. I wanted to get away from all the damn phone calls. These investors would not leave me alone… calling several times a day…"

"What do you mean, sir? What investors?" Nick finally spoke up.

"Property investors. I always get offers to purchase the aquarium so they can get a hold of the land it is on. We are fortunate to be in such a beautiful location. Lately, one particular investor will not stop hounding me… calling all hours of the day, everyday… It has gotten worse since the crime. That's why I did not report it right away. Every time something goes wrong, they call…"

Nick cocked an eyebrow while Judy continued to take notes.

"They even called me again last night… in my home! I was actually almost considering the deal if the fish could not be found and we could not continue to meet our operating costs," Jacques lamented with a frustrated sigh, nearly going into tears.

They let him have a moment as Nick considered his words and then rounded the corner of the interview desk, stooping down to gesture toward the otter's blazer. "I have a different question, sir. Where did you get this lapel?" The fox officer asked in a friendly tone.

Once he collected himself, the otter looked down at the pin in question. "I found it," Jacques simply stated.

"You found it?" Nick repeated in disbelief.

"Yes. Two days ago in the parking lot when I was going home. I happened to notice it when I was getting into my car. It looked so elegant… I thought it was a shame that someone lost it. So I decided to keep it for myself. I was thinking of putting it in the lost and found today when… I found out it belonged to Kris…"

"What do you mean, sir? Is that why she was so mad?" Nick asked.

"Yes," came another weary sigh. "She came to talk to me about one of the habitats and when she saw the pin… well you probably heard the rest..."

"But why was she so upset Mr. Loustreau, if you didn't know anything about it?" Judy chimed in.

"Kris told me she threw it away so she would not have to look at it ever again. That it was an ugly reminder of her recent breakup," Jacques paused to completely finish his water. "I do not think it helped that I was wearing it considering our… history."

Both officers looked at the older otter with expectant expressions.

Jacques stayed silent for a moment before reluctantly deciding to continue. "We used to date. Inseparable, we were. Then one day, she introduced me to Simone and… we hit it off immediately, it was just like out of a book — love at first sight! Kris was not happy when we told her. Possibly even less so when she was asked to be one of my wife's bridesmaids. She caught the bouquet during the reception and snapped it in half and told my wife and I that we were ruining our lives."

Nick and Judy exchanged a long incredulous glance.

"We had forgiven her. She is one of my best employees. And now this happens. I thought things could not get any worse…" the director whimpered in his seat. "My life's work… everything… will be gone."

"Sir, do you know who might have given this pin to Kris?" Nick asked.

"No, Officer Wilde. I do not. That is the truth," he said pitifully.

"I see. We're going to need to take that pin if you'd be so kind," Nick said.

"Please, by all means," Jacques removed the pin and held it for Nick to take. "I do not want to see that thing again."

Rolling the pin around in his fingers, Nick put the piece of evidence away.

Judy leaned forward in her seat. "Mr. Loustreau, do you know if Kris is working tomorrow?"

"She has the morning off but is expected to come in the afternoon. If she even decides to after what happened today."

"Thank you, sir," Judy said, making note of that. "We appreciate you coming in. You're free to go home now."

"I know you cannot tell me what this is about, officers, but I still want to thank you for taking the time to help," Jacques nodded.

The officers returned the nod and escorted Jacques through the building and to the lobby. Back at their desk, they attempted to plan their next move.

"So it looks like Jacques may not be responsible after all," Judy mused from her chair.

"Guess I should be glad I was wrong," Nick said. He was leaning against the edge of the desk with his arms crossed. He took out the pin once more, staring at the small purple flower in his palm. "I don't know if those investors he mentioned have any ties to this… but all other signs seem to be pointing to Miss Paws-a-lot now."

"Why do you think she would do it?" Judy genuinely asked.

"Petty revenge? Hell hath no fury like a mammal scorned," Nick said.

"But she loves her job? If the aquarium gets closed… It doesn't make any sense," Judy said.

"Sometimes mammals do things that don't make any sense, Carrots. I've seen it far too many times," Nick stated with what sounded like painful experience. "And all we have is this pin."

"I guess so," Judy reluctantly agreed. "If she did do it or was involved… how are we going to approach her?"

Nick scratched his chin for a moment. He decided to put the lapel pin away in his pocket when his paw felt something else there. Looking down, he'd forgotten that he kept Kris' business card that the otter forced upon him the previous day. Flipping it over, he saw that her personal cell number was written on the back with a heart next to it.

When Nick didn't answer right away, Judy looked over to watch his face morph into a frown as he appeared to be in deep thought looking at a card in his paw.

"Nick? What's wrong?" she stepped closer and put a paw on his leg.

A moment later, Nick let out a deep sigh. "Judy... " His partner's face involuntarily lit up at the sound of her name. "I have an idea and I don't think you're going to like it."


"You're right, Nick. I don't like this at all," Judy huffed, doing her best to keep the acid out of her voice, buttoning up her partner's shirt after double-checking the hidden wire underneath.

"We don't have to do this," he sighed, keeping his arms spread as he sat in his cubicle seat. "It was a dumb idea."

"If Kris is going to talk, you're probably the only one who can make her," Judy stated flatly. She finished making her way up his shirt, leaving the top two buttons undone; just the way Nick liked it before moving on to his tie. "We only have today left to solve this case."

"I'll make sure to lay down some ground rules. No touching allowed for Miss Pawsy McPawserson," Nick said, trying to lighten the mood.

Even Judy couldn't help but let a tiny smile creep up her muzzle at the nickname. She finished tying Nick's tie, the one that belonged to his Dad, in a windsor knot that he had taught her. With a final secure tug, she let her paw linger for a moment against his chest. "There. All done."

Nick reached for his blazer, sliding it on and put the pin in one of his pockets, along with a portion of the fur clump from the filter. Judy thought they might be useful as leverage depending on how the conversation with Kris would go. The bunny was dressed in her usual field outfit with a jacket over her vest. She secured her carrot pen to her belt and let Nick know she was ready to go.

After double checking his clothes, Nick gave Judy a warm smile and a wink. "You're pretty good with your paws there, officer. Bet you'd make a great tailor on the side."

Judy tugged on the tie to bring Nick lower so she could plant a quick nose boop. "All right, time to work that charm, Catsanova. Let's go."


The officers drove to a small coffee placed called Ungu-lattés Cafe in Sahara Square and parked their cruiser out of sight one lot over. They entered and secured two adjacent booths in the quiet corner. Judy ordered a drink and took her seat, facing the opposite direction but keeping herself between the booth and the door. Nick had let her borrow one of his caps which she placed on her head along with her aviators and pretended to be just another customer reading a gossip magazine.

Soon an ecstatic Kris arrived a few minutes early. She was wearing her usual pink flower, pinned to one ear, a rather form-fitting summer dress and her scarf, tightly wrapped around her neck despite the outside heat. Nick waved her over to the booth which she glided into effortlessly, sitting across from the fox.

"Hello, officer! I'm so happy you called," Kris said, offering him a genuinely sweet smile. "Are you off-duty today?"

Nick inwardly sighed. Even if Kris was the culprit, he wasn't exactly thrilled to be hustling her on a pretend date. Play it cool, Wilde. "Just on lunch break. Call me Nick," he smiled back.

"Okay, Nick. I really like your shirt; so colorful! But I have to admit, I do love a mammal in uniform," she purred, resting her chin over clasped paws.

"Why thank you, Kris," Nick said. He curiously eyed the tightly-worn scarf once more. "Nice scarf. Is it a Bearberry?"

"Oh, you really know your styles! I'm impressed, Nick," she replied, running a paw down the fabric. "I got this is as a Christmas present from my Mom a few years ago."

"Not feeling a little warm with it on today?" he asked.

Kris hesitated for a moment, her smile completely wilting before she pulled the scarf even tighter around her neck. "I get cold."

Watching her reaction, Nick changed topics. Mammals loved to talk about themselves; no reason Kris should be any different. He leaned forward on one paw, feigning his interest. "So what's it like being an aquarist? How'd you figure that's what you wanted to do?"

Kris' face brightened instantly. "When I was a little girl, Mom and I would go to the fish market all the time and I could just watch the live fish in the tanks swim all day. It made me want to learn all about them. When I found out I could study Marine Biology, I decided to become a vegan and pursued that as my career!"

"Must have been a dream come true to land a job at the aquarium. What's it like working with such a motley crew?" Nick asked, trying to steer the conversation into more specific territory.

Shifting slightly in her seat, Kris tried to reach across the table and change the topic. "I'd rather you tell me what it's like being a police officer, cutie."

Before she had a chance to touch his paw, Nick shifted it under his chin while tucking the other away under that arm as a prop. "Nothing you'd find exciting. Parking tickets and traffic duty aren't exactly hot topics."

"Oh? I heard officers sometimes do… uh, ride-alongs? Maybe you could give me a tour in your police car? I'm sure we could come up with some hot topics there…"

Dammit… It was taking the fox his maximum effort to keep a straight, smiling face. "Uh… well, we um… usually only do those as part of our community activities for kits."

A tiny muffled groan could be heard behind the fox, as his ears flicked to the sounds of his poor girlfriend's disapproval. Judy found her claws digging into the magazine with a glare that could burn a hole right through it. She closed her eyes to take a deep breath. Just an act, Judy… just an act, just an act…

"Too bad…" Kris said, looking disappointed but leaned closer.

"How about I get us a drink? My treat!" Nick offered, looking to take a break and hopefully let this otter cool her jets for a moment.

"Sure! I'll take a Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte but with coconut milk please."

"Coming right up," Nick said as he quickly shuffled away. Could use a shot, myself.

Thankful that the camel barista behind the counter took her sweet time, Nick came back, subtly shooting Judy an apologetic glance and scooted back into his seat. Kris happily took her latte, enjoying the aroma and taste of her favorite drink.

"So being an aquarist… what's it like diving into those tanks with all the neat fish?" Nick said attempted to start over as he took his own sip.

"I don't want to talk about my job," Kris said, her voice laced with a hint of sudden bitterness.

"That's a shame. I was hoping to hear more about that special little tour you offered me," Nick prodded.

Whatever excitement Kris previously had about that idea seemed to have vanished entirely. She had involuntarily frowned and then forced a smile back on her muzzle. "Come on cutie, do we really have to talk about my job? I can think of plenty more fun conversations…" Once again she tried to reach out and touch Nick.

Nick expertly picked up his coffee and leaned out of reach. "I just think what you do is so fascinating and…"

"I don't want to talk about the aquarium!" came her raw outburst. Kris was now crossing her arms, no longer being the sweet and forward little otter from two seconds ago.

The ex-hustler read her tone and body language. This tactic had reached an impasse. Nick decided to take a gamble and be perfectly frank. He leaned forward, directly looking into the otter's eyes with a rather unexpectedly serious expression. The sudden intensity of his gaze made the angry otter soften considerably.

"All right, look. I invited you here because you know something we need." Nick paused to tap the booth behind him. "Come on over and join us, Officer Hopps."

Surprised at Nick's change in tactic, Judy put the magazine down, slid out of the booth and hopped over. The bunny opted to stand in case Kris might try something and removed her aviators.

Nick reached into his pocket and pulled out the purple flower lapel pin and placed it on the table between them. "Kris. Who gave you this?"

The stunned otter looked at the rabbit, then at the offensive piece of jewelry and immediately narrowed her eyes, focusing all her rage on the flower. "Where did you get that!?"

"Jacques gave it to us. Said it belonged to you."

"I'm going to tell you the same thing I told him… I threw it away because I didn't want to see that stupid flower ever again! You jerks! I'm done!"

"Kris," this time it was Judy who spoke softly. "Listen, we really need your cooperation because the evidence we've gathered so far… points to you."

"What!?" the otter exclaimed, now standing in her seat.

"It's true. There's too many coincidences with what happened to Victor and Philip, no signs of breaking in, your alibi has holes, and this…" Nick pulled out the fur clump. "This was at the crime scene. Otter fur."

Kris instinctively reached to touch the back of her neck, covered by her scarf, with a rather painfully glum expression. This gesture did not escape Nick and Judy's observation.

"Who gave you this?" Nick asked again softly, gesturing to the flower. "Please."

Letting out the loudest groan possible, causing several customers' heads to turn, Kris crossed her arms again. "I never wanted to think about that scumbag again."

"What scumbag?"

"My ex, of course! That two-faced, flea-ridden, overly musky, lying sack of… rhino turd!"

Both officers' eyes widened at the insults.

"Now, now, there, there…" Nick said with both paws out hoping to calm the otter. "Who is this guy?"

"A wolverine named Jack," she spat.

"Does this Jack have a last name?"

"Tch. If I knew it, I would have said it, wouldn't I?" she snapped.

Nick paused briefly, giving Kris a moment to herself. "Listen, I think might we know a mutual friend of this guy and…"

"Who? Where!? If he knows where that jerk is, I wanna see him to I can give him a piece of my mind!"

"Ma'am, we don't know what happened between you and…" Judy spoke up trying to calm Kris down.

"I'll show you what happened!" Kris tore off her scarf and painfully looked away, revealing a large missing section of fur at the nape of her neck. "My beautiful fur… He did this… After I brought him to work so he could meet everyone… and let him spend the night at my home… I woke up with my fur gone and a note telling me 'Thanks for the good time, baby. We're through.' with a smiley muzzle..."

Both officers' ears fell and they shared a glance. A sudden realization hit Nick.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… whoa…" Nick exclaimed. "You took this guy to the aquarium?"

"Yeah," Kris huffed, tying her scarf back around her neck. "He always loved it when I would talk about work. When I told him about our special tours for family and friends, he insisted on going. So I brought him to work a few days ago. Hmph! He paid more attention to Philip and Victor than me; kept doing these stupid magic tricks to entertain them and talking forever."

"Do you have his phone number or address?" Nick asked, making sure to keep his voice gentle.

"You don't think I tried to call him? The jerk's number is no longer in service. And he never took me to his place. Always had me meet him in the Rainforest District."

Nick's ears perked at the mention of the Rainforest. "Where in the Rainforest?"

"I'll show you if you take me with you," she growled.

"Kris, you do know withholding information is obstruction of justice? You don't want to do that. Right?"

"I don't care! You called me here. Do you want to know or not?" Kris demanded, keeping her arms crossed.

With a heavy sigh, Nick furrowed his brow and turned to Judy for help, pleading with his eyes. She didn't like this either. Putting a paw on Nick's arm, she turned to the raging otter. "Kris, if you come with us, you'll have to stay in the cruiser. Deal?"

"Whatever."

The three mammals stood and awkwardly shuffled out of the cafe. Nick quietly whispered into Judy's ear. "Are you sure about this?"

"No. But we're losing time and this sounds suspicious. What if this turns into a lead?"

"Just drive fast. Really fast. Please," Nick begged with his paws clasped.


Judy turned north on the junction as they entered the Rainforest District from the northern part of Downtown. They drove along Shady Place and turned onto Fog Street.

"Kris," Nick began, turning in his seat to look at the angry otter sitting in the back of the cruiser. "We're gonna need to know where we're heading."

She caught his gaze for a moment, before her eyes downcast at the floor panel. "Little marketplace by Haymarket and Vapor."

The fox's officer's eyes widened at those street names. "Haymarket and Vapor…" he mumbled to himself. "Carrots, I think I know where we should go…"

"Where, Nick?"

"I'll tell you once we get closer."

They continued north. Once Judy turned up the windy Vapor Road, Nick navigated the rest of the route. The trio soon arrived at a small nook, where Nick told his partner to park and cut the engine. She kept the battery power on so they could still use the windshield wipers.

"A blimp warehouse?" Judy asked, looking out beyond the windshield.

"A hunch," Nick said, opening the glove box and rummaged through it until he found what he was looking for, a requisitioned pair of binoculars. Perfect for any stakeout.

Surprisingly Kris managed to stay quiet and kept to herself, despite looking like she might explode at any given moment. Occasionally, she took her phone out and sent some texts or browsed through her social media.

"I'm cold," she declared loudly.

"Ain't that the truth," Nick muttered.

"You say something?"

"Some hot air coming right up," he replied and hit the air conditioner.

Judy gave Nick a small tap with her leg. While they waited, Nick decided to get back into his police uniform. Double-checking that no one was around, he quickly swapped shirts and then expertly changed pants, making sure Kris didn't get a free show.

Afterwards, he was back to watching the dock. Over an hour had passed when a blimp finally landed and some workers began their task to unload the cargo. He smiled when he saw the mammal he was hoping to see. "I see Le Rouge."

"The one in the hoodie walking down the dock right now?" Judy asked, leaning over the dashboard.

"Uh huh," Nick answered. "Kris, have you ever seen that red panda before?" Nick turned toward the back and held the binoculars up to the cage so the otter could use them.

She peeked out onto the docks. There was a red panda in a black hoodie and a fanny pack talking to a few workers.

"No," she said curtly. "Is he the guy who knows my ex?"

"I suspect they're associates and…" Nick was cut off when Kris tried opening the car door. "What are you doing?"

"I want to go talk to him!" she complained.

"That wasn't the deal," Nick said. "We wait here until…"

"Nick! Nick!" Judy's voice interrupted her partner and he turned around. Judy had grabbed the binoculars and was looking at the red panda. "There's two mammals with purple flower pins heading towards him."

"Really now?" he peeked through the windshield.

"I'm going to go see if I can hear what they're saying. Keep an eye on them."

Judy exited the car and scampered her way through the foliage, darting between buildings, doing her best to avoid detection. Once the bunny got close enough, she raised her ears toward her targets, able to make out what they were saying despite the rain thrumming on the metal roof. Peeking around the corner, she saw a cheetah in a dark track suit and what looked like a hamster in a red shirt join riding on the feline's shoulder approach Le Rouge.

"Ah, my dearest gentlemammals. Right on time," Le Rouge clicked his tongue.

The hamster was the one to speak up. "Got what the Boss wants?"

"Ho-ho-ho. Who do you think I am? I always deliver." Le Rouge scoffed, fetching a particular small package from an adjacent cargo stack and held it up. "Only the finest of ingredients for the most exquisite of tastes."

The cheetah bent down to accept the package and lifted it to his shoulder. The hamster appraised the contents before closing the package. "Boss sends his regards. Payment will be in the usual place."

"Do tell my friend to enjoy," the red panda said with a small bow.

"Move it, Kibbs. I hate the rain," the hamster ordered the cheetah who merely grunted back.

Judy quickly raced back to the cruiser. The bunny reached the car in record time and hopped in, shaking herself inside.

"Find out anything?" Nick asked.

"I'm not sure. They were talking about delivering ingredients of some kind to their boss," she said.

"Boss, huh?" Nick was still tracking them with the binoculars. "They're getting into a car. Let's follow them."

Judy immediately put the cruiser in reverse and merged back onto the main road, keeping a fair distance away from the gray ordinary-looking sedan that the two mammals were driving. Nick kept an eye on the vehicle, making sure they didn't lose sight of them even with heavier traffic and changing traffic lights.

As they followed, Nick grabbed the comm to run the vehicle's plate. "Dispatch, this is Z-240, requesting a plate check."

"10-4, Z-240, go ahead," Clawhauser answered.

"We have a medium-sized gray sedan. Plate is two, golf, alpha, tango, one, two, three."

There was a short pause before Clawhauser spoke again. "Vehicle is registered to a cheetah named Jonah Kibbly. Previously convicted of multiple misdemeanors. Over."

"A couple priors, huh? Thanks, Dispatch! Z-240 out," Nick said and returned the comm to the dashboard and turned to Judy. "Now, let's see if our Mr. Kibbly is up to no good."

Judy shot her partner a smirk. They entered Downtown and were traveling east along Hill Street. Soon they entered a modest yet fairly deserted neighborhood where the general vehicle and foot traffic was light for the time of day.

The cheetah pulled into a metered parking spot while Judy pulled over by the side of a building across the street. The feline didn't even bother to put a coin into the meter as he walked down the sidewalk, making the bunny officer groan.

"I know, Carrots. But we have bigger fish to fry," Nick winked at her. Judy merely stuck her tongue out at her partner.

The cheetah walked a short distance to a nearby restaurant with a faded sign that had the words 'Goatsteau's' scratched out. The restaurant didn't appear open yet but all the lights were on. He knocked a particular pattern on the door and was soon greeted by a scrappy-looking weasel with a chef's hat and apron. They noticed an identical purple flower lapel was pinned to his messy shirt. The package was exchanged and the hamster hopped down, going inside with the weasel. The cheetah silently turned around and left the way he came, heading back to his vehicle and drove away.

"Cooking ingredients, huh?" Nick puffed out an air of disappointment. "Guess this is a wash."

Judy had grabbed the binoculars again, looking through the restaurant's windows. "There's some sort of glass tank next to the kitchen. I can't really see it and someone's sitting at a table on the second floor."

"Come again?" Nick sat up and tried to make out the details.

"Second window from the right," Judy said, handing over the binoculars.

Nick could see what looked like a medium-sized predator happily eating away at some early dinner. It looked like a wolverine in a rather tacky blue suit. The officer lingered on the suspect for a minute - something about him was vaguely familiar. Shrugging, he then moved down to the first floor to look at the tank Judy mentioned.

Having a better viewing angle on the tank from his seat, Nick leaned over and noticed there were fish inside. They were small and dark with shimmering scales. He suddenly recalled the photo of the halofish that Jacques had provided. Now wait a minute… Dozen small fish, fancy scales, bunch of goons with flower lapels? Those might be the missing fish!

When the realization dawned, the fox officer aimed the binoculars at the window with the dining mammal first for their ride-along guest. "Kris. Is this the guy?"

After taking a peek, it only took half a second before Kris went ballistic. "Jack! That's him! That piece of… Let me out of here!" she banged on the cage bars.

"Kris... this is very important. Look over here and tell me what you see," Nick said calmly but with a tone of authority. He moved the binoculars over and pointed them in the direction of the tank.

With heavy breathing, the otter scooted over and forced herself to look again. "Those are… OUR FISH!" she shouted.

Nick snapped the binoculars away from Kris. She continued to make a ruckus anyway.

"Kris, please calm down… We're going to get them back," Judy grabbed the comm from the dash. "Z-240 to Dispatch. Come in, Clawhauser."

"This is Dispatch, Officer Hopps. Reading you loud and clear."

"Clawhauser we have a 10-99. We found the stolen fish from the aquarium. Three suspects spotted; a weasel in a chef uniform, a wolverine in a blue suit, and a hamster in a red shirt in a restaurant named Goatsteau's on 4059…"

"Hill and Colony," Nick supplied, grabbing his gear.

"4059 Hill Street near Colony. Requesting backup. Over."

"10-4 Officer Hopps. Officers Fangmeyer and Grizzoli are en route. Over."

"Copy that, Clawhauser."

It didn't take long for Kris to pipe up again. "Aren't you two going to do something?"

"We need to wait for backup, Kris," Judy replied calmly. "I don't think that…"

"Oh my god!" Nick exclaimed. He was checking the scene again with the binoculars.

"What is it?" Judy asked, turning to face him.

"I take back what I said about bigger fish to fry… weasel chef just snagged one of them out of the tank."

"They're cooking the fish!?" Judy gasped, standing up in her seat.

"Let me out! Let me out! LET ME OUT!" Kris shrieked.

"We need to get in there and stop them," Judy said.

"What? What about back up?" Nick asked.

"You can't just sit here and do nothing! That's our life's work!" Kris yelled.

"Nick, it'll be okay. I have a plan. Kris, you'll need to stay here," Judy said and exited the vehicle. Nick gladly did as well to get away from the screeching otter.

Outside, they could still hear the muffled cries of one angry otter coming from inside the cruiser.

"You did make sure it's locked, right?" Nick asked anxiously.

"Officer Hopps to Dispatch," Judy said shaking her head, keying her paw-held radio. "Clawhauser. Nick and I need to go in. Repeat, we're going in."

"What's the lowdown?" Nick asked as they crept up to the side of the building, remaining out of sight.

"I'll go in the back and stop that weasel. Think you can handle the wolverine?"

"I got this," Nick said, formulating his own plan. "Watch out for that hamster. We haven't seen him since he went inside." He gently placed a paw on Judy's shoulder. "And be careful."

The bunny officer smiled and pulled her partner down for a good luck peck on the cheek. "You too." And then she was gone.

With a quick deep breath, Officer Wilde turned the corner and checked the handle on the door. Finding it unlocked, he casually strolled inside.


A small brass bell above the door announced the fox's arrival. Nick's eyes immediately landed on the fish tank across the room, next to a door with a small porthole. He surveyed the empty wooden tables, following the stairs located in the back up to the dining wolverine, who suddenly stopped mid-meal, putting his utensils down in an orderly fashion, and stood up.

The taller stocky mammal was wearing a pink patterned shirt under a dark blue suit with a very large daisy-like flower pinned to his right breast. His left paw was clutching a gold-tipped cane. Revealing long and deadly claws, he scratched a thick, darkened snout against his well-manicured brown fur with matching eyes that wielded an air of superiority.

Both mammals paused as they gave each other a once-over. Nick's brow nearly rose when the wolverine began to laugh. A boisterous hearty laugh that echoed throughout the entire building.

"My, my. There's a muzzle I haven't seen in ages. Look at you, Nicky. A regular ranger scout in blue. Who would have known you'd join the right side of the law? Quite the upgrade from your usual haute couture," the wolverine grinned.

Nick allowed a casual smirk to cross his face, despite his surprise at who Kris's ex-boyfriend turned out to be. "Jack. Wish I could say the same. Little early for Zoolloween, don't you think?"

Another laugh roared from Jack. "Ah, how I missed that sassy tongue of yours. But you must know… Jack is no more, my friend," he began with a small bow. "You can call me… Chuckles."

"Alright, Chuck. What's a mammal gotta do to get a bite around here? Do I need to wait for a host or is it self-seating?" Nick gestured to the open tables.

"Unfortunately, my dear old friend, we are regretfully closed," Chuckles informed him, leaning forward on his cane with both paws.

"Really? I didn't see a closed sign, the lights are on, and the door is open. And you made the place look so inviting, I just had to stop in," he shot an obvious glance to the fish. "Patrolling really makes a guy hungry. How about it for old time's sake?"

The squeaky sound of the kitchen door swinging open made both mammals pause to see the scruffy weasel chef casting an ominous stare in the officer's direction, gripping a large fillet knife in his left paw. He glanced up to Chuckles with an expectant look in his eyes.

With a nonchalant wave, Chuckles simply dismissed the weasel away who replied with a nod and disappeared back into the kitchen. "As you can see, Nicky… my personal poissonier is done for the night. I'm afraid dinner is no longer being served. My sincerest apologies."

"Just my luck. You don't mind if I stretch the ol' legs a bit, right?" Nick replied, brushing him off. He pulled out a seat, turned it around and sat down, crossing his arms on the top rail. He looked around once more. An opened box sitting on a table next to the stairs revealed a stack of flyers advertising a new development titled Sequoia Towers. "I take it Mr. Big is expanding his enterprise?"

The wolverine chuckled, strolling over to the railing and spread his arms wide. "This is all mine. I swooped in and took the land when I gave the previous owner an offer he couldn't refuse," he boasted. "I have a very keen sense for real estate."

Swooping in to take the land, huh? Before he could comment, Nick spotted a small movement from the corner of his eye. Judy was peeking through the kitchen porthole, giving him a thumbs up. She then pointed to the right and up toward the wolverine. Nick kept his eyes on Chuckles and pretended to scratch his neck, flashing her a sign of acknowledgement. His partner smiled and hopped away.

"Boy, doesn't everybody these days. You should try investing in Little R. I know some self-proclaimed real estate barons I can put you in touch with," Nick quipped.

"Hah. You always did have a repertoire for making connections, Nicky. I would value having a savvy mammal such as yourself on my advisory board. We only allow mammals of proven pecuniary entrepreneurship to join. I guarantee the pay for your esteemed service in law enforcement is… how shall I say it in your terms? Chump change."

Pretending to consider the offer, Nick stood and paced around his seat, stalling for time as long as he could. He finally turned to face Chuckles with a feigned look of glee on his muzzle. "Exclusive membership to an all-important elite group of haughty masterminds where we hold paws and sing kumbaya? Sounds like my kind of crowd. Where do I sign up?" the fox officer said with a sarcastic tone, clasping both paws dramatically near his cheek.

Chuckles laughed once again, appearing unfazed by Nick's running mouth and theatrics. Behind him, Judy managed to sneak up the stairs to the second floor as she approached the unsuspecting wolverine from underneath the tables, quickly moving from one table to the next as she closed the distance. She made brief eye-contact with Nick and held up a pair of cuffs.

Finishing laughing, Chuckles took a step closer against the railing. "Always the charming raconteur. You'll fit in more than you think. I know the kind of fox you are. Old habits die hard."

"Sorry. Did I give the impression that I was serious? My bad. I'll have to pass on that offer. You know what they say; when it sounds too good to be true…"

"Oh-ho? Last chance, Nicky. I do hope you seriously reconsider… Otherwise our business here is concluded. You'll see that we do have a sign that says we reserve the right to refuse service…" Chuckles pointed with his cane. "And I will be reserving that right, officer."

Nick stopped pacing and looked Chuckles squarely in the eyes. Judy was under the table right behind Chuckles and the wolverine remained clueless. The fox officer seized the opportunity.

"Last chance, huh?" Nick began, gesturing up to his former associate. "Listen Jack, stop me if I'm wrong… Former bigshot underling with illusions of grandeur decides, 'Hey check me out! I'm gonna start dressing like a clown and climb the criminal ladder!' Only to find out—whoopsie, he's in way over his head. And that vision of becoming a big shot crime boss? Double whoopsie! He's still nothing more than a licentious crook. And whoopsie number threesie—he just added propositioning a police officer to his list of crimes. And soon enough those crimes are going to land him behind bars and our wannabe criminal mastermind sinks into denial, sharing a rickety bunk and a dirty toilet with another fellow lowlife until he finally realizes he should make better life choices and run back home to mommy with his tail between his legs to become… What were you before being in Big's gang? A street performer? Did I miss anything?"

Even Chuckles couldn't immediately laugh at Nick's piercing words as the wolverine appeared visibly peeved, unable to stop baring his fangs at the fox officer. He dropped one balled fist to his side while the other clutched his cane; creating claw marks on it.

A sudden metallic click surprised the wolverine and he found his paws now cuffed behind his back and a small rabbit officer standing behind him.

Judy looked up at their surprised perp. "Jack…" she paused.

"Napurr," Nick supplied from down below, unable to contain his smug grin.

"Jack Napurr, you are under arrest."

Hearing those words, Chuckles unexpectedly burst into his ear-grating pompous laughter, looking over his shoulder at Judy. "What an adorable little partner you have, Nicky. Did you find her in a stuffed animal bargain bin?"

Judy ignored the jab and gave Chuckles a nudge to start moving. "You're going to jail, sir. Start moving."

"You heard the lady, Chuck. By the way… that state-issued jewelry looks good on you. Really completes the ensemble," Nick jabbed.

Letting his laughter die down, he grinned viciously at the doe. "You think I'm so easily caught, officers? You won't be yanking my freedom like some bad tooth," he said in a low voice.

Nick suspiciously narrowed his eyes at the veiled threat. "Carrots, hold up. Let me..."

Without warning, Chuckles hunched closer to Judy while discreetly wiggling his wrists and pinched one of his gold cufflinks. A cloud of green gas sprayed her in the face from the giant daisy flower pinned to his coat, throwing the unsuspecting doe into a coughing fit. With surprising agility, he spun past Judy and kicked her right over the railing.

"Judy!" Nick yelled and rushed forward, catching his partner and breaking her fall before she could sustain any injuries. He kneeled so he could put Judy down. She continued to cough as Nick cradled her against his side. "I got you."

Able to open her eyes now, Judy's coughing fit came under control. "Thank you, Nick. I think I'm okay."

Their eyes shot up as Chuckles began to speak over the railing.

"Merle. Be a good rodent and remove these tasteless cuffs," Chuckles ordered.

The missing hamster in the red shirt emerged from inside his inner coat pocket and quickly undid the cuffs using a bobby pin. He climbed up to the wolverine's shoulder, glaring at the officers while rolling an acorn around in his mouth.

"Much better." Wasting no time, Chuckles reached into his coat and began to draw what looked like a firearm.

With his training kicking in, Nick immediately pulled Judy to one side and reached behind his belt, quickly drawing his tranquilizer gun in record speed and fired a dart at Chuckles. The clean shot hit the wolverine center mass, between his unbuttoned coat, but unexpectedly bounced off his pink shirt and landed on the floor.

"Ha-ha. That was quite impressive!" Chuckles complimented with a golf clap, completely unfazed. He knocked on his chest with a fist. "Kevlar."

Before Nick could grab Judy's tranquilizer gun and aim for his head, Chuckles aimed his weapon right at the police officers.

"No, no, no…" Nick panicked. With little time for cover, the fox quickly overturned the closest table and tried to use it as cover. Judy attempted to cling to Nick to shield his torso, knowing full well she had a vest and he didn't. Nick wrapped an arm around his smaller partner, thinking similar thoughts, and pinned Judy down, despite her resistance, on the floor as they ducked low. He knew the bullets would be able to easily penetrate the cheap wood.

The loud bang reverberated throughout the restaurant, followed by a bellow of obnoxious laughter. The fox and bunny's eyes widened, checking each other and themselves. Nothing had happened. They peeked at Chuckles from behind cover, who continued to laugh, waving his firearm around. The end of the barrel had a small plastic pole protruding from it with a red flag reading 'BANG' in bold yellow letters.

"You should have seen the look on your faces! And the way you held each other! HA-HA-HA!" Chuckles tossed the fake gun down. It landed with a thud and bounced near their position. A more sinister expression grew on the wolverine's muzzle as he reached into his coat once more and produced another firearm. "This one's real."

He pointed the gun at the officers before suddenly changing his aim and shot at the fish tank. The tank's glass shattered brilliantly, sending shards flying everywhere as the water spilled onto the wooden floor, carrying the poor halofish with it.

"Au revoir, officers!" he yelled, laughing, and jumped out one of the windows with Merle, bounding his way down the building's fire escape.

"Nick! He's getting away!" Judy shouted, quickly hopping to her feet. She watched the flapping fish bouncing around on the floor. "Oh no… We have to do something! Can you help these fish?"

"What?" he uttered, looking at his partner in complete disbelief.

"I'll go after Chuckles. Stay here and save these fish!" Judy ordered and ran out the front door as the small bell signaled her exit.

"Carrots! Wait!" Nick called after her but it was too late. With a growl, he stood and approached the fish, trying to catch one of them with his paws. "Hold still you bouncy filets!" He managed to catch one then realized he had no place to put it. "Ugh… what am I doing?!"

Nick dropped the fish and raced outside to the cruiser. He ran up to the back, unlocking it and swung the door open.

"What took you so long? What's going on? Was that a gunshot? Where's Jack?" came the torrent of questions from a very livid Kris.

The fox grabbed the smaller otter by the shoulders and gave her a light shake. "Shh-sh! Kris, I need you!"

She suddenly paused her tirade and blinked. "You do?"

"What? No… not like that! The fish! He shot the tank!" Nick pointed back with both paws.

"He WHAT?" Kris roared.

"They're flip-flopping all over the floor! So we gotta go!"

The otter regained control of herself and the two mammals ran back inside the restaurant. Kris gasped and nearly fainted at the sight of her poor fish bouncing all over the spilled water and shattered glass.

"Kris, c'mon! What do we do?" Nick asked, trying to snap her out of it.

She looked around and saw the kitchen door. "In there! Help me!"

Bolting inside she nearly stopped and screamed when she saw the weasel chef cuffed and out cold on the floor and a gutted dwarf halofish laying on the kitchen counter-top. Nick was forced into a skidding stop right behind her and then saw the sleeping perp and fresh filet. Next to the fish's body was the delivered package containing expensive condiments and spices.

"Don't worry about him or the fish. Tell me what to do!" he said, putting a paw on her shoulder.

"Okay… okay… We don't have much time," Kris muttered with heavy breathes. Searching the kitchen, she spied a large sink with a stepping stool next to it. "Help me look for some sea salt and bring me as many buckets or large pots as you can find." She reached into her pocket, unlocked her phone and jammed it into Nick's paws. "But first, call Will's cell; tell him to bring a portable saltwater tank! Go pick up the fish, keep them wet, and bring them in here!"

With no time to spare, Nick immediately searched through the contacts and dialed Will. Lodging the phone between his neck and shoulder, he frantically grabbed a large pot and ran back into the main dining area where the fish were still bouncing on the floor as Will answered the call.

"Will, ol' pal... Yes, I know I'm not Kris… It's Officer Wilde. Listen, we found the fish. Yes, yes, I know that's totally radical… But they're out of the water. Kris needs you to bring some sort of portable saltwater tank thingy pronto… Yes, yes… I'll send a ride to get you. Right. Bye!"

Nick noticed there was still some water pooled at the bottom of the shattered tank. He attempted to drain the water into the pot and began scooping up the fish to carry them back into the makeshift aquarium. He managed to get all of the fish into the pot, making sure they were all wet, and dragged the heavy pot next to Kris.

Now Nick was on the hunt for the sea salt. The fox quickly dashed from pantry to pantry with no luck. He swung the last remaining pantry open, finding the salt. "Aha!" He grabbed as many sea salt containers as he could carry in his arms and hurried over to where Kris was.

Kris was flinging open every drawer and cabinet, searching for a few critical makeshift tools. She managed to find a large soup stirrer, a thermometer, and an electronic mixer to substitute for an aquarium powerhead. Finding at least one large metal pot that she could lift, Kris placed it on a stove that was next to the sink and began filling it with water from the extendable faucet. Once it was full to an acceptable level, she placed the thermometer inside to record the temperature, then turned the stove on, to start heating the water to seventy-two degrees Fahrenheit and maintain that temperature.

Nick ran by and dumped all the salt containers on the counter next to her and sprinted away, hunting for more pots while he radioed Clawhauser to send Fangmeyer and Grizzoli to Judy's location and send another patrol car to pick up Will at the aquarium and bring him to his current location ASAP. Clawhauser informed Nick that Judy just radioed him and was currently in pursuit of their suspect.

With the water slowly heating, Kris took the mixer and turned it on inside the water to create some turbulence on the surface; to maximize gas exchange and aerate the water. Lastly, she took the sea salt and poured it into the water to mix.

As Nick finished the radio call, he dragged a few more pots and buckets over to Kris. Just as he brought over the last pot, his police radio began to crackle.


Judy raced through the alleyway, jumping over several trash cans that Chuckles was leaving behind as obstacles in her path, laughing the entire way. The wolverine was surprisingly agile and fit. He darted across an intersection with no regard to traffic, causing several cars to slam their brakes to avoid hitting the escaping mammal. The bunny leaped over each one in hot pursuit. Judy felt a faint dizziness creep into her, nearly causing the bunny to stumble but she grit her teeth and shook it off.

Grabbing her radio, she began to update her location. "Officer Hopps to Dispatch. I have a 10-32. Suspect fleeing on foot. Brown wolverine in a dark blue suit with a hamster in a red shirt heading down East Hill Street toward Doves."

"10-4 Officer Hopps. Officers Fangmeyer and Grizzoli five minutes to intercept. Over."

Chuckles leaped over a row of shrubs, dashing through a small neighborhood park between the legs of several large mammals. He looked back to see Judy maintaining pace with him.

"Stop! Stop in the name of the law!"

"Persistent little flatfoot, aren't you?" he cackled.

The chase continued out of the park and into another alley where Chuckles scaled a small fence. Judy was able to jump the entire thing in one leap. Landing near her target, she went for a tackle. Chuckles pivoted out of the way, forcing Judy to parkour off a building wall. Another wave of dizziness struck, this time more intense than before, causing Judy to nearly trip and lose ground.

"Oh… so close, little doe," he taunted. "Can't catch the wolverine by the toe!"

The pursuit continued onto the sidewalk. Chuckles looked to be making a turn onto the next street. Judy pushed herself harder, picking up speed, and leapt onto the street sign, launching herself into the air. She sailed through the air about to land onto the back of the wolverine when he skid to a stop, causing the bunny to land and tuck into a roll on the concrete. Chuckles used the opportunity to dash through a Cattlelac dealer lot, ducking underneath larger mammal cars as cover.

"Maybe when pigs fly, officer!" he giggled at her misfortune.

Judy didn't quit as the two emerged on the other side of the lot, now running down a new street.

"Dispatch," Judy relayed, her breathing becoming much heavier. "Suspect… suspect is now fleeing south on… on Covey."

A large public transportation bus was loading passengers up ahead. As the bus began to move and merge into traffic, Chuckles' lead allowed him to hop onto the back bumper to hitch a ride. He arrogantly waved at the rabbit officer as the gap widened between them.

"Oh no…" she keyed up the mic on her radio. "Dispatch. Suspect is on a ZTA city bus… number fifty-two, turning west on Bevy Avenue. I'm losing him."

This time a different voice came in through the comm. "Carrots. I know that route. You'll see a Goat-To-Guys and a Fresh Doe Bakery on your right. Take that alley…"

Chuckles watched as he lost sight of the unrelenting pesky rabbit with a smirk. The bus traveled a short distance then slowed to pull in for another stop. He jumped ready to disappear into the crowd when a roaring grunt caught him off guard as Judy jump-kicked him. The wolverine fell but managed to quickly recover.

Drawing her tranq gun, Judy went for a shot, struggling to keep her aim steady. Chuckles used the small window of opportunity to charge the smaller rabbit, closing the gap, and slashed at her with his claws.

Judy was forced to dodge backwards as Chuckles slashed the weapon out of her paw. The exertion caused her to stumble to one knee as the dizziness returned and the bunny's vision began to blur. What's going on? Get up, Judy… Get. Up!

Watching her falter, a vicious grin formed on Chuckles' muzzle when he noticed a nearby crosswalk signal turn green and a very large herd of wildebeest began to cross. He kicked Judy's gun away and ran towards the bleating mammals, shoving both paws into his coat, bringing out his gun and Merle.

"Wha… what is it, Boss?" the small surprised hamster squeaked.

"Merle, I have one last job for you," Chuckles said, baring his fangs. He aimed his gun upwards, above the herd. "Consider your debt paid."

He fired the gun repeatedly, inciting a massive panic. The herd, along with several other mammals, stampeded in fright in all directions. Chuckles punched Merle in his small chubby gut, winding the hamster and then chucked him directly into the coming onslaught of hooves and paws.

Judy managed to get back on her feet just in time to witness the atrocious act. Chuckles stared directly at her with an insidious smile. "What's it gonna be, officer?" He stepped back and then darted away amongst the uproar, laughing in delight.

Unable to move, Merle screamed as hooves crashed all around him. Judy looked to the escaping wolverine, then to Merle, back to Chuckles again and then back to Merle. She forced herself forward, feeling her energy draining and vision fading. With one final push, she dashed to the vulnerable rodent and scooped him up, hopping side to side as she dodged being stomped from every angle. She felt herself collapsing as she made one final dive, clutching Merle tightly before everything went black.

Everything felt peaceful and quiet. A small buzz of various noises came from all around as the sounds steadily grew louder, forming into a cacophony of chatter and horns.

"Hey, back off! That's my partner over there! No crowding folks. Police officer coming through."

Judy's eyes fluttered open to reveal several colorful blobs before her eyes started to focus against the bright sunlight, looking directly for the source of the familiar voice as Nick's blurry red silhouette formed into the face she loved to see, even if he had a complete worried look on it right now. She also noticed that there was something perched on his shoulder. It was the hamster, Merle. Behind them she could hear the voices of Francine and McHorn getting the crowds under control.

"What happened?" she spoke weakly, attempting to sit up but then winced at the pain.

"Hey, hey… easy there!" Nick spoke softly, placing his paw behind her back for support. "You were out for a little while. One of those hooves came down and hit you pretty hard. Luckily your vest took most of the impact. The EMT's are on their way."

She placed a paw across Nick's cheek and held it. She noticed a few large scuffs on her vest from the impact of the hooves. Judy's gaze then turned to Merle who had remained quiet the entire time thus far. "I'm glad to see you're okay, Merle."

He shied away in shame, unable to speak.

"Wait. What about Chuckles?"

"Gone. Merle here used your radio to tell Clawhauser what happened and where he last saw Chuckles going. When Chief Buffalo Butt got word… think he pulled almost every cop in the city off their assignments and on a mammal hunt for him right now."

Judy felt a little embarrassed that Bogo did that for her. She then remembered the halofish. "And the fish?"

"Can you believe Kris managed to keep most of them alive, MacGopher style? It was pretty impressive! Wolfard and Delgato brought Will and Jacques to the restaurant in time with some portable tanks."

The bunny closed her eyes with a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness!"

Even though their culprit got away from her, the disappointed officer told herself to look at the bright side. The fish were recovered, hopefully the aquarium would be okay, the suspected employees were innocent, and she saved a mammal's life. If Chuckles did manage to escape the city-wide mammal hunt, Judy felt determined to promise to track down the wolverine and eventually arrest him.

Nick's police radio began to buzz, interrupting her introspective moment. "Dispatch to Officer Wilde. Come in, over."

"Wilde here. Go ahead Claws," he replied.

"Officer Grizzoli is requesting contact. Patching you in now. Standby."

"Roger that," he keyed the mic and waited.

"Hey, Wilde. Got something for you and Hopps," the white timberwolf said proudly. Grizzoli kept the channel open and a long string of colorful insults along with crazed laughter could be heard in the background.

"Watch the coat, it's worth more than you, Tigger! I said watch it! You think your jail will hold me! One day I'll own this city…"

"Well, speak of the devil," Nick smirked. "That wouldn't happen to be our deranged, maniacal, overly-musky friend who dresses like a reject from a Victorian thrift store, would it Grizz?"

Grizzoli nearly howled with laughter. "The one and only. Fangmeyer is getting him into our cruiser."

"Good. Good. Tell Steph to handle that one with extra special care for me," Nick said.

"10-4 buddy. Tell Judy we're glad to hear she's okay," Grizzoli said.

"That's a solid copy," he said and turned to Judy. "You got that, right?"

The bunny nodded and slumped her head against her partner's chest.

"Say, Officer Hopps." Both Nick and Judy turned to face Merle. "I just wanted to say thanks… for saying my life."

"You're welcome, Merle," Judy smiled. "It's what we do at the ZPD."

"Listen… I owed him a debt. I'm no rat… but I'll tell you everything I know."

Soon the approaching sirens of a Medical bus could be heard down the street as vehicles pulled over to the curb to allow the EMTs to park and come rushing over to check on Judy.


Judy and Nick entered the lobby of the Zootopia Marine Life Aquarium after being allowed to bypass the long line of mammals gathered outside, waiting for the doors to open. Several large banners hung from the skylights, advertising the grand reopening of the Pawcific Ocean Exhibit. The employees had worked hard in making sure the Dwarf halofish were healthy and reintroduced them back into their habitat with great care.

The press had gotten hold of the case, following the arrest of Chuckles, and it went viral on social media and news websites, garnering a huge turnout for opening day. Jacques was both excited and relieved; excited for the huge crowd of mammals and relieved to learn that his staff was innocent when Merle sang like a bird in return for Judy saving his life.

The hamster confirmed Chuckles' plan to buy the land and revealed how he had pegged Kris as the perfect target, learning about the aquarium and its employees by dating her, and how he had been the one aiding the wolverine when he snatched Philip's binky and swapped Victor's pills while Chuckles distracted them. Merle confessed the wily wolverine did, in fact, enter through the pipes, plant Kris' fur, and made off with the fish.

The older otter had begged Chief Bogo to at least allow the heroic officers a few hours to come see the grand reopening, to which the gruff cape buffalo reluctantly agreed.

Once inside, the hippo from the general information booth called Jacques to let him know his special guests had otter gathered his staff to come greet the two officers.

"Ahoy, my wonderful officers! I'm so glad you could make it!" Jacques said as he fiercely hugged them both, as Will, Kris, Philip, and Victor applauded them.

"Aw, thank you all so much," Judy said with an overflowing look of joy in her eyes.

"Come, come… let me show you the fruits of your hard work!" the director said, leading them to the exhibit. "It is only fitting you both get to be the first to see it before the public."

Making their way toward the back of the aquarium, Judy and Nick followed the group to the tank. Kris had glanced back to ogle Nick, only to notice the pair holding paws and how they would look at each other. She turned around to hide her frown, only to soften and release a sigh of disappointment. When they arrived, the group stood in awe, watching the decorated tank, brilliantly lit and showcasing the shimmering rings of the dwarf halofish gliding through the water. It was beautiful and mesmerizing.

"This would not have been possible without you! Thank you again, from all us!"

"Our pleasure, sir," Nick said.

"We must finish preparing for our opening but please feel free to explore till your heart's content and if there is anything you need, just ask," Jacques said warmly.

The staff smiled and hurried back to their tasks. After spending some time watching the halofish, the fox and bunny moved around, exploring several more exhibits in the quiet comfort, enjoying some teasing and flirting. Judy and Nick found a different petting tank, where they enjoyed touching the sea animals together which led to a minor splashing battle despite there being a warning sign that said no splashing. Afterwards, they were studying one of the shark tanks, watching several tiger sharks swim about their recreated habitat.

Judy was leaning against Nick while he had an arm around her shoulder. There was no stopping his wagging tail till he felt a sudden caressing motion.

"I can't blame you. It is irresistible, isn't it?" he smirked.

"What is?" Judy asked innocently.

"What do you mean what is? I can feel you touching my… Oh no…" Nick's eyes widened in realization.

They both cautiously looked over their respective shoulders to find a very familiar red octopus completely enthralled with Nick's bushy tail once more.

"Don't move, Nick! I'll go get Will," Judy whispered, trying to slowly slink away.

"What? You're going to leave me here with this thing?" Nick pleaded with both palms out.

"It'll be fine! Just don't scare him!"

"Will! Will! Will!" Nick shouted in a hushed tone, hoping his twinsie would somehow hear his cry for help.

Judy heard a pair of rushing footsteps and soon, a net came down on the unsuspecting octopus as Will and Kris arrived to recapture him.

"My dude! You really are a lucky charm, officer. I should totally ask boss mammal to have you come around every time he gets out" Will laughed hysterically.

"Think I'll pass on that deal. Hank and I don't have that kind of a relationship," Nick said, brushing his violated tail.

"Hank?" the beaver asked.

"He's always 'hankering' to escape!" Nick replied with a smirk, looking proud. Judy facepalmed with both paws and shook her head.

"I dig it! Ya hear that, Hank? Let's get you back into your tank, dude. Thanks again, officers!" Will waved as he took Hank back to his rightful home.

Kris stayed behind, paws clasped with a sincere smile on her muzzle. "I really wanted to thank you both for saving the aquarium and putting that fu… jerk in jail."

"Of course, Kris," Judy smiled back.

"I'll leave you two be. Be sure to check that habitat there," she pointed. "It's one of my favorites."

The otter drew closer, hugging Judy and then hugging Nick, who appeared a little uncomfortable at the lingering gesture. "You're a lucky mammal, Judy. This one's a keeper. But if you ever let him go, Iet me know!" Kris said with a slow wink before leaving the two of them alone.

Judy couldn't help but frown ever so slightly and cross her arms after Kris turned around. It was enough to irritate the bruising on her torso and cause her to wince.

"Easy there, Carrots," Nick said gently, rubbing her side.

"I know she meant that in jest but she better keep her eyes off you unless she wants to find a nice little surprise on her windshield," Judy smirked.

Nick considered her words. "You mean…"

"She's the one with all the unpaid parking tickets."

This elicited a hearty laugh from Nick as he and Judy strolled over to the next exhibit. He noticed Judy rubbing her side again.

"Want me to carry you?"

The bunny smiled at her boyfriend. "I'll be fine, really. Overprotective fox."

"I am a keeper after all," Nick said, confidently adjusting his tie.

Judy tugged Nick down so that she could plant a long soft kiss on his cheek. "Yes, you are!"

They shared a smile and quietly returned to watching several schools of brightly colored tropical fish swim around a reef. A trio of fish emerged from a small anemone that caught Judy's attention.

"Oh Nick, look!" Nick turned his attention to a pair of clownfish and a blue tang swimming together. The three fish kept close to one another and swam near the glass in front of Judy and Nick. "They look so cute together."

"That they do," he agreed.


Author's Note: Hey readers. Long overdue update, despite that - I hope it's an enjoyable read. Originally this humor-based Crime Files-esque case chapter began with a silly idea and two intended Crime Files cameos (Kris and Chuckles) before it ballooned to six and grew in scope! I thought about chopping it into three parts but decided to release it in full as a single chapter instead.

Big thanks to my usual editor Anistuffs and special thanks to Cimar of Turalis Wildehopps, Starfang's Secrets, and Zeronone for helping with a few scenes and ideas. They are all great authors - be sure to give their stories a read!

On a final note, the official cover art (by yours truly as well) is complete. There is an updated thumbnail on FFN. The full piece can be seen on deviantart under my username "animemagix". Also work will begin on revising the first half of the story, keeping the core, but adding to it and being more polished. Don't worry, there will be no "George Lucas'ing" of the content. :)

As always thank you for the all the kudos, favs, comments and reviews! See you next chapter!